RTHK: Russian men fleeing draft en masse

Georgia and Kazakhstan said on Tuesday that tens of thousands of Russians had flooded into their countries from neighbouring Russia since the announcement of partial mobilisation to fight in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week announced the call-up of thousands of reservists, sparking protests across the country and a rush among Russian men for the borders.

Fyodor said he had fled to Russia's border with Kazakhstan spooked by reports that even the infirm and elderly were being called up to fight.

"There is full chaos (in Russia)," the 24-year-old said. "We don't understand what will happen."

He decided to leave for Kazakhstan on Saturday morning "as a precautionary measure" to "take a head start, just in case."

On Tuesday Kazakhstan said around 98,000 Russians had entered the country since mobilisation was announced.

It took Fyodor about 48 hours, including a five-kilometre walk to the border and a six-hour queue, before he reached the northern Kazakh city of Oral.

"It was raining, it was cold, but six hours of wait... well, that was still reasonable given the circumstances," he said.

Vladislav, a 25-year-old bartender, found shelter in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Monday evening.

In Russia, he said, "I could go to work or to do the groceries and never come back... I don't want to die."

"A week ago, I could not imagine I'd be in Kazakhstan," he said, adding that he "wanted to thank the Kazakh people for welcoming him so nicely."

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Tuesday his country would ensure the safety of Russians fleeing "a hopeless situation".

"This is a political and humanitarian issue," Tokayev added.

"The territorial integrity of states must be unshakeable," Tokayev said.

Kazakhstan has condemned Moscow's assault on Ukraine and called for respect of territorial integrity, as Russia held annexation referendums in four Ukrainian regions.

"In our immediate vicinity a major war is underway. We must remember this, thinking above all about our security," he added.

Russians also flocked to the Black Sea nation of Georgia.

On Tuesday, Georgia said the number of Russians arriving each day has nearly doubled since the draft was announced.

"Four to five days ago 5,000-6,000 (Russians) were arriving in Georgia daily. The number has grown to some 10,000 per day," Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri told journalists.

Georgia and its neighbour Armenia, which do not require visas for Russians, have been major destinations for Russians fleeing since the war began on February 24.

Over the first four months of the war, nearly 50,000 Russians fled to Georgia and another 40,000 to Armenia.

On Tuesday, the local interior ministry in a Russian region that borders Georgia said there was a tailback of around 5,500 cars waiting to cross the Georgian border, calling the situation "extremely tense".

The ministry added that a mobile draft office will be set up at the border in the "near future."

This story has been published on: 2022-09-27. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: Flu jab booking set

Community vaccination centres (CVCs) in various districts will offer free seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) to Hong Kong residents aged 50 or above when they are there for COVID-19 vaccination starting from October 6.

The Government announced today that eligible people can make reservations for receiving both COVID-19 vaccination and SIV through the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme booking system starting from 9am tomorrow.

They may also choose to receive the free SIV on site when they are receiving the COVID-19 jab starting from October 6.

Given that local seasonal influenza activity has been staying at low levels since February 2020, the overall immunity against influenza in the community is at present relatively low, the Government noted.

As the winter flu season is approaching, citizens are strongly urged to complete the recommended dosage of COVID-19 vaccines and the latest seasonal influenza vaccine as early as possible to obtain better protection in the event of co-infection with COVID-19 and influenza.

The scientific committees under the Department of Healths Centre for Health Protection reached a consensus in August that COVID-19 vaccines can be administered at the same time with seasonal flu vaccines.

This story has been published on: 2022-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Qatar Airways has unveiled a new Frequent Flyer Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 4, the first of its kind outside of its home, exclusively for Privilege Club members and oneworld alliance partners.



Situated in Terminal 4, located just a floor below the Premium Lounge, the Frequent Flyer lounge is open to Qatar Airways Privilege Club members, with access extending to Joint Business Partners like British Airways Executive Club members, and other oneworld Alliance loyalty members. The lounge boasts modern interiors overlooking the tarmac. Eligible customers can indulge in a menu comprising of a hot and cold buffet selection and a range of beverages.



Qatar Airways Premium Lounge in Terminal 4, the very first in the airlines global network, has also recently reopened its doors to Qatar Airways First and Business Class passengers. The premium lounge boasts of elegant seating areas, tarmac views, a martini bar, a dedicated family area, prayer room and diverse dining options including a full buffet and an a la carte menu served to fine dining standards at the brasserie and casual dining at the Global Deli.



Further elevating the customer experience in London Heathrow, Qatar Airways has dedicated a new enclosed Premium Check-in Area exclusively for its First and Business Class customers. Within the check-in lobby area, customers are invited to lounge in a haven of tranquillity with refreshing beverages while check-in formalities are completed. With Boarding card and fast track invitation in hand, customers can arrive at our lounge with ample time to spare before boarding their flight.



Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, said: We are proud to be opening our first Frequent Flyer lounge outside of Doha, offering passengers across the oneworld Alliance network an oasis of calm and comfort in one of the worlds busiest airports. Qatar Airways is committed to serving passengers travelling from Heathrow with world-class facilities, and we hope that they will enjoy the warm Qatari hospitality offered at the Premium Lounge, FFP Lounge and the dedicated Premium Check-in area.



Qatar Airways service provides UK passengers with greater access to travel to a wide range of destinations on the airlines global network, including Australia, Thailand, India, the Maldives and the Philippines.



Qatar Airways currently operates from four UK airports, which includes five daily flights from London Heathrow increasing to six daily flights from London Gatwick, up to three daily flights from Manchester, and a daily service from Edinburgh. In addition to the UK frequencies, the airline operates to Dublin with 11 weekly flights.  TradeArabia News Service
New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): India-headquartered global Ayurveda platform, 'The Ayurveda Experience', today is the largest Digital Platform to promote a vast range of Ayurveda-based products in North America, Australia, and Europe with a growing presence in India. With a range of personal care products for Skin, Hair, Body care, Health supplements and food and beverages, and even educational courses, the company has been marketing to the US, Canada, and Australia for over half a decade and now also has presence across Europe and the UK. Founded by Rishabh Chopra in 2010, this Ayurveda-based conglomerate-in-the-making has since progressed to serve more than 600,000 customers globally. Its revenue crossed INR 190 crores in the last 12 months and the sales surged more than 44% across several categories that the company operates in, such as skin care, body care, hair care, and food supplements in FY22 compared to FY21 making the demand for its high-performance ayurvedic products exceedingly evident. For the current fiscal year, The Ayurveda Experience is currently on a revenue run rate of about Rs 240 crores. Through thoughtful and impactful advertising and education efforts, The Ayurveda Experience has managed to achieve an unprecedented feat - more people visit The Ayurveda Experience website in North America and Australia than search for Ayurveda keywords. Over 97.5% of product sales are generated from its own, fully-owned platforms operating in several countries. Its custom-designed and highly efficient content-based communication has popularized Ayurveda around the world to a large set of audiences, primarily those who were not even aware of Ayurveda before! "We are trying to solve certain key issues in taking Ayurveda global which include educating global audiences on Ayurveda, solving for digital and offline distribution, making products compliant with the laws of several countries, ensuring the highest standard of herbs as well as final product standardization, and most importantly, efficacy. Ayurveda is about being the best version of yourself, about living the most optimum life you can possibly live from a mental, physical and overall health perspective. What could be a more productive cause to work on? This is what keeps us motivated to come to work every day, to spread awareness, products, and services of this most meaningful gift of India to the world," says Rishabh Chopra, Founder & CEO, The Ayurveda Experience. The Ayurveda Experience has been able to marry the best of Ayurveda, analytics, technology, R&D, and international regulatory compliance to create an extremely holistic consumer experience. Call it a perfect blend of ancient wisdom and modern technology, where the range of Ayurveda-based products are specially curated to meet the needs of modern customers, who are keen to explore authentic and effective natural alternatives to wellness. In line with this, The Ayurveda Experience has an expansive range of offerings ranging from skin, body, and hair care, F&B products, health supplements, as well as educational videos and courses. iYURA, The Ayurveda Experience's flagship brand in North America, Australia and Europe is the first and probably the only brand in the world to take traditional folk art and present it as the core of the brand's identity in global markets. iYURA products are adorned with original hand-made artworks created by local Madhubani artists, turned into striking product packaging by the company. Not only does this support local folk artists, but this also helps the brand represent India's authentic, true cultural heritage and bring more of its hidden gems to light, globally. Their other brands include Ajara, a range of ayurveda-inspired skincare. Modernica Naturalis, offering a range of modern Ayurvedic skincare, luxe bath, and body care products free of harmful chemicals, and the Ayuttva range of F&B products. From authentic, traditional Ayurvedic oils to body lotions, and serums to medicated hair care and skin care products to functional nutrition bars and snacks, The Ayurveda Experience is a one-stop shop for all things Ayurveda! Being authentic to the roots is a prominent factor playing a role in India-based brands creating a credible image across the globe. The Ayurveda Experience is Ayurvedic health and wellness platform and house of brands headquartered in Gurugram, India with four Ayurveda brands in Skin care, Body care, Personal Care, Food & Beverages, Supplements, and Education - iYURA, A. Modernica, Ajara, and Ayuttva. The Ayurveda Experience is the largest global house of Ayurveda brands and the most prominent (both in terms of size and visitors) Ayurveda-focused platform in North America, Europe, and Australia. Over 600,000 customers have enjoyed their products and services from over 150 countries worldwide. The Ayurveda Experience's holding company, Transformative Learning Solutions was started in 2010 and the team has always been driven about taking the best ideas of India to the world. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Taking to Instagram, Parineeti Chopra shared the trailer which she captioned, "HERE IT IS! - TRAILER OUT NOW #CodeNameTiranga trailer out now! Releasing in cinemas on 14th October 2022."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjCevp-pyuq/

In the trailer, Parineeti Chopra could be playing a RAW agent who is on a fearless mission for the country and is also seen doing a lot of hand-to-hand combat as well as stylized action sequences.

"As an actor, we are constantly blessed to have many firsts all through our career. I'm thrilled that in my 11th year in cinema I'm doing my first full-blown action film and I'm ecstatic about the reaction that I have been getting for Code Name Tiranga's teaser. It is hugely encouraging for someone who has never dabbled in this genre," says Parineeti Chopra.

Extensively shot in Turkey, the film also stars Harrdy Sandhu as the male lead who portrays a doctor in the film. The film will also bring together actors like Sharad Kelkar, Rajit Kapur, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Shishir Sharma, Sabyasachi Chakraborty, and Deesh Mariwala.

Helmed by Ribhu Dasgupta, the film is all set to hit the theatres on October 14, 2022.

The film will be facing a big Bollywood clash with Ayushmann Khurrana and Rakul Preet Singh's upcoming comedy 'Doctor G'.

Meanwhile, Parineeti will be also seen in upcoming family entertainer 'Uunchai' alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, and Anupam Kher.

Helmed by Sooraj Barjataya, the film is all set to hit the theatres on November 11, 2022. (ANI)
Kangana Ranaut's directorial 'Emergency' has a new addition. Actor Satish Kaushik has joined the cast of the film. He will Satish Kaushik will be seen playing late politician Jagjivan Ram. "When you are playing the role of a historic or political personality then you have to really study and research a lot about the person whom you are playing. It is a great feeling to play the former Defence Minister of India, Babu Jagjivan Ram Ji in Emergency. It would not have been possible without the help of my director, Kangana Ranaut, who is very calm, composed and in full command as the captain of the ship. I love the way she pampers and helps her actors to give the right performance and ensures that even the minutest detail is not missed out," Satish Kaushik said. Talking about Satish Kaushik joining the film's cast, Kangana said, "Jagjivan Ram was a very popular leader. One of the most loved and revered leaders of his times. When Mrs Gandhi refused his request of relaxing Emergency, he quit the Congress and there were grave consequences for her. That was his relevance. I needed somebody for this role who has his strength, his wit and his sarcasm. Satishji was an obvious choice for this role. I am looking forward to my scenes with him as an actor. They are some of the most engaging, entertaining and strong scenes in the film." 'Emergency' revolves around the life of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and features Kangana in the titular role of the late politician. The film also casts Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhry, Vishak Nair and Shreyas Talpade in prominent roles. Prior to 'Emergency', Kangana directed 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi'. On working behind the lens, she said, "My last directorial was Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi and I got an encouraging response from the audience as it was a blockbuster. I was tempted to direct another film but I had many acting assignments to complete. I do believe that I know the pulse of the audience from my interviews, my quotes and the terms that I have coined are now part of pop culture (she laughs). I do believe that the audience is looking for something which will stimulate their intellectual side and not just their sensual side." Apart from 'Emergrency', the 'Queen' actor also has director Sarwesh Mewara's 'Tejas' in her kitty, in which she will be seen portraying the role of an Indian Air force pilot. The official release date of the film is still awaited. (ANI)
Durga Puja or Durga Pujo as it is famously called is just around the corner, and the preparations for the festival have begun in full swing in Delhi. After a hiatus of 2 years, the celebrations of Durga Puja will begin on October 1 this year. But with some slight changes. Post Covid, the committee members of various pandals at CR Park, Delhi have been instructed not immerse the idols of Goddess Durga in the river Yamuna. Due to this, the size of Goddess Durga's idols has become smaller in some areas. Partha Banerjee, Committee member at CR Park Delhi, in conversation with ANI, said, "The MCD, Police and the Horticulture department have created small pits over CR Park to immerse the idols for everyone, and for those who are using the pits created by MCD are being instructed not to create Durga idols more than 5ft. But here we have dug up our own pit behind the pandal for the immersion so we can create the idol as tall as we want to." Ashish Shome, Treasurer, Azadi Ka Amrit Mohatsav-themed pandal, CR Park, said," There are no such orders to decrease the size of idols, but now we can't immerse the idols in Yamuna river, so everyone has to do immersion at their own place and the government have created small pits for us so we have to immerse the idols there. So there are no restrictions on the size of the idol, but because we cannot immerse the idol in the Yamuna river, we opted to create smaller idols this year." Sameer Banerjee, General Secretary, Durgotsav GK 2, told ANI, "Due to covid-19, for the past few years we were not able to celebrate the festival at a massive scale, but now we are back. We got an instruction to decrease the size of Maa Durga idol, it should have to be around 8ft. at the pandal, so we followed that instruction. I don't know if that rule is valid now or not. We are going with eco-friendly idols made up of clay and are instructed to end the celebrations by 10 PM every day." On being asked about the excitement among the devotees for the festival, Partha Banerjee said, "Before Covid, we usually had a footfall of over 1 lakh people every day, even more than that on Ashtami and Navami. But this year we just can't imagine how massive it's gonna be. But we are prepared for that and we are taking all the precautionary measures. We have our own bouncers and police support." Sameer Banerjee told ANI, "Due to a hiatus of 2 years, devotees were not able to celebrate Durga Puja, but now we are all excited. Our Durga Aarti is very famous, around 2000-3000 devotees gather here during the aarti." Professor Anand, Committee member, in conversation with ANI said, "After corona we have bounced back like anything, you have to feel the thing at the Pandals. You will see how devoted people are, how enthusiastic they are. Young, old, men, ladies they are all working day and night and it will be something spectacular this time." The Hindu festival of Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is a yearly celebration that honours the Hindu goddess Durga and commemorates her victory over Mahishasur. To destroy Mahishasura, Goddess Durga appeared from the fusion of all the gods' energies in heaven. She had ten arms, and on each of them, she carried the most lethal weapon belonging to each God. All of Goddess Durga's weapons are sanctified during this time. Over the years, Durga puja has become an inseparable part of Indian culture with innumerable people celebrating this festival in their own unique way while pertaining to tradition. Hindu mythology holds that the goddess comes to her earthly abode at this time to bless her devotees. For the Bengali community, Durga Puja is the biggest festival. This year Maha Shashti falls on October 1 and Vijaya Dashami on October 5. The significance of Durga Puja goes beyond religion and is revered as the celebration of compassion, brotherhood, humanity, art and culture. From the reverberation of 'dhaak' and new clothes to delicious food, there remains a merry mood during these days. In other parts of the country, during the nine-day Navratri festival, devotees worship Maa Durga's nine incarnations in order to obtain her blessings. There is a goddess manifestation linked with each day of Navratri. During these nine days, people maintain ritualistic fasts, recite shlokas dedicated to each goddess, wear new clothing, offer bhog, and clean their homes. In their prayers, they ask the goddess for her favour in order to have prosperous, joyous and fulfilled lives. (ANI)
Researchers examined decades' worth of environmental data related to Lassa virus outbreaks for their study, which was published on September 27 in Nature Communications. They found that temperature, rainfall, and the existence of pastureland areas are the main factors influencing viral transmission. In the coming decades, the researchers predicted, the Lassa virus could spread from West Africa into Central and East Africa. The human population residing in the regions where the virus should, in principle, be able to circulate might increase by more than 600 million as a result of this spread and anticipated population increases in Africa. Raphalle Klitting, PhD, the study's primary author and a postdoctoral researcher at Scripps Research at the time, states that "our analysis demonstrates how climate, land use, and population changes in the next 50 years could drastically raise the danger of Lassa disease in Africa." Klitting works in the lab of Kristian Andersen, PhD, a professor at Scripps Research and a research co-author. Simon Dellicour, PhD, of the University of Brussels, was the study's principal author. The Natal multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) is the source of this "zoonotic" virus, which spreads to people most likely through its excretions. The remaining occurrences of infections are more severe, with signs and symptoms that can include bleeding from the mouth and gut, low blood pressure (shock), and potentially irreversible hearing loss. While an estimated 80% of infections are minor or asymptomatic. Hospitalized patients typically have a high death rate, which can occasionally reach 80%. Numerous hundred thousand infections are thought to occur annually, mostly in Nigeria and other West African nations. There isn't a highly effective drug cure or a vaccination that has been licenced as of yet. Although it is known which species serve as the main Lassa virus reservoir, the virus only spreads in some of the places where these animals are found. As a result, it's possible that the environment also influences whether and where the considerable viral transmission can happen. In the study, the researchers used information on the environmental circumstances at places of known spread to build an "ecological niche" model of Lassa virus transmission. The researchers calculated the regions of Africa that could support Lassa virus transmission right now as well as in the years 2030, 2050, and 2070 by combining the model with predictions of climate and land-use changes in Africa over the following several decades as well as the known range of the Natal multimammate rat. The estimated present areas matched up well with the known endemic regions of West Africa, but the projections for the following decades implied significant growth both within and beyond West Africa. "We found that various locations in Central Africa, including Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and even in East Africa, in Uganda, will likely become environmentally conducive for virus propagation," said Knitting. The population of Africa is currently expanding quickly, so the researchers took population forecasts for the regions where the Lassa virus is currently and potentially circulating into account. They discovered that there might be a more than 600% rise in the number of people who could be exposed to the virus from the current 92 million to 453 million and 700 million by the years 2050 and 2070. More encouragingly, the researchers used information on sequenced viral genomes gathered in different areas in West Africa to analyse the dynamics of the virus's propagation and discovered that dispersal appeared to be gradual. They came to the conclusion that the virus's spread into new biologically suited places in the coming decades may also be gradual unless transmission dynamics substantially alter in the new location where it circulates. The findings, according to the authors, could guide African public health policy, pushing officials to include the Lassa virus on lists of viruses being monitored epidemiologically in some regions of Central and East Africa, for instance. The study is the outcome of an interdisciplinary effort that included ecological and climate modelling, as well as molecular and evolutionary investigations. "Further thorough studies of the ecology and spread of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases are needed to anticipate possible future changes in their distribution as well as their impact on public health," says Dellicour. "With the ongoing climate change and increasing impact of human activities on the environment." (ANI)
The maximum number of cases were reported from two schools in Dibrugarh district.

A senior official of the state health department informed that the two schools reported 24 and 22 cases each, which were clinically confirmed based on symptoms.

The health department has already issued an advisory to the district authority to keep the infected children in isolation for seven days.

The district health officials have been asked by the state administration to inspect the pediatric OPDs in the district hospitals for early detection of tomato flu cases.

Though the tomato flu disease is not seen as life-threatening, healthcare experts have warned that any further spread of the disease may hit school attendance once again after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Health officials also said that the chances of adults contracting the disease are feeble.

Hemen Das, an epidemiologist with the National Health Mission, said that maintaining basic hygiene is the key to preventing the outbreak of tomato flu.

"If an infected child is kept in isolation for a week, there is every chance that he or she will automatically recover," he added.

--IANS tdr/arm

( 229 Words)

2022-09-27-23:00:04 (IANS)
The arrested person has been identified as Tuhin Mondal (30), whose mobile phone has also been confiscated by the police. The arrest was made based on a complaint filed by a person named Sagar Das.

It is learnt that Mondal is a resident of Bapuji Nagar area in Taherpur in Nadia district. Recently, the Chief Minister, while suggesting ways of alternative employment at a public event, had advised unemployment youth that if they sell 'jhalmuri' (spicy puffed rice) during Durga Puja, it can fetch them lucrative profit.

BAnerjee also said that this small business can be the first step to becoming a millionaire in the coming days.

Her comments on this count attracted strong criticism from the opposition parties and within days lakhs of memes were circulated on social media ridiculing the Chief Minister's comments.

Das filed the complaint at the Taratala police station in Kolkata accusing Mondal of circulating certain memes on social media which were 'objectionable', 'contemptuous' and having elements of spreading violence in the society.

A team of Kolkata Police tracked the IP address from where the memes were posted to trace Mondal. On Tuesday, a team of Kolkata Police reached Taherpur arrested Mondal, who is employed with a private bank.

--IANS src/arm

( 232 Words)

2022-09-27-19:56:05 (IANS)
"The countdown for the destruction of JD-U has started; the final nail in the coffin will be placed in 2024," Sinha said.

"Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad had gone to Delhi to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, but she did not meet them properly. Their body language after the meeting appeared to be dull," Sinha claimed.

"In Bihar, criminals are ruling the state parallel to the state government. 'Daru' (liquor) and 'Balu' (sand) mafias are controlling a parallel economy in the state. The people sitting in the government are spreading anarchy in Bihar," Sinha said.

Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on Purnea airport, Sinha said the Centre has given money for land acquisition, but the state government is not acquiring the land.

--IANS ajk/arm

( 169 Words)

2022-09-27-21:20:03 (IANS)
Maken, in his report to the party president Sonia Gandhi, has reported "grave indiscipline" on part of the three MLAs.

The party on Tuesday also issued show cause notices to all the three legislators.

Dhariwal, the Urban Development and Housing Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, had called a meeting of MLAs from the Ashok Gehlot camp at his residence and reportedly strategised ways to ensure that Gehlot stays the Chief Minister.

The official meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was to be held at 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Chief Minister's residence in Jaipur, but before that Gehlot's loyalists gathered at Dhariwal's residence. From where, they went to Speaker C.P. Joshi's residence and collectively submitted their resignation to him.

The show cause notice addressed to Dhariwal reads: "...you have committed grave indiscipline by hosting a parallel MLAs meeting at your residence pressuring them not to attend the official meeting. As Parliamentary Affairs Minister, hosting the unofficial meeting confused the Congress MLAs as to which one was convened officially."

The notice that has sought response within 10 days also noted that Dhariwal's action came even when senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Maken repeatedly clarify that they have come to speak to each MLA individually and impartially report to the Congress President.

--IANS miz/shs

( 256 Words)

2022-09-27-21:28:03 (IANS)
"One terrorist killed. Operation in progress," police said.

Earlier Jammu and Kashmir Police in a tweet, quoting Additional Director General Police Kashmir zone, Vijay Kumar, said that two local terrorists of proscribed terror outfit JeM were trapped in the ongoing encounter in Ahwatoo area of Kulgam. Both the trapped terrorists are involved in several terror crime cases.

A Pakistani terrorist belonging to terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Muhammed was killed in an encounter between terrorists and security forces at Batpora area in Kulgam on Monday.

Tuesday's firefight started after a joint team of police and security forces got an input about the presence of terrorists in that area, and cordoned it off. At this, terrorists hiding there started firing, and security forces retaliated.

There have been a series of encounters between terrorists and security forces across Kashmir in the recent past in which many terrorists have been eliminated.

--IANS zi/vd

( 186 Words)

2022-09-27-21:30:05 (IANS)
Sami Ahmad|TwoCircles.net

Sonamuni Murmu, 47, of Aswari village under Saraiyahat police station in Dumka district of Jharkhand, was forced to eat human excrement for allegedly doing jadu-tona (witchcraft) on Saturday night. Her son Srilal Murmu, 27, was also treated the same way as two other family members. They were ironed with a hot rod. There are six accused in the case. Both victims and the accused are Adivasi.

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Three weeks earlier two Adivasi women- Railu Devi and Dholi Devi- were killed by crushing their heads with a heavy stone on the pretext of being a witch in a remote village three hundred kilometers from the state capital of Ranchi. Their bodies were recovered next to a nearby hillock.

These are not sporadic incidents. Adivasi women are being targeted on the allegation of being a witch despite a strong law against it. As per the law, calling anyone a witch can attract a jail term of up to three months.

Professor Rajni Murmu teaches Sociology at Godda college, Godda, 70 kilometers away from Dumka in Jharkhand. She keeps track of such incidents. She told TwoCircles.net, This is a clear case of superstition and police negligence.

The SHO of Saraiyahat Vinay Kumar is quoted by local media as saying that the police had registered the case and they are after to nab the accused.

However, Prof. Murmu alleged, The police take action only after something serious happens. She explained that no one is declared a witch overnight but the victims dont want to go to the police station in the initial days when there is only verbal attack or minor violence because they dont expect the police would act on their complaint.

Complaint to police without any action means more trouble, she elaborated. She said that since 2015 more than 250 persons, mostly women, have been killed over the allegations of witchcraft.

Ranendra, Director at Ram Dayal Munda Tribal Research Institute, Ranchi told Twocircles.net that the superstition of someone being a witch is not restricted to Adivasis. He said that calling a woman a witch is a way to demonize her. Any woman who is vocal or has knowledge of herbs could potentially be targeted.

Deep Rooted Superstition

Sanjay Basu Mallick has authored a book called Dayan Gatha (Story of a Witch). He told TwoCircles.net, the problem is deeply rooted in the belief system that some women have the power to make or mar. The government is trying to make people aware but that is not enough.

There are times when a woman is targeted even if a cow is ill. This is used for extortion and exploitation, he said.

Fewer Cases In Areas With Good Health Facilities

Prof. Murmu said that we see fewer cases of torture where health services were good. She gives the example of snakebite which is one major reason for alleging a woman to have done witchcraft. People depend on a local Ojha (witch hunters) in cases of snakebite and other medical emergencies when good health services are not accessible to them. The Ojha generally dont have any treatment which leads to the victim of the snakebite dying. To save his skin he alleges some woman to be a witch, she explained.

Police Accountability

Professor Murmu says that police need to be made accountable in all such cases. The police officers make an excuse that Adivasis have their system and if we interfere to act our stations are attacked but the same police find it easy to crack down on Adivasis who oppose their displacement, alleged the professor.

A pretext for Land Grabbing, Sexual Exploitation

According to Ranendra, the property is one of the most important reasons for the abatement of such incidents. In over 70% of the cases, the victim women do not have a male inheritor. Declaring that woman a witch and ostracizing her is an easy way to grab her property, he said.

Ashok Basu that the allegation of witchcraft is also used for sexually exploiting a woman. He says that as people believe such allegations the men use this to force a widow or abandoned woman to give sexual favour.
The Congress on Tuesday served show-cause notices to Rajasthan Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal, party chief whip Mahesh Joshi and RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore for holding a parallel meeting of party legislators in Jaipur. The notice issued to Dhariwal said that he, being Parliamentary Affairs Minister, has committed "grave indiscipline" by hosting a parallel MLAs meeting at his residence and thus "pressuring MLAs not to attend the official meeting". "As Parliamentary Affairs Minister, hosting the unofficial meeting confused the Congress MLAs as to which one was convened officially," the notice reads. The notice that has sought response within 10 days also noted that Dhariwal's action (parallel meeting) came even when senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken repeatedly clarify that they have come to speak to each MLA "individually and impartially" report to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Similarly, the notice addressed to Joshi stated that he, as Chief Whip, has conducted a "grave indiscipline" by boycotting the official CLP (Congress Legislature Party) meeting and by participating and convening parallel meeting of the MLAs at the time when officially appointed observers were waiting for the official meeting to start. "As Chief Whip your presence at the unofficial and illegal meeting confused the MLAs as to which one was convened officially," added the notice. In show cause notice to Rathore, he was accused of making all logistical arrangements and was held responsible for being behind the entire planning of the unofficial meeting of the MLAs. Meanwhile, Maken has recommended disciplinary action against Dhariwal, Joshi and Rathore whom he blamed for holding the parallel meet. Maken, in his report to the party president, has reported "grave indiscipline" on part of them. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, sources said, has been exonerated in the report submitted to party chief Sonia Gandhi. The official meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was to be held at 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Chief Minister's residence in Jaipur, but before that Gehlot's loyalists gathered at Dhariwal's residence. From where, they went to Speaker C.P. Joshi's residence and collectively submitted their resignation to him. --IANS arc/miz/shs ( 367 Words) 2022-09-27-22:04:02 (IANS)
To assess the preparation and alertness of the force ahead of the festive season, Delhi Police Special Cell will plant dummy IEDs across the city. This move comes after intelligence input on multiple terror threats in different parts of the national capital ahead of the festive season, said sources. The drill will be conducted to avoid any untoward incident. In the festive season, crowded areas become easy targets for terror groups. Sources said all crowded places and possible strike points are being covered via this drill to assess the promptness of police personnel. Earlier also, the special cell planted 15 dummy IEDs to check the alertness of the force. Out of 15 IEDs, at least 10 of them were detected well on time by the police force. Sources said departmental action is likely to be taken in case of personnel in respective areas if they fail to detect the dummy IEDs. On August 7, Delhi Police implemented a Red Alert scheme across the central district for three hours in the evening and intensive checking, picketing and patrolling started concentrating more on high footfall and congested areas keeping Independence Day celebrations in mind. According to Delhi Police's plan, four tiffin boxes as dummies at locations like Jama Masjid, Gaffar Market (Karol bagh), New Delhi Railway Station and Paharganj were planted. It further said another mock drill was conducted at Jama Masjid where a situation of a mock bomb blast was created and the alertness of the staff was assessed. (ANI)
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday welcomed the orders of the central government banning the Popular Front of India (PFI) and other related institutions under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for five years. "I welcome this. The central government has taken appropriate action against the communal PFI and its other affiliates, which were aiding and abetting the terrorist activities in the country," Jnanendra said. Terming the decision a "prohibitive measure", he further said that the Centre has collected strong evidence and has taken prohibitive measures in order to preserve the unity and integrity of the country. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) made the announcement through a notification issued late on Tuesday night, declaring "the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect". Alongwith PFI, the ban was also imposed on its fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF). Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an "unlawful association". The notification clearly mentioned that the ban has been imposed against PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts for "indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country and supporting militancy in the country." "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central Government hereby declares the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates or fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF). Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an 'unlawful association'," the notification read. "The Central Government hereby directs that this notification shall, subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the UAPA have effect for a period of five years from the date of its publication in the Office," it added. The Centre issued the ban citing the investigation of its agencies, mentioning "the investigations have established clear linkages between PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts". The PFI is involved in several "criminal and terror cases and shows sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority of the country and with funds and ideological support from outside it has become a major threat to the internal security of the country", mentioned the notification. It is accused that "the PFI has created the associates or affiliates or fronts with objective of enhancing its reach among different sections of the society such as youth, students, women, Imams, lawyers or weaker sections of the society with the sole objective of expanding its membership, influence and fundraising capacity". The PFI and its associates are also accused of having "a 'Hub and Spoke' relationship with the PFI acting as the Hub and utilizing the mass outreach and fund raising capacity of its associates or affiliates or fronts for strengthening its capability for unlawful activities and these associates or affiliates or fronts function as 'roots and capillaries' through which the PFI is fed and strengthened". The PFI and its associates are also charged with operating "openly as socio-economic, educational and political organization but, they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalize a particular section of the society working towards undermining the concept of democracy and show sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional set up of the country". "The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country and supporting militancy in the country," Investigations in various cases have revealed that the PFI and its cadres have been repeatedly engaging in violent and subversive acts, it said, adding, "criminal violent acts carried out by PFI include chopping off limb of a college professor, coldblooded killings of persons associated with organisations espousing other faiths, obtaining explosives to target prominent people and places and destruction of public property". The PFI cadres are also accused of their involvement in several terrorist acts and the murder of several persons, including Sanjith (Kerala, November 2021), V Ramalingam (Tamil Nadu, 2019), Nandu (Kerala, 2021), Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018), Bibin (Kerala, 2017), Sharath (Kamataka, 2017), R.Rudresh (Karnataka, 2016), Praveen Puyari (Karnataka, 2016), Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016) and Praveen Nettaru (Kamataka 2022). The notification mentions that the criminal activities and brutal murders have been carried out by PFI cadres for the sole objective of "disturbing public peace and tranquillity and creating a reign of terror in public minds". It also mentioned that there had been a number of instances of "international linkages of PFI with Global Terrorist Groups and some activists of the PFI have joined Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of these PFI cadres linked to ISIS have been killed in these conflict theatres and some have been arrested by State Police and Central Agencies and also the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a proscribed terrorist organization". "The Office bearers and cadres of the PFI along with others are conspiring and raising funds from within India and abroad through the banking channels and the hawala, donations, etc as part of a well-crafted criminal conspiracy and then transferring, layering and integrating these funds through multiple accounts to project them as legitimate and eventually using these funds to carry out various criminal, unlawful and terrorist activities in India. The state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat have recommended banning PFI, it also said. (ANI)
The All India Bar Association(AIBA) on Wednesday welcomed the decision of central government to ban the Popular Front of India (PFI) and declare it to be an "unlawful organization" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The AIBA in a statement said that the government should totally disband the PFI network and stop its attempts to be reborn under a different banner. The bar association expressed its thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for having conducted yet another "surgical strike" to ensure national unity and integration by banning the PFI Adish C Aggarwala, Senior Advocate and Chairman of All India Bar Association in the statement requested the Prime Minister and Home Minister "to continue to be the sentinel of the national security and integrity, to remain vigilant and ensure that PFI does not sprout under different name and banner to continue its terrorist and disruptive activities." The AIBA recalled its September 23, 2022 request and pointed out that it also wanted the filing of chargesheet again the arrested leaders and cadres of PFI expeditiously and formation of a special court to try the cases so that speedy trial and verdict could be ensured. Union Home Minister Amit Shah shall now "take the PFI issue to its logical conclusion and teach a fitting lesson to forces that are inimical to the economic, political and industrial development of India" added Aggarwala, who is also Vice Chairman of Bar Council of India and Vice President of Supreme Court Bar Association. The AIBA said it took this opportunity to recall the valuable contributions of Islam to India's history and growth, and point out that Muslims and many Muslim leaders continue to be great patriots. The AIBA requested the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister to communicate to the Muslim brethren this message so that they understand how misguided elements among them bring disrepute to the whole community, though the bad elements are in a minuscule. The proscription of PFI, is nothing but the reincarnation of the SIMI, which too was banned in 2001 and 2008, the bar body said. The AIBA recently also demanded to ban PFI because inquiries revealed that it had formed nationwide network of secessionist, divisive and terrorist links. This is the right time to nip the organisation in the bud, said the press statement of AIBA. (ANI)
Mahendru, Managing Director of Delhi's Jor Bagh-based liquor distributor Indospirit Group, was arrested during raids conducted by the ED officials this morning.

The ED's move came a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested Vijay Nair, former chief executive officer of Mumbai-based Only Much Louder, in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case.

Among the accused public servants are Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the then Excise Commissioner Arva Gopi Krishna, Deputy Commissioner Anand Tiwari and Assistant Commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar.

Other accused are Manoj Rai, a former employee of Pernod Ricard; Amandeep Dhal, director of Brindco Sales; director of Buddy Retail Amit Arora, and Dinesh Arora; authorised signatories of Mahadev Liquors Sunny Marwah, Arun Ramchandra Pillai and Arjun Pandey.

The ED and the CBI have alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, licence fee was waived or reduced and L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval. The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.

An alleged, the Excise Department had decided to refund the Earnest Money Deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules. Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fee was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022 due to COVID-19.

This allegedly caused a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer, said the FIR, which has been instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. (ANI)
West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar made huge revelations against the Mamata Banerjee-led government and claimed that the TMC supremo may be arrested soon. "Mamata Banerjee may be arrested by December. 41 TMC people's names are with top leadership. The government will fall in December," said Majumdar. BJP leader and film star Mithun Chakraborty had also claimed to be in touch with TMC MLAs. "I am in touch with 21 MLAs of Mamata Banerjee's party, I said this earlier and again, I stand by my point. I request you just wait for the time," added Mithun Chakraborty. West Bengal BJP Vice President Dilip Ghosh called out Mamata Banerjee's inauguration of Durga Puja during "Pitru Paksha". "Mamata Banerjee is destroying the sanctity of Durga Puja by inaugurating the puja in Pitru Paksha, all the works of Mamata Banerjee are wrong, that is why there was a mistake in chanting the mantra while worshipping Goddess Durga," said Ghosh. Earlier, the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari said that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) won't last even for the next six months in the state. His remarks came after the ruling party put up posters claiming that a "new and reformed TMC" come in the next six months. "Enforcement Directorate(ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are doing their job. This party (TMC) will not last for even six months, December is their deadline," LoP Suvendu Adhikari had said in Purba Medinipur. Meanwhile, Mousumi Das, district Vice President of Mahila Morcha Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) was allegedly attacked by "Trinamool Congress-backed" goons at her residence in the Malatipur area of Malda on September 23. However, Shuvomoay Basu, spokesperson of Trinamool Congress (TMC), Malda, refuted the allegation. He said, "We have faith in the police investigation. They will find out the reason behind the attack if it has happened." Bengal BJP leaders have often complained of attacks on party cadres and claimed that the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated. (ANI)
Congress MP from Kerala on Wednesday compared the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with the Popular Front of India and demanded a similar ban on it for perpetuating "Hindu communalism." The remarks by Lok Sabha MP Kodikunnil Suresh came in the wake of the ban by the central government issued through a notification late on Tuesday on Popular Front of India and its affiliates for having 'terror links." "We demand a ban on RSS as well. The ban on PFI is not the remedy as RSS is also spreading Hindu communalism throughout the country," K Suresh said. "So both the RSS and PFI are equal. The government should ban both. Why only PFI? RSS is also doing the majority communalism," he said. K Suresh further added that the communalism of both the majority as well as minority is dangerous. "Wherever majority communalism is there, then minority communalism is also coming up. So ultimately both (majority and minority) communalism is dangerous. It is dangerous for the country. So the government should ban both. Otherwise no result," the Congress Lok Sabha chief whip added. Earlier senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh while denouncing the violence perpetrated by the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Kerala, lashed out at the RSS and VHP as well, calling them "ek hi thali ke chatte batte" while also demanding action against "all those who spread hatred and violence. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday night made the announcement through a notification declaring "the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect". Alongwith PFI, a ban was also imposed on its fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF). Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an "unlawful association". As per the notification, the Central government declared PFI and its associates or affiliates or the fronts as 'unlawful organisations' in the exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. 1967 (37 of 1967) and banned the organisations under section 4 of the UAPA. Earlier on September 26, the Karnataka unit of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), a political wing of the Popular Front of India condemned the raids conducted by the National Investigation Agency against its members, and asked why the central agency had not yet conducted raids on the RSS and its affiliated organizations for "acts of communal hatred". The NIA had arrested over 106 members of the PFI during its largest-ever raids spread across 15 states on September 22. (ANI)
After the central government banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates for a period of five years, many Muslim organisations across the country have come out in support of the ban. All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Councils' Chairman Sayyed Naseeruddin on Wednesday welcomed the ban on PFI on behalf of the organisation. "The organisation believes that if the step has been taken to adhere to the law and prevent terrorism, everyone should show patience towards the ban. The governments and investigative agencies should welcome the decision," said a statement by the Council. The statement added, "If the country is safe, then we are safe. A country is bigger than any organisation or ideology. If anyone talks about dividing the nation, breaking its unity, destroying the peace, then that person should not be allowed to live in the country." "All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council is committed to the unity, peace and sovereignty of the nation and will raise its voice in future against those opposed to the country," as per the statement. Meanwhile, the Muslim Student Organisation of India termed the ban on PFA "reasonable". "The ban on PFA is reasonable. The time has come for the youth of India to leave the ideology of extremism and adopt the true meaning of Islam," said a statement by MSO. "Barelvi Muslims support PFI ban by the Modi government," said Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi. Sufi Islamic Board's national spokesperson Kashish Warsi supported the ban on PFI. MLA MK Muneer welcomed the decision on behalf of the party and said, "We welcome PFI ban, if reasonable. We've to fight against RSS in a secular way too. The ban may not solve all problems. Earlier SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) was banned, but NDF (National Development Front), and PFI emerged later." Many political leaders across the country have welcomed the ban On Tuesday, the Home Ministry issued a notification, banning PFI and its associates for five years. It said these outfits operate openly as socio-economic, educational and political organisations, "but, they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society working to undermine the concept of democracy." It said some of PFI's founding members are the leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), both of which are proscribed organisations. The ban was imposed after two rounds of nationwide raids, including in Maharashtra, on PFI earlier this month. More than 100 people linked to these outfits have been detained by authorities during these raids. (ANI)
"Panrutti Ramachandran has been expelled from the party for party unlawful activities", said, AIADMK Interim General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami on Tuesday

Panrutti Ramachandran is a veteran leader and was a close associate to both MGR and Jayalalitha.On Tuesday morning, he was appointed as "political advisor to AIADMK" by former Chief Minister O Paneerselvam.

A division bench of Madras High court had on August 17 set aside the single bench judgement in favour of O Paneerselvam (OPS) on party leadership dispute.

In the General council meeting convened on July 11, EPS was elected as the interim General Secretary of the party. Before the meeting, supporters of both the rival factions clashed outside the party headquarters. Following the violent clash, the headquarters was seized by the Revenue Divisional Officer.

The August 17 judgement by a single bench of Justice G Jayachandran had nullified the July 11 meeting and ordered status quo, as prior to July 11.

The EPS camp then challenged the single bench judgement to a division bench of Madras High court which ruled in favour of EPS. (ANI)
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday reserved the order on the bail plea of former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh in a money laundering case. The hearing in the matter has been completed today. Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court directed the Bombay High Court to hear and decide expeditiously on the bail plea of Maharashtra's former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who was arrested in connection with a money laundering case. A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli expressed displeasure that the Bombay High Court has kept the bail application of Deshmukh pending for so many months and asked it to hear the plea of Deshmukh within this week and decide it expeditiously. The apex court noted that Deshmukh's bail plea is pending in the High Court since March 21 and observed that keeping bail applications pending for eight months is not in accordance with the jurisprudence of bail. In its order, the bench said, "Any person who has filed a bail application has a legitimate expectation that his plea will be disposed of at an early date. Keeping an application for bail pending is inconsistent with the Right to Life under Article 21. We issue a direction and permit the petitioner to apply before the judge to whom the case has been assigned tomorrow. The application shall be taken for hearing during the course of this week and decided expeditiously." Justice NJ Jamadar of the High Court was hearing the bail plea of Deshmukh. Deshmukh had sought bail from the High Court in the money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate after the Special Court declined his plea. Deshmukh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in November 2021 and is currently in judicial custody. According to the ED, Deshmukh had misused his position as state home minister and collected Rs 4.70 crore from various bars in Mumbai through some police officers. (ANI)
Aliza Noor | TwoCircles.net

Raju Kumar Dohre, a thirty-six years-old dalit man from Uttar Pradesh, found himself at a loss for words to talk about his child. We didnt think such a thing would happen to our child in a safe space like school, Raju told Two Circles. His 15-year-old son, Nikhit Kumar Dohre succumbed to injuries 19 days after being brutally beaten by his teacher over a minor mistake.

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This incident of caste-based violence which took place in Auraiya district, has sparked outrage in the state. According to Raju, Nikhit, a class 10 student in Adarsh inter-college in Achalda area of Auraiya, had misspelled samaajik in Hindi in a social science test supervised by his teacher Ashwini Singh.

On 7 September, there was a test which Nikhil had studied for. He came back home bawling. He told us what the teacher did, there were marks of a stick on his back and the teacher had even pulled hair off of his head. He was punched, kicked, and beaten to a point that he fell unconscious in school, Raju said.

Raju is a laborer whose work involves working on bricks and mortar. He has two other sons, aged 8 and 3.

Meanwhile, Mahendra Pratap Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Bidhuna in Auraiya said that everything is under control and that the accused will be caught soon.

Not Easy Filing FIR

Raju pointed out that he had a hard time when he went to file the FIR against the teacher. It was not easy filing the FIR, when we went to the police station, the official refused to take the complaint saying it had faults. Then we tried again but to no avail. I had to call up the control room and go back and forth a couple of times before they agreed to file the FIR, alleged Raju.

Filed on the 24 September at Achalda police station, the FIR is filed against Ashwini Singh under IPC sections 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and the SC/ST Act.

Nikhits death led to popular outrage and protest by local residents who allegedly burnt cars. The Deputy SP Mahendra Pratap Singh said that The locals did protest and burned cars belonging to officials. The police arrested nine people today.

Two Circles have a copy of the FIR. Filed against unknown persons, this one also includes the father of the deceased.

My Wife Wont Stop Crying

Raju said, My wife is shaken. She wont stop crying, she has not spoken much since Nikhit died. Raju alleged that when he had encountered Singh, the accused teacher, after the incident, he was met with casteist and discriminatory remarks.

Singh gave them Rs 10,000 initially, and then Rs 30,000 for the medical treatment. After some days, Singh stopped taking my calls and disappeared on me. Raju had taken Nikhit for treatment in Lucknow and Etawah.

Ever since Nikhits death and the subsequent protests, Raju claimed that police tried to rush them into burying Nikhits body. The district administration offered him Rs 5 Lakh as compensation, but he asked for Rs 50 Lakh to take care of the whole family and the medical expenses. Also, he wants the government to give him a secure job instead.

My son is gone, you cant bring him back, but you can give him justice, Raju concluded as he choked, remembering Nikhit.

Several Cases of Atrocities Against Dalits in UP

The atrocity on Nikhit comes days after a young Dalit girl was kept out of her classes as the teacher refused to teach her because of her caste in a government school in Gonda district. Two minor Dalit girls were found hanging from a tree in Lakhimpur Kheri who were raped and murdered. At least six men were arrested.

Cases of atrocities against the Scheduled Castes (SCs) have increased nationally by 1.2% in 2021, with Uttar Pradesh reporting the highest number of cases of atrocities at 25.82% as per the latest NCRB report.

Caste-based discrimination has been normalized

Prashant Kanojia, head of the SC/ST wing the Rashtriya Lok Dal, said that in majority of the cases where a Dalit child is beaten or raped, unless and until it is blown out of proportion in the media, the police rarely file the complaint in the first attempt. He added, You can get a fake case filed at the first instance with urgency, but not a genuine case if the victim is Dalit or Muslim.

This is a pattern in the UP, he alleged that has been consistent even before the current ruling party took to power as it remains to be more of a structural issue that is yet to change.

Being a Dalit himself and having faced discrimination by teachers in school, Kanojia stated that such incidents gravely impact the psychology of Dalit children.

A Dalit kid becomes very conscious of his/her identity and peoples behavior towards her. Inferiority complex amplifies, and this happens for all children who are being oppressed based on their identity, whether Dalit, Muslims, or STs, he noted. Caste-based discrimination has been normalized, he alleged.

Meanwhile, more political leaders have condemned the incident, asking for accountability from the government. Members of Bhim Army had also reached the ground on 26 September, the police alleged that they were among those who resorted to stone-pelting and arson.

Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati wrote that there is government apathy and negligence in the case and people are angry due to lack of justice and proper action.

Condemning the incident, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav tweeted that the government should provide compensation for the victims life, adding Education gives you life, it doesnt take it away.

(Aliza Noor is an independent journalist from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. She mostly covers social justice, communities, and gender).
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday on a visit to the Umrangso area of Dima Hasao district inaugurated a 100-bedded girls hostel of Garampani High School, built at the cost of Rs 1.90 crore under Prime Minister Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana. This apart, he also inaugurated the newly-constructed building of the Shrimati Jamuna Devi Saraswati Vidya Mandir at Langcherui and that of a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha at Govinda Nagar areas of Umrangso. Addressing a public rally, the Chief Minister referred to the current state of general peace in the once-restive region and expressed satisfaction at different ethnic groups co-existing with one another in a brotherly environment. He attributed this to the coming to the mainstream of the Dimasa National Liberation Army in 2021. Referring to the ongoing construction of the 120-Mw Lower Kapili Hydel Power Project whose foundation stone was laid by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the Bamboo Industrial Park at Manderdisa, the Chief Minister assured the residents of the district of the current dispensation's seriousness in transforming Dima Hasao into one of the most developed regions in the State. "The construction work for the 90-km long road connecting Haflong Tiniali with Lower Haflong will begin at the earliest while the development of the road connecting Lanka with Umrangso is expected to be completed within a year," he said. Referring to the immense tourism potential of Umrangso, Sarma assured the residents of all steps necessary to develop the road and other infrastructure of the area. "Improvement in the infrastructure scenario in the area will be a huge boost to its tourism potential," the Chief Minister added. Sarma also declared the government's resolve to hold a Cabinet meeting in the hill district within the next seven months. He appealed to all to raise awareness among the youths of Dima Hasao regarding the benefits available under the ST(Hills) category. The Chief Minister also stressed upon the need for youths from the hill district to learn the Assamese language in schools, so that they don't face difficulties communicating while venturing out of the district to parts of the state in carrying out their job obligations in future. (ANI)
India's fertiliser companies on Wednesday signed an MOU with Canpotex, Canada, in a significant step towards ensuring long-term fertiliser availability for the farming community, said the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Canpotex, Canada is amongst the largest suppliers of Potash globally, exporting around 130 LMT of product annually. Indian companies Coromandel International, Chambal Fertilisers and Indian Potash Limited signed the MoU ahead of the upcoming cropping seasons. As per the understanding, Canpotex will supply up to 15 LMT of potash annually for three years. Terming the MoU as a "path-breaking" step, Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, "The MOU will reduce both supply and price volatility and ensure the stable long-term supply of Potassic fertiliser to India. The government of India has been encouraging the domestic fertiliser industry to establish supply linkages through long-term partnerships with resource-rich nations." "Given India's high dependence on imports of raw material and fertiliser minerals, these partnerships provide secured availability of fertilizers and raw materials over a period of time and also offer price stability in volatile market conditions," Mandaviya added The agreement is for the supply of MOP (muriate of potash) to the Indian farmers. Potash, which is a source of potassium, is used both for direct application as MOP as well as in combination with 'N' and 'P' nutrients in the NPK fertilisers. India meets 100 per cent of its potash requirement through imports. The country imports approximately 40 LMT MOP annually. "The Government of India is working towards long-term MOUs for Potash and other fertilisers with countries like Russia, Israel and others. Aiming at reducing import dependence, the Department of Fertiliser has included PDM (Potash derived from Molasses) in the Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme (NBS) scheme to support indigenous sources of Potash. Similar initiatives have been taken in fertilisers industries for manufacturing of Potash from Spent Wash," the ministry's statement read. Underscoring the importance of the MOU, Mandaviya said that it would improve the availability of MOP (muriate of potash) for the farming community, uphold their welfare and contribute to ensuring food security in the country He added that this MOU will lead to "strengthening of our mutual relationship and furthering bilateral relations between the two countries". Canpotex is a joint venture between leading fertiliser players, Mosaic and Nutrien, and markets Potash being produced in the Saskatchewan region in Canada. It is amongst the largest suppliers of Potash globally, exporting around 130 LMT of product annually to more than 40 countries and has been one of the suppliers to India. The Union government has been encouraging the domestic fertiliser industry for establishing supply linkages through long-term partnerships with resource-rich nations. Mandaviya said the Union government was working towards long-term MOUs for potash and other fertilisers with several countries like Russia and Israel among others. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the Central government for not taking any decision so far on the mercy petition of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was awarded the death sentence for the assassination of the then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995. A bench of Justices Chief Justice UU Lalit, Justices S Ravindra Bhat and PS Narasimha was irked over the Centre not taking any clear stand on the mercy petition despite being given time by the court to do so, and now seeking adjournment in the case. Earlier in May, the apex court had directed the Centre to decide within two months mercy petition of Balwant Singh Rajoana seeking to commute to life imprisonment the death sentence on the ground of his long incarceration of 26 years. During the hearing, the bench took exception to the Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj's request for an adjournment as the matter was pending consideration with the government. The bench said that a total of four months had lapsed since the May 2 order. "We gave you two months. And now, two more months have passed. You raised two technical issues. We told you please don't wait for that," said the bench. The top court said it could not tell the Centre what decision has to be taken but the government certainly should take a decision in the matter. It directed a responsible officer from the concerned department to file an affidavit indicating the status in the matter. "As per the ASG's request, we adjourn the matter to Friday as first item on board. In the meanwhile, we direct a responsible officer from the concerned department to file an affidavit indicating the progress in the matter. The affidavit to be filed tomorrow," the apex court stated in its order while posting the matter for September 30. Earlier it had asked the Centre to decide Rajoana's plea without being influenced by the fact that the appeals filed by other convicts in the case are pending in the top court. Rajoana had moved to the top court two years ago seeking implementation of a decision taken by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) in September 2019 to commute Rajoana's death sentence to life. He had said that the Central government had in 2019 announced its decision to commute his death penalty and grant remission to eight other convicts to mark the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. He had sought for the implementation of that decision and alternately prayed to commute his death sentence on the ground of long delay in considering the mercy petition. The top court had said that it is untenable on the part of the Centre to take a stand that the proposal for commutation of the death sentence of Rajoana, a former Punjab Police constable, was not processed because of the pendency of appeals of co-accused in Beant Singh killing case. The bench had said once the government has decided to recommend a Presidential pardon for a condemned man, the pendency of appeals in the Supreme Court of his co-accused cannot delay the process initiated under Article 72. The convict, Balwant Singh Rajoana, was sentenced to death for the murder of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh who died in a bomb explosion in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. The Centre had decided on September 27, 2019, to commute the death penalty of Rajoana to a life sentence on the special occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. More than two years have passed but the decision is yet to be implemented. A Chandigarh court had, on July 27, 2007, awarded the death sentence to Rajoana which was upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on October 12, 2010. Rajoana has not filed an appeal against the decision and instead filed a mercy petition before the President. (ANI)
After the Centre banned the Popular Front of India (PFI), Congress MLA and the member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Arif Masood said that it should have been banned earlier. "When NIA and IB were giving inputs against it (PFI), it should have been banned immediately. Why did they wait for such a long time," Masood said. However, he welcomed this step by the government and said he supports this ban. "I support the PFI ban by the government, but the question is arising because they took such a long time," he added. Earlier, Congress said that the party is against all ideologies and institutions that misuse religion to spread prejudice, hate, bigotry and violence.Without mentioning any organisation, Congress General Secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The Congress Party has always been and will continue to be against all forms and types of communalism-- majority, minority makes no difference." Congress's policy has always been to fight uncompromisingly all ideologies and institutions that "abuse religion for polarising our society, that misuse religion to spread prejudice, hate, bigotry and violence," Ramesh said."This fight is of utmost priority to preserve, protect and celebrate the secular and composite construct of our society and nationhood," the Congress statement read.On Tuesday, the Union home ministry had declared the Popular Front of India (PFI), and its associates or affiliates or fronts, as an unlawful association with immediate effect for five years, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. "PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as a socio-economic, educational and political organization but, they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society working towards undermining the concept of democracy and show sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional set up of the country," said the government notification. Along with PFI, the ban is also imposed on its fronts, including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala, as an "unlawful association". The notification clearly mentioned that the ban has been imposed against PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts for "indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country and supporting militancy in the country. (ANI)
"As per CM Rao's instructions, his principal secretary Narsinga Rao issued an order to the Singareni Chairman and Managing Director to pay the special incentive to the company's workers immediately before Dussehra," a statement from the chief minister's office said.

As part of this step, the company will pay Rs 368 crore to the eligible workers.

The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is a Government coal mining company jointly owned by the Government of Telangana and the Government of India on a 51:49 equity basis. The Singareni coal reserves stretch across 350 Km of the Pranahita - Godavari Valley of Telangana with a proven geological reserve aggregating to a whopping 8791 million tonnes. SCCL is currently operating 20 opencast and 24 underground mines in 4 districts of Telangana with a manpower of around 43,895. (ANI)
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik attended the 'Odisha Investors Meet' on Wednesday in Bengaluru and address the investors and apprise about the state's flagship investment summit, the Make in Odisha Conclave'22 and invite them to the event, said a press release from Chief Minister's Office (CMO). Addressing the event CM Patnaik said "It's a pleasure to meet you all today in this beautiful city of Bengaluru. Thanks to your innovative and inspiring work, India has emerged as a major force in the world of technology and manufacturing." Patnaik said, "I have come to invite you all to Odisha and be part of our transformative journey." He said that Odisha is now progressing fast in every sector. On the strength of abundant natural resources, skilled human resources and stable governance, Odisha is emerging as a leading destination for industries and investment. He further said, "Most of the top Indian IT companies have established their centres in Bhubaneswar. The government is also providing continuous support to the Startup ecosystem in the city." Odisha is ranked among the top States of India in terms of live manufacturing investments and has been accorded the "Achiever" status in the recently released "Ease of Doing Business" ratings, he added. He said that the Make in Odisha Conclave, 2022 is a platform for the state to showcase their growth story and present what it has to offer to investors across the globe. It is a platform for industry captains and thought-leaders to talk about the future outlook of various industrial sectors. CM further said, "I welcome you all to Odisha and seek your participation in the Make in Odisha Conclave being held in Bhubaneswar from November 30 to December 4, 2022." As per the press release, around 500 industrialists, business persons and investors across India participated in the Odisha Investors' Meet.The idea behind organizing this is to showcase the diverse business-friendly ecosystem of Odisha to the potential investors and help them to form an informed decision to invest in Odisha to meet the ever-growing demands in Eastern and North-Eastern India as well as the ASEAN Markets. Chief Minister also holds Multiple one-on-one meetings with potential investors across sectors like food-processing, aerospace and defence, healthcare to discuss the possibilities of investing in Odisha and to cater to the ever-growing need of newer products and services in Eastern and North-East India. (ANI)
All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has removed its Barpeta district committee general secretary Md Farhad Ali from all responsibilities held in the party following his reported involvement with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and subsequent arrest. Notably, Farhad Ali was arrested by the Assam police on Tuesday in an operation against PFI in various districts of the state. Assam police arrested 26 people linked with PFI from eight districts of the state on Tuesday. Hiren Nath, ADGP (Special Branch) of Assam Police told ANI that several people have been detained by police in various districts. Hitesh Ch. Roy, Superintendent of Police of Kamrup district said that the Kamrup District Police on Tuesday detained four persons linked with PFI from the Nagarbera area. "Our operation against PFI is on in many parts of the district," Hitesh Ch. Roy said.Out of them, police arrested 10 persons from Goalpara district, 5 from Kamrup (Rural) district, 3 from Dhubri district, 2 each from Barpeta and Baksa district, and one each from Karimganj, Udalguri and Darrang district. However, after several searches, raids and arrests, the Centre on Tuesday declared the Popular Front of India (PFI), and its associates or affiliates or fronts, as an unlawful association with immediate effect for five years, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. "PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as a socio-economic, educational and political organization but, they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society working towards undermining the concept of democracy and show sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional set up of the country," said the government notification.The notification said PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential to disturb public peace and communal harmony of the country and support militancy in the country. Along with PFI, the ban is also imposed on its fronts, including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala, as an "unlawful association". Following the ban on the PFI, the Kerala state general secretary of the outfit Abdul Sattar on Wednesday said that the organisation has been dissolved."All PFI members and the public are informed that the PFI has been dissolved. MHA has issued a notification banning PFI. As law-abiding citizens of our great country, the organization accepts the decision," said Sattar. (ANI)
The statement came after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday morning banned the PFI and its associates for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The statement issued by Ansari read, "It has been pronounced that the Popular Front of India has been banned in India. This illegal and undemocratic ban will be challenged by us."

He also said that the organisation would stop all the activities that it has been carrying out in Tamil Nadu.

In a related development, the leader of Dalit political outfit, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Thol Thirumavalavan, also issued a statement opposing the ban on PFI, saying that the 'RSS, the ideological arm of BJP, should also be banned'.

Meanwhile, a few women activists and supporters of SDPI and PFI staged a protest at Ukkadam in Coimbatore.

It may be noted that 11 PFI leaders were arrested from Tamil Nadu during the nationwide raids on September 22 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), including PFI national executive member A.M. Ismail, Cuddalore district secretary Fayaz Ahamad, and Dindigul area secretary Yassar Arafat, among others.

--IANS aal/dpb

( 225 Words)

2022-09-28-20:06:03 (IANS)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday orally observed that two very good people may not be good partners, while hearing arguments on what could be parameters on dissolving marriage between consenting parties, without referring them to family court, by exercising its power under Article 142 of the Constitution. A five-judge Constitution bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, A.S. Oka, Vikram Nath, and J.K. Maheshwari, orally observed that two very good people may not be good partners, pointing out that in some cases, people have lived together for a considerable time, yet the marriage breaks down. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, amicus curiae, contended that when a divorce petition is filed, there are allegations and counter-allegations. The bench noted divorce is based on fault theory, under the Hindu Marriage Act, however irretrievable breakdown of the marriage could be a practical reality on ground - without getting into the issue of blaming each other. On the aspect of fault theory, the bench said there could be allegations that the wife is not making morning tea for the parents and it is very subjective. It further added that social norms could be at the root of issues -- distinction on the nature of work, what should be done by a woman or a man. The bench queried as to where it could attribute fault, since the social norms are changing, which is the ground reality. It added that what is attributed as fault, may not be a fault but understanding of a social norm. It will continue to hear arguments in the matter on Thursday. The top court is examining what could be the broad parameters for the exercise of powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to dissolve a marriage between the consenting parties without referring them to the family court. In the family court, the parties would have to wait for the mandatory period prescribed under section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act. Article 142 deals with the enforcement of decrees and orders of the apex court to provide complete justice in a case. --IANS ss/vd A ( 366 Words) 2022-09-28-21:36:02 (IANS)
Another audio clip purportedly featuring Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz have surfaced online, where the latter is asking to stop the health insurance card program, local media reported. In the new audio clip, Maryam Nawaz was heard allegedly suggesting to PM Sharif stop health card services and gave the reason that they are publically facing a shortage of funds, The Nation reported. It is pertinent to mention that the health insurance scheme was initiated by the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by Imran Khan, which benefited millions of Pakistanis by providing free medical services. In the leaked audio clip, Maryam Nawaz could be heard saying that the PTI chief has achieved nothing but the health card programme. To this, PM Sharif alleged responded to her that it would not be a big problem. Earlier, PML-N Vice President's another alleged audio conversation has leaked in which she can be heard advising PM to jack up fuel prices, adding that she did not own such decisions, whether her party was in government or not. "He (Finance Minister Miftah Ismail)doesn't take responsibility...says strange things on TV which people make fun of him for... he doesn't know what he is doing," the voice said to be Maryam's says in the alleged clip. In response, the voice said to be of PM says, "He clearly cut corners." After the audio leaked, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail stepped down in the middle of a trip abroad and made way for PML-N leader Ishaq Dar. Ishaq Dar was involved in several corruption cases. Earlier, in May, the Pakistan court issued a perpetual arrest warrant against former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in "corruption reference." The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the reference against Dar, who has been declared an absconder in the case since he has missed hearings owing to his prolonged stay in London, that the former Minister had acquired assets beyond his known sources of income, Dawn newspaper reported. However last week, an accountability court suspended an outstanding arrest warrant against Dar, paving the way for the former finance minister's return from London. "I will try my best to fulfil all the responsibilities. We will try to take out the country from the economic swamp it is stuck in [...] the way we did in 1998-1999 and 2013-2014," Dawn reported quoting Dar as he told reporters at the airport on his return. According to media reports, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with party supremo Nawaz Sharif in London on Saturday, where it was decided that the ruling coalition would hand over the finance ministry to Ishaq Dar after he returns to the country. (ANI)
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Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday blamed former Prime Minister Imran Khan for the worsening political crisis in the country and said that he has become irrelevant as far as foreign policy of the country is concerned. "Luckily for foreign policy, most of the world is happy to ignore Imran Khan," Bilawal said during an event of a Washington think tank, Woodrow Wilson Centre's Asia Programme. On being asked about the toxic polarisation in Pakistan politics spearheaded by former Pak PM Imran Khan, Bilawal said the politics in the country is destructive. "Domestic politics is incredibly destructive, and democracy only works if you all want it to work. So, it's not so pretty but democracy is not pretty anywhere," he said. Criticizing the PTI Chief for his political rallies, the Pakistan Foreign Minister advised Imran Khan to respect democracy and democratic institutions. "My advice to Imran khan would be...Respect democracy, respect democratic institutions, and do your job," Bilawal said in a statement during the event. Imran Khan is one of the country's leaders who were ousted before they could finish their tenure. First, he lost his majority in the National Assembly after Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), a key ally, walked out of the coalition, accusing the government of economic mismanagement. The Opposition tabled a no-confidence vote in the parliament, seeking his ouster. Following his ouster, Khan also asked President to dissolve assemblies and call fresh elections in order to block a no-confidence vote that was tabled in National Assembly to oust him from power, however, the president dissolved the country's parliament instead. Moreover, Imran's foreign policy was not in consonance with the Pakistan Army which wanted the US on its side. However, Imran Khan has always decried a US-led foreign conspiracy against him. The faltering US-Pak ties got a boost following the ouster of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in April this year. Khan had accused the Biden administration of hatching a conspiracy against him. Recently, US State Department approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Pakistani government for the sustainability of the Pakistan Air Force F-16 fleet, which drew the ire of the Indian government. (ANI)
US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday to discuss the US-India commercial relationship and welcomed the government of India's participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The US Secretary also appreciated Jaishankar's views on IPEF going forward and emphasized the need for an ambitious and high-standard outcome as she underlined working closely with India in the discussions ahead, the official statement by US Department of Commerce read. Secretary Raimondo and Jaishankar agreed that both the CEO Forum and the US-India Commercial Dialogue are key opportunities to strengthen the commercial partnership between the two countries and to advance progress on issues relevant to the economies of both India and US, teh press release added. Both the ministers met on Monday and discussed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework alongside high technology cooperation between the two countries. The talks between the two ministers also covered resilient supply chains, high technology cooperation, semiconductors and business promotion in Washington as Jaishankar is in the US on a 10-day visit to hold bilateral consultations with several US cabinet ministers. In a tweet, Jaishankar wrote, "An excellent meeting with Commerce Secretary@SecRaimondo. Our conversation covered resilient supply chains, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, high technology cooperation, semiconductors and business promotion. Look forward to seeing her in India." Notably, External Affairs Minister, Jaishankar also met US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon where he was welcomed in an enhanced honour cordon ceremony on Monday. The External Affairs Minister concluded the high-level United Nations General Assembly debate in New York on Saturday. Jaishankar was in New York from September 18 to 24. IPEF, a group of 13 countries, is a multilateral economic framework. Since its launch in May launch, IPEF countries have engaged in intensive discussions to scope out each pillar of the Framework. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) was launched jointly by the USA and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo. India joined the IPEF and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the launch event along with US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and other leaders from partner countries. Previously, virtual Ministerial Meetings were held immediately after the launch on May 23 and thereafter from July 26-27, 2022. (ANI)
White House National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan on Wednesday met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed a myriad of issues including US-India strategic partnership, the Ukraine war and a free and open Indo-Pacific amid Chinese assertiveness in the region. "Met today with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar to discuss our shared efforts to deepen the U.S.-India strategic partnership, mitigate the impacts of Russia's war in Ukraine, and advance a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific," tweeted Sullivan. Responding to Sullivan, Jaishankar tweeted, "Good to meet US National Security Advisor @JakeSullivan46. Discussed the Ukraine conflict and its repercussions, the Indo-Pacific situation, South Asia and the Gulf. Exchanged views on addressing the current global economic volatility." "Sullivan and Jaishankar reviewed progress in the US-India strategic partnership and exchanged views on global and regional priorities, including the implications of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and its impact on food and energy insecurity around the world," read a White House press release. NSA Sullivan also said that he is looking forward to India's G20 presidency. Both of them also discussed approaches to promoting debt sustainability and advancing a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Earlier on Monday, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met Jaishankar to discuss the US-India commercial relationship and welcomed the government of India's participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The US Secretary also appreciated Jaishankar's views on IPEF going forward and emphasized the need for an ambitious and high-standard outcome as she underlined working closely with India in the discussions ahead, the official statement by the US Department of Commerce read. The talks between the two ministers also covered resilient supply chains, high technology cooperation, semiconductors and business promotion in Washington as Jaishankar is in the US on a 10-day visit to hold bilateral consultations with several US cabinet ministers. Notably, Jaishankar also met US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon where he was welcomed in an enhanced honour cordon ceremony on Monday. The External Affairs Minister concluded the high-level United Nations General Assembly debate in New York on Saturday. Jaishankar was in New York from September 18 to 24. IPEF, a group of 13 countries, is a multilateral economic framework. Since its launch in May launch, IPEF countries have engaged in intensive discussions to scope out each pillar of the Framework. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) was launched jointly by the USA and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo. India joined the IPEF and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the launch event along with US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other leaders from partner countries. Previously, virtual Ministerial Meetings were held immediately after the launch on May 23 and thereafter from July 26-27, 2022. (ANI)
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited an exhibition in Beijing on Tuesday, in his first public appearance since returning from an official trip to Central Asia this month, state media reported. Xi's absence from the public view, since his return from the Uzbekistan summit, had led to rumours that he was under house arrest. His absence also gave rise to speculations of military coups in Beijing. These reports emerged ahead of the 20th National Congress next month where Xi is likely to secure a third term in power despite a moribund economy, the COVID-19 pandemic and rising tensions with the West over Taiwan. Chairman Xi Jinping will extend his term in power for another five years, as the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) conducts its all-important 20th Party Congress. Xi remains firmly in charge of the one-party state, despite swirling rumours - propagated it seems by the Falun Gong and some Indian media - that a coup had occurred in Beijing. Military columns approaching Beijing and mass cancellations of flights were cited as "evidence" of Xi being put under house arrest. This is not the case, however, as rumour mills ramp up ahead of such important CCP events. A total of 2,296 delegates have been appointed to the 20th Party Congress, including just over 200 full members and approximately 170 alternate members. They will rubber stamp Xi's third five-year term in office, something unprecedented since the excesses of Mao Zedong's reign. Chairman Xi, who is also general secretary of the CCP Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Tuesday, visited an exhibition on the great achievements of the Party and the country over the past decade, Xinhua news agency reported. During his visit, Xi was accompanied by other high-level leaders including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng. In his address, Xi stressed that since the 18th CCP National Congress in 2012, the CCP Central Committee has united and led the whole Party, the country, and the people in solving many challenging problems that were long on the agenda but never resolved. Historic achievements and shifts have taken place in the cause of the Party and the country, equipping the country with better institutions, firmer material foundations, and a more proactive mindset for realizing national rejuvenation, Xi added. He called for more efforts in raising public awareness of strategic measures, transformative practices, breakthroughs, and landmark accomplishments over the past decade. Xi also urged a better understanding of the significance of the profound changes during this period in the history of the CCP. (ANI)
Zardari, the co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was said to be ill for several weeks now. He was finally admitted to the hospital on Tuesday.

He will undergo a medical procedure related to his lungs, The Express Tribune newspaper reported citing insiders.

Earlier in July, the former Pakistan President had contracted Covid-19 during his visit to Dubai.

Last year, 67-year-old Zardari was admitted to a private hospital in Karachi on the advice of his doctors.

The Pakistani newspaper said Zardari had 'fallen ill due to the exertion and exhaustion from travelling for court appearances and the budget session'.

Prior to this, Zardari was shifted to an intensive care unit of a private hospital in Clifton, Karachi in October 2020. He was reportedly suffering from a chest infection and his blood sugar level had fallen to an alarming level, the newspaper said.

Asif Zardari's personal physician had maintained that he was not feeling well and a group of health experts was constantly monitoring him and carrying out his medical tests. (ANI)
Referring to remarks by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claiming the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Taliban on Tuesday called on Pakistan to stop meddling in Afghanistan's internal affairs. The Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, called on Pakistan to stop interfering in Afghanistan's internal issues, reported Tolo News. Stanekzai said that the Islamic Emirate denies and condemns the claims and that it will also not allow anyone to make such statements toward Afghanistan. "We strongly condemned the Pakistan Prime Minister's action. We don't allow anyone to speak against the Islamic Emirate ... If Pakistan has an economic problem and is placed on a blacklist of the International Monetary Fund, no one takes their call to give them money. If you (Pakistan) are not given a loan, it is your problem--find your way through any way you can, but don't talk about the dignity of the people of Afghanistan and don't defame Afghanistan just to earn some money," he said. Notably, Pakistan's Prime Minister raised concern over the threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that "Pakistan shares the key concern of the international community regarding the threat posed by the major terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan especially Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as well as Al-Qaeda, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)," reported Tolo News. Sharif's remarks sparked reactions from the Islamic Emirate and former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai. Karzai said in a statement that Afghanistan has been the victim of terrorism and that terrorist sanctuaries have been active under the Pakistani government in the country and have been used against Afghanistan for decades, reported Tolo News. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said that the allegations were baseless. "Pakistan had a vital role in Afghanistan's war and peace over the past 40 years. We must say that it had a role due to the lack of good management by our politicians sometimes. Pakistan takes advantage of the vacuum," said Torek Farhadi, a political analyst. (ANI)
INS Sunayna participated in the capacity-building exercise Operation Southern Readiness conducted by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) at Seychelles from September 24-27, 2022, read the Ministry of Defence press release.

The Indian Navy was welcomed to the CMF by Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, US NAVCENT. This is the maiden participation of an Indian Navy ship in CMF exercise.

As part of the interactive sessions attended by representatives of the participating countries, a training lecture on Maritime Domain Awareness was conducted by the Indian Navy, added the release.

A live demonstration of Visit Board Search & Seizure (VBSS) operations was also conducted onboard HMS Montrose led by the Seychelles Special forces with close support from the Indian Naval team.

The event was coordinated as part of the Distinguished Visitor's demonstration and witnessed by Wavel Ramkalawan, the Hon'ble President of the Republic of Seychelles and senior officials of member countries of CMF. The participation of the Indian Navy in the joint exercise was highly appreciated, said the release.

INS Sunayna, the second of the NOPV (Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel) class of ship was commissioned at Kochi on October 15 in 2013 by Vice Admiral Satish Soni, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Naval Command.

Based under Southern Naval Command, the ship was designed and constructed indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited to meet the increasing ocean surveillance and patrolling requirements of the Indian Navy.

According to the Indian Navy, the warship is designed to undertake fleet support operations, coastal and offshore patrolling, ocean surveillance and monitoring of Sea Lines of Communications and offshore assets, and escort duties.

Two KOEL/Pielstick Diesel engines propel INS Sunayna and enable it to achieve speeds in excess of 25 knots. The ship also has an automatic power management system installed by Larsen and Toubro.

She is fitted with the latest Navigation, Communication and Electronic Support Systems. The armament fit includes one 76 mm Gun with an electro-optic fire control system, Close in Weapon Systems (CIWS) and CHAFF launchers. As per the Indian Navy, INS Sunayna can also carry a helicopter. (ANI)
Myanmar beauty queen Han Lay who was facing threats from the military junta is seeking asylum in Canada. The 23-year-old who took refuge in Thailand after criticizing her home country's ruling military junta has left Bangkok for Canada where she is expected to seek asylum, Thai immigration officials told CNN. Han Lay captured international attention with an emotional pageant speech during the finals of the Miss Grand International Myanmar competition in 2021 when she held up a banner with the words "Pray for Myanmar" to raise awareness of human rights atrocities committed by junta officials. She received death threats after the speech and decided not to return home after the competition - which was held in Thailand. However, she appeared to face the threat of deportation after returning to Thailand last Wednesday following a trip to Vietnam, reported CNN. She was stopped by officials at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport who said they had discovered a problem with her passport and since then she had been in limbo. Archayon Kraithong, deputy chief of Thailand's immigration bureau, told CNN on Wednesday that Han Lay had left Bangkok on Tuesday night. "Her final destination is Canada," he said without giving further details. Han Lay previously said that she was seeking political asylum in Canada despite wanting to remain in Thailand. "Han Lay was the victim of a deliberate political act by the junta to make her stateless when she flew back to Thailand from Vietnam last week," said Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director of Human Rights Watch, adding that it was "not the first time" junta officials had "weaponized" Burmese passports. "There is no doubt that what transpired was a trap to try to force Han Lay to return to Myanmar, where she would have faced immediate arrest, likely abuse in detention, and imprisonment," Robertson added, reported CNN. The situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate following the 2021 military coup. Human rights violations remain rife, rights groups say and state executions have returned as conflict across the country rages. Millions continue to resist the ruling junta led by Min Aung Hlaing, which has killed hundreds of pro-democracy protesters and locked up the country's democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (ANI)
At the eatery in the northeastern city of Changchun, at around 12:40 pm, a blaze erupted causing loss of lives, reported Arab News quoting a statement by local government posted on the Weibo social media platform.

Earlier, a massive fire broke out at a high-rise commercial building in China's Hunan province.

However, no casualties were reported, as per the China Telecom building where the fire incident occurred, state media CGTN reported.

The commercial building is more than 200 meters tall and is located in Changsha, it added. (ANI)
The Charge d'Affaires of the Pakistani embassy in Afghanistan, Asad Abbas said that the expression of concern should not be seen as "enmity" by the public. The Pakistani envoy said that the Islamabad-Kabul relationship should not be judged on the basis of one speech, referring to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's statement at 77th UNGA, Khaama Press reported. Afghanistan's former Foreign Minister, Mohammed Haneef Atmar, slammed the Pakistani PM for his speech during the UNGA, where he said there is a terrorism threat from Kabul. During the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, Pakistan's PM voiced alarm over the terrorists and said, "Pakistan shares the key concern of the international community regarding the threat posed by the major terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan, especially Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as well as Al-Qaeda, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)," reported Tolo News. Following the statement, Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, called on Pakistan to stop interfering in Afghanistan's internal issues, reported Tolo News. Stanekzai said that the Islamic Emirate denies and condemns the claims and that it will also not allow anyone to make such statements toward Afghanistan. "We strongly condemned the Pakistan Prime Minister's action. We don't allow anyone to speak against the Islamic Emirate ... If Pakistan has an economic problem and is placed on a blacklist of the International Monetary Fund, no one takes their call to give them money. If you (Pakistan) are not given a loan, it is your problem--find your way through any way you can, but don't talk about the dignity of the people of Afghanistan and don't defame Afghanistan just to earn some money," he said. Meanwhile, Asad Abbas announced the approval of nearly a million dollars in funding for Jinnah hospital in Kabul, the Afghan capital, as well as the expedition of the visa application process for Afghan nationals, on the margins of the recent political relations between Pakistan and the Taliban in Afghanistan as the ruling body. He also said that the country had allocated funds for 1,500 scholarships for Afghans as well as the reinstatement of the duties exemptions on several Afghan exports, after the speech of the Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif sparked outrage on social media. Mohammed Haneef Atmar, a former foreign minister for Afghanistan, slammed Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for bringing up the threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan during his speech to the UN General Assembly but omitting to mention the terrorist organizations that are active in Pakistan, reported Khaama Press. Shehbaz Sharif is slammed for distinguishing between the 'good terrorist" and "bad terrorists". (ANI)
Pakistan's former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan on Tuesday said that his party's upcoming long march in the capital city, Islamabad would be "the final one" after which a transparent and fair election will take place, local media reported. Sharing a video of Khan addressing a public gathering, PTI on Twitter said, "After our long march InshAllah Pakistan will see fresh elections." Meanwhile, at a joint convention of the Insaf Student Federation and youth, the PTI Chief criticised Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and said that he teargassed peaceful protesters, including women and children, when the PTI marched on Islamabad in May. Khan also warned that this time police, tear gas, rubber bullets, or even Rangers won't be able to stop the protesters as the party is fully prepared, reported Dawn. He once again asked the crowd to be fully prepared for the march and wait for his call and urged them to visit schools, and universities and go door-to-door to mobilise people for the rally. Talking about the string of leaked audios surfacing from the Prime Minister's Office, he claimed that the next leak would concern the chief election commissioner. "Another audio leak will be released soon in which the daughter [Maryam Nawaz] tells her father [Nawaz Sharif] that the Chief Election Commissioner has assured that Imran Khan will be disqualified in the Toshakhana case," said Khan while addressing another event, organised by local traders. Referring to the newly appointed federal finance minister, Ishaq Dar as an absconder, Khan said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived from the US on Monday night along with an absconder, according to Dawn. "The absconder who plundered money from the country and when the NAB questioned him he ran away in the prime minister's plane." The PTI chairman claimed that Dar has returned after making a deal and was given an NRO -- a reference to not prosecute him under cases of corruption against him. Censuring the government over falling exports, Khan said no country could achieve prosperity without exports, and China, Indonesia and Malaysia have become richer by increasing their exports. He reiterated that when his government was ousted from power in March, the economy was improving at an unprecedented speed. (ANI)
A Chinese national was killed while two others were injured in Pakistan's Karachi on Wednesday, local media reported, citing authorities. Quoting a police official, Dawn newspaper reported that an unidentified man opened fire inside a dental clinic in Karachi's Saddar area. SSP South Asad Raza said that one person was killed and two people were injured who were shifted to a hospital for treatment. He confirmed that the three were Chinese people. Taking to twitter, Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah condemned the attack. (ANI)
US Senators protest Apple's decision to purchase memory chips from Chinese chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) and has ordered an investigation into the threat that the deal poses to national security, media reports said. This comes amid reports that Apple was considering purchasing memory chips from YMTC for the new iPhone 14, reported Financial Post. Among those who requested the review of the controversial deal were the Democratic chair of the Senate intelligence committee, Mark Warner, and the Republican vice chair, Marco Rubio. The US lawmakers wrote to the director of national intelligence, Avril Haines and called for an investigation. YMTC has ambiguous ties to the Chinese Communist party and this new deal which the chipmaker has reportedly brokered with iPhone carries "serious privacy and security risks in the global digital supply chain that Apple helps to develop," reported Financial Post. Furthermore, there have been reports that Beijing's significant subsidies have helped the chipmaker grow quickly. The media portal while citing a UK-based research firm Omdia provided the data as to how the share of the chipmaker grew from 2020 to 2021. "YMTC's share of the global NAND flash memory market increased from 0.6 pc in 2020 to 2.3 pc in 2021," reported the outlet quoting the research. Apple reportedly said that it was "considering" sourcing certain iPhones in China from YMTC. However, Apple on Thursday declined to comment on the letter by US director of national intelligence, Avril Haines which was also signed by Texas Republican John Cornyn and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The senators exhorted that the dangers of the deal to the economy and national security must be assessed. They requested that she investigate the ways in which the Chinese Communist Party uses YMTC to support its native chip industry and oust semiconductor producers from the US and allies. They also asked for a review of YMTC's suspected assistance in Huawei and other Chinese firms evading US sanctions. Many Chinese technology companies have come under increased scrutiny in Washington, including YMTC, reported Financial Post. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and held discussions to boost further India-US strategic partnership. "A pleasure to catch up with an old friend, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, this morning. The conversation covered working together to further India-US strategic partnership," Jaishankar tweeted. Earlier, Jaishankar met White House National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan and discussed a myriad of issues including the Ukraine war and a free and open Indo-Pacific amid Chinese assertiveness in the region. "Met today with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar to discuss our shared efforts to deepen the U.S.-India strategic partnership, mitigate the impacts of Russia's war in Ukraine, and advance a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific," tweeted Sullivan. Responding to Sullivan, Jaishankar tweeted, "Good to meet US National Security Advisor @JakeSullivan46. Discussed the Ukraine conflict and its repercussions, the Indo-Pacific situation, South Asia and the Gulf. Exchanged views on addressing the current global economic volatility." "Sullivan and Jaishankar reviewed progress in the US-India strategic partnership and exchanged views on global and regional priorities, including the implications of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and its impact on food and energy insecurity around the world," read a White House press release. NSA Sullivan also said that he is looking forward to India's G20 presidency. Both of them also discussed approaches to promoting debt sustainability and advancing a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Earlier on Monday, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met Jaishankar to discuss the US-India commercial relationship and welcomed the government of India's participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The US Secretary also appreciated Jaishankar's views on IPEF going forward and emphasized the need for an ambitious and high-standard outcome as she underlined working closely with India in the discussions ahead, the official statement by the US Department of Commerce read. The talks between the two ministers also covered resilient supply chains, high technology cooperation, semiconductors and business promotion in Washington as Jaishankar is in the US on a 10-day visit to hold bilateral consultations with several US cabinet ministers. Notably, Jaishankar also met US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon where he was welcomed in an enhanced honour cordon ceremony on Monday. The External Affairs Minister concluded the high-level United Nations General Assembly debate in New York on Saturday. Jaishankar was in New York from September 18 to 24. IPEF, a group of 13 countries, is a multilateral economic framework. Since its launch in May launch, IPEF countries have engaged in intensive discussions to scope out each pillar of the Framework. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) was launched jointly by the USA and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo. India joined the IPEF and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the launch event along with US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other leaders from partner countries. Previously, virtual Ministerial Meetings were held immediately after the launch on May 23 and thereafter from July 26-27, 2022. (ANI)
France Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain on Wednesday congratulated Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) on his appointment as India's new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Taking to Twitter, the Ambassador noted the India-France relationship, stating that both the countries have built outstanding defence cooperation. "My heartfelt congratulations to Lt Gen Anil Chauhan on his appointment as India's next Chief of Defence Staff. France and India have built an outstanding defence cooperation and we look forward to working with CDS Chauhan to take on even more ambitious goals together," Emmanuel Lenain tweeted. Lt General Anil Chauhan retired as the Eastern Army Commander in May last year and served as the Military Advisor to the National Security Council. Earlier today, Australia's envoy to India Barry O'Farrell wished Anil Chauhan for the appointment as CDS and expressed to work to advance a strong defence relationship between the two nations. In a tweet, Australia's envoy to India wrote, "Congratulations Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) on your appointment as India's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). looks forward to working closely with you to continue advancing our strong #defence relationship." This is the first time that a retired officer has been appointed at this position for which a gazette notification was issued to announce the change in rules for the appointment. In a career spanning over nearly 40 years, Lt Gen Chauhan has held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast India. He will also function as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders, an official release said. Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) will be the second CDS of the country after Gen Bipin Rawat who died in a helicopter crash in December last year in Tamil Nadu. Earlier, the officer had also served as a United Nations mission to Angola. He superannuated from the Indian Army on 31 May 2021. Even after his retirement from the Army, he continued to contribute to national security and strategic matters. For his distinguished and illustrious service in the Army, Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal. The CDS is the most senior uniformed officer in rank, the first among equals -- the only four-star officers in the country are the CDS, the chiefs of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The post was lying vacant since December 8 last year after the death of General Bipin Rawat. When General Bipin Rawat was appointed CDS by the Narendra Modi government within six months of coming back to power in 2019, it was hailed as one of the biggest reforms in the higher military structure of the country. The CDS is also the single point of contact for the government for giving military advice and is the senior-most bureaucrat in the defence ministry which has four major departments. The appointment comes amid efforts by the government to give a big push to indigenisation in the equipment for defence forces. (ANI)
Pakistan's media outlet The Express Tribune reported citing insiders that Zardari was admitted to Karachi hospital on Tuesday after his health deteriorated. Zardari, the co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was said to be ill for several weeks now.

"Rumours are rumours after all," Hussain Shah said as per Dawn newspaper.

Earlier in July, the former Pakistan President had contracted Covid-19 during his visit to Dubai.Last year, 67-year-old Zardari was admitted to a private hospital in Karachi on the advice of his doctors.

The Pakistani newspaper said Zardari had 'fallen ill due to the exertion and exhaustion from travelling for court appearances and the budget session'.

Prior to this, Zardari was shifted to an intensive care unit of a private hospital in Clifton, Karachi in October 2020. He was reportedly suffering from a chest infection and his blood sugar level had fallen to an alarming level, the newspaper said.

Asif Zardari's personal physician had maintained that he was not feeling well and a group of health experts was constantly monitoring him and carrying out his medical tests. (ANI)
Four students of a school in Attock district in Pakistan's Punjab province were expelled reportedly for belonging to a minority community, media reports said. Shedding light on the matter, a relative of the students Tahir Khan, said they had been expelled for simply being from the Ahmadi community, reported Friday Times. According to him, a class fellow had been harassing one of the expelled students for a while. The expulsion of the students comes after some parents prevailed on school principal Kulsoom Awan regarding the harassment. Tahir Khan presented a document on the expulsion reading that the students had been expelled due to their confession of belonging to the Ahmadi community. "The following students who were studying in this institute are being withdrawn on the basis of Qadianiat* Religion," the document read. The institution, the document read, was not in a position to let them continue. Notably, Qadianiat is a religious slur used to refer to Ahmadi Muslims, who are also known as Ahmadiyyas, in Pakistan. While responding to the media queries by The Friday Times the school principal Awan refused to comment citing that the school had been closed for the day and ask to approach in person at her office during school hours. Meanwhile, a Federal Minister and Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Mian Javed Latif has launched a fresh hate-filled campaign against the persecuted Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan, using religion to score political points, a press release by Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights read. On Wednesday, September 15, Latif appeared on Pakistani State TV Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) to utter falsehoods and propaganda against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which is already under immense threat and subjected to cruelties and state persecution. Pakistan's media regulatory body - the Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has been criticised for not sanctioning television channels from airing such hate-filled rhetoric. The use of religion is not new in Pakistani politics but the airing of such rhetoric on mainstream state media is a serious and shocking use of state television and risks furthering an already vile hate campaign against Pakistan's most persecuted community. The Ahmadi Muslim Community is being used as a scapegoat to score political points and malign political opponents, without any regard for the risk of life and the hatred it spreads. At the cost of further endangering the lives of Ahmadis in Pakistan, this level of hate speech in mainstream media and social media is shocking and inexcusable and likely to radicalise people further against innocent Ahmadis. As a result of such hate campaigns, an Ahmadi, Mr Naseer Ahmed was killed last month on August 12 by an extremist radicalised by hate-filled religious clerics, the press release read. Another Pakistani politician, Federal Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique similarly stoked the fire of enmity against the Ahmadis Muslims. He tweeted the anti-Ahmadi trope and baseless allegation that Ahmadis were a conspiracy against Islam and a seditious group. This format of hate speech and incitement which falsely blame the country's ongoing instability on Ahmadi Muslims has a history of triggering violent attacks against innocent Ahmadis. On July 13, 2021, UN human rights experts expressed their deep concern over the lack of attention to the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the Ahmadiyya community around the world and called on the international community to step up efforts to bring an end to the ongoing persecution of Ahmadis. It urged the international community to impress upon the Government of Pakistan to honour its responsibility to provide effective protection and freedom of religious practice to Ahmadis and that perpetrators of such vicious actions should be brought to justice, to bring its laws and practices in conformity with international standards. (ANI)
Concerned over the impact of the recent report of United Nations Human Rights on China's treatment of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region on the country's economy, the permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva invited people to visit the notorious region to feel its so-called beauty. "The door for Xinjiang is open. Welcome to visit Xinjiang to feel its beauty," Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva said at the ceremony for the photo exhibition held in Geneva. Xinjiang, a Chinese region is notorious for its human rights violations. A ceremony for the photo exhibition entitled "Xinjiang is a wonderful land" was held on Monday in Geneva, where representatives and senior diplomats of more than 30 countries were present. China has been rebuked globally for cracking down on Uyghur Muslims by sending them to mass detention camps, interfering in their religious activities and sending members of community to undergo some form of forcible re-education or indoctrination. Beijing, on the other hand, has vehemently denied that it is engaged in human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang while reports from journalists, NGOs and former detainees have surfaced, highlighting the Chinese Communist Party's brutal crackdown on the ethnic community, according to a report. Since 2017, Chinese authorities have ramped up a clampdown on Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in the XUAR through arbitrary arrests and lengthy detentions. An estimated 1.8 million members of these groups have been held in internment camps, where some experienced severe human rights abuses, torture, rape and forced labour. Meanwhile, newly published research has provided compelling evidence that China is carrying out a slow genocide of the Uyghur population, due to Beijing's perception of the community as a national security threat. Adrian Zenz, a senior fellow in China studies, and Erin Rosenberg, an attorney specialising in international criminal law, wrote for Foreign Policy that the five governments had declared China's actions against Uyghurs as genocide, based on evidence of systematic suppression of births. In an upcoming peer-reviewed publication in the Central Asian Survey, Zenz presents comprehensive and compelling new evidence based on published statements and reports from Chinese academics and officials. The core message is that the Uyghur population as such is a threat that endangers China's national security.Beijing has begun suppressing Uyghur birth rates to "optimise" ethnic population ratios for counterterrorism purposes. This would reduce population growth by preventing between 2.6 and 4.5 million births by 2040 in southern Xijiang alone. (ANI)
General Anil Chauhan will take over as the second Chief of Defence Staff on September 30. The second CDS of the Indian defence forces would be meeting military officials on Thursday and would officially take over as the new CDS on Friday, government officials told ANI. Chauhan retired as a Lt Gen from eastern command and has been elevated to the rank of General with the new appointment made today, officials said. This is the first time that a retired officer has been appointed to this position for which a gazette notification was issued to announce the change in rules for the appointment. In a career spanning four decades, Lt Gen Chauhan has held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast India. He will also function as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders, an official release said. Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) will be the second CDS of the country after Gen Bipin Rawat who died in a helicopter crash in December last year in Tamil Nadu. Born on 18th May 1961, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. In the rank of Maj General, the officer had commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramula sector in the Northern Command. Later as Lt General, he commanded a corps in the North East and subsequently went to become the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command from September 2019 and held the charge until his retirement from the service in May 2021. In addition to these command appointments, the officer also tenanted important staff appointments including the charge of Director General of Military Operations. Earlier, the officer had also served as a United Nations mission to Angola. He superannuated from the Indian Army on 31 May 2021. Even after his retirement from the Army, he continued to contribute to national security and strategic matters. For his distinguished and illustrious service in the Army, Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal. The CDS is the most senior uniformed officer in rank, the first among equals -- the only four-star officers in the country are the CDS, the chiefs of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The post was lying vacant since December 8 last year after the death of General Bipin Rawat. When General Bipin Rawat was appointed CDS by the Narendra Modi government within six months of coming back to power in 2019, it was hailed as one of the biggest reforms in the higher military structure of the country. The CDS is also the single point of contact for the government for giving military advice and is the senior-most bureaucrat in the defence ministry which has four major departments. The appointment comes amid efforts by the government to give a big push to indigenisation in the equipment for defence forces. (ANI)
Pakistan Prime Minister's Office audio leaks saga is likely to be continued as a dark web message has prompted that it will release all the hacked audios that it possesses. However, the country's intelligence sources are unable to verify the credibility of these claims, media reports said. According to The News International, the government and relevant agencies remain in complete darkness about the claims of the volume of PM Office's audio data and whether they will be released or not. In a "serious lapse of cyber security" the top-most executive office of the country has been "spied on," as per The News International. Intelligence agencies have no idea how the tapping of the PM House has been done for months despite protocols in place. Furthermore, as per the reports Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was informed by the Intelligence Bureau some 10 days back about the hacking, which surfaced a few days ago. The concerned dark web on Tuesday said that it will release the data on Friday next at 9:30 am. The web said, "For undisclosed reasons, I will be releasing ALL files this Friday (09/30)." It added no more negotiation and offers (to sell the data) will be accepted. Regarding the nature of data, the dark web claimed, the audios include interactions with journalists, conversations with government officers, conversations with the premier military personnel, conversations with the premier military head, personal and governmental dealings and interactions between the first family, and extended families. In addition, it claimed to have audios of conversations of incriminating nature, which may include conversations with serving judicial appointees, engagements with foreign dignitaries, directions/ orders by personnel. The dark web message added, "Hopefully this release will bring betterment to Pakistan." In a series of audio leaks in recent days in Pakistan, another alleged conversation between Former country's Prime Minister Imran Khan and Principal Secretary Azam Khan about the "US conspiracy" went viral as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief can be heard saying "Let's play with it." It is pertinent to mention that "US conspiracy" refers to the foreign conspiracy which Imran Khan termed it as the conspiracy by the US to topple the PTI government and replace it with Shehbaz Sharif's government in Pakistan. According to The News International, in the latest leaked audio, Imran Khan could be heard directing his then principal secretary that they should play with the "cypher issue without taking the name of the United States." "Let's play with it," Imran Khan believed to be said in the audio, to which Azam Khan suggested that they should hold a meeting on the US cypher to bring it on record.Earlier, audio clips purported of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with government officials and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz had also surfaced online. It is to be noted that after those controversial audio leaks, Imran Khan on Monday said that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja should resign "if he had any shame," media reports said. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan claimed that the audio leak is proof that the CEC, Sultan Raja, is in cahoots with the Sharif family and his alleged involvement in corruption, reported Pakistani local media The Express Tribune. Coming to the latest audio clip of Imran Khan, The News International quoted him, "Ok, so now let's just play with it. We don't need to name America. We will just play over it and say that the date was already there." Responding to this, Azam Khan said, as per the publication: "Sir, I was thinking...that we should hold a meeting on this cypher issue. If you might remember, the ambassador mentioned at the last of the letter that we should issue a demarche. If you still don't want to issue a demarche, because I thought over it last night....how can we cover this? Let's call a meeting of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Foreign Secretary (Sohail Mahmood)." "There, we will ask Shah Mahmood Qureshi to read out the letter. So whatever he will tell us, I will type it down and convert it into [meeting] minutes that the foreign minister said this and the foreign secretary said this. After this, we will write the analysis as we deem fit, so it becomes part of the record. In the analysis, we will say that the language used [in the letter] in diplomatic norms is considered a threat .......and things like that. See, the minutes [of the meeting] are in my hand, we can draft them according to our wishes." Earlier, an audio clip featuring Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz had surfaced online, where they were asking to stop the health insurance card program, as per local media. After the audio leaked, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail stepped down in the middle of a trip abroad and made way for PML-N leader Ishaq Dar. Ishaq Dar was involved in several corruption cases. Earlier, in May, the Pakistan court issued a perpetual arrest warrant against former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in "corruption reference." The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the reference against Dar, who has been declared an absconder in the case since he has missed hearings owing to his prolonged stay in London, that the former Minister had acquired assets beyond his known sources of income, Dawn newspaper reported. (ANI)
As the worsening law-and-order situation and the ubiquity of religious fundamentalism in Pakistan, Ahmadiyya have been forced to migrate to other countries in the hope of being treated on equal footing with other people in the society, according to media reports. According to Islam Khabar, adults and children a like are victimized for their differing religious beliefs. Workplaces, playgrounds and even schools are used as platforms to spread their loathing and horrific mistreatment. Educational institutes chiefly top the list of troublemakers who aim to indoctrinate young minds by filling them with hatred for anyone who does not follow their religious standards, as per Islam Khabar. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is being used as a scapegoat to score political points and malign political opponents, without any regard for the risk of life and the hatred it spreads. On July 13, 2021, UN human rights experts expressed their deep concern over the lack of attention to the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the Ahmadiyya community around the world and called on the international community to step up efforts to bring an end to the ongoing persecution of Ahmadiyya. It urged the international community to impress upon the Government of Pakistan to honour its responsibility to provide effective protection and freedom of religious practice to Ahmadiyya and that perpetrators of such vicious actions should be brought to justice, to bring its laws and practices in conformity with international standards. Pakistan is facing multiple fault lines that are hampering the growth of the already conditioned economy of the country, including a breakdown of law and order domestically, which poses major challenges to the establishment and sectarian violence. In Pakistan, Sunni groups are threatening Shias, Ahmadis and non-Muslim minorities, enjoying support from the military and political leadership. According to the International Crisis Group (ICG) in its reports published on September 5 which forecasts that sectarian violence could intensify with political instability and economic downturn creating a powder keg in Pakistan, a Canada-based think tank IFFRAS said. ICG Report's observation that sectarian militancy now runs across the range of Sunni Islamist groups, including adherents to the more moderate Barelvi sub-sect, is believed to constitute a thin majority of Pakistan's population. In 2020, well-known defence analyst, Dr Ayesha Siddiqa wrote about the revival of sectarian tension between Sunnis and Shias in Karachi and other urban centres in Sindh and Punjab. She pointed out that Pakistan has reportedly witnessed the killing of approximately 4,847 Shias in incidents of sectarian violence between 2001 and 2018, IFFRAS had reported earlier. (ANI)
Former Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's daughter Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari clarified on Wednesday that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairperson was suffering from "post-Covid health concerns" which is why he was not seen physically helping flood victims. In a tweet, Bakhtawar said that there was water near Zardari's lungs for which she said that a procedure had been done a month prior, according to The Express Tribune. "P @AAliZardari experiencing some post covid concerns - reappearance of water near lung (did procedure last month in Karachi too) which is why he has not been physically seen during floods but blessed with children who have been going in his stead. Thank u 4 all msgs & prayers," Bakhtawar tweeted. [{ad1016fb-0379-4d3b-a6e1-43c014f5f90b:intradmin/ANI-20220928193443.jpg}] Notably, Asif Ali Zardari was taken to a private hospital in Karachi after his health crumbled, The Express Tribune reported citing sources. Earlier in July, the former Pakistan President had contracted Covid-19 during his visit to Dubai.Last year, 67-year-old Zardari was admitted to a private hospital in Karachi on the advice of his doctors. The Pakistani newspaper said Zardari had 'fallen ill due to the exertion and exhaustion from travelling for court appearances and the budget session'. Prior to this, Zardari was shifted to an intensive care unit of a private hospital in Clifton, Karachi in October 2020. He was reportedly suffering from a chest infection and his blood sugar level had fallen to an alarming level, the newspaper said. Asif Zardari's personal physician had maintained that he was not feeling well and a group of health experts was constantly monitoring him and carrying out his medical tests. (ANI)
Two men are in custody in Nevada after allegedly robbing a Meridian Walgreens on Monday morning.

At around 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Meridian police responded to reports of a man accessing the secure pharmacy area and stealing prescription medications, Idaho Statesman previously reported.

At around 5:30 p.m., the Meridian Police Department said it received notification of a vehicle pursuit involving both Oregon and Nevada law enforcement chasing a car occupied by three men believed to be carrying a significant quantity of stolen prescription medication, according to a news release.

Tyheir Bolden, a 24-year old man, was driving the vehicle, police said. Bolden was accompanied by two other men, including Antonio Watkins, 24.

Nevada law enforcement arrested the three men in the vehicle and have charges originating in that state, police said. The release from the Meridian Police Department said authorities believe the men came from California and have ties to other prescription-drug thefts in Idaho.

Meridian police sought arrest warrants for Bolden and Watkins for their alleged involvement in the Walgreens robbery.

Based on the recovery of evidence and information following the pursuit in Nevada, (Meridian police) requested warrants be issued for Bolden for felony robbery and Watkins for felony aiding and abetting, according to the release. These warrants were issued and executed on Tuesday.

The suspects are in custody of the Humboldt County Sheriffs Office in Winnemucca, Nevada, and the investigation is ongoing, the release said.
In a phone conversation from behind bars, Anthony Kyles told the Free Press hes looking forward to seeing his kids and grandchildren and visiting his parents graves.

An investigation has concluded that a Michigan man was wrongfully imprisoned for 25 years after he was found guilty of murder in connection with a Pontiac, Michigan, house fire  and his day of freedom may be coming soon.

According to the Detroit Free Press, prosecutors re-examined the case in which Anthony Kyles was convicted of murder in the death of one adult and three young children and decided he should be released.

Beth Greenberg Morrow, director of the prosecutor offices Conviction Integrity Unit, said in a statement to the Free Press a thorough investigation was conducted and it is obvious that Kyles was wrongfully convicted. The newspaper reports that Morrows observations also came after its investigation into the case, which cast doubts on Kyles culpability.

New information has come to light revealing that a Michigan man was wrongfully convicted in 1997 of a September 1995 arson in which four people died. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock)

In her conclusion, Morrow relied heavily on the findings from an independent fire investigator and information concerning the witness who claimed to have seen Kyles start the fire.

First, an independent fire investigator determined that the fire was not arson and that the fire did not originate on the front porch, Morrow said of the findings. Second, the sole eyewitness lied when he testified that he saw Mr. Kyles start the fire.

Robert Perry, 37, Demetrius, 1, Mercedes, 2 and Albert, 5 all died in the September 1995 fire. Perry is said to have returned to the burning house in an effort to save the three children. None of them survived. Three other children, along with their mother, managed to escape.

Kyles has consistently maintained his innocence. In a phone conversation from prison, he told the Free Press that he is looking forward to seeing his kids and grandchildren and visiting his parents graves. They passed away during his incarceration, one in 2005 and the other in 2006.

I havent been to sleep in a couple of days, Kyles said of the recent developments.

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Kyles family is just as eager to reunite with him. Ashley Johnson, his oldest child, was 12 at the time of his conviction. She told the Free Press that she is looking forward to embracing and catching up with her father. Weve got a lot of catching up to do, she said.

During Kyles 1997 trial, the prosecution believed that the fire was purposely set and started on the porch area. Jurors were told that Kyles and the mother of the children argued about drugs and that Kyles had thrown a Molotov cocktail at her house, which a witness saw. A detective from the now-defunct Pontiac Police Department also testified that he believed an accelerant had been sprayed on the front porch.

Kyles was found guilty of four charges of second-degree murder and given a life sentence.

Earlier this year, however, a Free Press investigation revealed multiple problems with the case. For instance, Keith Hollimon, the eyewitness who claimed that he saw Kyles start the fire, retracted his testimony, admitting that he lied to the jury.

For years, the case has weighed heavily on the heart of fire investigator Robert Trenkle. Scott Lewis, a TV reporter-turned-private-investigator, was brought on in 2015 to assist Kyles family in proving his innocence. Lewis enlisted Trenkle, who has investigated thousands of fires and, in turn, launched his own inquiry.

Trenkle said the initial investigators made a huge mistake in determining that arson caused the fire. He concluded that the fire was accidental, originating in a bedroom and was probably caused by a space heater cord that had been incorrectly rewired.

As a sign of support for Kyles, Trenkle stopped cutting his hair and beard in March, asserting that he will let his hair continue to grow until Kyles is freed. He noted that Kyles had been imprisoned for 50 times longer than his hair had been growing.

I always think what if it happened to me, what if it happened to one of my family members, so I owe somebody Ive never met, never spoken to, the same as I would do for my own family, Trenkle said, explaining the importance of the case to him.

Kyles legal representatives from the Michigan Innocence Clinic and Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald will petition a judge to overturn the conviction and release him from prison.

Twenty-five years lost is something he could never get back and nothing can ever fix that, said Imran Syed, co-director of the Innocence Clinic and Kyles attorney, according to the Free Press. But what we can ask here is when mistakes are found, we dont look the other way.

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The post After 25 years, Michigan man wrongfully convicted in arson deaths on brink of freedom appeared first on TheGrio.
Updated, Sept. 29

New state test results released Wednesday by the New York City Department of Education offer a complicated picture of the pandemics effects on academic performance in Americas largest school district, showing students math performance tumbled but their English skills ticked upward from pre-pandemic levels.

Just over a third of students in grades 3 through 8  37.9%  were proficient in math, according to the new results released after COVID forced schools nationwide into remote learning and disrupted state assessments. Thats a 7.6 percentage point decline from 2019, suggesting deleterious effects of a pandemic that upended in-person learning.

But its complicated. Nearly half of students  49%  scored proficient in English language arts, 1.6 percentage points higher than in 2019. The results, which city officials delayed releasing at the states request, offer the first comprehensive look at student performance during the pandemic. The state canceled the test in 2020 and made it optional in 2021. Roughly 10% of city students opted out of either the reading or math exams this year, considerably higher than the 4% who sat out in 2019, Chalkbeat reported.

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While results are complicated by the pandemic, the results reflect hard work by our students, families and educators during a difficult time, DOE First Deputy Chancellor Dan Weisberg said, according to silive.com. They also reflect opportunity gaps and outcomes in particular for Black and Hispanic students, as well as students with disabilities and English-language learners that are unacceptable.

Tests administered outside New York City suggest, perhaps unsurprisingly, the public health emergency had a major negative impact on student learning. Earlier this month, results for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, often called the nations report card, found two decades of national growth in reading and math were wiped out by just two years of pandemic-induced disruptions. Declines were particularly stark among struggling students, further widening the performance gap between high- and low-achievers.

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In Los Angeles, home to Americas second-largest school district, recent test results showed a significant drop in student achievement from pre-pandemic levels. Outcomes on the 2022 Smarter Balanced state assessment found just 28.47% of students were proficient in math and 41.67% met English standards. Among big city school districts, Los Angeles schools were among the longest closed to in-person learning while New York City was among the first to push to reopen classrooms, even while a majority of its families opted for remote learning well into the 2020-21 school year.

Looking forward, Weisberg said NYC schools are focused on transforming education so that every student graduates with a pathway to a rewarding career, long-term economic security, and equipped to be a positive force for change in their community.

Here are four key takeaways from the New York City test results:

Woes in math were particularly profound for older students

Overall, just 37.9% of NYC students scored proficient in math, and students at all grade levels posted declines from pre-pandemic levels. But the downturn was particularly pronounced for students in middle school. Among third graders, 48.4% scored proficient, a 4.8 percentage point drop from 2019. Meanwhile, just 25% of eighth graders scored proficient in math, an 11 percentage point drop from pre-pandemic levels.

Younger students struggled with reading during the pandemic

NYC students posted gains in English language arts since 2019, and nearly half received a proficient score. But the results are more complicated when disaggregated by grade level. Younger students  particularly those in third and fourth grade  struggled while those in middle school outperformed pre-pandemic levels.

With a 6 percentage point decline from 2019, 43.6% of fourth graders scored proficient in English this year. Thats compared to 52.6 percent of seventh graders who scored proficient this year, up 9.9 percentage points from 2019.

Isabella Rieke, communications manager for Advocates for Children of New York, said the results underscored the urgency behind New York City moving to overhaul its reading program.

While the overall ELA proficiency rate ticked upward, relative to 2019, the percentage of third graders scoring proficient fell by four percentage points and the rate for fourth graders fell by six percentage points, she said in a statement. These students would have been in first and second grades in March 2020grades when children are mastering the relationships between sounds and letters and building the foundational literacy skills that will shape their future academic trajectory.

Declines were particularly stark for Black and Hispanic students

As has been the case for years, the latest test results showed significant disparities in New York City between white and Asian American students and their Black and Hispanic peers.

Among white students, 58.5% of students in third through eighth grade were proficient in math this year and 67.3% were proficient in English language arts. Thats an 8.2 percentage point decrease and a 0.7 percentage point increase, respectively.

Meanwhile, 20.6% of Black students scored proficient this year in math and 35.8% were proficient in English. Among Hispanic students, 23.3% were proficient in math and 36.8% were proficient in English. Hispanic students fared the worst during the pandemic, posting a 9.9 percentage point drop in math proficiency compared to 2019.

English learners and students with disabilities may have weathered the pandemic better than the general student population

While English language learners and those in special education had poorer performance than students overall in both math and English, test results suggest they weathered the pandemic better. Compared with 2019, English language learners saw a 3.9 percentage point drop in math while those who have never received the English language learner designation saw a 7.6 percentage point dip.

Similarly, English learners saw a 3.4 percentage point increase in their English proficiency since 2019 compared to a 1.1 percentage point increase for the general population.

Students with disabilities posted a 3.1 percentage point decline in math proficiency and a 2.2 percentage point increase in English. Meanwhile, students without disabilities saw an 8.9 percentage point drop in math proficiency and a 1.4 percentage point gain in English.

For some, the counterintuitive results raised red flags:
Each October our newsfeeds, timelines and television screens blush pink as an annual reminder for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Its a disease that affects one in eight women in the United States and is currently the second most common type of cancer found in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But despite steep numbers, breast cancer mortality rates have slowly decreased since 1999, and experts agree that it is in large part due to advancements in research.

There has been major progress, which we can measure in lives saved, said Hannah Linden, M.D., F.A.C.P., board-certified in medical oncology and Clinical Director, Breast Cancer Program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. The research is definitely moving in the right direction.

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And that research has continued to advance as technology improves and experts learn more about the cause of breast cancer. So, with progress being made we asked doctors what research advances they are most excited about.

A growing list of more defined targeted therapies

Breast cancer can present itself in different parts of the breast and at varying degrees when first detected, so treatment cannot be one size fits all for every patient. Thats where targeting the specific cancer at the specific stage comes into play. Recent strides in research and clinical trials have given doctors access to new information that have improved these therapies and ultimately improved patient outcomes.

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We have had multiple practice-changing trials in the last decade with new therapies for hormone receptor positive, triple-negative and HER2 positive breast cancers, said Jennifer Litton, MD, Vice President Clinical Research and Professor Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. We have seen effective targeted therapies such as PARP inhibitors and CDK 4/6 inhibitors.

In simpler terms, PARP inhibitors are a type of cancer drug that work by preventing cancer cells from repairing, which ultimately forces them to die. And CDK 4/6 inhibitors are a newer class of medicine used to treat metastatic breast cancer, which is cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones or liver.

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Dr. Linden adds that CDK 4/6 inhibitors are also good therapy for certain types of tumors. They are targeted agents, she said. Not as toxic as chemo, which impressively improves outcomes.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is nothing new to cancer treatments. It has been used in cancer patients since 1891 to help the body fight off cancerous cells and other harmful cells in hopes that it will reduce or even eliminate the cancer. But more recently the therapy has been approved for certain breast cancer types.

Several of these therapies have improved control of brain metastases which we have not seen in years past, said Dr. Litton. The constructs of the drugs themselves such as monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapies and antibody-drug conjugates will likely also emerge at faster rates as deeper biological analyses have identified more targets for us to use against the cancer cells.

Non-Invasive Imaging Technique

The FDA recently approved a new form of testing that may provide an improved evaluation of metastases in patients with breast cancer. The testing is a non-invasive, patient-friendly imaging technique that can show doctors where the cancer is in the body, and help them determine the best treatment decisions for patients when diagnostic dilemmas arise. This can also help doctors predict how well the cancer will respond to treatment.

This is an advance in diagnosis and treatment of advanced breast cancer, and has been a multi-center, multinational effort, said Dr. Linden, whose group contributed pivotal data towards the approval.

Preventive care & artificial intelligence

While research is key to finding a cure for breast cancer, Dr. Litton says that the fundamentals of health and wellness should not be overlooked.

The landslide of biology information and drug developments is so exciting and promising, but we should not forget basics that we do in healthcare all the time, she said. That remains prevention of the disease itself.

Mammograms have been a key player in early detection and prevention, and some doctors have begun using artificial intelligence ( AI ) to enhance those screenings. A study that began in 2017 out of New York University compared the accuracy of mammograms completed by AI and by their radiologists. They found that their AIs intelligence system had an accuracy rate of about 90 percent, compared to an overall average of 80 percent by radiologists.

Linda Moy, MD, professor of radiology and one of the doctors leading the study told NYU, Notably, when radiologists used this tool as a second reader, their performance improved. So we want to reach that sweet spot where we use both.

So, what gaps still remain?

Breast cancer still remains a significant medical and societal challenge, and with no cure, experts agree there is more work to be done.

I think that patient-reported outcomes should be standard for registrational trials because if a therapy improves or devastates a patients quality of life, it is necessary to discuss and choose therapies, said Dr. Litton.

She adds that the swift pace of discovery and drug development is promising, but understanding the patients on a personal level is key to providing care that really works.

I think we still need to be thoughtful and better understand the financial burdens that our patients face, she said. As well as to be intentional about being inclusive of gender, race and ethnicity when recruiting patients to clinical trials.

Before you go, check out these products patients and survivors of breast cancer can actually use:



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A young Georgia girl is recovering from being shot in Bibb County on Tuesday afternoon.

911 callers told dispatchers that a child had been grazed by a bullet on Wren Avenue.

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Bibb County deputies arrived just before 5:30 p.m. to find a 6-year-old girl who had been shot.

She was taken to the hospital where she is stable.

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Investigators have not commented on where or how the girl was shot.

They say they are still working to learn what led up to the shooting and if anyone will face charges.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Associated Press

Europe faces unprecedented risks to its natural gas supplies this winter after Russia cut off most pipeline shipments and could wind up competing with Asia for already scarce and expensive liquid gas that comes by ship, the International Energy Agency said. The Paris-based IEA said in its quarterly gas report released Monday that European Union countries would need to reduce use by 13% over the winter in case of a complete Russian cutoff amid the war in Ukraine. Much of that cutback would have to come from consumer behavior such as turning down thermostats by 1 degree and adjusting boiler temperatures as well as industrial and utility conservation, the group said.
Dozens of young Iranians and Americans gathered Tuesday in front of The New York Times building in Manhattan to demonstrate for the rights of women in Iran, and to decry "bias" at the paper.

Activist Forouzan Farahani knelt on the sidewalk in front of the building and shaved her head in an act of protest following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of the notorious morality police in mid-September.

Women in Iran have been leading demonstrations since September 16, defying a crackdown that a rights group says has killed more than 75 people and that has drawn international condemnation.

"We are here today to protest... the murder of Mahsa in Iran and uprisings that are ongoing across Iran in different cities," said Farahani, 31.

The Iranian told AFP the demonstrators were also protesting "bias and selective narrative" in The New York Times' coverage of Iran in recent years.

"We also think that they don't have a neutral position and so we think that it's good to come to here and protest," Farahani said.

The protesters singled out Farnaz Fassihi, a New York-based reporter for the Times who is covering the crisis in Iran.

"We stand by our reporting of the unrest in Iran, which is led by Farnaz Fassihi, an experienced journalist who has covered the Middle East for the past 25 years," a spokesperson for the paper told AFP.

"As demonstrated today, Farnaz is regularly and unfairly harassed and threatened for her independent, deeply sourced reporting, which holds Iran's authoritarian leadership to account. We will continue to do so, as our journalists cover the ongoing nationwide anti-government protests."

In Iran, riot police in body armor have beaten protesters with truncheons in running street battles.

Students have torn down large pictures of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his late predecessor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, according to recent video footage published by AFP.

"People in Iran on the street, they're not just protesting against the compulsory hijab," Farahani said in New York. "They're also protesting against the Islamic republic, which imposes this compulsory hijab."

"They are protesting against the government, which kills their beloved ones."

nr/mdo/sw/wd
Sep. 28For the November general election, Hoosiers with print disabilities who vote absentee from home will once again be able to select the person of their choice to assist in marking their paper ballot.

Use of a traveling board is permissive, not mandatory, for the November election, according to a Sept. 2 ruling by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson, who issued a similar order before the May primary.

More importantly, according to Rosa Lee Bichell, staff attorney with Disability Rights Advocates, "The court has now officially determined that Indiana's current absentee voting system discriminates against voters with print disabilities."

That ruling is specific to absentee voting from home involving voters with print disabilities.

The ruling stems from a case filed in late 2020 alleging Indiana's voting system violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and deprives blind and low vision Hoosiers of their right to vote independently and privately.

The plaintiffs are Kristin Fleschner of Vigo County, Rita Kersh of Lawrence County and Wanda Tackett of Vanderburgh County. They were joined by the Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services Commission and American Council of the Blind of Indiana.

In their lawsuit against the Indiana Election Commission and the Indiana Secretary of state, they contend Indiana discriminates against voters who are blind or have low vision by not offering necessary accommodations.

According to Bichell, the order issued for the May election was a preliminary injunction. It tentatively found that Indiana's absentee voting system discriminates against voters with print disabilities and temporarily made the traveling board permissive for the May election only.

"This order, on the other hand, definitively says that Indiana's absentee voting (system) is discriminatory," Bichell wrote in an email.

The order grants the plaintiff's motion seeking a declaratory judgment that Indiana's current procedures for absentee voting from home discriminate against voters with print disabilities in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.

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While the judge's recent ruling still only temporarily makes the traveling board permissive rather than mandatory for the upcoming November election, "This order indicates that Indiana will need to determine a more permanent accessible solution going forward," Bichell stated.

Plaintiffs are looking for a system that allows voters with print disabilities to vote absentee "completely privately and independently, without relying on any kind of assistance, whether traveling board or family member," Bichell said.

Fleschner, in a statement, said, "It is important that Judge Magnus-Stinson recognized the discriminatory nature of the current system. The defendants have been given a lot of opportunity to stop discriminating against voters, including by using accessible electronic absentee voting systems already in place in other states."

A voter with print disabilities is a voter who cannot independently mark a paper ballot or ballot card due to blindness, low vision, or a physical disability that limits manual dexterity.

The plaintiffs are seeking only injunctive relief, not monetary damages, and are represented by attorneys from Indiana Disability Rights and Disability Rights Advocates.

Litigation will continue as plaintiffs seek a long-term remedy, Bichell said.
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.
Sep. 27The Aiken County Public School District is monitoring Hurricane Ian closely to see what impact it may have on the area.

According to Merry Glenne Piccolino, director of communications and community partnerships for the school district, as of Tuesday there are no changes to the school schedule.

"The safety of our students, staff and families is always our highest priority," Piccolino said. "At this time, there are no changes to communicate regarding our regular school operations this week. However, should the threat of severe weather necessitate a change, that announcement would be made allowing as much advance notice as possible to our community."

Aiken Tech

Aiken Technical College is also monitoring the hurricane, but planning to continue with a normal schedule on Friday.

"The College is closely monitoring local weather forecasts and any impact the weather may have on campus operations. Any changes to the College's operations or hours will be announced on our website and official social media pages," said Nikasha N. Dicks, director of marketing and communications for ATC.
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.  The Air Forces top enlisted leader recently rolled out the services first Purple Book, a primer on the joint force for rank-and-file airmen.

The 39-page booklet introduces airmen to high-level policy like the National Defense Strategy and describes the Air Forces place in the bigger military picture. Its one piece in a slew of changes aimed at better educating enlisted airmen and holding them to higher standards of performance.

We have the first service and the only service who has a book to help us become a better joint-minded service member, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass said Sept. 21 at the annual Air and Space Forces Association conference here.

Air Force puts good behavior front and center in revised guides for enlisted airmen

The Purple Book walks readers through the role of each combatant command; major military alliances like the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing coalition; Air Force roles and missions; each services rank structure and more.

When the United States military operates as a cohesive team, its capabilities exceed those of individual components, the book says. All service members must do their part to educate and sharpen themselves, their fellow service members and the joint partners they work alongside.

Air Force leaders have sought a larger role in the joint force for several years. In 2016, then-Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein pledged to improve how the service trains airmen to work with the other military branches.

We have got to be a service thats ready to stand up and lead [joint] campaigns, he said.

Airmen receive two other manuals, the Blue Book of Air Force values and Brown Book on the enlisted force structure, at basic training and during professional military education courses. The Air Force released new versions of those books earlier this year.

Updating these foundational guides equips airmen with the resources needed to become highly trained, educated and adaptable to the threats our competitors present, Bass said in May.
A man in Alabama reported a human skull to authorities after he found his dogs playing with it in his yard.

It was unclear where the dogs found the skull, but the pets were known to roam a large wooded area near the man's home in Birmingham, according to a Jefferson County coroners office report. The man made the discovery Friday just after 10 a.m. as he was leaving for work, the report said.

The skull was found to be significantly weathered, and most likely represents a death that occurred years prior, said a report Jefferson County deputy coroner Bill Yates sent to USA TODAY.

Yates said his office would examine the skull for clues for an identity and cause of death but noted that its exposure to the elements would make doing so difficult.

Live updates: Hurricane Ian on brink of Category 5 status as it nears Florida landfall within hours

'Return to nature': California legalizes human composting for environmental benefits

The damage because of exposure and animal activity is common and you should not assume it is a result of trauma due to an assault, Yates wrote in a statement to USA TODAY, adding that DNA analysis would also be done and the case submitted to a national missing persons database.

"All of this will take months to complete," Yates said.

A Birmingham Police Department spokesperson said the department was investigating the case as an unclassified death. Police swept the area and found no other remains, department spokesperson Keaira Turner said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama man finds his dogs playing with a human skull in his yard
The Japanese drugmaker Eisai said Tuesday its experimental drug for Alzheimers disease helped slow cognitive decline in patients in the early stages of the illness.

The company said that in a phase 3 clinical trial, the drug, called lecanemab, slowed cognitive decline by 27% after 18 months. The results were announced in a news release and have not yet been peer-reviewed.

The results may offer renewed hope to Alzheimers patients after the U.S. drugmaker Biogens botched rollout of its drug, Aduhelm, last year. Biogen partnered with Eisai in the commercialization of the new drug, although Eisai led its development and the phase 3 trial.

Outside experts urged caution in interpreting the results, however.

The results are a first step in the direction of making a significant impact on the disease, said Dr. Ronald Petersen, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Alberto Espay, a neurologist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, said that the benefit was "small" and that it fell below the threshold of what would be meaningful to a patient. Still, he said, "patients can view this with cautious optimism."

The results were based on 1,795 patients, who were randomly assigned to receive either the drug or a placebo every two weeks over 18 months. Cognitive decline was measured using a clinical dementia rating scale that focused on six areas: memory, orientation, judgment and problem solving, community affairs, home and hobbies, and personal care.

Brain swelling was seen in 12.5% of those who received the medication, compared to 1.7% in the placebo group, according to Eisai. However, many of those with brain swelling did not experience symptoms and the prevalence of that side effect was lower than what has been seen with other similar experimental drugs, the company said on a call on Tuesday.

Eisai said that it will present the findings at an Alzheimers conference in late November and that it plans to submit the trial data to the Food and Drug Administration for approval by March.

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The company noted, however, that the FDA has already agreed to consider the drug under the agency's so-called accelerated approval pathway  the same process used to approve Biogen's Aduhelm. Eisai said the agency is expected to make a decision on conditional approval by early January.

Eisai's drug is a monoclonal antibody designed to target amyloid plaques, clumps of protein in the brain long considered a hallmark of Alzheimers.

Biogen's drug Aduhelm was shown to reduce amyloid in the brain, but that didn't translate into a slower progression of the disease. That is leading some scientists to shift from amyloid as a cause of Alzheimer's and look at other possibilities.

While the results appear to be positive, the single trial is unlikely to prove that amyloid is responsible for the decline in mental function often seen in patients, Espay said.

But Petersen, of the Mayo Clinic, said the trial may show that amyloid is in fact one of several components that lead to the progression of the disease.

"This is really positive for the field," he said of the trial results. "I think it's going to motivate a lot more beneficial research down the road."

He also advocated for more research into preventing the disease, noting that the new drug "is not a cure by any means.

Besides Biogens drug, all other drugs approved by the FDA for Alzheimers are aimed at helping symptoms, not actually slowing the progression of the disease, which is the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Two similar drugs  from Roche and Eli Lilly  are expected to release late-stage clinical trial results over the next few months.

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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
ane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images

Amazon workers of all types have been agitating for higher pay for years.

The e-commerce giant has about 750,000 warehouse workers in the US.

Amazon tries to balance trimming costs across its warehouse network with the need to retain staff.

Workers at Amazon warehouses across the country will receive hourly pay raises, the company told employees on Wednesday.

Wages will increase by roughly $0.50 to $1 an hour, according to workers at two facilities who were shown presentations of the new pay schedule and screenshots shared on social media.

An Amazon spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about whether all of its nearly 750,000 US warehouse employees are getting a pay bump.

The company has nearly 900 fulfillment facilities in the country. Amazon has sought to balance trimming costs across its warehouse network with an increasing need to retain employees. The company admitted earlier this year that it had overbuilt during the initial onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. Executives are meanwhile worried that the company's high turnover rate will cause Amazon to run out of people to hire.

Amazon employees of all types have been agitating for higher compensation for years, adding pressure on the company to respond.

These new warehouse worker raises the raises go into effect in early October, according to one presentation Amazon made to staff.

Work at Amazon? Got a tip? Contact reporter Katherine Long via phone or Signal (+1-206-375-9280) or email (klong@insider.com).

Read the original article on Business Insider
An Amber Alert ended Tuesday after a fugitive father and his missing teenage daughter were shot and killed during a shootout with sheriffs deputies along Interstate 15 in Hesperia.

Preliminary information shared by San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus included the announcement that Anthony John Graziano, 45, and 15-year-old Savannah Graziano were dead.

The teen girl may have fired back at the deputies during the vehicle pursuit that started at 10:25 a.m. Tuesday after a 911 caller reported seeing Graziano's Nissan Frontier near Highways 395 and 58 in the Barstow area, Discus said.

After the pursuit on southbound I-15, which included an exchange of gunfire, the suspects vehicle went off the road on the southwest corner of Main Street between the freeway and off ramp.

An Amber Alert ended when fugitive Anthony John Graziano, 45, and 15-year-old daughter, Savannah Graziano, were fatally shot during a shootout with sheriffs deputies in Hesperia.

After the vehicle came to a stop, the suspect began firing at deputies, who fired back. During that time, a passenger wearing a tactical helmet and trauma plate on their chest exited the passenger side of the vehicle and ran toward deputies.

As the gunfight continued, deputies fatally struck the driver inside his truck. The passenger, who was later identified as the teenager, was also struck as she ran toward deputies.

The girl was transported to an area hospital, where she was pronounced deceased at 11:52 a.m., Dicus said.

Authorities did not specify whether the teen girl was struck by gunfire from deputies or her father, who was later found dead in his truck.

This all needs to be confirmed, as it is preliminary information, Dicus emphasized.

Dicus did not know how many times the teenager was shot. Only one AR-15-type rifle was found at the scene, he said.

Sheriff Shannon Dicus addresses the media on Tuesday regarding the fatal shooting in Hesperia of fugitive Anthony John Graziano, 45, and his 15-year-old daughter, Savannah Graziano.

The pursuit

When the pursuit began, John Graziano fired multiple shots out of the vehicles rear window striking the deputys vehicle. The teenager may have also fired back at the deputies, Dicus said.

The pursuit continued on Highway 58 to Lenwood, then onto I-15 south toward the Victor Valley when a second sheriffs vehicle joined the pursuit, but was halted when it was disable by gunfire.

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The pursuit ended when the vehicle went off the road in Hesperia and the gunfight began.

One deputy was hit in the face with shrapnel during the gunfight. They are in stable condition, Dicus said.

An aviation crew aboard a sheriff's airship took video of the pursuit, but did not fire at the suspects vehicle, Dicus said.

Sheriffs officials, at 11:23 a.m. Tuesday, reported heavy police activity on I-15 between Bear Valley Road in Victorville and Joshua Road in Hesperia.

After the shooting, the California Highway Patrol reported at 11:37 a.m. that the Amber Alert for missing Savannah Graziano, and her father was deactivated.

The SBC Sheriff-Coroners Division still needs to officially confirm the identities of the dead, Dicus said.

The Amber Alert

On Monday, Graziano's daughter was reported missing after her father was suspected of killing his wife, Tracy Martinez, 45, during a domestic violence-related incident that morning.

The shooting happened around 7:30 a.m. at a home on Cypress Avenue and Mallory Drive, Fontana Police officials reported.

The Amber Alert, on behalf of the Fontana Police Department, included the description of Graziano's vehicle, a white 2017 Nissan Frontier with California license plate 44305G2.

Savannah Graziano was last seen with her father at approximately 7:34 a.m. on Monday.

An Amber Alert ended Tuesday after fugitive father Anthony John Graziano, 45, and his missing teenage daughter, 15-year-old Savannah Graziano, were fatally shot during a shootout with sheriffs deputies along Interstate 15 in Hesperia.

Southbound I-15 closed

At 6:16 p.m., the California Highway Patrol issued a Sig-Alert at Bear Valley Road as they reported all southbound lanes of I-15 were expected to be closed for 24 hours or longer for the investigation. Alternate routes are Bear Valley Road to Hwy. 395 to I-15 south.

Several residents of the Victor Valley and Barstow contacted the Daily Press saying they were stuck on southbound I-15 near Victorville.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Amber Alert ends with double-fatal shooting in Hesperia
Sep. 27Two Anderson County law enforcement officers were honored with the 2021 American Legion Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award during Commissioners Court Monday, Sept. 26.

Brian Alston, American Legion Commander, presented plaques for Anderson County Jail Captain Todd Choate and Palestine Police Officer Isiah Pettigrew. Alston said these individuals were nominated by their peers. Pettigrew was not present and County Judge Robert Johnston accepted his award on his behalf.

During the meeting, the Commissioners also approved:

the consent agenda items, including budget amendments, payment of the bills, utility crossing county roads, departmental reports, District Judges order setting Auditor's Office salary and minutes from meetings on Aug. 8 and Aug. 22.,

reimbursement to Bethel-Cayuga Volunteer Fire Department for the purchase and installation of a pump for Brush Truck #5271 in the amount of $8,622.33, to be paid with American Rescue Plan Act Funds,

the purchase of fire equipment, including L7 lights, nozzles and thermal imaging cameras, for Neches Volunteer Fire Department in the amount of $3,844.60, to be paid with American Rescue Plan Act Funds,

an addendum ot the contract between Anderson County and Tennessee Colony Volunteer Fire Department for a one time allotment in the amount of $50,000 for equipment, supplies and repair of existing equipment, to be paid with American Rescue Plan Act Funds,

a quote from Clear Choice Glass and Mirror in the amount of $350 for work on printer storage containers, to be paid with American Rescue Plan Act Funds,

declaring a 12x26 Supreme portable building, located at the Denson Springs polling location, as surplus, to be sold at auction,

an interlocal agreement with the city of Frankston for government functions and services, including fire protection; streets, roads and drainage; public health and welfare; parks; recreation; planning; engineering; and such other governmental functions which are of mutual concern to the contracting parties and administrative functions: functions normally associated with the routine operation of government, such as tax assessment and collection and equipment repair,

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Precinct 4 Road and Bridge Department to work on driveway of Foster Community Center, due to drainage issues on county right-of-way,

an update on the Anderson County Personnel Policy Handbook,

participation in State Automated Victim Notification Service Maintenance Grant for fiscal year 2023, with the Office of the Attorney General,

a service agreement with Appriss for the State Automated Victim Notification Service Grant for fiscal year 2023,

the 2023 Workers' Compensation Program renewal,

authorization for Sheriff Rudy Flores to allow the purchase of a surplus Sig Sauer P226 duty pistol by Zac Montoya for $345,

a proposal from Overheard Door Company of Tyler to repair the East sally port jail door in the amount of $10,415.

With no other business the meeting adjourned.
If someone told me a decade ago that the woman who would play Marilyn Monroe in a fictionalized biopic of her life would have the best chance of being the one Latina woman nominated at this years Oscars for best actress, I would have asked, where is Ashton Kutcher? Because clearly, Im on Punkd?

But what could have seemed like a fever dream may soon become reality, Ana de Armas has done the impossible with her intoxicating portrayal of the classic starlet in Andrew Dominiks Blonde, and the Academy Awards may fall under her spell.

More from Variety

If she is nominated for best actress, she would be only the fifth Latina ever to be nominated in the category in 95 years. She would follow Brazilian Fernanda Montenegro for Central Station (1998), Mexican Salma Hayek for Frida (2002), Colombian Catalina Sandino Moreno for Maria Full of Grace (2004) and Mexican Yalitza Aparicio for Roma (2018).

As we sit in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, the only other Latina actress remotely on awards voters radar is Zoe Saldana in the motion capture role in Avatar: The Way of Water. But Saldana didnt get any recognition for the first Avatar, so will that change this go-round?

Theres a real possibility, however, that a number of women of color could be the dominant force in the category, such as Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Danielle Deadwyler (Till), Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Taylor Russell (Bones & All) all generating buzz.

After watching Ariana DeBose become only the second Latina ever to win an acting Oscar for West Side Story (2021), after Rita Moreno who played the same role in the 1961 original musical, its disheartening to see an overall regression of Latino representation in the acting races.

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Read: the latest predictions, visit Varietys Oscars Hub.

The potential obstacles and roadblocks for De Armas will rest on the overall reception of the NC-17 drama. It had a seemingly strong start at the Venice Film Festival, where it had its world premiere, kicking off with a strong 86% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, as more regional critics and journalists weigh in on the fictionalized re-telling of the blonde bombshell the score has plummeted into rotten territory. It currently sits at 53% and is dropping fast.

Ana de Armas Variety Cover Story Blonde

For the 34-year-old Cuban actress, who is on the cover of Variety last week, De Armas has consistently shown promise over her short stint in Hollywood. She got her start in independent features and tiny roles such as Eli Roths psychological thriller Knock Knock (2015) and Todd Phillips War Dogs (2016). Her breakout came as the hologram Joi in Denis Villeneuves Blade Runner 2049 (2017), somehow bewitching Ryan Gosling despite the fact that her flesh and blood were only pixilated. She graduated to her first leading role as the nurse Marta in Rian Johnsons murder-mystery Knives Out (2019). Aside from garnering lots of critical acclaim, she also earned her first Golden Globe nomination for best actress (comedy or musical). Since then, she continues to command focus, no matter how big or small her role is  for example, stealing the show from Daniel Craigs 007 as a kick-ass agent in No Time to Die.

And Netflix may throw its full weight behind De Armas, who has emerged as the streamers leading contender for major acting attention. After De Armas, their best chances lie with Adam Driver (White Noise) and Janelle Monae from the Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion. As Academy voters have shown in the past, middling reviews cant hold them back from recognizing the bravery of a performer, especially when portraying a real-life figure. Just ask Andra Day for The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) and Oscar-winner Renee Zellweger for Judy (2019). Neither of those films made many critics best-of lists.

The physical transformation into Marilyn Monroe is undoubtedly one of the films highlights, as the Blonde team is able to recreate iconic images from classics such as The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot. The films makeup and hairstyling should find themselves in the discussion and stand a solid chance at making the category shortlist when its announced in December. Furthermore, composers Nick Cave and Warren Ellis lay down tender chords and poignant notes that could get some love.

Not that Blonde is an easy sell. Its sexually explicit and has a three-hour runtime. The Oscars are changing, but are they ready to get behind a movie that features first-person POV shots of fellatio?

2023 Academy Awards Predictions

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By Krishna N. Das and Devjyot Ghoshal

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is articulating its position against the Ukraine war more robustly to counter criticism that it is soft on Russia, but it still has not held Moscow responsible for the invasion and will not alter its policy on importing cheap Russian oil and coal.

In their first in-person meeting since the Feb. 24 invasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told President Vladimir Putin earlier this month that "today's era is not an era of war" - the clearest position New Delhi has taken on the conflict.

India's foreign minister followed up last week at the U.N. Security Council, describing the trajectory of the Ukraine war as "very concerning" and the risk of a nuclear escalation as of "particular anxiety".

Analysts said New Delhi's shift, even though nuanced, reflected concern about the growing economic costs of the conflict and how it would affect India. Russia's first mobilisation of troops since World War Two marks a major escalation of the conflict that has thrown markets into turmoil and threatens a global recession.

Moreover, India is worried the war is pushing Russia closer to China, which has fraught relations with New Delhi, the analysts said. India also hopes its more robust approach would help it meet criticism by Western allies that it is too close to Moscow.

P.S. Raghavan, chairman of India's National Security Advisory Board and a former ambassador to Russia, said India had always sought an end to hostilities in Ukraine but was now taking a sharper public stand.

"This is countering a narrative that India and China are both doing the same thing  that China is supporting Russia and India, by sitting on the fence, is also supporting Russia," Raghavan told Reuters.

"Our stand is very different. It is not blindly supporting Russia. We have certain cooperation lines going with Russia, which we have to keep going. Defence is the most important thing, but petroleum also. Fertiliser imports have also gone up. The point is, if we get energy cheap, we buy it."

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India and Russia have had deep relations for decades: Russia accounted for $5.51 billion of the $12.4 billion that India spent between 2018 and 2021 on arms imports.

From being a marginal player, Russia has become India's third-biggest oil supplier since the war, with purchases jumping about 10-fold from a year-earlier because of cheap prices. The value of India's coal imports from Russia, meanwhile, has risen four-fold during the same period.

"We have some benefits from dealing with Russia, and we have an economic advantage," Raghavan said. "So let us do that. That is what we are doing and that does not mean that we are good with everything that Russia does."

'SIDE OF PEACE'

Analysts said India's sharper position would not hurt ties with Russia.

"India at this point of time has no intention of totally breaking with Russia," said Nandan Unnikrishnan, a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation think-tank in New Delhi.

"The bridge to Russia is not one that is going to be destroyed very soon, but what will happen is that maybe the traffic on that bridge may get reduced," he added, referring to India's drive to diversify military imports and promote domestic production.

Russia's foreign ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on India's position.

However, after a meeting between Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Saturday in New York, Russia said the ministers emphasised a "firm intention to strengthen bilateral interaction on the entire range of issues of mutual interest".

India's foreign ministry did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment for the story, but Jaishankar told the U.N. General Assembly on Friday that New Delhi was committed to diplomacy and dialogue.

"As the Ukraine conflict continues to rage, we are often asked whose side are we on," he said, again without mentioning Russia. "India is on the side of peace and will remain firmly there."

India's recent statements have been welcomed by the United States without drawing any negative reaction from Russia - a diplomatic balance not always easy to strike for New Delhi that has strategic ties with both countries, analysts said.

"The target audience seems to have taken the message positively - that is, Western governments as well as the public in general, including in India," said Unnikrishnan.

"The so-called ostensible target of the criticism, which is Russia, has also sort of taken it in its stride."

Analysts said the worry for New Delhi is that if Putin is cornered further as the war progresses, Russia could be drawn even more closer to China. India's ties with China have been strained since a deadly border clash in 2020 in the western Himalayas.

"I feel there is a growing realisation in India that Russia is hurting itself to the cost of Indian national security," said Avinash Paliwal, senior lecturer in international relations at SOAS University of London.

"The Sino-Russian relationship has skewed so much in favour of Beijing that ... Russia is unlikely to play ball as far as India's concerns are concerned if there is ever a moment of serious conflict outbreak (between India and China) in the Himalayas."

(Reporting by Krishna N. Das and Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Apache Junction police are looking for a suspect in connection to the murder of his half-brother.

Adam Williams, 19, was identified by Apache Junction police as the suspect in the murder of 30-year-old Andrew Williams, which police announced on Monday in the area of San Marcos Drive and Broadway Avenue.

AJPD has identified Adam Williams as a suspect in the murder of his half-brother, Andrew Williams, 30, near San Marcos/Broadway on Monday. Adam Williams, 19, is considered to be armed and dangerous. He is a 5-foot-8 Hispanic male. Please call 480-982-8260 with any information. pic.twitter.com/xSjhv0mPgg  AJ Police Department (@AJPoliceDept) September 27, 2022

Police said Williams is armed and should be considered dangerous.

Anyone with information is urged to contact 480-982-8260.

Reach breaking news reporter Kye Graves at klgraves@gannett.com or on Twitter @kyegraves

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Apache Junction police searching for murder suspect
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
A man involved in the 2017 deaths of 29-year-old Jose Olascoaga and 27-year-old Marco Antonio Tunai Ortiz was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Rosario Diaz Barraza, 32, was sentenced after he was convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and interstate transportation of stolen automobiles in April, according to the DOJ. Diaz Barraza is required to at least serve 85% of his sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years upon release, according to the DOJ.

According to the DOJ, Diaz Barraza and Ramon Camacho Zepeda, 54, were distributing cocaine and heroin in Lexington and Olascoaga had incurred a debt to them. On Sept. 11, 2017, Olascoaga and Tunai Ortiz were found dead in the trunk of a Volkswagen Jetta at an auto mechanic shop owned by Olascoaga on Blue Sky Parkway in Lexington.

During Diaz Barrazas trial, a pathologist from the Kentucky Medical Examiners Office said Olascoaga died from chop wounds to the head and asphyxiation, according to the DOJ. Tunai Ortiz died from asphyxiation, according to the DOJ.

This was a brutal crime, and yet another example of the disturbing impact that illegal drug trafficking can have on communities, said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Bringing those responsible for this awful crime to justice involved tireless, dedicated, and remarkable work, by both our trial team and our law enforcement partners, across several states.

The conduct in this case more than warrants the sentence imposed and should serve as a warning to those who continue to engage in this dangerous trade. We will continue to use all the resources available to us to combat it.

Diaz Barraza was arrested in New York City a few months after the deadly kidnapping after cell phone records connected him to the crime.

Three other defendants involved in the killing, John Carlos Betancourt, 27, Jean Michael Serrano-Jimenez, 31 and Camacho Zepeda are all awaiting sentencing. Camacho Zepeda and Carlos Betancourt were convicted with Diaz Barraza in April while Serrano-Jimenez previously accepted a guilty plea.

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Jose Felix Tlatenchi, 39, was also charged in the case and pleaded guilty, but he was sentenced to 10 years in prison earlier this month.

Man gets federal prison time for his ties to a Lexington kidnapping that left 2 dead

Lexington police investigating possible double homicide on Blue Sky Parkway

Records: Drugs, affair led to arrests in deaths of men found in trunk of Lexington car

One pleads guilty, others await trial in case of two Lexington men found dead in trunk

Man pleads guilty after being connected to a deadly kidnapping in Lexington
Police fatally shot an Arizona man who they said threw rocks at their cars, but family members questioned why they did not use a nonlethal method, saying the man had a history of mental health issues.

Ali Osman was killed around 6:45 p.m. Saturday in Phoenix. Two patrol units were driving through the intersection of 19th Avenue and Tuckey Lane "when their cars were struck by unknown items causing damage," police said in a news release.

Ali Osman. (Osman family via KPNX)

An officer in one of the patrol units went to investigate and saw a man "throwing rocks towards his patrol car," the release says.

Police said the man was told to stop, but he refused.

"Thats when the officer involved shooting occurred striking the man," police said.

Osman, 34, who was Somali, died at a hospital.

Attorney Quacy Smith said at a news conference Tuesday that he believes police were in the area responding to an unrelated incident when Osman started throwing the rocks. He said Osman had dealt with mental health challenges; he did not elaborate.

"Rocks. Rocks. Not boulders. Not bricks. Rocks," Smith said. "These are rocks no bigger than my 4-year-old son throws over the backyard to the neighbor's house."

Smith said he is a former police officer and could not "fathom a set of circumstances described to us that would warrant this young Black man being shot down by police in the streets of our city for throwing rocks."

Smith said video taken by a bystander showed a person who claimed to have a background in crisis intervention offered to speak with Osman to help de-escalate the situation.

An officer shot Osman as he bent down to pick up another rock, Smith told reporters.

Phoenix police have not identified any of the officers, and a spokesperson said the events that led up to the shooting are still being investigated.

"The City of Phoenix Police Department is committed to our transparency policy," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement Wednesday. "The department will release a Critical Incident Briefing Video within 14 days of the incident to the public that will provide facts of the case. In addition, all body worn cameras will be released."

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Mayor Kate Gallego said she advised the police chief that the shooting should be a priority investigation.

My heart goes out to Mr. Osmans family. Our goal is always that people in our community, and our employees, return home to their families safely, she said in a statement.

Osman's family got emotional during the news conference as they described him as a good person who was always willing to help.

"I cant believe Alis gone," his older sister said, crying. "Alis not coming back. I need justice for Ali. ... My life is done. Ali is like my son."

Osman's father said his son "was a good man" who "took care of everyone."

Smith and the family said they are demanding transparency from police about what happened.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
LONDON (Reuters) -Armenia said three soldiers were killed by shelling from Azerbaijan on Wednesday, Tass agency reported, as the two neighbours accused each other of violating a ceasefire that ended two days of warfare.

Tass cited an Armenian defence ministry statement but did not give details. Last Friday, both sides accused each other of breaching the truce by firing across the border.

After border clashes two weeks ago that killed almost 200 soldiers, the worst bout of fighting since a six-week war between the two ex-Soviet countries in late 2020, the two sides agreed to a ceasefire deal brokered by Russia.

The fighting is linked to decades-old hostilities over control of the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but until 2020 largely controlled by the majority ethnic Armenian population.

Azerbaijan's defence ministry said that at about 6 p.m. (1400 GMT), Armenian units had started firing at Azerbaijani positions in the Kalbajar region, wounding one serviceman, and that Azerbaijani forces had taken "retaliatory measures".

The Armenian defence ministry gave an opposite account, tweeting that Azerbaijani forces had fired towards Armenian positions near the common border using mortars and large-calibre weapons, and that the Armenian side had retaliated.

Armenia said then that Azerbaijan had attacked its territory and seized settlements inside its borders; Azerbaijan said it was responding to "provocations" from the Armenian side.

(Writing by Kevin Liffey and David Ljunggren; Editing by David Evans and Alistair Bell)
Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Auschwitz where he said it's time to "terminate" hatred. While the message is one surely people can get behind, some seemed to be more interested in how he signed the guestbook.

Schwarzenegger, who received the inaugural Award for Fighting Hatred from the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation earlier this year, gave a speech alongside chairman Simon Bergson on Wednesday as a symbol of how generations can change. Both Schwarzenegger and Bergson were born in Austria, the latter born after the war as his parents survived the Auschwitz Nazi death camp.

"I was the son of a man that fought in the Nazi war, he was a soldier," Schwarzenegger shared as he stood next to Bergson. Schwarzenegger has been open that his father, Gustav, was a soldier during the war.

Arnold Schwarzenegger visits Auschwitz. His visit to the memorial site in Poland was his first and came as part of his work with the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, whose mission is to fight hatred through education. (Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"And one generation later, here we are. We're almost the same age. We both are good looking," the former governor of California said, which drew laughs from the spectators. "And we have one thing in common that we both fight prejudice and hatred and discrimination... this is what unites us here today."

Bergson added: "Arnold and I are living proof that within one generation hatred can be shifted entirely. Governor, thank you for joining us here today."

Historians estimate that around 1.1 million people died in Auschwitz in the less than five years the camp existed.

Today I toured @AuschwitzMuseum with @AuschwitzJCF. This is a story that has to stay alive, that we have to tell over and over again. We can all do our part to terminate hate if we are willing do the work and educate ourselves. Never again. pic.twitter.com/FHq2VMhHZP  Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) September 28, 2022

Schwarzenegger toured the site in southern Poland, including barracks and gas chambers where the atrocities committed by Nazi soldiers occurred. He also met with a woman who, at the age of 3, was subjected to experiments by the notorious Nazi doctor Josef Mengele.

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The recipient of @AuschwitzJCF Award for Fighting Hatred @Schwarzenegger visited the @AuschwitzMuseum today to honor all the victims of the camp and deepen his knowledge about history that would help him fight against prejudices nowadays. pic.twitter.com/6tt6Nebela  Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) September 28, 2022

"This is a story that has to stay alive, this is a story that we have to tell over and over again," Schwarzenegger declared as he urged people to pay attention to how hate spreads. This marked the 75-year-old actor's first visit to Auschwitz and he vowed that it won't be his last  although how he phrased that, exactly, offended some people online.

While signing the Auschwitz Museum guestbook, Schwarzenegger referenced his iconic line from Terminator, writing, "I'll be back." The official Twitter account for the museum shared the action star's note, then subsequently followed that tweet up with an explanation for the message.

"This visit was planned to be relatively short. The inscription was meant to be a promise to return for another and more in-depth visit," the tweet read.

This visit was planned to be relatively short. The inscription was meant to be a promise to return for another and more indepth visit.  Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) September 28, 2022

Earlier this year, Schwarzenegger invoked his father's story in a plea to Russia to end its unprovoked Ukraine invasion.

"When my father arrived in Leningrad, he was all pumped up on the lies of his government, and when he left Leningrad, he was broken, physically and mentally," Schwarzenegger said in March. "He lived the rest of his life in pain. Pain from a broken back, pain from the shrapnel that always reminded him of these terrible years. And pain from the guilt that he felt."
STORY: Im not a criminal but being in jail automatically identifies you as criminal. Maybe this time I feel ashamed but later on we will see...

Glenn Madoginog's proud life as a ship captain was shattered this year, when he found himself in a cramped, cockroach-infested prison cell in Indonesia, sleeping alongside convicted murderers and child rapists.

The Filipino father-of-four is one of dozens of captains who were detained by the Indonesian navy after anchoring in the country's waters without a permit while waiting to enter Singapore.

Early of September 16, the chief officer woke me up informing me that there is a navy boat calling us, that they want to check the vessel, vessel's documents, something like that. At around zero eight one to zero eight hundred of the 16th (September), four navy officers came on board they had guns, so we met on the bridge and then they checked the documents and later on they said that you are in Indonesian waters.

The waters just east of Singapore have for decades been used by ships waiting to enter the city-state, but the Indonesian navy has cracked down on vessels it says are anchoring in its territory without paying port fees.

Reuters spoke to a dozen people involved in the captain's cases - from ship owners to insurers to the captains themselves.

They say most of the other captains were freed after just a few weeks, once ship owners had made unofficial payments to naval intermediaries of between $300,000 and $400,000.

Madoginog wasn't so lucky and in March he was found guilty of illegal anchorage and sentenced to two months in jail.

I realised I was in trouble; I was shocked and full of doubt on whats happening. But later on, I think that maybe this something like a 'legal piracy' where you have to pay money because one of the captains that I met in there upon my arrival explained to me that you have to pay as soon as possible so that you can go. Its all money, its all about money.

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The U.S. company, International Seaways, which owns the vessel Madoginog was captain of, said it had pursued all legal avenues to get him released.

In an email to Reuters, it said, "As a matter of policy we do not pay bribes".

The Indonesian navy has said it never requests or receives money to release vessels, and that detentions are handled through the courts or ships are released if there's insufficient evidence to prosecute.

It did not respond to requests for additional comment for this story.

Another captain who was detained, however, accuses the Indonesian navy of a well-organised extortion scheme.

Nothing of this sort in 35 years of sailing have I experienced anything like it.

American David Ledoux was captain of the fibre-optic cable-laying ship Reliance when it was arrested last year.

Ledoux met Madoginog whilst in detention at Indonesia's Batam base and they struck up a friendship, washing clothes and burning trash together in the yard outside their rooms.

Sources told Reuters that some captains had their rooms upgraded by local agents paid by shipowners.

Ledoux says he only managed to dodge prison after the owner of his vessel, SubCom, made an unofficial payment to free him.

Reuters was unable to determine the amount paid to free the ship, or when the payment was made.

SubCom did not respond to requests for comment.

Its disturbing, I can see if it was a, a small group of people who are going off and doing it illegally and the government was trying to prevent it. But knowing that the Navy of a country is going out and hijacking thats what it comes down to, hijacking ships and their crews and charge them ransom is beyond belief, its shocking.

Madoginog was finally able to return to the Philippines in May.

He is not currently working and is receiving treatment for depression following his ordeal.

International Seaways says it is providing him and his family with financial and medical support.

This month, a spokesman for Indonesia's navy told Reuters, that the navy chief was sending an investigation team to Batam.

No further details or a time frame were given..
Oliver Jeffers at his studio

Oliver Jeffers at his studio in the Boerum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, on Jan. 17, 2019. Credit - Caroline TompkinsThe New York Times/Redux

Oliver Jeffers still keeps a workspace in Brooklyn, where he lived for 17 years before returning to his native Belfast to be closer to family during the pandemic. When I meet the author and artist in his studio on a drizzly afternoona few hours before hell recite an original poem at a gala for the UN General Assemblyits awash in paint-splattered amusements. In one corner sits a ghost, a sheet with eyeholes that Jeffers proudly says glows in the dark and really freaks people out. On a ceiling-high chalkboard, written in his signature scrawla cross between a childs handwriting and a ransom notehis list of tasks begins: Glue moon. Sure enough, on a large painted moon, hes been testing out paper cutouts of astronauts from old books. Theres a can of Modelo beer by the sink, old wooden drawers whose labels read Sorry cards and Library cards, and every artistic instrument imaginable.

The scene is everything the mother of a 4-year-old Jeffers devotee could imagine, and then some. Jeffers, 44, best known for the nearly 20 picture books hes both written and illustrated since 2004, and another 10-plus hes illustrated, many of them best sellers and award winners, is a bedtime fixture in my house. In his work, he often balances his playful sensibility with serious topics. Earlier books constructed allegories around grief (The Heart and the Bottle) and friendship (Lost and Found). Recent ones have tackled capitalist greed and environmentalism (The Fate of Fausto) and walls (What Well Build).

His latest, Meanwhile Back on Earth, coming Oct. 4, follows a Jeffers-like dad and his son and daughter through the solar system in a car turned spaceship. They look back on dark moments in historywars, the devastating first encounters of colonization, cavemen fighting to survive. Images depicting tragic chapters are interspersed with those of the trios little green car, bickering siblings in the back seat. A dose of reality, a dash of whimsy.

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Read more: The 10 Best YA and Childrens Books of 2021

In our conversation, I refer to Jeffers as a childrens book author, and he gently responds that he doesnt see himself that wayhe makes picture books. Theyre primarily consumed by kids and parents, but not specifically intended for them. It just so happens that most 5-year-olds share my sense of humor, he says. But whos got much use for boxes these days? When he went to COP26 in Glasgow last fall, none of the options for profession fit; whoever made his name tag chose observer and translator, which felt just right.

In 2017, Jeffers traveled to Nashville to witness a total eclipse of the sun. He recalls standing in that path of totality and youre suddenly looking at a black hole in the sky. He felt the distance of 93 million miles the way you feel the distance to a tree or a house: It buckled the knees from under me.

Meanwhile Back on Earth channels this sense of perspective. Its subtitle is A Cosmic View on Conflict, and it has strong Lennon-esque Imagine theres no countries vibes. It calls to mind Earthrise, the first photo of Earth taken from space, shot by astronaut William Anders during 1968s Apollo 8 mission, which Jeffers suggests was perhaps less about exploring the moon than it was about looking back at the blue marble we live on.

The book was largely inspired by another experience Jeffers had looking at someplace familiar from a distance: his attempts to explain the conflicts of his native Northern Ireland to outsiders, beginning when he first came to the U.S. at age 11 on a summer camp scholarship to New York state. The Americans he met hardly knew the difference between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, let alone why they were fighting. Decades later, shortly after his son was born, he watched news reports of violence in his hometown, flare-ups between Catholic and Protestant factions. Itd be teenagers, 12-, 14-, 16-year-olds. What do they know? Theyve just been told a story, he says. He looked at his newborn and thought about how he might use his particular talents to offer up a new narrative. I dont want to tell you that story, he remembers thinking. I get to change the story.

Storytelling, a deeply ingrained part of Irish culture, came naturally to Jeffers, much like his penchant for art. The two were intertwined as he grew up in a lively household with three brothers, a lot of cousins, and many nurses, doctors, and family members filing in and out to help because his mother had multiple sclerosis. He found that his talent for drawing had a pleasant effect: Being in a big family and often ignored, I did whatever the hell I could to get some attention. He began to specialize in art in secondary school, and as a fledgling artist a friend pointed out to him that his proclivity for creating series of paintings might lend itself to books.

As his bibliography grows longer, its also getting deeper. Sure, some of his books are just for funI still need to entertain myself sometimes, he says. But many of them wrestle with the very survival of humanity, and the many issues we keep failing to adequately face. Hes become increasingly aware of their interconnectedness. In interviews and discussions about the themes of his books, people have asked, Is this book about the climate crisis? and Is this book about equality? His answer: Well, yes. Everything is connected.

Back in Jeffers Brooklyn studio hangs a small replica of a piano that appears to be on fire. Its from a 2019 exhibit of his work inspired in part by a quote from Buckminster Fullers 1969 Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth. To paraphrase, Fuller writes that if youre in a shipwreck, and a piano top comes along, it would make for a passable flotation devicebut that does not mean its an optimal flotation device. The point is: when facing todays global problems, we are clinging to yesterdays solutions, despite our potential to do better.

This is what Jeffers is so galvanized by: if we could just see ourselves with a bit more perspective, see with clarity that the systems weve built arent working anymore, maybe we would be more compelled to try to change them. And he thinks that we can change them. Its this belief hes trying to champion in his work. And thank goodness, because what kind of picture books would result from someone who thinks were doomed?

But if were going to succeed, he says, we need to take a wider point of view, which brings him back to outer space and his latest book. Its this notion of the overview effect that happens when astronauts look at earth, he says, and are far enough to see that this is one giant, single system.

A lot of people, when confronted with the unfathomable vastness of the universe, feel insignificant to the point of apathy, or even nihilism. Jeffers takes a different tack. When people feel nihilistic, they havent finished that thought: if nothing matters, in a strange way, everything matters, he says, the levity and optimism that make him a favorite of parents and kids everywhere shining through. So we should try to solve our problems, yes, but also have a little bit of fun while were at it. The chances of being here at all are so infinitesimal. Why not just enjoy it as much as possible?
MADISON TWP.  The Michigan State Police Monroe Post and the Madison Township Police Department are hosting a pancake breakfast for the community Oct. 7 at the Madison Township Fire Department.

The breakfast will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m Friday, Oct. 7, at the fire hall, 4008 S. Adrian Highway, Adrian.

The Michigan State Police has teamed up with the Faith & Blue organization to host this event for the community, a news release said. Multiple law enforcement agencies from Lenawee County will be attending to converse with members from the county. During this event, citizens can speak with their law enforcement partners and partake in a pancake breakfast.

Faith & Blue was started in 2020 by MovementForward Inc., working with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at the U.S. Department of Justice to reinforce the connections between residents and officers. MovementForward is a civil rights organization based in Atlanta.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Ask an Officer breakfast set for Oct. 7 in Madison Township
Seven-year-old Oscar has been taking part in the pilot project

Two Norfolk hospitals have teamed up with a technology company to trial a phone app that aims to reduce asthma attacks in children and young people.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the James Paget University Hospital are providing patients with an inhaler tracker that connects to the app which then monitors their lungs.

The app then alerts patients when they need to take action to stop an attack.

Dr Bikalpa Neupane said the trial had "huge potential" to prevent admissions.

Dr Bikalpa Neupane said he hoped the project would enable families to "self-manage" asthma better

The consultant paediatrician at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital said the app provided "powerful data which allows us to intervene when needed".

The data is sent to clinicians who can review it remotely and act when necessary.

The two hospitals have worked with Cambridgeshire-based company Aseptika, as well as a consultancy firm and the Eastern Academic Health Science Network on the project.

The trial has been opened to children and young people who have been taken to hospital after an asthma attack in the last 12 months.

The inhaler tracker can show patients how well their lungs are working

Seven-year-old Oscar, from Gressenhall, has been taking part in the pilot project. The app sends a notification when he needs to use his inhaler.

Mother, Jodie, said in the past he could need hospital treatment for asthma up to four times a year.

"On a bad day when he needs admitting he can barely walk or talk," she said.

"It's usually bad over the winter months and he can be in hospital for several days, which means he misses school.

"Because the information is going straight to the hospital, they'll be able to pick up on things sooner which will result in less hospital stays and he will have more time in school."

Dr John Chapman, consultant paediatrician at the James Paget University Hospital, said: "This is a very exciting project which has the potential to change the way that we look after children with asthma.

"Remote monitoring will allow us to identify which of our patients are doing well and which ones need more of our attention.

"This should reduce asthma attacks and visits to our outpatient clinics, allowing these children to get on with their lives."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk
By Jane Lanhee Lee

(Reuters) - Atom Computing, a Berkeley, California-based quantum computer maker, said on Wednesday it would invest $100 million over the next three years in Colorado where it plans to build its next generation of quantum computers.

It is the latest quantum computing startup to build out its base in Boulder, Colorado. The state started to boost its involvement in quantum computing about two years ago, said Colorado's governor, Jared Polis, who attended Wednesday's Atom Computing event in Boulder.

"We want to be the leader of quantum computing as this industry creates hundreds of companies, tens of thousands of jobs, and powers a new technology revolution," Polis told Reuters.

Quantum computers, which use quantum mechanics, will eventually be able to operate millions of times faster than today's advanced supercomputers. The technology is still in its early stages.

The University of Colorado Boulder has been a center for quantum physics-related research, and is home to JILA, formerly known as the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, a joint institute of the university and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Atom Computing uses lasers to control individual atoms and build qubits, the basic unit of quantum information. The company has raised a total of $80 million so far, it said.

(Reporting by Jane Lanhee Lee in Oakland, Calif.; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
WFXT

Wake up temperatures in the 40s will feel even colder in some of these spots. It wont be as windy inland though, and that will allow temperatures to drop even further into the mid 30s. Frost Advisories and Freeze Warnings have been issued for parts of the interior until Monday morning which could kill plants and vegetation sensitive to the cold.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Austria condemned the "illegal sham referenda" held in four occupied regions of Ukraine on joining Russia, said the Austrian Foreign Ministry in a statement on Wednesday.

"The sham referenda lack any legitimacy under international law and will not be recognized by us - just like an annexation of Ukrainian territories will of course not be recognized," it said.

Russian-installed officials in four occupied regions of Ukraine reported huge majorities of votes in favour of joining Russia.

(Writing by Miranda Murray; Editing by Madeline Chambers)
Reuters

Russia's first mobilisation since World War Two, declared by President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 21, has led to widespread discontent among officials and citizens over the way the draft has been handled, including complaints about enlistment officers sending call-up papers to clearly ineligible men. "In 10 days, several thousand of our countrymen received summons and arrived at the military registration and enlistment offices," Mikhail Degtyarev, the governor of the Khabarovsk region in Russia's Far East, said in a video post on the Telegram messaging app. Degtyarev said the removal of the commissar, Yuri Laiko, would not affect the mobilisation plan set by Putin.
By selling US$6.0m worth of Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) stock at an average sell price of US$45.76 over the last year, insiders seemed to have made the most of their holdings. The companys market cap plunged by US$29b after price dropped by 11% last week but insiders were able to limit their loss to an extent.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

Check out our latest analysis for Bank of America

Bank of America Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the insider, Dean Athanasia, sold US$5.0m worth of shares at a price of US$45.77 per share. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. The silver lining is that this sell-down took place above the latest price (US$30.57). So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

Bank of America insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership Of Bank of America

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Bank of America insiders own about US$424m worth of shares (which is 0.2% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

So What Do The Bank of America Insider Transactions Indicate?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Bank of America shares in the last quarter. It's great to see high levels of insider ownership, but looking back over the last year, we don't gain confidence from the Bank of America insiders selling. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Bank of America and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

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Of course Bank of America may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Peacock just released a trailer for its Barney & Friends documentary series, I Love You, You Hate Me  and its brutal.

Barney & Friends, a childrens television phenomenon that aired for 14 seasons, from 1992 to 2010, drew the attention of countless children who turned to the lovable purple dinosaur for such life lessons as forgiveness and sharing.

But now the darker side of the amiable Tyrannosaurus rexs image, including death threats surrounding the show and how the character became a catalyst for hate, is being exposed.

Why does the world love to hate? the trailer asks before firing off examples of the visceral backlash against the costumed character over the years.

Some of the rumors I heard: Barney hides drugs in his tail, says one man in the promo.

Bob West, a performer who starred as Barney, revealed just how serious the rumors became, eventually leading to wildly unsettling death threats against his family.

They were violent and explicit, death and dismemberment of my family, he recalled. They were going to come and find me, and they were going to kill me.

The series was directed by Tommy Avallone of The Bill Murray Stories, who recently told People about the personal connection he has to the long-running TV dinosaur who captured the hearts of millions of children.

Barney came out on television when I was just 10 years old, and I admittedly didnt understand him. As a teenager, for one of my birthdays I asked my aunt to make me a Barney costume, so my friends and I could beat him up on camera, he told People.

He added, Several years later, creating this docuseries, it feels good to be on the other side and no longer a Barney hater. Now having children of my own, I understand all the love that went into making the purple dinosaur.

I Love You, You Hate Me will premiere Oct. 12 on Peacock.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Wenham Public Nurse Mari Beth Ting prepares a patient to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccine clinic, organized by the Greater Cape Ann Community Collaborative, at the Hamilton-Wenham Senior Center in Hamilton, Massachusetts, on Sept. 9.

Pennsylvania reported 18,304 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, from 18,183 the week before of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Pennsylvania ranked 11th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 0.6% from the week before, with 401,433 cases reported. With 3.85% of the country's population, Pennsylvania had 4.56% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 17 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Johns Hopkins University has been getting data on an erratic schedule from Pennsylvania, skewing week-to-week comparisons.

Beaver County reported 233 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 302 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 45,916 cases and 779 deaths.

Allegheny County reported 1,518 cases and 13 deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 2,034 cases and 16 deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 316,879 cases and 3,538 deaths.

Within Pennsylvania, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Crawford County with 261 cases per 100,000 per week; Cambria County with 257; and Bradford County with 255. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Philadelphia County, with 2,591 cases; Allegheny County, with 1,518 cases; and Montgomery County, with 898. Weekly case counts rose in 20 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Philadelphia, Delaware and Montgomery counties.

a

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Across Pennsylvania, cases fell in 46 counties, with the best declines in Allegheny County, with 1,518 cases from 2,034 a week earlier; in Fayette County, with 214 cases from 342; and in Washington County, with 328 cases from 451. a

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In Pennsylvania, 128 a people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 139 people were reported dead.

A total of 3,239,298 people in Pennsylvania have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 47,098 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States, 96,070,980 people have tested positive and 1,056,416 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Pennsylvania's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Sept. 25. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

Last week: 4,236

The week before that: 3,792

Four weeks ago: 4,063

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

Last week: 55,707

The week before that: 55,506

Four weeks ago: 64,244

Hospitals in 13 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 20 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 25 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Beaver County reported 233 additional COVID-19 cases this week
WEDNESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2022, 14:35

A snap check of the combat and mobilisation readiness of a military unit near Minsk, Belarus has begun.

Source: message from the Ministry of Defence of Belarus

Quote: "Today [28 September - ed.] in accordance with the Training Plan of the Belarussian Air Force and Air Defence Forces, a surprise inspection of the combat and mobilisation readiness of military unit 06752 has begun, and it will last for a month."

Details: This military unit is located in the settlement of Machulishchy near Minsk, Belarus.

The Belarussian Ministry of Defence reports that during the inspection "a number of issues will be worked on, the main of which is the enlistment and restoration of skills of conscripts, and the removal of military and special equipment from storage in order to check its combat readiness".

Background:

On 26 September, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, arrived in Russia to meet with its President Vladimir Putin.

In July, Lukashenko revealed that Belarus is helping Russia in its aggression against Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Story at a glance

Personal finance website WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 34 key indicators of disability friendliness to determine the best cities in the U.S. for people with disabilities.

Minneapolis secured the top position partly due to its No. 1 ranking in WalletHubs health care category.

Pittsburgh came in second on the list.

Minneapolis is the best city in the U.S. for people with disabilities, according to a report released less than a week before National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Personal finance website WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 34 key indicators of disability friendliness, including wheelchair-accessible facilities per capita, the rate of workers with disabilities and the quality of public hospital system, to determine the best cities for people with disabilities.

Approximately 61 million Americans live with a disability, with the highest percentage living in the South, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Minneapolis secured the top position partly due to its number one ranking in WalletHubs healthcare category, which includes data points such as the average cost of a doctor visit, hospitals per capita, and the number of occupational therapists per capita.

Pittsburgh, home to the second highest number of family home physicians per capita, held the second spot on WalletHubs list.

St. Louis; Columbia, Md.; and Huntington Beach, Calif., round out the sites top five.

Meanwhile, Lewiston, Maine; Huntington, W.Va.; and Fort Smith, Ark., have the highest share of people with disabilities living in the area, according to the report. Overland Park, Kan., has the lowest percentage of people with disabilities living in poverty.

America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.

Experts told the site people living with disabilities face many unique financial challenges, especially when it comes to finding accessible housing and transportation.

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Accessible housing is a major issue when it comes to living with disabilities, Doron Dorfman, an associate professor of Law at Seton Hall University said. Anything from physically being able to go around the house but also accessibility in less commonly thought ways for other types of disabilities.

Inaccessible public transportation is also a major obstacle. Owning a car is sometimes unattainable to people with disabilities and reliance on public transportation becomes a major issue in these circumstances.

Here are WalletHubs 10 best cities for people with disabilities.

1. Minneapolis

2. Pittsburgh

3. St. Louis

4. Columbia, Md.

5. Huntington Beach, Calif.

6. Scottsdale, Ariz.

7. Overland, Kan.

8. Philadelphia

9. Virginia Beach, Va.

10. Tempe, Ariz.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(Bloomberg) -- Chilean regulatory uncertainties that have held up some investments in the biggest copper-producing nation are dissipating, according to BHP Group, the worlds top mining company.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Earlier this month, Chileans overwhelmingly rejected a proposed new constitution that signaled tougher rules to protect the environment and local communities. Authorities are showing willingness to receive feedback on planned tax hikes, BHP President Minerals Americas Ragnar Udd said Tuesday.

The uncertainties are easing, he said in an interview from the Perumin conference in Arequipa, Peru. Were starting to see a bit more moderated conversations around the constitution in terms of what thats going to look like one way or the other.

BHP, which operates the worlds biggest copper mine in Chile, has dangled $10 billion to develop more resources in the country if those uncertainties are finally resolved. Huge investments are needed to help boost global supply at a time when demand for the wiring metal is set to rise as the world turns away from fossil fuels.

While its up to Chileans to decide whether they want a regulatory environment that remains competitive with other mining nations, people do recognize the importance of a stable economy, Udd said.

The conversations Ive had would suggest that there is a sensation that the reality is that Chile has an important role to play in the world and some of the changes that we see going forward probably wont be as extreme as weve seen in the past, he said.

Chiles push for a bigger share of mining profit to address inequalities are part of the copper markets growing supply-side challenges. Deposits around the world are getting trickier and pricier to find and develop, while theres heightened scrutiny of environmental and social issues. Surging inflation, rising interest rates and global recession fears that have brought down commodity prices in recent months are adding to investment barriers.

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Inflation is washing through mining projects, to the point that I think that will create another obstacle in terms of how people think about investing for the next period of time, Udd said.

Organic growth is challenged in the current environment, he said. We for a second though are not backing off of exploration, nor are we backing off from early-stage entries or innovation. In fact, this sort of environment creates a possibility in terms of what can you unlock with what youve got.

These days, BHP is focusing more on technologies such as leaching that can boost output without incurring huge upfront costs. Its also taking a more proactive stance on early-stage entry, Udd said.

The companys team in Toronto continues to scour for deal opportunities in nickel, although that hunt isnt restricted to early-stage targets. This is not an or conversation, this is an and conversation, he said. If it adds value, we will pursue it.

With regards to BHPs interest in Sydney-listed OZ Minerals Ltd., Udd said a non-binding indicative offer has been made. If Oz would like to talk to us, were very receptive to that.

In the case of its smallest mine in Chile, Cerro Colorado, BHP is exploring alternatives to continue operating beyond 2023, when current permits expire. A solution probably would include the use of seawater, he said. Thats a process and studies were working through at this point.

Udd wouldnt be drawn in to making copper-price predictions in such a volatile market. Like most in the industry, he offered an upbeat outlook for the medium and longer term as decarbonization drives demand for the wiring metal and the industry struggles to keep pace. But with the current slowdown and some new supply coming on stream, near-term prospects are far less favorable, although BHP is still relatively bullish on China.

Its a volatile world and probably will continue to be for at least the next couple of years, he said We just need to adjust to that, recognizing though that theres a longer term goal that we can be working on.

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The White House announced Tuesday that it will allow up to 125,000 refugees into the United States for the 2023 fiscal year, the same lofty goal it set for this year  despite being on track to accept less than a quarter of that number.

According to the latest State Department numbers, the U.S. has accepted fewer than 20,000 refugees, according to the latest count in August  putting it on pace for another record low as the fiscal year ends Oct. 1. The U.S. admitted fewer than 8,000 refugees, the lowest number ever, during the 2021 fiscal year.

Though advocates for refugees praised some recent policy changes from the Biden administration, such as funding for domestic resettlement agencies and reopening refugee sites closed during the Trump administration, they said the Biden administration needs to do more to avoid a similar shortfall at this time next year.

This must be the year that the administration sees its refugee commitments to fruition, Krish OMara Vignarajah, president of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said in a statement. It must ramp up and streamline overseas processing of refugee applications if this lifesaving program is to remain relevant amid an unprecedented global displacement crisis.

Resettlement organizations are particularly frustrated by the administrations slow pace in rebuilding the refugee application program after years of cuts under President Donald Trump and exacerbated by setbacks from the coronavirus pandemic.

Those groups found themselves in a frenzy after the fall of Kabul in Afghanistan and during Russias invasion of Ukraine, testing these organizations limited capabilities to relocate refugees safely and swiftly. The U.S. admitted roughly 180,000 Afghans and Ukrainians who entered through other legal avenues that did not count toward the annual cap.

And though the administration did lend some support to the refugee groups during those two crises, some said that help came a little too late.

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That process should have happened right after the inauguration, said Meredith Owen, director of policy and advocacy at Church World Service, one of the nine national resettlement agencies.

Instead, the organizations found themselves relying on their own limited resources and help from the general public, which they said could have been avoided if the administration made good on its promise when Biden first entered office.

Resettling Afghan and Ukrainian refugees in such a short period of time and with limited resources after years of cuts provided key strategies that could be replicated for the long term, said Melanie Nezer, senior vice president of global public affairs at HIAS.

What the administration has shown is that when theres a will, theres a way, Nezer said.

There are people whove been languishing in the refugee pipeline since the very beginning of the Trump administration who havent been resettled.Meredith Owen, director of policy and advocacy at Church World Service

In order for refugee groups to hit the new cap, more needs to be done to reinvest in the resettlement program to meet the needs of the thousands of refugees who are still waiting, including increasing staff capacity, investing in the resettlement support centers domestically and overseas, and expediting the interview process.

There are people whove been languishing in the refugee pipeline since the very beginning of the Trump administration who havent been resettled, Owen said, pointing to refugees displaced by the Syrian war and the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia.

In September 2021, there were approximately 90,000 refugees in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) pipeline who had completed prescreening but were still awaiting an interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

By September 2022, there were 88,000 refugees in the USRAP pipeline, including 59,000 who were prescreened and 29,000 who were approved by the Department of Homeland Security or were ready for departure, showing a dip in the number of refugees prescreened for U.S. resettlement.

Additionally, with more Haitians and other migrants and refugees continuing to seek safety at the southern border, the U.S. has yet to implement proper protocols to aid those populations. One of those programs was the Cuban-Haitian Entrant Program (CHEP), which was terminated by the Trump administration and has not been restored.

This isnt the first time the Biden administration has faced criticism over its lack of urgency in aiding refugees. Last year, it missed its deadline and delayed the presidential determination that would set the number for how many refugees were allowed into the country. When it finally released those numbers, the White House initially said it would keep Trumps limited refugee ceiling of 15,000 and would continue to ban refugees from several Muslim-majority countries.

Mere hours later, the White House walked back the decision after staunch opposition from refugee groups and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and it announced it would allow 62,500 refugees during the remainder of that 2021 fiscal year.

State and local officials from all 50 states called on the Biden administration to urgently rebuild the refugee resettlement program during the 2023 fiscal year in a letter published earlier this month.

Resettlement offers refugees an important permanent pathway to safety. The recent pivot by the United States towards offering temporary pathways over resettlement, as we observed in the U.S. evacuation of Afghans, for example, is the direct result of an underfunded resettlement process that cannot adequately scale up during emergencies, the letter said.

Despite the challenges, refugee resettlement groups said they are ready to hit the new goal of 125,000.

We know that we are capable of resettling that number, Owen said.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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Rakesh Kumar has been appointed as a primary school teacher

A village in the eastern Indian state of Bihar is celebrating after a resident got a government job - its first in 75 years.

Rakesh Kumar, 30, has been appointed as a primary teacher in a public school.

Residents distributed sweets and smeared coloured powder in joy when they heard the news last week.

Government jobs are highly sought after in India for the security and benefits they offer.

Mr Kumar will teach students in Barkurwa, which is located in the same district as his own village Sohagpur. While there is also a government school in Sohagpur, teachers there are from other parts of the state.

Devendra Chowdhary, a local leader, says that generations of people in Sohagpur have aspired to steady, well-paying jobs - since at least 1947, when India became independent - but have few ways of doing so.

Many students travel to big cities nearby to study, but no one had been able to get a government job - until now.

Mr Chowdhary says that Mr Kumar's success "has finally lifted the dark cloud of misfortune from the village" and that "younger generations will be inspired by his success".

Mr Kumar told the BBC that he feels elated to have made his village proud. But he adds that his journey hasn't been an easy one.

The son of a grocery store owner, Mr Kumar used to cycle 20 miles to attend high school in the neighbouring city of Muzaffarpur. To make ends meet, he would also teach younger students in his spare time.

After his father died in 2016, things became even more difficult, he says.

"But I strived to fulfil my father's dream - he wanted me to become a doctor or a teacher. Now, I have made his dream come true," he adds.

Mr Kumar hopes the job will open new doors for him. He now plans to prepare for state exams to become a civil servant.

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William "Bill" Plante, one of the longest-serving White House broadcast journalists in history, died of respiratory failure on Wednesday, according to his family. The award-winning CBS correspondent was 84 years old and lived in Washington, D.C.

Plante retired from CBS News as senior White House correspondent in 2016 after 52 years with the news division. He served four tours in Vietnam  with award-winning reporting on the fall of Saigon and Cambodia  covered the civil rights movement, all the presidential elections from 1968 to 2016, and was the anchor of the "CBS Sunday Night News" from 1988 to 1995.

"He was brilliant, as a reporter and as a human being," said 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl, who covered the White House with Plante for 10 years. "There wasn't anything Bill didn't excel at in our profession: he was a gifted writer, a first-class deadline maker and a breaker of major stories. He'll be remembered for his reports from the White House lawn, his booming voice that presidents always answered and his kind heart."

Plante was a CBS News White House correspondent for 35 years during the administrations of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama and covered the State Department during the administration of George H.W. Bush. He was known for his baritone voice, which he used to launch questions from afar.

Bill Plante at CBS News on April 24, 1989. / Credit: CBS

During one long stretch when there were few White House press conferences, a frustrated Plante shouted at George W. Bush about his lack of availability.

When the president announced the resignation of his advisor, Karl Rove, in 2007, and began walking away without taking questions, Plante piped up loudly, "If he's so smart, how come you lost Congress?"

"Our asking questions should not be dependent on what the White House thinks the mood or the tone of an event should be," Plante said at the time about the incident. "And the fact that they say 'no questions' or don't allow time for questions really has nothing to do with it. They don't have to answer, but I think we need to preserve and aggressively push our right to ask."

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When he wasn't covering the White House, Plante was usually talking about fine wine. He was known as one of Washington's most knowledgeable wine aficionados whose prodigious collection was thought to be one of the best in the nation's capital. Plante soon became known as the White House press corps' sommelier. He reported on wine occasionally for the "CBS Early Show" and "CBS Sunday Morning."

Plante reported on the Vietnam War on four separate tours in 1964, 1967, 1971-1972 and 1975, earning two awards for his work. He was one of four CBS News correspondents to win an Emmy Award in 1972 for a five-part series broadcast on the "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" in December 1971. He also won an Overseas Press Club Award for "Best Radio Spot News Reporting from Abroad" as part of the CBS News team covering the fall of Vietnam and Cambodia.

Plante joined CBS News in New York as a reporter/assignment editor in June 1964. He covered the civil rights movement, and interviewed Dr. Martin Luther King on his historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in March 1965.

At the 50th anniversary of the march, Obama said Plante "who covered the marches then and who is with us here today, quipped that the growing number of White people lowered the quality of the singing. For those who marched though, those old gospel songs must have never sounded so sweet."

Plante told CBS News in 2015 that the mood at the march was "joyful."

"I think we knew at the time that it was pretty historic, given the reputation of Alabama and civil rights," Plante said.

Plante was named a CBS News correspondent in 1966 and assigned to the Chicago bureau, where he remained for 10 years, covering such stories as the Chicago riots of 1966, campus unrest at Ohio University, the United Auto Workers strike in 1970, and the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa in 1975. His three-part investigation of the U.S.-Soviet wheat deal in 1972 on "The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" won him an Emmy Award.

He also went abroad extensively in that period. He covered the funeral of Egyptian President Gamel Abdel Nasser in 1970  a story for which he and other correspondents earned an Overseas Press Club award for spot radio news. The following year, he covered the short war between India and Pakistan over Bangladesh, for which he won another spot radio award from the Overseas Press Club. He also reported from the conflict in Northern Ireland in 1972.

He began his political reporting in 1968, reporting on the California Primary, the Republican National Convention and the presidential campaigns of Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon.

Plante joined CBS News' Washington bureau in December 1976. He was named senior White House correspondent in 1986 and in 1988, he was tapped to anchor the "CBS Sunday Night News," a role he filled until 1995.

Additional awards include Emmys for his television reports on the 1997 death of Princess Diana, the 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev summit and Reagan's 1984 reelection campaign.

William Madden Plante was born in Chicago on Jan. 14, 1938. He began his broadcasting career in 1956 at Chicago area radio stations where he read news and broadcast classical music while he attended college locally at Loyola University. After graduating in 1959 with a B.S. in humanities, he landed a job as assistant news director at the Milwaukee, Wis., CBS affiliate, WISN-TV. He did news and weather in addition to assigning stories until 1963, when he was picked for a CBS Fellowship at Columbia University in New York, where he chose to study political science for his year-long term.

Plante was predeceased by his first wife, Barbara Barnes Plante, and a son, Patrick. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Robin Smith, the award-winning documentary film producer; three brothers, Richard, Jim and John; sons Michael, Dan, Christopher, Brian and David. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and a great grandchild.

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Philanthropy-MacKenzie-Scott-Gifts (2018 Invision)

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has filed for divorce from her second husband, Dan Jewett. The move came after Mr Jewetts name was reportedly removed from her group of fellow ultra-wealthy individuals pledging to give away half their wealth before they diee.

Ms Scott is the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

According to The New York Times, Ms Scott filed a petition for divorce in the King County Superior Court in Washington State on Monday, according to a copy of the filing

Mr Jewett promised to join in on Ms Scott's pledge when the couple were married, though his name has now reportedly been taken off her pledge.

The Times reports that, in the past, nonprofits receiving grants from the couple have thanked both Ms Scott and Mr Jewett, but more recent recipients have only thanked the former.

Ms Scott, a published author, also removed Mr Jewett's name from her author bio on Amazon.

After her divorce from Mr Bezos and subsequent status as a billionaire, Ms Scott began rapidly donating portions of her vast wealth to charitable causes. In three years she has donated more than $12bn.

According to a Bloomberg analysis, Ms Scott's net worth was estimated around $62bn  closer now to $27.8bn due to the recent decline in the stock market  and she said in a 2019 letter on her Giving Pledge page to "keep at it until the safe is empty."

The Times checked the Giving Pledge website on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, which archives old webpages, and noted that Ms Scott and Mr Jewett were featured together in a photo on the site as recently as a week ago. However, the site now only displays a photo os Ms Scott.

In his pledge that was previously featured on the site, Mr Jewett said he was grateful for the exceptional privilege it will be to partner in giving away assets with the potential to do so much good when shared.

Last month, Ms Scott donated two Beverly Hills mansions valued at a combined $55m to the California Community Foundation. Ms Scott's was the only name featured in a news release announcing the donation.

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Ms Scott also reportedly gave another $15m to the Health Forward Foundation and a $20m grant to the Houston-based Episcopal Health Foundation on Tuesday. Neither of the announcements mentioned Mr Jewett.

Ms Scott and Mr Jewett were married in 2021. Mr Jewett was a teacher at the private Lakeside School in Seattle before his marriage to Ms Scott.

He finished out his term there, but left after saying he felt his presence on campus had become a distraction after reporters showed up to the school to report on his high profile marriage.

The Independent has reached out for comment.
A group of bipartisan senators wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday asking why his department has missed Congresss deadline to update its strategy on tourism infrastructure.

The group, which is led by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and joined by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), asked Buttigieg for a briefing that includes a proposed timeline for the update and an explanation for the Department of Transportations (DOT) delay.

The travel and tourism industry is the cornerstone of many of our states economies, responsible for millions of good-paying jobs across a number of industries, the senators wrote.

It is imperative that DOT promptly update and release the National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan in order to meet the needs of the travel and tourism industry and the requirements that Congress directed in enacted law, they continued.

The strategy comprises an assessment of the nations transportation network and strategies for how to improve it in relation to tourism and long-haul passenger travel. It also includes projections on tourism volumes for the next 20-year period.

The Transportation Department published the strategy on the last full day of former President Trumps administration in January 2021 after missing a 2018 deadline mandated by Congress.

Last years sweeping bipartisan infrastructure law included a provision from the six senators instructing the Biden-era department to update the document to better account for the state of the tourism industry coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Days before the May deadline, Buttigieg testified before a Senate panel that his department was waiting for the federal governments interagency tourism council, which is led by the Commerce Department, to release its new tourism strategy before the DOT releases its plan.

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I can tell you that were working on all of these pieces, Buttigieg said at the time.

That group released its plan in June, and the Transportation Department has yet to provide its updated strategy.

Unfortunately, while it has now been well over 300 days since the [bipartisan infrastructure law] was signed into law, and more than 100 days since the Department of Commerce released its National Travel and Tourism Strategy, we have not yet seen an updated National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan from DOT, the senators wrote.

A Transportation Department spokesperson said officials will follow up with the senators directly.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Fracking was banned in 2019 after a series of earthquakes at Cuadrilla's drilling site near Blackpool

The Bishop of Salford has called on the government to rethink lifting a ban on fracking because he believes it is a threat to local people.

John Arnold, lead on environmental issues for the Roman Catholic church, said it was a "short-term" solution.

His comments follow a letter sent by a Roman Catholic church group to Business Secretary Jacob-Rees-Mogg questioning his policy on oil and gas.

The government said it is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Speaking on BBC Radio Lancashire, Bishop Arnold said the decision by Mr Rees-Mogg to restart "dangerous" fracking was "remarkable" when the process was "clearly a threat to the local population, their property and their wellbeing".

"It seems to me a very short-term look at a solution on energy," he said.

Bishop of Salford, John Arnold, says fracking is a "very short-term" energy solution

Fracking is the process of drilling into the earth and directing a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals at a rock layer to release the gas inside.

A ban on the process, put in place after a series of earthquakes at energy firm Cuadrilla's Preston New Road site, near Blackpool in 2019, was lifted last week.

The government's lifting of the ban came alongside the publication of a review into fracking by the British Geological Survey (BGS).

It had concluded there was still a limited understanding of the impacts of such drilling.

Mr Rees-Mogg told the House of Commons it was "important" to use all available sources of fuel within the UK rather than import them.

But Bishop Arnold said: "We've got to be looking for renewable energy without going for fossil fuels.

"The idea of fracking producing the sort of energy needs we have is nonsense. We've got to be looking to renewables."

He said the catholic church teaching was "very clear" that "we've got to look after our common home".

"We are damaging it in very serious ways at the moment to the point that some of the damage is going to be irreparable," he added.

Stephen Garsed, Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster's Environmental Justice Group lead, said fracking "will not reduce the price of gas and will not solve our gas needs".

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He said the environmental damage fracking would cause in relation to the amount of gas it would produce was "untenable".

Local people were "very concerned and outraged", Mr Garsed said, adding that the industry needed to be "very upfront about the risks and the benefits".

A Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy spokeswoman said lifting the pause on shale gas extraction will allow the government "to gather further data and make sure this is done as safely as possible and where there is local support".

The government remains "fully committed to the legally binding target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050", she added.

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Re, a blockchain-powered reinsurance company, raised $14 million in seed-round funding to build a decentralized system that aims to fill a function similar to the Lloyds of London insurance market, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

Tribe Capital, Defy, Exor, Stratos, Framework, Morgan Creek Digital and SiriusPoint participated in the round, alongside a number of angel investors.

Built on the Avalanche blockchain, Res protocol allows retail investors and cryptocurrency holders a way of backing insurance policies. The reinsurer works with underwriting teams, known as syndicates, to evaluate the financial merits of insurance programs brought to the protocol, it said.

Were building a decentralized global insurance transaction layer that settles any kind of insurance risk in a way thats transparent to regulators, partners and investors, CEO Karn Saroya said in a statement.

Re has assessed more than $300 million in potential premium from insurance programs, it said, and will use the new funding to expand its reinsurance underwriting pipeline. The company is looking for underwriters and actuaries to apply for syndicate roles on the protocol, and has already appointed Joe Gaito and Jason Hoffman of Freedom Re Underwriters as its first independent syndicate.

David Hampson, former CEO of Willis Programs  a unit of global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings  has joined the company as a strategic adviser and independent board member, Re said.

For members who provide capital, they earn uncorrelated yields that are comparable to high yield fixed income, Saroya said.

Read more: Teller Finance Diversifying DeFi With Travel Insurance
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP)  Facing an election this weekend, Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik blasted the West and praised Vladimir Putin over his policies in the Balkans, boasting that he is a rare European politician who can meet with the Russian president anytime he wishes.

Dodiks comments made at a preelection rally late Tuesday in the Bosnian Serb semiautonomous region of Republika Srpska came after he met with Putin in Moscow earlier this month when he endorsed Russia's war in Ukraine. Dodik also met with Putin in June.

Dodik, a Serb member of Bosnias tripartite presidency that also includes a Bosniak and a Croat member, has frequently met with Putin, especially before elections when he wants to show to the highly pro-Russia Bosnian Serb electorate that he has Putins support.

Moscow has often been accused by the West of seeking to destabilize Bosnia and the rest of the Balkans through its allies 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.

During the rally, Dodik reiterated the Bosnian Serb separatist stands, which already once in the past led to a war  in the 1990s when it left 100,000 people dead and millions homeless in what was then the worst carnage in Europe since World War II.

We cannot stay in Bosnia-Herzegovina he said. Bosnia-Herzegovina is not the place for us. Bosnia-Herzegovina is a place that constantly suppresses us to take off in our development, he said, adding that the fate of Bosnian Serb children depends on how quickly Bosnian Serbs leave the joint country.

And I think that these conditions (separation) are being created, Europe is in more and more trouble. America is losing its strength. A new world is being created,  Dodik said. In that world it is important that the Republika Srpska has Milorad Dodik who can call Putin and see him tomorrow."

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Bosnia holds a general election on Sunday in which Dodik is running for the Bosnian Serb president, a separate function from the three-member presidency. His biggest challenge comes from young economist Jelena Trivic, from opposition Party of Democratic Progress, who has pledged to fight against Dodiks alleged corruptive deals that he made in the past.

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 often been accused by the West of exploiting the divisions by tacitly supporting Dodiks separatist policies, and to destabilize Bosnia and the rest of the Balkans through its proxies in Serbia and Bosnia.

We have the best possible relations with Russia, Dodik said.

Enthusiasm for the European Union is lost here. he said. "The EU produces more problems than it brings solutions. I think that the EU has been a big fraud for us in the last 20 years.

___

Dusan Stojanovic contributed to this report from Belgrade, Serbia.
LONDON (Reuters) - British health officials on Wednesday warned that increased circulation of flu and a resurgence in COVID-19 could lead to a difficult winter that increases pressure on the already stretched National Health Service (NHS).

Warnings over a possible "twindemic" of COVID-19 and flu have been issued each winter since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, but COVID restrictions that limited social contact have meant flu levels stayed low.

However, the government ended coronavirus restrictions earlier this year, meaning that social contact rates have returned to near pre-pandemic norms while immunity to flu is relatively low.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that given the risk it was important those eligible took up vaccines against COVID and flu.

"There are strong indications we could be facing the threat of widely circulating flu, lower levels of natural immunity due to less exposure over the last three winters and an increase in COVID-19 circulating," said Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA.

After falling over the summer, there are signs that COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations are starting to tick up, and Hopkins said lots of variants currently circulating could evade the immune response to some extent.

Around 33 million people are eligible for a free flu vaccine this year, and 26 million are eligible for a COVID-19 booster. The elderly and clinically vulnerable are eligible for both, and young children can get flu shots.

If concerns about a so-called twindemic materialise, it will heighten pressure on Britain's already stretched hospitals, which are bidding to catch up with procedures delayed during the pandemic and struggling with a staffing crisis.

On Tuesday, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said he was really worried with how many lives were at risk this winter given the strain on the NHS.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by William James)
(Bloomberg) -- In a bad year for equities, UK domestic stocks have had a particularly tough time, and thats not gone unnoticed by dealmakers.

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British companies represent seven of the top 10 potential targets in an informal Bloomberg survey of 18 event-driven desks, fund managers and analysts, with low valuations, a sinking pound and a favorable regulatory climate making the countrys stocks more attractive to overseas buyers.

Top of the pile is BT Group Plc, whose largest shareholder, billionaire Patrick Drahi, last month received a nod of approval from the UK government over his late-2021 stakebuilding. The telecommunication company was mentioned in six mergers and acquisitions watch lists, while other UK names to feature highly included Entain Plc, Playtech Plc, Burberry Group Plc and Darktrace Plc.

Low valuations are a key attraction. The UK MSCI United Kingdom Index trades at a 16% discount to its Eurozone equivalent based on forward price-to-earnings multiples and a 45% discount to the US, the biggest since 2005.

The mismatch between the perceived underlying value of UK companies and their share prices will continue to make UK companies attractive to private equity and trade buyers, said Ben Kelly, an analyst at Louis Capital Markets. Overseas bidders will also be lured by sterlings slide and the country avoiding a protectionist stance that could harm trade and productivity, he said.

By industry, telecom operators and technology companies placed highly in the poll. Vodafone Group Plc, Telecom Italia SpA and Telenet Group Holding NV all got mentions, as did Temenos AG and SUSE SA.

According to Danni Hewson, an analyst at AJ Bell Plc, UK technology and telecom firms look almost irresistibly cheap right now, with sterlings slide creating a sweet spot for foreign investors to swoop in. The pound continued its descent on Wednesday despite the Bank of England saying it will buy long-dated UK government bonds in whatever quantities are needed to restore order to the market.

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Representatives for the top 10 companies in the survey either declined to comment or didnt respond to requests for comment.

Even though M&A activity generally is dwindling with the era of cheap financing coming to an end, firms in more defensive areas, along with those offering strong growth prospects, are still attracting interest, particularly after this years rise in bond yields led to reduced valuations.

Private equity firms are hunting around, looking to snap up a bargain, said Susannah Streeter, a senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown Plc.

Read more: End of Easy Money Raises the Risk of Deals Dying in Europe

A flurry of deals in the software industry highlights the strong interest in cross-border transactions with Canadian Open Text Corp. acquiring Micro Focus International Plc, Nikon Corp. agreeing to buy SLM Solutions Group AG, and US buyout group Thoma Bravo LLC eyeing up Darktrace before withdrawing.

Read more: Foreign Buyers Hoover Up Britains Fast-Growing Tech Firms

M&A has cut like a scythe through the UK tech sector this year, wrote George OConnor, an analyst at Goodbody.

(Adds analyst comment, BOE announcement in sixth paragraph)

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Hong Kong: Govt follows up on child maltreatment

The Social Welfare Department has found an additional staff member and one more child to be related to the suspected child maltreatment incident at a child care centre in Causeway Bay.

A suspected child maltreatment incident was unearthed by the department during its inspection at the centre on September 16. Upon further investigation, a staff member and six young children were found to be related to the incident.

In the course of reviewing the CCTV footage at the child care centre yesterday, the department's Child Care Centres Advisory Inspectorate found that another staff member might have treated a child inappropriately.

The operator was immediately requested to provide information about the staff member and the child. The child's case social worker was also deployed to the centre to follow up on the child's condition.

Upon liaison with the hospital, arrangement was made for the child to have an examination in the company of the case social worker that same evening. The incident has been handed over to Police for investigation.

This story has been published on: 2022-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Bucks County will cash in on new 5G wireless technology as the county commissioners have approved the installation of mini towers on county government buildings to allow wireless carriers to offer the most up-to-date high-speed service.

The commissioners approved the installations after hearing a presentation by Andrew Corrigan, a senior vice president for AON who represented 5G LLC of Bethesda, Maryland, the company which would broker the installations for the 23 wireless companies who will share the towers.

There are approximately 250 buildings on which the mini-towers could be placed, though not every site will be selected. "5G LLC will market the countys properties to the 23 carriers deploying their 5G infrastructure. If a carrier is interested, 5G LLC will broker the deal for the county, " Corrigan said.

A cell tower provides wireless telecommunications coverage.

Corrigan said the county could be paid $3,000 to $5,000 per month for each installation. The county noted in its agenda that it would receive 75% of the revenue from the leases.

5G stands for the fifth generation of mobile technology, several sites on the Internet noted.

The organization Technical.ly explains the need for 5G to transmit data "as phones, tablets and other devices advanced. Now, if someone tries using data to stream music or a video in a 4G towers coverage area, that person might have trouble connecting if too many other devices are already using data provided through the tower.

"5G fixes some of those issues with small cell nodes. Affixed to streetlights or buildings, these are mini towers that accommodate both wireless and fiberoptic connections to supplement existing cell towers. This dual connection not only allows for much faster network speeds and increased wireless density  a big step in starting to resolve the digital divide underscored by the pandemic  but also provides better connection for regions in a 4G towers coverage area that might have been initially blocked by hills or tall buildings," Technical.ly stated in a website report.

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Corrigan said that the United States currently has about 170,000 cell towers to provide 3G and 4G wireless service for cellphone and other users but it will need 3 million more devices to fully connect the country for 5G technology. The first 800,000 installed will be rooftop models that would stand up to 3 feet high and could be hidden from view. The next phase of the installation process would involve smaller, laptop sized units that could be placed on the ground or up to 10 feet high. They would be used to operate drones that could be used for delivery services, he explained. He said the businesses that host these devices will reap about $150 billion in lease fees.

Corrigan said at the meeting that there are "no health or safety complications at all with these antennas. He later emailed a British Broadcasting Corp. article showing that the radio waves emitted from 5G devices is in the range of cell phones and microwaves. He also submitted a report from the FCC on health and safety with wireless devices.

The report states that several US government agencies and international organizations are monitoring research on the health effects of RF (radio frequency energy) exposure. "According to the FDA and the World Health Organization (WHO), among other organizations, to date, there is no consistent or credible scientific evidence of health problems caused by the exposure to radio frequency energy emitted by cell phones," it notes, but states that people concerned about the issue should try to limit cell phone use and exposure.

Safety was raised as an issue by several people who spoke at meetings in Newtown Township, which is part of a zoning jointure with Wrightstown and Upper Makefield over the installation of the mini-towers in the three municipalities. Newtown Township voted Sept. 14 not to consider a resolution on revisions to the local ordinance that currently addresses wireless towers until the revisions are worked out by all three municipalities. Chester Pogonowski of Wrightstown, who chairs the jointure, said the group has brought in a consulting attorney "to look at the ordinance we have and make it better."

But municipalities must approve placement of the mini-towers, as both the federal Small Cell Order of 2018 and Pennsylvania Act 50 of 2021 require local townships and boroughs to allow the installation of devices for 5G coverage in their communities to support national service.

According to the Pennsylvania Municipal League, Act 50 is considered the gold standard as the most municipal friendly small cell legislation in the country and is a win for local governments in Pennsylvania in allowing them to preserve zoning regulations affecting the small-cell tower installations, to collect fees and to be indemnified from harm caused in the installation, repair or maintenance of these devices in right of ways.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County is ready to reap lease fees for hosting 5G antenna towers
Many people in Burkina Faso have fled to camps such as this one for security

Eleven soldiers have died and 50 civilians are missing in Burkina Faso following a suspected jihadist attack, the government says.

A supply convoy escorted by the army travelling to the northern town of Djibo, was targeted in an ambush on Monday.

The government called it a "barbaric attack", the AFP news agency says.

The region is facing a jihadist crisis which has killed thousands and displaced more than two million.

The military, led by Lt Col Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, took power in a January coup, promising an end to the Islamist insurgency that started in 2015, but violence still rages.

Lt Col Damiba had been at the forefront of the country's fight against Islamist militants and even wrote a book on the subject last year called West African Armies and Terrorism: Uncertain Responses?

It is not the first time a supply convoy has been targeted this month. On 5 September, at least 35 civilians were killed and 37 wounded after another convoy hit an improvised explosive device on a main road also leading to the north of the country.

The authorities say Monday's attack, which no-one has yet claimed responsibility for, caused significant material damage, leaving 28 wounded, including 20 soldiers, 1 Volunteer for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) and 7 civilians.

It took place in the Gaskinde area of Soum province, where jihadist groups with links to al-Qaeda and Islamic State have ramped up attacks, according to the Reuters news agency.

Map

Jihadists have also seized land and blockaded areas nearby to and surrounding the area where the convoy was headed.

Both the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda have decided to focus on the Sahel region of Africa, after suffering setbacks in the Middle East.

The Sahel is a strip of semi-arid land beneath the Sahara Desert that stretches across the continent from east to west. It includes parts of Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.

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French troops have been trying to help the region's armies tackle militants since 2013.

In August French troops withdrew from Mali after a diplomatic fall-out with the country's military rulers, however, they remain in other Sahel countries.

There was concern from other African nations that France's Mali withdrawal could exacerbate the jihadist insurgence in the area.

"We will be obliged to increase our defence forces and increase the protection of our borders," Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara said, warning it would create a political vacuum.

Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo has urged the UN to keep its peacekeeping force in Mali despite the French departure.
Reuters

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian troops recaptured villages along the west bank of the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine on Monday in a major new breakthrough, opening a second big front that is forcing Moscow to abandon ground just days after claiming to annex it. The advance in Kherson province was Ukraine's biggest in the south of the country since the war began, and follows similar breakthroughs in the east that have turned the tide of the war in recent weeks. The Russian-installed head of the administration in occupied parts of Ukraine's Kherson province confirmed that Ukrainian troops had captured a number of settlements along the river, pushing as far as the vicinity of the village of Dudchany.
Students take Smarter Balanced practice tests at Bayshore Elementary School in Daly City.

Changing its earlier position, the California Department of Education will release Smarter Balanced test scores next month and not wait to incorporate them into other data as planned, a department official said Tuesday.

There is no reason to withhold the data, Malika Vella, deputy superintendent of the initiatives branch of the department, said Tuesday morning on KPCC Public Radios show Air Talk in Los Angeles.

The department had told EdSource earlier this month in response to a public records request that the data was not complete and would be held until later in the year, when it would be released as part of a dashboard that would include other holistic student indicators, such as absentee rates.

The data is expected to show pandemic-related declines in student achievement.

More:

Vellas public announcement means the data will be released prior to voters going to the polls on Nov. 8. They will be choosing between incumbent Tony Thurmond and challenger Lance Christensen in the nonpartisan race for state superintendent of public instruction, as well as hundreds of local school board races across the state.

In a letter to school superintendents dated Friday, department officials wrote that they still hoped to release the test scores with other information.

To the extent possible, our intent remains to also release finalized California School Dashboard data to allow for a more holistic review as soon as possible, the letter states.

Vellas announcement came after EdSource pushed back by reporting on the departments delay in a letter from its attorney, who challenged its reasoning.

 The CDE cannot identify any public interest in non-disclosure that could justify its denial position, let alone an interest that clearly outweighs the substantial public interest in access to this information, the attorney, Duffy Carolan, wrote.

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Since California first released Smarter Balanced scores in 2015, the Education Department has consistently released them separately and sooner than the other dashboard data. Dates ranged from the last week in August through the first week in October. The exception was the 2020-21 school year, when results were released in January 2022 with dashboard indicators.

Because of the pandemic, districts had a choice of giving local assessments or the Smarter Balanced tests; districts with enrollments totaling fewer than a quarter of the states students chose that option and the resulting data was limited in both scope and use, the department said in a news release at the time. No test was given in 2019-20 because of the pandemic.

EdSource has annually analyzed the data, so the public can look up a schools scores and how it compares to other schools. The last full year of results is for the 2018-19 school year.

Also appearing on AirTalk on Tuesday morning, Pedro Noguera, dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, spoke of the crucial need for the data to be released to parents and caregivers as soon as possible, especially considering the pandemics effect on students.

The timing on this is critical, Noguera told the shows host, Larry Mantle. Districts have money they probably wont have a year from now that can be used to help students overcome what they may have missed because of the pandemic, he said.

He added that delaying the public release of the test results does not cast California in a favorable light, especially when other states are releasing data.

For California to be an outlier doesnt bode well for the states leaders, he said.

EdSource investigative reporter Thomas Peele was also a panelist on the show. He described EdSources efforts to obtain the data from CDE, which is considered critically important for the public to know.

Thomas Peele is an investigative reporter at EdSource.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: California reverses course, will release Smarter Balanced test scores
(Reuters) -Canada will impose new sanctions over Russia's "sham" referendums in four occupied regions of Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

Trudeau said Canada would never recognise the results of the referendums or Russia's attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories.

"We intend to impose new sanctions against persons and entities that are complicit in this latest attempt to undermine the principles of state sovereignty, and that share responsibility for the ongoing senseless bloodshed across Ukraine," Trudeau said in a statement.

Russian-installed officials in four occupied regions of Ukraine reported huge majorities on Tuesday in favour of becoming part of Russia after five days of voting.

Trudeau said Canada was engaging with international partners and allies for a united rejection of the "illegitimate votes".

(Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Robert Birsel)
By Allison Lampert

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canada will oppose Russia's re-election to the U.N.'s aviation agency, Omar Alghabra, Canada's transport minister, told Reuters on Tuesday on the sidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) assembly.

"It's important that Russia is held accountable for its actions, and we will not be supporting Russia's nomination to the council," Alghabra said.

A vote to elect countries to ICAO's 36-member governing council is to be held on Saturday.

Asked if he expects other countries to follow suit, Alghabra said, "We are having discussions with other countries about our collective approach, because we need an international collective response." International rule violations cannot go "unaccounted" for, he added.

Russia closed its airspace to airlines from 36 countries, including all 27 members of the European Union, in response to Ukraine-related sanctions targeting its aviation sector following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"We are talking to our allies and like-minded countries about what we can do to collectively respond," Alghabra said.

The Russian federation at ICAO was not immediately available for comment.

The 193-nation ICAO assembly, held every three years, is the first since the COVID-19 pandemic put pressure on policymakers to speed up reforms.

A representative of the Russian Federation asked the assembly to condemn public statements and actions by a group of countries, "including the introduction of bans on the use of sovereign airspace."

The European Union's transport commissioner, Adina Valean, suggested Russia should not continue to serve on ICAO's 36-member council. The West says Russia has illegally confiscated hundreds of foreign jets, a charge Moscow denies.

"We cannot accept that a member, breaching so clearly the Chicago Convention, sits in the very council that should act as its guardian," Valean said in reference to the 1944 treaty that created ICAO and set rules for international aviation.

"This is not about politics. It is about the fundamentals of this organization," she told the assembly.

(Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Writing by Denny Thomas; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Utilities fear costly missteps in navigating the energy transition, according to one policy expert.

Canadian utilities are not doing enough to prepare for soaring electricity demand, warns one policy expert who sees a "massive disconnect" between spending plans and forecasts for energy use.

"It's a big, big problem," Bruce Lourie, president of the net-zero-focused Ivey Foundation, told Yahoo Finance Canada on Tuesday. "Public utilities are afraid to own the risk of making wrong decisions."

Canada's federal government has committed to achieving a net-zero grid by 2035. Speaking at an event in Toronto hosted by the Canadian subsidiary of French cable and optical fibre-maker Nexans, Lourie says utilities also face the challenge of rapidly expanding the grid while replacing aging power generation infrastructure. His comments follow multiple reports calling for both rising electricity demand in Canada, and the need for more generation capacity.

According to the Canadian Climate Institute, electricity demand will be 1.6 to 2.1 times larger in 2050 compared to today. Researchers say that means installed capacity may need to more than triple from today's level. Last week, RBC called for electricity consumption to surge by 50 per cent in the next decade, risking power shortages in Ontario as early as 2026.

"Utilities are actually not doing a great job of forecasting the increase in building electrification, and the increase in vehicle electrification," Lourie said in an interview. "There is a massive disconnect right now."

A spokesperson for the Ontario Energy Board, regulator of electrical and natural gas utilities in Canada's most populous province, declined to comment on Lourie's assessment. Alectra, a municipally-owned electric utility serving about a million homes in Ontario, did not provide a comment in time for publication.

"After a decade of investment, we're still not spending enough on clean electricity, which needs $200 billion in investment by 2035 to meet current green grid goals, and more thereafter to accommodate rapid growth in electricity demand," RBC economist Colin Guldimann said in new research released on Wednesday.

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Brady Yauch is markets and regulatory manager at the Ontario-based electricity price forecasting firm Power Advisory. He agrees there is a disconnect between utility spending plans and where demand is headed.

"Demand growth is expected to be much higher than what has occurred in the past decade. Electrification is likely to require significant investment from utilities, both in terms of wires and generation," he said in an email. "Utilities are starting to grasp it, but have not fully included it in their spending plans, and will likely face a pushback when they do."

With the exception of those in Quebec, Lourie says public utilities rarely think beyond the immediate needs of customers in their region. He adds that many are wary of major spending, and are sensitive to the risk of making costly missteps in navigating the energy transition, especially as more essential services like heat rely on electricity.

"If we get to the point where a majority of residences are also heated with electricity, and there is a power failure, that could be catastrophic," Lourie said. "I think there is a reluctance on the political side of the electricity industry, because they're afraid to own that risk."

Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
Ferrara Candy Co. has been cited for alleged safety violations at its Bellwood, Illinois, candy factory, two years after being placed in a severe violator enforcement program over safety issues, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday.

OSHA said Ferrara exposed workers to amputation hazards at the facility because it did not utilize energy control procedures before workers cleared jams and serviced equipment.

OSHA inspectors found the alleged violations after an April complaint of unsafe working conditions. The agency has proposed the company pay penalties of more than $200,000.

Ferrara Candy Co. knows its workers can suffer debilitating injuries, such as amputations, when machines are not properly de-energized before servicing or maintaining them, said Angeline Loftus, OSHA director for the Chicago North Area, in a statement. Yet, company personnel continue to expose employees needlessly to these hazards.

The company was also cited for not providing an eyewash station and for allowing workers to operate powered industrial vehicles in states of disrepair.

Ferrara has 15 business days to comply with the penalties, contest them or request an informal conference with the OSHA area director.

Its not the first time Ferrara was fined for similar alleged violations at the Bellwood facility. In 2020, one worker suffered a fingertip amputation after coming in contact with an unguarded rotary valve and another was hospitalized after being caught in a machine, according to OSHA.

Ferrara paid fines of nearly $330,00 after those incidents and was placed in a severe violator enforcement program. Ferrara is no longer in the severe violators program and was not at the time of the investigation, according to Scott Allen, the U.S. Department of Labors regional director of public affairs.

And in March, the company was cited for an alleged safety violation at a facility on 110th Street in Chicago. The company reached an informal settlement in that case and agreed to pay penalties of about $14,500. The case remains open.

A Ferrara spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday morning.
Celina Police arrested a 40-year old man Tuesday on multiple sex offenses involving minors, according to a post on the Celina Police Departments Facebook page.

>>Brooke Skylar Richardsons motion to seal hearing ends without judges decision

Police arrested Shane Chilcoat at the 800 block of Pro Dr. Tuesday afternoon.

Detectives from the Celina Police Department investigated allegations from three separate underage victims and the case has been turned over to the Mercer County Prosecutors Office, according to Police Chief Tom Wale.

The case has been presented to a Mercer County Jury and several indictments were handed down.

Chilcoat is being held in the Mercer County Jail on the following charges:

3 counts of Rape  victim under 13 years of age. Felony of the First Degree

2 counts of Rape  with threat of Force  Felony of the First Degree

3 counts of Sexual Battery  Felony of the Second Degree

2 counts of Sexual Battery = Felony of the Third Degree

3 counts of Gross Sexual Imposition  Felony of the Third Degree

2 counts of Gross Sexual Imposition  Felony of the Fourth Degree

1 count of Pandering Obscenity Involving a Minor  Felony of the Fourth Degree

1 count of Attempted Rape  Felony of the Second Degree

1 count of Attempted Sexual Battery  Felony of the Fourth Degree

1 count of Attempted Gross Sexual Imposition  Felony of the Fifth Degree

Chilcoat is awaiting a court hearing and for bond to be set.

The case remains under investigation.
An area school district will hold a free presentation on how it plans to approach active threats.

Officer John Davis with the Centerville Police Department will host the presentation on Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Centerville High School Central Theater.

Superintendent John Wesney said the presentation will focus on preparing students and staff to think about their best course of action if an intruder comes into the school.

The presentation will focus on the FBIs Run. Hide. Fight active shooter protocol.

>>Active shooter reports at area high schools deemed hoax; FBI investigating

What you do matters, Davis said. Your response can have a profound effect on the outcome of an active killer incident.

Along with the event, Centerville will collect items to refill and complete classroom emergency kits throughout the district.

The district said in a release that they already have a number of security procedures in place including safety drills, school resource officers, surveillance equipment and a 24 hour anonymous tip line for safety concerns.

The meeting comes less than a week after false active shooter reports were called in across the state, causing multiple schools to be put on lockdown.

More information about the presentation and the districts safety plan can be found here.
Associated Press

Residents in central Florida donned fishing waders, boots and bug spray and canoed or kayaked to their homes on streets where floodwaters continued rising Sunday despite it being four days since Hurricane Ian tore through the state. Ben Bertat found 4 inches (10 centimeters) of water in his house by Lake Harney off North Jungle Street in a rural part of Seminole County, north of Orlando, after kayaking to it Sunday morning. Only a day earlier, there had been no water.
Dozens of national leaders, including Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Hoskin, Jr., gathered in Washington Wednesday to discuss hunger, nutrition, and health.

The event, hosted by President Joe Biden, was the first conference to discuss such issues in more than 50 years. The conference brought together politicians, professors, tribal leaders, and activists to talk about ways to end hunger and diet-released diseases in the United States by 2030.

The Cherokee Nation supports the Biden Administrations efforts to address food insecurity and is proud to partner with the USDA on tribal specific programs for our citizens, said Chief Hoskin. Through USDAs Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations  or FDPIR  Cherokee Nation currently serves more than 10,200 individuals and 5,000 households each month. Participating in todays conference allows me the opportunity to advocate for permanent authorization of this USDA program and additional funding to Indian Country, which would allow our tribes to significantly reduce the rates of food insecurity on tribal reservations.

The Cherokee Nations COVID-19 Respond, Recover, and Rebuild plan included a commitment of $80 million dollars to address poverty barriers within the nation.

You can learn more about the White House program here..
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.
Viktoriia Andrieieva  WEDNESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2022

Maria Lvova-Belova, the Children's Ombudsman of Russia, claimed that 30 children from Mariupol who were deported to the Moscow region during the full-scale invasion have allegedly changed their anti-Russian views.

Lvova-Belova stated this at a briefing in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.

According to the official, the negative attitude of these children towards the Russian Federation "has turned into love for Russia."

The Ombudsman referred to Ukrainian families as foster families, noting that the children were abandoned by their parents, and she "reported" on the heroic rescue of minors from basements in Mariupol.

She noted that all Ukrainian children were temporarily sent to families in the Moscow region. At first, according to Lvova-Belova, they spoke ill of the Russian President and sang the national anthem of Ukraine. By the way, Maria Lvova-Belova also took in a child for "re-education".

The propagandist said that she is seeing the "integration" of children from Mariupol. She claimed that the children were offered a brief opportunity to return home, and all allegedly refused.

The official also said that she considers "incomprehensible" the grounds on which the Ukrainian authorities demand the return of these children.

Earlier, propagandists made a video about the "rescue" of children from Mariupol and the Donetsk region, who were taken to the Moscow region. It was published by the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol on 20 September.

The official has reported a significant increase in the number of deported children and their "resettlement" with foster families.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
BEIJING (AP)  A former top graft buster at Chinas ministry for intelligence and counterintelligence has been indicted on bribery charges, just weeks before a major congress of the ruling Communist Party whose leader Xi Jinping has made fighting corruption a signature issue.

Wednesday's indictment of Liu Yanping, who headed the State Security Ministrys branch of the partys Central Commission for Discipline Inspection was a further reminder of Xis vow to attack corruption amongst both the flies and tigers.

On Friday, former deputy police minister Sun Lijun was given a death sentence with a two-year reprieve on charges of manipulating the stock market, taking bribes and other offenses. The case involved at least two former Cabinet officials.

State media said Liu had accepted huge amounts of property from others in return for favors. Those often include derailing investigations or offering promotions for cash.

He was expelled from the party earlier this month in a sign he would be indicted, tried and almost certainly handed a lengthy prison term.

In that initial investigation, it was found that Liu had lost his ideals and convictions," was downright corrupt politically." He traded political power for interests and distorted his power into a tool to seek political capital, personal benefits, and wealth," the reports said.

Liu was found to have engaged in superstitious activities" and accepted invitations to golf games, banquets, tours, and medical services from private business people that may compromise his impartiality in the performance of official duties," the reports said.

In Sun's case, a former justice minister and a former ruling party official who were accused of colluding with him received similar penalties. Sun was convicted of collecting 646 million yuan ($91 million) in bribes and charged with using his official position in 2018 to manipulate stock trading to help a trader avoid losses. He also was accused of selling official jobs and abandoning his post during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Earlier, Sun was named in a lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department against Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn seeking to compel Wynn to register as a foreign agent. The department cited lobbying work it says Wynn performed for the Chinese government.

The lawsuit says senior officials including Sun wanted Wynns help in trying to have a Chinese citizens visa application denied, according to the complaint. Beijing wanted the man, who was charged with corruption and sought political asylum, returned to China.

Xi launched his anti-graft campaign shortly after taking over as party leader in late 2012. It has at times been seen as a tool to remove political rivals and intimidate the vast bureaucracy into doing his bidding. It also has sometimes sparked a public backlash, as in the case of the rigid enforcement of zero-COVID restrictions that have hobbled the economy and upended the lives of millions.

At next months party congress, Xi is expected to try to break with tradition and award himself a third five-year term as leader.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's consistent position is to maintain stability in the Korean peninsula, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after South Korean media reported that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test in coming months.

The relevant parties should take concrete actions to respond to the legitimate concerns of the DPRK, said Wang Wenbin, spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry at a regular media briefing, referring to North Korea's formal name - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

North Korea's first nuclear test since 2017, if it takes place, is likely to happen between Oct. 16 and Nov. 7, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, citing lawmakers briefed by the national intelligence agency.

(Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
By Sophie Yu and Casey Hall

BEIJING (Reuters) - Travel during China's Golden Week holiday, which begins on Saturday, is set to hit its lowest in years, analysts say, as COVID-19 concerns spur calls for people to avoid travel and keep to their cities, while economic woes damp spending.

One of the longest stretches of public holidays, which celebrates the founding of modern China in 1949, the period is a bellwether for consumer demand in the world's second largest economy, when travel and spending traditionally peak.

While global travel has started to open up as many countries opt to live with COVID-19, China's tourism sector has crumpled under authorities' decision to double down on their zero-COVID approach with drastic curbs, such as citywide lockdowns.

"It is not realistic to hold high hopes for tourism this year," said Liu Simin, an official of the tourism arm of the China Society for Futures Studies, a research institute based in Beijing.

If trips this holiday reached half the levels of 2019 and spending over the period reached 30% to 40% of holiday spending before the pandemic, that would amount to a "pretty good" result, he added.

Liu's projection of a halving in the number of trips would make for the worst figure in a decade, according to Reuters calculations based on government data.

In the past two years, China's Golden Week travel and spending have fallen short of the levels of 2019, which racked up 782 million trips and tourism revenue of 650 billion yuan ($90 billion).

URGED TO STAY PUT

Health officials urged people this month to stay put for Golden Week and adopted new rules requiring negative COVID test results less than 48 hours old for travellers planning to take trains and planes, or cross provincial borders by bus.

And a slowing economy, battered by high youth unemployment and a faltering property market, is driving many to tighten their wallets.

About 7.8 million passenger trips are likely be made by air over the holiday, down 16% from last year, while daily passenger flights will fall at least a fifth, flight data services company VariFlight estimates.

Story continues

And the transport ministry has forecast a fall of 30% in the number of road travellers.

"I don't want to give an estimate, it's going to be too gloomy," said a travel analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In the southern resort city of Sanya, a long-time magnet for domestic holidaymakers with its white sand beaches and duty-free malls, the pessimism is building.

While curbs have largely been lifted after a lengthy COVID lockdown this summer in some parts of the city on the island province of Hainan, stories of desperate tourists unable to leave have made a deep impression.

Sanya "is not back", said Shirley, the manager of a luxury store in the city, where travel industry workers despair of the return of Golden Week tourists.

"Each hotel only has occupancy in the single digits."

($1=7.2287 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Sophie Yu and Casey Hall; Editing by Brenda Goh and Clarence Fernandez)
(Bloomberg) -- Hillhouse, the private equity firm known for its bets on Tencent Holdings Ltd. and JD.com Inc., is now looking to back startups far earlier in their life cycles.

The China-focused firm has set up a dedicated team with a mandate to seed 100 startups in three years, focusing on areas like new energy and biotechnology that have gained favor since Beijing cracked down on gaming and the consumer internet. Led by founding partner Li Liang, it will specialize in deals of $2 million to $3 million, far smaller than the investments the firm is generally known for.

Hillhouse began expanding the scope of its early-stage investments around the time it established VC brand GL Ventures two years ago. Beijing has since accelerated a nationwide campaign to develop cutting-edge technologies in areas from manufacturing to clean energy, part of a broader race for economic primacy with the US.

Todays early-stage investment has transitioned from discovering value to discovering and creating value, Zhang Lei, founder of the company, said in a statement. Investment institutions need to truly go to the frontline of technological and industrial innovation.

Founded by the Yale alumnus and billionaire about two decades ago, Hillhouse is one of the biggest backers of the Chinese internet today. Its private equity and VC arm has been a champion of fast-growing companies, often backing them from their early stages and holding large stakes for years in the same fashion as Chase Colemans Tiger Global Management and Philippe Laffonts Coatue Management.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
By Syed Raza Hassan

KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - An armed attacker posing as a dental patient killed a Chinese-Pakistani dual national and injured two others at a clinic in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday, police said.

The dental clinic was run by one of the victims, Senior Superintendent of Police Asad Raza said in a statement.

The victims, identified by police as Dr Richard Hu, Mrs Margrate Hu and Ronald, were all Chinese-Pakistani dual nationals, Raza said terming the incident a targeted attack by a man in his early thirties.

"The assailant didnt hurt Pakistanis," the statement said, adding that the victims had run the clinic in the area for a long period and did not face any apparent threats.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Chinese nationals have been targeted by Baloch separatist militants in recent years, and their attacks have picked up pace recently - most notably an attack on Chinese teachers in Karachi University earlier this year.

The separatists have warned the government of China that its nationals would be targeted if they did not withdraw commercial activities in the southwestern province of Balochistan, which the militants want to secede from Pakistan.

(Additional reporting by Islamabad bureau; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
Two Christian parents in the United Kingdom have prompted the government to revise its gender-related guidance for children after they took legal action when a school labeled their 6-year-old son as potentially "transphobic."

Nigel and Sally Rowe explained to Fox News Digital how they first raised concerns with their son's Isle of Wight primary school after he came home "confused" by the school's transgender-affirming policies toward his male classmates who identified as girls.

"For a child, it's very confusing because they'll go to school, and he'll be taught one thing," Nigel said. "And then he'll think, 'That's not what my mommy and daddy were saying when I get home, and mommy and daddy are saying this.'"

Jonathan Butcher, who is the Will Skillman Fellow in Education at The Heritage Foundation, sees parallels in the battle the Rowes fought in U.K. and the one many parents are fighting over gender ideology in U.S. schools.

"This case helped raise awareness about the political indoctrination  and worse, harmful and irreversible health outcomes  that come from affirming so-called 'gender' transitions among minor children," Butcher told Fox News Digital. "Remarkably, the U.K. Department of Education has said the agency will reform official guidance on these issues, something that is desperately needed in the U.S. now, as well."

Nigel said of his case, "To cut a long story short, in the school, when our boys were six years of age, in the classroom one of their friends decided to transition from being a boy to a girl. It was just announced to the kids. And therefore, when we heard, we objected to that."

UK SCHOOL CHAPLAIN SUES AFTER BEING FIRED, REPORTED AS TERRORIST FOR SERMON QUESTIONING LGBTQ ACTIVISTS

Sally said there "was no consultation" on the topic with parents and that one of the students simply announced "in circle time" that he was a girl, which the unidentified Church of England primary school supported without question. They said their older son experienced a similar situation at the same school.

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The Rowes, who have since taken to homeschooling their children, met with their son's teachers at the time about the issue and sent a letter to the school laying out their concerns about its gender policies. They reportedly were met with a "cold" response.

Instead of listening to their concerns, they said the school sent them a letter that accused both them and their young son of potential "transphobic behavior."

Yaverland Beach on the Isle of Wight with Culver Down Cliff jutting out to sea. Chris Harris/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

"In the letter, one of the paragraphs stated that we would be deemed transphobic if we did not adhere to that belief; if we did not recognize a child can change his gender," Nigel recounted. "But then my son, at the age of six, would also be deemed to be transphobic if he didn't use the correct pronouns or recognize the other child to be a little boy or little girl."

RACHEL LEVINE'S CLAIM ALL AGREE ON GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE IS SLAMMED BY DOCTORS IN HIDING

After seeking legal counsel regarding whether the school's behavior was legal, the London-based Christian Legal Centre (CLC) told them it was not.

"So, therefore, the rest is history," said Nigel. "We decided to challenge this."

In 2017, the Rowes appealed to the U.K.'s secretary of state for education to intervene in their case. After the Department of Education declined to step in, they petitioned for a judicial review from the U.K.'s High Court, claiming ministers had failed to adequately challenge the state's gender guidance.

VIRGINIA GOV. YOUNGKIN DEFENDS TRANSGENDER POLICIES AFTER STUDENT PROTESTS: PARENTS WILL NOT BE EXCLUDED

The policies at the school the Rowe boys attended were adopted based on the Cornwall Schools Transgender Guidelines, which were originally published in 2015. In addition to suggesting how best to implement gender-neutral toilets, the guidelines also encourage acceptance of cross-dressing and gender transition among children.

Nigel and Sally Rowe petitioned for a judicial review from the U.K.'s High Court, claiming ministers had failed to challenge the government's gender guidance. Craig Hastings via Getty Images

The guidance has been held up as best practice by other schools and local authorities, but since the Rowes won their case, the U.K. Department of Education will be reevaluating the guidance for transgender-identifying students.

MASKED ANTIFA PROTESTERS SHOW UP BRANDISHING WEAPONS AT TEXAS DRAG BRUNCH WITH KIDS

The government agreed to settle the case last week after the Rowes won permission for a full judicial review hearing before the High Court in February. They intended to present international expert evidence exposing how transgender-affirming policies have led to "catastrophic outcomes" for children struggling with gender dysphoria.

They were awarded 22,000 in legal costs, which they are donating to CLC, and the government also committed to reform.

"Guidance for schools on transgender issues is being developed by the Department in conjunction with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, with a view to undertaking a public consultation on draft guidance in Autumn 2022, to which the Claimants will have the opportunity to respond," read the high court order, according to CLC.

TUCKER CARLSON: HOSPITALS ARE MUTILATING CHILDREN, AND ONE DAY WE'LL LOOK BACK IN SHAME, HORROR

Sally said they have received calls from concerned parents "up and down the country" with similar concerns about the guidance, which she notes is not a law, but often treated as such by some teachers.

As Christians, the Rowes see the battle raging over gender ideology as a fundamentally spiritual one. Given their son's primary school was affiliated with the Church of England, they said they also went to the leaders of their local diocese about their ordeal. "They weren't supportive at all," Sally remembered.

CHRISTIANS SLAM NEWSOM FOR DISGUSTING PRO-ABORTION BILLBOARDS QUOTING JESUS: SATANIC

"They didn't have any form of foundation to their belief," Nigel said of those they spoke to from the diocese. "They thought it was weak. They said, Well, what is truth? And I said, well, as Christians, we believe truth to be biblical values, Judeo-Christian values."

Bishop of Derby Right Rev. Libby Lane, second right, sings at a service of celebration to mark the 25th anniversary of the ordination of women in the Church of England, at Lambeth Palace, London. Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images

The Church of England has released its own guidance entitled "Valuing All God's Children," which advises 4,700 primary schools to affirm children as young as 5 years old in the opposite gender if they identify with it. The Rowes have called on the Church to scrap such guidance, saying with it "they are rather damaging all God's children."

Nigel said the Church of England representatives were against them then and remain opposed. "They still don't support us," he said. "It's a bizarre world we live in."

"The Bible says we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against spiritual principalities," Nigel said, referencing the sixth chapter of Ephesians. "As a Christian, I believe that there is a demonic realm bent on the destruction of everything that is of God."

Parents and community members attend a Loudoun County School Board meeting on June 22, 2021. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Noting how families are foundational to society, Nigel said, "Destroy the family, and you'll destroy society. And the saddest part is we know that from history. We know that from Marxism, we know that from Pol Pot, from Mao, from Stalin. Destroy the family and then the culture will collapse. I very much see [transgender ideology] as that, and it's very much a movement throughout the world."

OHIO SCHOOL DISTRICT TELLS TEACHERS THEY DON'T HAVE TO INFORM PARENTS OF STUDENTS' NAME, PRONOUN CHANGES

Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the U.S. nonprofit Moms for Liberty, echoed Nigel's assertion that schools interfering with children experiencing gender dysphoria is an international issue.

"We partner with our children's schools, but we do not co-parent with the government," Justice said. "And we have government schools, and so government needs to have an understanding of their place and there needs to be a boundary between school and home."

Shea Cutliff, of RISE Coalition, during a rally against a proposed ban against gender-affirming care for transgender children and teens on Sunday, July 31, 2022, at Orlando City Hall in Florida. (Annie Martin/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

"And I think what you're seeing in the U.K. is very much parents wanting to redraw that boundary between school and home, and government and home. Because parents have the fundamental right  and this isn't just an American right  parents have that fundamental right. It's a natural right  if you believe in God, it comes from God or Nature's God  an inherent natural right as a parent to direct the upbringing of your child."

"And that's their medical care, their education, their moral and religious upbringing. And parents shouldn't be worried that every time they send their child to school that the teaching in the school is antithetical to the teaching in the home," she added.
Netflix

A Milwaukee city official credits Netflixs new Jeffrey Dahmer series for inspiring unprecedented calls for a memorial in honor of the serial killers victims.

Jeff Fleming, the communications director for Mayor Cavalier Johnson, says the release of Dahmer  Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has led to a number of calls from citizens to the mayors office asking for some type of tribute for the 17 men and boys that Dahmer killed between 1978 and 1991.

I think that the current dramatic Dahmer television show has spawned interest [in a memorial], Fleming told The Daily Beast. I dont know that there was interest that was publicly raised prior to that.

Fleming is a former journalist who covered the so-called Milwaukee Cannibals trial for local ABC affiliate WTMJ in the early 90s. Hes served as the comms director for all of the citys mayors since.

Public calls for a memorial have intensified on Twitter over the past week after the Ryan Murphy-produced miniseries debuted on Netflix. Dahmer was the most-watched show in its first week on Netflix with 196.2 million hours viewedthe most since Stranger Things Season 4. Neither the streaming service nor representatives for Murphy responded to requests for comment from The Daily Beast.

Netflixs Jeffrey Dahmer Series Is More Crass Exploitation

A public remembrance of Dahmers victims would stand in stark contrast to the way Dahmers own existence has been wiped from the citys architecture. The complex where he killed and dismembered his victims, Oxford Apartments, was bought by a nonprofit and demolished in November 1992, about 15 months after his arrest, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The lot is currently an empty patch of grass surrounded by a fence in the citys West Side. Also in 1992, the downtown chocolate factory that Dahmer worked at was leveled to make way for a new facility, per Milwaukee magazine. In 1996, Dahmers belongings were destroyed by an organization led by Joseph Zilber. The late real estate magnate bought the items from the victims families for $407,225 (about $768,695 today) in order to stop them from being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

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Fleming says Mayor Johnson is open to the idea of hosting a memorial for the victims on public land, a process that would have to go through the normal ordinance process in the City Council.

But there is caution, however, about a physical memorial, he added. That would have the unfortunate potential to attract people who have a morbid fascination with Jeffrey Dahmer. The mayor does not want to create a ghoulish destination for Dahmer acolytes.

Author Anne E. Schwartz, who broke the Dahmer story for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the night of his arrest, remembers how Dahmers old building became the site of macabre pilgrimages after his arrest.

It got to a really weird place, she said. There was a guy, he used to pull a wagon around the city with bricks and dirt from the apartments, trying to get people to purchase it. Id heard from law enforcement that people were coming and taking things from the site in the middle of the night.

Schwartz wrote the 2021 book Monster: The True Story of the Jeffrey Dahmer Murders, which has nothing to do with the latest show despite its similar title. She says its probably best that the old Oxford Apartments lot remains vacant.

Its a curiosity for a lot of people, but for most people here in the city of Milwaukee, they just assumed that we would never mention Jeffrey Dahmers name again, she said.

The Netflix show, starring Evan Peters as the eponymous killer, has been the subject of a few rounds of online conversation since before it came out. In a viral tweet days before the premiere, one woman who worked on the show as a COVID testing coordinator complained that she was treated horribly on set and was mistaken for another Black female crew member. A day after the premiere, Eric Thulhu, a cousin of Dahmer victim Errol Lindsey, pointed out that renewed interest in Dahmer and his victims was retraumatizing his family further.

And for what? he asked. How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?

Controversies aside, the show appears to be doing exceedingly well for Netflixthough critics have been far less kind.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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STORY: In August, Baghdad saw two days of intense street fighting, the worst the Iraqi capital has seen for years.

The crisis amounted to a power struggle between the powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and mostly Iran-aligned Shi'ite parties and paramilitary groups.

Both sides have tried to exert their control over formation of a new government since an election in October.

The struggle began with political moves in parliament and the judiciary went to the streets as Sadr withdrew from the political process and staged protests during the summer, and then degenerated into violence at the end of August.

It has left Iraq, which is reeling from years of war, sanctions, civil strife and corruption, without a government for the longest period since the 2003 U.S. invasion which toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein.
When Carolyn Burkhart walked from Mexico to Canada 46 years ago, she pieced together her route along remote trails and logging roads, navigating with torn paper maps and a 50-pound pack bouncing on her back.

Her hike along the vaguely defined Pacific Crest Trail took six months, as she trekked through forests and deserts, across snowy mountain passes, out of touch for weeks at a time. Occasionally crossing paths with hikers making the same epic journey, she'd compare notes about finding their way.

Just 11 people made the journey that year, making Burkhart and those 10 others literal trailblazers along a route designated by Congress in 1968 but not yet formally laid out on any maps. The forests were lush, the snows deep, the route vague.

"Back then, for maybe one-third of California, there was no trail," said Burkhart, who believes she was the first woman to hike the trail alone.

Carolyn Burkhart, 67, was one of the first 100 people to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. She's pictured at the northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail on the U.S.-Canada border after finishing the trail for the first time in 1976 at age 21, on left, and again in recent years. The metal marker delineates the U.S.-Canada border.

Today, modern PCT hikers known as thru-hikers make the grueling trek in about five months, aided by lighter camping gear but also a precisely defined 2,650-mile route they download to their phones and GPS trackers. In 2019, the last year before pandemic restrictions, nearly 1,000 people completed the hike, with 1,189 finishers in 2018.

But while the trail today is clearly defined, there's a growing challenge that Burkhart or her peers never envisioned in the 1970s: Increasingly devastating wildfires are forcing land managers each year to temporarily close large sections of the trail for safety.

And those closures are raising questions about whether future generations of hikers will ever be able to complete the epic journey in a single year.

After all, who wants to spend months hiking though forests devastated by catastrophic wildfires, complicating what is already a body-shredding journey?

"Hiking in smoke is terrible and is really bad for the lungs, obviously," said Emory Wanger, who hiked on the PCT in 2017. While he hasn't experienced major side effects, he said many people get headaches and sometimes nosebleeds from smoke.

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"Some push through, but Ive also seen smoke end a hike entirely. The thicker the smoke, the worse it is and it really sucks if youre stuck on a section where bailing is not an option," he said.

He added: "As for reroutes, its a gut punch and often adds road walking, hitching or additional miles that were not accounted for just to reach a trailhead."

IN COLORADO: People die summitting 14,000-foot mountain peaks. These climbers do it anyway.

The Dixie Fire was the second-largest single wildfire recorded in California. It burned over 1,500 square miles and over 1,000 properties. In total, over 11,000 square miles burned in the U.S. during the 2021 wildfire season.

Almost no one finishes the PCT

Congress created the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail to help Americans access and enjoy public lands. Although the general route was finalized in 1972, the trail wasn't finished until 1993, with rangers linking existing trails with new stretches, replacing the logging roads Burkhart used.

Although millions of people hike on portions of the PCT, only about 800 to 1,000 people annually complete what's considered a true thru-hike: walking the entire trail from start to finish in a single summer.

To date, 8,671 people have attested their completion, the vast majority of them since the 2012 publication of Cheryl Strayed's book "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail," according to the Pacific Crest Trail Association. About 780 people completed the trail in 2021.

Hikers have traditionally walked from south to north, chasing the spring thaw up and over California's Sierras so they can finish up in at the Canadian border before the winter snows return.

Will "Akuna" Robinson, 41, first heard about the Pacific Crest Trail in when he saw the movie "Wild," which features actress Reese Witherspoon as author Strayed. Robinson had returned from war in Iraq and was depressed, disabled and battling PTSD.

"Id never backpacked in my life, but I knew that was I needed to do," said Robinson, who is now a sponsored hiker based in Texas. "I got on Amazon right then and I was on the trail a couple of weeks later."

Will "Akuna" Robinson poses for a photo at the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail at the Mexican border in this undated photo.

That first go, Robinson hiked about 1,500 miles but had to leave due to injuries. He re-started and finished the trail in 2017 on his way to becoming the first Black man to complete what's known as the Triple Crown of thru-hiking: the PCT, the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail, and the 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail.

Hiking the trail requires more than just walking. Because it's impossible to carry enough food for the entire journey, most hikers establish food drops, either by mailing packages to themselves to be held at local post offices, or by arranging drop-offs where trails cross roads. And because weather conditions vary, many thru-hikers swap out sleeping gear, shelters and clothes as needed.

On the trail, hikers leapfrog each other, sometimes for the entire season, sometimes walking with a group, sometimes alone. And they usually adopt a trail persona or nickname. Robinson's references the phrase "hakuna matata," popularized in the 1994 Disney animated movie "The Lion King."

When he started his hike, Robinson closely followed the exact PCT route. But after thousands of miles of hiking, he's come to understand the actual route doesn't matter that much.

"For me, it really just is about hiking the trail that's open to you," Robinson said. "You might think you're in control but you're not. Nature is. And you have to adjust and adapt."

Will "Akuna" Robinson poses for a photo on the Pacific Crest Trail in this undated photo.

How climate change is changing the journey for hikers

That attitude is increasingly what Mother Nature requires, said Scott Wilkinson, a spokesman for the Pacific Crest Trail Association. The nonprofit oversees thru-hiker permits, and Wilkinson said trail closures monitored by the PCTA have increased, particularly since 2020, when there was always at least some portion of the trail closed during the main hiking season of April to September.

"Particularly in the past two or three years, it's been difficult, if not impossible, to hike every mile of the trail in order from one end to the other," Wilkinson said. "It's absolutely a concern, and it's concern driven by climate change."

The amount of land burned by wildfires annually has quintupled from when Burkhart hiked the trail, according to researchers at UC San Diego Scripps Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes. They predict more large-scale wildfires will burn in months that were traditionally fire-free.

FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE: Controlled burns remain essential as wildfires intensify

TRAVEL: What national parks can do to make the outdoors more accessible

Meanwhile, hikers in California are already seeing the impact of climate change on the trail, from shorter, warmer winters to unusually heavy rainfall caused by atmospheric rivers, the researchers said.

"For the most part, dealing with the weather is fine: a storm moves in and you can hunker down, you can wait for it to pass," Wanger said, who hiked the PCT in 2017 after serving two tours as a Marine in Iraq. "But the thing that closes down a trail is fire. There are no ifs, ands, and buts about it."

Wanger said he's seen a growing trend of thru-hikers fixated on "redlining" the trail, where they feel compelled to follow the trail's exact mapped route via GPS. He doesn't consider himself a true thru-hiker because he missed hiking 100 miles of an unusually snowy portion during his hike.

"Every single year, the trail is different," said Wanger, 38. "Thru-hiking, I realized at the end of it, it's not so much a hike. It's more of a pilgrimage. What I regret missing most is the things I would have learned about myself on those sections, rather than the regret of the actual miles I missed."

Experts say the challenge of hiking the PCT will continue growing as long as climate change keeps exacerbating existing fire danger in forests that are already primed to burn due to drought.

In Northern California's Lassen Volcanic National Park, the Dixie Fire in 2021 prompted widespread trail closures, including a 20-mile section of the PCT. Park managers closed the trails before the fire even arrived, worried out-of-touch hikers might get trapped by the advancing flames, said Amanda Sweeney, one of the park's rangers. The closures blocked some hikers from finishing the trail.

Today, the Drakesbad Guest Ranch inside the park, along with a campground  both popular with PCT hikers looking for showers and toilets  remain closed, even though the trail is back open.

"That window for PCT hikers is small. Even a short closure can have a huge effect," Sweeney said. "And that Dixie Fire footprint is massive, so even with the trail being open, the experience is so awful that a lot of people were opting to skip that section."

DIXIE WILDFIRE'S AFTERMATH: Charred buildings, burned cars and an abandoned town

Wildfire smoke itself is unhealthy to breathe, even from hundreds of miles away, and burned areas are dangerous to hike through because embers can smolder for weeks, dead trees can topple, and mudslides can destroy the trail.

UCLA professor Glen MacDonald said the forests Burkhart hiked through in the 1970s saw fewer and smaller wildfires, in part because federal officials aggressively extinguished them. But that policy ultimately led to unhealthier forests primed to burn, he said, and now those ready-to-burn forests are even more dangerous due to ongoing drought and a longer wildfire season.

MacDonald, who is the John Muir Memorial Chair in Geography, said he recently had to end a forest research project because there was so much smoke in the air.

"Hiking through a burned landscape is not that pleasant. It's not pleasant visually but you also have all that ash and dust," he said, adding that the fires cause water quality issues.

'Every mile has meaning'

While it's easy to say hikers should simply alter their route, younger backpackers who grew up watching YouTube videos, reading Strayed's book or seeing the movie are heavily invested in seeing specific sights, said Chris "Rad" Carter, 26. Carter thru-hiked the PCT in 2018 and then did both the Appalachian and Continental Divide trails in 2021.

"We want to experience every mile because every mile now has meaning," he said. "It's a magical journey, and to be asked to skip 700 miles because of a fire, well, this isn't just a weekend adventure."

Craig "Oh That Craig" Giffen, 49, remembers seeing the same rock formations from different angles because the trail was re-routed in between his journeys when he hiked large portions of the trail in 1994, thru-hiked it in 1996, and then again in 2013. Giffen in 1997 created what has become a popular PCT planning website, using his expertise as a computer programmer to help hikers plot their route and resupply stops.

He got his nickname because so many of the hikers he encountered knew his name from the planning website.

"It's hard to hike it 'correctly,'" Giffen said of the PCT. "Jobs come and go. Relationships come and go. But the trail will always be there."

Carolyn Burkhart poses for a photo along the Pacific Crest Trail in this undated picture.

'Change your path'

For decades, Burkhart's name and identity have been closely tied to the PCT.

Burkhart, whose nickname is Ravensong because she can imitate ravens, operated a hikers lodge called Ravensongs Roost in Mazama, Washington, about 30 miles from the trail's northern terminus at the Canadian border, often hiking portions of the trail with her kids.

But she recently sold the lodge. Speaking to USA TODAY from Norway, where she now lives, she recalled how the southern portions of California used to be greener, with more water available. The more frequent wildfires have become, the less she wanted to hike there anymore, she said.

Burkhart encouraged hikers to reconsider what it means to hike the PCT in a time of wildfires, not just from a simple logistics standpoint, but from a philosophical one.

"We're talking about a journey from Mexico to Canada or the reverse," she said. "It's not about just following a line on a map. This is journey. The destination is not necessarily the point."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hiking the PCT: How climate change is ruining the Pacific Crest Trail
The Dayton Dragons and Day Air Credit Union will hold College Prep Night, a free educational event for prospective college students, tonight at Day Air Ballpark, according to a news release.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Day Air Credit Union to host College Prep Night at Dragons Stadium

The event will take place from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and the deadline to register was Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.

High school students can talk to representatives from colleges and universities from all over the nation.

More than 1,000 students and their guests attend, and more than 50 colleges and universities participate in this free event, the release said.

Among the colleges scheduled to appear include Miami University, University of Dayton, University of Kentucky, University of Cincinnati, Sinclair Community College, Wright State University, Xavier University, Edison State University, and many more schools.

Decisions about higher education are as difficult as they are important, said Bill Burke, President and CEO of Day Air Credit Union. Were proud to be able to provide College Prep Night as a vital resource to local families helping them make the most informed decision possible.

Representatives will be on hand to answer whatever questions students may have about college life at each particular school.
By Luis Jaime Acosta

BOGOTA (Reuters) -At least 10 armed groups in Colombia, including former members of the FARC rebels who reject a peace deal and the Clan del Golfo crime gang, have agreed to participate in unilateral ceasefires, the government said on Wednesday.

President Gustavo Petro, who took office in August, has promised to seek "total peace" with armed groups, fully implementing a 2016 peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and meeting with dissidents and gangs.

"Each group with its own identity, nature and motivation is expressing its disposition to be part of a total peace, in this exploration phase we've asked them not to kill, not to disappear people and not to torture," Danilo Rueda, the government's high peace commissioner, told journalists at an impromptu press conference. "We are moving ahead."

Among the groups are two FARC dissident groups - the Estado Mayor Central and Segunda Marquetalia - as well as the Clan del Golfo, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Auto-Defenses and others Rueda did not name.

Illegal armed groups in Colombia - whose six-decade conflict has killed at least 450,000 people - count some 6,000 fighters in their ranks, according to security sources.

Leftist rebels and crime gangs both participate in extortion, murder, drug trafficking and illegal gold mining.

Petro - himself a former member of the urban M-19 guerrilla - has said his government could offer reduced sentences to gang members who hand over ill-gotten assets and give information about drug trafficking.

"The office of peace is exploring the judicial mechanisms to permit the transition of armed groups to rule of law," said Rueda, who previously met with FARC dissidents.

Petro also wants to restart Havana-based peace talks with largest active rebel group the National Liberation Army (ELN), which were called off by his predecessor, and Rueda traveled there soon after the inauguration.

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The ELN favors a bilateral ceasefire to pave the way for renewed talks, its top negotiator told Reuters this month.

The government has said it will suspend aerial bombings of armed groups in a bid to avoid collateral damage to civilians and deaths of forcibly-recruited minors.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Paul Simao and Nick Zieminski)
Across the country during the last two pandemic school years, the rate at which students missed class skyrocketed. In the nations two largest districts, New York City and Los Angeles, some 40% of students were chronically absent last year, meaning they missed at least 18 days, putting them academically at risk, experts say. In many school systems in between, rates also reached perilously high levels.

Now, to correct the troubling pattern in the new academic year, some school leaders are launching attendance campaigns in hopes of luring more students into the classroom. The techniques include an Attendance Spirit Week in Charlotte, North Carolina; gift card raffles and new bikes in a district outside Kansas City  and, in San Antonio, the possibility of winning a new Toyota Rav 4.

Not only is it a chance to win something amazing for your family, but it also shows our families and our students, we really want you in school every day, that your attendance matters, said Judy Geelhoed, executive director of the San Antonio Independent School District Foundation, which coordinated the campaign.

No paywall. No pop-up ads. Keep the 74 free for everyone with a donation during our Fall Campaign.

Whether induced or not by incentives such as the prospect of new wheels, early signs show students coming to school at higher rates this year than last, said Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works. She works with educators across the country and has been encouraged by their anecdotes.

I actually am hearing folks saying this year is better, she said. Everyone I speak to is like, This is almost like a normal school here. Fingers crossed.

Preliminary attendance data for the new school year will not be released in most school districts for several weeks or months. But in Oakland Unified, one of the few school systems that publishes absenteeism figures in real time, the numbers are hopeful. So far, just 25% of students have been chronically absent, compared to 45% last year.

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Thats a good sign for the rest of the year, said Chang, because absences in the first month of school  predict absences later in the school year.

Last year was particularly difficult, she noted, because the start of the fall and spring semesters each aligned with a COVID surge: first Delta, then Omicron. With most districts having ditched hybrid learning at that point, students forced to quarantine often found themselves more than a week of content behind before they even began the semester.

Related: NYC Mayor, Teachers Union Head, Schools Chancellor Appear at Odds Over Remote Learning Option Amid Omicron Chaos

But as leaders seek to reverse the trend this year, experts doubt whether attendance incentives are the most effective strategy.

Both learning and attendance  they rely on your intrinsic motivation, said Jing Liu, a University of Maryland education professor who researches absenteeism. I dont think this is a very good approach to solve this issue. You might see a bump of attendance in the short run, but I dont think it can work in the long term.

Academic research indicates that financial incentives tend to be effective in motivating young people only when they reward behaviors students feel they can control; for example, how thoroughly they prepare for a test as opposed to how well they score once they sit down to take it.

Related: For Students to Succeed, Put High-Quality Curriculum in Teachers Hands

 things were holding them back. Sometimes theres issues happening in the family and we wanted to give families an incentive to say, Im going to do my best to get my student there every day, Geelhoed said.

The $28,000 cost of the car, which the Foundation director noted would be more expensive on the showroom floor, will be covered by sponsors Frost Bank and Cavender Toyota.

Related: As Absenteeism Skyrockets, Schools Get Creative About Luring Back Lost Students

But while a ribbon-adorned shiny SUV may be a tantalizing prospect for many, she knows this kind of incentive cant mitigate all the challenges that our students may have.

The district also deploys specialists to monitor chronically absent students and assist them in getting to campus, including home visits when they arent able to contact families, communications manager Laura Short said in an email. They analyze data across the school system to identify which students might be most at risk, she added.

We believe it takes a whole-district approach to work on student attendance.
Charter advocates were partially successful three months ago in getting the U.S. Department of Education to ease what they saw as onerous new rules for a program that provides start-up funds to new schools.

But that compromise hasnt stopped advocates in two states and members of Congress from trying to remove the remaining changes to the $440 million Charter Schools Program. They argue that the tighter criteria run counter to the laws intent to increase high-quality charter schools.

Republicans want to use the Congressional Review Act  a seldom-used law that allows members to overturn regulations issued by federal agencies  to stop implementation. And in August, charter organizations in Michigan and Ohio sued the department over changes that, among other things, are designed to create more racially diverse charter schools and increase transparency for schools run by for-profit companies.

Related: After Overhauling Program, Ed Dept. Opens One-Month Dash for Charter Funds

Advocates say they never had a chance to weigh in on the changes.

If you read the [charter school] statute, there is the importance of consulting with the field, said Nina Rees at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. They never did. They introduced the rule without notifying us.

The revisions urge charters to partner with their local schools and to prove theyre not opening in communities where local public schools are under-enrolled. The Alliance was among the more than 26,000 groups and individuals that submitted comments on the new rule. So did Louisiana state Superintendent Cade Brumley, who sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona expressing his opposition.

In this moment in history, we should not be restricting options for families, he told The 74.

We should be expanding them.

Even so, the state is among the 10 that applied for funding last month. Brumley said the funding is an important selling point for attracting high-quality charter operators.

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Related: OIG: Charter Grantees Opened Just Half the Schools for Which They Received Funds

The department also received eight applications from developers who want to launch or expand schools and 15 applications for national dissemination grants, a separate fund that the secretary can award to groups, like the Alliance, that support charters.

The department is expected to announce grant recipients by Friday, and will open up applications for charter management organizations later this fall.

On Wednesday, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, the Ohio plaintiff in the lawsuit, released a report that takes a closer look at results for charters in the state that outsource some or most operations to for-profit companies. Such arrangements draw fire from those opposed to commercialism in education.

The researchers found some advantages of such schools. They spend $581 more per student in the classroom and $699 less per student on administrative costs than charters that dont contract with for-profit operators  and students also get more instructional time.

But for-profit and virtual schools, they wrote, also deserve extra scrutiny. They have more first-year teachers, higher chronic absenteeism and lower student achievement.

We shouldnt view for-profit charter schools as a monolith, Fordhams Amber Northern, senior vice president for research, and President Michael Petrilli wrote in the foreword. We need to focus on their academic progress with students, not the tax status of their primary vendor.

Going after government overreach

Many Democrats, however, want to see for-profit charters cut off from federal funding. Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education, said the departments changes increase accountability.

With Democrats in control of Congress, Rees noted that theres little chance Republicans would succeed this year in using the Congressional Review Act. Even if they were able to pass it, President Joe Biden would veto it.

But if Republicans take the House in the midterm elections, Burris said they could try to use the procedure again next year.

During the Trump administration, Republicans used the legislative strategy in education twice in 2017  to end an Obama-era requirement that states rate teacher preparation programs and to grant more flexibility in how they designed their accountability programs under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

The Republicans current attempt to use the Congressional Review Act, led by Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, shows a clear understanding from the people who actually wrote the law that what the department has done here is unlawful, argued Caleb Kruckenberg, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, a libertarian law firm representing the plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit.

The 2015 expansion of the program, he added, pointedly left no room for the Department of Education to add in new criteria or conditions for grant applicants.

The lawsuit, meanwhile, seeks to capitalize on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year in which the conservative majority restricted the Environmental Protection Agencys ability to set limits on carbon emissions.

Related: California Poll Finds Parents Leaving Traditional Public For Charter Schools

Republicans welcomed the ruling as a way to curb government overreach in other federal agencies as well.

Kruckenberg said he hopes the case brought by the states will set a legal precedent clearly declaring that any rule issued by the department to try to set new criteria for the [Charter Schools Program] would be unlawful.

The state complaint argues that charters affiliated with the Michigan Association of Public School Academies and the Fordham Institute will have a hard time meeting the new criteria. The schools predominantly serve minority students, are located in districts that have demonstrated hostility to charter school expansion and wont be able to prove that district schools are overenrolled.

The Biden administration has to respond to the complaint by Oct. 12.

For now, Burris said shes more concerned Republicans could use the Congressional Review Act to roll back changes than she is the litigation. It will weave through the courts, she said, so that is a good thing.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines were likely an act by Russia to place economic pressure on European allies of Ukraine.

European leaders have said leaks that have happened on Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, two pipelines that carry natural gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany and supply Europe, may represent acts of intentional sabotage by Russia to punish Europes support of Ukraine.

Weve seen over and over [Russian President] Vladimir Putin use energy as a weapon against the West to try and undermine NATOs unity in the face of his brutal invasion of Ukraine, Coons said on MSNBCs Morning Joe.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said that deliberate actions caused the leaks after seismologists detected explosions before the leaks began.

Coons said turning off the Wests access to Russias supply of natural gas is Putins only chance of weakening NATOs resolve to support Ukraine, but strong bipartisan support remains in Congress to continue the aid.

Biden administration officials spoke to Danish officials on Tuesday on the apparent sabotage of the natural gas pipelines. U.S. officials have so far declined to speculate what could be causing the leaks.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A recovery area at an abortion and reproductive health clinic in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aug. 10 2022. (Erika P. Rodriguez/The New York Times)

L.V. found out she was pregnant Aug. 7. The next day, she called Womens Health and Family Care in Jackson, Wyoming  the only abortion provider in the state  to schedule an abortion.

She was told the procedure would typically cost $600 at the clinic, but a state law banning abortion might take effect soon. In that case, she would have to travel out of state, setting her back even more.

L.V., who asked to be identified only by her initials, panicked. She had recently been in a car accident and had outstanding medical and car bills to pay.

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When the clinic told me how much, my mouth dropped, she said. She was told to contact Chelseas Fund, a Wyoming nonprofit organization that is part of a national network of abortion funds, to ask about financial assistance.

Abortion funds have for decades helped cover the cost of the procedure  about $500 in the first trimester and $2,000 or more in the second trimester  for those who cannot afford it. But they are playing a bigger role since the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, taking in more donations and disbursing more money to more patients than ever before.

Since the courts decision, abortion has been banned in large parts of the Midwest and the South. Those seeking abortions must travel farther and stay longer, often spending thousands of dollars on added costs beyond the procedure itself, including flights, hotels, child care, food and gas.

About half of women who have abortions are living below the poverty line, and most states do not allow the use of state Medicaid funds to cover the cost of the procedure. Abortion funds have been inundated with callers seeking money and support.

Before the courts decision, the Midwest Access Coalition handled around 30 cases each week. A typical patients expenses used to cost the fund around $1,000. The group now helps upward of 50 people each week and spends twice as much.

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Our wraparound service cost is easily becoming $2,000 per client or more, said Alison Dreith, the groups director of strategic partnerships. Weve staffed up, were taking on this increased workload, but were still not going to be able to meet all of the need.

Patient Travel Expenses

Each abortion fund operates differently, but the process is generally the same: A patient must first confirm an appointment with a clinic, and then the fund will pledge a certain amount toward the cost of the procedure. Afterward, the clinic invoices the fund. Funds that offer practical support will often book flights or bus tickets and hotels for their clients. Money for food or gas might be sent via PayPal or Venmo, or offered to clients in cash.

A survey of abortion funds around the country shows that the cost of patient support has risen  in some cases steeply  since the courts decision. Last year, the average patient pledge for the D.C. Abortion Fund was $250. In August, that amount rose to $850.

Part of what were seeing is folks coming to get care later in gestation, said Alli Korman, the funds operations director. She said that because of long wait times  clinics nationwide are booked as much as three weeks out  and a more complicated landscape for patients to navigate, they must now delay care until later in pregnancy, when the procedure is more expensive.

More Complicated Care

In 2020, the National Network of Abortion Funds, an organization of nearly 100 member funds around the country, received $1.9 million in individual donations.

In just the first week after the courts decision in June, the network received more than $10 million in donations. Of that, $3.7 million went to the network, and an additional $6.7 million went directly to member funds. That windfall has allowed many of its members to spend more already this year than they pledged to patients in all of 2021.

But abortion funds also face their own rising costs and uncertainty in a world after Roe. Many are run by volunteers, and they said they are struggling to keep up with the increasing volume and complexity of cases as more states move to ban abortion.

Calls are taking twice as long. Were having to reexplain to people this new shifting landscape, to reassure people that abortion is still legal  or to reset expectations because now they might have to travel several states over, said A.J. Haynes, the board president of the New Orleans Abortion Fund, which saw the legal status of abortion in Louisiana change three times this summer.

Even after the flood of donations in recent months, more money is needed to cover paid staff members, data infrastructure and legal guidance.

In October, we will be significantly rolling back the amount of support we are able to offer, Haynes said. We are simply unable to meet the needs of our callers with the funds we have available for the remainder of the year without a significant increase in support.

Legal Issues Add Costs

Anti-abortion groups say some funds are operating in a legal gray area, if not in violation of state laws. In Texas and Oklahoma, private citizens may sue anyone who aids an abortion, while those who assist patients in Alabama in obtaining out-of-state abortions could face felony charges.

Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America, said she expected abortion funds would come under more scrutiny. There are questions of how these outside entities are operating and if they are now violating state laws to facilitate illegal abortions, she said. Lawmakers are asking those questions.

Providers are already wary of new restrictions, and abortion funds said policy changes by some of the national reproductive rights groups have created more hurdles and expenses for their clients. In Idaho, where abortion is banned, patients who could travel to nearby Utah for the procedure are being denied medication abortion from the Planned Parenthood affiliate there over concerns about legal liability.

That was really poorly communicated to us, and it creates a much greater burden on abortion funds working in these states, said Riley Keane, a practical support lead at the Northwest Abortion Access Fund.

Given the ongoing uncertainty in many places, some funds have decided to spend what money they have now.

We have been fully funding patients. We made the decision to get everyone their abortions because we dont know what the legal landscape will be next month, Eloisa Lopez, the executive director of the Abortion Fund of Arizona, said in an interview in August. On Friday, abortion became illegal in Arizona.

In Wyoming, a judge temporarily blocked the states abortion ban, and L.V. was able to secure an appointment. Chelseas Fund told her it could pay only $300, but another group, the Wyoming Abortion Fund, had agreed to cover the remaining $300.

I expected them to come back to me and say, Oh, we can only pay this much, she said. I was so surprised. I didnt have a plan. I wouldve just put it on my credit card and gone into even more debt.

 2022 The New York Times Company
DETROIT (AP)  U.S. Securities regulators are unlawfully muzzling Tesla CEO Elon Musk, violating his free speech rights by continually trying to enforce a 2018 securities fraud settlement, Musk's lawyer contends in a court brief.

The document, filed late Tuesday with the federal appeals court in Manhattan, was written to support Musk's appeal of a lower court's April decision to uphold the settlement with Securities and Exchange Commission.

The brief says that a provision in the settlement requiring Musk to get prior approval before tweeting about the electric car company is an illegal government-imposed muzzle on Mr. Musks speech before it is made."

The settlement required that his tweets be approved by a Tesla attorney before being published. The SEC is investigating whether Musk violated the settlement with tweets last November asking Twitter followers if he should sell 10% of his Tesla stock.

But in the brief, Musk attorney Alex Spiro contends that the SEC is continually investigating Musk for topics not covered by the settlement. It asks the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to strike or modify the prior approval provision.

The pre-approval provision in the consent decree qualifies as a prior restraint on speech that runs afoul of the First Amendment, Spiro wrote. It forbids future lawful speech on a range of topics absent approval.

Further, Musk's speech is chilled by the threat of SEC investigations and prosecution for contempt of court, the brief said.

The whole dispute stems from an October 2018 agreement with the SEC that Musk signed. He and Tesla each agreed to pay $20 million in civil fines over Musks tweets about having the funding secured to take Tesla private at $420 per share.

The funding was far from locked up, and the electric vehicle company remains public, but Teslas stock price jumped. The settlement specified governance changes, including Musks ouster as board chairman, as well as pre-approval of his tweets.

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In April, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in New York rejected Musks bid to throw out the settlement that he signed with the SEC. He also denied a motion to nullify a subpoena of Musk seeking information about possible violations of the settlement.

Limons ruling said that Musk made the tweets without getting pre-approval, but the judge later wrote that he didnt mean to pass judgment on that issue.

The SEC wouldn't comment on Wednesday.

Spiro writes that Mr. Musks waiver of his First Amendment rights in the settlement was not voluntary because there was no way for Musk to know how far reaching it was. The provision applies to future speech about circumstances no one could anticipate in advance, he wrote.

Musk, he said, is under constant threat that the SEC will disagree with his interpretation of what he can say. Musk also agreed to the deal when Tesla was a smaller company and the SEC action could have jeopardized its financing.

The SEC has maintained constant investigations into Mr. Musks speech, employing nebulous interpretations of the consent decree seemingly designed to curb and chill his future speech, all regarding speech entirely unrelated to the 2018 tweet for which the SEC initiated this action, Spiro wrote.

Tesla is now the most valuable automaker in the world, and Musk is the worlds wealthiest person.

Liman ruled that Musk's claim that economic duress caused him to sign the settlement is wholly unpersuasive.

Even if Musk was worried that litigation with the SEC would ruin Tesla financially, that does not establish a basis for him to get out of the judgment he voluntarily signed, Liman wrote.

The judge also said Musk's argument that the SEC had used the settlement order to harass Musk and launch investigations was meritless.
(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AGs global head of credit products, Danny McCarthy, and co-head of global banking, Jens Welter, are departing the firm ahead of a planned restructuring that will attempt to restore the bank to profitability and curb risk.

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After a 27-year career at the Swiss company, Welter will become the new co-head of European investment banking at Citigroup Inc., alongside Ignacio Gutierrez-Orrantia, according to a memo from the New York-based bank Tuesday. McCarthy has left Zurich-based Credit Suisse to pursue other opportunities, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg.

Jens is an exceptional banker, a great leader and has deep client relationships, Chuck Adams, Citigroups global head of health-care, consumer and retail investment banking, said in an interview. A lot of his experience has come from doing consumer-facing transactions, which is entirely in line with what were trying to accomplish as it relates to the convergence across the health-care and consumer sectors.

Credit Suisse is in the throes of what is expected to be a major restructuring of the investment bank as new Chief Executive Officer Ulrich Koerner seeks to return the lender to profitability and put an end to a string of scandals. The company also has floated the idea of giving dealmakers an equity stake in their unit, auguring a possible spinout, Bloomberg has reported, and has considered reviving the First Boston branding.

Credit Suisse shares fell in early Zurich trading, down more than 5% to 3.75 Swiss francs as of 9:35 a.m.

David Wah was appointed sole global head of banking, effective immediately, according to a memo to staff from David Miller, global head of investment banking and capital markets. Wah will continue to be based in New York and lead the banks client advisory group. Hes been a part of the banks technology franchise since 1996, advising on mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and leveraged buyouts, according to the memo.

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Credit Suisse also named Cathal Deasy and Giuseppe Monarchi co-heads of investment-banking capital markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, in addition to their existing responsibilities, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg. They will both continue to be based in London, reporting to Wah, with Deasy remaining global co-head of M&A and Monarchi staying co-head of EMEA coverage.

Joel S. Kent is set to replace McCarthy, according to a separate memo.

We will work together with Danny to ensure a seamless transition of his duties, Miller and Jay Kim, global head of investment-banking credit, wrote in a memo.

Credit Suisse confirmed the contents of the memos.

(Updates with shares in fifth paragraph)

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HAVANA (AP)  Hurricane Ian knocked out power across all of Cuba and devastated some of the countrys most important tobacco farms when it slammed into the islands western tip as a major hurricane Tuesday.

Cubas Electric Union said in a statement that work was underway to gradually restore service to the countrys 11 million people during the night. Power was initially knocked out to about 1 million people in Cuba's western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed.

Ian hit a Cuba that has been struggling with an economic crisis and has faced frequent power outages in recent months. It made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the islands western end, devastating Pinar del Rio province, where much of the tobacco used for Cubas iconic cigars is grown.

Tens of thousands of people were evacuated and others fled the area ahead of the arrival of Ian, which caused flooding, damaged houses and toppled trees. Authorities were still assessing the damage, although no fatalities had been reported by Tuesday night.

Ians winds damaged one of Cubas most important tobacco farms in La Robaina.

It was apocalyptic, a real disaster, said Hirochi Robaina, owner of the farm that bears his name and that his grandfather made known internationally.

Robaina, also the owner of the Finca Robaina cigar producer, posted photos on social media of wood-and-thatch roofs smashed to the ground, greenhouses in rubble and wagons overturned.

State media said Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel visited the affected region.

Cubas Meteorology Institute said the city of Pinar del Rio was in the heart of the hurricane for an hour and a half.

Being in the hurricane was terrible for me, but we are here alive, said Pinar del Rio resident Yusimi Palacios, who asked authorities for a roof and a mattress.

Officials had set up 55 shelters and took steps to protect crops, especially tobacco.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Cuba suffered significant wind and storm surge impacts when the hurricane struck with top sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph).

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Ian was expected to get even stronger over the warm Gulf of Mexico, reaching top winds of 130 mph (209 kph) approaching the southwestern coast of Florida, where 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate.

As the storms center moved into the Gulf, scenes of destruction emerged in Cuba. Authorities were still assessing the damage in its world-famous tobacco belt.

Local government station TelePinar reported heavy damage at the main hospital in Pinar del Rio city, tweeting photos of collapsed ceilings and downed trees. No deaths were reported.

Videos on social media showed downed power lines and cut off roads in the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa and Mayabeque. A hospital in Pinar del Rio was damaged.

The town is flooded, said farmer Andy Munoz, 37, who lives in Playa Cajio in Artemisa.

He said many people lost their belongings due to the storm surge.

I spent the hurricane at home with my husband and the dog. The masonry and zinc roof of the house had just been installed. But the storm tore it down, said Mercedes Valdes, who lives along the highway connecting Pinar del Rio to San Juan y Martinez. We couldnt rescue our things ... we just ran out."

___

AP journalist Osvaldo Angulo in Pinar del Rio contributed to this report.
A suspect in the August shooting of a 25-year-old Baltimore man fired at police Tuesday, D.C. Police said.

A woman called 911 at about 6:20 a.m. to tell police she had seen a man in the 5300 block of Ames Street Northeast matching the police description of Avery Miler, who is wanted on a D.C. Superior Court warrant for first degree murder while armed, Assistant Chief Leslie Parsons said Tuesday.

Aryeh Wolf was working on solar panels in the Marshall Heights neighborhood of D.C. on the afternoon of Aug. 10 when he was shot to death, leaving behind a wife and an infant daughter. Metropolitan Police identified Miler as a suspect in the shooting on Aug. 22.

Parsons said that when officers responded, a man matching a description of Miler fired at them with a handgun before fleeing on foot. No officers were injured.

At this time theres no indication that officers returned fire, Parsons said, but he said footage from the officers body-worn cameras would be reviewed.

The U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives provided support to police.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said Tuesday evening that Miler remains outstanding.

Anyone who knows of Milers whereabouts or has knowledge of the shooting are asked to call police at (202) 727-9099 or text the police tip line at 50411.
Pac-12 Network

Pac-12 Networks' Ted Enberg and Rich Feller recap No. 17 Washington women's volleyball 3-0 victory over California on Sunday, Oct. 2 in Berkeley. The Huskies improve to 11-3 overall and 3-1 in conference, while the Golden Bears drop to 7-7 overall and 0-4 in Pac-12 play. Follow Pac-12 women's volleyball this season with the Pac-12 Now App. Download the Pac-12 Now App today and set alerts for Pac-12 women's volleyball to make sure you never miss a moment of the action. Pac-12 Now is available today in your app store for iOS, Android, and Apple TV.
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state will join representatives from all walks of life in presenting flowers to fallen national heroes on Friday morning in Tian'anmen Square.

Sept. 30 is China's Martyrs' Day. The event will be broadcast live by China Media Group.
Man and information security images

The Ministry of Defence and the Home Office are among seven organisations that have failed to respond to personal information requests.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says it is "calling them out" for ignoring the public when asked questions about the data they hold.

A Subject Access Request (SAR) must be responded to within three months.

The government departments repeatedly missed that deadline.

The ICO is an independent watchdog - its aim is to promote openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.

Other organisations that did not respond to requests were Kent Police, Virgin Media and the London boroughs of Croydon, Hackney and Lambeth.

This resulted in regulatory action including reprimands as well as practice recommendations issued under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Information Commissioner John Edwards told the BBC naming and shaming organisations that fail to comply is a new proactive way for the ICO to work.

"It's going to become more common - it's really important that people can have confidence in the administration of their information rights," he said.

"That's why we are publicly notifying these organisations that they have to bring themselves into compliance.

"Being able to ask an organisation 'what information do you hold on me' and 'how it is being used' provides transparency and accountability.

"These are fundamental rights - these are not optional."

The seven organisations were identified following a series of complaints related to their failure to respond within set timeframes, or failing to respond at all, as well as information being withheld, in breach of the UKGDPR and Data Protection Act.

'Emotional abuse'

Some of the complaints included requesting access to adoption papers where the person was told "no one seems to know where these are".

The person, who was anonymous, said: "I am upset and angry and just want my files."

Another related to an asylum application involving a child.

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The complainant said: "All we need is the asylum transcript so we can submit a humanitarian application. However, we can do nothing without those transcripts.

"I have chased this matter for seven months and have received nothing. My client's child is constantly at risk so long as he stays in the home country."

And one example given was about access to files for someone who spent many years in care.

"The original paper file was destroyed previously so I cannot access any of my personal data relating to my childhood," the complainant said.

"The file contained sensitive details of trauma I suffered, and I feel now this emotional abuse cannot be answered for."

The ICO said it took regulatory action over infringements across 2020 and 2021 including:

Ministry of Defence - 9,000 requests yet to be responded to. People were typically waiting over 12 months for their information.

Home Office - failed to meet the deadline for responding to just under 21,000 requests. Complaints to the ICO showed complainants suffered significant distress as a result.

Kent Police - some requests are reported to have taken over 18 months to issue a response.

Virgin Media - over a six-month period in 2021, 9,500 requests were made and 14% were not responded to.

The organisations have between three and six months to make improvements or further enforcement action could be taken.

A Government spokesperson said: "We take our obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation very seriously, and we are working hard to remove delays to Subject Access requests identified by the Information Commissioner's Office.

A spokesperson for the MOD added: "Action is being taken to remove those delays through a significant increase in resources, but in the meantime urgent applications are being prioritised."

Meanwhile, a Virgin Media spokesperson told the BBC: "We apologise that our handling of subject access requests last year was not to the standard it should have been. We have since put measures in place which have significantly improved our performance and will continue to carefully monitor this."

A Croydon Council spokesperson said: "We apologise for any delays in our handling of Freedom of Information or Subject Access Requests and fully take on board the comments and feedback from the ICO.

"The council remains committed to high quality information governance and is currently rolling out an improvement plan to strengthen how we respond to requests under data protection law."

Kent Police told the BBC: "Kent Police is committed to discharging its responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and strives to ensure that all Subject Access Requests (SAR) are dealt with in a timely way.

"Recognising this as an area of business that needed improvement Kent Police requested that the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) include a review of this area of business as part of the consensual audit which will be undertaken in early October 2022."

And a spokesperson for Hackney Council said: "Hackney is committed to transparency and ensuring we respond promptly to Freedom of Information requests and Subject Access Requests (where people request copies of information that the Council holds about them) is a priority for us.

"The Council has been working with the Information Commissioner's Office to keep them informed of the work we are doing. The recommendations that they have provided are in line with our existing action plans and we will review their advice carefully to identify where we might take additional steps to make sure we are achieving the level of performance that our residents rightly expect."

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The Siege of Yorktown, Virginia, the decisive battle in America's shocking triumph over the mighty British Empire in its War of Independence, began on this day in history, Sept. 28, 1781.

The siege ended three weeks later, on Oct. 19, with the surrender of the British garrison led by Lord Charles Cornwallis.

George Washington's Continental Army and French allies surrounded the Redcoats by both land and sea.

"The British surrender forecast the end of British rule in the colonies and the birth of a new nation  the United States of America," writes the American Battlefield Trust.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, SEPT. 27, 1779, JOHN ADAMS ASSIGNED TO LEAD PEACE TALKS WITH ENGLAND

The United States had won its daring bid for independence on the battlefield five years after it publicly declared it on paper.

Britain formally recognized American independence almost exactly two years later, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on Sept. 3, 1783.

General George Washington (center) inspects the French battery on the opening day of the siege of Yorktown in October 1781. Lithograph by Zogbaum published in 1881. Photo by Interim Archives/Getty Images

The Americans, aided by French troops under Comte de Rochambeau, set a trap for the outnumbered Redcoats at Yorktown.

Washington's American forces enjoyed the leadership of another Frenchman, the remarkable Marquis de Lafayette.

Their 19,000 troops, almost evenly split between the allied nations, surrounded about 9,000 Redcoats on a spit of land where the York River meets Chesapeake Bay.

French warships had sailed into Chesapeake Bay just weeks earlier.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, SEPT. 21, 1780, BENEDICT ARNOLD BETRAYS CAUSE OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE

Cornwallis had no way to escape and realized his cause was hopeless. He surrendered with relatively little loss of life considered the forces amassed.

About 800 men were killed or wounded between the combatants, according to the American Battlefield Trust. But the victory for the Americans was overwhelming and decisive.

Illustration of General George Washington directing the retreat of the Continental Army across the East River, from Brooklyn to Manhattan, after their defeat at the hands of British forces during the battle of Long Island, August 29, 1776. Engraving by JC Armytage from a painting by Wageman. Photo by Interim Archives/Getty Images

Cornwallis surrendered his entire garrison.

The American Revolution was over. The United States had won.

The victory required a remarkable bit of logistical and intellectual dexterity by both Washington and Rochambeau.

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ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, SEPT. 19, 1796, PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON ISSUES FAREWELL ADDRESS

Just weeks earlier, they were working on a long-intended plan to defeat the British under Gen. Henry Clinton in a decisive battle in New York City.

The Redcoats had occupied New York for nearly the entire war after smashing and humiliating Washington's army in 1776.

"In the spring of 1781, Washington traveled to Rhode Island to meet with Comte de Rochambeau and plan an attack on Clinton," writes the National Park Service in its history of the Siege of Yorktown.

"A French fleet was expected to arrive in New York later that summer, and Washington wanted to coordinate the attack with the fleet's arrival. As planned, Rochambeau's army marched in July and joined with Washington's troops outside New York City."

It was only then, in July, that they learned the French fleet was instead sailing into Chesapeake Bay.

Washington quickly devised a cunning new plan to leverage the long-awaited French naval forces and smash Cornwallis's forces in Yorktown.

"In order to fool Clinton, Washington had his men build big army camps and huge brick bread ovens visible from New York to give the appearance of preparations for a stay," reports the National Park Service.

"Washington also prepared false papers under his signature discussing plans for an attack on Clinton, and let these papers fall into British hands."

With the subterfuge established, Washington and Rochambeau marched for Yorktown in the middle of August, parading past the Continental Congress in Philadelphia in September before reaching Yorktown and setting siege to Cornwallis.

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"Washington's fame grew to international proportions having wrested such an improbable victory, interrupting his much-desired Mount Vernon retirement with greater calls to public service," writes the library of George Washington's Mount Vernon.
American actor Dean Cain was widely mocked online after he blocked at least a dozen Twitter users who responded to a tweet complaining about Covid mask rules on a Canadian flight.

The New Adventures of Superman and Vendetta actor was on a flight when he tweeted a picture of himself wearing a face mask on Tuesday and wrote: Found it utterly ridiculous that I had to wear a mask on the plane  flying to/from Canada.

While it was unclear which airline he was flying with, many pointed out that Canada still requires passengers to wear a face mask when flying in and out of the country  a rule that comes to an end on 30 September.

Our country, our rules. Our rules change on Saturday, tweeted one user on the social media website, which prompted another to respond by saying: Precisely.

Others chastised the Superman actor for complaining about the Covid mask rules as he began to block users on the website, and retweeting his arguments

Not sure who invited you here, but from the majority of Canadians GTFO, and dont come back, another user tweeted, to which the actor replied: So you speak for most Canadians?

The same user responded by saying masks were Cains kryptonite, in reference to the Superman series that made him a well known name in the 1990s, and mocked the actor for punching down.

So, you think its ridiculous to take measures to protect other people, especially those at risk?, wrote another user of the Canadian Covid rules. The use of masks has been studied and shown to have an effect on reducing transmission. Glad you find it so laughable.

Raise your hand if youre are blocked by Dean Cain.youre the lucky ones pic.twitter.com/uVfnaYLIny  Dark X  (@realXanderXjork) September 28, 2022

Other Twitter users joined together in apparent mockery: Raise your hand if youre are blocked by Dean Cain.youre the lucky ones, and Did you know that every time Dean Cain blocks someone so he doesnt lose an argument, an angel gets their wings?

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So funny. I was blocked by the b-actor Dean Cain, wrote another user with a screenshot showing they had been blocked by the actor.

They continued: Im sure Chachi will hug him upon his return. Hes irritated with Canadian law. He knew the deal Im sure. He had his spiffy face mask at the ready. Again, who cares about what he has to say anyway. He quotes MLK. Yeah okay.

Did you know that every time Dean Cain blocks someone so he doesn't lose an argument, an angel gets their wings?    Windress Says Trans Rights (@Windress) July 3, 2020

Hours later, Cain  who has previously ranted about cancel culture  tweeted that he had blocked more than a 100 accounts and wrote: Whew! Must have blocked over 100 twitter bots today with a grand total of 246 followers!

He followed up with another tweet that read: Fun day today!! Wishing everyone health and happiness!

The actor has previously attacked Covid vaccine mandates in the US, including in July this year when he wrote: Covid-19 vaccine mandates are insane. He has also defended the Supreme Courts decision to overturn abortion right guaranteed in Roe v Wade and said it should be left to states to decide.

Caine could not be reached for comment by The Independent.
If you're a senior deer hunter in Mississippi and want to hunt some of the state's prime wildlife management areas for big bucks, you're odds of doing that just got better.

The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks in its September meeting approved a new draw hunt in the South Delta for hunters 65 years and older and more senior-only opportunities are expected in the future..

"The hunts are January 19th and 20th," said Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Wildlife Bureau director Amy Blaylock. "You're going to have the opportunity to hunt Mahannah or any unit of Phil Bryant.

"I think they are the two most popular WMAs in the state as far as deer draw hunts go. We're going to draw 125 (hunters)."

Senior hunters in Mississippi will have an opportunity to hunt two of the state's premium wildlife management areas this season.

MSU Deer Lab:'If someone sees a collared deer, shoot it.'

CWD testing:Here's where drop-off freezers are located for the 2022-23 MS deer season

What senior hunters need to know

Applicants who are drawn can choose to hunt either of the WMAs, which are connected. The total combined acreage of the two is roughly 30,000 acres. With 125 applicants being drawn, that breaks down to 240 acres per hunter.

Hunters 65 and older may apply in pairs or as individuals. Hunters who apply as individuals may take a guest of any age, but the guest is not permitted to hunt.

Hunters who are drawn are not limited to any particular type of weapon.

"It's weapon of choice," Blaylock said. "It's whatever they want to use; rifle, muzzleloader or archery equipment."

The area is known for big deer and the minimum antler size reflects it. Bucks must have at least a 16-inch inside spread or 20-inch main beams. Hunters may harvest one buck and one doe.

'He's a special snake':Rare Mississippi rattlesnake now on display

How to enter the drawing

The application period is scheduled for Nov. 1-15 and interested hunters should apply online at www.mdwfp.com. To enter the drawing, resident hunters must have either a WMA user permit or a senior adult exempt license.

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"It gives us a customer ID number to enter into the draw," Blaylock said.

Blaylock said the hunt is limited to two days on two WMAs due to timing. The hunt came at the request of senior hunters attending the August commission meeting. By then, dates for draw hunts had been set and the application process was underway.

In the 2023 season, she said senior hunters can expect expanded opportunities.

"We'll reevaluate it all when we do the regulations in April and May and add a few more, I'm sure," Blaylock said. "We plan on adding a few and having them more spread out across the state."

Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Senior-only draw hunt for deer coming to prime Mississippi WMAs
The defense in the Kristin Smart murder trial rested its case Tuesday, marking the end of witness testimony in the nearly three-month-long legal process to bring justice to the Cal Poly student who disappeared 26 years ago.

San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle argued the case against Paul Flores, whos accused of Smarts murder, and his father, Ruben Flores, whos charged with helping his son conceal the crime.

Paul Flores defense attorney, Robert Sanger, and Ruben Flores defense attorney, Harold Mesick, presented their case for about a week.

The decision comes after another attempt for a mistrial by Sanger.

The defense attorney alleged Peuvrelle engaged in prosecutorial misconduct when asking San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office Det. Clint Cole if witness Jennifer Hudson, who testified Paul Flores told her he killed Smart, was afraid of the Flores family. The motion was denied.

The defenses final witness, James Ha, could not make it to court because his flights from Florida kept getting canceled due to Hurricane Ian, Sanger said in out-of-jury proceedings. Has testimony was meant to challenge the accuracy of cadaver dogs, according to unsealed court documents.

Jurors were asked to return to court Thursday at 10:30 a.m., and off-the-record conversations between the parties mentioned closing arguments potentially taking place Friday or Monday.

It is unclear what will happen in court on Thursday, and closing arguments had not been scheduled yet as of Tuesday evening.

Defense questions testimony from woman who says Paul Flores confessed

Coles afternoon testimony focused on Hudsons credibility.

Hudson previously testified Paul Flores told her he killed Smart while the two were at a house popular with skateboarders in 1996.

That b--ch was a d--k tease. I was done playing with her and I put her (or buried her) under my place in Huasna, Hudson testified Flores told her.

Cole testified he had trouble corroborating some details in Hudsons story, including other potential witnesses to the alleged confession and the location and ownership a skate ramp in Huasna to which Hudson allegedly followed Flores.

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Hudson told Cole in November 2019 that she had heard one of the Flores trucks had been reported stolen  a detail Cole said he only shared to podcaster Chris Lambert in January 2020 when the Sheriffs Office had a wiretap on the Flores familys phones.

Lamberts podcast Your Own Backyard follows the investigation into the Smart case.

Cole said he does not know where she got that information.

Three separate cadaver dogs alerted to a large area in Huasna, and after excavating an area measuring 40 feet by 60 feet, no human remains were found, Cole said.

In total, Cole estimates there were nine to 10 excavations searching for Smarts remains or her burial site.

Physical evidence of human remains were not found at any of the excavations, Cole said, though two animal bones were found at an excavation on the hillside of Cal Poly.

Cole said his agency never notified the news media, to his knowledge, before searches at a Flores residence were carried out or before the Flores men were arrested in April 2021.

Before court adjourned, Monterey County Superior Court Judge Jennifer OKeefe emphasized to jurors how important it was that they continue to avoid any media dealing with the Smart case and avoid talking about the case with anyone.

As you can tell, we are very near the end of this case. It is extremely important you continue to adhere to admonishments, the judge said.
Flying across the pond to London Town will get a lot easier next year. The route from London to New York will have the most flights in 15 years thanks to Delta Air Lines.

The airline will resume its New York JFK to London Gatwick route since exiting Gatwick in 2012. Gatwick was the first destination Delta Air Lines served on a transatlantic route to the UK in 1978.

The airports Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Wingate says, We are thrilled to welcome Delta Air Lines back to Gatwick. It means that we will expand furthermore our connectivity to the US.

Related: I Moved From The U.S. To London And Empower Women To Move Abroad

Photo Credit: Getty Images

35 flights a day!?

Thats right. According to the latest Cirium data, by May 1st, London to New York will reach 35 daily flights. Between May and August 2023, there will be 35 daily flights on more than eight out of ten days.

When can you book?

Starting May 1st, 2023, there will be 30 flights from London Heathrow and five from Gatwick.

JFK will have 25 London services and ten from Newark.

Gatwick to JFK

Next summer, the airport route will be serviced by four airlines. This gives travelers more opportunities and choices to travel from London to NYC than in the past decade.

Delta is delighted to be returning service to London Gatwick which is where we first started our flights from the UK to the United States over 40 years ago, says Delta Air Lines Vice President of Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India (EMEAI), Nicholas Ferri.

Ferri continues, Next summer our daily Gatwick to New York JFK flight will offer convenient options for those customers going to America on holiday or business.

Related: Queen Elizabeth IIs Monogram To Be Replaced By That Of King Charles III
Jeffery Moore (left) was appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners. Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners/Facebook; Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

A widely circulated photo appears to show Jeffery Moore in a Ku Klux Klan outfit.

Moore resigned from his post on the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners last week.

Sheriff Morris Young told Politico that Moore didn't deny it was him in the photo when questioned.

A Florida official appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis abruptly resigned on Friday after a photo that appeared to show him in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood surfaced.

Jeffery Moore was sworn in as a member of Gadsden County's board of county commissioners on August 3. DeSantis had appointed Moore, a resident of Havana and a former tax law specialist with the Florida Department of Revenue, to be a county commissioner in July.

The photo in question appears to show Moore dressed in Klan attire. It was posted on Twitter and circulated by popular left-leaning accounts like that of attorney and Marine veteran Ron Filipkowski.

Jeffery Moore, appointed by Desantis as County Commissioner in July to the only predominantly black county in FL, has resigned after photos surfaced showing him in a Klan outfit. pic.twitter.com/lHdjncihzZ  Ron Filipkowski  (@RonFilipkowski) September 27, 2022

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Moore sent his resignation letter to the governor's office on Friday.

"Please accept this notification of my resignation, effective this date of Sept. 23, 2022, from the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners," Moore wrote in the letter, per the Tallahassee Democrat. "Thank you for the opportunity to have served in the position, however for personal reasons I am no longer able to continue."

Meanwhile, Politico spoke to Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young, who said he approached Moore to ask if it was indeed him in the photo. Young said he first saw the picture on Tuesday and that Moore did not deny that it was him in the photo when questioned.

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"He never denied at all. Refuted nothing when I showed him the pictures," Young told Politico. "I thought he needed to resign, and I told him that."

The outlet spoke to a representative from DeSantis' office, who said that the governor's team was "in the middle of hurricane prep."

"I'm not aware of the photo you sent but Jeff did submit his resignation last week," Taryn Fenske, DeSantis' communications director, told Politico.

Moore and representatives at DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

Ron DeSantis was being exactly what a governor should be in an emergency during Tuesday mornings press conference about the approaching Hurricane Ian. He was the personification of calm and clarity as he stepped up to the podium at the State Emergency Operations Center.

Noting that the Category 3 hurricane was anticipated to land in Cuba very soon, DeSantis allowed that the scientists tracking the storm could not predict its exact course. But that did not prompt him to call the science itself into question. He spoke of the storms cone of uncertainty much as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo spoke of flattening the curve at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As recorded by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and reported by The Orlando Sentinel, 464 Floridians have been killed by tropical storm-related activity, or hurricanes, since 1991.

Thats 81,156 fewer than have been killed in the state by COVID since the start of 2020. More than 6,000 in Florida died from the virus over the summer, as DeSantis continued to denounce commonsense precautions such as masking indoors as COVID theater.

At the press conference, the same governor who has opposed COVID vaccine and mask mandates as threats to freedom voiced support for those counties that had issued emergency evacuation orders. He did not suggest that concerned local officials were infringing on anybodys liberties by instructing them to take sensible precautions in the face of a serious threat to life.

Our recommendation is to heed those evacuation orders, he advised.

DeSantis then offered a maxim that applies equally to a hurricane approaching land as it does to a cytokine storm in the immune system.

Mother nature is a very fearsome adversary, he noted.

When his constituents faced natures fearsomeness in the form of a virus, DeSantis dismissed mask wearing as virtue signaling. He appointed Dr. Joseph Ladapoan anti-mask vaccine skepticas Floridas surgeon general.

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DeSantis Demented Doc Is About to Get the Grilling He Deserves

At the same time, DeSantis denounced Dr. Anthony Fauci as a fraud. His campaign sold T-shirts saying Dont Fauci My Florida.

In the face of a hurricane, the counties that had issued a partial evacuation mandate included Hillsborough. This was where the governor mocked high-school students for engaging in COVID theater when they exercised their personal choice to wear a mask at an indoor DeSantis press event in March.

You do not want to put yourself in harms way unnecessarily, he now said. We want everyone to be safe.

To DeSantis right during the press conference stood Jared Perdue, secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT). That is the entity through which $12 million was run to finance DeSantis latest immigration theater. That included using bogus promises of jobs and housing to hustle migrants into boarding two charter flights from Texas to Marthas Vineyard. Similar trickery was reportedly used to recruit a third group of migrants for a flight from Texas to Delaware that was canceled at the last minute, as reported by the Miami Herald.

But those debased antics are apparently on hold thanks to the storm. Perdue was instead focused on keeping Florida highway traffic moving ahead of the hurricane and helping provide continued access for first responders and life-safety missions.

On DeSantis right was Major General James Eifert of the Florida National Guard. DeSantis deployed a number of the states guard members along with Florida law enforcement officers to the southern border in Texas last year in an earlier bit of immigration theater. He spared himself some embarrassment by withdrawing them before having to deploy 5,000 for the current hurricane emergency in Florida. Another 2,000 guard members are being sent to Florida from Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina.

DeSantis noted that the major threat to the state was not wind but a storm surge. He said an expected record surge could have a particular impact in Tampa Bay even if the city was no longer in the hurricanes bullseye.

This is going to be a very significant storm surge for a low-lying area, he said.

He sounded like a Dr. Fauci of weatherready to adapt to a changing threat in accordance with scientific dataas he reported that the solutions or trajectory predictions had been shifting.

DeSantis Rages About Little Elf Fauci: Grab Him and Chuck Him Across the Potomac

Yesterday evening, there were a lot of solutions bringing [the hurricane] right into Tampa Bay, DeSantis said. Now you have a lot of solutions bringing the landfall into the Sarasota area. Theres still uncertainty with where that exact landfall will be, but just understand the impacts are gonna be far, far broader than just where the eye of the store happens to make landfall.

He stated that however it goes, he and his team will have an ultimate objective.

Protect peoples lives, DeSantis said.

If only hed had the same goal when it came to COVID.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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UC Santa Cruz students move into a dormitory on Sept. 15.

Timothy Vidales was desperate for housing, so he applied to a Craigslist ad for a room in a warehouse in Santa Cruz. The room had neither amenities nor furniture, but it was listed for $800 per month by a landlord who suggested that the occupant bring a tent.

Vidales, an environmental science major at the University of California Santa Cruz, had already unsuccessfully applied to about 50 off-campus rooms as he looked for somewhere to live during the 2021-22 academic year. When he learned that the room from Craigslist was also already filled, he gave up.

Thats when I knew I was screwed, said Vidales, who decided to take a yearlong leave of absence from college.

Vidales is one of tens of thousands of students across Californias colleges and universities who struggle to find stable housing. About 5% of UC students, 10% of California State University students and 20% of California community college students report being homeless at some point during the academic year, according to a state Assembly report. But the problem extends beyond those who are homeless. Other students end up with expensive, crowded or inconveniently located housing.

Most UC and California State University campuses dont guarantee housing to students for four years, and some dont guarantee it for any years. Only about a dozen community colleges have on-campus housing at all.

State lawmakers have begun to respond to the crisis, which has existed for years amid soaring rents.

This years budget included $1.4 billion to build more student housing. That money is for housing projects at five UC campuses, nine CSU campuses and 12 community colleges.

Looking to call Tulare home?: An affordable 138-unit complex is underway in the city

At the same time, awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsoms signature is legislation that could make it easier for campuses to build housing on their own. Senate Bill 886 would exempt student housing projects built on land owned by UC, CSU or a community college from the California Environmental Quality Act. Recently, housing projects at campuses including UC Berkeley have been stalled by lawsuits citing CEQA.

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Building new housing, though, will take years to make an impact and does nothing for current students. Some campuses and students themselves have turned to short-term solutions for relief, from living in vans near campus to allowing students to sleep in their cars overnight in campus parking lots. Other campuses are looking to convert existing buildings into housing.

UCLA, meanwhile, announced Tuesday that it has purchased properties from Marymount California University in San Pedro and Rancho Palos Verdes, about 30 miles south of UCLAs main campus in Westwood. UCLA is still planning how it may use the sites, but it could accommodate an additional 1,000 students, some of whom could be housed on the campuses. Chancellor Gene Block said he hopes that some programs will be operating on the sites next year.

However its accomplished, campus officials, students and advocacy groups agree that the states colleges desperately need to keep expanding their housing. Research has shown that students living in campus housing are more successful than their peers.

They get better grades, they retain better, and theyre more likely to finish on time, said Leon Wyden, the vice president of finance and administrative services at CSU San Marcos, which is getting $91 million from the state to build new housing.

Expensive and lacking in supply

When Vidales started his leave of absence last fall, he took a full-time job with a financial firm based in Sacramento. He saved enough money for a car so he could get an apartment outside of Santa Cruz. This past spring, he signed a lease for an apartment thats a 25-minute drive from campus. Because parking availability on campus is so limited, he parks off campus and rides a bus to class.

Vidales acknowledges that his situation isnt ideal, but said hes looking forward to graduating and being able to focus on working.

Santa Cruz has a particularly dire housing crisis. The university currently has enough on-campus housing to accommodate just over 40% of its students. The rest are forced into the off-campus housing market, where supply is tight. The average vacancy rate in the area was 3% in 2018, according to an analysis commissioned by UCSC at the time, illustrating how few properties are available within the market.

A 2020 survey by UC found that almost 9% of Santa Cruz students are homeless, defined as someone who has lacked a safe place to sleep at some point over a 12-month period. Thats the highest rate across the systems nine undergraduate campuses.

This summer, Santa Cruz seniors Sam Walsh and Andre Assadi were searching for housing with friends. They applied to several places, but only one was promising: a four-bedroom home renting for $8,000 a month.

That was far more than they had hoped for, but they considered it because the start of the quarter was closing in. But the more they learned about the house, the less they liked it. According to Assadi, the place reeked of marijuana and was filled with stuff they didnt want. Theyd be paying for the garage even though the landlord wanted to keep her personal items there. And they were expected to pay property taxes.

They decided against renting it and eventually found a better deal: a 3,000-square-foot home for $7,000 per month divided between six roommates.

But the house has drawbacks, too. If they were to walk to campus, it would take them about three hours. A bike ride would take over an hour. Driving would take just 15 minutes, but on-campus finding parking is scarce. So were still having discussions on how well carpool to school or if well bike or if well take a bus that comes a couple times a day, Walsh said.

The process has been discouraging for Assadi, who said he would absolutely not have attended Santa Cruz if he had known how difficult it would be to find housing.

Other UC campuses also suffer from housing shortages. UC Berkeley has enough on-campus housing for only about 20% of its students. At the same time, Berkeley has been asked by lawmakers to increase its enrollment of California residents. At last weeks UC board of regents meeting, regent Jay Sures said that expectation may be unrealistic.

I think were going to have to get real here about this conversation of, on one hand, increasing enrollment and bringing more students to Berkeley, and on the other hand, we have no place to put them, Sures said.

More: California Gov. Newsom signs laws to fast-track millions of new homes in idle commercial sites

At CSU, the nations largest public university system with about 480,000 students, only 10% of them are housed on CSU campuses. CSU estimates that 32,700 students need housing assistance. Plus 14,900 students who lack stable housing need to be subsidized, and an additional 8,900 low-income students who dont graduate within six years would be able to finish sooner with subsidized housing.

The vast geography and demographics of the 23-campus system mean that theres considerable variability across the campuses. For example, CSU Monterey Bay houses about 41% of its students, while Fresno State mostly serves commuter students, according to a legislative report by the system released earlier this month.

In many CSU communities, housing available off-campus is often overpriced, especially compared with on-campus housing, according to a CSU report to the Legislature.

The campus-by-campus nature of the issue is similar at UC, with each campus left largely to its own devices to deal with its housing crunch.

Student parents need housing too

Maria Linares, a CSU Fullerton graduate student, rents a two-bedroom apartment for herself and her three children. A single mom, she is currently going through a divorce and relies on her income to pay expenses. She pays $2,900 a month in rent and about $160 in utilities.

I barely make enough to cover the rent, Linares said. Some months Ive had to choose between paying the rent and my car payment.

When Linares first enrolled as an undergraduate on the Fullerton campus in 2017, she searched unsuccessfully for on-campus options for students with children.

Linares isnt alone. As a member of the campus student government, she heard from students that there are not enough affordable housing options.

Many struggle to stay in college because they cannot afford to live near the campus or on campus, so they end up dropping out of college and moving back home, she said.

For student parents like Linares, finding on-campus housing is especially difficult because most on-campus units are traditional dorms that arent viable for families, said Su Jin Gatlin Jez, the executive director of California Competes. She said she hopes that as campuses build more housing, theyll consider the needs of student parents who may prefer non-traditional student housing such as apartments.

Student housing is already relatively rare at Californias community colleges. Only 11 out of 116 campuses offer housing of any kind.

A few campuses are already planning to build housing specifically for families. Among the community colleges that received grants to build housing in this years budget, three of them  Fresno City College, Napa Valley College, and Cosumnes River College  are using the funds to build affordable family housing. About 1 of every 10 community college students who apply for financial aid are parents, according to UC Daviss Wheelhouse research center.

In Fresno, the 75-unit project is expected to cost more than $34 million and will include studios, two bedroom/two bath and three bedroom/three bath apartments. Occupancy will be aimed at the lowest-income single students and students with families, according to plans from State Center Community College District, Fresno City Colleges parent district. A 3,500-square-foot multi-use center is also part of the project. But the project isnt expected to be completed until 2024-25.

If (the new housing) were actually affordable, then it would benefit me, said Frankie Whited, who now rents for $500 from her parents but is looking forward to becoming more independent. Im tired of looking into apartments, but it would cost me $1,800 at the end of the month, and thats not affordable at all with my minimum wage part-time job. Even affordable housing in Fresno isnt affordable.

State Center trustee Annalisa Perea, who also works as a city planner, said the district doesnt have a site yet and is going to have to get creative about where to build.

At the end of the day, were going to have to build vertical, because we cant go horizontal, at least at Fresno City College, she said. The campus is already constructing new buildings in the spaces around its main campus, which is in the middle of a city plagued by urban sprawl.

Perea said the college has pushed for state money specifically to accommodate student parents.

A big segment of our population is older individuals that are coming back to school to either upskill or learn a new skill. In many cases, our older students have families, they have partners and children. So I think its important to be accommodating and to be cognizant of who it is that we are serving  and in many cases, its students with families.

Finding solutions

Across campuses in recent decades, students have advocated for more support with alternative forms of housing. At UC Santa Cruz, for example, the university-owned Camper Park housing, where students live in a campground, began as a student-led protest of sorts in 1983. Students who had trouble finding housing on or near campus began living in their vehicles, some of them camper vans, while parked on a campus lot.

By the following year, the university had agreed to allow the students to remain on the lot if they paid $115 per month to rent the space. Decades later, in 2016, the university replaced the existing trailers and vehicles with 42 university-issued mobile homes that now cost between $695 and $775 per month. Students who live there have access to restrooms, showers, laundry facilities and a lounge/study room.

Other campuses have tried finding short-term housing solutions.

In Southern California, Long Beach City College recently piloted a program that allows to apply to sleep in their vehicles overnight in an on-campus parking lot that came with a security guard, easy access to restrooms and showers and electrical outlets.

We dont look at this as a long-term solution, Michael Munoz, the colleges interim superintendent-president, told EdSource when the program began in 2021. This is really a transitional solution. And so we kind of case-manage these students in as quickly as possible and transition them to more stable forms of housing.

While overnight parking for students is not an option at every campus, it has the potential to temporarily alleviate stress for students. It especially helps students who would otherwise have to live in their vehicles on residential streets where they may incur pushback from residents and law enforcement.

Nontraditional housing seems like something thats underexplored. Its unfortunate that that stigma exists, said Christian Miley, a UC Santa Cruz graduate who had a tough time finding housing and spent two months sleeping in a tent in the woods near campus. Im sure thered be a lot of issues that would have to be figured out with something like that, but we just tend to build more of the same stuff that doesnt really seem to be working or delivering the benefits that people need.

Building new housing

The $1.4 billion in housing grants being distributed across the state provide campuses a rare opportunity to build new, affordable housing, said Wyden, the CSU San Marcos official.

Typically, when campuses want to build new housing, they have to borrow money to do so, which is more expensive, Wyden said. Those costs are inevitably passed on to students.

But when you dont have to borrow money, then you dont have to pay interest costs, and then all of that flows down to reduce the cost for our students, he added.

More: California giving families up to $1,500 in CalKIDS cash for Scholarshare 529

The Legislature awarded CSU $492.5 million as part of the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program to build 3,099 affordable beds at nine campuses. The system is also providing about $269 million in matching funds. CSU estimates that, based on construction projects scheduled from 2022 through 2025, an additional 4,600 beds will emerge. The system also plans nearly 10,000 more beds for 2026 and beyond to come from new or expanded housing.

The housing grants are especially helpful to the 12 community colleges that are getting a total of $546.7 million in grants, the most of the three systems. Historically, community colleges have been underfunded compared with UC and CSU campuses, and building housing hasnt been an option, said Theresa Tena, vice president of administration at Cosumnes River College.

This investment from the state changes that, Tena said. Cosumnes River College received a $44 million grant and plans to begin construction in December, with the goal of opening the 92-unit complex in fall 2024.

When campuses have tried to build housing on their own, they have sometimes encountered obstacles.

Two housing projects at UC Berkeley have recently been delayed by lawsuits. One of them, the Upper Hearst project, would add 225 beds. But the project was stalled after a neighborhood group sued the university, citing CEQA and saying the campus hadnt considered the environmental impacts of the project. That lawsuit led to a court-ordered enrollment freeze at Berkeley last year. Lawmakers and Newsom saved Berkeley from enrollment cuts, but the housing project remains delayed.

A separate Berkeley housing project, at Peoples Park, was also halted by court order last month, which also stemmed from a lawsuit citing CEQA.

Its very frustrating, said Dan Mogulof, a UC Berkeley spokesman. Its frustrating because of the delay and expense. Its frustrating because theres an urgent need.

CEQA lawsuits have also been brought against housing projects at UCs San Diego and Santa Cruz campuses, as well as against UC Daviss Aggie Square project, which the campus is billing as an innovation hub on its Sacramento campus that will be home to research facilities, classrooms and student housing. Despite the lawsuit, construction on Aggie Square began in June, and campus officials say the project is on track to open in 2024.

New legislation could help campuses avoid lawsuits in the future. By exempting student housing projects from CEQA, SB 886 could allow campuses to fast-track housing projects.

Using CEQA to delay or halt student and faculty housing projects has greatly impacted California campuses, increasing the cost of living in and around campuses, pushing thousands of students and staff into housing insecurity or homelessness, state Sen. Scott Wieners office said in a statement. Wiener, D-San Francisco, is the author of the bill, which was approved by both chambers of the Legislature and now awaits a decision from Newsom, who has until Friday to sign or veto the bill.

In the meantime, campuses will look for additional solutions. At Berkeley, that means examining property it already owns and converting existing spaces into housing. Mogulof said the campus is looking at everything from tennis courts to parking lots to administrative buildings as potential sites for housing projects.

We have our work cut out for us, but thats how urgent it is, Mogulof said.

More college news: Cal State turns to the Legislature for faculty and staff pay increases

Michael Burke is based in Los Angeles and among other topics writes about higher education.

Ashley A. Smith covers postsecondary education and success and other education reforms.

Betty Marquez Rosales is based in the Bay Area and covers juvenile justice, youth homelessness and other education topics.

Ashleigh Panoo covers education in California's Central Valley.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Dire California student housing shortage in search of solutions
Full-day universal pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds is being considered by Department of Defense officials, one of several efforts under way that would open learning opportunities for more military children through the Department of Defense Education Activity.

Other efforts include an ongoing pilot program that allows some military children living outside the installation to apply to attend on-base DoD schools in the continental U.S.; and a pilot program that allows military children in rural areas to apply for the DoDEA Virtual High School.

A decision from DoD leadership is expected within a few weeks on DoDEAs proposal to offer free, full-day pre-kindergarten for all 4-year-old children on installations with DoDEA schools, said Thomas Brady, director of DoDEA, in a recent interview with Military Times.

Their proposal asks for the authority and funds to offer the universal pre-kindergarten. Im very heartened by the fact that its gotten positive and thoughtful comments in the process as we have gone through the bureaucracy, he said, noting that senior leadership in DoDs personnel and readiness division are big advocates for DoDEA universal pre-K.

Details would have to be worked out on where and how the 4-year-old pre-K would be offered, and how DoDEA would work with on-base child development centers and family child care homes, which offer programs for 4-year-olds. One source said it could be a combination of locations, with DoDEA elementary schools being the likely location for 4-year-olds overseas.

Military family advocates have supported pre-kindergarten for military children. The Biden administrations proposal to offer universal pre-kindergarten for all 3- and 4-year old American children failed to make it into law this year. But advocates noted that the proposed legislation wouldnt have included DoDEA schools.

Our goal is to get universal pre-k for OCONUS DoD schools, then ensure its available to CONUS, said Jen Goodale, director of military family policy and spouse programs for the Military Officers Association of America.

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She said MOAA is reaching out to the military school liaisons and to child and youth program directors, to get their input about universal pre-k. These school liaisons are links between military parents, installation leaders and education officials on base and in the local communities.

Supporters of universal pre-k contend that high-quality, earlier education can make a positive difference in a childs future. Some states have pre-kindergarten programs, but its a patchwork of different programs and eligibility. There has been some concern about the impact on staffing, enrollment and fee structures of child development centers.

Students' scores in DoD schools among highest in the nation, report says

Universal pre-K for 4-year-olds could extend beyond the gates of the installation and eligibility to attend DoDEA schools. Brady said DoD officials have asked how the program could be expanded to installations nationwide, so that military children in areas where there are no DoDEA schools would have access to the program. A decision hasnt been made yet, but there could possibly be a study on how to expand universal pre-K to military children across the board, he said.

Our position is that we fully support it  but we have an opportunity to do it for DoDEA. Lets go ahead and start that, and then assist in how we can do it in other places, Brady said.

There has long been a critical shortage of child care for military families in many locations. If a DoDEA program were open to all 4-year-old military children, it could fill some of the need for families, said Caitlin Hamon, deputy director for government relations of the National Military Family Association.

There are a lot of benefits to early education, she said. Many military child development centers are already overwhelmed. This provides another venue for child education and child care, she said, adding it also provides some stability and continuity in education for mobile military children.

DoDEA operates 160 schools in 11 foreign countries, seven states, Guam and Puerto Rico, with more than 66,000 students. The vast majority of military children in the United States attend schools off post.

A child receives a welcoming high-five during opening day at Dexter Elementary School on Fort Benning, Georgia. (DoDEA)

Pilot program allows more military kids in DoDEA schools

A pilot program allowing children of active duty members who live off base to apply to attend on-base DoDEA schools is going strong, Brady said. Its being tested at four of the 13 installations in the U.S. where DoDEA operates schools for military children. Normally, the schools are open only to military children who live on the installation. Parents in the pilot program provide the transportation to and from schools for their children.

Its no surprise that its been remarkably well-received, said Brady. The pilot program started in 2021 with Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and has expanded to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Virginia.

Officials havent yet determined whether the program will be expanded to other locations.

Prudently, we have to finish the pilot and then have to figure how many additional resources it would take to expand it to other installations in the U.S., because quite frankly, its very, very expensive, Brady said. Wed have to have full support from the services, and wed have to request that we continue this expansion.

Right now were very pleased. Were getting some very good statistics of interest, so then we go to the next step, which is do the services want this expanded, and are we willing to pay to get these additional resources to make it happen.

There are limitations on how many children can be accepted because of space and the number of teachers they can hire, he said.

At Maxwell AFB, there were 330 applications from military parents wanting their children to attend, and so far theyve approved 113, Brady said. At Camp Lejeune, there were 465 applications, and 141 have received approval. The takeaway is that were delighted that we have quality schools that parents are comfortable with sending their children, Brady said.

NMFAs Hamon said shes heard positive comments from military families about the pilot program.

DoDEA has a set of education standards much more aligned across the board. So no matter where they PCS, families can get continuity of education. She recently attended an event for school liaison officers, and they were raving about the pilot program, so they seem to be happy with it, as well.

Offering DoDEA virtual high school to more military kids

Another ongoing pilot program is allowing military children in rural areas or who are home-schooled to enroll in DoDEAs Virtual High School. There are currently 40 students enrolled in the Expanded Eligibility Pilot Program, with 50 course enrollments. Students are limited to two courses per academic year. The most popular courses are foreign languages, computer software coding and Advanced Placement courses. Students dont have to be connected to an installation where theres a DoDEA school, and theyre currently located across the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, Texas and Louisiana. The pilot programs definition of rural is tied to the definition in a federal housing law, based on population and other factors.

The virtual high school serves students in grades 9 through 12. This pilot program is for students who arent currently eligible to enroll in the virtual high school and require extra courses to meet graduation requirements in their current state, or otherwise demonstrate a clear need to participate in the virtual high school program.

Its pretty interesting. Were keeping an eye on this one, Brady said.
NEW YORK  Former President Donald Trump may get immunity after all in a defamation case brought against him by writer E. Jean Carroll, who has accused him of rape.

A Federal appeals panel on Tuesday reversed a lower court ruling that found Trump was not acting in his presidential capacity in June 2019, when he called Carroll a liar after she alleged he forced himself on her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman.

In October 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan decided Carroll could sue Trump as a private citizen, not as president, which would make Trump solely responsible for any damages.

But the Justice Department appealed on the grounds that Trump was a government employee when he made the remarks and was entitled to immunity.

Tuesdays ruling also kicks the case to the D.C. Court of Appeals to issue a final decision. If they rule in Carrolls favor, the case will head to trial in February.

The 2-to-1 majority did not state whether they believe Trump raped Carroll or defamed her. But in his dissent, Justice Denny Chin made his feelings clear.

(T)he comment shes not my type surely is not something one would expect the president of the United States to say in the course of his duties, reads Chins dissent. Carrolls allegations plausibly paint a picture of a man pursuing a personal vendetta against an accuser, not the United States chief constitutional officer.

Carroll brought the libel suit after accusing Trump of raping her in the Midtown department store in the mid-90s. Trump insisted that she is lying and that she is not my type, when the allegations came out.

The Justice Department said last summer that it would continue to represent Trump in the case. Its lawyers have taken the position that its not the conduct it seeks to protect him from but a federal employees right to be shielded from lawsuits.

Trump lawyer Alina Habba said allowing the the Justice Department to represent him would let future presidents effectively govern without hindrance.

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Carrolls lawyer Roberta Kaplan said she was confident that the D.C. panel would take her side. She said its more important now than ever to hold presidents legally accountable.

The world was a very different place when this case was briefed and argued back in December 2021. At that time, Judge Calabresi used the hypothetical of a president injuring an innocent bystander while playing golf, she told the New York Daily News.

Today, given what we now know happened on Jan. 6, courts have to be concerned about something that was previously unimaginable  namely, a president taking actions as part of a plan to overturn our democracy.

Carroll plans to sue Trump on Nov. 24 for sexual assault under the Adult Survivors Act.


The man who fatally struck Gone Girl actress Lisa Banes in a hit-and-run accident last year has pled guilty to manslaughter charges, according to the Associated Press.

Brian Boyd, 27, pled guilty to fleeing the scene of an accident and second degree manslaughter charges on Wednesday, over a year after hitting Banes with his electric scooter while she was crossing the street in New York City in June 2021.

The actress, who was on her way to meet her wife at the time of the incident, suffered a traumatic brain injury from the collision and remained in critical condition until her death on June 14. She was 65.

Lisa Banes

Larry Busacca/Getty Images Lisa Banes died in June 2021.

Boyd, who fled the scene, was arrested weeks later, per the outlet. He is expected to be sentenced to one to three years in prison, which the news agency noted was "less than the three to nine years" sentence that Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors had argued.

Banes appeared in multiple hit television, film, and stage productions throughout her acting career. The Juilliard alum made appearances in One Life to Live, China Beach, Royal Pains, Madam Secretary, NCIS, Cocktail, and Nashville, but was best known for her role as the mom of Rosamund Pike's character Amy in the 2014 thriller Gone Girl.

After Banes' death, her manager, David Williams, remarked on her "tragic and senseless passing" in a statement to NBC.

"She was a woman of great spirit, kindness and generosity and dedicated to her work," Williams said. "Whether on stage or in front of a camera and even more so to her wife, family and friends. We were blessed to have had her in our lives."

Boyd's sentencing is set for Nov. 30.

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By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Elon Musk's lawyers urged a federal appeals court to throw out a provision in his 2018 consent decree with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requiring a Tesla Inc lawyer to vet some of his posts on Twitter.

In a brief filed late on Tuesday with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, lawyers for Musk called the pre-approval mandate a "government-imposed muzzle" that inhibited and chilled his lawful speech on a broad range of topics.

They also said the requirement violated the U.S. Constitution, and undermined public policy by running "contrary to the American principles of free speech and open debate."

The SEC declined to comment on Wednesday. It is expected to file its own brief with the appeals court.

Musk wants to overturn part of an April 27 decision by U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman that rejected his bid to throw out the consent decree altogether.

Liman said Musk's arguments amounted to a "bemoaning" of requirements he no longer wanted to adhere to now that "his company has become, in his estimation, all but invincible."

Musk, 51, is worth $259.8 billion, nearly twice as much as anyone else, Forbes magazine said on Wednesday.

The decree resolved a lawsuit accusing Musk of defrauding investors with a Aug. 7, 2018 tweet that he had "funding secured" to take his electric car company private, though a buyout was not close. Musk has said the tweet was truthful.

In settling, Musk agreed to let a Tesla lawyer screen tweets that might contain material information about the company.

He and Tesla each also paid $20 million in civil fines, and Musk gave up his role as Tesla chairman.

But the SEC later opened a probe and subpoenaed documents concerning Musk's and Tesla's compliance, after Musk asked his followers in a Nov. 6, 2021 tweet whether he should sell 10% of his Tesla stake to cover tax bills on stock options.

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In Tuesday's filing, Musk's lawyers said it was time to rein in the SEC, which is keeping him under "constant threat" it might reject his view of which disclosures require pre-approval.

"Under the shadow of the consent decree, the SEC has increasingly surveilled, policed, and attempted to curb Mr. Musks protected speech that does not touch upon the federal securities laws," the lawyers wrote. "Any objective served by the pre-approval provision has been served."

Musk is separately trying to abandon his April agreement to buy Twitter for $44 billion, saying the company misled him by downplaying the number of fake accounts.

Twitter has sued Musk to force him to complete the merger at the agreed-upon price, which is 23% higher than where its shares closed on Tuesday. An Oct. 17 nonjury trial is scheduled in Delaware Chancery Court.

The case is Musk v SEC, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 22-1291.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Christopher Cushing and Nick Zieminski)
Satellite images have given a rare glimpse into the resurgence of fighting in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, one of the world's most hidden conflicts, where communications have been cut off and journalists denied permission to visit.

The images taken this month show the build-up of troops and military hardware along Ethiopia's border with Eritrea.

They belong to the Ethiopian federal forces and their Eritrean allies who are both fighting the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls most of the region.

The images taken this month show the build-up of troops and military hardware along Ethiopia's border with Eritrea, which backs Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the group that controls the region.

Eritrea recently mobilised its reserve forces for a reported offensive in Tigray.

Fighting reignited in August after a five-month humanitarian ceasefire broke down.

The United Nations' World Food Programme estimates that 13 million people need aid across northern Ethiopia because of the civil war.

These images were taken on 26 September of the north-western town of Shiraro, which had been in the hands of the Tigrayans until it was taken over by pro-government forces earlier this month.

The image above shows the main road leaving the town heading east.

Tanks are positioned on the main road in the bottom left. Maiani Hospital can be seen in the top right. This opened in 2014 with surgical rooms, an obstetrics department, X-ray facilities and 35 beds.

What appears to be about 150 people, probably fighters, are organised in a formation or queue stretching from the entrance back to the main road.

Last year, reports suggested the hospital was badly damaged.

The charity MSF said in March 2021 that its teams had found health facilities across the region - including Maiani hospital - "looted, vandalised and destroyed in a deliberate and widespread attack".

Of 106 centres they visited, only 13% were working normally. MSF said, "While some looting may have been opportunistic, health facilities in most areas appear to have been deliberately vandalised to make them non-functional."

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Destroyed hospital

The BBC has spoken to a senior aid worker in the town of Shire, which is 95km (60 miles) east of Shiraro. He says about 210,000 people have fled Shiraro and the surrounding areas to Shire since 1 September.

"For one week [in August] before the people left the town, there was continuous shelling, it was 24 hours, continuous," he told the BBC.

We have hidden the aid worker's identity for his safety.

He told the BBC that according to those fleeing, as well as his staff who had been posted to Shiraro, Maiani Hospital was now in the hands of Eritrean and Ethiopian government forces.

On 13 September, before the latest satellite images were taken, the head of the Tigrayan Forces, General Tedesse Werede, told local media that "the joint Eritrean and Ethiopian army in Shiraro have taken control of areas from Shiraro to Ademeiti".

It is not clear who is currently in charge of Shiraro - the aid worker in Shire told the BBC reports of who is control change day by day.

Less than a kilometre south of the hospital lies what Maxar, the company which released the images, identifies as "towed artillery in firing positions".

What the artillery is aimed at is unclear.

There has been no comment from the Eritrean or Ethiopian governments about their reported presence in Shiraro.

But last week, the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa told journalists that the US was concerned about Eritrean troops crossing into Ethiopia and that it "must stop".

"We've been tracking Eritrean troops movements across the border. The presence of Eritrean troops in Ethiopia only serves to complicate matters and to inflame an already tragic situation," Mike Hammer said.

Six kilometres (four miles) away from Shiraro, Maxar captured a long line of about 45 vehicles. They appear to include a number of buses and to be heading towards the town.

Five kilometres further down the road is another, smaller group of about 20 military vehicles and buses, also travelling towards Shiraro.

This is the Adi Goshu road which leads from Shiraro to western Tigray's biggest town, Humera, and then, ultimately, to Eritrea, which is about 180km (110 miles) away - about a three-hour drive.

Western Tigray has been under the control of Ethiopian government forces and their allies since the start of the conflict at the end of 2020.

Here, in a position off the road near Shiraro, the satellite image indicates buses and vehicles of the same type seen in the previous image on Adi Goshu Road parked next to and between some buildings.

By the morning after these images were taken, satellite photos of the same position no longer show the vehicles - suggesting they had moved location.

This tallies with reports from people who have fled Shire that positions in town are shifting between opposing forces.

According to an internal document from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs seen by the BBC, at least 10 people had been killed by fighting in and around Shiraro by 14 September.

Like the senior aid worker, it says 210,000 people have fled the area, including 45,000 internally displaced people who had previously fled western Tigray.

Map showing Eritrea and Ethiopia

Maxar also released images taken on 19 September around the town of Serha, in Eritrea, which lies just one kilometre from Ethiopia, just across the border from the town of Zalambessa.

The day after these images were taken, the Tigray authorities said in a statement that Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki had "mobilised Eritrea's entire army, and reservists and militia, launching massive offensives via Zalambessa", among other locations.

Maxar identified this as an M-46 field gun battery, positioned to the north of the town of Serha.

A little further south, next to a cemetery, Maxar identified this as an S21 SP howitzer battery. The tracks left in the ground as they took up their positions are clearly visible in the earth to the left of the image.

And much closer to the Ethiopian border, Maxar identified this as the main battle tank deployment. These positions are within one kilometre of the border - from here, you could walk to Ethiopia in about 15 minutes.

Images by Maxar Technologies Inc
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union is considering adding shipping restrictions to its oil sanctions as the bloc continues to discuss the introduction of a price cap on Russian oil, according to people familiar with the matter.

Most Read from Bloomberg

A shipping ban would prohibit EU ships from transporting Russian oil sold above an agreed threshold. Greece is by far the worlds largest oil-tanker owning nation.

The EUs current oil sanctions, which were agreed in June, include an embargo on Russian seaborne oil, a ban on providing services -- such as insurance, brokering and financing -- needed to transport oil around the world and exemptions for pipeline deliveries. That package is due to come into force in December for seaborne crude and in early 2023 for refined petroleum products.

Shipping was excluded from the previous package after pressure from shipping nations, including Greece and Cyprus, meaning that vessels that arent reliant on EU services could in theory continue to transport Russian oil outside the bloc.

The inclusion of shipping, which was first reported by Politico, would be needed to avoid any potential loopholes and align the price cap with the Group of Seven, one of the people said. Greek-managed ships have continued to transport Russian coal to non-EU countries even after the blocs sanctions on the commodity came into force.

G-7 ministers endorsed a cap on the price of Russian oil earlier this month following a push from the US aimed at keeping global oil prices in check while also hitting Moscows revenues.

The EU would need to change its earlier sanctions to allow for shipping and services to continue within an agreed price cap, the people said. Those changes would need the backing of all 27 member states to go through. Other G-7 members -- including the UK, which houses a significant segment of the insurance industry -- would adopt similar measures.

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Several details still need to be ironed out, including at what price the allies would set the cap, the people said. The previously adopted EU restrictions enter into force on Dec. 5, but could affect physical oil trading well before then because of the time it takes to hire vessels and get cargoes to their destinations.

In June, the blocs 27 nations spent weeks haggling over the terms of the current measures.

EU countries that won exemptions for oil received through pipelines are likely to want to ensure that those remain intact, while nations that import via the sea could raise concerns about an uneven playing field, one of the people said. Shipping nations could also look for ways to protect their industries, the person added. Hungary has also said it wouldnt support any more energy sanctions.

It remains unclear how effective a price-cap regime would be, particularly since some of Russias biggest buyers, including China and India, havent agreed to join. US officials have argued that the price cap could work even if many buyers dont officially join the coalition, since they could still use the system for leverage in contract negotiations with Moscow to negotiate lower prices.

Separately, EU nations are also discussing this week imposing new sanctions on Russia, including further restrictions on electronics and technology exports.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
The European Space agency plans to explore space-based solar power through its Solaris program (ESA)

The European Space Agency has unveiled a plan to test the viability of space-based solar power in order to address the urgent need for new renewable energy sources.

The Solaris program will involve new studies and technology developments, with the aim of making Europe a global leader in this untapped energy resource.

The concept of harvesting the Suns energy in space and beaming it back down to Earth has been discussed for decades, with the US government granting the Department of Energy and Nasa $50 million between 1978 and 1986 to investigate how feasible it would be.

There have since been major advances in high-efficiency solar cells, wireless power transmission and robotic in-orbit assembly that have led several national space agencies to renew interest in the idea.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the China Academy for Space Technology (CAST) are both actively pursuing the goal, though significant uncertainties and technical challenges still need to be overcome.

Research also needs to be done into whether or not the effects of low-power microwaves on human and animal health are benign.

These are the kind of technical questions that Solaris will look into, to explore further the feasibility of the concept, said Sanjay Vijendran, ESAs lead for the Solaris proposal.

As an added plus, any breakthroughs achieved in these areas will be valuable in their own right, applicable to many other spaceflight endeavours.

An artists impression of a receiving rectenna on the ground (ESA)

ESAs Solaris program will be presented at the ESA Council at Ministerial Level in November, with the hope that a full development program can be set up by 2025.

Through Solaris, Europe would extend the technological state-of-art in a diverse set of key technologies relevant to applications both on Earth and in space, ESA wrote in a statement.

It would ensure that Europe becomes a key player and potentially leader  in the international race towards scalable clean energy solutions for mitigating climate change.
U.S. and European officials are increasingly pointing toward sabotage as the cause of two explosions that caused massive leaks from natural gas pipelines out of Russia  and gauging whether the incidents are a new warning from Moscow about the continents energy supplies heading into winter.

U.S. officials downplayed the potential for immediate impacts from the explosions in the Baltic Sea, even as gas prices rose in Europe and leaders there asked whether attacks on other critical fuel infrastructure could be coming. The leaks hit the Nord Stream I pipeline, which has been shut down completely since early September, and its planned twin Nord Stream II, which never went into service amid worries that it would worsen Europe's dependence on Russian natural gas.

Everybody should be on high alert, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Wednesday while attending a conference in Vienna, Austria, according to Bloomberg. Asked whether that alert should include additional precautions for U.S. natural gas shipments to Europe, she said: Of course."

In a statement Wednesday, the Council of the European Union promised a "robust and united response" to the incidents, adding that "all available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act."

The EU statement did not name a suspected culprit, but some others in Europe were less reticent in blaming Russia as the most likely cause of the pipeline ruptures, which created a massive methane leak under the Baltic Sea after being detected Monday.

"An unnoticed, conspiratorial damage to pipelines at a depth of 80 meters in the Baltic Sea requires sophisticated technical and organizational capabilities that clearly point to a state actor," Gerhard Schindler, former president of the German Federal Intelligence Service, told the German media outlet Welt. "Only Russia can really be considered for this, especially since it stands to gain the most from this act of sabotage."

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Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has called the incidents a terrorist attack planned by Russia."

Other government officials and analysts said that while the investigation into the leaks continues, a major focus has to be the safety of other critical energy infrastructure in both the U.S. and Europe.

Everyone is assessing the situation and taking it from the angle of, If Russia was behind this, why?'" Olga Khakova, deputy director for European energy security at the Atlantic Council, said in an interview. She added: "Is this a threat to other infrastructure in Europe? And then, Whats next?'"



The U.S. and Europe must continue coordination and ready sanctions against Russia in case it is found responsible, she said. The threat of a cyberattack on U.S. and European infrastructure that could disrupt water flows and treatment, gas delivery and electricity remains high, she said.

We still dont know 100 percent that Russia was responsible, Khakova said. But everything is pointing to Russia being behind this.

Asked for comment Wednesday, the White House National Security Council pointed to a tweet from national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who said Tuesday that the U.S. "is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europes energy security."



During a Tuesday news briefing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken downplayed the incident's impacts on European energy supply. U.S. energy companies are shipping liquefied natural gas to Europe as part of an effort to make up for supply disruptions caused by Russia's war on Ukraine, though that effort is hampered by limited capacity, and the U.S. is working with allies to ensure as much spare LNG as possible is heading to European shores.

My understanding is the leaks will not have a significant impact on Europes energy resilience, Blinken said. Were working to continue to surge LNG supplies to Europe in cooperation with global partners, including in the Indo-Pacific.

Some energy security veterans said the motives behind the leaks are not hard to discern.

David Goldwyn, who ran the State Departments energy program under former President Barack Obama, said it was unequivocal that Russia was behind the attack, noting it executed something similar on a gas pipeline in Turkmenistan in 2009.

Russias message is clear, Goldwyn added: Prepare for a life without Russian gas. ... Its a threat of a complete cut-off.

The leak "definitely is putting additional things on the table" for an EU energy ministers' summit scheduled for Friday, an EU official said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive information on the continent's energy strategy.

The official said the EU already has significantly curbed its use of Russian gas, which has dropped to 9 percent of the bloc's imports, down from 40 percent before the war. The EU has surpassed its gas storage goals for the winter, shifted energy consumption to off-peak hours and is regularly engaging gas suppliers.



That said, the official acknowledged, the leak has caused everyone to wonder "how low can we go in order to survive the winter?" And, the person said, the continent is weighing strategies for "the long game" on living without Russian gas.

"In a moment of crisis there already has been some very, very important pivoting from all corners," the official said. This is going to add another layer of resolution behind all of the actions that are already happening.

What the disabling of the pipelines will mean for markets is still up in the air. The explosions bring the pipelines out of commission for the foreseeable future, removing what had been a potential source of natural gas into Europe upon its eventual restart. That makes it much more unlikely that global natural gas prices fall anytime soon, market analysts said.

European natural gas prices had fallen to almost $50 per million British thermal units earlier in the week, according to European analyst firm Rystad Energy  substantially lower than they had been in recent weeks but still eight times the price in the United States. But they have since started increasing again on the news of the damage to the Nord Stream pipelines.

We cannot expect prices to drop any time soon  at least not until we see some form of improvement in supply, Rystad vice president Emily McClain said in an analysts note.

Benchmark U.S. natural gas prices were up 3 percent as of Wednesday afternoon, though they are still down from last week amid worries about a slowing economy.

U.S. liquefied natural gas exporters are sending 60 percent of their cargoes into Europe to offset the loss of Russian gas to Germany and other countries. But export plants are already running as fast as they can, and Freeport LNG, one of the largest suppliers of natural gas into Europe, remains offline until at least November after suffering an explosion earlier this year.

With one less pipeline available to bring natural gas to western Europe, the region will depend even more on imported gas and cause prices for that commodity to rise, said Charlie Riedl, head of the trade association Center for Liquefied Natural Gas.

It will clearly impact prices in Europe and further increase the global price of gas, Riedl said in a text message. Trading companies will likely flow all cargoes to Europe given the price.
Two Republican lawmakers from the Committee of Education and Labor called for an inquiry Wednesday into Oberlin Colleges religion studies professor Mohammad Jafar Mahallati due to his reported ties with the worlds worst state-sponsor of terrorism, the Islamic Republic of Iran and his alleged role in the cover-up of a massacre of up to 5,000 Iranian political prisoners, Fox News Digital can exclusively report.

"Mr. Mahallatis current association with and his open loyalty to the Iranian regime causes serious national security concerns. It also puts into question Oberlins reporting of foreign funding: any omissions from this report would violate section 117 of the Higher Education Act, "wrote Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind and Rep Virginia Foxx, R-NC in a letter to Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar and Oberlins Board of Trustees.

Fox News Digital obtained the three-page letter.

According to the letter, there are questions "whether the Iranian regime played a role in his [Mahallati] employment at Oberlin and whether federal taxpayer dollars should be provided to a college that goes to such great lengths to protect and defend an Iranian regime affiliate."

Former Iranian Ambassador to the UN Mohammad Mahallati, who is now a professor at Oberlin College, is accused of allegedly being part of a cover-up involving the massacre of up to 5,000 political prisoners in 1988. Photo by Bill Foley/Time & Life Pictures

OHIO BAKERY CELEBRATES DEFAMATION WIN OVER OBERLIN, VOWS TO REBUILD WHAT FALSE ACCUSATIONS OF RACISM DESTROYED

The congressional members' probe plunged Oberlin College management into new chaos after the college experienced a humiliating legal defeat against the community Gibsons Bakery following accusations of racism.

"Just this month Oberlin had to pay $36 million for defaming a local bakery with false accusations of racism. Oberlin has a track record of politically motivated dishonesty and cant be trusted to give an honest assessment of Mahallatis past. Our concerns have nothing to do with academic freedom or unorthodox viewstheyre about Mahallatis past and his apparent leading role in covering up the Iranian regimes atrocities. Id like to thank Ranking Member Foxx for her commitment to investigating higher educations ties to hostile foreign regimes when Republicans retake the majority, "Republican Study Committee Chairman Banks told Fox News Digital.

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The congressional letter stated "Mr. Mahallatis connections with one of Americas chief adversaries are not a secret. Indeed, Mr. Mahallati served as Irans Ambassador to the United Nations from 1987 to 1989. During his tenure, the Iranian government carried out a systematic extermination of political prisoners and other dissidents. While estimates differ on the number of those killed, Human Rights Watch estimated that the deaths range between about 2,800 and 4,500. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Canadas parliament labeled these mass killings as crimes against humanity."

Mahallati denied the 1988 massacre as "nothing but propaganda" and "fake information."

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., speaks at a press conference following a Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on June 8, 2022. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Writing in the September 23 issue of the student newspaper Oberlin Review, Dr. Mansour Farhang, a professor of Politics at Bennington College and the Islamic Republic of Irans first ambassador to the U.N., slammed Mahallati "as an agent of Irans totalitarian theocracy" who refuses to recognize the clerical regimes mass murder of innocent Iranian political prisoners in 1988.

OBERLIN COLLEGES 'PROFESSOR OF PEACE' ENDORSED FATWA TO MURDER SALMAN RUSHDIE

Farhang is an opponent of Iran and resigned as ambassador in 1980, because the founder of the Islamic Republic Ruhollah Khomeini refused to release American embassy hostages.

Congresswoman Foxx told Fox News Digital "Oberlin College is plagued by its own ivory tower ignorance and its stark unwillingness to denounce Mohammad Mahallatis ties to Irans maligned regime raises serious concerns over national security and the ideals of an institution receiving millions in U.S. taxpayer dollars. At best, its blind ignorance. At worst, its an illustration that Oberlin gives priority to providing academic refuge to a man whose interests are aligned with terrorists instead of rejecting interference from foreign governments. We look forward to their responses to this inquiry."

The letter asked Oberlin College to provide the following information within the next two weeks: Mahalltis course syllabi and whether Oberlin College has "received any funding or in-kind contributions from the Islamic Republic of Iran or from individuals or entities linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran."

The investigation into Mahallati seeks to answer "What is the vetting process in place at Oberlin for hiring faculty, and are there additional processes for those closely linked to a hostile foreign regime?" and "What is the funding source for Mr. Mahallatis endowed professorship, as such a post previously did not exist?"

Both Banks and Foxx also requested "all documents and financial statements related to his professorship."

DOZENS DEAD, OVER 1,200 ARRESTED IN IRAN AS REGIME WARNS OF 'DECISIVE' CRACKDOWN

The last series of questions ask: "What led to the hiring of Mr. Mahallati at Oberlin in 2007? What are the terms and conditions of Mr. Mahallatis employment at Oberlin?"

Prior to the allegations that Mahallati played a key role in the cover-up of the mass murder of Iranians, the Islamic studies academic had been dubbed the "Professor of Peace." His Iranian-American critics call him the "Butcher of Oberlin."

Fox News sent press queries to Oberlin Colleges President Ambar and the communication department.

The congressional letter cited Fox News Digital report on Mahallatis endorsement of an Iranian regime fatwa to assassinate the author Salman Rushdie.

Irans regime issued the fatwa because Rushdie depicted the Muslim prophet Muhammad irreverently. In August, a 24-year-old man named Hadi Matar, who has posted favorable comments on Iran on social media, stabbed Rushdie in the neck and liver during the authors speech in Chautauqua, New York.

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. State Department and Mahallati for a comment.
A Singapore Airlines jet was escorted to Singapore's Changi Airport by F-16 fighter jets after a bomb hoax on board. James D. Morgan/Getty Images; Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty images

F-16s were scrambled after a bomb threat was made on board a flight from San Francisco to Singapore.

Flight SQ33 made loops over the waters off Singapore before landing at Changi Airport.

Singapore authorities said a 37-year-old male passenger was arrested in relation to the incident.

A fighter jet escort was scrambled after a bomb threat was made aboard a flight from San Francisco to Singapore.

The incident occurred aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ33, which departed for its 16-hour journey from the San Francisco International Airport on Monday at 10.05 p.m. Pacific Time.

Singaporean authorities were alerted to a bomb threat aboard the flight on Wednesday at 2.40 a.m. local time, per CNA, after which an F-16 fighter jet escort was launched.

Singapore Airlines told Insider in a statement that an "unruly passenger" had hit a cabin crew member and made a bomb threat on the flight.

The airline said the passenger was '"subsequently restrained" and that all passengers and crew "disembarked normally" after the incident at 9.20 a.m., Singapore time.

"We are assisting the authorities with their investigations and regret that we are unable to provide further details," Singapore Airlines said in its statement.

According to the plane's flight path information, as shown on FlightRadar24, the aircraft flew in several loops over the waters off Singapore  one over the Indonesian island of Batam  before landing at Changi Airport.

It is unclear how many passengers were on board the Airbus A359 aircraft often used on this route, though Singapore Airlines advertises a 253-passenger capacity on the flight.

Representatives at the airline did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Flight tracking site FlightRadar24 mapped the loops that Singapore Airlines flight SQ33 took after a false bomb threat was made on board the plane. FlightRadar24

These loops stand in stark contrast to the more direct flight path that the airline has flown from San Francisco to Singapore on previous occasions.

Singapore's defense ministry confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that there had been a bomb threat aboard the flight.

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"Preliminary investigations indicate that a 37-year-old male passenger had allegedly claimed that there was a bomb in a hand-carry bag, and had assaulted the crew," the statement read.

According to the ministry, Singapore Air Force's F-16 fighter jets "escorted the aircraft to safety" at the island's Changi airport, after which the army's explosive team and the airport police were sent to investigate the threat.

The statement did not specify the number of F-16s launched during the incident.

"The threat was subsequently verified to be false, and the suspicious person has been arrested. Police investigations are ongoing," read the defense ministry's statement.

If you were a passenger on flight SQ33 from San Francisco to Singapore, please feel free to reach out to Insider journalist Cheryl Teh at cteh@insider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
LONDON (Reuters) - Russian-backed separatists and Russian installed officials in four partially Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine declared that voters had chosen to join Russia, in hastily organised referendums which the West said were illegal. What happens now?

President Vladimir Putin has said he will never abandon the residents of these areas. Ukraine says Russia is a criminal state stealing its sovereign territory.

WHAT WERE THE PUBLISHED RESULTS?

- Donetsk People's Republic (DPR): 99.23% for joining Russia, 0.62% against. A total of 2.13 million people voted in total, 97.5 of voters.

- Luhansk People's Republic (LNR): 98.42% for joining Russia.

- Russian-controlled Kherson region: 87.05% for joining Russia.

- Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia: 93.11% for joining Russia.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

Things were moving swiftly on Wednesday.

A tribune with giant video screens had been set up on Moscow's Red Square, with billboards proclaiming "Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson - Russia!"

The Russian-backed separatist leader in Luhansk, Leonid Pasechnik, and the Russian-installed administrator in occupied Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, both said they had formally asked Putinto incorporate their territories into Russia.

The separatist leaders of Luhansk and Donetsk, which Russia had previously recognised as independent states together forming a region called the Donbas, were both due to travel to Moscow.

"Donbas is Russia - it was, it is and it will be," Denis Pushilin, the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said before leaving.

To annex the territories some sort of treaty will be struck and ratified by the Russian parliament, which is controlled by Putin allies. The areas will then be seen as part of Russia and Moscow's nuclear umbrella will extend to them.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly said that "pseudo-referendums" on annexation by Russia would destroy any chance of peace talks.

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WHAT WILL THE WEST DO?

- The West and Ukraine say Russia is violating international law by taking 15% of Ukrainian territory, whose post-Soviet borders Moscow recognised shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union.

The West could increase arms supplies to Kyiv, and tighten financial sanctions that are already the most severe imposed against a large economy in modern history.

- The areas that are being annexed are not all under control of Russian forces. So, from a Kremlin perspective, once they do become part of Russia, then fighting and a front line will run through Russian sovereign territory. That could prompt some sort of ultimatum from Russia to Ukraine and the West.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday its "special military operation" in Ukraine must continue at least until the capture of all of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.

"It is necessary, as a minimum, to liberate the entire territory of the DPR," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Peter Graff)
FILE  Former MPD officer Michael Fanone (Getty Images)

A Washington DC police officer who was tasered as he defended the US Capitol on January 6 has said the mother of the rioter involved in the attack called him a piece of s*** after her son was sentenced.

Speaking on CNNs Don Lemon Tonight after Kyle Young was sentenced on Tuesday, Michael Fanone recounted how he was insulted by the rioters mother when leaving the court.

I think it is important for the American people to understand that a lot of the family members and defendants in these cases are expressing degrees of remorse in order to, hopefully, gain some leniency from the sentencing judge, as was in this case, Mr Fanone, who is no longer with the department, said.

Mr Young expressed a degree of remorse. His mother stood up and tried to apologise to me in the courtroom and then later on, as I was leaving the courthouse, his mother and several other individuals who were seated with her in the courtroom again called me a piece of s***.

Young, 38, was sentenced to seven years in prison by Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Young brought his 16-year-old son to Washington from Iowa and supplied the taser used by another rioter to electroshock Mr Fanone, who suffered a heart attack and traumatic brain injury as a result of the assault.

Michael Fanone (Getty Images)

In his victim impact statement, Mr Fanone, who was employed by the Metropolitan Police Department for 20 years before resigning in 2021, said that he hoped Young would suffer in jail.

The assault on me by Mr Young cost me my career, it cost me my faith in law enforcement and many of the institutions I dedicated two decades of my life to serving, Mr Fanone said in court.

He later told Mr Lemon on air that as he was walking back from the podium, an individual who was seated with other relatives of Young stood up and called him a piece of s***. The man was removed from the court by US Marshals.

But the verbal attacks continued after Mr Fanone left the courtroom. He said he doesnt believe Young has any remorse and that he apologised to gain empathy from the judge.

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Kyle Young (United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa)

Mr Fanone choked back tears during his CNN appearance, saying the attacks by Youngs family were not an isolated incident.

[Sometimes] Im trying to focus on being a parent and I get calls and texts from people who express that they want me to die, that they hope that I rot in hell, Mr Fanone said.

In the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol, Mr Fanone, now a law enforcement analyst for CNN, became a vocal critic of the mob that attempted to disrupt Congress from convening to certify the electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election.

He has appeared on television and before the January 6 House Select Committee to decry the insurrection.

Young pled guilty in May to assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. While in the lower west terrace area of the Capitol, Young held a strobe light, pushed forward a stick-like object and assisted in throwing a large audio speaker toward the police line.

He then held Mr Fanones left wrist and arm as he was being tasered. In an op-ed for CNN titled What my January 6 assailant deserves, Mr Fanone, who yelled I got kids! as he tried to appeal to the mobs emotions, said he was also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Today a Ukrainian family arrived in the Miami Valley, which will become their new home.

The family landed at Dayton International Airport after 30 hours of traveling.

They lost almost everything in the war in Ukraine, but Tuesday night they had everything they needed to feel right at home thanks to the generosity of a local friend.

Detective Rod Roberts with the Dayton Police Department shared his connection with the family.

In 2015, myself and four other Dayton police instructors went to Kyiv, Ukraine to train Ukrainian police officers during their police reform, Roberts said.

>> Dayton detective, Miami Valley generosity helps family from Ukraine move to area

Roberts and Ukrainian officer Andrii Levdokymenko quickly became friends.

After Roberts returned to Dayton, the two stayed in touch over social media.

Once the war really broke off, we have contact with a lot of these guys ... but things were bad, Roberts said.

The family escaped to Poland for safety.

Once they got to Poland, they found that they really werent wanted there. They were treated pretty poorly, Roberts explained.

So they decided to move to the United States.

He said, do you think you can help me find an apartment if we came to the U.S.? Roberts said.

>> Live Updates: Russia-Ukraine War

But Roberts wanted to do more than just that.

I made a post of social media on my Facebook page and within 40 minutes, everything you see here, minus a few things of furnishings were committed from friends, family, strangers, everything, he said.

The community did the rest to make sure the family would be set, including a stocked fridge and pantry.

There is also several thousand dollars left over from cash donations that will go toward buying the family a car and other expense.

Roberts set up a fund at the Firefighters and Company Federal Credit Union at 338 South Patterson Boulevard under Alisa and Andrii  Ukrainian Family Fund.

Roberts said the family is in the process of getting work visas.

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Sep. 27BEVERLY  The family of an Emerson College professor who was struck and killed by a train at Beverly Depot in 2019 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the MBTA, Keolis Commuter Services, the train's operator, and the city of Beverly.

The suit, filed Monday in federal court in Boston, alleges that the train was going too fast and the operator failed to sound the horn when the train pulled into the depot and struck Moses Shumow, who was riding his bike across the tracks. It also said that the MBTA, Keolis and the city failed to provide adequate safety measures at the station.

The lawsuit was filed by Shumow's wife, Rose Shumow of Florida, on behalf of Moses Shumow's estate.

According to the lawsuit, Moses Shumow, 42, was struck and killed by an MBTA commuter train on Oct. 22, 2019, while he was riding his bike on the pedestrian grade crossing over the railway tracks at Beverly Depot. The lawsuit said Shumow took a left turn onto the pedestrian crossing four seconds after a group of pedestrians and a dog had crossed, and Shumow was immediately struck by a train.

The suit said there were no horns, signals or alerts to warn Shumow of the oncoming train, and that the train was traveling over the speed limit for that portion of the track. It named the train operator as Nathan Drown of New Hampshire, an employee of Keolis Commuter Services, which operates the trains for the MBTA.

The lawsuit said the fact that pedestrians are allowed to cross in front of oncoming trains at Beverly Depot creates a "dangerous condition." It said the station had no automatic gates, warning lights, buzzers, signs, signals, flagmen or other safety measures to allow pedestrians to cross the tracks safely.

The lawsuit also blamed the city for its ban on the use of train horns within city limits. It said the city has claimed that it is exempt from the law requiring train horns, but said the city never applied for "Quiet Zone status" for several grade crossings in the city, including the ones at Beverly Depot.

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The lawsuit said the city should know the importance of maintaining safety at grade crossings because it has more of them  26  than any other municipality in the Massachusetts.

The lawsuit charges the MBTA, Keolis, Drown and the city of Beverly with one count each of negligence, and the MBTA, Keolis and the city with one count each of gross negligence, willful, wanton and reckless conduct. It asks for a jury trial and requests compensatory and punitive damages.

Mayor Mike Cahill and spokespersons for the MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services all said they could not comment on pending litigation.

Shumow was an associate journalism professor at Emerson College who had produced documentaries for PBS, National Geographic, History Channel and Discovery and received numerous awards for his work. He was originally from New Mexico and taught in Florida before returning to Emerson, from which he graduated in 2001. He had three children with his wife, Rose.

Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.

Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Federal law enforcement are hunting a New Hampshire fugitive who was released on just $3,000 bail on allegations of a pattern of sexual assaults on a child despite being known to travel back and forth from Mexico.

The U.S. Marshals Service on Wednesday tweeted out the wanted poster for 65-year-old Angel Florez-Ramirez.

The suspect, described as a White-Hispanic male, notably with two silver teeth, was arrested by New Hampshires Nashua Police Department in August "for another sexual assault charge, but Florez-Ramirez was released on bail," according to the U.S. Marshas Service, whose New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force "is actively attempting to locate and arrest" this fugitive.

Another arrest warrant was issued on Sept. 9 for Florez-Ramirez in Hillsborough Superior Court on charges of aggravated sexual assault on a victim under the age of 13.

TEXAS HUMAN SMUGGLING BUST STOPS PLANE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, INCLUDING DEPORTED CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT SUSPECT

In the weeks since Nashua police first arrested Florez-Ramirez for aggravated felonious sexual assault "involving a juvenile who was known to him," another arrest warrant was issued for the suspect, who "is known to have ties to Manchester and Nashua, and who has already traveled to Mexico and back during the original sex assault investigation," according to the wanted poster.

The U.S. Marshals Service warned the public not to apprehend this fugitive yourself.

Anyone who spots an individual who resembles Florez-Ramirez is asked to contact the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force or their local police department.

The Nashua Police Department Uniform Field Operations Bureau first received a report on Dec. 6, 2021, about Florez-Ramirez having "engaged in a pattern of sexual assaults against a juvenile female known to him."

But he wasn't arrested until Aug. 29. "These incidents occurred at his residence over a period of time. The investigation was furthered by detectives assigned to the Special Investigations Division. It was during this time Ramirez had left the country and had only recently returned to the area," the department said in a press release on Aug. 29, explaining why more than eight months passed before an arrest was made. "Based upon the results of the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Ramirez for Aggravated Felonious Sexual Assault-Domestic Violence (Pattern), a Special Felony."

Angel Ramirez was arrested without incident on the outstanding warrant, Nashua police said, but he was soon released on $3,000 cash bail.

He was initially scheduled to be arraigned at the Hillsborough County Superior Court South on Sept. 29 at 1:00 p.m.
TheStreet.com

Shrinking capacity plus growing demands means higher prices and that may force people used to flying full-fare airlines like Delta and United Airlines to consider alternatives. For some, that may mean taking a look at Southwest, an airline that really has no peer in the industry. It's not that Southwest does things radically differently than its rivals, but it does have some unique policies and practices.
The first Russian reinforcements have already been deployed to Ukrainian battlefields

Read also: Putin plans to take Kharkiv, Odesa after announced mobilization, says Bloomberg

Arestovych said that some of these forces have already been captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Read also: Poland will not admit pro-Putin Russian citizens fleeing from mobilization

"They have already joined the units defending Svatove, Lyman and Kupyansk, the Office rep stated.

Some of them were killed, some are already in captivity. Everything is very fast. Their fate is sad because they are not allowed to prepare at all.

Read also: Presidents Office comments on prospects for additional mobilization in Ukraine

Putin announced a "partial mobilization" in Russia on Sept. 21. The call-up came after the Russian army suffered a heavy defeat in Ukraine, losing nearly the entirety of their occupied territory in Kharkiv Oblast.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that 300,000 reservists would be called up during this draft round.

Read also: Ex-State Duma member says dumb bureaucracy, mobilization may lead to revolution in Russia

However, according to Russian opposition media, classified mobilization plans envisage sending one million Russians or more to war against Ukraine.

Military experts uniformly do not believe in the logistical or command capability of Russia to effectively corral that many troops.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
TAMPA  BayCare Hospital System and Florida Blue said Wednesday they have reached an agreement that will spare tens of thousands of Tampa Bay residents from being forced to find new doctors.

The agreement means the nonprofits hospitals and doctors will remain in-network for roughly 85,000 Florida Blue insurance policy holders who regularly use BayCare medical services.

Negotiations between the provider and the health insurance company had stalled after seven months of talks when each one accused the other of prioritizing profits over patient needs.

Florida Blue, the states BlueCross BlueShield provider, and BayCare said Wednesday they agreed to a multi-year contract four days before the current agreement was set to expire Oct. 1.

BayCare had stopped scheduling elective surgeries earlier this month, and Florida Blue had reached out to its customers to try to set them up with new doctors.

Talks continued Wednesday even as most businesses were closed ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian.

With Hurricane Ian threatening our communities, we are thankful our members no longer need to be concerned about their ability to access their BayCare health care providers and can focus on whats most important, said David Pizzo, Florida Blue market president.

BayCare CEO and President Tommy Inzina said, We are very pleased to have this agreement behind us so that we can focus on what matters most, our patients.

All along, our goal has been to reach an agreement with Florida Blue that allows BayCare to continue to meet the needs of our patients and our community today and far into the future.

Because BayCare and Florida Blue reached an agreement before their current contract ended, patients will be able to continue services uninterrupted.

The impasse had provided a rare window into contract talks between two of Tampa Bays major health care players.

BayCare operates 15 hospitals across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties and BayCare Medical Group, one of the regions largest physician groups.

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It said that Florida Blue was not passing on proceeds from premium increases to medical providers.

Florida Blue officials said the hospital chain is seeking double-digit rate increases for hospital services and almost triple that for diagnostic ones like X-rays and MRIs that would cost an extra $80 million per year.

With the dispute now resolved, Florida Blue officials said they will send out letters to their customers confirming that they can continue to use BayCare services.
Good Morning America

The Biden administration on Monday announced more than $300 million in new mental health funding, via awards and grants, with much of the money coming from the bipartisan anti-gun violence law passed this summer by Congress. The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is rolling out the roughly $314 million for health professionals in schools and in emergency departments. The new funds allocated under annual appropriations as well as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) -- which was passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in June -- are intended to help create healthier and safer learning environments for children, with the DOE granting some $280 million in competitive grants to schools to aid mental health staffing, it said Monday.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

Over 2.5 million residents of coastal Florida are being advised to evacuate due to the threat posed by Hurricane Ian, a storm that has already left 1 million in Cuba without electricity and which hit the southwestern flank of the Sunshine State early Wednesday afternoon.

In anticipation of a Category 4 storms 130-mile-per-hour winds, residents scrambled to stack up sandbags and stockpile supplies. For a certain class of Florida resident, however, also at issueand, in some cases, in need of evacuationare their art collections, which can be valued in the multiple millions and are potentially vulnerable to being damaged by the hurricanes destructive path.

DeSantis Cares About Deaths From Hurricane Ian. Just Not From COVID.

Generally, Floridas super-rich and the galleries that cater to them are prepared for hurricane season (June through November) and know to store their prized works long before a threat like Ian looms, but in some cases, last-minute intervention is needed.

Weve brought some art in, specifically flatworks [paintings], Susan McGregor, the founder and CEO of Bellissima Luxury & Fine Arts Services in Fort Lauderdale, told The Daily Beast Wednesday. McGregor says her company is also retained by a major art insurer to be part of their post-hurricane recovery response. Once its safe to get into homes that have sustained hurricane damage, Bellissima takes the art to storage or to a conservator on a case-by-case basis.

As Ians grown closer, Bellissima has been getting calls from other insurance companies trying to line up resourcesart handlers, trucksto collect art from Floridas west coast for their insured clients, McGregor said.

The problem with that is, you have to let the water recede, but then the priority will be the power companies, first responders, food, water, that kind of thing, McGregor said. So the access for companies like mine, just to go in to collect artworks is going to be delayed, which is going to create a problem for the art.

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It reinforces the importance of the pre-storm plans, because after the storm, the conditions are so detrimental to the artwork, McGregor said. The humidity, you dont have air conditioning, you have water damageits just really, really bad for art.

We have a collection, and we basically just deinstalled as much as we could and put it into our bathrooms and rooms with no windows. We have big windows around our whole house, Liz Dimmitt, a collector based in Belleair whose husband is an art dealer specializing in Old Masters, told The Daily Beast. Belleair, just west of Tampa on the Gulf coast, sits directly in the path of Ian.

Things that are too big to deinstall we just wrapped up in plastic, Dimmitt said, adding that the US Art shipping service is currently working to pick up objects from collectors to store them in their Orlando facility. (US Art evacuators were unavailable for comment.)

Art is generally stored with Bellissima throughout the entirety of hurricane season, McGregor said: We bring the art in while the family is out of the residence for the summer season. The cost for Bellissimas pickup, storage and re-installation services depend on the size of the art collection, but in general, clients can expect to pay several thousand dollars, McGregor said.

For the last-minute evacuations theyve done for Ian, which involved high-value art, McGregor told The Daily Beast, we wouldnt have time to construct crates. After the client tells us what type of art we need to pick up, we bring the proper materials to pack the work of art for safe transport in our trucks. Our trucks are also climate-controlled. Then we get [the art] into storage.

Its so different this year, McGregor added. With Irma, the last hurricane, people were just wrapping these very expensive pieces in whatever they could find, and bringing it in for storage. With Ian, there has been more preparation. I think people took it seriously this year.

On Instagram, Miami-based collector and real estate developer John Marquez posted Instagram stories of poolside art being hurricane-proofed while indulging in a large cigar. Marquez did not respond to The Daily Beasts request for comment.

Anything thats outside thats not really battened down we dont even put up until after hurricane season, Beth Rudin DeWoody, a longtime curator, art collector, and mainstay of West Palm Beach, told The Daily Beast on Tuesday. A lot of my art is in a warehouse thats very secure, its a cement building, so Im not really worried about that.

In certain cases, drastic action is required, Thomas Burns, the Chief Operating Officer of Fortress Storage, told The Daily Beast.

Clients register with us at the start of the hurricane season, and theyre given a priority number on a first-come-first-serve basis when they sign up for the evacuation program, Burns told The Daily Beast. We will come to the home and come up with a plan: which pieces do we need to be moving? Maybe crates need to be built for them. Sometimes well construct a crate if the artwork can only be moved with a wooden crate. Well either store the crates at Fortress or at the residence.

The time the art evacuation takes place depends on the clients location and proximity to Fortress, Burns said. If theyre on the barrier islands, we have to take the art earlier because the bridges can close. Then we determine if were evacuating the art based on a Tropical Storm Watch, Tropical Storm Warning, Hurricane Watch, or Hurricane Warning.

Im still getting everything secure and organizing to be ready for Ian, Ezra Johnson, an Associate Professor of Painting and Drawing at the University of South Florida, told The Daily Beast Wednesday. Fortunately we got some help. Another lucky thing is that my studio is pretty empty because of recent exhibitions, so what I have in there Ill hang up high on the wall. Im a little worried about flooding, but besides sandbags in the doorways, theres not much else one can do. Thats pretty much itIm strapping down things outside so they cant go flying and Ive boarded up some areas to create safe rooms.

Currently, Pace Palm Beach is monitoring conditions of the storm, Allison Raddock, the Director of Pace Gallerys Palm Beach outpost, told The Daily Beast. Since this is a mostly a seasonal community, collectors are only now starting to return slowly, and most have been prepared for hurricane weather since they left last April.

We tell people to take a lot of photographs of your home and document what you have if youre going to evacuate, Tony Fabrizio, Senior Public Relations Coordinator for Pinellas County, told The Daily Beast. If its really valuable art or jewelry, its good to have other documentation and take that with you.

On Wednesday, Tampa-based artist Walter Matthews was working to hurricane-proof the retirement home where he works full time. My last few days have been focused on people and my cat, not art, he told The Daily Beast.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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TAMPA, Fla.  More than 2 million people in Florida were under orders to pack up and head east to safer ground Tuesday as Hurricane Ian barreled north from Cuba on a path toward Tampa.

Before city officials ordered mandatory evacuations of the Tampa neighborhoods closest to the water, Steve McClure, 54, had stocked up on food, batteries and flashlights and made plans to bunk with his parents in a nearby county.

Id rather be safe than sorry, especially with the track of the hurricane consistently changing, said McClure, a three-year Tampa resident who was living in nearby Clearwater when Hurricane Elena battered Floridas Gulf Coast in 1985. First it was coming right at us a day ago. Now its turning a bit to the east.

Packing maximum sustained winds of up to 120 mph, Ian was expected to make landfall south of Tampa, Floridas third-largest city, sometime Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center warned.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said the time to seek shelter is now.

You dont get a mulligan when your personal safety is at risk, he said at a briefing. And so we know this thing is going to be hitting the state directly sometime tomorrow evening.

Even if Tampa avoids a direct hit, water from the Gulf of Mexico will be pushed up Tampa Bay, leading to potentially widespread flooding, state officials warned.

Heavy traffic moves slowly on I-4 East as residents evacuate the Gulf Coast of Florida in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 27, 2022, in Four Corners, Fla. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)

McClure said hes not sticking around to find out how bad it could get.

We live basically on the water of Tampa Bay, and were in a mandatory evacuation zone, so were getting out of here, he said. With the storm surge, we figured it was probably safest just to go.

And hes under no illusions his home will be spared.

One hundred percent, especially with the storm surge, because you never know how high its going to come up, he said. The water could come into our house.

Alexander Burks, who lives along the Hillsborough River not far from downtown Tampa in a mandatory evacuation zone, was also planning to evacuate Tuesday.

"The storm surge is our biggest worry, but also the high winds and rain," Burks, 50, said as he boarded up the windows of his home and built a wall of sandbags to protect his property.

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But Burks, who moved to Tampa in 2005 and has weathered several hurricanes since then, said he's not going far. He said he plans to ride out the storm at his second house across town.

Many schools in Tampa were filling up quickly with residents seeking shelter. Nonetheless, there appeared to be little panic, even as the skies started to turn gray. People congregated in the courtyards, chatting and catching up on the latest developments.

Jose Collado, who doesn't live in a neighborhood under a mandatory evacuation order, went anyway to Middleton High School, which is north and east of downtown Tampa. He said he intends to stay there until the storm passes.

People keep saying nothing is going to happen, but you never know, he said. I need to stay here.

Jerry Manns, 40, also opted to ride out the storm at the school. Im not going to be here long, no longer than I have to, he said.

But Manns said that as a survivor of Hurricane Irma, which devastated a large part of southwestern Florida back in 2017, he takes storms like these seriously.

I was in the eye of it, Manns said of Irma. Thank God I had the chance to live and tell the story.

Gini Roberts, who lives in an evacuation zone in south Tampa, grabbed her dog, Harry, and some necessities and fled about 40 miles inland to Lakeland, in Polk County, where they checked into a hotel they had stayed in during previous hurricanes.

It is what it is," Roberts told NBC affiliate WFLA of Tampa. Id rather be alive, and I hope my house is there when I get back. I hope my house isnt flooded."

Many Floridians in more rural areas like Polk County live in trailers that are especially vulnerable to high winds. And as the day wore on, the gym at George Jenkins High School in Lakeland filled with families who fled the mobile home parks.

Its not safe," Jamie Rodriguez of Lakeland told WFLA. "I have family."

Kevin Guthrie, the director of Floridas Division of Emergency Management, said 2.5 million people were under some kind of evacuation order. He advised people who live along the Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida to evacuate east across the state.

Many people in the southwest Florida area, your best bet is going to be to evacuate across the state, Guthrie said at a news conference. Just go straight across the state to Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach.

And "do not go north," because that's where Hurricane Ian is going, he said.

"Go straight across over to southeast Florida," he said.

Three bridges span Old Tampa Bay, two of which connect Tampa to St. Petersburg and the third of which links to northern Pinellas County. They are likely to remain open through the storm.

However, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which spans lower Tampa Bay and connects St. Petersburg to Manatee County, will be shut down if winds speeds eclipse 40 mph, the state Transportation Department warned.

Deon J. Hampton reported from Tampa and Corky Siemaszko from New York.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
We find ourselves at an unprecedented time in history  one that demands material progress in transitioning critical commercial technology into the U.S. Department of Defense.

As the largest ground war since World War II rages on NATOs bordersa war to which the United States has already committed $15 billion in security assistance to Ukraine at the time of writingour own once unparalleled defense industrial base is lagging in the global competition for the adoption of emerging technologies.

Yet, scores of emerging national-security-focused technology companies are quietly strengthening Ukraines ability to navigate the operational environment, for far fewer dollars than governments are expending in the same pursuit.

Congress must ensure that our warfighters gain the most value possible from government and private sector technology development. Unfortunately, it is still challenging for companies to work with DoD due to years of unrealized reform proposals.

This issue is becoming acute. Existing DoD systems and process do not allow the Department to take full advantage of advancements derived from private investment in startups outside of the traditional defense supplier ecosystem. DoD must become a better buyer and customer of commercial products; one that understands industry incentives and market drivers.

I recently traveled to California to discuss and learn what DoDs current roadblocks mean for our national defense with key stakeholders, including the Silicon Valley Defense Group, a nonprofit that connects the founders, capital and ideas that are driving promising techno-security developments with DoD. Like SVDG, I am invigorated by the bipartisan support for exploring how dual-use technologies and private capital will advance a broad mandate for defense innovation.

I am committed to finding solutionsthe U.S. remains the most innovative country in the world, powered by its private sector, yet DoD is not taking advantage of the incredible innovation ecosystem at its disposal. And what has become abundantly clear in recent years, is that it will never do so unless Congress holds the Department accountable through consistent oversight. It is imperative that the 118th Congress step up and take the lead, leveraging its unique authorities and critical oversight mission to drive the development of cross-cutting relationships between startups, investors, and the defense ecosystem.

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Silicon Valleys earliest focus was on pioneering defense technology, and Congress must reinvigorate this partnership to meet 21st-century challenges. To this end, I propose three areas of focus for the 118th Congress to rebuild a Defense Valley that supports and promotes innovation to advance our national defense.

Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution

PPBE is the framework and methodology by which DoD allocates resources, resulting in an annual defense budget request. Developed 60-plus years ago when DoD could still largely dictate technology markets and trends, today it is woefully anachronistic.

A new model is required; one that marries agility with reimagined incentive structures for risk-tolerance, innovation, creativity, and fiscal responsibility. I am encouraged by the thoughtful appointments to the newly-formed Commission on PPBE Reform, and I eagerly await its findings and recommendations, particularly in such areas as the color of money, and use-it-or-lose-it funding, all of which are inflexible, outdated components of a process that no longer serves DoDs need for agility and speed.

Small Business Innovation Research Program

The SBIR program is a conceptually useful but practically challenged acquisition mechanism for procuring innovative technologies. Despite being promoted as Americas Seed Fund, the program is not designed for startups that want to scale rapidly.

Restrictions, like limiting entrants to companies with less than 50% VC equity-ownership, create a high barrier to entry for startups that have already relinquished ownership stakes as they pass through rounds of funding. Further, some companies are granted multiple awards without commercializing or scaling into programs of recordcompounding the programs challenges.

Acquisition mechanisms reforms have a role to play in fueling defense innovation but must be implemented in ways that further that outcome. To that end, I recommend: eliminating the 50% restriction on institutional investment equity-ownership to compete for SBIR grants; exploring effective incentives for companies to focus on progressing and scaling from the early-stage research and development SBIR grants they receive; and aligning incentives between public and private stakeholders to explore a new program to access and scale private sector R&D for DoD purposes, but specifically focused on high-growth startups.

Defense Innovation Unit

Created in 2015 and called Americas most promising effort to bridge the divide between pressing national security requirements and commercial technology, DIU is tasked with accelerating DoD commercial technology adoption through partnership with cutting-edge startups.

Born as an experiment, DIU has succeeded beyond expectations, beginning over 175 projects, and transitioning capabilities from 48% of those projects across DoD. Leveraging relationships in Silicon Valley and other tech and VC hubs across the country, DIU realized over $100 billion in R&D for critical emerging technologiesproving the viability and efficacy of its Fast Follower Strategy for DoD and American taxpayers. But DIUs funding profile in recent years does not match its proven successes nor its recent Congressional validation.

Moreover, whereas DIU once reported to the Secretary of Defense (SecDef)signaling its importance to the Departments successit now sits under the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering, a component focused on prototyping versus scaling, thus significantly decreasing its organizational effectiveness.

Between manpower shortages, degraded contracting authorities, and indefensibly low funding, DIU is not positioned to make the difference on which our national security depends. To that end, I recommend: realigning DIU to report directly to the SecDef; correcting the unsatisfactory FY23 Presidents Budget request; and ensuring that DIU receives stable and adequate future funding befitting of its critical role.

The Pentagon has proven that the only way it will begin to adopt the necessary best practices in acquisition and procurement is if Congress meaningfully holds it accountable for doing so. The 118th Congress must act to empower DoD decision makers prepare for long-term strategic competition.

The sooner Washington realizes that the U.S. is losing its competitive edge against China and that business-as-usual will unequivocally lead to defeat, the sooner we can course correct.

Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., is vice ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.
A former senior-level Cargill employee in Wichita has been sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay $33.7 million in restitution for his role in a bribery and kickback scheme.

Michael Kennedy, 56, of Wichita, was employed by Cargill from 2009 to 2016 in the companys Strategic Sourcing Function department, according to a news release from the U.S. district attorneys office in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Others involved in the bribery scheme included Choung Nguyen, a procurement manager who reported to Kennedy, and Brian Ewert, co-owner and the primary sales representative for Womens Distribution Services, a South Carolina-based company that provided raw materials and services to Cargill, the release said.

According to court documents, Kennedy, Nguyen and other employees accepted gifts from Ewert and WDS in exchange for putting the interests of WDS and other companies Ewert controlled ahead of Cargills, the release said.

Kennedy and Ewert took numerous steps to hide that WDS was overcharging Cargill, and in turn, Ewert gave Kennedy Nguyen and other Cargill employees over a million dollars in cash, gifts and vacations, according to the release.

Ewert provided Kennedy and his family with lavish trips that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, including trips to the Caribbean on Ewerts private jet and luxury yacht rentals to entertain Kennedy and his family, the release said. Kennedys family also went to Disney World and skiing.

In 2016, Cargill began questioning the relationship with WDS. Cargill discovered the scheme, ended its relationship with WDS and fired Kennedy and Nguyen.

Kennedy pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud in December 2021. In addition to time in prison, Kennedy was ordered to pay restitution of $33.7 million, according to the release.

Earlier, Ewert and Nguyen were sentenced to 60 months and 41 months in prison and ordered to pay $40.4 million in restitution.

Jennifer Maier, co-owner and CEO of WDS, was sentenced to two years in prison followed by a year of parole. She was ordered to pay $3.2 million dollars in restitution, the release said.

The FBI and United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
STUTTGART, Germany  Propelled by an edict to make deep investments in its defense industrial base, Frances Ministry of Defense has unveiled a 2023 budget worth billions more than the previous year to launch a new war economy.

The proposed 43.9 billion ($42.8 billion) for the French military represents a 36% increase over the 2017 budget and a 7.4% increase over 2022 funds. The 3 billion add for 2023 amounts to nearly twice the year-over-year increases seen in the past couple of years, officials noted during a Tuesday press briefing. Between 2019 and 2022s budgets, the yearly increase stood at around 1.7 billion, which was the target to reach according to the militarys 2019-2025 military program law.

The increase was forecast by Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu when he met with French lawmakers this summer.

The war economy

Equipment orders take up the largest amount in the budget, standing at 38 billion, or $37 billion. The orders, officials said, reflected French President Emanuel Macrons declaration in July of a war economy.

The new funding will launch the transformation of our industrys production model towards a war economy, and guarantee our sovereignty by renewing our [munition] stocks, Lecornu said in a statement accompanying the budget documents.

The goal is to boost orders of equipment to keep the production lines moving for Frances defense and industrial base, to keep ammunition supplies high and to prevent any capability attrition in the case of an engagement, per ministry documents.

In 2023, the French army plans to order:

420 Serval light armored vehicles,

8,000 HK416 assault rifles,

46 satellite communication ground stations for the Syracuse IV constellation,

one lot of medium-range missiles,

22 next-generation multirole helicopters,

22 heavy armored vehicles for special forces.

The navy plans to order:

3 naval counter-UAS devices,

19 naval SATCOM stations for Syracuse IV,

one lot of MBDA-built Exocet anti-ship missiles,

one lot of MBDA Aster-30 missiles for use on the FREMM multirole frigates,

an exploratory capacity for the deep sea beds.

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In the air and space domains, the orders include:

42 Rafale fighter aircraft,

One lot of 320 BK 1 NT Aster missiles,

Various equipment kits for Frances Eurocopter EC 725 Caracal helicopters, along with the CN235 and A400M transport aircraft.

Among major developments, the ministry expects to perform the first firing of the next-generation MICA air-to-air missiles built by MBDA, which will equip Frances fighter jets. Munition replenishment in all services takes up 2 billion worth of orders in 2023.

Over 5 billion ($4.8 billion) in the total budget is earmarked for maintenance, a 12% funding increase over last year, which includes investments in digital tools and additive manufacturing capabilities, as well as optimizing supply chain fluxes, per the ministry.

(Relatively) new focus areas

The French Ministry of Defense highlighted new areas of funding in the budget, to include 702 million dedicated to the space domain, while 288 million is earmarked for the cyber domain. The ministry plans to recruit about 1,900 cyber combatants by 2025. The amount of 467 million is highlighted for information warfare systems.

The most notable new funding category is dedicated to seabed warfare, which would receive 3.5 million in 2023. Those funds would cover the protection of sovereign assets deep underwater such as natural resources and deep-sea cables, and invest in tech that could recover sensitive objects, per the ministry.

A total of 8 billion is dedicated to research-and-development efforts, including 6 billion for new development programs, while 1 billion is earmarked for innovation, the same amount of funding as last year. For R&D, six key priority areas are noted: cyberdefense, counter-UAS technologies, seabed dominance, hypervelocity, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense.

Notable exceptions: FCAS and MGCS

Two French-involved programs stand out in the budget thanks to their omission: the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) effort to build a Franco-German-Spanish next-generation fighter aircraft and associated new systems, and the Main Ground Combat System tank in development by Paris and Berlin. The two programs are nowhere to be seen in the budget documents provided by the ministry.

Both efforts have slowed to just about a complete stop at the moment . French ministry officials on Tuesday asserted there was funding in the budget for both efforts to proceed to their next phases of development, but they declined to provide the numbers.

A request for funding numbers to the Ministry of Defense by Defense News was not returned by late Wednesday. Last year, the minister had budgeted 282.7 million for the FCAS program to fund ongoing studies and preparations for the demonstrator phase, while the MGCS program was slated to receive 58 million for ongoing studies.
Sep. 27NEWBURYPORT  William Lloyd Garrison's great-great-grandson, Frank Garrison, was one of roughly 20 people who attended Sunday's ceremony that saw the dedication of two informative panels in Garrison Gardens.

The ceremony at the small garden attached to Atwood Park in the city's South End was the culmination of a two-year project spearheaded by local resident Andrea Eigerman to bring the panels to the small garden.

Among those who were in attendance were City Council President Heather Shand, Newburyport Senior Project Manager Geordie Vining, Parks Commissioner Chuck Griffin and several Newburyport Preservation Trust board members, according to Eigerman.

"It was fantastic to have Frank Garrison attend and quite an honor," Eigerman said, adding he attended the William Lloyd Garrison lectures that are held in December. "He must be happy to associate himself with his ancestor and support any effort Newburyport makes to honor him."

The panels provide additional context and information regarding the garden's namesake who was born across the street at 3-5 School St. in 1805.

One panel details the history of the two-family home there, built in 1760, and how it changed hands at least 16 times between 1829 and 2020. The second plaque details the important role Garrison played in the abolitionist movement as editor and publisher of The Liberator newspaper.

The panels were paid for with $1,800 from Newburyport Community Preservation Act funds, a slightly larger donation from Newburyport Bank, as well as $500 from the Morrill Foundation. In all, the project cost $4,177.

Reg Bacon, a Newburyport Preservation Trust board member, spoke briefly outlining information about Garrison and his birthplace.

"He highlighted the plaque put on the house by the Professional Society of Journalists, of which he is a member, and emphasized the importance of honest journalism both in the past and currently, when journalists are harassed, and even killed, when they report the truth," Eigerman said.

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The panels are in the corner of the garden closest to the house along the sidewalk. People walking on the sidewalk past the signs most likely would not be able to see them without entering the park.

Garrison Gardens was developed in 2015 with funding from sources that include a bequest from the Gayden W. Morrill Charitable Fund, money from the Community Preservation Act and financial support from the DePiero family.

Eigerman said additional interpretive signage will be placed across the city early next year detailing early Black residents of Newburyport.

"Garrison is a beginning of the story, but knowing some of the important work African Americans did for themselves in our region will be thrilling," Eigerman said, adding that effort is being led by Vining, Dr. Kabria Baumgartner and Cyd Raschke.

Dave Rogers is the editor of The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.

Dave Rogers is the editor of the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.
The price of gas in Europe exceeded $2,000 per thousand cubic meters due to a new conflict between Gazprom and Naftogaz

The day-ahead contract on the TTF platform in the Netherlands closed at $2,065 per 1,000 cubic meters on Sept. 27, by almost 20% up against the previous trading days close.

The sharp rise in prices was not caused by news about accidents at the Nord Stream gas pipelines, but the news that Russian national gas company Gazprom had threatened Ukraines state-owned fossil fuel company Naftogaz with sanctions and the suspension of financial operations.

Read also: Naftogaz head speaks on challenges in the upcoming cold season

Gas prices reached $2,100 per 1,000 cubic meters early on Sept. 28.

At the same time, Gazproms request for transit through the Ukrainian gas transmission system on Sept. 28 amounted to 42.4 million cubic meters, as in previous days and months.

Meanwhile, Europe continues pumping gas into underground storage facilities, in preparations for whats expected to be a difficult winter. On average, gas reserves increased to 87.97%, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency has reported, with reference to data from the Gas Infrastructure Europe association.

Currently, 80% of underground storage facilities in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain have exceeded their target pumping level.

Read also: Gazprom concocts new excuses to continue shutdown of Nord Stream-1

Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Latvia lag behind. Austria shows a clear trend to reach the target level of gas reserves by Oct. 1, while Bulgaria and Hungary have also stepped up pumping, but may be a few days behind the target.

In early September, reports emerged that Naftogaz had filed a lawsuit against Gazprom to the International Court of Arbitration, a multi-national body for settling commercial disputes based in Paris, France.

In turn, Gazprom has threatened Naftogaz of Ukraine with sanctions and the suspension of financial operations.

Read also: Russian gas company Gazprom burning off gas intended for sale to Europe

Gazprom considers the filing of an appeal by Naftogaz of Ukraine as an unfriendly step and a continuation of the dishonest behavior of the Ukrainian company, and that further attempts by Naftogaz to seek consideration of the dispute in the International Court of Arbitration may lead to the fact that the Russian state authorities have every reason to impose a sanctions regime on Naftogaz and include it in the sanctions list, Gazprom said in a statement.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Gastonia Police are looking for a Chester, South Carolina, woman accused of firing several gunshots at her husband, but missing him.

The original post included the woman's name. However, police have withdrawn those warrants because the name police had was wrong. Police are now trying to confirm the woman's identity, according Rick Goodale, a spokesman for Gastonia Police.

Police reported they had obtained attempted a warrant for first-degree murder against 31-year-old woman related to a shooting that occurred around 8:15 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, on the 200 block of South Chestnut Street in the Highland community. The woman also faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure, assault with a deadly weapon, and discharging a firearm within the city limits.

Police officers say the woman was at the location on South Chestnut Street when she saw her 31-year-old husband exit a vehicle in the parking lot. After he exited the car, the woman fired multiple shots at him. No one was struck by the gunfire, police say.

After firing the shots, the woman fled in her car and her husband called 911 to report the shooting, according to police.

You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-201-7016 or email him at Kellis@gastongazette.com. Support local journalism by subscribing here.

Police lights

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gastonia Police seek South Carolina woman for shooting gun at husband
California Governor Gavin Newsom, in the midst of a re-election campaign and reportedly weighing a future run for president, again hit out at fellow Democrats over what he claims is a messaging failure on the partys handling of crime.

We allow these culture wars to take shape, and we are consistently on the back end of them, Mr Newsom said in an interview with MSNBC. Eight of the top 10 states with the highest murder rates all are Republican states. How do Democrats not know that?

Republicans across the country have made Democrats handling of crime one of their central talking points in the buildup to the midterm elections, with a number of Republicans claiming that their opponents have been insufficently supportive of law enforcement in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter protests and have championed policies responsible for spikes in crime.

Heres what the @GOP dont want you to know:



- 8 of the 10 states with the highest murder rates are Republican states



- CA actually has lower middle class tax rates than TX



- The gun death rate in Texas is 67% higher@WagnerTonight pic.twitter.com/H3wy77Gipi  Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 28, 2022

But that narrative is complicated by the facts. Though a number of major cities moved to reduce police funding in the summer of 2020, funding for law enforcement in many cities has actually increased since then. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has relentlessly pushed to expand funding for and criticised the movement to defund the police.

Meanwhile, as Mr Newsom points out, violent crime is often considerably worse in Republican-led states and muncipalities. Of the 10 states with the highest rate of firearm mortality, New Mexico is the only state that supported Mr Biden in the 2020 presidential election and the only state whose government is predominantly controlled by Democrats.

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High rates of gun violence are linked with high rates of gun ownership, which tend to trend higher in Republican-controlled states with looser firearm restrictions. The 10 states with the highest rates of gun ownership all have Republican-led governments.

Gun violence is also, despite prevailing narratives in some corners of the media and political worlds, sharply felt in many rural communities. A report from the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress found that rural counties proportional gun death rates have outnumbered those of urban counties.

The percieved disconnect between that data and the public perception on how the two parties handle crime has irked Mr Newsom, who also criticised the Democratic response to the reversal of Roe v Wade earlier this year.

Crime is higher, as well as taxes for the average citizen in Texas... than in the state of California; 67 per cent higher gun death rate in the state of Texas, Mr Newsom said. Why dont we push back?

Mr Newsom has dealt aggressively with gun violence during his tenure as governor. Earlier this year, in response to laws targeting people who provide abortion care, he signed a bill allowing individuals and local and state governments to sue gun makers for negligence. If it survives legal challenges, the law will take effect next year.

He has also frequently gone after both Texas Gov Greg Abbott and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis as he raises his national profile ahead of a potential White House bid in 2024 or 2028. Mr Newsom, a first-term governor who is expected to cruise to re-election this fall, recently aired a television advertisement in Florida criticising the state for its attacks on reproductive choice, free speech in schools, and other social issues.

I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight  or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom, Mr Newsom says in the spot.
SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 4 : San Francisco mayoral candidate Gavin Newsom lifts arms with his wife Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom before speaking to supporters at an election night party November 4, 2003 in San Francisco. Newsom, the front runner to replace outgoing mayor Willie Brown, will face a run-off election with fellow supervisor Matt Gonzales in December. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Newsom brought up what he called "the awkward conversation" about his ex-wife during an MSNBC interview.

The California governor was married to Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancee, from 2001 to 2005.

Asked whether they talk, he responded, "Nope. Not lately."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom brought up what he called "the awkward conversation" around his ex-wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, during a wide-ranging MSNBC interview.

The Democrat, who has been urging his party to be more aggressive against Republicans, was talking about how some of his close colleagues are Republicans when he brought up Guilfoyle, a former prosecutor and Fox News host who's an advisor to former President Donald Trump and engaged to Donald Trump Jr.

Newsom and Guilfoyle married in 2001 and filed for divorce in 2005. They were together when he was sworn in as mayor of San Francisco in 2004.

MSNBC host Alex Wagner asked Newsom during the interview, which aired Tuesday, if he ever talks to Guilfoyle.

"Nope. Not lately," he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle kiss as supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather by the White House ahead of Trump's speech to contest the certification by the U.S. Congress of the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021. Jim Bourg/Reuters

Wagner said, "It must be weird for you."

"Yeah, Of course," Newsom replied, but he added that he had a different relationship during his governorship with Trump, as well.

"We had an interesting not-as-combative relationship," he said. "Even though we went at it on a lot of issues. We also found ways to get along."

Newsom married documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom in 2008 and they have four children.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Gavin Newsom said Ron DeSantis broke state laws "by every definition" when he flew migrants to Martha's Vineyard.

"What kind of person does that?" Newsom asked during an MSNBC interview.

DeSantis transported the migrants in a political stunt to protest President Joe Biden's border policies.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis broke state laws "by every definition" when he flew migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard as part of a political stunt to protest President Joe Biden's border policies.

Newsom, who has a long-running feud with DeSantis, said the Florida Republican broke laws relating to the use of state dollars for that purpose. His comments echo those of a Florida Democratic state senator who has sued, saying the state budget stipulates that designated funds must be used to transport "unauthorized aliens" from Florida, and the migrants only made a brief stop there.

"The question is, did he break federal law," Newsom said during an MSNBC interview that aired Tuesday. "It's sick. I'm a parent. Man, I mean, how do I explain that."

"It's like, What? Someone did that? They would do that to kids?" he asked. "What kind of person does that?"

A group of migrants already sued DeSantis, alleging they were duped "to advance a political motive," and a Texas sheriff has opened a criminal investigation. DeSantis has said they went voluntarily and his office provided a copy of a consent form that one signed.

Newsom asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate whether the transport of migrants to Martha's Vineyard "under false pretenses" broke federal laws. He tweeted that what DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are doing "isn't clever, it's cruel." Abbott has bused thousands of migrants out of his state.

During the MSNBC interview, Newsom mocked "this bravado."

"It's all BS," he said. "They're bullies, nothing more than bullies."

DeSantis responded to Newsom's DOJ request by saying, "I think his hair gel is interfering with his brain function."

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Newsom called out Abbott and DeSantis during the interview, asking how many books have been banned in Texas and mocking DeSantis for "rewriting history" relating to slavery. DeSantis recently said the American Revolution caused people to question slavery.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about, except he's successful. And we need to be more assertive to wake folks up," Newsom said.

Newsom has been urging his party to be more aggressive in calling out Republicans. He said everyone hopes that former President Donald Trump "goes to the ashbin of history," but he isn't the only problem. Some Republican governors are at another level of "implementing and applying that demonization through legislation," he said.

"Trump has to be blushing with some of the stuff that some of these Republican governors have gotten away with," he said.

Newsom stepped up his criticism of conservative governors this month, renting billboards in Texas and other red states with abortion bans, to let women know "California is ready to help" women who need an abortion.

During the July 4 weekend, he invited Floridians to California, "where we still believe in freedom," in a $105,000 ad buy.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Sep. 27A slow start didn't faze Geneva when it traveled to Chagrin Falls on Sept. 27 for a cross-division CVC match.

The Eagles stretched their wings as they won the next three sets to take the match, 3-1, but the Tigers made them have to work for all of those set wins.

In the opening set, Geneva (7-8) found itself behind the eight-ball early as Chagrin Falls raced out to a seven-point lead to start the game. But they slowly started to chip away and four times cut it down to a one-point disadvantage before they tied it up at 23 apiece.

But the Tigers rebounded and took the last two sets to take the first set, 25-23. The biggest issue for Geneva was a large number of its attacks sailed long, which allowed for easy points for the Tigers.

Coach Annah Haeseler knew her team would be able to real in their attacks before long and was pleased with the resiliency her team showed in the opening set.

They won the final three sets after dropping the first, @AthleticsGeneva head coach Annan Haeseler talked about the changes that her team made between frames #NHXC pic.twitter.com/BgyhqElU9P

 Ben Hercik (@BHercikNH) September 28, 2022

"Volleyball is a game of momentum, so you have those waves of points and waves of none," Haeseler said. "You hope to have more waves of points than not. We had a slow start where we were almost down by double digits, but we came back and almost got that first set. I knew that the momentum was going in our favor, so as long as we rode that out we were felt like we were going to come out with the victory."

That's exactly what her team did in the second and third sets, as they were able to build up leads in those sets from which Chagrin Falls wasn't able to come back. A lot of it came down to their play on the front row.

Led by the play of Sydney Park and her 11 kills and 12 digs, Geneva saw its attacking half of the game come to life in the middle sets. She knew with their varied attack, they needed to change the flow of their setups for the attacks.

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That yielded dividends as not only did Park see her kill numbers increase but also saw increased production from Lilly Rhodes (seven kills) and Gianni DeLuca (five kills).

Sydney Park led the way with 11 kills, and she talks about her teams work back to the win, as well as spreading the @AthleticsGeneva attack around #NHVolleyball pic.twitter.com/DD5ZkDzv5N

 Ben Hercik (@BHercikNH) September 28, 2022

"We knew that's not how we want to play," Park said. "Sometimes it feels like we don't have the energy and we have to change gears into the style of play where we know we can win. We have to get into that mindset of getting into just going for it and we can walk away victorious."

The long attacks started to rear their heads again in the fourth set, as the two traded points back and forth. But Haeseler saw her team make the needed adjustments themselves to be able to rattle off six points in a row to make it game point.

"They played hard and with a lot of pride," Haeseler said. "I think we're plugging along really well. The CVC is no joke  everyone you play is tough. We've had a few five-set losses but are looking to work our way back to try and turn those into four- or five-set wins. We need to keep playing together and get over some of those dog days of a lot of practices and play some matches in a row."

Despite the loss, Coach Kelly Holtz is happy to see the improvement of her team. With their freshman outside hitter Gigi Calabrese unavailable, she saw a number of players step up to the challenge.

It's been a challenge at times for the Tigers to string a whole match together, but Holtz knows the younger players will be able to take the lessons that they learned this season and turn them into victories in the years to come.

Despite the loss, @ChagrinAD head coach Kelly Holtz likes the progress she saw from her team with one of their pieces missing and the bright future that the team has #NHVolleyball pic.twitter.com/ZVUjGWoSJY

 Ben Hercik (@BHercikNH) September 28, 2022

"For us, we really need to work on our consistency," Holtz said. "That was a great match for us and saw several areas where we stepped up a rung on the latter that we've been trying to get to all season. That intensity is something we haven't seen all year. It's been there in practice but has never translated into a game for us. We've been trying to find that fix and tonight, whatever it was worked. We knew that we were capable of something like this. For them if they can play like this more often, it's only going to make us better."

Chagrin Falls was led by Kayla Link with five kills and Isabel Nerpouni who totaled six points, four kills and two aces.

It's a long layoff for the Tigers until they see the court again, which will be Oct. 3 when they host West Geauga. On the other hand, Geneva turns around and travels to Madison for its second match in three days Sept. 28.
The national headquarters of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party in Berlin were searched by officials with the city's prosecutor's office on Wednesday.

Six other locations in the German capital and the states of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia were also searched.

The searches were primarily concerned with an initial investigation against former party chairman Joerg Meuthen and the partys former treasurer in connection with earlier statements of accounts.

GERMANY WILL KEEP 2 OF THEIR 3 NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS RUNNING AHEAD OF POSSIBLE ENERGY CRISIS

According to investigators, they allegedly may have violated the countrys political parties act and committed breach of trust.

"The defendants are suspected of violating the German Political Parties Act and of breach of trust, as the accounts submitted to the president of the German parliament by the AfD for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018, for which the defendants are responsible, contained allegedly incorrect information regarding party donations," the prosecutors office said in a statement.

Local media reported as well that the party allegedly made false statements in accountability reports to parliament in the years 2016 to 2018.

Joerg Meuthen, pictured here in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 27, 2022, is accused of violating Germany's political parties act and committing breach of trust violations. Photo by Filip Singer - Pool/Getty Images

The party condemned the raids in a statement.

"Since this morning, the Berlin public prosecutors office has been conducting a house search in the premises of the federal headquarters of Alternative for Germany, without any prior inquiry having been directed to the AfD regarding the facts to be clarified," it said.

Investigators raiding the premises looked for access to the official email accounts of Meuthen and the party's treasurer, Klaus-Guenther Fohrmann, at the time, German public broadcaster ARD reported. The investigation against Meuthen has been going on since January. Meuthen, who is a member of the European Parliament, had his parliamentarian immunity lifted, ARD reported.

GERMANY RAIDS 24 PROPERTIES LINKED TO PUTIN ALLY USMANOV

Investigators "copied complete hard disks, mailboxes and file folders" the AfD said in its statement.

The prosecutors office confirmed that it had confiscated "documents and data carriers, which are now being evaluated in the course of the ongoing investigation."
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a call on Wednesday that Germany would never accept the results of "sham" referendums on joining Russia in occupied regions of Ukraine, a German government spokesperson said.

Scholz also said Germany's financial, political and humanitarian support for Ukraine would not waver and it would continue to back Ukraine in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity, including weapons deliveries, the spokesperson said in a statement.

(Writing by Miranda Murray; Editing by Madeline Chambers)
Multisearch, a Google Lens feature that can search images and text simultaneously, will soon be more broadly available after arriving in the US as a beta earlier this year. Google says multisearch will expand to more than 70 languages in the coming months. The company made the announcement at an event focused on Search.

In addition, the Near Me feature, which Google unveiled at I/O back in May, will land in the US in English sometime this fall. This ties into multisearch, with the idea of making it easier for folks to find out more details about local businesses.

With multisearch, you can take a pic *and* ask a question to get the look you want or fix something.  We're bringing this new way to search to 70+ languages. And soon, you'll be able to add "near me" to your image to find what you're looking for nearby. #SearchOn pic.twitter.com/RHxRQm42EU  Google (@Google) September 28, 2022

Multisearch is largely about enabling people to point their camera at something and ask about it while they're using the Google app. You could aim your phone at a store and request details about it, for instance, or ask about a screenshot of any unfamiliar item, like an item of clothing. You could also look up what a certain food item is called, like soup dumplings or laksa, and see what restaurants around you offer it.

Also on the Lens front, there will be some changes when it comes to augmented reality translations. Google is now employing the same artificial intelligence tech it uses for the Pixel 6's Magic Eraser feature to make it appear like it's replacing the original text, instead of superimposing the translation on top. The idea is to make translations look more seamless and natural.

Google is also adding shortcuts to the bottom of the search bar in its iOS app, so you'll more easily find features like translating text with your camera, hum to search and translating text in screenshots.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem answers questions during a press conference at the State Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 27.

Gov. Kristi Noem is proposing a permanent tax cut for South Dakotans, specifically the sales tax on groceries.

The announcement came Wednesday during a press conference about policy proposal hosted by Noem in Rapid City, at Dakota Butcher. Special guests included Lt Gov. Larry Rhoden, the commissioner of economic development Steve Westra and two legislators, Helene Duhamel (R-Rapid City) and Mary Fitzgerald (R-Spearfish).

"We're talking about cutting taxes and saving money for South Dakota families," Noem said, calling the moment special and alleging President Joe Biden's policies are hurting South Dakotans and their pocketbooks.

Noem said the proposed policy would be worth more than $100 million in tax cuts, the largest in state history.

Currently, South Dakota is one of three states that impose a full sales tax rate on food. The tax rate is 4.5%, according to the Department of Revenue.

South Dakota has proposed cutting food sales tax before

This isn't the first time a proposal has been brought forth. During the 2022 legislative session, lawmakers from both parties in both houses proposed various tax cuts. Democrats wanted to fully eliminate the sales tax on groceries, and a bill was introduced in the Senate to do just that by Sen. Reynold Nesiba (D-Sioux Falls).

At the time, Noem seemed hesitant to support reductions on the sale tax rate on sales of goods and services, according to previous Argus Leader reporting. She said then generally wanted to see fewer tax burdens on South Dakotans, but wasn't sure how long South Dakota's economic success would last, fearing tax cuts at the time could mean tax increases in the future.

"The legislators are a little bit more bullish on what revenue will look like in two or three years, and I'm probably a little more cynical than that," Noem said in February. "It's going to be a challenge in the coming years."

At Wednesday's press conference, Noem was flanked by blue and yellow signs reading "cutting taxes, saving families." She signaled it was time to cut the grocery tax in the face of rising inflation after a historic year of economic growth, from housing growth to low unemployment rates and increasing state revenues.

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Noem took time to go through how inflation since President Biden took office had impacted costs at the grocery store. Milk had gone up 20%, ground beef had gone up 25% and the price of a dozen eggs risen 113%.

"I am promising we will repeal the grocery food tax on all grocery items in the state of South Dakota, so we can bring relief to our families," she said, adding tshe trusts the state government can get it done.

Any proposed tax cut must be passed by the state legislature, and the next legislative session starts in January.

7 months ago, my colleagues and I proposed eliminating the sales tax on food and groceries. It would have saved each South Dakota family $468 a year on groceries.



But the bill was opposed by Governor Noem and killed in the Senate. Now she backs it to score political points. pic.twitter.com/kiKcYwAqkv  Jamie Smith for SD Governor (@RepJamieSmith) September 28, 2022

Noem, who is up for her second term and being challenged by state Rep. Jamie Smith, promised that if she retains her seat in November, she would continue to work for South Dakotan families. The election is Nov. 8.

Smith responded to the announcement by posting on Twitter, calling it an attempt to win "political points."

"Seven months ago, my colleagues and I proposed eliminating the sales tax on food and groceries," he stated. "It would have saved each South Dakota family $468 a year on groceries. But the bill was opposed by Gov. Noem and killed in the Senate. Now she backs it to score political points."

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Permanent grocery tax cut proposed by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem
Sep. 28Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for all counties in Georgia as Hurricane Ian moves closer to making landfall in the U.S.

Kemp made the announcement Tuesday following the upgrade of Hurricane Ian to Category 3. The state of emergency goes into effect Thursday at 7 a.m.

The southeast Georgia coast is likely to be hit with a tropical storm or depression before the storm exits Georgia on Sunday, with possible storm surges, beach erosion and rip currents predicted.

Coastal Camden and Glynn counties are already under a tropical storm warning. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the entire Georgia coast.

Across the state, Georgians could face heavy rains, flooding, high winds and the loss of power, the governor's office said.

Georgians are encouraged to pay close attention to local officials' guidance and make emergency plans. Those in low-lying or coastal areas should consider moving to higher ground.

Georgia activated the State Operations Center this week to help prepare for the storm. The state of emergency extends until Oct. 28.

Ian made landfall in Cuba early Tuesday morning and is expected to arrive in the Cobb County area as early as Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service. The storm is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida by Wednesday afternoon.

The storm could reach Category 4 status before reaching Florida.

Ian is expected to be downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm by the time it reaches Georgia, AccuWeather reports, but is still likely to bring rainy and windy conditions.

The Cobb County School District said that Friday's four scheduled high school football games have been moved to Thursday due to the storm. Each teamLassiter, South Cobb, Sprayberry and Waltonis playing on the road in Fulton County.

On Friday, the Cobb forecast predicts cloudy conditions in the morning, followed by rain moving in toward the afternoon. The forecast includes a high of 71 degrees, a 40% chance of rain, winds moving north at 17 mph and wind gusts up to 41 mph, AccuWeather reports. Friday night is expected to see a low of 60 degrees, with winds up to 30 mph, and a 95% chance of rain, which is expected to accumulate up to 1 inch.

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Saturday will see the brunt of the system in Cobb, as the county forecast calls for heavy rain throughout the day, with a high of 66 degrees and winds up to 30 mph. Cobb could see more than 2 inches of rain Saturday, according to AccuWeather, with a low of 60 degrees later that evening.

The storms are expected to move out of the area Sunday.

The National Weather Service is warning residents to prepare for possible power outages due to strong wind gusts, as well as potential flooding as a result of heavy rain.

County officials are emphasizing that Ian's impact on Cobb County could vary widely depending upon the storm's eventual track. The Cobb Department of Transportation is preparing equipment, as well as adjusting crew shifts, in anticipation. County crews have begun clearing areas that see excessive standing water.

Ian could put a damper on the ongoing North Georgia State Fair, which is scheduled to run through Sunday.

"We'll just have to wait and see," said fair manager Tod Miller. "We're in the holding pattern right now and are monitoring the weather like everyone else."

Miller added that he and his team will update the public on the status of operational fair hours this weekend, posting any weather cancellation notices on the fair's website and social media pages. Anyone wishing to stay up to date on cancellations can visit the fair's website at www.northgeorgiastatefair.com or its Facebook page.

The storms could also impact the Atlanta Braves' final homestand of the season. The Braves are scheduled to host the New York Mets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Truist Park.  Rebecca Grapevine contributed to this report.
In recent months, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas and other southern governors have begun transporting migrants from their states to immigrant-friendly states and cities in the northern U.S., including Philadelphia and New York. DeSantis also dispatched a group of migrants to Martha's Vineyard. In response, community organizers, faith-based leaders and immigrant rights groups in New Jersey convened an emergency meeting to prepare for the eventuality that southern governors could send migrants to New Jersey.

Less than 24 hours later, news reports surfaced that Floridas DeSantis had a chartered plane of migrants headed to President Joe Bidens residence in Delaware and ultimately to New Jerseys Teterboro airport. Coalition members, community leaders and social workers sprung to action to ensure that upon arrival in New Jersey, these people would be met with open arms, resources and support to secure their basic human needs and the fundamental human rights promised to everyone entering our nation.

However, when the plane arrived in New Jersey, it was empty, save for its crew. The entire operation amounted to a cruel prank amid an ongoing political charade. Organizations and volunteers who mobilized to meet the anticipated need  and arguably the promise of our nation to treat all who arrive here with dignity and respect  spent hours awaiting these migrants. Instead, they found an empty tarmac and the reality that scarce resources were spent needlessly. This begs the question: What is the true cost of using people as political pawns?

Immigrants gather with their belongings 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. (Ray Ewing/Vineyard Gazette via AP)

Transportation for those seeking asylum can be a valuable service, but the political stunting of DeSantis and others aims not to help but to sow fear, distrust, and disorder. Local organizations along the U.S. border have long sought government support for migrants to reach their destinations and reunite with family in our country; however, these politically motivated tactics are hardly what they had in mind. Biden has called these acts shameful. They are also immensely harmful.

People seeking asylum in the U.S. include individuals, children, and families fleeing danger and persecution and exercising their human and legal right to seek safety in our country. Social workers, including ones from the National Association of Social Workers-New Jersey, lawyers and clergy are often the first responders in organizations supporting the needs of migrants and asylum seekers upon their arrival in the U.S. These advocates are on the front lines providing resources, helping to navigate complex systems, and bearing witness to stories of migration and the search for a better life  stories of hazardous journeys, oppression, violence, trauma, and credible fears for migrants lives, the lives of their children and the violation of fundamental human rights.

Charles Stile:Migrants may still be en route to NJ. Is that good  or bad  for Phil Murphy?

Christopher Maag:DeSantis, Abbott have long, personal histories with immigration

While the harm to people who serve as pawns in this game remains our primary concern, these stunts also draw upon the already limited resources nonprofit organizations, community groups, and government-funded programs have available. Organizations, first responders and coalitions remain poised to mobilize at any time, but doing so is a hard cost. They are activating staff after hours, drawing on volunteers, and shifting resources to accommodate new needs are not without tangible and intangible price tags. This last false activation has prepared us though and there are ways in which communities affected can help organizations prepare, resource-up and ready themselves for the next activation. Everyday citizens can consider donating to organizations such as the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice and First Friends of New Jersey and New York as well as the National Association of Social Workers-New Jersey. These organizations are not only mobilizing resources as needed, but are dedicated to creating and achieving policies that welcome and support immigrants. In this unfathomable moment, when resources are being squandered away for political posturing, everyday citizens can help shore up the organizations so that they can meet the migrants when needed.

The tactics of DeSantis and others were meant to teach a lesson to states like New Jersey who embrace immigrants in the spirit America was to be founded on. But the lesson taught was much more telling. The lesson is that the American people, and in particular, social workers and New Jersey residents, can recognize a political ploy in motion. That we will rise to meet the moment and continue to live our values of honoring the individual dignity and worth of each person. The lesson is that the spirit and resolve of our collective communities is powerful beyond measure and that well stand poised to help, time and again, even if that means meeting a few empty planes.

While social workers and organizers in New Jersey and around our country stand poised to meet the needs of migrants who arrive in our states, a more extensive discussion is needed. Rather than resorting to political stunting to force our federal government to address the influx of migrants at our southern border, governors and elected officials from both the north and south, and on both sides of the aisle, should be working to establish coordinated processes that ensure the needs of migrants to our borders are met responsibly, ethically and as swiftly, efficiently, and humanely as possible.

Jennifer Thompson is executive director of the New Jersey and Delaware Chapters of the National Association of Social Workers.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott cry wolf, use migrants as political pawns
By Saliou Samb

DAKAR (Reuters) -A long-awaited trial of eleven men, including former military ruler Moussa Dadis Camara, accused of responsibility for a 2009 stadium massacre and mass rape by Guinean security forces began on Wednesday but was adjourned by the judge to next week.

The trial opened with the judge calling each accused to the bar. Charges including murder, attempted murder, rape, torture and theft were read out in the packed courtroom and broadcast live on national television.

The men were not asked to plead and the judge adjourned the case to Oct. 4 following a request from lawyers of the victims and the accused, to give them enough time to familiarise themselves with the charge sheets.

On Sept. 28, 2009, tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators held a protest in the stadium in Conakry to pressure Camara not to stand for election as president of Guinea the following year. Many were shot, stabbed, beaten or crushed in a stampede as security forces fired teargas and charged the crowded stadium.

Over 150 people were killed and at least a dozen women were raped by security forces, prosecutors say.

Camara has denied responsibility for the incident, blaming it on errant soldiers, including his former aide-de-camp Lieutenant Aboubacar Toumba Diakite, who is also among those indicted and has also denied responsibility.

Survivors and family members hope the trial will bring them justice after 13 years.

Asmaou Diallo said she was at the protest. She told Reuters in an interview that she was assaulted and barely escaped with her life, and that her son was killed in front of her.

"The most shocking image for me that day was that of the body of my slain son. I still haven't processed what happened," said Diallo, who now heads an association of parents and victims of the massacre.

"Knowing that this trial will take place is for all the victims the beginning of hope for deliverance," she said.

After prolonged investigations and repeated delays by the previous government, the military government that seized power in September last year gave an order that the trial should start no later than Sept. 28, the anniversary of the massacre.

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"Today's opening of this long-awaited judicial process is a crucial step for Guinea in its fight against impunity," said Acting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif.

"We call on all the authorities involved to ensure that this important trial is conducted in a victim-sensitive manner, and in accordance with international standards and due process."

Camara, who was in exile in Burkina Faso following an attempted assassination and his ouster in 2009, returned to Guinea over the weekend.

He was interviewed by a prosecutor and detained on Tuesday alongside two other former senior military officers, their lawyer said.

At least 600 victims of the stadium incident have been identified, according to Alseny Sall, spokesperson for the Guinean Organization for Human Rights.

Some relatives of those killed have said they never received their loved ones' remains.

"The hardest thing for me was not being able to mourn my husband. His body disappeared and was never returned to us. It's a situation that weighs on me," said Salimatou Bah, a rice seller.

"All we want is justice. This trial must ensure that such things never happen again in this country," she said.

(Reporting by Saliou Samb Writing by Bate FelixEditing by Nellie Peyton and Rosalba O'Brien)
Laura Shinn working as a nurse posing by door wearing scrubs

Laura Shinn is a nurse at Children's Hospital New Orleans.Courtesy Laura Shinn

Laura Shinn was diagnosed with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft-tissue cancer, at the age of 6.

As an adult, she decided to go into nursing and work at the same hospital she received treatment.

This is her story, as told to PollyAnna Brown.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Laura Shinn, a 42-year-old oncology nurse at Children's Hospital New Orleans, in Louisiana. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My mom spent Mother's Day 1987 worrying about me; I was 6 years old at the time and had been dealing with cold-like symptoms, including a stuffy nose and congestion, for about a week. She decided to use one of those tiny bulb syringes to see if she could suction out some of whatever was causing some of the congestion. In the process, she sucked a mass to the end of my nostril so it was visible, but it didn't come out of my nose.

She immediately took me to urgent care, and from there, we ended up at an ENT  an ear, nose, throat specialist, officially called an otolaryngologist  who did a biopsy later in the week. It turned out to be an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft-tissue cancer.

This particular kind of cancer can show up in different places; mine just happened to appear in my left sinus cavity. Because of how close it was to my brain, the tumor was considered inoperable. The recommended course for me was chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation.

My mom was told the best place for me to get treatment was Children's Hospital New Orleans. My treatment ended one day before my ninth birthday, in 1989.

Children's Hospital New Orleans became my second home

Over my two years of treatment, the hospital became home. The nurses and staff who worked there and the other patients and their families all became my friends. I knew everyone's ins and outs, and interacting with hospital staff and other patients became my new normal.

One of my nurses who started out at Children's Hospital with me became a home health nurse, which allowed me to receive chemo at home. She and I are still very close to this day. Our connection inspired me to explore medicine; I realized that healthcare providers can be a big part of our lives and how important it is for people who truly care to be in the field.

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Laura Shinn as a child. Courtesy of Laura Shinn

I went to nursing school at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi, when I was 22. When I graduated in May 2005, I applied for a nursing position at Children's Hospital since it held such a special place in my heart. There weren't any positions available in hematology-oncology, so I took a position in another unit.

After the first day of orientation, Hurricane Katrina hit. The hospital stayed closed for a couple of weeks, and when it reopened, my unit was not operational right away. The hurricane had also displaced many of the nurses, and some weren't able to return to their positions following the storm. This created open positions in the hematology-oncology unit, and the manager asked me if I was still interested in working there. Of course, my answer was yes.

I began work in that unit in autumn 2005 as a floor nurse and stayed in that role until April 2019. Then I took a position as a hematology-oncology nurse navigator, taking care of bone-marrow-transplant patients, and I've been in that role ever since. I'm also working on becoming certified as a hematopoietic-stem-cell-transplant or bone-marrow-transplant nurse; I have interest in both, and both are important.

Now I get to be there for other kids and their families

When I was a floor nurse, some families were in the hospital for weeks. Whether they were there receiving chemo or for complications from their treatments, it was my job to care for them day in and day out. Seeing to their needs on this level created a special bond.

Now I spend more time working in the outpatient clinic. There are kids who've received transplants, and we see those patients every year until they're 22. It feels like you kind of grow up with them, and you get to watch their major milestones and accomplishments. Whether you're following their journey for two years or 22 years, you really build a connection.

Laura Shinn as a child. Courtesy of Laura Shinn

Forming bonds with those patients and helping them go through this experience  which I know can be scary  is a privilege and an honor. But being able to help them see the brighter side of things is so important.

It's crucial to remind them that going through this one needle stick, this one round of chemo, or this one transplant is part of a larger story and not the whole thing. Helping patients consider the other side of treatment and what's waiting for them afterward  reminding patients that they can move beyond this  is the best part of what I do.

I get to be an example for patients that cancer does not define them. It's just part of their journey. And that is a gift.

Read the original article on Insider
In the summertime, Orchard Beach is one of the Bronxs most popular places to party. Here on the edge of a woody peninsula about an hours drive from midtown Manhattan, barbecue smoke floats over a backdrop of reggaeton; crowds gather on the boardwalk for Salsa Sundays.

But now, the beach is transforming into an unprecedented shelter for a new group of people. Within weeks, as many as 1,000 recently arrived migrants will be placed under huge tents in the beachs parking lot. And while officials say they wont stay more than a few days, advocates worry the migrants could end up languishing in the tents as winter arrives, in an area thats also known for dramatic floods.

Since the summer, as many as 13,000 migrants have been sent unannounced to New York City as part of a continuing political stunt by Republican governors. Residents and community groups have largely embraced the migrants, but their sudden arrival has for the first time in years maxed out New Yorks shelter system, which is obligated by law to provide a bed to anyone who needs one.

Mayor Eric Adams has struggled to expand the amount of available shelter, even proposing repurposing cruise ships. These tents, announced last week, are not a replacement for official shelters, his office says, but humanitarian relief centers to assist newly arriving migrants and connect them to social services. And as migrants continue to arrive, its likely the city will build even more.

The construction at Orchard Beach is proceeding rapidly. The metal structures, as big as aircraft hangars, are being built in a fenced-off corner of the beachs vast parking lot, which has become mostly empty as the temperatures fall. On Tuesday, construction crews erected the frames that will backbone the tents, drawing curious onlookers. But broad puddles left over from a rainstorm over the weekend were still pooled under some of the structures.

Michael Benedetto, the state legislator who represents the district, said he was very impressed with the structures, which seem to be rather firm, rather secure. Benedetto said engineers had told him that there would be raised platforms built inside each of the tents, so that people would not be on the concrete itself. So if there is some minor water collecting underneath, theyll be protected from that. If a storm comes up or a bad weather day, they will be in tents that are secure and comfortable.

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Yvette Santiago, a 52-year-old Bronx resident who was watching the construction, wasnt convinced. Im not saying that we shouldnt want them, but there had to be somewhere better than this. Its bad conditions, it gets very cold. When theres snow its hard to come with a car; the cars slide because its so slippery. This was a terrible, terrible idea.

Larry Fair, a 59-year-old Bronx resident, said he supported the shelters: I think everybody is human, and a lot of us here are fortunate to be able to be where we live. But he, too, was wary about the weather: That puddle shows you right there that the waters gonna be coming in. Its crazy how many puddles were having here  its deep ones, you know.

Orchard Beach is part of the Pelham Islands, a low-lying coastal area in hurricane evacuation zone 1  the highest-risk category for flooding, according to the citys emergency management agency. The beachs parking lot lies within a high-risk flood zone, according to the Federal Emergency Management Administration, and nearby residents have complained for years of flooding to roads including emergency routes, which has left them stranded during storms.

John Doyle, the district leader for City Island, which is connected to Orchard Beach, said that a no-name storm left the entire parking lot underwater in 2018, and the lot gets inundated with water every one or two years.

Doyle said he supported the construction of the shelters despite the flood risk: Weve got to be very clear to not be sending any sort of signals of exclusion. We welcome everybody. He hopes the arrival of the migrants might inspire city officials to add proper drainage to the area  something he and other residents have spent years pleading for without success.

For immigrant advocates, the weather is just one of too many unanswered questions. Joshua Goldfein, a staff attorney with the non-profit Legal Aid Society who has been helping the migrants, said his organization was in contact with the mayors office but hadnt received clear responses to its concerns: How do people get there? What are they told when theyre there? Whos going to be helping them? How do you know its time for them to leave? Who are you going to serve there and who are you not going to serve there? We even asked them about the location  you know, its hurricane season, and thats a flood-prone area. But it seems like theyre going ahead and constructing it.

The mayors office appeared to be building first and figuring things out later, Goldfein said. Theyre trying to set something up in a hurry. They started with the premise that they needed another place. And theyre working backwards from that to Well, what happens when people get there?

A spokesperson for the mayors office declined to comment and referred to the offices announcement last week, which said migrants would be bussed from the citys transit hub at the Port Authority to the relief center at Orchard Beach, to the extent possible. Migrants arriving at the tents would be provided with settlement options, as well as immediate health, safety, and legal information and would be expected to stay 24-96 hours, it said, depending on the situation.

According to the mayors office, the relief center at Orchard Beach is the first of several centers that have not yet been announced. While the Orchard Beach site will only serve adults, Goldfein said he was worried the city might start placing children in congregate settings, which weve learned time and time again is dangerous and not appropriate. The attorney said some children had been harmed after they were placed in tent shelters during Hurricane Sandy  the last time New York City dealt with a surge of displaced people. Families need to be together. They need their own room with a door that closes and locks at night. And if people dont have that, there will be negative consequences.

Murad Awawdeh, the head of the non-profit New York Immigration Coalition, which has also been assisting arriving migrants, said he worried that the Orchard Beach shelter could be the start of a harmful trend. We fear that whats meant to be a temporary solution will become an inadequate permanent one, which will lead to even more long-term negative impacts on individuals who are housed there.

The real solution, Awawdeh said, would be to move people out of New York Citys shelters into permanent housing, so that there would be enough room to shelter migrants inside actual buildings. We need a real plan. We could be doing this differently and in a more meaningful way than what were seeing right now.

The question is whether something is better than nothing. I think its a good thing, said George Castellanos, a 67-year-old retiree who goes to the park nearly every day to walk his dog. I feel they need a place to live, and were reaching out and giving them shelter. Theres a lot of space here in the parking lot. Especially in the wintertime, its not being utilized.

It gets cold, but listen, he added. They have a roof over their head.
By Josh Smith

SEOUL (Reuters) -When U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris makes an expected visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas on Thursday, she will be the latest in a long list of dignitaries - and tourists - coming to gaze into secretive North Korea.

The DMZ is a relic of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, and despite its name, is highly fortified from coast to coast with razor wire, heavy armaments and tank traps on either side of a 4 km-wide buffer.

It's a symbol of a divided peninsula, separated families, geopolitical tension, and bloody military clashes. The area has also become a surreal tourist destination, with outlet malls, theme parks, hiking trails, and other attractions, at least on the South Korean side.

U.S. presidents and numerous top officials have visited the zone, often wearing military-style jackets and usually arriving with messages of support for the alliance that keeps nearly 30,000 American troops in South Korea.

"It's symbolic in that these guys want to show that they are interested in the DMZ and the security of the peninsula, and its a bucket list item as well," Steve Tharp, a retired U.S. Army officer who spent years facilitating DMZ visits by everyone from politicians and generals to the American comedian Conan O'Brien, who filmed a skit on the North Korean side of the border.

Ronald Reagan was the first U.S. president to visit the DMZ, but Bill Clinton and Donald Trump are the only sitting presidents to have visited the Joint Security Area (JSA), a cluster of buildings that hosts talks, and the only spot where troops from both sides stand face to face, he said.

When Clinton visited in 1993, he walked to the Bridge of No Return, which spans the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) that forms the border, and got its name when prisoners of war marched across it.

Clinton - who once called the DMZ "the scariest place on Earth" - reportedly kept asking whether he'd gone further than any other president, Tharp said.

Story continues

He had. At least until Trump became the first U.S. president to step briefly into North Korea, when he met leader Kim Jong Un on the border in 2019 for hastily arranged talks that ultimately failed to breath life into stalled denuclearisation talks.

"He tweeted from Japan on a Saturday about 8 a.m. and he arrived 24 hours later and was in the DMZ by 1:30 p.m. and walked across the MDL to meet Kim Jong Un," a former senior U.S. defence official said.

"That was sporty, but we had a great team and it went off without a hitch."

'CLEAR MESSAGE'

George W. Bush had been scheduled to visit on his first trip to South Korea as president in late 2001, but the Sept. 11 attacks derailed the plan and when he finally visited the next year, it was to an observation post set back from the border and protected with a bulletproof glass shield, Tharp said.

Harris will be the first senior official from President Joe Biden's administration to visit the DMZ, and U.S. and South Korean officials said the trip is aimed at underscoring the alliance between Seoul and Washington in the face of any threats posed by North Korea.

"It sends a clear message of support for the alliance from the White House," the former senior official said.

Biden visited the DMZ before he became president but decided not to go during his first trip to South Korea as president this year.

During the last round of heightened tensions in 2017, then-U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visited the DMZ, calling it the "frontier of freedom" and later saying he visited because he wanted the North Koreans to "see our resolve in my face".

North Korea has isolated itself more than ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began and its border guards at the DMZ rarely venture out, often donning protective suits when they do.

Weeds have overgrown the North Korean side of the line between the two Koreas where Trump and Kim stood shaking hands in 2019.

(Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Robert Birsel)
(Bloomberg) -- Vice President Kamala Harris said the Biden administration intends to deepen Americas unofficial ties with Taiwan, a fresh US warning to China that she delivered in a speech from the deck of a US warship in Japan.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that contributes to the global good -- from technology to health, and beyond, and the United States will continue to deepen our unofficial ties, Harris said Wednesday, according to excerpts released by the White House in advance.

She criticized China, saying Beijing has challenged freedom of the seas and has flexed its military and economic might to coerce and intimidate its neighbors.

Harris added that many have witnessed disturbing behavior in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea, and most recently, provocations across the Taiwan Strait.

Biden administration officials are increasingly concerned about Chinas moves to expand its economic and military influence and its intentions toward Taiwan, the self-governed island that Beijing regards as part of its territory. President Joe Biden has said repeatedly that US troops would defend Taiwan if China invades, including in an interview on 60 Minutes earlier this month.

The United States believes that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is an essential feature of a free and open Indo-Pacific, Harris said aboard the USS Howard, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

Bidens Vow to Defend Taiwan Makes US Policy Shift Explicit

The vice president is on a four-day trip to Japan and South Korea intended to demonstrate US commitment to allies in the region -- and to burnish her foreign policy credentials.

Story continues

Harriss trip will set the stage for Bidens visit to the region later this year, where hes expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and speak with allies about both efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and address rising tensions over Taiwan.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Sep. 28State senators want to that would give prosecutors more options to charge major crimes before they decide whether to convene a special session of the Legislature, according to Senate leadership.

The decision comes after Senate President Ron Kouchi said Monday that he would formally re-engage with members to determine if the Senate has the two-thirds majority needed to convene.

Senators indicated to leadership Monday that they wanted to see and review a draft bill before indicating whether or not a special session is needed.

House Speaker Scott Saiki said Monday that his chamber has reached consensus on moving forward with a special session.

State lawmakers are working on a bill that would restore prosecutors' ability to charge serious felonies through grand jury proceedings or preliminary hearings before a judge. A ruling on Sept. 8 made clear that preli minary hearings are not a lawful method for charging major crimes, including murder, arson, robbery and sex assault.

State Sen. Karl Rhoads, chair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary has a draft bill he is working on with Rep. Mark Nakashima, chair of the House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

The bill would bring back the process used before State v. Richard Obrero was decided and allowing two paths to charge the most serious crimes. If the bill passes both chambers and signed by the governor, prosecutors will be able to charge suspects through a hearing before a judge followed by a criminal complaint, or by taking the case to a grand jury for indictment.

The Obrero decision leaves prosecutors only one course to charge serious crimes, presenting evidence to a grand jury.

County prosecutors are teaming up to push lawmakers and Gov. David Ige to convene a special session, citing nearly 400 felony cases statewide that could be nullified if they are not re-charged via a grand jury.
Hayden Panettiere. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Hayden Panettiere said that it wasn't "fully" her choice to send her daughter to Ukraine in 2018.

She said after she did, Wladimir Klitschko sent papers to get custody of their daughter.

She said it can be "terrifying to talk about" because of the Klitschko family's power in Ukraine.

Hayden Panettiere spoke at length about her daughter Kaya's custody situation on Wednesday's episode of "Red Table Talk" with Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield Norris, and their guest co-host Kelly Osbourne.

When asked about the custody arrangement  Kaya's father Wladimir Klitschko currently has custody of the 7-year-old  Panettiere said "it wasn't fully my decision" to send her daughter Kaya to Ukraine permanently in 2018. The actor said she was in treatment for alcoholism at the time.

"I didn't even know it was happening until she was already over there," the "Heroes" star said.

She added that while she initially didn't have a conversation with Klitschko about a custody agreement and visitation plan for then-3-year-old Kaya, she would have told him it "makes sense" for him to look after their daughter while Panettiere worked toward sobriety.

But she said she would have assumed that once things were better, the agreement could change.

During the conversation, which starts around the 21-minute mark of the episode, Panettiere implied that she signed papers to give Klitschko "full custody" of Kaya without talking about it first, which she called "heartbreaking."

"I was going to go work on myself and I was going to get better," she explained, saying that she had hoped that once that happened, Kaya could come back to the US to spend time with her.

"But that didn't happen. I thought she was going over to visit him like she always did," the actor continued, saying that they previously had an agreement that Kaya went back and forth between Nashville, where Panettiere was based, and Ukraine. "And then once she was over there ... it was immediately, 'I want full custody of her,' which was a shock to me."

Story continues

Panettiere called Klitschko a "fantastic father" but said, "kids need their moms" as they get older.

Panettiere pregnant with Kaya. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"I had never endangered her," she said, noting that she didn't think she'd done anything around Kaya that would have caused any authorities in the US to take Kaya from her. "It never would have happened."

She said that after Klitschko got full custody of Kaya in Ukraine, she had to go back to treatment "several times."

"He wasn't around to see the kind of mom I was," she said. "And had he been, maybe it would have been different."

Panettiere said that she hopes the custody agreement does change one day. She told the cohosts that it's always been "very terrifying to talk about" because Klitschko is a former professional Ukrainian boxer and his brother Vitali Klitschko is the current mayor of the city of Kyiv, so the family has a lot of power there.

Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko in 2013 in Milan, Italy. Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Though Panettiere continually said Klitschko is a good father, the actor said her daughter has become very "stoic." She said that Kaya has also had to learn about the war in Ukraine because though she now lives elsewhere for her safety, her dad and uncle are fighting on the front lines.

The "Nashville" star said that she was told Kaya began asking other women if she can "call them mommy," which Panettiere described as a "cry for help" and a "trauma reaction."

"My breath hitched and my heart stopped," Panettiere said of her response when Klitschko told her.

She said she wishes that Klitschko would realize how much Kaya needs her mom and that he would allow her to visit the US. As of now, Panettiere is the one who goes to visit her daughter in Europe and she said she hasn't gotten "hints" that this agreement would change.

Wladimir Klitschko. Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images

Panettiere first spoke about having alcoholism to People reporter Aili Nahas in July. The actor said she's had an addiction to opioids and alcohol since she was a teenager and that it continued into adulthood.

In People's July article, Panettiere said that seeing Kaya going overseas was "the hardest thing I ever had to do."

"But I wanted to be a good mom to her  and sometimes that means letting them go," she added.

Read the original article on Insider
Election season is upon us once again. The 2022 general election is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Use this guide to find out whats on the ballot, early voting locations, Election Day voting locations and other information for voters in Nueces, San Patricio, Aransas and Kleberg counties.

WHAT ARE THE KEY ELECTION DATES?

The last day to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 11.

Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 24, and ends Friday, Nov. 4. If you are voting by mail, your APPLICATION to vote by mail must be received (not postmarked) by Friday, Oct. 28.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

AM I REGISTERED TO VOTE IN TEXAS?

You can check on the Texas secretary of state website at https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/ to see if you are registered to vote. You'll need some basic information such as name, date of birth and county to check your status.

ARE THERE ANY NEW VOTING LAWS?

Yes. The Texas Legislature passed three new rules pertaining to mail-in voting. They are:

Pregnant women expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day may now vote by mail.

Voters may now hand-deliver their ballot application to the county clerks office (not later than the 11th day before Election Day).

Voters will now have to provide either their Texas identification, Texas driver's license or election identification certificate number OR the last four digits of their Social Security number on both their ballot application and carrier envelope. Your application and/or ballot will be rejected if the information is not provided or does not match the information on file.

A guide to voter rights in Texas. What you need to know before you cast a ballot

WHAT CAN, CAN'T YOU BRING TO THE POLLS

State law requires registered voters to present one of seven forms of identification in order to vote in person at a polling location. They include:

Texas driver's license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety

Texas election identification certificate issued by DPS

Texas personal identification card issued by DPS

Texas license to carry a handgun issued by DPS

United States military identification card containing person's photograph

United States citizenship certificate containing the person's photograph

United States passport

Story continues

CAN I VOTE BY MAIL?

The state of Texas only allows registered voters to cast a mail-in ballot in certain circumstances. To be able to vote by mail in Texas you must meet one of the below requirements:

Be 65 years or older.

Be sick or disabled.

Be out of the county on Election Day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance.

Be expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day.

Be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

If you meet one of these requirements and are registered to vote, download the application from the Texas secretary of states website, then mail it to the election administrator in your county.

Nueces County County Clerk Kara Sands 901 Leopard St., Second Floor, Room 201 Corpus Christi, TX 78401

San Patricio County Elections Administrator Pamela Hill 410 W. Market St. Sinton, TX 78387

Aransas County Elections Administrator Kevin Stroud 602 E. Concho St. Rockport, TX 78382

Kleberg County County Clerk Stephanie G. Garza 700 E. Kleberg Ave. Kingsville, TX 78363



WHERE EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS?

Nueces County

A sign advertises an early voting polling location at the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Oct. 20, 2021.

The following vote centers are open for early voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, through Friday, Oct. 28; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29; noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 30 (Nueces County Courthouse only, all other locations closed); and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, through Friday, Nov. 4.

Nueces County Courthouse, 910 Leopard St.

Adkins Middle School, 2402 Ennis Joslin Road

Bishop Multipurpose Building, 115 Ash St., Bishop

Calallen ISD Admin Building, 4205 Wildcat Drive

Carroll High School old campus, 5301 Weber Road

Church Unlimited-Main Campus, 7451 Bay Area Drive

Church Unlimited-Rodd Field Campus, 3402 Rodd Field Road

Corpus Christi City Hall, 1201 Leopard St.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center,5151 McArdle Road

Del Mar College Heldenfels Administration Building, 101 Baldwin Blvd.

Ethel Eyerly Senior Center, 654 Graham Road

Grant Middle School, 4350 Aaron Drive

Greenwood Senior Center, 4040 Greenwood Drive

Hilltop Community Center, 11425 Leopard St.

Island Presbyterian Church, 14030 Fortuna Bay Drive

Johnny Calderon Building, 710 E. Main St., Robstown

Northwest Senior Center, 9725 Up River Road

Port Aransas Community Center, 408 N. Alister St., Port Aransas

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christis Natural Resources Center, 6300 Ocean Drive

Tuloso-Midway ISD Ag Complex, 10601 Haven Drive

The Valencia, 6110 Ayers St.

Veterans Memorial High School, 3750 Cimarron Blvd.

West Oso Junior High School, 5202 Bear Lane

San Patricio County

San Patricio County voters may vote at any of the following locations.

The Main Elections Office, 410 W. Market St., Sinton, will be open during the following hours:

8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, through Friday, Oct. 28

7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29

Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30

7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, through Friday, Nov. 4.

The Portland Community Center, 2000 Billy G. Webb Drive, Portland, will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the following days:

Monday, Oct. 24, through Friday, Oct. 29

Monday, Oct. 31, through Friday, Nov. 4

The following locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25; Wednesday, Oct. 26; Saturday, Oct. 29; Tuesday, Nov. 1 ; and Wednesday, Nov. 2:

Aransas Pass Civic Center, 700 W. Wheeler Ave., Aransas Pass

Humble Community Center, 2821 Main St., Ingleside

Odem Planters Co-Op, 200 N. Voss Ave, Odem

Taft Kiva Hut, 401 Park St., Taft

Mathis City Hall Annex, 401 E. San Patricio Ave., Mathis

Aransas County

The Aransas County Elections & Voter Registration Building, 602 E. Concho St., Rockport, will be open the following hours:

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, through Saturday, Oct. 29

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, through Wednesday, Nov. 2

7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, and Friday, Nov. 4

Kleberg County

Kleberg County votes may cast early ballots at any of the following vote centers. The Early Voting Annex Office, 720 E. King Ave., Kingsville, will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24 through Saturday, Oct. 29 and Monday, Oct. 31 through Friday, Nov. 4.

The Riviera County Building, 103 N. 7th St., Riviera, will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27 and Friday, Oct. 28.

The Ricardo Senior Citizen Center, 109 N. Nix St., Ricardo, will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 and Wednesday, Oct. 26.

WHERE ARE VOTING LOCATIONS IN SOUTH TEXAS?

Nueces County

Nueces County registered voters may cast their ballots at the following vote centers from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8:

Coming soon

San Patricio County

San Patricio County registered voters may cast their ballots at the following vote centers from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8:

San Patricio County Fairgrounds (Ballroom A), 219 W. Fifth St., Sinton

Humble Community Center, 2821 Main St., Ingleside

Portland Community Center, 2000 Billy G. Webb Drive, Portland

Taft Kiva Hut, 401 Park St., Taft

Mathis City Hall Annex, 401 E. San Patricio Ave., Mathis

Odem Planters Co-op, 200 Voss Ave., Odem

Aransas Pass Civic Center, 700 W. Wheeler Ave., Aransas Pass

Gregory Housing Authority, 103 Granajo St., Gregory

Edroy Community Center, 17886 State Highway 234, Edroy

GP ISD Training Center, 1200 Broadway Blvd., Portland

Aransas County

Aransas County registered voters may cast their ballots at the following vote centers from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8:

Fulton Volunteer Fire Department, 401 Googles Cole Blvd., Fulton

Rockport GI Forum, 1911 Hardee St., Rockport

Rockport Volunteer Fire Dept., 212 N. Gagon St., Rockport

Rockport Service Center, 2751 State Highway 35 Bypass, Rockport

Kleberg County

Kleberg County registered voters must cast their ballots in the precinct where they are registered to vote (listed on voter ID card), from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 1:

Precinct 11 & 12: American Legion, 2502 E. Kenedy Ave., Kingsville

Precinct 13: Law Enforcement Center Courthouse Annex, 1500 E. King Ave., Kingsville

Precinct 14: Coastal Bend Fellowship Church Hall, 1500 E. Caesar Ave., Kingsville

Precinct 21: Knights of Columbus Hall Council 3389, 320 Gen. Cavazos Blvd., Kingsville

Precinct 22 & 23: Memorial Middle School, 915 S. Armstrong St., Kingsville

Precinct 24: Santa Gertrudis School, 803 Santa Rosa Drive, Kingsville

Precinct 31: Elks Lodge, 1404 S. Sixth St., Kingsville

Precinct 32: Douglass Youth Center, 902 S. Second St. (Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.), Kingsville

Precinct 33: Dick Kleberg Park Recreation Hall, 501 Santiago Park Lane, Kingsville

Precinct 34: Riviera County Building, 103 N. Seventh St., Riviera

Precinct 35: Ricardo Senior Citizen Center, 109 N. Nix St., Ricardo

Precinct 41: University Baptist Church, 1324 N. Armstrong St., Kingsville

Precinct 42: Romeo L. Lomas Human Services Building, 1109 E. Santa Gertrudis St., Kingsville

Precinct 43: Early Voting Annex Office, 720 E. King Ave., Kingsville

Precinct 44: Kingsville ISD Administrative Building, 207 N. Third St., Kingsville

WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT?

Federal

UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 27

Michael Cloud * (Republican)

Maclovio Perez Jr. (Democrat)

UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 34

Mayra Flores (Republican)

Vicente Gonzalez (Democrat)

Chris Royal (Independent)

State of Texas

GOVERNOR

Greg Abbott * (Republican)

Beto O'Rourke (Democrat)

Mark Tippetts (Libertarian)

Delilah Barrios (Green)

Write-in

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Dan Patrick * (Republican)

Mike Collier (Democrat)

Shanna Steele (Libertarian)

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Ken Paxton * (Republican)

Rochelle Mercedes Garza (Democrat)

Mark Ash (Libertarian)

COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

Glenn Hegar * (Republican)

Janet T. Dudding (Democrat)

V. Alonzo Echevarria-Garza (Libertarian)

COMMISSIONER OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE

Dawn Buckingham (Republican)

Jay Kleberg (Democrat)

Alfred Molison, Jr. (Green)

Write-in

COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE

Sid Miller * (Republican)

Susan Hays (Democrat)

RAILROAD COMMISSIONER

Wayne Christian * (Republican)

Luke Warford (Democrat)

Jaime Andres Diez (Libertarian)

Hunter Wayne Crow (Green)

JUSTICE, SUPREME COURT, PLACE 3

Debra Lehrmann * (Republican)

Erin A. Nowell (Democrat)

Thomas Edward Oxford (Libertarian)

JUSTICE, SUPREME COURT, PLACE 5

Rebeca Huddle * (Republican)

Amanda Reichek (Democrat)

JUSTICE, SUPREME COURT, PLACE 9

Evan Young * (Republican)

Julia Maldonado (Democrat)

JUDGE, COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS PLACE 2

Mary Lou Keel * (Republican)

JUDGE, COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS, PLACE 5

Scott Walker * (Republican)

Dana Huffman (Democrat)

JUDGE, COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS, PLACE 6

Jesse F. McClure, III * (Republican)

Robert Johnson (Democrat)

MEMBER, STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 2

LJ Francis (Republican)

Victor Perez (Democrat)

STATE SENATOR, DISTRICT 18

Lois W. Kolkhorst * (Republican)

Josh Tutt (Democrat)

STATE SENATOR, DISTRICT 20

Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa * (Democrat)

Westley Wright (Republican)

STATE SENATOR, DISTRICT 27

Adam Hinojosa (Republican)

Morgan La Mantia (Democrat)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 32

Todd Hunter * (Republican)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 34

Abel Herrero * (Democrat)

Carolyn Vaughn (Republican)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 43

J. M. Lozano * (Republican)

JUSTICE, 13TH COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT, PLACE 3

Aaron Pena (Republican)

Leticia Hinojosa (Democrat)

DISTRICT JUDGE, 36TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

Starr Bauer * (Republican)

DISTRICT JUDGE, 156TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

Patrick L. Flanigan * (Republican)

DISTRICT JUDGE, 94TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

Bobby Galvan * (Democrat)

DISTRICT JUDGE, 105TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

Jack W. Pulcher * (Republican)

DISTRICT JUDGE, 117TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

Susan Barclay (Republican)

Celina Lopez Leon (Democrat)

DISTRICT JUDGE, 148TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

David Klein * (Republican)

Carlos Valdez (Democrat)

DISTRICT JUDGE, 319TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

David Stith * (Republican)

Nueces County

COUNTY JUDGE

Barbara Canales * (Democrat)

Connie Scott (Republican)

COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 1

Melissa "Mel" Madrigal (Democrat)

Todd Robinson (Republican)

COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 2

Lisa Gonzales * (Democrat)

COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 3

Deeanne Galvan * (Democrat)

COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 4

Mark H. Woerner * (Republican)

COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 5

Tim McCoy * (Republican)

DISTRICT CLERK

Anne Lorentzen * (Republican)

Maria C (Kina) Ventura (Democrat)

COUNTY CLERK

Ruell Ector Gauna (Democrat)

Kara Sands * (Republican)

COUNTY COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 2

Joe A. (JAG) Gonzalez * (Democrat)

COUNTY COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 4

Brent Chesney * (Republican)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT 1, PLACE 2

Manuel Manny Rangel III (Republican)

Henry Santana * (Democrat)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT 1, PLACE 3

Bernice Perez-Beem (Republican)

Lucy Rubio * (Democrat)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT 2, PLACE 2

Thelma L. Rodriguez * (Republican)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT 3

Larry Lawrence * (Republican)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT 4

Duncan Neblett Jr. * (Republican)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCT 5, PLACE 2

Armando B. Gonzalez Jr. * (Democrat)

Hermilo Milo Pena Jr. (Republican)

City of Corpus Christi

MAYOR

Paulette Guajardo *

John Wright

COUNCILMEMBER AT LARGEVote for none, one, two or three

Jim Klein

Mike Pusley *

Rene Cervantes

Michael Hunter *

Nancy Vera

John Martinez *

Rachel Caballero

John Garcia

COUNCILMEMBER DISTRICT 1

Everett Roy

Tracy McCall

Billy Lerma *

COUNCILMEMBER DISTRICT 2

Sylvia Campos

Brian Rosas

Mark Scott

COUNCILMEMBER DISTRICT 3

Roland Barrera *

Armon Alex

Eric Cantu

COUNCILMEMBER DISTRICT 4

Dan Suckley

COUNCILMEMBER DISTRICT 5

Christopher Hegg

Gil Hernandez *

The November election is coming.Here's who wants your vote for Corpus Christi City Council.

Calallen ISD

Coming soon

Corpus Christi ISD

TRUSTEE DISTRICT 1

Amanda Rose

Eric Villarreal

TRUSTEE DISTRICT 3

Marty Bell

Richard Tony Elizondo

TRUSTEE DISTRICT 4

Dolly Gonzales Trolley *

Flour Bluff ISD

BOARD OF TRUSTEES, PLACE 2

Jim Needham *

BOARD OF TRUSTEES, PLACE 3 (UNEXPIRED TWO-YEAR TERM)

Nicole Dowd *

David R. Gerlach

BOARD OF TRUSTEES, PLACE 4

Shirley Thornton *

BOARD OF TRUSTEES, PLACE 5

Nicole R. Peters *

Jeanie Blankenship Paluseo

Here's what to know.Voters will weigh in on Flour Bluff ISD's new tax rate.

London ISD

Coming soon

Tuloso-Midway ISD

Coming soon

West Oso ISD

Coming soon

San Patricio County

COUNTY JUDGE

Rudy Davila (Democrat)

David Krebs * (Republican)

COUNTY COURT AT LAW

Elizabeth Welborn * (Republican)

DISTRICT CLERK

Heather Marks * (Republican)

COUNTY CLERK

Gracie Alaniz-Gonzales * (Democrat)

COUNTY TREASURER

Leticia Garcia

Denise Janak * (Republican)

COUNTY SURVEYOR

Julius Petrus Jr. * (Republican)

COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 2

Tom Yardley (Republican)

COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 4

Howard Gillespie * (Republican)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT NO. 1

Jimmie Alaniz (Democrat)

Leslie DeAses * (Republican)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT NO. 2

Daniel (Danny) Garza * (Democrat)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT NO. 4

Karen Diaz * (Republican)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT NO. 5

Nere Villarreal * (Democrat)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT NO. 6

Susan Price * (Republican)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT NO. 8

Elvia Hernandez * (Democrat)

Leslie Pullin (Republican)

Gregory-Portland ISD

PROPOSITION A

The issuance of $145,609,020 of bonds by the Gregory-Portland Independent School District for the purposes of designing, constructing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, acquiring, and equipping school facilities and the necessary sites for school facilities and the levying of a tax in payment thereof. This is a property tax increase.

For

Against

PROPOSITION B

The issuance of $43,391,906 of bonds by the Gregory-Portland Independent School District for the purposes of designing, constructing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, acquiring, and equipping school athletic facilities, the necessary sites for school facilities, with priority given to a new multi-purpose center/fieldhouse and the levying of a tax in payment thereof. This is a property tax increase.

For

Against

PROPOSITION C

The issuance of $53,590,000 of bonds by the Gregory-Portland Independent School District for the purposes of designing, constructing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, acquiring, and equipping a new visual and performing arts facility, including a new high school band hall, and the necessary sites for school facilities and the levying of a tax in payment thereof. This is a property tax increase.

For

Against

City of Taft

ALDERPERSON, WARD 1

David Trevino

Kathy Davis (K.D.)

Leonard Vasquez

ALDERPERSON, WARD 2

Raquel Torres Ruvo

Alonso Molina

Aransas County

COUNTY JUDGE

Ray Garza (Republican)

JUDGE, COUNTY COURT-AT-LAW

Richard Bianchi * (Republican)

DISTRICT CLERK

Pam Heard * (Republican)

COUNTY CLERK

"Misty" R.F. Kimbrough (Republican)

COUNTY TREASURER

Alma Tamburin Cartwright * (Republican)

COUNTY SURVEYOR

Jerry Brundrett * (Republican)

COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 2

Leslie Bubba Casterline * (Republican)

COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 4

John M Battiato (Democrat)

Robert Dupnik (Republican)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 1

Diane Dupnik * (Republican)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 2

Diana McGinnis * (Republican)

COUNTY CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 2  UNEXPIRED TERM

Gavin Harrison (Republican)

Aransas County Navigation District

COMMISSIONER FOR PRECINCT 2

Martin Diaz De Leon

COMMISSIONER FOR PRECINCT 4-4A

Long Nguyen

Mickey Casterline

COMMISSIONER AT LARGE

Tommy Moore

Write-in

Kleberg County

COUNTY JUDGE

Rudy Madrid * (Republican)

Al Garcia (Democrat)

JUDGE, COUNTY COURT AT LAW

J. Dean Craig (Republican)

Jaime E. Carrillo * (Democrat)

DISTRICT CLERK

Jennifer Whittington * (Republican)

COUNTY CLERK

Salvador Sonny Barrera III (Republican)

Stephanie G. Garza * (Democrat)

COUNTY TREASURER

Priscilla Alaniz Cantu * (Democrat)

COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 2

Chuck Schultz * (Republican)

COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 4

Marcus R. Salinas * (Democrat)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 1

Ventura Sonny Gonzalez, III (Republican)

Andy Gonzalez * (Democrat)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 2

Brandon Wayne Barrera (Republican)

Nick Prado (Democrat)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 3

Chris Lee (Republican)

Cirildo Cid Zavala * (Democrat)

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 4

Marty A. Ontiveros (Republican)

Ofelia Ofie Gutierrez (Democrat)

Kleberg County special election

Authorizing the creation of the Kleberg County Assistance District No. 1 and the imposition of a sales and use tax at the rate of one and a half percent for the purpose of financing the operations of the district.

For

Against

Santa Gertrudis ISD

SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEEVote for none, one, two, three or four

April Grigg

Jennifer Cash

Delia Perez

Carmen Falcon

Oscar Cortez Jr.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Where do I vote, when is early voting? Your South Texas election guide
Hong Kong: Public hospital visits adjusted

The Hospital Authority today announced that 26 public hospitals will adjust the visiting arrangements in non-acute wards and units starting from September 30.

Under the new arrangement, for patients at lower risk of infection, including those aged under 60, or patients aged 60 or above who have completed at least two doses or above of COVID-19 vaccination or at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination with an infection history of COVID-19, a one-hour visit will be arranged for them once a day.

For patients at higher risk of infection, such as immunocompromised patients, or patients aged 60 or above who have completed less than two doses of COVID-19 vaccination, two sessions of one-hour visits will be arranged each week.

Up to two registered visitors can enter the ward to visit the patient at the same time.

Hospital staff will contact patients' family members on a case-by-case basis and explain the visiting arrangements and schedule the visit. Family members are not required to call the hospital for appointments.

All visitors must provide a negative nucleic acid test result obtained within 48 hours prior to the visit, and must meet the Vaccine Pass requirements.

Public hospitals will also continue to facilitate compassionate visiting arrangements or video visiting as far as practicable and provide other feasible assistance to patients and their families.

The authority will extend the new visiting arrangements to other wards and departments if the situation allows.

This story has been published on: 2022-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
BROOKSVILLE  Hernando County residents should shelter in place as the direct effects of Hurricane Ian begin later today, said Hernando County Administrator Jeff Rogers at a press conference Wednesday.

Rogers said residents should already be in the location where they will weather the storm. Winds will grow stronger as the day goes on, possibly reaching tropical storm force, or 39 to 73 mph. Rain could total 12-18 inches and coastal residents could see storm surge of 3 to 6 feet with high tides expected Thursday at 4 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Coastal residents who live west of U.S. 19, those in manufactured homes and low lying areas are under a mandatory evacuation order.

With recent rains, the ground is already saturated and officials expect the rain to continue at least through Thursday. There are also growing concerns about the Withlacoochee River water level, which is expected to continue to rise in the coming days as the heavy rain throughout the region will drain into that waterway.

Officials warned residents to avoid flooded roadways and be aware there could be hazards including downed power lines, if they move around in and after the storm. They were also cautioned not to use generators inside buildings or other enclosures because improper use can be deadly.

Currently there 125 evacuees in Hernando shelters. County residents with questions or concerns can call Hernandos public information line at (352) 754-4083.

Stay safe, Hernando, Rogers said.

  

2022 Tampa Bay Times Hurricane Guide

HOW TO TALK TO KIDS ABOUT THE HURRICANE: A school mental health expert says to let them know whats happening, keep a routine and stay calm.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A SHELTER: What to bring  and not bring  plus information on pets, keeping it civil and more.

SAFEGUARD YOUR HOME: Storms and property damage go hand in hand. Heres how to prepare.

IT'S STORM SEASON: Get ready and stay informed at tampabay.com/hurricane.

RISING THREAT: Tampa Bay will flood. Here's how to get ready.

Story continues

DOUBLE-CHECK: Checklists for building all kinds of hurricane kits

PHONE IT IN: Use your smartphone to protect your data, documents and photos.

SELF-CARE: Protect your mental health during a hurricane.

  

Rising Threat: A special report on flood risk and climate change

PART 1: The Tampa Bay Times partnered with the National Hurricane Center for a revealing look at future storms.

PART 2: Even weak hurricanes can cause huge storm surges. Experts say people don't understand the risk.

PART 3: Tampa Bay has huge flood risk. What should we do about it?

INTERACTIVE MAP: Search your Tampa Bay neighborhood to see the hurricane flood risk.
A review by a federal oversight agency found that a quarter of Head Start grant recipients, federally funded programs that provide child care for low-income families, had incidents of child abuse, lack of supervision or unauthorized releases to adults.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a report on Wednesday of its findings based on incidents recorded from October 2015 to May 2020. The agency found more than 1,000 instances of abuse, neglect or unauthorized release over the nearly five-year period.

According to the offices findings, 27 percent of Head Start grant recipients  438 out of 1,611  received adverse findings from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). One finding could be connected to multiple incidents.

The OIGs report was compiled through a combination of federal monitoring data from the Office of Head Start (OHS), public information reports, state data, interviews with staff members and OHS administration action records.

The most cited adverse finding was a lack of supervision among the programs, with nearly one out of five recipients found to have such incidents. The OIG report cited specific examples including one in which a contracted bus driver left a child unattended on a bus in very cold weather. That same day, the childs parent noted discoloration on their feet which a physician later found to be evidence of frostbite.

In the reviewed time period, the OIG found that 12 percent of grant recipients had incidents of child abuse. One Head Start director reported seeing a teacher dragging a child across the floor, placing him on a cot in an office and turning off the lights. When the child got off the cot, the teacher then reportedly pushed him into one of the childrens cubbies and stood in front of him to stop him from leaving.

The reported incidents of physical child abuse included slapping, squeezing and biting. Parents also came forward with reports of verbal abuse coming from staff members who they said demeaned the children and called them names such as chancho, meaning pig in Spanish.

Story continues

Two percent of grant recipients had reported incidents of unauthorized release, where children were released to unauthorized adults.

In a statement provided to The Hill, an HHS spokesperson said, The Administration for Children and Families takes every child safety incident seriously. Staff swiftly respond to any allegations to ensure children involved receive the support they need. Programs take corrective action to prevent future incidents and ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential in a safe and healthy environment.

An HHS official also stressed that while this report reviewed roughly a thousand incidents, Head Start benefitted nearly a million children in the U.S. overall.

Our data show that Head Start programs are extraordinarily safe for children with 99.99 percent of children served not impacted by a safety incident, the HHS spokesperson said.

The OIG found that grant recipients often did not promptly report these incidents even though they are required to do so immediately or as soon as practicable.

In response to these findings, the agency determined that many Head Start programs may not understand the reporting requirements for them and are not required to report incidents involving children who are not Head Start-funded. The office also found that ACF does not often communicate with state agencies about reported incidents.

The OIG advised the ACF impose stronger consequences for failure to report incidents and expand the reporting requirements to include children who are not funded by Head Start.

 Updated at 4:08 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The EU has urgently cranked up security and warned of retaliation following the highly suspicious damage to the Nord Stream underwater pipelines.

A Western official said the leaks in the gas pipeline were a very serious development, but a full investigation is needed to establish what happened.

On the pipelines, clearly, this looks very serious. The multiple explosions at the same time - its very serious, and is going to have to be investigated, the Western official said, on condition of anonymity.

It definitely looks highly suspicious, but I think we need to establish the facts and then attribute.

EU officials have meanwhile warned of retaliation in the form of a robust and united response for any further attack on Europes energy networks.

EU warns of retaliation if pipeline is attacked (Danish Defence Command via AP)

All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act, Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, said on behalf on all 27 member states.

He continued: Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.

The caution is given at a time when the continent is battling crippling energy and cost of living crises that have already seen huge cutbacks in gas and electricity usage by both the state and individual households, as the EU countries attempt to build energy independence from Russia.

Explosions were discovered the Baltic Sea on Tuesday before unusual leaks were discovered on two underwater natural gas pipelines running 230 kilometres (764 miles) from Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany.

The three leaks were reported on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which are filled with natural gas but are not delivering the fuel to Europe.

The damage means that the pipelines are unlikely to be able to carry any gas to Europe this winter even if the political will to bring them online emerged, according to analysts.

Three leaks were reported on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines (AP)

The first explosion was recorded early on Monday southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm.

Story continues

A second, stronger blast northeast of the island that night was equivalent to a magnitude 2.3 earthquake. Seismic stations in Denmark, Norway, and Finland also registered the explosions.

Mr Borrell said the EU will support any investigation into the damage, and will take further steps to increase our resilience in energy security.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also attributed the leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines to acts of sabotage and said he had discussed the protection of critical infrastructure in NATO countries with the Danish defence minister.

Discussed the sabotage on the NorthStream pipelines with Defence Minister Morten Badskov, he said on Twitter.

We addressed the protection of critical infrastructure in NATO countries.

A reading from a seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm shows two spikes, at 0003 and 1700 GMT, followed by a lower-level

Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen has said that it is the authorities clear assessment that these are deliberate actions - not accidents.

But she said there is no information indicating who could be behind it.

Ms Frederiksen rejected the suggestion that the incident was an attack on Denmark, saying the leaks occurred in international waters.
To view past editions of The Hills 12:30 Report, click here: https://bit.ly/30ARS1U

To receive The Hills 12:30 Report in your inbox, please sign up here: https://bit.ly/3qmIoS9

> A midday take on whats happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Habreaks down crying hysterically.

HURRICANE IAN

Everyone is holding their breath:

Hurricane Ian is barreling into the west coast of Florida as a Category 4 storm on Wednesday.

The winds have reached 155 mph, according to The Weather Channel, just 2 mph short of becoming a Category 5.

HELPFUL LINKS TO CHECK:

FEMA held a press briefing on Wednesday morning to provide a status update: Watch

The Weather Channels live storm tracker

FEMAs Twitter updates

Live blog of storm updates

Its a tense Wednesday as we brace for the storms impact. Stay safe if youre in Florida. Im Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and whats coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS AS THE STORM APPROACHES:

Here is video of Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa: The bay being sucked out, meteorologist Jordan Steele pointed out. Its eerie to see.

Photos of the receding waters along the coast: From CBS News

The Skyway Bridge has closed to traffic: WFLA tweeted footage of the bridge as the storm started.

Omg, what are these people doing?: @ZachVoeyTV tweeted video of people in Fort Myers, Fla., swimming in the storms waves. Watch

A meteorologist reported near the water in Sarasota this morning: This doesnt look safe to me. Footage from The Weather Channels Chris Bruin

Video of the flooding in Key West: From WSVNs T.J. Parker

And video of the storm in Key West around 9 p.m. last night: From The Weather Channels Felicia Combs

Yikes  for context on the size of the storm: Meteorologist Stu Ostro tweeted a comparison of the size of Hurricanes Ian and Charlie. Current size of [Ians] eye and eyewall, compared with Charleys in 2004 when it was in a similar location approaching the coast. The photo is startling

How much the storms path projections have changed in the past few days: The University of Miamis Brian McNoldy posted: This map shows every cone of uncertainty for [Ian] over the past three days, with the most recent in orange. That eastern edge has wobbled around by just under 40 miles in three days. McNoldy also tweeted some context

How Hurricane Ian intensified so quickly: Read the op-ed

HOW THIS IS A MAJOR MAKE-OR-BREAK MOMENT FOR DESANTIS:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is up for reelection in just six weeks and is seen as a leading 2024 Republican presidential contender.

Story continues

Yes, but keep in mind (!): Natural or environmental disasters can have a huge impact on a politicians standing.

How this storm could impact his political future, via The Hills Niall Stanage

By the way: President Biden spoke with DeSantis on Tuesday evening to coordinate preparation and response to the storm.

 In Congress

Alls fair in love and politics:

^ I bet Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) made this same facial expression on Tuesday.

Republicans are still furious about Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) agreeing to pass Democrats social spending bill over the summer  and they got some revenge on Tuesday.

What happened: Republicans forced Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to cancel a vote on Manchins bill to reform permitting for energy projects, a big legislative priority for the senator. Manchins proposal was attached to the government funding bill, and Republicans said they would block the funding bill if the permitting legislation was attached.

Developments in the short-term bill to keep the government open, via The Hills Alexander Bolton

WHEN THE SENATE MAY PASS THE SHORT-TERM FUNDING BILL TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OPEN:

On Thursday. Details from Reuters

 The latest with Russia

Americans, please leave Russia ASAP:

AP/Pavel Golovkin



The U.S. Embassy in Russia is urging Americans in the country to leave and warning U.S. citizens to not travel to Russia after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a call-up of 300,000 reservists to aid depleted forces in Ukraine.

How to exit the country: The U.S. Embassy said on Wednesday that flights are extremely limited and often unavailable on short notice but that overland routes by car and bus are still open. The embassy added that it is severely limited in its ability to help U.S. citizens and people should make independent arrangements as soon as possible. What we know

Read the embassys security alert

HOW US IS USING STRATEGIC AMBIGUITY TO COUNTER PUTINS NUCLEAR THREATS:

The gist: The U.S. is being purposely vague about its response to Russia potentially using nuclear weapons as a strategy of deterrence. What we know, via TheHills Ellen Mitchell and Brett Samuels

 The economy

Just how low could stocks go?:



The precise answer is impossible to predict, but experts told The Hill they expect investors to see more pain before growth in the economy resumes, according to The Hills Tobias Burns.

From Goldman Sachs analysts David Kostin and Ben Snider: Based on our client discussions, a majority of equity investors have adopted the view that a hard landing scenario is inevitable and their focus is on the timing, magnitude, and duration of a potential recession and investment strategies for that outlook, Kostin and Snider wrote to investors last week.

How experts predict this will play out

 Latest with COVID

 THE COVID-19 NUMBERS

Cases to date: 95.9 million

Death toll: 1,051,389

Current hospitalizations: 20,033

Shots administered: 616 million

Fully vaccinated: 67.8 percent of Americans

CDC data here.

 Notable tweets

Love this!:



The Library of Congress tweeted, You didnt think [Lizzo] played that antique flute on stage without practicing first, did you? She visited the Library Monday & played several of the flutes in our collection, which is the largest in the world. Photo

^ Back story: During Lizzos performance on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., she used a crystal flute that once belonged to former President James Madison. The full story

How the flute got to the concert: With help from Capitol Police officers. Photo from the U.S. Capitol Police

 On tap

The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Washington, D.C. Vice President Harris is in Japan.

Today : Harris hosted a roundtable to discuss the CHIPS and Science Act and the supply chain. She then visits the USS Howard and delivered remarks.

8 a.m. : Biden received his daily briefing.

12:30  2:15 p.m. : Senators meet for weekly caucus luncheons. Wednesdays Senate agenda

1:15 p.m. : Biden receives a briefing on global economic developments.

6:30 p.m. : First and last House votes. Wednesdays House agenda

7 p.m.: Biden participates in a Democratic Governors Association reception.

All times Eastern.

 What to watch

10 a.m. : Biden delivered remarks at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health at the Ronald Reagan Building in DC. Watch

11 a.m. : Biden and first lady Jill Biden delivered remarks to celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act and for Disability Pride Month. Watch

11:45 a.m. : The White House Monkeypox Response Team held a press briefing. Watch

12:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gives a press briefing. Livestream

 In lighter news

Today is National Strawberry Cream Pie Day.

And to leave you on a good note, Im going to go out on a limb and say that this dog wants a cookie.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A new report found that Meta and YouTube are failing to take action against content spreading false claims about Brazils election despite their commitments to remove election misinformation.

Meanwhile, hackers breached the content management system of Fast Company, a monthly business and tech magazine, on Tuesday evening.

This is Hillicon Valley, detailing all you need to know about tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Send tips to The Hills Rebecca Klar and Ines Kagubare. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Meta, YouTube fall short on Brazil misinformation

Meta and YouTube are failing to crack down on posts and ads spreading misinformation about the Brazilian elections despite commitments from the companies to take action against the false narratives, according to a report released Wednesday by SumOfUs.

Researchers reviewed thousands of social media posts, ads and videos related to Brazils elections and found an ecosystem of content seeking to undermine the electoral process by spreading false information amplifying doubts about the integrity of that process, according to the report.

It mirrors criticism raised about how the companies failed to crack down on the false Stop the Steal election narrative in the U.S. in 2020 and amplifies concerns that tech giants have not improved on their misinformation strategies ahead of Brazils October elections or the U.S. midterms in November.

For Meta, the parent company of Facebook, researchers searched the platforms ad library using seven keywords related to the elections for content during 2022. For two of the terms, STF, referring to the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court, and Alexandre De Moraes, a justice of the court, the number of results was too great to be manually processed, according to the report, so researchers reduced the time span to seven days.



The researchers behind the report discovered 56 ads peddling election disinformation that collectively reached 3 million impressions.

Story continues

Metas response: A spokesperson defended the companys policies related to moderating misinformation about the Brazilian election in a statement.

We dont believe a private company should limit peoples ability to discuss topics debated in the Brazilian Congress. Weve prepared extensively for the 2022 election in Brazil and are committed to protecting the integrity of the vote, the spokesperson said.

As for YouTube, the report slams the company for serving as a megaphone for disinformation.

The report analyzed 10 videos published since June from verified YouTube channels that researchers found mimicked the Stop the Steal narrative by casting doubt on the election process.



The Hill reached out to YouTube for comment.

Read more here.

Tech magazine hacked

Hackers breached the content management system of Fast Company, a monthly business and tech magazine, on Tuesday evening.

The hackers sent two obscene and racist push notifications to followers of the magazine in Apple News, Fast Company confirmed.

The messages are vile and not in line with the content and ethos of Fast Company, the magazine said in a statement posted on Twitter.



The push notifications contained a racial slur and graphic language, which prompted users to post screenshots on Twitter, The Washington Post reported.

Fast Company said it is investigating the matter and has shut down its website until the situation is resolved.

Read more here

SENATORS PUSH BUTTIGIEG ON TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE

A group of bipartisan senators wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday asking why his department has missed Congresss deadline to update its strategy on tourism infrastructure.

The group, which is led by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and joined by Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), asked Buttigieg for a briefing that includes a proposed timeline for the update and an explanation for the Department of Transportations (DOT) delay.

The travel and tourism industry is the cornerstone of many of our states economies, responsible for millions of good-paying jobs across a number of industries, the senators wrote.

It is imperative that DOT promptly update and release the National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan in order to meet the needs of the travel and tourism industry and the requirements that Congress directed in enacted law, they continued.

The strategy comprises an assessment of the nations transportation network and strategies for how to improve it in relation to tourism and long-haul passenger travel. It also includes projections on tourism volumes for the next 20-year period.

Read more here.

BITS & PIECES

An op-ed to chew on: The Department of Defense needs more commercial data to weather future storms

Notable links from around the web:

Floridians are livestreaming Hurricane Ian on TikTok (NBC News / Kat Tenbarge)

Stuck on the Streets of San Francisco in a Driverless Car (The New York Times / Cade Metz)

AI can now create any image in seconds, bringing wonder and danger (The Washington Post / Nitasha Tiku)

 Lighter click: History was made

One more thing: Metrics allegedly misleading

WarnerBros. Discovery allegedly misled shareholders and inflated subscriber figures for HBO Max, a new lawsuit filed this month claims.

The lawsuit was brought by the Collinsville Police Pension Board, an Illinois-based shareholder of Warner Bros. Discovery stock, which it traded for Class C common shares in Discovery before a massive merger with WarnerBros. earlier this year, The Wrap reported.

WarnerMedia was improvidently concentrating its investments in streaming and ignoring its other business lines  [and] overstated the number of subscribers to HBO Max by as many as 10 million subscribers, by including as subscribers AT&T customers who had received bundled access to HBO Max, but had not signed onto the service, the lawsuit states.

The suit is seeking a trial by jury, alleging multiple Securities and Exchange Commission violations, the outlet reported.

Read more here.

Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Technology and Cybersecurity pages for the latest news and coverage. Well see you tomorrow.

VIEW FULL VERSION HERE

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A deleted scene from House of the Dragon episode six has fans speculating over Daemon Targaryens sexuality.

In the episode, the prince (played by Matt Smith) is residing in Pentos with his wife, Laena Velaryon and their two daughters, Baela and Rhaena.

However, in one scene during dinner, Daemon grabs a male server and pulls him in close to whisper something in his ear.

On Tuesday (27 September), fan account Out of Context House of the Dragon tweeted a screenshot from a since-deleted behind-the-scenes featurette shared by HBO Max Espana, HBO Maxs verified Spanish account.

The scene shows Daemon and the server huddled in an intimate position as a figure that appears to be his wife looks on.

While Daemons sexuality is never confirmed in George RR Martins book Fire & Blood, it has been hinted at in the show previously.

(Twitter)

In episode five, before the 10-year time jump occurred in the show, Daemon told a young Laena: Has anybody ever told you youre nearly as pretty as your brother?

And in the brothel scene where Daemon takes his niece Rhaenyra, male figures performing sex acts with each other are also shown.

This actually makes sense, one fan on Twitter commented. The duality of dragons. And them taking what they want. Dragons are freedom and liberation. Flame is changeable. So I think all Targaryens are theoretically bisexual. Westerosi culture just doesnt agree with it.

Not surprised when they were in the brothel you could kinda tell Daemon was into everything going on, another agreed.

The Independent has reached out to HBO for comment regarding the deleted scene.

Matt Smith in House of the Dragon (HBO)

House of the Dragon introduced its first canonically queer characters in episode five, revealing Ser Joffrey Lonmouth as Laenor Velaryon's secret lover before violently killing him off in the same episode.

Meanwhile, Alicent Hightower actor Emily Carey recently addressed suggestions that she and Rhaenyra star Milly Alcock were queerbaiting with their characters.

She previously said the two are a little bit in love but added: If you want to read into it and see it like that, do it. If you want to see them as more than friends, do it. If you dont, then dont.

House of the Dragon continues Sundays in the US on HBO at 9pm. The episode is simulcast on Monday mornings in the UK on NOW, and is shown again at 9pm on Sky Atlantic.
Ryan Reynolds, left, and Hugh Jackman attend the 2009 premiere of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)

It's finally happening: Longtime frenemies Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are reuniting onscreen for "Deadpool 3."

Reynolds announced Tuesday on social media that Jackman will return as Wolverine for the highly anticipated Marvel film, coming to theaters Sept. 6, 2024.

"We've been working very hard on the next 'Deadpool' film for a good long while now," Reynolds said in a video to fans. "I've had to really search my soul on this one. His first appearance in the MCU obviously needs to feel special.

"We need to stay true to the character, find new depth, motivation, meaning. Every 'Deadpool' needs to stand out and stand apart. It's been an incredible challenge that has forced me to reach down deep inside, and I ... have nothing. It's completely empty up here and terrifying."

Enter Jackman, who casually strolls into the frame and munches on an apple  without glancing at Reynolds or the camera  as the "Free Guy" star continues, "But we did have one idea."

"Hey, Hugh," he says. "You want to play Wolverine one more time?"

"Yeah," Jackman replies. "Sure, Ryan."

Reynolds' announcement comes about five years after Jackman last played Wolverine in "Logan" and allegedly retired from portraying the character. Though the Australian actor hasn't officially appeared in any "Deadpool" movies before, his likeness is somewhat of a running joke in the franchise.

On- and off-screen, Reynolds and Jackman have been engaged in a pretend rivalry that dates all the way back to 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," which features a fight sequence between their two characters. Notably, "Deadpool 3" will be the first film in the saga distributed by Disney via 20th Century Studios, which was previously owned by Fox.

"Hard keeping my mouth sewn shut about this one," Reynolds captioned the Jackman casting announcement, which racked up more than a million likes across Twitter and Instagram in fewer than two hours.

Jackman also shared the video with the caption, "Yeah, sure."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - More than 1,000 Hungarians protested on Wednesday against a change in abortion rules that took effect on Sept. 15, which women's rights groups say would "humiliate" and torment women while having no effect on the number of abortions.

Under the rules amended by Conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government, pregnant women must submit evidence from their healthcare provider of a definitive sign of life, widely interpreted as the heartbeat of a foetus, before requesting the procedure.

The government gave no reason for the change and denied it would amount to a tightening of rules. Some political analysts have said it could be aimed at winning votes for Orban's Fidesz party from the far-right Our Homeland party, which won seats in parliament for the first time in April, and had campaigned for these changes to abortion rules.

"Although the government pretends to be 'pro-life', these measures do not protect a single life: the real purpose of the sneaking restriction is the humiliation of women and to exercise control over women's lives," organisers said in a statement.

They called on Orban's government to provide safe living conditions for women expecting children and to make contraception accessible to everyone.

Protesters, some of whom carried placards saying "My body, my life, my decision" or "Free of charge contraception for everyone," gathered outside Hungary's parliament and planned to march to the Interior Ministry, which drew up the reforms.

"I think this is a very bad requirement as going for an abortion in itself is... a hugely traumatising experience," said Laura Fekete, 22, a student, referring to the change which means women must effectively have heard the foetus' heartbeat.

"I believe it is up to each and every individual to decide if they want to have a child or not... and the government should not meddle in this."

Story continues

Current rules allow Hungarian women to request an abortion in cases of rape, risks to the mother's health from the pregnancy, a severe disability of the unborn child or in case of a serious personal crisis.

The number of abortions fell to about 22,000 in Hungary last year from over 90,000 in 1990 based on official statistics.

Nearby Poland, among Europe's most devoutly Catholic countries, has a near-total ban on abortion.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Your home was damaged by a hurricane. Windows blown out. An oak tree on the roof. Floodwater sloshed through the living room. Now what do you do?

First, experts tell the Tampa Bay Times, its important to remain calm and set realistic expectations for what comes next  a long and complicated process of cleaning up, hiring help and navigating insurance claims.

Youre going to get through this, no matter how dire it appears, said Bob Reynolds of Miami-based Morris & Reynolds Insurance, who lost his home and office building to Hurricane Andrew in 1992. And, youre not alone. Your whole community is going to be in the same boat including the need for supplies, repairs and insurance adjusters. Its a demand surge, and it will take some patience.

If youve evacuated, do not go home until its deemed safe by the local authorities. That could be a few days after the storm. Then, take these actions.

Document the damage

Take photos of everything, said Rick Tutwiler, a public insurance adjuster and president of Tampa-based Tutwiler & Associates, which helps policyholders navigate homeowners insurance claims. The roof, the outside, inside, the flood line that shows how high the water went. Its even better if pictures are taken before the storm hits, so you can see what it looked like before.

File an insurance report

Contact your insurance company as soon as possible. It can usually be done via a 1-800 number, but you may find yourself on hold. Some companies have online portals or apps for making a report.

Theyll be overwhelmed, said Reynolds, possibly with thousands or tens of thousands of claims, but the sooner you report yours, the closer you get to the front of the line. And while you wait on them, you clean up, you wait, you make it safe and you take care of yourself.

Tutwiler stressed the importance of knowing your specific policy. One general rule is that standard homeowners policies do not cover flooding, which requires a separate policy. If you live in a federal flood zone, you may have been required to purchase flood insurance when you bought your home, but otherwise youd need to have added it.

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Flooding is a whole different ballgame in terms of your claim, requiring inventories, photos and estimates submitted within 60 days.

Protect your property from more damage

Most homeowners insurance policies state that its the policyholders responsibility to protect whats left as best you can, said Reynolds. Early cleanup comes down to stopping additional damage. Leaking holes should be covered with a tarp. Board up broken windows. Get the tree off the roof. Prevent mold by mopping up water and removing wet items like books or mattresses.

Preventing quick-developing mold might save you money later, Tutwiler said. A policy may cover reasonable mold prevention, but might not cover mold removal.

If youre spending money to prevent damage, whether its supplies or hiring help, keep detailed records for the insurance company. Tutwiler recommends sending them a copy of every estimate asking, Do you approve of this? Even if they dont respond, you have a record that you communicated it to them.

Every policy is different, but many policies cover around $3,000 of damage mitigation.

Research contractors

Preventing further damage likely means hiring help. Contractors will be in high demand, drawing many from out of town, but Reynolds said finding someone established and local is one of the best defenses against fly-by-night scams.

Consumers should take their time researching a contractor, get multiple estimates and avoid high-pressure sales tactics. Ive seen flood damage contractors come in and install all this equipment and charge $50,000 or $75,000 to dry up a property, Tutwiler said. And thats money out of your policy you might need, and you may not have needed all that work.

Check contractor reviews online, and verify they are licensed via Floridas Department of Business and Professional Regulation at myfloridalicense.com or 850-487-1395.

If you cant stay, save receipts

Most homeowners insurance policies will cover some additional living expenses for loss of use of a property, meaning its uninhabitable until its repaired or completely rebuilt. This could include the cost of a hotel, or even rent on an apartment if it takes longer. It may also cover things like the cost of dining out because you dont have a home kitchen. Tutwiler said its best to pay for all of this with one credit card, if possible, to keep it organized, and to keep detailed records and receipts for the insurance company.

You might even want to ask them how to expedite getting an advance to cover living expenses in the short term if you cant live in your house, Reynolds said. But he cautions that electrical outages are not grounds for loss of use coverage in most policies.

Document all insurance company interactions

Get a notepad, Tutwiler said, and log every conversation with anyone from the insurance company, and who exactly they work for, as some claims adjusters will be outside contractors brought in by the insurance companies to help after a catastrophe. Be sure to track dates, times and what theyve said.

Again, be patient

In a catastrophe situation, it might be a week or two before the insurance company even gets around to inspecting your property. Expect to wait.

  

2022 Tampa Bay Times Hurricane Guide

HOW TO TALK TO KIDS ABOUT THE HURRICANE: A school mental health expert says to let them know whats happening, keep a routine and stay calm.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A SHELTER: What to bring  and not bring  plus information on pets, keeping it civil and more.

SAFEGUARD YOUR HOME: Storms and property damage go hand in hand. Heres how to prepare.

IT'S STORM SEASON: Get ready and stay informed at tampabay.com/hurricane.

RISING THREAT: Tampa Bay will flood. Here's how to get ready.

DOUBLE-CHECK: Checklists for building all kinds of hurricane kits

PHONE IT IN: Use your smartphone to protect your data, documents and photos.

SELF-CARE: Protect your mental health during a hurricane.

  

Rising Threat: A special report on flood risk and climate change

PART 1: The Tampa Bay Times partnered with the National Hurricane Center for a revealing look at future storms.

PART 2: Even weak hurricanes can cause huge storm surges. Experts say people don't understand the risk.

PART 3: Tampa Bay has huge flood risk. What should we do about it?

INTERACTIVE MAP: Search your Tampa Bay neighborhood to see the hurricane flood risk.
Infrared satellite imagery shows Hurricane Ian approaching Florida on Wednesday. NOAA GOES-East

Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday.

Airports across the state have been preparing for the storm, with airlines canceling hundreds of flights.

Here is what you can do if you want to change your flight, or if your flight is canceled.

Airports and airlines are bracing for impact as Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Florida  and airlines already are canceling flights.

If your flight is canceled, then the airline must provide a full refund. According to FlightAware data, nearly 1,850 flights originating from or flying to Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or Fort Myers have been canceled as of 5:30 pm on Wednesday.

And it's not just Florida and the East Coast that are likely to be affected, experts are warning.

Kathleen Bangs, an aviation analyst at FlightAware, told Insider she expects Hurricane Ian to create a snowball effect across the nation: "There's going to be impacts to a lot of people, even if you're in Seattle and Denver and have Florida or East Coast travel."

Bangs also warned that passengers rebooking flights may find there are not many seats available because of the already high demand for the fall season.

"Everybody thought demand would drop after the back-to-school period, but airlines have said the demand hasn't fallen off," she explained. "Right now, we've seen carriers say rebooked travel needs to occur by October 3; others have said October 8, so it's possible they'll stretch it further. But, a lot of those flights are already booked, so airlines may add extra flights."

It may take a while for airports in Florida, especially in Tampa, Sarasota, and Fort Myers, to get back on track because it is uncertain the condition the airports will be in, or if employees will be able to work, Bangs told Insider.

"We're waiting to see how they'll be impacted: Will they lose power? Will they have water, and will there be roof damage, which would prohibit from having passengers inside" she said. "Let's say they can get the airports open, but the question is will they get employees back in because many have evacuated."

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The National Hurricane Center is warning the Category 4 storm is carrying "catastrophic winds." If your flight has yet to be canceled, but you no longer want to travel to Florida, Georgia, or the Carolinas because of Hurricane Ian, here's what you need to know:

Alaska Airlines: Customers traveling to, from, or through Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, or Fort Myers from September 25-30 can change their flight for free. The ticket must have been booked by September 25, the city pair must be the same, and the new trip must be completed by October 8.

Customer service: (800) 252-7522

Allegiant Air: Customers traveling to, from, or through the Florida cities of St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Punta Gorda, Fort Lauderdale, Sanford, Destin-Fort Walton, Key West, or Jacksonville from September 26-30 can change their flight to a later date. The airline did not specify a "travel by" date. Travelers must call the customer service line to make changes.

Customer service: (702) 505-8888

American Airlines: Customers traveling to, from, or through 31 airports in Florida, the Western Caribbean, Georgia, and the Carolinas can change their flights for free, including flights booked in basic economy, though the city pair must be the same.

Travelers must have been scheduled to travel by October 1 and booked by September 23 for the Western Caribbean and Florida, or scheduled to travel by October 3 and booked by September 28 for Georgia and the Carolinas. Changes must be made by October 1 for the Western Caribbean and Florida, and October 3 for Georgia and the Carolinas. Travel must occur by October 8 and October 10, respectively.

Customer service: (800) 433-7300

Delta Air Lines: Customers traveling to, from, or through the Florida cities of Daytona, Panama City, Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando, Miami, Melbourne, West Palm Beach, Pensacola, Fort Myers, Tallahassee, Tampa, and Fort Walton from September 25-30 can change their flight for free as long as rebooked travel occurs by October 3. Changing the city pair may increase the fare.

Customer service: (800) 221-1212

Frontier Airlines: Customers who booked a ticket before September 26 and are traveling to, from, or through Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Pensacola, or Jacksonville can change their flight for free. The fare difference is waived and travel must be complete no later than October 10.

Customer service: (602) 333-5925

JetBlue Airways: Customers traveling to, from, or through the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa, or West Palm Beach from September 26-30 can waive the usual change fee and fare difference. Rebooked travel must occur by October 6 and the original booking must have been made before September 25.

For Charleston and Savannah, the same rules apply for bookings from September 30 to October 1, and tickets must have been purchased before September 28.

Customer service: (800) 538-2583

Spirit Airlines: Flight to from, or through the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa from September 27-30 can be changed, though travel must be complete by October 3. The change fee and fare difference will be waived.

Customer service: (855) 728-3555

Southwest Airlines: Customers flying to, from, or through the Florida cities of Destin, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Panama City, Pensacola, Sarasota, Tampa, and West Palm Beach, or to Cuba, from September 25 to October 2 can rebook for free and travel within 14 days of their original date.

Those traveling through Charleston or Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; or Savannah, Georgia, from September 27 to October 2 can do the same.

Customer service: (800) 435-9792

Sun Country Airlines: Customers traveling to, from, or through the Florida cities of Fort Myers, Orlando, or Tampa from September 25-30 can rebook their flight once for free. Tickets must have been purchased prior to September 24 and the new trip must start by October 6. Travel to, from, or through Jacksonville, Florida, on September 30 can change their ticket for free if the new trip starts by October 7.

Customer service: (651) 905-2737

United Airlines: Customers flying to, from, or through the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Key West, Miami, Orlando, Panama City, Pensacola, Sarasota, Tampa, and West Palm Beach from September 23-30 can waive the change fee and fare difference. Travelers must rebook by October 8 and keep the same city pair.

Customer service: (800) 864-8331

Read the original article on Business Insider
Infrared satellite imagery shows Hurricane Ian as it makes landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina, September 30, 2022. NOAA GOES-East

Ian, which pummeled Florida Wednesday, made landfall in South Carolina Friday as a Category 1 hurricane.

Ian weakened to a post-tropical cyclone as it moved inland over South Carolina.

Recovery efforts are continuing, with more than 1,100 people rescued as of Saturday morning.

Recovery efforts underway as death toll rises in Florida

The National Hurricane Center on Saturday issued its final advisory for Post-Tropical Cyclone Ian.

It said no coastal watches or warnings remained in effect, but that heavy rains were expected to continue through North Carolina and Virginia. It also said major river flooding would likely remain in central Florida through next week.

The advisory said Ian is expected to continue to weaken and dissipate over Virginia by Saturday night.

Meanwhile the death toll from Hurricane Ian has continued to rise.

About 35 deaths were reported in a single Florida county, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Saturday. Officials have attributed additional deaths to Ian, but as investigations unfold no official statewide tally has been released.

Recovery efforts are also underway, with some areas still only accessible by boat. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference on Saturday morning that more than 1,100 people had been rescued so far, as crews continued to search.

As of Saturday evening, about 1 million customers in Florida, 72,000 in South Carolina, and 25,000 in North Carolina remained without power.

Heavy rains, flash flooding and high winds reported in North Carolina and South Carolina, per National Hurricane Center

After the center of post-tropical Cyclone Ian made landfall in South Carolina on Friday, heavy rains, flash flooding and high winds have been reported in both North and South Carolina, the National Hurricane Center reported Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

"The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the north near 15 mph... Ian is forecast to move farther inland across central North Carolina overnight into Saturday," the NHC said.

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As of 8 p.m. Friday, the center of the cyclone is located 45 miles north east of Florence, South Carolina. Maximum sustained winds are now around 60 mph.

"These winds are occurring primarily over water. Ian should continue to weaken overnight and dissipate over central North Carolina or Virginia late tomorrow," the NHC said.

Tropical storm warnings for the south of the South Santee River and storm surge warnings for Cape Fear have been discontinued, as well as the storm surge watch between Cape Fear and Surf City.

However, storm surge warnings are now in effect for the Neuse River and a tropical storm warning is in effect for South Santee River to Duck and Palmico Sound. North of Surf City to Duck and the Pamlico River are under storm surge watch.

'Snowbirds' who usually head down to Florida during the winter months came back early to see the damage of Hurricane Ian and help neighbors

In this aerial photo made in a flight provided by mediccorps.org, damage from Hurricane Ian is seen on Estero Island in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Susan Johnson, 68, rode out Hurricane Ian with her husband and some neighbors at the clubhouse in her mobile home community. She watched from the windows as neighbors' homes blew away.

Many of Johnson's neighbors are snowbirds and don't come down until October, she said, but many were now returning after the storm to help their neighbors.

In the surrounding area, traffic lights were still shot and many stores were still dark. Neighbors had piled debris in their yards and hung up clothes and other items on lines outside their homes.

"We have so many conveniences we don't realize it can all go away," Johnson said. "Sometimes you have to go back to the basics to appreciate the things we have."



Read Full Story

A Fort Meyers who lived through six hurricanes says 'everything is gonna be alright' after Hurricane Ian left his home flooded

Floyd, a Fort Myers resident, uses his boot-foot waders outfit to walk through about a foot of water. Kimberly Leonard/Insider

Floyd has a pair of boot-foot waders he's used for years to perform baptisms at his local church.

But on Friday, he would need the outfit  a combination of boots and coveralls  to wade through about a foot of water in order to safely get to his home in Fort Myers, where a Category 4 storm just left a trail of destruction.

On Wednesday, Hurricane Ian tore through Florida's west coast and slammed the state with catastrophic winds and storm surges. Homes were swept away, boats were destroyed, and city infrastructure has been damaged, leaving nearly entire communities without power. The death toll is at least 21 as of Friday, with state officials expecting the number to rise.

In Fort Myers, a 10-foot surge poured into the community, and residents like Floyd were still waiting on Friday for the water to recede so they can start picking up the pieces.

"Everything is going to be all right," said Floyd, who just experienced his sixth hurricane.



Read Full Story

Fort Myers residents describe almost drowning and returning to ruined homes as Hurricane Ian closed in

Sunshine Mobile Village was severely impacted by Hurricane Ian. Kimberly Leonard/Insider

Sunshine Mobile Village poured a 10-foot surge of water into the community. It caked the inside of homes in mud, and a slight smell of sewage lingered in the air on Friday.

Few people were here Friday, but those who were checked in on each other, pulling over to the side of the road to make sure that everyone had a place to go or a ride if they needed it.

Many were relieved they and their loved ones were alive. The president of Sunset Village, Vickie Kolodzik, told Insider that her husband stayed behind to help others.

Wednesday night, Kolodzik said, the water rose around her husband and he held onto a couch as his head bobbed up against the ceiling. Kolodzik herself was at a home situated five feet off the ground  but even then, still had some flooding  and a fire broke out. She couldn't reach her husband.



Read Full Story

In Miami, swelling waves from Hurricane Ian injured six people on Friday.

Around midday Friday, a large wave swept people off a sidewalk in Miami Beach. Local officials said the incident resulted in six people  four women and two men  getting hospitalized for minor injuries, reports The Miami Herald.

"This is the combination of an already very high king tide that's another 10 inches higher than predicted, plus swells from Ian," John Morales, a veteran Florida meteorologist, tweeted on Friday.

A vacationer in Fort Myers Beach watched in terror from the second floor as water filled the home where she was staying.

Courtesy of Rachel Jeter

BONITA SPRINGS, Florida  Rachel Jeter was on vacation with her family, staying at a beach rental, when Hurricane Ian struck. Water filled the house and washed away her car.

"It was terrifying," she told Insider's Kimberly Leonard.

Read Full Story

Hurricane Ian's death toll in Florida rises to 21.

In this aerial view, flooded homes are shown after Hurricane Ian moved through the Gulf Coast of Florida on September 29, 2022 in Port Charlotte, Florida. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Florida's death toll in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian has climbed to at least 21, a state official said on Friday.

Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said during a press briefing that only one of those deaths  which happened in Polk County  has been confirmed as a direct result of the powerful storm.

An additional 12 fatalities have been reported in Florida's Charlotte County and another eight deaths were reported in Collier County, said Guthrie, noting that those deaths are "unconfirmed," meaning that they have not yet been tied directly to the hurricane.

"People die in disasters that have nothing to do with the disaster," Guthrie explained. "The medical examiner is the one that makes that determination."

Meanwhile, officials are still "processing through the situation" in hard-hit Lee County, Guthrie said.

In one case, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer saw human remains at a home where flood waters were over the rooftop of the house, said Guthrie.

"We had a Coast Guard rescue swimmer swim down into it and he could identify it appeared to be human remains," Guthrie said. "We do not know exactly how many [bodies]."

Guthrie said authorities have to wait until the water recedes to go back in.

He added that there have been similar situations like this in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

Ian brought catastrophic winds, rain, and storm surges when it made landfall over southwestern Florida as a ferocious Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon.

Officials expect the death toll to rise.

Hurricane Ian tossed boats around like "toys," Florida mayor says.

Battered boats in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

"It's horrific," Mayor Kevin Anderson of hard-hit Fort Myers told CNN of the destruction caused by the ferocious storm.

Some cement docks weighing "as much as a ton" were ripped off and "thrown away like they were nothing" during the storm, Anderson said while standing at a marina left severely damaged by the hurricane.

Read Full Story

President Joe Biden approves state of emergency declaration for South Carolina.

A local resident hauls debris from the road in an effort to keep gutter drains clear as hurricane Ian bears down on Charleston, South Carolina, September 30, 2022. Jonathan Drake/Reuters

Biden issued the declaration Thursday evening, authorizing disaster-relief efforts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

At least 12 dead in Florida counties, according to early reports. More fatalities are expected.

At least 12 people are dead after Hurricane Ian tore through Florida on Wednesday, according to early reports.

Ian made landfall in Florida on Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing storm surges and catastrophic winds, smashing infrastructure, and leaving millions without power.

Seven deaths were confirmed in Charlotte County, two deaths have been confirmed in Sarasota, one in Volusia, and two more in Sanibel Island, according to local officials, MSNBC reported at 2 a.m. Friday.

The death toll is expected to rise as more reports roll in.

Ian could be "one of the deadliest hurricanes in Florida's history," President Joe Biden said in an address Thursday morning.

"We absolutely expect to have mortality from this hurricane," Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a press conference Thursday evening.

On Wednesday, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno estimated during an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the fatalities in his county were in the hundreds.

"I don't have confirmed numbers. I definitely know the fatalities are in the hundreds," Marceno said.

Gov. DeSantis confirms more than 700 rescues

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference at the Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center, September 26, 2022. Chris O'Meara/AP

More than 700 people have been rescued as Hurricane Ian makes its way past Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press conference on Thursday.

DeSantis said people from Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, and the barrier islands in Charlotte County, among other locations, have been rescued, and the number is likely to increase as search and rescue teams continue to operate.

The governor did not want to confirm a death toll.

During his visit to Charlotte and Lee Counties, DeSantis said at the news conference that he witnessed "indescribable" damage.

"To see a house just sitting in the middle of Estero Bay  literally must have gotten picked up and flown because of the massive wind speed and the storm surge and deposited in a body of water," he said. "There were cars floating in the middle of the water."

Kevin Guthrie, the director of the state's public safety and emergency management division, warned Floridians to be "extremely careful" as people try to assess the damage in their homes and operate chainsaws or generators.

"We're entering that phase of the response where we start to really get into what's referred to as indirect deaths," Guthrie said.

The director cautioned safety when it comes to getting on ladders, using a chainsaw, and knowing the difference between a cable line and a power line.

"We have significantly more indirect deaths from disasters that are 100% avoidable than we do the disaster itself, so please be safe," he said.

Guthrie also warned not to go out further into the streets to assess damages around the area.

"For every car that's going down the street, that's preventing a power line crew from getting in there and working," he said.

Power outages have impacted multiple counties according to Guthrie, including Duval, St. John's, Nassau, and Baker. Local utilities agencies are working to restore power, he said.

However, in places where infrastructure has been wiped out, such as Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, and Pine Island, Guthrie said it will "take some time."

President Joe Biden says Ian may be "the deadliest hurricane in Florida's history."

Damaged homes and debris are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, on Thursday, September 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Florida. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

"The numbers are still unclear, but we're hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life," Biden said at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington, DC.Read Full Story

Ian forecast to become a hurricane again before making landfall in South Carolina.

Storm clouds fill the sky as Hurricane Arthur looms offshore, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, July 3, 2014. Randall Hill/Reuters

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the entire coast of South Carolina, after a new forecast projected that Ian would rebuild to hurricane strength as it churns through the Atlantic.

Ian is expected to approach the coast of South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane on Friday, then travel inland across the Carolinas Friday night and Saturday.

Florida's National Guard activates over 4,500 soldiers and airmen

Soldiers of the Florida National Guard clear downed trees in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Parker, Florida, on October 13, 2018. Terray Sylvester/Reuters

Florida National Guard's has placed over 4,500 soldiers and airmen on active duty so they can respond to Hurricane Ian, a US defense official said Wednesday. Another 2,000 Guardsmen in five neighboring states are also on standby to help if needed.

The defense official said Florida National Guard soldiers, airmen, and their equipment are sheltering at bases around the state and will be ready to deploy wherever needed once the storm passes.

Guardsmen will provide security assistance to local first responders and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and can help with search and rescue missions, clearing routes, and flooding control, the defense official said.

Ian knocked out a section of the only road that connects Florida's Sanibel Island with the mainland

A section of the causeway leading to Sanibel, Fla., in Lee County was knocked out by Hurricane Ian on Thursday, September 29, 2022. Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP

Stunning photos show a massive section of the roughly three-mile Sanibel Causeway wiped out and collapsed into the waters below it.

The span, which is the only bridge to the island that is home to about 6,300, was destroyed by a powerful storm surge, according to the Tampa Bay Times, which reported that the collapsed portion is at the first section of the road, near the mainland.

Read Full Story

Biden approves major disaster declaration for Florida as hundreds feared dead

Officials are still assessing the damage from Hurricane Ian, but one county sheriff fears the number of fatalities is dire.

Lee County Sherriff Carmine Marceno estimated during an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the fatalities in his county were in the hundreds.

"I don't have confirmed numbers. I definitely know the fatalities are in the hundreds. There are thousands of people that are waiting to be rescued," Marceno, a Republican, said. His county includes Fort Myers.

The exact number won't be known for several days. Following past hurricanes, officials have overestimated deaths as they undertake rescue missions to search homes one at a time.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN she did not have any confirmed reports yet on fatalities.



"I understand that some of the sheriffs are saying that they expect a large number of fatalities, but that's why we want to get our search and rescue teams out there. That's why they're out there," she said. "We want to save as many lives as possible."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis echoed Criswell's comments during a press conference in Tallahassee on Thursday morning, saying it would take a day or more to confirm fatalities.

"None of that is confirmed," he said of the sheriff's comments about fatalities. "I think what that is, is there were 911 calls for people saying, 'Hey, the water is rising in my home. I'm going to go up in the attic, but I'm really worried.' Of course, those folks are now going to be checked on."

Two deaths had been reported so far, DeSantis said, though officials were still assessing whether they were storm-related.

State and local officials advised more than 2.5 million people in the storm's path to evacuate their homes, but some people chose to stay. Others could not leave because of cost, illness, or because they didn't have access to transportation.

President Joe Biden on Thursday morning approved DeSantis' request for a major disaster declaration. The designation would help people affected by the storm by paying for temporary housing and home repairs, among other recovery programs.

Florida's congressional delegation, including Democrats, backed DeSantis' request. DeSantis and Biden spoke Thursday morning. The governor said he would be asking for more counties to receive an emergency declaration, given that the storm was still moving and causing damage.

Central Florida, including Orlando, would face major flooding, he said.

"This is going to require years of effort to be able to rebuild and to be able to come back," DeSantis said.

Criswell will be heading to Florida on Friday, the White House said in a read-out about the call between Biden and DeSantis.

Hurricane Ian weakens to a Category 1 as it crosses the Florida peninsula, after making landfall as a Category 4 storm

Hurricane Ian has weakened to a Category 1 storm after making landfall in southwest Florida on Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center said that, as of 11 p.m. ET, the maximum sustained wind speed recorded on Ian was 90 mph. This means Ian has been reduced from a Category 2 storm to a Category 1 storm, around seven hours after it hit the mainland at about 4:35 p.m. ET with winds of 145 mph.

The National Hurricane Center said that tropical storm conditions continue to rage over "a wide swath of the Florida peninsula" and warned of a "catastrophic storm surge" and flooding.

Jacksonville International Airport announces cancellation of all Thursday flights, terminal closure

An aerial view of Jacksonville, Florida. Getty Images

The Jacksonville International Airport has announced the cancellation of all its Thursday flights.

In a tweet posted at 11:42 p.m. on Wednesday, the airport said its terminal would also be closed. "Contact your airline for rebooking options," the post read.

The airport's closure comes as Hurricane Ian continues to batter a large portion of Florida. Since making landfall in southwest Florida as a Category 4 storm at about 4:35 p.m on Wednesday, Hurricane Ian has weakened to a Category 1 storm.

Hurricane Ian weakens to Category 2 with a "catastrophic" storm surge, 105 mph winds, and flooding

Hurricane Ian's location as of 8 p.m ET on Wednesday, September 28. National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Ian weakened to a Category 2 storm more than two hours after it made landfall in southwest Florida, continuing to devastate the area with 105 mph winds.

Around 4 p.m. local time, Ian made landfall on the island of Cayo Costa, Florida, as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Then it hit the mainland at about 4:35 p.m. ET, with winds of 145 mph.

The storm at 10 p.m. ET was 40 miles northeast of Punta Gorda, Florida, and 85 miles southwest of Orlando. The next update is at 11 p.m. ET.

"Catastrophic" winds and storm surge preceded the storm's eye, and it's casting hurricane-force winds up to 50 miles from its center. Ian is menacing nearly all of Florida with tornado risks and heavy rains of up to 30 inches, which could bring flash flooding and river flooding.

The NHC has issued a hurricane warning for a large stretch of Florida's southwest coast, from Chokoloskee to the Anclote River  as well as a stretch of the state's eastern coast, from Sebastian Inlet to the line between Flagler and Volusia counties.

A storm surge warning  indicating life-threatening danger  is in effect for most of Florida's southwest coast, from the Suwannee River to Flamingo, and for northeast Florida from the Flager-Volusia county line up to the mouth of the South Santee River in South Carolina, as well as inland along the St. Johns River.

The center of Ian is forecast to pass over central Florida Wednesday night and Thursday morning. It will likely weaken as it moves inland, but could be near hurricane strength again as it reaches Florida's eastern coast. Then Ian is expected to travel north to Georgia and South Carolina on Friday.

A mandatory evacuation order is in effect in 13 counties in Florida, per the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Ian already battered western Cuba on Tuesday, then rapidly intensified as it traveled over the Gulf of Mexico. Before moving over Florida, its winds had whipped up to nearly Category 5 speeds.

Climate change is making tropical storms and hurricanes stronger, slower, wetter, and ultimately, more damaging and deadly.

Because cyclones feed on warm air and water, rising global temperatures help them build strength rapidly, as Hurricane Ian has done. Warm air also holds more moisture, which means storms bring more rainfall than they would otherwise.

Almost 2 million residents in southwest Florida have no power as Hurricane Ian makes landfall

More than 1.9 million homes in southwest Florida are experiencing blackouts, according to PowerOutage.us, as Hurricane Ian pummels the area.

Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida, with 150 mph winds and destructive flooding.

An official from Lee County, Florida, told USA Today reporter Kate Cimini that the community "has been, in some respects, decimated" in the wake of the storm, with 80% of the Florida Power and Light customers impacted by outages. The county faced the largest impact out of the 26 Florida counties without power.

White House vows to give Florida 'full force of the federal government' in Ian recovery

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Evan Vucci/Associated Press

The Biden administration is prepared to "help Florida in every way possible," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at Wednesday's press briefing. On Tuesday evening, President Joe Biden called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and told him the state would have "the full force of the federal government," she said.

DeSantis briefed the press earlier in the day and stressed the gravity of the situation. "It will be one of the storms people always remember when they think about Southwest Florida," he said, similar to how Homestead was affected by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Storm surge is already walloping southwest Florida, and the hurricane's eye is still 25 miles from shore

Weather Channel camera footage shared on Twitter shows powerful ocean waters surging into Fort Myers Beach, Florida. It's just the beginning. Forecasts project up to 18 feet of water above ground in that area as the storm moves through.

The storm has knocked out power for 300,000 Floridians so far

As Hurricane Ian creeps toward the Florida coast, more than 300,000 Floridians have lost electricity, according to PowerOutage.us. The storm remained just short of the Category 5 hurricane threshold.

Meanwhile, Cuba is beginning to restore electricity to regions on Wednesday after an island-wide power outage, Reuters reported.

Hurricane Ian's strong winds carried a hurricane hunter aircraft 700 feet higher

Tropical Nick Underwood (@TheAstroNick) September 28, 2022

Hurricane Ian's strong upward winds jostled a hurricane hunter aircraft 700 feet vertically when it flew into the eye of the storm to get data.

"Absolutely wild," Nick Underwood, a meteorologist onboard the plane, wrote on Twitter, comparing the storm to 2018's Hurricane Michael. "A high end Cat 4 storm. Nearly Cat 5. All of this at 8,000 feet above the ocean. I'm glad we only did one pass," Underwood said.

"This flight to Hurricane Ian on Kermit was the worst I've ever been on," he added.

Nearly 1,000 lightning events detected in the eye of Hurricane Ian as the storm strengthens

Almost 1,000 lightning events were detected within an hour by the National Lightning Detection Network on Wednesday.

"I've never seen so much lightning in an eye," Nick Underwood, a hurricane hunter who flew into Hurricane Ian's eyewall Wednesday, wrote on Twitter.

Storm surge  up to 18 feet of water that Ian will push onshore  could be the biggest threat to life

National Hurricane Center

Storm surge happens when hurricanes reach shallow coastal waters, disrupting the deep-sea circulation they've been driving. Unable to go down, the water pushes out onto land.

These water levels can rise rapidly  a few feet in just one minute  to wash out roads and carry away people and property.

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Ian begins to suck water out of Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay as it approaches landfall

Storm chaser Mike Theiss shared footage of water levels dropping at the mouth of the Peace River, where Ian is forecast to push up to 18 feet of water inland. As the hurricane approaches from the south it might first draw water away, but it will soon push the ocean onto the land.

Meteorologist Jordan Steele shared footage of water levels lowering in Tampa Bay as well on Wednesday morning.

More than 170,000 homes have already lost power in southwest Florida

A TV crew broadcasts from the beach ahead of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers, Florida, September 28, 2022. Marco Bello/Reuters

As Hurricane Ian approaches, before it's even made landfall, hundreds of thousands of Floridians are losing electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.

Florida officials warn Hurricane Ian could become a Category 5 storm, a level that only made landfall twice in the US in 30 years

This Satellite image provided by NASA on September 26, 2022, shows Hurricane Ian pictured from the International Space Station just south of Cuba gaining strength and heading toward Florida. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida's southwest coast Wednesday, Sept. 28, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status. NASA via AP

Florida officials are preparing for Hurricane Ian to grow into a Category 5 storm  the strongest-level hurricane classification, which has made landfall in the US only twice in the last three decades.

The hurricane as of 7 a.m. ET was 80 miles south of Charlotte County, an area on Florida's west coast between Venice and Fort Meyers. Ian was moving north at 10 mph and winds reached 155 mph.

The wind speeds only need to reach 157 mph or higher to attain Category 5 status.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press conference in Tallahassee that the storm was "knocking on the door of a Category 5 storm" and that it "could make landfall as a Category 5."



Read Full Story





Amazon temporarily shuts some Florida warehouses as storm nears

Amazon has temporarily closed warehouse sites near Tampa and Orlando. Mike Segar/Reuters

Amazon has temporarily shut some warehouses in Florida as Hurricane Ian approaches the state, according to a CNBC report Tuesday.

The e-commerce giant has temporarily closed warehouse sites near Tampa on the Gulf Coast and Orlando in central Florida, according to CNBC, citing notices sent to employees. The warehouses are expected to stay shut until Friday, per the news outlet.

"We're closely monitoring the path of Hurricane Ian and making adjustments to our operations in order to keep our employees and those delivering for us safe," Richard Rocha, an Amazon spokesperson, told CNBC. "We're in regular contact with our employees and delivery partners to ensure everyone is aware of any site closures or unsafe conditions and will continue to make adjustments as needed."

The CNBC report did not specify how many warehouses are closed or how many workers are affected.



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Footage shows lightning crackling around the eye of Hurricane Ian as it sweeps over the Gulf of Mexico

Footage from the GOES-16 satellite showed bolts of crackling purple lightning around the eye of Hurricane Ian. Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (CIRA/CSU & NOAA).

Stark satellite footage of Hurricane Ian as it tears over the Gulf of Mexico shows its sheer scale  and the lightning crackling near the eye of the storm.

Footage of the hurricane was picked up by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-16 satellite on Tuesday.

A clip that tracked the hurricane's progress from 9:25 to 11:12 a.m. ET showed it swirling over the Gulf of Mexico. The satellite also picked up numerous bolts of lightning  represented in the clip with purple flashes  around the storm's clear eye.



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State officials urge people in unsafe zones to evacuate their homes before it's too late

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, speaks as he stands with Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, during a news conference, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in Largo, Florida. Chris O'Meara/AP Photo

State officials stressed Tuesday night that "the time is now" for people who evacuate their homes if they live in unsafe areas of the state.

Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall near Sarasota on Wednesday night, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press conference in Tallahassee.

While the movement of the storm could change, experts predict it'll meander through the state and exit on the east coast on Friday morning, and then head up toward Georgia and South Carolina.

Ian could become a Category 4 storm before it hits Florida, which would mean that it would have winds north of 130 mph and have the ability to cause catastrophic damage.

DeSantis urged people to listen to local officials when they said to evacuate.

"You still have some time but that time is rapidly running out," DeSantis said.

The storm is 250 miles south of Sarasota and moving north at 10 mph. Rear Admiral McPherson, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District, warned it would be a "very dangerous, life-threatening storm." Officials were poised to offer search and rescue services, and dispatched 30 aircraft to the region, he said.

But there will be a time when certain parts of Florida will have to put rescue missions on hold.

Kevin Guthrie, Florida's emergency management director, warned during the Tallahassee press conference that once people were in the middle of the storm then first responders would not be able to help.

"There will be a time when they cannot reply to a cry for help," he said, "and you will be left to fend for yourself."

He stressed that "the time is now" to evacuate and that "there will be a point in time when you will not be safe to travel the roads." Officials have also emphasized that people should help neighbors who might not be able to leave because of illness or because they are unfamiliar with hurricane guidelines.

People urged to evacuate their homes don't necessarily have to drive to another state but should try to get to higher ground, state officials said. They've encouraged people to go to Miami-Dade or Broward Counties.

Gov. Ron DeSantis says 'my phone line is open' if Biden wants to call about Hurricane Ian: 'We don't have time for pettiness'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference at the Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in Largo, Florida. DeSantis was updating residents of the path of Hurricane Ian. Chris O'Meara/AP Photo

MIAMI, Florida  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that he would be receptive to a phone call from President Joe Biden about Hurricane Ian as it closes in on his state.

The White House confirmed earlier in the day that Biden hadn't called, but repeatedly dodged questions about why.

"I'm happy to brief the president if he's interested in hearing what we are doing in Florida," DeSantis said Tuesday at a press conference in Tallahassee.



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Hurricane Ian grew from a tropical storm to a Category 3 storm in a single day. That's happening more often as oceans warm.

Locals fill sandbags, as Hurricane Ian spins toward Florida carrying high winds, torrential rains, and a powerful storm surge, in Tampa, Florida, September 26, 2022. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

This swift change is called rapid intensification  a process in which a tropical cyclone's maximum sustained winds increase by 35 mph in just 24 hours. It's usually fueled by warm water.

Read Full Story

Airports shut down across Florida

Passengers check into a ticket counter near a sign that shows canceled flights at the Tampa International Airport, September 27, 2022. Chris O'Meara/AP Photo

The Orlando International Airport canceled all of its commercial flights starting on Wednesday. The airport said that the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority activated the airport's Emergency Operations Center and that travelers should contact airlines directly for any updates for their specific flights.

The Florida Department of Transportation announced on Monday that Tampa Bay International Airport and the St. Pete/Clearwater International Airport were also suspending operations due to the storm.

Jan. 6 committee postpones Wednesday hearing as Hurricane Ian bears down on Florida

Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speak to Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, a former Georgia election worker, on June 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack postponed its upcoming hearing in light of Hurricane Ian's growing danger.

Chairman Bennie G. Thompson and Vice Chair Liz Cheney released a Tuesday statement announcing that the panel's next public hearing, which was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, will be postponed.

"In light of Hurricane Ian bearing down on parts of Florida, we have decided to postpone tomorrow's proceedings," the lawmakers said. "We're praying for the safety of all those in the storm's path. The Select Committee's investigation goes forward and we will soon announce a date for the postponed proceedings."

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President Joe Biden and Gov. Ron DeSantis haven't spoken over the phone

President Joe Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images and Joe Raedle/Getty Images

President Joe Biden hasn't spoken with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida about the state's forthcoming hurricane.

The White House confirmed the information Tuesday during the daily press briefing.

Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, did speak over the phone to DeSantis on Friday about Hurricane Ian.

"The president directed me to contact the governor early on before we even did the declaration. I did that," she said, adding that FEMA's regional administrator, Gracia Szczech, was currently meeting with DeSantis and traveling to various parts of Florida.

Biden has called other Florida elected officials. He spoke over the phone with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor Tampa and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welsh  both Democrats  and with Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard, a centrist Republican. The storm is set to hit all three cities.



Read Full Story

Cubans left entirely without power as Hurricane Ian destroys the island's electrical grid

Cubans have been left without power in the wake of Hurricane Ian after the storm wiped out the island's power grid.

The Category 3 storm made landfall in Cuba on Tuesday on its trajectory toward south Florida, overwhelming the decades-old power system and leaving residents in the dark.

"The system was already operating under complex conditions with the passage of Hurricane Ian," Lazaro Guerra, technical director of Cuba's Electricity Union, told Reuters. "There is no electricity service in any part of the country right now."

Orlando International Airport is canceling all of its commercial flights as Hurricane Ian nears Florida

Travelers walk past a sign advertising Walt Disney World at Orlando International Airport as the July 4th holiday weekend begins. Americans are expected to travel in record numbers over the Independence Day holiday. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Orlando International Airport (MCO) will stop all operations beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, the airport announced Tuesday afternoon.

"The Orlando International Airport is prepared for the arrival and impact of Hurricane Ian. After conferring with the National Weather Service, airlines, and federal partners it has been decided that commercial operations at Orlando International Airport will cease at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, 9/28/22," a statement from the airport posted to Twitter said.



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Storm surge is now forecast across the Florida Gulf coast, and even in some parts of the Atlantic coast

Storm surge forecast for Hurricane Ian. National Hurricane Center

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center predict that a "life-threatening" storm surge from Hurricane Ian is "increasingly likely" along Florida's west coast. The highest risk is from Fort Meyers to the Tampa Bay region, NHC said.

According to the latest forecast, Ian is expected to push between 5 to 8 feet of water from the ocean into Tampa Bay and 8 to 12 feet into Charlotte Harbor. Both areas are under evacuation orders.

Storm surge is often more deadly and damaging than a hurricane's winds.

Hurricane Ian a category 3 major hurricane, with winds up to 115 mph

Hurricane Ian is now a major hurricane. The hurricane was strengthened to a category three, with winds reaching up to 115 mph before making landfall on Cuba, the National Weather Service said in an update at 2:30 AM ET on Tuesday.

Wind speed is the primary way meteorologists measure a storm's intensity  it's what determines the categories on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Anything Category 3 and above is considered a major hurricane.

What a worst-case scenario might look like in Florida

As Hurricane Ian intensifies and heads toward the Florida Gulf Coast, forecasters are sounding the alarm for what could be a Category 3 storm with 111-mph winds.

The last time a Category 3 storm that strong hit Tampa Bay was a century ago, in a storm that knocked out the region's power and killed eight people. But that was when the population was only about 200,000, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

Tampa Bay, which includes the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, is now home to about 3.2 million people, according to the 2020 US Census.

As a storm pushes water towards Tampa Bay, the region can expect a 26-foot flood, according to Vox.

In the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council's catastrophic plan, which lays out this exact worst-case scenario through a simulation called Hurricane Phoenix, the flooding would turn various parts of Pinellas County, including St. Petersburg, into islands.



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Tampa Bay's airport will pause operations at 5 p.m. local time Tuesday

Tampa International Airport Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

According to the Florida Department of Transportation, at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Tampa International airport will suspend all operations. The St. Pete/Clearwater International Airport will do the same on Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET.

The decision comes as evacuations are expected to pick up in the coming days.

Hurricane Ian has reached Category 2 strength, as it grows to a major storm on its way to Florida

National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Ian is churning toward Cuba, and forecasters expect it to rapidly gain strength in the warm Gulf waters as it approaches the western Florida coast.

Ian is expected to pass over western Cuba on Monday night or early Tuesday. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a hurricane warning for the Cuban provinces of Isla de la Juventud, Pinar del Rio, and Artemisa, as well as Dry Tortugas National Park.

On Monday at 5 p.m. ET, NHC said the storm was located about 155 miles southeast of Cuba's western tip, traveling northwest at 13 mph.

Ian has strengthened to a Category 2 storm with 100 mph winds. It's expected to churn itself up to 111 mph, a Category 3 storm, overnight or early Tuesday.

A hurricane warning is in effect across half of the Florida Gulf Coast, from Englewood to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay, where NHC expects the heaviest storm surge  up to 10 feet of water. A hurricane watch is in place from Bonita Beach to Englewood, and north of the Anclote River to the Suwannee River.

Heavy rainfall is expected to bring flooding across Florida, including all the way east to Orlando.

"This is traditional rainfall flooding that will come and make movement difficult. So this is why you can't be waiting until the last minute to move around and make your preparations," Jamie Rhome, acting director of NHC, said in a livestream update Monday morning. In the Tampa Bay area, he added, preparations should be complete by Tuesday night.

Cuba's west coast is in the storm's direct path with 'conditions beginning to deteriorate'

Hurricane Ian is nearing Cuba's western coast. National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Ian is expected to hit portions of western Cuba this evening, continuing into Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Officials have ordered 50,000 people to evacuate the Pinar del Rio province on Cuba's western tip.

"The supplies Floridians usually get to prepare for a storm are unavailable to most Cubans," the Miami Herald reported. "That long list includes shutters, water bottles, sandbags, rechargeable lamps, batteries, and even candles. Food shortages add another layer of complexity to storm preparedness efforts on the island."

The island country is bracing for a Category 2 storm  meaning wind speeds between 96 to 110 mph  as well as mudslides and flash floods. The winds reached 100 mph at 8 p.m. ET on Monday and the National Hurricane Center is predicting 14 feet of storm surge.

"Conditions in western Cuba beginning to deteriorate with significant wind and storm surge impacts expected overnight," the National Hurricane Center tweeted Monday evening.

Ian is expected to hit Florida's Gulf Coast as early as Wednesday.

Cuba last faced a major hurricane in 2017 with Irma, a Category 5 storm that killed 10 people.

NASA is evacuating its new $50 billion moon rocket from its Florida launchpad

Teams prepare a crawler-transporter to roll NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket away from Launchpad 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, September 24, 2022. NASA/Joel Kowsky

The Space Launch System (SLS) is the 30-story-high, $50 million rocket that NASA has spent 17 years building in order to carry out its new lunar missions, a program called Artemis.

SLS was scheduled to launch for the first time on Tuesday, but NASA has decided the weather will be too risky. It's preparing to roll the giant rocket 4 miles to shelter Monday night.

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Politics and campaign rallies put aside as elected officials respond to the storm

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference held at the Cox Science Center & Aquarium in West Palm Beach, Florida, on June 08, 2022. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is facing what's projected to be his first major hurricane as governor just six weeks before Election Day.

The governor has held two press conferences in Florida so far, with more expected Monday evening. DeSantis declared a state of emergency for all of Florida on Saturday and activated 2,500 members of the Florida National Guard.

Campaign-related events were also affected.

President Joe Biden had been scheduled to appear at a Democratic National Committee event in Orlando on Tuesday with Democrat Charlie Crist, a former congressman and gubernatorial candidate who's running to unseat DeSantis in November. The DNC postponed the event given the impending storm.

Crist also canceled a rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with the multicultural organization Faith in Florida on Monday evening when he'd been scheduled to appear alongside Democratic Rep. Val Demings, who is running for the US Senate. Demings had not planned on campaigning with Biden in Orlando even though it's in her district, NBC News reported.

Sen. Marco Rubio, who is Demings' GOP opponent in the Senate race, postponed a campaign event that was set to occur this week in rural Homestead, Florida, because of the impending hurricane.

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Ian is a near "near worst case" scenario for Tampa Bay, says director of the National Hurricane Center

FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell, left, listens to Jamie Rhome during a Hurricane Ian news conference in Miami, September 26, 2022. Marta Lavandier/AP Photo

The current NHC forecast shows the right side of Hurricane Ian covering the entire Tampa Bay area, maximizing onshore winds that push water inland, CNN reported. That increases the chances of a storm surge on the upper end of the forecast  10 feet of water rushing into communities along the bay.

"This is a near worst-case approach angle coming in from the south and west and stalling," Jamie Rhome, the National Hurricane Center acting director, told CNN. "With it slowing down, this would be a near-worst case approach angle."

The forecast also projects the storm will move along at a slow speed of just 5 mph as it passes Tampa, allowing it to linger longer and deal more damage. Research shows that hurricanes are moving more slowly as temperatures rise in oceans and the atmosphere.

If you're in the Tampa area, "it's time to stop looking on the internet and hoping that it'll go away. It's time to start acting," Rhome said.

Ian is set to be the first major hurricane to directly strike the Tampa Bay area since 1921

A ship run ashore during the 1921 Tampa Bay Hurricane. Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center

"We tell people even if they're lifelong Floridians like myself, this is something that we haven't seen in our lifetime," Rick Davis, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Tampa office, told CNN. "So we definitely need to take it seriously."Read Full Story

Pinellas County has declared a mandatory evacuation starting Monday night

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida issued an emergency declaration for the state as Hurricane Ian prepares to make landfall. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

On Monday afternoon, Cathie Perkins, director of Pinellas County Emergency Management, announced that certain parts of the county would be issuing a mandatory evacuation.

The county encompasses Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Depending on the zone people live in, some have been asked to evacuate beginning 6 p.m. ET Monday while others will be asked to evacuate on Tuesday morning.

The state determines evacuation zones based on flooding risk.

"Our entire county is going to feel some type of impact," Perkins said at a press conference Monday in Largo, Florida, with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The county was expecting between 10 to 15 feet surges, she said, and "widespread flooding," as well as a risk of tornadoes.

Officials said people didn't necessarily need to travel to another state, given that shelters were being made available in the county, but needed to get out of harm's way. Mobile homes are part of the evacuation order.

Pinellas had already closed schools by Monday morning.

Floridians should complete preparations on Tuesday and be ready to evacuate, forecasters advise

Fishermen prepare to move their boats from a canal ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian in Havana, Cuba, on September 26, 2022. Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters

"You need to have your preparations finished by Tuesday morning, Tuesday noon at the latest," Rhome said.

Officials issued evacuation orders for parts of Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, and Manatee County on Monday morning.

More evacuation orders are expected throughout Monday and Tuesday, in other areas where life-threatening storm surge is forecast. That influx of water is often more damaging and deadly than a cyclone's powerful winds.

Evacuation orders can be found on the website of the Florida Division of Emergency management, along with a map of evacuation zones.

"If emergency managers order you to leave, then you need to do so without question and without delay," Rhome said.

Tampa Bay could see a surge of up to 10 feet of ocean water

National Hurricane Center

Other areas of Florida are expected to get 2 to 8 feet of storm surge. That influx of water is often more damaging and deadly than a cyclone's powerful winds.

Tampa city officials are handing out sand bags, and the county has put evacuation orders into effect.

Read the original article on Insider
Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida as a Category 4 storm after noon on Wednesday.

The storm is now expected to bring significant impacts to Central Florida. See live updates below:

11:50 p.m.

A flash flood warning has been issued for southeast Orange County.

11 p.m.

Winds with Hurricane Ian are reaching 90 mph and the storm is now a Category 1, Channel 9 Meteorologist George Waldenberger said.

The storm is moving at 8 mph to the north northeast.

READ: Why is the lightning were seeing during Hurricane Ian so unusual?

Ian continues to batter the Florida Peninsula with winds, storm surge and flooding. It is expected to move into the Atlantic tomorrow.

As of now, the storm is 70 miles south of Orlando. The center is currently near Sebring.

Track update shows a farther-south Ian, moving off the coast earlier. In the morning tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/MbvMqLU1xj  George Waldenberger (@GWaldenWFTV) September 29, 2022

See the Spanish translation below:

El huracan Ian parece estar moviendose mas al sur segun el nuevo modelo. Los vientos han disminuido y ahora estan en 90 mph. El huracan es ahora de categoria 1 y se encuentra a unas 70 millas al sur de Orlando, golpeando la peninsula con fuertes vientos e inundaciones. Se espera que manana se adentre en el Atlantico.

10:30 p.m.

A tornado warning has been issued for Volusia County until 10:45 p.m.

9:30 p.m.

The hurricane shelter at Mascotte Charter has reached capacity.

See our complete guide to hurricane shelters by clicking here.

8:20 p.m.

As of 8 p.m., Hurricane Ian continues to weaken. Channel 9 meteorologists say the storm is still a Category 3 with winds of 115 mph and moving at a slow crawl to the north northeast at 8 mph.

Story continues

Winds are forecast to increase overnight and tomorrow morning. Areas of Polk, Osceola, and southern Orange counties will experience hurricane force, sustained winds of 74 mph-plus. And most of us will experience tropical storm-force winds.

Many communities still have the potential of seeing 10- to 15-inches of additional rain.

8:10 p.m.

OUC crews have ceased restoration efforts for those who have lost power so far during Hurricane Ian. The company said once conditions are safe, workers will return to the field.

Read: Hurricane Ian: Heres how to track power outages in Central Florida

Due to inclement conditions, OUC and helping crews have ceased restoration efforts for the evening. Once conditions are safe again, they will be released back into the field to continue. Please be patient and understand that the safety of our crews is of utmost importance. pic.twitter.com/YdAIy7hNyU  Orlando Utilities Commission (@OUCreliableone) September 28, 2022

7:45 p.m.

A tree has fallen on I-4 in Maitland as Hurricane Ians impacts are already being felt across Central Florida.

See video below:

7:15 p.m.

Residents in some Central Florida counties will be under a curfew on Wednesday and Thursday over safety concerns from Hurricane Ian.

See which counties are impacted by curfews here.

6:25 p.m.

Tropical storm winds have begun in Central Florida and will last all night and into Thursday. Hurricane gusts are coming tonight, especially Osceola, Polk, Orange counties.

Tropical storm winds have begun and will last all night and into Thursday. Hurricane gusts are coming tonight, especially Osceola, Polk, Orange. #HunkerDown pic.twitter.com/lBIuXXtnee  Tom Terry (@TTerryWFTV) September 28, 2022

5:55 p.m.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is giving an update on Hurricane Ian NOW on Channel 9.

Gov. DeSantis "As this storm passes your community, understand it's still a hazardous situation, downed power lines, misuse of generators, floodwaters." #HurricaneIan #wftv  Daralene (@DaraleneJ) September 28, 2022





5:35 p.m.

A wind gust of 74 mph was reported in New Smyrna Beach due to Hurricane Ian.

#Ian wind gust 74mph New Smyrna Beach.  Tom Terry (@TTerryWFTV) September 28, 2022





5:05 p.m.

Hurricane Ian has slowed slightly, moving just 8 mph, after it made mainland landfall at 4:35 p.m.

The maximum wind is now at 140 mph, and although weaker is still a Category 4 hurricane. Meteorologists said the eye is becoming more cloud filled, and further weakening will happen as it approaches. Ian is still forecast to bring flooding and a tornado threat to Central Florida as it passes in the early morning hours of Thursday.

See this update in Spanish below:

Ian's mainland Florida landfall 4:35 pm, 145 mph max sustained winds, south of Punta Gorda near Pirate Harbor. pic.twitter.com/RFVAZKoUNO  George Waldenberger (@GWaldenWFTV) September 28, 2022

El huracan Ian ha disminuido ligeramente despues de haber tocado tierra firme a las cuatro y media

El viento maximo es ahora de 140 mph y sigue siendo un huracan de categoria 4. Los meteorologos dijeron que el ojo se esta llenando de nubes y que se debilitara aun mas a medida que se acerque a nuestra area.

El huracan seguira provocando inundaciones y amenaza de tornados en el centro de la Florida cuando pase en la manana el jueves.





4:55 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Ian made mainland Florida landfall just south of Punta Gorda near Pirate Harbor at 4:35 p.m. Maximum sustained winds at this landfall are estimated at 145 mph.





4:45 p.m.

Rain bands have already brought 50+ mph winds to Orange County.

Rain squalls bringing 50+ mph winds in Orange county. More tonight! pic.twitter.com/Rrymb32Eyq  Tom Terry (@TTerryWFTV) September 28, 2022





4:30 p.m.

A tornado watch has been issued for Orange, Seminole, Brevard, Osceola, and Volusia counties through 1 a.m. Thursday.

Tornado Watch Conditions favorable for tornado development in shaded area.

Now is the time to know where you'd go in case of tornado

A safe place is the most central room, lowest level of your home, without windows. It's usually a closet or bathroom. pic.twitter.com/tz1MkvyI8E  Kassandra Crimi (@KCrimiWFTV) September 28, 2022

4:20 p.m.

It was an eerie sight -- water being sucked away from Tampa Bay while storm surges from Hurricane Ian battered the southwest coast of Florida as the Category 4 storm made landfall on Wednesday. Read more about the phenomena here.

Read: Hurricane Ian: Reverse storm surge sucks water out of Tampa Bay

WARNING: Now is NOT the time for sightseeing. Officers are continuously clearing cars from #Bayshore Blvd due to people coming out to see or walk on the the low tide. It is NOT safe to be out on the streets. Please, stay inside. #YourTampaPD pic.twitter.com/xyGuLnmYvx  TampaPD (@TampaPD) September 28, 2022





4 p.m.

Residents in some Central Florida counties will be under a curfew on Wednesday and Thursday over safety concerns from Hurricane Ian. Click here to see the latest county curfew updates.

Read: Hurricane Ian: Curfews to take effect in some Central Florida counties

3:30 p.m.

With Hurricane Ian on its way to Central Florida, power outages are expected across our area. Click here to find out how to track outages across the area.

Read: Hurricane Ian: Heres how to track power outages in Central Florida





3:15 p.m.

Hurricane Ian made landfall at 3:05 p.m. in Cayo Costa, Florida with winds of 150 mph.

landfall, Cayo Costa 3:05 pm pic.twitter.com/ebjCWErWqs  George Waldenberger (@GWaldenWFTV) September 28, 2022

305 PM EDT 28 Sep -- Hurricane #Ian has made landfall as an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane near Cayo Costa, Florida with maximum sustained winds at 150 mph. The minimum pressure from Air Force Reconnaissance Hurricane Hunters was 940 mb.



Latest: https://t.co/tnOTyfORCw pic.twitter.com/O3agPDOZHk  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 28, 2022





3:10 p.m.

Curfews have been issued in both Volusia and Flagler counties. The Volusia County curfew is in effect from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. And in Flagler County the curfew is from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.





3 p.m.

Tornado warning issued for Osceola County through 3:30 p.m.

Tornado warning for Osceola County includes Holopaw...it's showing persistent rotation, so, if it holds together, it could trigger a warning for Orange County. Monitoring. pic.twitter.com/cjBr568k1n  George Waldenberger (@GWaldenWFTV) September 28, 2022

2:55 p.m.

Viewers can send us their safely captured photos/video of Hurricane Ian by going to wftv.com/share





2:35 p.m.

A tornado warning continues in Brevard County through 3 p.m.

Read: Hurricane Ian: County-by-county guide to shelter locations in Central Florida

2:20 p.m.

The shelter at Oak Ridge High School is Orange County has reached capacity. An additional shelter is now open at Memorial Middle School.

SHELTER UPDATE:

Oakridge High School has reached capacity. An additional shelter has now been opened at Memorial Middle School. https://t.co/lT2HtLT1EH pic.twitter.com/GdYivPI6Tv  Orange County FL (@OrangeCoFL) September 28, 2022

2:10 p.m.

A tornado warning has been issued for portions of Brevard County through 2:30 p.m. Chief meteorologist Tom Terry is tracking it live NOW on Channel 9.

Tornado Warning Take action now if you are in shaded area.

A tornado has been detected. Go to the lowest, most central room in your home. Stay away from windows. Brevard, Indian River #StormAlert9 pic.twitter.com/lIHVhKCrBv  Kassandra Crimi (@KCrimiWFTV) September 28, 2022

2 p.m.

Rough surf is moving into Daytona Beach as Hurricane Ian rain bands move through. A curfew for all of Volusia County will go into effect at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Rough surf in Daytona Beach as rain bands move in from #HurricaneIan pic.twitter.com/kkkprHZBVW  Mike Springer WFTV (@mspringerwftv) September 28, 2022





1:55 p.m.

The city of Naples has issued a curfew effective immediately.

The City of Naples has issued an emergency citywide curfew to protect and safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of City of Naples residents, visitors, and first responders. The curfew is effective immediately until further notice. pic.twitter.com/C1OIiFkCoN  Naples Police Dept. (@NaplesPolice) September 28, 2022





1:20 p.m.

Volusia County is now under a hurricane warning. Officials said bridges wont close until wind reaches sustained speeds of 39 mph. There are four shelters open in the county for those who need one.

Volusia County now under a hurricane warning, bridges wont close until wind reaches sustained speeds of 39mph, 4 shelters are open for those who need one #hurricaneIan pic.twitter.com/MKtHb2Amtg  Mike Springer WFTV (@mspringerwftv) September 28, 2022





1 p.m.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is discussing Ians landfall in southwest Florida. Click here to watch his update live NOW.





12:35 p.m.

Landfall is imminent in Captiva and Sanibel islands. When it does make land fall, meteorologist Rusty McCranie said it will be the fifth strongest land falling hurricane in U.S. history.

Landfall imminent of Hurricane Ian in Captiva and Sanibel Islands in SW Florida. It will be the 5th strongest land falling hurricane in U.S. history. pic.twitter.com/IlJ668Y3vT  Rusty McCranie (@RMcCranieWFTV) September 28, 2022

12:10 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center says the eyewall of Ian is now moving onshore at Sanibel and Captiva islands.

12 PM EDT 9/28 Tropical Cyclone Update for Hurricane #Ian.



The eyewall of Ian is now moving onshore at Sanibel & Captiva Islands.



Latest: https://t.co/tnOTyfOjMY pic.twitter.com/mQxbywROwy  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 28, 2022





11:45 a.m.

Publix officials said locations in Sumter, Orange, Lake (717 N. 14th St., Leesburg and 1120 Bichara Blvd., The Villages), Seminole, Marion, Osceola, and Volusia counties will now close at noon today.

Those locations were previously set to close at 6 p.m.

Read: Hurricane Ian: Publix stores in these Central Florida counties will close early for the storm

11:40 a.m.

Solid rain totals are already showing up in Brevard County as rain bands continue to spiral inland. Some areas have already seen near 4-inches of rain.

Solid rain totals already showing up in Brevard County as rainbands continue to spiral inland. We'll also keep a close eye for rotation. pic.twitter.com/B4NYFeEq5O  Rusty McCranie (@RMcCranieWFTV) September 28, 2022

11 a.m.

English update:

Hurricane Ian remains a Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds. It is expected to make landfall near Sanibel Island within the hour.

Channel 9 meteorologist Rusty McCranie said the track of the storm adjusted slightly east in Central Florida, but Ian is so large the track change doesnt make a difference to the impacts we can expect.

Read this update in Spanish below.

11am Wednesday Ian Update: Winds holding at 155mph as Ian should make landfall near Sanibel Island within the hour. Track has been ever so slightly adjusted east in Central Florida, but Ian is so large, the track move makes no difference for our impacts. pic.twitter.com/8vYDKzgKXn  Rusty McCranie (@RMcCranieWFTV) September 28, 2022

Spanish update:

Desde el miercoles por la manana, Ian es un huracan de categoria 4 con vientos que se mantienen en 155 mph.

Ian continua moviendose a lo largo de la costa suroeste de Florida y se espera que traiga impactos significativos al centro de la peninsula.

WFTV le traera noticias en directo sobre el huracan en ingles y espanol.

Se espera que Ian toque tierra cerca de la Isla de Sanibel dentro de la hora.

WFTV meteorologo Rusty McCranie dijo que la trayectoria se ajusto ligeramente al este en el centro de la Florida, pero Ian es tan grande que el cambio de trayectoria no hace mucha diferencia en los impactos que podemos esperar.

El Servicio Meteorologico Nacional dijo que hay un alto riesgo de lluvias excesivas del huracan Ian desde el miercoles hasta el jueves por la noche en el centro y noreste de Florida.

10:50 a.m.

Channel 9 reporter Christopher Heath is on the ground in Lake County where resident are filling sandbags and filling up with gas.

In Lake County as residents fill sandbags, work crews are staging for the aftermath of #HurricaneIan pic.twitter.com/ROqbQLlXpx  Christopher Heath (@CHeathWFTV) September 28, 2022

In Groveland at one of the few stations that still has gas and diesel #HurricaneIan pic.twitter.com/Ee8eQh3BBA  Christopher Heath (@CHeathWFTV) September 28, 2022

Read: Hurricane Ian: How many Category 5 hurricanes have hit the US?

10:45 a.m.

Tampa Bay police posted photos of the water receded in Tampa Bay ahead of Hurricane Ian.

    : Check out this  view of #BayshoreBlvd taken by one our TampaPD Lieutenants! The water has receded, a clear sign that #hurricaneian is drawing near. : Evacuations are still in effect for Zones A and B #YourTampaPD pic.twitter.com/fLhTkNuHtz  TampaPD (@TampaPD) September 28, 2022

10:35 a.m.

The National Weather Service said there is a high risk of excessive rainfall from Hurricane Ian from Wednesday through Thursday night in central and northeast Florida.

Officials said this will be the first high risk in five years for metro areas in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville.

Orlando officials said crews are out proactively cleaning storm drains checking rain gauges and other lake monitoring equipment.

Orlando crews will stay out as long as possible to ensure roads stay clear by removing fallen debris as the storm approaches.

10:05 a.m. update:

Gov. Ron DeSantis is giving un update on Hurricane Ian from Lake City, Florida.

9:30 a.m. update:

The latest models show double-digit rain totals for much of Central Florida.

DeLand is forecast to receive nearly 30 inches of rain.

The last 12 hours of Hurricane Ian. You can see the quick eyewall replacement cycle overnight, which let Ian strengthen this morning to near Cat 5 winds. pic.twitter.com/TVD1qc0N4R  Rusty McCranie (@RMcCranieWFTV) September 28, 2022

Widespread flooding in rivers, low-lying and urban areas is expected.

Over the last 12 hours, Hurricane Ian had a quick eyewall replacement cycle, which allowed it to strengthen this morning to near Category 5.

Evacuation orders have been enacted for parts of Seminole and Flagler counties.

Seminole County:

Flagler County:

8:45 a.m. update:

The National Hurricane Center officials said tropical-storm-force winds are already beginning to affect the west coast of Florida.

Conditions are forecast to rapidly deteriorate, and catastrophic wind damage is expected.

As of 8 a.m., Hurricane Ian still has winds of 15 mph, making it a powerful Category 4.

As of 8am, still winds of 155mph, high end category 4. Less than 30 miles from Captiva Island. Landfall likely in less than 3 hours. Note, Ian's eye will track over or close to Fort Myers, with the full brunt of wind. pic.twitter.com/4ZNuMzKHVP  Rusty McCranie (@RMcCranieWFTV) September 28, 2022

Ian is less than 30 miles from Captiva Island.

Landfall is likely in less than three hours.

Ians eye will track over or close to Fort Myers with the full brunt of the wind.

Time is quickly running out for residents to rush preparations to completion on the southwestern Florida peninsula as Hurricane #Ian nears.



Tropical-Storm-Force winds already beginning to affect coast. Conditions will rapidly deteriorate & catastrophic wind damage is expected. pic.twitter.com/eHhEwPNLoY  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 28, 2022

8 a.m. update:

Gov. Ron DeSantis is giving an update on Hurricane Ian from the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee.

WATCH LIVE: Gov. DeSantis gives update on Hurricane Ian

DeSantis said Florida has asked the federal government for more resources to help with storm recovery.

There are 500 Florida guardsmen now activated throughout the state.

Charlotte Harbor and surrounding areas could see 12 to 16 feet of storm surge or more.

This could submerge most or all of the Captiva and Sanibel islands and bring catastrophic water levels to a vast area.

Channel 9 Meteorologist Brian Shields said Hurricane Ian could be worse than Hurricane Charley for Central Florida.

7:15 a.m. update:

Recent data from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Hurricane Hunter aircraft shows Hurricane Ian is rapidly intensifying and has max sustained winds around 155 mph.

The eye of Ian is now less than 40 miles from Captiva and Sanibel Islands.

Landfall is likely to happen before noon.

A look at Ian's satellite image as it nears Cat 5 strength.. Brother. pic.twitter.com/4YHVoRh9yo  Rusty McCranie (@RMcCranieWFTV) September 28, 2022

Ian will bring catastrophic storm surge and wind damage to portions of southwest Florida.

Forecast models show the center of Hurricane Ian passing very close to downtown Orlando on Thursday.

This path could bring hurricane conditions to metro Orlando.

5:15 a.m. update:

Hurricane Ians maximum sustained winds are now around 140 mph.

Ian is moving north-northeast at 10 mph.

Read: Hurricane Ian: County-by-county guide to shelter locations in Central Florida

Though the storm is still far from Central Florida, it is triggering tornado watches.

Ian is a dangerous hurricane that will bring devastation to Southwest Florida.

5AM Wednesday Ian update: Winds have climbed to 140mph. Ian is now a powerful Category 4 hurricane. This is a dangerous hurricane that will bring devastation to SW Florida. Forecast still brings Ian to Central Florida, with hurricane and tropical storm conditions for our area. pic.twitter.com/Ex5GHvNt3j  Rusty McCranie (@RMcCranieWFTV) September 28, 2022

The forecast still brings Ian to Central Florida, with hurricane and tropical storm conditions for our area.

Ian could still be a hurricane as it moves into Polk County, and hurricane conditions could be felt as far north as metro Orlando.

Read: Smell a scam? Florida activates price gouging hotline

Upclose look at the 5am Wed track. Ian could still be a hurricane as it moves into Polk County, and hurricane conditions could be felt as far north as metro Orlando. pic.twitter.com/LvLr1IqobG  Rusty McCranie (@RMcCranieWFTV) September 28, 2022

3:45 a.m. update:

Rain from Hurricane Ians outer bands is already being felt in parts of Central Florida.

Chief Meteorologist Tom Terry said the highest risk for tornados will be from Interstate 4 to the east toward the coast starting Wednesday morning and lasting throughout the day.

Highest tornado risk (there will be many) will be from I-4 and east toward the coast, starting just before daybreak and lasting most of the day. pic.twitter.com/5bQcBAR8lV  Tom Terry (@TTerryWFTV) September 28, 2022

Terry said starting Wednesday, residents should be in a safe place to ride out the storm, noting the possibility of tornadoes and flooding.

Read: Hurricane Ian: School closures in Central Florida

As we move into Thursday, Terry said Central Floridians can expect power outages and areas of flash flooding.

11:15 p.m. Tuesday update:

The forecast cone center for Hurricane Ian has shifted slightly southeast of Orlando, Channel 9 meteorologist George Waldenberger said.

Winds for the Category 3 storm remain at 120 mph.

Ian kicked up wind gusts up to 91 mph near Dry Tortugas as it passed west of Key West, Waldenberger said. The flood threat is heightened through Thursday.

11pm update...center of cone shifted a little south and east of Orlando. One of the things we're watching out for is a very heavy swath of rain on the north side of the core of Ian as it passes through. Flood threat is heightened through Thursday. pic.twitter.com/WGARaP2KMs  George Waldenberger (@GWaldenWFTV) September 28, 2022

Follow our Severe Weather team on Twitter for live updates:

Visit our hurricane section: EYE ON THE TROPICS

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.
Insider's reporter went to a Costco store in Canada for the first time and noticed a few key differences compared to US locations. Joey Hadden/Insider

Costco has more than 100 locations in Canada.

On a recent trip there, I visited a Costco in Niagara Falls to see how it compared to US locations.

The Costco I visited looked identical to those in the US, but there were a few key differences.

On a recent trip to Canada, I went to a Costco store and saw firsthand how it compares to locations I've been to in the US.

The author stands outside of a Costco in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Joey Hadden/Insider

Growing up, my parents loved Costco because they could purchase foods for our family of four in bulk for low prices. I remember spending Saturday afternoons exploring the warehouse with my brother while my parents shopped for produce, snacks, and everything in between with their membership.

While Costco started in the US  its first location opened as a Price Club in 1976 in a converted airplane hangar in San Diego, California  the wholesale outlet is now in eight countries, including Canada.

As I learned on a recent trip there, Canada is home to more than 100 locations, according to Statista. While I was there for the first time, I stopped by a location in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to see how it would measure up to US stores.

Turns out, it's pretty similar  but there were a few things that I found to be different.

The store looked mostly the same as the ones I've visited in the US. For starters, it was huge.

A Costco store in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Joey Hadden/Insider

The largest Canadian retailer is Loblaws, a supermarket chain, according to Statista. Costco surpassed Sobeys, Metro, and Walmart, according to the same source.

I thought the inside looked the same, too. Like in the US, the warehouse had an open layout with stands of products in the middle and floor-to-ceiling aisles stacked with groceries along the perimeter.

Snapshots show the inside of a Costco store in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Joey Hadden/Insider

When I walked into Costco, I was immediately transported to my home country because the inside of the warehouse looked exactly like its counterpart stores in the US.

Ramsey Monroe, a Costco fan who has been to more than 200 locations around the globe, previously told Insider that the layout is similar in every store she's been in.

Story continues

"If I ever feel homesick, I can just go to Costco," Monroe said. "I just feel at home at Costco so no matter where I am in the world, it's just comforting."

The first difference I spotted between the US and Canadian stores was the addition of French labels on products in Canada.

Pitted dates and speakers, sold with French labels at Costco. Joey Hadden/Insider

According to a report from Statistics Canada, more than 20% of the country's population speaks French as their first language.

While French is the primary language in Quebec, according to the report, it's the minority language in Ontario  the province where I visited Costco.

In the clothing section, I noticed a wider variety of jackets than I've seen in US stores. They ranged in price from $50 to $100.

A clothing display inside Costco. Joey Hadden/Insider

Since winters are colder in Canada, I thought this made sense.

Canada has one of the harshest winters of any country in the world because of its high altitudes and location up north, according to the Government of Canada. Dressing for the weather is essential to combat frostbite, windburn, and hypothermia.

While many of the products looked familiar to me, each Costco has locally sourced products. So I scanned the store for Canadian labels to find foods I can't get back home.

Frozen fish and chicken sourced in Canada and sold at Costco. Joey Hadden/Insider

All Costco warehouses locally source vendors, as Insider previously reported.

During my visit to the Niagara Falls store, I spotted maple leaf cookies, orange mango quinoa cookies, and Hungarian beef sausage among other items that I haven't seen at Costco in the US.

In the meat section, I noticed that most of the products were also sourced in Canada.

A selection of meat from Canada sold at Costco. Joey Hadden/Insider

From bison burgers to Wagyu beef, Costco stores in Canada have a wide variety of locally sourced meats.

The US has a variety of locally sourced meat and seafood as well, from Chicago steaks to bone-in pork cutlets.

I also saw dessert items locally sourced in Canada. And there was some candy that I rarely see in the US, like Aero  my favorite chocolate.

Frozen yogurt bars sourced in Canada and UK-based candies, sold at Costco. Joey Hadden/Insider

I see Aero chocolate bars  a popular treat in the UK and Ireland  in the US every so often, but they're not widely available in my experience. According to Mashed, they're hard to find outside of Amazon.

So I was surprised to see them being sold in bulk in this Costco. As I learned later reading Nestle's website, it turns out the bars are widely sold in Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Japan.

In the coffee section, I noticed the store carried coffee from Tim Horton's, where I got breakfast just hours before.

The author's breakfast (L) and Tim Horton's coffee sold at Costco (R). Joey Hadden/Insider

Tim Horton's is a popular coffee brand and fast-food breakfast joint based in Canada.

I got a breakfast sandwich and an iced coffee drink when I visited the chain, and thought the food tasted fresher than that from most fast-food restaurants I've been to.

On my way out, I noticed the food court was selling poutine, a Canadian dish I haven't seen in US Costco stores.

Poutine from a Costco in Canada. Michelle T./Yelp

Although I didn't get a chance to try it for myself without a membership, I noticed that the food court carried poutine, a popular Canadian dish that has three ingredients: fries, gravy, and cheese curds.

Later in my trip, I went to La Banquise, a restaurant in Montreal known for poutine, and I really enjoyed it. The fries were crispy and greasy  just like I like them. I thought the gravy was reminiscent of Thanksgiving dinner, and the curds added a unique texture without adding too much flavor.

Ultimately, I found that the Costco I visited in Canada was very similar to its US counterparts. Next time, I'd go back with a member so I can try the products unique to Canada.

Costco in Niagara Falls, Canada. Joey Hadden/Insider

Although I was outside of the US, visiting Costco in Canada felt like a taste of home. With a nearly identical layout to the American stores I've been to, I felt transported to my childhood as I strolled the aisles.

If I ever find myself in a Canadian Costco again, I'll pick up some Aero, Tim Horton's coffee, and poutine.

Read the original article on Insider
By Andrea Shalal and David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday that its staff has agreed on some $293 million in new financing for Barbados, including $183 million via a new trust fund created to help vulnerable middle-income and island countries.

The staff-level agreement is the first under the Resilience and Sustainability Trust approved by the IMF board in April, the IMF said. The Fund also said it reached agreement with Barbados on a new, 36-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) loan of about $110 million.

Both agreements need approval from the IMF Executive Board, which is expected to consider the staff agreement in November or December, Bert van Selm, IMF mission chief for Barbados, told reporters.

Van Selm, who announced the agreements in Barbados with Prime Minister Mia Mottley, said the Caribbean nation was ideally suited to be the first country to use the new trust given its successful execution of an earlier IMF program, its location in a region exposed to climate change, and Mottley's leadership.

He said Barbados had not completed all the reforms intended during its previous four-year EFF program due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had sought a follow-on program to complete those efforts. He said it needed to reduce its debt and was planning to start carrying out financial stress tests in coming years that took climate risks into account, he said.

The new trust expands access to low-interest loans to about 140 countries, double the number that could tap such resources under the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust. That will be a big help for middle income countries, such as those in the Caribbean, that were hard hit by a loss of tourism during the pandemic and are highly vulnerable to climate change.

"It's obvious to everybody that climate change is the major challenge of our day, and we need to address it, if we can," van Selm said.

IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva first discussed the new trust in June 2021, telling Reuters it would help a broader range of countries get the aid they needed to tackle climate change and other sustainability challenges.

Bangladesh and Argentina have also expressed interest in tapping funds under the trust, which offers 20-year financing. Van Selm said a few more countries were in talks with the IMF and he expected more announcements before the end of the year.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and David Lawder; editing by Richard Pullin)
A 15-year-old Dalit student was allegedly brutally beaten to death by a teacher, who is part of an upper caste, after the boy made spelling errors on a class test, police said.

The teen, identified by the Times of India as Nikhit Kumar of Vaisholi village of Auraiya, was a student at the Adarsh Inter College on Phanfood Road, where he was hit with a rod and repeatedly kicked for incorrectly spelling the word social on the test on Sept. 7.

The boy has since succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in northern Uttar Pradesh state.

He gained consciousness while being taken to a private hospital but had difficulty in breathing, the boys father said. Doctors said he had suffered internal injuries. In between, he was treated at several hospitals. He was being taken to Saifai on Monday, but died in the ambulance while being shifted.

More from NextShark: Racism Makes Chinese Students in the US More Supportive of China, Study Shows

The teacher, identified as Ashwini Singh, agreed to pay the boys medical expenses, but only offered 40,000 rupees (approximately $491) in two installments.

During the course of our interactions, the teacher also misbehaved and abused us with caste-specific words, the father claimed. We then went to the police station and filed a report on September 24 against him.

Singh was booked under IPC Sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), as well as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Indian Express reported.

Story continues

More from NextShark: Nigel Ng Responds to Claims He Bowed to China After Removing Mike Chen Video

Protests have erupted following the incident, which have seen police vehicles set on fire.

Auraiya superintendent of police, Charu Nigam, said an autopsy was done by doctors in Etawah, and a report will soon be released.

Three teams have been formed for the arrest of the teacher, who is absconding, Nigam added.

The Dalit community, previously known as the untouchables, have been looked down upon in Indias caste system for hundreds of years.

Al Jazeera reported that caste bias-related crimes have been on the rise in India, where untouchability is banned but remains rampant.

The family says the boy was beaten by his teacher a few weeks ago for making a spelling error. Now the family has called this a caste-based hate crime, reporter Pavni Mittal said. According to government data, five-caste-based hate crimes take place every hour on average in the country. The hatred is still so strong that it even extends to young children and ends up killing them.

Featured Image via @Benarasiyaa (left), MIRROR NOW (right)
MELBOURNE, Australia  Indonesia has reaffirmed its commitment to develop a fighter jet with South Korea, as questions about long-overdue payments for Jakartas share of the development remain unanswered.

Muhammad Herindra, Indonesian deputy minister of defense, said in remarks carried on the agencys social media channels that the Korea Aerospace Industries or KAI KF-21 Boramae fighter program remains of strategic value to the Southeast Asian country.

He argued that the KF-21 can meet the needs of Indonesias need for a fighter aircraft from 2025 onwards. With both countries having signed an agreement on technology transfer, the hope is that the program would support Jakartas aspirations to develop its own indigenous defense industry.

Herindra was speaking at a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the KF-21s maiden flight, which took place at KAIs facilities at Saechon in July.

The deputy defense minister also visited the 37 Indonesian engineering personnel stationed at KAI as part of the joint development program during his visit and expressed hope that the number of Indonesians involved in the program will grow to 100 by the end of this year.

However, he did not offer any more clarity on Indonesias arrears in paying its share of the programs development costs. Indonesia agreed to contribute 20% of the costs when it joined the program in 2010 but started falling behind on payments since 2017.

According to South Korean media reports, Indonesia has failed to stick to a repayment schedule both countries agreed upon in November 2021 despite multiple promises to resolve the issue from various officials, including its president, Joko Widodo. As of July, the country was reportedly behind to the tune of $557 million.

Indonesia seeks to buy up to 50 KF-21s and is keen for local industry to take part in the manufacturing process. The country is additionally seeking more developmentally mature fighter types to meet its air-defense requirements and has signed a contract with Frances Dassault for six out of a potential 42 Rafale multirole fighters.

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Indonesia is also considering the Boeing F-15 Eagle multirole fighter as part of its ambitious plans to modernize its armed forces, despite budget shortfalls exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the issues with Indonesias contributions, South Korea continues to press on with the development of the KF-21, which it plans to put into production from 2026 to replace older F-4 and F-5 fighter jets.

KAI has also unveiled a model of a carrier-borne version of the KF-21, with South Korea considering the development of an aircraft carrier.
Interior-design trends are often fleeting. Jon Lovette/Getty Images; Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

Insider asked interior designers about the home-decor choices people would likely regret.

Experts said white carpet, dark wood, and patterned tiles were flooring options to rethink.

Low-hanging light fixtures, bamboo furniture, and open shelving can be impractical.

People who like to cook and spend time in the kitchen shouldn't choose marble countertops.

Marble is easy to chip and stain. Xi Bai/Shutterstock

Joe Cangelosi, the owner of Joe Cangelosi Design, told Insider that marble countertops weren't the best option  particularly for those who plan to spend a lot of time using their kitchen.

"They're beautiful, but they also chip and stain easily," he said. "Choose quartz instead. They have options that look just like marble. Or if you want a natural look, choose granite."

Low furniture may have a certain aesthetic, but it's not always functional.

Low furniture can be awkward to get out of. Artazum/Shuttershock

Modern furniture can be cheap and convenient to purchase, but pay attention to its measurements, particularly the distance to the ground.

"Some modern-furniture companies  particularly those from Italy  have seating that is way too low to the ground," Cangelosi said.

"If you or someone you know becomes pregnant," Cangelosi added, "it's virtually impossible to get in or out of the seat without help or rolling to the ground  same thing if you have guests who are elderly or infirmed in some way."

Instead, look for pieces with a standard 18-inch seat height.

Patterned tiles make a bold statement, but they're expensive to replace if they go out of style.

Subtle, neutral tiles are a safer bet. Jon Lovette/Getty Images

Jessica Welling, the owner of Jessica Welling Interiors, told Insider that while trendy patterns and colors are fleeting, tile is forever.

"I recommend choosing more subdued and neutral-colored tile," she said. "Then, bring in your bold colors and patterns with accent walls, shower curtains, towels, and wall art.

"These are much easier and less expensive to change out."

If you're set on a trendy tile pattern you've already picked out, you might be better off using it for a small area of backsplash instead of the whole floor or shower, Welling said.

Story continues

Whatever you do, don't get white carpet.

White carpets are just too easy to dirty. Getty Images

White carpet might look clean and classy, but it will get stained and is nearly impossible to maintain.

"If you really want that look, skip the wall-to-wall carpeting and get wood floors instead, and get some white area rugs that can be sent out to get cleaned periodically," Cangelosi said.

If you go this route, look for rugs with stain-resistant properties, especially if you have children, pets, or frequent guests.

Shiplap can quickly date a house.

The trend was big in the 2010s, but it's fading out of fashion. ocwarfford/Shutterstock

Shiplap, wooden wall siding, had its design moment, but Welling said she believed it would fade out of style, like many trends.

"Someday in the not-too-distant future, it will look dated. If you've shiplapped your whole house, it's going to be expensive and very time-consuming to change back," she said.

"For those who can't live without shiplap, I recommend installing it on a single accent wall or possibly the fireplace to make a big impact," she added.

Laminate flooring that looks like wood isn't worth the money.

The material can be very slippery. Gary Glaser/Shutterstock

Lisa Modica, the owner of Cherry Tree Interior Design, told Insider wood-look laminate flooring wasn't worth installing.

"It never looks or feels exactly like wood, and it can even get very slippery and dangerous depending on the price point," she said. "Plus, if it gets damaged, it can't be refinished, just replaced."

Instead, the designer recommended spending the extra money on real wood floors for better long-term value. If you're looking for a more sustainable option, choose bamboo or reclaimed wood flooring.

You might want to rethink installing ultradark wood floors.

Dark wood can show dust and imperfections. pics721/Shutterstock

Dark wood can be stunning, but it's also known for showing all the dirt and dust floating around your home.

Opt for more durable flooring, especially if you have kids, pets, or frequent guests.

"Vinyl plank is the most popular flooring choice right now, and it's what I chose for my current home," Welling said. "It's waterproof and very durable, which is perfect for my kids and puppy."

Gone are the days of wall-to-wall carpeting.

Carpeting makes for a dated look. Artazum/Shutterstock

"Step away from the wall-to-wall carpet," Modica said. "Dust, dirt, and allergens all embed themselves into not only the carpet but the padding beneath where it is impossible to reach.

"If you want to replace it because it's stained or worn, your tastes change, or you want to redo your color scheme, it's going to be expensive."

Ditch the wall-to-wall carpet and instead opt for wood, stone, concrete, or tile floors. You can always achieve a carpet feel with accent rugs.

Open shelving in the kitchen isn't practical.

Everything on the shelf is exposed to the grease and grime in the kitchen. Shutterstock

While open shelving might look nice, it usually ends up creating more work for you and your guests.

"No one wants to dust their plates before they use them, and if they are close to the stove, they can collect grease and dirt as well," Modica said. "Plus, if you have cats, you are asking to be woken by a huge crash in the middle of the night."

The designer said cabinets with glass doors were a more practical option for showing off your kitchenware.

Make sure you include pops of color if you're following the all-gray-interiors trend.

It needs a pop of color to make the design trend work. alexandre zveiger/Shutterstock

Fern Murray, the owner of Ferns Nest, told Insider all-gray interiors were another fading trend.

"Even if you do gray walls, add some colorful accents or a statement piece of furniture to add a little interest and depth," she said.

Low-hanging light fixtures can be problematic.

It's safer over a table, but it can still be a hazard. Travelw/Shutterstock

When choosing your light fixtures, it's essential to consider the height of your ceilings. Low-hanging lights can cause injuries to you or your house guests.

"You can get away with hanging fixtures a bit lower over kitchen islands and dining tables, but even then, there is a limit," Modica said.

Ideally, she said fixtures should be hung between 7 feet and 7-foot-6 from the floor. If they're hanging above a table or counter, they should be no lower than 3 feet above the surface.

Explore all of your options before going with a jetted bathtub.

The jets can be tedious to clean. Artazum/Shutterstock

Jetted tubs can be great to have, but they require a lot of maintenance.

"They need a ton of water to fill them, and you need to run cleaner through the jets and internal plumbing regularly," Modica said. "A lot of them are also really loud when they run, which is the opposite of the relaxing bath experience you want."

Instead, consider purchasing a large, deep tub for a comfortable soak.

Choose the size of your houseplants wisely.

Large plants can attract pests and bugs. Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

Jennifer Burt, an interior designer and blogger at Mississippi Maximalism, told Insider why homeowners might regret having a jungle of plants in their home.

"While it is nice to bring the outdoors in, it can become overwhelming as everything grows," she said. "Plus, it may attract bugs."

Burt suggested growing herbs or decorating with faux plants to cut back on maintenance.

Bamboo and wicker furniture can be loud and impractical.

Large bamboo furniture can be noisy. brizmaker/Shutterstock

Although bamboo and wicker furniture might match your aesthetic, they'll inevitably be noisy and annoying.

"They look cute in a little boho SoHo apartment in the city, or in a green space of your home to curl up and read a book with a cup of coffee, but for large pieces of furniture, I think they're a little impractical  you hear every movement," Murray said.

Instead, use the material sparingly, like in a small tabletop piece of decor or a plant stand that will go untouched.

Don't fall for the terrazzo trend.

Trendy patterns won't stay in style forever. DotExe/Shutterstock

Terrazzo stone has become more prevalent in recent years, and while it may be fun to look at, Burt said it was just another trend to avoid.

"Terrazzo stone is having a huge moment right now," she said. "It is gorgeous, but a way to avoid regretting the trend is to invest in accessories, like planters made of terrazzo, instead of installing floors or countertops."

Read the original article on Insider
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi condemned Wednesday the "chaos" sparked by a wave of women-led protests over the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the Islamic republic's morality police.

"Those who took part in the riots must be dealt with decisively, this is the demand of the people," said Raisi in a televised interview.

"People's safety is the red line of the Islamic republic of Iran and no one is allowed to break the law and cause chaos," he said.

"The enemy has targeted national unity and wants to pit people against each other," added the ultraconservative president, accusing Iran's archfoe the United States of stoking the unrest.

Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, died on September 16, three days after she had been arrested for allegedly breaching Iran's strict rules for women on wearing hijab headscarves and modest clothing.

Raisi said the nation had felt "grief and sorrow" over her death, and that forensics and judiciary experts would soon present a final report, but also warned that "protests are different to riots".

"Woman, Life, Freedom!" the protesters have chanted in Iran's biggest demonstrations in almost three years, in which women have defiantly burned their headscarves and cut off their hair.

Their actions have been matched in solidarity protests worldwide, with British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who spent six years in jail in Iran, cutting her hair in a video shared on the BBC Persian service.

Amini's bereaved parents have filed a complaint, demanding "a thorough investigation" and the release of "all videos and photographs" of her while in custody, said their lawyer Saleh Nikbakht.

An Iraq-based cousin of Amini, who is a member of a Kurdish nationalist group, charged that she died after a "violent blow to the head" and that one officer had vowed to "instil the rules in her and teach her how to wear the hijab and how to dress".

As the Iranian protests have flared for 12 nights in a row, Iran's police command vowed its forces would confront them "with all their might", in a crackdown that one rights group says has already killed at least 76 people.

Story continues

- 'Cowardly attacks' -

Iran has blamed outside forces for the unrest, including "counter-revolutionary" Kurdish groups based in northern Iraq -- across from Iran's Kurdistan province Amini hailed from, and where the protests first flared.

In a major escalation, Iran on Wednesday launched cross-border missile and drone strikes that killed 13 people in Iraq's Kurdistan region, after accusing Kurdish armed groups based there of fuelling the unrest.

The attacks were condemned by the UN mission in Iraq, and the federal government in Baghdad summoned the Iranian ambassador.

The United States condemned the "brazen attacks" and Britain said Iraq's "indiscriminate bombardment" demonstrates "a repeated pattern of Iranian destabilising activity in the region".

Germany slammed the "escalation... against the backdrop of domestic political protests in Iran" and rejected "attempts to locate the causes of the Iranian protests in the neighbouring country".

The Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran, one of the groups targeted, charged that "these cowardly attacks are occurring at a time when the terrorist regime of Iran is unable to crack down on ongoing protests inside and silence the Kurdish and Iranian peoples' civil resistance".

- 'Not a big deal' -

The Iranian government -- its economy already hit by sanctions over its nuclear programme -- has sought to play down the crisis.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said he told Western diplomats at recent UN meetings that the protests were "not a big deal" for the stability of the clerical state.

"There is not going to be regime change in Iran. Don't play to the emotions of the Iranian people," he told National Public Radio in New York, also accusing "outside elements" of stirring up violence.

Fars news agency said Tuesday "around 60" people had been killed since Amini's death. But the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights said the crackdown has killed at least 76 people.

Iran's response has drawn concern from the United Nations and condemnation from the around the world, with Germany and Spain summoning the Iranian ambassadors and the United States and Canada announcing new sanctions.

The son of Iran's late shah, in an interview near Washington with AFP, hailed the protests and urged the world to add to the pressure on the clerical leadership.

Reza Pahlavi, whose father was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, urged greater preparation for a future Iranian system that is secular and democratic.

"It is truly in modern times, in my opinion, the first revolution for the women, by the women -- with the support of the Iranian men, sons, brothers and fathers," said Pahlavi.

burs/fz/lg
Iranian police say they will soon crack down "with all their might" on nationwide protests against the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Iranian authorities have already slain dozens of protesters over the past 11 days of unrest, cutting off internet access to cover up the violence. Protesters have set fire to police stations and even killed several government enforcers from the Basij paramilitary group.

"Police officers will oppose with all their might the conspiracies of counter-revolutionaries and hostile elements, and deal firmly with those who disrupt public order and security anywhere in the country," Iranian police announced in a Wednesday statement.

Iran's internet blackout has made it difficult to ascertain how many people have been arrested or killed in the unrest. Some estimates say as many as 200 people have been killed and 10,000 have been arrested.

PROTESTORS CLASH WITH REVOLUTIONARY GUARD IN NORTHERN IRAN, TORCH IRGC BASE: REPORTS

Protesters are demanding an end to the compulsory wearing of the Hijab and other violations of women's rights in Iran. Many women participating in the demonstrations have set fire to their hijabs in the street.

DEADLY PROTESTS IN IRAN CONTINUE FOR A 9TH DAY: DEATH TO THE DICTATOR

The demonstrations first erupted after Iran's morality police arrested Amini earlier in September for not wearing her hijab correctly. She suffered severe injuries while in custody and was later released to the hospital in a coma, where she soon died.

Iranian authorities have allegedly rejected responsibility for Amini's death, claiming that she simply collapsed while in custody. Amini's family says they found evidence of beatings on her body when they arrived at the hospital, however.

The unrest has been most severe in Iran's northeastern region, where much of the nation's Kurdish minority group resides. Amini was herself Kurdish.

The Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
STORY: Despite an ever increasing death toll and a fierce crackdown by security forces using tear gas, clubs and, in some cases, live ammunition woman cutting hair: protests continue to gather momentum amongst Iranians over the death of young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini while in police custody.

Riot police clashed with protesters in dozens of cities on Tuesday, according to state and social media platforms. Videos posted on social media showed protesters calling for the fall of the clerical establishment.

Globally, momentum has not wavered.

Rallies have been held continuously over the last week from New York to Buenos Aires, Syria and here in Athens.

Amnesty International Tweeted that Iran's security forces have responded to the protests with, "unlawful force, including by using live ammunition, birdshot and other metal pellets, killing dozens of people and injuring hundreds of others."

Masih Alinejad, a U.S.-based Iranian journalist and women's rights activist, said the protests erupting is a "tipping point" for Iran.

For millions of Iranian people right now, the brutal death of Mahsa Amini is becoming a turning point. But for the Islamic Republic, the murder of Mahsa Amini is becoming a tipping point because compulsory hijab is not just a small piece of cloth. It's like the Berlin Wall. And if Iranian women manage to tear this wall down, the Islamic Republic won't exist."

State media in Iran have branded the protesters "hypocrites, rioters, thugs and seditionists," while state television said police clashed with "rioters" in some cities.

Videos posted on social media from inside Iran showed protesters chanting, "Woman, Life, Liberty," while women waved and burnt their veils.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Iran's clerical rulers to "fully respect the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly and association."

Iranian author and professor of political science at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Saeid Golkar, said we should support Iran like we support Ukraine:

Story continues

"The entire world, especially people living in the most democratic societies, should remember that we are fighting in one battle. In liberalism, liberal democracy against authoritarianism. Iranians are part of this fight, you cannot leave them alone, you have to support them as you are supporting Ukraine, completely, rightly and with all you have. You have to support Iranians, they are demanding their basic right. And if you believe in human rights, if you believe in liberal values, you have to believe it for everybody else.

Officials say 41 people, including members of the police and a pro-government militia , have died during the protests.

But Iranian human rights groups have reported a higher toll.
In Ukraine's port city of Odessa, residents have recently found themselves hiding not from the thunder of rocket attacks but from the whir of buzzing Iranian drones in the sky.

The machines have been playing an important role since Russia invaded seven months ago -- forming part of reconnaissance operations, missile firings or bomb drops.

Awakened with a start on Saturday morning by a roar from the sky, Maryna Kondratieva ran to hide in the cellar with her two young children, fearing the worst.

"I understand now that everything can change in five minutes," Kondratieva, who lives in a well-to-do part of the city and whose terrace overlooks the Black Sea, told AFP.

Odessa -- the 'capital' of the southwest and Ukraine's main port -- had seemed largely safe from Moscow, whose troops failed to take it at the beginning of the war.

The sandbags and other checkpoints that had blighted the old town have largely been removed and bombings became less frequent.

But an increasing number of drones taking to the sky has made city residents fear a return to darker days.

In a video filmed by Kondratieva's husband, shown to AFP, a drone continues its flight around their home, accompanied by the sound of heavy gunfire.

Kondratieva only recently returned to Ukraine from Cyprus after taking her five- and six-year olds to seek refuge with her in-laws.

The successful counter-offensive by Kyiv forces in the northeast, more sluggish in the south, had restored hope.

Hearing the "buzzing noise around the house" of the drone made her feel that the war had once again come extremely close to home.

- 'Low' effectiveness -

Since September 13, when Kyiv says it shot down its first Iranian drone, about "two dozen" have been spotted in southern Ukraine, military spokeswoman Nataliya Houmeniouk told AFP.

Half of them have been neutralised, she said.

Russia's drone industry has been hit by international sanctions and a number have been shot down since the start of the war -- prompting Moscow to import drones from Iran.

Story continues

Iran's observation and attack machine the Mohajer-6 and its Shahed-136 ("Martyr-136") -- small kamikaze drones with a very long range of 2,500 kilometres -- were "likely" involved in Middle East attacks last summer including against an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, according to a note by the British defence ministry.

The Shahed are "very difficult to detect because they fly very low. But they make a lot of noise, like a chainsaw or a scooter", which means that they can be heard from afar, Houmeniouk said.

Although their effectiveness is "very low", they mainly put "psychological pressure on the population," she added.

"The Iranian defence industries tend to prioritise affordability over quality control, so typically their systems suffer a fairly high rate of failure as part of this trade off," Jeremy Binnie, an analyst at the British-based Janes defence intelligence group, told AFP.

The Shahed targets are also locked by GPS, and "these have a very long range, but relatively small warhead," he said.

Their impact will depend on the Russian military intelligences ability to work out the co-ordinates of suitable targets behind the frontlines, said Binnie -- something which is difficult to do without suitable reconnaissance aircraft.

For the time being at least, he said the Iranian drones won't have a major impact on the war.

- Feeling of dread -

For Ukraine's part, it has relied partly on the ingenuity of civilians, who have transformed quasi-toy drones into weapons of war.

The popular Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones have also carried out strikes against the Russians -- gaining such domestic fame that a song was made about them on social media.

And Kyiv has also used American kamikaze machines, the Switchblades, whose on-board cameras show them crashing into an enemy taken by surprise.

But while the Russian drones might not be a major part of the war effort, their use has a significant psychological impact on war-weary Ukrainian civilians.

Former businesswoman Iryna Koroshenkaya moved to Odessa to find some semblance of tranquility.

Originally from Mykolaiv, two hours away -- where Russian strikes continue on a daily basis -- the 57-year-old says she was "thrown against a garage" by a bomb blast in April.

At dawn on Sunday, she heard an anti-aircraft alarm and two explosions, before seeing a drone from her balcony buzzing above a 23-storey building.

This was followed by another new explosion and a "big cloud of smoke," she recalled.

For Koroshenkaya, the drones are linked to a recurring feeling of "dread".

"What will happen next" she asked. "Will Odessa remain safe?"

jf/pmu/rox
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Wednesday that the death of a young woman in custody had "saddened" everyone in the Islamic Republic, but warned that "chaos" would not be accepted amid spreading violent protests over Mahsa Amini's death.

He also defended security forces that have clashed with demonstrators in the past two weeks across Iran.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Leslie Adler)
By Ali Sawafta

JENIN, West Bank (Reuters) -Israeli forces killed four Palestinian gunmen in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, pursuing a half-year-long campaign of raids triggered by a series of lethal street attacks in Israel.

Commandos, some of them undercover, were sent into the town of Jenin to capture two Palestinians suspected of carrying out gun ambushes, Israeli police said. The Palestinians opened fire and set off a bomb, and were shot, the statement added.

The raid touched off clashes elsewhere in Jenin, which, along with the neighbouring city of Nablus, has been a focus of Israeli forces. Some 40 Palestinians were wounded, medics said, in violence that drew renewed calls by Washington for calm.

The Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades factions said four of their gunmen were killed. One of them worked for the security services of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank.

"We are in great need of members of the security services," an umbrella group of local militants said in an open statement addressed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"Declare the fight, and we will be your soldiers. This enemy knows only the language of firepower."

Israel and the United States have been pressing the PA to do more to boost security. The PA accuses Israel of undermining its credibility.

"We have not hesitated to go anywhere that the Palestinian Authority has not gone to carry out arrests," Ram Ben-Barak, chairman of the Israeli parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, told Ynet Radio. "Does this create friction? Yes."

Israel was to blame for "these crimes and their repercussions," senior Palestinian official Hussein Al Sheikh said in a tweet.

Another of the slain Jenin gunmen was the brother of a Palestinian who shot dead three people in Tel Aviv in April - among attacks that killed 19 people in Israel and triggered its "Operation Breakwater" campaign. More than 70 Palestinians, including gunmen and civilians, have been killed since.

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"We are ready to make the sacrifice," the slain gunman's father, Fathi Khazem, told Reuters, adding that armed resistance was the way to confront Israel's occupation.

U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem collapsed in 2014, while Israel has expanded settlements in several areas. Gaza is ruled by Hamas Islamists opposed to coexistence with Israel.

The United States and other international partners are ready to help Israel and Palestinians "contain the violence," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters.

"(But) we cannot substitute for vital actions by the parties to mitigate conflict and to restore calm," Price said.

Washington has sought ways of improving Palestinian conditions while addressing Israeli security concerns.

Tom Nides, U.S. ambassador to Jerusalem, said Allenby terminal, an Israeli-run border crossing for Palestinians between the West Bank and Jordan, would as of Oct. 24 expand its opening hours to a 24/7 schedule for a pilot period.

"(This) will make a real difference in people's lives!" he tweeted.

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Simon Lewis in Washington; Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by William Maclean, Nick Macfie and Jonathan Oatis)
Giorgia Meloni

Early parliamentary elections were held in Italy on Sept. 25. A right-wing coalition, which included Melonis party, gained 43-47% of the vote.

Read also: Italian political crisis could mean trouble for Ukraine

On Sept. 27, after Meloni and allies of her right-wing Brothers of Italy party won a landslide parliamentary majority, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he looked forward to fruitful cooperation with the new government.

Dear President Zelenskyy, you know that you can count on our loyal support for the cause of freedom of Ukrainian people, Meloni tweeted.

Stay strong and keep your faith steadfast!

Meloni has been accused of holding neo-fascist views, due to her early membership in the far-right Italian Social Movement party, founded by Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolinis chief-of-staff.

Read also: Italy proposes four-stage plan to end war in Ukraine

In a speech to the far-right Spanish Vox party in the summer of 2022, Meloni stated: Yes to the natural family. No to the LGBT lobby. Yes to sexual identity. No to gender ideology.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
ROME (Reuters) - Giorgia Meloni, set to become Italy's first female prime minister, hailed on Wednesday "the heroic uprising of Iranian women" following the death of a young woman in police custody.

The tweet was one of Meloni's first statements since her nationalist Brothers of Italy party won a parliamentary election on Sunday, propelling her conservative alliance to power and opening the way for her to become prime minister.

"All my sympathy to the brave women who are fighting in Iran and around the world to defend their rights and freedom," Meloni wrote. "Dozens are dead and hundreds of activists, lawyers and journalists arrested."

Protests have broken out across Iran after Mahsa Amini, 22, died in custody following her arrest on Sept. 13 in Tehran for "unsuitable attire" by the morality police who enforce the Islamic Republic's strict dress code.

Iranian officials have said 41 people, including members of the police and a pro-government militia, had been killed during the protests. Human rights groups have reported a higher toll.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Alex Richardson)
ROME (Reuters) - Nationalist leader Giorgia Meloni, set to become Italy's next prime minister, has pledged her full support for Kyiv after receiving congratulations from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for her election victory.

In a Tweet late on Tuesday, a day after Meloni and her right-wing allies won a commanding parliamentary majority, Zelenskiy said he was looking forward to "fruitful cooperation with the new government".

Meloni replied swiftly. "Dear (Zelenskiy), you know that you can count on our loyal support for the cause of freedom of Ukrainian people. Stay strong and keep your faith steadfast!" she wrote in English on Twitter.

Meloni has been one of the few Italian political leaders to wholeheartedly endorse outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi's decision to ship weapons to Ukraine, even though she was in opposition to his government.

By contrast, Meloni's two political allies, the League and Forza Italia, which were both in Draghi's coalition, have been much more ambivalent, reflecting their historically close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Underscoring the depth of those ties, Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi said last week that Putin had been "pushed" into invading Ukraine and had wanted to put "decent people" in charge of Kyiv.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Michael Perry)
Japanese Twitch streamer and "Dota 2" player Xiinya has gone viral for taking the toxic comments she receives online and turning them into an electronic dance music (EDM) bop.

In the two-minute song titled SEA SERVER, which Xiinya debuted on her Facebook page on Sept. 23, the streamer lists out the vulgarities she hears while going live on the Southeast Asian server.

The song includes different Southeast Asian dialects, including Hokkien and Tagalog:

sohai (Malaysian): stupid or idiot

lanjiao (Hokkien): d*ck or penis

anjing (Indonesian): dog

mak kau hijau (Malaysian) = Your mother is green

pukimak (Malaysian) = Your mom p*ssy

putang ina mo (Tagalog) = Your mother is a whore

cibai (Hokkien) = P*ssy

bangsat (Malaysian) = Bastard

babi (Malaysian) = Pig

bobo (Tagalog) = Stupid

When I learned the languages the first time, I was just joking, Xiinya said in an interview with Esports.gg. I was randomly chanting on my stream Sohai, cibai, pukimak. Yay! and people liked it. My chat liked it. And when I uploaded the original chanting clip on Facebook, someone commented and asked me to make a remix of the chant.

More from NextShark: Netflixs Narco Saints sparks controversy for casting Taiwanese actor as gang leader, portraying Suriname as narco state

Social media users have called the new song the official SEA Gamers National Anthem. Some people have named Xiinya the Queen of SEA, while others have begged the streamer to drop an album.

SEA SERVER is now available on Spotify to get you through the week.

More from NextShark: Doua Moua to star in self-written Hmong American drama 'The Harvest'

Featured Image via xiinya_jp

Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark!

Netflix's 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' announces Azula, Gran Gran, Kyoshi actors

Michelle Zauner's 'Crying in H Mart' Set for Feature Film Adaptation
The prosecutor who obtained the conviction of Jeffrey Dahmer  the notorious serial killer whose chilling crimes are the focus of Netflixs controversial new series Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story  is reportedly pushing back at how the real-life drama is portraying Milwaukee police.

Former Milwaukee District Attorney Michael McCann said that the idea that MPD officers turned a blind eye to Dahmers victims because they were gay or Black is simply not true.

McCann, who obtained the conviction of the infamous serial killer and rapist in 1991, told TMZ he knows that Dahmer is characterizing investigators in the case as people whose judgments were clouded by racist and anti-gay biases  even though he hasnt watched the show yet.

The show exposes these unconscionable crimes, centered around the underserved victims and their communities impacted by the systemic racism and institutional failures of the police that allowed one of Americas most notorious serial killers to continue his murderous spree in plain sight for over a decade, Netflix said in an official synopsis.

McCann, whos now in his mid-80s, insisted that if police knew that they had a serial killer in their midst, they would have acted swiftly, regardless of the victims backgrounds.

The former DA also noted that Dahmer covered his tracks well, and didnt leave a lot of obvious evidence lying around, according to TMZ.

The latest Ryan Murphy-created miniseries tells the story of the late serial killer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, who killed 17 men and boys, some as young as 14, between 1978 and 1991.

Many of the murders involved cannibalism, necrophilia, as well as the preservation of human body parts. Most of the victims were people of color.

The 10-part series, starring Evan Peters as Dahmer, is mostly told from the point of view of the victims. Despite currently having a score of just 50% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the show quickly rose to the top of Varietys Trending TV chart following its debut on Friday with more than 918,000 engagements on Twitter.

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Shortly after its premiere, relatives of some victims took to social media to express anger at Netflix for having them relive such painful moments.

Some critics have also slammed Netflix for the glorification of the Milwaukee murderer, calling out the streamer for its sick retelling of events.

Earlier this week, some social media users noted that the streaming giant removed an LGBTQ tag from the description of the show, apparently listening to widespread criticism on social media.


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - JetBlue Chief Executive Robin Hayes staunchly defended his company's alliance with larger rival American Airlines on Wednesday, denying the U.S. government's allegations that the agreement would defang the low-cost carrier.

The U.S. Justice Department, six states and the District of Columbia are urging a federal judge in Boston to force the two carriers to scrap their Northeast Alliance (NEA), calling it a "de facto merger" of their Boston and New York operations in which they coordinate flights and pool revenue to the detriment of travelers, who face $700 million in extra annual costs.

Hayes said that JetBlue did not consult with American on pricing in the northeast or anywhere else, and did not pull its punches in competing with American. "Outside of the NEA, we are full-blooded competitors," he testified before Judge Leo Sorokin, who will decide the case.

Hayes said JetBlue had been interested in joining the alliance to fend off competition from Delta Air Lines in Boston and to expand in congested New York area airports.

For example, he said, JetBlue had 150 or 160 departures a day at JFK before the alliance but is now up to about 200, using what had been American slots.

"We entered the Northeast Alliance because it will allow JetBlue to accelerate our business model in the northeast," he said, adding that JetBlue, which has a reputation in the industry of being a disruptor, had no plans to change.

JetBlue also has a plan in place to buy low cost rival Spirit SAVE.N, a deal that is expected to face a tough antitrust review.

Airline mergers in recent years have led to a highly consolidated industry, in which American, Delta, United and Southwest Airlines control over 80% of domestic travel, the government has said.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Josie Kao)
Whoops!

While speaking at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health on Wednesday, President Joe Biden gave a much-deserved shout-out to Rep. Jackie Walorski, an Indiana Republican who served as co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus.

Thats served in the past tense. Walorski died in August.

I want to thank all of you here, including bipartisan elected officials like Rep. McGovern, Sen. Braun, Sen. Booker, Rep.  Jackie, are you here? Wheres Jackie? the president asked in his opening comments. She must not be here.

Indeed, Rep. Walorski was not there. The White House even released a statement after her death saying administration officials were shocked and saddened by her passing.

Bidens gaffes have always generated headlines. In 2008, the then-senator tried to give Missouri state Sen. Chuck Graham special recognition during a campaign event.

Chuck, stand up, let the people see you, he encouraged the politician before realizing Graham used a wheelchair. Suddenly aware of his mistake, Biden encouraged the crowd to stand up for Chuck instead.

Of course, Biden is not alone in his verbal misadventures as president. First lady Jill Biden would argue that After Donald Trump, you cannot even say the word gaffe.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
A year after 17-year-old Cedric Lofton died in custody, Sedgwick County commissioners remain divided over whether to seek an audit of the state self-defense laws used to justify not charging county employees who fatally restrained the teen.

Commissioners clashed Wednesday over whether to follow through on a recommendation from a juvenile justice task force to look into whether the stand your ground laws cited by District Attorney Marc Bennett were being appropriately applied. Under these laws, people who are threatened arent required to retreat before using deadly force to defend themselves.

Lofton was held down by five corrections employees for nearly 45 minutes as they struggled to handcuff him after Wichita police chose not to transport him to the hospital for treatment.

The task force was charged with recommending changes to address the systemic failures that led to the Black teen being restrained on the concrete floor of a county facility while in the throes of a mental health crisis.

Without the stand your ground law, we have potentially people who are truly victims of, say, domestic violence, that will potentially be charged with very long, difficult, felony-type crimes, said Commissioner Jim Howell, who opposes adding the state audit to the countys legislative priorities.

Howell said Lofton, whose foster father called 911 on Sept. 24, 2021 requesting mental health treatment, never should have been taken the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center.

The presumption behind this thing here is that people in JIAC murdered Cedric Lofton, Howell said. Thats the narrative. And they got away with it because of the stand your ground law.

The fact that this is on this list from the task force, in my opinion, is not an appropriate goal in our legislative platform. I wholeheartedly disagree with it being on here.

I think its absolutely a necessity, Commissioner Lacey Cruse responded. This is a post-audit to examine the implications. This isnt to repeal it. This is to determine what it means. How are they standing their ground when hes on his stomach, handcuffed in a cell? How is that standing your ground? I think thats what were talking about here.

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Cruse said the proposed review, which would be conducted by the nonpartisan audit arm of the Kansas Legislature, would examine whether the law has been properly applied in cases of police killings and in-custody deaths.

This child died in our custody, and something needs to be done to examine the case in which our district attorney decided he wasnt going to press charges, Cruse said.

Commissioner Sarah Lopez said shed need more information before agreeing to request a state audit.

I agree that we need to look into this maybe a little bit more before it goes on our final platform, Lopez said.

Its got to be more than one case. We cant base it all off of just one incident. Wed have to look at, as a total, what this does. What it does in our community.

Chair David Dennis said hes not ready to make it a legislative priority until he has a chance to speak with Bennett about the implications of a post-audit.

Since assuming office in 2012, Bennett has declined to pursue charges against officers involved in 16 of 19 police killings, citing stand your ground laws.

Civil rights attorneys representing Loftons family have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit blaming the teens death on inaction and indifference by Wichita and Sedgwick County leadership.

All defendents named in the suit, including the five county employees who restrained Lofton, have filed motions to dismiss.

None of the defendants, individuals or institutions have shown even the faintest sign or expression of responsibility, remorse or compassion for the event or familys loss or the loss of this childs life at their hands, attorney Steven Hart told The Eagle last week.
(Reuters) - Former NBC "Today Show" co-host Katie Couric announced Wednesday that she underwent treatment for breast cancer.

The 65-year-old Couric revealed the diagnosis on Instagram.

"Every two minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States," Couric wrote. "On June 21st, I became one of them."

In an essay on her website, Couric wrote that she received the cancer diagnosis on her wedding anniversary. She said she underwent a surgical procedure in July, and began receiving radiation treatments in September.

Her final treatment was Tuesday.

Couric said she decided to share her diagnosis and details of her treatment to urge others to undergo screening.

"Please get your annual mammogram. I was six months late this time. I shudder to think what might have happened if I had put it off longer," she wrote. "But just as importantly, please find out if you need additional screening."

Couric's first husband, Jay Monahan, died of colon cancer at age 42 in 1998.

(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Hurricane Ian barreled toward Florida this week and finally made landfall as a Category 4 storm on Wednesday.

Florida remains in a state of emergency as the monster storm is expected to cause catastrophic damage with high-speed winds, powerful storm surges and intense rainfall.

Hurricane Ian, which neared Category 5 conditions, is among the strongest hurricanes to strike the U.S. in recorded history after it made landfall in Florida with 150 mph wind speeds.

The storm is renewing concerns about the ties between climate change and major hurricanes, which are becoming more intense as the globe warms.

Allison Wing, an associate professor in the department of earth, ocean and atmospheric science at Florida State University, told The Hill that stronger storms and sea level rise combined with the increases weve seen in coastal population and infrastructure is a major concern for the U.S.

Its a scenario in which coastal cities in the U.S. are more prone to the occurrence of [hurricane-]related disasters, she said. Its something that we need to think carefully about and better prepare for.

Wing said climate scientists use three scientific methods to determine the correlation between climate change and hurricane development: observation, climate models and a general theoretical understanding of concepts and academic fields such as physics.

Based on climate science, heres what we know definitively about the development of hurricanes as the climate rapidly warms.

Warmer oceans increase wind speeds; warmer atmosphere increases precipitation rate

While we often think about the atmosphere warming, oceans are also heating up because of climate change.

Ocean heat content has skyrocketed from 1955 to 2019, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) database.

Wing said a major concern is that warmer oceans are rapidly intensifying wind speeds, which is the measurement used to categorize hurricane strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

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Some of the strongest hurricanes to strike the U.S. have landed in the past few years, including Hurricane Michael, hitting Florida with 158 mph wind speeds in 2018; Hurricane Ida, which struck Louisiana with 150 mph wind speeds in 2021; and Hurricane Laura, which slammed into Louisiana with wind speeds of 150 mph in 2020.

A warmer atmosphere also means there is more moisture trapped in the atmosphere, creating riper conditions for more intense rainfall.

With a higher rate of rainfall, the soaring inches of water descending on communities as a result of the precipitation drastically increases flooding.

NOAA predicts that based upon global average temperatures reaching 2 degrees Celsius, rainfall rates from hurricanes will increase by 10 to 15 percent within a distance of about 60 miles from the storm.

Wing said its not yet clear whether climate change is tied to longer periods of rainfall, which is more closely connected to how long the storm remains in one area.

Storms intensify faster and are more likely to intensify

NOAA estimates the intensity of major hurricanes and tropical cyclones (another name for hurricanes) are expected to increase between 1 percent to 10 percent in a 2 degree Celsius world.

The proportion of storms reaching a Category 4 or Category 5 level is also expected to increase in that scenario.

The frequency, or the number of hurricanes that form, is not expected to increase in a warming world, since information on that is not definitive. But climate scientists do expect a rapid intensification of those storms that do form.

Wing said that Hurricane Ian is a good example of rapid intensification, when the speeds increase by at least 35 mph in a 24-hour period.

Its something that typically doesnt happen that often, she said, but has been happening more often frequently.

Sea level rise makes storms more dangerous

Another factor is not directly tied to the storms themselves, but contributes to the damage a hurricane can cause.

Climate change is melting ice glaciers in the Arctic and expanding seawater, raising sea levels across the globe.

According to NOAA, the U.S. coastline is expected to see sea levels rise somewhere between 10 to 12 inches in the next 30 years.

Rising sea levels are breeding grounds for disasters when a hurricane hits, Wing said.

A 12-foot surge comes along and you have more areas underwater or you get a surge that in the past would not have put you over the seawall  but now these days that same surge would, she said. Higher sea level is just sort of priming the environment to have the worst flooding impacts.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
IRYNA BALACHUK  WEDNESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2022, 19:54

The Kremlin has decided not to rush the official "accession" of the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia, and to postpone the closing of Russias borders. The latter decision was approved in light of the growing discontent with "mobilisation" among Russian citizens.

Source: Meduza, a Russian media outlet, citing sources close to the Russian presidential administration

Details: Meduzas sources said that the Kremlin has decided "not to rush things", because the "accession" of Ukrainian territories to Russia [which Putin sees as a potential source of a boost in public support  ed.] "will have nearly negligible PR effect" against the backdrop of the [Russian citizens discontent with] mobilisation.

The sources said that "everything will get annexed, but without great rush". The Kremlin has not yet convinced Russian citizens that Russia needs those territories at all, they added.

At the same time, one of Meduzas sources, a person close to the Kremlin, suggested that the delay in the official "accession" of the Ukrainian territories to Russia might be caused by the fact that the Russian government wants to "leave some leeway" for negotiations with Ukraine and Western countries.

The source added that Russian President Vladimir Putin believed that he had nothing to discuss with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy because he was allegedly a "puppet of the West".

Quote from Meduzas interlocutor: "[The Kremlin] might propose that Russia keep Crimea and the territories of DPR and LPR [the Russian-controlled, self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics  ed.] within their current borders. Russia might recognise Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts as states, with Russian troops on their territory. This is an acceptable scenario [for the Russian government]."

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Details: Meduza reported that despite these delays and equivocations, pro-government Russian parties, in particular, Edinaya Rossiya (United Russia, the ruling party), are preparing to open their branches in the annexed territories of Ukraine.

Meduzas sources also said that the Russian government was considering the possibility of dismissing Denis Pushylin and Leonid Pasichnyk, the Russian-appointed puppet heads of the "DPR" and "LPR", respectively. These two collaborators might become senators [members of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Federal Assembly, Russias parliament ed.], while their positions will be taken over by Russian officials.

Meduza reported that this was a course of events championed by Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Russia and "the Kremlins point man in Donbas".

Meanwhile, Meduza also stressed that the Kremlins main concern is currently the discontent with mobilisation among Russian citizens. According to Meduza, the Kremlin has conducted a closed poll on this topic, and the authorities were not pleased with its results.

In addition, Meduza stated that the Kremlin has somewhat adjusted its plans to ban all men of conscription age from leaving Russia. Meduzas sources said that while large numbers of people are fleeing Russia, it is currently difficult to enforce the closure of borders due to the lack of "spare" forces.

Reference: Occupation administrations in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts of Ukraine declared the final results of the sham referendums "on accession to Russia" on Wednesday, 28 September.

The occupiers minions claimed an exceptionally high voter turnout (over 76.8%) and an exceptionally high number of votes in support of the accession to Russia (between 87.0% and 97.4%). They have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request to annex the occupied territories to Russia immediately after announcing the results of the sham referendums.

According to Russian laws, the procedure for the annexation of new territories to the Russian Federation is as follows:

Russia must first recognise Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts as "independent states" (as it has done in the case of "DPR" and "LPR" in the beginning of the full-scale invasion).

Then, Putin and heads of all the territories that are to join Russia must conclude and sign agreements, which must be reviewed by the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation.

The "accession" must then be approved by the State Duma and the Federation Council [the lower and the upper houses of the Federal Assembly, Russias parliament, respectively  ed.].

Finally, Putin must approve his own decision on the annexation of these Ukrainian territories.

Background:

Russia may announce the "accession" of the occupied areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts on 30 September.

Valentina Matviyenko, the Chair of Russias Federation Council [the upper house of the Federal Assembly, Russias parliament  ed.], has stated that the Federation Council may consider the matter of the accession of occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia on 4 October if the results of the sham referendums are "positive".

Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the Russian State Duma [the lower house of the Federal Assembly  ed.], also announced that the session on the "accession" of Ukrainian territories will be held on 3 and 4 October.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin on Wednesday said claims that Russia was somehow behind a possible attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines were stupid, adding that the United States had opposed the pipelines and its companies had made big profits supplying gas to Europe.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a daily conference call with reporters that the incident needed to be investigated and the timings for repair of the damaged pipelines were not clear.

Asked about claims Russia might be behind the possible attack, Peskov said: "That's quite predictable and also predictably stupid."

"This is a big problem for us because, firstly, both lines of Nord Stream 2 are filled with gas - the entire system is ready to pump gas and the gas is very expensive... Now the gas is flying off into the air."

"Are we interested in that? No, we are not, we have lost a route for gas supplies to Europe," Peskov said.

Europe has been investigating what Germany, Denmark and Sweden said were attacks which had caused major leaks into the Baltic Sea from two Russian gas pipelines at the centre of an energy standoff.

"We see the huge profits of the U.S. suppliers of liquefied natural gas, who increased their supplies many-fold to the European continent," Peskov said. "They are very, very interested in further receiving their super, super profits."

The United States plans to supply at least 15 billion cubic metres (bcm) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to European Union markets this year as Europe seeks to wean itself off Russian gas supplies.

Russia, which slashed gas deliveries to Europe after the West imposed sanctions over Moscow's military operation in Ukraine, has said sabotage was a possibility and that the leaks undermined the continent's energy security.

"Before making any claims, we should wait for investigation into these ruptures, whether there was an explosion or not," Peskov said. Information on the incident could be expected from Denmark and Sweden, he said.

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Nord Stream AG, the operator of the network, said on Tuesday that three of four offshore lines of the Nord Stream gas pipeline system sustained "unprecedented" damage in one day. All Nord Stream's pipeline had not delivered gas by the time of the incident.

Nord Stream 1 has reported a significant pressure drop caused by the gas leak on both lines of the gas pipeline, while Nord Stream 2 said that a sharp pressure drop in line A was registered on Monday.

(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov and Vladimir Soldatkin; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
The man at the center of an abusive cult-like group that began after he moved into his daughter's dorm room at Sarah Lawrence University is now the subject of a new true crime documentary premiering on Peacock.

Sex, Lies and the College Cult details how Larry Ray gained the trust of his daughter's roommates and friends, and began abusing and manipulating them for years  first at the elite New York college, and then in an apartment in Manhattan and a house in North Carolina.

Peacock

Robert Palumbo, director and executive producer, and George Waldrum, executive producer, told TODAY there were three questions they asked while making the film: Who is Larry Ray, how did he do it and how did he get away with it?

"I remember when the story came out in 2019 in New York Magazine. I remember reading the story, and just being blown away by how insane it was, first of all, but also how complex it was," Palumbo told TODAY, referring to an article in The Cut that exposed Ray's cult and sparked the federal investigation into Ray.

Ray faced nine federal charges in 2020, including counts of extortion, sex trafficking, forced labor and money laundering, and was convicted of all counts in April.

"Reading a story about these kids at Sarah Lawrence College, who were obviously bright kids to be there, to wonder how they got sucked into this  what exactly happened here? How was this possible? I became more more interested in this man, Larry Ray, and what kind of power he possibly had."

Below, the producers walk us through the three questions that guided the documentary  and the answers where they arrived.

"Who is Larry Ray?"

Prosecutors alleged in the indictment, filed to New York's Southern District, that Ray  who was born Lawrence Grecco, per the indictment  began manipulating a group of students at Sarah Lawrence University after he moved into his daughter, Talia Ray's, sophomore year dorm room in September 2010 days after being released from prison.

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The indictment says that Ray positioned himself as a "father figure" to his daughter's male and female roommates and gave them "therapy sessions." Some of the victims moved into Ray's apartment in the summer of 2011. After "gaining their trust," the indictment says, Ray would subject victims to "interrogation sessions that typically involved verbal and physical abuse."

All I wanted was to be like him. To never be unhappy or unsure about anything, ever again,  Daniel Levin, a Sarah Lawrence student who lived with Ray in the summer of 2011, wrote in his memoir about the experience, "Slonim Woods 9."

Over the next 10 years, Ray abused the group and forced at least five students to send him a total of about $1 million for more than 10 years, according to the indictment.

He also forced one victim into sex trafficking, and forced three victims to work on a family member's property in North Carolina without pay, according to the indictment.

Father Of Former Sarah Lawrence Student Indicted On Charges Of Sex Trafficking Former Students (Stephanie Keith / Getty Images)

"Sex, Lies and the College Cult" features interviews from three journalists who covered Ray and his federal trial, as well as friends and family close to Ray and his victims, to give close insight into the kind of person Ray was while at Sarah Lawrence and beyond.

One of the principal interviewees is former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik. Kerik and Ray met in 1995, according to The Cut, and became friendly over the years, with Ray serving as Kerik's best man at his wedding.

Palumbo said Kerik was "probably the best person to answer" the question of who Larry Ray is "because he had known him the longest and had a deep history with him."

"He has some great, some great sections and great almost soliloquies in the film, in which he expounds upon, 'Who is Larry Ray?' He says, 'Who was Larry Ray? Nobody really knows.' But then he goes on to tell you a lot about who Larry Ray was," Palumbo told TODAY.

"How did he indoctrinate these kids to be in this cult?"

Palumbo told TODAY the producers spent "a lot of time parsing" through all the evidence in the trial against Ray, as well as the journalists' reporting that they had access to.

"Step by step, we looked at how he got into that dorm and was able to indoctrinate these kids and to close off their world to everything except for him," Palumbo said.

In addition to the interviews in the film, producers Waldrum and Palumbo included video footage shot inside of Ray's residences by Ray himself and other members of the cult, submitted as evidence.

The videos depict his daughter's friends being forced to admit to crimes they did not commit, as well as Ray inflicting violence against them.

"One of our fears and one of the things weve been very careful about is not to lead into the sensationalism of the story and of this material, because it is quite sensational and shocking," Palumbo said. "One of the goals that weve had is for this to function is somewhat of a warning."

Waldrum added that one of the main things that struck him while producing the film was how he thinks anyone could have been one of Ray's victims.

"The emotions of guilt and shame are really powerful levers that can be pulled to really manipulate and coerce people into doing literally anything you want them to do," Waldrum said. "That was really shocking. And when you pair that with the fact that these are young, bright students who've got the world in their feet and it still happened to them."

The film also explores Ray's relationship with his daughter's former boyfriend from high school, Iban Goicoechea, who Palumbo called "almost the first cult member," even before Ray went to Sarah Lawrence.

Palumbo explained how Ray urged Goicoechea to join the Marines, where he later served in Afghanistan. He came back from the war with PTSD, and was "in Larry's sprawl to be treated for that," Palumbo said. Goicoechea died by suicide shortly before Larry was convicted.

"Of all the people, all the victimizations, of all the horror that happened to these kids, he was the only one didn't make it out alive," Palumbo said.

"How did he get away with it?"

Palumbo credits The Cut's report, written by Ezra Marcus and James D. Walsh, for ending Ray's 10-year span of manipulation and abuse.

"What we discovered early on was that that story in New York Magazine was the catalyst for the investigation into Larry Ray," he said. "This piece of journalism was not only an amazing, unimaginable story, but also became a tool for the families of victims, and then eventually for the FBI to investigate Larry Ray and to bring him to justice."

US Attorney For Southern District Of NY Geoffrey Berman Announces Major Indictment Involving Sex Trafficking Of Sarah Lawrence College Students (Stephanie Keith / Getty Images)

"So, to us, the journalists in this film are the heroes of the film in a sense, they're the ones who were able to really bring this guy to justice, bring him down," Palumbo continued. "Several people that I interviewed for the film said if the story hadn't come out, this still could be going on today."

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a statement in April announcing the jury's guilty verdict "finally brings (Ray) to justice."

Twelve years ago, Larry Ray moved into his daughters dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College. And when he got there, he met a group of friends who had their whole lives ahead of them, Williams said. For the next decade, he used violence, threats, and psychological abuse to try to control and destroy their lives.

Ray, who faces life in prison, is scheduled to be sentenced in a court hearing in December.

"You may think, 'Ah this is a bit of a niche story that doesn't really doesn't really impact me,' but it's these type of cults have a universal commonality to how they unfold," Waldrum said. "It's important to tell those stories, especially when you consider the levels of the crimes that were involved at the end of it, and what Larry Ray was convicted of."

"Sex, Lies and the College Cult" premieres on Peacock on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Peacock is part of TODAYs parent company, NBC Universal.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Senate lawmakers on Wednesday galvanized around a bipartisan bill that would allow the U.S. to prosecute war criminals who enter the country even if they did not target Americans, a measure introduced in the wake of Russias war in Ukraine amid reports of atrocities being committed at the direction of the Kremlin.

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) lauded the proposal during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the bill. The measure would allow federal agencies to prosecute war criminals found in the U.S., even if their targets were non-Americans, expanding the current war crimes statute.

Weve all been horrified by the reports of war crimes committed by Russian forces, Grassley said, noting reports of mass graves, torture and bombings of civilian targets including a maternity hospital.

When these war criminals get into the United States, they cant be allowed to live freely in our country. We have to have options to exclude, extradite and punish war criminals, Grassley said.

The Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act seeks to allow prosecution of war criminals from other countries who enter the U.S. The bill also seeks to remove the existing five-year statute of limitations for war crimes.

While the U.S. currently does not have the power to prosecute foreign nationals accused of committing war crimes, it can send them back to their country of origin. But that would prove problematic should they be sent back to the same government that was found to be directing the crime, Eli M. Rosenbaum, a Justice Department Counselor for War Crimes Accountability, told the committee.

Sometimes, for instance, if the government which directed the perpetration of the crimes is still in power for example, extradition isnt practicable, Rosenbaum said.

In the case of Russian forces being found in the U.S., for example, being extradited back to Russia would likely mean no punishment from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The only choice the U.S. has under current law would be to prosecute those who have committed crimes against Americans.

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Because we dont have so-called present-in jurisdiction, in general Russian war criminals who might come here would not be prosecutable criminally for the underlying war crimes, Rosenbaum said. The Justice Department believes strongly that that should be corrected.

The Department of Homeland Security is pursuing 1,700 leads about people from about 75 different countries living in the U.S. who were perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights violations, Durbin said.

Andre Watson, an assistant director for national security at the Department of Homeland Security, said the agency has numerous options when it discovers a war criminal living in the U.S., including being able to build an investigation based on crime patterns. But Durbin asked Watson pointedly why, then, had no one heard of any prosecutions taking place.

The investigations take time because more often than not it requires an extensive work up, Watson said, citing challenges such as tracking down foreign witnesses abroad.

I would say our credibility on this issue relies on results, Durbin responded.

Watson told the panel he was unaware if any Russian war criminals have made their way into the United States.

To the best of my knowledge, Im not aware of particulars to confirm that fact at this time, Watson said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
ADRIAN  Lenawee County's unemployment rate improved by more than a percentage point in August.

The improvement from 5.5% in July to 4.3% in August was the largest in the region, according to data from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget. It is also an improvement from August 2021 when the county's jobless rate was 5.8%.

The state's unemployment rate in August was 4%, down from 4.3% in July and 6.1% in August 2021.

Michigan regions demonstrated typical seasonal jobless rate reductions in August, Wayne Rourke, associate director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, said in a news release. Employment levels continued to display positive growth trends over the year.

Seventy-seven of the state's 83 counties saw their jobless rates decline in August, and 78 had lower rates in August 2022 than they had in August 2021, the state said.

Lenawee County's neighboring Michigan counties also saw their unemployment rates decline. Hillsdale County went from 4.8% in July to 4.2% in August, Jackson County dropped from 5% to 4.5%, Washtenaw County went from 4% to 3.5%, and Monroe County fell from 5.4% to 4.6%.

According to state data, Lenawee County's workforce grew by 554 in August to 44,892. There were 42,940 people counted as employed, up from 41,925 in July, meanwhile 1,952 were listed as unemployed compared to 2,413 in July.

The monthly survey of employers indicated that Michigan not seasonally adjusted payroll employment edged up by 9,000, or 0.2%, over the month, resulting in an August payroll job total of 4,367,000. Increases in statewide industries such as manufacturing, which added 7,000, and government, which also was up 7,000, were partially offset by declines in sectors like professional and business services, which lost 3,000, and leisure and hospitality, which was down 2,000.

At a glance

The state of Michigan released the following unemployment rates for area counties in August:

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Hillsdale County: 4.2%

Jackson County: 4.5%

Lenawee County: 4.3%

Monroe County: 4.6%

Washtenaw County: 3.5%

SOURCE: Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Lenawee County's unemployment rate drops in August
Thomas Steuart was charged with five counts of sexual abuse involving a child under 12 in 2018 when he was a choir teacher at Lexingtons Winburn Middle School, and ultimately convicted of reduced charges of harassment and assault in 2021.

Though he was fired from Fayette County Public Schools in 2020, Steuart still had a license to teach in Kentucky as of mid-September this year, state records show. Nearly four years after Steuart was charged, no final action had been taken on his state license. Technically, he could still teach at another school.

The case illustrates, and a review of Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board records show, that it can take months or sometimes years after an allegation before a teachers license is either voluntarily surrendered, revoked or suspended.

Kentucky Department of Education General Counsel Todd Allen said the Kentucky Department of Education and the Education Professional Standards Board cannot release information on pending matters, so it is not clear whether department officials are limiting Steuarts ability to teach while they investigate.

A key factor that can delay final disciplinary action is the resolution of a criminal case, which is what happened in Steuarts case.

On Nov. 16, 2021, within 15 days of Steuarts guilty plea being entered into court records, an attorney with the Kentucky Department of Education wrote to Fayette Circuit Court asking for a copy of the entire court file.

Steuart entered an Alford Plea in September 2021, according to an order from Fayette Circuit Judge Thomas L. Travis. No victim impact statements were submitted to the court. An Alford plea means the defendant pleads guilty but maintains their innocence and agrees that prosecutors have enough evidence that a jury could find them guilty in a trial.

The EPSB typically holds cases in abeyance  a pending status  when there are underlying pending criminal matters, as long as the educator is not in the classroom. In instances where the educator has not been removed from the classroom, EPSB may take action pursuant to state law prior to a criminal conviction, Allen said.

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Steuarts case was also pending during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, which slowed the resolution of his and many other criminal cases.

The Lexington Herald-Leader obtained 194 cases of teachers who voluntarily surrendered or had their license revoked or suspended from 2016 to 2021. Of those, 118  61%  lost their license due to sexual misconduct.

Steuart and his attorneys Steve Wides and Rawl Kazee of Lexington did not comment to the Herald-Leader about Steuarts case, but said in a motion to the judge that the allegations were false.

Steuart in August 2018 was charged in a complaint by Lexington police with five counts of sexual abuse, four of them involving a child under 12, according to online Fayette Circuit Court records.

The charges occurred after a male child under 16 alleged that Steuart had subjected him to sexual contact, the complaint said. The alleged victim and other male juveniles would spend time at Steuarts residence to swim and watch movies, according to the child.

A second child, this one under 12 years old, said in an interview with Childrens Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass staff that he had also been touched sexually by Steuart at Steuarts house after they returned from going out to eat, according to the complaint.

Its unclear from court records how Steuart met the alleged victims or if he had oversight of them in a professional capacity.

The five counts of sexual abuse were downgraded to:

Count 1 was amended to harassment, no physical contact. Included a $100 fine.

Count 2 was amended to harassment, no physical contact. Included a $100 fine.

Count 3 was reduced to harassment, physical contact, no injury.

Count 4 was amended to fourth-degree assault.

Count 5 was dismissed.

He received a six-month jail sentence but was initially placed on probation for two years.

In October 2021, Travis gave Steuart credit for time served because of the amount of time he had previously been in jail and did not require him to face any additional time detained. He ultimately did not have to serve probation, court documents show.

Fayette Commonwealths Attorney Lou Anna Red Corn told the Herald-Leader that the case highlights the challenges in prosecuting child sexual abuse cases.

There is an allegation that something happened to the child, and frequently, the child is stigmatized by what happened, she said. Sometimes during the prosecution, the child victim and the family stop talking with the police, the prosecutor, the judge for their own reasons, and ultimately, they do not want to go forward with the case.

Red Corn said there are alternatives to criminal court to address claims of child sexual abuse. One is family court, and another is in the administrative hearing process regarding teaching licenses, she said.

The evidence required to be successful in those forums, as well as the type of evidence that is admitted, is less stringent than a criminal trial, said Red Corn.

The need for other forums with different standards is illustrated by comments I have heard from trial jurors over the last 30 plus years  we thought the defendant did it, but there just wasnt enough evidence, she said.

Winburn Middle School

Steuarts lawyers say allegations false

When contacted by the Herald-Leader in late August, Fayette County school officials declined to comment on Steuarts case.

Steuart remained out on bond for several years without violating any of the terms of his bond, his attorney said in court documents. Much of this time was served on home incarceration, said the motion from his attorney.

As a consequence of this case, every facet of Mr. Steuarts life has been dismantled, destroyed, or changed forever, his attorney said in the motion filed.

He lost his career based solely on the original allegations, the motion said. Steuart had a masters degree in Music Education from Florida State University with an emphasis in Choral Conducting. He was hired by Fayette County Schools in 2009, the Herald-Leader has reported.

The false allegations that spawned this case have also caused permanent and irreparable damage to his reputation, the motion said.

Prior to the case, the motion said, Steuart was a beloved teacher and friend to many. He was respected by his colleagues, and sought after by other schools for his awards and commendations. He was proud of the direction his career was heading and of the difference he was making in peoples lives.

However, since the allegations garnered widespread media attention, he has been fired, shunned, and viewed a pariah. There is almost nothing more humiliating than being viewed as a pedophile who betrayed the trust of an entire community and preyed upon children he was entrusted to protect. That is what Mr. Steuart, despite any result in this case, will live with for the rest of his life, his lawyers wrote in court documents.

He continues to hold out hope that one day he can recover from all of this trauma and move forward in a positive direction, the motion said.

People sent 81 letters of support to Travis, the Fayette judge, detailing the anguish and heartache that (Steuart) has suffered due to these allegations.

Additionally, the letters serve as a microcosm of the far-reaching negative effects that the false allegations of this case will continue to have on thousands of people who love Tom, believe in Tom, and will be deprived of the brilliance of Tom in the future. It is nothing short of ... tragic, the motion said.
ROME (AP)  Italians marched through Rome, Milan and other cities Wednesday to protect access to abortion, which many fear will be under threat by a far-right party expected to form the next government after leading in parliamentary elections.

Waving banners reading My body  My choice and Safe for All, more than 1,000 people marched from Romes Esquilino neighborhood, and at least that many from Milans Central Station.

The marches were part of nationwide actions aimed at sending a message to Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy Party that protesters wont stand for any changes to 1978 legislation, known as Law 194, guaranteeing access to abortion. The protests coincided with International Safe Abortion Day.

Many cited curbs on abortion in many U.S. states after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down landmark legislation that had guaranteed access to abortion for decades as an indication of trends internationally.

Meloni continues to say that she doesnt want to touch Law 194, but that she wants to guarantee a womans right not to abort, said protester Donatella Marcelli. I dont believe what she says about choice.

Organizers said they feared Melonis party will launch a triad of God, homeland and family policies  a reference to her political manifesto.

That could impose rigid gender roles and assign women the task of reproduction and growth of a white, patriarchal and heterosexual nation, organizers said in their announcement of the rallies against the agenda of Meloni, who would become Italys first far-right premier of the post-war period and its first woman in that office.

The elections also swept away veterans of successful battles for civil rights, including divorce and abortion, as well as lawmakers still struggling for freedoms like same-sex marriage.

Perhaps Italy's most celebrated living civil rights activist, Emma Bonino, lost her Senate seat to a Rome city councilwoman from Brothers of Italy, the party co-founded a decade ago by Meloni, who exalts motherhood and traditional families and decries LGBTQ lobbies. Lavinia Munnino's no. 1 campaign priority was boosting Italy's birthrate.

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Bonino told the AP by phone she was too busy on Tuesday preparing an appeal for a recount in the close race to discuss worries about civil rights. While campaigning, Bonino voiced concerns that Meloni would make access to abortion difficult.

Italy allows abortion on request in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, or later if a woman's health or life is endangered.

As a young woman, Bonino, now 74, spearheaded successful drives in the 1970s to legalize both abortion and divorce, that were both aggressively opposed by the Vatican, which wields political influence in Italy.

Before the Sept. 25 election for Parliament, Meloni said she would respect the 1978 law, but would push for measures, such as economic help, for women who decide to give birth instead of aborting.

The law allows for health personnel to register as conscientious objectors so they won't have to perform abortions. In some regions, including one where Meloni's party governs, the percentage of objectors is so high that women are forced to travel to other parts of Italy to obtain an abortion, Bonino has noted.

Among others defeated by right-wing candidates was Monica Cirinna, a Democratic Party lawmaker behind the passage of a 2016 law legalizing same-sex unions. Italy had been the last holdout in Western Europe on that recognition, but Cirinna was thwarted in efforts to permit adoption by same-sex couples.

Alessia Crocini, who heads the Rainbow Families group advocating rights for LBGTQ families, called Melonis victory terrible news. Rights activists had expected it, "but when something like this materializes it becomes real, it is pretty shocking," she said.

I have been an activist for a very long time and there are people who I do not know who are writing to me on Instagram, I am afraid, 'I dont know what to do, 'I am very worried, I want to cry.'"

Crocini claimed that Melonis objective is to break the LGBTQ movement.

Also defeated was Democratic Party Senator Emanuele Fiano. The son of a survivor from the Auschwitz death camp during World War II, Fiano has battled against the rise of neo-fascist political movements. A recipient of antisemitic threats, Fiano has a police escort.

Besting him in a Senate district race in a Milan suburb was Isabella Rauti, a Brothers of Italy senator whose late father, Pino Rauti, helped found the Italian Social Movement, a party nostalgic for fascism formed just after the end of the war.

Meloni ignored a demand by Holocaust survivor Liliana Segre, who is a senator-for-life, to remove from her party's symbol the flame in the three colors of the Italian flag that belonged to the Italian Social Movement. While decrying anti-Jewish laws of Benito Mussolinis fascist regime, Meloni has defended her partys symbol.
A conservative group filed suit Tuesday to put a halt to the Biden administrations student debt forgiveness plan. The Pacific Legal Foundation, a libertarian public interest law firm based in California, is the first out of the gate among conservative groups to challenge the plan.

Finding someone who could claim standing  that is, was actually harmed by the plan  has been a crucial challenge for groups seeking to overturn the rule. The plaintiff in the case is Frank Garrison, a PFL lawyer based in Indiana who claims that the plan will injure him because it will force him to pay more than $1,000 in state taxes on the $20,0000 in student loan debt he will have forgiven. Garrison says he would prefer to pay back his educational loans through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which dismisses the debt of those who work in the public sector for 10 years.

Frank is not only somebody who is harmed by this, but hes also somebody who believes the cancellation plan is deeply wrong, Steve Simpson, an attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation, told The Washington Post. One really big difference between the program Frank is participating in and the Biden program is that one was passed by Congress.

Caleb Kruckenberg, another attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation, made a similar point, pointing to broad questions of legality. Congress did not authorize the executive branch to unilaterally cancel student debt, he said in a statement. Its flagrantly illegal for the executive branch to create a $500 billion program by press release, and without statutory authority or even the basic notice and comment procedure for new regulations.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that borrowers could opt out of the program if they so wished and that no one would be forced to apply.

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A newborn was found dead near the edge of a north Georgia creek, prompting a sheriffs office investigation.

Catoosa County deputies were called to the Graysville Canoe Launch around 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, where they found a lifeless, underdeveloped infant face down, according to a news release.

The child, whose umbilical cord and placenta were still attached, was found lying at the edge of South Chickamauga Creek in Ringgold near the Georgia-Tennessee line, deputies said.

We know that someone is going through a very tragic time in their life, and we want to help, Sheriff Gary Sisk said in a statement. If you saw something at the Graysville Canoe Launch ... such as a vehicle or persons in the area, or if you know someone who was pregnant and is now without their baby, please give us a call.

Its unclear how the infant got there, but authorities believe someone brought them to the area earlier in the day. The childs remains were taken for an autopsy, the sheriffs office said.

Ringgold is about 20 miles southeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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LAFAYETTE, Ind.  YWCA Greater Lafayette will host Light Up Riehle Plaza at 6 p.m. Friday.

What is Light Up Riehle Plaza?

This is an annual kick-off event for October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month as well as the YWCA's annual Power of the Purse Campaign.

We want to connect the importance of October awareness to YWCA services," Lindsey Mickler, YWCA Greater Lafayette president and CEO, said in a release. "We speak to the importance of early detection, we speak to how common domestic violence is and that it is more than physical violence, and most importantly we honor survivors.

"In an ever-changing landscape, Power of the Purse is essential to ensuring YWCA Greater Lafayette can continue to provide these needed services throughout the year.

Breast Cancer Awareness

According to a release from YWCA, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime; it is one of the leading health crises for women in the United States.

Early intervention is key for survival when it comes to breast cancer. The Woman's Wellness Program at YWCA helps with this early diagnosis by offering diagnostic screening to anyone, insured or uninsured.

"This month is a reminder to take care of our health and empower others to take care of their health, Mickler said.

Domestic Violence Awareness

Domestic violence is something that can affect any person regardless of race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, economic status and more. According to YWCA, one in four women and one in seven men will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes.

YWCA Greater Lafayette Domestic Violence Intervention & Prevention Program (DVIPP) offers help and empowerment to anyone, individuals or families, seeking safety.

Power of the Purse Campaign

This month-long event serves as a community-building fundraiser and awareness event.

Power of the Purse is our signature fundraiser and a great way for the community to band together to help support YWCA programs and services, Mickler said. Participants choose a team  Pink for Womens Wellness, Purple for Domestic Violence, and Persimmon for Racial and Social Justice and Empowerment Services  and engage in a little friendly competition to see which team can raise the most money. Its exciting to see the community get so involved.

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Womens Wellness Program statistics

In 2021, Womens Wellness Program provided:

3,927 total services

1,104 mammograms

846 pap

DVIPP handled 7,373 crisis calls

DVIPP provided prevention education and healthy relationship programming to 6,250 people in Tippecanoe and surrounding counties

Light Up Riehle Plaza schedule

Light Up Riehle Plaza will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Riehle Plaza, 200 North 2nd Street in Lafayette. This event is free. More information is available on the event's webpage on EventBrite.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Light Up Riehle Plaza returns to bring awareness to multiple causes
Sep. 27LIMA  A Harrod man pleaded guilty Monday to attempted kidnapping, a second-degree felony, and domestic violence, a felony of the fourth degree.

Craig Stauffer, 54, was originally charged with kidnapping, felonious assault and domestic violence of Patricia Wolford on July 2. He was accused of using a knife for the crime. The kidnapping charge was lowered to attempted kidnapping and the assault charge was dismissed after negotiations with the state.

Stauffer faces two to 13 years in prison or community control. He may be forced to pay a fine of up to $20,000 for the convictions.

Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Reed ordered a pre-sentence investigation to be completed before Stauffer's sentencing on Nov. 11 at 8:30 a.m.
Lizzo performs on Sept. 23 in Sunrise, Florida. Jason Koenrer / Getty Images

Lizzo surprised fans at her Washington, DC, concert on Tuesday with a historic performance  playing a 200-year-old crystal flute that once belonged to President James Madison, a founding father.

Bitch, Im scared, she joked with the audience. Its crystal. Its like playing out of a wine glass.

NOBODY HAS EVER HEARD THIS FAMOUS CRYSTAL FLUTE BEFORENOW YOU HAVEIM THE FIRST & ONLY PERSON TO EVER PLAY THIS PRESIDENTIAL 200-YEAR-OLD CRYSTAL FLUTE THANK YOU @librarycongress  06:05 AM - 28 Sep 2022

The Grammy-winning pop star has long been known for her talent on the flute. A classically trained flutist, she has gone viral in particular for her ability to twerk while playing trills. And on Tuesday, she became the first (and so far only) person known to have played the historic instrument.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden told BuzzFeed News that she was "thrilled" to see the performance and help make it happen. "Lizzo thanked the Library of Congress for making history cool," Hayden said in a statement. "She made it cooler.

NOBODY HAS EVER HEARD THIS FAMOUS CRYSTAL FLUTE BEFORE, she posted on Twitter. NOW YOU HAVE.

The flute, according to the Library of Congress, was rescued from the White House in 1814 during the British invasion of Washington, DC, during the War of 1812. The library currently hosts more than 1,800 historical flutes  one of the largest collections in the world.

Lizzo became a special flute guest when Hayden reached out to the pop star on Twitter. @lizzo we would love for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in DC next week, Hayden wrote. Like your song they are Good as hell.

IM COMING CARLA! AND IM PLAYIN THAT CRYSTAL FLUTE!!!!! https://t.co/aPcIthlqeo 02:32 PM - 24 Sep 2022

Fans were quick to note the significance of it all. Lizzo, a Black female superstar, collaborating with Carla Hayden, the first African American and first woman Librarian of Congress, to use a flute from James Madison, one wrote, The symbolism!!!

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librarians continue to rule, another said.

James Madison is known for drafting the Bill of Rights and much of the US Constitution. He was also an enslaver and proposed what became the Three-fifths Compromise, under which the Constitution spelled out that enslaved Black Americans didnt count as much as free Americans in determining state population.

James Madison when he heard Lizzo was the first person to play his crystal flute 12:48 PM - 28 Sep 2022

The Library of Congress director lending James Madisons crystal flute to Lizzo 03:46 AM - 28 Sep 2022

I love that this history is now part of the flute's history, another said.

The Library of Congresss Twitter has also been sharing some clips of Lizzo playing other historic flutes, including one made of plexiglass, during a visit to the library on Monday.

Courtesy Library of Congress

A flute @lizzo played in the Main Reading Room Monday (with permission from some lucky researchers who were there!) looks similar to the crystal one she had at her concert, but is actually plexiglass. It is also very rare & was manufactured when the material was first invented. 02:51 PM - 28 Sep 2022

Onstage during Tuesdays show, Lizzo excitedly reminded her fans that it was a moment to remember. History is freaking cool, you guys.

More on this
Watch: Lorraine shares fears for new series of The Crown

Lorraine Kelly has expressed concern about Dominic West portraying King Charles III.

West is set to play the new monarch on the fifth season of The Crown, replacing Josh O'Connor who played a younger Charles in seasons three and four.

Discussing the Netflix show with ITV's news editor Paul Brand, Kelly said: "Its Dominic West, I mean, he never plays nice. Lets be honest. He always plays the cad."

Read more: Clarence House concerned about The Crown S5

Brand also talked about the fictional nature of The Crown: "Weirdly, The Crown has been taking on a life of its own. People think that its absolutely factual history. Its based loosely on history, but a lot of it is sort of made up, they fill in the gaps, dont they?"

Dominic West as King Charles III. (Netflix)

He added: "I think particularly in America, people watch The Crown and think, 'Oh wow, what a great, historical, factual documentary.' And no its not. So I think King Charles will have to worry about the impression that creates of him."

Read more: Actor who've played The Queen pay tribute

West's own son will also be playing Prince William.

The Crown has previously been criticised for its historical inaccuracies especially regarding the relationship between King Charles III and Princess Diana.

Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth series of The Crown (Netflix)

In the upcoming fifth season Diana is to be played by Australian actor Elizabeth Debicki who is best known for her roles in Widows, The Night Manager and The Great Gatsby.

Diana was previously played by newcomer Emma Corrin.

Netflix recently confirmed that the fifth season of The Crown will premiere on 9 November, exactly two months and one day after the death of the Queen.

Read more: 'The Crown' casts Prince Charles actor Dominic West's real-life son as Prince William

The new cast lineup includes Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip who have replaced Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies.

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Jonny Lee Miller has also joined the show as former prime minister John Major with Flora Montgomery playing his wife Norma.

The Crown S5 launches on Netflix on 9 November, 2022

Watch below: The Crown season 5: First trailer released
Associated Press

Alabama reclaimed No. 1 from Georgia in The Associated Press college football poll in one of the closest votes in the recent years, and six teams  including Kansas  made their season debut on Sunday. The Crimson Tide received 25 first-place votes and 1,523 points in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank, two points more than the Bulldogs. Georgia received 28 first-place votes to become the first team since Alabama in November 2019 to have the most first-place votes but not be No. 1.
PETERSBURG  The city has its next school superintendent ready to go, and they only had to go about 55 miles southeast to get her.

Dr. Tamara Sterling, currently the schools chief in the city of Franklin, was chosen out of 27 applicants for the Petersburg job. Her first official day will be Dec. 1.

Sterling signed her contract during a special Petersburg School Board meeting Wednesday afternoon. Her contract is for four years with an annual salary of $170,000.

The School Board voted 6-0 to hire her. Board member Hal Miles abstained because he was unable to take part in Sterling's interview.

"Although many qualified candidates applied, the board felt that Dr. Sterling's knowledge, leadership and commitment to students and staff would best serve Petersburg City Public School students, employees and the community for years to come," School Board chairman Ken Pritchett said in introducing Sterling. "The board is confident Dr. Sterling will guide the school system to even higher achievement."

Perhaps what drew the School Board to Sterling the most was her experience in turning Franklin from being under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Virginia Department of Education due to its failing schools, to having its schools exit the MOU within a year's time. Both Franklin's middle and high school are now fully accredited, and its elementary school is accredited with conditions.

The Petersburg City Public Schools is also under a MOU, and the board is confident that Sterling can turn the school system's status around and make all Petersburg schools fully accredited. While Petersburg High School is fully accredited, a status they achieved last year, all the city's elementary schools and its middle school are accredited with conditions.

Sterling says that to change Petersburg's status, she would work with the administrators and the board, and look closely at the gaps in the school system and find ways to creatively address them. To bring Franklin City schools up, they focused on making sure students down to the elementary level had a good handle on the STEM subjects.

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Sterling says that what drew her to become the superintendent for Petersburg are the possibilities for transformation in the city's school system.

"I love building things up. I love seeing the possible in the impossible," Sterling said. "And seeing how hard Petersburg has worked over the past couple of years, I knew when it came up, it was just the right time for me to be here and move them to the next level because I do see them all schools being fully accredited."

Sterling's goals for Petersburg are to make sure all schools become fully accredited and that the students have early college opportunities. She wants to see 100% of students graduating with a type of workforce certificate through partnerships with area colleges, and 30% graduate high school with their associates as well.

Sterling plans to take a community-centered approach in her role-making home visits, going door-to-door to get messages out, going into classrooms, and possibly even teaching classes.

"There is no ivory tower for me," she said. "You can reach me at any given time. I do believe I have to be connected on the teacher level as well to really understand their concerns." She says that parents can always reach her by phone.

Sterling believes that all children are gifted, and the entire community must work collaboratively to remove the visible and invisible barriers that impede students from achieving the greatness they deserve.

Prior to serving as the Franklin superintendent, Sterling was a school administrator in Chicago, Houston and Providence, Rhode Island. She officially succeeds Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin, who left in May for a director's position in the North Carolina Department of Education, but in reality, she is following Dr. Julius Hamlin, who was named interim head when Pitre-Martin left. Pritchett confirmed after the meeting that Hamlin is returning to his original position as deputy superintendent.

This search for a new superintendent was different than in previous years. In the past, the board has sought out public input on what they are looking for in a schools chief, but this time, that did not happen. Instead, the board worked with the Virginia Department of Education as part of its MOU.

Pritchett said before the meeting that since the job-description guidelines for superintendent had not changed from when Pitre-Martin was hired, the board was advised that they did not need to seek out community input. The board and the VDOE apparently worked out all the details for the process because when The Progress-Index asked Dr. Pascal Barreau, the system's new human resources director, about Sterling's salary, he replied that he did not know because the board took care of that. It was Pritchett who confirmed her salary.

Pritchett also said that as a part of the MOU, Petersburg schools would be receiving $350,000 that would not only pay part of Sterling's salary but also the salaries of any new hires she may make.

The lack of public review stirred up some social-media discontent, but one citizen who attended the meeting was pleased with the choice.

"I'm very happy," LaVerle Talley, who heads the nonprofit group Lending Helping Hands, said. She recalled speaking with Sterling about having a meeting to discuss how the nonprofit and the schools could work together, the incoming superintendent immediately committed and asked for a Lending Helping Hands T-shirt right away similar to the one Talley was wearing.

Talley said when she told Sterling about possibly getting a shirt from the board, "she said, 'I want my own T-shirt!"

More:'One of our joys': Petersburg commuity says farewell to singer and actress Marva Hicks

More:Families of homicide honor loved ones at the National Day of Remembrance

Joyce Chu, an award-winning investigative journalist, is the Social Justice Watchdog Reporter for The Progress Index. Contact her with comments, concerns, or story-tips at Jchu1@gannett.com or on Twitter @joyce_speaks.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg's next school superintendent is introduced
Less than two years after announcing their intention to give away a vast fortune together, billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott and her husband, Dan Jewett, a former science teacher, are parting ways.

Scott filed a petition for divorce in the King County Superior Court in Washington state Monday, according to a copy of the filing. The breakup punctuates an eventful period for Scott, who in less than four years got divorced from her longtime husband, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, gave away more than $12 billion to nonprofits and married an instructor at the prestigious school attended by her children.

Court records show Jewett did not contest the divorce. The petition says any division of property is laid out in a separation contract, agreed to by the couple, which is not public. Both still live in King County, the filing says, which includes the city of Seattle.

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Their marriage, which garnered significant public attention after Scotts divorce from the worlds richest man, had also been a philanthropic partnership, with Jewett publicly promising to join her in donating their enormous fortune to good causes.

But there were recent signs that the partnership was no more. Previously, grateful nonprofits that had received grants from Scott and Jewett thanked them both, but recent recipients thank her alone.

In the past week his name vanished from her philanthropic endeavors. On the site for the Giving Pledge, where billionaires promise to give away half of their wealth before they die, his letter no longer appeared with hers. Without fanfare, his name was recently edited out of a Medium post Scott had written last year about their gifts.

Scott, a novelist, also deleted Jewett from her author bio on Amazon, the online retailer that is the source of her vast wealth.

Scott rocketed to global attention as she began giving away her wealth at a pace rarely seen in the philanthropic world. After her divorce from Bezos, Scott assembled a team of advisers and began quietly making multimillion-dollar donations to nonprofit groups that totaled more than $12 billion in just three years.

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Scott promised in her May 2019 letter on the Giving Pledge to keep at it until the safe is empty. Bloomberg has estimated her net worth as high as $62 billion, but between her billions of dollars in contributions and the decline in the stock market, the news organization now gauges her fortune at $27.8 billion.

In his own Giving Pledge letter two years later, Jewett sounded full of enthusiasm. I am married to one of the most generous and kind people I know  and joining her in a commitment to pass on an enormous financial wealth to serve others, he wrote.

Yet he also noted that he had not previously considered making any kind of public statement about his charitable priorities because he had never sought to gather the kind of wealth required to feel like saying such a thing would have particular meaning.

As recently as last week, according to the Internet Archives Wayback Machine, which preserves old versions of webpages, his letter was still twinned with hers on the site, accompanied by a photo of the two of them looking as if they were out for a hike together. Today there is just a headshot of Scott, along with her letter.

Scott has refused to speak publicly about her giving, declining repeated interview requests from news organizations including The New York Times. Her lawyer did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday. Attempts to reach Jewett through friends, family and former colleagues and at an address associated with him in Seattle were unsuccessful. His lawyer declined, through a legal assistant, to comment on the divorce.

Scott made her charitable announcements in long posts on Medium that listed the names of organizations that received billions of dollars cumulatively.

Last month, Scott gave two homes in Beverly Hills, California, valued at a combined $55 million, to the California Community Foundation. The foundations affordable housing grant-making functions will receive 90% of the value of the properties. Jewetts name, which had been in recent gift announcements, was nowhere in the news release.

The Health Forward Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri, announced Tuesday that it had received a $15 million gift from Scott. The Episcopal Health Foundation in Houston also recently announced that it had received a $20 million grant from Scott. Neither announcement mentioned Jewett.

Jewett taught at the Lakeside School, the prestigious Seattle private school attended by the Bezos children, where he was popular among students and fellow teachers alike.

Hes earnest, not very edgy, said Angela Loihl, who met Jewett through a mutual friend. Loihl, who spent weeks in 2014 with Jewett driving in a small-motored car from London to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, recalled how that mutual friend had told her years later, after he married Scott, Hes the perfect person to end up with this money to give away  no sense of greed at all.

According to the divorce filing, the couple married in California in 2021. The news of their marriage took even Jewetts friends and colleagues by surprise  producing a whirlwind of news coverage far beyond his expectations, as reporters even appeared on the Lakeside campus. Although he finished the term there, Jewett felt his presence on campus was a distraction.

His new wife had become arguably the most influential philanthropist in the world with an approach that emphasized huge grants  often the largest single gift a group had received  with no strings attached.

In his Giving Pledge letter published in March 2021, Jewett wrote that he was grateful for the exceptional privilege it will be to partner in giving away assets with the potential to do so much good when shared.

In June 2021, Scott posted about her giving on Medium, where she wrote: Me, Dan, a constellation of researchers and administrators and advisers  we are all attempting to give away a fortune that was enabled by systems in need of change. Sometime in the past week, searches on the Internet Archive showed, the post was edited, and Jewetts name removed from there as well.

 2022 The New York Times Company
A majority of Americans in a new poll support the idea of making it harder for politicians to override general election results.

The Politico-Morning Consult poll published Wednesday found that 52 percent of respondents said it should be harder for lawmakers to override presidential election results, while 26 percent opposed the idea.

Similarly, 53 percent of surveyed voters said it should be harder for state governments to override presidential election results, while a smaller 17 percent voiced opposition to the idea of barring state governments from overriding results.

Support for making it harder for Congress to override election results was higher among Democratic respondents, at 66 percent, while 45 percent of independents and 42 percent of Republicans also backed the idea.

Slightly more independents  50 percent  said they supported the idea of making it harder for state governments to override election results, though support among Republicans and Democrats for changes at the state level was comparable to the federal level.

The poll comes after the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday advanced proposed legislation that would make adjustments to the 1887 Electoral Count Act, clarifying that a sitting vice president doesnt have the power to unilaterally overturn a presidential election and raising the threshold for lawmakers to object the Electoral College vote.

The proposed legislation gained support from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday.

The bill was unveiled in a bipartisan effort by lawmakers in a response to the Jan 6., 2021, attack at the Capitol, where a mob of supporters of former President Trump breached the Capitol building in an effort to stop the certification of President Bidens Electoral College victory.

Many pro-Trump supporters in the mob pushed for then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election in certain states in order to hand Trump the victory, but Pence, who was pressured by some Trump allies, said it was not in his authority to do so.

The Politico-Morning Consult survey was conducted Sept. 23-25 with a total of 2,005 respondents. The polls margin of error was 2 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali does not respect and will not apply sanctions imposed by West Africa's main political and economic bloc on neighbouring Guinea in the wake of last year's coup, Mali's interim prime minister said on Wednesday.

The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) last week imposed sanctions on Guinea's ruling junta for taking too long to organise elections and restore democracy after seizing power last year.

The measures include freezing junta members' financial assets and barring them from travelling to other countries in the region. Mali was hit with even broader sanctions earlier this year after its ruling junta also delayed organising elections.

"Taking into account the solidarity and fraternity between Mali and Guinea, the transitional government has decided to break away from all illegal, inhumane and illegitimate sanctions imposed on (Guinea) and will take no action on them," Mali's government spokesman and interim prime minister, Abdoulaye Maiga, said in a statement.

He also said Mali would, if necessary, take measures to assist Guinea in order to counteract the effect of the sanctions. It was not immediately clear what impact Mali's refusal to implement sanctions could have.

Mali also railed against the sanctions ECOWAS imposed on it in January, which it said were illegitimate and inhumane. The bloc lifted some of the sanctions in July after Mali's military rulers proposed a two-year transition to democracy and published a new electoral law.

Guinea's junta leader Mamady Dumbouya proposed a three-year transition to elections in May, which ECOWAS rejected, saying it wanted to see a new plan by the end of July.

In the statement last week, the regional bloc gave Guinea until Oct. 22 to establish a "reasonable" timetable, or face additional sanctions.

(Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo and Fadima Kontao; writing by Nellie Peyton; editing by Richard Pullin)
Sep. 28Kauai police arrested a 20-year-old Hanamaulu man in connection with a bomb threat at an elementary school in Koloa Monday.

The Kauai Police Department's Bomb Squad, American Medical Response and Kauai Fire Department responded to Koloa Elementary School after the school administration received a phone call from a man at about 12 :05 p.m. Monday.

The man said a bomb was set to detonate at the end of the school day, according to police.

Police assisted in evacuating students from campus. Officers conducted a full sweep of the grounds and did not find any devices, police said.

Police located the suspect that afternoon and arrested him on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening.
A Southwest Airlines plane on the tarmac at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in June 2022.

A woman was harassed by a man shouting racist and misogynistic insults on a flight to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, her husband claimed on social media.

Phoenix police confirmed officers were called to the airport regarding the incident but said the FBI will take over the investigation since the incident happened above the Gulf of Mexico, out of their jurisdiction.

A woman, identified as Saarah Sareshwala in a series of tweets from her husband, was on a flight to Phoenix from Florida on Saturday morning after attending a conference when a man sitting in front of her began assaulting her, a tweet said.

She had rested her head on her tray table, attempting to sleep, when the man "violently pushed his seat back in an attempt to hurt Saarah Sareshwala while her head was there," according to a tweet from her husband, Faraaz Sareshwala.

This man violently pushed his seat back in an attempt to hurt @saarahfaraaz while her head was there. After coming to, she initially thought it was an accident; someone falling down in their own seat after returning from the bathroom or something.  Faraaz Sareshwala (@fsareshwala) September 25, 2022

At first, she assumed this was an accident, the tweets say, and went to the bathroom to check her injuries. Her seatmates, a mother and daughter, saw the incident and asked the crew for ice to help Saarah Sareshwala, a tweet said.

While Saarah Sareshwala was still in the bathroom, flight attendants began serving drinks, and "the man and his wife discussed using their seat in this way again so that Saarah's drink would spill on her," Faraaz Sareshwala tweeted.

When Sareshwala returned, the man continued to adjust his seat and began to spew "racial slurs and misogynistic venom at Saarah," according to Faraaz Sareshwala.

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After observing, the mother and daughter, who were not fully identified in the tweets, confronted him about his behavior, which was met with more inappropriate comments from the man.

Saarah Sareshwala informed the Southwest Airlines crew, who offered to switch her seat. She refused this as she felt safer staying with the mother and daughter who witnessed the incident, according to her husband's tweets.

The daughter complained again to a different flight attendant and stressed the severity of the incident, the tweets go on to say. They were concerned Sareshwala may have had a concussion, Faraaz Sareshwala said.

The airline crew then "requested law enforcement meet the aircraft upon arrival," according to a statement from Southwest Airlines.

Once the plane landed, Phoenix police responded to the scene and "conducted an assault investigation, which is still under review," according to authorities.

They interviewed the accused man and his wife, as well as Sareshwala, and the mother and daughter.

Phoenix police released a statement on the incident Tuesday.

Due to jurisdiction rulings, the details were sent to the FBI, which will determine if there is enough evidence to press charges. The FBI has not made a comment about the case.

In a statement, Southwest Airlines told The Arizona Republic that it maintains "zero-tolerance for any type of alleged harassment or assault on our Customers or Employees."

"We still do not know why he became so violent. However, I do know that my wife has never felt so violated, voiceless, and powerless," Faraaz Sareshwala said in a tweet.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Woman claims assault by passenger on Southwest flight to Phoenix
A former Great Dane employee arrested on Sept. 22 for threating to kill employees at the Kewanee plant appeared in Henry County Circuit Court Thursday for a preliminary hearing.

Richard A. McDonald, 57, 127 W. McClure St., appeared in custody, along with his attorney, Henry County Public Defender Lance Camp.

Camp waived the formal reading of charges against McDonald, along with the preliminary hearing, and entered a not guilty plea with a demand for a jury trial. Camp also sought an order for the preservation of audio and video evidence.

Judge Terry Patton found probable cause to charge McDonald with one count of making a Terrorist Threat and two counts of violating the Sexual Offender Registration Act. Making a terrorist threat is a Class X felony in Illinois.

According to a Kewanee Police Department press release, the incident occurred Wednesday when the Kewanee Police Department and Henry County Sheriff's deputies were called to the Great Dane manufacturing facility on Kentville Road to provide security while an investigation occurred.

According to Kewanee Deputy Chief Stephen Kijanoswki, McDonald was not on Great Dane property but was arrested at a friends house. The plant was placed on lockdown and a police presence remained in the parking lot.

Kijanowski told the Star Courier that McDonald threatened to go to Great Dane and shoot employees.

In his threat, he stated that the employer was going to cause 30 people at Great Dane to get shot because they fired him, he said.

A Class X felony carries a potential sentence of six to 30 years in the custody of the Illinois Dept. of Corrections. McDonald is currently being held on a $150,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 13.

This article originally appeared on Star Courier: Man arrested for Great Dane threats pleads 'not guilty'
MARION, Ind.  A Wabash man convicted of killing a former Muncie resident has been sentenced to 75 years in prison.

A Grant Superior Court 1 jury in April found Matthew Shannon Whitt, now 42, guilty of murder, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and obstruction of justice.

Whitt had been accused of fatally shooting Steven Brent Nickell, 33, on Feb. 10, 2020.

The slaying took place in a home, in the 6100 block of South Grant County Road 500-E, that was occupied by a woman who is Whitt's half-sister and until recently had been Nickell's girlfriend.

Investigators said Nickell was shot in the head and chest.

Whitt gave authorities conflicting accounts of how the homicide took place.

He at first said he had encountered an intruder, who struck him over the head with a handgun, in his sister's home, and managed to wrestle the gun away from his assailant and shoot him.

More:Winchester man sentenced to 64 years in murder case

Whitt later indicated he had shot Nickell after the former Muncie man entered the house while armed with a firearm.

Because of a criminal record that included convictions for arson and burglary, Whitt was prohibited from possessing guns.

The Wabash man was sentenced in recent days by Grant Superior Court 1 Judge Jeffrey Todd. He received credit for 430 days already spent in the Grant County jail.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Wabash man gets 75 years for killing ex-Muncie resident
Congress

In a new Insider/Morning Consult survey, Congress is perceived as being out of touch with many issues facing Americans today. In most survey respondents' opinions, legislators lack knowledge about higher education affordability, climate change, health care, social security benefits, economics, and LGBTQ+ issues. And, on those LGBTQ+ issues, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to oppose electing more LGBTQ+ legislators.

According to the poll, about one out of three Republicans believe having more LGBTQ+ people in Congress is wrong. And while this is a minority of Republicans, it is pretty significant.

The Biden administration fared slightly better on several issues than Congress regarding the in-touch and out-of-touch figures for the executive branch. However, the same data revealed that the Supreme Court fared slightly worse regarding LGBTQ+ rights and abortion access.

As an incidental statistic, 73 percent of atheists support including LGBTQ+ elected members of Congress. It is again evident that abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights are inseparable, as 73 percent of abortion supporters also believe it is good to have more LGBTQ+ members in Congress.

Four out of ten Republican men oppose LGBTQ representation in Congress, compared to about three out of ten Republican women, the survey found.

According to the survey, only about one out of ten Democrats said more LGBTQ+ representation in Congress would be bad. Moreover, among Democrats, women were less likely to oppose LGBTQ+ representation than atheists and students.

The survey suggests that almost one-in-five American adults think that more LGBTQ+ Americans in Congress is a bad thing.

Business Insider reports that the next session of Congress could see a record number of openly LGBTQ+ legislators, as a record number of LGBTQ+ people are running for Congress in 2022 than at any time in history, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, an organization devoted to electing openly LGBTQ+ people to government.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell answers reporters' questions on abortion laws in Maricopa County during a news conference on June 28, 2022.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell says she will not prosecute anyone who receives an abortion, in a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday.

"I know this is a highly emotionally charged subject, and I want the community to know that I will not prosecute women for having abortions," Mitchell said in the video.

The law already does not allow for those receiving an abortion to be prosecuted, which Mitchell also states.

"I will not re-victimize survivors of rape, incest, or molestation," Mitchell said. "I've spent my career defending people that have suffered those crimes."

Mitchell is one of two candidates vying for the county attorney's seat in the November election.

Statement from Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell on Pima County Ruling regarding abortion. Posted by Maricopa County Attorney's Office on Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Mitchell does not make it clear on how she would handle abortion providers, saying, "If further guidance has not been provided by the courts or the legislature by that time, my office will seek guidance from the court before taking any action."

Mitchell's statement comes in the wake of Pima County Superior Court Judge Kellie Johnson lifting an injunction on a pre-statehood Arizona law that seeks to ban abortions outright, even in the case of rape or incest.

The 158-year-old law also calls for mandatory prison time for abortion providers.

More on abortion: Here's what you need to know about Arizona's abortion law

According to state Attorney General Mark Brnovich, the bill is currently the prevailing law in Arizona after the fall of Roe v. Wade returned the decision back to states. It would then override the bill Gov. Doug Ducey signed in March that sought to criminalize abortion after 15 weeks.

Mitchell has come under fire since the ruling, which has spawned multiple protests since, saying that it is part of a larger political campaign.

"False statements being made about the law or about my position in order to sow fear for political gain are simply irresponsible," she said.

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Mitchell's answer has seemed to shift from her debate with Maricopa County attorney candidate Julie Gunnigle, when Mitchell said it was "not responsible" of Gunnigle to say she would never prosecute a person receiving an abortion.

"I use prosecutorial discretion every single day of my life, but that means I'm going to look at every case for whether there's a reasonable likelihood of conviction," Mitchell said in the debate.

Planned Parenthood has since suspended all abortion services within Arizona while they seek a motion to put the Pima County courts ruling on hold.

Reach breaking news reporter Kye Graves at klgraves@gannett.com or on Twitter @kyegraves.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell will not prosecute abortions
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis listens as Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland speaks during a press conference early Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, after 19-year-old Ezekiel Dejuan Kelly is alleged by MPD to be responsible for several shootings in Memphis. The shootings on Wednesday ended with seven people shot, at least four of the seven dead.

Questions about how rape kits are processed have been given new life in the weeks since authorities said one of those kits, that took just under a year for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to analyze, returned a match, and subsequent indictment, for Cleotha Henderson, the man police also say abducted and killed Eliza Fletcher.

The Memphis City Council levied a few questions to the Memphis Police Department Tuesday. Councilman Chase Carlisle noted pending litigation  two lawsuits against the city regarding MPD's handling of rape kits.

Maj. Casey Minga, who oversees the sex crimes unit, pointed to state law  and MPD policy  that says all sexual assault kits need to be sent to TBI within 30 days according to the statute and 96 hours per police policy.

Minga also provided a brief snapshot of the progress the Memphis Police Department has made into the over 12,000 rape kits that were untested prior to 2013. All of the previous kits have been tested according to MPD, although the 2,625 kits that came back negative were sent back to Bode Technology for a more modern examination.

Bode is a company that MPD contracts additional DNA testing with. The earliest contract between the City of Memphis and Bode available on the city's contract portal dates back to 2014.

"DNA technology has advanced in recent years, and evidence that screened negative for serology under the traditional methods in the past deserves re-examination for DNA using these latest techniques," Minga read from the presentation.

Of those kits sent in for further testing, 2,524 have been completed according to MPD data presented, 440 cases contained DNA attributed to men, 132 reports were sent to TBI for a CODIS check, and 5 matches returned from CODIS.

CODIS is a national DNA database, short for the Combined DNA Index System, that is used in identifying someone using the FBI's database.

Over 9,000 investigations have been initiated since MPD began sifting through the backlogged rape kits, with over 8,600 being closed. There are still 567 active investigations. MPD closed the presentation saying there were no prosecutions related to the backlog in August.

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Memphis City Council also wants MPD to enforce curfew on minors

The Memphis City Council also passed a resolution asking MPD to crack down on young Memphians who are out and about late at night. The resolution stems from a 1996 law that established a curfew for those 17-years-old and younger.

The curfew calls for 17-year-olds to be home between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday and between midnight and 6 a.m. Friday through Sunday. It also would call for those under 17-years-old to be home an hour earlier than 18-year-olds.

According to MPD, there was a 92% increase in minors being taken to juvenile court for curfew violations. Deputy Chief Sam Hines noted that the opening of the Youth and Family Resource Center has offered a place for MPD to refer kids to instead of taking them to court for those who have not broken the curfew before.

Hines also noted the police department lacks resources to "properly enforce curfew violations as needed." MPD did not respond to a request for comment as to how they would further enforce the curfew at the time of publication.

Lucas Finton is a news reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: MPD is still waiting on DNA re-examinations from pre-2013 backlog
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Drugmaker Merck & Co said on Wednesday that it agreed to allow China's Sinopharm to distribute and import its COVID-19 antiviral molnupiravir in China if the drug is approved for use there.

The drugmaker said in a statement that it reached a cooperation framework agreement with Sinopharm that grants the Chinese company distribution and exclusive import rights of the medicine in the China mainland market.

Merck also said it will allow China National Biotec Group, an affiliate of Sinopharm, to make the drug in China and has agreed to transfer technology to help with that production.

Molnupiravir is sold under the brand name Lagevrio in the U.S. Merck developed the pill - and shares the profits equally - with partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

The antiviral pill was once touted as a potential game changer for treating COVID-19, but Paxlovid, a rival drug made by Pfizer Inc, had significantly better results in its clinical trial and has been much more widely used in the United States.

(Reporting by Michael Erman; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
HARRISON, N.J. (AP)  Lionel Messi responded to an in-game, on-field request for a signature with a signature goal.

Messi scored two goals and was twice accosted by fans running on the field as Argentina extended its unbeaten streak to 35 matches over three years by beating Jamaica 3-0 on Tuesday night in its next-to-last World Cup warmup match.

You have to enjoy Messi, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. No matter your country, everyone does. Im his coach, but I would buy a ticket to see him.

Julian Alvarez put Argentina ahead in the 13th minute. Messi entered in the 56th and increased his career total to 90 goals in 164 international appearances with his 17th multigoal game.

There are no words to describe what he is," Alvarez said. Playing five, 10 minutes or all the match, he manages to do amazing things.

A fan sprinted onto the field in the 65th minute and tried to take Messi's photo. Messi stood and watched the spectator being subdued at his feet while the fan still tried to snap an image with his cell phone.

The six-time world player of the year, three months past his 35th birthday, doubled the lead when he beat Andrew Blake to the goalkeeper's left on a 23-yard left-foot shot in the 86th minute after driving forward following a give-and-go with Giovani Lo Celso.

After his first goal, Messi was approached by a barechested fan who asked him to sign his back, and he started to scrawl a signature as three guards tackled the fan and more swarmed in.

Messi got another goal three minutes later after he was pulled down by Adrian Mariappa just outside the penalty area. Messi sent the kick through the defensive wall and just to the right arm of a sprawling Blake for his ninth free-kick goal for Argentina.

Messi scored four goals in Argentina's two World Cup warmups this month, giving him 16 career goals in the U.S.

Fans erupted in applause less than a minute into the second half when Messi walked with teammates to a corner and started to warm up. A large percentage of the crowd appeared more focused on Messi stretching than they did the action on the field, and fans stood and made the stadium rumble when he entered for Lautaro Martinez and took the captains armband from Angel Di Maria.

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Messi, who won his first senior title for Argentina at last years Copa America, still has more speed and quicker acceleration than most and his addition energized Argentina in the second half. He also forced Blake to make a pair of diving saves.

Many in the sellout crowd of 25,000 in Red Bull Arena wore blue-and-white-striped Albiceleste jerseys, making it feel like an Argentina home game. Public address announcements were primarily in Spanish and ribbon boards flashed Vamos Argentina!

Alvarez put Argentina ahead after Nicolas Tagliafico passed from the flank to Martinez, who spun around Leon Bailey to open space and centered to the 22-year-old Alvarez. He slotted past Blake for his second goal in 11 international appearances.

Heading to its 13th straight World Cup, Argentina seeks to add to championships it won in 1978 with Mario Kempes and 1986 with Diego Maradona. Argentina has one remaining friendly, against the United Arab Emirates on Nov. 16 at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. At the World Cup in Qatar, Argentina opens against Saudi Arabia, which tied the United States 0-0 in an exhibition Tuesday, and then plays Mexico and Poland.

Argentina has 25 wins, including one on penalty kicks, and 10 draws since a 2-0 loss to Brazil at the Copa America on July 2, 2019.

Scaloni made eight changes from the starting lineup in Fridays 3-0 win over 80th-ranked Honduras at Miami Gardens, Florida, inserting Di Maria and Giovani Lo Celso. Emiliano Martinez replaced Geronimo Rulli.

The Reggae Boyz, who finished sixth among eight nations in the final round of the North and Central American and Caribbean region, played in jerseys without names, in contrast to Argentina. Jamaica started a first-choice lineup in its first match under new coach Heimir Hallgrimsson that included Premier Leaguers Michail Antonio, Leon Bailey and Bobby Decordova-Reid and Blake, a Philadelphia Union standout.

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
An aerial view shows a person passing a newly unveiled logo for Meta on Oct. 28, 2021 outside Meta headquarters in Menlo Park. Credit - Noah BergerAFP/Getty Images

Facebook parent company Meta said it took down a network of fake accounts, originating in China, that it says was attempting to interfere in the U.S. midterms. The networks posts were aimed at appealing to both Democrats and Republicans and posted about controversial issues like abortion and gun rights. Experts say the networks existence speaks to larger concerns about political disinformation on social media, in the U.S. as well as worldwide.

In a report published Tuesday, Meta detailed how it disrupted the network, which was the first known China-based operation targeting users in the United States with political content ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections. This operation was unique, it said in the report, because Chinese influence operations that weve disrupted before typically focused on criticizing the United States to international audiences, rather than primarily targeting domestic audiences in the US.

But, overall, countries using social media to interfere in each others elections is now familiar terrain, policy experts say. In the U.S. these worries were first triggered by reports of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. While domestically produced and disseminated political disinformation has taken center stage in the U.S. in recent years, its important to remember that this is an issue of international scope, says Philip Napoli, a professor in Duke Universitys Sanford School of Public Policy.

Its a strategy that nations deploy against each other, and were not really seeing any variation from election to election in terms of how concerned we need to be about this kind of activity, he says. Its a constant.

The network targeted people in the U.S. on both sides of the political spectrum by setting up fake accounts posing as Americans and attacking politicians from both parties. The report did not say whether the network was tied to the Chinese government or was merely based in China.

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The disrupted influence campaign was not particularly effective, Metas report noted, in part because the accounts posted during working hours in China, when U.S. users are likely to be less active. Still, the networks existence, no matter its impact, raises the alarm about social medias readiness for policing interference. Its an indicator that none of the defense mechanisms these platforms have put in place seem to discourage this kind of activity, Napoli says.

Meta did not immediately respond to TIMEs requests for comment.

Read More: Meta, TikTok, and Twitter Hope to Fight Election Misinformation. Experts Say Their Plans Arent Enough

The influence of fake accounts

Meta said the China-based network set up fake accounts across multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, from March to August 2022, but was small (only 81 Facebook accounts, eight Pages, one Group and two accounts on Instagram) and did not attract much of an audience. The company said its automated systems took down a number of related accounts and Facebook Pages for violating community standards during this time.

Reports of this nature could heighten fears over Chinese influence operations impacting elections in the U.S., says Ho-Fung Hung, a professor of political economy in Johns Hopkins Universitys department of sociology.

China is still at a fairly low level [of activity] compared to Russia in terms of interfering in discussion about U.S. issues, he says. At this time, I wouldnt be too worried about direct Chinese intervention in U.S. domestic politics.

Hung also says its significant that Metas report doesnt indicate that Chinese intelligence agencies were behind this network. Its not clear whether its related to the Chinese government or non-governmental people with their own initiative, he says.

However, the discovery of this operation does call into question whether others of its kind are out there, says Joshua Tucker, co-director of New York Universitys Center for Social Media and Politics.

The question we dont know the answer to is when Meta announces that its taken down a network, is that because Meta is really good at this and somebody tried one thing and got caught, or is it because there are 100 of these networks and this is just the one they caught? he says. Absent our own access to the data, its hard really to infer how successful Meta is at taking down these types of attacks.

Tucker says that as long as these social platforms exist, theyre likely going to be vulnerable to these kinds of campaigns. One of the things we know about these kinds of operations, especially these little ones, is theyre easy for people to pull off, he says.

What we know about future elections

Meta said in Tuesdays report that it also took down a much larger Russian network that primarily targeted Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. The operation was centered on a network of over 60 websites impersonating legitimate news sites to push pro-Russia content and criticize Ukraine and Western sanctions. Meta said it was the largest and most complex Russian-origin operation that it had disrupted since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

This is not the first time social media platforms have been used by foreign powers to exploit political divisions. The Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which a political consulting firm used the data of tens of millions of Facebook users in its effort to elect Donald Trump president in 2016, became part of the larger investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Moreover, earlier this month, the New York Times reported on how organizations linked to the Russian government carried out a social media propaganda campaign aimed at inflaming tensions surrounding the 2017 Womens March.

Meta, TikTok and Twitter have all revised and updated their plans for addressing possible election misinformation, regardless of the source, ahead of the US midterms. However, many technology experts say these plans need to be updated and further strengthened.

Napoli says the issue is widespread and will continue to be so. Nations are still expanding the scope of their operations rather than scaling them back, he says. They seem to be continually emboldened.
By Stefanie Eschenbacher

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Mexican senator filed on Wednesday a criminal complaint against the country's energy minister and the chief executive of Pemex for allegedly not reporting a methane leak at one of the state oil company's offshore platforms, according to the document seen by Reuters.

Opposition Senator Xochitl Galvez, who sits on committees for the environment and energy, filed the complaint to the attorney general's office against Energy Minister Rocio Nahle, Pemex CEO Octavio Romero and Angel Carrizales, who heads environmental regulator ASEA.

Reuters sought comment from Nahle, Romero and Carrizales through the press teams at the energy ministry, Pemex and the regulator. Reuters also contacted Nahle, Romero and Carrizales via email and Twitter without response.

Galvez's action comes after Reuters received documents through a freedom of information request that showed that ASEA said it had no records of Pemex reporting the December incident.

The methane leak at the Zaap-C platform, which first appeared on Dec. 8, was uncovered by researchers led by Itziar Irakulis Loitxate from the Polytechnic University of Valencia.

Their research, published in June by the European Space Agency, said Pemex released about 40,000 tons of methane - a potent greenhouse gas - over 17 days in December.

Pemex is obliged to report such incidents under Mexican law, nine experts told Reuters. The news agency could not independently establish if Pemex informed the authorities.

Pemex did not respond to requests for comment on the regulator's disclosures or the criminal complaint.

The criminal complaint filed by Galvez on Wednesday is the third complaint the senator has submitted in recent weeks after Reuters reports on Pemex methane leaks. Earlier complaints were made to an environmental regulator and a government watchdog.

The experts, all current or former officials from regulators or the energy ministry, told Reuters that if Pemex is found to have knowingly not reported and repaired a methane leak it could face a fine and individuals found responsible for wrongdoing could go to prison.

Pemex could also be stripped of the right to operate the Ku-Maloob-Zaap cluster of oil fields, they said.

(Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Marguerita Choy)
This article is co-published and co-reported with the The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit newsroom that informs Texans about state policy and politics. Sign up for The Brief, its daily newsletter.

For the past year and a half, Gov. Greg Abbott has made border security his priority and the centerpiece of his reelection campaign.

Hes put $4 billion on the line to do so, initiating construction of a border wall and sending thousands of National Guard service members and state police to patrol the border with Mexico for months on end in his highly touted Operation Lone Star.

And over 18 months, he has taken unprecedented measures to curb illegal immigration  arresting and jailing migrants on state criminal charges; spending millions on bus tickets to send them to other cities; and for a few days, nearly shutting down international trade with Mexico to increase inspections of commercial trucks entering into Texas. He has repeatedly blamed President Joe Biden for an increase in migrants and called for the federal government to reinstate former President Donald Trumps tougher immigration policies.

But despite those efforts, the number of migrants officials encounter at the Texas-Mexico border is higher today than it was before Operation Lone Star began, according to data reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The number of migrant encounters at the Texas-Mexico border has climbed from 109,456 in March 2021, the month the mission began, to 116,976 in August  a slower rate of growth than at other parts of the border but a failure of Abbotts offices stated desire to stop this revolving door and deter others considering entering illegally.

This month, federal authorities said the number of migrant encounters at the entire southwest border exceeded 2 million in August. Thats the first time in history that threshold has been hit. Authorities expect it to rise to about 2.3 million by the end of the fiscal year on Friday.

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In his weekly border mission updates, Abbott touts successes: 334,000 migrant apprehensions by state officials; 19,000 criminal arrests; seizures of 5,500 weapons and 336 million doses of lethal fentanyl. All of which would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and our country thanks to President Bidens open border policies, his spokesperson Renae Eze said.

Yet the continued pace of migrants at the states southern border calls into question the effectiveness of a state policy intended to stem border crossings that is costing the state the equivalent of the average annual college tuition and fees at a public university for 395,000 students.

Abbott and his supporters say the mission is working and that border crossings would be even higher if not for his measures.

As border communities have been overrun and overwhelmed by this ongoing crisis, Texas has sent significant resources to help our local partners, including financial and law enforcement support and busing migrants to sanctuary cities Washington, D.C., New York City, and Chicago to provide relief, Eze said in a statement responding to a request for comment for this story. Until President Biden and Congress step up and do their jobs to secure the border, Texas will continue utilizing every strategy to protect Texans and Americans.

She did not address the increase in migrant encounters at the Texas border this year despite Operation Lone Stars efforts.

Abbott is the latest leader to encounter the challenges of governing the border. While its easy to cite rising numbers and accuse opponents of not doing enough, many of the factors driving migration  economics, natural disasters and the pandemic  are out of the leaders control.

A group of migrants waits at a gate near the U.S.-Mexico border in Del Rio on July 22, 2021. The group surrendered to the National Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune)

While Abbott has pointed to Biden as the reason for the increase in migrants at the border, court rulings have largely left Trumps most significant immigration restrictions intact until recently. Biden tried to do away with Title 42, a pandemic-era public health order that immigration authorities used to turn away migrants, including asylum-seekers, at the border. A federal judge blocked that move in May, and the program has remained in place.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration scored a recent win this summer when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that it could do away with the Trump-era remain in Mexico policy, which required some asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for a decision on their applications for protection in the U.S. Biden officially lifted the policy in August.

Critics say Abbott needs to explain why the migrant encounters reported by federal authorities at the states border have remained high 18 months into Operation Lone Star.

The states goal is deterrence. Thats what theyre saying. The governor says it, the Senate leadership says it. The whole leadership says it, said Jaime Puente, an immigration policy analyst at Every Texan, a left-leaning think tank. Clearly, its not working because people are still coming.

From his right, Abbott has endured complaints that his policy doesnt go far enough.

Theyve built more wall, thats great. Theyve seized more drugs, obviously thats good. There are safety additions that have happened because of Operation Lone Star, said Ken Cuccinelli, a former Trump immigration official and a senior fellow at the conservative Center for Renewing America. But the numbers crossing the Texas border have gone up, not down. So that element of it has not been successful.

Migrant encounters track the number of people arrested by Border Patrol agents in between ports of entry or denied admission into the country at a port of entry and deported. That includes asylum-seekers who are, depending on their circumstances, either immediately expelled to Mexico, deported to their home country or released into the U.S. while they await the processing of their asylum application.

Holding the line

Migrant encounters are only one measure of the impact of an immigration policy, and an imperfect one at that because the state can not control external factors that affect when migrants will attempt to cross the border. They also do not measure how many people cross the border without detection.

And importantly, encounters include migrants who repeatedly attempt to cross the border more than once as separate encounters, which inflates the number of unique migrants trying to cross the border.

That has especially been the case under Trump-era programs like Title 42 and remain in Mexico. Both programs allowed immigration officials to send migrants back to Mexico rapidly, leading to an increase in attempts to cross by the same person. During fiscal year 2021, 27% of migrant encounters were with people who had already tried to enter the country at least once during the same fiscal year, according to CBP.

But there are signs Abbotts program is having an impact in Texas.

During the time Operation Lone Star has been in effect, Texas has seen a 6.9% increase in the total monthly migrant encounters reported at the border. During that time, Arizona has seen a 36.3% increase, California has seen a 30% increase and New Mexico has seen a 47% increase.

Victor M. Manjarrez, the director of the Center for Law and Human Behavior at the University of Texas at El Paso who worked for U.S. Border Patrol for 22 years, said that is a sign that Operation Lone Star is working as intended.

Sometimes, holding the line, keeping it stagnant and not increasing it is a success, said Manjarrez, who was the chief patrol agent in the Tucson, Arizona, sector before retiring. Why would that hold steady [in Texas] and other areas increase [where] nothing has changed? I would definitely start looking at that, and if I were [Abbott], I would be talking about that. Id say you werent able to decrease it because of a federal issue, but we kept the impact lower than it could be.

Still, the total number of migrant encounters across the entire southwestern border has increased over the last fiscal year, meaning some of those migrants could be avoiding the Texas border and trying to enter through other states.

Overall, the number is higher, Manjarrez said. But the governor is not the overall governor [of all the border states], hes only the governor of Texas.

Tony Payan, director of the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy, said whether they enter through the Texas border or another state, people destined for the job opportunities in major Texas cities can find their way there.

They cant make it through the front door, but the back door is open, he said. They can get on a bus and make it here to Texas for jobs, and that exhibits the faulty line in that the governor has chosen to make a state effort up and against the federal government.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott swears in Brig. Gen. Monie Ulis as the state's deputy adjutant general on Oct. 24, 2021, in Mission, Texas. (Facebook/Texas Military Department)

Supporters of Abbotts border efforts admit that without a cohesive plan by the federal government to decrease migration at the border, state efforts to stop the movement of migrants to border states will be limited. But they appreciate the effort, saying troopers and National Guard members have helped put more people on the border to detect migrants attempting to enter the country in between ports of entry.

Theyve also seized illegal drugs and contraband that otherwise would have made it further into the country, they say. Those seizures are on top of what customs agents find at ports of entry, though previous reporting by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune has shown that early in its reporting, the state included drug seizures and arrests in its Operation Lone Star counts that were made outside of areas that have received support from the border mission.

The Governor of Texas has done and is doing just about all he can and having success under the difficult conditions created by Bidens unwillingness to help, said Greg Sindelar, CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank.

During a news conference in July, local officials from border counties thanked Abbott for the support the border mission had lent their jurisdictions but said more needed to be done. Some have called on him to take legally dubious action to allow state authorities to deport migrants. Deportations are under federal jurisdiction.

Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe said he believed he had seen the peak of the problem last year, when his office arrested 1,121 migrants attempting to cross through his county. But halfway through 2022, his office had already arrested more than 1,600 migrants.

The governor is doing what he can, I understand, he said during the news conference. But I think theres more that can be done from the federal system and the state system as well.

Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd said at the same news conference that despite his countys distance from the Mexico border, smugglers travel through the county on their way to some of the states biggest cities, which has overwhelmed his office. Although he echoed Coes sentiments, saying Abbott had thrown them a lifeline through Operation Lone Stars aid, he also added that more help was needed as our tide keeps rising and our burden keeps growing.

Combatting a crisis

From the beginning, Abbott has characterized Operation Lone Star as an effort to combat a crisis at our southern border created by the Biden administrations immigration policies, which he said invite illegal immigration.

During 2020, migrant encounters at the Texas border plummeted to around 9,000 in April, the month after COVID-19 pushed much of the country into quarantine. But it steadily picked back up to almost 41,000 in December 2020, Trumps last full month in office.

When Biden took office in January 2021, and as the world began emerging from months of quarantines and lockdowns, the number of migrant encounters at the Texas border started rising more rapidly. By March of that year, when Abbott kicked off Operation Lone Star, migrant encounters in Texas had risen to over 109,000.

Although the first two months after the missions implementation showed slight decreases, the numbers started ticking back up in June 2021, when CBP reported over 116,000 migrant encounters at the Texas-Mexico border.

That month, Abbott announced that Texas would build a state-funded border wall to crack down on immigration, saying that as prolific as [Operation Lone Stars] results have been, it is clear that more is needed. He set aside an initial down payment of $250 million to pay for the wall, which could ultimately cost billions of dollars.

As of this month, the state has completed 4 miles of permanent border wall as well as more than 100 miles of nonpermanent wall in the form of fencing and concertina wire, Abbotts office said.

Abbott also announced what he called a catch and jail plan to arrest migrants for state crimes, like trespassing, and jail them. His goal was to deter migrants from entering the state by putting in place stiff consequences to stop what he called the invasion of homes on the border by migrants.

We are not playing games anymore, he told Fox News.

National Guard soldiers stand guard near the U.S.-Mexico border in Del Rio on July 24, 2021. Gov. Greg Abbott's deployment of thousands of Guard troops to the border for an extended period is an unprecedented move. (Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune)

Migrant encounters climbed higher still with 145,000 in July 2021. By August, Abbott had increased the number of National Guard service members deployed to the mission to 1,000.

In September, the state made national headlines when an estimated 12,000 migrants, mostly Haitian, arrived in the border city of Del Rio after massive turmoil in their country. That summer, Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated, and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,000 people. The large number of migrants forced Del Rio to temporarily shut down its international bridge as people camped out underneath it waiting to be processed. The citys mayor declared a state of emergency and called on the state for assistance.

Days later, state officials increased the number of National Guard service members deployed to the mission to 2,500, five times the initial deployment. And by November, that number would grow to 6,500. (Abbott has said the operation has a full deployment of about 10,000 service members, but that includes thousands of Texas Military Department personnel who support the mission from elsewhere, like the departments Austin headquarters.)

Service members have since expressed a loss of confidence in the mission. In interviews with the news media and in morale surveys, they have complained about the missions hasty mobilization, poor living conditions and the perception that theyve been deployed on an unusually long mission to help Abbott win reelection. State officials say many of those issues have been rectified as the mission has continued.

In the fall of 2021, Abbott placed shipping containers and Department of Public Safety troopers on the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass as part of Operation Steel Curtain, which was meant to deter migrants from crossing into the country in that area.

Texas is securing the border, he said on social media.

As the state increased the number of National Guard service members stationed at the border, the number of migrant encounters dropped off, hovering below 106,000 for the next five months with a low in January 2022 of 89,000 encounters  the lowest since the missions start.

But by March, the anniversary of the missions start, migrant encounters at the Texas border had picked back up again, to 126,000  more than 10,000 more encounters than the same month the previous year.

In April, Abbott took what was perhaps his most disruptive action. Citing the Biden administrations plans to end Title 42, Abbott announced a plan for enhanced inspections of commercial vehicles at the states ports of entry, arguing that criminal organizations were smuggling humans and drugs into the country on 18-wheelers.

The vehicle inspections wreaked havoc on the states international ports, shutting some down entirely. The operation found no migrants or drugs, according to DPS, but it forced the governors of the four Mexican states that border Texas to enter into agreements that they would increase border security in their territories to slow down migration into Texas.

A Texas National Guard soldier assigned to Operation Lone Star, the state's mission to guard its border with Mexico, looks out towards the border. (Twitter/Greg Abbott)

Abbott pointed to those agreements as historic step[s] the state of Texas was taking to secure the border in the federal governments absence.

Until President Biden decides to fulfill his constitutional duty to secure the border, we will continue to do whatever it takes to protect the safety and security of all Texans, he said in a statement announcing the agreements.

Payan said the continued high number of migrants at the states border shows a plateau in people attempting to migrate into the country. But it also shows that despite the states deterrence efforts, migrants have not been persuaded to avoid crossing into the state altogether.

Any kind of deterrent effect was probably quite short-lived, he said.

Local impact

For Brooks County Sheriff Urbino Benny Martinez, theres no question about Operation Lone Stars impact on his community.

The governor has provided the extra resources so we can augment our needs, he said. It makes things a lot better.

Martinezs county in South Texas is one of the busiest corridors for migrants trying to enter the country. Most of the county is just south of a Border Patrol checkpoint in Falfurrias, which results in migrants trying to make their way on foot through ranches in the area in order to circumvent immigration authorities before being picked up by their handlers north of the checkpoint.

But in the scorching South Texas heat, many migrants die or need rescuing while attempting that trek. Just this year, Martinez said, the county has recovered the bodies of 75 migrants who died while trying to cross the terrain.

In the past, that amount of deaths would have sent his county scrambling to find room for the deceased, which the county helps repatriate to their home countries with the help of Border Patrol and foreign consulates. But last year, through border security grants provided by Abbotts office, Martinez was able to purchase a morgue that can hold up to 40 bodies at a time, easing one of the steps toward reuniting deceased migrants with their families.

That benefits not only his county, but others that are also seeing an increase in the number of dead migrants who they find.

The funding has also helped Martinez boost the number of deputies he has in the field at any time by providing overtime pay and allowed the sheriffs office to buy thermal drones used to spot migrants or cars trying to evade authorities.

The number of dead bodies his office recovers is still high, as is the number of bailout chases in which smugglers abandon the road and drive through ranch land to evade authorities, he said. But the grants at least provide him with financial and moral support.

We feel more comfortable knowing the funding is there, whether it be for fuel, personnel or equipment. Overall, its a good initiative for counties that participate in, Martinez said.

Payan, however, said those positive sentiments from local officials should not determine whether the program continues. That determination should be made on whether Operation Lone Star has had its intended effect on the number of migrants coming into the state.

At the end of day, public policy should be judged by the outcome and actual results  the difference the public policy actions make on the direction of the problem youre trying to address, Payan said. You can get all the moral support you need and feel like something is being done, but at the end of day, if the numbers dont show it, it cannot possibly be argued that it is successful.

Texas Tribune reporters Caroline Covington and Jolie McCullough contributed to this report. Davis Winkie from Army Times also contributed to this report.

Disclosure: Every Texan, Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy, the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the University of Texas at El Paso have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
WASHINGTON  Following Kyivs successful counteroffensive against Russias invading forces, U.S. defense officials say Ukrainians have found new ways to use a patchwork of donated weaponry more effectively.

The war has edged closer to a stalemate as it passes the seven-month mark. Faced with recent battlefield setbacks for his forces in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has tried to raise the stakes by threatening to use the nuclear arsenal and calling up military reservists.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed Monday that the Ukrainian military will take back its entire territory, and has drawn up plans to counter new types of weapons used by Russia. He decried the Russian mobilization as nothing more than an attempt to provide commanders on the ground with a constant stream of cannon fodder.

Read all Military Times coverage of the war in Ukraine

With the mobilization, observers say Putin likely aims to stabilize his defensive lines and protract the conflict beyond 2023. Because Russia could assemble new formations by February, theres a need to reinforce success now by continuing to expand training and equipping of Ukrainian troops, Jack Watling of the U.K.-based think tank Royal United Services Institute recently argued.

The comments come amid U.S. military assessments that Ukrainian forces have used a combined arms approach to great success. Gen. James Hecker, the head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, told reporters Sept. 19 that Russia had lost more than 60 fighter jets in the war so far, nearly all of which were taken out by the Russian-made air defenses that Ukraine uses.

The U.S. believes one Russian aircraft crashed upon takeoff because of shoddy maintenance, and that another was shot down. Others were hit while sitting on the ground.

Hecker estimated that less than 20% of Ukrainian fighters have been destroyed, but did not provide more specifics about the size of the fleet.

Because neither side has established clear control of the skies, they now stay away from one another and it ends up being a ground war, he said.

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How NATO tactics helped liberate this Ukrainian city

In lieu of supplying longer-range weapons and advanced American fighter jets, the U.S. is focusing on other kinds of support as the conflict enters a new phase. Russias Foreign Ministry said earlier this month that supplying longer-range weapons would cross a red line, and make the U.S. a party to the conflict.

Put yourself in the position of the Secretary General of NATO or President Biden: Youre trying not to make this bigger than what it is right now, Hecker said. Thats a very difficult tightrope to walk down, to make sure that Ukraine has what they need to survive and fight and try to protect their sovereign country, without turning this into World War III.

Defense contractors are toeing that line by equipping Ukrainian MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter aircraft with anti-radar missiles designed for more capable Western jets.

It typically takes the U.S. military a year or two to integrate new weapons onto a jet for the first time. In Ukraines case, the process took just a couple of months.

When you take a Western HARM anti-radiation missile thats designed for F-16s ... to put them on an Eastern Bloc MiG-29 or Su-27 is no easy feat, Hecker said. Is it as integrated as it is on an F-16? Of course not. So it doesnt have all the capabilities that it would on an F-16. But were able to do it.

Use us for combat zone tests, Ukraine minister tells US war industry

HARM missiles can pick up on anti-aircraft radar signatures to home in and destroy those systems. Introducing those weapons into the fight has forced Russian troops to temporarily turn off the radars altogether.

If you get them to shut down their radars, then they cant shoot down aircraft, Hecker said. Even though you dont get a kinetic kill [of a radar], you get a kill by having them shut down. Then you get localized air superiority for a period of time, where you can do what you need to do, and then you leave.

Its one example of how combat tactics are evolving as the war carries on. Ukrainians and Russians alike have started moving their surface-to-air missiles every six to 12 hours, Hecker noted.

HARMs have given Ukrainian forces the ability to fly more close air support missions against moving targets inside Russian-held territory, either by destroying enemy anti-aircraft systems or during that brief pause while the radars are off, Hecker said. That approach can keep pilots safer as well.

To hit faraway static targets, the Ukrainians prefer using U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems over sending in aircraft that could be shot down. Ukrainian forces have wielded HIMARS against Russian supply depots and artillery.

Why Washington should provide ATACMS weapons to Ukraine

HIMARS has become iconic in the fight against Russia, but the weapons arent effective without spotters to identify enemy targets, according to Mark Cancian, a senior international security adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

It fires  so far beyond what front-line forward observers can see, Cancian said of HIMARS. It needs drones, which weve provided. It needs counter-artillery radar, which weve provided, and also overhead surveillance, which we are also likely providing.

Still, Cancian argues that HIMARS isnt the silver bullet its made out to be. Instead, he credits cannon artillery as the main killer on the battlefield. The U.S. has provided Ukraine with hundreds of conventional artillery guns and hundreds of thousands of rounds for them to fire.

Artillery can fire at long ranges, it can fire a lot [and] it can inflict a lot of damage, particularly as armies become locked in positional combat, Cancian said. When theyre moving, its harder for the artillery to catch up. But when the front line stabilizes, as its done in the last four months, artillery really comes into its own.

At first, Ukraine was shelling the Russians with 155 mm howitzer rounds that arent as accurate as HIMARS, Hecker said. That systems arrival has offered much better targeting capabilities, so Ukrainian troops can more effectively act on the coordinates passed on by the U.S.

Veterans captured fighting in Ukraine return home to Alabama

Still, Russian forces have adapted and learned to keep its forces on the move, Hecker said.

We were able to take out their command-and-control command posts, and some of their weapons storage areas. It was a lot easier, Hecker said.

U.S. and NATO officials are betting that the intelligence supplied to Ukrainian troops will continue to strengthen their hand.

While Western officials havent publicly acknowledged the full extent of that aid, the New York Times reported that the U.S. has provided Ukraine with information on command posts, ammunition depots and other key Russian nodes. Such real-time intelligence has reportedly allowed the Ukrainians to target Russian forces, kill senior generals and force ammunition supplies to be moved farther from the Russian front lines.

At the beginning of the war, the U.S. would alert Ukraine whenever cruise missiles were incoming, according to Hecker. Alarms would sound nationwide and Ukrainians would hunker down wherever they could find protection.

Obviously, this happened a lot, so they werent able to fight the war, he said. As we matured through this, we could give them a better idea of where it might be going.

US weapons, partisans played role in Ukraine's successful offensive

That progressed to updating Ukraine on the location of Russian equipment.

We would not say, Heres the target for this, go target these things. We would just give them the intelligence. Let them decide if they wanted to target it, Hecker said.

The whole counteroffensive was their idea  where it was going to occur and when it was going to occur, he added.

Adding to that intel-sharing enterprise, Air Force Special Operations Command has started creating teams within each wing that combine more traditional ground warfare with those of intelligence, cyber, space and information ops.

That synergy can take place  at a tactical level, solving problems that are much more locally focused, AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Jim Slife said Sept. 7. Our first one of those is being established in [Europe] right now. Some of the initial challenges that theyre working on, inside that part of the world  really, some pretty impressive work coming out of that organization.

Air Combat Command boss Gen. Mark Kelly called the work of Air Force cyber and intelligence units in Europe their finest moment. The service did not provide more details on their missions by press time Tuesday.

US unveils $2B in military aid for Europe, arms for Ukraine

In the meantime, Ukraine continues to press its Western backers for munitions that can fly farther and target more precisely.

For now, it appears the U.S. and NATO will stick to its rule of withholding weaponry that offers longer range than 50 miles, or 80 kilometers, Hecker said. The allies continue to provide firepower on the condition that Ukraine doesnt use those munitions to target Russian territory.

Most of whats been happening so far has been about immediate needs, and about the fights that theyre engaged in right now and what can be done relatively quickly to help them, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Sept. 19.

There is no plan to quickly provide fighter jets to Ukraine, Kendall said. When it comes to rebuilding the countrys future force in the long term, though, the U.S. will look at how it could contribute.

The Pentagon is now focused on building an allied force of air, land and sea assets that connect with those of NATO countries. Its unclear whether it would take the same approach with Ukraine, which has not been accepted into the transatlantic military alliance.

There are options that well consider based on their needs, and well have those conversations at the right time, Kendall said.

That time may not come soon, as challenging winter weather looms and Ukraine digs in for the long haul.

Kendall said Russian troops are suffering some setbacks but show no signs of fundamental change amid this months counteroffensive.

Its kind of like COVID, right? We all thought it was going to be done in a couple of months, and here we are, Hecker added. I think were probably looking at years.
The Modesto man accused of shooting two homeless men in the parking lot of the Pep Boys on McHenry Avenue last week has been formally charged, and the name of the man who was killed has been released.

Authorities allege 24-year-old Thijay Juarez shot the men on the north side of the parking lot near a bus stop on Orangeburg Avenue. One of the victims, a 42-year-old man, managed to get away and go to Doctors Medical Center about two blocks away. He underwent surgery and remains hospitalized but is expected to survive.

The other victim, identified as 50-year-old Richard Channon Myers, died at the scene.

Juarez remained at the scene and was arrested without incident. Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear said a motive has not been determined for the shooting. It remains under investigation whether the suspect and victims knew each other.

One witness told The Bee that the attack appeared unprovoked and that the suspect just started shooting the victims.

Juarez was out on bail for a pending case from February, when he was charged with carrying a loaded firearm that was not registered to him, according to court documents.

For the Sept. 22 shooting, Juarez was charged with murder, attempted murder and a new charge of carrying a loaded firearm that was not registered to him, according to the criminal complaint.

He also faces enhancements for acting intentionally and with premeditation, causing great bodily injury and committing the crimes while on bail in another case. The complaint lists aggravating circumstances that the crimes involved the use of a weapon and great violence, great bodily harm ... or other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness.

Juarez was supposed to be arraigned Tuesday but the hearing was continued to Oct. 21.
SEATTLE (AP)  Brenner scored in the first half to give FC Cincinnati the lead, but Fredy Montero equalized for Seattle in the second half of a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night that kept the Sounders slim playoff hopes alive.

Brenner scored his 15th goal of the season in the 24th minute on a breakaway after a defensive miscue by the Sounders.

Montero pulled Seattle even in the 58th with his fourth goal. But Seattle was unable to find a winning goal on a night the Sounders needed three points.

Seattle has qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs every year of its existence but now must win its final two games of the regular season and get plenty of help from others to keep the streak going.

Midfielder Cristian Roldan entered in the 55th minute, his first appearance since recovering from groin surgery on Aug. 23. The 27-year-old midfielder, hoping for a spot on the U.S. World Cup roster, had not played since Aug. 14.

Cincinnati moved into fifth in the Eastern Conference with two games remaining.

Cincinnati had a major chance to leave Seattle with a victory, but Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei came up with a point-blank stop in front of net in the 76th minute after Seattle was reduced to 10-men when Kelyn Rowe was shown a red card.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

The morning that more than 25 percent of Italian voters decided they wanted a woman to lead them, that womanGiorgia Meloniposted a video on her social media holding two melons more or less in front of her breasts with a wink and a smirk.

That the 45-year-old Roman native, whose last name in Italian indeed means melons, chose to start election day with that photo was nowhere near the most controversial part of her campaign. Nor is the fact that her party has shortened the timeframe for legal abortionwhich she refers to as a tragedyfrom nine weeks to seven weeks in the Italian regions they govern. Or that she seeks to re-examine the legality of same-sex unions and same-sex adoption.

It could be argued that her biggest affront is joining a coalition with Silvio Berlusconi, who has singlehandedly done more to hurt any hope of equality and empowerment in Italy than any other person. As prime minister, he once pleaded with foreign firms to invest in Italy because the country had such beautiful secretaries.

As the head of the Mediaset empire, his television programming has for years been akin to soft porn, creating the velina or showgirl, which more than half of young girls in Italian public schools aspire to become, according to a recent poll. He has been convicted of paying an underage exotic dancer for sex, and is infamous for his bunga bunga parties where pole dancers writhed on his cronies.

That Italy ranks 27th out of 27 countries in the European Union for gender parity for the World Economic Forum despite having among the most educated women in Europe is telling and largely blamed on Berlusconis media, which normalized sexploitation for the last 40 years.

MAGA Media Salivates Over Italys Most Far-Right Leader Since Mussolini

But also telling is the high rate of domestic violence and femicidethe latest figures show one woman is killed by a man she thought loved her every three days.

Meloni is often referred to as a single mother, which she is, and which makes no difference to her political acumen. But that she has also anchored her campaign on the traditional family has raised eyebrows. Her 6-year-old daughters father, who she is romantically involved with, is a Mediaset journalist who lives in Milan. When asked once how she can pitch for a traditional family when her own is not, she simply said, we are a man and a woman.

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Yet, Meloni has been embraced. Hillary Clinton, perhaps unaware of her domestic agenda, was among the first to tweet support, writing. The election of the first woman prime minister in a country always represents a break with the past, and that is certainly a good thing.

But so was Marine Le Pen, the French far-right politician whose own political feelings about gender equality lack a certain modernity.

Meloni, who started her political career in the neo-Fascist Italian Social Movement party, which was dissolved when it became illegal to embrace the ideals of Benito Mussolini, recently tweeted an anti-immigration video of an African migrant allegedly raping a Ukrainian refugee on a street.

That she did not think that posting a video that clearly showed the victims face was in breech of a certain ethical concern for privacy is important to note. Twitter removed the tone-deaf tweet and Meloni unapologetically said she was only doing it to show Italy needed to beef up security. The victim spoke out against Meloni, saying that being exposed made her desperate and that the video only added to her misery.

Italy is often referred to as a land that feminism forgot, and Meloni as the first female prime minister may well be the most fitting. Being a woman doesnt automatically mean being feminist, Italian journalist Giulia Siviero told openDemocracy recently. Arguing that a womanany womanwinning [an election] is a conquest for all women and for feminism is very sexist to me, because it puts the sex before the person and her beliefs or policies.

A childhood friend of Meloni, who doesnt want to be named, told The Daily Beast that the reason she posted the melon video was an inside joke, and that after having spent years ridiculed for her last name, it was somewhat of a last laugh against those who bullied her. And Meloni was criticized in the past for promoting women to the upper echelons of her Brothers of Italy party she founded. So much so that several men changed party alliances for discrimination.

Italy is an unarguably patriarchal society in which 40 percent of women with children do not work outside the home, and, as such, a female leader will undoubtedly be judged differently than a male. Only time will tell if she does better or keeps the status quo.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A 7-year-old boy is recovering after being attacked from behind by an aggressive mountain lion while walking through a park, authorities say.

The incident took place at Pico Canyon Park, located near Santa Clarita, California, in Stevenson Ranch, when authorities from the Department of Parks and Recreation in Los Angeles County say the boy was suddenly attacked and bitten by a mountain lion as he made his way through the park.

MORE: 71-year-old man mauled to death by 7 dogs while walking to store

The young boy -- about 7-year-old boy -- was walking up some stairs and was attacked from behind by a mountain lion and bitten in the buttocks, Captain Patrick Foy from the California Fish and Wildlife Department told ABC News Los Angeles Station KABC in an interview following the incident.

The boy suffered non-life threatening injuries in the attack and is expected to make a full recovery, officials said. The park will now remain closed until further notice while authorities carry out their investigation.

MORE: 2 pit bulls attack boy and grandmother, police say

According to Fish and Wildlife authorities, the investigation is being carried out as if this were a confirmed attack, however, the investigation is still ongoing, said the Department of Parks and Recreation in a statement obtained by ABC News.

As part of the investigation, the boys bite wounds were swabbed for DNA to see if they could match it to a known wild cat in the area but, so far, the mountain lion has not been found, according to KABC.

PHOTO: A 7-year-old boy is recovering after being attacked from behind by an aggressive mountain lion while walking through Pico Canyon Park, located near Santa Clarita, California, in Stevenson Ranch, on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. (KABC)

Officials tracking the mountain lion placed a trap in the closed off park to see if they could lure the animal out from hiding.

In the trap we placed a mountain lions favorite food, which is a deer carcass, Foy told KABC.

If the cat is found and the DNA samples match the boys wounds, there is a good chance the mountain lion would be destroyed by authorities.

MORE: Human foot discovered floating in hot spring at Yellowstone National Park

Story continues

Everything we do and every part of our mission is to better help wildlife and people coexist. Foy explained to KABC. Having a situation like this where wild animals start attacking -- especially small children -- that is a super difficult part of our job.

In the meantime, there are plenty of local area residents who are concerned about their own safety following the sudden attack.

You gotta understand when you are walking these trails the dangers that you are walking into  It still terrifies me, Francisco Salas of Santa Clarita told KABC. It could happen to me. It could happen to anybody out here.

Mountain lion attacks 7-year-old boy from behind in park originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Capt Moussa Dadis Camara has spent the past 12 years in Burkina Faso

Guinea's former military ruler Moussa Dadis Camara has gone on trial over one of the country's worst massacres.

Capt Camara returned from 12 years in exile to "clear his name which has been dragged through the mud", his lawyer told the BBC.

More than 150 people were killed, and women and girls were raped at a 2009 protest against military rule.

"I was raped, assaulted, floored by a soldier who even asked me if he could cut off my arms," one woman said.

"I can no longer lift my arm", 63-year-old Anissa, not her real name, told the BBC. She is a former member of an opposition party.

"I had the shoulder blade broken, the foot split, they had to sew that up. My hips were split."

Ten other former officials are going on trial alongside Capt Camara, who is charged with having command responsibility over the soldiers who carried out the alleged crimes.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan welcomed the start of the trial: "On this important day I applaud the people of Guinea, the survivors and those who lost loved ones".

"The start of this trial is only the beginning. My Office will be watching very closely. The presumption of innocence is critical," Mr Khan said.

It has also been welcomed by the UN's Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif: "Victims and relatives have been waiting for 13 years for truth, justice and reparations. Today's opening of this long-awaited judicial process is a crucial step for Guinea in its fight against impunity."

The trial should be carried out in "in a victim-sensitive manner, and in accordance with international standards", Ms Al-Nashif added.

On the day of the killings, on 28 September 2009, security forces tried to stop the rally going ahead and allegedly blocked off the exits to a stadium in the capital, Conakry, before opening fire. Some protesters were shot dead or attacked with knives, while others were trampled on.

The long-delayed trial will be the first involving human rights violations on this scale in Guinea, says rights group Human Rights Watch.

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'We demand justice'

The many years of waiting have been difficult for the victims but they say that they are pleased the trial is finally going ahead.

"We demand justice, nothing else but justice," said Anissa.

She said she was still emotionally scarred from what happened to her and does not like returning to the stadium where she was assaulted.

"Even today it scares me. It's the scars that come back. It is the trauma that comes back. So I can't, I really can't."

Victims of rape are often stigmatised in Guinea and it is believed that many victims of sexual assault in the stadium have not come forward because of this.

The violence meted out at Conakry stadium still haunts victims years later

Capt Camara, 58, seized power in 2008 when long-time President Lansana Conte died, but he was ousted and fled the country not long after the Conakry killings and following an assassination attempt. He had been living in Burkina Faso before returning to Guinea on Sunday.

He was detained ahead of the trial, according to his lawyer, Pepe Antoine Lamah, who said this was a violation of the law.

After Capt Camara left Guinea, an investigation was set up to establish the facts surrounding the tragedy - it sat from 2010 to 2017. During that time some alleged perpetrators were charged, including Capt Camara.

In 2018, a committee was set up to organise the trial, but concerns were raised about lack of progress because it was not meeting regularly.

It was the current military junta head - Col Mamady Doumbouya - who came to power after a coup in 2021, who ordered the trial to be held.
MrBeast has over 100 million subscribers on YouTube. FLAGRANT/YouTube

MrBeast  real name Jimmy Donaldson  has over 100 million subscribers on his main YouTube channel.

On the Flagrant podcast, Donaldson said that he received an offer of $1 billion for his content empire.

He said it would take an offer of at least $10 billion to sell.

YouTuber MrBeast  whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson  said he received an offer of $1 billion to take over his content empire, including his main channel which has over 100 million subscribers, but turned it down.

During an appearance on the Flagrant podcast on September 27, co-host Andrew Shulz said he was "shocked" that Donaldson hadn't been offered "the craziest check in history" for his content.

"I have been offered a pretty crazy one," Donaldson said. "There's people, not like official term sheets, but people that would be able to afford it, a billion dollars if they could own the channel and the companies and stuff."

The 24-year-old said he couldn't give any further details of who or where the offer came from but that it was a legitimate offer.

Flagrant's co-hosts asked Donaldson whether he had a price in mind for his channel and associated endeavors if he were to sell in the future.

"It's so crazy I don't even want to say it because it's just where I want to be. If we have a mobile game company and we got 100 million people playing it, and we have a thousand physical Beast Burgers and Feastables in 20,000 stores, it would probably be like $10 billion, $20 billion," he said, referring to his burger restaurant chain and line of chocolates and cookies.

In July, Insider reported that Donaldson planned to hire a programmer to create a "mobile strategy game for iOS and Android."

Donaldson is one of the most popular and highest-paid creators on YouTube, and is known for stunts like turning a backyard into a ball pit, and giving away a million dollars but only giving people one minute to spend it. He's given away everything from an island, to luxury cars, to millions in cash.

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But his rise to fame has not been without controversy  last year, a group of former employees told The New York Times Donaldson created a hostile work environment and that his "demeanor changed when the cameras weren't around."





Thousands attended the opening of MrBeast Burger's first physical location in East Rutherford, New Jersey, earlier this year. Dave Kotinsky

Donaldson launched a delivery-only restaurant brand, MrBeast Burger, in December 2020 and sold over one million sandwiches in three months. In early September 2022, MrBeast Burger opened its first physical restaurant at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Thousands camped out for the opening.

For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.

Read the original article on Insider
A 27-year-old MS-13 gang member was found guilty by a federal jury of taking part in the vicious 2017 murder of a 19-year-old man from Mendota.

Israel Alberto Rivas Gomez, a native of El Salvador, was convicted Friday of kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering.

Federal prosecutors said Rivas Gomez is a member of the violent criminal street gang called La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). The gangs members have been accused by law enforcement of murder, kidnapping, extortion and drug trafficking.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Dec. 18, 2017 Rivas Gomez and other MS-13 gang members kidnapped a 19-year-old man in Mendota, drove him to a remote location about 30 minutes away, and used a knife and machete to murder him.

Rivas Gomez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Dec. 16. He faces a mandatory statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Rivas Gomez was one of 25 people arrested in August 2018 as part of a crackdown on the gangs criminal activity in and around the west Fresno County town of Mendota.

Law enforcement officials suspect that from 2015 to late 2017 more than a dozen murders in and around Mendota were connected to MS-13. Residents said the gang had been operating in Mendota for nearly a decade prior to the large-scale law-enforcement sweep in August 2018.

This conviction is the culmination of years of incredible teamwork between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert said. This defendant murdered a young man and brought untold harm to the victims family. The U.S. Attorneys Office is committed to dismantling criminal enterprises like MS-13, and, equally important, to vindicating the rights of victims and seeking justice for their family members and loved ones.

Several law enforcement agencies were involved in the case, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Fresno County District Attorneys Office, the Fresno County Sheriffs Office and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit.
By Wa Lone

TORONTO (Reuters) - A Myanmar beauty queen, who had spoken out against military rule in her country and became stranded at Thailand's airport, said she was relieved but remained defiant after landing in Toronto on Wednesday.

Han Lay captured global attention last year with her pageant speech on the army's deadly suppression of anti-junta protests. After spending the past year in Thailand, she was denied re-entry into the country after a brief exit and spent days in Bangkok airport, pleading on social media not to be sent back home.

"Since I landed here, I feel safe and my worries have gone away," she told Reuters by phone from Toronto's international airport where she was awaiting a connecting flight to eastern Canada. "I am always a supporter for Myanmar democracy; I will always support it as much as I can."

The 23-year-old, whose real name is Thaw Nandar Aung, said she was going to live in Prince Edward Island, a province off Canada's Atlantic coast, with the government's assistance but did not say how long she would be there or what her status in Canada was.

Thai immigration officials denied her entry last week following a brief visit to Vietnam, saying she was using invalid travel documents. Han Lay arrived in Toronto via Seoul, on a Korean Air flight.

Myanmar has been plagued by violence since the military seized power early last year, with clashes between junta forces and militias allied with a shadow government and pro-democracy groups. A crackdown has targetted pro-democracy and youth groups, activists, politicians, celebrities and social media influencers.

A Human Rights Watch director said Myanmar's military rulers were using control over passports as a weapon against citizens' right to travel internationally.

"Such actions should be universally condemned, and governments around the world should be on guard against the junta using similar tactics against overseas dissidents traveling on Myanmar passports in the future," Phil Robertson said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Myanmar's junta did not respond to calls seeking comment. A spokesperson for Canada's immigration minister declined to provide details on Han Lay's case without her consent.

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, a day before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to arrive in Seoul.

The launch came two days after South Korea and U.S. forces conducted a military drill in waters off the South's east coast involving an aircraft carrier. On Sunday, North Korea fired another ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast.

Wednesday's missiles were launched from the Sunan area of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, between 6:10 and 6:20 p.m. 0910-0920 GMT), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

They flew about 360 km (225 miles), reaching an altitude of 30 km (19 miles) and a maximum velocity of Mach 6 (4,600 mph or 7,450 kmh), they said, adding a detailed analysis was underway.

"North Korea's provocations will further strengthen the South Korean-U.S. deterrence and response capability, and only deepen North Korea's isolation from the international community," the Joint Chiefs said in a statement.

South Korea's national security council held an emergency meeting and condemned the test, vowing to continue building "overwhelming" capacity to deter North Korea, President Yoon Suk-yeol's office said in a separate statement.

North Korean state media did not mention the reports of the latest launches, but its leader Kim Jong Un has said its development of nuclear weapons and missiles are meant to defend North Korea against U.S. threats.

Japan's coast guard also reported a suspected ballistic missile test, which its minister of state for defence, Toshiro Ino, condemned as "unacceptable". He said Pyongyang's repeated missile launches imperilled Japanese and international security.

Following a stop in Japan, Harris will land in the South Korean capital and visit the heavily fortified Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between the neighbours on Thursday.

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In a speech hours earlier aboard the destroyer USS Howard in the Japanese city of Yokosuka, Harris called Sunday's missile launch part of an "illicit weapons programme which threatens regional stability and violates multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions".

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the latest launch highlights "destabilising impact" of the North's unlawful weapons programmes.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson also condemned the test as a regional threat, but said Washington remained committed to a diplomatic approach and urged Pyongyang to engage in dialogue.

North Korea has tested missiles at an unprecedented pace this year, while this week's joint drill is a show of force intended to warn against what could be Pyongyang's first nuclear test since 2017.

The isolated country has completed preparations for a nuclear test, a window for which could open between China's party congress in October and the U.S. mid-term elections in November, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Trevor Hunnicutt in Tokyo and Susan Heavey in Washington; Editing by Robert Birsel, Clarence Fernandez and Mark Heinrich)
The Nampa Police Department on Wednesday afternoon said officers arrested an 18-year-old man who fired a gun at them in a situation that led a pair of schools to be placed in what is called hall check.

According to a news release from the Nampa Police Department, officers went to serve a battery warrant on Jaden Andres Martinez near the 1900 block of 1st Street N. shortly after 1 p.m. Martinez allegedly shot one round at police and fled a residence.

The shot did not hit any officer, and Nampa police reported no injuries, the release said.

Carmen Boeger, the Nampa police spokesperson, said officers did not return fire.

Police set up a perimeter around a field and called the Nampa Police Tactical Response Team for assistance.

TRT officers, along with Nampa Police K-9 officers, searched the area within the perimeter and located Martinez hiding in a ravine along the field, the release said. Martinez was taken into custody without further incident.

Martinez is being held on the battery warrant and will have additional charges that will include the shot fired at a police officer, according to the release.

Before identifying Martinez, police announced on social media to be on the lookout for an adult, 18 years old, light complexion, 6, thin build, unknown shirt, possibly black, jeans. They said he was armed and dangerous.

Police updated the information at 3:15 p.m. and revealed that at least two Nampa schools, Park Ridge Elementary and Endeavor Elementary, had been placed in hall check as a precaution. The schools are less than 2 miles away from where the suspect was being pursued.

Anyone coming or going to the school will be restricted, police said before arresting the suspect. This is for safety reasons. ... Please be patient as we work to make sure you children are safe. There have been NO threats at the schools.
The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will host activities to allow people to look back at World War I, according to a news release.

>>RELATED: WWI Memorial in Covington honors over 250 men who served

World War I Dawn Patrol Rendezvous will take place October 7-8 and nearly two dozen World I replica aircraft will be on display.

Activities include aerial events, World War I living history reenactors in a war encampment area, radio-controlled model aircraft, and a speaker series, the release said.

In addition to the aircraft, vintage automobiles from Ford, Overland, Davis and Oakland are scheduled to be on display.

Gates will open each day from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and admission and parking is free.

For more information, visit this website.




The Navy and Coast Guard are searching for a civil service mariner who went missing from a Norfolk-based cargo ship off the coast of Virginia.

The mariner, whose identity is being withheld at this time, was reported missing from USNS Medgar Evers Wednesday after the mariner failed to appear for a morning meeting, said LaShawn Sykes, a spokesperson for Military Sealift Command.

USNS Medgar Evers is a Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship that delivers supplies to the Navy and allied ships while at sea. Military Sealift Command ships are crewed by civilian merchant mariners.

The near 700-foot-long cargo ship, which operated out of Naval Station Norfolk, was off the coast of Virginia when the mariner was discovered to be missing.

Assisting in the search is U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Nathan Bruckenthal and a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Sector North Carolina.

Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com
(Getty Images)

The life of adult film star Rocco Siffredi is the subject of a forthcoming Netflix series called Supersex.

The show, which has started shooting in Italy, will be a seven-episode drama inspired by the real life of Siffredi, who has over 1,500 porn films to his name.

Siffredi took his stage name from the character Roch Siffredi played by Alain Delon in the French gangster film Borsalino.

He is famously known for appearing in the Buttman series of adult movies.

In June 2004, Siffredi declared that he would retire from porn films for the sake of his children, and instead focus on direction and production.

My children are growing up, he said at the time, adding: I can no longer just say Dad is going to work to make money for the family. They want to know more.

During his career, Siffredi also shot two arthouse pics, Catherine Breillats Romance and Anatomy of Hell.

His performance in Romance was followed by Anatomy of Hell, in which he played a gay man who becomes sexually involved with a woman.

(Getty Images)

Both films featured unsimulated sexual scenes involving Siffredi, although it is disputed whether he actually had intercourse with his co-star Caroline Ducey in Romance (she said no, Siffredi said yes).

In 2012, Siffredi made a cameo as himself in the successful French comedy Porn in the Hood.

He has also shot some non-pornographic roles on Italian television, including television commercials for Amica Chips, Cielo show Ci pensa Rocco, and a La 5 docu-reality series, Casa Siffredi.

In 1997, the Italian band Elio e Le Storie Tese dedicated a song, Rocco e Le Storie Tese, to Siffredi, the video for which he directed the video and starred in.

He also duetted with the band in the song Un bacio piccolissimo at the 63rd edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, and made a cameo appearance as himself in the 2018 Italian comedy film Natale a cinque stelle.
A newborn was found dead in a north Georgia creek on Tuesday afternoon, deputies say.

The Catoosa County Sheriffs Office says it found a lifeless, underdeveloped infant at the Graysville Canoe Launch around 1 p.m.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Deputies say they found the infant lying face down at the edge of South Chickamauga Creek with the umbilical cord and placenta still attached.

Investigators believe the infant was brought to the area sometime earlier in the day.

TRENDING STORIES:

We know that someone is going through a very tragic time in their life, and we want to help, Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk said. If you saw something at the Graysville Canoe launch before 1:00 p.m. this date, such as a vehicle or persons in the area, or if you know someone who was pregnant and is now without their baby, please give us a call.

An autopsy is being conducted. Anyone with information is asked to call Catoosa County Detective Brittany Gilleland at (706) 935-2424.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
NEWTON  A local woman is being held without bail after authorities say she killed a 65-year-old man sometime after he confronted her over stealing thousands of dollars from his bank account, authorities said Wednesday.

Xiu Fang Ke, 43, is accused of killing Leonard Garber in his 6 Mount Vernon Terrace home, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced during a midday press conference at the Newton Police Department.

Judge Mary Elizabeth Heffernan ordered Ke held without bail during the suspect's arraignment Wednesday afternoon in Newton District Court. Ke is due back in court on Oct. 31 for a probable cause hearing.

Ke's lawyer, Jeffrey Miller, declined to comment when reached at his office.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said there was a "concerted effort" to hide the body of a Newton man who was recently slain.

Garber's body was discovered at 3 p.m. Tuesday, although authorities say it appears he had been dead for more than 24 hours. The state medical examiner is conducting an autopsy but preliminary indications are that the cause of death is blunt force trauma, Ryan said.

More: Framingham woman dies of stab wounds. What to know about the city's first homicide of 2022

What police discovered on Mount Vernon Terrace

The investigation initially began as a missing persons report on Monday evening, Ryan said. Family and friends contacted Newton police after not hearing from Garber since last week, which was unusual.

Police visited Garber's home on Monday night and again on Tuesday morning, but did not locate him. On Tuesday afternoon, they discovered his body wrapped in a curtain underneath construction material and other heavy items in the front hallway of the home, Ryan said.

There was a "concerted effort" to hide Garber's body, Ryan said.

What Newton police are investigating

Investigators from the District Attorney's Office, the Massachusetts State Police and Newton Police Department began an investigation. They reviewed security video from Garber's home and saw Ke entering it several times in recent days.

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Ke is a former tenant of Garber's at another property; they had become friends, Ryan said.

More: Competency results sought for Christopher McKoy, charged in 2019 Framingham slaying

The investigation revealed that Ke was forging checks from Garber's bank account and had stolen $40,000. Authorities say Garber discovered the theft last week and confronted Ke about it on Friday or Saturday.

Police arrested Ke on Wednesday at the Newton Police Department. She is charged with murder.

Newton Police Chief John Carmichael, during Wednesday's press conference, praised the teamwork of all officers and dispatchers involved in the investigation.

"I'm proud of the outcome of the investigation," he said. "Everyone worked very hard over the past 72, 48 hours."

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller expressed sorrow to those who knew Garber.

"I personally express my condolences, and I speak for the people of Newton when I say my hearts and prayers here," she said during the press conference.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Newton police charge woman with killing, stealing from Leonard Garber
U.S. Bank Stadium is the back-up option if the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to move their Sunday night game out of Florida because of damage from Hurricane Ian, a National Football League official said Wednesday.

Jeff Miller, NFL senior vice president of health and safety policy, made the announcement on a call. Miller said the rematch of the 2020 Super Bowl is still on for Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, but that it will be moved to Minneapolis if necessary.

Miller said the first priority is to ensure the league doesn't do anything to "negatively impact public safety efforts in the affected areas. ... We're closely monitoring the situation, and in discussion with both clubs, the stadium, local and state authorities and various weather bureaus on a minute-by-minute basis."

Asked how close to Sunday a decision might come, Miller said there is no timeline.

"It's literally a minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour consideration and conversation with all of the affected parties, state and local authorities, disaster relief agencies and the participating clubs  as well as the Vikings," he said.

Rumors about moving the game from Tampa Bay to Minneapolis started online early Tuesday and quickly generated excitement because of the teams and players involved.

The game would be a match-up of two of the NFL's biggest stars and future first ballot Hall of Famers: quarterbacks Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. In the 2020 championship game, the Brady-led Buccaneers beat Mahomes and the Chiefs in Tampa Bay.

John Drum, general manager for ASM Global, which runs U.S. Bank Stadium operations, has said staff and the building can be mobilized and ready.

U.S. Bank Stadium's 67,000-plus seats would be available Sunday night because the Vikings will be far away, playing the New Orleans Saints in London. The Vikings, the primary tenant at U.S. Bank Stadium, deferred comment to the league.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the New York-based league is in no rush to make a call.

Story continues

"We always make contingency plans in the event we need to make adjustments as we continue to monitor developments and stay in contact with the two participating teams along with local officials there," McCarthy said. "We could make decisions later in the week, including on Friday."

Moving the game because of a hurricane isn't unprecedented. A year ago, the New Orleans Saints home-opener against the Green Bay Packers was moved to Jacksonville, Fla., because of Hurricane Ida.

The NFL is familiar with the capabilities of U.S. Bank Stadium operations and staff because the building hosted Super Bowl 52 in 2018. Brady played in that game, too, as the losing quarterback for the New England Patriots.

It's not yet clear whether the hurricane will hit Tampa Bay and how severe the damage will be. Even if the storm doesn't directly hit Tampa, the damage nearby or elsewhere could strain public safety resources and necessitate moving Sunday's game.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged Floridians to prepare for extended power outages.

Staff writer Ben Goessling contributed to this report.
Sep. 27A Northwood resident pleaded guilty in federal court to bank and wire fraud charges, part of a scheme to secure $3.5 million in CARES Act Funds, officials said.

Joshua Leavitt, 40, of Northwood, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan.11, 2023.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between March 2020 and November 2021, Leavitt and a co-defendant, Pierre Rogers, 43, of Irvine, California, fraudulently applied for over two dozen loans under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Congress had authorized the PPP and EIDL relief programs to help the millions of Americans and many small businesses adversely affected by the early stages of the COVID pandemic. PPP loans were issued by private lenders but fully guaranteed by the government, and EIDL funds were issued by the Small Business Administration.

Leavitt and Rogers applied for and obtained a $175,000 PPP loan from TD Bank for one of their companies, Puro Group, court documents show. The application claimed that Puro Group's monthly payroll was $70,000 and that the company had six employees.

As part of this application, Leavitt and Rogers submitted false supporting documents. One of those documents was a false IRS Form 941, or quarterly tax return, for the first quarter 2020.

The document, which the defendants reportedly filed with the IRS, claimed that Puro Group had five employees that quarter who were paid a total of $209,999.99. The document also claimed that the defendants paid actual federal income tax of $27,600 that quarter.

Officials say the document was never filed with the IRS. The real tax filings showed that Puro Group paid $48,255.53 to its employees during the entire calendar year of 2020, or approximately $4,000 per month.

In another example, court records show Leavitt and Rogers applied for and obtained a $29,000 EIDL and $7,000 Economic Injury Disaster Grant for another company, Monticello Transnational.

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In the application, Leavitt falsely claims that Monticello Transnational's gross revenues for the year preceding Jan. 31, 2020, was $75,000 and the company had seven employees.

Bank records show no payments to employees and the company had only a few thousand dollars' worth of deposits.

There were no tax filings for the company for 2019 or the first quarter of 2020.

In total, Leavitt and Rogers attempted to fraudulently obtain more than $3.5 million in PPP and EIDL funds, federal officials report. Leavitt will be required to pay back $869,475.50 in restitution.

Rogers has pleaded not guilty.
(Reuters) -Nicaragua has asked the European Union's ambassador to leave the country, three diplomatic sources told Reuters on Wednesday, after officials deemed the representative "persona non grata."

European Union Ambassador Bettina Muscheidt was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, where she was declared "non grata" and notified that she should leave the country, one of the diplomatic sources said.

Muscheidt is no longer welcome in Nicaragua, according to one of the diplomatic sources who requested anonymity to discuss the decision.

One source said the EU ambassador was asked to leave the country on Wednesday, but the other two did not specify a timeframe for her departure.

The decision by President Daniel Ortega's government is just the latest push to punish those who appear to criticize him, following an especially sweeping clampdown on independent media and the gutted political opposition over the past few years.

Neither the government's press office nor the foreign ministry responded to requests for comment.

The decision to force Muscheidt to leave the Central American country follows a statement by the European Union issued at the United Nations last week in which it urged Ortega to "restore democracy." The statement went on to press for the release of political prisoners and respect for human rights.

Muscheidt "has been expelled in a vulgar way," tweeted ex-ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) Arturo McFields, who resigned his post in March.

There have been other high-profile diplomatic rejections in recent months.

Hugo Rodriguez, a nominee to serve as U.S. ambassador to Nicaragua, was denied his post by the government in June.

In February, the Vatican's ambassador to Managua, Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, was declared persona non grata and ordered to leave.

Nationwide protests against Ortega broke out in 2018, resulting in over 300 deaths, most at the hands of police.

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During last year's presidential election, Ortega's main political challengers were all arrested and a broad assault on dissent was enforced.

Ortega, 76, a former Marxist rebel who helped topple a right-wing dictatorship in the late 1970s, came back to power in 2007 and sailed to a fourth term in a November election widely slammed as a sham.

(Reporting by Ismael Lopez and Diego Ore; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Sandra Maler and Stephen Coates)
By Yuka Obayashi

TOKYO (Reuters) -An Indian joint venture of ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel will invest 410 billion rupees ($5 billion) to boost crude steel output capacity by 6 million tones a year at its Hazira plant, the Japanese firm said on Wednesday.

The AM/NS India joint venture will build two blast furnaces, along with many other facilities, in its Hazira plant in western India, with plans to start operations by mid-2026.

The expansion is aimed at meeting growing steel demand in India and winning a bigger slice of the market.

The annual steel output capacity of the Hazira plant will increase to around 15 million tonnes after the expansion.

AM/NS India is also considering to build a new steel plant in eastern India while it plans to keep expanding the Hazira plant even beyond 15 million tonnes, said Takahiro Mori, executive vice president at Nippon Steel.

"To secure a good presence, we want to win about 15% share in the Indian market where an annual crude steel output is expected to grow to around 200 million tonnes by 2030," Mori told a news conference.

"Therefore, we want to bolster AM/NS India's output capacity to around 30 million tonnes by 2030," he said.

Nippon Steel, the world's fourth-biggest steelmaker, has also its own goal to increase its group steel output capacity to 100 million tonnes in the future, from 66 million tonnes now.

After the announced expansion at Hazira, along with planned closures of some mills in Japan, the figure will reach 70 million tonnes.

The remaining 30 million tonnes will likely come from further expansions in India, ASEAN and the United States, Mori said.

Mori told Reuters recently that Nippon Steel plans to almost double crude steel output capacity at the Hazira plant to secure more of the growing market.

($1 = 81.8950 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Sep. 28Nissan North America selected the Port of Brunswick as a new point of entry into the U.S., the Georgia Ports Authority announced on Tuesday.

"This is going to mean new jobs in the Brunswick area," said GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten. "I already think Brunswick is the best port in North America for what they do  that's cars, vehicles, heavy machinery  but the added improvements and money being spent down there is going to make Brunswick the biggest in a couple of years and also the best-equipped port for these kinds of imports and exports. That's just huge for the Brunswick area and more importantly, for the state of Georgia."

The decision comes as the ports authority continues to dump money into expanding the Brunswick port.

It also announced Tuesday that the board of the GPA approved additional buildings, property development and infrastructure and that Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions plans to build three new buildings to support its auto processing operation for Nissan and Infiniti.

Griff Lynch, executive director of the ports authority, said the news demonstrates GPA's commitment to making Brunswick a top port in the auto industry.

He said the authority has been striving for years "to make Brunswick the premier auto port."

"We're living up to our word and want to deliver on this promise," he added. "We're committed to making this the largest auto port in the country."

The Port of Brunswick handled 53,600 units of vehicles and heavy machinery in August, according to the ports authority, an increase of 1,700 units compared to the same month last year.

Nissan is among two dozen other auto manufacturers using the port. Others include Mercedes Benz, BMW, Hyundai and Kia.

It's the port's supply chain interconnectivity  featuring rail and quick access to I-95, and therefore I-16 and I-10 as well that makes Brunswick an attractive location for companies looking to ship products to Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville, Charlotte and markets across Florida, said Cliff Pyron, chief commercial officer at GPA.

Story continues

"Its position as the nation's second busiest but fastest growing roll-on/roll-off port offers a strong customer endorsement for relying on Georgia ports," Pyron said.

It's possible the Port of Brunswick could become the top gateway for auto manufacturers in the U.S., said Wooten. With recent expansions, the port is in a position to take on new business, such as vehicle accessory installation.

"We have the additional land and acreage in Brunswick to continue to add and develop and handle whatever future customers need or want in Brunswick," Wooten said. "That's a huge advantage no one else on the East Coast or country really has."

It all adds up to an increase in capacity across the board to accept shipments of vehicles, store them and process them, Wooden added.

He also noted the port authority is expanding its infrastructure dealing with break-bulk cargo to better service the timber industry.

The Port of Brunswick recently received federal approval to add a fourth berth at Colonel's Island. The project will more efficiently accommodate the larger vessels with a capacity of 7,000-plus vehicles, which is becoming the industry standard at U.S. ports.

"I would be remiss if I didn't say we have gotten great support from Glynn County, the county commissioners, the city of Brunswick and the other governmental entities in that area," Wooten said. "They're generally very good to work with, particularly on government issues"
Two Baltimore County Police officers who fatally shot a man brandishing a knife and carving fork in Essex in May will not face any criminal charges for their conduct, prosecutors said.

Baltimore County Deputy States Attorney John P. Cox wrote in a Sept. 8 letter that there are no appropriate criminal charges to be brought or prosecuted regarding any of the officers. Cox said his office had reviewed body camera footage and a report completed at the end of August by the Independent Investigations Division of the Maryland Attorney Generals Office.

Ralph Picarello, III, 39, was shot and killed by the two police officers after investigators said he moved quickly toward officers with a knife and carving fork in his hands.

The state report identified the officers as Derrick Manning and Eric Pellegrino. Together, they fired four shots that struck Picarello in the chest, hand and forearm, according to investigators. A third officer deployed a Taser.

The Independent Investigations Division, which is charged under state law with investigating fatalities involving police, including fatal shootings, in-custody deaths or police pursuits, found that officers only used deadly force when Mr. Picarello created a situation in which the officers had reason to believe they and others faced an immediate threat of serious physical injury.

The division evaluated potential criminal charges of intentional second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and other charges  and concluded it was highly unlikely the state could prove officers didnt act in self-defense or with law enforcement justification, a defense that says officers can use force necessary to discharge his official duties.

The report also said its unlikely that prosecutors could prove the officers who fired their weapons acted unreasonably by not first deploying a Taser.

Picarello was moving quickly towards them when Manning and Pellegrino fired, plus they couldnt get farther away from him due to the layout of the house, and he could have posed a threat to others in the home, the report said.

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The Essex case marks the third fatal police shooting in Baltimore County to be investigated by the Independent Investigations Division, leading to no criminal charges. Two officers involved in civilian deaths in separate incidents last October were cleared by the Baltimore County States Attorneys Office earlier this year.

The two October incidents were the first to be investigated by the state unit, following 2021s law directing the Attorney Generals Office to look into police-involved deaths. The division does not make charging decisions; it prepares investigative reports with findings and legal analysis them shares them with local prosecutors, who make a determination on criminal charges.

Baltimore County Police previously said that officers responding to a reported physical domestic disturbance arrived arrived May 4 at a home on Boundbrook Way, where they encountered Picarello. Body camera footage released in July showed Picarello standing in the kitchen and speaking with a woman in the home as officers collected information.

State investigators wrote in their report that a family member told police that Picarello had held knives to his throat and the throat of a family member earlier that afternoon. A family member reportedly told police he had just been discharged from the hospital for an overdose and was withdrawing badly.

Attempts to reach Picarellos family members Wednesday were unsuccessful.

Manning and Pellgrino spoke to Picarello for approximately six minutes, the report said, with Picarello consistently agitated during that time.

When one officer suggested he let police take him to a hospital, Picarello refused. The officer then told Picarello that unfortunately, he would have to go to Franklin Square Medical Center.

No, were not. No, were not. Im telling you right know, said Picarello, who then picked up a knife and carving fork from the ground.

Officers yelled for him to put down the knife, but he did not. Picarello then can be seen in the footage coming from around the kitchen table toward the officers. They fire shots at him, striking him. A Taser also can be heard.

Footage shows officers putting handcuffs on Picarello as he is apparently unconscious, then starting first aid. The state investigators report said paramedics responded eight minutes after the shooting and pronounced him dead.

The report said neither Manning nor Pellegrino had shot anyone prior to Picarellos May 4 death. Manning had one prior Internal Affairs complaint, which was unsubstantiated and had no bearing on this incident, according to the investigation; Pellegrino had none.

The Baltimore County Police Department did not respond Tuesday afternoon to a question about the status of Manning and Pellegrino with the agency.

The Independent Investigations Division is still investigating another fatal police shooting by Baltimore County Police in 2022, according to an online dashboard.

Joseph Robert Henry Thompson, 66, was shot to death in early June after he answered a Towson apartment door with a handgun that he pointed at police and appeared to fire. One officer was shot in the hand, and a woman was found inside the apartment suffering from gunshot wounds.

Baltimore County Police also shot and seriously injured a 19-year-old driver in April. A grand jury found the officers actions in that shooting justified, following an investigation by the police department.
The Nord Stream could become completely unusable after an incident in the Baltic Sea

According to the publication's sources, if the damaged lines are not repaired swiftly, the pipeline can be destroyed by a large amount of salt water, which will cause corrosion.

Read also: Nearly simultaneous leaks in Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines could be sabotage

Only one line of the Nord Stream-2 pipeline remains intact.

In response to the accident, the German Federal Police is strengthening control over German sovereign waters. Also, German states will step up the protection of the coastal areas of the North and Baltic Seas.

The European Commission, German law enforcement agencies, and the German Federal Intelligence Service have assumed that the pipeline damages are a deliberate act of sabotage.

Due to the complexity of the attack, experts believe that it could only be carried out by a state actor, the newspaper writes.

Read also: Europe can win Putins gas war but must learn Nord Stream lessons

According to one version, divers could have planted explosives in both lines of Nord Stream 1 and one of the two lines of Nord Stream-2, which is not yet operational.

Tagesspiegel notes that the isolated explosions indicate that the leak is huge and the rate of pressure drop in the pipeline is correspondingly high.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck warned of the possibility of further attacks on critical energy infrastructure.

Following the decompression of the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream-2, which was reported on Sept. 26, gas pressure plummeted along both lines of Nord Stream-1.

Read also: EU calls Nord Stream gas leaks sabotage

Nord Stream AG said that the simultaneous destruction of three gas lines in the Baltic Sea is unprecedented and it is not yet possible to estimate the timing of the restoration of the gas transport infrastructure.

Two underwater explosions that occurred on the Nord Stream-1 and Nord Stream-2 pipelines were confirmed on Sept. 27.

According to German newspaper Spiegel, citing its sources in the German government, a few weeks ago the U.S. intelligence services had warned Germany about possible attacks on gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

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The Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline was completed in 2021 and filled with technical gas, but it did not receive certification before the full-scale invasion, and thus was never operational.

The Nord Stream-1 gas pipeline was stopped for maintenance at the end of August and did not resume operation, due to Russian interference.

Read also: Siemens Energy says engine oil leak no reason for Nord Stream 1 shutdown

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
John Reece said it all started for him when he was 5 years old.

I was raised right here on the farm in the house next to the Apple House, Reece said at B.J. Reece Orchards, one of North Georgias largest.

The orchard has been going on for 60 years, through good times and sometimes bad. Channel 2s Berndt Petersen visited the orchard on Tuesday to see how much their crops had grown.

Our crop got damaged Easter week in 2021. Cold weather killed it, Reece said.

It happened to every apple grower in Ellijay. The industry lost millions of dollars.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

This season, Reece told Channel 2 Action News the weather was as close to perfect as it gets. On this farm, more than 200 acres of trees are full of fruit.

We come here every year and let all the little ones pick apples together, Kristen Reece said. Most of the visitors come from around Atlanta. Sometimes thousands of people a day come to pick their own apples. I think its a great little getaway. You feel like youre kind of in a different world, Jennifer Tapley said.

John Reece admits things got a little lonely out here in 2021 because of that freeze, and even now hes watching the weather far out to sea in the Gulf of Mexico. If and when whats left of Hurricane Ian comes through the North Georgia mountains, it could cause trouble.

Two or three years ago we had a storm come in. We had a good crop of apples and we lost 600 trees. They blew over, John Reece said.

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For now, theyre celebrating one of their best apple crops ever. Its a blessing to see everybody come out. We make friends, people weve now known for years. We met them here at The Apple House and they come back every year, John Reece said.

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You can learn more about B.J. Reece Orchards in Ellijay here.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
 NV ranks among the highest quality media in Ukraine.

The Institute of Mass Information has released a list of the highest quality and most responsible online media, including nine national online media that scored the highest points in the assessment of compliance with professional standards and had the lowest rates of error and bias as of September 2022. NV has been on the "White List" of Ukrainian online media for several years. In the fall of 2021, NV was included in the list of 10 editorial offices with the highest level of compliance with journalistic standards in Ukraine  also according to the results of the Institute of Mass Information monitoring.

 Russia will set up a mobilization point on the Russian-Georgian border to catch draft dodgers.

Russian men trying to flee to Georgia to evade mobilization for the Kremlins war in Ukraine will soon have a new obstacle in their way to safety  a military mobilization point right on the border. The point will be deployed at the Verkhny Lars border point, the border crossing closest to the Georgian capital Tbilisi, where thousands of Russian men have already sought refuge. However, the message didnt say when the mobilization point would open.

 Meanwhile, protestors in the Russian province of Dagestan continue to clash with the authorities as a result of Russias mobilization.

 Ukraine plans to create a special international tribunal for Russian war crimes.

The Zelenskyy administration has presented these plans to the ambassadors of 30 countries, the President revealed in his evening address to the nation. I have no doubt this tribunal will take place. Everyone who unleashed this criminal war against Ukraine and freedom in Europe will be held to account, Zelenskyy said.

 The Netherlands promises to provide Ukraine with greater military support following Russias sham referendums.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte made the promise to President Zelenskyy during phone talks between the two on Sept. 26, the two leaders reported via Twitter. The Ukrainian leader wrote on Twitter that he had discussed with Rutte the situation at the front and further defense aid for Ukraine, as well as support for Ukrainian initiatives within the UN. In his later evening address, Zelenskyy added that he and Rutte had also discussed the criminal mobilization that Russia is conducting, in particular in the occupied territories, as well as the sham referendums.

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 The manager of a German energy company has been suspended after he observed Russias sham referendum.

Stefan Schaller, manager of state-owned energy company Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg in Hessen, Germany, illegally entered Ukraine to conduct his observation, Der Spiegel reports. The federal state of Hessen said that the removal of Schaller was a reaction "to his work as an observer at illegal fictitious Russian referendums in Ukraine. The decision was made unanimously, after which the issue of Schaller's dismissal will be discussed, Hessen officials said.

 One of Tajikistans biggest banks stops supporting the Russia Mir payment system.

Dushanbe City Bank  the countrys second-largest bank by cardholders, said the reason was down to technical issues, adding that failures in the operation of Mir cards have been going on since Sept. 24. No schedule for the resumption of the system has been revealed. The banks of some countries have already suspended work with cards of the Mir payment system amid possible sanctions from the United States. In particular, Turkish banks Is Bankasi and DenizBank, as well as the Uzbek unified bank processing center Uzcard have refused to deal with the Russian cards.

 A Ukrainian-made A.I. voice modeling tool will help shape the voice of Darth Vader for Disney.

Ars Technica, a website covering news and opinions in technology, said in a report on Sept. 26 that the ground-breaking tool is called Respeecher. Respeecher is a voice cloning product from a company in Ukraine that uses deep learning to model and replicate human voices that produces results practically indistinguishable from the real thing  in this case, to replicate the voice of storied Darth Vader actor James Earl Jones.

 The days long read: Ex-State Duma member says dumb bureaucracy, mobilization may lead to revolution in Russia

Ilya Ponomarev, a former member of Russias State Duma and now a citizen of Ukraine, in an interview with Radio NV said the bureaucracy of Russian officials, their misunderstanding of the Ukraine, and mobilization in Russia are beginning to strengthen revolutionary sentiments in the country.

 Dont miss: European rights agency polls people fleeing war in Ukraine

The ongoing war in Ukraine has forced millions of people to seek refuge in the EU. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)is conducting a survey to determine the concerns and needs of these people in order to inform EU policy-making.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russia has no chance of capturing Odesa, Serhiy Bratchuk said

The statement came in response to a Bloomberg report, which said that after mobilization, Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin wants to send his army to capture Odesa and Kharkiv.

Bratchuk noted that Odesa is a strategically important city  in fact, the "sea gate of the state".

Read also: Three cargo ships with Ukrainian grain leave Odesa Oblast port

He also stressed that Odesas defense system is improving by the day.

"It has been built since February 24 so that no enemy could penetrate here either by land or by sea, the official said.

Today, when we are talking about a sea landing operation, this risk remains, because there is the Russian Black Sea Fleet. But now there are no preparations for this very expensive operation. In addition, it must be provided from land or from the air. On land, the enemy is not advancing, on the contrary, our Armed Forces are advancing on the southern axis, albeit slowly.

Read also: SBU detains Russian agent who targeted kamikaze drone strikes in Odesa

Moscow is convinced that after the announced mobilization, Russia will be able to regain the initiative on the battlefield, move deeper into Ukraine, and capture several major cities, including Kharkiv and Odesa. Military experts generally doubt the viability of these plans, due to Russias logistical and command deficiencies.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
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Ohio Task Force 1 members left Alabama Wednesday morning heading toward Florida to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

>> Previous Coverage: Ohio Task Force 1 heading to Alabama in preparation for Tropical Storm Ian

The 35-person team spent Monday and Tuesday participating in training, according to a post on its Facebook page.

>> Hurricane Ian: Eyewall of storm moving onshore (live updates)

Medical Team Manager, Dr. Nicholas Kman, conducted emergency first aid review with the team and members participated in hands-on exercises with updated GPS equipment. All members continue to prepare for work in the hurricanes area of impact, the post said.

We will continue updating this story as we learn more.

(Alabama)  1130 hrs EST. Ohio Task Force 1 is on the move this morning 9/28/22 as Hurricane Ian makes a hard turn east... Posted by Ohio Task Force 1 on Wednesday, September 28, 2022





Clouds from the approaching Hurricane Ian darken the sky on September 27, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Heavy traffic moves slowly on I-4 East as residents evacuate the Gulf Coast of Florida in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Ian on September 27, 2022, in Four Corners, Florida.

People walk the beach at sunset in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Ian on September 27, 2022, in Treasure Island, Florida.

Police officers regulate bridge traffic on the Siesta Key North Bridge as Hurricane Ian approaches on September 27, 2022, in Sarasota, Florida.

People look out as clouds from the approaching Hurricane Ian darken the sky on September 27, 2022, in St Petersburg, Florida.

People walk the beach at sunset in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Ian on September 27, 2022, in Treasure Island, Florida.

Erwin Martinez carries sandbags in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Ian on September 27, 2022, on a beach near Tampa, Florida.

Matt Worsham boards up his home as he prepares for the possible arrival of Hurricane Ian on September 27, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Edward Montgomery and Courtney Viezux board up Montgomery's apartment building as they prepare for the possible arrival of Hurricane Ian on September 27, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Neal Schroeder covers the windows at his home with workout mats as Hurricane Ian approaches on September 27, 2022, in Sarasota, Florida.

Jennifer Tamman evacuates her home with one of her cats before the possible arrival of Hurricane Ian on September 27, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

A person kite surfs near the Sunshine Skyway bridge as Hurricane Ian approaches on September 27, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Florida.




The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 4-1 on Tuesday to deny clemency to confessed baby killer Benjamin Cole despite his attorneys' pleas for mercy on mental illness grounds.

Cole, 57, is set to be executed by lethal injection Oct. 20 for murdering his daughter five days before Christmas in 2002 in Claremore.

Brianna Cole was almost 9 months old. Cole bent her backward in her crib when she started crying, breaking her spine and tearing her aorta. He then went back to playing a Nintendo video game, "007."

"I can't fathom how any human could do what this man did to this baby," said her uncle, Dr. Bryan Young of Fort Gibson. "How could any human do that to a baby? The mind boggles me."

In dispute during the clemency hearing was whether Cole is really mentally ill.

His attorneys said since his trial he has been diagnosed as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and has a growing brain lesion. They said he rarely talks to anyone, believes rock bands send him messages, doesn't take showers and refuses medical treatment for a painful condition.

Cole is being held at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. On death row, he stayed in his cell, hoarded food and religious materials, and kept the lights off at all times, the attorneys said.

Six guards had to carry him on a gurney to a special cell next to the execution chamber this month because he couldn't roll his wheelchair to the elevator, the board was told.

At trial, he stared for hours at a Bible, the board also was told. He wanted to invite the guitarist from the band Korn to witness his execution originally scheduled in 2015, and he predicted he would simply vanish once strapped down to the execution table.

"We've known Benjamin for a long time," one attorney, Tom Hird, said. "And we've seen him go a little further downhill, downhill, getting worse and worse. We've seen the decline. He's not faking it. He's not some kind of mastermind."

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Psychologist says Benjamin Cole has no significant signs of mental illness

Attorneys for the state acknowledged Cole is frail, has a brain lesion and shows signs of mental illness. However, they called him manipulative and said he was diagnosed before trial as only having a personality disorder. They told the board he regularly talks to the corrections officers who deliver canteen items to him.

State attorneys provided the board with a report by a state forensic psychologist who evaluated Cole in July at the Oklahoma Forensic Center in Vinita. That psychologist, Scott Orth, reported Cole did not exhibit any substantial signs of hallucinations, mental illness or intellectual impairment during their meeting.

The psychologist did note that Cole repeatedly asserted a belief that people need to get "right with Jesus" because there is little time left for humanity. He described Cole's discussion of religion as frankly largely consistent with the beliefs of millions of individuals "and not the product of a statutory-defined mental illness."

The state attorneys also told the parole board Cole had abused his other children. He went to prison in California for the abuse of a son that included burning the baby's eyelid with a cigarette.

Cole chose to not speak to the board himself by video.

Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor applauds parole board decision

The decision Tuesday means Gov. Kevin Stitt cannot change Cole's death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In Oklahoma, a governor can commute a death row inmate's sentence only if the board recommends clemency.

Attorney General John O'Connor said he was grateful that the board denied clemency. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the other members of Briannas family, the attorney general said.

Cole could still avoid execution if a Pittsburg County judge orders a competency trial. A hearing is set for Friday.

"The evidence of Mr. Coles severe mental illness presented during todays clemency hearing reinforces the need for a full trial on his competency, Hird said after the parole board's vote. He is so impaired that he does not rationally understand why the state intends to execute him and was unable to participate in the clemency proceedings.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1986 that the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment prohibits states from executing death row inmates who have become insane.

Cole's execution would at least be stayed for months if a judge orders a competency trial. He would not be executed if a jury agreed he is now insane.

Cole once was days away from being put to death by lethal injection when executions were called off because of a drug mix-up. A doctor discovered the wrong deadly drug had been delivered for an execution scheduled on Sept. 30, 2015, for death row inmate Richard Glossip.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 in 2015 to deny Cole clemency. The makeup of the board has changed since then. Cole also did not speak to the board then.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Benjamin Cole, Oklahoma death row inmate, denied clemency
Guinea's oldest chimpanzee and one of the last members of a globally famous endangered community has died in solitude around the age of 71, the environment ministry said.

Fana, a female chimp born around 1951, was part of a troop that gained global fame for uncanny abilities to use tools.

The tiny community of apes lives in a forest around the village of Bossou, in the far southeastern corner of the country.

Scientists have trekked to the remote location for decades to study the chimps' remarkable use of stone hammers and anvils to crack open nuts -- the most sophisticated act ever observed of humanity's genetically closest relative.

But Fana's death brings the number of Bossou chimpanzees down to just six or seven.

Half are females, though two are no longer able to reproduce.

Fana had been showing signs of exhaustion over the past few months, the environment ministry said on Facebook Tuesday.

Her left upper limb has been paralysed since she took a bad fall nearly 25 years ago and she had long since stopped climbing trees.

She lived alone as she became less mobile.

Her body was found on September 19 and she was buried the next day in the presence of local villagers.

The Bossou apes have a unique relationship with the village population.

The great apes live in the wild but share the territory and its resources with the locals, who protect them, believing them to be reincarnated ancestors.

Up until 2003, the Bossou chimp group had been relatively stable at around 21 animals. But it lost seven members to the flu that year.

It has also been affected by human activities in the area.

Locals traditionally use slash-and-burn agriculture, and though they had preserved a 320-hectare block of forest around Bossou, surrounding deforestation has cut it off from the rest of the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, where there are more numerous chimp communities.

Slash-and-burn agriculture sees people cultivate lands until they become depleted, then clear forests to create new lands, and repeat the cycle.

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The UNESCO World Heritage-listed reserve straddles Guinea's borders with Liberia and Ivory Coast.

Fana leaves behind two sons, Foaf and Fanwa. She is predeceased by her daughter, Fotayou.

aab-lal/prc/raz
By Marcelo Teixeira and Tom Polansek

NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) -Orange juice futures on ICE exchange traded up as much as 5.5% on Wednesday as Hurricane Ian hit the Florida coast, threatening to damage orange trees in the largest producing state.

Meat companies also braced for the brunt of the storm hitting the southeastern United States, where livestock and chickens are raised, while agribusiness Cargill Inc shuttered facilities that handle products ranging from grains to salt.

Forecasters say Ian would unleash wind-driven high surf and torrential rains that may cause coastal flooding of up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) in Florida.

Juice futures had already gained more than 2% ahead of the storm on Tuesday. Risks grew for the plantations as Ian's path changed slightly.

"The storm shifted east and further south overnight, placing more of the oranges in harm's way," said Judy Ganes, a soft commodities analyst with J.Ganes Consulting.

Orange juice prices have already gone up this year as Florida's production is expected to drop sharply due to a fungus disease.

Florida is also the largest U.S. grower of sugarcane, but crops are located more to the west of the storm's path.

"Sugarcane stalks are likely to bend (due to winds) rather than break," Janes said.

Food and agricultural companies hunkered down.

Cargill closed grain-processing, salt-packaging, and starches and sweeteners facilities in the Tampa, Florida, area, spokesman Daniel Sullivan said. The company also shut an animal-nutrition facility in the Poinciana-Kissimmee area, he said.

Cal-Maine Foods, the top U.S. shell egg producer which also raises laying chickens in Florida, began preparing for the storm a week ago and is following it closely, Chief Financial Officer Max Bowman said.

Perdue Farms, which raises chickens for meat, is preparing sandbags, checking generators and making sure farms have enough feed, spokeswoman Diana Souder said. The privately held company is adjusting delivery and processing schedules as needed, she said.

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Tyson Foods Inc, the biggest U.S. meat company by sales, is preparing to deploy a disaster relief team, spokeswoman Kelly Hellbusch said.

Mosaic Co, which mines phosphate rock in Florida and produces three-quarters of North America's phosphate fertilizers, has fully evacuated some sites in the state and is keeping minimal staff at others, spokesman Bill Barksdale said. He did not confirm whether Mosaic had stopped production, but RBC analyst Andrew Wong said the company halted output on Tuesday, citing consultancy CRU.

Previous hurricanes have resulted in a loss of up to 5% of Mosaic's annual production, Wong said in a note.

(Reporting by Marcelo Teixeira in New York and Tom Polansek in Chicago; additional reporting by Rod Nickel; Editing by Richard Chang, Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio)
INSIDER

As someone who had never traveled this way, I was glad I had my own blanket and snacks but missed my lightweight pajamas and a bottle of wine.
Maryam Touzanis exploration of suppressed homosexuality The Blue Caftan has been submitted as Moroccos official entry in the Best International Feature Film Oscar category.

The feature debuted in Cannes Un Certain Regard and sidebar and recently played in Toronto.

More from Deadline

Photo Gallery: Best International Feature Film Oscar Winners

Lubna Azabal and Saleh Bakri play a husband and wife who run a handmade caftan shop in one of Moroccos oldest medinas in the city of Sale. Their marriage hides a secret that neither wants to confront until a young male assistant (Ayoub Missioui) enters their lives.

The Blue Caftan is Touzanis second feature film after Adam, which dealt with single motherhood, another taboo subject within Moroccan society. That film was the countrys Oscar entry in 2019.

Touzani also has taken writing and producing credits on husband Nabil Ayouchs features Razzia and Casablanca Beats.

Im proud to announce that The Blue Caftan has just been officially chosen by Morocco to be its official entry for the Oscars, Ayouch, who is one of the films producers, told Deadline.

After Cannes and Toronto, many other festivals are coming in the U.S., where Strand Releasing is doing a very good job  and the film has been sold in more than 30 territories by Films Boutique until now, he added.

Ayouch and Amine Benjelloun produced under the banners of Les films du nouveau monde and Ali n Productions with Sebastien Schelenz at Paris-based Velvet Films and Mikkel Jersin, Eva Jakobson and Katrin Pors at Danish production house Snowglobe.

Morocco has never made it to the final nomination stage, while Roschdy Zems Omar Killed Me made it to the shortlist in 2012.

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The selection process was overseen by the Moroccan Cinema Centre (CCM).

CCM head of exhibition and distribution at the Samira Himeur presided over the committee, comprising producer/directors Mohammed Abderrahman Tazi and Jamal Souissi, exhibitor Al Hosain Boudih, distributor Najib Benkirane and film critics Abdelilah El Jaouhary and Khalil Damoun.

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Click here to read the full article.
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."
JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP)  At least four Palestinians were killed and 44 wounded during an Israeli military raid Wednesday into the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported, marking the deadliest episode since Israel escalated a crackdown on the occupied territory earlier this year.

Israeli forces said they fatally shot two Palestinians they had been sent to arrest in the camp over their suspected involvement in recent shooting attacks. When soldiers surrounded a house in the camp, a bomb exploded, a gunfight ensued and Israeli troops killed the two Palestinians, the military said. The army later released drone footage showing a large explosion that it said was detonated by militants.

During the raid, armed clashes broke out in the camp as militants hurled rocks and opened fire at arriving troops. Two Palestinians were killed and and at least 44 others were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Amateur video showed one of the men being shot in the head as he appeared to be aiming a weapon at Israeli troops.

Israel has been conducting nightly raids in the northern West Bank since a series of deadly Palestinian attacks in Israel last spring. Much of that activity has been focused in the Jenin area  where some of the attackers lived. Israel identified one of the Palestinians killed in Wednesdays raid as Rahman Hazam, the brother of a Palestinian gunman who carried out a deadly shooting attack in central Tel Aviv last April before he was killed by police.

This was the bloodiest day this year, said Jamal Huweil, a 52-year-old camp resident and official in the ruling Fatah party. People are killed, wounded. Theres destruction. Every time (Israeli forces) come into the Jenin camp, our resistance becomes stronger and stronger.

It was chaos as Israeli troops exchanged fire with Palestinian militants on nearly every street of the crowded camp, sending bullets in all directions. Young protesters rushed to hurl stones and hand grenades at Israeli soldiers and scrambled from gunfire. Israeli armored vehicles and bulldozers rumbled down the battered roads. The clashes escalated as angry crowds of men marched through the camp's narrow alleys holding aloft the bodies, shrouded in flags of local militant groups, of the killed Palestinians.

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We are here for martyrdom, they cried.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party identified one of the men killed in the clashes as a 24-year-old Palestinian intelligence officer named Ahmed Alawneh.

Alawneh is the second Palestinian security officer killed in a confrontation with Israeli troops this month. While U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces have long cooperated with Israel in an uneasy alliance against Islamic militants, the recent shootings of officers lay bare Palestinians' deep disillusionment with the security coordination. A cadre of young men with no outlet and little hope for the future have increasingly joined militant groups.

Jenin  long considered a bastion of Palestinian militancy and frequent flashpoint for violence  is governed by the Palestinian Authority like most other Palestinian urban centers, even though the Israeli military routinely carries out arrest raids in the area. The PA says the Israeli raids undermine its own forces, who are seen by many residents as collaborating with Israel.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for Abbas, denounced the raid, saying Israel's policy of escalation will not deliver legitimacy, security or stability."

Fatah called for protests and a general strike in the West Bank over what it described as a dangerous escalation. Small groups of Palestinians threw stones at Israeli troops and and burned tires at checkpoints near the major cities of Ramallah and Nablus, where the army responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in the campaign of raids on the West Bank, making this year the deadliest in the occupied territory since 2015.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price, speaking to reporters in Washington on Wednesday, called on the parties to de-escalate and return to a period of calm. This is in the interest of all Israelis and Palestinians, he said.

Most of the Palestinians killed in the recent wave of Israeli raids have been wanted militants, as well as young men who throw stones or fire bombs at soldiers invading their towns. But some civilians, including an Al Jazeera journalist and a lawyer who inadvertently drove into a battle zone, have also been killed in the violence.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has built more than 130 settlements across the territory that are home to nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers. The Palestinians want the West Bank, home to some 3 million Palestinians, to form the main part of their future state.

The last serious peace talks broke down more than a decade ago.
Patients seeking drugs to treat everything from arthritis to acne at Walgreens and CVS pharmacies in the dozen-plus states with near-total abortion bans must show extra documentation to prove that theyre not using the drugs to end a pregnancy, the companies confirmed to POLITICO. Those who cant are, in some cases, being turned away.

The chronic illness advocacy group Global Healthy Living Foundation said its members in Tennessee, Texas and other states with abortion restrictions have been refused prescriptions for methotrexate  a drug for patients with lupus and other illnesses that also can be used to induce an abortion in the case of an ectopic pregnancy  and theyre lobbying those states governors and local officials to intervene.

And multiple patients in Wisconsin experiencing miscarriages have been refused the medication misoprostol  which is also used for abortions  because pharmacists feared prosecution under the states 1849 abortion ban, according to the midwest chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Most patients eventually obtain their medications  in some cases after traveling to several pharmacies  but the extra steps can delay access for hours or days.

Three months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the countrys leading organizations representing physicians and pharmacists told POLITICO that broad and vague language in many states anti-abortion laws  many of which were written years or, in some cases, decades before the court ruled  are blocking patients from accessing medications that have nothing to do with abortion or contraception and are frightening providers who said they feel caught between legal risks and tending to patients.

While medical and advocacy groups are struggling to gather precise data on how often this is happening, they said the reports filtering up from members are alarming.

These are not just rare anecdotes, said Jack Resneck, the president of the American Medical Association. The quantity were hearing  and we know were only hearing a tiny fraction of whats going on  is significant.



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The AMA and other medical groups are calling on states that have passed near-total abortion bans to either roll them back or issue guidance that protects doctors and pharmacists from prosecution if they prescribe or dispense drugs that have multiple uses. And in states debating new limits on abortion, theyre trying to make sure more exemptions and protections for medical workers are included.

What we really need is for states to withdraw some of these laws, and if theyre refusing to do that, we at least need them to clarify the things they dont intend to get caught up in these laws, said Resneck. I just cant sugarcoat how dangerous this is for our patients.

Under state and federal laws, individual pharmacists have long been able to refuse to dispense abortion pills, contraception or other medications they felt clashed with their religious beliefs  as long as they directed patients to someone else who would fill their prescription.

But medical and patient advocacy groups say these isolated incidents have exploded following the Supreme Courts ruling overturning Roe. Because roughly a dozen states now ban nearly all abortions  with narrow and often vaguely worded exemptions for life-threatening situations  pharmacists who have no religious objections to abortion or contraception say they fear prosecution if they dispense drugs that could be used to terminate a pregnancy, and their employers are implementing blanket policies designed to give them legal cover that hamper patient access to a range of medications.

While anti-abortion advocates dont dispute that the problem is occurring, they argue doctors and pharmacists are at fault for misinterpreting the laws and exaggerating the repercussions.

The pharmacists need to read their state laws, said Donna Harrison, the CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. There is no state law anywhere in the country that prohibits the dispensing of drugs to treat other conditions. The state bans are bans on using a drug or device or procedure for the purpose of ending a life in the womb. Its very clear that if youre giving a drug for arthritis, thats not for ending the life of a human being in the womb.

Asked about instances in which pharmacists arent able to easily determine a patients purpose for taking a drug, Harrison responded: The pharmacist isnt required to confirm whether or not someone is pregnant. Theyre not licensed to make diagnoses. Thats the job of the prescriber.

Yet pharmacy groups told POLITICO that since the fall of Roe theyve been trapped between state laws threatening prosecution if they dispense certain medications and federal warnings of legal consequences if they dont. While a doctors prescription details the medication, it does not always specify the diagnosis, and pharmacists said the risk of a felony charge or loss of license is too high for them to simply take a patients word.

Our pharmacists are caught in the middle on this issue, CVS Executive Director of Corporate Communications, Mike DeAngelis, said. While our highest priority is ensuring safe and timely access to medications, we must also ensure our pharmacists are abiding by applicable laws.



The American Medical Association and other groups said both individual pharmacists and hospital systems and pharmacy chains are, so far, erring on the side of the states  and Resneck and his fellow leaders said thats causing them to make non-science based decisions that deny patients access to the drugs theyve been prescribed.

Providers and patient advocates note that the extra scrutiny, delays and refusals are falling disproportionately on patients who are women of reproductive age.

And while the groups said they dont know of any providers who have been prosecuted for filling a prescription, the threat has put the medical community on edge.

Its only going to take one state deciding to make one provider an example to have a paralyzing effect across the whole system and whole country, said Douglas Hoey, CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association. We already see that these laws may have been made hastily and without full consideration of the chilling effect it would have on care unrelated to abortion or contraception.

To shield themselves from prosecution, pharmacists are requiring additional documentation  such as written confirmation of the diagnosis  and questioning patients about why they are getting a particular drug, said Anne Burns, vice president for Professional Affairs at the American Pharmacists Association.

That delay in care can mean some people could go without medication indefinitely, said Tom Kraus, the vice president of government relations at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Youre really just subjecting the patient to an additional barrier, he said. Some fraction of those people arent going to get their prescription filled.

Steven Newmark, the director of policy at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, which has been documenting instances of medication refusals since Roe was overturned, argued that even temporary delays can be harmful.

Being forced to go off your medication even for a short time can make the difference between being able to go to work and care for your kids and being at home writhing in pain, he said. But we know that as a result of these trigger laws, some of which specifically ban the dispensing of abortion-inducing drugs, pharmacists are not going to risk a felony charge.

Three drugs sometimes used for abortions  misoprostol, mifepristone and methotrexate  are at the center of the debate. Methotrexate is a particular problem, the groups argued, saying that because it is far more likely to be used for non-abortion purposes, pharmacists should err on the side of dispensing the medication.

Ectopic pregnancy is rare, affecting one to two percent of all pregnancies in the United States yearly. By comparison, 200,000 people are affected by lupus, 1.3 million by rheumatoid arthritis, and 7.5 million by psoriasis in the United States each year, the Global Healthy Living Foundation wrote to the governor of Texas earlier this month. As a result, chronic illness patients bear most of the burden of legislation like S.B. 4, Texass law that prohibits the distribution of medications that cause abortions.

Texas Alliance for Life  one of the groups that pushed for S.B. 4 and the states near-total abortion ban  acknowledged the problem but pointed to language in the law that stipulates its only a crime if drugs are dispensed with the intent to cause the death of an unborn child.

Its unfortunate that some patients are not receiving the medications their doctors prescribed because pharmacists cant navigate and interpret these laws, said Amy ODonnell, a spokesperson with Texas Alliance for Life. Their overreaction in these scenarios may point to the need for the state board of pharmacy to offer further guidance and clarification, because its very clear in the law that medications for purposes other than abortion are allowed.

Texas and 10 other states, however, specifically list methotrexate as an abortion-inducing drug, according to the American Pharmacists Association. And vague laws in other states  many of which were drafted long before many of the drugs in question were even developed  can have the same effect for pharmacists concerned about any medication that could be used for abortion.

In Arizona, for example, a law passed in 1864 that had been blocked for half a century by Roe v. Wade went into effect this month, and prohibits all abortions from the moment of conception except in cases when the patients life is at risk.

And in Indiana, where state GOP leaders are fighting in court to enact the countrys first new abortion restrictions since the Supreme Courts June ruling, abortions are allowed in cases of rape or incest during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, when the fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly, and when needed to protect the life or health of the parent. The penalty for violating the law includes the loss of ones medical license. But pharmacists in the state say they remain unsure how much risk they would take on if its allowed to take effect.

If more clarity is needed it would be around whether the pharmacist actually has a duty to inquire what the purpose of the prescription is if its unclear, said Darren R. Covington, the Executive Vice President of the Indiana Pharmacy Association. Because right now thats just happening out of an abundance of caution.

Covington added that the increased adoption of electronic prescriptions helps the situation because they tend to include diagnosis codes, but that many are still called in the old fashioned way and lack that key information.

The effects of the laws can also reach beyond state borders, Burns said. Providers are concerned that, even if there is no ban in their home state, they could be prosecuted if the drugs they prescribe are taken to another state where restrictions are in place.

And in states where abortion remains legal, providers say their patients who depend on misoprostol, mifepristone or methotrexate to treat both acute and chronic conditions are unsure of their rights in a post-Roe environment.

I have patients who are really scared and asking me if they should stockpile methotrexate or switch to another drug just in case, Belinda Birnbaum, a Philadelphia-based rheumatologist, said. And I have colleagues who feel a sense of dread every time they prescribe it.

In response to requests from medical and patient advocacy groups, the Biden administration issued a memo to the nations pharmacies in July warning them not to deny patients medications for abortion, birth control, or other drugs they suspect could be used off-label to end a pregnancy. In it, the government warned health workers that refusing to serve patients could put them in legal jeopardy and cost them their participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal programs.

But that guidance put the onus on individuals to file an online report to the agency if theyve been refused prescribed medication, and the Department of Health and Human Services declined to say whether theyve received any reports and, if so, whether they investigated or took action.

While Resneck believes the instances of patient denials would be far more rampant had that guidance not gone out, he acknowledges it hasnt stopped them from proliferating.

Meanwhile, Republicans on Capitol Hill want to roll back the federal guidance altogether and give pharmacists freer rein to refuse to dispense medication if they suspect it could be used to terminate a pregnancy  even in states that have not passed anti-abortion laws.

Just because you put on a white coat doesnt mean that you lose your First Amendment rights, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), a pharmacist, said in an interview just before he introduced his House bill earlier this month to rescind the Biden administrations pharmacy guidance. Im hearing from people who are not only morally objected to dispensing abortion pills, but in some cases, it puts them in direct contradiction with state law.

Carters Pharmacist Conscience Protection Act says neither states nor the federal government can penalize, treat adversely, retaliate against, or otherwise discriminate against a specified health care provider if he or she declines to store or fill a prescription, or make a referral, for a drug that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to cause an abortion or that the specified health care provider in good faith believes may be used to cause an abortion.

Asked about the concerns of the AMA and various pharmacist associations, Carter said his bill wouldnt imperil access to medication, arguing that pharmacists have good enough relationships with their patients and doctors to be able to distinguish between a prescription for an abortion and one for another purpose.

I want to assure you that medications for lupus and arthritis and other diseases are going to be available, he told POLITICO. Look, when I was practicing pharmacy, I knew  when I would get a prescription for a certain drug  what it was going to be used for. And I knew that when a certain physician that performed abortions wrote a prescription for just one pill, and I refused to fill those prescriptions.

Yet medical and patient advocacy groups across the country said that kind of discretion doesnt always work in practice, and the Biden administration is warning that the bill may push pharmacists to violate federal law.

Patients have the right to access the health care they need, free of discrimination, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement responding to Carters bill. The Biden-Harris Administration will vigorously advance and protect women's rights to essential health care. We wont hesitate to enforce the law.
By Rodrigo Viga Gaier

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Petrobras is set to present its new strategic plan for the coming years in November, an executive for Brazil's state-run company said on Wednesday, hinting it should be "consistent" with the current focus on offshore oil formation known as pre-salt.

During an oil and gas event in Rio de Janeiro, Petrobras' executive director of governance, Salvador Dahan, said that the company will continue "what it has been doing" in pre-salt exploration and production.

"The plan continues to address our focus in Brazil and with development in the pre-salt, with a lot of investment in exploration and production, but also in the downstream (logistics segments)," he said.

Part of the future investment will also be focused in areas such as decarbonization and renewable energies, Dahan added without giving further details.

The executive did not disclosure the dollar value for the new plan.

Last year, the company's plan stood at $68 billion over five years, almost 25% more than the previous program.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Editing by David Gregorio)
The side of a Phoenix Police vehicle is seen.

Police are investigating a shooting that left a woman dead Tuesday night in Phoenix.

Officers responding to a shooting near 27th and Missouri avenues around 11 p.m. found Teana Yameka Pruitt, 42, with a gunshot wound, according to Phoenix police. Pruitt was taken to a hospital where she later died, police said.

A preliminary investigation found an argument took place prior to the shooting, according to police who said no arrests have been made.

The incident is being investigated as a homicide.

"Details about what led up to the shooting are still part of the investigation," read a statement from Phoenix police.

Reach breaking news reporter Jose R. Gonzalez at jose.gonzalez@gannett.com or on Twitter @jrgzztx.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix police investigate fatal shooting near 27th, Missouri avenues
Pittsburgh police are searching for a missing 13-year-old girl.

According to police, Kamahra Sanders was last seen Tuesday morning at home. She was wearing a white shirt, black pants and white shoes.

Police said Kamahra left for school at Westinghouse Academy and did not return home.

Kamahra is known to frequent Park Hill Drive, specifically the 2100 block.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact detectives at (412)323-7141.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Police have arrested two suspects and are searching for a third person in connection to rapper PnB Rock's death, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed Wednesday.

On the afternoon of Sept. 12, the 30-year-old rapper, whose real name was Rakim Allen, was fatally shot while at a Los Angeles restaurant with his girlfriend in what police described as a possible robbery. At least one suspect approached the couple, raised a gun, and "demanded property," police said, before shooting him multiple times, stealing his belongings, and fleeing in a getaway car.

Courtesy of LAPD / Via lapdonline.org

On Wednesday police arrested Shauntel Trone, a 32-year-old woman, on an accessory to murder charge. The second individual arrested, who is charged with murder, was not named by police because he is under 18.

Police are still searching for the third suspect, identified as Freddie Lee Trone, who they said is "responsible for murder." They have requested the public's help in locating him, saying he "should be considered armed and dangerous."

Police declined to say what the relationship is between the suspects.

Allen was best known for his 2016 hit single, "Selfish." He was also featured on Ed Sheeran's "Cross Me," along with Chance the Rapper, in 2019. He had most recently released the single "Luv Me Again" on Sept. 2.

Weeks before he was killed, Allen had spoken on the podcast Off the Record With DJ Akademiks about an incident in which he was almost robbed while out in LA during the pandemic with his girlfriend and one of his daughters.

"Where I'm from, we like sneaky criminals. LA, it's like, they bold," he said.

"I dont be outside," he said. "I'm not going to put myself in those situations because I know what happens in those situations."

Shortly after Allen's death, police told the LA Times that a location-tagged photo his girlfriend had posted on Instagram might have been how the killers found them. Allen "was brutally attacked by an individual who apparently [came] to the location after a social media posting, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said.

More on this
A 51-year-old man was fatally shot and three other people were injured Tuesday after shots were fired at an apartment complex not far from downtown Chapel Hill, police said in a news release.

Wednesday, Chapel Hill police said the man was Michael Deshai Lee, of Chapel Hill.

The shooting is being investigated as a homicide, police said in the release.

Two people suffered gunshot wounds and were taken to UNC Hospitals for treatment, police said. A fourth person also was injured, but police did provide details about what caused that persons injuries.

All are expected to survive, police said Wednesday.

Chapel Hill police responded to the call of multiple gunshots being fired at 6:18 p.m. Tuesday in the 800 block of Pritchard Avenue Extension, near Umstead Drive, the release said.

Around 9 p.m., a white tent had been erected in the parking lot of the University Gardens apartment complexs upper level. Neighbors watched across the police tape line keeping them from the crime scene as several officers continued their investigation.

Police did not provide additional details about whether a suspect or suspects are in custody.

Chapel Hill Fire Department and Orange County EMS personnel were assisting.

The Police Department does not believe there is an ongoing threat to the community, the release said.

Second shooting at complex

It was the second shooting at the University Gardens complex in the last month.

On Aug. 25, police found 19-year-old Rahzel Tyreek Jenkins at the complex with gunshot wounds. Jenkins died at UNC Hospitals from his injuries.

A Chapel Hill man, 22-year-old Anthony Wuanya Holman turned himself in to police a few days later and was charged with first-degree murder. Holman is being held in the Orange County Jail without bail.

In his first court hearing on Aug. 29, Holman told District Court Judge C. Todd Roper that the shooting was self-defense. He could face life in prison or death if convicted of the first-degree murder charge.

Story continues

Jenkins death was the fourth homicide in Chapel Hill since January, according to the Chapel Hill Police Department. In 2021, there was one homicide and in 2020, there were none.

Anyone with information about the shooting can call 911 or Orange County Communications non-emergency number at 919-732-5063. Callers also can leave anonymous tips with Chapel Hill-Carrboro-UNC Crimestoppers at 919-942-7515.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Zbigniew Rau

The Polish minister noted that NATO's response with conventional weapons "should be devastating."

Read also: Poland will not admit pro-Putin Russian citizens fleeing from mobilization

According to him, Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin is threatening to use tactical nuclear weapons on Ukrainian soil rather than attack NATO with these types of weapons, "which means that NATO should respond in a conventional way."

And the response must be devastating, the Polish Foreign Minister said.

Read also: Poland calls for suspension, perhaps expulsion of Russia from IAEA

I think that NATO sends a clear signal to Russia on this matter."

On Sept. 21, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, after announcing mobilization in Russia, once again threatened Western countries with the use of nuclear weapons, saying that "this is not a bluff."

Read also: NATO secretary general says Putins nuke threat is dangerous, reckless rhetoric

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that all Russian laws and doctrines, including nuclear ones, will also apply to the territories of Ukraine annexed through fake "referendums" if they are added in the Russian constitution.



Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
On several occasions since July, Russia has closed off the flow of natural gas through Nord Stream 1, the main pipeline delivering gas to Europe. At first, Russian authorities called it routine maintenance, then blamed sanctions. The shutdowns, though a threat to Europes ability to run factories and heat homes this winter, were temporary and reversible. But now it seems certain the pipelineand its newly-built, never-used twin Nord Stream 2will be out of commission for months at a minimum, if not years.



On Sept. 27, Danish and Swedish authorities reported three really big holes in the pipelinestwo in NS1 and one in NS2which run underwater through the Baltic Sea. The cause of the leaks has not been confirmed, but according to European officials was most likely an act of sabotage by Russia. The pipe itself is steel, 1.6 inches thick, coated with another 4 inches of concrete. Although fishing trawlers occasionally damage undersea telecommunication lines, its practically impossible for them to do the same in three separate locations on these robust pipelines on the same day. Danish seismologists reported at least two undersea explosions at the time of the leaks. As one German official put it: Our imagination doesnt have any scenario left in which this could not be a targeted attack.

Read more

Did Russia sabotage the Nord Stream pipeline?



NS1 was already offline, ostensibly because of sanctions, so the leaks dont change the near-term availability of gas on the European market. (The gas that is now leaking into the sea had been fed into the pipelines to keep them pressurized.) Russia could always have kept the pipelines shut, of course, but some analysts have suggested that Russia may have an economic motive for damaging them. Mysterious explosions would allow Russia to blame the leaks on force majeure, in order to to wriggle out of looming multi-billion-dollar legal claims by European utilities that feel ripped off by the NS1 shutdowns.

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Between other pipelines and shipments of liquified gas from the US and elsewhere, Europe has managed to fill 88% of its gas storage capacity ahead of schedule. But the market this winter will be still be very tight, and futures contracts for next year immediately jumped after the leaks were discovered.

If the leaks were indeed the product of Russian sabotagecarried out by submarine, unmanned underwater drone, or combat diversthey might have been carried out in order to escalate Russias aggression toward the EU, which until now has centered on the economic weaponization of energy but stopped short of tangible military operations or violence. It could also be a threat to other undersea gas pipelines from Norway or Algeria; damage to those pipelines would significantly worsen Europes gas crunch. Norwegian authorities are already stepping up security around oil and gas infrastructure.



The leaks will take the pipelines offline for months, at a minimum. Their operator said in a statement that its impossible now to estimate the timeframe for restoring operations. If and when the pipelines are repaired, theres no telling if Russia will cooperate on filling them. Given that Europes longer-term solutions to minimizing reliance on Russian gas, such as building more LNG import terminals, will take years to complete, the leaks confirm that this winter will be just the first of several with high energy prices and economic disruption.
While speaking at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, President Biden threatened to order investigations into oil companies if they raised the prices of gasoline during Hurricane Ian.

BIDEN: And should you forgive me, I want to add one more warning, that's a warning to the oil and gas industry executives. Do not, let me repeat, do not, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the America people. Price of oil has stayed relatively low, it kept going down. The price of gas should be going down as well. My experts inform me the production of only about a hundred ninety thousand barrels a day as have been impacted by the storm thus far. That's less than 2% of the United States daily production impacted for a very short period of time. This small temporary storm impact on oil production provides no excuse, no excuse for price increases at the pump. None. If gas companies try to use this storm to raise prices at the pump, I will ask officials to look into whether price gouging is going on. America's watching, the industry should do the right thing.
Pere Daobry pictured with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at London Euston station in September - Mega Agency

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were protected during their visit to Britain by a bodyguard who has been convicted of domestic violence.

The couple, who made private security arrangements for their trip to the UK, were photographed being driven by Pere Daobry.

Mr Daobry, a former Metropolitan Police firearms officer, has previously been convicted of assault for attacking his then-wife. He was spared jail after telephoning 999 himself.

He is now believed to be working for a private security firm and was photographed in the Sussexes car alongside their long-standing protection officer.

The Duke and Duchess were not aware of the conviction.

The Duchess in particular has been a vocal advocate for womens rights, speaking about the "crisis state" of gender-based violence during her 2019 visit to South Africa.

Then, during a visit to ActionAid, she spoke about the key importance of women being supported after reporting gender-based violence and holding men and boys accountable for their actions.

Speaking of her visit to local communities, she said it was essential that when they tell somebody, that somebody does something, adding that if "everyone is saying well thats just what is done, thats just how it is ... youre shamed into not talking about it, even though you are the victim.

Genesis, a women's shelter and support group, is among the organisations supported with a grant from the Sussexes Archewell Foundation.

Mr Daobrys father confirmed his son was the man photographed working as a personal bodyguard for the Duke and the Duchess.

Speaking at his family home in Edmonton, north London, Mr Daobry Snr said: Yes, that is my son in the photographs with Harry and Meghan but I dont want to make any comment about his job. He is a grown man with four children and can speak for himself.

He refused to comment on his sons conviction for domestic violence against his ex-wife, who is believed to have later taken her own life, and whether it was appropriate for him to be working for the Duchess given her strong support for victims of violence and womens rights.

Story continues

Why should I comment? Ask him. I have nothing to say, said Mr Daobry Snr.

The bodyguard is one of several employed to protect the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their trip to the UK and Germany.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stayed longer in the UK than originally planned, following Queen Elizabeth II's death - Alkis Konstantinidis/AFP via Getty Images

The Duke is currently embroiled in a dispute over whether his family should qualify for Metropolitan Police protection whenever they are in the UK.

He is currently in the middle of a court battle with the Home Office, this summer winning the right to challenge its decision not to grant him automatic police protection.

During the couples visit to Europe, which was supposed to last four days but was extended after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, they used private protection to attend an event in Manchester and during a one-day trip to the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf.

One bodyguard, MailOnline reported, was Pere Daobry, 51, who was photographed driving them from their Frogmore Cottage home to London Euston station.

In Sept 2016, he was convicted at Colchester Magistrates Court of assault after attacking his wife, Sarah Jay.

Pere Daobry pictured with Sarah Jay in 2015 - East News Press Agency

Mrs Jay, a former Essex Police sergeant, had endured a minute-long attack in which he throttled her with both hands after she told him she no longer loved him, according to court reports at the time.

He was given a 12-week suspended sentence. The chairman of the magistrates court bench called it a very unpleasant assault on Mrs Jay which left her clearly terrified, but added that Mr Daobry had the decency to ring 999 afterwards.
Prince of Wales at St Thomas Church (Getty Images)

The Prince of Wales has revealed that he is learning Welsh as he steps into his new role within the royal family.

William spoke about picking up the new language during a royal visit to Swansea, where he was accompanied by the Princess of Wales.

The trip marked the first time the couple have visited the nation since being given their new titles, and their first official duty since the death of Williams grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The royals spent time at St Thomas, a re-developed church in the city that supports people in the local area.

Steven Bunting, a reverend at the church, said William and Kates visit was an indicator of their commitment to the country. He also revealed that William had already picked up some key Welsh phrases.

We already know they love Wales, but having them here has been amazing and is an early sign, I think, of their commitment to Wales, Bunting told PA.

Theyve blown us away by speaking to every person young and old, it shows how wholly committed they are to their role as Prince and Princess of Wales.

The Prince of Wales was even talking about learning Welsh, and said hed learned the word paned meaning cup of tea and bara brith [Welsh tea bread]. I think hes taking being Prince of Wales very, very seriously.

William and Kate have a close connection to Wales, having lived there for three years following their marriage in 2011.

In a statement after taking on their new titles, the couple said they would serve the Welsh people with humility and great respect.

The Prince and Princess will spend the months and years ahead deepening their relationship with communities across Wales, the statement added.

They want to do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them.

The Prince and Princess look forward to celebrating Waless proud history and traditions as well as a future that is full of promise. They will seek to live up to the proud contribution that members of the royal family have made in years past.
Georgia opposition supporters on Wednesday rallied against "uncontrolled" migration from Russia, which has nearly doubled since Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a mobilisation for the war in Ukraine.

Waving Georgian and Ukrainian flags, dozens of protesters gathered near the Kazbegi border crossing point, which has seen a massive inflow of Russian nationals since the partial mobilisation of civilians was announced last week.

Ukrainian national anthem and folk songs were playing at the rally, organised by a pro-Western opposition party, Droa.

Demonstrators held placards that read "Putin is a terrorist" and "Russia kills."

"Uncontrolled, unprecedented influx of Russians poses security risks to Georgia," one of the rally organisers, Tamar Gvinianidze, told AFP.

"The border must be closed immediately as the Georgian government has proved incapable of handling the migration crisis," she added.

She said a bigger mass rally to demand the closure of Georgia's border with Russia will be held in the coming days outside the border checkpoint.

On Wednesday, authorities in the Russian region of North Ossetia that borders Georgia ordered a restriction of car travel to the republic.

Putin's announcement has sparked a new wave of exodus to the tiny Black Sea nation, which has been a major destination for Russians fleeing since the war began on February 24.

On Tuesday, Georgia's interior minister Vakhtang Gomelauri said the number of Russians entering Georgia daily has nearly doubled since September 21, reaching some 10,000 people a day.

Over the first four months of the war, nearly 50,000 Russians fled to Georgia, where they can stay for a year without a visa, the country's statistics office said in June.

Some 40,000 more fled over the same period to Armenia, another top destination that also has no visa requirement for Russians.

The influx of Russians has sparked mixed feelings in a country where painful memories of Russia's 2008 invasion are still fresh.

The five-day war left Georgia partitioned, with Russian troops stationed in its two separatist regions which the Kremlin recognised as independent after the EU brokered a ceasefire.

im/brw/kjm
STORY: The protesters, mostly women, chanted Iranian sisters we are with you and held signs reading Iran: women, life and freedom". Three of them also burnt an Iranian flag.

"I wish freedom for all Iranians, women, workers, for all Iranians. I want happiness for all Iranians and I want us to be able to return to Iran.", said Iranian Saim, 43, who works is a manager at a company in the Spanish capital.

After the protest, demonstrators sent a letter to the Iranian ambassador in Spain and left a copy outside.

Amini died earlier this month after being arrested in Tehran by police enforcing the Islamic Republic's strict restrictions on women's dress. Her death has touched off Iran's biggest unrest since 2019.

Iranian police have denied harming the 22-year-old Kurdish woman, saying she fell ill as she waited with other detained women.

On Monday (September 26), Iran's foreign ministry accused the United States of using the protests to destabilize the Islamic Republic.
The author in Puerto Rico. (Photo: Photo Courtesy Of Angelique Molina-Mangaroo)

The author in Puerto Rico. (Photo: Photo Courtesy Of Angelique Molina-Mangaroo)

As a mixed-race woman who comes from a Filipina mother and Puerto Rican father, I am always bouncing between two worlds.

My mother immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in the 90s. She came to New York City for better opportunities. She ended up working as a nurse in a hospital in the Bronx. My father, on the other hand, is a Nuyorican from Spanish Harlem. They met working at the same hospital. Although they came from different worlds, my mother learned so much about American culture from my father.

When I was born, according to my mother, both her and my father were excited. I was my mothers first child, but my fathers fourth.

My parents divorced when I was 4. When my father moved out, I went from seeing him every day to maybe seeing him once a month to almost never seeing him. Once I turned 12, he completely left my life.

The pain of having a father walk out on you is a pain that never goes away, but eases with time. The pain of assimilation, however, is a pain that never eases with time. In fact, it only gets worse.

When my father left me, he also left me isolated from a beautiful cultural history and a language. Not having him there to teach me the amazing things about being Latina, specifically Puerto Rican, caused a rift between me, my community and my heritage.

I was born in the Bronx, where 26% of the population is Puerto Rican. In the Bronx, you cant go too far without seeing a Puerto Rican flag, hearing salsa or Spanish-language music or the scent of empanadas being sold at a nearby bodega. Puerto Ricans are known to be very proud of their culture and language  dont even get me started on the Puerto Rican Day parade every year in NYC.

Being in a borough with a densely populated Latinx community, my identity was constantly questioned when I couldnt speak Spanish. Speaking Spanish is essential to communicate with the older Latinx generation or with folks who immigrated directly from Latin America. It was always, How are you Latino but you dont speak Spanish? or Its a shame to the Latino community that you dont speak Spanish.

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Everywhere I went, someone would approach me speaking Spanish, assuming I knew how to speak the language. Or if a non-Spanish-speaking person needed translation, they would come directly to me, then be disappointed when I couldnt help.

I kept getting laughed at and shamed for not being able to speak Spanish to the point where I stopped claiming my Latinx heritage.

Then one day, in 2018, a woman with the same last name as me messaged me on Facebook. When I clicked on the message, I saw the words Im your sister in Spanish. I knew I had a sister in Puerto Rico, and even had a picture of her when we were younger. Unfortunately, due to my fathers absence, we didnt stay connected.

After many exchanged messages, I eventually saved up enough money to visit her. In 2019, I landed in the airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Caribbean breeze felt so good and the sun had a gentle warmth to it. It felt like home.

In the next few days, I got to experience the Pinones, a town with authentic Puerto Rican food; El Yunque, the biggest rainforest in Puerto Rico; and finally, I got to see my long-lost sister. I drove from San Juan to Santa Isabel, which took two hours. It was a long drive, but once I finally made it, I saw my sister run out of the house and I received the biggest and strongest hug Id ever had in my life. We cried with big smiles at our reunion. It was one of the best moments of my life.

The author reuniting with her family. (Photo: Photo Courtesy Of Angelique Molina-Mangaroo)

The author reuniting with her family. (Photo: Photo Courtesy Of Angelique Molina-Mangaroo)

We sat and talked for hours about our families and childhood memories. Of course, my sister only spoke Spanish, so I needed a family member to translate. But the conversation was valuable nonetheless. We learned so much about each other.

After hours of reminiscing, it was time to go. We said our goodbyes and I eventually found my way back to the hotel I was staying at in San Juan. Once I arrived, I immediately looked up Spanish language tutors in NYC. Not being able to communicate with my sister in our native tongue was troubling to me, but I was determined to fix that.

When I got home to New York, I started Spanish language lessons. It was hard. I had given up on Spanish for so many years that it had become harder to learn as an adult. But I pushed through. I still take Spanish lessons to this day, hoping to one day be as fluent as I am with English.

I also started reading more books on the history of Puerto Rico, attending the Puerto Rican Day parade in NYC, and found community with other Puerto Ricans. I learned so much about myself, my history and my ancestry in a short amount of time.

Most important, I made a vow to visit Puerto Rico as often as I can. Reading all the books in the world and receiving all the Spanish lessons on Zoom can never make up for actually being home.

I started to proudly reclaim my Latina identity. I even became the chair of the Latinx student association at NYU and brought together many Latinx students within the university during myriad events.

While I may not be the most fluent in Spanish yet, or have the most knowledge on the history of Puerto Rico, Ive learned so much about myself in such a short span of time. There isnt really a timeline to learning more about who you are.

Now that I have a son who is a young Asian Afro-Latino, I have a duty to pass down the beautiful history of our people, language and culture. I want him to be connected to Puerto Rico as if hed been born there. The pain of assimilation will always haunt us, but constantly working to learn about our history and the language will help both of us feel connected to our homeland.

Those who are connected to their culture, language and heritage from the start are certainly blessed, but I am no less blessed than they are. I will always and forever be a proud Puerto Rican woman.

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A day before the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria's landfall, Puerto Rico was pummeled again by another storm, Fiona, a Category 1 hurricane that shut down the island's electric grid, leaving residents in the dark for days. In 2017, Maria and Irma took down all of the island's transmission lines and damaged the grid, resulting in the longest blackout in U.S. history, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Hurricane Fiona made landfall on Sept. 18 and knocked out the still-unstable electric system, an unwelcome reminder to residents that even after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) obligated $9.5 billion to rebuild the grid after Hurricanes Maria and Irma, the work is far from finished.

The vast majority of that money, which was approved in September 2020, has not yet been spent. The office in Puerto Rico overseeing reconstruction of the grid said in mid-September that the island has received $1.5 billion in disbursements that were approved under emergency appropriations after Hurricane Maria.

"The funds that we have were appropriated for Puerto Rico to improve the grid   I don't think anything has happened. We seem to have many more power outages after Maria," said one expert, Agustin Carbo, the senior manager on energy transition at the Environmental Defense Fund.

FILE: A power line tower downed by the passing of Hurricane Maria lies on top of a house in San Juan, Puerto Rico on November 7, 2017. / Credit: RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images

Manuel Laboy, the executive director of COR3, the office in charge of managing the federal funds for the recovery efforts of Hurricane Maria and the 2020 earthquakes, oversaw the efforts to rebuild Puerto Rico's grid from 2017-2020 and said the process was very slow, hampered by bureaucracy and multiple restrictions imposed by the federal government.

"The funds became available for the electric grid reconstruction and permanent work in September 2020," Laboy told CBS News.

The Trump administration also delayed other congressionally appropriated funds to be used for the recovery efforts overall  including $1.9 billion for the electrical grid  after Hurricane Maria for about two years, a report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General noted.

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The reasons ranged from the 2018-2019 government shutdown to a bureaucratic disagreement between HUD and the Office of Management and Budget, the complexity of the funding process, the island's existing financial hurdles and a new FEMA disaster relief system that raised yet more obstacles.

"We have the perfect storm," says University of Puerto Rico economist Jose Caraballo-Cueto.

"FEMA from the very beginning, back in 2017 gave poor service to Puerto Rico," said Caraballo-Cueto. "There have been some improvements but not enough The local government has also given poor service."

And beyond the bureaucratic snafus, the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights published a report saying that during Hurricanes Irma and Maria, FEMA's recovery efforts showed discrimination against Puerto Ricans  especially those with disabilities and non-native English speakers  in distributing assistance.

FEMA lacked enough Spanish-speaking employees to help islanders obtain aid, and the commission found that this meant that "Spanish-speaking Puerto Ricans received disproportionately lower amounts of assistance for Maria recovery than English-speaking mainland Americans."

The agency is trying to address this. As Fiona was about to hit the island, FEMA announced it was sending hundreds of personnel to help residents through the aftermath, and it now has a Spanish-language site to help with recovery efforts.

The agency has made efforts to speed up the work needed to repair and update the electrical grid.

In 2020, a new system called the FEMA Accelerated Awards Strategy (FAASt) was implemented specifically to "expedite energy grid work in Puerto Rico." Under the program, critical infrastructure projects could be grouped together in order to streamline the approval process, and FEMA and the Puerto Rico Electric Grid Authority agreed to use statistical sampling to come up with cost estimates for projects.

"The goal was to expeditiously obligate all permanent work funding for subrecipients providing critical services to survivors," Laboy said.

After construction projects were approved by FEMA officials, they had to undergo review by Puerto Rico's Energy Bureau (PREB)  an independent agency that oversees and regulates work related to the island's electric grid. According to FEMA, PREB issued its first project approvals in June 2021.

A FEMA spokesperson said that before FAASt was implemented, "this endeavor would normally require inspections and agreements for each individual project, which would take years to complete."

Once approved and reviewed by all parties, the project can officially start, and PREPA can ask for reimbursement for project work, Laboy says.

This is the point where FAASt has run into problems, largely as a result of the island's bankruptcy process.

Puerto Rico filed for bankruptcy in 2016 with over $70 billion in debt from the central government. The island also has over $50 billion in pension obligations.

The central government's debt was restructured early this year, but bondholders and the local government haven't yet reached a deal on Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority's (PREPA) $9 billion debt.

Section 428 of FEMA's Stafford Act says that any permanent project under the Public Assistance program that exceeds $123,100 will have to be done through reimbursement, that is, "they need to spend the money first," Laboy said.

The local government or agency that's part of the rebuilding process needs to pay for the project  and then apply for reimbursement. But the liquidity the power authority has can't be used because it's in the middle of the bankruptcy process and negotiations over its debt.

According to Laboy, there is an amendment to the Stafford Act that allows Puerto Rico to receive a 20% advance payment on project costs.

But amid the island's economic depression, some experts say this won't be enough, given the poor condition of the grid.

"This amendment resolves part of the problem but not all of it," Caraballo-Cueto told CBS News.

The uncertainty from the debt negotiations is "preventing PREPA from using more resources to do permanent improvement" to the grid, Caraballo-Cueto said.

Renewable energy goals

In recent years, the local energy bureau has also demanded Puerto Rico pursue renewable energy options.

The Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act dictates that Puerto Rico must obtain 40% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2025  just three years from now. By 2050, electricity needs to be 100% renewable.

"We are barely at 2% or 3%" according to energy experts, who think it could take a decade of work. Now, over 300,000 residents in the island remain in the dark two weeks after the hurricane. Nonetheless, Carbo is still optimistic that the grid can be made to work for Puerto Rico.

"It's one of the worst in the U.S., but we can make it one of the best," Carbo said.

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Back in March, Pusha T unveiled a surprising collaboration. The coke rap king teamed up with Arbys to take a shot at McDonalds, inspired by Pushas disconnect with The Golden Arches back in 03. At the time, he and his brother Malice wrote the now instantly recognizable Im lovin it line, but didnt profit from the song outside of his initial contribution.

It was one of many instances in which a big corporation takes advantage of a worker, yet Pusha holds no grudges: It wasnt the best business for me, but we did business, he explains to Complex. Pusha moved on, but he fired at McDonalds on his first partnership with Arbys, titled Spicy Fish Diss Track, and he learned his lesson: Pusha owns 40% of the one minute and 15 second song, and gets paid every time Arbys fires off a bomb in the direction of the Golden Arches. The track reportedly netted the roast beef giant more than $8 million equivalent in advertising exposure. The estimate was shared just a day after the records premiere.

Now, King Push is back for more. First, they took a jab at the Filet-O-Fish and now, raps most unexpected collaborators are coming for the next of the McRib with Rib Roast, a song which also features bull rider Ezekiel Blue Mitchell and includes an exclusive merch line.

The dusty Texas vibes on Rib Roastwhich Pusha calls his old route on the trackare heavy with guitar lick sings and the twang of a Willie Nelson deep cut. To celebrate the latest link up between Pusha T and the pushers of sandwiches, Complex caught up with the Virginia Beach-raised artist on Friday, shortly before his second Its Almost Dry Tour stop in Norfolk, Virginia, just 20 minutes from where he grew up. The show was extra special for him, he shares, since it served as a reminder of the people that helped inspire the project the tour is named after. They understand where Brambleton Avenue is. They know the different trials and tribulations that are discussed on the album, he says. Virginia, man it just holds a very special place in my heart.

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Push was in a celebratory mood when we spoke, and thrilled to discuss why Arbys is a perfect match for his work ethic, his link-up with Kanye West and others for forthcoming music, and the relevance of Its Almost Dry.

The interview, lightly condensed and edited for clarity purposes, is below.

This is your second run for the Its Almost Dry tour. Have there been any songs that people are reacting to more strongly than you expected?

Watching the world react to Brambleton has been surreal. Its a very personal song, but people really honed in and really tuned in to that record. I know theres not a Brambleton Avenue in every city all over the world, but they act like there is.

Lets talk ArbysYou didnt have to send the McRib into early retirement as hard as you did on this track.

We had to, man [laughs].

What made you decide to come back a second time and do this?

The business relationship between Arbys and me is really strong because were both just very passionate and very committed to the quality that we put out. Thats what Ive noticed, synonymously, myself and my music, and with them its the food and the product and just making everything connect and making the storylines connect. They have a different level of commitment and focus that Ive never seen in working with another brand. Any time they bring up these activations and these ideas, Im always open for a listen because they are very, very meticulous about what it is that they do.

When people hear about a corporation teaming up with an artist, it can be half assed. Why do you think your relationship with Arbys works so well?

They were committed to making sure that I was comfortable the whole way. I mean, they know exactly what you know. These things dont work a lot. They dont. And they dont work a lot unless the synergy is organic.

You wouldnt have done this if you didnt think it could succeed, but were you surprised with just how well the first one did?

I wasnt really surprised because it made full circle sense. Anytime you have a story that people can refer back to, when you can make those links and make those connections, it makes everything just way more interesting. Its watching a documentary on something thats happening in culture, but you can go back and see the backstory, see the origins, see where these people connected from the beginning and why it ends up here. I was surprised by seeing the reaction in person, though. I would drive by Arbys and I would see lines. You know me, Im going to pull up just to touch the market. People were like, Oh, my God. Im here because of you. Are you kidding me? What are you doing? What are you doing here? I had to check it out!

It must be a little sweet on top of everything that its at the expense of McDonalds who didnt necessarily do right by you the first time around.

Ive always said that they were handling their business, and thats the way they did it. And thats fine. It wasnt the best business for me, but we did business. And now Im doing this.

You could have so easily phoned in your verse with Arbys and cashed in your check and moved on. Its gonna end up being a lasting part of your story and it didnt need to be.

It didnt, but I think thats the thing about where I am in my career right now. I dont think anything needs to be phoned in. And at the same time, I dont think I need to do anything that needs to be phoned in, or that I feel like I should phone in. I want to check all of these boxes. This race that Im running right now is honestly to try to see how far the sub genre of street hip hop can go. I love the fact that Im in business with Arbys. We can show how far creativity stretches. We can show how far the talent level for street hip hop can go and how it can bleed into different arenas and genres and businesses and everything else. I dont want to phone anything in at this point. IfI cant execute it with something thats going to be beneficial to the sub genre, then its not something I want to do.

Youve been teasing new music. Can you share any details?

Im just working on some super special projects, man. Everyone Im working with is feeling very competitive, trying not to be outdone. That just makes my job harder because Im trying to outdo producers who are also great artists who are also great rappers and composers. That makes my battle twice as hard. But it makes for the best rap music.

Even with your team, its a competition every step of the way.

They keep giving him damn near verse of the year for what MALICE did on my album. And Im like, Damn. You guys act like I wasnt on 12 songs myself.

Has any of the new music been with Kanye?

Its definitely been with Ye. Its definitely been with Pharrell. Im going to tell you something. Ive also been working with No I.D.

For now, watch the exclusive premiere of Rib Roast below:
STANISLAV POHORILOV  WEDNESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2022, 14:05

Dmitriy Peskov, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, has said that Vladimir Putin has no plans to make a separate appeal regarding the results of the "referendums" that the Russian invaders held in the occupied territories.

Source: Russian-aligned news outlets Interfax, TASS and RIA Novosti

Quote from Peskov: At the moment, there are no [plans regarding the address - ed.]. However, if and when some measures [appear], let's say we will inform you in a timely manner."

Details: He also added that Putin is going to meet with the Russian-appointed heads of occupied Donbas, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, but the exact date has not yet been determined.

It is currently known that the Russian-appointed puppet heads of the occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts have arrived in Moscow to "complete the procedure" of the annexation of the territories after the sham referendums.

Propaganda news outlets report that a concert in support of the annexation is planned for 30 September in Moscow next to the Kremlin.

Background: Russian-appointed puppet heads of the occupied parts of Ukraine have held illegal sham referendums and have already announced their results.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Russian President Vladimir Putin is becoming more dangerous and desperate as he faces growing pressure at home over the flailing war effort in Ukraine, observers of the conflict and Moscow say.

Putin in the last week has renewed his threats of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine and moved to annex territories from Ukraine, while arguing attacks on that territory would amount to an attack on Russia.

His government is also suspected in leaks to a pipeline under the Baltic Sea that carries fuel to Europe, although the gas flow was earlier suspended.

The new threats come after a mobilization effort of 300,000 reservists in Russia, announced in response to criticism of Putins war effort, received blowback across the country. Images of lines of cars seeking to get across the border into neighboring states have circulated, underscoring internal tensions over the war.

The Biden administration and U.S. allies have reacted forcefully, warning that the use of nuclear weapons would lead to serious consequences.

Outside experts describe a tinderbox of sort.

He is dangerous, he is desperate, said Daniel Fried, distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former U.S. ambassador to Poland.

Because hes in a weak position hes doubling down on what he may consider to be his strongest remaining assets: nuclear threat and ability to use violence to achieve his aims, such as blowing up the Nordstream pipelines, if in fact Russia is responsible, which it appears they may be. Hes hoping to use unpredictability as a tactical weapon to intimidate the West.

Putin has warned that threats to use nuclear warheads are not a bluff, and the White House on Wednesday took notice.

We take Russias threat to use nuclear weapons seriously, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday. But we have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture and we will not be deterred from supporting Ukraine.

At the Pentagon, a senior defense official reiterated that the U.S. had given a warning to Moscow.

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We have clearly warned Moscow that any use of nuclear weapons would result in serious consequences. Were not going to get into the specifics of what those specific responses would be, the official said.

In terms of allies, we are very much in close consultation with our allies on all matters related to Ukraine, but also certainly on all aspects of the Russian threat, the official added. But of course, the United States also has its own prerogative to employ a U.S. option.

More than 100,000 Russian men are reportedly fleeing the country, while protests are taking place at dozens of locations in response to the mobilization effort. There have been instances of violent retaliation against military recruiters.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has warned Americans to immediately leave the country and that dual citizens may be conscripted to fight.

The annexation of at least four territories in Ukraine  a process initiated through contests the U.S., allies and the United Nations have rejected as sham referenda with staged results  is raising the threat of a greater global confrontation.

Jean-Pierre on Wednesday condemned the votes as pre-staged and orchestrated by the Kremlin, pointing to armed guards who hovered near voting locations as attempts to intimidate and influence voters.

The Biden administration, in its delivery of heavy artillery to Ukraine, has requested and received assurances from the Ukrainians that they would not strike within Russian territory out of a fear that such an action would escalate a bigger reaction from Russia.

But that limit is not expected to apply to Ukrainian territory forcibly occupied by Russia.

Ukraine has the absolute right to defend itself throughout its territory, including to take back the territory that has been illegally seized one way or another by Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Tuesday. The weapons that we and many other countries are providing them have been used very effectively to do just that.

The U.S. has not adjusted its nuclear posture in response to Putins latest comments, a sign both that it does not see an imminent threat and that it does not want to escalate the conflict.

Still, lawmakers like Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a close Biden ally, are raising alarm.

I am concerned that Vladimir Putin is increasingly desperate, Coons said in an interview with MSNBC. We should always take seriously his threats to use nuclear weapons. But frankly we need to push back, as President Biden has, and make clear that for him to do that would bring a swift and decisive response by NATO.

Some analysts say that Putin is unlikely to use nuclear weapons given the near unanimous blowback he would likely receive.

Anyone who understands the dynamics of the international community knows theres no way that the international community can stand by, the day after, any government uses a nuclear weapon for the first time since World War II, everything would change, said Evelyn Farkas, executive director of the McCain Institute at Arizona State University.

Vladimir Putin has to know that. He has to know that he would face conventional attacks and that he would face an attempt to maneuver him out of the Kremlin, out of office, by the international community.

Still, experts believe Putins latest moves  mobilizing troops, mentioning the threat of a nuclear response and annexing territory through manipulated votes  are signs of an increasingly desperate leader who is faced with the tide of the war in Ukraine turning against him.

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he believes Putins strategy at this point may be to lengthen the war into the winter, when energy costs in Europe will rise, the fighting will grow more difficult and cracks may begin to form across the continent.

Farkas echoed that Putin has long employed actions as a strategy to buy time.

Most of his political experience ruling Russia and waging war has taught him, that if he buys a little time, he may be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat, he might get a stroke of luck or something else might happen. So he has benefited from this ability to buy time until something else happens, or he can cause something else to happen, or he can wait out his opponents, or who knows what, she said.

Ellen Mitchell contributed to this story.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
TORONTO (Reuters) - Quebec Premier Francois Legault, who is favored to win next week's provincial election, said on Wednesday it would be "suicidal" for the mainly French-speaking province to add immigrants without ensuring they speak French.

"We need to stop the decline," of the French language, Legault, the leader of centre-right Coalition Avenir Quebec party, told reporters at the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. He said that if the province added more immigrants without addressing language, "that's a bit suicidal."

Multiple times during the news conference, Legault called increasing immigration "suicidal" for Quebec.

Legault, 65 and a former airline executive, swept the CAQ to power for the first time in 2018 with promises to cut immigration and preserve the French language in an English-dominated North America.

The party is projected to win 98 seats in a 125-member house, ahead of the Liberals, Conservatives, Parti Quebecois (PQ) and left-leaning Quebec Solidaire, according to election projection site qc125.com.

Legault vowed this year to keep annual immigration capped at 50,000 people. His government brought in a bill mandating, among other things, that all new immigrants receive most government services in French after six months in the province. Some employers have said this will make it difficult for them to attract talent.

Quebec, Canada's second-most populous province, has been bringing in a declining share of Canada's new permanent residents annually, relying instead of temporary residents.

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Sandra Maler)
With the funeral procession over and Queen Elizabeth II laid to rest, Buckingham Palace has released a new monogram, which will appear on state documents and post boxes.

According to Insider, the monogram consists of Charles first initial, and the initial of his title, Rex  Latin for King  alongside a crown.

The press release provided by Buckingham Palace mentions that Charles selected the monogram from a few proposed options. Scotland will have a slightly different version that features the Scottish crown.

The Royal Family Channel on Twitter released a comparison photo of Elizabeths monogram alongside that of her eldest son.

Also, the Twitter page for the royal family now shows King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, who is now Queen consort. Paired with a photo of Queen Elizabeth II when she was younger, the caption reads:

The period of Royal Mourning following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has now ended. This account will continue to reflect the work of The King, The Queen Consort and other members of The Royal Family, as well as remembering the life and work of Queen Elizabeth.

It remains to be seen exactly how Charles intends to rule, especially in light of the fact that several Commonwealth nations have made clear their intention to break away from Britain.

Barbados is the most recent country to free itself. The leaders of Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda have all expressed a desire to follow suit and usher in a new, long- delayed start.
Regions Bank is accused of illegally charging tens of millions in surprise overdraft fees  and must now pay that money back, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The Alabama-based bank was fined $50 million to be paid to the bureaus victims relief fund, plus $141 million in refunds to consumers impacted by the illegal fees, officials wrote in a Sept. 28 news release.

Regions customers were charged overdraft fees on some ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases from August 2018 to July 2021, despite being told they had sufficient funds at the time of the transactions, the bureau said. The insufficient funds fees are tied to the banks profits and accounted for nearly 18% of its non-interest income in 2019, according to federal officials.

Regions leadership was reportedly aware of the surprise fees but continued to charge customers anyway, according to the release.

Regions Bank raked in tens of millions of dollars in surprise overdraft fees every year, even after its own staff warned that the banks practices were illegal, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement. Too often, large financial firms make a calculation that continuing to break the law is more profitable than following it.

The bank, which operates 1,700 branches and 2,000 ATMs in more than a dozen states, faced a similar fine in 2015 after it was accused of charging overdraft fees to customers who declined to sign up for overdraft protections, the bureau said.

Regions Bank responds

Regions commented on the settlement addressing certain overdraft fees, which the bank says it stopped charging over a year ago.

Although Regions Bank disagrees with the CFPBs characterizations, the bank cooperated with the investigation and is pleased to move forward, the bank said in a statement. Agreeing to the settlement reflects Regions desire to focus its attention on continuing to support customers through a wide range of account enhancements that have already lowered fees for many customers.

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The bank said it has taken steps to discontinue a particular overdraft fee addressed in the settlement, adding that the charge affected only a small percentage of customers.

Additional changes have been made to further reduce overdraft and similar fees, according to bank leadership.

Read the full statement here.

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Tennesseans will decide on Nov. 8 whether to repeal a ban on clergy serving in the legislature, which hasnt been enforced in more than four decades.

Though seemingly trivial, clergy in the legislature say its important.

I think that clergy are the proper people to serve constituents across the state of Tennessee because I think we will certainly stick as close to whats right, fair, and equal in all situations, said Rep. Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar, who is also pastor of St. John Baptist Church in Stanton.

Repealing the ban would finalize a decision the U.S. Supreme Court already made for Tennessee in 1978. Then, the nations highest court ruled 8-0 the ban was unconstitutional.

On Nov. 8 ballots, Tennessee Constitutional Amendment 4 will ask Tennessee voters if they would like to remove Section 1 of Article IX from the Tennessee Constitution.

If the measure succeeds, it will mark the end of a quirky legal history and could foreshadow the fate of similar measures on atheists and duelists that remain unchanged.

Related:Tennessee's Amendment 1 would add right-to-work to state's constitution, unions oppose it

More:Amendment 2 would create a temporary line of succession if the governor is incapacitated

More:'A matter of right and wrong': Amendment 3 to ban slavery from state constitution

Tennessee has a complicated constitutional amendment process. For Amendment 4 to pass, it must receive more yes votes than no votes. In addition, the number of yes votes must also be greater than 50% of all the votes cast in the governor's election.

Heres what to know about the ballot question.

How we got here

More than 200 years ago, Tennessees founders had their reasons for prohibiting ministers from governing.

It was partly due to a larger trend following the Revolution when Americans sought to put distance between church and state, a practice that England hadnt modeled well.

Tennessee was among several states that incorporated clauses in their constitutions banning clergy from state government around the same time, according to a Christianity Today report on the history of Tennessees clergy ban.

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While other states would eventually remove their bans, Tennessees remained. According to Christianity Today, the ban was a counter measure to politically active Methodists who were seen as a threat to the status quo.

Then, in 1977, the Rev. Paul McDaniel ran to be a delegate in a constitutional convention. The Chattanooga preachers eligibility, however, was challenged by his opponent who cited the state ban on clergy.

A legal battle ensued and eventually made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which sided with McDaniel.

Whats it like today?

Due to the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in 1978, the state ban is unenforceable. As a result, several clergy became state legislators.

Today, three have jobs as full-time or part-time ministers: Shaw, Rep. Harold Love Jr., D-Nashville, and Rep. Jerry Sexton, R-Bean Station.

Tennessee Rep. Larry J. Miller, D-Memphis, gives attention to Rep. Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar, for turning 80 during the 112th General Assembly at Tennessee state Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022.

Serving in each role hasn't hindered the other, Shaw said. "There is a little bit of a difference," he said.

"What we talk about on Sunday morning, Im talking about 'What sayeth the Lord," Shaw said. "When Im in the legislature, Im dealing with whats constitutionally right for people.

At the same time, those two roles have intersected at times. For example, when the House considered a bill to make the Holy Bible the official state book, Sexton and Shaw both used their scriptural knowledge to argue against each other. Sexton had sponsored the bill, but Shaw opposed it.

Bible bill fightHouse debates making Bible official state book as Gov. Bill Lee declares coronavirus emergency

If the clergy ban is repealed, whats next?

The campaign to repeal Tennessees clergy ban has been in the works for two years.

The process involves the General Assembly passing a resolution, which puts the question before voters. Rep. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, introduced the resolution on the clergy ban for the first time in 2020 and then again in 2022.

Opinion:Tennessee should end religious tests for public office impartially | Opinion

But there has been little movement on two other outdated bans that remain in Tennessees constitution. One prohibits atheists from holding elected office and the other, people engaged in duels.

Liam Adams covers religion for The Tennessean. Reach him at ladams@tennessean.com or on Twitter @liamsadams.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee's Amendment 4 would remove ban on clergy in legislature
Well, it looks like it took a day for the Toronto Raptors rumors to start back up after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made his intentions known of wanting to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The highlight of media day for the Thunder was Gilgeous-Alexander downplaying any trade rumor and talks about him growing unhappy with his current situation.

Honestly, I dont pay attention to like the NBA media stuff and what gets tweeted and what circulates around the web, said Gilgeous-Alexander. Try to stay focused with what Ive got going on, me getting better, the guys that are on the team. Just try and just be a better team next season, a better player next season.

Gilgeous-Alexander made his stance even more clear when asked about his content status with the team during his interview with The Athletics Andrew Schlecht.

I know what I signed up for when I signed a five-year extension, said Gilgeous-Alexander to The Athletic. And I dont think were gonna be losing for much longer. So its not like I signed up to lose or anything. I believe in this team. I think were heading in the right direction.

Despite Gilgeous-Alexanders proclamation, it appears that the Raptors will continue to monitor his situation closely, according to TSN Raptors reporter Josh Lewenberg in a recent article.

One of the situations theyre closely monitoring, according to a league source, is in Oklahoma City, where Toronto-born star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may eventually tire of leading a rebuild. The Thunder have gone 46-108 over the past two years and dont seem close to turning the corner, especially after losing second-overall pick Chet Holmgren to an off-season foot injury. The 24-year-old point guard spent the summer playing for Nurse with the Canadian senior mens national team, so there is familiarity on both sides. Gilgeous-Alexander is under contract with OKC through 2026-27 and has given no indication that he would prefer to play elsewhere, but again, things can change quickly in this crazy league. If that or any other enticing opportunity presents itself, Ujiri and Webster  flexible as ever  will be ready.

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Despite the annoyance it might cause among Thunder fans, the Raptors are only doing what a smart franchise would do. Things can change pretty quickly in the NBA. But for right now, Gilgeous-Alexander is bought into the Thunders rebuilding plan.

List

Takeaways from Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and Josh Giddey following Tuesday's practice

Story originally appeared on Thunder Wire
Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny will not abandon his attacking philosophy ahead of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Wire)

Stephen Kenny will not abandon his attacking philosophy as he attempts to guide the Republic of Ireland to the Euro 2024 finals.

Kenny signalled his intention to play a more enterprising brand of football when he replaced Mick McCarthy as Ireland manager in April 2020 and, for better or for worse, has stuck to his guns ever since.

On Tuesday evening, he saw his side squander a 2-0 Nations League lead over Armenia inside two second-half minutes before Robbie Brady rescued victory with a late penalty, but he was unapologetic when asked about his approach.

Republic of Ireland striker Michael Obafemi reacts to Artak Dashyans goal (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Wire)

Kenny said: We were just a bit too eager. We were too advanced on the pitch collectively for a team winning 2-0.

But, listen, thats not to say we wont continue to attack because we will. Thats what were committed to, were committed to playing the way we want to play.

We made mistakes and ultimately conceded goals, but we won the match and completely deserved to win the match.

There is no question we deserved to win that match  we should have won it by more goals than we did. We will learn our lessons.

The win was just Kennys fourth in 21 competitive games and, although it secured Irelands League B status when defeat would have resulted in relegation, it did little to convince the managers critics that his way is the way forward.

They dominated the early stages and took a deserved lead through John Egans 18th-minute header, but they were laboured in their efforts to break down a stubborn Armenian defence and had to wait until seven minutes after the break for Michael Obafemi to extend their advantage from distance.

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In their eagerness to kill off the game, they poured forward in numbers, only to succumb to Artak Dashyans strike and Eduard Spertsyans equaliser before Brady came to the rescue from the spot in stoppage time.

If the result, which avenged an opening day 1-0 defeat in Yerevan, was welcome, the manner in which it was achieved prompted questions over the Republics chances of success in the forthcoming qualifying campaign.

It wasn't a euphoric dressing room even though we won 3-2

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny

However Kenny, who signed a contract extension in March, said: We will play better teams than Armenia in our quest to qualify for the European Championships. We will play teams of equal standard and some of less, probably, as well. Its all relative.

It was a good performance from a technical point of view and we dominated. There is room for improvement in some of our attacking play and we were uber-aggressive in pursuit of that third goal when we didnt need to be. That was really it.

It wasnt a euphoric dressing room even though we won 3-2. The players know. How did they end up in that situation when they were absolutely dominant? How did it happen?

Its important that they realise that they actually did a lot of things very well in the game and we must learn from that situation, and I expect that they will.
Associated Press

The defense team in the Capitol riot trial of the Oath Keepers leader is relying on an unusual strategy with Donald Trump at the center. Lawyers for Stewart Rhodes, founder of the extremist group, are poised to argue that jurors cannot find him guilty of seditious conspiracy because all the actions he took before the siege on Jan. 6, 2021, were in preparation for orders he anticipated from the then-president  orders that never came. Rhodes and four associates are accused of plotting for weeks to stop the transfer of presidential power from the Republican incumbent to Democrat Joe Biden, culminating with Oath Keepers in battle gear storming the Capitol alongside hundreds of other Trump supporters.
EXCLUSIVE: More than a dozen retired military officers and national security officials are urging President Biden to support expanded U.S. domestic energy production in the interest of national security and as a hedge against adversaries like Russia, as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to cut off the gas supply to Europe.

Retired U.S. Army Major General James "Spider" Marks sent a letter to the White House Wednesday morning, stressing that the U.S. has the energy resources available to "limit the grip Russia has over the worlds energy supply."

Marks told Fox News Digital that recent Biden administration policy decisions have, instead, limited oil and gas development, and canceled what he called "critical" infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline.

RUSSIA'S GAZPROM INDEFINITELY SHUTS GAS FLOW TO EUROPE

"North American energy development is critical to U.S. national security and to the economic and national security of our allies throughout Europe and the world," Marks told Fox News Digital. "We urge President Biden and his administration to support the development and transportation of all our nations energy resources  especially wind, solar, natural gas and crude oil."

Oil storage tanks stand at the RN-Tuapsinsky refinery in Tuapse, Russia. Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images

He added that the U.S. "is a hedge against foreign adversaries who are weaponizing their energy supply to bend other nations political will, in opposition to freedoms and liberty."

The letter, signed by Marks and 16 other retired military and national security officials, was sent to Biden, along with his national security team, including White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Director of the White House Economic Council Brian Deese.

NORD STREAM SUFFERS DAMAGE TO THREE OFFSHORE GAS PIPELINES

"The immediacy of global and geopolitical challenges necessitate the United States  once again  reassert its role as moral and economic leader, a role we can only successfully take if we have access to plentiful and affordable energy," the letter states, adding that many of the challenges around the globe come due to Russias unprovoked attack and ongoing war with Ukraine.

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"Unfortunately recent domestic policy decisions have limited crude oil development and restricted our access to critical supplies, such as the cancelation of the Keystone XL pipeline permit, a project that would have brought Canadian crude to the U.S. Additional regulatory uncertainty and restrictions have severely curtailed the construction of energy infrastructure and refining capacity, which have constrained U.S. energy development and growth," the letter continued.

Marks and the retired officers said that the "consequences" of those policies were "masked" during the economic downturn of COVID-19, but the "global growth of energy demand over the past two years has forced a time of reckoning."

"This has led U.S. officials to ask foreign nations to fill the energy supply gap. Some of these nations  while they may purport to be allies of the United States  do not support the principles of freedom, democracy, and liberty; and instead serve their own self-interests," they cautioned.

BIDEN HITS OIL AND GAS COMPANIES: BRING DOWN PRICES YOURE CHARGING AT THE PUMP'

Marks and the retired officers warned that if the U.S. domestic energy production capacity diminishes, "we risk reverting to a scenario where we will have to rely on foreign rivals to meet our energy demands."

Marks and the retired officers said that increased domestic production would also increase the U.S. "geopolitical advantage and support our allies abroad."

President Biden, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin Mikhail KLIMENTYEV/Sputnik/AFP

"For more than two generations, the United States has stood as a hedge against authoritarian regimes and dictators around the globe and, time after time, the United States  in large part because of our access to low-cost energy  has been able to put our finger on the scale to tip the balance of power in libertys favor," they wrote. "Without ready access to affordable and plentiful energy, we also risk a new reality where freedoms adversaries will gain an upper hand in critical strategic geopolitical battles that could have negative consequences not just for citizens of the United States, but also for people around the globe."

They added: "We simply cannot allow that to happen."

Marks and the retired officers said that with Bidens "leadership, we can attain our countrys energy aspirations and use energy as a foreign policy tool for good."

The letter was signed by Marks; former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower & Reserve Affairs Tidal McCoy; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs Sergio de la Pena; former Under Secretary of the Navy Greg Slavonic; and 14 retired U.S. military personnel.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
A resurfacing project is underway on State Route 235 in Greene County with daily lane restrictions, according to a news release from the Ohio Department of Transportation.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Construction could impact commute Beavercreek drivers

Contractors for ODOT have impart lane closures on State Route 235 near Wright Patterson Air Force Base to start milling and paving work.

Restrictions will be in place daily from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and traffic will be maintained with flagging operations, the release said.

The entire project includes resurfacing State Route 235 between Fairborn and the Montgomery County line.

The John R. Jurgensen was awarded a contract for nearly $950,000 to complete the project and all work is scheduled to be completed in late fall of 2022, ODOT said.




Roger Stone, once an adviser and confidante to former President Donald Trump, addresses reporters in front of the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Federal Building Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Stone, a Trump confidante, sought a second pardon from the former president after the Capitol riot.

Stone was seen in footage saying "let's get right to the violence" the day before the 2020 election.

Stone had a prison sentence commuted by Trump before he left the White House.

Roger Stone sought a second pardon from former President Donald Trump after the Capitol riot, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

According to texts seen by the outlet, Stone  a former adviser to Trump  approached David Schoen, an attorney who represented Trump in his second impeachment trial, following the events of January 6, 2021.

Stone asked Schoen to "plug" his request for a pardon when he spoke to Trump, per the outlet. "At this point, I'd be happy if he pardoned me and Kerik again," Stone told Schoen, referring to Bernard Kerik, a former New York City police commissioner who Trump pardoned.

Kerik was sentenced to four years in prison in 2010 after he pleaded guilty to eight felony charges, including dodging taxes and giving false statements to White House officials while being vetted to be chief of the Department of Homeland Security.

Like Stone, Kerik was investigated by the House panel probing the January 6 riot and attempts made to overturn the 2020 election.

"He's already pardoned both of us so he would take no heat for it whatsoever," Stone added, per The Times.

Per the outlet, he also told Schoen that there would be "mass prosecutions" following the Capitol riot. "If he can be the only president impeached twice maybe you should be the only person pardoned twice," Schoen replied, referring to Trump.

Trump commuted Stone's 40-month prison sentence before he left the White House. The pardon concerned Stone's November 2019 indictment and February 2020 sentence on one count of obstruction, five counts of making false statements to the FBI and congressional investigators, and one count of witness tampering in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.

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The text messages were reported on a day after new footage was aired by CNN, which showed Stone calling for violence the day before the 2020 election.

"Fuck the voting, let's get right to the violence," Stone can be heard saying to his associates during a car ride. "Shoot to kill, you see an Antifa  shoot to kill."

For his part, Stone has claimed without substantiation that the clip of him calling for violence is a "deep fake."

"CNN airs fraudulent deep fake videos and expects anyone to believe them based on their long history of lies," Stone wrote on Telegram on Monday.

Stone and a representative for Schoen did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Florida Republican has left his job after a photo of him, allegedly in a Ku Klux Klan costume, made the rounds online.

Gadsden County Commissioner Jeffery Moore, a Republican appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in July, resigned from the five-person county board of commissioners on Friday, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

The photo reportedly shows Moore at a Halloween party wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe, according to the newspaper.

A Gadsden Co. commissioner, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, abruptly resigned from the post in Floridas only predominantly Black county after a photo surfaced purportedly showing him wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood at what could have been a Halloween party years earlier. pic.twitter.com/iadi4gI323  Christopher Cann (@ChrisCannFL) September 27, 2022

Moore, the one white person on the board with four Black commissioners, lives in a county where 55% of the residents are Black, according to U.S. census data. Gadsden County is on the Georgia border, just west of Tallahassee.

Tracey Stallworth, a pastor in Gadsden County, told the Tallahassee Democrat thered be a news conference on Wednesday calling on Moore and the governor to weigh in on the photo.

Its a very sad day in our history and a sad time for this county ... the blackest county in the state, this is not OK, Stallworth said.

Moore, who didnt elaborate on why he was resigning in his letter, also reportedly stopped his campaign to continue as county commissioner in November.

Thank you for the opportunity to have served in the position, however for personal reasons I am no longer able to continue, Moore wrote to DeSantis office.

The Tallahassee Democrat reported that Moore wrote he was in the middle of hurricane preparations and would contact them on Tuesday or Wednesday. Hurricane Ian is expected to strike Florida this week.

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HuffPost has reached out to both Moore and DeSantis for comment.

The racist costume controversy comes over three years after another DeSantis-appointed official, Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel, resigned when a photo emerged of him in blackface and dressed as a Hurricane Katrina victim.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
By Vitalii Hnidyi

STARYI SALTIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukrainian volunteer Vitalii Kivirenko loads a small rowing boat with tins of food and supplies by the village of Staryi Saltiv, on the Pechenizhske Reservoir, northeast of Kharkiv, ready to make a short trip that was unthinkable just a few weeks ago.

After Ukrainian forces pushed Russian troops back from the eastern banks of the reservoir, opposite Staryi Saltiv, in a counter offensive earlier this month, volunteers and relatives can finally reach those in isolated villages on the other side, and some of those who fled are returning home.

Rowing is the easiest option for crossing the water and delivering flour, sugar, oil and fuel for generators, after Staryi Saltiv's road bridge was blasted in two by Ukrainian forces just days into Russia's invasion, to try and halt the Russian troops' advance.

The bridge once connected to the town of Vovchansk, just a few kilometres from the Russian border.

Reaching the other side by road would involve a huge detour around the reservoir created on the Siverskyi Donets River by a dam further south at Pechenihy and take almost six hours.

Kivirenko and other volunteers row past the hulking remains of the bridge, its railings painted in the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag, in the driving rain.

"The shelling here was so strong; you couldn't even get close. The shelling was constant, about 80% of housing is destroyed," Kivirenko said, referring to conditions in Staryi Saltiv.

Despite the destruction of the bridge, Russian forces still took Staryi Saltiv and occupied it until May, when it was retaken by Ukrainian forces. The area remained under constant artillery fire from Russians on the east bank until their retreat in September.

"We are happy to go home. At last, it happened," said Serhii Negrovyi, returning by boat to his home on the east bank with his wife, son and baby daughter.

"My child was born in February. She was born February 11th. And then it [the Russian invasion] began. That's how we lived, under shelling."

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His wife Olena, described the situation in her village.

"It was difficult. The neighbour's house got shelled, then the house next to it. There were explosions in the neighbour's yard," she said.

"Thank God the children are fine. I am going home, thank God," she said.

Russia struck the Pechenihy dam last week using short-range ballistic missiles or similar weapons, according to the British military.

Thousands have been killed and Ukrainian cities reduced to rubble since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 for what it called a "special military operation". Moscow denies targeting civilians.

(Reporting by Vitalii Hnidyi and Andrii Pryimachenko; Writing by Alexandra Hudson; Editing by Toby Chopra)
(Bloomberg) -- Russian leaders declared victory in a series of stage-managed, UN-condemned referendums, as the Kremlin moved to annex a large chunk of occupied Ukrainian territory after a string of humiliating military setbacks.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russian Security Council, wrote on his official Telegram channel in the early hours of Wednesday that the referendums were over. Results are clear, he added. Welcome home to Russia.

Head of the self-styled Donetsk Peoples Republic, Denis Pushilin, posted on Telegram that all ballots had now been counted in his region, with 99.23% of those polled voting to join the Russian Federation. Landslides were also recorded in the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk regions, the state-owned Ria Novosti news agency reported.

Moscows declaration marks a new escalation in the war and the spiraling conflict between Russia and the US and its allies. The ballots have been condemned as a violation of the UN Charter and international law by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Russian troops dont fully control the territory of any of the four regions where the votes were held and fighting is raging in all of them.

The Kremlin ordered the ballots after its forces suffered their worst defeats to Ukraines military since the weeks after Russia invaded in February. Putin this week also called for a partial mobilization to draft 300,000 reservists.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy rejected the results in a Wednesday statement on his official Facebook page. None of Russias criminal actions will change anything for Ukraine, he wrote. This farce in the occupied territory cannot even be called an imitation of referendum.

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Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
OLHA HLUSHCHENKO  WEDNESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2022, 07:25

Russian occupying forces in Ukraine are deploying mobilised Russians who have not been given appropriate training and convicts to replenish their military personnel losses.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Quote: "Russian units are starting to receive military personnel who have been called up as part of the [recently announced] partial mobilisation."

Details: The General Staff reported that units of the 1st Tank Regiment of the 2nd Motor Rifle Division of the 1st Guards Tank Army, which are departing for the combat zone, have received reinforcements. The newly arrived troops have had no training prior to being deployed.

In addition to partial mobilisation [announced on 21 September], the military-political leadership of the Russian Federation is continuing to roll out a so-called "self-mobilisation" [i.e., offering persons serving time for criminal offences an opportunity to fight in exchange, allegedly, for freedom - ed.].

Persons convicted of criminal offences are joining units that are already fighting in Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Gazprom threatens Naftogaz with sanctions because of arbitration proceedings initiated by the Ukrainian company

Read also: Nearly simultaneous leaks in Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines could be sabotage

Gazprom considers the filing of an appeal by Naftogaz of Ukraine as an unfriendly step and a continuation of the dishonest behavior of the Ukrainian company, and that further attempts by Naftogaz to seek consideration of the dispute in the International Court of Arbitration may lead to the fact that the Russian state authorities have every reason to impose a sanctions regime on Naftogaz and include it in the sanctions list, Gazprom said in a statement.

Read also: Russias Gazprom production and export figures down sharply since year-start

In practice, this will mean a ban for Gazprom to fulfill its obligations to the Ukrainian company regarding the agreements concluded, including the implementation of financial transactions.

In early September, reports emerged that Naftogaz of Ukraine had filed a lawsuit against Gazprom to the International Court of Arbitration, a multi-national body for settling commercial disputes based in Paris, France.

Read also: Russian gas company Gazprom burning off gas intended for sale to Europe

According to Gazprom, in a contract signed with Naftogaz of Ukraine in 2019, dispute between the two under Swedish law should be arbitrated in Zurich, Switzerland.

After many countries imposed sanctions on Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine, Gazprom fears an unfair trial, the company claimed.

Read also: Gazprom concocts new excuses to continue shutdown of Nord Stream-1

Gazprom added that the changed circumstances deprive Gazprom of its fundamental right to a fair and impartial hearing, both in the arbitration itself and in state courts at the place of its consideration.

The company stressed that services not provided by the Ukrainian side regarding the transit of Russian gas to Europe should not and will not be paid for.

Read also: Nigeria and Morocco to build gas pipeline to Europe

Naftogaz has been preparing for arbitration with Gazprom since May of this year.

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In early May, Naftogaz absolved itself of responsibility for gas supplies to Europe, since part of Ukraines gas transmission system was seized by the aggressor.

Read also: MPs submit bill on gas pipeline ownership reform

At the same time, Naftogaz CEO Yuriy Vitrenko said the company expects payment from Gazprom regardless of whether the Russian monopolist agrees on changes to fuel transit, or not.

Gas transit volumes from Russia decreased in early May due to the occupation of the Sokhranivka gas measuring station, as well as the Novopskov compressor station in Luhansk Oblast.

Prior to this, up to 32.6 million cubic meters per day of natural gas transited from Russia to Europe through the Novopskov station.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
LONDON  Lines at neighboring borders and protests are just some of the scenes in Russia following President Vladimir Putins call for partial military mobilization.

Last week, Putin ordered up to 300,000 Russians to serve in the invasion of Ukraine that began in February. Since then, thousands of citizens have fled the country to bordering nations, including Georgia and Mongolia.

Vehicles line up to cross the Upper Lars checkpoint on the Russia-Georgia border on Tuesday. (Maxar Technologies via AP)

A satellite image of the Russia-Georgia border taken on Tuesday shows a multitude of cars and people waiting at the crossing. According to Russian state news outlet Tass, more than 5,000 cars had created the traffic jam, which was up to 10 miles long.

The announcement also sparked a rise in the search for flights leaving Russia, sending prices soaring. Flights to destinations such as Turkey, Georgia and Armenia sold out.

People walk and ride bicycles between rows of vehicles at the Verkhny Lars checkpoint in North Ossetia, Russia, on the border with Georgia on Tuesday. (Yelena Afonina/Tass via Zuma Press)

Elsewhere, antiwar protesters clashed with police on a highway in Dagestan  one of Russias poorest regions. The demonstrators, mostly women, were chanting No to war as officers fired warning shots into the crowd in an attempt to disperse them. It is unknown whether anyone was injured.

In the town of Ust-Ilimsk in Siberia, a draft officer was shot by a man angered by his friends conscription, the Guardian reported. A video appears to show the officer being shot at close range. The governor of the region said on Telegram that the officer was in critical condition and that the gunman would absolutely be punished.

Partial mobilization affects everybody, Michael Kofman, head of Russian studies at the CNA think tank in Washington, D.C., told the Associated Press. And everybody in Russia understands ... that they could be the next wave, and this is only the first wave.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Russians not to submit to the criminal mobilization and to at least try to protect their own lives.

Russian citizens visit a public service center to receive an individual identification number for foreigners in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. (Pavel Mikheyev/Reuters)

Russian police officers stand guard during a protest after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to fight in the Ukraine war. (Reuters)

Travelers from Russia cross the border into Georgia at the Zemo Larsi/Verkhny Lars station on Monday. (Irakli Gedenidze/Reuters)

Russian citizens line up outside a public service center in Oral, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday. (Raul Uporov/Reuters)

Long lines of vehicles on the way to exit Russia at its border with Georgia in Verkhny Lars on Monday. (The Insider/handout via Reuters)
Russia and the Taliban are in agreement on a deal that would see Russian gas, diesel and wheat flow into Afghanistan at a discounted rate.

"The deal will provide Russia with additional export earnings, undermining Washingtons efforts to weaken Russian economy, in false hopes to compel Putin to stop his war on Ukraine," Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer and the author of "Putins Playbook: Russias Secret Plan to Defeat America," told Fox News Digital. "This is another example of the failed sanctions policy pursued by the Biden Administration. The sanctions have not changed Putins behavior in nine years, they never will."

Koffler's comments come after it was revealed that Russia will send Afghanistan two million tonnes of wheat, a million tonnes of gasoline and diesel, and 500,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas annually at a discount compared to global commodity prices, according to a Reuters report Wednesday.

CHINA, RUSSIA CAN AND WILL EXPLOIT OPPORTUNITIES IN AFGHANISTAN VACUUM FOLLOWING US WITHDRAWAL: EXPERTS

The deal represents the first major international agreement the Taliban has struck since regaining power in Afghanistan last year, with most governments around the world refusing to offer the group official recognition until the country improves its record on human rights.

Russia does not officially recognize the Taliban government, but is one of the few countries that kept its embassy in Kabul open after U.S. forces left, and Taliban forces swept across the country and retook its capital.

Earlier this month, two Russian diplomats were killed in a suspected ISIS suicide bomb attack aimed at its embassy in Kabul. The suicide bomber's device exploded outside the embassy's visa section. The Associated Press reported at the time there was no immediate reason given for the attack by the terror group.

The deal comes at a time of economic crisis for both countries, with Russia facing a limited market of buyers for its energy exports amid American and western sanctions in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine.

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However, Koffler does not believe the agreement will have a significant impact on the Russian economy.

"The new deal with the Taliban by itself will not release the strains placed on the Russian economy by the U.S. and European economic sanctions. Russia is in desperate need of high-tech parts, such as semiconductors, not raisins and medicinal herbs promised by Taliban to Putin in exchange for oil, gas, and wheat," Koffler said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. ALEXEI NIKOLSKY/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images, File

AFGHANISTAN HAS REGRESSED TO MEDIEVAL ENVIRONMENT: GEN. MCKENZIE

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's economy has deteriorated significantly since the Taliban takeover, with most of the country's population living below the poverty line while the Taliban government struggles with sanctions and the lack of development aid the country enjoyed under its western-supported government.

"Afghans are in great need," acting Afghan Commerce and Industry Minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi told Reuters. "Whatever we do, we do it based on national interest and the people's benefit."

While details on specific prices and payment methods were not available, Azizi said that Russia would move the supplies to Afghanistan by road and rail. If both sides are satisfied with the deal during the temporary trial period, a longer term deal is expected to be signed.

In this photo taken on May 4, 2022, flash flood-affected children sit outside their damaged house at Qadis district in Badghis province. - Flash floods and storms killed at least 18 people after ravaging several provinces of Afghanistan. AFP via Getty Images

The Russian agreement with the Taliban comes more than three decades after the end of the Soviet-Afghan War, a nine-year conflict that ended in a Soviet defeat and withdrawal from Afghanistan. In the aftermath, a civil war in Afghanistan eventually resulted in the Taliban's first take over of the country in 1996.

However, despite the positive development in relations with Russia, Azizi made clear that the Taliban does not want to depend on only one country to help lift its struggling economy.

"A country ... shouldn't be dependent on just one country, we should have alternative ways," he said.
ALONA MAZURENKO  WEDNESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2022, 19:41

Russian media has talked with a Russian conscript who was sent to fight in Ukraine, specifically in Bucha, and then escaped from his battalion and returned to Russia. After the announcement of conscription in the Russian Federation, he was ordered to go back to the front under threat of criminal prosecution.

Source: BBC Russian service

Details: The BBC talked to 20-year-old Sergey from Krasnodar, who served as an artillery gunner.

He was called up to the army in the spring of 2021, and he was offered a contract with the Ministry of Defence of Russia that August. In January 2022, he and his comrades-in-arms were sent to Belarus for training, and on 23 February to Ukraine. He pointed out that there was no possibility of escape.

At the beginning of March, his battalion entered Bucha. Russian soldiers were attacked again in the city centre. "Two deputy commanders of the regiment went down immediately. Our battalion commander and many private soldiers, as well"

In Bucha, according to Sergey, Russian occupiers started robbing empty houses and shops: "There was nothing to eat from the very start; we took bread and canned food."

Quote from Sergey: "If locals came to our positions, they were taken, interrogated, and killed almost right away. They sent location tags of our positions to the Armed Forces of Ukraine by their phones. You could be sitting somewhere, a man on a bicycle would drive by, and something could strike that very place exactly a minute later."

The Russian reported that soldiers drank a lot of alcohol in Bucha, and they would launch attacks while wasted if they received target coordinates.

He also said that locals did not come to the Russian soldiers even when it was quiet: "They all knew that once they left their basements or houses, firing would start. They were told this when we came to Bucha. When we examined houses and mopped up those who used to work in the police, in the army, who had documents, or something on their phones in fact, all men were taken."

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When Sergey was asked what they did to the women of Bucha, he replied: "Different stuff happened. I, personally, [did] nothing. Neither did my first battery."

On 19 March, Ukrainian artillery units struck one Russian tank. It caught fire, and vehicles nearby started to burn, too. As a result, according to the occupier, six out of seven Russian tanks were burned.

During the next two days, Russian soldiers received new weapons and two tanks. One of them had a broken gear lever; another one was made in 1964 and could not shoot.

In April, after the troops retreated from the Kyiv-Chernihiv front, Sergeys unit returned to Russia through Belarus. At the first stop, according to him, two companies (90 people each) wanted to leave, but commanders convinced them that everyone would go to jail if they did, so the companies remained with the battalion.

Sergey and his comrades-in-arms spent two weeks in Belgorod (Russia). He said that soldiers lived in tents in the forest and went to the city to buy groceries themselves, since they "were not fed there either, not a single MRE."

Having returned to Russia, the conscript had tried to retire from service two times.

A conscript from another battalion, 19-year-old Anton from Ivanovo, who was a sniper, said that commanders "threatened" him and other soldiers with a tribunal and "bullied" them. Commanders also "shouted that they would shoot in the back anyone who turned back and left".

But some went absent without leave, gave away their weapons and left.

Anton explained that he decided to leave the battalion because of the significant losses sustained and the psychological effect of the war.

Quote by Anton: "When I started shooting people and understood that its hard And they didnt send home the bodies of the guys who were killed. They buried them right there, I saw it. Its very rare that they made a cargo 200 [conventional designation of soldiers who were killed - ed.]. Especially when it was very hot, almost 40C. They just decompose right away. The [Russian military commanders] do not tell the parents [of the soldiers who were killed] anything, just write that their son went missing. There were too many guys whose contracts should have ended a month or two later. They all were 19-20 years old. And now they are all allegedly missing."

In the middle of April, Sergey was sent to Ukraine again - at first, to Izium, and then towards Lysychansk.

Soldiers there were ordered to take the village of Berestove. "Twenty-one houses. We had been storming it for a week and a half," the conscript described the battle for this settlement. He stated that only one company of 90 people was left in his battalion out of the 600 who invaded from Belarus in February.

In July, Sergeys regiment was transferred to Popasna, from where he escaped with seven more soldiers, leaving their weapons to their commander.

On the border near Pervomaisk they met border guards and ended up being interrogated by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

According to Sergey, the interrogation of soldiers was not long; the FSB were just surprised at stories about those who had been killed. After that, he decided not to go back to his military unit, but to go home. As the BBCs information indicates, the conscript received a total of approximately 700,000 roubles [approximately US$12,000 - ed.].

A few weeks later, Sergey was called to a military commandants office for interrogation: "They asked when I left the combat zone and why. I told them I had enough, and showed a video of our burned and defeated division in Bucha."

On 23 September, the military prosecutor called Sergey again. As the conscript stated, in the military unit, they had given him a document for a medical board [test] and said: "You have two options. Either you go to jail, or you go back there."

The conscript decided not to go to any medical board. He spoke to a lawyer; now, he is choosing among two options: either being put on probation for contract termination and for disobeying the mobilisation, or using his diagnosis by a psychiatrist at the military enlistment office.

Another conscript, Sergey Bokov from the Urals, who spoke to journalists in May, went to Kazakhstan and was applying for a humanitarian visa to Germany. Anton from Ivanovo returned to the front on 25 September.

As reported by the BBC, other conscripts who had retired from the Russian army are also being sent to the front.

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Unidentified graves of civilians and Ukrainian soldiers in a cemetery during an exhumation in the recently retaken area of Izium, Ukraine, September 17, 2022. Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

More than 4,000 recordings of Russian soldiers making calls from Kyiv were obtained by The New York Times.

One Russian soldier told his girlfriend that he received orders to "kill everyone we see."

UN investigators previously accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine.

One Russian soldier in Kyiv recounted in a phone call how his commander ordered troops to kill Ukrainian civilians to conceal their locations, which is a war crime under international law.

The call was just one of many unauthorized phone calls made in March by Russian soldiers, which were intercepted from the Bucha area  a suburb of Kyiv where civilians were massacred  by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies. The New York Times obtained, verified, and translated the recordings.

The calls reveal the bleak reality Russian soldiers faced in the early weeks of the war in Ukraine, which began in late February. The Times report documented soldiers reporting back to their mothers, friends, and girlfriends on some of the atrocities they witnessed  and participated in.

In one call to his girlfriend, a Russian soldier identified only by his first name, Sergey, said his commander had given an order to take Ukrainian civilians to the forest to execute them.

"They told us that, where we're going, there's a lot of civilians walking around. And they gave us the order to kill everyone we see," Sergey said, according to The Times.

His girlfriend responded: "Why the fuck?"

"Because they might give away our positions. ... That's what we're fucking going to do, it seems," Sergey replied, per the report. "Kill any civilian that walks by and drag them into the forest. ... I've already become a murderer. that's why I don't want to kill any more people, especially ones I will have to look in the eyes."

Killing civilians is a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

According to the statute, "intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities" would be considered one of the "serious violations of the laws" in international armed conflict.

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The United Nations previously accused Russia of committing a long list of war crimes in Ukraine.

Some atrocities listed include sexual violence, torture, and "indiscriminate attacks with explosive weapons," according to Erik Mse, who led the UN's investigation into human rights violations and crimes committed in Ukraine.

In another recording between Sergey and his girlfriend, the Russian soldier said a captain ordered the execution of three men, in part because their unit didn't have enough food to feed themselves.

"We detained them, undressed them, and checked all their clothes. Then a decision had to be made whether to let them go," Sergey said. "If we let them go, they could give away our position. ... So it was decided to shoot them in the forest."

When his girlfriend asked why they weren't taken as prisoners, he replied: "We would have had to feed them, and we don't have enough food ourselves, you see."

The UN wasn't the only international entity to suspect Russia of committing atrocities in Ukraine. Russian forces, who have repeatedly targeted civilians since the war began, have been widely accused of committing war crimes in Ukraine  including by world leaders and top human rights groups.

President Joe Biden has gone as far to accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing "genocide" in Ukraine. Biden said in April that Putin was vying to "wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russian servicemen take part in military exercises at the Uspenovskyi training ground outside the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia, on September 4, 2022. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine shared audio it said was intercepted from a Russian soldier.

The clip shows a man complaining about Putin and his partial mobilization plans.

He also says he will "pray for a wound" in Ukraine so he can go home.

Ukraine shared what it said was intercepted audio that showed a Russian soldier saying that he will "pray for a wound" so he can leave the front lines as soon as possible.

A four-minute clip of the intercepted phone call was shared by The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine on Tuesday. It said the conversation was between a Russian soldier based in the occupied city of Kherson and an unidentified woman.

It appears to offer new insight into the continued low morale in Russia's military even after President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization last week, which will bring more troops into Ukraine.

In the call, the man tells the woman that his morale is "complete shit" and that he needs "to get wounded" so that he can go home, according to a translation from The Daily Beast.

It is unclear what the relationship between the man and the woman is. The audio has not been independently verified.

"If I get lucky I'll get pneumonia and leave," the man said in the audio, adding that he will "pray for a wound" because the soldiers who get wounded "leave here with tears [of joy] in their eyes," according to The Daily Beast.

The man also curses out "fuck face" Putin for his mobilization plans, adding that because the government is sending "half of Russia" to the front lines, they won't be able to pay everyone, according to the translation.

"Fuck, if they don't give me benefits and medals after all this bullshit, I'll go against the country [and join] the fucking opposition," the man added, according to The Daily Beast.

Putin's mobilization decree has prompted protests across Russia and even instances of violence, as thousands of Russians are desperately trying to exit their country.

A former US general said Tuesday that Putin's draft is a "recipe for slaughter" and that the conscripted Russians "will not be prepared for what they will encounter."

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- At least 200,000 Russians left the country after President Vladimir Putins mobilization order in an exodus thats causing turmoil at the borders and stirring fears in neighboring states about potential instability.

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While Russia hasnt released official data, statistics from Georgia, Kazakhstan and the European Union showed the scale of the departures. The total is likely an underestimate as other nearby countries popular with Russians including Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey havent disclosed arrival figures.

On a mountain highway at the border with Georgia, thousands of vehicles formed lines stretching for miles as Russian men eligible for the call-up flocked to escape to the Caucasus state that Putins army invaded in 2008. The situation is apocalyptic, its like in the movies, said Vladimir, a 30-year-old Muscovite who walked into Georgias Larsi with his youngest child, fearing the border would be closed to potential draftees, as his wife and older child stayed with their car in the traffic jams.

After driving with friends for more than 30 hours from Moscow to reach the Russian border with Kazakhstan in central Asia, 46-year-old Ilya, who asked not to disclose his last name, said they arrived to find about 150 cars ahead of them. With officials processing only about eight vehicles an hour, he eventually walked across the border, he said.

Putins mobilization order last week shocked millions of Russians whod previously been largely shielded from the realities of the Kremlins seven-month-long war in Ukraine. While Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said it would affect only 300,000 out of 25 million reservists, the call-up sparked a rush to leave the country as reports piled up of men being drafted who were officially exempt.

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Data from police and border officials showed 98,000 Russians entered Kazakhstan and 53,000 crossed into Georgia since Sept. 21 when Putin announced the call-up, while about 100,000 left the two countries for other destinations. The European Union reported Tuesday that 66,000 Russians entered the bloc in the past week, up 30% on a week earlier, with most crossing the land borders into Finland and Estonia. About 41,000 Russian nationals left the EU for Russia in the same period, its border agency said in a statement.

Officials in Russias North Ossetia region on Wednesday barred access to the road leading to the Georgian border except for cars registered to local residents or that were returning to Georgia, according to the state-run Tass news service. It earlier reported that nearly 5,000 vehicles were lined up at the border and that conscription officers were handing out draft papers at the checkpoint.

Pictures of large crowds of men at Moscows major airports appeared on social media amid a spike in demand for flights to countries where Russians can enter visa-free. Travel websites were offering economy tickets for about $3,000 for flights Thursday from Moscow to Armenias capital, Yerevan, and Georgias Tbilisi. Tickets to Moscow from Yerevan were going for about $240.

The panic intensified as rumors swirled that the Kremlin may close the borders for conscription-age men after annexing four occupied regions of Ukraine following staged referendums that ended Tuesday. Authorities in Moscow wont issue passports to men whove received call-up papers, a government information portal reported Wednesday.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Tuesday he planned talks with Russia about the surge in migrants to resolve this problem in the interests of our country. Most Russians entering Kazakhstan are forced to leave because of the current hopeless situation, he said in comments posted by his press service. We must take care of them and ensure their safety.

Opposition groups in Kazakhstan and Georgia railed against the influx, denouncing Russians as former colonizers who represented a potential security risk. In Georgia, many drew comparisons on social media between columns of Russian tanks that crossed the border in the 2008 war, which resulted in Moscows troops remaining in two breakaway territories, and the current rush of men seeking to avoid conscription into that army. Georgia, like Ukraine, aspires to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a move Russia opposes.

The sudden increase in demand for accommodation is pushing up hotel and rental apartment prices, which have doubled in some places, adding to tensions with locals who find themselves priced out of the market. Still, many have offered a helping hand to those who felt compelled to leave Russia.

Putins War Is Deepening a Tussle for Influence in Central Asia

In northern Kazakhstan, an area with a large Russian population that pro-Kremlin nationalists have long coveted, movie theater manager Dillara Mukhambetova said she saw hundreds of new arrivals wandering the streets in the rain in the city of Uralsk unable to find anywhere to stay late Saturday.

I decided to open the movie theater so people would have somewhere safe to shelter, she said. On the first night, more than 200 people slept in the theater.

Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri said the numbers crossing the border at Larsi more than doubled to 11,000 on Monday from the previous day, though he said he saw nothing alarming about this in televised comments on Mtavari TV. Opposition activists were less sanguine.

This is nothing but annexation without the tanks, Giorgi Vashadze, an opposition member of Georgias parliament, said of the Russians arriving in the country of 4 million. This simply cant go on.

Victor, a 23-year-old IT worker from Moscow, said his mother urged him to walk into Georgia to avoid the risk of being drafted, while she remained in the car in the line at the border.

I left Russia once when the war began but later returned, he said. I regret coming back and will never do it again.

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STANISLAV POHORILOV  WEDNESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2022, 16:25

Russian professional soldiers and mercenaries who have fought at the front [in Ukraine] told the media that nothing good awaits the mobilised in Ukraine; most of them will die. The full names of the soldiers and mercenaries are not disclosed for obvious reasons.

Source: [Russian outlet] Meduza

Quotes:

Kyrylo, a professional soldier: "To be honest, they will all die there [in Ukraine]. They are going to get hurt and die. This is not a trained army! For example, I have been serving [on a contract] for a long time, and fought my way [to the front]  and still turned out to be not ready. On the very first day, I realised that I had made the biggest mistake of my life."

Anatoliy, a mercenary: "I don't understand what this crowd will do there. If us professionals were f***ed up there, then what would happen to them? The best case scenario, they will remain in reserve [in the rear in Donbas]. The worst case scenario, they will die valiantly. [Just these] two options."

Timur, a mercenary: "These 300,000 wannabe Spartans [obviously, a reference to 300 Spartans who perished in an uneven battle  ed.] will be the first to die. But that's alright, they need to get used to reality a little. They were protected by the dome for many years, while we kept all this (NATO force) at a distance. But the Atlanteans forces are limited, too."

Chingiz, a professional soldier: "I saw the incompetence of the Russian army there. We just kept moving forward, facing constant bombing. Then we stopped near Kyiv, dug in, and then we were bombed again. So much for a war.

An acquaintance of mine who was mobilised has to go there (to Ukraine) in two weeks. He is against the war. But the way he acts... I don't understand him. "Okay, I've been mobilised, I cant do much about it, so I'll go." So humble. I didn't like it, so I tried to convince him. But he answers: "What, am I expected to go to jail for ten [years] or something? I'd rather help the boys." This phrase is a common one: "Id rather help the boys"... All the ordinary guys have already withdrawn from there.

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I wondered where this humility came from. You seem to be trying to explain to people that Russia is an aggressor, [and] Putin is an aggressor; that "defence of the Motherland" in a foreign country, when cities are destroyed  it all looks somehow strange; that Ukraine did not attack first, and it was Russia that attacked [first]. But they have one argument: "Well, what if NATO had come! And, after all, the Khokhols [a derogatory Russian term for Ukrainians] are the Banderites!" That's it. I don't know where all of this [propagandist cliches  ed.] comes from."

Background:

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the partial conscription of Russian citizens in the morning of 21 September.

Serhii Haidai, Head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, reported that despite the fact that "partial conscription" in Russia was announced only a week ago, the first groups of conscripted reservists have already arrived at the front in Ukraine.

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Former GOP gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley exits the courthouse after his arraignment on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at the Gerald R. Ford Federal Building.

GRAND RAPIDS  Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley, who has been charged in connection to the Jan. 6 capitol insurrection, has had his next court date pushed back.

More:Ryan Kelley arraigned on federal charges for Jan. 6

Kelley was originally scheduled to be in court again Wednesday. That's now been pushed to Dec. 8.

Kelley has been charged with four misdemeanors  knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, knowingly engaging in any act of physical violence against person or property in any restricted grounds or buildings and destruction of government property.

Former GOP gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley exits the courthouse with his wife after his arraignment on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at the Gerald R. Ford Federal Building.

He has pleaded not guilty to all four charges.

In a notice filed on Tuesday, Kelleys attorney noted his campaign for Michigan governor is officially over, which could impact his bond travel requirements.

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Defense Counsel would, however, note that Mr. Ryan Kelley is still actively involved in political issues throughout the state of Michigan, and is contemplating whether he will run for a different state or federal position, his attorney wrote in the filing.

Kelley lost in the primary to GOP gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon.

Each of the four misdemeanors Kelley is charged with carries a penalty of up to one year in federal prison, a fine of up to $100,000 and one year of supervised release.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ryan Kelley's court date pushed back as he contemplates running for 'different' position
By Kanishka Singh

(Reuters) - San Francisco's homeless are suing the City by the Bay, demanding that it stop rounding them up like criminals and invest in affordable housing instead.

More than 57% of the city's homeless is unsheltered, according to advocacy group Coalition on Homelessness, which filed the lawsuit along with seven homeless individuals. San Francisco has failed to provide enough temporary shelters, the group said on Wednesday when announcing the action.

San Francisco has close to 8,000 homeless people, according to the city's website.

"The City's decades-long failure to adequately invest in affordable housing and shelter has left many thousands of its residents unhoused, forcing them to use tents and vehicles as shelter," said the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The advocacy group accused San Francisco's Mayor London Breed, police and other authorities of acting "to criminalize homelessness through an array of brutal policing practices that violate the constitutional rights of unhoused San Franciscans."

The city's homeless sweeps are rooted in its history of racism in housing and policing, the group added.

"The City has also embarked on a campaign to seize and destroy the property of unhoused people with the express purpose of removing visible signs of homelessness from San Francisco's streets."

The San Francisco mayor's office declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said the city had a "service-first approach" to addressing unsheltered homelessness.

The mayor's office is focused on expanding temporary and permanent housing to offer safe alternatives to people living on the streets, it said, noting that the city has about 3,600 shelter beds.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Richard Chang)
The five-deck Axioma boasts six cabins and has a glass elevator, cinema, and infinity pool. Courtesy of YachtCharterFleet

A five-deck superyacht seized from Russian steel tycoon Dmitry Pumpyansky has been sold.

The Axioma, which had previously been valued at $75 million, sold for $37.5 million, per Reuters.

The identity of the buyer has not been disclosed.

A superyacht seized from its Russian oligarch owner has been sold in the first auction of its kind since the beginning of the Ukraine war.

The 236-foot vessel named the Axioma had been owned by steel tycoon Dmitry Pumpyansky and had an estimated value of $75 million, per Superyachtfan.

Nigel Hollyer of Howe Robinson Partners, which brokered the auction on behalf of The Office of the Admiralty Marshal in Gibraltar, confirmed to Insider that the vessel had been sold, but declined to confirm the amount.

"The Admiralty Marshal has today sold the MY Axioma following payment into court of $37.5m by the successful bidder," Gibraltar's Supreme Court said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. Reuters also reported the final sum as $37.5 million.

The Axioma's fate has been closely scrutinized since it was seized by the government of Gibraltar in March. It was seized after a legal request by the US investment bank JP Morgan, according to documents seen by Reuters.

The seizure came after Pumpyansky defaulted on a 20.5 million euro ($19.6 million) loan payment made to one of his companies, Reuters added. The loan automatically defaulted after Pumpyansky was sanctioned by Western governments following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Reuters added.

Until March, Pumpyansky was the owner of steel manufacturer OAO TMK and has an estimated worth of around $2 billion, according to Forbes's Billionaire's Index.

The five-deck Axioma boasts six cabins and has a glass elevator, cinema, and infinity pool. Hollyer previously confirmed to Insider that the boat had received 63 bids. The identity of the final buyer has not been disclosed.

The Office of the Admiralty Marshal said that funds from the sale would be used to settle the debt, and the court would then decide what to do with the surplus, per Reuters.

Read the original article on Business Insider
CHAMPION, Neb. (AP)  A semitrailer truck collided with a school bus in southwestern Nebraska, injuring eleven children and the two drivers, officials said.

The crash happened around 4 p.m. Tuesday on a rural highway near Champion when a bus dropping off children from school turned left in front of a semi loaded with grain, a news release from the Chase County Sheriffs Office said.

The grain truck hit the rear passenger side of the bus, causing the bus to spin and tip on its side, officials said. The truck was forced off the road and into a ditch.

Eleven children ages 6 to 15 were on the bus, and all were taken to the Chase County hospital with a wide range of injuries," investigators said. Three of the children were later taken to regional trauma centers, the sheriff's office said.

The bus driver was a 39-year-old man from Champion, officials said, and the truck driver was a 20-year-old man from Venango. Both were taken to the Chase County hospital.
As hard sells go, it is us up there with the toughest of all - how do you get school pupils interested in poetry?

Glasgow-based performance poet Imogen Stirling has been on that mission in rural south-west Scotland over the past year or so.

She admitted there had been an element of subterfuge to her work in and around Wigtown.

"I've learned that you just can never use the word poetry because that puts people off immediately," she said.

"And, I mean, rightly so to be honest, I had no interest in poetry when I was in school and I didn't really resonate with the way that it was taught to me at all.

"So it did take me quite a long time from having sort of dipped into poetry at school to come back to it because I really just didn't think it was for me."

However, there are ways to get it across.

"I think it's more about bringing out the performative elements and the storytelling elements," she said.

"We're really fortunate in that there's so many exciting performance poets at the moment.

"There's so many artists who are blending poetry and raps, which is a much more accessible art form, I think."

She said she tried to showcase some of that work and show students how the spoken word could be used to talk about things which were important to them rather than ending up in "some dusty book on a shelf".

"I think it's just about feeling comfortable in your own expression," she added.

School visits are one part of her work in the region alongside setting up the Wigtownshire Young Writers Development Programme which helps teenagers from 14 to 18.

"We come together once a month, to work together and help develop their skills as writers," she said.

"It is as much about skill development as it is about socialising with other writers and also looking on to see what a career in writing could look like."

Story continues

Her own journey into performance poetry has been a circuitous one after studying theatre and literature.

"I'd worked abroad as a musician for a couple of years, came back to Glasgow and found that this really rich performance poetry scene existed, which had never been there to my knowledge when I'd been here studying," she said.

"I fell into that and sort of frequented a lot of the open mic nights and that sort of thing around here and then wrote a show for the Fringe in 2018 and it's really kind of been all go since then."

It has brought her to Wigtown Book Festival this year to perform Love The Sinner which she describes as a "modern retelling of the stories of the seven deadly sins set as characters in a contemporary Scottish cityscape".

Who knows, in future, maybe some of her current students will be inspired to follow in her footsteps.
WASHINGTON  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) cast the lone vote Tuesday against a bipartisan bill designed to prevent another insurrection like the one on Jan. 6, 2021.

Cruz played a starring role that day, leading a faction of Senate Republicans who objected to the 2020 presidential election result, bolstering then-President Donald Trumps lies about election fraud and siding with a violent mob of Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol.

The Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday approved a bipartisan bill, by a vote of 14 to 1, that would make it harder for Cruz to raise another presidential election objection in 2025. Cruz was the only committee member who voted against the bill.

The biggest reason this bill is problematic is that it is intended to decrease the ability of the United States Congress to address the very real problem of voter fraud, Cruz said.

Cruz was careful not to say directly that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election by fraud, since that would be an obvious lie. Dozens of courts, as well as top officials in Trumps campaign and his administration, have said that the election wasnt rigged, contrary to the former presidents bogus claims.

Instead, Cruz railed against a straw man: the idea that there is no voter fraud at all, as in not a single instance of an ineligible voter accidentally casting a ballot or deliberately voting twice.

In 2020, Cruz claimed, Democrats began clutching their pearls and insisting there is no voter fraud, it never has happened, and anyone who says it does happen is wearing a tinfoil hat and is a conspiracy theorist.

An investigation by The Associated Press published in 2021 found several hundred potentially fraudulent votes in 2020, almost all of them perpetrated by people acting alone and not as part of a conspiracy to rig the election. The sum total of their individual efforts came nowhere close to affecting the election outcome in a single state.

It doesnt eliminate Congress ability to look at any aspect of elections; it just says one or two people cant do it.Sen. Angus King (I-Maine)

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Democrats dont deny that such picayune voter fraud exists, but Cruz pretended otherwise. And he hinted that maybe Democrats do use fraud to throw elections.

Todays Democrats have made, I think, a really cynical political decision that voter fraud, they believe, helps elect more Democrats, and so the more fraud, the better, Cruz said. What this bill does is decrease the ability of Congress to address instances of fraud when it occurs.

One of the bills key provisions would require a fifth of lawmakers in both the House and Senate to object to a states election result. When Cruz raised his objection on Jan. 6, 2021, he needed only himself and one member of the House. The effort failed to change the outcome, but it gave Trump an opportunity for his insurrection attempt.

Cruz said the Electoral Count Act of 1887, the law that created the congressional procedures for certifying a presidential election, had been carefully drafted following the contentious presidential election of 1876. But the bill would merely amend that law, Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said in response to Cruz. Another key provision would simply state that the vice president has a ceremonial role in electoral count proceedings; Trump had wanted Mike Pence to somehow throw out the 2020 result.

Its not a new effort of Congress to intrude into the electoral process; it is merely intended to clarify a law which virtually everyone that has discussed over the past 25 years has agreed is archaic and confusing, King said. It doesnt eliminate Congress ability to look at any aspect of elections; it just says one or two people cant do it.

Rules Committee chair Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) suggested that election standards from the late 1880s might not be the best model for today.

It is not my favorite precedent because I wouldnt have even been allowed to vote, Klobuchar said.

The bills supporters have said it will get a full Senate vote sometime before the end of the year.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
The Senate on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to start debate on a stopgap government funding bill without Sen. Joe Manchins (D-W.Va.) permitting reform language.

The stopgap bill, known as a continuing resolution, would keep the governments lights on through Dec. 16 and include $12.4 billion in aid for Ukraine against Russia, $4.5 billion for natural disaster assistance, $1 billion to help with heating homes this coming winter and $20 million to deal with the water crisis in Jackson, Miss., among other things.

The deadline to pass the measure and avert a government shutdown is Friday at midnight.

Passage of the bill 72-23 came after its biggest hurdle was removed less than an hour before the planned vote.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that he would heed Manchins wish to strip language that would have changed the approval process for energy infrastructure  and help greenlight the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline  from the bill.

The funding bill needed 60 votes to advance to debate and permitting reform had been opposed by Senate Republicans and House Democrats.

All 23 no votes came from Republicans. Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) did not vote.

Senate Republicans have made clear they will block legislation to fund the government if it includes bipartisan permitting reform, because theyve chosen to obstruct instead of work in a bipartisan way to achieve something theyve long claimed they want to do, Schumer said in a floor speech, according to a transcript of his remarks. Because American families should not be subjected to a Republican-manufactured government shutdown, Senator Manchin has requested, and I have agreed, to move forward and pass the recently-filed Continuing Resolution legislation without the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022.

Manchin, in his own statement, declined to criticize either party tanking his legislation.

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It is unfortunate that members of the United States Senate are allowing politics to put the energy security of our nation at risk, he said.

A failed vote on something as critical as comprehensive permitting reform only serves to embolden leaders like Putin who wish to see America fail. For that reason and my firmly held belief that we should never come to the brink of a government shutdown over politics, I have asked Majority Leader Schumer to remove the permitting language from the Continuing Resolution we will vote on this evening, he added.

Moments before his statement went out, Manchin told reporters that he expected at least 45 to 48 Senate Democrats to vote for the continuing resolution with the permitting reform language.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a leading opponent of the West Virginia centrists effort, told reporters during the vote that nixing the language marks a good day for the climate and for the environment and a bad day for big oil and the fossil fuel industry.

In addition to permitting reform, the package does not include money requested by Democrats to combat COVID-19 or monkeypox. The effort to include COVID-19 funds was a tough climb that was all but closed off early last week after President Biden told 60 Minutes that the pandemic is over.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters on Monday in New Mexico that the House will put the spending bill on the floor by Thursday.

Aris Folley contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation Wednesday to overhaul oversight and bring greater transparency to the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons following reporting from The Associated Press that exposed systemic corruption in the federal prison system and increased congressional scrutiny.

The bill, called the Federal Prison Oversight Act, would require the Justice Department to create a prisons ombudsman to field complaints about prison conditions, and would compel the departments inspector general to evaluate risks and abuses at all 122 federal prison facilities.

The bill, sponsored by Sens. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Mike Braun, R-Ind., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is being introduced a day before Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Durbin chairs.

Ossoff, Braun and Durbin are three founding members of the Senate Bipartisan Prison Policy Working Group. The panel launched in February amid turmoil at the Bureau of Prisons, much of it uncovered by AP reporting, including rampant sexual abuse and other criminal misconduct by staff, chronic understaffing, escapes and deaths.

Its no secret that BOP has been plagued by misconduct, Durbin said. One investigation after another has revealed a culture of abuse, mismanagement, corruption, torture, and death that reaches to the highest levels. And yet it still operates without any meaningful independent oversight. The result has been catastrophic for both incarcerated people and staff.

A companion bill in the House is sponsored by Reps. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D. and Reps. Lucy McBath, D-Ga.

Under the Federal Prison Oversight Act, the Justice Departments inspector general would be required to conduct risk-based inspections of all federal prison facilities, provide recommendations to address deficiencies and assign each facility a risk score. Higher-risk facilities would then receive more frequent inspections.

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The inspector general would also be required to report findings and recommendations to Congress and the public, and the Bureau of Prisons would then need to respond with a corrective action plan within 60 days.

A prison ombudsman would be established to take complaints  via a secure hotline and online form  and investigate and report to the attorney general and Congress dangerous conditions affecting the health, safety, welfare and rights of inmates and staff.

A spokesman for the Justice Department said Wednesday that the agency was reviewing the legislation. A spokesperson for Inspector General Michael Horowitz declined to comment.

The reforms have the backing of a wide array of groups involved in the federal prison system and across the political spectrum, including the correctional officers union, the inmate advocacy group Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the American Conservative Union and the Koch brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity.

Families with incarcerated loved ones for years have been calling for greater transparency, safety and accountable from our federal prisons, FAMM President Kevin Ring said. The bipartisan bill introduced today answers their calls.

Shane Fausey, the president of the Council of Prison Locals union, is also scheduled to testify Thursday, along with the former head of Pennsylvanias state prison system, John Wetzel, and Cecilia Cardenas, a former federal inmate.

Ossoff has been leading an investigation of the Bureau of Prisons as chair of the Senate Homeland Security panel's subcommittee on investigations. Recent hearings have spotlighted misconduct and abuse at a federal penitentiary in Atlanta and the Justice Departments failure to properly account for in-custody deaths.

In July, Ossoff and the panel's top Republican, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., grilled then-Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal as he refused to accept responsibility for a culture of corruption and misconduct that has plagued his agency for years.

My 10-month bipartisan investigation of corruption, abuse, and misconduct in the Federal prison system revealed an urgent need to overhaul federal prison oversight. I am bringing Democrats and Republicans together to crack down on corruption, strengthen public safety, and protect civil rights, Ossoff said.
A tour bus bringing senior citizens to their East Falmouth, Massachusetts hotel on Sept. 19 was aggressively pursued by a National Guard officer from Joint Base Cape Cod who thought the bus was carrying migrants because of a Tallahassee, Florida, sign on the side of the bus.

The off-duty officer, Lt. Col. Christopher Hoffman, 51, of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, who recorded his pursuit of the bus on Facebook Live, thought the bus was part of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' effort to bring migrants who crossed the southern U.S. border to Cape Cod. He can be heard praising DeSantis on the live stream video.

The nighttime pursuit, mainly along Route 28 south, continued for 10 or more miles from the vicinity of the Bourne Rotary to the Admiralty Inn & Suites, 51 Teaticket Highway in East Falmouth, terrifying the passengers.

EAST FALMOUTH -- Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Hoffman of the Massachusetts National Guard at Joint Base Cape Cod holds a phone in the parking lot of the Admiralty Inn & Suites. He suspected the bus behind him was carrying immigrants. The tour bus was carrying senior citizens from Memphis.

When the bus reached the hotel, a verbal altercation occurred between Hoffman and the passengers on the bus, said Michael Vaughn, driver of the bus and owner of Mikes Limousine, a Tallahassee-based transportation company that provides buses for tour groups.

"He thought there were immigrants on the bus," Vaughn said. "He was totally wrong."

Hoffman's pursuit of the bus comes after DeSantis sent about 50 South American migrants to Martha's Vineyard unannounced on Sept. 14. The migrants were moved to Joint Base Cape Cod a few days later where the state set up a temporary shelter at the direction of Gov. Charlie Baker.

More news: Lawyers for Civil Rights explain lawsuit filed on behalf of Martha's Vineyard migrants

The Times attempted to contact Hoffman on his work cellphone. His voice mailbox was full and could not accept a phone message. He did not reply to a text sent to his work cellphone number.

Hoffman 'wouldn't leave me'

Vaughn said the truck had its high beams on during the pursuit. "He was literally five feet off my bumper," said Vaughn, "He wouldn't leave me."

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Vaughn tried slowing down and changing lanes on Route 28 to let the pickup truck pass to no avail.

"He harassed us to death," said Vaughn. "Everybody was scared to death."

The Facebook video, which was shared with the Times, shows Hoffman driving at times and the bus ahead of him at other points. The bus can be seen switching lanes but when the bus switched lanes Hoffman did as well, according to the video. Hoffman has since removed the video from his Facebook page, according to police.

What does being a sanctuary city mean?: What does Cape Cod offer? Here's information

Vaughn was driving 37 senior citizens from Memphis, Tennessee, who were touring Cape Cod. Once the bus pulled into the parking lot at the Admiralty Inn & Suites, Vaughn said Hoffman got out of his truck and was filming the bus with his phone.

Falmouth police called to scene of the altercation between Hoffman, tourists

Falmouth police were called to the hotel parking lot by someone associated with the bus tour. Falmouth public information officer Lt. Michael Simoneau identified the pickup truck driver as Hoffman and said no charges have been filed against him as of Tuesday morning.

According to information from the Massachusetts National Guard, Hoffman, who works full-time for the Guard, served in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011. He is stationed at Joint Base Cape Cod. His LinkedIn profile lists his job title as administrative officer.

EAST FALMOUTH -- At one point during the incident, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Hoffman boarded the tour bus uninvited and got into a heated exchange with the passengers. Hoffman eventually apologized and left the bus.

The Massachusetts National Guard considers the conduct of this soldier to be inappropriate and inconsistent with our military values," Col. Mark Kalin, Commander, Massachusetts Army National Guard, said in a statement to the Times. "We are currently working to ensure our service member is evaluated and receives any services he may need, while also reviewing appropriate disciplinary actions. The incident is currently under investigation and no further information is available at this time.

In a video recording from Hoffman's Facebook live, Hoffman films himself following the bus on Route 28, south of the Bourne Bridge.

"Look at this," he said. "Tallahassee, Florida. A busload. Look at this. I'm following it all the way to the end. DeSantis bringing the border to your place."

In the video, Hoffman seemed to indicate that he saw the bus by chance.

Related: Migrants staying at Joint Base Cape Cod settle in as they determine where to go from here

"I saw it coming over the bridge, I'm going to follow it," he said. "I was supposed to turn it off and go home, but here we go."

In the Facebook Live video, Hoffman seems agitated about the current immigrant situation and expresses frustration about trying to bring someone from Afghanistan to the United States.

"I have an Afghan I can't even get into the country," said Hoffman. "He helped us in 2005 and 2010."

'These are senior citizens on the bus

After both vehicles arrived at the parking lot of the Admiralty Inn & Suites, Vaughn said he got out of the bus and confronted Hoffman, who appeared to be filming the bus using his phone. He said he told, Hoffman, "these are old senior citizens. You're going to give them a heart attack."

A video that was made in the parking lot captured Hoffman's encounter with Vaughn and passengers on the bus. The video was shared with the Times on the conditions that it not be published and that the name of the person who shared it not be published.

A long journey: Venezuelan migrants share their stories before leaving Martha's Vineyard. What they said

"You're interfering with my tour," Vaughn can be heard saying.

"I want to see what's going on," Hoffman, who was not in a uniform, said.

"It's none of your business what's going on," Vaughn said.

"I have every right as a U.S citizen to see what's going on," Hoffman said. "You know what I'm talking about."

Vaughn tried to explain that it was a tour bus full of older people.

"If it's 80-year-old people, I will walk away," Hoffman said. "Do you not see what's gone on on Martha's Vineyard?"

At one point, Hoffman boarded the tour bus. "He was walking right up on the bus uninvited," said Vaughn. At that point, the passengers began yelling at Hoffman.

"These older Black women were on his a--," Vaughn said.

'I served in Afghanistan'

In a video from the bus, Hoffman tells the passengers, "I served in Afghanistan, and I'm trying to get an Afghan, and I can't get him into the country. So don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about."

As an angry response from passengers continued, Hoffman appeared to realize that the bus didn't contain migrants.

"I am sorry," said Hoffman. "I didn't respect you guys. I am sorry."

'People need to feel safe': Support team to help resettle Afghan evacuees in Falmouth

Shortly thereafter, Hoffman left the bus and encountered Falmouth police.

In the video filmed in the inn parking lot, Hoffman is asked if he had been drinking by a police officer. "No," replied Hoffman.

The Falmouth Police Department report about the incident, written by Det. Christopher Bartolomei, said Hoffman may have been impaired and perhaps was suffering from some sort of mental health situation.

"When he looked at me, he looked through me not at me," the report says.

"He was not making sense and he attempted to control the conversation and talked about him trying to get someone from Afghanistan to the United States. The way he talked it made it sound like he was connected somehow with the migrants on the base," the report says, later adding, "Something seemed very off with him."

After calming down a bit, Hoffman told police what had happened. "He stated he was driving and saw the bus go around the rotary on the highway. He stated he got upset because the bus had Tallahassee on it, and he thought it was more migrants coming from Florida and began following it. He stated he got upset and followed the bus. He spoke about a friend that he could not get over from Afghanistan and he got emotional about this and was mad that the migrants were here and not his friend. He seemed passionate about this."

Why they come: Venezuelans migrating to the U.S. and now to Martha's Vineyard: 'Out of desperation'

The police report also mentions Hoffman's Facebook Live video. "I informed Hoffman he was on Facebook Live, and he wanted help taking it down. I informed him I did not know how to do that and would not do that. He eventually figured it out and took it off."

The video from the live stream that was shared with the Times was copied prior to Hoffman removing the video from his Facebook page.

According to Vaughn, Hoffman was taken away by ambulance and his truck was towed.

Vaughn was incredulous at the turn of events. "This is crazy," he said. "2.3 million miles of driving a bus and I've never been stalked."

Contact Eric Williams at ewilliams@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @CapeCast.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Officer mistakes Cape Cod tour bus for migrants sent by DeSantis
Oh Se-hoon, Seouls mayor, shared plans to alleviate South Korea's fertility crisis with foreign and low-cost nannies in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

In the post, translated by NextShark, he states:

<Request for the introduction of Foreign Nannies>

In my attendance at todays Cabinet Council, I suggested a polity to introduce foreign child-caring nannies.

More from NextShark: Veteran Filipina American Nurse Dies Fighting COVID-19 a Week Before Retirement

The topic of the meeting was population change and countermeasures. South Koreas fertility rate is 0.81 (as of 2021) and Seouls fertility rate is 0.63, pushing us past a decrease in population to face a growing concern of demographic extinction.

Now, parenting should bring societal respect and, as a society, we need to create a system that helps children grow along with their parents. Mom and Dad Happiness Project will be the first step towards this.

I am focusing on policies for foreign child nannies. It will be welcomed news for parents who have avoided nannies because of financial issues or shortage of helpers.

More from NextShark: Australian anti-CCP activist who says he was framed for bomb threat against Chinese embassy claims he was spied on, threatened

After Hong Kong and Singapore applied these same policies in 1970, they saw a clear upward rise of female economic and labor participation. Although they were unable to see a long-term change in low fertility rates, in comparison to South Korea, they slowed down the decreasing rates.

There is a need to minimize giving-up work and experience at the expense of having a child.

For South Korea to employ foreign nannies, it will cost 2,000,000 KRW~3,000,000 KRW ($1,400.88 - $2,101.31) per month. In comparison, Singapore spends 380,000 KRW~760,000 KRW ($266.58 - $533.15) per month on foreign helpers.

More from NextShark: Mayor Adams announces New York City's first-ever annual AAPI Cultural and Heritage Parade

Further plans will be given by the upcoming TF pan-government, who will proceed with careful discussion.

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Mayor Ohs plans come in light of South Korea declining fertility rate, which is the lowest in the world. As of 2021, Statistics Korea reported a fertility rate of 0.81. However, a rate of 2.1 is required to maintain a population without migration. With an expectation for further drops, the countrys decreasing population has become a major concern for South Koreas government.

More from NextShark: Mystery woman spotted near Kim Jong-un in recent months sparks speculation

Mayor Ohs foreign nanny policy is expected to further open South Koreas borders and ease immigration and visa processes. According to the Korea Immigration Service, only foreigners with long-term visas (F-2, F-4, F-5, F-6 visas) are allowed to work as babysitters or nannies. Those with short-term visas or temporary work visas are unable to participate in domestic work without specific approval.

Earlier in August, South Korea also tripled monthly baby allowances to 1 million KRW (approximately $703) as an incentive for more births. The Mom and Dad Happiness Project and the foreign nanny policy are expected to be the next steps toward increasing South Koreas fertility rate.

However, time for childcare and financial burdens are not the only reasons South Koreans have hesitated when it comes to children. Housing, education, job opportunities, anxiety and individual happiness are also factors affecting their decisions.

Featured Image via Arirang News
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia will not recognise the results of referendums held in four regions of Ukraine partly occupied by Russian forces, President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday, despite Belgrade's warm ties with Moscow.

Russian-backed authorities in the four regions say they expect large majorities in favour of joining Russia based on vote tallies in the referendums, which Kyiv and the West have denounced as illegal sham votes held at gunpoint.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is expected to proclaim the annexation of the four provinces - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia - in a speech on Friday.

"Serbia ... will not recognise that (referendums) as it adheres to international law, the United Nations Charter and UN resolutions," Vucic told reporters.

Serbia, a candidate for European Union membership, is solely reliant on Russia for its natural gas supplies and has refused to join Western sanctions against Moscow over its actions in Ukraine.

The Kremlin supports Belgrade in its continued opposition to recognising the independence of Kosovo, a former southern Serbian province, populated mainly by ethnic Albanians. Moscow has also sold arms to Serbia in the past.

But Serbia has also repeatedly declined to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations and says it fully respects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

"We are protecting our own territorial integrity and it is in our best interest to protect the territorial integrity of other internationally recognised countries," Vucic said.

Ukraine also refuses to recognise Kosovo's independence from Serbia.

(This story refiles to remove extraneous word "independence" in para 6, no changes to text)

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Iran was accused of killing seven people and wounding 28 in cross-border strikes Wednesday against Kurdish factions in Iraq that have deplored an ongoing protest crackdown in the Islamic republic.

Strikes blamed on Iran have hit districts of autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan repeatedly in recent days as Tehran has ramped up its domestic crackdown against protests over the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police.

The regional health ministry in Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, said in a statement that the latest strikes killed four people and wounded 14 in the Koysinjaq region, and three were killed and 14 wounded in Sherawa.

"There are civilians among the victims" including one dead, a senior official of autonomous Kurdistan told AFP.

"These cowardly attacks are occurring at a time when the terrorist regime of Iran is unable to crack down on ongoing protests inside and silence the Kurdish and Iranian peoples' civil resistance," the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) tweeted.

Amini, 22, died in Tehran on September 16, three days after being arrested for allegedly violating the Iran's strict dress code for women.

Her death sparked protests across Iran and a crackdown that has killed at least 76 people in the Islamic republic, according to the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights.

Wednesday's strikes against the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan prompted the federal government in Iraq to summon Iran's ambassador.

"Rocket diplomacy is a reckless act with devastating consequences," tweeted the UN mission in Iraq. "These attacks need to cease immediately."

- 'Missiles and drones' -

The KDPI said it was one of the groups targeted in Wednesday's strikes.

Iran hit its bases and headquarters with "missiles and drones" in Koysinjaq, east of Arbil, it announced in a statement.

In Tehran, state television said that the "Revolutionary Guards targeted the headquarters of several separatist terrorist groups in northern Iraq with missiles and precision-guided attack drones".

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Other strikes on Wednesday destroyed buildings around Zargew, about 15 kilometres (10 miles) from Souleimaniyeh, where several exiled left-wing Iranian Kurdish parties maintain offices.

An AFP correspondent in Zargew saw smoke rising from locations hit by those strikes and ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

Residents fled the area, while lightly wounded people were treated by a party, the correspondent added.

"The area where we are has been hit by 10 drone strikes," Atta Nasser, an official from Komala, one of the exiled Iranian Kurdish left-wing parties, told AFP. Iran was behind the strikes, he said.

Sherawa region, south of Arbil, had also been targeted.

"The headquarters of the Kurdistan Freedom Party has been hit by Iranian strikes," Hussein Yazdan, an official from this party, told AFP.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency has put the protest death toll in Iran at "around 60", including several members of the security forces.

Kurdish communities in western Iran share strong connections with Kurdish-inhabited areas of Iraq.

Many cross the border into Iraq to find work, due to a biting economic crisis in Iran driven in large part by US sanctions.

tgg/dwo/dv
The son of the late shah hailed Iran's mass protests as a landmark revolution by women and urged the world to add to the pressure on the clerical leadership.

Reza Pahlavi, whose father was toppled in the Islamic Revolution of 1979, called for greater preparation for a future Iranian system that is secular and democratic.

"It is truly in modern times, in my opinion, the first revolution for the women, by the women -- with the support of the Iranian men, sons, brothers and fathers," Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the Washington area, told AFP.

"It has come to the point, as the Spaniards would say, basta -- we've had enough."

Demonstrations have swarmed major cities, with dozens killed, since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died on September 16 in the custody of Iran's notorious morality police, allegedly for breaching the strict requirements that women wear headscarves in public.

While also condemning discrimination against minorities and the LGBTQ community, Pahlavi said, "The symbolism of today's repression is represented by women."

"I think most Iranian women, when they look at the freedoms that women in the free world experience and exercise, are asking for the very same rights for themselves," he said.

His grandfather, Reza Shah, banned all Islamic veils in 1936 as part of a Westernization drive inspired by neighboring Turkey.

The last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, let the veil be a choice -- which ended when the Islamic republic imposed requirements for women's "modesty" in public.

Pahlavi, the father of three daughters, said that Iranian society has come a long way from the days of "male chauvinism" and that women's choices should be respected.

"Women may decide to wear or not wear the veil. But it ought to be a choice, a free choice, not imposed for ideological or religious reasons," he said.

- Separation between church and state -

Pahlavi, while enjoying respect in much of the exile community, says he is not seeking to restore the monarchy, an idea that has limited support inside Iran.

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Working with the overseas opposition, Pahlavi favors a constituent assembly that would write a new constitution.

"There's no way you can actually have a true democratic order without a clear definition and separation of church from state," Pahlavi said.

The Islamic republic has survived more than four decades despite dissent and antipathy from the West, particularly the United States.

But Pahlavi insisted that the system could end at any time -- and that the world needed to be ready.

"We need to consider the high possibility that this regime will not exist for long," he said.

"I've been saying for some time -- it could happen in a few weeks or a few months, and we need to think of the alternative."

Pahlavi said that there should be a "controlled implosion" with a smooth, peaceful transition.

He praised much of the strong international comments on the protests, including from Germany and Canada.

But he called for more action including the expulsion of diplomats and freezing of assets.

"It's important for more than just giving moral support. These are the kinds of measures that are impactful," he said.

He renewed his call for a strike fund to compensate workers, hoping that the nationwide demonstrations could transform into a general strike.

Pahlavi, while supporting diplomacy, voiced misgivings over a potential return by the United States to the 2015 nuclear deal under which Iran would again be allow to sell oil openly on global markets.

Western powers often believe they can "create an incentive for the regime to change its behavior, so we can drag them back to be good boys and behave," Pahlavi said.

But the Islamic republic, he said, is rooted in exporting an ideology.

"With this regime, you cannot you cannot have a coexistence."

sct/jh
By Joe Brock

MANILA (Reuters) - Plagued by mosquitoes at night and marauding monkeys by day, ship captain Glenn Madoginog was held for months at an Indonesian naval base before ending up in a cramped prison cell, sleeping alongside convicted murderers and child rapists.

The Filipino father of four was one of dozens of captains held at the Batam naval base after being arrested for anchoring in Indonesian waters without a permit while waiting to enter Singapore, according to a dozen people involved in the cases, including captains, ship owners, intermediaries and insurers.

Most of the captains were freed after a few weeks once ship owners made unofficial payments to navy intermediaries of between $300,000 and $400,000, the people said.

But Madoginog, 47, says his firm declined so he and his vessel, the 20-year-old Seaways Rubymar oil tanker, remained captive at the base on Batam, an Indonesian island 20 miles (32 km) south of Singapore.

After a six-month wait, Madoginog was sentenced in March to 60 days in jail, his once-proud life as a captain shattered as he ended up in a crowded, cockroach-infested cell.

"The last few months were the worst time of my life," Madoginog told Reuters in his apartment in the capital of the Philippines, Manila, where he returned in May.

"I feel hopeless. I feel ashamed."

U.S. company International Seaways, one of the world's biggest tanker operators and owner of the Seaways Rubymar when it was detained, said it had pursued all legal avenues to get Madoginog and the vessel released.

"As a matter of policy, we do not pay bribes," it said in an emailed response to Reuters, adding that it did all it could to improve Madoginog's conditions while in custody and continued to provide financial and medical support to him and his family.

The Seaways Rubymar has since been scrapped.

Dozens of ships waiting to enter Singapore have been seized over the last year by the Indonesian navy for illegally anchoring in its waters, with most being released after ship owners made unofficial payments, Reuters has reported.

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The waters just to the east of Singapore have been used for decades by ships waiting to enter the city-state but the Indonesian navy has cracked down on vessels it says are anchoring in its territory without paying port fees.

The Indonesian navy has said it never requests or receives money to release vessels. Detentions are handled through the courts, or ships are released if there is insufficient evidence to prosecute, a navy spokesman has said.

The navy did not respond to requests for additional comment for this story.

Spokesman Julius Widjojono told Reuters this month, however, that the navy chief was sending an investigation team to Batam, without giving further details or a time frame.

East Outside Port Limits anchorage is popular with ships waiting to enter Singapore https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/myvmndnalpr/EastOPL.png

'THIS IS PIRACY'

The four captains said they believed they had been held for ransom in a well-organised extortion scheme run by navy members, as previously reported by Reuters.

David Ledoux, an American who was captain of the fibre-optic cable-laying ship Reliance when it was arrested last year, said he dodged prison after the vessel's owner made an unofficial payment to free him.

"This is piracy in its simplest form: arrest the ship, arrest the captain, hold the company ransom, collect the money," Ledoux told Reuters in his home in New Bern, North Carolina, also accusing navy members of orchestrating the scheme.

Reuters was unable to determine the amount paid to free the ship, or when the payment was made.

The owner of the Reliance, SubCom, which is an undersea cable company based in the U.S. state of New Jersey, did not respond to requests for comment.

The U.S. embassy in Jakarta told Reuters it was aware of the ship detentions and payments being made to "parties claiming to represent the Indonesian Navy".

"Ships should exercise caution when navigating these waters," a U.S. official said, without addressing further questions.

The alternative to making a payment to intermediaries working on behalf of the navy is to wait for cases to go to court, leaving ships idle for months and potentially costing owners far more in lost revenue for vessels they can lease for tens of thousands of dollars a day.

Ledoux, 57, questioned why more wasn't being done by ship owners and governments to raise awareness of the issue.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a U.N. agency responsible for shipping security and safety, said it investigates matters raised by its members and it had yet to receive a request to look into this issue.

INTERNATIONAL WATERS

The area where ships were detained is more than 12 nautical miles (22 km) from the main Indonesian coastline, the standard distance considered to be in international waters under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Reliance and the Seaways Rubymar were anchored in the area, known as East OPL (outside port limits), the captains said.

However, Indonesia is a sprawling archipelago of over 17,000 islands and territorial waters can be drawn around uninhabited islands or drying reefs which could mean captains believe, incorrectly, they are in international waters, ship insurers and a maritime lawyer said.

"That's why people have been caught out," said Stephen Askins, a maritime lawyer in London.

Ledoux said, however, that he had been told where to anchor by SubCom's agent in Singapore, Ben Line. Madoginog said his anchorage position had been approved by V-Ships, the London-based company managing his tanker, without providing evidence.

Ben Line denied any allegations of wrongdoing, without addressing questions about the anchorage. V-Ships did not respond to a request for comment.

Ledoux and most captains detained by the navy were released within a few weeks after ship owners made a payment, the 12 people involved in the transactions told Reuters.

When Ledoux was released on Oct. 28, he sailed the Reliance to Singapore for maintenance.

Once the repairs were complete, he was called by SubCom's director of fleet operations, Scott Winfield, saying his tone had shifted from compassionate to hostile.

"He said, 'upper management wants some ass, and it's going to be yours', so you're going to be demoted," said Ledoux, who lost his temper and resigned.

Winfield and SubCom did not respond to requests for comment.

Madoginog said he was detained on Sept. 16 last year in a dawn raid by naval officers. He said they told him to sail to Batam and come onshore to sign port clearance papers - and that it would only take a couple of hours.

When he arrived, he was put in a dark, sweltering room by the officers, with only an uncovered bed and a filthy squat toilet. One officer asked for the phone number of his ship's owners and left.

"There were no pillows, no linens, no air conditioning, no fans, nothing," said Madoginog, adding that at one point he counted 27 other captains in similar rooms.

Madoginog and Ledoux struck up a friendship, washing clothes and burning trash together in the yard outside their rooms, keeping an eye out for long-tailed macaques ready to charge at anyone with food.

Sailing route of Seaways Rubymar oil tanker after being released by Indonesian navy https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/byprjzjqqpe/SeawaysRubymar.png

'THEY LEFT ME BEHIND'

Buana Saka Samudera, the Indonesian agent for International Seaways, provided Madoginog with food, bedding and an air conditioning unit for his room on the base and eventually got him his own cell and better food in prison, he said.

Buana Saka Samudera did not respond to requests for comment.

Madoginog said he is not currently working and is receiving treatment for depression following his ordeal.

Other captains also had their rooms on the Batam base upgraded by local agents paid by shipowners, they told Reuters. After captains were released, navy personnel sometimes moved into the refurbished quarters, Madoginog and Ledoux said.

Madoginog said he remained on the base until mid-November, when navy officials sent him and the other captains back to their ships after a Reuters article about the arrests.

An Indonesian navy spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Madoginog stayed on his ship by the Batam base until he was convicted in March of illegal anchorage and sentenced to two months in jail, court documents show.

He says he didn't understand what the prosecutor, judge or his interpreter were saying and wasn't able to give evidence at several court hearings.

Reuters has not seen what evidence was presented at the trial to prove the ship was in Indonesian waters.

Batam District Court spokesman Edy Sameaputty said the trial was conducted according to the relevant criminal law and that Madoginog had been given the right to a defence.

By the time he got out of jail, Madoginog's ship and crew were gone and no one from the company was there to meet him.

"They left me behind," he said.

(Reporting by Joe Brock; Additional reporting by Julio-Cesar Chavez in New Bern, Adrian Portugal and Eloisa Lopez in Manila and Yuddy Cahya Budiman in Jakarta; Editing by David Clarke)
Sikh soldier's kirpan. Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A Sikh student at UNC Charlotte was handcuffed after an unidentified person called 911 on them.

The caller had mistaken a religious item, a kirpan, for a knife, the university said in a statement.

The student was detained in the school's student union as officers retrieve it.

The University of North Carolina Charlotte apologized after a Sikh student was placed in handcuffs when his religious attire was mistaken for a weapon.

A student carrying a kirpan, a curved dagger that is a symbolic expression of faith in Sikhism, was handcuffed and detained on Thursday at UNC Charlotte's Student Union, USA Today reported. Someone had called 911 confusing the kirpan which was wrapped in a miyaan, a sheath, for a knife.

The kirpan is "a way of practicing and showing faith. A lot of times you can't even remove them from the sheath," Kiran Kaur Gill, executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, told USA Today.

In a statement on Friday, UNC Charlotte apologized for the incident.

"State law and University policy prohibit the possession of a knife or other edged instruments on campus, but we will use this as a learning opportunity by engaging in constructive dialogue with Sikh students and employees," the statement said. "Together, we are confident we can find reasonable measures and educational opportunities that both protect the safety of our campus and the religious practices of our community members."

The incident was captured on video and posted to Twitter where it went viral.

"I wasn't going to post this, but I don't think I will receive any support from @unccharlotte. I was told someone called 911 and reported me, and I got cuffed for "resisting" because I refused to let the officer take my kirpan out of the miyaan," the tweet said.

In the brief video, an officer asked the student who was sitting in a chair in the student union to stand up and that he couldn't have the kirpan on him.

"What are you doing to me, bro?" the student replied.

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The student told the officer that he couldn't remove the kirpan.

"OK. You can't take it off me. You want me to take the whole thing off?" the student asked.

In the video, the officer tells the student that he is being detained.

According to UNC Charlotte's statement, the handcuffs were removed after the kirpan was retrieved. In a subsequent tweet, the student said the kirpan was returned to him.

The student and UNC Charlotte's Punjabi Sikh Student Association did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey who was a victim of Jeffrey Dahmer opened up about Netflixs new show. Isbell talked about how she felt watching Monster Dahmer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, and it is heartbreaking.

Following the release of Netflixs new show Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Rita Isbell has opened up about what her thoughts are on Netflixs depiction. After her powerful tear-jerking statement during Dahmers trial 30 years ago, Isbell has lived a quiet life, but she recently spoke about the impact of the Netflix project.

The Netflix initiative highlights the story of Dahmer, who was an unhinged serial killer that primarily targeted young Black men for well over a decade. He murded a total of 17 men from 1978-1991. Errol Lindsey, Isbells brother, was one of the victims and her victim statement was recreated in the show.

Although Isbell says that she did not watch the full series because it was her reality, she shared that watching the segment of the show that depicted her raw account in court word for word was jarring to watch.

If I didnt know any better, I wouldve thought it was me. Her hair was like mine, she had on the same clothes. Thats why it felt like reliving it all over again. It brought back all the emotions I was feeling back then, said Isbell.

Re: A Jeffrey Dahmer Victim's Relative Freaks Out In Court https://t.co/OoA0IPVh36 via @YouTube  TwanG (@JerrellAntwan85) September 22, 2022

Surprisingly, Isbell said that the streaming company had not reach out to her to discuss her depiction in the show, and that did not sit well with her. In an open essay on Insider, Isbell expressed her thoughts on what Netflixs motive.

I was never contacted about the show. I feel like Netflix shouldve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didnt ask me anything. They just did it, said Isbell.

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Isbell said that if the network had used the storys roll out for a noble cause, she wouldnt feel so resentful towards the production.

I could even understand it if they gave some of the money to the victims children. Not necessarily their families. I mean, Im old. Im very, very comfortable. But the victims have children and grandchildren. If the show benefited them in some way, it wouldnt feel so harsh and careless, said Isbell. Its sad that theyre just making money off of this tragedy. Thats just greed.

Twitter users shared their disapproval, and a relative of the victim also shared thoughts on what happened.

Im not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if youre actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbells) are pissed about this show. Its retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need? https://t.co/CRQjXWAvjx  eric. (@ericthulhu) September 22, 2022

Movies like this only give future serial killers a blueprint on how to move nd not get caught. They hype this to much  GeorgeSister (@BigRekBihh___) September 22, 2022

Whatever healing the family may have had, this show is explicitly not helping. https://t.co/CPGvhpiwOD  Dr. Madina (@madina_immuno) September 23, 2022
(Reuters) - Slovakia's Prime Minister Eduard Heger said that soaring electricity costs had left the country's economy at risk of "collapse", the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Heger said that the increase in prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine would "kill" the country's economy unless it received billions of euros of support from Brussels, FT quoted Heger as saying in an interview.

Heger also warned he would be forced to nationalise the country's power supplies if this was not forthcoming, the report added.

(Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
EAST GREENWICH TWP. - A Gloucester County brewery is suing the state's Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control over license rules deemed "a deliberate attack on small brewers" in New Jersey.

Death of the Fox Brewing Company of Clarksboro in East Greenwich Township filed the lawsuit Sept. 21 in state Superior Court and claims the state's Limited Brewery Special Conditions adopted in May 2019 that took effect in July of this year "severely restrict limited breweries ability to advertise events and grow their businesses."

Some of the special conditions New Jersey breweries face include:

No more than 25 on-premise special events per year, such as trivia, live music and yoga if promoted through media advertisement.

A maximum of 52 on-premise private parties per year, such as weddings, birthday parties and class reunions.

A maximum of 12 permits can be obtained per year by breweries taking part in events off-site, such as community parades and art festivals.

Breweries may not coordinate with food vendors, such as food trucks, to operate on the licensed premises.

Breweries can't sell food, except for pre-packaged crackers, chips, nuts and similar snacks.

Patrons are required to participate in a tour prior to on-site consumption. Repeat tours are not required if breweries maintain proof that a patron has taken a tour at the brewery within the calendar year.

"ABCs special ruling is a deliberate attack on small brewers in New Jersey. They are a transparent attempt to play favorites by helping some businesses at the expense of others," Death of the Fox founder Chuck Garrity said. "Whats worse is ABC didnt even bother to follow the law in proposing these rules by submitting them for public notice and comment. Hundreds of small businesses around the state are already being hobbled by these draconian rules. Death of the Fox Brewing Company is suing to protect all New Jersey brewers right to free speech and to build thriving businesses."

Story continues

More:Death of the Fox takes two brews and a shot of history to make something special

Lisa Coryell, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, declined comment on the lawsuit, citing ongoing litigation.

Death of the Fox attorney Caleb Trotter of Pacific Legal Foundation said the special rules that apply to New Jersey's breweries are designed to favor bars and restaurant over craft breweries. Trotter pointed to a brewery's inability to freely broadcast sporting events such as the upcoming Major League Baseball playoffs as an example.

Under NJABC conditions, airing such an event live at the brewery would count as a special event.

Death of the Fox's seal speaks to the fox hunting heritage of this part of South Jersey. The brewery takes its name from a historic tavern.

According to Pacific Legal Foundation, the rules also were enacted without the proper process.

State agencies cannot just craft rules behind closed doors without transparency or any opportunity for public involvement, Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Luke Wake said. State law requires that when an agency wants to impose rules affecting our lives and our livelihood, we must at least have an opportunity to voice our concerns. And agencies are required to submit regulations to the legislature  which can decide whether to override this sort of agency action.

When the special ruling was issued in May 2019, NJABC Director James Graziano said, "We believe the activities permitted under this Special Ruling strike a fair and appropriate balance between the interests of full retail license holders, such as restaurants and bars, and the craft brewing industry."

"Will everyone be satisfied with them? Probably not," he continued. "But at the end of the day, the Divisions job is to set limits on what licensees are entitled to do under existing laws and to level the playing field so that all limited breweries can compete fairly with each other. If there is a need for or interest in adjusting or further expanding the privileges available to limited brewery licensees, that would be a matter for consideration by the Legislature."

Trotter said the mission of the lawsuit is to "put a stop to ABC's special ruling, and the 25-event advertising limit in particular, as quickly as possible."

"The restriction on event advertising is an unjustifiable imposition on the free speech of breweries, he said.

A South Jersey native, Anthony Coppola has handled a variety of beats at The Daily Journal, Courier-Post and Burlington County Times, including award-winning work in sports and business coverage. Coppola, who joined the staff in 2008, now focuses on public safety enterprise reporting.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: NJ brewery laws: Death of the Fox sues over special license rules
Luna Foundation Guard (LFG), a Bitcoin reserve co-founded by Do Kwon as a confidence backstop to protect the Terra ecosystem, refuted claims that it had transferred digital tokens to other crypto exchanges after South Korea issued an arrest warrant for Kwon on September 14.

South Korean prosecutors say they have requested two crypto exchanges -- KuCoin and OKX -- to freeze a total of 3,313 bitcoins, estimated at $67 million, and allege the transfer was controlled by Kwon.

The Guard said in response it has not "created any new wallets or moved Bitcoins or other tokens held by LFG since May 2022."

A spokesperson of the South Korean prosecutor's office in Seoul confirmed to TechCrunch that it had asked two crypto venues to freeze the allegedly tied to Kwon's assets.

The LFG treasurys $BTC wallet is: bc1q9d4ywgfnd8h43da5tpcxcn6ajv590cg6d3tg6axemvljvt2k76zs50tv4q LFG hasnt created any new wallets or moved $BTC or other tokens held by LFG since May 2022.@CoinDesk @iamsandali @cryptoquant_com https://t.co/VFN8A4mJRo  LFG | Luna Foundation Guard (@LFG_org) September 27, 2022

KuCoin cooperated with the Korean prosecutors, freezing 1,354 bitcoins, worth about $26.8 million, which were transferred to the exchange, while OKX did not reply to the prosecutor's request, the spokesperson said, confirming an earlier report by CoinDesk.

"KuCoin is willing to cooperate with any global law enforcement agencies when it comes to cases of investigations pertaining to the origin and freezing of suspected assets," a spokesperson of KuCoin told TechCrunch. OKX said in an emailed statement that it has received a request from the Korean authorities and has been cooperating with their investigation.

CryptoQuant, a Blockchain data analytics platform, told CoinDesk that Luna Foundation Guard's digital wallet was created on crypto exchange Binance on September 15, then 3,313 bitcoins were transferred to Kucoin and OKX.

Kwon, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, said on Twitter, "There is no 'cashout' as alleged. I haven't used Kucoin or OKEX in at least the last year, and no funds of TFL, IFG or any other entities have been frozen."

What has been probably the most surprising in all this is the amount of misinformation that gets spread. There is no cashout as alleged, i havent used kucoin or okex in at least the last year, and no funds of tfl, lfg or any other entities have been frozen. https://t.co/E1cbKgoqQz  Do Kwon  (@stablekwon) September 28, 2022

The new development escalates scrutiny of Kwon, who is also subject to an Interpol order to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and arrest the entrepreneur. Kwon said Monday in a tweet that he was not in hiding.

South Korean authorities declined to comment on the Luna Foundation Guard tweet.

Updates with comments from KuCoin and OKX
The gun threat was shared on Snapchat. (Wales News)

Over 1,000 pupils from a secondary school in Wales were sent home on Tuesday after an apparent gun threat was shared on social media.

The Snapchat post showed a picture of someone holding a gun with the message "Don't come to school tomorrow, causing alarm to pupils and parents of St Julians School in Newport, Gwent.

Senior staff made the decision to shut the school as a "precautionary measure, while parents were also informed to keep their children at home as police investigated.

Armed police were sent to the area as a precaution while the investigation was carried out, Gwent Police said.

St Julian's School closed on Tuesday following the apparent gun threat. (Wales News)

A letter sent to parents from head teacher Dean Curtis said that police were immediately contacted once staff were told about the Snapchat post.

Curtis wrote: We made the decision to close the school for the safety of our students and staff whilst the police investigated.

At that point, we were unable to ascertain whether this was a credible threat to our school.

Police told the head that they were satisfied that the post did not originate from pupils at St Julians and that it is not a threat to the school.

St Julian's School will reopen on today following a police investigation. (Wales News)

Confirming that the school will reopen today, Curtis added: There have been a number of rumours on social media regarding our closure today.

We can clarify that nobody was near or had entered the school with a weapon or that the police were searching the area or the school.

The situation arose solely due to this image and comments on social media.

Yahoo News UK has contacted Gwent Police for a comment.
ST. PETERSBURG  Mayor Ken Welch said St. Petersburg police, firefighters and other city employees will assess the damage from Hurricane Ian Thursday morning at first daybreak.

He urged residents to stay inside as St. Petersburg was expected to feel the worst parts of the near Category 5 storm from 5 p.m. Wednesday through midnight.

We will experience tropical storm force winds and rainfall, Welch said. And were experiencing power outages throughout the city of St. Petersburg.

Crews Thursday morning will look for fallen trees and downed power lines. That work will make it easier for Duke Energy to begin restoring power. A fleet of Duke Energy trucks was parked outside Tropicana Field.

As of Wednesday evening, 100 police officers are being sent out to patrol the city and report damage or obstructed roadways, according to spokesperson Yolanda Fernandez.

The city has 12 push teams, she said spokesperson Yolanda Fernandez, standing by at fire stations and two hospitals to head-out Thursday morning to formally assess damage and clear roads. The teams are now on standby to go out with fire rescue crews if they have priority calls to make sure the route is clear.

The city also has 12 National Guardsmen and two boats from the Pinellas Sheriffs Office on hand, Fernandez said.

Several trees are down, but the city has no official damage reports, she said.

  

2022 Tampa Bay Times Hurricane Guide

ROAD CLOSURES: What to know about bridges, roads as Hurricane Ian approaches.

HOW TO TALK TO KIDS ABOUT THE HURRICANE: A school mental health expert says to let them know whats happening, keep a routine and stay calm.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A SHELTER: What to bring  and not bring  plus information on pets, keeping it civil and more.

WHAT TO DO IF HURRICANE DAMAGES YOUR HOME: Stay calm, then call your insurance company.

SAFEGUARD YOUR HOME: Storms and property damage go hand in hand. Heres how to prepare.

IT'S STORM SEASON: Get ready and stay informed at tampabay.com/hurricane.

Story continues

RISING THREAT: Tampa Bay will flood. Here's how to get ready.

DOUBLE-CHECK: Checklists for building all kinds of hurricane kits

PHONE IT IN: Use your smartphone to protect your data, documents and photos.

SELF-CARE: Protect your mental health during a hurricane.

  

Rising Threat: A special report on flood risk and climate change

PART 1: The Tampa Bay Times partnered with the National Hurricane Center for a revealing look at future storms.

PART 2: Even weak hurricanes can cause huge storm surges. Experts say people don't understand the risk.

PART 3: Tampa Bay has huge flood risk. What should we do about it?

INTERACTIVE MAP: Search your Tampa Bay neighborhood to see the hurricane flood risk.
A group of Stanford University blockchain researchers divided the crypto community last week with a research proposal that would entertain the possibility of creating reversible transactions on Ethereum.

The proposal was welcomed by those who believe cryptos status quo  where theft is rampant and a typo can cost you $36 million  poses barriers to mainstream adoption. But it was panned by others for its suggestion that a decentralized set of judges should be used to arbitrate transaction disputes.

This article originally appeared in Valid Points, CoinDesks weekly newsletter breaking down Ethereums evolution and its impact on crypto markets. Subscribe to get it in your inbox every Wednesday.

Implicit in the proposal was a question: In an industry where the next $100 million theft is an inevitability, does protecting users require compromising on core principles?

A key tenet of blockchains like Ethereum is the concept of immutability  the idea that transactions cannot be reversed once they are finalized. Immutability is heralded as an important feature for cryptocurrencies because it curtails the ability of banks, governments and other central authorities to come in and alter a chains ledger.

But immutability can also be a major user-experience bummer: If you get scammed, are the victim of a hack or just screw up and send funds to the wrong address, you have zero recourse to recover your losses.

In terms of on-chain thefts, the Stanford researchers noted in their paper that in 2020, $7.8 billion was stolen, and in 2021 that amount doubled to $14 billion. According to these researchers, Had there been a way to reverse the offending transaction(s)  as in traditional finance  the damage could have been greatly reduced.

But not everyone is convinced.

A modest proposal?

Ethereum builders tend to create new tokens by writing code that follows certain predefined standards. These standards act like templates; developers can clone a token template, change a couple of parameters and build out a brand-new cryptocurrency that is automatically compatible with most mainstream Ethereum apps.

Story continues

Read more: What Is the ERC-20 Token Standard?

The Stanford proposal extends the ERC-20 and ERC-721 token standards used by most Ethereum-based currencies and non-fungible tokens (NFT). The new standards, ERC-20R and ERC-721R, would allow for transactions to be wound back if they are disputed within a brief window of time.

Within the short dispute period, a sender can request to reverse a transaction by convincing a decentralized set of judges to first freeze the disputed assets, and then later convincing them to reverse the transaction, the researchers explained in their paper.

When one of the researchers, Kaili Wang, posted a tweet thread describing the proposal, she set off a firestorm across Crypto Twitter.

On the critical end, it was the mention of a decentralized set of judges that seemed to strike a nerve with the largest number of tweeters.

Many contended that a system like the one proposed in the paper simply wouldnt work. Decentralized court systems using your proposed justice model already exist (e.g., Kleros) and unfortunately they are rife with corruption [...] astroturfing and manipulation by founders or early token holders, tweeted FatMan, a pseudonymous crypto sleuth with a large following.

Others thought the involvement of human judges undermined the entire point of decentralized finance (DeFi), where code is supposed to remove the requirement that transactions be permissioned by central authorities.

All comes back to whether we want permissioned or permissionless defi, tweeted Evgeny Gaevoy, the CEO of the crypto market maker Wintermute. In my opinion, permissioned defi is an oxymoron. Might as well get back to databases run by legacy banks.

Recent events haven't changed my opinion on that at all, added Gaevoy, whose company lost $160 million to an exploit earlier this month after losing $15 million to a separate exploit back in June.

In addition to raising some technical nit-picks, Luke Youngblood, the co-founder of the decentralized finance firm Lunar Labs, framed his criticism of the proposal through a regulatory lens. It also creates a regulatory/censorship choke point where governments and other regulators can potentially reverse crypto transactions, so it violates the censorship resistance and immutability that blockchains offer, he said in a message to CoinDesk.

Setting the record straight

The researchers noted in email correspondence with CoinDesk they were surprised by the level of engagement their paper received. It is just early-stage research, they said.

The intention was to have a constructive discussion of this approach to preventing theft, they continued. This work is certainly *not* a fully-fleshed [token] standard. Far from it.

Many critics, moreover, seemed to misinterpret the proposal, according to the researchers.

One misunderstanding, which surprised us, is that people thought the proposal is to make all transactions reversible on [a layer 1 blockchain], or to replace the regular ERC-20/721 standards, they wrote. This is not the case. The paper is simply a proposal for a token standard that people can use or not, just like any other token standard.

The researchers admit, however, the challenges of designing a fair system for arbitrating transaction disputes.

If there is no way to architect a judicial system, then this proposal will not work, they said. Designing a fair judicial system (or proving that one does not exist) is an open question for the community to think about.

Even as the proposal received criticism in some corners of the crypto community, it also earned a considerable amount of support.

Emin Gun Sirer, the creator of the Avalanche blockchain, called the proposal a Great idea  noting that it was similar to one that hed suggested previously and suggesting it should be deployed more widely.

Regarding criticism around corruptible judges, Daniel Goldman, an engineer at Ethereum scaling company Offchain Labs, noted, Those outcrying against this seem unaware of how many widely used ERC-20 tokens today have centralized admins with *complete* power to arbitrarily rug its holders (mint, burn, freeze, etc.) and get little-to-no pushback for it.

Goldmans characterization of the Stanford proposal sounds almost like a clean needles program for permissioned DeFi. If decentralized finance applications already build human control levers into their products, itd be better that those levers be clearly specified.

They aren't talking about replacing the ERC-20 standard itself (AFAIK, nobody is); if you're not a fan of centralized/governable ERC-20s, don't use them! Goldman tweeted. ... [H]ell, even having a literally centralized standard would be a net win for the sake of transparency; anyone who's done the work of inspecting token contracts to figure out how centralized they are () knows how tricky and annoying it is.

Brent Xu, the founder of the blockchain Umee, took issue with the tenor of the criticism surrounding the proposal. Considering that you guys struck a huge nerve in Crypto Twitter shows that this idea is worth exploring, he tweeted. The community needs to continue to explore the flaws and merits of a design before immediately casting it aside.

Above all, the researchers suggest that before coming to conclusions people should do them the favor of reading the paper.








Multiple states are sending National Guard troops to Florida as the state grapples with responding to Hurricane Ian.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss (R) office on Tuesday said 2,000 total guardsmen from Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina were being activated to assist, and Mississippis governor announced on Wednesday he was sending troops to Florida.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) on Monday authorized the deployment of roughly 1,200 personnel from the states National Guard to support Hurricane Ian recovery efforts as the storm approached the mainland.

As Florida braces for the impact of Hurricane Ian, the Tennessee National Guard stands ready to support response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the storm, said Lee. I commend our Guardsmen and women for representing the Volunteer State and answering the call to help Floridians in need.

The state said it was also sending three helicopters to assist the guards effort.

We have a tremendous amount of experience responding to natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes and we are ready to help the citizens of Florida, said Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes, Tennessees adjutant general.

It is why we wear the uniform and once again its the strength of the National Guard on display, he continued. Were grateful for the families, employers and communities for their continued ongoing support to our Guardsmen.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said on Wednesday his state was sending about 20 soldiers and airmen from his states National Guard

Florida has consistently been there for us in our time of need and I approved this deployment in order to assist in their emergency response efforts, Reeves said in a statement. All of Mississippi is praying for Florida amidst Hurricane Ian.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on Tuesday signed an executive order authorizing up to 500 guardsmen to be activated for the storm, also declaring a state of emergency in Georgia.

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In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) on Wednesday authorized the activation of 80 National Guard troops.

Ians remnants are expected to pass through Georgia and North Carolina later in the week, although the fallout is likely to be far less than the Category 4 storm that made landfall on Floridas Gulf Coast earlier on Wednesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By the time Emma Chamberlain was old enough to vote, she was already a certifiable social media phenomenon. Venerable journals of the old schoolthe same ones that faced an existential crisis over the emergence of new mediawere tripping over themselves to shower the teenage internet superstar with breathless paeans. The New York Times described her as the funniest person on YouTube, someone who changed the world of online video. The Atlantic dubbed Chamberlain the most talked-about teen influencer in the world. Time magazine placed her on its 2019 list of the 25 Most Influential People on the Internet, alongside folks like rapper Lil Nas X, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Today, at the ripe old age of 21, Chamberlain is reveling in act two of her brilliant career: focusing on her top-rated Anything Goes podcast; building her signature Chamberlain Coffee business; promoting her brand partnerships with Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Levis; and a host of other ventures that leverage the power of her extraordinary popularity. If anyone is curious about the secret to Chamberlains success, the answer lies in the rapturous comment threads appended to her online postings and press, where certain wordsfunny, authentic, candid, relatable, realcrop up time and again.

Joe Garnero

Cerine Triple Elongated Chandelier

$31800.00, Trueing

Giraffe Dining Chair by Juliana Lima Vasconcellos

$1690.00, 1stDibs

Harmony Cork Wall Tiles by Jelinek Cork Group

$13.00, Corkhouse

Those same qualities emerge in three-dimensional form in Chamberlains new Los Angeles home. Designed in collaboration with Ashley Drost and Marie Trohman of Proem Studio, the house deftly mirrors its inhabitants chill, laid-back vibe and intriguing sensibility, which privileges the unexpected and idiosyncratic over predictable design trophies and tired signifiers of luxury. I work from home, so I wanted to create something completely personal and comfortable, Chamberlain says of the endeavor. I brought in references from many decades and design eras, and I tried to meld them into something that feels not only cohesive but new. It wasnt about following the rules or sticking to one aesthetic. I tried to approach it all with a lightheartedness and an open mind.

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Daisy Sconce

$1800.00, Eny Lee Parker

Cherry Wood Bowls

$34.00, Nickey Kehoe

3 Orbit Table Lamp by Ron Rezek for Bieffeplast

$2650.00, 1stDibs

Wide Corduroy Fabric

$140.00, Maharam

I want the materials to make a statement, Chamberlain says. I like things that feel like an art piece, like a painting, in and of themselves.

The existing house provided plenty of inspiration. Built in 1955 and clad in cedar shake shingles, the structure reads like an alien hybrid of Northern California hippie modern and Topanga Canyon Birkenstock bohemian, with a dash of Adirondack charm (think cozy fireplaces crackling beneath beamed ceilings). It almost felt like a summer camp, so we leaned into that mood. We described it as Wet Hot American Summer meets Troop Beverly Hills. Emma said, I love that idea, but I have no clue what youre talking about,  Drost recalls, laughing at the generational reference gap. Honestly, its not a perfect house, and its never going to be. But it has tons of personality and great energy, and the imperfections only add to the narrative we developed with Emma, Trohman says.

HighResJPG

Seta Wicker Table Lamp

$349.00, Crate & Barrel

Chamberlain Coffee Mango Matcha

$23.00, Chamberlain Coffee

Chrome-Plated Metal Vase by Disciplina Studio

$600.00, 1stDibs

Shimmer Side Table by Patricia Urquiola for Glas Italia

$2495.00, Design Within Reach

Im a mood board type of girl. I scoured every corner on the internet, every weird, deep hole on Pinterest.

The interiors earthy-with-a-twist ambience is buoyed by an array of artisanal, organic materials and surface treatments: expanses of raw copper; custom free-form plaster fireplace surrounds; walls and ceilings lined in cork; slabs of honey onyx; and a wall covering of braided bacbac (banana-tree bark) with a subtle metallic shimmer. I want the materials to make a statement. I like things that feel like an art piece, like a painting, in and of themselves, Chamberlain says of the seductive palette. As for the eclectic assemblage of furnishings, the archetypal influencer naturally looked online to flesh out her vision. Im a mood board type of girl. I scoured every corner on the internet, every weird, deep hole on Pinterest, she explains. I find inspiration for the home everywhere, the same as fashion. Its all one in my mind.

Double Tier Hex Side Table

$2970.00, Bzippy and Company

Twist MM Handbag

$5000.00, Louis Vuitton

Ultrafragola Mirror by Ettore Sottsass Jr. for Poltronova

$11950.00, The Future Perfect

Groovy vintage treasuresincluding an Ettore Sottsass mirror and a Milo Baughman chaise longueand a selection of work by contemporary designers on the order of Faye Toogood and Material Lust create a decorative mix elastic enough to incorporate some genuinely quirky items, like a boxy vintage television set hollowed out for a cat bed, and a series of corncob stools arrayed by the pool. One of the highlights of the home is a custom Proem Studio console of irregularly stacked glass blocks inspired by the deconstructed brick desk of the late fashion designer Willi Smith in the astonishing WilliWear office designed by SITE in the early 1980s. If we came to Emma with a weird idea, shed say, Go for it. She trusted us. So we pushed ourselves to be a bit more out of the box, Trohman recalls. Shed also push back if there was something she wasnt into. Emma knows what she wants, and she has a maturity beyond her years, adds Drost.

More of Emma Chamberlains Deeply Personal Los Angeles Home

White sofa next to blue drum kit

Bathroom with stone sink and braided bacbac wall covering

Large bedroom with peach-colored furnishings

Glass console table below landscape painting

Outdoor patio featuring chairs and a sofa around a circular table

Outdoor pool with loungers on the deck

Cedar-paneled bathroom with central sink

Hair by Graham Nation using Tangle Teezer at The Wall Group; makeup by Kelsey Deenihan using Bare Minerals at The Wall Group.

Patio bar with stools

Outdoor dining table

Emma Chamberlain leaning on a vintage vanity

Joe Garnero

Bathroom with bright tiles and wooden chair

Kitchen filled with green tones

Living room with beamed ceilings and a large curved sofa

Emma Chamberlain's dressing room

Art: John Frost

They didnt just take what I sent them. They built upon it. My brain moves very fast. Im kind of loud, and I have a lot to say. Even if my ideas were all over the place, in the end it all feels connected, one story, Chamberlain says of the collaboration. Assessing her first full-scale exercise in home design, the young phenom remains sanguine: I dont really care if people dont like it. Im the one who lives here, so I have to love it. And I do.

This story appears in ADs November 2022 issue. To see Emma Chamberlains home in print, subscribe to AD.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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(Bloomberg) -- Brazilian stocks have outperformed global peers this year, and some investors say more gains are likely in store as neither of the two candidates vying for the presidency in the first round of voting Sunday is expected to jeopardize the countrys fiscal accounts in the short term.

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But the consensus on the outlook for Latin Americas largest equities market tends to stop there as the two leading candidates -- former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from the Workers Party and incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro -- have different views on several issues, ranging from the privatization of state-controlled companies to the focus on a transition to more sustainable energy sources.

While Lula has been more vocal about using state-run companies to help boost the economy, Bolsonaro intends to keep pushing forward with a privatization program he started during his first term and possibly include oil giant Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

Polls published before ballots opened on Sunday mostly gave Lula a lead, with some pollsters signaling he could receive enough votes to support an outright win in the first round. A runoff is slated for Oct. 30 if needed.

A representative for the Lula campaign declined to comment. A representative for the Bolsonaro campaign didnt respond to a written request seeking comment.

Bolsonaro or Lula: Brazilians Decide Who Deserves Another Chance

Brazils Ibovespa Index is up 7.9% in dollar terms this year compared with a 25% drop in the US S&P 500 Index. Valuations still look historically attractive, investors said. Brazil is cheap said Greg Lesko, a portfolio manager at Deltec Asset Management in New York.

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Heres what to watch for ahead of the vote:

Homebuilders

Efforts to shore up Brazils low-income housing segment should continue regardless of political outcomes, Citigroup Inc. analysts including Andre Mazini wrote in a note earlier this month. That means builders with a focus on low income housing, such as MRV Engenharia e Participacoes SA and Direcional Engenharia SA, could see renewed interest. Another boost to the sector could come from an expected end to Brazils tightening cycle. Brazils central bank left its benchmark Selic rate unchanged at its September meeting after a 1,175 basis-point jumbo hike.

State-run companies

While Lula has signaled that Petrobras could embark on a fresh cycle of investments in lower-return assets such as refineries, Bolsonaro said in August that his economic team had the green light to propose and plan a potential sale. The government controls Petrobras with a 50% stake in common shares of the $76 billion company.

I dont think Petrobras is worth zero under a Lula government, and investors are aware his comeback is unlikely to represent a return for those Dilma years, said Leonardo Rufino, a portfolio manager at Mantaro Capital in Rio de Janeiro. But a higher level of political interference is expected.

Consumer Discretionary

Veteran emerging-market investor Mark Mobius said probably therell be a step-up in consumer spending under Lula. The former President signaled that in addition to maintaining the current social program that pays 600 reais ($111) in cash handouts to low-income Brazilian families he would boost the amount by 150 reais per child under age six. Earlier this month, Bolsonaro too indicated that he intended to increase outlays made through his flagship Auxilio Brasil program by 200 reais to 800 reais a month to those who get a job while receiving the handouts.

Watch out to mall operators such as BR Malls Participacoes SA. Discount retailers and some companies that cater to low-income consumers, including Magazine Luiza SA, MercadoLibre Inc., Lojas Renner SA, could potentially benefit from higher consumer expenditures as a result of the stimulus programs, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. equity strategist Emy Shayo.

Education

Shares of for-profit education companies such as Anima Holding SA and Cogna Educacao have rebounded recently as Lula said hell boost the governments education program, known as Fies, by granting fresh loans to students. Banco BTG Pactual SA analysts warned investors on betting against education companies.

Commodity exporters

If traders sense a more interventionist macro policy under Lula that raises the pressure on the Brazilian real, they might pile into the worlds second-largest iron-ore producer, Vale SA, and pulp maker Suzano SA, which get a considerable part of their revenue in US dollars.

ESG

Lula has signaled the transition to green energy should be a key pillar of his economic program. This might lure some investors who got spooked by Bolsonaros fiery rhetoric on topics ranging from the Amazon rain forest to the Covid-19 pandemic. That means companies such as waste management firm Ambipar Participacoes e Empreendimentos SA could perform well, and more broadly, that large-cap stocks might benefit from increased inflows.

A Lula administration is perceived to be comparatively more committed to an ESG agenda, which could eventually pay foreign policy dividends, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. economist Alberto Ramos wrote in a note.

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2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Rob Pointon painted the Queen's state funeral

A painter said he "just had to document" the Queen's lying-in-state and funeral procession.

Rob Pointon, from Stoke-on-Trent, was granted special access to paint scenes during the period of mourning.

For the state funeral procession, he stood overnight on Whitehall to get a good pitch and spent three days painting the "fleeting moment" as the Queen's coffin passed by.

"The weight of the honour was enormous," he said.

The artist called one of the pieces 'The Horse Guards' Farewell'

Describing his process, Mr Pointon said he set up early to "build up a foundation of the painting", starting with the street and adding in the crowd before the procession arrived.

"It happened so fleetingly and as the Royal Family are walking past you don't want to be manically throwing paint down," he said.

"It was a sombre moment, so I got the reference and painted some of the tweaks in the studio afterwards."

Mr Pointon also painted the queue for the Queen's lying-in-state

Mr Pointon has previously painted the Household Cavalry and the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations but said he had "never felt expectation on my work like that before".

He was granted special permission to sketch for four hours during the Queen's lying-in-state and described the atmosphere as "quite something".

"[Painting] is a bit of a poetic form of documentation, it's all tweaked by the artist's will," he said.

"It's different from photography, it's not that accurate I suppose, but you can communicate more sentiment and atmosphere in a painting than you might be able to in a photograph."

The artist has also previously painted the Platinum Jubilee celebrations

In total he produced seven paintings, which he hopes to exhibit as a collection.

"I just went down to London knowing that I had to document it."

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk
Photograph: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Last October, Kate Brown, the governor of Oregon, signed an executive order granting clemency to 73 people who had committed crimes as juveniles, clearing a path for them to apply for parole.

The move marked the high point in a remarkable arc: as Brown approaches the end of her second term in January, she has granted commutations or pardons to 1,147 people  more than all of Oregons governors from the last 50 years combined.

Related: Slavery by any name is wrong: the push to end unpaid labor in prisons

The story of clemency in Oregon is one of major societal developments colliding: the pressure the Covid-19 pandemic put on the prison system and growing momentum for criminal justice reform.

Its also a story of a governors personal convictions and how she came to embrace clemency as a tool for criminal justice reform and as an act of grace, exercising the belief that compassionate mercy and ensuring public safety are not mutually exclusive.

If you are confident that you can keep people safe, youve given victims the opportunity to have their voices heard and made sure their concerns are addressed, and individuals have gone through an extensive amount of rehabilitation and shown accountability, what is the point of continuing to incarcerate someone, other than retribution? Brown said in a June interview.

Notable clemency acts

When Brown, a Democrat, became governor in Oregon in 2015, she received the power of executive clemency  an umbrella term referring to the ability of American governors and the president to grant mercy to criminal defendants. Clemency includes pardons, which fully forgive someone who has committed a crime; commutations, which change prison sentences, often resulting in early release; reprieves, which pause punishment; and eliminating court-related fines and fees.

During the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, Brown was one of 18 governors across the US who used clemency to quickly reduce prison populations in the hopes of curbing virus transmission.

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She approved the early release of 963 people who had committed nonviolent crimes and met six additional criteria  not enough, according to estimates by the states department of corrections, to enable physical distancing, and far less than California, which released about 5,300 people, and New Jersey, which released 40% of its prison population.

But Browns clemency acts stand out in other ways. Brown removed one year from the sentences of 41 prisoners who worked as firefighters during the 2020 wildfire season, the most destructive in Oregon history.

Kate Brown removed one year from the sentences of 41 prisoners who worked at firefighters during the 2020 wildfire season. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters

She has pardoned 63 people. Most notably, she has commuted the sentences of 144 people convicted of crimes as serious as murder, yet have demonstrated extraordinary evidence of rehabilitation.

Democratic and Republican governors in North Carolina, Louisiana, Missouri, Kansas and Ohio have granted clemency for similar reasons. Yet Browns numbers are among the highest in the US, and the impact of her decisions are profound: Oregons prison population declined for the first time since the passage of the states Measure 11 mandatory minimum sentencing law in 1994.

Measure 11 codified mandatory sentences for 16 violent crimes, required juveniles over the age of 15 charged with those crimes to be tried as adults, and ended earned time. Since its passage, Oregons prison population tripled to nearly 15,000 people and three new prisons were built.

Brown also stands out for who she grants clemency to. Forty per cent of Browns commutations are Black, in response to Black Oregonians being incarcerated at a rate five times higher than their share of the states population. Nearly two dozen other clemency recipients were convicted as juveniles. Many were sentenced to life without parole and other lengthy sentences.

Eradicating racism and colonialism

Browns acts reflect the governors values and beliefs. She accepts research in adolescent development showing people are not fully mature until their mid-20s. She was the first Oregon governor to visit the states womens prison. She believes people are not defined by their worst acts and are capable of redemption. We are a nation of second chances, she said.

A voracious reader, she cited books such as Just Mercy, The New Jim Crow, The Other Wes Moore, and Picking Cotton as influences. Before holding elected office, Brown worked as a lawyer representing families and children in the foster care system, as well as people who violated their parole. She says she has always opposed Measure 11 as a one-size-fits-all approach that eliminated a judges ability to consider facts and underlying circumstances of individual cases.

George Floyds murder in May 2020 further galvanized her in eradicating racism and colonialism in Oregon, she said. (The states first constitution made it illegal for Black people to live on or own property in Oregon.)

Oregon state police arrest a protestor during the George Floyd protests in 2020. Photograph: Allison Dinner/AFP/Getty Images

Browns use of clemency is well within established tradition, said Rachel Barkow, a professor at NYU School of Law and an expert on clemency.

The use of clemency has been virtually non-existent since the tough on crime movement began in the 1980s, coinciding with Willie Horton committing rape while on furlough.

But for much of history, presidents and governors regularly used clemency. Governors cited a prisoners exceptional rehabilitation or, in exposing wrongful convictions, listed witness recantation, flawed evidence and police misconduct. For one abuse of the pardon power, a 1911 Colorado Board of Pardon report noted, there are a thousand abuses of the convicting power.

Alexander Hamilton argued in The Federalist Papers that clemency is a necessary check on a justice system capable of leveling excessive punishment. Without clemency, he argued, justice would wear a countenance too sanguinary and cruel.

The push to curb Covid-19 via clemency eclipsed another, growing movement. In August 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union launched a campaign urging governors to use clemency as a corrective tool to mass incarceration.

Weve educated her

Brown slowly became emboldened due to the work of a progressive lawyer and the legal clinic she directs.

Aliza Kaplan, a lawyer and professor of lawyering at Lewis & Clark Law School, founded the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic in 2015 to provide pro bono legal services to criminal defendants. By then, Kaplan was well-known in criminal justice circles for co-founding the New England Innocence Project and working as the deputy director of the National Innocence Project. In 2011, she moved to Oregon to join Lewis & Clark. Within years, in addition to starting the clinic, she helped launch an innocence project, an organization challenging bad forensic evidence, and another within the public defenders office assisting people after their incarceration.

I dont want to live in a world where we cant believe people change and redemption isnt possible, Kaplan said. Thats too cruel of a world for me.

The clinic launched its clemency project in 2016. Knowing Browns legal background, Kaplan and Venetia Mayhew, the projects first staff attorney, decided that the first applicants would be women, people convicted as juveniles, and those convicted of violent crimes and serving long prison sentences  people who, Kaplan said, committed horrible crimes but have transformed.

I dont want to live in a world where we cant believe people change and redemption isnt possible. Thats too cruel of a world for me. Aliza Kaplan

Mayhew interviewed clients at Oregons prisons, wrote applications and oversaw clinic students assigned to applications. Clients understood they had to talk about the crime and what they are most ashamed of, Mayhew said. It was all about building trust. I spent time with them, got to know them. At the same time, Kaplan took members of Browns staff to Oregons prisons to meet clients and other prisoners.

The clinics applications are unique. They are narratives, drawn from interviews, trial records, police reports, and prison records, telling the story of a clients life from childhood up to the crime, their trial, incarceration and work to change. Its not about blaming their history or background, its part of understanding who they are, Kaplan said. The legal system leaves out a lot of the personal stuff. The applications include photos, the applicants resume, and letters from family, friends, correction officers, employers and volunteers.

The clinics early efforts were hit or miss. During her first three years in office, Brown granted two pardons and one commutation. It was heartbreaking, Mayhew remembered. I felt like a snake oil salesman, peddling hope.

In 2018, Browns numbers ticked up: she granted three commutations to people convicted as juveniles.

In 2019, Kaplan and Mayhew published an article built from Mayhews research of every Oregon governors clemency acts, proving clemency was not rare: governors regularly released up to a third of Oregons prison population, recognized rehabilitation and corrected wrongful convictions.

That year, Brown commuted a murder conviction for the first time, in the case of a woman sentenced to a mandatory minimum of 25 years, a sentence both the judge and prosecutor thought too harsh.

After that, Browns clemency numbers shot up: in 2020, she granted 65 pardons and commutations; in 2021, she granted 36.

Brown approves approximately 7% of the applications her office receives. The clinics success rate is far higher: 45 of 179 applications have been approved (an additional 116 are pending; 18 have been denied).

Each application tells an individual story. Collectively, they exposed systemic inequities: of people who were exposed to drugs as children, endured child abuse, neglect and sexual abuse, or became inescapably entrenched in gangs.

Weve educated her, Kaplan reflected. But she already had it in her.

Making the world a better place

Over time, Brown and her legal counsel have created a six-month process to winnow out all but the 10% of applications that reach Browns desk.

Browns decisions, she said, do not result from satisfying a checklist, but a totality of circumstances. Applicants expressions of accountability and remorse are critical. Its not just I understand, and I regret, and I feel remorse, Brown said. How is that lived? What are the actions to show that?

She values a lifetime commitment to community service, inspired by her mothers decades of volunteering for the American Cancer Society. It is proof applicants understand what they have done and are committed to making the world a better place, Brown argued.

Brown also gives a lot of weight to applicants plans post-release.

They want him to succeed if she grants it, Kaplan said. Kaplan spoke via telephone with a clinic alumna, now working as a public defender, on an early June afternoon. Browns counsel requested a more detailed release plan  a strong sign the application is moving forward.

The application was open on Kaplans laptop. Beyond her laptop, taped to a window in her office, a piece of paper reads Imagine. Another, at her office entrance, says Empathy.

Leaning forward toward the phone, Kaplan rattled off potential questions: family he could live with, jobs he wants to apply for, exercise. The more detail, the more we can show what his life could be like, she said.

A release plan, submitted in July, included information about plans to join a gym to work out and play pickup basketball games for stress relief, living with two relatives, and applying for jobs at a nearby ferry.

If the application makes it to Browns desk, it will receive thorough consideration. She is known to read the applications carefully. Theyre incredibly extensive, the governor said.

How do you plan to deal with your sobriety? Brown said at an interview with one of the clinics clients in 2020. What kind of job do you want to get?

When the interview ended, Brown granted the client clemency.

Everyone present began crying, Kaplan remembered.

Inspiring hope

Brown says her clemency acts are part and parcel of recent criminal justice reforms in Oregon.

In 2020, Brown supported the end of non-unanimous jury decisions in criminal cases when she signed on to a brief, written by Kaplan, urging such a move in the US supreme court case Ramos v Louisiana. In doing so, she opposed her own state justice department. (Oregon and Louisiana were the two states left using such juries, which convict criminal defendants without a unanimous vote and have racist origins.)

In recent years, the Oregon legislature passed laws redefining aggravated murder and restricting death penalty eligibility, broadening expungement and allowing district attorneys and defendants to petition to change a prison sentence.

In 2019, legislation gutting Measure 11s provisions relating to juvenile offenders passed, in recognition of supreme court rulings, based on decades of research in adolescent development, ending harsh sentences for people under 18.

Brown made that law retroactive when, last October, she signed the executive order commuting the sentences of 73 juvenile offenders. They are capable of tremendous transformation, Brown wrote, citing research in adolescent development.

It wasnt the first time clemency was used to make a law retroactive: in 1974, the legislature passed a new criminal code, and the then-governor, Tom McCall, commuted the sentences of 48 people to prevent disparity and unequal treatment.

Last October, Kate Brown signed an executive order commuting the sentences of 73 juvenile offenders. Photograph: Tim Revell/AP

Browns executive order prompted a firestorm of media coverage. The fiercest response came from Kevin Mannix, a lawyer, former Republican state legislator, and author of Measure 11. Representing two district attorneys and three crime victims, Mannix sued Brown in January, attempting to overturn the group commutations related to Covid-19, the firefighters and the executive order.

The governor is not the super legislature, Mannix argued in a June interview. He said the process dictates the governor not decide on a broad brush, and that the victim is heard and the district attorney is heard.

Mannix thinks there may be individual cases where prisoners show rehabilitation. I dont want to say no one is capable of rehabilitation, he said. But those convicted of violent crimes, he believes, should be incapacitated and taken off the streets.

The lawsuit and local media coverage galvanized criticism from district attorneys that Browns decisions lack transparency and that she is disregarding crime victims. State law requires district attorneys to keep victims apprised of defendants appeals, as well as submit statements to the governors office in response to clemency applications.

Brown has acknowledged victims of violent crime are traumatized  sometimes violently and irreparably. Her office recently hired a victims advocate to work directly with victims. Her clemency reports also reveal that not all victims oppose clemency: some are neutral, while others are supportive. Victims opposed to clemency have been given more attention in the press, said Mary Zinkin, founder and executive director of the Portland-based Center for Trauma Support Services. They do not represent all crime survivors.

Due to the controversy, Kaplan and Mayhew regularly receive hate mail. Soon afterward, Kaplan received a thank you card signed by the dozens of inmates at a mens prison. Kaplan and her colleagues, one wrote, is inspiring a lot of hope inside these walls.

Prison cleaned me up

Browns office has received more than 2,100 clemency applications since 2020 100 times more than five years ago.

In January, Kaplan and her students wrote a step-by-step guide to clemency that circulates in the prisons. And there are more lawyers than ever telling their stories; clemency is now a major part of pro bono work at four large law firms, and more than a half-dozen lawyers  graduates of Lewis & Clark or mentored by Mayhew, now in private practice  represent dozens of clemency cases.

People just see that word murderer, said Patty Butterfield. But did that person [Brown] is letting out change their life in prison? Did they clean up their act?

I changed my life. Prison cleaned me up, gave me a sense of worth again. Patty Butterfield

Butterfield received clemency in April 2020. Butterfield was 74 years old  one of the oldest people in Oregons prison system. She had served 23 years for shooting her abusive boyfriend during a fight, injuries which later killed him.

In prison, she maintained a spotless disciplinary record and became a mother figure to younger female prisoners. I changed my life, Butterfield said. Prison cleaned me up, gave me a sense of worth again.

She began crying as she recalled Mayhew calling to tell her she had been granted clemency. She now lives in central California with friends, who have given her free rein of the garden. I love doing yard work here, she said.

In March, a county judge upheld Browns Covid-19 and firefighter commutations but halted the parole hearings for the juvenile offenders. Brown appealed, the Oregon court of appeals heard oral argument in June, and, in early August, issued a 44-page opinion entirely rejecting Mannixs case. Mannix has asked the Oregon supreme court to review the decision. The court has not yet indicated whether it will.

The recent controversy does not dissuade Brown, who leaves office in January, from continuing to grant clemency. She said: I have the ability to make these decisions  just like all governors before her.
Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Lucas Sinclair on the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things, spoke on a panel at the Heroes Comic Con Belgium convention this weekend, where the 20-year-old opened up about the racism hes experienced from fans of the show as the only Black main character.

It definitely took a toll on me as a younger kid, the actor expressed in a video recorded by an attendee. My very first Comic-Con, some people didnt stand in my line because I was Black. Some people told me, Oh I didnt want to be in your line because you were mean to Eleven. Even now, some people dont follow me or dont support me because Im Black.

More from VIBE.com

McLaughlin added, Sometimes overseas, you feel the racism, you feel the bigotry. Sometimes its hard to talk about and for people to understand, but when I was younger, it definitely affected me a lot. Because I was born with this beautiful chocolate skin, Im not loved, but thats why with my platform, I want to spread positivity and love because I do not give hate back to people who give hate to me.

Following the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, the New Edition Story star is preparing to juggle being both an actor and a musical artist.

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Watch the video for his latest single, Soul Travel below.

Click here to read the full article.
The Daily Beast

Photo Illustration by Erin O'Flynn/The Daily Beast/Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesThe widespread media attention to recent events at Berkeley Law are stunningly misleading and inaccurate.An opinion column in the Jewish Journal, which is titled, Berkeley Develops Jewish-Free Zones, paints a grossly misleading picture of what happened at Berkeley Law.To state it plainly: There is no Jewish-Free Zone at Berkeley Law or on the UC-Berkeley campus. The Law Schools rules are clear that no speaker can
By Khalid Abdelaziz

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's public prosecution has launched legal proceedings against a prominent newspaper and the bar association, triggering complaints that authorities are trying to restrict basic freedoms nearly a year after a coup.

On Monday, the public prosecution's cyber crimes unit issued an order to block the website of Al-Sudani newspaper, one of the country's most respected dailies.

A day earlier, the prosecution called the head of the steering committee for the Sudanese Bar Association in for questioning, and ordered the seizure of its headquarters, a lawyer for the group said.

The public prosecutor's media office did not respond to a phone call from Reuters.

Following the Oct. 25, 2021 military takeover, scores of veterans that served under Sudan's former ruling party began returning to the civil service, including within the public prosecutor's office, justice department, and foreign ministry.

The takeover put in question a widening of political freedoms in Sudan since the ousting of former autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir in a 2019 uprising.

"We learned about the prosecutor's order through social media, and it was surprising because we were not informed of any complaint against the newspaper," Al-Sudani editor-in-chief Ataf Mohamed Mukhtar said.

Mukhtar said the newspaper, whose website was still operating on Wednesday, would fight the order, which he said could only be issued by the courts.

"This order goes against the right to free speech and free press that is guaranteed by the law," he added.

The Bar Association had recently developed a proposal for a new constitution to resolve Sudan's political crisis, which has seen the military locked in a stand-off with pro-democracy civilian parties and protesters.

Lawyer Satie Al-Haj told Reuters a lawyer had made a complaint over the association's financial disclosures. The association had secured a block on the order to seize the association's headquarters, he said.

"What is happening is an organised attack on freedoms by the remnants of the old regime who are trying to return to power," Al-Haj said.

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz, writing by Nafisa Eltahir; editing by Aidan Lewis, William Maclean)
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - In Khartoum, specialists from Sudan's Center for Poisonous Species Research are deployed at night in protective vests, gloves, and goggles to catch a snake that residents say has killed a cat, before it has a chance to strike again.

Attacks by snakes and scorpions are more frequent during Sudan's rainy season, when water levels on the river Nile can rise and send floodwaters surging into communities.

The taskforce says its work is particularly important as doctors do not have antidotes made specifically for the venom of snakes found in Sudan.

(Reporting by Eltayeb Sidding, writing by Nafisa Eltahir, Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Elise Kordei, left, and Yoshika Gonzalez are former sugar babies who dealt with grief after losing a partner. Courtesy of Elise Kordei and Yoshika Gonzalez

In popular TikToks, people joke about sugar babies celebrating inheritances when a "daddy" dies.

But sugar babies who've lost daddies said they've struggled with both grief and a loss of income.

They often can't attend daddies' funerals and said friends have laughed off their losses.

Sugar dating is nothing new, but people are becoming more curious about the practice as more sugar babies take to social media to talk about the lifestyle. TikTok hashtags like #SugarBabyTok, #SugarBaby, and #SugarDating have over a billion combined views; creators share vlogs in which they flaunt wads of cash, luxurious gifts, and first-class flight tickets gifted to them by their sugar daddies.

Sugar dating is generally defined as a relationship in which the "baby" receives gifts, a cash stipend, or an allowance in exchange for their companionship. While that can include sex, many "babies" say that sugaring is different from sex work because it's centered around building an emotionally intimate, often long-term relationship.

Sugar babies interviewed by Insider say that their daddies tend to be older men, typically between 40 and 60 years old. That's something that many social-media creators outside the sugaring world are quick to make light of, satirizing sugar babies celebrating the money, goods, and property they'd inherit if a daddy died.

Some have joked about sugar babies murdering their sugar daddies, while others have made montages of all the outfits they'd wear to the funeral.

In one video, the rapper and model Samella Jamese, who has 336,000 TikTok followers, screams excitedly as she runs down the stairs of what appears to be a luxury apartment with a pool. The caption reads: "When your sugar daddy dies and leaves you the house."

Another video, with over 700,000 views, depicts the TikTok creator Priscilla Stephanie dancing happily, with the caption: "When your sugar daddy finally dies with a heart attack from all the Mexican greasy cooking you been feeding him."

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But the reality of losing a sugar daddy is far more complicated, Kristine Medina, a 33-year-old former sugar baby living in Texas, said.

When one of Medina's "daddies" failed to respond to emails and texts in 2016, she thought he had ghosted her. Two months later, she learned that he had passed away. She struggled with grief over the loss, as well as guilt for having thought the worst of him.

"We had a really good relationship, and we were as close as we could be without outright dating," she said. "He took care of me when I was sick and we shared mutual affection." (Medina's name is a pseudonym she used for her sugar-dating work; Insider granted her anonymity because some aspects of sugar dating are considered illegal.)

Sugar babies say their grief is not taken seriously

Sugaring can be lucrative work. Medina said she consistently had three clients "on rotation," and in a good week, she could take home $3,000, on top of gifts like jewelry and purses. She believes the opulent-looking videos on TikTok are mostly authentic.

But with sugar dating often frowned upon by society, the three sugar babies interviewed by Insider said it's hard to get others to take the personal nature of their sugaring relationships seriously.

Medina experienced this firsthand when she told a friend about her sugar daddy's death. "She was very flippant and even laughed," she said. "My tears felt stupid then."

Alexandra Haselbeck, a licensed psychotherapist at Seachange Psychotherapy, said this experience is known as disenfranchised grief  the sort of grief that's not acknowledged in society.

Haselbeck, who's counseled sex workers on trauma and grief, said that disenfranchised grief is fairly common among this group.

"It's harder to process grief if we feel like we can't acknowledge it," she said. "Sugar babies are probably not going to get a card when their sugar daddy dies or be able to call out of work. This can feel very alienating."

The discreet nature of sugaring can make it hard to achieve closure after a death

Sugar relationships thrive on privacy and discretion. Medina told Insider that the sugar-dating community attracts "tons of crazies." She said she's gone out with prospective "daddies" who took advantage of her services without paying, and some of her friends have been assaulted on sugar dates.

Because of these risks, sugar babies exchange the bare minimum of personal information with their sugar daddies, she said. "You don't want to give these men information that makes you easily identifiable. I got stalked once and never did that again."

The discretion goes both ways: Sugar daddies often work hard to keep their personal lives private, especially if they are married. They often arrange meetups in impersonal locations, keeping details such as their last names and addresses private.

But this privacy can have consequences when someone suddenly passes away. After assuming her sugar daddy had ghosted her, Medina was shocked to discover his obituary while scrolling through Facebook. He had died from injuries sustained in a car wreck, she said.

"I had moved on and replaced him with a new client; I felt extremely guilty for that, and now that I knew that he was dead, I had to restart mourning the end of our relationship," Medina said. "It's different when you think he's just a jerk who doesn't deserve you, as opposed to him being gone forever."

Reaching out to her former daddy's children felt inappropriate, she said. "Their profiles were private, and I wasn't sure how I would introduce myself to them," Medina said. "It's weird."

Attending a funeral is often not an option

Funerals often help people attain closure after a loss, but with the stigma around sugar dating, deciding whether to attend a sugar daddy's funeral can be fraught. When she lost a sugar daddy to cardiac arrest in 2019, Elise Kordei, a 24-year-old former sugar baby from Texas, decided not to attend the memorial service.

"While I cared about him, I didn't think I knew him well enough to go," she explained. "I was very new to sugar dating at the time, and I was uncomfortable with the idea of sharing space with his family."

Kordei, who lost a sugar daddy to cardiac arrest, felt uncomfortable attending his funeral. Courtesy of Elise Kordei

Medina, on the other hand, said that she was disappointed about not having the opportunity to attend her daddy's funeral. "Even if it would have been just for a second, I feel like it would have helped," she said.

Being unable to attend a funeral can compound sugar babies' grief, Haselbeck said.

"If a sugar baby says that they don't want to go to the funeral because they'd rather grieve alone, then that's fine," she said. "But it's a different matter if they don't go because the secrecy of the relationship means that they're not allowed to."

Because sugar dating is a job, financial loss can compound grief

Yoshika Gonzalez, a 27-year-old sugar baby, said that TikToks celebrating inheriting money from a sugar daddy don't reflect the financial reality of sugaring. Based on her experience, she said, only a small number of sugar babies will ever get their names added to the wills of sugar daddies.

"These men are probably married, and at the end of the day, they are going to prioritize their family members over others," she said.

If anything, a sugar daddy's death can upend a sugar baby's finances.

At the time of her sugar daddy's death, Kordei said she was getting a bimonthly allowance of $2,000 from him. While she had another job, the allowance made up the bulk of her income, and her grief was compounded by money worries.

After mistakenly concluding her sugar daddy had ghosted her, Medina found a new client and maintained her finances. But she said her guilt and grief over learning of his death pushed her to take a break from sugaring, costing her income.

Gonzalez said it's rare for a sugar baby to inherit money from a "daddy." Courtesy of Yoshika Gonzalez

Some sugar babies find support online

Though TikTok creators can often be dismissive of sugar babies' grief, Haselbeck said that other digital spaces can be of great value to sugar babies who may not have a real-life support system.

"Online forums are really good spaces to connect with other people who've gone through this sort of loss and won't judge," she said. "It makes it feel less isolating."

Medina was able to grieve her loss on Reddit, where she found other women who understood and shared her experience. "I made a post there and everyone was so nice," she said. "A lot of people had experienced the same thing, so they could offer insight. It made me feel less crazy."

Even if the outside world is dismissive of their grief, sugar babies have the right to feel emotional about a loss, Haselbeck said.

"The sugar baby must make space to allow whatever they're feeling without judgment," she said. "As obvious as it sounds, every emotion is valid, and therefore grief is valid."

Read the original article on Insider
Before you broach the subject, have a plan for your conversation about mental health. And keep your expectations in check. (Kassia Rico / For The Times )

Norma Fabian Newton had heard of other new mothers experiencing the "baby blues," short-term sadness and anxiety. But when she had her first child in her early 30s, she described her experience as a "constant barrage of thoughts."

I was constantly thinking, Im not equipped to be a parent, I hate myself, or I hate this decision, she said.

In so many ways I had everything, and yet I felt so empty and so low.

Several months after giving birth, Newton reached out to her gynecologist in Los Angeles for help. The doctor explained that the feelings Newton was experiencing were common. She was showing signs of postpartum depression, a term she had never heard.

Through therapy sessions, she would later realize part of the reason she didnt know how to deal with her postpartum depression was because the people in her life didnt openly talk about their mental health struggles.

That made Newton feel invisible  especially when she was struggling.

More than a decade of therapy helped Newton  founder of Fabian Flores, a Latinx-focused bookseller and publisher  understand that others werent intentionally dismissing her feelings. Her parents, in particular, were doing the best they could for their family and were also dealing with their own trauma.

That, in some ways, really paralyzed them from getting the help they needed, she said.

Even though she wants to start conversations about mental health with her family members, especially the older generation, it has been a challenge.

In that, she's not alone.

We do need to be mindful because theres a lot of unaddressed mental health concerns in many multigenerational homes, so we dont want to just dive right in, Adriana Alejandre, founder of Latinx Therapy and a trauma therapist, said.

The Times spoke with Alejandre and others to understand how and when to start conversations about mental health, how to set expectations and why these conversations are important.

Where to start

Its important to normalize mental health conversations at home, but the first step is becoming more comfortable with talking about mental health yourself.

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Growing up, Newton said feelings were regarded as something that needed to be overcome as quickly as possible. If she was crying, she was told to stop. She learned to numb her feelings, which eventually manifested as anxiety and depression.

Twice before she experienced postpartum depression, Newton tried to see a therapist. After becoming a mother, though, she committed to seeing one three times a week. Through that process, she learned to recognize what she was feeling and take the time to reflect on why she felt that way.

A huge change, she said, was letting go of shame.

I see it as an opportunity to learn and to heal, she said.

Once she opened herself to these learning opportunities, she wanted to share it with her family, especially her mom.

How to start

When youre ready to have these conversations with your family, Alejandre recommends first thinking about the person or people you want to address.

Dont assume you know what your family will say, because it wont lead to a productive conversation, she said. Have a plan and go into it with minimal expectations.

Your plan can include how and when youre going to start the conversation; the topics you want to cover; and the questions you want to ask.

Alejandre also suggested creative ways to get this conversation topic on a family members radar. You could share a relatable meme or TikTok video. Or ask an open-ended question that youre not tied to, for example: Que opinas de la terapia? What do you think about therapy?

What happens next?

Take the time to reflect on the other persons responses. This will help you understand whether the person you want to talk to is ready to continue this conversation.

If so, ask yourself, What do I need to bring to this dialogue?

It's possible they aren't ready or interested in having the conversation. This can be disappointing, and it can help to have a supportive person or community (outside of your family) that you can vent to about this.

Understanding why its difficult (and why thats OK)

The National Alliance on Mental Illness website states the Hispanic/Latinx community can be very private and may not want to publicly talk about the challenges in their homes or in their lives. This can continue the cycle of stigma or taboo view of mental health in the community.

But talking about mental health (whether youre looking for support, updating your family about seeking help, or having a general conversation) will be different in every Latino household and community.

The Latin American diaspora that makes up Southern Californias Latino population includes people from different ethnicities, homelands, cultures and experiences. To make things more complex, homes often include multiple generations under one roof. All of these factors influence how a family deals with mental health challenges.

A recent report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted nationwide racial and ethnic disparities in access to behavioral healthcare. While the rates of behavioral disorders for Black people and Latinos are not significantly different from other populations, these communities "have substantially lower access to mental health and substance-use treatment services."

Of the 6.9 million adults in the report's nationwide survey who experienced any type of mental illness, two-thirds did not receive treatment.

Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, director of UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities said if people do step into a clinical office or medical setting, studies show more than 50% of Latino clients do not return for a second visit.

If they dont feel that they were being treated with respect and dignity, and the [clinical] setting was not relatable, then they will not return, he said.

The way someone expresses how theyre feeling or their symptoms might not match terminology in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, also called the DSM-5  a manual for assessment and diagnosis of mental illness.

Someone could use chiripiorca instead of "panic attack," or say me duele el corazon ("my heart is hurting") to explain emotional distress. Expressions like those don't perfectly translate to the traditional mental health system, especially if a provider doesnt understand the person's language or culture. In this scenario, a person could feel that theyre not being heard or that the provider is unable to help them.

Mental health stigma within Latino communities is often characterized as Latinos being resistant to talking about mental health, said Pilar Hernandez-Wolfe licensed marriage and family therapist and author of A Borderlands View on Latinos, Latin Americans, and Decolonization: Rethinking Mental Health.

The relationship that Latinos have with mental health is more complex and complicated.

"We must attend to the ways in which class and education and traditions from where people come from play in this relationship," she said.

Aguilar-Gaxiola said there are three types of barriers to talking about, learning about, or receiving mental healthcare:

Individual barriers, which include cultural influences, exposure to stressful situations, and knowledge or access to the mental health system.

Community barriers, which refers to communities that lack access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

Societal barriers, which include poor living conditions, inadequate transportation and social exclusion (feeling like you dont belong in a community or to a larger society).

In a household, younger generations are generally more open to talking about their mental health. Hernandez-Wolfe reminds her younger clients that they often arent aware of family conflicts that might stop a parent or grandparent from wanting to have these conversations.

In some homes, a parents, aunts, uncles or grandparents experience of leaving their country of origin and immigrating to the U.S. might also affect their ability or desire to talk about mental health.

Their parents are oftentimes carrying too much intergenerational trauma, Hernandez-Wolfe said. The idea of going to talk to somebody about that is unbearable, because if you open that wound there is going to be a whole river flowing, she said. Or maybe they're afraid of being labeled "loco," she added.

Theres also a financial barrier to care. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 17% of Hispanic/Latinx people in the U.S. live in poverty, compared with 8.2% of non-Hispanic whites. A family might not have the financial means to seek therapy let alone afford a doctors visit.

If they do visit a therapist or a counselor, a lack of relatability, cultural understanding and a language gap could discourage that person from seeking mental health services.

Why this is important

In an interview, Newton teared up when talking about her 11-year mental health journey.

I am such an advocate for sharing stories, for being visible, because I think that when we share our stories we are able to not only heal ourselves but heal the community, she said.

Newton has been able to share helpful tools for managing anxiety with her mom. Shes learning where her mother is already set in her views, and where she might be more flexible.

At the end of the day, I have also come to realize that she is who she is, and her journey, her age and her experience is different than mine, she said.

While shes glad she can share what shes learned through therapy with her mother, shes even happier to be able to talk about mental health with her children.

Im in constant conversation with my children about helping them identify and sort through their own feelings ... really just making sure they feel like theyre not alone, Newton said.

She shares with them that she sees a therapist and how it helps her. She emphasizes that there are a lot of ways they can take care of their mental health, such as talking to a friend and getting enough sleep.

The ability to engage in conversation with my children about these issues is everything because I feel like I am setting them up for success in a way that I never experienced," she said. "And I hope they can take it further.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Even as area governments expanded their evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Ian, Tampa Bay area storm shelters appeared slow to fill up Tuesday. But the early arrivers were happy to be in place as they settled into school gymnasiums and classrooms  their home for the next couple of days.

Some dispatches from the shelter floors:

Largo High: Dogs, cats, one chinchilla

Cathy Bianca and Paul Granger moved to Largo eight months ago from New York, settling into a mobile home for their retirement. They headed to the Largo High shelter this morning with dread.

I dont expect to have much left when we get back, Bianca said.

The couple will sleep on blankets in the gym. They brought their two cats in crates to the animal area in a school locker room and headed back to the parking lot for a cigarette. We saw mattresses in there and thought those people must be Floridians, Bianca said. Were not used to this.

They took suitcases of clothes with them but had to leave 60 years worth of photos behind, she said. Its terrifying to think we could lose everything and we just got to Florida.

But the two were grateful for the shelter, which Bianca described as very accommodating.

Earlene Schwitzner, 71, was more relaxed after evacuating her Clearwater home.

Theres nothing I can do about it... If I lose it, I lose it, she said. Some people think their home is more important than who they are.

She and her husband will sleep on a blow-up mattress in the gym and listen to jazz.

Animals are kept crated in the locker rooms at Largo High, one of three pet-friendly shelters in Pinellas County.

The county had extra crates leftover from Hurricane Irma in 2017 for people who forgot to bring one. Tuesday afternoon, Animal Services outcome coordinator Casey Hollingsworth said the shelter was housing two rabbits, two goldfish, 37 cats, 40 dogs and one chinchilla.

Four of those cats  Scamp, Fritzy, Dennis and Scooter  belong to Patrick Burns. In 2017 during Irma, he sheltered at Oak Grove Middle in Clearwater. Scamp escaped from his crate as he was walking inside before the storm and was missing for three months. Finally, a neighbor spotted him from a lost poster that Patrick made.

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Animal Services has a system: More aggressive dogs are in crates in bathroom stalls while chill dogs are in crates in locker room aisle.

This is a benefit of having your dog crate trained, Hollingsworth said.

Owners can take their dogs out for walks whenever they like until dark.

As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, nearly 2,200 people had checked in to shelters across Pinellas, officials said.

God bless you, Carol Smerker said as Sandra Singletary checked her in at Largo High with two cats.

Lockhart Elementary: A fortress

Shelter use was sparse at East Tampas Lockhart Elementary, one of more than 40 Hillsborough schools that began accepting residents on Monday afternoon.

The early arrivals included Damon Porter, a lawn care laborer, and Brittany Cline, who is out of work on disability.

Porter said he came to the shelter with his sister and his 73-year-old mother from a manufactured home that might not withstand the hurricane winds and train.

Im all right, Porter said. Im here mostly for my mother and my sisters well-being, not to take a chance.

Cline came to Tampa recently from California to be with her daughter. But, she said, the two had a falling out. I just want her to be safe, Cline said.

Lockhart principal Natalie Corsanico said she expected more inhabitants as the storm gets closer.

They will include Corsanicos husband and baby daughter, who will shelter with her when the storm hits. This place is a fortress, she said.

Corsanico, the schools principal since 2021, said she is fortunate to be getting assistance from two other East Tampa principals: Sharon Waite of Potter Elementary and Emily Tirelli of DeSoto Elementary.

More than 15 other school employees have come to volunteer, she said.

Sunlake High: Beating the odds

The shelters at Pasco County schools were not yet experiencing much foot traffic by mid-day Tuesday, with fewer than two dozen evacuees at many of the 10 locations. Fivay High School in Hudson, which is close to an area that regularly endures heavy flooding, had numbers approaching 100, though.

At Sunlake High in Land OLakes, 14 residents, two dogs and a cat had claimed space inside the gymnasium and classrooms set aside for sheltering. County government and school district employees outnumbered the visitors, as they prepared for what they expected would be growing arrivals as Hurricane Ian intensifies and nears the coast.

Katie McKell, 65, of Odessa, said she didnt want to wait for the storm to come to her. She lives on a canal in a mobile home, and knew the odds werent necessarily in her favor, even if only the outer bands of the hurricane pass through.

Why stay at home by myself when I can come here? said McKell, who recounted fleeing five hurricanes during her lifetime. They serve great meals three times a day, she added, while at home the power will likely go out. Its just a wonderful place to be during a storm.

Shelter staff said the setup for Ian benefited from experiences of five years ago, when Hurricane Irma brushed by.

For example, they placed families with pets closer to their animals, and had separate areas for large families and individuals. They also had food available for the evacuees to have during the height of the storm, rather than having it all centralized in the cafeteria.

I do feel more prepared, said Sunlake acting principal Rebecca Jarke, who oversaw the operations. We learned a lot of lessons from Irma.

  

2022 Tampa Bay Times Hurricane Guide

HOW TO TALK TO KIDS ABOUT THE HURRICANE: A school mental health expert says to let them know whats happening, keep a routine and stay calm.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A SHELTER: What to bring  and not bring  plus information on pets, keeping it civil and more.

SAFEGUARD YOUR HOME: Storms and property damage go hand in hand. Heres how to prepare.

IT'S STORM SEASON: Get ready and stay informed at tampabay.com/hurricane.

RISING THREAT: Tampa Bay will flood. Here's how to get ready.

DOUBLE-CHECK: Checklists for building all kinds of hurricane kits

PHONE IT IN: Use your smartphone to protect your data, documents and photos.

SELF-CARE: Protect your mental health during a hurricane.

  

Rising Threat: A special report on flood risk and climate change

PART 1: The Tampa Bay Times partnered with the National Hurricane Center for a revealing look at future storms.

PART 2: Even weak hurricanes can cause huge storm surges. Experts say people don't understand the risk.

PART 3: Tampa Bay has huge flood risk. What should we do about it?

INTERACTIVE MAP: Search your Tampa Bay neighborhood to see the hurricane flood risk.
DAVIS ISLANDS  While some of the regions hospitals located in evacuation zones closed ahead of Hurricane Ian, thats not an option for Tampa General Hospital.

The hospital is the regions only Level 1 trauma center, a designation that means it provides a specialized and expensive level of care for serious injuries like severe burns, gunshot wounds and cuts. Its also the main destination for Hillsborough County first responders ferrying patients who may be injured in the storm.

So the hospital, which is licensed for more than 1,000 beds, has deployed an array of defenses against possible flooding and hopes to remain fully operational during Hurricane Ian.

That includes deployment of an aqua fence, a water impermeable barrier that stretches around the hospital campus.

This fence is part of our emergency management tools to mitigate risk and keep our teams and patients safe, the hospital said in a statement. This protection element is expected to hold back water that has a surge of up to 15 feet above sea level.

Tampa General is located on Davis Islands and within Hillsborough Countys evacuation zone A. By road, the area is only accessible by two bridges.

Ian is a Category 4 with top winds of 155 mph  only 2 mph short of a Category 5  and is pushing a storm surge that could damage the Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach to the Tampa Bay region.

In the past 15 years, the hospital has made other major investments to remain operational during storms.

The hospital is equipped with submarine doors, 6-inch-thick metal barrier doors with inflatable bladders that create watertight seals below. Its electrical, air conditioning and other critical systems were relocated to floors 25 feet above ground.

This is going to be the test right here, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said when asked about the hospital during a Tuesday news conference. They arent evacuating anyone at this point (because) they have systems in place. ... Theyre comfortable that they can protect their patients.

Story continues

The hospital is observing hurricane protocols that include having sufficient medical staff on site throughout the storm, ensuring adequate water supply and conducting backup generator power checks.

Our emergency management teams train year-round for storms along with our state and county partners, the hospital said in a statement. The emergency power system is fueled and ready.

  

2022 Tampa Bay Times Hurricane Guide

HOW TO TALK TO KIDS ABOUT THE HURRICANE: A school mental health expert says to let them know whats happening, keep a routine and stay calm.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A SHELTER: What to bring  and not bring  plus information on pets, keeping it civil and more.

SAFEGUARD YOUR HOME: Storms and property damage go hand in hand. Heres how to prepare.

IT'S STORM SEASON: Get ready and stay informed at tampabay.com/hurricane.

RISING THREAT: Tampa Bay will flood. Here's how to get ready.

DOUBLE-CHECK: Checklists for building all kinds of hurricane kits

PHONE IT IN: Use your smartphone to protect your data, documents and photos.

SELF-CARE: Protect your mental health during a hurricane.

  

Rising Threat: A special report on flood risk and climate change

PART 1: The Tampa Bay Times partnered with the National Hurricane Center for a revealing look at future storms.

PART 2: Even weak hurricanes can cause huge storm surges. Experts say people don't understand the risk.

PART 3: Tampa Bay has huge flood risk. What should we do about it?

INTERACTIVE MAP: Search your Tampa Bay neighborhood to see the hurricane flood risk.
Michelle Reynolds, a teacher at Fairview Junior High School in Alvin, Texas, is missing after last been being heard from on Thursday, Sept. 22, according to her school district.

The 48-year-old woman teaches reading and language arts at the school about 25 miles southeast of Houston.

Alvin ISD has reached out to the Reynolds family and has been assisting the family during this difficult time, a spokesperson for the school district said.

After going missing, her car was found in New Orleans, her husband told KHOU, but she was nowhere to be found. New Orleans is more than 350 miles east of Alvin.

Its unclear why she may have been in New Orleans.

Reynolds is described as 5 feet, 10 inches and has a thin build. She has long blonde hair and brown eyes.

Her students are worried about her and want her back safe in the classroom, a parent of one of Reynolds students said in a Facebook post.

The school district said the Brazoria County Sheriffs Office is handling the investigation.
Demonstrators chant slogans and clog a Tehran street Wednesday as they protest the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, while she was in the custody of Iranian morality police. An unnamed person who does not work for the Associated Press took the photo, which the AP obtained outside Iran. (Associated Press)

Newsha was born and raised in Iran and moved to the U.S. when she was 17 years old. In recent days, her thoughts have focused on another young woman who lived in Iran  and whose death has touched a global nerve.

Mahsa Amini, 22, died last week after she was detained by Tehran's morality police, accused of not wearing her hijab properly. Days of street protests in numerous Iranian cities have turned deadly as protesters have burned their headscarves and cut off their hair in defiance of strict dress codes.

"It's a matter of feminism. Everyone should understand that women are fighting for their freedom," said Newsha, one of hundreds of protesters who gathered outside the Wilshire Federal Building in Westwood on Wednesday night. She did not wish to be identified by her last name because she has family in Iran.

"They're going down the street trying to protest, and they're being shot down," she said of people in Iran. "If you see the videos over there, they don't care if you're a woman or not; they don't care if you have a hijab  they just want to crush you down."

The hijab, a head covering worn by some Muslim women, has been mandatory in Iran since the 1979 revolution. The United Nations Human Rights Council says that Iran's morality police have been cracking down on women they accuse of not wearing the hijab properly, the Associated Press reported.

According to the U.N. body, videos have surfaced showing women being hit with batons, thrown into police vans and slapped in the face for not completely covering their hair.

Amini was born in Saqqez in western Iran and was traveling to Tehran with her family when she was arrested Sept. 13. She died three days later. Police have denied that Amini was mistreated and say she died of a heart attack, while her family has said she didn't have a heart condition and was healthy, several media outlets have reported.

Independent experts connected with the U.N. have said Amini was beaten by the morality police, but haven't provided evidence. The U.N. human rights office has called for an investigation into her death.

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Irans security forces will continue to feel emboldened to kill or injure protesters and prisoners, including women arrested for defying abusive compulsory veiling laws, if they are not held accountable, said Diana Eltahawy, Middle East deputy director for Amnesty International, in a statement Wednesday.

Los Angeles is home to the most people of Iranian descent outside Iran. Many live in Tehrangeles, a Persian enclave in Westwood that began in the 1960s and boomed after the 1979 revolution. There were 87,000 people of Iranian ancestry in the city in 2019, according to Census Bureau figures.

Many in the community are now taking to the streets of L.A. in solidarity with protests against Amini's death around the globe.

Similar to George Floyd and what happened here in the U.S., the people in Iran are just fed up and they want women to have their rights," said Jon Asghari, who lived in Iran as a child but moved to the U.S. about 15 years ago. The 28-year-old said it was just the minimum to show up at Wednesday's protest and help spread the word.

Ariana Siddiq, 22, said Amini's death was especially troubling because it could happen to any woman in Iran.

"I could've been visiting Iran and my hijab could've been slightly falling off and I could've been killed in Iran," she said during the protest. "If that happened, then America would be doing something about it since I'm an American citizen."

In the ongoing unrest between protesters and Iranian security forces, at least nine people have been killed since demonstrations began over the weekend, the AP reported Thursday. The protests coincide with President Ebrahim Raisi's visit to New York for the U.N. General Assembly.

Iranians have reported widespread internet blackouts after the country blocked access to Instagram and WhatsApp and shut off internet entirely in portions of Tehran and Kurdistan in an attempt to repress growing dissent, the Guardian reported.

Raisi attempted to deflect the outrage over Amini's death while speaking Wednesday to the U.N. General Assembly. He referenced the migrant children detained in the U.S. and the hardships faced by Palestinians.

Human rights belongs to all, but unfortunately, it is trampled upon by many governments, Raisi said.

Emily Doyle, 23, whose mother was born in Iran, said she struggles with speaking out against Iran because she's concerned about the negative view many Americans have of Iranians. But ultimately, she believes it's important to stand up for women's rights.

"[Iran doesn't] have any internet right now," Doyle said. "They took away Instagram, and now I think the internet is out in Iran. That's part of why being here is important, because we do have internet and we can continue spreading the message of what is happening."

Siddiq emphasized that Iranians in America should speak out because they have more freedom to protest.

"It just shows that we need to be the ones doing it," she said. "We're less likely to be killed than in a country like Iran. Women are getting killed for protesting. If you're in the States and able to protest, you might as well. If they don't have a voice right now, we need to be their voice."

Newsha said she understood how it felt to "be oppressed" and "damned by your society as a woman" because she had attended an all-girls school in Iran and had to adhere to a strict dress code, including being required to wear a hijab and to cut her nails to a certain length.

"I want to be there," she said of Iran. "I want to get out and I want to show my hair, and I want to be the person who burns their headscarf. When I see women without hijabs in front of the police knowing that they're going to get beaten at some point, that's inspiring and brave. They've come to the point of desperation that they have to just stand there and say, 'Hey look at me. I'm without hijab, and I'm here for my human rights.'

"This had to happen at some point, and now it's happening, and I'm really happy for them," Newsha added. "I'm also really sad because it's not happening for free. They're putting in a lot of sacrifices over there."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
On the left is Didymos, the large asteroid that Dimorphos orbits. On the right is Dimorphos and the plume of rubble DART's impact created. ASI/NASA

NASA's DART spacecraft successfully crashed into an asteroid on Monday night.

Ground- and space-based observations documented the encounter in detail.

The mission is a test of NASA's ability to deflect dangerous asteroids off a collision course with Earth.

NASA successfully slammed a spacecraft into an asteroid on Monday night.

The spacecraft took images of its impending doom until the very end, when it rammed into the targeted space rock: Dimorphos. In other corners of the universe, powerful instruments provided detailed views of the impact and its aftermath.

The DART mission, short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, slammed a spacecraft into Dimorphos so scientists could see whether the impact nudges the space rock ever so slightly. Dimorphos is around 525 feet in diameter, and it orbits another, larger asteroid  the 2,650-foot-wide Didymos.

"As far as we can tell, our first planetary defense test was a success," Elena Adams, DART's mission systems engineer, said during a livestream after the successful crash. "I think Earthlings should sleep better. Definitely, I will."

From images taken with powerful telescopes and close-up shots from a tiny satellite, behold the first awe-inspiring observations from NASA's test to deflect dangerous asteroids off a collision course with Earth.

Front-row seats to a cosmic collision, courtesy of an Italian satellite

The Italian space agency released the first batch of images from its tiny satellite, called the LICIACube, on Tuesday. DART had deployed the probe on September 11 to capture and transmit images of the celestial encounter.

The satellite has two twin cameras: one with a wider field of view, nicknamed LUKE, and a black-and-white camera, LEIA, which captures high-resolution images.

The asteroid system captured with LICIACube's two optical cameras. Didymos is on the left. ASI/NASA

At a safe distance from the impact site, the small satellite was able to capture a large cloud of debris after NASA's spacecraft rammed into Dimorphos.

Below, in a zoomed-in view of the collision, a massive plume of ejected material blasts away from battered Dimorphos. The image also shows what appears to be a dent in the middle of the larger asteroid.

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LICIACube image showing the dusty aftermath of the DART impact. ASI/NASA

The tiny Italian satellite captured spider-like plumes of debris emanating from the targeted space rock, below.

Spider-like plumes of debris emanated from Dimorphos after the collision. ASI/NASA

Larry Denneau, a principal investigator for an asteroid tracking survey called ATLAS, told French news agency AFP that the collision caused a "very, very big" plume of debris that expanded to around "several thousand miles in diameter."

About three minutes post-crash, LICIACube flew within 35 miles of the asteroid Dimorphos, to survey the collision's aftermath. The observations will tell astronomers how much the asteroid's trajectory changed. Astronomers will observe the plume of debris the collision sent flying into space.

"Now weeks and months of hard work are now starting for scientists and technicians involved in this mission, so stay tuned because we will have a lot to tell!" the LICIACube team wrote on Tuesday.

Telescopes captured views of the crash from Earth

Dimorphos is located about 6.8 million miles away from Earth, but more than two dozen ground-based telescopes focused on the collision.

Observations from the Hawaii-based ATLAS asteroid tracking telescope system, below, show the asteroid system brightening considerably at the moment of impact and a massive plume of rubble emerging from the crash site.

The probe was traveling at more than 14,000 miles per hour before impact. It hit the asteroid about 17 meters from its exact center  an astronomical "bullseye," Adams told reporters on Monday evening.

In collaboration with the European Space Agency, astronomers at the Les Makes observatory, on the French island of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean, also captured footage of the event. A video of observations shared by the observatory, below, condenses about 30 minutes worth of footage into just a few seconds.

"Something like this has never been done before, and we weren't entirely sure what to expect. It was an emotional moment for us as the footage came in," Marco Micheli, an astronomer at the European Space Agency's Near-Earth Object Coordination Center, in a statement.

In a few years, the European Space Agency will launch a mission called Hera to study Didymos and Dimorphos in depth. By observing the deformations caused by the impact, the spacecraft aims to gain a better understanding of Dimorphos' composition and formation.

"The results from DART will prepare us for Hera's visit to the Didymos binary system to examine the aftermath of this impact a few years from now," Ian Carnelli, Hera Mission Manager, in a press release. "Hera will help us understand what happened to Dimorphos, the first celestial body to be measurably moved by humankind."

Read the original article on Business Insider
PRAGUE (Reuters) -Tens of thousands of Czechs gathered in Prague on Wednesday to protest against the government's handling of soaring energy prices and the country's membership of NATO and the European Union.

The demonstration on a national holiday in Prague's main square, organised by far-right and fringe groups and parties including the Communists, was estimated at "lower tens of thousands" by the police, compared to 70,000 on Sept. 3.

The organising group "Czech Republic First!" opposes the European Union and NATO and calls for the central European nation of 10.7 million to be militarily neutral.

Protesters held banners like "End the comedy" and many waved Czech flags as the sun appeared after morning rain.

"This government is absolutely anti-Czech. It only serves Brussels (EU centre), American power and NATO. It has no regard for Czech citizens' interests," said Pavel Nebel, 53.

The organisers, whose programme also demands an end to "planned dilution of the nation", opened the protest with the national anthem performed by a far-right singer, after which speakers took to the stage denouncing the government.

"A government has two duties: to ensure our security and economic prosperity. This government does not fulfil either of these duties," one speaker said.

Hundreds of people gathered in other cities, where they could watch online streaming of the protest held in Prague, media reported.

High energy prices, fuelled by the war in Ukraine, have piled pressure on governments across Europe to cushion the blow of mounting energy costs for consumers and businesses.

The Czech government has signed up to EU sanctions against Russia and taken a tough stance over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Miroslav Sevcik, a dean at Prague University of Economics and Business and the first speaker at the Prague protest, called for scrapping of the sanctions.

The centre-right government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala this month adopted a string of measures, including financial aid for companies and price caps on electricity for households.

(Reporting by Robert Muller and Jiri Skacel, Editing by Michael Kahn and Nick Macfie)
Photograph: AP

Thousands of Virginia high school students walked out of school on Tuesday to protest proposed guidelines put forward by Governor Glenn Youngkin that would restrict protections for transgender students.

Students from nearly 100 high schools staged walkouts across the state to protest against the new policies, holding signs criticizing the guidelines and waving pride flags in support of their LGBTQ+ peers.

Related: Hurricane Ian barrels towards Florida as officials warn of looming catastrophe  live

We decided to hold these walkouts as kind of a way to  disrupt schools and have students be aware of whats going on, said high school senior Natasha Sanghvi to NBC Washington. Sanghvi is part of Pride Liberation Project, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy group that helped organize the walkouts.

Lauren Truong, 16, who led dozens of her schoolmates in a walkout, said several LGBTQ+ students she knows are fearful of how the new policies could affect them. We want our school districts to stand up for us and support us and say that theyll reject these guidelines, Truong told the Washington Post.

On 17 September, the Virginia department of education announced several rewritten policies affecting transgender students in classrooms. The policy reversals, which are currently under 30-day public comment period, would require students to use school facilities that match their biological sex and make it more difficult for students to change names and gender pronouns by requiring parents to give their approval for students who are minors.

Advocates say the new policies are transphobic and risk the health and safety of transgender students, who could be outed to their parents.

They add the suggested policies are especially difficult for students who had grown used to protections established under the administration of former governor Ralph Northam, a Democrat.

Several students at the protest expressed their fear and disappointment at how the new policies could affect them and their peers.

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High school senior Casey Calabia, who is non-binary, told a local news station of Youngkin and the proposed guidelines: I am scared of this man. My friends are scared of this man. How can he stand there and say he loves this country and loves this state if he wants to hurt us?

Calabia said they had experienced being misgendered and bullied at their previous school before transferring to a more inclusive environment. They worry about how the policies and increased intolerance could affect the mental health of transgender students.

I nearly committed suicide. These are really kids who are scared out of their minds because of this policy, Calabia said.

Students also decried the political nature of the proposed rollbacks, especially as Republican politicians continue to advance policies that target LGBTQ+ students in and outside of the classroom.

These revised guidelines will only hurt students in a time when students are facing unparalleled mental health challenges, and are a cruel attempt to politicize the existence of LGBTQIA+ students for political gain, said Pride Liberation Project in a statement.

If approved by the states superintendent after the public comment period, Youngkins proposal could still face legal challenges, say experts, especially given recent federal protections for transgender students that allow them to use whatever bathroom matches their gender identity.
Tony Hale opens up about his life as a dad with a teenage daughter. (Photo: Getty; designed by Quinn Lemmers)

Welcome to So Mini Ways, Yahoo Life's parenting series on the joys and challenges of child-rearing.

Their parents no doubt know Tony Hale best from his work on Arrested Development and Veep, but thanks to a slew of family-friendly projects (see: Toy Story 4, the Angry Birds franchise, The Mysterious Benedict Society, Archibald's Next Big Thing and the upcoming Hocus Pocus 2), he's also managed to corner the toddler-to-tween market. Surely all that kid cred has earned him some cool dad points with his own daughter, 16-year-old Loy?

"Not according to her!" Hale, who is married to makeup artist Martel Thompson, tells Yahoo Life. "If you asked her, she'd be like, 'no, my dad is far from that.'"

The problem, he says, is his "attempt at control," something most teens typically push back against.

"[She's] just like, 'Dad. Dad. OK. Yeah. You've told me that a thousand times. Yeah, I know. I'll drive safe. Yeah. OK, I got it. OK. Yeah,'" the two-time Emmy winner cracks. "And I'm like, 'well maybe that outfit, you know, it's like ...' 'Yeah, I got it.' It's just that sense of almost the nagging parent, I think, that drives her a little crazy. But I've only got two more years with her and then she is off into the wild, wild west. And so, I don't know, maybe I'll drive her crazy for the next two years and then I just gotta release it."

For the most part, though, Hale is trying to give Loy  who is named after her mother's late brother  the space to figure herself out. He notes that while social media makes him "nervous" as a parent who didn't grow up in an online culture, his teen seems to have a better grasp of what's authentic and what's not.

"I'm learning to give her a lot more credit than I have, maybe, as a parent of a teenager," he says. "I had a lot of fears coming in. She just started driving, so that's a whole new level of anxiety. I was kind of hoping she'd just take Uber for the rest of her life."

Hale, who last year spoke to Yahoo Life about the role faith plays in his life, says that letting go has been a "big lesson of just daily surrendering up to God and surrendering her up to God and just saying, 'I can control so much.' And that's a very, very scary lesson for a parent. [When your kids are] younger you have this element of control of what they eat, what they wear, where they're going, the parameters. And then that just slowly, slowly gets less and less. And it's a little scary, but it's a good lesson for me."

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Part of relinquishing that control means "not trying to fit her into a category of where I think she's going to go." Hale cites the influence of his own dad, a military man who bucked the stereotype of how one might expect him to react to a son wanting to pursue a career in the arts, instead showing nothing but appreciation and support.

"I will say, to be completely honest, it's still tough," he says of fighting the urge to give his daughter unsolicited feedback. "I don't know where she's going to go in her life. You kind of typically think you have an idea of what her interests are and what her personality is and think, 'Oh, this would be a good fit for you.' And you've just gotta shut your mouth. You don't know where she's going to be led, and so you just kind of let it happen. I mean, you can encourage her and, when she asks, I can give advice, but for the most part I'm like, 'I've just got to let her find her way.'"

The Being the Ricardos actor spoke to Yahoo Life as part of his partnership with AstraZeneca's Asthma Behaving Badly education campaign, which offers resources about eosinophilic asthma and asthma control. As a kid growing up with asthma in the sports-mad South, Hale says he often felt "isolated," especially because information about the condition and its many triggers wasn't so widely known back then.

"There is this part of you growing up [where] you're like, 'Can anyone else not breathe? Is anybody else breathing through a straw?'" he says. "Like, you feel really isolated, and everybody's kind of looking at you like, 'what's your deal, man? Why can't you run?' Or, 'why are you breathing so heavy?' Or, 'why are you talking about it so much?' It's like, 'well my life source is being taken from me' ... So I think there was that kind of alone feeling growing up."

Hale, who has had asthma since childhood, is supporting the "Asthma Behaving Badly" campaign as a way to "raise empathy" for those living with the condition. "I put so much value in resources that they offer," he says. (Photo: Tabitha Brooke Photography)

When it comes to helping his own child fit in, Hale says he tries to avoid "snowplow parenting," in which parents essentially "plow all the obstacles away" from their kid's path. He does, however, understand the impulse.

"I just get that; I don't want her to face any challenges," he says. "I don't want her to deal with any obnoxious kids. I don't want her to deal with any bullies that I had to deal with or anything like that. But she's had experiences, and I think the biggest thing that I've had to do is just say 'that's really hard and I I'm really sorry. I'm sorry you're walking through that; that's really tough.' What I want to do is go over to that house of that family and pummel [them]. I just want to be like, 'OK, sit down and let me just give you an ear.' But I've just got to sit with her in the pain sometimes."

Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life's newsletter. Sign up here.
By Norihiko Shirouzu

BEIJING (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp plans to start production and sales of a small electric sedan powered by BYD Co Ltd batteries by year-end as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Chinese company, three people close to the Japanese carmaker said.

The for now China-only bZ3 sedan co-developed with BYD will be the second model in the new "Beyond Zero" (bZ) series of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from Toyota, which has been criticised by activists and green investors for not embracing BEVs fast enough.

The first bZ car - the bZ4X sport-utility vehicle - was to hit the market in China earlier this year, but a global recall of the car forced Toyota to suspend production of the model globally.

Toyota had planned to unveil the bZ3, which uses BYD's less bulky Blade batteries, at the Beijing auto show in April, but the event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sources said. They declined to be named because the plan is not public yet.

A Toyota spokesperson in Beijing declined to comment.

The car is roughly the same size as Toyota's Corolla model but with a bigger back-seat section, the sources said.

The pricing of the bZ3 could not be determined, but one of the sources said it would likely sell for around 200,000 yuan ($28,000), nearly 30% below an entry-level Tesla Inc Model 3.

The bZ3 will be produced in Tianjin at a pace of 30,000 vehicles a year on the same assembly as the bZ4X, two of the sources said. The plant is jointly operated by Toyota and one of its two Chinese partners, FAW Group.

There are no plans for Toyota's other joint venture with GAC Motor to produce the bZ3, the three sources said.

Toyota has long advocated a small car that does not compromise on comfort as the best way to popularise BEVs, but it has struggled to produce one.

The need to stack bulky batteries under the floor has typically eaten up interior space unless the roof is raised, which is why many EVs are taller SUVs.

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The bZ3's smaller sedan configuration has become feasible chiefly because of BYD's thinner lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) Blade battery technology.

One source said earlier a typical Blade pack is about 10 centimetres (3.9 inches) thick when the modules are laid flat on the floor, roughly 5 cm to 10 cm thinner than other lithium-ion packs.

(Reporting By Norihiko Shirouzu; Additional reporting by Zhang Yan in Shanghai; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Then-President Donald Trump chats with British Prime Minister Theresa May at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan on June 28, 2019. Stefan Rousseau/PA Images via Getty Images

A new book from Maggie Haberman details Trump's first meeting with UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

He reportedly brought up abortion, saying "imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter."

The graphic statement suggests a private sympathy with abortion rights, despite his record.

When former President Donald Trump first met then-Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, he struck up a graphic conversation with her about abortion.

According to an excerpt in The Washington Post of New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's forthcoming book, "Confidence Man," the former president seemed to offer some sympathy to those who are in favor of abortion rights  though in stark, dehumanizing terms.

"Some people are pro-life, some people are pro-choice," Trump said to May, according to the book. "Imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter and she got pregnant?"

However, May has no children and has openly discussed the reasons why. In a 2017 radio interview with LBC radio, the former Prime Minister provided brief insight with her and her husband, Philip May's struggles with having kids of their own.

"It's been very sad," she said. "It just turned out not to have been possible for us."

"Of course we're not the only couple who found ourselves in that situation and when you do I suppose you just get on with life," May added.

Trump also reportedly described then-Vice President Mike Pence  an evangelical Christian  as the "tough one" on abortion.

The conversation presumably took place in January 2017, when May visited the United States and became the first world leader to meet with Trump, who had just taken office.

Insider has reached out to May's office for comment.

May revealed her stance on abortion publicly for the first time in 2018. She said: "I believe that a woman should be able to access safe, legal abortion."

As president, Trump often sought to satisfy his evangelical Christian base, most of whom are strongly opposed to abortion rights. He appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices  Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett  who then voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in June of this year, ending constitutional protections for abortion.

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But Trump is also known to have been more sympathetic to abortion in the past, including stating in an interview with Meet The Press in 1999 that he is "pro-choice in every respect."

And before the historic case was struck down, Trump said earlier this year that overturning the decision would be "bad for Republicans."

During the 2016 Republican presidential primary, then-rival Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas even sought to make it a campaign issue.

Trump reportedly told some of his close allies he's concerned the court's ruiling overturning Roe v. Wade could cost him politically should he run for re-election in 2024.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the America First Policy Institute in Washington, DC, on July 26, 2022. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Trump mistook a racially diverse group of congressional aides for waitstaff in 2017.

Then-Chief of Staff Reince Priebus had to save the president from the gaffe, according to a new book by NYT's Maggie Haberman.

Trump also accused "illegals" of making him lose the popular vote in 2016, per Haberman's book.

Former President Donald Trump mistook a group of Democratic congressional staffers for waitstaff and directed them to serve dinner during the early years of his presidency, according to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's new book, "Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America."

The book notes that the aides  part of Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi's staff  were a racially diverse group at the White House for a 2017 reception with Trump, according to Rolling Stone, who reviewed Haberman's book, set to be released Oct. 4.



Trump faced the staffers and asked them, "Why don't you get" the food, according to the book, before former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus corrected the president and fetched the actual waitstaff.

In the same meeting, Trump left the room silent after he said his loss of the popular vote to Hillary Clinton in 2016 was due to "illegals" or undocumented immigrants casting ballots.



Pelosi verbally disagreed with the statement, Rolling Stone reported.

Although Trump has long defended his relationship with the Black community, Latino community, and other marginalized groups, he has a long history of racist and inflammatory comments directed towards both.

Most famously, Trump promoted conspiracy theories that former President Barack Obama was not born in America. Trump also railed against immigrants from Central and South America, and previously expressed disdain about "s-hole" countries in Africa.

Trump has also been sued by the DOJ, which alleged that he and his father discriminated against their Black tenants in the 1970s and violated the 1968 fair housing act. The Trumps settled the case.

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Haberman's new book reveals insider details of Trump's time in the White House, including a moment where he told aides that he wouldn't leave the White House after 2020 election and claims that he called Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis "fat" and "whiny" in private.

Representatives for Pelosi, Schumer, and Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Donald Trump reportedly made a racist assumption about a group of racially diverse congressional staff members at a White House reception held early in his presidency.

According to an advance copy of New York Times reporter Maggie Habermans book, Confidence Man, which was obtained by Rolling Stone, Trump assumed the staffers were waiters  and told them to get some food.

Reince Priebus, who was White House chief of staff at the time, told Trump they were top congressional aides, then went to find the actual waiters for him, the magazine reported.

Trump had a history of racist, sexist and xenophobic behavior long before he sought the presidency, and which he took with him to the White House. He was also among the leading voices behind the racist birther conspiracy theory, which claimed that then-President Barack Obama was a secret Muslim who wasnt born in the United States.

When he moved into the White House after Obama, Trump told a visitor he had the bathrooms remodeled, per Confidence Man.

You understand what Im talking about, he told the guest, who interpreted that to mean Trump did not want to use the same bathroom as his Black predecessor.

Read the full report here.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) didn't recognize the name the caller gave her on the phone, but she had a feeling it could be Donald Trump, according to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's new book. (Photo: Patrick Semansky/Associated Press)

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) didn't recognize the name the caller gave her on the phone, but she had a feeling it could be Donald Trump, according to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's new book. (Photo: Patrick Semansky/Associated Press)

Former President Donald Trump reportedly prank-called a Michigan congresswoman after she voted to impeach him in 2019, according to a new book by New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman.

Haberman described the prank call that Trump allegedly made to Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) in a Twitter thread on Wednesday.

Trump allegedly posed as a Washington Post reporter, asking Dingell a series of questions about her impeachment vote.

Rep. Debbie Dingell got a call on her cell phone after she said she was voting to impeach Trump in 2019, Haberman posted. Trump excoriated her recently deceased, popular husband at a rally, and she condemned it. The next day, she got a call on her cell from someone claiming to be a Washington Post reporter whose name she didnt know. The more he talked, she couldnt shake the sense that it was President Trump.

Rep. Debbie Dingell got a call on her cell phone after she said she was voting to impeach Trump in 2019. Trump excoriated her recently deceased, popular husband at a rally, and she condemned it. The next day, she got a call on her cell...  Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) September 28, 2022

Haberman said the quotes from the prank phone call never appeared in any Washington Post story.

In a review of Habermans forthcoming book, Confidence Man, The Washington Post gave more detail about the alleged call. Haberman said the man on the phone knew Dingells late husband, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), from his investigations in Congress.

The name he gave was not one she recognized, Haberman implied. The man asked Dingell if she was looking for an apology from Trump. No, she replied, merely that people could be civil to one another.

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Trump reportedly has a history of calling members of the media under such aliases as John Miller or John Barron, according to The Washington Post. He would pretend to be a publicist or a spokesperson defending the issues surrounding Trumps life and bragging about Trumps prowess and accomplishments.

HuffPost reached out to Dingell but did not hear back in time for publication.

Trump was displeased with Debbie Dingells impeachment vote, which prompted him to say at a December 2019 rally that her late husband received A+ treatment for his funeral and suggested hes looking up from hell. After John Dingell died in early 2019, Trump ordered all U.S. flags to fly at half-staff in his honor.

She calls me up. Its the nicest thing thats ever happened, Trump claimed at the rally. Thank you so much. John should be so thrilled. Hes looking down. Hed be so thrilled. Thank you so much, sir. I said, Thats OK, dont worry about it. Maybe hes looking up. I dont know. I dont know. Maybe. Maybe. But lets assume hes looking down.

Dingell condemned Trumps statements, saying that you brought me down in a way you can never imagine, and your hurtful words just made my healing much harder, on Twitter in 2019.

John Dingell was the longest-serving congressman in U.S. history. He was replaced by his wife in November 2014, after retiring earlier that year.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss transition plans in the White House Oval Office in Washington, U.S., November 10, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Trump asked Obama how he kept his approval ratings high in 2016, according to a forthcoming book by NYT's Maggie Haberman.

Trump posed the question when the two men first met in the Oval Office after he won the 2016 election.

Trump publicly skewered Obama but was privately fixated with his popularity and achievements.

Shortly after Donald Trump won the 2016 US election, he asked then-President Barack Obama how he managed to keep high approval ratings.

That's according to "Confidence Man," a forthcoming book by The New York Times' Maggie Haberman, an advance copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post.

Trump asked Obama about his approval ratings the first time the two of them met in the Oval Office after Trump clinched his 2016 election victory, according to Haberman. The meeting came after both men lobbed harsh insults at one another on the campaign trail, with Obama calling Trump unfit for the presidency and Trump spreading the racist birther conspiracy theory about Obama and accusing him of being soft on terrorism.

But Trump's demeanor changed when he met with Obama in the Oval Office, according to the journalist Jonathan Karl's memoir, "Front Row at the Trump Show."

"I was immediately struck by Trump's body language," Karl wrote. "I was seeing a side of him I had never seen. He seemed, believe it or not, humbled."

Indeed, Trump said after the meeting that he had "great respect" for Obama, called him a "very good man," and said he looked forward to seeking Obama's "counsel" in the future. Obama also struck a more conciliatory tone toward Trump, saying after Trump won that he would not publicly attack his successor.

But any goodwill between the two men was short-lived. In the years after he took office, Trump accused Obama of having Trump Tower wiretapped, complained about Obama winning the Nobel Prize, falsely claimed that his inauguration crowd was bigger than Obama's, and became obsessed with overturning his predecessor's key achievements, including the Affordable Care Act, the Trans Pacific Partnership, and the Iran Nuclear Deal.

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Obama, meanwhile, refrained from publicly attacking Trump but didn't mince words when talking about the 45th president in private, calling him a "racist pig," a "madman," and a "corrupt motherfucker." That's according to the journalist Edward-Isaac Dovere's book, "Battle for the Soul: Inside the Democrats' Campaigns to Defeat Donald Trump."

Shortly after Trump beat Clinton in the 2016 election, Obama's approval rating rocketed its highest level in seven years, according to a CNN poll released two weeks after Election Day 2016. He left office on a high note as well, with a majority of voters  53%  approving of the job he did as president, per a Politico/Morning Consult poll taken in January 2017.

Trump left office with record low approval ratings. As he prepared to exit the White House, Gallup found that just 34% of Americans approved of his job performance, and his average approval rating was lower than that of any of his predecessors since Gallup began its survey in 1940.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani looks on as then-President Donald Trump speaks. Joshua Roberts/Getty Images

Trump told Giuliani he could "go wild" in challenging the 2020 results, per a forthcoming book.

In "Confidence Man," NYT reporter Maggie Haberman detailed how Trump placed his faith in Giuliani.

"My lawyers are terrible," Trump reportedly said of many of the other attorneys on his team.

President Donald Trump told his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to "go wild" and "do anything you want" as the former New York City mayor sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, according to a forthcoming book by New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman.

In the book, "Confidence Man," Haberman wrote that Trump  exasperated by some members of his legal team who he felt weren't eager to go out on a limb to challenge the 2020 results  put Giuliani in charge due to the ex-mayor's willingness to defend his unsupported claims about the election results.

Video: Trump considered pardoning as many as 20 associates in 2020

Haberman detailed in the book that Trump spoke of Giuliani's newfound control during a phone call.

"Okay, Rudy, you're in charge. Go wild, do anything you want. I don't care," Trump reportedly said, according to Haberman.

Giuliani was by far one of the most prominent public faces of Trump's efforts to invalidate now-President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory.

The president then went on to criticize many of his other attorneys, per Haberman.

"My lawyers are terrible," he reportedly added.

Haberman also detailed in the book that Trump frequently scolded White House counsel Pat Cipollone.

In a myriad of cases challenging the election, the Trump legal team was unsuccessful in the courts.

And Giuliani's fingerprints were all over Trump's plans to remain in office despite his clear loss to Biden.

In "Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency," journalist Michael Wolff detailed how Giuliani wanted Trump to preemptively declare victory in Michigan  a key swing state that Trump eventually lost to Biden by three percentage points.

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And Giuliani sought to push several GOP-controlled legislatures to overturn Biden victories, including in Georgia.

In the book "Flipped," Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Greg Bluestein detailed how onetime GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler concocted an excuse to leave a phone call where Giuliani discussed how state legislators could void Biden's victory.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Vietnamese and South African legislatures strengthen exchanges and cooperation

A delegation of the National Assembly (NA) Committee for External Relations led by its deputy head Le Anh Tuan paid a working trip to South Africa from September 22 to September 28.









The Vietnamese NA delegation has a working session with Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes



During a working session held at the parliament of South Africa in Cape Town with Madala Louis David Ntombel, chairman of the International Relations Committee, Tuan briefed the host on the organisation and operation of the Vietnamese NA. He noted that one of the main purposes of his visit is to supervise the enforcement of policies and laws relating to diplomatic ranks and Vietnamese representative missions abroad.



Highlighting the similarities in the history of the two countries, Ntombela said that Vietnam was a great source of encouragement for the people of South Africa during its historical struggles for national independence.



He said that South Africa has a total of 116 embassies based around the world, expressing hope that they can learn from Vietnam in supervising policy and law implementation.



During the meeting, South African legislators made several proposals for ways which the two countries could develop their economic partnership to match the potential that exists for bilateral co-operation, along with promoting people-to-people exchanges.



Receiving the Vietnamese NA delegation, Cedric Thomas Frolick, chairman for Committees, Oversight, and ICT at the South African parliament, said he was hugely impressed with Vietnamese economic achievements. He affirmed that South Africa is keen to develop relations with Southeast Asian countries, especially Vietnam.



South Africa is therefore enthusiastic at the prospect of dispatching a delegation of parliamentarians to the country to exchange and learn from the nations experience, he said.



Tuan, who is president of the Vietnam-South Africa Friendship Parliamentarians Group, suggested that both sides strive to intensify exchanges among parliamentarians, while proposing that South Africa form a similar friendship group.





In response, Frolick said that the South African side will consider this idea.

Upon meeting Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes in Pretoria, Tuan said that South Africa is the countrys only partner for co-operation and development in Africa, indicating the nations appreciation and attention to ties with South Africa.



He used the event to thank the South African Government for its support of Vietnam at multilateral forums such as the UN, as well as their assistance in stepping up linkages with the African Union, as well as other African countries.



He affirmed the nations willingness to support South Africa in developing relations with ASEAN member states, as well as helping the South African parliament to bolster co-operation with the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).



Tuan said that, as part of the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2023, the country is poised to launch a Vietnam Day in South Africa, the first of its kind to be held in an African country.



For his part, Botes expressed pleasure at the sound development of partnership between the two countries in both bilateral and multilateral aspects.



He noted that the two sides should work together to further promote economic and trade partnership, as well as calling on businesses of both sides to explore collaboration opportunities in each country, thereby further promoting economic diplomacy between the two nations.



During the course of the meeting, the two sides also discussed the various benefits and opportunities of free trade agreements, joint co-operation, and the candidacy for UN positions.
Former president Donald Trump reacted to the explosions that rocked the Nord Stream pipelines carrying Russian natural gas to Germany earlier this week by offering to negotiate a deal in a post made on his Truth Social account on Wednesday.

U.S. Leadership should remain cool, calm, and dry on the SABOTAGE of the Nord Stream Pipelines. This is a big event that should not entail a big solution, at least not yet. The Russia/Ukraine catastrophe should NEVER have happened, and would definitely not have happened if I were President, said Trump.

Do not make matters worse with the pipeline blowup. Be strategic, be smart (brilliant!), get a negotiated deal done NOW. Both sides need and want it. The entire World is at stake. I will head up group???, he offered.

Nord Stream 1 and 2, neither of which are active at the moment, both showed sudden losses of pressure late on Monday and were likely caused by a leak from large holes in the pipelines, German and Danish officials told NPR. Nord Stream 1 suspended transportation of gas between Russia and Germany for maintenance in August, and Nord Stream 2s construction was paused after Russian invaded Ukraine in February.

Seismologists told the publication that the leaks were likely triggered by powerful underwater blasts rather than a natural event. Some German media outlets speculated that it was an act of sabotage.

During a Tuesday speech, President Biden vowed to bring an end to Nord Stream 2 if Russia invades, even though, as a reporter pointed out, the project is in Germanys control. Trump re-truthed a video of Bidens comments, remarking wow, what a statement. World War III anyone?

Mateusz Morawiecki, Polands prime minister, suggested that Russia is culpable for the explosions, accusing it of orchestrating the crisis in an attempt to further destabilize Europes energy security.

We do not know the details of what happened yet, but we can clearly see that it is an act of sabotage, Morawiecki said. An act that probably marks the next stage in the escalation of this situation in Ukraine.

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Denmarks prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said Tuesday that it is hard to imagine that the leaks found on the pipelines were accidental.

Germany has been trying to reduce its dependence on Russian energy imports since the start of the war in Ukraine. The German government has been exploring its options, including looking at new natural gas suppliers. On Sunday, German chancellor Olaf Scholz reached an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to import more natural gas from the Gulf.

More from National Review
Steve Kunzweiler was taken to hospital following a domestic incident at his home ( Steve Kunzweiler)

The district attorney of Tulsa County, Oklahoma, has returned home from hospital after sustaining stab wounds from his daughter, police have said.

Steve Kunzweiler was released from Saint Francis Hospital on Tuesday night after being injured in a stabbing at his family home in Forest Hills Estates that afternoon, Fox 23 and NewsOn6 were among the first to report.

An adult woman identified by Police Chief Wendell Franklin as Jennifer Kunzweiler, the district attorneys daughter, was arrested and questioned by police.

Reports said she also harmed herself following the attack on her 60-year-old father.

In a statement, the district attorney said: Unfortunately today, I found myself in a situation that I hoped would never happen. Fortunately, my injuries are such that I was able to go home.

Mr Kunzweiler thanked hospital staff and everyone who expressed concern for me and my family. I am most appreciative of the response from the Tulsa Fire Department, EMSA, the Tulsa Police Department and the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office.

@TulsaPolice have arrested Jennifer Kunzweiler in they stabbing incident. She is the daughter of District Attorney Kunzweiler. Detectives are continuing to gather evidence.  Tulsa Police Department Chief Franklin (@TPD_Franklin) September 27, 2022

Mr Franklin tweeted late on Tuesday that detectives from the Tulsa Police Department were continuing to gather evidence from the scene and added: Tulsa Police have arrested Jennifer Kunzweiler in they stabbing incident. She is the daughter of District Attorney Kunzweiler.

According to Fox23, police were called to the home of the district attorney for a mental health situation. No further information has been released about the motive however.

City of Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum said in a statement: District Attorney Kunzweiler is a courageous public servant, and I think the world of his family. Our familys prayers are with them tonight.

It remains unclear if charges were filed against Ms Kunzweiler.
Turkey's booming wartime trade with Moscow took a giant step back on Wednesday with confirmation that the last three banks still processing Russian card payments were pulling out under pressure from Washington.

The decision follows weeks of increasingly blunt warnings from the United States for NATO member Turkey to either limit its economic relations with Russia or face the threat of sanctions itself.

The US Treasury said last week that Turkish banks working with Russian Mir bank cards "risk supporting Russia's efforts to evade US sanctions".

Two private Turkish lenders that began processing Mir after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in August suspended the transactions earlier this month.

But three state lenders -- Halkbank, Vakifbank and Ziraatbank -- still worked with the cards.

A senior Turkish official did not say when Russians would no longer be able to access their cards in Turkey at all.

The three banks "are still processing (the outstanding) payments, but they have set a future date" for pulling out, the official said on condition of anonymity because no formal decision by the three bank has been announced.

The decision follows a meeting headed by Erdogan last Friday that officially focused on looking at "alternatives" to the Russian cards.

- Shift in tone -

The explosion of Turkish trade with Russia during the seven-month war in Ukraine has been a source of growing irritation for Washington.

The value of trade between the two rose by more than 50 percent. Turkey has also agreed to pay for a quarter of its Russian natural gas imports in rubles.

US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo paid a rare visit to Ankara and Istanbul in June to express Washington's worries that Russian oligarchs and big businesses were using Turkish entities to evade Western sanctions.

The Treasury sent a follow up letter to Turkish banks and businesses in August warning that they cannot expect to have "access to the US dollar and other major currencies" if they trade with sanctioned Russians.

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Turkey has tried to stay neutral in the Ukrainian conflict and refused to sign up to Western sanctions against Russia.

It has used this status to strike a range of economic agreements that have helped prop up the ailing economy in the run-up to June elections in which Erdogan will struggle to extend his two-decade grip on power.

Mir cards offer millions of Russians that vacation in Turkey each year a way to access their rubles and pay for everything from restaurants to hotels.

They are also increasingly important to Russians who are fleeing to Turkey as part of a new migration wave of men trying to avoid the draft.

But analysts note a shift in Turkey's tone away from Russia in the past few weeks.

Ankara last week strongly condemned the "illegitimate" polls the Kremlin is using as a pretext to annex four Ukrainian regions now under partial Russian control.

- 'Fear of secondary sanctions' -

Prominent Russian sanctions campaigner Bill Browder -- a businessman who left Moscow after one of his associates died in jail -- said the Turkish bank decision showed that the "fear of secondary sanctions is starting to work".

"Turkish banks have abandoned Putin's Mir payment system out of fear of being punished by the US," Browder tweeted.

"We need to roll this out far and wide. Chinese, Indian UAE and many other countries should understand there will be consequences."

Russia developed Mir in 2015 to circumvent Western sanctions imposed following its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

But Russian central bank chief Elvira Nabiullina conceded earlier this month that Moscow was encountering "difficulties" expanding its payment system around the world.

Uzbekistan suspended Mir transactions last Friday citing unspecified "technical procedures".

The card still works in Belarus and a handful of Russia's closest allies.

Visa and Mastercard no longer issue new cards in Russia or process foreign payments on the cards acquired before the war.

fo/zak/jmm
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday endorsed Republican celebrity physician Mehmet Oz in his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, lauding what it called his "commitment to free enterprise and pro-growth policies."

Oz is running against John Fetterman, the state's lieutenant governor, in a race that will help determine whether President Joe Biden's Democrats hold onto their razor-thin margin in the U.S. Senate.

Both Biden and former President Donald Trump have traveled to the state in recent weeks to promote their parties' candidates.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Leslie Adler))
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday condemned Iran's use of ballistic missiles and drone attacks against the Iraqi Kurdistan region and called it "an unjustified violation of Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday they fired missiles and drones at militant targets in the Kurdish region of neighbouring northern Iraq, where an official said nine people were killed.

"Moreover, we further condemn comments from the government of Iran threatening additional attacks against Iraq," the U.S. State Department said in a statement on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Doina Chiacu in Washington)
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is urging American citizens residing in Russia to leave immediately amid Vladimir Putins escalation of the war in Ukraine.

U.S. citizens should not travel to Russia and those residing or traveling in Russia should depart Russia immediately while limited commercial travel options remain, the embassy said in a security alert issued Tuesday.

The alert comes just a week after Putin announced an escalation of Russias war in Ukraine on Sept. 21, when he partially mobilized the countrys reservists and hinted at resorting to nuclear warfare. Thousands of Russians have fled the country in recent days following Putins announcement.

The embassy urged U.S. citizens to make independent arrangements as soon as possible, as commercial flight options are extremely limited but overland car and bus routes are still open. The embassy said it has limited options to help Americans in Russia, whose transportation options may suddenly become even more limited.

The alert also warned Americans that Russia may refuse to acknowledge U.S. citizenship for dual nationals, try to prevent their departure from Russia, prevent access to consular assistance or even conscript dual nationals for military service. The embassy added that basic human rights such as the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are not guaranteed in Russia.

Avoid all political or social protests and do not photograph security personnel at these events, the embassy warned. Russian authorities have arrested U.S. citizens who have participated in demonstrations.
By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Wednesday it will continue providing a live audio feed of its arguments during its new term that begins on Oct. 3, maintaining a feature it adopted in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the closure of its courtroom.

The top U.S. judicial body, faulted by critics for a lack of transparency in its operations, opted to keep providing the live audio to the public even as it continues to prohibit any video coverage of its proceedings.

Early in the pandemic, the court closed its doors to the public and changed the way it operated in a bid to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

In May 2020, it began hearing oral arguments by teleconference, instead of in person, with a live audio feed provided to the public for the first time. The justices resumed in-person arguments in their ornate courtroom a year ago even as they continued providing the live stream.

Related video: Low approval for SCOTUS according to Marquette Law School survey

Chief Justice John Roberts said on Sept. 9 in Colorado that the public will be allowed back into the courtroom during the upcoming term, though he did not at the time address the issue of an audio feed.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday confirmed it will provide seating for the public to attend oral arguments, though it said its building "will otherwise be closed to the public until further notice."

The announcement came after the justices met on Wednesday for their first private conference of the new term.

U.S. lawmakers had urged the Supreme Court to make permanent the live audio access as a means to bring transparency to the institution.

At a Sept. 12 event in New York, Justice Elena Kagan said the court had yet to discuss whether to maintain the live audio but that she "personally would prefer to keep the live streaming."

"I think that live streaming has worked very well and we've seen no problems with it," Kagan said. "But I only get one vote of nine."

Despite calls from lawmakers and court reform advocates for the Supreme Court to allow oral arguments to be televised as well, cameras remain banned from the courtroom.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Will Dunham and Jonathan Oatis)
By Trevor Hunnicutt and Hyonhee Shin

PANMUNJOM, South Korea (Reuters) -U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said North Korea is a country with a "brutal dictatorship", an illegal arms programme and rampant human rights violations, issuing unusually strong criticism during a visit to the inter-Korean border on Thursday.

Soon after Harris wrapped up her Asia trip, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles from north of its capital, Pyongyang, late on Thursday in the direction of her flight from South Korea, the third such launch in five days.

Harris, in her first visit to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, said the heavily armed border area offered a stark reminder of the "dramatically different paths" the two sides have taken.

"In the North, we see a brutal dictatorship, rampant human rights violations and an unlawful weapons program that threatens peace and stability," Harris said.

"The United States and the world seek a stable and peaceful Korean peninsula where the DPRK is no longer a threat," she said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Harris was in the DMZ after arriving in the South Korean capital, Seoul, early on Thursday amid simmering regional tension over North Korea's missile launches and China's actions in the Taiwan Strait.

North Korea launched two ballistic missiles from north of Pyongyang into the sea off its east coast, South Korea's military said, about two hours after Harris' flight departed for Washington.

The missiles flew about 300 km (186.4 miles) reaching a maximum altitude of 50 km (31 miles), Japan's Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said, indicating they were likely short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM).

The visit by Harris came amid fears that North Korea is about to conduct a nuclear test. South Korean officials say North Korea has completed preparations for what would be its seventh nuclear test and its first since 2017.

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Harris and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol held talks and condemned North Korea's intensifying nuclear rhetoric and a series of missile tests, the latest of which was conducted on Wednesday.

"They condemned the DPRK's provocative nuclear rhetoric and ballistic missile launches," a White House statement said. "They discussed our response to potential future provocations, including through trilateral cooperation with Japan."

Harris and Yoon reaffirmed the goal of the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the White House said.

Harris also reaffirmed a U.S.-extended deterrence commitment to its Asian ally, including "the full range of U.S. defence capabilities", it added.

Yoon's office said that if the North pushed ahead with serious provocations like a nuclear test, he and Harris agreed to immediately implement "jointly prepared countermeasures," without elaborating.

North Korea codified its right to use pre-emptive nuclear strikes in a new law early this month. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said it is developing nuclear weapons and missiles to defend against U.S. threats.

On Taiwan, Harris underscored that efforts to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait were an "essential element of a free and open Indo-Pacific", the White House said.

U.S. President Joe Biden's aides have been shoring up alliances to manage China in the region, including over Taiwan.

But Yoon told CNN in an interview aired on Sunday that in a conflict over Taiwan, North Korea would be more likely to stage a provocation and Seoul and Washington should focus on that concern first.

COLD WAR BORDER

Aides said Harris' DMZ visit, the first by a Biden administration official, was intended to show unwavering U.S. security commitment to South Korea.

The DMZ, frequently called the last Cold War frontier, was drawn up as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice not a peace treaty.

The trip took on urgency after North Korea fired two short-range missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, the second test since Sunday, while South Korea and the United States are holding naval exercises involving a U.S. aircraft carrier.

The South Korean and Japanese navies said they would hold trilateral anti-submarine exercises with U.S. forces on Friday, designed to improve their capability to counter evolving North Korean threats, including its submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

Harris and Yoon also discussed changes in U.S. electric vehicle subsidies which South Korea fears could disadvantage its automakers.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Soo-hyang Choi, Joori Roh, Sakura Murakami and Jack Kim; Editing by Stephen Coates, Robert Birsel, Mark Heinrich, William Maclean)
WASHINGTON  The Pentagon announced Wednesday it will contract with industry for $1.1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, including 18 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and other arms to counter drones Russia has been using against Ukrainian troops.

The new weapons and equipment, being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, are aimed at meeting Kyivs mid- and long-term needs and could take six to 24 months to arrive. The Biden administration, which has committed aid worth $17 billion to Ukraine, has been using presidential drawdown authority to send arms more quickly.

The latest package includes 18 of the Lockheed Martin-made HIMARS and associated ammunition, which Ukraine has used to target Russian supplies. It also incudes 12 Titan systems, which detect, track and disrupt drones, as Russia has employed Iranian-made drones in the conflict.

A senior Pentagon official told reporters that the newly committed HIMARS systems are intended to be a core component of Ukraines fighting force in the future. Earlier this year, Ukraine received 16 HIMARS from U.S. military stockpiles and 10 equivalent systems from western allies, but the new HIMARS will take a few years to deliver, the official said.

This is a really sizable investment, and its intended so that down the road, Ukraine will have what it needs for the long haul, to deter future threats, the official said. But it in no way rules out us continuing to invest in their current force with capabilities that are available today and that we can draw down today from U.S. stocks.

The new aid includes 20 multi-mission radars that can track artillery and mortar fire, among other airborne objects; two radars for use with drones; and unspecified tactical communications systems, surveillance systems, optics and explosive ordnance disposal equipment.

Also included are more than 300 vehicles, including Humvees, trucks and other vehicles to tow and carry arms and equipment.

Story continues

US sees chance to gain arms market share from sanctioned Russia

With long-term security challenges in mind, the Pentagons acquisition chief, Bill LaPlante, hosted a meeting of 45 national armaments directors in Brussels on Wednesday. The directors are expected to launch working groups aimed at defining multinational strategies to resolve supply chain kinks and boost production for weapons that could be sent to Ukraine, according to a Pentagon readout.

The U.S. delegation briefed on its own plans to increase production of ground-based long-range fires, air defense systems, air-to-ground munitions and other capabilities. Nearly 20 countries presented on similar efforts to strengthen and expand their nations industrial bases in order to accelerate production.

With the aim of providing long-term support to Ukraine, participants recognized the importance of standardizing requirements, thereby creating more interchangeable and interoperable systems. In addition, they discussed building sustainment capacity in Ukraine, including forward repair activity, access to spares, and other sustainment enablers, the readout said.

Congress on Tuesday unveiled its third Ukraine supplemental aid package this year, consisting of $12.3 billion in military and economic support for Kyiv as part of the stopgap government funding bill lawmakers need to pass this week to avoid a shutdown. That includes $7.5 billion to contract with industry under USAI, $1.5 billion to backfill U.S. weapons already sent and $3.7 billion in presidential drawdown authority.

Washingtons latest moves come days after Russian President Vladimir Putin called up 300,000 reservists to fight in the war and as Russia moves to annex parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine. Speaking with reporters, Pentagon officials cast doubt on Russias ability to muster, train and equip a force of 300,000.

The mobilization indicates that Russia continues to believe that it can win the long game by outlasting the Ukrainians and international support. This is is yet another Russian miscalculation, the Pentagon official said.

With reporting by The Associated Press.
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Wednesday that Russian-staged votes in four Ukrainian regions on becoming part of Russia were "null and worthless", and that Kyiv would press on with efforts to liberate Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces.

Urging its international partners to impose tough new sanctions on Moscow and provide Kyiv with more military aid, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Ukraine would never agree to Russian ultimatums.

"Forcing people in these territories to fill out some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine," it said.

Describing the "referendums" organised by Russia as a sham, it said they had "nothing to do with expression of will" and had no implications for Ukraines "administrative-territorial system and internationally recognized borders."

"Ukraine and the international community condemn such actions of Russia and consider them null and worthless," the statement said.

"Ukraine has every right to restore its territorial integrity by military and diplomatic means, and will continue to liberate the temporarily occupied territories. Ukraine will never agree to any Russian ultimatums. Moscow's attempts to create new separation lines or weaken international support for Ukraine are doomed to fail."

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had called on Canada on Wednesday to lead an unprecedented drive to rid his country of landmines linked to Russia's seven-month-old invasion.

Canada has spearheaded worldwide campaigns to ban landmines since the 1990s. It was instrumental in the 1999 Ottawa Convention, signed by 133 states, to outlaw the use of the weapons.

Zelenskiy, speaking in an video address after a conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said Canada had the right technology and appropriate humanitarian ambitions to help.

"I invited Prime Minister Trudeau to lead a global effort to clear our land of Russian mines and shells. As a result of the Russian war, Ukraine's territory has one of the greatest concentrations of mines in the world," he said.

"We have to do what has not been done before: we have to create a precedent of swift and large-sale demining and not leave the problem for decades," he said, thanking Canada for its "readiness to help".

An account of the conversation from Trudeau's office made no mention of Zelenskiy's proposal.

The United States, Russia, China and India have not signed the Ottawa Convention.

(Reporting by Ronald Popeski, editing by David Ljunggren; editing by Grant McCool)
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announces the continuation of privatization. But at the same time, large state-owned companies are increasing their presence in the Ukrainian economy

But there are more and more signals that the share of the state in Ukraines economy will grow. Why is this not a very good sign?

Read also: Rada amends law on privatization  key changes

During a press conference for the Ukrainian media, Shmyhal promised to continue the reforms that Ukraine started before the war.

This is the reduction of the states role in the economy, the continuation of the corporatization reform of state-owned enterprises, as well as the continuation of privatization, the official said.

According to him, Ukraines Cabinet of Ministers is working on identifying strategic enterprises that are not subject to privatization. They will remain in state ownership but will be corporatized.

Everything else will be transferred very quickly to the State Property Fund for further privatization or management, Shmyhal emphasized.

Read also: PM Shmyhal kick-starts mass privatization in Ukraine

Perhaps with increased efficiency through transparent leasing. But privatization is definitely priority No. 1.

According to the data of Ukraines Ministry of Economy, the share of the state in economy as of autumn 2021 was slightly more than 10%. On the one hand, this isnt very high, but on the other, its about 3,500 enterprises, which are mostly less profitable than private ones. The Center for Economic Strategy has therefore recommended speeding up privatization.

This restart of privatization did occur. Last week, the State Property Fund, under the chairmanship of the new head, Rustem Umerov, sold two distilleries in Ternopil Oblast, having gained UAH 220.2 million ($6 million).

Separately, its worth mentioning the banking system, when after the nationalization of PrivatBank and Ukrgasbank, the states share in this sector approached almost 50%. Ukraines Finance Ministry planned for this figure to decrease to 25% by 2025.

But it seems the opposite process is taking place.

NV Business found several significant examples that show that the states role in the economy of Ukraine will grow, despite the governments promises.

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In early September, the Kyiv City State Administration surprised everyone by announcing its readiness to buy out the insolvent Bank Sich.

The city is investing in the bank to create the Municipal Bank of Kyiv on its basis for its further transformation into the citys universal financial instrument, said Mykola Povoroznyk, the first deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration.

The administration plans to allocate almost UAH 1 billion ($27.3 million) from the city budget for the redemption and recapitalization of the bank.

Read also: Kyiv administration looks to buy failing Sich Bank

But it may have a competitor, and not from the private sector either. Forbes Ukraine, citing its own sources, reported that Ukrposhta, which is 100% state-owned, was also interested in Bank Sich.

For several years, Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilyanskyi has been trying to create or buy a bank to provide banking services on the basis of post offices - a popular idea around the world, whose proponents say it would increase banking access to those not served by the traditional system. But it seemed that this idea all but disappeared because of the full-scale war. However, in June, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine allowed the state company to buy Alpari Bank. Smilyanskyi confirmed that Ukrposhta was still interested in the purchase.

Ihor Smilyanskyi talks with journalists of NV Business Natalya Kravchuk / NV

However, it is already almost October, and nothing more has been said about this plan, though Ukrposhta hasnt said it wasnt interested, either.

But even without this, the states share in the banking sector is growing. Since the beginning of the war, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has withdrawn two private commercial banks from the market  the already mentioned Sich and Megabank. All state financial institutions continue to work.

Naftogaz: a new old player

Ukraines national fossil fuel company, Naftogaz of Ukraine, this year became the biggest example of how private assets become state-owned.

First, the company significantly strengthened its own presence in the retail market of light petroleum products. Following the U.GO gas stations, which worked as part of the largest Ukrainian gas producer, UkrGasVydobuvannya, gas stations of the same name appeared in its other structures. These are gas stations that once worked under the GLUSCO brand. Their owner, Nisan Moiseev, also owned the Prykarpatzakhidtrans diesel pipeline, which politicians and journalists called nothing else than (Putins close ally in Ukraine Viktor) Medvedchuks pipe. Since 2021, this pipeline has been managed by Ukrtransnafta, a company from the Naftogaz group.

This retail project is only spreading its wings. But Naftogaz gasoline business can significantly expand. In May, the State Bureau of Investigation announced the seizure of the property belonging to Russias private-public Tatneft fossil fuel company. And in August, the Bureau of Economic Security announced the seizure of 308 properties belonging to the AMIC gas station network, which was previously owned by Russias privately-owned Lukoil firm.

Interestingly, Naftogaz already had experience in this market segment in the early 2000s. But it turned out to be not very successful and ended with the sale of the gas stations it owned at that point.

Yuri Vitrenko, Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz of Ukraine Oleksandr Medvedev / NV

Gas supplies to the population

In addition, Naftogaz rapidly expanded its presence on the natural gas market after Feb. 24. In June, the company served almost 100% of households in Ukraine. This was a consequence of the difficulties faced by private energy traders  primarily structures related to Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash.

But this result can hardly be called positive for the state, because Naftogaz is forced to sell gas at a low, fixed price, to ensure affordability for Ukrainian citizens facing the rapid wartime economic downturn. But in Europe and even in Ukraine, market prices are much higher.

Read also: Naftogaz head speaks on challenges in the upcoming cold season

Regional gas distribution companies in limbo

Another important part of the gas business began to migrate from private owners to Naftogaz, though this process is still ongoing. This process concerns about 26 regional gas distribution companies, which are mostly related to Firtash. In early summer, the Bureau of Economic Security seized them from their previous owners and transferred them to the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA).

Later, their ownership was supposed to be transferred to Naftogaz. However, this has not happened yet.

A decision was made to transfer the regional gas distribution companies to the management of Naftogaz, Naftogaz CEO Yuriy Vitrenko said at a briefing.

But this decision has not yet been implemented. The management of regional gas distribution companies is the Firtash groups regional gas distribution companies, it is expected will not be amicable to this decision. There are also court decisions that block Naftogazs capabilities.

German Galushchenko, Minister of Energy of Ukraine Ministry of Energy of Ukraine

The state energy trader is an alternative to DTEK

Ukrainian state nuclear power company Energoatom became the main source of financing the activities of the new state energy trader, in an old wrapper. This is the Energy Company of Ukraine (ECU). In August, it was Energoatom that provided it with repayable financial aid worth UAH 500 million ($13.7 million), which ECU must return in three and a half months. Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko inspired this project, an observer of Ukraines energy market told NV Business.

The management of the state energy trader estimated that its work would allow many state companies, such as SE Guaranteed Buyer, Energoatom and Ukrenergo, to receive an additional UAH 8.5 billion ($232.4 million) by the end of this year.

The state is strengthening its position in the field of energy resource trading and increasing competition, says ECU CEO Vitaliy Butenko.

Thanks to its aggressive policies and management experience, ECU received a share of 50% in the electricity export market from Ukraine to Romania and Slovakia in only its first month of operation, though in early August, private players controlled nearly 100%.

The DTEK energy holding, owned by Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, has suffered the greatest loss of market share. Butenko, as it happens, worked in DTEK from 2007 to 2021. Therefore, it is possible that the establishment of a state energy trader, which will become a key player in the Ukrainian market, is a personal challenge for him.

Read also: Kyiv mayor briefs public on Kyivs defenses and energy security

But NV Business sources in the market said that despite certain advantages that state-owned companies have indeed received, there are still many risks in Butenkos activities. Firstly, the success of ECUs work at the initial stage depends almost entirely on one person Butenko. Secondly, there are almost no control mechanisms for what will happen to Ukrainian electricity after its sale to a foreign counterparty. That is, the state trader may receive a high, but not the highest possible, price. Sources familiar with the ECUs activities say these risks will be reduced thanks to the establishment of stable and transparent management mechanisms and cooperation with large-end consumers, rather than foreign intermediaries.

These are only the most visible examples of the strengthening of the states role in the economy. What else? The ARMA state agency, which manages the seized companies, is the largest state holder of private assets. A large share is the property and assets of businessmen related to Russia. In the future, these assets should also be transferred to the management of state companies. Or be privatized.

But for now, most of them are in limbo.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
KOYA, Iraq (AP)  An Iranian drone bombing campaign targeting the bases of an Iranian-Kurdish opposition group in northern Iraq on Wednesday killed at least nine people and wounded 32 others, the Kurdish Regional Governments Health Ministry said.

The strikes took place as demonstrations continued to engulf the Islamic Republic after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who was detained by the Iranian morality police.

Irans attacks targeted Koya, some 65 kilometers (35 miles) east of Irbil, said Soran Nuri, a member of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan. The group, known by the acronym KDPI, is a leftist armed opposition force banned in Iran.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in a statement said the attacks impacted the Iranian refugee settlements in Koya, and that refugees and other civilians were among the casualties.

Iraqs Foreign Ministry and the Kurdistan Regional Government have condemned the strikes.

Irans state-run IRNA news agency and broadcaster said the countrys Revolutionary Guard targeted bases of a separatist group in the north of Iraq with precision missiles and suicide drones.

Gen. Hasan Hasanzadeh of the Revolutionary Guard said 185 Basijis, a volunteer force, were injured by "machete and knife in the unrest, state-run IRNA news agency reported Wednesday. Hasanzadeh also said rioters broke the skull of one of the Basij members. He added that five Basijis are hospitalized in intensive care.

The Iranian drone strikes targeted a military camp, homes, offices and other areas around Koya, Nuri said. Nuri described the attack as ongoing.

Iraq's Foreign Ministry spokesman said the government in Baghdad was expected to summon the Iranian ambassador to deliver a diplomatic complaint over the strikes.

In Baghdad, four Katyusha rockets landed in the capitals heavily fortified Green Zone on Wednesday as legislators gathered in parliament.

The zone, home to the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, is a frequent target of rocket and drone attacks that the United States blames on Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups.

Story continues

The Iraqi military earlier said in a statement that one rocket landed near parliament, another near the parliaments guesthouse, and a third at a junction near the Judicial Council. Two security officials told the AP that the fourth rocket also landed near parliament.

Iraqi state news reported four security officers were wounded.

The office of Iraqs caretaker prime minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, in a statement said security forces were pursuing the assailants who fired the rockets, and asked protesters to remain peaceful.

Cellphone footage circulating on social media showed smoke billowing from a carpark near the parliament building.

Following the first series of strikes in northern Iraq, Iran then shelled seven positions in Koya's stronghold in Qala, a KDPI official told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity in order to speak publicly. The Qala area includes the party's politburo.

An Associated Press journalist saw ambulances racing through Koya after the strikes. Smoke rose from the site of one apparent strike as security forces closed off the area.

Meanwhile, security forces lobbed tear gas and fired rubber bullets at protesting Iranian Kurds in Sulimaniyah.

On Saturday and Monday, Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard unleashed a wave of drone and artillery strikes targeting Kurdish positions.

The attacks appear to be a response to the ongoing protests roiling Iran over the death of a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who was detained by the nations morality police.

The U.S. Department of State called the Iranian attacks an unjustified violation of Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We are also aware of reports of civilian casualties and deplore any loss of life caused by todays attacks, said spokesperson Ned Price in a statement. Moreover, we further condemn comments from the government of Iran threatening additional attacks against Iraq.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq said in a tweet that the country cannot be treated as the regions backyard where neighbors routinely, and with impunity, violate its sovereignty.

Rocket diplomacy is a reckless act with devastating consequences, the U.N. agency said.

Meanwhile, Britain's State Minister for the Middle East said the attacks demonstrate a repeated pattern of Iranian destabilizing activity in the region," while the German Foreign Ministry and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also condemned Iran for the strikes.

The U.N. secretary-general called on Iran early Wednesday to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force against protesters as unrest over a young woman's death in police custody spread across the country.

Antonio Guterres said through a spokesman that authorities should swiftly conduct an impartial investigation of Amini's death, which has sparked unrest across Irans provinces and the capital of Tehran.

We are increasingly concerned about reports of rising fatalities, including women and children, related to the protests, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement. We underline the need for prompt, impartial and effective investigation into Ms. Mahsa Aminis death by an independent competent authority.

Protests have spread across at least 46 cities, towns and villages in Iran. State TV reported that at least 41 protesters and police have been killed since the demonstrations began Sept. 17.

An Associated Press count of official statements by authorities tallied at least 14 dead, with more than 1,500 demonstrators arrested.

Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard in a statement called for an international investigation over the deaths of protesters.

Dozens of people, including children, have been killed so far and hundreds injured, the statement read. "The voices of the courageous people of Iran desperately crying out for international support must not be ignored.

The human rights organization added that it has documented cases of Iranian security forces sexually assaulting women protesters.

Meanwhile, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it documented the arrests of at least 23 journalists as the clashes between security forces and protesters heated up.

CPJ in a Wednesday statement called on Iranian authorities to immediately release arrested journalists who covered Aminis death and protests.

Dujarric added that Guterres stressed the need to respect human rights, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association during the meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on September 22nd.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Israel continued its defiance of a 2016 U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate halt to all settlement activity in lands the Palestinians want for their future state, advancing plans for construction of nearly 2,000 housing units in the last three months, the U.N. Mideast envoy said Wednesday.

Tor Wennesland told the council that no progress was made by Israelis and Palestinians on other demands in the resolution -- preventing all violence against civilians, refraining from acts of provocation, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric, distinguishing between Israeli territory and territories occupied since the 1967 war, and exerting collective efforts to launch credible negotiations.

He did cite several positive steps during the three-month period ending Sept. 20 -- two contacts between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and high-level Israeli officials in July, Israels issuance of some 16,000 permits for workers and businesses for Palestinians in Gaza, and a 1.5% increase in imports and 54% increase in exports through the main Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel to Gaza compared to the monthly average for the first two quarters of 2022.

But Wennesland said We continue to see little progress in implementing the resolution since its adoption in December 2016.

The resolution was approved by the Security Council when the United States, in the final weeks of the Obama administration, abstained rather than using its veto to support longtime ally Israel as it had done many times previously. The Trump administration strongly opposed the resolution.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council Wednesday that from day one the Biden administration has supported a two-state solution, a position President Joe Biden reiterated to world leaders at last weeks high-level meeting at the General Assembly.

She said many leaders made similar calls, praising Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapids "courageous and impassioned speech that articulated his vision of `two states for two peoples.

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The significance of his appeal for peace between Israelis and Palestinians should not be underestimated, Thomas-Greenfield said. And I also want to acknowledge president Abbas stated commitment to non-violence and reaffirmation of his support for a two-state solution.

She said now it's time to turn these words into action and make real progress, stressing that there are no short-cuts to statehood.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, called for the Security Council to start implementing its resolutions.

It should now propose practical steps to open the doors for a meaningful political process to begin implementing the global consensus for a two-state solution, he said.

Wennesland warned that the absence of a meaningful peace process to end the Israeli occupation and resolve the conflict is fueling a dangerous deterioration" across the Palestinian territories, particularly the West Bank, and driving the perception that the conflict is unresolvable.

Israelis and Palestinians must determine how they envision the future, he said. Negotiations can no longer be pushed indefinitely.

The current course is leading us towards a perpetual state of violence and conflict, The Mideast envoy warned, and meaningful initiatives are needed quickly to turn this trajectory around.
CAIRO (AP)  The U.N. envoy for Yemen warned that the risk of a return to fighting is real, urging warring parties to accept a longer extension of the current ceasefire due to expire next month.

Hans Grundberg's stark warning late Tuesday came after he met in Saudi Arabias capital, Riyadh, with Rashad al-Alimi, head of the internationally recognized presidential council, and in Oman's capital of Muscat with Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief negotiator of the Houthi rebels. He also met with Saudi and Omani officials to push for a cease-fire extension.

Grundberg, who was in Yemen's capital of Sanaa on Wednesday for further talks with the Houthis, said in a statement he discussed a U.N. proposal to renew the truce for a longer time to give Yemenis the opportunity to make progress on a wider basket of priorities."

We are at a crossroads where the risk of a return to war is real and I am urging the parties to choose an alternative that prioritizes the needs of the Yemeni people," he said.

The efforts to renew the cease-fire have come as the two sides held military parades in territories under their control. The internationally recognized government held parades on the anniversary of 1962 uprising against the Imamate rule in northern Yemen.

The most notable parade was held by the Houthis last week in the capital of Sanaa, where they showcased a variety of weapons  including missiles and drones  which resemble those produced by Iran, their main backer in the war. The Houthi parades were a celebration of their seizure of the capital Sanaa in September 2014, which triggered the current civil war.

The U.N. envoy did not offer details on his proposal.

Nabil Jamel, a government negotiator, said the U.N. proposal includes ways to pay civilian servants in Houthi-held territories and reopen roads of blockaded cities, including Taiz. He did not elaborate.

Reopening the roads of Taiz and other provinces are part of the U.N.-brokered truce, which took effect in early April and was extended twice, the second time until Oct. 2. Both sides reported violations of the cease-fire. The truce established a partial reopening of Sanaa airport to commercial flights, and allowed fuel vessels in the port of Hodeida.

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Abdul-Salam, the Houthi official in Oman, called for a permanent opening of the Sanaa airport and the Red Sea ports in Hodeida, along with payment of salaries and pensions, before engaging in political talks.

There is no seriousness or credibility for any talk about peace in Yemen before the implementation of these urgent humanitarian issues, he said on Twitter.

The truce has been the longest lull in fighting in Yemens war, now in its eighth year. Though both sides reported violations, the cease-fire has brought relief for Yemenis who have suffered from a decade of political turmoil and military conflict.

Aside from direct fighting, landmines and other explosive remnants continue to kill civilians in Hodeida. Earlier this week, the U.N. said at least 15 people, including children, were killed or wounded over the past week in the contested city, bringing the tally to over 100 dead, and 141 wounded since November.

Yemens brutal civil war began in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognized government to power.

The conflict has created one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises and over the years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. More than 150,000 people have been killed, including over 14,500 civilians.
The US Coast Guard in Alaska came across Russian and Chinese vessels on an ordinary patrol earlier this month, the agency has said.

In an announcement on Monday, the agency said the surprise encounter with a formation of Russian and Chinese ships came came on 19 September about 75 miles north of Kiska Island, in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

That was when the USCGS Kimball, a US Coast Guard vessel, spotted a guided missle cruiser from China in the Bering Sea off Alaskas coastline.

While announcing an ongoing counter-response this week, the US Coast Guard said it soon spotted two other naval ships from China along with four Russian naval vessels that were inside the US Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that surrounds the Alaska coastline and that of the Aleutian Islands.

As a result, the Kimball crew is now operating under Operation Frontier Sentinel, a Seventeenth Coast Guard District operation designed to meet presence with presence when strategic competitors operate in and around US waters, the agency said on Monday.

The US Coast Guards presence strengthens the international rules-based order and promotes the conduct of operations in a manner that follows international norms, the statement continued, while adding that the Kimball will continue to monitor activities to ensure safety of the EEZ.

The encounter comes almost a year after the US Coast Guard spotted Chinese ships about 50 miles from the Aleutian Island chain in the Bering Sea, the agency said, and a month after warnings from the head of NATO about increasing military activity in the Arctic region.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit to Canada last month that Chinas growing interest in the Arctic and Russias military buildup in the region were growing threats to NATOs alliance.

Russia has been returning to Soviet-era Arctic military bases and Beijing has recently declared itself a near Arctic state, Mr Stoltenberg said, while adding that the Arctic is becoming increasingly accessible for weapons testing as a result of the climate crisis.

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Beijing and Moscow have also pledged to intensify practical cooperation in the Arctic, Mr Stoltenberg said while in Alberta. This forms part of a deepening strategic partnership that challenges our values and interests.

Rear Adm Nathan Moore, Seventeenth Coast Guard District commander, added in statement of the recent encounter: While the formation has operated in accordance with international rules and norms, we will meet presence-with-presence to ensure there are no disruptions to US interests in the maritime environment around Alaska.

Alaska and Russia are about 55 miles apart at the narrowest point, according to Alaskan authorities, while two islands in the Bering Sea controlled separately by the US and Russia are roughly 2.5 miles apart and in winter, can be connected by ice.
Reservists drafted during the partial mobilisation attend a departure ceremony in Sevastopol, Crimea, on September 27, 2022. STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images

The US Embassy in Moscow is urging Americans to leave Russia as soon as possible.

The embassy warned that dual nationals could be conscripted into military service.

Putin recently announced a military mobilization plan as the Ukraine war rages on.

The US Embassy in Moscow said in a new security alert that US citizens should not travel to Russia and urged those traveling or residing in the country to get out "immediately," warning that dual nationals could be conscripted for military service as Russian leadership scrambles to find more people to fight in Ukraine.

"On September 21, the Russian government began a mobilization of its citizens to the armed forces in support of its invasion of Ukraine," the security alert said. "Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals' US citizenship, deny their access to US consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service."

"If you wish to depart Russia, you should make independent arrangements as soon as possible," the alert added.

The embassy said that it has "severe limitations" in its ability to assist Americans, underscoring that options for transportation "may suddenly become even more limited."

"We remind US citizens that the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are not guaranteed in Russia," the alert went on to say. "Avoid all political or social protests and do not photograph security personnel at these events," it said, adding that "Russian authorities have arrested US citizens who have participated in demonstrations."

The embassy has consistently urged Americans against traveling to Russia while advising those in the country to depart, but this new security alert contains a particularly stark warning given recent developments.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a partial military mobilization last week, calling up hundreds of thousands of reservists. Though Putin said that only people who had previously served "and have specific military occupational specialties and corresponding experience" would be impacted, reports indicate that that people without prior military service are also being forced to enlist.

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Putin's mobilization decree came as Russia faces major manpower problems in Ukraine, where Russian forces are estimated to have suffered as many as 80,000 casualties, if not more, since the war began in late February.

The mobilization has faced resistance in Russia, prompting protests and leading thousands of men to flee the country. There have been traffic jams at the Russian border, and plane tickets have sold out, even as the prices have skyrocketed.

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The United States on Wednesday signed a $350 million grant for infrastructure projects with Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera, hailing his record on good governance.

The aid through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which assists developing nations that meet democratic benchmarks, will fund a major road network in the African country to connect rural and urban areas.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed Chakwera for his "deep commitment to democratic and economic reform" and called the project a "remarkably positive opportunity" to boost agricultural production in Malawi.

"These projects will be transparent. They'll be collaborative and built to meet the highest standards of quality," Blinken said.

"They'll provide grants to Malawi -- not debt," Blinken said, drawing an implicit contrast to rising power China, which frequently faces US-led charges of burdening developing nations with flashy projects that come in the form of unfavorable loans.

Chakwera was elected in 2020 on a campaign to fight corruption in the developing country. Earlier this year he sacked seven ministers over graft concerns.

"My administration has taken a zero-tolerance stance against corruption, shielding no one from investigation and prosecution," Chakwera said before the signing with Blinken.

Voicing gratitude to the United States, he said, "Together we're making strides for everyone's good."

Chakwera called on the United States to consider a further project that would jointly include Zambia and Mozambique and give landlocked Malawi reliable access to the Indian Ocean.

"Safe and reliable rail and road transport investments will certainly help reduce barriers to growth and create opportunities for all of our people," Chakwera said.

President Joe Biden's administration has put a renewed focus on Africa as it seeks to counter not only China but Russia, which has sought to limit support in the developing world for punishing Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Blinken said the Malawi project would also address a key US priority by trying to reduce gender-based violence by making it safer for women to bring goods to markets.

sct/dw
WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. will provide an additional $1.1 billion in aid to Ukraine, with funding for 18 more advanced rocket systems and other weapons to counter drones that Russia has been using against Ukrainian troops, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.

The latest package is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds contracts to purchase weapons and equipment. And it brings the total of U.S. aid to Ukraine to nearly $17 billion since the Biden administration took office.

The aid announcement comes as Russia moves to annex parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine that held Kremlin-orchestrated referendums on living under Moscow's rule. The votes were denounced by Kyiv and the West as illegal and rigged.

We will not be deterred from supporting Ukraine, we will continue to stand with the Ukrainian people, and provide them with the security assistance they need to defend themselves, for as long as it takes, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Since the funding is for contracts for weapons and equipment, it is aimed at helping Ukraine secure its longer-term defense needs. It could take a year or two for Ukraine to get the systems. The U.S. has used Pentagon drawdown authority to provide weapons more immediately, and another announcement for that Defense Department aid is expected early next week.

The package includes funding for 18 of the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, and ammunition for them, and 12 Titan systems, which are used to counter drones. Officials have said the HIMARS and other similar systems were key to Ukraine's battle successes in recent weeks. And the Russians have been using Iranian-made drones to target Ukrainian forces, underscoring the need for more systems to counter that threat.

Also in the package is funding for about 300 vehicles, dozens of trucks and trailers to transport heavy equipment, a variety of radars, communications and surveillance equipment, and other gear for soldiers. It also will include funding for equipment to detect explosives and for maintenance and training.

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A senior defense official said it will take six months to two years to get most of those weapons and equipment to Ukraine, and a few years for the additional HIMARS to arrive. The official said the 18 HIMARS are an investment in Ukraine's future defense, and said the contract does not rule out other U.S. efforts to send additional HIMARS more quickly through the faster Pentagon drawdown program.

Senior defense and military officials spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity Wednesday to provide details of the aid package and a military assessment of the war.

The war, now in its seventh month, has shifted to a new phase, as Russia tries to rebound from recent combat losses and use the referendums to politically solidify the gains it had made in the four occupied regions in the south and east.

Pro-Russia officials in Ukraines Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions said Wednesday they would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to incorporate their provinces into Russia. It wasnt immediately clear how the administrative process would unfold.

Jean-Pierre said the U.S. has determined that Russia falsified the results of the referendums, which it said showed overwhelming support for annexation.

These so called referenda have been an exercise in coercion and disinformation, executed by puppet authorities following orders from Russia, she said.

Jean-Pierre signaled that the White House was preparing new sanctions against Russia in response to the referendums, saying the U.S. and its allies planned to impose a "severe economic cost on Russia when they move forward with annexation.

A senior military official said the U.S. has seen the first portions of Russia's latest mobilization of reservists move into Ukraine. But so far it's just been small numbers of them, the official said. Russia has announced plans to call up about 300,000 men with past military service, in the wake of widespread battlefield losses in Ukraine's recent counteroffensive.

In response, tens of thousands of Russian men have fled the country to border nations in the past week, fearing that Putin's mobilization will be much broader and more arbitrary than he has suggested. There are numerous reports of men with no military training and of all ages receiving draft notices.

The U.S. military official said Putin may find it difficult to generate 300,000 forces, and noted that troops who are needed to train the new conscripts are already fighting in Ukraine, raising questions about their ability to handle the tasks.
All Americans remaining in Russia should plan on leaving the country immediately amid fears that dual nationals could be conscripted into fighting against Ukraine, the US has said.

In a statement on Tuesday night, the US embassy in Moscow warned its citizens that they should leave Russia following the Kremlins partial mobilisation of army reservists last week.

The announcement by Russias president Vladimir Putin sparked protests with arrests made and prompted fighting-age men to try to leave the country.

The US said dual nationals were at risk of being ordered to fight in Ukraine and that their status as dual citizens may not be recognised.

Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals US citizenship, deny their access to US consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service, the statement read.

It continued by warning that travelling out of Russia was already very limited because of reduced commercial flights and heavily crowded border check points.

Those residing or travelling in Russia should depart Russia immediately while limited commercial travel options remain, the statement released by the embassy added.

Russians have been leaving the country since a partial mobilisation was announced (AFP via Getty Images)

More than 1,000 Russians have been arrested since the announcement of a partial mobilisation, and according to reports even prisoners have been ordered to join the countrys war on Ukraine.

Speaking last week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the fact that Russians were leaving their country shows that the war in Ukraine is unpopular and that Russians were not willing to be conscripted into fighting Ukraine.

What Putin is doing  he is not coming from a place of strength, Ms Jean-Pierre told reporters. He is coming from a place of weakness.

Following many unexpected setbacks since its invasion of Ukraine in February, the Kremlin had long avoided ordering a mobilisation to avoid the protests and dissent seen since last week.

Mr Putins decision follows recent territorial gains by Ukraine, whose president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said can return the Ukrainian flag to our entire territory. We can do it with the force of arms. But we need time, in a speech to the UN.

Earlier this month, Russia rejected the idea that it had committed war crimes in the Ukrainian city of Izyum following the discovery of about 450 bodies in mass graves after Russian forces were forced out of the Kharkiv region by Ukrainian forces.
Re. Cassandra Lakes letter Will take Dyas over Basran (Castanet, Sept. 23)

I think is disrespectful to assume people in Kelowna cannot think for themselves, since the average age of people in this city is 44.

The writer complains about John Weisbeck and his wife writing their personal opinions. To me that's all they are, their opinions. What's more, while complaining about the couple's opinions, the writer tell us who she's supporting. Again, a personal opinion.

It is something that it will not change me or my friends decisions about who we are voting for.

I must say, I agree with one of the points Weisbeck makes. The prospective mayor should have experience as a city councillor.

As for blaming the current mayor for the increase in crime, that is not true. This assumption is unwarranted because crime rates involve every level of government to varying degrees. There's no mayor or councillor in the entire country, regardless of their political views, who doesn't believe public safety is the number one concern, when it comes to their community.

There is also no single official with the ability to control crime rates. It is inaccurate to blame it solely on the mayor.

The factors that influence crime rates vary widely and include funding, local and provincial programs and economic conditions.

Lastly, I think Kelowna voters are intelligent people and have the ability to decide for themselves.

Lilian Busch
Flight-tracking websites have spotted US spy planes flying around the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Senior Airman Greg Davis/U.S. Air Force/Reuters

In recent weeks, flight-tracking sites have spotted US surveillance flights near Kaliningrad.

Kaliningrad is a Russian territory on the Baltic sea, separated from mainland Russia by Lithuania.

In 2018, Russia conducted a "major renovation" of a nuclear weapons site there, an expert said.

The US military appears to be stepping up aerial surveillance of a Russian territory in Europe, potentially signalling concern that the Kremlin could decide to deploy or even use nuclear weapons in Ukraine as Russian leaders have warned.

On Wednesday, a US electronic surveillance plane, the Boeing RC-135, departed from a base in the United Kingdom and circled around Kaliningrad, a Russian territory along the Baltic Sea  sharing no land border with the mainland  that was annexed after World War II, according to a flight tracking website. It was at least the third such flight in the past week.

Home to nearly 500,000 people, it is sometimes referred to as Russia's "unsinkable aircraft carrier" because it is wedged between Poland and Lithuania, essentially providing the Kremlin a forward operating base within NATO territory.

In 2018, Russia carried out a "major renovation" of an active nuclear weapons storage facility in Kaliningrad some 50 kilometers from Poland, according to Hans Kristensen, a nuclear arms expert at the Federation of American Scientists. The facility, he wrote at the time, could function "as a forward storage site that would be supplied with warheads from central storage sites in a crisis."

In April, the Russian military announced that its Baltic Fleet in the Kaliningrad region conducted a "simulated missile strike exercise" using its "Iskander operational and tactical missile complexes." Iskander ballistic missiles can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.

Asked about the flights, a US Air Force spokesperson, Maj. Joost J. Verduyn, told Insider: "US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa routinely operates aircraft, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, in the Baltic region in support of various US and coalition intelligence objectives."

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According to a military fact sheet, the RC-135V/W provides "real time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities," with its crew  as many as 30 people  able to "detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum."

Aram Shabanian, an expert on open-source intelligence gathering at the New Lines Institute in Washington, DC, said the flights around Kaliningrad are somewhat unusual but not "groundbreaking or alarming in an of itself." What they suggest, he told Insider, is that there is "an increased interest in Russian military movements by high-level decision makers in the United States."

"This comes at a time when we are, as far as I can ascertain, at the closest point to nuclear war since 1983," he added, referencing an incident where a Soviet early-warning radar system falsely reported an incoming US nuclear attack.

Politico reported this week that the US and its allies are increasingly concerned, noting that Western intelligence agencies "are stepping up efforts to detect any Russian military moves or communications that might signal that Vladimir Putin has ordered the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine," citing five current and former US officials.

Since ordering the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian leader has repeatedly hinted that he could use nuclear weapons, including in a September 21 speech announcing a military draft in which he warned that such threats are "not a bluff."

"[I]f the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people," Putin said. Days later, Russian occupying forces held a sham referendum in eastern Ukraine to justify annexing the territory  and extending the definition of an attack on Russia to Ukrainian forces reclaiming land that has been conquered since the start of the war.

Speaking to CNN, former CIA officer Robert Baer warned that Putin, fearing for the future of his regime following major setbacks in Ukraine, could be tempted to do the previously unthinkable.

"The chances of his using nuclear weapons  at least tactical nuclear weapons  is going up by the day," Baer said.

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

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Jake Sullivan, the US national security advisor, at a daily briefing on May 18. Win McNamee/Getty Images

The US national security advisor on Tuesday described the Nord Stream leaks as "apparent sabotage."

He tweeted that the US was supporting efforts to investigate the leaks.

European officials, including in Germany, have similarly suggested the leaks weren't accidental.

The US national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, used the phrase "apparent sabotage" Tuesday to describe leaks in key pipelines connecting Russia and Europe, and he underscored US efforts to aid in the investigation into the incidents.

"I spoke to my counterpart Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe of Denmark about the apparent sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines," Sullivan tweeted Tuesday night. "The U.S. is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europe's energy security."

The leak in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered in the Danish part of the Baltic Sea on Monday, the Danish Energy Agency wrote in an announcement. "The Danish Maritime Authority has released a navigational warning and established a prohibitive no sail zone around the area," the agency added.

A press representative for the Swedish Maritime Authority told Insider the agency was informed about one leak on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm. Later the same day, it learned of two separate leaks on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline northeast of Bornholm.

Sullivan's comments echo similar statements from Germany, where government officials are said to believe the pipelines were sabotaged.

Der Tagesspiegel, a newspaper in Germany, reported a government source as saying: "We can't imagine a scenario that isn't a targeted attack. Everything speaks against a coincidence." A representative for Germany's economy ministry told Insider it "doesn't participate in speculation." Germany's energy regulator, the Federal Network Agency, said in an email it was working to clarify the situation.

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Later Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it was "difficult to imagine" the damage was accidental.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin also said it couldn't rule out sabotage, per Reuters.

Following the incident, governments around the region issued warnings to ships to not sail within 5 nautical miles of the leaks.

The Danish Navy sent an Absalon-class frigate to the site of the leaks for monitoring purposes and to warn ships to stay away, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation reported Tuesday. A German government official told Insider a no-fly zone was in operation over the affected area.

The incidents on the Nord Stream pipelines could exacerbate Europe's energy crisis this winter, given that Russia typically supplies about 40% of Europe's natural gas, most of which is transported via pipelines.

Russia exported about 155 billion cubic meters of the fuel to Europe in 2021  and more than one-third came from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, per Reuters.

The Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom turned off its gas supply to Europe via Nord Stream 1 in September, citing technical reasons.

The Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline, which runs parallel to Nord Stream 1, has never been operational because Germany shelved the project in February, days before Russia invaded Ukraine. Construction on the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline was completed in September 2021.

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Biden administration officials have tiptoed around offering specifics in response to the specter of Russia using nuclear weapons, deploying a form of strategic ambiguity in an attempt to avoid escalating the conflict.

U.S. officials have in recent days repeatedly warned of severe consequences should Moscow deploy nuclear weapons in its war in Ukraine, though they have not outlined what those consequences would involve. And they have repeatedly said they are taking talk of nuclear weapons seriously, but have not publicly shifted the countrys nuclear posture in response.

Experts say the U.S. approach is the right one, especially given the uncertainty around how serious Russian President Vladimir Putin is with his threat.

Theres no need to tell Putin what exactly we would do. This is where strategic ambiguity makes sense, said David Kramer, who spent three years as deputy assistant secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs during the George W. Bush administration.

We should be mindful when a nuclear power threatens use of nuclear weapons, but we also should not be deterred from what we need to do, Kramer added, arguing the U.S. and allies should not let Putins rhetoric undercut support for Kyiv.

President Biden largely set the tone for the White House in a 60 Minutes interview that aired earlier this month when he was asked what the consequences would be if Russia used nuclear or chemical weapons in its war in Ukraine.

You think I would tell you if I knew exactly what it would be? Of course Im not going to tell you. Itll be consequential, Biden said. Theyll become more of a pariah in the world than they ever have been. And depending on the extent of what they do will determine what response would occur.

Since Bidens interview, Putin has raised the prospect of a nuclear response if the Russian homeland was attacked or if its opposition used nuclear weapons. He has also pressed ahead with a plan to officially annex major portions of Ukraine, potentially laying the groundwork to claim attacks on so-called new Russian territory as provocation for a nuclear strike.

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This is not a bluff, Putin warned in the nationally televised speech. And those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the weathervane can turn and point towards them.

White House officials have taken a uniformly vague approach in recent days when asked about a potential response to nuclear aggression by Russia.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the White House had made the consequences of such action clear, but that it would not engage in a rhetorical tit-for-tat.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration has a plan in the event Russia resorts to nuclear weapons, but he would not elaborate.

And the Pentagon on Tuesday maintained that the government keeps a whole host of capabilities and proven processes to address any potential threats of that kind, according to press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.

Our focus continues to remain on supporting Ukraine in their fight and working closely with our allies and partners in terms of Russian force posture, Ryder said, adding that defense officials have not seen any major change or movement by Russia to ready its nuclear forces in any way.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor said this message is a smart one, adding that U.S. officials are likely preparing the responses to several different scenarios, if they havent already.

There are a lot of contingencies and a lot of different things that could be done, said Taylor, who is now with the U.S. Institute of Peace. We need to be firm, we need to prepare, we need to have a response if the Russians do something terrible.  Those plans presumably are there.

On Tuesday, key Putin ally Dmitry Medvedev doubled down on the message, warning that the Russian leaders recent threat was exactly as stated and definitely not a bluff, according to a statement posted to Telegram.

Medvedev, who took over as Russian president when Putin briefly ceded power in 2008, also laid out a scenario of a nuclear strike on Ukraine, claiming that NATO would be too concerned with nuclear apocalypse to directly respond to the attack.

Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons  if aggression with the use of conventional weapons threatens the very existence of our state, said Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chairman of Russias Security Council. Without asking anyones permission, without long consultations. And its definitely not a bluff.

The comments, which are the bluntest official warning thus far and seem to raise the specter of a Russian nuclear strike, have not had any outward effect on U.S. officials.

Ryder on Tuesday maintained that Washington continues to take these threats seriously, but has not seen anything that would cause us to adjust our own nuclear posture at this time.

While the U.S. seeks to avoid a back-and-forth that could elevate the risk of nuclear war, some believe it remains unlikely that Putin would take such drastic measures anytime soon.

Kramer, the former State Department official, expressed skepticism that Russian generals would be willing to carry out such an order and instead would view it as an act of desperation with significant consequences.

He also noted that thus far, Putin has made multiple threats but has only really followed through on his pledge to cut off energy access for other countries.

None of this strikes me as a man confident in the hand that hes playing, Kramer said.

And Taylor said its important that the U.S. not be spooked by Russias warnings.

We have to take it seriously, theres no doubt about that, he said. But we certainly dont want to be making compromises with ourselves.  And we cant be deterred by comments that the Russians make in desperation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Lindsay Marsh filed for a divorce in April from her ex-husband of 25 years, Christopher Marsh. A judge ruled in July that Marsh's ex-husband can keep intimate photos of her provided that they are censored. courtneyk/Getty Images

Lindsay Marsh filed for divorce from her husband of 25 years, Christopher Marsh, in April 2021.

During their marriage, Lindsay Marsh gave her husband intimate boudoir photos with messages on them.

A Utah judged rule that the ex-husband can keep the photos with the messages if they are censored.

A Utah woman was ordered to hand over intimate photos of herself to her ex-husband, provided that they are censored.

Lindsay Marsh filed for a divorce from her husband, Christopher Marsh, in April 2021 after 25 years of marriage. And while the ex-couple mostly figured out how to split their assets, according to The Salt Lake Tribune, one point of contention has been whether the ex-husband is entitled to an album of boudoir photos  some of which contained inscriptions  that Lindsay Marsh gave to him earlier in their marriage.

A Davis County judge ordered in July that Christopher Marsh can have the photos, but with a few stipulations, court documents reviewed by Insider showed.

In his ruling, 2nd District Judge Michael Edwards wrote that the photos must be given back to the original photographer so that they can censor the photos in a way that keeps the inscription visible.

"The Court orders that the parties are to turn these photos over to the person who took the pictures originally and produced the photo books," the ruling stated. "That person is then to do whatever it takes to modify the pages of the pictures so that any photographs of the Petitioner in lingerie or that sort of thing or even without clothing are obscured and taken out but the words are maintained for the memory's sake."

Lindsay Marsh told KSL-TV, a Salt Lake City news station, that the order felt "violating."

"You don't know where to turn because you don't know the law," Lindsay Marsh told the station. "And you have not only your ex-husband who you were married to for years (thinking) that forcing you to distribute basically porn is OK  you have his attorney that also thinks that's OK. And then you bring it in front of a judge, and he thinks it's OK."

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Christopher Marsh told Insider that he only wanted the inscriptions and not the photos.

"They were notes written at a time when Lindsay meant what she wrote," he said. "They were loving moments."

Once Lindsay Marsh approached the original photographer  a close friend who ran a boudoir photography business  the friend initially declined to edit the photos, according to The Tribune. Lindsay Marsh told the newspaper that her friend argued that it could be damaging to her business.

The judge then ordered in August for a third party, a man Lindsay Marsh did not know, to edit the photos, according to the newspaper.

"I just want to clarify," she recalled asking the judge's clerks' office to The Tribune. "The judge has ordered me to give nude photos of my body to a third party that I don't know without my consent?"

That's when the original photographer agreed to change the photos.

According to The Tribune, the friend digitally altered the photos and put black boxes over Marsh's body while preserving the messages.

Lindsay Marsh was ordered to keep the photos for 90 days in case her ex-husband has any objections to the alterations.

She told The Tribune that she plans to have a burning party as soon as she can destroy the photos.

Read the original article on Insider
Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Venetia Stevenson, the actress whose publicity machine propelled her onto magazine covers, movie screens, and a stage to accept an award for being the most photogenic girl in the world, has died, her family confirmed Tuesday.

Her brother, the actor Jeffrey Byron, shared news of Stevensons death on his Instagram page. This was not unexpected since she had not been well for quite some time, he wrote, adding that she had lived a glamourous [sic] and busy life.

Byron told The Hollywood Reporter that his sister had died in Atlanta on Monday, following a battle with Parkinsons disease. Stevenson was 84.

If youve ever seen a dream walking, the legendary gossip columnist Hedda Hopper wrote in 1959, its Venetia Stevenson.

Born in 1938, Joanna Venetia Invicta Stevenson was the daughter of Robert Stevensonwho would eventually be known as the Oscar-nominated director of Mary Poppinsand Anna Lee, the John Ford muse nicknamed the British Bombshell. The family moved to Hollywood when their daughter was less than a year old, its patriarch having freshly inked a contract with mega-producer David O. Selznick.

Venetia was 14 years old when she was scouted on a beach by pinup photographer Peter Gowland, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A frequent fixture on magazine covers and in fanzine spreads in years to come, Stevenson had secured a contract with RKO Pictures by 1956.

Relegated largely to television appearances for the first few years of her acting career, Stevenson nabbed her first starring role in a movie in 1958, appearing alongside Peter Brown and James Garner in Darbys Rangers. She would go on to appear in films like 1959s Island of Lost Women and the 1960 Christopher Lee vehicle Horror Hotel.

Even before making her way onto the silver screen, Stevenson had quickly established herself among Tinseltowns glitterati. In early 1956, she married MGM star Russ Tamblyn17 years old to his 21. They divorced a little over a year later but remained friends. Later, she would be romantically linked to co-star Audie Murphy as well as rock n roll god Elvis Presley.

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19-year-old actress Venetia Stevenson visited Elvis Presley in Memphis in early August 1957:

"There wasn't any (publicity) until the night before I left. We went to a movie together, and at midnight, when we left, a photographer followed and snapped pictures. #ElvisPresley pic.twitter.com/GwcXhhXNYc  Elvis Presley News (@Elvis_News) August 8, 2021

Stevenson was also good friends with Hollywood heartthrob Tab Hunter, with Stevenson acting as a confidante for him as he worked while closeted, not-so-secretly dating Psycho star Anthony Perkins. I suppose I was a beard, she mused in the 2015 documentary Tab Hunter Confidential.

In September 1957, Popular Photography magazine plucked Stevenson from a pool of 4,000 girls, designating her the most photogenic girl in the world. She accepted the award on CBS The Ed Sullivan Show, where she met a handsome, harmonizing rocker, Don Everly of the Everly Brothers.

Stevenson and Everly were wed in 1962. She formally retired from acting around the same time; her final film role was in 1961s little-known The Sergeant Was a Lady. The couple had three childrenEdan, Erin (who would go on to marry Guns N' Roses Axl Rose, serving as inspiration for Sweet Child O Mine), and Stacyand split eight years later. Stevenson never remarried.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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HANOI (Reuters) - FPT Semiconductor, a unit of Vietnam's leading tech company FPT, launched its first line of semiconductor chips used in medical devices on Wednesday, part of the company's efforts to enter the competitive global industry.

The company said in a statement it aims to supply 25 million chips globally by 2023 and is eyeing Japan, Taiwan, China and the United States as key markets for the chips that are used in everything from consumer electronics to aerospace and have been in high demand due to supply chain disruptions since the pandemic.

Global semiconductor makers have in recent years been betting on the Southeast Asian country, already a major regional manufacturing hub, as an alternative production destination to China.

Samsung said it will begin making semiconductor parts in Vietnam in July, 2023 after injecting $920 million into its plant in northern province of Thai Nguyen earlier this year. Intel increased its Vietnam chip investment by nearly 50% in 2021.

Vietnam's total chip production has the potential to grow into a $1.65 billion industry by 2025, according to an August report by U.S. market research company Technavio.

(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)
Story at a glance

Virgin Atlantic on Wednesday announced updates to its uniform policy and ticketing system in a company-wide effort to be more inclusive of all gender identities.

Under the new uniform policy, airline staff may select the uniform that best represents them and choose to wear a badge displaying their preferred pronouns.

Virgin Atlantic passengers are also able to select a gender-neutral gender code while booking with their airline.

Virgin Atlantic on Wednesday announced updates to its uniform policy and ticketing system, removing a requirement that staff wear gendered uniforms and allowing nonbinary and gender-nonconforming passengers to select a gender code and title consistent with their identities.

The British airlines policy changes, which are effective immediately, allow flight and ground crew members to select whichever uniform best represents them, regardless of their gender, gender identity or expression, the company said Wednesday in a news release.

Staff members also now have the option to wear pronoun badges to ensure they are properly identified by their colleagues and travelers, to whom badges are also available.

The updated gender identity policy is so important to me, Jaime Forsstroem, one of Virgin Atlantics cabin crew members, said in Wednesdays news release. As a non-binary person, it allows me to be myself at work and have the choice in what uniform I wear.

America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.

In a poll conducted earlier this month on behalf of Virgin Atlantic, 65 percent of adults in the U..K, where the airline is based, said they believe enabling employees to express their true selves at work makes for a happier workforce. Another 49 percent said inclusive work spaces increase the mental well-being of employees and 24 percent said allowing workers to be their authentic selves provides a better experience for customers.

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Employees according to the poll are more likely to feel accepted and comfortable at work when they are able to express themselves freely. Theyre also more likely to feel an increased sense of loyalty to their employer.

Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantics chief commercial officer, on Wednesday said the new policy reflects the companys belief that people should embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work.

It is for that reason that we want to allow our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify and ensure our customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns, he said.

The airline on Wednesday also released an update to its ticketing system, which now allows passengers with gender-neutral passports to select either a U or X gender code on their Virgin Atlantic booking, as well as the gender-neutral title, Mx. The company added that a longer-term plan to amend communication preferences is in the works to include travelers that are not able to select a gender-neutral gender designation on their passports.

The State Department in October issued the first U.S. passport with an X gender designation, with the option becoming more widely available in April. A Williams Institute report issued the same month estimated that close to 17,000 nonbinary LGBTQ+ Americans will request U.S. passports with an X gender designation this year.

Virgin Atlantics policy update follows a 2019 decision that made wearing makeup, skirts and high-heeled shoes optional for female cabin crew members. In June, the company lifted a restriction on visible tattoos for crew members and front line staff.

Other airlines have taken similar steps to make their uniform policies more inclusive. Alaska Airlines in March relaxed restrictions on fingernail polish, tattoos and piercings and rebranded male and female uniform kits to masculine and feminine kits.



Earlier this month, however, the Human Rights Commission of Washington state, where Alaska Airlines is headquartered, found that the airlines binary uniform system likely violated a state law prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity, appearance, behavior or expression.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photo: The Canadian Press This undated photo provided by the City of Fontana Police Department shows, 45-year-old Anthony John Graziano who is a suspect in a shooting incident. A Southern California woman was shot to death Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in a domestic violence incident and police said the suspect, Graziano, is believed to be on the run with his 15-year-old daughter. Officers responding around 7:30 a.m. to reports of gunfire found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds at a home in Fontana, police said in a statement. (Courtesy of City of Fontana Police Department via AP)

An abducted 15-year-old girl and her father  a fugitive wanted in the death of the teen's mother  were both killed amid a shootout with law enforcement Tuesday on a highway in California's high desert, authorities said.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus did not specify whether Savannah Graziano was shot by the responding deputies or her father. Anthony John Graziano, 45, had allegedly killed his estranged wife the day before and abducted their daughter.

Investigators had issued an Amber Alert after Graziano fled. He was described as armed and dangerous.

A 911 caller reported seeing the suspect's Nissan Frontier around Barstow on Tuesday, according the sheriffs department. Deputies located the pickup truck and chased it on the highway for around 45 miles (70 kilometers).

Throughout the chase, Graziano  and possibly his daughter as well  was constantly shooting back at the deputies through the truck's rear window, Dicus said.

The shooter put several rounds through a patrol car's windshield and later disabled a second pursuing vehicle, the sheriff said.

The pickup truck went off the highway and became disabled in the city of Hesperia, and the firefight ensued.

Dicus said the girl was wearing tactical gear as she exited a truck's passenger side and ran toward the sheriff's deputies. She fell to the ground amid the gunfire. The deputies did not initially realize it was the girl who was running toward them, Dicus said, because she was wearing a helmet and a military-style vest that can hold armored plates.

She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly before noon.

Her father was found in the driver's seat and pronounced dead at the scene. A rifle was found inside the car.

One deputy was injured by shrapnel during the firefight, Dicus said.

Graziano allegedly killed Tracy Martinez, 45, on Monday morning in a domestic violence event in the city of Fontana, near San Bernardino, according to Fontana police Sgt. Chris Surgent.

Family members told investigators that the couple had been going through a divorce. Martinez was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Fontana is about 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of Hesperia, on the other side of the in San Gabriel Mountains.
Bill Browder spent a decade navigating the anarchic environment of post-Soviet Russia after moving to Moscow in 1996. He ran a hedge fund that would eventually become the largest outside investor in the country with more than $4.5 billion under management.

The Stanford Business School graduate took a "naming-and-shaming approach" to his work, clashing with oligarchs and other Russian officials who he believed were taking advantage of the lawlessness of the "Wild East."

"But, of course, exposing corrupt oligarchs didnt make me very popular in Russia," Browder writes in his new book, "Freezing Order." "And, in time, my actions led to a cascade of disastrous consequences."

Russian President Vladimir Putin blacklisted Browder in 2005, expelling him from Russia and sending his cronies to seize the assets of Browder's fund.

RUSSIAN PROXIES INTIMIDATE UKRAINIANS AND FORCE REFERENDUM VOTE ON ANNEXATION: LOCAL OFFICIAL

Browder evacuated his staff, liquidated the fund's holdings and hired a team of attorneys who would eventually accuse Interior Ministry officials of working with criminals to orchestrate a $230 million tax rebate fraud.

One of those attorneys, Sergei Magnitsky, was arrested in November 2008 and spent nearly a year in a jail cell, where he was refused medical care for a host of issues he developed. On Nov. 16, 2009, Magnitsky was transferred to another detention center and beaten to death by a group of riot guards with rubber batons.

In 2012, former President Obama signed the Magnitsky Act into law, which sanctioned the individuals believed to be responsible for the attorney's death and allowed the Treasury Department to target other human rights abusers in Russia.

Browder has spent the years since then encouraging dozens of other countries around the world to adopt their own version of the Magnitsky Act, a mission that has taken on increased significance in the wake of Putin's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.

"This war is, for Putin, an existential war," Browder told Fox News Digital in an interview at the Texas Tribune Festival.

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"He started this war  not because of NATO or of some grand vision of Russian Empire  he started this war because he was afraid that someone was going to, or I should say, the people of Russia, were going to finally say enough is enough."

William Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, takes his seat as he arrives for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, July 27, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

More than seven months into the invasion, Putin has failed to achieve his immediate goals, prompting the Kremlin to announce a "partial mobilization" last week and conscript 300,000 men into the military, a move that could backfire.

"He's really walking a tightrope between having to be seen to be strong and upsetting a lot of people by drafting them, putting them in harm's way, having young men killed, in order to stay strong," Browder said.

ZELENSKYY LAYS OUT PEACE FORMULA TO END WAR, BUT SAYS RUSSIA WANTS WAR

The partial mobilization has met some resistance within Russia.

More than 2,300 protesters have been arrested during demonstrations in dozens of cities. Some draft offices have been set on fire, while one 25-year-old Russian man opened fire at a miliary enlistment center in the Siberian town of Ust-Ilimsk, wounding the head of the office, according to Reuters.

"You can be assured of one thing, which is that Putin always escalates. He has only a forward gear, no reverse gear. There's no possibility of negotiation. I've never seen him negotiate anything, so he's going to fight until he can no longer fight," Browder said.

Putin recently threatened to use "all the means at our disposal" if Russia's "territorial integrity" is threatened, a statement that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy derided as "nuclear blackmail."

RUSSIA AND US IN 'VERY SPORADIC' TALKS OVER NUCLEAR ISSUES, KREMLIN SAYS

U.S. officials, meanwhile, have warned of "catastrophic" and "horrific" consequences for Russia if Putin did use nuclear weapons.

"Putin is a psychopath. He holds nuclear weapons. He only cares about his own survival, and if he somehow saw the use of tactical nuclear weapons as a way of staying alive and staying in power, then he very well might," Browder said.

The U.S. and Western allies have sent billions of dollars worth of military aid to Ukraine while slapping sanctions on Russian industry and oligarchs.

Throwing a wrench in Russia's war machine won't be possible until the rest of the world joins in cutting off Russia though, according to Browder.

"A lot of other countries  China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil  are sitting it out, they're not involved in the sanctions," Browder said.

"I think that we have to say to the countries that aren't participating, You have a choice. You can either do business with the G7, which makes up the vast majority of the economic output of the world, or you can choose Russia."
A look at the shareholders of Tate & Lyle plc (LON:TATE) can tell us which group is most powerful. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 87% to be precise, is institutions. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

As a result, institutional investors endured the highest losses last week after market cap fell by UK96m. This set of investors may especially be concerned about the current loss, which adds to a one-year loss of 1.3% for shareholders. Often called market makers, institutions wield significant power in influencing the price dynamics of any stock. Hence, if weakness in Tate & Lyle's share price continues, institutional investors may feel compelled to sell the stock, which might not be ideal for individual investors.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Tate & Lyle, beginning with the chart below.

See our latest analysis for Tate & Lyle

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Tate & Lyle?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

Tate & Lyle already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. 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 Tate & Lyle's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Tate & Lyle. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC with 11% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 6.9% and 4.4%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.

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Looking at the shareholder registry, we can see that 50% of the ownership is controlled by the top 18 shareholders, meaning that no single shareholder has a majority interest in the ownership.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of Tate & Lyle

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

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 most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of Tate & Lyle plc. Keep in mind that it's a big company, and the insiders own UK6.8m worth of shares. The absolute value might be more important than the proportional share. 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

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 10% stake in Tate & Lyle. 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:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Tate & Lyle (at least 1 which is potentially serious) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.

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Bankers texting away on their personal phones are costing the biggest banks on Wall Street a chunk of money.

On Tuesday, two U.S. regulators announced $1.8 billion in penalties to be paid by financial institutions including Goldman Sachs (GS), Bank of America (BAC), and Morgan Stanley (MS) over staff usage of personal devices to discuss work-related matters, a violation of recordkeeping provisions of federal securities laws.

"From January 2018 through September 2021, the firms employees routinely communicated about business matters using text messaging applications on their personal devices," SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a statement. "The firms did not maintain or preserve the substantial majority of these off-channel communications, in violation of the federal securities laws."

The Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) penalty totaled $1.1 billion across 15 broker-dealers: Barclays Capital (BCS), Bank of America, Citigroup (C), Credit Suisse (CS), Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, UBS Securities, Jefferies, Nomura Securities, and Cantor Fitzgerald. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) charged 11 institutions a collective $710 million fine.

Finance, ultimately, depends on trust, Gensler added. By failing to honor their recordkeeping and books-and-records obligations, the market participants we have charged today have failed to maintain that trust."

A man checks his phone outside the Royal Exchange in London. (Photo by In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images)

The industry has more broadly been scrutinized in recent years over which platforms are used by employees to discuss items related to trades and investments. Last year, JPMorgan Chase drew attention to unscrupulous personal device use after the bank paid a $125 million SEC fine after "widespread and longstanding failures" to safeguard employee communications, who were using WhatsApp, email, and text to discuss securities-related matters.

"We fully cooperated with our regulators on this industry-wide matter," a Deutsche Bank spokesperson told Yahoo Finance. "We have proactively deployed fully compliant and convenient text and chat platforms and will continue to scale these technologies to meet the expectations of our regulators and our clients.

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Bank of America and Barclays declined to comment on the matter. Other entities cited in the regulatory orders did not respond to requests for comment before publication.

As technology changes, its even more important that registrants appropriately conduct their communications about business matters within only official channels, and they must maintain and preserve those communications, the SEC's Gensler stated.

Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser leans in to speak with Bank of America Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan during a break in a U.S. House Financial Services Committee hearing titled Holding Megabanks Accountable: Oversight of Americas Largest Consumer Facing Banks on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 21, 2022. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

In the SEC's charges, eight firms and of their five subsidiaries agreed to pay fines of $125 million each: Barclays Capital, BofA Securities together with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities, Deutsche Bank Securities together with DWS Distributors and DWS Investment Management Americas, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley together with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and UBS Securities together with UBS Financial Services.

Jefferies and Nomura Securities International settled on fines of $50 million each, while Cantor Fitzgerald paid out $10 million.

To settle with the CFTC, Bank of America shelled out $100 million, the largest sum; Barclays, $75 million; Cantor Fitzgerald $6 million; Citi, $75 million; Credit Suisse $75 million; Deutsche Bank, $75 million; Goldman Sachs, $75 million; Jefferies, $30 million; Morgan Stanley, $75 million; Nomura, $50 million; and UBS, $75 million.



Alexandra Semenova is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alexandraandnyc

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A rare phenomenon caused by Hurricane Ian sucked water away from the shore of Tampa Bay Wednesday morning, another symptom of the impending storm.

Around 8 a.m., the tide was beginning to recede from Tampa Bay. The phenomenon is called a reverse storm surge, and its when storm winds push water out of the bay, according to Nicole Carlisle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay.

Times reporter Christopher Spata tweeted that Charter captain Jordan Hallsted spotted water receding around 8:30 a.m. near North Shore Park and Coffee Pot Bayou in St. Petersburg.

READ MORE: Eyewall of massive, extremely dangerous Hurricane Ian begins moving ashore

Spectrum Bay News 9 Meteorologist Mike Clay tweeted around 8:30 a.m. that water in Madeira Beach was being pushed away from shore, with two hours still to go before low tide.

Water near Tampas Mckay Bay was three feet below expected levels during low tide as of 10:30 a.m., according to preliminary data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Water from the Gulf beaches also pulled back, data tracking from Clearwater Beach shows.

Eerie sign of the approaching Hurricane Ian: the storm appears to be pulling water away from Tampa Bay shores. Charter captain Jordan Hallsted spotted this scene at 830 am near North Shore Park / Coffeepot Bayou in St. Pete pic.twitter.com/gLFWPmSI63  Christopher Spata (@SpataTimes) September 28, 2022

Carlisle said the negative tide will likely continue over the next couple of hours. Later on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay area could see the water rushing back, as forecasters are still predicting 4 to 6 feet of storm surge.

The same rare phenomenon happened in 2017, when experts said the negative surge caused by Hurricane Irma was one of the biggest ever.

The force of the storm and winds blowing counterclockwise pulled the water near Bayshore Boulevard during an extremely low tide, emptying the bay as onlookers walked out curiously onto the shores (which officials warn is extremely dangerous to do).

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Irmas eye weakened significantly before easterly winds hit Tampa Bay that would have caused a blowout  when pressure builds up and water rushes back in  having only a 2-foot surge.

Carlisle reminded residents of Tampa Bay to not walk out into the bay, as waters will come back.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management echoed the warning around 9:30 a.m. The water will return through a storm surge, the department said, and it will be life-threatening.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Now more than ever, the strength of the U.S. dollar reflects the relative strength of the U.S. economy, White House economic adviser Brian Deese told reporters on Tuesday.

"In a highly uncertain global environment ... what we're seeing is reinforcing the unique position of strength that the United States economy is in, notwithstanding all the complexity of our recovery," Deese told reporters after an event hosted by the Economic Club of Washington, D.C..

Asked if he was concerned about the spillover effects of weaker economies elsewhere on the United States, Deese mentioned Europe, Britain and China, and said the Biden administration was paying "a lot of attention" to pockets of "particular weakness" in the global growth trajectory.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
A Newark woman, suspected in a 48-hour crime spree in California, was attempting a daring escape by driving toward police when an officer opened fire at the woman's rental car, wounding her and her friend from Philadelphia, authorities said.

California authorities began investigating the police-involved shooting while the Delaware woman, Rickita James, was recovering and facing several criminal charges including possession of a stun gun, identity theft, shoplifting and reckless evading.

Since this incident, charges against 33-year-old James have been dropped after California authorities called into question San Mateo, California, Officer Juan Ramirez's actions on Sept. 28, 2019.

A San Mateo, California, police officer fires his gun at a car with two women - one from Delaware - who investigators said went on a 48-hour crime spree in that state.

"There was evidence to support filing theft charges against Rikita James and her accomplice," San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told Delaware Online/The News Journal. "But I decided to exercise prosecutorial discretion and not charge them with any crimes.

"Both of the women were shot by Officer Ramirez and Ms. James suffered severe injuries that will incapacitate or severely limit her mobility the rest of her life. Particularly since the decision to prosecute Officer Ramirez was a very close one and in a sense of justice, I decided the two women should not be further impacted by a criminal prosecution."

James, who according to public records lives in Atlanta, could not be reached for comment. Relatives of James, who were reached in Christiana, declined to comment.

While this matter was resolved in 2020, it is being reported now by Delaware Online/The News Journal in keeping with the newspaper's policy to follow criminal cases in which suspects are named through its resolution.

California 2019

James and her then-27-year-old friend, Taleah Johnson, flew from Philadelphia to Los Angeles on Sept. 26, 2019, according to San Mateo Police detectives.

Once in California, police said the women rented a white Chevrolet Malibu, then stole a license plate. Over the course of 48 hours, police said the women committed at least 11 thefts in southern California and the Bay Area, nine of which were at shopping malls and retail stores.

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On Sept. 28 of that year, police said the women stole a temporary license plate from a vehicle in Walnut Creek before committing multiple thefts in San Jose and Palo Alto before arriving at Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo that afternoon.

Background:California police release body-cam video of officer shooting woman from Newark, Delaware

Security cameras captured the women stealing at the shopping center, including taking a woman's wallet, police said. James and Johnson then used a credit card from the purse to buy gift cards at Macy's, police said.

While inside the shopping center, police said Officer Ramirez noticed the women's running car was parked in a handicapped spot without a placard. Ramirez also noticed the car's VIN was covered and the license plate belonged to another vehicle.

Ramirez called for backup as James and Johnson returned to their car. As the women left the shopping center, officers tried to stop the car.

James, who was driving, did not stop, police said. They said as officers were chasing the car, the women began throwing cut up credit cards out of the moving vehicle.

James drove into a cul-de-sac, where police blocked her in, according to the district attorney's report. She then "accelerated in the general direction of Officer Ramirez's patrol car" and Ramirez fired nine rounds at the car.

"Officer Ramirez told investigators he believed that Ms. James was about to strike him and he considered trying to jump onto his patrol vehicle to avoid being struck," the report said.

Although he was aware of the passenger, Ramirez told investigators he "felt confident that he could hit the driver."

When Ramirez approached the Malibu, the car's reverse lights came on and the vehicle started moving back  almost striking Ramirez, who fired five more rounds at the driver.

"After a brief pause, as the car came to a rest, he fired the remaining three rounds from his firearm, striking the front windshield," according to the report.

A San Mateo, California, police officer fires his gun at a car with two women - one from Delaware - who investigators said went on a 48-hour crime spree in that state.

Officers approached the car, removed the women from it and began first aid until paramedics arrived.

James was shot four to six times, resulting in significant injuries, including to her lungs, kidneys and bones in both her arms, the report said. "She has lost the full use of her right arm and suffered injury to various parts of her body."

Johnson was struck two to four times. The District Attorney's report did not have her medical condition.

Serious concerns

In a letter to San Mateo Police Chief Ed Barberini, District Attorney Wagstaffe said he questioned Ramirezs actions.

"I have serious concerns about Officer Juan Ramirez's decision to fire his weapon at the fleeing automobile and cause serious injury to two women he suspected of committing theft-related crimes," Wagstaffe wrote. "I seriously question whether Officer Ramirez acted properly in this case. However, I have no hesitancy in concluding that for the reasons set forth in the extensive detail below, it is not reasonably likely that a jury would find his conduct to be criminal."

Wagstaffe's office retained use-of-force expert David Blake to review the matter.

Blake provided possible explanations as to why Ramirez did not use a "generally taught tactic of remaining behind available cover."

"Quick judgments during tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving situations do not often rise to the level of the best decision possible," Blake wrote.

Blake was also asked about the discrepancy between Ramirez perceiving the Malibu being in front of him and video showing the officer was facing the right side of the car.

In this case, Blake cautioned against relying solely on the video evidence in assessing a rapidly unfolding high-stress incident, as it "is only 20/20 hindsight that we know the outcome of the driver's actions."

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Why Newark woman shot by California police in 2019 was never charged
Visit the FOX Weather Wire for live updates on Hurricane Ian as it rips through Florida. Click here for the latest forecast, evacuation orders and more .

Have you ever wondered why meteorologists say that the eastern side of the storm is the most dangerous? Or call it the "dirty side" of a hurricane?

Usually the right-front quadrant of a storm in the Northern Hemisphere carries higher winds, waves and storm surge, according to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

A radar scan from the 3D Radar on the FOX Weather app showing Hurricane Ian.

If you look at a satellite image loop of Hurricane Ian as it moved north Tuesday before an expected eastward turn into the Gulf Coast of Florida, imagine a clock superimposed over the circulation.

HERE ARE THE BUZZWORDS YOU'LL BE HEARING DURING HURRICANE SEASON

The right front quadrant, from essentially 1 o'clock to 3 o'clock on our imaginary clock, will have the strongest winds and worst storm surge.

Every low pressure or cyclone circulates internally in a counter-clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere, including hurricanes, nor'easters and most tornadoes.

Steering currents, driven by atmospheric air flow in the upper levels, adds to the strength of the maximum sustained winds in that quadrant. For example, if a hurricane's steering currents were moving at 30 mph and sustained winds of the hurricane were 80 to 100 mph, the combination generates wind speed at 130 to 150 mph at 3 o'clock on the clock face.

On the left side of the hurricane (9 o'clock on our imaginary clock face), the maximum sustained winds flow against the steering currents. So in the example above, the steering current of 30 mph would reduce the 100 mph hurricane wind speed to 70 mph, according to UCAR. The National Hurricane Center takes this into account when issuing official wind estimates.

The faster winds on that energized "right side" of the hurricane create higher waves, slightly higher wind gusts and the storm surge. The National Hurricane Center wrote that storm surge triggered by the low pressure of the storm (the atmosphere pressing less on the surface of the water) is minimal  about 5%  compared to the amount of water forced onshore by the hurricane-force wind.

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WHY FLORIDA'S GULF COAST IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO A HURRICANE'S STORM SURGE

When a storm surge triggered by being in the right quadrant of the storm aligns with a waterway like a bay or river, the effects can be even more dangerous.

But being on the other side of the storm can have opposite effects. In 2017, Hurricane Irma made landfall at Marco Island, Florida putting Tampa Bay on the left side of the storm.

The 115 mph winds out of the northeast were an offshore wind and actually forced water out of Tampa Bay. The video shows exposed sea walls and birds walking on what hours before was underwater by feet:

The majority of tornadoes embedded in thunderstorms in the hurricane's rain bands and eye wall form in the front right quadrant as well, according to the National Weather Service. Twisters spawned by a tropical system are generally weak and short-lived but can still do damage.

THIS IS THE LIFECYCLE OF A TORNADO

The NWS looked at tornadoes formed by tropical systems in central South Carolina and eastern Georgia from 1950 to 2013. Their research showed that most of the tornadoes were from tropical storms and hurricanes that made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico and traveled north-northeast.
A man suffered third-degree burns when a woman he invited into his house to use the restroom later, for reasons not clear, flung a pot of boiling water on him while she was cooking ramen noodles, cops say.

The man, 65, who lives in Macons Unionville neighborhood, suffered extensive injuries, according to a Bibb County sheriffs report of the Sept. 2 episode.

The woman, Brittany L. Huff, was later arrested on an aggravated battery charge and was being held without bond Tuesday at the county lockup.

The alleged victim spoke to a sheriffs deputy here late last week. The mans account of the incident was noted in a report that said Huff, 30, showed up at his house on Montpelier Place and asked if she could use the bathroom.

She then asked for something to eat and (the victim) said she could have some (ramen) noodles, the sheriffs report said. She boiled a pot of water and while she was heating up the water (an) altercation took place that led to Huff throwing the pot of boiling water on (the victims) legs.

The report did not mention what prompted the clash.

Huff was sentenced to probation in 2017 after pleading guilty to assaulting a Macon man with a razor blade.
Photo: The Canadian Press

B.C. Supreme Court says an employer was entitled to place an employee on an unpaid leave of absence for failing to comply with a COVID-19 mandatory vaccination policy (MVP).

In her Sept. 26 decision, Justice Heather MacNaughton stressed Deepk Parmar is not an anti-vaxxer.

Instead, she says that she had been reviewing the literature and news about the efficacy and potential risks of the various available vaccines and she observed several family members experience severe health complications following their first and second vaccines, MacNaughton said, noting the decision is a Canadian first as a civil claim rather than an arbitration decision.

Ms. Parmar says that she is concerned that the vaccines were prepared and distributed hastily and that there is limited data about their long-term efficacy and potential negative health implications for certain individuals, the judge said. She was hesitant to get vaccinated for fear of negative side effects.

However, MacNaughton said, an employees individual views have to give way to health and safety concerns underlying such a policy.

In the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic in the winter of 2021 and January 2022, implementing an MVP was a reasonable policy choice for employers, MacNaughton said.

Parmar alleged she was constructively dismissed from her employment with Tribe Management Inc. when she was placed on an unpaid leave of absence and then resigned after refusing to comply with the MVP.

MacNaughton called such policies extraordinary but noted, In the context of the extraordinary health challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, such policies are reasonable. They do not force an employee to be vaccinated. What they do force is a choice between getting vaccinated, and continuing to earn an income, or remaining unvaccinated, and losing their income. Ms. Parmar made her choice based on what appears to have been speculative information about potential risks.

The workplace and claim

Parmar had been employed by Gateway Property Management, which Tribe acquired in July 2021, according to the ruling.

Parmar claimed Tribe breached its contractual obligations, entitling her to treat the employment relationship as having ended.

Tribe claimed the MVP was a reasonable and lawful response to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and was allowed by the employment contract.

The company said if Parmar sustained any losses, they were a result of her failure to mitigate by becoming vaccinated, and that she could have resumed employment once she got vaccinated as most of her colleagues had done.

The company called the senior accounting employee a valued one.

When the pandemic struck, Parmar was able to work remotely for some of the time but never entirely from home. She did need to be in the office on occasion to sign cheques.

By mid-June 2021, just before the completion of Tribes acquisition of Gateway, it was expected that vaccines would become readily available. The company said that changed the circumstances of the pandemic to permit office re-opening.

An email was sent to all staff about re-opening, and Parmar returned to the office and worked there between June 23 and Nov. 30, 2021, the ruling stated.

There is no dispute that Ms. Parmar carefully observed or exceeded all of the public health requirements while she was in the Tribe office, MacNaughton said.

It was in September that mandatory vaccine policies became part of the national conversation, and the start of restrictions for the unvaccinated. As such, the company believed a policy was both a reasonable and necessary measure to address the pandemic and the risks associated with COVID-19, according to the ruling.

However, MacNaughton said, the company wrestled with mandating health-care decisions for employees.

However, on Oct. 5, a policy was implemented. The companys CEO required those not wishing to comply to be placed on unpaid leave rather than being fired. On Nov. 25, Parmar was told because she had not complied with the policy, she would be put on an unpaid leave of absence, from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28, 2022.

The decision to impose a leave of absence arises primarily from our legal responsibility as an employer to provide all employees with a healthy and safe workplace. It is our hope that you will use this time as an opportunity to seek as much information and advice as possible regarding the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, the letter said.

On Dec. 15, Parmar sent a letter via email, requesting to return to work within one week, or she would allege constructive dismissal. She outlined safety mitigation measures that could allow her to continue working, including a willingness to undergo regular rapid testing, at her expense, if she needed to be in the office.

A month later, her leave was extended. Parmar resigned the next day alleging constructive dismissal.

The employees concerns

Court documents say Parmar's father experienced headaches after his first dose; they became severe after his second jab.

She says that her father started experiencing brain fog, confusion, seizure-like episodes, shortness of breath, and overall weakness, making it difficult to get out of bed, MacNaughton said. After weeks of oxygen therapy, the intensity of his symptoms has subsided, but he has not resumed his daily routines.

She [Parmar] believed that there might have been a causal connection, MacNaughton said.

Parmar also said an aunt experienced an endometriosis flare-up after her second dose and that her symptoms continue and cause her severe pain.

There was no evidence in the record before me connecting endometriosis with COVID-19 vaccines, MacNaughton ruled.

MacNaughton said the MVP reflected the prevailing approach at the time.

It struck an appropriate balance between Tribes business interests, the rights of its employees to a safe work environment, its clients interests, and the interests of the residents in the properties it serviced, MacNaughton said. It also satisfied its responsibility as a corporate citizen. At the same time, it ensured that individuals like Ms. Parmar could maintain a principled stance against vaccination without losing their employment by, instead, being put on a leave of absence.

With a head office in Vancouver and satellites in Alberta and Ontario, Tribe provides condominium management services to strata boards and councils as well as rental management services to both full rental buildings and individual units. It has about 220 employees.

Tribe did not want her to leave, and there is no suggestion that implementing the MVP was a pretext for ending Ms. Parmars employment relationship with Tribe, MacNaughton said.
New York Citys mayor seemed to randomly hurl an insult at Kansas on Tuesday, harkening back to the scene where trees pelted Dorothy, Toto and the Scarecrow with apples in the "Wizard of Oz."

New York City has a brand that's recognizable around the world, unlike Kansas, said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

"We have a brand," he said. "New York has a brand. And when people see it, it means something. When we go there, it's not... Kansas doesn't have a brand. (Laughter.) When you go there, okay, you're from Kansas. No. You know what? But New York has a brand."

Adams claimed that on his recent trip to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, he was recognized due to New Yorks brand.

This is the international city, he said. This is America's city.

What is Kansas known for? Many things, like superheroes and good sports teams

You know what seems like an American brand? Superman, whose motto was Truth, justice and the American way. And where did Superman grow up? Not New York City.

Is New York City's brand sports-related?

The Jets and Giants both posted 22-59 records (points for consistency) from 2017-2021. Basketball hasnt been relevant in New York since the 1970s, unless you count the offseason drama of Kevin Durant demanding a trade from the Brooklyn Nets this summer.

Right now, the Kansas and Kansas State football programs are making more national headlines than the Jets and Giants. The Jayhawks are off to their first 4-0 start in more than a decade and the Wildcats just upset the No. 6 team in the country on the road.

Oh, and remember April? Kansas basketball won its fourth NCAA championship in school history. But it doesn't stop there.

But forget sports. There are plenty of famous Kansas, many of whom people don't realize have connections to the Sunflower State.

There's Jason Sudeikis, Paul Rudd, Heidi Gardner, Eric Stonestreet, Kirstie Alley, Don Johnson, Annette Benning, Rob Riggle, Bridget Everett, Janelle Monae, Melissa Etheridge, Martina McBride, Scott Foley, Elvira... and Superman, to name a few.

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Sunflower State supporters took to social media Tuesday to challenge that assertion.

Mayor Eric Adams, no fan of the Midwest, says New York City has a brand that is recognizable around the world unlike Kansas. Kansas doesnt have a brand.

(Adams famously told Brooklyn gentrifiers to Go Back to Iowa as Brooklyn borough president.)  Emma G. Fitzsimmons (@emmagf) September 27, 2022

There's no place like home

A common response was to say Kansas has created a brand identity through its association with "The Wizard of Oz," in which a tornado leaves Sunflower State farm girl Dorothy Gale in the magical land of Oz, only to find that she most wants simply to go home.

Im from Kansas. I live in Europe. I have friends from all over the world. I have met exactly ONE person who didnt immediately say, oh, like Dorothy when I told them where I was from. Trust me, theres a brand.  Kathryne, MFA (@KBADS06) September 27, 2022

My Public Enemy #1

One woman responded on Facebook by saying Adams had become her "Public Enemy #1."

Man of Steel

One tweet, which was among the most "liked" sent out in response to Fitzsimmons' tweet, featured a quote from the 2013 movie "Man of Steel." It pointed out that the fictional superhero Superman comes from Smallville, Kansas.

I think we have a brand? pic.twitter.com/ny9ClRtsw0  Josh Powers (@JoshuaCPowers) September 27, 2022

The Sunflower State

Another well-liked tweet made reference to the state flower.

Think Kansas is pretty solidified as the sunflower state. pic.twitter.com/16D0U6EOlG  Jonathan Tasler (@TaslerPhoto) September 27, 2022

Bleeding Kansas

But the most-liked tweet sent out in response to Fitzsimmons' tweet illustrated the Kansas connection with early abolitionist John Brown.

Champs

Some Twitter users responded by making reference to the NCAA Champion Kansas Jayhawks basketball team.

Last I heard, the city doesnt have a winning basketball team. Unlike pic.twitter.com/lUTXNfl8NE  The Alien Away-Team. (@AFreakingBreak) September 27, 2022

Why can't we just get along?

A Kansas man who once lived in New York City received considerable support for his suggestion that there was no reason to put either down.

As someone who has lived in NYC and now lives in Kansas, both places have their pluses and negatives. No reason to put either down.  Scott Rothschild (@srothschild1) September 27, 2022

Ad Astra Per Aspera

And Kansas Tourism, a division of the Department of Commerce, also weighed in on Twitter.

Thanks for unleashing Kansas Twitter upon the world! Truth is, we have a brand, and its inspired by our state motto, Ad astra per aspera, or To the stars through difficulties. Kansans live and breathe this every day, so thanks for the opportunity to share it. #ToTheStarsKS pic.twitter.com/uLZQ9h1cCw  TravelKS (@TravelKS) September 27, 2022

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Social media defense Kansas after New York City Mayor comments
John Romano, 34, spoke out about the sword attack on TikTok (Jon4peace / TikTok)

A New York man who was released from prison in 2020 for a high school shooting has needed multiple limbs reattached following a sword attack.

Jon Romano, 34, was 16-years-old when he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a shooting at a school in East Greenbush, New York, and was working at a homeless shelter in Albany following his release, according to Times Union.

Romano was working at a homeless shelter called the Community Connections Drop-In Center when he was attacked by a man with a sword on 29 August, requiring urgent treatment to reattach several limbs. He also suffered serious leg and head injuries.

Speaking in a series of TikTok videos from his hospital bed, Romano said he was asking himself why he was still alive following the attack at the homeless shelter.

Romano said the attack came after he confronted a man for using derogatory language towards him, and that the suspect had become animated and was talking to himself about white devils before launching at him with a sword.

Were like chill out bro, you just gotta eat your lunch, and you know, he starts talking aggressively, said Romano, whose boss agreed to tell the man to leave the shelter after finishing his lunch.

The guy comes running right at me screaming f****ng white devil. And you know, I run, ha. I run for my life literally, Romano said of the attack in the video.

He just starts swinging the swords, and hes chopping up my legs real bad and Im still holding them up even as theyre falling apart, Romano continued in the video.

Speaking in another TikTok, the homeless shelter employee said he had regained some movement in his limbs since the attack but that he was feeling a sense of loss.

Ive lost all independence. Im just lying here in a bed 24/7, he said, while adding: Were still going to push forward, were still going to talk about reforms and doing good.

Romano has advocated for school safety and better mental health support for school children and teenagers since his release from prison. In 2004, he brought a shotgun to Columbia High School in East Greenbush and wounded a teacher in the attack before being disarmed.

The suspect in the sword attack is due in court next month, according to the Times Union.
A young girl was found carrying a loaded gun on a school bus, Ohio police told local media.

A bus driver in Youngstown was taking students home from St. Joseph the Provider School on the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 26, when the shocking discovery was made, WKBN reported, citing the Youngstown Police Department.

A student told the driver that the girl had a gun in her bag, The Vindicator reported.

The bus driver approached the girl  who admitted to carrying a gun  and took the weapon, The Vindicator reported, citing authorities. The driver called the police.

The 11-year-old girl told police she had the gun because she was tired of being picked on all the time, WKBN reported.

The handgun was a 9mm semiautomatic with four bullets, none in the chamber, that police suspect belonged to the girls mother, WKBN reported.

The girl was arrested on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and illegally carrying a deadly weapon in a school safety zone, WFMJ reported. She was arraigned Tuesday, Sept. 27, and reportedly denied the charges.

She will remain in custody until her next hearing and undergo a mental health examination, WFMJ reported. An investigation is ongoing.

St. Joseph the Provider School, which teaches kindergarten to 8th grade, did not respond to McClatchy News request for comment.

Youngstown is located about 70 miles southeast of Cleveland.

Boy who biked through stop sign is hit by school superintendent, Missouri video shows

Missing 14-year-old student found dead after a five-day search in Maine, school says

Student stabs faculty member at Texas junior high school, officials say
(Getty Images)

YouTube and Meta are profiting from Brazilian election disinformation, a new report claims.

YouTubes algorithm has promoted prominent Brazilian stop the steal videos which collectively have racked up 22 million views, campaign group SumOfUs alleges, and been interacted with 2.3 million times on Facebook.

Conspiracy theories rooting from President Jair Bolsonaros rhetoric that he will contest the results of election voting taking place this Sunday if he deems them fraudulent, similar to claims made by former president Donald Trump, have been spreading on Meta-owned WhatsApp.

Ill hand over the presidential sash to whoever wins the election cleanly, Mr Bolsonaro has said, not with fraud.

Mr Bolsonaro has also told his supporters to "swear to give my life for freedom," and "take to the streets for the last time", as the right-wing politican drops in the poles against Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva, Brazils former president from 2003 to 2010.

SumOfUs report highlights 10 which it claims could be exposing millions of new people to extremist election conspiracy theories and seriously undermining the democratic process.

These 10 are apparently responsible for 2.3 million Facebook interactions, 15,734 Instagram interactions, and 23,251 Twitter interactions.

It also claims that only six of the channels have been demonitised on YouTube, meaning that the company is still receiving revenue from the other four and allegedly flaunting a Superior Electoral Court order that states specific election misinformation spreaders must stop receiving funds from ad revenues.

On Facebook, 56 problematic ads apparently attacking the electoral process by spreading false information about electronic voting while also promoting a military coup. These adverts have received, collectively, almost three million impressions, the report says.

(SumOfUs)

"YouTube and Meta have added rocket fuel to Brazils stop the steal movement, helping Bolsonaro copy Trumps playbook to the letter, and causing incalculable damage to Brazilian democracy. One by one, elections around the world are getting sabotaged by Big Tech -- if we dont act now to save democracy, at some point it will be too late, Vicky Wyatt, SumOfUs campaign director, said in a statement.

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Meta was also criticised by SumOfUs earlier this month, claiming that Facebook adverts and extremist rhetoric shared on WhatsApp could put the election at risk.

"It illustrates again Facebooks role in pumping out violent and hateful content to large numbers of users," the group said.

"One ad, which was taken down before the release of this report, features a military combat knife and gear with hashtags related to the 7th September rallies. It ran during the week of August 25th... Despite the ad takedown, an almost identical post remains up on the shop page Military Bazar since August 23rd. SumOfUs has reported the post."

YouTube and Meta did not respond to The Independents request for comment before time of publication.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to protect Ukrainians living in four regions that Russia is poised to annex after orchestrating referendums this week.

Moscow-installed administrations in the four regions, located in Ukraines south and east, claimed Tuesday night that residents voted to join Russia in the referendums, but the votes were denounced by Ukraine and the West, which view them as rigged contests.

We will act to protect our people in the Kherson region, in the Zaporizhzhia region, in Donbas, in the currently occupied areas of the Kharkiv region and in Crimea, Zelensky said in his nightly address to Ukrainians.

This farce in the occupied territory cannot even be called an imitation of referenda, he continued.

U.S. officials and others in the West have cast the referendums as a land grab after Ukrainians reclaimed thousands of square miles in a counteroffensive, pushing Russian forces back to the border in some areas and causing embarrassment for Russian leaders.

The referendums are similar to one Russia carried out in 2014 in Ukraines Crimea before annexing the peninsula.



Russian President Vladimir Putin faced increasing criticism within his country amid the territorial losses from the counteroffensive, which only grew after Putin called up 300,000 reservists and threatened the West with nuclear weapons last week.

Zelensky acknowledged the referendums at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday, urging members to implement new sanctions and exclude Russia from all international organizations.

A state that is implementing a policy of genocide right now, keeping the world one step away from a radiation disaster, and at the same time threatening nuclear strikes cannot remain a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council with veto power, Zelensky told members in a virtual address, calling for legally binding guarantees of collective security.

The United Kingdom on Monday announced 92 sanctions against Russian officials and agencies in response to the referendums.

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Zelensky also said on Tuesday evening that he spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who publicly condemned the referendums and described them as a sham.

Russias implementation of the so-called Crimean scenario and another attempt to annex Ukrainian territory will mean that there is nothing to talk about with this President of Russia. This is clear and obvious, Zelensky said.

At a U.N. Security Council meeting last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on countries to reject results published by Russia.

We are prepared to impose additional swift and severe economic costs on Russia, along with our allies and partners in response to these actions that were seeing currently, if they move forward with annexation, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday during a briefing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Meeting of Zelenskyi and Erdogan in Lviv on August 18

The leaders also discussed the successful exchange of war prisoners between Russia and Ukraine.

Drawing attention to the successful functioning of the agreement on Ukrainian grains shipment through the Black Sea, President Erdogan stressed that a similar approach can be taken as regards the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as well, and reiterated Turkeys offer to act as a mediator and facilitator for the formation of a demilitarized zone around the power plant, the press service tweeted.

Read also: Erdogan offers Putin Turkeys help as mediator in Zaporizhzhya NPP issue

The presidents also discussed sham referendums in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

Holding unilateral referendums in Ukrainian regions that are under Russian control will undermine efforts aimed at reviving the diplomatic process, the President stressed, adding that Turkey stands ready to provide every kind of support for the settlement of the war through peaceful negotiations, Erdogans administration stated.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
BEDFORD  Bedford County is set to hire for 14 new school resource officer positions following the county board of supervisors 6-1 vote Monday to approve a $1 million grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.

The grant of just more than $1,042,300 would fund SROs for the countys 13 elementary schools and Susie B. Gibson Science & Technology Center/Alternative Education Center, according to county documents.

Sheriff Mike Miller said the boards approval is awesome news for the county, students and citizens in making all 21 schools as safe as possible. Miller, who helped launch the program 24 years ago as an SRO, said placing an officer in each school has long been a priority he has looked forward to meeting.

Youre dealing with the worlds most precious commodity and thats our children, Miller said.

County Administrator Robert Hiss said the county and Bedford County Public Schools officials have discussed cost-sharing arrangements for funding the new positions. Hiss said BCPS has agreed to pay for 75% of salaries and benefits and the county is picking up the rest along with equipment and vehicles.

Earlier this month, the county school board unanimously moved to support adding the SRO positions.

Supervisor Bob Davis, who voted against approving the grant, expressed concerns with the overall costs for county taxpayers in the long run. He said he finds it troubling the grant request came to the board in short notice and the boards permission was not sought beforehand to apply for the grant.

Davis also questioned why SROs need vehicles for patrolling off school grounds or need to read books to children when their jobs are focused on safety.

Quite frankly, I find that as pie in the sky, Davis said. The need for a police cruiser escapes me.

Miller said a sheriffs deputy vehicle at each school is a deterrent for criminal activity and seven vehicles that are older are earmarked to go to the new SROs.

At one point on discussion of the costs, Miller said in response to a comment from Davis: I will never give you smoke and mirrors. I will give you the truth.

The grant award period is from July 1 of this year to June 30, 2023, with a local match waived in the first year and a local match of 31% for three additional years at $326,480 per year, according to county documents.

Beyond the four years the grant is approved for, in fiscal year 2027, the positions would be 100% locally funded, if continued, at a cost of just more than $1,042,300. The boards approval came ahead of an Oct. 17 deadline for accepting or rejecting the grant.

Bedford Schools Superintendent Marc Bergin in a Sept. 9 memo to Hiss wrote the Bedford County School Board and administration are appreciative of the opportunity to further ensure the safety of students, staff and school visitors.

While we agreed to the need to ensure a security presence in all of the public schools in Bedford County, we do remain open to exploring the more cost efficient School Security Officer [SSO] model, Bergin wrote.

When asked about SSO officers compared to SROs, Miller said he could guarantee the proper training for the latter in responding to dangerous situations.

Board members discussed the importance of remaining watchful of county spending on the SROs as the program expands to reach all schools.

I dont want to take a million dollars on the front end if its going to cost $5 million on the back end, Supervisor Mickey Johnson said.

John Sharp, the boards chair, said if the county goes down the road of accepting the grant, the 75% commitment from the schools is crucial.

If we commit to this, they are committing as well, from my perspective, Sharp said.

Davis said he is concerned with taxpayers paying twice as much for the SRO program than is needed and he supports further exploring the more cost-effective SSO option. He also expressed support for looking to hire retired law enforcement officers or military to serve those roles in a way he said would save Bedford taxpayers money on an annual basis.

Im all about the safety of our students in our schools but if it can be done at a much more affordable rate, which Im convinced it can be, then I think at the very least we need to take a little more pause here and reconsider approving this this evening, Davis said.

Supervisor Charla Bansley said she is 100% in support of the grants boost for the SRO program.

I, for one, dont think there is any more valuable resource in our county than our kids in our schools, Bansley said.
Two Virginia inmates serving time at separate high-security state prisons in Wise County have been indicted in the killings of two other inmates at those facilities, the Virginia Department of Corrections said.

Justin William Crenshaw, 34, an inmate at Wallens Ridge State Prison, was indicted on Sept. 21 on charges of aggravated murder by prisoner and strangulation in the Nov. 20 slaying of Gregory Pierce, 47, the agency said.

Separately, William Scott Pettigrew, 38, an inmate at Red Onion State Prison, was indicted on the same charges in the Jan. 4 killing of Anwar Phillips, 37, according to the department.

Corrections officials did not disclose the circumstances of the two slayings.

In a news release the day of the Wallens Ridge incident, the department said the inmate who died  then unnamed  was fatally wounded in an apparent in-cell attack by another inmate. The victim was pronounced dead at Lonesome Pine Hospital in Big Stone Gap.

The victim was serving multiple life sentences for sexual offenses including rape, and his assailant is serving a life sentence for murder, the agency said.

Following the Red Onion death, a department spokesman told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that Phillips was found unresponsive in his cell on the morning of Jan. 3 and died.

Both Crenshaw and Pettigrew are scheduled to appear in Wise Circuit Court on Oct. 12 for status of attorney representation.

Red Onion is a supermaximum-security state prison that houses more than 800 inmates. Wallens Ridge is also a supermax penitentiary that houses about 1,200 inmates.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who has been hitting the campaign trail outside Virginia because he says Republicans make better governors, swung by Atlantas suburbs Tuesday to stump for an actual, sitting GOP governor for the first time.

Trump had called for Kemps resignation when the Georgian rejected efforts to overturn his states 2020 vote for President Joe Biden. Trump later backed former U.S. Sen. David Perdues primary campaign against Kemp, but Kemp won that May race by a vote of 74% to 22%.

In Alpharetta on Tuesday, Youngkin reminded the Georgia crowd that Kemps Democratic opponent, Stacey Abrams, had come to Virginia to campaign against his election last year.

She in fact said that the biggest fear that Virginia had was if we elected Glenn Youngkin we would become more like Georgia, Youngkin said. Let me tell ya, I said, Thank you, Stacey.

Youngkin picked up a theme that Kemp a few minutes earlier had stressed: his decision in Georgia not to impose mask mandates and other social distancing measures to contain COVID-19, despite criticism from Abrams.

In Virginia, Youngkin said he opened the state economy by ending those mandates.

And with that, he said, our economy is growing and our kids are back in school and were returning taxpayers money ... I am proud to say, yes, were like Georgia.

Over the past two months, Youngkin has campaigned for GOP candidates for governor in Nebraska, Michigan, Maine, Nevada and Kansas.

None is an incumbent, but all are Trump supporters.

Youngkin has brushed off criticism for such support by saying he is backing GOP candidates because he believes Republicans are better governors and because GOP governors supported him in his 2021 election.

His out-of-state campaigning fuels continuing speculation that he is laying the groundwork for a run for the presidency in 2024.

But from Kansas last week, he headed directly to Texas for a session Friday at the Texas Tribunes three-day TribFest gathering, where he declared he was not even thinking about the White House.

Kemps bid for re-election is a replay of the 2018 contest in which he defeated Abrams by 50% to 49%.
The National Honor Society is accepting applications for its 2023 NHS Scholarship program, which will award $2 million to 600 outstanding high school seniors.

The program is supported by the societys parent organization, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, according to a press release from the association.

The scholarships recognize students who exemplify the four pillars of NHS membership: scholarship, service, leadership and character.

One national winner will receive $25,000, while four others will receive $10,625 for embodying each pillar. In addition, 20 finalists will each earn $5,625 scholarships and 575 semifinalists will receive $3,200 scholarships, the press release stated.

Were excited to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of NHS student leaders and their contributions to their communities, said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. We need these passionate and forward-looking leaders who apply their learning in the name of service and advocate for systemic change.

In April 2023, NASSP will host Trailblazing Leadership Week in Washington, DC, an annual event that brings together the 2022 State Principals of the Year and 25 NHS Scholarship finalists to celebrate their accomplishments and connect with one another.

The NHS Scholarship is one of the best opportunities available to high school students, said Swetha Pendela, a 2022 NHS Scholarship Finalist and freshman at the University of Georgia. The NHS Trailblazing Leadership Week was the most transformative experience I have ever had. I encourage anybody who is eligible to apply. This is not an opportunity you want to miss.

The NHS Scholarship is so much more than free money, said Avia Weber, a 2022 NHS Scholarship Finalist and freshman at the University of Pennsylvania. Not only did I get thousands of dollars towards my college education, I also made life-long connections with my fellow finalists and got the chance to share my perspectives with the U.S. Department of Education during Trailblazing Leadership Week. Every NHS student should apply.

The application deadline is Nov. 30, 2022, and award winners will be notified in March 2023. Applicants must be high school seniors who are active NHS members in good standing, currently enrolled at a school with an affiliated NHS chapter and planning to enroll at a postsecondary college or university.

To learn more and apply for a scholarship, go to nhs.us/advisers/the-nhs-scholarship.
UPDATE: 1:15 p.m.

B.C.'s top doctor says the province is emerging from this pandemic, but there remains some uncertainty around how COVID-19 will impact B.C. over the next several months.

During a briefing Wednesday, Dr. Bonnie Henry presented new data that shows of the relatively low number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths B.C. has seen in the past several months, roughly half of these were actually caused by COVID-19. About 40-50% of these COVID-positive hospitalizations and deaths were due to other factors not related to the virus.

Dr. Henry noted infection from the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is primarily causing a milder form of illness in most people, but age-adjusted data presented Wednesday shows from January to September of this year, unvaccinated British Columbians still had a four-times higher risk of being hospitalized or dying from the Omicron variant compared to those with three doses of the vaccine.

Vaccination is making a tremendous difference and the risk is four-fold higher for people who are not vaccinated no matter where they are at what age in this community, Dr. Henry said.

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has remained the dominant strain of the virus in B.C. for the past 10 months, and it's expected to stay that way for the foreseeable future.

It's very unlikely that we are going to be facing in the next few months an unknown, rapidly progressing new variant that escapes immunity from vaccination or previous infection and is more infectious than what we're seeing right now, Dr. Henry said.

But while research from last month shows about 97% of B.C.'s population now has some form of antibodies for COVID-19, either from past infection or vaccination, Dr. Henry says they're currently preparing for the possibility of some waning of immunity through the winter months.

It would be unlikely that some new strain would arise in B.C. or Canada given our level of immunity, our level of vaccination, so what we're planning on for the next few months is waning immunity, either from vaccination or previous infection, but an Omicron scenario of some variety that might lead to a surge by the fall, she said.

It's likely that we would see the waning immunity impact potentially have a surge in COVID around November, December and into January. So that's the scenario that we're thinking through about how to plan for that.

This planning includes preparing B.C.'s hospitals for an increase in COVID patients. Modelling suggests a high of about 700 additional COVID patients in B.C. hospitals during a potential surge. There are currently about 350 COVID patients in hospital. They are also projecting a possible peak of up to 1,200 influenza patients.

One move the B.C. government is working on is to free up space in hospitals by moving some patients out of hospital that can be cared for in the community instead. This could potentially free up hundreds or hospital beds if needed.

Photo: BC gov.

Photo: BC gov. Photo: BC gov.

ORIGINAL: 12:55 p.m.

B.C.'s Minister of Health Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry provide an update on COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses heading into the fall.
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Morocco has once again, in the UN General Assembly, held Algeria responsible for the perpetuation of the conflict in the Sahara territory and for the fate of thousands of Sahraouis living in precarious conditions in the Polisario-run camps in southern-Western Algeria.

In response to an address by Algerias foreign minister Ramtane Lamamra in which he ironically urged the UN to relaunch the peace process in the Sahara, the Moroccan delegation recalled that Algeria should take part in the same round table format in which it participated twice before it announced its decision to withdraw.

Algeria has shown its real face as the real party to the conflict when it rejected the latest UN Security Council resolution on the Sahara which stresses the pre-eminence of Moroccos autonomy plan and calls on all parties to negotiate in good faith towards a political and mutually acceptable solution.

The resolution said the UN process should go-on under the same round table format. Algeria said it will not attend, while Morocco made it clear on multiple occasions that no process will take place without Algerias active participation as the party that hosts, arms and backs diplomatically the Polisario separatist front.

The Moroccan delegation recalled that the Sahara issue is a question of Moroccos territorial integrity and not a decolonization issue as Algeria prefers to frame it.

The Sahara issue is examined under chapter IV of the UN charter as a regional dispute, the Moroccan party said.

Moroccos prime minister Aziz Akhannouch has alerted the General Assembly a few days ago to the ordeal suffered by thousands of Sahraouis under the yoke of a separatist militia in the Tindouf camps in south-Western Algeria.

He called on Algeria to allow a head count of this population and warned of the increasing connivance between the Polisario and terrorist groups in the Sahel.

The General Assembly was a chance for numerous countries to reaffirm support for Moroccos territorial integrity, with Guatemala and Somalia announcing the setting up of consulates in the Sahara territory, joining 40% of African and many Arab and Caribbean states that already brought their support for Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara to a tangible level.
Cooperation and solidarity among African countries and peoples are essential to meet the challenges of development in the continent, Pan-African Parliament (PAP) President Fortune Zephaniah Charumbira said Monday in Rabat.

Speaking at an inaugural course at the College of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences under the theme The Pan-African Parliament at the heart of current challenges, Zephaniah Charumbira called for an African alliance and inter-African cooperation to meet the challenges of food security and health in Africa.

Similarly, he highlighted the Pan-African parliaments key role in promoting inter-African cooperation in an ever-changing international context.

On the different challenges facing the African continent, the PAP President stressed the importance of youth participation in decision-making to meet the challenges of development in Africa, where more than half the population is young.

Promoting democracy and good governance, maintaining peace and security, and addressing food insecurity are among the other challenges raised by Zephania Charumbira, who also mentioned Covid-19 health crisis management.

For his part, the President of Mohammed V University in Rabat, Mohammed Rhachi, congratulated Zephania Charumbira for his election as president of the Pan-African Parliament, and hailed the institution which seeks to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and cooperation between African countries and ensure the development of the continent by placing the African citizen at the heart of public policy.

At a meeting earlier Monday with Speaker of the Moroccan parliament upper house, Fortune Zephaniah Charumbira pleaded for the establishment of unified institutional structures while stressing the need to boost his institutions legislative work, especially in the areas of trade, economy and immigration.

PAP is working with national parliaments and regional economic commissions to establish a platform for consultation dedicated to the discussion of all issues and challenges in Africa, he said, noting that the issues under consideration in these institutions necessarily involve cooperation on continental and regional levels and even beyond.

He also noted that his current visit to Morocco at the head of an important delegation aims to mark the resumption of work in the Pan-African Parliament, which has been at a standstill for two years due to the repercussions of the COVID-19 epidemic and some dissensions that arose during the election of the parliaments bureau.

This continental institution has finally returned to a climate of understanding, consensus and transparency by managing to iron out the differences, he said.

Referring to the challenges posed in Africa, he noted that the health crisis has revealed the fragility of the health system in the continent, and praised the exceptional Moroccan experience in the field of prevention and management of the mass vaccination operation.
MEP Inmaculada Rodriguez-Pinero on Monday blasted the repeated violation by Algeria of its trade commitments to Spain and the European Union, calling this attitude unacceptable.

It is clear that we have a trade problem with Algeria. And not only Spain, tweeted the Spanish MEP of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats at the European Parliament.

In recent years, EU exports to the Maghreb country have fallen by 60% due to the increase in trade barriers, she wrote.

This repeated violation of the association agreement (linking the EU and Algeria) is unacceptable, Rodriguez-Pinero added.

It is not the first time Algerias trade practices with the EU and some Member States are singled out at the European Parliament, with MEPs questioning the reliability of the Algerian-European partnership.
At least 520,000 people attended a music festival that run over three days (Sept. 22  25) in Rabat, bringing together a constellation of mega music stars, signaling the recovery of Moroccos artistic scene after a period of cultural lethargy that lasted two years because of Covid-19.

The final concert was attended by 200,000 music-lovers who joined in the Souissi scene to enjoy breathtaking performances by diva Samira said and master Salif Kaita as well as Fnair and world-renowned Lartiste.

Meanwhile in other cities, Jazz fans enjoyed the Tanjazz festival which returned to enchant the public of Tangier after two years of absence. The same city hosted the national film festival.

Marrakech will also regain its glow as a destination of international film stars with the resumption of the Marrakech Film Festival, due on Nov 11-19. The jury will be chaired by the Italian Academy Award winner Paolo Sorrentino.

LBoulevard, Casablancas landmark festival, will make a come back to reconnect rap, hip hop and RNB with their fans, usually young passionate people.

The return of cultural events to be held regularly with the attendance of thousands confirms Moroccos status as an oasis of peace and stability in a region beset by unrest and instability.

Nowhere in North Africa, other than in Morocco, mega-concerts can be held with hundreds of thousands gathering and dispatching without incidents.
The European Union wants to strengthen its unique and reliable partnership with Morocco at all levels, said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

We want to strengthen the unique and reliable EU-Morocco partnership across the board: Enhanced trade and more cooperation on digital and energy, for example, Ms. Von der Leyen tweeted following a phone call Tuesday with the Head of Government, Azizi Akhannouch.

The talk focused on the strategic partnership linking the Kingdom and the EU.

According to the EC President, EUs investment strategy GlobalGateway can support the efforts of Rabat and Brussels.

The Global Gateway is the EUs new connectivity strategy that aims to create smart, sustainable and secure links with countries around the world in the thematic areas of digital, energy and transport. It also aims to strengthen health and education systems across the world.

During her visit last February to Rabat, von der Leyen confirmed the willingness of the European Union to continue to deepen the close and solid strategic partnership with Morocco.

Morocco and the EU launched on June 27, 2019, in Brussels, the Euro-Moroccan partnership for shared prosperity, a new legal framework regulating their bilateral relations.

This partnership encompasses four structural areas: convergence of values; economic convergence and social cohesion; shared knowledge; and political consultation and enhanced cooperation on security.

This reformed partnership is also based on two key axes, namely cooperation in the field of the environment and the fight against climate change; as well as cooperation in the field of mobility and migration.
The 15th outbreak of Ebola disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) comes to an end as neighboring Uganda races to tackle a virus outbreak of its own, the World Health Organization (WTO) has said.

A week after health officials in Uganda declared an outbreak of Ebola, the highly contagious strain of the deadly virus is causing a quick and significant rise in the number of cases and fatalities in the East African country. It is the first Ebola disease outbreak caused by the Sudan virus in Uganda since 2012 that has infected 36 and killed 23 people as of 25 September. While a vaccine is available to protect adults from becoming infected with the more common Zaire strain of Ebola, a similar vaccine does not exist for the Sudan virus.

The Ebola virus is spread by contact with an infected patients blood or bodily fluids and it is reported to have a fatality rate of 41%. With the number of fatalities in Uganda rising, medical interns at central Mubende districts hospital handling most of the cases have gone on strike. The interns say they are not being provided with adequate personal protective equipment against the deadly virus, which causes a hemorrhagic fever. President for the Federation for Uganda Medical Interns, Dr. Musa Lumumba, has said he called on Ugandas Ministry of Health to urgently address the issue to protect doctors-in-training. Ugandan health officials say they are holding talks with striking interns at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the DRC has declared an end to its latest Ebola virus outbreak, according to officials. The outbreak, the 15th recorded in the country, emerged when one case was confirmed in the eastern city of Beni, in North Kivu province, in mid August. But the outbreak was the viruss least catastrophic since no other case was recorded, the WHO said in a statement on Tuesday (27 September). Testing showed the case was genetically linked to the 2018-2020 outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, which killed nearly 2,300 people.
Photo: The Canadian Press Melanie Mark speaks to the media after becoming the first First Nations woman to serve in the B.C. legislature, at a swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Mark has resigned her ministerial portfolios to go on medical leave. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

British Columbia cabinet minister Melanie Mark has resigned her portfolio to go on medical leave.

A statement from Premier John Horgan says Mark advised him Wednesday that she would be taking leave to focus on pressing and urgent personal matters.

Mark was the minister for tourism, arts, culture and sport.

She will continue to represent the riding of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant in the legislature.

Horgan's statement says Lisa Beare, the minister of citizens' services, will assume responsibility for Mark's ministry, in addition to her current portfolio.

Mark is the first First Nations woman elected to B.C.'s legislative assembly, and the first to serve as a cabinet minister.
At least 11 soldiers have been killed and 50 civilians were missing in Burkina Faso after armed fighters attacked a 150-vehicle military-escorted convoy taking supplies to a northern town, the countrys government has said, condemning the barbaric, cowardly attack.

The government said the assault took place on Monday (26 September) in Soum province, where armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the ISIL (ISIS) group have been escalating attacks and seizing territory since 2015. The ambush of the army-escorted resupply convoy in the Sahel region has also left some 28 people, including 20 soldiers, wounded and dozens of trucks destroyed.

Violence has raged in the West African country since Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba seized power in a coup in January, toppling democratically elected leaders and promising to rein in the armed groups. As in neighboring countries, fighters affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIL have stoked the unrest, even after Damiba earlier this month sacked his defense minister and assumed the role himself. Mondays attack was the latest targeting army-escorted resupply convoys that have sought to deliver essential goods to trapped civilians in the northern Soum province after armed groups have blockaded several areas.

Insecurity has risen across West Africas Sahel region over the past decade as an armed struggle that took root in Mali has spread. Thousands have been killed and more than two million displaced despite the presence of foreign troops and United Nations peacekeepers. Fighters have mined roads, besieged towns, destroyed water facilities and undermined efforts to resupply Burkina Fasos increasingly isolated north and east. More than 40% of Burkina Faso, a former French colony, is now outside government control. In recent years, the violence has begun to spill over into the littoral states of Ivory Coast and Togo.
Madagascars State Inspectorate-General (IGE) Tuesday denounced the embezzlement of around 12.4 million euros (MAG51 billion) of state funds in the public Administration over a period of eight months.

Daniel Randrianarivony, the Chief of the IGE made the announcement during the presentation of his organizations report that audited the public administration from January to August this year.

The IGE answers to the countrys President Andry Rajoelina and is tasked to audit the state and to fight against corruption and misappropriation of public funds.

Randrinarivony did not name state institutions audited nor the size of misappropriations. The IGE Chief called for the firing of civil servants and wished that authorities use the reports to launch investigations against alleged culprits.

The African country is ranked 147th out of 180 countries on Transparency Internationals 2021 Corruption Perception Index.
Moroccan companies DeepEcho, Medevice and Sorbus are among the winners of grants awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support African health innovators seeking to optimize supply chains, improve access to medicines and advance towards universal health coverage.

Twenty-seven other healthtech start-ups have been selected to benefit from a $7 million program (i3) backed by the Gates Foundation, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), AmerisourceBergen, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and WHO Regional Office for Africa.

According to press reports, the selected start-ups from 14 African countries will receive a $50,000 grant and support for partnerships with major donors and pharmaceutical groups.

Operating in early and growth stages, the picked-up companies are delivering novel solutions for device and medicines distribution, stock management and financing, authentication, traceability, and medical waste management. Through their innovations, they demonstrate that African-built solutions help transform access to health products.

Moroccan DeepEcho is the youngest winning company. It was set up in 2022. It helps reduce infant and maternal mortality rates by leveraging artificial intelligence for ultrasound imaging and prenatal diagnosis.

Medevice was founded in 2021 and has developed three medical devices that support and improve the diagnoses made by practitioners whether for monitoring vital signs, analyzing Covid-19 results, or interpreting TB test results with the naked eye.

Sobrus was founded in 2012 and relies on cloud solutions to connect pharmacies to wholesaler-dispatchers and laboratories through a digital platform.
Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, reaffirmed, during talks Wednesday in Tokyo with the Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, Japans position of non-recognition of the polisario separatist entity.

During the talks, Kishida assured Akhannouch of his desire to see Morocco, an important partner, participate in all meetings organized by Japan and to coordinate the action of the two countries within institutions and international fora.

The Japanese Prime Minister particularly emphasized the excellent relations between the Royal Moroccan Family and the Imperial Japanese Family.

He praised the important role of played by King Mohammed VI in the preservation of peace and security in the world.

In addition, the Japanese Prime Minister expressed Japans interest in developing cooperation and trade with Morocco, particularly in the fields of agriculture and fertilizers.

Kishida commended the pioneering policy implemented by Morocco, under the kings leadership, in the field of renewable energy.

Kishida also welcomed the entry into force this year of the agreement for the promotion and protection of investments and the Convention on the avoidance of double taxation between Morocco and Japan, as well as the presence of more than 70 Japanese companies in Morocco, creating more than 50,000 direct jobs, which makes Japan the first foreign private employer in the Kingdom.

During this meeting, Akhannouch reiterated the condolences of King Mohammed VI following the death of the former Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.

He also reiterated the willingness of Morocco to host more Japanese companies and to develop cooperation with Japan in all areas.

The talks were an opportunity for Akhannouch and Kishida to review the international situation, particularly in the areas of food and energy security.

They welcomed, in this regard, the strength of existing relations between Morocco and Japan and expressed their desire to deepen them further.

Akhannouch, represented King Mohammed VI at the state funeral of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, which took place in Tokyo Tuesday.

Following this ceremony, the Head of Government went to Akasaka Palace, where he presented the Kings condolences to the Japanese Prime Minister, as well as to the widow of the deceased, Akie Abe.
Algeria has managed to vassalize its cash-strapped neighbor, Tunisia, which is now mimicking its larger neighbor including on human rights violations and oppression.

Human Rights Watch has released on Sept 26 a report shedding light on the ordeal of Slimane Bouhafs, a Kabyle refugee registered with UNHCR who was kidnapped in August 2021 by Algerian secret agents in full sight of Tunisian authorities.

Bouhafs is a peaceful Kabyle independence activist of Christian faith. He sought refuge in Tunisia to escape political and religious oppression in Algeria. His case is a blatant breach of non-refoulement which bans forced returns of people who might face persecution.

Tunisian authorities should investigate his apparent abduction and forced return to Algeria, and hold anyone found responsible to account, Human Rights Watch said.

Bouhafs family told the rights watch dog that the men who abducted him put a bag over his head, took him by car over the Algerian border and to a police facility in Algiers, and threatened him during the ride.

The UN independent human rights experts had asked the Tunisian and Algerian governments to explain any steps they had taken to transfer Bouhafs from Tunisia to Algeria.

His case highlights the human rights violations risks in Tunisia under pressure of an Algeria that is intent on labelling all dissidents as terrorists.

Amnesty International has issued a report last July denouncing Tunisias backpedaling on rights and democracy as President saied continues his crackdown in the process of consolidating key powers in his hands. He undermined the independence of the judiciary and persecuted dissident voices, following the Algerian example.

The one-year anniversary of President Saieds power grab serves as a signpost of an ever-growing dismantling of human rights protections. Ruling by decree and without oversight or review, the president has undermined several key human rights achievements that the country has made in the ten years following the 2011 revolution that ended the rule of former President Ben Ali, Amnesty said in its report.
A grain truck, school bus collision late Tuesday afternoon sent three children to area trauma centers, Chase County Sheriffs Office said in a press release.

The school bus and a grain truck collided southwest of Imperial near Champion just before 4 p.m., injuring several adults and students, the release said.

The semi, owned by KAK Inc. out of Champion, was traveling north on Nebraska Highway 15A. The semi struck the rear passenger side of the school bus as the school bus was turning, causing the bus to rotate 90 degrees and overturn onto its drivers side.

After striking the bus, the semi continued north a short distance before leaving the roadway, crossing the ditch and coming to rest on the property located at 32815 15A Spur.

The school bus was operated by Keith D. Cranwell, 39, of Champion. The semi was operated by Chance D. Lotspeich, 20, of Venango.

The school bus had been dropping off children after school and carried 12 students, ranging from 5 to 15 years old. All passengers and drivers were transported to the Chase County hospital with a wide range of injuries.

Three children were later transported to regional trauma centers. The Chase County Sheriffs Office continued its investigation Wednesday with the assistance of the Nebraska State Patrol to help with the inspection of both commercial vehicles and to reconstruct the accident.

Chase County sheriffs deputies, the Imperial Fire Department, Imperial EMS and Emergency Management responded to the scene.
Frans Muller CEO Ahold Delhaize

President and Chief Executive Officer; Chair and member of the Management Board and Executive Committee

Zaandam, the Netherlands, 28 September 2022 - Ahold Delhaize today announces that its Supervisory Board intends to propose the reappointment of Frans Muller as President and CEO and member of the Management Board at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 12 April 2023.

Peter Agnefjall, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Ahold Delhaize, stated: We are delighted that Frans will continue as President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize, subject to shareholder approval. Since he started in this role in July 2018, the company has continued to build on its strengths. Under Frans leadership the Leading Together strategy was introduced, which increased its ability to better serve its customers.

Frans and the executive team he built have demonstrated the long term validity of their strategic choices, delivering solid financial results. From this basis the company is able to contribute positively to communities and address the challenges facing our society, like keeping healthy and sustainable food affordable.

Upon the nomination for reappointment, Frans Muller said: I am grateful for the nomination and would be honored to continue to lead Ahold Delhaize, together with the Executive Committee colleagues, our great local brands and caring associates, making sure we support our communities and deliver on our purpose of helping our customers eat well, save time and live better.

Frans Muller became President and CEO on 1 July 2018. Before that, he served as member of the Management Board and Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Integration Officer since 2016. Prior to Ahold Delhaize, Frans was the President and CEO of Delhaize Group.





-ENDS-

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Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the Company) to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the Companys public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Companys management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Companys management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.





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About Ahold Delhaize

Ahold Delhaize is one of the worlds largest food retail groups and a leader in both supermarkets and e-commerce. Its family of great local brands serves 55 million customers each week, both in stores and online, in the United States, Europe, and Indonesia. Together, these brands employ more than 413,000 associates in 7,452 grocery and specialty stores and include the top online retailer in the Benelux and the leading online grocers in the Benelux and the United States. Ahold Delhaize brands are at the forefront of sustainable retailing, sourcing responsibly, supporting local communities and helping customers make healthier choices. The companys focus on four growth drivers  drive omnichannel growth, elevate healthy and sustainable, cultivate best talent and strengthen operational excellence  is helping to fulfil its purpose, achieve its vision and prepare its brands and businesses for tomorrow. Headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands, Ahold Delhaize is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels stock exchanges (ticker: AD) and its American Depositary Receipts are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. and quoted on the OTCQX International marketplace (ticker: ADRNY). For more information, please visit:www.aholddelhaize.com.













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OLDWICK, N.J., September 28, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) of "a" (Excellent) of First American Title Insurance Company (Omaha, NE) and its title affiliates, which are referred to as First American Title Insurance Group (FATIG). In addition, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of "bbb" (Good) of the parent holding company, First American Financial Corporation (FAF) (Delaware) [NYSE: FAF]. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. (See below for a detailed listing of the companies and ratings.)

The ratings reflect FATIGs balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

FATIG maintains a solid market position within the U.S. title insurance industry as its second-largest underwriter, based on 2021 direct premiums written. Policies are distributed on a direct basis and through a network of independent agents. The group invests heavily in its title plant, which is one of the most comprehensive in the industry. The groups operating results have generally been in line with the title industry composite averages and supportive of surplus growth. FATIG benefits from a strong franchise value, financial flexibility and operational support from FAF, which maintains relatively modest financial leverage and solid interest coverage.

The FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICRs of "a" (Excellent) have been affirmed with stable outlooks for the members of First American Title Insurance Group:

First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company of Australia Pty Limited

First American Title Insurance Company of Louisiana

First European Title Insurance Company Limited

First Title Insurance plc

Ohio Bar Title Insurance Company

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This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005698/en/

Contacts

Kourtnie Beckwith

Financial Analyst

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5124

kourtnie.beckwith@ambest.com



Fred Eslami

Associate Director

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5406

fred.eslami@ambest.com



Christopher Sharkey

Manager, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

christopher.sharkey@ambest.com



Al Slavin

Communications Specialist

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098

al.slavin@ambest.com
The leading IT company in South East Asia was announced one of Best Workplaces in Asia by Great Place To Work, while their subsidiary in Japan welcomed the 2000th employee along with a new office

HANOI, Vietnam, September 28, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Best Workplaces in Asia", ranked by Great Place To Work extended FPT Softwares long list of achievements in building a successful work environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220927006158/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

The IT company was recognized for its positive corporate culture, based on authentic care and support for its people, from physical safety to psychological and emotional wellness. In particular, the company developed its strategy to put people at the heart of its operation, leveraging technology for better exchange across departments, updates on new policies and promoting two-way communication.

Understanding peoples fundamental needs to balance between personal career and family responsibilities, FPT Software built its culture based on three pillars. Experiment - provide opportunities for staff to experiment innovative solutions, hone new skills, rotate new positions and challenge themselves with ambitious projects. Fun - enhance connection with various activities, boosting creativity and bonding among colleagues. Care - for both employees and their family, with policies regarding house or car loans, tuition fees, healthcare and parents day.

Previously, FPT Software was named one of Vietnams Best Workplaces earlier this year. The impressive achievements and policies helped the company go further to the Asia list, reaffirming the unique culture and work environment of the leading IT company in South East Asia.

Simultaneously, FPT Japan Holdings (branch of FPT Software) participated in the Great Place To Work Trust Index survey in Japan and excellently achieved the certificate on its first try, announced in early September. The survey results showed that the companys employees highly appreciated their leaders and managers, who are approachable and easy to talk to; they can work with peace of mind and look forward to going to work.

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Employees were encouraged to challenge themselves with unprecedented projects, to demonstrate expertise, leadership and propose new approaches. With people from over 16 countries and diverse cultures, the subsidiary regularly holds engaging activities like sharing talks, art performances, music shows or community projects. Various policies ensuring employees benefits, healthcare and education support for both employees and their families are continuously promoted, whether in Vietnam, Japan or other territories.

The company welcomed its 2,000th employee at the end of September, opening its 13th office in Japan at the same time. 17 years after its first arrival in 2005, FPT Software has developed its presence in the land of the rising sun, making it one of the two key markets of the global tech company, providing digital transformation solutions for leading Japanese enterprises.

FPT Software aims to develop a world-class workplace and unique culture, with unified and flexible policies as well as dedicated strategies for employee experience. They currently have more than 26,500 employees, operating in 59 offices in 28 countries, reaching the position of Top 50 leading digital transformation service technology company in Asia.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220927006158/en/

Contacts

Media

Mai Duong (Ms.)

PR Manager

Email: MCP.PR@fsoft.com.vn

Dzung Duong (Ms.)

Email: DungDTH1@fsoft.com.vn

Website: https://www.fpt-software.com/newsroom/
Market Research Future

Online Classified Market Growth Drives by Businesses Looking to Boost their Marketing Efforts

New York, US, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR),  Online Classified Market Information Report: Information By Revenue Source, Business Model, Type - Global Forecast to 2030, valuation to escalate to USD 380.92 Billion by 2030, growing at a 24.8% CAGR throughout the forecast period (2021-2030).

Online Classified Market Overview

The global online classified market is growing steadily, witnessing vast adoption among various businesses. Online classified has become imperative to increase business revenues, presenting unique opportunities for internet advertising. Given the spurring rise in digital media and social media platforms, businesses are increasingly using these services to advertise their products and services online. With the emergence of targeted advertising concept/modules, the market is expected to reach colossal heights.

Players involved in the online classifieds advertisements market are,

Masig (Singapore)

Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. (Singapore)

Syoknya (Malaysia)

Jualo (Malaysia)

Craigslist (US)

my (US)

Mitula Group (Spain)

Claseek Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)

Facebook (US)

Microsoft Corporation (US) and Others.

Get Free Sample PDF Brochure:

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/7555

The term Online Classified refers to the advertising on different internet sites. The operator or administrator of these Internet sites does not involve consummating the transaction or providing any information other than the seller's contact details. Online advertisements serve the same purpose as the classifieds section of any print media, and the seller's contact information is continuously available to any visitor.

These online classified sites do not provide any information about a potential buyer to the seller. They do not charge any fee/commission for such transaction to the seller or potential buyers other than the fee for listing sellable goods. This listing fee is a price for flashing the ad on the website and is chargeable before or when the ad appears.

Story continues

Online Classified Market Segments

The online classified market is segmented into advertising types, business models, revenue sources, and regions. Of these, the type segment comprises health & wellness, services & products, and other classifieds. The business model segment comprises vertical and horizontal models. Similarly, the revenue source segment comprises search engine marketing (SEM), banners, social media, and mobile & website classifieds. Further, the region comprises the Americas, APAC, MEA, Europe, and the rest of the world.

Online Classified Market Report Scope:

Report Metrics Details Market Size by 2030 USD 380.92 Billion CAGR during 2021-2030 24.8% Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Key Market Opportunities Increase in Mobile Advertisement to Create Robust Opportunities Key Market Drivers Affordability of Online Classified to Bolster Market Growth

Browse In-depth Market Research Report (111 Pages) on Online Classified Market:

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/online-classified-market-7555

Online Classified can Reach a larger base of Digital Audiences

online classified market reaching mass audiences is often challenging, especially for small businesses with limited marketing budgets. Besides, social media and search engine ads consume a large share of allotted budgets. In such scenarios, free advertising sounds to be an advantageous option. On the other hand, continually increasing completion due to new market entrants with sophisticated technology and budgets makes small businesses turn to online classifieds.

Classified ad sites boost marketing efforts, allowing to direct traffic to the users' company website or physical business location. Growing numbers of businesses are using these advertising sites to market their products or services among the most influential generation of consumers today. Online advertising has become a powerful tool to reach a larger base of digital audiences at no or negligible costs.

In addition to connecting to larger, more engaged audiences, these advertising sites also offer effective local marketing opportunities with analytical services such as highlighting categories, etc., a platform to find employees, other service providers, resale used equipment & inventory, and so on. As digitization grows further, business owners will have plenty of opportunities to reach mass audiences without straining their marketing budgets much.

Online Classified Market Regional Analysis

North America stands as the largest market for online classifieds globally. Factors such as the vast base of internet users and large digitization across the region drive online classified market growth. Besides, significant technology upgrades and innovative technologies that can improve the efficiency and performance of online marketing activities boost the market size. With the rising popularity of online classifieds in vertical business models, the US and Canada account for significant market shares.

Europe is a rapidly growing market for online classified sites, witnessing colossal traction. The strong presence of required expertise, such as online analysts, social media managers, videographers, and e-commerce companies, substantiate market revenues. Moreover, the proliferation of artificial intelligence and big data accelerates the region's market shares. Also, technological advances and the rise in online marketing media platforms positively impact online classified market growth.

Ask for Discount:

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The online classified market is brisk in the Asia Pacific region. Increasing investments in digital advertising and the rising number of businesses create significant market opportunities. Additionally, the growing popularity of horizontal classified models among businesses and the increasing use of classified platforms by consumers to search for merchandise across different categories escalate the region's market value. India is rapidly emerging as a profitable market for online classifieds in this region.

Industry Trends

online classified market with technological advances, online classified sites would allow users to pursue creative strategies, such as optimizing Google Business Profiles for SEO, posting organic content to social media & blogs, and so on. Market players are investing significantly to improve their service portfolios and bringing advanced technologies that can boost their customer base and generate data around content performance & user behavior.

The number of classified ad websites and marketplaces has increased significantly over the past few years. Integrating ubiquitous technologies, such as AI and ML, would provide businesses with several avenues to foster revenues. The proliferation of personal computing and mobile phones pushes the market value, enabling advertisers to deliver original content straight to consumers.

Online Classified Market Competitive Analysis

Highly competitive, the online classified market appears to be fragmented with the presence of numerous well-established players. These players invest heavily in enhancing product quality and global expansion. Key players identify the need for world-class online classifieds and invest in state-of-the-art facilities to provide services.

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For instance, on Sep.26, 2022, Adevinta ASA (ADE) announced the sale of its Mexican online classifieds businesses Segundamano and Vivanuncios to a Latin American online real estate marketplaces operator - Navent Group. Both brands will continue to operate together in the market, with Adevinta's Mexican classifieds operations will complement Navent's existing real estate listing offerings.

Related Reports:

Online Travel Market Report: By Platform Type, Mode of Booking, Service Type - Global Forecast till 2030

Global Online Meeting Software Market Research Report: by Component, by Deployment, by Organization Size, by End-User and by Region - Forecast till 2030

Global Online Payment Gateway Market Research Report, By Type, By Application - Forecast till 2030

About Market Research Future:

Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis regarding diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions.

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Photo: BC gov. Flickr Health Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry

Hundreds of patients in B.C. hospitals could be moved to community care to make space for possible COVID and influenza patients as the province moves into respiratory virus season.

During Wednesday's update on B.C.'s COVID-19 situation, Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province is currently identifying patients who are currently being treated in hospital who may not require actual hospitalization.

Of the currently admitted patients, approximately 1,300 of them could be cared for in the community and 500 are awaiting care home placements, Dix noted.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the province could see an additional 700 COVID-19 patients moving into the winter months, along with another 1,200 influenza patients, based on the influenza season this year in the southern hemisphere.

While these projections are a "worst-case scenario," Dix said it's important to prepare for the worst when it comes to protecting the province's healthcare system.

He said transferring patients to community care will look different in different areas of the province.

There is capacity in other care homes around B.C., so that's on the care home side, he said. But the most important side of that is supports in the community to support patients who might be discharged from hospital, but must receive outstanding care.

He added that in the worst-case scenario, the province could once again postpone non-urgent, scheduled surgeries as a last resort. This has been done several times throughout the pandemic in B.C.
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I remember Emma Watson from Harry Potter fame being a spokeswoman for them years ago and the coats, etc were really cute; I remember one coat in particular that she wore that I coveted. Then the clothes stopped being as cute and everything was kinda ugh? I hope Lee brings back the chic edginess Burburry used to have.

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Here's one of many Burberry coats she wore I really liked:

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this is by no means an attack on your but by god this is the ugliest coat Ive ever seen

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i prefer their classic trenches, but this is cute too.

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Ohhh I like this though, it goes really well with her haircut and the bag

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Christopher Bailey was the creative director at the time. He really brought Burberry back from just being nova check and polos.

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in honor of riccardo tisci leaving burberry, lets take a look at some of his incredible designs during his tenure pic.twitter.com/QfUFOIcVig   (@gaultiercouture) September 28, 2022 i'm not a fashion girlie but this tweet that came up on my timeline made me laugh when i got it

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Not to mention the f-n noose hoodie

Nothing but trash

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I spent the longest waiting for it to load. lmao.

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Not me refreshing and going off wifi like I was the problem 

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hopefully he has more time to spend with Kanye now

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And nothing of value was lost.





Riccardo Tisci is a one-trick pony

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I saw the names Daniel and Riccardo and thought, well that's quite the pivot from F1

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How typical and boring.

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Kanyes special friend! LOL. I miss Wendy.

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i knew it



riccardo wont be missed, his last collection was a joke and everyone advises to stay tf away from burberry the working environment is awful , at least Lee has shown some fun stuff at Bottega

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everyone advises to stay tf away from burberry the working environment is awful



Isn't Daniel "difficult" to work with/for as well? Sounds like a match made in hell, hopefully the clothes are nice tho.

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i don't know, i havent heard any stories save for the one about why he was fired... which is bad enough.

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Finally. I thought his collection with Burberry were horrible since the beginning. That new Burberry font and logo is ugly as hell.

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I saw this at Diet Prada and I was like  he's kinda cute.

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So i work in this industry, and the word is Daniel got fired from Bottega cause his employee died from an overdose in the office where they were regularly doing drugs. He also allegedly called another employee the n-word. I wish the Burberry team a lot of luck, cause he created a super toxic work environment at Bottega.

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 thats fucked up

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HOLY SHIT.

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ahhhh i just heard this too, what a mess!!

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Oh my god...

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ohhhh no way I was wondering why Bottega would let him go considering how good he was for them.



Edited at 2022-09-29 12:01 am (UTC)

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Also industry and not saying youre lying but holy shit. Ive never heard that.

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that's what ive heard, also youre not allowed to mention his name at BV which... does not sound like they dealt with the problem well either

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Now if only Hedi Slimane can fuck off from Celine...

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OMG, don't get me started on that hack...I'm not even a fashion lady and I didn't like his stuff before or during his tenure at Celine's....there's a reason why the old designer's clothes are still doing a brisk business in the resale market.

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lol for real. Every self-respecting lover of Celine will only buy if it's by Phoebe Philo.

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from everywhere tbh!!!

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he just goes from house to house ruining their aesthetic

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Celine really went from being an it bag machine to being known for basic black cotton hoodies with CELINE emblazoned in big chunky font

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when he took over wasnt it a big deal how he changed the Celine logo and took out the accent? I remember telling my friend who lives in nyc and then he started sending me pics every time he saw a CELINE ad on the street haha

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i am not sure how i feel about this tbh!! i haven't heard great things about daniel lee

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Crude oil exports from all OPEC oil producers were down in the first 25 days of September compared to the full month of August, according to data from Petro-Logistics cited by commodity analyst Giovanni Staunovo on Wednesday.

Between September 1 and 25, OPECs crude oil exports averaged 21.648 million barrels per day (bpd), which was 166,000 bpd lower than the average OPEC crude oil exports for the full month of August.

Crude oil exports out of Iran plunged by more than 700,000 bpd, per Petro-Logistics data. Oil exports from the Islamic Republic  exempted from the OPEC+ deal  averaged just 450,000 bpd between September 1 and 25, down by 710,000 bpd compared to the full month of August, according to the data Staunovo cited.

OPEC+ -- with OPEC members Iran, Venezuela, and Libya exempted  has a 100,000-bpd higher oil production target for the month of September compared to August. The one-month-only increase, to be reversed in October, means that OPEC+ producers would fall further behind in their actual production versus quotas this month.

In August, OPEC+ continued to vastly underperform its collective oil production target, with the gap between the quota and actual output widening to a massive 3.58 million barrels per day (bpd), according to delegates and OPEC data Argus saw last week.

The 10 OPEC members bound by the pact saw their collective crude oil production hit 1.399 million bpd below the quota, while the non-OPEC producers in the deal were more than 2 million bpd behind quota, at 2.185 million bpd, per OPEC data Argus has seen.

In August, the two biggest laggards in production quotas were Russia of the non-OPEC group and Nigeria of OPEC, the data showed. Russias oil production was 1.25 million bpd below its target, while Nigeria was 700,000 bpd behind its quota. Russias output is constrained by the Western sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while Nigeria has had troubles for years with a lack of investment and oil theft.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
The ramping up of production from its hugely oil-rich West Karoun cluster of oil fields to at least 1 million barrels per day (bpd) remains one of Irans core strategic economic priorities, along with maintaining gas production of at least 1 billion cubic metres per day, and continuing to build out its value-added petrochemicals production to at least 100 million metric tons per year. Two of these West Karoun fields  North Azadegan, and South Azadegan  are now the focus of a concerted US$7 billion fast-track development plan, involving Russian oil firms at the forefront, with some support from China. Both fields are shared fields with neighbouring Iraq, in which it forms the supergiant Majnoon oil field, which means that the provenance of the oil coming from them can be obfuscated, allowing for transport to any destination. At the signing ceremony for the new US$7 billion development program, Irans Petroleum Minister, Javad Owji, outlined that the project would be undertaken by a consortium of Iranian banks and exploration and production companies, including the Khatam al-Anbia Construction Headquarters (KAA). According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Khatam is: The engineering arm of the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] that serves to help the IRGC generate income and fund its operations. Khatam al-Anbiya is controlled by the IRGC and is involved in the construction of streets, highways, tunnels, water conveyance projects, agricultural restoration projects, and pipelines. As part of the IRGC, according to several sources spoken to by OilPrice.com, and to the U.S.s FDD, the KAA has a specific disbursement line in the countrys annual budget and helps finance Irans nuclear program, ballistic missile development, and terrorist activities. In short, the inclusion of the KAA, and several other companies named in the roster of those that will work on the Azadegan development program, appears to be another clear sign that Iran does not see a new iteration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) being agreed anytime soon, as OilPrice.com has posited for some time.

Related: Democrats Propose Buying And Selling Oil To Fund EV Rollout

For Russia, though, the oil and gas opportunities in Iran have always been seen as enormous, and rightly so, as, despite its already high levels of oil (and gas) production, Iran can still be seen as an extremely under-developed oil (and gas) power. In crude oil terms alone, the Islamic Republic has an estimated 157 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves, nearly 10 percent of the worlds total and 13 percent of those held by OPEC. The North and South Azadegan oil fields alone have a combined 32 billion barrels of oil in place, according to the very latest figures from Irans Petroleum Ministry, ranking as Irans largest joint oil field and the 10th largest oil field in the world. The lifting cost of crude oil at both North and South fields is also exceptionally advantageous for developers, rating on a par with Saudi Arabias and Iraqs best fields as the lowest in the world, at just US$1-2 per barrel. The ultimate production aim for the two Azadegan fields, as announced by Owji, is for a combined 570,000 bpd within the next seven years, up from the current 190,000 bpd. During the 20-year operation period of the Azadegan field, if we consider the base price of oil per barrel to be 80 dollars, it will generate more than US$115 billion in revenue and income for the country and create employment for 24,000 people, he added.

Given the inclusion of KAA within the development group for Azadegan, it is no surprise to see Russian companies fully re-engage in the project as part of a broad-based renaissance of Moscows involvement in Iran as a whole, after a period when Russia took the backseat to China. Prior to the reimposition of U.S.-led sanctions on Iran in 2018, Russian companies were on the verge of taking over several new major oil and gas projects in the Islamic Republic. This resulted in initial agreements being signed by Gazpromneft for feasibility studies for the Changouleh and Cheshmeh-Khosh oilfields, Zarubezhneft for the Aban and Paydar Gharb fields and Tatneft for the Dehloran field. These were on top of the previous memoranda of understanding (MoU) signed by Lukoil and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for studies of the Ab Teymour and Mansouri oil fields, resulting in Russian firms being assigned seven field studies, the most of any country to that point. Even more significantly, though, was that these deals were only a part of a very wide-ranging 22-point MoU signed by Irans deputy petroleum minister, Amir-Hossein Zamaninia, and Russias deputy energy minister, Kirill Molodtsov, at the time. These included not just the studies and plans for exploration and extraction of oil but also for the transfer of gas, petrochemical swap operations, research on the supply and marketing of petrochemical products, the manufacture of oil equipment together with local Iranian engineering firms, and technology transfer in the refinery sector.

Related: Sabotage Suspected At Russias Nord Stream Gas Pipelines

One of the shorter-term benefits that will continue to accrue for Iran and Russia from Tehrans push to develop North and South Azadegan, along with its other shared oil fields with Iraq, is the scope and scale that these shared fields offer for disguising the origin of crude oil being moved from the unsanctioned Iraq, as analysed in depth in my latest book on the global oil markets. It is impossible, literally, to distinguish Iraqi oil from Iranian oil in the shared oil fields, with the oil on the Iraqi side of the border being drilled from the same reservoirs as the oil being drilled on the Iranian side, and sometimes even through long-distance horizontal directional drilling, a senior source who works closely with Irans Petroleum Ministry exclusively told OilPrice.com. Even if the Americans or their trusted appointees stationed people at every single rig in every single shared field in Iraq, they would not be able to tell if the oil coming out it was from the Iranian side, he added.

Once the oil has been re-categorised as coming from non-sanctioned Iraq, rather than Iran, it is easy to send it to wherever Iraqi oil can go, which is anywhere. The bulk of this can be done through Iraqs existing crude oil export infrastructure, including very large crude carriers loaded in and around the southern export hub of Basra. It can also be done directly into southern Europe via the Turkish port of Ceyhan through the crude oil pipelines running through the semi-autonomous Iraq region of Kurdistan (although these have been subject to ongoing disruptions for years), and there are also plans for further pipelines from Iraq to Jordan and Syria. Once in Europe, this oil  all of which is discounted in price from the benchmark  has historically gone into some of the less rigorously policed ports of southern Europe that need oil and/or oil trading commissions, including those of Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia and Croatia. From there, the oil can easily be moved across borders to Europes bigger oil consumers, including through Turkey.

These crude oil export methods from Iraq can be supplemented where necessary by various shipping-related methods, with one of the most basic methods being the disabling (literally just flicking a switch) of the automatic identification system on ships that carry Iranian oil, as is just lying about destinations in shipping documentation. As Irans then-Petroleum Minister himself, Bijan Zangeneh, said in 2020: What we export is not under Irans name. The documents are changed over and over, as well as [the] specifications. Even before that, in December 2018 at the Doha Forum, Irans Foreign Minister, Mohammad Zarif, stated that: If there is an art that we have perfected in Iran, [that] we can teach to others for a price, it is the art of evading sanctions. For Asian-bound shipments, the reliable methodology has allegedly involved Malaysia (and to a lesser degree Indonesia) in forwarding oil exports to China, with tankers bound ultimately for China engaging in at-sea or just-outside-port transfers of Iranian oil onto tankers flying other flags.

As of the end of last week, the Iran source exclusively told OilPrice.com: Russian companies are now in a gold rush to Iran, with [Russian President, Vladimir] Putin commenting a few days ago that 80 Russian companies are on their way to Tehran with a view to expanding Russias presence in the oil, gas, petrochemicals, and automotive sectors as primary goals. He added: In total, around nine hundred senior Russian business figures are expected in Tehran in the next four weeks, all with promises for deals in these sectors [above] and, in return, Iran is receiving promises of the latest Sukhoi fighter jets, two submarines, sixteen S-300 batteries, and an undisclosed number of military and security advisors. He concluded: Its pretty much a fire-sale of Irans natural oil and gas assets.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
According to the Current Trajectory scenario of McKinsey Energy Insights Global Energy Perspective 2022, deepwater basins are expected to provide 7 million bpd out of 24 million bpd of new supply sources needed by 2040.

The deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico has one of the lowest emissions-per-barrel estimates in the world.

One of the worlds most mature deepwater basins, the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, has a lot of production life left and could help bridge the oil supply gap that is widening with the maturing of many currently producing assets globally. The basin now pumping 15% of U.S. crude has the potential to deliver another up to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of the new supply sources needed by 2040, McKinsey & Company said in a new report this month. The Gulf can also do it with one of the lowest emissions per barrel of all major basins in the world. The deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico has one of the lowest emissions-per-barrel estimates in the world, right behind Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the North Sea deepwater basin, including offshore Norway and the UK, according to McKinsey estimates based on its calculations and data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Stanford University.

Operators in the Gulf of Mexicomost of them supermajors with net-zero 2050 ambitions and targetsare also motivated to continue pumping oil and gas in the area, which has less than half of the emissions per barrel compared with other major basins such as U.S. shale, shallow water developments globally, other OPEC+ producers outside Saudi Arabia and the UAE, or oil sands, according to McKinsey.

That potential matters to the many oil and gas companies that are investing in the Gulf of Mexico, especially to those that have announced net-zero emissions targets. And it matters for the world climate, McKinseys consultants said in their report.

The Gulf of Mexicos relatively low emissions profile is the result of four factors, the consultancy says. These are minimal gas flaring because most of the natural gas is sold on the local markets, efficient facilities minimizing methane leaks, high throughput at wells and production facilities, and finally, operators making decarbonization efforts to stay in line with environmental sustainability goals and in compliance with regulations.

Related: Chinas Oil Demand Is Finally Bouncing Back



According to the Current Trajectory scenario of McKinsey Energy Insights Global Energy Perspective 2022, deepwater basins are expected to provide 7 million bpd out of 24 million bpd of new supply sources needed by 2040. The Gulf of Mexico could supply 1-2 million bpd of this, with important implications for the U.S. economy and global emissions.

The other supply is expected to come from areas such as the Middle East, offshore Brazil, and offshore West Africa. However, the future contribution of each of those regions is largely uncertain due to OPECs production policies and decisions and the asset performance of new investments, among other factors, McKinsey said.

Regardless of where new oil supply will come from, one thing is certainadditional sources of supply will be needed to meet demand and offset the natural decline of current online production, the consultancy noted.

Thats a warning recently repeated from the biggest crude oil exporter in the world, Saudi Arabia.

Just last week, Saudi Aramcos CEO Amin Nasser saidonce againthat the world would need oil and gas for the foreseeable future and would need more investment in the industry just to keep supply steady amid declining output from maturing wells, and even more investment to boost production capacity to meet the worlds energy needs.

If its not the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, there will be other basins to fill the supply gapbut they could be much more emission-intensive.

In the extreme case, an absence of continued resource access and development in the Gulf of Mexico would result in less of the lower-carbon production needed during the energy transition, McKinsey said.

Without continued investment, the Gulf of Mexico could see production starting to decline as early as 2024, and fall by 800,000 bpd by 2040, from around 1.7 million bpd now, McKinseys analysts have estimated.

The supermajors are investing in the Gulf of Mexico. For example, BP says its net production was around 290,000 boe/d last year, and it expects to produce 400,000 boe/d in the Gulf of Mexico by the mid-2020s.

Chevron financially approved this year and is preparing to develop the Ballymore project, its first Norphlet reservoir development in the area. Ballymore could yield 75,000 bpd of crude, with first oil expected in 2025.

The Gulf of Mexico has some of the lowest carbon intensity production within Chevrons portfolio. It averages an intensity of 6 kg carbon equivalent per barrel of oil equivalent, a fraction of the global average, the U.S. supermajor says.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Oil and gas operators have evacuated 12 platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, shutting in 11% of the areas crude oil production as the storm Ian barreling toward Florida strengthened to an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane.

Late on Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said that Air Force Hurricane Hunters Find Ian Has Strengthened Into An Extremely Dangerous Category 4 Hurricane. Expected to Cause Life-Threatening Storm Surge, Catastrophic Winds and Flooding in the Florida Peninsula.

The latest data as of 6:35 a.m. ET on Wednesday indicated that Ian was rapidly intensifying, and maximum sustained winds are now up to 155 mph, the National Hurricane Center said early on Wednesday.

As the hurricane strengthened on Tuesday, operators in the eastern Gulf of Mexico evacuated platforms and shut in production.

According to operator reports, around 11 percent  or 190,358 barrels per day (bpd)  of the current oil production, and 8.56 percent of the natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico was shut in as of late Tuesday, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) said.

Earlier this week, in anticipation of Hurricane Ian, supermajors Chevron and BP evacuated personnel and shut in production at some of their platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, in the first shut-in of U.S. offshore oil and gas output this hurricane season.

The Gulf of Mexico accounts for around 15% of all U.S. crude oil production.

Chevron has shut in its Petronius and Blind Faith platforms, while BP shut in production and evacuated all personnel from its 130,000-bpd Na Kika platform. The oil and gas major was also shutting in production and evacuating all essential personnel from the Thunder Horse platform, which has the capacity to pump 250,000 bpd of oil.

Late on Tuesday, BP said that With forecasts indicating the storm will track toward the Florida peninsula, bp has determined Hurricane Ian no longer poses a significant threat to our Gulf of Mexico assets.

The supermajor is now working to redeploy offshore personnel to the Na Kika and Thunder Horse platforms after determining conditions are safe to return, BP said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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In the short term, U.S. LNG cannot fill the gap left by a drop in supply from Russia.

Over the next 10 years, LNG is seen covering as much as 75 percent of demand in Europe.

Liquefied natural gas from the United States has turned into a lifebelt for struggling Europe as Russia cut supplies via one of the biggest gas conduits into the continent. U.S. LNG will continue to play a crucial role in Europes gas supply. But it wont be enough to avoid a major squeeze over the next three years. A recent study by Rystad Energy and funded by the American Petroleum Institute and the International Association for Oil & Gas Producers found that U.S. producers will remain the biggest LNG suppliers to European countries over the long term. But before the market rebalances, there will be a supply gap lasting until somewhere between 2023 and 2025.

The gap will be prompted by the assumed cutoff of all Russian gas suppliessomething that European countries have stated they will aim forand growth in U.S. LNG export capacity. Meanwhile, export capacity will be growing in Qatar, too.

Although there are non-Russian options for more pipeline gas, such as Norway, Azerbaijan, and Algeria, the Rystad study assumes that LNG will reign supreme as the main source of natural gas for Europe, coming to satisfy half of its demand by 2030.

Over the next 10 years, LNG is seen covering as much as 75 percent of demand in Europe, booking an expansion of 150 percent from 2021. What the report does not seem to dwell on are the costs associated with this increased reliance on liquefied gas and their effect on European industries competitiveness.

Related: Oil Jumps On EIA Inventory Data

Already, the European Unions gas import bill has swelled to ten times the usual for filling up winter storage sites because of the switch to LNG from pipeline gas. Its worth noting that all that LNG was bought on the spot market, and Brussels has been a fan of spot markets for years. With the new gas bill, however, it might reconsider.

Indeed, some are already reconsidering: Germanys Chancellor Olaf Scholz last week went on a tour in three Gulf states looking for hydrocarbon deals, with a focus on LNG, and the only result from the tour was an agreement with Emirati Adnoc for the delivery of one cargo of LNG of 137,000 cubic meters and a non-binding commitment for five more cargos.

Meanwhile, U.S. producers seem to be happy to sell their liquefied gas on the spot market, where it fetches prices that just a couple of years ago would have been unthinkable. Media have even reported about cases of diverting cargos of LNG meant for Asia to Europe because of the Europeans willingness to pay a premium to get the gas.

While this year, such behavior is perfectly understandable as European countries scramble to stock up on gas for the winter, over the longer term, it would not exactly make economic sense.

European industries are already struggling to remain profitable amid soaring energy bills. Yet many of them are too busy fighting for survival to bother about profitability, which should sound the alarm to governments and motivate a more comprehensive diversification of gas deliveries.

Based on the Rystad research, Europe is essentially replacing one big supplierRussiawith another big supplierthe United Stateswhich can hardly pass for diversification.

True, Qatari LNG and LNG from Africa is also an option, but unless Europeans consent to long-term commitments, it seems Qatari gas in sufficient amounts will remain a dream. African projects, on the other hand, have yet to be fully developed, or, in the case of Nigeria, security issues need to be solved.

While all of this is certainly good news for U.S. gas producers, theres a fly in their honey, too. There is not enough pipeline capacity to carry the gas from the shale plays to the liquefaction trains on the Gulf Coast, and permitting for new LNG capacity is a complex and lengthy process.

On top of these challenges, U.S. gas drillers are already struggling to meet both local and international demand. Although the country has enormous gas reserves, production is another matter, and right now, its a difficult matter because of increased gas-fired power generation at home and Europes mad dash for gas.

This supports Rystads forecast for a gas supply gap in Europe over the three years to the middle of the decade. The gap is estimated at 19 percent for next year if the Groningen gas field in the Netherlands is shut down and 12 percent if it keeps pumping. For 2024, the gap is seen at 16 percent without Groningen and 10 percent with it. Finally, in 2025, the gap will begin shrinking to 14 percent without Groningen and 8 percent with it.

The report continues to point out that after 2025 it would be relatively smooththough probably costlysailing for gas supplies in Europe. The question remains, however, what will Europe do over these three years?

The likeliest answer to this question is quite unpleasant because it effectively comes down to the demise of its status as an industrial power. There is not enough money in the world to keep all industries in Europe on life support for three years and keep them profitable.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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The Baltic Pipe natural gas pipeline from Norway to Poland via Denmark and the Baltic Sea was inaugurated on Tuesday by the leaders of the three countries, who hailed the new gas link as a crucial move to reduce Europes dependence on Russian gas.

The Baltic Pipe project, running from the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, crossing Denmark from west to east, and landing in Poland via the Baltic Sea, will bring gas from Norway  a staunch ally of the EU and Western Europes largest oil and gas producer  to Poland, which has for years sought to wean itself off Russian energy.

Poland has been warning for years that Russian pipelines to Europe are undermining EU energy security and would be used for blackmail. Poland was one of the biggest opponents of the Nord Stream 2 project for another gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. Nord Stream 2 didnt see the light of day after Germany axed the certification process after Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia, for its part, shut down Nord Stream 1 indefinitely early this month, claiming an inability to repair gas turbines because of the Western sanctions.

The Baltic Pipe will be operational with partial capacity from October 1 and could accelerate full-capacity commissioning to the end of November instead of January 1, 2023, as planned, the Danish national transmission system operator Energinet said this weekend.

During the opening ceremony for the Baltic Pipe on Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said: The era of Russian domination in the field of gas is coming to an end, the era that was marked by blackmail, threats and extortion.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that It is vital that we work closely together in Europe to free us from Russian gas as soon as possible. Baltic Pipe is a big step in achieving this.

On the day of the Baltic Pipe inauguration, Norway and Sweden said they were investigating gas leaks in the Baltic Sea from both Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines from Russia to Germany, with no one ruling out sabotage as the cause of the leaks. Norway heightened its emergency preparedness on Tuesday for infrastructure, onshore, and offshore installations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Based on the information we have seen so far, much indicates acts of sabotage, Terje Aasland, the Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy, said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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ExxonMobil is temporarily limiting the supply of refined petroleum products to its customers in France after strikes at its refineries over pay forced the U.S. supermajor to shut down its two French facilities, an Exxon spokesperson told Reuters on Wednesday.

At the end of last week, Exxons French unit said it was forced to shut down its 240,000-barrels-per-day Port Jerome-Gravenchon oil refinery and the 235,000-bpd Fos-Sur-Mer refinery due to the industrial action called by unions on September 20 over a dispute over pay.

Exxons oil distribution terminals have not been affected by the strike, the companys spokesperson told Reuters today.

They also added: We have temporarily put limitations in place for customers in accordance with the terms of our supply contracts.

We have a supply response team in place to supply product from unaffected sources, the spokesperson added.

Workers at other French refineries also went on strike on Tuesday. Strikes at several refineries across France have left half of its refinery capacity offline as workers stepped up industrial actions over pay disputes.

Three of TotalEnergies refineries and a storage site were not sending fuel as of Tuesday, an official at the French union CGT told Reuters.

The 240,000 barrel per day Gonfreville oil refinery operated by TotalEnergies, the 119,000 bpd Feyzin oil refinery, La Mede biorefinery, and the Cote dOpale storage site near Dunkirk are not sending fuel currently, CGT delegate Thierry Dufresne told Reuters.

The strike is expected to continue until September 29.

Together with the strike at the ExxonMobil refineries, around half of Frances refinery capacity is currently offline.

Frances crude refining capacity is just over 1.4 million bpd, the fourth highest in Europe after Germany, Italy, and Spain, according to the Oil & Gas Journal data cited by the EIA.

The disruption at the French refineries comes amid a worsening energy crisis in Europe, which is trying to procure non-Russian sources of crude ahead of an EU embargo on imports from Russia by sea as of early December.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Germanys security authorities assume that the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines may be offline forever in what many suspect could have been sabotage on the pipes earlier this week, German daily Tagesspiegel reported on Wednesday, quoting sources in the government.

Earlier this week, Danish and Swedish authorities said they were investigating unexplained leaks of gas in the Baltic Sea from both Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines from Russia to Germanyleaks that Germany suspects could be the result of sabotage, while Russia says sabotage cannot be ruled out right now.

Nord Stream 2 was never put into operation after Germany axed the certification process after Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia, for its part, shut down Nord Stream 1 indefinitely early this month, claiming an inability to repair gas turbines because of the Western sanctions.

After the damage to the pipelines, if they are not repaired quickly, salt water will corrode the infrastructure and make it unusable forever, according to Tagesspiegels sources.

Following the suspected sabotage, and the underwater explosions detected, Norway heightened its emergency preparedness for infrastructure, onshore, and offshore installations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Based on the information we have seen so far, much indicates acts of sabotage, Norways Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Terje Aasland, said.

Denmarks Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also said the gas leaks were not accidents.

It is now the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident, Frederiksen said on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Sweden said the suspected sabotage was not an attack on the country.

This is not an attack against Sweden because it is not in our territory, Foreign Minister Ann Linde said, adding, It is an international incident.

The European Union said in a statement on Wednesday, All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act.

Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response, the EU added.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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One of the four lines of the Russian Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines could still be able to ship gas to Europe if Nord Stream 2 receives all necessary certification, Russian analysts told Reuters on Wednesday.

Three of the lines were damaged in mysterious circumstances earlier this week. Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and the EU as a whole believe the gas leaks from the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea were the result of a deliberate act of sabotage and not an accident or a mere technical failure.

Danish and Swedish authorities are investigating the gas leaks, while Russia said on Tuesday that sabotage cannot be ruled out right now.

Russia shut down Nord Stream 1 indefinitely early this month, claiming an inability to repair gas turbines because of the Western sanctions. The twin pipeline of Nord Stream 1, Nord Stream 2 was never put into operation after Germany suspended the certification process after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Nord Stream AG, the operator, said on Tuesday that The significant pressure drop caused by the gas leak on both lines of the gas pipeline registered yesterday leads to a strong assumption of the pipeline physical damage.

One line of Nord Stream 2 could still be intact and could send gas to Europe if it receives all certifications, Alexei Grivach of the Moscow-based National Energy Security Fund told Reuters on Wednesday.

In theory, in case of a political decision and by tuning in the gas processing equipment, supplies via the link are possible, Igor Galaktionov of brokerage BCS Mir Investitsiy told Reuters.

Germany, however, suspended the Nord Stream 2 project in February after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the pipeline construction was complete, but Nord Stream 2 was awaiting full regulatory clearance from Germany and a review by the European Union over its compliance with EU energy regulations.

Last week, Stephan Weil, Minister-President of the northwestern German state of Lower Saxony, said that Germany could never rely on Russia for energy supply again, and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project would never go ahead.

Putin, for his part, said earlier this month that Russia had nothing to do with Europes energy crisis and that if Europe wanted more gas, it just had to push the button on Nord Stream 2, and everything will get going, that is, lift the sanctions on Nord Stream 2.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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The Biogen headquarters is shown March 11, 2020, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Shares of Biogen and other drugmakers researching Alzheimers disease soared early Sept. 28, 2022, after Japans Eisai Co. said its potential treatment appeared to slow the fatal diseases progress in a late-stage study. Eisai announced results late Tuesday from a global study of nearly 1,800 people with early-stage Alzheimers. (Steven Senne/AP)

Shares of Biogen and other drugmakers researching Alzheimers disease soared early Wednesday after Japans Eisai Co. said its potential treatment appeared to slow the fatal diseases progress in a late-stage study.

Eisai announced results late Tuesday from a global study of nearly 1,800 people with early-stage Alzheimers.

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The drugmaker said early results showed that its treatment, lecanemab, reduced patient clinical decline by 27% when compared to a placebo or fake drug after 18 months of the infused treatment. Patients were monitored using a scale that measures how they do in areas like memory, judgement, problem solving and personal care.

Eisai Co. Ltd. said it would discuss full results from the research at a conference in late November. It also plans to publish its findings in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

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The company is already seeking an accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the agency is expected to decide by early next year. Eisai and Biogen will co-promote the drug.

The initial results appear to be quite robust and will likely support regulatory approval, Mizuho Securities analyst Graig Suvannavejh said in a research note.

A statement from the Alzheimers Association called the findings the most encouraging to date for potential treatments of the underlying disease causes.

Alzheimers is a progressive neurological disease with no known cure. Long-standing treatments on the market just manage symptoms, and researchers dont fully understand what causes the disease.

Last year, Biogens Aduhelm became the first new Alzheimers drug introduced in nearly two decades. But it has largely flopped after debuting with a price tag of $56,000 annually, which Biogen later slashed.

Doctors have been hesitant to prescribe it, given weak evidence that the drug slows the progression of Alzheimers. Insurers have blocked or restricted coverage over the drugs high price tag and uncertain benefit.

Like Aduhelm, lecanemab, which Eisai developed and ran through clinical trials, seeks to remove a protein called beta-amyloid from the brain.

But Eisai executives say lecanemab focuses more on floating clumps of the protein before it forms a plaque, which is what Aduhelm targets.

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Eli Lilly and Co. also is developing a potential treatment, donanemab, that helps clear the protein.

Shares of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Biogen Inc. jumped more than 50% in premarket trading Wednesday morning to top $300. The stock had largely tumbled since Aduhelms debut last year.

Shares of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. were up 8%.
Multiple people were hurt after a school bus and a semitrailer truck collided Tuesday afternoon in rural Chase County near Champion, southwest of Imperial.

The Chase County Sheriff's Office said the school bus had been in the process of dropping children off after school. Eleven students were on board ranging in ages from 6 to 15 years old. All passengers and drivers were taken to the Chase County Community Hospital and Clinic with a wide range of injuries. Three children later were taken to regional trauma centers, the Sheriff's Office said.

A preliminary investigation indicated that the driver of the school bus, a 2020 Integrated CES owned by Chase County Schools, was making a left turn when the bus collided with a 1992 Peterbilt Semi pulling a fully loaded grain trailer. The semi is owned by KAK Inc. out of Champion, Nebraska, and was northbound on Highway 15A. The semi hit the rear passenger side of the school bus, causing the bus to rotate 90 degrees and overturn onto its driver's side. After striking the bus, the semi continued north a short distance before leaving the roadway, crossing the ditch and coming to rest onto the property located at 32815 15 A spur.

The school bus was driven by 39-year-old Keith D. Cranwell of Champion. The semi was driven by 20-year-old Chance D. Lotspeich of Venango.
As Omahas first protected bike lane enters its final days, community members plan to rally for its preservation.

Supporters of the Harney Street bike lane will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday at Dewey Park. The gathering will feature speeches from community leaders and a 5:30 p.m. bike ride.

A second event planned for noon Friday will again bring protesters to Harney Street, this time between 18th and 19th Streets for a show of support and a call for transparency from city officials.

The protests come a week after Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert announced that the city would not extend the pilot program for the existing protected bike lane. That program is set to end Friday . Stotherts decision means the bollards separating cyclists and vehicles will come out and downtown Omaha will be left without a protected bike lane, at least for the time being.

The city first opened the protected bike lane, known as the Market to Midtown Bikeway, in July 2021. The 2-mile, two-way lane is protected by bollards and set between the curb and parallel parking spaces. It runs along Harney Street from 10th Street to Turner Boulevard.

That program, Stothert said in a letter to council members last week, has provided city officials with enough data for an evaluation and future decisions about protected bikeways in our urban core.

An evaluation, her letter continued, will consider Harney Street as well as other east-west streets in an effort to find the safest and most accessible location for a permanent protected bikeway.

Speaking with members of the media last week, Stothert raised safety concerns regarding the Harney Street bike lane and the citys proposed streetcar project.

Under a recently approved route concept, streetcars would run east along a portion of Harney Street for part of the route. Citing issues in Seattle, Stothert said there are known challenges that come with running a bikeway along with a streetcar.

Stothert told The World-Herald Wednesday that the city is in the process of evaluating what would have to be done to keep the protected bikeway in place until the streetcar is built.

Just our rough estimates over a three-year period could be in excess of $250,000, Stothert said. If its going to stay there, we would have to replace all the bollards. Theyd have to be bolted to the pavement. Snow and ice removal is also very expensive.

The mayor contends that the pilot program has run its course.

We dont need more pilot, weve had all of the information that we need if it was put in at Harney, Stothert said. I have stated over and over again that we are seriously committed to creating permanent protected bikeways in the urban core.

The decision to end the pilot program came days after the City Council approved a resolution that expressed support for the pilot program and the establishment of a permanent protected bike lane in the citys urban core.

Isabella Manhart, one of the rally organizers, said in a press release that the destruction of the bike lane is just one part of the bigger picture of the citys complete disregard for the needs of its citizens.

Fellow organizer Noemi Gilbert called the decision irresponsible.

It is unacceptable for Mayor Stothert to remove the bike lane against financial common sense, usage data and the votes of the City Council, Gilbert said.
The company contracted to demolish the W. Dale Clark Library will receive an additional payment of nearly $400,000  the latest in a series of costs incurred by the city for the move and demolition of Omahas main library.

In June, the City Council selected Cox Contracting Co., based in Council Bluffs, to handle demolition of the library at 14th and Douglas Streets. Demotion of the W. Dale Clark will clear the site for a new Mutual of Omaha skyscraper.

The original price tag for Cox was $678,000, which was the lowest bid the city received. Since then, the city has requested additional services, which will increase the companys compensation by $392,897.

That pushes Coxs total payment north of $1 million.

Much of the additional work will include the removal of steel tubes called pilings. The concrete-filled tubes serve as the buildings underground foundation.

Of the more than 300 pilings under the library, the city did not know how many would have to be removed to accommodate the design of Mutuals tower until its design was recently finalized, said Jacquelyn Morrison, a deputy chief of staff with the Mayors Office.

Once the designers were further along on the new building, they came back to us and let us know which of those 300-plus would need to come out, Morrison said. We settled on about 75 and the amendment has some wiggle room for about an additional 10.

Additional services requested by the city through the change order relate to material testing services and the removal and haul away of driveways and facade walls around the perimeter of the library.

The additional services were approved by City Council members six to one. Councilwoman Juanita Johnson voted against.

Johnson raised concerns on the fast timeline of the original contract approval with Cox Contracting and on the transparency of the process.

Councilman Brinker Harding noted that the total cost of the demolition is still below what was initially anticipated.

Original cost estimates were between $3 and $5 million, said Steve Curtiss, the citys finance director.

Councilwoman Aimee Melton also noted that the citys contract with Mutual requires the city to provide the company a clean slate for development, meaning the site must be left in a condition that enables the tower to be built.

If we dont complete the work wed be in violation of the agreement, theyd have to complete the work themselves, and then theyd charge the city not only for that work, but probably also legal feels as well for violating the agreement, Melton said.

Providing that clean slate comes with a tight deadline. The city has until Dec. 31 to clear the site. Demolition is scheduled to begin this weekend.

Mayor Jean Stothert first announced plans for the library relocation in November. At the time the mayor said a new downtown library branch would open in a century-old building on Jones Street. The administrative services would move to a former Shopko building near 84th and Frederick Streets.

That would allow for the demolition of the W. Dale Clark, which sits adjacent to the newly renovated Gene Leahy Mall. At the time, there were no plans for the W. Dale Clark site, but Stothert said there had been a lot of interest from developers. She also noted that the W. Dale Clark, which opened in 1976, was dated and underutilized.

In January, city and company officials announced the plan for the Mutual of Omaha skyscraper. The building would serve as the companys corporate headquarters, and its construction would coincide with the development of a streetcar system  both of which would be operational by 2026, officials said at the time.

The city has since advanced numerous pieces of the overall project, from the creation of a streetcar authority to manage the systems construction, to approving more than $60 million in tax-increment financing for the Mutual of Omaha tower.

At several points, costs for various aspects of the relocation project have exceeded projections.

Over the summer the City Council agreed to pay more then $6.4 million to renovate the Jones Street building and the former Shopko. The expenditure was millions more than what the Mayors Office initially estimated.

Most recently an increase in construction costs added about $130,000 in design and engineering services from HDR Inc., to assist in moving main library services.

In total, about $9.8 million has been approved for the move of the downtown library, including renovations, leases and temporary space costs.

Some Omaha residents have criticized the process for lacking transparency and prioritizing corporate interests over the publics.

Supporters of the project point to a need for redevelopment and job growth in the citys urban core, as well as the need for a modernized downtown library.

Several members of the public Tuesday repeated calls for improved communication and transparency.

To me this is more of an item that alludes to the lack of public trust, said Omaha resident Sarah Johnson. No ones here anymore to speak about this stuff because weve all become pretty disillusioned with a lot of these processes.

The W. Dale Clark location closed at the end of August. However, structural problems in the Jones Street building  problems that the city appears to have been unaware of at the time it approved a 10-year lease for the space  delayed the opening of the new downtown branch.

The city opened a temporary library at 1410 Howard St., not far from the future Jones Street location, in an effort to minimize service disruptions downtown. The city plans to open the Jones Street branch in March.
BERLIN (AP)  Austria announced Wednesday that it will start checking travel documents at its border with Slovakia following a similar decision by the Czech Republic to keep migrants from entering without authorization.

The checks were set to start at midnight Wednesday and initially will be enforced at 11 border crossings for 10 days., the Austrian government said.

The Austrian Interior Ministry says the border controls are intended to prevent migrant-smugglers from using Austria as an alternative route once the Czech Republic's checks at its border with Slovakia start Thursday.

We have to react before the smugglers react, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told public broadcaster ORF.

Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia all belong to the European Unions visa-free Schengen zone, where residents of member nations typically can cross borders without presenting passports or visas. Schengen countries have adopted temporary border controls in the past for various reasons, including to curb illegal migration and to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer told reporters he would meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic next week to discuss the issue of migration.

The states are not doing this for their own sake, but to fight organized crime and smuggling and to reduce the pressure from the borders, Nehammer said in Vienna.

Austria introduced controls along its borders with Hungary and Slovenia in 2015, when more than 1 million asylum-seekers from war-torn countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan entered the European Union. The Alpine country has repeatedly extended those controls, which remain in place.

Back then, the Czech Republic detained only about 8,500 migrants, while 12,000 unregistered migrants have been detained so far this year, the Czech interior ministry said. A total of 125 people smugglers also have been arrested in the Czech Republic this year, a significant increase from past years.

Most migrants dont want to stay in the Czech Republic or Slovakia, but travel through them to reach wealthier countries like Germany, Sweden and Austria.

Karel Janicek in Prague contributed reporting.

This version corrects Viktor Orban's title to Hungarian Prime Minister, not president.

Follow all AP stories on migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Colorado River tributaries in New Mexico bring water to the alfalfa fields in the Four Corners and the forested hills of the Gila wilderness in the southwestern part of the state.

But Colorado River and reservoir management was designed during a much wetter period.

And now, water officials are grappling with how to make do with less.

State Engineer Mike Hamman, New Mexicos top water manager, said the state really feels the shortages because it doesnt have the big reservoirs of other states in the Colorado River Basin.

Thats the dilemma  looking at how we can reduce demand with as soft a blow as possible, Hamman said.

EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a collaborative series on the Colorado River on the eve of the Colorado River Compact, signed nearly 100 years ago. The Colorado Sun, The Associated Press, The Albuquerque Journal, The Salt Lake Tribune, The Arizona Daily Star and The Nevada Independent are working together to explore the pressures on the river in 2022.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton this year tasked Colorado River states with creating an ambitious conservation plan.

Touton said the states need to conserve an additional 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water next year to protect levels at Lake Powell in Arizona and Utah and Lake Mead in Nevada and Arizona.

A basinwide conservation plan had not materialized by the mid-August deadline.

Nevada, Arizona and Mexico will all receive less water from the Colorado River next year because of rapidly-declining reservoirs, the Interior Department announced on Aug. 16.

Interior officials did not issue any mandatory water cuts for New Mexico.

But the states existing water conservation programs could be under increased scrutiny.

The Upper Basin states of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming did release a five-point plan this summer that points to the regions limited conservation options.

For two years, the states have released additional water from at least three reservoirs  including New Mexicos Navajo Reservoir  to prop up Lake Powell levels.

Those Upper Basin reservoir releases will likely continue next year, Interior officials said.

A more arid climate means all water users need to work harder to live within our means, said Estevan Lopez, New Mexicos representative on the Upper Colorado River Commission.

It certainly seems that we have to reset our expectations for what we might be trying to get out of the river, said Lopez, a former Reclamation commissioner.

In 2021, water managers considered releasing even more water from Navajo Reservoir to help water levels in downstream reservoirs.

But Lopez said the additional release could have jeopardized regional water supplies.

Ultimately, we argued against it, he said. Reclamation would perhaps not have been able to fulfill its contractual obligations to folks like the Navajo Nation and Jicarilla Apache and others that depend on water out of Navajo.

The same issues could resurface next year if officials look to the New Mexico reservoir as an emergency supply for downstream users.

The Upper Basin plan hinges on existing conservation programs.

Strategies include fallowing fields and making irrigation more efficient.

But the entire region must work together, Lopez said, to avoid more mandatory cuts.

If we can get water users within places like the San Juan Basin to agree to shortage sharing agreements, then theres no need for strict priority administration, he said. Its a more acceptable solution, generally.

Colorado River tributaries serve relatively small portions of northwest and southwest New Mexico.

But the basins water is essential for the states largest city: Albuquerque.

Rio Grande flows in Albuquerque are closely tied to the Colorado via the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project.

The system of tunnels and dams at the New Mexico state line diverts water into the Rio Grande Basin.

Albuquerques municipal supply is entitled to as much as 15 billion gallons of San Juan-Chama water every year.

David Morris, the water utility spokesman for the city and county, said the Colorado River water has allowed the region to wean itself off of unsustainable groundwater pumping.

Since 2008, aquifer levels underneath the city have rebounded as much as 40 feet.

Thats exactly what we were hoping that our use of surface water would allow the aquifer to do, Morris said. Were in a very fortunate situation here in Albuquerque to have two different and distinct sources of supply.

But less snowpack and spring runoff resulting from climate change have led to several consecutive years when the utility and other New Mexico entities have received far less water than expected from the inter-basin project.

Its important for us to invest in things like outdoor water conservation and reuse, Morris said. Its quite possible that there just wont be as much San Juan-Chama water available in the future because of drought and climate change.

The Colorado River Compact was signed in 1922  just 10 years after New Mexico became a state.

New Mexico still uses only about half of its allotment under the compact each year.

That could change as more tribes reach water rights settlements and build out infrastructure to use those rights.

Agencies are making progress on large projects to deliver water to Navajo communities in western New Mexico.

A resilient future on the Colorado must have tribal sovereignty at the forefront, said Daryl Vigil, Jicarilla Apache Nation water administrator and a staunch advocate for tribal inclusion in water management issues.

The term consultation gets thrown around in the basin a whole lot, Vigil said. But if you know one tribe, you only know one tribe. Having a seat at the table means working with every tribe to learn their specific water rights and needs.

The U.S. Interior Department has said it will engage with tribes in the basin as parties hammer out some management details of the compact that are set to expire after 2026.

A historic influx of funding for infrastructure and drought response could also help New Mexico and other basin states reduce water use and prepare for a drier future.

Im optimistic that were going to sort through some of these more sticky problems with a good collaborative solution, Hamman said.
The 2022 midterms are less than two months away and democracy itself is on the line. It may be our last chance to save democracy from the rise of right-wing authoritarianism.

Winning means doing everything possible to keep far-right populists from reaching the House, Senate and governors mansions, and electing secretaries of state and attorneys general throughout the country who are committed to democracy. It also requires that Democratic candidates listen to the demands of young voters and inspire greater numbers to vote than ever before.

For the past two election cycles, young voters have been the superheroes of our democracy. In 2018, they turned out in record numbers to take back Congress from Trumpism. In 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic and widespread economic uncertainty, half of all young people aged 18 to 29 voted, an increase of 11% from 2016. Young voters saved the country from a second Trump term, and then helped put two Democrats from Georgia into the U.S. Senate.

But we did not stop there: Young people worked incessantly to protect democracy. Through efforts like the Alliance for Youth Actions Democracy Done Right campaign, youth organizers have passed voting rights legislation and expanded youth voting options throughout the country. During the 2018 midterms, for example, Engage Miami fought for and won early voting sites at Miami college campuses, while both New Era Colorado and Washington Bus secured ballot drop-off boxes on campuses across their respective states. When MOVE Texas expanded polling locations on Texas college campuses, there was a dramatic increase in student voter turnout. And in 2021, Forward Montana Foundation won a lawsuit to overturn a bill restricting access to the ballot for voters who turn 18 the month before Election Day.

Much of this work was undone by radical GOP lawmakers at the state level, however. And Democrats in Congress failed to pass national voting rights protections, in part by wasting too much time negotiating with the very people who want to suppress our votes.

Yet young voters keep showing up, despite our demands and concerns often being the first on the chopping block. Over the last two years, the voices of Gen Z and millennial voters have made their voices heard at the White House and in Congress. But while President Joe Biden campaigned on canceling a portion of student debt, he dragged his feet until this summer to make it a reality. It took continuous pressure from youth organizers, many of them in the Alliance for Youth Action Network, to force the Biden administration to act.

Lets be clear: $10,000 is not enough to address the racial wealth gap exacerbated by the student debt crisis. We are celebrating this initial win, but we want candidates who are committed to doing more. The measure of success should not be did we do something? but did we fix the problem?

In a recent poll conducted by the Alliance for Youth Action, in collaboration with Civiqs, 88% of young Democratic voters in battleground states said they plan to vote in November. But polls dont vote; people do. And the Democratic Party has some work to do. In our poll, young Democratic and Independent voters voiced deep dissatisfaction with both Biden and Congress.

Our poll makes clear that actual turnout will depend not on party affiliation but on the moral clarity and bold, unapologetic stances that candidates bring to critical priorities such as democracy reform and voting rights, abortion rights and student debt.

Young people are constantly told that if we just turn out to vote, it will change the country. And since 2018, we have done just that. Yet during that time, we have seen relatively little progress on the issues most important to us. You need us  the country needs us  to vote in November. In turn, we expect to see tangible action and commitments from the candidates who want our votes.



ABOUT THE WRITER

Dakota Hall is the executive director of Alliance for Youth Action, a national network of local organizations that works with young people to engage in our democracy as voters, organizers, and leaders. This column was produced by Progressive Perspectives, which is run by The Progressive magazine and distributed by Tribune News Service.

___
How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region.

100 years ago

Sept. 28, 1922: A. Bellville of Holder has received an interesting letter from his daughter, Miss Effie Bellville, who is sightseeing in the west. Her letter described the farming opportunities, infrastructure and scenery in Boulder and Ward, Colorado. "The mountain sides are covered with flowers of every kind and color and the great pines stand so trim and give out much fragrance as the sun shines on them," she wrote.

75 years ago

Sept. 28, 1947: Celebrating the 88th year of its founding in Bloomington, the Unitarian church is offering three public lectures on "The Unitarian Way of Life," said the Rev. Kenneth C. Walker, minister. Guest ministers from Madison, Wisconsin, Dayton, Ohio, and the University of Chicago will deliver the talks. Locally, well-known Unitarians include former Gov. Joseph W. Fifer, Jesse Fell, David Felmley, John E. Cook and Thomas Metcalf, Walker said.

50 years ago

Sept. 28, 1972: Supporters of a 20-year-old Lexington man have been working all summer to raise money for the Mark Tracy Kidney Fund. Tracy has Bright's disease, an affliction of the kidneys, and backers are working to help the Tracy family pay for a kidney machine and other medical expenses. More than 600 pounds of fish have been ordered for the latest fundraising effort, a giant fish fry to be held in the city park.

25 years ago

Sept. 28, 1997: Jack Lewis Fine Jewelry is celebrating 70 years in business. Jack Lewis founded the company in 1927 at Center and Jefferson streets in downtown Bloomington; he kept it alive through the Depression by certifying railroad company timepieces, working on watches and selling some jewelry. He sold the business to John Wohlwend in 1994. Wohlwend is planning a sale  only the third in company history  to mark the anniversary.
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a plan Tuesday to reduce a $1.8 billion Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund deficit by $450 million through an infusion of unemployment-related revenues.

The trust fund is the pool of money paid into by employers to provide a social safety net for unemployed individuals. The employers insurance premiums are essentially collected via payroll tax.

The deficit figure represents money Illinois must repay to the federal government. It was borrowed under Title XII of the Social Security Act so the state could continue to pay unemployment claims amid the COVID-19 pandemic and is accruing interest at a rate of 1.59 percent annually.

While that balance exceeded $4.5 billion as the unemployment rate reached 16 percent at the height of the pandemic, lawmakers in March dedicated $2.7 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to pay down the deficit to the balance of roughly $1.8 billion. While Democrats lauded that action as a stop gap to allow for continued negotiations on the trust fund deficit, Republicans criticized the majority party for not allocating more of the states $8.1 billion in ARPA funds to the deficit.

The $450 million announced Tuesday will bring the deficit below $1.4 billion.

Our unemployment system is back on track and the balance of the unemployment trust fund continues to experience strong and steady growth, Pritzker said Tuesday at a news conference in Chicago. Thanks to Illinois economic recovery, the Illinois Department of Employment Security has advised me that the UI trust fund balance is sufficient enough to pay down another $450 million of its pandemic related debt.

Pritzker said he expects the move to save the state about $10 million in interest costs.

Last week, the state announced unemployment rates were down from one year ago in all 14 metro areas, ranging from 3.8 percent in the Moline and Rock Island area to 6.8 percent around Decatur.

Pritzker said business and labor interests continue to negotiate a solution for reducing the deficit further. But theyre approaching a Nov. 10 deadline after which federal tax hikes would take effect if the balance isnt erased by that date.

That process is spelled out in the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, or FUTA.

Federal law requires an employer to pay a FUTA tax on an employees first $7,000 of wages at a rate of 6 percent. But it also offers businesses a 5.4 percent tax credit, putting the effective rate at 0.6 percent.

If a state has a negative balance in the trust fund on Jan. 1 for two consecutive years  as Illinois has had  it has until Nov. 10 of the second year to retire that deficit, or the federal government will start clawing back 0.3 percent of the FUTA tax credit from employers each year until the deficit is gone.

A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Employment Security said in March that the tax credit reduction would apply to businesses for the 2022 tax year if a balance remains in place on Nov. 10. That would drive the effective FUTA tax rate from 0.6 percent to 0.9 percent, an increase of $21 in federal taxes per employee.

Generally, unemployment trust fund deficits are addressed by hiking employer insurance premium rates, decreasing benefit amounts and benefit periods for claimants, or an infusion of more state, federal or other funding.

In the past, negotiations in Illinois have been part of an agreed bill process in which labor interests identify cuts they are willing to accept, and business groups offer means of increasing trust fund revenues.

The solution to a $2.3 billion hole in 2010 amid the Great Recession included benefit cuts and raised premium rates for employers. Lawmakers also dedicated a portion of those premiums as a revenue stream to pay back 10-year bonds, which they used to replenish the trust fund. Those bonds were paid back in about 7.5 years, and the trust fund was back above water by 2012, according to IDES.

Illinois lawmakers have not yet adjusted the tax rates on employers or cut benefits for claimants since 2020. Instead, theyve pushed back statutory rate hikes and benefit cuts multiple times, scheduling them to take effect Jan. 1 if lawmakers cant come to a compromise.

Pritzker said negotiations for a broader fix are ongoing. But lawmakers are not scheduled to return to the Capitol until Nov. 15.

As the economy continues, stabilized, we believe that we'll be able to reduce that even more in the agreed bill process, working with the legislature, we'll be able to pay it off by year end, he said.

While Pritzker described the crush of unemployment claims amid the pandemic as a nationwide strain on unemployment systems, as of Tuesday, Illinois was one of five states and the U.S. Virgin Islands that had an outstanding trust fund balance, according to the U.S. Treasury.

Other states included California at $17.8 billion, New York at $7.9 billion, Connecticut at $97 million, Colorado at $33 million and the Virgin Islands at $96 million.
The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed a bill to reform how Congress certifies electors after a presidential election. That bill (or a similar but slightly weaker Senate one) needs to pass the Senate now.

After the November general election, Congress' focus will turn to the 2024 presidential race. Good luck getting any meaningful election reforms passed then.

Ostensibly, the Presidential Election Reform Act is a response to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol and its aftermath. When Congress reconvened, 147 Republican representatives and senators voted against certifying that President Joe Biden had won. There also were desperate machinations to convince then-Vice President Mike Pence to throw out the election result.

Jan. 6 is only the impetus of the hour, though. The need for reform has been clear for decades. It just took a near-complete collapse of the process and democratic-norms to prompt action.

The problem goes back to the 1887 law known as the Electoral Count Act. Historians, lawyers and constitutional law scholars for decades have argued that it was so poorly written, vague and ambiguous that it was only a matter of time until some lawmakers tried to abuse it.

Carl P. Leubsdorf: The 10 most important things from the Jan. 6 hearings When President Donald Trumps supporters assaulted the U.S. Capitol, it was evident they were trying  with his encouragement  to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 election.

Indeed, Republicans in 2021 weren't the first to object to certifying presidential electors, though they took it further than anyone before. Some Democrats objected to certifying electors in 2001, 2005 and 2017 when Republicans won the White House. The difference was that those were just protests after a candidate had already conceded, not an outright attempt to overturn a fair election.

The House bill would clean up the Electoral Count Act. It would raise the bar for members of Congress to object to certification and would make it explicit that the vice president's role is strictly ceremonial. It also would establish clear rules for who in the states certifies electors.

None of this should be controversial. Establishing well-defined ground rules for elections and the transfer of presidential power benefits everyone. Yet only nine Republicans in the House joined Democrats in passing the bill. Most of the nine also had voted to impeach Trump after Jan. 6 and won't return to Congress after this year's election. They include Washington's Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who lost to a Democrat and a Trump-backed challenger in the top-two primary.

Disappointingly, Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse, who often portrays himself as a moderate and supported impeachment, voted against the reform bill.

The Senate should act without delay, though whether it can overcome a Republican filibuster is uncertain. If it cannot, senators should vote on a similar Senate bill that does have bipartisan support. That one doesn't go quite as far, but something is better than nothing. The alternative is heading into 2024 with the same broken law that led to a riot and members of Congress trading their honor for fealty to a losing presidential candidate.
Ghana earned $731.94 million in petroleum receipts in the first half of this year, representing 108.9 per cent increase over the 2021 half-year receipt of $350. 31 million.



The figure is also $51.39 million shy of the $783.33 million bagged in the entire 2021, and brings to $8.09 billion the revenue the country had received since 2011 when it started producing oil in commercial quantities.



The increase in the receipts, according to the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), was largely attributable to revenues in respect of corporate taxes, surface rentals and crude oil lifting.



This was contained in the semi-annual report on the management and use of petroleum revenues for January June 2022 released by the Committee at a press briefing in Accra yesterday.



Of the total receipts, Carried and Participating Interest (CAPI) yielded the highest of $354.17 million (48.39 per cent); Royalties, $190.43 million (26.02 percent); Corporate Income Tax, $186.33 million (25.46 per cent); Surface Rentals, $687,759 and Overnight Interest on Petroleum Holding Fund (PHF), $304,613.



On the distribution, the report said the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) received $173.84 million and the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) $183.02 million.



The Ghana Petroleum Funds (GPFs) consisting of the Ghana Stabilisation Fund (GSF) and the Ghana Heritage Fund (GHF), $390.02 million with GSF$273.02 million and GHF $117 million.



According to the report, Ghana produced a total of 25,861,810.42 barrels (bbls) of crude oil in the first half of 2022 from its three offshore producing fields.



The Jubilee field produced 14,906,957 bbls, representing 57.6 per cent; Tweneboa-Enyenra-Ntomme (TEN), 4,394,067 bbls, representing 17 per cent and SankofaGye-Nyame (SGN), 6,560,786 bbls representing 25.4 per cent.



This represents a 6.9 percent reduction from the first half of 2021 production volume of 27,767,859.00 barrels (bbls) and the third consecutive reduction in year-on-year crude oil production volumes since 2011.



The decrease was as a result of reduced production in the TEN and SGN fields, recording a decline of 34.3 and 21 percent respectively. Crude oil production increased in the Jubilee Field by 16.6 percent.



The cumulative raw gas production (Associated Gas-AG and Non-Associated Gas-NAG) for the period was 124,948.79 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) representing a two per cent reduction over the volume of 127,496.04 MMSCF produced for the same period in 2021.



The report said production from Jubilee and TEN Fields decreased by 7.2 and 10.2 per cent respectively, whilst SGNs raw gas production increased by 5.1 per cent.



The Chairman of PIAC, Professor Kwame Adom-Frimpong who gave highlight of the report said the retention of the current cap of $100 million on the GSF for the year 2022 was not in accordance with the formula stipulated in Legislative Instrument (LI) 2381.



A proper application of the formula would have returned a cap of US$460.63 million. The Minister for Finance, in determining the cap on the GSF, should comply with the relevant provisions of L.I 2381, he said.

Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh









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

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Ferrara Candy Co. has been cited for alleged safety violations at its Bellwood candy factory, two years after being placed in a severe violator enforcement program over safety issues, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday.

OSHA said Ferrara exposed workers to amputation hazards at the facility because it did not utilize energy control procedures before workers cleared jams and serviced equipment.

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OSHA inspectors found the alleged violations after an April complaint of unsafe working conditions. The agency has proposed the company pay penalties of more than $200,000.

Ferrara Candy Co. knows its workers can suffer debilitating injuries, such as amputations, when machines are not properly de-energized before servicing or maintaining them, said Angeline Loftus, OSHA director for the Chicago North Area, in a statement. Yet, company personnel continue to expose employees needlessly to these hazards.

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The reception area of Ferrara Candy headquarters in the Old Post Office building at 433 W. Van Buren St. in Chicago on Jan 21, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

The company was also cited for not providing an eyewash station and for allowing workers to operate powered industrial vehicles in states of disrepair.

Ferrara has 15 business days to comply with the penalties, contest them or request an informal conference with the OSHA area director.

In a statement, the company said it plans to meet with OSHA within the next 15 days and is cooperating fully with the investigation. Ferrara said it contracts with former OSHA officials to regularly review and strengthen our health and safety practices by enhancing our safety audits, trainings, and education that protect our employees, contractors, and visitors.

The health and safety of our team members is the most important priority at Ferrara, and we work diligently to maintain a safe operating environment, the company said.

Its not the first time Ferrara was fined for similar alleged violations at the Bellwood facility. In 2020, one worker suffered a fingertip amputation after coming in contact with an unguarded rotary valve and another was hospitalized after being caught in a machine, according to OSHA.

Ferrara paid fines of nearly $330,00 after those incidents and was placed in a severe violator enforcement program. Ferrara is no longer in the severe violator program and was not at the time of the investigation, according to Scott Allen, the U.S. Department of Labors regional director of public affairs.

In March, the company was cited for an alleged machine safety violation that created potential exposure to an amputation hazardat a facility on 110th Street in Chicago, according to Allen. The company reached an informal settlement in that case and agreed to pay penalties of about $14,500. The case remains open.

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Ferrara was founded in Chicagos Little Italy in 1908 and was acquired by Italian candy giant Ferrero in 2017.

The Lemonheads-maker moved its corporate headquarters from Oakbrook Terrace to the Old Post Office downtown in 2019. This summer, parent company Ferrero said it would open a 45,000-square-foot innovation facility in the historic Marshall Field and Co. building and transfer its corporate employees there. Ferrara employees, however, will remain based at the Old Post Office.
Kosmos Innovation Center Ghana, Glovo and Open Value Foundation are organizing an Impact Entrepreneurship Competition for innovative and successful Ghanaian-owned businesses making a positive impact on society, with a view to strengthening the impact ecosystem in the country and contributing to bridge the gap between impact and profit.



The Impact Entrepreneurship Competition is designed for entrepreneurs and early-stage companies generating positive impact in Ghanas economic, social and/or environmental sectors, contributing to sustainable development in the country.



Over 20,000USD in cash prizes and more than 5,000USD of in-kind prizes will be awarded to the selected entrepreneurs during the competition. The winner will receive a grant of 15,000USD powered by Open Value Foundation. 10,000USD will be awarded to a company working to improve the health and wellbeing of others, including businesses tackling environmental issues impacting peoples health by Anesvad Foundation.



Additionally, based on the jurys criteria, any of the live-pitch participants will have the opportunity to receive a package of support including mentoring, investor-readiness advice, networks, and introductions to other sources of funding and opportunities to access products and/or services donated by partners and collaborators.



To participate in the competition, the Ghana registered company must have raised less than USD250,000 in funding, have been in operations for 2 or more years, have a clear for-profit or sustainable business model with potential for scale and the ability to demonstrate positive social impact in Ghana (on rural, low-income, or disadvantaged communities).



The Competition will be made up of 2 stages. The first stage will be through an online submission while the second stage will be a physical event where the top eight shortlisted businesses will pitch in person to a panel of judges and investors. The live pitch will be held on 4th November 2022 in Accra.



All applications should be submitted to bit.ly/ImpactGhanaAwards or to kicghana.org on or before October 10th, 2022. All questions and enquiries should be directed to [email protected] or +233 0342295432.







Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Ghana Health Service has disclosed that up to 55 people in the Greater Accra Region have contracted the Monkeypox disease.



The Greater Accra Regional Director of Health, Dr. Charity Sarpong, who disclosed this at the 2022 annual meeting of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, added that one of the victims had died.



According to Dr. Charity Sarpong, most of the cases were recorded in communities in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, citinewsroom.com reports.



33 percent of the cases were recorded in the Accra metropolis, the director is quoted to have said by citinewsroom.com.



Ghana recorded its first five cases of Monkeypox infections in June 2022 after 12 suspected cases were investigated following the outbreak of the disease in the world.



In August 2022, the GHS confirmed that the virus killed a personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces in the Upper East Region.



According to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the Monkeypox virus. It is endemic in Nigeria and Cameroon and is transmitted from an infected animal (squirrels, rats, dormice, monkeys, etc.) or from infected humans, he said.



On the mode of transmission among humans, he said the virus could be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, face-to-face contact, mouth-to-skin contact, as well as touching bedding, towels, clothing or objects used by an infected person.















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

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The National Heart-to-Heart Ambassador, Rev. John Azumah, has called for increased sensitisation among adolescents on HIV/AIDs to reduce their risk of exposure to the disease.



According to him, the spate at which young people were getting infected with the virus was alarming and could have a negative impact on national development if nothing was urgently done about it.



Rev. Azumah was speaking at a community engagement on HIV/AIDs held at Amasaman in the Ga-West Municipality of the Greater Accra region.



Organised by the International Child Development Programme (ICDP) Ghana, with support from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the meeting formed part of activities aimed at reducing HIV prevalence among adolescents in two selected municipalities: Akwapim-South and Ga West, respectively.



The National Ambassador, who has lived with HIV for over 20 years, said stigma and discrimination were still rife against persons living with HIV (PLHIV) and were a major deterrence for young persons to disclose their status and receive the needed help.



PLHIVs suffer great stigmatisation even by some health workers who are supposed to know better. This must stop if we are to encourage a lot of people to open up about their status and receive help. PLHIVs have equal rights with all persons and these rights must be respected and safeguarded, he said.



Rev. Azumah, while appealing to adolescents to desist from unsafe premarital and unprotected sex, encouraged PLHIVs to religiously stick to their antiretrovirals (ARVs) to attain suppression and live longer lives.



The Country Director of ICDP Ghana, Ms. Joyce Larnyoh, noted that the emergence of COVID-19 diverted attention from HIV/AIDs fight, causing a significant setback in gains made so far.



COVID-19 redirected the focus and resources of both state and non-state actors towards containing the spread of the pandemic to the detriment of other critical health conditions such as HIV resulting in the low public education as observed by the PLHIV community, she said.



Nana AdwoaAfriyieBonsu, Coordinator for the ICDP/UNESCO HIV Prevention and Reproductive Health Education Project, called for drastic measures to be taken by all actors to control the rising infection rates, especially among adolescents.



For her part, Madam Nancy Akrong, ICDPs Public Health Specialist, pleaded with families and the populace to desist from any act of stigmatization toward PLHIVs to sustain efforts at containing the spread of the disease.



The Ghana Health Services data, as of the end of 2021, indicated that there were 16,938 new HIV infections of which 19 percent were adolescents (15 to 24 years).



Among the general population, an estimated 345,599 were PLHIVs with 9,859 persons dying from HIV/AIDs in 2021.



With a 1.7 percent HIV prevalence in the country (two out of every 100 people are positive for HIV), a total of 23,495 persons have already tested positive for the virus for the first half of this year.



The prevalence of adolescents aged 15-19 years is estimated at 0.7 percent, thus health experts warn that an increase in the population of Adolescents Living with HIV (ALHIV) is likely to lead to a rise in the proportion of young people living with HIV due to the risky sexual behaviour that occurs among adolescents.



The Heart-to-Heart campaign is an initiative by the Ghana AIDS Commission that gives the platform to PLHIVs to disclose their HIV status and share their experiences to educate the Ghanaian population against stigma and discrimination and also empower PLHIVs to accept their status, be on medication and to also protect themselves and others from further HIV infection.





Source: The Ghanaian Times









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Global statistics on Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) infection continue to dominate discussions on public health. Today nearly 41 million people around the world [i] die from NCDs (conditions that are not mainly caused by an acute infection but result in long-term health consequences and often create a need for long-term treatment and care.)

The study also indicates that three-quarters of these deaths are to a large extent, endemic in low and middle-income countries. It is in light of this that the United Nations (UN) initiated plans to reduce NCD by 25% by 2025 to assuage the impact. [ii]



It appears, in Ghana, NCDs like Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs), cancer, diabetes, Arthritis, etc, are significant contributors to Ghanas disease burden. In Ghana, CVDs are responsible for 18,000 deaths annually[iii] . Even more alarming yet with very little attention, is the upsurge of dyslipidemia; a chronic risk factor of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD), caused by abnormal cholesterol or lipids in the blood. Increased levels of bad cholesterol (LDL-C), lead to them becoming deposited in the walls of blood vessels where they can slowly begin to block blood flow through the arteries to the vital organs such as the heart and brain. If this happens, one is said to have ASCVD. [iv] Dyslipidemia (high levels of lipids) does not show symptoms. Such that more people are dying silently, leaving many households socio-economically affected by the high cost of healthcare treatment, loss of breadwinners and daily livelihood.[i]



A recently held summit organized by Novartis had health professionals highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to tackle dyslipidemia in Ghana. Specialists at the summit warned that the total rate of NCDs is set to topple other diseases as the leading cause of mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.



Dr. Philip Amoo, a Public Health Physician Specialist, indicated that apart from its health risks, ASCVD impacts families emotionally and financially, affecting economic productivity invariably. 75% of all human deaths annually are linked to Non-Communicable Diseases of which cardiovascular disease remains a major contributor. Other than the economic burdens on families, productivity at work is halted leading to loss of manhours.



The experts further advised that people who check their cholesterol levels can lower the risk of developing ASCVD and ultimately strokes and heart attacks by knowing their lipid level and taking steps to control it if elevated

Novartis Ghana is engaging stakeholders in the cardiovascular health community to chart a way forward for CVD screening, monitoring, and treatment in Ghana. The focus of Novartis is to motivate key players to act to secure better health outcomes for people living with ASCVD, including redefining how stakeholders in the health sector can work together to reverse the devastating health and financial consequences of this silent but deadly disease.







A major fallout from the panel discussion focused on how stakeholders, including the public sector, can leverage strategies to drive access to treatments by increasing advocacy to target patients suffering from dyslipidemia. Data collection, health system strengthening, and awareness programs are ways to curb the toll the condition has on the country's economic growth.



A panelist at the summit, Dr. Abdul-Samed Tanko, a Cardiologist, stressed that advocacy is necessary to achieve this. The country is not experiencing a type of Dyslipidemia whose risk factor is genetically induced largely because not much-targeted screening is being done. If that is resolved, we can get more data to feed into a registry localized for health interventions to cover all these groups.



Patients like Patience Binim, an educationist, have joined calls for strengthened efforts towards how ASCVD is approached, and patients supported. There should be more organizations educating patients on prevention and advocacy, going to communities, and targeting people. I have heard the name (Dyslipidemia) but I didn't know much about it until the doctors told me.



Collaborative partnerships are important to lessen the burden of ASCVD. It is why stakeholders like Novartis and other leading agencies are investing in solutions that reduce morbidity, and mortality by advocating for solutions to drive innovative access to treatments. The Global Health company aspires to be the partner of choice for governments and NGOs to strengthen healthcare systems across Africa.



We are deeply committed to improving access to health care and medicines for patients not only in West Africa but across SSA. Already, our ongoing collaborative efforts with likeminded organizations have seen us delivering on our ambitions which we hope will bring real impact to a significant number of patients. This, the Country Head Mr. Philip Tagboto says, has led to discussions with key experts.



This is just one example of how Novartis is working with thought leaders, medical societies, health authorities, and NGOs across SSA to highlight the urgency and address this silent killer. The time for action is now and committed multi-sectoral collaboration on awareness, screenings, and treatment is key.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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

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A renowned security analyst has warned that the recent insecurity situation in the Upper West region of Ghana could be a disincentive for investors who maybe interested in investing in the region.



The expert has therefore cautioned government to take immediate measures to ensure that there is lasting peace, security and stability in the Upper West Region.



Mr Adib Saani told the Daily Ghanaian Guide newspaper in a telephone interview on Monday 26th September, 2022.



It will be recalled that the Upper West region has recorded numerous cases of violence, robbery and mob action among others. This worrying trend has raised concerns among many residents and nonresidents alike.



The Upper West region has seen some major investments in recent years, particularly, in the areas of mining, commerce and tourism.



In the words of Mr Adib Saani, the major players in mining industry in particular who have already invested heavily in the region as well as those who may be planning to invest in the region may be discouraged if the situation persists. Government intervention is much required now to resolve this issue. He said.



Mr. Adib Saani is an expert in Conflict Analysis and Mediation,

Terrorism and Counter Terrorism,

Security Intelligence and Forensics with the Jatikay Center for Human Security and Peace Building organization.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Former Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen, has asked President Nana Akufo-Addo not to be dismayed by the cold reception at the Global Citizen Festival held at Black Stars Square over the weekend.



According to him, such receptions ought to be expected as political leaders will not always have people singing their praise.



Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Okay FM on September 27, he stated that the president must demonstrate that he is a man  an expression connoting bravery.



He also tasked the president and the NPP to both have a self-introspection over the incident in order to make necessary amends.



Nana Addo should relax. He will think about it though. He must tell himself that he is a man. Even though Im saying this, he must do self-introspection and not be demoralized.



He should stand firm and know that it wont always be rosy for him and will always be welcomed with pomp and pageantry at events he attends.



He must stand firm like a man. NPP members must also stand firm and not be cowed. Whether it is the NDC or other parties, NPP as a party must do self-introspection too, Nana Obiri Boahen said.



President Akufo-Addo graced the Global Citizen Festival which took place at the Black Square in Accra over the weekend.



When it was his turn to deliver an address, a section of the crowd began to chant and clap away,away..



The president remained calm and delivered his speech. Deputy Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party Ernest Owusu Bempah has in a statement accused the opposition National Democratic Congress as orchestrating the plot to embarrass the president.



However, the NDC has rejected the accusation insisting that the booing was only an indication of the frustrations of Ghanaians under the NPP government.















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Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, Kobina Tahir (K.T) Hammond, has expressed disgust at how President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was booed at the recently held Global Citizen Festival.



In an interview with journalists shared by Accra-based Joy FM, the legislator argued that it was not right for the youth to disrespect the president and by extension elders in the society, especially for political reasons.



He urged the youth to at all times remain humble and accord the necessary respect to people who are advanced in age.



K. T Hammond added that the platform on which the president spoke was not a political one to warrant the reaction he had from some patrons of the event.



We dont live in a country and do that. Lets be humble. Whatever we do, the president is the executive head of this country. When he came, he didnt say anything. It wasnt even a political platform.



He only said the event has brought the attention of the world on Ghana and the youth started booing at him. We will always tell the youth to be humble. When a matter comes up, we say we are going to consult elders. We dont say we are coming to consult the youth whose heads are like coconut.



We consult the elderly on matters because they are wise. But because of politics, we do anything with the elderly. Let it even be a political platform that you can heckle but it wasnt even a political rally.



The youth should respect the elderly. We shouldnt let it be that because of politics we can insult everyone. Its not possible for the youth to be left to manage the affairs of the country.



They wont know how to do it in the first place. You dont understand. You are galivanting about in this town with beard, nothing is in your heads, he said in the Twi parlance.



President Akufo-Addo was among high dignitaries who graced the Global Citizen Festival which took place at the Black Square in Accra over the weekend.



When it was his turn to deliver a short presentation, a section of the crowd began to chant and clap away,away..

The president remained calm and delivered his speech. Deputy Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party Ernest Owusu Bempah has in a statement accused the opposition National Democratic Congress as orchestrating the plot to embarrass the president.



However, the NDC has rejected the accusation insisting that the booing was only an indication of the frustrations of Ghanaians.









Source: ghanaweb.com









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The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Pius Enam Hadzide, has asserted that United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a strategic partner whose contribution to executing the implementation of the National Youth Policy is paramount.



At a brief meeting held at the premises of UNESCO to present copies of the recently launched National Youth Policy and its implementation plan, Pius Enam Hadzide said his presentation to UNESCO is in the right direction as the mandate of UNESCO aligns with the work of NYA.



He said the Authority is pleased to be partnering with UNESCO in this regard and asked for strengthening of ties between the two institutions to efficiently work for the development of the Ghanaian youth.



He seized the opportunity to educate the team at UNESCO on some projects by the authority such as STEP, which seeks to train both skilled and unskilled people for economic empowerment, and the NYVP.



According to him, it also places value on volunteerism and will increase employability skills among the youth whilst they contribute their quota to national development.



The CEO on behalf of the governing board and staff of NYA thanked them for their unwavering commitment to the successful celebration of this years International Youth Day (IYD).



The Country Director for UNESCO Mr. Abdourahamane Diallo commending the NYA for their efforts in youth development said his outfit has taken notice of the projects and programs of the Authority and congratulated NYA for its handwork in bringing together such an august gathering of young people for IYD22.



He said the National Youth Policy is a blueprint that will guide them to identify areas of the policy in the various sectors to work on.



We will also share the policy document with our global youth community whom we have a constant dialogue to facilitate the overall development of the youth.



He expressed interest in collaborating with the authority in the areas of education, youth advocacy, culture, STEM, digitization, and I.C.T.













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Sir Sam Jonah KBE, has revealed the circumstances under which he was allowed to attend his British knighthood ceremony at the Buckingham Palace with his entire family.



According to him, the event was to be undertaken by the late Queen Elizabeth II but due to another engagement along diplomatic lines, Prince Charles (now King Charles III) took that responsibility.



In an interview on the BBUM show, a personality profile programme on Ghana Television (September 25), the former Ashanti Goldfields CEO explained why instead of his wife alone accompanying him, his children were allowed to attend.



He described the opportunity as a "privilege to have been invited and honoured by the British Royal Family."



I had the privilege to be knighted by Prince Charles in 2003, it was quite an experience, I was fortunate I took my entire family with me, which was very unusual. Because usually, they would ask you to come with your spouse.



I was fortunate because what happened was, that same day, the reason why I was not knighted by the Queen was that, the Queen was hosting President Putin to a state lunch and therefore it fell on Prince Charles.



Therefore, Prince Charles said, bring your entire family and so I took my entire family, he added.



Sam Jonah attended the ceremony with his wife and five children according to a PA photo sighted by GhanaWeb.



In his view, the new King is a hugely understated and underappreciated person, adding that he has a commanding presence, and unenforced authority and he is a delight to be with.



He said he felt hugely privileged and fortunate for one-hour meeting his family had with the new monarch at the Buckingham Palace.



In June 2003, Jonah became the first Ghanaian to be knighted in the 21st century when he was presented with an honorary knighthood (KBE) by the then Prince of Wales, in recognition of his achievements as an African businessman, a leading business executive from the Commonwealth, and an international public figure.



















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The Golden Stool of the Asante Kingdom is one of its most significant traditional representations.



The stool, made out of pure gold, stands at 18 inches high, is 24 inches long, and 12 inches in width, according to blackpast.org.



The stool has been in existence since the reign of the Asantehene, Osei Tutu I, and is believed to house the soul of the Ashanti nation.



Due to its significance, the Golden Stool was never allowed to touch the ground and was considered so sacred that no one was allowed to sit on it.



However, the kings of the Asante kingdom are given a special dispensation of symbolically sitting on the stool once in their lives.



Sharing the details of how and when this opportunity is given to the Asantehene, a local heritage expert, Osei Bonsu, told the BBC in an interview that at the coronation of the king, he is made to symbolically sit on the stool three times.



The king sits on a wooden stool embossed with gold, not the Golden Stool. The golden stool is not meant for anybody to sit on it. The kings bottom is touched on the Golden Stool three times, that is the first time he is elected as king.



People hold him, and his bottom is touched on the Golden Stool only three times, and that is for his lifetime, he explained.



About the Golden Stool:



According to blackpast.org, no one is considered a legitimate ruler without the Golden Stool, which usually occupied its own throne next to the Asantehene.



The Asantes maintained the Golden Stool as their most prized possession. Before they went to war, their war chiefs consulted it. As time progressed and as the Asantes scored more victories over their rivals, turning their kingdom into an empire, the Golden Stool became even more revered.



By the 19th Century, the Asantes began a series of clashes with the British Empire which had established effective control of the coastal region of what is now Ghana. They fought three Anglo-Ashanti Wars between 1824 and 1874, with the British and their African allies gaining more control over Ashanti Territory.



During the fourth Anglo-Ashanti War, the British and their Indian and African allies defeated Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh, eventually capturing him and sending him into exile in the Seychelles Islands.



The final war (1900), essentially a rebellion led by Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen Mother and Gate Keeper of the Golden Stool, was prompted by the demand by Sir Frederick Mitchell Hodgson, the British Governor of the Gold Coast to sit on the Golden Stool. With his remark, Yaa Asantewaa led a rebellion called the Word of the Golden Stool which began on March 28, 1900.



The intense fight led to the death of more than 2,000 Asantes and 1,000 British and Allied troops. Both totals were higher than the deaths from all previous Anglo-Ashanti wars combined. The war ended after six months.



Yaa Asantewaa was captured by the British in 1901 and quickly exiled to the Seychelles, where she died in 1921, but the British never captured the Golden Stool. Hidden by the Asantes, it was discovered by a group of African railroad builders in 1920.



They stripped it of its gold ornaments and were tried by the Asantes and sentenced to death. British colonial authorities intervened, however, and they were exiled from the Gold Coast Colony.



After realizing the importance of the Golden Stool to the Asantes, the British gave assurances that they would never interfere with it again. Restored to its ceremonial place, the Golden Stool continues to be used in rituals crowning the Asantehene, although he is now considered a traditional ruler without political power or influence. Nonetheless, the Golden Stool remains a cherished symbol of the former Ashanti Empire.



Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown below:





Source: ghanaweb.com









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US announces 10 more liquid oxygen systems for Vietnams hospitals

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), has just announced liquid oxygen systems for 10 additional Vietnamese hospitals.

According to USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Aler Grubbs, they are now providing 23 hospitals in Vietnam with liquid oxygen systems.

The 13 newly installed liquid oxygen systems significantly improve critical health care in five provinces," he said. "We will provide Vietnam with 10 more such systems over the coming year in six more provincesto further strengthen the nations health care system and save lives.



In Vietnam, on-site oxygen storage at smaller and provincial hospitals is rare, necessitating dependence on regular oxygen deliveries. However, oxygen can run out in times of surge demand, as happened during waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals have an urgent need for a reliable supply of oxygen.



USAID provides liquid oxygen systems with an on-site storage tank, vaporizer to convert liquid oxygen in the tank to gaseous oxygen, and a pressure regulator, which is connected to the hospitals piping to transport the oxygen to patients bedsides. USAID is also providing related staff training, equipment, and supplies to administer the oxygen, such as high-flow nasal tubing and patient monitors, which allow hospital staff to efficiently track patients vital signs and quickly respond to changes in patient conditions. USAIDs installation of the 23 liquid oxygen systems and related support, valued at $7.5 million, helps Vietnams hospitals to provide thousands of additional patients with a reliable supply of medical oxygen.


Illinois residents who filed claims for a cut of Googles $100 million class-action settlement over alleged violations of state privacy law could receive checks of about $154 each.

Cook County Circuit Judge Anna M. Loftus granted final approval of the settlement Wednesday. She granted preliminary approval of the agreement in April.

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The payout comes after Google settled a class-action lawsuit alleging its face grouping tool, which sorts faces on Google Photos by similarity, violated Illinois biometric privacy law. State law requires companies to obtain affirmative consent from users before collecting and saving their biometric information.

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The deadline to claim a cut of the settlement was last week. Those eligible included people who appeared in a photo on Google Photos between May 2015 and this April while they were residents of Illinois.

Google's offices in Chicago are seen in 2019. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)

According to Loftus, about 420,000 people have filed valid claims. That would put payments at about $154 per person, less than the $200 to $400 attorneys originally estimated residents might receive.

The payment amounts remain lower than earlier estimates despite Loftus Wednesday reducing attorneys fees from 40% of the settlement fund to 35%. Attorneys for the plaintiffs are now eligible to collect $35 million in fees plus costs and expenses. The five named plaintiffs in the case are eligible for payments of $5,000 each.

Google did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement. The company has rolled out opt-in consent for face grouping in Illinois, spokesperson Jose Castaneda said last week.

In April, Castaneda said the company was pleased to resolve this matter relating to specific laws in Illinois and remained committed to building easy-to-use controls for our users. He declined to comment Wednesday.

Claimants could receive payments within 90 days of the settlement approval, but any appeals could delay the process.

After Facebook reached a $650 million biometric privacy settlement agreement in February 2021, Illinois residents did not receive their $397 checks until more than a year later because of an appeal. Two class members appealed because they opposed payouts for named plaintiffs and attorneys in the case, the latter of which came out to $97.5 million. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld the Facebook settlement in March.

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The Google settlement resolves a group of lawsuits filed by those five plaintiffs, the first of which was filed in 2016 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act is considered one of the strictest such laws in the country, in part because it allows private citizens to sue companies for allegedly breaking the law. Since its passage in 2008, the law has sparked hundreds of lawsuits.

Illinois residents who use Snapchat have until Nov. 5 to submit claims in a biometric privacy case settled by the apps parent company, Snap Inc., last month. The company reached a $35 million settlement over allegations its lenses and filters violated state law.

Snap did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement and maintains its technology does not violate Illinois law. A spokesperson said last month the company had rolled out in-app consent for lenses and filters in Illinois out of an abundance of caution.
Four new envoys accredited by their respective countries to serve in Ghana presented their letters of credence to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday



They are the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mrs Bernice Owen-Jones, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Bijan Gerami Nazoksara, the Ambassador of Swiss to Ghana, Simone Giger, and the Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madam Jeannette Njuma Nyakeru.



Before presenting their credentials at separate meetings with the President, each envoy inspected a Guard of Honour mounted by a detachment of the Ghana Armed Forces at the Forecourt of the Jubilee House.



At the meetings, the envoys and the President raised glasses and toasted to the bond of friendship and solidarity between Ghana and their respective countries.



Issues discussed bordered on national, regional, and global peace, security, and development.



Each envoy expressed the commitment to work with the Ghanaian government to take the relations between Ghana and their respective countries to new heights.



They pledged to explore new opportunities for collaborations and partnerships with Ghana to deepen the relations



The envoys commended President Akufo-Addo for his strong leadership, making Ghana the envy of many countries in the world, and pledged to help counter-terrorism in the West African Region.



They also praised the Ghanaian government for the bold policies rolled out to address the current economic crises caused by global developments.



The envoys celebrated Ghana for winning the bid to host the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda of the government, as well as the One District One Factory among others



They outlined the areas of expertise of their respective countries and how they intend to help Ghana develop in those areas.



President Akufo-Addo, on his part, welcomed the new envoys to Ghana and entreated them to call on the government for any assistance in the performance of their duties.



He said officials at the Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration would always be at their disposal for any form of assistance.



President Akufo-Addo expressed the governments readiness to work with the envoys to improve the relations between Ghana and their respective countries.

Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh









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Achimota Forest and portions of it which became a subject matter some months ago have resurfaced as the Osu Stool has provided documents dated far back in colonial days as the allodial owner of the forest and other boundaries.



The Osu Stool said that it was the only allodial owner of the Achimota Forest and other Osu-established settlements during their migration from Osudoku to their present location.



Rev. Solomon Quartey Kwatei, Osu Stool Secretary addressing the media in a press conference said that any release of portions of the Achimota Forest to any person(s) other than the Stool would be unlawful.



We wish to advise members of the Ga Community as a whole to desist from any frivolous claims to the Achimota Forest he advised.



Rev. Quartey Kwatei explained that the Achimota Forest was one of the villages established by the people of Osu in the course of their migration from Osudoku en route to Christiansborg where the indigenes largely settled.



Other villages established by the people of Osu include but are not limited to Haatso, Papao, Legon, Achimota, Jawuro (Dzorwulu) and many others, he added.



He stated that the various judgments of the colonial courts in various land matters involving acquisitions by the colonial governments as well as other land cases took the position that all Osu lands were held only by the stool as allodia owners.



These decisions have gone as far as confirming that there are no Quarter, Family or individual allodia ownerships of Osu lands, he stated.



Citing the matter of Achimota land acquired by the government of the Gold Coast Colony under Certificate of Title No. 869/1921 to buttress his assertion, he said that the compensation paid to the Owoo family and the Oku family was not based on ownership, but on the loss of settlement and livelihood.



The compensation was paid to the Owoo familys right to be on the land as subjects of the Osu Stool. It is important to emphasize that the compensation was not only paid to the Owoo family but was shared between the Owoo and Oku families, he explained.



Rev. Kwatei mentioned that the Osu Stool as owners and custodians of Osu lands consciously refrained from making comments on the issues to pave way for their commissioned body with the appropriate legal competence to critically examine the issues and to present a clear understanding of the situation.



He stressed that several documents including court judgements and proceedings dating back into colonial times were examined, and critical findings were made by the commissioned body.



The 1902 judgements established Obenesu River as Osu La boundary. There should be no denying the fact that Osu Home School near Kaajano Estate, Osu Childrens Home near Cantonments and all road networks in Nyaniba Estates are named with the identity of the four Quarters of Osu, he said.



He underscored that the 1992 Constitution of Ghana provides that all stool lands shall be vested in the appropriate stool on behalf of, and held in trust for the subjects of the stool by customary law and usage.



Decisions of the colonial courts regarding ownership of the said lands are in the statute books of the state. We expect all stakeholders to respect these decisions and not to delude themselves into thinking that there are no documents on the lands afore-mentioned, he cautioned.



He, however, disclosed that the Chiefs and Elders of Osu would engage the appropriate authorities in the government to iron out all issues regarding any contemplated or planned release of the Achimota Forest lands.



Additionally, he said that there shall be various actions to recover fraudulently acquired Osu lands without exception, while also regularising irregular titles on lands belonging to the Osu Stool.



Over the years, our rights to own, develop and control our lands, territories and resources have been jeopardized by interference with outsiders, threatening our very existence and our identity as people of a particular origin.



These interferences in the Stools management of its lands which includes fraudulent land transactions and conveyances without the consent and concurrence of the Stool amongst others, have far-reaching consequences on the indigenes of Osu and this practice ought to be curtailed or cease forthwith, he insisted.



Touching on the lands and resources belonging to the Osu Stool, Rev Solomon Quartey mentioned that some of the properties acquired by their ancestors for many years had been under the authority as pertains to other traditional jurisdictions in other regions.



The Osu Stool Lands share boundaries from the east coast of Gulf of Guinea with the La stool at the river Obenesu and extends northwards through Shiashi to the left side of Okponglo on the Dodowa road to Ayi Mensah. On the west side, Osu shares boundaries with the Gbese Stool at the river Dodokwe and continues to Kokomlemle through to the right side of Kwabenya and the north with Akwapim people.



We are also working assiduously on asserting our claims of Abelenkpe, Maamobi and Dzorwulu lands. Additionally, our legal team is critically assessing the issues relating to our lands and at the right time will commence the necessary discussions and if plausible initiate appropriates legal actions against other traditional areas, institutions and individuals to stake our claims, he disclosed.



He called on the people of La to understand the issue at stake and endeavour not to confuse political demarcations with traditional boundaries.



Our Chieftaincy dispute is the cause of these confusions but Osu will ensure that the right thing is done during the creation of electoral boundaries to preserve the peace we are currently enjoying, he said.



He insisted that all Osu lands were vested in the Stool and therefore it was essential that all land transactions were conducted with the consent and concurrence of the Stool and the principal elders of Osu in other to avoid creating voidable conveyances.



He was however cleared that the Stool would not stand in the way of persons who acquire an interest in Osu lands for development, provided such acquisitions were obtained lawfully.



He then called on the government to revert Osu lands to the original owners in a situation where the acquired lands for socio-economic development for the public good are not used for the said purpose for which they were attained as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.



there have been numerous instances of wilful infraction of this fundamental legal provision to an extent that lands acquired by the State end up in individual names and such situations could hardly be described as public interest initiative/s, he was concerned.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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A Labour Expert, Mr Austin Gamey has indicated that the government can generate enough revenue from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) without going to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).



In his view, SSNIT alone should be able to provide the government a substantial amount of money required to tackle the challenges facing the country.



Mr Gamey said this on 3FM Tuesday September 27.



We dont need to go to IMF, we have the entire money from SSNIT alone, he intimated.



The Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Ghana have commenced discussions with the IMF for an IMF-supported programme.



A key prerequisite for a programme is confirmation that Ghanas debt is on a sustainable path.



This will require a comprehensive Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA), which is currently ongoing.



A statement issued by the Finance Ministry on Monday September 26 said the Government of Ghana is putting together a comprehensive post Covid-19 economic programme which will form the basis for the IMF negotiations.



The programme seeks to establish a macro-fiscal path that ensures debt sustainability and macroeconomic stability underpinned by key structural reforms and social protection.



Government negotiations with respect to the IMF-supported programme is commencing this week and we are optimistic about making progress in our discussions.



Government remains committed, and shall continue to actively engage all stakeholders, both public and private, in a clear and transparent manner as we seek to fast-track this process.



Bloomberg reported that the Government is likely to receive $3billion from the Fund.



The amount is double what the country was considering a month ago as it tries to shore up its finances and gain access to the global markets.



The funding would be provided over three years, the people said, asking not to be identified because the talks are still in progress and public announcements have not been made, it noted.

Source: 3news.com









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The Bishop of the Tamale Diocese of the Anglican Church, Right Reverend Dennis Debukari Tong, has said that growing levels of corruption in all sectors of the national economy is due to greed and self-centredness among Ghanaians.



According to him, corrupt practices had become the order of the day among politicians, civil and public servants since people wanted to use their positions to enrich themselves at the expense of the general growth and development of the country.



He said the unending instances and cases of corrupt practices are what has brought the country to its present situation where funds that could have been channelled into other sectors are lost as a result of corrupt deeds.



Bishop Tong was delivering a sermon on the theme: your duty towards your neighbour, during a confirmation service to confirm some members in the Anglican Communion at the Saint Cyprians Anglican Church in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region last Sunday.



The impression is only created that it is only politicians who are corrupt. It is not true and that all of us as Ghanaians in one way or the other engage in corrupt practices in our various workplaces for our personal benefit, he said.



Enriching oneself



He explained that the countrys slow pace of development could partly be blamed on corruption and that if it was nipped in the bud, huge sums of money would be saved to accelerate the progress of the nation for the benefit of all.



Bishop Tong indicated that a worrying development was the situation where people in leadership positions used the office they occupied to enrich themselves instead of rendering the required services to the citizenry.



He said it is a privilege that an individual is appointed to occupy a position and that it is totally unacceptable for such persons to take advantage of their portfolio to rather amass wealth while others wallow in abject poverty.



He stated that with the abundance of natural resources the nation was blessed with, we should have been witnessing a high level of development for the benefit of all, saying if our natural resources are well managed and evenly distributed, it would lead to creation of many jobs to better the lives of the people.



Christian population



The Tamale Diocesan Bishop noted that although per the population census, 70 per cent of the population were Christians, they had failed to abhor bribery and corruption and were also neck deep in it.



If the 70 per cent of Ghanaians who are Christians detest corrupt practices, it will go a long way to contribute to the growth of the nation, he said, adding obviously, corruption is an enemy to societal growth and development.



He lamented the situation where prospective students seeking admission to nursing training colleges and colleges of education allegedly paid bribes before gaining admission while others, desperately looking for jobs, paid some amount before being employed.



"How do we expect such persons to behave when they also find themselves in higher positions in the future? he asked, adding that as a country, we must do everything possible to make corruption unattractive to propel the forward march of the country.

Source: graphiconline.com









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The Alliance for Development and Industrialisation (ADI), a think-tank, has called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to channel their financial assistance for Ghana into the manufacturing sector of the economy.

That, it said, would help in the effort to find a lasting solution to the countrys industrialisation drive.



A statement issued in Accra and signed by the President of the think-tank, Richard Danso, said the current gross domestic product (GDP) growth depicted that the fundamentals were there for Ghana to structure and build a vibrant economy.



The recent figures released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) depict that the economy expanded by 4.8 per cent of GDP.



However, the manufacturing sector recorded a GDP growth of 8.8 per cent by the end of the second quarter of this year.



World Bank project



According to the organisation, over the years, most of the World Banks project support had not helped enough to catapult the needed impact expected by the international development agencies.



It said the challenge had been that private participation had been lacking and that had not helped the country to record the needed growth.



The statement said the impact of the countrys industrialisation on the economy could be achieved if all donor support was focused on industrialisation and privatisation to ensure a sustainable social development.



We believe that Ghanas dependance on cocoa should be diverted for a multi-sectorial focus, for example, mango, avocado and coconut, among others. Our natural resources should be processed at an affordable price to take advantage of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, it said.



Africas industrialisation



The cedi depreciation gives Ghana the opportunity to trigger Africas industrialisation and export drive among member countries which would give the country the needed forex, improve our balance of payment, shore up our reserves as well as stabilise the cedi, it said.



We believe that notwithstanding the cedi depreciation with its profound advantage there is the need for a critical investment for the country to realise its returns, it said.



The ADI urged the government to strengthen financial institutions so they could attract the needed investments, as well as foreign direct investment, flows into the country.



It advised the government to cut down on public service expenditure by introducing private sector participation to promote good performance and efficiency.

Source: graphiconline.com









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Former US president, Donald Trump said the idea of an impending World War III 'keeps him up at night,' while making repeated his claim that the Ukraine war would have been avoided if he were still president.



Trump stated this during a wide-range interview where he went on a rant against New York Attorney General Letitia James.



He said that due to nuclear power, the world is the most dangerous it's 'ever' been, as the former president warned that international affairs are spelling doom.



The predictions of a possible WWIII, Trump said, are based on the war between Russia and Ukraine, which started in February, and the growing feud internationally over the island nation of Taiwan and its autonomy from China.



'I think more than anything else, I think we could end up in World War III,' Trump said when asked by John Catsimatidis on his radio show Tuesday evening 'what are the things that keep you up at night right now?'



'To be throwing around the word cavalierly like nuclear is a very bad time,' the 45th president said. 'A very bad time for this country and a very bad and a very dangerous time for the world.'



Trump also said that if he were still the president, Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine. He said that after President Joe Biden's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer, Putin saw a weakness in U.S. leadership.



'I think it was the most embarrassing and horrible moment  just about the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country,' Trump said of the Afghanistan debacle. 'I think Putin saw that.'



'But he would have never done it, that would have never been a problem,' Trump said in the hypothetical situation where he is still president. 'He was not going to go into Ukraine, and he understood the consequences.'



'What's happened in Ukraine should have never ever happened,' he added.



Trump also had some choice words for James during his interview after the New York attorney general brought fraud charges against him for his business dealings with the Trump Organization.



When discussing spiking crime in the nation's most populated city, which he once called home, Trump went on a tangent lashing out against its 'horror show' liberal AG.



'We have murderers going down  walking down the street. It's just horrible. She's a horror show, she's so bad,' Trump said of James' leadership. 'She doesn't care about violent crime.'



'She doesn't care about anything except trying to use Trump's name to get elected,' he continued to 77 WABC radio show Cats at Night. 'And she's a disaster and everybody knows that. She's done a terrible job.'









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The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson, on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, took her turn on the party-government engagement series with a visit to the National Headquarters of the NPP where she interacted with national officers and staff of the Party.



The Hon. Minister, who doubles as Member of Parliament for the Awutu Senya East Constituency, was hosted by Lawyer Justin Kodua Frimpong, the General Secretary of the party. Also present to receive the Minister were Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye, National Organiser; Madam Kate Gyamfuah, National Women Organiser; and Mr. William Yamoah, Director for Finance and Administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).



The General Secretary thanked the Hon. Minister for the visit, and intimated that the gesture was deeply appreciated by the leadership and the rank and file of the NPP. The General Secretary commended the Minister for the excellent performance at her Ministry and urged her to work hard to address some isolated grievances of fisherfolk.



Hon. Hawa Koomson shared some emerging concerns at her Ministry including issues regarding the distribution and sales of premix fuel, closure and opening of the fishing season among others. She however indicated that in spite of the challenges, the Ministry had put in place interventions to improve the fishing and aquaculture industry in the country.



She further assured the Party leadership that her office would work assiduously to improve the livelihoods of the fisherfolk and fishing communities in general. This, Hon. Hawa Koomson was optimistic would cement the party's chances of winning the next general elections massively in the fishing communities across the country.



She also pledged to engage party executives, loyalists and well-meaning Ghanaians in the coastal communities to inform critical decisions of her Ministry.



Upon assumption of office barely three months ago, the Ntim-Kodua-led administration instituted a policy aimed at improving party-government relationship by solidifying the bond between government appointees and the party. The policy is also geared towards providing mutual assistance in fulfilling governments programmes and interventions for the good of the Ghanaian people.



Following the introduction of this policy, the party headquarters has hosted some Government Appointees including the CEO for Ghana Water Company Limited, Dr. Clifford Braimah; the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, and the Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon Mustapha Ussif.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Former Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen, has said that the party remains popular despite the booing of President Akufo-Addo at the Global Citizen Festival at the Black Star Square on September 24.



He said the founding traditions of the party come second to none in placing Ghana on the path of prosperity.



According to him, only the NPP can steer Ghana to the promised land.



On the booing of President Akufo-Addo, he said it only goes to show that everyone has their highs and lows in life, stressing that life is a mixture of good and bad times.



It demonstrates that for every human being, there must be ups and downs. In life you wont always have it rosy at all times. These are issues you will encounter as a politician, as a human being.



Does this show NPP is not popular? No. NPP is popular today, tomorrow and beyond. NPP and the UP tradition, no tradition is capable of moving Ghanaians to the promised land apart from this tradition, Obiri Boahen said.



Economic conditions have been worsening under the NPP administration and government has partly blamed the situation on the adverse effect of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.



While the economy has suffered downgrades from credit rating agencies such as S & P and Fitch, Ghana has initiated contacts with the International Monetary Funds hoping to secure a US$3 billion facility over a three-year period.



The opposition National Democratic Congress believes the prevalent economic situation is the reason President Akufo-Addo was booed as a sign of frustration at the government.

















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Former Minister of Information and current Managing Director of the Intercity State Transport Company (STC), Nana Akomea, has praised Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia over Ghanas digitalisation drive.



Speaking on the Kokrokoo Morning Show on Peace Fm, Akomea said the digital agenda spearheaded by the Vice President has put Ghana on a trajectory that is far ahead of other African countries and at par with the advanced countries of the world.



He said Dr Bawumia is literally changing the [Ghanaian] society with his digital drive.



Nana Akomea was speaking on the current state of Ghana and said despite perceived challenges, there is still a lot to be grateful for.



He pointed to Ghanas unrivalled safety and security in comparison to other African countries and also, the digitalisation agenda.



We are very stable. We are one of the most stable countries in West Africa, if not Africa. We have peace in this country. When you look at our tourism figures, its overwhelming. We have stability and security. We are modernizing rapidly. When you look at the digitization programme by Dr. Bawumia, it is changing society, Nana Akomea said.



He added: We are ahead of other African countries by far and now, in the world economy, if you dont become digital; you will die. We are moving very, very quickly on this digital [economy]. When you take our security, we have maintained the peace and security and stability of this countryThese are all the very good news that you cant even calculate its value.



The Digital Agenda

Ghana has embarked on a digital drive since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government took over power in 2017, with Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as its main proponent.



The Vice President argues that digitalisation is the only way for underdeveloped nations to fix the perennial problem of a domestic revenue shortfall.



Many developing countries have found it difficult to reach high levels of domestic revenue mobilisation because their economies are characterised by a number of features. For these developing countries that were talking about, in the presence of these characteristicsyou can have as many tax laws or tax increases as you want but youre unlikely to achieve the goals of a significant increase in domestic revenue mobilisation, Dr Bawumia said during a speech at the 10th annual International Tax Conference of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana.



Our goal as a government on the assumption of office was to quickly transform our economy by leveraging on technological innovations as a means to leapfrog the development process, overcome legacy problems, and improve both economic and public sector governance.



This is why we have focused on digitalisation to build this new system, this machinery that can address this problem of domestic revenue mobilisation. You need to have a machinery that is integrated that addresses these shortcomings. he added.



Digitalisation has addressed these issues by widening the tax net via the Ghana card, which now serves as a tax identification number for every Ghanaian, widening the property tax net through the digital address system and other innovations.



Meanwhile digitising operations at state agencies such as the DVLA and the Passport Office has seen an exponential jump in revenue generation whilst eliminating the role of corrupt middlemen.



Ghost names eliminated from the SSNIT payroll have saved the nation Ghc 320 million at SSNIT alone.



Digitisation of operations at the Passport office alone increased revenues to the state from GHC1.1m in 2017 to a current figure circa GHC56.7m.



Similarly, the DVLA increased year-on-year revenues by 100% from 2019 to 2020 following the introduction of digitalisation.







Source: theGhanaianVoice.Com









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The former Member of Parliament (MP) for Mampong, Francis Addai-Nimo, has intimated that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme the government will be embarking on will help the New Patriotic Party (NPP) retain power in the 2024 elections.



According to 3news.com, the former MP said that the bailout will help the government resolve the current challenges in the country which are mainly due to external factors.



He added that the government being able to resolve the challenges, will put it in a pole position to win power for an unprecedented third successive term.



From this time to the end of 2024, the IMF programme will help and that should inure to the party, Addai-Nimo is quoted to have said on TV3 New Day.



He also said that the NPP needs a presidential flagbearer who will be able to unite the party before the 2024 general elections.



He indicated that the person must be someone who is not part of the current government.



I am advocating for a new face from the government, he said.



Meanwhile, the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government has commenced negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout.



According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance, the government of Ghana will be represented by officials from the ministry and the Bank of Ghana.



The ministry said that the government has come out with a comprehensive post-Covid-19 economic programme that will form the basis of the negotiations.



The Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Ghana have commenced discussions with the IMF for the IMF-supported programme. A key prerequisite for a programme is confirmation that Ghana's debt is on a sustainable path; this will require a comprehensive Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) which is currently ongoing.



The government of Ghana is putting together a comprehensive post-Covid-19 economic programme which will form the basis for the IMF negotiations. The programme seeks to establish a macro-fiscal pain that ensures debt sustainability and macroeconomic stability underpinned by key structural reforms and social protection, parts of the statement read.









Source: ghanaweb.com









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Iyabo Atta Cook washes some of the artistic plates at the Chicago restaurant Esme on Aug. 12, 2022. Cook fled her home in Nigeria to escape domestic abuse and was hired from the Lincoln Park Community Services shelter. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

At some point, during a dinner at newish fine dining restaurant Esme in Lincoln Park, a diners attention is bound to drift from the food to the vessels in which the multicourse meal is served.

In my case, it happened with Pillars, a terrific halibut dish layered with subtle notes of peanut butter and green tomato. Like the courses that came before, it was served in a work of art; in this case, a gray speckled-ceramic bowl adorned with columns of various heights on one side of its wide-curved edge.

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When the server came to pick up the empty bowl, I couldnt help but blurt out, Who has to wash all these fancy dishes? It was more of a rhetorical question, but the server quickly returned and told me, Her name is Cook.

More details followed: Iyabo Atta Cook is from Nigeria, and her journey to the Esme kitchen is one of resilience and new beginnings.

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Born in the town of Lalante in the Oyo state of Nigeria, Cook left her home and her job in the textile industry and came to Chicago in December 2016, escaping violent abuse from the father of her children, she said.

I dealt with fabric. I was talented, said Cook, now 42. But people told me, You have to leave this country. I got a visa for my kids for America, so they came before me. When I got here, I could tell the city has really good people.

The children stayed with a relative until Cook got settled. She eventually found work as a machine operator at a food manufacturer, followed by a security job at a hospital. She met someone and got married.

Iyabo Atta Cook walked away from a job in the textile industry in Nigeria to move to Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Initially, they lived together in an apartment on the South Side. But when their relationship soured (He was spending my money, Cook said.), she reached out to the Salvation Army for help finding a place to stay. In November, Cook moved to Lincoln Park Community Services. The organization provides interim housing, supportive permanent housing and drop-in services for people living on the streets.

Before long, Cook crossed paths with chef Jenner Tomaska.

Tamaska and his wife, Katrina Bravo, are owners and partners at Esme. The idea to work closely with a shelter came via fellow Chicago chef and recent James Beard award winner Erick Williams of Hyde Parks Virtue, who became familiar with several of them while making meals for shelters. Tomaska and Bravo worked with Williams at the now-closed mk restaurant, where Williams emphasized the importance of mission-driven values within a restaurants framework.

Restaurants are one of the last businesses that offer opportunities in lieu of an individuals mishaps, Williams said. Our city deserves to have businesses where people matter despite their economic status, class, race or gender. Offering opportunities to less fortunate communities is simply the right thing to do.

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[ Chef Erick Williams of Virtue takes home sole local win as James Beard Awards return to Chicago ]

Tomaska and Bravo reached out to Lincoln Park Community Services, which vetted the restaurant and its work environment before suggesting a few candidates for a dishwasher job. Cook was one of them.

You talk with someone, and you know instantly if theyre going to work. Its the willingness and desire to be part of a team, Tomaska said. Its cliche to say, but the dishwashing section is the backbone to the restaurant.

Even before they opened Esme, which debuted last year and received a Michelin star in April, Tomaska and Bravo knew philanthropy, mentoring and partnerships with artists would be integrated into the foundation of their restaurant.

Having been mentored by others, it was important to do what was done for me, said Tomaska, who also credits mks owners, Michael and Lisa Kornick, for fostering a supportive workplace environment. Being able to create a space for others via the arts and community, and even more so creating opportunities for the employees who work here, is essential to us.

Iyabo Atta Cook washes the intricate and delicate dishes at Esme on Aug. 12, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

On board since January, Cook said it took her about a month to learn not only how to wash the restaurants delicate and expensive pieces  priced at $60 and up  but to do so in a timely manner to ensure the restaurants 10 chefs have all the serving dishes they need.

My mama put the speed in me since I was a kid. I dont like wasting time, Cook said, adding that shes been washing dishes since she was 5 years old. Im mindful and careful about dishes. I have to apply my wisdom.

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Although breakage is bound to happen in any restaurant  Cook is proud to say shes broken only two items since starting at Esme  instilling in the staff a sense of ownership of the things they work with is essential, Tomaska said.

At the end of day, these are everyones tools and not mine, Tomaska said. We cant do these things unless we are all on the same page of respecting what we are trying to accomplish with the means we have.

And that means everyone pitches in  even Tomaska, Cook noted.

He does everything, even washes the dishes, she said. What surprises me is that the owner of the place acts like (hes just like) me. Ive never seen a business owner act the way he does.

Iyabo Atta Cook, left, is a dishwasher at the Chicago restaurant called Esme, where she is seen with restaurant co-owner and chef Jenner Tomaska on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. Cook fled her home in Nigeria to escape domestic abuse and was hired from a women's shelter by Jenner Tomaska and his wife, Katrina Bravo, the owners of Esme. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Functioning as a rotating gallery space for established and emerging artists and creatives, both local and not, is another essential part of the restaurants mission, with the art serving as inspiration for the 12-course meals created around it.

[ Review: I was deeply skeptical of Esmes $200 tasting menu, art-focused concept. I was wrong. ]

Past collaborations have included artist Paul Octavious, and painters Danielle Klinenberg and Courtney Shoudis. AronFischer of Facture Goods and David T. Kim of DTK Ceramics have provided many of the ceramic, glass and brass serving pieces. While there are some staple pieces, about 75% of the plateware changes with each new menu.

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A cod dish is served on a stylized plate by artist Betsy Morningstar at the Lincoln Park restaurant Esme on Aug. 12, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

The collaborations also provide a sales outlet for the artists. The cool part about all this  and this was always the goal  is the amount of people that come in here and say, I want to buy that,  Tomaska said of the art on the walls and the unique plateware. Its crazy and, at the same time, it means were on the right path.

As summer waned and the menu at Esme shifted, Cook had no shortage of creative dishware on her hands. An August collaboration with Kitchen Possible, a nonprofit organization that offers free cooking classes for kids in Pilsen, Englewood and East Garfield Park, featured artwork and custom pieces from students at neighboring Francis W. Parker School and other artists, including some from Ignite Glass Studios, who created colorful glass versions of crazy straws.

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

In the past few weeks, Cook moved out of Lincoln Park Community Services housing and into her own apartment, officially graduating from the interim program. While her adult son has returned to Nigeria, having an apartment will mean her two younger children, 10 and 14, can hopefully move back in with her soon, after child services officials told Cook she would need more permanent housing for them, she said.

Im proud of my life in Chicago, Cook said. Im very strong. Ive faced a lot of things.

Shes a vital part of Esme and Tomaskas mission to create a space that is welcoming and fun, for both its guests and its workers, the chef said.

A lot of times places like this can be very militant, and there are a lot of command calls and responses, Tomaska said. Cook has this ritual where she comes into the restaurant every day and greets the entire kitchen. That is very much a refreshing part of the day and a reminder to not take ourselves so seriously.

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For Cook, the feeling is mutual. They treat me like family, she said.

Lisa Shames is a freelance writer.

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.
The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has said that he is confident that the partys successes since he took over its leadership will lead to him being re-elected in the upcoming national executive elections.



Speaking in a Power FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, on Friday, Ofosu-Ampofo said that under his watch, the NDC which is in opposition,, for the first time in the history of Ghana has the Speaker of Parliament from its side and also has the same number of parliamentarians as the party in government.



He, however, indicated that his focus is currently on ensuring that the partys reorganization at the regional and district level is done smoothly.



From the period I assumed the leadership of the party all the indicators have been very positive. We have the Speaker of Parliament from our side even though we are in opposition. We also for the first time in the history of Ghana, as the opposition party, have the same number of parliamentarians as the government in power.



I will withhold my ambitions for now as we work on the process to reorganize the party at the polling stations, constituencies, districts, the regional and national levels. But I will definitely be defending my title because I believe that my performance has been very good. My indicators are very good, my benchmarks are very high. When the time comes, I will go to the delegates and give them an account of the leadership they entrusted to me.



I will enumerate all the successes the party has chalked under my leadership including the unity I have brought to the party, he said in Twi.



Meanwhile, the outgoing General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has stated his intention of contesting in the partys chairmanship race.



In an interview on Radio Gold on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, Asiedu Nketia unequivocally declared that he will not seek re-election for his position which he has held since 2005.



According to Asiedu Nketia, his options are now limited to two, which are to either retire from serving as a party official or elevate to the position of national chairman.



I will not contest the general secretary position for the NDC. I have two other options at hand; either I go for the chairmanship or retire from politics, he said.



The General Secretary has also stated that contesting for the partys chairmanship position will not bring any division in the party, as has been asserted in some quarters.















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

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AMIDST THE recent whining by former President John Dramani Mahama that the state has neglected him by not paying his emoluments, his wife, former First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has received two cars, courtesy of the magnanimity of President Akufo-Addo.



The President made available the two brand new vehicles  Toyota Landcruiser V8 and Toyota Camry for the comfort of the former First Lady, all to be fueled by the state.



The cars were delivered to her in August 2021, long before Mr. Mahamas recent rant over his emoluments.



Not only were cars provided for Lordina Mahama, she is also receiving mouth-watering allowances from the President, even though John Mahama has kicked against extending the same largesse to the current First Lady and the Second Lady as contained in the Professor Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee Report for Article 71 office holders.



According to sources, Mrs. Mahama pockets almost GH25,000 as monthly allowance.



Contrary to the perception created by the former President, Lordina was equally on salary during his tenure of office, allegedly receiving a monthly allowance of GH17,073 in 2013, rising to GH22,724 in 2016 before her husband exited from office.



The display of hypocrisy by the former President compelled the immediate past General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, to ask Mrs. Mahama to return the money paid to her since she is not an elected or appointed public officer as suggested by her husband.



Let me say this emphatically. Former President Mahamas wife, Lordina Mahama, must, as a matter of urgency, refund all monies paid to her from January 2017 till now. Those she received as far back as 2009 should also be refunded. The monies she has received from that time till now would amount to GH3.2 million, John Boadu said in an interview with TV Africa.



The state-sponsored vehicles were also extended to former First Ladies, with Fulera Limann, wife of former President Hilla Limann, allegedly shedding tears of joy, saying that such facilities had never been extended to her since the overthrow of her husband by the Jerry Rawlings PNDC junta.



Also, she said they now receive invitations to state functions, a gesture Mr. Mahama never extended to them when he was the President.



The former President also took delivery of four cars  two Toyota Landcruiser V8 and two saloon cars  in addition to several Toyota Avalon saloon cars when he was leaving office.



On the issue of paying for his domestic staff, a total of over GH70,000 was paid as salaries for his twelve (12) staff in August 2022, excluding police officers who are still providing security for him. The officers are on the payroll of the Ghana Police Service, with the highest pay of GH18,837 going to Joyce Bawa Mogtari, his cousin and former deputy minister.



Ms. Mogtari is a Special Assistant on Political Affairs and Aide to the former President.



While Mr. Mahama is crying foul, the state has been paying for his foreign travels which cost the nation over $70,000 annually. These are contrary to claims by the former President that the state has abandoned him.

Source: Fortune Kwame Alimi/Daily Guide









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

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Vice President of IMANI-Africa, Bright Simons says it is unlikely for the NPP government to recover should it bow to the pressure of restructuring both domestic and external debt.



That, according to the Analyst would require it[government] to further curb spending for the next two years and if they did that, they would not be able to win the next election under any circumstance, he told Bloomberg in an interview.



The opposition largely holds the key to an expedited IMF deal now as reorganization of the nations liabilities would require approval from parliament, where there is a turf war in numbers which has simmered since the inception of the 8th parliament.



Beyond this challenge, Bright Simons averred that restructuring debt may drag because the government ought to build consensus ahead of that move.



Building consensus at the top of the political pyramid takes time because you have to do all the usual Ghanaian dances, Bright Simons said adding, You have go to traditional leaders, to religious leaders, to the head of the opposition.



The most recent IMF debt sustainability analysis, conducted in 2021, found Ghana at a high risk of debt distress and vulnerable to rising debt servicing costs. Interest costs have climbed since then, Fitch Ratings noted last week when it downgraded Ghanas debt to CC, a junk status.





Source: starrfm









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Former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman for Central Region, Bernard Allotey Jacobs says President Nana Addo being booed by some patrons at the just-ended Global Citizen Festival while he was delivering a speech was orchestrated by his former political party.



According to Allotey Jacobs, the people who shouted 'away' to get the President off the stage were inspired by the NDC.



President Akufo-Addo who delivered that keynote address at the 2022 Global Citizen Festival was met with loud boos and hoots from spectators at the Black Star Square.



As the crowd chanted Away! the President delivered his speech without a hitch.



When some section of the public attempted to rope the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in, the opposition party quickly dissociated itself from the incident.



The party said what happened last Saturday reflects the excruciating and frustrating times Ghanaians presently find themselves.



In a press released signed by the Communications Officer of the party, Sammy Gyamfi, NDC said it had no hand in the embarrassment.



But speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, the social commentator insisted that the "NDC cannot disassociate itself from what happened at the global summit".



He asserted that the party is lying if they claim they had no hands in what happened to the President on the ocassion.



" I'm telling you. They are lying...When you look at the video from all sides, all angles, you will realize that some small group of people had mobilized bloggers at the back and with some young ladies clapping, booing and shouting 'away, away'. You could see so easily. Even if you have lost one eye, you will know that this was well-orchestrated", he stressed.



"You would realize that some bloggers have been organized behind the scene just to take pictures and then make noise about and that is propaganda", Allotey accused the NDC of sabotaging the President's speech.



Allotey explained that the treatment meted out to the President by the patrons is all part of a grand political scheme by the NDC, therefore urged the leadership of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) not to be oblivious of the opposition party's ploy.



"It should be a wake-up call for the NPP...It looks a large number of the NPP leadership, it appears there is a big space between them and their rank and file. There is a disconnection entirely", he advised the NPP.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Grammy Awards CEO, Harvey Mason Jr, during an exclusive dinner meeting with Ghanaian artists, gave artists the inside scope of how one can win a GRAMMY.



According to the Grammy boss, to win a Grammy, one needs to live in the United States of America and be a part of the GRAMMY Academy.



In order to win a GRAMMY, first, you've got to be part of the Academy and then the membership of the Academy will vote for you. If you are a member of the Academy, you've got to be a professional in the United States, for now, the United States, he disclosed.



Right now, if you are a working professional in the United States, you become a member of the Recording Academy, once you are a member of the Recording Academy, all the music is submitted, the members listen to it and you are evaluated on the quality of the art.



Not the sales, not the streams, not the how many fans, not the how many followers but purely on the opinion, and it's very hard. As you all know because it's subjective, he added. So Best Song, Best Record, just the opinion of the membership in that particular year, and that's how you win a GRAMMY.



That's it, the vote is the vote. Theres no committee, there are no journalists, no labels, just music professionals voting for their peers. Period, he noted.



Watch the full video below:



<iframe width="600" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WaJLdpuRVu0" title="GRAMMY AWARDS CEO VISITS GHANA FOR THE FIRST TIME" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com









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A London bus crossing Charing Cross Road with Tottenham Court Road underground station to the left. George W Baker | Geograph, CC BY-SA

Following losses of 1.5bn in annual fare revenues incurred during the pandemic, Transport for London recently signed a deal with the U.K. government for emergency funding. The agreement ensures that new train orders, bridge repairs and tube upgrades will continue as planned. It also will lead to tube fares rising and bus services being cut.

While the Elizabeth Line, a 19 billion east-west addition to the London Underground, opened to great fanfare in May 2022, this year has also seen some of the oldest bus routes in the U.K. axed: including route 144 between Worcester and Birmingham, route 477 between Dartford and Orpington, and route 84 between north London and Hertfordshire. At least 135 bus routes countrywide currently face cutbacks or permanent cancelation.

The standard justification for public transport closures is economic feasibilitya lack of profitability for the service provider.

As our work shows, however, such discussions often miss much of the full value of public transport to society. In addition to making profits for operators, public transport opens up labor market opportunities for workers, increases residential choice, and reduces crowding in inner-city areas.

The advent of working-class commuting

Our research examines the consequences of working-class access to public transport in London in the 1920s and 1930s.

We know from a survey of working-class London conducted in the 1890s, entitled The Life and Labor of the People of London, that Victorian-era workers were typically employed in the immediate area of their home. Indeed, the homes themselves were often extensions of factories as "outwork" was a common phenomenon.

This absence of commuting in the 19th century led to widespread urban crowding, as industry typically clustered geographically due to economies of scale and agglomeration. Social reformers commented on how crowding caused poverty and what they perceived to be "vice", as well as the spread of diseases.

Over the next 40 years, growth of the transport networks opened up opportunities for working-class commuting. By 1930, most residents and workers in the north and west of London had access to the Underground, most in the south and east had access to a tram, and almost everyone had access to at least one bus route. Only 1% of Londoners lived more than 560 meters from a public transport stop.

We have used the New Survey of London Life and Labor, a 1930 follow-up survey which contains a large sample of working-class Londoners, to examine how early public transport networks affected the labor market. This data contains, among other things, each worker's place of residence and work.

By "GIS coding" this information, along with the entire extant public transport system in the London area, we were able to calculate their commuting distances, the centrality of their residences and workplaces, and their access to public transport.

Our research shows that commuting in 1930 followed many of the same patterns as today. The largest number of workers (about 38%) commuted inwards towards the city center. The next-largest group (29%) worked within a kilometer of their residence. The remaining workers were evenly split between people traveling away from the center for work and others traveling across the city.

To illustrate the typical commuting patterns, let's look at where residents of Wandsworth Borough, located about nine kilometers southwest of the city center, commuted for work.

We found that the average residence had 212 employers (in any industry) within a one-kilometer radius, 1,700 within three, and 4,333 within five. Moreoverholding age, gender, occupation and workplace area as constantsan additional kilometer commuted increased earnings by 1.5% to 3.0%, although the additional returns on longer commutes were likely less. These higher earnings considerably outweighed the monetary cost of public transport.

Access to transport leads to increased job opportunities

To understand the importance of public transport networks to labor markets, it is necessary to understand the reasons behind these large returns to commuting. We focus on two explanations why a commuting worker might have earned more than a local worker.

Search theory suggests that individual workers are better suited to some employers than others. Someone who can only work near to home, as was typical for workers in the Victorian period, only has a small number of employers to choose from.

But a worker who can travel using public transport, as had become the norm by 1930, can potentially work for more different employers. This in turn implies there will be a higher probability of a good match between workers and employers, and thus higher productivity and wages.

In the 1930s, British economist Joan Robinson in her book The Economics of Imperfect Competition formulated a theory of microeconomics she called monopsony. A slightly modified version of this theory suggests that, in the absence of public transport, local employers have a degree of monopoly power over their workers.

Employers can pay less than the market wage because it is costly for workers to switch to more distant jobs. The construction of London's public transport networks in the early 20th century opened up remote employment opportunities for workers, and thus reduced local employers' monopoly power.

Public transport improvements between 1890 and 1930 broke the link between residence and workplace. This allowed first the middle class and then the working class to move away from the city center.

One result was a dramatic decrease in urban crowding and the associated concentration of poverty and spread of disease. As we have shown in our research, another implication was that workers were no longer constrained to working locally, and could seek out better employment opportunities further form home. This led to substantially higher wages for the working class of London.

These lessons about public transport from the 1930s still resonate today. If historical improvements in public transport increased the efficiency of London's labor market, more recent cuts to infrastructure and increases in ticket prices will likely have the opposite effect. Workers who are no longer able to commute large distances or who face higher costs of doing so will likely also face a restricted set of employment opportunities.

Explore further How London became the home of hybrid working

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Life reconstruction of Fanjingshania renovata. Credit: Zhang Heming

Living sharks are often portrayed as the apex predators of the marine realm. Paleontologists have been able to identify fossils of their extinct ancestors that date back hundreds of millions of years to a time known as the Palaeozoic period. These early "sharks," known as acanthodians, bristled with spines. In contrast to modern sharks, they developed bony "armor" around their paired fins.

A recent discovery of a new species of acanthodian from China surprised scientists with its antiquity. The find predates by about 15 million years the earliest acanthodian body fossils and is the oldest undisputed jawed fish.

These findings were published in Nature on Sept. 28.

Reconstructed from thousands of tiny skeletal fragments, Fanjingshania, named after the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site Fanjingshan, is a bizarre fish with an external bony "armor" and multiple pairs of fin spines that set it apart from living jawed fish, cartilaginous sharks and rays, and bony ray- and lobe-finned fish.

Fanjingshania renovate. Credit: IVPP

Examination of Fanjingshania by a team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qujing Normal University, and the University of Birmingham revealed that the species is anatomically close to groups of extinct spiny "sharks" collectively known as acanthodians. Unlike modern sharks, acanthodians have skin ossifications of the shoulder region that occur primitively in jawed fish.

The fossil remains of Fanjingshania were recovered from bone bed samples of the Rongxi Formation at a site in Shiqian County of Guizhou Province, South China.

These findings present tangible evidence of a diversification of major vertebrate groups tens of millions of years before the beginning of the so called "Age of Fishes" some 420 million years ago.

The researchers identified features that set apart Fanjingshania from any known vertebrate. It has dermal shoulder girdle plates that fuse as a unit to a number of spinespectoral, prepectoral and prepelvic. Additionally, it was discovered that the ventral and lateral portions of the shoulder plates extend to the posterior edge of the pectoral fin spines. The species has distinct trunk scales with crowns composed of a row of tooth-like elements (odontodes) adorned by discontinuous nodose ridges. Peculiarly, dentine development is recorded in the scales but is missing in other components of the dermal skeleton such as the fin spines.

Life reconstruction of Fanjingshania renovata. Credit: Zhang Heming

"This is the oldest jawed fish with known anatomy," said Prof. Zhu Min from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "The new data allowed us to place Fanjingshania in the phylogenetic tree of early vertebrates and gain much needed information about the evolutionary steps leading to the origin of important vertebrate adaptations such as jaws, sensory systems, and paired appendages."

From the outset, it was clear to the scientists that Fanjingshania's shoulder girdle, with its array of fin spines, is key to pinpointing the new species' position in the evolutionary tree of early vertebrates. They found that a group of acanthodians, known as climatiids, possess the full complement of shoulder spines recognized in Fanjingshania. What is more, in contrast to normal dermal plate development, the pectoral ossifications of Fanjingshania and the climatiids are fused to modified trunk scales. This is seen as a specialization from the primitive condition of jawed vertebrates where the bony plates grow from a single ossification center.

Unexpectedly, the fossil bones of Fanjingshania show evidence of extensive resorption and remodeling that are typically associated with skeletal development in bony fish, including humans.

Life reconstruction of Fanjingshania renovata. Credit: Fu Boyuan and Fu Baozhong

"This level of hard tissue modification is unprecedented in chondrichthyans, a group that includes modern cartilaginous fish and their extinct ancestors," said lead author Dr. Plamen Andreev, a researcher at Qujing Normal University. "It speaks about greater than currently understood developmental plasticity of the mineralized skeleton at the onset of jawed fish diversification."

The resorption features of Fanjingshania are most apparent in isolated trunk scales that show evidence of tooth-like shedding of crown elements and removal of dermal bone from the scale base. Thin-sectioned specimens and tomography slices show that this resorptive stage was followed by deposition of replacement crown elements. Surprisingly, the closest examples of this skeletal remodeling are found in the dentition and skin teeth (denticles) of extinct and living bony fish. In Fanjingshania, however, the resorption did not target individual teeth or denticles, as occurred in bony fish, but instead removed an area that included multiple scale denticles. This peculiar replacement mechanism more closely resembles skeletal repair than the typical tooth/denticle substitution of jawed vertebrates.

Fragment of the pectoral dermal skeleton (part of a pectoral spine fused to shoulder girdle plate) of Fanjingshania renovata shown in ventral view. Credit: Andreev, et al.

A phylogenetic hypothesis for Fanjingshania that uses a numeric matrix derived from observable characters confirmed the researchers' initial hypothesis that the species represents an early evolutionary branch of primitive chondrichthyans. These results have profound implications for our understanding of when jawed fish originated since they align with morphological clock estimates for the age of the common ancestor of cartilaginous and bony fish, dating it to around 455 million years ago, during a period known as the Ordovician.

These results tell us that the absence of undisputed remains of jawed fish of Ordovician age might be explained by under sampling of sediment sequences of comparable antiquity. They also point towards a strong preservation bias against teeth, jaws, and articulated vertebrate fossils in strata coeval with Fanjingshania.

"The new discovery puts into question existing models of vertebrate evolution by significantly condensing the timeframe for the emergence of jawed fish from their closest jawless ancestors. This will have profound impact on how we assess evolutionary rates in early vertebrates and the relationship between morphological and molecular change in these groups," said Dr. Ivan J. Sansom from the University of Birmingham.

Explore further Ancient fish scales and vertebrate teeth share an embryonic origin

More information: Spiny chondrichthyan from the lower Silurian of South China, Nature (2022). Journal information: Nature Spiny chondrichthyan from the lower Silurian of South China,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05233-8
Coverage of newspaper articles on the good death between 2010 and 2020 (N = 173). Credit: Social Science & Medicine (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115361

Over the last few decades, there has been a change in the way in which we relate to death. Newspaper articles provide an insight into what we consider a "good" or "dignified" death. According to research carried out by Radboud university medical center and Radboud University, the articles have revealed that, in the case of the elderly, a good death is primarily associated with having lived a full life and a self-chosen end of life. The research is published in Social Science & Medicine.

Now that people are living much longer and we are seeing social trends like the declining role of religion, what are people actually talking about when they refer to a good death? This is exactly what researchers Els van Wijngaarden (Radboud university medical center) and Jose Sanders (Radboud University) wanted to find out. They analyzed 173 articles that had appeared between 2010 and 2020 in the Dutch newspapers Het Algemeen Dagblad, De Telegraaf, De Volkskrant, NRC Handelsblad and Trouw. "Newspapers report on public debate, and reflect on it and then re-energize the debate," says Sanders. "The articles provided an impression of how we deal with death, and how we'd consequently like to deal with it."

The ways in which death is discussed

The researchers observed differences in the way in which death in older age was discussed. They identified four types of discourse, or ways of talking, namely those of Choice, Risk, Care, and Complexity. In the most common form of discourse, a good death was seen as one that is self-chosen and one in which the person requested help and subsequently received it. Sanders says, "The Choice discourse is appealing, because it offers the elderly an active role. In this type of discourse, non-choicedeterioration, lack of control, and dependenceis often viewed as ominous."

On the other hand, the second type of discourse specifies the risks involved in always focusing on one's own choice, such as the self-chosen end of life. "The Risk discourse asserts the fear that elderly people may feel compelled to choose death, for example, because they don't want to be a burden to others," Sanders said. The third type of discourse centers on the importance of caring for the elderly and the dying. In this line of reasoning, the provision of adequate care should prevent the desire for self-chosen death. The last type of discourse highlights the complexity of the social question of what constitutes a good death.

Control over death

The researchers noted that when it comes to the different types of discourse, the Choice discourse was the most prevalent in the daily press. This did not come as a surprise to Sanders. "The Choice discourse tends to portray people as being autonomous. When it comes to the other types of discourse, the elderly are often discussed, which relegates them to a passive role. If you think about death from the perspective of the Choice discourse, there is little scope for this passivity." Els van Wijngaarden adds, "Newspaper articles will often only offer one particular perspective. For example, if the Choice discourse appears to be the most prevalent perspective, there is little regard for the consequences, the risks associated with particular choices, or the complexity of the problem."

The researchers also saw that within the scope of the Care discourse, there was a tendency to speak for the elderly. Van Wijngaarden says, "That's much the same as saying that vulnerable elderly people need to be protected. People who deem autonomy to be important obviously find it difficult to deal with this kind of context. This consequently shows a society that is talking at cross purposes. The way in which the different perspectives can coexist alongside each other in the media could be more evident. In other words, give serious consideration to allowing people to have control over their own choices, but consider the risks and complexity as well. Take adequate care into consideration, but keep asking yourself: What do elderly people themselves consider to be important?"

Van Wijngaarden and Sanders point out the fact that the Choice discourse is the most prevalent type of discourse in the media. "The way in which we talk about things also influences the way in which we see and shape reality. Having more discourses at your disposal creates more possibilities," Sanders explains. "Those who are aware of this and act accordingly, give elderly people the feeling that there is ample scope to talk about the end of their life or to remain silent about it, and to make a choice or actively refuse to make a choice."

Explore further Using Twitter to examine stigma against people with dementia during COVID-19

More information: Els van Wijngaarden et al, 'I want to die on my own terms': Dominant interpretative repertoires of 'a good death' in old age in Dutch newspapers, Social Science & Medicine (2022). Journal information: Social Science & Medicine Els van Wijngaarden et al, 'I want to die on my own terms': Dominant interpretative repertoires of 'a good death' in old age in Dutch newspapers,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115361
The inoculation of microorganisms into the soil boosts yields, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves some USD 10 billion per year in imports of synthetic fertilizer. Credit: Marcelo Camargo/Agencia Brasil

Using biofertilizer on 80% of their planted area, Brazilian soybean growers are enjoying the environmental and economic benefits of employing the microbiome instead of chemical fertilizers. The microbiome is the community of fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms in a given environment. In farming, it provides the nutrients required by crops and boosts yields. Its use has many economic and environmental benefits.

The case of Brazilian soybeans is one of 14 success stories discussed in a review article on the impact of microbiome research on sectors such as agriculture, fermented products and human health. Published in Frontiers in Microbiology, it was undertaken as part of MicrobiomeSupport, a project to map global microbiome research, focusing on innovation in the food system.

The project involves scientists and companies in 28 countries, including the Genomics for Climate Change Research Center (GCCRC), one of the Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) supported by FAPESP. GCCRC is a partnership with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA).

"Brazil is one of only a few countries in the world that successfully uses biofertilizer in soybean growing. It's the largest producer and exporter of the commodity. Microorganisms are applied in order to fix nitrogen in 80% of the area planted with soybeans in Brazil. The positive environmental impact is very significant. Carbon emissions into the atmosphere are some 430 million tons of CO 2 equivalent lower thanks to nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This also protects springs and other freshwater sources because chemical nitrogen contaminates rivers," said Rafael de Souza, a co-author of the article. He is a researcher with GCCRC and a founder of Symbiomics, a Brazilian biotech startup that develops next-generation biologics.

Application of microorganisms to the soil also has a significant economic impact. "The war in Ukraine has shown how much we depend on imported chemical fertilizer," Souza said. "Brazil imports some 77% of the nitrogen used to fertilize its farm crops. Soybeans are the only exception. They don't depend on these imports precisely because of the biological nitrogen fixers used by growers, saving some USD 10 billion in synthetic nitrogen fertilizer."

Biofertilizer saves farmers huge amounts of money. According to Solon Cordeiro de Araujo, a consultant to the National Association of Inoculant Producers and Importers (ANPII) and a co-author of the article, chemical fertilizer costs around BRL 1,000 per hectare while biofertilizer inoculants cost less than BRL 50 per hectare.

"The work done in the case of soybeans consists of selecting certain bacteria, isolating them and applying them to the crop in order to increase the quantity of these beneficial microorganisms in the soil. The bacteria replace synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. Instead of chemicals, farmers use biofertilizer inoculants, which take nitrogen from the air and feed it directly into the plant," Araujo explained.

The impact is particularly important because Brazil is the world's leading producer and exporters of soybeans, with more than 36 million hectares of planted area. The authors of the article highlight the economic and environmental benefits of microbiome research in Brazil in order to show growers of other crops the advantages of biofertilizer and to encourage scientists to do more research on the replacement of chemical fertilizer with microorganisms.

All crops require nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In the case of soybeans, biofertilizer supplies only nitrogen. The other two nutrients are supplied by chemicals. In other cases, such as corn, beans and rice, for example, all three nutrients are supplied by chemicals.

Nitrogen biofertilizer has been developed in Brazil since the introduction of soybeans in the 1960s. "Brazil opted for the development and refinement of these bacteria and bacterial products as substitutes for chemical nitrogen," Araujo said.

According to the authors, substitution of chemical nitrogen by microbiome products in soybeans has been made possible by collaborative efforts in three areas. "This is the result of the work done in academia, regulation and industry. Scientists at universities and EMBRAPA brought the requisite technology to Brazil. Lawmakers passed the necessary regulatory framework. And industry has also played its part in terms of implementation and commercialization," Souza said.

Research on microorganisms has been ongoing ever since soybean growing began in Brazil, but the number of articles and products has risen in the last ten years as genetic sequencing tools have become more accessible. "The case of Brazilian soybeans is also important because it paved the way for other products to gain market share and for other crops to use biofertilizer," he added.

Model for other crops

The development of microbiome-based technologies is expected to expand in Brazil. Besides advances in research leading to better selection of microorganisms and production of more powerful inoculants, the researchers noted another series of factors that will contribute to the use of biofertilizer by growers of different crops.

"There's talk of a perfect storm driving the use of biofertilizer in Brazil," Souza said. "We now have a large number of startups and research centers interested in developing new microbiome products for different crops. The economic and environmental protection numbers are impressive. It's also become clear that we need to rely less on chemical fertilizer, most of which is imported. The case of Brazilian soybeans could therefore be a driving force for further advances in the use of biofertilizer here."

Explore further Uncovering best practices for cover crops to optimize crop production

More information: Rocio Olmo et al, Microbiome Research as an Effective Driver of Success Stories in Agrifood SystemsA Selection of Case Studies, Frontiers in Microbiology (2022). Journal information: Frontiers in Microbiology Rocio Olmo et al, Microbiome Research as an Effective Driver of Success Stories in Agrifood SystemsA Selection of Case Studies,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.834622
Microbial biofabrication and green processing inspired by cultural heritage offer a path to a circular material economy. Credit: Theanne Schiros/Columbia Engineering and FIT

Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, clothing production has been on an unsustainable path. Like most manufacturing, textiles are produced in a linear fashion with a cradle-to-grave model. Fabrics like cotton are farmed, worn, used, then thrown away. The textile industry as a whole is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, with leather being especially harmful.

The cattle industry is the single leading driver of deforestation, and the tanning of leather creates a great deal of chemical pollution. These challenges have motivated a search for more sustainable textiles, especially leather alternatives.

A team with a track record of successful collaboration may hold an answer. Biomedical Engineering researchers at Columbia Engineering recently announced they have created a compostable bioleather with superior flame-retardance and low environmental impact. Their microbial nanocellulose (MC) bioleather has a 1,000-times lower carcinogenic impact than cow leather and a significantly smaller carbon footprint than synthetic leather or cotton. Their study was published in Environmental Science: Advances.

The team, led by Theanne Schiros and Helen Lu, together with Ph.D. candidate Romare Antrobus, has been working together for several years in Columbia's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) to develop materials for a broad range of applications from biomedicine to energy, electronics, and textiles laid the foundation for inventing this versatile new material.

"Our bioleather represents a breakthrough not only for textiles but shows other industries how to explore a sustainable manufacturing process to engineer regenerative materials," said Lu, professor of biomedical engineering and Senior Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs and Advancement at Columbia Engineering.

To make high-performance biotextiles, the team harnessed microbial biosynthesis of nanocellulose, drawing inspiration from pre-industrial and indigenous science. Schiros hypothesized that a main component of mammalian brain used for millennia to tan hides into leatherlecithin phosphatidylcholinewould stabilize the interaction of cellulose with both water and lipids in a tanning emulsion, and modify the material properties of MC through its hydrophilic groups to make it suitable for use as a bioleather.

When the researchers used traditional brain and smoke tanning processes, they noted an increase in tensile strength and ductility of MC, which encouraged this line of investigation. Their discovery led to the development of an eco-friendly, plant-based lecithin "tanning" process for nanocellulose that created a strong, compostable bioleather.

This new process will not only transform future textile development but also cultural heritage research. While civilizations around the world have been creating sustainable and durable textiles since antiquity, most of these ancient techniques have been lost.

"Our team is now collaborating with scientists at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to develop a conservation studies database for artifacts in their cultural heritage collections and to understand the mechanism behind historic brain and organ tanning," said Schiros, associate professor of materials science at the Fashion Institute of Technology and adjunct associate research scientist in Columbia's MRSEC.

Coming full circle to modern-day design, the researchers created a pair of naturally dyed, microbial bioleather sneakers in a collaboration with Public School NY. The sneakers are part of an exhibition, Towards a Circular Society: Learning from Nature, currently on view at the University of Bern's Wyss Academy for Nature. They will also be on view in a separate exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

This new study builds off the researchers' successful rethinking of manufacturing through the lens of biomaterials and the circular economy, including two startups spun out of their labs, Algiknit, which makes kelp-based biofibers, and Werewool, which has created a platform for high-performance regenerative textile fibers with DNA-programmed color and function, such as stretch or waterproofing, provided by engineered proteins.

With their accomplishments in harnessing the power of microbes and developing paleo-inspired green processing techniques, Lu and Schiros expect biofabrication to play a critical role in facilitating a transition to a more sustainable economy. MC offers a modular engineering platform for high-performance regenerative materials with various applications, from tissue engineering to batteries, electronics, biosensors, and pollution remediation, which the researchers are continuing to explore.

Romare Antrobus, PhD student and co-lead author of the study, examining a sample of the compostable bioleather made in Schiros' lab at FIT, and characterized at the Lu lab. Credit: John Abbott/Columbia Engineering

Schiros believes the broad applicability of their research may only be a matter of time. She added that "the biofabrication approach developed here can incentivize and accelerate a paradigm shift to a circular materials economy, critical to global climate goals and sustainable development."

Explore further The quest for sustainable leather alternatives

More information: Theanne N. Schiros et al, Microbial nanocellulose biotextiles for a circular materials economy, Environmental Science: Advances (2022). Theanne N. Schiros et al, Microbial nanocellulose biotextiles for a circular materials economy,(2022). DOI: 10.1039/D2VA00050D
A lawsuit filed Tuesday by residents against the operators of Alden nursing homes claims that an intentional lack of staffing has led to numerous injuries and illness.

Residents have fallen down stairs while strapped to a wheelchair, the lawsuit states, fractured their neck when dropped by one person using a mechanical lift that requires two people, and ingested poisonous chemicals due to lack of care and supervision.

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For many years Alden has engaged in an ongoing practice of profiting from systematically and knowingly understaffing the Alden Facilities, causing dangerous, distressing, and grossly unsanitary living conditions for thousands of residents, the suit states.

The suit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of 11 nursing homes residents anonymously named as John or Jane Doe. They range in age from 26 to 82, and are all on Medicaid, the federal and state program that pays for health care for people with low income. Attorneys for the AARP Foundation, Equip for Equality, private law firms and the Office of State Guardian represent the residents.

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Alden is a large, for-profit nursing facility network operating more than 50 facilities that house thousands of residents in Illinois, with more than $250 million in annual revenue. Not all Alden facilities appear to have the problems alleged  some have above average quality ratings from federal regulators.

Aldens policy is not to comment specifically on pending litigation, but the company released this statement: Alden vigorously denies any and all allegations of wrongdoing set forth by the plaintiffs and their attorneys and is confident the judicial process will vindicate Alden in this action. Alden is committed to providing quality care and the well-being of our residents has been and always will be our top priority.

The defendants include Alden Group, Ltd., Alden Management Services, Inc., and six long-term care facilities: Alden Lakeland in Chicago, Alden Terrace McHenry, Alden Town Manor in Cicero, Alden Heather Health Care Center in Harvey, Alden Princeton Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Chicago, and Alden Village North in Chicago.

Alden Village North, which cares for children and adults with developmental disabilities and complex medical conditions, was the subject of a Tribune investigation in 2010 that found eight residents had died there in cases receiving citations since 2008. State regulators took action to close the home, but it remained open.

Alden Village North in 2010. (Alex Garcia / Chicago Tribune)

The new findings were based largely on inspection reports and residents medical records.

Kelly Bagby, vice president of litigation for the AARP Foundation, said that after three years investigating state inspection reports and medical records involving Alden, the findings were genuinely shocking. Similar lawsuits have been filed against homes in other states, she said.

This is something I hope will send alarm bells throughout the industry, she said. Were drawing a line in the sand and saying this is intolerable.

Alden Management Services had significant control over the day-to-day operations of the homes, including budgeting, staffing, contracting services, and quality of care, collecting about $5 million per year in fees, the suit stated.

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Alden is believed to be largely owned and controlled by Floyd Schlossberg and his family, who are also senior executives for Alden businesses and serve on their boards of directors.

Cost reports filed by the facilities showed that Alden saved millions of dollars each year by not having enough employees, while falling short of the statutory minimum of nursing hours, the suit stated. From 2018 through 2020, the suit alleged, Alden Facilities provided nursing care hours below even the minimum levels required by state law, and should have provided more than one million additional nursing assistant hours. The plaintiffs allege that Alden could save millions of dollar a year through understaffing.

To avoid detection, the suit asserts, Alden lied about its staffing levels to regulators, and according to some employees, even falsified documents with ghost staffing, claiming people were working who were either no longer employed by Alden or off work at the time.

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To limit liability, the complaint alleged, Alden has residents sign arbitration agreements to waive their right to sue, to require secrecy in settlements, and to pay for legal costs  even though under Alden policies, plaintiffs typically have access to only $30 per month from their income.

These residents are among the most vulnerable in society, with medical conditions that require help with basic activities such as eating, getting dressed and getting out of bed.

Due to the lack of adequate staff, the suit alleged, Alden residents suffered severe injuries from falls, acquired pressure ulcers that worsen without treatment and waited long periods to be diagnosed with sometimes life-threatening conditions.

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Attorney Steve Levin, who helped to file the complaint, said he found more than 200 lawsuits filed against Alden nursing homes in Cook County since 2015, and more than 1,000 citations by the Illinois Department of Health.

This suit goes beyond individual cases to seek an overall solution to the problem. Ultimately, Levin said, the goal is to get a court order with ongoing supervision to require the homes to provide sufficient staffing to take proper care of all of their residents.

The suit seeks class-action status so that all Medicaid-eligible residents of Alden nursing homes could be awarded damages or fall under court rulings arising from the case.

rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com
Commander Cristoforetti: The Italian has become the first European woman to take charge of the International Space Station.

Italy's Samantha Cristoforetti on Wednesday became the first European woman to take over command of the International Space Station during a ceremony broadcast live from space.

The outgoing commander, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, used the occasion to seemingly make a rare space-bound reference to the war in Ukraine, saying that "despite the storms on Earth, our international cooperation continues".

During a relaxed ceremony, Artemyev handed Cristoforetti a golden key, symbolising that she is the new commander of the space station until she returns to Earth on October 10.

Cristoforetti, a 45-year-old European Space Agency astronaut and former Italian air force pilot, arrived for her second tour on the ISS in April.

She holds the record for the longest stay in space by a woman after spending 199 days in orbit in 2014 and 2015.

She is fifth womanand the first non-US womanto become commander since the role was created in 2000.

The space station, long a symbol of closer post-Cold War ties between Russia and the United States, has been in a difficult position since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February.

Moscow responded with outrage at unprecedented sanctions over the war and the ISS has been one of the last remaining areas of cooperation between Russia and the West.

The International Space Station and its current crew.

War's echoes in space

Artemyev praised the work of all 10 people onboard the space stationfour Americans, five Russians and Cristoforetti.

He said he viewed the ISS as "a continuation of the ApolloSoyuz programme," the first crewed international space mission carried out jointly by the United States and Soviet Union in 1975 in the midst of the Cold War.

That was a time "when the relationship between the countries was also not simple, when there were people who found the way which leads to peace, and the way that war ends everywhere," Artemyev said, not mentioning Ukraine by name.

For her part, Cristoforetti praised the work of her fellow crew, saying they all form "a tiny part of the gigantic team on the ground" which manages the operations of the space station.

The commander is responsible for all tasks performed by the crew members onboard the space station, which orbits more than 400 kilometres (248 miles) above Earth.

During an emergency, the commander has the authority to take decisions without waiting for instructions from ground control.

In the event of a fire, depressurisation or the detection of toxic atmospherethe three defined emergency scenariosit is up to the commander to ensure that the lives of the crew are saved first.

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who has served as ISS commander, said last year that it is "like being on a boatthere is only master onboard after God".

The decision of who becomes commander is made jointly by the five space agencies involved in the station: NASA, Russia's Roscosmos, Europe's ESA, Canada's CSA and Japan's JAXA.

Explore further Italian becomes first European woman on spacewalk outside ISS

 2022 AFP
Life reconstructions of the fossil Tujiaaspis vividus. Credit: Qiuyang Zheng

A trove of fossils in China, unearthed in rock dating back some 436 million years, have revealed for the first time that the mysterious galeaspids, a jawless freshwater fish, possessed paired fins.

The discovery, by an international team, led by Min Zhu of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Bejiing and Professor Philip Donoghue from the University of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences, shows the primitive condition of paired fins before they separated into pectoral and pelvic fins, the forerunner to arms and legs.

Until now, the only surviving fossils of galeaspids were heads, but these new fossils originating in the rocks of Hunan Province and Chongqing and named Tujiaaspis after the indigenous Tujia people who live in this region, contain their whole bodies.

Theories abound on the evolutionary beginnings of vertebrate fins and limbsthe evolutionary precursors of arms and legsmostly based on comparative embryology. There is a rich fossil record, but early vertebrates either had fins or they didn't. There was little evidence for their gradual evolution.

Tujiaaspis vividus. Credit: IVPP / Chinese Academy of Sciences

First author Zhikun Gai, a University of Bristol alumnus, said, "The anatomy of galeaspids has been something of a mystery since they were first discovered more than half a century ago. Tens of thousands of fossils are known from China and Vietnam, but almost all of them are just headsnothing has been known about the rest of their bodiesuntil now.

"The new fossils are spectacular, preserving the whole body for the first time and revealing that these animals possessed paired fins that extended continuously, all the way from the back of the head to the very tip of the tail. This is a great surprise since galeaspids have been thought to lack paired fins altogether."

The holotype specimen of the fossil Tujiaaspis vividus from 436 million year old rocks of Hunan Province and Chongqing, China. Credit: Zhikun Gai

Corresponding author Professor Donoghue said, "Tujiaaspis breathes new life into a century old hypothesis for the evolution of paired fins, through differentiation of pectoral (arms) and pelvic (legs) fins over evolutionary time from a continuous head-to-tail fin precursor.

"This 'fin-fold' hypothesis has been very popular but it has lacked any supporting evidence until now. The discovery to Tujiaaspis resurrects the fin-fold hypothesis and reconciles it with contemporary data on the genetic controls on the embryonic development of fins in living vertebrates."

Computed fluid dynamic simulations of the flow of water over a digital model of Tujiaaspis vividus, viewed from below. Credit: Zhikun Gai

Corresponding author Min Zhu of VPP, Beijing, added, "Tujiaaspis shows the primitive condition for paired fins first evolved. Later groups, like the jawless osteostracans show the first evidence for the separation of muscular pectoral fins, retaining long pelvic fins that reduced to the short muscular fins in jawed vertebrates, such as in groups like placoderms and sharks. Nevertheless, we can see vestiges of elongate fin-folds in the embryos of living jawed fishes, which can be experimentally manipulated to reproduce them. The key question is why did fins first evolve in this way?"

Bristol's Dr. Humberto Ferron used computational engineering approaches to simulate the behavior of models of Tujiaaspis with and without the paired fins. The co-author said, "The paired fins of Tujiaaspis act as hydrofoils, passively generating lift for the fish without any muscular input from the fins themselves. The lateral fin-folds of Tujiaaspis allowed it to swim more efficiently."

Computed fluid dynamic simulations of the flow of water over a digital model of Tujiaaspis vividus, viewed from above. Credit: Zhikun Gai

Co-author Dr. Joseph Keating at Bristol modeled the evolution of paired fins. He said, "Fossil jawless vertebrates display a dizzying array of fin types, which has provoked extensive debate about the evolution of paired fins.

"Our new analyses suggest that the ancestor of jawed vertebrates likely possessed paired fin-folds, which became separated into pectoral and pelvic regions. Eventually, these primitive fins evolved musculature and skeletal support, which allowed our fishy ancestors to better steer their swimming and add propulsion. It is amazing to think that the evolutionary innovations seen in Tujiaaspis underpin locomotion in animals as diverse as birds, whales, bats and humans."

3D reconstruction of Tujiaaspis vividus. Credit: YANG Dinghua

The holotype specimen and its interpretative drawing of Tujiaaspis vividus from 436 million years old rocks of Chongqing, China. Credit: Gai, et al.

The team's research is published in Nature.

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More information: Zhikun Gai et al, Galeaspid anatomy and origin of vertebrate paired appendages, Nature (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04897-6 Journal information: Nature Zhikun Gai et al, Galeaspid anatomy and origin of vertebrate paired appendages,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04897-6
Five early Silurian fishes from China rewrite the evolutionary story of "from fish to human" Credit: IVPP

Scientists from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have recently discovered two fossil repositories in the early Silurian strata in southwestern Chongqing and Guizhou that are rewriting the evolutionary story of "from fish to human."

Their findings will be published on Nature on Sept. 28 in four articles in the same issue.

Among the extant vertebrates, 99.8% of species, including humans, are gnathostomes or jawed vertebrates. The basic body plan and several key organs of human can be traced back to the origin of gnathostomes. The rise of jaws is one of the biggest innovations in the history of vertebrates.

However, how this innovation happened remains murky, mainly because fossils of early jawed vertebrates were only found in large numbers until the beginning of the Devonian (419 million years ago), while molecular data prove that the origin of jawed vertebrates should be earlier than ~450 million years ago. Hence, there is a huge gap in the fossil record of the early jawed vertebrates, spanning at least 30 million years from Late Ordovician through most of the Silurian.

The Chongqing fish fossil depository is worlds only early Silurian Lagerstatte which preserves complete, head-to-tail jawed fishes, providing a peerless chance to peek into the proliferating "dawn of fishes". Credit: NICE Tech/ScienceApe

The latest findings of Zhu Min's team from IVPP are unearthed from two new fossil depositories, shedding light on the rise of jawed vertebrates: These jawed fishes were already thriving in the waters of the South China block, at least 440 million years ago, and by the late Silurian, more diverse and larger jawed fishes had evolved and began to spread around the world.

Discoveries of fish fossils from the two depositories help to trace many human body structures back to ancient fishes, some 440 million years ago, and fill some key gaps in the evolution of "from fish to human," and provide further evidence to the evolutionary path.

Five early Silurian fishes from China rewrite the evolutionary story of "from fish to human". Credit: NICE Tech/ScienceApe

The Chongqing fish fossil depository in the Upper Red Beds of the Silurian system dates back to 436 million years ago. It is the world's only early Silurian Lagerstatte (fossil depository with exceptional preservation) that preserves complete, head-to-tail jawed fishes, providing a peerless chance to peek into the proliferating "dawn of fishes." This fossil "treasure hoard" stands among other great Chinese Lagerstatten, including Chengjiang Biota and the Jehol Biota, all providing key puzzle pieces previously missing in the tree of life.

Explore further Dawn of fishes: Early Silurian jawed vertebrates revealed head to tail
Katjana Gatterman, 2022, "The Personalization of Politics in the European Union," Oxford University Press. Credit: Oxford University Press

Individual politicians and their messages increasingly matter for our interest and trust in politics. Think only of the political figures in your country and how they influence your opinion. But little is known how the personalization of politics works out in European Union politics. Do we find personalization of politics at the EU level and does this influence our opinion of the EU? With a wealth of empirical evidence communication researcher Katjana Gattermann concludes that personalization of EU politics is conditional upon institutional media and temporal contexts and so far has limited consequences for European citizens' awareness, trust and interest in EU politics.

The relationship between media and politics is of reciprocal nature in democratic societies. Media hold political actors publicly accountable, while politicians often seek media attention to inform their voters about their own achievements. When politicians increasingly become the main focus of political processes and key drivers of voters' choice, we call this the personalization of politics. It is well established in national-level politics, but less is known about this phenomenon in European Union politics.

Recent political developments suggest that such a trend is also underway on EU level, for example, the introduction of the so-called Spitzenkandidaten procedure for the 2014 European Parliament election. For the first time major European party families were encouraged to put forward top candidates to increase the interest in and awareness of the elections among European citizens. Could personalization make EU politics more accessible to its citizens?

Personalization with respect to institutions, media, politics, and citizens

In her new book, "The Personalization of Politics in the European Union," communication scientist Katjana Gattermann examines personalization with respect to institutions, media, politics, and citizens in the European Union. "Institutions are important because the formal personalization of rules and procedures enables media and ultimately citizens to hold responsible decisionmakers to account," she explains. Gattermann also calls it pertinent to understand the extent to which the media personalize their news from Brussels and Strasbourg. "News media are a crucial link between EU citizens and their representatives."

But politicians must also make themselves visible in the political debate. Gattermann argues that "if personalization does not occur in the behavior of politicians, the media will likely have a hard time to inform citizens about the achievements of their representatives. And if media do not pick up on more personalized behavior they fail to provide a link between representatives and those they represent."

Increased personalization depends on domestic media and electoral systems

Gattermann finds that institutional personalization, such as initiated by the Spitzenkandidaten procedure, is an important but not sufficient precondition for media to increasingly report about individual politicians because media personalization with respect to European Commissioners and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) fluctuates across country and over time.

This fluctuation has not obstructed personalization among politicians. The legislative behavior of MEPs is characterized by more personalization over time as measured by the amount of individual parliamentary questions they put forward. Moreover, a close analysis of Dutch MEPs shows that their legislative and social media behavior has become more intertwined over time. They have also become more effective in influencing the agenda of traditional and social media with their legislative activities.

These developments had limited consequences so far for European citizens. "I only found weak associations between media personalization and citizen trust in the EU at a general level," states Gattermann. "There is also limited support for a causal link between personalized political news and citizens' belief that the EU is responsive to their concerns." Results from a case study into news preferences of German voters suggest that citizens may express greater interest in personalized EU politics if they additionally have (prior) information about the background of EU politicians (e.g., function, party affiliation, expertise).

Institutions provide more effective cues

Gattermann had initially expected that personalization would increase the interest in EU news and politics because it provides human faces to the abstract and complex EU political system. Gattermann however concludes that European Union politics has only become more complex to disentangle with more political actors gaining formal individual responsibilities. "Ultimately, institutions provide more effective cues than individual politicians both for media to inform citizens about European Union politics and for citizens to acquire information that may help them understand and evaluate European Union politics."

Implications

These findings have important implications for EU politicians, journalists, citizens and future research. "While the media do report about individual politicians, for the latter there is a clearer trend towards more personalization," explains Gattermann.

"This begs the question whether the media with their predominant focus on institutions paint an accurate picture of the EU political reality. Likewise, while media coverage and citizen news preferences tend to align in their focus on institutions at the expense of individual politicians, voters may have too little information when they are asked to choose between parties and their (lead) candidates in European elections. But some of the threats personality politics may pose to democracy in national politics do not (yet) apply to the EU given the limited evidence for personalized EU politics."

Explore further New research shows US Republican politicians increasingly spread news on social media from untrustworthy sources
With maximum sustained windspeeds of 125 miles (205 kilometers) per hour, Ian pummeled Cuba's western regions for over five hours before its eye moved out over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Hurricane Ian strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it headed towards the US state of Florida on Wednesday, with forecasters warning of life-threatening storm surges and "devastating" winds after it reportedly killed two and left millions without power in Cuba.

As of 5 am (0900 GMT), mandatory evacuation orders had been issued in a dozen coastal Florida counties, with voluntary evacuation recommended in several others, according to the state's emergency officials.

In an advisory issued around the same time, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said "Ian has strengthened into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane."

"Very recent data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 140 mph (220 km/h) with higher gusts," the NHC said.

The storm was expected to make landfall later on Wednesday before moving across central Florida and emerging in the western Atlantic by late Thursday.

The NHC said earlier that a "life-threatening storm surge is expected along the Florida west coast and the Lower Florida Keys," with "devastating wind damage" expected near Ian's core.

"Catastrophic flooding is expected across portions of central Florida with considerable flooding in southern Florida, northern Florida, southeastern Georgia and coastal South Carolina," it said.

About 40,000 people had been evacuated from their homes Cuba's western Pinar del Rio province, where Ian made landfall.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday night that there had already been at least two "radar-indicated tornadoes" in the state, and warned those in areas projected to be hit hardest that their "time to evacuate is coming to an end."

"You need to evacuate now. You're going to start feeling major impacts of this storm relatively soon," he said.

Calls to heed evacuation warnings were echoed by US President Joe Biden, who earlier said Ian "could be a very severe hurricane, life-threatening and devastating in its impact."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had spoken with DeSantisa potential 2024 election challengeron Tuesday evening to discuss preparations for the storm.

Widespread blackout

Ian plunged all of Cuba into darkness on Tuesday after battering the country's west as a Category 3 for more than five hours before moving back out over the Gulf of Mexico, the Insmet meteorological institute said.

The storm damaged Cuba's power network and left the island "without electrical service," state electricity company Union Electrica said.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in all of the southern US state's 67 counties as officials scrambled to prepare for the storm's arrival.

Only the few people with gasoline-powered generators had access to electricity on the island of more than 11 million people. Others had to make do with flashlights or candles at home, and lit their way with cell phones as they walked the streets.

In the western city of Pinar del Rio, AFP footage showed downed power lines, flooded streets and a scattering of damaged rooftops.

"Desolation and destruction. These are terrifying hours. Nothing is left here," a 70-year-old resident of the city was quoted as saying in a social media post by his journalist son, Lazaro Manuel Alonso.

About 40,000 people were evacuated across Pinar del Rio province, which bore the brunt of the storm, local authorities said.

Two dead

Cuban residents described "destruction" and posted images on social media of flooded streets and felled trees.

At the time of impact, the NHC reported Ian's maximum wind speeds at 125 miles (205 kilometers) per hour.

People in the US state of Florida prepare for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Ian.

At least two people have been reported dead in Pinar del Rio province, according to Cuban state media.

In Consolacion del Sur, southwest of Havana, 65-year-old Caridad Fernandez said her roof was seriously damaged and water came through her front door.

"Everything we have is damaged," she said. "But we'll get through this, we'll just keep moving forwards."

In San Juan y Martinez, a hub for Cuba's vital cigar industry, "it was apocalyptic, a real disaster," said Hirochi Robaina from the Robaina tobacco plantation.

'Life and death'

In Florida, 30-year-old Chelsea Thompson was helping her parents board up their home on Tuesday in a mandatory evacuation zone southwest of Tampa, saying that "the closer it gets, obviously with the unknown, your anxiety gets a little higher."

The Pentagon said 3,200 national guardsmen had been called up in Florida, with another 1,800 on the way.

Satellite photo and map showing the projected path of Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Cuba Tuesday.

Authorities in several municipalities were distributing free sandbags to help residents protect their homes from flooding.

Tampa International Airport suspended operations from Tuesday at 5 pm.

Biden has preemptively approved emergency aid in Florida through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

NASA, on the state's east coast, also took precautions, rolling back its massive Moon rocket into a storage hanger for protection.

Like DeSantis, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell highlighted the danger of storm surge, saying it was the agency's "biggest concern."

"If people are told to evacuate by their local officials, please listen to them. The decision you choose to make may be the difference between life and death," she said.

Explore further Hurricane Ian expected to flood Florida after leaving Cuba without power

 2022 AFP
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The creative process, in any knowledge-based activity, is increasingly a collective process, and those who take charge of its development must know how to activate the most appropriate personal ties at each stage. In an article in Academy of Management Journal, Pier Vittorio Mannucci (Bocconi Department of Management and Technology) and Jill E. Perry-Smith (Emory University), conducted a series of experiments and found that:

In the idea generation phase, weak ties (emotionally distant individuals included in our networkthe "acquaintances") are the most useful, because they expose us to unusual, stimulating and varied perspectives and points of view, opening a range of possibilities, from which the idea to be developed can be determined.

In the following phase of idea elaboration, it is best to activate the strongest ties, i.e., the people who are emotionally closest (friends, partners), because they tend to focus on our idea, criticizing it in a constructive way, and taking a proactive role in pointing out (only) the relevant information.

Relying on strong ties in the generation phase, risks not receiving enough stimulation and pursuing mediocre ideas. Relying on weak ties in the elaboration phase risks distraction from additional, continuous stimuli, or being discouraged by criticism that is not always well-founded, or even abandoning ideas that would have turned out to be good.

A larger personal network is also less manageable, with the paradoxical consequence of reliance almost exclusively on stronger ties, thus compromising the idea generation phase.

In situations perceived as risky, people tend, again, to activate only the strongest ties.

In 2017, Mannucci and Perry-Smith described the so-called "idea journey" as a four-stage process: generation, elaboration, championing, and implementation. In their newly published paper, they focus on the first two phases, because they are the ones with the highest relational content.

Credit: Bocconi University

The implications for individuals in creative roles are clear: they should consciously activate weaker ties in the generation phase and stronger ties in the elaboration phase. Companies can also contribute to a more effective creative process by shaping the right contextual conditions. The creative process should never be perceived as risky, to avoid the entrenchment of individuals within too narrow a circle of ties. In a situation perceived as not particularly risky, a larger network more easily explicates its potential, allowing more and varied contacts that are useful for the generation phase.

In recent months Mannucci has had the chance to test his theory directly, while writing a novel for children, "I corsari del tempo," just published by Mondadori.

"During the idea generation phaseor rather ideas, because many of them flow into a novel," said the author, "I actually resorted mostly to weak links and stimuli, but in a natural, almost casual way. I contacted old friends or acquaintances who had traveled extensively and asked them about the places where the novel takes place, from Gubbio to Petra to the walled city of Kowloon in Hong Kong. I reworked stimuli from old and new readings. I fully realized the importance of weak ties, whose usefulness often becomes clear over time: a stimulus which we are exposed to today may bear fruit tomorrow, but also 10 or 15 years from now."

"In the elaboration phase," Mannucci continued, "I consciously activated only my strongest ties, in this case my wife and a close friend who works in publishing. I also got confirmation that the phases described by our model are not strictly sequential. Generation and elaboration were often mixed, even encroaching on the later phases of championing and implementation. But that is another story, which we hope to tell in other studies."

More information: Pier Vittorio Mannucci et al, "Who Are You Going to Call?" Network Activation in Creative Idea Generation and Elaboration, Academy of Management Journal (2021). Journal information: Academy of Management Journal Pier Vittorio Mannucci et al, "Who Are You Going to Call?" Network Activation in Creative Idea Generation and Elaboration,(2021). DOI: 10.5465/amj.2019.0333

Provided by Bocconi University
Astronomers have hailed the early footage of the first time humanity has deliberately smashed a spacecraft into an asteroid.

The asteroid is flying through space in the grainy black and white video, when suddenly a massive cloud of debris sprays out in front of it, meaning only one thing: impact.

Astronomers have hailed this early footage of the first time humanity deliberately smashed a spacecraft into an asteroid, saying it looks like it did a "lot of damage".

That would be good news, because NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) impactor struck the asteroid Dimorphos at 23,500 kilometers (14,500 miles) per hour on Monday night with the goal of deflecting its trajectory.

While Dimorphos is 11 million kilometers (6.8 million miles) away and poses no threat to Earth, it is being used as a historic test run so the world can be ready to defend itself if a future astroid heads Earth's way.

Image captured by the Italian Space Agencys LICIACube a few minutes after the intentional collision of NASAs Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission with its target asteroid, Dimorphos, captured on Sept. 26, 2022. Credit: ASI/NASA

After the impact, ground-based telescopes and the toaster-sized satellite LICIACube, which separated from DART a few weeks ago, revealed the first images of the collision.

"On the LICIACube images, the plume of what came off the surface was quite impressive," Antonella Barucci of the Paris Observatory's LESIA laboratory told AFP.

By examining the plume, "we can begin to estimate the density of the material on the surface," she said.

NASA's DART spacecraft mission to deflect asteroid.

'Very, very big' plume

The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) project on Tuesday tweeted a nine-second video of the impact taken by its telescope in South Africa.

Larry Denneau, the ATLAS co-principal investigator, said the telescope took one image every 40 seconds.

"So the whole sequence that you've seen on Twitter lasts about two hours in real time," he told AFP.

He said the "very, very big" plume was made by dust shooting off the asteroid.

Credit: Les Makes observatory, J. Berthier, F. Vachier / T. Santana-Ros / ESA NEOCC, D. Fohring, E. Petrescu, M. Micheli

"A lot of the dust is released at a speed that's greater than the gravity of the asteroid, and so it escapes," Denneau said.

The plume expanded to around "several thousand miles in diameter," he added.

In the coming days and weeks astronomers around the world will work to confirm whether the asteroid's trajectory was definitively altered by the impact.

Image captured by the Italian Space Agencys LICIACube a few minutes after the intentional collision of NASAs Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission with its target asteroid, Dimorphos, captured on Sept. 26, 2022. Credit: ASI/NASA

Then the European Space Agency's Hera mission will arrive at Dimorphos in 2026 to survey the surface and discover the extent of DART's impact.

Hera mission principal investigator Patrick Michel said "we are all impressed by the magnitude of the event".

"We have done a lot of damage to Dimorphos," Michel said.

Image captured by the Italian Space Agencys LICIACube a few minutes after the intentional collision of NASAs Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission with its target asteroid, Dimorphos, captured on Sept. 26, 2022. Credit: ASI/NASA

"We have a quantity of ejected matter that is quite incredible."

The amount of matter ripped from the asteroid will help scientists work out exactly how much its trajectory has been affectedif at all.

"The more material is ejected, the more it deviates," said Eric Lagadec, president of the French Astronomical Society.

"So it's a pretty good sign," he added.

 2022 AFP
Chang'e-5 glass beads. Credit: Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, CAGS

A Curtin-led research team has found asteroid impacts on the moon millions of years ago coincided precisely with some of the largest meteorite impacts on Earth, such as the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.

The study also found that major impact events on Earth were not stand-alone events, but were accompanied by a series of smaller impacts, shedding new light on asteroid dynamics in the inner solar system, including the likelihood of potentially devastating Earth-bound asteroids.

The international research team studied microscopic glass beads aged up to 2 billion years old that were found in lunar soil brought back to Earth in December 2020 as part of the Chinese National Space Agency's Chang'e-5 Lunar mission. The heat and pressure of meteorite impacts created the glass beads and so their age distribution should mimic the impacts, revealing a timeline of bombardments.

Lead author Professor Alexander Nemchin, from Curtin University's Space Science and Technology Center (SSTC) in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the findings imply that the timing and frequency of asteroid impacts on the moon may have been mirrored on Earth, telling us more about the history of evolution of our own planet.

Chang'e-5 mission. Credit: CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center

"We combined a wide range of microscopic analytical techniques, numerical modeling, and geological surveys to determine how these microscopic glass beads from the moon were formed and when," Professor Nemchin said.

"We found that some of the age groups of the lunar glass beads coincide precisely with the ages of some of the largest terrestrial impact crater events, including the Chicxulub impact crater responsible for the dinosaur extinction event.

"The study also found that large impact events on Earth such as the Chicxulub crater 66 million years ago could have been accompanied by a number of smaller impacts. If this is correct, it suggests that the age-frequency distributions of impacts on the moon might provide valuable information about the impacts on the Earth or inner solar system."

Chang'e-5 landing site-1. Credit: CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center

Co-author Associate Professor Katarina Miljkovic, also from Curtin's SSTC, said future comparative studies could give further insight into the geological history of the moon.

"The next step would be to compare the data gleaned from these Chang'e-5 samples with other lunar soils and crater ages to be able to uncover other significant moon-wide impact events which might in turn reveal new evidence about what impacts may have affected life on Earth," Associate Professor Miljkovic said.

Chang'e-5 Lunar probe gathering. Credit: CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center

Chang'e-5 return capsule. Credit: CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center

Chang'e-5 lunar samples capsule. Credit: CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center

Chang'e-5 lunar soil from CE5C0400. Credit: Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, CAGS

The international collaboration was supported by the Australian Research Council and involved researchers from Australia, China, U.S., UK and Sweden including co-authors Dr. Marc Norman from the Australian National University, Dr. Tao Long from the Beijing SHRIMP Center at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and Ph.D. student Yuqi Qian from the China University of Geosciences.

Titled "Constraining the formation and transport of lunar impact glasses using the ages and chemical compositions of Chang'e-5 glass beads," the research was published in Science Advances.

Explore further Lunar sample tells ancient story through international collaborative effort

More information: Tao Long, Constraining the formation and transport of lunar impact glasses using the ages and chemical compositions of Chang'e-5 glass beads, Science Advances (2022). www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abq2542 Journal information: Science Advances Tao Long, Constraining the formation and transport of lunar impact glasses using the ages and chemical compositions of Chang'e-5 glass beads,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq2542
While sexual minority men report that racialized sexual discrimination is rampant on dating apps and websites, Black men reported differing experiences on Grindr and Jack'd, according to a recent study led by social work professor Ryan Wade. Credit: L. Brian Stauffer

About 99% of the 550 young sexual minority Black men who participated in a recent survey reported encountering racialized sexual discrimination while searching for intimate partners online.

RSD, also called sexual racism, often manifests as website users expressing preferences for partners of certain races, ethnicities, physical attributes or stereotypical behaviors in their profiles. Accordingly, men of color say that other users often ignore their messages, reject them because of their race or ethnicity and engage in hate speech such as racial slurs.

The anonymity of online spaces prompts users to engage in more explicit and virulent racism than they might express when face-to-face, said the report's first author, Ryan M. Wade, a social work professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who studies RSD.

White men and men of color who use these sites often uphold white or Eurocentric features as the most desirable characteristics in intimate partnersa type of RSD the study called "white superiority."

However, the types of RSD the study participants encountered differed depending on which of two popular dating appsGrindr or Jack'dthey used, according to Wade and his co-author Matthew M. Pear, a graduate student in the same department. They reported their findings in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Men who experience RSD in online communities may be vulnerable to depression and other negative mental health effects, prior researchincluding a recent study led by Wadehas shown. Wade developed a 52-item multidimensional scale that measures the impact of RSD across multiple contexts, accounting for the frequency and effects of these experiences and the perpetrators' races.

Launched in 2009, Grindr markets itself as the largest social networking app for people in the LGBTQ community, with 11 million users around the world.

Black men who primarily used Grindr reported experiencing more rejection by white men than respondents who mainly used Jack'd. Credit: Ryan M. Wade and Matthew M. Pear

Jack'd promotes itself as the most inclusive virtual community for LGBTQ people. A similar dating app called Scruff acquired Jack'd in 2019. The parent company, Perry Street Software, states on its website that the two apps reach an aggregate total of 30 million users worldwide.

Wade said Perry Street Software touts the diversity of Jack'd userspurported to be 30% Black, 25% Asian and 25% Latinoas well as that of its management. According to the Jack'd website, its workforce spans 18 countries.

Participants in the study, who had an average age of 24, were recruited through posts on various online networking platforms. All of the participants indicated that they were assigned male sex at birth and identified primarily as gay or bisexual and as Black, African American, or similar races or ethnicities.

Most of the men97.6%indicated that they used more than one website or dating app to find male partners for sexual activity. All lived in the U.S. and reported having used one of these types of dating apps within the previous three months.

Overall, participants said rejection by white men, and white men expressing a desire for specific physical traits that are stereotypically associated with Black males, were the forms of RSD they experienced most frequently from other members of online dating communities in general.

"However, between the two websites in this study, RSD manifestations differed significantly on three of the six subscales measured," Wade said.

Men who primarily used Grindr reported more frequent instances of white men rejecting them because they were Black, and they also reported greater frequency of white superiority, such as white users specifying preferences for intimate partners who also were white.

Conversely, men who primarily used Jack'd reported greater prevalence of same-race physical objectificationthat is, Black men who expressed preferences for intimate partners with physical traits stereotypically associated with Black males.

Prior studies suggested that white superiority and white rejection are significantly more prevalent on Grindr. That may be due, at least in part, to differences in user demographics that increase the likelihood that men of color will be exposed to discriminatory behaviors, Wade said.

However, disparities in the prevalence of RSD also could arise from management companies' differing prioritization and structuring of RSD interventions, according to the study.

In response to allegations of widespread racism, transphobia and other discriminatory practices on its site, several years ago Grindr officials launched a public relations campaign and website called "Kindr Grindr," asserting that it was "time to play nice" and take measures to eliminate these toxic behaviors.

If a site's managers "are beholden to shareholders, it could be that cracking down on certain things that occur in your space is not a profitable course of action," Wade said.

When Scruff bought Jack'd, the parent company discontinued third-party advertising and external funding on Jack'da business model that may put administrators in a better position to proactively address RSD on their sites, Wade said.

Explore further Research explores impact of racial discrimination on dating websites for gay, bisexual men

More information: Ryan M. Wade et al, A Good App Is Hard to Find: Examining Differences in Racialized Sexual Discrimination across Online Intimate Partner-Seeking Venues, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022). Journal information: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Ryan M. Wade et al, A Good App Is Hard to Find: Examining Differences in Racialized Sexual Discrimination across Online Intimate Partner-Seeking Venues,(2022). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19148727
The message "Go Away Hurricane Ian" is displayed outside a condominium complex in St. Pete Beach near the city of St. Petersburg.

Hurricane Ian intensified to just shy of catastrophic Category 5 strength Wednesday as its heavy winds began pummelling the US state of Florida, with forecasters warning of life-threatening storm surges after leaving millions without power in Cuba.

Mandatory evacuation orders had been issued in a dozen coastal Florida counties, with voluntary evacuation recommended in several others, according to the state's emergency officials as they girded for a potentially historic storm.

In a pre-dawn advisory the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said "Ian has strengthened into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane," warning later of "catastrophic storm surge, winds, and flooding."

At 7:00 am (1100 GMT) it said "data from a Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 155 miles (250 kilometers) per hour"just shy of Category 5, the strongest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

"This is going to be a nasty, nasty day, two days," Governor Ron DeSantis said early Wednesday as he warned residents of a "rough stretch" ahead for Florida.

"It could make landfall as a Category 5, but clearly this is a very powerful major hurricane that's going to have major impacts, both on... southwest Florida but as it continues to work through the state."

Ian is predicted to make landfall on Florida's western coast on Wednesday afternoon, according to the state's governor.

The NHC for its part said Ian was "rapidly intensifying," while conditions along the Florida coast were "rapidly deteriorating."

Tropical storm-strength winds were already battering the Florida Keys, as the storm was expected to make landfall later Wednesday near Fort Myers and Port Charlotte, along the state's west coast, before moving across central Florida and emerging in the Atlantic Ocean by late Thursday.

With up to two feet (61 centimeters) of rain expected to fall on parts of the so-called Sunshine State, and a storm surge that could reach devastating levels of 12 to 16 feet (3.6 to 4.9 meters) above ground, authorities were warning of catastrophic conditions.

"This is a life-threatening situation," the NHC warned.

DeSantis said on Tuesday night that there had already been at least two "radar-indicated tornadoes" in the state, and warned those in areas projected to be hit hardest that their "time to evacuate is coming to an end."

Cuban residents reported 'apocalyptic' damage after Hurricane Ian pummeled the island for more than five hours.

Calls to heed evacuation warnings were echoed by US President Joe Biden, who earlier said Ian "could be a very severe hurricane, life-threatening and devastating in its impact."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had spoken with DeSantisa potential 2024 election challengerTuesday evening to discuss storm preparations.

Widespread blackout

Ian plunged all of Cuba into darkness on Tuesday after battering the country's west as a Category 3 for more than five hours before moving back out over the Gulf of Mexico, the Insmet meteorological institute said.

The storm damaged Cuba's power network and left the island "without electrical service," state electricity company Union Electrica said.

Only the few people with gasoline-powered generators had access to electricity on the island of more than 11 million people. Others had to make do with flashlights or candles at home, and lit their way with cell phones as they walked the streets.

Map showing the projected path of Hurricane Ian.

In the western city of Pinar del Rio, AFP footage showed downed power lines, flooded streets and damaged rooftops.

"Desolation and destruction. These are terrifying hours. Nothing is left here," a 70-year-old resident of the city was quoted as saying in a social media post by his journalist son, Lazaro Manuel Alonso.

About 40,000 people were evacuated across Pinar del Rio province, which bore the brunt of the storm, local authorities said.

Cuban residents described "destruction" and posted images on social media of flooded streets and felled trees.

At least two people died in Pinar del Rio province, Cuban state media reported.

In Consolacion del Sur, southwest of Havana, 65-year-old Caridad Fernandez said her roof was seriously damaged and water came through her front door.

"Everything we have is damaged," she said. "But we'll get through this, we'll just keep moving forwards."

The US National Hurricane Center reported Ian's maximum wind speeds at 125 miles (205 kilometers) per hour, making the storm a Category 3 when it slammed Cuba.

'Life and death'

In the US, the Pentagon said 3,200 national guardsmen had been called up in Florida, with another 1,800 on the way.

Authorities in several municipalities were distributing sandbags to help residents protect their homes from flooding.

This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite handout image shows Hurricane Ian approaching Florida as a Category 4 storm after it lashed western Cuba, damaging its electrical grid and plunging the island into darkness.

Tampa International Airport suspended operations from Tuesday at 5 pm.

NASA, on the state's east coast, also took precautions, rolling back its massive Moon rocket into a storage hanger for protection.

Like DeSantis, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell highlighted the danger of storm surge, saying it was the agency's "biggest concern."

"If people are told to evacuate by their local officials, please listen to them. The decision you choose to make may be the difference between life and death," she said.

Explore further Hurricane Ian strengthens to Category 4 as it barrels toward Florida

 2022 AFP
Carlos Castillo, from left, Jesus Sanoja and Elizabeth Navarro stand outside a hotel in Elk Grove Village after eating donated Little Caesars pizza on Sept. 15, 2022. Castillo, Sanoja and Navarro, all of whom are from Venezuela, are part of a group of migrants who were bused from Texas to Chicago and are now staying at the hotel. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Nearly 1,500 migrants have arrived in Chicago from Texas as of Tuesday, city officials said.

The migrants have been bused to Chicago over the last several weeks as part of Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts promise to send migrants to sanctuary cities as a way to criticize the nations immigration policies.

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Joe Dutra, public affairs director with the citys Department of Family and Support Services, said in a statement that as of Tuesday, Chicago has welcomed 1,452 migrants, which include individuals, families, children and infants.

Many have said they are from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

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[ More migrants from Texas arrive in Chicago, the fourth group of buses in less than two weeks ]

The migrants are arriving in buses as part of Abbotts Operation Lone Star  an effort Abbott launched in response to rising border crossings, which he blames on President Joe Bidens immigration policies. According to the busing policy, the rides from Texas to sanctuary cities like New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago are free and voluntary.

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Upon arrival here, migrants are given immediate shelter and support as well as in-depth case management and access to city, county, state and community-based organizations, Dutra said.

Illinois is a welcoming state, Dutra said. We are committed to assisting each family and individual, providing human services with respect and dignity.

The city expects more people to arrive and will release updates accordingly, Dutra said.

The first busload of migrants arrived in Chicago on Aug. 31. Since then, buses with around 100 people would arrive every few days at Union Station or go straight to the suburbs, such as Burr Ridge and Elk Grove Village. From there, they have been taken to temporary housing at places such as the Salvation Army or local hotels.

Earlier this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a disaster proclamation to secure resources for the migrants bused to Illinois from Texas and deployed 75 National Guard members to assist with the logistics of receiving the migrants.

Also earlier in September, Republican governors escalated their practice of sending migrants without advance warning to Democratic strongholds, including the Washington, D.C., home of Vice President Kamala Harris and two flights to Marthas Vineyard, the latter paid for by Florida, taunting leaders of immigrant-friendly cities and highlighting their opposition to the Biden administrations policies.

Chicago Tribunes Adriana Perez contributed.
Spatial correlations between annual anomalies of climate variables and biomass carbon between 2000 and 2019. The global maps show the Spearman correlation coefficient between the time series of forest biomass carbon anomalies and the time series of a precipitation (P) anomalies and b air temperature (T a ) anomalies. The climate variables are taken from ERA-5 reanalysis data. The anomalies are calculated by detrending each variable. The dark blue frame denotes parts of the North American boreal forest, where we find a high (>0.7) positive correlation between air temperature anomalies and biomass carbon anomalies. Credit: Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32456-0

Vegetation and soils are the main carbon sinks on land, as they currently absorb almost a third of carbon dioxide emissions caused by humans and thereby substantially help to slow down global warming. Alongside energy production and industry, land use contributes substantially to global anthropogenic CO 2 emissions.

However, forests and woodlands do not sequester carbon as reliably as previously assumed: Their function as a carbon sink is subject to large annual fluctuations and they are susceptible to various environmental influences even without direct human activity. This was revealed by the results of a new modeling approach developed by a team under LMU geographer Prof. Julia Pongratz.

According to these results, not only direct human activities such as deforestation or re-/afforestation determine the effectiveness of the forest as a carbon sink. Natural environmental factors such as forest fires and extreme weather events, and indirect anthropogenic influences such as increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentration additionally influence the amount of carbon that can be sequestered by trees and other woody vegetation.

To better understand these dynamics, Selma Bultan, a member of Pongratz's team and lead author of the study, has developed a methodology that enables scientists to distinguish the direct effects of human land use on global CO 2 fluxes from those of natural environmental factors on the basis of satellite and other Earth observation data.

"We integrate Earth observation data into a model that simulates CO 2 fluxes from land use. Colleagues from NASA provided us with new global vegetation data covering the last twenty years," explains Selma Bultan. The development of this new modeling approach was possible thanks to the extensive spatial and temporal coverage of the data.

Human and environmental influences on the carbon cycle can be distinguished

"Our study tackles the challenge of separating direct human influences through land use from indirect side effects and natural processes," explains Pongratz.

"This differentiation is important, because isolating the direct anthropogenic effects shows the true progress achieved by climate protection measures. The environmental effects, by contrast, indicate how reliably the biosphere on land absorbs and stores CO 2 from the atmosphere. If we constantly feed the model used in this study with new data, it can help scientists monitor the success of climate protection measuresespecially the implementation of international agreements to reduce CO 2 emissions from land-use change, such as deforestation. This facilitates an objective evaluation of the degree to which countries are meeting their climate targets."

The study also addresses the question of how climate change affects the ability of vegetation to store carbon. "Our results show that the CO 2 sink in forests and woodlands is subject to stronger annual fluctuations and responds more sensitively to extreme events like droughts than previously assumed," says Bultan.

"Thanks to these findings, we can better estimate the potential contribution of land use to climate protectionfor instance, through the use of technologies to actively remove CO 2 from the atmosphere."

Both LMU scientists also contribute to the Global Carbon Project (GCP), an international joint effort of researchers, studying the dynamics of global CO 2 fluxes, synthesized in an annual report. According to the latest report, land use currently causes around nine percent of all anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. How humans deal with ecosystems on land is therefore also critically important for meeting the climate targets of the Paris Agreement.

Researchers can now draw on an extensive database of remote sensing images from satellites for integration into process-based models to foster our understanding of the global carbon cycle and to monitor how climate change evolves and how successful climate protection measures to mitigate it are. "Time is on our side: The satellite era now covers a sufficiently long time period to let us track the consequences of political developments on deforestation or observe the influence of increasing drought events on vegetation," says Raphael Ganzenmuller, another LMU geographer who was involved in the study.

"The more data we havefor instance on grassland vegetation and on organic carbon in the soilthe more precisely we can estimate natural and anthropogenic CO 2 fluxes, fostering our understanding of the whole terrestrial carbon cycle," says Selma Bultan.

An increased temporal resolution of the data could also enable scientists to analyze the influence of short-term extreme events such as individual droughts within a single year. "Our study reveals the potential of integrating observation data into models for more robust estimates of global CO 2 fluxesthis demonstrates the ever-increasing possibilities opened up by satellite-based Earth observation."

The research was published in Nature Communications.

Explore further Video: Counting carbon

More information: Selma Bultan et al, Tracking 21st century anthropogenic and natural carbon fluxes through model-data integration, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Selma Bultan et al, Tracking 21st century anthropogenic and natural carbon fluxes through model-data integration,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32456-0
Assessing damage of the 11th century frescoes in St Sophia's Cathedral Kyiv. Credit: Marina Fomina/ National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Researchers from the Natural History in London have collaborated with researchers from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine to establish the cause of damage to the world-famous medieval murals in Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedralone of Ukraine's most important cultural sites.

These murals, which were painted on the walls of the Saint Sophia cathedral in around 1000CE, are some of Ukraine's most significant artworks. It had become apparent they were under threat when they began to develop dark spots and flaking away. In a bid to protect and restore the art, research was carried out to establish the type of microscopic organisms that were living on the walls and causing this damage.

The research began long before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was disrupted by the attacks on the countrywhich also included attacks on the country's unique cultural treasures.

Initial investigations in Kyiv involved the Ukrainian team taking DNA samples from the walls of degraded areas of the cathedral and then comparing these to samples from areas free of damage. From this, they were able to see that, whilst the levels of bacteria in both regions were similar, the damaged parts of the church had much higher levels of fungal DNA.

The Ukrainian researchers discovered cracks and voids within the fabric of the walls and some unusual large crystals that were entirely unlike the general fabric of the plaster. A chemical assessment concluded that this was an organic substance secreted by the fungi.

Research, using microscopic techniques at the Natural History Museum in London established that the crystals were calcium malate, a by-product of malic acid secreted by the fungi to feed on inorganic nutrients in the plaster. The fungi were dissolving the plaster and producing crystals that were tearing the plaster fabric.

The crystals are formed from the reaction between the malic acid and the calcium from the plaster. Malate is a very common substance, produced in the cells of every living organism, but very rarely excreted. It has been reported in murals only two times before, in the Monastery of Pedralbes in Barcelona and in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

The presence of abundant calcium malate in the damaged areas poses an important question probably linked to fungal adaptation. For some unknown reason, researchers think, the environmental condition of the cathedral is causing the fungi to release it, rather than other much more common substances. The crystals deposited within and behind the plaster work are breaking it apart and causing it to degrade.

Now that the researchers in Kyiv know exactly what is going on in the walls of the cathedral, they hope to be able to prevent it and preserve the murals for years to come.

Ukrainian researcher Marina Fomina, lead author on the paper, says, "Russia's attempts to violently destroy and assimilate so much of our cultural identity meant the work to preserve Saint Sophia and this precious artwork was even more urgent. It is a huge relief to understand the cause of this damage and enable its conservation for our national and the world's cultural heritage."

Dr. Javier Cuadros, a senior researcher at the Natural History Museum and a co-author of the paper, played a crucial role in getting the paper over the finishing line.

"We were collaborating with them throughout this devastating time. However, when Kyiv was attacked it was impossible for our colleagues to continue working because they had to suspend everyday life and flee their homes.

"I'm very happy to have been able to play a role in this research. The discovery means a lot to our Ukrainian colleagues and will help preserve their legacy and other historic artworks for future generations.

"Hearing about the support they gave each other in their communities has been a lesson in human solidarity and maintaining cohesion in the most challenging of times. We dedicated the paper to the courageous Ukrainian people whose resilience is so admirable."

The paper is published in the November 2022 edition of International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation.

Explore further Physician sheds light on the challenges of medical practice in wartime Ukraine

More information: Marina Fomina et al, Fungal transformation of mineral substrata of biodeteriorated medieval murals in Saint Sophia's cathedral, Kyiv, Ukraine, International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation (2022). Marina Fomina et al, Fungal transformation of mineral substrata of biodeteriorated medieval murals in Saint Sophia's cathedral, Kyiv, Ukraine,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ibiod.2022.105486
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A team of scientists argues that a One Health approach to plant health is vital if we are to sustainably feed a growing population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050.

The researchers, who published a commentary in the CABI Agriculture and Bioscience journal, suggest that a One Health perspective can help optimize net benefits from plant protection to realize greater food security and nutrition gains.

One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants and the wider environment are closely linked and interdependent.

Dr. Vivian Hoffmann, Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), is a lead author of the commentary, which focuses on two primary trade-offs that lie at the interface of plant health with animal, ecosystem and human health.

Dr. Hoffmann and the researchers say that protecting plant health through use of agrochemicals versus minimizing risks to human health and antimicrobial and insecticide resistance is one consideration. Another, the scientists argue, is ensuring food security by prioritizing the health of crops to maximize agricultural production versus protecting environmental systems.

The commentary, which stems from a webinar organized by CGIAR and attended by over 200 participants from around the world, discusses challenges and opportunities for advancement associated with each of these trade-offsby taking account of how the priorities and constraints of stakeholders may vary by gender.

It stresses that building the capacity of regulatory bodies in low- and middle-income countries to conduct cost-benefit analysis has the potential to improve decision-making in the context of these and other multi-dimensional trade-offs.

The webinar included presentations on the sustainable intensification, benefits to plant health, and risks to human health, of using manure and wastewater to fertilize food crops; Tanzania's experience with "pesticide regulation" management of plant-associated food safety hazards where regulatory capacity is weak, and the role of gender in One Health.

Dr. Hoffmann said, "Increasing crop yields through healthy plants is critical to achieving food security for a growing global population. But agricultural production also poses threats to environmental processes that underpin human health."

The commentary, for instance, highlights that agriculture contributes 34% of greenhouse gas emissions, consumes 84% of fresh water and is the single biggest source of eutrophication causing nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in aquatic systems.

"Interventions to encourage plant health practices that balance ecological concerns and food production will need to consider the constraints, needs, and motivations of farmers, including those mediated by gender," Dr. Hoffmann added.

Webinar participants made the point that farmers and other stakeholders of limited means, and women in particular, may not have the luxury of prioritizing environmental sustainability.

Dr. Hoffmann said, "This points to the need for external financing, perhaps through international green development or climate funds, to promote ecologically sustainable agricultural practices."

The scientists also believe that trade-offs are expected to depend critically on the intensity of exposure to environmental hazards, food security status, and income levelsall of which vary across countries. There is therefore a need, they say, for context-specific analysis, and as such, greater capacity for cost-benefit analysis in low land middle-income countries as a matter of priority.

Explore further Farming and fertilizers: how ecological practices can make a difference

More information: A one health approach to plant health, CABI Agriculture and Bioscience (2022). A one health approach to plant health,(2022). DOI: 10.1186/s43170-022-00118-2

Provided by CABI
Representation of the serotonin 2A Receptor (5HT2AR) signaling protein complex bound with the novel compound R-69 (in subset, magenta). Credit: Roth Lab, UNC School of Medicine

While illegal for recreational use, psychedelic drugs are showing great promise as treatments for severe depression and anxiety, as well as alcohol addiction and other conditions. Some advocates and scientists believe the actual psychedelic triphallucinations and profound emotional experiencesis what leads to long-lasting therapeutic effects. Other scientists speculate that if the "trip" could be eliminated from such drugs, then only the therapeutic effects might remain. Researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill, UC San Francisco, Yale, Duke, and Stanford have taken a major step toward answering that question.

Published in Nature, this research in animal models show it's possible to create a compound that hits the same exact target as psychedelic drugs hitthe 5-HT2A serotonin receptors on the surface of specific neuronsbut does not cause the same psychedelic effects when given to mice. The new compound triggers the same anti-depressant action that researchers have long observed in mice treated with SSRI drugs over the past two decades, with just two differences: the anti-depressant action of the new compound was immediate and long-lasting after just one dose.

"We were very surprised the compound had any anti-depressant activity similar to ketamine and psilocybin, both rapidly acting antidepressant psychedelic drugs," said co-senior author Bryan L. Roth, MD, Ph.D., the Michael Hooker Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at the UNC School of Medicine and director of the NIMH Psychoactive Drug Screening Program. "We were basically running a chemistry experiment to see if we could create a compound to activate 5-HT2A. Once we achieved that, we decided to run experiments in mice."

The compound is patented by Yale, UNC-Chapel Hill, and UCSF and licensed to Onsero, a company created to fine-tune experimental compounds before they can be further tested in clinical trials.

"We don't know if we'll see the same effects in people," Roth said. "But we hope to find out. It would be a game changer to create a one-dose, long-acting therapy to help people with treatment-resistant depression and other conditions."

The case for psychedelics

When someone eats a magic mushroom, the active ingredient pscilocinwhich is derived from psilocybinbinds tightly to the 5-HT2A serotonin receptors on the surface of neurons. The receptor is activated for a long time, triggering a cascade of chemical signals inside cells. These cells then communicate to other cells throughout the brain, sending the person on a long, strange hallucinogenic trip for hours. For those who are treatment-resistant, psychedelic drugs can immediately alleviate depression, and the effect lasts for many months.

Ketamine, used medically as an anesthetic, also has become a tool against severe depression. In 2019, the FDA approved a prescription version of ketamine called esketamine (Spravato), administered through a nasal spray. Use of this drug requires supervision of a medical professional and is expensive. Ayahuascaa brew that includes two psychoactive plantsalso shows anti-depressant effects in uncontrolled clinical studies. It's illegal in the United States, as is one of its active ingredientsN, N-Dimethyltryptamine, also known as DMT.

Roth said it would be difficult to scale up these drugs to help the millions of people in need as these drugs and others can drastically change brain chemistry, to say the least, and, like LSD, carry risks. An individual's experience can be harrowing, despite coming out the other side feeling "cured" of depression, severe anxiety, or addiction.

A class of anti-depressant drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) modulate serotonin signaling indirectly and not in the same way as psychedelic drugs do. SSRIs also enhance serotonin levels in cells throughout the body, which is likely one reason why these drugs can cause a wide swath of unpleasant side effects. Although SSRIs lead to the immediate increase in serotonin in the brain, people who take these drugs do not typically report feeling the anti-depressant until weeks later.

"So, there's more going on than simply raising serotonin levels to treat depression," said Roth, who spent two decades seeing psychiatric patients. "SSRIs cause changes in the brain that lead to anti-depressive action. We don't know what's going on, exactly. But I know many people who have had their lives transformed by SSRIs and psychotherapy."

The idea, then, is simple: what if scientists could create a compound that selectively hits the 5-HT2A receptor but activates it in a way that alters brain chemistry to treat depression, leaving the trippy pathway alone while avoiding the side effects associated with SSRIs.

The full project took seven years, beginning when Roth's lab solved the complex chemical structure of serotonin receptors, including what they look like when a psychedelic compound is tightly bound to them. This, alone, took years.

In 2020, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the Department of Defense funded Roth and colleagues $26.9 million to create new medications that effectively and rapidly treat depression, anxiety, and substance abuse without major side effects. Roth secured this high-risk, high-reward project through his UNC lab's expertise, experience, and collaborations with experts in the field, including co-senior authors on the Nature paper Brian Shoichet, Ph.D., at the UC-San Francisco and others at Duke, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Stanford.

Years of collaborative science

An expert in combinatorial chemistry, Jonathan Ellman, Ph.D., the Eugene Higgins Professor of Chemistry and professor of pharmacology at Yale co-first author Danielle Confair, Ph.D., now a senior scientist at AstraZeneca, led work to a develop a sequence of reactions that, with different starting materials, could theoretically lead to the creation of billions of new compounds with slightly different chemical structures. For this study, Ellman and Confair focused on chemical reactions for the synthesis of tetrahydropyridines, or THPs, which occur in nature and are the basic building blocks of many compounds, including medications.

Then Shoichet and UCSF co-first author Anat Levit, Ph.D. and co-senior author John Irwin, Ph.D., used computational simulations to home in on specific THP-based virtual compounds most likely to only bind to 5-HT2A in specific ways on certain neurons, not unlike how psilocybin binds to these receptors, but just differently enough to potentially avoid the dramatic psychedelic effect.

"For us, the project began as an opportunity to expand the new virtual libraries with 75 million tricked-out molecules from the Ellman lab," Shoichet said. "It was only when we started to see the unusual signaling from the new compounds and their amazing permeability into the brain that we as a team started to think these compounds might have interesting effects in vivo."

Then Roth's UNC lab, led by co-first author Kuglae Kim, Ph.D., selected and tested several actual compounds to see how they bind to the serotonin receptors in cell cultures. This part also took years. Receptors are complex and delicate bunches of perfectly situated proteins. To be able to observe a compound's effect on them is a laborious process involving various experimental techniques, including X-ray crystallography.

With each experiment, Roth and UNC colleagues learned more nuances about the compound's relationship to 5-HT2A. Shoichet's team then used that knowledge to tweak their computational chemical design to create yet another virtual compound that Roth's lab created in the real world.

This iterative process yielded a few compounds promising enough for Roth's lab to test in a mouse model, essentially to see if the compounds bound to 5-HT2A in an animal as it did in a lab dish.

"What we saw was completely unexpected," Roth said. "Not only did the compound bind the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor like we thought it would, but it had the same anti-depressant drug action as does ketamine but not the same hallucinogenic drug action."

While researchers can't know for sure if the mice were not depressed or hallucinating, they can study drug actionthe biological effect in mice and then observe behaviors. For decades, researchers have used standard testsforced swim test, tail suspension tests, novel suppressed feedingwhen testing the action of compounds. Likewise, researchers have used standard mouse models of psychoactive drug action, models that have been validated over decades. Mice behave in specific ways, when given a hallucinogenic drug, sort of like humans behave in certain ways when tripping.

When the Duke lab of William Wetsel, Ph.D., gave mice the new compound, the research team observed the same anti-depressant drug action without the same psychoactive drug action.

"It was more than a little remarkable to us is that this compound was effective in all mouse models after a single dose, and the effect was long lasting, similar to psilocybin," Roth said. "We were lucky. And we know we're not finished."

Whether this drug or others like it can truly provide a one-dose, long-lasting anti-depressant effect for people with treatment-resistant depression, severe anxiety, and other conditions is yet to be determined. But this research shows that it might be possible.

Explore further People respond differently to psychedelic drugsgenetics could be the reason

More information: Brian Shoichet, Bespoke library docking for 5-HT2A receptor agonists with anti-depressant activity, Nature (2022). Journal information: Nature Brian Shoichet, Bespoke library docking for 5-HT2A receptor agonists with anti-depressant activity,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05258-z
The white-necked jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) is a medium-size hummingbird Milan. Credit: Zygmunt/Shutterstock

It's easy to assume all animals have a neat dividing line between the sexes because the differences in appearance between males and females can be so striking. But the more scientists learn about wildlife, the clearer it is that nature doesn't have a rule book.

Most people know that male seahorses become pregnant and give birth. Yet research is revealing more about animals that defy expectations when it comes to sex norms.

To understand why some species evolved special traits or appearances you need to know why the males and females of many species evolved to look so different to one another. Throughout most of the animal kingdom, females have a finite number of eggs, whereas males have an infinite number of sperm.

This is known as anisogamy and usually causes males to compete for females through the evolution of weapons such as antlers in deer, or adornments such as the beautiful tail of the peacock. Consequently, it is in the interest of females to be more picky about their mating partners.

These differences in appearance of the sexes evolved through a process called sexual selection.

1. The mallard

A good example of this is the mallard, one of the most common ducks in the world. The brown color of the females' feathers evolved through natural selection where the fittest survive; in this case, the ones that are camouflaged from predators.

Male and female mallard ducks look very different. Credit: Sergey Muhlynin/Shutterstock

The bright blue and green feathers of the male mallards make them conspicuous against their background, but it also increases their attractiveness. The females choose the "sexiest" males based on their plumage. So, for the majority of species, males are brightly colored and females have a somber appearance.

But this isn't always the case. Evolution has created some incredible twists in nature's story.

2. The white-necked jacobin

A recent study found that around 20% of female white-necked jacobin (a hummingbird species from central America) have iridescent blue and green plumage that mimics the color of males.

Although the females only imitate the males in appearance rather than behavior, they gain the advantage enjoyed by the more aggressive males. Males avoid females with ornamental plumage, meaning they are left alone to enjoy better access to food.

Narwhal couple swimming together in the ocean (3d rendering). Credit: Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock

3. The narwhal

The narwhal, or unicorn of the sea, is an Arctic whale that has a long spiral tusk, up to three meters in length. The males use the tusk to attract females and warn off male rivals. The male with the largest tusk is the most dominant and has the most mating opportunities.

However, a small proportion of females have tusks. It is not known why. But if tusks increase the chances of survival (through fighting off predators or spearing food), it would have evolved via natural selection in both male and female narwhals. Since the presence of a tusk is largely restricted to the males, it is possible the tusked females benefit in a similar way to the hummingbirds.

4. The barred buttonquail

Some species, such as the barred buttonquail (a south Asian ground bird) show a complete role reversal. Females are larger than males and have a black throat and breast patch that the males lack. The females make a loud booming call to attract males and fight for access to mates.

Once a pair have mated, the female moves on to her next mate while the male is left to incubate the eggs and raise the chicks alone. However, this comes at a cost. In the animal kingdom, most females have a longer life expectancy than males, but female buttonquails have a lifespan of four years, almost half the lifespan of males.

5. The ruff

It is not just the females who benefit from adopting male appearances or traits. The ruff (a wading bird from northern Europe and Asia) was named after the collar of feathers that develop around the neck of the males during the breeding season, similar to Elizabethan ruffs that were worn in the 17th century. Males with more impressive ruffs attract more females.

So, the best-ruffed males are spoilt for choice, whereas some males end up as lonely hearts with no opportunities to mate at all. But, these disgruntled males have found a way to beat the players at their own game. Some males copy females during the breeding season, so they can get close enough to the females to do some sneaky mating.

Some of the ruffs that impersonate females will even will lure other males away from the females. The pseudo females will then go back to mate once the coast is clear.

Hyenas live in a matriarchy. Credit: Lua Carlos Martins/Shutterstock

6. Hyenas

Perhaps the most fascinating animal is the spotted hyena of sub-saharan Africa, where the females dominate the clans. They do the majority of the hunting and raise the cubs alone. The females are larger than the males and have more testosterone, meaning that often the highest-ranking male is subordinate to the lowest-ranking female.

The females even have a penis, complete with scrotum and testes, capable of erections. This is actually a pseudopenis, formed by an enlarged clitoris through which females urinate and give birth. The fake penis is used to signal dominance when hyenas meet each other, with an erect "penis" acting as a flag of submission.

7. Asian sheepshead wrasse

So, in the animal kingdom, there are many benefits to looking like a member of the opposite sex. Some fish species such as the Asian sheepshead wrasse take this one step further and change sex during their lifetime.

Known as sequential hermaphroditism, the largest females turn into males. A change in hormone levels make their ovaries transform into testes, allowing them to produce more offspring over their lifetime. We have learnt so much about the animal kingdom since the onset of modern science, but as these new studies show, we may only have scratched the surface.

Explore further Young male fruit flies make females fight each other more

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Griffon vultures are seen in a cage before their release, near the Korfi village in Limassol district in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Conservationists say 15 vultures flown to Cyprus from Spain have been released into the wild in hopes that they will help revive the local population that has dwindled down to just 8-10 birds because of deliberate poisoning. Credit: AP Photo/Philippos Christou

Some 15 Griffon vultures from Spain have been released into the wild in Cyprus to help revive the east Mediterranean island's population that's dropped to just 8-10 birds because of deliberate poisoning, conservationists said Wednesday.

The LIFE with Vultures CY group said the large birds were initially brought to the east Mediterranean island nation nearly a year ago and stayed in a specially constructed cage to get acclimatized to local conditions before their release.

Cyprus' Game and Fauna Service has attached GPS transmitters to all the vultures to monitor their movements and well-being. From previous releases of vultures elsewhere in Europe, it's expected that the birds will intermingle with the remaining indigenous vulture population at feeding and roosting locations.

Conservationists say restoring the local vulture population to its former numbers remains a long-term goal, with the most pressing issue being to eradicate the biggest threat to the species which is use of poison bait in the wilderness.

A recent study suggested that the species of bird would disappear from Cyprus in about 15 years if nothing was done to eliminate the poisoning threat and replenish the population with vultures brought from abroad.

Another 15 vultures flown in from Spainwhich hosts 90-95% of Europe's population of the birdswill be released in Cyprus next year.

The Griffon vulture, which can grow up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) long and have a wingspan of 2.8 meters (9 feet), feeds on animal carcasses.

A griffon vulture flies free after released near the Korfi village in Limassol district in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Conservationists say 15 vultures flown to Cyprus from Spain have been released into the wild in hopes that they will help revive the local population that has dwindled down to just 8-10 birds because of deliberate poisoning. Credit: AP Photo/Philippos Christou

Explore further Over 150 endangered vultures poisoned to death in southern Africa

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Nuku'alofa, Tonga. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The Pacific nation of Tonga is made up of 170 islands, but it just welcomed its newest additionthanks to an underwater volcano.

Near the center of the nation's island formation lies the Home Reef volcano in the South Pacific. On Sept. 10, the volcano began to erupt for the first known time since 2006, oozing lava and ejecting plumes of steam and ash in and above water, according to NASA's Earth Observatory.

Just 11 hours after the eruption began, a new island had appeared, and NASA confirmed its formation with satellite images.

When the island was first examined on Sept. 14, it was estimated to be one acre with an elevation of 33 feet. On Monday, the Tonga Geological Services said latest estimations show the island has grown to 8.6 acres and now has an elevation near 50 feet above sea level.

Monday also marked the 17th straight day of effusive lava flow, but the continuous volcanic activity poses a low risk to the nearby Vava'u and Ha'apai communities. Mariners are advised to sail beyond two and a half miles away from the eruption.

While this may seem like a new addition to the Pacific nation, it's not likely the island will stay; NASA says islands created by underwater volcanoes are "often short-lived."

Home Reef has even created some of these short-lived islands. Small islands were formed after eruptions in 1852, 1857, 1984 and 2006, with the last two created islands with peak elevations of 164 feet and 229 feet, respectively.

But hope does remain for the island to have a longer life. NASA added in 1995, the nearby Late'iki volcano created an island that eventually existed for 25 years.

(c)2022 USA Today

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Heavy rain from Typhoon Noru falls on an empty road in Danang, in central Vietnam where the storm made landfall before dawn on September 28, 2022.

Typhoon Noru barrelled into Vietnam's central coast early Wednesday, the national forecaster said, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain as hundreds of thousands of people took refuge in shelters.

In Danang, Vietnam's third largest city, high rise buildings shook in the strong gusts that toppled trees and tore roofs from homes across the central region. Large scale power outages were reported.

"The position of the typhoon's centre at 4:00 am (2100 GMT Tuesday) on September 28 is between Danang and Quang Nam," the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting said, adding wind speeds were between 103 and 117 kilometers (64-72 miles) per hour.

More than 200,000 people in Vietnam had taken refuge in shelters overnight, after forecasters predicted the storm would be one of the biggest to hit the Southeast Asian nation.

Wind speeds were slower than initially feared, but forecasters said heavy rain would continue into the day and warned of landslides and serious flooding.

The defence ministry has mobilised around 40,000 soldiers and 200,000 militia members, equipped with armoured vehicles and boats in preparation for rescue and relief operations, state media said.

Almost half of Vietnam's airports have been shut, schools and offices across several central provincesincluding in Danangwere closed and residents rushed to secure their homes Tuesday.

A fisherman ties his boat on a street to protect it from Typhoon Noru in Danang hours before the storm made landfall.

The central section of highway linking Hanoi in the north with commercial hub Ho Chi Minh City in the south has also been closed.

That came after Super Typhoon Noru slammed into the Philippines earlier this week, killing six people.

Authorities said late Tuesday they had evacuated nearly 260,000 people from their homes, including in the popular tourist city of Hoi An, where residents were brought to a primary school.

"I wanted to leave. My house is not very strong. I am afraid its roof might be blown away when the typhoon hits," Huynh Mua told AFP, clutching a plastic bag full of clothes, a blanket and several packets of instant noodles.

Three hundred houses in the coastal province of Quang Tri had their roofs blown off late Tuesday as winds began picking up speed. In nearby Hue, trees were blown to the ground. In Danang all shops and hotels were closed, while residents were banned from going out on the streets.

Noru hit the Philippines' Luzon island on Sunday and Monday, toppling trees, knocking out power and flooding low-lying communities.

Five rescuers were killed after being sent to help flooded residents, while another man died after he was hit by a landslide. Officials estimate about $2.4 million worth of crops were damaged.

Explore further Mass evacuations in Vietnam ahead of Super Typhoon Noru

 2022 AFP
The RGB star count density across the HSC image. A giant tidal stream can be seen emanating from F8D1, which is located at the South-Western edge. The stream can be traced for more than a degree towards the North-East, in the direction of NGC 2976 and M81. Credit: Zemaitis et al., 2022.

Using the Subaru telescope and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), an international team of astronomers has observed an ultra-diffuse galaxy known as F8D1. The observational campaign has revealed an enormous tidal stream emanating from this galaxy. The finding was presented September 21 on the arXiv pre-print server.

Ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) are extremely-low-density galaxies. The largest UDGs have sizes similar to the Milky Way, but have only about 1% as many stars as our home galaxy. The mystery of UDGs is still baffling scientists as they try to explain why these faint but large galaxies are not ripped apart by the tidal field of their host clusters.

Located some 12 million light years in the M81 Group (galaxy group in the constellations Ursa Major and Camelopardalis), F8D1 is the closest UDG to the Milky Way. It has a large effective radius of approximately 8,150 light years and luminosity at a level of about 40 million solar luminosities.

Although F8D1 was discovered in 1998, it was poorly studied in the past. Therefore, a group of astronomers led by Rokas Zemaitis of the University of Edinburgh, U.K., employed the Subaru telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) imager and the MegaCam imager on CFHT to investigate this UDG, hoping to get more insights into its properties.

"We have used data from Subaru/HSC and CFHT/MegaCam to revisit the properties of F8D1, a peculiar dwarf satellite companion of M81 [Messier 81 galaxy in the M81 Group]," the researchers wrote in the paper.

The observations detected a giant stream of stars which extends from F8D1 to the North-West, in the direction of galaxies NGC 2976 and M81. This feature can be seen on both sides of NGC 2976. The stream curves about 0.8 arcminutes West of the main body at small radii, and changes direction at larger radii, curving about 1.1 arcminutes to the East at distances of 4060 arcminutes.

The newfound tidal stream was estimated to be at least 195,000 light years in size. Given that it contains 3036% of the main body light, it indicates that F8D1 is undergoing heavy tidal disruption. The astronomers assume that the most likely cause of the tidal disruption of this UDG is the central galaxy M81.

According to the researchers, the finding that F8D1 is in an advanced state of tidal disruption has implications for both the dynamical evolution of the M81 Group and for the origin of galaxies showcasing UDG properties.

"In the first instance, F8D1 has likely played a hitherto unrecognized role in the interaction history of the group and it will be important to include its effects in future modeling efforts.... Furthermore, the severe tidal shredding of F8D1 is likely the origin of its present-day extremely diffuse nature, and not any peculiar properties it might have had at birth," the authors of the paper concluded.

Explore further Creating ultra-diffuse galaxies

More information: Rokas Zemaitis et al, A Tale of a Tail: A Tidally-Disrupting Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy in the M81 Group. arXiv:2209.09713v2 [astro-ph.GA], Rokas Zemaitis et al, A Tale of a Tail: A Tidally-Disrupting Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy in the M81 Group. arXiv:2209.09713v2 [astro-ph.GA], arxiv.org/abs/2209.09713

 2022 Science X Network
QUEENSBURY  Police arrested two Walmart employees on Monday accused of stealing over $1,000 of merchandise.

According to police, at 9:02 p.m. officers responded to reports of two employees inside the store who had stolen items. Police did not indicate which of the two Queensbury Walmart locations the call came from.

An investigation determined that Brian E. Winchell, 32, of Whitehall, and Vickie R. Dibble, 52, of Granville, underpaid and stole numerous items worth over $1,000, police said.

Both were charged with felony counts of fourth-degree of grand larceny, processed, and released with court appearance tickets for Oct. 17.
FORT EDWARD  Winters were cold inside the Fort Miller Reformed Church when Mac Sanders was a boy.

Central heating didnt get installed until 1953, so a coal stove heated the big, old drafty structure.

It got a little bit chilly here in January, sitting right here on the north side when the frost was forming on the inside of the walls. It was a little nippy, said Sanders, 78, who was baptized in the church in the tiny hamlet of Fort Miller in 1947.

The candles were always lit for the Christmas Eve service, and garland decorated the wall behind the pulpit.

The same pulpit and pews still sit in the church, which will celebrate its 200th anniversary at a 10:30 a.m. service Sunday at 1239 Fort Miller Road. A lunch reception will follow the service.

Days before the service, the congregation will also dig up a time capsule buried in the 1980s in the front yard.

The hand-built pipe organ will play at the Sunday service, which will celebrate the history with a focus on the future of the parish, considered the oldest place of worship in the town.

The past

The sanctuary was constructed in 1816, when Fort Miller was still part of Argyle. It incorporated into Fort Edward in 1818.

The building sits upon a lot given by Barent and John R. Bleecker. The church was deemed free to all Protestant denominations, according to History of Washington Co., New York.

The community on the Hudson River was growing at the time around the operation of a grist mill and sawmill.

The church was built in 1816 by Shepherd Norcross, a local carpenter, who lived on Hatchs Point, according to the publication. The building, erected for $2,000, consisted only of the nave and balcony.

The building was used as a meetinghouse until 1822 when a Reformed Protestant Dutch Church congregation was organized.

It took about six years to get the church going, Sanders said, in the meantime this was the town hall, the meetinghouse for the little hamlet.

In 1822, the country boasted only 24 states  Maine and Missouri being the newest states added. President James Monroe was leading the new country.

The Champlain Canal opened in 1823, and by 1855, the area saw an addition of a post office, grocery stores, blacksmith shops, hotels and schools, according to The Fort Miller Reformed Church: Its History and Mission & The Community, published in 2011 by the church consistory.

The church grew during the first half of the 19th century with this economic development of the area, however in the early 1850s the congregation fractured over the issue of building a new dam on the Hudson River at Fort Miller and the church closed in 1853, the publication states.

It eventually reopened in 1867.

In 1896, the church hosted plays and concerts on the stage on the second floor of the building.

For the 100th anniversary in 1922, church members organized a three-day celebration, highlighting the history of the area and the church.

In the decades after World War II, the church experienced the same economic and demographic shifts as other rural churches in upstate New York, the 2011 publication explains.

But the doors have remained open since. The original hand-blown glass windows still line the sides of the nave. Light streams through the tall windows and illuminates the original pews, now painted white.

An ornate crystal chandelier hangs down from the center of the ceiling, believed to have been brought into the church just after the Civil War, according to a Post-Star article in 1974. At that time, it was lit by gaslight.

It became electrified in 1954 by the churchs organist James Petit, who was also an electrician.

Back then, it was tradition for the steeple bell to toll every three hours. The bell still works, but the bell tower needs some structural work done.

The building  an excellent example of Federal period ecclesiastical architecture  sits on the National Register of Historic Places.

The current 750-pound Meneely bell isn't an original feature of the church, which sat without a bell until 1940 when it received a bell from the North Greenwich Methodist Church, according to the parish's application for a place on the register.

In 1946, that bell was removed and replaced with the existing 1870s bell that was taken from the demolished Fort Miller Baptist Church, located about 150 yards to the north.

We have pretty much preserved this 1816 building and maintained it, said Sanders, who plans to discuss not only the vast history of the church on Sunday, but also the future of the building and its congregation.

The future

He plans to address how the church has to change in order to ensure the congregation will be active into the future and how to attract younger people to the church to carry it into the future.

The issue is the demographics, Sanders said. A lot of the people around here are not connected to the church. Doesnt mean that they wont be at some point, but weve got to find a way to be what I call externally focused and a way to connect with the new people in the area.

Sanders stood in the balcony of the nave, where he used to like to sit when he was a child with a birds-eye view of the congregation.

My mind goes back 50-60 years and I think about the people that were here, Sanders said. Thats the mission here. Were in our eighth generation  and well be here for the ninth generation and hopefully the 10th and 11th.
A state grand jury has voted not to file criminal charges in the shooting death of a Wildwood Crest man by a Franklin Township police sergeant last year in Buena Vista Township.

Sgt. David Jernegan fatally shot Roy K. Jackel Jr., 42, on April 5, 2021, according to the state Attorney Generals Office.

The investigation of the fatal police encounter included interviews with witnesses, collection of forensic evidence, review of video footage and autopsy results from the medical examiner, the Attorney Generals Office said Tuesday in a news release. After hearing testimony and evidence from the investigation, the grand jury concluded its deliberations Monday and voted no bill, meaning Jernegans actions should not result in charges.

According to the investigation, uniformed officers from Franklin Township responded about 2:50 p.m. April 5 to a motor vehicle crash at Cumberland and Tuckahoe roads. One of the drivers involved in the collision, Jackel, left the scene and ran into the woods. An officer followed him, and Jackel told the officer he had a gun and would shoot if the officer came any closer.

WATCH NOW: Attorney General's Office releases footage from fatal police-involved shooting in Buena Vista The Attorney Generals Office has released video footage from a police-involved shooting in 

Jackel then exited the woods holding a large pitchfork-like tool, entered an unoccupied, marked police vehicle parked at the scene and drove away, the Attorney Generals Office said. After a brief pursuit, Jackel stopped the stolen police vehicle on Oak Road in Buena Vista. He got out of the police car and initially walked toward the officers with his right hand behind his back.

As he got closer, Jackel began to run toward the officers, continuing to hold his right arm behind his back and ignoring commands to show his hands, the Attorney Generals Office said. As Jackel neared, Jernegan fired one round from his service firearm, striking Jackel. Officers provided medical aid, but Jackel was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 2019 law requires the Attorney Generals Office to conduct investigations of a persons death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officers official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine whether the evidence supports an indictment against the officer or officers involved.

An officer may use deadly force in New Jersey when the officer reasonably believes it is immediately necessary to protect the officer or another person from imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm.
ATLANTIC CITY  Authorities arrested a Philadelphia man they say fatally stabbed an Egg Harbor Township man Friday at Ocean Casino Resort.

Andrew James Osborne, 34, is charged with the murder of Brian Wilkinson, 47, as well as possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office said Tuesday in a news release.

Police responded to a call at Ocean about 1:30 p.m. Friday for an unresponsive male who was later identified as Wilkinson, the Prosecutors Office said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Southern Regional Medical Examiners Office performed an autopsy on Wilkinson and ruled his death a homicide due to stab wounds, the Prosecutors Office said.

Osborne was taken into custody in Philadelphia, where he is awaiting extradition.

The Prosecutors Office and Atlantic City and Philadelphia police are investigating. Anyone with additional information can contact the Prosecutors Office at 609-909-7800 or acpo.org.
A Philadelphia man on Wednesday admitted managing a drug ring that shipped 100 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico into South Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Jose Gonzalez pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Christine OHearn in Camden to one count of conspiring to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said.

Gonzalez is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 30. His charge carries a mandatory minimum 10-year prison term and a maximum sentence of life, Sellinger said in a news release. He also could face up to $10 million in fines.

Gonzalez was arrested after his Philadelphia home was raided in August 2020. Agents found $120,000 at his home, as well as a handgun at a car garage he managed in the city, according to court documents.

3 Atlantic City residents arrested following Friday shooting ATLANTIC CITY  Police arrested three city residents after a shooting in the city Friday night.

Detectives learned that from March 2019 to August 2020, Gonzalez and acquaintances flew from Philadelphia International Airport to San Juan and, using cash, bought several kilograms of cocaine from wholesale suppliers. The group then had the drugs shipped from Puerto Rico to addresses in Philadelphia and South Jersey.

The 50-year-old also resold cocaine to other drug dealers in the Philadelphia area.

Gonzalez admitted he helped manage the conspiracy, purchasing and sending over 100 kilograms of the drug into the area, Sellinger said.

Through his plea deal, Gonzalez was ordered to surrender his drug earnings, the handgun and a Dodge pickup used in the conspiracy, Sellinger said.
ATLANTIC CITY  Talks are underway between Stockton University and the Atlantic City Development Corp. about what Phase III of the schools development in the resort will look like.

Chris Paladino, president of both the Atlantic City and New Brunswick development corporations, a pair of nonprofit redevelopment companies, said moving to Phase III of the project comes as crews are near finishing a new residence hall under Phase II.

A start date or timeline for the next phase of work has not been determined, Paladino said after addressing members of the Public Relations Council of Greater Atlantic City during a luncheon Tuesday at the Palm Restaurant at Tropicana Atlantic City.

Stockton remains our major client, Paladino said after addressing the council. So were really waiting for them to make some determination about programming.

AC Devco has partnered with Stockton to help the university establish and expand its city campus near the border of Ventnor, creating new jobs for a traditionally tourism-dependent economy.

Phases II and III are part of a $69.3 million expansion that began in 2018 to grow the universitys presence in the resort. Through Phases II, III and IV, Stockton intends to lengthen the citys University District, stretching from the Chelsea Heights neighborhood to the Boardwalk.

Phase II includes a new residence hall that will house 416 students. Phase III may include a new, mixed-use building spanning 300,000 to 500,000 square feet.

Phase IV intends to complete the 60,000-square-foot Atlantic City Coastal Resiliency Center.

During his keynote address to the council, Paladino highlighted projects his company has undertaken around the state, including work in New Brunswick, Middlesex County.

Paladino over the years has contributed to 8.3 million square feet of residential, commercial, academic and institutional development projects valued at $3.5 billion.

In New Brunswick, Paladino is overseeing the development of the $750 million Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center project, along with a new structured parking facility, a $55 million elementary school and a $730 million dedicated research, innovation and medical education facility.

Paladino said its important to provide high-paying job opportunities so local children stay in the area.

MudGirls Studios gives women a new form of empowerment ATLANTIC CITY  Mary Anne Mulhern said she was never an artistic person until five years ago.

We need to find the opportunity to bring our children home, Paladino told the luncheon crowd of about 70 people. Theres a lot of smart, bright, hard-working kids that have accomplished great things.

The new residence hall is being built on Atlantic Avenue, less than a block from the Knife and Fork Inn and near Stocktons existing city campus.

The building, which fills the former Eldredge Building site, is six floors and 135,000 square feet. It will have 416 beds in apartment-style rooms, a lounge, meeting room, on-site laundry and access to the existing parking garage at Stocktons Atlantic City campus, the university has said.

The residence hall is expected to be handed over to the university by May 2023, Paladino said. Officials expected it to welcome students by next fall.

Stocktons Phase II residence hall is about 70% completed, Paladino said. To make the new building possible, Gov. Phil Murphys administration contributed to the project through tax breaks and financial support for educational institutions.

Additionally, a loan provided by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority is helping pay for the new building. That loan will be paid back by Stockton, Paladino said.
Barnegat Bay is on the front lines of New Jerseys fight to counter the effects of rising seas. The combination of higher sea level and sinking land has increased the power of waves to erode the bays shores.

Where there used to be beaches, now theres hardly any sand at all. One community has lost 150 feet of beach in less than 30 years.

To turn the bay beaches around, the state and the American Littoral Society have called in the Jersey Shores powerful ally in nature, the oyster.

Using a $1 million grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the society has been inviting oysters to move in and help reduce the power of the waves. Steel wire cages have been filled with rocks and whelk shells on which oyster offspring can attach and start their lives. Then the cages are placed in rows along the bay shoreline.

The humble oyster has proven to be a hard worker for coastal resiliency that needs little more than an introduction to the job.

Nearby to the south, oysters are creating an artificial reef to protect the shores of Beach Haven. The project by ReClam the Bay is deploying mesh bags filled with whelk shells already hosting millions of baby oysters. Since 2015, the group has placed 10,000 bags of oysters at the reef site a few hundred yards offshore.

Oysters have shown their mettle throughout the state. ReClam The Bay completed a similar reef in Tuckerton, and NY/NJ Baykeeper has been growing oysters along the secure Naval Weapons Station Earle in Raritan Bay and putting them to work protecting nearby shores heavily eroded by Sandy.

Since 2019, the DEP has been collecting oyster shells emptied by diners at South Jersey restaurants, and drying them for six months to ensure theyre clean. Then theyve been placed in the Maurice River and along Delaware Bay to promote shore-protecting colonies there. More than 65 tons of shells have been recycled and the DEP is seeking to increase the annual amount handled.

The American Littoral Society, based at Sandy Hook in Monmouth County, also has helped create oyster reefs at four locations along Delaware Bay in Cape May and Cumberland counties.

As a bonus, the oysters help improve water quality in the bay: A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day.

Making shorelines more resilient is a wonderful addition to the oyster comeback story. South Jersey once had a thriving oyster industry, when Bivalve was a busy port and the N.J. tall ship A.J. Meerwald was among dozens of oyster schooners. That was nearly ended forever by water pollution, overfishing and devastating parasitic diseases such as Dermo and MSX. But with the help of Rutgers University scientists, the oysters returned to Delaware Bay, where they anchor a growing aquaculture industry.

Theyve always been delicious and nutritious, and helped keep salt water clean by filtering it as they feed. Now oysters are helping stabilize the shores after people treated them more poorly than Lewis Carrolls Walrus and Carpenter. Surely theyre the greatest bivalves of all time.
Davenport Police are investigating a shots fired incident in the 1500 block of Mississippi Avenue.

Police were called to the scene about 8:25 p.m. after receiving multiple reports of shots fired in the area.

Officers searched for a scene in the area of Mississippi Avenue and Fulton Court.

Police checked houses for damage and canvassed the neighborhood all the way down to Kirkwood Boulevard. Police looked for witnesses and to see if any homes in the area had a surveillance camera that captured the incident.

There were no reports of injuries.

Police ask anyone with information about this incident to call the Davenport Police Department at 563-326-6125, Crime Stoppers of the Quad-Cities at 309-762-9500, or submit an anonymous tip via the P3 Tips mobile app or submit a tip online at qccrimestoppers.com.
A LeClaire daycare provider pleaded guilty Tuesday in connection with the death of an infant in her care in February of 2020, according to Scott County District Court electronic records.

During a plea hearing Tuesday in district court, Angela Regina Marxen, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of the lesser included charge of child endangerment resulting serious injury. The charge was reduced from child endangerment causing death.

Charges of murder in the first degree and child endangerment were dropped in the plea agreement.

Child endangerment resulting in serious injury is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 10 years. There is no mandatory minimum that Marxen will have to serve under this charge.

Scott County District Judge Patrick McElyea ordered Marxen to be held without bond in the Scott County Jail pending a sentencing hearing scheduled for Dec. 1.

According to the arrest affidavits filed by LeClaire Police Officer Tony Themas, LeClaire officers were initially called on the afternoon of Feb. 5, 2020, for a report of an infant in distress at an in-home daycare at 12 Frontier Court.

Officers arrived and found the 5-month-old child unresponsive with labored breathing.

The girl died on Feb. 9, 2020. An autopsy indicated she was killed by blunt-force injuries to her head. The investigation indicates that the injuries were not the result of an accidental fall.

On Saturday, February 8, 2020, Marxen admitted that on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, she dropped the infant victim while she was carrying her, authorities contend in the court records. 911 was not notified until four hours after the fall and forty-five minutes after Marxen admitted she knew the child wasn't acting correctly.

Doctors determined that the child had suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed and that the injuries were not the result of an accidental fall.

Marxen was the homeowner and was the only care provider, authorities said.

After a 14-month investigation Marxen was arrested on April 15, 2021.

According to Iowa law, had Marxen been convicted of first-degree murder she would have spent the rest of her life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Had she been convicted of the charge of child endangerment resulting in death, she would have been sentenced to no more than 50 years in prison. As a forcible felony under Iowa law, Marxen would had to have served 70% of this sentence, or 35 years, before she would have been eligible for parole.
Davenport police on Tuesday arrested a man in connection with the May 18 crash that killed 56-year-old motorcyclist Michael Vickers.

Octavius Zenus Sallis, 40, is charged with homicide by vehicle, a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 25 years, and operating while under the influence-third offense, a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years.

According to the arrest affidavits and search warrants filed by Davenport Police Officer Luke Figie, at 8:23 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, Davenport police were sent to the intersection of West Kimberly Road and Fairmount Street to investigate a crash between a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a Dodge Journey.

The driver of the Journey, Octavius Sallis, was westbound on West Kimberly Road when he attempted to make a left turn onto Fairmount Street.

Sallis failed to yield for an eastbound Harley-Davidson motorcycle driven by Vickers, of Davenport.

The two vehicles collided head-on.

During a standard field sobriety test, Sallis showed multiple signs that he was impaired.

Sallis agreed to a preliminary breath test which showed the alcohol content in his blood was more than .08, the legal limit in Iowa.

Police applied for a search warrant to draw blood and obtain a urine sample from Sallis.

During a search of the Journey officers seized 5.75 grams of marijuana along with a digital scale with marijuana residue. Officers also found two tramadol pills for which Sallis did not have a prescription. Tramadol is an opioid used for pain relief.

Investigators at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Crime Lab determined that Salliss blood alcohol content was 0.142.

There also was the presence of amphetamines, cocaine metabolite and marijuana metabolites in Salliss urine.

Based on the crime lab results and what was located in the Journey, Sallis also is charged with possession of marijuana-third offense, an aggravated misdemeanor that carries a prison sentence of two years, and unlawful possession of a prescription drug, a serious misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence of up to one year.

Sallis also did not have insurance on the Journey.

Sallis has two prior drunken driving convictions, one in 2019 and one in 2020.

During a first appearance hearing Tuesday in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Christine Frederick scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case for Oct. 7, and set bond at $15,000, cash only.

Sallis was being held Tuesday night in the Scott County Jail.
Every couple weeks during the summer, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a longtime Republican incumbent seeking reelection, takes to Twitter standing in front of his New Hartford cornfield and gives an update on the crops progress.

The Democratic candidate for the seat, retired admiral Mike Franken, has touted his time growing up on a family farm near Sioux City, standing in front of a cornfield for multiple ads and sporting a blue Navy cap.

In Iowa, the leading producer of corn and pork and second-highest soybean producer in the country, agriculture is an ever-present issue in political campaigns. This years U.S. Senate candidates deliver different visions for federal agriculture policies and both are angling themselves as the best representative for Iowa's farmers.

Grassley is one of two crop farmers in the U.S. Senate, along with Democrat John Tester of Montana, which he said gives him a key insight into the needs of farmers. On his home farm, he purchases half the seed and input materials, and his son Robin shoulders the other half.

Frankens vision of farming, he said, is one where younger people can easily enter the field and smaller farms flourish, where diverse crops are grown on Iowas soil, and where farming is done with net zero or negative carbon emissions.

Small farmers

Franken contends that Grassley has presided over the consolidation of the farming industry, as Iowas number of farms has fallen and the average size of a farm has increased over the past decades.

I would advocate for policies that give our farmers the best chance to be standalone viable producers, where their expertise and their human capital involvement and their farming expertise provides them that standard of living that they so much need, Franken said in an interview.

In a recent ad, Franken said Grassley has passed laws that help large agribusinesses squeeze out the little guy.

Franken said the market and industry makes it difficult for people to begin farming as the farming population gets older. Its also difficult for farmers to start on a small plots of land as the market is designed for large producers, he said.

The markets are such that theres not a crop you can begin on a micro-scale that you can make a living on, Franken said. So there needs to be something new and [Grassley is] just not a purveyor of bright ideas.

Iowas number of farms has decreased over the past several decades, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. The state had 184,000 farms in 1960, and farms were already declining at that time. By 2000, Iowa had 95,000 farms, and in 2010, it had 92,400 farms. In the most recent report, Iowa had 84,900 farms, with an average size of 359 acres.

Grassley said hes supported policies that help small farmers, including putting a limit on how much farmers can receive from federal subsidies and advocating for cattle transparency bills that he says would allow smaller cattle producers to compete with larger operations.

Im the only farmer in this race, so I think that speaks to the fact that Im in a good place to represent farmers, Grassley said in an interview.

Grassley boasts endorsements from the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Corn Growers Association, something his campaign points to to show he has support from farmers.

In a call with reporters this month, former Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill said Grassley has been a frequent advocate of agriculture throughout his career, including pushing for increased research, renewable fuels, and trade.

Hill said Grassley has pushed policies that help small-scale farmers, including some that arent in line with the national Farm Bureau, like caps on federal payments to large-scale farmers.

He always is seeking a limit on the payments that go to farmers to protect the small farmer and not help the largest operator be more competitive, Hill said.

Grassley has pursued bills with the goal of improving transparency in the cattle industry. One bill would require a certain percentage of cattle to be bought on more open markets, while another proposes the creation of a special investigator into competition among meatpackers.

The big four meatpackers have a cozy relationship with the big feedlots of Texas and Kansas, and it squeezes out the independent producer in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota from getting a fair market, Grassley said.

Environment

As the USDA puts a spotlight and funding behind climate-smart commodities in an effort to reduce the greenhouse gasses created by agriculture, Franken said farmers can be a part of the solution to climate change.

Farmland can be used to set up solar grazing operations, he said, where livestock graze on land that also houses solar arrays.

We've got farmland in this state, and the farmers are the first to say, Yes, that's true, that should not be in row crops. They should be in something else, he said.

Carbon dioxide captured from agriculture-related operations can also be used for local manufacturing of things like aircraft fuel, he said, rather than being shipped out of state and underground.

I want a pure, fabulous future for farming, and I foresee an opportunity where Iowa can be the first state in the nation that's a net carbon negative, farmers are hand in glove with the environmental concerns of the future, he said.

Grassley has pitched ethanol as one way to lower carbon emissions while bolstering Iowas corn industry and creating jobs for rural Iowa. He has supported the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires oil refineries to blend a certain percentage of renewable fuels into gasoline.

The environmental impact of ethanol is debated, but a study from early this year found that ethanol likely creates more carbon emissions than gasoline when factoring in the land used to grow corn and other factors. The Renewable Fuels Association said the study was flawed and the studys authors precariously string together a series of worst-case assumptions.

Grassley said he was the number one person recognized by the ethanol industry  as an advocate for the 46,000 jobs we have in Iowa in biofuels and what that does for the corn and soybean prices, to keep them strong.

Grassley and Franken will have their first debate next Thursday, Oct. 6, on Iowa PBS at 7 p.m. The general election for state and federal offices is on Nov. 8, and early voting begins Oct. 19.
DES MOINES  Iowas state budget has an unspent surplus of nearly $2 billion, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Tuesday  54 percent higher than last years record-breaking level.

That surplus comes on top of the $8.1 billion of state funding expended in the budget year that ended June 30, and represents an increase of $670 million over the previous surplus, according to figures from the governors office and nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.

In addition to the general fund budget surplus, Iowas cash reserve fund contains $830 million and its taxpayer relief fund has just more than $1 billion.

Because the state received a net of over $700 million in corporate income taxes during the budget year  the total actually surpassed $850 million  the states top corporate tax rate was lowered from 9.8 to 8.4 percent, a 14.3 percent reduction. That new mechanism was included in state tax cuts enacted earlier this year by statehouse Republicans.

Reynolds, a Republican facing re-election, celebrated the new surplus.

Time and again over the last five years, weve ignored the self-appointed experts who insisted that tax cuts and economic prosperity wouldnt be worth the cost, Reynolds said in a statement. In fact, as todays budget numbers show, they were worth every penny. It turns out that growth-oriented policies and fiscal restraint are a powerful combination.

Jennifer Konfrst, leader of the minority-party Iowa House Democrats, criticized the reduction of the corporate tax rate.

Iowans are sick and tired of politicians who put corporations first and people last. Instead of lowering costs for Iowans and investing in our public schools, Kim Reynolds is celebrating another huge handout she gave to some of the biggest corporations in the world, like Amazon, Konfrst said in a statement. Its more apparent than ever that Reynolds and GOP politicians in Des Moines are more interested in politics and rewarding special interests, not doing whats best for Iowans.

Similarly, Democratic state Senate leader Zach Wahls said his party believes the economy must work for everyone, not just those at the top.

Since 2018, Iowa Republican politicians have showered tax giveaways on the ultrarich and big corporations while ignoring the rest of Iowa, he said in a statement. Thats why Iowas job growth is the 39th worst in the nation and our roads and bridges are the 48th worst.

The budget surplus growing to $1.91 billion could give cover for statehouse Republicans to enact more state tax cuts during next years legislative session, should they retain their majorities in the Iowa Legislature and Reynolds win re-election in this falls campaign.

Reynolds is being challenged by Democrat Deidre DeJear and Libertarian Rick Stewart in the November election.

The tax cuts enacted this year  largely to state income taxes  eventually will result in $1.9 billion less in state tax revenue annually, compared with current rates. By 2026, a 3.9 percent flat tax rate will apply to all taxpayers, regardless of income.

The state has $8.2 billion budgeted for the current budget year, which started July 1.

If theres additional moneys beyond what we feel is reasonable for the state for next fiscal year, yes, we would love to reduce taxes again if the economy at the time warrants, Rep. Gary Mohr, a Bettendorf Republican who chairs the Houses budget-writing committee, told The Gazette in July.

While Iowas budget year ends on June 30, the state spends the ensuing weeks completing financial transactions. The governors announcement Tuesday officially closes the books on the most recent state budget year.
Antonio James Akright died Oct. 11, 2021. He was just 22 months old.

An obituary published the same day said he was the son of Malea Wilson and Tyler Akright and he died unexpectedly in the family's home in Davenport. The last paragraph read "Antonio's brief life brought much joy and happiness to his family. He lit up the lives of everyone he ever encountered."

Two days later Wilson set up a GoFundMe page asking for donations to help the family " ... lay our baby boy to rest."

The brief obituary of a too-brief life and the GoFundMe page didn't tell the story of what the Davenport Police and Scott County Attorney's Office think really happened to Antonio. Almost a year after his death, his mother and father were arrested and charged with causing what investigators believe was Antonio's fatal fentanyl overdose.

While authorities seek to prove how Antonio died, the unanswered question of why he was exposed to a drug like fentanyl lingers.

The police, prosecutors and Iowa Department of Health and Human Services have not clarified if Wilson and Akright's children were living in the house in the 1300 block of West 13th Street the day Antonio died -- the same house where two months earlier Davenport police found a large collection of drugs, including cocaine and methamphetamine.

Evidence of neglect and abuse

On Aug. 7, 2021, Akright was arrested for selling multiple drugs out of his home. That arrest was made after a 2:24 a.m. call to police reported Antonio's older brother, then just 33 months old, was wandering an alley behind the house.

Evidence shows drugs remained in the home on West 13th Street after Akright's arrest, because at 5 p.m. Oct. 11, 2021, police responded to an emergency call at the house. Antonio had stopped breathing. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Drug tests completed on Antonio after his death showed he was positive for cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.

According to the Iowa HHS publication "Child Abuse: A Guide for Mandatory Reporters," Wilson and Akright were negligent because they failed to properly supervise their older child. Both parents also were negligent because they had drugs in the home, were using drugs in the home, and were using the drugs in the presence of their children.

Both the child neglect and the presence of drugs meet the Iowa HHS basic definition of "abuse" and automatically trigger a mandatory report from the law enforcement officers at the scene. And according to its own guidelines, HHS had grounds to remove Antonio and his brother from the home.

It is not known if a mandatory report was filed. Maj. Jamie Brown of the Davenport Police said investigators can't comment on an open investigation.

According to Scott County Attorney Mike Walton, all cases like that of Antonio and his brother are referred to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, but he can't comment on specific cases, especially one that hasn't tried in court.

Alex Carfrae, the public information officer for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services echoed Walton. He said the agency does not confirm reported cases child abuse " ... due to confidentiality provisions in the law."

"I can, however, tell you that the Department of Health and Human Services has authority to investigate when it is made aware of child abuse or neglect," Carfrae said in an email. "When a mandatory reporter like a law enforcement officer makes HHS aware of the alleged abuse or neglect, and HHS accepts the report for assessment, the case is assigned to a child welfare worker for evaluation."

Carfrae explained if a child is determined not to be safe, " ... HHS takes action to address the concerns, including the development of a safety plan and referral to services." In cases where a child is at greater risk, options include placing the child with relatives or in foster care.

The aftermath

Akright, 25, was arrested Friday, Sept. 16 and is charged with one count of child endangerment resulting in death. The charge is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 25 years.

Akright also is charged with child endangerment-bodily injury, a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years. He also faces a aggravated misdemeanor charge of child endangerment that carries a prison sentence of two years.

Wilson was wanted by the Davenport Police for exactly one week and was arrested Friday, Sept. 23. She is being held on $50,000 cash-only bond.

Akright was on probation for his Aug. 7, 2021, arrest.

In that case, Akright pleaded guilty Dec. 20, 2021, to a charge of possession with the intent to deliver psilocybin. The charge is a Class C felony for which he could have received a prison sentence of 10 years.

During a sentencing hearing held March 24, 2022, District Court Judge Tom Reidel sentenced Akright to two years on supervised probation. According to Scott County District Court and Iowa Department of Corrections electronic records, Akright is on probation until March 4, 2024.
Attorneys for Henry Earl Dinkins, the man accused of the kidnapping and shooting death of 10-year-old Breasia Terrell in July 2020, filed a motion Tuesday in Scott County District Court to have the trial pushed back to a later date.

The trial is currently scheduled for Oct. 25 in Linn County District Court, with pretrial motions to be held Oct. 24.

Dinkinss attorneys, Chad and Jennifer Frese, of Kaplan & Frese LLP, of Marshalltown, said in their motion that given the fact that they were appointed to the case April 4, and given the voluminous materials of evidence to sift through and the number of witnesses to be deposed, that the ends of justice would be promoted by a continuance.

The Freses stated in their motion that the case is extraordinarily labor-intensive with many issues, and that the trial, is expected to take three weeks, and that none of the parties would be prejudiced by a continuance.

They said that Dinkins right to a fair trial and effective counsel would be denied if the continuance would be denied.

The Freses said in their motion that at the time the County Attorneys Office filed the trial information for the case, there was filed minutes of testimony which contained two volumes of filings and several hundred pages of reports and statements and other documents.

Those minutes of testimony have been amended since the original trial information to include many additional witnesses and additional reports and findings. Without committing to an exact number, the motion states, the County Attorneys Office has listed about 90 witnesses in support of the trial information.

According to the motion, the first discovery disclosure was received by the defense the first week of June, 2022. That disclosure was voluminous."

Law enforcement in this matter conducted an extensive investigation which included seizure of several dozen surveillance tapes from local businesses, traffic cameras and recorded interviews," according to the motion. "A review of these items alone, even with the assistance of an investigator, have taken multiple hours.

Nearly 20 search warrants were issued in this case, according to the motion.Given the extensive investigation in this case, that number is expected. However, reviewing each of those warrants, applications, and returns takes significant time. Some of these warrants include the extraction of electronic devices which, by definition, contain all the information ever accessed on the specific device and takes significant time and analysis.

The motion states that depositions were conducted in late June and that the Freses were able to depose about 50 witnesses over three days. Additional depositions still need to be conducted.

Separately, according to the motion, the defense has discovered volumes of information regarding the family of the victim of this crime which requires additional investigation. The specifics of the information is confidential and re-dissemination is prohibited without court order, however, the information is believed to be vital to Dinkinss defense.

According to the motion, on August 18, 2022, the Scott County Attorney, Michael Walton advised that two of the states witnesses will likely need to be re-deposed after Mr. Waltons disclosure of information relevant to testimony given by these witnesses in depositions.

That evidence, the Freses state in their motion, is not merely tangential or collateral, rather it is alleged eyewitness testimony and testimony regarding investigation into the victims family. This is central to the defense of Mr. Dinkins.

The Freses state that the defense owes a witness list to the state and is working on compilation of one. At present, the working copy of the list is about 20 witnesses and will include many more. Additional information is needed and will be requested from the County Attorneys Office to obtain addresses, occupations, and phone numbers of witnesses who have been identified in discovery but personal information has been redacted.

The Freses also have been consulting with expert witnesses on several issues, according to the motion. Finding expert witnesses with availability in the relatively short window since the appointment of the undersigned has been challenging, they said. "Many experts are booked and have been booked for some time due to back log of cases which remain from COVID.

While this case has been pending for some time, the fact remains that the undersigned have been on this case for five and one half months, the Freses said in the motion.

In his response to the motion by Dinkinss attorneys, Scott County Attorney Mike Walton said that by agreement of both parties the trial was scheduled for Oct. 17. That trial was rescheduled to Oct. 24 upon the courts own motion.

The state, Walton said, is prepared and ready to proceed to trial on the scheduled date."

Walton said that Dinkinss previous defense attorney did not request depositions of the states witnesses, the defense at that time did request and receive a large volume of documents, video and other discovery material. These items were produced electronically to defense counsel and contained over a terabyte of material.

Walton added that the Freses deposed 50 witnesses during the week of June 22. At that time the parties agreed to take additional depositions on Aug. 22. That date for depositions, Walton said, was canceled at the request of the defense.

The State has made it clear to the defense that it will make any suggested date for depositions work, Walton said in his response. The State has cooperated with all requests for discovery scheduling and will continue to do so.

Walton said that Breasias mother waited nine months before learning the fate of her missing daughter, then learning her daughter had been murdered. Since the arrest of the defendant, she has waited over one year for justice and resolution of this case.

Walton cited Iowas Rules of Criminal Procedure stating that the date assigned for trial shall be considered firm. A motion for continuance shall not be granted except upon a showing of good and compelling cause.

Walton said the delay proposed by the defense would significantly disrupt the orderly process of justice in this case and cause prejudice to the state.

The delay will almost certainly cause the necessity for a new prosecution team on a very complex case, Walton said. The passing of time may affect the ability to locate witnesses as well as their memories of the event.

Scott County District Court records did not indicate Tuesday night that District Judge Henry Latham had ruled on the motion.

Dinkins is being held without bond in the Marshall County Jail.
An Eldridge man who pleaded guilty in April to a federal child pornography charge was sentenced to 15 years in prison during a hearing Tuesday in U.S. District Court, Davenport.

During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose sentenced Nicholas Robert Walker-Bennett, 33, to 180 months in prison to be followed by 10 years on supervised release.

Rose also ordered Walker-Bennett to pay $42,000 in restitution.

According to indictment filed in U.S. District Court, Davenport, Walker-Bennett had received and distributed child pornography for 11 years before he was caught.

The case began in April 25, 2021, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent a tip to the Scott County Sheriffs Department that someone had used KIK Messenger to transmit a photo depicting a minor engaged in a sex act.

On Sept. 13, 2021, Scott County Sheriffs investigators served a search warrant at Walker-Bennetts home in Eldridge. According to the arrest affidavits filed by Scott County Sheriffs Deputy Ethan Roling, Walker-Bennetts cell phone was found to have a large amount of visual depictions of minors engaged in sex acts. Many photos and videos were located on the device specifically depicting infants, prepubescent and pubescent males and females engaged in sex acts.

Walker-Bennett was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years in Iowa. He also was charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor-possess first offense, each of which is an aggravated misdemeanor under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of two years.

Federal authorities indicted Walker-Bennett on Dec. 8, 2021, and he was taken into federal custody the next day, according to U.S. District Court, Davenport, electronic records.

Walker-Bennett was charged at the federal level with one count each of receipt and distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

The federal charges alleged that Walker-Bennett had been receiving and distributing child pornography from about May 27, 2010, through May 25, 2021, and that on Sept. 13, 2021, when he was arrested, he was in possession of child pornography.

On April 14, Walker-Bennett pleaded guilty to the one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. The charge of possession of child pornography was dropped in accordance with the plea agreement.

Walker-Bennett could have received a maximum prison sentence of 20 years under the charge to which he pleaded guilty.

There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Augustana College students in the aquatic ecology class took a different kind of test Tuesday morning.

Water quality tests.

As part of the college's Upper Mississippi Center for Sustainable Communities (UMC) partnership with the city of Davenport this fall, students and faculty will work with city officials to assess the health of streams throughout the city.

Students participating in UMC fieldwork get the opportunity to examine water quality levels, identify local pollution sources, gauge the diversity and abundance of aquatic fish and insect populations and assess overall habitat and watershed health.

"But we ultimately work for the city, and these assessments are their priority," UMC director Dr. Michael Reisner said. "It's a community need, but it also gives our students a chance to apply what they've learned in the field."

Aquatic ecology students, suited up in waders, used probes to collect water samples from Silver Creek, a major tributary flowing into Duck Creek. They also used dip nets to survey insect species in the stream. The UMC has been collecting data on Silver Creek for around a year.

Senior Diego Cruz, a biology and environmental studies major, has worked with the UMC since the summer before junior year. He's worked on projects dealing with functional diversity of fish, riparian zones, habitat assessment, streaming metabolism and more.

Despite a resume of field experience, Cruz is happy to learn more.

"I keep on learning," he said. "That's what I look forward to during these classes, just to keep on building on that knowledge."

Aside from gaining valuable hands-on experience, the fieldwork and research students are completing have real-life implications.

"There's almost nothing better than giving students an opportunity to collect data that matters, rather than just a lab exercise that I'd file somewhere," Dr. Kevin Geedey, Augustana's aquatic ecology instructor, said. "This is data people need and want, and it makes a great deal of difference."

Students get a sense of this, too.

"This work makes me feel good, because it's very applicable," Cruz said. "I'm not just doing this for class -- because real world people will benefit."

Matt Straus, another senior and double-major peer of Cruz, said one of his biggest takeaways from UMC is forming relationships with the community.

"Just connecting with Quad-City people to help them understand the conditions of their streams," he said. "The Mississippi is one of the most polluted rivers, and we're at the top, so it's important to realize that what we do affects everyone else downstream. We have some of the most agriculturally-dominated areas around here, so we need to be assessing and making sure all communities around us do their part to keep streams clean."

Straus said the experience he's gained from UMC is something he'll carry into other "walks of life," using his work experience as a park ranger for the Army Corps of Engineers as an example.

Reisner said there are around 20 students in each participating class--ranging from introductory courses to advanced biology or environmental studies capstone projects. The aquatic ecology class does its on-site fieldwork every Tuesday, and capstone students will start on-site work every Monday and Wednesday through the end of October.

"We also have anywhere from eight to 12 students who do a 10-week intensive research project related to watersheds each summer," he said. "But these classes have to synthesize across each other."

Augustana launched the UMC in 2013. Reisner said the program has exceeded expectations.

"Cities and counties have a lot of needs, but they often don't have the expertise, budget or resources," he said. "I've loved the fact that the cities have felt like we can actually do these projects, and that the deliverables we provide are meaningful to them."

Reisner also said he's enjoyed seeing the growth of the program itself.

"I'm excited about the number of students who get to participate. We thought it'd be just one class every finding projects every couple of years, but to have it consistently every year has been great," he said. "The breadth of projects has gotten broader...so the watershed projects are what I call the 'bread and butter' where there's just a great need in that area."

The UMC is also working with the city of Rock Island on lead compliance, following the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act signed into Illinois law last session.

"That's a great example of a broader-scope project," Reisner said. "It's definitely an environmental justice issue in terms of how they'll fund the replacement of all these pipes equitably, so we'll have the opportunity to let a wider group of students participate."

Kelsi Massengale, coordinator of the Partners of Scott County Watershed (PSCW), said partnering with the UMC has been a mutually beneficial experience.

"We're a nonprofit, and I'm the only employee. There are 21 different watersheds in the county, and we obviously can't do the kind of intensive, comprehensive studies like Augustana," she said. "So it's really great to have their expertise and resources."

The PSCW will use findings and research yielded by the UMC to gauge which watersheds the organization will focus its own resources on.

"A lot of past efforts have been kind of a blanket approach," Massengale said. "But to know what's specifically going on in these streams will help us target a solution."
Crews from MidAmerican Energy left Bettendorf Wednesday morning for the Atlanta area to assist with anticipated hurricane restoration efforts.

The emergency response team consisted of nearly 80 employees, including 66 line workers and 15 supervisory and support employees, as well as utility trucks and equipment. Georgia Power, based in Atlanta, requested MidAmericans assistance.

Things are slowly shutting down in Florida as residents prepare for the storm. Disney World announced its closing and has asked all occupants of its hotels to shelter in place. As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center reported hurricane-force winds were approaching Sanibel Island.

According to poweroutage.us, more than 272,000 were without power in Florida Tuesday morning, compared to more than 342,000 in the dark in Puerto Rico. The storm is currently at a category four, but is inching toward being upgraded to category five. According to the National Hurricane Center the categories are as follows:

Category 1: 74-95 MPH winds

Category 2: 96-110 MPH winds

Category 3: 111-129 MPH winds

Category 4: 130-156 MPH winds

Category 5: 157 MPH winds or higher

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis activated 5,000 members of the Florida National Guard on Tuesday to help with the aftermath. Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina also sent a combined 2,000 members to assist.
The Douglas Schools Board of Education focused on future growth at its regular meeting Monday evening, hearing a presentation on district demographics.

Rob Schwartz of RSP & Associates presented about 30 slides of information, focusing on demographics and enrollment, development, projections and next steps.

The study gathered data from the school district, Meade and Pennington counties, the cities of Box Elder and Rapid City, GIS, Census Bureau and ESRI information.

The study was a useful snapshot of the district as it is today, the board discussed, but as a tool to plan for future growth, board members found definitive conclusions difficult to draw due to the expected but theoretical fluctuation coming from the B-21 bomber mission at Ellsworth Air Force Base and available housing.

The study showed that Douglas enrollment was on a steady increase from 2012-2018, but has been decreasing ever since. Enrollment was at its height for the 2017-2018 school year, with 2,922 total students, 188 more than the current year.

The 2022-2023 school year, however, shows the largest sixth- and ninth-grade classes since the 2003-2004 school year. The study also showed a negative net gain of transfer students for the past three years, though the current school year saw a higher rate of in-migration students than the past.

An analysis of out-of-district students showed a decrease over the past two years, with the current school year showing the lowest out of the past five. Conclusions from the studys enrollment observations included a decreasing live birth rate and kindergarten class sizes, a trend the study said was important to monitor.

Development and growth trends examined potential development, recording 771 current potential housing units, 5,065 potential units within the next five years and another 1,000 potential units within the next 10 years.

Enrollment data projected the majority of student growth coming at the elementary level, concluding the current capacity of both the elementary and middle schools are inadequate for accommodating future grades.

The study recommended monitoring development at different rates, potential development continuing as forecast, birth rates, out-of-district students and updated capacity for each grade level.

The study found population growth difficult to gauge due to classified Ellsworth information and areas of development inaccessible before theyre completed. Limitations in data also meant difficulty in projecting student increases with accuracy, due to contingencies such as infrastructure and development, and uncertainty surrounding population growth from the base.

There's some interesting things with your data that there's almost no way that something could have been forecasted, Schwartz said. This is why we recommend that theres more studying that has to happen because theres been some unusual moves.

The largest denominator is housing needs within the school district's boundaries, said Superintendent Kevin Case.

You have estimates on housing right now and in order for us to see additional growth, we're going to need to see the housing pick up the pace," he said. "We have to see more houses being built. That's really the bottom line.

In other business, the district received a $2.6 million grant through the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. A large portion of the grant, Case said, will go toward design work for the new elementary building and another demographic study.

"So it's exciting," Case said. "It was a long process, but it yielded (results)."

The board was also recognized as the recipient of the Associate School Boards of South Dakota's Silver Level Board Award.

Points are awarded for a boards collective participation in activities and trainings related to school board work and for demonstrating leadership in public education at the local, state and national level, throughout the previous school year.

To earn the Silver award, the Douglas School Board accumulated 450 points.
The Rapid City Council Public Works Committee approved all items on its agenda Tuesday and may have a new agreement on the way for the next meeting.

Council member Jesse Ham made a motion to cover $11,000 in engineering costs for a property owner who will pay $75,000 for the construction of a public water main in front of her two properties on Creek Drive, according to an agreement approved Tuesday.

The motion was taken off the table and a separate agreement may be forthcoming at a future meeting at the recommendation of Public Works Director Dale Tech.

The agreement approved Tuesday that will appear on the Oct. 3 Rapid City Council agenda would authorize the mayor and finance director to sign the agreement between the city and Creek Drive LLC for the construction of the public water main and for oversize water main cost reimbursement not to exceed $115,000.

Tech said the agreement is a portion of a city project to extend the water main on Creek Drive to a water main on Saint Patrick Street. According to the agenda item, the agreement details a cost-share, warranty provisions and acceptance of a 12-inch water main that will provide public water to 1808 and 1812 Creek Drive. The agreement is also for the oversize cost reimbursement for the water main improvements requested by the city to construct about 126 feet of additional 12-inch water main to provide water system looping to the area.

Tech said the property owner is only required to have an 8-inch main, but a 12-inch would allow for the redundancy in the city's water system.

During the meeting, the committee also approved an authorization for the mayor and finance director to sign the South Dakota Department of Transportation Bridge Improvement Grant Agreement for preliminary engineering  state administration for the Tomahawk Drive bridge replacement project.

Tech said the city would pay up to 20% of the project while the state will be responsible for 80% of eligible project costs, not to exceed $68,400.
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804 Varsity coverage of Week 5 of the high school football season around the greater Richmond area, plus scores from across the state and next week's schedule.
It began at least 15 years ago. A gastrointestinal doctor in Hanover County would prescribe an expensive medicine for Crohns disease called Remicade. To receive the intravenous therapy, patients traveled across the parking lot at Memorial Regional Medical Center in Mechanicsville and visited the infusion center.

But when the paperwork arrived, the site of the infusion was listed at a hospital 9 miles away in the city of Richmond  Richmond Community Hospital. The doctor approached an executive at Bon Secours, which owns both facilities. The explanation: Richmond Community was buying the medicine for the Memorial patients.

Its fraud, really, in my opinion, said the doctor, who asked to remain anonymous because he still contracts with Bon Secours.

His account supports a report by The New York Times alleging that Bon Secours buys medicine at a discounted price through a federal program intended for low-income patients and disperses it to customers throughout the area, regardless of their financial ability.

Richmond Community treats a low-income population in Church Hill and qualifies for the program, called 340B. Bon Secours also operates 10 outpatient clinics in other parts of town that are listed as subsidiaries of Richmond Community, according to federal records. The outpatient clinics get the benefit of purchasing cheap drugs even though their clientele are likely much wealthier.

One such clinic, the Bon Secours Cancer Institute at St. Marys Hospital, is in western Henrico County, adjacent to some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in town. But for the purposes of the 340B program, the cancer institute is part of Richmond Community, 10 miles away on the other side of town.

Bon Secours maneuvering isnt illegal, experts said. But they said it does demonstrate how greater scrutiny of the program is needed.

Jenna Green, a spokesperson for Bon Secours, said the health system is fully compliant with the program and uses the savings to reinvest in the community.

As a provider in Richmonds East End, 340B is critical to our patients, Green said. We have and will continue to provide accessible, affordable, high-quality care through this and other programs that improve the well-being of the greater Richmond community.

Drug costs for low-income patients

The 340B Drug Pricing Program, instituted in 1992, allows nonprofit health care facilities to purchase outpatient drugs at discounts of 20% to 50%.

Eligible facilities typically provide care to a high number of Medicare and Medicaid patients. Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and its subsidiaries also qualify. Hospitals owned by HCA Healthcare, a for-profit entity, are not eligible.

The Affordable Care Act expanded the number of health care facilities that can participate in the program, and now 50,000 facilities take part. The federal government estimates that hospitals and other health care providers have saved $38 billion in drug costs.

According to The New York Times, Richmond Community can buy a vial of the cancer drug Keytruda for $3,444. Then it charges private insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield more than seven times the price  roughly $25,000.

Richmond Community had a profit of nearly 44% in 2020, according to Virginia Health Information.

When a hospital buys a discounted drug and then bills an insurance company the standard rate, the hospital pockets the difference. The hospital should then use the money to support the low-income communities they already serve, said David Bowman, a spokesperson for the Health Resources and Services Administration, which operates 340B.

But thats where critics of Bon Secours speak up. They say the health system has invested in the posh St. Francis Medical Center in Midlothian and Memorial Regional in Hanover while dragging its feet to build a 25,000-square-foot facility near Richmond Community that it pledged to the city a decade ago.

Hospitals that make money off 340B are supposed to reinvest their earnings by expanding or adding services, said Saleema Karim, a professor of health administration at VCU. The law doesnt make any specific requirements.

Del. Otto Wachsmann, R-Sussex, owned and operated an independent pharmacy in Stony Creek for 18 years until 2019, when he sold it to a federally qualified health center that opened in the same community in Sussex County.

Wachsmann, who said he now works a few days a month for another community health center in Waverly, said the 340B program makes it financially feasible for federally qualified health centers, clinics and independent pharmacies to operate in rural Virginia and other medically underserved areas.

The discounted drugs under 340B can only be used for those patients that are being treated by the covered entity under the federal law, he said.

An infusion at St. Francis

A South Richmond man needed an iron infusion to treat anemia. He went to St. Francis for the infusion. But when he got the bill, its origination was listed as Richmond Community Hospital.

Lo and behold, it was from the hospital over there in Church Hill, he said.

His suspicion over the billing intensified after he read a story published Tuesday in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about Bon Secours use of Richmond Community to take advantage of the 340B federal drug pricing program.

It makes me wonder if Bon Secours is getting medications at reduced price from them and selling them at retail over at St. Francis, said the man, who did not want to be identified because of his continued medical treatment at Bon Secours.

While the 340B program is designed to help low-income patients, there is a loophole. Health systems can open child sites such as the 10 outpatient clinics owned by Bon Secours.

One of the 10 outpatient clinics considered a subsidiary of Richmond Community is the Southside Outpatient Infusion Center, near St. Francis. So is the nearby Bon Secours Cancer Institute at St. Francis.

Five of the associated clinics are on Bremo Road near St. Marys Hospital. Two are on Atlee Road near Memorial Regional. One location is not adjoined to any hospital  the Bon Secours Rheumatology Center, at 9602 Patterson Ave., 14 miles from Richmond Community.

VCUs benefit

VCU Health also benefits from 340B. VCU Medical Center cares for more patients who are uninsured or covered through Medicaid than any other hospital in the state, said Grant Heston, vice president for university relations.

Thanks to 340B, VCU Health saved $114 million in 2020, benefiting more than 2,000 patients the health system said. VCU reinvested that money, opening the 17-story Adult Outpatient Pavilion downtown last year. It is currently building a 16-story Childrens Hospital of Richmond tower, which will bring the hospitals inpatient and outpatient care for children under one roof. The health system has made a number of other investments in recent years.

Theres not a great deal of oversight of the 340B program, said Paula Song, a professor of health administration at VCU. Though the program is designed to help uninsured and underinsured patients, it doesnt always end up that way.

Hospital systems participating in 340B have increasingly opened clinics in wealthier areas in the past 20 years, The New York Times reported.

When a hospital dispenses a drug to an ineligible patient, its referred to as a drug diversion. Between 2012 and 2020, federal Health Resources and Services Administration audits counted more than 500 drug diversions nationwide.

President Joe Bidens administration included a legislative proposal in the federal budget to require eligible health care facilities to report to HRSA their 340B savings and how they spend the money. Its unclear if the way Bon Secours reinvests its money would violate HRSA procedures.

On Monday, after The New York Times published its story, Virginia politicians called for the government to go to greater lengths to ensure 340B is used as designed  for low-income patients and hospitals.

Certainly there should be greater oversight, Song said.
A Richmond man with a history of violent criminal convictions was sentenced Tuesday to more than 12 years in federal prison for possessing distributable quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in The Belt Atlantic, which has become a focus of law enforcement efforts for its problems with drug trafficking and violent crime.

Richmond police, working with the U.S. Attorneys Office, has cracked down on drug and gun offenders in the South Richmond complex since five people were shot there, including a mother and her infant who were slain on April 27, 2021.

Less than a month after that mass shooting, detectives from Richmonds Strategic Violence Interdiction Unit, working surveillance in the complex after receiving tips, found 13 grams of cocaine base, 3.32 grams of fentanyl, 3.49 grams of cocaine hydrochloride and a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol inside the car of Corey E. Young, 32, federal prosecutors said. He was carrying $1,782 in cash.

The contraband was seized after a Richmond detective observed Young, a father of two, walking to and from his car in an activity consistent with drug trafficking, prosecutors said.

Traffickers of opioids like fentanyl are contributing to the ever-increasing national health crisis related to overdose deaths, wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Simon in a sentencing memorandum for the government. This defendants involvement in that is all the more disturbing because he is a violent convicted felon who strolled, on a consistent basis, into public with narcotics and loaded firearms. That he did so in an apartment complex overcome with violence should not be lost on the Court.

In U.S. District Court in Richmond on Tuesday, Judge Robert E. Payne Jr. sentenced Young to 151 months in prison on his earlier guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. An accompanying charge of possession of a firearm by a felon was withdrawn in exchange for his plea.

The punishment was at the low end of discretionary federal sentencing guidelines, which for Young  designated as a career offender  had a range of 151 to 188 months. The guidelines were high based on Youngs criminal history and convictions for two violent offenses in 2011 and 2016.

Youngs first felony conviction in Richmond at age 21 stemmed from a January 2011 incident in which he broke into a home with others at gunpoint and assaulted some of the occupants before robbing them. He was convicted of robbery and felony use of a firearm and sentenced to 23 years with 20 years and nine months suspended.

After Young was released in September 2015, he was charged less than a year later, at age 26, with aggravated malicious wounding in a shooting of a man that involved other assailants. He was sentenced in March 2017 to 10 years with seven years suspended.

Upon that backdrop, the defendants actions [at The Belt Atlantic] on May 20, 2021, are more egregious, Simon said. As an initial matter, he returned to significant criminal activity a short period of time after his release from prison on the malicious wounding charge.

Youngs attorney, Jose Aponte, urged the court to sentence his client at the low end of the guidelines.

Aponte said Youngs criminal history, when viewed in a vacuum, makes him appear as a recidivist criminal who continues to violate the law without regard for his victims or the community. But a variety of destabilizing factors in Youngs upbringing provides insight and context for his criminal activity, the attorney noted in a sentencing memorandum.

Young didnt have regular contact with his father, his mothers income was often not enough to support the family, and there was a period when Young and his mother squatted in an abandoned apartment without utilities. It was around this time that Young picked up his first juvenile conviction, at age 15, Aponte said.

After his immediate family fell short in raising Young, he moved in with the father of one of his siblings. Young then moved out at 17 and began living with friends. His mother and his siblings father abused drugs, including heroin, which exposed Young to drugs at a young age, the attorney said.

It is in this framework of poverty and early exposure to drug use that Mr. Youngs formative years were spent, Aponte said. It is imperative that Mr. Youngs criminal history be reviewed using this lens.

Youngs sentencing came a week after two other men  Dequane A. McCullers, 24, of Henrico County and Anthony C. Brown Jr., 24, of Richmond  were sentenced to 42 months and 21 months in prison, respectively, for illegally possessing semiautomatic pistols in The Belt Atlantic on July 23, 2021, after having been convicted of felonies.
Two Virginia inmates serving time at separate high-security state prisons in Wise County have been indicted in the killings of two other inmates at those facilities, the Virginia Department of Corrections said.

Justin William Crenshaw, 34, an inmate at Wallens Ridge State Prison, was indicted on Sept. 21 on charges of aggravated murder by prisoner and strangulation in the Nov. 20 slaying of Gregory Pierce, 47, the agency said.

Separately, William Scott Pettigrew, 38, an inmate at Red Onion State Prison, was indicted on the same charges in the Jan. 4 killing of Anwar Phillips, 37, according to the department.

Corrections officials did not disclose the circumstances of the two slayings.

Watch now: Richmond man found guilty of random, violent attacks on 4 women Authorities released videos of the attacks and identified Marvin Maurice Moore, 39, as the man shown hitting the women.

In a news release the day of the Wallens Ridge incident, the department said the inmate who died  then unnamed  was fatally wounded in an apparent in-cell attack by another inmate. The victim was pronounced dead at Lonesome Pine Hospital in Big Stone Gap.

The victim was serving multiple life sentences for sexual offenses including rape, and his assailant is serving a life sentence for murder, the agency said.

Following the Red Onion death, a department spokesman told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that Phillips was found unresponsive in his cell on the morning of Jan. 3 and died.

Both Crenshaw and Pettigrew are scheduled to appear in Wise Circuit Court on Oct. 12 for status of attorney representation.

Red Onion is a supermaximum-security state prison that houses more than 800 inmates. Wallens Ridge is also a supermax penitentiary that houses about 1,200 inmates.
A 45-year-old Chesapeake man accused of robbing a York County bank was arrested in an Illinois city more than 800 miles away on Tuesday, according to police.

Justin Michael Craver was arrested by the Elmhurst Police Department about 10 days after the Old Point National Bank on Kiln Creek Parkway in Yorktown was robbed by a man wielding a hatchet.

Details of the arrest, including the out-of-state charges Craver now faces, were not immediately available, said Shelley Ward, spokesperson for York-Poquoson Sheriffs Office.

Craver was wanted in connection with the Sept. 16 robbery of Old Point National Bank.
Donald Trumps upset victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 inspired a surge in political activism among Democratic women. Six years later, that energy remains mostly intact  and has spread to the Republican Party as well.

Beginning with the Womens March in 2017, held on Trumps first full day as president, the anti-Trump resistance movement spoke with a distinctly female voice. Scholars and journalists who examined grassroots liberal politics during the Trump years observed a proliferation of women-led citizen networks dedicated to defeating the president and his Republican allies.

One way they did this was by deciding to become candidates themselves. The share of Democratic nominees for the U.S. House of Representatives who were women jumped from 29% in the 2016 election  a record at the time  to 42% in 2018, rising again to 48% in 2020. And as more women ran for office, more women won. The number of Democratic women increased from 62 to 89 in the House, from 14 to 16 in the Senate, and from 3 to 6 in state governorships over the four years of the Trump presidency, according to data compiled by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.

Trumps defeat in 2020 raised the question of whether this activism among women would persist once he was no longer president. Had the resistance resulted in greater female representation in the Democratic Party? Or would passion fade without the constant fuel provided by Trumps presence in the White House?

The recent conclusion owf the 2022 nomination season provides an opportunity for some preliminary analysis. According to figures Ive compiled, women constitute 43% of all Democratic nominees for U.S. House seats this year  a modest decline from 2020, but roughly equal to 2018 and well above any previous election. Women represent 40% of Democratic nominees for Senate or governor in 2022, marking a new record (the previous high was 38% in 2018).

But a relatively challenging political environment means that the raw number of female Democrats in office wont increase much  or at all  after this falls elections, even if the gender balance within the party continues to shift.

Democratic Senators Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire are both seeking second terms in perennially competitive states, while election forecasters suggest that at least a dozen Democratic women in the House are at serious risk of losing their seats. In governors races, a near-certain Democratic pickup by a female candidate in Massachusetts and a decent chance of victory in Arizona could be offset by potential losses in Kansas and Oregon.

In fact, its quite possible that most newly elected women next year will serve on the opposite side of the partisan aisle. Republican leaders and interest groups have responded to the recent wave of female Democratic candidates by aggressively recruiting more female candidates of their own. The proportion of Republican House nominees who are women increased from 13% in 2018 to 22% in 2020 and 19% this year. Women also constitute 21% of Republican Senate or gubernatorial nominees in 2022, representing a historical high point for the party.

Republican women are virtually assured of picking up a Senate seat in Alabama and are well-positioned in a number of House districts as well. They are also poised to capture at least one new governorship (Arkansas), with several other states  such as Oregon and Arizona  within reach.

When Trump was first elected, few analysts would have predicted that one legacy of his presidency would be a significant rise in the representation of women within both major parties. But change in the American two-party system often follows this back-and-forth pattern. Trumps ascendance to the top of the GOP provoked a women-led opposition movement among Democrats, which in turn inspired a counter-response by Republican leaders who concluded that diversifying their own candidate ranks would prevent them from suffering a competitive disadvantage.

Both parties evolve as they react to developments on the other side as well as their own  just as Trumps nomination itself represented a passionate Republican backlash against the presidency of Barack Obama.

Of course, its too soon to tell if the growth in female candidates will endure. But theres one good reason to expect that it may continue for at least one more election: The Supreme Courts June decision reversing Roe v. Wade was announced too late to affect the current field of candidates, since filing deadlines had already passed in nearly every state. But if Democratic anger at the Dobbs ruling fuels another upsurge of women running for office two years from now, Republicans could calculate that the best strategic response would be a further investment in recruiting their own slate of female nominees. When combined with Trumps potential return to the electoral arena, thats a formula for yet another Year of the Woman in 2024.
Listen to students on Youngkin policy

Regardless of adult opinion on Gov. Youngkins recent updates to policy regarding transgender children, the students will have thoughts on the matter. In fact, students are the population group most affected by this recent change, with teachers following close behind. On Tuesday, more than 90 schools in Virginia had student-planned walkouts in response to these policy changes. Divisions like Hanover could potentially discipline those students who choose to participate.

Yes, these walkouts are disruptive to the learning environment, but they are also the strongest way for these children to voice their opinion. Kids should be encouraged to express their discontentment, especially when they are required to be in school and the policy directly affects them. Hanover does encourage students to support their issues with T-shirts and buttons, but when is the last time buttons made the news?
Roanoke City Public School teachers, staff and administrators are striving to raise student achievement scores after the disruptive pandemic, with a special focus on Black students, who have farther to go.

Our white students are outperforming our Black students, said Julie Drewry, division executive director of accountability and assessment, told the school board Tuesday.

Drewry highlighted some of the data on student performance, graduation rates and absenteeism recently released by the school system and state Department of Education. After her briefing, board members heard a lengthy report on steps designed to identify students who need extra help and to get it to them.

As previously reported, the scores were a mixed bag.

However, pass rates fell below the state average in many cases.

Fifty-five percent of all students in all city schools passed the English reading SOL test, while 41% of students passed the English writing test during the 2021-22 school year, the data showed. Fewer than half of students passed the math test and the single test devoted to history and social science. Exactly half passed the science SOL test, the data said. Of additional concern, the pass rates for the two English tests and for the history and social science test were lower than the year before.

Black students did less well in the summary results, based on adjusted SOL data the board received. For example, among high schoolers, 86% of white students passed the math SOL, while 77.3% of Black students passed it, RCPS said.

The school system has released passage rates for a host of other subgroups including Asian students, students who were economically disadvantaged, students still learning English, Hispanic students, students with disabilities and students who identify as belonging to two or more races. It was part of a 33-page school board report found at the online board meeting dashboard.

Many reports have documented pandemic-related learning loss, a term for academic setbacks after school closed and instruction went virtual and as students endured other disruptions such as their own and their teachers illnesses with COVID-19.

Roanoke has already begun to address it with learning recovery programs, some of which have proved successful. A non-traditional summer school called RCPS+, which helps students catch up and offers enrichment classes for students who want to get ahead, is one example, officials said.

Another approach, one that groups students who need special assistance in small groups, brought a question from board Vice Chairwoman Joyce Watkins, who wondered whether the school system has enough personnel to conduct class and also small groups.

Superintendent Verletta White said she will examine that question closely in connection with the next round of budgeting and would let Watkins know later.

White appeared to sum up where things stand in terms of learning loss and academic recovery when she remarked, While were making gains, we still have a lot of work to do.

State officials have said recovery will be a multi-year effort.

In related news, state officials have accredited all 24 city schools, in the first accreditation report since officials waived two rounds of accreditation assessment amid the pandemic.

There was a round of applause.

City schools were also fully accredited before the pandemic.
Botetourt County received $6 million from the state to build a Fincastle Museum.

The state budget includes a grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to locate, design and construct a Fincastle Museum within town limits, said Jon Lanford, assistant county administrator, during a Tuesday board of supervisors meeting.

Board Chairman Richard Bailey said Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt, deserves commendation for being able to find state funding and land it in Fincastle.

Were kind of learning as we go here on this thing, because in all honesty, it kind of was a little bit of a surprise, I think we didnt see it coming, Bailey said. The money was there, it got through the General Assembly, so I think were going to try to take advantage of it.

Requests for designs and other construction plans are forthcoming, and the county will also ask for proposals on operating, maintaining and otherwise supporting a purpose-built museum, Lanford said.

A Fincastle Museum might include video presentations and rotating exhibits, Bailey said.

The vision of this thing is that theres a building that will be dedicated to the history of our area, Bailey said. It will be $6 million worth of facility that will highlight the history that goes back 250 years.

Initial ideas call for the museum to be built at the Botetourt County Courthouse campus, as part of that facilitys ongoing $25 million reconstruction process, Lanford said.

A local match of $500,000 for the $6 million state grant is not required to be cash, and is likely covered through grading and site preparation already planned for courthouse reconstruction.

The money for a new museum comes after Botetourt County Schools in August said its capital improvement budget was again underfunded for the school year, the result of a $4.5 million accounting mixup.

Of other historical interest from this weeks board meeting, a new citizen commission was approved to preserve historical properties in Botetourt County.

Supervisor Steve Clinton said the commission will help landowners find tax advantages and grants for up-keeping and maintaining their old homes and other important buildings.

Theres a whole host of valuable and historically significant properties in Botetourt County that are just forgotten, and kind of falling by the wayside, and deteriorating in some cases, Clinton said. The idea is to contact the owners, and encourage them to take steps to preserve their properties.

Also Tuesday, County Administrator Gary Larrowes contract was extended five years, as part of the boards pre-agreed consent agenda. His annual salary is $205,000, according to a county spokesperson.

Further, the county board agreed to advertise a request for proposal on plans to renovate the Buchanan Library, using an assessment previously conducted by Enteros Design, a Richmond firm.

Supervisor Amy White said the Buchanan Library is at about half capacity, with an entire second floor not in use, as has been the case for about a quarter century.

The bottom line is, we moved this building there in the 1990s and they moved it with the promise that the building was going to be completed, White said. We need to honor our commitment and follow through on this to the best of our ability.
Two drug dealers admitted Tuesday to participating in a wild shootout with a group of disgruntled customers who showed up at a Roanoke apartment where a marijuana transaction had earlier gone bad.

Chad Matthew Custer and Aaron Lee Woods pleaded guilty to distributing more than 100 kilograms of marijuana over a three-year period and, on the night of July 10, 2018, to firing guns in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Jacob Aldridge, 19, of Salem, died after being struck in the back of the head with a bullet fired from an assault rifle equipped with a laser sight.

Although Custer and Woods admitted to exchanging gunfire, they did not fire the shot that killed Aldridge, according to defense attorneys Rob Dean and Jimmy Turk.

A third occupant of the Eastern Avenue apartment, Darion Harvey, was sentenced earlier this year to 26 years in prison for his role in case, which included firing the shot that struck Aldridge as he was driving away from the scene.

Custer, 23, and Woods, 28, both face mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years in prison. Their only chance at a lesser punishment would be through cooperation with authorities.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene Day did not say during a hearing Tuesday in Roanokes federal court whether the government will file a motion acknowledging their assistance, which would allow for more lenient sentences.

U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski ordered a background report on Custer and Woods before they are sentenced. No date has been set. Both are currently incarcerated.

In earlier testimony, the northeast Roanoke apartment was described as similar to a fast-food restaurant, with customers driving up to purchase drugs at all hours of the day and night, often with guns in plain sight, and leaving quickly.

On the day he died, Aldridge and two friends showed up at the apartment to make a buy, which did not go through because of mistrust between the parties about the intended marijuana transaction, according to evidence presented Tuesday.

They returned about 9:45 p.m., arriving in a gold Mercedes with the lights turned off.

A brick was then thrown through the front window of the apartment, witnesses said. After numerous shots were fired by both parties, four men who were with Aldridge fled on foot.

A short time later, as Aldridge was driving away in the Mercedes, Harvey  who by then had run out of ammunition  retrieved an assault rifle from the apartment and fired several shots, one of which struck the 19-year-old in the head.

Both Custer and Woods said Tuesday that they were caught by surprise when the brick was thrown through the apartment window, and that they fired shots at the attackers only to defend themselves.

But claims of self-defense do not apply to a federal charge of firing a gun in the furtherance of drug trafficking.
It began at least 15 years ago. A gastrointestinal doctor in Hanover County would prescribe an expensive medicine for Crohns disease called Remicade. To receive the intravenous therapy, patients traveled across the parking lot at Memorial Regional Medical Center in Mechanicsville and visited the infusion center.

But when the paperwork arrived, the site of the infusion was listed at a hospital 9 miles away in the city of Richmond  Richmond Community Hospital. The doctor approached an executive at Bon Secours, which owns both facilities. The explanation: Richmond Community was buying the medicine for the Memorial patients.

Its fraud, really, in my opinion, said the doctor, who asked to remain anonymous because he still contracts with Bon Secours.

His account supports a report by The New York Times alleging that Bon Secours buys medicine at a discounted price through a federal program intended for low-income patients and disperses it to customers throughout the area, regardless of their financial ability.

Richmond Community treats a low-income population in Church Hill and qualifies for the program, called 340B. Bon Secours also operates 10 outpatient clinics in other parts of town that are listed as subsidiaries of Richmond Community, according to federal records. The outpatient clinics get the benefit of purchasing cheap drugs even though their clientele are likely much wealthier.

One such clinic, the Bon Secours Cancer Institute at St. Marys Hospital, is in western Henrico County, adjacent to some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in town. But for the purposes of the 340B program, the cancer institute is part of Richmond Community, 10 miles away on the other side of town.

Bon Secours maneuvering isnt illegal, experts said. But they said it does demonstrate how greater scrutiny of the program is needed.

Jenna Green, a spokesperson for Bon Secours, said the health system is fully compliant with the program and uses the savings to reinvest in the community.

As a provider in Richmonds East End, 340B is critical to our patients, Green said. We have and will continue to provide accessible, affordable, high-quality care through this and other programs that improve the well-being of the greater Richmond community.

Drug costs for low-income patients

The 340B Drug Pricing Program, instituted in 1992, allows nonprofit health care facilities to purchase outpatient drugs at discounts of 20% to 50%.

Eligible facilities typically provide care to a high number of Medicare and Medicaid patients. Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and its subsidiaries also qualify. Hospitals owned by HCA Healthcare, a for-profit entity, are not eligible.

The Affordable Care Act expanded the number of health care facilities that can participate in the program, and now 50,000 facilities take part. The federal government estimates that hospitals and other health care providers have saved $38 billion in drug costs.

According to The New York Times, Richmond Community can buy a vial of the cancer drug Keytruda for $3,444. Then it charges private insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield more than seven times the price  roughly $25,000.

Richmond Community had a profit of nearly 44% in 2020, according to Virginia Health Information.

When a hospital buys a discounted drug and then bills an insurance company the standard rate, the hospital pockets the difference. The hospital should then use the money to support the low-income communities they already serve, said David Bowman, a spokesperson for the Health Resources and Services Administration, which operates 340B.

But thats where critics of Bon Secours speak up. They say the health system has invested in the posh St. Francis Medical Center in Midlothian and Memorial Regional in Hanover while dragging its feet to build a 25,000-square-foot facility near Richmond Community that it pledged to the city a decade ago.

Hospitals that make money off 340B are supposed to reinvest their earnings by expanding or adding services, said Saleema Karim, a professor of health administration at VCU. The law doesnt make any specific requirements.

Del. Otto Wachsmann, R-Sussex, owned and operated an independent pharmacy in Stony Creek for 18 years until 2019, when he sold it to a federally qualified health center that opened in the same community in Sussex County.

Wachsmann, who said he now works a few days a month for another community health center in Waverly, said the 340B program makes it financially feasible for federally qualified health centers, clinics and independent pharmacies to operate in rural Virginia and other medically underserved areas.

The discounted drugs under 340B can only be used for those patients that are being treated by the covered entity under the federal law, he said.

Infusion at St. Francis

A South Richmond man needed an iron infusion to treat anemia. He went to St. Francis for the infusion. But when he got the bill, its origination was listed as Richmond Community Hospital.

Lo and behold, it was from the hospital over there in Church Hill, he said.

His suspicion over the billing intensified after he read a story published Tuesday in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about Bon Secours use of Richmond Community to take advantage of the 340B federal drug pricing program.

It makes me wonder if Bon Secours is getting medications at reduced price from them and selling them at retail over at St. Francis, said the man, who did not want to be identified because of his continued medical treatment at Bon Secours.

While the 340B program is designed to help low-income patients, there is a loophole. Health systems can open child sites such as the 10 outpatient clinics owned by Bon Secours.

One of the 10 outpatient clinics considered a subsidiary of Richmond Community is the Southside Outpatient Infusion Center, near St. Francis. So is the nearby Bon Secours Cancer Institute at St. Francis.

Five of the associated clinics are on Bremo Road near St. Marys Hospital. Two are on Atlee Road near Memorial Regional. One location is not adjoined to any hospital  the Bon Secours Rheumatology Center, at 9602 Patterson Ave., 14 miles from Richmond Community.

VCUs benefit

VCU Health also benefits from 340B. VCU Medical Center cares for more patients who are uninsured or covered through Medicaid than any other hospital in the state, said Grant Heston, vice president for university relations.

Thanks to 340B, VCU Health saved $114 million in 2020, benefiting more than 2,000 patients the health system said. VCU reinvested that money, opening the 17-story Adult Outpatient Pavilion downtown last year. It is currently building a 16-story Childrens Hospital of Richmond tower, which will bring the hospitals inpatient and outpatient care for children under one roof. The health system has made a number of other investments in recent years.

Theres not a great deal of oversight of the 340B program, said Paula Song, a professor of health administration at VCU. Though the program is designed to help uninsured and underinsured patients, it doesnt always end up that way.

Hospital systems participating in 340B have increasingly opened clinics in wealthier areas in the past 20 years, The New York Times reported.

When a hospital dispenses a drug to an ineligible patient, its referred to as a drug diversion. Between 2012 and 2020, federal Health Resources and Services Administration audits counted more than 500 drug diversions nationwide.

President Joe Bidens administration included a legislative proposal in the federal budget to require eligible health care facilities to report to HRSA their 340B savings and how they spend the money. Its unclear if the way Bon Secours reinvests its money would violate HRSA procedures.

On Monday, after The New York Times published its story, Virginia politicians called for the government to go to greater lengths to ensure 340B is used as designed  for low-income patients and hospitals.

Certainly there should be greater oversight, Song said.
Carley Shingleton, a graduate research assistant at WVU's Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, assists in research to improve wastewater filtration in lagoon-based plants at the Mineral Resources Building. Credit: WVU /Matt Sunday

Alarmed about rising levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in America's water, the Environmental Protection Agency has invested $1 million in West Virginia University assistant professor Kevin Orner's wastewater treatment research.

Orner's team of environmental engineers at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources will assess the performance of wastewater lagoons: low-energy treatment facilities where wastewater sits in ponds and is treated through largely natural processes before it's released into natural waterways. While WVU looks at West Virginia's lagoons, partner universities will investigate lagoons in California's hotter and drier conditions.

The EPA's million-dollar question, "What's in our water?," reflects the fact that while plenty of wastewater data is available from large, high-tech treatment plants, relatively little exists about water released by rural, low-tech lagoonsespecially regarding nutrients remaining in wastewater after treatment.

That's a problem because when treated wastewater containing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus enters waterways, those nutrients feed algal growth that uses oxygen when it decomposes, suffocating aquatic life and potentially decimating commercial and recreational fishing industries.

Algal blooms like Florida's red tide can directly harm humans. So can high concentrations of nutrients themselves.

"If you have a well and you're drinking water with too much nitrate," Orner said, "that can cause blue baby syndrome, which has symptoms such as blueness of the skin due to lack of oxygen in the blood, headaches and difficulty breathing.

"The United States has a growing population, and we all urinate and defecate. Population growth means more nutrients being discharged. If we find a lot of nitrogen and phosphorus in water, that may mean a lot of feces are still in the water, which may mean a lot of pathogens."

Two reactors are used to study and compare nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies in the absence, reactor 1, and presence, reactor 2, of organics in wastewater. Credit: WVU /Matt Sunday

While the repercussions of inadequately treated wastewater are complex, Orner said lagoons are "very simple. They're just engineered bodies of water," composed of one or more pools or basins called "cells."

"Wastewater enters the lagoon," Orner explained, "stays for a while and is discharged, typically into a river. Hopefully, over time, solids have settled, maybe the sun has killed pathogens, or some nitrogen leaves the liquid as nitrogen gas, and the contaminants in the wastewater leaving the lagoon are less than the contaminants that were in the wastewater coming in."

Because lagoons have a large footprint, they typically serve smaller communities where land is abundant but municipal funding can be scarce. Orner is currently aware of 26 lagoons statewide.

"One of our first jobs is calling utilities providers and getting accurate numbers on how many are out there and what performance data they have," he said. "For small communities, it might be one person in charge of wastewater treatment, maybe someone with a second job who's just making sure nothing's way out of control. They may rarely take nutrient samples or might not be required to do so, so water quality data for lagoons can be scarce.

"Apart from the cost of real estate, lagoons are one of the more economical systems. For places with smaller budgets, they're not too expensive to install or maintainbut we have to learn how effective they are. And if they're not performing well, is there anything we can do? What's the sweet spot of removing nutrients while limiting environmental impacts at a reasonable cost?"

After Orner's team collects data on West Virginia's lagoons, they'll create an interactive map with search filters enabling users to find lagoons matching certain parameters and pull data demonstrating how well those lagoons remove nutrients in various conditions.

Then, Orner said, they'll create "a user manual for how to model lagoon performance under different conditions and with different technologies, using BioWin, a software that's commonly used to model larger-scale, urban wastewater treatment plants but doesn't yet have a module for lagoons."

Orner's team will also quantify the environmental and economic costs and benefits of implementing a new technology or feature into an existing lagoon.

Wadsworth Professor Lian-Shin Lin will oversee a specific component of the research focusing on development of a novel technology: iron-based biofilters for removing nutrients.

"Motivated by the abundance of iron in our region, we've studied various reactions of iron for beneficial applications," Lin said. "Our ongoing research at WVU has shown the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of iron-based anaerobic biofiltration for removing organics and nitrogen while generating the fertilizer by-product vivianite."

Vivianite is one example of Lin and Orner's shared interest in finding financial opportunity in wastewater treatment.

"We're discovering that we are able to recover the nutrients from wastewater, not just release nitrogen into the air," Orner said. "We can take nitrogen and phosphorus and make a fertilizer.

"Let's say previously we were buying and shipping nitrogen-based fertilizer from across the world, and now we're able to take nitrogen and phosphorus from nearby wastewater and produce a fertilizer locally. We're having this double benefit in improving environmental quality but also locally obtaining a resource that has value.

"With the life-cycle element of this research, not only are we trying to figure out how well these lagoons or technologies work to remove nutrients, we're also going to see their environmental and economic impacts over time."

Provided by West Virginia University
The family of Jacob Dubois is asking the community to come forward with any information regarding his disappearance.
Dalondo Moultrie is the assistant managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at dalondo.moultrie@seguingazette.com .
Cheah Cheng Hye, co-chairman of Value Partners Group, said his firm plans to hire people and relocate some of its portfolio managers and investment analysts to Singapore. (PHOTO: Bloomberg)

By Chanyaporn Chanjaroen

(Bloomberg)  One of Hong Kongs highest-profile money managers is preparing a major expansion in Singapore, the latest win for the city-state as competition between Asias most important financial hubs intensifies.

Cheah Cheng Hye, co-chairman of Value Partners Group Ltd., said his firm plans to hire people and relocate some of its portfolio managers and investment analysts to the island, where it now has fewer than 10 staff. The concentration of family offices in Singapore is the main attraction that he says demonstrates the country can grow beyond its current sales and distribution role for his company.

We are following the money, Cheah, whose firm manages US$6.8 billion for clients, said in an interview Tuesday on the sidelines of the Forbes Global CEO conference. This is a promising and fast-growing market.

Value Partners is among international firms expanding in Singapore as a boom in the wealth industry saw the number of single family offices nearly doubling to about 700 last year. With a new work visa to woo top talent, hiring in Singapore comes as some companies relocate staff away from Hong Kong, which has suffered from a tougher stance on Covid-19.

Singapore, which shifted to a living-with-Covid policy earlier this year, is seeing a job market boom.

People are competing for a limited pool of talent, said Cheah, a Malaysian native who has worked in Hong Kongs financial industry since the 1980s. He said the rising costs in Singapore, from cars to limited space at international schools, wont deter his plans.

This is a demand-driven problem, he said. Service providers will find ways to meet demand because its profitable.

The company is offering some of the Hong Kong staff to relocate with their families to Singapore as well as hiring new staff, Cheah said. Value Partners is also upgrading its license in the city-state so that it can sell funds to retail individuals, as well as enlarging its office space, he said.

Value Partners has about 200 staff in Hong Kong, where it specialises in funds investing in Chinese equities, fixed income, and ESG products. The firm, which was the first asset manager listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchanges main board in 2007, also has offices in Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and London, according to its website.

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Prolific opener Mohammad Rizwan hit a fighting half-century before debutant all-rounder Aamer Jamal starred with the ball as Pakistan beat England by six runs in another last-over finish in the fifth T20 international in Lahore on Wednesday.

Rizwan's 46-ball 63 was the cornerstone of Pakistan's 145 all out in 19 overs after express pacer Mark Wood grabbed 3-20 to derail the home team who were asked to bat first at Gaddafi Stadium.

England's stand-in skipper Moeen Ali smashed a brilliant undefeated 37-ball 51, with four sixes and two fours, but failed to score the 15 needed off the final over as England managed 139-7.

Jamal kept his cool despite being hit for a six off the third ball, conceding just eight to give Pakistan a 3-2 lead in the seven-match series.

England won the first and third matches while Pakistan took the second and fourth, all played in Karachi.

Pakistan needed wickets to defend a below-par total and all six bowlers responded with at least a wicket each, with Haris Rauf grabbing 2-41.

Openers Alex Hales (one) and Phil Salt (three) were gone by the fourth over before the dismissals of Ben Duckett (10) and Harry Brook (four) left England struggling at 54-4.

Dawid Malan stopped the slide with a patient 35-ball 36, studded with six boundaries, before Ali raised his team's hopes of victory.

But the asking rate climbed with 40 needed off the last three overs and 28 off the last two.

Moeen reached his seventh T20I fifty off 35 balls.

"I will give credit to the bowlers who defended a not-so-big total," said Pakistan skipper Babar Azam.

"I think Jamal showed great character by bowling the last over and his confidence got him over the line."

Ali, meanwhile, said England should have chased down the target.

"Disappointed we didn't chase those runs, we're a better team than that but we got strangled by the spinners in the middle overs," said Ali, whose team had fallen three runs short in pursuit of 166 on Sunday.

Earlier, Pakistan struggled against the pace of Wood.

Story continues

Wood -- playing only his second international since an elbow injury in March followed by surgery -- was ably assisted by Sam Curran (2-23) and David Willey (2-23) as Pakistan were dismissed in 19 overs.

Amid a middle-order collapse from 42-1, which saw Pakistan lose six wickets off 48 balls for just 58 runs, Rizwan held on with a defiant knock, his fourth fifty in five matches in this series.

Wood dismissed Azam in the third over for nine before David Willey removed Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed to derail Pakistan.

Mohammad Nawaz (nought) and Shadab Khan (seven) fell to injudicious run outs to leave Pakistan tottering at 100-7.

Rizwan completed his 20th T20I half-century before hitting Curran straight into the hands of Adil Rashid at deep square-leg in the 18th over. Rizwan struck three sixes and two fours.

The remaining matches are on Friday and Sunday, also in Lahore.

sh/dj
A Singapore Airlines Airbus 350 plane (left) and an RSAF F16 fighter jet. (PHOTOS: Getty Images/MINDEF)

SINGAPORE  A 37-year old man was arrested on Wednesday morning (28 September) after making a bomb threat on board a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from San Francisco.

The passenger had claimed that there was a bomb in a hand-carry bag on the SQ33 flight, and had assaulted the crew, said the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in a Facebook post.

The police were reportedly alerted to the threat at about 2.40am, as the crew had restrained the man on the Airbus A350-900 plane.

As a result of the threat, two Republic of Singapore Air Force F16C/D fighter jets were scrambled to escort the SIA flight until it had landed at Changi Airport at around 5.50am.

The Singapore Army's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosives Defence Group and Airport Police Division subsequently verified the threat to be false and the suspect was arrested, said MINDEF.

Police investigations are ongoing.

In its Facebook post, MINDEF said it works closely around the round the clock with the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure the safety of the country and people and will treat every threat seriously.

Under Regulation 8(1) of the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Regulations, it is an offence for a person to make false claims of a terrorist act.

Culprits face a fine of up to $500,000 and/or up to 10 years' 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.
SAC CITY, Iowa -- Three people have pleaded guilty to their roles in a string of burglaries in rural Sac County homes.

James Becker, 33, of Wall Lake, Iowa, entered an Alford plea Monday in Sac County District Court to two counts of third-degree burglary, plus possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance from a separate case.

Kennedie Ford, 26, of Lake City, Iowa, also entered an Alford plea Monday to three counts of third-degree burglary.

In an Alford plea, a defendant admits no guilt, though a guilty plea is entered into the record.

Nick Bogue, 41, of Lake View, Iowa, pleaded guilty Sept. 12 to second-degree arson.

In all three cases, the defendants entered into plea agreements that call for the dismissal of several other theft, burglary and criminal mischief charges. Becker faces up to 10 years in prison, Ford agreed to a 10-year suspended prison sentence and probation, and Bogue will receive a deferred judgment and probation. All are scheduled for sentencing in November.

John Bogue, 34, of Lake View, is scheduled for an Oct. 24 plea hearing. He is charged with ongoing criminal conduct, first-degree criminal mischief and three counts each of third-degree burglary and second-degree arson.

All four were charged in connection with burglaries and thefts in which copper piping and wiring and other property were stolen from at least three locations from Dec. 1 through March 4.

John and Nick Bogue were charged with setting a fire that destroyed a house and two outbuildings.
Talis Dale, 23, entered his plea Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Omaha to one count of sexual abuse of a minor. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 21.

Dale entered the girl's bedroom in her Macy home during the early morning hours of May 3, 2021, and began touching her, stopping after becoming concerned that she was loudly demanding that he leave her room.

The girl, listed as age 12-16, fell asleep, and told investigators that she woke up later in the night to find Dale on top of her. The girl said her underwear had been removed and that Dale began to have sexual intercourse with her. When the girl asked what he was doing, Dale stopped. The girl pushed Dale off of her, told him to leave, and he did, court documents said.
DAKOTA CITY  A man who was shot by South Sioux City police pleaded not guilty Tuesday to gun and other charges related to the incident.

Richard Germek, 62, of South Sioux City, entered his plea in Dakota County Court to felony charges of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, unlawful discharge of a firearm, criminal attempt, terroristic threats and possession of a short rifle or short shotgun and misdemeanor charges of obstructing a peace officer and disturbing the peace.

South Sioux City police officers responding to a call about a possible overdose encountered Germek at about 7:50 p.m. July 22 at his apartment building at 320 E. 12th St.

According to police and court documents, paramedics who arrived before police evacuated once Germek brandished a gun. Police officers made contact with Germek inside his apartment and gave several commands to drop the weapon before Germek fired at one of the officers. An officer returned fire and struck Germek, who was then transported to a Sioux City hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

No officers were injured.

The officer who shot Germek was placed on administrative leave in compliance with standard protocol after the shooting. Police Chief Ed Mahon on Tuesday said the officer would not be named but has returned to duty. Mahon said he is waiting for a final report from the Nebraska State Patrol's investigation into the shooting.
SIOUX CITY  The process of finding a new Sioux City school superintendent has officially begun.

The district school board held its first public meeting with the superintendent search firm GR Recruiting Tuesday night. The meeting was an opportunity for the board to plan the search process timelines, public meetings and other search details.

The search process is estimated to take four months.

The superintendent application will be available after an Oct. 20 board meeting. The board established a salary range of $240,000 to $260,000, not including benefits.

The tentative deadline for all application materials is Dec. 12 with an estimated selection on Jan. 18. It is unknown when a successor will be announced.

The superintendent search process will feature a variety of ways for community members to provide feedback on what characteristics they want in a new superintendent.

School board president Dan Greenwell said the community input is important because it is a "major decision for the community."

"We have 15,000 students. We employ 2,500 people. This is a major event for our community," he said. "We want to make sure the public is engaged and participates in the process."

A survey to see what community members are seeking will be available on the district website, as well as sent to all parents and employees from Oct. 3-14. Some of the survey questions will focus on desired traits and characteristics for a new superintendent, while others about the district as a whole.

One question is a place for responders to propose potential candidates.

The survey will be available in six different languages - English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali, Oromo, and Tigrinya -- to broaden community input. Hard copies of the survey also will available at all the schools.

Board member Perla Alarcon-Flory asked if there was a way to advertise the survey in different languages.

Dick Christie of GR Recruiting said the firm wants thousands of survey responses, not hundreds, so there is an accurate sense of what the community wants.

There will be three meetings for the public to provide input, and three meetings for staff to provide input.

The public and staff meetings will take place on:

- 4 p.m. for staff and 6 p.m. for the public on Oct. 11 at East High School;

- 4 p.m. for staff and 6 p.m. for the public on Oct. 13 at West High School and:

- 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Oct.15 at North High School.

Staff can attend the public meetings if they are not able to attend the staff-specific ones.

These meetings are an opportunity for parents, students, community members and staff to provide input on what they want in a superintendent and answer questions prepared by GR recruiting.

When the deadline has passed, the school board will be given access to all of the applications. GR Recruiting will highlight the top applicants that fit the desired qualifications and traits.

The finalist names will be announced publicly, but the entire candidate list will not be publicly released. Christie said that's to make sure candidates are comfortable applying if they have jobs currently.

The candidates will have individual meetings with administrators, teachers, support staff and students. Christie said this is an opportunity for the candidate to see if they mesh with the district. The district participants will provide feedback to the board on the candidates strengths and weaknesses.

Before a decision is made, a public meeting will be held for the community to meet the potential candidates. It has not been determined when this meeting will take place.

Interim Superintendent Rod Earleywine resigned as the superintendent of the Sergeant Bluff-Luton Community School District in February, after 27 years with the district.

Earleywine, who started his new job on July 1, was selected as interim superintendent in April after former superintendent Paul Gausman was selected as the new superintendent of the Lincoln Public Schools.
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HULL, Iowa -- Fire officials continue to investigate the cause of a large fire that broke out at Casey's General Store in Hull Wednesday morning.

Firefighters were called to the store, 612 Division St., at 7:01 a.m.

According to a statement from the Sioux County Sheriff's Office, when first responders from the Hull Fire Department and Hull Ambulance arrived at the business, they found the roof area engulfed by fire.

Employees reported that an explosion occurred inside the store shortly after they saw flames and smoke, according to the statement. All of the employees were able to safely evacuate the building without injury.

The Rock Valley and Sioux Center fire departments also responded to the fire.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Hull Fire Chief.
MOVILLE, Iowa -- Dry conditions have led to nearly ideal conditions for harvest to kick off across Siouxland.

Those same conditions are also perfect for increased risk of grass and crop fires, as was the case Wednesday in Woodbury County, where rural fire departments spent hours putting out fires sparked by combines.

Moville Fire and Rescue chief Jerry Sailer said his rigs were dispatched to a field fire at 1684 Humboldt Avenue south of Moville at 12:56 p.m., when a combine harvesting beans sparked a fire that spread through the bean stubble and into an adjacent corn field. No damage was done to the combine, and firefighters were able to extinguish the flames before much damage could be done to the crops.

While still at that fire, Moville's crews, along with those from neighboring towns, were called in to assist Anthon's fire department with a combine and field fire at about 2 p.m. at 245th Street and Jewell Avenue, where a combine had caught fire while harvesting soybeans. The combine was a total loss, and the fire also damaged about 15-20 acres of beans.

The National Drought Monitor shows Woodbury County and much of Northwest Iowa continue to experience conditions ranging from abnormally dry to extreme drought. Some locations in northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota are one step further, reaching exceptional drought.

Sailer said there's not much that can be done, without rain, to prevent more fires during these dry field conditions.

"Conditions are good for it, so we can expect some more," Sailer said. "Combines have bearings fail, and there's nothing we can to about that."

Sailer suggested farmers keep a tractor and disc nearby while harvesting to keep flames from spreading should a fire break out, along with a pickup with a water tank, if possible.
SIOUX CITY  Rescue personnel spent several hours unsuccessfully searching for a man seen jumping into the Missouri River from a bridge Wednesday.

A South Sioux City police officer responded at 11:09 a.m. to a call about a man on the railroad bridge running from the Iowa side of the river to the Nebraska side. As the officer neared the bridge, a man carrying a backpack was seen jumping from the bridge into the river.

Search and rescue teams in several boats were dispatched and searched the river but were unable to find the man, who has not been identified.

Anyone who might have information about the man is asked to contact the South Sioux City Police Department at (402) 494-7555.
SIOUX CITY  In a statement released Tuesday, a spokeswoman for MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center said the Sioux City hospital is in "full compliance" with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirements for COVID-19 vaccination of staff.

Documents posted to the Iowa Department of Inspection & Appeals' website indicated that MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center was deficient in its recording of whether staff were vaccinated against COVID-19 or had a medical exemption.

MercyOne was cited for failing to develop and implement a system to identify if all the hospital's medical staff had either completed their COVID-19 vaccination or received an approved exemption. The hospital was to correct the deficiency by July 6 and maintain a monthly report depicting vaccination versus exemption status for all medical staff providers. The hospital was to obtain proof of vaccination or exemption in accordance with CMS regulations.

"We were one of many health ministries that implemented a vaccine requirement prior to any state or federal regulation being adopted," Michaela Feldmann, MercyOne regional communications lead, said in an emailed statement Tuesday. "Since requiring the vaccine, we have had processes in place to ensure our 1,500+ colleagues are either vaccinated against COVID-19, have a religious exemption or have a medical exemption with a signed release from the colleague's physician."

As directed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a survey team performed an unannounced complaint survey from May 19 to 26 at the Sioux City hospital.

"Failure to identify if a staff member was either fully vaccinated or if the staff member had an approved exemption could potentially result in the hospital staff allowing an unvaccinated staff member to not implement additional precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19," the documents stated.

Review of the hospital's COVID-19 vaccination tracking documents revealed that 142 physicians and other licensed practitioners had signed an attestation document regarding if they had received COVID-19 vaccination, according to the documents.

According to the documents from the Iowa Department of Inspection & Appeals, during an interview on May 26, MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center's vice president of quality and integration acknowledged that if a licensed practitioner signed the attestation form affirmatively, hospital staff would not know if the practitioner had received the COVID-19 vaccination or if they had an approved exemption.

"The vice president of quality and integration further revealed that the licensed practitioners had not utilized the hospital's process to apply for an approved exemption to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement. Thus, the hospital staff did not know who had approved the licensed practitioner's exemption request to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement or if the exemption met the hospital's requirements for an approved COVID-19 vaccine exemption," the documents read.

In the statement, Feldmann noted that the initial CMS regulation was challenged through various lawsuits across the country.

"Following the conclusion of those lawsuits and the application of the CMS regulations to Iowa hospitals in February 2022, we undertook an analysis of how to appropriately implement the CMS requirements going forward for our independent (non-employed providers)," she said in the statement.
According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, Courtney Engeltjes was southbound in a GMC Envoy in the 4700 mile of Clay County Road M27 at about 5:53 p.m., when she left the road, over corrected and entered the east ditch. The vehicle came to rest on the driver's side.
Ian swamps southwest Florida, trapping people in homes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamped southwest Florida, flooding streets and buildings, knocking out power to 2 million people and threatening catastrophic damage further inland. A coastal sheriffs office reported that it was already getting a significant number of calls from people trapped in flooded homes. Some video showed debris-covered water sloshing toward the eaves of homes. The hurricane made landfall Wednesday afernoon near Cayo Costa, a protected barrier island just west of heavily populated Fort Myers. Though expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it marches inland, Ians hurricane force winds are likely to be felt well into central Florida.

Russia poised to annex occupied Ukraine after sham vote

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia has positioned itself to formally annex parts of Ukraine after occupied areas held a Kremlin-orchestrated referendum  denounced as illegal and rigged by Kyiv and the West  to live under Moscows rule. Armed troops had gone door-to-door with election officials to collect ballots in five days of voting. The results were widely ridiculed as implausible and characterized as a land grab by an increasingly cornered Russian leadership following embarrassing military losses in Ukraine. Russia is calling up 300,000 reservists to fight in the war and warned it could resort to nuclear weapons. The European Commission president urged the European Unions 27 member countries to slap more sanctions on Russian officials and trade over what he called sham referendums.

Climate Migration: Blind and homeless amid Somalia's drought

DOLLOW, Somalia (AP)  Issack is 80, Hassan 75. The two blind men are friends and as close as brothers, gripping each others hands in their mutual darkness as tightly as they hold their canes. Near the end of their lives, the most alarming drought in more than half a century in Somalia has stripped them of their animals and homes. Pastoralists and farmers who have known for generations where to take cattle, goats and camels when the usual water sources run dry have been horrified by this drought that has seen four straight rainy seasons fail. The Associated Press met the men crouching together in the dust among hundreds of new arrivals at a displacement camp.

'Gangsta's Paradise' rapper Coolio dies at age 59

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Coolio, the rapper who was among hip-hops biggest names of the 1990s with hits including Gangstas Paradise and Fantastic Voyage, has died. Manager Jarez Posey tells The Associated Press that Coolio, whose legal name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., died at the Los Angeles home of a friend on Wednesday. The cause was not immediately clear. Coolio was 59. He won a Grammy for best solo rap performance for Gangstas Paradise, the 1995 No. 1 hit from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film Dangerous Minds that sampled Stevie Wonders 1976 song Pastime Paradise.

Churches defend clergy loophole in child sex abuse reporting

Clergy in 33 states are exempt from laws requiring professionals such as teachers, physicians and psychotherapists to report information about alleged child abuse to police or child welfare officials. That loophole has resulted in an unknown number of predators being allowed to continue abusing children for years despite having confessed the behavior to religious officials. An Associated Press review finds that over the past two decades, more than 130 bills have been proposed in state legislatures to create or amend child sex abuse reporting laws. After intense opposition from religious groups, the clergy privilege remained unchanged. Often, legislative efforts to close the loophole run up against lawmakers who are also church members.

Records contradict Majewski's account of military punishment

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Republican congressional candidate in Ohio who's facing criticism for misrepresenting his military service was reprimanded and demoted for drunken driving on a U.S. air base in 2001. That's according to documents from J.R. Majewskis personnel file that were provided to The Associated Press and independently authenticated. They undermine the campaign's previous explanation that he got into a fight, and that led to the disciplinary measures and ultimately to the Air Force rejecting him from reenlistment. It's another instance where the recorded history of Majewskis service diverges from what he's told voters. Majewski acknowledges he was punished for drunken driving. But he didn't explain why his campaign previously gave a different account.

Chinese tycoon Richard Liu faces civil trial in alleged rape

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Jury selection begins Thursday in a civil trial against Chinese billionaire and JD.com founder Richard Liu. He is accused of raping a University of Minnesota student after a night of dinner and drinks in 2018. Liu has denied that he raped Jingyao Liu after a social event with wealthy Chinese executives and prosecutors never filed charges in the case. He says there were profound evidentiary problems. But Jingyao Liu sued Richard Liu in 2019. She says she was coerced to drink before she was attacked. Jingyao Liu is not related to the billionaire and has agreed that her name can be used publicly.

VP Harris to visit DMZ after North Korean missile tests

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean Peninsula during the final stop on her four-day trip to Asia. The visit to the DMZ on Thursday comes amid tensions over new North Korean missile tests. Harris' trip was anchored by her attendance at the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but security concerns in Asia have dominated discussions. Harris denounced North Korea's illicit weapons program" and she accused China of trying to intimidate its neighbors. Before visiting the DMZ, Harris will meet with South Korean's president and hold an event focused on gender equity.

Rohingya seek reparations from Facebook for role in massacre

For years, Facebook, now called Meta, has pushed the narrative that it was a neutral platform in Myanmar that was misused by malicious people and failed to moderate violent and hateful material adequately. But a new report by Amnesty International says Facebook was not merely a passive site with insufficient content moderation. Rather, Metas algorithms proactively amplified" material that incited violent hatred against the Rohingya beginning as early as 2012. Amnesty found that despite years of warnings, the company not only failed to remove violent hate speech and disinformation against the Rohingya  it actively spread and amplified it until it culminated in the 2017 massacre.

Arizona museum exhibit marks end to de Kooning painting saga

PHOENIX (AP)  After a Willem de Kooning painting worth millions was brazenly stolen in 1985 from an Arizona museum, the staff clung to the hope that it would turn up one day. But nobody could have predicted Woman-Ochre would find its way back through the kindness of strangers in a neighboring state. The 1955 oil painting by the Dutch-American abstract expressionist is finally back home. It will be the centerpiece of an entire exhibition opening Oct. 8. The whole ordeal of the theft and its return via New Mexico will be chronicled in the show. The painting will be in the same spot it was stolen from  but under a case.
PHOENIX (AP)  The Arizona commission that regulates utilities cannot prevent a single member from issuing subpoenas to investigate companies that the panel oversees, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

The former commissioner who filed the case, Bob Burns, said the ruling will prevent others on the panel from uniting to shield utilities from scrutiny. Burns has fought for years to get the states largest electric utility to acknowledge that it spent millions to elect two Arizona Corporation Commission members in the 2014 election.

Burns issued subpoenas in 2016 to Arizona Public Service Co. seeking records that would prove or disprove rumors that it was spending to elect its own regulators.

The other four commissioners blocked the subpoenas in 2016, and efforts by Burns to get the courts to confirm he had the right to investigate the utility repeatedly failed, until Tuesday. Although APS finally admitted the political spending in 2019 and Burns left office in early 2021, a single commissioner will now be able to force utilities to open their books, he said.

It will prevent them from doing it again, for one thing, Burns said. I look at it as a win for the ratepayers, because this takes away the ability for the utilities to hide not only money for campaigns, (but) a major part of the commission's job is to look at their books when they do a rate case.

He said a utility that decides to play games with its bookkeeping to try to win higher rates will always have to worry now that a single commissioner can force them to open them for a review.

APS for years refused to admit that it was spending in elections for the five-member commission, a tactic it secretly started in 2014.

When they finally confirmed the spending in 2019, it turned out that the company owned by publicly traded Pinnacle West Capitol Corp. spent not only $3.2 million on the corporation commission races in 2014 but gave another $8.6 million to other political groups that year. In 2016, the company secretly spent $4.6 million in the 2016 commission elections. Both were breaks from company precedent not to be involved in elections regarding its regulators.

The company openly spent $40 million to defeat a ballot measure requiring it to steeply boost its renewable energy portfolio in 2018.

APS spokesman Mike Philipsen said the company was reviewing the ruling and had no immediate comment. APS was a defendant in the lawsuit.

In Tuesday's decision written by Justice Clint Bolick that overturned rulings by a trial court and the state court of appeals, the court said the state constitution gives each of the five commissioner the right to investigate regulated utilities. The commission sets rates for electricity, gas and water providers that are granted monopolies in their service areas.

The framers plainly meant to authorize not only the Commission but also individual commissioners, for their purposes, to issue investigatory subpoenas, Bolick wrote in the ruling, which was joined by three other justices.

Bolick said reading the constitution to allow other commission members to block a member's subpoena would lead to an absurd result, since commissioners are given the individual right to investigate regulated companies.

It would expressly vest powers in individual commissioners but then subordinate that right to the unreviewable determinations of other commissioners, he wrote.

Justice Ann Scott Timmer dissented, while two justices did not participate. Timmer wrote that while she agreed with the bulk of the ruling, she said Burns did not follow the correct procedure nor follow up on his subpoenas outside the rate case.

Timmer said Burns essentially used his investigation of the utility's political spending to hijack a contested rate case involving numerous parties that properly followed procedures laid out by the Commission under its constitutional authority.

She said the commission did not improperly interfere with Burns' investigation and warned that the ruling would give individual commission members power that can be abused.

"The majoritys opinion has lasting consequences that both violate the constitution and leave confusion, and potentially chaos, in its wake," Timmer wrote.

Burns said it is possible that a rogue commission could improperly use their subpoena power, but if that happens, he noted that the company could fight it in court.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The Kremlin paved the way Tuesday to annex part of Ukraine and escalate the war by claiming that residents of a large swath overwhelmingly supported joining with Russia in stage-managed referendums that the U.S. and its Western allies have dismissed as illegitimate.

Pro-Moscow officials said all four occupied regions of Ukraine voted to join Russia. According to Russia-installed election officials, 93% of the ballots cast in the Zaporizhzhia region supported annexation, as did 87% in the Kherson region, 98% in the Luhansk region and 99% in Donetsk.

In a remark that appeared to rule out negotiations, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy told the U.N. Security Council by video from Kyiv that Russias attempts to annex Ukrainian territory will mean there is nothing to talk about with this president of Russia.

The preordained outcome sets the stage for a dangerous new phase in Russias seven-month war, with the Kremlin threatening to throw more troops into the battle and potentially use nuclear weapons.

The referendums began Sept. 23, often with armed officials going door-to-door collecting votes. The ballots asked residents whether they wanted the areas to be incorporated into Russia.

Moscow-backed officials in the four occupied regions in southern and eastern Ukraine said polls closed Tuesday afternoon after five days of voting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to address Russia's parliament about the referendums on Friday, and Valentina Matviyenko, who chairs the body's upper house, said lawmakers could consider annexation legislation on Oct. 4.

Meanwhile, Russia ramped up warnings that it could deploy nuclear weapons to defend its territory, including newly acquired lands, and continued mobilizing more than a quarter-million more troops to deploy to a front line of more than 1,000 kms (more than 620 miles).

After the balloting, the situation will radically change from the legal viewpoint, from the point of view of international law, with all the corresponding consequences for protection of those areas and ensuring their security, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

Many Western leaders have called the referendum a sham, and the U.N. Security Council was scheduled to meet later Tuesday in New York to discuss a resolution that says the voting results will never be accepted and that the four regions remain part of Ukraine. Russia is certain to veto the resolution.

The balloting and a call-up of Russian military reservists that Putin ordered last Wednesday are aimed at buttressing Moscows exposed military and political positions.

The referendums follow a familiar Kremlin playbook for territorial expansion and more aggressive military action. In 2014, Russian authorities held a similar referendum on Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, under the close watch of Russian troops. Based on the voting, Russia annexed Crimea. Putin cited the defense of Russians living in Ukraine's eastern regions, their supposed desires to join with Russia, and an existential security threat to Russia as a pretext for his Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Putin has been talking up Moscow's nuclear option since Ukrainians launched a counteroffensive that reclaimed territory and has increasingly cornered his forces. A top Putin aide ratcheted up the nuclear rhetoric Tuesday.

Lets imagine that Russia is forced to use the most powerful weapon against the Ukrainian regime that has committed a large-scale act of aggression, which is dangerous for the very existence of our state, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian Security Council that Putin chairs, wrote on his messaging app channel. I believe that NATO will steer clear from direct meddling in the conflict.

The United States has dismissed the Kremlin's nuclear talk as a scare tactic.

The referendums asked residents whether they want the areas to be incorporated into Russia, and the Kremlin has portrayed them as free and fair, reflective of the people's desire for self-determination.

Tens of thousands of residents had already fled the regions because of the war, and images shared by those who remained showed armed Russian troops going door-to-door to pressure Ukrainians into voting.

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko, who left the port city after the Russians seized it after a months-long siege, said only about 20% of the 100,000 estimated remaining residents cast ballots in the Donetsk referendum. Mariupol's pre-war population was 541,000.

A man toting an assault rifle comes to your home and asks you to vote, so what can people do? Boychenko asked during a news conference, explaining how people were coerced into voting.

Western allies sided firmly with Ukraine, dismissing the referendum votes as a meaningless sham.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the ballots were a desperate move by Putin. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said while visiting Kyiv on Tuesday that France was determined to support Ukraine and its sovereignty and territorial integrity and described the ballots as mock referendums.

Elsewhere, trouble emerged for Putin in the mass call-up he ordered of Russians to active military duty.

The order has triggered an exodus of nearly 200,000 men from Russia, fueled anti-war protests and sparked violence. On Monday, a gunman opened fire in an enlistment office in a Siberian city and gravely wounded the local chief military recruitment officer. Scattered arson attacks had been reported earlier on other enlistment offices.

One destination of fleeing Russian men is Kazakhstan, which reported Tuesday that about 98,000 Russians have crossed into Kazakhstan over the past week.

The European Unions border and coast guard agency says 66,000 Russian citizens entered the 27-nation bloc from Sept. 19 to 25, a 30% increase over the preceding week.

Russian officials tried to intercept some of the fleeing reservists on one of the main exodus routes, issuing conscription notices on the Georgian border. According to the state-run Tass agency, an enlistment task force was handing out notices at the Verkhnii Lars checkpoint, where an estimated 5,500 cars were lining up to cross. Independent Russian news sources have reported unconfirmed claims that draft-age men will be banned from leaving after the referendum.

As Moscow worked to build up its troops in Ukraine, potentially sending them to supplement its proxies who have been fighting in the separatist regions for the past eight years, Russian shelling continued to claim lives. Russian barrages killed at least 11 civilians and wounded 18 in 24 hours, Ukraines presidential office said Tuesday.

In other developments, Ukrainian authorities reported more success in their counteroffensive to reclaim territory in some of the very regions where Russia is staging the referendums to consolidate its grip.

Ukrainian troops claimed to continue their push beyond the Oskil River in the countrys east, pressing further into the Donbas. A video on social media Tuesday showed Ukrainian soldiers entering the village of Koroviy Yar, 15 kilometers (about 9 miles) from the river. Ukraines military intelligence said that the countrys forces continued to force Russian troops out of the northeastern Kharkiv region and claimed to recapture the major railway junction of Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi.

The war's human toll was also reflected in a U.N. human rights monitoring mission's first comprehensive look at violations and abuses Russia and Ukraine committed between Feb. 1 and July 31, the first five months of Russia's invasion.

Matilda Bogner, the missions chief, said Ukrainian prisoners of war appeared to have faced systematic mistreatment, "not only upon their capture, but also following their transfer to places of internment in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine and Russia itself.

The war has brought an energy crunch for much of Western Europe, with German officials seeing the disruption of Russian supplies as a Kremlin power play to pressure Europe over its support for Ukraine.

The danger to energy supplies grew when seismologists reported Tuesday that explosions rattled the Baltic Sea before unusual leaks were discovered on two underwater natural gas pipelines running from Russia to Germany. Some European leaders and experts pointed to possible sabotage during an energy standoff with Russia provoked by the war in Ukraine. The three leaks were reported on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which are filled with natural gas but not delivering the fuel to Europe.

The damage means that the pipelines are unlikely to be able to carry any gas to Europe this winter even if the political will to bring them online emerged, analysts at the Eurasia Group said.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has abandoned, for now, his push to speed up the permitting process for energy projects, easing the Senates path toward passing a stopgap spending bill that would keep the federal government running when the fiscal year ends at midnight Friday.

A procedural vote Tuesday advancing the funding bill succeeded easily, 72-23, after Democrats announced that the West Virginia senator's proposal would be stripped from the final legislation. It was clear that, with Manchin's plan included, Democrats were falling far short of the 60 votes needed to proceed, as most Republicans objected to it.

While lawmakers are again waiting to the final moments of the fiscal year to pass legislation keeping the government running, they are confident they will do so. Neither party is interested in a shutdown heading into the critical midterm elections Nov. 8 that will determine which party is in charge of the House and Senate.

In addition to government funding, the spending measure provides about $12.3 billion in assistance related to Ukraine, including training, equipment, weapons and direct financial support for the Ukraine government. The assistance would be on top of some $53 billion Congress has already approved through two previous bills.

The measure excludes the White House call for spending $22 billion to respond to COVID-19, and $3.9 billion to fight against an outbreak of the monkeypox virus. Republican lawmakers were overwhelmingly opposed to the health funding. At least 10 Republican senators would have to support the measure to overcome procedural hurdles and advance in that chamber.

The most contentious piece of the legislation was Manchins plan to streamline the permitting process for energy projects and make it easier for a pipeline project in his home state and Virginia to proceed.

Manchin in a statement confirmed he had asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to remove the permitting language and said he was holding to his belief that we should never come to the brink of a government shutdown over politics."

Manchin said he was ready to work with colleagues to move forward with permitting legislation at another time.

Senator Manchin, myself and others will continue to have conversations about the best way to ensure responsible permitting reform is passed before the end of the year," Schumer said.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, We support Senator Manchins decision not to press for a floor vote" and promised the administration will continue to work with him to find a vehicle to bring this bill to the floor and get it passed and to the Presidents desk.

Both chambers of Congress must approve legislation by Friday, which is the end of the fiscal year, to prevent a partial government shutdown. It represents the last bit of unfinished business for lawmakers before the midterm elections in November. Lawmakers from both parties are eager to wrap up and spend time on the campaign trail, lowering the risk of a federal stoppage.

Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee, had secured a commitment from President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders to have a vote on the permitting package in return for his support of a landmark law to curb climate change.

While Republicans have voiced support for streamlining the permitting process for energy projects, some, including Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, panned the effort.

What our Democratic colleagues have produced is a phony fig leaf that would actually set back the cause of real permitting reform," McConnell said on the Senate floor Tuesday.

McConnell said he would vote against proceeding to the short-term spending bill if it included Manchin's legislation and encouraged others to vote no, too, a powerful signal to GOP lawmakers.

Other Republicans made clear they agreed with McConnell's position.

Top Democratic appropriators also said they were unhappy with the inclusion of Manchin's proposal, but said keeping the government running took priority.

I am disappointed that unrelated permitting reform was attached to this bill. This is a controversial matter that should be debated on its own merits," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. However, with four days left in the fiscal year, we cannot risk a government shutdown; we must work to advance this bill."

Language in Manchin's proposal was tied to the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would run through West Virginia and Virginia for more than 300 miles. The bill would have effectively approved the pipeline and steered legal challenges to a different federal court.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was poised to vote against taking up the funding package if it included the pipeline language, another sign that lawmakers didn't have the 60 votes needed to proceed.

We should pass a continuing resolution that is free of the unprecedented and dangerous" pipeline deal, Kaine said.

Environmental groups celebrated the hard-earned victory.

Good riddance to Manchins dirty backroom deal and the bottom-of-the-barrel politics that it represented, said Jean Su, energy justice director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

The funding bill also contains disaster assistance, including $2.5 billion to help New Mexico communities recover from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, the largest wildfire in the states history; $2 billion for a block grant program that aids the economic recovery of communities impacted by recent disasters and $20 million for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements previously authorized for Jackson, Mississippi.

The bill would also provide an additional $1 billion for a program that helps low income households afford to heat their homes.

There has been wide, bipartisan support for boosting support for Ukraine. The bill includes $4.5 billion to help Ukraine's government provide basic citizen services and authorizes the president to drawdown $3.7 billion worth of equipment from U.S. stocks to support Ukraine's armed forces. There's also money to replenish U.S. stocks of equipment and munitions sent to Ukraine and to provide Ukraine with intelligence support and training.

The White House issued a statement in support of the stopgap spending bill as the voting took place, applauding the help for Ukraine.

The people of Ukraine have inspired the world, and the Administration remains committed to supporting the Ukrainian people as they continue to stand resolute and display extraordinary courage in the face of Russias full-scale invasion," the White House said.

Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  Authorities were searching Tuesday for a 42-year-old convicted bombmaker who escaped from a Nevada prison where he was serving a life sentence for a deadly 2007 explosion outside a Las Vegas Strip resort.

Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered an investigation into the incident after he said late Tuesday his office learned the escapee had been missing from the medium-security prison since early in the weekend.

This is unacceptable, Sisolak said in a statement.

Officials didn't realize until Tuesday morning Porfirio Duarte-Herrera was missing during a head count at Southern Desert Correctional Center near Las Vegas. A state Department of Corrections statement said search teams were looking for him.

Duarte-Herrera, from Nicaragua, was convicted in 2010 of killing a hot dog stand vendor using a motion-activated bomb in a coffee cup atop a car parked at the Luxor hotel-casino.

Records show his co-defendant, Omar Rueda-Denvers, remained in custody Tuesday. The 47-year-old from Guatemala is serving a life sentence at a different Nevada prison for murder, attempted murder, explosives and other charges.

A Clark County District Court jury spared both men from the death penalty in the slaying of Willebaldo Dorantes Antonio, whom prosecutors identified as the boyfriend of Rueda-Denvers ex-girlfriend.

Prosecutors said jealousy was the motive for the attack on the top deck of a two-story parking structure. The blast initially raised fears of a terrorist attack on the Strip.

Officials described Duarte-Herrera as 5 feet, 4 inches tall and 135 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair.

Sisolak said his office ordered corrections officials to conduct and complete a thorough investigation into this event as quickly as possible.

This kind of security lapse cannot be permitted and those responsible will be held responsible, he said.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he does not support putting social security up for periodic reauthorization and would avoid cutting benefits to retirees if changes to Social Security were made under a Republican Congress.

Democrats have locked in on Social Security as a campaign issue during the midterm elections, criticizing proposals from some Republicans to subject the program and other federal legislation to periodic review. Grassley is seeking reelection and is challenged by Democrat Mike Franken, a former Navy admiral from Sioux City.

If we do anything on Social Security, one thing I want to make clear, we arent going to cut any benefits for people that are in retirement or near retirement, Grassley told reporters on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden went after Sen. Rick Scotts 12-point policy plan in a speech on Tuesday, saying the plan would jeopardize Social Security and Medicare every five years. In the plan, Scott calls for all federal legislation to sunset after five years, requiring Congress to pass it again.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., threw cold water on the idea, saying a Republican Senate agenda would not sunset Social Security and Medicare.

Biden also attacked Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin for proposing that federal mandatory spending, including Medicare and Social Security, be made discretionary and reviewed every year. Biden said the proposal would put the popular programs on the chopping block annually.

Grassley said any changes to Social Security would involve broad consensus. He didnt specify what he would propose to improve the solvency of the program.

This is the only way this stuffs going to be done, is if you sit down as a group, he said. And I dont like the word chopping block, because that almost indicates that Congress is going to do away with Social Security, and we arent going to do that.

Social Security has been a thorny political issue for decades, as any changes to the highly popular program are met with intense skepticism. The Social Security trust fund that pays retirees is expected to be depleted by 2034 without any changes to the program, after which people would only receive 78 percent of their benefits, according to a 2021 estimate.

Franken proposed during a town hall in Cedar Rapids last week that everyone pay the same tax rate toward Social Security regardless of income. Currently, income on workers and employers is taxed at 6.2 percent toward Social Security up to $147,000.

I believe the 147 cap ought to be omitted, ought to be released, so that an income as high as it may go, pays into social security to ensure solvency, he said in an AARP Pocketbook Conversation segment this month.

Grassleys campaign went after that position in an ad last week, pointing to it as a source of increased taxes Franken supports.

In a press release, Frankens campaign said the proposal would ensure the rich pay what they owe to keep Social Security afloat, and that it would not change what working Iowans pay by one dime.
Amid all the anxiety about what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is doing to the states education system, one thing has provided hope to commentators who want to see space maintained for the honest, necessary conversations about difficult social topics that are central to democratic schooling. Thats the persistent popularity of, and state support for, Advanced Placement coursework in Florida. In DeSantis 2021 State of the State address, he proclaimed, Florida continues to make great strides in K12 education. His first piece of evidence: Just last week, the College Board released data showing that Florida ranks No. 2 in the nation in the percentage of graduating seniors who have passed Advanced Placement exams. That year, 56 percent of the states public high school graduates had taken at least one AP examthe nations highest participation rate. Surely, one might think, if AP courses are thriving in Florida, the news cant all be bad.

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But this hope is misplaced. Advanced Placement has been in existence since the mid-1950s, but over the past decade, the programs substance and guiding philosophy have transmogrified, even as its name has stayed the same. In an interview, Jennifer Berkshire, co-author of A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door, pointed out that in the current landscape, brands can help companies market educational products that touch on anxieties. The AP brand feels familiar to some from their own high school experiences, and the company that sells it, the College Board, benefits from that sense of stability. But AP means something different now than it did decades ago. DeSantis affection proves it.

Floridas deluge of education reform proposals is overwhelming. Most seek to destabilize existing structures and norms. Perhaps the most famous is H.B. 7, the Stop WOKE Act, which restricts teaching about race, gender, and sexual orientation in both secondary and higher education. Earlier this month, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free-speech nonprofit, announced that it had filed a suit challenging the higher-ed provisions in the Stop WOKE Act, to preserve access to what the nonprofit described as a form of college education more robust than memorizing facts and repeating government-approved viewpoints. Appeals like these, to maintain the integrity of higher education by protecting professors speech in court, reveal a key difference between high schools and colleges: For years, circuit courts have agreed that public school teachers cede free speech in the classroom. Florida now seeks to classify professors instruction as controlled government speech by the same logic.

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Another of DeSantis efforts at restructuring education is relatively underreported: In response to ballooning college tuition costs and a heightened demand for workers, the governor is promoting early college. For decades, Floridas tax-funded high schools have been required to offer students opportunities to earn college credits. Streamlining K12 and higher education by making the latter more like the former threatens to deprive public school students of contact with educators with the freedom to do as they like.

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In its current form, AP complies with, and even benefits from, DeSantis vision of education. In 2021, the latest year for which data is available, the College Board sold the states students 366,150 exams for roughly $96 each, resulting in revenue of more than $35 million. This year, exams will cost students $97. As weve learned while looking at Texas effect on the textbook market, state patronage of private companies that provide educational materials can affect whats included in those materials. For the company, states are far more important customers than are individual students: Its in the College Boards interest to appease DeSantis.

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Some of the AP programs most enthusiastic champions nationwide are right-wing education reformers. Last winter, as news of state-level censorship legislation flooded social media, some were surprised to learn that Todd Huston, who was then the College Boards vice president of regions and account services, as well as the Republican speaker of Indianas state House of Representatives, led efforts to restrict Indianas curriculum. This seemed incongruous: Why would someone who works for the College Board want to be part of such an effort? But the College Board has a financial incentive to promote legislation that creates confusion about acceptable parameters for instruction and breeds mistrust of teachers. Overworked or inexperienced AP teachers eager to take the path of least resistance, and avoid conflict with parents and school boards, can use AP Classroom, the companys new digital platform, to instruct with daily videos and administer cookie-cutter assessments. Even teachers who might otherwise diverge have an incentive to drill to the AP exams: In Florida, as elsewhere, teachers have long received a bonus of $50 for every student they teach who takes an AP exam and scores 3 or higher.

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As attacks on openness and diversity in K12 education reached a fever pitch last spring, the College Board posted a statement titled What AP Stands For. The foremost commitment in this statement, which many applauded, was to clarity and transparency. But what does it actually mean when the College Board says, If a school bans required topics from their AP courses, the AP program removes the AP designation from that course? In AP English courses, the program stipulates no specific texts, so a school board could easily ban any book without violating the code. Meanwhile, in the case of AP U.S. Government, compliance with the companys required topicsas of 2018, a mandated, standardized list of documents and Supreme Court casesactually represents a dangerous narrowing of civics instruction for some of the nations most ambitious students.

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Over the past decade, as private universities like Harvard have started to refuse credit for AP exams, most state higher education systems have adopted uniform policies regarding their acceptance of AP credits. All public Florida colleges and universities must recognize the College Boards exams for credit, regardless of professors thoughts about the programs academic merit. What the growing prominence of AP, in Florida and across the country, will do to higher education is a matter of growing concern. On Twitter, following the companys announcement of an AP African American Studies course this summer, historian and New Yorker writer Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor asked, Will these AP credits be used to undermine collegiate African American Studies programs and departments? The AP African American Studies course announcement and the provision in Floridas H.B. 7 for mandatory African American history instruction were very closely timed. As the history profession dies and undergraduate humanities majors decline, it would be a shame if a testing company cut into the remaining budget for scholars to research and teach in this field.

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After DeSantis announced a revision of his states academic civics standards, former Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran cheered what he called Floridas continued commitment to lead and foster the values we hope to see in our society. By high school graduation, Florida students are responsible for understanding (as the standards put it) how liberty and economic freedom generate broad-based opportunity and prosperity in the United States, and how U.S. foreign policy supports democratic principles and protects human rights around the world. Floridas public high school students are required to sit for a multiple-choice civics exam that enforces this vision for citizenship. By college, students must demonstrate civic literacy by passing both the exam and a civics course. AP U.S. Government and AP U.S. History count toward this requirement.

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The AP programs place in DeSantis agenda raises serious questions about these courses ability to teach alternative lessons about the United States, about citizenship, and about lifenot just to Florida students, but to everyone. In 2018, in Christianity Today, College Board CEO David Coleman published an op-ed about the value of (Christian) religious education. He wrote, A young person informed by grace and gratitude escapes the illusion that they are entirely in control of their lives. What about the Quaker tradition of speaking truth to power? The companys exam-aligned writing assignments seem like they might invite reflection on human capacities beyond heroism and villainy, but in truth they restrict and mechanize expression. Last year, over 60 percent of AP World History test takers earned a score guaranteeing college credit, while 86 percent of these same students failed to provide adequate analysis and reasoning, according to the companys own data. Many of the nations wealthiest private high schools have dropped their AP programs in the name of quality and autonomy. Can an experience of public school and college centered on standardized exams offer a sense of intellectual agency and vitality that leads to freedom and empowerment?

Instead of creating conditions for genuine pluralism and civic engagement in public schools, the $1.3 billion College Board is presenting itself as an ally to students and teachers while diverting attention from a dangerous set of laws. Public education for democracy requires better. Its past time to stop buying into the AP brand.
The protests in Iran this month started after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini decided to visit Tehran. She was reportedly coming out of the subway when she was spotted by Irans morality police and escorted into a van. They thought she was dressed immodestlyperhaps a wisp of hair was out of place, or maybe her hijab was drooping. Arrests like this are not uncommon in Iran; neither are deaths in custody. But what happened next was unexpected, as Iranian American human rights attorney Gissou Nia told me: There was a photo of her in a hospital bed looking beat up, with gauze around her neck, hooked on an air device to help her breathe. It was absolutely shocking to see this young, beautiful woman in the hospital bed like that, and the photo went viral. In the weeks since, protests have roiled Iran, with many rallygoers carrying pictures of Amini. Her father, speaking to the BBC, said he doesnt believe what the government is telling him about his daughters deaththat she suffered a heart attack due to some preexisting conditions. Her family absolutely refutes that and says thats not the case, Nia says, pointing to photo details that indicate signs of a concussion. On Wednesdays episode of What Next, I spoke with Gissou Nia, director of the Atlantic Councils Strategic Litigation Project, about how Mahsa Aminis death has led thousands of people to exercise their freedom of expression in Iranand where that may lead. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Mary Harris: The Iranian struggle for womens rights is more than a century old. And protests over hijabthe modest clothing required of all women in Iranhave been going on since the 1970s. Back then, protests were taking place in the shadow of the Iranian Revolution. Since a broad coalition had overthrown the government, it was a shock to some when Islamic fundamentalists took control. And in 1979, new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini began rolling back some of the limited freedoms women had enjoyed.

Gissou Nia: It was all very gradual. Every day there was a new announcement about how women would be restricted, either in the public space or at work. Khomeini prohibited women from serving as judges. He announced that women could no longer initiate divorce proceedings. He prohibited women from serving in the army. The marriage age of women reverted back to 9, which is what it is under Islamic law. Then, on the eve of International Womens Day, March 8, Khomeini said women could work outside the home but that government-employed women should wear hijab to work. Thats really how they started to roll this out.

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Was the reaction from women immediate?

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Yes, they responded immediately to these limitations on their rights with massive demonstrations and sit-ins.

My understanding is that Iranian women are incredibly educated and yet theyre still restricted.

Yeah. There are incredibly high rates of literacy in Iran. Its a very educated population. We often hear that there are more women graduates from university than there are men in Iran. I should note that there are a lot of restrictions, thoughdifferent rules that are applied to encourage women to stay at home and thrive in the family sphere, that are not super supportive of them working or taking those skills to the workplace.

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Over the past couple decades, protests have become a common part of whats happening in Iran: over elections that are fraudulent, over economic hardships. Im wondering how this current movement is different from what we saw in 2009 or in 2017.

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In 2009, there was a very organized protest that a lot of people might remember, the Green Movement. The big slogan during those protests was Where is my vote? So ultimately, it was still saying we believe in this institution and just want to know why our votes werent properly counted, because the issue at the time was the disputed presidential election in June 2009. There was a sense the election was stolenand I should note that presidential elections in Iran are neither free nor fair. The candidates are very carefully vetted. The then-incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was declared the winner after barely any vote counting. There was a real sense of grievance. People had the streets, but that was mostly centered in Tehran in urban centers.

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What weve seen since then is completely different. There were nationwide protests that occurred in December 2017 and January 2018 that were very clearly anti-government. Since then, there have been recurring protests, and the space and time between which the protests occur keep on shortening. We then saw the wide-scale protests in November 2019. Initially, that was said to have been sparked by a spike in gas prices that occurred after the state abruptly removed subsidies. But it quickly spread nationwide and took on anti-government slogans really calling for the downfall of the Islamic Republic.

It sounds like youre saying things are getting more and more intense, and a little bit chaotic even.

The protesters are definitely not as scared, and theyre definitely willing to hit the streets and call for what they want. We saw protests in 2020 and 2021. Some of those were about other issues: water shortages in particular provinces, labor union struggles over wages, and this time, a social demand. So this round, there are no commentators who can dismiss it as being due to economic concerns or something thats not really core to the ideology of the Islamic Republic. The mandatory hijab laws are core to the Islamic Republics repression of its populace. Theyre only the most visible sign of a much more extensive, gender-discriminatory legal framework which can encompass very restrictive marriage, divorce, custody, and inheritance lawsthat includes womens testimony being worth half that of a mans in a court proceeding, Its not only gender discrimination. Theres discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities and LGBTQ populations.

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I think its also worth contextualizing Irans political situation right now, since the country has a new president and his election was incredibly controversial.

What we have to note is that the true head of state in Iran is the supreme leader, and he is unelected and accountable to no one. The presidents, in a sense, are just a sideshow, the people shipped out to the U.N. General Assembly to greet the world. But the true decision-maker is Khamenei, the current supreme leader. Things change very little depending on who the president is. But what is notable about this president, Ebrahim Raisi, is that, although none of Irans presidents have ever been human rights champions, this guy is actually a direct perpetrator of the killings of thousands of political prisoners in Irans jails in 1988, which legal experts, peoples tribunals, and others declared to be crimes against humanity. Thats why its quite astonishing that hes in the presidential office, giving interviews to Western journalists or being met with in any way as a serious figure. This guy is quite literally a murderer.

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It has been striking to me to look at pictures of the protesters and contrast them with pictures of who is actually running Iran, because the protesters are young women and the leaders are older men with beards. Its hard to understand how that kind of monoculture could represent these people who are on the street.

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Absolutely. What we see is that Gen Z is on the streets, essentially. Iran has a very young populationsomething like 80 percent of the country is under the age of 40. The government is mostly the ruling elite. Theyre all deeply traditional and, frankly, geriatric men. They are all 70-plus, more or less. The supreme leader, for instance, is 83 and has been ruling since 1989. He is the only supreme leader many of these young protesters have ever known, and theyre not happy about it.

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It feels inevitable to me that we are going to see a harsh crackdown from the Iranian government. We are, of course, already hearing about dozens of people being killed. It makes me wonder what can actually be done to help the people in Iran and hold the Iranian government to account.

There have been concerns that the internet is going to be completely shut off. The background is that during the November 2019 protests, Iran shut off the Internet for up to two weeks in some provinces, so nobody was getting videos to show what horrors were happening there. Unfortunately, such blackouts are now happening, and the people who are collecting on-the-ground information are reporting that they cant get access in the same way. There are some citizen journalist collectives and human rights organizations that people send this kind of footage tothey say that those submissions are slowing down.

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What we need is robust action to ensure that the violations that are happening in Iran are documented by an independent, impartial body thats either housed outside of the U.N. Human Rights Office or within it. There are examples of prior mechanisms on Syria, on Myanmar, and for the crimes of ISIS. There are elements of an investigative mechanism that were set up for Ukraine. These investigative mechanisms support future accountability processes. The whole world should be in support of the people of Iran right now. Theyre the winning bet.

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Vladimir Putins latest steps in the warhis mobilization of hundreds of thousands of Russians and his sham referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine, which he plans to annexreflect a new level of not just risk but outright monstrousness.

His behavior is monstrous not only to Ukrainians (nothing new there) but also to his own citizens. He is drafting them into the army, and sending them to the frontlines, completely unprepared. Contrary to his pledge, the call-up is not excluded to reservists. Men who have never been in the army are getting called up too. Even most of those with time in the army have no experience in combat. (Russia hasnt fought a ground war since Afghanistan; fighting in Chechnya and Syria was confined mainly to bombing and shelling.) Most armies give new recruits several months of training before sending them off to fight; the new Russian draftees are getting two weeks, at most.

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Their purpose is to plug up holes in the Russian armys defenses, to keep Ukrainian soldiers from breaking through and enveloping them. In other words, they are serving strictly as cannon fodderto make sure that Russia has enough troops to hold the line even if a lot of them get killed. And because they will be forming in tighter concentrations, a lot of them will get killed. If theyre ordered to go on the offensive, they are sure to get killedor perhaps scatter in desertionmore quickly.

Take two minutes and watch this appalling phone video of a Russian commander cynically telling his new men that he has no idea what theyll be doing, where theyll be going, what arms theyll be carrying. I came here three days ago, just like you, he tells them. Ive never seen this regiment before.

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Extraordinary. A contender for the least inspiring speech ever dleivered by a commander, one guaranteed to make his audience even more despondent than they were when he began. https://t.co/St4HPoGbks  Lawrence Freedman (@LawDavF) September 27, 2022

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No leadership, no unit cohesion, no sense of mission, no skills: This is an army holding on for dear life. Or, rather, this is the sign of a leaderPutinholding on for dear life, not caring how many of his own people he has to sacrifice to avoid ignominious defeat.

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It gets worse. The referendums in four Russia-occupied districts (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaprozhzhia, and Kherson), held to determine whether the residents would like to join Russia, didnt so much as pretend to be free or fair. Women with ballots knocked on doors; masked men with guns showed the residents which box to check. And so, between 87 and 99 percent of them are said to have voted for annexation. This means that men in these districts will now be eligible for the draft as welland ordered, as good, loyal Russians, to shoot their once-fellow Ukrainians. Another recipe for demoralization, desertion, and easy marks for Ukrainian bullets, bombs, and missiles.

Its not just the poor grunts who will sufferand many, perhaps most, of these grunts dont want to be in the war. (The latest reports tell of soldiers and intelligence agents stopping young men trying to flee the country and slapping them with draft notices.) The officers will suffer too. Most officers want to take care of their soldiers, if for no other reason than to make sure they stay alert, develop some loyalty, and fight well. An officers standinghis chance of promotion, decorations, and so forthdepends on how well his units do. In other words, officers are going to hate this draft. (Its one reason why many American officers prefer an all-volunteer military; they prefer to lead troops who want to be there.)

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Its not entirely clear how Putin will pull this off. Whos going to train these units, to the extent theyre trained at all? (Non-commissioned officers, who usually do this, are already fighting in the war.) Who will lead them once they come onto the battlefield? (Theres already a shortage of Russian officers.) Where will they get enough food, water, places to sleep, much less ammunition, flak jackets, helmets, and the like? (Supply shortages are already a problem, too.)

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If his commanders do manage to rouse and deploy all these draftees to the front and if they hold the lines through the winter, Putin will have at least pulled off the featalbeit at enormous costof stretching out the war until next year, by which time, he hopes, Kyivs Western allies will begin to lose patience.

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However, if the lines falter even with all the extra troops, the military chiefssome of whom are said to be losing patience with Putin alreadymay decide enough is enough. And as more soldiers come home in body bags, ordinary Russians may decide that as well. Some thought this might happen at the start of the war, but it turned out many mothers were proudor were convinced by state media propaganda to be proudof their sons sacrifice. However, if the dead young men were sent to Ukraine against their will, or if they were contract soldiers whose well-paid six-month terms were indefinitely extended (another aspect of Putins mobilization), then attitudes could shift very quickly.

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This leads to the other risk in Putins calculationthe risk to his own rule. In the seven months since the war began, he has steadily stepped up the stakes. First, he claimed that he merely wanted to halt Ukraines genocide in Donetsk and Luhansk. Then he invaded all of Ukraine, with an aim to toppling President Volodymyr Zelenskys neo-Nazi government. Then he talked about eliminating Ukraine as a nation (which he claimed didnt exist anyway). Then he viewed the battle as a holy war against the West (and Western-influenced scum at home, many of whom swiftly emigrated) and as a holy mission to restore the Great Russian Empire (which he is now trying to get underway with the pretend-annexation of bigger chunks of Ukraine).

He is all in, well past the point where the offer of any exit ramps might tempt him to back off. He sees the outcome of this war as his legacy. If he wins, Russian schoolchildren will recite his name in the same breath as Peter the Great. If he wreaks much more damage, with nothing to show for it, then he faces the possible fate of infamy and ousteranother bearer of crimes and harebrained schemes.
Airports reopen as Storm Noru weakens

Eight airports in the central region of Vietnam have reopened as Typhoon Noru has weakened into a tropical low pressure.



According to Dinh Viet Thang, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), the agency has resumed the operations of Vinh, Phu Bai, Chu Lai, Phu Cat, Pleiku, Buon Me Thuot, Lien Khuong and Tuy Hoa airports from midday Wednesday. Dong Hoi and Danang airports are expected to be reopened after 2 pm today.





Many airports have been reopened after Storm Noru



Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways and Vietjet Air said that they would resume flights as soon as weather conditions permitted.



Ten airports in the central region of Vietnam had halted flights since Tuesday because of Storm Noru.



The only damage to date reported at the affected airports was some Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation antenna at Danang International Airport. They have already been replaced.
On Monday, Danish officials broadcast a warning to ships navigating its nearby waters: There was a massive leak from Nord Stream 2, the Russian-owned pipeline built to transfer natural gas from the former Soviet Union to Germany through the Baltic Sea. That same day, the pipelines operators also announced a drop in pressure in its Nord Stream 1 linewhich runs parallel with the second linedue to two points of leakage. Neither pipeline was operational at the time, but both had been filled to capacity, with 300 million total cubic meters of gas ready to go just in case. Now, all that fuel is rapidly draining. The photos from the Baltic Sea are stunning.

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Danish Director of Energy Management Kristoffer Bottzauw soon announced that Nord Stream 2s puncture was a really big hole unleashing a 1-kilometer-long stream of gas bubbles in the water. The damage occurred the same day a Norway-to-Poland gas pipeline meant to exclude Russia was being inaugurated near the Baltic Sea, sparking international speculation, including from the European Union, that Nord Stream was sabotaged. Swedish and German scientists told the Wall Street Journal that they were positive the pipes were hit by blasts of a targeted nature. Polands head of state is convinced this was a symbolic act of aggression by Russia; the Kremlin, for its part, has called such accusations stupid and referred to the situation as a concern. Right-wingers from all over the world have in turn pointed to February remarks by U.S. President Joe Biden (If Russia invades  there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2) to suggest hes behind this. His administration has said it stand[s] ready to provide support to Europe and that a disaster like this is clearly in no ones interest.

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The exact reasons for Nord Streams plight remain unknown. In the meantime, Europe is mobilizing additional security around its waters and energy sources, while climate officials urge action to halt the gas leakage, an effort Denmark estimates will take over a week. Gas prices in Europealready high in part because of Russia limiting exportsshot up by 20 percent in response to the news, even though nations like Germany say the leaks do not affect their current gas supplies. (The future looks less certain.) To take stock of the significance of the pipelines, the nature of the harms, and the ramifications, I spoke with Samantha Gross, director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institution and a frequent commentator on European energy issues. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Nitish Pahwa: How would you explain the significance of Nord Stream 1 and 2 to someone unfamiliar with the pipelines?

Samantha Gross: Before the crisis, Russia supplied about 40 percent of Europes overall natural gas. Nord Stream 1 was finished in 2011, and its geopolitical impact was to make Ukraine a less important transit country: It lessened the number of Russian exports going through Ukraine as well as the amount of money Russia was paying Ukraine to transit the country and ship gas through it.

Nord Stream 2 is basically a twin to Nord Stream 1, a capacity of gas that Russia could send directly into Germany. The Germans were always in favor of the project. They viewed Russian natural gas as a reliable supply and liked the idea of it coming directly into their country. The United States and other countries in Europe were wary of Russia messing with supplies through Ukraine, knowing the Kremlin had done that in the past, so it felt like the pipeline was more of a geopolitical statement than an energy project. Nord Stream 2 is basically complete, but it never got its last permit from the European Unionthe Germans officially pulled their support in the project after Russias invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

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Nord Stream 2 has never delivered gas, although there was gas in it, probably because it was so close to completion. I think there was just too much operational difficulty to empty it given the circumstances. Nord Stream 1 has been delivering gas for several years, and has even delivered gas off and on during the crisis. Nord Stream 1 has the capacity to transmit about 167 million cubic meters a day, and then Nord Stream 2 would have doubled that capacity.

Nord Stream 1 had been operating at between 10 percent and 20 percent of its capacity, and Russia has played a number of games. In some cases the country has been very straightforwardwe are shutting off gas for political reasons, we dont want to supply gas to Europeand its using gas as a way to try to weaken Europes support for Ukraine.

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There have also been some games Russias been playing where it seems its looking for plausible deniability about cutting back supplies to Europe. There have been times when its said Nord Stream 1 has maintenance issues or something like, Were waiting for a compressor thats coming back from the West, but they wont send it, when the West has been like, That compressors right here waiting for you.

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The holes in both pipelines are quite large, so there are assumptions that this could be a deliberate attack.

Sabotage.

How likely do you think that is?

Well need to look at the investigations that come from Denmark and Germany and others for accurate reflections of whats actually going on. It does seem a little crazy for Russia to sabotage its own infrastructure, but if it is looking for more plausible deniability about its cutbacks of gas supply to Europe, this is one way to do it. It has been my base case of thinking that Russia would continue to cut back gas to Europe over this winter. Im thinking of that as the most likely optionnot an outlier, but what I actually expect to happen. And if Russia wants to do that with some degree of semiplausible deniability, sabotaging this infrastructure would be a way to do it. That doesnt prove they did itit just means they could have some motive to do it. I would rely on other investigations and not what comes out of Russia, because theyve been completely dishonest about conditions on the pipeline for a while.

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What do you think the geopolitical implications of this might be?

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It remains to be seen. In the near term, its not much of a different situation than we already expected for this winter when it comes to gas supply. The longer-term question would be future supply through those pipelines and whether, honestly, they ever get repaired. Europe is trying to move away from Russian gas, and theyll never again view Russia as a reliable supplierthe Kremlins supplies of gas are politically motivated and unreliable. And if the pipelines are extensively damaged, they might never get fixed. So, it could change conditions in the future, but I dont think it changes the immediate future much.

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I havent seen the size of the methane release there, but I also want to point out that methane is a really potent greenhouse gas

I was just going to ask about that.

The fact that theres a serious methane leak in the Baltic Sea is awful from an environmental perspective. So, if it turns out that Russia did this, then frankly, this is not just damaging to a piece of infrastructureits also a climate disaster, and that is really, really unfortunate.

Im wondering what you think this leak means for the climate this year and in the future, especially as we already face this swirling sea of disasters.

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I mean, the world releases a lot of greenhouse gases, so I dont think this is going to make a tangible difference in the worlds overall efforts to combat global warming, I just think its a bad thing that happened. As to how bad, we havent really seen those numbers, and the pipelines are still leaking, so we still dont know what the overall release will end up being.

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If this damage is just too vast for any sort of immediate or even long-term repairs, Im wondering what the implications are, in terms of environmental or international relations, of leaving two extremely damaged and leaky pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

At some point theyre going to do something such that this is no longer an environmental hazard. Thats going to have to happen. Im not sure how long it will take, but that will get fixed. An ongoing methane leak like that will not be allowed to go, to the extent anybody can do anything about it.

There are concerns all around the world right now about what this winter is going to signify for Europe, as theyre facing high energy prices, not to mention how natural gas is connected to so many heating systems. Gas prices in Europe are now shooting up, I assume as a reaction to further shakeups in the market

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Yeah, or the fear that this means there may be even less gas available for the winter than they thought.

Right. What do you think this could pertain for energy costs and general confidence in gas markets going into the future?

Europe was going to get very little gas supply from Russia for the winter, so its been furiously filling up its storageits actually getting close to full. The trick is going to be that Europe generally doesnt only use stored gas during the winterit also gets additional ongoing supply, and thats everything from local European production to liquified natural gas to using fuel switching, like running other kinds of power plants to save the gas for other uses that are more difficult to replace. Like, you could eventually replace your furnace, but distributing electric heat pumps to millions of homes is not going to happen by November, so those homes are still going to rely on gas for heating. Or if you look at certain industries that use natural gas, those are harder to replace.

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Will there be enough gas to meet home-heating and also industrial demand? It really depends on the weather: If Europe has an especially cold winter, its going to be difficult. And if there are any disruptions in global supply of liquefied natural gas, thats going to be problematic. Because Europe is sucking in LNG from all over the world and at high prices, this is actually harming other markets in the worldAsia, for instance, which uses a ton of LNG, and its prices are very high as well. Because the LNG market connects gas markets in different parts of the world, youre seeing this crisis spread. Its nearly global. The only reason why U.S. natural gas prices havent reacted more is because were shipping out every molecule of natural gas that we can through our LNG export facilities, and theyre at capacity. We cant send any more. If we could, the high prices would attract it, and our natural gas prices here would go up more.

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Last year, when Texas had those rolling blackouts, it turned out that the natural gas lines, which were not winterized, had frozen over, and people froze to death in their homes. Is there a similar situation in the cards for Europe?

If the winter is especially cold, that is possible. Thats really why youre seeing European governments work to subsidize natural gas, where they can for consumers, who cant afford it. I know that people who are really focused on climate issues are probably frustrated by that, but were stuck with the energy system we have. We cant change it on a dime.

The energy crisis this year has led some people to say: Its because were tamping down fossil fuels that were in this situation. Everyone needs to go back to fracking. The U.K. just lifted its ban on the practice. Im wondering what you make of all that.

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I think the people who are blaming the current crisis on the energy transition are just wrong. The transition is not moving along fast enough such that renewables are somehow messing up the system that we have. Its taking us a while to transition. Youve definitely seen perhaps less investments in fossil fuels than you would have otherwise, but I think the lack of investment in fossil fuels weve seen in recent years is really more because of the pandemic than it is because of the energy transition. There are still plenty of fossil fuels in the world, and plenty of people willing to invest in them, and the lack of investment is more the pandemic than it is the energy transition.

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And look, the energy transition is ultimately a partial solution to problems like this. If we had more renewable energy and other kinds of non-fossil energy in our system, these problems would be less dire. Geopolitical issues would be less relevant when it comes to global fuels and energy supply. The problem is that we have to feed the system we have today while still thinking about the transition.

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If you were an official in Germany working with environmental or climate ministers, what are some of the first steps you might take?

If I were making policy over there right now, the primary words on my lips would be conservation and efficiency. Theres no questionpipeline or no pipeline, accident or no accidentthat Europe is facing a real gas crisis this winter, and so I would talk until I was blue in the face about the need to conserve gas this winter, to turn their thermostats down, and why thats important for every German and every European. It could actually save jobs by allowing some gas to flow to industry and keep the economy afloat. Its not often that ordinary peoples actions make a huge difference in a big geopolitical crisis, but they do now.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Over the last five years, ITC stock had lost traction in comparison to its peers across industries like FMCG, hotels, agricultural and paper businesses. Although the valuations did catch up recently, is there an investor concern? What are the issues where ITC needs to get its act together?First; the problem with its corporate strategy, i.e., the businesses it has decided to be present in. ITC has been consciously attempting to steer away from its core tobacco business over the last forty years; way back in the seventies it decided to diversify into other FMCG, agri-products, papers and hotels businesses.With its entire top-line from tobacco four decades earlier; it is only 40% today. FMCG other than tobacco, today accounts for around 25%, agri-business around 20%, paper around 10%, hotels 2% and the rest 3%; thereby having achieved significant diversification away from tobacco.The bigger problem however is that while the 40% tobacco business yields 80% of all its earnings before interest and tax; the 60% diversified businesses account for only 20% of its earnings. In effect the diversified businesses are yet to gain maturity in terms of viability! The diversification over the last forty years has been very slow and the company could have moved much faster, escaping the over-dependence on tobacco! But this has not happened!Today, the diversified businesses in which ITC is playing has focused competitors with many of them having a strong competitive advantage, given their focus; a concern for ITC, the diversified conglomerate! Markets are clearly getting impatient, in spite of the what ITC as company is, in terms of superior leadership, capabilities and the social responsibilities it delivers to the society!On this count, late last year its CEO Sanjiv Puri did lay down a strategy re-set that aims for deepening digitalization, enhancing sustainability, deepening its e-commerce capability and divesting non-core businesses. While there were mentions on ITCs aspirations over the next eight years to aggressively grow its portfolio of non- tobacco brands into mega-brands, introduce newer brands and taking its mega-brands to international markets, the communication from the company fell short in terms of how and when such diversified business can achieve standalone viability!In effect, ITC needs to aggressively grow its earnings, or profits, from its diversified businesses with clear timelines and communicate the same to the market!Secondly, the most important reason for the value discount is due to the core business ITC is in; the tobacco! Given the inherent risk that could arise from regulatory onslaught on cigarettes, tobacco and potential litigations tobacco business is exposed to, which investor could be wary of. The growing importance of ESG over the last few years is likely to strengthen over the years to come, discounting in ITC valuation could becoming inevitable.ITC has been one of Indian companies that has demonstrated the highest levels of sustainable initiatives in all its businesses for decades; be it Triple bottom line, CSR or be it working at micro level with the villages sustaining more than 6 million livelihoods. Excelling in the areas of climate change, water security, responsible luxury ethos and decarbonization; all of these are not new to the pioneer ITC.In spite of such commendable sustainability efforts for decades, prominent ESG rating agencies like sustanalytics has placed ITC under medium ESG risk category, which is a higher risk that negligible and low ESG risk categories, possibly due to its presence in the tobacco business. MSCI, another ESG rating agency for example has however rated ITC as an ESG leader. In effect there is not much clarity on how precisely ITCs presence and overdependence in tobacco will impact its ESG rating!There are a number of views as to how ITC can unlock value; frequently quoted solutions like demerging diversified businesses of tobacco, agri-products, hotels and paper into standalone companies will fire-wall tobacco assets from other assets. Further such demerger can reduce the cost of capital for other diversified businesses, given the higher risks tobacco business is exposed to. Also, demerger can push managers in demerged companies to scale and attain viability on a stand-alone basis, rather than having the luxury of access to corporate funds!Such arguments are fine and could be effective only when the diversified business have scaled-up into matured businesses with an ability to stand-alone with revenue and profits that can self-sustain. This has not yet happened in ITC; moreover it still seems a long way to go in comparison to its peers!Hence demerger may not be a solution for ITC to unlock value at this stage! Then what is the second solution to address investor concerns and to unlock value?The ESG frameworks and rating agencies are themselves still at nascent stages of precisely understanding the ESG risks, placing an ESG risk value and eventually rating companies on the ESG risk metric. For example, how does being in tobacco business enhances ESG risk for ITC? Does the risk emanate from potential for higher government taxation of the sector and the impact it creates on company through increased price of tobacco products, leading to reduced consumption and lower profits and cash flows?Or, does ITCs ESG risk emanate from potential litigations and class action suits that cigarette companies around the world have faced in the past, that could impair the company, financially? Or does the ESG risk of being in tobacco business arises from negatively impacting the health of the society, or the pollution tobacco and cigarettes create to the environment; precisely where does such ESG risk emanate for ITC? These may get clearer and transparent as ESG framework matures in the future, but not very clear now!In order to unlock value as we speak, I believe the onus lies with ITC and it possibly needs to understand such issues and communicate more to the market as to how it is targeting to manage its tobacco related ESG risks in the medium to long term. This is not happening now!For example, the annual report of the board of directors for the year 2022 of ITC does not seem to communicate precisely the magnitude of the tobacco dependence problem, i.e., the elephant in the room. Demonstrating ITC doing humungous sustainability initiatives in other businesses is by no means enough! It needs to assess the drivers of tobacco related ESG risks, how such risk will be managed and thereby communicate the same to the investors, rather than remaining silent on this issue! Knowing well that this is the biggest concerns for the investors, more transparent communication by ITC management on this front, will unlock value!
Slovak scientists found more than half the teenagers in their research weren't able to judge if health-related information was genuine or false.

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Teenagers have a problem distinguishing true from false information regarding health, psychologists from the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Comenius University in Bratislava found in recent research.

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The researchers tested 300 secondary school students, aged 16 to 19. They found that just 48 percent of them could identify true information. Teenagers were asked to assess if seven short articles on the health benefits of fruits and vegetables were true or fake.

Unexpected, scientists admit

Adolescents often use the internet, thats why we usually expect they are able to obtain and use online information. However, it seems, the opposite is true, Radomir Masaryk, psychologist and research leader from Comenius University stated.

The students were shown a variety of articles: false, neutral true or true with added elements such as superlatives, clickbait, spelling mistakes or using bold font.

Masaryk and his team found that 41 percent respondents could not tell true information from false, while 11 percent trusted the false information they were given more than the true ones.

Verified brands trusted

Teenagers didnt even find spelling mistakes to be a red flag to judge if the provided information is true or false, the researchers found.

The research also shows that respondents paid attention to the structure, language, and design of the website. They tended to trust reliable organisations, verified brands or serious voices more.
Jozef Bil arrived in America wearing a traditional Slovak folk costume.

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Seated on his grandfathers knees, Jozef Bil gazed intently and impatiently at his grandfather, who was about to start recounting his stories about America.

The grandfather, Jan Bil, worked in Pennsylvanian coal mines for a decade in the 1920s before returning to his homeland of Czechoslovakia for good. After the communists took power, they confiscated the old mans land and farm, which he had bought with the money earned in the USA.

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Son, never stay here, he told his grandson. Leave for America when you grow up. If only you knew the size of the kary (cars) and the height of the bildings (buildings) over there.

The boy was just five and America was, understandably, a new world to him, along with some of the words his grandfather had adopted overseas.

Bil, who is in his early sixties today, says that his grandfather was a broken man because of what the communists had done to him. That is why he wanted him to have a better life elsewhere. Bil kept the promise he had given to his grandfather: he left for America as a grown-up man.

Im two metres tall, and I work in a supertall residential skyscraper, says the New York City-based construction site supervisor.

Jozef Bil wears a Slovak traditional costume, "kroj", in Pittsburgh. (Source: Courtesy of Jozef Bil)

His American adventure started more than 30 years ago, in May 1990, with a hammer, screwdriver, and his Saris kroj  traditional folk clothing unique for almost every Slovak region.

Work for the worlds richest man

Bil is speaking to The Slovak Spectator from Central Park Tower, the worlds tallest residential tower situated on Billionaires Row in Middle Manhattan. Here he is overseeing the renovation of a yacht in the clouds on the 118th floor - a penthouse whose interior will look like a yacht and whose walls will be leathery. He claims that he loves his job.

As a builder, Ive worked my way up, the Slovak says.

Having worked on different construction jobs for a decade after his arrival in America, Bil decided to run his own business in 2001 and established XL Renovation & Painting Corp., a firm that renovated apartments and townhouses in New York City. When growth in the construction sector somewhat decelerated in 2017, Bil was forced to shut down his firm.

Experienced in his field, he was soon approached by the renowned firm SilverLining Inc., which renovates high-end properties in New York City. The Slovak has become a steady part of the company and is in charge of several of its most important and most expensive renovation projects.

Apart from the yacht project, he renovated a townhouse for the granddaughter of one of the owners of Hewlett-Packard.

In the past, I also worked on a penthouse for the richest man in the world, Bil says. He cannot name him for legal reasons.

The value of the firms projects ranges from $1 million to $50 million.

As a construction site supervisor, Bil insists on professionalism from every one he works with. However, his communication and relations with workers are often casual. He likes to joke.

A view from Central Park Tower, the world's tallest residential building in NYC. (Source: Courtesy of Jozef Bil)

Over the years, he has met workers from different countries and can thus compare their approach to work.

Europeans have more zeal in climbing up the ladder compared to Americans, asserts the Slovak. He has noticed a similar drive in the case of people from the Caribbean.

Rifle: a gun and jeans

Bil himself remembers his first days on American soil like it was yesterday. With his friend, Laco, they hopped off the plane wearing kroje in the hope that someone from the Slovak community would recognise their costumes and them as Slovaks, giving them a hand.

A young Slovak travelling back to Slovakia gave them a few tips, Bil says, but they did not prevent them from becoming homeless for the night.

We spent the first night on a bench outside John F. Kennedy Airport after security guards kicked us out of the airport, the Slovak recalled.

With a few learned English phrases, they got on a bus to Manhattan the next morning and headed to Pennsylvania, a US state with a strong Slovak community in the bygone days. In Pittsburgh, they landed their first renovation job thanks to the Slovak Honorary Consul for Pennsylvania, Joe Senko. The consul himself has roots in eastern Slovakia, just like Bil, who comes from Bartosovce in the Bardejov District.

A view from the 118th floor of Central Park Tower in NYC. (Source: Courtesy of Jozef Bil)

As time went by, Bil continued to drill his English skills. He didn't avoid hilarious misunderstandings. One Sunday afternoon he asked Pamela, Senkos secretary, where he could buy rifle as winter approached. Pamela was shocked by their idea of getting, as she thought, a gun.

When I looked up a rifle in the dictionary, I learnt that its a completely different thing from the Slovak rifle (jeans), Bil laughs.

He nonetheless admits that it was traumatic not being able to speak English at the beginning.

$300 in a pocket

Today it is America that Bil calls home, even if he loves Slovakia and considers it a beautiful country, especially its forests.

I feel like a foreigner there [Slovakia], he confessed.

Unlike him, his siblings continue to live in Slovakia.

In New York City, the Slovak finds everything in one place, be it different cuisines or a vibrant cultural life. He has friends there. Every day he gets on his folding bike and rides from Queens to Manhattan where he works in the field that he studied and has always loved working in.

Nonetheless, he points out that America has changed, and New York City is more dangerous.

I love the city, but I carefully choose where I enjoy my evening out.

The easy-going Slovak does not forget about the Slovak community in the Big Apple, of which he is a vital part as he sings popular Slovak and Czech songs, plays the guitar and writes his own music.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/Wi9aS88uqos

More than a decade ago, he became a YouTube sensation in Slovakia after he released The Facebook Song.

A lot of people found themselves in that song, claims Bil, who is a Facebook user no more.

When asked about whether there is anything else he would still like to achieve, he said no.

I came to the USA with $300 in cash, and I succeeded in a land that I hadnt known much and whose language I hadnt spoken, the Slovak has concluded, praising Americans for being so welcoming.

This article was published with the support of a grant from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. The project idea came from Kristina Sojakova who works for IBM in NYC and co-runs the Slovak Professionals in New York group.
Karel Hirman says we need protective mechanisms.

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Both businesses and households are still awaiting government solutions to the energy crisis. While households are most likely to be protected by the capping of energy prices, the state wants to help companies by compensation. The question is where to get money. The state budget is already strained and the transferring of European funds is not yet certain.

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The European Commission is proposing to collect the excess profits of non-gas electricity producers. President Ursula von der Leyen is arguing that production costs are only a fraction of what they collect for the electricity they sell.

The new Economy Minister of Slovakia thinks that Slovakia would not benefit from this model. In his opinion, the creation of a pan-European compensation mechanism is a better solution.

"The money would be in a common fund and distributed among individual states based on calculation," explains KAREL HIRMAN in an interview.

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Last week, the government passed a general economic interest, natural gas and electricity measure. What does it signify?

In regards to the general economic interest (VHZ), it is mainly about the possibility of declaring the regime not just if there is a technical accident or malfunction on the gas pipeline or in the network, but also in case of problems with excessively high prices that make electricity and gas unaffordable.

Should that happen, based on the Economy Ministry's proposal the government can determine the price at which electricity and gas will be supplied to consumers, and at the same time order producers to primarily supply it to Slovak consumers.

In such a case it will be necessary to compensate the affected parties, therefore the conditions for declaring the VHZ and state of emergency have to be precisely defined. Finance Ministry colleagues with experience in arbitration proceedings worked on it.

State of emergency does not mean closing borders

According to the explanatory report, a state of emergency can only be declared if prices on the energy markets will be very high for a long time. What time period and prices are we talking about?

That will be up to the government's decision.

Are we talking weeks or months?

Whether the health and lives of citizens are endangered will be crucial. If prices reach and stay at that level, then hospitals, retirement homes and grocery shops will not be able to pay bills and may be cut off from energy supplies. We will have to intervene. In other words, these are circumstances in which we can intervene even in a possible arbitration.

During a state of emergency, the government will be able to tap into energy commodities such as electricity, crude oil, and natural gas. What will this look like in practice?

We will limit or stop the energy flowing out of Slovakia. The amount will depend on the severity of the situation. Don't forget we are talking about extreme measures as a last resort. However, it was necessary to approve the measures now in order to make it clear to everyone, all society, that we consider the situation to be very serious.

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Will the government be able to use the Dolne Bojanovice natural gas reservoir in the Czech territory?

Its location in the Czech Republic is not a problem. The reservoir is owned by the state utility SPP-Distribucia and has always been connected to the Slovak network. However, it is still true that its main function is to maintain the technical operation of the network, which we respect. Unfortunately, I cannot comment in more detail about how individual measures will be implemented.

What if the Czech Republic closes its energy borders?
https://sputniknews.com/20220927/local-electoral-commissions-referenda-in-kherson-zaporozhye-dpr--lpr-recognized-as-valid-1101288885.html

Local Electoral Commissions: Referenda in Kherson, Zaporozhye, DPR & LPR Recognized as Valid

Local Electoral Commissions: Referenda in Kherson, Zaporozhye, DPR & LPR Recognized as Valid

The referendum on joining Russia started simultaneously on September 23 in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporozhye... 27.09.2022, Sputnik International

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donbass, kherson & zaporozhye referendums to join russia

referendum

independence referendum

russia

kherson

zaporozhe

dpr

lpr

ukraine

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According to the results of processing 100% of the ballots, 98.42% (over 1.6 million people) of the inhabitants of the Lugansk People's Republic voted for joining Russia, Elena Kravchenko, chairwoman of the republic's electoral commission, told reporters on Tuesday evening.The head of the LPR Leonid Pasechnik said upon declaring the results that intimidation by nationalists and shelling by Ukraine could not prevent the referendum from taking place. He added that he is "proud" of his fellow citizens, and that the result is "a victory for us," given that the breakaway republic has been striving toward this goal for "a long eight years."Meanwhile, in the neighboring Donbass republic of Donetsk, based on all of the ballots processed, 99.23% of its residents voted for joining the Russian Federation, according to Vladimir Vysotsky, chairman of the DPR CEC.The total turnout was 97.51% of all registered voters. A total of 2,133,326 voters took part in the voting.Vysorsky pointed out that only 0.68% voted against accession to Russia during the five-day referendum. The central electoral commission of the republic declared the referendum valid, as the chairman stated that there were no complaints about irregularities in the referendum at the time of determining the results of the vote.The republic's head, Denis Pushilin, said that the referendum has officially been held,and it's results are "colossal."Pushilin added that after the results of the referendum were announced, the agreement would be signed and ratified by the State Duma and the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, the lower and the upper chambers of the nation's parliament.In the Kherson region, located just north of the Crimean peninsula, per the local central electoral commission, as 100% of the votes were processed, a total of 87.05% of the inhabitants voted for joining the Russian Federation.Per Marina Zakharova, chairwoman of the regional electoral commission, a total number of 497,051 participants in the referendum said "Yes" to the question put forward at the referendum: "Are you for the withdrawal of the Kherson region from Ukraine, the formation of an independent state by the Kherson region and its entry into the Russian Federation as a constituent entity of the Russian Federation?" The number far exceeds 50% of the votes required to pass the referendum.In total, 571,001 people took part in the referendum in the Kherson region, which is 76.86% of the list of voters there. Members of the commission unanimously voted for the recognition of the referendum as valid and approved the voting results.And in the Zaporozhye region, after processing 100% of the referendum ballots, 93.11% of voters supported reunification with Russia, said the head of the regional electoral committee, Galina Katyushchenko. According to the local CEC, there were also no major violations or any irregularities during the referendum.Following the referendum, the region de facto withdrew from Ukraine and is waiting for the decision of Moscow on admitting it, the region's head Evgeny Balitsky told reporters on Tuesday evening, adding that the local authorities have already submitted the formal application to the Russian government.'Welcome Home, to Russia'Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, former President Dmitry Medvedev claimed in his post on Telegram that the results of the referenda are "clear."In turn, the DPR head Pushilin said that in terms of the local authorities' next steps, everything is proceeding according to plan, and the plan is to become part of Russia.Earlier this month, the local public movements addressed the regional authorities with an initiative to immediately hold referendums. According to representatives of the republics and regions, joining Russia will secure their territories and restore historical justice. In their opinion, this decision is extremely necessary amid the constant acts of terror by the nationalist authorities of Ukraine and NATO members, who supply Kiev with weapons to kill civilians. Russian President Putin said that Moscow will support the decision made by the residents of the Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.As for the republics of Donbass, on February 21 this year, Putin announced the recognition of the sovereignty of the LPR and the DPR. He asked the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (Russia's bicameral parliament) to support this decision and then ratify the Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance with the republics of Donbass.Back in 2014. when the conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted, both the DPR and the LPR held referenda on self-determination on May 11, 2014, amid the military operation launched by the Ukrainian authorities in April of the same year against the Donbass.96.2% of the referendum participants voted for self-determination of the LPR, while 89.7% voted the same in the DPR. The next day, May 12, 2014, the state sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics was proclaimed.

https://sputniknews.com/20220927/moscow-releases-first-results-of-referendum-voting-at-russian-polling-stations-1101279951.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220924/poll-shows-landslide-support-for-joining-russia-in-zaporozhye-kherson-and-donbass-amid-referendums-1101184066.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220927/south-african-ex-president-zuma-reportedly-considering-political-comeback-after-imprisonment-1101289890.html

South African Ex-President Zuma Reportedly Considering Political Comeback After Imprisonment

South African Ex-President Zuma Reportedly Considering Political Comeback After Imprisonment

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma does not rule out his political comeback after serving time in jail, eNCA broadcaster reported on... 27.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-27T21:29+0000

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2022-09-27T21:26+0000

africa

south africa

jacob zuma

president

jail time

african national congress (anc)

parole

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The ex-president said that some members of the African National Congress (ANC) party had asked him to consider proposing his candidacy for the position of National Chairperson ahead of the upcoming election, the broadcaster reported, adding that 80-year-old Zuma did not rule out accepting the call. Zuma began serving his prison sentence in the summer of 2021. The ex-president was sentenced to 15 months in jail for failing to show up at an inquiry into corruption during his time in office. In early September 2021, the South African government's department of correctional services reported that Zumas parole had been impelled by a medical report without providing any details about the nature of his illness.Scandals regularly occurred around Zuma during his political career but the main issue centered around corruption allegations. In 1999, Zuma was appointed vice president of South Africa; however, in 2005, President Thabo Mbeki dismissed him due to the first corruption scandal. It turned out that back in 1999, Zuma participated in a $5 billion arms purchase deal, and some of this money, according to the investigation, was found in the accounts of the vice president. In December 2007, South Africa's high court dropped all charges against Zuma.In 2014, when Zuma became president again after another victory of the ANC party in the elections, the opposition demanded his resignation and did so five times during his second term. Zuma was accused of embezzling $16 million on his private homestead. The opposition has collected data on 783 episodes of corruption, extortion and fraud when concluding state contracts for the purchase of weapons. In February 2018, Zuma took early retirement. Zuma has repeatedly denied his guilt, claiming that all monetary transactions were monitored by government intelligence services.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/apple-explains-that-it-blocked-russian-social-media-vk-app-to-comply-with-uk-sanctions-1101314847.html

Apple Explains That It Blocked Russian Social Media VK App to Comply With UK Sanctions

Apple Explains That It Blocked Russian Social Media VK App to Comply With UK Sanctions

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Apple Store has blocked the app of VK, the leading Russian social media network, to get in line with UK sanctions on Russia, an Apple... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T14:17+0000

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On Tuesday, VK stated that Apple users could no longer download or update their app and directed them to use their web page instead.The day before, the UK government announced new sanctions on certain Russian citizens in retalation for the recent referendums in Ukraine, including 23 individuals from the Gazprombank board of directors and management board. The bank, via its daughter company Gazprom Media, is a major shareholder of VK.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/argentina-in-2025-may-export-about-200000-tonnes-of-lithium---ypf-litio-1101292610.html

Argentina in 2025 May Export About 200,000 Tonnes of Lithium - YPF Litio

Argentina in 2025 May Export About 200,000 Tonnes of Lithium - YPF Litio

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Argentina, which has one of the largest reserves of lithium in the world, can export about 200,000 tonnes of the product in 2025... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T00:31+0000

2022-09-28T00:31+0000

2022-09-28T00:27+0000

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lithium

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The company will start exploration for lithium next month in the province of Catamarca. This will be the country's first project owned by a national company."Just imagine, each tonne of lithium carbonate today costs $70,000... Argentina could have about 200,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate for export in 2025," Salvaressa said.According to him, there are about 20 lithium projects in Argentina, almost all of them are developed by foreign companies.In March 2022, Canada's Alpha Lithium suspended a deal to sell to Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom's Uranium One Holding (U1H) a stake in a joint project to develop the Tollilar lithium deposit in Argentina.Argentina, Bolivia and Chile have the largest reserves of lithium in the world. Bolivia intends to launch the first plant for the production of lithium carbonate next year, designed, among other things, for deliveries to Russia and China, Vice Minister of High Technologies Alvaro Arnes earlier told Sputnik.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/big-bada-boom-italian-satellite-releases-first-images-on-nasas-dart-spacecraft-hitting-asteroid-1101295117.html

Big Bada Boom! Italian Satellite Releases First Images on NASA's DART Spacecraft Hitting Asteroid

Big Bada Boom! Italian Satellite Releases First Images on NASA's DART Spacecraft Hitting Asteroid

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) project, which was a significant turning point in NASA's planetary defense program, was the first time humans had... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T04:17+0000

2022-09-28T04:17+0000

2022-09-28T04:14+0000

science & tech

nasa

nasa probe

space

space exploration

meteor

meteoroid

explosion

space explosion

photo

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The first pictures of the immediate aftermath of NASA's first-ever experiment on Monday, which involved crashing a spaceship into an asteroid, were made public by the Italian space agency on Tuesday. The images were taken by the agency's LICIACube micro-satellite, which had two cameras and was launched by DART a few days before impact. Just a few minutes after the collision, the little satellite flew by asteroid Dimorphos, which was the target of the impact, to gather the pictures. The photos show what looks to be a crater and large ejecta streaks, which are surface debris on Dimorphos.Despite the rarity of asteroid collisions, a large space rock's impact could cause significant local or regional devastation. The intention of the impact was to alter the orbit of the moonlet asteroid Dimorphos around the larger space rock Didymos. Neither poses a threat to our planet anytime in the future. About 11 million kilometers separate the Earth from this pair of asteroids. Before the collision, experts predicted that the DART crash would blast between 9,979 and 99,790 kilograms of ejecta into space and carve a crater on the asteroid.More photographs of the collision's aftermath may be published since the Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope, and other ground telescopes were aimed at the system to observe the impact.To precisely assess how much the impact changed Dimorphos' orbit around Didymos, weeks of observation of the asteroid pair will be necessary, according to NASA.

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An original Chinese dance drama, Sing A Song for the Party, by Beijing Dance Academy, will be staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Oct 7 and 8.

The dance drama will open the NCPA's annual program, Spring Flowers and Autumn Fruits  Chinese Art Schools Week, which gathers performances staged by Chinese art schools with low ticket prices catering to art lovers.

The dance drama is to mark the 70th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet autonomous region by telling stories of families in Tibet who witnessed and experienced the liberation. Traditional songs and dances from the Tibetan ethnic group are featured in the dance drama.

Since the first Spring Flowers and Autumn Fruits  Chinese Art Schools Week, which was launched by the NCPA in 2008, Beijing Dance Academy has participated in the program 12 times with 15 theatrical productions, produced and performed by over 2,000 students and teachers from the school.

This year, the program will have nine Chinese art schools stage 11 performances, covering a diversity of art forms, such as music, dance and traditional Chinese operas.
https://sputniknews.com/20220928/china-in-the-crosshairs-why-natos-next-line-of-defense-will-be-south-china-sea-1101312790.html

China in the Crosshairs: Why NATO's Next 'Line of Defense' Will be South China Sea

China in the Crosshairs: Why NATO's Next 'Line of Defense' Will be South China Sea

NATO will soon draw a new "defense line" across the South China Sea, warned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the 77th UN General Assembly. Chinese and... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T13:25+0000

2022-09-28T13:25+0000

2022-09-28T13:25+0000

opinion & analysis

us

nato

china

asia & pacific

xi jinping

south china sea

taiwan

taiwan strait

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"NATO is still dominated by the United States, and its center of gravity shifts in accordance with the US major strategic course," explained Chen Xiangmiao, expert of the China Institute of the South China Sea. "The US and the West are turning their strategic focus to the regions close to China with the aim to contain Beijing, because they are worrying about China's growing influence."Signs of NATO shifting into the Asia-Pacific region have been emerging since 2018 when the UK, Germany and France started to expand their influence there, including in the South China Sea, according to Chen.The recent tensions over the Taiwan Strait indicated that NATO members are also gradually shifting their focus and are increasingly expressing their own position on this issue, he noted.In early August, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island of Taiwan  which is considered an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China by Beijing  despite vocal opposition by the Chinese leadership. Following Pelosi's controversial trip, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) kicked off unprecedented military drills around the island.On September 7, a group of French lawmakers landed in Taipei - becoming the first high-level western delegation since the US House speaker's visit. According to island authorities, it was the fourth visit by French politicians over the past 12 months. Earlier, the UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee signaled willingness to visit Taiwan in November or early December, according to the Taipei Times.Likewise, Taiwans de facto ambassador to Berlin, Shieh Jhu-Wey, praised what he called "the start of a shift by Germany towards a more assertive stance on China," as quoted by Reuters. Shieh also made a vague hint about improvements in Berlin's attitude to the island of Taiwan.The Chinese scholar likewise drew attention to the UK, French and German efforts to expand their military presence in the Asia-Pacific region: "We can see the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, and the German destroyer Bayern and the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle deployed in the Asia-Pacific region," he highlighted."What's more, Britain and Germany actually want to turn their military activities in the Indo-Pacific region into a new 'normal'," Chen emphasized. "The United Kingdom sends its destroyers there. Germany has also expressed a desire to have a military presence in the Indo-Pacific region. And while their military forces are not based in the countries surrounding the South China Sea, we understand that they are targeting the tense areas in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait."In addition, three Anglophone countries have formed the AUKUS, a trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK and the US for the Asia-Pacific region, the Chinese expert said, adding that Britain and other western states are simultaneously building bilateral mechanisms for cooperation in the field of military security with regional players.NATO Security Doctrine Sees China as Longtime 'Systemic Challenge'Meanwhile, NATO's security doctrine has been undergoing change in recent years employing a tougher tone towards China.From its inception in 1949, NATO's main adversary was the Soviet Union, and then Russia. However, China's rapid rise prompted Washington to announce the "Pivot to Asia" under President Barack Obama and further shift its focus to the Asia-Pacific region under successive administrations.In 2021, NATO unveiled its 2030 security doctrine openly calling Russia and China its two looming threats. During the June 2021 Summit in Brussels, NATO leaders "agreed on the need to address the challenges posed by Chinas growing influence and international policies, and to engage with China to defend NATOs security interests," according to the alliance's official website.During the June 2022 Madrid Summit, NATO put forward a new blueprint for the future, singling out the People's Republic of China as a longstanding "systemic challenge" for the Euro-Atlantic security through purported "malicious hybrid and cyber operations," and "[attempts] to control key technological and industrial sectors, critical infrastructure, and strategic materials and supply chains."While Russia was labeled as "the most significant and direct threat to Allies security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area," the alliance emphasized that Beijing's "ambitions and coercive policies challenge [the alliance's] interests, security and values. () The deepening strategic partnership between the Peoples Republic of China and the Russian Federation and their mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut the rules-based international order run counter to our values and interests," the NATO 2022 strategic concept claimed.US-China Relations: Washington is Raising Stakes"Sooner or later, there will be a confrontation between the United States and China, the question is when and how. I think that the South China Sea will become the next line of defense for NATO no sooner than in 5-10 years," suggested the former director of the Institute for Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, Major General Le Van Cuong.The major general believes that over the next ten years, China will try to avoid a direct confrontation with the US, since the war could become "very disadvantageous" for Beijing in both political and economic terms. For its part, the US is not capable of thwarting a rapidly growing China.However, there is no doubt that the US is determined to step up pressure on Beijing in the near term, according to Le Van Cuong. For that reason, the US Seventh Fleet continues to hold the so-called freedom of navigation operations (FONOP) in the South China Sea while Washington interferes with China's attempts to settle the ongoing maritime dispute with other regional claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The dispute over the South China Sea involves conflicting island and maritime claims by the regional players.In order to further increase pressure on Beijing, the US formed the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) together with Japan, Australia, and India. The organization was established under the Trump administration in 2017 and is sometimes referred to as Asia-Pacifics "NATO."In May 2022, the leaders of the United States, Japan, India and Australia met in Tokyo and unveiled an Asia-Pacific maritime surveillance initiative  the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA). The declared aim of the new endeavor is to work with regional partners to respond to humanitarian and natural disasters and combat illegal fishing.While not mentioning China by name, the Quad's statement read that it "strongly oppose[s] any coercive, provocative or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo" in the Asia Pacific, accusations routinely leveled by western politicians and mainstream press against China.However, contrary to the efforts and tough statements issued by Washington, the other members of the Quad are rather cautious about the idea of an "Asian NATO," according to the major general. India is a leading country in the non-aligned movement and is interested in issues related to common interests such as maritime security, cooperation against terrorism, etc. On the other hand, heavy dependence on the Chinese market causes Australia to drag its feet about joining a formal military alliance against China.Nonetheless, China is monitoring the maneuvers of the US, NATO and their Asia-Pacific allies closely. Last week Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the necessity for further reforming the countrys armed forces while directing the military to focus on combat readiness. Xi said that over the past decade, China was able to "solve long-standing systemic obstructions, structural incongruities, and policy issues in the development of national defense and the armed forces," as quoted by the Chinese Defense Ministry.

https://sputniknews.com/20220920/chinese-foreign-minister-nancy-pelosis-sneaky-taiwan-visit-undermined-sino-us-relations-1101017088.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220810/new-zealand-could-eventually-join-aukus-us-deputy-secretary-of-state-wendy-sherman-1099438820.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220522/chinas-pacific-security-pacts-a-response-to-the-quad-threat-us-taiwan-rapprochement-1095702948.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220725/south-china-sea-not-a-safari-park-for-countries-outside-the-region-chinese-foreign-minister-says-1097773901.html

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us, nato, china, asia & pacific, xi jinping, south china sea, taiwan, taiwan strait
https://sputniknews.com/20220928/eu-reportedly-considers-shipping-ban-on-russian-oil-amid-price-cap-1101307557.html

EU Reportedly Mulls Shipping Ban on Russian Oil Amid Price Cap

EU Reportedly Mulls Shipping Ban on Russian Oil Amid Price Cap

Last month, Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak slammed the G7's decision to introduce a price cap on Russian oil as absurd, warning that Moscow... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T12:00+0000

2022-09-28T12:00+0000

2022-09-28T12:05+0000

world

russia

ukraine

eu

oil

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The EU is considering adding shipping restrictions to its oil sanctions against Moscow as Brussels continues to discuss the introduction of a price cap on Russian oil, Bloomberg has quoted unnamed sources as saying.They added that the bloc would have to change its earlier anti-Russian sanctions to allow for shipping and services to continue within an agreed price cap, something that all 27 EU member states have yet to support.According to the insiders, several details still need to be settled, including the price the allies would set for the cap. They said that the previously adopted EU restrictions enter into force on December 5, but could affect physical oil trading well before then because of the time it takes to hire vessels and get cargoes to their destinations."Peskov Warns Against Price Cap on Russian Oil The claims follow Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters earlier this month that the G7 plans for a price cap on Russian oil will substantially destabilize oil markets.Peskov also said that Russian oil not delivered to Europe will be supplied to those countries that respect market conditions via alternative routes.The Kremlin spokesman referred to a recent remark by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak that Moscow will not deliver oil or oil products to countries that support the idea of capping the price of Russian oil.This came after the Russian Embassy in the US warned that the price cap on Russian oil only threatens to further collapse the oil market, which is already struggling to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic.During their summit in June, G7 members issued a communique noting that the oil price cap scheme could be implemented through options such as allowing Russian seaborne crude oil and petroleum products to be shipped worldwide, but only if they are purchased at or below an agreed-upon price threshold.In March, US President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian oil, natural gas and coal imports, and the UK followed suit, declaring a halt of imports of Russian oil and petroleum products starting in early 2023.The European Union has said it will block most Russian oil imports by the end of 2022. The decisions were part of severe sanctions that were imposed on Russia by the US and its allies shortly after the beginning of Moscows special operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine on February 24.

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russia, ukraine, eu, oil
https://sputniknews.com/20220928/fbi-misused-swat-team-to-arrest-jan-6-protesters-whistleblower-says-1101317560.html

FBI Misused SWAT Team to Arrest Jan. 6 Protesters, Whistleblower Says

FBI Misused SWAT Team to Arrest Jan. 6 Protesters, Whistleblower Says

An FBI whistleblower submitted a complaint to the Office of Special Counsel alleging that the federal agency and Department of Justice (DoJ) have violated... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T15:55+0000

2022-09-28T15:55+0000

2022-09-28T15:55+0000

opinion & analysis

us

fbi

donald trump

mar-a-lago

doj

joe biden

whistleblower

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Special Agent Stephen M. Friend informed the US Office of Special Counsel, a permanent independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency, about alleged violations by the bureau and DoJ in a whistleblower complaint obtained by US media outlet Just the News earlier this week. Friend works for the FBI in Florida and serves as a SWAT team member.In particular, Friend cited an inappropriate use of SWAT teams to arrest subjects for misdemeanor offenses related to the January 6 protests in DC. According to the complaint, the agent suggested alternatives such as "the issuance of a court summons or utilizing surveillance groups to determine an optimal, safe time for a local sheriff deputy to contact the subjects and advise them about the existence of the arrest warrant."Nonetheless, one of Friend's bosses told him that "FBI executive management considered all potential alternatives and determined the SWAT takedown was the appropriate course of action."Last year, Julie Kelly, a political commentator, author and senior contributor to American Greatness (AG), described numerous cases when January Sixers were raided by SWAT teams despite not being accused of any violent crime or having a criminal record. Many of the defendants were also interrogated with no lawyer present, according to Kelly.In one case on June 24, 2021, the FBI arrested a Florida pastor and his son for their alleged involvement in the January 6 protest, according to American Greatness. The son, Casey Cusick, was handcuffed in front of his three-year-old daughter, while Cusicks father, James, the founder and pastor of a church in Melbourne, Florida, also was arrested. Neither of the Cusicks were accused of violent crimes related to the DC incident.Joseph Bolanos, a 69-year-old New Yorker and former Red Cross volunteer was raided in February 2021 by the FBI anti-terrorism task force because a tipster falsely linked him to the January 6 Capitol hill protest. The old man remained handcuffed and detained for three hours before the problem was resolved.Agent Friend noted in his whistleblower complaint that he believes that the January 6 investigation has involved "overzealous charging by the DOJ and biased jury pools in Washington DC".The whistleblower likewise revealed that the FBI field office in Washington DC was opening Capitol riot cases in other field offices across the US, thus creating "a false data trail" suggesting a nationwide domestic extremism emergency when in reality the cases all stemmed from the Capitol breach in one city: Washington.As a result of this apparent manipulation, agents in field offices across the country are being listed as case agents for search and arrest warrants for subjects they actually had not investigated, according to Friend.To complicate matters further, the FBI deprioritized other investigations of serious crimes like child sex exploitation for the sake of January 6 investigation, according to the whistleblower: "I was also told that child sexual abuse material investigations were no longer an FBI priority and should be referred to local law enforcement agencies," the agent wrote.Mar-a-Lago Raid, Hunter Biden & MidtermsSpeaking to Just the News, GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio confirmed that his office had communicated with Friend and is aware of his complaint. The Republican lawmakers raised concerns about the FBI's usage of excessive force both in raids against January Sixers and the bureau's latest searches of former President Donald Trump's premises in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, which took place on August 8.The DoJ dispatched a whopping 30 FBI agents to raid Trump's home. However, Jonathan Turley, Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University, wondered if the FBI's sudden intrusion was really justified given that Trump's team had previously cooperated with the DoJ and complied with a federal subpoena.On August 14, GOP Rep. Jordan told Fox News that 14 FBI whistleblowers had come forward with concerns about the DoJ's alleged political bias in the wake of the FBI's Mar-a-Lago raid.Earlier, a number of FBI whistleblowers reportedly informed Republican congressmembers that the bureau and the Department of Justice had selectively launched investigations into conservative-aligned individuals and exhibited a pattern of political bias. On July 25, Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley accused FBI officials of pursuing "politically charged investigations" related to the Trump campaign while downplaying and discrediting negative information concerning Joe Biden and his son Hunter.Not only Republicans are concerned with the FBI and DoJ's apparent political bias: on July 23, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called out the Biden administration, for "shamelessly weaponz[ing]" federal law enforcement agencies into a "political hit squad."Ranking Republican lawmakers have been reportedly conducting investigations into the DoJ and the FBI which could take on a new significance if the GOP wins the majority in the House and the Senate after the November midterms.

https://sputniknews.com/20210706/domestic-terrorists-or-political-prisoners-fbi-on-911-style-hunting-spree-for-january-sixers-1083321129.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220120/political-witch-hunt-dems-stepping-up-efforts-to-prosecute-donald-trump-ahead-of-2022-midterms-1092402530.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220822/fbis-trump-raid-us-turning-into-one-party-banana-dictatorship-under-biden-ex-reagan-official-says-1099872341.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220723/how-bannons-conviction-opens-door-to-gops-sweet-revenge-on-hunter-and-joe-biden-1097729963.html

mar-a-lago

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us, fbi, donald trump, mar-a-lago, doj, joe biden, whistleblower
https://sputniknews.com/20220928/frances-le-pen-urges-international-organizations-to-investigate-nord-stream-sabotage-1101305896.html

France's Le Pen Urges International Organizations to Investigate Nord Stream 'Sabotage'

France's Le Pen Urges International Organizations to Investigate Nord Stream 'Sabotage'

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - International organizations must investigate the gas leak in Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines and identify those responsible for the... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T10:39+0000

2022-09-28T10:39+0000

2022-09-28T10:39+0000

russia

europe

france

nord stream pipeline

sabotage

marine le pen

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On Monday, Nord Stream AG told Sputnik that a dispatcher had registered a rapid drop of pressure in one of the segments of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The incident occurred in the Danish waters near the island of Bornholm. Later in the day, the operator said that the pressure drop had also been registered on both strings of Nord Stream 1.On Tuesday, gas pipeline operator Nord Stream AG said that it was impossible to estimate when the Nord Stream pipelines could resume their operation, but noted that all resources were involved in assessing the damage.The cause of the incidents remains unknown and an investigation is underway. Earlier in the day, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said that the disruption was caused by detonations, which indicates that it was sabotage.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/german-opposition-leader-apologizes-over-welfare-tourism-remark-on-ukrainian-refugees-1101298212.html

German Opposition Leader Apologizes Over Welfare Tourism Remark on Ukrainian Refugees

German Opposition Leader Apologizes Over Welfare Tourism Remark on Ukrainian Refugees

About one million Ukrainian refugees has entered Germany since the beginning of Russia's special operation in Ukraine on February 24. The refugees are... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T09:45+0000

2022-09-28T09:45+0000

2022-09-28T09:45+0000

world

germany

poland

ukraine

russia

refugees

special operation

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German opposition leader Friedrich Merz has apologized for accusing Ukrainian refugees of taking advantage of his countrys social welfare system by seeking protection in Germany, gaining benefits and then returning to Ukraine.Far be it from me to criticize refugees from Ukraine, who are facing a hard fate, he added, a day after his welfare tourism remarks during an interview with Bild TV were criticized by Twitter users on Monday.Merz also told Bild TV that that a large number of the Ukrainian refugees registered in Germany were, in fact, milking the state, referring to a problem here thats getting worse.Germany has taken in almost one million refugees from Ukraine since Russia launched its special military operation in the country on February 24. The refugees are allowed to get a special status that entitles them to certain social benefits, medical care, accommodation, and access to integration courses.In a separate development this week, Wojciech Bakun, the mayor of the Polish city of Przemysl located near the Ukrainian border, wrote on Facebook that some Ukrainian refugees were engaged in an organized system of extorting social benefits.Then, in an organized transport, they return to Ukraine, the Przemysl mayor added.He bemoaned the fact that Poland, which is grappling with about four million Ukrainian refugees, has no instruments to prevent their behavior, wondering why Warsaw hasnt yet noticed the problem of draining the Polish social assistance system. Unlike Merz, Bakun preferred not to extend apologies for his remarks.The Polish media outlet Kresy earlier reported that many Ukrainian refugees leave Poland for almost 30 days but then return before that deadline in order to keep their status in the Eastern Europe nation.

https://sputniknews.com/20220627/ukrainian-women-refugees-targeted-by-sexual-predators-and-traffickers-1096718125.html

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germany, poland, ukraine, russia, refugees, special operation
https://sputniknews.com/20220928/iranian-revolutionary-guard-says-will-continue-air-strikes-against-kurds-in-northern-iraq-1101318525.html

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Says Will Continue Air Strikes Against Kurds in Northern Iraq

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Says Will Continue Air Strikes Against Kurds in Northern Iraq

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran announced on Wednesday the continuation of air strikes in northern Iraq against... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T17:24+0000

2022-09-28T17:24+0000

2022-09-28T17:24+0000

world

iran

irgc

kurdistan

middle east

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IRGC's military operation in northern Iraq began on Tuesday, when the Iranian military launched several air strikes against Kurdish groups in the region. On Wednesday, the health ministry of Iraqi Kurdistan reported nine deaths, with 30 people injured.The media also noted that the Iranian military was conducting precise air strikes to hit several Iranian-Kurdish opposition parties in the Iraqi Kurdistan, using missiles and drones.In recent days, Iranian officials placed blame for protests in Iran over the death of 22-year old Mahsa Amini on Kurdish groups. Amini was detained by the morality police in Tehran earlier in September for not properly wearing her hijab. She had a heart attack while being in custody and died three days later, which sparked nationwide protests in Iran.

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iran, irgc, kurdistan, middle east
https://sputniknews.com/20220928/labour-mp-suspended-for-calling-chancellor-kwarteng-superficially-black-1101301075.html

Labour MP Suspended For Calling Chancellor Kwarteng 'Superficially Black'

Labour MP Suspended For Calling Chancellor Kwarteng 'Superficially Black'

Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq nowjoins former Labour chief whip Nick Brown, Leicester East MP Claudia Webbe and former party leader leader Jeremy Corbyn... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T10:23+0000

2022-09-28T10:23+0000

2022-09-28T10:23+0000

kwasi kwarteng

uk

british labour party

keir starmer

racism

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The Labour Party has suspended one of its MPs for her "racist" remark that Tory Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng was only "superficially black".Rupa Huq, the MP for Ealing Central and Acton in west London, made the comments at a fringe meeting on Monday at the Labour conference in Liverpool, alongside party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds.An audio recording of the meeting was leaked by political gossip site Guido Fawkes on Tuesday.He went to Eton, I think, he went to a very expensive prep school, all the way through, the top schools in the country," she added.Huq neglected to mention that she herself attended the private Notting Hill and Ealing High School.The MP repeated the "superficial" label as she tried to downplay the Conservative cabinet's ethnic diversity  far greater than that of previous Labour governments."Superficially they've had four brown chancellors and that," she said, referring to Kwarteng and his predecessors Sajid Javid, Rishi Sunak and Nadhim Zahawi.She referred to Sunak as "a little brown guy" as she disparaged black candidates in the recent Tory leadership contest, including fourth-place Kemi Badenoch, the child of Nigerian parents, and new Home Secretary Suella Braverman who is of Afro-Indian descent like Sunak. The meeting, entitled 'Whats Next for Labours Agenda on Race?", was called by the British Future and the Black Equity Organisation. Chairman Sunder Katwala was quick to stress that Kwarteng's conservative politics "doesnt make him not black and I think the Labour Party has to be really careful."Huq's comments prompted an official letter of protest from Tory party chairman Jake Berry to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.After initially telling the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday that she would "stand by" her comments, Huq later issued an apology to Kwarteng."I have today contacted Kwasi Kwarteng to offer my sincere and heartfelt apologies for the comments I made at yesterdays Labour conference fringe meeting," she tweeted. "My comments were ill-judged and I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone affected."Starmer told radio station LBC on Wednesday morning that Huq's comments were "racist" and that the MP would be "dealt with". "She shouldn't have said it. She will be dealt with and I'll be absolutely clear it was racist."Huq joins former Labour chief whip Nick Brown, Leicester East MP Claudia Webbe and Starmer's predecessor as party leader Jeremy Corbyn on the list of suspended or expelled Labour MPs.Brown had the party whip suspended earlier this month after an unspecified allegation was made against him. Webbe was expelled from the party in November 2021 after her conviction for harassing and threatening another woman with whom she believed her boyfriend was having an affair.Corbyn was had both the whip and his party membership suspended in October 2020, along with the whip, over his response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's report into claims of anti-Semitism in Labour's ranks.The Conservative Party conference kicks off in Birmingham next week. Bishop Aukland MP Dehenna Davison handed out "Tory Scum" badges at the 2021 gathering in Manchester in mockery of Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner's comments at the previous week's Labour conference in Brighton.

https://sputniknews.com/20220927/starmer-vows-british-power-to-the-british-people-in-flag-waving-labour-conference-speech-1101284818.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/nicaragua-expels-eu-ambassador-for-interference-with-national-sovereignty---reports-1101319702.html

Nicaragua Expels EU Ambassador for Interference With National Sovereignty - Reports

Nicaragua Expels EU Ambassador for Interference With National Sovereignty - Reports

For more than 40 years, the US has supported terrorist groups inside Nicaragua attempting to undermine the popular education, medical, and other social... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T18:48+0000

2022-09-28T18:48+0000

2022-09-28T18:48+0000

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According to Nicaraguan daily paper Confidencial, the Nicaraguan government has declared the European Union (EU) ambassador to Nicaragua, Bettina Muscheidt, persona non grata, ordering her to leave the country. The report came from a tip by sources linked to the European Parliament.The news comes two days after Charles Michel, the EUs delegate at the United Nations, used the occasion of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to condemn the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and urge him to "return the sovereignty of Nicaragua to the Nicaraguan people" and "restore democracy" in the country.The Nicaraguan authorities must end all repression, including repression against political opponents, clergy, independent media, civil society and human rights defenders, and guarantee full respect for human rights, including freedom of assembly, association, expression, and religion or belief, they added.Western states have opposed the rise of Ortega and the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) since the late 1970s, when the socialist group overthrew the dictatorship of the US-backed Somoza family and implemented a system of popular democracy. When Ortega won re-election in November 2021, the US and its allies declared the results void because several candidates who took part in riots instigated by US-backed groups had their candidacies declared illegal. The US implemented severe sanctions under the aegis of the Nicaraguas Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform (RENACER) Act.Speaking at the UN on Monday, Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada Colindres condemned "colonialist imperialism" and the criminal blockades  the aggressions, called sanctions, illegal, arbitrary, illicit, that highlight the perversion of a system and a model, imperialist and capitalist, that continues and intends to continue 'punishing' and bleeding to the world."It is time to bring the rights of peoples closer to a United Nations Organization that represents us all and that does not submit to the designs of any imperialist power," Moncada said. It is time to ensure that the United Nations Charter, and so many organizations that should serve to bring us together, are valid for everyone and respect the rights of everyone.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/north-korea-reportedly-launches-unidentified-ballistic-missile-toward-south-koreas-waters-1101302967.html

North Korea Reportedly Launches Two Short-Range Ballistic Missiles From Pyongyang

North Korea Reportedly Launches Two Short-Range Ballistic Missiles From Pyongyang

The missile launches come ahead of US Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Seoul, which is scheduled for Thursday. 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

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North Korea fired "two short-range ballistic missiles from Pyongyang," South Korean news agency Yonhap said on Wednesday, citing the national military.Earlier in the day, the news agency reported that a ballistic missile was launched by North Korea toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan), citing South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).The office of the Japanese Prime Minister also confirmed the launch, without providing any immediate details. Later, the maritime security service, citing the Japanese Defense Ministry, confirmed that the missile had fallen.The launches come in the wake of the Thursday visit to Seoul by US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is currently in Tokyo. North Korea has not immediately commented on the situation.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/norway-sharpens-preparedness-on-continental-shelf-after-possible-sabotage-of-nord-stream-pipelines-1101296122.html

Norway Sharpens Preparedness on Continental Shelf After 'Possible Sabotage' of Nord Stream Pipelines

Norway Sharpens Preparedness on Continental Shelf After 'Possible Sabotage' of Nord Stream Pipelines

The destruction registered simultaneously on both strings of the Nord Stream offshore gas pipeline in the Baltic has been called unprecedented by the... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T06:28+0000

2022-09-28T06:28+0000

2022-09-28T06:28+0000

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Norway is stepping up preparedness on its continental shelf following the leaks in the Baltic pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2, Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland said.This is being carried out in close contact between the government, the police, the Norwegian Armed Forces and operators on the Norwegian continental shelf, Aasland told national broadcaster NRK after interrupting his visit to Poland. He also stressed that the authorities are closely monitoring the situation.Earlier, unknown drone activity around Norwegian oil platforms was reported.Geir Hagen Karlsen, lieutenant colonel and researcher at the Norwegian Defense Academy, ventured that the Norwegian gas supply probably was the biggest and strategically most important sabotage target in entire Europe, given the Scandinavian country's role as a supplier. According to him, a sabotage attempt can be made in several ways, including divers, submarines, unmanned vessels or cyber attacks against land-based installations.Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre said that sabotage against the two gas pipelines from Russia to Germany off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea was likely.When we have seen pictures of the leaks and explosions have been recorded on the seabed, it is close enough to believe, Stre told NRK.Earlier, a similar assessment was voiced by the Danish authorities. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the leaks deliberate actions, and not an accident.Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that an investigation is underway and no cause can be ruled out, including possible sabotage. He called the situation completely unprecedented and said it required urgent investigation.We are extremely concerned about this news, Peskov said.Meanwhile, Sweden's National Seismology Centre (SNSN) at Uppsala University said it recorded two explosions at the pipelines on Monday, with one of them being equivalent to 100 kilograms of dynamite.At the same time, operator Nord Stream AG called the recent destruction on the offshore gas pipelines unprecedented, adding that it was impossible to calculate the amount of time needed to rectify it.Radoslaw Sikorski, former Polish Defense Minister and current member of European Parliament, appeared to hint at US involvement, tweeting Thank you, USA. Is this an official statement on this being a terrorist attack?, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova retorted.As one of the main gas supply routes to Europe, the 1,224-kilometer Nord Stream starts in Russia's Vyborg and ends at Germany's Lubmin, with the capacity standing at 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year. The work of the pipeline, which remains filled with gas, has been suspended since the end of August due to issues with the repair of turbines caused by sanctions slapped on Russia by the West in response to its ongoing special military operation in Ukraine.Nord Stream 2 was never turned on, but was filled with gas.

https://sputniknews.com/20220927/watch-gas-leaking-from-nord-stream-pipeline-in-baltic-sea-1101280901.html

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The 18th Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) in Switzerland is zooming in on filmmakers and movies from Hong Kong, with a selection of unique screenings highlighting China's booming film market and promoting cultural exchange between East and West.

"Asia is one of the motors of the movie business. China has overtaken the U.S. as the premium market worldwide," ZFF's artistic director Christian Jungen told Xinhua.

This year's festival takes place from Sept. 22 to Oct. 2 and presents 146 films, including a record 38 world and European premieres.

ZFF is the largest autumn film festival in the German-speaking world. Last year, it attracted over 100,000 spectators and thousands of accredited film and media professionals.

This year's program features a "Hong Kong Window" of new films and classics.

"I have been to Hong Kong many times and it's one of the most exciting film hubs in Asia," said Jungen. "It's a bridge between East and West. They make films which are Asian, Chinese, but at the same time very appealing also to our Zurich or Western audience."

"Chinese cinema really opens a window for us to this massive country with its own long history and culture," he said.

Films are often the first point of inspiration for people to visit a place, he added. "Therefore it's also important to have Chinese films."
https://sputniknews.com/20220928/prince-andrew-likely-to-get-sidelined-further-under-king-charles-reign-media-says-1101307780.html

Prince Andrew Likely to Get Sidelined Further Under King Charles' Reign, Media Says

Prince Andrew Likely to Get Sidelined Further Under King Charles' Reign, Media Says

One royal expert reportedly argued that the only role Prince Andrew may get is Lord High Dogwalker - keeper of the royal corgis." 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T11:33+0000

2022-09-28T11:33+0000

2022-09-28T12:11+0000

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King Charles III's accession to the throne of the United Kingdom may not bode well for Prince Andrew, whose attempts to return to public life and official duties seem somewhat unlikely to succeed in light of his strained relationship with his older brother.According to the Daily Star, Royal expert Nigel Cawthorne suggested that the Duke of Yorks role in public life is essentially over.He also argued that the controversy from the civil sex abuse case launched against Andrew by Virginia Giuffre is unlikely to go away in the near future, even though the case got settled earlier this week and the prince repeatedly denied any wrongdoing on his part.Another royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, also reportedly echoed Cawthornes sentiment, saying about Andrew: "It isn't remotely conceivable he could get his titles and patronages back as there is no public support from him at all."While Prince Andrew currently holds the role of counsellor of state, the newspaper suggests that King Charles may possibly delegate that role to Princess Anne instead, what with the pricky relationship between Andrew and Charles.

https://sputniknews.com/20220912/sick-old-man-prince-andrew-heckled-as-queens-funeral-procession-passes-through-edinburgh---video-1100691005.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/rocket-falls-near-fortified-green-zone-in-iraqi-capital-source-says-1101316879.html

Rocket Falls Near Fortified Green Zone in Iraqi Capital, Source Says

Rocket Falls Near Fortified Green Zone in Iraqi Capital, Source Says

BAGHDAD (Sputnik) - A rocket fell on Wednesday near the heavily guarded Green Zone compound in Baghdad, an Iraqi security source told Sputnik. 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T15:33+0000

2022-09-28T15:33+0000

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There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Qatari news channel reported loud explosions near the parliament building in the security zone.The walled-off Green Zone hosts the Iraqi parliament, the prime minister's residence, the US and UK embassies, as well as the international airport and a military airfield.The US embassy sounded the alarm on Tuesday after a drone was spotted near the Green Zone. It was promptly downed by Iraqi security forces.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/solomon-islands-deals-a-blow-to-us-by-refusing-to-sign-pacific-declaration-report-1101297785.html

Solomon Islands Deals a Blow to US by Refusing to Sign Pacific Declaration: Report

Solomon Islands Deals a Blow to US by Refusing to Sign Pacific Declaration: Report

Leaders from 12 Pacific Island countries are set to join President Joe Biden in the first ever US-Pacific Island Nations Summit starting Wednesday. Chinas... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T08:17+0000

2022-09-28T08:17+0000

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The Solomon Islands has declined to follow other Pacific nations in signing an 11-point declaration following the two-day US-Pacific Island Country Summit," starting Wednesday. President Joe Biden has invited Pacific Island nations to the first-ever summit to forge closer connections amid the growing presence of China in the region.ABC News reported that a large number of Pacific Island leaders have strongly objected to a section of the draft mentioning requirement that Pacific Island states "consult with one another closely on security decisions with regional impacts."The Solomon Islands has particular concerns about the language the draft carries on security issues including those related to the Ukrainian crisis.The Solomon Islands, which switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 2019, has sought more time and parliamentary approval before the signing of the US proposals for the island nations.Federated States of Micronesia President David Panuelo said on Tuesday in Washington that the "vision statement" would cover five thematic areas, including human-centered development, tackling climate change, the geopolitics and security of the Pacific region, commerce, and industry and trade ties.The Pacific leaders have also compared US draft declaration with a similar proposal put forth by China in June. Pacific Island leaders rejected it and asked China to come up with a fresh document.Washington is renewing efforts to remain influential in the Pacific region with an increased diplomatic, security and economic presence. Since China announced its first-ever security pact with the Solomon Islands in April, the Biden administration announced several measures to counter Beijing's influence. In June, the White House launched the "Partners in the Blue Pacific" initiative with the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, aiming to "forge closer connections with Pacific governments."

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/this-is-world-war-pope-francis-calls-to-investigate-dynamics-behind-conflict-in-ukraine-1101320919.html

Pope Francis Calls to 'Investigate Dynamics' Behind Conflict in Ukraine

Pope Francis Calls to 'Investigate Dynamics' Behind Conflict in Ukraine

The pontiff argued that the conflict in question is not akin to a cowboy movie where there are good guys and bad guys, and that it would be wrong to think... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T18:58+0000

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Pope Francis has cautioned people against adopting a simplistic view of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.According to the National Catholic Reporter, the pontiff shared his thoughts on the subject during a September 15 meeting with 19 Jesuits working in Russia, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan.He also advocated trying to understand the factors that contributed to provoking the conflict in question, remarking that "war is like a marriage, in a sense."The meeting between the Pope and the Jesuits took place during his visit to Kazakhstan earlier this month, with a transcript of his remarks in Italian released this week by the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/uk-reportedly-pulling-700-troops-from-estonia-by-christmas-not-sending-replacements-1101317243.html

UK Reportedly Pulling 700 Troops From Estonia by Christmas, Not Sending Replacements

UK Reportedly Pulling 700 Troops From Estonia by Christmas, Not Sending Replacements

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - The UK is bringing home in December a 700-strong battalion from its NATO partner Estonia with no plans to replace it, leaving 900 service... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T15:48+0000

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"The additional battle group was always a temporary deployment. Our commitment to NATO in response to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine is total," UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said regarding the December withdrawal, as quoted by the newspaper.The British Army had announced on February 18 via its website that the Royal Welsh Battle Group was heading for the Baltic state, doubling the British military presence there as tensions between NATO and Russia over Ukraine were reaching fever pitch. Then in June 2022, the Times reported that Wallace had committed an extra 2,000 troops to Estonia.However, Kallas told the publication she had requested a phone conversation with UK Prime Minister Liz Truss to discuss the issue.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/us-cooperation-with-pacific-nations-could-mean-further-regional-militarization-author-says-1101320018.html

US Cooperation With Pacific Nations Could Mean Further Regional Militarization, Author Says

US Cooperation With Pacific Nations Could Mean Further Regional Militarization, Author Says

President Joe Biden will host Pacific island leaders for a White House summit from September 28-29. Washington earlier vowed to triple its aid to Pacific... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T18:38+0000

2022-09-28T18:38+0000

2022-09-28T18:38+0000

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"For the last decade, China has been building bridges across the waters of the Pacific via its global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), quite frankly outhustling the US, Australia, New Zealand (and Japan)," said Jeff J. Brown, author of "The China Trilogy," editor at China Rising Radio Sinoland, and curator of the Bioweapon Truth Commission.Washington and Pacific island countries have spent recent weeks negotiating a new joint statement on the partnership which would be designed to provide a framework for intensified US engagement in the Pacific.The gathering brought together the leaders of Fiji, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and New Caledonia with Vanuatu and Nauru not sending representatives to the summit. Australia, New Zealand, and the Secretary General of the Pacific Island Forum participated in the event as observers.On September 28, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the US and the Pacific nations agreed on a declaration that will strengthen their partnership. The secretary of state emphasized that the declaration "shows that we have a shared vision for the future and a determination to build that future together." Blinken also revealed that the US would provide $4.8 million to support marine livelihoods in the Pacific region, such as fisheries and aquaculture tourism.The US visits and meetings with the leaders of the region have increased this year. In February, Blinken visited Fiji, the first such visit in three decades, while in April, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell traveled to Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.On July 13, Vice President Kamala Harris told the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Suva in a virtual address that the US would step up funding for the Pacific nations to $60 million per year for ten years. The initiative envisages funding for fisheries, extra aid, and offers of new US embassies in the Pacific. In addition, the Peace Corps  the United States government's volunteer program  was set to return to four countries, including Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and Vanuatu.Meanwhile, China has been enhancing its influence in the region since the late 1980s. Earlier this year, Beijing offered a draft agreement between China and ten island nations spanning policing, security, fisheries, data, and a free trade zone. Still, even though some Pacific leaders agreed to consider China's trade and security pact, the others voiced concerns that their rapprochement with Beijing could antagonize Washington."Pacific island countries are small, so want to keep on good terms with both the western powers and China. Even the openly pro-China Solomons do not want a Chinese naval base, just win-win cooperation and development for the betterment of its people," explained Brown. "The US already occupies Guam, Saipan and Okinawa. Another Pacific base would be superfluous, other than claiming bragging rights."As the US-China competition unfolds in the region any increase in western military presence in the Pacific will of course concern China, according to the author.

https://sputniknews.com/20220713/us-challenges-chinas-influence-over-pacific-island-countries-but-does-it-have-much-to-offer-1097277595.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220728/us-military-expansion-in-indo-pacific-is-part-of-plan-to-take-on-russo-china-tandem-scholar-says-1097895738.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/us-electoral-count-reform-preventing-chaos-or-stepping-towards-federalization-1101319358.html

US Electoral Count Reform: Preventing Chaos or Stepping Towards Federalization?

US Electoral Count Reform: Preventing Chaos or Stepping Towards Federalization?

The Senates bill to reform how Congress certifies presidential elections with the aim to reform the Electoral Count Act of 1887 has passed the upper chamber's... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T18:09+0000

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Members of the Senate Rules Committee voted 14-1 in favor of sending a new electoral legislation to the upper chamber's floor on September 27. The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022 was written by Republican Senator Susan Collins from Maine and her Democratic counterpart Joe Manchin from West Virginia.The legislation would considerably raise the threshold for congress members to be able to object to Electoral College votes. It also specifies the vice presidents role in the process as being purely ceremonial, in a bid to prevent the protests akin to the January 6, 2021 Capitol breach. The Capitol protests erupted over alleged instances of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election which saw Joe Biden win by slim majorities in key battleground states. Then-President Donald Trump dubbed the elections rigged and urged then-Vice President Mike Pence to send the results back to the states, thus overturning Biden's victory. However, Pence issued a statement saying that he had no constitutional authority to decertify electoral votes.However, it appears that the current language of the Electoral Count Act of 1887 left room for various interpretations. A legal opinion written in January 2021 by Washington attorney and former Department of Defense Inspector General Joseph Schmitz provided reasoning to suggest that VP Pence had the constitutional authority to object to the certification of electoral votes submitted by a handful of states.The only senator on the Senate Rules Committee who voted against the proposed new legislation was Ted Cruz (R-Texas). According to the lawmaker, the bill "decreases the ability of Congress to address instances of fraud."For his part, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said he will "probably vote no" on the bill: "Fiddling with that law, which has governed out presidential elections for 150 years, I just dont see a need to do it," Hawley said, as quoted by Axios. Both Cruz and Hawley objected to Joe Bidens certification in the 2020 election on January 6, 2021.At the same time, however, a number of Republican senators said that they are open to reforms and will carefully examine the legislative initiative. One of them is Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who noted that the Senate legislation is "more reasonable" than a similar bill passed by the House on September 21 with a vote of 229203.The competing electoral legislation passed in the House was proposed by Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).According to the Cato Institute, the two bills are broadly similar in most respects, but have several differences. For example, the Senate's version would require one-fifth of the House and the Senate to agree to challenge a states results, while the House's bill raises the threshold to one-third of the members of the two chambers. For comparison's sake, the current law stipulates that objections could proceed with the support of just one lawmaker from each chamber.According to the Epoch Times, a vote on the Senate bill will take place after the November midterm elections. The media outlet specified that at least 12 republicans have already signaled support for the bill, which means it has every chance of breaking a filibuster in the evenly split upper chamber. Once the bill is passed in the Senate it will have to be reconciled with the House version before it goes to President Joe Biden's desk.

https://sputniknews.com/20220922/us-house-oks-overhaul-of-electoral-count-act-in-bid-to-avert-jan-6-repeat--1101067853.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/us-senate-advances-short-term-spending-bill-to-avert-shutdown-provide-more-ukraine-aid-1101292472.html

US Senate Advances Short-Term Spending Bill to Avert Shutdown, Provide More Ukraine Aid

US Senate Advances Short-Term Spending Bill to Avert Shutdown, Provide More Ukraine Aid

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Senate advanced a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown on October 1 and provide some $12 billion in additional... 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

2022-09-28T00:16+0000

2022-09-28T00:16+0000

2022-09-28T00:13+0000

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The Senate voted 72-23 on Tuesday evening to limit debate on the short-term spending bill that will keep the federal government operational through December 16.Lawmakers have until October 1 to pass legislation funding the government or risk a shutdown. The continuing appropriations bill is intended to give Congress more time to pass an omnibus budget for the remainder of the fiscal year.The bill provides $4.5 billion in economic assistance for Kiev, $3 billion in security aid, $2.8 billion towards operations in US European Command, $1.5 billion to replenish US weapons stocks, $540 million to increase critical munitions production, $35 million for nuclear incident preparedness in Ukraine, and $2 million for an Inspector General report on Ukraine assistance monitoring.The bill requires 60 votes to get through the Senate, a feat that initially appeared unlikely given Minority Leader Mitch McConnells call for Republicans to block its passage due to the presence of energy permitting reform measures included by Senator Joe Manchin.During remarks on the Senate floor on Tuesday, McConnell called the measure a "poison pill" within the legislation and urged Republican colleagues to vote against the bill. Later on Tuesday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Manchin agreed to move forward on a stopgap bill without the measure.Senator Rand Paul told reporters he is unsure when the Senate will hold a final vote to pass the bill.Republican leaders in the House of Representatives will urge their colleagues to vote against the spending bill once it reaches the lower chamber, according to a statement from the Republican Whip's office.The Biden administration supports passage of the continuing resolution despite not including public health funding for monkeypox and COVID-19 response as the White House requested from Congress. The administration also looks forward to working with Congress to pass a full-year appropriations bill, the White House said on Tuesday.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220928/von-der-leyen-says-no-democracy-for-italy-us-war-on-europe-julian-assange-protests-on-october-8-1101291746.html

Von Der Leyen Says No Democracy for Italy; US War on Europe; Julian Assange Protests on October 8

Von Der Leyen Says No Democracy for Italy; US War on Europe; Julian Assange Protests on October 8

Poland and Italy push back against Ursula Von Der Leyen's recent remarks that the European Union has tools to circumvent the results of the Italian election. 28.09.2022, Sputnik International

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Von Der Leyen Says No Democracy for Italy; US War on Europe; Julian Assange Protests on October 8 Poland and Italy push back against Ursula Von Der Leyen's recent remarks that the European Union has tools to circumvent the results of the Italian election.

Wyatt Reed, Sputnik News analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. US neocons are concerned that a particular element in the conservative movement may be moving towards opposing the Ukraine project. Also, Congress is set to announce another 12 billion dollars for the Ukraine conflict.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist, joins us to discuss US foreign policy. The democratic party has firmly and unapologetically assumed the mantle of the war party in US politics. Also, Poland and Italy push back against Ursula Von Der Leyen's recent remarks that the European Union has tools to circumvent the results of the Italian election.George Koo, journalist, social activist, and international business consultant, joins us to discuss China. South Korea seems reticent to get dragged into a military conflict with China. Also, the US is trying to sway the Philippines into assisting them in their anti-China crusade.Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-editor of Popular Resistance, joins us to discuss domestic policy. Biden's student debt program costs a fraction of US giveaways to the top 1%. Also, most Democrats don't want Joe Biden to run again in 2024.Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of Economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to discuss the EU economy. EU economic growth is likely to drop to zero. Also, Germany has not secured the gas it needs to make it through the winter, and some suspect that the US is intentionally destroying the EU economy.James Early, former Assistant Secretary for Education and Public Service at the Smithsonian Institution and board member for the Institute for Policy Studies, joins us to discuss the Global South. Venezuela and Colombia have officially reopened their border. Also, we discuss abortion rights in Latin America.Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, joins us to discuss fears of sabotage as gas currently pours into the Baltic Sea from three different leaks from Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. Also, October 8 is a day set aside by Assange activists to protest, rally, and push for his release. Steve Poikonen shares more details.Nicolas Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion of Iraq, joins us to discuss Gustavo Petro's heroic UN speech. The new president of Colombia made a historic speech at the UN in which he assailed the US war on drugs and promised some innovative law changes to address the issue.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

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On Tuesday (Sept. 27), Racing Secretary Joe Frasure officially invited three-time millionaire Atlanta to compete in the $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot, slated for Oct. 15 at Yonkers Raceway, as she continues her final year of racing.

We called trainer Ron Burke today and he accepted our invitation, said Frasure. It is an honour to have such an accomplished mare competing at Yonkers Raceway as she winds down what has been a Hall of Fame career.

Atlanta has earned $3,594,634 during her career while putting together a resume that includes 36 wins and 19 seconds in 74 starts. Most recently, she won the Miss Versatility final at the Delaware County Fairgrounds to pick up the first win of her career on a half-mile track, something the seven-year-old hopes to build on in the International Trot.

It will be a good opportunity for her, said Burke, who handles the horse for owners Crawford Farms Racing, Brad Grant and Howard Taylor. This being one of her last few starts, I can be more aggressive to get her on her tippy toes for the race. I was really thrilled with how she got around Delaware because weve never really raced her on a half before.

Atlanta finished seventh in the 2019 International Trot at Yonkers and Burke feels like hes learned a lot about her since that race.



I didnt realize how much the detention barn would bother her and how dehydrated she would get. Now I know how to fully hydrate her going in. Its been two years since then and I have figured her out even more, said Burke. I believe in her and [driver] Yannick [Gingras]. At her best she can go with anyone and I just have to have her at her best that day.

Atlanta (United States) joins Ecurie D (Denmark) and Etonnant (France) as starters in the International Trot, and track officials are finalizing details with a number of elite-level European competitors to make the field one of the best in the history of the event.

The International Trot card will also include a pair of $200,000 Invitationals  one for older trotters and one for older pacers  to compliment the main event on Oct. 15. Post time for the rare afternoon card is set for 12:30 p.m. with the International Trot going as race seven at 3 p.m.

(With files from Yonkers Raceway)
Recently, a new TV series reflecting the change of household and lifestyle in hutongs during the past seven decades has been broadcasted on CCTV-8 and streamed via Mango TV and Tencent Video since Sept 25.

Titled Hutong, the 36-episode TV series consists of three parts, respectively centering on three female heads of a neighborhood committee (juweihui) in a hutong area in 1950, 1980 and 2019.

Sitting on the lowest level of government in charge of civil affairs, juweihui have arisen as urban grassroots civil organizations since early 1950.

The first part, starring actress Zhao Liying as a devoted committee director, recounts how the protagonist helps illiterate residents improve their cultural level and lead locals to raise donations for supporting the country during a harsh time.

Casting actor Cai Wenjing as the successor to head the neighborhood committee, the second story retells the rise of self-employed people, a dynamic group to propel China's economic progress with the country's reform and opening-up.

With actress Guan Xiaotong as the latest neighborhood committee director, the third story centers on the demolition of illegal constructions to better preserve the hutongs's historic flavor.

According to Kuyun, a TV rating tracer, the first episode of Hutong has reached 1.61 percent of all Chinese television audience with its vivid display of the distinctive lifestyle of the Beijing hutong.
Boosted by beautiful weekend weather and continued pent-up demand for activities in the great wide open, the 25th Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour Sept. 17-18 reported record attendance.

Weve calculated our final visitor count from the farm tour and it looks like we had 3,635 participate this year! said Winona Pritts, farm tour coordinator with Culpeper County Dept. of Economic Development. Were extremely excited about this years success!

The variety of 16 farms, activities, demonstrations, and vendors gave visitors options for all day fun.

We had the best day exploring our local agricultural properties, Culpeper resident Julie Johnson, a first-time tour taker, said, according to a department release from Pritts. Thanks to all for opening your beautiful land for us to explore and learn.

Among the most popular of activities was the honey extraction demonstration at Bees & Trees Farm on how to extract honey from beehives. Attendees got to sample delicious honey straight from the hive.

The open year-round farm store was a buzz with visitors picking up their favorite honey, jams, barbeque sauces and more, organizers reported.

Another popular stop was the Daniel Boone Day Celebration at Andora Farm, showcasing colonial soap makers, quilt makers, pottery makers, and a blacksmith. Visitors could also take in a black powder rifle demonstration, a living history encampment and re-enactment, team-penning demonstrations, and pony rides, the release reported.

I love that every year they have such a wide variety of things to see and do, said farm tour taker Bob, who makes Andora Farm a regular stop.

Visitors flocked to purchase favorite items at Seek Lavender, which hosted an array of vendors, from a brewery to a bakery. Special Farm Tour products infused with lavender were to be had. Visitors hurried to get ahold of specialty products before they sold out Sunday at the popular farm site on Bradford Road.

Working with our farms and seeing how excited they are to welcome visitors, showcase their knowledge, and bring a smile to visitors faces made celebrating the 25th anniversary of farm tour all the more fun, said Pritts, who has helped popularize the agricultural tour since taking it over.

This years attendance of more than 3,600 visitors is more than triple the count just five years ago, she said. As the event grows, recognition of participating farms grows as well, bringing visitors back to Culpeper throughout the year.

Pennsylvania resident Kim Black came to Culpeper last year to learn about several participating farms. She now makes multiple trips a year to stock up on favorite items from Virginia Bison Co. at Cibola Farms, Bees & Trees, and Belmont Farm Distillery, offering special Sunday hours for this years tour.

Its great to see the passion our community has for this event and the continued patronage of our agricultural businesses, said Pritts, who is already planning for the 2023 tour.
The Nebraska Public Power District sought community input for a new power line project during an open house Tuesday.

Paul Brune, project manager for the NPPD, said the open house at the Gering Civic Center was set up to gather input from all of our stakeholders  landowners, public officials and members of the public  Our main focus is to get their input, their thoughts, for their pieces of property.

Representatives from NPPD presented several possible power line routes during the event. The routes connect the Scottsbluff substation on the Beltline Highway with the Victory Hill substation some four miles northeast of Scottsbluff.

Brune said the new lines will help ease congestion on the citys sole existing 115-kilovolt transmission system.

The numerous new options all run to the west or north of the city. Some of them overlap.

Over the next two phases, we will narrow those down to a proposed and an alternate route, Brune said.

Media relations specialist Grant Otten said much of the open house was designed for people to provide direct feedback on how the proposed routes might impact them. Much of this was accomplished through interactive GIS stations.

This is the big part  trying to figure out what the best route is. They can tell us, Hey, Ive got a pivot here, maybe a well here, Ive got trees here, Otten said.

With input from the public, Otten said the power district may even consider new routes that could work better for everyone. The one constant will be the routes general location.

The thing is, theres a lot more constraints when youre looking at how these lines can fit into these areas  you have to look at routing criteria, Otten said. Sending these routes outside of town and making that ring provides a reliability aspect. If something happens on (one) side of town, you still have this connection on the other side of town.

Additionally, a straight cut through Scottsbluff would be all but impossible with the existing infrastructure  including power lines  within city limits. Many of the citys streets and sidewalks werent built to accommodate a project like this.

People think maybe the most direct line is the best line, but its almost never the case, Otten said.

Attendees were able to vote on which social, environmental or engineering criteria they thought the power district should mind the most when deciding on a route. They could also learn about transmission line structure types and easement compensation.

A multitude of NPPD personnel answered questions to members of the public there. Some walked people through the different charts and graphs set up to help them have a better understanding of the projects goals.

We need to build this line here to provide more reliability to the Scottsbluff area, Brune said. Today, we just have one main transmission line between the two substations that serve the city of Scottsbluff and the surrounding area. Were going to add a second one, and it will be to the west side of the city and get some spread between our line on the east side so we can get better reliability, improve the resilience of the system, and help manage the congestion on the electrical system in this part of the state.

NPPD received a notice to construct for the project in early 2022. A second open house in November, and a public hearing in early 2023, will finalize the route. It will be announced no later than one month after the public hearing.

Construction is scheduled for late 2024 with an estimated completion time of spring 2025.

For the first time, NPPD offered a virtual open house for people to look at maps and provide their opinions online. This can be reached at www.scottsbluffpowerproject.com.

More information can also be found at www.scottsbluffpower.nppd.com.
Kids from across the Panhandle visited the zoo on Tuesday, Sept. 27 to experience nature through touch, sight, smell and sound during Sensory Safari at Riverside Discovery Center (RDC).

Sensory Safari is just to bring the natural world to everyone, being able to interact with and being able to cultivate a sense of Aaah. Learning about the natural world is a right that everyone should have, Kevin Plath, an RDC educator, said. It is our mission to bring that to all learners today.

Amanda Filipi, with Nebraska Game and Parks, said the Sensory Safari experience is geared toward targeting kids that may prefer learning through touch, smell or sound. The event has not taken place since 2019 because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Its great to see the groups back out again this year, Filipi said. For some of the kids, smelling is key for them and they want to actively search out different stations that use that sense. We have students in the valley that really crave those different stations, and we want to accommodate their learning needs during this field trip.

Educators from RDC, the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Nebraska Game and Parks, the North Platte Natural Resources District (NPNRD) and the Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center (PREEC) encouraged kids to engage their senses. Typically, a zoo is geared toward visual learners but visitors could experience a unique opportunity to see nature through touch, smell and sound at stations set-up in the center of RDC.

We want to make sure there are ways to appreciate all the senses today, Plath said. We even start a dialogue with the kids here to try and coax them out of their shells when it comes to learning. Make them feel more comfortable about (nature) and about using all of their senses.

RDC staff handled a male and female Madagascar hissing cockroach at the first station. The staff encouraged kids to touch the insects, see the difference in their sizes and coloring, hear the hissing sound, and even feel one crawl across their hand.

At our hissing cockroach handling station, it wasnt just one sense, Plath said. It was Can you listen to their hiss? How does it feel on your hand? Why do you think they have those colors?

Nathan Rice, a PREEC educator, was manning the popular station where kids were encouraged to take a smell test. Containers with smells ranging from a fox to vanilla were uncapped for kids to use their nose to match the container to a photo of what it could be.

I smelled good smells, Julian Murillo, a Meridian School student, said. I smelled coconut.

Victoria Plasencio, a Meridian School student, said she liked the smell station.

I liked to smell the strawberry one, she said.

Todd Filipi and Ken Ridgeway from the NPNRD had a table piled high with a variety of plants that could be found in the Panhandle. Kids where encouraged to pick up a plant and notice its texture and smell.

They asked us to bring plants, native forages and legumes, Todd Filipi said. Weve got some interesting smells, textures and they can make weird sounds.

Moving on to the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies station, Delani Bruce and Laura Smedsrud encouraged kids to experience birds through the sense of touch and sound. Bruce had a bird call matching game to engage kids while Smedsrud offered up bird wings and claws of various sizes for kids to handle.

We have just a variety of textures because our wings are super soft and then the claw is really sharp, Smedsrud said.

Another popular station was the fish station where Amanda Filipi held one of five carp for kids to touch. Shouts could be heard from groups encouraging someone to touch a carps fin or mouth and even reach in the tub to wrangle one to hold.

In the past years, the kids just go all elbow in and theyre drenched from head to toe but this year, its a little bit more subdued, Amanda Filipi said. The fisheries folks are the ones who caught all of these because they absolutely love it when kids can get a handle on a fish.

Plasencio may not have held one of the carp, but she was brave enough to touch different parts of the fish.

I like the tail of the fish the best, she said.

Plath said, We really do just want to get them excited about the natural world in a way that doesnt make them feel like they should be ashamed of being excited about it or that theyre ever not going to be able to grow that appreciation.
"The Marriage Portrait," by Maggie O'Farrell. The author of "Hamnet" imagines the fictionalized story of another real person  Lucrezia de' Medici, a Renaissance teenager who married at 15 and was dead within the year. Of putrid fever? Or of murder? "Hamnet," a reimagining of the life and death of Shakespeare's son, won the Women's Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

"The Ski Jumpers," by Peter Geye. In his new novel, the Minnesota Book Award-winning Geye writes about a ski jumper with a terrible diagnosis  and a secret past. Geye's earlier novels include the North Shore series about the Eide family.

"Painting Beyond Walls," by David Rhodes. Set in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin, "Painting Beyond Walls" is the story of August, who leaves his job in Chicago to go back home, where he finds everything the same  and also deeply changed. Rhodes is the author of "Driftless," "Jewelweed," and other novels set in the Driftless Area.

"The Bullet That Missed," by Richard Osman. The beloved Thursday Murder Club is back, exploring a cold case that has no body. Until the venerable Elizabeth faces a terrible choice  kill, or be killed. Laced with Osman's trademark wry humor and plenty of twists and turns.

"The Book of Goose," by Yiyun Li. The story of a friendship between two inseparable  and, it must be said, devious  French girls after the war, told years later by the one who survived. In a starred review, the trade journal Publishers Weekly called it "a powerful Cinderella fable with memorable characters."

"Shrines of Gaiety," by Kate Atkinson. Set in London just after World War I. Club owner Nellie Coker has just been released from prison, working hard to protect her turf in the face of a multitude of shady characters and difficult problems. A stand-alone novel, not one of the fine Jackson Brodie mysteries, but a gripping read nonetheless.

"The Furrows," by Namwali Serpell. From the author of "The Old Drift," a tale about two siblings, one of whom vanishes, the other who looks for him for years  until one day, years later, when she meets a man who is also searching for someone. Born in Zambia, Serpell is the recipient of numerous writing awards, including the Anisfield-Wolf Book prize for fiction, the Arthur C. Clarke Award and others. She teaches at Harvard University.

"Fen, Bog and Swamp," by Annie Proulx. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Proulx ("The Shipping News," "Barkskins") turns to nonfiction, writing about climate change, the history of wetlands, and what their destruction means for the planet.

"Sinister Graves," by Marcie Rendon. The latest Cash Blackbear mystery has Cash returning to the White Earth Reservation to uncover the truth about missing Native women and their babies. Rendon was named a McKnight Distinguished Artist in 2020. Her previous Cash Blackbear novels will be republished this year by Soho Press; "Murder on the Red River" was chosen last year as a One Book / One Minnesota title. (Oct. 11)

"The Sky Watched: Poems of Ojibwe Lives," by Linda LeGarde Grover. In this new and updated collection, Grover writes in English and sometimes in Ojibwe about family life and history, including the trauma of boarding schools and the massacre at Wounded Knee. Grover is a novelist and memoirist and winner of a Minnesota Book Award for "Onigamiising: Seasons of an Ojibwe Year." (Oct. 25)
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.

Money laundering, ID theft  Cowlitz County deputies Monday arrested Eric Nelson Dowling, 52, of Longview on suspicion of ID theft, second-degree theft, money laundering, second-degree vehicle prowling and third-degree malicious mischief.

Stalking, theft  Cowlitz County deputies Monday arrested Derek Matthew Karnoski, 36, of Longview on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, second-degree criminal trespassing, third-degree theft, violating a no-contact order and stalking.

Stolen vehicle  Cowlitz County deputies Tuesday arrested Sarai Solano Leon, 22, of Woodland on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle.

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.
Several parents at R.A. Long High School are protesting what they say is an unfair dress code that often unreasonably targets its female students and disrupts their education.

Zahara Vasey, a 10th-grader who attends Mark Morris High School but takes a class in R.A. Long, told school board members Monday evening about how she has been pulled out of class four times since the start of this school year for what administrators saw as an inappropriate outfit.

Dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, Vasey said even the outfit she wore to the meeting would be considered a violation of R.A. Longs dress code simply because her bra strap was sometimes visible.

For me to walk into school almost every day and be told that my clothes arent OK, that partly makes me feel sexualized, Vasey said.

Dress codes vary by school within the district. Superintendent Dan Zorn said in an interview the district gives each school the authority to set its own guidelines because administrators understand their school culture better than those outside of it.

He said if the school board feels the need to review and change the districtwide dress code policy, which leaves dress code violations up to the principal, then they will discuss that option.

They are concerns that we are listening to, Zorn said.

Going backward

Vaseys mother Kathryn Gipson said they believe the dress codes between the two high schools should be equitable and gender-neutral.

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Other parents have joined in efforts to push for state legislation that would set a more inclusive dress code standard so schools do not have the ultimate authority over what they consider inappropriate.

Gipson said although R.A. Longs dress code says it applies to every student, the rules focus more on womens clothing. The schools administration has set what Gipson believes are overly strict rules for bra straps, shorts, skirts and leggings.

Finding clothes that are well within these regulations is difficult because of how strict the rules are, Gipson said.

The violations lead to students being pulled from class, which Gipson said is the opposite of what a dress code is supposed to accomplish.

If they have a problem with her clothes, then they should call me, Gipson said. Im the one who buys the clothes for her. If they want to dictate what my child wears, then they should mandate uniforms.

Jessica Smith, a parent to a daughter attending Cascade Middle School, said when she attended R.A. Long about 15 years ago the policies were not nearly as strict.

When I went to R.A. Long  and I graduated in 2007  I was allowed to have holes in my jeans, Smith said. I think its interesting it seems to be going backward.

How schools handle dress code

In 2010, Longview School District updated and adopted its own policy that leaves most of the dress code guidelines up to individual administrators. Zorn said he believes in his eight years in the district, no one had brought concerns directly to him before this week.

Many of the differences between the two high schools comes down to the language used in the policies. Both schools have rules against pajamas, excessively ripped pants and clothes that depict illegal activity or hate speech.

Theres way more thats similar about those policies than different, Zorn said.

R.A. Longs dress code policy, according to its 2022-23 student handbook, says students have to wear shorts or skirts that fall no more than 2 inches above the knee. At Mark Morris, the policy says bottoms must go down to approximately 3 to 4 inches in length on the upper thighs, according to its 2022-23 student handbook.

At R.A. Long, students are not allowed to wear any crop-tops or low-cut shirts. Mark Morris code details that a shirt should not expose excessive midriff. Mark Morris students can wear hats; R.A. Long students cant.

I understand there needs to be a dress code, Gipson said. With the way things are changing, it would just make sense to make it a blanketed thing and not have discrepancy between schools.

Smith said female students often feel singled out when their male teachers confront them about their outfits. It could cause harm, she said, to sexual abuse survivors who feel targeted. Lower-income students who might not have the ability to buy new clothes may also feel ostracized, she said.

A slightly visible bra strap or a shirt that exposes shoulders should not be considered inappropriate, Smith said, because girls should not feel sexualized for wearing bras or having shoulders.

I dont want them to feel like their body is being judged while theyre at school, Smith said.

Efforts to make dress codes more consistent across school districts have ramped up in recent years.

Seattle Public Schools in 2019 voted to establish a districtwide dress code after similar protests from students and parents who said the rules unfairly targeted female students, students of color and genderqueer students.

I really love our school system and Ive had great experiences here for the most part, Smith said. I dont think this is just a Longview School District problem. I think its honestly a national and global problem, but change starts in our community at the local level.
The Cowlitz County Board of Health on Tuesday began preliminary discussions of how it will set priorities and decide where to direct money, beyond what is legally required.

At its second meeting as a six-member board, members discussed setting their own priorities, and also directed staff to come back with their priorities and more information on what programs are currently funded and which are required by state law.

The board expanded this year to include three appointed members of the public along with the three Cowlitz County commissioners.

The county is mandated by state law to provide certain public health services, such as inspecting water systems and preventing and tracking communicable diseases.

Carole Harrison, health and human services director, said the commissioners gave tentative approval for the department to hire a fulltime epidemiologist to assess data on chronic diseases and other health issues in the county. That data and analysis could be useful to the board while creating priorities, Harrison said.

Commissioner John Jabusch said while the data would be interesting, it will take time to put that information together. He said he would like staff to send along priorities before then.

Board member Lindy Campbell said public input will also be important. Campbell also said she wants to look at pilot projects that have worked in other places.

Board Chairman Kelly Lane said he is interested in finding ways to address childrens mental health and asked for some more information on the Healthy Youth Survey results. The statewide survey asks students in grades six, eight 10 and 12 about drug and alcohol use, emotional wellbeing and other health-related questions.

Commissioner Dennis Weber asked what the health department is doing to address fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid often laced in pills or other drugs. Steve Krager, county deputy health officer, said fentanyl is a concern and the board can consider how to address that and prevent overdoses and drug use.

Weber also handed out a list of currently-funded public health programs for the board to consider as a starting point to adjust.

Commissioner Arne Mortensen said the board has to keep in mind that most money comes from state grants.

The board agreed it would need to hold more meetings outside of the regularly-scheduled quarterly meetings to have time to discuss and set goals. The boards next regularly scheduled quarterly meeting is Oct. 25.

The board also briefly discussed proposed bylaws but tabled adopting them until the next meeting because at least some board members didnt receive a copy to review until Monday night.

Weber distributed an outline of the primary roles of the board based on information provided at the state training for new board of health members in August. The training also reviewed policy and administration duties, including supervising the county health officer, working with staff, recommending the health department budget, reviewing staffing levels and public education efforts, Weber said.

They talked about vision and direction setting being important for local boards like us, that is setting local health priorities, recommending programs and services, strategic planning long term, he said. Weve already talked about all those things, so I think were well on our way.
CLARK COUNTY  The remains of a man found 20 years ago in Ridgefield have been identified as 32-year-old James Orin Johnson.

The Clark County Medical Examiners Office announced Tuesday that staff had linked Johnsons familys DNA to that of the remains found Jan. 13, 2002.

Staff submitted a DNA sample from the remains to Bode Technology, a DNA lab in Virginia, which then linked the remains to two sisters born in Oregon in the mid-1800s, according to a news release. Investigators compiled a list of other people distantly related to them.

Medical Examiners Office Investigator Christine Holroyd spent months contacting potential relatives about any missing male family members. In May, Medical Examiners Office Operations Manager Nikki Costa met with a descendant of the two sisters, Arlene Zumwalt. The DNA she provided helped them determine which side of the family tree to pursue, the news release states.

In August, staff from the Bode lab determined the unidentified man was very likely a biological son of Judith Cox Johnson. Her son, James Orin Johnson, had no traceable activities since mid-2001, according to the Medical Examiners Office.

Johnsons son, Jaccob Johnson, told Costa that his family had not heard from his father in over 20 years. Johnsons former wife, Candy Hallanger, hired a private investigator in 2003 to find her childrens missing father, but the family never found him, the news release states.

Another of Johnsons sons, James Johnson Jr., uploaded his DNA profile to DNA site GEDmatch, which also allows people to opt in for law enforcement searches in genetic genealogy cases.

Forensic genealogists at Bode determined Johnson Jr.s DNA sample matched the remains in a parent/child relationship. Clark County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Martha Burt agreed that the previously unidentified man was James Orin Johnson Sr., according to the news release.

This great work by our team helped to provide a family with answers they had been waiting 20 years to receive, Burt said in the news release. The Medical Examiners Office is committed to finding the names of all unidentified decedents in Clark County.

On Sept. 17, Costa met with Johnsons family  son Jaccob Johnson and his wife, Kathryn; Johnsons daughter, Catreena Johnson, and Johnsons former wife, Candy Hallanger  to tell them about the investigation that led to Johnsons identification.

This was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career, Costa said. Jaccob gave me a hug that communicated so much. I will remember it for the rest of my days.
For the first time in years, the race for secretary of state in Washington does not include a Republican  at least not officially.

Democrat incumbent Steve Hobbs and nonpartisan candidate Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson will face off in the November election after finishing in the top two in the primary.

Both candidates have long political backgrounds and some experience in election administration, but they disagree on what experience is most important for the role of secretary of state.

The secretary of state is the states chief elections officer, and the role also includes archiving government records and providing information and access to the business community about corporations and charities.

Hobbs has pointed to his experience in the National Guard, dealing with cybersecurity and working on both sides of the aisle as a former state lawmaker. Anderson has made her experience as an auditor and her nonpartisan record the focus of her campaign.

She has criticized Hobbs for his lack of experience in election administration and other auditor duties.

In an Association of Washington Business debate in August, Anderson called Hobbs an inexperienced political appointee. Hobbs was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to replace former Republican Secretary Kim Wyman when she took a job in the Biden administration last fall. The winner of this years election will serve the remainder of Wymans term through 2024.

In an interview with The Spokesman-Review, Anderson pointed to her experience with some of the technical aspects of the job, such as administering elections, document preservation, public record keeping and business administration.

Anderson has been the Pierce County auditor since 2009. She served as a Tacoma City Council member and deputy mayor from 2004 to 2009.

There is no substitute, in my opinion, for direct expertise, Anderson said.

Hobbs, on the other hand, said the office has changed in recent years. It is much more of a leadership position that deals with cyberthreats and election security, he said. Its more than overseeing elections, though Hobbs said he has done that in the last year in office.

Before his appointment last year, Hobbs served as a state senator since 2007. He has also served in the U.S. Army and the National Guard for 30 years.

The governor had to appoint somebody that would take election security seriously and have the necessary background, he said. Im the only one out there that has that.

Hobbs has received endorsements from a number of Democratic members of Congress, including U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell; current and former state officials, including Attorney General Bob Ferguson and State Auditor Pat McCarthy; and state legislators, including Spokane Sen. Andy Billig.

Anderson has received endorsements from 38 current and former county auditors, including Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton; current and former state officials, including former Secretary of State Sam Reed and former Attorney General Rob McKenna; and local elected officials, including Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward.

With no official Republican candidate, the race has drawn at least one write-in campaign. After failing to make it to the general election in August primary for Congress in Central Washingtons 4th Congressional District race, state Rep. Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick, has started a campaign for secretary of state. As of Thursday, he had no reported contributions, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.

On the issues

Anderson said she wants the office to be nonpartisan because she does not feel the job needs any unnecessary conflict by belonging to a political party. She said she does not feel political parties belong in an office that oversees elections.

Its a discussion other candidates and previous secretaries, including Wyman, have had. Wyman said it was a policy change she would push for in a next term.

Hobbs said it doesnt matter to him whether the office is nonpartisan. He said he can operate in both scenarios.

Its the person thats in the office, he said. I dont think it matters what label you have. It matters what person is in the office.

Hobbs has made cybersecurity a priority.

He said he has put more money to double the cybersecurity staff and improve existing relationships with cyber units in the National Guard. He said his office is also working to back up VoteWA, the states voter database, into the cloud as opposed to a hard drive.

To improve cybersecurity, Anderson said she wants to see every county undergo penetration testing, where firewalls are regularly tested to see if there are any holes. She also wants to help every county perform tests on their tabulation systems to ensure they are not connected to the internet.

Another big issue in the race is how to handle election misinformation.

Already this election season, both candidates said they have worked in their respective offices to get the word out about the states elections processes.

Hobbs said he is working to inform the public about the voting and counting process. He said the office of secretary of state has received additional money this year to spread this message.

He said he wants to continue to push back against misinformation and work with a newly created division of his office that deals with information integrity.

We have taken elections for granted, but the public doesnt really know what goes on behind the scenes, Hobbs said.

In Pierce County, Anderson said she has worked to improve their web pages with more information on the elections process and has remained engaged with the community about any questions they have.

To improve transparency, Anderson said if elected she also wants to do a statewide risk-limiting audit to ensure statistically valid samples from each county are taken for statewide races post-election. She also wants to create an election observer corps that would be staffed by nonpartisan volunteers to observe election operations and review voter registration records statewide.
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Starbucks Tuesday celebrated its 6,000th store in the Chinese mainland, located in downtown Shanghai.

Shanghai thus became the first city in the world to have 1,000 Starbucks stores, Starbucks China said.

In 2018, Starbucks announced it would have 6,000 stores on the Chinese mainland by the end of its fiscal year in September 2022. The company achieved that as scheduled despite challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starbucks opened its first store on the Chinese mainland in January 1999 in Beijing.

The number of Starbucks stores on the Chinese mainland has grown dramatically over the past decade and is expected to grow to 9,000 by 2025, creating 35,000 new jobs, according to the company's strategic plan released recently.

Starbucks China also revealed a plan to set up its first digital technology innovation center on the Chinese mainland over the coming three years.

A Starbucks coffee creative park in Kunshan, east China's Jiangsu Province, is expected to be completed and start operating in the summer of 2023.
Bullseye: A NASA spaceship on Monday struck an asteroid seven million miles away in order to deflect its orbit, succeeding in a historic test of humanity's ability to prevent a celestial object from devastating life on Earth.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) impactor hit its target, the space rock Dimorphos, at 7:14 pm Eastern Time (2314 GMT), 10 months after blasting off from California on its pioneering mission.

"We're embarking on a new era, an era in which we potentially have the capability to protect ourselves from something like a dangerous hazardous asteroid impact," said Lori Glaze, director of NASA's planetary science division.

Dimorphos -- a 530-foot (160-meter) asteroid roughly comparable in size to an Egyptian pyramid -- orbits a half-mile long big brother called Didymos. Never seen before, the "moonlet" appeared as a speck of light around an hour before the collision.

Its egg-like shape and craggy, boulder-dotted surface finally came into clear view in the last few minutes, as DART raced toward it at roughly 14,500 miles (23,500 kilometers) per hour.

NASA scientists and engineers erupted in applause as the screen froze on a final image, indicating that signal had been lost and impact had taken place.

To be sure, the pair of asteroids pose no threat to our planet as they loop the Sun every two of our years.

But NASA has deemed the experiment important to carry out before an actual need is discovered.

By striking Dimorphos head on, NASA hopes to push it into a smaller orbit, shaving 10 minutes off the time it takes to encircle Didymos, which is currently 11 hours and 55 minutes.

Ground telescopes -- which can't see the asteroid system directly but can detect a shift in patterns of light coming from it -- should provide a definitive orbital period in the coming days and weeks.

The proof-of-concept has made a reality of what has before only been attempted in science fiction -- notably in films such as "Armageddon" and "Don't Look Up."

- Astronomy community abuzz -

Minutes after impact, a toaster-sized satellite called LICIACube, which already separated from DART a few weeks ago, was expected to make a close pass of the site to capture images of the collision and the ejecta -- the pulverized rock thrown off by the strike.

LICIACube's pictures will be sent back in the next weeks and months.

Also watching the event: an array of telescopes, both on Earth and in space -- including the recently operational James Webb -- which might be able to see a brightening cloud of dust.

The mission has set the global astronomy community abuzz, with more than three dozen ground telescopes participating, including optical, radio and radar.

"There's a lot of them, and it's incredibly exciting to have lost count," said DART mission planetary astronomer Christina Thomas.

Finally, a full picture of what the system looks like will be revealed when a European Space Agency mission four years down the line called Hera arrives to survey Dimorphos' surface and measure its mass, which scientists can currently only guess at.

- 'Earthlings can sleep better' -

Very few of the billions of asteroids and comets in our solar system are considered potentially hazardous to our planet, and none are expected in the next hundred years or so.

But wait long enough, and it will happen.

We know that from the geological record -- for example, the six-mile wide Chicxulub asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago, plunging the world into a long winter that led to the mass extinction of the dinosaurs along with 75 percent of all species.

An asteroid the size of Dimorphos, by contrast, would only cause a regional impact, such as devastating a city, albeit with greater force than any nuclear bomb in history.

How much momentum DART imparts on Dimorphos will depend on whether the asteroid is solid rock, or more like a "rubbish pile" of boulders bound by mutual gravity -- a property that's not yet known.

If it had missed, NASA would have another shot in two years' time, with the spaceship containing just enough fuel for another pass.

But its success marks the first step towards a world capable of defending itself from a future existential threat.

"I think Earthlings can sleep better, definitely I will," said DART mission systems engineer Elena Adams
The Indian government has issued take down orders for PFI websites and social media accounts.

The Indian government has declared the PFI outfit unlawful in India earlier in the day, and now has issued takedown orders for their online presence. The PFI and its affiliate organisations have been declared an "unlawful association" by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The reason behind this is said to be the outfit's links with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Islamic State or ISIS, and claims that the PFI is involved in multiple criminal and terror cases.

Now, the centre has issued a new order that directs to takedown the websites as well as social media accounts of PFI as well as its affiliate organisations. The ban on PFI and its affiliates has been applied for five years and that means these websites and social media accounts could also be gone for the same period. More information is awaited on this front from the Indian government.

PFI websites and social media accounts banned

The Home Ministry stated that, With funds and ideological support from outside, it has become a major threat to the internal security of the country. Several criminal activities and brutal murders have been committed by PFI members over the past to create reign of terror in public mind."

The government also says that the PFI has been "pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society and the outfit shows sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority of the country".
Nasas DART spacecraft successfully slammed into an asteroid on September 26. Video reveals the very moment of the collission.

NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test also known as DART successfully crashed into its target asteroid on September 26 and you can watch the video of the collision. The world's first planetary defence technology demonstration included crashing a 570kg spacecraft into binary asteroid system named asteroid 65803 Didymos and its moonlet Dimorphos. The target was the moonlet. While people across the globe are celebrating the success, a satellite, several telescopes in space and across Earth captured the spectacular view of NASA's DART spacecraft crashing into the asteroid Dimorphos. In fact, the best video was by the spacecraft itself shooting live even as it carried out ts kamikaze suicide dive into the space rock. A breathtaking image captured by NASA showed dust cloud sprayed up on the target asteroid.

LICIACube is a tiny Italian satellite that flew just behind DART and captured the impact after 3 minutes. As reported by Nature.com, its first images, released by the Italian Space Agency on September 27, show a large plume of dust coming off the target asteroid after DART had slammed into it while the cloud of rocks and other debris spread quickly upwards.

Moment DART spacecraft smashed into asteroid

The report further says that studying the plume's evolution will give insight on the physical properties of Dimorphos. Elisabetta Dotto, LICIACube's science team lead at the National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome, said at a press briefing, by analysing how the plume formed and dispersed, researchers can calculate how much of DART's kinetic energy went into ejecting debris from Dimorphos, and how much might have gone into altering the asteroid's orbit  the goal of the mission.

Watch video taken by telescope:

The spacecraft that crashed into space rock was also finished. A lot of it is pulverised, and some of it is melted, says Megan Bruck Syal, a physicist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

Cameras used by LICIACube to capture DART moments

LICIACube used two cameras  a black-and-white named LEIA and a three-colour named LUKE  to photograph Dimorphous before and after the DART crash. The pictures displays dramatic lightning at the time of impact.
Graphical abstract. Credit: Renewable Energy (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.05.075

Nearly half of Danes have never heard of Denmark's largest source of renewable energy. The finding, reported in a study from the University of Copenhagen, is the first to explore Danish attitudes to woody biomass as an energy source. According to the researchers behind the study, this lack of awareness needs to be addressed by politicians and decision-makers.

Woody biomass accounts for 48% of Denmark's total renewable energy supply, making it the nation's largest source of renewable energy by far. And as for now, it appears as if Danish combined heat and power plants (CHPs) will be making use of biomass for many years to come.

Still, nearly half of Danes have never heard of woody biomass as an energy source, according to the first study of its kind, conducted by researchers at the University of Copenhagen.

Biomass has become a debated topic in recent years, but mainly among politicians, researchers, NGOs and those in the energy and forestry sectors. Some see it as a good alternative to fossil fuelsat least as an interim solution during the green transition. Others argue that woody biomass is unsustainable, even when biomass is considered CO 2 neutral, primarily due to CO 2 emissions when it is burned, but also due to the potential negative impacts on biodiversity and because the majority of biomass is imported.

"We wanted to find out what the Danish public thinks about woody biomass for energy because we don't see people engaging in the existing debate and because their perception has never been studied. To our surprise, 45% of all participants had never heard of woody biomass prior to our study," says Paula Ugarte Lucas, lead author of the study and a Ph.D. student at the Department of Food and Resource Economics.

Danes care about sustainability, but are undecided about biomass

The study, published in the journal Renewable Energy, also shows that 45% of Danes are undecided about whether woody biomass should be used as a substitute for fossil fuel-based energy. This is in contrast to European and American studies that show clear support for the use of woody biomass. For participants, the main reason for this inconsistency is that they lack sufficient knowledge to form an opinion.

"It's a complex issue with plenty of disagreement, even among those who know about it. So, it's not surprising that the public has a hard time taking a stance. However, it is problematic that so many Danes haven't heard about an energy source that has been used for decades and on which a very large part of Denmark's green transition is based," says Paula Ugarte Lucas.

The study also reports that Danes are deeply concerned about sustainability and climate. 78% of participants reported that they are concerned about climate change to either a moderate, high or extreme degree, and that they prioritize climate and environmental concerns over economic growth. Also, the majority of participants agree with the arguments that biomass should only be used if done sustainably and without negative impacts on forests and biodiversity.

"The figures from the study are interesting in themselves. They prompt decision makers and the energy sector to consider: Should we be concerned? Do we need to engage the public with this topic? Would not doing so be undemocratic? It is important to point out that considerations about sustainability appear to play a major role for the public, even though many people don't know what biomass is," says Associate Professor and co-author Christian Gamborg of the Department of Food and Resource Economics.

As such, he thinks that it would be helpful for the debate to move into the public sphere a bit more, but that the solution is probably not to simply bombard people with information. The results also indicate that there is an obvious need to tighten sustainability requirements even further.

"It's a signal to politicians and other decision-makers. If we want to turn a few knobs in the green transition phase, and want popular support, here are a few clues about what considerations the public thinks are importantbiodiversity and sustainability. Then, you can adapt your policy to this by minimizing the climate and environmental costs of biomass, e.g. in relation to where wood pellets are imported from," concludes Christian Gamborg.

Explore further Mixing materials could lead to better biofuels

More information: Paula Ugarte Lucas et al, Sustainability concerns are key to understanding public attitudes toward woody biomass for energy: A survey of Danish citizens, Renewable Energy (2022). Journal information: Renewable Energy Paula Ugarte Lucas et al, Sustainability concerns are key to understanding public attitudes toward woody biomass for energy: A survey of Danish citizens,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.05.075
German logistics company DB Schenker said Wednesday its customers can order components from a "virtual warehouse" that it will then produce with 3D technology, in a new service aimed at circumventing delivery waits and supply chain snags.

The coronavirus pandemic upturned global transport, leading to bottlenecks and long delivery times, which have still to ease in some sectors.

The service would save companies from ordering from afar, as the products from the online catalogue can be available "as quickly as possible and manufactured directly where they are needed", DB Schenker chief Jochen Thewes said in a statement.

The innovation would reduce the cost of making and delivering parts, such as industrial handles, panels and casings, said DB Schenker, which tested the project with clients from the manufacturing, auto and rail sectors.

Its parent company, the German rail operator Deutsche Bahn, had already made use of 80,000 3D-printed parts, the logistics firm said.

"Up to 10 percent of the inventories held by companies can in theory be produced on site," estimated Thewes.

The solution was particularly suitable for parts that were only needed in small quantities, with the specifications uploaded and stored online, DB Schenker said.

DB Schenker said the move would "drastically" reduce delivery times at a time when global supply chains are under immense stress.

The virtual warehouse would give companies the option to "react more flexibly to unexpected delivery bottlenecks", the company said.

Short production runs would also ensure that "valuable raw materials are only used for the parts needed" and further help the environment by reducing delivery distances, the company said.

Explore further Germany unveils first self-driving train

 2022 AFP
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

In a world where so much information is so readily available to students, educators and student assessors must constantly fight against plagiarism. The time and effort required by an examiner potentially faced with hundreds of essays to check for such problems however small is huge. Semi-automated tools exist for identifying plagiarism in a sample of text but these too take up computing resources and are often unwieldy and more suited to single documents.

Writing in the International Journal of Innovative Computing and Applications, a team from Australia and Sri Lanka has developed a new computational approach to plagiarism detection that uses vector space and exploits the architecture of graphics processing units and their compute unified device architecture (CUDA) rather than a conventional computer chip, a central processing unit, CPU.

Jiffriya Mohamed Abdul Cader of theSri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education Sammanthurai, Akmal Jahan Mohamed Abdul Cader of the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Hasindu Gamaarachchi of the University of New South Wales, Australia, and Roshan G. Ragel Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka explain that conventional serial testing of 1,000 documents can take half an hour.

The prototype of their GPU approach improves on that significantly, taking just 36 seconds to process the same dataset and flag any plagiarized sections of text. However, the researchers further optimized their prototype and were able to reduce processing time to just 4 seconds for one thousand documents. That's almost 400 times faster than conventional approaches. Such speed would be a boon to examiners faced with hundreds if not thousands of student-submitted documents to check for plagiarism.

The next step will be to test the same approach on text found in other kinds of document rather than simply straight-text essays, including notebooks, assignments, reports, theses, and such.

Explore further 'Opinion-mining' algorithm summarizes social media sentiments automatically

More information: Jiffriya Mohamed Abdul Cader et al, Optimization of Plagiarism Detection using Vector Space Model on CUDA Architecture, International Journal of Innovative Computing and Applications (2021). Journal information: International Journal of Innovative Computing and Applications Jiffriya Mohamed Abdul Cader et al, Optimization of Plagiarism Detection using Vector Space Model on CUDA Architecture,(2021). DOI: 10.1504/IJICA.2022.10042480
Flying shipments of pizzas and birthday gifts have still not become the norm that tech leaders predicted, but the service is available in parts of the United States.

The little aircraft appeared out of the blue sky above a Texas home, deposited its payload of a mid-morning snack in the yard and zoomed off, as deliveries by drone start becoming a reality in America.

Flying shipments of pizzas and birthday gifts have still not become the norm that tech leaders predicted, but the service is available in parts of the United States and government regulation is catching up.

Skeptics question whether drone drop-offs can ever work on a large scale, but backers argue they are safer and better for the planet than hulking, greenhouse-gas-spewing delivery trucks - and faster.

The parcel lowered to the ground from an electric drone hovering above Tiffany Bokhari's Frisco, Texas, house was in her hands minutes after she placed an order on a smartphone app.

"On the soda, you can even see the condensation on it because it's still cold," she told AFP after the drone from Alphabet-owned Wing had flown off.

Service was new in the area and remained small-scale, but Wing offered the comparison of the up to 1,000 deliveries per day it's doing in just one part of the Brisbane metro area in Australia.

Blood and tooth brushes

A handful of firms already have operations running or will by year's end in parts of Texas, North Carolina or California, with providers including Israeli startup Flytrex, Wing and e-commerce behemoth Amazon.

In fact, it was Amazon founder Jeff Bezos who in 2013 unveiled a delivery drone in a CBS interview, predicting that within five years airborne shipments would be routinely zipping from fulfillment centers to customers' doorsteps.

Wing customers are able to place orders through a mobile app, while drones can delivery up to six miles from a Wing facility.

Things haven't quite gone that way for the company that has otherwise seeped ubiquitously into aspects of modern life, from streaming and food shopping to health care.

When an Amazon delivery drone crashed during a test last year and started a brush fire, it was another setback for the company's stumbling drone ambitions.

The work has advanced more steadily for others, and in April, Wing announced what it calls "the first commercial drone delivery service" in a major US metro area: Texas's Dallas-Fort Worth.

Wing, which also offers deliveries to some areas in Australia and Finland, has a weight limit of 2.5-3 pounds (just over one kilo).

"An entire roasted chicken... that's actually a good visual for the size of what fits," said Jonathan Bass, who heads marketing and communications for Wing.

Take-out food, prescriptions and household items like toothbrushes are the type of small and light products that have worked for airborne drop-offs, though drones have for years delivered essential items like medical goods in parts of Africa.

Drone drop-offs of perishable substances like blood make sense in places where infrastructure is lacking and air transport is the best option, yet some experts are skeptical of whether it works everywhere.

Government rules

For example, a drone can carry one delivery from a warehouse or store to generally one place, which means a steep drop in efficiency in comparison with an old-fashioned parcel delivery driver.

Take-out food, prescriptions and household items like toothbrushes are the type of small and light products that have worked for airborne drop-offs.

"It would take a small army of drones to service the 150-200 packages that just one truck normally takes on a route," wrote Bloomberg Opinion columnist Thomas Black, who still saw potential for "premium" emergency deliveries.

But Flytrex CEO Yariv Bash asserted that electric drones, in addition to being more efficient than take-out food deliveries done by a fossil fuel-powered car, were safer.

"Drones don't get tired. They don't try to text while driving. They don't drink and drive," he told AFP. "You just get much better service."

The question of safety has been at the heart of long processes of getting government approvals to work in the United States.

Bass, from Wing, noted that although they use a 10-pound foam drone, the company had to get the same certification that firms like DHL or UPS need for their delivery aircraft.

But he noted the Federal Aviation Administration transport regulator has launched a committee that's made recommendations for regulating drones in the United States, adding: "I think that would really unlock faster growth" in the country.

Growth in the United States wouldn't be a surprise, as McKinsey & Company figures show the global number of commercial deliveries spiking from around 6,000 in 2018 to nearly half a million last year.

"But the path ahead is not yet clear," the firm's March report said. "Regulations, customer acceptance, and cost will all determine whether the industry reaches its potential."

Explore further Amazon to start delivering by drone in California town

 2022 AFP
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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed concerted efforts to forge ahead determinedly toward a new victory of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when visiting an exhibition on the great achievements of the Party and the country over the past decade.

Xi stressed that since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee has united and led the whole Party, the country, and the people in solving many challenging problems that were long on the agenda but never resolved, making many achievements that concerned the nation's future, and overcoming many political, economic, ideological, and natural risks, challenges, and trials.

Historic achievements and shifts have taken place in the cause of the Party and the country, equipping the country with better institutions, firmer material foundations, and a more proactive mindset for realizing national rejuvenation, Xi added.

He called for more efforts in raising public awareness of strategic measures, transformative practices, breakthroughs, and landmark accomplishments over the past decade. He also urged a better understanding of the significance of the profound changes during this period in the history of the CPC, of New China, of the reform and opening-up, of the development of socialism, and of the development of the Chinese nation, so that the whole Party, the country, and the people will maintain historical confidence and enhance the historical initiative.

Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng also visited the exhibition.

Xi and other leaders arrived at the Beijing Exhibition Hall at 3:45 p.m. for the exhibition.

Under the theme of "Forging Ahead in the New Era," the exhibition focuses on the many accomplishments and shifts in the cause of the Party and the country over the past 10 years in the new era.

It spans six exhibit areas and covers more than 30,000 square meters in total. It features more than 6,000 exhibits, including pictures, material objects, and models.

Among them are objects and models showcasing China's significant improvements in science and technology and manufacturing, the state-level key publication project "Revitalization Library," and exhibits presenting China's campaigns of eradicating extreme poverty and fighting COVID-19.
Texas is gearing up to fight a judges ruling that the state cant ban adults under 21 from carrying handguns, a surprising move thats drawing anger from some gun rights groups.

Last week, Attorney General Ken Paxtons office filed a notice of an appeal of the ruling on behalf of the Texas Department of Public Safety. It came almost a month after U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, issued the original ruling on Aug. 25, writing that the Second Amendment protects all adults right to bear arms without an age limit. The suit was brought on by two plaintiffs within the 18-20 age range and the Firearms Policy Coalition Inc. against the state of Texas.

The notice, which includes Paxtons name on the filing, did not say the ground on which it would base its appeal. Paxtons office did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for DPS said the agency does not comment on pending legal cases.

But in prior filings in the case, the state has argued that the law does not violate the Second Amendment as it is consistent with Texas longstanding tradition of restricting access to guns based on age.

Andi Turner, the legislative director for the Texas State Rifle Association, agreed with Pittmans ruling in the wake of the Supreme Courts Bruen decision this summer, in which it ruled that people have a constitutional right to carry handguns for self-defense.

The Founding Fathers never intended to put an age on what was an adult, she said. I see this as a victory for the Constitution.

I fully can understand DPS appealing this from their perspective, but from a Constitutional perspective, I believe the opinion Judge Pittman issued is correct, Turner added.

TSRA isnt the only gun rights group reacting to the notice of appeal.

Once again, government officials in the state of Texas are proven to be anti-gun stooges, Dudley Brown, the president of the National Association for Gun Rights, said in a news release. Deep down, DPS knows that their appeal is unconstitutional and immoral, and we are confident that the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court will tell them to take a hike.

Pittmans ruling came as Democrats and some families of victims of the Uvalde school shooting have been advocating to raise the age at which people could buy rifles in Texas from 18 to 21. The gunman in that case purchased the AR-15-style rifle he used in the shooting soon after his 18th birthday.

In August, Gov. Greg Abbott cited the ruling when he said it would be unconstitutional to raise the minimum age to buy assault-style rifles from 18 to 21.

Abbotts office did not respond to a request for comment.
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Judy Grimms last name is appropriate given her forensic products and equipment business, Evident.

We kind of have a morbid profession, her son, Mike Grimm Jr., said. For the last 20 years weve given away a promotional item at conferences and in our orders. ... Its a bottle of hot sauce. We call it Grimm Reaper Hot Sauce.

For more than 30 years, Judy Grimm has been the woman in charge at EVIDENT, a Union Hall-based business that provides law enforcement and government agencies with forensics products and equipment.

Judy Grimm started the business in 1992. Her husband, Mike Grimm, had a job at the FBI at the time and  while they were attending a conference together  was approached by a salesman.

My husband pulled me into the conference area and I talked to the individual who wanted us to sell their product, and from there we are in business 30 years later because we took the company up on it, Judy Grimm said. We started out with fingerprint brushes and powders and fingerprint tape and lift cards and grew into the business we have today.

Before starting Evident, Judy was a secretary and computer lab manager at Franklin County Public Schools. For five years, she kept her job with the school system while also working part time as Evidents sole employee, getting word of the business out to local agencies and surrounding counties.

After the first five years, she left the schools to do Evident full-time.

We decided as a family it looked like it was going to be easy to go ahead and start the business, Judy Grimm said.

What she began on her own turned into a family enterprise, with her son and husband eventually joining the business, too. Indeed, Mike Grimms combined 38 years at the FBI and Virginia Department of Forensic Science in Roanoke have served the company well.

During that time I gained knowledge of not only fingerprint work but also crime scene processing. That has helped immensely in knowing what products are available to law enforcement for the recovery of evidence and also just the experience of having worked crime scenes and worked on major crimes, Mike Grimm said.

These days, Evident operates out of a 15,000-square foot space in Union Hall with 20 employees. The company ships all around the world and, in 2019, became the exclusive retailer of the ForenScope product line, which is manufactured in Turkey.

Evident does not sell to the general public but has government customers at the local, state and federal levels.

Its a very different type of customer base. ... We work with universities and the military and hospitals and crime labs ... but its mostly government and primarily law enforcement, Mike Grimm Jr. said. Theyre just really, really easy to work with. ... Theyre a very professional community.

The sales process is unique, though, because governments are often required to go through a formal ordering, contract or bid or proposal process when making any purchases.

Our website is structured to make it easy for government agencies to buy from us. They can purchase from our website using a purchase order, they dont have to use a credit card to check out, Mike Grimm Jr. said.

Being a 100% woman-owned business can be an asset when working with government agencies.

If something is put out for bid, the government will sometimes choose someone thats a minority or a woman-owned business. That definitely helped us, Judy Grimm said.

Like all other businesses, Evident has experienced some supply issues in the last couple of years.

Items that are made out of plastic have been a littler harder to get, a little more expensive to get because theyre manufactured from oil, Mike Grimm Jr. said.

The COVID-19 pandemic also increased demand for certain pieces of equipment regularly used in forensics.

We sell a lot of swabs for DNA collection and, because of COVID, the supply of swabs has been very short. ... Same with gloves, PPE, respirators  a lot of shortages definitely affected our customers where they werent able to get the PPE, the protective equipment, that they needed, Mike Grimm Jr. said.

After more than three decades in business, though, Evident has carved out a solid niche.

Its been rewarding, Judy Grimm said.
ROCKY MOUNT  Over the last several months, a number of signs have appeared in the windows of 325 Franklin Street implying the town is colluding to prevent development of the building.

The registered agent for the company that owns the downtown building, Phillip Bane, put the signs up. He has said the town is an entrenched bureaucracy and that prompted him to start his ongoing campaign for Rocky Mount town council.

Meanwhile, on three separate occasions, town employees have called law enforcement to the town municipal building because of Bane. The back-and-forth over the building has also included several more candidates running in this years council election.

The situation started several years ago, with Banes plan to turn the Franklin Street building into a hotel. Improvements have been made to the building over the years, but it remains under construction.

Bane has spent the past year or more embroiled in zoning disputes with the town concerning the property. In January, Franklin County requested work on the property to cease until the various issues are resolved.

The police involvement has occurred over the last two years.

Unfortunately, in some of the interactions weve had with Mr. Bane, he has been very combative. ... In fact, its gotten to the point where, on three different occasions when Mr. Bane has been at the municipal building, the police have been called because employees were either concerned about their own safety or the safety of other employees.  [It] is unfortunate and not something that happens normally at our building, Town Manager Robert Wood said.

Town officials said the first two instances occurred while Bane was in the building to meet with town staff. Once, staff said, employees called the police after becoming concerned for a staff members safety while meeting with Bane.

A second instance, Bane said, happened when he visited the town office to speak with Wood.

The woman said, Robert Wood is not available. And I said, Maam, if youre going to lie to me, close his door, I can see him in his office. They closed his door then they ended up bringing a police officer in, Bane said.

The third, and most recent instance, also involved Wood.

There was a town council meeting that night. I went outside, waited for him and hes actually the one who assaulted me  he was hitting me in the chest with a rolled up newspaper, Bane said.

Bane said he has a video recording of that event, but when asked if he would like to share it publicly through The Roanoke Times, he declined.

The information he has given is false, Wood said. I never touched him with my hand or a piece of paper or anything. I was trying to deescalate the situation and he followed me across the parking lot.

When Wood could not meet with Bane shortly before the end of the business day, Bane waited for him in the parking lot outside, blocked his car in, entered the municipal building through a secure, staff-only entrance, approached and followed Wood around the parking lot when he did leave and, when Wood got into his car, Bane stood over him in the door, preventing it from closing, Wood said.

Weve got video and eye witnesses that can back that up, Wood said.

A third incident happened when police were called when Bane was not present, according to town officials.

Then, at a candidate forum held Thursday in Rocky Mount by the Franklin County NAACP, Bane claimed that the town council, led by Mayor Steve Angle, who is running for reelection, has voted in secret to interfere with Franklin Street development.

The Roanoke Times review of public records and interviews with local government staff and elected representatives did not find evidence of anything improper.

The town of Rocky Mount in no way shape or form is trying to prevent Mr. Bane or any other investor in the town from being successful, Angle said. We have rules and regulations that need to be followed when people want to open a business within Rocky Mount and we expect everyone to follow those. ... As far as being behind closed doors to take votes, I can assure you with 100% certainty that does not happen. As far as when it comes to voting, as mayor I do not vote unless there is a tie among the six council members on a vote ... [or] during budget season when we are developing a new budget.

Public records show that town staff have overseen attempts to resolve the various issues at the 325 Franklin Street property, which is assessed for tax purposes at over $700,000.

Wood said the town views development projects as a partnership between the town and property owners, and that the town tries to maintain professional, cordial relationships with them.

There are disagreements [between the town and property owners] at times on code issues and rules and standards and that sort of thing, but weve always been able to work those out professionally and amicably and the projects get done, Wood said.

Assistant Town Manager Mark Moore also said there is typically a certain level of partnership between the town and property owner that has not been present regarding 325 Franklin Street because Bane doesnt seem to believe the rules that all property owners must follow apply to him.

At an April 7 Rocky Mount Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, Wood described what he called a pattern to Banes development efforts.

The rules have not been followed, permits have not been obtained, theyve been obtained after construction started, Wood said.

That assertion is backed up by public records.

Demolition at 325 Franklin Street began in 2020  more than a year before Franklin County issued a demolition permit for the property  and knocked broken glass and debris onto the sidewalk, street and parked cars.

In early 2022, the town noted that new walls had been built on top of the buildings existing roof and parapets, adding between 3 and 12 feet of height to the building. The town never received or approved plans to add height. Moreover, adding height violated the towns zoning codes, which state that central business district-zoned buildings, like 325 Franklin Street, may not exceed two stories in height with a maximum height of 45 feet from grade and parapet walls may not project more than four feet above the roof.

Elsewhere in the project, the results did not match the plans that were approved: In August 2021, the town found that the sidewalk on the Claiborne Avenue side of the building had been left too narrow following the installation of a ramp and handrail. The sidewalk did not comply with Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) requirements and federal accessibility standards, and failing to do so could endanger some of the funding the town receives from VDOT, so the town issued Bane a zoning violation.

In both cases, Bane went to the town Board of Zoning Appeals to get after-the-fact permission for the work. Against the recommendations of town staff and the wishes of town council, the BZA  led by Chairman and Rocky Mount mayoral candidate Holland Perdue  granted Banes requests.

Wood and Moore said they still had concerns, based on conversations with the towns engineers, about the added height and whether the building would hold up to the extra weight or if wind shear might cause parts of the walls to fall onto the street.

On May 4, Rocky Mount Town Attorney John Boitnott appealed the BZAs decision to allow the added height with the Franklin County Circuit Court.

Our purpose in filing the appeal was to ask the court to  require them to provide all of that engineering detail and all of that engineering certification that would be required for any building, Wood said.

The town withdrew its appeal once the county assured the town that it would require revised plans before lifting its stop work order. Bane submitted new plans Sept. 12 but had not received approval from the county as of Sept. 15.

Its not the first time Bane has faced issues over a property.

Online court case information available at eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/search shows that, in 1997, the state took Bane to court in Roanoke County over an unsafe structure criminal misdemeanor charge. He was found guilty and paid a $1,000 fine.

In 2005, in Roanoke County, the state also brought several felony charges against Bane for failure to pay sales taxes. The cases were dismissed but Bane received unsupervised probation and had to pay more than $1,500 in fines and costs, according to case documentation.

Rather than appeal the BZA decision on the sidewalk, the town is looking into correcting the situation on its own dime. Doing so may affect the adjacent on-street parking spots.

Not just because of the VDOT funding, but because we feel people should be able to use public facilities like sidewalks,  we are going to put the necessary time and money into fixing the sidewalk that was altered and made non-compliant by what Mr. Bane did, Wood said.

Then, at the BZAs Aug. 4 meeting, Perdue moved to change the minutes from the meeting on the sidewalk, eliminating a section summarizing questions from BZA Vice Chairwoman Susan Hapgood about the sidewalks impact on the towns VDOT funding.

This reads to me like we didnt take into consideration VDOT funding, Perdue said Aug. 4.

Hapgood said the minutes were an accurate reflection of the discussion and moved to accept them as presented. Her motion died for lack of a second and Perdues motion to change the minutes carried in a 2-1 vote, with Hapgood dissenting.

All were there to do is determine whether there was a violation or there was not, Perdue said when The Roanoke Times asked him about the change. That language had nothing to do with the finding.

Later, Perdue added he felt the original minutes were picking and choosing parts of the conversation and he wanted them to be more streamlined.

About the downtown structure, Bane said: None of the building was  really my motivation for running.  I dont want anyone to go through what I went through.  Town administration has opened the people of Rocky Mount up to excessive litigation  and we cannot afford to keep government by litigation.  They do not care about the people of Rocky Mount. For them its all about the ego.  The town council is supposed to represent us.

The belief in a need for change on the town council has been shared by other local candidates, including Perdue.

Theres a lot of people around here that feel like their voices arent heard by the current mayor and council.  Small businesses tend to have harder times when theyre coming to the area  Ive seen it first hand.  Weve got to be proactive, weve got a lot of empty buildings downtown, Perdue said.

Although several of the candidates have made comments about needing a change on town council, Bane said he is not running with anyone else.

Were not running together. I think we each have our own ideas, Bane said.
The general election is only 40 days away.

To engage voters, Lincoln-based Civic Nebraska visited Grand Island Tuesday for a sidewalk art event at the YWCA, 211 E. Fonner Park Road.

Families and community members were encouraged to grab a stencil, a can of spray chalk and create artwork at the YWCA entrance.

Chueqa Yang, a Civic Nebraska voting rights field organizer, started hosting the activity in 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I noticed a lot of families and community members were outside walking all the time, Yang told The Independent. My mind went to, what are the open canvases and public spaces our communities are engaging in? We might as well use the sidewalks because people are out and about.

Joseline Reyna, YWCA community organizer, said she enjoyed having Civic Nebraska visit.

Its wonderful to be able to partner with an organization that supports the work were doing, said Reyna. Theres always a lot of work being done in Lincoln and Omaha, and not in rural areas. Theres not a lot of organizations that are getting out the vote, talking to people about elections. Being able partner up with another organization to do this event is really good.

The spray chalk used is temporary and erasable, but also vibrant and exciting.

Theyre just reminders for people as they stop by or walk by. It adds color, and who doesnt like a little bit of art? said Yang.

Stencils came in a variety of languages, including Spanish and Vietnamese.

The YWCA also serves Grand Islands Somali and Arabic communities.

Engaging with communities about voting and elections is important, said Yang.

I feel like every election should be important, she said. I think theres a lot at stake, especially with some things on the ballot, a new governor, and seats in the Legislature.

The stencils had such slogans as We have power in local elections and Make your voice matter in Nebraska and Vota por correo!

Being civically engaged is something everyone can do, said Yang. I always try to make it more fun and attractive to people. For me, thats including art.

The sidewalk chalk art was a great way to engage parents and children alike, said Reyna.

Our kiddos get dropped off after school, so our after-school kids get involved, she said. They definitely talk to the parents. Sometimes the parents come super-fast and get their kids, but having a table out here and being able to talk to them about elections and what that means, is great.

Reyna did some stencil art and said she enjoyed it.

Its a way to make it more fun, she said. Sometimes people are like, I dont really know about elections. I dont get involved with that. I think having the painting makes it interesting. Like, How can I get involved? Its a different way to attract our community.

All Nebraska should be involved and have their voices heard.

Stay engaged, said Yang. If you dont think your voice matters, it truly does. Go vote.

The deadline for in-person registration is Oct. 28. The deadline to register to vote online is Oct. 21.

To register, visit sos.nebraska.gov/elections/elections-division.

For more information about Civic Nebraska, visit www.civicnebraska.org.
Twin brothers from Lincoln have made it their goal to revitalize downtown Lincoln through renovating dilapidated residential and commercial properties.

Apartment buildings, houses and even commercial spaces have been given new life thanks to the work of Luke and Seth Flowerday, brothers with a passion for historical restoration and carpentry.

"A lot of the properties were working on have been neglected for 10 years, sometimes longer," Seth Flowerday said. "By the time we get our hands on them they're on their last breath. We come in and hopefully save them from that."

The Flowerday twins have been compared to the Scott twins from HGTV's "Property Brothers" series, where Jonathan and Drew Scott help couples buy and remodel fixer-uppers into their dream homes. The brothers say the Scotts helped lay the groundwork for what they do, helping erase the negative connotation that their work sometimes received.

"They helped clean up the image of real estate, and we dont mind being compared to them," Luke said. "Seth is more of the contracts and finance side, and I am way more of the construction side, just like those two guys."

"We joke that I get us into trouble and he gets us out," Seth added.

The Flowerdays have always been interested in construction. Growing up, it was natural for them to have a hammer and bag of nails in their hands, and they followed that passion throughout school.

"(We) took wood shop in high school (at Lincoln East), and we had a very talented teacher, Jeff McCabe," Luke said. "He taught us how to build high-quality furniture. Not just cabinet making, not just birdhouses, but heirloom-grade furniture."

After graduating, the pair took classes at Southeast Community College for a year before attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, from which they graduated in 2012.

The brothers then started a woodworking business, fixing trim and building windows for restoration projects. They quickly realized they wanted to expand, and in 2015 they started their own business, All In Acquisitions, LLC. The brothers now could make entire properties into their own masterpieces.

"The company name is All In Acquisitions because that's what we were  we burned the ships and there was no going back," Luke said, laughing.

The brothers are independent contractors with Arrow Capital, which they also have their realtor's licenses through. Arrow helps the Flowerdays buy properties, list them and sell them.

The brothers started small, buying houses and flipping them.

Eventually, they decided to take more of a buy-and-hold strategy, and it led them to the acquisition of the former Yakel Grocery Store, a 4,000-square-foot property at 1845 S. 11th St. built in 1912.

The Yakel building had been vacant for at least six years before the brothers renovated it. The inside was virtually unrecognizable, with plaster coming off the walls, holes everywhere, and outdated plumbing and electrical utilities.

"When we bought the Yakel building, I said to him, Youre going to have to convince me why in the world we need these problems in our life.' Luke said. "He must have done it, because a month later we bought it."

Two years later, the building has been converted into affordable apartments.

Their most recent undertaking is much bigger: the Blackstone apartment building at 300 A St., a 13,000-square-foot property that is vacant.

The Flowerdays said it will be a big jump in terms of work and scale of the renovation.

"We're definitely a little scared, but definitely very excited. It's a cool opportunity to bring 22 housing units back to downtown Lincoln," Seth said.

Both brothers say their main goal is to serve the community. Growing up in Lincoln, Luke said they have a personal connection to many of the properties that come into their possession.

"It's where we grew up, so we understand the challenges these neighborhoods face," Seth said. "That's why we've taken a personal interest in helping to elevate the condition of these neighborhoods, one property at a time."

A property they restored on 11th Street became the home of Roots Collective, a hair salon, and LNK Nutrition, which are both locally owned businesses. The brothers say they're proud to have created a venue for young entrepreneurs.

"As we ourselves are young entrepreneurs, it was cool to work with other young folks that are like us and like-minded, and have a vision not just for the property but for the whole downtown area," Seth said.

Their residential work has also brought a positive environment to neighborhoods. Luke said some of the properties they find are the worst houses in a 10-15-block radius, but the work is rewarding.

"When you buy something like that and you fix it up and you hear from the neighbors, its really cool," he said.

They've received all forms of praise for their work, from cookies to standing ovations, and neighbors even telling them they see angel wings attached to the brothers.

The apartments the brothers create also serve the community and the demographic of their location: college students and working people.

"Its not going to be a high-end condo that only the wealthy can afford, its going to be quality apartments that you and I could afford," Luke said. "Thats also something thats important to us; affordability is such a big issue in this country right now, it's something that needs to be grappled with and this is how to deal with it."
The exhibition -- "Forging Ahead in the New Era" -- opened Tuesday morning at the Beijing Exhibition Hall.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, addressed the opening ceremony and declared the exhibition open.

Wang hailed the decade since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 as a truly extraordinary and remarkable decade in the course of the development of the Party and the country.

The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the entire Party, the military, and all Chinese people in advancing a host of transformative practices, making many new breakthroughs and achieving a number of landmark accomplishments, Wang said.

With great success achieved for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the last 10 years are a milestone in the history of the Party, the People's Republic of China, reform and opening up, the development of socialism, and the development of the Chinese nation, he said.

The fundamental reason why historic achievements and historic shifts have been made in the cause of the Party and the country is the helmsmanship and leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Wang said.

Wang stressed the need to maintain a high degree of unity with the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core.

As an important part of the publicity work in preparation for the 20th CPC National Congress, the exhibition is being held to guide all officials and the public to continue to forge ahead under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, remain committed to the leadership of the CPC and China's socialist system, and resolutely follow the CPC in sticking to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and promoting national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization, Wang said.

About 350 people attended the opening ceremony.
YORK  A special LB 644 hearing was held this week regarding the budgets of the York and Heartland School Districts.

The hearing, attended by several dozen people, was held in the basement of the courthouse.

The hearing was required by a new state law known as the Property Tax Request Act which was passed by the Nebraska Legislature in 2021 and took effect this year. If an entitys tax asking goes over 2%, it is now required for postcards to be sent to all the parcel owners and a hearing be held before the entitys budget can be adopted.

The hearing was opened by York County Commissioner Randy Obermier, who explained he was solely there to help move along the hearing as the county was the host of the location.

York Superintendent Mitch Bartholomew opened with asking patrons to first look at the postcards they received. There was an information issue with the postcards sent to York patrons, as it was inaccurate. The issue for the YPS postcards was that different levies were used for the 2021 and 2022 school years  although the districts levy will remain at $1.19. In essence, with different data provided for the 2021 taxes and the 2022 estimated taxes  it was literally comparing apples with oranges and was therefore inconsistent and inaccurate.

Bartholomew stressed that the school districts levy did not increase. The total assessed value increased by 5%.

He noted that nearly 85% of the districts budget goes to people (staff); there is a $900,000 increase in expenses; there are large cost increases for supplies and equipment; there is a $440,000 increase in insurance; they anticipate higher medical claim costs, high substitute teacher costs and high fuel costs.

Bartholomew said if the district would have had to stay under the 2% increase, they would have had to cut $330,000 from the budget and wouldnt have been able to cover insurance costs.

The York superintendent also stressed, My door is always open. If you have questions, call me, come see me.

Heartland Superintendent Jeremy Klein then addressed the group.

He noted that new to the Heartland district this year is a bond fund, which was approved by voters earlier this year. The budget figures are: general fund, $4,198,964; bond fund, $545,455; and special building fund, $63,636.

He also noted a caveat in which ag land owners will pay 50% of value instead of 75% of value as before  because this bond issue was passed for improvements to the school property. Because of this, ag parcel owners will pay at a lower net rate than usual.

With the voter-approved bond fund, that is where our increase lies, Klein said, as the district will be making both interest and principle bond payments now. The bulk of our increase is the addition of the bond fund.

Voters in the Heartland district approved the bond issue so major renovation and addition projects can take place at the physical location of the school in Henderson.

He also noted that because the Heartland district only is set to receive $66,397 in state aid, that is a piece that makes us quite reliant on property taxes.

A member of the audience asked why the Heartland general fund operating budget increased by $1 million.

Klein responded that the difference was his approach is different than his predecessor, and being in his first year as superintendent he saw budgeting as establishing future spending authority. I see the responsibility to accrue spending authority that wont be spent but will be prepared for, for needs in the future. Each year, I feel we will need to create unused budget authority. This is an increase in our budget but not in our spending.

Its customary to have surplus in the budget, Klein said. Its quite conventional. I need to give the board as much flexibility as possible which takes years to provide. My job is to make things work when unforeseen things happen while also making sure the tax increases are reasonable.

In the end, Heartlands tax levy went from .54 per $100 of valuation to .61 per $100 of valuation which is a 14% increase. The change in the overall operating budget (which accounts for the general fund, special building fund and the new bond fund) is an increase of 125%.
School Pulse Panel

New Data: Nearly Half of Schools Providing Home Internet Access to Students Who Need It This School Year

Survey results released today by the U.S. Department of Educations National Center for Education Statistics shows that as of the start of the 202223 school year, almost half of K12 public schools reported providing internet access to students who need it at their homes, and almost three quarters are providing training on digital literacy for their students.

"These data released today on schools offering additional digital literacy training to English learners and students with IEPs and 504 plans suggest schools are aware of digital disparities and are working to reduce them," NCES Associate Commissioner Chris Chapman said in a news release. "We are appreciative to the schools that participated in the School Pulse Panel and have shared their experiences responding to the pandemic."

The August survey, part of the monthly polling project by the School Pulse Panel included 900 participating schools, NCES said.

Key K12 Technology Findings for 202223

Entering the 202223 school year, nearly half of public schools surveyed, or 45% of respondents, reported that they are providing internet access to the students who need it at their homes. 41% said they were not providing internet access to students at home, and 13% said they didnt know.

More than half of public schools surveyed, 56%, reported providing internet access to the students who need it at a location other than their home, such as in a library or parking lot. 27% said they were not providing internet access to students who need it at a location other than their home, and 17% said they didnt know.

An overwhelming majority  94%  of public schools surveyed reported they are providing digital devices, such as laptops or tablets, to students who need them for the 202223 school year. Just 4% of respondents said they were not providing digital devices this school year.

When asked whether students are being provided IT or technical support for problems with their internet or computers this school year, 87% said yes and 9% answered no.

When asked whether teachers or non-teaching staff are being provided IT or technical support for problems with their internet or computers, 97% said yes and 2% answered no.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents, or 72%, said their school offers training on digital literacy for students. Among schools providing digital literacy training to students, 68% reported providing additional training to students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans, and 62% reported providing additional training to English learners, beyond the training offered to all students. 23% said they are not offering students training on digital literacy, and 5% responded dont know.



View the full report and past survey findings on the School Pulse Panel website.
MURPHYSBORO  When the smoke cleared Saturday in Murphysboro, two teams walked away with the title of grand champion out of a total of 98 teams from 17 different states.

Band of Outlaws was named Memphis Barbecue Network grand champion, winning first place in ribs and whole hog.

Smokin Ghost was named grand champion in the Kansas City Barbecue Society competition, with Swine Life taking the title of Reserve Grand Champion.

Besides bragging rights, winners receive entry into the Kansas City Royal, the Jack Daniels draw, and a share of $27,500 in prize money.

While this is a bittersweet weekend, as it was my dads, Mike Mills, favorite weekend, weve turned it into a joyous occasion and an opportunity to celebrate his legacy. I know of no one who had such a tremendous impact on the world of barbecue, not to mention the constant spotlight he shined on Murphysboro and Southern Illinois, said Amy Mills.

Mike Mills, affectionately known as The Legend, and former owner of 17th Street Barbecue, passed away in 2020. His larger-than-life presence was felt throughout the entirety of the weekend.

The competition kicked-off Saturday morning with a special Budweiser Lucky Beer Toast honoring Mike Mills from Dan Dicke of Steamboat Barbecue. The awards ceremony began with a moment of silence in honor of The Legend.

Im overwhelmed by the love and support from all the judges and teams. This years competition was as determined and uncompromising as ever. Im especially proud to see the 17th Street Barbecue pit crew work so hard to uphold the standards and carry on the legacy my daddy built over the last four decades, Amy Mills said.

This year marked the 14th year of a dual-sanctioned barbecue event with teams cooking both the Memphis Barbecue Network-and Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned contests, and the ninth SCA Steak Cookoff, sanctioned by the Steak Cookoff Association. Of the 98 competing teams, 23 were MBN teams and 46 were KCBS teams, Seven teams cooked in both categories. A total of 36 competed in the steak cook-off.

Winning teams received one-of-a-kind hand-blown glass apples, exclusively commissioned for The Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off by the Douglass School Art Place in Murphysboro. The two Grand Champions each received a chainsaw-carved pig from Bear Tracks in Brownsville.

Below is a list of the three styles of competition with the winners listed in order after the name of each category:

Memphis Barbecue Network

Grand Champion: Band of Outlaws

Ribs: Band of Outlaws, Phat Chance, The BBQ Bus, Goin Hogn, Blue Collar BBQ

Pulled Pork: Fittin Ta Cu, Smoke Til Ya Broke, Pickin Our Butts, Steamboat BBQ, Hanks BBQ

Whole Hog: Band of Outlaws, Steamboat BBQ, Auto Be Grillin, Hanks BBQ, 3 Taxi Guys

Kansas City Barbecue Society

Grand Champion: Smokin Ghost

Reserve Grand Champion: Swine Life

Chicken: Janky Leg, Smoke Me Silly, Rooters & Tooters, The BBQ Bust, Swine Life

Ribs: Smokin Ghost, WeQ4U, The BBQ Bus, Continental BBQ Co., Janky Leg

Pork: Iowas Smokey Ds, Continental BBQ Co., Heavy Smoke, Hot Coles BBQ, Risky Brisket

Brisket: Swine Life, Rooters & Tooters, Smoke & Peppers, Smoke Me Silly, Iowas Smokey Ds

Steak Cook-Off Association

SCA Contest: Tim Brown, Leanne Caruso, Brian Neale, Brian Sweet, Mark Merritt, Seth McCallister
CARBONDALE  During its regular meeting on Tuesday evening, Carbondale City Council approved a resolution authorizing City Manager Gary Williams to submit an application for a grant from Southern Illinois Metropolitan Planning Organization to extend Oak Street from Wall Street to Lewis Lane.

Councilman Adam Loos asked if the project was in compliance with the Complete Street Ordinances. Williams said it is.

Several other questions were asked, including one about the amount of the grant request. Councilman Lee Fronabarger asked why they were only seeking 40% of the funding for the project.

Williams said he was trying to be realistic and based the request on the typical amount grants provide.

Don Monty, who was in the audience, asked about bike lines and the intersection at Lewis Lane.

The intersection at Lewis Lane looks a little awkward, Monty said, adding that a round-about could fix that issue.

The council also voted to renew a lease with Carbondale Park District for the building at Turley Park used as Kids Korner child care center.

When the city leased the building, the park district was not sure what they would do with the child care center. The lease was renewed last year, and the lease approved Tuesday night will be the third lease signed by the park district and city.

Fronabarger suggested the city ask the park district to pay $500 per month because they recently entered a lease with another government agency to lease another building for $29,750 annually.

Loos said he agreed but there is not enough child care as it is. He said they should renew the lease at no cost.

I would like to know what their long term plan is before renewing a lease again, Councilman Jeff Doherty said.

The council approved the request with Fronabarger casting the lone "no" vote.

The council also approved entering into an interagency agreement with Carbondale Community High School to provide a school resource officer. The school board had already approved the agreement.

The council discussed an item pulled from the consent agenda. Tom Grant requested they pull a resolution authorizing the city to seek a permit for installing license plate readers along the right-of-way of Illinois 13 so a resident could speak about it.

William Klein is part of the social action group Rainbow Cafe. He asked questions about how the information collected would be stored and used. He also asked who would have access to it.

Police Chief Stan Reno said all information collected would not be released to anyone without city approval. It will be maintained and held exclusively for the citys use. Reno was not sure how long the information would be stored.

The motion passed to approve seeking the permit to install the license plate readers.

The city also held a public hearing for the sale of property at 219 E. Larch St.

They heard a presentation and report on the Economic Development Office from Steve Mitchell and Cody Lueker.
Dozens of college students from throughout Illinois will gather in Carbondale this week to learn about the careers of leading political figures in the state, look at the challenges facing Illinois while exploring Illinois future during the Renewing Illinois Summit.

The summit, a program of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, puts college students at the forefront of Illinois government and political future  and puts the students in attendance in front of some of the states most notable leaders.

John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Institute, said the summit schedule features an all-star line-up.

During the summit on Thursday, Sept. 29 and Friday, Sept. 30, students will hear from Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, former Illinois Congressman and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Illinois Comptroller Susan Mendoza and Erika Harold, director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.

Participants will also hear from a panel discussion with journalists Shia Kapos of Politicos Illinois Playbook; Shruti Singh of Bloomberg News; Jennifer Fuller, WSIU-FM and Jeff Rogers of the Illinois Press Foundation, who will discuss how they report on, and write about, Illinois.

Shaw said he believes Welch will be the first sitting Illinois speaker to visit SIU in two decades.

About 60 students from 10 Illinois community colleges, four-year colleges and universities are expected to attend the summit where they will explore the question of state identity, regional tensions and a common agenda for Illinois through the events theme of One Illinois: Noble Aspiration or Impossible Dream?

The Renewing Illinois Summit is a signature program of the Paul Simon Institute, Shaw said. In organizing the summit, the institute is reaching out to a group whose views are too rarely sought or seriously considered when policymakers contemplate the future of Illinois: College students. The institute is especially interested in those who are already leaders on their campuses and envision public service for their futures. These are the people who will soon decide whether to settle in Illinois and revive our state or leave for what they perceive to be greener pastures.

We are very grateful to Glenn and Jo Poshard for establishing a generous endowment to help us host the summit again, Shaw said.
The manufacturing market is a major contributor not only to the Illinois economy as a whole, but it especially contributes to the Southern Illinois region. So say the findings of an economic impact study released on Wednesday.

The study found that manufacturing is responsible for $2.5 billion in economic impact in Jackson and Williamson Counties annually. The findings were shared by Gordy Hulten, CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers Association during a stop at Com-Pac International in Carbondale on Wednesday morning. The results were part of a University of South Carolina study looking at the economic impact of manufacturing in the state of Illinois.

Statewide, manufacturing has an estimated annual economic impact between $580 billion and $611 billion each year. Hulten said manufacturing is the largest contributor to the states gross domestic product and Illinois manufactures employ more than 660,000 people directly and support 1.7 million jobs.

Manufacturing is pivotal to the success of our states economy, creating jobs and building communities while developing innovative products that will lead our nation forward, he said.

Flanked by Greg Sprehe, president and CEO of Com-Pac International; Carbondale Economic Development Director Steven Mitchell; State Representative Dave Severin and State Senators Terri Bryant and Dale Fowler, Hulten shared specifics about both counties as part of a Manufacturing Matters tour throughout Illinois.

He said Williamson County manufacturing supports 20% of the countys economy, including 5,454 jobs, generating more than $316 million in salaries and benefits. Overall, the economic impact in the county from manufacturing is $1.9 billion.

Jackson County manufacturing includes 1,942 employees earning $101 million in pay and benefits each year. The total economic impact in Jackson County from manufacturing is $594.8 million.

Manufacturers are a vital contributor to our citys economic development ecosystem, providing stable jobs and generating tax revenue to support important programs, Mitchell said.

He pointed to Carbondale manufacturers Intertape Polymer Group and Com-Pac International as examples. Com-Pac is a global maker of specialized packaging products for food service, medical and industrial applications. The companys Carbondale headquarters and plant employ more than 225 people on a full and part-time basis.

The almost 2,000 people supported by manufacturing jobs in Jackson County generate about $600 million in economic output  almost 10% of Jackson Countys GDP, Hulten said. Every manufacturing job in this region creates an additional seven jobs and has a huge ripple throughout the local economy.

Hulten said Illinois manufacturers benefit from a quality workforce, outstanding highway and railroad transportation options and the states centralized location.
Following a three-year hiatus, the popular Southern Illinois Piano Festival returns in 2022 with lectures, performances and workshops from a number of acclaimed pianists.

We are excited to have three wonderful, high-level artists coming and presenting lectures, workshops and recitals, explained Southern Illinois University Carbondale Professor of Piano Junghwa Lee.

Lee said this version of the festival is unique because of scheduling. Artist schedules as well as the SIU School of Music performance calendar prevented the festival from being held on consecutive days, so organizers opted to spread the event over three months. She said the new format will be beneficial to attendees.

This will probably be easier on everyones schedules, she said. I think this will work out well for community music students or students with busy schedules.

In total, the festival will include four recitals, two lectures, two masterclasses and a workshop.

Featured performers and events included in the festival include:

University of Michigan Associate Professor of Piano Literature Matthew Bengtson will present a lecture at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 2 followed by a recital at 3 p.m.

International concert pianist and professor of piano at the Eastman School of Music 4:15pm Marina Lomazov will offer a piano workshop at 4:15 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 4 and a recital at 5 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 5.

On Wednesday, November 2 Hungarian pianist Peter Toth who currently teaches at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey will offer a lecture at 6 p.m. followed by a recital at 7 p.m.

SIU piano faculty member Yuko Kato will lead a piano masterclass, 4:30 Friday, Dec. 2 in Altgeld Hall, Room 110 at SIU and Lee will present a recital at 7 p.m. Recital in the Old Baptist Foundation on the SIU campus, with a masterclass in Altgeld 110 beginning at 8:30 p.m.

All of the events are open to the public and free. Other than the masterclasses all of the lectures and performances will be in the recital hall of the Old Baptist Foundation, just north of Faner Hall on the SIU campus.

More information about the Southern Illinois Piano Festival is available online at https://music.siu.edu/festivals/piano-festival/ or by calling (618) 536-8742.
More than 600 Southern Illinois high school students are getting the opportunity to gain hands-on exposure to a possible profession in trade during a construction careers expo this week at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.

Students in vocational, construction and cooperative education classes are meeting with local skilled journeymen and trying their hands at construction skills ranging from concrete finishing to welding and sheet metal work to operating heavy equipment.

Donna Richter, chief executive officer of the Southern Illinois Builders Association, said the 10 interactive booths in the fairgrounds Expo Building give students a glimpse into careers in the trades.

This is a way to expose students to careers in construction, she explained. They have hands-on opportunities so that they can experience it. Hopefully, it gives them another option besides a four-year university.

Carbondale Community High School senior Ty Doan said he appreciated the chance to learn about possible careers.

This is cool because there are a bunch of good opportunities here and we can learn what kind of things they do and what those jobs pay and things like that, he said.

Doan said he is considering a career in carpentry or welding and meeting with professionals gave him more insight to the possible careers.

Each of the students attending the event received a booklet with descriptions of the trades, apprenticeship programs, working conditions and potential earnings. The booklets also featured a QR code for each career path, linking to an area trade union or training center.

Theres not a day that goes by when I dont get a call from someone looking for laborers, Ricther said. We need more people in all of these trades and people now are realizing that they can work in these positions, make good money, have great benefits and have no college debt.

She said the expo is usually an annual event, designed to encourage high school students to purse a construction career. The expo has two sessions each day, Tuesday through Thursday.

Jason Sissom of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 318 said in addition to guiding students through simulations of operating excavators, bulldozers and other heavy equipment, he was talking with teenagers about apprenticeship opportunities.

We dont get into very many high schools to recruit so this is about the only way we have to reach them, but it is effective, he said.

Richter said that in Southern Illinois, the tradespeople represented at the expo are in high demand.

Theres great opportunity. Unfortunately, we have so many craftsmen that are retiring and we dont have enough of the younger ones to replace them, she explained. We are really trying to share these careers with students.
SPRINGFIELD  Attorneys for the state of Illinois joined their colleagues in Nevada and Virginia Wednesday in asking a federal appellate court to declare that the Equal Rights Amendment has been legally ratified as the 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

I have a daughter who intends to practice law, and the Constitution she will pledge to protect should fully protect her as well, Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement released after the oral arguments. Until the United States Constitution reflects our societys commitment to not go backward, none of us should stop fighting for equality.

Illinois Solicitor General Jane Notz argued the states case before the appellate court.

The push for an amendment barring discrimination on the basis of sex was first proposed in Congress in 1923. But it wasnt until 1972 that an amendment finally cleared both chambers of Congress by two-thirds majorities and was sent to the states for ratification.

The proposed amendment reads: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

At issue in the case is a clause in the original resolution that said it would become valid when ratified by three-fourths of the states within seven years from the date of its submission by the Congress.

Thirty-eight states are needed for ratification of an amendment, but when the deadline lapsed in 1979, only 35 states had ratified the amendment, and six of those had taken subsequent votes to rescind their endorsement of the amendment.

At one point, Congress tried to extend the deadline into 1982, but that was quickly challenged in court and before the U.S. Supreme Court could hear arguments in the case, the extended deadline lapsed.

Years later, in 2017, Nevada became the first state to ratify the amendment after the deadline. Illinois followed suit in 2018 and Virginia voted to ratify the amendment in 2020, making it the 38th state to vote for ratification.

Shortly after the Virginia vote, Illinois and Nevada joined Virginia in filing a lawsuit seeking an order for National Archivist David Ferriero to publish and certify the amendment as part of the U.S. Constitution.

But in a ruling handed down in March 2021, a federal judge dismissed the case, saying among other things that certification by the archivist would have no legal effect, and therefore his refusal to certify did not cause the plaintiffs any harm and that Congress was within its authority to set a deadline for ratification.

Illinois and Nevada appealed that ruling. Virginia did not take part in the appeal.

In the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Illinois and Nevada argued that the lower court got the decision wrong.

They argued that the process of ratifying constitutional amendments is spelled out in Article V of the Constitution, which says nothing about Congress having authority to set deadlines for ratification. They also argued that the Constitution is silent on whether states can rescind their ratification of an amendment after already having voted to do so.

Ferriero was joined by five states opposing the amendment  Alabama, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Tennessee  in arguing that the ERA had not been duly ratified.

They argued that Congress does have a right to set deadlines for ratification and, in fact, has used a seven-year deadline several times, beginning with the 18th amendment that established prohibition, which was ratified in 1919.

They also argued that states have a right to rescind their ratification if a proposed amendment does not achieve the three-fourths threshold within a reasonable period of time.

They didnt intend the ERA to float in the ether for all eternity, the lawyers wrote in their briefs. Simply put, the world is different now than it was in 1972. Nearly every legislator that voted to ratify the ERA is either deceased or no longer in office. Even the youngest eligible voter that year would be nearly 70 years old now.

Finally, they also argued that the Equal Rights Amendment itself is not really about preventing gender-based discrimination but, rather, creating a federal constitutional backstop for abortion rights.

A three-judge panel of the court took the case under advisement but did not indicate when they would issue a decision. Regardless of how they rule, the case is almost certain to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

We are grateful to the Attorneys General for pursuing this important litigation, Zakiya Thomas, president and CEO of the ERA Coalition, said in a statement. The ERA has met all the constitutional requirements for an amendment, and the Archivist has a statutory duty to publish it. Publication will give official notice to all 50 states that the ERA is now the Twenty-Eighth Amendment.
China's top political advisor Wang Yang attended a reception on Tuesday to celebrate the upcoming 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing and delivered a speech.

The reception was jointly held by the General Office of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has implemented the strategy of national rejuvenation within the context of global changes of a scale unseen in a century, said Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.

It has solved many longstanding problems, brought about important achievements on matters concerning the future, and withstood risks and challenges at home and abroad, Wang added.

Noting that the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress matters in carrying forward the cause of the Party and the country, the future of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and China's national rejuvenation, Wang urged efforts to study, publicize and implement the spirit of the congress, and follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to strive for fully building a modern socialist China and advancing national rejuvenation.

Stressing understanding the spirit of President Xi Jinping's address at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, Wang called for efforts to implement the principle of "one country, two systems," enforce the central government's overall jurisdiction in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs), implement the principle of patriots administering Hong Kong and Macao, as well as supporting the SAR governments in their administration in accordance with the law, ensuring that the SARs maintain their unique status and advantages, and supporting their integration into China's overall development.

Wang stressed implementing the Party's overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, upholding the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, and promoting the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Strait relations.

Noting that China's reunification is unstoppable, Wang warned that seeking "Taiwan independence" with foreign support will lead nowhere, while using Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail.

Wang urged efforts to implement the policies of the Party and the country on overseas Chinese affairs, and help the world to better understand China.
A man who received a $650,000 settlement with the City of Orangeburg over a police officers use of force is now accused of keeping a woman trapped in a car against her will.

Clarence Gailyard, 59, of Gilford Street, St. Matthews is charged with kidnapping, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, resisting arrest, first-offense trafficking in 28 grams or more but less than 100 grams of cocaine base and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

The incident began as both Gailyard and a woman were at a Chestnut Street club in St. Matthews during the early morning hours on Sunday, according to a Calhoun County Sheriffs Office incident report.

The two knew each other, and Gailyard allegedly asked the woman to get into his 2008 black BMW.

She voluntarily got into his car, the report states.

Gailyard allegedly began to drive the woman away from the club. The woman told deputies she asked him multiple times to let her out of his car, but she claims he refused.

The woman called 911, but pretended to be on the phone with her mother instead.

A dispatcher was able to provide law enforcement with detailed information about the cars whereabouts due to the pings coming from the womans cellphone, the report states.

A St. Matthews police officer stopped the BMW at the intersection of First Street and Liberty Street.

The woman was able to get out of the car and to the safety of deputies.

She claims that she saw Gailyard at the club with a firearm, but that he didnt threaten her with any weapon or physically hold her when she was with him in his car.

When deputies attempted to take Gailyard into custody, he allegedly pulled away from them and told them he was not going to be arrested.

Deputies said they had to physically place Gailyard in the backseat of a patrol vehicle. They claim he smelled like alcohol.

When deputies searched his car, they allegedly found a .380-caliber semi-automatic Smith & Wesson pistol on the drivers seat. One round was in the chamber and two rounds were in an attached magazine.

Deputies also claim they found a glass jar containing: 41.1 grams of crack cocaine, small tied bags containing 2.4 grams of powder cocaine, one Oxycodone pill and a quarter, warrants allege.

A deputy took Gailyard to the Regional Medical Center to get checked out before taking him to the Orangeburg County Detention Center.

At RMC, Gailyard was hostile, cursing and not complying with commands from medical staff or I, a deputy claimed in his report.

The same deputy also claims, During the hospital visit, Mr. Gailyard threatened to kill me and attempted to bribe the hospital security guard by offering him $3,000 to punch me.

A Calhoun County magistrate set Gailyards bond at $440,000 on Monday, according to Capt. Jimmy Orso.

Gailyard was already out on bond on the following charges stemming from a June 11 arrest in Orangeburg County: second-offense DUI less than .10, second-offense DUS license not suspended for DUI, open container of beer or wine in a motor vehicle, first-offense possession of one ounce or less of marijuana, unlawful possession of a pistol, possession of a pistol by a person convicted of a violent felony, first-offense trafficking methamphetamine or cocaine base 10 grams or more but less than 28 grams and first-offense possession of cocaine.

In November 2021, the City of Orangeburg reached a settlement with Gailyard for $650,000 involving a case with former Orangeburg Department of Public Safety officer David Lance Dukes.

The S.C. Law Enforcement Division charged Dukes, 39, of Orangeburg, with first-degree assault and battery in the days following a July 2021 encounter with Gailyard. The charge is pending.

Dukes responded to a report of a person with a gun. No gun was found.

A S.C. Law Enforcement Division warrant alleges Dukes approached Gailyard who was on his hands and knees. While the victim was in a defenseless position on his hands and knees, Officer Dukes raised his right leg and forcibly stomped with his boot on the victims neck and/or head area. The force of the blow caused the victims head to strike the concrete. The victim suffered a contusion to his forehead and was transported by EMS.

Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg, who represented Gailyard in the civil case against the city of Orangeburg, doesnt represent him on any criminal charges, he said on Tuesday.

If Gailyard is convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.
Farmers are scrambling to harvest their peanuts ahead Hurricane Ian, which could bring gusty winds, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes to the region.

Our biggest concern is that it is coming during harvest time. That is never what we want to see, Calhoun County Clemson Extension Agent Charles Davis said Tuesday.

Davis said in some cases it will be a field by field call on whether to leave peanuts in the ground and then dig them up after the rain.

Davis said most of the Virginia-type peanuts have been harvested and there are still runners that need to be harvested.

He isnt as concerned about cotton because most has not been defoliated and winds are not forecast to be in the 50 or 60 mph range.

We have leaves out there to buffer things, he said.

Hurricane Ian is expected to move through the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Wednesday, and into southeastern Georgia late Friday while weakening.

Gusty winds are forecast for the T&D Region on Thursday and Friday, with periods of heavy rain possible Friday and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Isolated tornadoes are possible late Friday through Saturday.

Davis said its disconcerting that Hurricane Ians forecast remains uncertain.

If we knew what to expect and what we would get, it would be a lot easier to prepare, Davis said. We have a lot of money on the table. It would just suit us fine if we didn't get any, but we don't make that call.

The National Weather Service says the primary threat for The T&D Region is heavy rain.

The region could see between four inches and six inches of rain, with the far eastern portions of Orangeburg County seeing a possible six to 10 inches. Localized flash flooding is possible.

The NWS says the region faces a 50 percent chance of rain after 8 p.m. Thursday. The chance of rain is expected to be the highest Friday at 80 percent.

The chance of rain is expected to drop to about 60 percent on Saturday and then fall off to about 30 percent for Sunday.

The NWS is forecasting peak wind gusts in the Orangeburg area could reach about 45 mph. Tropical storm force winds are about 39 mph.

According to the late Tuesday afternoon track, there is a 30 percent to 40 percent chance Orangeburg and Calhoun counties will see sustained winds that exceed tropical storm speeds. There is a 40 percent to 50 percent chance southern Bamberg County will see sustained tropical storm force winds.

Theres a much smaller chance the area could see winds reach speeds above 58 mph. The area is not expected to see hurricane-force wind gusts.

The NWS said uncertainties still exist in the storm track and timing.

The most rain and strongest winds are expected between 2 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday.

Some models show the storm stalling across the western North Carolina mountains after it leaves The T&D Region. That could keep showers in the T&D Region forecast into early next week.

Looking ahead for the next couple of weeks, the long-range forecast is calling for normal temperatures and normal rainfall.
The Great Branch Rosenwald Teacherage will celebrate its 13th anniversary of preservation at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1.

The event will be held at New Light United Methodist Church, located at 3100 Neeses Highway, Orangeburg, in the Family Life Center.

The speaker for the occasion will be Ellen Zisholtz, president of the Center for Creative Partnerships and All Star Bowling Lanes, which is on the historic register for its part in the Orangeburg Massacre.

Tickets for this event are available by calling Rosa Kennerly-Dance at 803-308-0666.

The Rosenwald school building program gave African American communities funding to build and supply schools for Black students between 1913 and 1932, according to the National Park Service.

The program was developed through the efforts of Julius Rosenwald, the son of Jewish immigrants and president of Sears Roebuck, and Booker T. Washington, an educator and leader who had been born into slavery.

Over 5,000 schools and teacherages were built in 15 states in the South. In 2015, the National Trust classified the Rosenwald Schools as national treasures.

The Orangeburg Rosenwald teachers cottage, often called a teacherage, was built in 1918. The facility cost about $2,650 and the school cost $4,600.

The house has three bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room, living room and bathroom  making it ideal as a boarding facility.

The accompanying school was built in 1922 and later burned down by arsonists.

Both the school and teacherage were funded jointly by the Rosenwald Fund and the Black community.

Once the new public schools were built in the early 1950s, there was no longer a need for the school or cottage, and the property remained in hands of the Edisto District Schools.

All properties were purchased and deeded to the Great Branch Community Center in May of 1961 by the local school district, Orangeburg Four. From that time, various community members occupied the house as a family home.

The house stood empty for more than 20 years before plans for restoration began in 2006 under the foresight of Frank Young and Jervey Kennerly.

In 2006, a grant was award by the legislative delegation in the amount of $25,000 to begin restoration of the Great Branch Rosenwald Teacherage.

Kennerly-Dance became the coordinator of the project.

Through the guidance of S.C. Archives and History and Leah Brown, members of the community embraced the project and began fund-raising efforts.

Grants and donations from alumni and others allowed phase I to proceed. A roof was donated by Orangeburg Lowes.

Three years later, in October 2009, the Great Branch Rosenwald Teacherage had its official opening for the public. The anniversary is celebrated on the first Saturday in October to remember the sacrifices required to acquire and keep the property for the people of the Great Branch Community.

There is a national effort to find and preserve all Rosenwald Schools and teachers homes. Only six of these teachers homes were built in South Carolina and only two are still standing  one on the campus of South Carolina State University and this one in the Great Branch Community on Highway #4.
A Parisian tax lawyer was sentenced to a one-year suspended prison term for helping a couple evade taxes between 2007 and 2014 via their clients' companies in Luxembourg.

The lawyer admitted to the charges on Tuesday at the hearing, specifically money laundering and complicity in tax fraud. His clients were a wealthy couple who own commercial premises and manage over a hundred companies.

He accepted the sentence negotiated between his lawyers and the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF): a one-year suspended prison sentence, an 18-month ban on practising law, 14 months of which were suspended, and a 50,000 fine. A judge approved this sentence.

During the hearing, prosecutor Aurelien Letocart stressed that the investigation, entrusted to the National Brigade for the Repression of Fiscal Delinquency (BNRDF) and triggered by a complaint from the tax authorities in 2012, had uncovered a vast tax fraud.

The couple in question, who are still subject of a preliminary investigation, found themselves at the head of an informal group of several hundred companies, which enabled them to evade taxes in France through the intermediary of two legal professionals: their lawyer and a deceased notary who had lost their deontological references.

According to the prosecution, the lawyer refrained from verifying the validity of the claims of his client, who went out of his way not to let assets in French companies be absorbed by Luxembourg companies. However, he did not personally enrich himself.

According to the lawyer's own lawyer, Kiril Bougartchev, he was taken advantage of by a client who had not told him the whole truth. The defendant was a 27-year-old collaborator when his firm entrusted him with the clients in 2007.

The lawyer explained that his client was extremely indebted and that his objective was to repay his creditors.

The couple in question are said to have evaded between 10 and 20 million euros in tax over the period. Their companies were failing but artificially maintained to obtain loans and invest in real estate.
The perpetrator is the only one who can change their behaviour. RTL spoke with "Riicht Eraus", a service offered by the Luxembourg Red Cross, about available support programmes and what they entail.

After the 2003 law on domestic violence went into effect, paving the way for the counselling of perpetrators, the Luxembourg Red Cross established the "Riicht Eraus" service in 2004 with the support of the Ministry of Equality between Women and Men. "Riicht Eraus" is a service specialising in working with perpetrators of domestic violence.

In order to effectively fight domestic violence, there is no way around working with perpetrators. After all, they are the only ones who have the ability to change their behaviour. Based on years of experience, "Riicht Eraus" has found that 90% of culprits are men and 10% are women.

Laurence Bouquet, who is involved in the management of "Riicht Eraus", explains that the service is adamant in its belief that people can change. They must, however, actively work toward this goal, which is "not easy.". "Nobody likes to go somewhere and present themselves as a culprit," Bouquet states, "but this is extremely important, to recognise this fact and assume responsibility". According to Bouquet, it is this self-awareness that allows abusers to begin working toward ending their violent behaviour.

About a quarter of people voluntarily contact "Riicht Eraus" to receive counselling.

If the authorities evict a culprit from their home for two weeks, they have to attend a mandatory appointment with the service. According to Bouquet, if that person subsequently decides to continue attending sessions willingly, for example, because they find that talking about the issue helps them, the service considers that person to be a "voluntary attendee" from that point forward. Bouquet admits that this makes determining how people ended up in counselling "a bit difficult."

The will to stop being violent is the only prerequisite to benefit from the counselling provided by "Riicht Eraus". The service focuses not just on physical violence, but also on psychological, financial, and sexual violence.

Violence is "never accidental," Bouquet stresses, "we always say that it is an act resulting from a voluntary decision". Even if it is a decision taken in a fraction of a second, it is a decision nonetheless, Bouquet goes on to say: "It doesnt just happen". This is a critical step, she explains, "as long as I cannot fully admit that I am responsible for what I did, I won't be able to change anything". "If it's the other person who provoked me, the other person who started it, then all I'm doing is shifting blame," Bouquet says

Once a perpetrator assumes responsibility, they are more likely to seek additional therapy and notice improvements in their life. They have to attend regular counselling sessions at "Riicht Eraus" for six months to ensure that the positive changes will last. But even after that time, the service is always available to them. If they are having difficulty dealing with any new issues that arise, they are advised to contact their counsellor  better too soon than too late.

The goal of "Riicht Eraus" is to support perpetrators without passing judgment on them as human beings.

Read parts 1-4 of this series as well:
Biden administration officials on Tuesday approved the first stage of Wyomings plan to use federal dollars to build electric vehicle chargers along three major highways, but granted only a handful of the exceptions requested by the state.

Wyoming will receive an estimated $26.8 million in Infrastructure Law funds over the next five years to build, expand and maintain at least seven public charging stations along I-25, I-80 and I-90 as part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.

The Federal Highway Administration signed off on two of the states three requests to include existing charging stations located more than a mile from an exit, at a Cheyenne station 2.8 miles from I-25 and a Rawlins station 1.6 miles from I-80. The agency declined to do the same for a second station being built 4.8 miles from I-80 in Cheyenne.

It also denied eight of Wyomings nine requests to allow more than 50 miles between charging stations in places with very low populations, citing insufficient justification.

Jordan Achs, a spokesman for the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), said Wyoming has to submit updated plans annually as part of the program, and the rejections will not impact the states upcoming request for proposals from private companies or municipalities interested in owning and operating stations along the interstates.

Well keep working with the federal government to come to a solution that that works for everybody, Achs said. It doesnt really affect this this first year. Were going to keep just focusing on the interstates right now.

A WYDOT analysis included in the states proposal, which was finalized on Sept. 19, found that if the state built charging stations every 50 miles, all three corridors would average less than one visit per station, per day, until 2027, and may not see any stations become profitable before 2040.

Wyoming has no desire to establish infrastructure that will likely fail, therefore recommends a departure from the draft federal program requirements, the proposal said.

Doing so, it added, would create a system that is not economically feasible for private industry, especially Wyoming-owned businesses and disadvantaged communities, two entities the program is designated to primarily support.

WYDOT Director Luke Reiner said in a June statement that the agency sees its plan as a common-sense approach to bringing this infrastructure to Wyoming.

As of March, state residents owned less than 500 registered electric vehicles  0.1% of vehicles registered in Wyoming  with more than half of those concentrated in Teton and Laramie counties, according to WYDOT.

Our main goal with the plan was to facilitate tourism, and to really allow anyone, regardless of what they choose to drive, to be able to travel to and through the state effectively, Achs said. Were not in the business of telling drivers what kind of car to buy and what kind of fuel to use. Its more about just enabling.

WYDOT made clear in the plan that, whether or not its exceptions were approved, it would pursue adding charging stations in Pine Bluffs, Buffalo, Douglas and Sundance, and modify existing, Tesla-supported stations in Sheridan, Wheatland and Laramie, unless the electric vehicle manufacturer takes those steps itself.

The state gained access to the first $9.7 million of its electric vehicle infrastructure program allocation on Tuesday.

Those seven stations that were in our plan for this first year will go forward as planned, Achs said.

In a press release announcing the decision, the Federal Highway Administration noted that the transportation sector contributes the largest share of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and said the electric vehicle infrastructure program, which dedicates a total of $5 billion to the construction of electric vehicle chargers along 75,000 miles of highway, is designed to help build a convenient, reliable, and affordable EV charging network across the country.
Casper Classical Academy Principal Matt Teterud is leaving his position to be the first headmaster of the new Casper charter school Wyoming Classical Academy, the schools board chairman confirmed Wednesday.

Wyoming Classical Academy is a Member School Candidate of Hillsdale College, a private Christian liberal arts college in Michigan that has opened more than 20 charter schools across the country. The State Loan and Investment Board granted the school a charter earlier this month along with two other proposed charter schools in Cheyenne and Chugwater. One of those schools, the Cheyenne Classical Academy, is also under the purview of Hillsdale College. Both of the schools in Casper and Cheyenne will use a classical curriculum developed by the college that emphasizes the liberal arts and sciences, a firm grounding in civic virtue and the cultivation of moral character.

Wyoming Classical Academys school board chairman Russell Donley said the board conducted several interviews with several people for the headmaster position before submitting Teteruds application to Hillsdale College for approval. (Donley previously told the Star-Tribune that staff from Hillsdale College will train the schools headmaster and teachers as well as school board members.)

Were very thrilled that were able to have Matt as our headmaster, Donley said.

Donley said that Teteruds experience and enthusiasm for classical education was one attribute that made him stand out among other applicants; Casper Classical Academy is the only school in the district that has a similar curriculum to the one that the charter school will use.

Thats very important that he has that love for that classical education, which you need to have if youre going to be headmaster of this school, Donley said.

Teterud will be involved in hiring other school employees, including teachers, aides and administrators, according to Donley. That process hasnt started yet, but Donley hopes to have applications for other positions posted on the schools website in October or November. He estimated that the board will need to hire 18 teachers as well as several aides, academic support teachers and administrators.

Weve got a lot to do between now and September, he said.

Teterud put in his notice on Sept. 23, according to the districts spokesperson Tanya Southerland. Hes been the principal of Casper Classical Academy for four years.

Its not clear why he decided to leave his position to join Wyoming Classical Academy or when he will start his new position. A direct call from the Star-Tribune to Casper Classical Academy was directed back to Southerland. The Star-Tribune requested an interview with Teterud, but Southerland asked that the Star-Tribune reach out directly to him because the request is unrelated to the district.

There are currently five charter schools in Wyoming. Charter schools are public schools. Like other public schools, they dont charge tuition, and theyre still accountable to state performance standards. But theyre also nonprofit organizations, and they have fewer regulations compared to traditional public schools; their governing boards are separate from district school boards, they are free to choose their own curriculums and they dont have to work with collective bargaining units, for example.

In the past, laws made it difficult to open charter schools in Wyoming.

But in 2021, the Legislature passed a bill that made things easier. The bill was pushed by Donley, who is a former Speaker of the House. Under the new law, the State Loan and Investment Board has authority to grant charters. Only school districts previously had that authority. This year was the first time that the State Loan and Investment Board actually went through the new process. In addition to Wyoming Classical Academy and Cheyenne Classical Academy, it approved a charter for Prairie View Community School in Chugwater. Prairie View Community School isnt associated with Hillsdale College.

All three schools are set to open their doors in fall 2023.

Another person from the school district, current Natrona County School Board Vice Chair Clark Jensen, also previously said he wants to get behind Wyoming Classical Academy, possibly as a member of its board. (He confirmed over text, however, that it isnt official at this point whether he will become a board member of the charter school.) Jensens term on the Natrona County School Board expires this year, and he doesnt plan to run for reelection.

He said at the State Loan and Investment meeting on Sept. 6 that he felt he could do more good working with the charter school than he could working with the district.

I dont want to give the impression that Im trying to trash schools in the district, Jensen later told the Star-Tribune, adding that he thinks the current district superintendent Michael Jennings is doing a great job. But Ive been watching scores of schools in the district pretty close to eight years, and its pretty hard to move the needle.

The city of Mills does not currently have an elementary school. Wyoming Classical Academy will actually operate in the old Mills Elementary School building for a year before moving to a property on the corner of Robertson and Poison Spider roads.

Donley said there are 332 students whose families are interested in enrolling them in the charter school. He hopes to have 425 students enroll when the school opens its doors in fall 2023.

There will be an informational meeting for the public about the Casper charter school from 6-7:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 at the Mills Community Center.
CHEYENNE  A local woman received jail time after she pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in connection with a crash that killed a 13-year-old boy last year.

Kelly Lynn Gaskins, 40, will serve 90 days in jail, followed by one year of supervised probation. During that time, she will be barred from driving a motor vehicle.

Earlier in Tuesdays hearing, Gaskins pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of a criminally negligent act. It carries a maximum penalty of one year in county jail and/or a $2,000 fine.

Makaili Mak Evans died after Gaskins struck him with her vehicle in a crosswalk near McCormick Junior High School on Nov. 5. Gaskins had turned to speak with her teenage daughter, who was in the passenger seat, when she took her eyes off the road.

Mak had been walking lawfully in the crosswalk and had waited for cars to stop in the other lane, Judge Nathaniel Hibben said before he sentenced Gaskins, referencing dash camera footage from a vehicle at the scene.

As Gaskins automobile approached, stopped vehicles in the other lane honked at Gaskins before the collision.

The judge said there was no evidence that Gaskins was on her phone, eating or drinking, or under the influence of any substances, and she was not speeding.

Hibben sentenced Gaskins to 365 days in jail, saying she will serve 90 of those days, and he suspended the rest.

Hibben, a circuit court judge in Goshen County, was assigned the case in April by Laramie County Circuit Judge Thomas Lee, according to court documents.

Gaskins was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and about $400 in other fees.

Another hearing will be held to determine whether restitution is owed to the victims family and, if so, what amount.

Gaskins previously pleaded not guilty in March. Her attorney, Douglas Cohen, indicated at the time that he didnt think the matter would go to trial.

Hibben acknowledged mitigating factors, including that Gaskins doesnt have a criminal history, cooperated fully and, during the hearing, showed sincere and extreme remorse, sobbing throughout. He said she was clearly a person of good character, and any necessary rehabilitation has already occurred.

The judge said he believed that the harm caused by Gaskins actions meant punishment was appropriate. He said consequences proposed by the defense  including supervised probation, in-home detention and serving jail time on weekends  were not adequate.

The state, represented by Laramie County assistant district attorney Steve McManamen, had argued for the maximum jail sentence of 365 days.

Hibben found a significant need to impose a sentence for the purpose of a general deterrence, he said. I hope that the sentence that I give in this case might change the choices others make.

Although courts dont often want publicity, the jurist hopes cities statewide will make sure their crosswalks are safe and maintained, that pedestrians are reminded to be aware of their surroundings and drivers pay more attention, especially near crosswalks and in school zones.

The judge said that no amount of jail time would measure up to Maks priceless life.

Janelle Jones, Maks mother, spoke in court about the impact of her loss, which she said had left her shattered.

My life without Mak is less sweet, and death seems less bitter, she said through tears.

Jones previously formed ForMak, to improve crosswalk safety and reduce distracted driving. She lobbied the Wyoming Legislature this year in favor of increasing penalties for vehicular homicide.

Gaskins also addressed Hibben before her sentencing. She described how shed stayed by Maks side following the crash until she was pulled away. She said shed wanted to apologize to Jones immediately but wasnt allowed to speak to her.

She apologized now.

She said several times that Im sorry doesnt even cut it, and that she cant imagine the pain of the boys family and friends.

Im absolutely destroyed, Gaskins said, sobbing. I see (Maks) face day and night.

Defense attorney Cohen asked if the judge would permit Gaskins to get her affairs in order and turn herself in on Friday.

Gaskins almost immediately turned to family members, who were sitting behind her, to say she was ready to go to jail. She then told Cohen the same, asking only that she be able to call her husband from jail as soon as possible to discuss arrangements for their autistic son.
CHEYENNE  Speakers kicked off the 2022 Wyoming Suicide Prevention Symposium on Monday with an emphasis on how childhood interventions can improve outcomes and disrupt intergenerational traumas.

Gov. Mark Gordon opened the two-day symposium, being held at Little America Hotel and Resort, with an overview of suicide in the state. He said it is the eighth leading cause of death overall, and No. 2. among people ages 10 to 24.

The governor told personal anecdotes about people he knows who were affected by or attempted suicide. This underlined a point made just before by Stephanie Pyle, senior administrator of the Wyoming Department of Healths Public Health Division.

Studies show that roughly 50% of people know someone who has died by suicide, Pyle said. We know, in Wyoming, our suicide rates are double the U.S. average, meaning the number of residents that have been impacted by suicide is likely much higher than 50%.

Gordon brought up Wyomings adoption this summer of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline. He said the number can more easily connect callers with hotline employees in Wyoming, who can better understand the experiences of people here.

He recommended several potential ways to prevent suicide in Wyoming; among them were educating people on safe gun storage, improving access to health care and improving the connectedness of communities.

The keynote address was given by Dr. Robert Anda, a researcher who had a large role in designing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent-Kaiser adverse childhood experiences study, which was conducted in the late 1990s. ACEs are things that happen to children  things like parental substance abuse, divorce/separation, abuse or neglect  that can cause an increase in issues later in life. Issues compound for children who experience more ACEs, Anda said.

According to Anda and other researchers, ACEs are a huge predictor of things like poverty, incarceration, substance abuse, health problems and mental illness  and, of course, suicide. People with ACEs who dont receive help can often pass down trauma to their children.

Suicide, statistically, is one of the most predictable health problems that Ive ever seen, the researcher said. The rate of attempted suicide by people with ACEs more than doubles for people who had five, and again doubles when someone had seven-plus.

The original ACEs study found that these adverse experiences account for 80% of suicide attempts in childhood and adolescence, and 64% by adults.

The researcher emphasized the role strong community connections have in suicide prevention  building self-healing communities that are robust and creative enough to address issues like suicide.

Anda also spoke about the need for Wyoming to become a trauma-informed state. Trauma-informed aims to shift blame away from people themselves, and instead focus on what happened in their lives.

Its not whats wrong with you, its what happened to you, he explained.

Anda said there are two fundamental questions to ask when working to prevent suicide: Are we slowing or halting the progression of adversity over ones life course? And are we reducing the intergenerational transmission of adversity?

If were not doing these two things, then were in emergency room approach. We are in crisis, the researcher said.

Colorado resident Laura Stack spoke about her familys organization, Johnnys Ambassadors, which educates people about marijuana. Stacks 19-year-old son, Johnny, died of suicide in 2019. This followed what she said was psychosis brought on by frequent use in his adolescence of high-potency marijuana.

Stack spoke about the pot industrys apparent move in recent years to create products with more THC, the active ingredient that causes psychoactive effects. She displayed recent research that shows a link between marijuana use by adolescents and depression, as well as suicide attempts.

Not every kid who abuses marijuana is going to become psychotic, but there will be changes in their brain, Stack said. You just dont know what the outcomes would have been.
There arent many nonprofit housing developers in Wyoming.

Theres Habitat for Humanity, which has seven satellite organizations across the state. Then theres My Front Door in Cheyenne and the Wyoming Housing Network in Casper.

And, to my knowledge, thats it, Dan Dorsch, special projects coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of Laramie County, told fellow Habitat leaders last week at Casper College. Thats why its important for us to be together.

Friday marked the first statewide conference for Habitat for Humanity affiliates. Representatives from other housing organizations, lawmakers and government officials also joined the mix.

Over the past several years, housing has gotten more expensive and more scarce in virtually every corner of the state. Thats motivated housing nonprofits across Wyoming  which have historically had few opportunities to collaborate  to combine forces in search of housing solutions.

Squeezed out: Soaring home prices, mortgage rates hurt middle-class buyers In cities across the West, the average price of buying has spiked 25 percent in the past year, pushing the American dream of home ownership further out of reach.

Some of the attendees at Fridays conference have been outspoken about housing solutions for years.

Scott Hoversland, executive director of Wyoming Community Development Authority, helped lead the initial push for a state housing trust fund program in 2017. Housing trust funds are standing pots of money used to address housing needs.

Wyoming is one of just three states without such a program.

Hoversland said his organization had been working with the Wyoming Association of Realtors to bring a proposal for a housing trust fund to the state.

But the two organizations couldnt agree on how the state should fund it, and the plan fell apart.

Still, Hoversland said, hes wanted to bring the proposal back ever since.

It was something that Ive kept churning and churning in the back of my mind, he said at the conference.

As lawmakers explored housing solutions this summer, Dorsch, Hoversland and others who work in housing asked the Legislatures Joint Corporations Committee to back a housing trust fund bill.

The committee last month voted against drafting the measure, however.

Dorsch said hes hoping a lawmaker decides to sponsor the bill during 2023 legislative session.

Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, recently told Wyofile he and other legislators might take up that mantle.

The Wyoming Community Development Authority also asked the state during the 2022 legislative session to funnel $100 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars toward affordable housing projects.

That effort wasnt successful either. Gov. Mark Gordons office cut that proposal down to $22.6 million, Michael Pearlman, the governors communications director, said Monday in an email. Then the Joint Appropriations Committee cut the provision out of the budget altogether.

That, too, could soon get another shot: Gordons office wants to put $25 million of the states remaining American Rescue Plan Act dollars toward affordable housing, policy advisor Ivy Castleberry said at the conference.

The office will soon submit the funding proposal to the State Legislatures Joint Appropriations Committee.

With that in mind, much of the conversation Friday focused on what Habitat and other organizations can do to keep the ball rolling on housing solutions.

Governor looks to spend $25 million in relief funds on affordable housing Gov. Mark Gordon's office wants to set up a grant program for shovel-ready housing projects around the state.

The conference invited housing officials, including Cheyenne city planner Seth Lloyd and Christine Hess, executive director of the Nevada Housing Coalition, to share tips for successfully bridging the gap between advocates and lawmakers.

Bringing people together  whether in person or online  is a start, attendees agreed.

And the end of the meeting, Habitat leaders brainstormed goals while Dorsch jotted down notes on a whiteboard.

We need to be more strategic, offered one member. Habitat affiliates need to have the same message.
The completion of Mahoghany Court, an HDC housing complex located in Mount Hope, is expected to be facilitated by the changes at the State company.
WHILE many central banks around the world have increased their key interest rates to dampen
Protestors display placards highlighting the major issues for citizens of rising fuel and food prices opposite the Red House on Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, before the 2023 budget presentation in Parliament on Monday. Photo: ROBERT TAYLOR
A teenager was one of two people arrested for a shotgun and seven rounds of ammunition in Pe
BUSY WITH SHOVELS: Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, third from right, turns the sod yesterday at the sod-turning ceremony of The City Heights Development, Cocoyea, San Fernando. Looking on are Jayselle McFarlane, managing director of the Housing Development Corporation, William Ferreira, Group chairman/CEO, Furness Trinidad, Faris Al-Rawi, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Luis Dini, chairman/CEO, Home Solutions, and Housing Minister Camille Robinson-Regis.Photo: TREVOR WATSON
TOPPING UP: Police Sergeant Vijay Ramsaroop fills up his tank with diesel ahead of the price change yesterday at the Richmond Street gas station in Port of Spain. Photo: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK
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U.S. reports over 25,000 monkeypox cases

Xinhua) 08:15, September 28, 2022

A medical worker gives a dose of monkeypox vaccine to a recipient at a monkeypox vaccination site in Los Angeles, California, the United States, on Aug. 11, 2022. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

California has the most confirmed cases among U.S. states so far, with 4,886 cases, followed by New York with 3,881 and Florida with 2,455, according to CDC data.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The United States had confirmed over 25,000 monkeypox cases as of Monday, according to the latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

California has the most confirmed cases among U.S. states so far, with 4,886 cases, followed by New York with 3,881 and Florida with 2,455, according to CDC data.

Monkeypox infections are rarely fatal, with most cases resolving within two to four weeks. According to the World Health Organization, the disease has a fatality rate of around 3 to 6 percent.

However, immunocompromised individuals are more likely to experience severe illness when infected, according to the CDC.

Nearly four months after the first report of monkeypox in the United States, the virus is showing promising signs of retreat, said a report of The New York Times.

"But unhappily, case numbers are accelerating in a few states and jurisdictions, including Indiana, Virginia and Massachusetts. Black and Hispanic men make up nearly two-thirds of the infected, but only about one-fourth of those vaccinated so far," said the report.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
 Flash

The government of Denmark considers the Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks "deliberate actions," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday.

"It is the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident," Frederiksen told journalists.

On Monday, Danish and Swedish officials said that leaks had been identified in two natural gas pipelines -- Nord Stream 1 and its twin, Nord Stream 2 -- under the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark's Bornholm island, near the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden.

Frederiksen said that "two explosions" have been registered, but she refused to speculate as to who might be responsible.

Dan Jorgensen, minister for climate, energy and utilities, said that "The gas pipes lie at a depth of 70 to 90 meters and consist of over 12-centimeter thick layers of steel and concrete, respectively. The nature of the leaks indicates that there are such large holes that it cannot have happened by accident."

He said that the leaks are not expected to cause supply security issues in the short term.

Citing Denmark's foreign intelligence service, Defense Minister Morten Bodskov said that it did not see any increased military threat against Denmark after the leaks.

"I would like to emphasize that the defense intelligence service does not consider that there is an increased military threat to Denmark," Defense Minister Morten Bodskov said.

He added that no advance warnings had been received, but that there had been an increase in tensions around the Baltic Sea.

"This is a serious matter. The defense is increasing its presence around Bornholm," he said.

Bodskov has a previously scheduled meeting dedicated to the Nord Stream pipelines with Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Wednesday morning.
After a two-year hiatus courtesy the COVID-19 pandemic, Tucsons annual Pride festival returns this weekend for the 45th time.

The three-day Tucson Pride kicks off Friday, Sept. 30, with the annual Pride Parade, winding from downtown to Armory Park beginning at 7:30 p.m., and wraps up Sunday, Oct. 2, with the Tucson Pride Drag Brunch at HighWire Lounge, 30 S. Arizona Ave., off East Congress Street and South Sixth Avenue.

The big day is on Saturday, Oct. 1, when dozens of vendors and food trucks pull into Reid Parks DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center for OUTober Fest 2022. The event runs from noon to 10 p.m. and features live music.

Tucson Pride has been hosting its annual festival celebrating Tucsons LGBTQ-plus community since 1977, when community members held a memorial picnic at Himmel Park. The Tucson event is recognized as the oldest pride event in the state.

On the Tucson Pride website, organizers said the groups mission is to empower the LGBTQ+ community of Southern Arizona through community building, enhanced visibility and unwavering support. Organizers could not be reached for comment.

More than 5,000 people attended Pride in 2019, the last year it was held, and nearly 150 vendors were on hand, organizers said. The event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.

Admission to the parade is free. Its $5 to $15 to attend Saturdays festival and Sunday brunch tickets are $39.99 through tucsonpride.org.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)  Prosecutors in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz began their rebuttal of the defense case Tuesday by questioning whether his birth mother drank as heavily during pregnancy as some witnesses portrayed.

They also showed his sometimes racist and misogynistic behavior online before he massacred 17 people four years ago at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, his online searches for child pornography and the violent writings and drawings found in his jail cell last spring.

Prosecution expert Dr. Charles Scott, a forensic psychiatrist at the University of California, Davis, testified that while defense experts and witnesses have said Cruz's birth mother, Brenda Woodard, drank fortified wine and malt liquor during pregnancy, he said there is scant evidence supporting that in her medical records.

Not only do those records show she denied drinking after five weeks of pregnancy, there is nothing in Woodard's doctor examinations or Cruz's infant medical records that indicate to him she was lying.

The records raised questions for me what was the reality of the alcohol (abuse)," Scott said. Woodard died last year.

Prosecutors used Scott's testimony to show the jury swastikas drawn on Cruz's gun magazine and his boots, his online racism and misogyny and his online searches for child pornography.

They say those details support Scott's diagnosis that Cruz's murder of 14 students and three staff members at the high school was driven by antisocial personality disorder  commonly known as being a sociopath. Cruz, 24, pleaded guilty last October to the Feb. 14, 2018, murders  the trial is only to decide whether he is sentenced to death or life without the possibility of parole.

Scott testified that Cruz is capable of controlling his behavior but chooses not to as he has no regard for others, the leading trait of antisocial personality disorder. He also showed video clips from his three days of interviews with Cruz from last March. While defense experts said Cruz has a slightly below average IQ, Cruz engaged Scott in a high-level discussion about Russia's invasion of Ukraine that had begun just days earlier. Cruz discussed Russian President Vladimir Putin's goals and history with clarity.

Prior to Scott taking the stand, prosecutors used Broward County sheriff's investigators and a jail guard to introduce the swastikas that were drawn on the magazine found in Cruz's AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle and his use of anti-Black and anti-woman slurs online. Five of Cruzs 12 jurors are women and seven identify as racial minorities. For Cruz to get a death sentence, a unanimous vote is required.

Detective Nick Masters, an online investigator, said Cruz searched for how to buy a Nazi flag, for information on Adolf Hitlers birthday and how to get a swastika tattoo. Cruz wrote the Nazi party will rise again. He made searches and comments using a racial slur directed against Black people. He wrote that he punched his widowed mother and called her a slur used against women. He wrote that women are less important than a dog.

Masters showed several graphic searches Cruz made for child pornography. He also made comments extolling animal abuse, saying he had killed 12 cats and wrote, I am glad when animals die. It makes me happy.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer only allowed prosecutors to present a fraction of the online searches and comments Cruz made, saying more would be excessively prejudicial. There is no contention that Cruz specifically targeted girls or minorities. Eight of his victims were girls and four were racial minorities.

During cross-examination, Cruz attorney Nawal Bashimam asked Masters about other searches Cruz made such as how to get a girlfriend, how to deal with loneliness, how to find mental health treatment and How do I help myself with these bad feelings? Masters said he had seen some of those.

Prosecutors also showed writings and drawings jail guard Jean Joel Marque-Pucheu found in Cruzs cell in May where Cruz fantasized both about killing a Stoneman Douglas rival and future school massacres.

They showed writings where Cruz praised Satan and photos of a drawing he made in his cell with his own blood of a pentagram and the number 666, which some believe is the sign of the Anti-Christ.

During their case, Cruzs attorneys tried to show how his late birth mothers alcohol abuse during pregnancy put Cruz onto a lifelong path of erratic, bizarre and often violent behavior that culminated in the shootings. They also tried to show that his adoptive mother, Lynda Cruz, became overwhelmed after her husband died when Cruz was 5. She died less than three months before the shootings.

Because of Hurricane Ian's approach to Florida, which is expected to bring heavy rain to Fort Lauderdale over the next two days, the trial will resume Monday with Scott still on the witness stand.

A previous version of this story incorrectly said six of Cruz's victims were girls, not eight.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed more than a dozen new abortion laws Tuesday, including some that deliberately clash with restrictions in other states  a sign of the coming conflicts that must be sorted out as lawmakers rush to set their own rules now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned.

Most abortions are now illegal in 13 states, and others  including Texas, Oklahoma and Idaho  allow people to sue anyone who performs or aids in an abortion. Meanwhile, Democratic-led states like California, New York and Connecticut have been writing and passing laws to make it easier to get an abortion, with California promoting its abortion services on a state-funded website designed in part to reach women who live in other states.

Conflicts seem inevitable as more people travel for abortions in the coming years, especially with California and Oregon prepared to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to help pay for things like travel, lodging and child care. On Tuesday, Newsom signed a number of laws meant to thwart investigations from other states seeking to prosecute or penalize abortion providers and volunteers in California.

The laws block out-of-state subpoenas, empowering the state insurance commissioner to punish health insurance companies that divulge information about abortions to out-of-state entities. They ban police departments and corporations from cooperating with out-of-state investigations regarding abortions that are legally obtained in California. And they shield prison inmates from other states' anti-abortion laws.

An alarming number of states continue to outlaw abortion and criminalize women, and it's more important than ever to fight like hell for those who need these essential services, Newsom said in a news release announcing the signings.

If another state tries to apply its laws against someone in California, and California officials say they can't do that, there is a lot of gray area as to who is right in that situation, said Mary Ziegler, the Martin Luther King Jr. professor of law at the University of California, Davis.

If you are talking about a state applying its criminal laws outside its borders, there's just not a lot of guidance about how that plays out, Ziegler said.

It's not just California. Democratic governors in Colorado, North Carolina, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington, Rhode Island and Maine have all signed executive orders aiming to protect abortion providers and volunteers. Connecticut was the first state to pass a law protecting abortion providers and others, signed in May even before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Newsom this year signed a law that would block the enforcement of some out-of-state court judgments against doctors and volunteers for legally obtained abortions in California  a law anti-abortion activists argue is illegal because of a clause in the U.S. Constitution that requires each state to give full faith and credit to the laws of every other state.

California Democrats say the law is legal because federal courts have recognized some exceptions to that clause, including when laws in one state violate the public policy of another state.

Still, the legal uncertainty could end up hindering people who work in the field of abortion, Ziegler said.

What that would mean is the person from California would have a hard time traveling to a lot of places, especially if the judgment is out against them, she said.

Public opinion polls have shown a majority of California voters, including Republicans, support abortion protections, making it difficult for opponents to stop such bills from becoming law. Still, California Family Council President Jonathan Keller said the group is investigating which of these laws are ripe for a court challenge.

One early candidate: a law that requires religious employers to tell their workers about publicly available abortion services. Keller noted a previous California law that instructed crisis pregnancy centers to tell patients about abortion services was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018.

Newsom is expected this week to sign a law that would authorize as much as $20 million in public spending to help pay for women in other states to come to California for an abortion, something Keller said he and his group are the most concerned about.

He's not inviting (women) to get a state-paid trip for labor and delivery if they live in a county or state with poor maternal mortality, instead (he's) saying you can come here on the taxpayers' dime, but only if it is to end your pregnancy, Keller said.

Democratic Assemblymember Cristina Garcia said California's new laws would save lives, arguing that abortion bans don't stop abortions but instead lead to "unsafe and deadly abortions for communities of color, low-income communities, trans and other marginalized communities," adding: We promise to be a refuge state for anyone seeking an abortion.

Most of the laws Newsom signed Tuesday were inspired by the California Future of Abortion Council, a group of 46 public officials and abortion rights groups that began planning last year on what to do if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Newsom approved several of the group's ideas Tuesday, including new laws to let some nurse practitioners perform abortions without a doctor's permission, establish scholarships for students studying to provide abortions, stop officials from prosecuting women for pregnancy loss and make vasectomies cheaper for men with private insurance.

"California is showing what is possible when leaders listen to experts, facts, science, and from the people who are directly impacted, said Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.

But Newsom did not sign every abortion bill into law. Last week, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have paid to train staff at abortion clinics to improve care for marginalized patients. Newsom said he vetoed it because it creates tens of millions of dollars in General Fund cost pressures not accounted for in the budget.

Newsom also signed several laws Tuesday that were endorsed by the California Women's Caucus, including one that stops retailers from charting different prices on goods based on what gender they are marketed to and a law requiring employers to make pay scale information available to employees and included in job postings.
An Oklahoma prosecutor who police said was stabbed by his adult daughter, on Wednesday called for more state funding for mental illness programs.

(Tuesday) my family endured one of the toughest days in our lives, Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said in an approximately nine-minute statement to reporters before leaving without taking questions.

The elected leaders of our state, the elected leaders of our state Legislature need to make this a priority, and increase funding for mental health treatment, said Kunzweiler, 60, who showed no visible sign of the attack.

Jennifer Kunzweiler, 30, was arrested following the stabbing at Kunzweiler's home Tuesday, Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin said on Twitter.

Tulsa Police has criminal jurisdiction and will work this case like all other cases, Franklin wrote.

Police Capt. Richard Meulenberg said Wednesday that Jennifer Kunzweiler was taken to a hospital after her arrest at the family home, where she also lived. She was treated for self-inflicted cuts sustained before she stabbed her father in the arm and midsection.

A motive for the stabbing remained under investigation, according to Meulenberg.

We know there is some mental illness here, Meulenberg said, but we haven't interviewed her" to determine a motive.

Jennifer Kunzweiler remained hospitalized Wednesday and will likely face a charge of domestic violence with a dangerous weapon when released, Meulenberg said.

Meulenberg said Tulsa police have no record of previous criminal contact with Jennifer Kunzweiler and online court records show no charges on her record.

Steve Kunzweiler, a Republican who was first elected district attorney in 2014 and won reelection in 2018, is unopposed for reelection in November.

The stabbing is the third of an elected official in Oklahoma in recent years.

Tulsa District Judge Sharon Holmes was wounded in a stabbing at her home by her adult daughter, Adrienne Smith, in 2019.

State Labor Commissioner Mark Costello was killed in a 2015 when he was stabbed in a restaurant parking lot in Oklahoma City by his adult son, Christian Costello, in 2015.
PHOENIX  Attorney General Mark Brnovich is asking Gov. Doug Ducey to call a special legislative session to let lawmakers provide additional clarity about which of two abortion laws on the books they want enforced.

In a letter Wednesday to Anni Foster, the governors legal counsel, Assistant Attorney General Beau Roysden said his office has been arguing in court that a territorial-era statute outlawing virtually all abortions, except those to save the life of the mother, is the law in Arizona. He pointed out that SB 1164, signed earlier this year by Ducey, to ban abortions after 15 weeks specifically says it does not repeal the older law.

However, the governors office has not taken a clear legal position on the current state of the law in Arizona, Roysden wrote. Ducey told Capitol Media Services earlier this year he believes SB 1164 supersedes the earlier ban despite a specific provision in the bill to the contrary.

I think we all want consistency and certainty in the law, Brnovich said in an interview with Capitol Media Services, saying the letter represents the position of his office. And ultimately, it is up to the governor and the Legislature to make any changes they believe are necessary.

Even if Ducey does not call lawmakers back to the Capitol, Roysden asked that Duceys office submit a legal brief in the current lawsuit playing out in Pima County about the issue that clearly outlines the governors legal position  and whether he no longer stands by the express legal intent of SB 1164 that it does not overrule the older ban.

Ducey press aide C.J. Karamargin said the letter is being reviewed.

The letter comes as Brnovich, in new legal filings, told Pima County Superior Court Judge Kellie Johnson she should not grant a request by Planned Parenthood Arizona to delay implementing her order from last week allowing the state to enforce the old law, even with the subsequent approval of SB 1164 that is also on the books.

One reason, he said, is that nothing in either statute mandates that any county attorney todo anything.

It does not require them to prosecute anyone, Brnovich told Johnson, even if the judge upholds her ruling that state law makes it a felony to perform an abortion, with a mandatory penalty of from two to five years in prison.

The county attorneys are free to exercise full and independent prosecutorial discretion in deciding how to enforce Arizonas various abortion regulations, the attorney general said.

Brnovich said this is underlined by a statement Pima County Attorney Laura Conover made even before June of this year when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that women had a constitutional right to seek an abortion.

Conover had said her office will do everything on our power to ensure that no person seeking or assisting in an abortion will spend the night in jail.

Brnovich described that as a definitive statement that Conover will not prosecute abortion-related crimes.

But Conover, in an interview with Capitol Media Services, said that misrepresents her position. She said her statement reflects on the handling of a criminal complaint against a medical provider, not on whether charges will be pursued.

Where we do have some more operational power ... is how we would handle, God forbid, someone literally being brought in in handcuffs into jail, Conover said.

She said that is unlikely to happen in Tucson where the City Council voted in June that no physical arrest will be made by an officer for an alleged violation of state abortion laws. But she said if someone is taken into custody, prosecutors will take care of that at an individuals initial appearance in court.

After the initial appearance, we will carefully examine any case brought, in honor of my obligations, Conover said. But no qualified provider acting in good faith will sit in jail while we undertake a careful examination.

Neither Arizona law calls for prosecutions of women who receive abortions; the Legislature voted last year to repeal laws that had made getting an abortion a crime.

Prosecutorial discretion aside, Brnovich told Johnson she reached the right legal decision after the Supreme Court overturned Roe.

With Roe gone, Johnson ruled, a 1973 state court injunction barring enforcement of the 1864 Arizona ban, issued based on Roe, could not stand, as that territorial-era law was never repealed and has remained on the books all this time.

She also rejected arguments SB 1164 superseded the still-on-the-books ban.

Brnovich also said theres no reason for Johnson to delay implementation while Planned Parenthood files an appeal. He said that organization, which opposed the old law, always has been free to file a separate challenge to it.

And Brnovich said theres another reason the judge should spurn the request by both Planned Parenthood and Conover to delay implementing her ruling.

Abortion is permanent and results in the termination of an unborn life, he said. All Johnsons ruling does, Brnovich said, is keep the abortion ban in place while Planned Parenthood either seeks an appeal or files a new challenge to the law and asks for an injunction against its enforcement.

Neither Planned Parenthood Arizona nor the county attorney give any weight to the interests of the unborn, Brnovich said.

The judge is unlikely to rule before Friday.
Witnesses for accused killer Christopher Clements called into question the prosecutions DNA and GPS evidence Tuesday, as his lawyers tried to raise doubt about the states case .

Clements, 40, is in his third week of trial in the kidnapping and killing of 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez in June 2014.

He faces a second trial in February in connection with the kidnapping and death of 6-year-old Isabel Celis, who went missing from her bedroom in 2012. Both cases went unsolved for years until law enforcement leaders announced Clements arrest in September 2018.

The Pima County Attorneys Office called 24 witnesses in their case against Clements, including forensic, DNA and cell phone tracking experts; several women who had previously been in relationships with Clements; law enforcement officers and the parents of several children whose photos were discovered on Clements computer.

On Friday, Clements attorney, Joseph DiRoberto, called as his first witness forensic pathologist Dr. Rebecca Hsu. Hsu questioned the teens cause and manner of death, saying it was unclear if Maribels death was even a homicide.

The medical examiner who performed Maribels autopsy ruled that her cause of death was homicide by unspecified means, a determination that the states expert previously testified was based largely on the circumstances. Maribels body was found days after she disappeared on the way to a friends house, in a desert area in Avra Valley.

Hsu said she did not agree with the original findings, adding that heatstroke or a reaction to drugs or alcohol could have caused the teens death. She also took issue with the circumstances under which Maribels body was discovered, saying shed be more likely to believe it was a homicide if the body had been better hidden.

On Tuesday, independent DNA analyst Dr. Michael Spence told the jury that the DNA evidence the states expert said linked Clements to Maribels body leaves room for doubt.

Spence also said that he was not able to independently test one of the two pieces of DNA evidence, saying that by the time it got to his lab, the sample was used up.

Deputy Pima County Attorney Tracey Miller questioned Spences experience and oversight, pointing out that while the Pima County medical examiners office and medical examiners are subject to accreditation checks, as an independent analyst, Spence is not.

Cell phone evidence disputed

Digital forensics examiner Carl Epps walked the jury through a series of slides showing his analysis of the movement and locations of Clements phone during the period of time between midnight and 2:30 a.m. on the day Maribel disappeared.

In his testimony for the state, cell phone tracking expert Sy Ray showed previously told jurors how Clements phone traveled from his house and around town, then back to his home before it headed north on Interstate 10. Ray said that from midnight to roughly 2:30 a.m., the phone pinged off cell towers in the Avra Valley area that covered the location where Maribels body was eventually found.

Epps said his findings differed from Rays, with his analysis showing that Clements may have been as far away as Red Rock, about 20 miles north from where Maribels body was found.

Epps also questioned Rays estimates of the various cell phone towers coverage areas, saying that based on the information hed been provided, he was unable to say if the tower that Clements phone pinged off in Picacho Peak would be able to service the recovery area, as Rays estimate indicated.

DiRoberto rested his case after Epps testimony, with Clements telling the judge hed decided not to testify in his own defense.

The trial resumes Wednesday, with closing arguments expected to take place in the afternoon.
On September 25, 2022, the world lost Ann Marie Fina, a truly one of kind woman. After battling serious health issues in recent years, she passed away peacefully with family by her side. Born on April 3, 1936, in Rochester, New York, Ann received her B.A. from Nazareth College in 1958. Following college graduation, Ann taught high school English, receiving various accolades from her students, to include the award for "Outstanding Teacher". While she started her life in a small town, her larger than life personality and joie de vivre made for big dreams. In 1959 Ann married the love of her life, Charles Fina, M.D ("Chuck"). Early in their marriage, Ann and Chuck lived and worked in Canada and Minnesota before finding their true home (as a pseudo "native") in Tucson, Arizona. Although Ann arrived in Tucson with five young sons in tow, she soon welcomed her only daughter. Ann's life in Tucson was filled with family, friends, community service, church, various careers, and a love of sports. The Fina home had an open door to all, welcoming people from near and far with a tight hug, a wide smile and usually a plate of hot pasta. After teaching herself how to cook by working her way through each recipe in the Joy of Cooking, Ann became an avid and an accomplished home chef and baker. While her children were at home, Ann delighted in creating memorable meals everyday. Her love of food and cooking has resulted in a generation legacy for her children and grandchildren. Ann was genuinely happiest with a houseful of children, grandchildren and friends, a kitchen full of homemade delicacies and the Buffalo Bills on TV. Ann's keen intellect resulted in a lifelong quest for learning and a love for the written word. She was a voracious reader, often stacking recently finished books by the front door to offer visitors on their way out. Ann's love of opera found her attending various live performances both in Tucson and during her many trips to New York City. An incredible seamstress, Ann delighted in recreating the latest fashions from the pages of Vogue, for herself and her family. She was an active member of St. Cyril of Alexandria Catholic church and loved attending Wednesday Mass with her various grandchildren while they attended the parish school. A woman of strong and abiding faith, Ann was an honored member of the Knights of Holy Sepulchre. Ann loved the Tucson community and was devoted in her decades long support of The Assistance League of Tucson, serving as President and board member. Additionally, she co-created the Old Fort Neighborhood Association, serving as a two-time president and board member. Ann was co-founder and co-owner of the much loved "Baskets of Love", delivering her care everywhere. Ann's love of adventure and new experiences led her to open Sabino Canyon Travel, where she reveled in matching many Tucson families with their ideal vacations. Her devotion to her husband, six children and thirteen grandchildren was the touch point of her life. Ann's grandchildren were truly blessed to have individual relationships with their "Nonna". Her unconditional love and boundless support for each of them will forever live in their hearts. Nothing less than a true force of nature, Ann left her mark on everyone she met. Ann is survived by her beloved husband, Dr. Charles Fina, and their six children, Mark, Charlie, David (Shannon), Jim, John (Melissa), and Kristine. Her grandchildren, Evangeline (Mark); Aidan Isabella, Cameron Elise, and Daniel (David); Isabella and Bianca (Jim); Mimi, Bruno, Stella, and Roman (John); and Marina, Sam and Alek Shapiro (Kristine). Ann is also survived by her brother Philip Palermo (Gail) and many nieces and nephews. Ann was predeceased in death by her parents Phillip and Marguerite Palermo and the sister she adored Rosemary Young (Glen). A funeral mass is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at St. Thomas The Apostle Catholic Church, 5150 N. Valley View Road, with a home reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Assistance League of Tucson, 1307 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712.
With help from funds received from the Arizona opioid settlement, Pima County officials announced new plans for overdose preventions efforts on Wednesday, debuting the Make a Call campaign.

Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said her office, Pima County, the Tucson Police Department, the Pima County Sheriffs Department, the Pima County Health Department and Community Medical Services would be collaborating with each other to tackle the fentanyl crisis and opioid overdose deaths.

Beginning this year, the county and other local jurisdictions are expected to receive about $48.5 million over the next 18 years as part of One Arizona Opioid Settlement Funds, a legal settlement between the state attorney general and pharmaceutical companies and distributors to mitigate the harm caused by the opioid epidemic, a memorandum from County Administrator Jan Lesher said. The countys share of funding is expected to be about $35 million with the rest going to other jurisdictions like the city of Tucson, Marana, Sahuarita, Oro Valley and South Tucson.

In September, Pima County received its first portion of the funds, $1.5 million. According to the memorandum, the county plans on using the funds for such things as prevention, supporting people in treatment and recovery, connecting people who need help to the health they need, training and research.

The countys Board of Health will start a substance misuse advisory committee, which will include members from all of the participating jurisdictions, to help prioritize what areas to invest in, the countys Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia said at the news conference.

Since 2017, weve had over 2,000 deaths from opioid overdose and 60 of them have been individuals less than 19 years of age, said Dr. Francisco Garcia at a news conference. This is something that now is impacting everyone from our very youngest to our very oldest. It is affecting every single neighborhood, every single census tract and every single family in one way or another.

So far this year, Pima County has had 299 overdose deaths. Last year, 497 people in the county died due to overdoses, data from the medical examiners office shows.

Garcia said although the money is like a drop in the bucket when you think about the complexity of the problem, it is a start.

Conover also debuted the Make a Call campaign, a public service announcement that educates residents on the steps to take to help prevent death when an overdose is happening.

The video, which is English and Spanish, features Conover, Tucson police Chief Chad Kasmar and Sheriff Chris Nanos encouraging community members to call 911 immediately when witnessing a possible overdose, reminding them that Arizona law protects them from prosecution for personal drug and paraphernalia possession.

The video also demonstrates how to administer Narcan and how to get free Narcan, which can reverse the effects of an overdose, by going to pimahelpline.org. Conover wants the ad to be distributed everywhere, including TV, YouTube and social media.

This is all of our problem, its not just that persons problem or that neighborhoods problem, Garcia said. This is a common problem that we all are having, and it will require a formative, collaborative and robust approach to solve.
PHOENIX  New home buyers are entitled to sue builders for hidden defects for up to eight years  even if they have signed contracts waiving that right, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

In a ruling with wide implications, the justices said that the common law implied warranty of workmanship and habitability recognizes the fact that home buyers are not experts in all the things that are required in constructing a house.

A homebuyer must ... rely heavily on the builder-vendors knowledge of construction quality, as builders are skilled in the profession, modern construction is complex and regulated by many government codes, wrote Justice Ann Scott Timmer. And homebuyers are generally not skilled or knowledgeable in construction, plumbing, or electrical requirements and practices.

She acknowledged that, in general, people are legally entitled to sign contracts defining the responsibilities of each. That presumes both parties are sophisticated and equally aware of the risks and terms.

But in cases of new homes, Timmer said, there is an inequality in bargaining power between the builder and the buyer.

The implied warranty was created in recognition of this disparity, and undoubtedly reflects the homebuyers reasonable expectations that a newly constructed home would be properly designed and built, she wrote.

Wednesdays ruling was not unanimous. Justice Kathryn King said it runs afoul of the states public policy favoring freedom to contract.

And King, joined by Justice Clint Bolick, pointed out that right of implied habitability exists nowhere in state law. Instead, she noted, it was created by a 1979 ruling of the State Court of Appeals.

Timmer said thats irrelevant, noting subsequent state laws have implicitly affirmed that decision.

The case involves Tina Zambrano who in 2013 entered into a preprinted purchase agreement with M & RC II LLC, to buy a home that Scott Homes Development Co. would build in a new subdivision in Surprise.

That contract said the warranty offered by the builder was the only warranty applicable to the purchase. It said all other express or implied warranties, including of habitability and workmanship are waived by the seller.

Zambrano initialed the paragraph confirming she had read and understood the agreement.

That warranty had specific provisions, like saying Scott would repair within one year any floors having more than a quarter-inch ridge or depression within 30 inches of the joists.

Four years later, Zambrano sued alleging various design and construction defects. These included improper grading, separation of windows from cracking stucco, separation of baseboards from the tile and walls, and nail pops in the ceiling.

A trial judge granted the companys request to throw out the lawsuit. Wednesdays ruling says that was wrong, sending the case back to court to allow Zambrano to pursue her claim.

The freedom to contact has long been considered a paramount public policy under common law that courts do not lightly infringe, Timmer wrote. But courts will refuse to enforce a contract term ... when an identifiable public policy clearly outweighs enforcement.

That public policy, she said, goes back to 1979 when the state Court of Appeals eliminated what she described as the buyer beware philosophy of new home purchases, replacing it with the implied warranty of workmanship and habitability.

The warranty is limited to latent defects that are undiscoverable by a reasonable pre-purchase inspection and service to protect innocent purchasers and hold home builders accountable for their work, Timmer said.

On the other side of the issue, the justice said, is diminished interest in enforcing waivers of the implied warranty like the one at issue here.

Modern homebuilding frequently occurs in large-scale developments, leaving the buyer to either purchase the home under terms directed by the builder-vendor or forego the purchase altogether, Timmer said. And in this case, she said, Zambrano signed the purchase agreement and accepted the warranty terms with no variation to the preprinted terms in either document, without representation, and without any negotiation about warranties, suggesting she was in a take-it-or-leave-it situation.

Also weighing in favor of the implied warranty, Timmer said, are the multiple ways it protects buyers.

Warranting that a home was built using minimum standards of good workmanship conforms to a homebuyers reasonable expectations, she said. And Timmer said it discourages the unscrupulous fly-by-night operator and purveyor of shoddy work who might otherwise blight our communities.

What is also does, she said, is protects subsequent buyers, as implied warranties run eight years after construction.

And then theres the fact that a warranty shields a purchase that is usually the most important and expensive purchase of a lifetime, this minimizing the risk of catastrophic financial losses for all homebuyers who purchase a home within eight years of construction.

Timmer acknowledged that an unhappy purchaser can file a complaint against a builders license with the registrar of contractors and potentially get money from a recovery fund. But she said this is no substitute for enforcing the implied warrant, noting recovery fund payments are capped at $30,000 and do not reimburse for other consequential damages.

And Timmer pointed out those who buy older homes have an opportunity to determine how it has withstood the passage of time, something not available to new home buyers.
People talk about Fridays ruling in Pima County Superior Court as if its left abortion rights in Arizona in an uncertain state.

Thats not really the case. A ban is what supporters were hoping for when they pushed Arizonas latest abortion law, and its what theyve got out of the ruling, in practice at least.

On its surface, the law passed in March banned abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, imitating a new law in Mississippi. But that limit, as strict as it seemed, was just a backup plan to the real objective, the ban that was in Section 2 of the law.

That scenario is what played out Friday when Pima County Superior Court Judge Kellie Johnson issued her ruling. Now we revert to a law that originated in 1864, in Arizonas first territorial Legislature, that amounts to a ban on abortion with the narrowest exception.

To understand how Arizona suddenly became a state where abortion is banned, except in situations where the mothers life is in danger, you can go all the way back to that 1864 legislature, as historian Heather Cox Richardson did in a letter published Saturday.

The author, most recently, of a book called How the South Won the Civil War, Richardson happens to have spent considerable time reading the session laws of the 1864 legislature, she told me Tuesday. Amusingly, as those 27 men in that first Legislature met in Prescott, among their important acts was granting divorces to a couple of local officials.

Their laws also regulated dueling and poisoning, which was the context of the law on inducing miscarriage, she said.

The section this appears in is entirely about regulating mens behavior, Richardson said. What theyre concerned about is men hurting women.

Of course, they also granted men monstrous rights: The age of sexual consent was set at 10.

Anticipating Roe ruling

The law dealing with inducing miscarriages was changed in 1901, then suspended in 1973, after the Roe v. Wade ruling. Then, on Dec. 1 last year there was a momentous oral argument heard in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dobbs vs. Jackson Womens Health Organization was about a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, but it also set up the possibility of overturning the constitutional right to an abortion.

As president, Donald Trump had named three justices, who seemed inclined to overturn Roe v. Wade, despite their stated respect for precedent. Nobody knew for sure. It was possible that in Dobbs, the court would simply confirm Mississippi had the right to impose a 15-week limit on abortions without overturning Roe.

Cathi Herrod, the longtime leader in opposing abortion rights at the Center for Arizona Policy, and Sen. Nancy Barto, the bills prime sponsor, both told me the intent of the bill was to cover their bases. They wanted to at minimum set a 15-week limit, but also allow for the historic ban to kick in.

It should be clear from the plain language in the bill that the intent of the legislation was to provide as much protection for preborn children as possible and in the event that the SCOTUS overturned Roe, that Arizonas pre-1973 law would still be in place and pre-eminent, Barto told me in an email Monday.

That interpretation is being disputed in court. But the language and intent of the law is clear, and it should have been clear to Ducey, who signed the bill, as well as everyone who voted for it. They were voting for a ban.

Section 2 of SB 1164 says This act does not ... repeal, by implication or otherwise, section 13-3603, Arizona Revised Statutes, or any other applicable state law regulating or restricting abortion.

That law, ARS 13-3603, is the most recent version of the 1864 law. This is how its worded:

A person who provides, supplies or administers to a pregnant woman, or procures such woman to take any medicine, drugs or substance, or uses or employs any instrument or other means whatever, with intent thereby to procure the miscarriage of such woman, unless it is necessary to save her life, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than two years nor more than five years.

Abortion banned now

Then May 2 came, and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alitos draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked. And on June 24, that leaked opinion was the basis for the Supreme Courts ruling, overturning the constitutional right to an abortion and throwing the issue to the states.

Ducey has argued that the 15-week ban is in effect, even now, but thats the cowards way out of the position he put us in by signing that law. The upshot for women now is that they cant get an abortion in Arizona. Understandably, the facilities that offer abortions arent putting their providers in the position of going to prison over a disputed law.

That means that not just women who have an unwanted pregnancy but people in dangerous medical predicaments cant get treatment. Amy Fitch-Heacock, a co-founder of Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom, argued that the original abortion ban intended to protect women from unsafe abortion, which is not much of a risk in todays medical environment.

This week, Fitch-Heacock said, somewhere in Arizona, women will find out they are pregnant with non-viable fetuses. Rather than having an abortion, theyll have to wait until a miscarriage occurs, risking infertility and other damage.

Politicians such as Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell have argued that the legal issue of which law takes precedence remains unsettled. In a misleading statement, Mitchell said I will not prosecute women for having abortions. Thats a red herring, because it is the providers, not the recipients, who can be prosecuted under the law.

In any case, its true that Planned Parenthood is seeking a stay of Johnsons ruling as it pursues an appeal. To that extent, the law is unsettled.

But on a practical level, the issue is settled for now. Abortion is unavailable in Arizona, as the supporters of this years law wanted.

If Ducey and the legislative leaders who put us in this situation dont like it, they have the power to fix it.

And if they dont, the voters should.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday met with visiting French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss support for Ukraine, the presidential press service reported.

At the meeting, Zelensky thanked France for its support on the issue of granting Ukraine a candidate status for EU membership and voiced his belief that Ukraine will move forward along the path toward European integration.

Zelensky also voiced appreciation to French President Emmanuel Macron for his assistance in talks on the visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

Zelensky and Colonna also discussed defense assistance for Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia.

Colonna arrived in Kiev earlier in the day for her second visit since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A former congressman from Philadelphia who went to prison over the 1970s-era Abscam scandal was sent back to prison Tuesday at age 79 in a ballot stuffing case.

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael J. Ozzie Myers was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison by a judge who questioned whether he had learned any lessons over the years. Myers admitted he had worked with election officials to pad the vote tallies of his political consulting clients. Some were running for city judgeships.

Myers would solicit payments from his clients in the form of cash or checks as consulting fees, and then use portions of these funds to pay election officials to tamper with election results, U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero said in a statement after the hearing.

Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If even one vote has been illegally cast or if the integrity of just one election official is compromised, it diminishes faith in process, she said.

Myers pleaded guilty in June to violations of election law, conspiracy, bribery and obstruction for his work on behalf of Democratic candidates from 2014 and 2018. There was no evidence the crimes changed the outcome of any election, his lawyer said.

The people of Philadelphia should feel secure that the elections are run fair and free, and when it is that these occurrences happen ... they are found out, said defense lawyer Noah Gorson, who called the instances of election fraud in the city rare.

Myers's family, including his elderly wife, became upset when U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond revoked his bail Tuesday and ordered him to prison straightaway.

They were unprepared for that, because the government had agreed that they had no objection to his self-surrendering, and he is an elderly man, Gorson said. That wasnt needed.

In the Abscam sting, Myers was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for taking money from FBI agents who posed as Arab sheiks. He served more than a year in prison and was expelled from Congress in 1980.

Myers also served six years in the Pennsylvania House before his 1976 election to Congress.

Follow AP Legal Affairs Writer Maryclaire Dale on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Maryclairedale
MONTGOMERY, Ala (AP)  Alabama inmates were in their second day of a work strike Tuesday, refusing to labor in prison kitchens, laundries and factories to protest conditions in the states overcrowded, understaffed lock-ups.

Prisoners including those who provide food, laundry and janitorial services refused to show up for work at major state prisons, leaving staff scrambling to keep the facilities running.

They are running a slaughterhouse," Diyawn Caldwell, founder of the advocacy group Both Sides of the Wall, said of Alabama's prison system, which the U.S. Department of Justice has called one of the most violent and understaffed in the country. Caldwell's husband is incarcerated at a state prison.

The Department of Justice has an ongoing civil lawsuit against Alabama over conditions in its prisons, saying the state is failing to protect male inmates from inmate-on-inmate violence and excessive force at the hands of prison staff.

The 2020 lawsuit alleges that conditions in the prison system are so poor that they violate the ban on cruel and unusual punishment and that state officials are deliberately indifferent to the problems. Alabama officials have acknowledged problems in the prison system but dispute the Justice Departments accusations.

The Alabama Department of Corrections confirmed Tuesday that the work stoppage was still active in most male facilities. However, the department maintained that facilities are operational and there have been no disruption of critical services, which include meals.

Family members of several inmates, however, said prisons were not distributing three daily meals and prisoners were given paper sacks containing corndogs or sandwiches.

Inmate labor provides a vital role in keeping prisons functioning.

HOW LONG CAN 25 PEOPLE RUN A PRISON WITH 1000, 1800, 2300, etc. PRISONERS? inmate organizers of the work stoppage wrote in a press statement about the strike.

Caldwell said organizers are hoping to persuade federal officials to go ahead intervene in the prison system. She said they are also seeking a number of changes related to release and sentencing such as repealing the Habitual Felony Offender Act, establishing uniform criteria for parole that would guarantee release, streamlining the review process for medical furloughs and reviewing elderly incarcerated individuals for immediate release.

Supporters, including family members, delivered the demands to the prison system headquarters after a protest on Monday.

A spokesperson for Gov. Kay Ivey told reporters that the demands were unreasonable and thanked prison staff for maintaining facilities.

"It is also important for these protestors to understand that a lot of their demands would require legislation, not unilateral action. Some of these demands suggest that criminals like murderers and serial child sex offenders can walk the streets, and I can tell you that will never happen in the state of Alabama where we will always prioritize the safety of our citizens," Ivey's office told news outlets.

The strike, while not directly related, comes after photos of an emaciated inmate at Alabamas Elmore Correctional Facility went viral. Kastellio Vaughan's sister had posted the photos to Facebook with the message, Get Help.

The disturbing image prompted outrage and allegation of medical neglect. The prison system said that Vaughan had refused medical assessment and left the hospital following surgery against medical advice

This is horrific, Ben Crump, an attorney representing Vaughan said in a statement. Lets be clear, the State of Alabama has tried to deflect any action or responsibility for Mr. Vaughans condition at every turn.

The prison system issued a statement Tuesday saying that Vaughn had surgery for an obstructed bowel in August and was hospitalized in September for a complication. Both times he was discharged against medical advice, the prison system said, and has since refused medical assessment and medical treatment.

The ADOC offers medical assessment and treatment to all inmates but does not force them to accept that care, the prison system said.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)  An Arkansas state senator won't have access to Senate offices and can't participate in legislative meetings after the Senate on Tuesday ruled he made a frivolous ethics complaint against a fellow lawmaker in retaliation for sanctions he received earlier this year.

By a 26-4 vote, the majority-Republican Senate approved its ethics committee's recommendation to suspend GOP Sen. Alan Clark for the rest of the 93rd General Assembly, which ends on Jan. 8.

The Senate earlier this month rejected a complaint Clark had filed against Democratic Sen. Stephanie Flowers accusing her of improperly receiving per diem payments for legislative meetings she attended via Zoom.

The ethics panel ruled that Clark had filed the complaint as retaliation after the Senate stripped him and another lawmaker of their leadership posts after Clark sought reimbursement for a meeting he didn't attend.

The committee felt that the comments and actions of Senator Clark, including bringing these ethics petitions for the purpose of retaliation, were bringing dishonor and disruption to the institution of the Senate," Republican Sen. Kim Hammer, who chairs the ethics committee, told senators before the vote.

Clark didn't attend Tuesday's proceedings, citing a long-planned trip with his family and said his attorneys would not have been able to attend. The lawmaker accused the Senate of punishing a whistleblower with its vote.

How can we be expected to fight corruption and wrongdoing in government if we can't reveal and stand against our own questionable behavior?" Clark said in a statement via text message. I am saddened for this body that I love, more than anything else."

Rules the Senate adopted during the coronavirus pandemic allowed members to participate remotely, but not receive per diem funds. Flowers had not requested the payments and repaid the money in August after she realized she had received them because of a clerical error, the ethics committee found.

The ethics committee cited comments Clark made before filing the complaint on social media and a picture that circulated of him wearing a scarlet E"  similar to the scarlet A" worn as punishment for adultery in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter  at a Republican Party event after he was sanctioned by the Senate.

The vote came after nearly three hours of contentious debate, with defenders of Clark criticizing the Senate for taking up the ethics charges without him present. Legislative leaders noted that other lawmakers had made time for the Senate's proceedings, despite work and other obligations.

Republican Sen. David Wallace, who voted to suspend Clark, at one point complained about the drawn-out debate over the Senate's ethics procedures.

We're tripping over mouse turds right now," Wallace said.

The suspension means Clark loses access to Senate offices and resources, including his email account, and won't be able to participate in legislative meetings except for organizational meetings for the next General Assembly. The Senate also voted to recommend to the next General Assembly that Clark lose his seniority.

The vote marks the first time a senator has been suspended under a 2018 overhaul of the Senate's ethics rules that were enacted after several lawmakers were implicated in a federal corruption probe.

After suspending Clark, the Senate also voted to change its rules to require that an ethics complaint be filed by at least three senators, rather than just one.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  The State Bar of California said Tuesday it is again investigating Mark Geragos, one of California's best-known celebrity lawyers, and another prominent attorney over how money was spent from a multimillion-dollar insurance settlement related to the Armenian Genocide.

Geragos and Los Angeles attorney Brian Kabateck denied any wrongdoing and said they have cooperated in previous investigations by the bar.

Geragos' clients have included Michael Jackson, Colin Kaepernick, Winona Ryder, Chris Brown and and headline-grabbing defendants including Jussie Smollett and convicted killer Scott Peterson.

Both attorneys are caught up in an ongoing investigation of other LA lawyers including Tom Girardi stemming from a $17.5-million settlement with an insurance company based in France. The money was intended for descendants of the genocide in 1915-16 by the Turkish Ottoman Empire during World War I as well as for Armenian charities.

The State Bar is charged with protecting the public. Confidence in our ability to do so has unfortunately been shaken in recent times by the Girardi matter and what it represents, Ruben Duran, the state bars board chairman, said in a rare public disclosure of an ongoing investigation.

He said the announcement is not in itself an indication of misconduct by the lawyers, but emphasized that the status of attorneys, or the size of their practice, cannot and will not impact our decisions to investigate misconduct.

Duran did not disclose details of the investigation, which will determine if a notice of disciplinary charges should be filed. Any such charges would then have to be proven in a hearing before the State Bar Court and could result in the attorneys being suspended or disbarred.

An extensive investigation by the Los Angeles Times in March raised questions about how the settlement money was disbursed, including alleging that some of it went to pet charities of the two attorneys as well as their alma mater, Loyola Law School.

Kabateck's biography describes him as a former president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Loyola Law Schools board chairman and a trustee of Loyola Marymount University.

Kabateck in a statement called the reference "to a world-class university that established a highly-regarded center to study genocides (like the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, the Cambodian Genocide, and other crimes against humanity) as a pet charity is offensive and insensitive.

Loyola Law School officials did not immediately comment.

The undisputed facts are and will always be that an independent third-party appointed, approved, and overseen by the Court (like in any class action) distributed the settlement funds to the class members," Kabateck said. Neither he nor Geragos "were involved in any decision relating to individual payments to victims, nor were they able to decide, review, or influence claims made by class members, he said.

Geragos in a telephone interview said he is "more irate than anything. Talk about no good deed goes unpunished.

Geragos said he and Kabateck filed a lawsuit when they discovered the problem, brought in an outside accounting firm, wrote a letter to the California attorney general exposing the problem, cooperated with a local prosecutor and survived three prior investigations by the state bar.

This is just nothing more than a face-saving gesture (by the state bar) in almost unprecedented fashion, waiving confidentiality on an investigation thats already been done three times over, Geragos said. "Theyre going to quickly discover that theyre going to look like fools. Frankly its disgusting.

In 2019, California attorney Michael Avenatti tried to tie Geragos to his defense as he fought charges that he tried to extort up to $25 million from Nike by threatening to reveal corrupt practices involving college athletes. Geragos for years was a prominent CNN legal analyst, but the network dropped him after those allegations.

Avenatti was convicted in that case, and earlier this year of cheating porn actress Stormy Daniels of money she was supposed to receive for writing a book about an alleged tryst with former President Donald Trump.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP)  A former Iowa State Patrol trooper who was captured on cruiser dash camera video hitting and knocking over a biker during a traffic stop in 2017 has pleaded guilty to a federal count of violating the bikers rights, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Robert Smith, 58, pleaded guilty Monday to deprivation of rights under color of law, federal prosecutors said in a statement. As part of his plea, Smith admitted that this intentional open-hand strike was an unreasonable use of force against Bryce Yakish.

Smith pulled Yakish over for speeding in September 2017. Prosecutors said Yakish was standing by his bike with his hands up when Smith, unprovoked, struck Yakish, knocked him to the ground, put a knee on his neck, handcuffed and falsely arrested him.

Investigators said Smith falsely accused Yakish of trying to flee and charged him with eluding law enforcement, even though Yakish stopped immediately after Smith activated his patrol cars lights and siren. The charge against Yakish was dropped after a prosecutor reviewed the video and concluded it was baseless.

The state of Iowa later paid Yakish $225,000 to settle a lawsuit filed over the arrest.

The case prompted scrutiny into other allegations of misconduct against Smith, who left the patrol in 2018 after a 30-year career. He was later hired as an officer in the small town of Durant, Iowa, but resigned after the videos release in 2019. That year, the Cedar County sheriff announced he would no longer book any suspects arrested by Smith at his jail because he could not vouch for the officers credibility.

A federal district court judge will determine Smiths sentence at a later date.
Hurricane Ian -- now a stronger and "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm -- has begun lashing Florida with major flooding and ruinous winds as it advances on a large swath of the state's west coast with the potential within hours to inflict catastrophic floods and life-threatening storm surge.

"Conditions rapidly deteriorating along the southwest Florida coast," the National Hurricane Center tweeted Wednesday morning, with Ian's center just 55 miles from the coast.

The area between Naples and Sarasota faces the highest threat of dangerous storm surge, the hurricane center said earlier, with more than 2.5 million people advised to flee, including 1.75 million people under mandatory evacuation orders.

After pummeling Cuba on Tuesday and leaving an islandwide blackout, Ian is taking aim at Florida's vulnerable Gulf Coast, where residents have been boarding up and leaving in droves on congested highways. Schools, supermarkets, theme parks, hospitals and airports have announced closures. The Navy moved its ships, and the Coast Guard has shut down ports.

Parts of far southern Florida already have begun feeling the storm's first effects, with tropical storm-force winds and at least two possible tornadoes reported in Broward County, including at North Perry Airport, where planes and hangers were damaged. Major flooding was being reported in Key West due to storm surge, along with power outages.

"The time to evacuate is now," Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said Tuesday, calling Ian "a statewide event."

As winds pick up, officials may close bridges, complicating evacuations for those who don't leave right away. Gas stations may also temporarily run out of fuel, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

Water levels already were hitting about 2.5 feet above Mean Higher High Water -- the third highest level behind 2005's Hurricane Wilma and 2017's Hurricane Irma, CNN Meteorologist Robert Shackelford said.

A hurricane warning is in effect on Florida's Gulf Coast from Chokoloskee to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay, and in the Dry Tortugas. A storm surge warning is in effect for coastal areas, including Tampa Bay.

Life in Florida upended as residents prepare for landfall

In Tampa, police went door to door Tuesday in a mandatory evacuation zone, making sure residents are ready to flee.

Projections earlier had Hurricane Ian on track to directly hit Tampa Bay, which would have been the first direct hit in 100 years. While the hurricane's path has shifted south, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said mandatory evacuations and preparations are continuing.

"No matter where it lands, if it does come in a little south of us, we are not getting out of this unscathed and there is going to be flooding throughout the Tampa Bay area," Castor said.

The governor warned there will be "catastrophic" flooding and life-threatening storm surge in the Gulf Coast region, with the highest risk in southwest Florida, from Naples to Sarasota.

Preparations across the state have been underway for days as residents braced for Ian's wrath. People were lining up to pick sandbags or flocking to stores to stock up on supplies like water and batteries.

And as the hurricane marched closer, the closures began.

Throughout Florida, 58 school districts have announced closures due to this storm as campuses turned into shelters for those evacuating from their homes.

Disney World is set to close Wednesday and Thursday, and so is Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex.

Hundreds of Publix grocery stores shut their doors Tuesday evening and were expected to remain closed through Thursday.

As millions evacuate, 176 shelters opened statewide and hotels and Airbnbs became available for people leaving evacuation zones, the governor said.

Local governments and state agencies have also been preparing those living in nursing homes and other senior care facilities to evacuate.

Florida has around 6 million residents over the age of 60, according to the state's Department of Elder Affairs -- nearly 30% of its total population. As of Tuesday, all adult day cares, senior community cafes, and transportation services in evacuation zones are closed, according to the department.

Authorities have also been readying services to fan out and respond to calls for rescue and then, in the aftermath of the hurricane, for recovery and repair efforts.

Nearly 400 ambulances, buses, and support vehicles were responding to areas where the hurricane was expected to make landfall, according to the governor's office.

DeSantis activated 5,000 Florida National Guard members for Ian's response operations, and 2,000 more guardsmen from Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina are also being activated to assist.

Florida officials were also preparing to activate the state's urban search and rescue teams.

"We have five state teams that are activated with additional five FEMA teams that are in play," Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said at a news conference Tuesday night. "We have over 600 resources to bear in addition to these out-of-town teams."

After landfall, Ian will crawl over Florida

Strengthening Hurricane Ian is well defined, with a clear eye, National Hurricane Center acting Director Jamie Rhome said in a Tuesday evening update.

"This is not what you want to see in the eastern Gulf of Mexico," Rhome said.

When the hurricane hits, rising water is expected to move inland from the coastline, bringing life-threatening inundation and flooding to coastal areas.

Millions of people are under a storm surge warning, including the Suwannee River southward to Flamingo, Tampa Bay and the Dry Tortugas.

The area from Longboat Key to Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbor, could get up to 12 feet of storm surge, according to the hurricane center.

Warnings are also in place on the state's east coast from the Flagler-Volusia county line to the mouth of the St. Mary's River and along the St. Johns River.

After landfall, Ian is expected to crawl across the central part of the state, with damaging winds bringing the threat of tornadoes through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The slow churn over will "dump an enormous amount of rain on the state of Florida," DeSantis said.

Ian is expected to dump at least 2-3 months' worth of rainfall by Friday. Central and Northeast Florida is expected to get 12 to 18 inches of rain, while the Florida Keys and South Florida could get 6 to 8 inches.

Central Florida is expected to see "widespread catastrophic flash, urban, and river flooding" while the southern part of the state should brace for "considerable flash, urban, and river flooding," the center said.

Under current projections, the hurricane is going to work its way from Southwest Florida, up to the central part of the state, then emerge over the Atlantic Ocean by late Thursday, when it could strengthen again and affect another part of the US.

The-CNN-Wire
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  In a federal complaint Tuesday, the NAACP said Mississippi officials all but assured a drinking water calamity in Jackson by depriving the states majority-Black capital city of badly needed funds to upgrade its infrastructure. The organization asked the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the states alleged pattern of steering money to white communities with less need.

The group said the state's refusal to fund improvements in Jackson culminated in late August when the water system suffered a near-total collapse after a heavy rainstorm. Over 25 years, it said, Jackson received funds from an important federal program only three times. When Jackson tried to fund improvements itself, those efforts were repeatedly blocked by Mississippi state political leaders, according to the complaint.

NAACP president Derrick Johnson lives in Jackson and joined other local residents in filing the complaint with the EPA under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids anyone who receives federal funds from discriminating based on race or national origin. In the past, this part of the law has rarely been used on environmental matters, but the Biden administration has promised to step up enforcement in communities overburdened by pollution.

Jackson's majority-Black population has been repeatedly ignored, spurned, or ridiculed, resulting in the most recent water access inequity and crisis, the NAACP said.

The group wants the EPA to make sure that from now on federal funds are distributed equitably.

The U.S. Justice Department is working to improve Jacksons water system. If a voluntary improvement plan isn't reached with the city, the department threatened Monday to file legal action under a different law, the Safe Water Drinking Act, which regulates harmful substances in tap water. The city has repeatedly violated this law in recent years.

There were warnings the Jackson water system was struggling before it failed. Roughly 300 boil-water notices were issued over the previous two years. Racism and neglect created a particularly bad situation in the city.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited the community Monday to talk to city officials and ensure they can deliver long overdue relief for Jackson residents.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, has blamed Jackson's water problems on mismanagement by city leaders. Reeves declared an emergency for the water system in late August and brought in out-of-state crews to help make repairs. Before the city's latest water crisis, though, Reeves expressed his own opposition to state funding for Jackson water improvements, saying he wants to hold down Mississippi's overall debt level.

The Biden administration has several other environmental civil rights investigations open. The Justice Department is looking into how local and state officials in Alabama allowed chronically bad wastewater problems to fester in majority-Black Lowndes County, and for the first time the EPA initiated its own investigation into Colorados air program.

More than 80% of Jackson residents are Black and roughly a quarter live in poverty. About a decade after the public schools integrated in the 1970s, white flight began. Mississippi's largest city now struggles with a shrinking tax base.

Denecka Samuels, a mother of six children, lives in one of the poorest parts of Jackson. When water was not flowing from the tap, she said she had to fetch it from a barrel and cart it home to bathe her children. Samuels said frequent boil-water notices also make life much harder.

Its a constant struggle, Samuels said. I have to keep reminding my younger kids, Do not drink the water out of that faucet. ... Theyre young and they dont understand.

Samuels was among several people who spoke Monday evening at a Poor Peoples Campaign protest to bring attention to Jackson water problems. The event was near the Governors Mansion.

I did not choose to be Black. I did not choose this life to not have no water, Samuels said. It chose me.

In addition to her family responsibilities, Samuels said she has been working with the Poor Peoples Campaign to distribute bottled water to Jackson residents.

It is crucial for water systems to maintain pressure so that untreated groundwater doesnt seep into cracks in the pipes. After heavy rain, the quality of water entering Jacksons treatment plants changed, which the system couldnt handle, causing a drop in pressure. Residents were told to boil water to kill potentially harmful bacteria.

Officials lifted Jacksons citywide boil-water notice Sept. 15, nearly seven weeks after it was issued. But new boil-water notices have been issued for several neighborhoods within the city since then because of broken pipes.

In other legal actions earlier this month, four Jackson residents filed a proposed class action against current and former local officials, an engineering firm and a business contracted to replace water meters. They want lead pipes and equipment replaced and the system fixed, plus damages.

The EPA said it would decide whether to investigate within 25 days.

Phillis reported from St. Louis.

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP)  At least four Palestinians were killed and 44 wounded during an Israeli military raid Wednesday into the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported, marking the deadliest episode since Israel escalated a crackdown on the occupied territory earlier this year.

Israeli forces said they fatally shot two Palestinians they had been sent to arrest in the camp over their suspected involvement in recent shooting attacks. When soldiers surrounded a house in the camp, a bomb exploded, a gunfight ensued and Israeli troops killed the two Palestinians, the military said. The army later released drone footage showing a large explosion that it said was detonated by militants.

During the raid, armed clashes broke out in the camp as militants hurled rocks and opened fire at arriving troops. Two Palestinians were killed and and at least 44 others were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Amateur video showed one of the men being shot in the head as he appeared to be aiming a weapon at Israeli troops.

Israel has been conducting nightly raids in the northern West Bank since a series of deadly Palestinian attacks in Israel last spring. Much of that activity has been focused in the Jenin area  where some of the attackers lived. Israel identified one of the Palestinians killed in Wednesdays raid as Rahman Hazam, the brother of a Palestinian gunman who carried out a deadly shooting attack in central Tel Aviv last April before he was killed by police.

This was the bloodiest day this year, said Jamal Huweil, a 52-year-old camp resident and official in the ruling Fatah party. People are killed, wounded. Theres destruction. Every time (Israeli forces) come into the Jenin camp, our resistance becomes stronger and stronger.

It was chaos as Israeli troops exchanged fire with Palestinian militants on nearly every street of the crowded camp, sending bullets in all directions. Young protesters rushed to hurl stones and hand grenades at Israeli soldiers and scrambled from gunfire. Israeli armored vehicles and bulldozers rumbled down the battered roads. The clashes escalated as angry crowds of men marched through the camp's narrow alleys holding aloft the bodies, shrouded in flags of local militant groups, of the killed Palestinians.

We are here for martyrdom, they cried.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party identified one of the men killed in the clashes as a 24-year-old Palestinian intelligence officer named Ahmed Alawneh.

Alawneh is the second Palestinian security officer killed in a confrontation with Israeli troops this month. While U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces have long cooperated with Israel in an uneasy alliance against Islamic militants, the recent shootings of officers lay bare Palestinians' deep disillusionment with the security coordination. A cadre of young men with no outlet and little hope for the future have increasingly joined militant groups.

Jenin  long considered a bastion of Palestinian militancy and frequent flashpoint for violence  is governed by the Palestinian Authority like most other Palestinian urban centers, even though the Israeli military routinely carries out arrest raids in the area. The PA says the Israeli raids undermine its own forces, who are seen by many residents as collaborating with Israel.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for Abbas, denounced the raid, saying Israel's policy of escalation will not deliver legitimacy, security or stability."

Fatah called for protests and a general strike in the West Bank over what it described as a dangerous escalation. Small groups of Palestinians threw stones at Israeli troops and and burned tires at checkpoints near the major cities of Ramallah and Nablus, where the army responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in the campaign of raids on the West Bank, making this year the deadliest in the occupied territory since 2015.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price, speaking to reporters in Washington on Wednesday, called on the parties to de-escalate and return to a period of calm. This is in the interest of all Israelis and Palestinians, he said.

Most of the Palestinians killed in the recent wave of Israeli raids have been wanted militants, as well as young men who throw stones or fire bombs at soldiers invading their towns. But some civilians, including an Al Jazeera journalist and a lawyer who inadvertently drove into a battle zone, have also been killed in the violence.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has built more than 130 settlements across the territory that are home to nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers. The Palestinians want the West Bank, home to some 3 million Palestinians, to form the main part of their future state.

The last serious peace talks broke down more than a decade ago.
 Flash

The United States had confirmed over 25,000 monkeypox cases as of Monday, according to the latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

California has the most confirmed cases among U.S. states so far, with 4,886 cases, followed by New York with 3,881 and Florida with 2,455, according to CDC data.

Monkeypox infections are rarely fatal, with most cases resolving within two to four weeks. According to the World Health Organization, the disease has a fatality rate of around 3 to 6 percent.

However, immunocompromised individuals are more likely to experience severe illness when infected, according to the CDC.

Nearly four months after the first report of monkeypox in the United States, the virus is showing promising signs of retreat, said a report of The New York Times.

"But unhappily, case numbers are accelerating in a few states and jurisdictions, including Indiana, Virginia and Massachusetts. Black and Hispanic men make up nearly two-thirds of the infected, but only about one-fourth of those vaccinated so far," said the report.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A Southern California man suspected of killing his estranged wife and abducting their 15-year-old daughter had been living with the teenager out of his pickup truck and hotels for weeks before the violence, authorities said Wednesday.

Anthony John Graziano and his daughter, Savannah Graziano, were killed Tuesday in a shootout with law enforcement on a highway in the high desert east of Los Angeles after a 45-mile (72-kilometer) chase. Shots were fired at the officers from the pickup truck as it was being chased.

Once it came to a stop, the girl, wearing a tactical helmet and vest, got out and ran toward deputies amid a hail of gunfire, police said, Authorities are investigating whether she was shot by deputies or her father, or both.

Police have said the only weapon retrieved at the scene was a rifle in the truck, where Anthony Graziano died. There is police video of the shootout that authorities are reviewing.

The California Department of Justice announced Wednesday that it is investigating the shooting. A state law that took effect last year requires the department to review any officer-involved shooting resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian.

While many questions remain regarding Tuesday's gunbattle, police in Fontana  where Graziano's wife, Tracy Martinez, was killed Monday  offered some details about the family's life before the bloodshed.

Anthony Graziano had moved out of the familys home a month or two before the killing, as the couple went through a divorce, Fontana Sgt. Christian Surgent told The Associated Press. Savannah Graziano left with her father, while her younger brother stayed with their mother.

Police issued an Amber Alert after Martinez's killing, saying Savannah Graziano had been abducted by her father. Now, detectives are trying to determine whether or not she was forced into leaving Fontana.

Did she go willingly? Surgent said. Or was she actually abducted? We havent been able to prove that just yet.

Fontana police had not received any reports of domestic violence at the home before this week, Surgent said, and child services had not been involved with the family. Neither parent was on probation or parole at the time and investigators believe Savannah was being home-schooled while she lived with her father, who police said liked to camp out in the desert and mountains in his pickup truck.

On Monday, witnesses saw Martinez walking in Fontana when Graziano picked her up in his truck. Surgent said it was not clear whether she was forced into the vehicle or got in on her own.

And immediately that's when they started arguing and yelling and domestic violence was occurring, he said.

Martinez got out of the truck and Graziano opened fire with a handgun, striking her multiple times, Surgent said. The shooting on the street near an elementary school during morning drop-off forced students and parents to duck for cover.

Graziano fled and drove to get Savannah, who likely was wherever they had been staying that day, Surgent said. The son was at the family's home at the time and was not involved.

The next day, a 911 caller reported seeing the suspects Nissan Frontier around Barstow, nearly 70 miles (112 kilometers) north of Fontana.

Law enforcement located the pickup truck and chased it on the highway to Hesperia. Throughout the pursuit, Graziano was constantly shooting back at the deputies with a rifle through the trucks rear window, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said Tuesday during a news conference.

Dicus said there were some indications Savannah was shooting at deputies during the chase but didnt provide any details.

A firefight in Hesperia ensued when the truck went off-road and somehow became disabled, with dozens of bullets flying. Savannah ran toward deputies  who did not realize it was her  in the chaos and went down amid the gunfire. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly before noon.

Her father was found in the drivers seat and pronounced dead at the scene.

The Sheriffs Department declined to release any additional information Wednesday.

Associated Press Writer Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, and News Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  The lawyer for Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, on Wednesday asked a judge to free him and played a recording of her client saying he is now dedicated to nonviolence and wants only to return home to my brother and live the rest of our days in peace.

Sirhan, 78, has spent 54 years in prison. In a 3 1/2-minute message played during a news conference held by his lawyer, he said he feels remorse every day for his actions.

To transform this weight into something positive, I have dedicated my life to self-improvement, the mentoring of others in prison on how to live a peaceful life that revolves around nonviolence," he said. By doing this, I ensure that no other person is victimized by my actions again and hopefully make an impact on others to follow.

It was the first time Sirhans voice had been heard publicly since a televised parole hearing in 2011, before California barred audio or visual recordings of such proceedings.

Sirhan shot Kennedy moments after the U.S. senator from New York claimed victory in Californias pivotal Democratic presidential primary. He wounded five others during the shooting at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

Sirhan originally was sentenced to death, but that sentence was commuted to life when the California Supreme Court briefly outlawed capital punishment in 1972.

He was denied parole 15 times until last year, when a board recommended his release. But California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected his freedom in January, saying that Sirhan remains a threat to the public and hasnt taken responsibility for a crime that changed American history.

Sirhan's attorney, Angela Berry, filed a petition Wednesday asking a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge to reverse Newsoms denial. She said there is no evidence that Sirhan remains dangerous.

Sirhan's younger brother, Munir Sirhan, has said his brother can live with him in Pasadena, California, if he is paroled. Sirhan Sirhan has waived his right to fight deportation to his native Jordan.

Berry filed a 53-page writ of habeas corpus asking the judge to rule that Newsom violated state law, which holds that inmates should be paroled unless they pose a current unreasonable public safety risk. Recent California laws also required the parole panel to consider that Sirhan committed the offense at a young age  24  and that he is now an elderly prisoner.

She is challenging the governor's reversal as an abuse of discretion," a denial of Sirhan's constitutional right to due process and as a violation of California law. She also alleges that Newsom misstated the facts in his decision.

Berry said the governor acted with personal bias, incorporated the wrong law, ignored mitigation evidence, and did not afford Sirhan the same rights as others eligible for parole.

The governor has cited RFK as his political hero and keeps RFK photos in both his official and home offices, including one of Kennedy with his late father. Berry accused him of politicizing the parole process.

Newsoms office declined to comment.

Newsom overruled two parole commissioners who had found that Sirhan no longer was a risk. Among other factors, Newsom said the Christian Palestinian who immigrated from Jordan has failed to disclaim violence committed in his name, adding to the risk that he could incite political unrest.

The ruling split the Kennedy family, with RFKs wife, Ethel Kennedy, and six of Kennedys nine surviving children opposing his parole.

The political passions that motivated this inmates act still simmer today, and his refusal to admit the truth makes it impossible to conclude that he has overcome the evil that boiled over 53 years ago, they wrote when Newsom rejected his parole.

They did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday's court filing.

In his recording, Sirhan noted that one of his wounded victims, Paul Schrade, and two of Kennedy's sons  Douglas Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  supported his release.

Im humbled by their love and empathy as it very rare that an offenders victims stand with them to support their freedom," Sirhan said in a steady, unemotional voice during the recorded call made earlier this week from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

Jen Abreu, executive director of the rehabilitation program provider group Redemption Row California, said during the news conference that she helped coach Sirhan for 18 months before his parole hearing, helping him win a positive recommendation after so many denials.

He needed help in being able to demonstrate these positive attributes, Abreu said. Sirhan has set a benchmark in prison-based rehabilitation with no disciplinary reports in 49 years, she said. To have an immaculate record for almost five decades is the exception, not the rule.

Berry said the court process will take several months at a minimum, and either side could appeal. Sirhan is set for a new parole hearing on March 1 and she said the two could overlap and proceed simultaneously.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP)  A man who sent threats and photos of a gun to an ex-girlfriend was shot and killed by deputies who were trying to arrest him Wednesday in the third deadly police shooting in South Carolina in four days, authorities said.

The man killed had a gun as the four deputies tried to take him into custody near a Greenville County apartment complex and several shots were fired, Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said at a news conference.

Investigators have not determined whether the man fired at officers, Lewis said.

The ex-girlfriend called deputies after receiving the gun photos, saying the former boyfriend had suddenly started contacting her again after they broke up, and officers were trying to arrest the suspect on unlawful communication charges, Lewis said.

The man tried to avoid deputies in the apartment complex parking lot, the sheriff said.

We do think from the erratic behavior inside the parking lot  he didnt know what he was going to be arrested for, but he knew law enforcement was behind him," Lewis said.

The Greenville County Coroner's Office identified the man killed as Terrance Maurice Sligh, 32, and said an autopsy would be conducted later this week.

Sligh was the third person shot by police in South Carolina the past four days. Deputies in Sumter County killed men in separate shootings on Sunday and Monday.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating all the shootings.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  Abortion laws in South Carolina almost certainly won't get more restrictive, after Republicans in the General Assembly could not agree on a total ban on the procedure during a special legislative session Tuesday.

South Carolina was for decades at the forefront of more restrictive abortion laws that challenged Roe v. Wade even before the landmark case was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court this summer. The state requires ultrasounds, parental consent and 24-hour waiting periods before abortions.

But when faced with the real-world consequences of bans that have played out in the other states, some Republicans in South Carolina paused at the brink.

A House vote Tuesday likely killed the bill for this session. House Republicans insisted on a full ban on abortions with exceptions only for pregnancies caused by rape or incest, or if the life of the mother was threatened.

They said the version passed by the state Senate earlier this month is too watered-down. The Senate kept the state's current ban on abortions after cardiac activity is present in a fetus, which is usually around six weeks. It did cut the amount of time victims of rape or incest can seek abortions to 12 weeks instead of 20 weeks.

But even that version is not in effect. The South Carolina Supreme Court has suspended enforcement of the law as it decides if it violates the right to privacy in the state constitution, leaving an older 20-week abortion ban in place.

Rep. John McCravy, the Republican sponsor of the House bill, said he was stunned to see support for a total ban evaporate after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

We thought those that ran on pro-life would be pro-life, and they would stick to their ideological positions, McCravy said.

Tuesday's 95-11 vote in the House  with almost all the chambers Democrats joining most of the Republicans  didn't entirely close the door on changing the abortion laws before a new set of House members are elected in November.

The Senate could come back, insist on its version, and a group of three lawmakers from each chamber would work on a compromise between the Senate bill and the House version.

But Republican Senate President Thomas Alexander said the vote made passing a bill in the special session almost impossible because senators showed earlier this month there arent enough votes in the 46-member chamber for a ban earlier than six weeks.

I support a stronger pro-life bill. But once we realized it was not possible to pass, our primary concern became to protect the most lives of the unborn possible by strengthening the fetal heartbeat law that is in current legal jeopardy, Alexander said in a statement.

The Senate bill also required DNA from aborted fetuses in pregnancies caused by rape to be collected for police. It also clarifies protections for doctors who order an abortion if it is determined a fetus cannot live outside the womb.

For lawmakers and groups that have spent decades trying to end all abortions, it is a frustrating end to what looked so promising after leaders in the Republican-dominated General Assembly quickly called for a special session once the draft opinion leaked that the U.S. Supreme Court was ready to let states to decide the abortion issue themselves.

But the effort stalled in the Senate, where the three Republican women and two of their GOP colleagues stopped a near-total ban.

Yes, Im pro-life. Im also pro-life for the mother, the life she has with her children who are already born. I care about the children who are forced into adulthood, made up by a Legislature full of men so they can feel good about it, said Republican Sen. Katrina Shealy during the debate earlier this month.

Tuesday's vote could have impact in the governor's race. Republican incumbent Henry McMaster, facing reelection in six weeks, has said he wants to see no abortions in the state. Republicans don't have a two-thirds majority to override a veto, so Democratic challenger Joe Cunningham has campaigned that he alone can prevent any further restrictions with his veto pen if he wins in November.

Democratic House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford said it wasn't time to celebrate, because many women don't know they are pregnant at just six weeks and he expects to see women take desperate measures once a choice is taken from them.

But Rutherford said he hopes Republicans keep promises made during the debate to do more to help access to birth control, health care for pregnant women and their babies and education for the children born after the U.S. Supreme Court decision.

We have talked about how life begins  and ends  at conception and a number of us are tired of that. I know the Democrats are tired of it and hopefully enough Republicans are tired of it," Rutherford said.
PHOENIX  Gov. Doug Ducey broke no laws when he unilaterally cut off the extra $300 a week the unemployed in Arizona were getting last year, the state Court of Appeals has ruled.

Judge David Weinzweig acknowledged that Congress in 2020 agreed to supplement the state benefits that was available to workers displaced by COVID. And Gov. Doug Ducey directed the state Department of Economic Security to join.

But Weinzweig, writing for the unanimous three-judge panel, said the governor was entitled to withdraw from the program early even though it left what the attorney for those challenging the action said were about 100,000 people who had their benefits cut back to the state maximum of $240 a week, the second lowest in the nation.

The judge rejected arguments that state law required Ducey to pursue the maximum benefits available, saying thats not how the law is worded.

The court did not address the fact that Ducey, in halting the extra payments on July 10, 2021  58 days before the federal program actually ended  made it clear he was hoping that lower jobless benefits would help certain Arizona employers, particularly in the restaurant and hospitality industry, find the workers that they needed.

Central to the legal fight is the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program. Approved by Congress in March 2020, it initially provided an extra $600 a week on top of state benefits.

Arizona agreed to accept that money.

The amount was later cut to $300.

Attorneys for Unemployed Workers United and several individuals who lost their jobs due to the pandemic charged that the legislature essentially required Ducey to go along. They cited state statutes which require the Department of Economic Security, which administers the unemployment fund, to take such action as may be necessary to secure to this state and its citizens all advantage available under provisions of the social security act that related to unemployment compensation.

There were about 100,000 Arizonans still collecting benefits who should also have been getting the extra $300 for the eight weeks, said Paul Gattone, one of the lawyers. That comes out to $2,400 per individual, money Gattone said the state should go back to the feds to secure.

Weinzweig said however that the new benefits were not created under the social security act, making that state mandate inapplicable. And the judge said federal law specifically allowed states to withdraw with 30 days notice.

Ducey, in making the announcement in May said the move was justified, citing the shortage of people willing to work.

The governor, however, attached a carrot to the plan.

He said anyone who was collecting benefits would get a one-time $2,000 bonus if they take a full-time job by Sept. 6. And the state also offered some child-care assistance and even a semester of community college tuition for those who go back to work.

In Arizona, were going to use federal money to encourage people to work ... instead of paying people not to work, Ducey said then in a video announcement of his decision.

In making the announcement in May, Ducey press aide C.J. Karamargin said there were plenty of jobs out there and little reason for people to be collecting benefits.

The hospitality industry in Arizona, a critical part of our economy, was perhaps the hardest hit sector, Karamargin said at the time.

They cannot find enough workers for the jobs they have to fill, he continued. And this plan is aimed at helping them fill those positions.

But Karamargin said that problem extended to other sectors of the economy where employers struggled to find workers.

Inherent in that is the governors belief that there are those for whom the total benefits  the $240 a week maximum paid by the state plus the extra $300  provided a disincentive to out out and find a job. That total came out to $13.50 an hour, before taxes are deducted.

The states minimum wage at the time was $12.15 an hour.

Since that time the minimum wage has risen to $12.80, and it is going to $13.85 in January.
One of Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweilers daughters was arrested Tuesday evening on allegations that she stabbed him at his south Tulsa home that afternoon.

A statement from his office says the district attorney was stabbed more than once by an adult family member.

Kunzweiler issued a statement Tuesday evening, saying that, unfortunately today, I found myself in a situation that I hoped would never happen. Fortunately, my injuries are such that I was able to go home.

Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin said in a tweet earlier Tuesday evening that Jennifer Kunzweiler, the prosecutors daughter, had been arrested in connection with the stabbing.

Tulsa Police Capt. Richard Meulenberg said at the scene that the assailant also was injured and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. He did not identify the suspect at that time.

Meulenberg said police were called to respond to a domestic disturbance at the district attorneys house about 3 p.m. and were investigating the stabbing as a mental health incident.

The entire Kunzweiler family would appreciate your prayers and concerns as they go through this struggle, the Tuesday afternoon statement from the District Attorneys Office says.

In Kunzweilers own statement that evening, he thanked everyone who expressed concern for me and my family, as well as responders with the Tulsa Fire Department, EMSA, the Tulsa Police Department and the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office and the staff and doctors at Saint Francis Hospital.

Kunzweiler, 60, was elected to office in 2014 and took office in January 2015. He is running unopposed for reelection. He and his wife have three daughters, according to his campaign website.

Police Chief Wendell Franklin tweeted Tuesday afternoon that the Tulsa Police Department, which works closely with the Tulsa County District Attorneys Office, will work this case like all other cases.

Kunzweilers stabbing is not the first such attack on an elected official by a family member in Oklahoma or even in Tulsa.

It comes about 3 years after District Judge Sharon Holmes, who also works at the Tulsa County Courthouse, was wounded in a stabbing by her adult daughter. Court records state that the daughter pleaded guilty to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in drug court in 2020.

Mark Costello, who was the state labor commissioner at the time, was stabbed to death by his adult son outside a Braums in Oklahoma City on Aug. 23, 2015. His son, Christian Costello, was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity in 2018.
Leaders at three Tulsa Public Schools campuses attribute staff efforts to support students beyond the basics as part of the reason for their sites improved state test scores.

As a team, weve been very intentional about strengthening climate, culture and building a joyful school for everyone, Zarrow International School Principal Denise Marquez said. Happy teachers means happy students, and happy students learn better.

Zarrow International School, 3613 S. Hudson Ave., was one of three Tulsa Public Schools elementary schools to meet or exceed the statewide average in all grades and subjects tested this spring as part of the Oklahoma School Testing Program, which measures whether each public school student has met or exceeded the states academic standards in reading and math across grade levels three through eight and again in grade 11. Students in fifth, eighth and 11th grades are also tested in science.

By comparison, no TPS site met that benchmark in 2021.

Along with crediting Zarrows faculty and community partners, Marquez said the improvement in the schools test scores was in part due to a concerted effort to support students not just academically with targeted intervention efforts but beyond the classroom, as well, including through summer programming.

More than half of Zarrows students participated in campus-based programming in the summer of 2021.

I am super proud of where we are and what weve done, Marquez said. Looking at the data, it helps tells us where we need to lean in, add extra supports and keep going.

I tell my teachers all the time that theyre fabulous and that we are certainly going to celebrate this accomplishment, but lets also look at where we need to push a little more.

Five miles to the northwest, Mayo Demonstration School, 1127 S. Columbia Ave., was another TPS site to meet or surpass the statewide average in all grades and subjects tested.

Mayo also had the districts highest single subject proficiency rating, with 60% of its fifth-grade students testing proficient or better in science.

Like Marquez, Mayo Principal Michael Philippsen attributed the improved test scores to his schools staff and, in large part, their efforts to support and engage students.

There is a lot of intentionality around whole-child learning and building a strong community here, he said. I tell teachers all the time that if theyre having a really rich discussion during their morning meeting and kids are connecting their experiences and parts of their identities to what theyve learned or are about to learn, have those conversations.

A whole-child approach also received partial credit for improved test scores at one of the districts neighborhood schools. Along with Mayo and Zarrow, Lewis and Clark Elementary School is one of 25 TPS sites to have at least one grade post a double-digit increase over 2021 in the percentage of students testing proficient or better in a subject.

At Lewis and Clark, 737 S. Garnett Road, third- and sixth-grade proficiency rates in both tested subjects rose by at least 10 percentage points compared to one year ago. The schools fifth-grade students also posted single-digit improvements in math and science.

Seeing those gains is encouraging, Principal Lori Gregory said. We are working so hard, and seeing the fruits of our labor motivates us to keep going.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the east Tulsa elementary schools test scores were on the rise, with students posting improved scores in 2019 in all but one area. State testing was not conducted in 2020.

However, like many schools across Oklahoma, those gains were wiped out in 2021 by the pandemic, with Lewis and Clark students recording single-digit proficiency rates in third-grade math, third-grade English language arts, fourth-grade science and sixth-grade math.

To help students recover both academically and socially from COVID-19, Gregory said, the school has implemented targeted small-group instruction throughout the day and, like their counterparts at Mayo and Zarrow, making sure their students have additional social and emotional support, such as faculty-sponsored after-school clubs.

The schools faculty has also increased collaboration efforts, with teachers in subjects that arent included in the testing, such as art, music and gym, incorporating literacy and math concepts into their lessons to help reinforce the material covered by their colleagues.

We have been trying to teach our students what a growth mindset is, Gregory said. We dont want them to shut down when things get tough. This is a way to empower them.

Something might be hard or they dont understand it yet, but they will if they keep practicing. Our whole staff has bought into that, and it has our students believing that they can do anything, too.
The man accused of killing three Tulsa women earlier this year will undergo a mental evaluation after his attorney raised concerns about his clients ability to comprehend reality.

Prosecutors charged Terryl Raysean Brooks, 23, with three counts of murder in early April after allegedly tracing to him three separate discoveries of dead women in east, north and midtown Tulsa.

Brooks last appeared in court in late August with his then-newly appointed attorney, Brian Boeheim, after the Public Defenders Office withdrew from the case due to an undisclosed but irreconcilable conflict of interest, according to court records.

Handcuffed and brought to court at that time from the Tulsa County jail, Brooks seemed to shake and jolt uncontrollably, which, Boeheim told a judge, was likely a side effect of his medications.

Boeheims filing for a determination of his clients competency effectively halts the criminal proceedings against Brooks in the deaths of Tyra Dakia Whitaker, Elizabeth Joyce Dillard and Rainbow Starr Dancer.

In the application, Boeheim wrote that Brooks has exhibited paranoid schizophrenic and delusional behavior during meetings and that Brooks mental state seriously interferes with his understanding of the proceedings against him and with his capability of aiding his attorney.

If found incompetent, Brooks could undergo treatment with the aim of achieving competency. If found competent, his court proceedings would continue as normal. The status of his evaluation is slated for review in December.

Brooks case remains on the preliminary hearing docket also pending the receipt of Whitakers autopsy report, the only one of the three victims currently outstanding.

Twenty-four-year-old Whitaker, Brooks girlfriend, had been reported missing since January, when Tulsa police detectives identified Brooks as a suspect in the late March and early April deaths of Dillard and Dancer.

Both Dillard and Dancer were discovered dead of gunshot wounds at their respective homes, but a searching patrol officer discovered Whitakers body buried in a shallow grave in east Tulsa in late April. The Medical Examiners Office has not yet released any reports or opinions as to her probable cause of death.

Dillard, 27, was found dead with at least three gunshot wounds to her torso on the front porch of her north Tulsa home on March 25, and Dancer, 69, was found dead with three gunshot wounds to her face inside her midtown apartment April 3, according to medical examiner records.

After his arrest, Brooks confirmed that he was in a relationship with Dillard and said he had been staying with Dancer, but he requested an attorney after police told him of their deaths, according to an arrest and booking report.

Brooks is listed as homeless in the report and jail records, and detectives wrote that they learned that Dillard had kicked Brooks out about two weeks before her death and that witnesses at Dancers apartment complex told them Dancer said Brooks had assaulted her in the days before her death.

Given the gap between Whitakers probable January death and those of Dillard and Dancer in early spring, detectives have said they cant rule out the possibility that there could be additional victims.

Brooks had been under Oklahoma probation and parole supervision since January 2021 for a second-degree robbery conviction out of North Carolina, according to Department of Corrections records.

Detectives have reached out to other police departments as far away as the Tar Heel State and Florida to see if any unsolved homicides could be a match or to follow up on leads. Thus far, they havent been able to confirm any additional killings that might be related.

Brooks is in the Tulsa County jail in lieu of $5 million bond.
City and civic leaders have praised the recent work to revitalize the Eugene Field neighborhood in west Tulsa, where federal grant money was used to help build new, better homes in an area of town that had been in decline.

Reflecting on that, the community is eagerly anticipating a repeat performance on the citys north side.

A recently announced $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will help kick off a major redevelopment of the Comanche Park neighborhood at 3608 N. Quaker Ave.

The grant, part of the federal agencys Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, will be combined with private and local public funds to launch the Envision Comanche master plan, an ambitious campaign that could breathe new life into the 36th Street North corridor.

Comanche Park has been a longstanding presence in north Tulsa, home to 271 federally subsidized apartments. But the development has fallen on lean times. Only 110 of its apartments are occupied.

Envision Comanche aims to reverse those fortunes. The plan calls for 545 affordable and market-rate apartments, commercial and green space, a neighborhood grocery store and development of the Flat Rock Creek Urban Wilderness Area. Eight single-family houses will also be built for sale.

Tulsa nonprofits including the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and the Ascension St. John Foundation are contributing to the project.

All told, this represents a $190 million investment in north Tulsa.

Local and federal authorities are providing funds to help current Comanche Park residents move and find housing while Envision Comanche is being built. Current residents will be given first right of return once the new housing units are complete.

There is great enthusiasm for this plan, which we share. It expands the citys housing inventory, provides opportunities for new and existing businesses and could take a bite out of north Tulsas food desert problem.

In addressing Flat Rock Creek, it aims to give north Tulsa similar outdoor recreation opportunities now enjoyed at Turkey Mountain on Tulsas southwest side.

Crucially, Envision Comanche commits to keeping affordable housing options open at the new development.

The early success seen at Eugene Field gives us hope that similar results can be realized at Comanche Park.

Moreover, momentum is starting to build in north Tulsa with the advent of the Kirkpatrick Heights/Greenwood master plan, the Evans-Fintube redevelopment project and the recently opened Greenwood Rising history center.

Should Envision Comanche perform as planned, were hopeful that it can be the first in a series of wins for Tulsas north side.
Update 8 a.m. Wednesday: (AP)  Overnight, Hurricane Ian went through a natural cycle when it lost its old eye and formed a new eye. The timing of this is bad for the Florida coast because it means the storm got stronger and larger hours before it was set to make landfall, making it even more of a menace. Ian went from 120 mph to 155 mph in just three hours, the second round of rapid intensification in the storms life cycle.

The story below published in Wednesday's Tulsa World:

The eye wall of Hurricane Ian is anticipated to make landfall Wednesday afternoon along the Gulf Coast shores of Florida as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of more than 130 mph.

With hurricane watches and warnings spanning west Floridas coastline, millions of residents have been strongly urged to evacuate before the storm.

Tampa has been the main focus with this storm, as the Tampa Bay metro area remains susceptible to massive flooding from storm surge. Tampa Bays sloped sea floor puts it under risk. Tuesday evening, forecasters said they expected Ian to make landfall near Port Charlotte, just south of Sarasota and about 100 miles south of Tampa.

The sea floor (in the bay) has a gentle slope from the depths to the coastline in the eastern Gulf, said Steve Piltz meteorologist in charge at the Tulsa National Weather Service. So with that, water is more easily forced forward over a longer stretch. That, with the shape of the coast, makes it extra susceptible.

Hurricane-force winds may extend out 35 miles from the eye wall. And tropical force winds may extend over 100 miles out from the center of the storm.

According to maps released from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the worst-case scenario would be a storm surge of 8 to 12 feet from Fort Myers to the Tampa Bay area  a distance of more than 100 miles.

Now that the hurricane has moved off the coastline of Cuba, it will once again gain strength over the warm waters as its path becomes well defined.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida and authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief and provide assistance.

I sat in on their meeting late Tuesday afternoon ahead of the storm. The agencies assured Florida officials that water, food and aid will be available to those in need and impacted by the storms.

Heavy rain may bring 12-15 inches of rainfall with 2 feet or more in isolated areas  and flash and urban flooding. This would be one to two months worth of rainfall in just 24-48 hours.

Hurricane Ian struck western Cuba on Tuesday morning as a category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph. Tens of thousands of people evacuated, and 55 shelters were set up ahead of time to help those in need.

Now as the storm approaches Florida, it is likely to continue to gain strength. All eyes will be on Ian today as it nears landfall.
Apple Inc is dropping plans to increase production of its new iPhones this year after an anticipated surge in demand failed to materialize, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The company told suppliers to curtail efforts to increase assembly of its flagship iPhone 14 product family by as many as 6 million units in the second half of this year, Bloomberg reported.

Instead, the Cupertino, California-headquartered company will aim to produce 90 million handsets for the period, nearly the same number as a year ago and in line with Apple's original forecast this summer, the report said.

Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Demand for the higher-priced iPhone 14 Pro models is stronger than for the entry-level versions and at least one Apple supplier is shifting production capacity from lower-priced iPhones to premium models, Bloomberg reported.

Apple had this week said it would start manufacturing the iPhone 14, launched earlier this month, in India, as the tech giant moves some of its production away from China.
Switzerland's glaciers lost six percent of their total volume this year due to a dry winter and repeated summer heatwaves, shattering previous ice melt records, a report revealed Wednesday.

The study by the Cryospheric Commission (CC) of the Swiss Academy of Sciences laid bare the drastic scale of glacial retreat -- which is only set to get worse.

"2022 was a disastrous year for Swiss glaciers: all ice melt records were smashed," the CC said, adding that a two percent loss in 12 months had previously been considered "extreme".

Three cubic kilometres of ice -- three trillion litres of water -- have melted away, the report said.

"It's not possible to slow down the melting in the short term," said glaciology professor Matthias Huss, head of Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland, which documents long-term glacier changes in the Alps and is coordinated by the CC.

If carbon dioxide emissions are reduced and the climate protected, "this might save about one third of the total volumes in Switzerland in the best case", he told AFP.

Otherwise, the country "will be losing almost everything by the end of the century".

This picture taken on September 2, 2022 above Ulrichen shows glaciologist and head of 'Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland' (GLAMOS) network Matthias Huss (with yellow shirt) during a visit with his team on the Gries glacier to takes readings of measuring equipment. Photo: AFP

Saharan dust speeds melt

At the start of the year, the snow cover in the Alps was exceptionally light, then a large volume of sand dust blew in from the Sahara Desert between March and May, settling on the surface.

The contaminated snow absorbed more heat and melted faster, depriving the glaciers of their protective snow coating by early in the European summer.

The continuous heat between May and early September therefore ravaged the glacial ice.

By mid-September, the once-thick layer of ice that covered the pass between the Scex Rouge and Tsanfleuron glaciers had completely melted away, exposing bare rock that had been frozen over since at least the Roman era.

And in early July, the collapse of a section of the Marmolada glacier, the biggest in the Italian Alps, killed 11 people and highlighted how serious the situation had become.

According to an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report published in February, the melting of ice and snow is one of the 10 key threats from climate change.

This picture taken on September 2, 2022 above Ulrichen shows glaciologist and head of 'Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland' (GLAMOS) network Matthias Huss during a visit with his team on the Gries glacier to takes readings of measuring equipment. Photo: AFP

Smallest glaciers hardest hit

"The loss was particularly dramatic for small glaciers," the CC said.

The Pizol, Vadret dal Corvatsch and Schwarzbachfirn glaciers "have practically disappeared -- measurements were discontinued", the commission said.

In the Engadine and southern Valais regions, both in the south, "a four to six-metre-thick layer of ice at 3,000 metres above sea level vanished," said the report.

Significant losses were recorded even at the very highest measuring points, including the Jungfraujoch mountain, which peaks at nearly 3,500 metres.

"Observations show that many glacier tongues are disintegrating and patches of rock are rising out of the thin ice in the middle of glaciers. These processes are further accelerating the decline," said the report.

"The trend also reveals how important glaciers are to the water and energy supply in hot, dry years," the report stressed -- something to consider given that hydroelectricity provides more than 60 percent of Switzerland's total energy production.

This picture taken on September 2, 2022 above Ulrichen shows glaciologist and head of 'Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland' (GLAMOS) network Matthias Huss (with yellow shirt) during a visit with his team on the Gries glacier to takes readings of measuring equipment. Photo: AFP

The glacial meltwater in July and August alone would have provided enough water this year to completely fill all the reservoirs in the Swiss Alps.

But Huss said that if the country experienced this year's meteorological conditions in 50 years' time, "the impact would be much stronger, because in 50 years, we expect that almost all glaciers are gone and therefore cannot provide water in a hot and dry summer".

Melt reveals macabre finds

The melting of the glaciers has also had some unexpected consequences.

Hikers are regularly making macabre discoveries as bodies are being freed from the ice they have been encased in for decades or even centuries.

The melting can also be a boon for archaeologists who suddenly have access to objects that are thousands of years old.

Meanwhile the melting of a glacier between Italy and Switzerland has moved the border that ran along the watershed, forcing lengthy diplomatic negotiations.
Read what is in the news today:

Politics

-- Nguyen Van Nen, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, received Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education of India, on Tuesday during his working visit to the southern Vietnamese city.

Society

-- Typhoon Noru weakened after making landfall in central Vietnam from Da Nang City to Quang Nam Province at 3:30 am on Wednesday, packing winds of 117km per hour. Heavy rains are forecast for the next hours while flash floods and landslides are expected as well.

-- A rain triggered by the circulation of Typhoon Noru coincided with high tide peaking on the Saigon River on Tuesday afternoon, submerging roads and stalling vehicles in Ho Chi Minh City.

-- Vietnams investigative security agency arrested and initiated legal proceedings against Nguyen Quang Linh, assistant to Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, on Tuesday on charges of accepting bribes related to repatriation flights during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Business

-- The World Bank has raised its GDP growth forecast for Vietnam this year to 7.2 percent from 5.3 percent in April, while the overall rate of the East Asia and Pacific regions is projected at 3.2 percent.

-- As many as 112,791 firms have been established over the last nine months of 2022, a year-on-year increase of 31.9 percent, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

 Vietnams gold price plunged sharply on Tuesday by VND1.3 million (US$55) per tael compared to the previous day, as the precious metal hit a three-year low on the global market.

Sports

-- Vietnam stunned India 3-0 and won the Hung Thinh 2022 international friendly football tournament in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday evening.

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A woman from Hanoi has been investigated on suspicion of organizing an illegal surrogacy service and charging her client VND700 million (US$29,500).

Officers in Long Bien District, Hanoi confirmed on Monday they initiated legal proceedings against Phan Thi Hang Oanh, 35, on charges of organizing surrogacy for commercial purposes and Tran Thanh Son, 37, for faking documents from official agencies and organizations.

Police investigation showed that Oanh created a Facebook group to connect surrogate mothers, egg sellers, and people who need surrogacy in order to organize the process for commercial purposes.

In March 2020, 35-year-old H.D.M. from Hanoi wanted to have a child and asked Oanh to help him look for a surrogate.

According to their agreement, Oanh would find an egg seller to combine the egg with M.s sperm to create the embryos, as well as look for a surrogate mother.

M. would have to pay Oanh VND700 million in return.

Oanh then contacted Le Thi L., 32, from northern Hoa Binh Province, who agreed to be both the egg donor and surrogate mother.

Oanh prepared necessary documents for the creation of the embryos from M.s sperm and L.s egg at a local hospital.

As the transfer of the embryos into L. was unsuccessful, Oanh only paid L. VND50 million ($2,100) for her eggs.

Oanh later had a deal from 26-year-old N.T.Q.T. from the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, who agreed to be the surrogate mother for VND320 million ($13,400).

To legitimize this process, Oanh hired Son to make a bogus ID using L.s information and T.s photo.

After the embryo transfer was successful, Oanh took T. to a house in Long Bien District where the latter would stay during her pregnancy.

When the illegal activity was detected by police officers in February 2021, M. had already paid Oanh VND420 million ($17,700).

At the police station, Son said he made a fake household registration book, ID, and marriage registration certificate for Oanh and received a total of VND6 million ($252).

Vietnam legalized surrogacy in 2015 to benefit infertile couples but strictly bans surrogacy for commercial purposes.

Commercial surrogacy is subject to a fine of up to VND200 million ($8,500) and an imprisonment sentence of up to five years.

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Typhoon Noru weakened on Wednesday morning after making landfall and wreaking havoc in central Vietnam, while heavy downpours are still in the forecast over the next few days.

The typhoon made landfall between Da Nang City and Quang Nam Province at around 3:30 am on Wednesday, unleashing winds of 103-133km per hour, according to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

At 7:00 am the same day, the wind speed decreased to between 62 and 74km an hour.

A restaurant is damaged in Da Nang City, Vietnam following the landfall of Typhoon Noru, September 28, 2022. Photo: Le Trung / Tuoi Tre

The storm is expected to travel west in the next 12 hours and be downgraded to a tropical depression and later a low-pressure area.

Due to the influence of the storm, provinces in central Vietnam and the northern part of the Central Highlands recorded massive rainfall of about 200-300 millimeters on Tuesday night.

More downpours are forecast for these localities on Wednesday and Thursday, posing a high risk of flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas as well as serious flooding in low-lying locations.

People fix power lines in central Vietnam following the landfall of Typhoon Noru, September 28, 2022. Photo: Doan Cuong / Tuoi Tre

On Wednesday morning, scores of uprooted trees were recorded in Da Nang, according to the observations of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters.

Many roofs of houses were also seen lying on the streets.

Some residents began cleaning up areas around their homes even though the city was still affected by strong winds.

Officers remove an uprooted tree from a street in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, September 28, 2022. Photo: B.D. / Tuoi Tre

In Quang Nam, residents also reported uprooted trees and blown-away roofs following the landfall of Noru.

Multiple houses were submerged as serious floods hit the provinces Phu Ninh and Tay Giang Districts.

In north-central Quang Tri Province, nearly 1,400 people in Vinh O Commune were isolated after a bridge was swept away by floodwaters.

Officers remove an uprooted tree from a street in Da Nang City, Vietnam, September 28, 2022. Photo: Doan Cuong / Tuoi Tre

Authorities in north-central Thua Thien-Hue Province reported that more than 70 houses had their roofs blown away and eight others collapsed during the storm.

Noru and its circulation affected the power supply to about 1.2 million households in the central and Central Highlands regions, according to Vietnam Electricity (EVN).

Fishermen check their boats following the landfall of Typhoon Noru, September 28, 2022. Photo: Truong Trung / Tuoi Tre

A utility pole is broken due to strong gusts in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, September 28, 2022. Photo: B.D. / Tuoi Tre

A neighborhood is flooded in Phu Ninh District, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, September 28, 2022. Photo: Le Trung / Tuoi Tre

A neighborhood is flooded in Phu Ninh District, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, September 28, 2022. Photo: Le Trung / Tuoi Tre

A house is submerged in Tay Giang District, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, September 28, 2022. Photo: P.L. / Tuoi Tre

A house has its roof blown away in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam, September 28, 2022. Photo: Van Linh / Tuoi Tre

A house has its roof blown away in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam, September 28, 2022. Photo: Van Linh / Tuoi Tre

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HANOI -- Vietnam on Wednesday downgraded Typhoon Noru to a tropical depression, but warned residents to stay on alert because of the risks from flooding and landslides caused by heavy rain, the government said.

The storm made landfall in the early hours with winds of 117kph (72mph) in the province of Quang Nam, home to the historic city of Hoi An and resort of Danang, the weather agency told state media.

"I don't know if my roof has been torn down yet. The wind is just too strong," Le Thi Buoi, 70, said by telephone from a shelter in the coastal community of Tam Ky.

"You can hear it's roaring even inside this shelter," she said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but photographs posted on social media and on state media showed downed trees and mudslides blocking roads.

Noru was the strongest storm to hit the neighbouring Philippines this year and killed at least eight people when it made landfall on Sunday night, flooding farmland and communities and damaging crops, mainly rice.

Vietnam is also vulnerable to destructive storms and flooding because of its long coastline. Natural disasters - predominantly floods and landslides triggered by storms - killed 139 people and injured 150 others in the country last year, official data showed.
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung was expelled from the Party following his arrest over the allegations of receiving bribes during the organization of repatriation flights during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong chaired a meeting of the Party Central Committees Secretariat on Tuesday to consider the disciplinary actions against Deputy Minister Dung and Nguyen Quang Linh, assistant to the permanent deputy prime minister.

The Secretariat stated that Dung lacked responsibility and violated the Party's regulations and state's laws in directing and organizing repatriation flights for Vietnamese citizens abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The deputy minister was also investigated and arrested on suspicion of bribery.

Meanwhile, Linh took advantage of his position, compromised working principles, and violated the Party's regulations and the state's laws during the selection of enterprises to organize repatriation flights during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Linh was apprehended later the same day on suspicion of receiving bribes during the organization of repatriation flights.

Nguyen Quang Linh, assistant to the permanent deputy prime minister, is seen in this photo provided by officers

The violations of Dung and Linh resulted in serious consequences and adversely affected the reputation of the Party organization.

The Secretariat thus decided to expel both Dung and Linh from the Party.

The arrests of Dung and Linh were part of a wider investigation where officials were accused of taking bribes from Vietnamese citizens abroad who wanted to return to the country when commercial flights were not available during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the Ministry of Public Security launched an investigation into the case in late January, a score have been prosecuted and detained, including many officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Transport, and former leaders and officials of the Immigration Department.

During a press meeting in June, investigators stated that the bribes were worth tens of billions of dong. (VND10 billion = US$421,100).

Vietnam organized nearly 2,000 repatriation flights during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Security.

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Next week streaming platform BritBox is offering another tempting deal for new subscribers -just $2 for 2 months (charged at $1 per month).

BritBox is a streaming service for British content, filled with iconic murder mysteries, dramas, comedies and lifestyle shows.

This offer only be redeemed online at www.britbox.com/au/

The offer is available only Monday 3 October to Sunday 9 October.

Heres an outline of October highlights:

Karen Pirie  Exclusive & Australian Premiere: Lauren Lyle (Outlander, Vigil), Chris Jenks (Sex Education); created by the makers of Line of Duty (World Productions); based on the first novel of the bestselling book series, The Distant Echo, by acclaimed author Val McDermid; and adapted by Emer Kenny (The Curse, Father Brown). The unsolved murder of a barmaid becomes the subject of a popular true-crime podcast and young Detective Sergeant Karen Pirie is tasked with solving the 1995 case. During her review, she uncovers flaws in the original investigation.

Ridley  Exclusive: Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty) plays retired Detective Alex Ridley who is lured back to the service as a consultant when his former protegee asks for his help cracking a complex murder case.

The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge  Season 1  Exclusive: Self-confessed collector and miniatures enthusiast Sandi Toksvig (QI, The Great British Bake Off) hosts this amateur crafters competition where 10 contestants from across Britain are challenged with renovating an entire derelict mansion into a fantasy home. The catch  everything is miniature.

All Creatures Great & Small  Season 3  Exclusive: Wedding bells chime and animal ailments aplenty, the latest season of All Creatures Great and Small is packed with heartwarming tales.

Annika  Season 1: A gritty crime drama following Detective Inspector Annika Strandhed played by Nicola Walker (Unforgotten, Last Tango in Halifax) who investigates cryptic crimes and mysterious murders that wash up on Scotland shores.

Out of Her Mind  Season 1: A quirky comedy on surviving heartbreak, rejection and family drama. This cynical comedy follows a fictionalised version of Sara Pascoe (W1A, Twenty Twelve) as she tries to navigate her life after being left at the altar.
The 67th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in either Glasgow and Liverpool in 2023.

The BBC has confirmed five other cities Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield are no longer in the running following a detailed assessment process.

The UK is hosting the 2023 contest on behalf of Ukraine, which won the competition this year.

Phil Harrold, the chair of the BBCs Host City Selection Committee says: Thanks to all seven cities across the UK who have demonstrated the enthusiasm and passion for Eurovision that exists right across the UK. We were incredibly impressed by the quality and creativity of all the city bids, in what was a highly competitive field. The Eurovision Song Contest is a very complex event and Liverpool and Glasgow have the strongest overall offer; we will continue our discussions with them to determine the eventual host city.

We are determined to make the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest one that both reflects the winning position of Ukraine and is also an event that all of the UK can participate in.

Martin Osterdahl, Executive Supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest, said, The EBU would like to warmly thank all the 7 British cities that put so much effort and enthusiasm into their bids to host next years Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. We very much appreciate their cooperation and the quality and creativity of all the bids received.

The Eurovision Song Contest is the most complex TV production in the world with very specific logistical requirements to accommodate around 40 delegations and thousands of crew, volunteers, press and fans.

Were confident our final two cities are the best placed to meet this challenge and look forward to continuing our discussions to choose the one which will stage the worlds largest music event next May.

Further discussions will now take place with officials from Glasgow and Liverpool and a final decision will be made within weeks by the BBC in conjunction with the European Broadcasting Union.
Throughout history gay men and women have had to fight to be seen and heard.

While our current dramas and reality shows have ongoing representation on screen today, it wasnt the case on the silver screen. Just as gay writers, directors and actors had to channel their voice through narrow corners of the Hollywood machine, queer audiences also identfied with genres that were unreal, outlandish.

If Science Fiction represented a space where anything is possible, then horror was a place for over the top characters and a place for victims to triumph.

Society is always trying to eradicate us, and were always waiting to fight back.

Thats how were represented in film. Were the bogeymen. The ones who are out to get you.

The evolution of queer horror parallels the evolution of queer liberation.

At least we know were out there. Even if we are there to put the fear of god into straight people.

These are just some of the thoughts from contemporary queer actors, writers and directors in the new Shudder documentary, Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror. The two part doco from Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies) and Steak House (Disney Launchpad, The Mustang) looks back upon classics including Frankenstein (1910), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1920), Nosferatu (1922), Bride of Frankenstien (1935), the works of Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley and more.

Throughout the doco are quotes from master interviews including Mark Gatiss (Dracula, Sherlock), Kimberly Peirce (Carrie, Boys Dont Cry), Justin Simien (Bad Hair, The Haunted Mansion), Leslye Headland (Russian Doll, The Acolyte), Cassandra Peterson aka Elvira, and Lea DeLaria (Orange is the New Black).

The researchers have certainly been comprehensive.

Some references extend back to Denmarks 1922 film Haxan, 1921s The Phantom Carriage and 1926s Faust but the work of writer Mary Shelley in creating Frankenstein is given special attention. Not only was Shelley by her own admission bisexual, but her storys themes of creating the perfect man resonate with these interview subjects, along with hideous scenes of banishing the monster from society.

The films of James Whale, an openly gay director in a time when it was not accepted, are also featured. Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man (1933) living among men but not seen by them are amongst his works praised here, no surprises Show Boat is not.

1945s The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, also features -though for me thats on the fringe of the horror genre.

There is due acknowledgement of queer characters such as ornithologist Mrs. Bundy in Hitchcocks The Birds (1963), Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca (1940) and Brandon and Phillip in Rope (1948) -wait horror, errrr.?

Are they over-reaching with their observations? Perhaps some things are in the eye of the beholder, but to closeted viewers in repressed societies, it was easy to indulge winks to the audience in the darkened cinema.

It wouldnt be complete with special attention to Psycho (1960) both for the character of Norman Bates and the personal life of star Anthony Perkins -his son Oz Perkins is one of the interview subjects.

Bryan Fuller keeps the quotes and the interviewees coming, juxtaposed with archival screen footage. Theres so many of them I would have liked some pacing to avoid a feeling like Im fighting a smorgasbaord buffet, and some such as talented cabaret act Michael Feinstein perplexed me as to their relevance given the topic.

Nevertheless, Queer for Fear is an entertaining and insightful look back at sometimes camp, terrifying, subliminal films and the way they must have been privately celebrated and reminded: you are not alone.

Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror Friday September 30 on Shudder.
Farmer Paige last night quit Farmer Wants a Wife for good, having already walked off the show a week ago, only to be enticed back by Sams Choice.

However she decided none of the remaining blokes measured up and removed herself from the show.

I came here looking for love and I havent found that with someone, but Ive found a new love for myself and thats incredible, she stated.

It followed Farmer Benjamin also having to leave this week due to a death in the family.

But the drama led to a lift in numbers with 517,000 metro viewers, second in its slot and thankfully hearthrob Farmer Will is still there for the audience.

The Block once again dominated at 752,000, well ahead of 7:30 (487,000), Take 5 with Zan Rowe (344,000) and The Amazing Race Australia (326,000).

The Hundred with Andy Lee drew 379,000 then Old Peoples Home for Teenagers (343,000) and The Cheap Seats (301,000).

Nine network won Tuesday with 30.2% then Seven 27.7%, ABC 17.5%, 10 16.5% and SBS 8.1%.

Nine News (842,000 / 839,000) was best for Nine. A Current Affair won with 716,000 then Hot Seat (389,000 / 245,000). In select cities were True Story with Hamish & Andy replayed to 112,000 / 82,000 and Botched (81,000).

Seven News was #1 at 895,000 / 893,000 for Seven. The Chase led with 502,000 / 315,000 then Home & Away (475,000). Extreme Weddings: Australia was 161,000 with 10 Years Younger in 10 Days at 88,000.

ABC News pulled 590,000. Home: The Story of Earth (161,000) and The Drum (157,000) followed.

The Project drew 317,000 / 210,000. 10 News First was 260,000 / 165,000 then NCIS at 144,000.

On SBS it was SBS World News (149,000 / 140,000), Great Coastal Railway Journeys (142,000), Dateline (124,000), Insight (119,000) and SBS World News Late (79,000).

7mates Outback Opal Hunters led multichannels with 119,000.

Sunrise: 197,000

Today: 192,000

News Breakfast: 106,000 / 69,000

In Total TV numbers last Tuesday were:

The Amazing Race Straya: 600,000

The Block: 1.37m

Old Peoples Home for Teenagers: 668,000

Farmer Wants a Wife: 1.04m

Take 5 with Zan Rowe: 557,000

OzTAM Overnights: Tuesday 27 September 2022.
Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

The UK government-backed British Business Bank has warned that the worsening economy could increase the number of companies unable to repay its loans, including coronavirus pandemic support.

The BBB said in its annual report on Wednesday that should an economic downturn occur, there would likely be an increase in defaults on loans given under Covid crisis loan schemes.

The report was published on the same day that the Bank of England, which said last week that the UK was already in recession, was forced to intervene in bond markets to protect British financial stability.

During the pandemic, the government under the then chancellor, Rishi Sunak, rolled out a series of loan schemes worth tens of billions of pounds to prevent businesses collapsing. It asked the bank to administer several of them.

The BBB said that 85% of Covid-19 loan repayments were either fully repaid or meeting monthly repayments as scheduled, but its chief executive, Catherine Lewis La Torre, acknowledged areas of economic and geopolitical uncertainty as the UK braces for a recession.

She said the bank had experienced successes, including an above-target rate of financial returns, but added further support might be required for small British businesses.

Despite this success over the last financial year, we are aware that areas of economic and geopolitical uncertainty remain, she said. The serious headwinds that the economy is encountering make a national economic development bank an invaluable strategic asset, and we are ready and prepared to play whatever role is required to support UK smaller businesses.

The BBB has faced criticism for its handling of fraud and losses related to coronavirus financial support, with the former Conservative minister Theodore Agnew calling for increased transparency, in particular with regards to the 47bn bounceback loan scheme. Recipients of bounceback loans have in some cases used them to pay for jewellery, expensive cars, property, and even pornography  rather than to support businesses.

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The bank said it had increased its fraud-fighting resources during the year, but acknowledged weaknesses in the bounceback loan scheme in particular that left it open to fraud.

The design of the bounceback loan scheme and the speed of its implementation did, however, introduce unprecedented fraud and financial crime risks, the report said.

The bank has so far refused to release the names of companies who received bounceback loans, saying it would harm commercial interests. The campaign group Spotlight on Corruption is taking the BBB to a tribunal to try to compel it to release the names.
Sabotage is the most likely cause of leaks in two Baltic Sea gas pipelines between Russia and Europe, European leaders have said, after seismologists reported explosions around the Nord Stream pipelines.

A seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm, near where the leaks occurred, twice recorded spikes on Monday, the day on which the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines underwent dramatic falls in pressure, the German geological research centre GFZ said.

A Danish military flight over the leaks brought back striking images from the ruptures, including one showing an area of bubbling gas a kilometre wide on the seas surface.

European commission president Ursula Von der Leyen said the leaks were due to sabotage, and threatened the strongest possible response to any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure.

Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable and will lead to the strongest possible response, she warned, and urged and investigation to get full clarity on the events and why.

Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen described them as deliberate acts, adding: We are not talking about an accident.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has spoken to Danish foreign minister Jeppe Kofod about the apparent sabotage, said US state department spokesman Ned Price late on Tuesday. The United States remains united with our allies and partners in our commitment to promoting European energy security, he said.

Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the leaks were an act of sabotage that probably marks the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine.

Swedens outgoing prime minister, Magdalena Andersson, said there have been detonations although foreign minister Ann Linde said they would not speculate on motives or actors.

The seismograph recorded near-silence until just after midnight GMT (2am local time), when there was a spike representing a tremor in the earth followed by a continuous hissing wave form. The pattern was repeated at 5pm GMT.

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Amid the claims of sabotage, suspicion immediately turned to potential culprits  with fingers pointed at Russia, whose pipelines were hit, suggesting a further weaponisation of energy supplies to Europe in the midst of the conflict in Ukraine. Not least it was seen as a possible message about the vulnerability of other marine gas infrastructure.

There are some indications that it is deliberate damage. You have to ask: Who would profit? one European security source told Reuters.

GFZ declined to be drawn on whether the tremors recorded could have been the result of an explosion but scientists at the research centre ruled out the possibility that the leaks could have been caused by earthquakes.

There was a spike and then regular noise, a GFZ spokesperson, Josef Zens, said. We cannot say if that could be gas streaming out.

A seismologist quoted by Swedish television suggested the activity may have been the result of explosions. Bjorn Lund, director of the Swedish National Seismic Network, SNSN, which measures Swedish earthquakes and explosions, told the SVT television channel that the event  one of which registered a magnitude of 2.3  may have been caused by undersea detonations.

You can clearly see how the waves bounce from the bottom to the surface. There is no doubt that it was a blast. We even had a station in Gnosjo that picked this up, said Lund, who also lectures in seismology at Uppsala University.

Meanwhile the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, called the news very concerning and said that no option can be ruled out right now, including sabotage.

This is a very concerning news, he added, calling for a prompt investigation. Indeed, we are talking about some damage of an unclear nature to the pipeline in Denmarks economic zone.

The steel pipe itself has a wall of 4.1 cm (1.6 inches) and is coated with steel-reinforced concrete up to 11cm thick. Each section of the pipe weighs 11 tonnes, which goes to 24-25 tonnes after the concrete is applied.

Among those pointing to the war in Ukraine was the Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, who was speaking at the opening of a new gas pipeline between Norway and Poland. Today we faced an act of sabotage. We dont know all the details of what happened but we see clearly that its an act of sabotage, related to the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine, Morawiecki said.

Polands foreign minister was more forthright, suggesting that the damage could be an act of provocation on behalf of the Kremlin.

Sadly our eastern partner is constantly pursuing an aggressive political course, the deputy foreign minister, Marcin Przydacz, said in Warsaw. If it is capable of an aggressive military course in Ukraine, then its apparent that acts of provocations in western Europe also cannot be ruled out.

A senior Ukrainian official also called it a Russian attack to destabilise Europe, without giving proof.

British sources said they believed it may not be possible to determine what occurred with certainty.

One UK insider speculated that any explosions were unlikely to have been caused by a submarine or underwater vehicle, because their presence would have been detected in the relatively shallow Baltic waters. Sections of the pipelines are between 80 metres and 110 metres deep.

An alternative scenario could be that mines were dropped from a disguised commercial vessel days or weeks ahead of the attack, then remotely detonated to cause the explosions. But the latter scenario was entirely hypothetical, they stressed.

The day of drama began when the Danish energy agency said it had found the leaks on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline north-east of the island of Bornholm, and a third in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Swedish waters south-east of the island. This is not a small crack. Its a really big hole, the energy agency said.

Underlining the significance of the event, Javier Blas, an energy and commodities commentator for Bloomberg, described the undersea gas pipelines in the region as one of Europes most important strategic assets. The subsea pipelines linking the North Sea gas fields, and then Norway with the rest of the continent and the UK are among the most strategic assets right now for Europe. High time for maximum protection. Cyber-attacks against energy assets are, too, a key risk for Europe, Blas tweeted.

The subsea pipelines linking the North Sea gas fields, and then Norway with the rest of the continent and the UK are among the most strategic assets right now for Europe. High time for maximum protection. Cyberattacks against energy assets are, too, a key risk for Europe.  Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) September 27, 2022

A five-mile exclusion zone for shipping has been set up around Bornholm, and flights below 1,000 metres have been banned in the area. Methane, the primary component of natural gas, partially dissolves in water, is not toxic and creates no hazard when inhaled in limited quantities.

Breakage of gas pipelines is extremely rare, Danish authorities said in a statement. Therefore we see reason to raise the preparedness level as a result of the incidents we have seen over the past 24 hours.

Nord Stream AG, the pipeline operator, had on Monday morning reported an unexpected overnight drop of pressure from 105 to 7 bar in Nord Stream 2, which is filled with gas but was cancelled by Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, shortly before Russias invasion of Ukraine.

A further drop of pressure was reported on Monday afternoon in Nord Stream 1, which Russia shut down indefinitely at the start of September, initially saying it needed repairs.

With three separate leaks almost simultaneously, with some distance between them, it was difficult to imagine it was a random accident, Frederiksen said at a short press conference during a visit to Poland, where she was participating in the opening of the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline.

Anonymous sources in German government circles also said the simultaneity of the three leaks made an accident unlikely. Our imagination cannot come up with a scenario which isnt a deliberate attack, a person involved in the investigation told the German daily Der Tagesspiegel.

The news magazine Der Spiegel, quoting government sources, said officials were not ruling out sabotage, designed to cause further uncertainty on Europes energy markets.

Since no gas has flowed through either of the pipelines since the start of the month, German authorities have been quick to reassure people that the leaks will not affect its plan to fill gas storage tanks in time for winter.

Environmental NGOs said the leaks were likely to cause large-scale damage to the environment. As soon as methane in gas form raises from the surface of the sea into the atmosphere, it will massively contribute to the greenhouse effect, said Sascha Muller-Kraenner of the pressure group Environmental Action Germany.
A celebrated US mountaineer is missing after reportedly falling into a deep crevasse while climbing down a cliff in Nepal.

On Monday, Hilaree Nelson, 49, slipped and appeared to fall into a 2,000ft (600m) gap in the ice, known as a crevasse, only 15 minutes after reaching the summit of the 26,781ft peak, reported BBC.

Ms Nelson had earlier in the day scaled the summit of Mount Manaslu  the worlds eigth tallest peak  in Nepal with her partner Jim Morrison.

The couple had taken photos with their three Sherpa guides, who used a satellite phone to share the good news with Jiban Ghimire, owner of Shangri-La Nepal Trek, the outfitter that organized their expedition, reported The New York Times.

After climbing the summit, they made their way down from the 8,163-metre (26,781-foot) peak.

Fifteen minutes later the guides reportedly radioed Mr Ghimire again and said: Big problem.

Other climbers who were with the couple said that her ski blade skidded off and [she] fell off the other side of the peak.

It is not known whether Ms Nelson survived the fall. After the incident, Mr Morrison was able to make it back to base camp, reports said.

The couple are among the most accomplished alpinists and backcountry skiers in the world.

Ms Nelson is a North Face-sponsored athlete who has two children and is based out of Colorado.

With a career spanning two decades that includes dozens of first descents through more than 40 expeditions to 16 different countries, Hilaree Nelson is the most prolific ski mountaineer of her generation, North Face said about the mountaineer on their website.

While Ms Nelson has been a guide herself on several of Nepals highest peaks, weather conditions changed quickly on Monday, as they often do in high mountain ranges.

Sharing an update on Hilaree Nelson, a beloved member of The North Face family. pic.twitter.com/qv0bOL0LsB  The North Face (@thenorthface) September 26, 2022

On foot, it takes three days to reach the incident site from base camp, said Mr Ghimire.

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Weather is hampering search and rescue operations.

He added that the company would send out a helicopter on Tuesday morning to the crevasse where Ms Nelson disappeared. He added that Mr Morrison is in good health and will be on the helicopter for the rescue mission if the weather is conducive to flying.

In a separate incident on Monday an avalanche on Mount Manaslu swept away climbers, porters and Sherpas, killing one and reportedly injuring 14 others.

Authorities have not yet been able to launch helicopters to reach the stranded group.

In 2019, an avalanche on Mount Manaslu killed nine climbers.

In 1972, another avalanche killed 16 climbers.
Police respond to active shooter at hospital in Sherwood, Arkansas. (KNWA)

One victim is dead and a suspect is in custody after a shooting at an Arkansas hospital, according to authorities.

Police in Arkansas earlier responded to an active shooter at CHI St Vincent hospital in Sherwood, a suburb of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Little Rock Police Department says that following a tip the suspected shooter was detained at a gas station shortly after the incident.

We can confirm an active shooter at SVI. No other information will be released at this time, SPD stated.

Live video from local TV news stations showed a large number of law enforcement officers at the hospital campus in the suburb of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Roads around the hospital were shut down and a police helicopter was seen circling over the hospital.

Here are some hospital workers standing outside Academy Sports near the hospital. One tells me they were told to evacuate. #ARNews https://t.co/Ohg3sOHwgu pic.twitter.com/f4bUMC9wex  Andrew Epperson (@eppersports) September 28, 2022

A spokesperson for the hospital said CHI St. Vincent was working with Sherwood police to investigate a suspected incident, according to KNWA.

We can confirm an active shooter at SVI.

No other information will be released at this time.  Sherwood Police Department (@SherwoodArPD) September 28, 2022

KARK reported that active shooter was broadcast over the hospitals intercom system, and people sheltered before being brought out of the hospital.

Multiple agencies responded to the incident, including the Pulaski County Sheriffs Office, Jacksonville Police Department, North Little Rock Police Department, and the Arkansas State Police.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also on scene.
FILE - An Optus phone sign hangs above its store in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. Australias federal and state governments on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, called for Optus to pay for replacing identification documents including passports and drivers licenses to avoid identity fraud after 9.8 million of the telecommunications companys customers had personal data stolen by computer hackers. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australias federal and state governments on Wednesday called for Optus to pay for replacing identification documents including passports and drivers licenses to avoid identity fraud after 9.8 million of the telecommunications companys customers had personal data stolen by computer hackers.

The Australian government has blamed lax cybersecurity at Optus for last week's unprecedented breach of current and former customers' personal information.

Most at risk of identity theft are the 2.8 million customers who had drivers license and passport numbers stolen.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected opposition lawmakers calls for the government to waive the costs of replacing compromised Optus customers passports.

We believe that Optus should pay, not taxpayers, Albanese told Parliament.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong wrote to Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin on Wednesday requesting her earliest confirmation that the Sydney-based company would pay for vulnerable customers passports.

There is no justification for these Australians  or for taxpayers more broadly on their behalf  to bear the cost of obtaining a new passport, Wong wrote.

Optus did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Different states have had varying responses to requests for drivers license replacements  Queensland and South Australia have announced free replacements for affected customers while New South Wales will charge Optus customers for replacement licenses. But the state government has said it expects Optus will offer reimbursements within days. Victoria state has also asked Optus to pay for new licenses, but continues to charge the company's customers.

Optus this week offered its most affected customers free credit monitoring for a year.

The federal government only became aware that health care client identification numbers were among the stolen data on Tuesday morning, when 10,000 customers records were dumped on the dark web as part of an extortion attempt by the hacker who demanded Optus pay a $1 million ransom. The so-called Medicare numbers are accepted as proof of identity, like passports and drivers licenses.

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Health Minister Mark Butler said his government had not yet decided Wednesday whether Optus customers required new Medicare cards.

Were very concerned  about the loss of this data and working very hard to deal with the consequences of that, Butler told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

But were particularly concerned that we were not notified earlier and consumers were not notified earlier about the breach of the Medicare data as well, he added. Optus discovered the breach Sept. 21.

The hacker, who uses the online name Optusdata, withdrew a ransom demand Tuesday in an online post that claimed the stolen data had been destroyed.

Optusdata suggested the extortion attempt had attracted too much attention, said no ransom had been paid and apologized to Optus as well as its customers.

Former Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Cybersecurity, Alastair MacGibbon, described that scenario as too good to be true.

MacGibbon, who is now a cybersecurity consultant, suspected the ransom had been paid or the data had been sold.

Another likely scenario was that the hacker was lying low for the moment while planning a different way to monetize the data, MacGibbon said.

Ive spent about 30 years dealing with criminals. I dont trust them, MacGibbon said.

So Id like to think that this criminal has suddenly found goodness and light and decided the heat was too much and Im deleting all of the 10 million details. Im a bit more suspicious than that, MacGibbon added.
Thousands of protesters have gathered as the controversial state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Mr Abe, prime minister from 2006-07 and 2012-2020, was killed in July, but feelings of goodwill are rubbing against tensions with Mr Abe considered one of the countrys most divisive leaders.

Mr Abe was cremated in July after a private funeral at a Tokyo temple days after he was assassinated while giving a campaign speech on a street in Nara, a city in western Japan.

Government, parliamentary and judicial representatives, including prime minister Fumio Kishida, are later set to make condolence speeches, followed by the former first lady.

Mr Kishida says Mr Abe deserves a state funeral but the decision to give him the rare honor with imperial ties, the cost, and controversies about his and the ruling partys ties to the ultra-conservative Unification Church have fuelled controversy about the event.

The government maintains that the ceremony is not meant to force anyone to honour Mr Abe. Japans main political opposition parties are not attending the event, which critics say is a reminder of how prewar imperialist governments used state funerals to fan nationalism.

In what some see as an attempt to further justify the honor for Mr Abe, Mr Kishida this week has held meetings with visiting foreign leaders in what he calls funeral diplomacy. The talks are meant to strengthen ties as Japan faces regional and global challenges, including threats from China, Russia and North Korea.

Tokyo was under maximum security, with angry protests opposing the funeral on Tuesday.

A vehicle carrying Akie Abe, wife of former Prime Minister Sinzo Abe, arrives at the state of funeral of her husband at the Nippon Budokan (via REUTERS)

Hours before the ceremony, hundreds of people carrying bouquets of flowers queued at public flower-laying stands at nearby Kudanzaka park. Their line stretched hundreds of metres. US vice president Kamala Harris was among dozens of foreign dignitaries and 4,300 attendees.

Mr Abes widow, Akie Abe, in a black formal kimono, walked slowly into the Budokan hall venue on Tuesday morning carrying an urn containing her husbands ashes, placed in a wooden box and wrapped in a purple cloth with gold stripes.

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Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong bows during the state funeral for Japans former prime minister Shinzo Abe (Getty Images)

Mr Abe's alleged assassin reportedly told police he killed the politician because of his links to the church; he said his mother ruined his life by giving away the family's money to the church.

Mr Abe's grandfather, former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi, helped the church take root in Japan and is now seen as a key figure in the scandal. Opponents say holding a state funeral for Abe is equivalent to an endorsement of ruling party ties to the Unification Church.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are set to visit the nation for the first time since they received their new titles after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Prince William and Kate Middleton will travel the length of Wales on Tuesday (27 September), starting their visit in Holyhead in Anglesey.

The couple, who were named the new Prince and Princess of Wales by King Charles III in the days after the Queen died, promised to visit the nation at the earliest opportunity after the mourning period.

The visit, along with other members of the royal family carrying out their respective duties, marks a return to normal life now that the late monarch has been laid to rest.

William and Kate will visit the local RNLI Lifeboat Station in Holyhead, where they will meet the crew, volunteers and some of those who have previously been rescued by the team.

It is one of the oldest lifeboat stations on the Welsh coast; members have received a total of 70 awards for gallantry throughout the years.

The royal couple will then walk to the Holyhead Marine and Cafe Bar where they will meet people from small businesses and organisations, including the coastguard and sea cadets.

The pair have close connections to Wales, having rented a four-bedroom farmhouse on the Isle of Anglesey, or Ynys Mon, between 2010 and 2013 when they were newlyweds.

At the time, William was an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot. They also raised their eldest child Prince George there for the first few months of his life.

Wales being their first home is part of the reason William and Kate say they hold such deep affection for the country, but the princes connection goes much further.

King Charles bestowed the title of Prince and Princess of Wales on William and Kate during his first speech as monarch Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Archive)

His first royal engagement took place at the age of eight in Cardiff with his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

The couple will travel to St Thomas Church in Swansea after leaving Holyhead, where they will meet volunteers who work in the churchs food bank and the Swansea Baby Basics initiative, which distributes essential items to vulnerable mothers.

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They will also spend time greeting members of the public who will gather outside the church.

The last official visit William and Kate made to Wales was in June, when they visited Cardiff Castle while they were still the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

They attended rehearsals for the Queens platinum jubilee concert alongside their two eldest children, George and Princess Charlotte.

It marked the siblings first official outing in the country. However, they will not be joining their parents on Tuesday as they will both be in school.

In a statement after taking on their new titles, the couple said they would do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them.

They added that they would serve as Prince and Princess of Wales with humility and great respect.

Additional reporting by PA
(Getty/Getty Images Sport)

Promoters are confident the all-British heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will still go ahead despite Fury ruling it out yesterday.

Fury had set a Monday 5pm deadline for Joshua and his team to agree terms on the December 3 fight.

Joshuas promoter Eddie Hearn had described the deadline as ridiculous but, when it passed, Fury claimed the fight was off and said of his would-be opponent: Its now out in the cold with the wolfpack.

But talks are ongoing between Hearn and Furys promoter Frank Warren behind the scenes as well as the pairs legal teams in the hope of getting an official contract signed with the terms having already been agreed.

Warren said: Were not that far away from December 3. Weve got to get it up on sale. The venues booked but theres a lot of organisation involved.

Were working very hard to get it over the line. Tyson has told me what he wants. Theyve had the contract for 10 days and hes lost patience with it. Were trying to make it work. Were waiting for the contract to come back.

Warren and Hearn have rarely seen eye to eye as rival promoters but Hearn said on Twitter I agree with Frank when alerted to Warrens comments about the ongoing talks between the two rival camps.

Joshua had previously said he was all set to sign the deal but that Monday was too soon a deadline with his lawyers going over the legalities of the contract.

The TV deal is said to be the biggest stumbling block. Joshua has a long-term deal with DAZN while Furys fights have been shown on BT Sport.

Warren is hopeful Fury will renege on his threat to pull out of the fight. Fury had said: Forget about it, idiot, coward, s********, bodybuilder, always knew it. Always knew you didnt have the minerals to fight the Gypsy King. Regardless of what the f*** you say now, I dont really care. Good luck with your career and your life, end of. Peace out.
Rebekka Kelly and her son Sonny, 10, in Turkey. (SWNS)

A British woman was left in a coma and may be permanently disabled after her dune buggy plunged off a cliff in Turkey.

Rebekka Kelly, 30, suffered a broken back, pelvis and permanent nerve damage in the horror crash during a family holiday on 30 August.

Rebekka, who travelled with her ten-year-old son Sonny, was flung off the side of the 164ft (50m) cliff after losing control.

The single mum, from Birkenhead, Merseyside, said she had trouble steering prior to the accident because the buggy was too big for the small roads in Antalya.

TUI said it conducted a full investigation and no faults were found with the equipment.

Read more: British holidaymaker, 24, dies after falling 30ft from Ibiza hotel balcony

TUI said it carried out a full investigation and no faults were found with the equipment. (Getty)

Rebekka was rushed to a private hospital in Turkey, where she was treated for over three weeks, had two surgeries on her spine and had to have her lungs drained.

She also fractured six of her vertebrates, fractured her pelvis, had internal bleeding and permanent nerve damage in her lower back.

The support worker is now being treated in a hospital in Liverpool.

Speaking from her hospital bed, Rebekka said: "We started on the trail and started going up cliffs, which was a shock to me given how dangerous it was so soon after driving only on flat ground.

"When I was on high ground my steering wheel wouldnt turn and so me and Sonny went over the edge of a cliff."

She said she was halfway through her holiday when she booked the 75, two-hour safari buggy tour through a TUI rep.

Read more: Farmer, 58, killed in 'incident with bull' while tending his cattle

Doctors have told Rebekka that she may be permanently disabled and may also develop arthritis.

She will also need around-the-clock care from her family and may have to live with her brother as she can't do simple things such as walking and bending down.

She added: "The extent of my injuries will not be known until I've had X-Rays over here and the specialists have looked at it.

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Rebekka's medical bills totalled around 44,000 and she has said the extent of TUIs help was to make a small donation to a Go Fund Me page.

Read more: Boy, 9, killed and girl injured after 4x4 vehicle overturns on farm adventure course

She added her lawyer Anthony Mckeever, of Havard Law, had provided an expert report to TUI which outlined her injuries and what she required for the flight home but the company had refused to engage at all.

A TUI spokesperson said: "Our resort team provided immediate support to Ms Kelly after the accident and our reps have been visiting her daily in hospital.

"We can confirm that following the accident, a full investigation of this excursion was conducted, and no faults were found with the equipment.

"We always encourage customers to check that they have adequate valid travel insurance to cover them for their entire holiday.

"Our teams will continue to support Ms Kelly as much as possible and well be providing her with a contribution which can go towards her medical costs."
Keir Starmer pledged to establish a publicly owned energy company in his first year in office as he reflected Labours growing hope that the party is on the path back to power.

In a conference speech that set out his vision for government, the Labour leader told delegates they must spend each day between now and the next election working to earn the trust of the British people, adding: As in 1945, 1964, 1997, this is a Labour moment.

He said the Conservatives had lost control of the British economy and crashed the pound, not for the benefit of ordinary working people, but for tax cuts for the richest 1% in society.

Dont forget. Dont forgive. The only way to stop this is with a Labour government.

The Tories, he said, had wrecked public services through austerity.

We have to be honest. Id love to stand here and say Labour will fix everything. But the damage theyve done  to our finances and public services  means this rescue will be harder than ever.

However, he added: Britain will get its future back.

After a conference in Liverpool that was striking for the reappearance of corporate sponsors and business groups, Starmer claimed Labour was now the party of sound money as he sought to highlight divisions within the chaotic Tory government, with the first signs of friction emerging between Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng over how to deal with the tanking pound.

Related: Truss and Kwarteng had row over sterling crisis response, say Whitehall sources

Conservative MPs said they had been called by party whips asking them how they felt about the proposals outlined in the mini-budget, with some MPs suggesting they were thinking hard about whether they could vote for the forthcoming finance bill.

In Liverpool, Starmer told the packed conference hall that being a party of sound money meant not being able to do things as quickly as Labour might like. Thats what responsible government looks like. Because if you lose control of the economy, if you act irresponsibly  as the Tories have in spectacular fashion  then you lose the ability to do anything.

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His promise to set up a new state-backed company, Great British Energy, would help the UK reap the economic benefit from the boom in renewables, according to a Labour spokesperson. It would have operational independence but a mandate to invest in clean energy  wind, solar, tidal, nuclear and other emerging technologies.

Many British energy generators are owned or partially owned by foreign governments or companies, with a Trades Union Congress analysis suggesting that if the UK had its own state-backed company akin to Frances EDF, EnBW in Germany or Swedens Vattenfall, households could save up to 4,400 over the next two years.

The plan, which Labour said would not lead to the nationalisation of existing companies, is likely to be popular after a YouGov poll last month found that 47% of Tory voters, rising to 53% in red wall seats, favoured returning energy companies to public ownership, with just 28% opposed.

Starmer said the new energy business would be a company that takes advantage of the opportunities in clean British power and because its right for jobs, because its right for growth, because its right for energy independence from tyrants like [Vladimir] Putin. Yes, Great British Energy will be publicly owned. British power to the British people.

He also announced plans for a target of 70% home ownership  with local people, rather than buy-to-let landlords and second homeowners, getting first refusal  as well as a points-based immigration policy, in a bid to neutralise Tory strengths.

In a 50-minute speech that represented the clearest articulation yet of Labours mission for government, Starmer highlighted the need to restore a sense of collective hope after the unwritten contract where in return for hard work, you get on, had been broken by years of Conservative rule.

These are just the first steps on a much bigger journey, he said. The next Labour government must restore our sense of collective hope. We should never be left cowering in a brace position. Its time for Britain to stand tall again. To believe in ourselves again. To chart a new course and get our future back.

He added: Thats the deep cost of Tory failure. They keep talking about aspiration, but they dont understand how theyve choked it off for working people.

The speech was not well received in all corners, however, with Unites general secretary, Sharon Graham, tweeting: As Nye Bevan said as far back as 1953, We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run down.

Starmer began by railing against the economic plan announced by Liz Truss and Kwarteng last week, which abolished the top 45p rate of income tax.

He acknowledged that Russias invasion of Ukraine was the immediate spark for the cost of living crisis, but insisted he would not allow the government to use that as an excuse for failing to tackle the fallout. The war didnt ban onshore wind. The war didnt scrap home insulation. The war didnt stall British nuclear energy. The Tories did that, he said.

His speech was peppered with references to the graft of ordinary working people, telling delegates that it was his working-class impatience that was driving him to fix the countrys problems. If youre born without privilege, you dont have time for messing around, he said.

Alluding to Trusss remarks that British workers lacked skill and application and needed more graft, first revealed by the Guardian, he said: Were not going to take this. This is the fight  Theyre the ones not prepared to graft. Theyre the ones not prepared to do the hard yards on growth. But we will.

To underline the shift in the partys position on Brexit over the past few years, Starmer described it as a totemic symbol of Tory failures to grasp the nettle  insisting his priority would always be trying to make Brexit work.

Addressing the red-wall voters who backed the Tories in 2019 over Brexit, he said: I want to speak directly to people who left Labour on this issue. Whether you voted leave or remain, youve been let down. He added: Its no secret I voted remain  as the prime minister did.

As the party starts the countdown to the next election, most likely to be in April 2024, Starmer claimed Scotland needed a Labour government at Westminster to deliver the power and resources to shape its own future, despite the party currently just having one MP in Scotland.

He categorically ruled out any formal election pact with the SNP, insisting: No deal under any circumstances. However, his failure to mention the Liberal Democrats prompted speculation that he was leaving the door open to an informal agreement with the party to each focus their attention on seats they were most likely to win.

And in remarks interpreted as a final dig at the former prime minister Boris Johnson, who he did not mention by name, Starmer said: People have started to notice its possible to govern with integrity. To unite rather than divide.
Russian reservists depart for military bases during mobilisation of troops in Volzhsky

By Daphne Psaledakis and Timothy Gardner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States will in coming days impose economic costs on Moscow over "sham" referendums held by Russia in occupied regions of Ukraine, the State Department said on Wednesday, as Biden administration officials look to the finance and energy sectors for future sanctions action.

"We will continue to work with allies and partners to bring even more pressure on Russia and the individuals and entities that are helping support its attempted land grab," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters.

"You can expect additional measures from us in the coming days."

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the measures would include penalties on individuals and entities both inside and outside of Russia that support the annexation.

Moscow was poised on Wednesday to annex a swath of Ukraine, releasing what it called vote tallies showing support in four partially occupied provinces to join Russia, after what Kyiv and the West denounced as illegal sham referendums held at gunpoint.

Russian-backed authorities claim to have carried out the referendums over five days on territory that makes up around 15% of Ukraine.

Jean-Pierre said the United States will not recognize Russian-annexed areas across Ukraine.

"Based on our information, every aspect of this referenda process was pre-staged and orchestrated by the Kremlin," she said.

President Vladimir Putin could proclaim the annexation in a speech within days, just over a week since he endorsed the referendums, ordered a military mobilization at home and threatened to defend Russia with nuclear weapons if necessary.

Earlier on Wednesday, the U.S. State Department's head of sanctions coordination, James O'Brien, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Washington would look to the financial sector and high technology, especially for energy exploitation, and human rights violators in future sanctions actions.

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"There will be more packages. We are working on more sanctions," O'Brien told the committee.

"Everything is on the table," he said.

The United States has imposed several tranches of sanctions targeting Moscow following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, which has reduced cities to rubble and killed or wounded thousands.

Previous U.S. sanctions included decreasing Moscow's imports of cutting-edge technologies like semiconductors, sensors, and navigation that are expected to hurt Russia's long-term ability to produce fossil fuels like oil.

But senators pressed O'Brien and Elizabeth Rosenberg, Treasury assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, on U.S. sanctions on Russia's energy sector.

Washington and its G7 partners have said they will put a price cap on Russian oil in place, but have held back from directly targeting major Russian energy companies over concerns about energy prices and supply.

"The largest source of hard currency that Russia has now is from energy sales," Rosenberg said.

"It's in energy where we must focus our attention in order to deny Russia that revenue."

O'Brien warned that it was time for India, which has been buying large amounts of Russian oil, more than it did before the Feb. 24 invasion, to reconsider where it is positioning itself geopolitically.

While India's purchases have been at discounts, the heavy volumes have been helping Moscow's economy. The United States and other G7 countries hope India will join a plan to place a price cap on Russian oil by December to further decrease Moscow's revenues from oil exports, which help fund its war machine.

O'Brien also said Washington will continue working with China to ensure it understands U.S. sanctions and the effect they have on China's engagement with Russia.

As Western nations have shunned Russia, Moscow has put emphasis on cooperation with China. The two nations have increased their trade and Russian companies have started issuing debt in yuan.

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Timothy Gardner, Simon Lewis and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Deepa Babington, Andrea Ricci, Marguerita Choy and Jonathan Oatis)
Mattsson Goes Post to Post and Wins the 2022 WSOP Online Main Event

September 28 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

Simon Mattsson is the 2022 WSOP Online Main Event champion, after the super-talented poker tournament specialist put on a masterclass of a performance at the final table. Mattsson navigated his way to the final table as the chip leader before emerging victoriously, having left 4,983 opponents in his wake, and securing $2,793,574 of the $23,674,000 prize pool.

The man whose "C. Darwin2" alias strikes fear into opponents' hearts now has more than $27.6 million in online poker tournament winnings plus a rightful place in online poker's history books.

#33: $5,000 WSOP Online Main Event Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Simon Mattsson Norway $2,793,574 2 Kannapong Thanarattrakul Thailand $2,094,884 3 Feng Zhao China $1,570,941 4 Samuel Vousden Finland $1,178,040 5 Istvan Briski Austria $883,404 6 Yanfei Chi China $662,459 7 Jordan Spurlin Canada $496,774 8 Oliver Sprason United Kingdom $372,529 9 Tim Rutherford Canada $279,357

Tim Rutherford went into the final table as the shortest stack with only 11 big blinds at his disposal, and he was the first casualty of the night. With blinds of 500,000/1,000,000/125,000a, Feng Zhao opened to 9,000,000 from early position, leaving himself only 2.25 big blinds behind. Rutherford called off his 3.8 big blinds from the next seat along, and the remaining players ducked out of the way. It was pocket kings for Zhao and ace-queen of hearts for Rutherford. The flop gave Rutherford a flush draw, but neither another heart of an ace appeared on the turn or river, and Rutherford busted with $279,357 to show for his efforts.

British grinder Oliver Sprason was the next finalist to bow out; his eighth-place finish came with $372,529 in prize money. Kannapong Thanarattrakul min-raised to 2,800,000 under the gun with pocket tens, and instantly called when Sprason three-bet all-in for 10,542,000 from the big blind, a move made with suited ace-king. Sprason flopped a king, but Thanarattrakul improved to a set. Sprason picked up a royal flush draw on the turn, but ultimately missed his outs on the river.

Jordan Spurlin collected almost $500,000 for his seventh-place finish

The final seven became six with the untimely demise of Canada's Jordan Spurlin, who crashed out on the very next hand after Sprason busted. The action folded to Thanarattrakul in the small blind, and he open-shoved with ace-nine. Spurling called off his 10 big blind stack with the dominated ace-seven, and a few seconds later he crashed out and collected $496,774.

Yanfei Chi lost all but four big blind when his fellow countryman Zhao cracked his pocket queens with pocket jacks. Chi's micro stack went into the middle queen-nine of clubs against Samuel Vousden's ace-seven, and he had to make do with a $662,459 score when the five community cards ran seven-high.

Austria's Istvan Briski saw his tournament end in a fifth-place finish worth $883,404, the WSOP Online Main Event's last six-figure payout. Mattsson min-raised to 4,000,000 from the cutoff with ace-jack, Briski decided to commit 6,000,000 of his 7,619,870 stack from the button with king-eight of spades, only for Zhao to wake up in the big blind with pocket rockets! Zhao four-bet to 16,000,000, Mattsson made an expert fold, and Briski put the rest of his chips into the middle. Briski was drawing dead by the turn, and the surviving four players became millionaires.

Samuel Vousden was the first finalist to capture a $1 million+ prize

Vousden was the first finalist to bag a seven-figure prize, doing so on the hand after Briski bowed out. Thanarattrakul min-raised to 4,000,000 on the button with ace-jack of spades and quickly called when Vousden jammed for 30,131,023 in total from the big blind with pocket sixes. Thanarattrakul flopped an ace-high flush, leaving Vousden needing running cards. They never arrived, and Vousden was eliminated in fourth place, a finish worth $1,178,040.

Third place went to Zhao, who battled valiantly throughout the final table despite never having what one would consider a decent stack. Zhao lost a chunk of his stack when he couldn't find a fold with king-eight on a jack-nine-queen-king-queen board when Mattsson held queen-nine for a boat. The rest of Zhao chips went into the middle of the table with jack-nine from the button, and Mattson called with ace-three. Zhao flopped an open-ended straight draw, but ace-high proved enough to sent Zhao to the cashier for a $1,570,941 payday, and the 2022 WSOP Online Main Event into the heads-up stage.

Massive Prizes for Small Buy-ins in the GGPoker Mini MILLION$ From Oct. 2

Mattsson held a 183,784,622 to 115,021,766 chip lead over Thanarattrakul s the one-on-one battle commenced. Thanarattrakul lost some ground early when he missed an open-ended straight draw when Mattsson rivered trip queens, and he never recovered.

The final hand started with Mattsson completing the small blind for 3,000,000 with six-five of clubs and call when Thanarattrakul raised to 9,000,000 with jack-ten of clubs. A ten-seven-four flop gave something to both players, although the advantage rested with Thanarattrakul. Mattsson called a 6,171,000 continuation bet from Thanarattrakul. The three of clubs on the turn improved Mattsson to a straight, but also gave Thanarattrakul a redraw to the club flush. Thanarattrakul fired a 12,600,000 bet, which Mattsson called. An offsuit seven on the river resulted in Thanarattrakul moving all-in for 44,633,226, and Mattsson snap-called.

Thanarattrakul fell at the final hurdle but cannot be too disappointed to walk away with $2,094,884. Mattsson will forever be known as the 2022 WSOP Online Main Event champion, while his GGPoker account now has $2,793,574 more in it than a few days ago.
Preben Stokkan Wins PartyPoker MILLIONS Online Main Event ($391,731)

September 28 2022 Will Shillibier

A dominant final table performance from Norway's Preben Stokkan saw him crowned PartyPoker MILLIONS Online Main Event champion, taking home $391,731 in prize money.

Finnish player Eelis Parssinen would have to settle for second place and $270,214, after the Finn came from start-of-day short stack to lead during heads-up play only to fall just short.

Congratulations to Preben Stokkan on becoming the latest #MILLIONSOnline Main Event Champion and winning $391,731! https://t.co/GEnjVJN8DA  PartyPoker (@partypoker)

2022 PartyPoker MILLIONS Online Main Event Final Table Results

Place Player Country Payout (USD) 1 Preben Stokkan United Kingdom $391,731 2 Eelis Parssinen Finland $270,214 3 Ole Schemion Austria $186,169 4 Taco De Goede Malta $122,164 5 Alexandre Raymond Canada $84,186 6 Yannick Schumacher Austria $65,365 7 Lars Kamphues Austria $51,856 8 Adrian Mateos United Kingdom $41,408 9 Jans Arends Austria $32,972

Final Table Recap

Play at the final was deep-stacked with Stokkan holding a commanding lead. That lead would only grow after the elimination of Jans Arends in ninth place. Start-of-day short stack Eelis Parssinen would catch a lucky break with pocket nines, flopping a set to crack the pocket kings of Stokkan to stay alive.

Adrian Mateos was one of the more dangerous players still remaining, but he was next to go after Yannick Schumacher rivered a backdoor flush to better Mateos' pocket pair.

Claim Up To Three Prizes Per Day with the Party Mix Promotion

An hour or so would pass without an elimination, with Stokkan's momentum stalled, but the Norwegian still held top spot in the chip counts. However he would add the chips of Lars Kamphues next to extend his lead further.

By now, Parssinen had navigated his way to second spot in the chip counts and closed the gap to Stokkan with the elimination of Schumacher. But perhaps sensing danger, Stokkan surged ahead once more, eliminating Alexandre Raymond and Taco De Goede and using his enormous stack to dictate proceedings at the table.

Parssinen and Ole Schemion were both aware of the ICM implications three-handed and would battle it out, but eventually Schemion was unlucky to bust in third. He shoved with jacks into the tens of Parssinen, only for Parssinen to flop another set to eliminate his opponent.

Heads-Up Play

There were still close to 200 big blinds in play at the start of heads-up play, with the stacks practically level despite Stokkan's dominance over the course of the final table.

Player Chip Count Big Blinds Preben Stokkan 406,989,129 102 Eelis Parssinen 356,010,371 89

Parssinen had managed to move slightly ahead before the pivotal hand occurred. The Finn raised pre-flop with and Stokkan defended his big blind with

The flop gave Stokkan two pair and Parssinen an open-ended straight draw. Stokkan checked and Parssinen continued for around three-quarters pot. Stokkan check-raised and Parssinen called.

The turn gave Parssinen a pair to go with his draw and Stokkan bet third pot. Parssinen called and Stokkan bet a similar amount on the river. Parssinen then shoved and Stokkan took only a few seconds to make the call and leave Parssinen with crumbs.

Parssinen would double, but Stokkan would close it out shortly thereafter to clinch victory along with $391,731 in prize money and a unique Party Ape NFT.
Eleven lions will soon have a new home after safely leaving Ukraine (stock photo) (AFP via Getty Images)

Eleven lions are set to be rehomed in countries around the world after being saved from at-threat zoos in Ukraine.

Planners behind the logistics have called the effort the biggest ever warzone rescueof lions and have now planned how the big cats will be airlifted from their haven in Romania - where they were moved after the invasion - to new pastures.

The lions have been in temporary shelters beyond the border but are set to be flown to Qatar - from where a group of nine, including two cubs, will then be sent to Colorado's Wild Animal Sanctuary while the other two cats will go to South Africa.

South African animal rescuers Lionel De Lange and Reon Human, who are behind the Warriors of Wildlife organisation, are part of the team who will fly with the lions to Qatar and will then take a pair named Simba and Mir to the Simbonga Game Reserve and Sanctuary.

Mr De Lange told the Metro: Theres never been a single rescue of this many lions from a warzone and we just feel so grateful that we have got to this point.

We are extremely appreciative of all the governments involved in processing the permits for the lions to travel, its amazing to have got it all done in four months.

The pride of nine lions bound for the US had been homed in Ukrainian port city Odessa before being transferred to Romanian capital Bucharest in May - where Simba and Mir were also rehoused. All eleven will fly on one Boeing Dreamliner to Qatar capital Doha and are sedated and placed in crates during transfers.

Mr De Lang added: The lions have a couple of scratches and bruises but they are travelling well. As with every single rescue we do, theres an incredible feeling knowing they are going to a good place.
French foreign minister Catherine Colonna was in Kyiv Tuesday on an unannounced visit to Ukraine in a show of support for the country invaded by Russia. This comes as the EU said it would sanction those involved in organising "illegal" Russian referendums to annex four eastern regions of Ukraine.

"Good morning Ukraine, it's good to be back," she wrote on Twitter earlier on Tuesday, posting a picture of herself walking in Kyiv with the French ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins.

It's the minister's third visit since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

During her visit, Colonna met with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and with Ukraine's top prosecutor Andriy Kostin.

The minister said her trip was intended to demonstrate France's solidarity with the Ukainian people and to support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

A boat for Ukraine

Her visit "underlines the strengthening of the support provided by France, both in terms of the supply of defense equipment and the fight against impunity and on the financial and humanitarian levels", the ministry statement said prior to the trip.

It made reference to the "A boat for Ukraine" operation set to leave Marseille on 28 September with "more than 1,000 tonnes of aid on board".

She also announced that France will bear the 14 million transport and distribution costs of a cargo of cereals offered by Ukraine to Somalia, threatened by famine.

France has already created a unit of investigators responsible for centralising files investigating suspicions of war crimes in Ukraine.

Composed of a dozen investigators, it is already handling seven cases involving French nationals, including the death of French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff and that of Franco-Irish journalist Pierre Zekrzewski. It is also accepting legal complaints made by Ukrainian refugees in France.

Later in the day, Colonna held talks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and visited a military airport in the city of Gostomel, north of Kyiv.

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Her visit comes as Moscow is wrapping up the fifth and final day of annexation referendums for four eastern Ukrainian regions to become part of Russia, votes denounced by Kyiv and its Western allies.

'Travesty'

French President Emmanuel Macron called the referendums a "travesty" and "provocation", speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last week.

The G7 countries have promised to "never recognize" the results of these annexation referendums, while Washington has promised a "swift and severe" response through additional economic sanctions.

The UK government has already sanctioned 92 Russian individuals and entities for their various roles in the voting.

"Sham referendums held at the barrel of a gun cannot be free or fair and we will never recognise their results," Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the EU is also set to sanction organisers of the referendums in Donetsk and Lugansk in the east and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south.

"There would be consequences for all people who participate in the illegal, illegitimate referendums," Peter Stano, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, told journalists.

The Kremlin warned Tuesday that votes held in Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine to join Russia would have security implications, with officials in Moscow recently threatening the use of nuclear weapons.

"The legal situation will radically change from the point of view of international law and that will also have consequences for security in these territories," the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Influx of Russians in Georgia

Meanwhile, the number of Russians arriving daily in neighbouring Georgia has nearly doubled since President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation for the war in Ukraine, officials in Tbilisi said Tuesday.

The Caucasus country has been a major destination for Russians fleeing since the war began on 24 February.

The Kremlin said it wanted to recruit around 300,000 men.

"Four to five days ago 5,000-6,000 (Russians) were arriving in Georgia daily. The number has grown to some 10,000 per day," Georgia's interior minister Vakhtang Gomelauri told journalists.

On Tuesday, the local interior ministry in a Russian region that borders Georgia said there was a back-up of around 5,500 cars waiting to reach the Georgian border.
The University of North Georgia's (UNG) TRUIST Center for Ethical Leadership hosted more than 400 high school student organization leaders Sept. 13 for its inaugural Career/Technical Student Organizations Planning Summit.

UNG welcomed the students for a variety of activities at the Convocation Center on the Dahlonega Campus to help them engage in strategic planning for their 2022-23 activities.

"The TRUIST Center for Ethical Leadership has a focus to create value by developing ethical leaders. We got to focus on just that with our student organization leaders within Forsyth and Hall County schools during the event," Dr. Rose Procter, director of the TRUIST Center for Ethical Leadership, said. "These students are future leaders, whether at UNG, within our region, Georgia, or beyond."

Dr. Valery Lowe, director of College and Career Development for Forsyth County Schools, appreciated the opportunity for students from her district to gain more skills in the event at UNG.

"Forsyth County Schools is thankful for the amazing partnership we have with the University of North Georgia. The CTSO Planning Summit was something we had been wanting to develop pre-COVID, so to see it finally come to fruition was very rewarding," Lowe said. "Students, just like educators, need intentional time to plan yearly activities through this planning retreat, so this event helped them finalize goals and ideas for the year with their career technical student organization."
Over the years, the exploration, exploitation, processing and use of minerals in Vietnam's mineral industry have obtained achievements. However, the demand for minerals in the domestic and foreign markets is growing, so it is essential to develop systematic exploration, exploitation and processing of these minerals for national industrialisation and modernisation. As usual, Mining Vietnam is trusted as a gathering destination for enterprises in the industry and an event for many domestic and international individuals and organisations.

Mining Vietnam 2022, hosted by Informa Markets Vietnam, is considered one of the most reliable events in the mining and mineral recovery industry in Viet Nam and Indochina, with the participation of top enterprises in the world such as FMC Ltd, Famur Sa, Haver Niagara GmbH, JSG Industrial Pte Ltd, Valentini Antonio Srl, Quangong Machinery Co., Ltd, and Au Viet Industry Joint Stock Company, from China, England, Germany, India, Italy, Poland, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam.

First held in 2012, the exhibition has achieved remarkable success and attracted the leading companies in the mining and construction industry locally and internationally. With the interest of a large number of individuals and organisations, Mining Vietnam 2022 will display a lot of products/services in a variety of mining fields, including ancillary production systems for coal mines; mineral processing materials/tools/equipment; intelligent mining & automation; surface/underground mining equipment; transport; and general services. Besides, it can't help but mention services such as automation; chemistry; heavy equipment, infrastructure, management, materials, tools & equipment in the construction field.

Mining Vietnam 2022 is expected to welcome more than 3,000 professional visitors from various fields and be an event that brings together Trade Associations, Government Agencies, Specialized Research Institutes, and prestigious Press & Media units.

During the exhibition, there will be specialised seminars with the participation of prestigious speakers and leading experts who will share knowledge and studies about Mining and Construction. The seminar of "Digitalization in the mining industry: From theory to practical application" will be held on October 4, 2022, by the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology. The seminar of "Mining 4.0: Applications of technologies, simulation, digitisation and robots for the mining industry" will be held on October 5, 2022, hosted by Meslab.

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Details:

Date of exhibition: October 4-6, 2022

Opening hour: 9:00 - 17:00 daily

Location: International Exhibition Center - I.C.E Hanoi (91 Tran Hung ao, Hoan Kiem, Ha Noi)
HA NOI  European firms have shown their optimism about the Vietnamese economy, which is recovering strongly after the COVID-19 pandemic, Vice Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (EuroCham) Nguyen Hai Minh has said.

According to Minh, despite the global supply disruptions induced by the pandemic, Viet Nam still exported more than US$35.1 billion worth of goods to the EU in 2020 and over $40 billion last year.

Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian nation imported $14.6 billion and $16.7 billion worth of commodities from the bloc in the two years, respectively.

In the first eight months of this year, Viet Nams exports to the EU were valued at $31.9 billion, up 23.6 per cent, resulting in a trade surplus of up to $21.6 billion, a rise of 46.4 per cent.

The figures reflected positive impacts of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), he noted.

However, Minh said, European enterprises in Viet Nam said they benefited more from the EVFTA as the countrys export to the EU mainly came from FDI firms.

EuroCham member businesses and even those that have yet to invest in Viet Nam expressed their hope that the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) would soon be approved and take effect, paving the way for European firms to expand investment in the Southeast Asian nation.

Minh also cited the Business Climate Index (BCI) released by EuroCham showing that European business stakeholders' confidence in Viet Nam's investment environment declined slightly in the second quarter of this year to 68.8 per cent due to external factors.

Up to 60 per cent of respondents predicted that the Vietnamese economy would stabilise or improve in the third quarter of 2022, 45 per cent were significantly or moderately satisfied with Viet Nam's efforts to attract and retain foreign direct investment (FDI), and 76 per cent expected to increase FDI in the country before the end of the third quarter.

55 per cent of respondents said Viet Nam improved its FDI attraction and retention capabilities since the first quarter.

Regarding the link between green growth and FDI, nearly 90 per cent of respondents said that Viet Nam should increase green economy development to attract more foreign investment.

Minh said apart from the above advantages, Viet Nams improved administrative procedures also helped to attract foreign investors, including those from the EU.

He also noted that many EU enterprises were still concerned about specialised inspections in Viet Nam, which remain overlapping.  VNS
Lan, Director of the Cancer Centre under the National Paediatrics Hospital, revealed the information in the programme "Con thuyen mo uoc" (Ship of Dreams), organised last weekend in Hanoi.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits a cancer patient at the National Paediatrics Hospital in May this year (Photo: VNA)

The programme aims to improve people's awareness of children's cancer.

She added that about 280,000 under-19-year-olds are diagnosed with cancer worldwide every year. In developed countries, more than 80% of the patients are cured. However, in low- and average-income countries, the rate is only 20%.

Speaking at the programme, H.Q, 15, who used to be a cancer patient, said that his family brought him from Da Nang to Hanoi for treatment.

"At that time, I was very young and did not fully understand what was happening. I only saw my mother crying a lot," he said.

In October 2010, two days before Q.'s third birthday, he received test results of blood cancer.

Tran Thi Phuong, Q.'s mother, said, "We are farmers from Thanh Hoa who moved to Da Nang to set up our business in 2008. We had a lot of difficulties. We had to rent a house to live in temporarily. By 2010, when our family economy was not stable, we still had to take care of Q.'s cancer treatment. The treatment for my son makes our situation worse."

Phuong's husband had to do every work to raise the whole family while Phuong accompanied Q. during his treatment.

"Many times, my eyes were filled with tears," she said.

After three years of treatment, in December 2013, Q.'s situation improved.

He was hospitalised when he was six.

Now Q. is a 10th grader in a stable health condition.

Q. said, "My family found it very hard, they thought everything was over when I got the disease. But now it's different. I'm healthy. Now health sector has been developed, patients have a better chance of fighting the disease.

"I hope that sick people will persevere in treatment to get the same results as me, even though it's painful, don't give up," he said.

Cooperation

Doctor Lan said that according to statistics around the world, although childhood cancer is rare, it is the leading cause of disease-related deaths in children and adolescents.

With advancements in science, technology and medicine, the rate of children recovering from cancer has increased, bringing normal life to many pediatric patients.

Doctor Cao Viet Tung, Deputy Director of the National Paediatrics Hospital, called for all people to unite in action and ideas and closely work with each other to best support children with cancer and their families to have better access to care and treatment.

Individuals and organisations can help children with cancer through health insurance or charity funds.

The International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) takes the yellow ribbon as the symbol of pediatric cancer.

February 15 is Children's Cancer Day, and September is cancer awareness month for children worldwide.

Around the world, September is a time to organise national health campaigns, including fundraising for children with cancer, and develop policies to support research to raise awareness about childhood cancer.

The SIOP has connected many countries and supported many families worldwide for over 50 years.

Recently, the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) was established with the desire to help countries achieve a child cancer survival rate of at least 60% by 2030.

The National Paediatrics Hospital is a member of the GICC, committed to supporting children with cancer.

Reaching more patients in Vietnam with quality cancer care Privately-held Hung Viet Cancer Hospital has launched an integrated cancer care programme for a smooth journey as Vietnam sees an alarming rise in the cancer rate in recent years.

Roche Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City Oncological Hospital continue to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment capacity in Vietnam On March 25, Roche Pharma Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh City Oncological Hospital (UB) signed an MoU to improve the professional capacity of the medical staff at the hospital and strengthen cooperation with domestic and foreign oncology organisations and experts for the benefit of patients and the community.

Shinhan Life Vietnam supports child patients with blood cancer Accompanying parents on the journey to protect their children, on April 26, representatives of Shinhan Life Vietnam visited pediatric oncology patients in the Clinical Hematology Department of the Children's Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and presented around 100 million VND (4,350 USD) to support children in difficult circumstances.
Vietnam E-commerce White Book 2022 is a publication developed by the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade with the purpose of providing a comprehensive outlook on e-commerce applications in the context of the global e-commerce landscape in 2022.

The content of the White Book is formed from the results of a survey of nearly 5,000 consumers and about 10,000 businesses, along with aggregate data from prestigious organisations worldwide.

The Vietnam E-commerce White Book 2022 has highlighted 10 leading companies providing e-commerce services in the market. These businesses are reported to account for 95 per cent of the revenue share of websites and apps providing e-commerce services. BAEMIN Vietnam is the youngest business on the list.

Entering the Vietnamese market in May 2019, BAEMIN has constantly evolved its products and expanded its services to improve and optimise its user and partner experience.

In 2020 and 2021, BAEMIN was ranked first in terms of customer satisfaction  according to a market survey conducted by Q&Me. In addition, BAEMIN is also the leading food delivery application in Vietnam in terms of geographical coverage, providing services across 21 provinces.

Within just a short period of time, the delivery application that conquered South Korea has quickly won the hearts of Vietnamese users through its unique strategies, creative promotional campaigns, and utmost care for service quality.

In hope of inspiring a positive and modern lifestyle, BAEMIN has introduced its own distinctive brand identity including unique images, colours, and fonts, as well as interactive and engaging activities that easily resonate with users.

Besides investing in the development of features that make the users experience with food delivery easy and convenient, BAEMIN concentrates on creating a storehouse of rich and diverse food content as well as in-app engagement activities.

One of the latest products in the creative content series that BAEMIN recently launched is Ban An Magazine (Dining Table). This not only helps users to order meals that suit their needs, but it also enables them to discover exceptional restaurants, to better understand the background of distinctive dishes, and get food recommendations depending on their mood, the weather, or special occasions.

A few publications include the food collection Cuoi thang, an gi ngoai my goi (a compilation of great restaurants at affordable prices), Mon lanh cho ngay nong (a list of dishes that help ease the heat of summer days), and Dap hop: Banh canh co bao nhieu loai?, which reveals various types of banh canh (rice noodles) and explains their origins alongside other interesting eating trends.

BAEMIN Vietnam was named among the top 5 e-commerce market leaders in 2022

Furthermore, in-app engagement activities are also one of the initiatives that BAEMIN implements monthly, with the purpose of attracting and retaining users. These activities are designed as an event corner that includes mini-games with varying themes based on each months highlights.

With these innovative and unique ways of interaction, the number of users participating in the events has steadily increased over time. Some of the most well-received events that BAEMIN has implemented are: Giat co hon (an activity that welcomes users to join the app and snatch some discount codes), Be Mua (an activity that helps users create some personalised stories and express their moods and feelings during rainy days), or most recently, Di tim Meo Map (an activity that calls for users to find the Fat Cat in a picture on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival).

In addition to concentrating on product development and operations optimisation, BAEMIN strives to become a sustainable and socially responsible business. From the beginning of its operations in Vietnam to date, BAEMIN has consistently incorporated the idea of sustainability into both its overall strategy and all of its business endeavours.

Simultaneously, the app has also been involved in environmental protection and the health and well-being of its employees and stakeholders.

As the latest gesture to show appreciation for its rider partners' hard work and commitment, BAEMIN has just rolled out the rider tip function, enabling riders to earn more. BAEMIN users can now recognise its riders' great service and show their thanks by tipping them through the BAEMIN app after they've completed their delivery.

BAEMIN also engaged its leadership with rider partners families on important occasions such as the recent Mid-Autumn festival.

In September, BAEMIN collaborated with a number of socio-political and non-governmental organisations to launch the Trang tron on niem vui campaign. By launching this during the Mid-Autumn Festival 2022, BAEMIN extended its appreciation towards its child and student users whilst lending a helping hand to vulnerable members of society.

BAEMIN appreciates customers during third anniversary Launched in May 2019, BAEMIN is now the leading food application in geographical coverage, with services available in 21 cities across Vietnam. In celebration of its third birthday, BAEMIN has introduced the Thank You campaign to extend heartfelt gratitude to its customers and partners.

BAEMIN extends green journey in Vietnam Plastic waste is a growing menace that urges relevant businesses to act and work together in the ultimate hope of thriving sustainably. At the talk show Plastic Reduction Initiatives in Retail & Services hosted by VIR on June 22, Jinwoo Song, CEO of BAEMIN Vietnam unveiled some insights into the overall environmental impacts caused by the food delivery industry as well as highlighted BAEMINs initiatives to promote eco-friendly practices across its ecosystem.
The legal framework for contracts and e-contracts is comprehensive and synchronous. Vietnam promulgated the Law on Electronic Transactions No.51/2005/QH11 in 2005 based on the model law of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law on e-commerce in 1996.

On that basis, the government has issued guiding legal documents, notably Decree No.130/2018/ND-CP detailing the implementation of the Law on Electronic Transactions 2005 on digital signatures and digital signature authentication services and Decree No.52/2013/ND-CP on e-commerce.

Luu Xuan Vinh, founder and managing partner at Asia Legal

Legal documents guiding the Law on Electronic Transactions 2005 in specialised fields such as accounting, finance, banking, and insurance have also been promulgated, which ensure the legal validity of e-contracts as well as the safety and integrity of the data in them.

The validity relies on the criteria prescribed in the Civil Code 2015, including that parties in the transaction must have legal personality or legal capacity in conformity with such transaction; must act voluntarily; and the form of the contract must be in accordance with the provisions of the law, without relying entirely on how the contract is entered into. In other words, the engagement of the contract under the form of a written, oral, or electronic means is not a decisive factor affecting the legal validity of such a contract.

In addition, many enterprises have been concerned over the signing and executing of e-contracts as it is not so familiar to them. However, electronic transactions occur every minute and every day in our life. Transactions on e-commerce platforms such as Lazada, Shopee, Tiki, and Grab are typical examples of electronic transactions.

Confidentiality is another concern for enterprises as information of electronic transactions is not only stored on the enterprises system but also backed up on through digital signature service providers for maintenance and technical troubleshooting.

The current law does not clearly stipulate the obligations of the digital signature authentication service provider to secure confidentiality, hence, the enterprises should be aware of this matter and must include, in the service contract, the confidentiality obligation of the digital signature authentication service provider.

Also, a question that many enterprises raise is how to prove the legal validity of the e-contract as the original version when dealing with a third party such as a bank or state authorities. In practice, Article 9 of Decree 52 provides legal basics for this matter.

Accordingly, an e-document in a commercial transaction has legal validity as the original if it fully meets the following conditions: (i) there is a reliable assurance of the integrity of the information contained in the e-document from the time the information is first generated in the form of the e-document; and (ii) information contained in the e-document is accessible and usable in complete form when necessary. The criterion for assessing the integrity is that the information is complete and unaltered, apart from changes in the form arising in the process of communicating, storing or displaying the e-document. One of the criteria for reliability assurance is when the electronic document is signed with the digital signature granted by a licensed digital signature authentication service provider.

Thus, when (i) the e-contract is signed with a digital signature granted by a licensed digital signature authentication service provider; (ii) information contained in the e-contract is accessible and usable in complete form when necessary, and (iii) the information in the e-contract is intact, then the e-contract shall have legal validity as the original. In reality, it is not difficult for enterprises to prove these three factors to third parties. However, whether it is accepted by third parties remains a question.

The decree amending Decree 52, expected to be officially issued in the upcoming time, will stipulate the regulations on authenticating e-contracts by a service provider which is licensed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. It means that when the amended decree 52 comes into force, in addition to a digital signature authentication services provider, there will be one more service provider providing authentication services to e-contracts, probably for the purpose of verifying that such e-contract has content integrity, without depending on the changes of technology and technicality.

The amended decree 52 is expected to complete the legal framework for e-contracts and address the concerns of enterprises when applying them to their business activities. However, there remains a question on the need to have another authentification services provider for e-contracts. In addition, this may also incur costs for the enterprises when they must pay for both services, just to make sure that the e-contract is reliable.

E-commerce, e-logistics  the key to success for exporters Vietnamese exporters are urged to give priority to e-commerce and e-logistics platforms to increase opportunities to join major value chains while preventing possible loss risks amid changing global trade rules and the wide influence of Industry 4.0.

E-contract rules need to address concerns Electronic contracts could further improve and speed up business activities. However, local enterprises seem hesitant as open questions remain. New amendments to the legal framework could remedy their doubts and boost the application of e-contracts in domestic business transactions.
CPV's staff collecting marine waste

Currently, the marine environment everywhere is seriously polluted by waste and Vietnam is considered the country that accounts for the fourth largest amount of waste discharged into the sea  with a volume of about 280,000-730,000 tonnes per year.

Pollution from waste in coastal waters in Vietnam is extremely alarming and it has been hindering the sustainable development of Vietnam's marine ecosystems. Cleaning the sea and raising awareness of environmental protection among employees and the community is one of the activities C.P.Vietnam (CPV) has been implementing for many years.

On the occasion of the International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 16 every year, while also implementing the project from the mother company CPF Restore the Ocean on September 24, CPV cooperated with the Youth Social Work Center on the Coastal Cleanup project at Long Hai and Phuoc Hai beaches.

These beaches are beautiful and attract many tourists, but in recent years, waste from people's daily lives and from the sea has made this place one of the hot spots for environmental pollution. That is why local authorities are implementing communication activities to raise public awareness and linking with organisations to run marine cleaning activities to say no to plastic waste.

Participating in the collection of waste along the coast were the chairman of Phuoc Hai town Nguyen Van Canh, CPV assistant vice president Worawit Arunraksa, and 130 of CPV's employees in business units including the feed factory, food processing factory, shrimp farm, poultry farm, and head office staff.

They participated with employees from other companies such as Down, Virtour, Standard Charter, Callaway, and Bollore & Gameloft to demonstrate their spirit and awareness of environmental protection to reduce marine waste.

The total amount of waste that CPV members have collected stands at 876kg, which was classified by the participating members and the organiser into categories such as reusable, non-biodegradable, and dangerous waste, allowing it to be assigned to the appropriate waste treatment company.

This year's Coastal Cleanup activity has been very positive and is reflected by the almost 600 participants who took part and the 1.7 tonnes of marine waste that was obtained.

To spread the spirit of environmental protection, CPV will implement communication activities to raise public awareness, and that of its employees, to say no to plastic waste.

Hundreds of managers and employees from CPV cleaning up the beaches

CPV operates in the agriculture and food industry with a vision to provide high-quality and nutritional products and use raw materials and natural resources without affecting the environment through the integration of United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals into production and business activities.

Environmental protection issues are at the heart of CPV's companies.

Environmental protection activities not only invest in improving technology, techniques, and the use of alternative energy in production to reduce emissions, but the company also works closely with associations, social organisations, and communities on afforestation (planting trees to protect the environment) while continuing to prevent the increase of plastic waste and single-use plastic products.

C.P. Vietnam reinforces reputation with two prestigious food awards C.P. Vietnam (CPV) ranked first on the list of Top 10 Most Reputable Food Companies in the Frozen food category for the second consecutive year, and has received the Top 10 Food Reputation Award for the fifth year in a row.

C.P. Vietnam in Top 10 Sustainable Enterprises of Vietnam 2021 for second year Thailands C.P. Vietnam was named among the top 10 most sustainable companies in the country at the Sustainable Companies Vietnam 2021 award ceremony last week, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and representatives from ministries and leaders of relevant localities.
On September 26, with Notice No.303/TB-VPCP, the Government Office released a conclusion of Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh at the meeting on Noi Bai International Airports expansion scheme in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision towards 2050.

The DPM noted that the aviation sector has managed robust growth in the past years.

Without proper planning and investment expansion, the current airport risks not satisfying the burgeoning demand, causing overload. It, therefore, proves necessary to early invest in an expansion to fetch the market growth demands, said Thanh.

Thanh added that as Noi Bai International Airport is the gateway to the capital, its scale must be magnificent and modern, contributing to enhancing Vietnams status and leaving sustainable beautiful work for later generations.

All relevant management agencies agreed to the proposed plan in which the airport would have a scale of serving about 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of freight per year, going compatible with the national airport master plan in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision towards 2025 which was greenlit by the Appraisal Council.

As of now, Noi Bai accommodates two passenger terminals with a combined capacity of 25 million passengers, as well as a freight terminal with a capacity of 403,000 tonnes per year.

The DPM stressed that the implementation process must ensure legal closeness.

Developer ACV needs to scale up efforts for investment preparation and submit investment proposals to competent agencies for approval. All efforts gear towards kicking off an airport expansion by 2025, said the DPM.

According to Dinh Viet Thang, director general of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, French consultant ADPi was selected to work on Noi Bai International Airports plan, which already began working on the plan in 2019.

The plan has been circulated for comments from different management agencies and Hanoi Peoples Committee.

The Ministry of Transport has received feedback from seven out of nine ministries and from Hanoi Peoples Committee.

Accordingly, Hanoi leaders agreed to the above scenario.

As of now, Noi Bai accommodates two passenger terminals with a combined capacity of serving 25 million passengers, the freight terminal has a capacity of 403,000 tonnes per year.

In light of the plan for 2030, Noi Bai would accommodate three runway lines and three passenger terminals. The existing Terminal T2 shall be expanded so that both terminals could serve 30 million passengers per year. A new passenger Terminal T3 would be built in the southern part.

By 2050, the airport would accommodate four runway lines and four passenger terminals.

Digital transformation basic targets to 2025 Vietnam has set basic targets in digital transformation to 2025, towards the development of digital government, digital economy, and digital society.
Southeast Asian on-demand, multi-service platform Gojek has been designed specifically to meet the needs of people in the region and address its challenges. With its wide range of services  from transportation to food delivery, logistics and more  the Gojek app has become an essential part of peoples everyday lives.

Headquartered in Indonesia with additional operations in Vietnam and Singapore, the Gojek platform now has over 2.5 million driver-partners and more than one million food merchants across Southeast Asia, serving millions of consumers daily.

In Vietnam, Gojek has made significant progress and impact since its entry into the market in 2018. It now offers four services in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi  GoRide (2-wheel ride-hailing), GoCar (car ride-hailing), GoFood (online food delivery), and GoSend (package delivery)  all of which help to make life easier for consumers while improving income opportunities for its driver-partners and small restaurants and eateries.

Managed by a team of local, entrepreneurial Vietnamese, Gojek Vietnams network has grown to comprise more than 200,000 driver-partners, tens of thousands of merchants, and millions of users.

With a relentless community-oriented spirit and social impact-focused initiatives, Gojek has showcased its strong position as a growth partner for its drivers and merchants, supporting them to maintain income-earning opportunities and recover after a challenging few years.

Gojek Vietnam leveraging tech to remove lifes frictions

Staying strong

Despite having to contend with the pandemic, Gojek Vietnam has grown its business and managed to build resilience for its ecosystem of driver-partners, merchants, and consumers, a testament to the successful leadership and direction of its general manager Duc Phung.

In 2021, Gojek Vietnam had planned to launch key products as part of its growth strategy for the year, including GoCar, its 4-wheel ride-hailing service. However, when social distancing measures were implemented in the middle of last year, all plans had to be deferred. In August 2021, however, Gojek realised there was an unmet need for the transportation of frontline healthcare workers in Ho Chi Minh City amid the lockdown and enhanced mobility restrictions.

In just two weeks, GoCar was launched, helping to transport frontline healthcare workers for free between intensive care units and their accommodation.

Phung said, We always say to each other that everything can change, but our business commitment will always stay the same. Our focus from day one has been to create positive social impact through our operations, and this commitment will always remain at the centre of everything we do.

Empowering its partners

Amidst the escalating pandemic situation in Vietnam, to ensure that its driver-partners could continue to serve the community safely, Gojek Vietnam worked closely with the authorities to ensure that they had access to vaccinations.

Gojek also rolled out the first and largest cash relief package worth VND4.15 billion ($180,400) for its driver-partners in Vietnam to help them cope with the challenges brought about by the pandemic, aiming at supplementing their incomes.

In addition, parent company GoTo also allocated more than $20 million to driver-partners in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Singapore with the desire of sharing the benefits of its initial public offering with its partners in the ecosystem.

Gojek helps its partners raise their game through education and training programmes

Last year, Gojek Vietnam also moved quickly to ensure it could support its ecosystem and the wider community. One of its key initiatives was the second phase of the So no-one is left behind programme, in which Gojek provided vocational training to family members of driver-partners and helped them to set up online businesses.

The aim was to create new income-earning opportunities for more people, improve their livelihoods, and reduce barriers to socioeconomic growth. Training courses were focused on basic entrepreneurial skills for food and beverage businesses.

Gojeks digital ecosystem is built to support individuals and entrepreneurs, helping them to thrive in all circumstances, so giving assistance to our merchant partners and micro, small, and medium-sized businesses has always been one of our key priorities, said Phung.

By helping individuals do business and join the digital economy, we aim to provide them with more opportunities to boost their income and improve their livelihoods. As we empower them, we are in turn contributing to Vietnams socioeconomic growth, he added.

Gojek also launched initiatives to help remove consumers hesitation in placing multiple orders, especially as they switch to using e-commerce platforms for their daily needs. The platforms convenience and affordability also helped stimulate consumer demand, bringing about additional income-earning opportunities for Gojek merchants.

The latest data from Gojek shows a strong recovery in online food delivery transactions and growth in Vietnamese GoFood merchants businesses, with merchants average sales in the first half of this year increasing nearly three times on average as compared to the same period in 2021.

According to Dung Le, head of Merchants at Gojek Vietnam, the growth in sales of GoFood merchants shows strong economic recovery in Vietnam, particularly in urban centres like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. As more people are now relying on online platforms for their everyday needs, food merchants that can leverage the power of digital services have a great opportunity to grow their businesses.

We have witnessed immense changes in the consumers habits since the start of the pandemic, with more and more people turning to e-commerce activities, including online food delivery. This shift together with the move towards cashless payment is a continuing trend, indicating consumers preference for convenience and priorities placed on health and safety, said Le.

Nguyen Huu Hai, the owner of the Papa Chicken - Ga Ran - Com Ga chain, said, We had just one outlet when we started our partnership with GoFood in 2019. In just three years, with their support, we have expanded our business to 28 outlets across Vietnam, with four in Ho Chi Minh City and 24 in Hanoi. Our revenue also continues to grow, with sales revenue on GoFood increasing 20 times in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the last quarter of 2021.

As it grew an online presence over the past few years, the chain has seen many benefits in the partnership with GoFood. These include technology-based tools and platforms that enable effective online business management, promotions, dedicated staff, and the ability to reach a wide and diverse customer base, Hai said.

According to Gojek, the number of merchants on the GoFood platform has continued to grow at a steady pace as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi gradually relaxed social restrictions. In the first half of 2022, the total number of merchants listed on GoFood increased by 83 per cent on-year.

In June this year alone, the number of new merchants on GoFood grew by 21 per cent compared to the previous month and climbed by 31 per cent compared to the first quarter average.

Le added, Gojek aims to constantly develop comprehensive solutions to help merchants grow their businesses and increase revenue. Understanding the various needs and development stages of our merchants businesses is crucial, as it allows us to offer them timely and appropriate support. With Vietnam looking towards recovery, we remain fully committed to standing side-by-side with our merchants and continuing to improve our services for everyone in our ecosystem.

Gojek Vietnam is continuing to strengthen its community-oriented spirit, aligning its goals to community development to fuel long-term sustainable business growth. As such, it is constantly looking at ways to better support all its stakeholders, from driver-partners, restaurants, and eateries to consumers and frontline workers, among others.

Gojek is also one of the few enterprises in Vietnam that uses a business model of creating shared value, focusing on creating a positive impact on society, which in turn creates economic value for the business. This ultimately helps it to expand operations and have an even greater impact on the community.

Gojek debuts its GoCar service in Hanoi After over a month of operations in Ho Chi Minh City, Gojek today announced the launch of its GoCar service in Hanoi, starting with GoCar Protect, which incorporates additional safety and hygiene features.

Gojek shakes hands with MoMo Gojek and MoMo have announced a strategic partnership, integrating the latters wallet on the Gojek app in Vietnam.
Prime minister hosts meeting to complete PDP8

The participants include leaders from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Construction, and representatives from two state-run groups of Electricity of Vietnam and PetroVietnam.

Previously on August 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a meeting of the government cabinet on the PDP8. Following the conclusion of the committee, there were several comments.

The PDP8 is considered an important aspect of national sector planning, which should be carefully considered before approval and must ensure national energy security and sufficient electricity supply for socioeconomic development and peoples lives. The most importance is that national interests must be put first.

In general, the content of the PDP8 has basically followed the directions of the government, and Resolution No.55-NQ/TW dated February 11 of the Politburo on orientations for Vietnam's national energy development strategy to 2030, with a vision towards 2045.

The PDP8 shows efforts to concretise solutions to implement Vietnam's international commitments that were made at COP26.

However, local authorities still need to continue to carefully and comprehensively study the content of the PDP8, especially the transition to green energy. It is necessary to calculate the maximal, most effective, and most reasonable exploitation of renewable energy and the management of power tariffs.

According to the government, it is necessary to consider the overall optimal planning for five specific stages in close relationship with each other, including power sources, power transmission, electricity distribution, efficient use of electricity, and power tariffs.

The PDP8 must ensure the highest level of regional balance and reduce long-distance power transmission and power losses while calculating the most reasonable, transparent, and competitive power tariffs.

The government required the MoIT to study and collect opinions from relevant offices, especially those assigned by the Politburo and the government to find ministries, agencies, and investors to inspect, examine, and supervise the implementation of Resolution 55 and the process of developing and implementing the PDP.
Autopsy records obtained this week in the June 3 death of a McLennan County Jail inmate confirmed local authorities account that he died of suicide by hanging.

Jesse James Evans, 25, of Waco, died just before midnight in a Waco-area hospital after an incident in which McLennan County Sheriffs Office officials said he used a strip of blanket to hang himself.

A Texas Rangers investigation into Evans death, requested by the sheriffs office, remains open, active and ongoing, a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson said Monday. Neither the Texas Rangers nor the sheriffs office had any new comment on the open case.

Waco police arrested Evans around 6 p.m. June 3, after a domestic disturbance call in the 1300 block of North 65th Street, a police spokesperson said at the time. When officers arrived at the house, they found a woman with visible injuries, and they took Evans into custody, according to police officials.

Evans was booked into jail around 7 p.m., and corrections officers placed Evans in a room across from the booking desk where they monitored him and also talked to him several times, authorities said at the time.

Corrections officers discovered Evans self-harm attempt around 7:50 p.m., authorities said at the time. He was taken alive to an area hospital where he died around midnight, according to news reports.

The autopsy report for Evans indicates contusions on both of his hands and abrasions on both knees, but no fractures in hands, arms, legs or feet. Evans also had a contusion on his forehead but no skull fractures, according to the autopsy report written by Dr. Jeffrey Barnard, director and chief medical examiner of the Dallas County Medical Examiners Office.

Barnards report indicates Evans had no broken ribs or fractures in his spine. He found a superficial laceration on Evans liver and a contusion on the heart.

The injury to the liver and heart appear to be associated with CPR, Barnard wrote.

The injuries to Evans neck were consistent with hanging and CPR, Barnard found. He recorded Evans manner of death as suicide.

Evans prior criminal record in McLennan County shows only one prior misdemeanor conviction on a drug charge, the Tribune-Herald previously reported.

For that charge, Evans entered a negotiated plea and received a sentence of 120 days in the county jail with additional credit for 52 days. He served one day in jail and received credit for the balance of his sentence.
ASHLAND  Warren Buffett will help light up Mahoney State Park next month.

So will Oprah, Drake, JLo and 4,000 other glowing pumpkins  fake and faux  that will make up the parks first Jack O Lantern World Halloween display.

Traditional jack-o-lanterns. Influential women jack-o-lanterns. Famous figures jack-o-lanterns. A 45-foot dragon, a 15-foot unicorn, a U.S. flag  all made from jack-o-lanterns.

Youre going to see things that you would have thought people would have never put together using pumpkins, said Peter Starykowicz, whose company is staging the month-long event. Its something that is really unique.

His Illinois-based business, All Community Events, hosts races and runs and other holiday displays, like Santas Rock N Lights exhibit in Papillion.

But it jumped into the jack-o-lantern business last year, hosting a show in Lake Zurich, Illinois. It was a hit.

People just came out and they saw something they never expected, something like theyve never seen before. And it was an incredible experience.

This year, the company expanded to four displays in four states. And that takes an army of more than 50 artisan carvers, carpenters, architects, designers and event planners who have been working for months.

Some of the jack-o-lanterns are so intricate they took 20 hours to carve, Starykowicz said.

For someone whos never been to something like this, its almost hard to explain, because theyve never seen anything like this.

At Mahoney State Park near Ashland, guests will see 17 separate displays along a three-quarter-mile paved walking path. From one point, theyll be able to see 1,000 jack-o-lanterns at once, he said.

The show runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. 30. Tickets are required and range in price from $14 to $16 for children 3 to 12, and $20 to $24 for those 13 or older.

To buy tickets, and for more information, go to thejackolanternworld.com/Omaha.
WAVERLY  An overarching goal links Waverly organizations U-Save Pharmacy, Waverly Fire and Rescue, the District 145 Health Staff and the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office: keeping communities safe.

On Oct. 10, the four organizations will join forces at Waverly High School for a health and safety fair that will boast activities, exhibits and presentations all related to safety education in one way or another.

Waverly High School Nurse Joslynne Stauss said she has wanted to put on a similar event since before the COVID-19 pandemic, but it didnt take shape until this year when U-Save Pharmacy owner and pharmacist Nicole King pitched the idea of an event that would connect Waverlys health and safety groups.

Its pretty important in healthcare that everybodys connected, King said. Just trying to get everybody on the same page and working together to make the community a little better.

The health and safety fair will feature free blood pressure checks by the District 145 Health Staff, flu shots from U-Save Pharmacy and traffic safety and distracted driving exhibits with the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office. LSOs exhibits will offer interactive activities, like wearing drunk goggles or experiencing a distracted driving simulator. Waverly Fire and Rescue trucks will be on site and open for tours, as well.

Stauss said she and the health staff will give a presentation regarding a variety of potential hazards and dangers faced by school students, namely drug abuse. The presentation will touch on performance enhancing drugs and prescription drugs.

I think thats something that a lot of parents or grandparents dont realize are easy to get to, Stauss said.

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health and Safety Department will also visit the event to give information on the dangers of vaping and tobacco use.

Stauss said the sheriffs department may even bring the remains of a car that was crashed in a distracted driving accident. King said that while the event is meant to be fun and informational to the community, its important that young people see what could happen if they put themselves in dangerous situations.

Most parents know the extremes of situations like that, King said. Some kids are kind of oblivious to it until they see it and realize, Oh, my gosh, that could happen to me. I think its just important to see versus hearing and listening about it.

Also at the fair will be Waverly food vendors Sweets on the Streets, Cafe 145 and Kind Heart Bakery, and the event will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. inside Waverly High Schools west gym and outside in the schools southwest parking lot.

Stauss said she hopes the fair can grow into an annual event with even more safety professionals on board to share information with attendees. She thinks the meaning of safety can be expanded to include topics like health insurance, car insurance and other practical life applications.

Anything to do with safety as long as it could affect you and your day-to-day life, Stauss said.

If shes able to make the fair an annual event, she thinks it could strengthen ties between community groups, citizens and countywide health and safety organizations.

It kind of shows the community that the school district partners and wants to work and be a community partner with all of these other businesses and entities in town, Stauss said. That way, were kind of in a collective effort to help everyone within all of our surrounding counties, not just within our district.

If attendees would like to receive a flu shot at the fair, they will need to call U-Save Pharmacy at 402-786-0225 before Oct. 3.

Sam Crisler is a reporter for The Waverly News. Reach him via email at samuel.crisler@wahoonewspaper.com.
WAHOO  A tragic loss has unfolded into a faith-based legacy project that is keeping Landen Montanios memory alive.

Elizabeth Pavlik has spearheaded creation of the Landen Montanio Welding and Fabrication Learning Center in honor of her son.

The new facility at her sons alma mater, Bishop Neumann High School in Wahoo, will be dedicated on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. Fr. Lee Jirovsky will bless the space, and Pavlik will be joined to speak by Bishop Neumann ag teacher/FFA advisor Kurt Heideman and Katie Donahue, who preceded Heideman.

Landen Montanio died in a car crash on May 8, 2021 near Yutan at the age of 19. He grew up in Yutan and attended school at St. Wenceslaus and Bishop Neumann schools in Wahoo. He graduated from Bishop Neumann in 2020.

Pavlik said her sons first love was welding. He picked up a passion for welding from his father, Mike Montanio, who is president and owner of Custom Ironworks, an ornamental iron business in Omaha.

Landen learned a lot from his dad, said Pavlik.

Mike Montanio taught his son about fabrication  creating an end product out of raw stock material. It was the part of welding Landen loved the most, Pavlik said.

He took welding as a skill set but his main focus was fabrication, she said.

Fabrication allowed Landen to use his creative skills in the welding booth. He made artistic pieces, including a unique cross design that Pavlik had made into a necklace that she wears every day.

As a student at Bishop Neumann, Landen also learned welding as part of agriculture class. He excelled in agriculture, FFA and many other subjects at Bishop Neumann.

He was a great kid, said Bishop Neumann Principal John Kreikemeier.

Pavlik said the other students at Bishop Neumann looked up to Landen  a humble, selfless leader who was never one to pat himself on the back.

Landen would be so happy to do this, she said. This would be Landen wanting to see other kids get opportunities to grow.

Although Landen graduated before Heideman began teaching at Bishop Neumann, he has heard many stories about the former student.

This will be a great way to honor him and bring back the wonderful memory of him, Heideman said.

Landen had just finished his freshman year at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and was planning to switch his major from construction engineering to construction management in order to join his fathers business. He had already started his own company called LMM Designs, but had plans to continue his entrepreneurial ventures to create more businesses.

The new facility will be located in the Bishop Neumann ag shop. There will be four new welding booths that will make make a total of six, which will give more students a chance to learn welding skills.

More students per class will actually get hands-on work, Heideman said.

The additional equipment will also allow students to learn advanced welding skills like technical and precision welds, Heideman added.

In addition to new welding booths, the ventilation system will be upgraded in the ag shop, where students also learn about small engines, electrical wiring and woodworking, among many other skills.

The entire project will also make the ag shop a safer place for students, Heideman said.

The project will also benefit students from Wahoo Public High School. The two schools co-op for ag classes and FFA, which are held at Bishop Neumann.

The new learning center may spark an interest in welding in students who may not have had a chance to find out if they are interested in welding otherwise, said Kreikemeier.

It will expose kids to welding that might not know they have a knack for it, the principal said.

Welding is a trade that is always in demand. According to tradesmeninternational.com, welding is essential to the US economy because the skill is used in a wide range of industries, including military, automotive, aerospace and construction.

Even students who dont plan to become welders can profit from learning to weld.

They are developing hands-on types of skills that they can use later in life, Heideman said.

Kreikemeier said they hope to expand on the program by adding college credit classes in welding in the next two to three years. He also envisions students taking their welding skills into the community as part-time employment.

I think this is just the beginning, he said.

Pavlik is excited to hear the plans Heideman and Kreikemeier have for the program, which she wants to keep growing.

Once we get this in place, Ill continue to work with Kurt, Pavlik said.

The idea to build a learning center in Landens honor came shortly after his death. Pavlik said God inspired her to do something in her sons name.

After talking to Kurt, one conversation led to another, she said.

Pavlik took this project on with a zeal that is equal to her sons passion for welding. She began making phone calls and started lining up donations and equipment. Her employer, HDR, is donating a media table, for example.

Kreikemeier said Pavliks generosity and energy for this project will set the bar for others down the road.

We hope this inspires other people in other projects, he said.

Pavlik sees Bishop Neumann students following in Landens footsteps to grow and evolve their futures. It is what Landen would have wanted them to do.

What he left behind were his footsteps, she said.

Suzi Nelson is the managing editor of the Wahoo Newspaper. Reach her via email at suzi.nelson@wahoonewspaper.com.
Because of the conflict with Russia, fears of shortages have increased. The leaks in the Nord Stream pipeline that runs beneath the Baltic Sea demonstrated how crucial infrastructure could be jeopardized. Former President Donald Trump and QAnon supporter shamelessly accused the United States of sabotage.

Reports of leaks along the two pipelines that supply natural gas from Russia to Europe via Nord Stream are still being investigated by world leaders and intelligence agencies. Some interpret the actions as possible acts of sabotage on the part of either Russia or the United States.

The operators of the Russian-funded and -constructed Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which have been at the core of the geopolitical tempest that Russia's war in Ukraine has created, noticed drops in pressure for the first time on Monday.

Officials from across Europe said on Tuesday that it appeared as though the explosions that occurred under the Baltic Sea and the rupture of major natural gas pipelines that ran from Russia to Germany were the result of a deliberate attack. This has deepened the uncertainty regarding the energy security of Europe at a time when prices are rising, and there are fears of running out of fuel during the winter.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the Commission of the European Union, declared on Twitter that the leaks were an act of "sabotage," but she did not go so far as to assign blame for them directly.

The Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, stated that she "cannot rule out" the potential of sabotage and that it was "impossible to think" that such an incident could be random. She also stated that she "cannot rule out" the possibility of terrorism.

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The Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, too referred to the incident as "sabotage" and insinuated that it was an intentional escalation of Russian hostility.

"We do not know the details of what happened yet, but we can plainly tell that it is an act of sabotage," he said. "We do not know the details of what happened yet." "An act most likely ushers in the next stage of this situation's aggravation in Ukraine."

During a press briefing, the press secretary for the White House, Karine Jean-Pierre, stated that while she would not "speculate" on the origin of the incident, the administration of President Biden will "offer support" to European partners "after they have completed their inquiry."

Robert Habeck, the German minister responsible for energy policy, said there were risks associated with infrastructure such as pipelines. "There is no question that vital pieces of infrastructure might be attacked. On the other hand, we weren't merely made aware of that fact yesterday, "he remarked.

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which were already embroiled in the crisis over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, experienced three different leaks, which caused whirling streams of methane to rise to the surface of the waters off the coasts of Denmark and Sweden. Polish and Ukrainian government officials have pointed the finger at Moscow, while Russian state media have speculated that the United States or Ukraine may be involved.

While on a trip to Poland to launch a new undersea pipeline that will bring Norwegian gas, the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, told reporters that "it's hard to conceive that it's unintentional." This was a view that was shared by authorities from several other countries.

Jake Sullivan, who serves as the national security adviser to President Joe Biden, referred to the incident as "apparent sabotage" in a tweet that he sent out on Tuesday evening. This came just a few hours after the press secretary at the White House declined to say whether the United States believed the pressure loss was intentional or accidental.

Neither pipeline was operating at the time of the incidents; however, both pipelines contained gas under pressure. The incidents took place at a time when tensions were already high due to illegitimate "referendums" that Russia held in eastern Ukraine regarding its annexation of regions there.

To what extent do we know the facts about how the pipelines were damaged, and what influence will this have on the delivery of energy throughout the world as well as the situation in Ukraine?

Even if Europe is prosperous in its effort to wean itself off Russian energy, the message that Europe and its energy infrastructure are vulnerable has been pounded home by the leaks. This is the case regardless of who is to blame for the breaches.

According to several senior officials in the United States who are familiar with the intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) issued a nebulous warning in June to several European nations, including Germany, that the Nord Stream pipelines could be attacked. This information comes from Germany. They stated that they had not come to any conclusions regarding who was to blame for the incidents that occurred on Monday, and they declined to comment on whether that warning had identified Russia as a potential attacker.

The warning from the Central Intelligence Agency was made public for the first time on Tuesday by the German tabloid Der Spiegel. The organization declined to comment on the matter.

Experts in the military and the field of security have sounded the alarm for years about the threat presented by so-called hybrid warfare, which refers to the capability to undermine democratic functions, disrupt regular life, and sow chaos and uncertainty. Julian Pawlak, a German Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies researcher, said the leaks involving the Nord Stream pipeline made it abundantly clear how vulnerable essential systems might be to attacks from the outside.

When speaking at the opening of the Baltic Pipe project, which connects Poland to Norway through Denmark, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki blamed Russia for targeting the pipelines, saying that the leaks were an attempt to destabilize Europe's energy security further. The Baltic Pipe project connects Poland to Norway through Denmark.

According to the news agency RIA Novosti, which the Kremlin controls, the United States "is an active opponent of Russian gas supplies" and has increased its sales to Europe to assist make up for the decrease in supply coming from Russia.

Russia supplied over 40% of the natural gas used in the European Union, which was highly dependent on it to heat homes, generate energy, and run factories until Moscow moved soldiers into Ukraine in February. Germany refused to allow the recently finished Nord Stream 2 to begin flowing gas from Siberia days before the war began, and the European Union joined the United States in slapping severe economic penalties on Russia.

After that, Moscow decreased its supply through existing lines, initially cutting off flows through overland pipelines. President Vladimir V. Putin appeared to calculate that Russia could withstand the associated economic pain for longer than Europe could. The flow of natural gas through Nord Stream 1 was suspended in late August after operating at a fraction of its capacity during the course of the summer. As a result of the escalation, gasoline prices have skyrocketed, and government officials have been compelled to urge businesses and individuals to cut their use or face the prospect of rationing throughout the winter.

The market's sensitivity to threats, whether real or perceived, resulting in a spike in the price of natural gas in Europe on the news of the leaks. Gas prices, which have been extremely unstable ever since the war started, reached an all-time high of about 350 in August, but have been steadily decreasing over the past few weeks. The price of the benchmark Dutch contract increased by almost 20 percent on Tuesday, reaching 208 euros ($199) per megawatt-hour, compared with approximately 39 a year earlier.

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The 27 countries that make up the European Union made a pact in July to reduce their natural gas consumption by 15% from the time of the agreement until the following spring. On Tuesday, officials in both Denmark and Germany said the breaches would not impact natural gas supplies in their respective countries.

Because each Nord Stream is composed of two pipes, damaging each one would be a major undertaking. The steel pipes are covered in concrete to survive the internal pressure variations that occur along the 760-mile route from Russia to Germany and the external pressure at depths of more than 300 feet. Before being placed on the ocean floor, they underwent a series of rigorous stress tests and certification processes.

On Tuesday, Swedish researchers reported that they had recorded two distinct large underwater explosions that occurred several hours apart on Monday near the island of Bornholm in Denmark. According to Bjorn Lund, an associate professor of seismology at the Swedish National Seismic Network, they were similar to the Swedish Navy's explosions. The explosions registered 1.8 and 2.3 on the magnitude scale used to measure earthquakes' strength.

For a considerable amount of time, the pipelines have served as a focal point for the larger issues between Russia and Europe. Officials from Ukraine had voiced their disapproval toward Germany for pressing forward with the Nord Stream projects, increasing Europe's dependency on gas supplied by Russia. The pipes that run under the Baltic Sea could also make it possible for Moscow to stop utilizing pipelines from the Soviet era that ran through Ukraine and stop paying the taxes associated with using those pipelines to Kyiv.

After Germany stopped the certification process for Nord Stream 2, President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on the Russian-owned pipeline operator. This was a move that some members of Congress had been pushing for a long time, and since then, the company has been fighting to avoid going bankrupt.

According to Mr. Pawlak of the German Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies, pipeline breaches will, at the very least, make Europeans more aware of the need to secure such important infrastructure.

Russia has stated that it does not rule out the potential that the disclosures were the result of an act of sabotage; nonetheless, it has pushed back upon charges asserting its complicity, which the Kremlin has referred to as "stupid."

TRUMP REMARK ON TRUTH SOCIAL

Donald Trump, a QAnon supporter, and election conspiracy theorist is now pushing the idea on 'Truth Social" that the United States is responsible for the explosion that occurred on the Nord Stream pipeline built by Russia.

Radek Sikorski is a Polish member of the European Parliament and a former minister of foreign affairs for the Polish government. Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of "Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism," is Sikorski's wife. Sikorski is the editor of The Atlantic. President Trump mentioned a tweet that Sikorski had posted.

Sikorski published a photograph on the website showing the leaking pipeline.

"Thank you, USA," Sikorski wrote.

Trump responded to Sikorski's tweet by posting his thoughts on Truth Social.

"Wow, this is a very significant development!" Trump sent the post a little after 11:30 eastern time.

Several officials blame sabotage for mystery Russian gas pipeline leaks
WILDWOOD, N.J. (AP)  Authorities announced charges Tuesday against two men in a pair of vehicle crashes  one of which killed two people  during a pop-up car rally in southern New Jersey over the weekend.

Police across multiple communities struggled to control the chaotic situation. Videos on social media showed modified vehicles revving engines and speeding off to cheers from crowds gathered on the streets, NJ.com reported. WCAU-TV said social media posts showed people hanging out of cars as drivers spun in circles, and also showed burnouts, drifting and crashes.

Cape May prosecutors and Wildwood police earlier said Gerald White, 37, of Pittsburgh was charged with two counts of death by auto, assault by auto and other counts. They allege his car hit another car Saturday, killing a passenger in the other vehicle, 34-year-old Timothy Ogden, then struck two pedestrians, killing Lindsay Weakland, 18, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

On Tuesday, authorities announced aggravated assault and assault by auto charges against 31-year-old Eryk Wnek of Linden. They allege that he did a burnout with his car Saturday, collided with another vehicle and then struck a low-speed vehicle, critically injuring the driver and also injuring a woman and four juvenile passengers.

Both defendants were assigned public defenders but were retaining private counsel; a message seeking comment was left for Wnek's attorney Tuesday and officials said no paperwork had been received for an attorney for White. A listed number for White could not be found Tuesday.

Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland linked both crashes to an unsanctioned car rally separate from the Fall Classic Car Show in Wildwood.

Make no mistake that the tragic and dangerous events over the last several days in Wildwood, Rio Grande, Seaville and surrounding communities are a direct result of the organizers of a pop-up car rally self-identified as H2Oi or H2O22, Sutherland said after Whites arrest.

Participants say the event gives enthusiasts a chance to gather and check out cars, but officials in other areas such as Ocean City, Maryland, have reported problems stemming from the event in previous years.

Directing hundreds if not thousands of people driving high performance vehicles to an area without any planning, staging or permitting created the chaos that led to these deaths and injuries, Sutherland said, vowing swift and appropriate law enforcement and legal response against anyone organizing such an event.

The Press of Atlantic City reported that police in Wildwood Crest made 102 motor vehicle stops and issued 61 summonses, far more than on a typical September weekend. In North Wildwood, police wrote 120 tickets, Mayor Pat Rosenello said. Middle Township police stopped 80 cars and issued 40 summonses, but Police Chief Christopher Leusner said they gathered information for what will likely be far more summonses and charges.
Local bus drivers are threatening to strike pending a contract negotiation with Durham School Services, the transportation provider for the Davenport Community School District.

Teamsters Local 371, the union overseeing area school bus drivers, voted down the current contract offer last Saturday.

According to Edward Flavin, a Durham communications representative, Teamsters 371 rejected the Union and Company Negotiation Committees joint tentative labor contract agreement.

"The parties will resume negotiations this Friday with a federal mediator and work to resolve their outstanding issues," Flavin said in an email.

Teamsters 371 will vote on a contract offer around 5:30 p.m. Friday night, which will determine whether drivers will strike.

Details regarding the duration of the strike are yet to be confirmed.

The Davenport Community School District sent out a message to district parents through its auto dialer, stating:

"Davenport Community School District is committed to our students safety, quality of education, and accessibility to schools. As such, we are closely monitoring the negotiations between the districts school bus provider and the drivers union. This is a situation over which DCSD has no direct control. In our sincere concern for the best interests of our students, we are hoping for a quick and amicable resolution to the negotiations.

"However, we are exploring possible contingency plans if a resolution is not reached. We also encourage you to have a plan in place Starting Monday October 3rd to provide your own transportation to schools until a resolution is reached. We will remain in communication with our district about the situation as it develops. Please continue to monitor our website and social media for timely updates. Thank you for your patience and understanding."

The district hasn't yet identified accommodations for students and families without their own mode of transportation.

Communications representative Mike Vondran said the district will continue to explore options, and noted that the district will post all updates on the website and communicated via auto dialer and social media.

This story is developing.
WATERLOO  The Waterloo Rotary Club is hosting a candidate forum at noon Monday that will include Iowa House and Senate candidates in Black Hawk County.

It will be held at the Waterloo Convention Center at Five Sullivan Brothers Plaza, 200 W. Fourth St. The following candidates are invited to the forum: Derek Wulf and Kate Wyatt, House District 67; Rep. Timi Brown-Powers and John Bothwell, House District 61; Rep. Bob Kressig, House District 75; Jerome Amos Jr., House District 62; and Sen. Bill Dotzler, Senate District 31.

Long-time club member Kevin McCrindle will be moderating to insure equal time to each candidate. Questions will be submitted in advance from the club's 100-plus members.

Annie Vander Werff, club president, said this will be the first of four political forums in October put on by the club.

Those who plan to attend are asked to RSVP by email to VanderWerff at annie@theregenerateprocess.com so the club has a tentative headcount.
The National Cattle Congress Fair was shut down early Saturday night by a string of skirmishes and a short time later a 12-year-old boy was shot in the arm about a mile away.
PELLA  The 10th Iowan to visit space made an in-person appearance at Central College last week.

Raja Chari, United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronaut, spoke about his experience as a commander and flight engineer on board NASAs SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station in Douwstra Auditorium. He was joined by his wife, Holly Schaffter Chari, an attorney and 1999 Central graduate.

Chari spent 177 days in orbit from Nov. 10, 2021, to May 6, 2022. Of those 177 days, 175 were spent at the International Space Station with six other astronauts. While there, the team conducted 360 science experiments, which included skin cell research, combustion experiments and growing plants in space, among others.

Every experiment we do is some Ph.D. students, some universitys, some companys, some countrys crown jewel that theyve been working for five to 10 years to get into space, so the last thing they want to do is have some ham hands screwing up their experiment, Chari joked. Thats probably the highest pressure outside of space walks that we do.

Chari went through several months of training in rocket science, flight, robotics, geology, biology and extravehicular activity, or activities performed outside the spacecraft in orbit above the Earth, prior to his mission. While in orbit, Chari performed two extravehicular activities  the first to install a new structure for a solar panel, and the second to install a new cooling jumper at the International Space Station.

Now that Chari is back on Earth, he is one of 18 astronauts training in NASAs Artemis program, which aims to reestablish a human presence on the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. This program will land Chari and the first woman on the moon in 2024.

Artemis is fundamentally different (from Apollo 17). Were going there, and were going to stay, he said. The other piece is were going there to test out the technology that we need to get to Mars. So, were not trying to just go to say we went, were trying to go and stay there and learn how to live on another surface and use the resources that are there.

Chari, 45, grew up in Cedar Falls and attended Columbus Catholic High School in Waterloo before embarking on a distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force and later joining NASAs astronaut corps in 2017. He trained as an astronaut candidate for two years while serving as director of the Joint Test Team for NASAs Commercial Crew Program. Chari graduated from the United State Air Force Academy with degrees in astronautical engineering and engineering science. He later earned his masters in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Iraq War.

Chari refers to himself as a nerd and lifelong learner. Since 1983, Chari has spent 26 years of his life training or in school.

Unless youre near death or have given up on life, youre pretty much always learning and always learning new skills. I think one of the coolest things about the astronaut job is youre always learning new things  whether its geology or biology or things about physics  you always get this chance to use new skill sets, he said.

Chari uses the analogy of a three-legged stool to explain why he wakes up in the morning and does what he does as an astronaut: duty, faith and family.

If one of those legs is out of balance, that stool tips over, he says. Oftentimes, Holly and my family have been on the short leg of the stool at the expense of duty. ... Most of my career has been in service of the country, and its not something Im ashamed of, but its also something I work on every day as a husband and father to do better at maintaining that balance.

Chari and his wife have three children. Like other military and astronaut families, Holly said compromise and sacrifice are part of their everyday lives  but they feel they have been called to this life.

Were united in our desire to help humanity (and) make a difference in any way that we possibly can, she said. So, I think we feel called to this life.

Their visit to Central College can be viewed online at centraldutchnetwork.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
Ian swamps southwest Florida, trapping people in homes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamped southwest Florida on Wednesday, turning streets into rivers, knocking out power to 2 million people and threatening catastrophic damage further inland.

A coastal sheriff's office reported that it was getting many calls from people trapped in flooded homes. Desperate people posted to Facebook and other social sites, pleading for rescue for themselves or loved ones. Some video showed debris-covered water sloshing toward homes eaves.

The storm surge flooded a lower level emergency room in Port Charlotte, while fierce winds tore part of its fourth floor roof from its intensive care unit, according to a doctor who works there.

Water gushed down from above onto the ICU, forcing staff to evacuate the hospitals sickest patients  some of whom were on ventilators  to other floors, said Dr. Birgit Bodine of HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital. Staff members used towels and plastic bins to try to mop up the sodden mess.

The medium-sized hospital spans four floors, but patients were forced into just two because of the damage. Bodine planned to spend the night at the hospital in case people injured from the storm arrive there needing help.

Russia poised to annex occupied Ukraine after sham vote

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia positioned itself Wednesday to formally annex parts of Ukraine where occupied areas held a Kremlin-orchestrated referendum on living under Moscows rule that the Ukrainian government and the West denounced as illegal and rigged.

Armed troops had gone door-to-door with election officials to collect ballots in five days of voting. The suspiciously high margins in favor were characterized as a land grab by an increasingly cornered Russian leadership after embarrassing military losses in Ukraine.

Moscow-installed administrations in the four regions of southern and eastern Ukraine claimed Tuesday night that 93% of the ballots cast in the Zaporizhzhia region supported annexation, as did 87% in the Kherson region, 98% in the Luhansk region and 99% in Donetsk.

Pro-Russia officials in the four regions said they would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to incorporate their provinces into Russia on the basis of announced vote results. Separatist leaders Leonid Pasechnik in Luhansk and Denis Pushilin in Donetsk said they were leaving for Moscow to settle the annexation formalities.

Ukraines Foreign Ministry called the balloting a propaganda show and null and worthless.

Record methane leak flows from damaged Baltic Sea pipelines

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Methane leaking from the damaged Nord Stream pipelines is likely to be the biggest burst of the potent greenhouse gas on record, by far.

The Nord Stream pipeline leaks that were pumping huge volumes of methane into the Baltic Sea and atmosphere could discharge as much as five times as much of the potent greenhouse as was released by the Aliso Canyon disaster, the largest known terrestrial release of methane in U.S. history. It is also the equivalent of one third of Denmarks total annual greenhouse gas emissions, a Danish official warned Wednesday.

Whoever ordered this should be prosecuted for war crimes and go to jail, said Rob Jackson, a Stanford University climate scientist. Two scientists looked at the official worst case scenario estimates provided by the Danish government  778 million cubic meters of gas  for The Associated Press. Jackson and David Hastings, a retired chemical oceanographer in Gainesville, Florida each calculated that would be an equivalent of roughly half a million metric tons of methane. The Aliso Canyon disaster released 90-100,000 metric tons.

Andrew Baxter, a chemical engineer who formerly worked in the offshore oil and gas industry, and is now at the environmental group EDF thought the Danish estimate was likely too high. He had a more conservative estimate. But it was still more than double the Aliso Canyon disaster.

That's one thing that is consistent with these estimates," he said, It's catastrophic for the climate.

'Gangsta's Paradise' rapper Coolio dies at age 59

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Coolio, the rapper who was among hip-hop's biggest names of the 1990s with hits including Gangsta's Paradise and Fantastic Voyage, died Wednesday at age 59, his manager said.

Coolio died at the Los Angeles home of a friend, longtime manager Jarez Posey told The Associated Press. The cause was not immediately clear.

Coolio won a Grammy for best solo rap performance for Gangsta's Paradise, the 1995 hit from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film Dangerous Minds that sampled Stevie Wonder's 1976 song Pastime Paradise" and was played constantly on MTV.

The Grammy, and the height of his popularity, came in 1996, amid a fierce feud between the hip-hop communities of the two coasts, which would take the lives of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. soon after.

Coolio managed to stay mostly above the conflict.

Churches defend clergy loophole in child sex abuse reporting

It was a frigid Sunday evening at the Catholic Newman Center in Salt Lake City when the priest warned parishioners who had gathered after Mass that their right to private confessions was in jeopardy.

A new law would break that sacred bond, the priest said, and directed the parishioners to sign a one-page form letter on their way out. I/We Oppose HB90, began the letter, stacked next to pre-addressed envelopes. HB90 is an improper interference of the government into the practice of religion in Utah.

In the following days of February 2020, Utahs Catholic diocese, which oversees dozens of churches, says it collected some 9,000 signed letters from parishioners and sent them to state Rep. Angela Romero, a Democrat who had been working on the bill as part of her campaign against child sexual abuse. HB90 targeted Utahs clergy-penitent privilege, a law similar to those in many states that exempts clergy of all denominations from the requirement to report child abuse if they learn about the crime in a confessional setting.

Utahs Catholic leaders had mobilized against HB90 arguing that it threatened the sacred privacy of confessions. More importantly, it met with disapproval from some members in the powerful Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormon church, whose followers comprise the vast majority of the state Legislature. HB90 was dead on arrival.

In 33 states, clergy are exempt from any laws requiring professionals such as teachers, physicians and psychotherapists to report information about alleged child sexual abuse to police or child welfare officials if the church deems the information privileged.

Records contradict Majewski's account of military punishment

WASHINGTON (AP)  Republican J.R. Majewski has centered his campaign for a competitive Ohio congressional seat around his biography as an Air Force veteran. But one of the big questions that has surfaced is why Majewski was told he could not reenlist in the Air Force after his initial four years were up.

Majewskis campaign said last week that he was punished and demoted after getting in a brawl in an Air Force dormitory in 2001. Military records obtained since then by The Associated Press, however, offer a different account of the circumstances, which military legal experts say would have played a significant role in the decision to bar him from reenlisting. They indicate Majewskis punishment and demotion were the result of him being stopped for driving drunk on a U.S. air base in Japan in September 2001.

The documents, which were provided to the AP and independently authenticated, present yet another instance where the recorded history of Majewski's service diverges from what he has told voters as he campaigns while using his veteran status as a leading credential.

In a statement, Majewski acknowledged that he was punished for drunken driving, though he didn't address why his campaign previously said his demotion was the result of a fight.

This mistake is now more than 20 years old. Im sure weve all done something as young adults that we look back on and wonder what was I thinking? and Im sure our parents and grandparents share these sentiments, Majewski said.

VP Harris to visit DMZ after North Korean missile tests

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is capping her four-day trip to Asia with a stop at the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean Peninsula as she tries to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to the security of its Asian allies.

The visit on Thursday comes on the heels of North Koreas latest missile launches and amid fears that it may conduct a nuclear test. Visiting the DMZ has become something of a ritual for American leaders hoping to show their resolve to stand firm against aggression.

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday, while Harris was in Japan, and had fired one before she left Washington on Sunday. The launches contribute to a record level of missile testing this year.

Before going to the DMZ, Harris met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at his office in Seoul and praised the alliance between the countries as a linchpin of security and prosperity. Yoon, a conservative who took office in May, called her visit another turning point in strengthening ties.

Harris and Yoon were expected to discuss the growing North Korean nuclear threats and the U.S. commitments to defend the South. They were also expected to discuss expanding economic and technology partnerships and repairing recently strained ties between Seoul and Tokyo to strengthen their trilateral cooperation with Washington in the region.

Rohingya seek reparations from Facebook for role in massacre

With roosters crowing in the background as he speaks from the crowded refugee camp in Bangladesh that's been his home since 2017, Maung Sawyeddollah, 21, describes what happened when violent hate speech and disinformation targeting the Rohingya minority in Myanmar began to spread on Facebook.

We were good with most of the people there. But some very narrow minded and very nationalist types escalated hate against Rohingya on Facebook, he said. And the people who were good, in close communication with Rohingya. changed their mind against Rohingya and it turned to hate.

For years, Facebook, now called Meta Platforms Inc., pushed the narrative that it was a neutral platform in Myanmar that was misused by malicious people, and that despite its efforts to remove violent and hateful material, it unfortunately fell short. That narrative echoes its response to the role it has played in other conflicts around the world, whether the 2020 election in the U.S. or hate speech in India.

But a new and comprehensive report by Amnesty International states that Facebook's preferred narrative is false. The platform, Amnesty says, wasn't merely a passive site with insufficient content moderation. Instead, Metas algorithms proactively amplified and promoted content on Facebook, which incited violent hatred against the Rohingya beginning as early as 2012.

Despite years of warnings, Amnesty found, the company not only failed to remove violent hate speech and disinformation against the Rohingya, it actively spread and amplified it until it culminated in the 2017 massacre. The timing coincided with the rising popularity of Facebook in Myanmar, where for many people it served as their only connection to the online world. That effectively made Facebook the internet for a vast number of Myanmar's population.

Arizona museum exhibit marks end to de Kooning painting saga

PHOENIX (AP)  After a Willem de Kooning painting worth millions was brazenly stolen in 1985 from an Arizona museum, the staff clung to the hope that it would turn up one day. But nobody could have predicted Woman-Ochre would find its way back through the kindness of strangers in a neighboring state.

I would kind of imagine what would that look like, said Olivia Miller, interim director and exhibitions curator at the University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson. Would it just show up as a mysterious package in the mail or something like that? ... I certainly never thought Id make friends from it.

The 1955 oil painting by the Dutch-American abstract expressionist is finally back home and ready to be shown. It will be the centerpiece of an entire exhibition opening Oct. 8 until May at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. The whole ordeal of the theft and its return in 2017 via New Mexico will be chronicled in the show. It has spent the past two years at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles for restoration work and display. The painting will be in the same spot it was stolen from  but under a case.

Thats one of many security layers that it will have, Miller said.

Almost like something out of a heist movie, the theft unfolded the morning after Thanksgiving. A man and a woman showed up at the museum where only a security guard and students working the front desk were present, according to the curator at the time.

Yankees star Judge hits 61st home run, ties Maris' AL record

TORONTO (AP)  Aaron Judge tied Roger Maris American League record of 61 home runs in a season, hitting a tiebreaking, two-run drive for the New York Yankees in the seventh inning that led them over Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 on Wednesday night.

The 30-year-old slugger drove a 94.5 mph belt-high sinker with a full-count from left-hander Tim Mayza over the left-field fence at Rogers Centre. The 117.4 mph drive took just 3.8 seconds to land 394 feet from the plate, and it put the Yankees ahead 5-3.

Judge watched the ball clank off the front of the stands, just below two fans who reached over a railing and tried for a catch. He pumped an arm just before reaching first and exchanged a slap with coach Travis Chapman.

I was hoping it would get over the fence. I didnt know at first. I didn't want to be standing at home plate when it hits the wall, Judge said. It's an incredible honor. There' was a lot of emotions. It took me a little longer than I wanted to.

The ball dropped into Toronto's bullpen and was picked up by Blue Jays bullpen coach Matt Buschmann, who turned it over to the Yankees.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday asked if a congresswoman who died last month was present at a White House food insecurity conference.

At the event, the White House's first hunger conference since 1969, Biden took a moment during his remarks to credit a list of bipartisan elected officials. All of the officials he listed were behind a bill establishing Wednesday's conference, and the late Indiana Republican Rep. Jackie Walorski was a co-sponsor.

"I want to thank all of you here for including bipartisan elected officials like Rep. (Jim) McGovern, Sen. (Mike) Braun, Sen. (Cory) Booker, Representative  Jackie, are you here? Where's Jackie? I think she wasn't going to be here  to help make this a reality," Biden said.

Walorski, who was 58, died in August in a car accident that also killed two of her staffers. She began serving in Congress in 2013. Before her death, the congresswoman was the co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus.

When asked by reporters about the comment later on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was, in fact, referencing Walorski.

"The president was naming the congressional champions on this issue and was acknowledging her incredible work. He had already planned to welcome the congresswoman's family to the White House on Friday. There will be a bill signing in her honor this coming Friday, so, of course, she was on his mind," Jean-Pierre said. "She was top of mind for the president. He very much looks forward to discussing her remarkable legacy of public service with them when he sees her family this coming Friday."

When Jean-Pierre was read the president's remarks about Walorski, she responded, "I totally understand. I just explained  she was top of mind. You know, what we were able to witness today and what the President was able to lift up at this conference, at this event was how her focus on wanting to deal with, combat food insecurity in America. And it's something he was lifting up and honoring."

When CNN's Phil Mattingly pressed Jean-Pierre about why the president was looking for the deceased congresswoman at the conference, the press secretary said, "I don't think it's all that unusual to have someone top of mind, especially as there's a big event."

Biden had issued a statement upon her death, saying that both he and first lady Jill Biden were "shocked and saddened" by her passing. The White House also flew flags at half-staff in her honor.

"We may have represented different parties and disagreed on many issues, but she was respected by members of both parties for her work on the House Ways and Means Committee on which she served," Biden's statement last month said. "She also served as co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, and my team and I appreciated her partnership as we plan for a historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this fall that will be marked by her deep care for the needs of rural America."

At the end of a panel later during Wednesday's hunger conference, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Susan Rice mentioned Walorski and the rest of the congressional group responsible for facilitating the conference.

"Well, all right everybody, please join me in thanking Sens. Booker and Braun, Chairman McGovern and the late Jackie Walorski for her extraordinary leadership to make this possible. We would not be here without them," she said.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  An abducted 15-year-old girl and her father  a fugitive wanted in the death of the teen's mother  were both killed amid a shootout with law enforcement Tuesday on a highway in California's high desert, authorities said.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus did not specify whether Savannah Graziano was shot by the responding deputies or her father. Anthony John Graziano, 45, had allegedly killed his estranged wife the day before and abducted their daughter.

Investigators had issued an Amber Alert after Graziano fled. He was described as armed and dangerous.

A 911 caller reported seeing the suspect's Nissan Frontier around Barstow on Tuesday, according the sheriffs department. Deputies located the pickup truck and chased it on the highway for around 45 miles (70 kilometers).

Throughout the chase, Graziano  and possibly his daughter as well  was constantly shooting back at the deputies through the truck's rear window, Dicus said.

The shooter put several rounds through a patrol car's windshield and later disabled a second pursuing vehicle, the sheriff said.

The pickup truck became disabled on the shoulder of a highway in the city of Hesperia, and the firefight ensued.

Dicus said the girl was wearing tactical gear as she exited a truck's passenger side and ran toward the sheriff's deputies. She fell to the ground amid the gunfire. The deputies did not initially realize it was the girl who was running toward them, Dicus said, because she was wearing a helmet and a military-style vest that can hold armored plates.

She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly before noon.

Her father was found in the driver's seat and pronounced dead at the scene. A rifle was found inside the car.

One deputy was injured by shrapnel during the firefight, Dicus said.

Graziano allegedly killed Tracy Martinez, 45, on Monday morning in a domestic violence event in the city of Fontana, near San Bernardino, according to Fontana police Sgt. Chris Surgent.

Family members told investigators that the couple had been going through a divorce. Martinez was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Fontana is about 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of Hesperia, on the other side of the in San Gabriel Mountains.
On February 7, 2022, Joe Biden said that Nord Stream would be finished if Russia invaded Ukraine: If Russia invades, if tanks or troops cross the border of Ukraine again, then there will be no more  Nord Stream 2. We will end this <> I promise you, we can do it.

US President Joe Biden is obliged to answer the question of whether the United States of America realized its threat on September 25 and 26, 2022, when an emergency occurred on the three lines SP-1 and SP-2, which is tentatively qualified as a pipeline rupture, suggesting that they were undermined.

A statement of intent was backed by a promise. We must be responsible for our words. Misunderstanding of what is being said does not exempt from responsibility. Europe must know the truth!

Marie Zakharova

***

Are you still looking for an answer to the question, who is behind the whole Ukrainian bloody scenario, the destruction of European cooperation and the global world crisis?

On January 27, 2022, Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said at a State Department briefing that the United States would achieve a shutdown of Nord Stream 2 in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine: I would like to say frankly: if Russia invades Ukraine, either way otherwise, Nord Stream 2 will not work.

And before that, she formulated the goal very clearly, saying f-ck the EU.

When will Brussels wake up?

Marie Zakharova

***

Sorry Marie, Brussels is no longer able to function at all for the good of the people

It is very obvious that the USA is behind the terrorist activity on Nord Stream and it is obvious why and how. It is also obvious as to why the USA is demanding all Americans to leave Russia right now, today, not tomorrow, today

Well screw you USA

I am going back to Russia, where it is a much safer place and people are so much more honest

WtR
 Statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with the holding of referendums in the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions

 On September 23-27, referendums were held in the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions on the entry of these regions into the Russian Federation. The results of the expression of will have been summed up. The overwhelming majority of those who voted  99.23% in the DPR; 98.42% in the LPR; 93.11% in the Zaporozhye region and 87.05% in the Kherson region supported the idea of uniting these regions with Russia. The turnout was: in the DPR  97.5%; in the LPR  92.6%; in the Zaporozhye region  85.4% and in the Kherson region  76.9%.

Despite the provocations of the Kyiv regime, which issued criminal orders to inflict massive artillery strikes on crowded places and civilian objects, people were not afraid to come to the polls and express their will. The results of the plebiscite speak for themselves: the residents of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye do not want to return to their former lives and have made a conscious and free choice in favor of Russia.

They basically have no alternative. Not everyone in Ukraine reconciled and accepted the coup detat in Kyiv in February 2014, as a result of which radical national forces came to power, unleashing a bloody massacre with dissenters in the south-east of the country. The signing of the Minsk agreements, approved by a UN Security Council resolution, did not save the situation either. The Ukrainian side, as its representatives cynically say today, was not going to comply with them from the very beginning, but was preparing for war. The population of Donbass was subjected to systematic and cynical extermination for eight years. The logical outcome of the anti-people policy pursued by the Kyiv regime was the decision of the residents of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye to seek protection from Russia.

The referendums were held in full compliance with the norms and principles of international law. The people of Donbass and southern Ukraine have exercised their legitimate right to self-determination in accordance with the UN Charter, the International Covenants on Human Rights of 1966, the Helsinki Final Act of the CSCE of 1975, as well as the opinion of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo of 22 July 2010, confirming the fact that a unilateral declaration of independence by a part of a state does not violate any norm of international law.

International observers from Italy, Germany, Venezuela, Latvia and other countries (a total of 133 people), who followed the course of the referendums, also recognized their results as legitimate. We thank foreign experts, bloggers, journalists, representatives of public organizations for their courage, honesty and objectivity.

In the near future, a crucial stage of our joint actions is coming to fulfill the aspirations of the residents of the DPR, LHP, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions to be together with Russia.

Marie Zakharova

WtR
Earlier today, Germanys life line in terms of energy started leaking. Nord stream 1 & 2 started leaking in multiple places. The Danish authorities said the pipelines were destroyed, ruling out an accident. German officials agree with this.

Polish government officials posted the photo of the leak and said Thank you, USA  straight up admitting that this was a sabotage operation by US military.

The pressure dropped, the pipes are now filled with seawater.

The whole of Europe thanks you USA, for who needs enemies, with friends like you?

WtR
 The referendum took place, the liberated territories decided their fate.

Residents of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions voted by an absolute majority for reunification with Russia.

After processing 100% of the ballots for joining the Russian Federation spoke out:

in the Kherson region  87.05% of the population,

in the Zaporozhye region  93.11% of participants,

in the DPR  99.23% of citizens,

in the LPR  98.42% of residents.

Welcome home to Russia!

Subscribe to @Sputnik

WtR
It looks like a bad year for Mahesh Babu. At the beginning of this year, he lost his brother Ramesh Babu and now he lost another dearest person close to his heart.

His mother and actor Krishnas wife Indira Devi garu breathed her last at 4 AM today. She was suffering from health issues for a long time and passed away at her residence in Hyderabad. Her sudden demise left a huge void in the family.

Several celebrities have mourned the death of Mahesh Babus mother. Her mortal remains will be kept open at her residence for public. The last rites will happen today at Mahaprasthanam in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. We at 123Telugu expressing our deepest condolences to the family of Indira Devi garu.

Articles that might interest you:
China's large amphibious aircraft gains major progress

Xinhua) 08:19, September 28, 2022

A visitor takes picture of an AG600M firefighting aircraft in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 27, 2022. Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is seen as key aeronautical equipment for China's emergency-rescue system. It was developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker, to meet the needs of firefighting and marine-rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency-rescue operations. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's independently-developed AG600 large amphibious aircraft has gained significant progress by completing critical flight tests and getting the first batch of purchase agreements, the developer announced on Tuesday.

The AG600M aircraft, a full-configuration firefighting model belonging to the AG600 aircraft family, successfully conducted pivotal tests Tuesday morning, including scooping and dropping water, said the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker.

At 10:05 a.m., the AG600M aircraft carrying 12 tonnes of water took off from the ground runway at Zhanghe Airport in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province.

It consecutively conducted the flight tests of aerial water dropping, landing on a nearby reservoir and taxiing scooping, taking off again and dropping water over the preset area, and then successfully landing at the reservoir at 10:16 a.m., said the AVIC.

The very day, AVIC General Huanan Aircraft Industry Co., Ltd., signed the first batch of purchase agreements on four AG600M aircraft with Everbright Financial Leasing Co., Ltd., and signed an intent purchase agreement on two AG600M aircraft with the HNCA Aviation Equipment Leasing Co., Ltd., respectively.

The successful completion of flight tests and obtaining purchase agreements marked that the AG600 amphibious aircraft's key mission capabilities have been verified, and could open the market, said He Shengqiang, AVIC deputy general manager.

Both major moves highlighted that China's independently-developed aeronautical equipment could support the country's emergency rescue capabilities, said He.

Codenamed Kunlong, or water dragon in Chinese, the AG600 is vital aeronautical equipment for China's emergency-rescue system. It plays roles in serving forest firefighting, maritime search and rescue, and other critical emergency rescue missions.

The AG600M is specifically designed to combat forest fires. Its maximum take-off weight is 60 tonnes, with the water-carrying capacity up to 12 tonnes and the flight range reaching 4,500 km. It can conduct low-altitude flight at low speed, enabling it to drop water more precisely over the fire sites.

Following up, the AG600M will enter the airworthiness phase. More variants of the AG600 aircraft family are under development, said the developer.

The AVIC commits to sustaining the country's emergency rescue system and ensuring people's life and property by pushing forward the aircraft's progress and other vital aeronautical equipment.

An AG600M firefighting aircraft takes off from water during a gathering and dropping water test in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 27, 2022. Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is seen as key aeronautical equipment for China's emergency-rescue system. It was developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker, to meet the needs of firefighting and marine-rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency-rescue operations. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Crew members of an AG600M firefighting aircraft disembark from the plane after a gathering and dropping water test in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 27, 2022. Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is seen as key aeronautical equipment for China's emergency-rescue system. It was developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker, to meet the needs of firefighting and marine-rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency-rescue operations. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

An AG600M firefighting aircraft lands at Zhanghe Airport during a gathering and dropping water test in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 27, 2022. Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is seen as key aeronautical equipment for China's emergency-rescue system. It was developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker, to meet the needs of firefighting and marine-rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency-rescue operations. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

An AG600M firefighting aircraft takes off from Zhanghe Airport during a gathering and dropping water test in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 27, 2022. Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is seen as key aeronautical equipment for China's emergency-rescue system. It was developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker, to meet the needs of firefighting and marine-rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency-rescue operations. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

An AG600M firefighting aircraft drops water during a gathering and dropping water test in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 27, 2022. Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is seen as key aeronautical equipment for China's emergency-rescue system. It was developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker, to meet the needs of firefighting and marine-rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency-rescue operations. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

An AG600M firefighting aircraft flies in the sky during a gathering and dropping water test in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 27, 2022. Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is seen as key aeronautical equipment for China's emergency-rescue system. It was developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker, to meet the needs of firefighting and marine-rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency-rescue operations. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

An AG600M firefighting aircraft flies in the sky during a gathering and dropping water test in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 27, 2022. Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is seen as key aeronautical equipment for China's emergency-rescue system. It was developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker, to meet the needs of firefighting and marine-rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency-rescue operations. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

An AG600M firefighting aircraft gathers water during a gathering and dropping water test in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 27, 2022. Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is seen as key aeronautical equipment for China's emergency-rescue system. It was developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker, to meet the needs of firefighting and marine-rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency-rescue operations. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
FILE - A launch truck fires the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at its intended target during the African Lion military exercise in Grier Labouihi complex, southern Morocco, on June 9, 2021. U.S. leaders from President Joe Biden on down are being careful not to declare a premature victory, after a Ukrainian offensive forced Russian troops into a messy retreat in the north. Lawmakers particularly pointed to the precision weapons and rocket systems that the U.S. and Western nations have provided to Ukraine as key to the dramatic shift in momentum, including the precision-guided HIMARS.
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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is warning service members about an increase in scams targeting veterans who are newly eligible for benefits under the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.

The recently signed law expands health care and benefits to an estimated 5 million veterans exposed to toxins during the Vietnam, Gulf War and post-9/11 eras. That means older veterans are usually those who are targeted [by such scams], says Charles Tapp II, chief financial officer of the Veterans Benefits Administration.

How PACT Act scams work

PACT Act fraudsters may call veterans and falsely portray themselves as a VA employee or claim they can help them receive benefits. They have also sent emails and run commercials promising the same assistance  for a fee. Of course, some will mention specific service locations (North Carolinas Camp Lejeune is a big one) and/or medical conditions, such as leukemia or liver cancer, that might make a vet eligible for payments.

Ive personally seen some of the commercials, in my local area, that have outlined, Were here to help you if you suffer from this presumptive condition,  says Tapp. Or the more frequent one is, If you were stationed at Camp Lejeune and you believe youve been exposed to contaminated water, please call this number and well help you. 

Besides charging veterans a fee for something that can be obtained for free from an accredited veterans service organization (VSO), other types of benefit scams include:

In exchange for someones military disability benefit, a con artist offers a lump-sum payment that never materializes.

A phisher impersonating a VA official asks for personal information, such as a Social Security number, saying they need to update the veterans records.

Tapp offers some advice for avoiding unscrupulous players: 

If you receive a call or see an advertisement or commercial from a law firm offering assistance with benefits, dont assume that it is a trustworthy organization.

Never sign a blank form or agreement with an attorney or company without fully understanding what you are agreeing to.

A red flag should go up if youre asked to pay for assistance with obtaining benefits. (Note that when an appeal or supplemental claim is being sought, a fee is not unusual.)

How to apply for benefits

To begin filing a benefit request related to the PACT Act, visit VA.gov/PACT or call 800-698-2411. The VA can help you with any questions during the claims process. If you need more assistance, it recommends using an accredited VSO or attorney to work on your initial claim  a service that is free of charge. We can certainly ... make sure that our veterans are actually operating with people who are accredited and are scrupulous in terms of their dealings, says Tapp.


Austral Resources Investor Webinar

Brisbane, Sep 27, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Copper producer Austral Resources Australia Ltd ( ASX:AR1 ) is pleased to invite shareholders and investors to a webinar which will be held on Wednesday 28 September 2022 at 10:15am AES / 8:15am AWST.



Dan Jauncey, Managing Director & CEO, and Ben Coutts, Exploration Manager will be discussing the Company's recent ASX announcements as well as engaging in a Q&A session.



Details of the webinar are as follows:



Event: Austral Resources Investor Webinar

Presenters: Dan Jauncey, Managing Director & CEO and Ben Coutts, Exploration Manager

Time: Wednesday 28 September 2022, 10:15am AEST / 8:15am AWST



Registration Link:

https://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/06DKD5E6







About Austral Resources Australia Ltd





Austral Resources Australia Ltd (ASX:AR1) is a copper cathode producer operating in the Mt Isa region, Queensland, Australia. Its Mt Kelly copper oxide heap leach and solvent extraction/electrowinning (SXEW) plant has a nameplate capacity of 30,000tpa of copper cathode. Austral is developing its Anthill oxide copper mine which has an Ore Reserve of 5.06Mt at 0.94% Cu. The Company expects to produce 40,000t of copper cathode over a four-year period from mid-2022.

Austral owns a significant copper inventory with a JORC compliant Mineral Resource Estimate of 60Mt at 0.7% Cu and 1,940km2 of highly prospective exploration tenure in the heart of the Mt Isa district, a world class copper and base metals province. The Company is implementing an intensive exploration and development programme designed to extend the life of mine and increase then review options to commercialise its copper resources.


Gold Resources Increase to 1.24Moz

Perth, Sep 28, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited ( ASX:HRZ ) is pleased to announce maiden Mineral Resource Estimates (MRE) for the Coote and Capricorn Projects, and a new MRE for the remaining material at the previously mined Baden Powell Gold Prospect.



HIGHLIGHTS



- Total gold Mineral Resources increased by 91,000oz Au to 1.24Moz



- A total of 69,000oz Au of new resources have been calculated for the Coote, Baden Powell and Windanya prospects near Kalgoorlie



- The Coote prospect is located 10km west of Kalgoorlie and lies just 500m west of the 66,500oz Au Crake deposit. The Inferred Mineral Resource estimate at Coote stands at:



o 425kt grading 1.54g/t Au for 21koz at a 1.0g/t Au lower grade cut-off



- In the Bardoc area, 60km NNW of Kalgoorlie, the Baden Powell and Capricorn prospects have new Inferred Mineral Resource estimates:



o Capricorn - 659kt grading 1.20g/t Au for 25koz at a 0.5g/t Au lower cut-off



o Baden Powell - 595kt grading 1.20g/t Au for 23koz at a 0.5g/t Au lower cut-off



- In addition, the completion of the acquisition of the Penny's Find Gold Project doubles the Mineral Resource to 269kt at 4.99g/t Au for 43koz (1.5g/t Au lower cut-off).



- The new resources, alongside the remaining 50% Penny's Find acquisition, totals 91,000oz Au and brings Horizon's global resources to 1.24Moz Au.



- Since 2019, only 90 holes totalling 7,594m of drilling, along with the location of 79 historic holes for Penny's Find, has contributed to previous and historic drilling to generate these resources.



Commenting on the resource update, Horizon Managing Director Mr Jon Price said:



"We are pleased with the increase in our Mineral Resource base from a modest amount of drilling, with all resources open at depth and along strike, that show the potential upside from these initial estimates with further drilling programs.



"Coote has strong synergies with the nearby 66,500oz Crake deposit within the Binduli camp that can be readily developed and transition into production, in addition to the now 100% owned Penny's Find mine, through nearby processing infrastructure in the Eastern Goldfields region."



The Penny's Find MRE has also been updated to incorporate the recent transaction completion with Horizon now holding 100% of the project.



The prospects are located within the 100% owed Binduli, Windanya and Penny's Find gold projects.



All data generated through reverse circulation (RC) infill and extensional drilling at the prospects since 2019 has now been incorporated into the geological model for the updated MREs.



*To view tables and figures, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/G7YDP25N





About Horizon Minerals Limited





Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed.

Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline.

Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage.


Strategic Review Advisor Appointed

Brisbane, Sep 28, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Central Petroleum Limited ( ASX:CTP ) ( C9J:FRA ) ( CNPTF:OTCMKTS ) advises that RBC Capital Markets ("RBC") has been appointed as exclusive advisor to undertake a strategic review of the Company's asset portfolio and transactional opportunities that may arise to crystalise asset value.



The review will assess options for the Company's extensive portfolio of exploration, appraisal and production assets and examine further opportunities in the context of the current market and capital landscapes. The strategic review is expected to be completed by the end of October 2022, with timing for any further activity related to the strategic review to be determined at that time.



Mick McCormack, Chair of Central said, "We look forward to working with RBC and their highly experienced team to conduct this review."





About Central Petroleum Limited





Central Petroleum Limited ( ASX:CTP) is a well-established, and emerging ASX-listed Australian oil and gas producer. In our short history, Central has grown to become the largest onshore gas producer in the Northern Territory (NT), supplying industrial customers and senior gas distributors in NT and the wider Australian east coast market.

Central is positioned to become a significant domestic energy supplier, with exploration and development plans across 180,000 km2 of tenements in Queensland and the Northern Territory, including some of Australia's largest known onshore conventional gas prospects. Central has also completed an MoU with Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) to progress the proposed Amadeus to Moomba Gas Pipeline to a Final Investment Decision.

We are also seeking to develop the Range gas project, a new gas field located among proven CSG fields in the Surat Basin, Queensland with 135 PJ (net to Central) of development-pending 2C contingent resource.


Nifty Copper Project Restart Update

Perth, Sep 28, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Cyprium Metals Limited ( ASX:CYM ) has continued to progress the refurbishment of the project whilst the Company is conducting a finance process for the restart the operation.



Nifty Restart Progress



Project finance remains the key focus for Cyprium. The pre-development work continued in parallel with the finance process, as it was intended to ensure that the Nifty site was ready at the go-line for when financing was completed, prior to the commencement of refurbishment and construction activities.



Much of the operational readiness activities have now been completed, so being prudent and minimising ongoing holding costs, the Company has temporarily downsized its Nifty site workforce to approximately 20 personnel and contractors, in order to maintain the site in good order and reducing operating expenditure until the finance is completed. Consequently, a number of positions throughout the business have been made redundant.



The progress made by Nifty employees to date has been exceptional, with significant progress towards being operationally ready for the project kick off. The workforce is to be commended for their efforts and progress whilst the site has remaining on care and maintenance since its acquisition. This has also been achieved at Nifty over the past 14 months without a Lost Time Injury.



HIGHLIGHTS



- Majority of the operational readiness and environmental clean-up activities have now been completed



- To reduce operational expenditure whilst maintaining the Nifty site in good order, workforce has been temporarily downsized until the finance process is complete



- Advanced discussions are continuing with debt financiers, who are undertaking due diligence activities and reviewing financing documentation



Managing Director Barry Cahill commented:



"The finance process to fund the Restart of the Nifty Copper Project continues with multiple parties.



To conserve funds, we have reduced personnel throughout the organisation until we complete the financing and commence the refurbishment schedule in earnest.



Our personnel have done an excellent job in getting Cyprium to the go line for when the finance process is completed and progress to date has been remarkable, as can be seen in the photos.



Many people have told me that they would like to return to Nifty, if they are available, to build the project and plate copper. We look forward to welcoming them back to the Cyprium family."



*To view tables and figures, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/2SVAFO2K





About Cyprium Metals Ltd





Cyprium Metals Limited (ASX:CYM) is poised to grow to a mid-tier mining business and manage a portfolio of Australian copper projects to deliver vital natural resources, strong shareholder returns and sustainable value for our stakeholders. We pursue this aim, in genuine partnerships with employees, customers, shareholders, local communities and other stakeholders, which is based on integrity, co-operation, transparency and mutual value creation.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Texas and New Mexico will move forward with a trial in a Supreme Court case over a groundwater dispute after failing to meet a settlement deadline.

Lawyers gathered in El Paso on Tuesday at the federal courthouse.

Federal judge Michael Melloy set a trial date for Jan. 17 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Jerri Mares, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General, said that does not prevent the parties from working on a final agreement in the meantime.

I think that moving forward as we continue with settlement negotiations, thats still a real possibility, Mares said.

Texas alleges groundwater pumping south of Elephant Butte Reservoir is reducing New Mexicos water deliveries under the 1938 Rio Grande Compact.

The current conflict goes as far back as 2013.

In the trials first phase last fall, state Attorney General Hector Balderas said the dispute has implications for rural communities, and the economic backbone of chile and pecan farming.

This case is about making sure that farmers, families and municipalities below Elephant Butte get what the states collectively thought was fair, regardless of which (side of the) state line they lived on, Balderas said.

The compact mandates that New Mexico water obligations to Texas are measured by river flows at the Otowi Gage at San Ildefonso Pueblo.

The state must deliver a certain amount to Elephant Butte Reservoir each year.

But Texas says groundwater use south of that point reduces Rio Grande flows and violates the compact.

The yearslong case has involved irrigation districts, city utilities and state governments.

Melloy had tasked the parties with a Sept. 23 settlement agreement deadline, but attorneys reported last week that they werent ready.

Settlement negotiations are confidential.

New Mexico owes about 127,000 acre-feet of water, or 41 billion gallons, to Texas under the Rio Grande compact.

The state will face more storage and use restrictions if that debt reaches 200,000 acre-feet.

Water managers have pursued several programs to chip away at the water debt, including removing plants and sediment from the river channel; improving farm irrigation efficiency; and paying farmers not to grow for a season.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Two Bernalillo County corrections officers on trial in the 2019 death of a jail inmate performed as trained when confronted with a man who was delusional, hallucinating, combative and high on methamphetamine, a defense attorney told jurors Tuesday.

Prosecutors allege that Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center officer Jonathan Sandoval, acting under his supervisors orders, pressed his knee into Vicente Villelas back until the inmate lost consciousness and died.

Attorneys made opening statements Tuesday in the trial of Sandoval, 35, and his supervisor, Keith Brandon, 46, who are each charged with involuntary manslaughter, a fourth-degree felony, in Villelas Feb. 2, 2019, death.

A fourth-degree felony is punishable by one to two years in prison.

Both officers remain on paid administrative leave, Bernalillo County spokeswoman Tia Bland said Tuesday.

Assistant Attorney General Zach Jones said in his opening statements that Villela, 37, was not compliant but he was not fighting as six hefty corrections officers moved him from MDCs booking area to a psychiatric cell.

Sandoval placed his knee square, and with concentrated force, into the back of Vicente Villela, Jones told jurors. That knee to the back restricted Vicentes ability to breathe, and officer Sandoval thus caused the death of Vicente Villela.

Sandoval took the action because he was ordered to do so by Lt. Brandon, who gave him the unorthodox order, sit on him,  Jones said.

Villela said I cant breathe at least six times while officers held the handcuffed and shackled inmate on the floor of a cell at MDC, Jones said.

Sandovals attorney, Sam Bregman, told jurors that Villela was largely responsible for his own death because he had a high level of methamphetamine that alone could have caused him to stop breathing.

Jon Sandoval is a 10-year corrections officer who was simply doing his job pursuant to his training and pursuant to instructions given to him by his supervisor, Bregman said in his opening statement.

Vicente Villela, the inmate, had toxic levels of methamphetamine in his body, Bregman told jurors.

He was hallucinating. He was delusional. He was combative. And the officers were doing their best to do their job.

Villelas death was more the result of (Villelas) actions as opposed to anyone elses, Bregman said.

Bregman also said prosecutors can offer no evidence that any action taken by corrections officers caused Villelas death.

Villela, a father of three, was booked into MDC about 5 p.m. the day of his death on charges of breaking and entering, burglary, armed robbery, and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.

According to incident reports, he was disoriented. MDC officers decided to put him into a clinical seclusion cell in the Psychiatric Acute Care, or PAC, unit because he appeared either high on a substance or has a serious mental illness.

Jurors on Tuesday watched a video recording of Villelas death. The recording showed officers attempting to move him from the booking area to the clinical seclusion cell.

The graphic footage showed that Villela became resistant as six officers placed him in the cell. The officers pinned him to the floor while they attempted to remove his cuffs and shackles.

Villela can be heard saying I cant breathe several times while an officer appeared to kneel on his back. After several minutes, Villela stopped moving and officers attempted to revive him with chest compressions and oxygen.

Several members of Villelas family seated in the gallery began weeping as prosecutors played the video for jurors.

Brandons attorney, John DAmato, told jurors in his opening statement that the video has significant time gaps, and also fails to show the larger context of what officers were doing and saying outside the frame of the video.

MDC corrections officer Walter Pagan, who recorded two of the videos, testified Tuesday that his hand-held camera ran out of storage while officers had Villela pinned on the floor, leaving a gap of 3 to 5 minutes unrecorded during the fatal incident.

The Office of the Medical Investigator classified Villelas death as a homicide. An autopsy report said he died of mechanical asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint with toxic effects of methamphetamine as a contributing factor.

Villelas family last year reached a $4.56 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit against Bernalillo County and Centurion Detention Health Care Services, which provided medical services at MDC at the time of Villelas death.

Centurion announced in April 2021 that it intended to leave MDC within six months  more than a year before the end of the companys contract.

The St. Louis-based company was awarded the contract to provide medical, dental and mental health services at the jail in 2018.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Editors Note: The Journal this week is publishing profiles on New Mexicos candidates for governor.

SANTA FE  Karen Bedonies day often starts about 4 a.m.

By nature, she said, shes an early riser, eager to start work and prepare for a long day of campaigning  making calls to supporters, recording online videos and traveling the state to meet voters over a meal.

Its a strategy Bedonie expects will carry her into the Roundhouse as New Mexicos next governor.

Not that shell necessarily trust the election results. Bedonie said she would order a forensic audit to confirm the vote totals.

I need to know I won fair and square, she said in a recent interview.

Bedonie, a Libertarian, is an unusual candidate for governor. Facing off against two well-funded opponents  Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Republican Mark Ronchetti  she says she plans to win the race through face-to-face campaigning, not fancy advertisements.

She has put 180,000 miles on her SUV, she said, to reach every dot on the map. She meets voters at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants, wherever people want to learn more about her campaign.

I really spend a lot of time with supporters, Bedonie said. I dont just kiss babies and run off.

Her two rivals, Bedonie said, fear she will eat into their support and throw the race to the other. But Bedonie believes she will win outright, drawing support across the board from Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and independents.

She had support from just 5% of likely voters in the Journal Poll conducted a month ago, putting her 35 points behind Ronchetti and 42 behind Lujan Grisham. Bedonies support was highest  at 14%  among independent, Libertarian and minor party voters.

She hasnt been invited to either of the televised debates planned for the race.

But Bedonie said she is forging meaningful connections with voters.

This campaign isnt just about becoming famous, Bedonie said. Its about telling the truth of who you are as a person.

Where she stands

Bedonie, who initially ran as a Republican before switching her registration to Libertarian, said she draws heavy support from conservative, patriotic voters. But she believes her message appeals broadly to New Mexicans.

She switched party affiliation, she said, because she didnt want to be controlled by party politics or pressured by party leaders.

Libertarians have major party status in New Mexico, but they havent won recent statewide or legislative races. In the last two U.S. Senate campaigns, Libertarian Bob Walsh won 3% of the vote in 2020 and Libertarian Gary Johnson won 15% in 2018.

Bedonie didnt respond to a written Journal questionnaire on her issue positions. But in an interview, asked to identify some of the issues important to her, Bedonie said she would:

 Ensure taxpayer funding isnt used to support abortion. She described herself as 100% pro-life and believes abortion is a form of genocide.

 Eliminate, not just reduce, the states gross receipts tax.

 Support medical freedom, citing her own hospitalization for COVID-19 and fight to be treated with Ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug that isnt authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use against COVID-19. Bedonie said she would advocate for right to try legislation allowing access to unapproved treatments for cancer and other diseases.

 Defend capitalism and New Mexicos oil and gas industry.

 Pursue a forensic audit after every election. Bedonie said she simply doesnt trust the official results under the current system.

(In New Mexico, county clerks now oversee a canvass to double-check vote totals, and there are automatic recounts in close races. A post-election audit by a certified public accountant after every general election includes hand tallies of random precincts to verify the accuracy of the election results.)

Personal touch

Bedonie, 47, is a mother of eight children, each of whom was home-schooled. Shes worked as a chef, welder and educator, she said, and she has owned small businesses, the most recent of which is a plumbing company with her husband, Albert.

Bedonie hasnt held an elected public office, ensuring, she said, that she is beholden to no special interest. Two years ago, she ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in the 3rd Congressional District.

Im going in absolutely clean.  Were going to fix this state without fear, Bedonie said.

She lives in the Mexican Springs area of the Navajo Nation, where shes a tribal member.

Her campaign has faced one ethics complaint, centering on a billboard advertising her along Interstate 40. The sign notes that its paid for by Private Persons of New Mexico, though no group is registered in the states campaign finance system under that name, according to the complaint.

Brett Kokinadis, first vice chair of the Republican Party of Santa Fe County, filed the complaint, accusing Bedonies campaign of illegal coordination with an independent expenditure group and other violations.

Bedonie denies the allegations, saying her campaign had nothing to do with the billboard. The complaint is pending.

Bedonie says she dedicates much of her campaigning to in-person conversations with voters.

A key part of her days on the campaign trail is statewide travel. Despite raising just a fraction of what her rivals for governor have, Bedonie has outspent them on travel, lodging and meals, according to campaign finance reports.

Meeting with people in person, she said, is an authentic, effective way to connect with voters.

Her campaign is built on hard work, starting early in the day, she said, and two of her daughters, both young adults, are critical sources of help.

It takes a lot of coordination and brain power to run a campaign as good as this, Bedonie said.
KYIV, Ukraine  Russia positioned itself Wednesday to formally annex parts of Ukraine where occupied areas held a Kremlin-orchestrated referendum on living under Moscows rule that the Ukrainian government and the West denounced as illegal and rigged.

Armed troops had gone door-to-door with election officials to collect ballots in five days of voting. The suspiciously high margins in favor were characterized as a land grab by an increasingly cornered Russian leadership after embarrassing military losses in Ukraine.

Moscow-installed administrations in the four regions of southern and eastern Ukraine claimed Tuesday night that 93% of the ballots cast in the Zaporizhzhia region supported annexation, as did 87% in the Kherson region, 98% in the Luhansk region and 99% in Donetsk.

Pro-Russia officials in the four regions said they would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to incorporate their provinces into Russia on the basis of announced vote results. Separatist leaders Leonid Pasechnik in Luhansk and Denis Pushilin in Donetsk said they were leaving for Moscow to settle the annexation formalities.

Ukraines Foreign Ministry called the balloting a propaganda show and null and worthless.

Forcing people in these territories to fill out some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine, it said.

Western countries also dismissed the balloting as an attempt by Moscow to legitimize its invasion of Ukraine launched on Feb. 24.

Regardless of Russias claims, this remains Ukrainian territory and Ukraine has every right to continue to fight for their full sovereignty, said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

In response, we will work with our allies and partners to impose additional economic costs on Russia and supporters of any annexation, she said.

Separately, the U.S. announced an additional $1.1 billion in aid to Kyiv, with funding for about 18 more advanced rocket systems and other weapons to counter drones that Russia has been using against Ukrainian troops. The latest package brings the total of U.S. aid to Ukraine to nearly $17 billion since the Biden administration took office.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged the EUs 27 member countries to agree on a new package of sanctions on Russia because of the proposed annexations.

The Kremlin remained unmoved amid the hail of criticism. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that at the very least, Russia intended to drive Ukrainian forces out of the Donetsk region, where Moscows troops and separatist forces currently control about 60% of the territory.

In an interview with The Associated Press, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was determined to reclaim all the territory that Russia has seized during the war. Mykhailo Podolyak said the annexation by Russia would change nothing on the battlefield.

Our actions depend not so much on what the Russian Federation thinks or wants, but on the military capabilities that Ukraine has, he said.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters in Washington that the U.S. would not object to Ukraine using U.S.-supplied weapons to attack those areas if they are annexed by Russia.

We have been clear when it comes to certain longer-range systems with our Ukrainian partners that these systems are for use on sovereign Ukrainian territory. If and when this annexation occurs as we expect it will, these areas will remain sovereign Ukrainian territory, Price said.

After a counteroffensive by Ukraine this month dealt Moscows forces heavy battlefield setbacks, Russia said it would call up 300,000 reservists to join the fight. It also warned it could resort to nuclear weapons.

That partial mobilization is deeply unpopular in some areas, however, triggering protests, scattered violence, and Russians fleeing the country by the tens of thousands.

The mass exodus has created miles-long lines for days at some borders, and local Russian authorities on one area along the border with Georgia said they would start providing food, water, warming stations and other aid to those in line. Moscow also reportedly set up draft offices at borders to intercept some of those trying to leave.

The mobilization prompted the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to warn Americans in Russia to leave immediately because Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service.

Previous embassy security alerts issued during the war also advised Americans to leave.

Ukraines military and Western analysts said Russia is sending troops with hardly any training to the front line. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, cited an online video by a man who identified himself as a member of Russias 1st Tank Regiment, visibly upset, saying he and his colleagues wouldnt receive training before shipping out to Russian-occupied parts of the Kherson region.

Mobilized men with a day or two of training are unlikely to meaningfully reinforce Russian positions affected by Ukrainian counteroffensives in the south and east, the institute said.

Meanwhile, the EU expressed outrage over the suspected sabotage Tuesday of two underwater natural gas pipelines from Russia to Germany, and warned of retaliation for any attack on Europes energy networks.

All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. Perpetrators have not been identified.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov said allegations that Russia could be behind the incidents were predictable and stupid, saying the damage has caused Russia huge economic losses. A U.N. Security Council meeting was called for Friday at Moscows request.

The damage makes it unlikely the pipelines will be able to supply any gas to Europe this winter, according to analysts.

On the battlefield, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Ukraines counteroffensive is advancing slowly, meeting a stouter Russian defense.

Local Ukrainian officials reported Russian attacks in the partially occupied Donetsk region that killed five people, and artillery strikes in the southern Ukrainian city of Nikopol. That city saw 10 high-rises and private buildings hit, as well as a school and power lines, said Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the local military administration.

___

Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
ALBANY, N.Y.  Some historical battle re-enactors in New York are holding their musket fire because of worries over the states new gun rules  an unplanned side effect of a law designed to protect the publics safety.

The law that went into effect this month declares parks, government property and a long list of other sensitive places off limits to guns. The rules were geared more for semiautomatic pistols than flintlock weapons, but re-enactors who fear being arrested if they publicly re-stage battles from the colonial era to the Civil War are staying off the field.

Gov. Kathy Hochuls administration insists that historical battle re-enactments are still OK, and some have still taken place this month. But persistent skepticism among event organizers and participants has resulted in some cancellations, like an 18th century encampment and battle re-enactment planned for last weekend north of Saratoga Springs.

Weve been getting reports from units that were supposed to attend that they dont feel comfortable transporting muskets or bringing muskets to the site, said Harold Nicholson, a re-enactor involved in the event at Rogers Island. And so at that point, we decided that it was probably best not to (go ahead).

The consternation stems from a law quickly approved after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated New Yorks requirement that people must demonstrate an unusual threat to their safety to qualify for a license to carry a handgun outside their homes.

Hochul and her fellow Democrats in control of the state Legislature responded with a law that set strict new licensing criteria and limited where handguns, shotguns and rifles can be carried. Some re-enactors looking at the letter of the law have concluded the old-style weapons they use could place them in the crosshairs of the new rules.

Among the canceled events: two Civil War re-enactments in upstate New York this month and a Revolutionary War raid that was to be staged this weekend at the Fort Klock historic site in the Mohawk Valley.

The reason why we canceled it was for fear of exposing the people that we invited to the event to prosecution for committing a felony, said Robert Metzger, a re-enactor who chairs the board of Fort Klock Historic Restoration.

Metzger said he realizes local sheriffs deputies have a lot better things to do than to harass 70-year-old men with flintlocks, but there was a chance someone could complain. And the not-for-profit group did not want to take the chance of losing its state charter.

He added that re-enactors from Canada were reluctant to come down for the event.

Hochuls press office, in a prepared statement, said historical re-enactments can continue under the law and there should be no concern otherwise.

We will work with legislators and local law enforcement to ensure these events can proceed as they have for centuries, the administration said. In the meantime, individuals who have lawfully participated in reenactments should continue to do so.

Organizers of a re-enactment at Fort Ticonderoga in northern New York took that advice, hosting a recreation of a 1777 raid on the fort.

Both the governors office and state leadership advised us to just continue operations as usual, said Beth Hill, president and CEO of the Fort Ticonderoga Association. So we havent changed anything.

But the governors repeated assurances have meant less to other groups. They say they will not feel secure on simulated battlefields in New York until there are changes in the law making it clear they wont become defendants if they act like historical soldiers.

We want our history to live, Metzger said. And theyre making it quite difficult.
PORTLAND, Ore.  A renewable energy plant in Oregon that combines solar power, wind power and massive batteries to store the energy generated there officially opened Wednesday as the first utility-scale plant of its kind in North America.

The project, which can generate enough electricity to power a small city at maximum output, addresses a key challenge facing the utility industry as the U.S. transitions away from fossil fuels and increasingly turns to solar and wind farms for power. Wind and solar are clean sources of power, but utilities have been forced to fill in gaps when the wind isnt blowing and the sun isnt shining with fossil fuels like coal or natural gas.

At the Oregon plant, massive lithium batteries store up to 120 megawatt-hours of power generated by the 300-megawatt wind farms and 50-megawatt solar farm so it can be released to the electric grid on demand. At maximum output, the facility can produce more than half of the power that was generated by Oregons last coal plant, which was demolished earlier this month.

On-site battery storage isnt new, and interest in solar-plus-battery projects in particular has soared in the U.S. in recent years due to robust tax credits and incentives and the falling price of batteries. The Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility in Lexington, Oregon, however, is the first in the U.S. to combine integrated wind, solar and battery storage at such a large scale in one location, giving it even more flexibility to generate continuous output without relying on fossil fuels to fill in the gaps.

The project is getting closer and closer to having something with a very stable output profile that we traditionally think of being whats capable with a fuel-based generation power plant, said Jason Burwen, vice president of energy storage at the American Clean Power Association, an advocacy group for the clean power industry.

If the solar is chugging along and cloud cover comes over, the battery can kick in and make sure that the output is uninterrupted. As the sun goes down and the wind comes online, the battery can make sure that thats very smooth so that it doesnt, to the grid operator, look like anything unusual.

The plant located in a remote expanse three hours east of Portland is a partnership between NextEra Energy Resources and Portland General Electric, a public utility required to reduce carbon emissions by 100% by 2040 under an Oregon climate law passed last year, one of the most ambitious in the nation.

PGEs customers are also demanding green power  nearly a quarter-million customers receive only renewable energy  and the Wheatridge project is key to that decarbonization strategy, said Kristen Sheeran, PGEs director of sustainability strategy and resource planning.

Under the partnership, PGE owns one-third of the wind output and purchases all the facilitys power for its renewable energy portfolio. NextEra, which developed the site and operates it, owns two-thirds of the wind output and all of the solar output and storage.

The mere fact that many other customers are looking at these types of facilities gives you a hint at what we think could be possible, said David Lawlor, NextEras director of business development for the Pacific Northwest. Definitely customers want firmer generation, starting with the battery storage in the back.

Large-scale energy storage is critical as the U.S. shifts to more variable power sources like wind and solar, and Americans can expect to see similar projects across the country as that trend accelerates. National Renewable Energy Laboratory models show U.S. storage capacity may rise fivefold by 2050, yet experts say even this wont be enough to prevent extremely disruptive climate change.

Batteries arent the only solution that the clean energy industry is trying out. Pumped storage generates power by sending huge volumes of water downhill through turbines and others are experimenting with forcing water underground and holding it there before releasing it to power turbines.

But interest in batteries for clean energy storage has grown dramatically in recent years at the same time that the cost of batteries is falling and the technology itself is improving, boosting interest in hybrid plants, experts say.

Generating capacity from hybrid plants increased 133% between 2020 and 2021 and by the end of last year, there were nearly 8,000 megawatts of wind or solar generation connected to storage, according to the U.S. Department of Energys Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is managed by the University of California.

The vast majority of such projects are solar power with battery storage, largely because of tax credits, but projects in the pipeline include offshore wind-plus-battery, hydroelectric-plus-battery and at least nine facilities like the one in Oregon that will combine solar, wind and storage. Projects in the pipeline between 2023 and 2025 include ones in Washington, California, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois and Oregon, according to Berkeley Lab.

Many researchers and pilots are working on alternatives to lithium ion batteries, however, largely because their intrinsic chemistry limits them to around four hours of storage and a longer duration would be more useful.

There is no silver bullet. Theres no model or prototype thats going to meet that entire need  but wind and solar will certainly be in the mix, said PGEs Sheeran.

This model can become a tool for decarbonization across the West as the whole country is driving toward very ambitious climate reduction goals.

____

Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter: @gflaccus
Students showcased their culinary prowess at the inaugural Farmington Junior Chef Competition held earlier this month.

The Farmington High School Scorpion Arena was filled with the delightful scent of roasting green chile on Sept. 17, as young chefs demonstrated their kitchen skills for the chance to win a scholarship.

Kelli Stradling, Food Service Director at K-12 by Elior, spoke about the origin of the event, There was nothing like it in Farmington and I thought that the students would really enjoy having the opportunity to participate in something like this.

Stradling said there were 12 teams present, ranging from fifth through ninth grade. She shared that they had 22 spots open, and grades four through 12 were eligible to enter.

With only having a month from the time school started until the competition, I thought 12 teams was a pretty good representation, she said.

Teams consisted of two to four students, though Stradling did note that there were a couple of solo entries. The individual competitors were given a 15-minute head start, but each team had to create their recipe within an hour.

Students were allowed to bring 10 ingredients from home, and all perishables were provided by the organizers of the Junior Chef Competition. Stradling explained a mobile market consisting of fresh locally-grown produce was set up outside the arena and the students were given purchase tokens equaling $20 to go toward the market.

Stradling, who went to culinary school and found competitions to be fun, said, The kids really, really enjoyed it. They showed up and cooked their little hearts out.

The contest asked students to cook within the states cultural realm, and the teams came up with delectable classics of New Mexican cuisine. Stradling said everything from chips and salsa, to chile rellenos, to a Navajo burger were featured, but some students got creative and offered traditional dishes from other cuisines with a New Mexico twist.

The Judges Choice grand prize of $1,000 was won by Avery Aikele and Kiara Brown of team Feed Your Passions with their sopapilla chips and salsa. The scholarship, as well as funding for the function, was completely covered by local community partners, Stradling said.

Rie Sandoval, Allison Chee, Aimee Roop and Andrew Degner of Chefs Choice earned Best Recipe and Taste with a green chile Navajo burger; The Tastemakers, Blake Robbins and Reese Robbins, took home Best Team Spirit with their chile rellenos; and Best Presentation went to Troy Longoria of Longoria with a green chile pasta.

Theres not really anything like this for the culinary-minded students, Stradling said about school-based programs. We wanted to get in there and offer a more diverse competition for students who might have interests outside of traditional after-school activities.

Stradling plans to make the competition an annual event and also set up a scholarship fund, allowing businesses to donate to the fund or the event or both.

Farmington was the test unit for the cooking contest, and Stradling hopes to expand it to other school units, and then make a larger competition featuring district winners.

K-12 by Elior, which is part of the hospitality company Elior North America, aims to grow the competition across the nation.

Stradling said, I hope that it takes off and weve got kids all over the country competing in our Junior Chef Competition.

The recent trend of mainstream food competitions have become a staple in pop culture, and a career as a chef is a viable option for the youth to consider, especially when given more opportunities in, and exposure to, the culinary arts.
A man and woman from Mississippi died after colliding with a semi truck on US 380 and Red Bridge Road near Roswell Tuesday, according to a news release from the New Mexico State Police.

For reasons still under investigation, a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica, driven by Arlie Plunk Jr, 89, and occupied by Billie J. Plunk, 83, that was eastbound on US 380 collided with the trailer of the Freightliner, the release states. Mr. and Ms. Plunk, both of Bay Springs, Mississippi sustained fatal injuries in the crash.

State Police are continuing to investigate.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Police arrested a teenage boy on Wednesday in connection with the killing of a 60-year-old man in August at a park in Santa Fe.

Santa Fe Deputy Police Chief Ben Valdez said Judah Trujillo, 16, is charged with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence in the death of Samuel Cordero. A charging document was not available Wednesday.

Valdez said officers found Trujillo at an apartment near Rufina and Richards and detained him without incident. He said Trujillo will be booked into the San Juan County Juvenile Services Center.

Police responded around 4:30 a.m. Aug. 10 to Ragle Park for reports of an unconscious person. They found Cordero dead from at least one gunshot wound.

Through the course of this investigation detectives identified Trujillo as the suspect, Valdez said.  Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for him and search warrants for two residences in Santa Fe.

He said Trujillo was not found as police executed the search warrants but detectives were able to learn the real-time location of Trujillo, which was at the apartment near Rufina and Richards.

Valdez said the case remains under investigation.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

A jury found Noah Duran guilty Wednesday of first-degree murder and other charges in the 2020 shooting death of a man during a robbery at a Northeast Albuquerque park.

Jurors apparently agreed with prosecutors, who argued that Duran, 18, and another teenager lured Elijah Mirabal to the park to rob him, then fatally shot Mirabal in an exchange of gunfire.

The 2nd Judicial District Court jury also found Duran guilty of attempted armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, aggravated battery and shooting at or from a motor vehicle.

Duran faces up to 30 years in prison at sentencing. No sentencing hearing has been scheduled.

This trial was Durans second on the same charges. A judge declared a mistrial May 2 after a jury deadlocked on all five felony counts.

Durans attorney, Ryan Villa, told jurors at trial that Duran returned fire in self-defense after Mirabal pulled a pistol and opened fire, striking Duran four times and seriously injuring him.

Villa told jurors in opening statements last week that the shooting was simply a drug deal gone bad, not a robbery.

Prosecutors told jurors that Durans codefendant set up a drug deal on the social media platform Snapchat with the intention of robbing Mirabal, 22, at North Domingo Baca Park, near Wyoming and Paseo del Norte.

Mirabal pulled a handgun to defend himself and was killed in the resulting shootout, Assistant District Attorney Guinevere Ice told jurors during opening statements.

Duran was convicted of aggravated battery for shooting a passenger in Mirabals car, who was struck in the leg during the exchange of gunfire.

Durans codefendant, Jaden Sandoval, 18, also faces charges of first-degree murder and armed robbery in Mirabals death. No trial has been scheduled in that case.
There is plenty to raise your glass to this October.

The fun kicks off this week, with the New Mexico Brew Fest and the beginning of Lift Your Spirits, a weeklong celebration of local New Mexico craft spirits.

Beer enthusiasts have plenty to enjoy at the New Mexico Brew Fest on Saturday, Oct. 1, being held at Villa Hispana at Expo New Mexico. The festival, which celebrates local beer, returns after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic.

Obviously, the pandemic had a great effect on the event industry, Kevin Hopper, founder of the New Mexico Brew Fest, stated in a news release. As an annual event holder, the pandemic had a smaller effect on us; infinitely smaller than the effect it had on the national and statewide craft brewing industry, which has thankfully survived and is thriving once again.

This will be the 11th year for the New Mexico Brew Fest, which was first held in 2010.

This years event will feature several New Mexico breweries, cideries and a distillery. The lineup includes Brew Lab 101, Canteen Brewhouse, Downshift Brewing Co., Enchanted Circle Brewing Co., Flix Brewhouse Albuquerque, Lava Rock Brewing Co., Leaf & Hive Brew Lab, Left Turn Distilling, Lizard Tail Brewing, Marble Brewery, Palmer Brewery and Cider House, Red Door Brewing Co., ReSource Brewing Co., Rio Bravo Brewing Co., Sandia Hard Cider, Sobremesa Brewery, Tractor Brewing Co., and Turtle Mountain Brewing Co.

VIP/Early entry ticketholders will be allowed into the festival at noon with general admission entry beginning at 1 p.m. Ticketholders will receive a commemorative glass for tasting and to sip on purchased pint fills.

VIP/Early entry ticketholders will receive an additional taster glass courtesy of All the Things Craft Cocktails & Mixers, which will be pouring samples of craft cocktails. The cocktail samples will be paired with small bites from title sponsor New Mexico Harvest.

New Mexico Harvest is working with dozens of local farmers and ranchers throughout the state, owner Thomas Swendson stated in the news release. We deliver the freshest local ingredients possible to our customers, and will do the same at the New Mexico Brew Fest.

Distilled spirits lovers will want to be part of Lift Your Spirits. The weeklong celebration will feature various events at Hollow Spirits Distillery and Troubled Minds Distilling-Wells Park. Events include Balloon Bartending Class, Tacos and Tequila Tuesday, a four-course spirits pairing with Taste of Love NM, and a Cigar and Whisky affair. A schedule of events can be found at nmdistillers.org/liftyourspirits.

It will conclude with the Lift Your Spirits Craft Cocktail Festival at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum.

The New Mexico Distillers Guild partnered with the city of Albuquerque Department of Arts & Culture for the craft cocktail festival. Attendees will be able to purchase drinks from participating distilleries that will be mixing up signature concoctions and educating eventgoers about their creations and methods, according to the event website.

Distilleries attending the event include 505 Spirits, Algodones Distillery, Altar Spirits, Happy Accidents, Left Turn Distilling, Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery, One Distillery, Rolling Still Distillery, Safe House Distilling Co., Santa Fe Spirits, Still Spirits, Taylor Garrett Spirits, Troubled Minds Distilling and Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery.

Guests can grab a bite from local food trucks, shop from an assortment of handmade wares from local artisans, and listen to the garage-pop music of Red Light Cameras, reggae beats of Reviva, and the salsa sounds of Ivon Ulibarri & Cafe Mocha while enjoying the view of the Balloon Glow and fireworks during Balloon Fiesta.
To boast the festive cheer, Croma, Indias first and trusted omnichannel electronics retailer from the Tata Group has rolled out an exciting campaign this season Festival of Dreams with a series of three Navratri digital films and bumper Festive Sale with your dream deals and much-awaited offers. The festive sale is running across stores and Croma website, and is on till 5th October 2022. A huge opportunity for Customers to buy their desired gadgets and appliances across product categories including laptops, mobiles, home appliances, TV, and more. The campaign will be launched on the digital platforms at the onset, followed by a strategic media plan for digital, outdoor and print, to get the desired impact.

Adding to the excitement of the festivity, Croma conceptualised and produced a series of three digital films that highlights the reaction of people to the Dandiya tickets being sold out, followed by excited and happy faces with Croma store offering them tickets to the top pandals aiming to make your dreams come true with the Festival of Dreams. The DVCs humorously captures situations where salons are fully booked and Croma comes to their rescue or receive their complimentary Garba Night passes. The films conclude with happy faces and the joy that Croma brings to its customers for fulfilling their Garba dreams in the festive scenarios.

There is no stopping your Navratri party when you have Croma by your side let all your dreams come true with our #FestivalOfDreams deals. The film also beautifully highlights Cromas key brand proposition of helping customers choose the right product for their needs and aspirations on the occasion with worry-free post-purchase experience and lifetime service assurance.

Boasting the spirit of Navratri, Cromas stores in Gujarat, 7 stores in Mumbai, 5 stores in MP will be honouring the top 5 highest shoppers of the day with two complimentary passes to the top Navratri Pandals in their respective cities. Croma stores are also displaying selfie set up with elements of dandiyas for its shoppers.

Speaking about the festive season, Avijit Mitra, MD & CEO, Croma-Infiniti Retail Ltd. said At Croma, we are extremely upbeat about the festive season and expect strong double-digit growth in line with the recent trend in the rest of the country that we enjoyed in the Independence Day and Onam sales. Clearly, our customers are upgrading to better gadgets in all our stores across the country. We have curated exceptional offers and exciting gadgets, and we will try our utmost to deliver a delightful experience to our customers in the festive Sale.

Whats more? Croma is offering irresistible deals on Apple products. Apple iPhone 13 is seen starting at INR 51,990 at Croma for limited time period. The smartwatches are also available with attractive discounts like the Apple Watch SE is starting at INR 19,990 during the sale!!

Steal the deal with mega offers with discounts, 55inch smart LED TV will be starting at INR 29,990, Washing machines start at INR 6,990 and side-by-side refrigerators are starting at INR 4,580 per month. The Oneplus 10R 5G starts at INR 32,999 and Samsung Galaxy M53 5G starts at INR 19,999. For everyone looking to buy a new phone this festive, 5G Smartphones are starting at INR 13,999 and on select smartphones get smartwatch worth INR 4,999 free. Laptops with Intel core i3 11th Gen laptops are starting at INR 30,990. All categories that have 2 and 3 years for ZipCare EW will have 10% off.

Upto 10% instant discounts available on select bank card, which will include banks like HSBC, ICICI, SBI, One Card, Yes bank, etc. Also, upto INR 10,000 cashback on consumer finance at stores will be available on select banks.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has announced its 16th annual healthcare conference- FICCI HEAL 2022 from October 10 to 12, 2022. The conference, being organised since 2007 supported by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, will be held physically at FICCI, New Delhi. This year's conference is an endeavour to converge all stakeholders- national and international, and provide a forum for sharing of learnings and experiences.

Emphasizing the significance of healthier citizens build a healthier nation, the theme of FICCI HEAL 2022 is Healthcare Transformation: Driving Indias Economic Growth. FICCI has been advocating that a robust healthcare system drives GDP growth in the presence of adequate investments and a conducive environment by not only acting as a productivity and employment generator but also as a magnet to attract foreign exchange earnings and provide opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship. The conference will deliberate on the opportunities for transforming our healthcare systems, underscoring its significance for economic growth.

Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Honble Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare; and Chemicals and Fertilisers, Government of India, will inaugurate the conference and Dr Sunil Kumar, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Johns Hopkins University, USA will deliver the Keynote Address. Other dignitaries invited for the conference include, Dr V K Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, GoI; Dr R S Sharma, CEO, National Health Authority, GoI; Dr V G Somani, Drugs Controller General of India; Ms Roli Singh, IAS, AS and MD (NHM), MoHFW; Dr Manohar Agnani, Addl. Secretary, MoHFW; Mr Lav Agarwal, Addl. Secretary, MoHFW; Maj Gen (Prof) Atul Kotwal, Executive Director, NHSRC, MoHFW; Prof Minu Bajpai, Honorary Executive Director, NBEMS and Head of Department of Pediatric Surgery, AIIMS- New Delhi; Dr Shankar Prinja, Executive Director (HP&QA), National Health Authority, GoI.

Expressing views on the conference theme, Mr Gautam Khanna, Chair, FICCI Health Services Committee and CEO, P D Hinduja Hospital & MRC said, Healthcare has become one of the largest sectors of the Indian economy, in terms of both revenue and employment. According to NITI Aayog (GoI), the sector has been growing at a CAGR of 22% since 2016, employing 4.7 million people directly and has the potential to generate over 500,000 new jobs per year. Apart from this, the sector has a multiplier effect and indirect impact on employment generation in the country, with additional advantage of majority employment for women.

He further added that, We need to rethink the role of the healthcare system in the post- pandemic era as the global pandemic has brought the long-awaited and crucial focus on healthcare- as the economic driver of a country, which needs to be now reinforced in our approaches, policies as well as future strategies.

Sharing his thoughts, Dr Harsh Mahajan, Co-Chair, FICCI Health Services Committee and Founder & Chief Radiologist, Mahajan Imaging said, The crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic has opened the flood gates for innovation and entrepreneurship in the healthcare sector, with accelerated development of low-cost, scalable, and quick products and solutions- whether pharma, MedTech or services. The pandemic has also provided an impetus to expansion of telemedicine, digital tools and home healthcare market in the country, apart from catalyzing reforms in healthcare infrastructure, capacity building as well as operations and supply chains. It is now crucial to view healthcare as the contributor to our overall economic growth and lay a greater emphasis to develop a robust healthcare system with favorable policies for increased investment and research in the sector.

With this, FICCI has also announced the 14th edition of FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards on the theme Inspire. Change. Together. The award ceremony to felicitate organisations and individuals for their exemplary contributions to improving healthcare will be held on October 11, 2022, at Hotel Lalit, New Delhi. Smt Smriti Irani, Honble Union Minister, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India will be the Chief Guest for the ceremony. The participants will be evaluated by a high-level independent jury panel Chaired by Mr C K Mishra, Former Secretary, MoEFCC and MoHFW, Government of India.

The three-day conference will include keynote addresses, panel discussions as well as plenary sessions covering the entire spectrum of healthcare delivery- primary healthcare, quality in care, healthcare workforce strengthening, infrastructure for NCDs with a focus on cancer care, health insurance, digital health as well as diagnostics and medical technologies. This year FICCI has also brought back the pre-conference Master Classes on specialised subjects like Design Thinking and Artificial Intelligence.

The conference will entail insightful deliberations on several important topics under healthcare through the below sessions:
Fine jewelry maison Hazoorilal Legacy announces the launch of its Brand Campaign 2022-23 featuring the fabulous Tara Sutaria as their Brand Ambassador. The Brand first engaged the very talented Ms Sutaria in the year 2019 and has continued to strengthen its relationship with the actor as highlighted in the tastefully shot flagship campaign, An Odyssey of Dreams.

At the forefront of the fine jewelry segment for 70 years Hazoorilal Legacy is widely acclaimed for its fine jewelry design aesthetics, presenting bespoke jewellery with superior craftsmanship to its domestic and international clientele. Commenting on the association, Ramesh Narang, Director, Hazoorilal Legacy said, Were delighted to continue our brand story with Tara as she epitomises the brand values and its design language magnificently. Hazoorilal Legacy stands for classic and timeless jewelry and Tara has showcased the essence of it with honesty and intense conviction in the Brand Campaign marking our 70th year as pioneers of jewelry design in India 

The campaign was specially conceptualized keeping in mind the rich legacy of the Brand and its eternal and enduring designs, the baton of which passes on from one generation to the other. The classic diamonds and heirloom bridal jewelry are presented through stunning visuals where Tara can be seen traversing through the spectrum of her imagination, shot in five uniquely designed abstract zones representing a parallel universe and accompanied by a rich narration.

Talking about the Brands journey and the campaign, Rohan Narang, Managing Director, Hazoorilal Legacy says Completing 70 years is a remarkable feat signifying the fortitude and the best practices weve followed as a Brand. Naturally the campaign had to pay homage to our Legacy and Tara delightfully lends the gravitas and grandeur to the Brands histrionic moment in time as youll see in the next few days...

Brand Ambassador Tara Sutaria said, I am delighted to continue my association with the iconic brand Hazoorilal Legacy. A pioneer in the jewelry industry, today Hazoorilal Legacys timeless, yet sophisticated relevant pieces, are a must have. Each piece in the Legacy Collection is a masterpiece, ready to be revealed through this stunning campaign.

You can now shop the bridal fine jewellery at the flagship store in South Extension II, Ring Road, New Delhi & Gold Souk, Gurugram. The Brand also offers an exclusive online luxury boutique shop.hazoorilallegacy.com
The panoply of heads of state leaders at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II highlighted the dire reality that there are at present no resolute statesmanlike leaders capable of reversing the accelerating decline throughout the whole of the Western world, thereby averting the very real possibility of a global conflict with an allied Communist China and Russia.

The West, in particular the United States, is currently populated with patronizing, oblivious, and callous leaders more concerned about themselves and globalism than the people and the future of their respective countries. Nor do they acknowledge that Western Civilization, because of its roots in Christianity, has increased freedom, wealth, health, comfort and life expectancy to unprecedented levels throughout the world.

When virtually all Western nations pursue the same ruinous policies, and their ruling classes have the same self-absorbed characteristics, decline and collapse from self-immolation is inevitable.

In the debauched current state of Western Civilization, the sole path of reversing this decline and collapse is for a tenacious and intrepid egalitarian leader from one of the major Western nations to assume the mantle of leadership. The only experienced and successful current or past leader with these attributes in the West today is Donald Trump, who temporarily stanched and exposed the factors behind the downfall during his four years as president. With the specter of China/Russia hegemony and the accelerating deterioration of the West looming over the United States and Europe, Trump must seriously consider running for president again in 2024.

Early in his presidency, in a landmark speech delivered in Poland on July 6, 2017, President Trump delivered a Churchillian-style message about Western Civilization and its accomplishments -- and more importantly its future. That day, in a speech largely ignored by the entirety of the American and much of the European media, President Trump declared that he was resolved to stop the decline of Western Civilization. He stated:

Today, the West is also confronted by the powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence, and challenge our interests. Americans, Poles, and the nations of Europe value individual freedom and sovereignty. We must work together to confront forces, whether they come from inside or out, from the South or the East, that threaten over time to undermine those values and to erase the bonds of culture, faith and tradition that make us who we are. If left unchecked, these forces will undermine our courage, sap our spirit and weaken our will to defend ourselves and our societies. [Emphasis added]

Trump understood that the West is under siege not only from radical Islam and the Communist Chinese but also from within the United States and many countries of Europe. Such groups, oftentimes allied with the ruling classes, seek to destroy traditional culture and moral values, as they believe the State is more important than the family, the individual, or the nation. Trump also instinctively recognized that after decades of indoctrination and the re-writing of history, far too many in the United States had lost confidence in American and thus Western civilization.

Richard Koch and Chris Smith in their book, Suicide of the West, wrote:

One hundred years ago, most Westerners felt tremendous pride and confidence in their civilization. They knew what it stood for, and they believed in it. Today that sense is gone. That is largely because the six principal ideas which underpinned Western confidence -- those of Christianity, optimism, science, economic growth, [classical] liberalism and individualism -- have suffered a century of sustained attack. These ideas no longer inspire or unite the West as they once did

There are three ongoing phenomena, either individually or collectively, that will precipitate the collapse of Western Civilization if not aggressively addressed. First, the degeneration and moral collapse of societies and subsequent acceptance of autocratic police states. Second, the willful destruction of economies and standards of living brought about by the inane determination to eliminate fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Third, the inevitable threat of Chinese global hegemony and their potential alliance with Russia.

Throughout all Western societies, Christianity is being replaced with secularism and fealty to the state. Child abuse, pedophilia and degeneracy are being normalized as the natural family structure, the fundamental building block of society, is under siege. Greed, apathy, narcissism, censorship and repression are rapidly becoming the hallmarks of Western Civilization. Cultural icons are being abandoned and destroyed as history is falsely re-written.

Other than Donald Trump, no Western leader in the past 20 years has addressed or even acknowledged these civilization-ending developments that are devastating and dramatically weakening the nations of the West. He did so in yet another powerful speech on July 4, 2020 as well as with his pro-family, anti-censorship, and religious freedom policies.

In an ongoing effort to transform the entirety of the Western world into a monolithic socialist oligarchy, the Western ruling elites, or globalists, have been promoting a green agenda. They are well aware that these policies will ultimately create massive economic decline and irreversible vulnerability. Yet, these elites claim to believe that a theoretically healthy relationship with the Earth requires making energy, the lifeblood of modern society, scarce regardless of economic or security implications.

Donald Trump has been the only Western leader to vociferously point out the duplicity of the globalists and that total reliance on unreliable renewables would greatly weaken economies, wipe out jobs, put money in the hands of authoritarian governments out to destroy the West and have no detectable influence on the worlds temperature or climate.

Meanwhile, Trump massively grew the American economy by expanding fossil fuel production, lowering the cost of energy and making the United States energy independent and able to supply other nations in the West. Unlike the timorous and imperious elites in Europe and America, Trump understood that having access to reliable, affordable energy isnt just important for the economy, its a matter of national and regional security.

The avoidable invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the subsequent irresponsible determination to force regime change in Moscow by Western leaders has opened the door for an alliance between Russia and Communist China. If this alliance is allowed to come to full fruition, China will effectively subjugate Russia and its massive reserves of natural resources and fossil fuels.

While the West is willfully destroying their economies, a China/Russia axis would dominate and effectively control virtually all economic activity throughout the world. This coalition would have a massive manufacturing base, nearly unlimited energy sources, as well as an overwhelming military and nuclear arsenal to enforce their hegemony. Thus, potentially relegating the United States and the nations of Europe to subservience and ending Western Civilizations global dominance.

Donald Trump was the first and still only Western leader to stand up to and definitively state that Communist China is the foremost threat to world peace and to change Americas defense strategy to include both Russia and China as the Wests major adversaries.

With the unprecedented success of the Abraham Accords among many other accomplishments, Donald Trump has become the most consequential and successful foreign affairs president since Ronald Regan, as he has shown he can negotiate once-thought-impossible peace agreements and avoid or resolve military conflicts. As such, he is uniquely qualified to shepherd the United States and the Western World through the perilous Chinese/Russia morass created by the current feckless Western leadership.

I had previously taken the position that Donald Trumps overwhelmingly successful legacy was set in stone and as he and his family have sacrificed and paid a massive personal and financial price on behalf of the American people, so he should rest on his laurels and not run in 2024. However, the accelerating downward spiral of the United States and the rest of the Western world combined with the specter of Chinese/Russia hegemony necessitates that he should seriously consider running.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 3.0 license
The New York Times Jason Horowitz on Monday correctly stated that Italy turned a page of European history on Sunday. Unfortunately, he was wrong in adding that Italy elected a hard-right coalition. In fact, the winning coalition led by Giorgia Meloni is a center-right one. But this kind of misunderstanding perfectly reflects the way liberals -- and the mainstream media -- change the meaning of words to suit their own narrative and agenda. Meloni, for her part, describes herself and her Fratelli dItalia party -- Brothers of Italy, a name that echoes the first line of the Italian national anthem -- as conservative. Theres no doubt that our values are conservative ones, she told the Washington Post. The issue of individual freedom, private enterprise in economy, educational freedom, the centrality of family and its role in our society, the protection of borders from unchecked immigration, the defense of the Italian national identity -- these are the matters that we preoccupy ourselves with. Of course, shes very firm on her beliefs and principles. As she said at CPAC 2022:

We (conservatives) are proud of our identities, of what we stand for. We live in an age where everything it stands for is under attack: our individual freedom is under attack, our rights are under attack, the sovereignty of our nations is under attack, the prosperity and well-being of our families is under attack, our childrens education is under attack. Faced with this, people understand that in this era, the only way to be rebellious is to preserve who we are, the only way to be rebellious is to be conservative. [] I see cancel culture fanatics in our institutions tearing down statues, tempering with books and comics, changing street names, accusing a shared history that they would like to rewrite. [] All of you in America and we in Europe, and our friends on all the other continents, are proud of our identities, of what we stand for. And we know that our opponent is operating globally, applying the same tactics and with the same ideology, to destroy our identities and what makes us who we truly are. [] Only a few months ago, European bureaucrats wrote a document, hundreds of pages long, telling us that in order to be inclusive we have to exclude all references to Christmas, Jesus, Mary and that all Christian names should be removed from all communications.

Meloni concluded her speech with a quote from G.K. Chesterton, Fires will be kindled to testify that two and two make four. Swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer. The time of that battle has come, but they will find us ready for the battle.

However, its true that Brothers of Italy has its roots in Italys far right. Founded in 2012, the party is the ideological descendent of the Italian Social Movement (Movimento Sociale Italiano) founded in 1946 by former supporters of fascism, and continues to use its symbol: the tricolor flame. But, as Meloni said in a campaign video, The Italian right has handed fascism over to history for decades now, unambiguously condemning the suppression of democracy and the ignominious anti-Jewish laws. Meloni visited Yad Vashem in 2009 when she was a minister in Silvio Berlusconis last government. Writing in her 2021 memoir I Am Giorgia, she described the experience as evidence of how a genocide happens step by step, a little at a time. In a speech disavowing fascism she compared herself to the British Tories, the U.S. Republicans and the Israeli Likud. In her book, she frequently namechecks the British arch-conservative philosopher Roger Scruton.

There is nothing extremist in the above-mentioned concepts. And please take note that Fratelli dItalia is the most right-wing party of the coalition. Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia is a moderate party and a member of the European Peoples Party, which includes Christian-democratic, conservative, and liberal-conservative member parties, while the League is a pragmatic populist party with both left-wing and moderate roots -- former Prime Minister Massimo DAlema (ex-communist Democratic party), once labeled the League as a rib of the left.

As for the worries about Melonis anti-EU views, at a rally in Milans main square earlier this month, she said, In Europe people are worried about Meloni. What will happen? What will happen is that the gravy train will come to an end. Italy will defend its national interests like others do -- looking for common solutions but always starting on the basis of defending their interests.

It is well known that Meloni is not alone on this path. Apart from her closeness to Hungarys Viktor Orban, she is the president of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), a political group in the European Parliament established in 2009 under the founding principles of the Prague Declaration. It includes Polands ruling Law and Justice party as well as center-right parties on the rise in countries like Spain (Vox) and Sweden (Sweden Democrats -- which after the results of the 2022 Swedish general election is the largest member of Swedens conservative bloc and the second largest party in the next Swedish parliament -- and Independent).

Lastly, unlike her friend Orban, Meloni has staunchly supported Ukraine and its right to defend itself against Russian aggression and has vowed to supply Kyiv with arms if she were prime minister.

All in all, apart from the EUs establishment and the international leftist community, no one should be worried about Italys next government.

Samuel Robert Piccoli is a blogger and the author of the books Being Conservative from A to Z (2014) and Blessed Are the Free in Spirit (2021). He is Italian and lives in the Venice area.

Image: Vox Espana
In the early 1970s I was a disaffected youth. I began working at the nonprofit Zero Population Growth. We promoted the idea that exploding human population would soon make the world uninhabitable.

The president of our organization went on the Johnny Carson television show. Sacks of mail, often with checks, arrived. The psychological effect was intoxicating.

One of our directors, a college professor, suggested that vending machines could sell suicide pills as a method of reducing the population. We did everything possible to shut that bad idea down. Not for moral reasons but to protect the organization. We wanted more members, more influence, and more money. Our motivation had changed from saving the Earth to getting more money and power.

Everything that Zero Population Growth promoted turned out to be wrong. The population bomb was a dud. There were no famines. People became better nourished even in the poorest countries. Rather than exponentially growing population, population growth slowed and even crashed in the richer countries. I learned a lifelong lesson of skepticism.

Thirty years later I retired from my work as an engineer and began what became a ten-year study of climate change. I went to scientific conferences and worked hard at making friends with climate scientists. I realized that the science predicting future doom from emissions of carbon dioxide was wildly speculative. Individual climate scientists did good work but accurately predicting the future climate was not realistic. I could not but help notice a climate of fear that prevented scientists from opposing the climate doom narrative. The labs and universities that employed scientists did not want any dissident voices that might torpedo the flow of money from Washington.

This was all predicted in the 1961 farewell address by President Eisenhower. He was worried that the science establishment, that he called the scientific-technical elite, would warp science to influence government policy for its own benefit.

/Dwight Eisenhower was a greatly underestimated President. His practical insight into human nature is illustrated by the fact that he made loads of money playing poker while in the Army. He also graduated first in his class out of 240 senior officers at the Army War College. Although President Eisenhower was usually depicted as a lightweight by the media, his insights were uncannily accurate.

Todays climate crisis is a modern example of public policy being ruined by a self-interested scientific-technological elite. World governments are spending trillions to avoid an imaginary climate crisis. Bizarrely, the methods selected to avoid the crisis -- windmills and solar panels -- cant possibly accomplish much, even if the crisis were real.

Climate scientists think they are engaged in one of the hard sciences. But climate science is actually a soft science because its conclusions depend on the statistical analysis of noisy and dubious data using complicated and opaque computerized models. It is the perfect setup for confirmation bias, the tendency for scientists to arrive at conclusions that support their preconceived prejudices. Worse than confirmation bias is lying and fakery in the pursuit of money and power, also not unknown.

There are plenty of climate scientists who have doubts, but they have to keep their doubts hidden. They are employees of large institutions and they have families and mortgages. The scientists that speak out are either retired or have impregnable positions due to exceptional scientific accomplishment. Among professional climate scientists, public opposition to the climate doom theory is rare, but it does happen -- I know of one climate scientist that forged a successful career as a denier, running over his opponents with raw courage and entrepreneurial talent.

Much of the opposition to the climate doom narrative comes from amateur scientists. These are typically politically savvy individuals with scientific backgrounds. Their credibility is limited by their lack of official professional qualifications, but they are immune to the establishments retaliations. Usually, they are retired, have their own businesses or are wealthy. The Internet makes it possible for them to speak to the world. They are reviving a tradition of amateur scientists that was dominant prior to the twentieth century.

Here are some examples of amateur scientists: Stephen McIntyre a retired Canadian mining expert runs the website climateaudit.org. Tony Heller, an electrical engineer, runs the website realclimatescience.com. Anthony Watts, a television meteorologist, runs the website wattsupwiththat.com. There are many more.

Rogue science could not have built the climate crisis empire without the help of the environmental movement. The environmental movement is always looking for an environmental crisis to which they can hitch their wagons. The environmental movement attracts disaffected youth looking for meaning in life as well as old lefties that see the movement as a path to a socialist utopia. Some of these non-profit organizations have great political influence and big budgets. They are driven by money and power. They lie shamelessly, hiding behind a facade of earnest concern.

Patrick Moore, a genuine scientist and one of the founders of Greenpeace, had an epiphany and left the climate change movement. His book, Fake Invisible Catastrophes and Threats of Doom, should be read by everyone with an open mind. Greg Wrightstone, a geologist, wrote: Inconvenient Facts: The science that Al Gore doesnt want you to know. The book is an accessible and powerful indictment of the climate crisis. The MIT scientist Richard Lindzen, a climate scientist who made important discoveries, exposed the reality of climate science and environmentalism from an insiders viewpoint in his profound essay: Climate Science: Is it currently designed to answer questions? Donna Laframboise exposed the unbelievable corruption within the supposedly authoritative United Nations International Panel on Climate Change with her book: The Delinquent Teenager Who Was Mistaken for the Worlds Top Climate expert.

Many dislike the term climate denier because it is intended as a smear against anyone that even questions the climate crisis. My own feeling is that it is better to wear this label as a badge of honor and thus play jiu jitsu with the climate establishments organs of propaganda.

We live in an age encapsulated by Romans 1:22: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

Formerly respectable medical institutions are trying to change boys into girls and vice versa with drugs and surgery.

Most big media present the climate crisis as if it is a solid scientific finding. They depict deniers as crackpots or paid spokesmen for oil companies. This is the arrogance of people who think they know everything but live in a sea of ignorance. The real investigative reporters work for minor, independent media without the vast money laden resources of big media.

Establishment climate science has become infatuated by its own imagined expertise and importance. Like many things in human history, arrogance is nothing new. We should remember the persecution of Galileo for suggesting that the Earth revolves about the sun, not vice versa.

Norman Rogers is the author of the book Dumb Energy about wind and solar energy. He is on the board of the CO2 Coalition. He has websites here and here.

Image: Public Domain
Thanks to an open threat issued by President Biden, the question must be asked: is the United States behind the two explosions that caused a massive natural gas leak into the Baltic Sea? The incident has cut off Russia's ability to deliver methane gas to Germany and other European nations.

The release of methane into the water and atmosphere is killing marine life and delivering a greenhouse gas pollutant into the atmosphere that would be gravely feared by believers in man-made global warming. The word "eco-terrorism" comes to mind the describe the act of sabotage, if that's what the explosions were.



YouTube screen grab (cropped).

Powerful voices are blaming Russia. According to the Washington Post, which frequently serves as an outlet for the Intelligence Community:

Five European officials with direct knowledge of security discussions said there was a widespread assumption that Russia was behind the incident. Only Russia had the motivation, the submersible equipment and the capability, several of them said, though they cautioned that they did not yet have direct evidence of Russia's involvement. "No one on the European side of the ocean is thinking this is anything other than Russian sabotage," said a senior European environmental official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal thinking about the leak. One official said it might have been a message to NATO: "We are close." Another said that it could be a threat to other, non-Russian energy infrastructure, since so many pipelines crisscross the Baltic Sea, including the one inaugurated Tuesday. A third noted that crucial internet data cables lie along the bottom of the sea, and there have been long-standing concerns that Russia has a submersible program that could cut them, causing communications chaos around the world.

But why would Russia want to preclude its ability to use the pipelines for leverage, threatening to further reduce  or increase  its delivery of natural gas? Russia could always cut deliveries without damaging the pipeline, after all, and maintain the ability to reward behavior it wants by increasing the delivery of gas. The explosions remove that lever from Putin's grasp.

What raises intense suspicion on the United States is the very specific threat that President Biden issued against Nordstream last February 7:

Pres. Biden: "If Russia invades ... then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it." Reporter: "But how will you do that, exactly, since ... the project is in Germany's control?" Biden: "I promise you, we will be able to do that."

Pres. Biden: "If Russia invades...then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it."



Reporter: "But how will you do that, exactly, since...the project is in Germany's control?"



Biden: "I promise you, we will be able to do that." https://t.co/uruQ4F4zM9 pic.twitter.com/4ksDaaU0YC  ABC News (@ABC) February 7, 2022

This is not conclusive proof of U.S. involvement, of course, but assuming Putin is not so stupid as destroy his own pipeline, it must raise grave suspicions in his mind that the U.S. is behind the eco-terrorism.

Reuters reports:

It remained far from clear who might be behind the leaks or any foul play, if proven, on the Nord Stream pipelines that Russia and European partners spent billions of dollars building. Russia, which slashed gas deliveries to Europe after the West imposed sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, has also said sabotage was a possibility and that the leaks undermined the continent's energy security. The European Union believes sabotage probably caused the leaks detected on Monday in the Nord Stream pipelines, Josep Borrell was reported as saying by German broadcaster ntv, echoing views aired by Germany, Denmark and Sweden on Tuesday. The EU has not named a potential perpetrator or suggested a reason behind it.

Tucker Carlson led his broadcast Tuesday with his view of the act and his fear of the kind of retaliation that Russia could undertake if it concludes that the U.S. was behind the explosions.

The threat of escalation of war, ultimately pitting the U.S. against Russia directly, instead of through proxies in Ukraine, is far more serious thanks to the Nordstream explosions. Russia maintains the world's largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, it must always be remembered.
Giorgia Melonis recent resounding victory in Italy is a lesson for America. Its simplethe slogan God, Family and Country would be a winner here, too, especially if backed by policies supporting those themes.

Listening to her, Meloni could be Margaret Thatchers granddaughter and, given her clear ties to Trump policies, we could have a strong relationship with Italy that harks back to the Reagan/Thatcher era. Further, Italy could drive the last nail in the autocratic, wild-eyed EU coffin. The EU recognizes this, explaining why it threatened sanctions if Italians elected Meloni.

Those Italians who put Meloni in office made clear that they were pushing back against the lefts policies: open borders, disdain for Christianity, the complete embrace of the LGBTQ+++ agenda, etc. That matters because America is bathed in the same tidal wave of suicidal societal insanity. People increasingly notice that its impossible to have reasonable conversations with many Americans whose values are so incompatible with a functional society that there is no common ground for discourse.

I estimate that about 15-20 % of America has slipped into this insanity. I base this on the Rasmussen Daily Presidential Tracking Poll, which invariably shows that Biden has strong support from at least 20% of the population. This is the same Biden who often does not know where he is or what he is saying and often speaks gibberish. Who has puppet masters 24/7. Who lacks the mental acumen to act rationally in an international crisis or attack on America. Who cannot possibly carefully assess legislation. As weve seen, the best Biden can do is sign where he is told, and even that just barely. This is a perilous situation for America, but 20% of Americans think all is well.

Image: Giorgia Meloni. YouTube screen grab.

Its this 20% (which heavily populates academia, Hollywood, and the media) from which we get this type of madness:

Societal breakdown: The ACLU drove the push to close mental hospitals in the 1970s, leaving the mentally ill to populate our streets with the Democrat partys full support. Theyve been joined by substance abusers who get free crack kits from the current administration. The Democrats fight hard against nuclear families (especially fathers) and the Judeo-Christian religious ethos. The Democrats are also normalizing homosexuality in the schools, complete with drag queen shows and very graphic books; and refusing to punish criminals.

This is especially true in Black communities, where LBJs Great Society (which economically encouraged single motherhood) eventually merged with the race hustlers and Critical Race Theory. With cheerleading from Obama, Biden, and BLM, many Blacks are alienated from the dominant culture and White America.

When you add to this an open border, which means there is no screening for diseases, drugs, criminal affiliations or propensities, and financial wherewithal, you are further undercutting the foundation of Americas strengths. The result is a society that only the Devil, Democrats, and the insane could welcome.

The FBIs breakdown. The FBI has been transformed from a law enforcement agency to a purely partisan organization that ignores the Constitution and the law. Instead, its management exists to punish those who oppose Bidens administration, and its rank and file, chained to pensions that vest only after 20 years, goes along for the ride (in the armored car, wearing SWAT gear). And, of course, Democrats cheer.

Economic breakdown. Its insane to bankrupt America with continued wild spending or to implement a Green New Deal that wont save the climate but will destroy our very effective energy systems; to sic 87,000 new, armed IRS agents on the middle class; and to send billions of dollars to Ukraine, while telling Americas hungry vets to get food stamps and sitting back while prices for everything soar out of the reach of ordinary Americans.

As I said, insanity, and America has a long road to recovery from it. Melonis victory, however, offers hope when we need bucking up. If Meloni can win in the heart of the European Union, we Americans can claw our way back from the madness infecting our country and return to affluent normalcy.

Christopher Garbacz was a professor of economics. He has often traveled in Italy.
Hurricane Ian is shaping up to be a big deal. Its currently a Category 3 hurricane (sustained winds maxing out at 125 MPH and lots of moisture), growing stronger by the minute. Its expected to land in Florida late Wednesday or early Thursday as a Category 2 or 3 storm. The possibility of severe damage to life and property is currently very high. At times like this, state governors matter because theyre responsible for mobilizing emergency services to protect their state. When presidents are normal, they reach out to the affected governors to offer aid and make plans. So far, though, Biden will not talk to Governor Ron DeSantis.

The Daily Wire reports:

President Joe Biden (D) has spoken on the phone with numerous Florida mayors ahead of Hurricane Ians anticipated landfall this week, but he has not called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), one of his top political opponents. Biden held separate calls Tuesday with Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa, Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg, and Mayor Frank Hibbard of Clearwater to discuss preparations for the potential impacts from Hurricane Ian, the White House said in a statement. The president spoke about response efforts at the federal, state, and local levels that officials are taking to be ready for if and when the hurricane hits the state. What was notable about the statement from the administration was that it made no mention of Biden reaching out to DeSantis. Bidens apparent refusal to talk to DeSantis comes after he pledged unity and promised to be a President for all Americans.

In addition to both Castor and Welch being Democrats, mayors are, as a general matter, safe. Because their political office is so far removed from the White House, theyre probably impressed and flattered to hear directly from the American president.

Image: Hurricane Ian. YouTube screen grab.

Its not hard, though, to understand why Biden is unwilling to talk to DeSantis. Biden doesnt want to shine any spotlight at all on DeSantis. Natural disasters are always a proving ground for governors and, when the governor is a Republican, the media scrutinizes their every word and move. Given that DeSantis has shown himself, so far, to be an effective administrator, hes likely to emerge well from the scrutiny. The last thing Biden wants to do is to give DeSantis even more media attention.

But what I see here is fear. DeSantis is currently a big star in the Republican party. He guided his state successfully through COVID by ignoring the panics, lockdowns, and mandates, and hes also shown himself to be very adept at PR. His staff members shut down Twitter criticism, his speeches are direct and unafraid, his policies are normal (no sex talk in kindergarten classrooms), and his Marthas Vineyard plan captured voters imaginations.

With all that in mind, can you imagine Biden trying to maintain a conversation with DeSantis? Currently, Bidens speech and conduct are strongly indicative of dementia:

Even in a polite conversation, theres the risk that DeSantis will eat Biden alive. In addition, you can be certain that DeSantis will be taking notes and that some or all of what Biden has to say will be remembered for later use.

Bidens refusal (so far) to call DeSantis is almost certainly connected to political calculations. Its also entirely at odds with the American presidents obligation to be there in times of need for all Americans. But of course, this is the same president whos asserted that half the country is semi-fascist for failing to support his administration. Unity is difficult once youve made that call.
The reset of the globalists' Great Reset has begun in Europe. Yay! Americans may join Europeans in November and make the snowball bigger.

It seems that the grassroots have started a populist reset for sure, because mainstream media (MSM) in the USA and in other countries are slinging the word "fascist" out with abandon and fear-mongering.

On September 11, 2022, Swedish voters opted for a new direction for their country. The voters may be very happy about that, but the Washington Post isn't.

The left-leaning publication wrote this on September 14, 2022: "A loose coalition of right-wing parties has narrowly defeated Sweden's center-left government in a general election, a victory that promises to upend Swedish politics and the country's reputation as a haven for progressive, pluralistic ideals."

The paper gave a fairly objective report of who the winners of the election were: Swedish Democrats (S.D.) led by Jimmie Akesson, a lawmaker, along with the Moderate, Christian, and Liberal parties, and they will form a government.

Also, the WaPo reported that Akesson wrote on Facebook that it is time to make Sweden good again. Seems fairly mild, doesn't it? But the WaPo maligned the S.D. party in other paragraphs in the story with editorial comments about the party being anti-immigrant and having been created by right-wing extremists and neo-Nazis.

Maybe the Swedes have common sense; maybe they are not okay with globalists' plans for Europe.

Moving on to England, earlier in September, the Conservative Party chose Liz Truss to become prime minister. On September 6, Nathan Tan wrote for the Star, "The election of Liz Truss as the UK's next prime minister calls to mind a noticeable trend worldwide of electing heads of government who aren't, shall we say, what all would consider the sharpest tool in the shed."

Shall we conclude that Tan is an elitist and that he is not the brightest bulb in the pack? I think so. And it seems obvious that mainstream media types liked the scheming of the globalists and are sad to see the Great Reset taken down by the little people.

Another political upset in Europe occurred on September 24, 2022, when Giorgia Meloni won the election for prime minister in Italy. She leads the Brothers of Italy party. The New York Post called Meloni far-right and reported that she is the first female prime minister in Italy.

Other media outlets were not that charitable. Robert Saviano of The Guardian wrote on September 24 that Meloni is a danger to Italy and the rest of Europe. He tied her to Mussolini because of her focus on God, family, and homeland.

Maybe Italians like her focus and want Italy to be Italy again, not just another dumping ground for immigrants from the Middle East and Africa?

The MSM in the USA wrote headlines including words to describe Meloni that were meant to gin up fear. CNN used "far right" to describe Meloni; the New York Times advised caution and trepidation concerning her. Then there were the liberal talking heads on cable news outlets who called Meloni a fascist.

Steve Hilton, a Fox News host, commented in an interview with Aisha Hosni, "Well, it's amazing how they reach for that word almost instinctively. And almost the most hilarious aspect of this ... was last night on MSNBC I literally saw their sort of title for this election result in Italy was 'Global Erosion of Democracy.' So now, a free election that is won by someone they don't like is called an erosion of democracy, and it just goes to show how actually extreme the left and their media supporters in America have become. ... Anyone would think that actually they're the ones moving in authoritarian direction."

Scott McKay in the Spectator addressed the false narrative that fascism is on the right or the far right. He wrote, "Perhaps the biggest lie told in the last 100 years on this planet is the one about fascism. Specifically, that fascism is a 'far-right' phenomenon.

"It's never been a particularly convincing lie. Not when all of the self-avowed fascists who took power in the 20th century in places like Italy and Germany were quite outspoken in their belief that they were men of the left."

The truth is that leftists, progressives, secular humanists, wokesters, and globalists want to have their way in the world, and their way is not the conservative road. It is the elitist takeover and make-you-people-into-peasants road. Well, we peasants are saying we don't think so, not going to go along with your plan, through the politicians we are electing in Europe and in the USA.

I hope voters in the U.S. help reset the Great Reset by voting in conservative candidates locally and for Congress. Let's roll.

C.S. Boddie writes for Meadowlark Press, LLC.

Image via Pexels.
We live in a world where elites like celebrities and politicians and billionaires beclown themselves by living high on the hog while admonishing the little people to tighten their belts and live more austere lives. We are surrounded by selfishness and hypocrisy and tone-deafness, and we are witnessing the downfall of law and order and possibly the Constitution itself.

In such a world, at such a time, John Cenas new world record is that much more heartwarming. John is rich and famous, having made his mark as a professional wrestler and a rapper before moving on to acting. He has endorsements with Gillette, Golds Gym, and the Daytona 500. Hes in high demand and can do pretty much as he chooses.

One of the things he chooses to do is work with Make-A-Wish. The foundation grants wishes to children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. Children have wished for a puppy, to get a tree house, to spend a day as a firefighter, or to visit a resort like Disneyland. Many children wish to meet a celebrity they admire.

Image: John Cena. YouTube screen grab.

John Cena is the most requested celebrity at Make-A-Wish since they opened in 1999. He started granting wishes in 2002. Guinness World Records recently announced that John is the world record holder for granting wishes, at a whopping 650 wishes. No one else has granted more than 200 wishes.

John was honored in 2015 for granting 500 wishes. On that occasion, he said, I will drop what Im doing and be involved because I think thats the coolest thing. John just met with Misha, a refugee teen from Ukraine. Mishas mother kept up his spirits on their dangerous journey by telling him they were going to meet John Cena, and sure enough, John answered that call. How cool is that?

Pandra Selivanov is the author of Future Slave, a story about a 21st century black teenage who goes back in time and becomes a slave in the old south.
The Financial Post reports that major banks in the United States and Europe are threatening to withdraw from a green banking and investment group committed to pursuing net zero goals due to fears of lawsuits and the impact of increasingly stringent carbon dioxide emission reduction benchmarks on the firms' profitability. This is a wise decision.

Ending the use of fossil fuels in a vain attempt to prevent climate change is bad for the economy in general and banking and diversified investment funds in particular. These banks never should have led or participated in such an effort.

According to the Financial Post, major U.S financial institutions are having misgivings about the ever more stringent climate goals pushed by the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). Founded and led by Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, GFANZ's membership consists of 450 financial firms accounting for $130 trillion of assets. It works with the United Nations to meet net zero carbon dioxide emission goals. The Financial Post writes:

Yet, now, as GFANZ and the U.N. are ratcheting up the anti-fossil fuel rhetoric and pushing stricter emission reduction goals on shorter timelines, U.S. banks including like JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America Corp. are having second thoughts about further participation in GFANZ. The question is, can they afford it and their accountants and attorneys are increasingly answering, NO!

The banking giants "have said they feel blindsided by tougher UN climate criteria and are worried about the legal risks of participation."

One anonymous top executive at a big U.S. bank is quoted as saying, "I am close to taking us out of these global green commitments  I'm not going to allow third parties to create legal liabilities for us and our shareholders. It is immoral and irresponsible."

Colluding to block future banking with or investment in coal, oil, and gas companies, as was demanded this summer by the U.N.'s Race to Zero campaign that accredits pledges made by GFANZ, could expose the firms to anti-trust prosecution, among other potentially problematic types of legal exposure.

Nor is it just major U.S. banks that are concerned about increasing carbon dioxide reduction commitments and potential regulations to enforce them.

"European banks including Santander Bank NA have also expressed misgivings." In particular, European bank executives are concerned that forthcoming U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules around climate risk disclosures and commitments could result in lawsuits.

"A European bank executive said that 'there is no way we are joining any new ESG groups, we don't control them,'" one top European banker told the Financial Post.

Another fact bankers are considering is that banks in China, Russia, and India, three of the world's top carbon-emitting countries, are not party to GFANZ, a fact that both puts participating banks at a competitive disadvantage and undermines the effectiveness of carbon reduction commitments. Of the 116 banks that joined GFANZ's Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), none is from China (33 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions) or India (nearly seven percent of global CO2 emissions), and only one is from Russia (accounting for about six percent of CO2 emissions). By contrast, tiny Liechtenstein, with emissions totaling less than a tenth of one percent of global emissions, counts three banks as members of NZBA. If Liechtenstein's banks' emissions go to zero  not net zero, but zero, meaning basically they ceased all operation  it would have no measurable impact on global CO2 emissions or climate change.

It should be noted that banks are also receiving substantial pushback from U.S. states that are increasingly cutting financial ties to institutions that boycott companies in the fossil fuel industries or adopt ESG policies attempting to direct investment away from coal, oil, and gas companies for political reasons, as opposed to financial performance.

It is good that the banks are waking up to the fact that the pursuit of net zero and ESG goals could put them at legal risk and negatively impact their financial performance. We at the Heartland Institute have reported on the economic harm net zero goals and ESG efforts would undoubtedly have on consumers, the general public, companies in particular industries, and the wider economy.

There is never a good time to adopt bad policies in the public or private sector, and net zero laws and regulations and ESG initiatives, whether pushed by woke government bureaucrats or financial elites running banks and investment houses, represent among the worst of bad policies  for the United States, the world, and companies and their investors.

H. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D. (hburnett@heartland.org) is the director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy at The Heartland Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research center headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Image: GFANZ.
If Joe Biden and his ruling Democrats had intended to discredit President Trump through their showy Mar-a-Lago raid, a new poll suggests they have failed miserably.

They've actually accomplished the opposite of what they set out to do.

According to the highly reputable and accurate I&I/TIPP, Trump has lost not a whit of popularity with Republican voters since the FBI raid.

In fact, he's actually gained.

What do the numbers say about Trump, who, between those two polls, endured the FBIs raid, which has no precedent in U.S. history? In August, 53% of Republicans said they would vote for Trump. In September, that number rose to 54%, a small gain. But Trump has a majority of his party, while Biden barely ekes out a third of the Democrats. And, the important point, he lost nothing from the Mar-A-Lago raid. If anything, he gained support, while other potential challengers slipped. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who received 17% in the August poll, dipped to 15% in September, while former Vice President Mike Pence dropped from 10% to 8%. No other GOP challenger received more than 2% in September.

Trump has the support of more than half his party with that 54% popularity figure commonly characterized as landslide territory.

Biden by contrast has the support of only one out of three Democrat voters, and though the numbers show that Biden's "popularity" rose from 30% to 34% among Democrats, that's a chump-change figure, given that so few of them support him at all.

It looks as though that broad effort to smear, criminalize, and discredit President Trump through the Mar-a-Lago FBI raid has actually backfired badly on Democrats. They've actually made him more popular.

What it tells us is that voters are no longer being fooled by Joe Biden and his politicization of law enforcement.

To start, the legal premises of the raid were nonsense: presidents are the prime consumer of the nation's intelligence apparatus's "products" (which is secrets) and have the complete power to classify or declassify documents. Nobody screamed when President Trump declassified his phone call transcript with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in the run-up to the first time congressional Democrats impeached and attempted to convict him.

Two, presidents of all stripes have classified documents within their personal papers for their presidential libraries. AT contributor Christopher Knight wrote an excellent piece a couple days ago describing how President Obama presidential records  twenty truckloads of it  are sitting in a Chicago warehouse with a lot less security than Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. You can just guess what the Clinton presidential records, wherever they are, would look like.

Three, something was "off" about the whole raid, given that Trump had been cooperating and handing the lawmen access to his premises in the run-up to the August 8 raid, and the series of leaks about the danger of the documents floated around were notably false, with phony claims of nuclear secrets, and the year-long stretch between the supposed imminent danger and the actual raid sure did show that the government acts slowly.

Four, the indiscriminate dragnet nature of the raid, with agents tossing the entire household instead of just going for the documents they knew they wanted, raiding the kid's room, taking incredibly irrelevant stuff such as articles of clothing, flinging the papers around haphazardly so a photo could be taken and Joe Biden could tell 60 Minutes he'd never seen anything more "irresponsible," pretty well told everyone all he needed to know about the public relations staging of the matter.

Five, the disgusting behavior of the raiding agents, who apparently pawed through Melania Trump's underwear drawer and fluffed through her closet, with some reports saying they actually tried on some of her clothing and shoes for selfies so they could show all their little friends, only served further to say that this was an abuse of power, not a recovery effort to save the nation from the loss of its national security secrets.

Six, there was the news, disclosed in a judge's ruling about a "special master" to review whether the raiders had any business taking the documents, that Joe Biden knew all about the plans to raid Mar-a-Lago. This stands in stark contrast to Biden's denials to knowing about the matter, but it does show what the plan was in this raid: Biden, after all, plans to run for re-election presumably against President Trump, and it would be handy to knock out such a rival before the matter could be put to a vote.

In light of this disgraceful show, is it any surprise that the American public just wasn't buying it? It only served to show the public that Trump was the victim here, not the perpetrator, and Joe Biden was abusing the power of the state.

The fact of the matter is that the Mar-a-Lago raid was a show raid, done for the television cameras for Joe Biden's public relations purposes, and with zero regard for either precedent, or any rule of law.

Apparently, Biden's been to that well once too often, and now the public is on to him, rallying around President Trump as a result. Prior to the raid, Trump had seen his popularity begin to dissipate in favor of other fine GOP candidates such as Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis, but Biden has managed to give Trump his momentum back.

It's of a piece with Democrats' efforts to promote MAGA Republican candidates in the primaries in the hopes that they will be unelectable in the general election. Instead, it has just made them more popular.

This is the mother of all backfires, an own goal for Democrats, Joe Biden stepping on another rake. As President Obama once said: "Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f--- things up."

Well, with the Mar-a-Lago raid intended to discredit President Trump, he has.

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.
(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 28 - Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti on Wednesday became the first European woman to command the International Space Station (ISS).

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Cristoforetti took the helm from the previous commander, Russian Oleg Artemyev, taking a ceremonial brass key from him.

The 45-year-old became Italy's first woman astronaut during her first mission in 2014/2015.

She is only the fifth European commander of the ISS and the second Italian after Luca Parmitano in 2019-21.

Cristoforetti, a hugely popular figure nicknamed AstroSam, said "a big thank you to Italy and all the Italia men and women who have always supported me and followed me on this mission with affection.

"It is an honour and a privilege to represent Italy here in space. If I am here today it is thanks to the great commitment which our country has achieved and still achieves in the space field".

DRessed in a blue t-shirt and grey trousers, her hair longer than usual, Cristoforetti thanked Artemyev for his command and generosity.

"I wish you a happy return to Earth in the next few hours," she said to the ex-commander and his two crew mates, Denis Matveev e Sergey Korsakov, who are expected to touch down in a Soyuz at nine a.m. Italian time Thursday.

"It's a pleasure and an honour to stay with you and to continue to work with you," she told her colleagues on Crew 4, who came to the ISS with her.

The past and present crew saluted her as "commander" before a round of applause and the traditional sound of the bell that concluded the ceremony.

When the appointment was announced earlier this month, Cristoforetti said "I am humbled by my appointment to the position of commander." The Milan-born astronaut has been on the ISS since beginning her Minerva mission in April.

"I look forward to drawing on the experience I've gained in space and on Earth to lead a very capable team in orbit." said Cristoforetti, who is in space for the second time.

"Congratulations Samantha," said Italian Space Agency (ASI) President Giorgio Saccoccia on September 14.

"Her appointment is a reason for special pride for Italy and Europe.

"As the first European woman to hold the position of commander of the International Space Station, Samantha will once again be a source of inspiration for young generations". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 28 - Pope Francis said on his recent trip to Kazakhstan that it was a mistake to call the conflict in Ukraine the Russia-Ukraine was since it was actually a world war, the Vatican said Wednesday.

In his September 15 remarks to his fellow Jesuit organ Civilta Cattolica editor Father Antonio Spadaro, Francis said "a war is taking place and I think it is a mistake to think that it is a cowboy film where there are goodies and baddies.

"And it also is a mistake to think that this is a war between Russia and Ukraine alone.

"No: this is a world war". (ANSA).


LISBON - After guaranteeing it would commit to the respect of the Albufeira convention (an agreement regulating water flows of major Spanish rivers signed by Spain and Portugal in 1998, which became effective in 2000), the Spanish government has changed course, blocking the concession of water which, under the convention, should be completed by September 30.



Over the past few days, thousands of farmers from the provinces of Leon, Zamora and Salamanca, in the region of the river that Spaniards call Duero and the Portuguese Douro, protested against the obligation to reopen dams. And the ministry for ecological transition of Madrid has already ordered to close them again, admitting that the respect of Albufeira could be questioned by the difficulties of Spanish agriculture, already in poor condition due to this year's drought. The drought was no less severe on the other side of the border. And the current battle on Douro, north of the Spanish peninsula, could also move to the waters of Tago, the river cutting the peninsula and flowing into Lisbon. The plan that the Sanchez government should approve in about a month provides for the reduction of flows by 40% to deal with the scarcity of resources. Spanish newspaper El Mundo on Monday spoke about a "war of water".




TUNIS - Tunisian authorities have arrested 12 people on charges of criminal association in connection with demonstrations last Sunday in Mornag, a town south of Tunis, after reports said a fruit and vegetable street vendor, whose scale had been seized by municipal officers a few weeks before, had committed suicide, the interior ministry said in a statement. In the statement, the ministry said that "about 100 people, mostly criminals, gathered Sunday at a crossroad of the market in Mornag and threw molotov cocktails against police units, burning tires and blocking the road". "Police had to intervene to disperse the protesters and arrested 12 aggressors", according to the statement.



Questioned by investigators, the suspects detained "confessed they received a sum of money from a person who belongs to a political party to cause disruption and sow tension", the statement said. A prosecutor opened an investigation on charges of criminal association with the objective of harming public order and private and public property. "To this end, 12 people were placed under pre-trial detention and others were arrested on charges of instigation and distribution of money", it concluded.
TEL AVIV - Four Palestinian militants on Wednesday morning were killed in a refugee camp in Jenin, north of the West bank, by Israeli fire, according to a report broadcast by military radio. According to initial information, soldiers besieged the home of the father of Raad Hazem, the man responsible for the terrorist attack in Tel Aviv's Dizengoff road which caused last April three Israeli victims. Among those killed - military radio added - was Rahaman Hazem, Raad's brother. Palestinian news agency Wafa published the name of another victim, Ahmed Alawneh, 24.



According to Wafa, "scenes of war" could be seen on Wednesday morning in Jenin. Local sources stated that the minarets of mosques launched repeated appeals to the population to hide militants fighting against Israeli forces.



Over 40 Palestinians were injured in the clashes, according to the latest toll.



The presidency of Mahmoud Abbas has condemned this morning's incidents, defining them as a "dangerous Israeli escalation" that won't give "legitimacy, security and stability to Israel, nor in holy Islamic and Christian sites, neither in Jenin nor in other occupied Palestinian territories". The spokesman of the presidency Nabil Abu Rudeinah denounced that Israel "is still a state outside international law and that Israel and the US have lost their credibility, asking for calm and maintaining stability" while on the ground "they practice every form of escalation, murder and destruction against the Palestinian people, its land and its holy sites". Palestinian Premier Muhammad Shtayyeh also condemned what it described as an Israeli "crime".




NAPLES - The cruise industry is back, after the Covid pandemic, with 3.3 million passengers reported in the Adriatic in 2022, involving Italian coasts and those of Croatia, Bosnia, Greece, Albania, Slovenia and Montenegro. These are key issues in the analysis of the "Adriatic Sea Forum - Cruise, Ferry, Sail & Yacht" scheduled to take place in Bari on October 6-7.



The two-day event organized by 'Risposte turismo' (tourism responses) will be opened by Puglia Governor Michele Emiliano and by Bari Mayor Antonio Decaro. It will be dedicated to meetings between port operators, representatives of the cruise industry and tourist operators to make programs. At the forefront will be the numbers of the rebirth of the cruise sector as well as some 18 million passengers on ferries and hydrofoils in the Adriatic Sea (up 26% on 2021) with Bari as the first destination in the Adriatic for international routes.



Launched in 2013 and now on its fifth edition, the forum will register the participation of operators of the cruise, ferry and nautical sectors from seven countries overlooking the Adriatic with a strong calling for maritime tourism thanks to the presence of over 150 tourist destinations across 25 regions.



"The new edition of the Adriatic Sea Forum - explained Francesco di Cesare, president of Risposte Turismo - comes at a significant time for the sector in which the challenge, more than in the past, lies in attracting tourists. During the two days, we will pose to operators and representatives of government agencies a series of themes to understand the trajectories of development and we will listen to the intentions, projects, programs and questions to reach new and more ambitious results".



While awaiting forecasts for 2023, 'Risposte Turismo' has anticipated forecasts for the end of 2022 with a cruise traffic which at the end of the year will reach in the Adriatic 3.3 million tourists, up 232% on 2021 thanks to the 2,936 stopovers of cruise ships (+195% on 2021). The doubling of cruise traffic compared to 2021 is encouraging but remains just over half of that recorded in 2019 before the start of the pandemic, when 5.7 million passengers had been in movement. The podium of the 2022 ranking sees Corfu at the helm with more than half a million passengers expected and 411 ship dockings, in front of Kotor (400,000 passengers in movement and 440 ship arrivals) and Trieste (380,000 passengers in movement and 230 dockings). At the national level, at the end of the year Italy is expected to get first place for the number of passengers in movement (1.36 million, or 40% of the total), in front of Croatia (900,000 passengers) and Greece (560,000 passengers). Croatia, instead, will register at the end of 2022 the highest number of ship dockings (995) in front of Italy (927) and Montenegro (453). As far as the segment of ferries and hydrofoils are concerned, the numbers of the Adriatic Sea Tourism Report showed at the end of 2022 in Adriatic ports nearly 18 million passengers in movement (+26% on 2021 and the result close to the 20 million - record numbers - recorded in 2019). At the end of 2022, Bari is expected to be confirmed as the first port in the Adriatic for passengers in movement on international routes (nearly 800,000), ahead of Durazzo and Ancona competing for second position with some 690,000 passengers in movement. In all three ports ferries are in movement for 100% of international routes.
The mother of Archie Battersbee said she has received a barrage of online abuse including death threats, and that a noose was left on her sons grave.

Hollie Dance said there had been very severe trolling since May, weeks before 12-year-old Archies life support was withdrawn on August 6.

Life support was withdrawn after his parents failed in bids to overturn a High Court ruling that doctors could lawfully do so.

Speaking to the PA news agency, Ms Dance said the trolling was absolutely awful.

Its been like it from mid-May, she said.

The police have been investigating since mid-May so were hoping a case is building now.

Archie Battersbee, 12, whose life support was withdrawn after a legal battle between his parents and doctors (Family photo/ PA)

They are on it. Weve got over 10,000 screenshots of some of the vile comments and accusations.

She said much of the abuse was on social media, but there was also a noose put on his grave and hanging ropes on the vigil tree.

Ive had two death threats, Ms Dance said.

My sons been threatened.

Its just constant, every single day.

Archie Battersbees mother Hollie Dance said the family have been severely trolled. (Aaron Chown/ PA)

She said that people had complained to Southend Borough Council after she was at his graveside on her birthday on Friday, with a gazebo up.

The fact theyve now rung the council, the cemetery, theyve said weve had this gazebo up and were partying, were playing music, eating, drinking, making it sound really quite bad, she said.

It sounds so bad and its not the case.

The gazebo, small gazebo was put up because rain was forecast on my birthday.

Everybody thats worried about me at the minute knows where Im going to be because Im here obviously daily with Arch.

They were just doing something nice, a few of them have come and sat with me.

Asked permission from the people in Archies row.

Theres literally six graves here, asked permission, does anybody else mind?, everybody was more than OK with it.

One of the ladies whose daughter is here as well, she actually came and sat with her Starbucks coffee, thats the drink theyre referring to.

Another lady came over and brought me some chocolates and said my heart goes out to you today Hollie, your birthday, I knew you would be here with Archie, where else would you be.

Thats the food theyre referring to.

It was bucketing it down at 3pm so we sat under a gazebo then the gazebo was taken down.

Its like Im not allowed to grieve, whatever I do.

Judges were told Ms Dance found Archie unconscious with a ligature over his head at home in Southend in Essex on April 7.

She thinks he may have been taking part in an online challenge, and he suffered brain damage.

Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, thought he was brain-stem dead and said continued life-support treatment was not in his best interests.

His funeral was held earlier this month.

Cllr Martin Terry, cabinet member for public protection for Southend Borough Council, said: We understand that people will always grieve in different ways when they lose a loved one.

We would remind all families with loved ones in the cemetery of the conditions of when they purchased the plot, and to remind them that the cemetery is a public space that many people use to visit their loved ones, and as such we want to ensure that it remains respectful for all.

Essex Police have been approached for comment.
Two burglars have been convicted of killing a man during a bungled bid to snatch nearly 100,000 of drugs from a cannabis factory.

Shaddai Smith, 32, and Jason Sebran, 38, broke into a house in Granville Avenue, Hounslow, west London, on March 22 last year.

The Old Bailey heard that the property was the base of a sophisticated operation to cultivate more than 200 cannabis plants with an estimated value of 95,000.

Smith and Sebran climbed up a ladder and through a bathroom window, only to find the house occupied by Albanian Renato Geci, 21, and his brother Vilson Geci, 29.

The older sibling went to see what was going on, and was confronted by the intruders and sprayed in the face with what he believed was acid, the court heard.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett KC had told jurors that a violent struggle ensued with Smith grabbing a knife from the kitchen and Sebran armed with a screwdriver.

Mr Aylett said: Renato was stabbed to death with the knife as well as being stabbed with the screwdriver.

As for Vilson, he was stabbed in the thigh with the knife and he also sustained a significant number of other injuries, albeit that most of them were fairly superficial.

The defendants fled through a window and went to ground.

After his arrest, Smith admitted going to burgle the premises and claimed he had come under attack.

Sebran told police that someone else had gone into the house while he waited outside in his car.

Shaddai Smith was found guilty of murder and wounding with intent (Metropolitan Police/PA)

However, Vilson Gecis description of one attackers tattoos matched letters and numbers on Sebrans arms celebrating the names and birthdays of his two children.

Sebran told officers: Its not like Im coming into someones house and nicking your TV and your video  its cannabis. They shouldnt be doing it in the first place so I aint got no morals about taking it.

But Mr Aylett told jurors: All the same, those men were not acting in the public interest. Instead they were in it for money.

An expert has suggested that the potential value of the cannabis could have been as much as 95,000.

Jurors were told that both men had pleaded guilty to burglary but said they believed the premises to be unoccupied at the time.

The jury deliberated for nearly 25 hours to find Smith and Sebran guilty of murder and wounding with intent by a majority of 11 to one.

Jason Sebran will be sentenced on Thursday (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Smith, of Firwood Lane, Romford, and Sebran, from Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, were remanded into custody to be sentenced on Thursday.

Detective Inspector Garth Hall, from Scotland Yard, said: Smith and Sebrans claims that they believed the house they were entering was empty and that their intention was only to steal cannabis plants have been disproved by the jury.

Both men had ample opportunity to leave the property when they found Renato and another man inside; however  they were driven by greed and the profit they saw they could make from stealing the cannabis plants.

They decided to attack Renato, using lethal force as they overpowered him, and causing multiple injuries to their second victim before fleeing empty-handed.
A ruling on legal issues arising out of the acquittal of four people who were prosecuted for pulling down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston during a Black Lives Matter protest  the so-called Colston Four  will be delivered by judges.

Court of Appeal judges were told at a hearing in June that the toppling of the statue was an unacceptable way to engage in political debate.

The bronze memorial to the 17th-century slave merchant was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol on June 7 2020, before being rolled into the water.

In January this year, four protesters involved in tearing down the statue were cleared by a jury at Bristol Crown Court of criminal damage.

Sage Willoughby, Jake Skuse, Milo Ponsford and Rhian Graham outside Bristol Crown Court (Ben Birchall/PA)

All four had admitted involvement but denied their actions were criminal, claiming the statue itself had been a hate crime against the people of Bristol.

Following the jurys decision, then-attorney general Suella Braverman referred the case to the Court of Appeal so judges could clarify the law for future cases  without affecting the fours acquittals.

At a hearing in London in June, three judges considered the law around the acquittal of Rhian Graham, one of the four.

Lawyers representing the Attorney Generals Office argued at the hearing that pulling down the statue was a violent act involving significant force.

They said violent acts are not covered by the European Convention on Human Rights freedoms of conscience under article 9, expression under article 10 and association under article 11.

Lawyers for Ms Graham said the referral to the Court of Appeal should not have been made, arguing that part of the Attorney Generals case was no more than a general attack on the use of juries.

The court was told that Colston played an active role in the enslavement of 84,000 black people, with around 19,000 people dying on slave ships from Africa.

The statue caused serious distress, offence and harm to Bristolians and others, including black people, Ms Montgomery said in written submissions.

Human rights organisation Liberty also made representations to the court.

The Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, Mr Justice Holgate and Mr Justice Saini are due to give their decision in writing at 12 noon on Wednesday.
Dave Grohl invited fans to spend some time in the musical mind of Taylor Hawkins, as he opened a special tribute concert to the late Foo Fighters drummer.

The event at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles is the second celebration of Hawkins since the 50-year-old drummer was found dead in his hotel room in Colombia in March.

It follows a previous concert on September 3 at Wembley Arena in London, which saw the band joined by Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John and Liam Gallagher, among other famous faces from the UK music world.

The LA show featured less verbal tributes to Hawkins, but was stacked with US music powerhouses throughout the night including Wolfgang Van Halen and Miley Cyrus, as well as members of UK rock bands, The Darkness and Def Leppard.

Welcoming fans gathered in the arena Grohl told them the show would let them spend some time in [Hawkins] musical mind and celebrate this person that has touched our lives, the LA Times reported.

"This is the hometown shit so you gotta make it loud for Taylor tonight." #TaylorHawkinsTribute pic.twitter.com/lTnISgUNSk  Foo Fighters (@foofighters) September 28, 2022

This is the hometown shit so you gotta make it loud for Taylor tonight, he said.

First to perform was Grohls 16-year-old daughter Violet, who gave an emotional rendition of Leonard Cohens Hallelujah  having previously sung at the UK concert.

Second to perform was US musician Joan Jett, who took to the stage to play several songs with the Foo Fighters, accompanied by Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.

Hawkins 16-year-old son Oliver Shane later introduced his fathers classic-rock cover band, Chevy Metal, telling fans at the arena Im really nervous.

The youngster had previously performed drums at the UK tribute concert in London.

Chevy Metal were joined by Kesha onstage and gave a rendition of David Bowies Heroes.

First to perform in LA was Grohls 16-year-old daughter Violet, who also previously sang at the UK concert earlier this month (Kevin Mazur/MBC/PA)

Other performers throughout the night included Mark Ronson, as well as Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee of Motley Crue.

British rockers Def Leppard also joined the roster to pay musical tribute, with frontman Joe Elliott recalling a meeting with Hawkins three decades earlier in California.

So, 30 years ago Phil (Collen) walked into a guitar store in Laguna Hills and a 20-year-old kid sold him some guitar strings, he told crowds.

About five years later we did Top Of The Pops in England this kid walks into the dressing room. He was playing drums for Alanis Morrisette.

That was Taylor Hawkins, so in memory of. Lets do some proper songs for Taylor.

Grohl took to the stage multiple times throughout the evening, performing with different artists (

The band played Rock Of Ages before being joined briefly by US star Miley Cyrus for a rendition of Photograph, matching her bleached blonde hair with Elliots.

Funds from concert tickets and merchandise sales will go to the Music Support and MusiCares charities, which were selected by the Hawkins family, who have helped organise the event.

Hawkins played in the band fronted by former Nirvana drummer Grohl for more than two decades, alongside Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett and Rami Jaffee.

He joined Foo Fighters in 1997 after previously touring with Morissette. Hawkins also starred with the band in their recently released film, Studio 666.

Following his death in March, the band cancelled all upcoming tour dates as well as a planned performance at the Grammys.
Flight prices jumped by 42% on average. Photo: PA

Holidaymakers will spend more than 2,000 ($2,132) extra on flights for half-term getaways this year, after prices jumped compared to pre-COVID levels, according to new analysis.

Consumer group Which? found flight prices had risen by 42% on average, with the typical price of a one-way ticket for the week-long school holiday in October going up from 150 to 212.

Passengers booking six weeks before departure paid an average of 262 more each way compared to 2019, adding 2,096 to the cost of a holiday for a family of four, according to the analysis.

The surge has been blamed on rising fuel costs, pent-up demand for travel and airport passenger caps.

The largest fare hike was on flights from Gatwick to Dublin. When booked at the same time, these increased from 42 in 2019 to 160 this year  an increase of 281%.

Read more: Bargain buys: 500 value items that can cut your cost of living

Heathrow to Malaga flights cost 282 in 2022 compared to 89 in 2019, up 193 (216%), while Heathrow to Dublin flights rose 181% to 236.

Passengers who booked their flights from Heathrow airport to Tenerife six weeks before their departure date paid an average of 262 more each way than in 2019, up 159%.

Which? analysed prices from data company Skytra, a price comparison site, six weeks before October half-term departures in 2019 and 2022.

It looked at flights from six of Englands busiest airports Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted, Luton and Birmingham  to popular destinations including Alicante, Antalya in Turkey, Dubai, Dublin, Malaga and Tenerife.

Bookings made well in advance of the holiday period cost less, the research showed. The average prices for trips to Alicante, Antalya, Dubai, Malaga and Tenerife were found to be much cheaper when booked six months in advance.

Read more: Why has the pound fallen and what does this mean for you?

Holidaymakers are also contending with much higher prices thanks to the fall in the value of the pound.

Many travellers suffered from flight cancellations and long queues at airports during the first half of the year due to staff shortages across the aviation industry.

Guy Hobbs, editor of Which? Travel, said: "Travellers have had a torrid time this year and our analysis shows theyre paying through the nose for their trouble.

"With fares so high, its even more important that airports and airlines are held to account for the unacceptable disruption travellers have faced.

"The government should give the Civil Aviation Authority stronger powers so it can hit operators with heavy fines when they flout the rules."

Watch: Airline refunds: What are your rights as a consumer?
The EU must not and will not back down in the EU-UK dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol, Michel Barnier has said.

The former chief Brexit negotiator for the bloc said that Brexit had not yielded any benefits for the UK and described it as a unilateral decision by one party with negative impacts for itself.

During an address in Iveagh House in Dublin city, Mr Barnier said that Brexit also remained a challenge for Ireland, and a blow to the European Union project.

Brexit is in great part the result of populism. We must be aware that this poison might still arm Europe again. But populism must not be mistaken with public opinion or public sentiment.

Mr Barnier argued that being a part of the European Union never stopped a global Britain.

Do you remember so many speeches of the Brexiteers  Farage, Johnson and some others  speaking everyday about global Britain? Frankly speaking, I never understand what prevent UK to be a global Britain inside the EU (sic). Nobody prevented Germany from being a global Germany.

He said that he had worked with objectivity, without any kind of ideology to find operational solutions to Brexit, despite dogmatism from the consecutive Conservative British governments.

He said: The European Union must not and will not back down, and the protocol of Ireland and Northern Ireland must and has to be respected by the British government. This is international law.

Michel Barnier with then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar ahead of a meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin in January 2020 (Damien Eagers/PA)

Irelands Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said that work would be done to try to re-establish the Northern Ireland Executive before the October 28 deadline for an election to be called.

I believe that that we can move the protocol issues along significantly over the next month on some of the core issues that matter, and I believe that that can, and should be enough to justify the setting up of an Executive again, he said.

He also said he believed that progress could be made on the requests for changes to the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The only way we can remove checks on certain products is if we know those products are staying in Northern Ireland, and are not at risk to the rest of the single market, and I think we can do a lot in that space actually.

So, thats the space were in now in terms of that differentiation, the minister said.

He added: The idea that we can just do away with all the checks because people dont want them, and remain credible in the context of the integrity of the EU single market, that is an unreasonable and unrealistic ask by the British government.

If that is accepted, then I think the EU is willing to go a very long way  I think  to actually recognise the different risk category that goods that are staying in Northern Ireland should be in, but the only way that could work is if there is real-time and very complete data-sharing on goods that are transiting.

So, if youre talking about goods that are coming into Sainsburys, for example, in Northern Ireland, or Asda, those retail companies dont even have outlets south of the border.

Mr Coveney added that he was more optimistic that a solution could be found amid increasing international challenges.

I think the more challenges that the UK Government has domestically, and the more challenges that the UK government recognises in terms of international challenges that we need to face together, the less we all need to be expending energy on on differences and tensions around how the protocol is designed and implemented.

I think there are very strong reasons why the British government should now look to try to close down this debate that has gone on for too long in relation to the protocol, by having an honest conversation around what a compromise looks like, he added.
Millions of people are being urged to have flu and Covid vaccines after experts said they were increasingly worried about a bad flu spike this winter.

Officials at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned there will be lower levels of natural immunity to flu this year after a few winters when people socialised far less due to the Covid pandemic.

One expert said they were more worried about flu this year than they had been for several years.

The UKHSA warned of a possible difficult winter ahead as respiratory viruses, including flu and Covid, circulate widely.

International surveillance shows the UK can expect the spread of H3N2 (a subtype of influenza type A), which is currently the most commonly detected flu virus worldwide.

H3N2 has recently caused waves of infection in countries including Australia, which has just had its winter. The vaccine used by the UK is designed to fight this strain.

In 2017/2018, the H3N2 flu strain led to a severe UK flu season, with around 20,000 deaths and 40,000 hospital admissions.

It did circulate in the UK last winter but less mixing due to Covid-19 means there is little immunity to it.

Under plans announced on Wednesday, around 33 million people in England will be eligible for a free flu vaccine this year, including all primary-age and some secondary-age children, who will be offered the nasal spray.

Around 26 million people in England are also eligible for the autumn Covid-19 booster vaccine.

People who qualify for both jabs could be offered the flu and Covid jab at the same time if supply allows, though in different arms.

Those eligible for the flu jab are: people aged 50 and over; those aged six months to 49 with a specified health condition; secondary school-aged children focusing on Years 7, 8 and 9 with any remaining vaccine offered to Years 10 and 11; primary school-aged children; pregnant women; those in care homes, frontline health and social care staff; carers and the household contacts of people with weakened immune systems.

These people can get a jab from their GP surgery or pharmacies offering an NHS vaccine service.

GPs are also inviting children aged two and three years old (as of August 31) for the nasal spray vaccine.

People who qualify for the autumn/winter Covid booster include: adults aged 50 and over; those aged five to 49 with health conditions that put them at greater risk; pregnant women; care home workers and frontline health and social care workers; carers and the household contacts of people with weakened immune systems.

All those eligible for a booster can now book online apart from people aged 50 to 64 (who are not in an at-risk group), who will be able to get one later this autumn.

The UKHSA said that, in addition to a predicted flu wave, there are early indications that Covid rates are beginning to rise ahead of winter.

Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said: Flu and Covid-19 are unpredictable but there are strong indications we could be facing the threat of widely circulating flu, lower levels of natural immunity due to less exposure over the last three winters and an increase in Covid-19 circulating with lots of variants that can evade the immune response.

This combination poses a serious risk to our health, particularly those in high-risk groups.

The H3N2 flu strain can cause particularly severe illness. If you are elderly or vulnerable because of other conditions you are at greater risk, so getting the flu jab is a sensible, potentially life-saving thing to do.

We are extremely fortunate to have vaccines against these two diseases.

Most eligible groups have been selected because they are at higher risk of severe illness.

Younger children are unlikely to have built up any natural immunity to flu and therefore it is particularly important they take the nasal spray vaccine this year.

So, if you are offered a jab, please come forward to protect yourself and help reduce the burden on our health services.

Englands deputy chief medical officer Dr Thomas Waite said: Vaccines have saved many lives over the years for both flu and more recently Covid.

But we must not be complacent  infections will rise once again this winter, so its really important people get both their Covid and flu vaccines if eligible.

NHS director for vaccinations and screening Steve Russell said: This winter could be the first time we see the effects of the so-called twindemic with both Covid and flu in full circulation, so it is vital that those most susceptible to serious illness from these viruses come forward for vaccines in order to protect themselves and those around them.

NHS Providers said trust leaders are bracing themselves for the possible twindemic.

The organisations director of policy and strategy, Miriam Deakin, said: The recent uptick in Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions is concerning and time will tell if this ripple turns into a full-blown wave.

Covid-19 boosters and flu vaccines this autumn will reduce the risk of serious illness and we would urge everyone to have their jabs when they can.

People with asthma are not routinely offered a Covid booster vaccine due to the lack of evidence they are at higher risk from the virus.

However, a subset of people with asthma (such as those with very poorly controlled asthma) are offered a dose.
Scotlands First Minister has said the UK is in the midst of a rapidly deteriorating economic and financial crisis as she urged the Government to act.

The Bank of England was forced to step in on Wednesday, announcing plans to buy government bonds in a bid to avoid what it called a material risk to UK financial stability.

Speaking to the Conveners Group at the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon said it would be normal people who would bear the brunt of the countrys financial woes.

The intervention from the central bank comes after criticisms from across the political spectrum and an extraordinary statement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in relation to the Chancellors tax cutting plans.

Kwasi Kwarteng announced on Friday the Government would scrap the top rate of tax and cut the bottom rate to 19p in the pound  an announcement which sent the pound to its lowest level against the dollar in history.

On Tuesday night, the IMF said it was closely monitoring the situation and urged the Chancellor to re-evaluate the tax measures.

Ms Sturgeon said: (The banks intervention) is really extraordinary and unprecedented and I think there needs to be very urgent and immediate action taken.

I dont think we should see the policies announced on Friday as inevitable now.

I think as an immediate symbol of some kind of good sense being restored, the decision to abolish the top rate of tax should be reversed.

The First Minister went on to say it would not be possible to overstate the damage of the so-called mini-budget to Scottish Government aims to tackle poverty and inequality.

She added: The UK, as we speak right now, is in the midst of an unfolding and rapidly deteriorating economic and financial crisis and its going to be ordinary people that pay the price of that.

The First Minister went on to warn that the UK may not have had a financial crisis such as this possibly even including 2008 in living memory.

The Chancellors announcement came on Friday (Aaron Chown/PA)

Ms Sturgeons comments come as her deputy, John Swinney, who is in control of the Governments finances while Finance Secretary Kate Forbes is on maternity leave, said he was very concerned about the IMF statement.

Both the SNP and Lib Dems have called for the Commons, which is currently on a conference recess, to be recalled.

SNP depute leader Keith Brown also said it was astounding the Prime Minister has not publicly addressed the crisis, adding: It is time for her to come out of hiding and, at least, make the pretence of leading the country through this self-inflicted crisis.
Norman Reedus paid tribute to his wife Diane Kruger and beautiful family as he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

The Walking Dead star thanked his wife for creating a home environment that is so joyous and fun every day at the ceremony in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Reedus is best known for his role as the crossbow-wielding Daryl Dixon on the AMC zombie-drama, which he has played since 2010.

Reedus is best known for his role as the crossbow-wielding Daryl Dixon on the AMC zombie-drama, which he has played since 2010 (Chris Pizzello/AP)

He was joined by his co-star Jon Bernthal, and prosthetics expert and director, Greg Nicotero, who each gave short introductory speeches.

As well as Kruger, the actor was also supported by his mother Marianne and son Mingus.

Wow I did not see this coming ever. Thank you for the lovely speeches, he said, in a brief speech before his star was unveiled.

The Walking Dead star thanked his wife, actress Diane Kruger, for creating a home environment that is so joyous and fun every day (Chris Pizzello/AP)

My mom is here, thank you for putting up with me for all these years. I know it wasnt easy.

Then passing that baton, Diane, I love you so much. Thank you for giving me a beautiful family, a home environment that is so joyous and fun every day.

Reedus also paid tribute to both his children, Nova and Mingus, describing them as the proudest thing Ive ever done.

As well as Kruger, the actor was also supported by his mother Marianne and son Mingus (Chris Pizzello/AP)

Aside from acting, Reedus career spans several artistic mediums including photography, directing, and art.

He recently became a New York Times best-selling author as well as a publisher, restaurateur, and entrepreneur.

Awarded in the category of Television, the actors star is the 2,734th on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is located at 6600 Hollywood Boulevard in front of Hollywood Toys & Costumes.
Discontinued court proceedings against a military veteran accused of two murders on Bloody Sunday have resumed.

Last week, Northern Irelands Public Prosecution Service (PPS) announced it was reactivating the case against Soldier F on two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.

The former paratrooper is accused of the murders of James Wray and William McKinney on the day in January 1972 when members of the Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 civil rights protesters on the streets of Derry.

The PPS previously called a halt to the prosecution citing concerns that the case could collapse if it proceeded to trial.

James Wray and William McKinney were killed on Bloody Sunday (Bloody Sunday Trust/PA)

The prosecution was still in the magistrates court system at that point, with lawyers preparing for a committal hearing to determine whether it would proceed to crown court trial.

The decision to halt the proceedings was challenged by the family of Mr McKinney and earlier this year the Divisional Court of the High Court in Belfast overturned the PPS move.

Earlier this month, the court rejected the PPSs bid to have an appeal referred to the UK Supreme Court.

After reviewing its position, the PPS decided to resume the prosecution.

The case was mentioned briefly at Belfast Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning.

A prosecution barrister confirmed to District Judge Peter Magill that the PPS was now in a position to recommence the proceedings.

The remainder of the legal exchanges focused on potential dates for the committal hearing, with the judge suggesting late November and December.

The case was adjourned to October 7 when timetabling issues will again be considered.

The PPS originally halted the prosecution of Soldier F amid concerns the case could collapse in light of a separate court ruling on the admissibility of evidence which caused the collapse of another Troubles murder trial involving two military veterans.

The McKinney family successfully challenged the decision by prosecutors by way of judicial review.

Bloody Sunday was one of the darkest days in the history of the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Thirteen people were killed on the day, and another man shot by paratroopers died four months later.

Many consider him the 14th victim of Bloody Sunday, but his death was formally attributed to an inoperable brain tumour.
US cyberattack against leading Chinese aviation university intended to control infrastructure equipment, steal personal info: source

By Zhao Siwei (Global Times) 08:38, September 28, 2022

Illustration: Liu Rui/Global Times

The cyberattack launched by the US National Security Agency (NSA) against Northwestern Polytechnical University in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province - well-known for its aviation, aerospace and navigation studies - was aimed at infiltrating and controlling core equipment in China's infrastructure and stealing private data of Chinese people with sensitive identities, the Global Times learned from a source close to the matter on Tuesday.

On June 22, Northwestern Polytechnical University announced that hackers from abroad were caught sending phishing emails with Trojan horse programs to teachers and students at the university, attempting to steal their data and personal information.

To probe into the attack, China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and internet security company 360 jointly formed a technical team to conduct a comprehensive technical analysis of the case.

By extracting many Trojan horse samples from internet terminals of Northwestern Polytechnical University, with the support of European and South Asian partners, the technical team announced on September 5 that they initially identified that the cyberattack was conducted by the Tailored Access Operations (TAO) (Code S32) under the Data Reconnaissance Bureau (Code S3) of the Information Department (Code S) of the US NSA.

A deeper analysisconducted by China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and Beijing-based Qi An Pangu lab showed that a cyber-sniffing weapon, known as "drinking tea," is one of the most direct culprits responsible for the theft of large amounts of sensitive data.

"Drinking tea" can not only steal accounts and passwords for remote transfer of files, but is also very capable with concealment and adapting to a new environment. After being implanted into the target server and equipment, "drinking tea" will disguise itself as a normal background service process, and send malicious loads stage by stage, making it very difficult to find.

The source told the Global Times that further investigation into the case discovered 13 attackers, which proved that the TAO has been secretly controlling the operation and maintenance management server of the university for a long time. At the same time, the TAO has replaced the original system files and erased system logs to eliminate traces and avoid tracing.

According to the characteristics of the TAO's attack, such as covert links, infiltration tools and Trojan horse samples, Chinese cybersecurity experts found that the TAO infiltrated and controlled the core data network of Chinese infrastructure operators.

Moreover, the TAO entered the network of China's infrastructure operators with a "legal" identity through the account and password of Cisco PIX firewall, Tianrongxin firewall and other devices. By controlling the monitoring system and message servers of infrastructure operators, TAO could access to the information of Chinese people with sensitive identities and then package and encrypt their information and send it back to the headquarters of the NSA through multi-level springboards.

Relying on its strong technological advantages, the US launched the attacks against the university on its working days, which was unscrupulous and unabashed, the source told the Global Times.

According to a big data analysis of related cyber attacks, 98 percent of the attacks were conducted between 9 pm and 4 am (Beijing Time), which corresponds to 9 am and 4 pm (Eastern Time).

No cyberattack on Saturday and Sunday (US time) and on major American holidays was detected during the investigation.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Donated books and audio-visual products are displayed in Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt, Sept. 27, 2022. The China Cultural Center in Cairo on Tuesday donated books and audio-visual products to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a major library in the city of Alexandria on Egypt's Mediterranean coast.(Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

CAIRO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The China Cultural Center in Cairo on Tuesday donated books and audio-visual products to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a major library in the city of Alexandria on Egypt's Mediterranean coast.

The donation includes 952 copies of books and audio-visual products in the fields of politics, culture, tourism, and art, among others.

"Books are important bridges for human civilizations to communicate with each other," said Zhang Tao, charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Egypt.

Also on Tuesday, Chinese Consul General in Alexandria Yang Yi and Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Ahmed Zayed, respectively on behalf of China's Zhejiang Library and Alexandria Library, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate documents, academic and people-to-people exchanges.

While expressing gratitude to China for the donation, Zayed said the signing of the MoU would strengthen cooperation between Egypt and China in the cultural field. 

Chinese Consul General in Alexandria Yang Yi (R, front) and Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Ahmed Zayed (L, front), respectively on behalf of China's Zhejiang Library and Alexandria Library, sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Alexandria, Egypt, Sept. 27, 2022. The China Cultural Center in Cairo on Tuesday donated books and audio-visual products to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a major library in the city of Alexandria on Egypt's Mediterranean coast.(Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

The interior of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is pictured in Alexandria, Egypt, on Sept. 27, 2022. The China Cultural Center in Cairo on Tuesday donated books and audio-visual products to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a major library in the city of Alexandria on Egypt's Mediterranean coast. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

The interior of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is pictured in Alexandria, Egypt, on Sept. 27, 2022. The China Cultural Center in Cairo on Tuesday donated books and audio-visual products to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a major library in the city of Alexandria on Egypt's Mediterranean coast.(Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)
Sir Keir Starmer said he has shifted Labour to the political centre ground as he positioned himself to repeat Sir Tony Blairs electoral success.

The Labour leader said the party was now closer to the New Labour era than the vision set out by Sir Keirs predecessor Jeremy Corbyn.

The Labour leader, who served in Mr Corbyns top team, said the party was now offering centre ground, common-sense politics.

The partys conference in Liverpool closed on Wednesday with Labour in a buoyant mood following a series of poll leads over the Tories.

The turmoil in the financial markets following Kwasi Kwartengs mini-budget has been seen by Labour as a chance to present itself as a responsible alternative government.

Sir Keir called for Parliament to be recalled immediately to discuss the crisis, but stopped short of demanding the resignation of either the Chancellor or Prime Minister Liz Truss.

In response to criticism of his presentational style, Sir Keir suggested it was time for a serious politician.

Asked if it was time for Mr Boring, he said: Yes.

If anybody thinks that a government that loses control of the economy is somehow exciting, I think they need to go and speak to the people who will be looking at their mortgages today, looking at prices today, now looking at their pensions today, and say that they think that sort of excitement is what they want, he told TalkTV.

I think they want a serious politician, a serious prime minister, who understands, with a careful, competent, confident plan to lead Britain through this crisis.

This is not exciting. This is causing people real concern.

Dismissing questions about his personality on BBC Radio 4s Today, he said: If I came on here and said Ive done a bungee jump you wouldnt say, Well, great, now weve got the prime minister we need.

Asked on Times Radio if he was comfortable saying Labour was closer to the party of Sir Tony that it was to Mr Corbyn, Sir Keir said: I certainly hope so, because Tony Blair won three elections and I want us to win the next election.

He added: We are firmly on the centre ground, common-sense politics, practical answers to the challenges the country faces.

As Sir Keir delivered his keynote speech on Tuesday the party was forced to take action against MP Rupa Huq after she described Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng as superficially black.

I have today contacted Kwasi Kwarteng to offer my sincere and heartfelt apologies for the comments I made at yesterdays Labour conference fringe meeting. My comments were ill-judged and I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone affected.  Rupa Huq MP (@RupaHuq) September 27, 2022

In audio published online from a fringe event at the conference, Ms Huq can be heard discussing Mr Kwartengs elite school background, before adding that you wouldnt know he is black when listening to him on the radio.

She subsequently apologised for her ill-judged remarks.

Sir Keir told LBC: What she said, in my view, was racist, it was wrong and shes been suspended from the whip in the party, and that was done very, very quickly.

It was not his personal decision to suspend her, he said, but its a decision I absolutely agree with and the MP will now face an investigation.

Despite a series of poll leads, Labour figures understand the scale of the challenge the party faces to overturn the 80-seat majority secured by Boris Johnson in 2019.

With the prospect that a hung parliament may be the most likely route to power, the Labour leader did not rule out an electoral pact with the Liberal Democrats.

(PA Graphics)

Sir Keir used his conference speech in Liverpool to explicitly say there would be no deal under any circumstances with the SNP.

Asked to similarly rule out a deal with Sir Ed Daveys party, Sir Keir told GB News: Were going for a Labour majority, Ive been very clear about that. And I was very clear that we wouldnt do a deal with the SNP.

After extraordinary interventions by the Bank of England and International Monetary Fund in the wake of the market turbulence unleashed by the mini-budget, Sir Keir called for Mr Kwartengs plans to be abandoned before any more damage is done.

But he stopped short of calling for the Prime Minister to quit or trigger an election.

The Labour leader told BBC News: Im leader of the opposition, of course we want an election as soon as possible, but theres an immediate crisis thats got to be dealt with.
Another $372 million on the way to Bernard Madoff's victims

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Bernard Madoff's victims will soon receive another $372 million to help cover their losses, nearly 14 years after the swindler's capture for running a massive Ponzi scheme, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday.

The payout from the government's Madoff Victim Fund will go to 27,219 victims, including more than 400 who had yet to recoup a penny from any source.

Following the payout, the fund will have distributed about $4.08 billion in one or more payments to 40,454 individuals, schools, charities, pension plans and others.

An additional $14.54 billion has been recouped for customers of the former Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC by Irving Picard, the trustee liquidating that firm in bankruptcy. That boosts the total payout to about $18.6 billion.

Madoff's fraud, estimated as high as $64.8 billion, went undiscovered for many years until he confessed to his sons in December 2008, one day after his firm's annual Christmas party.

After pleading guilty to 11 criminal counts, Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison. He died behind bars at age 82 in April 2021.

Richard Breeden, the former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chairman who oversees the government fund, said the fund's eighth payout means 95% of the 42,719 victims with approved claims will have received at least one payment.

Victims will have on average recouped 88.35% of their losses.

The government fund was created mainly from settlements between the Justice Department and Madoff's former bank JPMorgan Chase & Co, and between Picard and the estate of former Madoff investor Jeffry Picower.

Created in 2013, the fund originally held $4.05 billion, but has grown because the Justice Department has recovered additional assets.

Payouts began in 2017, and Breeden said about $200 million remains available for distribution. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, and Rami Ayyub and Paul Grant in Washington, D.C. Editing by Marguerita Choy)
ScareHouse/Yelp

You could put on some scary face paint and celebrate Halloween with some mild, even family-friendly spookiness at a theme park, or throw on one of this year's most popular Halloween costumes to take part in frightfully fun Halloween parades and festivities happening across the country. But maybe that's not scary enough for you. Here are some haunted houses and immersive experiences that are so terrifying and physically demanding that participants have to sign waivers before entering. Don't say you haven't been warned.





Related: The 25 Most Terrifying Places in America

Castle of Chaos

Midvale, Utah

Castle of Chaos allows participants to choose from five levels of fear. At the lowest level, monsters are repelled by your glow stick. But at the highest, they may pick you up, drag you through doorways, or restrain you. For those who crave the most hardcore of haunts, they offer Krusebel, an extreme, hours-long experience that combines both physical and psychological torments.





Related: Freaky Facts About Halloween

The 17th Door Haunt Experience/Yelp

Fullerton, California

17th Door follows the ongoing story of Paula, a college student-turned-murderer now imprisoned in a treacherous penitentiary. As her fellow inmates, guests will wind through the maze in an attempt to unlock the story and escape unscathed. Previous shows have involved real cockroaches, being smothered in a ball pit, lots of touching by handsy actors, and virtual reality add-ons. Guests who can no longer endure the experience can yell "Mercy" to escape. Feel like you can go longer? A new add-on called "The Field Trip" is available, in which guests are taken to a remote, off-site location for even more intense scares.

ScareHouse/Yelp

Pittsburgh

You can either enter this Pittsburgh attraction alone or with one companion, but that's it. Guests must sign a waiver before encountering narrow spaces, complete darkness, and "high impact scares." This haunt is made by a group of dedicated artists and counts horror enthusiasts Elijah Wood and Guillermo del Toro among its fans. Scarehouse also offers Stop the Invasion, a horror-themed escape room.

Miasma

Chicago

Chicago's Miasma is an invite- and adults-only interactive haunt where warnings include "aggressive physical contact," "clothing removal and/or destruction," "crawling on hard surfaces," and "graphic adult content," among others. Though they have a variety of shows throughout the year, anyone feeling particularly brave can request a private experience with a unique, tailored narrative.

The 13th Gate

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

If Indiana Jones ever found himself in Baton Rouge, he would not want to do this haunt, which boasts of its "real, snake-infested Louisiana swamp." The 13th Gate is a massive, top-rated haunt for thrill-seekers, featuring incredibly detailed sets and awe-inspiring effects that elevate themes and stories year each year. On Fridays, you can brave a lights-out maze with just a flashlight.

Anthony C./Yelp

Fullerton, California

In Escapade Game's Zoe, players are locked in a haunted house with the ghost of a young girl. To get out, they must solve a series of puzzles before their time runs out. So not only are you scared, you have to think, too. Things are not always what they appear in Zoe, and its detailed, creepy environment has inspired many seasoned reviewers to claim it's the scariest escape room they've ever played.

The Fear Experiment

Danville, Illinois

The Fear Experiment is an immersive, psychological horror experience. The experience is for adults only, who will sign a waiver and receive a safe word. Though the experiment warns of physical contact, discomfort, aggression, and nudity, they also promise to "allow you to push your limits, test yourself, and find out what you're really made of." What that means is unclear, as all participants are instructed to never share spoilers online or in-person.

hvrting / Yelp

Los Angeles

More immersive experience than haunted house, Hvrting bills itself as personalized immersive horror. The Los Angeles-based show customizes its plot and various details to its small audience or single experience-goer, tapping into their innermost fears. Attendees can expect terrifying (though often humor-driven) plot lines, plenty of sexual innuendo, and the chance to survive your own personal horror movie.







Jeffery T. / Yelp

Spring City, Pennsylvania

The setting of Pennhurst Asylum is almost as terrifying as what lies inside. Located in the dark forests of northern Chester County, the sprawling campus offers three attractions: The Asylum, The Morgue, and The Tunnels, where actors are allowed to touch you as you wander through twisted hallways and catwalks. Overnight paranormal tours are also offered.



Sarah B. / Yelp

Lockport, Illinois

Hidden deep within the woods, HellsGate challenges its visitors to explore its 40-plus rooms filled with secret passages, terrifying characters, and giant slides. This year, the experience has introduced the Escaped Prisoners of Statesville Haunted Prison, complete with new villains hiding within the walls and in the woods.



Larry K. / Yelp

St. Louis, Missouri

The Darkness has been deemed one of the best haunted houses in America, largely due to its terrifying costumes and set design. In addition to two floors of terror, The Darkness also features a five-minute escape room, Terror Visions 3D, and special events like Krampus Haunted Christmas.



bhofack2/istockphoto

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A former Kentucky prosecutor who sought one of the states highest offices before being accused of involvement in more than $600,000 in fraud has been sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison.

Michael T. Hogan, who was county attorney in Lawrence County more than 19 years, will also owe restitution. The amount has not been determined.

U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove sentenced Hogan, 53, on Tuesday in federal court in Frankfort, ordering him to report to prison on Dec. 6.

Hogan admitted he overbilled the state for work to collect child support payments and directed his wife to write extra checks to herself from an account for delinquent property-tax collections.

Van Tatenhove put Hogans case in the context of a troubling cynicism about public officials in the country, asking who people could count on to respect the law if not the local prosecutor.

The community needed you to do the right thing, Van Tatenhove said. You failed.

Michael Hogan and his wife, Joy, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and he pleaded guilty to an additional charge of theft from a government program.

Van Tatehove sentenced Joy Hogan to one year and one day in prison, directing her to report to prison Jan. 3.

Drained the account

Michael Hogan took office as county attorney in 2003. His guilty plea last March required him to resign, and he said in court he has been disbarred.

Hogan also ran for lieutenant governor in the May 2019 Republican primary with then-state Rep. Robert Goforth at the top of the ticket.

The two took nearly 40% of the total vote, showing the vulnerability of the incumbent, Matt Bevin, who lost to Democrat Andy Beshear in the general election.

The FBI investigation of Hogan was rooted in a state audit released in May 2020 that found he had given improper bonuses to employees, mostly his wife.

Hogan and his wife set up an account to receive delinquent county property-tax payments, but had the payments routed to their home address and wrote dozens of checks to Joy Hogan totaling more than $365,000 in seven years, a federal indictment charged.

Helping collect delinquent taxes and child support are among a number of duties county attorneys perform in Kentucky, along with advising county governments on legal matters and prosecuting misdemeanor crimes and traffic violations.

Federal authorities said the Hogans used the money for mortgage and car payments, credit card bills and other expenses.

The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate K. Smith, said in a sentencing memorandum that the the improper payments from the tax account to Joy Hogan totaled at least $379,458.

The most any other employee received in bonuses during the same period was about $10,000, according to the memo.

Mike Hogan also over-billed the taxpayer-supported program to collect child support by at least $232,127, for a total loss from the two schemes of $611,585, the memo said.

Employees in the child-support office couldnt cash their checks at times because it didnt have enough money, even as Hogan overbilled for his work knowing his employees could not cash their own paychecks, Smith said in the memo.

Hogan could have used money from the delinquent tax account to cover budget shortfalls in the child-support office, but that wasnt an option because he routinely drained the delinquent tax account to pay bonuses to Joy Hogan, Smith wrote.

Stealing this money

Defense attorneys Jarrod J. Beck and Michael B. Fox argued the governments calculation of the amount of fraudulent payments was too high because work the Hogans did entitled them to at least some of the money included in the estimate.

Witnesses testified at the sentencing hearing that Joy Hogan routinely took stacks of work home with her, and that Michael Hogan worked outside office hours as well to handle matters such as search warrants for police.

However, a forensic accountant with the FBI said no witness indicated during the investigation that Joy Hogan did a significant amount of work outside the office.

People who had worked in Hogans office also estimated for the FBI that 95% or more of the time Hogan billed the state for doing child-support collections was fraudulent.

The prosecutor, Smith, argued in court that Michael and Joy Hogan knew the extra payments to her were not legitimate because they didnt initially claim the income on tax returns.

Not one of these checks is on their taxes. They were stealing this money, Smith said.

Van Tatenhove overruled objections to the governments calculation of the loss in the case, which added to the potential prison sentences.

Beck told Van Tatenhove that Hogan grew up poor but overcame difficult circumstances to become an attorney after service in the military.

Hogan was involved in civic causes and worked hard to fight drug abuse in his rural county and help people get treatment, Beck said.

Theyve done a lot of good things for people, he said of Michael and Joy Hogan.

Joy Hogans ex-husband said in a letter that he had never seen anything but kindness and helpfulness from her and Hogan, and other letter writers described Joy Hogan as sweet, selfless, compassionate, hard-working and a dedicated mother.

Her attorney said Joy Hogan only did what her husband, who was also her boss, instructed.

If Joy Hogan had not been in this relationship, she would not be here today, Fox said in court.

Van Tatenhove sentenced Joy Hogan to less time than outlined in advisory sentencing guidelines.

In an emotional statement, Michael Hogan apologized for his conduct, saying he had started drinking too much at one point. He begged Van Tatenhove to not send Joy Hogan to prison.

But Van Tatenhove said the crime required prison time for both of them. He also recommended that Michael Hogan take part in a substance-abuse treatment program in prison.

U.S. Attorney Carlton Shier IV said in a statement after the sentencing that Hogan brazenly broke the law at the expense of people who elected him.

His conduct will leave lasting damage, both from the theft and from the resulting loss of faith in government officials and law enforcement, Shier said. His prosecution and sentence are the first steps in the effort to restore that faith.
SARASOTA, Fla. (Reuters) -Residents of Florida's Gulf Coast on Tuesday boarded up homes, packed up their vehicles and headed for higher ground as Hurricane Ian drew near, threatening to bring a deadly storm surge and more than a foot of rain to some areas.

Ian churned across the southeastern edge of the Gulf of Mexico headed for Florida after slamming into Cuba earlier in the day, leaving the entire country without power, forcing mass evacuations and swamping fishing villages.

More than 2.5 million Floridians were under evacuation orders or warnings with the sprawling storm on track to make landfall as a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday evening somewhere along Florida's Gulf Coast.

A Category 3 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale carries maximum sustained winds of up to 129 miles per hour (208 km per hour). The latest 8 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) hurricane advisory put Ian's top winds at 120 mph (195 km per hour).

Ian was most likely to come ashore south of Tampa near Sarasota, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. That region - home to miles of sandy beaches, scores of resort hotels and numerous mobile home parks - is a favorite with retirees and vacationers alike.

"I know I should be scared of this one, but I'm too busy to be scared. I just know we have to go," said John O'Leary, a jazz pianist from Tampa, said as he and his wife loaded food, water and family photos into their car before heading to his mother's house in Palm Harbor, 25 miles (40 km) to the west.

O'Leary, 36, was one of the thousands of motorists to hit the road as they fled low-lying areas in hopes of avoiding a potentially life-threatening storm surge that, according to forecasters, could reach 12 feet (3.7 meters) in the Sarasota area.

While predictions remained imprecise for where the storm would come ashore, "the impacts are going to be far, far broader than just where the eye of the storm happens to make landfall," Governor Ron DeSantis said.

DeSantis warned of the potential for devastating Hurricane Harvey-like flooding that struck the Houston area in 2017, the result of a slow-moving storm piling up high water.

Parts of central Florida could see as much of 2 feet (0.6 meter) of rain from Ian, according to the National Weather Service. The NHC also issued extensive storm surge warnings for about half of western Florida's shoreline, with predictions of life-threatening coastal flooding up to 12 feet from wind-driven high surf.

Florida's director of emergency management, Kevin Guthrie, urged residents in evacuation zones to move to safety.

"The time to evacuate is now. Get on the road," he said.

To ease traffic congestion, authorities suspended toll collections along major highways in central Florida, the Tampa Bay area and the interstate stretch across the Everglades known as Alligator Alley.

Some residents, such as Vanessa Vazquez, 50, a software engineer in St. Petersburg, said they planned to ride out the storm at home despite evacuation warnings.

"I'm staying put," Vazquez said. "I have four cats and I don't want to stress them out. And we have a strong house."

If Ian strikes Tampa, it would be the first hurricane to make landfall in the area since the Tarpon Springs storm in 1921.

It also may prove one of the costliest as the latest simulations projected storm-related damages ranging from $38 billion to more than $60 billion, Enki Research said on Tuesday.

CLOSINGS, POWER OUTAGES

Nearly 60 Florida school districts were either closed Tuesday or planned to be closed by Wednesday, DeSantis said. Many of those schools were designated as shelters for the storm and its aftermath.

Commercial airlines canceled more than 2,000 U.S. flights due to the storm.

The St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport - located on a vulnerable peninsula east of Tampa Bay - ceased operations at midday, and the Tampa International Airport shut down a few hours later.

Tampa Electric warned customers to be prepared for "extended outages." The company will institute a "targeted interruption" of service to a part of downtown Tampa on the western edge of the city. That area has already been evacuated.

DeSantis said nearly 100 evacuation shelters had opened statewide.

This is a mobile home community, and they really need this shelter, said Fabiola Galvan Leon, a preschool teacher acting as a bilingual translator for hundreds of evacuees flocking to Reddick Elementary in Wimauma, Florida, southeast of Tampa, to ride out the storm.

The shelves at a nearby Walmart store had been stripped almost bare, though a contingent of shoppers wandered the aisles, hurriedly grabbing the last remaining boxes of water, canned goods and loaves of bread.

The Walt Disney Co announced it was closing its Florida theme and water parks on Wednesday and Thursday while the National Football League's Tampa Bay Buccaneers relocated to Miami, where they will practice this week ahead of their game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Read more:

FEMA warns Florida against complacency as Hurricane Ian nears

The worst hurricanes in Florida's history as Ian takes aim

How climate change is fueling hurricanes

U.S. offshore oil output drops as Hurricane Ian takes aim

(Reporting by Shannon Stapleton in Tampa and Brendan O'Brien in Washington; Additional reporting by Maria Alejandra Cardona in Tampa, Tyler Clifford in Washington, Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Writing by Brendan O'Brien and Steve Gorman; Editing by Frank McGurty, Lisa Shumaker & Shri Navaratnam)
Call it Nancy Pelosis legacy tour.

The House Speaker has spent much of this year  which many expect to be her last atop the Democratic Party  traveling the globe, visiting war zones and other political hot spots on a circuit thats brought new attention to old conflicts, simmering diplomatic disputes and human rights atrocities, past and present.

In the process, Pelosi (D-Calif.) has made some history, invited some controversy and raised plenty of questions about whether her world tour is pure diplomacy, power politics or the swan song of a historic Speaker who may be readying an exit from Capitol Hill.

Its a combination of all three, said Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), a 24-year veteran and former member of Pelosis leadership team.

Larson praised Pelosis aggressive foray onto the international stage, saying its both a clear affirmation of Congresss authority to influence U.S. foreign policy  a function typically left to the executive branch  and a testament to the powerful role women can play in world affairs.

She has asserted herself as the Speaker of the House, and I think thats a good thing, always. And I do think that part of it is her legacy, Larson said.

And part of it is for the rest of the world to see a woman of her age, stature, maturity and what shes been able to achieve, he continued. She is a great representative of the possibility for women in democracies all over the world.

Pelosi is no stranger to overseas travel. As the leader of the Democrats for almost two decades, she frequently leads congressional lawmakers on official trips designed to advance international relations and guide U.S. foreign policy.

But this year, Pelosi has gone out of her way to visit some particularly volatile spots: Ukraine, amid a shooting war with Russia; Taiwan, in the face of retaliatory threats from China; and most recently Armenia, where she took clear sides in a long-standing conflict with Azerbaijan that the Biden administration has approached much more delicately.

The high-profile trips are part of a much longer arc for Pelosi, 82, whose congressional career has featured a record of confronting authoritarianism, particularly in China. Indeed, her visit to Tiananmen Square in 1991, just two years after Beijings deadly crackdown on pro-democracy advocates, churned international headlines and infuriated diplomats at home  dynamics that have also accompanied some of her travels this year.

Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), who has worked as both an official in the State Department and an advocate for the nonprofit Human Rights Watch, which monitors global conflicts, said that given Pelosis history, her recent travels to disputed regions should surprise no one.

The first time I was aware of her taking a stand on an issue was when she went to China in the 1990s after Tiananmen Square. And when I worked for Human Rights Watch, I frequently engaged with her and her office on international human rights issues, particularly with respect to China, Malinowski said.

As Speaker of the House, she obviously  like all of us  has to focus first on America, he added. But this has always been a passion of hers.

Julian Zelizer, a congressional historian at Princeton University, said Pelosis choice of destinations also represents an effort to shift U.S. foreign policy away from the abrasive and unconventional approach adopted by President Bidens predecessor, former President Trump. With an ally now in the White House  and with Democrats in control of both the House and Senate  the window has opened for such an opportunity.

As she reaches the last phase of her congressional career, I do think there is part of Pelosi that wants to move forward on initiatives, both at home and abroad, that have been important to her over the decades, Zelizer said in an email.

The last presidency was a disastrous period for Democrats, he added. There is part of the Speaker that feels the party needs to move forward on all fronts during this moment of power, particularly with the uncertainty of what happens after November.

Pelosi may have an ally in Biden, but her recent excursions have not always been a welcome development in the eyes of the administration.

When the news broke that the Speaker was planning an August visit to Taiwan, for instance, Biden revealed that the Pentagon was opposed to the idea, concerned about the potential blowback from Beijing. Yet the president never voiced his own criticism, and when Pelosi stepped off the plane in Taipei on Aug. 2, she became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the disputed territory in 25 years.

Through it all, Pelosi has made no apologies, using the international stage to draw attention to Chinas long history of human rights abuses, including Beijings treatment of the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority in Chinas far northwest. Pelosi has called it a genocide.

I have said it again and again: If we do not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out about human rights any place in the world, Pelosi said last month in Tokyo, just after the Taiwan visit.

Controversy also surrounded Pelosis visit this month to Armenia, where a decades-old feud with neighboring Azerbaijan has flared violently in recent weeks, prompting a fragile intervention from top State Department officials urging a cease-fire.

Pelosi, the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Armenia since it broke away from the Soviet Union 30 years ago, was more terse, placing the blame squarely on Azerbaijan.

This was initiated by the Azeris, she told reporters during the visit. There has to be recognition of that.

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), a close Pelosi ally who joined her on that trip, welcomed the Speakers decision to defend Armenia, even if it clashed with the administrations more diplomatic approach.

Shes using her power in a way that I think is very effective, Speier said. Armenia  most people wouldnt know where to find it on a map. They wouldnt have been able to find Ukraine on a map. So I think it elevates Armenia, its issues and its legitimacy to retain a democracy in a bad neighborhood.

Malinowski, a former diplomat, also downplayed any tensions between Pelosi and the Biden administration related to her recent travels, suggesting there are political advantages to those public disagreements.

Sometimes the executive branch is OK with the tension  behind the scenes  because it helps them for Congress to play the bad cop, he said. That then enables them to play the good cop and say, Wouldnt you rather deal with us than with these people in Congress who are liable to do anything? 

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Missouri Supreme Court will decide whether a former attorney with the Jackson County Prosecutors Office will have her license suspended after a man she prosecuted was wrongfully convicted.

Ricky Kidd was found guilty and spent 23 years in prison before being exonerated. He was freed in August 2019.

Amy McGowan prosecuted the case.

The case speaks to the problem this country faces with prosecutors power and their misconduct in abusing that power, Kidd said.

The Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel alleges McGowan withheld evidence about a suspect and a person of interest in the Feb. 6, 1996, double shooting in Kansas City. Gary Goodspeed Jr. and Gary Goodspeed Sr. were deposed at the prosecutors office three days before the start of Kidds March 1997 trial.

Laura Elsberry, an attorney with the disciplinary office, said that notifications about the deposition and transcripts from the deposition were never sent to Kidds defense attorney, Teresa Anderson.

Under American Bar Association standards, Elsberry argued, Anderson should have received notice and had the chance to attend the deposition.

A Supreme Court judge asked Elsberry what the contents of the deposition contained and if it would have helped Kidds case.

I think what were talking about here is lost opportunity, Elsberry said.

It doesnt even have to rise to the level of evidence, it could merely be information and what was lost here was the opportunity to obtain that information because Ms. Anderson wasnt there to participate in those depositions and ask questions.

McGowans attorney, John Turner, questioned statements Anderson made throughout the years as Kidds case made its way through the justice system, leading to his exoneration. Turner alleged that Anderson knew about the deposition, but didnt go. He also said the deposition was brought up at the start of the trial, but Anderson didnt say anything.

Amy McGowan committed no ethical violations, Turner said.

Shes been villainized in this whole thing because what? Because somebody gets out of jail, there has to be a villain in the story and its become Amy McGowan.

A disciplinary panel heard McGowans case in 2020 and recommended it be dismissed. The Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel rejected that decision in April 2022. Over the summer, the office filed a brief requesting McGowans license be suspended indefinitely without the possibility of reinstating it for at least one year.

Ricky Kidd hugs his sister, Nechelle Kidd, after being freed from the Western Missouri Correctional Center on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019.

Other cases

While the disciplinary case is focused on McGowans actions in the Kidd case, she has been suspected of misconduct in other trials.

McGowan was accused of withholding evidence in the case against Richard Buchli II, a Kansas City attorney who spent about five years in prison for the 2000 death of his law partner before his murder conviction was overturned. Charges later were dismissed.

In 2013, the Kansas Supreme Court found McGowan, as a prosecutor in Douglas County, made improper comments during closing arguments in five cases between 2007 and 2009. In one instance, the court vacated a sentence in a child exploitation case. She was removed from her trial duties in Douglas County after that, but allowed to return to regular courtroom duties in 2014.

McGowan retired from the Douglas County District Attorneys Office in November 2019, shortly after Kidd was freed.

In April, Keith Carnes, of Kansas City, was released from a Missouri prison after 18 years in prison. The Missouri Supreme Court determined an eyewitness account was not disclosed to Carnes defense team.

A witness also said then-Jackson County assistant prosecutor McGowan pressured her into picking Carnes.

The Stars Luke Nozicka contributed to this story.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, and Simon Bergson, chairman of The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation visit Auschwitz - Birkenau Nazi German death camp in Oswiecim, Poland, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Film icon Schwarzenegger visited the site of the Nazi German death camp Auschwitz on Wednesday to send a message against hatred. The "Terminator" actor was given a tour of the site, viewing the barracks watchtowers and the remains of gas chambers that endure as evidence of the German extermination of Jews, Roma and others during World War II. (AP Photo/Michal Dyjuk)

OSWIECIM, Poland (AP)  Film icon Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the site of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp on Wednesday, meeting a Holocaust survivor and the son of Holocaust survivors and saying it is time to terminate hatred.

The Terminator actor and former California governor viewed the barracks, watchtowers and remains of gas chambers that endure as evidence of the German extermination of Jews and others during World War II.

He also met with a woman who as a 3-year-old child was subjected to experiments by the notorious Nazi doctor Josef Mengele.

This is a story that has to stay alive, this is a story that we have to tell over and over again, he said after his visit to the site of the death camp, speaking in a former synagogue that now is home to the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation.

He stood alongside Simon Bergson, who was born after the war to Auschwitz survivors, and mentioned his own family history.

I was the son of a man who fought in the Nazi war and was a soldier, the 75-year-old Schwarzenegger said.

He said he and Bergson, who are close in age, were united in their work.

Lets fight prejudice together and lets just terminate it once and for all, Schwarzenegger said.

Bergson added: Arnold and I are living proof that within one generation hatred can be shifted entirely. Governor, thank you for joining us here today.

His visit to the site in southern Poland, which was under German occupation during WWII, was his first and came as part of his work with the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, whose mission is to fight hatred through education.

He received the foundation's inaugural Fighting Hatred award in June for his anti-hatred stance on social media. He said he couldn't attend in person then because he was filming a new action series in Canada and was in a COVID bubble.

After his visit to Auschwitz, he vowed it wouldnt be his last.

Ill be back, he said.

Schwarzenegger, who is originally from Austria, has spoken openly in the past about his father, Gustav Schwarzenegger, being a Nazi soldier during the war.

He told Russians in a video posted on social media in March that they were being lied to about the war in Ukraine and accused President Vladimir Putin of sacrificing Russian soldiers to his own ambitions.

In that video he brought up painful memories about how his own father was lied to as he fought, and how he returned to Austria a broken man, physically and emotionally, after being wounded at Leningrad.

Historians estimate that around 1.1 million people were killed at Auschwitz during the war. Around 1 million of them were Jews. Some 75,000 Poles were killed there, as well as Roma, Russian prisoners of war and others.
The U.S. would "welcome" any Russian citizens seeking asylum in this country after fleeing Russian President Vladimir Putin's military draft, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday.

Jean-Pierre made the comments during a White House Press briefing, even as tens of thousands of Russian citizens have surged into neighboring Eastern European countries. A reporter pressed Jean-Pierre about reports of military-age men fleeing across borders or even injuring themselves to avoid conscription.

"I know the White House has drawn a distinction between the Russian government and the people of Russia. Does the president have a message for some of these men who are desperately trying to flee the country?" a reporter asked.

"We are seeing protests in the streets of Russia, we are seeing people sign petitions, and I think the message they are sending to us very clearly is that this war that Putin started  is unpopular," Jean-Pierre said. "There are people out there in Russia who do not want to fight Putin's war or die for it."

RUSSIAN TROOPS BOXED IN BY UKRAINIAN FORCES AND DNIEPER RIVER, BARGE CARRYING SUPPLIES TO RUSSIAN TROOPS SINKS

TOP MILITARY BRASS IN UKRAINE'S SOUTH CALLS FOR VOLUNTEERS AS FORCES LOOK TO TAKE BACK KHERSON

"We believe that, regardless of nationality, they may apply for asylum in the United States and have their claim adjudicated on a case-by-case basis," she added. "We welcome any folks who are seeking asylum, and they should do that."

Putin ordered a partial mobilization of the Russian military last week, drafting up 300,000 reserve troops. The move has led to widespread fear of general conscription amid the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Mongolia, Georgia and Kazakhstan have borne the brunt of the wave of Russian military-aged men leaving the country. Georgia officials stated that daily border crossings have nearly doubled in less than a week.

Ukrainian soldiers sit on infantry fighting vehicles as they drive near Izyum in eastern Ukraine on Sept. 16, 2022. Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images

"About four to five days ago, there were five to six thousand visitors [from Russia] daily, and now it has increased to about ten thousand," Georgia Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri told reporters Tuesday.

Others fleeing to Mongolia had to wait in lines more than a dozen hours long to be processed. One man, Aleksey, told Reuters that he was leaving behind his wife and children while the draft is ongoing.

"We are not afraid, but why do we have to fight in Ukraine, why?" he told Reuters. "If other countries would attack Russia, we would fight for our country. But why are we going to Ukraine? For what?"
BAGHDAD, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and some 30 wounded on Wednesday after Iranian forces carried out cross-border bombardments on Iranian Kurdish opposition parties' positions in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq.

A statement by the regional Kurdish Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) said the Iranian attack targeted the headquarters of their Kurdish opposition parties in some refugee camps in the towns of Koya, Soran, and Barde in Erbil province.

The Iranian rockets and bobby-trapped drones killed and wounded many people, the CTS statement said, without giving further details.

A source from the regional health authority told Xinhua anonymously that five were killed and more than 30 wounded, some of the injured were women and children.

Kurdistan health authority said in a separate statement that ambulances and doctors were dispatched to the town of Koya to transfer the injured people to the regional hospitals, which were notified to receive them.

Meanwhile, a statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry strongly condemned "the Iranian side's artillery and rocket bombardment, which coincided with the use of 20 drones loaded with explosives, that targeted four areas in Iraq's Kurdistan region and resulted in many deaths and injuries."

Such "dangerous development threatens the security and sovereignty of Iraq," the statement said, adding these unilateral and provocative actions will only increase tension."

On the other side, the Iranian Mehr News Agency confirmed the bombardments, saying that Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps "has once again targeted the positions of terrorist groups operating near the country's western borders in Iraq's Kurdistan region."

Iranian and Turkish forces frequently attack the military bases of their Kurdish opposition parties in Kurdistan in northern and northeastern Iraq, accusing them of carrying out attacks against their home countries from the Iraqi Kurdish region. 
Restoring the powersharing institutions at Stormont is a priority for both the British and Irish governments, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said.

After meeting Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, the Secretary of State said he believes the mood music is positive around reforming the executive before he has to call an election next month.

Mr Coveney said it would be an extraordinary failure of politics if the institutions are not operating in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The executive and Assembly are not operating due to a DUP protest against the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol.

While ministers remain in shadow form, they are set to leave office on October 28 and, under current legislation, Mr Heaton-Harris would have to call new Assembly elections.

It is anticipated that the election would take place in the weeks before Christmas.

Mr Heaton-Harris said: I will have to call an election on October 28 if there is no executive.

It is a very small period of time to get things moving and there are important discussions between London and Brussels, as well as between Simon and myself, but these discussions can move forward.

I am really confident that they will move forward.

The mood music that everybody talks about is seemingly very positive.

We now have to make sure that music turns into something much more fundamental that allows all parties to reform the executive.

The executive and Assembly are not operating as part of a DUP protest against the protocol (Liam McBurney/PA)

There is an important anniversary of an important document happening next year and it would be nice to have some things to celebrate.

Mr Coveney said: The idea that we would move into the winter in Northern Ireland facing elections, rather than facing solutions in the context of what an executive should be doing, would be extraordinary.

We have a big political responsibility to find a way of getting this done in partnership with all the parties in Northern Ireland.

It is not straightforward or easy and it involves decisions taken elsewhere, outside of this island, to help us in that process.

But I think everybody knows whats at stake and the idea that we would be leading up to the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement with the institutions collapsed, with Northern Ireland coming out of a winter of discontent in terms of the cost of living, without a first or deputy first minister in place, really it would be an extraordinary failing of politics.

So despite the mountains we have to climb, it is our job together to make it happen.

Mr Heaton-Harris and Mr Coveney know each other from their time as MEPs in the European Parliament and both expressed hope that their relationship will help them reach compromises.

Simon Coveney said he has a good relationship with Chris Heaton-Harris (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr Coveney said: I think we will be judged on what we get done together.

We know each other, we like each other.

That allows us to speak honestly about what compromise positions might look like and explore those in a way which doesnt get interrupted by a lack of trust.

The personal relationship is good and it needs to be, but we will be judged pretty quickly, in the next month, as to whether we can turn a good personal relationship into one that can get important things done for people in Northern Ireland.

Can people in Northern Ireland have their own government to deal with cost-of-living pressures, or do they have to put up with another election and all of the polarisation and tension that flows from that?

That is the test of our relationship.

Both politicians are due to meet in London again next week.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the NI Protocol was the barrier to the restoration of powersharing at Stormont (Peter Morrison/PA)

DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the protocol is the blockage to restoring devolution and called on the Government to expedite a bill which would override parts of it.

He said: The Secretary of State and the Republic of Irelands Foreign Minister should focus on replacing the protocol with arrangements which unionists can support.

This would recognise that we operate powersharing in Northern Ireland rather than majority rule.

Not one unionist MLA or MP supports the protocol.

I would love to see a negotiated outcome, but there appears to be little interest in either Brussels or Dublin to recognise the concerns of unionists.

Sir Jeffrey added: The NI Protocol Bill represents progress, but the Government should expedite it through its legislative processes.

Those seeking to delay and derail the bill are only delaying the return of devolution.
People are being urged to join the hunt for artworks created by children of the Stolen Generations in Australia ahead of an exhibition of their work in Scotland.

Curators are hoping to find more of the art created by Australian First Nations children who were forcibly taken from their families in the 1940s in the hope of reconnecting the work with their relatives.

A selection of the collection created by Aboriginal children, who were interned at the remote Western Australian settlement of Carrolup in the 1940s, will be on show at the University of Glasgow Memorial Chapel from October 6 to November 10, having been on show in Manchester.

People are being urged to check their cupboards and attics for similar pictures, which may be in pastel or chalk, and might show Australian landscapes and animals such as kangaroos.

Kathleen Toomath, left, and Michelle Broun hope to find more artworks (Sam Proctor/PA)

The John Curtin Gallerys Carrolup manager, Kathleen Toomath, whose late mother, Alma, was the last-known surviving Carrolup artist, said reconnecting missing artworks with relatives of the child artists would represent a powerful step towards reconciliation for the wrongs of the past.

She said: Imagine if your grandmother or grandfather, who you never got to meet and there are no known photographs of, created one of these works during a deeply traumatic time in your familys history.

Finding something so precious and rare, an artwork so historically significant that it can almost transport you back to that time and offer a glimpse into their world view, would mean so much.

That artwork could be the only physical connection a family has with their ancestors, so its a critical part of the reconciliation process and a tangible step towards making tomorrow better through the power of art.

Goreng Noongar elder Ezzard Flowers in 2015, with artwork by Barry Loo (Brad Coleman/John Curtin Gallery/PA)

It is the first time this selection of artworks has returned to the UK in 70 years, after Florence Rutter, London Soroptimist Club founding president, first met the artists and arranged exhibitions in Edinburgh, Glasgow and other cities in the UK during the 1950s.

She recognised the significance of the works after visiting Carrolup in 1949, where teachers Noel and Lily White had found a way into the hearts of the children through art.

Chris Malcolm, John Curtin Gallery director, is calling on communities, organisations and people across the country to help find any other missing works created by the children of Carrolup.

He said: We are encouraging people across Scotland to help our global search for these culturally significant drawings by checking their attics, cupboards and households for any similar artworks.

The key clues that people need to be looking out for include the use of chalk or pastel on paper and many depict the Australian landscape and wildlife, including kangaroos.

We would urge everyone to see for themselves at the new exhibition in Glasgow, which tells this incredible story.

Since 2013, the John Curtin Gallery at Australias Curtin University, in partnership with indigenous elders, has been the custodian of the Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork, which provides an insight into the lives and experiences of the children who are now known as Australias Stolen Generations.

John Curtin Gallerys Australian First Nations Art curator, Michelle Broun, said: As the curator spending time with the artworks, I am in the childrens world for a moment.

As the daughter of a stolen child, the childrens artworks and their stories resonate with me.

I understand the pain on the childrens faces and hear their voices in their letters, but the drawings belie this pain and speak to our humanity.

The child artists overcame adversity through art  they are the heroes of the exhibition.

Anyone across the globe who thinks they may have found one of the Carrolup childrens artworks can contact the gallery via the website.


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BAGHDAD, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's parliament reconvened on Wednesday after nearly two months of suspension and decided to reject the resignation of Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi.

Up to 235 lawmakers attended the session of the 329-seat parliament headed by the deputy speaker Shakhwan Abdullah Ahmed, according to a statement issued by al-Halbousi's media office.

The lawmakers voted in rejection of the resignation of al-Halbousi from his post as parliament speaker by the majority of 222 lawmakers, the statement said.

The lawmakers also elected Muhsen al-Mandalawi to succeed the first deputy speaker, Hakim al-Zamili, who resigned earlier with lawmakers loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

During the session, three rockets landed at about 3:30 p.m. (1230 GMT) in the heavily fortified Green Zone, where the parliament building is located, wounding seven people, the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

Yahia Rasoul, spokesman of the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, said in a statement that one of the three rockets landed in front of the parliament building, damaging nearby vehicles and buildings.

The parliament suspended its sessions on July 30 after thousands of al-Sadr supporters started an open sit-in in the Iraqi parliament building.

Wednesday's session came amid continuing political disputes that have escalated between al-Sadr's Sadrist Movement, the biggest winner with 73 seats in the parliament on Oct. 10, and his rivals in the Coordination Framework (CF), an umbrella group of Shiite parliamentary parties.

Al-Sadr demanded in the past weeks to dissolve parliament and hold early elections, but his demands were rejected by the CF parties that became the largest bloc after al-Sadr ordered his followers to withdraw from the parliament in June.

Al-Sadr tried to resort to the Federal Supreme Court to dissolve the parliament, but the court stressed on September 7 in a statement that the constitution defines its jurisdiction, which does not include the dissolution of the parliament.

During the past months, the continued disputes among the Shiite parties have hampered the formation of a new Iraqi government, making it unable to elect a new president by a two-thirds majority of the 329-seat parliament under the Iraqi constitution. 
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. On September 27, 2022, Human Rights Defender of Armenia Ms. Kristinne Grigoryan met with the Executive Secretary of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) Mr. Regis Brillat, the Office of the Ombudsperson said.

Expressing her gratitude for the opportunity of the meeting, the Defender emphasized the importance of the work and cooperation with international partners.

During the meeting with the Executive Secretary of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) Mr. Regis Brillat, Ms. Grigoryan presented the activities and the results of the monitoring of the Human Rights Defenders Office, acting as the National Preventive Mechanism for the prevention of torture and ill-treatment. The Defender also presented the raised issues and the main violations that were registered, emphasizing the progress made as a result of cooperation with state bodies.

The Defender also referred to the systemic problems raised by the annual and ad hoc reports on the activity of the Human Rights Defender acting as the National Preventive Mechanism.

Presenting the ad hoc report published by the Human Rights Defenders Office which was published on September 16, the Defender pointed out and presented with clear evidence the gross violations of the right to life, and the violations of the absolute prohibition of torture, and inhuman or degrading treatment by Azerbaijan, and the atrocities committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces against the bodies of killed Armenian servicemen, especially female servicepersons, both during the 44-day war in 2020, and the latest aggression on Armenia.

The Executive Secretary Mr. Regis Brillat presented the specifics of the Committee's mandate, and highlighted the importance of the monitoring conducted by the Defenders Office on the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee made to Armenia. The Executive Secretary informed the Defender about the planned monitoring visit to Armenia in 2023.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Vice Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan had a meeting with the President of the House of Councilors (Upper House of Parliament) of Japan Hidehisa Otsuji in Tokyo on September 28.

Vice Speaker Arshakyan briefed Mr. Otsuji on the Azerbaijani attack against the sovereign territory of Armenia on September 13-14, including the Azerbaijani strikes at Armenian civilian and military infrastructure, towns and villages, which claimed the lives of both servicemembers and civilians. Arshakyan attached importance to the international communitys targeted condemnation of Azerbaijans aggressive actions.

Hidehisa Otsuji expressed regret over the recent military clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan and expressed condolences over the human losses in Armenia. Hidehisa Otsuji said that Japan favors peace everywhere, and that they are ready to support the establishment of peace in the region, the parliaments press service said.

Bilteral relations were also discussed and willingness to make extra efforts to deepen and expand the political and culture ties between Armenia and Japan was voiced.

Arshakyan also met with the acting chairman of the Japan-Armenia parliamentary friendship group Takeaki Matsumoto.

The Vice Speaker also met with Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan Keiko Nagaoka.

Developing cooperation in education, intensifying scholarships and exchange programs, possibilities for deepening cooperation in scientific-educational and IT areas were discussed.

Arshakyan also met with Keiichiro Nakazawa, the Senior Vice President of JICA - the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

A number of issues of developing cooperation in humanitarian, scientific, cultural, economic, high tech, crisis prevention areas were discussed. The parties attached importance to cooperation between universities of the two countries and mutual visits of Armenian and Japanese scientists and researchers.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. US Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) officially introduced legislation today, along with leaders of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, including Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), condemning the Republic of Azerbaijan's digitally uploaded atrocities and war crimes on Armenia, Artsakh, and the Armenian people, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

"For far too long, Azerbaijan has committed atrocities against Armenian servicemembers and civilians with impunity. From the horrific mutilation of servicemembers' bodies, to beheadings, to the deliberate targeting of medical facilities and religious sites, Azerbaijan has repeatedly shown utter disdain for basic human dignity and international law," Rep. Speier said. "We must hold Aliyev's government accountable for its grave violations of the Geneva Conventions and atrocities committed by his troops against Armenian servicemembers and civilians."

Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Resolution references Azerbaijan's participation as a Member State in the United Nations, which requires their "duty to abide by the conditions of the United Nations Charter and pledges reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Azerbaijan also "ratified the Geneva Conventions" in 1993, which "establish international legal standards on the treatment of civilians, prisoners of war (POWs)...," and "prohibits mutilation, cruel treatment and torture..."

Rep. Speier's Resolution highlights Azerbaijan's "grave breaches" of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, including willful killing...torture, inhumane treatment causing great suffering...and hostage taking."

It continues on to cite Azerbaijan's "unprovoked and illegal attack" against the sovereign territory of Armenia on September 13, 2022, which echoed the "large-scale" attack on Artsakh in the Fall of 2020, and detailed war crimes, including the mutilation and desecration of a female servicemember's body by Azerbaijani soldiers, captured on video on September 16, 2022; the striking of a maternity ward in Artsakh by an Azeri artillery rocket on October 28, 2020; Azerbaijani soldiers decapitating two civilians on two separate occasions while they were "bound or pinned to the ground," in video footage authenticated by non-governmental organizations including Amnesty International in October 2020; Azerbaijan's use of white phosphorus munitions, prohibited by the Geneva Conventions that caused "severe burns and the deaths of civilians" in October 2020; as well as the ongoing illegal imprisonment of over 100 Armenian POWs, in stark violation of the November 9, 2020 trilateral ceasefire statement.

The Resolution states that the U.S. House of Representatives "condemns Azerbaijan's destabilizing actions, including the commission of war crimes, which have severely undermined the international rule of law," and encourages the United States Government and the global community to petition the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights "to take appropriate steps to investigate any and all war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani forces at the direction of President Ilham Aliyev."

The Resolution also calls on Azerbaijan to "immediately investigate all grave violations of the Geneva Conventions perpetrated by Azerbaijani servicemembers against Armenian servicemembers and civilians," and "condemns the intentional or reckless destruction, vandalization, or desecration of all Armenian cultural and religious heritage sites."

The U.S. House of Representatives "encourages the Biden administration to explore the applicability of sanctions on Azerbaijan in response to its aggression and potential war crimes," and "reaffirms its support of United States democratic partner Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as that of the Republic of Artsakh, and against Azerbaijans military aggression and blatant violations of international laws and norms."

Today's Resolution follows H.Res.1351, introduced by Rep. Schiff, which condemns Azerbaijan's unprovoked military attacks on the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh.

"We commend Congresswoman Speier, along with her colleagues Reps. Adam Schiff, Frank Pallone and Anna Eshoo, for spearheading this important Resolution during a critical time for the Armenian people in Armenia and Artsakh," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "This Resolution brings to light the horrific war crimes and atrocities committed by Azerbaijan during the 44-day War on Artsakh in Fall 2020 as well as earlier this month. The United States and the international community need to stand with the Armenian people, help save lives and prevent another genocide."
by Fady Noun

At least 100 victims, including 10 children, have been confirmed in the shipwreck of the 'coffin ship' loaded with migrants on 23 September. Volunteer teams are still searching for the missing. There were about 150 people on board, only 20 survivors. The desperate stories of those who managed to save themselves.

Beirut (AsiaNews) - The emotion aroused in Lebanese public opinion by the recent shipwreck of a boat full of migrants that left Lebanon has still not abated days later and is a source of both anger and pain. According to the official Syrian news agency Sana, which cites hospital sources, a new body was recovered the day before yesterday off the Syrian city of Tartus, where the drama occurred, bringing the total number of bodies found following the sinking to 100. The Syrian navy mounted a massive rescue operation in search of further survivors and the bodies of the victims, who were then transported to the Bassel hospital in the coastal town, to be identified and repatriated.

The death toll of this shipwreck is the deadliest in the eastern Mediterranean, with only 20 survivors so far rescued and recovered, compared to at least 150 passengers. The people on board the ship that set sail from the city of Tripoli (northern Lebanon) were overwhelmingly Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians. According to Unicef's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. Adele Khodr, the victims of the sinking included 10 children.

On the so-called 'coffin ship', as it was nicknamed in the Land of the Cedars, there were also about 15 Lebanese. Among those who escaped the tragedy was Wissam al-Tallawi, a family man who lived in Tripoli and was originally from Akkar. The bodies of his two daughters, aged five and nine, were repatriated to Lebanon. Tallawi's wife and two other sons are still missing.

Among the survivors is a taxi driver from Bab el-Raml, one of Tripoli's poorest neighbourhoods. When Moustafa Misto, that is his name, decided to try the adventure with his family, he dreamed of nothing but one thing: to live a dignified life. He died at sea with his three children, only his wife managed to survive yet another tragedy. Moustafa paid the smugglers almost five thousand euros per adult and half the price for his children. To do this, he had sold his car and borrowed money from his brothers. His mother had even sold some jewellery in order to help him.

Zein El-Dine Hamad, a young groom and his pregnant wife were only saved by the passage of a Russian navy patrol boat. At the moment of the shipwreck, the man had the reflex to throw himself into the water with the woman, before the boat capsized. His wife lost the baby she was carrying after drifting more than 12 hours at sea, clinging to a piece of the wreckage of the boat.

"The most difficult moment," the man told Al-Jadid television, "was when my wife started to become delirious and ask me to buy her a fizzy drink." He added, his voice broken with emotion, that many of those who escaped the sinking tried to save themselves by clinging to the ship's debris, only to let go and drown. All the passengers who found themselves underneath the vessel at the moment it capsized later drowned.

According to several witnesses, the passengers allegedly begged the ship's pilot to turn back when the engine broke down and the vessel began to be rocked by the large waves hitting the hull. However, the smugglers recovered a spare engine and brought it on board. The pilot allegedly even received death threats if he changed course.

The owner of the boat, Bilal Nadim, was detained for questioning. According to an army note released today, the man confessed his involvement in the affair and confirmed that he was the head of a network of migrant smugglers from the north Lebanese coast. It seems that he played a role not only in organising illegal crossings, but also in the drug trade, exploiting the passage through the northern coast of Lebanon, which is cheaper and more complicated than the Turkish route. In this regard, journalist Jana el-Douhaybi, quoted by the French-speaking daily L'Orient-Le Jour, speaks of 'organised crime' that benefits from the complicity of local law enforcement agencies. This would also explain why arrested smugglers are all too often released after only a few days.

The Lebanese NGO Legal Agenda states that the cost of operating a migrant ship is around 30 to 50 thousand euros per voyage and the remuneration per 'chief' varies between 30 and 40 thousand euros. For the activists, almost every day there is an attempted crossing from Lebanon to Cyprus or the coast of Italy.

In any case, this shipwreck is not only a telltale sign of the enormous depth of Lebanon's economic and financial crisis, but is also symbolic of a 'moral shipwreck' of its leaders, engaged in an unbridled race for power. And who have abandoned to their fate the majority of the population, deprived of any minimum assistance.

Today, all social indicators are in a state of alert. Some people no longer have any qualms about stealing electric cables and parapets, in order to secure a source of income. According to a testimony collected in Tripoli, one man sold the iron railing of his balcony in order to replace his gas cylinder. Interviewed by Afp, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi branded this shipwreck as 'a new tragedy'. He therefore urged the international community to come to the aid of 'improving the conditions of people forced to flee their country, as well as those of the communities that receive them'.

Lebanon is home to more than one million Syrian refugees who have fled the war in their homeland and whose repatriation is being hindered by regional political issues raised by the international institutions themselves, although calm has returned to much of the Syrian territory.
SAUDI ARABIA

The Riyadh government has been reshuffled with the appointment as Prime Minister of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, already the de facto leader of the country. His brother Khalid took his place at the head of the Ministry of Defence. Two key ministries, Energy and Foreign Affairs, remain with the current ministers.

CHINA

Xi Jinping has reappeared in public after his visit to Central Asia last week. The president visited an exhibition at the Beijing Exhibition Hall yesterday in the company of Premier Li Keqiang and other regime dignitaries. With his absence, 'rumours' have been circulating for days about an alleged military coup taking place in the country.

SINGAPORE-HONG KONG

Opposite demographic trajectories for Asia's two economic hubs. Studies reveal that Singapore's population continues to grow, fuelled by the influx of foreigners and skilled labour; Hong Kong, on the other hand, marks a decline for the third year in a row, the effect of its economic decline and that of mainland China.

AFGHANISTAN-RUSSIA

The Taliban government closed a deal with Moscow for discounted supplies of petrol, diesel, gas and wheat. It is the first trade agreement with a foreign country since the 'students of God' returned to power in August 2021.

INDIA

The Indian conglomerate Adani Group has announced that it will invest USD 100 billion over the next 10 years, mainly in the country's ecological transition. With an estimated fortune of between 147 and 152 billion dollars, Gautam Adani has become the second richest man in the world, the first in Asia.

RUSSIA

The Religious Administration of Muslims of Tatarstan, one of the most important Islamic organisations in Russia, expressed its support for Putin's decision on mobilisation. The motivation for the opinion is theological, based on the canons of Sharia law and the defence of the common religious values of the peoples of Russia.

ARMENIA-AZERBAIGIAN

The former presidents of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Serz Sargsyan, met with those of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arkadij Gukasyan and Bako Saakyan at the patriarchal seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Echmiadzin. The aim was to seek a solution to the problem of the separatist region on Azerbaijani soil with the blessing of Katholikos Ilia II, but to no avail.
by Nirmala Carvalho

The Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace held their National Convention in Hyderabad. They bemoan the fact that The poor in India become poorer every day, while the rich and powerful continue to profiteer at their expense and amass scandalous amounts of wealth. The Church and her own congregations are also urged to show greater courage.

Hyderabad (AsiaNews)  The Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace held its 17th National Convention in Hyderabad from 22 to 24 September.

Centred on Deepening our identity as religious: Responding to the signs of the times, the 63 men and women religious who attended came from 16 Indian states, representing 20 different congregations,

"Following the path traced by those who preceded us, we renewed our choice to commit ourselves to those who live on the margins, said Sister Dorothy Fernandes, Forum convener and a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, speaking to AsiaNews.

In opening the meeting, Sister M. Nirmalini, president of the Conference of Religious India (CRI), cited Pope Franciss call to the consecrated life to wake up the world and show that there is another way of being, acting and living a prophetic way of life".

The Forums final declaration expressed deep concern for the situation in India today.

As religious committed to justice and peace, we express our concern at the deteriorating situation of our nation on every front, it reads. The poor in India become poorer every day; the rich and powerful continue to profiteer at their expense and amass scandalous amounts of wealth.

The Adivasis are robbed of their jal, jungle and jameen. The Dalits and OBCs and other subaltern groups are still denied the dignity, equality and justice which are legitimately theirs.

[M]inorities (particularly Muslims and Christians) are targeted with hate speech and persecution, by a regime which systematically and continuously denigrates and demonizes them with a divisive and violent agenda. Intolerance is on the rise.

In the statement, the religious cite The new National Education Policy (NEP), which is clearly anti-poor and anti-minority and caters only to a small section of the rich and the elite.

Forum participants also spoke out against widespread graft and cronyism, repression of freedom of speech and human rights violations, noting that those who take a stand against the regime are hauled up, false cases are foisted on them  they are attacked, incarcerated and even killed (as we have painfully experienced in the death of our brother Stan Swamy who died whilst still in police custody).

At the same time, the Forum also questions the silence of the Indian Church. The synodality Pope Francis calls for at the local level is still hindered by clericalism and a patriarchal mindset, while caste discrimination is still practised.

In this context, Forum participants renewed their commitment to "continually deepen our identity as radical disciples of Jesus and have the prophetic courage to respond to the signs of the times.

Convinced that personal transformation is the first step towards social transformation, [. . .] we will continue to strive to build more inclusive communities, transcending the religious, caste, gender and ethnic divisions and every form of sectarianism.

Finally, addressing their congregations, they urge them, at all stages of training, to conduct programmes on the Constitution of India and social analysis with the necessary exposure to the realities of the poor and take an unequivocal, visible and vocal stand and to accompany the victims of abuse both within Church and in society at large.
Francis at the general audience in St Peter's Square: "The saints teach us to address God with simplicity and familiarity, not by reciting words like a parrot. By being with Him we will recognise what really counts in our lives". Again a thought for the tormented people of Ukraine.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Prayer is the "first constitutive element" of discernment Pope Francis said this morning in St Peter's Square as he resumed his cycle of catechesis dedicated to this dimension of Christian life at the general audience, in front of groups of pilgrims who had come from various parts of the world.

"To know what is going on inside of us," he explained, "we must discern where feelings and ideas come from, where they lead, to what decision". But in this "prayer is an indispensable help, especially when it involves the affections, allowing us to address God with simplicity and familiarity, as one would speak to a friend. It is knowing how to go beyond thoughts, to enter into intimacy with the Lord, with an affectionate spontaneity. The secret of the life of the saints is familiarity and trust with God, which grows in them and makes it ever easier to recognise what is pleasing to Him. True prayer,' he emphasised, 'is familiarity and confidence with God, it is not reciting prayers like a parrot.

This helps to understand that discernment "is not chemically a pure method, it does not claim absolute certainty, because it concerns life, and life is not always logical, it has many aspects that cannot be enclosed in a single category of thought". Significantly,' Francis recalled, 'the first miracle performed by Jesus in Mark's Gospel is an exorcism (Mk. 1:21-28), in which he frees a man from a false idea of God: the possessed man saying "You have come to ruin us" raises the doubt that it is God who does not want our happiness.

"Many, even Christians," the pope commented, "think the same thing: they doubt that God wants our happiness; some fear that taking his proposal seriously means ruining our lives, mortifying our desires, our strongest aspirations. Even within us sometimes peeps the idea "that God asks too much of us". Instead, "the sign of the encounter with the Lord is joy. Sadness, or fear, are signs of distance from Him", as happens to the rich young man in the Gospel episode.

"Discerning is not easy," Francis went on to add, "because appearances deceive, but familiarity with God can melt away doubts and fears in a gentle way, making our lives ever more receptive to his 'gentle light', according to the beautiful expression of St John Henry Newman. The saints shine with reflected light and show in the simple gestures of their day the loving presence of God, who makes the impossible possible".

"It is said that two spouses who have lived together for so long loving each other," said the Pontiff, "end up resembling each other. Something similar can be said of affective prayer: in a gradual but effective way it makes us more and more capable of recognising what counts by connaturality, as something that springs from the depths of our being. This,' he concluded, 'is the relationship we must have in prayer: a smile, a simple gesture and not reciting words that do not reach the heart. Speak to Jesus as one friend speaks to another friend. It is a grace we must ask for one another: to see Jesus as our greatest friend, our faithful friend, who does not blackmail, above all who never abandons us, even when we turn away from Him. He remains at the door of the heart".

In his greetings to the faithful, Francis then returned, as he does every week, to the Ukrainian people, so cruelly tried. "This morning," he added, "I was able to speak with Cardinal Krajewski who was returning from Ukraine and he told me terrible things. Let us think of Ukraine and pray for this tormented people'.

Lastly, citing the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, which falls tomorrow, he hoped that everyone would allow themselves to be guided by them to "recognise and follow the voice of the inner Master, who speaks in the secret of the conscience".
by Steve Suwannarat

The new rule comes into effect on 26 October. It expands on last years Criminal Code amendment authorising abortion up to 12 weeks after a Supreme Court ruling. Liberalisation is clearly the goal. The Catholic Bishops Conference and many Buddhist groups are opposed.

Bangkok (AsiaNews)  Thailand is set to extend abortion from 12 to 20 weeks in a new amendment of the Criminal Code, following a ruling by the Constitutional Court that authorised the practice as of 7 February 2021.

The new amendment will come into force on 26 October, making it easier for women to have an abortion who will only have to get information and consult a doctor.

Essentially, the governments decision to further decriminalise the practice came in a statement released yesterday after it was published in the Royal Gazette on Monday.

In just 20 months, the governments abortion policy went from strict prohibition (except in case of rape or danger to the mothers health), including fines up to 10,000 baht (about US$ 260) with six months in jail, to almost full liberalisation.

Although widespread, the practice is not widely accepted in Thai society and the debate last year over decriminalisation met with strong opposition in a country steeped in Buddhist traditions that are strongly centred on the universal respect for life and exert substantial influence on the population.

Although the countrys Buddhist authorities did not address the issue at the time, many ordinary Thais maintained a moral opposition to abortion, backed by other religious groups, like the Catholic Church, which was steadfast in its opposition to changes in the Criminal Code even though it represents less than 1 per cent of the Thai population.

A year ago, faced with the prospect of legalisation and claims by abortion advocates stressing the need for the amendment to better protect womens health and freedom in case of unwanted pregnancies, the Catholic Church in Thailand responded by emphasising the rights of unborn children and support for mothers.

Fr Pairat Sriprasert, head of pastoral outreach at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand, said that Catholics were against legalisation, which sidesteps the problem but does not solve it.
by Arundathie Abeysinghe

Cindy McCain visited the island nation for four days, meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe and inspecting agricultural development projects. Washington also donated a ship to the Sri Lankan Navy. Tamil MPs call for justice in connection with the atrocities perpetrated during the civil war.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Ambassador Cindy McCain, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agency (FAO) in Rome, ended a four-day visit to Sri Lanka today designed to highlight US food assistance programmes and boost the partnership between the United States and Sri Lanka.

Economic analysts and senior government officials told AsiaNews that Ambassador McCain's mission is a "great boost to the debt-ridden island nation mired in an economic crisis."

During her visit to the Central Province, Ambassador McCain was accompanied by US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung; together they visited schools, agricultural research facilities, community organisations and met with recipients of programmes funded by the US government.

After visiting Revatha Elementary School in Haggamuwa to inspect a US-funded FAO project, McCain stressed that We are not just giving them seeds, but also the tools to be able to support themselves and their families in later years."

During her meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe, she emphasised United Statess long-standing commitment to the people of Sri Lanka, indicating that her visit was also meant to assess humanitarian needs, inspect US-funded assistance and advocate for long-term strategies to build food security for all Sri Lankans.

The US envoy stressed the need to revive Sri Lankas agriculture, a sector devastated by former president Gotabaya Rajapaksas decision to ban chemical fertilisers, which exacerbated food shortages.

The United States continues to maintain close ties with the island, not only through aid; earlier this month, Washington delivered a ship for the Sri Lankan Navy.

Last week, US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland reassured Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Ali Sabry, that her government would continue to support the South Asian nation in its the current economic crisis.

The meeting with Nuland followed that with Samantha Power, administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), who earlier this month met with President Wickremasinghe and representatives of opposition parties to discuss the countrys governance.

During the meeting, Tamil National Alliance MP M. A. Sumanthiran told Power that "Sri Lanka is currently being discussed at the UN Human Rights Council, where a resolution on accountability for mass atrocities against ethnic Tamils during the civil war is still pending.

For Sumanthiran, accountability must be pursued at the UNHCR and elsewhere."
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The future of Taiwan must and can only be jointly decided by all Chinese people, a mainland spokesperson said Wednesday while refuting the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' remarks distorting UN General Assembly Resolution 2758.

Taiwan is part of China, and both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a press conference.

She noted that the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 in October 1971, which settled once and for all the political, legal and procedural issues of China's representation in the UN and recognized the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representatives of China to the UN.

The DPP authorities, acting out of their own political interests, refused to recognize the one-China principle, and disregarded basic norms governing international relations, Zhu said.

The DPP authorities' actions run counter to the historical trend and the common aspirations of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and are doomed to fail, she added. 
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The bike came to be in 1980, four years into the life of the R100 breed, and for a long time, it has been an inconspicuous representative of its breed. Sometime recently, it crossed the doors into the shops of Spain-based Cafe Racer Dreams (CRD) and was transformed into an American family tribute on wheels.Because of the brown and bronze tones used throughout, we chose to nickname it Brownie. Brownie, or bike CRD125 in the shops portfolio, remains a BMW at heart, but it is so much more visually.The project was put together, says the shop, for a client from Boston. Its a pure cafe racer the kind of which CRD has made plenty, but its the paint scheme, especially the three stripes in different shades of bronze featured on the fuel tank, that reference the typical American family, in this case, that of the motorcycles owner.Sporting a leather seat, Biltwell grips, motogadget controls and Rizoma indicators, the bike holds in its frame the stock, but reworked 998cc engine, which breathes through a custom exhaust.The front wheel is supported by a Kawasaki ZX-6R fork, Ohlins shock help keep the bike upright and the ride smooth, while Brembo and Nissin hardware help with the brakes.The shop takes particular pride in having achieved a build that shows fewer-than-usual screws to connect the different bits of the motorcycle, and that helps a lot with the clean look of the machine.We are not being told how much the 1980 BMW R100 RT Brownie cost to put together.
kW

Over in Europe and the United Kingdom, the off-road pickup truck develops 284 horsepower and 362 pound-foot (212and 491 Nm) at the crankshaft. But over in Australia, this engine is a little more potent. According to Ford, customers in the Land Down Under enjoy 292 kW and 583 Nm (392 horsepower and 430 pound-foot). Why this difference? As expected, the Old Continents stringent emission regulations are to blame.Turning our attention back to the Australia-spec Ranger Raptor, the peeps at Car Expert have strapped the overlanding rig on a dyno to find out how many of those ponies reach the rear wheels. The dynamometer registered 204.3 kW (274 horsepower) and 535 Nm (395 pound-foot) of torque, which isnt bad at all given that were talking about rear-wheel figures and 17-inch alloys wrapped in BFGoodrich KO2 285/70 by 17-inch all-terrain rubber.The Aussie publication was also curious about the 3.0-liter V6 diesel, a single-turbo affair compared to the twin-turbo setup of the gas-fueled engine in the Raptor. The factory numbers are 184 kW (247 horsepower) and 600 Nm (443 pound-foot), and the dynamometer says that 158.4 kW (212 horsepower) and 540 Nm (398 pound-foot) of twist get to the rear wheels.But wait because theres more! Car Expert finishes the featured clip with the 2.0-liter EcoBlue bi-turbo diesel, a four-cylinder lump that premiered in February 2018 under the hood of the previous-generation Ranger Raptor In this application, Ford quotes 154 kW (207 horsepower) and 500 Nm (369 pound-foot). The dyno registered 126.9 kW (170 horsepower) and 460 Nm (339 pound-foot). All in all, very respectable numbers, thats for sure!
Aerial photo released by the Danish Ministry of Defense on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the Nord Stream gas pipeline leak site. Measuring stations in Sweden registered strong underwater explosions in the same area of sea as the gas leaks that occurred in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Monday, Swedish television (SVT) reported on Tuesday. The government of Denmark considers the Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks "deliberate actions," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday. (Danish Defense Ministry/Handout via Xinhua)

COPENHAGEN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The government of Denmark considers the Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks "deliberate actions," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said here on Tuesday.

"It is the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident," Frederiksen told journalists.

On Monday, Danish and Swedish officials said that leaks had been identified in two natural gas pipelines -- Nord Stream 1 and its twin, Nord Stream 2 -- under the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark's Bornholm island, near the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden.

Frederiksen said that "two explosions" have been registered, but she refused to speculate as to who might be responsible.

Dan Jorgensen, minister for climate, energy and utilities, said that "The gas pipes lie at a depth of 70 to 90 meters and consist of over 12-centimeter thick layers of steel and concrete, respectively. The nature of the leaks indicates that there are such large holes that it cannot have happened by accident."

He said that the leaks are not expected to cause supply security issues in the short term.

Citing Denmark's foreign intelligence service, Defense Minister Morten Bodskov said that it did not see any increased military threat against Denmark after the leaks.

"I would like to emphasize that the defense intelligence service does not consider that there is an increased military threat to Denmark," Defense Minister Morten Bodskov said.

He added that no advance warnings had been received, but that there had been an increase in tensions around the Baltic Sea.

"This is a serious matter. The defense is increasing its presence around Bornholm," he said.

Bodskov has a previously scheduled meeting dedicated to the Nord Stream pipelines with Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Wednesday morning. 

Aerial photo released by the Danish Ministry of Defense on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the Nord Stream gas pipeline leak site. Measuring stations in Sweden registered strong underwater explosions in the same area of sea as the gas leaks that occurred in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Monday, Swedish television (SVT) reported on Tuesday. The government of Denmark considers the Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks "deliberate actions," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday. (Danish Defense Ministry/Handout via Xinhua)

Aerial photo released by the Danish Ministry of Defense on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the Nord Stream gas pipeline leak site. Measuring stations in Sweden registered strong underwater explosions in the same area of sea as the gas leaks that occurred in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Monday, Swedish television (SVT) reported on Tuesday. The government of Denmark considers the Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks "deliberate actions," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday. (Danish Defense Ministry/Handout via Xinhua)
WLTP

The secret to this performance is a twin-turbo V8 engine, the S68 that BMW premiered in the X7 facelift, and a transmission-integrated electric motor. All-electric driving range is estimated at up to 55 miles (88 kilometers) in thecycle and 30 miles (50 kilometers) in the EPA cycle.Next year, the second vehicle developed by the mad professors at BMW M will be joined by a performance-oriented variant with even crazier output figures. Label Red is the somewhat uninspired name of the said variant, which packs 735 horsepower and the kind of torque that would impress a heavy-duty workhorse. More specifically, 735 pound-foot (1,000 Nm).To be revealed after the XM launches in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2023, the XM Label Red is the first in a series of Label special editions. The Label Red, which features limited availability, is due to start production in the summer of 2023. Most likely heading to dealers for the 2024 model year, this variant costs a staggering $185,000, as per BMW North America.Previewed by none other than BMW Austria, the XM Label Red has black paintwork and red accents up front, on the sides, and on its massive wheels. Although its not inspired by the GMC Vandura A-Team Van we all know and love, the Bavarian automaker could have picked a more unique color scheme. The M badge in the driver-side kidney grille is also finished in red, and zooming in on the photo reveals red leather on the seats.Love it or hate it, the XM is certain to sell pretty darn well. The same applies to the Label Red. Unfortunately for prospective customers, BMW hasnt said how many will be produced and for how long. Considering that more Labels are in the works, we may be looking at a one-year affair.
Given it uses the iPhone network to send data about its location, the AirTag appears to be just the gadget modern thieves and stalkers needed for their nefarious purposes This is precisely what happened in Carlton, Oregon recently, when a familys BMW ended up stolen after its location was revealed by an AirTag hidden inside.Casey Livingston told the local media that he purchased a used BMW from a local dealership for his son. However, shortly after getting the car, they received a notification that an AirTag might be moving with them  this is one of the privacy protections the device comes with, as it tries to alert unsuspecting people they may be tracked.After a thorough search inside, the family found the GPS tracker planted into the center console, so they immediately knew that someone was monitoring the location of the car.A few days later, the BMW got stolen from their driveway, with the thieves needing just a few seconds to unlock the doors  as it turns out, the owners were given just one set of keys, so theres a chance the thieves had the second.The thieves eventually drove away with the car but then totaled it in an intersection where they rear-ended another vehicle. report from the local media cites the dealership as claiming that this particular BMW was purchased at auction, and while the vehicle was inspected prior to the sale, the AirTag wasnt found by the mechanic.The reason is as simple as it could be: the AirTag can issue warnings only to iPhone users, whereas Android phone owners need to download a dedicated app from the Google Play Store and manually scan for nearby trackers.
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SUV

PHEV

The Hanand the Tang both belong to the E-Segment, which makes them significantly more expensive. The electric sedan and thewill cost 72,000 ($69,689). These prices will change depending on the countries in which they are sold due to taxes and EV incentives.Norway was the first European country to receive BYD passenger cars. The Tang has been sold there since 2021, which comes as no surprise. The Norwegian market has the largest EV share in the world, allowing EV makers to use that country as the perfect test environment for their vehicles.After BYD presents its vehicles at the 2022 Paris Motor Show, the Han EV and the ATTO 3 will join the Tang in Norway. Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK will follow a few months after that. In 12 months, BYD intends to set foot in the major markets in Europe. Well have to wait to see what the Chinese carmaker means by major.The price tag for the ATTO 3  aka Yuan Plus  was not the only highlight in the presentation. BYD also said it was the first brand to sell a plug-in hybrid () with the F3DM in 2008. That makes us wonder why the Chinese titan did not want to sell any of its PHEVs in the European market in the beginning. That probably has to do with the brand positioning BYD intends to have. Rather than being known as a brand for cheap vehicles, it seems to aim for premium status. The ATTO 3 is the affordable minority among the three electric cars leading the brand presentation.Europe will probably enjoy two other BYD vehicles way more than the Han EV and the Tang: the Dolphin and the Seagull . These smaller and more affordable electric cars would sell in high numbers in the Old Continent. However, BYD knows it needs more dealerships to sell them in numbers that can make them profitable. In other words, it will let these three vehicles prepare the terrain for their arrival. We just hope that the Chinese carmaker will have explained the Han EV fires we have seen so far before the sedan arrives on European soil.
The Kennedy Space Center is in the path of the storm, and NASA has already decided to close the visitor complex on September 28 and September 29. Further away in the complex, launch pad 39B was cleared of its occupants to keep them safe from potential damage.Those occupants were the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule, which were both transported back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for shelter. For a brief moment though, it seemed it was more dangerous to be inside the VAB than outside.According to a NASA statement, fire alarms rang inside the building on September 27, soon after the SLS reached the location. The alarm was caused by smoke being detected in the High Bay 3, where the SLS is.After a quick investigation, NASA technicians found an arc flash event occurred at a connector on an electrical panel in High Bay 3. A spark from that arc landed on a rope marking the boundary of the work area on the third floor of F-tower, causing the rope to smolder.The alarm was triggered by the workers there, and the building was quickly evacuated. Luckily, the smoke did not turn into a fire, and all safety measures were taken to remove the threat.NASA says no one was injured as a result of the incident, and work resumed shortly after. Also, the SLS and its mobile launcher were not affected in any way.As for when the SLS will kickstart the Artemis program, thats anyones guess. We should have seen the thing lift off today, but Ian had other plans.
The last time NASA attempted to set a launch date for Artemis I was earlier this month, when it said September 27 is the target date, with October 2 kept as backup. In the meantime, hurricane Ian happened, so the launch did not take place this week as intended. Furthermore, the first days of October are reserved for the launch of the Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), so chances of seeing the SLS depart this year are getting slimmer by the day.Crew-5, taking to the sky on board the Crew Dragon spaceship called Endurance, was supposed to launch on October 3, but it too got pushed back, only by a day, also on account of Ian being expected to make a mess over in Florida. October 5 is considered a backup date for the mission.Crew-5 is the fifth trip to the ISS using a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The crew comprises NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata.Most importantly, this flight will also have on board Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina. It will be the first time a SpaceX capsule transports a specialist working for Americas biggest adversary, an occurrence which comes just a few days after an American astronaut flew on a Soyuz spaceship again, for the first time since the start of Russia's war on Ukraine.Crew Endurance, which is already paired to the Falcon 9 rocket that will launch it, has been used before, being responsible for taking to space the astronauts of the Crew-3 mission.
VTOL

(vertical take-off and landing) aircraft will be the automobiles of tomorrow, designed to assist us in all our daily routines. At least thats what SkyDrive has in mind when it designs its flying cars, boasting they give wings to daily travel. When it was unveiled in 2020, the companys first model, the SD-03 , was described as the worlds smallest eVTOL aircraft, measuring 4m (13 ft) in length and width, and 2m (6.5 ft) in height. It was designed as a one-seater and, when parked, it takes up the space of two cars.Its successor, the SD-05, is a slightly bigger model, with a capacity of two people. It is suitable for air taxi operations and other applications such as emergency medical services, and more. Operated by a driver-pilot, the stability of the flying car is secured with the assistance of a computer-controlled flight system, as explained by SkyDrive.In terms of exterior design, SkyDrive describes the airframe of its eVTOL as an aerodynamic one, featuring horizontal and vertical tails for added stability in flight. Over 1,000 flight tests were supposedly conducted during its development process. The 12 motor-propeller units are located at the top corners of the airframe.With the SD-05 being a work in progress, we dont have most of the specs just yet, as they are subject to change. What we do know is that the SD-05 is a short-range aircraft designed to travel for approximately 10 km (6 miles) on a charge, at a maximum cruise of 100 kph (62 mph). SkyDrive is now in the process of getting a type certificate for its new SD-05 from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Its plan is to be able to make both of its flying cars operational in time for the World Exposition Osaka, Kansai, (Japan), which will take place in 2025.
As a brand, Petronas has been featured on Mercedes F1 cars since 2010, back when the German outfit emerged from the remains of Brawn GP. Going forward, the oil company will be heavily involved with this new post 2026 era of power units, developing sustainable fuel not just for F1 cars, but also for various other team vehicles such as transport trucks.Today we are doing something a little bit unusual  announcing a partnership that will begin in four years time. This sends an important message: our team and Petronas are no longer just partners, we are family, and we will be one team for many more years to come, said team principal Toto Wolff From 2026, advanced sustainable fuel will be at the heart of F1 performance  and this gives us a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in this domain, through both the power unit and Petronas Fluid Technology Solutions.Beyond 2026, Formula 1 car engines wont just be using 100% sustainable fuels but will also deploy three times the electrical power while being considerably more environmentally friendly. Petronas is also working on supplying sustainable aviation fuel from 2027.We are already on track with developing a greenfield biorefinery and co-processing at our facilities to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a cleaner and more viable option for aircrafts in our effort to support the aviation industry needs, stated Petronas Downstream CEO, Datuk Sazali.This is in line with Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) which is expected to come into mandatory effect by 2027 as well as the FIA's net zero by 2030 commitment  both of which will affect the logistics operations of F1 teams.
This is perhaps one of the most ridiculous NFT-related stories in a long time, and that includes the art project that saw a functional Lamborghini Huracan blown up so pieces of the wreckage could be turned into NFTs. If this is a sign of the digital future, many would probably choose to sit it out. One man, the Miami-based entrepreneur mentioned above, actually destroyed a piece of art by Frida Kahlo to launch a limited collection of NFTs.NFTs are non-fungible tokens, unique pieces on the blockchain that can be tied down to a physical asset or not, and traded for real money or cryptocurrency, but usually the latter. Both the crypto and the NFT markets have taken a dive in recent months, but the bubble is yet to burst . Despite this and despite warnings that both are nothing short of elaborate, modern-day pyramid scams, people still believe in this digital future previewed by NFTs and cryptocurrency.Martin Mobarak claims to be one of them, and hes saying it because he needs other 10,000 people to believe it as well, so they can buy his brand new Frida NFTs. To sum up this ridiculous tale of modern technological advancement, Mobarak willingly burned his very own Frida Kahlo illustration, estimated at over $10 million, just so he could launch it as an NFT. His Frida NFTs are now the only legitimate copies of the illustration Fantasmones Siniestros, which was taken from Fridas diary.Mobarak bought the artwork in 2015 from the Mary Anne Martin Gallery in New York, and it is the only piece removed from the diary, which is now at the Frida Kahlo Museum in Coyoacan. According to Mexicos National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL), all of Frida Kahlo's artwork is considered an artistic monument, including the pieces found in private collections, so whatever is done to them requires approval from the INBAL and the Kahlo Estate.That last part is important, because Mobarak completely ignored it when he took his illustration out of the frame it was in and set it on fire in a glitterati event that took place at the end of July. Before you start wondering what could have possessed him to do such a thing, the answer is simple: NFTs . In Mobaraks words, the torching of the physical artwork was necessary to immortalize it and permanently transition into the Metaverse.The video shot on the occasion claims that Mobarak burned it to transform and revolutionize the Art, NFT, Charity Worlds, and Health Sector and that this profound act was done for unfortunate children, battered women and other less fortunate around the world to receive hope. This is said unironically in a video that shows the same glitterati partying by the pool, sipping champagne in designer clothes, and watching live performers.By destroying the valuable original and launching 10,000 NFTs of it, Mobarak democratized it, creating along the way donations that will continue to grow in perpetuity. He destroyed the physical copy and launched digital versions that will sell and re-sell, increasing value over time. Thats a good thing, he says, because all the money will go to charity. Its a hefty sum, too: each NFT is priced at 3 Ethereum, which means Mobarak is hoping to get some $40 million for the entire lot, if it sells.Clearly, $40 million is better than $10 million, charity or not. He could have probably gotten more than the $10 million he paid for the drawing in a fundraiser or auction, but nothing he could have done would have gotten him the kind of publicity he got by burning it. Of course, were to take him at his word that he will be donating the money to charity: local media reports that not one of the organizations listed on the new Frida NFT website has yet received any kind of money.In theory, private property is yours to dispose of as you see fit, as long as youre not hurting anyone and, more importantly, if youre not breaking the law. Oops. The deliberate destruction of an artistic monument constitutes a crime in terms of the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Monuments and Zones, INBAL says in a statement regarding Mobaraks little stunt at the launch.So he broke the law, but he also offended common sense. There is such a thing as destroying the past to build the future, but if the digital future requires you to gratuitously damage invaluable art, maybe its time we reconsider some aspects related to it. This is just stupid: a new layer of stupid over the already stupid layer of stupidly overpriced NFTs
Private jets, typically associated with leisure, are becoming a matter of life or death for those in Russia who can afford to leave. The demand for jets flying to places like Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan is through the roof, The Guardian reports, with prices going as high as 25,000 ($26,600) per seat. These are states where Russians are not required a visa, meaning that it would be easier and faster to travel to.The head of Your Charter, one of the largest charter operators in Russia, told The Guardian that theyre now getting 5,000 requests per day. Another private jet operator stated the same, confirming that demand has increased up to 50 times in just a few days.Private aircraft are seen as the only fast way out of the country in order to avoid mobilization. However, the offer, already severely restricted due to the sanctions , cant possibly keep up with the demand. Its now a matter of having enough money and personal connections to get a seat on these flights.And its not just individuals seeking them out, but even companies. Some of them, like a Moscow-based video game design company, are apparently trying to get their entire staff to safety. Renting an entire business jet with up to eight seats can cost as much as 140,000 ($149,000)  a whopping price increase even for this luxury service. Even people who have never used these types of services before are now using all their resources to book a flight on a private jet.Meanwhile, the possibility of the Kremlin officially forbidding men of fighting age to leave the country is becoming increasingly threatening. This only puts even more pressure on those trying to secure a seat on the already scarce private jets flying from Moscow.
FWD

SUV

Earlier this first month of 2022s autumn, the upgraded Kia Sorento was caught by our spy photographer partners for the first time during final testing on the Old Continent. But the facelift is not yet upon us, as over in America the South Korean automaker has already spilled the official beans on the 2023 model year novelties For example, the 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid kicks off the MSRP from $36,590 and comes with two redesigned trims for a simplified range, as well asmodels that average no less than 37 miles per gallon (6.35 liters per 100 km). Meanwhile, the slightly cooler and more expensive 2023 Sorento PHEV got rid of its base grade to arrive with more standard goodies for no less than $48,890.So, most likely, the refreshed Kia Sorento will arrive in Europe as a 2023MY while over across the Atlantic Ocean it will land a little later for the 2024 activities. However, just in case someone is impatient, there is always the virtual automotive realm that can undress any camouflage-clad model. Thus, cue to Nikita Chuicko, the pixel master better known as kelsonik on social media, who worked his digital magic on the facelifted Sorento, and then also wondered if we think it is better than the current one.Well, given that most Kia ideas are quite quirky as of recently, we feel that people will prefer continuity with the Niro and Sportage styling rather than having a tame and boringly designed, traditional Sorento. Of course, because it is larger than both, the mid-size crossoveralso needs to feel a tad more mature  and this imagined CGI version takes care of that side of the business with flying colors. All in all, not bad at all, right?
Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows a view of Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a massive unique library and cultural symbol of the Egyptian Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria which was founded by King Alexander the Great some 2,300 years ago, features a disc-shaped exterior and 11 internal levels, all under one glistening, tilting roof. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

Visitors look at a model of Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt, on Sept. 27, 2022. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a massive unique library and cultural symbol of the Egyptian Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria which was founded by King Alexander the Great some 2,300 years ago, features a disc-shaped exterior and 11 internal levels, all under one glistening, tilting roof. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows a view of Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a massive unique library and cultural symbol of the Egyptian Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria which was founded by King Alexander the Great some 2,300 years ago, features a disc-shaped exterior and 11 internal levels, all under one glistening, tilting roof. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows a view of Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a massive unique library and cultural symbol of the Egyptian Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria which was founded by King Alexander the Great some 2,300 years ago, features a disc-shaped exterior and 11 internal levels, all under one glistening, tilting roof. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

Children visit Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt, on Sept. 27, 2022. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a massive unique library and cultural symbol of the Egyptian Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria which was founded by King Alexander the Great some 2,300 years ago, features a disc-shaped exterior and 11 internal levels, all under one glistening, tilting roof. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

People are seen at Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt, on Sept. 27, 2022. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a massive unique library and cultural symbol of the Egyptian Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria which was founded by King Alexander the Great some 2,300 years ago, features a disc-shaped exterior and 11 internal levels, all under one glistening, tilting roof. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)
The new team partner for Scuderia Ferrari , Bitdefender, has signed a multi-year agreement with the Italian outfit. Bitdefender was founded back in 2001 in Romania, and it is also based in the United States. Initially, they made antivirus software, but now they provide a suite of cybersecurity solutions. Mattia Binotto , the current Team Principal and Managing Director of Scuderia Ferrari, has noted that they (Scuderia Ferrari) are pleased to embark on this new partnership with Bitdefender, and he underlined the fact that they share values such as the highest level of technological efficiency, striving for excellence in performance, and a culture of security.The folks over at Bitdefender have also described their partnership with the Prancing Horse team as being a natural alignment between two companies that share common values. Their logo, which is the company's name written in a specific font, will be visible on the halo of Scuderia Ferrari's racing cars, as well as in several other positions on the single-seater.What Ferrari and Bitdefender do not mention is that the Italian marque silently ditched its former team partner from the cybersecurity field, Kaspersky. Naturally, it is not Bitdefender's announcement to make, as it was all a deal between Scuderia Ferrari and the Russian company.In case your memory is not impressive as the Internet itself, we should remind everyone that, back in March 2022, Kaspersky was eliminated from the list of partners that were featured on the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team's website.Moreover, the dedicated page related to the Russian brand had been eliminated, even though Kaspersky had been a long-time sponsor for the Italian racing team, ever since 2010 Back in December 2021, which is roughly two and a half months before Russia invaded Ukraine , Scuderia Ferrari and Kaspersky had just signed a further extension of their deal. Well, you now know how that worked out.
California-based company UAVOS offers a wide variety of unmanned solutions, from multi-role UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and components to unique, proprietary autopilots, and advanced communication systems, to name just a few.One of the products in the manufacturers lineup is the ApusDuo, described as a pseudo-satellite or a HAPS (High-Altitude Platform Station). With its thin silhouette and its large wingspan, the ApusDuo aircraft resembles the Airbus-developed Zephyr , another solar-powered UAS that makes the headlines constantly, breaking world records with its impressive flight capabilities.As announced by UAVOS, the ApusDuo successfully completed another test flight at one of the Flight Centers in Europe. The aircraft was able to fly continuously for 11 hours and was able to reach an altitude of 15,000 m (over 49,200 ft). UAVOS goes on to explain that its ApusDuo achieved more than two dozen test points, including energy balance validation, power and propulsion performance, to name just a few. The motor control efficiency was also evaluated as well as the propellers RPM (Revolutions per minute).Aliaksei Stratsilatau, CEO at UAVOS, claims the latest test flight demonstrates the unique solar HAPS capabilities of the ApusDuo, as well as the aircrafts ability to fly steadily across greater turbulence at high altitudes. Next, ApusDuo will be transported to Argentina where it will enter its next phase of test flights in the stratosphere.The ApusDuo has a wingspan of 15 m (49.2 ft), a maximum takeoff weight of 95 lb (43 kg), and a maximum payload capacity of 4.5 lb (2 kg). It can operate in the stratosphere at an average altitude of 59,000 ft (18 km), at temperatures ranging from -65 degrees C to +55 C (-85 Fahrenheit to +131 F). As for its applications, the aircraft is suitable for a variety of uses, from maritime surveillance and services to communications, forest fire detection and monitoring, border patrol missions, and more.Heres the ApusDuo during its recent test flight.
Thats right, Android Auto 8.2 beta is now live for testers, as Google is now preparing another production release that should happen in early October.The full build number of todays update is 8.2.123804, but keep in mind its a beta release, so unless youre a tech-savvy person who knows what these versions are for, youd better stay away from it.Otherwise, Android Auto beta builds are a great way to see whats coming to the app in the next production update, though in the last few months, very little has been changed on this front.It goes without saying that the feature everybody is waiting for right now in Android Auto is Coolwalk, the card-based UI that allows users to run multiple apps on the same screen.And while Google has obviously missed the target date for the release  the company said the rollout would begin in the summer of this year, the work on Coolwalk continues. However, theres still no ETA as to when the rollout could begin for users out there.Many people download and install these beta builds, hoping that Coolwalk would finally be included, but in fact, this isnt going to happen. Coolwalk isnt tied to a software update, as Google will enable it from its servers. This is because the code to run Coolwalk is already included in Android Auto builds, so Google just needs to activate a switch that will then let the feature show up for users in the production channel.At this point, however, Coolwalk still requires a few more refinements, at least based on the versions that are available for testing with a rooted phone. But chances are the beginning of the rollout isnt very far anyway.
Exactly a decade ago, Gulfstream was launching the G650, certified by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) in September that year, and by EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) three months later. Two years later, the G650ER was also certified.This year marks the production of 500 aircraft from this highly successful family. The 500th unit was recently delivered from the manufacturers completions facility in Appleton, Wisconsin.The G650 brought Gulfstream the coveted Robert J. Collier Trophy in 2014 for great achievements in American aeronautics. The G650ER also holds the world record for the farthest business jet flight in the world, nailed in 2019. Thats when it flew from Singapore to Tucson, Arizona, covering 8,379 nautical miles (9,642 miles/15,518 km) in 15 hours and 23 minutes.Together, the two versions hold more than 120 city-pair world speed records. They can both reach speeds of up to Mach 0.925 (709 mph/1,142 kph), powered by twin Rolls-Royce BR725 engines.The G650ER also boasts a maximum range of 7,500 nautical miles (8,630 miles/13,890 km) at cruising speed. But the G650 aircraft family isnt only about top-level performance. It also claims to offer an incredible flight experience for passengers. This includes a cabin with low altitude and reduced noise levels, 16 panoramic windows, high-speed internet connectivity features (some of the fastest in the industry), and an advanced air purifying system.The 500th G650 jet delivered by Gulfstream also represents a milestone for its collaboration with Rolls-Royce, which is also providing the Pearl 700 engine for the new-generation G700 and G800.
He made the announcement after talks with his Armenian counterpart Suren Papikian held in Paris.

We discussed the situation on the border with Azerbaijan, where hostilities must cease and Azerbaijani forces return to their initial positions, tweeted Lecornu. I announced the rapid dispatch of a French delegation to Armenia to assess the situation.

The Armenian Defense Ministry confirmed this in a statement on Papikians visit to Paris. It said the special delegation of French military officials will familiarize itself with the situation on the ground.

It was not immediately clear whether the delegation will also explore the possibility of French military aid to Armenia. Officials in Yerevan complained about the Armenian armys lack of modern weapons following two days of heavy fighting on the border with Azerbaijan which erupted late on September 12.

The Armenian and French defense ministers met the day after Frances President Emmanuel Macron received Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in Paris. Speaking before the talks, Macron blamed Baku for the hostilities and said Azerbaijani forces must return to their initial positions.

According to the presidential Elysee Palace, Macron insisted on respect for the territorial integrity of Armenia in a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday. He also told Aliyev that Pashinian is ready to pursue negotiations on all pending issues and that France can contribute to them.

Meeting with a group of French senators in Yerevan on Wednesday, Pashinian praised Frances key role in efforts to overcome the consequences of the aggression against Armenia. He was also cited by his press office as calling for the dispatch of an international monitoring mission to the Armenian border areas affected by the recent fighting.
Kocharian, who leads the main opposition Hayastan alliance, insisted that Pashinian must resign because he remains incapable of dealing with grave security challenges facing Armenia.

In order to solve a problem, you must first diagnose that problem and then neutralize it, he told a news conference. We are now told to unite around a problem. But what is our goal? To save Armenia or to save Armenias problem?

Regime change is imperative, he stressed.

Ter-Petrosian, who had served as the countrys first president from 1991-1998, declared on Monday that the opposition forces must agree to share with Pashinian responsibility for painful solutions to the conflicts with Azerbaijan and Turkey. He claimed that Armenia will have to make even greater concessions if it rejects such a settlement now.

Echoing statements by his political allies, Kocharian said Ter-Petrosian essentially wants Armenia to capitulate to its arch-foes without a fight. You dont need consolidation for capitulation, he scoffed.

In general, its the governments, not the opposition, that get countries out of crises, Kocharian went on. In times of crisis, the opposition can raise the issue of regime change and, if its strong enough, achieve regime change and then overcome the crisis.

Armenias second parliamentary opposition force led by another ex-president, Serzh Sarkisian, has also rejected Ter-Petrosians appeals. Like senior Hayastan figures, some of its members have accused Ter-Petrosian of helping Pashinian, his erstwhile protege, cling to power.

Ter-Petrosian, whose own party has held no parliament seats since 2017, is understood to have called for opposition support for Pashinian at a rare meeting with Kocharian and Sarkisian hosted by Catholicos Garegin II on September 22. It is not clear whether they will meet again anytime soon. Kocharian indicated that he is open to further discussions with Ter-Petrosian despite their major differences.

The ex-presidents meeting came a week after large-scale fighting on Armenias border with Azerbaijani left more than 200 Armenian soldiers dead. The Armenian side also suffered territorial losses during the two-day hostilities halted on September 14.

Kocharian said the heavy casualties show that Pashinians administration has not rebuilt the Armenian army and significantly fortified its border posts since Armenias defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan. The authorities, he said, have failed to draw any lessons from the 44-day war.

Azerbaijan started the [September 13-14 border] war not because it got much stronger but because it knew full well that we got much weaker, added the ex-president.
ABUJA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday set the ball rolling for registered political parties to launch their campaigns for votes ahead of next February's general elections in the most populous African country.

With the stage now set for political parties to hold their campaigns or rallies, 18 presidential candidates will jostle for votes across the 36 states in Nigeria. All political parties in the country and their key candidates have at least 147 days or over four months to traverse the country to discuss their manifestos with the electorates.

The electoral body has fixed Feb. 25, 2023, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while the governorship and state assembly elections will hold a week later. A total of 84,004,084 voters have been registered by the INEC to participate in the forthcoming elections, according to official data released in August.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party, banking on a broader political base and structure across the country, on Sept. 23 named a 422-member campaign team to work assiduously in securing its victory in next year's presidential election.

The party, however, postponed its campaign activities Wednesday, saying the delay was to expand the list of the campaign team members, "to accommodate more stakeholders and interests within the APC family," according to Governor Simon Lalong of the central state of Plateau, who is the director-general of the ruling party's campaign council.

Bayo Onanuga, a spokesman for the ruling party's campaign team, told Xinhua over the telephone that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate, had planned to unveil his manifesto in the state of Kwara on Oct. 8.

"However, Tinubu is not in the country right now. His manifesto is ready as we speak but when he returns to the country, we will set a date for its official unveiling," Onanuga said.

Launching its campaign Wednesday, the country's main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with a strong base in the southeastern part of the country, said it aimed to set Nigeria on a "recovery plan" which focuses on restoring "Nigeria's unity through equity, social justice, collaboration, and consensus among our diverse peoples."

The PDP also listed plans to ensure security, job creation, poverty eradication, a strong and resilient economy, and the strengthening of the education system.

Arabambi Abayomi, the spokesman for the country's Labor Party, which mainly targets the youth and first-time voters, said in a statement that the political group was still strategizing on its campaign, hence the delay in the public presentation of its manifesto.

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), a new political group, with a fast-rising base in the northwestern part of the country, said it was also delaying the launch of its presidential campaign by one week.

"We are set for the campaigns. We already have a total of 29,600 social media accounts across all platforms and that is intimidating enough to overrun all other political parties, including the party in power," Agbo Major, the national spokesman for the NNPP, told Xinhua over the telephone.

Speaking Tuesday at an event in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, President Buhari said the 2023 general elections would be conducted in a free and fair manner.

"I am highly optimistic that we will conduct a good transition process at the end of which a new set of political leaders will freely emerge," he said. "I want to state again, as I did just a few days ago at the United Nations General Assembly, that we remain committed to free and fair elections." 
Clergy in 33 states are exempt from laws requiring professionals such as teachers, physicians and psychotherapists to report information about alleged child abuse to police or child welfare officials
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MANILA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from typhoon Noru that slammed the Philippines over the weekend rose to 10 while eight remained missing, a spokesperson for a government disaster agency said on Wednesday.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesperson Rafaelito Alejandro said the agency has tallied 10 deaths, including the five rescue workers swept by a flash flood in Bulacan, a province north of Manila, hours after Noru made landfall late Sunday afternoon.

He said the agency received reports of additional two typhoon-related deaths in Bulacan and Rizal provinces. On Tuesday, the agency reported two deaths in Zambales province and one in Quezon province.

Meanwhile, the number of missing individuals has climbed to eight. Five are from Camarines Norte, two are from Rizal, and one is from Quezon Province.

Noru exited the Philippines on Monday night after crossing the central Luzon region.

Noru is the 11th and the most powerful cyclone hitting the Philippines this year. It affected over 150,000 people, destroyed crops, damaged houses, knocked down power transmission lines, and flooded several areas on central Luzon island.

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries globally, mainly due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire and Pacific typhoon belt. On average, the archipelagic country experiences 20 typhoons yearly, some of which are intense and destructive. 
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) of Pakistan foiled an attempt to smuggle 6 kg of heroin at the Bacha Khan International Airport in the country's northwestern Peshawar city and arrested one person, officials said on Wednesday.

Police officers seized the drugs from a passenger at the airport during a routine inspection, an ANF spokesperson told local media, adding that the narcotics were hidden in a trolley bag of the passenger.

The authorities said the arrested man was trying to board an international flight for Malaysia and confessed to smuggling narcotics to foreign countries.

The drug smuggler has been shifted to an undisclosed place for further investigation. A case has also been registered against him.

On Tuesday, ANF officials recovered more than 60 kg of narcotics in operations in several cities of the country and arrested two suspects. 
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a working lunch at the U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit, at the State Department in Washington, Sept. 28, 2022.

Updated at 23:42 p.m. ET on 2022-09-28

Leaders of Pacific island nations have agreed to the text of a joint declaration of partnership with the United States, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the opening of a two-day summit in Washington on Wednesday.

The announcement came after reports that the Solomon Islands planned not to sign an 11-point declaration during the summit, the first such meeting with leaders from the region hosted by the White House. In April, the Solomon Islands signed a secret security pact with China, raising concerns among the U.S. and Pacific allies that Beijing could be moving to establish a military presence in the South Pacific.

Blinken said the United States was committed to working closely with the leaders of 12 Pacific island nations in attendance on issues including climate change, fisheries and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Im especially pleased, as we start our conversations, as we start these two days, with President [Joe] Biden joining us tomorrow, that weve also come together around a declaration of partnership between the U.S. and the Pacific, Blinken said.

The declaration shows that we have a shared vision, he said in remarks broadcast on YouTube. It will give us a roadmap for the work were doing in the future.

Blinken did not say what was in the final version of the declaration. The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for a copy of the text.

The summit comes amid a renewed U.S. focus on the Pacific and concerns in Washington about Chinas growing influence in the region that were amplified after Beijing inked its new security pact with the Solomons five months ago.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is escorted from his plane upon arrival in Nadi, Fiji, Feb. 12, 2022. [Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/Pool]

Brian Harding, a senior Asia expert for the United States Institute of Peace, said the summit was significant primarily because it is the first time that Pacific islands leaders have been invited for talks at a dedicated forum in the United States.

Previous meetings have taken place on the sidelines of other meetings in Hawaii or of the United Nations General Assembly, Harding told Radio Free Asia (RFA), an online news service affiliated with BenarNews.

Its unfortunate that so much attention has been focused on this particular declaration, because what Pacific islanders want from this is a wide-ranging and open conversation.

Harding said the focus on the declaration could be due to Beijings failure to secure a similar regional joint declaration during Foreign Minister Wang Yis tour of the Pacific in April, which produced the secret deal with the Solomons.

But after decades of a reduced focus on the Pacific region, theres concerns that the United States is trying to move a little too fast, Harding said.

Mihai Sora, a Pacific analyst at Australias Lowy Institute, said the summit did not need to have announcements of major new U.S. commitments to have value.

I think the summit is more about building credibility and establishing relationships with Pacific leaders which is absolutely a vital part of U.S. reengagement, he told BenarNews. It would be valuable for Pacific leaders to feel they have that direct access and that direct relationship with someone like Biden.

Superpower competition in the Pacific

The agreement on a joint declaration marks a potential U.S. win in a vast maritime region where Washington and Beijing are vying for influence and after small island states rejected Chinas push for a wide-ranging pact.

During a telephone press briefing on the eve of the summit, a senior Biden administration official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity, said the joint agreement really is about a larger vision in which the United States and Pacific island nations sign up to some joint endeavors which are important.

Bidens Pacific summit is meant to show a deeper U.S. commitment to a vast and economically lagging region that has increasingly turned to China to meet its development needs, officials and analysts said.

Over two decades, China has become an important source of infrastructure, loans and aid for Pacific island nations as it seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and gain regional allies in international organizations such as the United Nations.

Some analysts say Beijing also wants a military presence in the Pacific as a challenge to U.S. dominance. The pact it signed with the Solomon Islands would allow Beijing to send security forces to protect Chinese interests in those islands. But 10 Pacific countries rebuffed the Chinese governments attempt to get them to sign up to its vision for the region.

The Solomon Islands government had objected to signing the United States proposed declaration, Australian state broadcaster ABC reported on Wednesday, without citing a source.

U.S. officials are also expected to release a national strategy on the Pacific during the summit, as well as other financial commitments. Biden is scheduled to meet with Pacific islands leaders for dinner to close the summit on Thursday night.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) and BenarNews jointly produced this report. It has been updated to include some details from the first day of the summit and comments by the analyst at the Lowy Institute.
Gambling dice, cards and chips are seen on the keyboard in this illustration picture, June 5, 2020.

The future of offshore gambling operations in the Philippines  targeted mainly at customers in China  is in question after the new government here announced a major crackdown this week on illegal online casinos and Chinese overstayers.

The focus on these Philippine offshore gaming operations, or POGOs, intensified after a spate in crimes linked to them such as killings, kidnappings, and prostitution. Lawmakers meanwhile are divided over whether the online gaming should be done away with completely because it generates millions of dollars in revenue.

Do you want the country to suffer reputational damage  That the Philippines is a nest of foreign syndicates and gamblers? Do you want a breakdown in law and order? said Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, who pushed for an outright ban on POGOs.

We should not wait for them to even get stronger and fight the government. Lets not be too greedy, he told BenarNews on Wednesday.

The justice department under the new administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Monday that it would close 175 illegal offshore gambling firms and deport some 40,000 Chinese workers who overstayed their visas.

The regulator, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), revoked the operators licenses on Sept. 14 because their permits had expired or they had not paid their dues.

POGOs entered the country in 2016 at the start of the term of then-President Rodrigo Duterte and flourished due to loose gaming laws here. Such operations cater largely to customers in mainland China, where gambling for money is banned. At their peak, POGOs hired more than 300,000 Chinese workers.

On Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila said it would cooperate with Philippine authorities in the deportation of illegal workers and reiterated its stance against gambling.

According to the Chinese laws and regulations, gambling in whatever form by Chinese citizens, be it online gambling or gambling overseas is illegal, the embassy said in a statement Tuesday.

[We will] continue to strengthen communication and cooperation with the Philippine government and law enforcement agencies in particular in this regard, and handle deportation among other issues in a constructive manner, it added.

During his six years in office, Duterte sought closer ties with Beijing that led to an influx of Chinese investments, businesses and tourists here.

He had resisted calls to issue an outright ban on Chinese workers, despite increased criminality that police blamed on Chinese syndicates preying on their own countrymen. He left office in late June.

Economic and social costs

Meanwhile a section of lawmakers and some businesses are against an outright ban on POGOs, citing the potential economic impact.

The government generated 7.2 billion pesos ($122.2 million) in 2020 and 3.9 billion pesos last year in licensing fees alone from POGOs, according to the finance department.

Gambling operations have displaced call center companies as the single biggest driver of property demand, according to Leechiu Property Consultants Chief Executive David Leechiu. These operations are also the key drivers for the housing and rentals market.

According to him, the exit of the remaining POGOs, which occupy more than 1 million square meters of office space nationwide, will lead to bigger losses.

The problem is not the POGO industry. The problem is all the illegal operators that are skirting the law. The solution to that is enforcement, Leechiu said in an interview televised on the One News channel last week.

A total ban in the POGO sector will be [bad]. Theres got to be a better way around it, he said.

Joey Salceda, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said regulation, not an outright ban, is the solution. A complete prohibition of these firms would only lead to underground operations.

You cannot stop gambling unless you stop digitalization, Salceda said in a statement on Tuesday. The solution is to just regularize and regulate.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Ways and Means Committee, has called for another probe into the issue.

Clearly, any economic benefit that we derive from POGO operations should substantially outweigh any social cost that we must bear in exchange for their presence in the country, Gatchalian said in a statement.
LJUBLJANA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The number of new daily COVID-19 cases in Slovenia jumped to 3,878 on Monday, the highest daily tally since March 28, the country's National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) said on Tuesday.

The Monday tally soared from 762 on Sunday, the institute said on its website.

Slovenia, though battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, abolished all anti-virus measures at the end of May after daily cases had gradually fallen from an all-time high of 24,258 cases on Feb. 1.

Earlier this month, the Slovenian government called upon all citizens aged above 60 or with chronic diseases to get a booster vaccine free of charge.

While masks remained obligatory in health institutions, pharmacies and elderly care centers, the government also recommended using masks in public spaces.

Last week, Slovenia introduced the new Pfizer vaccine that protects against Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5. 
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

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Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
RTHK: Saudi Arabia's crown prince named prime minister

Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince has been named prime minister, a post traditionally held by the king, in a government shuffle announced on Tuesday night.

Mohammed bin Salman, who has been the kingdom's de facto ruler for several years, was previously serving as deputy prime minister under King Salman as well as defence minister.

He is being replaced as defence minister by his younger brother, Khalid bin Salman, who was previously deputy defence minister.

The heads of other critical ministries, including interior, foreign and energy, remained in place, according to a royal decree from King Salman published by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Prince Mohammed, who turned 37 last month, has been first in line to succeed his father as king since 2017.

He became defence minister in 2015, a key step in a swift consolidation of power that saw him take the lead on major portfolios.

Saudi Arabia has for years sought to quell speculation over the health of 86-year-old King Salman, who has ruled the world's top oil exporter since 2015.

In 2017, it dismissed reports and mounting speculation that the king was planning to abdicate in favour of Prince Mohammed.

King Salman has been hospitalised twice so far this year, most recently a one-week stay in May that involved tests including a colonoscopy, according to state media reports. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-09-27. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Japan once again stands at the historic crossroads

By Global Times editorial (Global Times) 08:39, September 28, 2022

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

September 29 marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between China and Japan. The two sides have held a series of commemorative events recently, showing the goodwill of the friendly people from the two countries. However, the status quo of the bilateral ties, filled with difficulties, has cast some gloomy sentiment to the supposedly festive day.

Given the influence of historical sentiments, geopolitics, changes in the balance of power and other factors, the sense of mistrust and strategic doubts between China and Japan are unprecedented in 50 years. The relationship between the two countries has once again come to a critical crossroads.

Just on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, along with visiting US Vice President Kamala Harris, pointed fingers at the Taiwan question. Chinese people do not understand: China has never owed Japan in history, yet why is Japan's hostility toward China so radical, which even surpasses that of the US? China has never regarded Japan as a "rival" or even an "enemy," but why does Japan regard China as an imaginary enemy in all respects?

Fifty years ago, the old generation politicians of China and Japan, with outstanding strategic vision and political courage, broke the ice of the Cold War, overcame various interferences and made the political decision to normalize diplomatic relations between the two countries. In the context of the Cold War between the East and the West, the realization of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan had not only created a 50-year period of strategic opportunity for peaceful development for both countries, but also greatly improved the geo-security environment in Asia and safeguarded its overall peace and long-term stability. At the same time, China and Japan, as the two engines leading the "Asian miracle," have made the "Asian Century" the expectation of the whole world.

It is regrettable to see that the important inspiration that history has left to the world has been generally ignored or misinterpreted in Japan. Therefore, taking history as a mirror is of special significance to Japan. Fifty years ago, during the Cold War when China and Japan had almost no official interactions, the two sides were able to bury the hatchet. Now, when the ties on the economy, trade, people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two sides have long been intertwined, China and Japan should not have any hurdles that cannot be overcome. China's attitude has always been consistent. The key is that Japan should take history as a mirror, view China's development objectively and rationally, and take positive actions on this basis.

Over the past 50 years, one of the most prominent changes between China and Japan is that in 2010, China overtook Japan to become the world's second-largest economy in terms of GDP. By the end of this year, China's GDP may reach four times that of Japan. Many analysts believe this is the main reason for Japan's increasingly negative attitude toward China in recent years. Japan's domestic perception of China has not yet passed the adaptation period. During the process, some Japanese elites exaggerated the so-called China threat theory boundlessly. A few among them even had the idea of "taking preemptive move." This is undoubtedly very dangerous to Japan.

In 1924, Sun Yat-sen gave an advice to Japan in his last speech that "whether Japan will be the hawk of the Western civilization of the rule of Might, or the tower of strength of the Orient," "this is the choice which lies before the people of Japan." Japan in history once made wrong choices and experienced painful lessons. Taking history as a mirror, one can see the rise and fall of a nation. In the face of great changes in the world unseen in a century, it's time for Japan to make careful choices again.

It should be said that mutual benefit and win-win is the main theme of China-Japan cooperation, but it also faces the interference of negative factors. China and Japan have signed four political documents including the China-Japan Joint Statement and the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which laid down the principle and political foundation of the peaceful and friendly co-existence of the two countries. However, referring to the solemn political commitments Japanese side made on historical issue and the Taiwan question, how bad are some Japanese politicians' behavior, such as visiting Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Japan's infamous Class-A war criminals, and interfering in the Taiwan question. In particular, Japan now has more obvious and stronger impulsive to intervene in Taiwan question, which could severely shake China-Japan relations.

It's also an objective fact that China-Japan ties are deeply restrained by the US factor. But on the other hand, Japan is not a servant that completely take orders from Washington, although the US is trying hard to shape it in that direction. Japan has always had its own calculation and room for initiative. The issue now is that Japan often applies this initiative to strengthen, rather than balance US' containment strategy against China. As a result, Japan has become a troublemaker in Northeast Asia. This will be a role that Japan will mess up.

China and Japan are hardly ordinary neighbors to each other. It's hoped that Japanese side can establish an objective and rational perception toward China, implementing the political consensus that "being each other's cooperative partners, not a threat" in actions, so as to ensure that the ship of China-Japan ties does not run aground or deviate from its course. It is not only beneficial to China and Japan, but also concerns regional and global peace and stability.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
This bar chart from the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union shows performance by students in its six schools on the state SBAC math and science tests since the 2014-15 school year. The last test before the COVID pandemic was administered in 2018-19.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Flames engulf the front porch of a home on Dartmouth Street in Pittsfield on Tuesday night. Firefighters were able to knock down the fire before it got inside the building.
PITTSFIELD  Nearly 10 years ago, David E. Phelps was instrumental in shaping a Pittsfield cancer care center associated with one of the countrys top health-care institutions. As of today, that center will carry his name.

Berkshire Health Systems announced Wednesday that the former BMC Cancer Center will be called the Phelps Cancer Center.

The tribute honors Phelps role in creating a facility that allows patients in the Berkshires to have streamlined access to health care practitioners with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

The center opened at BMCs Hillcrest Campus in the fall of 2013.

Dave has given our community a priceless gift, Barton Raser, chair of the BHS board of trustees, said in a statement. What we have right here in the Berkshires at the cancer center is hope. And the promise that no cancer patient is ever alone.

Quote One of Daves greatest accomplishments during his tenure was the establishment of the cancer center." Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems

Phelps retired as president and CEO of BHS in January. A decade ago, a family members experience with cancer prompted him to connect with Dana-Farber. That led to a permanent relationship between the two institutions and the creation of whats known as the Dana-Farber Cancer Care Collaborative.

Berkshire Medical Center was the collaboratives first member.

Elizabeth Liebow, a senior vice president with Dana-Farber, said the connection with BMC and other community hospitals expand whats possible for patient care.

BMC and Dana-Farber have been involved in a 10-year relationship of respect and mutual learning, she said in a statement.

Available treatments at center Treatments provided at the Phelps Cancer Center include: Prevention and early detection of a wide range of preventable cancers

Personalized treatment courses for each patient

Cancer clinical trials involving the center's partnership with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Surgery, including minimally invasive surgeries and use of the daVinci robotic surgical system

Chemotherapy and infusion therapy

Radiation therapy

Oncology pharmacy services

Lymphedema clinic offers therapy to prevent the build up of fluid in the extremities following cancer treatment

Integrative health programs

Meditation, nutrition, yoga, exercise

The healing therapy known as Reiki

Support programs and support groups

Access to cancer social workers

Pastoral care

Survivorship planning

Palliative care SOURCE: Phelps Cancer Center

Through the collaborative, patients in the Berkshires are connected to specialists with Dana-Farber and can take part in clinical trials. Staff with the local center gain professionally, the hospital says, by engaging with other collaborative members and Dana-Farber specialists.

The goal, officials say, is to better serve Berkshires patients.

According to BHS, the original vision for the cancer center was to be able to smoothly coordinate the highest quality care for patients in a convenient, close-to-home location [and] also offer integrated, whole-patient care for patients and their families, including social worker support, fitness, acupuncture, nutrition assistance, and other types of integrative wellness programming.

One of Daves greatest accomplishments during his tenure was the establishment of the cancer center, said Darlene Rodowicz, Phelps successor as president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. Phelps could not be reached for comment.
News Reporter

Matt Martinez is a news reporter at The Berkshire Eagle. He worked at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, graduated Marquette University. He is a former Report for America corps member.
The Berlinale supports the call for solidarity from Iranian filmmakers:

Dear friends and colleagues,

Brave Iranians have taken to the streets across the country shouting woman, life, liberty for an entire week now while facing persistent, violent, and often deadly attacks from the oppressive forces. The Iranian government has restricted internet usage and blocked access to social media platforms in order to further suppress peoples voices. Last time such measures were implemented in 2019, the Iranian government murdered 1500 people.

Independent Iranian filmmakers are standing by these fearless Iranian women and men and are trying hard to capture and document history as it unfolds with limited resources. They are committed to being the truthful, independent, and courageous narrators of history. To be the voice of the people.

For years, the Iranian government has used censorship and repression at home under the guise of supporting freedom elsewhere in the world. We are now directly appealing to every filmmaker in the world: your solidarity with the people of Iran sends a clear message to warmongers everywhere.

We ask you to further echo the rallying cries of Iranians for freedom. Become the voice of those people who are paying with their lives for freedom.

Your direct and public support offers hope to our youths. Reporting on the news of violence used against our people can prevent more violence and bloodshed.

Shirin Neshat, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Pegah Ahangarani, Bahman Ghobadi, Abdolreza Kahani, Ali Abbasi, Kaveh Farnam, Farzad Pak, Ali Ahmadzadeh, Bahram Beyzai and Mozhdeh Shamsai.
When natural disasters strike, many of us are left feeling like helpless bystanders as we wait and watch from afar. While those in Florida and the surrounding states prepare for Hurricane Ian to make landfall, those of us outside of the danger zone may wonder if theres any way to provide support for those who are worried or scared. The most important thing that we can do as believers is to pray. And while that may not sound like doing a lot, there is immense power in presenting our requests to God and interceding on behalf of our brothers and sisters.

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13)

Here are three prayers for those in the path of Hurricane Ian, as well as a few ways we can support our brothers and sisters from afar during natural disasters:

A Prayer for Gods Protection During the Storm

Heavenly Father,

We pray that your hand of protection would be over Florida right now and throughout these next few days. For those staying, we ask that your powerful protection will be with them through the storm. For those evacuating, provide them with a safe route. We know that you are more powerful than any hurricane or natural disaster that comes our way. Remind them that you are our rock, fortress, and deliverer (Psalm 18:2). We lift every single person in the path of this storm up to you. May you protect them and guide them to safety with your wisdom.

A Prayer for People to Trust in Him

Heavenly Father,

We pray for all those facing this hurricane head-on that they would find comfort in you. As this storm makes its way closer and closer, it can be easy to lose sight of your power and protection. Remind them that you are ultimately in control. That no matter what we face, we can trust you. We pray that civilians, as well as those providing disaster relief, would find comfort in knowing you are a loving God and have always had a plan for each of our lives. We pray that your comfort would cover them like a blanket while this storm passes.

A Prayer for Restoration

Heavenly Father,

We pray that after Hurricane Ian passes, restoration would occur. We pray that damage would be minimal and that if rescues are necessary, they would be successful. We pray not only for the restoration of physical property but the restoration of hearts. Draw those near to you that are fearful  restore in them a trusting heart that leans on you. We pray you would give each community the strength to help each other rebuild and to come together in love and support for one another. For those of us who are safe from the storm, ignite in us a passion for those who are affected. Lead us to show our support and help in any way that we can.

In addition to these prayers, here are three more ways to support our neighbors during a natural disaster:

Reach Out

Im sure most of us know at least one friend or family member living in Florida or in other areas that will be affected by the hurricane. If you know anyone in its path, reach out to them! Call them today, or send them an encouraging text message. There is so much comfort in knowing that someone is thinking of you and praying for you in the midst of a scary situation. This simple act can be a wonderful way to show Gods love and support for others, even from far away.

Here are a few encouraging Bible verses to share with others as this storm approaches:

Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your feet from being snared. (Proverbs 3:25-26).

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. (Psalm 46:1-2)

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. (Psalm 91:2)

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:2)

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. (Nahum 1:7)

Stay Informed

Another very simple way we can support others from afar is by simply staying informed about whats happening with the hurricane, as well as the after-effects. By doing this, we can be praying for the specific areas and people that are being affected throughout the course of the storm. If there are areas experiencing power outages, we can pray specifically for the people in those areas. If we are informed of any disaster relief teams being deployed, we can pray for their safety as well as courage. By staying in the know, we can better support those who are directly affected.

Disaster Relief

If you are able to, financial support is another way to care for those going through a natural disaster. Find out if your local church does any kind of disaster relief ministry that you can donate to. If not, there are many amazing organizations you can donate to that provide disaster relief. One of these that we are probably all familiar with is the American Red Cross. Right now, they have a specific option to send your donation to support those affected by Hurricane Ian: https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/

Another trusted organization is Save the Children. They are a leader in helping children and communities prevent, prepare for, and recover from climate-induced disasters. You can donate to them here: https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/emergency-response/hurricane-ian-how-to-help

Lastly, Samaritan's Purse is an amazing organization that is also helping with disaster relief. Donate to help the victims of Hurricane Ian here: https://samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/hurricane-ian

While we may feel helpless as we watch Hurricane Ian roll in, supporting those going through it is still possible. Pray for them. Reach out to them. We can be powerful carriers of Gods light, even from afar.

Photo Credit: GettyImages/Elen11

Video Credit: Soundstripe, Unsplash

Tiffany Curtis is the Faith Editor of Crosswalk.com. She has a B.A. in English with a minor in Business from Liberty University. Her goal is to share Christ's love and help others grow in their faith through her work as a writer and editor.
To bolster and accelerate footprint in India and improve healthcare access

Pune-based Krsnaa Diagnostics has announced its plans to launch 600 diagnostics centres across India. The company will strengthen its footprint across Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, and Rajasthan, with the spread across metros, tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

The centres will be equipped to offer specialized services in precision medicine, genetics, genomics, and molecular diagnostics, along with the routine investigations of biochemistry and serology, which are commonly used in routine diagnostics tests. The centres will offer dedicated services for womens health (hormones/ PCOD), diabetes monitoring, cardiac health, and cancer care.

Currently, the company is present in 16 states and 2 Union Territories of India with 2,000 plus locations.

Sharing the companys vision, Pallavi Jain, Managing Director of Krsnaa Diagnostics said, Considering the rising demand for diagnostics services and to cater to the remotest parts of the country, we have decided to enter deep markets through a franchise model. With this expansion, we wish to take the high-end infrastructure and best-in-class diagnostics services to more people across the country.
The new posting reiterates Qure.ai's efforts to strengthen its strategic offerings and accelerate global expansion in the public healthcare sector

Mumbai-based startup Qure.ai has appointed renowned global health expert, Dr Shibu Vijayan as its Medical Director for Global Health Practice. The company enjoys clear leadership in the global health space and the new addition of Dr Vijayan to its helm will bolster its partnerships with strategic change-makers in public health, manifold.

Dr Vijayan is a senior clinician in Community and Public Health Services. He has 25 years of experience in developing, monitoring, and evaluating public health projects, including developing healthcare-related proposals in both private and not-for-profit organizations. He is also an accredited International general Tuberculosis (TB) expert by the TB team hosted by WHO and Stop TB Partnership.

Prior to Qure.ai, he was at PATH and has also worked with the WHO as Technical Consultant for the TB Control Program in India and was associated with Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF, Netherlands) as a field Epidemiologist in Ethiopia.

Qures AI and digital solutions are targeted towards accelerating Universal Health Coverage. This dynamic team is doing stellar work towards improving global healthcare access and I am excited to be part of the journey. We will continue to strive towards optimizing global health practices and expand our footprint further to reach remote communities and their unmet medical needs, said Dr Shibu Vijayan, Medical Director, Global Health, Qure.ai.

The company is one of the leading artificial intelligent (AI) solutions providers to be recommended by WHO, in the absence of a human reader. Qure.ai is present in 600+ sites across 60+ countries, including the UK, US, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Australia, and Africa.
Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia
In the storeroom of a school in Soweto, draped in cloth to protect it over the years from the dust, is a fax machine. Many may not know what a fax machine is. At its height in the 1980s through to the early 1990s, it was a technological marvel for the instantaneous transmission of documents over distance.

Cyril Ramaphosa and former headmistress, Mrs Nemukhula

A story of Ahmed Kathrada, at the time of his release from prison after 25 years, is recalled. It is told that he was called in to the office of the head of the prison who informed him that he had received a fax from Pretoria instructing his release. Whats a fax? Kathrada asked. He could not fathom how a piece of paper inserted into a machine could come out over a thousand kilometres away. As Jonathan Coopersmith, the author of Faxed: The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine (2015), explains, "...a fax machine scans an image or a document line by line, then transmits that scan to a receiver where it's printed out and reproduced...".

Today, made archaic by the advent of internet-based technologies, the fax machine at Tshilidzi Primary School in Chiawelo, Soweto, assumes the status of an heritage artifact. This is so more because of the meaning it embodies. That particular fax machine was a donation to the school by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 1999, and represents the beginning of the development of the Adopt-a-School Foundation, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

At the time, President Ramaphosa had entered the world of business, and was contacted by Ms Stella Nemakhula, the principal of Tshilidzi Primary, at which he was a pupil in the 1960s, to donate a much-needed fax machine. When he visited the school, fax machine in hand, he was struck by the range of its needs, as well as those of other schools, and was inspired to do more. Thus began the story of the formation of the Adopt-a-School Foundation by President Ramaphosa and his old comrade, Dr James Motlatsi. They rallied support for Tshilidzi Primary and the school was adopted for support by the investment holding company, Johnnic, as well as Gold Fields, a mining company. This laid the basis for Adopt-a-Schools partnership approach with private sector entities for the improvement of schooling.

Following the establishment of Adopt-a-School Foundation in 2002, eight schools were adopted for support by 2004. Initially, the support focused on infrastructure needs, however it was soon recognised that for quality education to be achieved more than infrastructure was required. Schools also needed the development of effective leadership and management systems, educator skills, curriculum structures, and improved learner well-being and safety. Thus the more holistic Whole School Development model was developed.

Today, in its 20th anniversary year, Adopt-a-School counts 243 schools that it has adopted since inception, improving the governance, academic, infrastructural, and social and security environments in schools. Scores of new classrooms, science and computer laboratories, libraries, and administration and ablution facilities have been built, over 6,000 educators developed in curriculum, leadership and management, and more than 700,000 learners benefited.

Adopt-a-School is evolving its holistic model further with the piloting of the Thari programme to address the impact that violence and vulnerability has on children and their learning outcomes. And its partnership with Kagiso Trusts Beyers Naude School Development Programme to establish KST, has taken the Whole School Development model even further. KST drives institutional and systemic change through a district based approach. It has supported 374 schools, developed over 29,000 educators, and further benefited more than 700,000 learners.

And it all began with the donation of a fax machine. A true heritage relic.




Commercial director at Tractor Outdoor Remi du Preez explains why outdoor media owners should be thinking more holistically about their content.

Remi du Preez, commercial director at Tractor Outdoor

Around a decade ago, the term content strategy was a relatively new one in the world of media and marketing; and many brands were only beginning to explore what good content  which was relevant, informative, and not solely brand promotional  could do for their businesses.

Fast forward 10 years and content is regarded as an essential part of any marketing and communication strategy. As Forbes points out, content makes your customers trust you more; it attracts new viewers, and it complements inbound marketing.

However, in the realm of out of home (OOH) media, it still seems to get less focus. And this is perhaps understandable  OOH is a medium that needs to catch the viewers attention quickly, retaining and imprinting a brand message in a matter of seconds before the consumer changes location. In the case of digital out of home (DOOH), you also have a planned flighting schedule to consider, compiled according to the slots and frequency your advertisers have selected. This leaves little room for much strategy in your content.

Yet, as outdoor media owners, I believe that we should be thinking about our content strategy. Yes, displaying our clients commercials is our primary reason for existence and that wont change, but there are other ways we can create stickiness so that people keep looking at our digital billboards, viewing them as a source of not only advertising but also useful information.

The reality is that any marketing channel should effectively integrate both. A good company e-newsletter will have a mix of product or service information intended to encourage sales, as well as content that engages the reader.

As outdoor media owners, our content strategy should answer the following questions:

How do we find new reasons for consumers to look at our digital billboards?



How do we create a content-led approach, with our billboards inherent space limitations?



How do we integrate information that is relevant and useful to our community in a way that is also quick and affordable to roll out?



How can our billboards provide a service and add more value to our communities?



Can other content complement the campaigns of our advertisers, creating the kind of stickiness that will benefit our clients?



How do we empower and uplift our communities through leveraging the resources at our disposal?



For the past two years at Tractor Outdoor, weve kept asking ourselves these very questions.

This has led to us developing a holistic content strategy that we have rolled out across our digital billboards, which aims to integrate community-centric content with our clients commercials, creating a good balance of informative and advertising content.

One of the ways that we have delivered on this objective is through the launch of an events platform that allows schools, charities, churches, music groups and other community organisations to promote events in their neighbourhoods  free of charge. By accessing Tractors Events page, users complete a simple form that allows them to upload the details of their function. These informative text updates flight across our network of digital screens in the area where the event is being held, in between our clients campaigns. The platform thus acts as a modern take on the old community noticeboard, which you used to see in shopping centres or town halls.

We have also spent time thinking about non-profit organisations (NPOs) that we can support, which will benefit from having access to a high-reach, high-frequency medium such as ours. To this end, weve partnered with Missing Children South Africa (MCSA), an organisation that assists the authorities whenever a child goes missing.

When a child disappears, speed is of the essence as the more time that elapses, the lower the likelihood of them being returned safely to their home. The beauty of DOOH is that it enables fast-to-market communication, and so we offered our national network to MCSA on a no-charge basis, allowing for the rapid communication of missing child alerts to key areas.

Another organisation weve partnered with is the Woof Project, a pop-up animal adoption initiative powered by registered NPO by Oscars Arc. Through our network, we give these would-be adoptees exposure, helping to secure them a loving home.

In 2020, with the onset of Covid-19, we launched our #SMEHeroes campaign and advertising fund, to support small businesses that were hardest hit by the pandemic. Through the fund, we provided SMEs with free advertising via our media network to help them survive the countrys challenging lockdown period. Part-and-parcel was a media package that included social and digital advertising, video as well as PR. In this way, we were able to both support and add value to our community during a difficult time.

While these initiatives have been key to our content roll-out, we know that our strategy will continue to evolve. However, it will always be underpinned by the desire to provide value to all of our stakeholders  which includes our advertisers as well as the broader community.

And lets be honest. Would you want to read a magazine with its pages filled solely with adverts? But a magazine that is chockablock with high-quality editorial features, informative advertorials and visually-arresting ads is something that you could read cover to cover  which also means that youre far more receptive to the brand messages contained within those pages.

Why should OOH be any different?




Tumelo Mashabela, managing director of Tshaya Mashabela Attorneys, plays her role well in shaping the world of IP Law.

Image supplied: Tumelo Mashabela, managing director of Tshaya Mashabela Attorneys

She has mentored a number of young engineers through her work with The Innovation Hub, an initiative by the Gauteng government that promotes economic development and competitiveness through fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.

In addition, Mashabela provides training at Wipo Summer School, which is a two-week summer school hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and National Intellectual Property Management Office (Nipmo) in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Office and Japan Patent Office.

IP law is an integral part of the creative industry. We spoke with her to find out more about who she is, how IP law falls into creativity and what she does in her spare time

Tell us a bit more about what you do?

As a registered patent attorney, I am actively involved in promoting and raising awareness about the significance of intellectual property (IP) for businesses, regardless of the size and the bottom line. This is because most businesses fail to realise the importance of using IP to support their business objectives.

I am also a businesswoman, owner and director of Tshaya Mashabela Attorneys  a law firm that assists businesses to identify, protect and commercialise their IP.

Whats really behind your selfie?

An ambitious, bold, and focused woman who was born and bred in the township of Mamelodi.

Growing up, what did you want to do?

A nurse and then at some point, I also wanted to be an attorney that specialises in childrens rights.

How did you end up doing what you do now?

While working as an engineer for my bursary provider, I noticed that the company wasnt doing enough regarding the protection of its innovative solutions. This was concerning and prompted me to investigate a career path I could take to qualify as a patent attorney.

I was so excited when I realised that a degree in engineering or science in addition to a law degree is required to become a patent attorney because that meant my engineering qualification didnt go to waste.

Tell us a bit about some highlights of your career.

IP law is mainly a male-dominated field therefore I am proud to have qualified as the first Black African female patent attorney in South Africa in 2009.

Other highlights include seeing Tshaya Mashabela Attorneys grow throughout the years and now provide specialised services to some of the big companies in South Africa and internationally.

Could you tell us more about the importance of IP law in connection with the creative industry?

The importance of IP law in the creative industry cannot be understated as it determines the ownership of creative work, allows a creator to decide as to who can use that work and enables the creator to be able to obtain financial benefits from their creative work.

IP law enables a creator to protect his/her innovative creation through various IP rights, which allows the creator to have exclusive rights to their innovative creation. For example, an author can obtain the protection of their books through copyright and a fashion designer can protect their new patterns of garments through registered design. The brands under which these creatives differentiate their goods and/or services for other creatives can be protected by a trademark.

IP rights encourage creators to be creative by providing them with the protection of their rights which can assist them to generate income from their talents through transactions such as licensing and selling (assignment). For example, a creator can license their IP rights in exchange of a royalty. In other instances, the creator can sell their copyrighted books to a film production company where the books are subsequently reproduced in a form of a film, in exchange of a lump sum and/or royalty.

Since Covid-19, the creative economy has been in the spotlight where not only mainstream creatives but also people, in general, tapped into their creative abilities and were putting their work on public platforms to be consumed by everyone in South Africa and internationally. It is thus very important for such creatives to understand their IP rights associated with each of their work and conclude transactions that will be beneficial to them.

When youre not busy working, what do you do? How do you socialise these days?

I enjoy spending time with my three beautiful children, and husband. We have a family bucket list and are always ticking things off it.

I also always aim to spend at least an hour every day at the gym, which I call my me time.

What are you watching/reading/listening to right now?

Im currently reading Lead Like A Woman by Deborah Smith Pegues, and this book is teaching me that it is fine to lead like a woman.

To connect with my daughter, I try to listen to the music that she is listening to and currently its a South Korean girl band called Blackpink.

Give us some of your best loadshedding survival tips?
Critically acclaimed films from Lesotho and eSwatini will be part of the programme at the European Film Festival.

Source: Supplied.

The screenings which now include the two Southern African countries will be shown between 21 and 23 October in Mbapane, and at the Alliance Francaise in Maseru between 28 and 30 October.

Films for eSwatini and Lesotho

Organisers said this years extension to Lesotho and eSwatini is an opportunity for new audiences to see award-winning films that are unlikely to reach local screens in these countries. Due to technical conditions, the Alliance Francaise line-up is different from that in South Africa.

A cornerstone of the programme is the presentation of two landmark films that have emerged in both countries in recent years. The multi-award-winning Sotho film, This Is Not A Burial, Its a Resurrection is the only film ever submitted to the Academy Awards by Lesotho. Directed by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, it is the story of an 80-year-old widow who ignites the spirit of resilience within her community when her village is threatened with forced resettlement due to the building of a dam.

In the Swazi story Liyana, five orphaned children under the guidance of story-teller Gcina Mhlophe, transform past personal trauma into an original tale about a girl named Liyana. Directed by Aaron and Amanda Kopp, this well-crafted mix of animation and documentary has won awards all over the world for Liyana.This Is Not A Burial, Its a Resurrection and Liyana demonstrate the exciting potential for filmmaking that exists in Lesotho and eSwatini.

Migrants and Refugees a burning topic

Migration is a way of life for many in Lesotho and eSwatini who travel to South Africa and other destinations searching for work or a new life. Three of the films in the festival look at migration from different perspectives. As Far As I Can Walk, the Serbian/ French/ Luxembourgian/ Bulgarian/ Lithuanian co-production directed by Stefan Arsenijevic, 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.

The Oscar-nominated film The Man Who Sold His Skin directed by Kaouther Ben Hania is a unique co-production between Tunisia, France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Turkey and Cyprus that uses the tension between art and commerce as fuel for a sobering story about a Syrian refugee who allows his back to become a canvas for a famous tattoo artist. Austrian Arash T. Riahis Oskar and Lilli: Where No-one Knows Us focuses on two Chechen refugee children living in Austria who are separated from their mother and how their hopes of being reunited with her sustain their lives in challenging circumstances.

Completing the programme at the Alliance Francaise, in both eSwatini and Lesotho, are the films France and Supa Modo. The high-paced France by French filmmaker Bruno Dumont takes a satirical look at modern media through the life of a celebrity journalist who loses confidence as she experiences an identity crisis. A choice for families and younger audiences alike is Likarion Wainainas German-Kenyan production Supa Modo, the heart-warming story of a young girl whose dream of becoming a superhero is threatened by terminal illness, and how her village rallies together to make her dream come true.
It has begun. The next step is to round up the terrorists, and we know what the state does to them.

Next, they'll start rounding up people. This the predictable path of authoritarians. https://t.co/TPXYEUGr7D  Another Day in the Empire (@day_empire) September 27, 2022

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, for some reason deemed a liberal, has called for a global system of repression against speech she does not agree with, namely questioning climate change.

I am referring to the classic definition of liberalism, a political ideology based upon the protection of individual liberty, including and most importantly free speech.

Jacinda Ardern is not a liberal. She is a fascist.

Merriam-Webster defines fascism as a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control, including the sort of solution proposed by Ardern to demonize and criminalize those who disagree with her, but also Hillary Clinton and other modern autocratic liberals masquerading as saviors of the people (so long as they agree and vote for them).

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is the latest liberal leader to call for an international alliance to censor speech, writes Jonathan Turley, a legal scholar holding the Shapiro Chair for Public Interest Law at The George Washington University Law School, where he teaches constitutional law.

Unsatisfied with the unprecedented corporate censorship of social media companies, leaders like Hillary Clinton have turned from private censorship to good old-fashioned state censorship. Speech regulation has become an article of faith on the left. Ardern used her speech this week to the United Nations General Assembly to call for censorship on a global scale.

Ardern noted how extremists use speech to spread lies without noting that non-extremists use the same free speech to counter such views. To answer her question on how do you tackle climate change if people do not believe it exists is that you convince people using the same free speech. Instead, Ardern appears to want to silence those who have doubts.

In addition to silencing and eventually criminalizing those who have legitimate arguments countering the theory of manmade climate change, Ardern defended the need for such global censorship on having to combat those who question climate change and the need to stop hateful and dangerous rhetoric and ideology, in other words, those who oppose the non-classic liberal ideology.

Arderns proposal is the same rationale used by authoritarian countries like China, Iran, and Russia to censor dissidents, minority groups, and political rivals. What is hateful and dangerous is a fluid concept that government have historically used to silence critics or dissenters, Truly continues.

For Ardern and the ruling financial elite she serves, speech is a weapon of war, not hypothetical but as real and dangerous as physical weapons.  The weapons of war have changed, they are upon us and require the same level of action and activity that we put into the weapons of old, she insists.

For those of us who have lived through twenty long years of the so-called war on terror, some understand how these globalist fascists deal with terroristsoutright murder without trial, abduction, torture (in CIA dungeons), and indefinite confinement without trial. Are these the tactics were can expect from fascist leaders of Arderns ilk in response to those who disagree with the globalist agenda.?

Age and gender are meaningless for these psychopathic killers. Consider the case of sixteen-year-old Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen born in Denver in 1995, and his Yemeni cousin, both killed by the US military in Yemen. Abdulrahman was the son of Anwar al-Awlaki, a supposed al-Qaeda figure and cleric who in the past worked with the CIA. He was also assassinated by the CIA.

The Obama administrations top Pentagon lawyer [in January 2012] said that American citizens who join Al Qaeda can be targeted for killing and that courts should have no role in reviewing executive branch decisions about whether someone has met such criteria, The New York Times reported (emphasis added).

Free speech extremists and terrorists are a far worse threat to democracy than the CIAs al-Qaeda, according to the FBI.

The rise in domestic terrorism  as profiled in a captivating New York Times Magazine report from 2018  is largely driven by an uptick in far-right extremism. Of the 263 acts of domestic terrorism that occurred between 2010 and the end of 2017, 92, around a third, were committed by Americans on the far right, according to New York Mags Intelligencer.

The precise boundaries of far-right extremism are rarely if ever defined or clarifiedand this is not a mistake. The ambiguity allows the state to declare any non-liberal individual or group as far-right extremist.

In addition, the FBI has long honed the art of setting up and framing people as terrorists, from COINTELPRO in the 1960s until today. Revelations of FBI involvement in the capitol insurrection should be instructive.

Ardern and the liberal fascists will not rest until conservatives, civil libertarians, and others in opposition to their agenda are either imprisoned or eliminated.

Supposed climate change is simply the beginning. Ardern and her disciples, all working in the service of the neoliberal state, will not rest until blogs such as this one are wiped off the internet and opposition activists are either squelched or, short of that, locked up (or possibly even assassinated) on domestic Gitmos.
The global censorship and lockstep actions taken across the globe are in part coordinated through one company using strategies initially created by the tobacco industry. It is essential to know and understand how the Great Reset is coordinated in the effort to defeat this real threat to your freedom and livelihood

The U.K. calls this removal of lawful but harmful content, which is another step in the removal of freedoms that is supported in part by those who have been compromised through motivated reasoning and have given in to mass formation

The U.K.s Online Safety Bill seeks a breathtaking scope of power with limited judicial or parliamentary oversight; a powerful Washington think tank applauds this effort to protect free speech by limiting speech and wants it in the U.S.

It seems common sense that on a platform where 2 billion people from around the world post thoughts and ideas, there will be things you dont agree with. Yet, it appears that common sense is not being used when police are sent to arrest you for free speech

A man in the U.K. was arrested and charged after a Facebook post caused someone anxiety. He was offered to have the charges reduced if he paid for and completed an inclusivity course

In the past two years, social media platforms, mainstream media and government agencies have practiced a variety of different forms of censorship. However, as youll see in this video, at the end of July 2022, the British police took censorship to a whole new level when they handcuffed a man in his home for reposting a meme on Facebook that caused someone anxiety.

Neil Oliver from GBN News,1 made an accurate and frightening comparison between what is happening in the world today and George Orwells books Animal Farm and 1984. Its almost as if Orwell wrote the handbooks that the World Economic Forum has been following to the letter. Oliver wonders:2

As the years go by, I wonder more and more if George Orwell wasnt actually a time traveler for real. So right has he proven to be about where decisions made and actions taken in the 20th century would lead future generations. Animal Farm is a fable about communism. He predicted the abuse of trust and the exploitation of power once the pigs have control of the farm.

In his commentary, Oliver summarized a scene from Orwells book, Animal Farm, in which the farm animals discover that the pigs are taking all the apples and milk for themselves.

When their selfish behavior comes to light, the pigs defend themselves, saying it has been scientifically proven that only pigs require milk and apples for good health. You do not imagine, I hope, we are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? one of the pigs asks in Orwells book. Many of us dislike milk and apples.

The censorship and totalitarian regime that grew in Orwells Animal Farm happened with the cooperation of the other barnyard animals, who later grew to regret their actions. It was only through their cooperation that the pigs took power. In the same way, the technocratic elite today are gambling that fear will be enough of an incentive to motivate the masses to do the technocrats will.

Technocrats are taking advantage of motivated reasoning, which is one way that people use reasoning to deceive themselves. According to Psychology Today,3 people use biased reasoning when they are confronted by contradictory information, especially on matters that directly relate to their comfort, happiness, and mental health. Rather than reexamining a contradiction, its much easier to dismiss it.

Man Arrested for Causing Anxiety

In a YouTube video featuring Darren Brady, a 51-year-old veteran4 being hauled out of his home in handcuffs for reposted something on Facebook that someone decided was offensive, Brady asks, Why am I in cuffs for something that he said, then I said? The British police officer answers, Someone has been caused anxiety based on your social media post. And that is why youre being arrested.5

According to the commentary that follows on the video, this is the third time hes been really naughty. When I say really naughty, I mean hes put something else on Facebook or Twitter. The man hasnt fiddled his taxes or killed someone. Instead, he has exercised his right to free speech in a society where free speech is apparently no longer valued. In what can only be called common sense, the commenter goes on to say:6

Im not sure who decides what anxiety is  because Ive always found the best thing to do if I see something I dont like on Facebook I scroll past. Its gone in a second and that way you dont have to put up with it. Because I think when youre dealing with a platform with 2 billion people saying what they think, youre going to find loads of stuff youre not going to agree with.

Yet, it appears that the world has lost common sense. As mentioned, the meme Brady reposted was originally posted by someone else. As reported by MRCTV, the meme was a swastika made out of pride flags. According to British authorities, the meme ironically meant to call out the lefts fascist, free-speech-killing LGBTQ agenda.7

In other words, according to the British authorities, while the choice of imagery was questionable, the intent was to draw attention to the similarities between the lack of free speech under the Nazi regime and the free-speech-killing LGBTQ agenda.

Bradys arrest and charges were based on a 1988 law that send[ing] or deliver[ing] letters or other articles for the purpose of causing distress or anxiety8 is a crime. Harry Miller, from FairCop.org.uk, was also arrested and charged for obstruction when he tried to prevent the officers from arresting Brady. According to Hampshire Constabulary, the officers felt the need to use handcuffs when they were prevented from entering Bradys home to interview him about the offense.

Brady was told the criminal charge could be downgraded if he paid for and took an educational course on inclusivity. Whatever your feelings about what Brady posted, it does not negate the fact that he has the right to free speech.

The right to free speech isnt easy as movie president Andrew Shepherd says at the end of the movie, The American President. Michael Douglas, who played the president, describes one price we pay for free speech:9

America isnt easy. America is advanced citizenship. Youve gotta want it bad, cause its gonna put up a fight. Its gonna say, You want free speech? Lets see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, whos standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.

Britain Seeks More Censorship to Remove Lawful but Harmful

March 23, 2021,10 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders broke from party lines and spoke out against Twitters ban of former President Trump, saying yesterday it was Donald Trump who was banned and tomorrow it could be somebody else who has a very different point of view. He also noted that it is risky to have a handful of high-tech people controlling speech in America.11

Sanders point is well taken. Who determines the point of view that is wrong in a country that proposes to value free speech?

Britains Parliament is seeking to take another step toward eliminating free speech under the guise of protecting its citizens from free speech. At issue is Britains Online Safety Bill,12 which was introduced to Parliament in June 2022. As of this writing, it is still in the House of Commons, before being sent to the House of Lords.

Although the bill is being applauded by childrens safety campaigns,13 it has come under fire from other organizations that recognize the unprecedented censorship powers it gives to the secretary of state and the Office of Communications (Ofcom).14 The briefing paper by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) calls this an unsafe bill and outlines the broad scope of power the Online Safety Bill gives to the Secretary of State and Ofcom.

In response to the briefing paper, the Rt. Hon. Lord Frost CMG said: There is so much wrong with this bill that it is hard to know where to start, but the report rightly highlights the fact that it will mean some speech that is legal offline will effectively be impossible online.15 Briefly, analysis by the IEA of the powers in the Bill include:16

The scope of the bill is breathtaking, and raises significant issues for free speech, privacy and innovation.

The secretary of state and Ofcom will have unprecedented powers to define and limit speech, with limited parliamentary or judicial oversight.

The definition of harmful speech can be easily expanded through a statutory instrument, depending on the priorities of the incumbent Secretary of State.

The Bills byzantine requirements will impose large regulatory costs, particularly on startups and smaller companies, and make it riskier to host content and develop innovative services.

While it may seem that this British parliamentary argument is not pertinent to the remainder of the world, it is important to note the academics who are applauding the move, including Mark MacCarthy, from the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings Institution, a public policy organization in Washington, D.C.17

In his analysis of the Online Safety Bill, he lauded the steps the British Parliament is taking to protect free speech by limiting speech, writing, This systems approach is a promising way to reduce noxious but legal online material while preserving free expression. In his estimation:18

Parliament can still modify the details of this proposal, but the general outlines are clear enough to provide guidance for policymakers struggling with similar regulatory challenges and opportunities in the United States.

Men and Women Have Died to Defend Your Right to Free Speech

We honor the deaths of the men and women in the military who died defending the right to live freely when we continue to take up that banner and defend our right to free speech at home. Unfortunately, many people have been affected by mass formation psychosis, which is a crowd phenomenon that was identified hundreds of years ago.

Two historical examples are the American and European witch-hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries, during which thousands of women were killed as scapegoats of societies gone mad.19

One of the earliest writings on mass formation, according to blogger Robert Malone,20 is an 1841 book titled, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds, which details the irrational behaviors of crowds. However, if you search for information on mass formation psychosis on Google, you wont easily find answers to your questions as theyve effectively been buried by Big Tech.

Outrageously, one of the expert fact checkers21 used by the AP to discredit Malone and mass formation psychosis is Jay Van Bavel, a New York University assistant professor of psychology and neural science who not only stated he had never heard of the phrase and could not find it in peer-reviewed literature, but also has encouraged the use of behavioral science to nudge and motivate people to obey the official COVID-19 narrative.

Mattias Desmet, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Ghent in Belgium, details the four conditions needed to achieve mass formation on a large scale, which includes cognitive dissonance and psychological pain  factors that often leave people desperate for change and a way to escape:22

Feelings of social isolation and being alone among a large number of people

Feelings that your life is pointless and meaningless

High levels of free-floating anxiety

High levels of free-floating frustration and aggression

People want to remove their feelings of social isolation and anxiety. Toward that end, mass formation involves obsessive focusing on a failure of the normal world or a particular event or person who becomes the focus of the attention  and the more absurd the narrative becomes, the better. Desmet explained in an interview:23

The narrative that leads to the mass formation typically becomes more and more absurd, and the strange thing is that people dont seem to notice this  The reason why people buy into the narrative is not, in the first place, because the narrative is correct or scientific or accurate.

The reason why people buy into the narrative is because it creates this new social bond. Thats why typically during mass formation, the people who dont want to conform to the masses, who dont go along with the narrative, are typically [accused of] lacking citizenship and solidarity.

Desmet says that the more absurd the narrative and its surrounding measures become, the more successful they will be for a certain part of the population, usually about 30%, because the measures function as rituals, through which an individual shows that they are less important than the collective masses.24

How Is Censorship Being Coordinated?

Ive written before about the Publicis Groupe,25,26 which is a global PR firm that appears to be at the center of a large network involving Big Tech, Big Pharma, the U.S. government, the World Economic Forum and global nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working in tandem to further the globalist Great Reset agenda.

In this short video, I explain the connections between many of the players who are at the center of The Great Reset and global takeover, which is designed to enslave the world. One country is no longer big enough, they must have it all. The elite are using many of the strategies initially created and developed by the tobacco industry and later honed by Monsanto.

As you might expect, when youre trying to implement a global regime change, you need to exercise very serious control over both the media and public discussions. If you dont, you might have a rebellion on your hands when people realize that what youre doing is not in their best interest.

And, for that, you need some sort of centralized expert propaganda organization. Of course, you dont want the manipulation to be glaringly obvious, so you set up a variety of NGOs, foundations, public interest organizations and grassroots groups to give the appearance of consensus between seemingly independent organizations.

Mainstream media survives from the revenue generated by advertisers. Groups like Publicis can feed stories to the media that support these advertisers. This is one way that Publicis and its clients have been able to control the narrative told by the media and across internet platforms. They have been able to virtually eliminate your ability to get the truth about many important issues.

Publicis describes itself as one of the worlds largest communications groups and as I describe in the video above, they represent large clients in Big Tech and Big Pharma. They help finance NewsGuard, which is a self-appointed fact-checking site that is helping to shut down websites with opinions that dont fit the narrative. They are also partners with the World Economic Forum, the organization leading the global Great Reset.

I encourage you to watch this roughly 14-minute video in its entirety to gain a greater understanding of how mass formation has been coordinated across the globe. This is a key component and critical factor in defeating the threats to your freedom and livelihood.
Note: The pull of Right vs Left Politics is still so strong, at least here in the USA, that I feel the need to state at the outset that my motivation here is not to score any points for the Right. This painting  Don Quixote de la Left  is a picture of the Woke Left. A few months ago I painted a similarly unflattering and honest portrait of the Christian Right. The intent of these paintings is to serve as open windows presenting clear views of dissenting perspectives. Critically portraying both wings of the ruling class, makes it evident, I hope, that these works are not part of the Right/Left trap.

Early this year, lines of heavy trucks rumbled across Canadas frozen north and converged on Ottawa to protest vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers. The protest swelled in number, expanding in scope to a protest against the Medical Police State in general.

The Ottawa Freedom Convoy was sufficiently monumental that even the mainstream news was eventually forced to acknowledge its existence whereupon they began slandering it. This coverage did not last long: the current thing changed, the Ukraine War was brought to the front of the world stage, and most everything else was shoved off the stage.

Im revisiting the Freedom Convoy. I wish to spark additional conversation about it. So I created this artwork. I intend it as a tribute befitting the valorous deeds of the . . . counter protesters and Canadian police; Ill immortalize their symbiotic relationship. Like the knights of old, the counter protesters and police sallied forth to subdue the rabble of unruly peasants, putting them back in their proper place firmly under the thumb of the authorities.

The slander against the Freedom Convoy was not particularly sophisticated; it amounted to ignoring that the protest was obviously a protest against the Medical Police State, and instead making up stories about it being a vaguely racist/fascist/Nazi event where the racist/fascist/Nazis inadvertently brought anti-vax signs and forgot the racist/fascist/Nazi signs that they were supposed to bring.

The logic goes like this:

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is definitely a racist/fascist/Nazi.

If they look like, act like, and sound like, people protesting the Medical Police State, then they must really be racist/fascist/Nazis disguised as freedom advocates.

Any evidence that supported the racist/fascist/Nazi narrative was widely trumpeted, and any evidence that contradicted this narrative was discounted  if it was acknowledged at all.

For example: The Nazi flag guy at the Ottawa Trucker Protest, whoever he was, fits the Establishment Narrative, so he represents the Freedom Convoy. However, Sikhs at the Freedom Convoy, some of whom brought the Sikh flag, were an inconvenient reality that directly contradicted the Establishment Narrative. So according to those who wish to see the Freedom Convoy in a negative light, the Sikh protesters do not represent the Freedom Convoy. Apparently the Sikh protesters do not represent anything at all; they are just a Token.

1 Nazi Flag Guy = Emblematic of the Freedom Convoy.

100 Sikhs = Token/Not Emblematic of the Freedom Convoy.

How does Candice Sero, an Indigenous woman at the protest who was trampled by the RCMP, fit the narrative? . . . Well lets just pretend that didnt happen; ignore her, ignore tens of thousands of other protesters, ignore why they were there, and what they were about, and lets get back to focusing on that Nazi Flag Guy.

As a counter protester helpfully explained:

I tried really hard to de-emphasize issues of vaccination/COVID restrictions that were being used, in my mind, as cynical wedge issues, and to emphasize opposing the convoy as a political vehicle of the far-right,

This determination to see the Freedom Convoy as a racist/fascist/Nazi event, reality be damned, reminded me of the Ingenious Knight Don Quixote de la Mancha. I built my painting around that famous knight, because tilting at windmills was the principal activity of the Counter Protesters and Police who suppressed the Freedom Convoy. I present  Don Quixote . . . de la Left!

Don Quixote de la Left  Oil Painting by Jordan Henderson  3652 inches / 91132 centimeters

Jordan Henderson is an artist from Washington State in the USA. He works in oil on canvas and charcoal on paper. A portfolio of his work can be viewed at either of his websites: Original Paintings  Fine Art Prints
Photos: YouTube

Uganda will celebrate 60th anniversary of independence next Sunday, October 9. The theme chosen for the 60th anniversary of independence is, October 9th: A Declaration of African interdependence and our shared destiny. The national celebrations will take place at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala.

When Uganda achieved independence in 1962, I was a teenager and a student in Grade 2 at Sir Samuel Baker School Gulu which was the premier High School in the Northern Region of Uganda. I can compare and contrast Uganda Protectorate and post-colonial Republic of Uganda.

Sixty years is a long time in the life of a human being, but comparatively a short time in the life of a country. On September 7, Brazil celebrated the bicentenary (200 years) of her independence from Portuguese colonial rule. Singapore achieved independence on August 9, 1965 after 144 years of British colonial rule. Unlike Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, Singapore has developed from a 3rd world to a 1st world country in less than 60 years.

There are many important and pertinent lessons which Uganda and African countries can and should learn from Singapore. One of the reasons for Singapores rapid economic development was good, effective, focused, honest, selfless and visionary leadership with integrity personified by Lee Kuan Yew, first Prime Minister of the country. Lee Kuan Yew did not condone and tolerate corruption, incompetence, nepotism and mediocrity. On the contrary, Singapore promoted meritocracy, ethical values and planning, especially in the public sector. His book, From Third World to First, the Singapore story: 1965-2000 is recommended and essential reading for African leaders.

Ugandans are God-fearing, law-abiding, peace-loving and tolerant people. Our national motto, For God and My Country enjoins us, especially our leaders, to make sure that whatever we do and say is acceptable and will give God the glory. Our lives must reflect and be evidence of our belief in God. Political power is a privilege to serve the people of God diligently, honestly and truthfully. Power belongs to God and must not be used for personal gain, self-aggrandizement, to deny Ugandans their human rights and fundamental freedoms and to oppress fellow citizens. God will bless and uphold Uganda if we are committed to obey His commandments and do what will honour, please and give Him glory.

As Ugandans prepare to celebrate 60 years of independence and national sovereignty its very sad, embarrassing and unacceptable to note that Uganda is not even a middle-income country, but is classified as a Least Developed Country (LDC) by the United Nations. There are many reasons to explain this national tragedy. Firstly, wrong national priorities. The correct national priorities of Uganda are education, agriculture and health. Parliament should allocate a minimum 35% of the national budget to these three sectors for ten years if Uganda is serious and desirous to achieve middle-income status in the near future.

Secondly, the tendency to condone and tolerate endemic and systemic corruption and embezzlement on a massive scale by political leaders has caused Uganda to lag behind Kenya and Tanzania in economic development. According to the IGG, Ms Beti Kamya, about 30% of Ugandas budget is stolen, with impunity, annually and routinely by selfish, shameless and unpatriotic politicians and senior civil servants. Uganda has consequently accumulated a colossal debt which is not sustainable.

The chords which bind Ugandans together, such as, common heritage, common interests and shared destiny must be enlarged and strengthened. Uganda must deliberately and systematically seek to build unity in diversity and respect the rule of law. Its lamentable and painful to note that some Ugandans now look back with nostalgia to the colonial period. May Uganda, the land of freedom, enjoy peace and friendship with all her neighbours.
When Optus announced at a media conference a week ago that a hacker had accessed the private information of up to 9.8 million of its customers, many  including the Herald  praised it for its transparency.

Yet as more details have emerged about the hack and the damage it has caused, the company is now facing difficult questions about its actions and safeguards and the case is building for legislative reform to protect Australians privacy.

While Optus initially said it had been the victim of a sophisticated operation by organised crime, Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil on Monday said it was a basic hack and blamed Optus for lax security systems which left the window open for hackers.

Optus has disputed this description  but it has agreed with experts who have expressed concerns about the risk to privacy when firms keep unnecessary personal data for too long on their servers.

It now seems that as many as 2 million customers had their highly personal data such as drivers licences, Medicare numbers and passport details stolen.
Welcome to your five-minute recap of the trading day and how the experts are seeing it.

The numbers: The Australian sharemarket posted its strongest gains in three months on Thursday, buoyed by a healthy session on Wall Street as US markets posted their most significant gains this month.

The ASX200 gained 1.44 per cent, or 93 points, to close at 6,555. All 11 sectors finished the day in the green, with the energy sector leading the charge, up 2.78 per cent.

The S&P 500 has snapped a six-day rout. Credit:Bloomberg

The lifters: Woodside Energy added 3.06 per cent; Santos gained 2.33 per cent; and Whitehaven Coal rose 4.46 per cent.
We might have expected it of Adam Levine, the tatted-up quasi rock star from Maroon 5. But few anticipated one of the internets most enthusiastic proponents of marital bliss would fall to a cheating scandal.

A member of the massively popular YouTube creator group The Try Guys, Ned Fulmer  whos famously infatuated with his family and is known as the groups Wife Guy  has split from the viral foursome.

The Try Guys formed at Buzzfeed before launching their own popular YouTube channel in 2018. Credit:Getty

So, what led to the internets most wholesome foursomes schism? Turns out its a cautionary tale about parasocial relationships between creators and their audience, and the pitfalls of performative monogamy.

Please, spare me.

Look, I know weve already been through a lot. But September 2022 will go down in history as one of the most feral months of internet drama, and this scandal looks to be a finishing digestif. Bear with me, and we can manifest a feud-free October.
The same can be said of his follow-up, The Greatest Beer Run Ever, another loosely factual message movie in which the social upheavals of the 1960s serve as a backdrop for the moral education of a stubborn working-class dumbbell.

Russell Crowe (left) plays a war photographer opposite Zac Efrons John Chickie Donohue, who travels to Vietnam to deliver beer to his mates in The Greatest Beer Run Ever. Credit:Suppled

In the long run, brothers Peter and Bobby Farrelly will undoubtedly be best remembered for inventively vulgar comedy classics such as Theres Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber. Still, Peter Farrellys solo directing debut, the bluntly populist but basically modest Green Book , had more to recommend it than most films that can be described as Oscar bait.

The naive hero is John Chickie Donohue, an underachieving New York sailor played by a boisterously gesticulating Zac Efron in a hideous moustache  one immediate sign the burlesque side of the Farrelly sensibility lingers to some degree.

Its 1967, and like the rest of America, the Irish-Catholic neighbourhood of Inwood is at odds over the Vietnam War. Chickies kid sister (Ruby Ashbourne Serkis) has joined the protests; a local barkeeper (Bill Murray) supports the troops but deplores the bloody images showing up on colour TV.

Zac Efrons John Chickie Donohue travels from New York to Vietnam to hand out cans of beer as tokens of gratitude to the US soldiers.

Chickie admits hes no expert on the conflict, but he knows where he stands, especially with so many of his buddies doing their duty. Impulsively, he decides to pay them a visit, bringing along a canvas bag loaded with cans of beer to be handed out as tokens of gratitude.

Inevitably, his civilian excursion to Vietnam develops into a bigger, more disturbing adventure than anything he could have imagined. Yet, the film maintains an ambiguous, seriocomic tone, mingling sombre moments with touches of farce, especially the running gag of Chickie being mistaken for a representative of the CIA.
Its now a trope as old as time (the 80s): a whole bunch of hot actors in their mid-20s with pigtails and floppy hair float around their high school doing a whole bunch of sex and drugs and barely a single second of homework.

We saw it in shows such as Beverly Hills 90210 in the 90s, The OC in the 00s, and Euphoria and the Gossip Girl reboot today. Television that puts forward the fantastical premise that high school could, in fact, be glamorous, sexy and cool - but not in a weird paedophilia way. Thats why they only cast 30-year-olds to play 16-year-old girls.

There are different types of subgenre within the classic sexy glamour teen drama.

Give me an excursion to Questacon over a trip to the Maldives any day.

You have ultrarich teens, where things are amazing because of the obscene amounts of money they have. Think Gossip Girl and The OC: studying algebra festooned with pearls and catching a private jet to the Maldives, instead of going to Questacon for the school excursion.
After a tense morning in the witness box, the evidence of Anthony Koletti, the husband of missing fraudster Melissa Caddick, has been temporarily halted as he appeared unable to understand the questions being put to him.

If you are unable to focus on the questions and give truthful answers that is not going to assist me, said the Deputy State Coroner, Elizabeth Ryan.

Earlier in the day, Koletti said to counsel assisting, Jason Downing, SC, The way you talk is not the way my mind works ...everyone has a different mind, Koletti said, adding: Youve got to understand that. I dont think you do.

Caddicks husband, Anthony Koletti, had been giving evidence at the NSW State Coroners Court. Credit:Rhett Wyman

Koletti has been giving evidence at the coronial inquest into the disappearance and presumed death of his wife who vanished at 5.30am on November 12, 2020.
The former Anglican archbishop of Sydney, Richard Henry Harry Goodhew, has been accused of failing to protect young boys from a sexual predator involved in running church activities in NSW in the 1980s.

The allegation is made in a statement of claim, filed in the NSW Supreme Court in July by lawyers representing abuse victim, Alexander Hayes, who is seeking compensation from the Anglican Church Property Trust Diocese of Sydney.

Alexander Hayes was abused as a child. Credit:Louise Kennerley

In the claim, Goodhew is accused of failing to act after allegedly being made aware of the conduct of William Adrian Richmond Sandwell, a former influential leader of the Church of England Boys Society (CEBS) in NSW.

Sandwell was convicted in 2019 of the historic sexual abuse of six boys, including Hayes, between 1965 and 1986. Sandwell, who is aged in his 80s, denied the offending. He will be eligible for parole in October after serving three years and seven months in jail.
The delivery of a fleet of new Spanish-built passenger trains for NSW is running more than three years late due to a dispute between the state government and the manufacturer over design changes to carriages.

Confidential documents and emails show the dispute between the government and a consortium led by Spanish company CAF centres on directives by transport officials to modify the trains, which have been purchased for key rail lines from Sydney to other capital cities and across NSW.

The pitch of passenger seats has been a major point of contention between the government and the train manufacturer. Credit:NSW government

The proposed pitch of seats is one of the main points of contention, which the government documents warn will lead to significantly degraded legroom and comfort for passengers if unresolved.

A delay to the $2.6 billion project means passengers will be stuck with travelling on decades-old trains much longer than planned, which also poses risks to the reliability of services and increased maintenance costs for the government.
A large hail and heavy rainfall warning for Sydney has been cancelled as thunderstorms approaching Sydney on Wednesday night dissipated, although some still dropped hail.

At 5.15pm, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning for a severe thunderstorm that was likely to produce large hailstones, significant accumulations of hail, and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the next few hours. The warning was cancelled about 8pm.

Early on Wednesday morning, a series of violent storms hit Sydney, producing more than 65,000 lightning strikes while bringing heavy rain to some parts of the city. Canterbury recorded 9.4 millimetres in the hour between 4am and 5am.
A teenager who instigated a plot to murder her teacher in Perths southern suburbs has been sentenced to three years and one month in detention, with poor conditions at the states only youth detention centre keeping her from a longer stint behind bars.

The 14-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, stabbed her 55-year-old year 8 co-ordinator with a 25-centimetre kitchen knife in November last year at Willetton Senior High School.

The incident occurred at Willetton Senior High School on November 1 last year. Credit:Nine News Perth

The girl discussed the murderous plan with her 13-year-old co-conspirator, who was sentenced earlier this month to 11 months behind bars, on messaging platform Discord for several weeks before the attack.

State prosecutor Bradley Hollingsworth told the court at a previous hearing the 14-year-old told her friend the burn down the school idea isnt going to be successful, to which the 13-year-old replied: I think the stabbing idea should take over.
King Charles chances of succeeding his mother on Australias notes are diminishing after Treasurer Jim Chalmers said it should be uncontroversial for the nation to remove the monarch from its currency.

Chalmers on Wednesday said a change in the $5 note, which has featured an image of Queen Elizabeth for three decades, was worthy of public discussion over the next 18 months.

A mock-up of what a $5 note featuring King Charles III could look like. Credit:Matt Davidson

The Queen first featured on an Australian note in 1953 when her image appeared on the then one pound note. With the move to decimal currency in 1966, her image moved to the one dollar note.

Between the end of the one dollar note and the first printing of the $5 polymer note, from 1984 to 1992, the Queen did not have a presence on the nations notes. She has since featured on the $5 note of which there are 200 million in circulation.
The state opposition is walking back from a promise to spend $8 billion on regional hospitals, with less than half that amount likely to be offered up ahead of the November 26 state election.

After last month announcing plans to shelve the $35 billion first stage of Labors suburban rail loop and redirect every cent available into health, the Coalition was adamant that $8 billion of the money would go to hospitals in Victorias regions.

Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh. Credit: Supplied

The pitch was widely publicised in regional media outlets following the August 17 announcement. A Coalition media release promising $8 billion for Victorias regional hospitals was still live on Opposition Leader Matthew Guys personal website on Tuesday afternoon.

But Nationals leader Peter Walsh said this week the $8 billion promise for the regions assumed the full $35 billion cost of the rail line would be available to the Coalition to spend on health, under a deal between the Liberal Party and the Nationals to direct one-quarter of infrastructure spending promises to regional Victoria.
Liverpool: An increasingly confident British Labour Party is looking to Australia and the electoral success of Anthony Albanese as the model for how to bring an end to four terms of Conservative government.

Albanese, who famously called for an end to Labors bitter infighting by saying he would prefer to be fighting Tories than his comrades, in May won Labors first majority since the 2007 victory by Kevin Rudd.

David Lammy, British Labours foreign affairs spokesman, speaks at the party conference in Liverpool. Credit:Getty

British Labour, which was decimated in 2019 under former leader Jeremy Corbyn has been undergoing a quiet transformation under Keir Starmer, who this week opened the partys annual conference with a tribute to the late Queen and a rendition of God Save the King.

David Lammy, British Labours foreign spokesman, travelled to Canberra immediately after Labors election win and met with his counterpart Penny Wong and Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
No deaths were reported in the United States from Ian by late Wednesday. Hospital floods, people trapped in homes In Port Charlotte, along Floridas Gulf Coast, the storm surge flooded a lower-level emergency room in a hospital even as fierce winds ripped away part of the roof from its intensive care unit, according to a doctor who works there. Water gushed down onto the ICU, forcing staff to evacuate the hospitals sickest patients - some of whom were on ventilators - to other floors, said Dr Birgit Bodine of HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital. Staff members used towels and plastic bins to try to mop up the sodden mess. The medium-sized hospital spans four floors, but patients were forced into just two because of the damage. Bodine planned to spend the night there in case people injured from the storm arrive needing help.

As long as our patients do OK and nobody ends up dying or having a bad outcome, thats what matters, Bodine said. Law enforcement officials in nearby Fort Myers received calls from people trapped in flooded homes or from worried relatives. Pleas were also posted on social media sites, some with video showing debris-covered water sloshing toward homes eaves. Brittany Hailer, a journalist in Pittsburgh, contacted rescuers about her mother in North Fort Myers, whose home was swamped by 1.5 metres of water. We dont know when the waters going to go down. We dont know how theyre going to leave, their cars are totalled, Hailer said. Her only way out is on a boat.

Search and rescue mission The US Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue mission for 23 people and managed to find three survivors about 3 kilometres south of the Florida Keys, officials said. Four other Cubans swam to Stock Island, just east of Key West, the US Border Patrol said. Air crews continued to search for possibly 20 remaining migrants. The storm previously tore into Cuba, killing two people and bringing down the countrys electrical grid. The hurricanes eye made landfall near Cayo Costa, a barrier island just west of heavily populated Fort Myers. As it approached, water drained from Tampa Bay.

More than 2 million Florida homes and businesses were left without electricity, according to the PowerOutage.us site. Nearly every home and business in three counties was without power. Sheriff Bull Prummell of Charlotte County, just north of Fort Myers, announced a curfew between 9pm and 6am for life-saving purposes, saying violators may face second-degree misdemeanour charges. I am enacting this curfew as a means of protecting the people and property of Charlotte County, Prummell said. The Weather Underground predicted the storm would pass near Daytona Beach and go into the Atlantic before veering back ashore in South Carolina on Friday.

The governors of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia all preemptively declared states of emergency. Forecasters predicted Ian will turn toward those states as a tropical storm, likely dumping more flooding rains into the weekend. This is going to be a nasty nasty day, two days, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said, urging people in Ians path along the Atlantic coast to rush to the safest possible shelter and stay there. Resident hunker down as hurricane hits Jackson Boone left his home near the Gulf coast and hunkered down at his law office in Venice with employees and their pets. Boone at one point opened a door to howling wind and rain flying sideways. Were seeing tree damage, horizontal rain, very high wind, Boone said by phone. We have a 50-plus-year-old oak tree that has toppled over.

In Naples, the first floor of a fire station was inundated with about 1 metre of water and firefighters worked to salvage gear from a firetruck stuck outside the garage in even deeper water, a video posted by the Naples Fire Department showed. Naples is in Collier County, where the sheriffs department reported on Facebook that it was getting a significant number of calls of people trapped by water in their homes and that it would prioritise reaching people reporting life-threatening medical emergencies in deep water. Another video from Naples showed a house floating down a street. Ians strength at landfall tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane when measured by wind speed to strike the US Among the other storms was Hurricane Charley, which hit nearly the same spot on Floridas coast in August 2004, killing 10 people and inflicting $US14 billion in damage. Ian had strengthened rapidly overnight, prompting Fort Myers handyman Tom Hawver to abandon his plan to weather the hurricane at home. He headed across the state to Fort Lauderdale.

Loading We were going to stay and then just decided when we got up, and they said 155 mph (250km/h) winds, Hawver said. We dont have a generator. I just dont see the advantage of sitting there in the dark, in a hot house, watching water come in. Florida residents rushed ahead of landfall to board up homes, stash prized belongings on upper floors and join long lines of cars leaving the shore. Some decided to try and ride out the storm. Jared Lewis, a Tampa delivery driver, said his home has withstood hurricanes in the past, though not as powerful as Ian. It is kind of scary, makes you a bit anxious, Lewis said. After the last year of not having any, now you go to a Category 4 or 5. We are more used to the 2s and 3s.

The federal government sent 300 ambulances with medical teams and was ready to truck in 3.7 million meals and 3.5 million litres of water once the storm passes. Well be there to help you clean up and rebuild, to help Florida get moving again, President Joe Biden said Wednesday. And well be there every step of the way. Thats my absolute commitment to the people of the state of Florida. DeSantis has requested Biden grant a Major Disaster Declaration for all 67 of the states counties, which would open a range of federal assistance for residents and funding for public infrastructure repairs. DeSantis has also requested Biden allow FEMA to provide a 100 per cent federal cost share for debris removal and emergency protective measures for 60 days. The governors of Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina all preemptively declared states of emergency. Forecasters predicted Ian will turn toward those states as a tropical storm, likely dumping more flooding rains into the weekend, after crossing Florida. AP
Luxury British carmaker Land Rover said on Wednesday it would retrain 29,000 employees and staff at retailers globally over the next three years to design, build and service (EVs) ahead of its shift away from fossil-fuel cars.

The unit of India's Tata Motors said the majority of technicians at its retailers should receive training on servicing EVs during this financial year to "tackle emerging skills gaps".

The shift to EVs means carmakers need to provide fresh skills to workers trained to make and service fossil-fuel models. There are widespread concerns that fewer moving parts in EVs could mean fewer well-paid manufacturing jobs in the auto industry, especially in engine or transmission plants.

Land Rover (JLR) said it would retrain "thousands of highly skilled automotive engineers and production employees, who previously worked on the development of internal combustion cars, to specialise in electrification, digital and autonomous cars."

EV sales have risen sharply in Europe over the last two years and looming fossil-fuel car bans mean more are coming.

JLR's luxury brand will be entirely electric by 2025 and the carmaker will launch electric versions of its entire line-up by 2030.

JLR has developed its own training materials in cooperation with the University of Coventry and the University of Warwick.

"Plant employees at all levels will require training to ensure they can work safely alongside the high voltage systems," JLR said.

Karl "Freddy" Gunnarsson, an engineer who worked at JLR on diesel and petrol catalytic converters, has already retrained and is working on a team dedicated to increasing EV battery density to maximise vehicle range.

"This (EV range) is what we're going to be competing on, Gunnarsson told Reuters. "So on this side of the business you can feel the excitement all the way up to the CEO."
Aircraft leasing in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) will not flourish unless step up and participate in the process, said Kartik Dawar, deputy general manager (legal), Vistara, on Wednesday.

Indian airlines have a combined fleet of around 700 planes and over 85 per cent of them are on lease. A majority of lessors are based in Ireland due to its attractive tax policy and ease of doing business.

The Government of India and the Gujarat government have provided several incentives, such as tax holiday, no withholding tax on lease payments, and interest payments, for the aircraft leasing to set up shop in GIFT City, Dawar said during a panel discussion at a conference organised by aviation consultancy firm Ishka.

However, I think it is not going to flourish unless there is support from . The Government of India must do something to attract the so that they participate. Leave aside huge participation, currently, what I have felt is that there is no participation whatsoever from Indian banks, he mentioned.

Indian banks are not involved due to their past experiences and they are now risk-averse, he said.

They have burnt their fingers and it is very difficult to have them onboard this platform (GIFT City). It is for the government to decide what kind of incentives they will be able to provide these banks to be part of this structure, Dawar noted.

Indian banks underwent immense pain in the past decade because of the Indian aviation sector. For example, when Jet Airways went bankrupt in April 2019, it owed a group of lenders -- led by State Bank of India (SBI) -- more than Rs 8,000 crore.

Rajnish Kumar -- who was SBI Chairman when Jet Airways went bankrupt -- wrote last year in his memoir The Custodian of Trust that dealing with Jet Airways issue was one of the most challenging cases he had faced during his eventful term.

In 2012, when Kingfisher Airlines went bankrupt, it owed a consortium of 17 lenders  led by SBI  around Rs 7,000 crore.

Dawar said that if there is participation from the Indian banks at GIFT City, India will become self-reliant in the leasing business.

During the panel discussion, Satyendra Pandey, managing partner, aviation advisory firm AT-TV, said: You speak to any banker (about aircraft leasing in India), and I can almost guarantee you that the discussion will involve words Kingfisher and Jet. They are still reeling from that loss.

Until all of that is addressed in a very collective manner, there will be financing but banks will not be rushing to get into these kinds of assets, Pandey added.

Suthesh Selvaratnam, vice-president commercial (APAC) at one of the largest global aircraft lessors AerCap, stated that should explain how the return on investment for an international lessor operating out of is better than when that lessor is leasing planes into India, out of Ireland.

I think that should be the focus. Maybe, there could be a pilot project with Tata SIA (Vistara) to see -- based on airline inputs -- whether the return on investment is going to be better when a lessor leases from to an airline in India, he mentioned.

Dublin-based Aercap owns a fleet of more than 1,800 commercial aircraft around the world.

It looks like a lot of the conversation and a lot of the positives that are being raised about GIFT city are around downside protection, Selvaratnam, who was in the audience, told the panel.

Downside protection such as less questions to aircraft lessors about taxes, less cumbersome process for repossession of aircraft are being counted as positives, he mentioned.

This is not the first thing any financier looks at. It is going to be a return on investment and after that, you could put an additional premium on downside protection, he added.
Ambuja Cements, now controlled by billionaire Gautam Adani-led Adani Group, on Wednesday has signed a non-dealing undertaking (NDU) on 50.5 per cent shareholding in its subsidiary ACC Ltd as "collateral for loans taken by the company".

The company signed a NDU on 9.39 crore shares of ACC Ltd on September 26, 2022, said a regulatory filing by .

Adani has acquired the two firms -- Ambuja and its subsidiary ACC -- through a Mauritius-based SPV Endeavour Trade and Investment Ltd (ETIL), which is owned by Xcent Trade and Investment Ltd (XTIL).

"The shares of Endeavour Trade and Investment Ltd, Xcent Trade and Investment Ltd and Holderind Investments shall also be charged for such loans," it added.

Last week, had said it had signed a NDU on its entire stake worth USD 13 billion in and ACC, days after completing its USD 6.5-billion acquisition of the two .

has encumbered its 63.15 per cent stake in and 56.7 per cent stake in ACC (of which 50 per cent is held by Ambuja) to the Hong Kong Branch of Deutsche Bank AG.

Ambuja Cements shares closed at Rs 500.20 a piece on BSE on Wednesday and ACC Ltd's stock settled at Rs 2,350.90.

On September 16, announced the completion of the acquisition of Ambuja Cements and ACC for USD 6.5 billion which includes the buyout of Swiss major Holcim's stake in the two firms and subsequent open offers to minority shareholders.

While addressing shareholders after the completion of the deal, had said his group has planned to double its cement manufacturing capacity and become the most profitable manufacturer in the country.

He saw a multi-fold rise in cement demand in India on the back of record-breaking economic growth and the government's infrastructure creation push, which will give significant margin expansion.

In a speech made at an event to mark the completion of the acquisition on September 17, the Adani Group founder and chairman said the ports-to-energy conglomerate has in a single stroke become the second largest cement manufacturer in the country.

On Tuesday Adani Group Chairman had said it will invest USD 100 billion over the next decade, primarily in new energy and digital space that includes data centres, as the group bets big on India growth story.

As much as 70 per cent of this investment will be in the energy transition space, Adani said as he continued to reveal bit by bit the group's new energy plans.

(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.)
Oracle will have to pay $23 million as a fine after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pulled up the technology giant for creating slush funds that were used to bribe officials in India, the UAE, and Turkey.

The conduct outlined by the SEC is contrary to our core values and clear policies, and if we identify such behaviour, we will take appropriate action, Oracles spokesperson Michael Egbert told Business Standard in an e-mailed response.

The SEC said Oracle India's employees used an excessive discount scheme in connection with a transaction with a transportation company owned by the Railways Ministry.

"The SEC announced settled charges requiring Oracle Corporation to pay more than $23 million to resolve charges that it violated provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) when subsidiaries in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and India created and used slush funds to bribe foreign officials in return for business between 2016 and 2019, said the regulator.

In 2019, sales employees also used an excessive discount scheme in connection with a transaction with a transportation company, a majority of which was owned by the Indian Ministry of Railways, it further stated.

Without denying the SECs findings, Oracle has agreed to cease and desist from committing violations of the anti-bribery, books and records, and internal accounting controls provisions of the FCPA and to pay approximately $8 million in disgorgement and a $15-million penalty. The company had maintained the same stance earlier, too.

This is the second time that Oracle has been fined for such conduct. In 2012, the company paid $2 million to the SEC to settle a previous set of FCPA violation charges. That case, too, involved the companys action in India. According to reports, the SEC at the time alleged that the companys India subsidiary structured transactions with foreign governments in a way that enabled them to hold about $2.2 million of the proceeds in funds used for unauthorised purposes.

US IT services giant Cognizant, too, faced an SEC action in 2020 for paying about $2 million in bribes to government officials for granting permits to build its campus near Chennai. According to reports, the company settled the case by paying around $25 million in penalties and incurred a cost of $79 million for an internal investigation.

Oracle in India

Oracle has been in India for over 25 years now and has a headcount of 45,000. It has a strong footprint in the Indian enterprise and government segment. It was among the early players in the cloud offering to both public and private players; its client base in India is 15,000. Oracle, like most of its competitors in India, works through a channel network and has 500 partners in India.

Oracle was also among US tech giants that acquired an Indian product firm early. In 2005, it acquired i-flex Solutions for $909 million. The company was later renamed Oracle Financial Services Software, and is still listed on the Indian bourses. The companys FY22 revenue came in at Rs 5,221.4 crore and net profit at Rs 1,890 crore.

operations are at present headed by Shailender Kumar. Previously, Kumar led the Key Accounts program, which became one of Oracle Indias most successful. He joined Oracle as part of its BEA Systems acquisition, and has held leadership positions at Quest Software, Microsoft India, and IBM India.

When the first instance of a bribe scam at the company came to light in 2012, the company had Sandeep Mathur at the helm. Mathur resigned from the company in 2014; Oracle denied the allegations that the reason for him leaving the company was charges.
Online professional network LinkedIn on Wednesday released a list of the top 25 start-ups in India that have shown resilience in an uncertain market environment, and are continuing to innovate in 2022.

Topping this year's list is unified payments interface CRED. Valued at USD 6.4 billion, this young start-up maintained its podium position on the LinkedIn Top Startups list, moving from the third spot in 2021 to number one in 2022.

"Besides gaining popularity for its quirky ads in the past two years, CRED is also setting new benchmarks for employee well-being by offering benefits such as ElderCare, egg freezing, and one-on-one support for mental wellness to its employees," a LinkedIn statement noted.

The second spot on the list is taken by upGrad, one of India's largest online higher education that curates vast upskilling opportunities for professionals and college students, followed by in third position.

is an online investment platform that provides an objective evaluation of various investment opportunities through stocks and mutual funds.

This year's list also features new entrants including e-grocery company Zepto (4th), full-stack car buying platform Spinny (7th), and insurtech start-up Ditto Insurance (12th) all of which are online platforms that are making financial, mobility, and essentials more accessible for consumers in India today.

Fitness platform Ultrahuman (19th) and organic food marketplace Living Food (20th) also debuted in this year's list.

With 13 of the top 25 start-ups based out of Bengaluru, the city affirms its reputation as the 'Silicon Valley of India'.

In fact, 58 per cent of all jobs posted by these start-ups on LinkedIn during the period from August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022 were based out of Bengaluru.

Managing Editor at LinkedIn India, Nirajita Banerjee, said the Indian start-up ecosystem displays great resilience as the country continues to see a rise of new start-ups with 68 per cent of entrants on the list appearing for the first time.

These start-ups are navigating the uncertain macro environment by optimising their businesses for sustainable growth and taking a more prudent approach towards scaling their business, she said.

"It's also great to see young professionals embrace India's start-up ecosystem, with 56 per cent of all hires in the top 25 start-ups being aged below 30, and 17 per cent aged below 25, at the time of joining," she added.

The 25 that made it to the list, in order of ranking are: CRED, upGrad, Groww, Zepto, Skyroot Aerospace, MBA Chai Wala, Spinny, The Good Glamm Group, GrowthSchool, BluSmart, ShareChat, Ditto Insurance, Simpl, Rapido, Classplus, Park+, BlissClub, DealShare, Ultrahuman, Living Food, FamPay, AgniKul Cosmos, Stanza Living, Pocket FM and Zypp Electric.

"To compile this year's list, LinkedIn looked at platform data from July 2021 to June 2022 across four pillars: employee growth, job seeker interest, member engagement within the company and its employees, and how well these startups pulled talent from its flagship LinkedIn Top list," the statement 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.)
Consumer durables retail chain Mart India Ltd on Wednesday said it has fixed a price band of Rs 56-59 a share for its Rs 500 crore initial public offering (IPO).

The initial share-sale will open for public subscription on October 4 and close on October 7, the company said in a statement.

The consists of a fresh issue of equity shares aggregating to Rs 500 crore, with no offer for sale component.

The company intends to utilise the net proceeds to fund its capital expenditure, support incremental working capital requirements and pay debt. Funds will also be used for general corporate purposes.

Half of the issue size has been reserved for qualified institutional investors, 35 per cent for retail investors and the remaining 15 per cent for non-institutional investors.

Investors can bid for a minimum of 254 equity shares and in multiples of 254 thereafter.

Mart India Ltd (EMIL) was founded by Pavan Kumar Bajaj and Karan Bajaj as a proprietary concern with a consumer durables and store under the name of 'Bajaj Electronics'.

The company had 112 stores across 36 cities as of August this year.

Its multi-brand outlets operate under brand name Bajaj Electronics other than two specialized stores under the name 'Kitchen Stories' catering to kitchen specific-requirements and one specialized store format under the name 'Audio & Beyond' focusing on high-end home audio and home automation solutions.

Currently, EMIL has a leadership position in South India. In line with its cluster-focused expansion strategy, it plans to deepen store network in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and gradually expand in NCR.

EMIL displays more than 6,000 stock keeping units (SKUs) across product categories from more than 70 consumer durable and electronic brands. It operates across three channels -- retail, wholesale and e-commerce.

In FY22, the company's revenue from operations increased by 36 per cent to Rs 434.93 crore from Rs 320.18 crore in the same period last year, while profit after tax surged 77 per cent to Rs 103.89 crore from Rs 58.62 crore during the same period.

Anand Rathi Advisors, IIFL Securities and JM Financial are the book running lead managers to the issue.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd will start up a bio-ethanol plant at its Bathinda refinery in northern India in 2023 as part of measures to reduce its carbon emissions, a company official said on Wednesday.

"Our company is in the process of constructing 100,000 tonnes per annum ethanol plant based on agricultural inputs like waste food," Pravin Shirke, assistant general manager at HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), told a forum at the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC).

The plant will be operational next year, he added.

HMEL is a joint venture between state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd and Mittal Energy Investments.

India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, has expanded the excise duty exemption for biofuels to encourage the blending of higher proportions of ethanol and components of vegetable oil with gasoline and diesel.

India plans to introduce 20% ethanol blending with gasoline in some parts of the country from April next year, followed by a nationwide roll out from 2025/26.

(Reporting by Matthew Chye, Writing by Mohi Narayan; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

(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.)
Several in India have been seeing a sharp jump in approaching them to redraft agreements, find loopholes, and enforce restrictions to address the issue of moonlighting. Some are even asking to enable the practice with proper checks and balances, a report in Economic Times (ET) said.

Moonlighting is a practice of having a secret job in addition to one's regular . has been greatly divided on the issue. Recently, fired 300 employees for having a second job. Some start-ups, including Swiggy, on the other hand, have allowed their employees to have a second job.

"Several organisations in the IT/ITeS sector have been emphasising the requirement to have their contracts and policies revisited, including additional clarity on their stance against possible moonlighting," Anshul Prakash, partner, employment labour & benefits at Khaitan & Co told ET.



Also Read | The moonlighting volcano: Ready to erupt

The moot point, according to Prakash, was to specify that the confidentiality obligations will stretch beyond the work hours.

In the coming days, may even start drafting tighter agreements with clear, defined boundaries, another expert said. This includes defining the work obligations and ensuring that the quality of work is not compromised.

"Some organisations are most certainly looking into their policies and contracts to ascertain if they can allow employees to work an additional job(s) without really compromising the quality of work or business interest of the organisation," Veena Gopalakrishnan, Partner - Employment Law, at AZB & Partners told ET.

However, there are also cases where employers are reaching out to employees to understand the "gap" and address it.
The fate of some marquee brands is uncertain as the government phases out codeine-based cough formulations and a handful of fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs. Some of these brands have been declining anyway, analysis shows.

Industry insiders say that pharma working with codeine-based cough formulations are implementing steps to prevent misuse. Codeine is a by-product of opium, which is processed in India under strict terms. In July, the government for the first time allowed a private company, Bajaj Healthcare, to process opium to extract alkaloids that are used to make painkillers, cough syrups, and even cancer drugs. Two government factories in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh process around 800 tonnes per annum of opium gum to extract alkaloids. But Bajaj Healthcare will process the opium and give it back to the government, which would then sell it to the industry.

However, the problem begins after codeine-based products enter the market. The (NCB) recently arrested a group for smuggling drugs between Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai, recovering 13,248 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.

Pharma firms are improving traceability to check cough syrups reaching drug rackets in bulk quantities. We have started QR code tracing. We have also reduced the batch sizes that we send out to trade  almost half the size of other liquid drugs. This enables closer tracking of the products, said the chief executive officer of a pharma company who requested anonymity. Another Mumbai based manufacturer of codeine based cough syrups said that steps are being taken to account for each bottle of the cough syrups sold. "This is done right from the stockist level to the chemist level.

They have to maintain records of selling each codeine based cough syrup. Unless they account for it, they are not allotted fresh stocks. This makes the movement of the drugs slow in the system, but this is adopted as a failsafe," he explained.

Spurious codeine-based products have flooded the market and QR codes reduce the menace, according to the industry. The Indian Association (IDMA) has reached out to the government, requesting it to not ban codeine-based cough syrups.

IDMA secretary general Daara Patel said the government should not take any such action because such drugs are clinically safe.

Data from market research firm AWACS shows that sales of Phensedyl cough linctus (Abbott brand) has reduced from Rs 304.9 crore in 2018 to Rs 66.3 crore now. Phensedyl T, another brand extension, has however seen moderate growthfrom Rs 7 crore to Rs 10 crorein the same period. However, Pfizers Corex T sales have doubled during the period. (see chart).

On the other hand, some key FDC drugs have seen moderate growth. Ipcas pain relief medicine Zerodol SP, however, has seen strong growth in recent years.

A Mumbai-based analyst said that have not launched new drugs as fixed-dose combinations in recent years. After the Centre banned 343 FDCs in 2018, most pharma have stayed away from launching new FDCs, unless they were brand extensions of their popular brands. There is always this sword hanging over this class of drugs, he said, adding that Ipca is likely to be hit the most if FDCs are phased out.

The current FDCs, which are under scanner, belong to the first category, that is either they are for cough treatment or the treatment of body ache or cold. Such FDCs can definitely be revoked because these FDCs are not approved in other parts of the world. They are specifically approved in India and some of them definitely fall under irrational combinations, said Arvind Badiger, technical director, BDR Pharmaceuticals.
Fabless manufacturer Silicon Laboratories on Wednesday opened a new Research & Development (R&D) unit in Hyderabad, with plans to triple its headcount in India over the next few years.

The new facility would be the largest global centre for Silicon Labs engineering and wireless connectivity innovations. It would help the company scale its IoT wireless products and solutions offering industrial, commercial, and home and life applications.

The firm, with annual revenue of $886.7 million, designs and develops mixed-signal integrated circuits, microcontrollers, and sensors for the Internet of Things (IoT), and wireless connectivity devices such as Wi-fi, Bluetooth, and Z-Wave.

Matt Johnson, President and CEO of Silicon Labs, said, Our vision for the new facility is to make it premier in IoT wireless centres in the region. It is also a (CoE) for Wifi, which is one of the key components of our growth. So it has an integral and elemental role in our future growth as a company.

Johnson said the company plans to triple its headcount at the facility to 1,500 over the next few years. We see India and particularly ultra-competitive and incredibly attractive. This is why its our fastest growing site and largest R&D centre.

Silicon Labs is headquartered in Austin, Texas with 20 offices worldwide. The company first entered in 2020 with an acquisition of a startup. Johnson said, India presents a truly unique combination of talent and scalability. We need to capture that opportunity to scale. There is no other place where we can have access to that talent pool and maximize the opportunity that we really believe is once in a lifetime.

He added that though the availability of talent was strong in India, it requires better collaboration with universities and the government. It is really important to have university relationships, the industry, and government collaboration, he said.

The new facility is located at the Knowledge City of Hyderabad and adds up to 100,000 square feet of office space.

Manish Kothari, Senior Vice President, Silicon Labs India, said Our Hyderabad location will be a for integrated hardware and software platforms, user-friendly development tools, and an unsurpassed ecosystem of new wireless technologies. We will connect with the local community and open doors for the city's competitive talent pool.

Kothari said the new telecom bill may help the company expand its unlicensed spectrum vertical in India. We have the broadest and the deepest wireless protocol offerings in the unlicensed spectrum. As the government harmonizes the policy and makes it uniform across the spectrum availability in line with global standards, it would enable us to make products that can scale instead of making it custom for India.
Provider of on-demand cloud computing and API platforms, Web Services (AWS) announced earlier in September that it had invested $3.71 billion in local infrastructure and jobs across India since the launch of its Asia Pacific (Mumbai) Region in 2016. AWS has built the backend of the government's ambitious projects, like Digital India, CoWIN, and Common Service Centres. Rahul Sharma, Regional Head, AWS India and South Asia, in an interview with Sourabh Lele, explains the company's expansion plans to further its partnership with the central and state governments of India. Edited excerpts:
Daikin Industries Ltd., the worlds largest manufacturer of air conditioners, is betting that sales and production in India will eventually make up a bigger part of the company as the nation outpaces global growth.

The market has a huge potential, said Kanwal Jeet Jawa, chief executive officer of Daikins India operations. We see India as a market, post-Covid recovery, as the best among all the other markets in the world.

The goal is to more than double sales by 2025, after boosting revenue tenfold over the past decade, Jawa said. Just 5% of Indias homes and businesses have air conditioners, according to the manufacturer, which competes against local provider Voltas Ltd.

Daikins global sales are poised to benefit from two key trends: global warming and growing affluence in emerging economies. A deadly heat wave in India earlier this year underscored the need for better access to cooling products, as well as the need for supporting infrastructure. The local market is worth about 300 billion yen ($2.1 billion), according to the company.

Daikin is currently building a third factory in India, investing 15 billion yen in a facility that can produce 3 million units a year. The company is seeking to ramp up production for domestic buyers, as well as for export to the Middle East and Africa, according to Jawa, who is also the only foreigner on Daikins board.

We have a huge opportunity in the Middle East and Africa as far as we are concerned, Jawa said.
The (HC) has reserved its judgment on a petition seeking direction from the court for registering a complaint against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for an alleged "objectionable speech" delivered by him during an election campaign in Rajasthan's Alwar in 2018.

Hearing a petition filed by one Naval Kishore Sharma of Mau, the order was passed by Justice Samit Gopal after hearing petitioner's counsel Mohammed Iftekhar Faroqui and on behalf of the state, Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal, Government Advocate S.K. Pal and Additional Government Advocate A.K. Sand.

According to the petitioner, Adityanath had delivered a speech during an election campaign in Alwar district, which according to the petitioner had hurt the religious sentiments of the people.

Earlier, the petitioner had filed a complaint case in this connection before the Mau district court, which was rejected. Therefore, he filed the present petition before the HC challenging the order of the lower court and requesting it to direct for the registration of a complaint case against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for the speech.

--IANS

amita/khz/

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Union Home Minister will attend the 18th Formation Day of the Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) today.

The Home Minister will be the chief guest at the event to be held at Vigyan Bhawan where he will address the gathering of NDMA officers and others. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla will also be present at the event.

On December 23, 2005, the Government of enacted the Disaster Management Act which envisaged the creation of the Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister, and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief Ministers, to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to Disaster Management in .

The (NDMA) is the apex body for Disaster Management in . Setting up of NDMA and the creation of an enabling environment for institutional mechanisms at the State and District levels is mandated by the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The NDMA's vision is to "build a safer and disaster resilient India by a holistic, pro-active, technology-driven and sustainable development strategy that involves all stakeholders and fosters a culture of prevention, preparedness and mitigation".

The NDMA is mandated to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster Management to ensure a timely and effective response to disasters.

The NDMA's various responsibilities include laying down policies on disaster management; approving the plan; approving plans prepared by the ministries or departments of the Government of India in accordance with the national plan; lay down guidelines to be followed by the state authorities in drawing up the state plan; lay down guidelines to be followed by the different ministries or departments of the Government of India for the purpose of integrating the measures for prevention of disaster or the mitigation of its effects in their development plans and projects.

Besides, the NDMA coordinates the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plans for disaster management; recommends the provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation; provides such support to other countries affected by major disasters as may be determined by the Central Government; take such other measures for the prevention of disaster, or the mitigation, or preparedness and capacity building for dealing with threatening disaster situations or disasters as it may consider necessary; and lay down broad policies and guidelines for the functioning of the National Institute of Disaster Management.

The NDMA also works closely with the National Institute of Disaster Management for capacity building. It develops practices, delivers hands-on training and organizes drills for disaster management. It also equips and trains disaster management cells at the state and local levels.

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Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday called for the promotion of organic milk and strengthening of services in veterinary hospitals in the state.

During a review meeting of Animal Husbandry Department on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said, the production of organic milk should be promoted and awareness should be created among farmers and steps should be taken to set up a research centre.

"As milk and eggs are given to children for nutrition, there should not be any chemical residues in them as it may affect their health," CM Reddy said.

He directed officials to verify whether insurance cover is provided to livestock purchased under YSR Cheyutha and Asara.

Steps should be taken to begin the insurance scheme from October. The aim of the scheme is that no farmer should be affected in case of the death of livestock due to disease or accident. The government will bear 80 per cent of the insurance premium, the Chief Minister said.

"Cattle Doctor concept should be developed like that of soil/family doctor and the doctor should examine the cattle and update the health card annually while creating awareness on cattle feed to farmers. A report on the cattle doctor concept should be placed in the next meeting," he said adding that additional staff should be recruited, if necessary.

The Chief Minister also directed the officials to take up Nadu Nedu works in veterinary hospitals and improve the basic facilities.

"A comprehensive plan should be drafted taking mandal as a unit. There should be a constant review of YSR Mobile Veterinary Clinics. The focus should be laid on strengthening the rural economy by showing alternative sources of income through animal husbandry along with agriculture. Beneficiaries of Asara and Cheyutha should be helped and see that they get loans from banks," he said.

Reddy further said preventive measures should be taken to check the spread of lampi virus and adequate medicines and vaccines should be kept ready.

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A Delhi court on Wednesday directed Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader to personally appear before it on the CBI's plea seeking cancellation of his bail in the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam.

Granting time to Yadav's counsel to file response, Special Judge (CBI) Geetanjali Goel directed personal appearance of the RJD leader on October 18.

Earlier on September 17, the court had issued a notice to Yadav on the application moved by the probe agency and sought his reply.

The court had in October 2018 granted bail to Yadav after he appeared before it in pursuance to summons issued against him in the matter related to alleged irregularities in granting operational contract of two hotels to a private firm.

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Ahead of the festive season, the on Wednesday hiked (DA) and dearness relief (DR) for the central government employees by 4 percentage points to 38 per cent of basic pay.

The move will benefit about 4.8 million central government employees and 6.9 million pensioners. The decision will be effective from July 1, 2022.

The Cabinet secretariat in a statement said the hike is based on the percentage increase in 12 monthly average of All India Consumer Price Index for the period ending June, 2022.

The additional financial implications on account of this increase in DA and DR will be Rs 8,568.36 crore for eight month period from July to February of FY23 and Rs 12,852.56 crore per annum.

In March this year, the Centre had increased DA/DR of central government employees by 3 percentage points to 34 per cent of basic salary.

Government increases DA/DR to compensate for price rise based on the recommendations of the Central Pay Commission. In October last year, the Cabinet had hiked the two allowances by 3 percentage points to 31 per cent. It was effective from July 1, 2021. Before that in July, the government had restored DA and DR and increased the rate of allowance from 17 per cent to 28 per cent. Because of the pandemic, the central government had frozen the three additional installments of DA and DR, which were due on January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021.
The on Wednesday extended its free foodgrain scheme for the poor by another three months, till December, ahead of major festivals and elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The latest extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), which was launched in April 2020 during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, will cost the exchequer Rs 44,762 crore over and above the budgeted for the financial year 2022-23 (FY23), Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said. The overall expenditure on the scheme would be about Rs 3.9 trillion, he added. Under the PMGKAY, 5 kg of or is provided free of cost to the beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act, estimated at 800 million  in addition to their monthly quota.

In the seventh phase, 12.2 million tonnes (mt) of foodgrain will be distributed.





The Union Cabinets decision to extend the scheme comes at a time when questions have been raised about the central pool stocks amid a sharp fall in procurement in FY23. However, as on September 1, 2022, the Centre had 60.1 mt of foodgrain, including 10.82 mt of unmilled paddy, in its stock. The quantity of foodgrain required to maintain healthy operational stocks and strategic reserve levels as on October 1 each year is 30.75 mt. Also, the new procurement season is expected to start from October 1 in which the government has targeted to purchase 51.8 mt of .

Sources said the three-month extension would give the government an opportunity to assess its grain procurement and stock levels by December-end, before extending the programme any further.

The Centre had pegged the FY23 at Rs 2.07 trillion in the Budget. It is projected to swell by Rs 85,838 crore due to the scheme's extension in April, and by Rs 44,762 crore due to the latest extension. This could take the estimated expenditure on in FY23 close to Rs 3.38 trillion.

But there is a catch here. There could be some savings in procurement and carrying cost this year due to a decline in purchases. Also, economists said that considering there has been very healthy collections in direct and indirect taxes so far, the impact of the additional outlay should not be very stark.

The amount per se may not be distortionary in case other revenue heads are met. for the Centre so far have been around Rs 30,000 crore higher (apart from the shared component). Also, other tax collections like corporation tax have been buoyant. The challenge will arise if there are shortfalls in, say, disinvestment or non-tax revenue, Madan Sabnavis, chief economist, Bank of Baroda, said.

He said the impact on fiscal deficit would be marginal if these revenue trends persist. If all other Budget numbers are as per the Budget (ceteris paribus), the increase will be 0.2 per cent of GDP, Sabnavis added.

Aditi Nayar, chief economist at ICRA, said the fiscal deficit might modestly overshoot the budgeted level due to the decision. We expect the size of the fiscal deficit overshoot to be limited to around Rs 1 trillion," Nayar said.
The Centre spent Rs 27,989 crore on the (NHM) during 2020-21, a statement said today.

While it is specially focused on the vulnerable sections of society, has been implemented for the benefit of the entire population, with services being offered to everyone visiting public facilities. The implementation of in 2020-21 created 271,00 additional jobs, including staff nurses, paramedics, Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery (ANM) jobs, and Ayush paramedics.

The Under-5 (U5MR) in India declined from 49 in 2013 to 36 in 2018. The percentage annual rate of decline in U5MR during 2013-2018 accelerated to six percent from 3.9 per cent observed during 1990-2012, the Centre said.

The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India declined by 443 points from 556 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 113 in 2016-18. A decline of 80 per cent has been achieved in MMR since 1990, which is higher than the global decline of 45 per cent. During the past five years, the MMR declined from 167 in 2011-13 (SRS) to 113 in 2016-18 (SRS).

According to SRS 2017-19, MMR further reduced to 103. Infant (IMR) declined from 80 in 1990 to 32 in 2018. The percentage annual compound rate of decline in IMR during the past five years, i.e. from 2013 to 2018, accelerated to 4.4 per cent from 2.9 percent seen during 1990-2012. According to SRS 2020, IMR further reduced to 28.

By 2025, the Centre aims to reduce MMR to 90 (from 113), IMR to 23 (from 32), U5MR to 23 (from 36). It also aims to reduce the prevalence of leprosy to less than one in 10,000 population, annual malaria incidence to less than 1 in 1,000, prevent and reduce mortality and morbidity from communicable, non-communicable; injuries and emerging diseases.

The also aims to reduce household out-of-pocket expenditure on total health care expenditure and the TB epidemic by 2025 from the country.
The international airport here was on Wednesday renamed Shaheed International Airport, Chandigarh, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement in this regard.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was the chief guest at an event at the airport, thanked Prime Minister for deciding to rename the airport after the iconic freedom fighter.

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Haryana Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Minister V K Singh, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij and Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher were also present at the event.

During his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio broadcast on Sunday, PM Modi had announced that the airport would be renamed after as a tribute to the freedom fighter.

The 115th birth anniversary of the freedom fighter is being celebrated on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Finance Minister Sitharaman said she felt honoured to be present at the event.

"Through this small gesture, we are remembering the immense sacrifice the young people like Shaheed made during the freedom struggle.

"We are fortunate that we are able to dedicate ourselves in at least remembering the great sacrifice," she added.

She also thanked Prime Minister for deciding to rename the airport.

Sitharaman added that she was grateful that the Punjab and Haryana governments overcame their differences to come together over the name change.

She also spoke about Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and the target to turn the country into a developed nation by 2047, on the 100th year of Independence.

"We should be known as a developed country by 2047," she said.

She added that India was at 11th in terms of economic strength 10 years ago.

But now, it has climbed to fifth spot within 10 years, overtaking the United Kingdom, she added.

Punjab CM Mann also thanked PM Modi for renaming the airport after Bhagat Singh.

It was a long-pending demand to rename the airport after Bhagat Singh, he said.

Referring to his recent meeting with Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala over the issue, Mann said a letter was sent to the Civil Aviation Ministry to rename the airport.

It was demanded that the announcement be made before the freedom fighter's birth anniversary on September 28, said Mann.

Bhagat Singh is remembered not only for his heroism but philosophy of socialism and fight against injustice, Mann said, adding that the life and philosophy of the young martyr would always inspire the young generations to serve India with patriotic zeal.

On the occasion, Mann urged the Centre to start more international flights from the airport to facilitate the Punjabi diaspora across the globe.

He sought direct flights to London, New York, San Francisco, Canada, Australia and other places from Chandigarh airport.

Besides people from Punjab, these flights will also benefit passengers from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and other states, he said.

A row had erupted over the issue of renaming the airport earlier.

The Punjab government in 2017 had demanded that the airport be named "Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali".

The Haryana government did not object to the use of Bhagat Singh's name but raised concerns about the use of Mohali.

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Chief Minister on Wednesday launched a mega drive on the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

During the event, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader called upon everyone to pledge to donate blood twice a year and said there was a need to inculcate the culture of in a campaign mode as there were few voluntary donors.

Kejriwal said he wished to donate blood but could not do so for being a diabetic. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia donated blood on the occasion at Maulana Azad Medical College.

The AAP chief said camps had been set up at 70 places across the city and people were enthusiastically turning up to donate blood. He added that more camps would be set up next year.

Kejriwal also said it was Bhagat Singh's dream that everyone in the country was provided good education and health care and that the farmers and workers got their due.

The country will achieve unparalleled progress if education and health services are improved for the 130 crore people within five years, he added.

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The (HC) on Wednesday stayed an order passed by the Telecommunications (telecom) Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) last week, directing to furnish information on content made available on over-the-top (OTT) platforms.

The matter is significant since it pertains to the jurisdiction of the Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) that regulates both the and broadcasting sectors, said persons in the know.

Trais stated position in earlier judicial proceedings has been that it does not regulate platforms or content related to them.

such as Star, said sources, had approached Delhi HC, highlighting this point, resulting in a stay order passed on Wednesday.

Prima facie, the court finds itself unable to sustain the order of September 20 by TDSAT, said the order dated September 28 by Delhi HC.

The court also notes that the issue of applicability of the Information Technology Rules, 2021, to platforms and the regulation of those platforms are a matter pending consideration before the Supreme Court. This matter requires consideration, it observed.

Officials at Star India were not immediately available for comment.

However, the September 20 order by was based on a directive given by to television (TV) networks to submit details on content made available on their own platforms, as well as third-party applications.

has argued that are supplying signals of linear channels to OTT platforms, circumventing Clause 5.6 of the uplinking and downlinking guidelines for TV channels. This clause stipulates that broadcasters shall provide satellite TV signals to registered multi-system operators and cable operators, direct-to-home players, and internet protocol TV service providers.

Broadcasters, on the other hand, say there is no violation of Clause 5.6 since are outside the scope of regulation of . This pertains to platforms owned by broadcast networks, as well as those of third-party players, they say.

Broadcasters such as Sony, Star, and Sun TV had approached TDSAT, challenging Trais directive on the matter. However, the networks had not been given any relief by the appellate tribunal, with asking them to furnish the information within a week to Trai.

The regulator, it is learnt, had asked the three broadcasters to provide a detailed architecture that indicates the media being used to deliver linear content to their own, as well as third-party streaming platforms.

Star had subsequently approached Delhi HC on the issue.

 had earlier provided ad-interim protection to broadcasters against coercive action by Trai. But this time it directed furnishing of information by broadcasters, which led to the present situation in Delhi HC, said an informed source.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested then Deputy Registrar of Companies, and three others in a case related to chit fund.

had registered the instant case in compliance with the Supreme Court order dated May 9, 2014 against then MD of a private company and others and taken over the investigation of case, earlier registered at Baliapal Police Station in Balasore (Odisha).

According to CBI, it was alleged that the accused illegally collected public deposits throughout Odisha by alluring the public with various deposit schemes falsely promising high returns and did not refund the maturity amount and thereby cheating the investors of their due amount. The total collection of the company was about Rs 565 crore.

In this case, two chargesheets were filed before the Special CJM, cases, Bhubaneswar. Further investigation was conducted to look into the larger conspiracy, money trail and roles of regulatory authorities.During further investigation, it was revealed that the accused had allegedly associated themselves with the illegal ponzi schemes and received huge pecuniary benefits for themselves out of the illegally collected deposits by the said private company.

said the then Deputy Registrar of Companies, had allegedly facilitated the illegal deposit collection business of said FIR named private company, abusing his official position.

All the arrested accused Lakshman Srinivasan, then Founding Director of M/s Finshore Management Services Ltd, Swapan Kumar De and Uttam Munshi, then Territory Manager of M/s Star Health Insurance, Subha Kumar Banerjee, then Deputy Registrar of Companies, were presented before the court.

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Police have busted a fake in that has been allegedly duping US nationals using cryptocurrency on the pretext of providing them federal grants ranging from USD 9,000 to 34,000, officials said on Wednesday.

A joint team of CM flying squad and police conducted a raid on Tuesday night and nabbed nine people, they said.

Satyendra alias Sam, Ankis Sachdeva, residents of Delhi, Abhisawan Sabarwal, Eklavya, Vishal Vishwakarma, natives of UP, Thomsang, Chokhauni, Magoi Ganglui, natives of Manipur were arrested on Tuesday night, they said.

Police said they have recovered Rs 1.5 lakh cash, four laptops, and three CPU from their possession.

The fake was duping US nationals on the pretext of offering a grant on behalf of Federal Grant Washington DC between USD 9,000 and USD 34,000 and duped USD 200 to USD 1,600 in Google gift cards by redeeming, police said.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Inderjeet Yadav (CM squad Gurugram) said based on a tip-off, a raid was conducted at an office on the seventh floor of JMD Megapolis, Sohna road in sector 48.

When the police team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sadar Sanjeev Balhara and DSP Yadav reached the office, the owners did not produce any valid documents related to their establishment.

The DSP said, "The accused first collected the data like names, mobile numbers, emails and then sent them voicemail. They trapped foreigners after offering them grants of 9,000 to 34,000 dollars."



"They then used to ask the US nationals to purchase google gift cards and then redeemed after taking money through cryptocurrency. We are questioning the accused," he said.

The accused revealed that they had duped many foreigners after offering them grants and the was being run from the last six months, police said.

An FIR has been registered at the cybercrime police station under sections of cheating and IT Act, they said.

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The Centre on Wednesday banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) for five years under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA, accusing the Islamic outfit of having "links" with global terror groups such as the ISIS and and trying to spread communal hatred in the country.



The PFI's eight associates--Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala -- were also placed in the list of the organisations outlawed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), according to a gazette notification.



The ban for alleged terror activities comes after the Investigating Agency(NIA), the Enforcement Directorate(ED) and various state police forces carried out raids in a massive pan-India crackdown on the twice in the recent days. A total of 106 leaders and activists of the were arrested in 15 states on September 22 for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country. On September 27, more than 170 people allegedly linked with the were detained or arrested in raids across seven states.



Following the ban, authorities initiated the process of sealing the offices of the PFI and freezing their bank accounts in 17 states where the organisation was functioning.



The Centre will also set up a tribunal within 30 days to adjudicate whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the PFI unlawful association. The PFI can also defend its case against the ban.



Officials in the know of developments alleged that the outfit had been indulging in "disturbing" communal and secular fabric of the country and was "posing a grave threat" to the national security by advancing its radical ideology and calling for establishment of political Islam in India besides allegedly carrying out targeted killings of Hindu activists.



The outfit, which was formed in 2006, has been on the radar of the security agencies since 2010 when a professor's hands were chopped off in Kerala where the PFI has strong pockets. Many of the accused convicted in the case were members of the outfit.



The BJP hailed the ban as "strong and timely" and accused the Congress of standing with anti-India forces, even as several opposition leaders called for similar action against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).



Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said strict action has been taken against those "acting as proxies of anti-India forces" that were against democracy and part of a violent conspiracy.



The SDPI, the PFI's political wing which did not figure in the outlawed list, said the ban was a "challenge" to the Indian democracy and the rights guaranteed to the people of the country by its Constitution.



PFI's general secretary Abdul Sattar announced that the Kerala unit of the organisation stood disbanded following the Centre's decision to declare it illegal. Sattar was nabbed from Karunagappally in Kerala, hours after he posted on the Facebook page the decision of the state unit that "as law abiding citizens of the country, the organization accepts the decision of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)".



RJD president Lalu Prasad called the RSS a "Hindu extremist organisation" that deserved to be banned.



All India Congress Committee general secretary(communications) Jairam Ramesh said the Congress has always been and will continue to be against all forms and types of communalism - majority or minority makes no difference.



The CPI(M), which is in power in Kerala, said it opposes the extremist views of the PFI, but does not support the way the government is tackling it by banning the outfit under the UAPA.



AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said though he always opposed the PFI's approach, the ban on the radical outfit cannot be supported. "A draconian ban of this kind is dangerous as it is a ban on any Muslim who wishes to speak his mind." The Kerala unit of the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League(IUML) accused the PFI of trying to create 'communal division' in the society, but alleged the RSS was also indulging in it and wanted the right-wing outfit also to be outlawed.



Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Assam--all ruled by the BJP or with an ally--welcomed the decision, saying PFI was posing a threat to the country's unity and integrity.



According to the officials monitoring the activities of the PFI and its members, against whom 1400 cases were registered across India under anti-terror laws, the outfit has formed a secret 'Service Team', similar to the 'Hit Squads' whose main task was to provide security to senior PFI leaders and also kept track of Hindu leaders in their areas and plan action against them.

In a late Tuesday night notification, which was made public in early hours of Wednesday, the Union Home Ministry said some PFI founding members are leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Both the JMB and SIMI are proscribed organisations.



It said there had been many instances of international linkages of the PFI with global terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been working covertly to increase the radicalisation of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country, which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations, the notification claimed.



The home ministry said Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat governments had also recommended a ban on PFI.

As reactions poured in from across the country, Professor TJ Joseph, whose hand was chopped off by the activists of PFI for alleged blasphemy 12 years ago, declined to respond to the ban, saying observing silence was better at times than always talking.



The ban is yet another surgical strike done by the Modi government, the All India Bar Association (AIBA) said.

The Muslim Students Organization of India (MSO), a Sufi student organisation, has described the five-year ban as "reasonable".



The home ministry claimed that PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been involved in violent terrorist activities with an intent to create a reign of terror in the country, thereby endangering the security and public order of the state.



The PFI, the notification alleged, is encouraging and trying to enforce a terror-based regressive regime, continue to propagate anti-national sentiments and radicalising a particular section of society to create disaffection against the country, aggravating activities which are detrimental to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country.



The Centre, through another notification, empowered the state governments to take action against the groups affiliated with the PFI and the possible action against them could be seizure of places and arrest of their members.



It also said the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have a 'hub and spoke' relationship.



The PFI acts as the hub and utilises the mass outreach and fund-raising capacity of its associates or affiliates or fronts to strengthen its capability for unlawful activities and these associates or affiliates or fronts function as "roots and capillaries through which it is fed and strengthened", the Centre said.



The notification also mentioned the names of several people who were alleged victims of the PFI's "brutal" violence and most of them belong to Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.



It was also claimed that the office bearers and the cadre of PFI along with others are conspiring and raising funds from within India and abroad through banking channels, hawala and donations among others as part of a "well-crafted criminal conspiracy", and then transferring, layering and integrating these funds through multiple accounts to project them as legitimate and eventually using these for various criminal, unlawful and terrorist activities in India.

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has repeatedly called for a prompt cessation of hostilities in the Ukraine conflict and the need to resolve this conflict through dialogue and diplomacy as it is a matter of extreme concern for the international community, said Ruchira Kamboj, country's Permanent Representative to the on Tuesday.

During the UNSC briefing, the UN envoy reiterated that India's approach to the ongoing war in Ukraine will be human-centric as we firmly believe that global order should be anchored on international law in the UN charter.

She further highlighted that was also stated by PM Modi during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Tashkent, adding that the country respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

is providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine and economic support to some of the neighbours which are under economic distress due to a surge in the cost of food, fuel and fertilisers which has been a consequential fallout of the ongoing conflict.

The Ukraine war has resulted in the loss of countless lives and miseries for people particularly women, children and the elderly with millions becoming homeless and taking shelter in neighbouring countries, the Permanent Representative noted.

Earlier this month, Ruchira Kamboj said that New Delhi will continue to work with the International Community to mitigate economic hardships resulting from the Ukraine conflict.

The UN envoy highlighted that in the last three months, has exported more than 1.8 million tons of wheat to countries in need, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan and Yemen.

"We continue to emphasize to all member states that the global order be anchored on international law, the UN Charter and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states," she said.

On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger.

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The on Wednesday said it has frozen bitcoins worth Rs 12.83 crore as part of an ongoing money laundering probe against the promoter of a Kolkata-based mobile gaming app firm that is alleged to have duped a number of people.

Crypto currency worth 77.62710139 bitcoins is kept in the Binance crypto exchange and it belongs to a person named Aamir Khan who owns a mobile gaming application called E-Nuggets, the federal probe agency said in a statement.

The ED had raided the premises of the company and that of Khan and his father Nesar Ahmed Khan in early this month and seized Rs 17.32 crore cash from there.

Aamir Khan was arrested by the detective department of the Police from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh last week.

The stems from an FIR filed by the Police against the company and its promoters in February 2021. This FIR was registered at the Park Street police station based on a complaint filed by the Federal Bank authorities before a court in Kolkata, the ED had said.

The agency found that Khan had launched the gaming application E-Nuggets, which was designed for the purpose of "defrauding" the public.

"After collecting a sizable amount of money from the public, all of a sudden withdrawal from the app was stopped on one pretext or the other. Thereafter, all data including profile information was wiped off from the said app servers," the ED said.

The accused was transferring part of the amount "illegally earned" through the gaming app to overseas locations by using crypto currency exchange, the agency alleged.

"It was found that one such dummy account in the name of Sima Naskar (proprietor of Pixal Design) was opened in the WazirX crypto exchange, which was used to purchase crypto currencies/crypto assets. Thereafter, the said crypto currencies were further transferred to another account in another crypto exchange called Binance," the ED said.

The balance of this crypto amount (77.62710139 Bitcoins) is equivalent to USD 15,73,466 or about Rs 12.83 crore kept in Binance crypto exchange and that has been freezed, it said.

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Union Home Minister will attend the 18th Formation Day of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) today.



The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will hear today pleas challenging the centre's decision to demonetise currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 in 2016. Five Judge bench headed by Justice Abdul Nazeer will hear the matter tomorrow. Other judges on the bench include Justices BR Gavai, AS Bopanna, V Ramasubramanian and BV Nagarathna. The matter is listed for directions on September 28 2022. Various petitions were filed arising from the decision of the Government of India to demonetise the old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. One of the petitions was filed by Vivek Narayan Sharma. The petition challenged the notification dated November 8, 2016.

The Home Minister will be the chief guest at the event to be held at Vigyan Bhawan where he will address the gathering of NDMA officers and others. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla will also be present at the event. On December 23, 2005, the Government of India enacted the Disaster Management Act which envisaged the creation of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister, and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief Ministers, to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to Disaster Management in India.
Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (retd), a former eastern Army commander and director general of military operations, was on Wednesday appointed as India's new Chief of Defence Staff, more than nine months after the post fell vacant following the death of Gen Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash.

A decorated Army officer and a China expert, 61-year-old Chauhan will also function as Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders.

He was the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Army during the Balakot air strikes in 2019 when Indian airplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan in response to the Pulwama terror strike.

Lt Gen Chauhan (retd) will assume the rank of the four-star General once he takes charge as India's second . He will be the first retired three-star officer to return to service in four-star rank.

After his retirement as the eastern Army Commander last year, he has been serving as the military adviser in the Security Council Secretariat headed by NSA Ajit Doval.

"The government has decided to appoint Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) as the next who shall also function as Secretary to Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders," the defence ministry said in a statement.

On September 10, Lt Gen Chauhan (retd) attended a ceremony to rename the strategically key Kibithu military garrison on the banks of Lohit Valley along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh after first CDS Gen Rawat.

Born on May 18, 1961, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981.

In a career spanning over nearly 40 years, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (retd) held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast India.

Lt Gen Chauhan retired from the service in May last year when he was serving as the eastern Army Commander.

As the Eastern Army Commander, he played a significant role in bolstering India's overall combat readiness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim sectors.

He is an alumnus of the Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

In the rank of Maj General, the officer had commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramulla sector in the Northern Command.

Later as Lt General, he commanded a corps in the Northeast and subsequently went to become the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command from September 2019 and held the charge until his retirement from the service in May 2021.

In addition to these command appointments, the officer also tenanted important staff appointments including the charge of Director General of Military Operations.

Earlier, the officer had also served as a United Nations mission to Angola.

As CDS, Lt Gen Chauhan (retd) will face the challenge of implementing the government's ambitious plan to ensure tri-services synergy through setting up of theatre commands.

For his distinguished and illustrious service in the Army, Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.

The post of CDS has been lying vacant since the death of Gen Rawat along with his wife Madhulika Rawat and 12 others in a helicopter crash on December 8 last year.

On January 1 2020, Gen Rawat took charge as India's first CDS with a mandate to bring convergence in the functioning of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force and bolster the country's overall military prowess.

Another key mandate of the CDS was to facilitate the restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through the establishment of theatre commands.

In June, the government amended rules paving the way for appointment of any serving or retired Lt General, Air Marshal and Vice Admiral under the age of 62 to the post of CDS.

The change in rules allowed three-star officers to become the CDS along with serving chiefs of the three services.

However, the age limit of 62 years for officers to be considered for the post of CDS ruled out a number of officers.

While the age-limit for the three Service chiefs is 62 years of age or three years of service, whichever is earlier, the age limit for the CDS is 65 years of age with no fixed tenure defined.

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Chief Minister on Tuesday expressed happiness that the state has been selected for its superlative performance in the 'quantity' parameter under the Centre's scheme.

She said the feat bears testimony to the pro-people approach of her government.

I am pleased to announce that has been selected for felicitation for exemplary performance in the 'Quantity' parameter under Jal Jeevan Mission, Banerjee said in a Twitter post.

under Union Jal Shakti Ministry is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to all households in rural India by 2024.

She also thanked the ministry for recognising the state's efforts.

This award is a testament to the perseverance and commitment of the officials who prioritised public service. Upholding our pro-people approach, we will continue serving the state with utmost dedication, the chief minister said.

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Former Union minister and Sultanpur Lok Sabha MP has attacked the government in Rajasthan, saying leaving the lumpy virus-affected cows in the open is leading to further spread of the disease.

Speaking at a programme here, she said, "The lumpy virus-affected cows are left in the open in Rajasthan, due to which the disease is spreading very fast. It is also affecting humans. Pustules coming out on people's faces is a result of this."



She said the virus has assumed a serious proportion and lakhs of died due to this. The Centre has prepared an indigenous vaccine to curtail it and the affected states have been provided the vaccine, she said.

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The said on Wednesday it will examine if the challenge to the Centre's 2016 decision has become a mere "academic exercise", and posted it for consideration on October 12.



As the hearing commenced, a constitution bench headed by Justice S A Nazeer wondered if the matter survives for consideration at this stage.



Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, submitted that for all practical purposes the matter does not survive for consideration. However, the case can be examined as an academic exercise, he said.



A five-judge bench for academic exercise when we are already burdened with such a large amount of pendency? the court wondered.



We will fix it for hearing on October 12. We will examine if it has become academic and if it can be heard at all, the bench, also comprising Justices B R Gavai, A S Bopanna, V Ramasubramanian, and B V Nagarathna said.



The top court was hearing a batch of 58 petitions challenging the Centre's November 8, 2016 decision to demonetise currency notes of denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.



On December 16, 2016, a bench headed by then Chief Justice TS Thakur had referred the question of the validity of the decision and other issues to a larger bench of five judges for authoritative pronouncement.



It had framed various questions in the reference order to be adjudicated by the five-judge bench which included whether the notification dated November 8, 2016 is ultra vires provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and does the notification contravene the provisions of Article 300 (A) of the Constitution.



The three-judge bench had then said assuming the 2016 notification was validly issued under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, whether it is ultra vires Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution.



"Whether the limit on withdrawal of cash from the funds deposited in bank accounts has no basis in law and violates Articles 14,19 and 21", the bench had said.



It had said whether the implementation of the impugned notification(s) suffers from procedural and/or substantive unreasonableness and thereby violates Articles 14 and 19 and, if so, to what effect.



Articles 14, 19 and 21 relate to constitutional provisions of equality before law, freedom of speech and expression and right to protection of life and personal liberty.



The top court had framed various other questions and said keeping in view the "general public importance" and the "far-reaching implications" which the answers to the questions may have, "we consider it proper to direct that the matters be placed before the larger bench of five judges for an authoritative pronouncement."

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The on Wednesday dismissed a plea filed by India Online challenging the investigation by the Competition Commission of India against it in connection with the competition regulators investigation into Whatsapps privacy policy update in 2021.

While dismissing the plea, Justice Yashwant Varma of remarked that there has to be some end to luxury litigation.

India Online was made a party in the ongoing investigation in the suo motu investigation by CCI against WhatsApp and Meta in connection with WhatsApps update to its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy in 2021.

India Online Services Private Limited is a subsidiary of Meta(formerly Facebook).

Senior Advocate Parag Tripathi, appearing for Facebook, said that the subsidiary was made a party in the CCI investigation without any prima facie evidence against them.

I have been made a party in the case where I have no control over what gets published on the parent site(Facebook/Whatsapp). I cannot interfere or take down anything as I am a subsidiary. I have no role in policy making, he said.

Responding to this Justice Varma asked if this means the subsidiary operates on a different or separate platform than its parent company.

Tripathi replied, I neither run, control or operate the parent platform.

You suddenly wake up now and challenge the order. Enough is enough. There has to be some end to luxury litigation, Justice Varma remarked.

Meanwhile, CCI said the earlier division bench order refusing to stay their investigation into the messaging platforms updated privacy policy of 2021 was a sound judgment.

On August 25, the (HC) had rejected Meta and Whatsapps appeal seeking a stay on the Competition Commission of India (CCI) probe into the messaging platforms updated privacy policy of 2021.

The verdict had cleared the decks for the regulator to further the probe and reach finality in the case it initiated in March 2021 against WhatsApp for alleged abuse of dominance. The regulator viewed the data-sharing policy exploitative and could have an exclusionary effect.

The appeals are devoid of merits, a Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said, while pronouncing the order.

The court even observed that the previous (single-judge Bench) order, which had ruled that CCI has the jurisdiction to proceed with the probe, was well-reasoned.

The regulator couldnt probe the matter as the messaging platform has been reluctant to provide information to the regulator related to its policy citing CCIs jurisdiction issue.

During the previous course of hearing in the case, the messaging platform had undertaken to not enforce its privacy policy until the time the governments Data Protection Bill came out.

The counsel for Whatsapp had also argued that the privacy policy in question is being examined by the Supreme Court (SC) and so the investigation cannot be allowed until that matter is resolved. They had also said that CCIs decision was an abuse of the commissions suo motu jurisdiction.

While Facebook, Inc, had contended that just because it is the formal owner of WhatsApp and the instant messaging platform is said to share its data with the parent company does not mean that it is a necessary party to the probe.

However, the CCI argued that its probe is not related to what the SC is looking into as it is not examining the alleged violation of individuals' privacy.

The antitrust regulator is probing the privacy policy of both companies which appears to be neither transparent nor based on the voluntary consent of the user. Such a policy would lead to excessive data collection and stalking of consumers for targeted advertising to bring in more users and is, therefore, alleged abuse of dominant position.

In January last year, CCI on its own had decided to look into WhatsApps updated privacy policy, following the news reports about privacy breaches.

The regulator then observed that users were not provided appropriate granular choice to object or opt-out of specific data sharing terms, adding that the reduction in consumer data protection and loss of control over personalised data can be taken as reduction in quality under the antitrust law.

WhatsApp and Facebook had subsequently challenged before the single-judge CCIs March 2021 order directing a probe against them, saying the issue concerning its new policy was already pending consideration before the HC and the SC.

The single judge on April 22 last year, however, refused to interdict the investigation.
With the in the river flowing above danger mark, traffic on the old (Iron) bridge has been suspended, Traffic Police said on Wednesday.

The warning level of is fixed at 204.50m and the danger level is at 205.33m and the evacuation level has been marked at 206m.

On Tuesday, the Yamuna was flowing at 206.20 m which was above the evacuation level.

An evacuation alert was sounded for people living in the low-lying areas.

This is the second time within two months that the authorities are evacuating the people living in the river floodplains due to flooding in the low-lying areas. Earlier, the Yamuna had breached the danger mark of 205.33 metres on August 12, following which around 7,000 people were evacuated from the low-lying areas near the riverbanks.

Seeing the looming threat of floods, the authorities have started evacuating people from the low-lying areas near the Yamuna Bank.

--IANS

uj/shb/

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GOC White Knight Corps Lieutenant General Manjinder Singh on Wednesday asserted that in Jammu is significantly low.

"There is a lot of support from locals against terrorism. So far, the in Jammu is significantly low and if someone came from the valley side, he has been neutralised," Lt Gen Manjinder Singh said addressing a press conference in Jammu's Nagrota.

"Pakistan is trying infiltration, terrorists, ammunition and narcotics, but we have a strong anti-infiltration grid and secondly we are concentrating on securing hinterland for which we have a strong anti-terror grid," he added.

Further, on the concern for drone threat, Singh announced the launch of an anti-drone mechanism while mentioning that the drone threat is more in Punjab and in the plains.

"There is less sighting for drones in our (White Knight Corps) areas and we suspect the ones seen here are a reconnaissance by the enemy, hence we are soon getting an anti-drone mechanism," he said.

"In the last two years, there has been no successful infiltration along the Line of Control (LoC) in the areas under White Knight Corps of the Indian Army," he added.

Addressing further, he said that the Army is taking a number of initiatives that focus on youth development, including education, sports, and other cultural activities.

He, later sought the constant efforts of society, along with the Army, to counter the Youth Radicalization by the "enemy", terming it a national effort.

"Radicalization is being done by the enemy. Army, alone, cannot counter this, but society also should put in efforts as it is a whole national effort. We are taking the administration and religious leaders along with us," he said.

He said that the White Knight Corps is also working to counter narcotics and infiltration in the Jammu region and mentioned that "terror recruitments are more valley-centric".

Recently, Vigilance Defence Guards (VDG) have been raised under which terrorist Talib Hussain was captured by the local people.

Earlier, this scheme was known as Village Defence Committees (VDC), where volunteers from villages were trained by the Indian Army and Police. Under this scheme, rifles were provided to VDCs and they protected their villages from terrorist attacks and terror-related activities especially the vulnerable villages in mountainous areas of the Jammu region. VDC members had helped Indian Army, and Police fight against terrorism.

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The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 10,000 crore for the redevelopment of the New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway stations, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said Wednesday.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.

Briefing the media, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the design of these stations will be in tune with the cityscape so that it becomes an integral part of the city.

As many as 199 stations with a footfall of 50 lakh per day are planned to be redeveloped in the first phase, he said.

While the tender for 47 stations is out, work is underway at 32 stations, Vaishnaw said, adding the target is to complete the redevelopment of the New Delhi station in three-and-a-half years.

The other two railway stations will be redeveloped in two-and-half years, he said.

The railway minister said the design will include a spacious roof plaza with all passenger amenities in one place along with spaces for retail, cafeterias, and recreational facilities.

Tender for the re-development of NDLS, CSMT & Ahmedabad railway stations will be issued in the next 10 days. The total cost of the re-development of 199 stations including these 3 major stations is Rs 60,000 crores: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw pic.twitter.com/mSIb1NAaii  ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2022

The stations in these cities will be connected on both sides of railway tracks. Facilities like a food court, waiting lounge, playing area for children and a place to sell local products will be made available, Vaishnaw added.

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India, one of the worlds biggest importers, is facing demand destruction due to high prices and the loss of critical supplies from Belarus and Russia.



consumption will probably fall to 3 million tons in the year through March 2023 from 5 million a year earlier, according to P.S. Gahlaut, managing director of Indian Ltd., the countrys top importer of the crop nutrient. Farmers have been using less of it to grow crops like rice, wheat and sugar.

Potash is a fertilizer that helps plants withstand drought and diseases. Prices soared earlier this year after the invasion of Ukraine, with many shippers, banks and insurers avoiding trade with Russia even though are not directly targeted by sanctions. The industry is also contending with US and European Union sanctions on potash sales from Belarus, as well as Chinas move to restrict exports to protect its domestic market.





Indian Potash has agreed to buy the crop nutrient from Israel, Canada, Jordan and Germany this year at $590 a ton including freight charges, up from around $445 last year. Supplies from Russia and Belarus, two of the three biggest exporters, have come to a standstill because of payment issues, Gahlaut said.

Our potash availability is comfortable, Gahlaut said in an interview last week. The sad part is potash demand has gone down because of high prices.

Indian Potash will begin annual price talks with suppliers including Russias Uralkali PJSC, Israels ICL Group Ltd., Arab Potash Co. in Jordan and Canadas Canpotex Ltd. in November, he added. People are giving us visits but were in no hurry to finalize the price.

Gahlaut expects global fertilizer prices to decline by 10% to 12% next year due to high stockpiles. Prices will fall further in 2024 as supplies improve, he said.

In India, some farmers have skipped potash application but thats not having a major impact on crop yields -- at least for now -- as theres available supply in the soil. It may start affecting agricultural production if they skip potash use continuously for two or three planting seasons, Gahlaut said.

Indias potash consumption fell by about 50% in five months through August from a year earlier, while demand for NPK -- the three main nutrients in commercial that represent nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium -- has shrunk 20% over the same period, he estimates.

Demand will likely stay flat this winter sowing season unless the government increases the subsidies for fertilizer companies, Gahlaut said. The authorities have said they wont allow those firms to increase their prices. India is set to announce subsidies soon for the winter season.

We hope the government is going to increase subsidies. It should be available at an affordable price to boost consumption, Gahlaut said.
Coromandel International, Chambal Fertilizers and Indian Potash Ltd have signed a pact with Canada-based Canpotex for the import of 15 lakh tonnes of potash annually for three years, according to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Canpotex, Canada is amongst the largest suppliers of Potash globally, exporting around 130 lakh tonnes of product annually.

Potash, which is a source of potassium, is used both for direct application as MOP (Muriate of Potash) as well as in combination with 'N' & 'P' nutrients in NPK fertilizers.

India meets 100 per cent of its potash requirement through imports. The country imports approximately 40 lakh tonnes of MOP annually.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was presented to Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday, an official statement said.

"In a significant step towards ensuring long-term fertilizer availability for the farming community, India's fertilizer companies - Coromandel International, Chambal Fertilizers and Indian Potash Ltd signed a MoU with Canpotex, Canada on Tuesday," it added.

Mandaviya hailed the signing of long-term agreements between the companies for supply of MOP to the Indian farmers.

"As part of the MoU, Canpotex, Canada will supply up to 15 lakh tonnes of potash annually for a period of 3 years to the Indian fertilizer companies. This supply partnership is expected to improve the fertilizer availability within the country and reduce supply side and price vulnerabilities," the minister said.

The MOU will reduce both supply and price volatility and ensure stable long-term supply of potassic fertilizer to India, the minister added.

Mandaviya said the Centre has been encouraging the domestic fertilizer industry for establishing supply linkages through long-term partnerships with resource rich nations.

"Given India's high dependence on imports of raw material and fertilizer minerals, these partnerships provide secured availability of fertilizers and raw materials over a period of time and also offer price stability in volatile market conditions," Mandaviya said.

He said this will improve the availability of MOP for the farming community, uphold their welfare and contribute towards ensuring food security in the country.

Mandaviya highlighted that the government is working towards long-term MOUs for potash and other fertilizers with countries like Russia and Israel among others.

To reduce import dependence, the department of fertilizer has included PDM (Potash Derived from Molasses) in the Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme (NBS) to support indigenous sources of potash.

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given its approval to two Russian for opening special Vostro account for trade. Sberbank, JSC VTB  the largest and second largest bank of  are the first foreign lenders to receive this approval after the central bank announced the norms on INR trade in July. Both lenders have branch presence in India.

Earlier this month, state-run UCO Bank received the RBIs approval to open a special Vostro account with Gazprombank of . While the Kolkata-based lender is in the process of opening the account, the bank has received requests from various foreign lenders for opening such an account.

On July 11, the central bank, while allowing in India to open special Vostro for INR trade, said the move was aimed at promoting growth of global trade with emphasis on exports from India and to support the increasing interest of the global trading community in INR.

have to take prior approval from on doing such transactions and the exchange rate between the currencies of the two trading partner countries should be market-determined, the said.

Founded in 1841, Sberbank is the largest bank in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and one of the leading financial institutions worldwide, with over 30 per cent market share in . In 2010, Sberbank was granted a licence for banking operations in New Delhi. According to the banks website, the main objective of Sberbank Branch in India is to ease Indo-Russian bilateral trade and to maintain a strategic presence of the Sberbank Group in the region. The main focus areas of the branch are remittances, trade and corporate business.

VTB is the second largest Bank in Russia, with 85 per cent shareholding by the Government of the Russian Federation, with an asset base of more than $100 billion. VTB Bank has a presence in 19 countries. The VTB branch in New Delhi started operations in 2008 and provides counselling and professional services to clients doing two-way business from Russia and India as well as from other countries wherever VTB has a presence.

According to the banks website, VTB New Delhi branch offers assistance in fund-based and non-fund based advances, which include term loans for creation of assets, export/import guarantee, documentary credits, packing credit, post- shipment loans, and other corporate banking services. We also provide special 'Counseling & Professional Services to our clients from Russia and India, it said.

Trade between India and Russia started growing after the latter invaded Ukraine in late February. Russia became the second largest oil supplier to India in June and July, with Iraq continuing in the top spot. The rise in imports of Russian oil known as Urals (a crude blend) started increasing from the month of March, after Russian oil companies started offering heavy discounts. According to reports, India imported 738,024 barrels per day from Russia in August, at least 18 per cent lower than in July.
An abducted 15-year-old girl and her father a fugitive wanted in the death of the teen's mother were killed amid a shootout with law enforcement Tuesday on a highway in the high desert, authorities said.

The teenager, Savannah Graziano, was wearing tactical gear as she ran toward sheriff's deputies during the firefight, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus.

Authorities did not specify whether the teen was struck by bullets fired by her father or responding deputies.

She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly before noon.

Her father, 45-year-old Anthony John Graziano, was pronounced dead at the scene in Hesperia. He allegedly killed his estranged wife in a domestic violence incident on Monday in the city of Fontana.

Investigators had issued an Amber Alert after Graziano fled with his daughter. He had been described as armed and dangerous.

His truck was spotted Tuesday morning in Barstow, prompting a chase where Graziano repeatedly fired at deputies from a rifle while driving, authorities said.

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Exhibition of antiquities held in Egypt to mark World Tourism Day

Xinhua) 08:42, September 28, 2022

People visit a temporary exhibition of antiquities at Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 27, 2022. The Egyptian Museum on Tuesday opened a temporary exhibition of antiquities to mark World Tourism Day, which coincides this year with the 200th anniversary of the creation of the field of Egyptology and the decoding of ancient hieroglyphs. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows ancient Egyptian artifacts on display during a temporary exhibition of antiquities at Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt. The Egyptian Museum on Tuesday opened a temporary exhibition of antiquities to mark World Tourism Day, which coincides this year with the 200th anniversary of the creation of the field of Egyptology and the decoding of ancient hieroglyphs. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A woman views ancient Egyptian artifacts at a temporary exhibition of antiquities at Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 27, 2022. The Egyptian Museum on Tuesday opened a temporary exhibition of antiquities to mark World Tourism Day, which coincides this year with the 200th anniversary of the creation of the field of Egyptology and the decoding of ancient hieroglyphs. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Visitors view ancient Egyptian statues during a temporary exhibition of antiquities at Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 27, 2022. The Egyptian Museum on Tuesday opened a temporary exhibition of antiquities to mark World Tourism Day, which coincides this year with the 200th anniversary of the creation of the field of Egyptology and the decoding of ancient hieroglyphs. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

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Hurricane Ian knocked out power across all of and devastated some of the country's most important tobacco farms when it slammed into the island's western tip as a major hurricane Tuesday.

Cuba's Electric Union said in a statement that work was underway to gradually restore service to the country's 11 million people during the night. Power was initially knocked out to about 1 million people in Cuba's western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed.

Ian hit a that has been struggling with an economic crisis and has faced frequent power outages in recent months. It made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the island's western end, devastating Pinar del Ro province, where much of the tobacco used for Cuba's iconic cigars is grown.

Tens of thousands of people were evacuated and fled the area ahead of the arrival of Ian, which caused flooding, damaged houses and blew toppled trees. Authorities were still assessing the damage, although no victims had been reported by Tuesday night.

Ian's winds damaged one of Cuba's most important tobacco farms in La Robaina.

"It was apocalyptic, a real disaster," said Hirochi Robaina, owner of the farm that bears his name and that his grandfather made known internationally.

Robaina, also the owner of the Finca Robaina cigar producer, posted photos on social media of wood-and-thatch roofs smashed to the ground, greenhouses in rubble and wagons overturned.

State media said Cuban President Miguel Daz-Canel visited the affected region.

Cuba's Meteorology Institute said the city of Pinar del Ro was in worst of the hurricane for an hour and a half.

"Being in the hurricane was terrible for me, but we are here alive," said Pinar del Rio resident Yusim Palacios, who asked authorities for a roof and a mattress.

Officials had set up 55 shelters, evacuated 50,000 people, and took steps to protect crops, especially tobacco.

The US National Hurricane Center said suffered "significant wind and storm surge impacts" when the hurricane struck with top sustained winds of 205 kph.

Ian was expected to get even stronger over the warm Gulf of Mexico, reaching top winds of 209 kph approaching the southwestern coast of Florida, where 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate.

As the storm's centre moved into the Gulf, scenes of destruction emerged in Cuba. Authorities were still assessing the damage in its world-famous tobacco belt.

Local government station TelePinar reported heavy damage at the main hospital in Pinar del Rio city, tweeting photos of collapsed ceilings and downed trees. No deaths were reported.

"I spent the hurricane at home with my husband and the dog. The masonry and zinc roof of the house had just been installed. But the storm tore it down," said Mercedes Valds, who lives along the highway connecting Pinar del Ro to San Juan y Martnez. We couldn't rescue our things ... we just ran out.

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In a high-profile media feed hacking, US-based business news publication Fast Company on Wednesday said its content management system (CMS) was hacked and two obscene and racist push notifications were sent to users via its News alerts.

immediately addressed the incident and disabled Fast Company's channel on its platform.

"The messages are vile and not in line with the content and ethos of Fast Company," the publication said in a tweet, after taking down its website.

The publications said it was investigating the situation and "have suspended the feed and shutdown FastCompany.com until we are certain the situation has been resolved".

said in a tweet that "an incredibly offensive alert was sent by Fast Company, which has been hacked. Apple News has disabled their channel".

The hackers posted a message on Fast Company's website before it disappeared, saying they were able to break in thanks to a password that was shared across many accounts, including an administrator.

"Wow, Fast Company. Despite the public defacement of your site, which boasts millions of visitors, all you did was hastily change your database credentials, disable outside connections to the database server, and fix the articles. What an absolute disgrace of a news source, and one that I would personally avoid due to how little they care about user security," read the screenshot of the message by the hackers.

The publication clarified that its "content management system (CMS) was hacked on Tuesday evening, which impacted our Apple News alerts".

--IANS

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residents rushed to board up their homes, stash precious belongings on upper floors and flee from oncoming Ian, fearing the monstrous storm that knocked out power to all of Cuba and left 11 million people without power would slam into their state's west coast with catastrophic winds and flooding on Wednesday.

You can't do anything about natural disasters, said Vinod Nair, who drove inland from the Tampa area Tuesday with his wife, son, dog and two kittens seeking a hotel in the tourist district of Orlando. We live in a high risk zone, so we thought it best to evacuate.

Nair and his family were among at least 2.5 million residents ordered to evacuate in anticipation of a powerful storm surge, high winds and flooding rains. Fueled by warm offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Ian was gaining strength after plowing over western Cuba's prized tobacco-growing region as a Category 3 storm on Tuesday.

The U.S. National Center predicted Ian could become a catastrophic Category 4 with winds up to 130 mph (209 kph) before roaring ashore on Florida's southwest coast on Wednesday afternoon. Hurricane-force winds were expected in well in advance of the storm's eyewall moving inland.

It is a big storm, it is going to kick up a lot of water as it comes in, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in Sarasota, a coastal city of 57,000 in the storm's projected path. He warned at a news conference: This the kind of storm surge that is life threatening.

Ian's forward movement slowed over the Gulf, enabling the hurricane to grow wider and stronger. A hurricane warning covering roughly 220 miles (350 kilometers) of the state's included Fort Myers as well as Tampa and St. Petersburg, which could get their first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. that a storm surge warning has been issued for the Lower Florida Keys. The storm is moving toward the north-northeast about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Naples, Florida. Maximum winds are about 120 mph (193 kph) with higher gusts.

Forecasters said the storm surge could reach 12 feet (3.6 meters) if it peaks at high tide. Rainfall near the area of landfall could top 18 inches (46 centimeters).

Gil Gonzalez wasn't taking any chances. He boarded the windows of his Tampa home with plywood and laid down sandbags to guard against any flooding. He and his wife packed their car with bottled water, flashlights, battery packs for their cellphones and a camp stove before evacuating.

All the prized possessions, we've put them upstairs in a friend's house," Gonzalez said.

Airports in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Key West closed. Disney World theme parks and Sea World in Orland all closed ahead of the storm.

A couple from England on vacation in Tampa found themselves faced with riding out the storm at a shelter. Glyn and Christine Williams of London were told to leave their hotel near the beach when evacuations were ordered. Because the airport shut down, they could get no flight home.

Unfortunately, all the hotels are full or closed, so it looks as though we're going to be in one of the shelters, Christine Williams said.

Her husband insisted all would be fine. You know, you got to go with the flow, Glyn Williams said. "So we're quite happy doing what we're doing.

With Ian's tropical storm-force winds extending 140 miles (225 kilometers) from its center, damage was expected across a wide area of Florida. Flash were possible across the whole state, and portions of its east coast faced a potential storm surge threat as Ian's bands approach the Atlantic ocean. The approach of the storm also kicked up warnings of isolated tornados.

Meanwhile, there was still uncertainty over precisely where landfall would occur.

Florida Power and Light warned those in Ian's path to brace for days without electricity. As a precaution, hundreds of residents were being evacuated from several nursing homes in the Tampa area, where hospitals also were moving some patients.

Parts of Georgia and South Carolina also could see flooding rains and some coastal surge Friday into Saturday. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp pre-emptively declared a state of emergency, ordering 500 National Guard troops onto standby to respond as needed.

Before turning toward Florida, Ian made landfall early Tuesday in Cuba's Pinar del Rio province, striking with sustained top winds of 125 mph (205 kmh) and causing destruction in the island nation's world-famous tobacco belt.

Local government station TelePinar reported heavy damage at the main hospital in Pinar del Rio city, tweeting photos of collapsed ceilings, widely flung debris and toppled trees. No deaths were reported. Some left the stricken area on foot, carrying their children, while buses tried to evacuated through waterlogged streets. opted to stay at their damaged houses.

It was horrible, said Yusimi Palacios, a 49-years-old resident of Pinar del Rio inside her damaged house. But here we are alive, and I only ask the Cuban revolution to help me with the roof and the mattress.

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The Organisation (ICAO) called on regulators to operate in creative ways to productively engage with innovators, according to a statement issued by the UN agency.

Demonstrating how emerging technologies can deliver a sustainable and resilient recovery for the air transport system, the 2022 ICAO Innovation Fair was held in September 24-26, helping set the stage for the opening of the ICAO 41st Assembly on Tuesday.

Closing the fair, ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar said this year's fair highlighted an array of challenges in bringing innovations from concept to reality, both for innovators and for regulators, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Many of these factors are common across jurisdictions," Salazar added.

"This highlights the need for regulators to operate in new and creative ways to productively engage with innovators, and new ways to communicate with a broader range of stakeholders."

Taking place in Montreal, this special three-day event attracted more than 1,400 attendees, and featured traditional and new players who are delivering a technological revolution in aviation worldwide.

An exhibition included prototypes of cutting-edge aircraft types and other latest air transport technologies and solutions, the statement said.

The panels focused on different facets of innovation and their deployment for civil aviation, addressing regulatory challenges, urban air mobility integration, aviation sustainability, incubator programmes, artificial intelligence, behavioural science, implementation support and capacity building, according to the statement.

The ICAO is a specialised agency that works with its 193 member states to set and audit safety, security, emissions, navigation, and facilitation standards to shape and improve international air operations.

The ICAO Assembly, meeting once every three years, will hold its 41st session from September 27 to October 7, during which member states and representatives from international organisations will establish the ICAO's priorities, supporting the increased sustainability and digitalisation of 21st century air transport.

--IANS

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President on Wednesday kept the nation's cap on refugee admissions at 125,000 for the 2023 budget year, despite pressure from advocates to raise it even higher to meet the need after falling far short of that target this year.

advocates have been pushing the Biden administration to do more to restore the US Refugee Admissions Program. The programme suffered deep cuts under the Trump administration, which slashed admissions to a record low.

Biden raised the cap to four times that amount this year, but so far fewer than 20,000 have been admitted this budget year, according to the latest count in August. The budget year ends September 30.

Biden said in his presidential determination that the admissions should be earmarked for 40,000 from Africa, 35,000 from South Asia and and 15,000 each from East Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, head of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said the Biden administration must act now to improve the US Refugee Program with the United Nations reporting a record 100 million people being displaced from their homes.

"It must ramp up and streamline overseas processing of refugee applications if this lifesaving program is to remain relevant amid an unprecedented global displacement crisis," she said in a statement.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has met with visiting French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss support for Ukraine, the presidential press service reported.

At the meeting, Zelensky on Tuesday thanked for its support on the issue of granting a candidate status for EU membership and voiced his belief that will move forward along the path toward European integration, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Ukrainian President also voiced appreciation to French President Emmanuel Macron for his assistance in talks on the visit of the Atomic Energy Agency mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern .

Zelensky and Colonna also discussed defence assistance for Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia.

Colonna arrived in Kiev earlier on Tuesday for her second visit since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February.

--IANS

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was poised Wednesday to formally annex parts of where occupied areas held a Kremlin-orchestrated referendum  denounced by Kyiv and the West as illegal and rigged  on living under Moscow's rule.



Armed troops had gone door-to-door with election officials to collect ballots in five days of voting.



The results were widely ridiculed as implausible and characterised as a land grab by an increasingly cornered Russian leadership following embarrassing military losses in .



Moscow-installed administrations in the four regions of southern and eastern claimed Tuesday night that residents had voted to join .



Forcing people in these territories to fill out some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said, adding that the balloting was a propaganda show and null and worthless. The ballot was falsified and the outcome implausibly claimed that residents had agreed to rule from Moscow, the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War said.



Pro- officials in Ukraine's Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions they would ask Russian President to incorporate their provinces into Russia. It wasn't immediately clear how the administrative process would unfold.



According to Russia-installed election officials, 93 per cent of the ballots cast in the Zaporizhzhia region supported annexation, as did 87 per cent in the Kherson region, 98 per cent in the Luhansk region and 99 per cent in Donetsk.



Western countries, however, dismissed the balloting as a meaningless pretense staged by Moscow in an attempt to legitimise its invasion of Ukraine launched on February 24.



The US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington would propose a Security Council resolution to condemn the sham vote. The resolution would also urge member states not to recognize any altered status of Ukraine and demand that Russia withdraws its troops from its neighbor, she tweeted.



foreign policy chief Josep Borrell calling the vote illegal and describing the results as falsified. This is another violation of Ukraine's sovereignty (and) territorial integrity, (amid) systematic abuses of human rights, he tweeted.



Ukraine's Foreign Ministry statement asked the EU, Nato and the Group of Seven major industrial nations to immediately and significantly step up pressure on Russia with new sanctions and by significantly increasing their military aid to Kyiv.



The remained unmoved amid the hail of criticism. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that at the very least, Russia intended to drive Ukrainian forces out of the Donetsk region, where Moscow's troops and separatist forces currently control about 60 per cent of the territory.Russia is calling up 300,000 reservists to fight in the war and warned it could resort to nuclear weapons after this months counter-offensive by Ukraine dealt Moscows forces heavy battlefield setbacks.
Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has appointed Crown Prince as the kingdom's Prime Minister, Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a royal decree.

The king meanwhile issued a decree on Tuesday ordering a cabinet reshuffle, appointing Saudi Prince Khalid bin Salman as the Defence Minister, Xinhua news agency reported.

Heads of ministries that were kept unchanged include the Energy Minister, the Foreign Affairs Minister, the Investment Minister, the Interior Minister, and the Finance Minister.

--IANS

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Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) announced on Wednesday that a bomb threat on flight SQ33 from San Francisco has been verified to be false.

The MINDEF said in a social media post that earlier this morning, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) was informed of the bomb threat, reports Xinhua news agency.

Preliminary investigations indicate that a 37-year-old male passenger had allegedly claimed that there was a bomb in a carry bag, and had assaulted the crew.

The Singapore Armed Forces and SPF were mobilized immediately, said the Defence Ministry.

The air force's F-16C/Ds escorted the aircraft to safety at Changi Airport, and teams from The Singapore Army's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosives Defence Group and Airport Police Division were on site to verify the claims.

The threat was subsequently verified to be false, and the suspect has been arrested, said the MINDEF, adding that police investigations are ongoing.

--IANS

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Turkish prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 21 suspects over their alleged links to a network accused of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016, a local news agency reported.

The public prosecutor in the western city of Izmir issued an arrest warrant for 16, while the capital Ankara's prosecutor five, all over their suspected membership of the Gulen movement accused by the Turkish government of infiltrating into the state bureaucracy and attempting the coup on July 15, 2016.

The 16 suspects wanted by Izmir's prosecutor, 13 of them already detained in operations covering six provinces, were accused of infiltrating into the Turkish Armed Forces. They were four soldiers -- one from the Land Forces, two from the Air Force, one from the Gendarmerie General Command, and 12 military school students who were dismissed after the coup attempt.

Meanwhile, the five suspects were wanted by Ankara's prosecutor for being part of the Gulen movement's "establishment" in the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Xinhua news agency reported.

A statement from the prosecutor's office said they were two Ministry employees dismissed earlier, two on active duty and one who failed to pass the Ministry exam.

The movement, which mainly runs schools worldwide, is a community of people named after Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen regarded by his followers as their spiritual leader.

accuses US-based Gulen of masterminding the 2016 coup, in which at least 250 people were killed.

Ankara requests the extradition of Gulen, but Washington declined, citing that Ankara has not presented sufficient evidence against the self-exiled Islamic cleric.

--IANS

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A UN envoy has stressed the need for the community to engage with the in .

Markus Potzel, the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, on Tuesday saw engagement as the most realistic approach, Xinhua news agency reported.

If the do not respond to the needs of all elements of Afghan society and constructively engage within the very limited window of opportunity with the community, it is unclear what would come next, he told the Security Council in a briefing.

Further fragmentation, isolation, poverty, and internal conflict are among the likely scenarios, leading to potential mass migration and a domestic environment conducive to terrorist organisations, as well as greater misery for the Afghan population, he warned.

"That's why we have to engage. The objective of our engagement is to promote governance in that works to the benefit of the Afghan people and respects the norms of the global community, he said.

"While success is not certain, continued qualified engagement remains the most realistic chance of achieving these objectives."

Since taking over Kabul, the Taliban's self-identified emirate has not been recognised by any state. At the same time, the international community also did not want to see the country collapse, Potzel added.

Afghanistan's neighbours, in particular, adopted a pragmatic approach and sought to deepen economic and trade ties and build stability, he said.

The July 26 Tashkent conference, which for the first time brought together representatives of the Taliban, members of the region, and traditional donors, provided a platform for engagement and an opportunity for the international community to express its united position on what it expects from the de-facto authorities. It was regrettable that the delegation did not take the opportunity to constructively address these expectations, noted Potzel.

"Nonetheless, we believe that the Tashkent format is useful and should be continued," he said.

Initially, the de-facto authorities made commitments regarding the security and independence of humanitarian assistance. These commitments have also gradually been eroded, he added.

"We viewed with great concern the detaining by the de-facto Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and the General Directorate of Intelligence of three women working for UN agencies in Kandahar three weeks ago, as well as increasing pressures on our staff and premises and those of other agencies."

In general, the de-facto authorities are creating operational obstacles that make the work of the UN and its humanitarian partners increasingly difficult, and in some cases contravene global and well-established humanitarian principles, he said.

"I am afraid that patience is running out by many in the international community regarding a strategy of engagement with Afghanistan's Taliban authorities," Potzel warned.

There have been some positive developments in the past few months. But they have been too few and too slow and are outweighed by the negatives. In particular, the ongoing ban on secondary education for girls -- unique in the world -- and growing restrictions on women's rights are signals that the Taliban are indifferent to more than 50 per cent of the population and are willing to risk international isolation, he added.

The relegation of women and girls to the home not only deprives them of their rights, but also denies as a whole the benefit of the significant contributions that women and girls have to offer, Potzel said.

--IANS

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US Secretary of State Tuesday stressed the need for making the more inclusive.

"We recognize that to meet the challenges we face, members of the UN must not only uphold the charter, but also modernise the institution, including by making the Security Council more inclusive," Blinken told reporters at a joint news conference with visiting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

"That's why, in his address to the General Assembly, President (Joe) Biden expressed his support for increasing the number of both permanent and non-permanent representatives of the Security Council, a long-standing goal of India," he said.

"This includes permanent seats for those nations we've long supported, and permanent seats for countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean," the top American diplomat said.

Jaishankar, who arrived in the city from New York wherein he attended the UN General Assembly Sessions, said the reform of the UN is a particularly topical subject.

"We appreciate the positive approach of the US to this issue reflected in the position articulated by President Biden himself. We look forward to working with the US to take this further," he said.

"I also expressed appreciation at the strong cooperation that we have got from the US on the question of tackling terrorism. In particular, I refer to the listing of well-known and wanted terrorists by the UN sanction process. In many other formats too, our two countries collaborate to keep the world safer and more secure," Jaishankar said.

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The UN has voiced concern over the outbreak of vector-borne and water-borne in flood-hit .

The outbreak of vector-borne and water-borne is a growing concern in Sindh and Balochistan provinces, where many districts remain inundated by floodwaters, said Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The floods have also damaged nearly 1,500 health facilities across the country, including more than 300 refrigerators and solar power systems, which is disrupting vaccine cold chains, he added.

Assessments are continuing. But an estimated 7.9 million people remain displaced by the catastrophic floods. Nearly 600,000 people are living in relief camps, and more than 7,000 schools across are being used as temporary relief camps, said the Spokesman.

More than 2 million houses have been damaged by the heavy rains and floods. More than 25,000 schools and 13,000 km of roads have also reportedly been damaged, he added as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

The UN and humanitarian partners are continuing to scale up response and have reached more than 1.6 million people in different areas who have been impacted by the floods, said the Spokesman.

--IANS

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Due to a massive surge in food insecurity amid the Ukraine war, the World Food Programme has called for USD 1.1 billion to continue delivering monthly food and nutritional assistance for the next six months to 15 million acutely food-insecure people in .

"Our plan for winter is to provide food assistance to more than 15 million every month," said Wahidullah Amani, WFP Spokesman, TOLOnews reported.

The report highlighted the political developments, security, regional cooperation, human rights, and economic development in .

"The sudden stop of aid inflows ... accompanied by political uncertainty, inadequate access to services and women's exclusion from economic participation, continued to lead to slow growth," the report added.

World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Afghanistan condemned the ongoing economic crisis in Afghanistan as people in the country are on the brink of starvation and facing poverty.

In a tweet, OCHA in Afghanistan wrote, "19 M people are facing food insecurity, 25M people are living in poverty, 5.8M people are in protracted internal displacement, thousands of houses damaged by floods and earthquakes," expressing concerns about the plight of Afghans, TOLOnews reported.

"To survive the winter, they require food, nutrition support, warm clothing & a roof over their heads," tweeted OCHA.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme has also raised concerns about the economic crisis in Afghanistan.

"The economic crisis wiped out jobs, salaries & livelihoods across Afghanistan, helping families & communities support themselves is more important than ever," wrote WFP on Twitter.

According to a survey, "nearly all Afghans (94 per cent) rate their lives poorly enough to be considered suffering" since the Taliban's takeover of the country with a population of around 40 million, reported TOLOnews.

The rising crisis in Afghanistan has hit small enterprises the hardest and private companies have laid off more than half of their employees due to a shortage in sales and a drastic decline in the consumer demand for products.

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President reemerged after not being seen in public since his first foreign trip in more than two years earlier this month.

Xi, wearing a mask, visited an exhibition in on Tuesday about Chinas achievements over the past decade, state-run news outlet Xinhua reported. The Chinese leader was accompanied by the other six members of the Politburo Standing Committee, a sign of unity after rumors circulated on Twitter about a challenge to his power.

Xis public appearance comes after he returned to from a summit in at midnight on Sept. 16. Prior to that trip, the Chinese leader last went abroad in January 2020, when he visited Myanmar days before locking down the central city of Wuhan and entering a long spell of Covid isolation.

His recent absence was consistent with Chinas strict Covid protocols, which mandate all arrivals undergo seven days of hotel quarantine, followed by three days of home isolation. It was the second time Xi has at least given the impression of adhering to his nations Covid Zero rules.

In July, the Chinese leader wasnt seen in public for almost two weeks after a two-day trip to Hong Kong to celebrate 25 years of Chinese rule in the city. That marked his first time outside mainland in more than two years, although he didnt stay overnight in the finance hub.

As the rest of the world has shifted to living with the virus, has stuck to a Covid Zero policy that aims to eliminate infections. That strategy has weighed on growth forecasts and sparked domestic criticism, most recently after a quarantine center transfer bus crashed killing some two dozen people.

While Xis recent sweep through Central Asia marked his return to the world stage, the Chinese leader displayed a more cautious approach to the virus than his peers. Xi wore a face covering when meeting several counterparts and skipped a mask-free dinner at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in .

Xis has made tough Covid measures a cornerstone of his leadership, with state media citing the nations lower death toll as evidence has a superior governance model to the US and its Western allies. Virus measures are set to tighten as Xi prepares for a twice-in-a-decade leadership summit next month, where hes expected to secure a precedent-busting third term in office.
Shares of hit a fresh four-year high at Rs 270.40, as the stock surged 8 per cent on the BSE in Wednesday's intra-day trade, in an otherwise weak market. The stock has now zoomed 25 per cent in the last two trading sessions and quoted at its highest level since January 2018. It had hit a record high of Rs 351 on July 22, 2014.

At 09:38 AM, the stock traded 7 per cent higher at Rs 267.30, as compared to 0.65 per cent decline in the . The average trading volumes at the counter jumped 1.5 times today with 1.78 million equity shares changing hands on the NSE and BSE.

Thus far in the month of September, the stock has outperformed the market by surging 60 per cent, as compared to 4.5 per cent decline in the . Further, in the past three months, it has zoomed nearly 90 per cent, as against 6 per cent rise in the benchmark index.

The significant increase in the volume of our security is completely related to market oriented and driven due to the reasons not under the control of the company, had said on September 21, in respect of increase in volume.

is currently having capacity of manufacturing over 50,000 pairs a day. It caters to all sections of the society and makes ten different brands to market in the domestic and international . Leap 7X, Healers, Lucy & Luke and Aha are the company owned brands that have done well in the market and their share in the overall sales of the company is rising.

Liberty Shoes said the company is confident of achieving Pre- Covid numbers in terms of revenue & profitability and PAT & EPS are expected to be even better than Pre Covid figures.

Already the first quarter figures of current financial year have shown improved performance at all front including profits and there is a confidence of sustaining this trajectory. The company is all set to grow and register show a very robust and profitable future, it said.

Meanwhile, the footwear sector is undergoing a transformative phase wherein addition to design and comfort features on aspects related to functionality are also gaining prominence in the mind of the consumer. The World Footwear market size is currently around $ 224.6 billion and is expected to grow at a handsome rate of 4 per cent. India is the 2nd largest footwear manufacturer in the world behind China.

Rising discretionary income, improvement in living standards, increased brand consciousness; growing work force has resulted in shift from the unorganized sector to the organized sector market in India. The demand for high fashion products is pushing revenues, higher trade volumes and increased employment avenues.
Krsnaa Diagnostics rose 1.11% to Rs 488.45 after the company said that it has planned to launch 600 diagnostics centers across India to offer specialized healthcare services.

The company said it will set up these centres in Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Rajasthan, metros, tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The centers will be equipped to offer specialized services in precision medicine, genetics, genomics, and molecular diagnostics, along with the routine investigations of biochemistry and serology, which are commonly used in routine diagnostics tests.

The centers will offer dedicated services for women's health (hormones/ PCOD), diabetes monitoring, cardiac health, and cancer care.

Pallavi Jain, managing director of Krsnaa Diagnostics said, Considering the rising demand for diagnostics services and to cater to the remotest parts of the country, we have decided to enter deep markets through a franchise model. With this expansion, we wish to take the high-end infrastructure and best-in-class diagnostics services to more people across the country.

Ravinder Sethi, chief operating officer of Krsnaa Diagnostics commented, Currently, we operate most of our centers through hospitals. This initiative is set to bolster and accelerate our footprint in India and improve healthcare access for patients. With this launch, we are getting closer to the patients to ensure we are present in places where there is unmet needs of healthcare delivery.

Krsnaa Diagnostics is a diagnostic services provider, both in radiology and pathology. The company reported 34.2% decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 14.22 crore on a 14.8% decrease in net sales to Rs 112.86 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22.

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Larsen & Toubro said that the buildings & factories business of L&T Construction business has been awarded a significant contract from the State Government of Assam on an EPC basis.

As per L&T's classification, the value of the significant project is 1,000 crore to 2,500 crore.

Under this project, the company will construct a new medical college & hospital at Golaghat, Assam. The facility will include a 430- bed teaching hospital, an academic block to cater to an annual intake of 100 numbers, an autopsy block, a private ward, hostel and residential facilities.

The company said that the project is to be executed as per National Medical Commission (NMC) norms and is expected to be completed in 36 months. The total built up area will be 9.44 lakh square feet.

The scope of work includes piling, civil structure, finishes & allied mep services including supply, installation, testing & commissioning of medical gas piping, modular OT, etc., and external development works including area development works.

L&T earlier bagged an order to construct commercial office space at Bengaluru with an approximate built-up area of 10 lakh square feet, said L&T.

Larsen & Toubro is an Indian multinational engaged in EPC projects, hi-tech manufacturing and services. It operates in over 50 countries worldwide.

The EPC major's consolidated net profit surged 44.9% to Rs 1,702.07 crore on 22.2% jump in net sales to Rs 35,853.20 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22.

Shares of Larsen & Toubro rose 0.59% to Rs 1,851 on the BSE.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior leader is likely to run for the party president's post even as the old grand party scrambles to find a candidate with barely two days left for the nomination process to end and its president holding consultations with party veterans.

The President held a meeting with senior leader and loyalist for more than an hour on Wednesday and is understood to have discussed the probable candidates for the president.

The meeting with Antony came days after an open rebellion by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot loyalists over a possible leadership change in the state, clouding Gehlot's chances of running for the presidency.

The Congress presidential polls, in which a non-Gandhi is expected to be elected after more than two decades, have been marred by the Rajasthan crisis. Gehlot is also likely to meet Gandhi on Thursday amid uncertainty over the filing of his nomination.

According to sources close to Singh, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister is likely to come to Delhi tonight and file his nomination on Friday. However, they said this is his personal decision and he has not discussed the issue with the party leadership. He is currently participating in the party's 'Bharat jodo yatra' in Kerala.

Senior Congress leader and party MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor has already declared that he will contest for the party's top post and will file his nomination papers on September 30, the last day of filing the nominations.

Polling for the post will take place on October 17 while the result will be announced on October 19.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath in Bhopal said he is not keen on becoming the party president and does not want to contest the election for that post as he wishes to focus on his home state, where assembly elections are scheduled next year.

He also said the elections for the Congress president's post are being held as Rahul Gandhi refused to take up the party's reins.

"I talked to Rahul Gandhi and urged him to contest so that all this (ongoing uproar) could be ended. I told him things are getting complicated. But he said he does not want to become (the party president)," Nath told reporters.

When asked why he does not want to contest the polls, Nath said he had gone to Delhi and told Congress president that he would not leave Madhya Pradesh as the assembly elections are only 12 months away.

"I will not take this responsibility because this will take away my focus from Madhya Pradesh. I don't want to divert my focus from Madhya Pradesh," the state Congress chief said.

The new AICC chief will have to first focus on Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, where elections are scheduled soon, and there will be a need to prepare a strategy for every state, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.

The Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh are due in November next year.

Asked whether Gehlot would file a nomination for the AICC chief's post, Nath, known to be close to the Rajasthan chief minister, said, "I don't know.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Chief Minister travelled from Bhopal to Delhi late this evening, his supporters said, to file his nomination for the presidentship of the party after Kamal Nath told reporters in that his focus would continue to be the state. I cannot do justice to the presidentship of a party like the . The MP assembly election is due in less than a year and my eyes are firmly fixed on that he said in Bhopal. When asked if was likely to file his papers for the position, he said testily: you will have to put that question to ji.

Negotiations with Ashok Gehlot, the Rajasthan Chief Minister, hung in a limbo till the time of writing. Gehlot was to meet party president Sonia Gandhi at 2 pm, the meeting was postponed till 5 PM and there was no clarity when, if at all, the meeting took place. Meanwhile Gandhi was closeted with party stalwart AK Antony to try and work out how to defuse the crisis.

The process of nominations ends on September 30 with only Shashi Tharoor in the race so far. Tharoor will file his papers on September 30.

Singh, currently part of Bharat Jodo Yatra, had a week back said he was not ruling himself out of the party chief's post but later publicly stated that he was not interested.

In Jaipur, several ministers close to Gehlot said he had been elected for five years and will complete his term as chief minister. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot will go to Delhi today in the evening. He will further tell about the opinion of 102 MLAs to central leadership of the party. CM Gehlot is not resigning today, there are no such talks of it, loyalist PS Khachariyawas told local reporters.

Supporters of Sachin Pilot, who is also in Delhi, said Pilot might consider the proposal that he be made chief minister with two deputy chief ministers from the Gehlot camp. But this was dismissed by a former member of the CWC, who said that after trying to break the party and enabling the BJP to form a government, Sonia Gandhi would not countenance elevating Pilot in circumstances where she might be seen as being under pressure.

With the deadline for nominations drawing closer, there was no clarity on who would get the job and whether there would be a contest  or if the election would simply be postponed.
Congress working president Harsh Mahajan joined the on Wednesday and claimed the opposition party has become "vision-less, directionless and leaderless".

A former state government minister and close aide of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, who died last year, Mahajan lashed out at the Congress leadership in the state, saying it is very much ruled by "maa-beta" like in Delhi.

Singh's wife Pratibha Singh is the state Congress president now and their son Vikramaditya Singh is a party MLA. Nothing has been left in the Congress after the death of the former chief minister, he told reporters.

He joined the in the presence of Union minister Piyush Goyal and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for providing a "strong government".

Goyal said the will script history in the state by retaining power following the polls likely to be held later this year. Mahajan had been with the Congress for over four decades.

Welcoming Mahajan, Goyal said he held important positions in the Congress and has maintained a clean image. The BJP government in the state will be repeated, he claimed.

(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.)
(SP) chief on Wednesday said though recent poll results have not been favourable for them, it has been proved that only his party can defeat the ruling in .

He said the SP worked hard to win the Assembly polls held earlier in the year but "those in power used every trick, misused the official machinery and we did not succeed".

The former chief minister also said the samajwadis had taken a historic decision in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"We tried to realise the dream of Ram Manohar Lohia and B R Ambedkar of bringing the Bahujan forces on one platform, but those in power misused the official machinery and we failed," Yadav said after inaugurating the ninth state-level convention of his party here.

"Though the election results for the alliance between samajwadis and bahujanwadis have not been favourable, it has been proved that only our party can defeat the in Uttar Pradesh," he asserted.

Yadav said the SP had formed an alliance for the Assembly polls in an attempt to bring all those struggling to remove the from power together.

"I can say one thing that despite the experiments of 2019 and 2022, the manner in which our leaders and workers worked, the samajwadis have come to know that despite not getting success, if there is anyone who can compete with and defeat the BJP, it is us," Yadav said.

The SP contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election in an alliance with "arch rival" Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), but managed to win only 15 seats (five to the SP, 10 to the BSP).

Soon after, the parties parted ways, with BSP president Mayawati continuously attacking the SP and its chief on various issues.

For the Assembly polls, the SP forged an alliance with smaller parties but failed to stop the march of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, political circles are abuzz about the chances of unity among the opposition parties on the initiative of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Kumar also met Yadav recently.

The Janata Dal (United) chief, who dumped the BJP in Bihar to join hands with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress and Left parties to form the government, has emerged as the new hope of the Opposition to stop the saffron party from coming to power at the Centre for the third time in a row in 2024.

In the Uttar Pradesh polls held in February-March, the SP failed to stop the BJP from coming back to power in the state for a second consecutive time, a feat repeated in the politically significant state after more than three decades.

With the Congress and the BSP decimated in the election, the SP, which won 111 seats in the 403-member Assembly, made it clear that the next round of poll battle in the state would be between it and the saffron party.

At the convention, Naresh Uttam Patel was elected as the state president of the SP for the second time in a row.

Announcing his election unopposed, election officer Ram Gopal Yadav said the names of the state executive members of the party will be announced by its president.

The SP's move is being seen as an attempt to consolidate the numerically-significant backward class voters to rally behind the party.

The national president of the SP will be elected at the convention on Thursday. There is a strong possibility that will be re-elected to the post.

Congratulating Patel, Yadav said, "We will face the challenges that come up together."



Patel hails from the OBC Kurmi caste, which has a sizable presence in many parts of the most populous state in the country, particularly in Bundelkhand.

"All of us will work together to take the socialist movement forward. This is a big struggle. We will work together to remove those from power who are bent upon dividing the society," he said.

Yadav alleged that the BJP has failed on all fronts and said whenever his party got a chance to rule the state, it worked for the betterment of people.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister claimed that no work was done in the state after the days of the SP government. The poor are not getting treatment today as there are no facilities at the hospitals of Uttar Pradesh, he said.

"I think this government deliberately wants to destroy our public health system so that it can also be given to private players. The way many institutions have gone into private hands, this government wants that health services should also go into private hands the same way," he said.

Yadav said the government has failed to create jobs and alleged that it deliberately wants to leave the "Bahujan samaj" behind by tampering with the rights that have been given to them by the Constitution.

Political and economic resolutions were also passed at the conference.

(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.)
To seek attention of the Centre and government on development of Chitrakoot, BJP MLA from Maihar Assembly constituency Narayan Tripathi began a three-day 'dharma (religious) yatra' on the surrounding of 'Siddha Pahad'.

Several saints and seers of temples in Chitrakoot also joined the 'padayatra' (foot march), which to be completed after ferrying 84 km surrounding the Siddha Pahad on September 30.

The yatra will be followed by a 'dharma sabha' (religious meet) of Hindu priests and seers of all temples located in Chitrakoot on September 30.

While starting dharma yatra, BJP MLA said this yatra should not be seen a political move but a religious one.

He claimed this padayatra is beginning of a fight to push his demand to provide Chitrakoot importance like Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh).

The Sidhha Pahad is no ordinary hillock, it has a mythological story behind it. It is believed that during his stay in the Chitrakoot forest during the 14 years of his exile, Lord Ram had pledged on the same hillock to eliminate the demons.

Earlier in August, a controversy had erupted after Satna district administration (Chitrakoot falls under Madhya Pradesh's Satna district) proposed to legalise mining on the Siddha Pahad.

Tripathi was the first who opposed the decision and wrote to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, which prompted the later to announce a ban on mining in Sidha Pahad.

"We fought a legal battle for years for get back Lord Ram's birthplace -- Ayodhya and a huge temple is being constructed there. We are happy that the BJP-led Central government and Uttar Pradesh government made this possible. But, my question is that why Chitrakoot wasn't given so much importance despite being the 'Karmabhoomi' of Lord Ram. When Ram came to Chitrakoot during his 14 years of exile, he was a 'rajkumar' (prince) and here in Chitrakoot he became Lord Ram, therefore, Chitrakoot is his 'Karmabhoomi'. But, his Karmbhoomi wasn't given importance and which is why today we have started this padayatra," Tripathi told IANS.

When asked why other BJP leaders are not supporting this padayatra, the BJP MLA said, "They have to run their business. I do not run any business, therefore am not worried of any action against me."

Tripathi claimed the move is beyond politics, however, political observers were of the view that the yatra is preparation for his political strategy.

He said that Chitrakoot has been deprived of development despite having a crucial connection with Lord Ram, adding that if a grand Ram temple is being constricted in Ayodhya, Chitrakoot should also be given equal importance.

THe BJP MLA said that a large size statue of Lord Ram should also be established in Chitrakoot. Besides, the area should be provided with facilities so that more people can visit Chitrakoot.

Few weeks back, in a exclusive interview with IANS, Tripathi had claimed that he would launch his own political party in the ucomming Assembly elections in .

The BJP MLA had claimed he would fight elections in all 30 Assembly seats under the Vindhya region, which comprises districts such as Rewa, Sidhi, Satna, Umaria, Singrauli, Shahdol and Anuppur.

Tripathi had also said that he would launch his own party by November-December this year.

--IANS

pd/khz/

(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.)
RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday called the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh a "Hindu extremist organisation" that deserved to be banned, drawing a sharp retort from the BJP, which charged the former CM with pursuing a of "vote bank" and "pseudo secularism".

Prasad made the remark replying to queries from journalists about the Union Home Ministry's ban on Popular Front of India and several of its associates under a stringent anti-terror law.

"They keep raising the bogey of . It is the RSS, which is all about Hindu extremism (kattarpanth'), that deserves to be banned first, said the septuagenarian, after filing nomination papers for election to his party's top post in Delhi.

Prasad, who has been heading the RJD since he founded it in 1997, is likely to be re-elected next month.

His remarks drew a sharp reaction from the BJP, the political offshoot of the .

"Lalu ji is aiming at consolidation of his Muslim support base by supporting the . For this very reason he is hostile towards the and its ideal of cultural nationalism, Bihar spokesman Nikhil Anand said in a statement.

The former Bihar chief minister, who had stopped L K Advani"s "rath yatra" in 1990 and got the veteran leader arrested, also claimed that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will see a "wipe out" (safaya ho jayega') of the saffron party, which is ruling at the Centre for the second consecutive term.

The ailing RJD chief replied with an emphatic "bilkul" (of course) when asked whether he hoped that his son Tejashwi Yadav, currently the deputy CM of Bihar, will one day rule the state.

However, the staunch loyalist of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi gave a guarded response when asked if he foresaw a situation where Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will "run the country" (desh ko sambhalenge').

"'Sab log mil kar sambhalenge' (we all will run the show together), said Prasad, who along with Kumar, had met Gandhi on Sunday.

"We had fruitful talks with Sonia Gandhi. There will be more meetings as the situation evolves, he said.

The RJD supremo also frowned upon many leaders raising questions as to why photographs of the meeting with Gandhi were not released, and whether Nitish and he returned after a long wait, without having met her.

"We had gone to meet a lady in her chamber. Was it a photo session? We must have spoken for an hour or so and they claim there was no meeting, the former Bihar CM said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The (TDP) politburo member, Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, on Tuesday lashed out at the Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and accused him of "wasting" public money on paying advocates to fight his personal cases.

While interacting with the media persons at the TDP headquarters, Bonda said, "Any State Government engages private advocates and spends public money for the interest of its own people like fighting for irrigation projects. But after Mr Jagan had come to power in the State, he is paying crores of public money to the advocates to argue CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) cases pending against him or his family members, including some petty cases, Bonda Uma said.

The TDP politburo member also said that no other State Government in the country has engaged the services of private advocates to argue government cases.

"An NGO challenged the Green Tribunal order on the Polavaram project before the Supreme Court. The State Government engaged the services of the senior advocate, Mr Abhishek Singhvi, but since he could not take up the case, the services of Mr Venkataramaiah, another senior advocate, were engaged on a war footing basis. Even the apex court expressed surprise at the style of functioning of the State Government," Bonda said.

The TDP leader further said that the Andhra government has been pulled up multiple times by both the High Court and the Supreme Court.

"The private advocates appointed by Mr Jagan charged Rs 1 lakh per hour. The Supreme Court also said that notices have to be served on the state seeking an explanation for spending so much of public money like this. How many times both the High Court and the Supreme Court had pulled up the State Government, but it has not learnt any lesson till now, Bonda said.

The TDP leader also demanded a white paper to be published on the number of cases won by the state government.

"A white paper should be published on the number of cases the State Government has won till now by engaging the services of private advocates. What are the Advocate General, Mr Sriram and Additional Advocate General, Mr Sudhakar doing? Another senior advocate, Mr Mukul Rohatgi, was engaged by paying a whooping Rs 5 cr only to damage Amaravathi, Bonda further stated.

The TDP politburo member also asked how many cases have been filed for the rights of the state.

"The TDP strongly condemns this kind of wastage of public money by the State Government. Why no senior advocate has been appointed to argue the state's rights mentioned in the Reorganisation Act? What happened to the assets due from the neighbouring state of Telangana as per the Reorganisation Act? Which cases have been filed to fight for the rights of the State?" Bonda asked.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior advocate R Venkataramani was appointed as the Attorney General of India on Wednesday for a term of three years, according to a notification.

He will succeed K K Venugopal, whose term will end on September 30.

"The President is pleased to appoint R Venkataramani, Senior Advocate as Attorney General for India for a period of three years from the date he enters upon his office," read the notification.

He would most likely join the constitutional office on October 1, a day after Venugopal demits office.

Venugopal, 91, was appointed to the post in July 2017. He was reappointed as the top law officer of the country for three months on June 29.

He is perhaps the oldest person to hold the office of AG.

Venugopal had expressed his unwillingness to continue in the constitutional post due to his advanced age.

Another senior advocate, Mukul Rohatgi, had last week declined the offer to be the attorney general.

There was no specific reason behind his decision, Rohatgi had said.

Rohatgi had been the attorney general in the first Narendra Modi government between June 2014 and June 2017. Venugopal had succeeded him.

The attorney general is the top law officer of the government and enjoys the right to appear in any court in India.

Besides handling government litigations, the AG also advises government on complex legal issues.

Born on April 13, 1950 in Puducherry, Venkatamanani, 72, has practised in the Supreme Court for decades.

He has practised in various branches of law, prominently constitutional law, law of indirect taxes, human rights law, civil and criminal laws, consumer law, as well as law relating to services.

He has represented the central government, several state governments, universities, public sector undertakings in their major litigations in the Supreme Court and various high courts.

Venkataramani enrolled in July, 1977 in the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and moved to the Supreme Court in 1979.

He was designated as Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court in 1997. He had also been a member of the Law Commission in 2010.

(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.)
Tech giant Microsoft's upcoming Surface Duo 3 may feature a similar design to Samsung's foldable smartphone Galaxy Z Fold 4.

According to GizmoChina, a patent has revealed the design of a new Surface product. This might be the Surface Duo 3, which interestingly enough, features a design reminiscent of a foldable foldable smartphone.

The tech giant might be planning on launching this new Surface Duo 3 model sometime next year, the report said.

As of right now, it is still unclear if the company is actually working on a Surface branded phone, but previous rumours suggests that the new patent in question is the Surface Duo 3, it added.

The new patent application was spotted recently and the documentation showcasing the design of the new device.

As per the official description, the patent is for a 'FOLDABLE DISPLAY DEVICE'. which is clearly depicted in the patent images.

The application was filed in 2021 and published earlier this year.

--IANS

vc/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 lingering threat to

The last time a big crossed the path with the was about 66-million years ago. The impact was so devastating that it wiped out 70% of plants and several species, including the mighty dinosaurs.

Although chances of an that big hitting the again in near future are bleak, scientists dont rule it out completely. And the likelihood of smaller asteroids coming in earths way are much more. They can easily wipe-out a big city or even a state, if not a country.

The NASAs ambitious deflect mission

So to avert such a collision, had been working to develop the capability to nudge an incoming asteroid to change its course.



In the last seven years, the American space agency spent around $330 million on the mission, named Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART. -- which has an annual budget of above $ 23 billion -- wanted to see if the spacecrafts impact can change the trajectory of an asteroid.

The long countdown

Show the satellite launch images

The DART spacecraft was launched in November 2021 by a SpaceX rocket. Travelling at a speed of 24,000-km per hour, the 570-kg spacecraft took almost ten months to reach the target, an asteroid named Dimorphos.

Use the How dart compares image, source is NASA

Dimorphos is about 170 meters in diameter and orbits a parent asteroid five times larger called Didymos, which is 10-km long. Both the asteroids dont pose a threat to earth.

And the crash

The vehicle crashed into Dimorphos at a blistering speed of around 4 miles per second. Mission control at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland, announced the successful impact.

DARTs on-board camera livestreamed second-by-second images to the earth till it went blank due to the collision with the asteroid.



Was the mission a success?

Was the mission a success? Well, for that we will have to wait a little longer. Telescope observations of the asteroid, whether it changed its trajectory or not, will start arriving a month later. But NASA officials have hailed the immediate outcome. They said that the spacecraft has done its work.
Caixin Globals Top Stories of the Month newsletter brings you the most popular news coverage over the past month. You can opt in now and get it delivered to your inbox each month for free.

Local governments in China have been making efforts to jump-start the countrys flagging real estate sector. Mortgage boycott epicenter Zhengzhou has given developers an ultimatum, threatening them with penalties if they fail to restart stalled housing projects. Meanwhile, Shenzhen has set up a platform to rescue cash-strapped builders.

The property crisis has also sent the countrys steel industry into an early winter, which is shaping up to be one of the harshest in years.

In the financial sphere, Ant Groups valuation has slumped due to a government-ordered restructuring; an anti-graft crackdown is targeting the fast-growing shipping finance sector; and banks have been required to overhaul their credit card operations for the first time in a decade.

Meanwhile, Chinese exports of solar panels to Europe have surged as countries hunt for alternative energy sources to fill the gap left by Russian natural gas.

And finally, the Weekend Long Read explores the question why the scientific revolution did not occur in China.

# Property Crisis #

Chinas Mortgage Boycott Epicenter Gives Developers an Ultimatum

A city in China that witnessed wide-ranging mortgage boycotts by would-be homeowners is forcing property developers to resume stalled housing projects, including by threatening to investigate non-compliers for potential tax evasion.

Zhengzhou, capital of Central Chinas Henan province, issued a notice to local officials and developers that construction on all stalled projects should be restarted by Oct.6, Dahe Daily, a state-owned provincial newspaper, reported.

Shenzhen Sets Up Platform to Help Cash-Strapped Developers Finish Stalled Projects, Sources Say

A bailout platform set up by the Shenzhen government has been helping cash-strapped property developers, including China Evergrande Group and Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd., complete stalled local construction projects in a bid to jumpstart the flagging industry, sources with knowledge of the matter told Caixin.

The platform, Shenzhen Anju Jianye Investment Operation Co. Ltd., is owned by four state-owned companies including property giant China Vanke Co. Ltd. and is part of a real estate bailout task force set up by the city government in early 2022, according to sources.

Distressed Chinese Developers Scramble for a Piece of $28.5 Billion Industry Bailout

Chinas distressed property firms are scrambling for a share of a 200 billion yuan ($28.5 billion) government loan program, as industry insiders predict the cash wont be enough to restart all the projects affected by the sectors liquidity crunch.

The loan program planned by the central government aims to help developers resume construction of apartments that have already been bought but are unfinished due to an industrywide shortage of funds.

Developers have this month been urging their regional branches to file loan applications as soon as possible and local authorities are conducting audits to select the first batch of projects to finance, several property industry insiders told Caixin.

Related:

Chinas Property Sales Extend Slump Amid Vicious Cycle

# Steel & Energy #

Cover Story: Chinas Steel Industry at a Crossroads as Long Winter Looms

For Chinas steel industry, the worlds largest, winter has arrived early and it is shaping up to be one of the harshest in years with a slowing economy and escalation of the property market crisis tanking demand and evaporating profits.

The property sector, which accounts for over one third of the countrys steel consumption, has been squeezed by a liquidity crunch and sliding sales since the end of last year. This comes amid an ever-expanding mortgage boycott by disgruntled home buyers over stalled construction projects.

Compounding these woes are the repeated Covid lockdowns that have disrupted business operations and supply chains across the country, while overseas demand has weakened due to a slowing global economic recovery amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

European Demand for Chinese Solar Panels Soars as Russia Withholds Natural Gas

Chinese exports of solar panels to Europe have surged this year as countries hunt for alternative energy sources to fill the gap left by Russian natural gas.

In the first seven months of 2022, China shipped photovoltaic (PV) modules with a combined capacity of 51.5 gigawatts to Europe, 25.9% more than the whole of last year, according to data compiled by Infolink Consulting LLC, an energy industry consultancy.

Related:

In Depth: The Weak Link in Chinas New-Energy Power Plan: Weather

# Financial Regulation #

In Depth: Ant Group Rebuilds for Regulators, but at What Cost?

Following more than a year of restructuring, Ant Group Co. Ltd. is gradually picking up the pieces and making its way back into Chinese regulators good graces. But the fintech company is a stripped-down version of the titan it once was, with its highly lucrative consumer lending business decoupled from ubiquitous payments service Alipay and moved into a consumer finance subsidiary, sending the groups valuation tumbling from its 2020 peak.

Ant, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., was struck down in November 2020, two days before it was to launch a world record-setting $34.5 billion IPO. Chinese top financial regulators summoned Jack Ma, Ants billionaire co-founder and controlling shareholder, and other Ant executives to a rare closed-door meeting before suspending the offering.

The following month, Ant was ordered to carry out an extensive overhaul of its financial business. The company was summoned again in April 2021 to make sure it was properly addressing the severe problems within its financial business activities and (understood) the seriousness of the rectification work, according to financial regulators including the Peoples Bank of China and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC).

Caixin Explains: What Chinas New Credit Card Rules Mean for Banks and Customers

Chinese banks are being required to overhaul their credit card operations for the first time in a decade as regulators work to clean up consumer lending, control risks and give better protection to borrowers.

New rules released and implemented in July impose tighter supervision on a sector thats become an increasingly important part of lenders business and income. Some 800 million credit cards and credit-debit cards, had been issued as of end-2021, almost double the number at the end of 2015, central bank data show. Chinese consumers had outstanding credit card loans of 8.5 trillion yuan ($1.2 trillion) at the end of March, the latest figures show.

Exclusive: Graft Busters Target Booming Shipping Finance Sector

An anti-corruption crackdown is targeting Chinas fast-growing shipping finance sector as several senior industry executives came under investigation, Caixin learned.

The latest to show up on regulators radar was Guo Fangmeng, a top ship financier and managing director of Citic Financial Leasing Co. Ltd. Guo, head of Citic Financial Leasings global shipping finance business, was taken away by authorities in recent days, multiple sources told Caixin.

# Weekend Long Read #

Why the Scientific Revolution Did Not Occur in China

Many would have heard of the Needham Question which asks: Why was China overtaken by the West in terms of science and technology, despite the ancient Chinese societys superiority in these fields?

While this sounds straightforward, it actually involves two distinct concerns: one about science, the other about technology. Today we often think of science and technology collectively, but historically, these were distinct domains. And science often confronts the question of applicability  what is the practical use?
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...
This 14th edition of Weird Market is very important because we believe that we have found a new home in Valencia, where the animation and video games industries are already very strong and complement one another, as well as several other industries that we have been incorporating such as board games, illustration, and comics.

He went on to explain that this particular edition stands out as a milestone in the ongoing evolution of Weird Market, and will lead to bigger and better things in the future:

We believe that this is a new beginning for Weird Market, and it will let us grow even more. In fact, we have already noticed it in terms of accreditations and participating companies that are attending as a means of scouting talent.

Weird Markets rapid growth in recent years corresponds with a larger growth seen across the Spanish screen industries, particularly in the animation and video game sectors. According to Farias:

The video game and animation sectors in Spain are incredibly buoyant right now. There is tremendous need for content globally, and Spain is very well positioned, and specifically Valencia, to help fulfil that need.

This years Weird Market catalog will feature 170 projects, including 37 short films, 22 feature films, 38 series, 35 video games, 16 web series, and seven transmedia productions, as well as 11 comics and four board games as the Market continues to broaden its reach. Of those, 24 have been invited to pitch in person in Valencia.

Prizes up for grabs include the Movistar Plus+ Short Project award, RTVE Best Video Game Project, Most Innovative Video Game Project, Video Game Weird Plus award, and the Best Young Creator Series Project award, granted in partnership with Annecys MIFA.

The 2022 market is produced with support from the Valencia Provincial Council, the City Council of Valencia, and the Generalitat Valenciana.

We couldnt be happier to be embarking on this new adventure in Valencia, and were enthusiastic to kick things off this week, said Farias.

Below, we look at a small sampling of the projects which will pitch at this years event. But we encourage anyone interested check out the full slate here.

The Hundred Deaths of Peck  JuanPe Arroyo Molina (2d short)

Peck is a goblin who works as the cleaning guy at a brutal Orc Fighting Pit. Although his ambitions are great, his chances of one day becoming a champion in the pit are less than none, that is until he discovers a trinket that grants him immortality. How many ways can a goblin die in a five-minute short? Arroyo plans to show us.

The Quintas Ghost  James A. Castillo (vr short)

This 3d-animated vr work turns on one of Spains greatest-ever artists, Francisco de Goya. After falling ill, he is visited by ghosts from his past, inspiring him to paint the darkest paintings of his career as a means of exorcism. The work, however, may cost him his sanity and even his life.

The Treasure of Barracuda  by Adria Garcia (feature)

Produced by leading Spanish indie Inicia Films, The Treasure of Barracuda is a 2d kids and family feature penned by Amelia Mora, who has worked on several key Spanish film and tv titles over the years including as story editor on [Rec] and The Red Band Society. This film follows Chispas, an orphan girl searching for her uncle who accidentally ends up on a pirate ship. The boat is full of misogynistic ruffians who have never accepted a female on deck before, but to find the treasure they seek they must be able to read a book. Fortunately for young Chispas, shes the only literate on board.

Brian the Brain  Tomas Pena (series)

Aimed at adults but featuring child characters, Brian the Brain turns on a boy whos exposed brain gives him telekinetic powers. What makes him unique also makes him a target however, and hes forced to live a nightmarish existence as a guinea pig for a multinational pharmaceutical company researching how to recombine human DNA. Bliss is producing and looking for partners while in Valencia.
Photo: The Canadian Press A Canada Border Services Agency officer hands documents back to a motorist entering Canada at the Douglas-Peace Arch border crossing, in Surrey, B.C., on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021. The head of a union representing Canadas customs and immigration officers says chronic staffing shortages mean long waits at the border wont necessarily disappear when use of the ArriveCan app soon becomes optional. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The head of a union representing Canadas customs and immigration officers says chronic staffing shortages mean long waits at the border wont necessarily disappear when use of the controversial ArriveCan app soon becomes optional.

Mark Weber, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union, warned Tuesday that if travel volumes start to increase substantially there will be significant delays at Canadas border points.

Weber spoke at a House of Commons committee meeting looking at the ArriveCan app, which has been used for providing travel and public health information before and after people enter Canada.

The cabinet order mandating vaccine requirements and use of ArriveCan for incoming travellers expires at the end of Friday and the government says it will not be renewed.

Weber said the Canada Border Services Agency needs thousands more officers to fulfil its mandate.

He urged the government to hire additional staff to keep goods and people flowing across the border, not rely on technology like the "ill-designed" ArriveCan app.

"As far as border officers are concerned, the last months have shown that ArriveCan fails to facilitate cross-border travel, while doing very little to address the severe gaps in border security that are plaguing our country."

Weber said it was part of a pattern of overreliance on automated technology that senselessly sets aside security considerations.

"What I urge the government and the agency to do now is to turn their attention to the severe deficit in personnel afflicting border services throughout the country," he said. "The reality is really bleak."

He suggested the agency cannot adequately curb the smuggling of dangerous goods, despite the best efforts of officers.

At some of the busiest land border crossings this summer, the border agency often had little choice but to choose between properly staffing commercial screening or traveller operations, he added.

Duty-free stores at the land border across Canada were forced into almost complete closure at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Barbara Barrett, executive director of the Frontier Duty Free Association.

"We were, without exaggeration, the hardest hit of the hardest hit," she told the committee.

In recent months, while Canada's economy was recovering, sales at duty-free stores remained considerably lower than pre-pandemic levels, she said, attributing the slump to federal restrictions and mandatory use of the ArriveCan app.

Barrett said many U.S. seniors found the ArriveCan app too much of a challenge and simply stayed away, while others did not have a smartphone on which to use the app or needed help from store staff to fill in the required information.
USG Supramax/Ultramax prices see significant drop

ICR Newsroom By 28 September 2022

By Brannvoll ApS, Denmark

It has been a month of negative corrections in the USG Supramax/Ultramax segment amid a growing tonnage list, as well as an absence of fresh cargo offers for spot laycans. Owners will be expected to accept lower price levels than previously on fronthaul routes. The European continent and Mediterranean basin remain the destinations of last resort for most owners and as a result, rates in that direction fell less significantly.

Freight rates for transportation of a Supramax-lot of petcoke from Houston to ARA ports with spot laycans are at US$20/t (-US8$/t MoM) on average. Deals for delivery of 50,000t of petcoke from Houston to Iskenderun with spot laycans are discussed at around US$25/t on average. Shipping costs for delivery of a Supramax-lot of petcoke from USG to EC India are at US$42/t on average (-US$11/t MoM).

Supramax/Ultramax market fundamentals are not expected to switch to the owners side in the near future. September cargoes are slowly coming up but are quickly absorbed by excessive tonnage supply in the area. For the USG grain season to gain momentum there is a need to wait at least until October. Therefore, deals for October and November shipments are actively discussed, especially on fronthaul routes. Given the fact that the FFA market is subdued now, charterers are interested in concluding forward deals more than work on spot agreements. But at the same time rising forward activity will soon provide some support to the spot market and help, as for a start, to stabilise rates for shipments ex-USG ports.





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Pakistan cement demand expected to rise in floods aftermath

28 September 2022

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has stated that the provincial government would start building homes and other civil infrastructures for flood victims as soon the water has receded in Sindh province. The other provinces will follow in their footsteps. Furthermore, Pakistans top cement manufacturers expect domestic demand for cement to pick up in 3-6 months, as soon as rehabilitation works are started under aid from various foreign countries and government allocation. The federal government has already shifted some funds from Public Sector Development Programme to flood refugees.

The recent floods have severely impacted Pakistan, leading to massive damage to the countrys physical infrastructure, including homes, roads, bridges and crops. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in the period up to 14 September 2022, there has been a cumulative loss of 1.76m houses (partially and fully damaged), 390 bridges and 12,718km of roads.

Topline Research surveyed Pakistans leading cement manufacturers to understand better the situation and sectors outlook after the floods. These manufacturers cumulatively represent 76 per cent of the total industry size in terms of plant capacity. The research house expects a fall in cement dispatches in FY22-23. It anticipates cement dispatches to decline by 12 per cent in FY22-23, followed by an increase of 11 per cent in FY23-24, as the reconstruction of infrastructure will result in increased demand for the sector, especially when federal and provincial governments will increase spending in an election year.

However, cement prices remain flat during FY22-23 from the current levels as it would be tough for manufacturers to increase costs further, given the existing economic environment.

Still, there are concerns about planned capacities that could again cause pressure on cement pricing. But the research house believes that the planned capacities could face delays, especially in greenfield projects where the central bank had imposed restrictions on the import of machinery. Thus, the scheduled capacities expected in FY22-23 and FY23-24 could be delayed to FY23-24 and FY24-25.

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Semen Indonesia integrates Semen Baturaja

ICR Newsroom By 28 September 2022

PT Semen Indonesia Tbk (SMGR) announced it will acquire 7.49bn shares, or a 75.51 per cent stake, of PT Semen Baturaja Tbk (SMBR). As a result, Semen Indonesia will become the owner of Semen Baturaja.

The step is based on Indonesian Government Regulation No 33 of 2022, issued on 21 September, concerning the Addition of State Equity Participaton of the Republic of Indonesia into the Share Capital of the Company (Persero) PT Semen Indonesia Tbk. In the regulation nearly 7.5bn state-owned series B shares in Baturaja will be transferred to Semen Indonesia, in addition to state equity participation in the Semen Indonesia Group.

"The transfer of state-owned series B shares in SMBR to be used as additional PMN in the company will increase the state's share ownership in the company, which will be carried out through the process of issuing Pre-emptive Rights (HMETD)," explained Semen Indonesia Corporate Secretary, Vita Mahreyni.

Semen Baturaja VP Corporate Secretary, Doddy Irawan, explained that the transfer of state-owned series B shares in SMBR to be used as additional state equity participation in SMGR would result in a change in the status of Semen Baturaja from a persero to a limited liability company (PT), namely PT Semen Baturaja Tbk. "As a result of this transaction, the company's Series B shares (SMBR) will be 75.51 per cent owned by SMGR and 24.49 per cent will be owned by the public," he said.

Series A shares remain owned by the state and the Republic of Indonesia exercises control of the company as mentioned in the articles of association.

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Chattanooga State Community College and Komatsu America Corporation have partnered to offer the Chattanooga area's first state-certified pre-apprenticeship program. Komatsu is the second largest, fully integrated manufacturer and supplier of construction equipment in North America.



The inaugural cohort class consists of five high school seniors from Sequatchie, Marion and Hamilton counties who recently participated in a signing day at Komatsu before beginning the program. Class members include Shawn Jones, Colby Sharpe, and Dakota VanHooserWhitwell High School; CJ CampSequatchie County High School; and Austin AnglandRed Bank High School.



Students in the cohort are working four hours a day, five days per week and receive pay of $15 per hour.

The application process was competitive, stated Pam Gitta, apprenticeship manager. Students must have taken several high school manufacturing classes to qualify for the program and have their OSHA-10 certification.

Komatsu also required students to submit a resume and attend an in-person interview to gain "real world experience" in job-hunting. The cohort class spends their mornings at Komatsu, then return to their home schools for classroom instruction in the afternoon.



This program was the result of a year-long collaborative effort between Komatsu, Career and Technical Education instructors and directors at the three county districts, the Southeast Tennessee Development District, the State of Tennessee Office of Apprenticeship and Chattanooga State.

Once students complete their pre-apprenticeship training at Komatsu, they will be eligible to start their full-time apprenticeships at Chattanooga State in industrial maintenance or welding, following their graduation from high school.



Officials said, "Apprenticeships are jobs that come with substantial training and the development of skills that benefit both the employer and the employee. All registered apprenticeship programs are industry-led programs in highly skilled, high-demand occupations that combine paid full-time work with structured on-the-job learning and supplemental education, resulting in portable, nationally recognized credentials within their industry."

For more information about Chattanooga States Registered Apprenticeship programs, call 423-697-3100 or email ewd@chattanoogastate.edu.
Allison Gorman, candidate for House District 26, showed her radical pro-abortion position when she invited Nikki Zite to be her expert in a recent article for The Chattanoogan. Zite is an outspoken supporter of abortion and opposes protections for unborn children in Tennessee law. She has used her expertise to oppose pro-life legislation in our state and was a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging Tennessees law that protected unborn children after a heartbeat could be detected. The same bill also prohibited sex-selection abortions and those that targeted children with disabilities.

In the entire interview, neither Zite nor Gorman ever referred to the unborn child. Although Zite is a board-certified obstetrician and admittingly cares for pregnant women, she neglected to mention the unborn child. Zite talks about ending or continuing pregnancies and often speaks of abortion as healthcare, but never mentions what happens to the child during one of her abortion procedures.

Furthermore, Zite has been asserting for months that the Human Life Protection Act will lead to doctors being carted off to jail for saving womens lives. She claims that caring for women with ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages will be considered criminal activity.

That is just not the case.

The new law, which took effect Aug. 25, prohibits elective abortions. Under this law, those who perform abortion procedures where the only intent is to end the life of a human being will be prosecuted. That is what legislators intended when they passed the law.

The law has an affirmative defense provision for those times when a physician in his or her own good faith judgment at the time determines that a mothers life is in danger or believes there may be irreversible harm to a major bodily function. If a doctor acts in good faith under these guidelines, a prosecutor would be hard-pressed to bring criminal charges under this law. The law also clearly states that women seeking or obtaining abortions will not be prosecuted.

Furthermore, the law requires that if a doctor determines that a mothers life is in danger and the pregnancy should be ended, he or she must use the method that offers the best chance of survival for the unborn child. Zite and Gorman didnt talk about that part of the law. Gorman knows that many Tennesseans are unaware of the horrific methods used to abort unborn children and if they find out she advocates for a procedure that uses such violence, she will lose votes. Better for optics if she keeps the conversation about a procedure and not about saving children from the horror of death by abortion.

The overwhelming majority of the duly elected members of the Tennessee General Assembly voted for this law. In good faith, they drafted a law where the lives of babies and their mothers are protected, where women are protected from prosecution, and so are doctors who are acting in good faith to save mothers and their children.

This law was meant to stop those who, for nearly 50 years, profited from aborting children and exploiting vulnerable women and girls.

Candidate Gorman and Dr. Zite may not agree with this law, but those of us who value life and want to protect our most defenseless Tennessee citizens most certainly do.

Candy Clepper

* * *

Dear Ms. Clepper,

The goal of any OB/GYN is to achieve the best medical outcome for their patient. Ideally that means a successful pregnancy resulting in a healthy mom and baby. But every pregnancy comes with medical risk, and that risk can be significant in some patients. Whether or not you choose to accept this fact, abortion is sometimes the safest, most humane option for the mother.

Abortion was the medical standard of care for incomplete miscarriage 60 years ago, when my own mother had to have at least one that I know of. She had four miscarriages, all in the second trimester, and every one of them broke her heart. Had Tennessees abortion ban been in effect then, my mother might not have survived, and I wouldnt be here. Neither would my three daughters or my newborn grandson.

Let me repeat: Tennessees current abortion ban makes 100 percent of abortions illegal. It does not protect the doctor from criminal prosecution. The doctor can use life of the mother as a criminal defense after being arrested and prosecuted for a class-C felony. Dr. Zite is completely in line with the medical mainstream when she says the ban will have a dangerous chilling effect on lifesaving medical care.

Dr. Zite has fearlessly spoken up on behalf of Tennesseans whose physical and emotional well-being is threatened by our state governments political war on an issue that should never have been politicized: reproductive health care. These Tennesseans are now left "defenseless" by the states draconian abortion ban. They include, among others, women whose doctors will now be afraid to provide a lifesaving abortion for fear of criminal prosecution; pregnant children (rape victims by definition) who would be forced by the state to carry their rapists baby to termsomething a childs body cannot safely do; and women who would be forced by the state to carry a nonviable fetus to term and go through labor and delivery just to watch the baby suffer and die.

This doesnt fit your narrative about abortion. But its the truth. If more Tennessee legislators based their laws in facts and truth, all Tennesseans would be better off.

Allison Gorman

* * *

Ms. Gorman and her friends are following in the footsteps of the abortion industrial complex once again by obfuscating and outright lying about Tennessees abortion law.

Lets be 100 percent clear - Tennessees law prohibits elective abortions. It does not prohibit treatment for ectopic pregnancy or incomplete miscarriage. There is absolutely no language in the statute to justify Ms. Gormans claims, and she should know better.

An incomplete miscarriage is a situation where the unborn baby has died in utero and has not been expelled. A D&E procedure is used to extract the remaining parts of the unborn child. It is a tragic and heartbreaking experience, but treatment for this and other pregnancy related issues simply isnt illegal. Treatment for incomplete miscarriage is not considered an elective abortion, since the intent of an elective abortion is to end the life of a (live) human being. A D&E procedure to remove already dead fetal tissue is not prohibited by law since it does not end a human life.

Her consistent and shocking objectification and use of rape victims to justify her specific policy goal of abortion on demand is unfortunately a common talking point used by the abortion lobby. But again, she ignores reality. Sending a rape victim to the abortion industry to kill her child and then declaring her healed of trauma is manipulative, lazy and immoral. The truly compassionate approach to pregnancy as a result of rape is to treat the real physical and psychological trauma, not to kill an innocent third party. Ms. Gorman, of all people, who stresses her care and compassion for pregnant women in hard situations, should be the fiercest advocate for this approach.

Ms. Gorman is a leader in our community, and it is distressing to see her and others promote blatantly false, alarmist rhetoric to aid her political campaign. We should be above that. I would publicly appeal to her to stop this harmful, deceitful campaign of misinformation for the sake of the conversation surrounding abortion and unborn children, and for the dignity and integrity of being heard in our political process.

William Reynolds
The Grant brothers - Marcus C. and Heman W. - lived in many different houses on Cameron Hill. One was known around town as Major and the other as Captain.

Major Marcus Grant was a "gallant, manly figure" who had served on the relief committee during the Yellow Fever epidemic in 1878. Born in New York in 1839, he was a school teacher before the war. He was in Michigan when he answered President Lincoln's first call for volunteers. After serving three months in the war, Marcus Grant went home and organized a company of engineers and mechanics. He rose to the rank of major.

Following the war, Marcus Grant married Maggie McCombs of Brooklyn, N.Y. They came south and he served at Nashville as the general freight agent for the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad. He took a railroad position in Chattanooga as general agent for the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. Afterward, he became involved in lumber, cotton compressing and other endeavors. He and his brother, Heman, then formed Grant Brothers, dealing in real estate and insurance.

Heman Grant was three years younger than Marcus. He was born at Columbia, N.Y., in 1842. He was attending college in Michigan when the Civil War broke out. He joined at age 19 and rose to the rank of captain, while fighting at Chickamauga and elsewhere. It was said that at Chickamauga his company was one of the first on the field and one of the last to leave.

Heman Grant married Elizabeth Van Wagner, daughter of a pastor of the Congregational Church at Chattanooga. They were married in 1885. She was from Niagara County, N.Y. Their children included Mrs. Lapsley Hope, Leila and Heman Grant Jr.

The Grant brothers prized the certificate of discharge given by General George Washington (and signed by him) to their paternal grandfather, who served throughout the Revolution.

They were honored to be chosen as two of the 12 members of the Macrae Club. The club's headquarters was in the Central Block, and they also maintained a club on the Atlantic Ocean near St. Simons Island.

During moving ceremonies on top of Cameron Hill in 1881 involving veterans from both armies, Major Grant held the flag for the blue.

Marcus had arrived in town first and he was on West Sixth Street at the corner of Cypress for several years. He later moved away from Cameron Hill, living on Vine Street and then Carolina Street. He was back on Cameron Hill near the Ochs mansion at 411 W. Fifth St. by 1887. At the time, Heman was living at 122 East Terrace, which was in the line of mansions of H. Clay Evans, Washington Irving Crandall, John T. Wilder and H.S. Chamberlain.

Marcus Grant was living at 519 Poplar Street when he died in 1896.

Heman Grant lived on E. Eighth Street after a year on the East Terrace. He afterward was a resident of Lookout Mountain. He was living in a pre-Civil War house at Blowing Spring just below St. Elmo when he died in 1912.


A man told police that while parked at the TN Welcome Center on I-24 eastbound, a white female, approximately 45-50 years old, yelled at him. He said she told him that he could not park his truck where it was parked and called him a "dumb a**." He said he believes she was working at the Welcome Center, possibly a contractor.



* * *

Officers responded to a "check hazard" on 2800 Rossville Blvd. A piece of agricultural equipment was in the middle of Rossville Boulevard. Ace Towing put the piece of equipment on a tow truck and dropped it off at their lot. The owner of the equipment is unknown.

* * *



A man on 14th Avenue called police and said he was worried about a Tennessee Water Company employee sitting in front of his house. The man said he locks the gates in his fence so no one can access his yard. He said he assumed the employee was trying to read his water meter. The man was not home at the time. After the employee realized he could not get in, he got back in his car and sat in front of the house for about 20 minutes. The employee was gone when police spoke to the man. He said he just wanted to let the police know.

* * *

A woman on S. Moore Road called police to make a report complaining about homeless people in the area.

* * *

Employees at a church on Belvoir Avenue called police about a suspicious man on the property. Police trespassed the man and he acknowledged he is not allowed there.

* * *

A woman told police someone damaged her vehicle while it was parked at her workplace on Shallowford Village Drive between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. She said they damaged the rear bumper by leaving a dent in it. She said her work will review video surveillance footage.

* * *

Police conducted a traffic stop on Hixson Pike after running a tag on a Mercedes that came back to a Nissan. Police spoke with the driver, who seemed very nervous and her eyelids were twitching. Her eyes were also slightly glossy. She was asked to step out to conduct field sobriety tests after it was determined she had smoked marijuana earlier in the day. She performed well on field sobriety tests and was released with a warning for the license plate.

* * *

A woman told police she was doing laps around the park at 1428 Jenkins Road, and parked her vehicle not too far from where she would be at. She said when she went back to the vehicle she noticed her window was busted out. She opened the door and saw her purse was taken. She then got a notification that someone had used her credit card at the Walmart in Collegedale. She said all her cards are being canceled. No suspect information was found.

* * *

A man working at Volkswagen, 8001 Volkswagen Dr., told police someone stole his wallet. He said the wallet had credit/debit cards and his ID card inside. He said the person who stole them attempted to use two cards at the RJV Liquor store at 3604 Brainerd Road. The man said he called the store and spoke with the owner, who said he would view footage in the morning and call police.

* * *

A man told police he was at a local gas station when someone walked out of the store with his cell phone. The man looked at the video and saw a woman walk out the store with the phone. The woman said she took the phone because she thought the phone belonged to her friend. She said after a couple of hours her friend told her that the cell phone was not his. The friend returned the phone back to the woman and she met with police and the man at a local gas station to return the phone.

* * *

An employee of a business on E. Brainerd Road told police he took a company check to the East Brainerd Post Office and dropped it in a blue postal box outside. He said the check was to go to Homesteaders Life Insurance Co. He said the check was cashed by someone at an unknown location. He said he will email a copy of the check to police. He said they cannot tell where the check was cashed.

* * *

A woman told police that while she was traveling on Highway 153 SB around Bonny Oaks Drive, there were mowers cutting the grass on the shoulder of the highway. She said that as she was driving, she heard a large thud from an impact, and she pulled over on Hickory Valley Road. She observed that the front bumper of her vehicle had been struck by a softball-sized rock that

had possibly been thrown by one of the mowers and it had broken through the front bumper. Police observed the rock was still stuck in the vehicle, inside the bumper. She said that her A/C had stopped working before she pulled over. The mowers on the side of the highway were no longer there when police checked immediately after leaving the woman, and they are typically contracted

by TDOT to mow the sides of the highway.
After months of renovations and improvements, the Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga will be cutting the ribbon on its upgraded commercial kitchen at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 7 in conjunction with Octobers Food Truck Friday. The KIC provides shared commercial kitchen space for aspiring culinary entrepreneurs.



Upwards of 25 percent of the business owners we serve at LAUNCH have dreams of being a food entrepreneur, Hal Bowling, executive director at LAUNCH, said. It can be expensive to get into the food industry and it also has many regulations associated with it. At the KIC, we have shared commercial kitchen space, meet Health Department and Department of Agriculture requirements and we provide guidance on the business side, giving our clients better odds at success.



The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce will be on hand for the ribbon cutting at 11:15 a.m.

to present a proclamation. Tours of the new, improved KIC will be available for the public.In addition, immediately following the ribbon cutting, LAUNCH will announce the honoree for the Mike Hertzog Scholarship Award. This $3,000 award was established to honor Dr. Michael Hertzog, who believed deeply in LAUNCHs mission and was an active supporter of LAUNCH. The award goes to an entrepreneur who is a LAUNCH alum, who has been in business for at least two years and embodies the characteristics of service, perseverance, inspiration, integrity and humility.Mr. Bowling talked about what Dr. Hertzog meant to LAUNCH. He was a man whose life was characterized by service, which abundantly blessed all who knew him. At LAUNCH, we were fortunate enough to know Mike and to be partnered with him as a donor in our work. He was a great cheerleader for LAUNCH's mission, and we are forever grateful for his support.Rounding out the celebration on Oct. 7 will be another Food Truck Friday. It may be the largest collection of food trucks in Chattanooga in one spot yet, officials said. The food trucks signed-up to participate in Food Truck Friday include: Hot Dog Heaven, Mac Subs and Fries, Windy City Eatz, Wing Top Tots, BBQ Rowe, Rileigh and Company, Chattanooga Kombucha, Chei Tea, Down Home Bakes, Nola Girls Gumbo, Mo Lemonade, Ryans Pepperworks, Neutral Ground, Nonnis Empanadas, California Smothered Burritos, Los Tainos and Freaky Funnels. Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union sponsors Food Truck Friday and is a supporter of the Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga.

Food trucks are ready to serve patrons from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on the first Friday of each month at the Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga at 5704 Marlin Road off of Eastgate Loop in the Brainerd area. For more information, visit www.kitchenincchatt.org.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Wednesday released a nationwide Tennessee Highway Patrol recruitment video and renewed efforts to welcome out of state law enforcement officers to Tennessee.

In the video, titled Join THP 2.0, Troopers DaJuan Clark of New Mexico and Louis Celaya of California share their experience moving to Tennessee to join the THP in 2022. Troopers Clark and Celaya now serve Middle Tennessee communities.

In Tennessee, law enforcement officers get the respect they deserve, and we welcome qualified men and women from across the country to join our ranks, said Governor Lee. Take it from our THP troopers  if you want to live, work and raise a family in a community where youll be given full support, come to Tennessee.

Last fall, Governor Lee launched a nationwide pitch to relocate qualified law enforcement to Tennessee. Since then, 82 new troopers have joined the THP, including 25 officers from out of state.

Tennesseans enjoy the lowest state and local tax burden per capita in the country. Additionally, the THP offers some of the most competitive benefits, including:

Full benefits package

A self-issued vehicle rather than a shared vehicle program

Complimentary uniforms and equipment provided

All fees for training academy paid for by the department

In addition to THP recruitment efforts, Lee has made proven crime prevention investments to strengthen public safety and directly support law enforcement across Tennessee:

100 additional Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers funded by the state

Creation of a $100 million Violent Crime Intervention Fund for law enforcement agencies across the state to invest in evidence-based programming and resources

$30 million to support recruitment and retention bonuses for out-of-state police officers seeking to move to Tennessee

Expansion of state funding for law enforcement basic training and increasing the frequency of training for new recruits



Out of state law enforcement officials interested in joining the THP can learn more at www.joinTHP.org.




The Hunter Museum will have a celebration for the opening of Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art on Thursday from 6-7:30 p.m.

Winding down a year of celebrating its 70th anniversary by focusing on a variety of collections, the Hunter presents an exhibition featuring an impressive private collection.

Over the past 35 years, Atlanta-based couple Kerry and Betty Davis have gathered a wide variety of stunning works by African American artists. The exhibition presents 67 selected works from this collection. Through strikingly diverse media and styles, the artists featured in this exhibit responded to historical narratives and made bold creative statements that helped shape 20th-century American art.

Regular admission applies; as always, members and youth 17 and under free.
The City of Chattanooga announced a week-long series of community events designed to give students safe places to gather during Hamilton County Schools fall break. Planned in partnership with multiple community-based organizations, the programming is free and open to all elementary, middle and high school students as part of the citys ongoing efforts to empower young people and prevent youth violence.Weve consistently seen upticks in violence among youth when school is out, especially during the summer, but also during other long breaks throughout the school year, which is why its so important to provide safe spaces and opportunities for kids to gather during these time periods, said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly.Youth empowerment programming is essential to helping lead vulnerable young people away from violence and toward positive, sustainable relationships and behavior, and Im grateful to all of our community partners who came together to help make this years fall break programming possible.The week-long series of events kicks off on Monday, Oct. 10, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 15, with activities including movie nights, skate nights, kickball tournaments and dances. Parents and guardians may drop their students at the events with no advance registration required, with the exception of the Community Havens Bouncy House event on Oct. 15, which requires a parent or guardian to remain onsite.The programming lineup was developed in partnership with an extensive group of city departments and community organizations, including the citys Office of Community Health, the Department of Community Development, Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors, the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, Cempa Community Care, LightHouse Collective, CADAS, Street Grace, Community Haven and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga.We are committed to helping our young people build the confidence, healthy values, skills and relationships they need for a successful future  a future where they never feel the urge to turn to violence to settle their differences, said Chris Sands, interim executive director of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention for the Chattanooga Office of Community Health. Thanks to our close partnerships with the community, we are excited to be able to offer a weeks worth of community events for our youth to help build those skills and values over their Fall Break.It will take our whole community working together to truly end youth violence in our city, and Im looking forward to continued close collaborations with our partners to ensure our young people always have a safe place to gather when school is out, said Sands.In July, Mayor Kelly released his administrations Roadmap to End Gun Violence in Chattanooga, which includes actions to both stop the current cycle of violence on city streets and prevent it from returning in the long-term. Youth mentorship and empowerment initiatives represent one of the roadmaps major violence prevention strategies, among many others, and the city has already taken steps to increase youth programming city-wide, officials said.Throughout the summer, the Office of Community Health hosted weekend teen empowerment sessions at four local community centers and partnered with community organizations on the popular No Smoke Sundays gatherings in Miller Park. As part of the One Chattanooga Relief and Recovery Plan, the city is also investing $3.7 million in federal funds into nine public safety initiatives that will empower young people and help build a safer future for the community.
As one of the founders of Hamilton County Conservatives, I thought I would weigh in with some thoughts on the controversy around the recent drag shows. I certainly dont speak for all conservatives, but given my history I feel that I understand the hearts and minds of the vast majority of conservatives. I have served on the board of a major GOP County, I have done drive-time conservative radio, I have consulted for and advised people running for everything from local office to President of the United States, and I was a primary candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010 in my birth state, Washington. So, I have a good feel for conservatives and how they think and believe.

Let me start by saying that conservatives do not hate the LGBTQ community. We certainly do not want any kind of war with them. Yes, there is a battle of ideas taking place in our country right now, with two conflicting worldviews, but I dont know any conservative who wants to harm anyone in the LGBTQ community. In fact, before I became a full time author and speaker, I was a pastor. One of the women who came to my church, along with her partner, who I was friends with, was a lesbian who was murdered in one of the most outrageous attacks on a member of the LGBTQ community in American history. It shook us all to our core. We loved Teresa and her partner, Jen. I have seen this up close and it is horrible.

For the most part, conservatives are all about letting people do what they want to do. We are a bit libertarian in that regard. I think most conservatives think that if a man wants to dress up like a woman and dance on a stage, they can go right ahead and do it. You do you, as the saying goes. We have varying opinions on certain behaviors, but we also know that we live in a free country. I think one thing the LGBTQ community should know about conservatives is that we see a difference between acceptance and approval. While conservatives may not approve of behaviors, we accept that as a free American, you are entitled to engage in those actions.

The issue in the most recent controversy is not whether drag queens should be allowed to do their thing. Rather, it gets concerning when we see these agendas brought into the schools and other places that children are as well. There are even LGBTQ groups who agree with us when it comes to the interactions with children. The problem recently was the actual physical engagement between a young girl and the dancer at Wanderlinger Brewery. It is patently obvious and undeniable that this young girl was petting an adult up and down on the groin for five or six seconds. The camera doesnt lie. No effort was made to stop the child from engaging in the actions. It wasnt an accidental brushing. It matters not whether the dancer was male or female. This is about inappropriate physical activity between an adult and a minor.

Ultimately what conservatives are looking for is for those leaders in local government, both the city of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, to at least admit what happened and investigate, not those who are drag queens, not whether or not they are entitled to have shows, but this specific event and the specific actions that took place. This would fall on the mayors, the D.A.s and the police officials. Frankly, there is nothing we can really do except make our opinions known and leave this up to our elected officials who should be concerned with these kinds of inappropriate incidents. If we dont like how they handle the responsibilities of their offices, we can vote them out.

Matthew 5:9 says, Blessed are the peacemakers. Not peacekeepers, but peacemakers.

Most conservatives hold the U.S. Constitution in the utmost regard but even more so, we hold the word of God as our roadmap for life. The Bible tells us to love. Jesus said it is how they will know we are Christians. This does not mean to approve everything, but to love in all situations. The scriptures tell us to speak the truth in love. There are two points to that. Speak the truth and love. Both are needed.

We live in a big melting pot of ideas and lifestyles. That is one of the things that makes America great. We are free. Conservatives want peace. But we also want to be able to share our ideas and have them exchanged in the marketplace of ideas, as should everyone. This is free speech.

We have lived in Chattanooga for almost a year now, having moved from Arizona, and we LOVE it here. It is a beautiful place with wonderful, welcoming people. We tell people that feel like we finally made it home. We need to learn how to get along and accept one another, even if we may not approve of one another. I know that as an evangelical Christian, and as a conservative, there are tens of thousands of people in Hamilton County who do not approve of my worldview, and I am okay with that. But at the very least we can learn to live in peace with one another. Having clear boundaries of right and wrong would serve us all well.

When something happens that goes over the line, as was obvious from the video that is circulating, our elected officials should have the courage to immediately speak up, make the appropriate decisions, and take action.

Conservatives and the LGBTQ community can live at peace with one another in our community. There is no need to ramp up the rhetoric - and I say this to both sides. Lets make our voices heard and let our leaders do what is best.

To our leaders, Tim Kelly, Emily ODonnell, Celeste Murphy, Weston Wamp, Coty Wamp, and Austin Garrett, do your duty. Give this issue the attention it deserves and do what is right. Dont bury it because it is an incendiary topic. The citizens deserve your attention and your leadership.

Chris Widener, Hamilton County Conservatives
Money Heist: Korea  Joint Economic Area is a K-drama remake of the hit Spanish series. A few tweaks were made to fit a South Korean setting, but it still embodied the storyline of a group of thieves who set out to pull off the ultimate heist. The K-drama was divided into two parts, with the first half ending on a dynamic cliffhanger. Netflixs 2022 Tudum Korea event released a preview teaser of Money Heist: Korea Part 2 with the return of a lead character.

Kim Sung-oh as Captain Cha Moo-hyuk in teaser for Money Heist Korea Part 2 | via Netflix

Who is Captain Moo-hyuk in the first half of the K-drama?

Like the original series, the thieves are up against a group of special agents. In the K-drama, actor Kim Sung-oh plays the role of Captain Cha Moo-hyuk, a former special agent from North Korea. Seeing as North and South Korea have become one in the Joint Economic Area, he is brought in to help Seon Woo-jin, played by Kim Yun-jin. She is a crisis negotiator from South Korea.

As the K-drama progresses, Moo-hyuk proves to be a lot to handle with his own agenda. While working the case, he still answers to his superiors in North Korea, creating turmoil. Along the way, he starts to put the pieces together of who the Professor (Yoo Ji-tae) is. He even starts to question the man who has gotten close to Woo-jin.

RELATED: Money Heist: Korea: How the K-Drama Makes Changes to the Spanish Originals Negotiation Team

In the finale of Money Heist: Korea, Moo-hyuk is seen visiting the mans cafe under the suspicion that he could be the Professor. The teaser for Money Heist: Korea Part 2 from Netflixs Tudum Korea event shows Moo-hyuk as a down-and-dirty agent.

The Money Heist: Korea Part 2 teaser has Captain Cha Moo-hyuk hunting traitors

Audiences first met Moo-hyuk wearing glasses, facial hair and looking more worn out. But if speculation is correct, the teaser for Money Heist: Korea Part 2 shows a younger and refreshed version of Moo-hyuk.

In the teaser, he and a group of his agents hunt down a nameless man through the busy streets. When Moo-hyuk has him cornered after a fight, the man calls him comrade. The man seems to be a traitor and once worked with Moo-hyuk.

While weak, the man tells Moo-hyuk, The time of division has come to an end. I heard higher-ups have already made their decision. People like us are just discarded after being used.

RELATED: Money Heist: Korea: Tokyos Backstory Is Nothing Like the Spanish Original  Heres Why

Moo-hyuk looks angered by his words, knowing what they mean. Fulfilling his mission, he uses a construction rope and remote to lift and strangle the man. The teaser for Money Heist: Korea Part 2 does not give anything away, but fans can speculate.

Could the teaser be from before the events of the first season?

In the first half of the K-drama, there were many flashbacks to help unravel the characters backstory and the heist. While fans know a lot about Woo-jin and her past, fans know almost nothing about Moo-hyuk.

The teaser for Money Heist: Korea Part 2 may well be a flashback to help flesh out Moo-hyuks backstory and involvement before the joining of North and South Korea. It would explain the younger appearance of the character. If the theory is true, it also explains why the unknown man explained that the countries would soon no longer be divided.

The teaser on Netflixs official YouTube page is captioned, The Joint Task Force tightens its grip, as the genius heist team unravels its plan. The caption is obscure and can mean anything regarding the K-dramas timeline. In the K-drama, the Joint Task Force involves Moo-hyuk and Woo-jin as they negotiate with the heist team.

With Money Heist: Korea Part 2 having no official premiere date, fans will have to wait and see. The most fans can do is speculate where the new installment will begin, based on the original series.

RELATED: Money Heist: Korea: Erotic Sex Scene Between Two Characters Breaks K-Drama Rules
Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) gets a small win over June Osbourne (Elisabeth Moss) in The Handmaids Tale Season 5 Episode 4 Dear Offred in the form of a new home. After being denied a place in Gilead by the powers that be, Serena finds refuge in a surprising place. Find out why Serenas new home angers June.

[SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers ahead regarding The Handmaids Tale Season 5 Episode 4 Dear Offred.]

Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy | Sophie Giraud/Hulu

Serena Joy is on edge after Junes message in The Handmaids Tale Season 5 Episode 3

At the end of Border, Serenas request to stay in Gilead is denied by Commander MacKenzie (Jason Butler Harner). Instead, shes sent back to Canada, where June awaits with a message: Never touch my daughter again.

Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy | Sophie Giraud/Hulu

At the beginning of Dear Offred, we learn Serena will no longer be held in the American Governments custody. Instead, she gets released to a group of Gilead citizens who own and operate a property in Canada. Youll be restricted to Gilead-affiliated properties in accordance with your lack of diplomatic status, official Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger) tells her. Step carefully. You arent in Gilead; this is a free country, Mrs. Waterford.

Serena Joy moves from one Gilead safehouse to another in the Dear Offred episode of The Handmaids Tale

Upon being released, Serena is taken to the Gilead Information Center at 3217 Spaulding Avenue. The building is crawling with Gilead officials ready and willing to protect Serena and her unborn son. Her support extends to the outside of the building, too, where locals gather to hold candlelight vigils in her honor.

However, by the end of the episode, the Gilead Information Center becomes compromised. Surprisingly, its not at the hands of June and Luke, who both threaten Serenas safety in Dear Offred. At least not directly, anyway.

As a result, Serena gets moved to a secure location. That ends up being the home of Gileads own Ryan and Alanis Wheeler (Genevieve Angelson). Its unclear if theyre still in Canada at this point, but Serena is among her own people.

Luke and June threaten Serena Joys safety, but dont take the shot in The Handmaids Tale Season 5 Episode 4

Knowing Serena is alive and safe within the confines of her own people frustrates June to no end. So, she shows up to the Gilead Information Cetner to deliver another message. June glares up at the window but chooses to keep her gun hidden. There will be another opportunity to use it later in the episode, but June wont take it.

Later in Dear Offred, Luke (O-T Fagbenle) goes to threaten Serena on his own. Wanting to take the safe route, Luke informs Serena about the building shes in and how its not up to code. I found 15 violations that can get this place condemned, he says. I make a couple of calls and this place is shut down in a matter of days.

June wants safety for Hannah. Serena wants safety from June. #TheHandmaidsTale pic.twitter.com/BHpc0EtxNo  The Handmaid's Tale (@HandmaidsOnHulu) September 23, 2022

Luke adds: I also came here to tell you that my wife is going to kill you and Im going to let her. Ultimately, though, Luke pleads with Serena to help them get Hannah back.

When Gilead officials determine the location is no longer safe, they stumble into an armed June and Luke as they extract Serena from the building. After a dramatic pause on Serenas pregnant stomach, June neglects to shoot her enemy.

Is June playing the long game? Find out in new episodes of The Handmaids Tale, which are released weekly on Wednesdays exclusively on Hulu.

RELATED: Its Hard to Hate Aunt Lydia After She Promises to Turn Things Around in The Handmaids Tale Season 5 Episode 3
The remains of a funeral mound at the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in Macon, Ga., on Aug. 22, 2022. The lesser funeral mound remains mostly intact at the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in Macon, Georgia, on Aug. 22, 2022. A railroad blasted through a much larger burial mound. Archeologists removed millions of artifacts, still held in government archives, and skeletons were put on ghoulish display before the Muscogee managed to rebury 114 ancestors in 2017.
Never-seen-before equipment from PLA to appear at Airshow China 2022: senior colonel

(Global Times) 08:54, September 28, 2022

China's Bayi Aerobatic Team perform at the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition on Nov. 6, 2018. (Photo: Xinhua)

The 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China 2022, will kick off on November 8 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, with various active service aircraft of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force, represented by the 20 series, making their debuts at the show.

This year's show has registered a better-than-expected number of exhibitors - more than 740 companies from 43 countries and regions - with state-of-the-art exhibits that cover land, sea, air, aerospace, electronics and cyber applications, according to information released at a press conference on Tuesday.

An estimated 100 airplane types will be on display at the airshow, and countries including the US, France, Germany, Italy and Saudi Arabia will participate in the event. Boeing, Airbus and GE will be in attendance, Huang Zhihao, the mayor of Zhuhai, confirmed at the press conference.

The show will stage more aerobatic flying displays and ground static displays, as well as high-profile conferences and seminars, in addition to more customer-tailored on-site services, according to the press conference.

The PLA Air Force has expanded its static display space by more than 10 percent. There will also be PLA Air Force active service aircraft, represented by the 20 series, and helicopters in active service with the PLA Army will appear.

When asked whether any new member of the 20 series would make debut at this year's show, Senior Colonel Shen Jinke, a spokesperson for the PLA Air Force, said at the press conference on Tuesday that, this year, the PLA Air Force would display its new achievements, including the capacity in long-range strategic delivery, air strikes and unmanned combat.

"The audience this year will see flying displays and equipment they have never seen before," Shen said.

More and more J-20 fighter jets have been deployed by the PLA and they have extended their reach. During drills in the Taiwan Straits, the J-20, J-16, H-6K and YU-20 aircraft displayed have enhanced their capacity to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Shen noted.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Brother Andrew, author of the book Gods Smuggler and a former missionary to the Soviet Union, now focuses on ministry in the Muslim world via Open Doors. Stan Guthrie, senior associate news editor for Christianity Today, interviewed Andrew about his new book, Light Force (Revell, 2004, with Al Janssen). The book details the struggles of churches trying to survive in the Middle East and Andrews attempts to reach out to militant Islamic groups.

Your ministry in the Soviet bloc ended around 1967. Was publicity surrounding Gods Smuggler the cause?

With [Gods Smuggler], in order to protect my friends, I couldnt go back there.

Was that a surprise?

No, not really. I even think the same about [Light Force]. Can I go back to the Muslim work? But theres no advantage without taking a risk anyway.

So, I didnt feel too bad about not going back to the Soviet Union because, by then, we had a lot of people in place and missions functioning. And they're still working in many of those areas.

But you can go back now.

Yeah, [but its] no fun. Im entirely in the Muslim world now.

Why?

Because I foresaw, although I was not able to define it and communicate clearly, that the next round of confrontation and therefore persecution would come from the world of Islam and not from Communism, which I already saw was in its dying days at that time. But Islam grew stronger, especially in the 70s when the oil crisis erupted in the world. The Western world was on its knees in front of the mosque.

What have been your main areas of focus in the Muslim world?

My personal focus would be the Middle East. Thats what this book is about, and the main outreach that we have is a little farther east ...

1
With the publication of the best-seller, Gods Smuggler, in 1967, Brother Andrew appeared abruptly on the stage of global Christianity. Some 10 million copies of Gods Smuggler, which chronicles his adventures smuggling Bibles behind the Iron Curtain and into other closed nations, have been printed in 35 languages.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Andrew turned his attention to the Middle East and Muslim-majority nations, such as Pakistan. He is still traveling the world at age 85. Andrew is now in his sixth decade of active ministry and advocacy for the persecuted church. He founded Open Doors, one of the largest ministries focused on assisting Christians and churches at risk worldwide. He spoke recently with CT Senior Editor of Global Journalism Timothy C. Morgan.

All over the Middle East, Christians and their churches are exposed to discrimination and violence. What options are left other than immigration?

The Christians there can do nothing unless we start doing something. They depend on us. We are one body in Christ. We are not reaching out to the Arab Christians or to the Palestinians, nor barely to the Messianic Jews, and we are certainly not reaching out to the other Jews with the gospel because they are already Gods people, and they have no choice and we dont give them a choice. [Middle East Christians] have few resources in their own country, and we in the West have all the liturgy and all the wealth and all the insight and knowledge. This is our eternal shame. We ought to do something.

In God there is only one nation. We must reach out. So when I fail to see that happen then I am very pessimistic. In Bethlehem and in Gaza, the situation is deteriorating.

1
According to the World Health Organization, 703,000 people die by suicide each year.

In 2020, suicide was the twelfth leading cause of death overall in the United States.  [In addition, suicide] was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 1014 and 2534,  and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 44.

Although churches are becoming more sensitive to suicide issues, the topic has at times been limited to concerns over salvation and damnation. If a person takes his or her own life, will that person go to heaven?

Were not equipped to fully answer that question, of course. Jesus is the only one who has the power of divine judgment. And more importantly, debating someones eternal fate misses a larger opportunity. Suicide is the heartbreaking cry of My Father, why have you forsaken me? As believers, we have a chance to meet those who feel forsaken and be Christ to them.

Put another way: Our theology of salvation matters. But at least initially, our theology of suffering matters more, in terms of caring for those in our congregations who are thinking about ending their own lives.

As an aspiring sociology scholar, I spent four months of undergrad studying this issue for a research project at the University of Oxford. One of the key questions I wanted to ask was How should theodicyor making sense of suffering from a Christian perspectiveinform our approach to suicide?

When analyzing the preponderance of cases of suicide beyond physician-assisted death, one is faced with the formidable role of mental illness, a factor that Christian theologians have often downplayed, writes Elizabeth Antus, a pioneer scholar at the intersection of suicide and theology.

In her scholarship, she turns in part to German theologian Johann Baptist Metz, who provides a promising perspective for a theology-and person-centered dialogue on the topic. His theodicy is all about learning to live in solidarity with those who suffer.

In my view, writes Metz in A Passion for God: The Mystical-Political Dimensions of Christianity, there is one authority recognized by all great cultures and religions: the authority of those who suffer. Respecting the suffering of strangers is a precondition for every culture; articulating others suffering is the presupposition of all claims to truth. Even those made by theology.

Metz wants to see people in the church embrace an open posture that allows them to lament and be in community with those dealing with suicide. He views this victim-sensitive theodicy as a liberating practice that allows Christians to ask God their raw, anger-filled questions.

Even Christian theology, drawing on its doctrine of creation, cannot eliminate the apocalyptic cry, What is God waiting for? writes Metz. Not even Christian theology can allow Jobs question to God, How long yet? to fall silent in a soothing answer. Even Christian hope remains accountable to an apocalyptic conscience.

Antus, who teaches in the theology department at Boston College, argues that Metz offers a theology more hospitable to suicide victims.

In Christ, all of us are free to cry out to God and ask whywhether we have haunting thoughts of our own or know someone else whos been suffering. After all, at the very center of the gospel story is a God who experiences suffering.

For the Christian, who believes in the crucified and risen Messiah, suffering is always meaningful, writes Kathryn Greene-McCreight, author of Darkness Is My Only Companion: A Christian Response to Mental Illness. It is meaningful because of the One in whose suffering we participate, Jesus.

As we think about suicide in the context of the Christian life, then, we can take comfort knowing that God sympathizes with human anguish.

He calls us to do the same with those around us. As his ambassadors, the worst thing we can do is shy away from tough conversations and perpetuate narratives of shame and guilt. The best thing we can do is learn about suicide, provide resources for those struggling, and lament with them in their pain.

A person-centric theodicy liberates us to hear deep cries of anguish, especially in the context of suicide. The more we humanize this issue in the church, the more we can be like the one who came to suffer among us: Christ himself.

Mia Staub is the content manager at Christianity Today. This piece was adapted from an essay originally published at the Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford website. Published with permission.
Brother Andrew, founder of Open Doors and Gods Smuggler, dies at 94

Anne van der Bijl, the Dutch missionary known for smuggling Bibles into communist nations and founding the Christian persecution watchdog group Open Doors, has died at age 94.

Commonly referred to as Brother Andrew, van der Bijl passed away on Tuesday, with Open Doors USA posting a statement about his death on its Facebook page.

For more than 60 years, Open Doors' founderBrother Andrewvisited over 125 countries in service to the global church. It's with mixed feelings that we share his greatest journey yet, stated the organization.

God used Andrew's obedience and prayers to change millions of lives and eternities. We are grieving but we are equally thankful. Celebrate our brother's homecoming with us today.

Born in Alkmaar, Noord-Holland, the Netherlands, in 1928, van der Bijl became known for his efforts to bring Bibles to people in countries where the sacred book was banned.

Over time, he came to include what Open Doors labeled a trademark prayer to go with the Bibles: Lord, in my luggage I have Scripture I want to take to your children. When you were on earth, You made blind eyes see. Now, I pray, make seeing eyes blind. Do not let the guards see those things You do not want them to see.

In 1967, van der Bijl wrote about his many experiences of getting Bibles to those without access to it in a book titled Gods Smuggler. Since then, the book has been reprinted in many languages and boasts over 10 million copies sold.

As a boy he dreamed of being a spy undercover behind enemy lines. As a man he found himself undercover for God. Brother Andrew was his name and for decades his life story, recounted in God's Smuggler, has awed and inspired millions, noted the description of the 35th anniversary edition of the book.

Brother Andrew's story remains as inspiring today as it was thirty-five years ago, and with these new releases it will motivate a whole new generation to risk everything to follow God's call.

In 1955, van der Bijl founded Open Doors, a Christian persecution watchdog organization that is known for its annual World Watch List, which documents the nations that most severely persecute Christians.

I don't pray that God will lift the persecution because if there is persecution there is a plan that God has, otherwise God wouldn't allow it, explained van der Bijl in a 2013 interview with The Christian Post.

How do we pray? Not for God to remove persecution, but use that to purify the Church. And it is my strong belief that the countries where there is persecution are stronger in faith than churches in countries where there is no persecution.
Episcopal church pays voluntary tax to indigenous tribes as form of land acknowledgment

An Episcopal church in Wisconsin has included in its budget a voluntary tax on its property to give to the state's Native American tribes to acknowledge that it stands on land that "used to be someone else's homeland."

St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church in Madison added a budget line in 2022 for a $3,000 "amends" property expense payment, which was presented in August to the Wisconsin Inter-Tribal Repatriations Committee, Episcopal News Service reported. The payment represents 1% of the church's overall expenses.

Located on Madison's west side, the church sits on land that historically was home to members of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

The payment comes after the church spent years studying the region's indigenous history and how tribes lost land to settlers through a land acknowledgment task force.

According to a statement on the church's website, the land first came under the ownership of the U.S. Government after the 1832 Black Hawk War, a conflict between the U.S. government and Native Americans led by Sauk leader Black Hawk.

The war resulted in local native tribes being largely "exterminated or pushed westwards, after being forced to cede their land in southern Wisconsin."

"Anticipated development failed to occur and the indigenous Ho-Chunk continued to return, despite their' official removal' in 1832, to hunt, fish, and grow corn at traditional camps on the north shore of Lake Mendota and Pheasant Branch. Speculators lost interest in and money on the surrounding property, and eventually Wisconsin Governor William Farwell purchased O'Neill's parcel," the website reads.

The property that became the site of the church was a former farm on the edge of town with a red-brick farmhouse owned by Joseph and Anton Heim, immigrants who were among the many who came to the U.S. during a failed revolt in the Germanic states in 1848. The Heims farmed the property for years and got involved in local politics.

"The farm shrank over the years as Middleton began to grow and farmland was sold off to be developed," the website explains. "Several families owned the farmhouse over the years. A couple of photos in the Wisconsin History Museum collection show it in 1952."

The website concludes: "St. Dunstan's is mindful that we gather to worship on Ho-Chunk land, taken unjustly. We don't know what it looks like to make peace with that history, but we wonder."

According to the church's rector, Rev. Miranda Hassett, the church's research and statement needed to be accompanied by "restorative actions" to "make amends" and be "better allies."

"It would feel wrong getting that statement out there without having the meat of what that means to us," Hasset told Episcopal News Service.

Many other Episcopal congregations are researching and developing land acknowledgments to foster reconciliation.

For example, a plaque installed on the pavement outside the door of St. John's Episcopal Church in Chicago states: "You are standing on the land of Native peoples."

In July, the denomination's 80th General Convention passed a resolution encouraging land acknowledgments. Each Episcopal diocese will complete audits "of all Indigenous peoples whose ancestral and territorial homelands its churches and buildings now occupy."

The resolution also encourages the dioceses "to begin a process of implementing land acknowledgment liturgies and prayers to begin any public meetings or worship and to provide resources to their churches to do the same."

In Washington, the Seattle-based Diocese of Olympia passed a similar resolution in 2019.

"Though it begins as an effort to understand the history of an individual church, it can soon develop into an exploration of the history of our entire country and even the world," the diocese says on its website. "All are connected, for good or ill, in the story of who we are as a people, as a nation, as Episcopalians, and as Christians."

Other dioceses are also encouraging churches to consider land acknowledgments. The Episcopal Church's Virginia Theological Seminary Building Faith ministry offers churches guidance for writing land acknowledgments.

"One of the ways the church begins the road to reconciliation with siblings who identify as Indigenous/Native American, is to acknowledge that all churches sit on Native Land," the guidance states. "It was 'purchased' through treaties that were constantly broken. It was stolen through lies. Tribal nations were violently forced from ancestral lands to distant reservations."
New Jersey requiring schools to teach middle schoolers about anal sex, pregnancy options

The New Jersey Department of Education is imposing sex education standards that require school districts to teach middle school students about anal sex and pregnancy options like abortion or face potential "disciplinary action."

The state board of education approved several changes to the statewide education standards in June 2020, which school districts are required to implement this month under threat of losing state funding.

The new standards expect students by the end of grade eight to be able to "describe pregnancy testing, the signs of pregnancy, and pregnancy options, including parenting, abortion, and adoption" and be able to define "vaginal, oral, and anal sex."

The state's education standards also state that children by eighth grade should be able to "differentiate between gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation," and schools should "develop a plan ... to promote dignity and respect for people of all

genders, gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations in the school

community."

The Christian Post contacted the New Jersey Department of Education for comment on the sex education standards. A response was not received by press time.

Melissa Varley, superintendent of the Berkeley Heights Public Schools, told Fox News that while parents can have their children opt out, the sex education requirements still have to be taught in her school district.

"If we do not, we do not pass New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) monitoring. If the district fails this process, we may become ineligible for state and even federal funding," Varley explained.

A spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Education told Fox News that the learning standards are "mandatory for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to implement and failure to comply can result in disciplinary action."

"Under [New Jersey Statutes Annotated] 18A:35-4.7, for children to be excused from any part of instruction in health, family life, or sex education, their parent or guardian must inform the school principal in writing that the instruction conflicts with their conscience or sincerely held moral or religious beliefs," the spokesperson said.

The NJQSAC system the state uses to monitor school systems evaluates based on five "core components" that research has identified as "key factors in effective district operations," the spokesperson added.

"Specific indicators in each of the five areas are self-evaluated by the district and verified by the Department," the spokesperson said. "If a district scores below 80% in any of the NJQSAC areas, the district is required to create a district improvement plan to address the indicators found to be out of compliance. An assessment is made of the district's capacity and effectiveness based on its compliance with the indicators."

"Following the assessment, the district is placed on a performance continuum that will determine the level of oversight, and technical assistance and support it receives in accordance with NJSA 18A: 7A-10," the spokesperson continued. "Dependent upon the percentage of quality performance indicators a district satisfies upon review of the improvement plan, the Department may determine whether additional monitoring or intervention is warranted, pursuant to NJSA 18A:7A-14."

In 2020, following five months of discernment, public comments and revision, the state board of education voted to revise the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education for classroom instruction, with a key focus on the "Personal and Mental Health" section.

Concerns over how the standards will be implemented prompted Gov. Phil Murphy to ask the state DOE on April 13 "to review the standards and provide further clarification on what age-appropriate guidelines look like for our students."

Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan issued a memo on April 14 to school officials declaring that "the State does not mandate curriculum" and that specific materials for the course remain at "the discretion of local educational agencies."

"To be clear, any report indicating that the NJDOE has approved a specific vendor or instructional material (e.g., lesson plan) related to the implementation of NJSLS-CHPE or any other content area is not accurate," stated the memo.

"These standards are based on research making clear that receiving age-appropriate information about health education is essential for students' physical and emotional well-being."

Regarding the requirement that students know about "vaginal, oral, and anal sex," Allen-McMillan said this is "foundational to keeping [students] safe and protecting themselves from pressure, dating violence, and assault."

"It is important to provide students language for, and understanding of, specific acts, empowering them to stay safe, evaluate risks, make informed decisions, and communicate health issues or injuries if necessary," the memo continued.

"Further, youth who are unable to appropriately name sexual acts may not be able to accurately report instances of sexual harm or abuse if it occurs."

In May, four state board of education members wrote an open letter to Allen-McMillan, expressing an ongoing concern about the sex education standards and their implementation.

"As board members, we continue to hear views of parents and educators with passionate feelings about what is appropriate and inappropriate for their children to learn, especially about sex," they wrote.

"[W]e are hoping the committee and department will recommend removing some of the more controversial and graphic language as well as reexamine the age appropriateness of the grade at which some of these topics are recommended to be taught."
Michigan Health accused of wrongfully firing female PA for refusing to perform trans procedures

The University of Michigan Health has been accused of wrongfully firing a physician assistant who sought a religious exemption from participating in sex-change procedures and using the chosen pronouns of trans-identified patients.

The First Liberty Institute, a law firm based in Plano, Texas, sent a letter of complaint to Michigan Health on Tuesday on behalf of Valerie Kloosterman.

The letter was addressed to Peter VanLaan, associate general counsel with the University of Michigan Health  West, and Timothy G. Lynch, vice president and general counsel of University of Michigan Health.

According to the letter, Kloosterman was fired because in 2021 she was required to complete a training module that contained statements concerning sexual orientation and gender identity that her Christian faith prohibited her from affirming.

She could not complete the training unless she checked boxes that affirmed the statements. There was no option within the training for her to explain her position or request a religious accommodation, reads the letter.

Subsequent meetings with Michigan Health officials last year eventually resulted in her termination, with the letter claiming that the officials expressed hostility toward her beliefs.

Michigan Health listed her unwillingness to refer patients for certain gender dysphoria-related drugs and procedures, her unwillingness to use pronouns that do not correspond to a patients biological sex, and her alleged alteration of medical records to change patients pronouns (a false charge that Ms. Kloosterman continues to deny), the letter continued.

First Liberty demanded that Michigan Health reinstate Kloosterman and provide religious accommodation for her and other employees who might object to the use of gender-identity-based pronouns and participation in  or referrals for  gender-dysphoria-related surgeries and drugs.

First Liberty Senior Counsel Jordan Pratt said in a statement released Tuesday that he believed it was bad medicine to force religious healthcare professionals to choose between their faith and their job.

Valerie provides excellent medical care for every patient, but she cannot in good conscience refer patients for experimental drugs and procedures that violate both her religious convictions and her medical judgment, Pratt stated.

It is intolerant of Michigan Health to demand that medical professionals like Valerie abandon their religious beliefs and their medical ethics in order to remain employed.

In response to an inquiry from The Christian Post, a spokesperson for Michigan Health said: "University of Michigan Health-West is committed to providing appropriate medical treatment to all patients and respects the religious beliefs of its employees. Our organization does not discuss personnel issues and as such, has no further comment."

Earlier this year, University of Michigan Health-West announced that it had been deemed a top performer for LGBTQ+ healthcare equity by the Human Rights Campaign, a prominent LGBT activist group.

In the announcement, the university said it earned that designation by having training in LGBT patient-centered care, giving equal benefits to same-sex couples, advancing equal hospital visitation policies, and promoting resources for LGBT patients.

Our mission requires us to relentlessly advance health for West Michigan  and there is no room in that mission to exclude anyone, said UMH-West CEO Dr. Peter Hahn, as quoted in the announcement. Im proud of our teams commitment to inclusion as one of our core values and their enthusiasm to keep building on our progress.
Anglicans, Episcopal Church reach settlement on yearslong $500 million property dispute

An Anglican diocese that broke away from The Episcopal Church over theological differences has reached a settlement with its counterpart over various litigation surrounding their departure, marking the end of nearly a decade of legal battles.

Bishops of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina and the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina announced the settlement on Monday, with the promise of further details for later this week.

According to an emailed press release from the Anglican diocese, the settlement was the byproduct of mediation between the two dioceses for the past four months, and it has the backing of the national Episcopal denomination.

This settlement agreement allows us to invest our diocesan energy, time, focus and resources in gospel ministry rather than litigation, said Anglican Bishop Chip Edgar in a statement shared with The Christian Post.

While the losses we have experienced, including those of St. Christopher and several of our parish buildings are painful, I am grateful that the work we have done has brought an end to litigation between our dioceses.

Episcopal Bishop Ruth Bishop Woodliff-Stanley also released a statement, saying that to follow Jesus means a willingness  an eagerness, even  to engage those who have been our opponents with the goal of repairing the breach between us.

I have been grateful for the gracious spirit of Bishop Edgar in doing just this work with us. I am grateful for his leadership and his generosity, Woodliff-Stanley stated.

While each diocese has had to leave things on the table to get to this moment, and while we experience pain over losses of some of the historic churches our members hold dear, even still, we have seen the Spirit at work in drawing us toward Gods redemptive way of love at every juncture.

In November 2012, the South Carolina Diocese voted to leave The Episcopal Church due to the increasing acceptance of homosexuality in the denomination and the reported mistreatment of then-Bishop Mark Lawrence.

Litigation over who rightfully owns the estimated $500 million in church properties, as well as claims over diocesan trademarks, began in January 2013.

In 2017, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that at least 29 of the 36 church properties belonged to the national denomination rather than the breakaway Anglican diocese.

However, in 2020, South Carolina Circuit Judge Edgar Dickson issued an order stating that each parish owned its properties since they were not held in trust by The Episcopal Church.

Dickson, who had been assigned to enforce the state Supreme Court ruling, had applied "neutral principles" to the case, arguing that property records determine their ownership.

In April, the state Supreme Court revisited the matter and initially ruled that 14 properties had to be returned to The Episcopal Church, while 15 parishes could remain with the Anglican diocese.

However, in August, the court reduced the number of church properties that the diocese had to return to The Episcopal Church from 14 to eight, concluding that six parishes had successfully amended their bylaws not to have had their properties held in trust with the national denomination.
Derwin Gray: God wants 'race of grace,' not 'colorblindness'

Transformation Church Pastor Derwin Gray has rejected the idea of colorblindness and instead wants churches to focus on the importance of the race of grace that all people should belong to.

Speaking before the Awana Child Discipleship Forum on Friday, Gray began his remarks by talking about the movie Encanto, noting that just as the family in the film said, we dont talk about Bruno. So, oftentimes churches in the United States say, we dont talk about race.

Heres the problem: not talking about Bruno does not make the problems of Bruno go away, said Gray. Its a taboo subject because God forbid you may actually say something thats wrong and then people clobber you.

Gray lamented that few American Christians belong to a true multiethnic church, asserting that the most divided institution in America is Jesus Church.

Not the nightclub, where they be in there dropping it like its hot, he joked. It looks like every nation, tribe and tongue. But Jesus Church doesnt.

When examining what to do about this issue, Gray told his white brothers and sisters in love that I dont want you to be colorblind, and neither does God.

God wants us to be color-blessed, Gray declared. He didnt make a mistake giving me this cocoa-chocolatey colored skin.

Gray stressed that ethnic reconciliation is intrinsic to the Gospel, pointing to the first century church, in which Jews and Gentiles gathered together for Christian fellowship.

Grace creates a new race comprised of the multiple ethnicities within the human race, he said. When you spell grace, if you knock off the g, you have race.

The grace of God creates this new humanity. The early church fathers actually called the first followers of Jesus a new race, a race of the redeemed. Not Jew, not Gentile, but Jew and Gentile in Christ. Our ethnicities were not obliterated, they were celebrated. They were not erased, they were embraced.

Gray warned those gathered that when well-meaning people say they are colorblind, they are muting the beauty of Gods creation.

Gray described what he called the race of grace by quoting Revelation 5:9-10, which reads in part that with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.

Imagine if you and I lived this out and informed and taught our kids that everybody they see is [first] made in the Image of Christ and are worthy of dignity and love, and [second], for those who are believers, we are a kingdom of priests, Gray said.

How can I look down on somebody else who is the same as I am?

Gray went on to explain that the new race of grace is characterized by humility, noting that there is no ethnic superiority and nothing to boast about for believers, regardless of their ethnic background.

We got people mad because The Little Mermaid is black, said Gray, noting how more people in America needed to be humble. But the same people wont be mad that pictures of Jesus look like He from Scotland!

Gray also said that the new race of grace is defined by the story of the promise, noting that when youre in Christ, you and I enter into this new covenant that God made.

How in the world can I have any form of ethnic supremacy if all of Gods children are wearing Christ? he asked. What if we actually began to believe that the Scriptures are true? What if we actually began to believe that the Scriptures are true so much that you no longer allow family members to make racist comments without saying anything?

Grays remarks were part of the second annual Awana Child Discipleship Forum, held from Sept. 22-23 in Nashville, Tennessee, with 500 attendees.

The event featured research by the prominent faith-based polling firm The Barna Group and included speakers who discussed the future of childrens ministry in the United States.

In an earlier interview with The Christian Post, Awana CEO Matt Markins explained that he hoped attendees walk away with the knowledge that we're standing on a burning platform if churches keep doing children's ministry as we've been doing it the last couple of decades.

"We want to build a pathway to a better future. But if we don't make the decision to move in that direction, at some point the Church in the West is going to realize we're standing on a burning platform, and we've got to move toward formational or discipleship ministry with children," he said.

Barna CEO David Kinnaman was another speaker at the forum, focusing on the need for childrens ministry to shift their focus from making children consumers to making them participants.

We're seeing in our research across a wide range of different studies that people want to be participants in the Gospel mission, said Kinnaman in a video presentation at the forum last Thursday.

It's not easy. People sometimes would rather hang back and just sit and soak, but I believe that God is calling us now more than ever to equip people to live lives on mission.
Victory for Christian student in peril of losing license to work due to backlash over graduation speech

The governing body of a university in Mexico has dismissed proceedings started by the school against a recent psychology graduate to withdraw his license to practice due to his graduation speech defending the family and the sanctity of life, calling the demand for action unfounded.

The Autonomous University of Baja California had started formal proceedings to ban him from practicing psychology after a group of professors filed complaints against the student, Christian Cortez Perez, but the University Council found the claims to be unfounded, said the human rights group ADF International, which supported the Christian graduate.

I am overjoyed that the university has recognized that I committed no wrong in exercising my free speech rights to speak about issues of profound moral concern from the graduation podium, Perez said.

As valedictorian at the universitys School of Medicine and Psychology, Perez delivered the commencement address at his graduation ceremony on June 27, where he voiced his deeply held moral convictions regarding the state of the world today, and the importance of the family and the sanctity of life, among other issues.

Some students and faculty protested vocally and walked out, but he continued and delivered his graduation address in full.

The professors then issued a manifesto, calling his address hate speech. They demanded that his academic degree and professional license be withheld, his merit award withdrawn and psychology associations across Mexico be alerted about his actions.

What happened to me shows how dangerous it is when professors with agendas try to punish students with whom they disagree, Perez said. Academic institutions must respect the free speech rights of all students, and this is a great win for fundamental freedoms.

In response to the proceedings against him, Perez filed a counterclaim to protect his rightful interests.

Carlos Ramirez, lead lawyer for Perezs case in Mexico, said the ruling shows that the vindictive attack on Christian by his professors was groundless.

While it is very unfortunate that Christian had to go through this completely inappropriate ordeal, let this be a clear signal to all that students have the right to voice their views in a public university, Ramirez added. Free speech is fundamental for flourishing intellectual life both in and beyond school.

On account of widespread violations, international bodies repeatedly have called on Mexico to correct its stance on freedom of speech, ADF International noted in its statement.

In his commencement speech, Perez said, 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.

He then quoted English writer and lay theologian G.K. Chesterton: People do not know what they are doing; because they do not know what they are undoing. Perez added that to attack life and the family is to self-destruct, it is an attack on civilization itself. He then urged his peers to live in solidarity with one another, saying, You have to love; no one seeks the good of the other if he does not love him.

The groups legal counsel Kristina Hjelkrem called the demand for action against the graduate a silencing and sanctioning campaign, which caused Perez severe reputational harm, in addition to the real threat of losing the ability to practice his profession.

Not only is this representative of cancel culture at its worst, but also efforts to punish him contravened the fundamental human right to free speech enshrined in international law. All concerned with the protection of free speech should take note, she said.
Persecuted evangelicals in Mexico help Traditionalist Catholics break free from pagan idolatry

Most Americans presume that Mexico is a Christian country, unaware that many Mexicans who identity as Catholic regularly practice a form of pagan idolatry, according to Universidad Cristiana de Mexico President Jaime Castro.

Castro leads an evangelical Christian university in Queretaro, Mexico. As Mexican Christians share the Gospel, they often face persecution from Mexican traditionalist Catholics, he told The Christian Post.

Unlike Christianity, traditionalist Catholicism relies on giving gifts to the gods in exchange for health, good fortune and protection from evil. They often participate in animal sacrifices to the gods and worship saints, incorporating practices from pagan Aztec beliefs.

I was a pastor, and I have the experience to know some American Catholics. They werent like [Mexican Catholics]. The syncretism between Catholics that came to Mexico adopted every idol and every goddess [from the Aztec religion], he said.

Castro told a story to illustrate the difference. Once, a Catholic parish in the U.S. noticed that it had many Latinos in the area. Leaders brought in a bilingual priest and invited Hispanic Catholics into the American Catholic church. Three-hundred-and-fifty new people arrived.

The shock came when the Dia de los Muertos happened. Catholic seniors were scared about what the [Hispanics] were doing in their parish  idols and skeletons and offerings and all these rites that were not biblical. Its just to show Latin American Catholicism is very different, he said.

Syncretism worships Catholic saints as pagan gods, said Castro.

People give saints offerings to get favors. Cartel members usually make offerings to saints who have a reputation for granting success for both evil and good actions.

The Catholic Church has officially condemned devotion to Mexicos most infamous cartel death saint, Santa Muerte. However, Mexican Catholics worship other saints as an expression of syncretism. Some argue that Mexicos Virgin of Guadalupe represents an Aztec mother goddess, but Pope John Paul II canonized the man who allegedly first had a vision of her.

Syncretist Catholics who worship saints are responsible for almost all the persecution against Mexican Christians, said Castro. Although evangelical Christianity has been in Mexico for 120 years, it still faces hostility from local Catholic communities. The government may allow religious freedom, but local people often ostracize, threaten or attack Christians. The worst persecution happens in remote areas where the government cannot exert its power.

Christian advocacy group Open Doors USA's World Watch List ranks Mexico as the 37th worst country for Christians to live in due to the high rate of persecution of believers. The threats surrounding the Church include secularist pressure, syncretist persecution and cartel violence. Persecution in Mexico increased in 2020 because COVID-19 hampered the Mexican government from using its power to protect believers.

Mexico has three main religious zones, said Castro. Most evangelical Christians live in the south, Catholics dominate central Mexico, and northern Mexico is increasingly secular and materialist due to the influence of American culture.

[The state of Oaxaca] has a lot of mountains, many isolated communities, and its hard for the government to establish safety for Christian missionaries. Some are killed, some get expelled from their villages. That still happens in Oaxaca and Chiapas. It also happens in Central Mexico and Hidalgo, he said.

Small towns in Mexico have many Catholic festivities. A community leader will ask each local family for money or resources to support the festival. When evangelical Christians refuse to support it, town authorities refuse to provide them with community resources like public school, he said.

They do not allow Christians to receive any services from the community if they dont support [Catholic festivals], he said. Thats against the law, but its happening. An evangelical church tried to hold a revival two years ago and asked to rent the city hall. They quickly answered, no. Why? We dont have a permit for you. The next weekend the Catholic church had a festivity.

Despite these setbacks, the percentage of Mexican evangelical Christians has grown by 49% since 2010. According to a survey Castro cited, 11.2% of Mexicans now practice evangelical Protestantism. According to the Joshua Project, that figure is 10.39%.

Catholics in Mexico dont call themselves Christians, the pastor said. But the knowledge they already have of the Christian faith gives evangelists much to work with. Sycretists already know the basics of the Christian faith, he said, adding that they need to turn from transactional saints to a personal God.

When you want to do door-to-door evangelism, almost every door you go to knock on has a sticker that says, This home is Catholic. We do not accept propaganda from other religions, said Castro. Evangelical Christians are doing a great job and the Gospel is being spread. The most optimistic people will tell you that we are within 15-to-20% evangelical Christian in Mexico.

When people convert from traditionalist Catholicism to Christianity, their families change for the better, he said. Catholicism in Mexico forbids divorce, but it doesnt teach married men how to be good husbands. Often, they spend money on alcohol and have affairs with other women. Some men even have secret second families.

[When men become Christians], the home becomes strong and they have more opportunities, said Castro. The head of the house used to spend a lot of money on alcohol, on parties. But now he becomes more committed to his marriage and becomes a committed father, a committed husband, and it makes a difference in the community.

Living a responsible life has such a significant impact that families become financially better off, he argued. Castros parents were missionaries and the community where they ministered accused them of paying people to convert because people had more money when they left Catholicism.

Evangelical Christianity also brings real knowledge of the Bible and a community that supports believers, he said. New Christians rejoice for the opportunity to learn about and understand the Bible.

They dont understand why the Catholic churches dont preach so people understand. In Catholicism, they dont have a fellowship. You walk in. You walk out. You dont talk with anyone. Evangelical churches in Mexico provide a fellowship, Castro said.
Dante Bowe exits social media after Maverick City Music halts ties over 'inconsistent' behavior

Worship leader Dante Bowe is no longer a member of the Grammy Award-winning worship group Maverick City Music for the time being due to "behavior inconsistent" with what the band says is their "core values and beliefs."

Via an announcement on Instagram, Maverick City Music stated Tuesday they are putting a "pause" on their relationship with Bowe.

"Decisions like these are not easy because of the level of nuance, both professionally and personally, but we felt it necessary to address," the statement read.

The worship group does not give any details on the behavior that led to the decision. However, the Instagram statement adds, "Dante is a brother in Christ and as such he has our full commitment and unwavering support as he continues to navigate his path forward."

On Instagram, Bowe announced his intention to take a break from social media.

For a short while this week, Bowe's social media accounts were not accessible as his Facebook account was disabled. His Instagram account was set to private temporarily but now appears to be reactivated as a public account.

"In light of recent events and opinions, Ive talked to some of the wisest leaders and brothers around me. Ill be taking time off social media to rest mentally and physically," Bowe wrote on Tuesday.



"Years ago, when I dreamt of all I would accomplish one day, I didnt account for the pressure and opinions that would come with it. Its important for everyone to know when to step back and refocus. Hope yall understand and support. Ill hit you up when Im back."

Bowe has received criticism for some of his actions.

Most recently, he was scrutinized for sharing a video of himself inside of a party bus listening to secular artist Bad Bunny and dancing to a song with overtly sexual lyrics. During the Grammys, he also raised eyebrows for saying he hoped to see openly gay rapper Lil Nas X perform at the award show.

Bowe, who has gone from being homeless to a platinum artist, had a difficult upbringing. His grandparents were ministers, and much of his Christian influence came from them. He has written hits for Ciara, Tasha Cobbs and Maverick City Music, which is where he gained most of his notoriety.

The artist recently announced "Joyful the Tour" featuring Social Club Misfits. But it is unclear if he will move ahead with the tour.

The Christian Post reached out to Bowe for a comment, but a response was not immediately received.
Pro-life volunteer, 83, shot after 'heated conversation' while canvassing Michigan neighborhood

An elderly pro-life volunteer is recovering after she was shot during an apparent dispute while canvassing a Michigan neighborhood.

The 83-year-old woman from Ionia County was passing out pamphlets on behalf of Right to Life of Michigan (RLM) on Sept. 20 when police say she was shot in the shoulder after an alleged verbal altercation at a home in the area.

The woman then drove herself to the Lake Odessa Police Department and reported the incident, according to Michigan State Police. She was transported to an area hospital and was later released, authorities said.

According to a statement from RLM, the victim was shot while leaving a residence during a heated conversation by a man who was not involved in that conversation.

The victim does not know the identity or motive of her shooter, according to the statement.

While RLM Education Coordinator Chris Gast could not provide much additional info, he said the victim  who has been a pro-life volunteer for a very long time  is recovering and in good spirits.

She hasnt mentioned returning to door-to-door activities, but she was asking me about when our yard signs come in, so shes clearly still engaged, Gast told The Christian Post.

Michigan State Police are investigating the case and will turn over the investigations results to Ionia County prosecutors.

The woman was among a group of volunteers who were going door-to-door to inform residents about Proposal 3, titled Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative, a state measure which, if approved by voters, would allow abortion to take place up to and including the moment of birth.

By prohibiting state discrimination against enforcement of Proposal 3, the measure also would allow people without medical training to assist with an abortion procedure without fear of prosecution.

While Michigan law currently requires parental consent for virtually all medical procedures for underage children, Proposal 3 would allow for children as young as 12 to undergo an abortion without parental consent.

Gast said Proposal 3 would dramatically impact dozens of state laws.

It would remove basic health and safety regulations from abortion clinics; it would allow minors to take hormone-blocking pills, undergo sex changes, and have abortions without notifying their parents; it would allow abortions until birth, he said. Theres a long list of other problems it would create.

The Michigan attack comes as pro-life activists, pregnancy centers, and others are being increasingly targeted by abortion activists after the U.S. Supreme Court overturnedRoe v. Wade in June.
See You at the Pole leaders pray for students' boldness and courage on campuses worldwide Romans 12

Students across the United States and worldwide gathered in prayer Wednesday morning as ministry groups work to ensure that Christian outreach on school campuses lasts the whole year.

The 33rd annual See You at the Pole event held today was a student-organized "global movement of prayer."

Each year, students gather in a circle around their school's flagpole to pray together on the fourth Wednesday of September. Students can participate in elementary, junior high and high schools, as well as at universities worldwide.

Adults can also participate by praying at the same time at their work, church or at their local city hall.

The theme of this years See You at the Pole event was Aflame, specifically focusing on the Bible verse Romans 12:11-12 proclaiming, Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive  PRAY!

Student activists affiliated with the group Claim Your Campus hosted a livestream featuring prompts for participants in See You at the Pole to consider. They called on students to turn this moment into a movement, pointing to the ministrys app and free campus prayer guide as tools to continue to gather with your friends to pray for change in your school.

Following each prompt, participants had 90 seconds to reflect in prayer. The first prompt asked students to pray for what God is doing in us, receive Gods joy in our own hearts so that we may experience revival in our own lives and ask Jesus for a fire and passion so that we may surrender to what God has called each of us to do this year.

After participants had a chance to reflect on the prompt, Aondover from Michigan led a prayer requesting that God will fill us up with a fire and a passion for you. He also prayed that our schools will be changed and that He will give us boldness and courage this upcoming school year, expressing a desire that we may be as lights in our hallways, that we may be the salt of the Earth.

The second prompt encouraged students to pray around us for our schools. Brayden from Kansas, who led the prompt, urged participants to know that God is using you to be a light on your campus and a light to everyone that you meet.

Be patient as you pray for change [at] your school. God is working even when we cant see it. Pray for all the things you want to see differently on your campus, entrust in God that it will happen in His time, not in your time, he added.

Following a 90-second pause, Brayden prayed to God that everyone at all the campuses, all the schools around our nation will just be filled with you and they will all come to know you. Additionally, he prayed for all of the tough things that people are going through in our schools, that it will just end and that all the struggles, all the depression, all the anxiety will subside because you will reign over our schools. He concluded by reiterating his hope that See You at the Pole participants can be a light in their school sharing the love of Jesus with everyone.

The third prompt, led by Kristiana of New York, encouraged participants to think of those who are sick, neglected, forgotten and unreached and continue to pray for what is going on in our world, our nation and our communities. She also asked students to think outwardly, pray big and pray without giving up because God has not given up on the world.

Following the 90 seconds set aside for reflection, Kristiana offered a prayer of thanksgiving for Gods mercy, graciousness and goodness in addition to the ability that we as believers have to come before you in prayer. She prayed that God would intervene on behalf of those who have yet to hear your Gospel, requesting that He change their lives as youve changed the lives of so many people.

The annual event dates back to 1990, when a high school youth group in Burleson, Texas, felt compelled to go to the flagpoles at schools in their area and pray for their friends, schools and leaders. Shortly thereafter, youth leaders across the state envisioned simultaneous, student-led events at school flagpoles statewide. The first See You at the Pole event occurred on Sept. 12, 1990, with 45,000 teenagers at schools in four states participating.

The following year, the movement expanded to include approximately 1 million students nationwide. In the past 30 years, See You at the Pole has spread to 64 countries and about 1 million students take part each year.

While See You at the Pole does not have an official sponsor, the Baptist General Convention of Texas has the rights to the trademarked phrase See You at the Pole and Student Discipleship Ministries in Burleson, Texas, creates and distributes promotional materials for the event such as videos. The National Network of Youth Ministries handles media relations for the event.

See You at the Pole is not the only event held annually to encourage students to share their faith. Bring Your Bible to School Day, scheduled to take place on Oct. 6 this year, empowers Christian students of all ages to speak Gods grace and truth into the culture around them, starting with two simple steps  bringing their Bibles to school and sharing what Gods word means to them.
The royal family and the squandering of greatness

Stories and articles about Queen Elizabeth (including this one) continue to gush weeks after her death. One reason is because her leadership style and personal character form an example we should keep before our eyes. Another, however, is the tragic way in which greatness has sometimes been squandered by members of the Queens larger family.

The present squabbles are petty and adolescent. However, King Charles III displayed maturity and grace when he spoke via a televised speech his love to Harry and Meghan, and wished them well in the U.S.



There is a great lesson in all this: Just because a person is born into greatness doesnt necessarily mean he or she is actually great. Birth is an event but becoming great is a process.



Though expectations are high on royals, they have free will like all the rest of us. One cannot choose the type, character, and position of the family into which they are born, but he or she can choose the quality of life that will characterize them and their work, whether in the lofty spaces of a throne room or the suffocating innards of a back office.

Thus, Elizabeth was born into greatness and also made a definite choice to be a great person and queen. This is probably why she and Winston Churchill were friends.

Later in life she would pen a note to the old bulldog, where she wrote: I shall always count myself fortunate that you were my prime minister at the beginning of my reign, and that I was able to receive the wise counsel and friendship which I know my father (King George VI) valued so much as well.



In that note she shows the importance of another character trait that makes for authentic greatness in a person: teachability. Not only was she willing to learn the arts of high leadership from Churchill, but she was also willing to learn spiritual truth from a North Carolina country boy  Billy Graham, as well as other ministers.

Churchill had been born into a family that seemed crowned with greatness. He was a descendant of the high-born line of the Dukes of Marlboro. Churchill was even birthed in the ancestral home of the Marlboros  Blenheim Palace.

Winston Churchills father had been born into that same heritage but squandered his opportunity to be great when he chose a life of dissipation and neglect of his family. Young Winston suffered much grief from that father whose coldness and negative put-downs were constant.

I co-authored a book, God and Churchill, with Winstons s great grandson, the late Jonathan Sandys. Jonathan had sweeping knowledge of the family into which Winston had been born, and its internal affairs. I was fascinated as Jonathan told me story after story of the Churchill family in Winstons growing-up years. I was stunned at the handicaps young Winston had to endure. His route to being great was through his determination to view the obstacles as opportunities to learn and advance. He did not disengage with life and its challenges but stayed in the battle with intensity  sometimes literally.

Churchill was elevated to leadership of the entire British Navy and was blamed for a staggering First World War defeat at Gallipoli. Rather than withdrawal from public service, Churchill went to the front trenches of Europe for the rest of the horror of World War One.



And so young Princess Elizabeth, though heir to the throne, volunteered for military service in the Second World War, and worked in the maintenance of military vehicles. The woman who had the hefty crown placed on her head also knew how to change oil, repair a broken fanbelt, and get the dirt from under her fingernails.

Elizabeth II is celebrated today around the world because she manifested the attributes of a truly great person: honor, integrity, dignity, courage, commonsense, and wisdom, to name a few.

These were the choices she made.

Does the UK still need royalty? Thats for her people to decide. But the British Commonwealth and all nations need leaders who are genuinely great whether they were born into greatness or not.

After all, there was that other example in the line of British royalty  that of Edward VIII who abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson. Britain was facing the most dangerous threats in its history, and Edward VIII walked away.

He had been born into greatness, but he chose not to become great himself.

Elizabeth made the choice and showed many attributes of actual greatness: honor, integrity, dignity, courage, wisdom, and exemplary character.

And Elizabeth showed us truly great humility as she gave the credit over and again to the One Who transcends her and outranks her, the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, the carpenter of Nazareth of Whom she spoke elegantly and passionately.

She herself chose the Bible passages that would be read at her funeral and committal, and the verses rang through the great cathedrals glorifying Christ.

And the world heard them.

The most important choice humans can make is that of what or who we worship because we all become in our character like that to which we bow the knee. Queen Elizabeth was great because of the choice of Whom she worshipped.

Long live the Queen.
Dept. of Veterans Affairs performs first abortion under new Biden admin. rule

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical system performed its first abortion a few weeks after the Biden administration announced it would provide abortions for eligible veterans and beneficiaries in light of the Supreme Court's overturn of Roe v. Wade in June.

During his testimony before the Veterans Affairs Committee last week, VA Secretary Denis McDonough confirmed that one of the department's medical centers carried out an abortion. McDonough provided the answer in response to a question from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., regarding how many abortions have occurred at VA facilities.

As NBC News reported, a spokesperson for the department did not disclose the name of the woman who underwent the abortion or where it was performed, citing privacy reasons.

The VA did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment on the matter.

The VA secretary testified before the committee about a new rule allowing the VA to offer abortions in cases of rape, incest or if the woman's life is in danger, with the VA currently serving about 300,000 women of childbearing age.

According to McDonough, the Department of Justice reviewed the new rule and found it to be a "lawful exercise of VA's authority." McDonough cited a supremacy clause in the Constitution, claiming it prevents state officials from penalizing VA workers for "performing their federal functions."

"The principle that led us to take this step is our veteran patient safety," McDonough said. "We take that very, very seriously, and every decision we make flows from that principle."

Earlier this month, the department announced the submission of an interim final rule to the Federal Register to authorize the VA to commit abortions in some cases. McDonough asserted that the move is a "patient safety decision."

"Pregnant veterans and VA beneficiaries deserve to have access to world-class reproductive care when they need it most," he said. "That's what our nation owes them, and that's what we at VA will deliver."

The document justified the policy based on the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The decision returned the issue to the states, restoring their authority to determine abortion laws. Several states have enacted restrictions on abortion.

According to the proposed rule: "VA is acting to help ensure that, irrespective of what laws or policies States may impose, veterans who receive the care set forth in the medical benefits package will be able to obtain abortions, if determined needed by a health care professional, when the life or the health of the pregnant veteran would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried to term or the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest."

The VA's Undersecretary of Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal said that the department came to this decision after listening to VA healthcare providers and veterans who "sounded the alarm that abortion restrictions are creating a medical emergency for those we serve."

Prior to the announcement, two dozen congressional Democrats urged McDonough to amend the agency's regulations to permit VA hospitals to provide abortions. The lawmakers wrote in a July letter that the Veterans Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996 established the VA's authority to provide care to veterans.

According to the lawmakers, the statute requires the agency to "furnish hospital care and medical services which the Secretary determines to be needed" for a particular group of veterans.

Republicans and pro-life advocates, such as Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., have argued that the proposed rule violates federal law.

In an Aug. 26 letter to McDonough, Lankford cited Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992, which prohibits the VA from providing abortions, among other services.

"Abortion is not and will never be healthcare," Lankford wrote.

"Healthcare protects life. Abortion takes life. Instead of promoting the taking of human life, I would challenge you, and others within the VA, to respect the dignity of our veterans and all of their family members, including unborn children, by ensuring services provided and funded by the VA are focused on true healthcare consistent with federal law."
Pro-Life Group To Spend $78M In Elections, HCU Drops 'Baptist' In Rebrand, Craig Morgan Shares His Faith Journey

link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 07:32 07:32

A prominent pro-life activist organization expects to spend $78 million during the 2022 midterm election cycle, with the hopes of reaching at least 8 million eligible voters.



The Federal Bureau of Investigation is facing criticism over its early-morning raid on the home of a pro-life activist, which critics are classifying as another example of overreach and double standards by federal law enforcement officials.



Country music star Craig Morgan reflects on how his faith has guided him throughout his life and career and sustained him after the death of his teenage son.



More than 20,000 people gathered in Atlanta for Bishop T.D. Jakes final Woman Thou Art Loosed" annual Conference ending an over two-decade-long journey.



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Arizona's new school choice law expected to survive petition drive

Opponents of Arizona's school voucher law have reportedly failed to file enough valid signatures to overturn the recently passed measure deemed to be one of the most robust school choice policies in the United States.

Beth Lewis, executive director of public school advocacy group Save Our Schools Arizona, which opposes school choice policies, announced Friday that she and her group had filed a petition against Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account program.

The program ensures all K-12 students are eligible for scholarship funds and receive help toward educational expenses through the state. Families can receive over $6,500 per year per child for private school, homeschooling, micro schools, tutoring or other educational services. The school choice law, said to be the most robust in the nation, faced opposition from teachers' unions.

The petition's goal was to temporarily halt the program and put the measure on the ballot for voters to decide in 2024.

It was initially reported that Lewis' group collected more than 140,000 signatures, more than the 118,823 signatures required. However, an organization supporting the school choice policy reported Monday that based on petition sheets released by the Secretary of State's office, only 88,866 signatures were submitted.

"The tremendous shortfall in signatures is apparent based on the petition sheets made available by the Secretary of State's office, which is due to make a final determination on the effort," a statement from the libertarian think tank Goldwater Institute reads.

Lewis told The Associated Press that she is "incredibly disappointed with the numbers" but is waiting on "accurate numbers" from the Secretary of State's office.

Goldwater Institute CEO Victor Riches says the preliminary result suggests that "Arizona families have rejected special interests' attempts to take away their ability to choose the education that best meets their child's unique needs."

"Families deserve the right to choose the best education option for their children, regardless of zip code, and now, they'll once again be able to exercise that right by applying for ESAs," Riches said.

In an interview with Salon, Lewis claimed that groups like American Federation for Children and the conservative Goldwater Institute have signaled "massive legal battles" over the petition and validating signatures.

Petitions are often challenged to check for issues such as incomplete addresses and duplicate signatures.

The Save Our Schools group ran a similar referendum campaign against a universal voucher law in 2018, in which it gathered around 118,000 signatures, more than the 76,000 required. Lewis claimed that Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's recent expansion of the state Supreme Court and new restrictions requiring petitioners gather a certain percentage of signatures from each county required them to collect more than in 2018.

After it was reported that Save Our Schools gathered enough signatures, Jason Bedrick, a research fellow at the national conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, argued in a Friday Twitter thread that Lewis and her group celebrated too early.

Citing Ballotpedia, Bedrick noted that the group obtained around 140,000 signatures when the average validity rate is around 70%, meaning they would have had to have obtained around 150,000 signatures. The research fellow claimed that Save Our Schools would need an 84% validity rate.

Bedrick believes the "greatest hurdle" to the petitions is that most parents in the state favor school choice, pointing to a recent Morning Consult poll. According to the survey, 66% of Arizonians and 75% of parents with school-age children said they support ESA.

The survey contained a sample size of 621 people, and 295 were parents with school children.

Arizona adopted the ESA program in July, ensuring all K-12 students are eligible for scholarship funds. The legislation was sponsored by Arizona House Majority Leader Ben Toma, a Republican, and signed by Gov. Ducey earlier this summer.

"This is a monumental moment for all of Arizona's students. Our kids will no longer be locked in underperforming schools. Today, we're unlocking a whole new world of opportunity for them and their parents," Gov. Ducey said.

"With this legislation, Arizona cements itself as the top state for school choice and as the first state in the nation to offer all families the option to choose the school setting that works best for them," he continued.

"Every family in Arizona should have access to a high-quality education with dedicated teachers."

In August, the nonpartisan research group Education Next reported that around 2 million fewer students are enrolled in public schools nationwide since the spring of 2020 when in-person learning ceased during the pandemic.

From 2020-2022, public school enrollment declined from 81% to 76.5%, while charter school enrollment increased from 5% to 7.2%. In addition, private school enrollment increased from 8% to 9.7%, and homeschooling rose from 6% to 6.6%.
Mother sentenced to 23 years in prison for sex trafficking 6-year-old daughter

A U.S. district judge has sentenced a 31-year-old woman in Washington state to 23 years in prison for sex trafficking her 6-year-old girl in exchange for a place to stay, cash and new Nike shoes.

The convict, Kylie Ruby Flores from Spokane, Washington, made her daughter available to a man, identified as Trever Harder, for sexual abuse, the Department of Justice said in a statement.

U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Flores last week, three months after she pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking.

Flores will also be on federal supervision for the remainder of her life, the judge said.

Harder has also pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing.

Harder, whom Flores had met online through the dating app Plenty of Fish, sexually abused the child, including acts of sodomy.

The man set up a camera on a cat tree in his apartment in Cheney, Washington, where he filmed himself raping the little girl on the couch in his apartment.

The facts of this case present some of the most egregious sexual abuse of a child one can imagine, said Vanessa R. Waldref, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District. Todays sentence is important, but it is equally important to remember that Flores sentence will likely be much shorter than the lifelong impact on the child.

She said while no sentence can return the childs innocence, our community is now safer and stronger. Most important, the child is now in a safe place.

The sentencing, she added, sends a clear message to those who seek to sexually abuse children: justice is coming.

David Herzog, the assistant U.S. attorney for Eastern Washington who prosecuted the case, thanked the FBI agents and state, local and tribal law enforcement for their investigation, which was part of Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Richard A. Collodi, special agent in charge of the FBIs Seattle field office, said it was inconceivable as a parent how someone could participate in the victimization of a child under their care.

While the sentence in this case is significant and truly justified, it only brings a small measure of justice to the victim, the agent said. I hope the dedication of FBI agents and our partners to hold predators like Ms. Flores accountable serves as a message to those who would victimize our most vulnerable among us.
Churches cant avoid politics  and they shouldnt try

Despite what many may think, the truth is that the Church is a political body. It always has been and it always will be.

What do I mean? At the most basic level, the Church is political because it is a specific, gathered group of people pursuing a shared vision for life together and common ends. In Politics, Aristotle describes this most basic political effort. He says:

Every community is established with a view to some good; for mankind always act in order to obtain that which they think good. But, if all communities aim at some good, the state or political community, which is the highest of all, and which embraces all the rest, aims at good in a greater degree than any other, and at the highest good.

Aristotle is arguing that politics can be understood as the cooperative pursuit of the good. Of course, Aristotle didnt have the Church in mind when he wrote this. As Christians, we would argue that it is ultimately the Church, not the state, that aims at the highest good.

But whats the difference between a random gathering of Christians and a church? How do we know when we are working together, as Christians, for the (spiritual) good? The difference is polity. Polity is simply the organization and structure that is applied to a group or civic body. A church then is a gathered body of Christians who have agreed to join together in a covenant (what we call church membership), and that covenant has agreed-upon rules for church government and expectations for their behavior in church.

See, like I said, the Church is political. Now, inside the political community of the Church, its not debating the latest tithe bill or letting deacons-turned-lobbyists influence the pastors to make sure one program gets more money than another (and if that is happening at your church, God bless you  youre going to need it). No, the political community of the Church exists to teach and guard the Gospel of Jesus Christ by making, baptizing, and discipling Christians.

Still, this community has boundaries, it has citizenship, and it even has what you could call laws. It has a particular mode of enforcement, the keys to the kingdom. We find these in Matthew 16:13-20 and Matthew 18:15-20, when Jesus gives them to His disciples (and by extension, the Church).

The keys are a standard, a confession. They are used by Gods people to grant access to Gods gathered community. The keys are given to the Church as a whole, not any one member or leader. They are meant to symbolize a correct profession of the Gospel and acknowledgment of the risen Christ as Lord.

The binding and loosing are symbolic, representing the serious nature of whether one can anticipate being welcomed into Heaven as their eternal home, or being damned to Hell for all eternity. The Church is marked off by a commitment to the confession of Peter of Christ as Messiah in Matthew 16:16 and self-regulates through the process outlined in Matthew 18:15-17.

Thus, the role of the Church in society isnt primarily to conquer through physical means but rather to safeguard confessions of faith. That said, the Church is a political community comprised of people who have dual citizenship, one here on earth and one in heaven.

Now, some theologians have argued that the Church is like an embassy in a foreign nation; its an outpost of home, where Christians gather every week to be reminded of where they really belong. But I think that analogy drives too great of a wedge, too far of a distance, between our dual citizenships. Even though we are indeed bound for the Promised Land, the reality is that we still live in this land until God calls us home. I think a better analogy might be that of a military outpost or base that is part of a full-scale invasion working to recapture lost ground from the enemy. Christ the King reigns over all  even if earthly powers dont acknowledge that the earth is still the Lords, and the fullness thereof (Psalm 24:1).

Furthermore, the Church, or a church, is comprised of flesh-and-blood humans who live six days a week in the City of Man, to borrow a phrase from Augustine. What then does the Church, or its members, have to do with their city, state, or nation?

Abraham Kuyper, and others, suggested the concept of sphere sovereignty to help Christians think through the nature of the relationship between the Church and the state, the culture, and politics. Sphere sovereignty is the idea that God has created and ordained certain distinct-but-overlapping spheres of authority for mankinds good. The three main spheres are the Church, the state, and the family. And to each sphere, God prescribed a certain mechanism of enforcement. As we saw already, to the Church, He gives the keys. To the state, He gives the sword (Romans 13:4). And to the family, He gives the rod (Proverbs 13:4).

The point is this: Christians live under both the keys in the Church and the sword in the civic arena, the public square, and the state  and so we should be working for the good in both.

Instead of making politics sound like a dirty word, pastors should be training and equipping their members to go out and work in the world for the good of society and the glory of God. Christians should never be the people who are sometimes referred to as being so heavenly minded that they are of little earthly good.

In a recent speech, theologian Dr. James Wood took this misguided notion head-on, stating:

In our intense cultural battles, conservative Christians are often reminded that because we must love our enemies and show the meekness of Christ, we should, therefore, avoid culture-warring or politicizing the faith. Rather, we are told, we need to be winsome and find a way to transcend the divisions of our day. We are to lay down our rights, for the world is watching. Any pursuit of power will, supposedly, discredit the Churchs public witness.

Of course, these charges dont stick. Later in his speech, Wood drew attention to the notable evangelical figure Francis Schaeffer. He argued that Schaeffer

repeatedly proclaimed that truthful love must confront destructive wickedness, and he was committed to the use of political means. He was fervent about waking a sleepy church from its blindness to evils in the culture and its unwillingness to act. He helped rally Protestants to oppose abortion. Dobbs, in some ways, is his legacy.

When the Church and Christians fight for justice in the public square through political means, amazing things can happen  whether that is ending the British slave trade, working to help overturn Roe, or bravely keeping a church open in defiance of absurd government mandates, as John MacArthur and other pastors did in 2020. The Church cannot avoid being political. Too much is at stake.

To bring us back to where I began: Simply by existing, the Church is political. Its actually the most radical political body on earth because it serves a King who reigns over all.

When gathered on Sunday mornings, the mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to follow Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). But when the Church scatters  as each individual member goes their separate way for the week  those members dont lose their allegiance to Jesus. They must work for justice in their communities and their cities. They should call upon presidents and kings to bend their knees to Christ the King (Philippians 2:10).

The Church is political; it always has been and it always will be. Both pastors and people in the pews should accept this and run with it. The Gospel is guarded in the Church, yes, but it doesnt stay in the Church. It has implications for all of our lives  including how we vote.

So, its time for the Church, and for Christians, to embrace our political nature and do work while the day is bright. The night is coming. And Christ will return; thats not in question. The only question is: Will we be found faithful when He does?

Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center.
Planned Parenthoods new revenue stream is not a new direction

The Planned Parenthood organization has been built, from its founding, on the destruction of lives, especially preborn ones. Now, even as legalities and access shift in the wake of the Dobbs decision, Americas largest provider and promoter of abortion has added another revenue stream. This one also promises to destroy lives, albeit in a new and subtler way. This one also promises to help women but is, in actuality, built on ideas that deny the existence of women.

A new documentary from the Center for Bioethics and Culture tells the stories of three young women who believed they were not women and that they could become young men, only to regret it. "The Detransition Diaries: Saving Our Sisters" chronicles the experiences of Cat Cattinson, Helena Kerschner, and Grace Lidinsky-Smith, two of whom received hormone therapy at Planned Parenthood clinics. Though activists and media outlets pretend they do not exist, these are just three stories of a growing number of people once sure they were born in the wrong bodies but now know differently.

To believe patients who say they were born in the wrong bodies is a sort of dogma, especially among healthcare professionals who would never handle any other medical condition this same way. Only in the case of gender dysphoria are no questions to be asked. Trans activists call questioning someones self-identification and assessing their mental health gatekeeping. This dogma has turned transgender medicine into the only kind of medicine in which patients approach a doctor with their diagnosis and preferred treatment.

Planned Parenthood has now jumped into this business with both feet. On its website, the organization claims that if a child or young adult is insistent, consistent, and persistent about their trans identity, then they should be medically affirmed. That word affirm is code for pumping those patients, even if minors, full of mind-altering ideas and body-altering hormones and puberty blockers. The treatment aims toward surgeries to amputate healthy body parts and perpetuate wounds, surgeries that are lucrative for providers.

Recently, The National Catholic Register revealed how rapidly Planned Parenthood has ramped up its gender transition services. In 2015, the abortion giant offered hormone therapy in 16 states and 65 locations. Today, it offers hormones in 41 states and 200 locations. To date, Planned Parenthood has treated an estimated 35,000 people.

The young women featured in the documentaryfound it shockingly easy to get life-altering hormones and surgery referrals at Planned Parenthood. Cat and Helena describe how the so-called informed consent process they went through involved no psychological evaluations, no waiting period, and no tests. Cattinson claims to have received testosterone injections after just a 30-minute phone call with Planned Parenthood, and a letter to have her breasts removed without ever talking with a doctor in person. Thankfully, she had second thoughts about surgery after the hormones made her sick.

According to Kerschner, who told her story earlier this year in a harrowing Substack post, the initial appointment with Planned Parenthood took only an hour. After waiving any blood tests or labs, they gave her quadruple the recommended dose of testosterone, just because she asked. At the time, she was 18.

As another de-transitioner on YouTube chillingly put it, Planned Parenthood is handing out hormones like candy to anyone who walks in the door Hormones, we should add, whose side effects include permanent infertility. Yet as the Register notes, Planned Parenthood openly advertises its new life-destroying business, touting quick appointments, same-day prescriptions, and even promising not to require a letter from a mental health provider.

Its essential that these stories and others like them are told. They represent a growing group of people who arent supposed to exist  people who were insistent, consistent, and persistent about their trans identity, only to reverse course and deeply regret what was done to their bodies. Planned Parenthood long escaped real media coverage and scrutiny in its abortion business, despite credible accusations of illegal activity. Thanks to years of undercover sting operations, Planned Parenthood was finally exposed for past abuses like its willingness to abet human trafficking and illegally market fetal body parts. Even then, they received a pass from serious media coverage. Instead, many outlets chose to attack anyone who criticized them.

Today, the organization is hawking gender transitions to vulnerable women and men, even children, and misinforming them of the consequences. These patients deserve to hear stories of de-transitioners, stories of heart-wrenching regret from people who arent supposed to exist. And Planned Parenthood deserves to answer for its dangerous practices and yet a new assault on human lives and bodies.

Originally published at Breakpoint
Revelation 4: The rapture question

C. S. Lewis wrote, "The doctrine of the second coming has failed, so far as we are concerned, if it does not make us realize that at every moment of every year in our lives, Donnes question, 'What if this present were the worlds last night?' is equally relevant."

In the first chapter of the Book of Revelation, Jesus is presented as the One "who is coming" again (1:4). This truth is at the heart of the Book.

In chapters 2 and 3, Jesus letters to the seven churches have meaningful lessons that can apply to churches of every age, but under the figure of the seven is also portrayed the history of the Church. The parallels are striking and undeniable. The last era is that of Laodicea  a period when the Church is primarily apostate until the Lord returns. This seems to be the age in which we currently live.

Does this mean its futile to look for an awakening or revival in these times and that we can only expect judgment? Hardly!

I believe, as the renowned evangelist Dr. Billy Graham once said, Gods judgment can be withheld. In his book, Approaching Hoofbeats, Graham said:

"I believe the judgment of God can be withheld for a period of time. It doesnt even take the repentance of a whole city to delay Gods judgment plans. Abraham was granted a delay if he could find a mere ten righteous men in Sodom. Still, the judgment day is coming  The call to follow Christ is not easy. It is easy to receive salvation  but there can never be cheap grace. Our redemption by the Cross of Jesus Christ was costly to God. So, we must also be willing to deny self, take up a cross, and follow Christ. It is not easy to follow him. It is not easy to decide what tasks you can do and what tasks you must leave for others. It is not easy to take a stand when issues are complex and two-sided. It is not easy to witness for him. It is not easy to work against evil that judgment might be postponed, but it is the task to which we are called."

Graham was right, and many places throughout the Scriptures can substantiate his position. Theres the parable about the man who owned land and wanted a fruitless tree cut down, but his servant urged him to wait until he could work around the trees roots and fertilize it to see whether it would still produce. There is also when the reluctant prophet Jonah was sent to Nineveh to preach Gods imminent judgment, but the people repented, and judgment was delayed for another 150 years.

In other words, everything that the Lords Word prophecies will most certainly happen just as He says. But exactly when or how may not always be so clear.

Revelations record about the Laodicean Church in chapter 3 and the beginning of chapter 4 seems to indicate that eventually, there comes a time of a profound falling away from the faith. Then at the end of this period, the Church (genuine believers) is taken out of the world in what many scholars call the Rapture.

In Revelation 4:1, the apostle John says:

"Then, as I looked, I saw a door standing open in Heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.'"

Expositors today see the call to the apostle, "Come up here," to be much like what the apostle Paul referenced in I Thessalonians 4:16-17, which says:

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever."

This is the Rapture, when the Church, its righteous influence, and the Spirit of God who abides within the Church are lifted from the earth to heaven. Afterward, "Great Tribulation" begins to break out on the world for seven years because the time of Gods wrath has come.

The Rapture is an event that must be differentiated from the Revelation of Christ, which are two different stages of Christs return. In the first phase, the Rapture takes the Church out and removes believers from the judgments which are coming on a wicked, rebellious planet, as recorded in chapters 6-18. The Revelation occurs in chapter 19 when Christ returns to earth with the Church and sets up his glorious kingdom.

Although the teaching of the Rapture is widely held, it is not without controversy.

Some say the word Rapture isnt in the Bible. True. But neither are other words, such as "Bible," "Trinity," or even "Christianity." Nevertheless, all three are unquestionably a fact.

Rapture comes from the Latin rapio, meaning "a snatching away."

The experience of John in Revelation 4:1 seems remarkably similar to that of the apostle Paul. He said in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 that he was caught up to Heaven; whether in the body or out of it, he was uncertain. The difference, however, seems to be that Paul heard words he was forbidden to speak, and John was instructed to write the things he saw and heard in a Book.

In Johns being "caught up" to Heaven at the command of Christ, in his own Rapture experience, we have a type of the Rapture of the Church. H.A. Ironside put it concisely in his Lectures on Revelation, saying: "Of this, the rapture of the apostle is the symbol."

Still, others like David Chilton in Days of Vengeance, whom Ive quoted before in this series, say:

"[T]he Rapture Theory is based on a misunderstanding of the Christian doctrine of the Ascension of the Church. The definitive Ascension took place positionally with Jesus Christ, in whom we are seated in the heavenlies (Eph. 1:20; 2:6); the progressive (experiential) Ascension takes place liturgically with Jesus Christ every week, in the celebration of the Eucharist (Heb. 12:22-24); and the final (culminative) Ascension takes place eschatologically with Christ a) spiritually, at death (Rev. 20:4), and b) bodily, at the end of history (I Cor. 15:50-55; I Thess. 4:17)."

In his theology, Chilton, who is Reformed, doesnt see a Rapture in Revelation 4:1 or elsewhere in the Bible.

Another point of stark demarcation by Christians on the rapture question is whether the Bible teaches that the Church will be exempted from suffering tremendous persecution in the last days. Moreover, theres the question of whether the Great Tribulation which will come on the earth is the wrath of man or the wrath of God.

Some would argue the Church has experienced persecution throughout the ages, and the believer can expect many tribulations to enter the kingdom of God. Nevertheless, others would claim the time of suffering described in Revelation chapters 6-19 is nothing like any trials or trouble to have ever occurred in human history  a period when the Church must be taken out before these terrible woes begin.

So, which is it? Is there a Rapture of the Church or not?

I have studied these different systems of interpretation extensively. Though Im sure that I probably dont know all of what I ought to know, I have not read anything yet which dissuades me from believing in the Rapture. The more I study the question, the more this seems to be the case.

However, there are very compelling points made by each Christian system of eschatology, whether Premillennial, Amillennial or Postmillennial. Tremendous teachers of the faith have held to these three systems, none of which had any liberalizing tendency. So, it seems an act of hubris to be dogmatic about any of them.

The way Christians differ on how Jesus returns is not nearly as crucial as on what points they agree. Christians should agree Christ is personally, literally, and visibly coming again to bring about the consummation of all things. At His coming, Christ will raise the dead, execute judgment, and ultimately institute the eternal state. The second coming of Christ is something meant to bring hope and assurance. The return of Christ should be a powerful incentive to pursue right-living because Christ will come unexpectedly one day. When Christ comes again, it will usher in Gods final judgment of evil, and all those who look for his appearance will reign with Him forever and ever.

The most critical question about Christs return is whether youre ready. He is coming again! This is clear and certain. Will you be ready when He returns? Have you been reconciled to God by turning from your sins and putting faith in Christ as your own Savior and Lord?

If the Second Coming of Christ "doesnt make us realize that at every moment of every year in our lives," we must ask ourselves, "What if this present were the worlds last night?" weve missed the whole point!
The greatest threat to Christianity in America

As a lover of Clint Eastwood westerns, its no wonder that a particular scene from one of my favorites, "Pale Rider," came to mind recently.

In the film, a group of miners is under threat from a gang of intimidating men who are determined to drive the miners off the land. They almost succeed until Clint Eastwoods character, Preacher, arrives to help them.

The leader of the gang arranges to meet Preacher and he attempts to bribe him. He offers to build him a beautiful church, give him lots of money, new clothes, and even give him opportunities to preach in the town square. All he would have to do is give up caring about what happens to the miners. Preacher responds to this generous attempt to lure him with a smile, and he says to the gang leader, You cant serve God and mammon both.

The church and specifically Evangelical Christianity are facing a similar moment of temptation and the allure that I believe is being used is the altar of partisan politics.

The Great Commission that Jesus gave His church is not to save America, but rather to save souls. Our mission is not first and foremost, to win elections or to gain political power for favorable laws on issues we feel passionate about. Its not even to win culture wars or to advance a political and ideological movement, even if some aspects of it align with our beliefs and worldview. Our mission is not to berate and hate on those we disagree with, but rather as Christs love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14), our mission is to share and show Jesus Christ to our neighbors, and that is hard to do if you view your neighbor as the enemy.

To be clear, as an evangelical Christian, I believe in speaking up about issues where our faith and culture collide and I also believe its important for Christians to be politically involved. We must participate in our democracy and prayerfully vote for candidates for office that would best represent Christian values. But where we can get into trouble is when we attempt to marry the Gospel with politics or political ideology. We get into trouble when our identity as Christians becomes secondary to our political identity, and when we become obsessed with winning a political struggle to the point we neglect to do our part to win the spiritual one that is taking place every day for the hearts and minds of those around us.

Over the years, Ive written about various threats to evangelical Christianity in our society and culture. There are many challenges facing the church today from increasing hostility toward Judeo-Christian values and the aftermath of COVID, to the latest statistics showing a concerning trend with shrinking Christian influence over the up-and-coming generations.

Personally and pastorally, I believe increasing efforts to marry Christianity with partisan politics is the greatest danger and threat to the Gospel and the church in our society. It strikes at the very core of what it means to be an evangelical Christian. Are evangelicals known today in America for who they believe in and what they believe or for what politics they tend to support? Are we as passionate in talking about Jesus as we seem to be in talking about politics?

Voting a certain way or adhering to a left-leaning or right-leaning political philosophy is not the litmus test that the Bible gives for what it means to be a Christian. And yet these things are tempting the church in America to be focused more on the temporal, and less on the eternal. The biblical truth is that evangelical Christians should not be regarded as just another special interest group that can be bought but rather, we should be known as the salt of the earth and light of the world (Matthew 5:13,16). Christianity is not right-wing or left-wing. It goes beyond the political and ideological tribes which demand that we adhere and pledge unquestioned loyalty. Aspects of Gods word will step on the toes of liberals and aspects of Gods word will step on the toes of conservatives. The left-wing attempts to conform Jesus to its image, and the right-wing attempts to conform Jesus to its image, but if we truly follow Him, He will be conforming us to His image.

Any marriage between the cause of Christ and political power throughout church history has always led to corruption and compromise. The stakes are too high to forget who our real enemy is. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12). The opportunity to stick out and speak up for Jesus is too great to pass up. God is not looking for us to be partisans but rather prophets in the times in which we live, to speak biblical truth in love. To remember that our identity is ultimately not in who we vote for, or what political party affiliation we have but rather that we are, "Ambassadors for Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:20). And we are commissioned to make that appeal to liberals and conservatives, Democrats, and Republicans.

As the highly contentious midterm election cycle approaches, we are blessed to have the opportunity and responsibility to vote. As evangelical Christians, we should prayerfully vote in accordance with our conscience and with who we believe would best serve the interests we hold dear in our faith and convictions. We should absolutely be involved in the political process we are blessed to have in this great country in which we live. And we should be absolutely prepared for whoever is elected to let us down because they will. After it's all said and done, we will be reminded yet again, that our only true hope is Jesus.
Nun murdered, 6 beheaded by the Islamic State in Mozambique

Amid rising jihadist violence in Mozambique, an 83-year-old Italian nun was shot and killed and six others were beheaded earlier this month by suspected militants aligned with the Islamic State.

Sister Maria de Coppi was killed in the Sept. 6 attack in Chipene city when gunmen stormed a Catholic mission compound and set fire to buildings, including the church and hospital, according to reports.

The attack lasted five hours as the militants ransacked and burned the Diocese of Nacala's mission church, school, health center, dwellings, library and vehicles, reports Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.

"They destroyed everything," said Bishop Alberto Vera of Nacala in a phone interview, saying de Coppi served as a nun there for 60 years. "The attackers broke open the tabernacle and vandalized part of the sacristy, looking for whatever they could find  probably money."

According to eyewitnesses, the terrorists forced the sisters to leave the convent. Other nuns fled with the girls. As de Coppi was about to leave, she remembered smaller children were still in the building. When she went back to retrieve the children, she was shot.

The nun's killing is "part of a progression of attacks by insurgents" that began in late August in two northern provinces of Mozambique, the Catholic news outlet Fides reports.

President Filipe Nyusi issued a statement revealing that on the day the nun was killed, "terrorists" also beheaded six citizens, kidnapped three people and torched dozens of houses in Erati and Memba districts in Nampula province.

According to reports, the gunmen were likely running away from security forces from Mozambique, Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community.

At least 24 countries have sent troops to support the fight against insurgents in Mozambique, whose army has been accused of being corrupt and having 7,000 "ghost soldiers," according to the BBC.

Islamic State-affiliated insurgents in northern Mozambique, a Christian-majority country, have internally displaced more than three-quarters of a million people, according to the United Nations.

In the coastal province of Cabo Delgado, Islamic extremists have been exploiting the crisis after a civil war started in 2017. The area is rich with gas, rubies, graphite, gold and other natural resources. Protesters demonstrated at the time against what they say is profits going to an elite in the ruling Frelimo Party, with few jobs for local residents.

"In 2017, jihadist insurgents began in the Cabo-Delgado province, winning over some locals due to the fact that they gave back resources to villagers from the government and killed no one," the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern reported earlier. "This did not last, however, as IS started setting fire to Christian villages, and killing those who lived there."

Cabo Delgado is a mostly Muslim region where at least 300 Christians have been killed for their faith, according to ICC. There have also been over 100 attacks on churches in the area.

In March 2021, the United States labeled Islamic State-Mozambique as "Specially Designated Global Terrorists." ISIS-Mozambique is also known as Ansar al-Sunna and known locally as al-Shabaab. The group reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State as early as April 2018 and has killed hundreds, if not thousands, of civilians.

In November 2020, Islamic State-linked militants beheaded over 50 people, including women and children, and abducted others in weekend raids in the Miudumbe and Macomia districts of the Cabo Delgado province.
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.
Ontario Teachers' holds a portfolio of public and private assets totaling more than C$3 billion or Rs 18,374 crore in India..(Wikipedia)

Mumbai: Canada-based Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, a leading global investor with over Canadian dollar 242.5 billion, or Rs 14.85 lakh crore, of assets under management as on June 30, 2022, has established on-the-ground presence in India by opening a new office in Mumbai to build on its existing Indian portfolio.

Ontario Teachers' holds a portfolio of public and private assets totaling more than C$3 billion or Rs 18,374 crore in India.

Ontario Teachers invest in more than 50 countries in a broad array of assets including public and private equities, fixed income, credit, commodities, natural resources, infrastructure, real estate and venture growth to deliver retirement income for 333,000 working members and pensioners.

"India is an attractive investment destination and will be one of our growth markets over the next 5-10 years. It has a large, growing, and dynamic economy, with openness to foreign capital which makes it a strategically important market for us," said Jo Taylor, president and chief executive officer, Ontario Teachers'.

The Mumbai office, he said, will target investments in India across all asset classes.

Keki Mistry, vice chairman & CEO of HDFC will be a senior advisor to Ontario Teachers.
CHENNAI: Veteran Tamil and Telugu actress Vanishree was among the five land owners to whom Chief Minister M K Stalin handed over documents relating to their properties that were usurped through fraudulent registration that were cancelled under the new law brought in by the government.

Coming out of the Secretariat, after receiving the property documents on Wednesday, a relieved Vanishree told the media that when she learnt that her land worth Rs 20 lakh had been taken away through illegal registration carried out by land sharks, she thought that the property was lost forever.

She thanked the Chief Minister for bringing in the new law enabling retrieval of the land by cancelling the fraudulent registration and issuing fresh orders to the rightful owners.

I ran from pillar to post for 11 years. When I thought I won't spend a penny more, Chief Minister has shown the way. He should lead a long life and continue to deliver good governance,  she said.

The event at the Secretariat marked the empowering of the registration department to cancel all illegal land transactions carried out in the State and the introduction of a tatkal token system for registering properties on days when there was a rush for registration and a facility to seek changes in marriage certificates through an online application.

Hitherto, according to the Registration Act of 1908, no officer was empowered to cancel a property registration, which left the affected persons with no option other than approaching the courts for remedy, an official press release said.

So, to amend the law brought into force in 1908, the State Assembly passed a Bill in September 2021 and it received Presidential approval on August 6, 2022. As per the amendment, registration officers were given the powers to cancel the property transactions done with the help of fabricated and illegal documents.

Also the amendment empowered the district registrars to take cognizance of complaints on fraudulent registrations, hold an enquiry with the complainant and defendant and cancel the registration if it was found to be done through fraudulent means.

The new law also provides for taking action against those acquiring the property through illegal means and the registrar who did the documentation without proper verification of facts or with an ulterior motive, the press release said.

Based on the new law, five property registrations were cancelled and the rightful owners, including actress Vanishree, were handed over the documents relating to their land by the Chief Minister.

The new tatkal token system was to help people do the property registration on the days of their choice by paying Rs 5000 online through https://tnreginet.gov.in and obtaining a priority token. The same system would also help those seeking to register properties urgently jump the queue and it was introduced in registration offices on Wednesday.

Another new facility that came into force was the online application seeking changes in marriage certificates issued by the registrar office. Since the certificates issued under various marriage acts at times had discrepancies in the spelling of names and some dates and created problems for the holders when they apply for a passport, the online application would help them sort it out without visiting the registration office.
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On August 31, Mada Masr, one of Egypts last independent news sites, published an article about the potential reorganization of leadership in the Nations Future Party, which dominates parliament and supports Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The article drew on comments from multiple sources who are members of the partys governing body and central secretariat, and who told Mada Masr that the reorganization, allegedly planned to occur before parliament reconvenes next month, was related to instances of corruption and abuse of power by party leadership. Nations Future Party representatives denied the story and threatened legal action against the outlet.

Shortly after publication, an Egyptian court summoned four Mada Masr stafferseditor in chief Lina Attalah and reporters Rana Mamdouh, Sara Seif Eddin, and Beesan Kassabfor questioning. All were charged with criminal offenses, including publishing false news, before being released on bail; Attalah faces an additional charge, related to the licensing of Mada Masr, though she says shes made licensing requests for years to no avail. Press-freedom and human rights organizations have decried the move by authorities and called for the charges to be dropped.

Attalah and fellow young journalists founded Mada Masr in 2013, after the site they had worked for, Egypt Independent, shuttered. They began by covering mass protests in 2013 and, in the years that followed, built Mada Masrs reputation as a rare source of independent and critical media in the countryone of the few outlets to publish investigations into corruption, the military, and the political establishment. Since 2013, when a military coup ousted former president Mohamed Morsi, paving the way for Sisis presidency, Egypt has become one of the worlds worst jailers of journalists; currently, at least twenty-three journalists are in detention in the country, a majority for charges relating to false news. Mada Masr has faced regular state harassment. In 2017, access to the Mada Masr website from within the country was blocked; in 2019, security forces raided their offices after the site published an article about Sisis son; and, in 2020, Attalah was arrested outside of Tora prison while she was waiting to interview an imprisoned activist.

Attalaha recipient of the International Center for Journalists Knight International Journalism Award for her work with Mada Masrspoke with CJR about her teams recent interrogation and their newsrooms persistence. (Disclosure: The author previously worked at Mada Masr.) The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

CJR: Walk me through the decision to publish the August 31 article about the Nations Future Party. Did you have any sense this story might bring about a backlash?

Attalah: The news piece was part of a daily bulletin that we publish in Arabic. Our choice was based on the fact that we follow issues of corruption very closelyits one of the main issues that we care about covering every dayand we had solid sourcing. This is typical of any story we do, sensitive or not; if you have what it takes to publish, in terms of verification and separate sourcing and all of that, then just go ahead and do it. You know?

We always wonder what kind of response a story could have. As you publish it, the question is always there. This is one of the stories that I thought would stir some response.

The court summons reached my mothers place because thats my official address. From the moment we saw that there have been complaints against us, we thought that there could be a summons and potentially a lawsuit. So I was kind of expecting it. Dreading it, but expecting it.

Can you describe your interrogation at the court, and where the case stands now?

Each one of us went in and saw the chief prosecutor for just a few minutesa preliminary interrogation. He asked us some basic questions. In my case, I took responsibility for the article in my capacity as chief editor. After the initial questions, he sent the other journalists to other prosecutors, and each one of them had another interrogation, of an average of an hour. I had two of my lawyers with me, as well as representatives from the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate. That was the case also with all the other journalists, during the interrogations.

It was longer in my case, because I took responsibility for the pieces and because I had an additional accusation to deal withrunning a website without a license. The judge respected my right not to name my sources, wrote everything I said quite accurately. So that bit of the process was good.

I cannot comment on the proceedings of this particular case, because its still underway, and we dont know yet whether there will be an indictment or not. I was worried about whether I would be released at the end of the interrogations. But at the end of the day, I feel like I took my space and said everything that I needed to say. It was important on a level of appearance to make these points. To go into a prosecutor and say, We chose to publish this case because its a matter of public interest. Public personalities should be criticized. This is something thats permissible by law.

I was asked to respond to a perception that Im an enemy of the state. I said that journalism should be regarded as something that supports state investigative institutions that look into corruption cases, and that should never be considered the work of an enemy of the state.

The biggest issue that were facing, to be honest, is the licensing of our website. We figured during the interrogations that our license request was rejected, which puts us in major precarity. This is the battle that we will be having to fight in the coming days. Its the priority. Its a claim that is baseless. And well see whats going to happen.

What have your lawyers said about fighting the rejection of the license? Are they hopeful that something can be done?

I mean, I am hoping. All of us at Mada only have hope to hinge on. None of us is capable of conceiving that we might be closed on our tenth anniversary. Weve just started to shape up, to have a position, to grow. We have a full newsroom, full of young people, so everybody wants all of this to continue. Thats the only hope I have. Everything else is completely blurry.

It was a very hectic day, you know. We had many threats that we might end up in jail. But by the following day, everybody was back on the desks, working energetically. Two days later, I had meetings with each one of them and planned for stories to be worked on. Today, I was editing a piece on green hydrogen, and it was a very complex edit. And towards the endyou know when an editor feels like they just cracked it? So I was so happy. And I was like, Oh my God, I just wish nobody would take the joy of doing this job from me.

How would you describe Mada Masrs position in the Egypt media landscape at this point?

I think Mada remains quite marginal mediaespecially because weve been blocked since 2017. I would say that one of the main reasons why we have a bigger impact, relative to our size, is that there is not other media out there doing that kind of work. So this is where we standin the margin of the margin.

What are some of the ways you would like to see Mada grow?

The fact that weve been blocked, the fact that we dont have resources, the fact that every time you try so hard to focus on our work we get derailed by lawsuits, raids, security, and dramas, and all of thatI just want it to live up to its potential. If we are given a bit of breathing space, I would like us to be even more pioneering. We are doing a lot of environmental coverage these days, and, as you know, Egypt is hosting COP27, the UN Climate Change Conference, in November. I just feel that there is such a poverty of Arabic-language journalism when it comes to ecological questions, and I feel like were making major contributions there. This is a project that wants to grow.

A lot of reporters in Egypt right now are detained under charges of false news. How has that affected the way people report?

It has tamed so many voicesbecause, as you say, it has become a very typical accusation against any oppositional voice. Its mobilized against a host of people who are not just journalists. Just people posting on Facebook and social media, people who just express themselves and yet constantly get accused of spreading false news.

On a personal level, how do you balance running Mada, editing stories, and writing your own with all the legal threats?

I cant make any big statements about how Mada takes over my life. Im not a victim. I like it. I would like the time spent on creativity, knowledge-making, editing, and writing to supersede the time spent on legal battles. But I guess were shaped and formed by this crisis, as well. In the end, I still happen to be very lucky to be able to do this job when many others are lingering in prison right now. So I dont need to talk about my personal life.

How do you decide when its worth it to publish the stories that might push up against the red lines?

If my sourcing is solid. Thats it.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Pesha Magid is a CJR fellow.
WARSAW, Poland (AP) The Swedish national seismic network says it detected two explosions close to unusual leaks on two Russian natural gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea to Germany.

The network said Tuesday that it registered one blast early Monday southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm and a slightly larger one later that night northeast of the island.

It says the latter explosion was equivalent to a magnitude-2.3 earthquake.

Leaders of Poland and Denmark and experts have raised concerns that the leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipeline were sabotage.

Experts say Russia could be to blame as a way to further shake up natural gas markets amid an energy crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine.

A Kremlin spokesman says the development was worrisome and needed urgent investigation.

The series of unusual leaks the pipelines running from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany have triggered concerns about sabotage, overshadowing the inauguration of a long-awaited pipeline that will bring Norwegian gas to Poland in efforts to bolster Europes energy independence from Moscow.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called the events an act of sabotage, while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she could not rule it out after three leaks were detected over the past day on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which are filled with gas but not delivering the fuel to Europe. An energy standoff over Russias war in Ukraine halted flows on Nord Stream 1 and prevented them from ever starting in the parallel Nord Stream 2.

Frederiksen, Morawiecki and Polish President Andrzej Duda symbolically opened a valve of a yellow pipe belonging to the Baltic Pipe, a new system that will bring Norways gas across Denmark and the Baltic Sea to Poland.

The era of Russian domination in the gas sphere is coming to an end, Morawiecki declared. An era that was marked by blackmail, threats and extortion.

No official presented evidence of what caused the Nord Stream problems, but in central Europe, where distrust of Russia runs high, there were fears Moscow sabotaged its own infrastructure out of spite or to warn that all pipelines are vulnerable to attack. The leaks emerged off the coast of Denmark and Sweden, raising the stakes on whether energy infrastructure in European waters was being targeted and leading to a small bump in natural gas prices.

We can clearly see that this is an act of sabotage, an act that probably means a next step of escalation in the situation that we are dealing with in Ukraine, Morawiecki said.

Anders Puck Nielsen, a researcher with the Center for Maritime Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, said the timing of the leaks was conspicuous given the ceremony for the Baltic Pipe. He said perhaps someone sought to send a signal that something could happen to the Norwegian gas.

The arrow points in the direction of Russia, Puck Nielsen said. No one in the West is interested in having any kind of instability in the energy market.

The extent of the damage means the Nord Stream pipelines are unlikely to be able to carry any gas to Europe this winter even if there was political will to bring them online, analysts at the Eurasia Group said.

Depending on the scale of the damage, the leaks could even mean a permanent closure of both lines, analysts Henning Gloystein and Jason Bush wrote.

They noted that undersea pipelines are designed in a way that they are not accidentally damaged and leaks are rare.

Leaks of this size are a severe safety and environmental hazard, especially should Russia not stop pumping gas into the system, the analysts said.

Puck Nielsen said of possible sabotage that technically speaking, this is not difficult. It just requires a boat. It requires some divers that know how to handle explosive devices.

But I think if we look at who would actually benefit from disturbances, more chaos on the gas market in Europe, I think theres basically only one actor right now that actually benefits from more uncertainty, and that is Russia, he said.

Asked if the leaks may have been caused by sabotage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no version could be excluded.

This is an unprecedented situation that requires an urgent investigation. We are extremely worried by this news, he said in a conference call with reporters.

The Danish and Swedish maritime authorities issued navigation warnings after the leaks in the pipelines were detected northeast and southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm.

Denmark established a prohibited area to ensure that ships do not go near the leaks. Ships may lose buoyancy, and there may also be a risk of ignition above the water and in the air, authorities said.

The Nord Stream pipelines have been at the center of an energy clash between Europe and Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in late February. Plunging Russian gas supplies have caused prices to soar, pressuring governments to help ease the pain of sky-high energy bills for households and businesses as winter nears. The crisis also has raised fears of rationing and recession.

European countries have struggled to find other supplies of gas, which heats homes, generates electricity and runs factories. Poland, for example, was on track to free itself of Russian gas after working for years to secure other sources, including liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from the United States and Middle East. Germany, in contrast, is only now racing to build LNG terminals.

The Baltic Pipe is a prominent element in the European Unions search for energy security and is to start bringing Norwegian gas through Denmark and along the Baltic Sea to Poland on Oct. 1.

Simone Tagliapietra, an energy expert with the Bruegel think tank in Brussels, said the leaks cant be a coincidence and speculated they could have been caused by Russian sabotage or anti-Russian sabotage.

One possibility is Russia signaling it is breaking forever with Western Europe and Germany as Poland inaugurates its pipeline with Norway, he said.

In any case, this is a stark reminder of the exposure to risk of Europes gas infrastructure, Tagliapietra said.

Polish energy expert Andrzej Sikora said he has been warning of the possibility of attacks on pipeline infrastructure since the construction of Nord Stream 1 in 2010. The significant drop in pressure caused by the leaks was clearly not the result of a bad weld, said Sikora, head of the Energy Studies Institute think tank.

He has been urging steps to ensure the security of the Baltic Pipe, which at one point crosses paths with both Nord Stream pipelines.

Olsen reported from Copenhagen, Denmark. Associated Press writers David Keyton in Stockholm, Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Adam Schreck in Kyiv, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, and David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed.

About the photo: A large disturbance in the sea can be observed off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 following a series of unusual leaks on two natural gas pipelines running from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany have triggered concerns about possible sabotage. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says she cannot rule out sabotage after three leaks were detected on Nord Stream 1 and 2. (Danish Defence Command via AP)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 After weeks of lobbying the White House on how gig workers should be treated, the rideshare, delivery and retail industries are bracing for a new rule that is likely to make it easier to classify them as employees, multiple sources say. A proposed rule from the Department of Labor, aimed at defining whether gig workers for companies including Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and retailers such as Amazon.com Inc. are misidentified as independent contractors, is under review at the White Houses Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and is expected to be released in coming weeks.

While the details of the new rule are not known, the department could model it on legal guidance that says people economically dependent on a company are employees, or go even further to expand the pool of workers who should receive benefits, legal experts said.

Groups representing employers, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The National Association of Home Builders, The National Retail Federation and the Associated Builders and Contractors have met with officials at the White Houses Office of Management and Budget, according to White House records and sources.

Some of the groups have been trying, and failing, to convince the White House that any broad rule would hurt workers who want to remain independent and have flexibility, people familiar with the discussion said. More than one-third of U.S. workers, or nearly 60 million people, performed some sort of freelance work in the past 12 months, a December 2021 survey by freelancing marketplace Upwork showed.

Broadly defining independent contractors as employees would also force companies to pay benefits, such as overtime pay and health benefits, that would hurt their bottom line. Employers can save about 30 percent by skipping payroll taxes and unemployment and benefit costs, workers groups estimate.

The meetings at the White House were one-sided, with officials at OIRA letting groups speak and not participating or asking follow-up questions, several employer sources said. They are interpreting that as a sign the Biden administrations mind is made up.

Political

Its all very political. The administration has been clear about the stakeholders they care about and how organized labor is something they care about, said a senior official at one of the employer groups, who met with the White House to discuss the proposed rulemaking.

We expect it to be more antagonistic toward independent work, the official, who did not wish to be named said, and to hurt companies that rely on gig labor.

A White House official said that listening without comment is part of the standard rulemaking process at OIRA.

Representatives and lobbyists for employers argued against administrator interpretation and the economic realities test issued in 2015 under the Obama administration, which said most workers should be considered employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. They also presented their opposition to the ABC test which determines employee status.

Im not optimistic that the concerns we raised is going to change the direction of the rulemaking, said another lobbyist for an employer group, who spoke to the White House.

The White House and the Department of Labor declined comment. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment. A spokeswomen for the Flex Association, which represents Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, said any drastic change that will limit workers flexibility could have dire economic consequences as well as reduce income and limit options for workers.

Workers Warn of Growing Pain

Gig Workers Rising, RideShare Workers United, Mobile Workers Alliance, We Drive Progress also met White House officials to broaden the definition of employee further, according to records and sources.

A growing number of companies, including in health care, are misclassifying hundreds of thousands of workers across the United States, they argued. Workers in industries that rely on contractors, like food delivery services, say theyre left without social safety nets, accident coverage or paid sick leave, and squeezed by high gas prices.

This is a model in which if we dont draw a line in this country, every job is at risk  and so this rulemaking should be about ensuring people have basic protections, said Nicole Moore, a part-time Lyft driver and the president of the group Rideshare Drivers United.

Moore said the rulemaking would help Democrats if it were to be released before the November midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans or Democrats control Congress.

The last thing Americans want is to hear promises on what the party stands for, what it will mean to have folks in the White House, Senate and House of Representatives and then to have nothing happen, she said.

Leaving out misclassified workers would be a huge mistake.

This is President Joe Bidens second stab at re-setting rules about how employees can be defined, and is expected to be quickly challenged in court by companies.
Officers of National Investigation Agency (NIA) with security personnel during raids at the offices of Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), in Mangaluru. (PTI)

Mangaluru: Security beefed up in coastal and north Karnataka regions after the Centre banned Popular Front of India and its associates on Wednesday.

The PFI and Campus Front of India are much active in coastal and north Karnataka districts. Senior leaders of the organizations are based in these regions.

Police officials said that security has tightened and additional forces have been deployed in sensitive areas in the region. Police patrolling has been increased. Additional forces of the District Armed Reserve (DAR) and Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) have been deployed. In the city limits, the City Armed Reserve police personnel are positioned in major locations.

Meanwhile, Sri Rama Sene founder Pramod Muthalik who has been campaigning for the ban on PFI has expressed happiness over the Centre's decision.

We are happy that the anti-national organization has been banned by the Union government. This should have been done long back. Our longstanding demand is now fulfilled, Muthalik said.

He also asked the Muslim community to keep a tab on the youth and ensure that they are not involved in any anti-national activities. The religious leaders and Madrasas should play an active role and ensure that the youths are not misled, he added.

In a press statement SDPI national president MK Faizy termed the ban on PFI and its associate organizations as big blow to democracy and the rights of people.

The Centre is misusing the investigative agencies and laws to silence the opposition and to threaten people people from expressing the voices of dissent. An undeclared emergency existing in the country, he added.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that the federal government has to do more to help with recovery in the wake of a devastating wildfire that charred several hundred homes and destroyed the livelihoods of many rural New Mexico residents.

The largest fire in the states recorded history was sparked earlier this year by two government-planned prescribed burns. It forced the evacuation of thousands of residents from villages throughout the Sangre de Cristo mountain range as it burned through more than 530 square miles (1,373 square kilometers) of the Rocky Mountain foothills.

The blaze forced the U.S. Forest Service to review its prescribed fire polices before resuming operations. Experts have said the environmental consequences will likely span generations.

Fresh off a weekend of campaigning for Democratic House candidates in New Mexico, Pelosi met with more than a dozen residents affected by the fire.

She hinted that a government spending bill pending in Congress could serve as a very big start to make residents whole. She would not put a price tag on the relief package and said it will be a matter of identifying the right sources from which to pull the funding given that everything from agriculture to water quality and small business were affected.

Im sorry for what you have been suffering, recognizing the time that its going to take, Pelosi told residents gathered around the table. There were farmers, local elected officials, high school students, forestry experts and irrigation specialists.

Some residents talked about sleepless nights worrying about whether the next rainstorm would wash more ash and debris down from the barren mountainsides. They talked about the difficulties of getting around given that some bridges have been washed out by post-fire flooding. Some areas still lack telephone lines, and there are streams where they used to fish that have become polluted.

Many residents also have voiced frustrations with federal emergency managers as they apply for aid, saying they dont understand the culture of rural New Mexico.

There was a recognition this was avoidable, and that makes it shameful. But that makes it all the more reason for us to learn from it immediately, Pelosi said, adding that FEMA will need to mitigate its response since many homeowners lack deeds or other required paperwork.

U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, a Democrat who represents the area charred by the wildfire, invited Pelosi to New Mexico to hear from families. She has been a driving force behind legislation to fully compensate those who suffered personal injury or loss of property, business or income as a result of the fire.

Every time we hear the stories directly from those who have lived them, we are touched in our hearts, Leger Fernandez said,. And when we are touched in our hearts, we are strengthened in our resolve, and that happened once again today.

For the regions economic hub _ the community of Las Vegas, New Mexico _ the fire put drinking water supplies in an even more precarious position. Drought and aging infrastructure already were problems, but debris and ash flowing down the Gallinas River forced the city to seek emergency funding to install a temporary treatment system.

Mayor Louie Trujillo reiterated that the government was 100% responsible for this monster of a disaster. He asked Pelosi to ensure the relief legislation gets through Congress.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Senior Congress leader and former state home minister Ramesh Chennithala said the Centre's decision to ban PFI was a 'good thing. (ANI file photo)'

Thiruvananthapuram: The opposition Congress in Kerala and its coalition partner Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Wednesday welcomed the Centre's decision to ban the Popular Front of India (PFI) for its alleged terror activities, but said that the RSS should also be similarly outlawed.

Strongly condemning the activities of the PFI, senior IUML leader M K Muneer said the radical outfit had misinterpreted the Quran and persuaded the community members to adopt the path of violence.

The PFI not only tried to mislead the young generation but also tried to create division and hatred in the society, he said in Kozhikode.

"All Islamic scholars in the state have strongly condemned the extremist ideologies. But, outfits like PFI have made even tiny children raise contemptuous slogans. Which Islam has persuaded them to do so?" the legislator asked.

Stating that IUML has always opposed the deeds of both RSS and PFI-SDPI, Muneer said the respective communities should reject the communal ideologies of such outfits.

Sharing similar views, senior Congress leader and former state home minister Ramesh Chennithala said the Centre's decision to ban PFI was a "good thing".

"RSS should also be banned like this. In Kerala, both majority communalism and minority communalism should be equally opposed. Both the outfits have flared up communal hatred and thus tried to create division in the society," he said.

Chennithala said Congress is a party which has taken a strong stand against communalism spread by both the majority and minority communities.

The recent dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the PFI turned violent, affecting normal life in many parts of Kerala as agitated activists pelted stones at public transport buses, destroyed shops and vehicles and threatened the general public.

The hartal was called by the PFI to protest against the raids in offices and residences of its leaders and their subsequent arrests on September 22 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other agencies for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country.

In a notification issued late Tuesday night, the Union Home Ministry banned the PFI saying the central government is of the opinion that the Islamist outfit and its affiliates have been involved in subversive activities, thereby disturbing public order and undermining constitutional set up of the country and encouraging and enforcing a terror-based regressive regime.

It continues "propagating anti-national sentiments and radicalising a particular section of society" with the intention to create disaffection against the country, it said.
Dayakar Rao said Telangana was the only state that supplies clean drinking water to all houses, and that it had been recognised as free of fluoride-laced drinking water by the Centre. (DC file photo)

Hyderabad: Telangana has been selected as the best-performing state with respect to supplying clean drinking water to remote villages, panchayat raj minister Errabelli Dayakar said on Wednesday. The state will be presented an award in Delhi on October 2 by President Draupadi Murumu, he said.

The minister said National Jal Jeevan Mission director Vikas Sheel had informed the government of the selection. Dayakar Rao said Telangana was the only state that supplies clean drinking water to all houses, and that it had been recognised as free of fluoride-laced drinking water by the Centre.
IT minister and Sircilla MLA K.Taraka Rama Rao inaugurate the statue of Prof. Konda Laxman Bapuji at Yellamma Gudi near Manair river in Sircilla town on occasion of his 107 birth anniversary on Tuesday.  DC Image

Warangal: Statues of eminent persons are being installed across Telangana by the TRS government so as to educate the coming generations about their greatness, state minister KT Rama Rao has said.

Those like Prof. Konda Laxman Bapuji not only participated in the freedom struggle but also stood in the front in the separate Telangana movement after India got independence, noted the minister and Sircilla MLA.

KTR inaugurated the statue of Bapuji on the occasion of his 107th birth anniversary at Yellamma Gudi near Manair river in Sircilla town of Rajanna Sircilla district on Tuesday.

Rao said the TRS government had installed a 20-feet statue of Bapuji at the place where he was pushed out of the Jala Drushyam during the reign of previous governments in the united AP.

The government is following a culture of respecting eminent personalities. Thats why we have given their names to the districts and to the universities along with installing their statues after the formation of the Telangana state, he said.

The government would install the statues of great personalities from Telangana at the Kotha Cheruvu tank bund and at the new junction in the Sircilla town with municipality funds, he said.

KTR said he would continue doing the work to develop Sircilla. Some 3,000 homeless families were being given shelters in Sircilla. The government has constructed 2,000 houses and would soon complete the works on the remaining 1,000 houses, he said.

He said that the weavers community would be taken care of. Chief minister Chandrashekar Rao has increased the budget allocation for them from Rs 70 crore to Rs 1,200 crore. The BJP government at the Centre, instead of helping the weavers, imposed GST on the clothes they manufactured, he said.

The minister said the people should not get influenced by attempts at religious polarization by some opposition parties. They must question the leaders trying to divide the people in the name of castes and religions. They must also ask them why they were not giving national status to the Kaleshwaram and Palamuru lift irrigation schemes, he said.
Guiding the Clean Energy Transition

September 28, 2022

There was notable excitement around the opening of the Global Clean Energy Action Forum (GCEAF) Wednesday evening, Sept. 21. The three-day event drew members of the global energy community to Pittsburgh to share their ideas on how to move toward a clean and sustainable future. Carnegie Mellon University was a co-sponsor with the Department of Energy (DOE) in hosting GCEAF.

Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian (pictured at lectern) welcomed hundreds of local and global top energy officials, CEOs and innovators to Pittsburgh at a reception held at the Heinz History Center. He recognized his fellow co-chairs on the Pittsburgh-based host committee that worked with the DOE to organize the event: Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and Allegheny Conference CEO Stefani Pashman.

"The imperative facing us could not be more urgent, and I would argue that, at this pivotal moment, there is no more fitting or inspiring place to hold these conversations than Pittsburgh," Jahanian said. "Over the past three decades, this region has reinvented itself as the center of a new economy  and a model for the power of innovation."

This first-ever event featured a high-level plenary, topical roundtables with energy and science ministers from 31 countries, CEOs and experts, expert panel discussions, technology demonstrations and pitches, and other activities, all focused on how to deploy clean energy technologies.
Chinese envoy calls for efforts to open door for political settlement of Ukraine crisis

Xinhua) 08:59, September 28, 2022

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called for efforts to open the door for a political settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

The recent developments in Ukraine show that peace must be pursued and upheld by all. Bloc confrontation, political isolation, sanctions, and pressurization will only lead to a dead end, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"The task at hand is to push the parties to open the door for a political settlement as soon as possible, to include the respective legitimate concerns in the negotiations, and to put all viable options on the table," he told a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

The signing of the Black Sea Grain Initiative has already shown that even in conflict situations, diplomacy can produce results and bring hope, he said.

To uphold the international order based on international law and adhere to the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should not be mere political slogans, said Zhang.

The Security Council, as the core of the international collective security mechanism, should make full use of the mediation tools given by the charter and stick to the right direction of cease-fire and peace talks. It should, in particular, take constructive and responsible actions to accumulate conditions and open up space for a political solution, he said.

China will work with all peace-loving countries to continue to make unremitting efforts to de-escalate the situation and resolve the crisis, he added.

China has noted the latest changes in the situation in Ukraine and has listened carefully to the views expressed by the parties in this regard. China's position is consistent and clear: the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the crisis should be supported. China has always stood on the side of peace with a commitment to promoting peace and dialogue, and will continue to play a constructive role, he said.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
TS employees unions urged Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (in picture) to allow only TS natives working in AP to return.  Twitter

Hyderabad: The inter-state transfer of employees between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is facing opposition from Telangana employees unions. In all, 1,808 employees from AP have applied for transfer to TS and 1,369 in the reverse direction.

TS employees unions urged Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao to allow only TS natives working in AP to return.

It all started with AP Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma writing to his Telangana counterpart Somesh Kumar on September 23, requesting him to convey the consent of Telangana government for the inter-state transfers. The TS government did not respond, sources said.

In the meantime, Telangana Udyogula Sangham (TUS) and other unions wrote to CM K. Chandrashekar Rao urging him not to approve the applications of 1,808 staff as only 1,369 employees from TS had applied to go to AP. This would mean fewer jobs for TS aspirants and also affect promotions of TS employees.

"Telangana statehood agitation is all about getting our share in funds, water and jobs. If TS locals are denied jobs and promotions in

Telangana State, it would defeat the very purpose of achieving the state," said A. Padmachary, honorary chairman, M. Ravindra Kumar, state president, C. Harish Kumar, state general secretary and P. Pavan Kumar Goud, chief adviser of the TUS.

They said several AP natives were working in Telangana Secretariat and HoD offices in Hyderabad on spouse and medical grounds; there would be unrest among TS staff if more AP employees came in.
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Scanning historical atlases of world geographys changing/changed cartography of various countries of different shape/size in different eras, one wonders how Moscow managed its long, uninterrupted and un-changed gigantic political geography up to 1991!

Several questions arise in the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Is Russia too big to sustain itself on its own steam? Or, is it too big to be tolerated, and is hence preyed upon, by smaller Western nations? They can feel an existential threat simply with a glance at the map -- spanning from the Bering Sea at North Americas edge, straddling across the whole of the vast Euro-Asian space, jutting into the landlocked Balkan and Baltic Sea shore of Europes heartland, and further bulging below the belly towards the south, as if about to barge into the crowded Levant and the former Ottoman empires backyard, through the Black Sea?

Step back just two centuries to Napoleons 1812 Moscow invasion which turned into a retreat due to the harsh winter and food shortages, leading ultimately to a rout. Europe was awed as the Russian army advanced to the West, and French crowds prudently shouted Vive lempereur Alexandre (Long live Emperor Alexander) as the Czar entered Paris.

This ignominious French defeat at the hands of the Slav from East thus created a psychological flutter which persists to this day. That, in spite of the West being superior to the East, how did the latter trump the former?

Fast forward to the twentieth century, as Hitlers propaganda machinery tried to whip up a campaign of racial hatred before his 1941 invasion of Russia -- of pure Aryan blood versus the impure Slavs of the East. Thus, Hitlers extermination directive to his generals and marshals in the eastern theatre: In war with (Russian) Bolshevism, handling the enemy according to humane rules or the principles of international law isnt applicable. Professional soldiers were injected with hatred of racial superiority: Its the old battle of Germans against Slavs, of defence of European culture against Muscovite-Asiatic inundation. All this, mind you, despite the validity of the 10-year August 23, 1939 Berlin-Moscow Non-Aggression Pact signed by the two foreign ministers -- Ribbentrop for Germany and Molotov for Russia.

The Second World War thus became the greatest example of a repulsive race war, which once again showed an inferior but victorious Slav leader inside the superior but vanquished Germanys city of Potsdam, where from July 17 to August 2, 1945 the Big Three met -- the Anglo-Saxon duo of Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt and Josef Stalin from Moscow  to decide the future of Germany and post-war Europe, ending with the Potsdam Agreement.

On both occasions -- in 19th century Napoleonic time and in the 20th century after Hitlers war  the inferior Slavs from Moscow had the last laugh as Europes future was decided by three outsiders. That surely rankles in the psyche of the West, which has again embarked on a virtual 21st century race war through mainland Europe.

Why does it feel that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict is like a race war? Because of the way most of the West, particularly in Europe, is trying to punish all Russians for the present conflict, treating them as belligerent. What else is the rationale for trying to deny entry to and barring the movement of almost every Russian tourist in the West, may be the world? Mercifully, at least the Australians are behaving sensibly, as their defence minister Richard Marles has categorically ruled out the barring of Russian tourists as part of the Western sanctions.

What stands out today in the sudden turn of the tide against Moscows forces, is that neutral or non-aligned capitals like New Delhi and Beijing are counselling restraint. The race war of the past could turn into a race for the restoration of peace.

For Moscow, however, it may be difficult to apply the brakes suddenly to its political objectives as that would give leverage to its adversaries at the high table. The post-Second World War West has always abhorred inter-state conflict on its soil. Its an extraordinary dilemma internally too as the Kremlins latest troop mobilisation order has created ripples. War or no war? The UN could have been brought into play had a veto-wielding Security Council permanent member not been involved. But that option is out, and the world is on edge.

Understandably, a strong nation with strong military shouldnt disturb the hard-earned peace and prosperity of the globalised, inter-connected developed world. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is doing precisely what the West dreads. From power, food, fuel, fertiliser, gas, grain, trade, commerce and communications to industrial production, all are under dire stress, which threatens the path towards growth, and is thus the single most important factor cementing its unity, notwithstanding the inherent fragility. One can only hope that both Russia, and Europe, today dont fall victim to a new race war.

In this context, and even away from the West, one should ponder some questions about the type-casting of entire populations or nationalities. Can all Hindus be branded casteist? Are all Muslims communal or have links with ISIS or Al-Qaeda? Can all English-speaking white Christians be accused of a coloured vision on the non-white, non-Christians of the underdeveloped or developing Third World?

The West needs to check its cacophony over the impending collapse or break-up of Russia like 1991, and the fall or demise of its leader. Its undeniable that Ukraines past is deeply linked with the East, not the West. Kyiv is indeed the cradle of Russias history and culture. Hence, Moscows combatants must slow down to mend the fractured fraternity of its own mighty Eurasian heartland to benefit all sides.
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Announcing the decision to open up court proceedings for public, the then CJ had remarked that sunlight is the best disinfectant. (Representational Image/ ANI)

The start of live-streaming of proceedings of the Constitution Benches of the Supreme Court of India is welcome as it allows the people to get an idea of how the court functions but it is for time to decide how substantial the benefit accrued is beyond offering a spectacle.

Announcing the decision to open up the court proceedings for the public, the then Chief Justice had remarked that sunlight is the best disinfectant. He was suggesting that the opaque nature of the functioning of the court had resulted in undesirable consequences, and that they need to be corrected, and transparency can do the job.

All tools of a democratic state should be transparent. However, it must also be said that while transparency is a necessary condition, it is not the sufficient one. Parliamentary proceedings are broadcast now, with people getting to know how their representatives run the show but we are unsure how helpful it has been in making the functioning of the temple of democracy more democratic. Sessions continue to be washed out and bills that would impact the lives of millions of people are still passed in a huff.

The Right to Information Act, 2005, substantially helped remove the veil of secrecy in the governments functioning and altered public access to the process of decision making. There have been attempts to dilute the law by various means, including denial of information and refusal to fill up posts of information commissioners. Still, the law has decluttered the bureaucracy for the general public to a great extent.

Its now the turn of the judiciary to invite people to watch how it goes about delivering justice to the people whom they serve. Courts are custodians of constitutional freedoms and are expected to come to the aid of the people whenever the State infringes or attempts to infringe on them. There are occasions when the judiciary rose to the occasion; there are also occasions when it miserably failed to do so.

Independence and fairness are the key words that help the judiciary win its case before the people who are the ultimate source of power. If the public can see those virtues in action, it will further help consolidate the moral power of the judiciary in delivering justice.

Now, the flipside. Law is considered a nuanced subject which manifests itself in layers; it often refuses to allow itself to be revealed to the untrained eye and could prejudice the minds of people about judicial decisions. If that happens, then it would undo all the benefits that transparency has. Better legal literacy can help avert this. And all this will work only when the judges are able to resist the temptation to play to the gallery.

There is the danger of bits and pieces of the court proceedings being made material for WhatsApp universities. A reference by a judge or a question by another could be taken out of the context and presented in a partisan manner. There should be safeguards against such vulnerabilities.

Whether it is the Constitution or the Constitution Bench, it will ultimately depend on the people who run it to decide its usefulness. Now, over to their lordships.
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The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has fined big-name banks and brokerages a collective $1.8 billion over workers use of private texting apps to discuss work and for not always saving those messages. The fines include $1.1 billion assessed by the SEC and a $710 million fine from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The SEC investigation uncovered what the agency called pervasive off-channel communications, that were collected by the firms themselves from employee devices. The employees included senior and junior investment bankers and debt and equity traders.

Tens of thousands of communications were intentionally meant to keep the banks internal compliance and regulators in the dark, according to the CFTC. And because many private communications channels are encrypted end-to-end, they leave no recoverable record for the banks supervision, the CFTC said in a statement.

Another common theme is that the CFTC found senior executives  the very people responsible for keeping a banks house in order  who directed employees to use unauthorized communications channels and delete messages. Some executives even lied to the CFTC and SEC, the CFTC said.

The use of unauthorized private apps, and failure to archive those communications, violates record-keeping and privacy rules. Both regulatory agencies called on the financial services sector to fix internal policies and practices to ensure US regulators and bank executives can prevent, detect, and correct unauthorized illegal communications.

[ Banks face a WhatsApp reckoning as regulators clamp down on messaging apps ]

The firms fined for the violations were: Barclays Capital Inc.; BofA Securities Inc., together with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.; Citigroup Global Markets Inc.; Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC; Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., together with DWS Distributors Inc. and DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc.; Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, together with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC; and UBS Securities LLC, together with UBS Financial Services Inc.

Two firms  brokerage Jefferies LLC and Nomura Securities International  agreed to pay penalties of $50 million each; brokerage Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. agreed to pay a $10 million penalty.

Finance, ultimately, depends on trust," SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a statement. "By failing to honor their record-keeping and books-and-records obligations, the market participants we have charged today have failed to maintain that trust."

In addition to significant financial penalties, each of the firms was ordered to prevent future violations of the relevant record-keeping provisions and were censured, the SEC said. The firms also agreed to retain compliance consultants to, among other things, conduct comprehensive reviews of their policies and procedures regarding the retention of electronic communications on personal devices and their respective frameworks for addressing non-compliance by employees.

Rules are designed for transparency

Thomas Shuster, a research director with IDCs Capital Markets Digital Transformation Strategies business who in the past was a registered agent of two broker-dealers and a registered advisor with a self-regulatory organization (SRO) under the SEC, said there was never any doubt about being subject to stringent record-keeping requirements.

We werent even allowed to text and if we received texts, we had to create an image and maintain a record, Shuster said. That said, I dont know if theres momentum behind this action. My instinct is that the SEC made an example with these highly visible and deep-pocketed firms and will let the action speak for itself as a cautionary tale. Those appear to be significant fines for the given offense.

Reports of impending fines first surfaced in July.

Bring your own device (BYOD) policies have long been the norm among financial services firms, but data privacy laws such as SEC Rule 17a-3 & 17a-4, the Dodd-Frank Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, FINRA rules, MiFID II, CCPA and GDPR all require regulated industries to archive business-related communications in a secure and reliable server or face significant penalties and fines  or even class action lawsuits.

The problem was less pervasive when only email was being used; corporate email servers could automatically store communications and archival software could provide regulators with specific messages using search tools.

But data privacy regulations make the use of consumer messaging apps in regulated industries challenging for IT, HR, corporate governance and compliance teams. And the use of shadow communications can the risk massive damage to a firms finances and reputation.

Its the proliferation of these other channels of communication thats causing the problem, said John Lukanski, a partner in the law firm of Reed Smith LLP. He said the problem with avoiding instant messaging apps is that clients often prefer them, so financial service employees have to make a decision: please the client or follow the rules.

Many financial services firms decided long ago to create pre-approved communications channels through which messaging could be archived, and employees had to attest theyd comply with those rules.

The problem is if you have those rules in place, you have to ensure compliance. And, even supervisors are using unapproved channels to communicate, Lukanski said. What really infuriates regulators is when theyre performing an investigation and theyve gone into firms and asked for communications and a certain percentage of communications has been done off channel. In other words, they cant produce all the records, which impede the regulators' investigations.

The banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector is one of the most heavily regulated because it has so much influence over the broader economy.

It invites corruption, market manipulation, securities fraud, and other unscrupulous behavior that ultimately leads to financial crises, recessions, etc., said Michela Menting, a research director with ABI Research. So, regulatory bodies like the SEC and CFTC must impose very stringent regulations and compliance requirements to maintain market integrity.

Menting believes the issue goes beyond just private messaging apps; its about the ability to hold the financial services industry accountable at a time whenmany firms are undergoing digital transformation.

Why messaging apps are popular

Secure messaging apps on private phones provide a fast and simple way to connect bankers and traders, supervisors and personnel, anywhere, anytime. And the technology is ubiquitous, cheap and always available.

While WhatsApp is the most popular consumer messaging app, more than a half dozen others are regularly used, including iMessage, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Telegram, and Signal. All made their way into the workplace as smartphones have proliferated and corporate BYOD schemes matured.

It makes [the apps] massively popular tools, and practically necessary in a post-pandemic world where the workforce is increasingly distributed, Menting said via email. But the problem is that such tools too often sit outside of a companys purview, in that shadow IT realm, because they are on private phones. One could view it as laziness on the part of financial organizations (at least those that have been sanctioned); they have very specific compliance requirements, which they chose to disregard in favor of convenience.

But laziness may be only half the story; the tools can also be used to obfuscate practices that might be considered unethical, if not illegal, Menting said.

Lukanski agreed, saying the risk of not archiving commutations is that bankers and brokers can become involved in underhanded activities in the name of the firm they represent, and theres no way to discover it.

But not all of the unauthorized messaging were for nefarious purposes. Much of the activity took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when employees were mostly working from home. It was simply easier to use a private, off-server messaging app, Lukanski said.

Ive always feltyou can always do better, he said. If youre a firm not among those 16 fined, I dont think you can say, We dodged the bullet. You have every reason in the world to pay attention to the issue now.

Financial institutions have two things they can do, according to Nader Henein, research vice president with Gartners Privacy and Data Protection practice. They can train their employees, and they can monitor corporate owned devices.

They can also monitor personal devices with the employees consent, but that is messy, Henein said. The weak link is sometimes the employee, but it is also the eternally strained relationship between where the business and the governance teams.

The feds have been cracking down

The SEC has been turning up the heat under US President Joe Biden to stop financial services firms from using unsecured apps for business. In December, JPMorgan was hit with a combined $200 million in fines from the SEC and the CFTC for failure to monitor and store electronic communications between 2018 and 2020. The SEC cited the use of WhatsApp, text messages, and personal email accounts for business matters.

Before that, in 2020, a senior credit trader at JPMorgan was suspended for communicating with colleagues at Jefferies, KPMG, and VTB Capital using WhatsApp. The latter were then also the subject of investigations after employees were found to be using messaging apps as unauthorized channels for communications.

That same year, Deutsche Bank took steps to ban all text messaging and communication apps to improve compliance standards, with many others, including HSBC, Citi, and Wells Farg0, moving to more secure communications platforms. Some firms, however, appear to be ignoring the implications of not having thorough policies against such practices.

By bringing these cases at the same time, and in parallel with the SEC, the Commission is sending a strong message ... that we will not tolerate efforts to evade our regulatory oversight  oversight that these entities signed up for when they registered with the Commission, CFTC Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero said in a statement. Those choosing to participate in US financial markets are on notice  the era of evasive communications practices is over. The CFTC will hold you accountable.
Ken Phillips is Executive Director of Self-Employed Australia and has been a leader in self-employed rights advocacy in Australia and globally for more than 25 years. His work resulted in the Australian Independent Contractors Act (2006), sham contract prevention laws and Unfair Contract laws for self-employed people (2016). He has a strong focus on tax fairness. Ken has studied the IR35 issue since 2000.

Ken shares his views on the recent UK developments regarding the announcement to repeal the Off-payroll reforms:

Off-payroll was a political cancer for the Conservatives

The signalled repeal of the Off-Payroll tax rules by the new UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng is an exercise in long overdue common sense. It also demonstrates a measure of justice in how the Truss government treats the UK's 4 million or so self-employed, small business people

The UK tax administrator (HMRC) has been smashing UK self-employed people for too long. The 2017 Off-payroll tax rules and their extension in 2021 to the private sector have been a vicious weapon wielded by the UK tax authority, HMRC, with a discriminatory approach to self-employed people.

What drove the repeal appears to be a realisation that the UK laws were doing significant harm to the UK's economy. But more, the issue was cancerous for the Conservative Party's political future.

HMRC has viewed self-employed people as tax dodgers

The UK issue goes back to 2000. Self-employed people in the UK are taxed differently from employees. Depending on the calculations, self-employed people appear to be paying less tax or are double-taxed.

In 2000 the IR35 laws were introduced that enabled HMRC to declare self-employed people as employees. But HMRC has viewed all self-employed people as tax dodgers. HMRC made such 'employee' opinions on a mass scale.

The trouble is that when the courts looked at HMRC's opinions, HMRC lost. HMRC's process was (and remains) dodgy. But, despite HMRC's dismal performance, the tax authority destroyed small business person's businesses. HMRC has a blood trail of bankrupted self-employed people, and even suicides, where HMRC has been proven wrong.

The self-employed drive growth

However, after the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, UK self-employed numbers grew from around 12 per cent of the workforce to about 15 per cent. Economists at the time reported that the UK's post-GFC economic growth came substantially from the rise in self-employment. Millions of 'little people being their own boss is a powerful economic growth generator. But HMRC viewed this growth as a threat to the exchequer.

CEST is a legal fantasy and the rules dumb

In 2017 HMRC shifted tactics. Instead of directly attacking self-employed people, additional new 'Off Payroll' rules required the engaging business to be responsible for deciding if a person was self-employed or an employee. The engaging companies were strong-armed into using HMRC's online decision tool (CEST) to make the assessment. However, CEST had no basis in statute and only reflected what HMRC wanted the laws on status to be so they could collect more tax. CEST was and is an HMRC legal fantasy.

At first, the rules applied only to the public sector. Naturally, no public servant will make an assessment that differs from what the HMRC says. HMRC collected more tax, but this was just a circling of money: Government departments giving money to another government department (HMRC) was just plain dumb. Then it emerged that the contractor ended up paying zero tax due to a structural flaw when HMRC enforced the rules in the public sector. Dumb and dumber still.

Private sector roll-out proliferated more tax-dodging

In 2021 HMRC applied the new Off-payroll rules to the private sector. This is where disaster struck (again). Third-party "umbrella" operators have evolved since 2017 and claimed they could manage the Off-payroll rules. The public sector, followed by the private sector, forced self-employed contractors to work through these third-party operators. But far too many of these operators ran their own tax-dodging schemes, stole from contractors, and operated outside the UK to avoid UK laws.

What a messand all the result of the UK tax authority (HMRC) making a botch of tax administration, with the UK government going along with it.

Sunaks attack on the self-employed lost him the leadership

In August 2022, the London School of Economics reported that UK self-employed numbers were down by 500,000 and dropping. It said, "The economy is not going to recover until we start treating them (the self-employed people) better."

This message about economic reality was delivered shortly after Boris Johnson had resigned as PM, but it was already resonating throughout the UK. Rishi Sunak was Johnson's Chancellor. He introduced Off Payroll to the private sector in 2021. When Sunak made his pitch to become Conservative Party leader, he was hammered on social media for his trashing of the self-employed. Liz Truss promised to do something about IR35. Truss won the leadership.

Repeal a massive embarrassment for HMRC

What has surprised everyone is that the new Chancellor's announcement last week is the destruction of the Off-payroll policy. This is a massive embarrassment for HMRC but shows the extent to which the Truss government seeks a total reset. The new Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, said the government would "turn a vicious cycle of stagnation into a virtuous cycle of growth." Dumping Off-payroll is a headline part of a substantial package of business encouragement reforms aimed primarily at easing regulatory complexity.

More can be done to help the self-employed

But from this start, more needs to be done. The Off-payroll dumping is a recognition that HMRC has acted unfairly and unjustly toward the UK's sell-employed millions. This HMRC behaviour is an economic growth suppressor and a political liability for any incumbent government. IR35 itself is flawed. Legislated fair tax administration laws are needed that give HMRC good tax collection powers but protect small business people from bullying HMRC. There are global models that strike this balance.

Ken Phillips is Executive Director of Self-Employed Australia. Ken has been a leader in self-employed rights advocacy in Australia and globally for more than 25 years. His work resulted in the Australian Independent Contractors Act (2006), sham contract prevention laws and Unfair Contract laws for self-employed people (2016). He has a strong focus on tax fairness. Ken has studied the IR35 issue since 2000. In September this year, he was in the UK workshopping with ContractorCalculator and others on securing rights for self-employed people.
Residents of Patterson House Apartments woke up to alarms and flames after a fire from a nearby abandoned building spread early on the morning of Sept. 5.

The incident is still under open investigation with both the Eugene Springfield Fire Department Marshal's Office and the Eugene Police Department Arson Investigation team, Kelsey Hunter, executive assistant to the Fire Chief, said.

We dont have an origin, but we do have where it happened, which is the vacant building that is part of the incident, Hunter said. We dont have an ignition source yet or a cause.

Patterson House Apartments, which sits across the street from the dorm Barnhart Hall, houses over 30 residents.

A mix of community members and University of Oregon students, the residents will have to find new places to live just before the start of fall term.

It took around two and a half hours to put out the fire, and there were no reported injuries, according to Hunter. The vacant building where the fire started is a complete loss, she said. The third buildings status is unknown.

All residents are required to have previous rental insurance according to Heidi Clodfelter, owner of Principle Property Management, which manages the apartments. Employees of Patterson House Apartments have been assisting residents with their salvageable belongings that were left behind.

After the fire, Patterson House Apartments reached out to many other properties in Eugene to find rooms to house the displaced residents, Clodfelter said.

Due to water damage caused by the fire sprinklers and flame impact to the third floor, Patterson House Apartments is set to be gutted and rebuilt next year. Clodfelter said she is hoping for previous residents to return.

Hunter said students should have an emergency plan for wherever they are living, whether thats a dorm, apartment or shared house.

Make sure that everyone you live with has an evacuation plan, and everybody knows what their role is, Hunter said. And then to practice that emergency plan because thats where muscle memory will happen.
Singled out for praise in Sir Keir Starmers keynote speech was Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who is leading Labours attack on the Tories tax-cutting budget. Reeves, the lacklustre MP for Leeds West, is better placed than many to comment on the biggest tax changes since 1972.

She is married to Nick Joicey, one of new PM Liz Trusss most trusted officials, who first worked with her when she was Environment Secretary in 2014. Hes also a critical figure in the Governments economic planning, says my Whitehall mole.

Singled out for praise in Sir Keir Starmers keynote speech was Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who is leading Labours attack on the Tories tax-cutting budget

Reeves is married to Nick Joicey, one of new PM Liz Trusss most trusted officials, who first worked with her when she was Environment Secretary in 2014

He was moved last week by Liz Truss from the post of director general at the Department for Work and Pensions to head the governments Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat. So does he tell Reeves everything when he gets home  or go into purdah?

Keirs Brexit bluster

Starmer pledged to make Brexit work  but this is the man who as Labours Brexit spokesman in the last Parliament led calls for a second referendum.

Starmer pledged to make Brexit work  but this is the man who as Labours Brexit spokesman in the last Parliament led calls for a second referendum

Sir Robbie Gibb, who was Theresa Mays communications chief in No 10, recalls how instrumental Starmer was in the failure of cross-party talks to try to get Brexit over the line. Gibb at one point presented Starmer with a possible Brexit blueprint. Starmer went through the document and ridiculed it line by line, dismissing its proposals as completely unreasonable. I have copied and pasted the list from a Labour Party press release sent out this very morning, retorted Gibb sharply.

Double Oscar-winning grandee Glenda Jackson  a Labour MP for 23 years until she returned in triumph to the stage  despairs at Starmers speech delivery. I just wish Keir would get someone to help him develop his voice. It is one of his big drawbacks. One of many, Glenda!

Double Oscar-winning grandee Glenda Jackson  a Labour MP for 23 years until she returned in triumph to the stage  despairs at Starmers speech delivery

Stiletto-shod class warrior Angela Rayner has raised concerns with party HQ over claims MPs have been threatened with deselection by their local parties. Left-wing Labour MPs Sam Tarry, pictured, Apsana Begum and Ian Byrne face the prospect of deselection after members voted against automatically reselecting them at the next election. Tarry, who just happens to be the deputy leaders partner, is finished in his Ilford South constituency party, whatever Rayner thinks, says my Labour spy.

Wilson pipe myth goes up in smoke

One of the biggest selling books at the conference is Harold Wilson: The Winner.

Written by Shadow Cabinet member Nick Thomas-Symonds, it debunks the notion that Wilson smoked his trademark pipe in public only to reinforce his working-class credentials.

Written by Shadow Cabinet member Nick Thomas-Symonds (pictured), Harold Wilson: The Winner, debunks the notion that Wilson smoked his trademark pipe in public only to reinforce his working-class credentials

Sue Utting, who worked for Wilson for more than ten years from 1973, when he was Leader of the Opposition, said: Harold loved his pipe. So much so he was always putting it in his suit pocket before hed put it out properly. I continually had to tell him there was smoke billowing out of his pocket.
Max seen wearing a Star of David necklace and using Yiddish slang in movie

Viewers accused it of being anti-Semitic for making the villain, Max, Jewish

Netflix film Do Revenge has been accused of anti-Semitism for choosing to make the villain Jewish.

The movie, which has become one of the most popular titles on the platform since its release on September 16, follows Drea (Camilla Mendes) and Eleanor (Maya Hawke) as they hatch a plan to get revenge on each other's enemies.

The movie's main antagonist is Max Broussard: Drea's manipulative, misogynistic and extremely wealthy ex-boyfriend, who is played by Austin Abrams.

However, viewers on Twitter and TikTok have taken an issue with the fact Max was seen wearing a Star of David necklace and was heard using Jewish slang in the movie and accused Do Revenge of being anti-Semitic for portraying a Jewish person as the villain.

Some have also claimed the title is loosely based on Strangers on a Train, by Patricia Highsmith, who was unapologetically anti-Semitic and called herself a 'Jew hater'.

The book has not been credited as a source material but Eleanor is seen reading the title at the start of the film.

Netflix film Do Revenge has been accused of anti-Semitism for choosing the make the villain Jewish. The main antagonist, Max Broussard, centre, was wearing a Star of David and using Yiddish slang

Above, a close up of the Star of David necklace worn by the character throughout the film

Max, Drea's manipulative, misogynistic and extremely wealthy ex-boyfriend, who is played by Austin Abrams, is the movie's main villain. Pictured in another scene with his necklace

Viewers said they loved the movie but were 'tired' that Netflix made the villain wear a Star of David necklace

FEMAIL has contacted Netflix for comment.

From the start of the film Max is portrayed as the villain. It is revealed he has pressured his ex-girlfriend into sending him an intimate video of herself which he leaked to classmates.

Max is never explicitly identified as being Jewish but the teen is seen wearing a Star of David necklace several times throughout the movie, and uses the Yiddish term 'kvell,' which means feeling 'happy and proud' during a speech that reveals just how evil he is.

Viewers called out the streaming giant for making the only visible Jewish person of the movie a villain.

'Funny coincidence how in the movie #DoRevenge the villain of the movie is wearing a Star of David on his bare chest & speaks Yiddish during his evil monologue at the end of the movie despite not giving the audience 1 HINT that he's #Jewish for the entire film,' one said.

Austin, pictured behind the scenes of the movie, portrays Max, who pressures Drea into sending an intimate video of herself to him so he can leak it to the whole school

'Wanted to thank the non-Jewish writers and director of "Do Revenge" for making sure the wealthiest, most manipulative, most politically connected, lying sack of s*** character in the storyline was a guy wearing a Magen David (Jewish star) around his neck. F*** you,' another viewer wrote.

'I really enjoyed #DoRevenge, but whyd they have to throw in that the villain is Jewish at the very end, when he is at his most nefarious? His Jewishness literally has nothing to do with anything. It left a very sour taste in my mouth,' another said.

'Love almost everything about Do Revenge - the music choices were fire, I LOVED the camp nature of the film, and the actors were all on point; BUT did they have to have the main villain wear a magen David during his big villain speech/scene? Signed, a tired Jew,' one wrote.

Highsmith, pictured in 1957, was vocally anti-Semetic and called herself a 'Jew Hater,' who referred to the Holocaust as 'semicaust' or 'Holocaust Inc'

Another wrote on TikTok: 'Netflix after making the villain a misogynistic rich and entitled teen boy, piece of s*** who is literally called "the devil", wear a very apparent star of David and uses yiddish slang,' another wrote on TikTok.

She added: 'I do not have a problem with the character of Max wearing a star of David, since Austin Abrams who plays him has Russian Jewish parents.

'The problem is that making the villain in this heavily advertised and hyped up movie Jewish only adds to stereotypes of Jewish people.'

'Anyone else deeply disturbed that in the new movie #DoRevenge the bad guy - who represents all things evil in society - is a white passing uber wealthy Jewish guy? Anti-Semitism is alive and well and it breaks me every time,' another wrote.

Viewers online said they felt portraying Max as a villain played into the hands of several anti-Semitic stereotype used to vilified Jews

However, the Times of Israel noted that Max's sister in the movie, Gabbi, who is played by Talia Ryder, is also Jewish and a figure of morality throughout the film.

Though, some noted that Gabbi did not have anything that testified of her Jewish heritage in the movie like her brother did.

It has also been pointed out that Do Revenge shares similarities to the plot of Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith, a 1952 novel where two men meet by chance and decide to murder people for each other.

Patricia Highsmith was very vocal about her dislike of Jews, going as far as calling herself a 'Jew hater.'

In 2017, The Guardian reported that the author behind Carol and The Talented Mr Ripley called the Holocaust 'the semicaust' because she was disappointed more Jews didn't die in concentration camps.

She also referred to the Holocaust as 'Holocaust Inc,' to suggest Jews later profited from it.

Richard Bradford, professor of English at Ulster University, who wrote Devils, Lusts and Strange Desires: The Life of Patricia Highsmith in 2017, also revealed that the author's anti-Semitic views originated in her years working for a Jewish publisher in the 1940s.

'She called him a "kike" in her diaries and wrote that he had "Jewed" her out of a decent wage,' Bradford said.

It was also reported that while living in Switzerland in the 1980s, she wrote to government bodies and newspapers under at least 40 aliases deploring the state of Israel and the 'influence' of the Jews.
Lifetime is gearing up to release a new movie about Gabby Petito's horrific murder, and many people on the web are not looking forward to it.

The upcoming re-telling of the real-life tragedy that saw the 22-year-old vlogger get murdered by her fiance, Brian Laundrie, last summer is being veraciously slammed online by social media users, who bashed the network for 'exploiting her death' and claimed it's 'too soon' to make a movie about it.

Petito was strangled in Wyoming by her partner while they were on a road trip together in August 2021, before her body was discovered on September 19 that same year.

Laundrie was later found dead at a swamp near his parents' home in Florida from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, next to a notebook in which he confessed to the murder.

Lifetime is gearing up to release a new movie about Gabby Petito's horrific murder, and many people on the web are not looking forward to it. Petito is seen before her death with her fiance

The upcoming re-telling of the real-life tragedy that saw the 22-year-old get murdered by her fiance, Brian Laundrie, is being veraciously slammed online. A still from the movie is seen

Petito was strangled in Wyoming by her partner (seen before her death) while they were on a road trip together in August 2021; Laundrie was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot

Millions of people were invested in figuring out what happened to Petito - and her murder sent shockwaves throughout the country. The couple is seen left in real life and right in the movie

When Petito was first reported as missing by her parents on September 11, the entire nation became swept up in the search for her.

Millions of people were invested in figuring out what happened to the travel influencer - and when her remains were found eight days later, it sent shockwaves throughout the country.

Now, Lifetime is gearing up to release a flick portraying the devastating events that led up to Petito's death - but some people called the network 'sick,' 'disgusting,' and 'disrespectful' for making a movie about it just one year after Petito's death.

'Gabby Petito hasnt been dead a whole year yet and Lifetime already made a movie about her. We gotta shut down true crime culture,' wrote one person on Twitter.

Another added: 'I literally hate capitalism sm. She was an actual person with a family still grieving. And her death is being exploited for money not even a year later. I hate it here.'

'I cant believe Lifetime is already about to air a Gabby Petito movie. It JUST happened a year ago and they already planned, wrote, and filmed a movie?' asked someone else.

'I highly doubt the family gave their permission. How f**ked up is that?'

Now, Lifetime is gearing up to release a flick portraying the devastating events that led up to Petito's death - and many people are not looking forward to it. A still from the movie is seen

Some social media users accused Lifetime of 'exploiting her death,' while others called the network 'sick,' 'disgusting,' and 'disrespectful' for making a movie about it

The film, which is set to premiere on October 1 and is called The Gabby Petito Story, stars Skyler Samuels (left) as Petito (right) and Evan Hall as Laundrie

'Can we all collectively cancel the Gabby Petito movie from Lifetime?' encouraged a different user. 'Can we cause enough of a stir to get that s**t taken down to never see the light of day?'

Another user asked if they could 'cancel' the upcoming flick, while a third said, 'I cannot fathom the disrespect. They should be ashamed'

'Am I the only one that thinks its entirely too soon to have a Gabby Petito movie on lifetime?' said another person. 'Feels like a money grab on their part and its just sick. I wonder how her family feels.'

Someone else wrote that Lifetime 'pounced on the opportunity' to make a movie about her too 'soon after the tragedy.'

'The fact that there's a Gabby Petito Lifetime movie coming out a year after her death is so disgusting,' read another tweet. 'Production probably started as the investigation was ongoing. I cannot fathom the disrespect. They should be ashamed.'

The film, which is set to premiere on October 1 and is called The Gabby Petito Story, stars Skyler Samuels as Petito and Evan Hall as Laundrie.

Directed by Thora Birch, the movie is part of Lifetime's Stop Violence Against Women public affairs initiative. A still from the upcoming flick is seen above

According to Deadline it will 'explore Petito and Laundrie's complicated relationship and what may have gone wrong during their cross-country trip that resulted in her tragic murder'

Petito and Laundrie (pictured) were embarking on a cross-country road trip, which she had been documenting on social media, when the tragic murder took place

According to Deadline it will 'explore Petito and Laundrie's complicated relationship and what may have gone wrong during their cross-country trip that resulted in her tragic murder.'

She died of blunt-force injuries to the head and neck and manual strangulation, according to the Teton County Coroner; she had been dead for three or four weeks before her body was discovered

Directed by Thora Birch, the movie is part of Lifetime's Stop Violence Against Women public affairs initiative.

Petito and Laundrie were embarking on a cross-country road trip, which she had been documenting on social media, when the tragic murder took place.

She died of blunt-force injuries to the head and neck and manual strangulation, according to the Teton County Coroner; she had been dead for three or four weeks before her body was discovered.

While Petito's family have not addressed the upcoming movie, her parents did speak out in honor of the one-year anniversary of their daughter's death last month.

'Exactly one year ago today you were taken from us. We miss you everyday,' her dad, Joseph, wrote.

'We cry everyday. You have inspired so many to live, travel, and leave their unhealthy relationships. We love you Gabby.'
But many British viewers were left unimpressed with the extravagant dishes

The savoury layered bread dishes are a delicacy in Sweden, Finland and Iceland

During bread week of this year's GBBO, contestants had to make smorgastartes

Viewers of the Great British Bake Off were left unimpressed by this week's showstopper challenge which asked contestants to make 'savoury cakes' which made some people 'gag'.

On the third week of the series, which was bread week, the bakers were asked to make an extravagant smorgastartes - an impressive-looking dish that compiles layers of bread and savoury fillings including fish, vegetables and meat.

The dish, which is a delicacy in Sweden, Estonia, Iceland and Finland, is typically composed using rye bread and often uses mayonnaise as the base for fillings.

On week three of the Great British Bake Off, which was bread week, the showstopper challenge asked contestants to make a smorgastarte

Maxy, who is originally from Sweden, made a seafood smorgastarte which contained eggs and salmon

James decorated his smorgastarte with a panda he had created by adding squid ink to his milk bread dough

It is served cold and cut into portions like a cake would be, but it is always savoury.

Despite the bakers working on their designs for four and a half hours, many viewers were not happy at all with the challenge and the idea of eating dishes that look like sweet cakes, but which are filled with mayonnaise and meat.

Taking to Twitter to express their disgust, some viewers said the were left feeling unwell after watching the challenge - although a few others appeared to be on board with the idea.

As the bakers in the tent got to work on producing their smorgastartes they made their own mayonnaises and bread from scratch as they got creative with their designs and fillings.

One baker, James, decided to give his smorgastarte an east-Asian twist, usind milk bread instead of rye and decorating his creation with a panda, an animal native to China.

He filled it with char siu pork and pork belly cooked in a sweet chilli sauce. James's bread was also marbled using squid ink.

Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith cut into the smorgastartes to check they were layered properly, while presenters Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas watched on

Most viewers were left in disgust by the showstopper challenge - but a few came around to the idea

Dawn, who went for a much simpler design, gave her showstopper a Greek twist and filled it with chicken souvlaki - although sadly the judges deemed it a little bit too dry.

Watching the challenge, viewers wrote on Twitter that it had made them feel unwell.

One person wrote: 'These are so strange... They look like cake but they have chicken and cucumber in them.'

Another said: 'I cannot deal with these Swedish sandwiches. WTAF?'

One viewer, who appeared to be particularly put off by the smorgastartes, said the challenge was 'vomitous'.

They wrote: 'Gutted, worst bread week ever!'

Lots of viewers who were displeased with the challenge made the same reference at the idea of making a savoury dish that is served like a dessert.

They referred to an infamous episode of Friends in which Rachel makes a trifle for the group as they celebrate Thanksgiving, but she is known for being a terrible cook and makes a rookie error while compiling the dish.

After two pages of the recipe book get stuck together, Rachel accidentally confuses the trifle for a shepherd's pie and puts a later of beef, sauteed with peas and onions, into her dessert, leaving her hungry guests disgusted - apart from gluttonous Joey, who eats the whole thing.

While some viewers pointed out bread week hadn't been very focused on loaves, others harked back to a classic Friends episode where Rachel makes a rookie error while making her trifle

Referring to the episode, one person wrote: 'What's the next challenge? Making Rachel's trifle from Friends?'

A few other viewers made the point that, despite it being bread week, 'not a single loaf' was made, with the other two challenges asking contestants to make pizza and pain au raisin.

However, there were a few viewers who disagreed with the chorus, and by the end of the episode they were sold on the idea of the smorgastarte.

One person said: 'I normally don't understand the showstopper challenge at all on Bake Off but the savoury cake thing is right up my alley. Yum!'

Viewers were left in a state of shock after this week's episode, when hosts Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding announced no one would be leaving the tent.

After two bakers, Rebs and Abdul, were off sick and couldn't compete, judges Peu Leith and Paul Hollywood felt it was unfair to send any of the remaining bakers home.

However, their kindness means that the next episode, which will be Mexican week, will see two bakers sent home from the competition.
Eleven years ago, the Princess carried out her first royal engagement there

The Prince and Princess of Wales looked relaxed on visit to Anglesey yesterday

Since making their first appearance as a couple in Anglesey in 2011, the Prince and Princess of Wales have grown into their roles as a king and queen-in-waiting.

During their visit to Ynys Mon and Swansea on Tuesday, the royal couple looked relaxed as they met with RNLI rescuers and locals, before travelling south to Swansea.

During the appearance, which was the couple's first visit to the home nation since they were given the titles Prince and Princess of Wales by King Charles, William and Kate wowed the crowds, with the Princess even making friends with a few children along the way.

Body language expert Judi James noted the Prince and Princess of Wales (pictured) looked more settled in their roles during yesterday's appearance in Anglesey compared to 11 years ago

The body language expert noted that back in 2011, during the Princess of Wales's first public appearance, Kate held her bag in front of her as a 'barrier'

It was symbolic that the royal couple, who will one day be King and Queen Consort, chose to visit Anglesey during their first visit to Wales in their new roles - where William's then-fiancee Kate Middleton had carried out her first royal engagement 11 years earlier.

And according to body language expert Judi James, the royal couple looked more at ease on this visit as they settle into their roles as Prince and Princess of Wales and have 'grown so much in terms of confidence and sociability'.

She said in the couple's 2011 appearance in the north Wales town, they tended to 'pause and pose' more, adding they were 'looking unsure about taking a more energetic and active approach to the public and their appearance'.

Judi explained this is known as a 'passive "here we are" approach'.

In contrast, she said their appearance yesterday was a 'there you are' approach as they made steps to engage the crowd 'with a speedy-paced energy and enthusiasm as though greeting old friends'.

Charlotte Bunting, two gave Kate a gift of a snowman knitted teddy bear before she left the church with William

Kate beamed as she waved goodbye to Charlotte after the royals visit to the community church

Charlotte tugged at the Princess of Wales's motherly heartstrings at St Thomas Church, in Swansea, where she was greeted by royal fans

Judi said: 'Their body language is open and relaxed, when they used to self-diminish, keeping their arms tight to their sides in a self-hug of anxiety.'

Looking to the Princess of Wales in particular, Judi noted the placing of her handbag shows she is more at ease during the appearance.

'Kate used to hold her bag in front of her torso in a barrier ritual and William employed a nervous hand clasp,' she said.

'Now they both walk with their arms hanging loosely at their sides or offer friendly waves to the crowd.'

She added the way the Prince and Princess of Wales smile at the crowd is also revealing as it differs from the smiles they offered to the public years ago.

'Years ago it was all about royal smiles, rather fixed-looking long-term smiles that were social rather than authentic,' Judi said.

'Now they use flooding smiles that look natural and which form a tie-sign connection of rapport with the crowds. They also vary their smiles to empathetic, open mouthed grins of joy.'

Judi added the way the Prince and Princess relate to each other also shows their strong partnership, as she notes they now walk alongside each other.

She said: 'William and Kate now arrive side by side, mirroring each other but without any huddling or standing behind.

Body language expert Judi noted the way the Prince and Princess used to

Judi noted the couple (pictured in 2011) now walk side-by-side and 'mirror' each other, which they did not do in their earlier public appearances

'Kate also moves forward with total confidence to greet children by ducking down to their height and offering small hugs and touches, even double-bagging by waving and chatting to the parents at the same time.'

On a windy February day in 2011, Kate Middleton and Prince William visited the same community in Anglesey, where the now-Princess of Wales carried out her first royal engagement ahead of her wedding to Prince William two months later.

At the time, the couple were living in Anglesey, where William was working as an air sea rescue pilot for the RAF.

Kate beamed as she christened the new Hereford Endeavour lifeboat with a bottle of champagne while her husband-to-be lovingly watched on.

Recalling the event, RNLI volunteer Dafydd Griffiths told Town & Country magazine: 'Theyre such friendly, down-to-earth people, lovely. I was quite surprised how down-to-earth they were to be honest, I think everyone will tell you that.'

Another local, Colin Edwards, had given Kate a framed picture of her husband-to-be, Prince William, as a child, to which she responded: 'Look at his knees!'

During the walkabout Kate was pictured in a Herringbone coat she had owned for at least five years, showing members of the public she was keen to recycle items of clothing - something the Princess of Wales has continued to do throughout her time making royal engagements.

Yesterday the Princess of Wales was wearing a 599 L.K. Bennett 'Spencer' coat in red - which some suggested could be a nod to her late mother-in-law and former Princess of Wales, who was born Diana Spencer.

To pay tribute to the Welsh people, she also opted for Welsh brand Spells of Love's 79 'Alia Hoops' in 18ct Recycled Gold.
A 22-year-old woman has died by suicide after she spent 'years' suffering from Lyme disease.

Amelie Champagne, from Montreal, Canada, 'decided to free herself from the unbearable pain' after the disease 'essentially hijacked her,' her father, Alain Champagne, wrote in a heartbreaking LinkedIn post last week.

According to her dad, a CEO at a retirement home company, the 22-year-old spent years suffering from 'numerous physical symptoms' but didn't know what was wrong with her.

She was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease in June, but despite the 'recent treatments' her dad wrote that it 'severely impacted her brain.'

A 22-year-old woman has died by suicide after she spent 'years' suffering from Lyme disease

Amelie Champagne, from Canada, 'decided to free herself from the unbearable pain' after the disease 'essentially hijacked her' and 'severely impacted her brain' her father, Alain, wrote

According to her dad, a CEO at a retirement home company, the 22-year-old spent years suffering from 'numerous physical symptoms' but didn't know what was wrong with her

She was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease in June, but despite the 'recent treatments' her dad wrote that it 'severely impacted her brain'

A silent struggle: What is Lyme disease and how many people suffer from it? Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through a tick bite

Symptoms include a fever, body aches, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash often in the shape of a bullseye

If left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart, and nervous system - and can potentially result in stiffness and even loss of muscle use in the face, as well as arthritis and joint pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, nerve pain, and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord

A round 14 per cent of the world's population has had Lyme disease. In the US, about 30,000 cases are reported each year

A 2021 study found that 'individuals with Lyme [disease] had higher rates of any mental disorder and of suicide attempts compared with those without Lyme [disease]' Source: BMJ Global Health and AJP.PsychiatryOnline.org Advertisement

'It is with the heaviest of hearts (and still in shock) that I share the tragic news that our sweetheart Amelie took her own life this past Sunday,' Alain wrote.

'We were witnesses as to how challenging life had become for her in dealing with the evolving Lyme disease symptoms.

'Despite the recent treatments, the disease had evolved way beyond the numerous physical symptoms and was now severely impacting her brain.

'Over time, Lyme essentially hijacked her She was so courageous throughout this ordeal [but] she decided to free herself from the unbearable pain.

'We are confident she is now in peace and that her spirit is shining bright upon the large number of people she touched over her short stay with us.'

Alain described his daughter as 'engaging, empathetic, vibrant, and fun-loving,' explaining that 'despite her struggles' she continued to 'persevere.'

Before her death, she was working at a center for handicapped kids and was volunteering at a homeless shelter.

'For those that had the opportunity to cross her path, Amelie left a long-lasting impression through her engaging and empathetic personality,' he gushed.

'She remained ever the vibrant/fun-loving friend and member of our family. The resilience and continued optimism she displayed while dealing with the ever increasing symptoms was and remains my main source of inspiration.'

He concluded by adding that himself, along with Amelie's mother, Joanne, her younger brother, Mathieu, and her boyfriend, Nic, were all 'leaning on each other' during this 'painful' time.

'Despite the fact that every breath and every moment is painful at this stage, in her honor we will try to keep living our lives with the same altitude she lived hers,' he said.

Alain described his daughter as 'engaging, empathetic, vibrant, and fun-loving,' explaining that 'despite her struggles' she continued to 'persevere'

Before her death, she was working at a center for handicapped kids and was volunteering at a homeless shelter

'The resilience and continued optimism she displayed while dealing with the ever increasing symptoms was and remains my main source of inspiration,' he gushed

He added that himself, along with Amelie's mother, Joanne (left), her brother, Mathieu, and her boyfriend, Nic (right), were all 'leaning on each other' during this 'painful' time

'A long road lies in front of us (every day) We are hopeful the Amelie is now in a position to help guide and support us through it.

'We will love you forever, and cherish every memory of our wonderful time together. You made us all better people. Its now up to us to rise up to the challenge,' he concluded

'We will love you forever, and cherish every memory of our wonderful time together. You made us all better people. Its now up to us to rise up to the challenge'

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through a tick bite. Symptoms include a fever, body aches, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash often in the shape of a bullseye.

If left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart, and nervous system - and can potentially result in stiffness and even loss of muscle use in the face, as well as arthritis and joint pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, nerve pain, and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.

According to BMJ Global Health, around 14 per cent of the world's population has had Lyme disease. In the US, about 30,000 cases are reported each year.

Many celebrities have spoken out about suffering from the disease, including Avril Lavigne, Justin Bieber, Shania Twain, Alec Baldwin, Yolanda Hadid, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Ben Stiller, Amy Schumer, and Kelly Osbourne.

AJP.PsychiatryOnline.org did a study last year and reported that 'individuals with Lyme [disease] had higher rates of any mental disorder and of suicide attempts compared with those without Lyme [disease].'

'Although the absolute population risk is low, clinicians should be aware of potential psychiatric sequelae of this global disease,' it added.
Queen Margrethe of Denmark has stripped four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, the Danish royal household has announced.

The monarch, 82, has removed prince and princess as well as 'His/Her Highness' titles from Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, who are the children of her second son, Prince Joachim.

A statement on Wednesday said Queen Margrethe hopes the move will allow the siblings to 'shape their own lives without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Danish Royal Family involves.

Speaking later that day, Margrethe, who recently attended the Queen's funeral, said: 'It is a consideration I have had for quite a long time and I think it will be good for them in their future. That is the reason.'

The siblings, who are currently seventh through tenth in the line to the throne, will maintain their places in the order of succession. Their new titles, either His Excellency Count of Monpezat or Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat, will take effect on January 1, 2023.

The grandchildren of her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederick, who is married to Australian-born Crown Princess Mary, will keep their titles.

Queen Margrethe of Denmark has stripped four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, the Danish royal household has announced. Pictured, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie with Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena of Denmark in September

The monarch (pictured in September 2022) has removed prince and princess as well as 'His/Her Highness' titles from Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10

Prince Nikolai of Denmark, 23, walks runway during the Dior Pre-Fall 2019 Men's Collection show on November 30, 2018. He has also appeared on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia

Nikolai and Felix, who are both models, are the sons of Prince Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg.

Prince Joachim married his second wife, Princess Marie, in 2008, and the pair share Henrik and Athena. The couple live in Paris with their youngest children.

Queen Margrethe's decision does not impact the four children of Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik, who is heir to the throne.

Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and 11-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine will all continue to hold royal titles and be part of the royal household.

The statement said: 'In April 2008, Her Majesty the Queen conferred the titles of Count, Countess and Comtesse of Monpezat on her sons, their spouses and their descendants.

'In May 2016, it was also announced that His Royal Highness Prince Christian, as the only one of the Queen's grandchildren, is expected to receive an annuity from the state as an adult.

Prince Nikolai, from left, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim and Prince Felix arrive for the command performance at the Danish Royal Theatre to mark the 50th anniversary of Danish Queen Margrethe II's accession to the throne in Copenhagen, Saturday, September 10, 2022

Prince Nikolai of Denmark celebrated his 23rd birthday in August at home with his parents and siblings in Copenhagen. Pictured left with Prince Felxi, 20, Prince Henrick, 13 and Princess Athena, ten

Nikolai with his stepmother Princess Marie, siblings, and father Prince Joachim, on the balcony of Amalienborg palace during the Danish Queen's 78th Birthday in April 2018

'As a natural extension of this, Her Majesty has decided that with effect from 1 January 2023, the descendants of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim can only use their titles as Count and Countess of Monpezat, as their previous titles as Prince and Princess of Denmark will lapse.

Out of a title: The four grandchildren who will no longer be TRHs Nikolai of Denmark, 23: The Copenhagen Business School student and model regularly tops lists of the world's most eligible bachelors. He lives in Denmark but has jetted around the world to walk for designers in Paris and London. Nikolai has also appeared on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia. Felix of Denmark, 20: Following in his brother's footsteps, Prince Felix has also had success as a model and has starred in an advertising campaign for Georg Jensen. He had a short stint at the Royal Danish Military Academy but quit after two months because it 'wasn't for him'. Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, of Denmark: The youngest of Prince Joachim's four children, Henrik and Athena are the product of his second marriage to Princess Marie. They live with their parents in Paris. Advertisement

'Prince Joachim's descendants will henceforth have to be addressed as Excellencies.

'The Queen's decision is in line with similar adaptations that other royal houses have implemented in different ways in recent years.

'With her decision, Her Majesty the Queen wants to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves.

'All four grandchildren maintain their places in the order of succession,' concluded the statement.

Margrethe, who is Europe's longest serving current monarch and the world's longest serving queen, is affectionately known as 'aunt Daisy' by European royals due to her close personal ties with many reigning monarchs.

She is a first cousin of Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and a second cousin of Norway's King Harald V.

She enjoyed a close relationship with the Queen, a distant cousin, and the Duke of Edinburgh, and shared deeply personal tributes following their deaths.

Margrethe is the eldest child of Frederick IX of Denmark and Ingrid of Sweden. She became heir presumptive to her father in 1953, when a constitutional amendment allowed women to inherit the throne.

Margrethe succeeded her father upon his death on 14 January 1972. On her accession, she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margrethe I, ruler of the Scandinavian kingdoms in 13751412 during the Kalmar Union.

In 1967, she married Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, with whom she had two sons: Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim.

The Danish queen celebrates her Golden Jubilee this year.

Princess Marie with Prince Joachim, Prince Felix, Prince Nikolai, Princess Athena and Prince Henrick with Joachim's first wife's Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg in 2020

Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark at the State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Margrethe tested positive for Covid-19 only 24 hours after Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Monday September 19

Queen Margrethe was pictured out and about for the first time on Monday after testing positive for Covid-19 last week. She attended a gala dinner at the Grand Hotel in Oslo after receiving the Nordic Association's Language Award

Queen Margrethe of Denmark, 82, attended the 'reception of the century' at Buckingham Palace, which was hosted by King Charles and Camilla before Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

Margrethe tested positive for Covid-19 last Tuesday, just 24 hours after attending Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and mourning events in London.

She was in attendance at Westminster Abbey along with her son Crown Prince Frederik, and the two went on to the Queen's Committal Service in Windsor afterward.

The royal also paid her respects to the Queen by visiting her coffin in Westminster Hall the night before the Queen's funeral, and attended the Buckingham Palace 'reception of the century' where she was pictured chatting closely with King Charles.

On Monday, the monarch made her first appearance since she tested positive for Covid, joining Queen Sonja of Norway at a literary event in Oslo.

Queen Sonja of Norway presented the Nordic Associations annual language award to Queen Margrethe of Denmark at Nordens Hus before they attended a gala at the Grand Hotel.

Margrethe wore a vibrant long pink skirt for the gala dinner, which she paired with a navy blue lace top.

She pinned her hair tightly back and was pictured with a navy shawl over her shoulders as she arrived at the Grand Hotel.
Hurricane Ian has prompted mandatory evacuations for over 300,000 people in the Tampa Bay area and is said to hit over one million homes in its deadly path

Lastly, residents should contact a local FEMA representative to help them with repairs, meals for their families and temporary housing

She recommends Floridians send the photos over to their insurance company as well any other documents they require to file a claim

As the hurricane reaches category five, the property attorney has advised residents to photograph all of their damages prior to attempting repair efforts

Kailey, a property attorney in Florida, has revealed helpful home tips to deal with the aftermath of damages from the life-threatening Hurricane Ian

A Florida property attorney has revealed tips to help you deal with the aftermath of a 'monstrous' storm as the Sunshine State is hit by 'monstrous' Hurricane Ian.

Kailey, a property attorney in Florida who represents homeowners who have claims against their insurance company for any form of property damage, usually caused by a storm, shared tips with her fellow residents whose lives could well be upended by Hurricane Ian, a category four storm that has just hit the southwestern tip of the state. .

The hurricane has prompted mandatory evacuations for more than 300,000 people in the Tampa Bay area and has resulted in many native Floridians, like Kailey, sharing their tips to TikTok to help save both their lives and homes.

Dozens of homes are already underwater and more damage is expected to be done before the storm moves on - prompting Kailey to share some basic tips and tricks for what to do if your home is one of the many that bear the brunt of the horrific hurricane.

Kailey, a property attorney in Florida, has revealed helpful home tips to deal with the aftermath of home damage caused by Hurricane Ian

Ian strengthened from a tropical storm to a category one hurricane early Monday, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has warned it could soon reach a category five

Kailey recommends Floridians store images of their property before the storm and take photos of any damage done to their homes for their insurance company before attempting any repairs

The attorney begins her video by sharing that she mostly handles 'roof claims', before first recommending that homeowners go outside and take photos of their property, if they have the ability to do so safely.

Weathering the storm: What to do if your home is damaged by Hurricane Ian If your home is damaged as result of Hurricane Ian, the property attorney has advised residents to photograph all of their damages prior to attempting repair efforts

She recommends Floridians send the photos to their insurance company as well any other documents they require to file a claim

Residents should contact a local FEMA representative to help them with repairs, meals for their families and temporary housing Advertisement

She then explains that anything outside should be brought into your home.

'Anything that is light enough for you to pick up, if it's outside, bring it inside,' she advises.

'If its light enough for you to pick it up, it would also be light enough for winds to pick it up and those can become projectiles and damage your or someone else's property.'

Kailey then urged anyone whose home is damaged as a result of the storm to take photos of the property - before attempting any repairs or clean-up efforts themselves.

She warns that no one should 'get up on their actual roof' to take photos of their home and advises everyone stay safe, but notes that you should take as many photos as you can.

Lastly, Kailey recommends property owners review their insurance policies to ensure their insurance covers damages from the storm and advises you always keep a copy of your insurance policy with you.

She adds that you should contact your insurance company immediately after the storm when seeking coverage and be prepared to provide any documents they require, including the before and after photos of your home.

If your home is damaged as a result of the storm, you should make sure to take photos of the damages prior to beginning clean up and repair efforts.

Hurricane Ian has prompted mandatory evacuations for over 300,000 people in Tampa Bay and has resulted in traffic jams across I75 as residents evacuate their homes ahead of Ian

After Floridians prepared their homes for the hurricane and evacuated, Kailey shared her tips to help you remain calm despite the damages

Hurricane Ian was expected to hit Florida midweek, either late Wednesday night or Thursday morning, and bring with it 130 mph winds; however it made landfall early Wednesday

Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency across Florida on Saturday. He is pictured with Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, during a news conference on Monday

Next, you should inform your claims specialist of any mitigation actions you may take and complete temporary repairs to prevent additional damages.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA provides assistance to victims of storm damage.

FEMA can provide temporary housing, help with repairs and even meals for your family as well as helping you file your insurance claims.

Oftentimes during a life-threatening hurricane such as Hurricane Ian, a FEMA representative will be traveling through your area to assess damages and help those in need.

During this time, you should make sure to speak to your local representative for assistance.

Prior to evacuating, other Floridians came forward to share their helpful home tips on the social media platform as The National Hurricane Center warned Hurricane Ian will result in 'life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flooding in the Florida Peninsula.'

Florida native Matt Miller shared a video of his furniture inside his backyard pool as many on the video-sharing app have advised others to throw their furniture into their pool.

Another user who goes by Annalise, documented herself installing metal hurricane shutters to her windows to prepare.

Lauren, a woman who is new to the Florida area, took to TikTok to reveal she would be staying put despite the evacuation order.

In a viral video, she shared that her and her husband had placed their patio furniture inside their pool, had lowered pool levels and had boarded their windows with wood since they weren't able to find hurricane shutters in time.

Hurricane Ian is said to be one of the most deadly and destructive storms and with the sunshine state's population skyrocketing in recent years, many will be facing the detrimental effects of the deadly storm.

Hurricane Ian is said to be one of the most destructive storms and with the Florida's population skyrocketing in recently, many will be facing the detrimental effects of the deadly storm

Prior to laying its sights on the sunshine state, Hurricane Ian left Cuba in shatters when it barreled through the coast

On Monday, officials carried out evacuations to Cuba to prepare for the deadly storm and on Tuesday residents faced the detrimental effects

Hurricane Ian cut power to over one million Cuba residents as telephone poles and other wires crashed down as a result of the strong winds

At a time when population growth has slowed, Florida has defied the odds and has seen multiple cities experience its population burst.

According to the United States Census Bureau, no eastern city with at least 50,000 residents has grown faster than Fort Myers.

In 2021, nearly 221,000 Americans relocated to Florida - an average of over 600 people each day - and more than any other state in the country.

However, the population boom in hurricane-prone Florida means more damage from hurricanes, which have become the costliest natural disaster, according to the Office for Coastal Management.

According to an estimate released earlier this week by CoreLogic, a property analytics firm, over one million home are in Hurricane Ian's path.

In addition to the thousands of lives that may be lost, the estimate revealed the reconstruction value could total at over $258 billion.

Prior to laying its sights on the sunshine state, Hurricane Ian left Cuba in shatters when it barreled through the coast causing the destruction of property, buildings and resulting in the deaths of residents.

On Monday, officials carried out evacuations to Cuba to prepare for the deadly storm.

Hurricane Ian cut power to over one million Cuba residents as telephone poles and other wires crashed down as a result of the strong winds.
Having manoeuvred her 32-tonne lorry into a lay-by and joined her fellow HGV drivers for a bacon roll in the nearby greasy spoon, Gillian Philip couldn't help smiling at the stark contrast with her previous career.

As a successful children's author, the last work lunch she had enjoyed had been in a swanky London restaurant. That was another life entirely  one in which Gillian wore stilettos rather than steel-capped boots. But, two years ago, she had been unceremoniously dumped by both her literary agent and the company that had commissioned her to write books for more than a decade.

Her crime? Certainly not lack of talent or diligence  her books sold well. Yet that counted for nothing when she fell foul of the Twitter mob for expressing support online for fellow author J. K. Rowling.

Gillian, 58, couldn't have foreseen that, within a month of publicly backing the Harry Potter writer's criticism of a proposed change in law  one which would allow transgender people to self-identify as male or female  her literary career would be over.

'I know it's a controversial subject that evokes a lot of strong emotion, but in my worst nightmares I couldn't have predicted the devastating fall-out from adding the hashtag #IStandWithJKRowling to my Twitter bio,' she tells me.

'It started with online messages threatening to kill and rape me, moved on to emails being sent to my publishers demanding my sacking and ended, a day later, with me losing my livelihood.

Gillian Philip, 58, says: 'I know it's a controversial subject that evokes a lot of strong emotion, but in my worst nightmares I couldn't have predicted the devastating fall-out from adding the hashtag #IStandWithJKRowling to my Twitter bio...'

'It was such a scary time. I was worried about mine and my children's safety.'

Unsurprisingly, the story attracted much media interest. But what Gillian didn't reveal at the time was that this all happened just six weeks after her husband, Ian, died.

Bosses at the publishing firm were aware of her family's tragedy and the fact it had left her as sole supporter, both emotionally and financially, of her teenage twin son and daughter.

Opening up for the first time, Gillian says: 'I didn't feel strong enough to talk about my husband's death at the time  I'd have become very emotional  and also I didn't want people thinking I was playing the sympathy card because I'd been widowed.

'This was a bad thing to happen to me even if I hadn't just lost my husband.

'With the perspective of distance, however, I'm horrified that they could have dropped me at that point. At the time, I couldn't see things clearly.'

Gillian's comments come in a week when the publishing industry is embroiled in another clash over free speech. Writer Kate Clanchy, who was last year accused of racism in her award-winning memoir, has said she's become a scapegoat for the entire publishing industry. In a letter to members of the Society of Authors, Clanchy accused Chocolat author Joanne Harris, the society's chair, of calling her 'ignorant, cruel and patronising'. She has also hired private investigators to look into the social media activity of Harris and several others.

In a statement made to those in receipt of the letter, the Society said the document 'made serious allegations about the chair which should be fully investigated', adding: 'Joanne Harris strongly denies these allegations.'

Now a truck driver, Gillian was two years ago dumped by both her literary agent and the company that had commissioned her to write books for more than a decade

Reflecting on this latest spat, Gillian says: 'When authors can't even rely on their own 'trade union' to defend them, it's no wonder free creative expression is in danger of becoming a historical relic  and in the industry that should champion it most.

'I'm sometimes asked if I miss publishing. I do miss writing, and meeting readers, and of course I miss my pay, but it's a relief to be outside the industry. From my new vantage point, it's even easier to recognise the genuinely nasty atmosphere that prevails  especially in children's publishing.

'Writers are cowed by the vindictive rhetoric of small but over-powerful cliques; few dare to speak their minds, and even fewer dare to write them.'

Gillian is a strong, resourceful woman, but in the days immediately after her own ordeal, she couldn't drag herself out of bed. During one low point, her teenage son had to hold her up when her legs gave way.

She had been employed by Working Partners as an author on a freelance basis for more than a decade. The company produces series of books for children and young adults  among them Beast Quest and Rainbow Magic  and the books Gillian wrote, under the collective pseudonym Erin Hunter, with her real name credited inside, were published by HarperCollins.

Not only did she pen seven books in the series Survivors, which is about dogs, and seven in the Bravelands series, about African wildlife, with a contract to write two more (now cancelled), she also regularly toured the U.S. and Europe, addressing audiences of young readers as the face of Erin Hunter.

So great was Gillian's loyalty to the company that even when her husband had a mini stroke in 2018, and her mother became very unwell with Alzheimer's in February 2020, she finished the U.S. tours  organising care for her loved ones  so as not to leave her employers, and young readers, in the lurch.

She had been married to Ian, who was 26 years her senior, for 30 years when he died in May 2020, after a series of mini strokes which led to vascular dementia.

Working Partners sent her a beautiful bouquet, with a message of condolence and a note telling her to take the time she needed to grieve.

This meant a lot. In the early months of the pandemic, it was difficult for family and friends to rally round, and Gillian and her twins, who were then aged 19 and home from university, were each other's only solace.

'Any compassion intended had clearly evaporated six weeks later when, on June 26, the firm took away my livelihood,' says Gillian. 'My agent broke the news that Working Partners had ended my contract, under instruction from HarperCollins.'

Few writers dare speak their minds

At the time, the publisher stated: 'HarperCollins UK does not have a contract with this author, we have no direct relationship with her and we have not sacked her.'

Meanwhile, Working Partners has said that the decision not to continue working with Gillian was 'not in direct response to the nature of [her] personally expressed views', but rather because she had 'associated the Erin Hunter pen-name with her personal views on Twitter'.

A couple of weeks after her contract was ended, Gillian was dropped by her literary agency and 'all mention of me removed from their website, effectively ending my writing career'.

'I felt betrayed. And even though I knew the people sending messages were trolls, having so much hatred and venom  and those awful threats  levelled at you takes a serious toll.

So great was Gillian's loyalty to the company that even when her husband had a mini stroke in 2018, and her mother became very unwell with Alzheimer's in February 2020, she finished the U.S. tours

'I deactivated Twitter, but still the death and rape threats came, via my website. These attacks were much harder to bear because my employers, who I'd thought were my friends, weren't defending me.

'The publishing industry should be about freedom of expression and diversity of opinion, but it has caved in to this toxic community, which wants to control how people think.

'I know of authors who have had books pulped and contracts cancelled because publishers are terrified of a backlash.'

Anyone who has stuck their head above the parapet to voice reservations about the possible implications for women of a change in law relating to trans rights will be familiar with this; the haste with which others distance themselves, for fear of also being labelled bigots, transphobes or TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists).

In trucking youre allowed different opinions...in publishing it turns out youre not

Gillian was called all of the above  and worse. The people who sent the messages  she feels sure it was an orchestrated campaign led by groups who regularly gang up on so-called TERFs on social media  contacted Working Partners and HarperCollins, demanding they drop her.

That so many people might consider her bigoted has been difficult for Gillian to bear.

'Ian and I lived in Barbados [where homosexuality is illegal] in the 1990s and I got myself into a lot of arguments there for speaking out about gay rights,' she says. 'I consider myself to be liberal-minded, but we can't walk blindly into a situation in which men can self-declare as women without medical or surgical intervention.

'No one's saying trans people are predators, rather that as soon as there's an open door, there's a possibility that some men will take advantage of it to abuse women.'

Living in the remote Scottish Highlands, writing novels from home had felt like the perfect career while her children were growing up.

However, suddenly unemployed at 56  her literary income fell from around 30,000 to the 10,000 a year she receives in royalties from the 40 books she has had published  and with few opportunities to earn money locally, Gillian had to think long and hard about what she could do.

Popular author JK Rowling (pictured in 2019) went viral online, following comments made on social media

It was a friend who pointed out that another of her passions was driving, and suggested she do it professionally. 'I wanted to do something that would be all-consuming and take my mind off things,' says Gillian.

'I knew an office job wouldn't do that and if I was going to drive for a living I wanted it to feel exciting, challenging, so I applied to train to be an HGV driver. I think a few people were surprised, but no one tried to talk me out of it.'

In September 2020, Gillian began the 35-hour-long Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) training online, as the country was still in lockdown.

Given that lorry drivers were in very short supply during the pandemic, she felt confident there would be plenty of work.

I felt betrayed. The threats took a serious toll

She learned the correct way to load and unload a lorry, the restrictions on how much time a truck driver can spend behind the wheel and what clothes she would need to wear (steel-capped boots to protect her toes from falling freight, high-visibility jackets and sometimes even a helmet).

It was a few months of training before she could get behind the wheel and, although it was a rather daunting experience, Gillian felt confident she had found her new career. In September last year, it took her three attempts to pass the Category C driving test, which permits her to drive HGVs up to 32 tonnes. She has since clocked up thousands of road miles.

'Driving such a great big thing felt quite intimidating at first  I was scared I was going to hurt someone  but I love using my brain in this different way,' she says. 'It takes my full concentration, leaving no opportunity for ruminating, which I love.

'You become more confident with experience, remembering roads you can't take because of low bridges. I broke a wing mirror while reversing on my first trip, which was mortifying, but the company has had me back many times since.'

Given that only 1 per cent of HGV drivers in the UK are women, I wonder if Gillian has experienced any sexism in her new career.

'None,' she says, shaking her head vigorously. 'I'm not always strong enough to lift the heavier pallets on to the lorry, but on a lot of journeys you're accompanied by a 'second man' [a driver's mate], and there's never any shortage of other drivers willing to help me load or unload.'

It was on her first trip, to the West Coast of Scotland a year ago, that the 'second man', who was in his 30s, asked what work Gillian had done before.

'I told him the story and he said: 'Oh, you're a TERF!' I laughed and said: 'Yes, you know the terminology.'

'I wasn't offended. Although it's meant as a term of abuse, many of us feminists have now adopted it.

'Then we chatted about all the different issues and it was so refreshing. In the haulage industry you're allowed to have a difference of opinion whereas, incredibly, in publishing  which relies on ideas and critical thinking  it turns out you're not.'

Gillian doesn't do the sort of long-distance driving that would require her to stay overnight, but covers the North of Scotland, from the Cairngorms to Caithness, delivering for firms including beer company Tennent's, M&H Carriers, Pegasus Couriers and JBT Freight.

Self-employed, she earns 144 for a 12-hour shift. She doesn't work five shifts a week, but if she did, it would equate to an income of 37,440 a year.

While her children, whom she is keen to protect, fearing their association with her might lead to abuse, are 'quite amused' their mum is now a lorry driver, they are also very proud of her resilience.

Today, Gillian feels just as passionately that there should be no change in law to allow self-identification, and has been delighted by the number of feminists and free speech proponents who have sent her messages of support  including J. K. Rowling herself.

'It was great to get a follow and a direct message from her, showing support,' says Gillian.

Thanks to her new network, she managed to raise 40,000 through crowdfunding to cover legal fees so she could take Working Partners to an industrial tribunal, claiming discrimination on the grounds of her beliefs.

As horrible as its been, it was the right thing to do

Her claim has so far been unsuccessful, as the tribunal ruled that she was not an employee. However, her legal team has won the right to appeal.

'Tribunals can't award a great deal of compensation, but the important thing for me is to get recognition of the fact that I was discriminated against and 'let go' because of my beliefs,' she says.

Considering the significant toll it has taken, I ask whether Gillian would have kept her views to herself, if she could go back in time.

'No, I don't regret adding that hashtag and I would do it again,' she says, without hesitation. 'As horrible and distressing as the aftermath has been, it was still the right thing to do.

'These people got me fired and lost me my income, but I refuse to let them intimidate me to the point that I'm too scared to open my mouth.'

Gillian may have come a cropper in the publishing world for standing up for what she believes, but it's easy to see why the straight-talking Scot is a big hit with her new colleagues.
The meme pops up on my Facebook news feed after a stressful day, when I'm frazzled by the demands of working motherhood.

It is short, authoritative and, until recently, I would have found it funny: 'Stop posting your problems on Facebook and start drinking alcohol like the rest of us.'

In a flash, I'm transported back to the evenings before I stopped drinking nine months ago, when downing wine was my instinctive solution to every worry.

This reminder of my old life, timed as it is, leaves me sorely tempted to start again. Had I not learned to manage my cravings  were I one of the 32.9 per cent of adults recently revealed to be drinking at risky levels  I would undoubtedly have caved.

As I force myself to remember the reasons I gave up  better mental health, reduced anxiety, improved productivity to name but a few  my temptation segues into curiosity. Why has Facebook shown me this meme in the first place? It looks like it has been posted by someone I know  but it hasn't. Instead, I discover, it's from a Facebook page called Wine Time that two of my friends 'like', meaning, thanks to the platform's algorithm, it is more likely to appear on my own feed.

Followed by more than 768,164 people, since 2014 Wine Time has posted more than 6,000 memes  quirky photos with funny captions overlaid on them  endorsing alcohol. It targets its 85 per cent female audience by promoting wine as an empowering substance that deepens friendships and boosts confidence. Downsides, from hangovers to blackouts, are all part of the humorous draw.

'Blackout binges in my teens and 20s had morphed into less extreme but arguably more insidious drinking in middle age, when alcohol seemed to offer a way to 'take the edge off' everyday life,' Antonia Hoyle writes

In one meme, there's a tumbler of red wine alongside the caption 'because kids'. Another has a picture of two women drinking with the words, 'Friends bring happiness to your life . . . best friends bring alcohol.' Others explicitly endorse binge drinking. Take this imaginary conversation captioned on a picture of two female friends. 'Bestie: We met for coffee, how did we end up blacking out?! Me: I took your idea and made it better' [accompanied by a smattering of wine emoji].

I have spent nine months learning how detrimental my relationship with alcohol could be  how, far from boosting confidence, it fractured friendships and sabotaged my self-esteem.

Blackout binges in my teens and 20s had morphed into less extreme but arguably more insidious drinking in middle age, when alcohol seemed to offer a way to 'take the edge off' everyday life. Until feelings of burnout and paranoia grew so strong I wondered if a life without alcohol might not be happier.

Now, I feel angry that an account that so unapologetically normalises alcohol abuse among women is allowed to exist. I realise it is far from the only social media account advocating alcohol as a feminist activity.

You've probably seen some of the memes yourself  from 'Wine is to women, what duct tape is to men, it fixes everything' to 'What kind of wine pairs with smashing the patriarchy?'

And while Wine Time has no overt links to the alcohol industry, the major alcohol manufacturers, having saturated the male market, are now subtly exploiting a similar narrative to sell their products to women.

In a research paper published this year  'Pretty in Pink' And 'Girl Power': An analysis of the targeting and representation of women in alcohol brand marketing on Facebook and Instagram  academics studied 2,600 social media posts from alcohol brands between 2019 and 2020. They found gendered marketing is widespread.

The 'pinkification' of products has been well-documented (think the huge growth of rose wine and #drinkpink promotions) but brands also show alcohol as 'an essential component of female friendship', emphasising its importance by talking about 'besties' and 'BFFs'.

They encourage us to tag each other in their social media posts, and bill alcohol as a way of turning back time and relinquishing responsibilities. As I entered middle age, I swallowed this sales pitch unthinkingly to legitimise my drinking and most women still do. ('Aren't you worried you'll lose all your friends?' and 'How do you deal with stress if you don't drink?' are two of the most common questions I'm asked since quitting.)

Antonia says that 'the major alcohol manufacturers, having saturated the male market, are now subtly exploiting a similar narrative to sell their products to women'

But there was nothing feminist about my behaviour when I was binge drinking. It reduced my interaction with friends to repetitive rants and lowered my inhibitions to the point where I'd spill best friends' secrets and stagger off.

It put me in a constant state of stress so work deadlines felt insurmountable and I was exhausted, not empowered, by those 'medicinal' glasses of wine during 'mummy time' that left me sleeping poorly and waking racked with shame.

Once, booze was advertised as a way to attract romantic partners, but brands are now aligning themselves with feminist causes. Diageo, one of the world's biggest alcohol companies, whiuch makes Smirnoff and Baileys, has sponsored International Women's Day.

Absolut vodka has backed a charity fighting against sexual violence and pop star Ellie Goulding's new alcoholic drink, Served, posted on social media about donating revenue to a charity campaigning against female homelessness. Yet how feminist is it for an alcohol brand to support an end to sexual violence, when 39 per cent of victims of rape or assault say they were under the influence of alcohol?

The same number say the perpetrator was also under the influence and men dependent on alcohol or drugs are six to seven times more likely to abuse their partner.

These same companies are (understandably) lobbying against one of the few measures the World Health Organisation says can help reduce alcohol abuse  increasing the taxes on alcohol so it costs more.

'Alcohol companies are targeting women with messages of empowerment and feminism,' says Dr Athanasia Daskalopoulou, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Liverpool Management School. 'Yet the only thing they're empowering women to do is engage in harmful behaviour.'

'Big Alcohol'  an industry worth an estimated 46 billion in the UK  is not solely responsible, of course. This damaging narrative is overwhelmingly spread through social media platforms, which seem unwilling, or unable, to stop it.

Where do all these posts extolling heavy drinking come from? Do women really feel strongly enough about wine to make hundreds of celebratory memes?

There is no sign of who runs the Wine Time Facebook page  a site that, despite having been in operation for eight years and boasting a monthly organic (that is, not via ads) reach of 28 million viewers, had yet to complete Facebook's 'verification process' when I came across it this summer. Curious, I emailed the address provided on the page to ask who had set it up, but received no reply. When I contacted the page via Facebook messenger, nobody responded  my messages don't even show up as 'read'.

I get asked How do you deal with stress if you dont drink?

The only clue as to Wine Time's origin is a LinkedIn account, which describes it as a 'social media marketing specialist' based in Northern Ireland that is 'looking for advertisers'. In other words, explains internet security expert James Bore, 'I expect they have built up a following using these wine memes so they can monetise the site with adverts, whether that's from the alcohol industry or elsewhere.

'Given the huge number of posts, it could be they are automated, with a human only commenting on the page every now and again to make it look more authentic. It might look like a personal account, but it's very much intended as a business. It's legal, but not necessarily ethical.'

On Instagram, Drunk Moments UK, with 30,000 followers, posts regular memes with captions such as, 'Friends: please don't black out again. Me: I won't.' (accompanied by a picture of a woman winking). Stock photo used

So should Facebook allow it? Alcohol is a drug that causes seven types of cancer and is set to cost the NHS 5.2 billion over the next 20 years. Facebook bans tobacco advertising and gambling adverts are only allowed with written permission from the company. Yet the account remains after I reported it  twice  to Facebook on the grounds that, as a business page, it hasn't completed its verification process and does not say who it is run by. There are plenty of similar groups, whose creators are also often unknown.

On Instagram, Drunk Moments UK, with 30,000 followers, posts regular memes with captions such as, 'Friends: please don't black out again. Me: I won't.' (accompanied by a picture of a woman winking).

Another account, Women Who Love Wine posts 'Wine tastes better when your mental health is sh*t' and 'The first drink after a long day of work doesn't count; it just levels your mood back to normal.'

On TikTok  where branded content promoting alcohol is globally prohibited  98 per cent of the top 100 videos using the hashtag #alcohol contained positive portrayals of alcohol, according to a study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs last year (TikTok claims this study is not representative of most users' experiences). It also found alcohol consumption on the site is associated with friendship, which certainly tallies with the #imgonnabehungover viral trend on the site this year.

Started by the all-female trio Haim, who sang gleefully about how they were going to 'drink a bunch of different drinks' to 'be hungover' en route to the Oscars, the jokey song sparked millions of almost entirely female copycat renditions, including one by TV presenter Holly Willoughby, with two female friends. Watching it on Willoughby's Instagram this April prompted nostalgia for my drinking days, despite knowing the song presented a worrying facade  12 per cent of people report feeling anxious with a hangover. It can alter our brain chemistry for up to ten days. Of course, no alcohol manufacturer is allowed to endorse drinking to excess and the Advertising Standards Authority doesn't let brands link consumption of alcohol to increased popularity or confidence.

Yet the idea that alcohol can consolidate friendships and improve wellbeing is implied, if not overt. Wine company Blossom Hill recently described the key components of summer as 'sunny days', 'best friends' and 'delicious wine' and launched a 30th birthday Facebook campaign with Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore, filmed sipping rose.

The campaign aligns itself with feminist ideals with the line, 'Let's kick those expectations around ageing to the curb [sic].'

Fellow wine label Echo Falls also suggests wine is conducive to friendship on social media, with pink-coloured Instagram memes such as 'That one friend who is most definitely a bad influence . . . But also the best on a night out' accompanied by the hashtags #WineTime and #BFF.

While alcohol manufacturers stress the importance of drinking 'responsibly', few specify what that actually means  unsurprisingly, given one study found the industry would take a 13 billion hit if consumers complied with recommended guidelines.

Another account, Women Who Love Wine posts 'Wine tastes better when your mental health is sh*t' and 'The first drink after a long day of work doesn't count; it just levels your mood back to normal.' Stock photo used

Some seem to poke fun at attempts to cut down: Echo Falls posted an Instagram meme in January 2020 that read, 'Dry January Inspiration  Dry White Wine  Dry Red Wine' and this summer Blossom Hill's Facebook account advised: 'When experiencing a heatwave, it's important to stay hydrated'  with a winking emoji.

Most insidious of all, perhaps, is the sponsoring of feminist movements and events. Baileys sponsoring the Women's Prize for Fiction, for example. In 2018, Smirnoff launched an 'Equalizer' campaign to boost female artists on music streaming platform Spotify, while Absolut launched a social media campaign called #sexresponsibly in 2020, to shine a 'spotlight' on the issue of consent. It partnered with RAINN, an anti-sexual violence organisation, to implement campaigns to stop people from using alcohol as a tool to excuse or violate consent.

Admirable? Perhaps. Yet a cynic would argue Absolut's parent company Pernod Ricard stands to gain most. Nowadays, most of us know alcohol damages health, so the idea it can somehow enhance our lives is tempting to cling to as an excuse to keep drinking.

The unpalatable truth  that alcohol is a toxin that can leave us feeling lower than we ever would without it  is altogether more difficult to swallow.
The Countess of Wessex donned army attire as she visited the home of the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at MOD Lyneham, in Wiltshire today.

Mother-of-two Sophie, 57, was visiting for the first time since she received her honorary title as Colonel-in-Chief in March this year, the role previously held for over 50 years by The Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen's daughter-in-law looked the part in a camouflage jacket and khaki jeans which she paired with chunky boots.

The Countess of Wessex donned army attire as she visited the home of the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at MOD Lyneham, in Wiltshire today

Mother-of-two Sophie, 57, was visiting for the first time since she received her honorary title as Colonel-in-Chief in March this year

During her visit the Countess met with officers and soldiers at the Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering and School of Army Aeronautical Engineering.

Sophie was invited to observe a vehicle recovery exercise and watch a display on how the technical training received is translated into operational effect.

The royal also unveiled a plaque announcing a new name for the REME technical workshops and offices The Countess of Wessex Lines.

Colonel Jason Phillips ADC, Colonel REME said: 'It was a great honour to welcome our Colonel-in-Chief, HRH The Countess of Wessex, for her first visit to Lyneham.

During her visit the Countess met with officers and soldiers at the Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering and School of Army Aeronautical Engineering

The royal also unveiled a plaque announcing a new name for the REME technical workshops and offices The Countess of Wessex Lines

'This has been a truly special day for the many members of the REME Family who met with and talked to HRH. She saw everything from recovery training to avionics repair and additive manufacturing.'

While Lieutenant Colonel Edward Wigmore, Commanding Officer, 5 Force Support (FS) Battalion REME, said: 'Today weve been extremely lucky to welcome Her Royal Highness to the Battalion where weve demonstrated our peoples unique and specialist capabilities.

'The visit culminated with HRH naming our new home The Countess of Wessex Lines and completes our unit move to MOD Lyneham, the home of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.'

In March, Sophie met with Master General REME Lieutenant General Paul Jaques CB CBE and Colonel REME Colonel Jason Phillips to formally receive the honorary title.

In March Sophie met with Master General REME Lieutenant General Paul Jaques CB CBE and Colonel REME Colonel Jason Phillips to formally receive the honorary title

Prince Philip is pictured in 2016 speaking to soldiers during a visit to MOD Lyneham in Wiltshire

The royal was appointed by the late Queen, with the decision announced the day after Philip's memorial service.

The Duke served as Colonel-in-Chief of the Corps for more than 50 years, he took over the role in 1969 from Princess Marina, The Duchess of Kent, and visited the Corps many times over five decades.

Sophie - who is married to the Queen's youngest son Prince Edward - holds other positions in the military and she meets troops whenever possible.

In 2007 she became Royal Colonel of 5th Battalion The Rifles and is also Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Corps of Army Music and of Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps.

She's also held the position of Sponsor of HMS Daring since 2006 and been Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force Wittering since 2008.
Australian beauty brand Lanolips has sold out of the new flavours of their wildly popular 101 lip ointment at Mecca in under 12 hours.

The 101 ointment is a multi purpose cream for dry skin which has been branded the 'world's best lip balm'.

The new products are a collaboration between Lanolip and Gelato Messina and include new 101 ointment flavour dulce de leche and re-introduced flavour salted coconut and mango sorbet.

Australian beauty brand Lanolips has sold out of the new flavours of their wildly popular 101 ointment in under 12 hours

The product aims to give 'extreme hydration' to the lips by penetrating and sealing in moisture, and its also cruelty-free, sulphate-free and paraben-free.

The 101 ointment is wildly popular, including amongst celebrities like Gigi Hadid who listed it as one of her top 'post pregnancy secrets' products.

The key Lanolips ingredient is ultra-pure Australian lanolin, a type of grease secreted from sheep's wool, which mimics human oils.

The salted coconut and mango sorbet 101 ointment was last summers 'biggest hit' and is filled with lanolin, coconut, and mango

The dulce de leche 101 ointment is flavoured with Messina's best selling flavour and filled with Vitamin E, lanolin, and coconut oil.

The salted coconut and mango sorbet 101 ointment was last summers 'biggest hit' and is filled with lanolin, coconut, and mango.

It's believed Mecca will restock the product online within the next 24 hours but in the meantime it can still be found in Mecca stores across the country.

Customers have left rave reviews for this cult favourite and its new flavours.

The dulce de leche 101 ointment is is flavoured with Messina's best selling flavour and filled with Vitamin E, lanolin, and coconut oil

The salted coconut & mango sorbet flavour has a 4.5 star rating on the Mecca website.

'All the Lanolips are amazing, but this new flavour is unreal! Big fan,' one customer said.

'As soon as I saw that Messina were doing a collaboration with Lanolips I had to purchase. It's obviously great quality being Lanolips, and the flavour is good enough to eat,' another said.

The key ingredient is ultra-pure Australian lanolin, a type of grease secreted from sheep's wool, which mimics human oils

'Im already obsessed with Lanolips so love when they release new flavours. This one did not disappoint!' one woman said.

Previously Lanolips released a new multipurpose cream that claims to increase skin hydration by 98 per cent after just half an hour.

The Lanolips 101 Dry Skin Super Cream ($18.95) has a unique, intentionally grippy texture to create a skin barrier and prevent moisture loss on the legs, back of the elbows, hands and knees specifically.

The product uses naturally derived lanolin and lanolin oil, a type of wax that's secreted from sheep's wool and mimics human skin oils.

It has the powerful ability to hold 400 times its own weight in water, meaning it can deliver moisture back into your skin at the same time.

The brand's most famous product - the Original 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm - sells globally every minute and has become a favourite of celebrity alum Drew Barrymore, Sienna Miller and Miranda Kerr.

The Lanolips 101 Dry Skin Super Cream ($18.95) has a unique, intentionally grippy texture to create a skin barrier and prevent moisture loss on the legs, back of the elbows, hands and knees specifically

The product uses naturally derived lanolin and lanolin oil, a type of wax that's secreted from sheep's wool and mimics human skin oil

On the brand's website the award-winning original balm has received mostly five star reviews from happy customers.

'My first Lano product and it's amazing! I'm taking accutane at the moment and my lips and eczema need all the hydration they can get and this is non-irritating as well as very soothing,' one shopper wrote online.

'It's an awesome product for cuticles, eyes, dry spots like scabs, elbows and knees,' another said.

The latest body cream has three times the amount of Lanolin than anything else on the market

On the brand's website the award-winning original balm has received mostly five star reviews from happy customers

A third added: 'This balm is really nice and thick but applies nicely when you warm it with your fingers. Would definitely recommend if you have dry skin you want to try and hydrate a little.'

Other popular products include the 101 Ointment Multi-Bam Minty Edition, the Tinted Lanolin Lip Balm which comes in a variety of colours and the Rose + Lanolin Hand Cream for an intense hydration.

Australians can purchase the product on the Lanolips website or at MECCA, Priceline, Sephora and David Jones.
She has been spotted in a $2,300 made-to-order dress and $1,800 suit

Unlike US First Ladies, Jodie is footing the bill for her wardrobe makeover herself

Australia's 'First Lady' Jodie Haydon has given herself a $10,000 wardrobe update after being thrust into the spotlight when her partner Anthony Albanese was elected Prime Minster.

Since her boyfriend of two years was voted in as leader of the country in May, Jodie, 43, has given her style a chic makeover, adding custom-made dresses and designer pieces worth up to $2,300 to her wardrobe.

Unlike some of the US's official first ladies like Melania Trump and Michelle Obama who have landed themselves in hot water for wearing extravagantly-priced pieces, Jodie's fashion budget is comparatively modest and, the Labor Party recently confirmed, is not footed by taxpayers.

Anthony Albanese's partner Jodie Haydon has given her style a chic $10,000 makeover, adding a collection of Australian designer dresses to her wardrobe

Amid the rising cost of living, Melania was slammed for donning a Dolce and Gabbana jacket worth more than $51,000 - more than many working Americans make in a year.

The PM's girlfriend has taken a more restrained approach to her fashion makeover than her American counterparts and is picking up the tab herself.

Jodie seems to be favouring Australian designers like Karen Gee and Carla Zampatti and has been spied in their pieces multiple times during public appearances.

Karen Gee confirmed Jodie was wearing one of her $1,800 custom-made 'Leader' dresses to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Instagram.

Australian designer Karen Gee confirmed on Instagram that Jodie wore one of her $1,800 custom-made 'Leader' dresses to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral earlier this month

'Morning London time. @albomp and partner Jodie attending the State Funeral for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Jodie wearing KG,' she wrote in a post.

'Thank you again for giving me the privilege of wearing an Australian made and designed piece like this for such an important occasion. I felt so proud to be wearing it,' Jodie replied in the comments.

Following the Queen's death, Jodie looked stylish in a matching blazer and trousers by iconic Australian fashion house Carla Zampatti while signing a book of condolences at Lancaster House in London.

Following the Queen's death, Jodie looked stylish in a matching blazer and trousers by Carla Zampatti while signing a book of condolences at Lancaster House in London

Jodie opted for another made-to-measure $2,300 Karen Gee dress when meeting French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte back in July

The Florence Feather Jacket and coordinating Crepe Slim Fly-Front Pant together cost almost $1,800.

Jodie also opted for Karen Gee when meeting French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte in Paris back in July.

Laughing and smiling with the French First Lady, Jodie looked vibrant in a hot pink 'Nearby' dress with shoulder pads, a V-neck and a pleated skirt by the Aussie label which retails as $2,300 made-to-measure.

At a dinner during the NATO Summit in Spain, Jodie looked classy in a simple-yet-chic forest green ensemble another Karen Gee dress costing $1,600

Speaking to news.com.au Vogue Australia editor Edwina McCann commended Jodie's efforts to showcase Australian designers and said she is doing a 'really good job' at dressing appropriately for her new role in the public eye.

'She doesn't have the assistance of a big office, the stylists, as the First Lady in the US absolutely does,' she said.

'I think it can be very intimidating. I know that other partners of prime ministers have felt that it really was almost part of the job that they didn't sign up for, that they had to be a clothes hanger on top of everything else.'

Vogue Australia editor Edwina McCann commended Jodie for wearing Australian designers and loved the 'daring' look (pictured) she wore to the Midwinter Ball

At a dinner during the NATO Summit in Spain, Jodie looked classy in a simple-yet-chic forest green ensemble another Karen Gee dress costing $1,600.

Edwina said she 'loved' Jodie's sequin gown she wore to the Midwinter Ball saying she looked 'highly appropriate and elegant' and guessed she was working with a seamstress as the number fit her well.

'It's always been fascinating if people come into those roles with a natural kind of interest in fashion. Quentin Bryce was a good example. Julie Bishop, obviously, was fashion obsessed, really. I think they enjoyed the process,' she said.
Christmas is just around the corner and fans of the holiday season are already raving about a festive cookie candle from Kmart which has been described as 'the most delicious thing I've ever smelled in my life' by employees of the store.

A video shared to TikTok by one such worker explains that the $10 sprinkle-covered candle is the perfect treat now that the special day is only three months away.

'Currently feeling this candle in the Christmas section. The most delicious thing I've ever smelled in my life and the sprinkles! It's Christmas cookie flavour. How beautiful is that,' the employee said.

Scroll down for video

Kmart shoppers are going wild for a $10 Christmas cookie candle which is currently available in store

Other Kmart fans were quick to hop onto the trend and other videos have been shared about the trending candle, despite it only becoming available in the last few weeks.

One TikTok user named @themadsocialco raved about the candle.

'If you know me you know I love my candles. As a social media manager I'm always sitting at my desk so I always have a candle burning. It just helps me work better,' she said.

'Anyway I ran, I didn't walk and I went and got this candle. There was only a couple left.

'It smells like you've just taken a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven.

'I don't think you can purchase it online yet. Go to Kmart, purchase a candle, you won't regret it, I think I'm going to go there now and buy a couple more.'

TikTok user @Gloriaambicki said 'run don't walk' to Kmart.

'This Christmas cookie candle is only $10 dollars and it smells so good. 10/10 would recommend.'

One TikTok user (@themadsocialco) raved about the candle. 'Anyway I ran, I didn't walk and I went and got this candle. There was only a couple left,' she said

Another said it is the 'best candle at Kmart'.

The Kmart employees video attracted hundreds of comments. Many users were excited to try out the candle.

'Ok I'm actually going to get one today I'm excited,' one said.

'I buy ten of these each year to get me through to the next Christmas,' another added.

TikTok user (@Gloriaambicki) said 'run don't walk' to Kmart. This Christmas Cookie candle is only $10 dollars and it smells so good. 10/10 would recommend'

However some feel it's a bit early to be 'obsessed' about Christmas products.

'We haven't even had Halloween yet,' one user said.

However the TikToker replied: 'I'm not in control of when Xmas stock comes out, please it's not my decision.'
Tens of millions of Britons are being urged to rush forward for their Covid and flu jabs amid warnings of a 'twindemic' ahead.

Covid cases and hospitalisations are already on the rise in England, in what health chiefs fear is the start of a winter wave.

Meanwhile, flu is expected to take off earlier than usual and infect thousands more people after being suppressed by pandemic curbs over the last two winters.

Officials today warned that the double-whammy of viruses poses 'a serious risk to our health' and urged people not to be 'complacent'.

Around 20,000 people died from Covid last winter, while flu claimed up to 20,000 lives every year before the pandemic.

Jabs are both proven to protect against the viruses.

Covid's autumn booster campaign opened to 26million over-50s, at-risk groups and health and care staff earlier this month, with 3million jabbed so far.

Meanwhile, a similar-sized group  plus millions of healthy children  are set to be offered a seasonal flu jab.

Government statisticians tasked with tracking the outbreak estimate 766,500 people were infected on any day last week  up 8.6 per cent on the previous weekly toll. It marks the first rise in infections since mid-July, when the summer wave peaked and ministers faced calls to bring back pandemic-era restrictions

In final guidance published today, the JCVI set out that the over-50s, residents and staff at care homes for older adults and frontline health and social care workers would be offered a Covid autumn booster. On top of these groups, five to 49-year-olds who are a clinical risk group, live with an immunosuppressed person or are carers will also be eligible

Parents are urged to book MMR jabs for children after uptake slumped during Covid pandemic Doctors fear 740,000 children are at risk of deadly measles after vaccinations plunged during the pandemic. Uptake of the two measles, mumps and rubella jabs was the lowest in a decade during Covid and is yet to catch up. Measles can cause pneumonia and brain inflammation. Health chiefs fear cases could soar, with one in ten children starting school unprotected. They are contacting parents of children between one and six who have not yet had both doses, urging them to visit their GP. The NHSs Steve Russell said the jab is safe for your child, and will protect them, their friends and the wider community. Measles, mumps and rubella are highly infectious illnesses that can easily spread between unvaccinated people. Complications from these diseases can be potentially life changing. Children need two doses of the safe and effective MMR vaccine, with the first dose given around the childs first birthday, and the second dose given at around three years and four months old. Both doses are needed to ensure full and lasting protection against measles, mumps and rubella. The NHS has also sent out over 1.5 million invitations to parents of two to three years olds to get their flu vaccination ahead of winter. Where possible, children can receive their MMR catch up vaccine at the same time as their flu vaccine. Advertisement

Warnings of a double-whammy of Covid and flu have been rife over the past few years.

Both are seasonal viruses, which pick up pace as people spend more time socialising indoors, where it is easier for viruses to spread.

But fears of a so-called twindemic have so far been overblown.

Covid cases, hospital admissions and deaths all fell well below pessimistic estimates provided to the Government last winter.

And flu infections were just fraction of usual levels.

One expert today, however, admitted that they were more concerned about flu this winter than they had been for several years.

Covid rates are already on the rise, in what senior UK Health Security Agency advisers said were a 'threat to people's health'.

Surveillance data shows infections in England jumped nine per cent in the week to September 14  the first rise in two months. However, just one in 70 are thought to be carrying the virus.

Daily virus hospitalisations are starting to climb in the country, jumping 50 per cent in the week to September 19. And rates are expected to keep on increasing.

Sky-high immunity rates have changed the course of the pandemic, with just a fraction of hospital patients actually ill with the virus.

But health chiefs are also concerned Omicron's many sub-variants may continue to mutate in ways that help them evade the immune response triggered by vaccines and previous infections.

Meanwhile, surveillance shows H3N2  which is known to cause more severe illness than other versions of the flu  is the prevailing strain worldwide.

It circulated in the UK last winter. But Covid restrictions, such as WFH guidance and reduced social mixing, stopped it from taking off.

This has left Britons more vulnerable this winter because tens of thousands people fewer than expected have caught the virus in recent years, triggering a drop in immunity.

The variant, which is expected to take off in the UK within weeks, has caused a wave of infection in the southern hemisphere.

Australia logged 30,000 weekly confirmed flu cases at its peak in June, around six times higher than the five-year average and around 10,000 more than in 2019  the most recent year of data unaffected by the pandemic.

The spike saw some scientists call for a return of Covid-like curbs.

The autumn booster campaign opened to 26million over-50s, at-risk groups and health and care staff earlier this month, with 3million jabbed so far (middle graph). More than 250,000 were vaccinated on September 17 alone (top graph). Around one in five over-75s have had an autumn booster, dropping to one in 10 among 65 to 74-year-olds (bottom graph)

Health chiefs are worried that even a normal flu season will pile more pressure health service  which is already crippled by staff shortages and a record backlog for routine hospital treatment.

Health chiefs are now calling on eligible Britons to come forward as soon as they can for both 'essential' vaccines.

And they warn that individuals who catch both viruses at the same time are twice as likely to die, compared to those who only have Covid.

All over-50s, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, care home residents, close contacts of the immunocompromised, frontline health and social care workers are eligible for both Covid and flu jabs.

Eligible Britons are expected to be offered both jabs at the same appointment  with an injection in each arm  where possible, as was done last year.

Meanwhile, unpaid carers have been asked to come forward for a Covid booster.

And all primary school and some secondary school children are eligible for the flu nasal spray vaccine this year. These are usually dished out at school.

GP surgeries are also urging parents to bring in children who were two or three-years-old on August 31 to come forward for a nasal spray vaccine at their practices.

Health chiefs are most concerned about this youngest cohort, as the vast majority have never been infected with flu in their lifetime and the age group drove the flu wave in Australia.

Last year saw a record uptake of the flu vaccine, with eight in 10 over-65s coming forward for the jab.

However, just 38 per cent of pregnant women and just over half of vulnerable groups were vaccinated. Health chiefs are urging these groups to come forward.

To keep the viruses at bay, the UKHSA has urged everyone to practice good hand hygiene, wear masks in crowded and enclosed public spaces and cover their nose and mouth when sneezing.

Daily virus hospitalisations are starting to climb in the country, jumping 50 per cent in the week to September 19, while the number of Covid hospital rose by 13 per cent in the week to September 21. However, just one-third of these patients were admitted because they were unwell with the virus, while the remaining two-thirds were hospitalised for another ailment and happened to test positive. And ICU admissions  a measure of severe illness  hopped just four per cent in the most recent week

But health chiefs are also concerned Omicron's many sub-variants continuing to mutate in ways that help them evade the immune response triggered by vaccines and previous infections. Pictured: Sanger Institute data showing Omicron sub-variant BA.5 is behind 95 per cent of sequenced positive samples, while BA.2 and BA.4 make up the remaining five per cent of cases

Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at UK Health Security Agency, said: 'Flu and Covid are unpredictable but there are strong indications we could be facing the threat of widely circulating flu, lower levels of natural immunity due to less exposure over the last three winters and an increase in Covid circulating with lots of variants that can evade the immune response.

'This combination poses a serious risk to our health, particularly those in high-risk groups.

'The H3N2 flu strain can cause particularly severe illness.

'If you are elderly or vulnerable because of other conditions you are at greater risk, so getting the flu jab is a sensible, potentially life-saving thing to do.

'We are extremely fortunate to have vaccines against these two diseases.

'Most eligible groups have been selected because they are at higher risk of severe illness.

'Younger children are unlikely to have built up any natural immunity to flu and therefore it is particularly important they take the nasal spray vaccine this year.

'So, if you are offered a jab, please come forward to protect yourself and help reduce the burden on our health services.'

Dr Thomas Waite, deputy chief medical officer, said: 'Vaccines have saved many lives over the years for both flu and more recently Covid.

'But we must not be complacent  infections will rise once again this winter, so it's really important people get both their Covid and flu vaccines if eligible.

'Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself from serious illness and will help reduce pressure on the healthcare system.'

Steve Russell, director for vaccinations and screening at NHS England, said: 'This winter could be the first time we see the effects of the so called "twindemic" with both Covid and flu in full circulation, so it is vital that those most susceptible to serious illness from these viruses come forward for vaccines in order to protect themselves and those around them.

'If you have been offered a flu vaccination or Covid booster you should book in as soon as possible and with more vaccination centres than ever before this year, they are quick, convenient and will provide vital protection this winter.'
Labour today promised to end the 'impossible' battle millions face in getting a GP appointment.

Vowing to 'bring back the family doctor', shadow health secretary Wes Streeting revealed the party would force GPs to provide face-to-face appointments to every patient who wants one.

And he said the days of the '8am scramble' to get an appointment  likened to the race to buy Glastonbury tickets  would be 'over'.

Mr Streeting said 'patients must come first', as he announced the proposals at the Labour conference in Liverpool.

Over a third of GP appointments are done over the phone or online now, compared to just a fifth before Covid struck.

Campaigners have demanded ministers act to bring levels back up, warning virtual consultations risk missing tell-tale symptoms of serious illnesses.

Yet GPs themselves have said current rates are 'about right'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said 'patients must come first' as he announced proposals that would force GPs to provide face-to-face appointments to every patient

Map shows: The proportion of GP appointments made in-person in July across England's integrated care boards

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

Meanwhile, the figures also showed fewer than half of appointments across the country were with a fully-qualified GP

Almost half of GP appointments are done on the same day but there is massive variation around the country

Struggling GPs under pressure could refuse to see patients Struggling GPs will be allowed to refuse appointments and send patients to other surgeries under a radical 'red alert' warning system. Family doctors will also be given the right to conduct 'most' consultations remotely and enforce telephone triage when they cannot cope with demand. It means sick Britons may have to plead with receptionists to be seen in person, as happened with devastating effect during the Covid pandemic. NHS hospitals are already protected by a policy when high levels of demand threaten patient safety. It allows trusts to receive external support, postpone non-urgent operations and divert ambulances elsewhere as pressure mounts. Advertisement

NHS England issued guidance last year that stated patient preferences for face-to-face appointments must respected unless there is good clinical reason not to do so.

Sajid Javid, in his role as Health Secretary last year, also stated patient choice 'should be respected'.

Therese Coffey, who took charge of the Department of Health earlier this month, has already vowed to improve access to GPs.

Under the blueprint to fix the ailing NHS, she said it was her expectation that GPs offer patients appointments within two weeks and see the most urgent cases on the same day.

Dr Coffey also pledged to release 'league tables', allowing patients to compare how long waiting lists are at their surgery.

Yet she avoided the topic of face-to-face appointments.

Announcing his plans to improve GP access, Mr Streeting told the conference: 'As Labour's Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, I'll be the shop steward for patients, giving patients a voice as well as choice.

'Because patients deserve better than a two-week wait to see a GP  I have higher standards for patients.

'When we were in Government, Labour guaranteed appointments within two days.

'So Labour will give all all patients the ability to book online, the opportunity to self-refer to specialist services where appropriate and a wider range of choice so that we can choose whether we want to see someone face-to-face or on the phone or via video link.

'The days of waiting of waiting on the phone at 8am to make an appointment with your GP will be over and we will bring back the family doctor.'

The proportion of GP appointments made in-person plummeted during the Covid pandemic and have still not returned to their previous levels, despite public uproar.

Experts argue seeing a doctor face-to-face is vital to help spot early signs of serious diseases, including cancer.

On the issue of staffing, Mr Streeting said: 'Politics is about choices.

'Labour believes the country needs doctors and nurses more than the richest need a tax cut.

'So thanks to Rachel Reeves, we will double the number of medical training places and create an extra 10,000 nursing and clinical midwifery places every year.'

The shadow health secretary said the plan to recruit more doctors will deliver better access to GPs and ease pressure on A&Es.

In another attack on the Conservative Government, Mr Streeting also warned the concept of a free-at-the-point-of-access NHS is under threat.

He said: 'The challenge today is even greater than it was in 1997. The very principle of an NHS publicly funded, free at the point of use, is now under attack.

'Conservatives who spent the last 12 years running down the NHS are now using their failures to claim that the NHS is beyond repair.

'Lots of you know that I went through kidney cancer last year.

'When I received that cancer diagnosis there were so many things I worried about, but the one thing I didn't have to worry about was the bill.

'So, to those who argue we should abandon a publicly funded NHS free at the point of use I say: over my dead body.'

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting criticised Miss Coffey's 'Sesame Street' plan, which she has called 'A, B, C, D'  'ambulances, backlogs, care and doctors and dentists'

Speaking ahead of his conference speech earlier today, he said: 'Patients are finding it impossible to get a GP appointment when they need one, in the manner they want one.

'The Conservatives have closed hundreds of practices since the 2019 election and are breaking their manifesto promise to hire more GPs.

'Labour will train the doctors our NHS needs to treat patients on time by doubling the number of medical school places.

'We will require GPs to give patients the choice of where and when they want their appointments. Patients must come first.'

Dr Farah Jameel, the British Medical Association's England GP committee chair, said doctors are 'desperate' to provide patients with the care 'they need and frankly deserve'.

But it is becoming increasingly difficult during a deepening workforce crisis, she said.

Dr Jameel said: 'We simply don't have enough doctors.

'While it's good to see Labour recognising the workforce challenges, it's disappointing to see politicians once again making divisive headline-grabbing promises that are not grounded in reality, and which suggest the existing workforce are somehow not trying hard enough.'

Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'GPs want to do the very best for their patients and we share their frustrations when they find it difficult to get appointments when they need them.

'GP access is important but it is only a starting point to ensuring our patients receive the safe, personalised and appropriate care they need.

'What we really need to address are the huge workload and workforce pressures that are the real reason why patients are facing such long waits to see a GP.

'The college has always said that post-pandemic patients should be able to access GP care and services in a variety of ways depending on their health needs and preferences. This is already happening.'
This could help cut the 12 billion working days lost to mental health each year

WHO guidelines also say bosses should be trained to spot signs of staff distress

This includes free office yoga classes and mindfulness training for employees

Yoga classes should be in offices, the World Health Organization said today in an attempt to tackle spiralling rates of depression.

The influential body also called for managers to undergo mental health training to spot employees who are struggling, and offer their workforce stress management courses.

Experts hope the recommendations, in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation, will help reduce mental illness in the workplace.

Workplace yoga should be offered to support employee mental health, the World Health Organization has recommended

What are the WHO's office mental health recommendations? Training mangers to support their workers mental health by preventing stressful work environments and responding to workers in distress.

Improving employee awareness of mental health issues.

Interventions 'that aim to build workers skills in stress management'  which could include mindfulness training.

Opportunities in the workplace for 'leisure-based physical activity' which could include resistance training, strength training, walking or yoga. If these cant be conducted in a work setting them companies should 'facilitate external opportunities' for workers to take part.

Organisations should examine employee workloads. The authors of the document wrote: 'High workload increases the risk of symptoms of mental health conditions.' Advertisement

Another one of the recommendations is for interventions 'that aim to build workers skills in stress management' to be introduced  which could include mindfulness training.

Opportunities for 'leisure-based physical activity'  such as gym classes, walking or yoga  should also be available in the workplace.

If these cant be conducted in offices or other settings, then companies should find external sites for workers to utilise, the organisations said.

They added that organisations should examine employee workloads, to ensure that no-one is at risk of burn-out.

Authors of the document wrote: 'High workload increases the risk of symptoms of mental health conditions.'

For workers in 'emotional distress', firms should offer 'psychosocial interventions' such as those based on mindfulness or cognitive behavioural approaches. This could 'improve work effectiveness', they said.

The document, published today, also highlights risks to employee mental health, including bullying and psychological violence  also known as 'mobbing'.

The WHO said that around one in seven (15 per cent) adults of working age has a mental health disorder.

Estimates suggest that 12billion 'working days' are lost every year around the world due to depression and anxiety among workers.

And the cost to the economy is staggering  an estimated 1trillion is lost every year from the global economy due to depression and anxiety, largely from lost productivity.

'Its time to focus on the detrimental effect work can have on our mental health, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHOs director general.

'The wellbeing of the individual is reason enough to act, but poor mental health can also have a debilitating impact on a persons performance and productivity.

'These new guidelines can help prevent negative work situations and cultures and offer much-needed mental health protection and support for working people.

Guy Ryder, director general of the ILO, added: 'As people spend a large proportion of their lives in work  a safe and healthy working environment is critical.

'We need to invest to build a culture of prevention around mental health at work, reshape the work environment to stop stigma and social exclusion, and ensure employees with mental health conditions feel protected and supported.'

Yoga, like many forms of exercise, is good for mental health.

However, some fans have claimed the ancient practise has a number of other benefits like helping 'squeeze' toxins out of the body's organs, a claim which doesn't have scientific backing.

Globally, an estimated 5 per cent of the adult population suffer from depression.

But the mental health toll of the Covid pandemic was estimated to increase depression rates by 25 per cent, according to a scientific brief released by the WHO earlier this year.
Panorama Undercover Hospital: Patients at Risk is on BBC One at 9pm tonight

Staff working at one of Britain's biggest mental health hospitals pinched, taunted and even slapped patients, according to a damning BBC investigation.

A 'toxic culture' at Edenfield Centre in Prestwich, Bury, saw nurses humiliate vulnerable people suffering with schizophrenia, autism and other conditions.

An undercover reporter for Panorama, who spent three months working there, witnessed staff swearing at patients, inappropriately restraining and even behaving sexually towards them.

Patients at the hospital are held under the Mental Health Act and are deemed at serious risk of harming themselves or others. Some of them have committed crimes, including murder.

Whistle-blowers had claimed staff were behaving poorly and infringing the safety of people living at the institution, which prompted the secret probe.

Police have now opened an investigation into the hospital, which has a capacity for 150 patients, after being shown the harrowing footage. Officers looking through the evidence said anyone caught committing a crime will be prosecuted.

The investigation, set to air tonight, showed nurses swearing at patients, calling one who was suicidal a 'fat c***' and joking about her slitting her own throat.

Patients were kept in tiny seclusion rooms designed for short-term isolation, some of which smelled of sewage and were mouldy, for months at a time.

Experts said the staff behaviour was dangerous and 'really concerning', adding they acted 'like a gang, not a group of health care professionals'.

A BBC reports says a 'toxic culture' at Edenfield Centre near Manchester (pictured) saw nurses humiliate vulnerable people suffering with mental illnesses

Professor John Baker, chair of mental health nursing at the University of Leeds, said the staff behaviour was dangerous and 'really concerning'

WHAT IS BEING SECTIONED AND WHY DOES IT HAPPEN? Being sectioned means being admitted to hospital whether or not you agree to it. The legal authority for your admission to hospital comes from the Mental Health Act rather than from your consent. This is usually because you are unable or unwilling to consent. The term 'sectioned' just means using a 'section' or paragraph from the Mental Health Act as the authority for your detention. A better word is 'detained'. You are detained under the Mental Health Act. The paragraph or 'section' number is often used so a patient may be told they are on a section 2 or section 3. You may be detained if you have, or are thought to have, a mental illness which needs assessment or treatment which is sufficiently serious that it is necessary for: your health or safety, or

for the protection of other people

and you need to be in hospital to have the assessment or treatment

and you are unable or unwilling to agree to admission. The decision is usually made by two doctors and an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP). One of the doctors must be specially certified as having particular experience in the assessment or treatment of mental illness. Source: Royal College of Psychiatrists Advertisement

Professor John Baker, chair of mental health nursing at the University of Leeds, said: 'It doesn't feel safe.

'I think you are quite clearly seeing toxic staff and there has been an awful lot of hostility towards patients, which is really concerning.'

One patient suffering schizophrenia was verbally abused while being supervised going to the toilet for her own safety, the investigation showed.

A staff member complained to her face about 'having to look at your a***h*** where biohazard f*****g waste comes out'.

Later, she was filmed pulling aside the patient's clothing and slapping her bare skin while a senior nurse laughed and jeered.

When the patient hid under a blanket because it was time for her weekly injection, staff members dragged her by the wrists into a room down the corridor.

They called her a 'cheeky b***' as they held her down and jabbed her, before locking her in the room and laughing from behind the door.

The staff told her they would leave her there for an hour but let her out a few moments later.

Dr Cleo Van Velsen, a consultant psychiatrist, told Panorama the behaviour was 'against any policy I've ever seen about restraint in doing this'.

Physical restraint should only be used to prevent patients harming themselves or others, according to the Mental Health Act code of practice.

Another patient with autism was picked up by eight staff and dragged away screaming into one of the seclusion rooms.

She was kept in the bare room without any possessions, fresh air or access to the outdoors for more than two weeks.

One of the nurses was filmed saying they wanted to keep her in seclusion because staff 'needed a break from her'.

Dr Van Velsen said: 'You cannot deprive somebody of their liberties because staff are fed up of her.'

Another patient was kept in one of the rooms for more than a year, a nurse said.

Meanwhile, Olivia, a patient who self harms and had repeatedly tried to kill herself, was ignored by nurses while she was crying.

Staff members joked if she slit her throat you'd know it' because 'she'd tell everybody about it'.

They also mocked her about her weight, despite previously having stopped eating and drinking because she believed she was overweight.

Police have now opened investigations into the behaviour on show. Several staff have already been suspended.

Greater Manchester Police's chief superintendent Michaela Kerr said: 'It goes without saying that these allegations are concerning.

'Since they were brought to our attention, we have been working with partner agencies to ensure the safeguarding of vulnerable individuals.

'We've also obtained the information required to open criminal investigations and enquiries are ongoing to ensure all offences are recorded and those involved identified.

'In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, we are reviewing footage from Panorama with a view to prosecuting anyone whos captured committing a crime.'

Patients were kept in tiny seclusion rooms designed for short-term isolation, some of which smelled of sewage and were mouldy, for months at a time, according to the undercover report

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) said it has taken the allegations 'very seriously'.

A statement said: 'We would like to reassure patients, carers, staff, and the public that we are taking the matters raised very seriously.

'We have put in place immediate actions to protect patient safety, which is our utmost priority.

'Since then, senior doctors at the Trust have undertaken clinical reviews of the patients affected, we have suspended a number of staff pending further investigations and we have also commissioned an independent clinical review of the services provided at the Edenfield Centre.

'We are working closely with local and national partners including NHS England, the Care Quality Commission and Greater Manchester Police to ensure the safety of these services. We will co-operate fully with all investigations.

'We owe it to our patients, their families and carers, the public and our staff that these allegations are fully investigated to ensure we provide the best care, every day, for all the communities we serve.'
There is also a higher risk of mental health issues due to the level of destruction from the storm

Super-asthma can occur after the extreme storms because of the amount of pollen swept into the air

Experts have come forward to warn over the hidden health risks of hurricanes battering the American coast

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Hurricane Ian is ripping through southern Florida putting thousands of homes underwater and causing power outages across large parts of the state.

The up to 155mph storm is expected to wreak more havoc in the sunshine state than Hurricane Andrew, which killed 65 people in Louisiana, Florida and the Bahamas after it made landfall in 1992.

Dozens of Americans die directly from hurricanes every year, with many more put into hospitals with injuries from falling debris or being launched through the air by gusts.

But other than the obvious threats to life and livelihoods, doctors are now warning of the hidden health risks from extreme storms.

'Super-asthma' is a phenomenon that can occur after a hurricane, Dr Robert McDermott an allergy expert based in Colorado told DailyMail.com.

Extreme storms sweep up pollen and other respiratory allergens which can irritate the lungs of asthmatics, making symptoms worse.

Dr James Diaz, a public health expert at Louisiana State University, told DailyMail.com there could also be a wave of mental health issues following the mass destruction.

For some this will lead to 'behavioral issues' as people struggled to cope with loss, including some turning to alcohol and drugs.

And as flood waters surge into treatment plans they will mix chemicals, human waste and maybe even dead animals with drinking water making it unsafe to use.

The above graphic highlights four hidden health risks from hurricanes, according to experts. They include mental health problems from the damage, asthma because pollen has been swept up, encounters with dangerous wild animals that have been displaced and water contamination leaving it posing a serious health risk

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA: The area is shown above as Hurricane Ian makes landfall sparking flooding and damage to homes

One individual who did not heed the warnings to evacuate has ended up swimming through potentially contaminated water. The CDC advises thoroughly washing yourself afterwards due to the risk of negative health effects

Hurricanes have several serious health impacts. Pictured above is hurricane Ian as it slams into the coast of Florida today

Hurricane Ian strikes Florida with storm surge Hurricane Ian unleashed devastation on southwest Florida after a 6ft storm surge plowed through Fort Myers destroying houses as water rengulfed two-story properties. Horrifying footage showed wave after wave pummel the small city, swallowing buildings and cars as the monster tempest finally made landfall on Wednesday. It sees the 'unsurvivable' torrent of water engulf palm trees in the tropical resort and rip some from their roots as it was forced forwards by 155mph winds - only the fifth storm in history to hit land at that speed. Fort Myers was one of the first cities to be battered by Ian, with apocalyptic images from after the initial surge showing homes decimated by its wrath as roads turned into rivers. Meanwhile Naples and Sanibel Island were also rocked by the 'historic' hurricane, with houses overwhelmed by water, debris flung through windows and some even ripped from their hinges. And in Martin County, the sheriff's office confirmed that this morning the body of 34-year-old construction worker Cody Dudek was found face down near Palm City. Across the state 1,103,460 households saw blackouts and Ron DeSantis said during a lunchtime update he expected the number to reach the millions as well as $45billion-worth of damage. The Florida Governor urged residents who decided to brave the storm to stay in their properties or emergency bunkers while the hurricane blasted the coastline and neared on Category 5. But some foolhardy locals ignored his pleas and flocked to the sea with inflatables and surfboards, while others gathered on piers to take risky photographs of the tempest. Advertisement

' Super-asthma'

Experts warn that tons of pollen can be sucked into the air by hurricanes  and even broken into small shards  as the extreme weather sweep through.

This raises the risk of asthma attacks, with several studies showing they spike during and just after thunderstorms.

This phenomena is known as thunder asthma or thunder hayfever.

Dr McDermott, who is also part of the AllerVie Health Network, told DailyMail.com: 'We know that wind events  like thunderstorms  and the wind current can pick up quite a bit of pollen.

'Hurricanes are a bit different, but we can anticipate people will have more health issues with asthma.'

Hay fever sufferers are at risk too, but so are about 60 percent of asthmatics whose symptoms are triggered by pollen.

Dr McDermott said asthma sufferers should ensure they have at least two inhalers on hand. Each lasts several months giving sufferers ample time to replace one.

He added they should have spare medication and inhalers on hand because damage to the area could leave them unable to buy more for weeks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends having an at least three-day supply of medications.

A thunderstorm in Melbourne in November 2016 triggered eight fatal asthma attacks.

There are no comparable figures for the US, but in the UK a thunderstorm in 1994 led to 'several thousand' asthma-related illnesses.

After a hurricane, asthma sufferers may also be at higher risk because pollen remains in the air.

Similarly, the damp areas in houses will quickly cause mould to start forming  also a risk for asthma sufferers.

Emotional impacts of the storm, such as the destruction of property, among other factors may also raise the risk of suffering asthma.

About 25million Americans have asthma, or one out of every 13 citizens. Five million of them are children.

Contaminated water

When a hurricane strikes, it leads to seawater surging onto land where it picks up chemicals, dead animals, human waste and germs that could cause disease.

This is then swept into water treatment systems, the CDC says, contaminating the local tap water supply.

It says that after a hurricane people should avoid drinking tap water, and instead opt for bottled water until they get the all-clear from authorities.

Tap water that tastes funny, has a strange odor or color should be avoided, they add.

Drinking contaminated water puts people at risk of catching diseases including E.coli, which can lead to diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting.

They could also consumer pesticides or heavy metals, which can trigger chest pains and in severe cases lead to convulsions, difficulty breathing and involuntary urination.

Florida health chiefs are telling residents 'not to assume' their tap water is safe, and instead drink only bottled water until their supply is tested and deemed safe.

Extreme blues

Following the destruction wrought by hurricanes, experts warn many survivors will be struck by stress, sadness and concerns due to the loss of property and disruption to their daily lives.

Dr Diaz warned DailyMail.com that survivors would likely be under a 'lot of stress', which could trigger 'behavioral issues' such as turning to alcohol or drugs to help handle emotions.

'Mass population displacement is one of the things we have to be very concerned about,' he added, 'it is the behavioral impact of being displaced'.

A study published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report last year on 231 households in Florida Keys affected by category four Hurricane Irma found that 20 months later 17 per cent of participants were more anxious while 11 per cent were more depressed. The area's suicide rate also rose by a third from 25.2 suicides per 100,000 people at the five-year average to 34.4 per 100,000.

Another paper from 2019 found that one in six low-income mothers were still struggling with symptoms similar to probable post-traumatic stress disorder more than a decade after Hurricane Katrina.

Heart disease

Extreme weather also raises the risk of suffering from a heart attack or stroke.

The American Heart Association says this is because of rising stress levels during a storm, which will in turn raise blood pressure and the likelihood of suffering the events.

After the extreme weather hits, these can remain high in part due to anxiety and depression as they come to terms with the damage from the storm.

A study from 2014 found that in the two weeks after Hurricane Sandy  which struck New Jersey  heart attacks and strokes rose by 22 per cent compared to before the storm.

Flying objects due to tornadoes, flooding

The most obvious harm to health is the high winds produced by Hurricane Ian.

Photos have already emerged of the 104mph winds striking the area, launching cars, bins and roofs into the air  and even flipping over planes.

'People who have not evacuated will have to fend for themselves,' said Dr Diaz. 'You are not going to have emergency medical services... and you are not going to be rescued for the first several days afterwards.'

A number of deaths occur after trees or their branches fall onto cars or homes that people are sheltering in, or if they become trapped under a falling object.

But one of the most common ways to die during a hurricane is being swept into surge waters and drowning, the National Hurricane Center in Miami says.

One in three people that died directly from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were killed this way, a study from 2014 said. The extreme storm was the third most deadly to hit the US, and directly responsible for 1,170 fatalities.

Dr Diaz said this risk was the main reason people were asked to leave their homes as the hurricane approaches.

Sheltering in houses or other buildings will only provide limited protection, he added, because the waters can be powerful enough to rip up the foundations of buildings.

Wild animals

Before the hurricane many animals such as horses, deer and wild pigs will have headed to higher ground to escape the worst effects, Dr Diaz said.

But reptiles  including alligators and deadly venomous snakes  will have sought cover in their burrows or shelters.

These are flushed out by the water surge, and can end up anywhere  including in people's homes and on their back yards.

Dr Diaz urged those returning to areas after a hurricane to be wary of the animals being somewhere that wouldn't normally be expected.

Florida is one of America's deadliest states for animal attacks, recording around ten alligator attacks a year alone and 400 bites from venomous snakes.

Dr Diaz revealed a terrigying encounter after a storm in Mississippi in which he ended up with an eight-foot alligator on his lawn.

He also warned people to be aware of fire ants. When their nests are flooded, these insects build rafts and 'sail' to shelter elsewhere. It means that entire colonies can end up in unexpected places.
Beloved Australian products contain little to no homegrown ingredients

Popular brands including Bega and Sanitarium are marketing products as being 'Made in Australia', even though they contain little to no homegrown ingredients.

Peanut butter spreads from Bega, Sanitarium and Woolworths' Macro all use less than 25 per cent Australian ingredients, with one label containing no local products despite peanuts being grown here.

Beloved brands including Bega and Sanitarium are marketing products as being 'Made in Australia' despite containing little to no homegrown ingredients

Sanitarium contains no Australian ingredients in its popular peanut butter spread

Sanitarium

Peanut butter spreads made by Sanitarium contain no Australian ingredients, despite carrying the Made in Australia symbol on its packaging.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, Sanitarium said there weren't enough peanut farmers in Australia to 'meet demand'.

'To ensure a consistent year-round supply of Sanitarium peanut butters, we need to source peanuts from overseas,' a spokesperson said.

'Country of Origin labelling was introduced a number of years back to provide consumers with information about where ingredients are sourced.

'This label appears on Sanitarium peanut butters, providing consumers with full transparency that the peanuts we use are not sourced in Australia. However, our claim that the product is 'Made in Australia' remains accurate.'

The popular peanut butter contains no ingredients produced in Australia and the lowest percentage of peanut butter in the market

Bega's traditional smooth, light and chunky spreads contain less than 10 per cent Australian products

Bega

The levels of local ingredients in Bega spreads remain extremely low.

Its traditional smooth, light and chunky peanut butter spreads contain less than 10 per cent Australian products, with the exact number not known.

Below the small label Bega have even included an explanation for the low figure, saying a lack of peanut farmers in Australia are to blame.

'Australians eat more peanuts than our local industry can supply! We're currently working with our Aussie farmers to grow more peanuts,' Bega say its on its packaging.

Bega offers another peanut butter product called Simply Nuts, which comes in a different green packaging and contains 100 per cent Australian ingredients.

Bega's traditional smooth, light and chunky spreads contain less than 10 per cent Australian products - with the exact number not known

Bega's website doesn't mention sourcing its ingredients from overseas but instead focuses on where it is manufactured.

'We're dedicated to crafting Australia's favourite Peanut Butter. We're the peanut experts, and we only source the best Hi-Oleic peanuts, rich in good fats, for the freshest roasted peanut taste to make the best peanut butter products for all of Australia,' its website reads.

'Our original Bega peanut butter has been made in Port Melbourne for over 55 years, with the same recipe to consistently deliver the roasted peanut taste Australians love.'

A spokesperson for Bega noted the difficult conditions Australia poses for producing peanuts and said it had 'temporarily' reduced its Aussie ingredients.

'Aussie peanut farmers faced a tough season in 2019 due to challenging growing conditions in Queensland, driven by drought in several key growing regions,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

'Therefore, we have made the decision to temporarily reduce the percentage of Australian peanuts in our Bega Peanut Butter products. While this decision may be disappointing to some  we're hoping that this reduction is temporary.'

It underlined its ambitions to help grow the peanut industry in Australia and said its Simply Nuts product provides a 100 per cent Australian ingredient alternative.

Macro - Woolworths

Despite displaying the 'Made in Australia' text and logo, Macro peanut butter sources 100 per cent of its peanuts from overseas.

Macro is particularly popular with vegans as the item contains no ingredients from animals.

It also offers the most expensive option on the market, priced at $6 for 375grams.

Woolworths said it was looking to work with farmers to ensure the peanut industry in Australia could be restored.

Woolworth's Macro peanut butter contains no peanuts from Australia

'We work with hundreds of Australian suppliers and aim to source local ingredients where we can. However Australian peanut supply is currently limited across the entire market,' a spokesperson said.

'All our own brand food products feature the Australian Government's Country of Origin labelling, which is strictly regulated.

'The system provides clear labelling to help customers make an informed choice, explicitly identifying products that use 100 per cent Australian ingredients, and those that are made in Australia from local or imported ingredients.

'Across our own brand food products, 75 per cent are made in Australia to support local manufacturing and jobs, and many of them include Australian grown ingredients.'

Australia's dry climate makes it difficult for farmers to grow peanuts without having to pay exorbitant amounts on water

Why many peanut butter spreads contain so few Australian ingredients?

The peanuts Australians consume each year primarily come from foreign farms, with an estimated 70 per cent imported into the country each year.

The peanut butter industry is attempting to work with farmers to help resolve the issue.

Peanuts need a significant amount of water to be harvested, with Australia's dry, arid lands offering a roadblock.

Bega GM Adam McNamara says they are continuing to work with farmers to attempt to bring the trade back to Aussie shores.

'Our ambition as a great Australian food company is to really increase the level of Australian peanuts and become less reliant on imported peanuts,' Bega Foods Mr McNamara said.

The company's processing facility is in Kingaroy, once Australia's peanut home.

It produced nuts using dryland crops, however, 2020 saw the first season on record where no peanuts were produced, thanks in part to the scorching summer, which saw large parts of the east coast destroyed by bushfires.

It's believed granting farmers more access to irrigation water could help the industry, with growers urging the government to provide more options.

'The key thing for growers is for them to have options, as we know seasons are variable and I think we're able to try and provide growers with different options for different planting windows and also different rain events or climatic conditions,' Bega plant breeder Dan O'Connor told the ABC.
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Hurricane Ian unleashed devastation on southwest Florida after a 6ft storm surge plowed through Fort Myers destroying houses as water rengulfed two-story properties.

Horrifying footage showed wave after wave pummel the small city, where an extreme wind warning is currently in effect, swallowing buildings and cars as the monster tempest finally made landfall on Wednesday.

It sees the 'unsurvivable' torrent of water engulf palm trees in the tropical resort and rip some from their roots as it was forced forwards by 155mph winds - only the fifth storm in history to hit land at that speed.

More than 2million citizens are without power, as Governor Ron DeSantis warned citizens in an evening address that the worse may have yet to come.

'This storm is doing a number on the state of Florida,' the governor said, telling citizens to expect the storm to move through the state today and 'much of tomorrow.'

Fort Myers was one of the first cities to be battered by Ian, with apocalyptic images from after the initial surge showing homes decimated by its wrath as roads turned into rivers with the tsunami of floodwater.

Meanwhile Naples and Sanibel Island were also rocked by the 'historic' hurricane, with houses overwhelmed by water, debris flung through windows and some even ripped from their hinges by historic flooding.

Locals are reporting that hundreds of people in Naples are stranded on their rooftops, with the population of the town being made up mostly of elderly residents.

A mandatory curfew is now in effect for the city beginning at 10 pm Wednesday night, officials said, as local sheriffs reported that a number of people trapped in their homes and rooftops amid rising water levels. The curfew will expire Thursday morning at 6 am.

In nearby Martin County, the sheriff's office confirmed one death, after recovering the body of 34-year-old construction worker Cody Dudek face down in the water near Palm City.

As the storm heads north toward central Florida, governors in Virginia and both North and South Carolina have declared a State of Emergency for their respective states in anticipation of damage to come.

The Florida governor, meanwhile, urged residents who decided to brave the storm to stay in their properties or emergency bunkers while the hurricane blasted the coastline and neared on Category 5.

It comes just days after Cuba was tormented by the vicious hurricane, which left millions of dollars of damage and at least two people dead.

Among the damage caused by Hurricane Ian in Florida today:

Vehicles were flipped on to their roofs after two tornadoes erupted across the state due to the hurricane;

Hundreds of thousands of homes across the south west of Florida were devastated by surging floodwater;

A man raced into the sea to rescue a cat from the raging water, with him hoisting it to safety on his shoulder;

Trees were ripped from their roots in multiple locations and power lines were torn from sidewalks;

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen are both hunkering down in Miami but staying in separate homes;

Border Patrol confirmed that 23 people were missing off the coast of Florida after a Cuban migrant boat sank;

Emergency service personnel paused operations as the eye of the storm descended on the south west.

Naples in Florida has been completely submerged by floodwater as the coastal town continues to be battered by Hurricane Ian

Houses have been completely destroyed by the water and pieces of the buildings are now being pushed along with the current

Cars can be seen floating in the 18ft storm surge in Fort Myers, with thousands of homes being submerged underwater as winds batter the trees

LAST MOMENTS OF SANIBEL ISLAND SURGE PACK: Unfortunately, our @cyclonePORT was taken by the extreme winds and storm surge just moments ago. Here are the last moments on camera. @ryanhallyall pic.twitter.com/02a8hl4x2L  RadarOmega (@RadarOmega) September 28, 2022

One family home had the first story submerged up to it's roof, with the residents surviving Charlie and Irma safely and refused to evacuate for Ian because they had impact windows and hurricane shutters

Fort Myers, Naples and Sanibel Island have already been flooded, with the beach in Fort Myers currently underwater as stronger rainfall and winds are set to hit

Charlotte Harbor is bracing for the brunt of the water levels, and could see between 12ft to 18ft of surge storm as the eyewall continues to move across the state

A swimming pool and parking lot in Fory Myers has now been completely covered by the flood water as cars are now floating past

Naples Fire Rescue department showed a firefighter battling the undercurrents as he attempted to carry gear into the fire station as the water reached waist height

Roofs were damaged and trees flattened vehicles as emergency services rushed to help those in need in Naples, Florida, as Hurricane Ian hit the coast

Utility trucks are staged in a rural lot in The Villages of Sumter County, Florida - in a move to protect the vehicles against the high winds

Properties up and down the coastline have been partially destroyed as the 155mph winds hit, with no major injuries currently being reported as of Wednesday morning

Planes at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines were flipped over by a tornado as several tropical storm warnings were in place across the state

A tree in Sarasota was uprooted and strewn across the street as lashings of rain and wind hit the city

Charlotte Harbor is bracing for the brunt of the water levels, and could see between 12 to 18ft of surge storm as the eyewall continues to move across the state

Residents in Key West, Florida, cross a bridge as a boat floats next to the handrails amid the rising water levels as wind batters the area

An uprooted tree, toppled by strong winds from the outer bands of Hurricane Ian, rests in a parking lot of a shopping center, in Cooper City, Florida

 Slide me  BEFORE AND AFTER: The Pink Shell Resort in Fort Myers has been battered by the storm, with the ocean blue pool being overrun with floodwater

Pictures show water receding from Tampa Bay, due to the movement of the hurricane, as the same phenomenon happened just before Hurricane Irma hit

DeSantis warned those in Collier, Charlotte and Sarasota county that it was 'too late' to leave and urged anyone still out on the roads to get to a 'safe place as soon as possible'

Emergency vehicles are the only ones to brave the extreme weather on the Sunshine Skyway over Tampa Bay which has seen extreme flooding

Water is rapidly receding at Hubbard's Marina as the eye of the hurricane has hit Florida at Charlotte Harbor on the western coastline

Ron DeSantis warned citizens in an evening address that the historic storm will likely worsen, as more than 1.3 million citizens have be left without power

FORT MYERS & CAPE CORAL

Fort Myers has been swallowed by 18ft of storm surge as hotel guests are filming belongings floating out of the buildings, with an extreme wind warning currently in effect.

Power lines have also been captured sparking near homes from the Category 4 hurricane, as cars float to the surface of the water.

The western eyewall was as of Wednesday lunchtime battering Estero Blvd along the beach which show water rising as high as three stories.

Parts of Georgia and South Carolina also could see flooding rains and some coastal surge into Saturday.

NAPLES: A man is pictured wading through floodwater to save a call from the storm near Bonita Beach in Florida

NAPLES: Palm trees are being battered by the 155mph winds as some are almost being submerged by the muddy floodwater

NAPLES: Firefighers were forced to stand in water up to their waists as Naples as flooded from the storm surge of Hurricane Ian

SARASOTA: A sail boat is beached at Sarasota Bay as Hurricane Ian hit the western coastline of the US

SARASOTA: A police officer drives by an empty street as Hurricane Ian hit in Sarasota, Florida, which is expected to suffer from major flooding

SARASOTA: A tree branch broke away as strong winds and rain in Sarasota as the eyewall of Ian moves on shore

SARASOTA: Two cars were seen driving along the John Ringling Causeway in Sarasota as Ian continues to cross Florida

SARASOTA: Boats are anchored in Sarasota as the winds ramp up to almost 155mph across the county as Ian continues to strengthen towards a Category 5

SARASOTA: Arthur Perkins walks his two dog as the winds and rain from Hurricane Ian arrived in the area

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp preemptively declared an emergency, ordering 500 National Guard troops onto standby to respond as needed.

Photos show the extent of the damage left in the 'extremely dangerous' hurricane's wake as it makes its way north toward the Sunshine State - where meteorologists have warned that it should make landfall around 4pm.

The Florida Power and Light Company reported 17,255 outages across several counties in Florida, as DeSantis confirmed a million properties have been left without power.

In Broward, there were more than 6,700 outages while there were 5,700 outages in Miami-Dade.

DeSantis, who invoked a statewide state of emergency Sunday, has prepared 30,000 workers on standby to help once Florida's power grid inevitably topples in Ian's wrath.

Floridians were last night warned that it was their final chance to flee their homes before being forced to brace for Ian's wrath.

Terrifying footage shows the coast being battered by high winds and homes and businesses flooded by more than two feet of water, as more extreme weather is yet to come.

Hurricane Ian is seen from the International Space Station in a livestream from NASA

PEMBROKE PINES: Many planes were tipped upside down by the tornado, with more warnings in place throughout the day set to cause devastation

PEMBROKE PINES: Dozens of light aircrafts were damaged as the winds picked up on Florida's eastern coastline, close to Miami

ST PETERSBURG: Harsh waves have been slamming into the pier at St Petersburg as the first winds of Hurricane Ian arrive on the coast of Florida

ST PETERSBURG: A lone car drives on deserted state road 682 Pinellas Bayway as the first winds of Hurricane Ian arrive

ST PETERSBURG: A boat rocks in the waves in the Gulf of Mexico in Dunedin, Florida, as the water level continues to rise

DeSantis has warned that Hurricane Ian will cause 'catastrophic' flooding across the Sunshine State and urged people to prepare for the 'historic' storm.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, DeSantis said that 'safety is paramount' for anyone in the state, and warned those on the north coast and gulf coast that they could be hit hardest by the 'different' storm.

He added: 'Mother nature is a very fearsome adversary, please heed those evacuation warnings. You could see power outages, inland flooding, various types of tree damage from wind so be prepared for that.'

More than one million homes along Florida's west coast are at risk of storm surge damage from Hurricane Ian.

The storm will move slower along the coast, maintaining high speed winds, which means that the rainfall and gale-force winds will stay in the same areas for longer.

Schools in 26 districts across Florida have announced that they will be closed, with some shutting their doors on Tuesday, and all remaining closed through to Friday.

Universities and Florida Colleges are also closing their doors in an attempt to protect the students from the storm.

ST PETERSBURG: Access roads to the Sunshine Skyway bridge are blocked off as the span is closed due to high winds from Hurricane Ian

ST PETERSBURG: Brave fitness fanatics braced themselves ahead of Hurricane Ian to go for a run on the pier in St Petersburg early on Wednesday morning

The predicted storm surge is expected to cover the majority of Cape Coral and Fort Myers, with thousands of buildings expected to be underwater

I'm not sure how many truly grasp what just happened tonight with Hurricane #Ian. It went through a full eyewall replacement cycle, hardly blinked, grew by 50% (as measured by its RMW), and delivered the 3rd highest storm surge since 1913 to Key West in the process. Just wow. pic.twitter.com/UmbuA8gJ7v  Michael Lowry (@MichaelRLowry) September 28, 2022

DELRAY BEACH: A tornado causes severe damage in the areas of Kings Point, Delray Beach, Florida, as Hurricane Ian hits with lightning and heavy rainfall battering the town

DELRAY BEACH: Hurricane Ian is battering Florida's west coast as multiple tornados are sweeping waves of destruction through the Sunshine State. A tree caught fire as a result of a lightning strike in Delray Beach

This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite handout image shows the eye of Hurricane Ian

DELRAY BEACH: Large trees were tossed to the ground as parts of the building were completely torn and lifted with residents being evacuated as the tornado hit in Kings Point

DELRAY BEACH: Two people have already been rushed to hospital after a tornado hit an apartment building for people who are 55 years or older in Kings Point, Delray Beach

DELRAY BEACH: Properties across the coast of Florida are already being battered and damaged by the storm, with windows ripped from the homes

DELRAY BEACH: Emergency services are battling to keep people safe as the storm is intensifying and likely to cause more than $45billion in damage

Disney, airports and popular attractions in Florida are CLOSED ahead of Hurricane Ian Disney: Disney Orlando theme and water parks

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

Copper Creek Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

Bungalows at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Typhoon Lagoon

Winter Summerland Miniature Golf

Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Airports: Tampa

St Pete International

Orlando

Sarasota Bradenton

Fort Lauderdale (delays and cancelations) Attractions: Universal Orlando

CityWalk

SeaWorld Orlando

Kennedy Space Center

ZooTampa

Straz Center

Florida Aquarium

The Dali Museum

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Sparkman Wharf

Yacht StarShip

Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center

11 Waffle House stores

Publix in 11 counties Sports: Lightning preseason postponed

Buccaneers relocated to Miami Advertisement

TAMPA BAY

Pictures show water receding from Tampa Bay, due to the movement of the hurricane, as the same phenomenon happened just before Hurricane Irma hit.

Tampa is bracing for 6ft storm surge before landfall this afternoon, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis telling those who have remained in the red evacuation zones that it is time to 'hunker down' and 'prepare for the storm'.

Officials have warned that the storm surge could reach 18ft, with deadly winds and flooding along the state's heavily populated Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach to the Tampa Bay region - with rainfall reaching 18 inches.

Tom Brady has announced he is evacuating to family to Miami, packing up his things and travelled from his Tampa Bay home.

Brady and his wife Gisele Bundchen are both hunkering down in Miami, but staying in seperate homes according to Page Six.

He announced the move hours after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers said that they would be evacuating to the Miami area, and will be practicing at the Miami Dolphins facility.

A surge of up to 10ft of ocean water and 10 inches of rain is predicted to drench the Tampa Bay area, with as much as 15 inches in isolated areas - enough water to inundate coastal communities.

Experts have warned that Tampa Bay is 'surge prone', with Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science.

He said: 'Strong persistent winds will push a lot of water into the bay and there's nowhere for it to go, so it just builds up.

'Tampa Bay is very surge-prone because of its orientation.'

Floridians lined up for hours in Tampa to collect bags of sand and stock up on essentials from supermarkets as they prepared to bunker down ahead of the monster weather front.

Tampa International Airport said that it would suspend its operations on Tuesday at 5pm local time (2100 GMT).

Florida's Highway Patrol was also forced to close the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in both directions after winds in the area clocked between 50 and 60 mph.

Troopers announced that the bridge will remain closed until the storm passes and the inclement weather subsides.

CHARLOTTE COUNTY

Charlotte County Fire & EMS has suspended emergency response to calls for service due to hazardous weather conditions.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced that 45 members and support personnel from Pennsylvania-Task Force 1 would deploy to South Carolina later Wednesday to support response operations in the aftermath of the storm.

TAMPA BAY: Wind and rain pick up in the Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa as Hurricane Ian hits the west coast

TAMPA BAY: Hurricane Ian has sucked all the water from around Tampa Bay  a sign that the Category 4 storm is heading closer to the Floridian coast as winds hit 155mph

TAMPA BAY: Pets take shelter in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Ian at Erwin Technical College, a pet friendly shelter for people with special needs

TAMPA BAY: A woman takes photos of the rough surf on Tampa Bay ahead of Hurricane Ian, with landfall expected around 4pm

PUNTA GORDA: Homes in Punta Gorda, Florida, are being partially flooded as water continues to rise across the state, with some buildings already engulfed

PUNTA GORDA: A car drives on US Road 17 ahead of Hurricane Ian, in Punta Gorda, Florida, with flooding already starting on the road

Florida on verge of Category 5 monster storm: Hurricane Ian is set to explode into 157mph+ winds, rip trees from their roots and tear apart houses Category 2 Sustained winds of 74-95 mph Very dangerous winds will produce some damage: Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof, shingles, vinyl siding and gutters. Large branches of trees will snap and shallowly rooted trees may be toppled. Extensive damage to power lines and poles likely will result in power outages that could last a few to several days. Category 3 Sustained winds of 96-110mph Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage: Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks. Category 4 Sustained winds of 111-129mph Devastating damage will occur: Well-built framed homes may incur major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends. Many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads. Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes. Category 5 Sustained winds of 130-156mph Catastrophic damage will occur: Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months. Sustained winds of 157mph or higher Catastrophic damage will occur: A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months. Advertisement

DELRAY BEACH

Two people have already been rushed to hospital after a tornado hit an apartment building for people who are 55 years or older in Kings Point, Delray Beach, on Tuesday evening.

Large trees were tossed to the ground as parts of the building were completely torn and lifted with residents being evacuated as the tornado hit.

Another tornado hit South East Florida, with rain lashing down and footage showing a parking lot almost being flooded as palm trees swayed in the strong winds.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued dozens of coastal Florida counties, with voluntary evacuation recommended in several others.

Florida residents rushed to board up their homes and windows with plyboard, as well as stashing precious belongings on upper floors.

ORLANDO

Thousands of guests at Disney World are also being evacuated from hotels and campgrounds in Orlando as Hurricane Ian is bearing down on Florida, with areas at the park already suffering from flooding.

Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom are currently still open and operating under normal conditions, with the company 'monitoring' the situation.

The Disney Springs shopping and entertainment complex also will remain open, while Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue will be closed from Wednesday to Friday.

Copper Creek Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and the Bungalows at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort will also be closed for three days.

Typhoon Lagoon and Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

Cancelation policies are also not being enforced by the entertainment giant, with performances around the Fort Wilderness resort being canceled.

The resort has been battered by heavy rain the past few days, with thousands of visitors braving the weather to enjoy the parks.

A spokesman for the company said: 'Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions as we prepare to make necessary adjustments based on the latest information from the National Weather Service.

'We continue to put the safety of our Cast Members and Guests first and will share updates with you as we monitor Hurricane Ian.'

KEY WEST

Some hardy Floridians have refused to leave their homes, as two young children were filmed jumping in huge waves along the Key West coast despite the flooding and rough waters on Tuesday.

Many have decided to stay in their homes despite the warning, which means if they do get into any issues then the emergency services will not be able to assist them.

One woman posted on TikTok: 'I have no evacuation plan except for thugging it out. I'm going to post updates until I drown or survive.'

But others have been desperate to avoid the storm, with Vinod Nair driving from the Tampa area on Tuesday with his wife, son, dog and two kittens seeking a hotel in the tourist district of Orlando.

ORLANDO: Disney's Magic Kingdom was deserted after storms and tornado's hit the southern US coastline on Wednesday

FORT MYERS: Homes have been boarded up in Fort Myers ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall, with 200,000 properties being left without power

Biden today said that he would not stand for 'price gouging' by gas and oil companies on the wake of Hurricane Ian, if gas prices were to rise again

Satellite imagery shows Hurricane Ian beginning to make landfall over south west Florida after pounding Cuba. Recent data indicates Ian is rapidly intensifying with max sustained winds now up to 155 mph

Worst hurricanes to hit Florida: Ian threatens devastation on a par with Katrina, Andrew and Irma While Hurricane Katrina in 2005 traveled across the southern tip of Florida, most of the deaths and destruction it caused were in New Orleans. Katrina still ranks as both the deadliest and most expensive hurricane in modern U.S. history. Excluding Katrina, Hurricane Irma was the costliest in Florida history, with total U.S. damage from the storm estimated at $50 billion. Hurricane Andrew directly killed 15 people and dozens indirectly, while Hurricane Irma caused seven direct and 80 indirect deaths, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Andrew, 1992 The Category 5 hurricane struck South Miami-Dade County with winds of 165 miles per hour (270 km per hour), causing an estimated $25 billion in damages in the state. Fifteen people were killed as a direct effect of the storm, with dozens more dying of indirect causes. Andrew ranked as the most expensive storm in U.S. history until Hurricane Katrina raged through New Orleans in 2005. Hurricane Charley, 2004 Charley was an unexpectedly powerful hurricane, rapidly developing into a Category 4 storm just before making landfall at Cayo Costa, an island of Florida's Gulf Coast. Nine people were directly killed by the storm and an estimated $6.8 billion was lost, according to the NHC. Hurricane Wilma, 2005 The death toll of Wilma was thankfully low  five people directly  for a Category 4 storm. Even so, the bill for the hurricane's property damage was particularly high at an estimated $20.6 billion in the U.S. Wilma ravaged the southern part of the state, generating wind gusts of more than 100 mph (161 kph). Hurricane Irma, 2017 Irma was unique for its extensive size and slow movement, which exacerbated the storm's damaging winds and heavy rainfall. It left 6.5 million customers without power in the state and caused an estimated $50 billion in property damage, making it one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. Seven people died from the storm and 80 indirectly, according to an NHC tally. Hurricane Michael, 2018 Michael was the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle, according to the National Weather Service. Wind and storm surge caused catastrophic damage, particularly in the Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach areas. Eight direct fatalities were reported: seven in Florida and one in Georgia. In addition, 43 indirect deaths were attributed to the storm. Improvised metal roofs on homes and buildings throughout the region, where housing and infrastructure is antiquated and vulnerable, were scattered about streets and yards following the storm. Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County added: 'That's a lot of rain. That's not going to drain out quickly. 'This is no joke. This is life-threatening storm surge.' Terrified residents have been desperately digging huge trenches to redirect flood water from their homes while others have stripped supermarket shelves bare of water and essentials. In Cuba, 50,000 people in Cuba's western Pinar del Rio province were evacuated to safer locations, 6,000 of them to 55 state-run shelters and the rest to the homes of relatives and friends. NASA have also been forced to delay the launch of its Artemis rocket again because of the hurricane barreling towards the coast  meaning they will not be able to attempt anther launch for at least three weeks. The 322-foot-tall rocket has been rolled back four miles to the Vehicle Assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden spoke with DeSantis - a potential 2024 election challenger -- on Tuesday evening to discuss preparations for the storm. The Pentagon said 3,200 national guardsmen had been called up in Florida, with an additional 1,800 coming later. Authorities in several municipalities, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, were distributing free sandbags to help residents protect their homes from flooding. Biden preemptively approved emergency aid in Florida through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell highlighted the danger of storm surge, saying it was the agency's 'biggest concern.' 'If people are told to evacuate by their local officials, please listen to them. The decision you choose to make may be the difference between life and death,' she said. Biden today said that he would not stand for 'price gouging' by gas and oil companies on the wake of Hurricane Ian, if gas prices were to rise again. He said: 'Do not, let me repeat, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the American people.' The Caribbean and parts of eastern Canada are still counting the cost of powerful storm Fiona, which tore through last week, claiming several lives. Advertisement

He said: 'You can't do anything about natural disasters. We live in a high risk zone, so we thought it best to evacuate.'

Gil Gonzalez, another in the danger zone was not taking any chances - packing his car with bottled water, torches, battery packs for their mobile phones and a camp stove before evacuating.

Gonzalez said: 'All the prized possessions, we've put them upstairs in a friend's house.'

Hurricane Ian could be one of the most expensive cleanup jobs from a storm since Hurricane Irma.

Excluding Katrina, Irma was the costliest in Florida history, with total U.S. damage from the storm estimated at $50 billion.

While Hurricane Katrina in 2005 traveled across the southern tip of Florida, most of the deaths and destruction it caused were in New Orleans.

Katrina still ranks as both the deadliest and most expensive hurricane in modern U.S. history.

Hurricane Andrew directly killed 15 people and dozens indirectly, while Hurricane Irma caused seven direct and 80 indirect deaths, according to the National Hurricane Center.

CUBA

Ian ravaged Cuba's western regions for more than five hours early Tuesday morning.

The storm took out Cuba's power network and plunged the island into darkness, leaving it 'without electrical service.'

The hurricane proceeded to move out over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, with areas of Florida now experiencing strong winds and flooding as the storm looms just 75 miles off-coast.

Many Cuban cities have been ripped apart by the 120mph winds, using flashlights and candles to light their homes or using phones to light the street.

The state electric company Union Electrica de Cuba had earlier said they would turn off power in the capital Havana to avoid electrocutions, deaths, and property damage while the island waited out the anticipated storm.

Officials have confirmed that they began to restore some power Wednesday after Hurricane Ian knocked out electricity to the entire island while devastating some of the countrys most important tobacco farms when it hit the islands western tip as a major storm.

The Energy and Mines Ministry announced it had restored energy to three regions by activating two large power plants in Felton and Nuevitas and was working to get others back online.

But the capital, Havana, and other parts of western Cuba remained without power on Wednesday in the wake of the major hurricane.

Havana was hit hard by the storm with workers unclogging storm drains and fishermen taking their boats out of the water to try to protect themselves from the flooding.

Ian cut power to nearly 1 million people and tearing roofs off homes as it tracked northward toward Florida, where residents anxiously await the sprawling storm.

Mayelin Suarez, a Pinar del Rio resident who sells ice cream in the provincial capital, was still shaken Tuesday morning after a night she called 'the darkest of her life.'

Suarez told Reuters: 'We almost lost the roof off our house. My daughter, my husband and I tied it down with a rope to keep it from flying away.'

Improvised metal roofs on homes and buildings throughout the region, where housing and infrastructure is antiquated and vulnerable, were scattered about streets and yards following the storm.

Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County added: 'That's a lot of rain. That's not going to drain out quickly.

'This is no joke. This is life-threatening storm surge.'

Terrified residents have been desperately digging huge trenches to redirect flood water from their homes while others have stripped supermarket shelves bare of water and essentials.

In Cuba, 50,000 people in Cuba's western Pinar del Rio province were evacuated to safer locations, 6,000 of them to 55 state-run shelters and the rest to the homes of relatives and friends.

NASA have also been forced to delay the launch of its Artemis rocket again because of the hurricane barreling towards the coast  meaning they will not be able to attempt anther launch for at least three weeks.

The 322-foot-tall rocket has been rolled back four miles to the Vehicle Assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden spoke with DeSantis - a potential 2024 election challenger -- on Tuesday evening to discuss preparations for the storm.

The Pentagon said 3,200 national guardsmen had been called up in Florida, with an additional 1,800 coming later.

Authorities in several municipalities, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, were distributing free sandbags to help residents protect their homes from flooding.

Biden preemptively approved emergency aid in Florida through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell highlighted the danger of storm surge, saying it was the agency's 'biggest concern.'

'If people are told to evacuate by their local officials, please listen to them. The decision you choose to make may be the difference between life and death,' she said.

Biden today said that he would not stand for 'price gouging' by gas and oil companies on the wake of Hurricane Ian, if gas prices were to rise again.

CUBA: An old American car passes through a flooded street in Havana as the clean up of Hurricane Ian begins on the island

CUBA: A man walks by the Malecon in Havana, on September 28, 2022, after the passage of hurricane Ian

CUBA: Power lines can be seen almost falling over in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian as the government attempt to reinstate power across the country

CUBA: More than 11 million in Cuba were left without power after the initial winds of the powerful then-Category 3 storm pounded the island's south coast

CUBA: A woman holds her head in her hands as she witnesses the damage done by the storm to her property in San Juan Y Martinez

CUBA: People walk through a flooded street in Havana after Hurricane Ian has passed through Cuba and is now battering Florida

He said: 'Do not, let me repeat, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the American people.'

The Caribbean and parts of eastern Canada are still counting the cost of powerful storm Fiona, which tore through last week, claiming several lives.

Tracker PowerOutage.US showed that there were more than 304,000 customers without power on Wednesday afternoon.

There are now more than 42,000 linemen and other personnel ready to restore power in 30 areas across the state.

DeSantis has warned residents to avoid standing water and downed trees and powerlines, to not use a generator indoors and to stay out of the way of emergency crews.
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An Australian woman has revealed how her husband was left behind at sea during a snorkelling excursion in Fiji - and was only saved by a chance encounter with a fishing boat.

Barry Morris, 75, spent 30 terrifying minutes floating in the ocean off privately owned Fijian island Nanuya Levu - where the hit Brooke Shields film The Blue Lagoon was filmed - in May after a charter boat left him behind.

His wife, Bev, was stunned when other tourists who had gone out on the boat arrived back at shore and Barry was nowhere to be seen.

Unknown to her, her elderly husband was shivering in the ocean with a broken snorkel mask - and was thankfully saved by a fisherman who just happened to be sailing by.

Mrs Morris contacted the company responsible, Captain Cook Cruises Fiji, following their week-long voyage.

She was assured that procedures would be improved and headcounts introduced - so the couple were shocked to read that a second Australian family recently survived a similar ordeal.

Barry Morris (pictured with wife Bev in Fiji) had a terrifying ordeal during a week-long cruise to Fiji

Barry Morris (pictured right) was looking forward to his snorkelling excursion, only to be left behind by the charter boat

Justine Clark and her sons Felix, 18, and Max, 20, were stranded in the middle of the ocean after their charter boat left them behind during a holiday in Fiji in August.

The family and their divemaster were forced to start swimming towards the nearest island 20km away before being rescued by a garbage collector boat.

Mrs Morris was upset to read about the encounter 'after the cruise company promised me it would never happen again'.

'How can a tender boat miss four people, including the divemaster?'

'Someone is going to drown out there. The cruise company needs to step up procedures before they lose someone.

'It's not good enough. This shouldn't have happened twice.'

Details about Barry Morris' harrowing ordeal in May emerged after he and his wife read about a similar ordeal recently endured by Justine Clark and her sons (pictured)

For Mr and Mrs Morris, it was the couple's first holiday to the island nation in three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On May 12, they were on the second last day of their Captain Cook Cruises Fiji voyage when guests chose between a beach excursion or snorkelling for their morning activity.

Mrs Morris opted to stay on the beach while her husband, an experienced snorkeller, went out on the boat.

'When the boat came back, a few guests who snorkelled asked if I'd seen Barry as he wasn't on the boat with them,' Ms Morris recalled.

'We then spotted a local fishing boat, which brought him back to the ship.

'He lost a sapphire ring he was wearing because his hands were so cold from the time he spent in the water.'

Mrs Morris claimed the charter boat didn't attempt to look for her husband and shudders at the thought of what could have happened had local fisherman not spotted and rescued him.

'At 75 years old, I dont know if he could have kept swimming to a nearby island,' Ms Morris said.

'He's not a strong swimmer and his snorkel mask also broke.

'He snorkelled with the belief that crew would be accountable for passenger safety.'

Local fishermen (pictured) spotted Barry abandoned at sea and returned him to the cruise ship

She contacted Captain Cook Cruises Fiji afterwards, with the company apologising and refunding part of the cost of Mr Morris' cruise.

But, in emails obtained by Daily Mail Australia, the company also claimed to Mrs Morris that her husband had swum away from the group and missed boarding the boat.

'We are sorry that this mishap occurred and please be assured we have since thoroughly worked through the headcount procedures with the crew,' the company's general manager wrote.

The couple, who have holidayed in Fiji at least once a year for the last two decades will return in November but have no plans to book with the cruise company in the future.

When Daily Mail Australia put detailed questions to the company, Captain Cook Cruises Fiji did not specially address the recent snorkelling ordeals.

'For well over 20 years Captain Cook Cruises Fijis number one priority has been ensuring the enjoyment, health and welfare of the people that travel and dive with us,' a spokesman said.

'We have been in close contact with the passengers and understand their concerns. We have strict protocols in place and will continue to work to make sure that every experience meets our and our passengers' expectations.'

Scuba diving nightmare for Australian family on holiday in Fiji as they resurfaced from the water to find their boat had VANISHED with a storm approaching - before an incredible rescue

An Australian family has recalled their harrowing ordeal after being stranded in the middle of the ocean after their charter boat left without them during a dive in Fiji.

Newcastle mum Justine Clark, partner Jeremy and her sons Felix, 18, and Max, 20, were on a seven-day cruise of the South Pacific island nation last month when they booked an afternoon dive at The Supermarket - an offshore site.

With 30 years of diving experience behind her, Ms Clark and her sons decided to take the excursion led by a divemaster who worked for a company subcontracted by Captain Cook Cruises Fiji.

She detailed the harrowing experience to Daily Mail Australia and is sharing her story in the hope it never happens again and that safety procedures are overhauled.

Weather conditions worsened as the tender boat made its way out to the dive site and travelled into an approaching storm in open waters in what appeared to be a large channel 20km from any island.

After a 40 minute dive, Ms Clark resurfaced with her eldest son and saw no sign of the tender boat.

Justine Clark enjoying on a Fijian cruise holiday with sons Felix and Max when a diving excursion almost ended in tragedy

'No tender boat was visible on surfacing, the swell was two metres, it was dark with grey clouds and high wind,' Ms Clark recalled.

The divemaster then resurfaced and was shocked to find the tender boat was gone, telling Ms Clark it had never happened in his 27 years of diving.

He advised the group to start swimming towards an island in the distance.

'Due to the distance from islands, weather and it being past school hours I was not optimistic we would have passing vessels,' Ms Clark recalled.

'I can't impress how concerned I was for everyone's health [and about] sharks... I had to reach the island in a calm manner.

'I knew that I was capable of the 10-15km swim to the island and that even if I had to drag my boys for some of the way I would reach that beach.'

After 40 minutes, they noticed a small boat heading their way.

On board was a garbage collector who had been picking up rubbish on a nearby island when he spotted the tip of one of the diver's buoys.

The divers were forced to start swimming to the nearest island after the tender boat (pictured) lost them when they resurfaced from their dive

'We were all smiles and I was blowing a kiss to the Fijian who saved us,' Ms Clark said.

Soon after, the tender boat driver motored over to the group and apologised, saying the cruise captain had been informed he'd lost the group.

'The cruise boat tender finally approached after all of us where on the tinny. We did not change boats and I would have refused anyway as the sea was too rough,' she said.

'We travelled back to the cruise ship in the rain and cold wind but joyous to have been saved.'

Ms Clark said the terrifying ordeal impacted on the rest of their holiday.

'The captain was not able to explain to me why the tender driver was so far from the dive site or why we were diving at a site so far from the main cruise ship,' she said.

'The captain did apologise for the accident and suggested that it was an unlikely event.

'The story did get around the boat and for the reminder of my holidays guest were coming up expressing concern and sorry for what had happened to us.

'This was also unpleasant as I did not wish to keep discussing the incident.'

Justine Clark said the harrowing ordeal affected the rest of their week-long cruise (cruise ship pictured)

Ms Clark urged Captain Cook Cruises Fiji overhauls its safety procedures.

'I have no desire to damage the tourism of the area and lives of the local Fijians dependent upon this trade,' she said.

'However, Captain Cook Cruises Fiji should be applying safety standards consistent for such sea emergencies in the countries they operate outside Australia.'

The company refunded the the family for the diving trip while the CEO has reached out to Ms Clark directly.

The Newcastle mum (pictured) shared her ordeal in the hope it never happens again

'The safety failures could have result in awful outcomes if not for a garbage collector. The experience really impacted our holiday and the initial lack of response from ship captain and company was disheartening,' Ms Clark said.

'I'm glad that the CEO has taken the time to speak directly with myself about my concerns to ensure other divers especially those in my age group are not at such risk.'

Captain Cook Cruises Fiji said in a statement the tender boat had blown away from the dive site and that conditions made it difficult for the operator to follow the divers' bubbles.

The company added an internal review into the 'unprecedented' incident resulted in the amendment of 'already tight' safety procedures.
She is Australia's most generous philanthropist, but most of us wouldn't have a clue who she is.

Nicola Forrest has been married to iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest for 30 years and reluctantly edged into the spotlight when the mining power couple pledged to give away the 'vast majority' of their fortune in their lifetimes.

Based on the value of their shares, especially in Fortescue Metals Group, their wealth is estimated at $27.25billion, much of it made from exporting iron ore to China.

Nicola Forrest is Australia's most generous philanthropist - but most Aussies don't have a clue who she is

It's a family joke that Mrs Forrest is known as the 'undercover billionaire' (Nicola Forrest is pictured left with her daughter Grace, who heads a human rights organisation that Nicola funds)

Nicola Forrest is pictured with her high profile billionaire husband Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest, whose risk taking on iron ore mines in WA's Pilbara region was the basis of their $27.25billion fortune

Mr Forrest built his fortune in mining by founding Anaconda Nickel Ltd, now known as Minara Resources, in 1994, before launching Fortescue in 2003 and mining iron ore in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Where the Forrest's $27.25billion is going Prioritizing education for children under five

Ending modern slavery

Improving Australia's fire and flood 'resilience' by 2025

End the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

Eliminate plastic waste in rivers and oceans

Collaboration in cancer research

Flourishing oceans

Building community partnerships

Arts and culture

Education on the real societal impacts of new technologies

Forrest research foundation Source: Mindaroo Foundation Advertisement

It's a family joke that Mrs Forrest is known as the 'undercover billionaire'.

The nickname is partly a reference to her notorious thriftiness and partly down to the fact she preferred to remain in Andrew Forrest's shadow for decades.

'The [undercover billionaire title] comes from the fact that she'd be encouraging dad, Sydney, and I to eat a week-old expired yoghurt because it'd be wasted,' daughter Grace Forrest told the ABC.

'The UCB does not like waste in any form.'

Her mother's hatred of waste even led Mrs Forrest to abstain from using cling wrap and to wash and reuse plastic ziplock bags.

In April, Mrs Forrest said she and Andrew would give away their fortune because they don't want their three children, daugthers Grace and Sophia, and son Sydney to be 'burdened' by a handout.

'Children don't benefit from thinking they're going to inherit a huge amount of money,' she said earlier this year.

Grace Forrest was 2018 Western Australia's Young Australian of the Year for her work in the charity Walk Free, which is funded by her parent's wealth and aims to eradicate modern slavery.

Sophia Forrest is an actor who recently got engaged to her girlfriend Zara Zoe.

She has already starred in the DC movie Aquaman and the Australian miniseries Love Child.

Sophia Forrest is an actor who recently got engaged to her girlfriend Zara Zoe

Grace Forrest was 2018 Western Australia's Young Australian of the Year for her work in the charity Walk Free, funded by her parents' wealth

Other Australians who have pledged to give away their fortunes include Canva founders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, and Aristocrat pokies king Len Ainsworth.

With Mrs Forrest at the helm of the Minderoo Foundation the couple set up to make good on their promise, they have already invested $2.6billion in 11 projects.

It made record-breaking donations of $400million in 2017 and $655million in 2019.

In April, Mrs Forrest said she and Andrew would give away their fortune because they don't want their three children - Grace, Sophia, and Sydney to be 'burdened' by a handout

Pictured: Andrew and Nicola Forrest with their daughters Grace and Sophia

How the Forrests made their money Andrew Forrest first found success as a stockbroker for Kirke Securities and Jacksons. But the ambitious entrepreneur, laid the groundwork for his $27.25billion mining fortune in mining by founding Anaconda Nickel Ltd, now known as Minara Resources, in 1994. He was ousted as CEO when the company almost collapsed in 2001, but within two years he'd taken control of Allied Mining and Processing, renaming it Fortescue Metals Group. It was Fortescue's iron ore mining, in Western Australia's Pilbara region, that saw the Forrest's wealth explode on the back of exports to China. Mr Forrest was famously ambitious, borrowing heavily and spending between $1billion and $2billion building roads and railways to support his new mines. Some of his operations were highly controversial, including mining on traditional lands without agreements. In 2019 he lost a High Court judgement which granted native title to the Solomon Hub iron ore mine, which sits on Yindjibarndi land. That judgement meant the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation would pursue millions of dollars in compensation - which Fortescue has vowed to fight. In recent years Mr Forrest has diversified into sustainable energy sources, including hydrogen. He also has farming operations, seeking to capitalize on China's growing appetite for meat and dairy products. Advertisement

The organisation hasn't been without its critics.

Environmental activist groups have questioned how real its commitment is, especially to green issues, given the foundation is built on mining industry profits.

But Minderoo is just getting started. It is understood to be gearing up to donate over $1billion every year.

Some projects are as big huge as ending slavery, global warming, and closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Other Minderoo projects are as personal as improving early childhood education.

'I am motivated by the experiences I've had both raising, and losing, children,' Nicola Forrest told the National Press Club last February.

A focus on helping young children is Mrs Forrest's biggest passion, partly driven by the loss of her still-born daughter Matilda in 1988.

A post-mortem commissioned by the family found there was nothing wrong and their daughter, albeit stillborn, was a 'perfect, beautiful little girl'.

She said the loss of Matilda 'tore our family apart'.

'Because of this experience, I reached out to Professor John Newnham at the Women and Infant's Research Foundation, joined their board and worked with them for years,' Mrs Forrest said.

'This relationship and the research that I became immersed in is the reason I am standing here today and, indeed, why we launched Minderoo Foundation 20 years ago.

'It opened my eyes to the astonishingly simple fact. That, from conception, the first five years of life are crucial to human health and happiness.

'Protect those years, and you protect the future.'

Another focus of the foundation is to improve education for children aged under five before they go to school.

'They may not able to concentrate, follow instructions, express themselves or interact with each other or with adults. Or they may be unusually withdrawn or anxious,' Mrs Forrest said.

Those children fall behind so quickly that by the time they hit their teenage years they 'are completely disengaged' she said.

In 2019, Minderoo published a major report showing the cost of Australians 'late intervention' with children left behind in their education is $15.2billion dollars a year.

'The cost of our inaction is stained on the government's budget papers  $5.9billion dollars for child protection, $2.7billion for youth crime, $1.3billion for mental health  and that was before COVID,' she said.

Another of Minderoo Foundation's projects is eliminating childhood cancer.

Under the banner of collaborating against cancer, Minderoo is also aiming to see cigarettes banned for anyone aged under 21.
Newspaper columnist and author Aaron Patrick was chased down a Sydney street after allegedly kicking a dog outside a pub

An award-winning newspaper columnist and author was chased on foot for a block down a busy Sydney street after allegedly kicking a dog outside an inner-city hotel.

Australian Financial Review journalist Aaron Patrick has claimed he feared for his safety after an encounter with three strangers near the Colombian Hotel in Oxford Street, Darlinghurst.

Patrick had been walking past the pub when he became involved in an altercation with the owner of a dog and another man and woman, all three of whom were friends.

The dog, called Rosie, has been described as looking like a Pitbull or Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

What happened next will be established at a hearing next year but a court heard further allegations on Wednesday when police challenged a subpoena issued by Patrick.

The 52-year-old had sought the criminal records of the dog owner and his companions, as well as any communication between police and a media outlet.

In particular, Patrick wanted to know if the three witnesses had convictions for offences of dishonesty, violence or intimidation.

Australian Financial Review journalist Aaron Patrick has claimed he feared for his safety after an encounter with three strangers near the Colombian Hotel in Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. He is accused of kicking a dog described as looking like a Pitbull or Staffordshire Bull Terrier

After allegedly kicking a dog called Rosie outside a pub Patrick was chased down Oxford Street by the animal's owner and his friend until they detained him at this Chemist Warehouse on the corner of Riley Street

Downing Centre Local Court heard the Daily Telegraph had published a story on August 23 revealing Patrick had been charged with animal cruelty, nine months after the event.

Patrick's solicitor Trudie Cameron submitted the article contained information which was not then publicly available and questioned whether it had been supplied by police to tarnish her client's reputation.

Patrick is billed as the 'senior correspondent' for the AFR where he writes about politics and business from the paper's Sydney newsroom.

He has previously written for The New York Times, The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, having started his journalistic career on Melbourne's Herald-Sun.

The journalist appeared on the court list charged under his full name, Aaron Odysseus Patrick. He has used the byline A. Odysseus Patrick when writing for foreign publications.

Odysseus is a legendary Greek king renowned for his intellect, guile and versatility and the hero of Homer's epic work The Odyssey.

The original Daily Telegraph story reported Patrick had been charged with kicking a dog on Oxford Street outside a hotel on the evening of Saturday, November 27.

Patrick, 52, a senior correspondent with the Australian Financial Review, was charged with animal cruelty after he allegedly kicked a dog. Patrick (above) has pleaded not guilty

On Wednesday it was revealed the clash occurred in broad daylight, about 3pm.

'The man was chased into a nearby business where he was detained by two men,' a police spokeswoman had said.

'Officers from Surry Hills Police Area Command attended and spoke with a 51-year-old man.

The journalist appears on the court list under his full name, Aaron Odysseus Patrick. Odysseus was a legendary Greek king (above)

'He was arrested and taken to Surry Hills Police Station where he was charged with commit an act of cruelty upon an animal.

'The North Sydney man was given conditional bail.'

Patrick had responded with his own brief statement identifying himself as the charged man.

'A plea of not guilty has been entered,' he said. 'I was fearful for my safety and sought to protect myself. The matter will be defended.'

Ms Cameron confirmed on Wednesday self-defence would be raised when the case was heard in April next year.

She said it was the police case that Patrick's shin had made contact with the dog and there had been an altercation with its owner and his two friends.

Police allege he had kicked the dog once outside the Colombian then again after he fled across Crown Street.

The dog's owner and his male friend had then chased Patrick down Oxford Street until they performed a citizen's arrest at the Chemist Warehouse on the corner of Riley Street.

Patrick had been walking past the Colombian when he became involved in an altercation with the owner of a dog and another man and woman, all three of whom were friends. He was chased down this strip of Oxford Street

Ms Cameron said there were no visible injuries to Rosie and there was no veterinary evidence.

'There's no evidence of injury; it could have been that the dog was injured but we just don't know,' she said.

Ms Cameron said the testimony of the three witnesses would be contested and her client was at a disadvantaged because police had not sought CCTV footage from outside the Colombian.

Magistrate Gareth Christofi wanted to know Rosie's breed. When Ms Cameron said she appeared to be a 'Staffy or Pitbull' Mr Christofi replied: 'No shrinking violet of a dog'.

Patrick is represented by Trudie Cameron, practice director at Armstrong Legal

'Sounds like a very unfortunate incident,' the magistrate said.

Stephen Warren, for the Commissioner of Police, described Rosie as 'extremely placid' and said she had been waiting with her owner at traffic lights while on a leash.

Ms Cameron countered that while Rosie might not appear 'overly aggressive' there was a public perception that some breeds of dogs were inherently dangerous.

She said the officer in charge of the investigation had told her client words to the effect of, 'I might have assaulted you too if you kicked my dog' as he was arresting him.

Ms Cameron said Patrick also claimed that officer had threatened to put him in a headlock if he didn't use the fingerprinting machine correctly back at Surry Hills police station.

Patrick further alleged that during his police interview he had been placed under 'inappropriate pressure'.

Ms Cameron submitted the officer in charge might have subsequently felt some animosity or malice towards Patrick which contributed to information about the incident being published nine months later.

The officer in charge has stated he had no communication with journalists.

Lawyer Trudie Cameron said the testimony of the three witnesses would be contested and her client was at a disadvantaged because police had not sought CCTV footage from outside the Colombian.

Mr Christofi said there were plenty of other explanations of how Patrick's arrest eventually came to be published including a 'muckraker' going to the media.

He found there was no 'rational basis' to form the view the officer in charge leaked the information and any suggestion that had happened was 'entirely speculative'.

Ms Cameron withdrew her request for the criminal histories of the dog owner and his friends when Mr Warren said they did not have records.

Mr Christofi declined to order the handover of communication between police and the media in relation to Patrick's arrest, declaring it a 'fishing expedition'.

Patrick is an Arts graduate of the University of Sydney where he studied politics, and completed a Master in Public Administration at Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

He is a committee member of the Harvard Club of Australia and past honorary treasurer of the Foreign Press Association in London.

His Linkedin profile states Patrick is the author of the best-read article in the history of afr.com - an October 2019 piece titled 'Australia is rich, dumb and getting dumber'.

As well as writing for the Nine newspaper, Patrick also penned the book 'Ego: Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Party's Civil War' which was released in June.

He has also published works on the previous Morrison government, the downfall of the Labor Party after the Rudd-Gillard era and the unravelling of Tony Abbott's government.
A council that borrowed $7million to install a high-tech green 'nation-leading' solar energy scheme has seen their emissions actually increase since it came online.

The Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is the brainchild of Hobsons Bay Council in Melbourne's inner-west and consists of 'linked' solar panels on 40 council properties.

On council's website it says: 'Hobsons Bay is taking big steps towards the community's vision of zero net emissions by 2030 with the Virtual Power solar energy project.'

Melbourne's Hobsons Bay Council is building a 'Virtual Power Plant' which means linking power from solar panels on council's properties

However, on council's so-called 'sustainability dashboard', which is a progressive report card on how VPP is going, it shows council's emissions increased by seven tons of carbon in the last financial year.

This is despite the installation of 450KW worth of solar panels in the previous financial year and a further 795KW of solar going online in the year ending last July.

Despite the expanded solar capacity, emissions climbed by the same factor as council's use of electricity did last financial year - an increase of seven MWh.

Finn Peacock, who is the CEO of consumer solar comparison service Solar Quotes, could offer no ready explanation for the disparity.

He said the two most likely reasons were that council got their figures wrong or had a huge increase in their power use.

'If their total electricity usage, from solar power plus and the normal grid, had stayed the same - then you would expect the grid usage to drop by 866 MWh,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Despite the extravagant claims made for the 'Virtual Power Plant' the council's own report card on the project shows emissions increasing last financial year

'It didn't, grid electricity use went up by seven MWh - which means the council increased its gross electricity usage by 859 MWh - that's over a 40 per cent increase.

'That's huge. Maybe some of its people coming back after Covid - but it is still a massive increase when they are meant to be saving energy.'

A council spokesperson blamed Covid for the increase in emissions.

'In 2020-21 overall electricity use fell due to COVID-19 impacts including most council staff working from home most of the time,' the spokesperson said.

'In 2021-22 there were increasing periods when Council operations returned to normal, so we saw the associated increase in total electricity use. Without solar generation, calculated total emissions would have been significantly higher.'

Council says as more solar power comes online more savings of emissions and money will be seen

The spokesperson said solar panel installations proceeded progressively throughout 2021-22, so only some systems were generating solar electricity for the full year.

'Total solar generation and resulting emissions reduction will be higher once we have had a full year of generation,' the spokesperson said.

According to council's report card 1,000KW worth of solar panels were already installed at the start of the previous financial year, with 700KW added during it.

Despite charging some of the highest rates for a council in Victoria the last Hobsons Bay budget reveals council needed to borrow $7m to fund the VPP.

On page 55 of the budget under the heading of Liabilities' the budget states council had 'new borrowings of $7 million'.

Council greatly grew the amount of the solar power it generated in the past financial year

'Councils new borrowings relate to the Large Scale Solar Installation Program, which includes new solar installations on more than 40 buildings delivering approximately 4MW of solar generated power,' the budget states.

'The project is expected to generate future savings for the Council through the reduction of energy costs with a positive return on its initial investment.'

The council spokesperson said the project's initial estimated cost 'was $5.1 million' but 'council is cognisant of ongoing COVID-19 impacts to the cost of materials and labour shortages'.

When asked what actual electricity bill savings had been seen from the VPP, the council spokesperson said 'year-on-year electricity bill comparisons dont provide a meaningful assessment of cost savings'.

This was due to 'Covid impacts and the resulting inconsistent use of Council facilities'.

However, the spokesperson said total solar power generated last financial year was valued at approximately $300,000.

'Total solar generation and the resulting cost savings will be higher once we have had a full year of generation,' the spokesperson said.

Hobsons Bay, which takes in the harbour suburb of Williamstown (pictured) is one of the most expensive places to live in Victoria for ratespayers

Council released a flashy video spruiking the VPP in December of 2020.

'Hobsons Bay City Council is leading the way on generating renewable power to reduce the impacts of climate change,' the video's voiceover says.

The video, which has garnered 245 views, claims the VPP will also make 'zero carbon power accessible to the community'.

As an 'industry-leading project' the VPP will generate 4MW of power that is 'intelligently monitored and allocated across the system ... meaning the power goes where it is needed, not just where it is generated'.

'It (the VPP) delivers cutting edge technology to generate real action in addressing the impacts of climate change,' the video says.

The amount of carbon emissions reduced is 'the equivalent of taking 600 homes off the grid,' according to the video.

The project will also 'generate substantial year-on-year savings for council by reducing energy costs'.

Plans for a future 'Community Solar Network', where residential solar power is linked to council's scheme are also mooted.

'This model could be expanded or replicated across Melbourne, Victoria and Australia stimulating the same surge in environment, financial and economic benefits,' the video says.

The Virtual Power Plant links together 40 council properties with solar panels on their roofs

Puzzlingly, the 'sustainability dashboard' states council generated 1,515MWh of solar power last financial year, which saved 1,530 tons of carbon emissions.

Solar Quotes CEO Finn Peacock could offer no explanation for why council's emissions went up other than a massive increase in their energy use

Mr Peacock said the video's claim the VPP was the equivalent of taking '600 homes off the grid' was technically true but could be misleading.

'It is accurate to say the total amount of energy generated by the solar panels is more than will be used by 600 homes in a year,' he said.

'But it is not accurate to imply that you could power these homes with only that solar.

'Because - there is no solar power at night, and there is not enough solar power during winter days.

'In Victoria, with its large coal-fired powered stations, the solar will reduce emissions when it generates and that will offset the emissions caused by those coal stations.

'So, they are technically accurate, but it is easy to understand how the layman could mistakenly infer that there are 600 homes in Hobsons Bay that are now 100 per cent solar powered.'

Hobsons Bay Council says residential power could be linked into their Virtual Power Plant in a way that leads the nation

On its sustainability dashboard, council has displayed how much energy the VVP generates compared to how much power is taken from the grid for each month.

There is also a measure of 'exported' power, which means excess electricity sold back to the grid during particularly sunny periods.

During Melbourne's sunnier six months from October to March the amount of solar power generated sits at around the halfway mark of total electricity use.

In December the percentage of solar power used reaches its peak as a proportion of power used and exported and makes up about two thirds of the total electricity consumption or offset.

However, for the other six months the amount of solar falls away to below half the amount used and often substantially under.

The low point is in the depth-of-Melbourne-winter month of July, where with 29MWh of solar power generated out of a total of 286MWh used the VPP is providing only around one ninth of council's power needs.

Hobsons Bay mayor Peter Hemphill has overseen the council's move into 'cutting edge' green technology

In council's budget for 2021/22 it states that the VPP is being funded 'by new borrowings'.

'This long term inter-generational project will introduce a Virtual Energy Network enabling energy from all buildings to be distributed across Council-owned and leased assets facilitating significant energy cost savings,' the budget reads.

'The project is expected to generate future savings for the Council through the reduction of energy costs with a positive return on its initial investment.'

It is understood the video's stated plan to make 'zero carbon power accessible to the community' has been scrapped.

Despite needing to borrow $7 million for its green dream, Hobsons Bay Council sits comfortably in the top 10 Victorian councils for digging into the pockets of ratepayers.

Council slugs its residents an average of $1,966 per year, which is the seventh highest amount in Victoria according to a comparison of budget papers.

By contrast the inner city Yarra Council only extracts $1,770 per year from ratepayers.
Mediums prepare for the event at a local temple as drums beat and bells ring

Graphic images show piercings being done at event in Phuket on 'mediums'

Those involved shun all animal products while they offer bodies to deities

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Swords, axes and umbrella handles were yesterday pushed through the cheeks of Taoist devotees in a series of unusual piercings as part of Thailand's Vegetarian Festival which returned from a two-year pandemic hiatus.

The nine-day Vegetarian Festival celebration, which takes place every year, honours the 'Nine Emperor Gods'.

Those involved shun all animal products while they offer their bodies to deities who they believe will banish bad luck.

Graphic images show the piercings being done at the event in Phuket, which previously drew thousands of visitors to the tourist island hoping for blessings and good fortune.

People volunteering to be pierced are known as 'mediums' and believe that they have a personal connection with one of the gods.

They have to apply in advance and are carefully considered before they are granted the honour.

Mediums yesterday prepared themselves at a local temple as drums beat, bells rang and incense burned to begin the day's festivities at sunrise.

Devotees emerged from the Jor Soo Gong Naka shrine and nurses then closely monitored things as the sharpened objects, chosen by the mediums, were guided through their skin.

When the piercing was done, the mediums were guided by supporters five kilometres (three miles) to a park by the sea.

In this procession, some devotees appear in a trance and their eyes roll as they tremble, wave and dance, dispensing blessings to a crowd of hundreds.

Graphic images show the piercings being done at the event in Phuket, which previously drew thousands of visitors to the tourist island hoping for blessings and good fortune. Pictured: A man walks at the Sapam shrine with piercings on his tongue

People volunteering to be pierced are known as 'mediums' and believe that they have a personal connection with one of the gods. They have to apply in advance and are carefully considered before they are granted the honour. Pictured: A woman participates in the annual vegetarian festival

Mediums yesterday prepared themselves at a local temple as drums beat, bells rang and incense burned to begin the day's festivities at sunrise. Pictured: The procession in Phuket

Devotees emerge from the Jor Soo Gong Naka shrine and nurses then closely monitor things as the sharpened objects, chosen by the mediums, are guided through their skin. Pictured: A devotee of the Kuan Tae Kun shrine with paper umbrellas pierced through his cheeks takes part in a procession during the annual Vegetarian Festival

When the piercing is done, the mediums are guided by supporters five kilometres (three miles) to a park by the sea. In this procession, some devotees appear in a trance and their eyes roll as they tremble, wave and dance, dispensing blessings to a crowd of hundreds. Pictured: A medium walks in the procession

Teepakorn Kerdkla, 62, said: 'I could cleanse my mind and concentrate my thoughts', as he waited to see a procession of the faithful who had undergone piercings.

Chitsanuphong Tankongkoy, 18, an onlooker, said: 'The wishers have to pierce themselves as a way to express their gratitude to the gods as well as getting rid of their bad luck.'

In folklore, the tradition can be traced back to 1825, when a visiting Chinese opera troupe fell ill in Phuket.

But nowadays the festival comes with modern safeguard procedures and medics.

Pictured: A woman with a piercing on her cheek participates in the annual vegetarian festival in Thailand

Pictured: A woman gets pierced at the annual vegetarian festival in Phuket, Thailand

A man with piercings on his cheek and mouth participates in the annual vegetarian festival, pictured

The return of the event is welcome for Thailand's Covid-battered tourism industry. Pictured: The procession

The return of the event is welcome for Thailand's Covid-battered tourism industry.

Rapeepan Naknakhon, 58, said: 'We hadn't had this festival in a few years so this year is especially exciting.

'I'm glad to see lots of people joining and making merit.'
A pool in Newcastle has asked swimmers whether they would consider showering at home to help it cut down on soaring energy bills.

Jesmond Pool and Gym operates as a charity and is run by award-winning social enterprise Jesmond Community Leisure.

The pool's management said it is looking at 'all options' to save money during the cost of living crisis with its energy bills set to rise by 75%.

This included asking customers via a survey whether they would be prepared to shower at home instead of at the pool as the facility looks at ways to manage its budget.

It comes as a raft of businesses look at cost-cutting measures to cut back on their energy bills, including pubs turning to candlelight to save on electricity, and football clubs considering earlier kick-off times so they dont have to use their floodlights.

Jesmond Pool and Gym operations manager Phil Drape (pictured above) said they were looking at 'all options' to reduce energy bills, including asking people to shower at home. He said 'the last thing we would want' is for customers to have to pay for soaring costs

Jesmond Pool said in its survey: 'We have over 1,000 people from swimming lessons using the showers each week, which uses a considerable amount of water and energy to heat it.

'Would you consider showering at home instead of the pool?'

While skyrocketing gas and electricity bills have been tough for domestic customers, businesses do not have the same price caps as residential properties so their bills can rise even higher.

However, at a time when many people are already struggling with rising costs, operations manager Phil Drape said the charity does not want to increase prices for customers who rely on it for their fitness and wellbeing.

He said: 'Our customer survey was sent out in preparation for budgeting for next year when our energy contract ends.

Jesmond Pool in Newcastle surveyed their customers, asking whether they would be prepared to shower at home in order to help the organisation save on water and electricity costs

'As it currently stands, we pay 12p per kWh for electricity.

'The Government cap for electricity for businesses for the next six months to be reviewed after three months is 21p per kWh - a 75% increase.

'As a single-site charity with no financial support from anywhere except our local customers, our aim is to provide swimming and leisure activities to the local and wider community.

'The last thing we would want is to pass on a price increase to our customers who use leisure for their fitness and wellbeing.

'Therefore, we are looking at all options to reduce our energy including the installation of solar panels, reducing showering time and a few other initiatives.'

Meanwhile, the owners of two pubs have gone 'back in time' by resorting to switching off their lights and serving customers by candlelight to combat 'extortionate' energy bills.

The Masons Arms in Camelford, Cornwall is now purely candle-lit every Monday, all lights switched off, while The Thomas Daniell pub in Truro will cut off the mains entirely for one day in October and has also had to close on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Alan Woods, who has run the Masons Arms for just over four years, said the move was to combat the 'extortionate' price of electricity, which could cripple the business, while also providing a new atmosphere.

He explained that a month before the pandemic hit, in March 2020, his electric bill was around 1,000 per month, while his last bill was just under 4,000.

The Masons Arms (pictured above) in Camelford, Cornwall is now purely candle-lit on Mondays, with all light switches turned off

He said: 'We had those few months when it was going great again and the pub was livening up.

'Then we had our energy bills and it went mental - how has it gone that crazy?

'We're all in the same boat as small businesses. There's only so much you can do to help.

'People are all looking at strategies, closing their doors a few days a week, or even permanently. Come October, we'll see what the increases are but it's not looking good.'

He added: 'We are going back to 1753, the year The Masons Arms opened.'

What your pub outings may soon look like. Pictured: People sit in a pub by candle light due to South Africa's struggling power utility Eskom, implementing regular power cuts - called 'load-shedding' - because of ageing coal-fired power stations, in Cape Town on September 20

Jamie Hilton-Lavender, manager of The Thomas Daniell, said the candle-lit night is a way to offer something different to customers while curbing the exploding energy bills.

He's gone one step further and is turning off the mains entirely. On October 4 the lights, tills and everything in between will be off.

Mr Hilton-Lavender said: 'Everyone's struggling with the cost of living. It's getting out of control.'

Meanwhile, football clubs could switch to lunchtime kick-offs in league and FA Cup matches held on the weekend to save on energy bills for their floodlights this winter.

In fact, 63% of 40 clubs surveyed by football reform group Fair Game earlier this month, including 12 EFL teams, said they would consider earlier kick-offs to reduce energy bills as the hours of daylight diminish, if they were given permission.

Jamie Hilton-Lavender (pictured), manager of The Thomas Daniell, said the candle-lit night is a way to offer something different to customers while curbing the exploding energy bills

What's more, 60% of the 40 clubs are considering halting ground improvement work as a result of the crisis, while 38 per cent are preparing to look at their non-playing staff budgets.

Jesmond Pool, the pubs and the football clubs are just a few examples of the numerous households and businesses up and down the country struggling to deal with rising energy bills amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Liz Truss announced new measures to tackle the issue including the energy price guarantee for households, and 'equivalent' support for businesses.

From October 1, the average household energy bill will rise from 1,971 to a frozen 2,500 under the energy price guarantee, around 1,000 less than the new energy price cap due to kick in.

However, this is still an increase of 27% from the previous price cap and a 96% increase from last year.

Meanwhile, businesses and other non-domestic energy users like charities and the public sector, have been promised a discount on wholesale electricity from October 1 to March 31.

The supported wholesale price is expected to be 21p per kWh for electricity and 7.5p per kWh for gas, less than half the wholesale prices anticipated this winter.

This includes the removal of green levies.

Nevertheless, businesses with a high energy use like swimming pools and leisure centres will still see a huge rise in bills, like Jesmond's 75%.

Ms Truss has insisted, however, that rising costs are 'a price worth paying' for standing up to Vladimir Putin's aggression.
A 20-year-old road rage suspect who was left bedridden when the parked patrol car she was detained in was struck by a freight train is planning to sue police.

Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, of Greeley, Colorado, is recovering at home with nine broken ribs, a broken arm, a fractured sternum and numerous other injuries to her head and back, her attorney, Paul Wilkinson, told KUSA-TV.

'She is bedridden,' he said of the mother-of-one. 'She also has a fractured leg that she wasn't initially aware of. She's still really, really hurt.'

Wilkinson said that his client, who was never charged over the alleged road rage incident, will file a lawsuit against the Fort Lupton and Platteville Police Departments after their officers detained Rios-Gonzalez and left her in their car parked over the railroad tracks.

The Platteville officer whose patrol car was hit by a train has been placed on leave pending an investigation.

Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, 20, was detained and left inside a patrol car when a train barreled into the vehicle (above), leaving her with nine broken ribs, a broken arm, a fractured sternum and numerous other injuries to her head and back

Rios-Gonzalez, of Greeley, Colorado, is planning to sue the Fort Lupton and Platteville Police Departments after they detained the road rage suspect on September 16

Officers stopped their car on railroad tracks and ordered the female suspect to walk back

Officers then handcuffed her and placed her in the back of the car. Her lawyer said officers did not respond to their cries for help as they moved back from the vehicle as the train approached

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a report of a road rage incident involving a firearm in Fort Lupton on September 16.

A Platteville police officer stopped Rios-Gonzalez's car just past a set of railroad tracks and parked the patrol vehicle on the crossing. The officer was joined by two Fort Lupton officers.

She was placed in the back of the police vehicle, which was hit by the train as officers were searching her car.

Police bodycam and dashcam video shows officers scrambling as the train approaches and slams into the patrol vehicle, which is parked squarely on the tracks.

One officer says, 'Oh my God,' multiple times and another yells, 'Stay back,' as the train's horn blares before the crash.

Bodycam footage shows officers running toward the mangled and crushed patrol vehicle through what appears to be a debris field left by the impact.

Wilkinson slammed police for their treatment of his client, telling CPR News that the three officers left her trapped in a dangerous situation while not responding for her pleas for help.

'Her hands were behind her back and she frantically tried to escape the vehicle, but the doors were locked, and it's kind of a cage,' Wilkinson said. 'You can hear the train horn. The train has lights.'

'She had thought about trying to get through to the front and get out that way, but she could not exit the vehicle. She saw everything coming.'

Incredibly, the mother-of-one survived despite suffering nine broken ribs, a broken arm, a fractured sternum and losing several teeth in the accident

Rios-Gonzalez, believed to have been involved in a road rage incident, was pulled over by police in Colorado on September 16

Officers could be seen speaking with the suspect in the moments before the train hit

Wilkinson claimed that police had enough time to try and save his client, and that she was 'really upset' after viewing the video of the incident.

The Fort Lupton Police Department is investigating the road rage report, while the Colorado State Patrol is investigating the crash.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is looking into the Rios-Gonzalez's injury while she was in police custody.

No one has been charged in the alleged road rage incident or the crash. Police have not released further information about the road rage incident.
Crafty scammers are trying to exploit the ongoing energy and cost-of-living crisis by sending out fake texts pretending to be the Government offering discounts on energy bills.

The fake messages, pretending to be from GovUK, are telling people they are eligible to apply online for a discounted energy bill as part of the Energy Bill Support Scheme.

But the messages are a sham. The 400 energy bill discount will be paid automatically.

The energy provider Ofgem confirmed to MailOnline that it has seen a rise in the number of 'reports of scammers claiming you can get the 400 Energy Bill Support Scheme by registering bank details'.

The fraud attempts come in light of the Government's decision to give all UK households a grant which will help reduce energy bills by 400 from October as part of an energy rebate.

Customers who use direct debit or credit will have money added to their accounts whereas customers with pre-payment meters will have the amount applied to their meter or alternatively receive a voucher.

The fraud attempts come in light of the Government's decision to give all UK households a grant which will help reduce energy bills by 400 from October as part of an energy rebate. People do not need to apply to get the discount - it will taken off automatically

The fraud attempts come in light of the Government's decision to give all UK households a grant which will help reduce energy bills by 400 from October as part of an energy rebate. People do not need to apply to get the discount - it will taken off automatically

The bogus texts have been sent from a range of different numbers. Some of the messages claim to come from 'UK Help', whereas others have come from a 'Help Scheme' or unknown numbers

The message reads: 'GOVUK: You are eligible for a discounted energy bill under the Energy Bills Support Scheme. You can apply here.'

It then attaches a link attempting to convince people to click on the link to get to the government's website.

But the link leads to a scammer's website where victims' bank details or personal information could be stolen.

People have taken to social media to query whether the messages are legitimate.

One upset user said: 'Just received a text message telling me I'm eligible for the GOVT energy support scheme 'just click here'.

'Doesn't take long for the next scam to jump on the bandwagon. Despicable.'

Another added: 'Lots of scam texts doing the rounds promising discounted energy bills. I have received this text message from 3 different numbers today.

'Horrible, praying on vulnerable people.'

Another warned: 'My mom got a scam message about the energy bills support scheme and thank god I do enough work in the energy sector to know it was wrong, because it looked so legit.'

People have taken to social media to call out the scammers and warn other people of the bogus messages

MPs have also sent warnings out to their constituents over the suspicious messages.

Caroline Dinenage, Tory MP for Gosport, said: 'A scam is circulating for the Energy Bill Support Scheme.

'Individuals have received a text message claiming to be from the Government, with a link to apply for the Energy Bill Support Scheme. This is a scam.'

Chris Bryant, Labour MP for Rhondda, shared a photo of a spam message he had received, before adding 'I presume this is a scam?

MPs have also sent warnings out to their constituents over the suspicious messages. Caroline Dinenage, Tory MP for Gosport and Chris Bryant, Labour MP for Rhondda, each shared a photo of the scam message, warning their constituents of the fraud attempt

It comes days after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that fraud has had a 25 per cent rise since pre-pandemic levels.

Almost two thirds of the 4.5 million fraud offences recorded in the year up to March 2022 were cyber-related.

Ofgem said they are seeing a rise in the number of 'reports of scammers claiming you can get the 400 Energy Bill Support Scheme by registering bank details, but the discount is automatic'.

The spokesman for the energy provider told the MailOnline: 'If you get a message asking for your bank details, this could be a scam.

'Protecting consumers is our top priority, and it is alarming that vulnerable customers are being preyed upon in this way when people are already struggling so much.

'On top of issuing our own warnings and advice, we have asked all energy suppliers to ensure clear and up-to-date information on scams is easily accessible on their websites. We take these attempts to exploit consumers very seriously.'

The warning comes days after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that fraud has had a 25 per cent rise since pre-pandemic levels

A spokesperson for the Government's department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: 'This is a scam and nobody needs to apply for the Energy Bills Support Scheme or contact their energy supplier.

'Most customers will receive it automatically through their electricity bill and customers on pre-payment meters will receive a credit or vouchers direct from their electricity supplier.

'Consumers should stay alert to potential scams and report them when they are suspected. In all cases, no household should be asked for bank details at any point.'

Yesterday Lloyd's Bank issued a warning to its customers over fake emails from British Gas asking for direct debit payment details.

The bank said fraudsters posing as British Gas are trying to con hardworking British families out of thousands of pounds by pretending to be workers from the energy suppliers.

EEs top tips to avoid scams Remember: Take a moment to stop and think and trust your instincts. If it sounds too good to be true or is suspicious, theres probably a catch

Dont stay on the phone unless youre 100% sure the caller is genuine

Dont give away any of your personal details or give anyone access to your computer  if you think you might have provided your bank account details, contact your bank immediately What to do if you receive a suspicious call: Text the phone number and incident to 7726, free of charge, so your mobile phone provider can investigate

Block numbers after reporting them

Make others aware of these types of calls and the numbers they are coming from, so they are also in the know Advertisement

In the fake email, fraudsters claim that the victim's latest energy bill direct debit has not gone through and as a result their electricity could be cut off.

Lloyds warned messages are part of a hoax and urged people not to reply to them.

In a statement to customers, Lloyds said: 'You could get an email that looks like it's from British Gas.

'It will say that your latest payment by direct debit didn't go through, and your gas supply could be cut off.

'They want you to click on a link to check and update your payment details. This is a scam.

'The link is to a fake site to try and get your personal or payment details.'

Earlier this month, Action Fraud, the National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre, said in the two weeks from August 22 to August 5, a total of 1,567 phishing emails related to Ofgem scam messages, were reported via the Suspicious Email Reporting Service.

Detective Chief Inspector Hayley King, from the City of London Police, said: 'It is shameful that in a time of financial hardship, criminals are targeting members of the public by claiming they are entitled to receiving rebates and refunds.

'If an email is genuine, the company will never push you into handing over your details. Always take a moment to consider if the request you have received is genuine.'

An OfGem spokesperson said at the time: 'Protecting consumers is our top priority and it is alarming that vulnerable customers are being preyed upon in this way when people are already struggling so much.'

Those who fear they are being scammed are encouraged to contact organisations directly and not to click on any numbers or websites.

Those who have already responded to a scam are encouraged to call their bank immediately and cancel any recurring payments.

Scams can also be reported to the police through action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

The OfGem spokesperson added: 'Genuine organisations won't mind you calling back; only scammers apply pressure and insist you hand over details immediately.

'If you have any doubts about a message, consumers should contact the organisation directly and not use the numbers or address in the message  use the details from their official website.'
A Connecticut man who was left paralyzed after breaking his neck in the back of a police van following the vehicle's sudden stop is now suing the cops for $100 million, according to his lawyer.

Richard 'Randy' Cox, 36, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in US District Court against the city of New Haven and five police officers who were allegedly involved in the ordeal.

Cox was arrested at a block party on Lilac Street in the Newhallville section in New Haven, Connecticut, on June 19 and he was handcuffed and put in the cop van. He was not wearing a seatbelt, it's claimed.

Ben Crump, Cox's lawyer, who has represented the families of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, and Trayvon Martin, and is now part of Cox's legal team, announced the lawsuit on Tuesday during a press conference.

Crump said the city should take responsibility to what happened and said multiple times that 'it should have been unnecessary for Cox to file a lawsuit.'

He said: 'If we say, we respect Randy Cox's life and respect Randy Cox's life experiences  then we have to show that by action, not just by rhetoric, not just say we care about Black lives, but we have an actual duty in New Haven and throughout America to actually show that we believe Black lives matter.'

This is Richard Cox. The 36-year-old is in the hospital recovering from severe injuries after his head slammed into the back of a police transport van. New Haven (CT) Police ignored their DUTY of providing him with immediate medical assistance when he called for help, according to Ben Crump, Cox's attorney

Police body camera video provided by New Haven Police, Richard 'Randy' Cox (center) is pulled from the back of a police van and placed in a wheelchair after being detained by New Haven Police on June 19, 2022, in New Haven

Since the horrifying ordeal, Cox has had multiple surgeries, and on Tuesday had to return to the hospital for treatment of bedsores, that doctors said 'is going to be a regular thing for years,' Crump said

Cox's family held up signs outside of City Hall as Crump spoke telling the city that they should settle the lawsuit and not 'put this family through anymore than you're already putting them through.'

Crump said Cox suffers 'mental anguish that is probably worse than death itself,' the Hartford Courant reported.

Since the horrifying ordeal, Cox has had multiple surgeries, and on Tuesday had to return to the hospital for treatment of bedsores, that doctors said 'is going to be a regular thing for years,' Crump said.

Crump said Tuesday that to give Cox 'a basic quality of life' would cost $20 million to $30 million, including retrofitting a van and 24-hour care.

'The family's resolute. They're ready to go all the way,' he said.

Doreen Coleman, Cox's mother, asked everyone to 'pray for my son' and 'to pay attention and do what you have to do now,' adding that 'responsibility is what you're supposed to do.'

The five officers that were involved have been put on administrative leave.

Officer Oscar Diaz, the driver of the van, is solely accused of recklessness and failure to provide medical assistance, the suit alleges, according to the news outlet.

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump takes part in a march for Justice for Richard 'Randy' Cox from the Stetson Library to the New Haven Police Department on Friday, July 8, 2022 in New Haven, Conn. The family of Cox, a Black Connecticut man who was paralyzed in June 2022 when a police van without seatbelts braked suddenly, said Thursday, September 15, 2022, that a planned federal lawsuit has been delayed because the victim is back in the hospital

Jerry Brown, center, brother of Richard 'Randy' Cox Jr., speaks during a rally for Justice for Randy Cox in front of the New Haven Police Department, Friday, July 8, 2022, in New Haven, Conn. Lawyers for Cox, a Black man who was paralyzed from the chest down in June when a police van without seat belts braked suddenly, filed a $100 million lawsuit Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, against the city of New Haven

Officer Diaz had been riding in the van with Sargent Betsy Segui. And Officers Ronald Pressley, Jocelyn Lavandier and Luis Rivera were working in the detention area.

The five officers accused in the suit of alleged excessive force, denial of medical treatment, violating Cox's constitutional rights, intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault, battery and negligence, a report said.

The suit claims the city is liable for Diaz's actions and alleged recklessness and negligence.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker spoke at a later press conference. He said that 'we are all committed to doing the right thing.'

'We're committed to doing that,' Elicker said adding that most lawsuits 'result in a settlement. That is on the table and we're willing to explore that.'

During Cox's arrest he was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and other charges.
He sent texts and left loving note for his wife on morning she vanished in 2020

Pair didn't get together until six years later after Caddick had moved overseas

Anthony Koletti met future wife in 2005 at hairdressing salon where he worked

The husband of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick left frantic texts on her phone on the morning she vanished before penning a romantic post-it note declaring that their love was 'deeper than possessions', an inquest has heard.

Anthony Koletti has opened up on their nine-year relationship at the inquest investigating Caddick's disappearance and suspected death in November 2020.

He also recalled the moment the pair fell in love at a secret meeting and struck up an 'intimate friendship' while she was still married.

The inquest was also shown a loving post-it note and text messages the part-time hairdresser and aspiring DJ sent to Caddick on the morning she vanished from their Dover Heights mansion - just hours after being raided by corporate watchdog the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Mr Koletti revealed in an affidavit that he first met his future wife in 2005 at the salon where he worked. Caddick was married to her first husband at the time.

The pair remained friends until a secret meeting in 2011, as Caddick was preparing to relocate to London with her family.

'We agreed to meet to have lunch so that Melissa could say goodbye,' Mr Koletti recalled.

Melissa Caddick (left) was married to her first husband when she met Anthony Koletti (right) at a salon in 2005. They didn't become a couple until six years later after she moved to London

'It was during this lunch that our friendship shifted from hairdresser and client to a more intimate friendship.

'We did not have any intimate contact at this time other than a farewell kiss. However, I believe Melissa fell in love with me. I fell in love with her at this moment.'

Mr Koletti remained in touch with Caddick and travelled to New York in May 2011 to meet up with her.

The pair reunited in Cyprus four months later.

'Our physical relationship commenced in Cyprus in September 2011,' Mr Kolleti said.

Shortly after the affair started, Caddick separated from her first husband in 2011.

Caddick and Kolleti returned to Australia in 2012, with the hairdresser moving in with her.

The inquest also heard Mr Kolleti is recollection of their final night together on November 11, the day ASIC raided their home.

Anthony Koletti stuck a post-in note (pictured) on his wife's phone next to an early Christmas present on the morning she vanished on November 12, 2020

KEY CADDICK DATES November 11 2020: ASIC raids the Dover Heights home of Melissa Caddick November 12 2020: The fraudster vanishes from her home in the early hours and is never seen again. February 2021: Caddick's decomposing foot encased in an Asics shoe washes ashore on NSW south coast beach 400km south of Sydney September 2022: Inquest into Caddick's suspected death begins Advertisement

He said after the 12-hour raid ended at 6pm, the couple had a takeaway dinner before going to bed about 9.30 pm.

Mr Koletti said he woke during the night before going back to bed at 4am, when he last saw her.

He woke up at 6.30am to the door slamming and was told by Ms Caddick's teenage son that he assumed she had gone for a run.

Mr Koletti sent his wife several texts, when she had not returned by 7.16am.

'U ok?' one asked.

He then asked if she had her key before he found her phone still charging in their walk-in closet.

Mr Koletti said he stuck a bright pink post-it note on her phone, along with a pair of earrings as a surprise gift.

'Melissa I no (sic) our love is deeper than possessions (sic),' he wrote.

'Thought you may like one of your Christmas (sic) early. All my love.'

Despite telling police soon after she disappeared that his wife consistently went out for morning runs, Mr Koletti told the inquest he could not remember the last time that happened.

Melissa Caddick's husband said he sent her several text messages (pictured) on the morning she vanished before discovering she'd left her phone in their walk-in closet

Mr Koletti is set to resume giving evidence on Wednesday after counsel grilled him on several inconsistencies in his evidence on Tuesday.

He told counsel assisting Jason Downing SC that on the morning of her disappearance in November 2020, he assumed Ms Caddick had gone out to do some exercise.

Despite Mr Koletti telling police that it was typical of Ms Caddick to go for outside morning jogs, CCTV footage later revealed a different story.

'Isn't it the case that the month prior Ms Caddick had not once gone out to jog or walk?' Mr Downing asked him.

'Yeah that's true she was jogging on the treadmill prior to that,' Mr Koletti said.

Inconsistencies in his story continued to unravel on Tuesday, as the court was played an interview on 7News' Spotlight where Mr Koletti claimed he was up until 4am writing music.

Anthony Koletti (pictured this week at the inquest into his wife's presumed death) will continue his evidence on Wednesday

But he told the inquest he had gone to bed with his wife before later getting up due to his sleep apnoea.

'The account you give media is markedly different to what you said today,' Mr Downing said.

'Is it?' Mr Koletti said.

When asked what had changed, Mr Koletti said he had 'sat down and had the proper time to get the truth to make it easy to understand'.

Despite being paid $150,000 for the Spotlight interview, Mr Koletti said his answers were not scripted or rehearsed.

He said he has always been truthful but admitted there may have been moments when his 'wires were crossed' due to his concern and worry.

Within a year of relocating to London with her first husband, Melissa Caddick (pictured) had returned to Australia and moved in with Anthony Koletti

He insists he had no inkling his wife was defrauding family and friends of millions of dollars, nor did he ask her why federal police or ASIC was suddenly searching their Sydney eastern suburbs home.

'Does the truthful answer depend on who is asking [the question] and why?' Mr Downing said.

'No,' Mr Koletti said

'Are there many truths?' Mr Downing said.

'There is one truth,' Mr Koletti said.
China-proposed Global Development Initiative paves fast lane for global cooperation, development

09:08, September 28, 2022 By He Yin ( People's Daily

Global development was a topic receiving high attention at the general debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly that concluded at the UN headquarters in New York on Sept. 26.

According to a recent report by the UN Development Program, over 90 percent of countries endured a decline on the Human Development Index in 2020 or 2021, while over 40 percent declined in both years. Human development has fallen back to 2016 levels globally.

All parties are expecting a renewal of global development.

The Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping last September bears great expectations.

China recently held the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of the GDI in New York. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the meeting via video link, and the meeting was attended by nearly 40 foreign ministers and heads of international agencies.

All participants believed that the GDI is of great importance to boosting international development cooperation and helping implement the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and it will serve as a catalyst for developing countries, small and medium-sized countries in particular, to accelerate development.

The GDI, aiming at building a community with a shared future for global development, gives priority to development and puts people at the center. It helps promote common development of the world and enhance people's wellbeing.

As global development enters a critical stage, the GDI guides countries to focus on key areas, offers more forceful and targeted support for developing countries, and seeks to expedite the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

China not only presented the GDI but also carried out the initiative with real actions. In June this year, Xi chaired the High-level Dialogue on Global Development, announced China's 32 important measures to implement the GDI and helped bring development back to the center of the international agenda together with leaders of other countries, staying committed to forging a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership.

At the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of the GDI, China said it is willing to strengthen strategic synergy with UN development agencies and work with members of the Group of Friends to take seven additional measures to implement the 2030 Agenda. It once again demonstrated China's major country responsibility in being action-oriented and promoting the implementation of the initiative.

China presented to the UN six sets of data products for global sustainable development, including data products on global arable land and forest, so as to provide data support for all countries to better achieve food security, ecological conservation on land, and other sustainable development goals.

The GDI enjoys a bright future because it adheres to multilateralism and builds synergy for global development. To realize sustained global development, the international society must work as one. More than 100 countries and international organizations, including the UN, have supported the GDI, and more than 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI.

China has worked actively with relevant parties to implement the 32 pragmatic measures and has achieved multiple early fruits. Institutions from 17 countries and regions became the first to join the International NGOs Network for Poverty Reduction Cooperation. One hundred and fifty institutions from nearly 40 countries and regions are making joint preparations to establish a World Technical Vocational and Education Training League. China has engaged in the co-production of COVID-19 vaccines with 13 countries.

China follows the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, forges greater synergy through coordination, and upholds inclusiveness and common progress. It is pooling collective wisdom and strength for the implementation of the GDI.

On the path of development, no country or individual should be left behind. This is the humble aspiration of the GDI and the goal advocated by the UN. China will continue to share development opportunities with all countries, stand with fellow developing countries, and make all-out efforts to advance the GDI. It will join hands with other countries on the journey of implementing the 2030 Agenda and build an even better community with a shared future for mankind.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Valentine was discovered in her cell 15 minutes after giving birth with her newborn daughter in her arms

Valentine had been arrested for a probation violation just one day before going into labor

Her daughter then developed a staph infection due to the unsanitary conditions in the Maryland jail, the lawsuit claims

A woman who gave birth alone on the dirty concrete floor of a Maryland jail cell slid her amniotic sac under the door to prove to laughing staff she was having a baby, a federal lawsuit claimed on Tuesday.

Jazmin Valentine, 26, claims she was calling for help and desperately punching the walls of her cell before she came to the horrifying realization that she was going to have to deliver the baby on her own.

Valentine, who had never given birth before, said she feared that her baby would die and she might bleed out during the July 2021 incident at Washington County Jail.

She delivered her baby daughter singlehandedly in the early hours of the morning, with staff claiming they ignored her because they believed she was going cold turkey from drugs.

Due to the unsanitary conditions in the jail the baby, named Jamiyah Rose, then developed a type of antibiotic resistant staph infection, the lawsuit said.

Jazmine Valentine, 26, who filed a lawsuit on Tuesday claiming her cries for help were ignored by prison staff, is photographed with red hair. Her daughter Jamiyah Rose is pictured right

Jazmine Valentine, 26, in the supermarket with the daughter she delivered in the jail. Valentine filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, alleging that nurses and staff at the Washington County jail in Maryland ignored her screams for help as she gave birth to her daughter there in July 2021

'I felt like I was in the hands of the devil,' said Valentine, who was being held in Washington County jail in Hagerstown over a suspected probation violation. Further details on the crime she previously committed have not been disclosed.

'In my brain anything could happen,' Valentine said.

The lawsuit alleges that Washington County, its sheriff department as well as nurses and deputies at the jail violated Valentine's rights under state law and the Constitution.

Valentine, who had been in solitary confinement, was only attended to 15 minutes after giving birth, when she was discovered with a newborn baby in her arms.

According to the lawsuit the sheriff's deputy that eventually discovered her in the cell had expressed concern to jail nurses prior but had been ignored.

Nurses in the jail working for its contracted medical provider PrimeCare Medical, Inc. said that they thought Valentine was withdrawing from drugs and not in labor.

A fellow inmate heard Valentine's calls for help and called her boyfriend who then called the jail pleading with staff members to help her, the lawsuit said.

Aerial image of Washington County jail in Hagerstown where Valentine gave birth to her daughter in the early hours of July 4, 2021. Soon after delivering the baby the mother and daughter were taken to hospital. Valentine said on Tuesday that the baby is now doing fine

Washington County Sheriff's Departments are defendants in the lawsuit filed by Valentine who had been pregnant for eight months before being taken into the county jail just one day before going into labor

PrimeCare Medical, which is based in Pennsylvania, has been involved in over two dozen lawsuits since 2009 arguing that its poor medical or mental health care resulted in injury or death to prisoners.

The details of many of those cases are unknown but the company has been held liable for more than $13million in damages in six cases since November 2017.

Once the baby was born in the cell Valentine was taken to hospital for treatment.

Valentine was released several days later and her baby is doing well, she said on Tuesday.

This lawsuit is similar to one filed in 2019 by a woman who gave birth alone in Denver's jail the year before. She claimed that nurses and deputies ignored her pleas for help for five hours.

Surveillance video released then by the law firm representing Diana Sanchez, which is also representing Valentine, showed her lying down on a narrow bed crying out in pain and delivering a baby boy. The city eventually settled the lawsuit.

Following Sanchez's delivery, the Denver County Sheriff's Department said it changed its policy to ensure that pregnant inmates who are in any stage of labor are immediately taken to the hospital. Previously, decisions about whether to move a pregnant inmate were left to jail nurses.

David Lane, whose law firm is involved in both cases, said he believes they highlight problems both of privatizing health care behind bars.

'As long as jail and prison administrators view inmates as animals these kinds of things will continue to happen,' he said.
Amber Heard has yet again changed lawyers in her attempt to force two insurance firms to pick up the bill for her libel payout to ex-husband Johnny Depp.

Heard, 36, was ordered to pay her ex-husband more than $10 million in damages at the end of the explosive trial in June, when a jury ruled she had defamed Depp in a newspaper opinion piece published in 2018.

She is currently represented by David L. Axelrod and Jay Ward Brown in her appeal of that verdict.

The actress has also recently hired Kirk Pasich on her legal team in an attempt to get multiple insurance companies to cover her legal bills, which may surpass $15million, according to Puck News.

Puck claims that Heard's expenses soared over $8million before the Virginia trial even began. Heard's team appears to want homeowner's insurance to cover those bills.

Amber Heard has yet again changed lawyers in her attempt to force two insurance firms to pick up the bill for her libel payout to ex-husband Johnny Depp

Heard, 36, was ordered to pay her ex-husband more than $10 million in damages at the end of the explosive trial in June, when a jury ruled she had defamed Depp in a newspaper opinion piece published in 2018

The actress has also recently hired Kirk Pasich (pictured) on her legal team in an attempt to get multiple insurance companies to help cover her legal bills, which may surpass $15million

Amber Heard's attorney Elaine Charlson Bredehoft (left), who represented the actress throughout the six-week defamation trial, was dumped as the process to appeal the judge's verdict in the Johnny Depp defamation trial continues

Heard is currently represented by David L. Axelrod (pictured left) and Jay Ward Brown (pictured right) in her appeal of that verdict

The battle concerns Travelers Commercial Insurance Company and New York Marine General Insurance Company. Travelers initially sued New York Marine in July 2021 to gain reimbursement for half of what it spent on defending a client that turned out to be Heard.

Heard's homeowners policy with Travelers covered 'libel' to the point of about $500,000, while New York Marine had issued her a general liability policy for $1million.

The crux of the suit was Travelers believing Heard had the right to pick her own lawyers, while New York Marine disagreed, believing the case was 'fairly straight forward'. A judge agreed with New York Marine's desire to use local, cheaper attorneys.

Travelers had doubts about New York Marine's appointed lawyers Timothy McEvoy and Sean Patrick Roche, arguing they 'piggy-backed' on the work of Heard attorneys Roberta Kaplan and Elaine Charlson Bredehoft.

New York Marine, for their part, claimed their attorneys were frozen out by Kaplan and Bredehoft. They now want $621,693 paid back in exchange for their contribution to Heard's defense fund because their lawyers were kept out of various legal proceedings.

Heard was ordered to pay Deep more than $10 million at the end of the defamation trial. Likewise, Depp was ordered to pay his ex-wife $2 million

The insurers are currently suing Heard to avoid contributing to the libel settlement that has the Aquaman star set to pay Depp about $10.35million using a California law preventing insurers from covering 'willful acts'. Pasich is representing Heard to try and deal with this situation on her behalf.

Double Jeopardy for Heard may find her responsible for the entire judgement if it survives her appeal, as Travelers will try to avoid paying it if Depp could prove she made false statements.

At the end of the defamation trial, Depp, 59, was awarded $10million to $15million in compensatory damages and $5million in punitive damages.

Judge Penney Azcarate ruled that there was 'no evidence of fraud or wrongdoing' by the juror and that the jury's verdict should stand

The judge later capped the damages at the state's maximum of $350,000 leaving Depp with a total of $8.35million.

Meanwhile, Heard won one of her three countersuit claims related to statements made by Depp's lawyer suggesting the actress and her friends had trashed their apartment before calling the police.

The actress was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages out of the $100 million she sought.

A day after Heard's team filed an appeal, Depp's team did the same to overturn the couple million the actor owes to his ex-wife.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor's team said they filed an appeal to ensure 'all information is considered by the court' while they return to consider Heard's appeal.

Before filing an appeal, Heard's attorney asked the judge to throw out the decision and declare a mistrial. It was argued that one of the jurors on the case should not have been eligible to serve because his summons was intended for his father, who had the same name and lived at the same address.

Judge Penny Azcarate shot down the request claiming there was no 'evidence of fraud or wrongdoing' by the juror and that the jury's verdict should stand.'
One of the most powerful women in tech who taught Mark Zuckerberg 'how to run a company,' stepped down from Meta  then Facebook  on Tuesday after 14 years, but her boss was seemingly absent from the applauding crowd.

Sheryl Sandberg, 53, yesterday stepped down as Chief Operating Officer of Meta, Facebook's parent company, for a new philanthropy venture, as well as parenting her now five children with her new husband.

She was seen hugging Meta staff in a tearful goodbye during her leaving drinks, but Zuclerberg  who has been hit with two life events after recently announcing he is expecting a third child within days of his net worth plummeting by $71billion  did not appear in the photo.

Zuckerberg, posting on Facebook in June after the announcement of her resignation, called Sandberg's departure as the 'end of an era' and said he would always be 'grateful to have you as a lifelong friend'.

'In the 14 years we've worked together, you've architected our ads business, hired great people, forged our management culture, and taught me how to run a company,' he said.

Sandberg's colleagues showered her with praise, but others associate her with many of the controversies that plagued Facebook during the 2010s  when the company was mired in legal battles over the Cambridge Analytica scandal and challenged on its data collection policies.

The news of her departure came after the former COO married Tom Bernthal in August in a Wyoming wedding.

Sheryl Sandberg is given tearful goodbye by Meta staff as she leaves the office on her last day on the job  but mark Zuckerberg was seemingly absent from the applauding crowd

CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg walks with COO of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg after a session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 08, 2021 in Sun Valley, Idaho

Sandberg, 53, stepped down as Chief Operating Officer of Meta, Facebook's parent company yesterday for a new philanthropy venture, as well as parenting her now five children

Sandberg's colleagues showered her with praise, with Zuckerberg telling her he would always be 'grateful to have you as a lifelong friend'

In a parting post on Facebook, Sandberg recalled the first time she met Zuckerberg.

The two were at a Christmas party in 2007 at the house of Daniel L Rosensweig, CEO of Chegg and previous CEO of Guitar Hero, but said she never had a single drink.

Instead, she was talking to Zuckerberg all night about his vision for Facebook and how real people would connect with others online. He was just 23 and she 38 when they met.

'I had tried The Facebook, as it was first called, but still thought the internet was a largely anonymous place to search for funny pictures,' she said, adding: 'I could have never predicted how meeting him would change my life.'

Her job at Facebook was chaotic at first, she said. On her first summer at the company, Zuckerberg went traveling and was not contactable for long stretches of time, leaving the company in Sandberg's hands.

But the two enjoyed a close confidential relationship, she said, where they trusted and relied on one another to figure out the best path for the company.

'In the critical moments of my life, in the highest highs and in the depths of true lows, I have never had to turn to Mark, because he was already there,' she said, in a tribute to the founder.

But the two drifted further apart when it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, had used data harvested from Facebook users to target voters.

Sheryl Sandberg tied the knot with businessman Tom Bernthal in cowboy-themed Wyoming wedding with groom's film star brother serving as best man in August

Sandberg said she was going to be focusing on a new philanthropic venture, but did not give any further details,as well as focusing on the upbringing of her five children

Sanderberg was in charge of managing Facebook's public image, with their relationship becoming more strained as the company's reputation became increasingly tarnished.

In press conferences and interviews with the New York Times, Sandberg noted that the company had taken down many pages supporting the Proud Boys, a far-right militia, and 'Stop the Steal' groups supporting former President Donald J. Trump claim that he was the legitimate winner of the 2020 election.

But enforcement was not perfect, she added, and some content had slipped through the cracks.

The relationship between Zuckerberg and Sandberg never survived Trump, the New York Times claimed in 2019.

After leaving Meta on August 1, her spokesperson announced that Sandberg will stay on at the company as a board member  keeping close to the company and boss with which she spent the last 14 years.
The search for a mother and daughter whose car plunged into a huge sinkhole changed from a rescue to a recovery effort in Guatemala on Tuesday, three days after they disappeared.

Authorities in the city of Villa Nueva said they believed they had located their car using geological technology at a depth of about 50 feet.

Mynor Suarez, an engineer specializing in geology, said they had detected a variation in metals below the surface they believe to be the car. It remained unknown however whether the women were still inside the car.

Olga Choz, 38, was with her husband, Adolfo Mejia, and their daughter, Hellen Mejia, 15, when their vehicle plummeted into the hole.

Adolfo Mejia was rescued and rushed to a nearby San Juan de Dios Hospital, where he had two fingers amputated and was discharged Monday.

Choz and Hellen Mejia were still missing as of Wednesday.

Olga Choz (left) and her daughter, Hellen Mejia (right), are still missing after the vehicle they were traveling in fell into a sinkhole in Villa Nueva, Guatemala, on Saturday. Authorities believe they had located their car using geological technology at a depth of about 50 feet

A surveillance camera captures the terrifying moment a car plummets into a sinkhole on a road in the Guatemala municipality of Villa Nueva on Saturday

Rescue workers pull a vehicle out of a sinkhole opened by the rains, in Villa Nueva, Guatemala, on Sunday, a day after two cars fell inside

Three people who were traveling separately in a car were also rescued from the sinkhole.

Harvi Gomez, 20, was tailing Adolfo Mejia when he crashed into the sinkhole.

He and Jazmin Gomez, 24, were treated also taken to the medical facility and treated for shock. Maria del Rosario Velasquez, 74, suffered fractured a hip and is still hospitalized.

Guatemalan authorities ordered businesses within 200 yards of the hole to close as dirt and asphalt continued to fall into the pit, sometimes sending vibrations through the surrounding surface.

Rescuers of the Guatemalan Army descend into a sinkhole in Villa Nueva, Guatemala, on Tuesday to search for a 38-year-old woman and her 15-year-old daughter who have been missing since Saturday

Relatives of Olga Choz and Hellen Mejia cry after attending a meeting with rescue workers next to a sinkhole in Villa Nueva, Guatemala, on Tuesday

Angel Mario Gonzalez, chief of the volunteer firefighters in charge of the operation, said earlier Tuesday that they were working manually with shovels at the bottom of the hole trying to avoid further collapse.

'The possibility of finding survivors is nil,' said Gonzalez, in reference to the amount of time that had elapsed.

Friends and family members have been spotted at times shouting through road drainage covers in hopes of a response from Choz and Hellen Mejia.

Felipe Mejia stood with other relatives about 50 yards from the edge of the sinkhole, hoping for word on the two missing women his daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

He said his son Adolfo Mejia couldn't bring himself to return to the scene.

'He can't. He says he feels really bad,' the father said.

'It's already been three days. We don't want them to stop. We want them alive or dead,' Felipe Mejia said. 'We are not going to leave until they are found. My family is not complete.'

Aerial view of two sinkholes that opened up on main road in Villa Nueva, Guatemala, on Saturday evening

Rescuers descend into a sinkhole in Villa Nueva, Guatemala, on Sunday. Rescuers were able to rescue four people, including Adolfo Mejia. However, his wife and daughter are still missing

The hole opened Saturday evening on the main thoroughfare of Villa Nueva, southwest of Guatemala City, the capital.

The Mejia family was on its way home from a local market where they sell clothing. Days of torrential rains in the region have caused landslides and flooding.

Rescuers have descended on ladders and with the aid of a crane, using metal detectors and a search dog in hopes of finding Choz and Hellen Mejia.
Investigators claim that the suspect and the victim knew one another

The victim's body was found on the verandah of his Shorncliffe home on Sunday

A Brisbane man, 34, has been charged with the murder of another man, 52

A man will face court charged with murder following the discovery of another man's body on the verandah of a share accommodation residence in Brisbane's northeast.

Police were called to the address in Yundah Street at Shorncliffe on Sunday afternoon where they found the 52-year-old victim already dead.

Detectives conducted a series of interviews and examined the crime scene along with the results of a post mortem before arresting a 34-year-old Shorncliffe man on Tuesday.

QLD police were called to a home on Yundah St (pictured) at Shorncliffe on Sunday and discovered a man's body on a verandah

Charged with murder, he has been denied police bail and is due to appear before Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Investigators say the deceased man was a resident at the premises and that the two men were known to one another.
A 39-year-old man has been charged with allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail into a restaurant at a popular dining promenade.

The man was charged with reckless conduct endangering persons and two counts of arson after the incident in Southbank, Melbourne, on Wednesday.

Police alleged he lit a small fire in the reception area toilets at a hotel in Whiteman Street just before 12.30am.

A man hurled a Molotov cocktail through a window of a Southbank promenade restaurant near Crown Casino, police alleged (pictured, a stock image of a Molotov cocktail)

The man was charged with reckless conduct endangering persons and two counts of arson after the incident in Southbank, Melbourne, on Wednesday (pictured, Southbank Promenade in Melbourne's CBD)

The fire was put out before the man, who was seen in the foyer afterwards, moved on to Clarendon Street.

He then allegedly hurled a Molotov cocktail through a window into a Southbank promenade restaurant near Crown Casino at about 1am, police said.

It caused a blaze which did damage to an outside awning and tables and chairs of the restaurant but was soon extinguished.

The man was arrested shortly after the incident and was scheduled to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning.

Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit detectives are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
The NHS is bracing itself for the worst flu epidemic in years amid fears of a perfect storm this winter when combined with Covid.

Experts predict the flu season will hit hard and early, causing up to 20,000 deaths and hospitalising tens of thousands more.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned of a difficult winter as viruses, including flu and Covid, are starting to circulate widely.

They are now urging millions to get vaccinated or risk another catastrophic winter for the health service.

Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said there were strong indications that both posed a deadly threat this winter.

She added: If you are offered a jab, please come forward to protect yourself and help reduce the burden on our health services.

Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said there were strong indications flu and Covid posed a deadly threat this winter

Experts have warned this winter could be catastrophic for the NHS, which is still trying to get to grips with the 6.84 million people already waiting for treatment

Doctors are particularly worried natural immunity to the flu virus is lower than it has ever been following the pandemic, which led to people socialising far less than usual.

A sharp wave of cases in Australia  driven mainly by children  has prompted fears of a similar outbreak in the UK.

International surveillance shows the UK can expect the spread of the H3N2 strain, which is known to cause more severe disease particularly in the very young and the very elderly.

It was responsible for the last severe UK flu season five years ago, resulting in around 20,000 deaths and 40,000 hospital admissions.

Experts warned this could be catastrophic for the NHS which is still trying to get to grips with the 6.84 million already waiting for treatment.

This years vaccine  which is being offered to a record 33 million people  is designed to fight this strain with experts confident it will give decent protection.

But they are worried vaccine fatigue could lead to people ignoring the calls to come for flu jabs and Covid boosters, which could spell disaster for the NHS.

Doctors are particularly keen for nursery and primary school children to get the flu vaccine to limit the spread and protect youngsters against severe illness.

Around 26million people in England are eligible for the autumn Covid-19 booster vaccine

They warned thousands of young children have no immunity and could develop more severe symptoms than they would ordinarily.

All primary school children will be offered the nasal spray vaccine at school with secondary schools focusing on Years 7, 8 and 9 with any remaining vaccine offered to Years 10 and 11.

It will also be rolled out to all over-50s, care home residents, pregnant women, frontline health and social care staff, people aged six months to 49 with a specified health condition and the families of people with weakened immune systems.

Around 26million people in England are also eligible for the autumn Covid-19 booster vaccine, including care home residents, over-50s and children age five and older who are clinically at risk.

Some three million doses have been given so far with those eligible urged to book online or by calling 119. Those aged 50 to 64 who are not in an at-risk group, will be able to get one later this autumn.

People who qualify for both could be offered the flu and Covid jab at the same time if supply allows, at either their GP surgery or pharmacies offering an NHS vaccine service.

Health leaders warned there are early indications that Covid rates are beginning to rise ahead of winter, which could result in hospitals filling up and adding to record waiting lists.

Englands deputy chief medical officer Dr Thomas Waite said: Vaccines have saved many lives over the years for both flu and more recently Covid.

But we must not be complacent  infections will rise once again this winter, so its really important people get both their Covid and flu vaccines if eligible.

NHS director for vaccinations and screening Steve Russell said: This winter could be the first time we see the effects of the so-called twindemic with both Covid and flu in full circulation, so it is vital that those most susceptible to serious illness from these viruses come forward for vaccines in order to protect themselves and those around them.
Workers at the Melbourne Royal Show told a woman they would collect her dropped mobile phone for her - before she was hit by a rollercoaster as she went to retrieve it herself, investigators have been told.

Shylah Rodden, 26, remains in intensive care after being struck by the Rebel Coaster at the show on Sunday.

In a fresh twist, it has been claimed that she entered a fenced-off area to collect her mobile phone moments before she was critically injured.

Staff say the ride was regularly stopped so workers could collect dropped keys, phones and wallets from the base of the rollercoaster.

One worker even claimed to investigators that Ms Rodden was told she would only have to wait 20 minutes to get her phone back.

It is still unknown how Ms Rodden managed to get on to the rollercoaster tracks, which are surrounded by an almost two-metre tall fence.

There appears to be no security cameras along the fence line.

Shylah Rodden (above) received 'horrific' facial injuries in the incident and her family said they are unsure how she will recover

Footage of Ms Rodden's crash shows she was struck by a passenger carriage travelling down a loop before she was dragged nine metres by the ride

Witnesses claim Ms Rodden was carried up to a height of nine meters before being dropped to the ground after she was hit by a carriage, which travels at up to 70km/h.

Her horrific injuries have been said to include brain damage, a broken pelvis, broken arms, legs and ribs.

Her father Alan Rodden told the Herald Sun his daughter was 'plodding along' and 'will be all right'.

Earlier, Mr Rodden told Daily Mail Australia his daughter had suffered life-changing injuries.

'Obviously I can't talk to my daughter. She's going to be in a coma for quite a while,' he said.

'The injuries are horrific. Horrific. She's brain damaged. It's pelvic, her arms, legs, back, neck - there's hardly a thing that's not broken. I just can't work out how the hell so much damage has been done.

'Even the doctors have said they haven't seen anything as bad as this for a long time.'

Shocking footage of the incident previously shared on TikTok appears to show Ms Rodden being hit by the rollercoaster and dragged nine metres along the beginning of a loop.

Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to publish the footage out of respect to the young victim and her family.

Ms Rodden (above) remains in the intensive care unit with critical injuries that her family are unsure how she will recover from

The Rebel Coaster (above) opened just days after the incident on Tuesday with Ms Rodden's family slamming the move as 'shameful'

The ride was re-opened just days after the accident on Tuesday, in a move Ms Rodden's family slammed as 'shameful'.

Show spokeswoman Katie Scanlan said WorkSafe has declared the ride safe after an inspection and that it could be re-opened from Tuesday.

'The safety and well-being of our visitors to the Show continues to be our number one priority,' she said in a statement.

'Strict safety protocols are upheld in line with Victorian WorkSafe regulations. All rides on site have undergone stringent compliance inspections and have passed all the required safety documentation.'

Show management declined to comment on whether new safety procedures have been adopted in wake of Ms Rodden's accident.

The Melbourne Royal Show will remain open until this weekend.

Police revealed on Monday the roller coaster was travelling at 70km/h when Ms Rodden was hit.

Horrified families watched on as paramedics treated her serious facial injuries at the scene before rushing her to hospital in a critical condition.
There are also fears Russians are drafting Ukrainians to fight against their own

Jens Stoltenberg has warned that any use of nukes by Russia is unacceptable

Moscow has warned that it could use nuclear weapon to defend the territories

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has threatened Vladimir Putin with 'severe consequences' if he used nuclear weapons on Ukraine.

Fears are growing that Russia is seeking to escalate the conflict as its invasion falters.

It comes as Kremlin-installed authorities in four Ukrainian regions under its control claimed victory in annexation votes yesterday, with Moscow warning it could use nukes to defend the territories.

But Mr Stoltenberg, secretary-general of the alliance, has warned that any use of nuclear weapons by Russia is unacceptable and said it would not win a nuclear war.

He said: 'Any use of nuclear weapons is absolutely unacceptable, it will totally change the nature of the conflict, and Russia must know that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.

'When we see that kind of nuclear rhetoric again and again from Russia, from President Putin, it is something that we have to take seriously - and therefore we are conveying the clear message that this will have severe consequences for Russia.'

Amid the rigged ballots, it is also feared that Ukrainians are being forced into combat against their own people.

Mariupol residents in Russian-controlled Donetsk received a text message telling them to go to a 'military commissariat' - stoking fears they will be drafted into fight, The Mirror reports.

It comes as Ukraine and its allies have denounced the so-called referendums as a sham today, saying the West would never recognise the results of the ballots that have ratcheted up the stakes of the invasion.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this month

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi

Members of an electoral commission empty a ballot box at a polling station following a referendum on the joining of Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine to Russia

A referendum official walks past a gun-toting militiaman in Donetsk as the hurried votes were carried out under the eyes of armed men

A man in military fatigues casts his ballot at a polling station during a referendum on the joining of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) to Russia, in Donetsk, which Russian state media say has voted by 98 per cent to join Russia with 14 per cent of the vote counted

Hastily arranged votes had taken place over five days in the four areas - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - that make up about 15 per cent of Ukrainian territory.

Russian-installed officials accompanied by machinegun-toting henchmen took ballot boxes from house to house - helping to create a legal pretext for Russia to annex the four regions.

The sham votes mean Putin could portray any Ukrainian attempt to recapture them as an attack on Russia itself.

He said last week he was willing to use to defend the 'territorial integrity' of Russia.

And speaking during a televised meeting with officials yesterday, Putin said: 'Saving people in the territories where this referendum is taking place... is the focus of the attention of our entire society and of the entire country.'

His spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the votes would have 'radical' legal implications, adding that the so-called referendums 'will also have consequences for security' in reference to Moscow's threats to use nuclear weapons.

The local poll body in the southern Zaporizhzhia region said 93.11 percent of voters opted had for Russian annexation after all ballots were counted.

In Kherson, also in the south, authorities said 87.05 percent of voters opted for Russian annexation after a vote count was completed.

In the eastern Lugansk region controlled by pro-Russia separatists, 98.42 percent opted for annexation by Russia, Russian news agencies said, citing local authorities.

And in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, the poll body said 99.23 percent of voters opted for Russian annexation after all ballots were counted, according to news agencies.

It comes as Russian forces have suffered serious setbacks in Ukraine's east and south, which observers say pushed Putin to rush ahead with the vote to cement Moscow's authority there.

Putin said Russia would use any and all available means to defend the territory, implying that after annexation, Moscow could deploy strategic nuclear weapons to repulse Ukrainian attempts to retake the territory.

Former Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally who is now deputy chairman of Russia's security council, said: 'I want to remind you - the deaf who hear only themselves: Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons if necessary.'

Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said the US was taking the reiterated threat 'seriously', but added that it had seen nothing to cause Washington to change its nuclear posture.

It comes as Western leaders have blamed deliberate sabotage after the Nordsteam pipe from Russia suffered 'unprecedented' damage off Sweden - causing 3000ft-wide bubbles in the Baltic Sea and causing prices to spike.

A huge swathe of Baltic sea is pictured from this helicopter flyover showing bubbles breaking the surface amid a gas leak

Explosions were heard near the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipes where gas is now leaking into the Baltic from three holes, scientists have confirmed, while chronic safety concerns have led to a five-mile exclusion zone being imposed around the affected area.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said her government believes the leaks were caused by 'deliberate actions', adding that the gas supply pipeline will be out of action for around a week.

The remarks were backed by Sweden's PM Magdalena Andersson, who has said informations suggests the blasts were likely sabotage.

She said her government was in close contact with partners such as Nato and neighbours such as Denmark and Germany concerning the developments.

Investigations are ongoing into major leaks in Russian pipelines that are now spewing gas into the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark, including assessing evidence of possible sabotage.

It comes after Kyiv's presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak said on Twitter: 'The large-scale gas leak is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression towards the EU.'
Pressure is mounting on DFAT to provide a new passport to anyone affected

NSW, Queensland, Victoria and SA explained how to get a new licence card

The millions impacted in the telco breach are also eligible for a free licence

Customers impacted by Optus hack could be given new Medicare cards

The millions of Aussies impacted by the Optus hack could be given new Medicare numbers as the federal government takes action to help those embroiled in one of the worst tech breaches to hit Australia in recent years.

Optus advised up to 10 million customers' details could have been compromised by the massive data hack.

Among data stolen was driver's licence numbers, as well as passport details, Medicare numbers, dates of birth and home addresses.

Health Minister Mark Butler claimed Optus had taken days to inform the government that some Medicare numbers had likely been compromised.

'Its deeply unfortunate that we were only notified that Medicare details were included in that data breach in the last 24 hours or so,' Mr Butler told ABC Radio National Breakfast on Wednesday morning.

'Right now, all the resources of government are going to protecting consumers in the face of this extraordinary breach of their personal data.'

The government is considering issuing new Medicare numbers to millions of Optus customers

The government is looking into providing new Medicare numbers for anyone affected.

Australians typically keep the same Medicare number for their entire lives.

The Medicare move comes as states and territories offer Optus customers the opportunity to replace their driver's licence for free and pressure continues to mount on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) to provide new passports to those affected as a number one priority.

If you are one of the millions of Optus customers who are worried about your drivers licence being compromised by the data breach you may be eligible to a free replacement licence

Joint media release with @Birmo: Labor must provide new passports for Optus victims pic.twitter.com/D5KmauJUlb  James Paterson (@SenPaterson) September 27, 2022

'Victims of the Optus cyber hack should not have to wait or pay significant amounts of fees to secure their personal information, and obtain a new passport,' Liberal senator James Paterson said in a statement.

DFAT said people should make their own choice as to whether or not they want a new passport, reassuring those affected that fraudsters cannot get a passport with your identity.

A statement on DFAT's website said there are 'robust controls that protect your passport from identity takeover, including sophisticated facial recognition technology'.

'They [hackers] would need your actual passport, not just your passport details.'

Optus said in a statement all customers whose identifying document numbers were compromised have been contacted.

This includes anyone whose licence or passport numbers were leaked as a result of the cyberattack.

Data stolen in the hack included drivers licence numbers, as well as passport details, Medicare numbers, dates of birth and home addresses

Optus said it was also working through contacting anyone who had other details such as their email address compromised.

The telco confirmed that no payment details or account passwords were compromised by the hack.

However, if you are one of the customers across Australia whose licence details have been compromised, some states have announced replacement drivers licenses at no cost.

Below is what has currently been implemented in each state and territory across Australia:

NSW

Anyone with a NSW driver's licence can apply for a new one online through Service NSW.

Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello said Optus would be in touch with customers 'in the coming days' to instruct them whether or not they need to apply for a replacement driver's licence.

'People in NSW with a digital driver licence will have an interim card number issued instantaneously via the Service NSW app. A new plastic licence card will be issued within 10 business days,' Mr Dominello said.

2. I can confirm Optus will contact customers in coming days to confirm whether or not they need to apply for a replacement driver licence.  Victor Dominello MP (@VictorDominello) September 27, 2022

The $29 replacement fee charged by Service NSW is expected to be reimbursed by Optus, with an official statement expected in the coming days.

At this point there is no clarification on whether or not the new licence will mean a new driver's licence number or just a new card number.

Victoria

Drivers in Victoria are being encouraged to report their licence breach to the Department of Transport in order to prevent any unauthorised changes by potential hackers.

The department has asked Optus to repay the cost of new licenses to the Victorian government.

If you are worried about your licence details and have been notified by Optus to say your data has been breached, you can contact VicRoads to have your record flagged and request a replacement licence.

'By flagging records VicRoads will prevent any unauthorised changes or access to individual information through the Victorian licence database. Records will also be flagged within the national database,' the Victorian government said in a statement online.

'We urge you to use the web form to register your details. You will not have to wait on hold and the form is quick and easy to fill out.'

Anyone who has been contacted by Optus and has a Victorian driver's licence can fill out the form here.

Queensland

In Queensland a new driver's licence and driver's licence number has been confirmed for anyone advised by Optus that their ID information has been compromised, at no cost.

'If youre impacted by the Optus data breach, Transport and Main Roads Queensland will issue you a replacement driver licence with a new licence number free of charge,' Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a statement.

If youre impacted by the Optus data breach, @TMRQld will issue you a replacement driver licence with a new licence number free of charge.  Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 27, 2022

A dedicated hotline (07 3097 3108) has also been set up to those who need additional information or urgent assistance.

South Australia

If you're in South Australia, a replacement driver's licence will also be free.

Service SA advised anyone seeking a replacement card to attend one of its centres with documentation proof from Optus that they were affected by the hack.

'The South Australian State Government will waive the usual replacement fee for South Australians requiring a new driver's licence as a result of the recent Optus data breach,' Premier Peter Malinauskas said in a statement.

The South Australian State Government will waive the usual replacement fee for South Australians requiring a new drivers licence as a result of the recent Optus data breach.  Peter Malinauskas (@PMalinauskasMP) September 27, 2022

'Once your licence number has been changed, a new driver licence card will be produced and posted to you,' Service SA said in a statement on its website.

'Your new licence will be immediately available digitally through your mySAGOV account and on the mySAGOV app.'

Anyone who has already paid for a replacement card is able to get a full refund in person at a Service SA branch.

ACT

The ACT Government said it is working to issue replacement driver's licenses for anyone who has had both their licence and card numbers compromised.

There is no information currently on whether they will be replaced for free or at a cost.

'All customers who do this will be contacted by Access Canberra once the next steps are identified,' a statement from the ACT government said.

Currently the fee for a replacement card is $42.60 with the ACT government currently saying any new card will only have a replacement card licence number, not a new licence number.

Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania

At this stage there been no word from these states or territories on what Optus customers can do regarding driver licences.
The search is still on for a missing 6-year-old autistic boy from Miami kidnapped by his father and grandmother after a car police believe is connected to his disappearance was found all the way in Maine.

Jorge 'Jojo' Morales has been missing for a month as of Tuesday, with police on the hunt for his father, Jorge and Jorge's mother, who kidnapped the 6-year-old to keep him away from Jojo's mother Yanet Concepcion.

Private investigator Joe Carillo and Concepcion pleaded for them to bring the boy home Tuesday, saying, 'Please rethink what you did. You know things arent going your way. Do the right thing.'

Concepcion added, 'Please bring my child! You know, bring him back to us.'

Detectives think the 45-year-old Morales had been planning this for a year, according to Local 10. Concepcion says her ex-husband was looking into how to live 'off the grid.'

The search is still on for a missing 6-year-old autistic boy from Miami after a car police believe is connected to his disappearance was found all the way in Maine

Jorge 'Jojo' Morales (pictured) has been missing for a month as of Tuesday, with police on the hunt for his father, Jorge and Jorge's mother, who kidnapped the 6-year-old to keep him away from Jojo's mother Yanet Concepcion

Detectives think the 45-year-old Morales had been planning this for a year, according to Local 10. Concepcion says her ex-husband was looking into how to live 'off the grid'

The sport utility vehicle believed to be connected to Morales' disappearance was found in Littleton, Maine

Jojo, who is on the autism spectrum, had begun to say things to his mother like that his dad wanted 'to take him to live on a farm with windmills and wanted me to go with him.'

Concepcion said Tuesday, 'Please bring my child! You know, bring him back to us.'

Monday, it was revealed that the National Center for Missing Children had found a vehicle connected to the elder Morales and his mother, Lilliam Pena Morales (pictured right), in Littleton, Maine

Private investigator Joe Carillo (pictured) and Concepcion pleaded for them to bring the boy home Tuesday, saying, 'Please rethink what you did. You know things arent going your way. Do the right thing'

She adds that Jojo, who is on the autism spectrum, had begun to say things to her like that his dad wanted 'to take him to live on a farm with windmills and wanted me to go with him.'

Concepcion, who said she is 'desperate' and 'trying not to lose hope,' adds that Jojo had said that 'bad people are trying to take me away' in conversations she recorded with the boy.

Authorities in Florida and Miami-Dade County have been searching for Morales under an Amber Alert.

Monday, it was revealed that the National Center for Missing Children had found a vehicle connected to the elder Morales and his mother, Lilliam Pena Morales, in Littleton, Maine.

Miami-Dade police believe the child, his father and 68-year-old grandmother may be in Maine or Eastern Canada and have asked anyone with information to contact them.
An electric-powered version of Australia's favourite vehicle, the Toyota Hi-Lux, could be available in under a year but at a potentially eye-watering cost beyond the average 4WD enthusiast.

Melbourne electric truck manufacturer SEA has announced plans to create an electric version of the best-selling Toyota HiLux 4WD.

SEA and two other electric car manufacturers are already fitting battery power to the smaller Hi-Lux ute models but experts say adapting the vehicles adds at least $40,000 to the retail cost.

The top end Hi-Lux is already priced at $100,000.

A Melbourne electric car manufacturer is in talks with Toyota to produce electric-powered versions of the best-selling HiLux

The new EV HiLux is also likely to be produced in relatively small numbers with a target market of bigger fleet buyers, such as mining companies and government.

SEA Electric Asia-Pacific president Bill Gillespie confirmed to motoring website carsales.com.au that the corporate sector was the main target audience for creating the Australian-modified electric HiLux.

'We have significant interest from companies to do that and we are working with the Toyota group to see if we can achieve that goal,' he said.

Mr Gillespie said an EV HiLux could be launched in 2023 by taking second-hand vehicles and fitting them with SEA Electric's battery power units.

'We are ready to go, we just have to order the components at scale,' Mr Gillespie said.

Adapting HiLuxs to battery power will likely add about $40,000 to the vehicle's price tag

'So if someone said, 'Can you build 200 in the second half of next year?' the answer is 'absolutely'.

'It's just a case of making a plan, securing enough chassis and ordering enough batteries, motors and cabling.'

While this could happen in Melbourne, SEA is a US company with global plants.

However, Mr Gillespie said talks were still at an early stage with Toyota, which SEA has a strong relationship with.

The Japanese auto giant could still decide they would prefer to create an in-house version of an electric-powered HiLux.

The Toyota HiLux is Australia's highest selling vehicle with over 52,000 sold in 2021

Two other smaller Australian electric car-makers, H2X Global and Roev, have also been producing battery-powered HiLux utes.

Experts believe the conversion of Roev utes adds about $40,000 to the vehicle's $60,000 price tag.

With many of its competitors are already well advanced in producing electric pick-up trucks and utes Toyota, has been seen as the laggard in the industry.

However, in December the company unveiled 17 electric 'concept cars'.

The new battery powered HiLuxs will be aimed at corporate fleet buyers, such as big mining companies

Toyota's global chief, Akio Toyoda, said the vehicles were prototypes of models the maker plans to get into the market by 2025.

The HiLux was Australia's best-selling vehicle in 2021, with 52,801 rolling out of display rooms, ahead of the Ford Ranger with 50,279 units sold.
Eleven lions have been saved from Ukraine in the biggest ever warzone rescue as they are airlifted to sanctuaries around the world.

The big cats are being taken to their new homes in South Africa and the US on a Boeing Dreamliner, after taking off from Romania.

The near-dozen group had spent the last few months in the temporary shelters while the rescue mission, thought to be the largest of its kind, was organised.

Seven adult lions and two cubs will find a new home in Colorado's Wild Animal Sanctuary. They were rescued by two organisations earlier in the year.

The other two lions will head to South Africa, after the entire group lands in Doha, Qatar, and is split.

Animal rescuer Lionel De Lange (left) and his partner Reon Human (centre) are accompanying the lions on the flight. Pictured with Csaba Borsos, the mayors assistant in Targu Mures, Romania

They are being accompanied on their flight from Bucharest by animal rescuer Lionel De Lange and his partner Reon Human.

Mr De Lang, founder and director of Warriors of Wildlife, said that big cats Simba and Mir will go to his sanctuary, the Simbonga Game Reserve and Sanctuary in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Theres never been a single rescue of this many lions from a warzone and we just feel so grateful that we have got to this point,' he told Metro.

We are extremely appreciative of all the governments involved in processing the permits for the lions to travel, its amazing to have got it all done in four months.'

The two men had to travel to the Hungarian border before the flight because South Africa does not have an embassy in Romania that could issue the needed paperwork.

The near-dozen group had spent the last few months in the temporary shelters while the rescue mission, thought to be the largest of its kind, was organised

By the side of the road, they were granted an emergency travel permit  but could not enter the country themselves because they did not have visas.

Having spent around 30 hours without sleep, the duo sped back to Bucharest with the necessary paperwork in hand. There, the 11 lions were boarded onto their rescue flight.

The lions have a couple of scratches and bruises but they are travelling well. As with every single rescue we do, theres an incredible feeling knowing they are going to a good place,' Mr De Lang added.

The pride of nine had been living in Odessa, a southern port in Ukraine, before being driven in a convoy to Romania on May 24.

The journey took 13 people, including someone from Breaking the Chains, a UK-based animal rescue organisation.

Radauti Zoo transports the lions to their flight out of Bucharest, Romania, to Doha, in Qatar

The big cats were sedated and placed in crates for the journey spanning more than 600 miles across Ukraine and Moldova before arriving in Targu Mures, Romania.

The other lions, Simba and Mia, had already been transported to a zoo in Suceava, a north-eastern city in Romania.

Simba was previously living in eastern Ukraine but was at risk from Russian forces as the Kremlin began its invasion. He was rescued by Tim Locks and Jonathan Weaving, two British humanitarian volunteers.

The two lions are now on their way to more natural habitats, as Warriors of Wildlife works to re-home animals outside of zoos.

Mr De Lang said that his sanctuary will feel like a 'haven' for the animals when they arrive, adding that their new enclosures will be grassy and without bars  using electric fencing instead.
He previously expressed support for Australia to be run by a dictator in 2016

Mr Harvey slammed Australian politics and the rise of the teal independents

Harvey Norman co-founder said it was the best system to 'get something done'

Billionaire Gerry Harvey has claimed that China's system of government is the most efficient way to get things done in Australia before slamming the state of the country's politics and the rise of the teal independents as a 'recipe for disaster'.

The executive chairman of Harvey Norman praised a Chinese-style dictatorship as the most effective form of government.

'If you want to get something done, the best system is the Chinese one,' Mr Harvey said.

Harvey Norman co-founder Gerry Harvey (pictured) has endorsed China's system of government as the best way to 'get something done'

Mr Harvey praised a Chinese-style dictatorship as the most effective form of government (pictured, Chinese students waving flags of the Communist Party)

'You just do it. You've got a government that's in total control and they don't give a f*** what the people say.'

Mr Harvey made the comments to news.com.au while expressing concerns about the rise of minor parties, especially the teal independents, as a larger number of Australians preferred candidates not from either major party at the 2022 federal election.

Six Liberal MPs were defeated by the teal independents in the election, with Allegra Spender, Kylea Tink, Monique Ryan, Zoe Daniel, Kate Chaney and Sophie Scamps all winning seats.

Mr Harvey took issue with having too many independents in parliament because he believes the political process will be 'slowed extraordinarily' and nothing will get done.

He added that parliament was now filled with 'big minority groups with a very loud voice and not a lot of numbers behind them'.

'It's a recipe for disaster in many ways, but the way we're heading with democracy I don't think that's going to change.'

The billionaire entrepreneur (pictured with wife Katie Page) blasted Australia's political system and the direction of democracy in the country

Mr Harvey claimed that the rise of the teal independents, who defeated six Liberal MPs in the 2022 federal election, was a 'recipe for disaster' (pictured, teal independents Zoe Daniel, Sophie Scamps, Zali Steggall, Allegra Spender, Kylea Tink and Monique Ryan)

Mr Harvey has previously recommended Australia adopt a one-party government like China.

In 2016, he controversially suggested that Australia should ditch its 'broken' democratic system and be run by a dictator.

'Neither side can do anything about it because the minute they do they're hammered,' he said to The Daily Telegraph.

'The only cure we've got is to have a dictator like in China or something like that. Our democracy at the moment is not working.'

In 2016, Mr Harvey suggested that Australia should be run by a dictator because he felt the country's democratic system was 'broken' (pictured, members of the Communist Party of China)

Harvey Norman came under intense criticism after its head office and franchisees were given more than $20million in wage subsidies during the pandemic (pictured, a queue outside of a Melbourne Centrelink office during the national lockdown in April 2020)

The billionaire entrepreneur more recently landed in hot water for initially refusing to repay millions received in taxpayer-funded JobKeeper payments during the Covid pandemic despite booming profits.

Mr Harvey said at the time: 'From our point of view, it's a tiny amount of money and our thoughts are all about our business going forward.'

'Ninety-nine per cent of the JobKeeper money will not be repaid anyway. JobKeeper was put in by the government for the health of the economy.

'The economy responded and JobKeeper did its job. Some people think it's a great idea to repay it, that's their opinion.

'At this stage, we're not going to repay it.'

This was despite the retail giant turning over a profit of almost $10billion for the 2020-21 financial year and being given more than $20million in wage subsidies in 2020.

The retailer eventually repaid $6million in JobKeeper payments after coming under intense criticism.
Employment lawyer Mia Pantechis said the questions could be discriminatory

One question posed by KPMG to applicants is if they have an 'intersex variation'

The firm asks applicants if they've had a 'trans or gender diverse experience'

KPMG is asking job seekers personal questions about their sexuality and gender

Lawyers claim a series of questions asked by Big Four accounting firm KPMG to job applicants about their sexuality and gender could pose a major legal risk.

The questions - which are not compulsory to answer - come amid a push by the major professional services company to promote an 'inclusive workplace' that 'values diversity'.

KPMG asks job applicants in their forms about their gender, preferred pronouns and sex.

Employment lawyer Mia Pantechis, who works at Maurice Blackburn, told Daily Mail Australia that the questions could be considered discriminatory and that the firm may be leaving itself open to legal action.

Some of the questions KPMG is asking job applicants, as seen on the big four accounting firm's website

Employment lawyer Mia Pantechis (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia the questions from KPMG should be avoided as they could amount to unlawful discrimination

'In recruitment processes, questions should be directed at determining a candidates ability to perform the role,' she said.

'Asking unnecessary questions and seeking information about certain characteristics should be avoided and can amount to unlawful discrimination.'

Ms Pantechis pointed towards the Fair Work Act 2009 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 as two laws the questions may be breaching.

'The Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) prohibits employers from discriminating against prospective employees on the basis of gender and sexual orientation,' she said.

'The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 [makes it] unlawful to discriminate against a candidate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status when determining whether to offer employment and the terms of employment to be offered.

'Any questions that concern these protected attributes sends a signal that recruitment decisions will be based on, or at least have regard to these factors.'

Ms Pantechis said if the information gathered from these questions is 'relied on to make decisions about who to hire and what terms of employment to offer, it would amount to unlawful discrimination'.

She added that the questions would be considered a 'special measure' and not litigious if they were purely designed to achieve equality amongst people with different gender identities and sexual orientations.

KPMG staff are pictured gesturing in an 'equal' sign to mark International Women's Day. A company questionnaire has surfaced featuring personal questions job seekers are asked

Amy Zhang, a lawyer for Harmers Workplace Lawyers, echoed Ms Pantechis's answers when she spoke with the Financial Review.

'It's always risky to ask these sorts of questions at the application stage,' she said.

'A better approach would be to send out an anonymous survey after the recruitment process has ended.'

Besides asking about gender, sexual orientation and pronouns, KPMG also questions job seekers about whether they've had a 'trans or other gender diverse experience or history (including but not limited to Brotherboy/Sistergirl, Third Gender)' and if they 'have an intersex variation'.

'Brotherboy' and 'sistergirl' are terms used by Aboriginal communities to describe transgender people. Third Gender refers to people who are not characterised as either man or woman.

Intersex is defined as a term for people born with 'atypical physical sex characteristics' or a combination of male and female biological traits.

Big Four accounting firm KPMG questions job seekers about whether they've had a 'trans or other gender diverse experience or history (including but not limited to Brotherboy/Sistergirl, Third Gender)' and if they 'have an intersex variation'

KPMG stressed that the information gathered from the answers to these questions would not affect a job seeker's application.

'At KPMG, we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

'We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, ages, religions, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, LGBTIQ+ people, those with a disability, and people with a cultural or linguistically diverse background.'

The KPMG representative added that the application process 'asks a diverse range of questions about candidates' backgrounds which are voluntary'.

'We use these in aggregate to build a statistical picture of our progress in achieving a diverse workforce.

KPMG employs more than 10,000 people around Australia.
Firefighters forced to give CPR to a newborn baby after a prison nurse declared her dead claimed she was still alive when they found her.

Prison nurse Georgina Melody, a New Zealand national new to Melbourne, had refused 'Baby A' first aid upon finding her unresponsive within a dedicated unit within Victoria's Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in 2018.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal shocked firefighters, who responded to the emergency before paramedics arrived, had found a pulse on the baby, who can only be referred to as 'Baby A'.

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

Prison guard Amir Gabalawi told a coronial inquest into the tragedy he saw Ms Melody use a stethoscope to check for Baby A's pulse before quickly announcing she could not be saved.

The inquest comes almost three years after an investigation by Daily Mail Australia exposed the tragedy - which was denied at the time by Corrections Victoria.

'In my view, the nurse had already determined that the child was deceased prior to paramedics attending and I did not witness any first aid assistance being administered,' Mr Gabalawi told the inquest.

'As the nurse was checking the baby, it seemed to me that she was shocked by the situation herself.'

Last week, 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.

Mr Gabalawi told the inquest Metropolitan Fire Brigade firefighters worked frantically to save Baby A.

It had taken firefighters just seven minutes to arrive at the prison gates upon receiving the emergency call.

'Whist preparing for the escort and kitting up, we heard an announcement over the radio that the MFB had found a pulse,' Mr Gabalawi said.

MFB firefighters (stock image) were forced to perform CPR on Baby A after a prison nurse refused to help her. They found the newborn still had a pulse

A bird's eye view of Melbourne's notorious Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. It houses some of Australia's worst female prisoners

Prison guard Janine Slater told the coroner she felt relief upon hearing Baby A was alive after Ms Melody refused to assist the baby.

'She appeared shocked and did not perform CPR on the child. I was surprised and distressed by this lack of action,' Ms Slater told the inquest.

'As I was preparing for the escort with prison officer Gabalawi it was announced that Baby A had a faint heartbeat.'

MFB firefighter Nigel Hill told the inquest prison staff had told him Baby A was already dead upon his arrival.

'Liaison officer directed us to the maternity unit for what was reported to be a deceased 5 month old,' he told the inquest.

Upon reaching the unit, Mr Hill noted the cold disregard prison staff appeared to have for Baby A and her distraught mother.

'On arrival mother was walking around unit cuddling wrapped baby, clearly distressed,' he stated.

'There were three prison officers in attendance with mother, but no guards were assisting baby or mother what so ever.'

Mr Hill claimed Baby A was still warm to touch and his colleague immediately began CPR despite assertions the child was dead.

By the time paramedics arrived at the scene it was too late and Baby A was pronounced dead at the scene.

Georgina Melody provided her evidence to the coronial inquest under the protection that anything she said could not be used against her. Unless it was a lie

Georgina Melody (centre) left the inquest surrounded by supporters, one of whom hurled abuse at a Daily Mail Australia photographer

Baby A 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.

The nurse had been just half-an-hour away from finishing work when Baby A was found unconscious by her distraught mother.

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.

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

The inquest heard an inmate referred to as 'Alice' claimed the prison nurse refused to even touch Baby A.

'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.'

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 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 Greens have gone into damage control after a former staffer for Lidia Thorpe revealed details about a meeting in which the Senator allegedly hurled a tirade of verbal abuse at an Indigenous elder.

Ms Thorpe is alleged to have unleashed a furious rant at First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria co-chairs Marcus Stewart and Aunty Geraldine Atkinson at a committee room meeting in Parliament House on June 22, 2021.

It's claimed Ms Atkinson, who is aged in her 70s, was so shaken by Senator Thorpe's behaviour she sought assistance from the parliamentary nurse after the meeting.

The fallout from the alleged rant led the Greens to issue a set of 'talking points' instructing the minor party's MPs how to respond to questions over the alleged meltdown - only for them to be leaked to ABC presenter Patricia Karvelas.

Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe (pictured) allegedly unleashed a furious tirade at two First Nations representatives at a 2021 Parliament House meeting in Canberra

Aunty Geraldine Atkinson (left) was at the meeting with Marcus Stewart, whose wife is Senator Jana Stewart (right)

Ms Thorpe's former chief of staff David Mejia-Canales was at the meeting and, in a private email published earlier this week, apologised for not ending it sooner after Senator Thorpe's 'appalling' behaviour.

'The conduct that I witnessed at that meeting was by far one of the most unprofessional displays I have ever seen, not just during the length of my career, but in my life,' Mr Mejia-Canales said in the email, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

The leaked talking points instruct Greens MPs to not directly address the matter.

'It is inappropriate to discuss staffing matters publicly, but we are confident we have strong processes for addressing complaints that have been strengthened since the Jenkins Review (into Parliament workplace culture),' the document states.

'Greens MPs have continued to work closely with the First People's Assembly of Victoria to further the Treaty process happening in the state.'

Here are the Greens LEAKED talking points sent to MPs in relation to an Aboriginal elder who has alleged she was verbally abused by Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe during a 2021 meeting in Parliament - she says her formal complaint has never been acknowledged by Adam Bandt #auspol pic.twitter.com/T0TCAio4zZ  Patricia Karvelas (@PatsKarvelas) September 27, 2022

Atkinson and Stewart (pictured) are co-chairs of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria

Ms Atkinson says she lodged a formal complaint about the meeting to Greens leader Adam Bandt in which she described Ms Thorpe's conduct as 'vicious' but that he never acknowledged it.

While the exact contents of the Senator's outburst has not been revealed, in a separate letter to former Senate president Scott Ryan, Ms Atkinson said Senator Thorpe criticised the Bamblett family, which Atkinson is a member of, and suggested she was involved in Aboriginal organisations that were trying to 'bring her down'.

'When I tried to intervene to respond, Senator Thorpe spoke over the top of me in a highly aggressive tone, repeatedly stating, 'I am an Australian senator. You are in my meeting,' Ms Atkinson said.

A spokesman for Senator Thorpe told the SMH the meeting involved a 'robust discussion' about the treaty process but did not elaborate.

Mr Bandt told the publication he had discussed the situation with Senator Thorpe but also did not elaborate.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Senator Thorpe and Mr Bandt for comment.
Ernest Hemingway's granddaughter has said the family is watching with anguish as Hurricane Ian batters the Florida Keys, praying his beloved mansion is spared.

Mariel Hemingway, 60, said her grandfather was passionate about his homes and the community around them.

On Tuesday, as Key West battened down the hatches - schools and offices were closed, flights canceled and residents warned of a storm surge up to three feet above normal high tides - the actress said she feared for the 180-year-old property, which was home to Hemingway from 1931 to 1939.

The house was originally given to Hemingway and his second wife, Pauline, as a wedding gift from her uncle.

It is home to a colony of six-toed cats, descended from Hemingway's pet Snow White. On Tuesday night, the cats were sheltering safely in a bunker.

'If any of his houses were destroyed the pain and sorrow would be palpable,' she told DailyMail.com.

'It would be upsetting if any of his houses were affected.'

Mariel Hemingway (right), the actress granddaughter of Ernest (left), told DailyMail.com the family would be devastated if the Florida home of the author was damaged

One of the celebrated Hemingway House cats is seen in its cage ahead of the hurricane

The famous cats of Hemingway's house are seen in cages, in readiness for the storm

Ernest Hemingway's home in Key West, Florida, has been locked down in preparation for the impending arrival of Hurricane Ian

9/27 - As of the latest 5pm advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Ian continues to move north in the Gulf of Mexico, roughly 50 miles south-southwest of the Dry Tortugas. Maximum winds remain at 120mph. Be sure to stay tuned to the latest NHC and NWS updates. pic.twitter.com/o8pguPUCj7  NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) September 27, 2022

Hemingway's hunting trophies are seen inside his office in Florida

The Key West property is home to a colony of six-toed cats

One of the resident cats is seen reclining on a bed inside the 180-year-old home

While living at the house, Hemingway wrote some of his best received work, including Green Hills of Africa, The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Islands in the Stream

The house featured a swimming pool dug into the coral on which Key West is set: at the time of its construction, it was the only one for 100 miles

The Florida home is certainly well equipped to withstand storms. It is 16 feet above sea level, has 18-inch-thick limestone walls, and three generators.

The celebrated author owned three homes - in Key West; Ketchum, Idaho, and the Cuban capital Havana - and relished turning them into lavish residences where he would work, rest and entertain.

His Florida Keys home was used as a location in the 1989 James Bond film, License to Kill.

'He would buy his houses from France to Ohio because he loved them and loved the areas and the people,' she said.

After his divorce from Pauline in 1940, Hemingway moved to Cuba and Pauline remained in the home until her death in 1951.

The house was sold for $80,000, initially as a private residence. In 1964 it was turned into a museum.

Mariel, whose father Jack was the only child of Hemingway and his first wife Hadley Richardson, said he would have been relieved his Cuba house was spared by Hurricane Ian.

Mariel Hemingway is seen in 2013. She grew up at the Hemingway house in Ketchum, Idaho

The actress is seen in May 2015 signing copies of her memoirs

Jack Hemingway, son of Ernest, is seen with his wife Byra and daughters Mariel and Margaux

Hemingway is pictured with his third wife, Martha Gellhorn. He was married to the celebrated war correspondent from 1940-45

Hemingway is pictured in Kenya in September 1952

Hemingway's Cuban home, where he lived after Florida, from 1939-60

Rain and strong winds ramped up in Havana by Tuesday afternoon, but the city - under a tropical storm watch and preparing for a potential storm surge along its expansive waterfront - was earlier spared the brunt of Ian's fury.

Havana's decrepit infrastructure often suffers even in storms much smaller than Ian, as buildings collapse and drainage strains.

By late afternoon, as Ian's winds howled across the city, the power began to falter across the capital and streets emptied as most Havana residents took refuge in anticipation of potential flooding and storm surge.

Electricity was out across the entire island of Cuba by Tuesday night, plunging 11 million people into darkness.

North of Cuba, Hurricane Ian is expected to bring hurricane-force winds of up to 130 mph and as much as two feet of rain to the Tampa area on Florida's Gulf Coast starting early on Wednesday through Thursday evening, the National Weather Service said.

'He loved Cuba and the devastation it's seen would have affected him greatly. The Cuba house was his favorite,' said Mariel.

She said that, when the house in the Keys was in the path of Hurricane Irma in September 2017, it took hours for the news to filter through.

'When the Florida one was hit by a hurricane previously, the only news that came out of it was that his six-toed cat survived,' she said.

Our Key West cam  pic.twitter.com/lwgXKyWoYn  Mark Sudduth (@hurricanetrack) September 27, 2022

Water is already over the sea wall in Key West. Storm surge here will peak at 2-4 feet. Highest wind gusts could range 60-70mph tonight. #HurricaneIan pic.twitter.com/eGHTHpBXgS  Brandon Orr (@BrandonOrrWPLG) September 27, 2022
It may seem like a staple of student life. But the drinking culture during freshers week can be exclusionary for disadvantaged students, the universities watchdog has warned.

Universities must work harder to make all students feel welcome, said John Blake, director for fair access and participation at the Office for Students. Last week, campuses welcomed first-year students with a week of freshers fairs, student society events and clubbing.

But Mr Blake said students who are the first in their family to go into higher education may find the rituals strange and not understand the rules of engagement. He even warned it may lead students to drop out, citing examples of some who had no idea how to meet people on campus.

It may seem like a staple of student life but the drinking culture during freshers week can be exclusionary for disadvantaged students

We learned a long time ago that running freshers nights that are entirely [about] drinking are exclusionary and unpleasant, Mr Blake said.

The state-educated former teacher said he was absolutely baffled by some of the things that were happening when he arrived at Oxford. It took me a long time to realise that it wasnt my fault, he said.

Last week, campuses welcomed first-year students with a week of freshers fairs, student society events and clubbing

I didnt understand those things. They were the products of a world I just wasnt familiar with.

Mr Blakes speech at the Social Mobility Foundation came amid a drive by the watchdog to hold universities to account on how well they recruit and retain disadvantaged students.
Comes following criticism that the president did not speak with the governor as Category 3 Hurricane Ian makes its way toward the Gulf Coast of Florida

Joe Biden called Ron DeSantis Tuesday evening after the president received a slew of criticism for failing to reach out to the GOP governor ahead of Hurricane Ian hitting landfall in Florida.

The call happened at 6:30 p.m., according to the Florida governor's daily schedule released Tuesday evening  hours after the White House briefing where his spokesperson was grilled on the lack of communication.

Hurricane Ian was upgraded to a category 3 storm on Tuesday and by the time it hits the Gulf Coast of Florida on Wednesday night, it could reach category 4. Winds have already surpassed 125 miles per hour.

Biden spoke with the mayors of three Florida towns on the western coast of the Sunshine State on Tuesday, two Democrats and one Republican, raising questions over why he had not engaged in a conversation directly with DeSantis.

His administration dodged questions on why the call hadn't happened yet during Tuesday's press briefing.

President Joe Biden will call Republican Governor Ron DeSantis Wednesday evening after receiving a slew of criticism for not yet speaking directly with the Florida governor ahead of a category 3 hurricane making landfall in his state

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted in a tweet hours after her briefing: 'President Biden spoke this evening with Governor DeSantis of Florida to discuss the steps the Federal government is taking to help Florida prepare for Hurricane Ian. The President and the Governor committed to continued close coordination.'

During his presidency, Biden has also held calls with Republican Governors Kay Ivey of Alabama, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas and Greg Abbott of Texas when their states were also facing weather-related emergencies over the last two years.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said at the White House press briefing Tuesday the communication between President Biden and Governor DeSantis' administration had 'zero' impact on how her agency functions.

'In the past, President Biden has made calls to governors in situations like natural disasters,' a reporter noted when questioning Criswell on Tuesday. 'Can you articulate how these determinations are made and why it hasn't been made in this case to have the president call the governor?'

Criswell dodged the question, noting that she spoke with DeSantis on Friday and has placed senior members of her team with the governor to help with meeting the needs created by the impending storm.

The White House dodged questions during Tuesday's briefing over why Biden hadn't yet called DeSantis

'The president is very focused on making sure that the federal family has the right resources available to support this,' Criswell said. 'That is why I contacted the governor right away and we have a team of my senior leadership that are embedded with the governor to make sure that we're supporting that.'

'Our focus today is making sure that we have the right measures in place,' she added.

Criswell noted that 'President Biden signed Governor DeSantis' pre-landfall emergency declaration request on Saturday' as further proof of the coordination between the federal government and Florida authorities.

When pressed on why Biden made calls to mayors and not the governor, Criswell refused to directly answer the question.

'Again, we have a strong team that's in place supporting the governor right now,' she said.

DeSantis has emerged as a future face of the GOP and has been floated as a potential Republican presidential candidate. He has also become quite the controversial figure, which was only exacerbated by him flying 50 migrants on a private plane to Martha's Vineyard island earlier this month.

The governor's office has confirmed that he has not yet heard from President Biden himself regarding the impending storm.

A couple board up their restaurant in St. Petersburg, Florida on Tuesday, September 27 as they prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Ian

'The FEMA Administrator and I just came out of the Oval Office where the President also held separate calls with Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa, Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg and Mayor Frank Hibbard of Clearwater,' White house Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at the top of her briefing Tuesday before handing the podium over to Criswell.

She added: 'They discussed planning and preparation for Hurricane Ian.'

Hurricane Ian was upgraded to a category 3 hurricane this week as it is expected to hit landfall near Tampa on the gulf coast of Florida Wednesday night into Thursday morning. By the time it hits land, it could strengthen to a category 4 storm, according to AccuWeather.

While other reporters tried to gain clarity into why Biden and DeSantis had not spoken, Criswell repeatedly stated that the duo's lack of contact would not impact FEMA and other entities' response to the storm.

'We're going to support whatever Governor DeSantis asks of us,' Criswell said to one reporter's inquiry into the lack of communication between the two.

'We signed his emergency declaration within hours of him sending it in,' she added. 'We'll continue to do that as we see what the impacts of this storm are.'

When asked if the communication between Biden and DeSantis' government had any 'impact on how you all operate,' Criswell said: 'Zero'.
Paypal last night reinstated accounts run by a free speech campaign group after MPs said the ban was politically motivated.

Three accounts run by Toby Young, the general secretary of the Free Speech Union, were frozen on September 15.

The move angered MPs, who called on Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg to intervene.

Last night PayPal said it would reinstate the accounts in a statement in which it declared its support for freedom of expression. It apologised to Mr Young for the inconvenience.

Accounts owned by the FSU and the Daily Sceptic blog were frozen earlier this month, along with an account run by UsForThem.

The move to un by freeze accounts run by a free speech campaign group angered MPs, who called on Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg to intervene

UsForThem is a campaign group that called for schools to reopen during the Covid lockdown. The groups account was reinstated after a review but the FSUs remained closed until yesterday. Mr Young told The Daily Telegraph he would not use PayPal until it reinstated all other accounts closed for political reasons.

It is understood that the finance company found that FSU had broken its terms of use but decided to reinstate the account after criticism from MPs and the media, according to the Telegraph.

Last night PayPal said it would reinstate the accounts in a statement in which it declared its support for freedom of expression

Former ministers Michael Gove and David Davis, ex-Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and the 1922 committee chairman Sir Graham Brady wrote to Mr Rees-Mogg about the controversy.

They said it was hard to avoid construing PayPals actions as an orchestrated, politically motivated move to silence critical or dissenting views on these topics within the UK.

Mr Young told the Telegraph that the controversy has been a nightmare.

In the meantime, Im going to be lobbying the Government to change the law so companies like PayPal cannot demonetise people or organisations whose perfectly lawful views it disapproves of, he said.
Being proclaimed King hasnt dampened Charless passion for the environment, with the new monarch hoping to attend the UNs COP27 conference in Sharm El-Sheikh in November

Being proclaimed King hasnt dampened Charless passion for the environment, with the new monarch hoping to attend the UNs COP27 conference in Sharm El-Sheikh in November.

But he may find his regal wings clipped. Able to speak freely on green matters when the conference was held in Glasgow last year, he might find that Liz Truss  less green than her predecessor Boris Johnson  may want to limit what he says or even stop him going to Egypt.

It could be the first flashpoint of their relationship and a test of whether King Charles is prepared to toe the Government line on one of his passions.

Has Charles inherited his alleged volcanic temper from his grandfather George VI? He had a filthy temper, wrote biographer Tim Heald. Prince Philip recalled hearing an explosion of bad language from behind a rhododendron bush at Windsor. He discovered his father-in-law hacking away at the bush with a pruning knife, swearing like a trooper  while wearing his Guardsmans bearskin. Remarked Philip: Sometimes I thought he was mad.

The elevation of Charles means that the Church of England is finally obliged to mention Camilla by name in the State Prayers. When Diana was married to Charles she was regularly prayed for and, after Camilla wed Charles, Chapel Royal Prebendary Willie Booth unilaterally added her name. He was ordered to recant by the Lord Chamberlain. Now as Queen Consort she is finally entitled to some divine intervention.

Asked by Woman magazine to share her most embarrassing moment, Holly Willoughby, pictured, describes her schoolgirl exit from a trampoline after a gym class. I went to slide off the edge, got my knickers caught in the springs  and was suspended in front of the entire class and had to be cut off from the trampoline, she says. They had to cut my knickers off. That was a low point. Even more embarrassing than the current furore over the Queens lying-in-state, Holly?

Asked by Woman magazine to share her most embarrassing moment, Holly Willoughby, pictured, describes her schoolgirl exit from a trampoline after a gym class

Graham Norton was determined to avoid speaking to Lord Archer when he spotted him at Dublins Irish Book Awards. I really didnt want to meet Jeffrey Archer, he admits. I was really going out of my way  going through doors when he was coming through another door, and moving around a table when he was heading my way. I navigated the whole evening and I didnt see him. Mission accomplished? Adds Graham: Next morning I get on my flight and he sits beside me.

David Dimbleby, prior to his resurrection as a royal commentator for the Queens funeral, was told by a taxi driver that his wife loved him in shorts. I never wear shorts, Dimbo explained. Replied the cabbie: You know  when you are talking to those gorillas. Gorillas? David asked. You are David Attenborough, arent you?
The former captain of the country's newest aircraft carrier has been sacked following comments he allegedly made to female colleagues.

A months-long investigation into Captain Steve Higham unveiled a string of complaints against the naval officer.

Once an aide to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Capt Higham was placed in command of the 3.2 billion HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier.

The captain was accused of holding 'mentoring sessions' with female sailors which they felt were inappropriate.

Capt Higham handed over command of HMS Prince of Wales in May and looked set to be promoted to rear admiral, but was hit with an investigation after an anonymous whistleblower came forward.

Captain Steve Higham has been sacked from the navy following an investigation into his conduct

The 3.2 billion HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier is Britain's most expensive ever ship

A source in the British Navy told The Sun there was: 'Sufficient evidence to suggest his actions were inappropriate and his conduct was not compatible with continued Navy service.

The source added: 'The reason it took so long to investigate is that a number of people highlighted they had had inappropriate interactions that were not compliant with the military and the Royal Navy's ethics.

'It is not illegal to have a relationship with someone in your workplace, but it is inappropriate in the Navy.'

Capt Higham has not been handed a court martial as he is not accused of breaking the law.

However, he was given an 'administrative dismissal' by Navy top brass on Monday this week.
The sickening sight of Stephen Lawrence's killer swaggering around his cell, taking pictures on a smuggled mobile phone, illustrates the shambles in our prisons.

We report today how David Norris, one of two racists convicted of the student's 1993 murder, has been illegally calling and texting friends and using social media like anyone on the outside.

The snaps, taken inside HMP Dartmoor, show Norris wearing designer clothes, a gold watch and sunglasses, and with an Xbox games console to stave off boredom. What on earth is becoming of our jails?

Nobody is advocating that prisoners should spend their days breaking rocks. But as well as being a place of rehabilitation, prison is also supposed to be a punishment.

Daily Mail Comment: The sickening sight of Stephen Lawrence's killer swaggering around his cell, taking pictures on a smuggled mobile phone, illustrates the shambles in our prisons

Our investigation raises serious questions about the justice system. The regime seems so lax in most jails that it's no more traumatic than being sent to boarding school. And the ease with which inmates can get smartphones into prison (and the failure of wardens to keep the devices out) presents a major security headache.

Gangsters use them to trade drugs and guns, to intimidate witnesses and even plot murders beyond the walls.

Yet scanning devices and phone blockers do not cost a fortune. Nor do old-fashioned body and cell searches.

Thanks to the Mail, Norris faces a fresh criminal probe, longer behind bars and moving to a maximum-security prison.

But while he bragged on WhatsApp about getting out of jail in two years, Stephen's heartbroken family suffer a life sentence.

The mask slips again

In his conference speech, Sir Keir Starmer made great play of the claim that he had rooted out anti-Semitism from Labour.

But this is far from the only form of bigotry lurking in the underbelly of his party.

In describing Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng as 'superficially black', Labour MP Rupa Huq yesterday exposed herself as the worst kind of racist hypocrite.

She has since had the whip withdrawn, but there are many in the party who support her toxic views. They demand racial equality and social justice, but only for those echoing their Leftist orthodoxies.

Daily Mail Comment: Whatever faults the Tory Party may have, its record on minority recruitment and promotion has been exemplary. All are judged by merit and on talent  exactly how Mr Kwarteng became Chancellor

The truth is that black and Asian people who have the effrontery to support the Conservatives are vilified and treated as hate figures. But by portraying them as 'race traitors', the Left reveal their own abhorrent prejudices.

Whatever faults the Tory Party may have, its record on minority recruitment and promotion has been exemplary. All are judged by merit and on talent  exactly how Mr Kwarteng became Chancellor.

By contrast, far from being progressive, the Left is fixated on skin colour  and keeping ethnic minorities locked into a perpetual state of victimhood.

With Miss Huq's sickening outburst, the mask has slipped again. Despite Sir Keir's protestations, Labour has proved beyond doubt it truly is the nasty party.

A blitz on burglars?

How refreshing to hear a police chief acknowledge that burglary is a serious crime that often blights victims' lives.

But how appalling that this statement of the obvious has taken so long.

With national clear-up rates at a paltry 3 per cent, the fact is that burglars are being allowed to invade people's homes with virtual impunity. Even getting a police officer to attend the scene and take statements is a rare privilege.

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has now signalled a more assiduous approach.

He has pledged a blitz against hundreds of serial burglars and that from now on every victim should receive a police visit.

This is welcome, but talk is cheap. Sir Mark will be judged on results  not words.
A former Scotland Yard counter-terror officer suspected of killing himself in an explosion at his home reportedly cancelled his house insurance beforehand.

Retired Superintendent Malcolm Baker, 60, died earlier this month when a blaze destroyed his remote property on Exmoor.

The explosion was heard almost a mile away from the house - which had no mains gas supply - destroying the upper floor and blowing off the roof.

Mr Baker is said to have cancelled his familys house insurance and emptied bank accounts he held with his wife Francesca Onody, 50, before the explosion, according to The Sun.

Police last night said they believe there was no third party involvement in the blast - but Mr Bakers estranged sister said she suspected foul play.

Phillipa Baker, 62, said: Malcom wouldnt end his own life.

Killing himself in an explosion is absolute nonsense, it wouldnt happen.

Im absolutely positive he wouldnt take his own life, especially in that absolutely ghastly way.

No he wouldnt do that, it is absolutely odd.

Former Met Det Chief Insp Mick Neville told The Sun the incident was 'tragic' but also seemed like a 'wicked act of spite to his his partner and children'.

Malcolm Baker (pictured) died after an explosion took place at his home in Exmoor National Park at around 6pm on September 14

Mr Baker's home, Hiccombe House, in Brompton Regis, west Somerset, which was destroyed in the fire

Mrs Baker, from Caterham, Surrey, said her brother cut me off almost 20 years ago after a family dispute and said she hadnt seen him since.

But she added: My brother will have made enemies in his life...

He was a leader... he didnt suffer fools lightly.

Mr Baker assisted US authorities in response to the 9/11 atrocities in 2001 as well as the fatal poisoning of ex-KGB agent-turned Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, in London in 2006.

A UK public inquiry later concluded the poisoning was probably approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Villagers in nearby Brompton Regis, West Somerset, believe the valve on a liquid propane gas bottle was deliberately opened to cause the blast.

DNA tests are being conducted on incinerated human remains found at the property, to confirm they are those of Mr Baker, who also worked on the 7/7 London tube bombings investigation in 2005.

Mr Baker was part of the team that probed the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko (pictured) in 2006

The former police officer also worked on the 7/7 London tube bombings investigation in 2005

This week, a mobile major incident support unit remained at the location, down a dead-end track, where police community support officers were stationed monitoring traffic.

Neighbours said a team of up to 30 officers have been combing the site most days since the blast on September 14 - with neighbours initially also fearing the blast could be linked to the Russian state or Mr Bakers policing background.

But Avon and Somerset Police detectives believe Mr Baker took his own life over domestic problems.

The force has referred itself to the police watchdog over officers prior contact with the deceased.

Mr Baker and wife(corr) Francesca Onody, who rears rare breed pigs, are listed as being directors of a management consultancy which provides security and crisis management advice and counter-terrorism strategies.

But last month another of their companies was dissolved, while earlier this year Mr Baker resigned as a director from both a farming business he was involved in alongside his 50-year-old wife, as well as the business through which they sold their meat.

Miss Onody was not at the property, Hiccombe House, when it exploded at around 6pm a fortnight ago.

The couple, who married in 2004, are believed to have a teenage son and daughter. Mr Baker had another son from a previous relationship, according to his sister.

One nearby resident, Withiel Fox, 60, said: There is no gas supply to that cottage so it didnt happen by accident.

Because of his background there was a lot of speculation about what might have happened. He was unaccounted for after the explosion and there were concerns it could have been the Russians behind it.

Mr Baker had been working on security for the 2012 London Olympics ahead of his retirement from the Metropolitan Police after almost 31 years in the force in October 2011.

But since relocating to Exmoor National Park he had struggled to fit in with country life, according to a neighbour, who claimed he had fallen out with several local people.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said the force believed the remains found belonged to one of the occupants of the house and enquiries were being made on behalf of the coroner.

He added: We can confirm were investigating this incident as an offence of arson with intent to endanger life, but at this stage we dont believe there is any third party involvement and we are not seeking anyone else in connection with our enquiries.

A spokesman for the Independent Office for Police Conduct said: We can confirm we have received a referral from Avon and Somerset Police about prior police contact relating to occupants at an address in Brompton Regis where a serious fire occurred on 14 September. We are presently assessing the referral to decide whether any investigation by the IOPC is required.
The controversial cashless debit card has been all but axed, paving the way for thousands in remote communities to come off the card next week.

Sitting late into the night, the government secured the votes needed in the Senate to scrap it.

The amended bill will now return to the Labor-controlled lower house, where it will need to pass once again before it can become law.

It is expected to be passed on Wednesday before Parliament adjourns until the end of October.

The Federal government secured the votes to abolish Centrelink's cashless welfare card on Tuesday evening. Above, stock image of Australian currency

The bill's passing clears the way for welfare recipients on the card to come off it by October 4.

The cashless debit card quarantines up to 80 per cent of a welfare recipient's income which cannot be withdrawn in cash or spent on gambling or alcohol.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the card hadn't worked and it was ' time to give people their autonomy back'.

'So many people's lives were adversely affected because they couldn't access enough cash ... to be able to live their life,' she told the ABC.

Independent senator David Pocock voted for the card's repeal alongside the Greens after securing an amendment to ensure voluntary access to the card.

Senator Pocock said while all mandatory income management needed to be abolished, the bill was an important first step.

The opposition voted against scrapping the card, arguing it would lead to an increase in drug use and violence in vulnerable communities.

The cashless debit card quarantines up to 80 per cent of a welfare recipient's income which cannot be withdrawn in cash or spent on gambling or alcohol

Liberal senator Linda Reynolds said reducing access to drugs, alcohol and gambling has 'significantly reduced alcohol and drug abuse, assaults, rapes and murder'.

Senator Reynolds said Labor's opt-in approach wouldn't work for women being coerced to provide money to abusive partners.

Independent senator Jacqui Lambie said the government had failed to put in place enough support services to help people transition off the card.

'All I get from the Labor Party is a heap of silence and a stupid look of 'I don't know' on their face,' she said.
A teenager saved a man from dying after he collapsed on a Perth train last week

A hero teenager saved a dad's life by performing CPR when he suddenly keeled over on a commuter train - and she was only on board out of pure luck.

Alanah Dunstan, 18, had forgotten it was a public holiday in Perth, Western Australia last Thursday for the death of the Queen and mistakenly travelled into work.

As she returned home on the train, she noticed fellow passenger Gustavo Berna, 45, had started breathing heavily.

Mr Berna - who was suffering a heart attack - collapsed as Ms Dunstan rushed to intervene.

Ms Dunstan told Daily Mail Australia she had a strong feeling the man had a family, which pushed her to do her best to save him.

'I thought about how I needed to get this man back to his family, I could tell he was a family man,' Ms Dunstan said.

Alanah Dunstan, 18, (pictured) said she somehow knew the stranger was a family man: 'I had this strong feeling, I could just imagine it'

The disability worker, trained in senior first aid, called for someone to ring triple-0 and to alert the train driver after Mr Berna collapsed

Ms Dunstan (pictured) said she and another girl on the train rushed to help the father of one after he fell over half-way through her journey home

'I had this strong feeling, I could just imagine it.'

Ms Dunstan said she and another girl on the train rushed to help the father of one after he fell over half-way through her journey home.

The disability worker, trained in senior first aid, called for someone to ring triple-0 and to alert the train driver.

Once they realised the stranger had no pulse, she started CPR.

Ms Dunstan said she understood the gravity of what she was doing as she fought to save his life.

'I was crying, I couldn't control my tears, I was so worried that I was going to mess up and that he wouldn't get to see his mum, dad or partner again,' she said.

'I knew how many people his death would hurt. I wanted him to be more than a statistic.'

After the driver came out and saw her giving CPR, the train changed direction back to Perth at 'breakneck speed'.

An ambulance met them at the train station and took Mr Berna to an intensive care unit at a hospital.

The commuter's sister-in-law Nicola Berna said: It really is a testament to the CPR Alanah (pictured) did ... it's really nothing short of a miracle'

Doctors told the man's sister-in-law, Nicola Berna, that he may not wake up after the horror experience.

But by Saturday he had regained consciousness and was moved to a cardiac ward.

'It really is a testament to the CPR Alanah did ... it's really nothing short of a miracle,' she told WA Today.

Ms Dunstan had only been on the train because of her public holiday error.

Meanwhile, Ms Berna searched for the disability worker who saved her brother-in-law via an online community page to thank her.

'Thank you isn't enough for what you've done and our family's so grateful,' Ms Berna said.

Gustavo Berna's sister-in-law, Nicola Berna, searched for the disability worker who saved Mr Berna (pictured, left) via an online community page (pictured) to thank Ms Dunstan (pictured, right)

'He wouldn't be here without her ... she did the CPR correctly, it's just amazing,' Ms Berna told the Daily Mail Australia.

She said the Colombian national is communicating in Spanish, while his memory is slowly returning to him.

'It's not 100 per cent, he doesn't remember what happened on the day but he is remembering things,' Ms Berna said.

The family are waiting for him to be well enough to have bypass surgery done.

About 225 people suffer cardiac arrest in public spaces each year in Western Australia, according to St John WA - with most not surviving.

The teenager said she may get to see Mr Berna after he recovers from his surgery in a couple of weeks and played down her rescue efforts.

'I feel a bit guilty honestly, because everyone is calling me a hero and an angel, but I feel like anyone with the knowledge I had would of done the same,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I'm very grateful though, his family is so gorgeous, and I feel so grateful I could help get him back safe to his family.'
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The EU has threatened the 'strongest possible response' to Putin for the 'deliberate' sabotage of the Nordstream gas pipeline amid fears that Kremlin frogmen blew it up off the coast of Sweden  causing a 3,000ft-wide bubble plume and sending prices spiking.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said that the leaks of the Nord Stream pipelines were caused by sabotage, and warned of the 'strongest possible response' should active European energy infrastructure be attacked.

'Spoke to (Danish Prime Minister Mette) Frederiksen on the sabotage action Nordstream,' von der Leyen said on Twitter, adding it was paramount now to investigate the incidents to get full clarity on the 'events and why.'

'Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable and will lead to the strongest possible response,' she warned.

The Nordsteam pipe from Russia suffered 'unprecedented' damage with explosions heard near the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipes.

Gas is now leaking into the Baltic from three holes, scientists have confirmed, while chronic safety concerns have led to a five-mile exclusion zone being imposed around the affected area.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said her government believes the leaks were caused by 'deliberate actions', adding that the gas supply pipeline will be out of action for around a week.

She said on Tuesday evening: 'It is now the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident. There is no information yet to indicate who may be behind this action.'

Her Energy Minister Dan Jorgensen also said the size of the holes in the pipelines indicate that the leaks could not have been caused by an accident such as getting hit by an anchor. The damaged pipelines are at a depth of 70-90 meters below sea level, he added.

The remarks were backed by Sweden's PM Magdalena Andersson, who has said informations suggests the blasts were likely sabotage.

She said her government was in close contact with partners such as Nato and neighbours such as Denmark and Germany concerning the developments.

Ms Andersson continued: 'We have Swedish intelligence, but we have also received information in our contacts with Denmark, and based on this concluded that this is probably a deliberate act. It is probably a matter of sabotage.

'It is not a matter of an attack on Swedish or Danish territory. But that said, the government is taking what happened very seriously, not the least in light of the current security situation on our close proximity.'

Investigations are ongoing into major leaks in Russian pipelines that are now spewing gas into the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark, including assessing evidence of possible sabotage.

It comes after Kyiv's presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak said on Twitter: 'The large-scale gas leak is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression towards the EU.'

Podolyak accused Russia of seeking to 'destabilise the economic situation in Europe and cause pre-winter panic'.

Latvian Defence Minister Artis Pabriks also today called on Nato and the EU's member states to jointly investigate the Nord Stream blasts.

While it may not be in Russia's long-term economic interests to destroy one of its key potential money earners, the destructive act could create economic panic in Europe in the short term.

The leaks, which emerged on Monday and are expected to last several days, raised concerns over environmental damage. They caused a spike in the price of natural resources  a possible Russian motivation for sabotage.

Initially they were assumed to have been accidental, but opinions rapidly changed yesterday with several governments stating that three separate leaks happening almost simultaneously was beyond coincidence.

In Moscow, the Kremlin said it did not rule out sabotage as a reason for the damage to the Russian-built network, which has not been supplying any gas to Germany in recent months.

A massive area of gas bubbles stretching more than 3,000ft across is seen in the Baltic Sea off Sweden yesterday

A satellite image released by Planet Labs PBC showing the gas leak at the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline off the Danish Baltic island of Bornholm, south of Dueodde, in the Baltic sea

Poland's Prime Minister said he believed the pipelines had been sabotaged at an opening of a new pipeline between Norway and his nation today (Baltic Sea is pictured as gas escapes from undersea pipes)

A large disturbance in the sea can be observed off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 following a series of unusual leaks on two natural gas pipelines running from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany

Shocking footage released earlier today by the Danish military from a flyover of the affected region showed huge swathes of the Baltic Sea near the Danish controlled Bornholm island churning as the gas bubbled to the surface

A reading from a German Centre for Georesearch seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm shows two spikes, at 0003 and 1700 GMT, followed by a lower-level 'hissing' on the day when the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic gas pipelines sprang leaks one after the other

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'This is very concerning news. No option can be ruled out right now.' But European neighbours said that the sabotage was carried out by Russia itself  even though it would be hugely damaging in economic terms,

It comes after shocking footage released earlier today by the Danish military from a flyover of the affected region showed huge swathes of the sea near the Danish island of Bornholm churning as the gas bubbled to the surface.

A military statement claimed that the largest leak 'is spreading bubbles a good kilometre (3,280ft) in diameter. The smallest is creating a circle about 200 metres (656 feet) in diameter', while the head of Denmark's Energy Agency said it could take up to a week for gas to stop draining into the sea.

'The sea surface is full of methane, which means there is an increased risk of explosions in the area,' Kristoffer Bottzauw said, adding that ships could lose buoyancy if the entered the affected region.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it would be 'in no-one's interest' if attacks or acts of sabotage caused the leaks detected in the Nord Stream gas pipelines amid an energy standoff between Europe and Russia over gas supplies.

Speaking alongside India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, he added: 'There are initial reports indicating that this may be the result of an attack or some kind of sabotage, but these are initial reports and we haven't confirmed that yet. But if it is confirmed, that's clearly in no one's interest.'

The White House said the US was ready to provide support to European partners conducting an investigation.

Blinken added that his understanding was leaks would not have a significant impact on Europe's energy resilience, and reiterated that Washington was working to address energy security for Europe in the short- and long-term.

European gas prices rose on the news of the leaks, with the benchmark October Dutch price up almost 10 per cent on Tuesday. Prices are still below this year's stratospheric peaks, but remain more than 200 per cent higher than in early September 2021.

The unsettling incident comes as Sweden's National Seismology Centre (SNSN) announced that their equipment registered powerful undersea blasts in the region yesterday. It said one explosion was equivalent to a magnitude-2.3 earthquake.

The Nord Stream pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between Europe and Moscow amid Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine that has pummelled major Western economies and sent gas prices soaring.

The cause of the leaks has not yet been confirmed, however, and the European Commission said it was too early to speculate on the potential causes.

Meanwhile, Norway said it will strengthen security at its oil and gas installations in the wake of the gas leaks amid reports of drones buzzing its rigs. Newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad reported last week that unidentified drones had been observed at least at six Equinor installations, including at its giant oilfield Johan Sverdrup.

Last Tuesday, a drone was observed some 50 meters away from Equinor's Heidrun platform in the North Sea, breaching the 500-metre security perimeter, the newspaper reported.

'There is no doubt that these were explosions,' SNSN seismologist Bjorn Lund told broadcaster SVT, suggesting the pipelines were likely sabotaged.

'With energy releases this big there isn't much else than a blast that could cause it,' another seismologist added. 'You can see that they are quite sudden. It is a very sudden energy release. It's not a slow collapse of something.'

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said: 'We faced an act of sabotage, we don't know all the details of what happened, but we see clearly that it's an act of sabotage, related to the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine.'

Anders Puck Nielsen, a researcher with the Centre for Maritime Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, said the timing of the leaks was 'conspicuous' given that a new pipeline carrying gas from Norway to Poland was opened today.

'The arrow points in the direction of Russia,' he said. 'No one in the West is interested in having any kind of instability in the energy market.'

The extent of the damage means the Nord Stream pipelines are unlikely to carry any gas to Europe this winter even if there was political will to bring them online, analysts at the Eurasia Group said.

'Depending on the scale of the damage, the leaks could even mean a permanent closure of both lines,' Henning Gloystein and Jason Bush wrote.

They noted that undersea pipelines are designed so they can not be damaged accidentally and leaks are rare.

Mr Puck Nielsen said of possible sabotage that 'technically speaking, this is not difficult. It just requires a boat. It requires some divers that know how to handle explosive devices'.

'But I think if we look at who would actually benefit from disturbances, more chaos on the gas market in Europe, I think there's basically only one actor right now that actually benefits from more uncertainty, and that is Russia,' he added.

A handout photo taken from a Danish F-16 jet on 27 September 2022 and made available by the Danish Defence Command shows a gas leak of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline off Bornholm, Denmark, Baltic Sea

A huge churn can be seen at the centre of this large expanse of methane bubbling to the surface of the Baltic Sea

A Danish military statement claimed that the largest leak 'is spreading bubbles a good kilometre (3,280ft) in diameter. The smallest is creating a circle about 200 metres (656 feet) in diameter'

Kazakhstan risks Putin's wrath: Ex-Soviet ally vows to 'care' for Russians fleeing 'hopeless situation' Kazakhstan has risked the wrath of Putin by offering to 'care for' Russian men fleeing conscription due to the 'hopeless situation' back home. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, president of the ex-Soviet state, also offered muted criticism of Putin's war - saying that the 'territorial integrity of states must be preserved' as the despot moves to carve up Ukraine using sham referenda. He spoke as the country's interior ministry revealed almost 100,000 Russians have crossed the border in six days since Putin ordered fighting-age men to be drafted. Tokayev's speech marks the latest act of defiance from a country that has been a close ally of Moscow in the past, and is the latest rumbling of discontent from Russia's satellite states in Asia as Putin's power wanes. Advertisement

Two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline were reported by Sweden's Maritime Authority last night, shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered that prompted Denmark to restrict shipping in the area.

Of the two pipelines hit by leaks, Nord Stream 2 has never operated, while Nord Stream 1 carried gas to Germany until late August when Russian energy giant Gazprom cut off the supply, claiming there was a need for urgent maintenance work.

Gazprom's explanation of technical problems have been rejected by German officials as a cover for a political power play to raise prices and spread uncertainty.

The fresh incidents will hinder any effort to start or restart either pipeline for commercial operations, and triggered an investigation with Swedish and Danish energy agencies.

The head of Denmark's energy agency warned such leaks 'happen extremely rarely', lending further credence to speculations of sabotage given that three separate leaks sprung up across two different pipelines.

Denmark's energy minister Dan Jorgensen said this morning: 'Yesterday, a leak was detected on one of the two gas pipelines between Russia and Denmark - Nord Stream 2. The pipeline is not in operation, but contains natural gas, which is now leaking.

'Authorities have now been informed that there have been 2 more leaks on Nord Stream 1, which is also not in operation but contains gas,' he added.

The leaks were located northeast of the Danish island Bornholm, a Swedish Maritime authority spokesperson said.

Gazprom, who owns the majority stake in Nord Stream AG which owns and operates the pipelines, declined to comment.

Nord Stream AG however released a statement warning that the pipelines had suffered 'unprecedented damage' in one day.

'The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented,' it said.

One European governmental source, when asked if there was specific intelligence indicating sabotage, said: 'Not specific yet, but it seems this pressure failure can only happen when a pipe is completely cut. Which pretty much says it all.'

Nord Stream 1 has not been supplying gas to Europe since late August after Moscow announced the pipeline would be closed for three days for maintenance.

The pipeline was never opened again after the G7 group of advanced economic nations in early September agreed an price cap on Russian oil and moved to bar insurance for tankers or shipping companies helping Moscow to sell supplies above the cap.

The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline was completed earlier this year but had not entered commercial operations.

The plan to supply gas via the pipeline was scrapped by Germany days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February.

European politicians say Moscow's decision to close the pipeline was simply a pretext to slash supply and hasten a European energy crisis.

The head of Denmark's energy agency warned such leaks 'happen extremely rarely', lending further credence to speculations of sabotage given that three separate leaks sprung up across two different pipelines

Putin has kept the Nord Stream 1 pipeline closed since August after the G7 group of advanced economic nations in early September agreed an price cap on Russian oil and moved to bar insurance for tankers or shipping companies helping Moscow to sell supplies above the cap

A painting showing the Nord Stream pipelines is displayed on a container near the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, July 20, 2022

Morning light falls on the landfall facility of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline and the transfer station of the OPAL gas pipeline, the Baltic Sea Pipeline Link, in Lubmin, Germany, July 21, 2022

Danish authorities have asked that the country's level of preparedness for the power and gas sector be raised after the leaks.

The raised level would mean that companies in the power and gas sector have to implement measures to increase safety at for example plants, buildings and installations.

Ships can lose buoyancy if they enter the area affected by the leaks, and there may be a risk of an ignition over the water and in the air, the Danish energy agency warned.

It said the gas leak would only affect the environment locally, which means that only the area where the gas plume in the water column is located would be affected.

A spokesperson from Energinet, Denmark's national electricity and natural gas operator, confirmed that precautionary measures would include increased surveillance of pipelines and and security measures, but declined to give specifics.

(From L to R) Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Polish President Andrzej Duda shake hands after turning a valve to symbolically open the new Baltic Pipe natural gas pipeline on September 27, 2022

A view of the installation of the gas compressor station 'Goleniow', before the ceremonial opening of the 'Baltic Pipe' gas pipeline on the premises of the gas compressor station in the vicinity of Budno near Goleniow, Poland, 27 September 2022

Meanwhile, a new subsea pipeline delivering Norwegian gas to Poland and neighbouring countries with an annual capacity of 10 billion cubic metres per day was inaugurated today.

The Baltic Pipe is seen as a key element in the diversification away from Russian energy sources for Poland and other European and Nordic nations, and was completed ahead of schedule in light of the impending energy crisis.

The European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said: 'The Baltic Pipe is a key project for the security of supply of the region and the result of an EU policy drive to diversify sources of gas. The pipeline will play a valuable role in mitigating the current energy crisis.'

At a ceremony in western Poland, Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland said the project was 'a milestone on the important path towards European independence from Russian energy.'

And Polish President Andrzej Duda called the new pipeline 'a Polish dream', which Prime Minister Morawiecki said showed that 'the era of Russian gas dominance is ending'.

MailOnline has contacted representatives of the Baltic Pipe project for comment.

Putin squirms in his seat as Belarus dictator Lukashenko rants about men 'running away' from mobilisation in Russia as huge traffic jams on Georgia border are captured in images from SPACE

By WILL STEWART and DAVID AVERRE for MAILONLINE

This is the moment an uncomfortable-looking Vladimir Putin squirmed in his seat as he was forced to endure a bizarre lecture on people fleeing his rule from fellow autocrat Alexander Lukashenko.

The Belarusian president - who needed Putin's help to crush a pro-Western democratic movement in his country in 2020 - assured the Kremlin leader he would win his war in Ukraine, despite the growing unrest over his decision to mobilise 300,000 new troops.

The Kremlin chief looked hunched and uncomfortable, saying little during the meeting in Sochi as Russians continue to protest his mobilisation edict or flee abroad to avoid being drafted.

'Our course is right, our cause is right,' Lukashenko told Putin, bringing a rare smile to the Russian warmonger's lips.

'We will win. We have no other choice. We, as Slavs, would not tolerate humiliation,' Lukashenko told him.

The Belarusian leaders bombastic speech belied the situation on the ground though.

The call for mobilisation has proved wildly unpopular, with hundreds of thousands of Russian men having already fled the country to avoid the call up.

Outbound flights from Russia are completely sold out, and traffic jams leading to Russia's borders are so big they can be seen from space.

Anti-war protests have erupted across the country, and Russian media reported an increasing number of arson attacks on military enlistment offices. Yesterday, an enlistment officer was shot at almost point blank range by a man who refused to be drafted.

Alexander Lukashenko (R) shakes hands with Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Sochi, Russia

Belarusian president Lukashenko (L) - who needed Putin's help to crush a pro-Western democratic movement in his country in 2020 - assured the Kremlin leader he would win his war in Ukraine

A satellite image shows trucks and cars waiting in a traffic jam near Russia's border with Georgia as Russians desperately try to flee the country, September 25, 2022

The call for mobilisation has proved wildly unpopular, with hundreds of thousands of Russian men having already fled the country to avoid the call up. Pictured: A satellite image of traffic jams near Russia's border with Georgia

A satellite image shows traffic at the Khyagt border post on Russia's border with Mongolia, September 23, 2022

Queues of traffic have been growing on Russia's borders with neighbouring countries. This satellite image shows traffic at the Khyagt border post on Russia's border with Mongolia on September 23

A group of Russian men walk with their bicycles after crossing the border at Verkhny Lars between Georgia and Russia in Georgia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. Long lines of vehicles have formed at a border crossing between Russia's North Ossetia region and Georgia after Moscow announced a partial military mobilisation

A group of Russians walk after crossing the border at Verkhny Lars between Georgia and Russia in Georgia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022

Lukashenko continued monologuing in Sochi yesterday, spouting rhetorical questions as Putin sat silently, squirming uncomfortably beside him.

'Let's say 30,000 or 50,000 [people] run away. If they were to stay, would they be our people?' the Belarusian president said.

'Let them run away. I don't know what you think about it, but I wasn't worried too much in 2020 when people left [Belarus after protests over his vote-rigging].

'They [later] ask to let them in. So these ones will also come back.

'But there's a decision needed: what to do with them? Let them come back or stay there?'

While Lukashenko and Putin shared a chat in Sochi yesterday, a young conscript shot a Russian military officer at close range at an enlistment office in an unusually bold attack reflecting resistance to mobilisation efforts.

The shooting came after scattered arson attacks on enlistment offices and protests in Russian cities against the military call up that have resulted in at least 2,000 arrests.

In the attack in the Siberian city of Ust-Ilimsk, 25-year-old resident Ruslan Zinin walked into the enlistment office saying 'no one will go to fight' and 'we will all go home now,' according to local media.

A witness quoted by a local news site said Zinin was in a roomful of people called up to fight and troops from his region were heading to military bases on Tuesday.

Footage of the incident showed how Zinin strode into the office and blasted the official before being arrested and forced to testify to the crime on camera, which he did willingly.

Authorities said the military commandant was in intensive care.

Protests also flared up in Dagestan, one of Russia's poorer regions in the North Caucasus.

This is the moment gunman Ruslan Zinin, 25 walked into a Russian enlistment office in Ust-Ilimsk and shot military commissar Alexander Eliseev

A man casts his ballot into a mobile ballot box as members of an electoral commission visit patients of a hospital during a referendum on the joining of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) to Russia, in Donetsk, Ukraine September 27, 2022

A group of Russians walk after crossing the border at Verkhny Lars between Georgia and Russia in Georgia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022

Protests have also erupted across Russia in fury at Putin's decision to begin conscription, with some 2,000 people arrested so far

Local media reported that 'several hundred' demonstrators took to the streets Tuesday in its capital, Makhachkala.

Videos circulated online showing dozens of protesters tussling with the police sent to disperse them.

Demonstrations also continued in another of Russia's North Caucasus republics, Kabardino-Balkaria, where videos on social media showed a local official attempting to address a crowd of women who banded together to chant 'No to war!'

Concerns are growing that Russia may seek to escalate the conflict - including potentially using nuclear weapons - once it completes what Ukraine and the West see as illegal referendums in occupied parts of Ukraine.

The voting, in which residents are asked whether they want their regions to become part of Russia, began last week and ends Tuesday, under conditions that are anything but free or fair.

Tens of thousands of residents had already fled the regions amid months of fighting, and images shared by those who remained showed armed Russian troops going door-to-door to pressure Ukrainians into voting.

'Every night and day there is inevitable shelling in the Donbas, under the roar of which people are forced to vote for Russian ''peace'',' Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kirilenko said Monday.

Russia is widely expected to declare the results in its favour, a step that could see Moscow annex the four regions and then defend them as its own territory.
Bruce Saunders, 54, (pictured) was allegedly murdered while working on a property north of Brisbane in 2017

A woman accused of plotting the murder of her ex-partner allegedly asked her two lovers why he had not already been killed a week before his body was found in a woodchipper, a court has heard.

Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday heard Sharon Graham had asked her two lovers why her former partner Bruce Saunders had not been killed one week before his body was found in a woodchipper.

Gregory Lee Roser, 63, is on trial for murder after Mr Saunders, 54, died while working on a property north of Brisbane in November 2017.

Graham, 61, also pleaded not guilty to Mr Saunders' murder but a Brisbane Supreme Court judge on Tuesday ordered she be tried separately from Roser.

He and another man, Peter Koenig, were asked to kill Mr Saunders and make it look like an accident in a bid to claim his $750,000 life insurance policy, the court has heard.

The jury has been shown police footage of Mr Saunders' legs protruding from a woodchipper at the Goomboorian property near Gympie after he had been clearing trees with Roser and Koenig.

Sharon Graham, 61, (right) is accused of plotting his murder and allegedly asked two of her lovers - including Gregory Lee Roser, 63 (centre) - why Saunders had not been killed a week prior to his death

Koenig pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in June, the court heard.

Koenig said about three months before Mr Saunders died Graham asked him to meet her and Roser at a Gympie motel, telling them she had organised for the property to be cleared.

When asked what else Graham said, Koenig told the jury: 'About killing Bruce - Sharon wanted him killed.'

Asked why, Koenig replied: 'Money. I think it was insurance money, life insurance.'

Koenig said they 'just agreed' but he did not intend to kill Mr Saunders.

'Why say yes?' crown prosecutor David Meredith said.

'Just to keep her happy,' Koenig replied.

Koenig said he had been in an intimate relationship with Graham who was dating Roser at the time of her ex-partner Saunders' death.

After clearing the property for a second straight weekend they returned to Mr Saunders' Nambour home which he shared with Graham who slept in a separate bedroom.

When Mr Saunders went for a shower, Koenig said Graham asked why her ex-partner was still alive.

'She asked what was going on, why didn't it happen,' Koenig told the jury.

After being told that the chipper was 'playing up' and there were too many people around, Koenig said Graham replied: 'Well, it's got to be done.'

Roser is on trial for murder and is accused of hitting Saunders on the head with a metal bar before he and another worker fed his body into a woodchipper (pictured)

The next weekend Mr Saunders' body was found in the chipper.

Roser has been accused of killing Mr Saunders by hitting him in the head with a metal bar before he and Koenig fed the body into the chipper.

Koenig said a week before the motel meeting Graham and Roser had asked to borrow his handgun to shoot some rabbits but returned it a fortnight later because it was 'too noisy'.

The Crown has alleged that Graham plotted Mr Saunders' death for up to six months, at one stage asking Roser to shoot her ex-partner before abandoning the plan.

Justice Martin Burns earlier told the jury that Graham would face a separate trial, with her matter set to be reviewed in October.

The Crown has alleged that Graham plotted Mr Saunders' death for up to six months (pictured, a smiling Bruce Saunders)

The jury was told after Roser and Graham's joint trial had entered its second week.

'Sometimes it is asking too much to expect that you can give separate consideration to respective cases,' Justice Burns said.

'To ask you to give the case a separate consideration would be asking you to perform impossible mental gymnastics.

'So far as the case against Ms Graham is concerned that point has been reached.

'I therefore discharge you from having to delivering a verdict in her case ... when you return we will continue Mr Roser's trial.'

The trial continues.
The mother of a 16-year-old New Zealand climate activist has lashed out at a radio host who mercilessly mocked the teen after she admitted to flying to Fiji for a holiday.

Rose Cook, the mother of Wellington school climate strike organiser Izzy Cook, penned a furious reaction after hearing her daughter give the phone interview at the family home.

'I listened in horror as my 16-year-old daughter had a phone conversation with someone who appeared to be bullying her, laughing at her, and talking over her,' Ms Cook wrote for Kiwi website The Spinoff.

Izzy Cook, a 16-year-old school climate strike organiser from the New Zealand city of Wellington, found herself on receiving end of merciless mockery after admitting she flew to Fiji on a holiday

Under the heading of 'Heather du Plessis-Allan should be ashamed of how she bullied my daughter', Ms Cook said the popular radio star who interviewed Izzy did not give 'a sh*t about climate change'.

Ms Cook accused Du Plessis-Allan of staging a 'gotcha' moment 'to discredit her (Izzy) personally and derail the conversation about climate action'.

During the interview, Izzy tells Du Plessis-Allan she thinks it would be a good idea if flights were only allowed for 'approved events'.

'Am I allowed to go to Fiji, is that necessary?' Du Plessis-Allan asks.

'In the current climate crisis I don't think that's necessary,' Izzy replies.

New Zealand radio star Heather du Plessis-Allan has been accused of bullying 16-year-old climate activist Izzy Cook after laughing at her uproariously during a radio interview

'When was the last time you were on a plane?' Du Plessis-Allan asks, seemingly innocently.

Izzy gives a hesitant reply.

'Hmmm... I'm not sure... a few months ago to be honest,' she says.

"Where'd you go?' Du Plessis-Allan presses.

'Fiji,' is the resigned reply.

Du Plessis exclaims 'Izzy!' and breaks out into squeals of laughter.

'Izzy, don't you care about the climate Izzy?' she asks once her mirth momentarily subsides.

'Of course, I care about the climate,' Izzy replies strongly.

Twitter users respond to the posting of an article by Izzy's mum, Rose Cook, who was left fuming at the treatment of her daughter

'Not enough, you went to... you... went... to... Fiji,' Du Plessis-Allan manages to get out in-between fits of raucous laughter.

In between the guffaws, Du Plessis-Allan manages to address the very silent Izzy.

'Izzy, come on mate!.... Are you serious?... Are you serious Izzy?... You went to Fiji?' Du Plessis-Allan gasps.

'Are you serious Izzy?... Are you still there?'

Izzy interrupts.

'It's pretty ironic but to be honest it's not really a trip I wanted to go on but I can't really get out of it,' the teenager says as Du Plessis-Allan continues to chortle in the background.

'Why'd you go?' Du Plessis-Allan interrogates.

'Because my parents wanted to go. I didn't want to go,' Izzy replies.

'Are you embarrassed your parents did that to the planet and then forced you to do it as well?' Du Plessis-Allan asks.

'Of course I am not embarrassed,' an adamant Izzy replies.

'Did you have a terrible time?' Du Plessis-Allan fires back.

'Not really...' Izzy replies before being cut off once more by Du Plessis-Allan's screams of laughter.

'Izzy... I am sorry... mate... listen you're such a champion, I think you've got a brilliant future ahead of you and are you doing another strike soon,' Du Plessis-Allan manages to say between barely containing her giggles.

'Yeah, well we'll look to,' Izzy replies.

Unusually for Twitter there was even some agreement breaking out between commenters

'I will talk to you again, I might get you back on the show,' Du Plessis-Allan says before once more collapsing into laughter.

Ms Cook, for one, did not share Du Plessis-Allan's amusement.

She confirmed going to Fiji was her idea and Izzy only came reluctantly.

Ms Cook believed Du Plessis-Allan had pounced on her daughter after looking at Izzy's Instagram page and seeing the Fiji trip.

'Our young people are genuinely terrified about the world they are inheriting,' she wrote as she outlined how 'incredibly hard' her daughter worked to promote her cause

'That is what matters.

'Heather du Plessis-Allan became a mother this year. I hope that no-one ever speaks to her child the way she did to mine.'

Those commenting on Twitter under The Spinoff's posting of Ms Cook's article were divided on whether Du Plessis-Allan's interview was fair.

Izzy Cook was forced to admit to holidaying in Fiji (stock image) after saying such flights were not necessary in the 'current climate crisis'

'Precious. The girl was put forward to front an agenda, and now there is outrage because she failed and got mocked,' one comment read.

'Treating kids as the fount of all knowledge like Greta may not be correct. At 16 I am sure that we didn't know much about anything.'

Greta is a reference to the globally renowned Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg, who began the worldwide school climate strike movement.

The comment drew an angry reply.

'But she didn't fail at all,' the Twitter user wrote.

'She's a courageous and committed young woman. If you believe climate change is an agenda, I hope you or your family live well away from where there will be floods, fires, droughts, hurricanes and famine, because it's not stopping any time soon.'

Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg began the worldwide school climate strike movement

One user said Izzy needed to expect such question after taking a public role.

'Buy the ticket, take the ride. If you want to take society to task you can expect some robust questioning. The author and her daughter are hypocrites,' the user wrote.

However, another commenter condemned Du Plessis-Allan's behaviour.

'There is robust questioning and then there is what HDPA did, a juvenile display of mockery and laughter at the expense of a child,' they wrote.

There was a bit more nuance and even, rarely for social media, some slowly emerging consensus in one exchange.

'She wasn't bullied. She was mocked for her hypocrisy,' a Twitter user wrote.

'It is a bit of a fine line when youre talking about kids, to be fair.,' another replied.

'To be fair kids shouldnt be used as props in propaganda campaigns,' a different commenter chipped in.

'I completely agree,' the second commenter replied.

'Although I do wonder to what degree a politically aware (but naive) 16 year old can claim to be manipulated by a parent. In this case I agree the mother has done this, but not without some degree of responsibility from the child. We're on the same page.'
A security guard at JFK Airport was savagely beaten by a homeless career criminal at the airport subway station lashed out at New York City Mayor Eric Adams and local politicians for failing to stop the Big Apple's crime wave.

Elizabeth Gomes, 33, pleaded for Adams to stop the madness after she was punched to the floor during the horrific berating.

She told New York Post: 'Our city needs major help. We're going through a lot here. I remember hearing that they would have cops posted on platforms, riding the trains, cops down in a subway. Mayor Adams said especially in the subway.'

However, she believes her injuries are proof that the mayor hasn't put more cops in subway stations, saying 'Obviously, the government or nobody is doing anything for us.'

Gomes then slammed Adams for going to Puerto Rico as crime continues, seemingly unabated, in his city: 'When we're out there, we're by ourselves, we're fighting these battles by ourselves, and what they do, they go try to help other countries that have nothing to do with what we're going through in our own place.'

Adams traveled to Puerto Rico on Saturday night to assist what he called New York City's 'sixth borough' after it was ravaged by Hurricane Fiona. He returned to the city on Tuesday.

Elizabeth Gomes (pictured), a security guard at JFK Airport was savagely beaten by a homeless career criminal at the airport subway station lashed out at New York City Mayor Eric Adams and local politicians for failing to stop the Big Apple's crime wave

Gomes spoke to the media on Tuesday and pleaded for Mayor Eric Adams to stop the madness

The mother of five children said that 'my life has changed, everything changed' and that she's 'scared to even leave my house' and doesn't 'even want to take the train.'

She said of her decade-long service to the airport, 'You know, I love my job so much, and part of me, like, doesnt want to go back because Im scared.'

Her husband, Clement Tucker, echoed Gomes' previous worries that she may lose her eyesight in one eye.

Gomes arrived at the Howard Beach station in Queens, New York City, at around 5:15am on September 20.

Waheed Foster, 41, tried to start a conversation, but when she ignored him he flung himself at her - dragging her to the ground then kicking and punching her.

Foster, who was arrested for murdering his 82-year-old foster grandmother in a brutal beating at the age of 14, rained blows down Gomes as she cowered on the floor.

One man tried to come to Gomes's aid, but Foster chased him away and then resumed attacking her.

He then walked away, leaving Gomes on the floor. The vagrant was arrested shortly after.

Gomes is seen being grabbed from behind by Waheed Foster, 41 - who she had ignored as he tried to speak to her when she got off the train

Foster, who beat his foster grandmother to death when he was 14, grabbed Gomes

Foster is seen hurling Gomes to the floor before raining blows down on her

Gomes is seen curling up in a ball to try and protect herself as Foster attacked her

Foster then kicked her as she lay on the ground, trying to shield herself

It later emerged he was arrested six years after the murder for stabbing his 21-year-old sister with a screwdriver.

In 2010, he was arrested for attacking three workers at the Creedmore Psychiatric Center, where he was an inpatient.

He was on parole until November 2024 at the time of last week's attack, ABC News reported.

'Do you know how scared I am now? I was never a person to be scared,' Gomes told the network on Monday.

'I can't see anything on my right side, honestly. And it just hurts.'

One man tried to save Gomes, but Foster chased him away

Foster then resumed attacking Gomes as she lay on the floor

Foster walked away, but was arrested shortly after

She said doctors told her she may lose her sight in her right eye, and she said she has been unable to sleep, left with a throbbing head.

'Every day is an incident in the subway,' she said. 'What happened to all these police officer they said they will have there to protect us? There's like nobody to be found. I don't understand.'

She said Foster was muttering about Satan when he attacked her.

'He's talking about the devil. He's talking about a whole bunch of nonsense,' Gomes said.

Foster has been charged with felony assault.

He has two other pending criminal cases against him, on charges of criminal mischief and minor theft.

Transit crime has soared more than 43 percent so far this year compared to the same period in 2021, according to the latest NYPD statistics.

There were 1,165 crimes reported in the city transit system for the period last year compared to 1,670 this year, the figures show.

Overall, crime is up 33.4 percent in the city from this point in 2021.
Hackers have mocked the 'Optusdata' hacker who stole the personal information of more than 10million Australians after they demanded a $1.5million ransom - and then apologised.

The hackers published one batch of data, containing 10,000 Optus customers' details, before backing down from the ultimatum in a series of posts to an online forum used by the hacking community.

Optus has said it was the victim of a sophisticated attack but the hacker's peers have slammed the cyber thief as a 'script kiddie' who got 'in over their head' and panicked.

The term is used unflatteringly by the community for someone who uses automated programs to infiltrate computer servers and websites.

The hacking community has slammed the perpetrator of the Optus cyber heist as an 'amateur'

The post from Optusdata in which they backed down from their ransom demand (pictured)

'There was nothing sophisticated about it,' cybersecurity consultant Shubham Shah told The Australian.

Shah made a name for himself finding computer system vulnerabilities for global tech giants like Facebook, PayPal and Uber when he was just a teenager.

He famously made a small fortune over a 120 day stretch collecting rewards known as 'bug bounties' - hackers who are paid by companies to inform them of the ways their systems can be breached.

Shah claimed the information was exposed through 'an endpoint which someone forgot to apply authentication to, and we see this all the time unfortunately.'

The hacker backed down after initially threatening to release 10,000 customers' data each day for four days until Optus paid the ransom.

'Too many eyes. We will not sale (sic) data to anyone. We cant if we even want to: personally deleted data from drive (Only copy),' the hacker said in a statement.

Fellow users on the forum where Optusdata posted their demands were quick to criticise the heist.

'Optus probably would have legit paid you a lot to quietly plug the leak. No too smart. If your gonna data steal at least don't be an amateur,' one user wrote.

'It was a pretty stupid move to begin with,' another said.

'Not very professional level work at all,' a third said.

'Script kiddies at their best,' added a fourth.

Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin (pictured) claimed customers' data was encrypted and that the telco did 'everything they can' to prevent the hack

Even if the hacker was a member of a gang, they could very well be a teenager.

Police in the UK have this year arrested multiple 16 and 17-year-olds alleged to be senior member of notorious hacking group Lapsus$ which has infiltrated tech giants like Microsoft and Samsung.

Optus requires 100-points of identification when signing up new customers which led to them having the driver's licence, passport, Medicare and bank details of millions of Australians.

Those caught up in a massive breach will be able to change their driver's licence numbers and get new cards, with the telco expected to bear the multi-million cost of changeover.

The NSW, Victorian, Queensland and South Australia governments on Tuesday evening began clearing the bureaucratic hurdles for anyone who can prove they are victims of the hack.

Optus said it will offer 'the most affected' customers the chance to take up a one-year subscription to credit monitoring service Equifax Protect at no cost.
The 'confused' husband of fraudster Melissa Caddick has burst into tears while being questioned over an inconsistency about his wife's disappearance - as tensions hit breaking point as a frustrated lawyer asks if he is capable of reading.

Anthony Koletti returned to the witness box on Wednesday at the NSW Coroners Court inquest into his wife's disappearance and suspected death.

Award-winning journalist Kate McClymont, who investigated Ms Caddick's disappearance in her podcast Liar Liar, said Mr Koletti appeared to have started crying after finding it increasingly difficult to follow proceedings.

Tensions hit breaking point when Jason Downing SC, counsel assisting Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan, asked Mr Koletti if he was capable of reading.

'Mr Koletti, you can read, can't you?' Mr Downing asked to which Ms Caddick's husband replied: 'I am so confused by your questions'.

Anthony Koletti has burst into tears while being questioned over an inconsistency about his wife Melissa Caddick's disappearance (pictured, the couple in happier times)

McClymont tweeted that Mr Koletti appeared to be crying after questioning and had been asked by a lawyer assisting the coroner if he is capable of reading

In a series of live tweets from inside the court, McClymont said a 15-minute break had been called to allow Mr Koletti to compose himself and 'collect his thoughts'.

'The coroner said the questions were legitimate, but it had to be determined if he's mentally unable to continue because of distress,' she tweeted.

Just after 1 pm, the coroner announced Mr Koletti would be dismissed from giving evidence, telling him: 'If you are unable to focus on the questions and give truthful answers, that is not going to assist me'.

He had previously told Mr Downing on the morning of her disappearance on November 12, 2020, he assumed Ms Caddick had gone out to do some exercise.

'I didn't think anything of it ... she's just gone for a walk which she does every day not a problem,' he told police in an interview.

In evidence, Mr Koletti agreed that his wife had no habits, her exercise regime was irregular and she mostly jogged on the treadmill by that stage.

Tensions had hit breaking point when Jason Downing SC, counsel assisting Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan, asked Mr Koletti (pictured) if he was capable of reading

Mr Koletti has recalled the moment he and Ms Caddick (pictured) fell in love at a secret meeting and struck up an 'intimate friendship' while she was still married

Mr Downing continued questioning Mr Koletti on Wednesday about this inconsistency, asking if he was now trying to justify his answers.

'One of the accounts must not be true,' Mr Downing said.

'I'm guessing so, yes,' Mr Koletti said.

'Why are you guessing?' Mr Downing said.

'Because your questions are confusing, the way you talk is not the way my mind works,' Mr Koletti said.

'Everyone has got a different mind. You've got to understand that. I don't think you do. I've been through a lot, in case you haven't noticed.'

Mr Koletti was taken to his statement, but the confusion continued.

'You can read, can't you?' Mr Downing said.

'I am so confused by your questions,' Mr Koletti responded.

Just after 1pm on Wednesday, the coroner announced Mr Koletti (pictured on Tuesday would be dismissed from giving evidence after he became 'confused' and 'distressed'

Questions then turned to where her phone was found, by whom, and when. Mr Koletti had told police a different version to his evidence in court.

'You're just going around in circles like you were before,' Mr Koletti said.

'I can't answer these questions over and over again.'

His lawyer Judy Swan then interjected saying her client was finding the process distressing, but wanted 'it over'.

He's trying to answer to the best of his knowledge but he's obviously struggling with the nuances,' Ms Swan said. 'I don't know if it's a mental disconnect or general disconnect. He's distressed and has been for a while.'

Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan said counsel's questions were legitimate and it was her duty to determine if Ms Caddick is alive, and if not, the manner and cause of her death.

She asked whether Mr Koletti was mentally unable to continue, otherwise there was an expectation he would continue to provide answers to questions.

Mr Downing said he understood Mr Koletti's desire to complete the process but his evidence would not assist the inquest if he was too distressed.

The inquest is due to continue with evidence from an oceanographer.

Mr Koletti on Tuesday said he had always been truthful but admitted there may have been moments when his 'wires were crossed' due to his concern and worry.

He maintains he had no inkling his wife was defrauding family and friends of millions of dollars, nor did he ask her why federal police or members of ASIC was suddenly searching their Sydney eastern suburbs home.

It was the last verified sighting of Ms Caddick before she vanished without a trace.

Anthony Koletti stuck a post-in note (pictured) on his wife's phone next to an early Christmas present on the morning she vanished on November 12, 2020

Melissa Caddick's husband said he sent her several text messages (pictured) on the morning she vanished before discovering she'd left her phone in their walk-in closet

The revelations come after the inquest was shown a romantic post-it note and frantic text messages Mr Koletti sent Ms Caddick on the morning she vanished.

Mr Koletti sent his wife several texts, when she had not returned home by 7.16am.

'U ok?' one asked. He then asked if she had her house key before he found her phone still charging in their walk-in closet.

Mr Koletti said he stuck a bright pink post-it note on her phone, along with a pair of earrings as a surprise gift.

'Melissa I no (sic) our love is deeper than possessions (sic),' he wrote.

'Thought you may like one of your Christmas (sic) early. All my love.'

Melissa Caddick's former Dover Heights home (pictured) is currently on the market. It required extensive repairs, cleaning and maintenance after Ms Caddick's husband was evicted

In February 2021 Ms Caddick's decomposing foot encased in an Asics shoe washed ashore at Bournda Beach on the NSW south coast, about 400km south of Sydney.

She preyed on mostly friends and family, and stole up to $30million between 2013 and 2020, counsel assisting Jason Downing SC earlier told the court.

The inquest before Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan continues.
A drug that's contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans last year has been found hidden in candy packaging - and could be peddled to young children via social media, experts say.

The DEA said drug traffickers have expanded their inventory to sell fentanyl - a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin - in a variety of bright colors, shapes and sizes.

A recent seizure in Connecticut found 15,000 fentanyl pills stashed in Skittles and Nerds packaging, and with Halloween just weeks away, the DEA is urging parents to be vigilant.

The agency have sent a stern warning to parents to educate themselves as children prepare for the spooky season, with a former specialist warning that 'this is not a drug issue, it's a mass poisoning.'

During the period of May 23 to September 8 this year, 10.2 million fentanyl pills and about 980 pounds of fentanyl powder were seized by the the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as part of the One Pill Can Kill initiative.

Of the 390 cases investigated during this period, 51 cases have been linked to overdose poisonings and 35 cases link directly to one or both of the primary Mexican cartels responsible for the majority of fentanyl in the United States  the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Parents are being urged to get educated on fentanyl as thousands of pills were found in skittles and nerds candy packets, as children gear up to go trick or treating this Halloween

Former DEA special operations director Derek Maltz (pictured) says it's mass poisoning and parents need to be educated

The the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have linked fentanyl investigations to social media platforms including Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and TikTok

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, or the amount that could fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered potentially lethal

In addition, 129 investigations are linked to social media platforms, including Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and TikTok.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland told the DEA that the drug has had a devastating impact on the community.

'Across the country, fentanyl is devastating families and communities, and we know that violent, criminal drug cartels bear responsibility for this crisis,' said Garland.

'The Justice Department, including the extraordinary professionals of the DEA, is working to disrupt and dismantle the operations of these cartels, remove deadly fentanyl from our communities, and save Americans' lives.'

DEA administrator Anne Milgram said cracking down on the fentanyl crisis has been a priority.

'The most urgent threat to our communities, our kids, and our families are the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG who are mass producing and supplying the fentanyl that is poisoning and killing Americans,' said Milgram.

'The Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG are ruthless, criminal organizations that use deception and treachery to drive addiction with complete disregard for human life.

'To save American lives, the DEA is relentlessly focused on defeating the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG by degrading their operations to make it impossible for them to do business.'

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland told the DEA that the drug has had a devastating impact on the community, especially if unsuspecting children receive the drug concealed as candy

Rainbow fentanyl was first reported to DEA in February 2022, and it has now been seized in 21 states across the country

Of the 107,622 Americans who have died from drug poisoning or overdose in 2021, 66 percent (approx. 71,030) is attributed to fentanyl

Former DEA special operations director Derek Maltz told Fox and Friends that it's important for parents to be educated about the dangers kids face from drugs.

'We're seeing an unprecedented amount of kids dying as young as 13 years old and we know now, the DEA says, that 40 percent of the pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl,' he said.

'[Parents] have to be proactive. Its deadly fentanyl, and it's flooding our streets like we've never seen.

'This is not a drug issue, it's a mass poisoning.'

Of the 107,622 Americans who have died from drug poisoning or overdose in 2021, 66 percent (approximately 71,030) is attributed to fentanyl.

Rainbow fentanyl was first reported to DEA in February 2022, and it has now been seized in 21 states across the country.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, or the amount that could fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially lethal dose.
The property developer husband of a woman who was allegedly stabbed in the chest on the doorstep of their Sydney home has been charged with gun possession.

Walt Coulston was hit with four weapon and ammunition charges this week after police allegedly found a the firearm inside his $4.5million Dover Heights home, in the city's eastern suburbs.

The father-of-two was charged with possessing a shortened firearm, possessing ammunition without a licence, not keeping a firearm safely and possessing an unregistered firearm.

However, Mr Coulston told Daily Mail Australia the alleged firearm is a 'relic more than 50 years' old'.

Helen Coulston was allegedly stabbed in the chest. Her husband Walt (pictured, on their wedding day) was charged with gun possession almost two months later

'It belonged to my father and when he died in 1991 when we were living in country NSW, it was part of a box of sentimental pieces that my Mum gave to me,' he said.

'It was indeed an oversight to have it improperly stored.

'However, the police tested it and confirmed there is no evidence it had ever been fired and also confirmed I can apply to have it returned.'

His matter will be mentioned in Waverley Local Court on October 11.

It comes almost two months after his best friend, Matthew Brian Ramsay, turned up at their home and allegedly plunged a 20cm knife into his wife Helen's chest.

Matthew Brian Ramsay, 46, appeared in Waverley Local Court on September 2 via audio-visual link, charged with causing a wound or grievous bodily harm with intent to murder.

Walt Coulston (pictured after his wife's alleged stabbing) was hit with four weapon and ammunition charges this week after police allegedly found an unauthorised firearm inside his Dover Heights home

Ramsay allegedly attended the Coulstons' home while Mrs Coulston was home alone.

He is accused of plunging a knife into the mother-of-two's chest, and then swinging at her a second time, but missing, the court heard.

Court documents said that sparked a fierce struggle between the pair that was interrupted by a tradesperson, who was working on a building site across the road.

Ramsay then allegedly fled.

During a bail application, the court was told Ramsay was captured on bodycam after his arrest telling police: 'I didn't mean to hurt her, I just meant to scare her'.

The 46-year-old had ingested some 120mg of Valium prior to the alleged incident, the court was told. The therapeutic dose is 40mg.

Pictured: Matthew Brian Ramsay, who allegedly stabbed Helen Coulston, the wife of his former best friend

Helen Coulston (pictured being treated by paramedics) survived after she was stabbed by a one-time close friend in August

Mrs Coulston survived the incident and is recovering.

The court heard father-of-one Ramsay had been struggling with 'significant mental health issues' for years, with numerous past stays in rehabilitation.

The magistrate granted bail saying he believed the tight restrictions could mitigate any risk to the community or alleged victim.

He ordered Ramsay not to enter the eastern suburbs unless attending court, and to not contact the Coulsons.
Emmy-winning director and screenwriter Sacha Gervasi has been called a 'monster' and a 'predator' in a sexual assault lawsuit brought by an interior designer who worked on his Hollywood Hills home.

Diana Lands Nathanson  a friend of Gervasi's heiress wife, Jessica de Rothschild  accuses The Terminal director in the lawsuit of multiple instances of harassment and groping, beginning when she was first hired in 2014.

It ultimately culminated with Gervasi, 56, pinning her down on a table and attacking her in January of this year, she claims.

She is now seeking a jury trial, where she hopes to win an unspecified amount in punitive damages  claiming she was left with emotional distress.

In a statement, attorneys for Gervasi called the lawsuit 'nothing but a desperate attempt to distract from the lawsuit already filed by my clients against Ms. Lands for trying to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in property they paid her to purchase on their behalf and for the damage and destruction she negligently caused to their home.'

They claim that Lands offered not to file charges against Gervasi if he 'agreed to pay several hundred thousand dollars more to her  despite the fact she was already wrongfully withholding nearly half a million dollars in cash and property belonging to my clients.

'When my clients refused to be shaken down, Ms. Lands proceeded with these demonstrably false claims about Sacha Gervasi.

'We have hundreds of text messages and numerous witnesses that will disprove Ms. Lands allegations in a court of law and fully vindicate Mr. Gervasi,' attorney Jeremiah Reynolds added.

Sacha Gervasi, 56 (left), has been accused of sexual assault by interior designer Diana Lands Nathanson (right)

Gervasi is pictured with his theatre producer wife Jessica de Rothschild

Lands contends in her lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles on September 26, that 'Sacha Gervasi is a sexual predator.

'In public, Gervasi is the Academy-Award nominated director of Hitchcock, as well as the screenwriter and/or filmmaker behind Steven Spielberg's hit film The Terminal, Henry's Crime starring Keanu Reeves and the remake of How to Marry a Millionaire starring Nicole Kidman.

'In private, Gervasi is a monster,' the lawsuit states.

'Despite being a widely admired figure in the public eye  or maybe because of the unchecked power that comes with such fame  Gervasi regularly engages in sexually harassing conduct.'

She writes in court documents exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com that she finally launched legal action because her work for Gervasi and de Rothschild was complete and accused him of a raft of offenses - among them sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence, and creating a hostile work environment.

It comes as de Rothschild has been accused of not paying subcontractors.

De Rothschild in May of this year begun her own legal action against Lands, suing her for fraud.

In her lawsuit, Lands, left, accuses Gervasi of a raft of offenses - among them sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence, and creating a hostile work environment. She is pictured here attending the Art Los Angeles Contemporary opening night in January 2014 with Ross Cassidy

Lands was contracted to work on the Hollywood Hills home of Gervasi and de Rothschild

Lands also disclosed in court documents that she briefly dated the London-born filmmaker in the early 1990s.

Talented and well-connected, Gervasi was the drummer for Gavin Rossdale's band Bush before they became famous, and his first job was working for British poet laureate Ted Hughes.

He had dated former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell for a brief time in 2005, before she gave birth to their daughter, Bluebell.

Gervasi later married theatre producer de Rothschild in December 2010 at a London wedding where guests included Alec Baldwin, Helena Bonham-Carter, Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes and Simon Le Bon with his wife Yasmin Le Bon.

Lands stated in the court documents that Gervasi's marriage to the British heiress brought her closer to the couple.

'Lands assumed that she would be more protected due to the fact he was involved with de Rothschild, so she was willing to become closer friends with Gervasi and de Rothschild,' she wrote.

'Unfortunately, Gervasi was lecherous and disgusting in his physical behavior towards Lands, even when de Rothschild was present.'

Lands said she was contracted in 2014 to work on the couple's home in the Hollywood Hills, which was previously owned by Ryan Seacrest, and by Kevin Costner before him.

Lands claims that, while she was working for the couple, 'Gervasi regularly touched and fondled Lands in a sexually inappropriate way.'

She said she endured it because she wanted to complete the project, and be paid for her work.

Lands claims that the situation escalated in July 2021, when the two met with a contractor on the house.

Following the meeting, she claims in the lawsuit, 'Lands opened the car door and turned to say "good-bye."

'They hugged, and then Gervasi started to hug tighter, saying how beautiful Lands was and that they should have been together, and "couldn't they figure out how to be together?"

He then allegedly tried to kiss Lands, and 'when she refused, Gervasi pushed her against the car and forced his body against hers.'

The lawsuit continues: 'Gervasi pushed his erect penis against Lands' body and tried to stick his tongue in her mouth.

'Lands kept turning her head and saying, "No don't do that."

But 'while Gervasi was pushing against Lands, he put his hands on her breasts then moved them up her dress and onto her buttocks, then moved her underwear aside to get his hands between her legs.

'Again, Lands told him to stop and he would not listen.'

Eventually, though, the lawsuit states, 'Lands was able to push him off enough to get into the car and close the door.'

She said she drove away 'shaking and in tears', and told a friend of the alleged assault.

Lands said she felt obliged to finish the job, but accused Gervasi of being relentless - eventually pinning her to a table in the house by her wrists, and 'thrusting into her' until she managed to flee.

Lands (right) said in her lawsuit she felt obliged to continue working on the house, even after Gervasi allegedly sexually assaulted her in July 2021. She is pictured with Joyce Varvatos at a book launch in Beverly Hills in 2013

The suit claims the two were meeting to discuss her payment for her work on the Hollywood Hills home in January 2022, when the assault happened.

'From the chair where Gervasi was sitting, he pulled Lands down onto his lap, kissed her neck and tried to feed her the various candies' he still had on his desk from the holiday season.

'She fought to get up off his lap, but Gervasi pulled her down onto the table and laid on top of her.

'His hands were on her wrists above her head. He tried to force his tongue into her mouth as he was thrusting into her,' the lawsuit states.

Lands said she managed to break free and tried to escape, but alleges he 'closed the door so she could not get out.'

The suit continues: 'Once again, Gervasi pushed his body against Lands, and tried to kiss her on the neck and mouth.

'Lands kept telling him he had to stop and she needed to get out of the room and leave. She finally got the door open and was able to get out of the room. He chased Lands to her car and tried again telling her that she wanted it.'

She now says that during the time she worked on Gervasi's Hollywood Hills home 'she suffered constant distress and anxiety, she was unable to sleep normally, and the situation was affecting her health.'

She also claims: 'Gervasi performed the foregoing wrongful acts, conduct and omissions intentionally, fraudulently, maliciously and oppressively in willful and conscious disregard of Plaintiff's rights and with the intent and design to damage Plaintiff.'

It further states that Gervasi 'intentionally deprived Plaintiff of freedom of movement by closing the door and physically blocking her from leaving the office of his Hollywood Hills home in January 2022 and by trying to trap her at her car in the motor court in the front yard of his Hollywood Hills home.'

Gervasi is known for directing Hitchcock, and as the filmmaker behind The Terminal

Gervasi, whose academic father was an economic adviser to John F. Kennedy while he was in the White House, grew up in an affluent and cultured household.

Oxford-educated, his first job was with the British poet laureate, Ted Hughes.

He then went to work for the curator of Samuel Beckett's estate, readying a sale of his papers at Sotheby's.

Gervasi moved to Los Angeles to study film and in 2004 wrote the screenplay for The Terminal, which starred Tom Hanks and was directed by Steven Spielberg.

He also directed the 2010 documentary Anvil, about the Canadian heavy metal band of the same name, which won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary. The film gained a cult following, last week was re-released in cinemas.

His first narrative feature was the Oscar-nominated Hitchcock, starring Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren and Scarlett Johansson.

In 2019 he won an Emmy for My Dinner With Herve, starring Peter Dinklage as French actor Herve Villechaize.
One canola grower said he found a couple 'literally two kilometres' into his field

Canola growers said the eager tourists are posing a biosecurity risk on their land

Australian farmers have explained why they are sick of tourists sneaking into their canola fields to take photos, with fears they could cause serious biosecurity risks.

The social media trend of snapping selfies with fields of bright yellow flowers on rural Aussie properties ramps up each Spring season.

But the trespassers have been blocking roads, climbing barriers, cutting through fences and at times, refusing to leave.

The social media trend of snapping selfies with bright yellow flowers on rural Aussie properties ramps up each Spring season (stock picture)

Cowra Canola tours, 300km west of Sydney, offer guided and flying tours of the fields (pictured, an aerial view of an Aussie canola field)

Tourists who want to take snaps in canola fields this season can safely do so through registered tour operators (pictured, a NSW canola field in bloom)

Farmer Tony Flanery found a couple 'literally two kilometres' from the road taking photos in his fields in Galgong, 100km north west of Canberra.

Farmer Tony Flanery (pictured) found a couple 'literally two kilometres' from the road of his property taking photos in fields in Galgong, 100km north west of Canberra

The wheat and canola grower said it was almost impossible to evict them from his land.

'They basically refused to leave. Like they had the camera set up on a tripod and were settling in for the afternoon,' he told the Guardian.

He said another farmer in Boorowa had trespassers cut through his fence to get a car into the paddock, so they could take photos hanging out of the car.

Tim Condon (pictured) works with farmers in NSW and said the trespassers are a 'straight up biosecurity risk'

Tim Condon, who works with farmers in NSW, north of the capital city, said the social media craze is becoming a problem.

'There has been a promotion in Canberra to go do the canola drive, and people are just randomly driving out to a farm, pull up and wander through a crop,' Mr Condon said.

'They're straight up a biosecurity risk in the current environment, so that's a concern for growers.'

There are fears trespassers may bring in a contagious viral disease like foot-and-mouth (FMD), that can kill young animals.

Mr Flanery said farmers are responsible for monitoring how many visitors their properties host under the latest changes in the NSW Biosecurity Act.

Growers have to manage their own biosecurity plan, so if there was a break out of FMD, farmers would be able to get compensation.

But if they can't provide an accurate number of visitors the government could say they are not enforcing their plan properly.

There is also a question of road safety for commuters.

Mr Flanery and Mr Condon said they had both seen cars parked in 'dangerous positions' in the area just to get pictures with the flowers.

Trespassers have been blocking roads, climbing barriers and cutting through fences and refusing to leave in order to get an Insta-worthy shot (pictured, a stock image)

Tim Condon said he has seen people standing on roads to take photos of canola fields (pictured, a stock picture)

Mr Condon said he was driving in Harden-Murrumburrah, in south-west NSW, when he slammed on the breaks where two families had stopped to take photos of the fields.

He said kids were standing across the road taking photos.

Mr Flanery said the tourists were welcome to come and take photos in the area but they should know their actions can have consequences.

Tourist wanting to take snaps in canola fields this season can safely do so through registered tour operators.

Cowra Canola tours, 300km west of Sydney, offers guided and flying tours of the fields.

Farmer Tony Flanery said he found a couple 'literally two kilometres' from the road who were setting up a tripod in his fields - he wasn't able to evict them (pictured, a stock image)
A Delaware shopkeeper was brutally pistol whipped and stomped on and left bloody and unconscious after a burglary at his jewelry shop.

Chang Suh, 68, was caring for his store - Solid Gold in Wilmington - on September 15 when he was attacked during a 20-minute robbery.

Video footage shared by his family showed a man dressed in all black with a mask faking interest in Suh's wares at the store.

He then grabs Suh by the throat and looks to be holding a pistol to his head before slamming him with it, with the Korean-American shop owner showing no resistance.

The attacker, named as Calvin Ushery, hits Suh two more times before the elderly man falls to the floor behind his store's counter, according to ABC6.

Chang Suh (pictured left), 68, was caring for his store - Solid Gold in Wilmington - on September 15 when he was attacked during a 20-minute robbery

He then grabs Suh by the throat and looks to be holding a pistol to his head before slamming him with it, with the Korean-American shop owner showing no resistance

Calvin Ushery hits Suh two more times before the elderly man falls to the floor behind his store's counter

Wilmington police arrested 39-year-old Calvin Ushery in connection with the assault on September 22. Ushery has been charged with robbery, possession of a firearm during a robbery, criminal mischief and prohibited possession of a firearm, though he does not appear to have been charged with any assault

The thief then hops the counter and begins to stamp on Suh's head, yet again with zero resistance.

Steve Suh, the owner's son, claimed that showing any more than the 36 seconds of footage shared from the 20-minute attack was too traumatic.

The son claims that the attacker 'beat' his father's head 28 times, including twice with a hammer, leaving his father in an ICU in critical condition.

His father is suffering from internal bleeding and a severe concussion, adding that he 'is relearning how to do the most basic things like walk, read and talk' and believes anyone his age could've easily been killed.

He also said that his dad has delayed speech and is currently rehabbing, according to KGO-TV.

Suh is suffering from internal bleeding and a severe concussion, with son Steve adding that he 'is relearning how to do the most basic things like walk, read and talk' and believes anyone his age could've easily been killed

The thief then hops the counter and begins to stamp on Suh's head and rob him, yet again with zero resistance

Steve Suh claims that the thief stole about $100,000 in jewelry, adding unnecessary damage to his store, which was 'just scraping by' during the pandemic and was looted during the George Floyd protests, he claims.

Suh added, 'My father is 68 and his 'American Dream' has come to a crashing halt.'

Wilmington Police arrested 39-year-old Ushery in connection with the assault on September 22.

Ushery has been charged with robbery, possession of a firearm during a robbery, criminal mischief and prohibited possession of a firearm, though he does not appear to have been charged with any assault.

His bail was set cash-only at $130,500 and he was sent to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution.

Steve Suh has raised over $50,000 on Gofundme for his family and the store, but has a goal of $75,000, adding that he believes his father's case has been 'swept under the rug.'

When Googling the store, a message pops up, stating, 'Due to robbery, damages, and critical condition of assaulted owner, the store has no inventory and will be closed until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience to our loyal long term customers.'

A Delaware shopkeeper was brutally pistol whipped and stomped on and left bloody and unconscious after a burglary at his jewelry shop
She said the measure had been taken because the school had 'run out of options'

Principal Fleur Roachock announced the toilets would be locked during class

Excrement was found smeared on walls, ceiling and sinks at Grant High School

Students have smeared faeces in bathrooms at a South Australian high school

A principal has resorted to limiting access to toilets at a high school after students were found to have routinely smeared faeces on the walls, ceilings and sinks.

The disgusting practice took place at Grant High School in Mount Gambier, South Australia.

A letter was issued in May by principal Fleur Roachock who revealed that the school had been 'unsuccessful' in stopping the culprits.

Students at Grant High School (pictured) in Mount Gambier, South Australia, have smeared faeces on the walls, ceilings and sinks in their own bathrooms

'This has now become a significant health and safety issue for our cleaners and handypeople,' she wrote.

'We have undertaken some research about how other schools manage this type of situation and, as a result, we are going to limit student access.'

Ms Roachock said the bathrooms at the school, with the exception of the senior toilets, would be locked up during class time.

Students have to sign out a key to access them.

She explained in the letter that the drastic measure had been taken because the school had 'run out of options'.

Ms Roachock added that the school would also visit its phone policy and possibly ban students from using mobile phones.

Staff members discovered the excrement inside the boys' and girls' toilets.

It was thrown on the walls and ceilings by students and smeared over bathroom sinks.

The school's principal, Fleur Roachock, has locked the school bathrooms during class time in an effort to stamp out the vandalism (stock image)

She explained in a letter issued to parents that the school had resorted to the measure as they had 'run out of options'

A parent, who provided the letter to the Mount Gambier News, expressed her concerns over the school's decision to lock up the toilets despite the grotesque vandalism.

'With toilets needing to be locked during the school day, I've also been made aware of a number of instances where a child has been locked inside the toilets.

'Staff are having to enter the toilets and call out to children to ensure nobody is there.'

The parent said that having teachers constantly enter bathrooms to check for students was 'uncomfortable' because it was a private space for children.

They added that it could be traumatising for students who are accidentally locked inside or being checked on by a teacher as they use a toilet.

Ms Roachock claims the lockout system undertaken by the school has since resulted in a 'significant reduction of vandalism'.
A PhD student and trainee teacher have become the first mother and son duo to appear together on University Challenge.

Rachel, 53, and Louis Collier, 26, both competed for University College London after auditioning for the quiz programme while their studies overlapped.

Rachels husband and their other children, Sam, Zita and Rosa, are also quizzers.

'Ive always loved the show. We grew up watching it every week, pretty religiously,' Louis, who received a postgraduate certificate in education, told The Times.

The physics and mathematics teacher added: 'And we had a mini University Challenge society at school that I was a part of.'

Rachel, who also works as a teacher, explained how when the students union started selecting its team, she sent Louis the advert.

She said: 'Louis was a bit hesitant at first. But we said, "Oh, come on, lets do it, itll be a laugh just to do a quiz together".'

Rachel, 53, and Louis Collier, 26, both competed for University College London after auditioning for the quiz programme while their studies overlapped

For their 'gruelling' preparation, Rachel studied art history, while Louis swotted up on Olympic history, poetry and books of the Bible.

However Rachel, who is studying part-time for a PhD in Classics, suffers from stage fright.

Speaking of her appearance on the show she said: 'I found the whole experience extremely nerve-racking, and something of a distraction from my academic work, but the stress was more than offset by the pleasure of spending lots of time with Louis, who flew the family nest a couple of years ago.'

Contrastingly her son described the experience as 'special', 'cool', 'intense' and 'exhausting', but worth it.

UCL will now appear on October 17 against Sheffield on BBC2.

It comes after it was revealed that Jeremy Paxman is stepping down as the host after 28 years - ending his reign as the longest-serving current quizmaster on UK TV.

It comes after it was revealed that Jeremy Paxman (pictured) is stepping down as the host after 28 years - ending his reign as the longest-serving current quizmaster on UK TV

Amol Rajan (above) will take over from Paxman as host of University Challenge from autumn 2023

Amol Rajan will take over from Paxman as host of University Challenge from autumn 2023.

The 72-year-old, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease last year, has presented the show since it was revived by the BBC in 1994.

He will film his last episode this autumn and his final series will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from Monday August 29 through to summer 2023.

The journalist and broadcaster said: 'I've had a blast hosting this wonderful series for nearly 29 years.

'I've been lucky enough to work with an amazing team and to meet some of the swottier brains in the country. It gives me hope for the future.'

In June 2014, Mr Paxman left BBC current affairs programme Newsnight after 25 years as its presenter.

He revealed in May last year that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

He said his doctor had him tested for the incurable condition after seeing him on University Challenge during lockdown.

The veteran presenter said he suffered regular falls, including one that left him with 'black eyes', and admitted it was 'very hard to know you're not going to get better'.
Millions of iPhone users were left stunned after a news site was hacked and sent an 'obscene and racist' message to people's mobiles via Apple News.

The two notifications, published by business and media publication Fast Company, came in succession and read: 'N****** TONGUE MY ANUS. THRAX WAS HERE.'

Subscribers of the media publication took to Twitter shocked by the push-notifications. Apple News typically sends its users a collated list of stories to read.

One twitter user said: 'Is it just me, or did anyone else get this Fast Company Apple News post notification?'

Another wrote, posting a shocked GIF: 'Did Fast Company just get hacked????? Because the message that just came across my phone!'

News publishers using the Apple News aggregation app can connect their digital publishing tools to Apple News to send push notifications to Apple customers.

Twitter users posted their shock (pictured) after receiving two racist and vulgur push notifications from U.S. business and media publication Fast Company

Fast Company was forced to shut down its website on Tuesday evening after the site was hacked and sent 'obscene and racist' notifications to Apple users (pictured)

Subscribers were perplexed by the bizarre hack, some posting their confusion on twitter

Fast Company apologized on social media saying they do not support 'such abhorrent language' on their platform

Fast Company is owned by publishing firm Mansueto Ventures LLC

Fast Company said hackers broke into those publishing tools.

Hackers sent two 'obscene and racist push notifications' about a minute apart, Fast Company said in a tweet, adding it had suspended the Apple News feed until the situation was resolved.

'We are investigating the situation and have suspended the feed & shut down FastCompany.com until we are certain the situation has been resolved,' the publication added.

Fast Company's website was down and the page displayed a 404 error when viewed on Tuesday evening.

In a subsequent tweet after the shutdown, Fast Company said that its content management system - software used by news outlets to publish and manage their stories - had been hacked to send the notifications.

Apple News said in a tweet that it had disabled Fast Company's channel.

Fast Company said it had earlier suffered an 'apparently related' hack of its website on Sunday afternoon, when similar language appeared on its home page, causing it to shut the site down for about two hours.

Fast Company is owned by publishing firm Mansueto Ventures LLC.
The Metropolitan police has said it will investigate any reported use of chest binders on young girls after the breast-flattening devices were offered to children as young as 13 by a trans charity.

Scotland Yard insisted sending binders to children was not in itself a crime, but said if it received reports of a child using them, it would 'assess the facts' with the help of social services.

Trans charity Mermaids sparked criticism when a Daily Telegraph probe found it was offering the chest binders to teenage girls who wanted to change genders, after their parents refused to let them wear them.

The Charity Commission confirmed this week they are 'assessing' concerns raised about the charity after further claims they were giving out medical advice on puberty blockers without the relevant training.

The Met's website references the use of binders under the offence of 'breast ironing (also called breast flattening)' - an abusive practice in some African countries, particularly Cameroon, that seeks to 'protect girls from unwanted sexual advances.'

According to Global Citizen, as many as 1,000 girls from West African immigrant communities in Britain are believed to have undertaken 'breast ironing' - mostly forced on them by relatives.

The Met's website describes it as 'child abuse', which often involves flattening a girl's chest with a hot stone or other objects to delay breast growth.

It adds: 'Sometimes, an elastic belt, or binder, is used to stop them from growing'.

One legal expert said the description of a binder sounds similar to the devices used by teenage girls wanting to transition genders.

Mermaids, a transgender children's charity has been accused of giving chest-flattening devices also known as binders to young girls against their parents' wishes (stock image above)

Ian Acheson, a former Home Office official and visiting professor at Staffordshire University School of Law, Policing and Forensics, told the Telegraph: 'I'm really confused. Is this not 'child abuse' if the same process is advocated by a UK registered charity acting in collusion with a minor against the wishes of parents?'

According to guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), breast ironing is an offence 'regardless of consent. It is not possible to consent to serious assault'. However the same guidance does not mention the use of binders.

MailOnline has contacted the CPS for comment.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'The supply of a breast binder on its own is not a criminal offence.

'However, if an individual case of someone using a breast binder or undergoing the practice of breast ironing is reported to police, it would be investigated jointly with social services as potential child abuse.

'The same approach would be taken regardless of culture or community.'

MailOnline has contacted Mermaids for comment.

They previously said: 'Some trans masculine, non-binary and gender diverse people experience bodily dysphoria, as a result of their chest, and binding, for some, helps alleviate that distress.

'Mermaids takes a harm reduction position with the understanding that providing a young person with a binder and comprehensive safety guidelines from an experienced member of staff is preferable to the likely alternative of unsafe practices and/or continued or increasing dysphoria.

'The risk is considered by Mermaids staff within the context of our safeguarding framework.'

The charity will warn children of the effects of using a binder before offering to send one.

This includes sending a study by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health - which found that 97 per cent of adult users experienced health impacts, ranging from pain, rib fractures and changes to the spine, to headaches, respiratory and skin infections and muscle wasting.

The study reads: 'Commercial binders were the binding method most consistently associated with negative health outcomes, possibly because such binders have the potential to provide more compression than other binding methods.'

It comes after Harry Potter author JK Rowling slammed celebrities and organisations who had publicly backed the charity without doing their 'due diligence' as other critics called for an official probe into its practices.

Pictured: JK Rowling slammed celebrities and organisations who had publicly backed the Mermaids charity without doing their 'due diligence' as other critics called for an official probe

Celebrities who have publicly backed Mermaids include the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry Potter star Emma Watson and Jameela Jamil.

Mermaids staff offered to send a breast binder to a girl they believed was only 14 after being told she was banned from using one by her mother.

According to the investigation by the Daily Telegraph, the charity has been offering binders to children as young as 13 despite their parents saying they oppose the practice.

The newspaper also said the charity's online help centre tells children who present themselves as young as 13 and 14 that hormone-blocking drugs are safe and 'totally reversible' - a claim which is refuted by experts as there is little evidence of the long-term impact of the powerful drugs.

Mermaids, a taxpayer funded group which supports transgender children and their families, runs training for schools and some NHS trusts, many of which are facing calls to sever ties to the organisation.

JK Rowling called out celebrities who had supported the charity without doing 'due diligence'

Breast binding, also known as chest binding, is the act of flattening breasts by the use of constrictive materials. The term also refers to the material used in this act.

The ultratight garments can cause 'horrendous' health problems including breathing and breastfeeding difficulties, chronic back pain and broken ribs, increasing the chance of a punctured lung.

Meanwhile, the NHS acknowledges a lack of research into the long-term effects of puberty blockers and says it is not known if they 'affect the development of the teenage brain or children's bones'.

Yesterday, campaigners called for regulators to step in and launch an investigation into what they called 'safeguarding red flags'.

A spokesman for the Charity Commission said: 'In general, allegations involving vulnerable young people are serious in nature and our guidance is clear  safeguarding should be a core priority for all charities and trustees.

'We are aware of concerns about Mermaids' service provision and are assessing the information to determine whether or not this is a matter for the Commission.'

On its website, the regulator says it identifies and assesses risk by focusing on 'the type and level of harm that may result if the risk materialises'.

It adds: 'This includes taking account of the size, profile and activities of the charity concerned.'

Children's author JK Rowling spoke out about the controversy and asserted that celebrities and organisations who had supported Mermaids should now reflect on that support.

Journalist Sonia Sodha said there were 'a lot of people in the NHS and Government who should feel deeply ashamed' of their role in promoting or partnering with Mermaids.

Rowling replied: 'Not to mention corporations and celebrities who have been cheering Mermaids on without doing the slightest bit of due diligence.'

In 2019, Prince Harry met with Mermaids CEO Susie Green to discuss highlighting their 'important' work after the Royal Foundation invited them to join its efforts to tackle mental health issues.

At the time, Green branded the support from the Duke of Sussex as 'hugely beneficial'.

The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also called Mermaids an 'important organisation'.

JK Rowling pictured with Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in 2001. All three of the Potter stars have distanced themselves from Rowling over her views on gender ideology

In June 2020, the charity published a blog post praising support from Harry Potter star Emma Watson after the actor publicly tweeted that she donated money to Mermaids.

Chest binders are used by a growing number of girls who believe they are the wrong sex to disguise their breasts and make them look like boys.

The practice was condemned as 'painful, and potentially harmful' by Dr Hilary Cass, the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics in an interim review of trans children's services for the NHS, published this February.

The binders, which often look similar to a vest or crop top, are typically made of nylon and spandex.

When worn, the extremely tight-fitting undergarment compresses the breasts to create the illusion of a flat chest.

But medical experts have highlighted their dangers.

One senior doctor warned that they can cause fractured ribs and chronic chest and back pain and may even stop girls from breast feeding in later life due to the damage to breast tissue.

A 2008 NHS England publication noted breast binders should only be used for short periods of time because they 'may cause back problems' and can distort breast tissue, which could affect any future surgery to remove the breasts.

The advice also noted binders are 'not appropriate' for 'heavy-breasted' women.

Leeds-based trans charity Mermaids was founded in 1995 and is taxpayer funded

A 2017 study led by Sarah Peitzmeier of the University of Michigan and published in the journal Culture, Health and Sexuality, observed almost 9 in 10 people experienced at least one negative effect from binding, and 8 out of 10 felt that it was important to discuss binding with a healthcare provider.

On puberty blockers, the NHS highlights: 'Little is known about the long-term side effects of hormone or puberty blockers in children with gender dysphoria.

'Although the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) advises this is a physically reversible treatment if stopped, it is not known what the psychological effects may be.

'Side effects may also include hot flushes, fatigue and mood alterations.'

Stephanie Davies-Arai, the founder and director of Transgender Trend, a campaign group, told the Telegraph: 'This is a great safeguarding concern, because breast binding is basically a form of self-harm.'

She went on to say that Mermaids was issuing 'inaccurate and impartial information' and that parents deserved to know 'all of the information, whatever decision they make in the end'.

The campaigner added that an 'investigation into Mermaids is long overdue', a sentiment echoed by Miriam Cates, Tory MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge who called the findings 'huge safeguarding red flags'.

The charity is headed up by Susie Green, a consultant who has been CEO since 2016 and took her own child to Thailand aged 16 for genital surgery as the minimum age in the UK is 18

Fellow campaigner, Maya Forstater, who won legal protection for having 'gender-critical' views back in 2019, said on Twitter that the practice by Mermaids was 'not OK' and that the 'organisation should not be in schools' and 'should be investigated by the charity commission'.

The charity issued guidelines before sending the chest binder, according to the Telegraph, which include that it should not be used for more than 8 hours a day or worn during exercise and should be removed if the wearer experienced conditions such as sickness, dizziness or overheating.

The charity declined to comment on the findings of the Telegraph's investigation.

Mermaids is embroiled in a legal battle after the group launched an appeal against the decision of the Charity Commission to grant LGB Alliance legal status last year (stock image)

Mermaids works with about 500 youngsters and 1,400 parents and educates schools about homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

The Leeds-based charity is headed up by Susie Green, a former IT consultant who has served as CEO since 2016, took her own child to Thailand aged 16 for genital surgery as the minimum age in the UK is 18.

Her daughter Jackie was born a boy - Jack - and her struggles with the transition partly inspired the ITV drama Butterfly which aired in 2018.

It comes as Mermaids is embroiled in a legal battle after the group launched an appeal against the decision of the Charity Commission to grant LGB Alliance legal status last year.

It is believed to be the first time a charity has sought to remove the charitable status of another charity.

The LGB Alliance has defended its views 'that sexual orientation is about biological sex' after its charitable status was challenged by the transgender rights group.

Meanwhile, bosses from Mermaids, including trustee Belinda Bell, have repeatedly asserted as part of proceedings that they are not 'medical experts'.

The hearing was scheduled to conclude this month but has since been adjourned until November.
A man who is thought to have fallen to his death while trying to escape a fire started by an electric bike has been identified as an Afghan refugee who came to the UK after fleeing the country after the Taliban takeover.

Abdul Jabar Oryakhel, 30, became trapped in a 16th floor flat in Twinnell House, east Bristol, on Sunday night, The Times reports.

He was staying with his cousin in the building, alongside three friends who were there overnight.

Mr Oryakhel fled the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan last year, arriving in the UK in February.

The fire saw 90 people evacuated from the building, with eight people taken to hospital to be treated for burns and smoke inhalation.

Mr Oryakhel, whose asylum claim in the UK was still being processed, became trapped in his bedroom when the fire started at around 2am, and tragically fell to his death as he tried to flee the flames.

Two of his friends, also Afghan asylum seekers, had been sleeping in the living room and managed to climb out of a window to be rescued by firefighters. The third ran through flames to escape the flat and is still being treated in hospital for burns, The Times reports.

Emergency services were called to the blaze on the top floor of Twinnell House on Wills Drive, off Stapleton Road, in Easton, shortly after 2.15am on Sunday.

Abdul Jabar Oryakhel, 30, was staying with his cousin on the 16th floor of Twinnell House, in the Easton area of Bristol, at the time of his death

Two other friends who were staying in the flat climbed out a kitchen window in an attempt to escape the blaze and had to be rescued by fire crew

Around 90 people have been evacuated from the tower block, and Bristol City Council says it is supporting affected residents

Avon and Somerset Police said the fire was 'quickly extinguished' but one man died in the incident, with a spokesperson for the force saying the man 'fell after he climbed out of a window to try and escape the fire'.

Eight people were taken to hospital - seven for treatment for smoke inhalation and one for minor burns - while three were treated by paramedics at the scene.

Mr Oryakhel is believed to have been a shepherd in eastern Afghanistan before arriving in the UK on a small boat in February, hoping to establish his asylum claim before bringing his wife and seven children to join him.

It is understood the top floor flat belonged to his cousin, Rohani Nasir, 26, a taxi driver who has lived in the UK for 13 years.

Three friends had been staying over at the flat on the night of the fire.

Two of these escaped the flames by climbing out of the kitchen window, clambering across several windows and clinging to a ventilation grille until firefighters arrived.

Mr Nasir told The Times he had bought an e-bike on Facebook Marketplace and stored it next to Mr Oryakhel's bedroom.

He said his friends were shocked by his death.

'They realised there was a fire when Abdul Jabar shouted from his bedroom, but by then they couldn't escape the door from the living room and I guess Abdul Jabar couldn't escape,' Nasir said.

'They didn't know about him falling [to his death] until I told them after they escaped. They are heartbroken and shocked.'

Superintendent Tony Blatchford, of Avon and Somerset Police, said at the time of the incident that a full investigation would be carried out.

'This is a tragic incident in which a man has lost his life,' Supt Blatchford said.

'While formal identification has not yet been carried out, we believe we know who the man is and have informed his next of kin. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

'Enquiries into what happened have already begun and we will work closely with the fire service to fully understand what started the fire and how the man sadly died.

'I'd like to thank those who have been evacuated from their homes for their co-operation and understanding and promise them all agencies are working hard to enable them to return home as quickly as possible.'

Avon Fire and Rescue Service sent 11 fire engines to the scene, along with two turntable ladders and other specialist vehicles.

South Western Ambulance Service sent seven double-crewed ambulances, one rapid response vehicle, an operations officer, doctor and the Hazardous Area Response Team to the incident.

Although the blaze was put out quickly one man died and eight other people had to be taken to hospital

Avon Fire and Rescue Service says it sent 11 fire engines to the scene shortly after 2.15am this morning

The fire broke out on the top floor of Twinnell House (pictured) in Easton, Bristol, in the early hours of this morning

Dave Hodges, duty group commander for Avon Fire and Rescue Service, said: 'On arrival crews were faced with a serious fire on the 16th floor and deployed crews wearing breathing apparatus to tackle the fire and assist residents.

'The upper floors have been damaged by smoke and fire, and water damage has affected many flats on lower floors.

'The fire has now been contained and fire crews remain in attendance making the scene safe. We are working with our partner agencies to support the local community during this difficult time.

'Our sincere condolences go to the friends and family of the deceased.'
Veteran Queensland independent MP Bob Katter has apologised for an incident involving a security attendant at Parliament House.

Mr Katter told AAP he was rushing to get into the chamber for an important vote on Tuesday when the incident occurred.

'I had my foot in the door, and this really is pedantic people trying to stop us from exercising our democratic right,' he said.

Independent MP Bob Katter (centre, standing) apologised to a Parliament security guard in a statement on Wednesday

'I was hurrying into the chamber to get in for an important vote, a vote to try and stop wealthy people from earning additional tax breaks while everyday Australians are struggling.'

At the end of question time in the lower house on Wednesday, Speaker Milton Dick invited Mr Katter to make a formal statement.

'I must apologise to the house for my actions yesterday in attempting to enter the chamber after the order of the doors to be locked,' Mr Katter told parliament.

'I also apologise to the security attendant who was closing the doors and I acknowledge he was doing his job as directed by the Speaker.'

One MP was overheard saying after that statement: 'What was that about?'

Further details of the incident are being sought.
She will visit the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea Thursday

Biden pledged to defend the Chinese-claimed island of Taiwan against attack

She spoke of China's 'disturbing behavior' in the East and South China Seas

Harris made her remarks on the deck on the USS Howard destroyer near Japan

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Vice President Kamala Harris hit out at China for its 'disturbing behavior' towards its neighbors and pledged further support for Taiwan on Wednesday.

She promised to deepen 'unofficial ties' with Taiwan, days after the US administration pledged its forces would defend the island, in comments likely to anger China's government.

Harris made her remarks on the deck on the USS Howard destroyer during a visit to the largest overseas US Navy installation in the world at Yokosuka, near the Japanese capital.

Vice President Kamala Harris talks to the media at Yokosuka Naval Base, near Tokyo

'China is undermining key elements of the international rules-based order,' said Harris, who is on a four-day trip to Asia.

'China has flexed its military and economic might to coerce and intimidate its neighbors. And we have witnessed disturbing behavior in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea, and most recently, provocations across the Taiwan Strait.'

The remarks to American sailors wearing dress whites come after President Joe Biden pledged in an interview aired on September 18 to defend the Chinese-claimed island of Taiwan against an 'unprecedented attack'.

China says Taiwan is one of its provinces. It has long vowed to bring Taiwan under its control and has not ruled out the use of force to do so.

Taiwan's government says only the island's 23 million people can decide its future, with the US pledging to defend the democratic island nation from Chinese incursion.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited to Taiwan in August, infuriating China, which then carried out its largest-ever military exercises around the island.

Harris said US forces would operate in the region 'undaunted and unafraid' even as the United States expects 'continued aggressive' actions by China.

'We will continue to oppose any unilateral change to the status quo,' she said. 'And we will continue to support Taiwan's self-defense, consistent with our long-standing policy.

Harris, right, meets with members of the US Navy while on the USS Howard naval ship, at Yokosuka Naval Base

Harris' trip to Japan, Washington's closest regional ally, was meant to reassure allies and deter any escalation

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during her visit to the USS Howard naval ship

'Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that contributes to the global good  from technology to health, and beyond, and the United States will continue to deepen our unofficial ties.'

Wang Wenbin, spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, told a regular media briefing that the United States needed to return to the one China policy and 'unequivocally make clear that it opposes all Taiwan separatist activities'.

Harris' trip to Japan, Washington's closest regional ally, was meant to reassure allies and deter any escalation.

Aides said Harris would work on a unified approach in a region where leaders have warily watched rising tension between the United States and China.

Before Harris spoke to the US service members, she stepped below deck and was given a demonstration of the warship's missile and anti-submarine capabilities.

Before Harris spoke to the US service members, she stepped below deck and was given a demonstration of the warships missile and anti-submarine capabilities

Members of the US Navy view a simulation in the CIC, while on the USS Howard

The base where Harris spoke is home to 24,000 military and civilian workers who could be called on in a regional conflict.

It's also the home of the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft carrier now in South Korea to participate in joint drills meant to deter North Korea. Harris will visit the demilitarized zone separating the Koreas on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Harris led Biden's bipartisan US delegation to the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who nudged the country away from the pacifist doctrine it adopted after being defeated in World War Two.

Biden is expected to hold his first face-to-face meeting as president with China's Xi Jinping during November's Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia.
He successfully argued good driving history, available in VIC, NSW, ACT and TAS

Drivers can apply for an 'offical warning' in place of a hefty fine and demerit loss

A motorist offering controversial advice about how to get out of speeding fines claims he's doing 'god's work'.

Melbourne DJ Adam Metwally shared a TikTok on Tuesday teaching drivers in Victoria how to convert their speeding tickets to an 'official warning'.

Mr Metwally said he copped a $231 fine and one demerit point loss for doing 68km/h in a 60km/h zone.

People who successfully receive an official warning in place of a ticket will not be fined or lose demerit points.

However, you will only be considered if you haven't received a speeding or safety ticket in the last two years and the hack is not an option for severe offences.

'You visit police.vic.gov.au/official-warnings and add in your notice,' Mr Metwally said.

He said Victorian drivers can apply for an official warning through the Request a Review website (above)

'Scroll down to official warnings and if your speed was over less than 10km/h over the speed limit you can argue exceptional circumstances, extenuating circumstances or good driving record.'

Mr Metwally said he successfully applied for an official warning on account of his good driving record, adding he's 'an angel'.

In his letter he wrote, 'Hi, I would like to request an official warning or this fine due to the following factors'.

'I've not had a speeding fine in a very long time. The speed (over) was under 10km.

'The road in question is extremely wide, basically a country road, that is very dimly lit and difficult to see signage.

Adam Metwally (above) managed to swap his $231 speeding fine and demerit point loss for an 'official warning' based on his good driving history

Conditions for an official warning for under 10km/h over the speed limit (above) include a good driving record which also applies in NSW, ACT and Tasmania

'It was quite late at night with next to no cars around me at the time.

'There would be little to no scenario where an actual police officer would pull me over for the driving I was doing at that time and it's likely the same police would drive at 70km/h due to the nature of the street.

'Thank you for reviewing this - appreciate the consideration and have a wonderful day.'

Drivers can also apply to have their tickets retracted based on good driving in NSW, ACT and Tasmania.
Anthony Koletti says he has been unable to find work since her disappearance

In an affidavit he said 'I have been described 'a f***wit', 'a toyboy', 'a handbag'

The husband of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick says he's been called a toyboy and a creep, even stupid by his father.

Anthony Koletti says since the disappearance of his wife he has been unable to find work, with all potential employers believing he was either involved in Ms Caddick's Ponzi scheme or played a role in her disappearance.

'I have been described as an 'arsehole', 'a creep', 'a f***wit', 'a toyboy', 'a handbag' and even as 'stupid' by my father,' he said in a 110-page affidavit tendered at the inquest into Ms Caddick's suspected death.

Mr Koletti has denied any involvement in her fraudulent activity, while giving evidence to the NSW Coroners Court.

Anthony Koletti (pictured with missing conwoman wife Melissa Caddick) said he has been labelled a 'toyboy' and 'creep' and is unable to find work

Mr Koletti (pictured leaving the inquest into his wife's disappearance on Wednesday) has denied any involvement in Mellissa Caddick's fraudulent activity

'I witnessed Melissa working hard on a daily basis (except weekends), sitting in front of screens with what appeared to me to be the stocks moving up and down,' he said in his affidavit.

'I witnessed graphs and tables. I saw numbers. I just thought that she was smart, good at what she did and very successful.'

Born exactly 11 years apart, the Sydney hairdresser and part-time DJ first met Ms Caddick as a client in his salon in 2005.

Just before she moved to London with her first husband, she and Mr Koletti shared a kiss at a restaurant.

'We did not have any (other) intimate contact at this time,' he wrote in his affidavit.

Ms Caddick met Mr Koletti, aged 11 years apart, as a client in his salon in 2005 (pictured, Ms Caddick, Mr Koletti and son)

'However I believe that Melissa fell in love with me. I fell in love at this moment.'

Then began a digital long-distance romance between the two, with frequent texts and phone calls for more than five years.

In 2011, Mr Koletti went on trips to New York and Cyprus with Ms Caddick, who separated from her husband in the same year.

He has put down to 'trauma' and 'confusion' inconsistencies in his statements before and during the inquest.

'I hardly leave my home unless I have to, I have lost a large number of my friends,' he wrote in his affidavit.

'I do not know what the future holds for me.'
An abducted 15-year-old girl and her father, who was wanted over the death of the teenagers mother, have both died following a shootout with police in Californias high desert.

It is not immediately clear if Savannah Graziano was shot by the responding deputies or her father.

Anthony John Graziano, 45, had allegedly killed his estranged wife the day before and abducted their daughter.

Investigators had issued an Amber Alert after Graziano fled. He was described as armed and dangerous.

An emergency caller reported seeing the suspects Nissan Frontier around Barstow, according to the sheriffs department.

Deputies located the pickup truck and chased it on the highway for around 45 miles.

Throughout the chase, Graziano  and possibly also his daughter  was 'constantly shooting back at the deputies' through the trucks rear window, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said.

Savannah was killed after getting out of the truck during the fire-fight and running towards the deputies while wearing tactical gear, police said.

Savannah Graziano, 15, has been killed in a shootout along with her father following a shootout with police in Californias high desert

Savannah Graziano was reportedly abducted by her father and an amber alert was issued. Police said the girl was shot when she exited a trucks passenger side wearing tactical gear

Graziano had allegedly killed his estranged wife the day before and abducted their daughter

While giving chase, the gunman put several rounds through a patrol cars windshield and later disabled a second pursuing vehicle.

The pickup truck became disabled on the shoulder of a highway in the city of Hesperia, and the firefight ensued.

Sheriff Dicus said the girl was wearing tactical gear as she exited a trucks passenger side and ran towards the sheriffs deputies.

She fell to the ground amid the gunfire.

The deputies did not initially realise it was the girl who was running toward them, Sheriff Dicus said, because she was wearing a helmet and a military-style vest that can hold armoured plates.

She was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Her father was found in the drivers seat and pronounced dead at the scene. A rifle was found inside the car.

One deputy was injured by shrapnel during the firefight, Sheriff Dicus said.

Graziano allegedly killed Tracy Martinez, 45, on Monday morning in a domestic violence event in the city of Fontana, near San Bernardino, according to Fontana police.

Family members told investigators that the couple had been going through a divorce. Ms Martinez was rushed to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Fontana is about 35 miles south of Hesperia, on the other side of the San Gabriel Mountains.

This undated photo provided by the City of Fontana Police Department shows, 45-year-old Anthony John Graziano, believed to have been the suspect

Officers responding around 7:30am Tuesday to reports of gunfire found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds at a home in Fontana, police said in a statement

The two were spotted before the shootout at Sierra Avenue and Valley Boulevard in Fontana yesterday, after an Amber Alert was issued for the teen.

Officers responded at around 7:30am Tuesday to reports of gunfire, and found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds at a home in Fontana, police said in a statement.

The woman, believed to be the wife of the suspect, was rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Another victim was reportedly almost hit during the shooting. MailOnline could not immediately verify their identity.
Keir Starmer insisted 'change is in the air' today as he claimed the Sterling crisis will help him win over voters.

In a round of interviews in Liverpool the morning after his conference speech, the Labour leader said market chaos in the wake of Kwasi Kwarteng's Budget was 'self-inflicted'.

He argued that the 'absolute mess' would make people more likely to turn to his party for 'answers'.

A bullish Sir Keir also said he hopes to emulate Tony Blair's historic election victories, after a poll suggested Labour is 17 points ahead of the Tories.

Frontbenchers at conference have been privately boasting that they expect to 'win big' when the country returns to the ballot boxes, probably in 2024.

In a round of interviews in Liverpool today, Keir Starmer said market chaos in the wake of Kwasi Kwarteng's Budget was 'self-inflicted'

A bullish Sir Keir also said he hopes to emulate Tony Blair's historic election victories (pictured in 1997)

Starmer doesn't bungee jump as he says birth of children is his most exciting moment Keir Starmer has hit back at claims he is boring by saying the most exciting thing he has done in his life is witness the birth of his two children. The Labour leader told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Let me tell you the most exciting thing: the birth of my children  it was absolutely incredible to see the two most wonderful beings come into the world. 'It not only excited me when they were born, it has excited me every single day since. And if people think that's boring, I don't care. To me that is crucially important, I love it. 'I don't shy away from the fact, when we're facing a period of great uncertainty, we've got conflict in Ukraine, we've got a cost-of-living crisis, we've got a Government that has lost control of the economy, do we need a serious person steering the country calmly and competently to a better future? I think the answer to that is yes. 'If I came on here and said I've done a bungee jump you wouldn't say, 'Well, great, now we've got the prime minister we need'.' Advertisement

Sir Keir told LBC Radio: 'This is a confident Labour Party that's done a lot of hard work in the last two years to change our party, remake our party, and people are now looking to the Labour Party for the answers to the very difficult questions that are out there.

'So this is a Labour Party that can confidently look the electorate in the eye and the electorate are looking back at the Labour Party.'

He said activists in Liverpool - where conference will wrap up today - 'can feel something in the air'.

'And what they're feeling in the air, I think, is change - because obviously, the Government we've got has made an absolute mess of the economy and here you've got a Labour Party calmly, carefully and with confidence, setting out alternative plans for our economy and for our public services.'

Asked about the IMF's intervention condemning Kwasi Kwarteng's Budget package - which provoked fury from Tory MPs - Sir Keir said the government should think again.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the problems were 'self-inflicted'.

'It's the worst of all situations for our country to find itself in,' he said.

'Rather than coming on and disparaging the IMF, the Government needs to come on and urgently review the plans that it set out last Friday.'

In a sign of his growing confidence, Sir Keir distanced himself further from the Corbyn era.

Pressed on whether the party was now close to Tony Blair than Mr Corby, Sir Keir said: 'I certainly hope so because Tony Blair won three elections and I want us to win the next election.'

He added: 'We are firmly on the centre ground, common sense politics, practical answers to the challenges the country faces.'

Mr Kwarteng is meeting investment banks later after his tax-cutting Budget spooked traders - driving up government borrowing costs to eye-watering levels and hammering Sterling.

A poll published yesterday suggested Labour is 17 points ahead of the Tories

The currency had clawed back ground after reaching an all-time low of just $1.03 on Monday, but fell again this morning after the IMF criticised the 'large and untargeted' fiscal package.

There was fury at the international body urging Mr Kwarteng to perform a U-turn on his tax cuts in his next mini-Budget on November 23.

Mr Kwarteng tried to soothe nerves on the Conservative benches in a call with dozens of MPs last night, stressing the need for 'cool heads' and saying the government 'can see this through'.
Two girls, aged 13 and 14, planned stabbing of teacher at school in Perth

A teenager currently serving time in the infamous Banksia Hill facility has seen her sentence cut short despite attempting to kill her teacher in a plot with a friend.

The two female students, aged 13 and 14, stabbed their 55-year-old teacher Colleen Hayes in the armpit in her office at Willetton Senior High School in Perth in November last year.

They plotted to kill her prior to the horror stabbing, including discussing where best to stab here to sever an artery through social media.

One of the girls, now aged 15, was facing a lengthy sentence but instead was handed three years and one month at the Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre - but could walk free as early as 15 months.

The decision for the shorter sentence was made by Children's Court President Hylton Quail, who learned during a recent visit to Banksia Hill children were being forced into lengthy lockdowns due to ongoing staff shortages.

A teenager currently serving time in the infamous Banksia Hill facility (pictured) has seen her sentence cut short despite attempting to kill her teacher in a plot with a friend

The two female students, aged 13 and 14, stabbed their 55-year-old teacher Colleen Hayes in the armpit in her office at Willetton Senior High School in Perth in November last year

A recent Supreme Court ruling found one teenager at the detention centre had been unlawfully locked down for 20 hours on 26 occasions.

That same teen had also been confined to their cell for 24 hours on three separate occasions in one week.

The 15-year-old girl had spent six days in 'unlawful lockdown' over the past two weeks - which influenced Judge Quail's decision to lessen her sentence.

She also didn't have access to proper education or recreational activities while inside Banksia Hill.

A recent Supreme Court ruling found one teenager at the detention centre had been unlawfully locked down for 20 hours on 26 occasions

The court heard the girl, who was 14 at the time of the stabbing, spent weeks planning the attack with her then-13-year-old friend over Discord. The pair even joked about burning down the school - according to The West.

The co-accused, who received a reduced sentence of 11 months for her role in the incident, first suggested the stabbing while the older girl planned the area for the knife wound - reading the armpit was an effective location to kill.

The older girl told her co-accused she believed she would spend four to eight years behind bars for the crime, the court heard.

The court heard the girl, who was 14 at the time of the stabbing, spent weeks planning the attack with her then-13-year-old friend

The stabbing was supposed to occur on November 1 so the girl could celebrate Halloween first.

On the day of the attack, the girls rode bikes to school where the older girl revealed to her younger friend she had a knife.

The younger girl agreed to hide the blade in her bag, as the older girl had her belongings searched as a result of previous self harm and mental health issues.

The court heard three students overheard their conversation and attempted to convince the girl not to act, but they were dismissed.

The co-conspirators lured their teacher, saying: 'Miss, I have something for you'.

When the teacher asked whether their surprise was good or bad, the teenager replied: 'A good surprise'.

The young girls had been planning the attack over Discord - and delayed the stabbing to celebrate Halloween

By this time, the three students who overheard their conversation had alerted the receptionist - who then told the teacher to come outside.

As the teacher stood up, the teenager attacked her with the knife, stabbing her armpit.

The teacher had a 1cm shallow wound - but Judge Quail said there were deep emotional scars as a result of the attack.

The judge took into account the 15-year-old's guilty plea and that she was not emotionally stable at the time.

He highlighted a psychiatric report that said she was at risk of developing borderline personality disorder.

Judge Quail also said she had made 'remarkable' progress in her rehab, referring to a letter she wrote to the teacher she attacked where she described feeling like 'a monster' for her actions.
Warning did not give a time or place for attack, and it is not clear if Russian was named as likely culprit

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Dramatic new footage shows a huge mass of churning gas bubbles erupting on the surface of the Baltic Sea after underwater explosions rocked the Nord Stream pipes on Monday.

Ukraine says the two key gas links that serve Europe were 'sabotaged' by Russia to cause further energy chaos on the continent and cause an 'environmental catastrophe', which the Kremlin has denied.

Video shared by the Swedish Coast Guard shows a jet of water spewing above the waves northeast of the Danish island of Bornholm after one of the pipe ruptures.

The EU strongly believes the pipes were deliberately attacked and warned of a 'robust and united response' to whoever was responsible.

Russia has not ruled out sabotage while denying their involvement, and demanded answers from Joe Biden if the US were behind the strikes. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Moscow has called on all its dual-national citizens in Russia to flee the country out of fears they will end up being conscripted to fight in Ukraine as part of Putin's mobilisation, as tension between the Kremlin and the West continues to mount.

It was also revealed last night that the CIA warned weeks ago the pipes could be attacked after agents sent a 'strategic warning' to European allies including Germany, sources told Der Spiegel last night, though they refused to say whether Russia was identified as a culprit. The warning was not specific and did not pinpoint a time or location for an attack, the New York Times added.

However, heavy suspicion for the attack has fallen on the Kremlin - with European officials briefing the Washington Post last night that 'no-one is thinking this is anything other than Russian sabotage'. But allies currently lack enough hard evidence to publicly blame Moscow, they added.

The Kremlin has denied any involvement, calling allegations against Russia 'stupid'.

But Moscow certainly has the capacity to carry out such an attack. It possesses the largest spy submarine fleet in the world including the Belgorod - a nuclear-powered sub which is designed to attack undersea infrastructure - and has ploughed money into underwater drones that could have been used. The location of the blasts, in waters around 260ft deep, is also shallow enough for divers to reach.

As for motive, the explosions came on the same day that Poland, Norway and Denmark opened a new pipe running under the Baltic. As one official said last night, it could be designed as a warning to Europe that its infrastructure is vulnerable.

Gas prices - which had been falling back to normal levels from historic highs earlier in the year - also spiked 19 per cent late Tuesday as news of the attack spread, suggesting a second motive: To spook markets and drive up costs for Europe just when leaders were getting on top of the energy crisis.

Finally, it comes against a backdrop of Putin digging in his heels in Ukraine while ramping up his threats to the West. Sham referenda conducted at gunpoint in occupied Ukraine returned entirely predictable 90 per cent majorities in favour of joining Russia yesterday - with Putin now expected to annex them by the end of the week.

As Dr Stepan Stepanenko, research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told MailOnline: 'At first glance, this act equates to cutting one's nose off to spite the face [but] to understand why Russia would do this, we have to look at it in the context of the sham referenda taking place in Ukraine.

'Putin is fast running out of options, he needs to end the conflict with a tangible territorial gain before Russians twig what the rest of the world already knows: He lost the war.

A massive area of gas bubbles stretching more than 3,000ft across is seen in the Baltic Sea off Sweden yesterday

Video shared by the Swedish Coast Guard shows a frothing jet of water spewing above the waves northeast of the Danish island of Bornholm after one of the ruptures

A satellite image released by Planet Labs PBC showing the gas leak at the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline off the Danish Baltic island of Bornholm, south of Dueodde, in the Baltic sea

Poland's Prime Minister said he believed the pipelines had been sabotaged at an opening of a new pipeline between Norway and his nation today (Baltic Sea is pictured as gas escapes from undersea pipes)

A large disturbance in the sea can be observed off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 following a series of unusual leaks on two natural gas pipelines running from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany

Shocking footage released earlier today by the Danish military from a flyover of the affected region showed huge swathes of the Baltic Sea near the Danish controlled Bornholm island churning as the gas bubbled to the surface

A reading from a German Centre for Georesearch seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm shows two spikes, at 0003 and 1700 GMT, followed by a lower-level 'hissing' on the day when the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic gas pipelines sprang leaks one after the other

Gas 'sabotage' could show Putin is readying for 'global war', expert says Putin's motivation for allegedly targeting his own pipelines could be to cause an all-out global war, an academic has claimed. Dr Stepan Stepanenko, research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told MailOnline it shows the Kremlin wants to stop offering energy to its potential enemies. He said: 'Although the Kremlin has not taken responsibility for Nord Stream, the global finger of blame is pointing firmly in one direction. 'At first glance, this act equates to cutting one's nose off to spite the face, as Putin severs gas supply in the onset of a cold winter, he also cuts the revenue stream from it, harming his war effort. 'However, to understand why Russia would do this, we have to look at it in the context of the sham referenda taking place in Ukraine. 'Putin is fast running out of options, he needs to end the conflict with a tangible territorial gain before Russians twig what the rest of the world already knows, he lost the war. 'By conducting these sham referenda and moving the boarder to make these regions Russian territory, he is backing the West into an ultimatum; liberate these regions and you are directly attacking Russia. 'In this context, if Nord Stream was indeed targeted by Moscow then we cant avoid seeing it as Putins preparing for a global war, in which supplying gas to Europe would be directly aiding his enemy.' Advertisement

'By conducting these sham referenda and moving the border to make these regions Russian territory, he is backing the West into an ultimatum; liberate these regions and you are directly attacking Russia.

'In this context, if Nord Stream was indeed targeted by Moscow then we can't avoid seeing it as Putin preparing for a global war, in which supplying gas to Europe would be directly aiding his enemy.'

Norway - now Europe's most-important gas supplier - has reported unidentified drones buzzing its drilling platforms in recent days, and on Tuesday ramped up security amid warnings they could be targeted. Denmark, whose territorial waters skirt the area where the blasts took place, has also moved to secure its own platforms.

The company which operates the pipes has been unable to say exactly how long it will take to fix them, meaning that - for the time being at least - the main gas pipe running from Russia to Europe goes via Ukraine, and Russia is currently threatening to shut it down in a row over transit fees owed to Kyiv. The only other pipe goes via Turkey.

Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU Commission, this morning vowed the 'strongest possible response' to what she called 'sabotage' of the pipelines - but stopped short of directly blaming Russia.

Charles Michel, the EU Council President, added: 'Nord Stream sabotage acts appear to be an attempt to further destabilise energy supply to [the] EU.'

Gas is now leaking into the Baltic from three holes, scientists have confirmed, with safety concerns leading to a five-mile exclusion zone being imposed around the affected area.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said her government believes the leaks were caused by 'deliberate actions', adding that the gas supply pipeline will be out of action for around a week.

She said on Tuesday evening: 'It is now the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident. There is no information yet to indicate who may be behind this action.'

Her Energy Minister Dan Jorgensen also said the size of the holes in the pipelines indicate that the leaks could not have been caused by an accident such as getting hit by an anchor. The damaged pipelines are at a depth of 70-90 meters below sea level, he added.

The remarks were backed by Sweden's PM Magdalena Andersson, who has said informations suggests the blasts were likely sabotage.

She said her government was in close contact with partners such as Nato and neighbours such as Denmark and Germany concerning the developments.

Ms Andersson continued: 'We have Swedish intelligence, but we have also received information in our contacts with Denmark, and based on this concluded that this is probably a deliberate act. It is probably a matter of sabotage.

'It is not a matter of an attack on Swedish or Danish territory. But that said, the government is taking what happened very seriously, not the least in light of the current security situation on our close proximity.'

Investigations are ongoing into major leaks in Russian pipelines that are now spewing gas into the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark, including assessing evidence of possible sabotage.

'Unprecedented' climate catastrophe fears over Nord Stream gas leaks Huge leaks in the two largest gas pipelines linking Russia to Europe could cause an unprecedented environmental catastrophe, experts have warned. Three large fissures have opened in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipes which European leaders say were the result of sabotage, with heavy suspicion falling on Moscow. Huge amounts of gas is now bubbling to the surface of the ocean, releasing large amounts of methane - a potent greenhouse gas - into the atmosphere. Atmospheric chemist David McCabe, who is senior scientist at the non-profit Clean Air Task Force, said: 'If these pipelines fail, the impact to the climate will be disastrous and could even be unprecedented.' McCabe and other emissions experts told Reuters that it was not yet possible to assess the size of the leak, given uncertainties around factors such as the temperature of the gas in the pipeline, how fast it's leaking, and how much gas would be absorbed by microbes in the water before reaching the surface. But since both pipes contained mostly methane, 'the potential for a massive and highly damaging emission event is very worrisome', McCabe said. A 'conservative estimate' based on available data suggests the leaks together were releasing more than 500 metric tons of methane per hour when first breached, with the pressure and flow rate decreasing over time, said Jean-Francois Gauthier, vice president of measurements at the commercial methane-measuring satellite firm GHGSat. By comparison, the huge Aliso Canyon gas leak in the United States in 2016 spewed around 50 tons of methane per hour at its peak. 'So this would be an order of magnitude more,' Gauthier said. A spokesman for Nord Stream 2 - one of the leaking pipelines - said this week the system held 300 million cubic metres of gas. Releasing that amount in entirety to the atmosphere would result in around 200,000 tonnes of methane emissions, said chemical engineer Paul Balcombe at London's Queen Mary University. That amount of methane would have about the same global warming potential over a 100-year timeframe as about 6 million tons of carbon dioxide, according to Reuters calculations based on IPCC conversion factors. That's roughly on par with the amount of CO2 emitted in an entire year by mid-sized cities such as Havana, or Helsinki or Dayton, Ohio. The amount of gas leaking from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline system is less clear, with a pipeline spokesman declining to say how much was left in the system when it was taken offline for maintenance a few weeks ago. Stefano Grassi, head of the European Union energy commissioner's cabinet, said Tuesday that the leaks risked becoming 'a climate and ecological disaster'. 'We are in contact with [EU member states] to look into what happened and find the fastest way to stop leaks and avoid worse damage,' Grassi said in a tweet. EU countries were among more than 100 countries, including the United States, Brazil, Pakistan and Mexico that pledged last year to slash their combined methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, in a bid to help stave off disastrous levels of climate change. While oil spills can immediately affect and ultimately kill wildlife, authorities say the gas pipeline gas leaks pose a limited threat to the surrounding plant and animal life. The German environment ministry said the leaks would not pose a significant threat to marine life, but Greenpeace raised concerns on Tuesday that fish may get caught in plumes of gas, which could interfere with their breathing. Denmark's Energy Agency told Reuters said it was too early to say who would investigate the Nord Stream 2 leak and no-one has been to look at the pipeline yet. It added the leaks will likely continue for several days and perhaps even a week. Advertisement

It comes after Kyiv's presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak said on Twitter: 'The large-scale gas leak is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression towards the EU.'

Podolyak accused Russia of seeking to 'destabilise the economic situation in Europe and cause pre-winter panic'.

Latvian Defence Minister Artis Pabriks also today called on Nato and the EU's member states to jointly investigate the Nord Stream blasts.

While it may not be in Russia's long-term economic interests to destroy one of its key potential money earners, the destructive act could create economic panic in Europe in the short term.

The leaks, which emerged on Monday and are expected to last several days, raised concerns over environmental damage. They caused a spike in the price of natural resources  a possible Russian motivation for sabotage.

Initially they were assumed to have been accidental, but opinions rapidly changed yesterday with several governments stating that three separate leaks happening almost simultaneously was beyond coincidence.

In Moscow, the Kremlin said it did not rule out sabotage as a reason for the damage to the Russian-built network, which has not been supplying any gas to Germany in recent months.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'This is very concerning news. No option can be ruled out right now.' But European neighbours said that the sabotage was carried out by Russia itself  even though it would be hugely damaging in economic terms,

It comes after shocking footage released earlier today by the Danish military from a flyover of the affected region showed huge swathes of the sea near the Danish island of Bornholm churning as the gas bubbled to the surface.

A military statement claimed that the largest leak 'is spreading bubbles a good kilometre (3,280ft) in diameter. The smallest is creating a circle about 200 metres (656 feet) in diameter', while the head of Denmark's Energy Agency said it could take up to a week for gas to stop draining into the sea.

'The sea surface is full of methane, which means there is an increased risk of explosions in the area,' Kristoffer Bottzauw said, adding that ships could lose buoyancy if the entered the affected region.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it would be 'in no-one's interest' if attacks or acts of sabotage caused the leaks detected in the Nord Stream gas pipelines amid an energy standoff between Europe and Russia over gas supplies.

Speaking alongside India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, he added: 'There are initial reports indicating that this may be the result of an attack or some kind of sabotage, but these are initial reports and we haven't confirmed that yet. But if it is confirmed, that's clearly in no one's interest.'

The White House said the US was ready to provide support to European partners conducting an investigation.

Blinken added that his understanding was leaks would not have a significant impact on Europe's energy resilience, and reiterated that Washington was working to address energy security for Europe in the short- and long-term.

European gas prices rose on the news of the leaks, with the benchmark October Dutch price up almost 10 per cent on Tuesday. Prices are still below this year's stratospheric peaks, but remain more than 200 per cent higher than in early September 2021.

The unsettling incident comes as Sweden's National Seismology Centre (SNSN) announced that their equipment registered powerful undersea blasts in the region yesterday. It said one explosion was equivalent to a magnitude-2.3 earthquake.

The Nord Stream pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between Europe and Moscow amid Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine that has pummelled major Western economies and sent gas prices soaring.

The cause of the leaks has not yet been confirmed, however, and the European Commission said it was too early to speculate on the potential causes.

Meanwhile, Norway said it will strengthen security at its oil and gas installations in the wake of the gas leaks amid reports of drones buzzing its rigs. Newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad reported last week that unidentified drones had been observed at least at six Equinor installations, including at its giant oilfield Johan Sverdrup.

Last Tuesday, a drone was observed some 50 meters away from Equinor's Heidrun platform in the North Sea, breaching the 500-metre security perimeter, the newspaper reported.

A handout photo taken from a Danish F-16 jet on 27 September 2022 and made available by the Danish Defence Command shows a gas leak of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline off Bornholm, Denmark, Baltic Sea

A huge churn can be seen at the centre of this large expanse of methane bubbling to the surface of the Baltic Sea

A Danish military statement claimed that the largest leak 'is spreading bubbles a good kilometre (3,280ft) in diameter. The smallest is creating a circle about 200 metres (656 feet) in diameter'

Kazakhstan risks Putin's wrath: Ex-Soviet ally vows to 'care' for Russians fleeing 'hopeless situation' Kazakhstan has risked the wrath of Putin by offering to 'care for' Russian men fleeing conscription due to the 'hopeless situation' back home. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, president of the ex-Soviet state, also offered muted criticism of Putin's war - saying that the 'territorial integrity of states must be preserved' as the despot moves to carve up Ukraine using sham referenda. He spoke as the country's interior ministry revealed almost 100,000 Russians have crossed the border in six days since Putin ordered fighting-age men to be drafted. Tokayev's speech marks the latest act of defiance from a country that has been a close ally of Moscow in the past, and is the latest rumbling of discontent from Russia's satellite states in Asia as Putin's power wanes. Advertisement

'There is no doubt that these were explosions,' SNSN seismologist Bjorn Lund told broadcaster SVT, suggesting the pipelines were likely sabotaged.

'With energy releases this big there isn't much else than a blast that could cause it,' another seismologist added. 'You can see that they are quite sudden. It is a very sudden energy release. It's not a slow collapse of something.'

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said: 'We faced an act of sabotage, we don't know all the details of what happened, but we see clearly that it's an act of sabotage, related to the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine.'

Anders Puck Nielsen, a researcher with the Centre for Maritime Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, said the timing of the leaks was 'conspicuous' given that a new pipeline carrying gas from Norway to Poland was opened today.

'The arrow points in the direction of Russia,' he said. 'No one in the West is interested in having any kind of instability in the energy market.'

The extent of the damage means the Nord Stream pipelines are unlikely to carry any gas to Europe this winter even if there was political will to bring them online, analysts at the Eurasia Group said.

'Depending on the scale of the damage, the leaks could even mean a permanent closure of both lines,' Henning Gloystein and Jason Bush wrote.

They noted that undersea pipelines are designed so they can not be damaged accidentally and leaks are rare.

Mr Puck Nielsen said of possible sabotage that 'technically speaking, this is not difficult. It just requires a boat. It requires some divers that know how to handle explosive devices'.

'But I think if we look at who would actually benefit from disturbances, more chaos on the gas market in Europe, I think there's basically only one actor right now that actually benefits from more uncertainty, and that is Russia,' he added.

Two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline were reported by Sweden's Maritime Authority last night, shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered that prompted Denmark to restrict shipping in the area.

Of the two pipelines hit by leaks, Nord Stream 2 has never operated, while Nord Stream 1 carried gas to Germany until late August when Russian energy giant Gazprom cut off the supply, claiming there was a need for urgent maintenance work.

Gazprom's explanation of technical problems have been rejected by German officials as a cover for a political power play to raise prices and spread uncertainty.

The fresh incidents will hinder any effort to start or restart either pipeline for commercial operations, and triggered an investigation with Swedish and Danish energy agencies.

The head of Denmark's energy agency warned such leaks 'happen extremely rarely', lending further credence to speculations of sabotage given that three separate leaks sprung up across two different pipelines.

Denmark's energy minister Dan Jorgensen said this morning: 'Yesterday, a leak was detected on one of the two gas pipelines between Russia and Denmark - Nord Stream 2. The pipeline is not in operation, but contains natural gas, which is now leaking.

'Authorities have now been informed that there have been 2 more leaks on Nord Stream 1, which is also not in operation but contains gas,' he added.

The leaks were located northeast of the Danish island Bornholm, a Swedish Maritime authority spokesperson said.

Gazprom, who owns the majority stake in Nord Stream AG which owns and operates the pipelines, declined to comment.

Nord Stream AG however released a statement warning that the pipelines had suffered 'unprecedented damage' in one day.

'The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented,' it said.

One European governmental source, when asked if there was specific intelligence indicating sabotage, said: 'Not specific yet, but it seems this pressure failure can only happen when a pipe is completely cut. Which pretty much says it all.'

Nord Stream 1 has not been supplying gas to Europe since late August after Moscow announced the pipeline would be closed for three days for maintenance.

The pipeline was never opened again after the G7 group of advanced economic nations in early September agreed an price cap on Russian oil and moved to bar insurance for tankers or shipping companies helping Moscow to sell supplies above the cap.

The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline was completed earlier this year but had not entered commercial operations.

The plan to supply gas via the pipeline was scrapped by Germany days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February.

European politicians say Moscow's decision to close the pipeline was simply a pretext to slash supply and hasten a European energy crisis.

The head of Denmark's energy agency warned such leaks 'happen extremely rarely', lending further credence to speculations of sabotage given that three separate leaks sprung up across two different pipelines

Putin has kept the Nord Stream 1 pipeline closed since August after the G7 group of advanced economic nations in early September agreed an price cap on Russian oil and moved to bar insurance for tankers or shipping companies helping Moscow to sell supplies above the cap

A painting showing the Nord Stream pipelines is displayed on a container near the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, July 20, 2022

Morning light falls on the landfall facility of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline and the transfer station of the OPAL gas pipeline, the Baltic Sea Pipeline Link, in Lubmin, Germany, July 21, 2022

Danish authorities have asked that the country's level of preparedness for the power and gas sector be raised after the leaks.

The raised level would mean that companies in the power and gas sector have to implement measures to increase safety at for example plants, buildings and installations.

Ships can lose buoyancy if they enter the area affected by the leaks, and there may be a risk of an ignition over the water and in the air, the Danish energy agency warned.

It said the gas leak would only affect the environment locally, which means that only the area where the gas plume in the water column is located would be affected.

A spokesperson from Energinet, Denmark's national electricity and natural gas operator, confirmed that precautionary measures would include increased surveillance of pipelines and and security measures, but declined to give specifics.

(From L to R) Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Polish President Andrzej Duda shake hands after turning a valve to symbolically open the new Baltic Pipe natural gas pipeline on September 27, 2022

A view of the installation of the gas compressor station 'Goleniow', before the ceremonial opening of the 'Baltic Pipe' gas pipeline on the premises of the gas compressor station in the vicinity of Budno near Goleniow, Poland, 27 September 2022

Meanwhile, a new subsea pipeline delivering Norwegian gas to Poland and neighbouring countries with an annual capacity of 10 billion cubic metres per day was inaugurated today.

The Baltic Pipe is seen as a key element in the diversification away from Russian energy sources for Poland and other European and Nordic nations, and was completed ahead of schedule in light of the impending energy crisis.

The European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said: 'The Baltic Pipe is a key project for the security of supply of the region and the result of an EU policy drive to diversify sources of gas. The pipeline will play a valuable role in mitigating the current energy crisis.'

At a ceremony in western Poland, Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland said the project was 'a milestone on the important path towards European independence from Russian energy.'

And Polish President Andrzej Duda called the new pipeline 'a Polish dream', which Prime Minister Morawiecki said showed that 'the era of Russian gas dominance is ending'.

MailOnline has contacted representatives of the Baltic Pipe project for comment.

Putin squirms in his seat as Belarus dictator Lukashenko rants about men 'running away' from mobilisation in Russia as huge traffic jams on Georgia border are captured in images from SPACE

By WILL STEWART and DAVID AVERRE for MAILONLINE

This is the moment an uncomfortable-looking Vladimir Putin squirmed in his seat as he was forced to endure a bizarre lecture on people fleeing his rule from fellow autocrat Alexander Lukashenko.

The Belarusian president - who needed Putin's help to crush a pro-Western democratic movement in his country in 2020 - assured the Kremlin leader he would win his war in Ukraine, despite the growing unrest over his decision to mobilise 300,000 new troops.

The Kremlin chief looked hunched and uncomfortable, saying little during the meeting in Sochi as Russians continue to protest his mobilisation edict or flee abroad to avoid being drafted.

'Our course is right, our cause is right,' Lukashenko told Putin, bringing a rare smile to the Russian warmonger's lips.

'We will win. We have no other choice. We, as Slavs, would not tolerate humiliation,' Lukashenko told him.

The Belarusian leaders bombastic speech belied the situation on the ground though.

The call for mobilisation has proved wildly unpopular, with hundreds of thousands of Russian men having already fled the country to avoid the call up.

Outbound flights from Russia are completely sold out, and traffic jams leading to Russia's borders are so big they can be seen from space.

Anti-war protests have erupted across the country, and Russian media reported an increasing number of arson attacks on military enlistment offices. Yesterday, an enlistment officer was shot at almost point blank range by a man who refused to be drafted.

Alexander Lukashenko (R) shakes hands with Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Sochi, Russia

Belarusian president Lukashenko (L) - who needed Putin's help to crush a pro-Western democratic movement in his country in 2020 - assured the Kremlin leader he would win his war in Ukraine

A satellite image shows trucks and cars waiting in a traffic jam near Russia's border with Georgia as Russians desperately try to flee the country, September 25, 2022

The call for mobilisation has proved wildly unpopular, with hundreds of thousands of Russian men having already fled the country to avoid the call up. Pictured: A satellite image of traffic jams near Russia's border with Georgia

A satellite image shows traffic at the Khyagt border post on Russia's border with Mongolia, September 23, 2022

Queues of traffic have been growing on Russia's borders with neighbouring countries. This satellite image shows traffic at the Khyagt border post on Russia's border with Mongolia on September 23

A group of Russian men walk with their bicycles after crossing the border at Verkhny Lars between Georgia and Russia in Georgia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. Long lines of vehicles have formed at a border crossing between Russia's North Ossetia region and Georgia after Moscow announced a partial military mobilisation

A group of Russians walk after crossing the border at Verkhny Lars between Georgia and Russia in Georgia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022

Lukashenko continued monologuing in Sochi yesterday, spouting rhetorical questions as Putin sat silently, squirming uncomfortably beside him.

'Let's say 30,000 or 50,000 [people] run away. If they were to stay, would they be our people?' the Belarusian president said.

'Let them run away. I don't know what you think about it, but I wasn't worried too much in 2020 when people left [Belarus after protests over his vote-rigging].

'They [later] ask to let them in. So these ones will also come back.

'But there's a decision needed: what to do with them? Let them come back or stay there?'

While Lukashenko and Putin shared a chat in Sochi yesterday, a young conscript shot a Russian military officer at close range at an enlistment office in an unusually bold attack reflecting resistance to mobilisation efforts.

The shooting came after scattered arson attacks on enlistment offices and protests in Russian cities against the military call up that have resulted in at least 2,000 arrests.

In the attack in the Siberian city of Ust-Ilimsk, 25-year-old resident Ruslan Zinin walked into the enlistment office saying 'no one will go to fight' and 'we will all go home now,' according to local media.

A witness quoted by a local news site said Zinin was in a roomful of people called up to fight and troops from his region were heading to military bases on Tuesday.

Footage of the incident showed how Zinin strode into the office and blasted the official before being arrested and forced to testify to the crime on camera, which he did willingly.

Authorities said the military commandant was in intensive care.

Protests also flared up in Dagestan, one of Russia's poorer regions in the North Caucasus.

This is the moment gunman Ruslan Zinin, 25 walked into a Russian enlistment office in Ust-Ilimsk and shot military commissar Alexander Eliseev

A man casts his ballot into a mobile ballot box as members of an electoral commission visit patients of a hospital during a referendum on the joining of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) to Russia, in Donetsk, Ukraine September 27, 2022

A group of Russians walk after crossing the border at Verkhny Lars between Georgia and Russia in Georgia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022

Protests have also erupted across Russia in fury at Putin's decision to begin conscription, with some 2,000 people arrested so far

Local media reported that 'several hundred' demonstrators took to the streets Tuesday in its capital, Makhachkala.

Videos circulated online showing dozens of protesters tussling with the police sent to disperse them.

Demonstrations also continued in another of Russia's North Caucasus republics, Kabardino-Balkaria, where videos on social media showed a local official attempting to address a crowd of women who banded together to chant 'No to war!'

Concerns are growing that Russia may seek to escalate the conflict - including potentially using nuclear weapons - once it completes what Ukraine and the West see as illegal referendums in occupied parts of Ukraine.

The voting, in which residents are asked whether they want their regions to become part of Russia, began last week and ends Tuesday, under conditions that are anything but free or fair.

Tens of thousands of residents had already fled the regions amid months of fighting, and images shared by those who remained showed armed Russian troops going door-to-door to pressure Ukrainians into voting.

'Every night and day there is inevitable shelling in the Donbas, under the roar of which people are forced to vote for Russian ''peace'',' Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kirilenko said Monday.

Russia is widely expected to declare the results in its favour, a step that could see Moscow annex the four regions and then defend them as its own territory.
A young Ukrainian refugee is fighting for her life after she was stabbed 75 times in County Clare yesterday morning.

The eight-year-old victim, who had recently just started primary school, was knifed in the neck and body.

She remains in critical condition alongside her mother, aged in her mid 40s, who was also found unconscious at the scene at a domestic residence in the village of Clarecastle near Ennis in Ireland.

Gardai launched a major investigation to establish the circumstances of the apparent attack, and specialist investigators were deployed due to the child victim's young age.

The pair were staying at a centre for refugees who have fled their native land amid the ongoing war with Russia, according to Independent.ie.

Other refugees staying at the centre were moved into emergency accommodation in the centre of Ennis as gardai sealed off the scene of the crime.

The victims were found at the residence in Clarecastle but were rushed to University Hospital Limerick where they were placed in intensive care.

A forensic garda at the scene where a young girl was found with stab wounds yesterday morning in Co Clare

Gardai are pictured sealing off the property in Clarecastle yesterday ahead of a technical examination of the scene

Emergency services were called to the scene around 8am yesterday morning and found the young girl and her mother unresponsive.

The pair were immediately transferred to hospital in Limerick but the girl may be moved to Dublin to undergo specialist treatment after sustaining what sources close to the case said were 'multiple stab wounds', according to the Irish Sun.

A garda spokesperson said: 'Shortly before 8am, Tuesday 27th September 2022, gardai and emergency services attended a scene at a domestic residence in Clarecastle, Co Clare.

'A female child was discovered with serious injuries and was removed to University Hospital Limerick where she remains in a critical condition.

'A female adult was also found unconscious at the scene, and was removed to University Hospital Limerick where she is also in a critical condition.

'An incident room has been established at Ennis Garda Station and a Senior Investigating officer has been appointed to oversee the investigation.

'A Family Liaison Officer has been appointed to the family.

'The scene currently remains preserved and the scene is currently being examined by Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit.

'This is a live and ongoing investigation and no further information is available at this time.'

Ennis Garda Station, Co Clare, is pictured

The perpetrator of the crime and the circumstances leading up to the horrific attack are unknown.

Gardai are conducting door-to-door inquiries in the area today to gather more information, and a senior investigating officer from the Ennis Garda Station was assigned to the case.

Officers are also trying to determine who else in the property at the time of the incident.

A garda spokesman implored those with knowledge of the incident to help detectives.

'An Garda Siochana are appealing for anyone with any information on this incident to contact the investigation team at Ennis Garda Station 065 6848100, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station,' the spokesman said.
Adam Molyneux-Downs (back left), 49, who was staying with his partner at the hotel in Gran Canaria said the building was shaken after the boulder fell through the roof

An English couple narrowly avoided death in a 'miracle' escape after a two-ton boulder crashed through the roof of their Canary Islands hotel just yards from their bed.

Adam Molyneux-Downs, 49, who was staying with his partner at the hotel in Gran Canaria said the building was shaken after the boulder fell through the roof - after asking to be moved room due to another fallen rock just hours earlier.

After hearing the 'almighty smash' Mr Molyneux-Downs, from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, jumped from his bed into a fog of dust - thinking that there had been an earthquake.

But he then found the four foot wide boulder lying outside his room at The Mogan Princess and Beach Club hotel - which had fallen from a rocky cliff backing onto the hotel.

The holidaying father-of-one shrugged it off as a 'f****** boulda' and told his partner: 'Don't worry about this darling - it's nothing'.

The couple were unable to open the doorway as the massive impact of the smash hard warped the building, Mr Molyneux-Downs told The Sun.

He said he was first concerned if it had 'got anybody', adding that it was a 'miracle nobody was killed'.

He found the four foot wide boulder lying outside his room at The Mogan Princess and Beach Club hotel (entrance pictured) - which had fallen from a cliff backing onto the hotel

The hotel balcony edge had crumbled under the impact of the fall and caved the floor in below.

After another rock had fallen earlier on their all-inclusive getaway, blinds fitter Mr Molyneux-Downs said he had asked to changed rooms but claimed had been refused by the hotel.

He said he could see where the 'supposed safety netting' that holds the rocks in place and come away from the cliff face and that there were 'more loose sections'.

After the incident he 'told everyone to pack and get to reception'.

The Mogan Princess and Beach Club hotel, Gran Canaria, told The Sun that guests have been moved elsewhere in the hotel and that Mr Molyneux-Downs was moved to to nearby accommodation.
Virgin Atlantic has today updated its uniform policy to remove gendered clothing requirements in a move which has seen passengers criticise the airline for not focusing on passenger prices and experience instead.

Staff including plane crew and pilots will be able to choose which uniform they wear: the company's 'red' option, previously most commonly worn by female flight attendants, or the 'burgundy' option, previously worn by male flight attendants.

This includes allowing men to wear skirts and women to wear trousers, as well as increasing the uniform options available to non-binary staff members.

They are also introducing pronoun badges in a bid to allow staff to 'wear uniforms that express their true identity'.

The airline has teamed up with RuPaul's Drag Race star Michelle Visage in a bid to 'reflect the diversity of its workforce' and 'offer its people a fluid approach to its red and burgundy uniforms, meaning LGBTQ+ colleagues will be able to choose either the red or the burgundy uniform, depending on which best reflects themselves.'

The company said the change makes it 'the most inclusive airline in the skies' and its employees are among those who have praised the changes on social media.

But reaction to the new policies has been mixed online, with some praising the company's diverse attitude while others claim it is a waste of time. Others have questioned why the company doesn't give its staff a pay rise instead or lower ticket prices.

One social media user said: 'I would bet that the majority of Virgin Atlantic staff would rather have a pay rise than this.'

Staff will be able to choose whether to wear the red or burgundy uniform, with trousers also available for the red option

Virgin Atlantic Crew will now be able to choose which uniform they wear, with an end to 'gendered' clothing requirements

Michelle Visage, best known for being a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race, has teamed up with Virgin and says it is her 'job' to be an ally and friend to the LGBTQ+ community

The company says the move is aimed at allowing members of the LGBTQ+ community to choose the uniform which best represents them

The company is also introducing optional pronoun badges, available to both staff and customers

The company will also roll out optional pronoun badges which enable staff and customers to display which pronouns they wish to be referred to by. The badges, available from today, can be requested at check-in.

Virgin describes today's announcement as part of 'an on-going drive to champion the individuality of its people and customers' which includes allowing more customers to choose the gender-neutral 'Mx', 'U' or 'X' markers when booking their flights.

This option is available to all who have passports with 'gender neutral gender markers' - which includes passport holders in countries such as the USA, India and Pakistan, but not the UK.

Virgin is also introducing mandatory inclusivity training for all its staff at Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Holidays, as well as inclusivity learning for tourism partners.

The latest changes to company policy are part of the airline's 'Be Yourself' campaign which earlier this year saw the airline become the first in the UK to allow staff to display their tattoos while at work.

In 2019 Virgin Atlantic was one of the first major airlines to drop a requirement for female cabin crew to wear makeup whilst on duty, as well as to wear trousers instead of a skirt.

Jaime Forsstroem, Cabin Crew at Virgin Atlantic said: 'The updated gender identity policy is so important to me. As a non-binary person, it allows me to be myself at work and have the choice in what uniform I wear.'

Michelle Visage, Tanya Compas, Talulah-Eve and Tyreece Nye have teamed up with Virgin Atlantic to showcase the new policy in a stylised fashion shoot that has been released today.

Tyreece Nye (pictured) described the uniform changes as giving a voice to everyone in the community: 'This policy allows everyone to have a seat at the table'

Michelle Visage participates in Virgin Atlantic's launch video on their new uniform policy

Jamie Forsstrom celebrates being able to wear the uniform which best suits them as a non-binary person

Virgin Atlantic employees can also show off their tattoos in a bid to 'encourage staff to be themselves' and 'champion individuality'

Virgin Atlantic were the first UK airline to allow their cabin crew to display tattoos on their arms while in uniform

Michelle Visage said: 'As the mother of a non-binary child, and as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, these efforts by Virgin Atlantic to further inclusivity for its people are extremely important and personal to me.

'People feel empowered when they are wearing what best represents them, and this gender identity policy allows people to embrace who they are and bring their full selves to work.'

In a campaign video for the airline, she added: 'I wanted to support this campaign to effect change in this world.

'I have a trans non-binary child so for me changing the world is my job as a mum and as a friend and an ally.'

Tyreece Nye, a non-binary performer and activist who also participated in the campaign, said: 'This policy allows everyone to have a seat at the table. It's not taking away from anyone, it's just allowing everyone from the community to just have a voice.'

First Officer Alison Porte added: 'It's not about cancelling anyone.

'It's not about removing women or removing men. It's just about more inclusive language.'

Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic's Chief Commercial Officer says, 'At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are.

'That's why it's so important that we enable our people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work.

'It is for that reason that we want to allow our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify and ensure our customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns.'

The policy has received mixed responses online. Some praised the airline for its inclusivity, describing the policy as 'progress'.

One social media user said: 'Loving this. Acceptance matters.'

But not all agreed, with some branding the decision a 'bad move', with others adding they would be sticking to other airlines.

Back in January, Virgin Atlantic opened applications to recruit 400 new cabin crew.

Estelle Hollingsworth, Chief People Officer, at Virgin Atlantic said at the time: 'It's the best jobs that make people fly, and we couldn't be more excited to be welcoming so many new cabin crew members to the skies with our recruitment drive.

'We're committed to supporting diversity both on the ground and on board, so are seeking people from all backgrounds who aspire to be the friendly, smiling and professional face that is the airline  with the iconic Virgin Atlantic style and flair.

'We champion difference and individuality, and it's by encouraging all of our people to truly be themselves at work that we uphold an inclusive environment where they each can thrive.'

Virgin's famous red uniforms had been typically worn by female staff since the airline's inception in 1984.

Since 2014, Virgin staff have been sporting a version of the uniform created by British fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood.
Keir Starmer branded one of his own MPs a racist today after she branded Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng 'superficially black'.

The Labour leader distanced himself from Rupa Huq after the Ealing Central and Acton MP, 50, launched a conference tirade at Mr Kwarteng over his tax-cutting Budget.

She was recorded telling an event at Labour Party Conference on Monday that 'superficially he is a black man,' adding that people listening to Mr Kwarteng during radio interviews 'wouldn't know he is black'.

She was suspended by the party and had the Labour whip removed, despite eventually apologising to Mr Kwarteng.

On a round of broadcast interviews today Sir Keir told LBC Radio: 'What she said in my view was racist, it was wrong and she's been suspended from the whip in the party and that was done very, very quickly.

'I think that tells you how strongly I feel about those comments.

'She shouldn't have said it. She will be dealt with and I'll be absolutely clear it was racist.'

Sir Keir said it was not his personal decision to suspend her but 'it's a decision I absolutely agree with' and the MP would now face an investigation. He would not be drawn on whether she would be able to return to the Labour benches.

Rupa Huq made the 'vile' remark about Kwasi Kwarteng during an event attended by Labour chair Anneliese Dodds - although she left before Ms Huq spoke about the Chancellor

On a round of broadcast interviews today Sir Keir told LBC Radio: 'What she said in my view was racist'.

The Ealing Central and Acton MP has been suspended by Labour following her 'racist' comments about Mr Kwarteng

In an audio recording, Ms Huq was also heard claiming those listening to the Chancellor during radio interviews 'wouldn't know he is black'

MP is the middle of three high-achieving Huq sisters Rupa Huq is the middle of the three high-achieving Huq sisters - with her elder sister Nutun a prominent architect and her younger sister, Konnie, a former Blue Peter presenter and children's author. Their parents moved to Britain in the 1960 from what is now Bangladesh and raised their daughters in west London. Ms Huq studied at Cambridge university before completing a PhD at the University of East London. She worked for Labour at the European Parliament - a time during which she later revealed she had been sexually harassed by a male MEP - before becoming a lecturer at the University of Manchester. After two unsucessful attempts at entering Parliament, Ms Huq was elected as MP for Ealing Central and Acton at the 2015 general election. She was among those MPs to nominate Jeremy Corbyn in that year's Labour leadership contest, although she later supported Yvette Cooper. In 2016, Ms Huq apologised for initially defending anti-Semitic social media posts by her fellow Labour MP Naz Shah. She is a committed Remainer and has previously spoken out about prejudice faced by ethnic minority MPs. In 2018, Ms Huq received a suspicious package containing an anti-Islamic letter and a sticky liquid - later found to be low-level toxic. Similar packages were received by three other Labour MPs from Muslim backgrounds. Advertisement

The fury over Ms Huq's comments threatened to overshadow Sir Keir's keynote speech to Labour members in Liverpool, which he delivered this afternoon less than an hour after the row broke out.

Ms Huq later posted on Twitter to reveal she had contacted Mr Kwarteng to offer her 'sincere and heartfelt apologies' for her 'ill-judged' comments.

'I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone affected,' she added.

In the audio recording of her remarks, Ms Huq - the elder sister of former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq - is heard commenting on the Chancellor's school education.

'He went to Eton, I think, he went to a very expensive prep school - all the way through the top schools in the country,' she said.

'If you hear him on the Today programme, you wouldn't know he is black.'

Tory chairman Jake Berry branded Ms Huq's comments 'racist' and had earlier demanded Sir Keir 'unequivocally' condemn the remarks and withdraw the Labour whip from her.

He posted on Twitter: 'Keir Starmer must act over Rupa Huq's digusting comments at #LPC22 about the Chancellor.

''Superficially he is a black man' because he's Conservative is a vile thing to say.'

In a letter to the Labour leader, Mr Berry wrote: 'I trust you will join me in unequivocally condemning these comments as nothing less than racist and that the Labour whip will be withdrawn from Rupa Huq as a consequence.'

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan described Ms Huq's comments as 'disgusting' and demanded action be taken by Sir Keir.

Former Cabinet minister Sajid Javid also joined the condemnation of Ms Huq and said he was 'appalled and saddened to hear these comments by a fellow MP'.

'Rather than give encouragement to racists and people who seek to divide us, she should know better,' he added. 'Not too late for her to show that she does.'

Andrew RT Davies, the Conservative leader in the Welsh Senedd, expressed his outrage as he described Ms Huq's remarks as 'abhorrent racism' and called on Sir Keir to take 'urgent action'.

Gregory Stafford, the Tory leader on Ealing Coucil, posted on Twitter: 'Absolutely unacceptable comments by Rupa Huq vocalising the view of some on the Left that skin colour should determine your political views and if you don't subscribe to their ideology then you are only 'superficially' black.'

Ms Huq made the remarks during an event on Monday also attended by Anneliese Dodds, Labour's chair and shadow secretary of state for women and equalities.

She sat alongside Ms Dodds at the event titled 'What Next for Labour's Agenda on Race?', which was hosted by the British Future think tank and the Black Equity Organisation.

Sunder Katwala, the director of British Future who chaired the fringe event, challenged Ms Huq over her remarks.

He warned the MP that Mr Kwarteng's political ideology 'doesn't make him not black and I think the Labour Party has to be really careful'.

It is understood the audience at the fringe event applauded loudly after Mr Katwala challenged Ms Huq.

Ms Huq posted on Twitter to reveal she had contacted Mr Kwarteng to offer her 'sincere and heartfelt apologies' for her 'ill-judged' comments

In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, Tory chairman Jake Berry branded Ms Huq's comments 'racist' and demanded she have the Labour whip withdrawn from her

Mr Katwala revealed that Ms Dodds was no longer at the fringe event when Mr Huq made her remarks about Mr Kwarteng, with the Labour chair having left after half an hour.

Prior to her suspension, Labour's shadow foreign secretary David Lammy called on Ms Huq to apologise for her 'unfortunate' comments about Mr Kwarteng.

'I think those comments are unfortunate,' he told the BBC. 'I wouldn't have made them myself and, clearly, I hope Rupa apologises and retracts them.'
Mysterious drones have been spotted only 50m away from the offshore rigs

Norway has increased security on its gas and oil sites in the North Sea

Norway is beefing up security on its offshore North Sea oil rigs after mysterious drones came within 50m of its platforms.

The country's Petroleum Safety Authority said the unmanned aerial vehicles could carry out 'deliberate attacks' on the infrastructure or smash into helicopters transporting offshore workers to and from the rigs.

The warnings come amid claims that Russia was behind the enormous gas leak in the Baltic Sea following three huge undersea explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines on Monday.

Norway is now Europe's biggest gas supplier after the Kremlin turned off its taps, wreaking energy havoc across the continent.

The Equinor's Johan Sverdrup oilfield platforms are pictured in the North Sea, as Norway beefs up its security

A massive area of gas bubbles stretching more than 3,000ft across is seen in the Baltic Sea off Sweden after explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines

A satellite image released by Planet Labs PBC showing the gas leak at the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline off the Danish Baltic island of Bornholm, south of Dueodde, in the Baltic sea

Norway's energy minister Terje Aasland said: 'The government has decided to put measures in place to increase security at infrastructure sites, land terminals and platforms on the Norwegian continental shelf.'

They have not identified a specific threat nor asked for assistance from NATO, but the country's largest oil and gas firm Equinor recently said it had notified authorities of sightings of drones of unknown origin flying near some of its platforms.

'We would urge increased vigilance, a review of emergency preparedness measures and incident response, and information sharing,' Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority said in a letter to operators.

Drones have been spotted at least six Equinor sites, with one just 50m away from its Heidrun platform, breaking the 500m security perimeter.

The Scandinavian country has a vast network of pipelines linking it to the continent, which experts have said are at risk of sabotage.

Denmark, whose territorial waters skirt the area where the blasts took place, has also moved to secure its own platforms.

The announcement came after three unexplained gas leaks, preceded by two explosions, occurred on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Monday.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), what Ukrainian authorities consider to be an Iranian made suicide drone Shahed-136, is seen in the skies over Odesa

Poland's Prime Minister said he believed the pipelines had been sabotaged at an opening of a new pipeline between Norway and his nation today (Baltic Sea is pictured as gas escapes from undersea pipes)

The CIA warned weeks ago that the pipes could be attacked ahead of the blasts which opened three huge fissures.

Agents sent a 'strategic warning' to European allies including Germany over the summer that the pipes were at risk, sources told Der Spiegel last night, though they refused to say whether Russia was identified as a culprit.

The warning was not specific and did not pinpoint a time or location for an attack, the New York Times added.

However, heavy suspicion for the attack has fallen on the Kremlin - with European officials briefing the Washington Post last night that 'no-one is thinking this is anything other than Russian sabotage'.

But allies currently lack enough hard evidence to publicly blame Moscow, they added.

A large disturbance in the sea can be observed off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 following a series of unusual leaks on two natural gas pipelines running from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany

Shocking footage released earlier today by the Danish military from a flyover of the affected region showed huge swathes of the Baltic Sea near the Danish controlled Bornholm island churning as the gas bubbled to the surface

Russia certainly has the capacity to carry out such an attack. It possesses the largest spy submarine fleet in the world and has spent years updating its capabilities.

The Belgorod - a nuclear-powered stealth sub - can sabotage undersea cables and could also be used to target a pipe, experts and analysts said.

The location of the blasts, in waters around 230ft deep, is shallow enough for divers to reach and Russia has direct access to the Baltic Sea from Kaliningrad.

Moscow has also ploughed money into underwater drones that could be used to blow the pipe and are based out of St Petersburg, which can access the Baltic via the Gulf of Finland.

As for motive, the explosions came on the same day that Poland, Norway and Denmark opened a new pipe running under the Baltic that is designed to supply central and eastern Europe without relying on Russia.

As one European official said last night, it could be designed as a warning to Europe that its infrastructure is vulnerable.

A reading from a German Centre for Georesearch seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm shows two spikes, at 0003 and 1700 GMT, followed by a lower-level 'hissing' on the day when the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic gas pipelines sprang leaks one after the other

Gas prices - which had been falling back to normal levels from historic highs earlier in the year - also spiked 19 per cent late Tuesday as news of the attack spread, suggesting a second motive: To spook markets and drive up costs for Europe just when leaders were getting on top of the energy crisis.

Naturally, Moscow has denied involvement in the Nord Steam blasts. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said he is 'extremely concerned' by the leaks which he said threatened the whole of Europe's energy supply.

The company which operates the pipes has been unable to say exactly how long it will take to fix them, meaning that - for the time being at least - the main gas pipe running from Russia to Europe goes via Ukraine, and Russia is currently threatening to shut it down in a row over transit fees owed to Kyiv. The only other pipe goes via Turkey.
A senior Greens Senator has been stunned into silence when asked about her party's double standards over the alleged behaviour of another member of her party.

Mehreen Faruqi appeared on The Project on Wednesday to address her ongoing fight with Pauline Hanson, who told her to 'p*** off back to Pakistan' and offered to drive her to the airport.

But Ms Faruqi was left speechless when host Waleed Aly surprised her with a question on alleged poor behaviour by Greens senator Lidia Thorpe.

Ms Thorpe is alleged to have unleashed a furious rant at First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria co-chairs Marcus Stewart and Aunty Geraldine Atkinson at a committee room meeting in Parliament House on June 22, 2021.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, September 27, 2022

It is claimed Ms Atkinson, who is aged in her 70s, was so shaken by Ms Thorpe's behaviour she sought assistance from the parliamentary nurse after the meeting.

Aly asked Ms Faruqi if the Greens standing by Ms Thorpe shows a double standard.

A shocked Ms Faruqi failed to answer the question and instead used talking points given to Greens MPs to fend off on the embarrassing issue.

'The Greens' party room did a wholesale review of our complaints process and made it much stronger and more rigorous,' she said.

'And any complaints that come through will go through that process.'

Aly then called her out for not answering his question.

'That's different from saying you're not going to comment on these live allegations,' he said.

Ms Faruqi replied: 'We will have more things to say but, as you know, there is a confidential staff matter involved in this, and it's not really appropriate for me to comment on that publicly.'

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi (pictured) was left stunned into silence on The Project on Wednesday night

Meanwhile, she is now set to take her battle with Ms Hanson beyond the Senate to the Human Rights Commission.

Ms Faruqi said her complaint is 'about the anti-migrant, divisive tweet that Senator Pauline Hanson put out a couple of weeks ago.

'And the complaint is based on racial hatred and racial discrimination. At the very least ... I'm hoping for an outcome which holds Senator Hanson accountable and forces her to face some consequences.'

She added that she hopes to get 'an apology and a retraction of what (Ms Hanson) said'.

The One Nation leader's tween came in response to a tweet from Ms Faruqi saying she could not mourn the Queen's death.

Ms Hanson tweeted in September telling Ms Farqui to 'pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan'

Ms Hanson's offer to drive Ms Faruqui to the airport shocked politicians, with Greens senator Jordon Steele-John shouting 'you scumbag' across the chamber.

The fallout from Ms Thorpe's alleged rant led the Greens to issue a set of 'talking points' instructing its MPs how to respond to questions on the issue- only for them to be leaked to ABC presenter Patricia Karvelas.

Ms Thorpe's former chief of staff David Mejia-Canales was at the meeting and, in a private email published earlier this week, apologised for not ending it sooner after Senator Thorpe's 'appalling' behaviour.

'The conduct that I witnessed at that meeting was by far one of the most unprofessional displays I have ever seen, not just during the length of my career, but in my life,' Mr Mejia-Canales said in the email, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe (pictured) allegedly unleashed a furious tirade at two First Nations representatives at a 2021 Parliament House meeting in Canberra

The leaked talking points instruct Greens MPs to not directly address the matter.

'It is inappropriate to discuss staffing matters publicly, but we are confident we have strong processes for addressing complaints that have been strengthened since the Jenkins Review (into Parliament workplace culture),' the document states.

'Greens MPs have continued to work closely with the First People's Assembly of Victoria to further the Treaty process happening in the state.'

Ms Atkinson says she lodged a formal complaint about the meeting to Greens leader Adam Bandt in which she described Ms Thorpe's conduct as 'vicious' but that he did not acknowledge it.

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John (pictured) called One Nation Ms Hanson a 'scumbag' in the Senate for her attack on Ms Faruqi

While the exact content of the Senator's outburst has not been revealed, in a separate letter to former Senate president Scott Ryan, Ms Atkinson said Senator Thorpe criticised the Bamblett family, which Atkinson is a member of, and suggested she was involved in Aboriginal organisations that were trying to 'bring her down'.

'When I tried to intervene to respond, Senator Thorpe spoke over the top of me in a highly aggressive tone, repeatedly stating, 'I am an Australian senator. You are in my meeting,' Ms Atkinson said.
A bodyguard pictured with Prince Harry and Meghan is a former Met Police officer convicted of strangling his wife leaving her 'seconds away from death', MailOnline can reveal.

Pere Daobry, 51, was pictured driving the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a Range Rover on September 5 as they left Frogmore cottage on their way to Londons Euston station.

Despite his important role protecting the high-profile couple Daobry was convicted at Colchester Magistrates Court in September 2016 of attacking his wife, Sarah Jay, a former Essex Police sergeant, after she declared that she no longer loved him.

The 6ft 7in bodybuilder only escaped imprisonment because he called 999 and confessed to his crime - while his wife committed suicide in 2019 after describing him as a 'lunatic'.

The revelation will raise eyebrows as Meghan has long championed women's rights and campaigned against gender-based violence.

Pere Daobry, 51, was pictured driving the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a Range Rover as they left Frogmore cottage on their way to Londons Euston station

Pere Daobry was convicted at Colchester Magistrates Court in September 2016 of attacking his wife, Sarah Jay (the couple, pictured together), a former Essex Police sergeant, after she declared that she no longer loved him

In a traumatic interview after his conviction, Mrs Jay (pictured, her injuries) said: 'For any man to do this is terrible - for a policeman to do what he did is outrageous. He nearly killed me. All he got is a slap on the wrists. What deterrent is that for other men ?'

The couple were driven out of Frogmore Cottage on September 5 by two bodyguards who MailOnline can reveal are both former Met Police officers including Dave Langdown (right in front of a smiling Harry) and Pere Daobry (left)

The Duchess of Sussex smiled back as they headed to the north-west for her speech on gender equality while Pere Daobry sat in the front

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seen arriving at Euston Station on a train from Manchester, having attended the One Young World summit on September 5

During the couple's tour to South Africa in 2019 Meghan said in an ActionAid speech that men and boys should be held accountable for their actions.

A source said: 'When you consider how outspoken Meghan is on women's issues it's quite amazing that a bodyguard with that sort of background has been employed.

'His wife Sarah went through a really traumatic time with him and I'm sure if Meghan and Harry knew the full story they wouldn't be at all comfortable with him being employed as their bodyguard.

'It was such a shock when I saw the picture and recognised Pere instantly - he is quite tall and distinctive and he has significant scarring on his face so he's quite recognisable.

'Pere treated Sarah appallingly and she had to escape through a window twice to get away from him. I really don't think Harry and Meghan would want someone like him guarding them.'

In a traumatic interview after his conviction, Mrs Jay said: 'I suffered at the hands of this lunatic for two years. I am devastated he isn't behind bars. He deserves to be.

'For any man to do this is terrible - for a policeman to do what he did is outrageous. He nearly killed me. All he got is a slap on the wrists. What deterrent is that for other men ?'

She added:' When I met him I was a strong, confident, capable woman. I could never have imagine being a victim of domestic violence. I was terrified, isolated and had no one to turn to.'

During his time at the Met, Pere Daobry (pictured with Sarah Jay) served as a firearms officer in close protection and diplomatic protection

Mrs Jay - who had a daughter through a previous relationship when she met him -then chillingly revealed: 'I was only seconds away from death - that terrifies me.'

Recalling the incident in December 2015, which started after a row in their bedroom, she said: 'I suggested he go to the gym to calm down and moved away to get away from him.

'He grabbed me. The next thing I remember was being on my back. I was struggling to breathe. I could feel his rage. He had his hands around my neck and was choking me.

'All I could concentrate on was staying alive. I was gasping for breath but couldn't get any in. I realised I had to lay still, not struggle and breathe through my nose. Tryting to do that was the last thing I remember.'

At his trial Colchester Magistrates' Court heard how the ex-officer, who worked for the Met for 12 years, told the 999-call handler: 'I want to report an assault and I am the perpetrator. I have assaulted my wife.'

When asked by the operator if his wife needed an ambulance, the dad-of-four responded: 'Yeah, I tried to strangle her.' In the attack Mrs Jay also suffered scratches and pain to her neck, scratches on her back and swelling on her forehead.

Sarah Jay, a former Essex Police sergeant, later committed suicide after describing him as a 'lunatic'

News of Daobrys conviction will come as an embarrassment to Harry and Meghan who have campaigned to raise awareness on domestic violence through their Archewell Foundation.

Last year it emerged the foundation had donated to the Dallas based domestic violence charity Genesis Women's Shelter and Support after it had been affected by storms.

Domestic abuse campaigner David Challen said: 'Pere Daobry is a violent convicted domestic abuser who should be in jail, not be bodyguarding Harry and Meghan.

'Daobry strangled his ex-wife, Sarah Jay, leaving her seconds from death after a two-year campaign of mental and physical torture, from which he served no custodial sentence.

'That Sarah has since lost her battle with PTSD and depression to suicide, Daobry's new role as a trusted protection officer to the Susssexes is nothing short of an insult to Sarah Jay's memory.

'The security team who hired Daobry should be aware of his history and that entrusting him is in stark contrast to womens rights and domestic abuse issues the Sussexes courageously campaign on.

'I sincerely hope that the Sussexes are made aware and that for Sarah's family this man is removed from his role immediately.'

Daobry was married to Mrs Jay for two years before he strangled her. He later denied the assault but was found guilty after a trial.

During the hearing, Daobry claimed to have used a police-approved choke hold to stop Mrs Jay from taking an overdose of prescribed tablets at their home in the pretty Essex village of Thorpe-le-Soken.

But magistrates rejected his evidence 'entirely' and found him guilty of assault. The offence was serious enough that he could have been jailed but he was instead handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence.

Explaining why the sentencing was suspended, Alix Mason, chair of the bench at Colchester Magistrates' Court, said: 'This was a very unpleasant assault on Mrs Jay, and she was clearly terrified.

'There is no credit for an early guilty plea. Having said that, we do take note you have no previous convictions, and you had the decency to ring 999.'

The defendant was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and handed a year-long restraining order.

The defendant (pictured Pere Daobry with Sarah Jay) was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and handed a year-long restraining order

During the hearing, Daobry claimed to have used a police-approved choke hold to stop Mrs Jay from taking an overdose of prescribed tablets at their home in the pretty Essex village of Thorpe-le-Soken

He was also ordered to pay a total of 1,665, including 930 in compensation to Mrs Jay and 620 in court costs.

After leaving the Met, Daobry worked as a security guard for a number of VIPs and wealthy individuals in Australia, around Europe and also formerly protected a member of the UAE royal family.

During his time at the Met, he served as a firearms officer in close protection and diplomatic protection.

His Linkedin profile states: My experience and skill set. I am a Close Protection Operative and Surveillance [.] I have previously looked after clients in Sydney Australia and Dubai and around Europe.

He describes himself as a Security Consultant/Security Driver, surveillance Operative, [and] Physical Penetration Operative.

He has four children through two previous relationships but had none with Mrs Jay.

During his trial, the court heard that after leaving the Met Daobry went to work in close protection in Australia and returned to live in the marital home in December 2015.

Mrs Jay told the court: 'When he came back, I didn't recognise him as being the same person. I told him I didn't love him and I did not recognise him as the person I married.' She said he got angry and began shouting and came towards her as she was on a bed  she tried to get away.

She added: 'He grabbed me, and I don't know if I was pushed or I fell, but the next thing I remember I was on my back between the bed and the wall.

'My feet were in the air, and I was being held by my throat. I was struggling to breathe.'

In 2015 Mrs Jay won an out of court settlement after taking her then employers Essex Police to a tribunal in a sex bias case.

She had claimed she was left with no option but to quit from the Prisoner Processing Team, after it refused to allow her more flexible shifts to look after her young daughter.

Daobry was married to Mrs Jay for two years before he strangled her. He denied the assault but was found guilty after a trial. Here he was pictured in 2015 at his wife's employment tribunal

The exact figure was not disclosed but it is believed to have been thousands of pounds and Mrs Jay  who had a 16 year career in the force - had the backing of the Police Federation in her battle.

During the hearing she revealed: I was bullied out of my career just because I had a daughter and couldnt get the childcare to allow me to work the shifts the job expected.

Daobry was pictured earlier this month driving Harry and Meghans Range Rover alongside his former Met colleague Dave Langdown who was given an honour by the Queen - the Royal Victorian Medal - for services to the Royal Family.

In the past, he accompanied Meghan to New York for her baby shower and travelled with Harry on his trip to Las Vegas where the royal infamously played naked billiards with a stripper.

Mr Langdown - who works for US firm Broadstone Risks whose clients include Beyonce and Jay z - also accompanied the couple on their royal engagements in the UK.

Daobry was pictured driving Harry and Meghans (pictured, the couple earlier this month at Windsor Castle in Berkshire following the death of Queen Elizabeth II) Range Rover alongside his former Met colleague Dave Langdown who was given an honour by the Queen - the Royal Victorian Medal - for services to the Royal Family

Harry and Meghan are believed to be paying for Mr Langdown and Daobrys services after they were told that they would not be provided with taxpayer funded official armed police bodyguards. Pictured: The Sussexes' UK residence of Frogmore Cottage

Harry and Meghan are believed to be paying for Mr Langdown and Daobrys services after they were told that they would not be provided with taxpayer funded official armed police bodyguards.

When MailOnline showed Daobry's parents who live in north London, pictures of him with Harry and Meghan, they confirmed it was their son but added: 'He never tells us about his work. We didn't know he was guarding them but we are very proud of him.'
A black man with severe asthma told officers 'I'm fading, I'm going to die' before suffering a cardiac arrest and dying whilst held by the Met Police, a report found.

Ian McDonald-Taylor, 54, pleaded for help as he became very short of breath while under arrest on Coldharbour Lane in Brixton, on 29 June 2019 but his pleas were dismissed as 'a load of nonsense'.

Mr Taylor, who was lying on the ground handcuffed following a mass brawl, told police 'I'm going to die, stand me up now,' evidence heard in court from officers in person and body worn footage revealed.

He added 'I'm fading' and then 'I'm going to die,' a prevention of future deaths report said.

But a police officer was heard telling his sergeant 'he's currently on the floor playing the whole poor me poor me, he's going to have to go to hospital though as a matter of course.'

The police officer added: 'He's saying he has chest pains he cant breathe blah blah; it's a load of nonsense but there we go'.

Mr Taylor's case has emerged as The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published the full investigation report and summary of their conclusions at the end of last month.

It summarised: 'We found no indication that any person serving with the police may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.'

Ian McDonald-Taylor, who had severe asthma, died while under arrest by the Met Police

The IOPC also today published its annual report on deaths during or following police contact in the last two years - 2021/22. Its findings revealed there were 11 deaths in or following police custody.

Despite repeatedly telling police officers that he could not breathe and was going to die, Mr Taylor was left lying on the street without an inhaler.

Mr Taylor was moved to a police car in an effort to cool him down, but after only a few minutes in the car he suffered a cardiac arrest.

An ambulance was called to the scene and he died in hospital later that evening.

A jury found Mr Taylor's death was caused by acute asthma and situational stress, alongside two underlying health conditions, with dehydration as a further contributing factor.

Mr Taylor's Cousin, Michael Cooper, earlier said: 'Watching the video footage of Ian fighting for breath and desperately pleading for help, but being dismissed and even mocked by police officers, is utterly devastating.

'The police are trained to deal with situations like this, yet they did not do what anyone else would have done and drive him to a hospital that was three minutes away.

Ian McDonald-Taylor, 54, pleaded for help as he became very short of breath while under arrest on Coldharbour Lane in Brixton, on 29 June 2019 (file photo)

'No one in the UK should die from asthma and yet Ian did. How many more deaths will it take before the police take seriously a Black man who says he can't breathe?'

Mr Taylor's Aunt, Pauline Taylor, who was represented by Duncan Lewis Solicitors, added: ' 'I need my inhalerI can't breatheI'm dying.' These were the last pleading words of my nephew.

'He died on the street begging for help not from just one, but seven police officers who casually dismissed his pleas and even went so far as to laugh and mock him.

'What more could he have said in those moments to solicit help and simple humane compassion from those who are sworn to serve and protect. What has been learnt?

'One officer said that he would do exactly the same given the same set of circumstancesMay God help us! Our family is broken, our pain wakes us each morning and steals into our dreams at night, but in trying to heal we recognise that the disclosures relating to Ian's untimely and cruel death can be used as a tool to bring about better training, effective practice, holistic awareness and challenge the ugly existence of unbiased racism.'

IOPC regional director Sal Naseem today told MailOnline in a statement: 'We offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Ian Taylor.

'We began an investigation on 1 July 2019 following a mandatory referral from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). We looked at all of the circumstances surrounding police contact with Mr Taylor, following a report of a disturbance in Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 on Saturday 29 June 2019 at around 5.54pm.

'We found the officers provided appropriate care to Mr Taylor but it was clear that the officers who were with him throughout believed they could not transport him to hospital in their police vehicle. We drew this to the force's attention as a possible opportunity for learning given in this case, which was a medical emergency, it took 36 minutes for the ambulance to arrive after the officers called it within three minutes of their arrival and twice requested updates on its progress.

'MPS procedure does allow for police vehicles to be used to transport people to hospital in exceptional circumstances.

'There was no indication any police officer may have behaved in a manner that justified the bringing of disciplinary proceedings or committed a criminal offence.

'During our investigation, which concluded in December 2019, the police officers involved with Mr Taylor were treated as witnesses and provided statements to support the investigation.

'A large amount of body worn video was available along with video footage from a local CCTV camera, which recorded a significant proportion of the police interactions with the man.

'Two officers were asked to provide further witness statements about their first aid training and their knowledge of dealing with people suffering an asthma attack, including the options which might be available to them.

'We obtained copies of relevant first aid training materials and sought clarification from a senior first aid advisor, alongside information contained on the police incident log and within radio transmissions.'

Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove, from the Central South Basic Command Unit of the Met Police, today added: 'Our thoughts remain with Ian Taylor's family and friends following the publication of the IOPC investigation report. I would like to reiterate the unreserved apology I made to the family for the comments made by the officer which lacked care, compassion, and respect when Mr Taylor was in need of urgent medical assistance.

'When we deal with any incident, especially when someone needs our help, we expect the highest professional standards and care, treating people with dignity and respect. This is what the public rightly expect from their police service and I am sorry we did not meet those high standards in every respect when responding to Mr Taylor.

'In response to the IOPC conclusions regarding the officer who made the comments, we arranged a reflective practice review which is a formal process reflected in legislation.

'I acknowledge the impact this has had not only for the family of Mr Taylor, but his friends and wider community. We will be working with Lambeth Council and community groups in response to the IOPC investigation, and importantly, we will respond to the concerns and feedback from the family and wider community on the further steps we are taking. We are committed to continually improving the service we provide to the public, ensuring the highest standards whilst reducing crime and keeping people safe.'

The statement added that they are improving training and will work more with community members to rebuild trust.
Labour MPs enjoyed a boozy karaoke session last night as their party conference wrapped up with senior figures predicting they would 'win big' at the next general election.

Jubilant members of the Labour front bench - including leader Sir Keir Starmer - partied in Liverpool after being buoyed by polling showing they had soared even further ahead of the Tories.

At a bash held at the 'Revolucion de Cuba' bar in the city's Royal Albert Dock, senior MPs belted out classics by Bon Jovi and Journey.

The lyrics to 'Angels' by Robbie Williams were even adapted to declare: 'I'm loving Starmer instead'.

Sir Keir addressed the assembled MPs, activists and journalists at the party, hosted by the Daily Mirror, to tell them Labour was 'confident' with less than two-and-a-half years until the next general election is due.

Labour's conference this year has taken place amid the meltdown in the Pound following Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's tax-cutting mini-Budget last week.

Sir Keir and his party's front bench have seized on the currency turmoil to claim they - rather than the Conservatives - are now the party of 'sound money'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting belted out 'Angels' by Robbie Williams but adapted the lyrics to declare: 'I'm loving Starmer instead'

Mr Streeting was one of a number of Labour frontbenchers spotted partying in Liverpool at the end of the party's conference

With one poll showing Labour are now 17 points ahead of the Tories, one shadow cabinet minister told MailOnline they now expect to 'win big' at the next election and gloated the Conservatives are 'f***ed' in the Red Wall.

At last night's bash, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner and shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth teamed up to sing Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'' as a duet.

Lisa Nandy, the party's shadow Levelling Up secretary, belted out Bon Jovi's 'Livin' On A Prayer' with others. And shadow health secretary Wes Streeting took on 'Angels'.

He adapted the lyrics to tell the crowd 'Keir won't forsake me' and 'I'm loving Starmer instead'.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth and Labour deputy leader teamed up to sing Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'' as a duet

There were signs that Mr Streeting's night of partying had had an impact today, when he mistakenly told the conference during his keynote speech that cancer patients had been waiting '15 years' for an ambulance.

He had earlier raised the case of David Wakeley, an 87-year-old pensioner with cancer, who had been foreced to shelter under a makeshift tent where he'd fallen and suffered fractured ribs and a fractured pelvis.

'He was forced to wait 15 hours for an ambulance. This is the state of the NHS in Tory Britain and it is an absolute disgrace,' Mr Streeting told Labour members at the beginning of his speech, before his slip-up.
Australia's fuel excise relief ran out at midnight - after tens of thousands flocked to the pump to get the last of the discount before prices skyrocket.

The federal government's reduction introduced by the former Morrison Government as a pre-election sweetner, ended at 11.59 pm Wednesday, which will push prices up by another 25c-a-litre ahead of New South Wales' October long weekend.

Motorists dried out a Mildura service station's diesel supplies on the NSW-Victoria border by midday, while Queensland and Western Australia are seeing similar situations unfold at regional servos.

A north Queensland petrol station reportedly sold 5,000 litres of fuel before lunchtime - beyond its daily average of 3,000 litres.

Motorists dried out a Mildura service station's diesel stores by midday, while Queensland and Western Australia are seeing similar situations at regional servos. Pictured: Car queues at Sydney petrol station

Australia's fuel excise ran out at midnight - after tens of thousands flocked to the pump to get the last of the discount before prices skyrocket

The temporary fuel excise cut The fuel excise tax was halved from 12.01am on March 30 as part of the previous Morrison government's budget. The excise and excise equivalent customs duty (excise) rates for petrol, diesel and all other fuel and petroleum based products, except aviation fuels, was halved for six months. For petrol and diesel, the rates were reduced from 44.2c to 22.1c per litre. The halving of fuel excise rates will end at 11.59pm on September 28. Advertisement

Forward-thinking Aussies were able to grab a litre of unleaded for between $1.50 per litre and $1.70 per litre earlier in the week - however prices had risen beyond $1.90 by Wednesday.

A popular petrol station in Sydney's west saw a queue of more than 400metres form on a busy road with people looking to take advantage of its cheap prices.

Cars waited on the southbound lanes of Blaxcell Street in Granville to fill up at the Powerfuel servo.

The station was offering $1.56 per litre for unleaded 91, $1.70 for premium 95 and $1.95 for diesel on Wednesday.

A woman from Sydney's northern beaches claims a petrol station near her house in Pittwater jumped more than 42c per litre in the five minutes it took her to drive to the pumps on Wednesday.

The impact financially on Australians will see motorists pay an extra $15 to fill up a 60-litre tank as the excise expires.

Experts are also predicting higher petrol prices will see higher prices of food - given transport takes up 17 per cent of expenditures.

It's expected bread, vegetables and other everyday items will increase by between two and four per cent.

That means a $2.20 loaf of bread now costs $2.30, while a $4 litre of milk will now cost $4.15.

The impact financially on Australians will see motorists pay an extra $15 to fill up a 60-litre tank as the excise expires

The federal government's reduction ends at 11.59 pm Wednesday, which will push prices up by another 25c-a-litre ahead of the October long weekend

Drivers in NSW could save up to $800 a year on fuel using the government's FuelCheck app, according to Treasurer Matt Kean.

'Prices can vary greatly between petrol stations so if you're filling up a 50L tank and there's a 20 cent difference between service stations, you'd save $10 by filling up at the cheaper one,' Mr Kean said.

'Driving a couple of hundred metres down the road to a cheaper servo can really pay off and boost your budget.

The NRMA has called on fuel companies to cut prices as regular unleaded topped an average of $1.90-a-litre in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this week.

'Despite falling global prices and the full fuel excise tax not yet reinstated, prices are approaching $2-per-litre, meaning motorists are paying much more for fuel than they should be,' NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said.

Fuel prices in major cities could rise to more than $2-a-litre in the next week (file image)

Once the fuel excise hike takes effect, drivers could be paying near the same amount at the pump they were earlier this year when prices soared after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The NRMA said it was 'concerned' about a 42c-a-litre gap between wholesale and retail petrol prices in Sydney, the highest margin since May 2020.

AVERAGE UNLEADED FUEL PRICES PER LITRE Adelaide $1.88 Brisbane $1.93 Canberra $1.77 Darwin $1.70 Hobart $1.71 Melbourne $1.93 Perth $1.55 Sydney $1.90 Source: NRMA for September 27 Advertisement

'Prices today are already unacceptably high, and we need to see a correction immediately,' Mr Khoury said.

He pointed to the prices being in stark contrast to the global trend of plunging oil prices after a high point earlier this year, amid sanctions on Russian oil.

'It was $160 a barrel and has now dropped by $60 over a couple of months to $100 a barrel,' he said.

'Australians are already battling cost of living pressures. Let's hope more restraint (from retailers) is shown after the reintroduction of the excise than what we've seen this week.'

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.

Mr Khoury said GST would add another 3c-a-litre to the cost, pushing prices back up by 25c-a-litre at the bowser.

'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,' he 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.'

Australians will be paying more at the fuel pump by October as the temporary cut on the fuel tax finishes (file image)

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers said last week 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 that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission would be on the lookout 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.

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers (pictured) said last week there was 700million litres of fuel stored at the cheaper price so retailers shouldn't 'jack up' their prices too quickly

'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.'

He added it was a 'difficult decision' to not extend the fuel tax relief but the government was focused on 'responsible budgeting'.

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 $3billion by Treasury.
A City banker couple have been ordered to pay their former nanny 7,000 after they reported her to police following fears she had faked her CV.

Melanie and Stephen Griffiths have been found guilty of victimising Ilkay Cetin after speaking to an officer about their concerns she was not an 'appropriate' person to have cared for their two young children.

The couple - who worked at US investment giant JP Morgan as a private banker and managing director respectively - made the call after Ms Cetin, who is of Kurdish heritage, had accused them of racism while working for them.

An employment tribunal heard that after Ms Cetin took legal action against the bankers - including claims that she had been the victim of 'emotional torture,' and 'slavery' - Mrs Griffiths launched her own investigation into the nanny.

As part of her enquiries she gathered references from her previous employers and called the police to run retrospective checks on her DBS certificate, the tribunal was told.

This led her to tell officers that she 'had reason to be doubtful whether Ms Cetin had in fact been an appropriate person to look after her children,' the panel heard.

The police then told Mrs Griffiths that 'there was some question mark over (the nanny) and that had she contacted them before employing (her) to look after their children, they would have advised against it,' the tribunal was told.

Melanie (pictured) and Stephen Griffiths have been found guilty of victimising Ilkay Cetin

Stephen Griffiths worked at US investment giant JP Morgan as a managing director

When she discovered that the couple had spoken to the police, Ms Cetin sued them for victimisation, claiming the 'core of her personality and values' had been attacked.

And she has now won compensation after the tribunal upheld that part of her claim.

The central London hearing was told that Ms Cetin worked as a nanny for the couple looking after their two young children between December 2017 and May 2018.

Her contract ended on what appeared to be good terms with the couple recommending the nanny to friends, hiring her for an additional two days in May, and inviting her to keep in touch with the children, the panel was told.

Ms Cetin however, 'harboured concerns and resentments' against some of the Griffiths' 'behaviour and speech to her,' the tribunal heard.

The nanny lodged her first claim not long after her employment had ended, the panel was told.

Ms Cetin made several allegations including those for 'unfair dismissal, unlawful deductions to wages, racism, discrimination, emotional torture and slavery,' the panel heard.

Mrs Griffiths reacted to the legal action by making her own enquiries.

She believed she had discovered anomalies in the nanny's CV and sought to obtain references from her former employers and educational establishments, the panel heard.

She called the police in August 2018 to tell them that she 'had reason to be doubtful whether Ms Cetin had in fact been an appropriate person to look after her children,' the panel heard.

An employment tribunal heard that after Ms Cetin took legal action against the bankers - including claims that she had been the victim of 'emotional torture,' and 'slavery' - Mrs Griffiths launched her own investigation into the nanny (file photo)

The tribunal heard that the police told her there was a 'question mark' over Ms Cetin, 'advice' that the panel expressed 'surprise and concern' about because it had been given in an informal manner.

Ms Cetin found out about Mrs Griffiths' contact with the police in November 2019 and added it to her legal action because of the significant 'injury to feelings' that it had caused, the tribunal heard.

The tribunal was told that in January 2020, Ms Cetin set up a website on which she posted information about child abuse - unrelated to the Griffiths' - as well as her ongoing legal dispute with the couple.

The nanny told the tribunal that the purpose of her website posts in relation to the couple was to protect herself against false allegations.

Ms Cetin ensured that the full names of both Mr and Mrs Griffiths were included which meant that anybody doing an internet search of those names would be immediately directed to her website, the panel heard.

Mrs Griffiths found out about the website shortly after it was created, when searching on her own name, the tribunal was told.

The couple became concerned that anybody searching for their name before employing one of them would be directed to the website, and would see the postings about child abuse, the panel heard.

Mrs Griffiths believed that the website amounted to harassment, and reported the matter to police, but was told that it was a civil dispute, the tribunal heard.

The panel found that in November, 2020, Ms Cetin sent an email from an unknown address to Mr Griffiths' employer, containing links to the judgments on their legal dispute which was 'obviously designed to embarrass' him.

The central London hearing was told that Ms Cetin worked as a nanny for the couple looking after their two young children between December 2017 and May 2018 (stock image)

The police contacted Ms Cetin later that month to warn her that if the behaviour was to continue, it 'might require investigation and potentially arrest for the offence of harassment,' the tribunal was told.

The nanny told the tribunal that being reported to the police suggested that she 'might not be an appropriate person to look after children,' and said that she was made to feel that the 'core of her personality and values' had been attacked.

The tribunal heard that Ms Cetin has since applied unsuccessfully for various jobs, including two with the police and one as an interpreter with the civil service.

The nanny's claims against the couple of race discrimination and harassment were dismissed. However, her claim of victimisation in relation to Mrs Griffiths speaking to the police about her, was upheld.

Judge Oliver Segal concluded that 'whilst the reporting of the nanny to the police was a 'one off' event, it caused considerable shock and upset initially and an ongoing sense of concern in relation to future employment prospects.'

The tribunal awarded Ms Cetin the sum of 7,000 compensation for injury to feelings.

Since leaving JP Morgan, both Melanie and Stephen Griffiths work at private investment services companies Equiom and Sarnac Partners respectively.
The Bond Street stop on London's new Elizabeth line is set to open in just under a month after four years of delays.

Transport for London (TfL) says the opening of Bond Street - which is subject to 'final approvals' - will take place on Monday, October 24.

The new railway began running in May, but trains have not called at Bond Street due to delays completing the station. The problem-hit tube stop also saw major costs increases that left it at least 549million over budget.

Transport officials allege the new stop will help ease congestion at the nearby Oxford Circus Tube station.

It will also make the area more accessible as Bond Street will offer step-free access from street to train.

The Bond Street stop on London's new Elizabeth line is set to open in under four weeks. Transport for London says the opening of Bond Street - which is subject to 'final approvals' - will take place on Monday, October 24

The new railway began running in May, but trains have not called at Bond Street due to delays completing the station. Transport officials allege the new stop will help ease congestion at the nearby Oxford Circus Tube station

'The new Elizabeth line station at Bond Street will be the jewel in the crown of the West End's transport provision,' London's outgoing transport commissioner Andy Byford said.

'It is truly spectacular and will provide a highly significant new link to one of the busiest shopping districts in the UK, enabling even further connectivity to jobs and leisure for people across London and the South East.

'I can't wait to see people using this beautiful, spacious, step-free station.

'It will be yet another huge moment for transport in London and the bright future for the city that lies ahead.'

The station will be able to accommodate nearly 140,000 people a day and train services will begin by running every five minutes, experts told BBC.

It will have two ticket halls and lifts that allow for step-free access to the trains.

Train service will not operate on Sunday, October 30 but beginning the following Sunday, November 6, tubes will call at the station seven days a week and every three to four minutes.

STAGE 1: Since launching on May 24, the line has been running in three different sections - from Reading or Heathrow to Paddington; Paddington to Abbey Wood via Liverpool Street; and Liverpool Street to Shenfield. The green section is the new project

STAGE 2: The second stage, from November 6, will ensure the services from Reading or Heathrow towards Paddington can run all the way through to Abbey Wood via Liverpool Street. At this stage, there will also be trains running direct from Paddington to Shenfield, also via Liverpool Street

STAGE 3: The final milestone will be 'no later than May 2023', when the full timetable will allow passengers to travel without changing across the entire line from Reading to Shenfield or Abbey Wood

How Crossrail will open in three stages by May 2023 Stage 1: From May 24, 2022 The Elizabeth line launched with services on Monday to Saturday from Paddington to Abbey Wood. Services from Reading and Heathrow to Paddington, and from Shenfield to Liverpool Street, rebranded from 'TfL Rail' to the 'Elizabeth line'. Stage 2: November 6, 2022 The announced date for the next phase is November 6, 2022. When this phase launches, services from Reading and Heathrow will operate through to Abbey Wood. Services from Shenfield will go through to Paddington. Stage 3: May 2023 Full timetable for travel from Reading or Heathrow to Shenfield or Abbey Wood without changing. Advertisement

London mayor Sadiq Khan added: 'I'm delighted that the new Elizabeth line station at Bond Street will open on Monday 24 October.

'The latest stunning addition to this transformational line will give Londoners and tourists quick and direct access to the heart of London's West End.

'Millions have already travelled on the Elizabeth line, and the opening of a station at Bond Street will help draw people back on to our world-class public transport network, encourage people to make the most of the capital and support businesses across the city.'

The new central section, built by the Crossrail project, runs through tunnels from Paddington in west London to Abbey Wood.

However, numerous issues - including construction difficulties and complications installing signalling systems - left builders behind scheduled for several years.

Following the multitude of setbacks, the station was 'decoupled' from the delivery of the Elizabeth line, allowing the route to open without the stop.

The railway opened in May and, according to TfL, more than 45 million journeys have already been made across the Elizabeth line.

Around half of those (22 million journeys) were in the new tunnels under central London between Paddington and Abbey Wood.

TfL estimates that annual passenger numbers will reach 170 million by 2026.

TfL said more than 45 million journeys have been made across the Elizabeth line since the railway opened. An Elizabeth line train is pictured near West Drayton station in July

The Elizabeth line was named in honour of the late Queen. The monarch visited the line on May 17 when she unveiled a plaque to mark its grand opening

The line - which stretches from Reading in Berkshire and London Heathrow Airport to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in Essex - was always planned to initially run in three separate sections.

The first section was integrated in May, the second will begin next month and the third in 2023.

The Crossrail project was due to be completed in December 2018 and was set a budget of 14.8 billion in 2010.

The final total cost for the project has been estimated at 18.9 billion, including 5.1 billion from the Government.

The delivery of the problem-hit Bond Street station seemed to utilise a large portion of the budget.

Figures released by the National Audit in July 2021 revealed the cost of the station increased by 595 per cent, with an expected price tag of 660million. Initial plans estimated 111million for the station protect.

The Elizabeth line was named in honour of the late Queen. The monarch visited Paddington station in May when she unveiled a plaque to mark the completion of Crossrail.
North Korea has fired a ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan, South Korea's military claimed, just one day before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is due to visit the demilitarised zone (DMZ) between the two nations.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was fired from North Korea into its eastern waters - the second missile launched by the pariah state in four days - but gave no additional details.

Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has dialled up its testing activities to a record pace - testing more than 30 ballistic weapons, including its first intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017 - as it continues to expand its military capabilities.

But today's missile launch was executed less than 24 hours before Vice President Harris becomes the first senior official from President Joe Biden's administration to visit the DMZ tomorrow - a trip that U.S. and South Korean officials said is aimed at underscoring the alliance between Seoul and Washington in the face of any threats posed by North Korea.

The U.S. and South Korea are currently participating in joint naval military drills which they insist are purely defensive, but North Korea sees them as rehearsals for an invasion.

It comes as South Korea's spy agency warned the North has completed preparations for a nuclear weapons test, naming a three week period from October 16 - November 7 as a possible window for its execution.

This would be the North's first nuclear test since 2017 and would mark a bleak milestone in an ongoing stalemate between Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington's nuclear diplomacy.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was fired from North Korea into its eastern waters - the second missile launched by the pariah state in four days (North Korean missile test in January is pictured)

Vice President Kamala Harris will become the first senior official from President Joe Biden's administration to visit the DMZ tomorrow

This file picture taken on March 24, 2022 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) walking near what state media report says was a new type inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) before its test launch at an undisclosed location in North Korea earlier this year

When Harris makes her visit to the DMZ on Thursday she will be the latest in a long list of dignitaries - and tourists - coming to gaze into secretive North Korea.

The DMZ was born of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, and despite its name is highly fortified from coast to coast with razor wire, heavy armaments and tank traps on either side of a mile-wide clearing.

U.S. presidents and numerous top officials have visited the zone, often wearing military-style jackets and usually arriving with messages of support for the alliance that keeps nearly 30,000 American troops in South Korea.

Ronald Reagan was the first U.S. president to visit the DMZ, but Bill Clinton and Donald Trump are the only sitting presidents to have visited the Joint Security Area (JSA), a cluster of buildings that hosts talks, and the only spot where troops from both sides stand face to face.

'[Harris' visit] sends a clear message of support for the alliance from the White House,' a former senior U.S. defence official said in reference to America's ties to South Korea.

Officials in Washington and Seoul have been warning for months that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing to conduct another nuclear test.

The isolated regime has tested nuclear weapons six times since 2006, with the most recent test coming in 2017.

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un has pushed ahead with more than 30 missile tests in 2022

Punggye-ri is North Korea's only known nuclear test site, where the regime detonates devastating weapons far underground. Fresh construction was spotted at the site in March this year

Now, preparations for a new nuclear test have been completed at the North's Punggye-ri underground test tunnel, two South Korean legislators told reporters after a briefing by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) earlier today.

Fresh construction at the site near Mount Mantap in North Korea's North Hamgyong province was first spotted in a satellite flyover in March.

The timing of the test could be determined by events like the party congress in China, the midterm elections in the United States, and the whether Pyongyang can bring an outbreak of Covid-19 under control, the lawmakers said.

Punggye-ri is North Korea's only known nuclear test site, where the regime detonates devastating weapons far underground.

After the North's most recent nuclear test in 2017, the director of South Korea's Meteorological Administration said more detonations in the region 'could cause the mountain to collapse and release radioactivity into the environment.'
Ukraine will never recognise 'null and worthless' Russian referendums in its occupied territories and will keep fighting to liberate them, Kyiv has vowed today.

Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson 'remain the sovereign territories of Ukraine', Kyiv's foreign ministry said, despite sham votes staged by Russia at gunpoint that have paved the way for Putin to annex them.

'Ukraine has every right to restore its territorial integrity by military and diplomatic means, and will continue to liberate' its territory, the ministry added - in defiance of the Kremlin's threats to resort to nukes.

Meanwhile American lawmakers were said to have earmarked another $12billion in military and economic aid for Ukraine, underlining their commitment to support Kyiv for the long despite Russia's sabre-rattling.

Ukraine has vowed never to recognise 'null and worthless' Russian referendums or to stop liberating its occupied territories (pictured, Russian troops outside a polling station)

President Zelensky said there will be no peace talks with Russia while Putin is attempting to carve up his country under the guise of democracy

Russian officials in Ukraine's occupied regions announced yesterday that 90 per cent of people had voted to become part of Russia - a result that was in little doubt as armed soldiers took ballot boxes door-to-door.

Kremlin puppets in the occupied regions said they planned to ask permission to join Russia today, with Putin expected to accept on Friday in an address to parliament.

Though void of legitimacy, the process will allow Putin to spin the lie to his own people that Ukraine is now attacking Russian rather than the other way around - kicking off a dangerous new phase in the conflict.

President Zelensky, speaking at the UN last night, said there could be no peace negotiations with Putin while he was working to carve up Ukrainian territory.

'Russia's recognition of these sham referendums as normal... will mean that there is nothing to talk about with this president of Russia', he said.

Separately, his foreign ministry slammed 'armed aggression and helpless attempts to hold on to the temporarily occupied territories' by the Kremlin.

'Forcing people in these territories to fill out some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine,' it said.

'Such actions severely violate the Constitution and laws of Ukraine, as well as norms of international law and Russia's international obligations. '

Russia yesterday claimed more than 90 per cent of people in territories it occupies had voted to join the 'motherland', though there is little doubt the ballot was rigged

Moscow yesterday published the results of referendums that its troops staged in the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia over the past week - claiming 90 per cent of people had voted to become part of Russia.

Videos of gun-toting Kremlin troops going door to door with ballot boxes have left little doubt over the validity of the votes, but it none-the-less marks an important moment because it gives Putin a pre-text to claim them as part of Russia.

The despot is expected to so on Friday when he addresses both houses of parliament, allowing him to spin the lie to his own people that Ukraine is now attacking Russian - rather than the other way around.

That then increases the suite of options he has to respond, including using nukes.

Putin threatened to deploy his nuclear arsenal last week, and his allies - including ex-President Dmitry Medvedev - have repeated it several times since.

Russia staged the referendums in the wake of a Ukrainian counter-attack to the east of Kharkiv that placed Putin firmly on the back foot and victory within its grasp.

The Kremlin now appears to be trying to regain momentum with a heady mix of threats and escalation.

Putin is expected to annex the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions to Russia in a speech to parliament on Friday (file image)

Annexing territory would allow Putin to claim that Ukraine is attacking Russia rather than the other way around, paving the way to escalate the war (file image, a Russian solider in Ukraine)

Aside from the referendums and nuclear sabre-rattling, Putin has also ordered the partial mobilisation of Russia's population with the aim of shipping 300,000 new troops off to the frontlines.

That has sparked huge domestic unrest with protests erupting in multiple cities, and has seen thousands flee the country to avoid the draft.

Meanwhile videos have revealed the draftees are being given little training or equipment before being thrown on to the frontlines, with experts saying they are unlikely to change the course of the war.

But, rather than win outright, Putin appears to be trying to increase the cost of defeating him such that the West stops trying.

Against that backdrop, two explosions badly damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that run under the Baltic Sea yesterday - with Moscow the prime suspect.

However, Western leaders have so-far stopped short of directly blaming Russia as the attack caught them off-guard and evidence is still being gathered.
A simulation has shown the devastating impact that Hurricane Ian could have on a house, as the 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 storm bore down on the western coast of Florida.

The National Hurricane Center's simulation video gives an idea of how destructive Hurricane Ian, which has strengthened to a Category 4 storm in the past few hours, could be.

The dramatic simulation shows how a house would be affected as a hurricane ramped up from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm, with the building completely destroyed by the end of the video.

The simulation shows the roof being ripped off the house during a Category 4 storm, which will not dampen the fears of Florida's residents as Hurricane Ian is expected to hit the state later today.

The National Hurricane Center warned that during a Category 4 storm, most of the area hit by the hurricane would be 'uninhabitable for weeks or months'.

The dramatic simulation shows how a house would be affected as a hurricane ramped up from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm, with the building completely destroyed by the end of the video

The simulation shows the roof being ripped off the house during a Category 4 storm, which will not dampen the fears of Florida's residents as Hurricane Ian is expected to hit the state later today

The simulation is based on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which has five categories numbered 0 to 5.

In a Category 4 storm, the winds can reach between 130 to 156mph, the NHC said.

Forecasters are predicting that Hurricane Ian will retain top winds of 140mph until landfall on Wednesday.

Tropical storm force winds and rain were already hitting the state's heavily populated Gulf Coast, with the Naples to Sarasota region at 'highest risk' of a devastating storm surge.

The hurricane could push as much as 12 feet (3.6 meters) of ocean water ashore in Florida, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said, urging people to evacuate the danger zone if they still can.

The National Hurricane Center warned that during a Category 4 storm, most of the area hit by the hurricane would be 'uninhabitable for weeks or months'. The simulation shows how a house would be destroyed in a Category 5 storm

The simulation shows the roof being ripped off the house during a Category 4 storm, which will not dampen the fears of Florida's residents as Hurricane Ian (pictured in satellite image) is expected to hit the state later today

More than 2.5 million people were under mandatory evacuation orders, but by law no one could be forced to flee.

Ian was centered about 55 miles west-southwest of Naples at 6 a.m., swirling toward the coast at 10 mph.

The hurricane center predicted Ian would roar ashore Wednesday afternoon. Winds exceeding tropical-storm strength of 39 mph reached Florida by 3 a.m. and hurricane-force winds were expected in Florida well in advance of the eyewall moving inland, the Miami-based center said. Rainfall near the area of landfall could top 18 inches.

'It is a big storm, it is going to kick up a lot of water as it comes in,' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in Sarasota, a coastal city of 57,000 in the storm's projected path. 'This the kind of storm surge that is life threatening.'
The headteacher of Molly Russell who engaged with thousands of self-harm and suicide related posts on Instagram and Pinterest before ending her life has told an inquest it is 'almost impossible to keep track of social media' and the risks it poses to children.

Sue Maguire, head at Hatch End High School in Harrow, northwest London, said the 14-year-old student's suicide in November 2017 was a 'complete and terrible shock to the school'.

She added that the school had warned students about the 'dangers of social media for a long time'.

Ms Maguire told North London Coroner's Court that Hatch End High School did not 'present a stance' that students should not use social media, but said it creates 'challenges... we simply didn't have 10 years ago or 15 years ago'.

She highlighted the difficulty in spotting when a child such as Molly is unwell and spoke of the challenges of big social media platforms.

'There is a level where I want to say it is almost impossible to keep track of social media, but we have to try to react as speedily as possible,' she said.

Molly Russell, 14, engaged with thousands of self-harm and suicide related posts on Instagram and Pinterest before committing suicide in November 2017

Sue Maguire, headteacher at Hatch End High School in Harrow, northwest London

'It's changed too much, even over the past few years. Facebook was seen as a quaint website and now it is a huge information sharing platform.

'We try to get across that these 'friends' are not your friends and you can have one million but they are not real necessarily.'

Asked by the Russell family's lawyer, Oliver Sanders KC, whether the school was aware of the suicide and self-harm related content available to students like Molly on sites such as Instagram, Ms Maguire said: 'At the time, we were shocked when we saw it.

'But to say that we were completely shocked would be wrong because we had been warning young people about the dangers of social media for a long time.'

Asked about whether more information would help, Ms Maguire said: 'It is getting better, but as soon as that information comes out it will be another platform that's set up, it will be another risk.

'It presents challenges that they didn't really have maybe 10 years or 15 years ago.'

Ms Maguire highlighted the difficulty in spotting when a child such as Molly is unwell.

Molly was described as a 'quiet and reflective student' with a 'small but close friendship group'.

She achieved well academically, especially in the performing arts. She even received a formal award from her school for 'always giving her best and staying positive'.

Ms Maguire said: 'There were a whole range of different issues [discussed with Molly] but they would have been deemed normal conversation.

'Molly's suicide was a complete and terrible shock to the school.'

Since Molly's death the school has tightened its message to students that; 'it's okay to not be okay'.

'We have always tried to give that impression that there is always somebody to talk to. We're very conscious we spoke to all the year groups.'

The head of health and well-being at Instagram's parent company Meta, Elizabeth Lagone (pictured) and the head of community operations at Pinterest have both apologised at the inquest for content Molly viewed

Rebecca Cozens, deputy head teacher at Molly's school, admitted staff were not aware of the extent of the material Molly was viewing online.

She told North London Coroner's Court: 'I don't think that at the time there was an awareness of the depth of it and how quickly it can snowball. When you go down that rabbit hole it's a deep one.

'It's a fine balance for parents and young people because how do you educate them without scaring them or making them intrigued.'

The head of health and wellbeing at Instagram's parent company Meta and the head of community operations at Pinterest have both apologised at the inquest for content Molly viewed.

Elizabeth Lagone, head of health and well-being at Instagram's parent company Meta, previously told North London Coroner's Court: 'We are sorry that Molly viewed content that violated our policies and we don't want that on the platform.'

Pinterest's Judson Hoffman told the inquest the site was 'not safe' when Molly used it.

Coroner Andrew Walker told the Russell family he would be delivering his conclusions by the end of the week.

The inquest continues.

For help or support, visit samaritans.org or call the Samaritans for free on 116 123
Selfie-takers desperate to get the shot have been dicing with death as they wade up to crashing waves whipped up by Hurricane Ian along Florida's Key West pier.

Video shows people - including children - braving choppy waters armed with camera phones and selfie sticks as 60mph gusts of wind buffeted the keys.

The reckless snappers have been 'doing it for the 'gram' - doing things for the sole purpose of posting it on Instagram - even as local police urged residents to stay inside and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents in the the hurricane's path that 'now is your last chance to evacuate.'

Key West Police Department warned it was not safe to go outside and that lives are threatened by standing water that could be electrified by downed powerlines.

Separate video showed palm trees lashed by strong winds and homes without electricity flooded by up to two feet in Key West.

Ian is set to make landfall in Charlotte County on the southwestern coast of Florida, the state's governor Ron DeSantis said this morning, potentially as a Category Five storm.

Ian, which was only recently upgraded to a catastrophic Category Four hurricane, has been whipping up winds of 155mph, just below Category Five strength, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Selfie-takers risked 60mph winds to get up and close and personal with crashing waves whipped up by Hurricane Ian

A pair pose together for a selfie under dangerously stormy conditions along Florida's Key West pier

A couple armed with a selfie stick smile as they 'do it for the gram', defying police warnings to stay indoors

Previous estimations of top wind speeds of 130 mph have now been well exceeded. The hurricane is centered about 75 miles west-southwest of Naples, Florida and is moving north at a forward speed of 10 mph (17kph), they added.

The major hurricane has prompted warnings of deadly winds and flooding and a possible storm surge that could reach 16ft along the state's heavily populated Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach to the Tampa Bay region.

Florida residents have rushed to board up their homes, stash precious belongings on upper floors and flee.

Two people have already been rushed to hospital after a tornado hit an apartment building for people who are 55 years or older in Kings Point, Delray Beach, on Tuesday evening.

Large trees were tossed to the ground as parts of the building were completely torn and lifted with residents being evacuated as the tornado hit.

Another tornado hit South East Florida, with rain lashing down and footage showing a parking lot almost being flooded as palm trees swayed in the strong winds.

Damages are expected to reach $45billion as the storm continues to grow in strength, as more than two million Floridians have been urged to evacuate.

Satellite imagery shows Hurricane Ian beginning to make landfall over south west Florida after pounding Cuba. Recent data indicates Ian is rapidly intensifying with max sustained winds now up to 155 mph

These two satellite images show the progress Hurricane Ian is making as it passes over Cuba on its way to Florida's west coast

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday there had already been at least two 'radar-indicated tornadoes' in the state, and warned those in areas projected to be hit hardest that their 'time to evacuate is coming to an end.'

'You need to evacuate now. You're going to start feeling major impacts of this storm relatively soon,' he said.

The major hurricane has prompted warnings of a possible dangerous storm surge that could reach 12ft, deadly winds and flooding along the state's heavily populated Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach to the Tampa Bay region. Florida residents have rushed to board up their homes, stash precious belongings on upper floors and flee.

More than 17,000 people in Florida have already been left without power in Florida on Wednesday morning, even before Hurricane Ian made landfall.

The Florida Power and Light Company reported 17,255 outages across several counties in Florida, reports NBC News. In Broward, there were more than 6,700 outages while there were 5,700 outages in Miami-Dade.

DeSantis, who invoked a statewide state of emergency Sunday, has prepared 30,000 workers on standby to help once Florida's power grid inevitably topples in Ian's wrath.

'It is a big storm, it is going to kick up a lot of water as it comes in,' DeSantis said at a news conference in Sarasota, a coastal city of 57,000 in the storm's projected path. He warned : 'This the kind of storm surge that is life threatening.'

A man walks away from the beach ahead of Category Four Hurricane Ian's landfall, in Fort Myers, Florida

News reporters film a last broadcast before final evacuations as the potential Category Five storm approaches

The Florida governor warned residents to prepare for impact, especially those in mobile homes along the west coast, which might be designed for Category Three hurricanes and 100mph winds, but may not be able to withstand what is coming.

'You have in southwest Florida, really throughout the state, but really throughout the communities that may get hit with the initial impact of the eye of the storm, you have a lot of mobile homes,' DeSantis said.

'You have folks, and actually the way those are done, they can actually withstand 100 mile per hour winds, maybe 110 to be certified.

'Expect heavy rains, strong winds, flash flooding, storm surge and even isolated tornados. Make preparations now,' he said, adding that residents should anticipate power outages, fuel disruptions, and even evacuations in certain areas.

The announcement came after DeSantis had earlier declared a state of emergency in 24 counties in his home state, with President Biden over the weekend invoking his own emergency edict for the Everglades State, delaying scheduled trip to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

Those orders have so far seen roughly 2.5 million Floridians ordered to evacuate their homes, as officials scramble to prepare for the storm's now-inevitable US landfall - with the situation in Cuba serving as a stark warning of what may be to come.
The mother of Archie Battersbee is adamant that a 'party' at her dead 12-year-old son's graveside was to mark her birthday and did not have music or alcohol.

Hollie Dance says she only had gazebo on Friday in the cemetery because a forecast said it would rain after complaints were made about her event to Southend Council.

She said: 'If you call a Starbucks coffee and a box of milk chocolates that somebody bought me for my birthday 'partying', then we are guilty. Otherwise it's nonsense.'

Ms Dance, who fought to keep Archie on life support for months but ultimately lost in court, also claimed to the Southend Echo that people sent her and her family 'death threats' and a 'mock noose' was put on his grave to 'torment' them following the complaints.

Archie was laid to rest earlier this month with his mother then paying tribute to the 'best boy ever'.

During the service, a representative of Southend Gymnastics Club - which Archie went to - recalled the first time she met him as a toddler with his 'gorgeous eyes and bright blonde hair' and 'the cheekiest smile I have ever seen

Archie's mother, Hollie Dance, and other members of his family all wore purple ribbons with the words 'Archie's Army' written on them

The coffin of Archie Battersbee is brought into St Mary's Church, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex

She said people have been targetting her family since the 'party' and have left items at his grave.

'We are 100 per cent being targeted and I have even had death threats,' Ms Dance said. 'One of the worst things that has been done was somebody left a mock noose made out of plastic.

'They are absolutely tormenting the life out of us.'

The gazebo which was put up due to rain was taken down subsequently.

Southend councillor Martin Terry, responsible for public protection, said in a statement to the MailOnline: 'We understand that people will always grieve in different ways when they lose a loved one.

'We would remind all families with loved ones in the cemetery of the conditions of when they purchased the plot, and to remind them that the cemetery is a public space that many people use to visit their loved ones, and as such we want to ensure that it remains respectful for all.'

Archie's glittery silver coffin arrived at St Mary's Church in Prittlewell, Southend, on Tuesday September 13, flanked by dozens of members of his family, all wearing purple ribbons and other purple items.

During the service, a video of the youngster singing One Call Away by Charlie Puth was played, before the choir performed a rendition of the song. 'One Sweet Day' by Mariah Carey was also sung.

Archie's mother tearfully addressed the congregation before someone shouted 'we love you Hollie, we're so proud of you' and the crowd broke into spontaneous applause.

The Christian Legal Centre, a campaign group which has supported the family, said Reverend Paul Mackay will oversee a service featuring music and poetry

The 12-year-old who was at the centre of a life-support treatment fight during the summer, died on August 6

Hollie Dance addressing the congregation during her son's funeral at St Mary's Church in Prittlewell

During the service, a video of Archie singing One Call Away by Charlie Puth was played, before the choir performed a rendition of the song

Ms Dance said, from the front of the church: 'He was just such a beautiful little boy and just he made the most of absolutely everything that he did. He lived a very fulfilled and happy life. He was very, very energetic.'

She continued: 'He was the best little boy ever, just perfect. There were a few little challenges along the way but he was just moulding into such a perfect little man. I love him so much.'

The song Someone You Loved by pop star Lewis Capaldi was played over speakers, and there was poetry, hymns, a bible reading and a video montage of photographs and film of Archie, including some of him doing somersaults.

Flowers arranged on top of the coffin read 'son', with others reading 'Archie's army'.

During the service, a representative of Southend Gymnastics Club - which Archie went to - recalled the first time she met him as a toddler with his 'gorgeous eyes and bright blonde hair' and 'the cheekiest smile I have ever seen'

The media are attending Archie's funeral at the permission of Archie's family. Pictured is the scene inside St Mary's Church in Prittlewell

St Mary's Church in Prittlewell, where Archie's funeral is taking place, dates back to the 7th-century when a small Anglo-Saxon chapel was built on the site

Family members wearing purple ribbons make there way through the churchyard behind Archie's silver coffin

Archie's glittery silver coffin is carried by undertakers out of St Mary's Church following his funeral

The coffin is taken from St Mary's Church, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex after his funeral

She said he showed 'all of the courage, bravery and determination that he had shown in the past few months' and that he 'always had a smile on his face'.

A High Court judge ruled in July that doctors could lawfully stop providing life-support treatment to the youngster, who suffered brain damage in April after a suspected TikTok challenge at his home in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

Doctors stopped treatment in early August after Archie's mother, Hollie Dance, and father, Paul Battersbee, failed in bids to overturn Mr Justice Hayden's ruling.

Judges were told Ms Dance found Archie unconscious with a ligature over his head on April 7.

She thinks he may have been taking part in an online challenge. The youngster did not regain consciousness.

During the service, a representative of Southend Gymnastics Club - which Archie went to - recalled the first time she met him as a toddler with his 'gorgeous eyes and bright blonde hair' and 'the cheekiest smile I have ever seen'

The huge number of mourners at Archie's funeral meant there were not enough copies of the order of service to go round

Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, thought he was brain-stem dead and said continued life-support treatment was not in his best interests.

Bosses at Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, asked a High Court judge to make decisions on what medical moves were in Archie's best interests.

Mrs Justice Arbuthnot initially considered the case and concluded that Archie was dead.

But Court of Appeal judges upheld a challenge, by Archie's parents, against Mrs Justice Arbuthnot's ruling and said evidence should be reviewed by a different High Court judge.

Mr Justice Hayden then ruled, after a further hearing, that ending treatment would be in Archie's best interests
Police are to be forced to give a huge payout to a thug who stormed round to his ex-girlfriend's home wielding a fake submachine gun - after an armed officer accidentally shot him in the leg.

Aaron Humphries, 32, sparked panic when he was spotted sitting in a car holding the 2ft-long fake weapon.

It turned out to be a BB gun but armed cops dashed to the scene after receiving a 999 call from a terrified passerby.

Police sealed off Ronkswood Hill in Worcester and ordered Humphries to get out of a white BMW he was sitting in.

A witness filmed the moment a female officer's gun went off by mistake. The bullet went through the car door and ricocheted into Humphries' right leg.

Humphries was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with life-changing injuries before being charged by cops.

He admitted possession of an imitation firearm and criminal damage following the incident on October 2 last year.

Aaron Humphries, 32, sparked panic when he was spotted sitting in a car with fake gun

Humphries' solicitor Iain Gould says he is likely to receive a significant compensation payout as a result of his 'horrendous injury'

The court also heard Humphries had become 'paranoid' after taking drugs and had been caught growing 33 cannabis plants in a tanning salon in Worcester.

In January this year the dad-of-three was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for two years at Worcester Crown Court.

Humphries is now expected to receive compensation after suing West Mercia Police

claiming he struggles to walk and was forced to give up his 45,000-a-year Civil Engineering job.

The case is currently being heard in the High Court where the force admitted liability for battery.

His solicitor Iain Gould says he is likely to receive a significant compensation payout as a result of his 'horrendous injury'.

Humphries, 32, was spotted sitting in his car holding a 2ft-long fake submachine gun (stock)

Mr Gould said: 'Aaron, who had fallen asleep in his car, awoke to the sound of shouting and realised that his vehicle was surrounded by police officers who were training their firearms upon him.

'In a state of shock, and following commands given by the firearms squad, Aaron

exited his vehicle and stood by the open driver's door.

'He was holding nothing in his hands, a fact which was clearly visible to the police.

'One of the officers approached Aaron with handcuffs, whilst another approached with a taser; 'red-dotting' Aaron with the less lethal weapon.

'Aaron remained fully compliant. Then, without warning, he was shot by one of the officers (identified as Officer B) with her carbine, a lethal weapon.

'The bullet from Officer B's carbine punctured the open door of Aaron's car, hit Aaron's left knee and then tore through his right leg, creating entry and exit wounds.

'Aaron fell to the floor, bleeding and in excruciating pain, before being rushed to hospital by ambulance for emergency surgery.

'Following the incident, Officer B was interviewed by the IOPC (Independent Office of Police Conduct).

'Her account of events was that she accidentally fired her carbine whilst holding a large, heavy shield in her left hand and trying to apply the safety catch with her right hand.

'Indeed, body-worn video records the officer shouting 'Sorry, sorry!' immediately after her weapon was discharged.'

A misconduct panel concluded that Officer B's conduct had not breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour but revoked her firearms licence.

Mr Gould added: 'It was sheer luck that the 'rogue bullet' did not kill Aaron - or in fact, one of the officer's colleagues or indeed an innocent bystander.

'However, I am pleased to confirm that there certainly will be institutional accountability for what happened to Aaron, as I have brought the full force of the civil law to bear against West Mercia Police in the form of High Court proceedings, in which they have now admitted full liability for assault and battery.

'Aaron will in due course receive a significant compensation award - though he would give it all up to change the trajectory of that bullet to a harmless one.'

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: 'We can confirm that we have received a civil claim and that legal proceedings are currently ongoing with regard to the claim.

'West Mercia Police have admitted liability for battery as part of these civil legal proceedings, which are ongoing.'
On Tuesday, European nations hurried to look into mysterious leaks in two Russian gas pipelines that cross the Baltic Sea close to Sweden and Denmark. These pipelines are at the center of an energy crisis that has existed since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Russian officials, who developed the network, did not completely rule out the possibility of sabotage, according to some European officials. Terje Aasland, the Norwegian minister of petroleum and energy, stated on Tuesday that the early evidence on the leaks pointed to acts of sabotage.

Swedish PM: Nord Stream Leaks Probably Due to 'Sabotage'

Both the Swedish and Danish prime ministers, Magdalena Andersson and Mette Frederiksen, acknowledged the incident was probably planned, but they downplayed the likelihood of a military danger.

Both pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between European capitals and Moscow that has battered major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring, and sparked a search for alternative energy sources, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who told reporters in Moscow, "No option can be ruled out right now."

The operator of the Nord Stream AG pipeline claims that it is currently impossible to estimate a timeframe for restoring the gas transport infrastructure, as per CNN.

The largest of the explosions, according to Sweden's National Seismic Network, was comparable to more than 100kg of dynamite. After the explosions and allegations of unidentifiable drones flying close to some of its gas sites, Norway stepped up security at every one of them.

Terje Aasland, the Norwegian minister of oil and energy, stated that much of the evidence so far indicates acts of sabotage. As other German media quoted sources to attribute the leaks to a targeted attack, Spiegel magazine revealed that US agencies had informed Germany about potential attacks on gas pipelines in the Baltics weeks prior.

The Ukrainian president's assistant, Mykhailo Podolyak, accused Russia of carrying out a terrorist attack against the EU and urged Berlin to expedite the delivery of weaponry to Kyiv.

The network's operator, Nord Stream AG, described the damage to the pipelines as unprecedented and said it was impossible to determine a timeline for repairs. If Russian sabotage was proven, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, it would be in nobody's interest.

Despite a growing energy war in which Putin is betting on the West collapsing first, European gas prices jumped by as much as 20% on Tuesday after falling for the previous four days, according to Telegraph.

Read Also: Hurricane Ian: Category 3 Storm Batters Cuba as Florida Braces For Major Catastrophe

Russia Denies Accusation

Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark, said it was too soon to draw any conclusions but that it was difficult to think that the numerous leaks could be a coincidence. Unconfirmed allegations in German media at the same time said that officials had not ruled out an attack on the undersea gas network.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, expressed his great concern over the incident and said it was impossible to rule out the potential of a planned attack. The EU has already charged Russia with using a decrease in gas supplies as an economic weapon in retaliation to sanctions put in place by the EU as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow disputes this, claiming that it is now difficult to properly maintain the gas infrastructure due to the sanctions. Whatever the origin of the damage, since neither pipeline was in use, it will not immediately impair the delivery of gas to Europe. Since Russia shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in August for maintenance, which involves two parallel branches, no gas has been transferred.

It reaches north-eastern Germany and the Russian shore near St. Petersburg across a distance of 745 miles (1,200 km) beneath the Baltic Sea. Following the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, its twin pipeline, Nord Stream 2, was shut down.

Poland is taking the lead in the movement to lessen reliance on Russia, which was formerly Europe's main source of energy, with the opening of a new gas pipeline. The Baltic Pipe will be a new route for Norwegian gas to reach Europe, opening up access to it for nations south of Poland like Slovakia and the Czech Republic, BBC reported.

Related Article: Ukraine Gets Attacked by Drones Reportedly Made in Iran Amid Rising Fears on Russia's Referendums

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A man accused of trying to murder a woman by pulling her onto the tracks of the London Underground has been remanded in custody.

Arthur Hawrylewicz, 41, allegedly tried to kill Maria Osifeso in the terrifying incident on the Hammersmith and City Line at King's Cross station on August 29.

Hawrylewicz appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday via videolink from HMP Wandsworth wearing a grey tracksuit.

A psychiatrist will now determine whether he is mentally ill.

Hawrylewicz, of Cardiff, did not enter pleas to the allegation of attempted murder.

Arthur Hawrylewicz, 41, is accused of attempting to murder Maria Osifeso by pulling her onto the tracks of the London Underground at King's Cross station (pictured above) on August 29

He was remanded in custody and will appear at Inner London Crown Court on November 7.

British Transport Police previously said officers were called at 1.26pm on Monday, August 29, following reports of a 'serious incident'.

They said a man is believed to have attempted to pull a woman on the train tracks, before being hit by a train himself.

Hawrylewicz is said to have injured himself in the process, while the woman was miraculously unharmed, yet 'shaken up'.

CCTV footage from inside the underground carriage is being examined by specialists, a court previously heard.
Man jailed over brutal assault of Uber driver that saw him punched and choked

A man has been jailed over the brutal assault of an Uber driver that saw the victim choked and bashed until he was temporarily blind in one eye.

Rideshare driver Moiz Akash picked up Zachary Gartrell, 22, on June 19 in the Perth suburb of Koongamia.

Gartell was already out on bail for other serious crimes including the alleged assault of two transit guards.

Horrific dashcam footage from inside Mr Akash's car shows the violent young man repeatedly punching the Uber driver - who has vowed never to drive again.

A man has been jailed over the brutal assault of an Uber driver that saw the victim choked and bashed until he was temporarily blind in one eye

Gartrell slammed the car door into another vehicle as he entered, prompting the Uber driver to tell him to calm down.

He then repeatedly throws punches as the driver cowers in the front seat. After several moments, the attacker then puts Mr Akash in a headlock - with the driver forced to bite his fingers to break free.

The driver claimed he was unable to breathe for upwards of 10 seconds when the stranger choked him.

Mr Akash said he had initially installed the dashcam in his car in the off chance he was attacked while he working.

Gartrell then spat in his face, before chasing the driver down the street screaming: 'I'm going to kill you', Perth's Magistrate Court heard on Wednesday.

Horrific dashcam footage from inside Mr Akash's car shows the violent young man repeatedly punching the Uber driver - who has vowed never to drive again

Mr Akash (pictured) was left temporarily blinded in one eye after he was punched and choked by the man

It was revealed he was already on bail for biting and spitting blood on a transit officer.

The 22-year-old assailant was given 19 months behind bars for the attacks.

Mr Akash meanwhile told Seven News he thought he was 'done' during the terrifying ordeal.

'I was lucky I escaped ... that was a horrible experience in my life,' he said.

The driver has vowed to never work for Uber again.
MP and two sisters attended Notting Hill & Ealing High School, which now charges nearly 20,000 a year

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Suspended Labour MP Rupa Huq - who is today facing a backlash for her 'racist' jibe about Kwasi Kwarteng - is a privately educated amateur DJ with a doctorate on European youth culture whose younger sister, former Blue Peter presenter Konnie, has appeared alongside her on the campaign trail.

The 50-year-old has represented her Ealing Central and Acton seat since 2015 after giving up her job as a university lecturer teaching a range of subjects including sociology, criminology and media studies.

Konnie has described how she was 'always into politics and acquired the nickname 'Radical Rup' for wearing red socks at school rather than navy blue ones like the other children. The former TV star has featured an 'exaggerated' version of her sister in one of her children's books. The pair have an older sister, Nutun, a successful architect.

Dr Huq, who is married with one son, is currently at the centre of a major scandal after being branded 'racist' by her own party leader, Sir Keir Starmer, for comments she made about the Chancellor during a conference tirade about his tax-cutting budget.

During a Q&A session, she said: 'He's superficially, he's, a black man but again he's got more in common... he went to Eton, he went to a very expensive prep school, all the way through top schools in the country. If you hear him on the Today programme you wouldn't know he's black.'

Dr Huq and her two sisters attended Notting Hill & Ealing High School, an independent day school which currently charges nearly 20,000 a year.

Rupa Huq is sister to Konnie Huq, the former Blue Peter presenter. The pair have previously joined each other on the campaign trail

Rupa and Konnie Huq in an old school photo. The sisters went to Notting Hill & Ealing High School, an independent day school which currently charges nearly 20,000 a year

The Ealing Central and Acton MP (left) has been suspended by Labour following her 'racist' comments about Mr Kwarteng. Konnie is seen on the right

The MP was born in Hammersmith and grew up in Ealing, with her father - who had moved to the UK from Bangladesh with his wife - running an Asian restaurant.

After graduating from Cambridge University she worked for Labour at the European Parliament - a time during which she later revealed she had been sexually harassed by a male MEP - before becoming a lecturer at the University of Manchester.

After two unsuccessful attempts at entering Parliament, Ms Huq was elected as MP for Ealing Central and Acton at the 2015 general election. She was among those MPs to nominate Jeremy Corbyn in that year's Labour leadership contest, although she later supported Yvette Cooper.

Writing about Rupa in the Times, Konnie said: 'Rupa's always been into politics. She did it at school and she's been very politically inclined from the get-go, really. I remember her staying up all night watching the results of the 1992 general election.

'We went to a school where the colours were very patriotic: red, white, and navy blue. Everyone would wear navy-blue socks but she always wore red socks. We used to call her 'Radical Rup' in her red socks.'

Konnie, 47 - who is married to Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker - described her sister as a 'really good MP and revealed she had used her as the inspiration for Cookie, a character in one of her children's books.

'[She's] the youngest of three sisters and her middle sister's really into politics,' Konnie wrote. 'She's an exaggerated version of us all. Rupa is really funny, and we both see the absurd in everyday life, but it would be a really boring book for kids if it was exactly true to life.'

Dr Huq had an awkward relationship with the former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn - with the MP raising eyebrows in 2016 by saying she was optimistic about the party's prospect because he was too old to continue as leader for much longer.

She told a meeting of the Blairite Progress group in West London: 'On national trends, I'm gone very, very easily. This is just a five-year adventure.'

A week before, she faced further controversy for seeking to defend her Labour colleague, Naz Shah, for allegedly anti-Semitic posts she shared online. The Labour MP for Bradford West was suspended by her party over the posts, including one that suggested Israelis should be relocated to the United States.

The Huq sisters were born in Hammersmith and grew up in Ealing, with their father - who had moved to the UK from Bangladesh with his wife - running an Asian restaurant. Pictured is an old family photo

Konnie, 47 - who is married to Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker - described her sister as a 'really good MP and revealed she had used her as the inspiration for Cookie, a character in one of her children's books

Dr Huq tried to defend Ms Shah on the grounds that she had just shared a post on Facebook  and compared it to the fact that she herself had once shared a picture of Boris Johnson on a zipwire.

She was immediately accused of trivialising the issue.

Dr Huq was re-elected to her West London seat in 2019 with 51.3 per cent of the vote and is now a member of the Public Order Bill Committee, the Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee, the Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Sub-committee on Online Harms and Disinformation, and the Panel of Chairs.

She is a committed Remainer and has previously spoken out about prejudice faced by ethnic minority MPs.

In 2018, she received a suspicious package containing an anti-Islamic letter and a sticky liquid - later found to be low-level toxic. Similar packages were received by three other Labour MPs from Muslim backgrounds.

Her future in the Labour Party is now in doubt, with Sir Keir announcing she was under investigation and refusing to be drawn on whether she would be able to return to the Labour benches.

Keir Starmer brands Labour MP Rupa Huq a RACIST after she is suspended and says sorry to Kwasi Kwarteng for describing Chancellor as 'superficially black' - but party leader dodges questions on whether she will be kicked out for good

By David Wilcock, Deputy Political Editor for MailOnline

Keir Starmer branded one of his own MPs a racist today after she branded Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng 'superficially black'.

The Labour leader distanced himself from Rupa Huq after the Ealing Central and Acton MP, 50, launched a conference tirade at Mr Kwarteng over his tax-cutting Budget.

She was recorded telling an event at Labour Party Conference on Monday that 'superficially he is a black man,' adding that people listening to Mr Kwarteng during radio interviews 'wouldn't know he is black'.

She was suspended by the party and had the Labour whip removed, despite eventually apologising to Mr Kwarteng.

On a round of broadcast interviews today Sir Keir told LBC Radio: 'What she said in my view was racist, it was wrong and she's been suspended from the whip in the party and that was done very, very quickly.

'I think that tells you how strongly I feel about those comments.

'She shouldn't have said it. She will be dealt with and I'll be absolutely clear it was racist.'

Sir Keir said it was not his personal decision to suspend her but 'it's a decision I absolutely agree with' and the MP would now face an investigation. He would not be drawn on whether she would be able to return to the Labour benches.

Dr Huq made the 'vile' remark about Kwasi Kwarteng during an event attended by Labour chair Anneliese Dodds - although she left before Ms Huq spoke about the Chancellor

On a round of broadcast interviews today Sir Keir told LBC Radio: 'What she said in my view was racist'.

The fury over Ms Huq's comments threatened to overshadow Sir Keir's keynote speech to Labour members in Liverpool, which he delivered this afternoon less than an hour after the row broke out.

Ms Huq later posted on Twitter to reveal she had contacted Mr Kwarteng to offer her 'sincere and heartfelt apologies' for her 'ill-judged' comments.

'I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone affected,' she added.

In the audio recording of her remarks, Ms Huq - the elder sister of former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq - is heard commenting on the Chancellor's school education.

'He went to Eton, I think, he went to a very expensive prep school - all the way through the top schools in the country,' she said.

'If you hear him on the Today programme, you wouldn't know he is black.'

Tory chairman Jake Berry branded Ms Huq's comments 'racist' and had earlier demanded Sir Keir 'unequivocally' condemn the remarks and withdraw the Labour whip from her.

He posted on Twitter: 'Keir Starmer must act over Rupa Huq's digusting comments at #LPC22 about the Chancellor.

''Superficially he is a black man' because he's Conservative is a vile thing to say.'

In a letter to the Labour leader, Mr Berry wrote: 'I trust you will join me in unequivocally condemning these comments as nothing less than racist and that the Labour whip will be withdrawn from Rupa Huq as a consequence.'

In an audio recording, Ms Huq was also heard claiming those listening to the Chancellor during radio interviews 'wouldn't know he is black'

Ms Huq posted on Twitter to reveal she had contacted Mr Kwarteng to offer her 'sincere and heartfelt apologies' for her 'ill-judged' comments

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan described Ms Huq's comments as 'disgusting' and demanded action be taken by Sir Keir.

Former Cabinet minister Sajid Javid also joined the condemnation of Ms Huq and said he was 'appalled and saddened to hear these comments by a fellow MP'.

'Rather than give encouragement to racists and people who seek to divide us, she should know better,' he added. 'Not too late for her to show that she does.'

In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, Tory chairman Jake Berry branded Ms Huq's comments 'racist' and demanded she have the Labour whip withdrawn from her

Andrew RT Davies, the Conservative leader in the Welsh Senedd, expressed his outrage as he described Ms Huq's remarks as 'abhorrent racism' and called on Sir Keir to take 'urgent action'.

Gregory Stafford, the Tory leader on Ealing Coucil, posted on Twitter: 'Absolutely unacceptable comments by Rupa Huq vocalising the view of some on the Left that skin colour should determine your political views and if you don't subscribe to their ideology then you are only 'superficially' black.'

Ms Huq made the remarks during an event on Monday also attended by Anneliese Dodds, Labour's chair and shadow secretary of state for women and equalities.

She sat alongside Ms Dodds at the event titled 'What Next for Labour's Agenda on Race?', which was hosted by the British Future think tank and the Black Equity Organisation.

Sunder Katwala, the director of British Future who chaired the fringe event, challenged Ms Huq over her remarks.

He warned the MP that Mr Kwarteng's political ideology 'doesn't make him not black and I think the Labour Party has to be really careful'.

It is understood the audience at the fringe event applauded loudly after Mr Katwala challenged Ms Huq.

Mr Katwala revealed that Ms Dodds was no longer at the fringe event when Mr Huq made her remarks about Mr Kwarteng, with the Labour chair having left after half an hour.

Prior to her suspension, Labour's shadow foreign secretary David Lammy called on Ms Huq to apologise for her 'unfortunate' comments about Mr Kwarteng.

'I think those comments are unfortunate,' he told the BBC. 'I wouldn't have made them myself and, clearly, I hope Rupa apologises and retracts them.'
A WhatsApp chief has warned ministers that aspects of the new Online Safety Bill could risk the security of more than two billion users, including the government's own departments.

Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp at Meta, said plans to override encryption technology would have implications for the security of the government's own communications, and that what the UK decides will have global repercussions, such as emboldening authoritarian regimes.

In an interview with the FT, he said: 'If the UK decides that it is OK for a government to get rid of encryption, there are governments all around the world that will do exactly the same thing, qhere liberal democracy is not as strong, where there are different concerns that really implicate deep-seated human rights.'

Will Cathcart (pictured) is the head of WhatsApp for Meta

WhatsApp, an instant messaging app, works by encrypting messages sent between users

Mr Cathcart said there other alternatives to explore when protecting children using the instant messaging app, without compromising the entire network's security technology.

It comes as the Government's flagship bill, which the say will make the internet safer, has been criticised by opponents for proposing that apps and online services should block 'legal but harmful' content.

Mr Cathcart added that the pressure it is receiving from governments to weaken security was 'puzzling'.

He continued: 'Governments around the world should be pushing tech companies as hard as possible to up the security of their communications, especially liberal democracies.

'Were in an era on the internet where cyber attacks are going way up, especially from hostile nation states. And so the idea that now is a moment to weaken security, I just think its very, very wrong.'

If made into law, the Online Safety Bill would require companies such as Google, Meta and Twitter to proactively scan and remove harmful content from their platforms.

Tech companies have said it is not technically possible for messaging apps that run on encryption to scan for harmful content, such as child pornography, without compromising security across the whole network.

Encryption prevents anyone, including the platforms themselves, from reading messages sent between individuals.

Earlier this week, culture secretary Michelle Donelan confirmed ministers were looking again at part of the Online Safety Bill designed to target 'legal but harmful' content amid concerns that it could lead to an increase in censorship.

There are fears this provision will cause social media companies to set their algorithms far too strictly to avoid huge fines or even criminal sanctions  and in doing so take down legitimate journalism.

The Bill seeks to force the biggest operators, such as Meta, formerly Facebook, and Google, to abide by a duty of care to users, overseen by Ofcom as the new regulator for the sector.

Companies that fail to comply with the laws could be fined up to 10 per cent of their annual global turnover and will also be forced to improve their practices and block non-compliant sites.

One of the most contentious pieces of the legislation is for tech giants to remove lawful but harmful content or face heavy fines

The previous Government had already amended the Online Safety Bill so that social media platforms have to notify recognised news publishers if they intend to block or take down news content, and wait for the result of any appeal.

Critics of the Bill believe the measures risk making social media platforms 'online policemen' and that attempts to define 'legal but harmful' content are 'authoritarian'.

The previous Government had already amended the Bill so that social media platforms have to notify recognised news publishers if they intend to block or take down news content, and wait for the result of any appeal.

The Bill will also require pornography websites to use age verification technology to stop children from accessing the material on their sites, and there will be a duty for the largest social media platforms and search engines to prevent fraudulent advertising.

The fate of the Online Safety Bill under a new-look Conservative Government had been somewhat unclear, with the new Prime Minister clarifying earlier this month that the proposed legislation will return to the Commons.

Andy Burrows, head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC, said that the Culture Secretary's comments were 'really encouraging'.

But he warned that further delay could not be tolerated as he called for a 'culture change' at the top of tech companies,
Donald Trump very nearly booted his daughter and son-in-law from their White House adviser roles via Twitter, a new excerpt suggests on Wednesday.

An excerpt from Maggie Haberman's forthcoming book 'Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and The Breaking of America,' which was published in the Washington Post, details how the former president would go out of his way to drive wedges between his famously tumultuous staff.

That included repeated efforts to get then-Chief of Staff John Kelly to fire Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the report states.

Haberman also claims that, as president, Trump would leave even high-ranking officials like his Pentagon chief floored with suggestions like bombing 'Mexican drug labs' to help stop the flow of illegal drugs through the US's southwestern border.

'He raised it several times, eventually asking a stunned Defense Secretary Mark Esper whether the United States could indeed bomb the labs,' the Post's excerpt reads.

Trump reportedly said the illegal drug crisis would be solved by putting 'lead to target.'

The New York Times journalists' upcoming book also paints a much different picture of the close public relationship the ex-president appeared to share with his relatives-turned-White House advisers.

'In meetings with Kelly and [White House Counsel Don] McGahn, Trump gave instructions to essentially fire the pair,' the book states of Ivanka and Jared.

Donald Trump reportedly tried to drive a wedge between staffers in his famously tumultuous White House

That included pressuring then-Chief of Staff John Kelly and former White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner

But the officials were reportedly worried Trump would hang them out to dry if his children fought back for their jobs.

'At one point, Trump was about to write on Twitter that his daughter and son-in-law were leaving the White House,' Haberman claims.

'Kelly stopped him, saying Trump had to talk to them directly before doing so. Trump agreed, then never followed up with the conversation.'

It's not clear when the exchanges took place, but McGahn departed the White House in 2018 while Kelly left in 2019.

Trump also reportedly told his then-lawyer Rudy Giuliani of promoting his election fraud claims: 'Okay, Rudy, youre in charge. Go wild, do anything you want. I dont care.'

The revelations come from New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman's forthcoming book on Trump's rise in the business world and later the political sphere

Giuliani is now embroiled in multiple legal probes over those efforts, as well as a billion-dollar defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems.

Another excerpt, which was obtained by the Daily Beast, suggests Trump made a vulgar remark about transgender genitalia while preparing for a debate with Hillary Clinton in 2016.

To get ready for the town hall-style forum, Trump's then-adviser Reince Priebus roleplayed as a female transgender student and asked Trump if that student should be allowed to use the girl's bathroom.

Trump asked whether the student in theory still had a penis.

'C***ed or dec***ed?' he reportedly inquired.

He allegedly sought to explain himself with 'a chopping gesture' upon being met with 'blank' confusion.

'With c*** or without c***?' Trump asked again.

When advisers asked why it mattered what genitalia the student had, the former president countered: 'What if a girl was in the bathroom and someone came in, lifted up a skirt, and a schlong was hanging out?'

Haberman's book reportedly details a long history of homophobic and hypersexualized comments coming from Trump, with many reportedly believing he was 'trying to shock' in his interactions.

A more recent excerpt claims he went out of his way to point out his former adviser Jason Miller's degree of heterosexuality.

He apparently said Miller 'likes the ladies' during a meeting with them and former Vice President Mike Pence.

'You know how sometimes someone turns out to be gay later and you knew? This guy, he isnt even like one percent gay,' Trump reportedly said of Miller.
The Princess of Wales made a rare foray into politics as she spoke of the need for food banks as millions of families struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.

Kate made the comments about the importance of community services during a discussion with volunteers and members of the congregation at St Thomas Church in Swansea - her first visit to Wales since inheriting her new title.

Over the last two years the church has been transformed into a community hub, which includes a food bank, facilities for homeless people, and a not-for-profit cafe and community training kitchen.

The site is also home to the Swansea Baby Basics baby bank, a volunteer-led project that distributes essentials to vulnerable mothers and their newborn babies across the city.

During the visit with husband William, Kate said: 'With the cost of living crisis, there are a lot of desperate people out there.'

The royal said that the food bank was a 'lifeline to so many people' particularly after the pandemic and amid the soaring cost of living.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Given the number of visits and conversations that take place during these, we are unable to verify specific comments that are reported upon.'

Princess Kate made a rare foray into politics as she spoke of 'desperate people' struggling with the cost-of-living crisis on a visit to a food bank in Wales

Kate made the comments about the importance of community services during a discussion with volunteers and members of the congregation at St Thomas Church in Swansea - her first visit to Wales since inheriting her new title

Over the last two years the church has been transformed into a community hub, which includes a food bank, facilities for homeless people, and a not-for-profit cafe and community training kitchen

Princess Kate said the food bank (pictured) was a 'lifeline to so many people' particularly after the pandemic and amid the soaring cost of living

While speaking to a group of worshippers, Princess Kate said: 'We all could do with a church (St Thomas') like this where we live'

Royal protocol on talking about politics and when it's been breached By convention the royal family do not comment on political issues out of respect for the monarch's constitutional role, but the conversation is not without precedent. In March of 2016 the Sun ran a splash headline claiming the 'Queen backs Brexit', which was slammed by the watchdog Ipso for being inaccurate, although the paper stood by its reporting. It was later alleged Micheal Gove was the source of the story, which was linked to Her Majesty speaking to then-deputy PM Nick Clegg about the EU. The Queen also put out a message on the eve of the Scottish referendum in which she advised: 'I hope people will think very carefully about the future' which was broadly interpreted as support for the Union. It was later revealed Downing Street and Palace sources had carefully negotiated the exact language after the Queen let it be known she was 'minded' to speak on the issue. And FOI requests revealed 'black spider memos' written by Prince Charles to government ministers in his distinctive handwriting - including lobbying Scottish First Minister Alex Solmand for help restoring a decaying Scottish castle. Advertisement

Chatting with a group of elderly worshippers, she added: 'What's so wonderful about this place is that there is such a good mixture of young and old. It's extraordinary. You have 90-year-olds as well as youngsters. It's a real family organisation.

'We need places like this to bring people together, places where people can come and engage. It's what we need post Covid and with the cost of living crisis.

'Lots of people are too scared to come an engage so it's wonderful that you go out to see them too.

'Places like this are so needed. They bring people together, help them to connect, it's what we have missed since Covid. All gathering together under one roof.

'We all could do with a church like this where we live. I must come to a service once day. It's so remarkable here.'

She added: 'There is amazing work going on here. Keep up the hard work.'

Well-wishers lined the streets to get a glimpse of the couple as they visited Anglesey and Swansea yesterday, in their first appearance in the country since taking on the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales.

Pat Hughes, one of the women who runs the food bank, said: 'It was lovely to chat with the Princess and it's something we won't forget.'

The couple arrived in St Thomas Church in Lewis Street at around 3pm, and greeted volunteers at the hub as well as some members of the public outside.

They were spotted speaking to Rachel Bunting, who is married to Reverend Steven Bunting of the church and is the organiser of the food bank, as well as their two-year-old daughter Charlotte.

They also spoke to Leah Rees, 30, and Francesca Cardone, 44, who have both been community nursery nurses in Swansea for the past seven years.

The pair work with parents who may not be prepared for a baby, and refer them to Rachel at the baby bank, who in turn prepares any items they may need, such as baby baths and clothing.

The Princess appeared especially interested in the work being done by the baby bank and listened intently.

The Prince and Princess of Wales visit St Thomas Church, a redeveloped church in Swansea on Tuesday

Hard at work: The Prince and Princess of Wales meet centre volunteers during a visit to St Thomas Church, in Swansea

The Royal couple were stopped in their tracks by a special note written by Rachel that is given to all mums who access the baby bank - and may be the only card some mothers get.

The note addressed to one mother, which was shown to the Royal couple, read: 'These items are a gift from the mothers of Swansea. We know how hard these first few weeks can be and we want you to have all you need. Here at Baby Basics we believe that God loves you and your son and we want to share that love with you.'

The Prince said the note was 'very nice' and 'would go a long way' for mothers accessing the support.

Before their visit to Swansea, the pair started their day by arriving at RNLI Holyhead Lifeboat Station around 12.20pm where they met crew, volunteers, and people who have been helped by the charity.

The Prince of Wales watched as his wife the Princess of Wales was presented with a posy of flowers by four-year-old Theo Crompton, at the start of their visit.

The Prince and Princess, who used to live in Anglesey, walked from the lifeboat station to the Holyhead Marine and Cafe Bar where they met locals including representatives of small businesses and organisations including the Coastguard and Sea Cadets.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner today joked Boris Johnson will be 'plotting his comeback, with a glint in his eye' amid financial turmoil under Liz Truss.

As she delivered the final speech at Labour's conference, Ms Rayner claimed markets were 'in free fall' after three weeks of Ms Truss's premiership.

She accused the Prime Minister and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng of an effort to 'plunge us into chaos in pursuit of their dogma'.

And she insisted Labour's four-day gathering in Liverpool had shown voters the party was 'ready to govern'.

Ms Rayner - who partied at a boozy karaoke bash last night - wrapped up the conference with an address filled with gags and a series of swipes at the Tories.

She was left to close the event after Sir Keir Starmer had delivered his leader's speech during yesterday's penultimate day of the conference - in a shake-up of the schedule compared with recent years.

Ms Rayner told Labour members it was a 'great honour' to make the final speech before the traditional singing of the party's 'Red Flag' anthem.

'To close the week just as John Prescott did back in the day: although I look better in a dress. I hope to do him proud,' she quipped.

Angela Rayner - who partied at a boozy karaoke bash last night - wrapped up Labour's conference with an address filled with gags and a series of swipes at the Tories

Labour's deputy leader joked Boris Johnson will be 'plotting his comeback, with a glint in his eye' amid financial turmoil under Liz Truss

Ms Rayner was left to close the event after Sir Keir Starmer delivered his leader's speech yesterday - in a shake-up of the schedule compared with recent years

In a veiled dig at Sir Keir, Ms Rayner told Labour members she 'loved the traditions of our movement' such as the Durham Miners' Gala - which Sir Keir skipped this year - and the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival.

She added: 'But there is one part of our history that I will never celebrate - losing elections.

'Think how it will feel meeting here in this hall in a few years time after a term of a Labour government.'

Ms Rayner spoke shortly after the Bank of England dramatically intervened to announce it will buy long-term government debt in a bid to ease recent market chaos.

As the City digested the latest development since Mr Kwarteng's tax-cutting mini-Budget last week, Ms Rayner tore into the Tories' record in Government.

'Defenders of the free market? The markets in free fall. Englands green and pleasant land? Frack it,' she added.

'From the party of stability to causing earthquakes. From the party of business, to a slap down from the IMF.'

Ms Rayner joked she 'looked better in a dress' than former Labour deputy PM John Prescott, who used to deliver the party's closing conference speech

Mr Johnson, pictured out running this week, was also suggested to be plotting a comeback by his estranged former aide Dominic Cummings

The Labour deputy leader claimed, amid the turbulent start to Ms Truss's premiership, the PM's predecessor Mr Johnson would be planning a revival of his political career.

She said: 'I think hell be sat on the backbenches plotting his come back, with a glint in his eye, thinking "I wasn't so bad after all...was I!" And what a sorry state of affairs that is.'

In acknowledgement of Labour's long spell out of power, Ms Rayner admitted that elections often left voters feeling they have a 'choice of heart versus head' and 'values or competence'.

But, suggesting that Labour's leadership is growing in confidence, she added: 'I say to those watching at home - this week we have shown it's a choice you will never have to make again.

'And this past week, the Tories have shown it too. The Conservative Party are no longer pretending to be competent and stable.

'Todays Tories will plunge us into chaos in pursuit of their dogma.'

Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson's estranged former chief adviser, later added to suggestions the former PM would be plotting his comeback.

He claimed 'one of the things holding back' Tory MPs from another leadership contest - following an ousting of Ms Truss - was a 'fear' their action could allow Mr Johnson 'back in'.

The ex-No10 aide added he could 'guarantee' Mr Johnson would be thinking about a comeback 'right now'.
A police force who said it was 'hateful' to call a legally-male trans paedophile a man wants a system where criminals can be recorded as no-gender or other identities.

Sussex Police released a humiliating apology last night after it sparked a row defending Sally Anne Dixon, 58, when the sex offender was called a man by women online.

But MailOnline can reveal the under-fire constabulary has loftier plans that would cut out both male and female terminologies.

The police force - which has its own gender identity and expression page - says it wants to go beyond binary options.

Instead it says it is putting into place new crime recording systems that will go beyond the biologically-recognised sexes.

A Sussex Police document declares: 'The Home Office require us to capture demographic information which they use to monitor crime trends.

'Therefore we record the gender of people that interact with us. Often we are only able to record binary options of male or female in our systems.

'We are making changes where we can to include other gender identities as well as using the gender neutral honorific, "Mx".'

After the furore sparked by Dixon, who has no Gender Recognition Certificate, there was disbelief today after the police plan emerged.

Women's rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen told MailOnline: 'When you can obscure obvious facts such as biological sex, you leave the system open to abuse.

Serial paedophile and abuser Sally Anne Dixon, 58, identifies as a woman but is legally male

Sussex Police apologised last night after Home Secretary Suella Braverman stepped in

The original tweet from Sussex Police about Dixon, which has now been deleted amid apology

'I don't really understand what on earth they are talking about. They don't seem to be able to speak in a language that anyone can understand.

'I think the danger is that when you use the words like gender, no-one really knows what it means - but we do know what biological sex is.

'I think it's virtue signalling and wanting to be seen as being inclusive.

'People want the police to solve crimes - this type of thing doesn't make people safer.

'Who on earth has made these decisions like this? Is it someone just trying to justify their position?

'The fact the police are going on things like this is really worrying. Police playing politics is very dangerous.'

The plan by Sussex Police included aims to be able to record criminals using the identity 'Mx'

Women's rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen said of the plans 'When you can obscure obvious facts such as biological sex, you leave the system open to abuse'

Sussex Police did not request to a request for comment on the new crime recording plans.

But it appears to fly in the face of former Home Secretary Priti Patel's insistence in October forces should stop recording offences by trans women in female crime statistics.

Home Office officials were at the time working with police forces on a new procedure for officers to record the sex of criminals to ensure crime statistics were more accurate.

And yesterday the Home Secretary said the force should be focusing on 'catching criminals' not 'policing pronouns'.

Suella Braverman waded into the Twitter storm after the force said they 'would not tolerate' any hateful comments towards the gender identity of convicted paedophile Dixon.

Dixon, who was born John Stephen Dixon, was convicted of 30 counts of indecent assaulted which took place in the late 1980s and 1990s.

The abuser was given an 18-year custodial sentence, with an additional two years to be served on extended licence.

Sussex Police tweeted that they: 'do not tolerate any hateful comments towards their gender identity regardless of crimes committed. This is irrelevant to the crime that has been committed and investigated.'

Ms Braverman MP piled in saying: 'Sussex Police have done well to put a dangerous criminal behind bars. But they've got it wrong by playing identity politics and denying biology. Focus on catching criminals not policing pronouns'

Several hours later the force issued an apology saying their previous tweet was 'inconsistent' with their usual style and emphasised the public are allowed to 'express themselves freely within the boundaries of the law'.

The tweet read: 'On Monday, 26 September 2022 we reported on the conviction of a sexual predator for historic sex offences in Sussex.

'The court sentenced Sally Anne Dixon as a woman to 20 years in prison for offences committed against seven children, now adults.

'We reported factually on the findings of the court which heard that, at the time of the offences, Dixon was living as a man, John Stephen Dixon. The relevant offences were recorded as being committed by a male.

'An earlier reply to a comment on Twitter was inconsistent with our usual style of engagement; we apologise for this and have removed the comment. We recognise the rights of the public to express themselves freely within the boundaries of the law.'
While feeding Bruce Saunders into a woodchipper, Peter Koenig ensured his friend's legs were exposed so it looked like an accident, a court has heard.

Gregory Lee Roser, 63, is on trial for murder after Mr Saunders, 54, died while working on a property north of Brisbane in November 2017.

Sharon Graham, 61, asked Roser and Koenig to kill Mr Saunders and make it look like an accident in a bid to claim her ex-partner's $750,000 life insurance policy, the Crown alleges.

Gregory Lee Roser (pictured), 63, is on trial for murder after Bruce Saunders, 54, died while working on a property north of Brisbane in November 2017

Sharon Graham, 61, asked Roser and Peter Koenig to kill Mr Saunders (pictured) and make it look like an accident in a bid to claim her ex-partner's $750,000 life insurance policy, the Crown alleges

Police footage has been shown to the jury of Mr Saunders' legs protruding from a woodchipper at the Goomboorian property near Gympie after clearing trees with Roser and Koenig.

Roser killed Mr Saunders by repeatedly hitting him with a metal bar before they carried the body to the chipper, Koenig told Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Koenig said he then used a branch to push Mr Saunders into the machine but decided to stop with the legs still sticking out so it appeared to be an accident.

'Just to leave a bit of Bruce there I suppose ... for the police to see it,' said Koenig, who pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in June.

He said he couldn't ring triple zero because his hands were shaking but Roser was able to call Graham before handing him the phone.

Koenig agreed he told Graham: 'Bruce is no longer with us, job's done'.

Koenig said Roser then began screaming 'something like ... oh Bruce, what have you done' to make neighbours think there had been an accident.

Roser told him they would have to get their 'story straight' before police arrived, Koenig said.

Koenig (left), Roser (middle), Graham (right) and Mr Saunders were allegedly involved in a 'love quadrangle'

At first Koenig did not believe Mr Saunders would die and therefore did not warn him, saying it wasn't the first time Graham had asked him to kill a man for money.

He said Graham requested he murder another ex-partner, Barry Collins, earlier in 2017 and 'make it look like a truck accident'.

'Because he had a lot of superannuation money, she was the beneficiary to it,' Koenig said.

'I just agreed with it to keep her happy (but) no (didn't do anything) - he is still alive today.'

Koenig said he also refused to kill Mr Saunders, who he considered a friend.

The accused - Roser (left) and Graham (right) - were in a relationship at the time of the alleged murder

When they had finished clearing trees on the property for a third straight weekend without incident, Koenig thought 'beauty, it's not going to happen', the court heard.

But as they left, Koenig said he noticed Mr Saunders fall to the ground.

'I turned around and he (Mr Saunders) was lying on the ground on his back... he was twitching,' he said.

'Greg was there with a bar and struck (Mr Saunders) a couple more times in the head.

'I said 'what the f*** are you doing?' and he said 'I think I have killed him' and 'he's dead'.'

Koenig said he helped carry Mr Saunders over to the chipper because Roser had a bad back.

Koenig agreed that he owned the metal bar used by Roser and put it in his truck afterwards.

Koenig said he helped carry Mr Saunders over to the chipper (pictured) because Roser had a bad back

Koenig had been in an intimate relationship with Graham who was dating Roser at the time of her ex-partner Mr Saunders' death, the court heard.

Graham has been accused of being in a 'love quadrangle' with Roser, Koenig and Mr Saunders, plotting the latter's murder for months.

Graham has pleaded not guilty to Mr Saunders' murder but Justice Martin Burns on Tuesday ordered she be tried separately from Roser.

Koenig had been in an intimate relationship with Graham who was dating Roser at the time of her ex-partner Mr Saunders' (pictured) death, the court heard

Koenig confirmed he had exchanged pornographic images with Graham up to January 2018 and over five years catalogued about 1000 pictures of her on his phone in folders under names such as 'hard core', 'great times', 'breast' and 'trouble'.

But Koenig denied that he murdered Mr Saunders because he was 'obsessed and infatuated' with Graham, saying he 'liked her' and they were 'brother and sister basically'.

'I did not kill him,' Koenig said.

Roser's trial continues.
A former doctor has been jailed for six years in Myanmar for 'harming culture and dignity' with her OnlyFans pictures.

Nang Mwe San, a model and former medic, was charged two weeks ago, according to military authorities.

Ms San was found guilty of using the sites to distribute nude photos and videos for a fee under Section 33 (A) of the country's Electronics Transactions Law.

It is believed that she is the first person in Myanmar to be jailed for being an OnlyFans model.

As Ms San was living in Yangon's North Dagon Township, where martial law is in force, people charged with crimes have trials in military courts.

They are also denied rights such as a lawyer. The model's trial was at Insein Prison Court which is the largest in Myanmar and is where many political prisoners have recently been sent.

Ms San had been in contact with her mother in recent weeks, according to the BBC's Burmese Service.

But her mother had not known that she was sentenced until it was today confirmed by military media.

It comes after Ms San lost her medical licence in 2019 for continuing to post racy photos of herself on Facebook despite warnings from the Myanmar Medical Council.

Nang Mwe San, a model and former doctor, pictured, who lost her medical licence after posting racy photos of herself on Facebook, was charged with 'harming culture and dignity' two weeks ago, according to military authorities

It is believed that she is the first person in Myanmar to be jailed for being an OnlyFans model. She was put in prison for six years. Pictured: Ms San's mugshot

It comes after Ms San posted photographs of herself at an anti-military protest following the coup in February 2021. Pictured: Ms San poses on her Instagram feed

Ms San also posted photographs of herself at an anti-military protest following the coup in February 2021.

Myanmar's military coup in February 2021 caused widespread fury and as a result there have been many protests.

Numbers of arrests since the coup have surged, with more than 15,600 detained, and include lawmakers, activists, journalists and Ms Suu Kyi.

Authorities arrested a different model, Thinzar Wint Kyaw, for protesting against the coup and putting images on social media in August.

In October, she will face trial.

Elsewhere, a freelance journalist working for the BBC yesterday had her sentence increased by three years.

The journalist, Htet Htet Kine was convicted of making contact with an outlawed pro-democracy radio programme and was already sentenced to three years hard labour.

She was sentenced under new laws which criminalise comments that appear to spread 'false news' about the military or cause fear.

Ms San previously hit the headlines when she had her medical licence revoked in 2019 for continuing to post racy snaps on Facebook, despite warnings from the Myanmar Medical Council. Pictured: Ms San

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group says that more than 12,000 people remain in prison and at least 2,322 political prisoners have been killed.

Elsewhere, Britain's former ambassador to Myanmar Vicky Bowman and her husband were jailed for a year for breaching immigration laws.

But in Myanmar, their case is more likely to be about wider political concerns as foreigners are rarely prosecuted in Myanmar for immigration offences.

Ms San, who became a physician at the age of 22, stopped practising in 2017 to pursue her lifelong dream of being a model. She said she was forced to front the council in January 2019 where she was told her photos went against Burmese tradition. Pictured: One of the photos posted by Ms San

Ms San previously hit the headlines when she had her medical licence revoked in 2019 for continuing to post racy snaps on Facebook, despite warnings from the Myanmar Medical Council.

Ms San, who became a physician at the age of 22, stopped practising in 2017 to pursue her lifelong dream of being a model.

She said she was forced to front the council in January 2019 where she was told her photos went against Burmese tradition.

Ms San was forced to sign an agreement to remove the photos or risk losing her licence.

After ignoring the order, her licence was revoked on June 3, 2019.

'Here there is so much sexism,' Ms San told the New York Times.

'They don't want women to have higher positions. And they judge women on what we wear. They don't even want us to wear trousers.'

The model hit back at the decision in a Facebook post, pictured, saying: 'Society doesn't own women's body. My body, My right. Thanks to all my fans from my country, Burma and all around the world who support and encourage me, I love y'all'

Ms San admitted she was 'shocked' and 'sad' by the decision, having worked hard to become a doctor.

'Did I dress in sexy outfits when I was meeting my patients? Never,' she told Reuters.

The model hit back at the decision in a Facebook post saying: 'Society doesn't own women's body. My body, My right. Thanks to all my fans from my country, Burma and all around the world who support and encourage me, I love y'all.'
A Maryland couple pleaded guilty for the second time in relation to federal charges that allege they attempted to sell secret information about United States submarine nuclear propulsion systems to a foreign nation.

The pleas were made on Tuesday after the suspects, identified as Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, previously pleaded guilty in February. That case, however, was thrown out by a judge last month after deciding that the sentences called for were too low.

Selling Classified US Data

The two individuals, from Annapolis, Maryland, seemed to neighbors and co-workers as a common suburban couple before authorities arrested them last October. Their crimes include allegedly scheming to sell secrets about Virginia-class nuclear submarines to another country,

When Toebbe made his plea, he conceded that he sent a package to a foreign government and listed a return address in Pittsburgh. It contained a sample of restricted data and instructions for establishing relationship to purchase additional restricted data.

The suspect added that he began corresponding with someone that he thought was a representative of the foreign government but was in fact an undercover FBI agent. The latter, on June 8, 2021, sent $10,000 in cryptocurrency to Toebbe as a "good faith" payment, as per ABC News.

Prosecutors said that a few weeks after that, the couple traveled to a location in West Virginia where Diana was acting as a lookout, Toebbe placed an SD card concealed within half a peanut butter sandwich at a pre-arranged "dead drop" location.

The undercover agent, after retrieving the SD card, sent Toebbe an additional $20,000 in cryptocurrency for payment. The suspect, in return, emailed the uncover agent a decryption key to access the information stored within the SD card.

According to the Associated Press, the previous sentencing range that Toebbe's lawyers agreed to included potential imprisonment of between 12 and 17 years. On Tuesday, prosecutors said that such a sentence would be one of the most significant imposed in modern times under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.

Read Also: Trump White House Reportedly Called Capitol Rioter Anton Lunyk During Siege

Undercover FBI Agent

Now, the latest plea agreement entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Trumble includes a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $100,000 fine. However, prosecutors are requesting a sentence for Diana at the lowest end of the guideline range.

If the court decides not to accept the latest agreement, the two suspects would once again have the right to withdraw their guilty pleas. Prosecutors allege that 43-year-old Toebbe took advantage of his access to top-secret government information.

His partner, 46-year-old Diana, was a teacher at a private school in Maryland at the time that the couple was arrested last October. The SD cards did not contain information that was classified as top secret or secret.

The case raised questions about why a couple with a comfortable life in a middle-class neighborhood would risk their lives in an attempt to sell classified information to a foreign nation. A lawyer for Diana, in court, referred to personal difficulties with which his client said she had to struggle with, without elaborating further, the New York Times reported.

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CNN host Don Lemon spent an interview asking a hurricane expert whether climate change was to blame for hurricane Ian only to be shut down, repeatedly.

As Hurricane Ian approached Florida threatening to bring billions of dollars in damage and place millions of Floridians in immediate danger, Lemon remained laser focused on his talking point.

Ian, currently a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to wallop Florida beginning Wednesday with winds of up to 155 mph and is predicted to bring damages and economic loss in excess of $45 billion.

Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has issued multiple warnings to residents that the storm is going to have 'major, major impacts in terms of wind, in terms of rain, in terms of flooding.'

Millions have evacuated and millions more are preparing to hunker down and weather the storm.

But instead of focusing on the forthcoming danger and destruction, Lemon, who recently escaped a network purge of some of the most left-wing talent at the company, attempted to turn the conversation political.

During the segment, Lemon asked Acting Director of the NOAA National Hurricane Center Jamie Rohme, 'What effect climate change has on this phenomenon,' meaning the hurricane.

Rohme quickly shut down the line of questioning, saying that he would rather focus on the present circumstances of the storm, adding, 'I don't think you can link climate change to any one event.'

Lemon was admonished by NOAA expert Jamie Rohme who told the CNN host it was not the time to discuss climate change as Ian prepares to slam into Florida

Rohme repeatedly told Lemon climate change should not be the primary subject of discussion as the hurricane approaches the US and cautioned the host not to blame climate change for any single weather event

But Lemon pushed on, insisting that climate change was to blame for the storm, in a similar fashion to Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota), who was slammed Tuesday for suggesting that voting for members of her party in the upcoming midterm could help thwart future hurricanes and the impact of climate change.

Rohme held firm though, telling Lemon, 'climate change may be making storms worse, but to link it to any one event, I would caution against that.'

Lemon was determined to have the last word.

'I grew up there and these storms are intensifying, something is causing them to intensify,' he said.

Lemon is in the middle of a hot streak of guests on his show pushing back on his loaded questions designed to favor liberal policy and woke talking points.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II earlier this month, Lemon was schooled on air by royal commentator Hilary Fordwich, who told Lemon that reparations for slavery are necessary - but said they should be paid by the descendants of 'African kings' who sold their own people into slavery.

Lemon had suggested that the British royal family should pay reparations due to trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and subsequent years of colonialism for which the entity is responsible.

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.

Lemon recently escaped a purge of some of the network's top talent as new CEO Chris Licht attempts to restore some credibility to the network known for bashing Republicans

In recent weeks, CNN has been attempting to purge itself of the reputation of being a woke media source since new CEO Chris Licht pledged to make the network reliable to a broader swath of people again by halting the constant slander of the GOP.

The new movement has so far resulted in the termination of CNN hosts and employees, 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 10-year-old son of the Michigan news anchor killed in a brutal attack in his own home by his mother's friend, is off a ventilator and making improvements, family said.

Hunter Matthews, one of anchor Jim Matthews two children, sustained severe blunt force trauma after being battered with a hammer inside their Chesterfield Township home on September 23. The children's mother, Nichole Guertin, was also attacked and is in stable condition.

According to neighbors, the man charged with the murder visited Guertin up to four times a week while the newscaster slept after his night shifts.

Arthur Williamson, 55, was charged with the murder of Matthews after he allegedly beat him to death on Friday before stabbing his girlfriend and injuring his young son and daughter.

On Tuesday, WWJ - the radio station where Jim worked - confirmed that the son of their late coworker appeared to be recovering following the brutal attack.

Family told the outlet that Hunter opened his eyes and was able to respond to a verbal command, squeezing a hand when asked to do so.

Hunter had to undergo emergency surgery after sustaining severe injuries during the attack at the family's Chesterfield Township home. Rosie's injuries were not specified by officials.

Jim Matthews, 57, was brutally murdered inside his Michigan home on September 23. Matthews' girlfriend and children were also attacked but managed to survive

Additionally, Jim's five-year-old daughter, Rosie, who was also hurt in the attack, was released from the hospital.

Rosie's injuries were less severe than those of her brother and mother. The exact injuries she sustained were not specified.

Guertin was miraculously able to escape the home with her daughter after having been stabbed multiple times.

10-year-old Hunter (left) is making progress after the brutal attack that left his father, Jim Matthews, dead, and his mother, Nichole Guertin, in critical condition. Rosie (right) was also injured in the attack but was later released from the hospital

Nichole Guertin (center) with five-year-old Rosie (left) and 10-year-old Hunter (right) before the attack that killed Guertin's boyfriend and the children's father, Jim Matthews.

The mother of two was able to flag down a driver near the home and ask them to call 911.

A GoFundMe page organized by the Ashely Quigley, Guertin's sister, has raised more than $16,000 since it was launched just days ago.

According to the fundraiser's description, all of the money raised will go to Hunter and 'anything donated is going to these two kids.'

'They have been through so much and I feel like the least I can do is create something that helps them adapt to what comes after this tragedy,' the aunt wrote.

The mother of two was able to flag down a driver near the home and ask them to call 911

Family said Tuesday that Rosie (left) had been released from the hospital and that 10-year-old Hunter was showing improvements after undergoing multiple surgeries

Arthur Williamson, the man arrested in the attack inside a Chesterfield Township home

Quigley has also used the page to post updates on her family members' conditions while they recover.

On Monday, the aunt of Hunter and Rosie shared that the young girl 'is still acting like her normal happy self' despite the serious situation.

In the same post, Quigley also shared that Hunter 'had a few victories of his own,' including a successful surgeries and the removal of his c-collar.

Hunter had to undergo both brain surgery and ear surgery after being battered with a hammer during the horrific attack.

A c-collar is a special neck brace used to stabilize the cervical spine after surgery or trauma to the area.

Hunter was discovered by officers stuffed into a closet after being hit with a hammer when he tried to pull his father's attacker off him

Reports after the attack indicated that the 10-year-old boy had wrestle the attacker off of his father.

The boy was later found bound in a closet by first responders.

Upon arriving at the home, authorities found the 57-year-old news anchor dead, as well as Williamson, the 54-year-old male suspect, overdosing on heroin.

Williamson was also suffering from self-inflicted wounds in the home's basement, authorities said at the time.

Matthews' brother, Joe Nicolai, described the scene as 'not even something you'd see in a horror movie.'

On Monday, the accused was charged with seven felonies in Macomb County, Michigan for what prosecutors described as a 'hammer attack.'

Williamson, whose exact relationship with the victims is unclear, was charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, two counts of assault with intent to murder and three counts of unlawful imprisonment, according to DetroitNews.com.

The scene where investigators found Jim Matthews dead and his girlfriend and two young children brutally attacked in Chesterfield Township

Matthews' older brother Joe Nicolai, who lives next door, said that he thinks he's seen Williamson around the neighborhood.

Other reports indicated that Williamson may have been 'a family friend'

The accused is being held without bond in the Macomb County Jail.

Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido said Monday that more charges may be forthcoming against Williamson.

'We have a long road to recovery ahead of us and once again I cannot thank you guys enough for all you are doing to help us,' Quigley said.
A traumatised man who accidentally captured the tragic moment a young woman was struck by a rollercoaster travelling up to 70km/h says he 'hasn't slept since'.

Witness Jordan said he was filming his sister and partner riding the Rebel Coaster at the Melbourne Royal Show on Sunday when he captured the moment Shylah Rodden, 26, was struck by the ride.

The shocking video shows Ms Rodden get dragged halfway up the ride's next loop before falling nine metres to the ground.

Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to share the disturbing footage out of respect for Ms Rodden's family.

Jordan said he is traumatised and 'hasn't slept' since accidentally filming the moment Shylah Rodden (above) was hit by a roller coaster at the Melbourne Royal Show

Disturbing footage, not published by the Daily Mail, shows the moment Ms Rodden (circled in red) was hit by a passenger carriage travelling 70km/h and dragged halfway up its next loop

Jordan said he watched Ms Rodden walk to the track and bend down to retrieve something, all without noticing the rollercoaster hurling towards her.

'It all happened so quickly but so slowly. All of a sudden, I saw someone getting taken up but at the same time I'm thinking "f**k, my sister, my partner",' he told 7News.

Ms Rodden remains in a coma with 'horrific' facial injuries her family has described as 'life-changing'.

However, the thing that surprised Jordan was how quiet Ms Rodden was immediately after she was hit.

'I didn't hear her scream. The screams that I heard came from onlookers, I think. It happened so fast,' he said.

Ms Rodden (above) has been left with 'horrific' injuries including brain damage, several broken bones and facial damage

Ms Rodden's devastated family have lashed out at cruel online bullies blaming Ms Rodden for her injuries while she remains in a critical condition and unable to talk, let alone defend herself.

'It's sad and disgusting to see the false stories and cover-up when my sister is fighting for her life,' Ms Rodden's sister, Caisha, told Daily Mail Australia.

Her father, Alan Rodden, said Ms Rodden's injuries were far worse than anyone expected.

'Obviously I can't talk to my daughter. She's going to be in a coma for quite a while,' he said.

'The injuries are horrific. Horrific. She's brain damaged.

'It's pelvic, her arms, legs, back, neck - there's hardly a thing that's not broken.

Jordan thanked emergency responders on the scene who cordoned off the area where Ms Rodden was hit within minutes of the crash and immediately offered counselling services to witnesses (pictured, the Melbourne Royal Show entrance)

'I just can't work out how the hell so much damage has been done.

'Even the doctors have said they haven't seen anything as bad as this for a long time.'

The family's devastation comes just two months after Ms Rodden's brother, Jason, died.

'Dad sat me down and told me that my brother had passed away,' Ms Rodden wrote in the weeks before her accident.

'He wasn't just my big brother, he was my best friend, my everything, the person I looked up to and inspired to be like.

Ms Rodden's family have lashed out at online bullies harassing her (above) as she fights for her life

'He taught me so much in life, he showed me the difference between right and wrong and he was never afraid to tell me how he really feels.

'It doesn't feel real, I keep thinking you'll call me back.'

Jordan said dedicated emergency responders at the scene of Ms Rodden's crash on Sunday had the situation under control within minutes.

Police and show staff quickly cordoned off the area and manually moved people still on board the roller coaster to a level platform.

Passengers waited for about 45 minutes before being allowed off the ride.

Jordan said police at the scene were 'very nice' and immediately offered counselling to witnesses.

The Rebel Coast ride (above), which Ms Rodden was seriously injured on, was reopened on Tuesday after the horror crash on Sunday

'I was trying to sign my name at the bottom of my statement and my hand was shaking. I've never experienced anything like that and I hope it never happens again,' he said.

Caisha said her sister was working for the show at the time of the incident.

'Shylah was actually there working. She was helping out her friend at her stall for the day and she was sent on her break with another worker and they decided to go on a few rides to kill time and this happened unfortunately,' she said.

WorkSafe gave the Melbourne Royal Show the all-clear to reopen the ride on Tuesday.

Ms Rodden's family have since slammed the move as 'shameful' considering she was seriously injured only two days prior.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact police.
A High Court judge has ruled that doctors can stop life-support treatment for a baby boy who suffered a 'catastrophic' brain injury, deciding that doing so is 'lawful' and in his 'best interests.'

Specialists treating the five-month-old boy, who is on a ventilator, argued he has no prospect of recovering, and should be removed from the ventilator and given only palliative care.

The boy's parents, who are Muslims of Bangladeshi origin, had urged the judge to give him more time to 'make progress' or for 'Allah to intervene'.

Mr Justice Poole, who reconsidered evidence in a series of hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London, concluded on Wednesday that treatment was 'futile' and will not improve the infant's condition.

'Treatment is futile. It cannot bring about any improvement in A's condition,' Mr Justice Poole ruled.

'As long as he is kept alive he will suffer more burdens than benefits from being kept alive.'

The infant, whose identity is subject to an anonymity order, was declared dead in June after doctors diagnosed him as brain-stem dead.

The boy's parents were interviewed by police after evidence suggested he had suffered what appeared to be 'non-accidental injuries' during the summer, the judge heard during the trial.

No charges had been brought, but the couple remained under investigation.

The parents are now 'considering appeal options' but no decision has yet been made. The couple had lost an earlier High Court fight and a second trial was staged after they appealed.

Mr Justice Poole, during a private hearing at the Family Division of the High Court in London (pictured), ruled on Wednesday that ending life-support treatment for a brain-damaged baby is 'lawful' and in the five-month-old boy's 'best interests'

Lawyers representing the trust had asked the court for decisions about what moves were in the child's best interests.

Mr Justice Poole, who referred to the boy as 'A' in his ruling, said on Wednesday scans had detected no brain activity in the past two months.

Evidence showed the boy could not hear or see and much of his body had become 'rigid'.

'I find that A has no conscious awareness of pain or pleasure,' he declared.

'It is virtually certain that A's condition will not improve with time and there is no treatment available to bring about improvement.'

The judge said the boy would not regain consciousness, would always need a ventilator and would never be able to leave an intensive care unit.

His remarks came after Victoria Butler-Cole KC, who leads the couple's legal team, told the court on Tuesday: 'If he remains severely disabled ... that continues to be a life that has value.'

The five-month-old boy had appeared to be healthy but was found unresponsive in June at about two months old, the judge heard. He is currently receiving care in a specialist unit at a London hospital.

Doctors concluded that the boy's brain had been starved of oxygen for more than 30 minutes and he had suffered 'devastating' brain damage.

Mr Justice Poole was told how the boy had been declared dead in June after doctors diagnosed him as brain-stem dead. He remained on a ventilator because his parents were unhappy with the diagnosis and litigation had begun.

Lawyers representing Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, who are responsible for the boy's care, initially asked a judge to make a declaration of death.

The boy then started trying to breathe in early July, after a preliminary High Court hearing. Specialists rescinded 'the clinical ascertainment of death' and conducted a series of brain-stem tests that had shown 'no activity,' the judge heard.

A senior doctor involved in the baby's treatment said medics were trying to understand why he tried to breathe, after a series of brain-stem tests showed that he was dead.

The doctor told Mr Justice Poole that research had revealed a 'few' similar cases internationally. She said evidence showed other patients had not survived.

The doctor said she expected an international panel of experts to examine evidence and give guidance.

Mr Justice Poole said he had been told that the application of a code of practice was under consideration.

Specialists treating the boy, who is on a ventilator, say he has suffered a 'catastrophic' brain injury, has no prospect of recovering, and should be removed from the ventilator and given only palliative care

A lawyer representing the parents said after the ruling that no decision had yet been made about an appeal bid, but they were 'considering their options'.

The boy's parents lost an earlier High Court fight when another judge, Mr Justice Hayden, decided that treatment should end.

Court of Appeal judges ordered a fresh trial after upholding an appeal by the boy's parents and concluding they had not had a fair hearing.

The parents represented themselves at the trial before Mr Justice Hayden.

They told appeal judges that Mr Justice Hayden should have adjourned the trial to give them time to find lawyers.

Appeal judges agreed and said Mr Justice Hayden's decision not to adjourn the trial was 'unfair'.

Barristers Victoria Butler-Cole KC and Arianna Kelly, and law firm Dawson Cornwell, represented the couple for free at the trial overseen by Mr Justice Poole.

Mr Justice Poole issued Wednesday's ruling during a private hearing. Reporters were permitted to attend and could cover the case, but the judge ruled that neither the boy nor doctors involved with his care could be identified in media coverage.
A commissioner of Florida's only predominantly black county resigned after a photo emerged of him wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit at a Halloween party.

Jeffery Moore, a former Department of Revenue employee who was tapped to join the Gadsden County Commissioners by Gov. Ron DeSantis in July, abruptly resigned last week after the photo began circulating in the county, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

The shocking photo shows Moore celebrating in a KKK robe and hood at an undated Halloween party with other guests dancing around him.

Local religious leaders are now calling on Moore and DeSantis to explain the origins of the picture and to officially confirm or deny that it is Moore in the costume.

Jeffery Moore, a former Gadsden County commissioner, resigned last week after photos began circulating of him wearing a KKK outfit at an undated Halloween party

Moore (Center) had been sworn in just two months ago (pictured), and has yet to discuss the photograph that threw his community into an uproar

Moore was appointed to the position by Gov. Ron DeSantis (above). This is the second incident of its kind after photos emerged of DeSantis' state secretary wearing black face

Moore submitted his letter of resignation to the governor's office last week, offering no explanation or mentioning the photo circulating his county.

'Please accept this notification of my resignation, effective this date of Sept. 23, 2022, from the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners,' Moore wrote. 'Thank you for the opportunity to have served in the position, however for personal reasons I am no longer able to continue.'

Moore, the only Republican on the five-member commissioner board, also pulled his campaign for the District 2 race this November.

Moore has not spoken publicly of his resignation or the photograph, and both he and DeSantis office did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Both offices noted that they were busy dealing with Hurricane Ian, which slammed into Florida with winds up to 155 mph.

Local residents serving the predominantly black county have called out Moore after they were alerted to the photographs existence.

Gadsden County Commissioner Brenda Holt, who served with Moore, said she received multiple calls from outraged residents before someone texted a photo of it to her.

'I really got this gut feeling in the bottom of my stomach,' Holt told the Tallahassee Democrat, noting that even students had reached out to her. 'It's just total disrespect.'

'People are upset,' she added. 'I don't know the history of that photo, but I do know that people depend on us in politics to do better.'

Local pastor Tracy Stallworth, who is helping efforts to get answers over Moore's resignation, told the local outlet that she was shocked when she saw the photo.

'It's a very sad day in our history and a sad time for this county... the blackest county in the state,' he said. 'This is not OK.'

Stallworth said she wanted to give Moore a chance to explain himself and to confirm if it really is him in the photograph.

Mutaqee Akbar, resident of the NAACP Tallahassee Chapter, slammed DeSantis for appointing Moore.

'I'm not surprised Gov. DeSantis would appoint someone with this ideology,' Akbar told Politico. 'Even if they didn't know about the picture, it's the kind of person I can see him picking.'

Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel resigned in 2019 after photos emerged that show him in blackface at a 2005 Halloween party (Ertel above in the Tallahassee Democrat story)

This is not the first incident of its kind in the Sunshine State.

In 2019, then-Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel, another DeSantis appointee, resigned after photos emerged of the politician in blackface at a 2005 Halloween party.

In the pictures, Ertel, 52, is dressed like the highly-offensive mammie character in blackface, red lipstick and a New Orleans Saints bandanna.

The Republican politician then finished it off with falsies and a shirt that read 'Katrina victim,' clearly meant to mock the victims of the disaster just two months after the storm devastated the Louisiana coast.

Like Moore, Ertel's new position was short lived as he had only been on the job for just a few weeks after been appointed by DeSantis.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has finally released the full text of the bill to ban lawmakers from trading stocks.

The text comes after months of pressure from the public as a number of reports revealed hundreds of lawmakers regularly trade stocks directly related to their work in Congress. It could come to a vote as soon as this week.

The 26-page-long 'Combatting Financial Conflicts of Interest in Government Act' would ban not only members of Congress but their spouses and other government officials, including Supreme Court justices, from owning or trading stocks.

The bill would also strengthen penalties for breaking conflicts-of-interest laws and strengthen other transparency provisions, bringing the current fee for late disclosures up from $200 to $1,000.

Members would still be allowed to put their assets in diversified mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, US Treasurys or state and local government bonds.

While members of both parties have gotten caught in questionable trades, no one has been a more flagrant trader than Pelosi and her husband Paul

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has repeatedly told people in private meetings he'll vote against the bill

But the bill faces at least one hurdle: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has repeatedly told people in private meetings he'll vote against the bill, according to the Wall Street Journal. Hoyer and his staff set the floor schedule for votes, and his opposition could lead other Democrats to follow suit.

The bill's path forward in the Senate is also unclear. A number of senators have proposed their own bills but they have failed to unite around one piece a of legislation.

While members of both parties have gotten caught in questionable trades, no one has been a more flagrant trader than Pelosi and her husband Paul. The couple have come under fire for frequently trading millions - just this summer Paul bought $5 million of shares in a semiconductor chip manufacturer days before a vote that handed $52 billion to semiconductor manufacturers.

The speaker has long maintained that she doesn't discuss stocks with her husband.

Nearly 100 members of Congress bought or sold financial assets that intersected with the work of the committees they sit on, according to a New York Times report.

Of the 435 House members, 183 traded stocks through themselves or their immediate family members from 2019 to 2021. At least 97 bought or sold stocks, bonds or other financial assets through themselves or their spouses that directly intersected with their congressional work.

The trades that intersect with committee work are split evenly on partisan lines - 49 Republicans and 48 Democrats.

The fact that nearly one-fifth of Congress has made trades that could represent a conflict of interest has sparked a slew of legislation proposals to ban lawmakers from making trades entirely.

Since 2012, Congress members have been bound by the STOCK Act which requires they report stock transactions of $1,000 or more by themselves or their family members within 45 days.

Some of the most flagrant conflict of interest violators include Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, D, who traded in 138 companies and had 39 potential conflicts of interest, New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who traded stocks in 326 companies and had 43 conflicts and California Democrat Rep. Rho Khanna, who reported trades in 897 companies and had 149 potential conflicts.
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An extremist Jewish sect living in southern Mexico may have been forming plans to flee to Iran before their compound was raided last week.

The Lev Tahor compound near Tapachula, in far southern Mexico, was raided early on Friday by Mexican federal police cooperating with a team of advisors from Israel, including former Mossad agents.

Two sect leaders -- identified as Menachem Mendel Alter and Moshe Joseph Rosner -- were arrested on charges of human trafficking, and roughly 19 women and children from the group are being held at a migrant facility in Huixtla.

One three-year-old boy held by the group was reunited with his father Yisrael Amir, a former Lev Tahor member who has been trying to gain custody since disavowing the sect several years ago.

Lev Tahor, dubbed a 'dangerous cult' by Israeli courts, has faced allegations of kidnapping and sexual abuse, and its strict rules mandating head-to-toe coverings for women led the Israeli press to dub the group the 'Jewish Taliban'.

Officials in Mexico and Israel pushed forward with the raid amid fears that the group planned to relocate to Iran, a move that would put them out of reach of former members such as Amir who hoped to rescue family members.

Leaders of the anti-Zionist sect previously sought asylum in Iran for the entire group, and swore an oath of allegiance to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to US federal court filings in a 2019 criminal case.

Lev Tahor members gather outside a migrant facility in Huixtla, Mexico on Tuesday to demand the release of 19 women and children being held there following a raid on the group

A Lev Tahor member argues with a Mexican National Guardsman at the migrant facility. The extremist sect is believed to have been planning a move to Iran

Lev Tahor members protest in Huixtla after an operation by Mexican federal police to arrest leaders of the extremist sect and detain woman and children from the group

Lev Tahor leaders previously sought asylum in Iran for the entire group, and swore an oath of allegiance to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (seen last week)

Last November, about 70 members of the Lev Tahor sect who had been living in Guatemala were detained while trying to cross into Iran from northern Iraq. Iraqi officials deported the group to Turkey.

Israeli family members of Lev Tahor followers were deeply concerned by the group's apparent plans to move to Iran, fearing that they would be used as hostages against Israel or even publicly executed, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The group's plans and movements are murky, however, and since its founding in the 1980s the sect has relocated repeatedly over the years, moving between Israel, the US, Canada, Guatemala and Mexico to avoid investigations into alleged child abuse.

The Lev Tahor group raided last week in Tapachula, which is in Mexico's Chiapas state in far southern Mexico, has lived there since leaving Guatemala in 2014 following friction with locals and tourists.

Israel's foreign ministry said that 26 people were found in the compound on Friday, and that two of them, a Canadian and an Israeli citizen, were arrested on charges of human trafficking and sex offenses including rape.

Five more were detained for allegedly breaking immigration rules, and the remaining members, including women children, are being housed by the Mexican Ministry of Welfare, Israel said.

Lev Tahor members protest outside the INM office in Huixtla, Chiapas state, Mexico

Israel's foreign ministry said that 26 people were found in the compound on Friday, and that two of them, a Canadian and an Israeli citizen, were arrested on charges of human trafficking

The Lev Tahor group raided last week in Tapachula, which is in Mexico's Chiapas state in far southern Mexico, has lived there since leaving Guatemala in 2014

The women and children being held by the Mexican government hold Israeli passports, but have so far refused to return to Israel, officials said

The women and children being held by the Mexican government hold Israeli passports, but have so far refused to return to Israel, according to the Times of Israel.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said it believed Mexico would agree to deport the group to Israel, but stressed that it continued to seek their willing return.

Mexican officials have not confirmed the exact number of women and children being held at a National Institute of Migration facility in Huixtla, where members of the local ultra-Orthodox community gathered to protest their detention on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Moshe Alter, the brother of criminally charged sect leader Mendel Alter, delivered food to about two dozen women and children held at the government shelter.

He said authorities had also taken away a three-month-old baby whose mother was now in the shelter. He said he did not know where the baby was taken.

At the shelter gate, girls and young women wearing long, flowing white hooded robes shouted at officials and banged on the perimeter wall to protest the detentions.

Mexican officials have not confirmed the exact number of women and children being held at a National Institute of Migration facility in Huixtla (seen above)

The hand of a detained Lev Tahor member is pictured from outside the National Institute of Migration (INM) in Huixtla

A woman is seen being held in the migrant facility in Mexico. An estimated 19 women and children were detained, and their future is uncertain as Mexico seeks to deport them to Israel

At the shelter gate, girls and young women wearing long, flowing white hooded robes shouted at officials and banged on the perimeter wall to protest the detentions

Lev Tahor members protest the detention of members of their group. They insist that they have broken no laws

'They are illegally detained,' said Nissan Malka, one of the protesters.

Moshe Alter said the group's trouble stems from what he called a political-religious conflict with former members of Lev Tahor who are trying to dismantle it.

Following the raid, estranged father Amir flew home to Israel with his young son, telling reporters after arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport on Tuesday: 'From the moment I escaped, I only had one dream: to save my son from the nightmare of living in a cult.'

'I now look forward to building my new life as a young father in Israel. I couldn't abandon him to live a life of brutally strict rules, mind control, starvation and misery,' he added, according to N12 News.

Lev Tahor members in Mexico claim that they are being held in 'subhuman conditions' at facility in Huixtla, and that they are being persecuted for their beliefs by the Israeli government, Diario de Chiapas reported.

The families detained in the raid also insisted they had the proper authorization and paperwork to live in Mexico

Yisrael Amir, a former Lev Tahor member who disavowed the sect years ago, is seen returning to Israel with his three-year-old son, who was rescued in the raid in Mexico

Nachman Helbrans, the son of the group's founder, was convicted of kidnapping and child sexual exploitation crimes last year

Representatives for Mexico's immigration agency and the Chiapas state attorney general's office did not immediately respond to messages from DailyMail.com on Wednesday.

Israel's embassy in Mexico and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs likewise did not return messages.

Among those taken into custody in the raid were Israelis with dual citizenships including Canada, the US and Guatemala, Israel's foreign ministry said.

Amir, the estranged father seeking custody of his son, and other family members of the sect have been pushing for years for Mexican authorities to crack down on the group.

A four-man volunteer team from Israel, including former Mossad agents, assisted the Mexican police in planning and carrying out the operation, according to a BBC report citing Israeli sources close to the operation.

Federal police and agents of the attorney general's office carried out the raid following an investigation by the Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime (FEMDO).

Lev Tahor insists that it does not break local laws in the countries where its members reside.

The group, founded in Israel in the 1980s, has moved frequently and become scattered, with members living in the US, Canada, North Macedonia, Morocco, Mexico and Guatemala.

Last November, two leaders of the sect were convicted of kidnapping and child sexual exploitation crimes in New York.

Shlomo Helbrans (pictured left in 1992) founded Lev Tahor in Israel, having been deported from the US for kidnapping a 13-year-old boy. He later gained refugee status in Canada, claiming he was being persecuted by the Israeli government for his anti-Zionist teachings

Nachman Helbrans, 39, and Mayer Rosner, 45, were each sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.

US Attorney Damian Williams said the men 'brazenly kidnapped two children from their mother in the middle of the night to return a 14-year-old girl to an illegal sexual relationship with an adult man.'

The charges against the men included conspiring to transport a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.

Helbrans, the son of Lev Tahor founder Shlomo Helbrans, became the sect's leader in 2017 and Rosner was his top lieutenant, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the younger Helbrans and his leadership team seized tight control of the group and embraced extreme practices including child marriages and underage sex.
Donald Trump shared a video on Wednesday of President Joe Biden warning that he could try to 'stop' the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in early February if Russia invaded Ukraine. The same video was used by the Kremlin to suggest Biden was behind the recent leaks

The US government is denying 'preposterous' allegations that it is behind a gas leak in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday.

It comes as Donald Trump suggested that 'World War III' could be near while sharing a video of President Joe Biden threatening to stop Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Mysterious and alarming leaks were found in both Nord Stream pipelines this week, prompting the European Union to call it the result of a 'deliberate act.'

Multiple accusations have already been lobbed at the Kremlin amid ever-growing hostilities over its illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile Moscow is pointing the finger at the United States, declaring that Washington is 'obliged' to explain its alleged role in the 'sabotage.'

A US official denied the accusations, according to the Washington Post. DailyMail.com has reached out to the White House for comment.

Trump also appeared to back Russia's theory on Wednesday when he posted on his Truth Social app a video of Biden from early February pledging to 'bring an end to' Nord Stream 2 if Vladimir Putin's forces invaded Ukraine.

'Wow, what a statement. World War III anyone?' Trump wrote along with the video.

The same video was also shared by the Russian government on Wednesday while suggesting Biden was behind the explosions that led to the Baltic Sea leaks.

Asked for clarification on his stance, Trump's spokesman Taylor Budowich said 'the statements speak for themselves.'

He also referred DailyMail.com to an earlier post where Trump offered to lead negotiations between Russia and Ukraine while warning current US leaders to not 'make matters worse.'

'U.S. "Leadership" should remain "cool, calm, and dry" on the SABOTAGE of the Nord Stream Pipelines. This is a big event that should not entail a big solution, at least not yet,' the former president wrote.

'The Russia/Ukraine catastrophe should NEVER have happened, and would definitely not have happened if I were President. Do not make matters worse with the pipeline blowup.'

Explosions preceded three gas leaks in the Nord Stream Pipelines in Europe's Baltic Sea

Biden said on February 7, 2022 that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which he waived sanctions on, could be stopped if Russia invaded Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his brutal attack later that month. His government has been informally accused of being behind the pipeline leaks

He ended with, 'Be strategic, be smart (brilliant!), get a negotiated deal done NOW. Both sides need and want it. The entire World is at stake. I will head up group???'

And just before that, Trump compared the pipelines' gas leak to the potentially devastated storm heading for the state of Florida. He said Hurricane Ian was not as 'important' as the damage in Europe's waters.

'Everyone is talking about the big hurricane barreling into Florida, as they should be, but perhaps a far more important event in the longer term was the announcement that the Nord Stream I & II Pipelines out of Russia...has been SABOTAGED,' he wrote in the earliest of the three posts.

'This could lead to major escalation, or War!'

In that statement Trump also stated he brought the pipelines 'to the World's attention as President when I explained how crippling reliance on it could be for Germany and other parts of Europe.'

'Everybody laughed at the time, but they are not laughing anymore!' he wrote.

During his presidency Trump did approve sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Germany and Russia, which was near completion when the penalties were levied in December 2019.

Trump captioned his re-Truth of Biden's February comments with: 'Wow, what a statement. World War III anyone?'

He also volunteered to lead US negotiations to solve the crisis between Russia and Ukraine

Trump's earliest of the three Nord Stream posts on Wednesday morning appeared to compare the leaks with Hurricane Ian

Biden waived US objection to the pipeline just several months into his White House term.

But it was soon halted again, this time by Germany, whose government canceled the plans in opposition to Russia recognizing parts of eastern Ukraine as independent pro-Kremlin states.

Putin launched his invasion just a few days later.

Nord Stream 1 was similarly out of operation due to Russia's war on Ukraine.

Though Nord Stream 2 never begun operations, it was full with gas by the time it was halted. Climate scientists fear the repercussions of the leak could be disastrous.

Sharing Biden's early February warnings on stopping the pipeline, the Kremlin's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on social media: 'Biden is obliged to answer the question of whether the US carried out its threat.'

'We must be responsible for our words,' the Putin puppet said, according to the Associated Press. 'Europe must know the truth.'
Former President Donald Trump would tell certain White House guests that he had a personal 'secret bathroom' just off the Oval Office renovated after succeeding Barack Obama  using language one guest took to have racist subtext.

The claim, which was based on how the visitor took the odd comment, is included in New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's new book on Trump, Confidence man.

The book, which is out Tuesday, includes an account of the strange comment about the bathroom just off the Oval Office, which Trump would sometimes refer to as the 'Monica room,' after former President Bill Clinton's trysts with a White House intern  bringing his twin obsessions with Obama and Clinton into the same cramped space.

'When Trump showed visitors his workplace, he invited some to peer into what he periodically described as his "secret bathroom," which he occasionally presented with the claim he had renovated the entire space down to the toilet,' Haberman writes.

Former President Donald Trump would tell guests about his 'secret bathroom' off the Oval Office, and claimed he had it renovated after President Barack Obama left, according to 'Confidence Man' by Maggie Haberman. 'You understand what I'm talking about?' he told a visitor, who took the comment to mean he 'did not want to use the same bathroom as his black predecessor,' according to Haberman

'"You understand what I'm talking about?" Trump said to one guest,' Haberman writes in a passage obtained by DailyMail.com  in a comment the Trump visitor took as code for disgust with his predecessor.

'The statement was strange and vague and open to interpretation as to why he emphasized the changes, but the guest interpreted it to mean Trump did not want to use the same bathroom as his Black predecessor,' Haberman writes.

An odd footnote to the reported claims is that no such renovation appears to have taken place.

'Trump's claim of a full remodeling happened to be untrue, officials said at the time: only the toilet seat was replaced, which was customary during a change in office holder. The most significant addition he made might have been the collection of hairsprays that some visitors took note of.'

Trump raised his profile by claiming President Barack Obama wasn't born in the US

Trump would tell visitors he had renovated his 'secret bathroom,' according to Maggie Haberman's new book

Another passage includes images of torn up documents inside a White House toilet

A guest interpreted Trump's comment 'to mean Trump did not want to use the same bathroom as his black predecessor'

Obama occupied the Oval Office for eight years before Trump's upset victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump made other redecorating changes, including adding a wrestling belt to a small room off the Oval that was given to him by Vince McMahon

Battles over public accommodations and drinking fountains for blacks and whites were a key battleground of the civil rights movement.

Trump has long denied accusations of racism, and once called him self the 'least racist person in the world.'

Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington blasted the account when contacted by DailyMail.com.

'This is so ridiculous. The world is on fire and this is seriously the best she can come up with?' She added: 'It is so absurd. Some anonymous person making up more fake stories to try to smear President Trump.'

Trump's bathroom issues are a fixture of other parts of the book  which also includes photos of torn up documents in a White House toilet, bearing words that resemble Trump's handwriting. That topic has already featured into the House January 6 investigation, and could even flow into a Justice Department investigation of alleged document destruction.

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's book Confidence Man will hit shelves Oct. 4  just one month before the 2022 midterms

Yet another bizarre powder room passage notes that bathrooms in the residence were 'stocked with Trump-branded toiletries.'

'Staff repeatedly stopped [the president] when he tried to press cash into the hands of military aides serving as valets,' according to the book.

Lewinsky herself has described the room Trump is reported to have said he renovated as 'a private personal office that is off to the side that consists of a back study, a dining room, a little pantry and a bathroom.'

According to Haberman, Trump decorated it with a large TV and various 'knick-knacks,' as well as a wrestling belt gifted by former wrestling impresario Vince McMahon, who left the WWE this summer after a string of scandals.
A female prison officer embarked on a romantic relationship with an inmate and smuggled designer clothes and ladies underwear to him, a court heard today.

Rachel Martin, 25, had an 'emotional and intimate' fling with Raymond Abraham at HMP Guys Marsh near Shaftesbury, Dorset.

She also sent him a parcel with high value clothes, gave him a phone, and smuggled in women's underwear, it is alleged.

In the course of their relationship, she is said to have received money in return for her favours.

Martin, 25, faces 10 separate charges of willfully neglecting her duty as a prison officer for several months.

In a brief hearing at Poole Magistrates' Court today, she indicated a guilty plea to nine of the charges - but denied supplying a phone to her boyfriend.

Rachel Martin, 25, was accused in court of having a romantic relationship with an inmate

Martin is accused of sending her lover high value clothes, a phone and women's underwear

Her case has been committed to crown court to be dealt with.

The court heard how she entered into a relationship with Abraham between November 1, 2020 and March 8, 2021, creating a 'conflict of interest and contravening the working practices of the prison'.

On January 19, 2021, she is accused of sending a parcel addressed to him that contained high value designer clothes and footwear.

She is also charged with supplying him with female underwear that was confiscated from his cell on February 6, 2021.

Rachel Martin at Poole Magistrates Court in Dorset accused of a relationship with a prisoner

The main prison entrance at HMP/ YOI Guys Marsh. Shaftesbury, Dorset, where Martin worked

Between December 29, 2020, and March 8, 2021, she is accused of supplying Abraham with a Zanco mobile phone.

On January 14, 2021, she encouraged a third party to purchase a top up card for the phone through a text saying 'don't forget Rays 30 Lyca top up.'

During the months Abraham had a phone she is accused of engaging with him over texts and did not report the fact that he had a phone.

She is also alleged to have provided Abraham with instructions of how to transfer images from a mobile phone to an SD card.

Martin is also accused of texting Hassan Sufi and James Phillips, two other prisoners in HMP Guys Marsh.

Martin, from Salisbury, did not enter a plea and will appear at Bournemouth Crown Court next month.

She was granted unconditional bail.
Tensions rise at the United Nations Security Council meeting amid Russian efforts to annex Ukrainian territory and the United States introducing a resolution condemning Moscow over so-called referendums being carried out in four regions of Ukraine.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield declared that the UN Security Council did not support the use of force to redraw borders. The resolution is expected to be largely symbolic as Russia will most likely veto it.

UN Security Council Meeting

However, Thomas-Greenfield said that the United States will seek to bring the vote to the UN General Assembly in the case that Moscow "chooses to shield itself from accountability." Furthermore, the resolution would require Russia to withdraw its military forces from Ukraine, said the ambassador.

US diplomats are expected to engage with all nations in the security council behind the scenes, including diplomats from China and India, in an effort to get them to vote in favor of the resolution. Thomas-Greenfield argued that Russia wants to annex the Ukrainian territories in an attempt to take them by force, which the UN charter was designed to prevent, as per CNN.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, instead of attending the high-level week, announced a renewed conscription effort in Russia. He also instructed areas under Moscow's military control to prepare for illegitimate snap referenda.

Thomas-Greenfield argued that Putin sent an emissary, who threatened the use of nuclear weapons, on a non-nuclear country, to secure Russia's illegitimate military gains. She said that the purpose of these was to try to annex Ukrainian territories.

According to the Washington Post, the situation comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia just concluded "sham referendums." The official argued that Moscow's actions rule out any talks as long as Putin remains president. He also called for Russia's "complete isolation" and urged tough new global sanctions.

Read Also: Meta Shut Down Chinese, Russian Attempt To Influence Elections Using Political Misinformation

Annexing Ukrainian Territories

Zelensky spoke to the UN Security Council via video link despite Russian objections and urged additional military and financial support to help Ukraine defend itself against Moscow's aggression. The referendums, which Kyiv denounced and its Western allies argued were rigged, took place in the Russian-controlled Luhansk and Kherson regions, as well as in occupied areas of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

On Tuesday, pro-Moscow officials said that residents in all four occupied areas of Ukraine voted in support of joining Russia. It was a likely prelude to annexations possibly within the next few days that would set the stage for a new and possibly more dangerous phase of the war.

Zelensky warned that any form of annexation in the modern world is a crime against all states that consider the inviolability of borders to be vital for themselves. The Ukrainian president accused Moscow of destroying the "main body of international law."

The UN Security Council, which has met more than 20 times on Ukraine this year, has yet to take meaningful action because Russia is a permanent veto-wielding member along with Britain, China, France, and the United States. Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's ambassador to the UN, did not directly address the resolution brought by Thomas-Greenfield, Reuters reported.

Related Article: Nord Stream Pipeline Leak: Here's Why Experts Think It's a 'Sabotage' Amid Intense Russia-Ukraine War

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Tickner denied all the allegations against him during his misconduct hearing

She also alleged he prevented her from leaving his home and used physical force

A former Met Police officer allegedly suggested he would engage in sexual activity with his then-colleague without her consent.

Luis Tickner told a female colleague if youre asleep you cant say no and grabbed her after she refused to have sex with him last year, his misconduct hearing heard on Wednesday.

The 5ft3in woman, referred to as Ms A, told the hearing that Tickner also grabbed her wrists to prevent her leaving his flat in south London.

She said she suffered a panic attack after he kissed her, put his hand on her throat and implied he would rape her.

Tickner was a serving PC at the time of the incident on Valentine's Day last year but he is no longer in the force after resigning last December.

He denied all the allegations against him during the Met Police misconduct hearing at Empress State Building in Fulham.

Luis Tickner (pictured) allegedly suggested he would engage in sexual activity with his then-colleague without her consent

He is then said to have told a female colleague if youre asleep you cant say no and grabbed her after she refused to have sex with him last year

The tribunal heard that Ms A went over to his flat in Tooting while they were both off duty to watch a film. Both reportedly consumed alcohol throughout the evening.

At one point in the evening she indicated she wanted to leave...but former PC Tickner prevented her from doing so,' Alan Jenkins, for the Met Police, said.

He suggested that he would engage in sexual activity without her consent.

He used physical force to grab her wrists to prevent her from leaving.

Mr Jenkins said his actions caused Ms A to be fearful.

Giving evidence behind screens and therefore shielded from Tickner, Ms A told the panel: He had called me a couple of days before and said that he had broken up with his girlfriend.

Then on the 14th he had, I dont remember if he called or texted me, basically implied to me that he was very drunk and very sad and that he was possibly going to hurt himself and so I went there because he asked me to and because I thought of us as friends and I didnt want him to hurt himself.

She took a bottle vodka with her and when she arrived at his flat in Tooting, southwest London he was quite drunk.

The female officer said she made herself a single vodka and coke, drinking half of it through the evening.

The panel heard the pair spoke briefly with his housemate, also a police officer, before going into Tickners bedroom to watch a film.

Ms A said she asked about his break up but he was not open to talking about it.

She had known him for a year-and-a-half at that point, working in the same building but never seeing each other socially, but they were not massively close friends, the tribunal heard.

At some point...Luis kissed me, Ms A went on.

That was consensual. I didnt mind that.

But then he almost immediately pushed me away.

So I sort of sat upright.

I wasnt going to do anything.

And then he pulled me back and then he kissed me again and then he pushed me away again and then he continued.

At times he would push me away, I would sit upright, I would think okay hes clearly uncomfortable.

He would then pull me back again and it started to get quite repetitive and uncomfortable for me.

At one point I had said that it was quite late and that I [should] probably think about going home and he said that I could stay at his house.

I thought about it and I agreed because I didnt really want to pay the Uber price to get home.

I said to him if I was staying that nothing like sexual would happen and he, I dont remember the exact words that he used, but he said words to the effect of: If youre asleep you cant say no.

Asked if she ever thought she might engage sexually with him, Ms A said it had crossed her mind but she had decided to leave.

I made that very clear by saying to him that I wasnt going to have sex with him.

He said that if I was asleep I couldnt say no.

Then-cop Luis Tickner told a female colleague if youre asleep you cant say no and grabbed after she refused to have sex with him last year, his misconduct hearing heard on Wednesday. Tickner was a serving PC at the time of the incident last year but he is no longer in the force after resigning last December. He denies all the allegations against him

His response made her feel scared, the tribunal was told.

At one point one of my friends had texted me and I went to reply to it and he said it was rude of me to be on the phone and he took my phone and put it on top of his wardrobe which, from where I was sat, didnt look like I could reach it.

She said the more Tickner kissed her, pushed her away, before pulling her back, the more she began to feel pressure.

I was completely fine and comfortable at the beginning of the evening and throughout it just became more and more that I felt very unsafe and I felt very uncomfortable and I didnt want to be there anymore.

I didnt know how he would react if I said no to anything or if I tried to leave because he had basically just implied to me that he would rape me.

Asked if she ever tried to leave, Ms A replied: At one point I think he kissed me and he put his hand on my throat and I pulled his hand away and told him not to do that and he started screaming and shouting at me to not touch him like that to not pull his hand away like that.

I started to have a panic attack because he was shouting at me and I got up off the bed and I went to like the corner of the room and had this panic attack.

I sat back down on the bed and started to put my shoes on and I said to him I was leaving and he grabbed my arm and he said that I couldnt leave and then he pulled me back down and he said I cant leave dont leave.

The way he was saying it he was shouting it and I just felt like there was no option but to just do what he wanted.

So I started to think of options of things that I could do and thought, Hes quite drunk, hes going to fall asleep at some point if I stay awake I can wait until he falls asleep I can find a way to get my phone and get an Uber.

And thats what I did.

I sat on the bed and I waited for him to fall asleep and I made sure he was asleep, pushed him, said his name, and I managed to get my phone from the wardrobe and I left.

The panel heard that the pair had three phone conversations the next day in which she told him what had happened. Tickner allegedly said that if she told anyone it would ruin his career.

Tickner denies preventing Ms A from leaving his home, suggesting he would engage in sexual activity without her consent and using physical force against her.

The tribunal will continue.
During Schwarzenegger's visit this week, he met with the son of a survivor, along with a woman who as a 3-year-old child was subjected to cruel experiments

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Arnold Schwarzenegger - whose father was a Nazi soldier - has visited the Auschwitz death camp to deliver the message of 'terminating prejudice once and for all.'

The former Governor of California met with the son of a Holocaust survivor as he viewed the camp's barracks, watchtowers and remains of gas chambers that endure as evidence of the Nazi extermination of Jews and others during World War II.

Schwarzenegger, 75, who is originally from Austria, spoke about being the son of decorated Nazi soldier Gustav Schwarzenegger.

In a video posted to Facebook in March, he brought up painful memories about how his father was lied to as he fought, and how he returned to Austria a broken man, physically and emotionally, unleashing abuse on his family.

After Schwarzenegger's visit to Auschwitz this week, he vowed it wouldn't be his last, signing the visitor's book with his immortal phrase 'I'll be back.'

Beloved action hero star Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the Auschwitz Nazi death camp where he signed the visitor book 'I'll be back'

The actor and former California Governor visited former Nazi German concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, near Oswiecim, Poland this week

Schwarzenegger signed the visitor's book with his immortal catchphrase 'I'll be back'

His father Gustav Schwarzenegger (17 August 1907 - 13 December 1972), was a Nazi soldier who fought during World War II

During Schwarzenegger's trip to the camp, he met with Simon Bergson, who was born after the war to Auschwitz survivors.

The Terminator actor said that he and Bergson, who are close in age, were united in their work to fight prejudice.

'This is a story that has to stay alive, this is a story that we have to tell over and over again,' he said after his visit to the site of the death camp, speaking in a former synagogue that now is home to the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation.

'Let's fight prejudice together and let's just terminate it once and for all,' Schwarzenegger said.

Schwarzenegger also met with a woman who as a 3-year-old child was subjected to experiments by the notorious Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, known as the Angel of Death infamous for his cruel experimentation on inmates at Auschwitz.

Schwarzenegger's visit to the harrowing heart of the Nazi extermination of the Jews and others during World War II in southern Poland was his first and came as part of his work with the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, whose mission is to fight hatred through education.

Schwarzenegger viewed the barracks, watchtowers and gas remains of gas chambers that endure as evidence of the Nazi extermination of Jews and others during World War II

Schwarzenegger was alongside Simon Bergson (right), who was born after the war to Auschwitz survivors

Schwarzenegger said that he and Bergson were united in their work to fight prejudice

He received the foundation's inaugural 'Fighting Hatred' award in June for his anti-hatred stance on social media. He said he couldn't attend in person then because he was filming a new action series in Canada and was in a 'COVID bubble.'

He told Russians in a video posted on social media in March that they were being lied to about the war in Ukraine and accused President Vladimir Putin of sacrificing Russian soldiers to his own ambitions.

In the video, he also talked about his memories of his own father's experiences from the war, saying he was lied to as he fought, and returned home broken.

He has previously spoke about how his father Gustav was frequently drunk and abusive to his family when he was young.

He attributed this behavior to guilt and shame over what Gustav and other Nazis and collaborators had perpetrated or enabled during the war.

Gustav Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian Army from 1930 to 1937, achieving the rank of section commander, and in 1937, he became a police officer.

Schwarzenegger, left, hugs Holocaust survivor Lydia Maksimovicz, right, in Poland Wednesday

'Let's fight prejudice together and let's just terminate it once and for all,' the Terminator actor said after his tour of the concentration camp

Arnold Schwarzenegger, third left, visits Auschwitz - Birkenau Nazi German death camp in Oswiecim, Poland, on Wednesday

Schwarzenegger's visit to the harrowing heart of the Nazi extermination of the Jews and others during World War II in southern Poland was his first

Schwarzenegger poses with Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Piotr Cywinski as he visits former Nazi German Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in Oswiecim, Poland. His trip came as part of his work with the Foundation

Who was Gustav Schwarzenegger? Austrian Nazi military policeman who fought for Hitler across Europe Gustav Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian Army from 1930 to 1937, achieving the rank of section commander, and in 1937, he became a police officer. After enlisting in the Wehrmacht in November 1939, Schwarzenegger gained the appointment of Hauptfeldwebel (Company 1st Sergeant) of the Feldgendarmerie, which acted as military police units. He served in Poland, France, Belgium, Ukraine, Lithuania and Russia. He was awarded the Iron Cross First and Second Classes for bravery, the Eastern Front Medal, and the Wound Badge. He was wounded in action in Leningrad, Russia and then suffered recurring bouts of malaria, which led to his discharge in February 1944. Considered unfit for active duty, he returned to Graz, Austria, where he was assigned to work as a postal inspector. Schwarzenegger died of a stroke on December 13, 1972, at the age of 65, in Weiz, Steiermark, Austria, where he had been transferred as a policeman. In a 2021 video, Arnold publicly recalled, for the first time, how his father Gustav was frequently drunk and abusive to his family when he was young. He attributed this behavior to guilt and shame over what Gustav and other Nazis and collaborators had perpetrated or enabled during the war. Advertisement

After enlisting in the Wehrmacht in November 1939, Gustav Schwarzenegger gained the appointment of Hauptfeldwebel (Company 1st Sergeant) of the Feldgendarmerie, which acted as military police units.

He served in Poland, France, Belgium, Ukraine, Lithuania and Russia.

He was awarded the Iron Cross First and Second Classes for bravery, the Eastern Front Medal, and the Wound Badge.

He was wounded in action in Leningrad, Russia and then suffered recurring bouts of malaria, which led to his discharge in February 1944.

Considered unfit for active duty, he returned to Graz, Austria, where he was assigned to work as a postal inspector.

Schwarzenegger died of a stroke on December 13, 1972, at the age of 65, in Weiz, Steiermark, Austria, where he had been transferred as a policeman.

While his widow Aurelia Jadrny Schwarzenegger was visiting his grave at the Weiz Cemetery in August 1998, she died of a heart attack at the age of 76.

News of Schwarzenegger's links to the Nazis first surfaced in 1990. He asked the Simon Wiesenthal Center to research his father's past.

The Center found his father's army records and NSDAP party membership, but did not uncover any connection to war crimes or the paramilitary organization, the Schutzstaffel.

In Schwarzenegger's 2021 video posted to social media in response to the Jan. 6 United States Capitol attack, he publicly recalled, for the first time, how his family was treated by his father.

In another video posted in 2022, this on about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he urged the Russian soldiers to not 'be broken like (his) father' by continuing their invasion.

Schwarzenegger posted the video on his 22.2million Instagram followers and media company ATTN's Facebook page, sharing his love for Russia and the Russian people before making scathing remarks to Putin and the Kremlin.

Describing himself as a 'long-time friend' of the Russian people, he gives a direct message to Putin: 'To President Putin, I say, you started this war. You are leading this war. You can stop this war.'

Arnold Schwarzenegger has made a direct appeal to the Russian President and the people of Russia to shed light on the 'the truth' about the invasion on Ukraine, describing it as a 'humanitarian catastrophe'

He also asks Putin and his Kremlin counterparts: 'Let me just ask you, why would you sacrifice those young men for your own ambitions?'

The nine-minute clip garnered over 250,000 Instagram views, and 120,000 on Facebook, in an hour, with thousands commenting support and praise to the film star for his efforts to help stop the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Historians estimate that around 1.1 million people were killed at Auschwitz during the war. Around 1 million of them were Jews.

Some 75,000 Poles were killed there, as well as Roma, Russian prisoners of war and others.
Asian hornets which 'raid' honey bee hives and kill them have been spotted in the UK for the first time in five months.

The National Bee Unit has urged beekeepers to 'remain vigilant' after one of the hornets was spotted in Chelmsford, Essex.

It is the first sighting of an Asian hornet since April when one was found in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

And the Natural History Museum says the yellow-legged and striped hornets could eat our honeybees.

The National Bee Unit has urged beekeepers to 'remain vigilant' after one of the hornets was spotted in Chelmsford, Essex. Stock picture

Bee expert Gavin Broad told the Independent: 'The hornets raid honeybee hives by sitting outside them and capturing workers as they go in and out.

'They chop them up and feed the thorax to their young.'

The hornets first came to Europe by accident when they were spotted in France in 2004 and it is believed they managed to get into the country in a shipment of goods from east Asia.

They are believed to have decimated the bee population in France and have since spread to adjoining countries.

And the Natural History Museum says the yellow-legged and striped hornets could eat our honeybees

Nicola Spence, chief plant and bee health officer at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), told the publication: 'By ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, we can take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets.

'That's why we are working at speed to locate and investigate any nests in the area following this confirmed sighting.'

Although the hornets don't pose any more of a health threat to humans than a European hornet, anyone who spots one is urged to report it to the government.
Iran has launched missiles and drone strikes across the border into Iraq's Kurdistan region - killing nine people.

The attack comes after the Iranian regime accused Kurdish militias there of stoking unrest that has rocked the Islamic republic.

Dozens of protestors have been killed in demonstrations following the death of Masha Amini, who was killed after being violently arrested in Tehran for breaching Iran's strict rules on the hijab.

Protests were held for the twelfth night in a row yesterday, despite internet restrictions designed to stop gatherings and prevent images of the unrest from being published.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accused Iraq-based Kurdish groups of 'attacking and infiltrating Iran from the northwest of the country to sow insecurity and riots and spread unrest'.

A barrage of missiles and drones killed nine and wounded 32, according to Iraqi Kurdistan authorities.

A senior Kurdish official told AFP there were 'civilians among the casualties'.

A picture obtained by AFP outside Iran, on Sept. 21, 2022, shows Iranian demonstrators taking to the streets of the capital Tehran during a protest for Mahsa Amini, days after she died in police custody

The Islamic Republic has shut down the Internet in Tehran, making it difficult to obtain pictures of the riots

Mahsa Amini, 22, poses in an undated photo. She died on September 16 after three days in coma following a violent arrest and treatment at the hands of Iran's so-called morality police

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi is pictured during a cabinet meeting in the capital Tehran on September 28, 2022. UN general secretary Antonio Guterres reportedly called on Raisi to avoid the use of 'disproportionate force' on protestors

In Baghdad, Iraq's federal government summoned the Iranian ambassador over the strikes, while the UN mission in Iraq condemned the attack, saying 'rocket diplomacy is a reckless act with devastating consequences'.

The United States said it 'strongly condemns' Iran's deadly strikes in Iraqi Kurdistan and warned against further attacks.

'We stand with the people and government of Iraq in the face of these brazen attacks on their sovereignty,' State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, called on Iran's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi not to use 'disproportionate force' against protesters.

Amini had been visiting Tehran with her family on September 12 when she encountered Iran's notorious 'Guidance Patrol' - widely referred to as the morality police - and died after a 'violent blow to the head'.

The woman was arrested along with her brother and female relatives after leaving an underground station despite being 'dressed normally', one of Amini's cousins said.

'The police officer told (her brother), ''We are going to take her in, instil the rules in her and teach her how to wear the hijab and how to dress'',' the cousin said.

'Woman, Life, Freedom!' has been the rallying cry in the protests since Amini's death as women have burned their headscarves in bonfires or symbolically cut off their hair, cheered on by crowds.

But Iranian riot police have been deployed in their droves to force protestors to abate.

One clip obtained and shared by Radio Farda - a US-funded Persian station based in Prague - showed officers in black body armour shooting up at apartment windows in Tehran's Ekbatan Town, one of dozens of places demonstrations have erupted.

'We are increasingly concerned about reports of rising fatalities, including women and children, related to the protests,' the UN chief's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Fars news agency said Tuesday 'around 60' people had been killed since Amini's death on September 16, up from the official toll of 41 authorities reported on Saturday.

But the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights said the crackdown has killed at least 76 people.

More than 1,200 arrests, mostly of activists, lawyers and journalists, have been made by Iranian police since protests began, according to authorities, after Iranian judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei stressed 'the need for decisive action without leniency' against any who are seen to be instigating protests.

Anti-regime protestors pictured setting fires in Tehran on September 19, 2022

Women around the world have rallied in solidarity protests (protests in front of Iranian embassy in Madrid)

Police try to manage protestors gathered outside the Islamic Centre of England in Maida Vale, London, on Sunday

Protesters clash during demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, in London, Britain September 25, 2022

Attempts by the Iranian authorities to limit the protests has drawn condemnation from around the world.

Tensions with Western powers have grown this week, with Germany summoning the Iranian ambassador, Canada announcing sanctions and Tehran calling in the British and Norwegian envoys.

On Tuesday, US think-tank Freedom House joined the chorus, calling for 'other governments to stand with these courageous protesters and hold Iranian officials to account for their abuses'.

Spain on Wednesday summoned the Iranian ambassador to express its 'objection over the repression of the protests and the violation of women's rights'.

Meanwhile, the son of Iran's late shah hailed the protests as a landmark revolution by women and urged the world to add even more pressure on the current clerical leadership.

Reza Pahlavi, whose father was toppled in the Islamic Revolution of 1979, called for greater preparation for a future Iranian system that is secular and democratic.

'It is truly in modern times, in my opinion, the first revolution for the women, by the women, with the support of the Iranian men, sons, brothers and fathers,' said Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the US.
A missing Texas middle school teacher was caught on surveillance footage parking her Lexus SUV in New Orleans and walking away just one day after she disappeared.

Those looking are concerned that Reynolds may have wandered into the water in a delirious state.

A nonprofit search and rescue organization is scouring the Mississippi River looking for any signs of 48-year-old Michelle Reynolds, whose husband first reported her missing on Thursday.

Michael Reynolds had said his wife told him she was going out to get food that day, but never returned to their Alvin, Texas home.

Her SUV was later found hundreds of miles away in the Big Easy on Saturday, with her cellphone, driver's license and credit cards still inside.

Officials now fear the mother of three may have been confused and waded into the river after driving to New Orleans and abandoning her car.

Michelle Reynolds, 48, was reported missing on Thursday after she told her husband she was going out to get food. Her Lexus SUV was later located in New Orleans, with her belongings still inside

Surveillance footage purports to show Reynolds park her car on Saint Peters Street in New Orleans just after noon on Friday and walk away

After Michelle first disappeared, Michael told KHOU he used the Lexus Roadside Service to find Michelle's Lexus NX 300, and were shocked to discover it in New Orleans.

He then went out to Louisiana over the weekend in an effort to find his wife and bring her home, but Michael and Michelle's brother were only able to find her still-charged cell phone, IDs and credit cards in her car.

That is when Michael enlisted the help of Texas EquuSearch, a nonprofit mounted search and rescue team, which was able to obtain surveillance footage of Michelle parking the silver car near a church on Saint Peters Street just after noon on Friday.

'We did get surveillance of her actually parking her car on Saint Peters Street at 12.01pm Friday afternoon, and then kind of what direction she was walking,' Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller told FOX 26.

He added that 'Saint Peters Street is pretty close to the Mississippi River,' and worries Michelle may have wandered into the water in a delirious state.

Miller now wants to trace her steps after parking the SUV.

Shortly after he received the video from a nearby business, he said his organization put a helicopter in the air, searching the banks of the Mississippi River and the river itself for the Fairview Junior High School teacher.

But so far, Miller said, the search efforts have been unsuccessful.

'I just got the video back from about 20 miles along the river to see if she is in there,' he told KHOU. 'They didn't come up with anything.'

Miller has since traveled to New Orleans himself, where he plans to meet with city police and the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office.

He also hopes to have another helicopter back up on Wednesday along with a boat in the river to continue the search efforts.

Michael Reynolds, Michelle's husband, located her car using the Lexus Roadside Service and found her still-charged cellphone, IDs and credit card still inside

He said he now believes his wife may have been confused when she disappeared last week

Both Miller and Michael now fear Michelle may have been confused when she disappeared.

'We know that Michelle was confused. There's some things that were going on,' Michael told FOX 26.

'In the beginning, we were wondering, "Was she carjacked? Is something else happening?"' he noted, 'until we got that surveillance and yes, she parked at 12.01pm, got out of her car and started walking.

'So we know now that foul play did not happen from Point A to Point B.'

'Hopefully she's confused, and she's wandering over there and somebody's going to see her, and we're going to get her back safe,' he lamented. 'That's certainly the goal.'

Michael is now back in Texas, trying to comfort his children as the search efforts continue.

'I am heading back to Houston now because I have three children,' he said on Monday. 'My daughter is having a really tough time and so is my 13-year-old daughter and my 11-year-old son as well.

'Please be on the lookout for Michelle. We love her and miss her dearly. We're doing everything we can to bring her home safe.'

A nonprofit organization is now joining in the search efforts for the middle school teacher at Fairview Junior High in the Alvin Independent School District

Missing persons reports have been filed in both Texas and Louisiana for the middle school teacher at Fairview Junior High in the Alvin Independent School District, located about 25 miles south of Houston.

Michelle Reynolds smiles in a photo posted to her public Facebook account

It is unknown what clothing Michelle was wearing at the time of her disappearance, but she may have been wearing black leggings.

People.com spoke with Brazoria County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Danny Lares who said that they are continuing to look into any and all information on the 48-year-old's disappearance.

'Our investigators are following all leads,' Sgt. Lares said in an interview. 'They are trying to verify if she has been in contact with anybody and following leads and seeing where it takes them.'

Reynolds is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a thin build. She has blonde hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office at 979-864-2392.

The matter remains under investigation by officials at this time.
High Court judges have said today that criminal suspects may not be kept in custody on remand after November if the barristers' strike continues.

Earlier this month, crown court judges' Peter Blair and Tina Landale refused to extend the custody time limits of defendants after their trials were delayed due to ongoing industrial action by members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA).

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Max Hill KC then brought a challenge against the two separate cases made in Bristol and Manchester which involve an alleged rapist, two men accused of causing grievous bodily harm and an alleged sexual offender.

Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Chamberlain from the High Court then ruled on Wednesday that the judges in those cases 'fell into legal error' when refusing to keep defendants behind bars.

However, they warned that, if the dispute between the CBA and the Government continues beyond the end of November then it is 'unlikely' to remain a valid reason.

They also refused to overturn the decisions not to extend the custody time limits, as they have now expired, meaning there is no power to extend them but did say there is 'good' reason to continue to keep defendants in jail.

It comes as hearings across England and Wales in recent weeks have been adjourned as the CBA demands a 25 per cent pay rise in legal aid fees to curb an exodus of young barristers.

The crown court judges' Peter Blair (on left, who sits at Bristol) and Tina Landale (right, who sits in Manchester) refused to extend the custody time limits after their trials were delayed due to ongoing industrial action by members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA)

But Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Chamberlain from the High Court (pictured) ruled on Wednesday that the judges in those cases 'fell into legal error' when refusing to keep defendants behind bars

Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrate this morning outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government

Today, the CBA did say discussions with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) are 'progressing at pace and remain constructive' after they met new Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis last week.

However its industrial action resumed on Wednesday morning so members could air their concerns about the 'obvious and critical' crisis in the criminal justice system, the body said.

The High Court judges added that the question of whether such adjournments do represent a sufficient cause for extending a time limit 'will be case-specific' and require the consideration of a number of factors in cases.

Both judges said that, for the time being, adjournments to trials resulting from the unavailability of defence counsel 'may' be a 'good and sufficient cause' to extend custody time limits.

But they then added that the 'relevant point at which the unavailability of legal representation can properly be described as chronic or routine is likely to be reached by the last week in November 2022'.

This is due to it being three months on from the announcement of the CBA's indefinite strike action.

The judges added: 'Once this point is reached, the absence of legal representation in the context of the CBA action is unlikely to be capable of supplying a sufficient reason for extending custody time limits.'

They also described the current strike action as 'unprecedented' and warned Crown Court judges they must 'refrain from endorsing the position of either side' in the ongoing dispute - but that did not mean they had to 'ignore reality'.

They said: 'Indeed, they must scrupulously avoid doing so, whatever their own personal views about the merits. In short, they must not enter the fray.

'This does not mean, however, that judges are required to ignore reality. If, as a matter of fact, the effect of the CBA action is to make representation unavailable in a large proportion of cases, that fact must be confronted.'

The CBA demands a 25 per cent pay rise in legal aid fees to curb an exodus of young barristers - but the Government has refused to negotiate on its 15 per cent offer

Their ruling said it was not necessary for judges 'to inquire into the root causes of the present dispute' and that 'attribution of fault is irrelevant'.

At a hearing earlier this week, lawyers representing Mr Hill argued the Crown Court judges were 'wrong' to express views over the merits of the pay dispute between the Government and lawyers.

The judges had concluded that the unavailability of defence barristers, due to ongoing industrial action by members of the CBA was not a 'good and sufficient cause' to keep the defendants locked up on remand while their trials were delayed.

Tom Little KC, representing the DPP, argued in written submissions at a hearing in London on Monday that it was 'inappropriate for applications for extensions to custody time limits to be determined based on the individual views of judges as to the competing arguments in the dispute'.

He added: 'While it is invidious for any view at all to be expressed on the merits of the industrial action, the prospect that judges will reach different conclusions on the issue is one which will lead to inconsistent and unfair results.'

Criminal barristers gathering in protest at the Supreme Court on September 6 amid strike action (today, the Royal Courts of Justice) across England and Wales

In recent weeks, court hearings across England and Wales have been put off due to the unavailability of some barristers who are taking part in the continuous walkout.

Mr Hill has previously described the issues raised by the cases at the centre of his challenge as 'a matter of the greatest importance to the running of the criminal justice system in the next few weeks'.

Judge Peter Blair KC, sitting at Bristol Crown Court earlier this month, ruled that the absence of a lawyer arose out of the 'chronic and predictable consequences of long-term underfunding', highlighting that the Government had 'many, many months' to resolve the pay dispute.

Mr Little argued that Judge Tina Landale, who reached the same view in a separate case in Manchester, placed 'tacit reliance' on Judge Blair's ruling, with her judgment's wording being 'either identical or similar'.

He told the court that 'properly analysed, these two respective decisions involved a view being expressed as to fault'.

In recent weeks, court hearings across England and Wales have been put off due to the unavailability of some barristers who are taking part in the continuous walkout (today, the Royal Courts of Justice)

He added: 'In other words, this is the Government's fault.' Mr Little added: 'The judges formed a view which they expressed in the course of their ruling which was one, we submit, should not have been formed.'

David Hughes, representing a Bristol defendant - who is an interested party to the High Court challenge, along with the two defendants in the Manchester case - said Judge Blair said 'nothing [...] that was wrong, improper or inaccurate' and made 'no error of law'.

The barrister said Judge Blair was not expressing a view but 'just expressing what the reality of the situation is', including that the dispute has been going on for many months.

Benjamin Knight, representing one of the Manchester defendants, said that Judge Landale 'did not stray into assessing the merits of the CBA action' but had noted it was 'foreseen and foreseeable... that such a problem would arise'.

Barry Grennan, representing the other Manchester defendant, argued that the barrister pay dispute had become a 'predictable and persistent problem' that dated back to April.

Bruno Min, legal director at Fair Trials, a criminal justice campaign organisation, said: 'It is unjust to hold people awaiting trial in prison for extended periods of time because of failings within the criminal justice system.

'But thousands of legally innocent people have been held in prison for over six months because of the long-standing backlog of criminal cases.

'Instead of challenging judges' decisions to release people, the Government should be taking urgent steps to tackle the underlying causes of the crisis within the criminal justice in England and Wales.'

According to Manchester Evening News, the alleged rapist, the two men accused of causing grievous bodily harm and the alleged sexual offender have been released on conditional bail.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'We welcome the judgment which recognises that the ongoing strike action does give sufficient cause to extend custody time limits.

'Judges make bail decisions independently of Government but protecting the public will remain our top priority.'

Demonstrations also took place outside Liverpool and Exeter crown courts (pictured, London today) as the action continued for its 25th week despite calls from Mr Lewis for barristers to return to work

Meanwhile, CBA chair Kirsty Brimelow KC told striking barristers gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London that they launched the industrial action to 'highlight the justice system being on its knees and the appalling rates of pay that our junior barristers are expected to work under'.

Demonstrations also took place outside Liverpool and Exeter crown courts as the action continued for its 25th week despite calls from Mr Lewis for barristers to return to work.

Telling how junior barristers earn an average income of 12,200 in the first three years, Ms Brimelow said: 'We continue to fight for our criminal justice system and for one of which we once again want to be proud.

'We share the same vision as the Ministry of Justice of having a world class criminal justice system. We can no longer speak about a justice system that is anything other than broken.'

Anoushka Twining, a junior barrister who has been practising for just over 18 months, said the work that she and colleagues were doing was 'not sustainable' because many hours largely go unpaid and they effectively earn a rate that is 'less than minimum wage'.

Talented barristers were being put off the job as a result, with juniors leaving the profession because 'they simply cannot sustain themselves, their households, if they have young families, and that's causing a problem now,' she said.

Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), which represents barristers in England and Wales, outside Manchester Crown Court on the first of several days of court walkouts earlier this year

She added: 'This is going to be a problem in three years, it's going to be a problem in 30 years when we don't have enough prosecutors and enough defence barristers to do the most serious work the criminal justice system requires of us. That will be a devastating thing for this country.'

Barristers in England and Wales are taking part in a continuous walkout after the dispute over conditions and Government-set fees for legal aid advocacy work intensified.

Prior to that, they had striking on alternate weeks and have refused to carry out certain types of work.

Criminal barristers are due to receive a 15% fee rise from the end of September, meaning they will earn 7,000 more per year.

But there has been anger the proposed pay rise will not be made effective immediately and will apply only to new cases, not those already sitting in the backlog waiting to be dealt with by courts.
Lara Trump has been slammed online after she posted to Instagram a video of her five-year-old son driving a toy vehicle in the rain as Hurricane Ian battered Florida.

Lara lives in Jupiter, Florida with husband Eric Trump and their young son, Eric - who goes by his middle name Luke.

In the video, Luke can be seen shielding his eyes and clinching his knees together as he drives his toy vehicle in the heavy rain.

The Sunshine State is currently being battered by Hurricane Ian, which is lashing the west coast of Florida.

'Thought we had a clear window, turns out we did some character building instead,' Lara wrote in the caption. 'Stay safe everyone!'

Lara can be heard in the video encouraging her son, saying: 'Oh my God, Luke. Come on, you can do it, let's go.'

The video opens by showing Lara Trump's son, Luke, on a toy vehicle in the rain

As the video pans closer to Luke, he is seen shielding his eyes and clinching his knees together

Lara then pans away from Luke to show the heavy rainfall caused by Hurricane Ian

Lara panned the camera to show the heavy rainfall in the area. She's also heard encouraging her son in the video, saying: 'Oh my God, Luke. Come on, you can do it, let's go'

Eric L. Trump (center), who goes by his middle name, Luke, is the son of Lara (left) and Eric (right)

After the video was circulated by other Twitter users, backlash immediately ensued.

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'I don't know what's worse - that she did this to him, or that she filmed it and then posted it as some sort of brag,' one user wrote.

'I noticed she's probably filming under an umbrella,' one scoffs. 'Maybe she already has enough character.'

But not everyone was critical of the video - with one user saying they would have 'loved' to be able to have done this as a child.

'Okay, I'm going to play devil's advocate here. This is something as a kid I would have loved to have done. I loved weather. When hurricanes were coming I was the one who wanted to be outside in them,' another user wrote, before addding that it does not look like Luke is 'having fun'.

Eric Trump brushed off all criticism when asked by the DailyMail.com about his wife being slammed for posting the video.

'The heavens opened up while they were on a walk with the dogs,' said Eric of the footage of his son filmed by his wife.

'The rain came out of nowhere and they were 50 yards away from our home.

'We posted another video of our daughter laughing having been caught in the rain and it was just two kids having fun.

'Any criticism is outrageous and ridiculous, the hurricane is 250 miles away on the west coast and we are on the east coast.'
But the Scottish Birth, Deaths and Marriages Act applies as she died in Scotland

If Queen died in England document would not need to be released under the law

Royal writer Angela Levin said Scottish government seem to be 'flouting the law'

A Scottish government department has been accused of being secretive and blocking legitimate attempts to obtain a copy of the Queen's death certificate - despite it being a matter of public record.

The document would usually reveal several details including the cause of Her Majesty's death and where and when she died.

But despite MailOnline and other media outlets attempting to obtain the information from the National Records of Scotland (NRS), the public body has blocked its staff from providing any details relating to the Queen's death on September 8.

Royal biographer Angela Levin claimed that by withholding the information, the National Records of Scotland and Scottish government appeared to be flouting the law.

A Scottish government department has been accused of being secretive and blocking legitimate attempts to obtain a copy of the Queen's death certificate. Pictured: The late Queen days before her death as she waited in the Drawing Room before receiving Liz Truss for an audience at Balmoral, where the now Prime Minister was be invited to become Prime Minister

Royal biographer Angela Levin (pictured) claimed that by withholding the information, the National Records of Scotland and Scottish government appeared to be flouting the law

The NRS said the death of Her Majesty The Queen was registered in Aberdeenshire on September 16 and 'an extract will be made available in due course'. Pictured: General Register House on Princes Street, Edinburgh, the headquarters of the National Archives of Scotland

Ms Levin, who publishes Camilla: From Outcast to Queen Consort this week, said: 'Who is responsible for stopping this information from being made public, the head of State? I never think these sort of things last. If they are breaking the law in Scotland nobody is going to let it go.

'They are going to carry on until they have a proper answer as to why there is an exception being made on this particular occasion, especially if it is the law there.

'I quite understand that in relation to the Queen that they might feel it is inappropriate to let everybody know what she died of and the time and date of her death, however you have to abide by the law as an example to all of us. If it is a law you need to follow it,' she added.

The Queen passed away at her Balmoral Estate on September 8.

Had the Queen died in England there would be no need to release an official cause of death as the Registration Act of 1836 does not apply to monarchs.

But as she died in Scotland under the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act of 1965, all deaths must be registered within seven days and this includes the submission of a death certificate to a registrar.

However, all inquiries to Aberdeenshire registry office where the Queen's death would have been registered, have been referred to NRS and it's understood that NRS has ordered council staff not to release any details.

The NRS said the death of Her Majesty The Queen was registered in Aberdeenshire on September 16 and 'an extract will be made available in due course'.

Prince William, along with the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, flew together to Balmoral on the Dassault Falcon 900LX jets to reach the Queen's bedside as her health deteriorated.

However, Prince Harry did not board the same flight. He was unable to find an aircraft as most of the members of the Royal Family were already in a race to fly to Balmoral.

An inscribed stone slab marking the death of Queen Elizabeth II which was laid in the Windsor Castle chapel

King Charles III places the Queen's Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin during the Committal Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on September 19

Prince Harry finally boarded a charter from Luton airport, which flew at 5:35 PM.

The public statement regarding the Queen's death was reportedly delayed until King Charles could reach his son to inform him of the news shortly before he touched down in Scotland.

He was told of her death mid-flight just a few minutes before the official announcement.

Failure to make the details of the Queen's death a matter for public record could lead to conspiracy theories.

Ms Levin said: 'I try to stay away from conspiracy theories as much as possible, but this is a difficult one. Perhaps they are trying to avoid hurt for certain individuals. I can see that what she died of might be quite difficult to pass round to the public.

'It will cause a huge amount of interest and attention and they might not want to do that. I'm not particularly worried about Harry getting there or not getting there.

'He has made such a hullabaloo, I'm not concerned about him, but you can't just have one law for the public and one law for you. Perhaps they hoped nobody would notice and leave it but now people are going to want the details.

'In a way, I feel that although I don't approve of what the government is doing, that we should let the lady lay in peace.'
The toppling of a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was violent and is not protected by Human Rights laws, Court of Appeal judges have ruled.

The bronze memorial to the 17th-century merchant, whose Royal African Company transported slaves to the West Indies and America, was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol on June 7, 2020, before being rolled into the harbour.

In January this year, four protesters - the so-called Colston Four - involved in tearing down the statue were cleared by a jury at Bristol Crown Court of criminal damage.

Following the jurys decision, then-attorney general Suella Braverman referred the case to the Court of Appeal so judges could 'clarify the law for future cases' - without affecting the fours acquittals.

In a ruling on Wednesday, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, Mr Justice Holgate and Mr Justice Saini clarified three questions of law which arose from the case and were referred to the court by Ms Braverman.

Lord Burnett said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was right to argue the prosecution of the four was not an abuse of process because the conduct of the protesters 'fell outside the protection' of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The bronze memorial to the 17th-century merchant, whose Royal African Company transported slaves to the West Indies and America, was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol on June 7, 2020, before being rolled into the harbour

However, he emphasised that does not suggest the four were in fact guilty of criminal damage, because there were other defences deployed by them at their trial and it is 'impossible to know' on what basis the jury reached its verdict.

'Although this case did not involve the destruction of the statue, the damage that was caused was clearly significant,' Lord Burnett said.

'Pulling this heavy bronze statue to the ground required it to be climbed, ropes attached to it and then the use of a good deal of force to bring it crashing to the ground.'

He added: 'The circumstances in which the statue was damaged did not involve peaceful protest.

'The toppling of the statue was violent. Moreover, the damage to the statue was significant.

'On both these bases we conclude that the prosecution was correct in its submission at the abuse hearing that the conduct in question fell outside the protection of the Convention.

'The proportionality of the conviction could not arise for consideration by the jury.

'We emphasise that this is not to suggest that the defendants were in fact guilty of the offence of criminal damage. We have explained that the jury was concerned with a range of defences.'

In January this year, four protesters - the so-called Colston Four (pictured) - involved in tearing down the statue were cleared by a jury at Bristol Crown Court of criminal damage

Lord Burnett said that, more widely, the convention 'does not provide protection to those who cause criminal damage during protest which is violent or not peaceful'.

He also said: 'We have concluded that prosecution and conviction for causing significant damage to property during protest would fall outside the protection of the convention either because the conduct in question was violent or not peaceful, alternatively (even if theoretically peaceful) prosecution and conviction would clearly be proportionate.'

In a statement issued after Wednesday's ruling, Rhian Graham, one of the so-called Colston Four, said: 'Having been on the ground the day Edward Colston's statue was toppled, I am still confident in saying it was not a violent act.

'It was the cathartic removal of a memorial to an oppressor of people and an abuser of power who had too long loomed over the people of Bristol. The fact that it is gone is still right for Bristol.

'The wider implications of the Court of Appeal's judgment today remain to be seen but I am not disheartened.

'The positive impact of the toppling for both Bristol, and the anti-racism movement as a whole, can never be undone and this judgment cannot overturn the decision made by a jury of our peers.

'In court we relied upon more defences than just our human rights, such as "prevention of crime" and "belief in consent", and it may be that the jury did not consider the defence in question when deciding our fate. Their basis for acquittal we will never know.

The four defendants cheer outside Bristol Crown Court after the jury returned their not guilty verdict. Pictured from left to right: Sage Willoughby, Jake Skuse, Milo Ponsford and Rhian Graham

'What I would like to know is why our Government continues to spend time and taxpayers' money on defending a memorial of a slave trader via this appeal case and the introduction of a maximum sentence of 10 years for damaging a statue, via the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, when there are so many more pressing issues at hand.

'My thoughts lie with the most vulnerable who will struggle to eat and stay warm this winter under the watch of our Tory government.'

Raj Chada, partner at law firm Hodge Jones and Allen, who represented the four, said in a statement after the ruling: 'We are disappointed by the Court of Appeal judgment.

'In our view, the evidence at the trial was that the toppling was not done violently.

'The clear view from an expert valuer, which we were prevented from relying upon during the trial, was that the value of the statue had increased exponentially after the toppling.

'The statue is still on public display as a monument to the evils of the slave trade, not as an obscene glorification of a slave trader.

'It is a shame that this is the attorney generals focus rather than the multiple crises facing this country.'

Photos from outside the courtroom show Sage Willoughby, Jake Skuse, Milo Ponsford and Rhian Graham (from left to right) celebrating after receiving a not guilty verdict at Bristol Crown Court earlier this year

Laura OBrien, also a partner at Hodge Jones and Allen, added: 'Local Government did nothing to address the harm done by this grotesque and offensive statue, yet the CPS chose to prosecute four people who did.

'Curtailing the rights of protestors has become high on the political agenda of this Government.

'While we head towards economic crisis, no wonder the Government chooses to stifle anything which challenges the status quo.'

Katy Watts, a lawyer for human rights group Liberty, which made submissions in the Court of Appeal case, said: 'Protest is a fundamental right, not a gift from the state.

'Todays judgment puts a threshold on when people can enact their human rights in a legal case, and takes away vital protections that empower everyone to be able to stand up for what they believe in.

'We are disappointed that the court has said that that human rights are not always linked to acts of protest.

'By placing weight on the value of an object in deciding if human rights can be taken into account, we feel that the court is shifting the balance too far away from our essential human rights.'

Milo Ponsford, left, Sage Willoughby, second left, Jake Skuse, second right in mask, and Rhian Graham, right, were cleared of all criminal damage charges at Bristol Crown Court

Court of Appeal judges were told at a hearing in June that the toppling of the statue was an 'unacceptable way to engage in political debate'.

All four protesters admitted involvement but denied their actions were criminal, claiming the statue itself had been a hate crime against the people of Bristol.

At a hearing in London in June, three judges considered the law around the acquittal of Rhian Graham, one of the four.

Lawyers representing the Attorney Generals Office argued at the hearing that pulling down the statue was 'a violent act' involving 'significant force'.

They said violent acts are not covered by the European Convention on Human Rights freedoms of conscience under article 9, expression under article 10 and association under article 11.

Lawyers for Ms Graham said the referral to the Court of Appeal should not have been made, arguing that part of the Attorney Generals case was 'no more than a general attack on the use of juries'.

The court was told that Colston played an active role in the enslavement of 84,000 black people, with around 19,000 people dying on slave ships from Africa.
Rikki Schlott is a journalist and student activist based in New York City

Magic mirror on the wall, whos the fairest one of all?

Its a tale as old as time: Women and girls struggling with self-image and comparing themselves to their peers.

Social comparison is, after all, a fundamentally human instinct. But in a disturbing departure from the past, todays social media technology has supercharged our natural obsession with beauty and the results are terrifying.

I would know.

As an older Gen Z-er, my generation was the first to grow up completely plugged into social media, and as the platforms transformed, my peers followed suit.

I created my Instagram account at just 11 years old and watched social media evolve from a digital forum for innocently shared photos of beautiful sunsets and fancy meals to an arena for full-fledged social struggle.

Seemingly everyone felt the need to keep up with the the digital Joneses by posting provocative and revealing photos of themselves in act of the most expensive and glamorous activities possible.

Gen Z developed a dual sense of self: The real one and the digital one. And as we absorbed these unrealistic versions of each other, we became increasingly unhappy with the real person staring back from our mirrors.

'Catwoman' Jocelyn Wildenstein 82, is pictured at an event (left) in 2020 without any editing or filters. On the right is a heavily filtered snap posted to her Instagram

Before and after: Kim in her original post (L) and in the version posted by an Instagram after she 'corrected' it

Who, really, is the fairest of them all? Real me or Instagram me?

Social media hadnt transformed into the beast it is today when I first joined, but I worry for girls just a few years younger than me whose feeds have been saturated with altered images for as long as they can remember.

I was fortunate to have a few extra years of wisdom and life experience under my belt when the influencers flourished and rampant photoshopping took over social media platforms.

But, even still, I can remember moments in my tween years when I felt lesser than, holding up my developing frame to beauty standards that were not only unrealistic, but oftentimes literally unreal, thanks to digital touchups.

The situation has only worsened since and the latest culprit making today's young girls feel increasingly bad about themselves are filters.

Have a large zit? No problem, erase it in your post.

Think your face looks too large? No worry, digitally trim it.

Want whiter teeth, stronger cheekbones? Easy peasy, filters have got you covered.

Literally.

These instantaneous photo-editing lenses can be applied to pictures and videos in real-time on most major social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, virtually changing users faces.

To illustrate just how dramatically they can alter a users appearance, I applied three of the most popular Instagram filters to my own face and compared them to the unedited version of myself.

Writer Rikki Schlott tries out Instagram's face filters. Social media technology has supercharged our natural obsession with beauty and the results are terrifying

Its me, but its not. Its a distorted version.

The images are crowdsourced amalgamations of characteristics thought to be ideal: catlike eyes, a smaller nose, a narrower chin, contoured cheeks, plump lips, and a pore-free complexion.

The final product is something dubbed Instagram face. A Frankenstein mash-up, and like the monster, this force has taken on a life of its own.

Of course, altering photos is nothing new. Back in the day, airbrushed models graced advertisements and magazine covers.

Whats different is the ability to alter ones own appearance, which didnt come into vogue until the mid-2010s with a photo editing app called Facetune.

It all started it out harmless enough, when Snapchat unveiled the technology in 2015 and users could transform their faces into a cute dog or make it appear as though rainbows were coming out of their mouths.

Since then, its taken a downward turn.

Virtually every Kardashian, for instance, has found themselves caught up in a photoshopping scandal.

Like, Kim, who was recently exposed for bizarrely photoshopping her trapezius muscle out of photos to make her neck appear longer. Or Khloe, who has often been slammed for filtering the face of her four-year-old daughter.

And the phenomenon is cross-generational, as exemplified by 82-year-old Jocelyn Wildenstein, often referred to as Catwoman, who recently made headlines for a heavily filtered photo from New York Fashion Week.

Instagram accounts like @celebface and @beauty.false expose celebrities and influencers who alter their photos. Each have more than one million followers.

Author Rikki Schlott writes that altering photos is nothing new, but whats different is the ability to alter ones own appearance, which didnt come into vogue until the mid-2010s

The images are crowdsourced amalgamations of characteristics thought to be ideal: catlike eyes, a smaller nose, a narrower chin, contoured cheeks, plump lips, and a pore-free complexion

Now the use of social media filters is prevalent among young girls, according to Dove's Self-Esteem Project, which surveyed 1,551 girls between the ages of 10 and 17 years old and 2,528 mothers between February and April 2022.

The survey found that more than half of the girls used filters on a daily basis with four in five admitting to altering their appearance digitally before the age of 13.

This should be cause for concern.

More and more peopleespecially young girlsare struggling to grapple with their actual appearances, developing a phenomenon that researchers have called Snapchat dysmorphia. Dysmorphia is an obsession with ones perceived flaws.

Meta, which owns Instagram, has internal research revealing that teens blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiety and depression and the platform makes body image worse for one in three girls.

Indeed, 42 percent of young people today think social media is harmful to their mental health.

Studies from around the world have consistently pointed to an association between social media use and poor self-image, particularly among young girls.

Indian researchers analyzed hundreds of subjects and found that groups using filtered and altered selfies experienced decreased confidence and feelings of physical attractiveness while also experiencing increased feelings of social anxiety and heightened desire to undergo cosmetic surgerya trend which was especially prevalent in women.

In 2018, 55 percent of plastic surgeons said patients had informed them that looking better in selfies was a motivation for going under a knife.

New York City plastic surgeon Lara Devgan told CNN that about half of the people who show up to consultations arrive with digitally altered photos of themselves that theyd like to mimic in real life.

There are even reports of plastic surgeons using Snapchat in the operating room.

I dont think Big Tech moguls are conspiring in some back room to destroy the mental health of teen girlsbut its abundantly clear theyre doing very little to stop these trends.

After all, their technology successfully hijacked the brains of an entire generation, and now their business model is dependent on keeping young people glued to their screens.

Social media isnt going away anytime soon, and its unrealistic to ask Gen Z to unplug from the digital world entirely, since online connectivity is critical to making and keeping friendships in our modern age.

But parents of young girls, who are struggling to develop self-confidence should be especially mindful of how social media might impact their childrens mental health.

At the end of the day, it is not the beauty of the digital avatar that matters. We must all look in the mirror and love the real person that we see looking back.
Danish PM: Nord Stream pipeline leaks "deliberate actions"

Xinhua) 09:16, September 28, 2022

COPENHAGEN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The government of Denmark considers the Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks "deliberate actions," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said here on Tuesday.

"It is the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident," Frederiksen told journalists.

On Monday, Danish and Swedish officials said that leaks had been identified in two natural gas pipelines -- Nord Stream 1 and its twin, Nord Stream 2 -- under the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark's Bornholm island, near the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden.

Frederiksen said that "two explosions" have been registered, but she refused to speculate as to who might be responsible.

Dan Jorgensen, minister for climate, energy and utilities, said that "The gas pipes lie at a depth of 70 to 90 meters and consist of over 12-centimeter thick layers of steel and concrete, respectively. The nature of the leaks indicates that there are such large holes that it cannot have happened by accident."

He said that the leaks are not expected to cause supply security issues in the short term.

Citing Denmark's foreign intelligence service, Defense Minister Morten Bodskov said that it did not see any increased military threat against Denmark after the leaks.

"I would like to emphasize that the defense intelligence service does not consider that there is an increased military threat to Denmark," Defense Minister Morten Bodskov said.

He added that no advance warnings had been received, but that there had been an increase in tensions around the Baltic Sea.

"This is a serious matter. The defense is increasing its presence around Bornholm," he said.

Bodskov has a previously scheduled meeting dedicated to the Nord Stream pipelines with Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Wednesday morning.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
United States Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between conflicting North and South Korea on Thursday, according to officials from Washington and Seoul.

Kamala Harris' DMZ trip, which was announced on Tuesday, will take place days after North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea, according to a report from Reuters.

VP Harris' DMZ Visit Will Highlight 'Ironclad' US-South Korea Ties

During a meeting with the US vice president in Tokyo, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo officially announced Harris' visit, which would be the first by a top Biden administration official. Han's announcement was later confirmed by a US official. Han remarked that Harris DMZ visit will be a "very symbolic" one as it will showcase the "strong commitments" of the United States to maintain "security and peace on the Korean Peninsula," Han said.

The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953. An armistice rather than a peace treaty was established after the war that created the DMZ. The area has been referred to as the world's final Cold War border. North Korea lambasted the US, South Korea, and Japan when the allies held an assembly to discuss Pyongyang's military provocations this summer, per Politico.

The US official, who requested anonymity, claimed that the Kamala Harris DMZ visit would display the strength of the relationship between Seoul and Washington "in the face of any threats made" by Pyongyang. According to the official, Harris will visit the DMZ, where she will meet with military personnel, get an operational briefing from US commanders, and consider the shared sacrifice of American and South Korean soldiers.

The United States, South Korea, and Japan are actively observing North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site. North Korea has conducted over 30 missile launches in 2022, and US authorities have warned that Pyongyang may take advantage of Harris's visit to conduct its seventh and most recent nuclear test.

Read Also: Nord Stream Pipeline Leak: Here's Why Experts Think It's a 'Sabotage' Amid Intense Russia-Ukraine War

Authorities Keeping A Close Eye on North Korean Nuclear Weapons Test

A White House source noted that the US "made clear" that such a test would result in additional US steps to reiterate its "ironclad commitment" to the security of its two allies, South Korea and Japan. The source added that US officials are "explicit" about our concern with North Korea's "provocations" and disruptive actions that make a nuclear test highly possible.

On Sunday, North Korea tested a short-range ballistic missile in the Sea of Japan, a day before US and South Korean naval exercises. It seems from satellite photographs of North Korea's Sinpo navy dockyards on the country's east coast that a new ballistic missile-firing submarine is likely to be deployed.

At least 20 vessels and several planes participated in the US and South Korean joint military exercises, which started on Monday. DW reported that a US battle group consisting of guided-missile destroyers and the fast attack submarine USS Annapolis is being led by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

It is the first joint military drill involving an aircraft carrier between the US and South Korea since 2017. According to the South Korean military, the drills are intended to display "strong resolve to respond to North Korean provocations" and improve combined combat assets.

Related Article: UN Security Council Meeting: Tensions Rise Between US, Ukraine, Russia Over Annexation of Ukrainian Territory

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Officers had just evacuated wife and teenagers from house when blast went off

Police had been attending a domestic incident when the explosion happened

A former Scotland Yard counter-terror officer doused the upstairs of his home in petrol then blew himself up while his wife and children were downstairs with cops, neighbours have claimed.

Retired Superintendent Malcolm Baker, 60, died earlier this month when the blaze destroyed his remote property on Exmoor.

Police officers had been called to Baker's luxury detached property by his wife, Francesca Onody, 50, during a row, the local said.

When cops arrived, Mr Baker, 60, ran upstairs with cans of petrol, which he set alight before the officers could overpower him.

As flames raged through the property following the violent explosion, the officers led Mrs Baker and their two teenage children to safety.

The villager in remote Brompton Regis, Somerset, said the couple's marriage had broken down and the pair had had a series of bitter arguments in recent months, leading to the police being called to the house on several occasions.

Malcolm Baker (pictured) died after an explosion took place at his home in Exmoor National Park at around 6pm on September 14

Mr Baker blew himself up while his wife and children were downstairs with cops, neighbours have claimed

The local, who asked not to be named said: 'They moved here from London about 10 years ago to live the rural dream, but it didn't work out for them.

'They didn't really mix with other people in the village and during lockdown.

'I know they had been arguing a lot lately and the cops had been called to the house by her on several occasions lately.

'On this final occasion, when the cops turned up, he legged it up the stairs to one of the bedrooms, tipped the petrol onto the floor and lit it before anyone could stop him. Thank goodness everyone else was able to get out of the inferno alive.'

Police's prior contact with Mr Baker moments before the explosion has seen them refer it to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for potential investigation.

Today, all that remains of the house is the ground floor exterior walls. A police officer was on duty outside the wrecked building.

As flames raged through the property following the violent explosion, the officers led Mrs Baker and their two teenage children to safety

Police had been attending a domestic incident when the explosion happened, wrecking house

The blast was heard almost a mile away from the house - which had no mains gas supply - destroying the upper floor and blowing off the roof.

Mr Baker is said to have cancelled his family's house insurance and emptied bank accounts he held with his wife, before the explosion, according to The Sun.

Police last night said they believe there was no third party involvement in the blast - but Mr Baker's estranged sister said she suspected foul play.

Phillipa Baker, 62, said: 'Malcom wouldn't end his own life.

'Killing himself in an explosion is absolute nonsense, it wouldn't happen.

'I'm absolutely positive he wouldn't take his own life, especially in that absolutely ghastly way.

Mr Baker's home, Hiccombe House, in Brompton Regis, west Somerset, which was destroyed in the fire

Mr Baker was part of the team that probed the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko (pictured) in 2006

'No he wouldn't do that, it is absolutely odd.'

Former Met Det Chief Insp Mick Neville told The Sun the incident was 'tragic' but also seemed like a 'wicked act of spite to his partner and children'.

Mrs Baker, from Caterham, Surrey, said her brother 'cut me off' almost 20 years ago after a family dispute and said she hadn't seen him since.

But she added: 'My brother will have made enemies in his life...

'He was a leader... he didn't suffer fools lightly.'

Mr Baker assisted US authorities in response to the 9/11 atrocities in 2001 as well as the fatal poisoning of ex-KGB agent-turned Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, in London in 2006.

A UK public inquiry later concluded the poisoning was 'probably approved' by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Villagers in nearby Brompton Regis, West Somerset, believe the valve on a liquid propane gas bottle was deliberately opened to cause the blast.

DNA tests are being conducted on incinerated human remains found at the property, to confirm they are those of Mr Baker, who also worked on the 7/7 London tube bombings investigation in 2005.

The former police officer also worked on the 7/7 London tube bombings investigation in 2005

This week, a mobile major incident support unit remained at the location, down a dead-end track, where police community support officers were stationed monitoring traffic.

Neighbours said a team of up to 30 officers have been combing the site most days since the blast on September 14 - with neighbours initially also fearing the blast could be linked to the Russian state or Mr Baker's policing background.

But Avon and Somerset Police detectives believe Mr Baker took his own life over domestic problems.

The force has referred itself to the police watchdog over officers' 'prior contact' with the deceased.

Mr Baker and wife Francesca Onody, who rears rare breed pigs, are listed as being directors of a management consultancy which provides security and crisis management advice and counter-terrorism strategies.

But last month another of their companies was dissolved, while earlier this year Mr Baker resigned as a director from both a farming business he was involved in alongside his 50-year-old wife, as well as the business through which they sold their meat.

The couple, who married in 2004, are believed to have a teenage son and daughter. Mr Baker had another son from a previous relationship, according to his sister.

One nearby resident, Withiel Fox, 60, said: 'There is no gas supply to that cottage so it didn't happen by accident.

'Because of his background there was a lot of speculation about what might have happened. He was unaccounted for after the explosion and there were concerns it could have been the Russians behind it.'

Mr Baker had been working on security for the 2012 London Olympics ahead of his retirement from the Metropolitan Police after almost 31 years in the force in October 2011.

But since relocating to Exmoor National Park he had struggled to fit in with country life, according to a neighbour, who claimed he had 'fallen out with several local people'.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said the force believed the remains found belonged to 'one of the occupants of the house' and enquiries were being made on behalf of the coroner.

He added: 'We can confirm we're investigating this incident as an offence of arson with intent to endanger life, but at this stage we don't believe there is any third party involvement and we are not seeking anyone else in connection with our enquiries.'

A spokesman for the Independent Office for Police Conduct said: 'We can confirm we have received a referral from Avon and Somerset Police about prior police contact relating to occupants at an address in Brompton Regis where a serious fire occurred on 14 September. We are presently assessing the referral to decide whether any investigation by the IOPC is required.'
A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was found dead in her home in west London.

Police had to force entry to the property after being called about concerns for the woman's welfare on Sunday, September 25.

Shortly before 5pm, officers broke into the home, in Holbeck Road, Hanwell, west London, and found a 35-year-old woman who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Metropolitan Police have since confirmed the victim's name is Shakira Spencer who lived at the address.

Five people have been arrested in connection to the woman's death, including a man and two women on suspicion of murder, as police continue to appeal for information.

Officers have urged anyone who specifically came into contact with Shakira between Friday, September 9 and Friday, September 16 to urgently get in touch.

Shakira Spencer, 35, was found dead in her home in Hanwell, west London, on Sunday evening

Investigators say it is not clear how the 35-year-old died but that it is clear she has 'come to harm'.

Her next of kin have been informed and a special post-mortem examination has been ordered to determine the cause of death.

A murder investigation has been launched by homicide detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command.

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, who is leading the investigation, said: 'While we await the outcome of a post-mortem examination to confirm how Shakira died, all the information available points to the fact she has come to harm.

'I need to know why people would want to harm Shakira.

'I am appealing for any information about Shakira specifically in the period between Friday, September 9 and Friday, September 16.

'Did you see her out and about? Did you have contact with her in any way? If so, did she speak about any concerns she had? I would urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, to get in touch with my team.

'I also want to hear from anyone who knew Shakira in any capacity. We need to build a comprehensive picture of Shakira's life so we can begin to understand who might have wanted to harm her.

Ms Spencer was found dead at a property in Holbeck Road, Hanwell, on Sunday, September 25

'This is a fast-moving investigation and arrests have been made but it is vital we gather as much relevant evidence as possible.

'Specially trained officers are supporting Shakira's family at this devastating time but they need answers and I would implore anyone who can assist to get in contact with police.'

On Monday, September 26, three people were arrested on suspicion of murder.

The 25-year-old man and two women, aged 37 and 43, remain in police custody while the investigation continues.

Two others - a 40-year-old man and a 78-year-old woman - have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Both of them have been bailed pending further enquiries, the Met has said.

Detective Superintendent Sharon Brookes of the West Area Command Unit, which covers Ealing, said: 'I understand the alarm and concern this news will cause the local community in Hanwell where Shakira lived, and throughout the wider Ealing borough.

'A team of experienced detectives are now working diligently to ensure those responsible for this crime are identified and held to account.

'Local residents will see increased police activity around Holbeck Road  please don't be alarmed as this forms part of our response to such a serious incident.

'Officers from Ealing will also be in the area to provide reassurance and answer any questions residents may have; I would ask anyone with concerns to speak to them or contact your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team.

'If you have information that could assist the investigation then please get in contact with police immediately.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote ref 59/26SEP. You can also provide footage and images

If you have information, but dont want to talk directly to police, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers.org
A Russian region has imposed restrictions on cars arriving from other parts of the country as an exodus of military-age men led to a queue of over 3,000 vehicles at the a crossing point into Georgia.

The North Ossetia republic, which borders Georgia, was battling queues of cars visible from space at the region's Verkhny Lars crossing point, after 20,000 crossed into the neighbouring country in two days.

Governor Sergei Menyailo has now banned cars arriving from other parts of the country, to stop civilians trying to flee Putin's partial mobilisation order imposed last week.

An estimated 194,000 Russian nationals have fled to neighbouring Georgia, Kazakhstan and Finland in the past week.

Menyailo said on Telegram: 'We will not be physically able to ensure order and security if this flow continues to grow.'

He said the ban would not apply to residents or tourists, or to cars entering from Georgia or its breakaway South Ossetia region.

Russians arrive in Georgia after crossing the Kazbegi / Verkhniy Lars border crossing point today

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows people and vehicles queuing to cross the Upper Lars checkpoint on the Russian-Georgia border

Long lines of vehicles have formed at a border crossing between Russia's North Ossetia region and Georgia after Moscow announced a partial military mobilisation

An estimated 194,000 Russian nationals have fled to neighbouring Georgia, Kazakhstan and Finland in the past week

The North Ossetia republic, which borders Georgia, was battling queues of 3,000 cars at the region's Verkhny Lars crossing point

Georgia, which allows Russians to stay without a visa for a year, has been one of the most popular destinations for the thousands leaving Russia amid Putin's attempts to bolster his army.

There are no direct flights between Russia and Georgia, and Verkhny Lars, which straddles a remote mountain pass, is the only operational crossing point between them.

According to the online service Yandex Maps, the traffic jam leading to Verkhny Lars, a border crossing into Georgia from Russia's North Ossetia region, stretched for about over nine miles on Tuesday.

Social media showed hundreds of pedestrians lining up at the checkpoint after Russian border guards relaxed regulations and allowed people to cross on foot.

Similarly long queues were reported at some crossings into Kazakhstan.

A traveller reacts after crossing the border with Russia at the frontier checkpoint Verkhny Lars

A satellite image shows traffic at the Khyagt border post on Russia's border with Mongolia, September 23, 2022

A satellite image shows trucks and cars waiting in a traffic jam near Russia's border with Georgia as Russians desperately try to flee the country, September 25, 2022

After crossing the border, Russians are being greeted with Georgian protesters

North Ossetian authorities on Tuesday announced the creation of a temporary draft office at Verkhny Lars which would issue draft papers to reservists barred from leaving Russia under the mobilisation order.

The Interior Ministry of Georgia said over 53,000 Russians have entered the country since last week, while Interior Ministry officials in Kazakhstan said 98,000 crossed into that nation.

The Finnish Border Guard agency said over 43,000 arrived in the same period. Media reports also said another 3,000 Russians entered Mongolia, which also shares a border with the country.

After crossing the border, Russians are being greeted with Georgian protesters rallying against the 'uncontrolled' migration of citizens who up to now had remained silent over the war in Ukraine.

Waving Georgian and Ukrainian flags, dozens of protesters gathered near the Kazbegi border crossing point.

Ukrainian national anthem and folk songs were playing at the rally, organised by a pro-Western opposition party, Droa.

Governor Sergei Menyailo has now banned cars arriving from other parts of the country

Georgian police officers set up a cordon in front of opposition activists, who hold a rally to support Ukrainians

Georgian activists protest against mass immigration from Russia at the Kazbegi / Verkhniy Lars border crossing point

The Interior Ministry of Georgia said over 53,000 Russians have entered the country since last week

Demonstrators held placards that read 'Putin is a terrorist' and 'Russia kills.'

'Uncontrolled, unprecedented influx of Russians poses security risks to Georgia,' one of the rally organisers, Tamar Gvinianidze, told AFP.

'The border must be closed immediately as the Georgian government has proved incapable of handling the migration crisis,' she added.

She said a bigger mass rally to demand the closure of Georgia's border with Russia will be held in the coming days outside the border checkpoint.

On Tuesday, Georgia's interior minister Vakhtang Gomelauri said the number of Russians entering Georgia daily has nearly doubled since September 21, reaching some 10,000 people a day.

Over the first four months of the war, nearly 50,000 Russians fled to Georgia, where they can stay for a year without a visa, the country's statistics office said in June.

Some 40,000 more fled over the same period to Armenia, another top destination that also has no visa requirement for Russians.

Ukrainian national anthem and folk songs were playing at the rally, organised by a pro-Western opposition party, Droa

The latest wave of Russian exiles since the conflict began in February has seen military-aged men pour into the Caucasus country

On Tuesday, Georgia's interior minister Vakhtang Gomelauri said the number of Russians entering Georgia daily has nearly doubled since September 21

The influx of Russians has sparked mixed feelings in a country where painful memories of Russia's 2008 invasion are still fresh.

The five-day war left Georgia partitioned, with Russian troops stationed in its two separatist regions which the Kremlin recognised as independent after the EU brokered a ceasefire.

One man named Vsevolod spent four days driving 1,100 miles from Moscow to Georgia, at one point abandoning his car to carry on by foot.

He said: 'At 26, I do not want to be carried home in a zinc-lined (coffin) or stain (my) hands with somebody's blood because of the war of one person that wants to build an empire.'

Russian authorities sought to stem the flow, barring some men from leaving and citing mobilisation laws. The practice did not seem widespread, but rumours persisted that Moscow may soon shut the borders to all men of fighting age.

Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has said that only about 300,000 men with prior combat or other military service would be mustered, but reports have emerged from various Russian regions that recruiters were rounding up men outside that description.

Travellers with a dog push bicycles after crossing the border with Russia at the frontier checkpoint

The influx of Russians has sparked mixed feelings in a country where painful memories of Russia's 2008 invasion are still fresh

Georgia, which allows Russians to stay without a visa for a year, has been one of the most popular destinations

Opposition politicians have demanded the government take drastic actions against the arriving Russians

Georgia's support for Ukraine is visible by the yellow and blue flags adorning buildings as well as graffiti against Putin and Russia

That fuelled fears of a much broader call-up, sending droves of men of all ages and backgrounds to airports and borders.

'There's a risk that they will announce a full mobilisation,' according to a resident of St. Petersburg who made it to Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The man, who refused to give his name because he feared for his safety, told AP he spent three days driving from his home to Uralsk in northwestern Kazakhstan near the border.

He said Putin's mobilisation remarks differed from what his decree said, leaving room for a broader interpretation, adding: 'People worry that sooner or later, a full mobilisation will be announced, and no one will be able to cross the borders.'

Kazakhstan and Georgia, both part of the former Soviet Union and both offering visa-free entry by Russian nationals, seemed to be the most popular destinations for those travelling by land to flee the call-up. Finland and Norway require visas.

Georgia, whose support for Ukraine is visible by the yellow and blue flags adorning buildings as well as graffiti against Putin and Russia, has been somewhat apprehensive about the influx of Russians, especially after the country fought a brief war with Moscow in 2008.

Opposition politicians have demanded the government take drastic actions against the arriving Russians, from introducing visas to banning them completely. No such action has been taken yet.

Kazakhstan seems more welcoming. Since the beginning of the war, the Central Asian nation of 19 million has taken a course increasingly independent from its ally, Moscow, especially on the war in Ukraine.

The call for mobilisation has proved wildly unpopular, with hundreds of thousands of Russian men having already fled the country to avoid the call up. Pictured: A satellite image of traffic jams near Russia's border with Georgia

A group of Russians walk after crossing the border at Verkhny Lars between Georgia and Russia in Georgia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022

A group of Russian men walk with their bicycles after crossing the border at Verkhny Lars between Georgia and Russia in Georgia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. Long lines of vehicles have formed at a border crossing between Russia's North Ossetia region and Georgia after Moscow announced a partial military mobilisation

Queues of traffic have been growing on Russia's borders with neighbouring countries. This satellite image shows traffic at the Khyagt border post on Russia's border with Mongolia on September 23

In announcing the number of Russians crossing the border, Kazakhstan Interior Minister Marat Akhmetzhanov said authorities won't send home those avoiding the call-up unless they are on an international wanted list for criminal charges.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev even ordered his government to help the Russians entering his country 'because of the current hopeless situation.'

'We must take care of them and ensure their safety. It is a political and a humanitarian issue. I tasked the government to take the necessary measures,' he said, adding that Kazakhstan will hold talks with Russia on the issue.

In Uralsk, volunteers helped those entering the city of 236,000. Some of them told AP that they were serving free hot meals and helping the arrivals to find accommodations, which were quickly filling up.

Those who can't find apartments or hotel rooms could spend the night in gyms, one volunteer said.

Dilara Mukhambetova, director of the Cinema Park theatre, even said arriving Russians could sleep in her facility after she drove around the city and saw a lot of people who looked lost.

'We freed up one auditorium, organised tea, and volunteers brought hot meals,' Mukhambetova was quoted by local media as saying. 'We filled four auditoriums, (accommodating) about 200 people in total.'
The White House launched a confusing and nonsensical explanation for why President Joe Biden was looking for late Representative Jackie Walorski during an event after she was killed in a car crash in Indiana last month  and claimed she was 'at top of mind.'

The briefing room devolved into shouts as Biden's Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre sent reporters into a tizzy during Wednesday's briefing when she repeatedly suggested that the president did not forget Walorski was dead when calling out for her during his remarks earlier in the day.

Biden, 79, asked the crowd gathered for the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in Washington, D.C. where Walorski was located as he thanked lawmakers for their work on a plan to end hunger in the U.S. by 2030.

He interrupted his own remarks to ask: 'Jackie, are you here?'

'Where's Jackie? She must not be here,' Biden concluded. It came after he also praised Senators Mike Braun, a Republican, and Cory Booker, a Democrat, on the bipartisan initiative.

Jean-Pierre insisted that it's 'not unusual' for people to say the names of deceased individuals when they are 'at top of mind,' a phrase she continued to repeat throughout her briefing Wednesday during questions from multiple outlets including CNN, CBS and The Washington Post.

'I don't find that confusing,' she said when asked if having her at 'top of mind' also means that the president thinks Walorski is living and in the room.

'I mean I think many people can speak to sometimes when you have people top of mind, they are top of mind,' she said.

The reporter got snarky with Jean-Pierre, looking for an answer by saying: 'I have John Lennon top of mind just about every day but I'm not looking around for him.'

'When you sign a bill for John Lennon as president then we can have this conversation,' she said, launching the briefing room into confusion and shouting over each other.

The botched excuse ended up garnering even more negative attention than the initial remarks from Biden.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's Press Secretary Doug Adres seemed exacerbated with the way Jean-Pierre handled the gaffe, tweeting: 'just admit he misspoke!! good grief'.

A spokesperson for Texas Senator Ted Cruz said the day will go down in history as the first time members of the press recognized Biden is mentally unfit.

'Remember where you where on September 28,2022,' Steve Guest tweeted. 'It's the day it finally became ok for the White House Press pool to acknowledge that Joe Biden is senile.'

Walorski's family plans to meet with Biden at a White House on Friday, another reason that Jean-Pierre claims she was on the president's mind during the event.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly said that Joe Biden was only calling out for late Representative Jackie Walorski on Wednesday because she was 'at top of mind'

'I think the American people out there who, you know, watch the briefing from time to time, maybe at this moment , will understand when someone is at top of mind,' Jean-Pierre said.

'I don't think it's all that unusual to have someone top of mind, especially as there's a big event  two big events  today and also Friday that is going to occur,' she said. 'And so he is going to see her family, they're going to honor her, they're going to celebrate her.'

The White House was scheduled to play a video tribute to Walorski during the event.

Walorski, who was 58 at the time of her death, was among the four people killed in a head-on collision on August 3, 2022 when returning from a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Claypool, Indiana.

The other deceased were the driver of the other vehicle as well as two staffers in the lawmaker's office, communications director, Emma Thomson, 28, and her district director, Zachery Potts, 27.

Biden released a statement on her passing at the time and announced that White House flags would fly at half-staff in her honor.

Jean-Pierre said that the comments needed to be taken into context so they made more sense, rather than admitting Biden made a mistake by forgetting Walorski was killed in the crash last month.

After being questioned on the mishap five times during the briefing, reporters began shouting over each other to try and get Jean-Pierre to answer the question more directly and give a more reasonable explanation.

This caused Jean-Pierre to shush and shut down Al Jazeera reporter Kimberly Halkett and call her 'rude.'

'I'm sorry, somebody was yelling over,' Jean-Pierre said when trying to redirect to a reporter asking an unrelated question.

'It is not your turn to speak and you're being rude to your colleagues,' the press secretary shot toward Halkett.

'You're yelling over your colleagues so that is incredibly rude so can you ' Jean-Pierre said as the reporter said she was trying to get an answer to the question several members of the press asked throughout the briefing.

President Joe Biden asked a crowd at a hunger conference to point out Republican Rep. Jackie Walorski - almost two months after she was killed in a car crash in Indiana

Walorski died in a car crash in Indiana with two of her staffers in August. Biden released a statement at the time saying he was 'shocked and saddened' by her death

The latest gaffe will raise more questions about his mental acuity. A majority of voters told an Insider/Morning Consult poll last week that he is unfit to serve in public office.

Republican Representative Vicky Hartzler demanded that President Biden apologize to Walorski's family.

'Truly an awful and disgraceful blunder,' the Missouri lawmaker noted. 'Jackie was a selfless leader and a dear friend. Her family deserves better than this. Biden and the entire White House staff should apologize.'

Representative Jim Banks, who introduced the bill to rename a Veterans Affairs clinic after Walorski, which Biden is signing on Friday, told DailyMail.com that the blunder was 'embarrassing.'

Congressman Andy Biggs also jumped on the comments and tweeted with a clip of the video: 'Your daily reminder that Biden is mentally unfit to be the President of the United States.'

The president could have slipped up in his remarks or there could have been a mistake with the speech on the teleprompter.

One reporter asked if the White House would release the remarks as they were prepared, which is typical with the president's public speeches. While Jean-Pierre was receptive to the question, she also cast doubt over why it was necessary to specifically have these remarks as she continued to downplay the latest gaffe by the president.

Biden's statement at the time of Walorski's death read: 'Jill and I are shocked and saddened by the death of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski of Indiana along with two members of her staff in a car accident today in Indiana.

'Born in her beloved South Bend as the daughter of a meat-cutter and firefighter, she spent a lifetime serving the community that she grew up in  as a journalist, a nonprofit director, a state legislator, and eventually as a Member of Congress for the past nine and half years.

'We may have represented different parties and disagreed on many issues, but she was respected by members of both parties for her work on the House Ways and Means Committee on which she served.

'She also served as co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, and my team and I appreciated her partnership as we plan for a historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this fall that will be marked by her deep care for the needs of rural America.

'We send our deepest condolences to her husband, Dean, to the families of her staff members, Zachery Potts and Emma Thomson who lost their lives in public service, and to the people of Indiana's Second District who lost a representative who was one of their own.'

Walorski was among the four people killed in a head-on collision on August 3, 2022 when returning from a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Claypool, Indiana

Biden, 79, named the late congresswoman while thanking lawmakers from both parties for their efforts in helping his plan to end hunger in the United States

The latest mishap has brought up previous questions regarding President Biden's mental and physical fitness for office amid a series of verbal gaffes and incidents  including falling off his bike and up the stairs.

The most recent before his gaffe on Wednesday was last week at the 7th Global Fund Replenishment Conference, which was held in New York and is aimed at fighting AIDS, HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Following his remarks, he appears to get 'lost' when exiting the stage  engaging in a few awkward starts and stops and appearing to ask people in the audience how to get off stage. The scene was described as 'terrifying' and 'sad' by observers on social media.

Other awkward encounters have also been caught on camera over the last nearly two years as president, including two different instances where Biden stuck out his arm to shake hands with an invisible person.

At a White House event fresh out of his COVID quarantine, Biden appeared to forget that he already shook hands with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, sticking his hand out for a second time with a confused look on his face as the New York Democrat turned away.

It happened again in April after wrapping a speech in North Carolina where he turned to his right and stuck out his hand while staring into space and wandering around the stage before exiting.

Many have also pointed to Biden's mishap in August when he struggled for nearly a minute trying to put on his suit jacket  and continued to have issues even with the help of first lady Jill Biden  as more evidence of his declining physical condition.

He then proceeded to drop his sunglasses leading to an overall awkward disembarkment from Marine One after surveying the storm damage in Kentucky.

One of the biggest embarrassments for Biden happened during a bike ride on his Rehoboth Beach vacation in Delaware where he completely fell off his bike and crashed to the ground.

Earlier this month during his 60 Minutes interview, Biden shot down suggestions he was too old or unfit to run again in 2024 - and said 'watch me'.

Investigators determined that the SUV driven by Zachery Potts, 27, (left) crossed the centerline for unknown reasons in a rural area near the town of Wakarusa. Walorski communications director Emma Thomson (right) was also killed

President Biden and first lady Jill released a statement in August following the death of Walorski and her two staff members

During his speech Wednesday, Biden addressed Hurricane Ian and warned gas and oil companies not to use it as an 'excuse' to raise prices at the pump.

He asked Floridians to abide by evacuation orders as the Category 4 storm approaches the gulf shoreline.

'And if you forgive me I want to add one more warning,' Biden said. 'That's a warning to the oil and gas industry executives: Do no, let me repeat, do not, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the American people.'

Biden pointed out that while the price of oil has remained relatively low, gas prices should be going down.

In recent days, the price at the pump has ticked up again.

He added that less than 2 percent of oil production in the U.S. will be impacted - and only briefly - by the hurricane.

'This small temporary storm impact on oil production provides no excuse, no excuse for price increases at the pump. None,' he said. 'If gas companies try to use this storm to raise prices at the pump, I will ask officials to look into whether price gouging is going on.'

'For Americans watching, the industry should do the right thing,' the president added.

Biden also relayed that he had spoken to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a thorn in his side on immigration and other matters in recent months, in a phone call Tuesday night.
Georgia detectives are investigating an unfired round near the area where Debbie Collier's body was located naked and burned after sending an ominous message on Venmo.

Investigators said Tuesday that the bullet could be a clue to solving the 59-year-old mom's murder after she went missing earlier this month, Fox News reports.

After Fox's news team located the unfired round about 30 yards from the scorched crime scene and alerted detectives, Pat Diaz, a former Miami-Dade homicide detective, said the bullet could serve as proof that Collier was kidnapped.

'That's an important piece of evidence, and that's something [one or more suspects] could've dropped on the way out the door,' Diaz said.

Collier, a real estate officer manager, disappeared on September 10 and was last seen alive shopping at a Family Dollar store 90 minutes from her home in Athens.

Before she went missing, she sent a $2,385 Venmo payment to her daughter, Amanda Bearden, 36, with a message that read: 'They are not going to let me go love you there is a key to the house in the blue flowerpot by the door.'

The body of Debbie Collier (pictured) was discovered on September 11, naked and charred just a day after she was reported missing

The unfired round was found about 30 yard from the scorched crime scene (above) where the body was found along with items Collier had purchased just a day before she went missing

Earlier this week, the Habersham County Sheriff's Office released a video of Collier shopping at the store just moments before she vanished.

She appeared 'calm and not in fear of anything' as she was wearing a replica of Herschel Walker's shirt from his time at the University of Georgia, a blue skirt, what appear to be black boots with slight heels and a red sun visor as she walks into the store in Clayton at 2.55pm on September 10.

She is then seen at the cash register buying a rain poncho, refillable torch lighter, a 2-roll pack of paper towels, a 7.5 x 9.5 tarp, and a reusable tote bag.

Her body was found a day later with several of these items nearby in a wooded area by Tallulah Falls.

Eight minutes after leaving the store, her daughter said she received the mysterious message.

Collier's black van was discovered the next day at the entrance to a densely wooded area off Route 15, 60 miles north of where she lived with her husband, Steve, 67.

Police had ruled out kidnapping and suicide as possible causes of the woman's death, and are now focused on arresting her killer.

Video from the Family Dollar store in Clayton, Georgia shows Collier shopping there around 3pm on September 10, the day she disappeared

She bought a rain poncho, refillable torch lighter, a 2-roll pack of paper towels, a 7.5 x 9.5 tarp, and a reusable tote bag

No one has been arrested for Collier's brutal murder, and there is no indication that either Bearden or her live-in boyfriend, Andrew Giegerich, are considered suspects.

Bearden has a history of lying to police and violent lovers tiffs with Giegerich, her MMA fighter boyfriend who says the pair have been 'interrogated' over her mother's killing.

In May last year, police intervened in the couple's relationship after Amanda phoned 911, claiming Andrew had 'broken in' to the house to beat her.

She showed them photos of bruises on her arms and shoulders to prove it.

She was however arrested for a falsely reporting a burglary, after police determined he was living in the home and had full access to it.

Pictured: Forensic gloves lay nearby along with pieces of paper and what appears to be a strip of a book cover near the scene of the crime

Giegerich, 27, was arrested on September 4, 2021, for violating a no-contact order and banging on his on-and-off-again girlfriend 's home.

He claimed his Bearden was stealing money for drugs from him and had kicked him out.

The arrest came almost a year before he alleged wrote a threatening handwritten message, contained in police evidence files, stating: 'If you or your family ever come near me again I will hurt them.

'Have a nice life you lying a** b**ch. Don't ever contact me again!!!''

But they are now back living together in Athens and Giegerich has complained that the pair were recently 'interrogated' by police over Debbie's death.

No one has been arrested for Collier's brutal murder, and there is no indication that either her daughter Amanda Bearden (left), 36, or her live-in boyfriend, Andrew Giegerich (right), 27, are considered suspects in the case

She was a beautiful woman and I loved her,' distraught Steve Collier said about his wife 11 days after her charred, naked body was found in a ravine 60 miles from their Georgia home

Her son, Jeffrey, wrote a heartbreaking tribute to her on Facebook, saying his family's lives were 'irrevocably change' after her death

'The [police have] interrogated all of us. The people who are closest to [Collier] are kind of looked at as suspects right now,' he told the Post.

On Friday, Debbie's husband Steve Collier fought back tears as he told DailyMail.com that Debbie was the 'love of his life.

The couple had been married for nine years and both had children from previous marriages.

'It has been a long two weeks and Im very tired. My wife was a wonderful person, he said.

Collier's son Jeffery Bearden wrote a tribute post to his mother on Saturday, writing: 'I will never be able to fully articulate the loss of my mother and what she meant to me. She was my longest source of love, support, and encouragement.'

A close friend of the couple, who did not want to be identified, confided to DailyMail.com: Steve loved Debbie with all his heart. I know that for a fact.

I cannot imagine what hes going through right now, with the terrible loss of his wife and having to be part of the murder investigation and all that entails.

I have known them both for many years and they were a devoted couple.'

In a direct move of support, he added: I know suspicion can fall on the family of murder victims, but I would bet my life Steve had nothing whatsoever to do with Debbies disappearance.
And the next day saw a man following a woman then masturbating in front of her

An incident between East Croydon to London Bridge was in front of a woman

A train passenger was caught performing a sex act in front of two women on a carriage for two days in a row, police have said.

British Transport Police released a CCTV image following the sex acts in London which took place last month in the early hours and late evening.

A man was reported to detectives for masturbating in front of the women on separate trains from East Croydon to London Bridge and West Hampstead to Bedford in two separate incidents that came a day apart.

Officers believe the man in the CCTV image may have useful information which could help their investigation

On 29 August, shortly after 6am, a man performed masturbation in front of a woman on a train from East Croydon to London Bridge (pictured, the station)

The following day, at around 9.15pm, a man followed a woman on a train from West Hampstead (pictured, the station entrance to Bedford and began masturbating in front of her

In a statement BTP said: 'On 29 August, shortly after 6am, a man masturbated in front of a woman on a train from East Croydon to London Bridge.

'On 30 August, at around 9.15pm, a man followed a woman on a train from West Hampstead to Bedford and began masturbating in front of her.

'Officers believe the man in the CCTV images may have useful information which could help their investigation.

'If you recognise him or have any further information, please contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 2200088600.'
The revelations come from New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman's forthcoming book on Trump's rise in the business world and later the political sphere

Donald Trump once questioned if a hypothetical female transgender student had a 'schlong' during debate preparations in the 2016 presidential race, a new book excerpt suggests on Wednesday.

The student was being roleplayed by then-campaign adviser Reince Priebus to help Trump practice a potential scenario in his town hall-style debate against Hillary Clinton in St. Louis, according to the excerpt published in The Daily Beast.

New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman reports on several instances of alleged homophobia and anti-LGBTQ comments in her forthcoming book, 'Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump And The Breaking Of America.'

A week before he faced off against Clinton, Haberman writes, Priebus posed as a female transgender student who asked Trump whether she should be able to use the girl's bathroom in school.

Trump asked whether the student in theory still had a penis.

'C***ed or dec***ed?' he reportedly inquired.

He allegedly sought to explain himself with 'a chopping gesture' upon being met with 'blank' confusion.

'With c*** or without c***?' Trump asked again.

Trump reportedly asked if a hypothetical female transgender student had a 'c***' while preparing to debate Hillary Clinton

When advisers asked why it mattered what genitalia the student had, the former president countered: 'What if a girl was in the bathroom and someone came in, lifted up a skirt, and a schlong was hanging out?'

Haberman's book reportedly details a long history of 'lurid' comments coming from Trump, with many reportedly believing he was 'trying to shock' in his interactions.

The transgender student was being played by former adviser and later White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus

She claims that Trump had called around to reporters to find out whether anyone he knew was gay toward the beginning of the AIDS crisis.

A more recent excerpt claims he went out of his way to point out his former adviser Jason Miller's degree of heterosexuality.

He apparently said Miller 'likes the ladies' during a meeting with them and former Vice President Mike Pence.

'You know how sometimes someone turns out to be gay later and you knew? This guy, he isnt even like one percent gay,' Trump reportedly said of Miller.

Trump was filmed in March of this year telling a supporter he did not 'look gay' during a fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida.

The ex-president was headlining the event to support John Gibbs, a former Trump administration official who unseated Rep. Peter Meijer in Michigan's August 2 Republican primaries.

They were preparing for Trump's October 9, 2016 town hall debate in St. Louis against Hillary Clinton

One person can be heard shouting 'Gays for Trump!' seemingly in reference to the pro-Trump LGBT group of the same name, according to a video shared by Patriot Takes.

When the person identified himself, Trump quipped: 'You don't look gay.'

He continued, 'We did great with the gay population as you know,' before the 17-second clip ends.

Despite a small but vocal group of consistent supporters within the LGBTQI+ community, the former president was widely panned by gay and lesbian groups while in office.

A policy brief by LGBT medical research and advocacy group the Fenway Institute released toward the end of Trump's presidency found that he 'enacted more anti-LGBTQIA+ policies than any previous administration in history.'
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Europe's critical infrastructure is now at risk after the Nord Stream gas pipes were blown up in an attack widely thought to have been orchestrated by Russia, senior politicians, defence chiefs and experts have warned.

There are fears that pipelines, rigs and undersea cables that countries including Britain rely upon for energy, banking, stock trading and business could now be targeted, as German interior minister Nancy Faeser today warned leaders to prepare for 'previously unimaginable' threats to their nations.

Some have already begun scrambling to shore up their defences, with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Denmark today for talks which he said 'addressed the protection of critical infrastructure'. Jonas Gahr Stoere, Norway's prime minister, said the military would be visibly deployed around oil and gas rigs to protect them.

That suggests the UK - connected to Norway via two major pipelines which carry a third of this country's gas - is also at risk. Britain's largest oil and gas fields, which are dotted with dozens of rigs and criss-crossed by pipes, also sit close to Norwegian waters.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'We constantly observe our areas of responsibility and interest, this includes protecting critical infrastructure such as underwater cables and offshore structures.'

Mark Galeotti - a Russia expert, former adviser to the foreign office, and now at the Council on Geostrategy - told MailOnline that Putin is 'likely' behind the Nord Stream attack and intended it 'as a warning'. 'They blow up their own pipeline to remind the West that if it really pushes Putin into a corner, amongst his options are attacks on infrastructure,' he said.

'A pipeline from Norway to Poland has just been inaugurated, after all. Just as seriously, he could target undersea internet cables, which would not 'break' the internet but would certainly degrade it.'

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the explosions, dismissing the suggestion as 'stupid '. But Russia does have the capacity to carry out such an attack.

Putin commands the world's largest fleet of spy submarines including one - the Belgorod - that was specifically designed to attack undersea cables, and has easy access to the Baltic via Kaliningrad and St Petersberg, where its newly-developed fleet of underwater drones is also based.

It comes as the despot digs in his heels in Ukraine by illegally annexing occupied territory while trying to warn off the West with nukes and - it would seem - new threats to energy and information networks.

Norway has deployed the military to protect its gas and oil fields amid fears Russia is preparing attacks, suggesting that the UK - which has two major pipes linked to Norway and dozens of offshore rigs nearby - is also at risk

Gas 'sabotage' could show Putin is readying for 'global war', expert says Putin's motivation for allegedly targeting his own pipelines could be to cause an all-out global war, an academic has claimed. Dr Stepan Stepanenko, research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told MailOnline it shows the Kremlin wants to stop offering energy to its potential enemies. He said: 'Although the Kremlin has not taken responsibility for Nord Stream, the global finger of blame is pointing firmly in one direction. 'At first glance, this act equates to cutting one's nose off to spite the face, as Putin severs gas supply in the onset of a cold winter, he also cuts the revenue stream from it, harming his war effort. 'However, to understand why Russia would do this, we have to look at it in the context of the sham referenda taking place in Ukraine. 'Putin is fast running out of options, he needs to end the conflict with a tangible territorial gain before Russians twig what the rest of the world already knows, he lost the war. 'By conducting these sham referenda and moving the boarder to make these regions Russian territory, he is backing the West into an ultimatum; liberate these regions and you are directly attacking Russia. 'In this context, if Nord Stream was indeed targeted by Moscow then we can't avoid seeing it as Putin's preparing for a global war, in which supplying gas to Europe would be directly aiding his enemy.' Advertisement

As Dr Stepan Stepanenko, research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told MailOnline: 'At first glance, this act equates to cutting one's nose off to spite the face [but] to understand why Russia would do this, we have to look at it in the context of the sham referenda taking place in Ukraine.

'Putin is fast running out of options, he needs to end the conflict with a tangible territorial gain before Russians twig what the rest of the world already knows: He lost the war.

'By conducting these sham referenda and moving the border to make these regions Russian territory, he is backing the West into an ultimatum; liberate these regions and you are directly attacking Russia.

'In this context, if Nord Stream was indeed targeted by Moscow then we can't avoid seeing it as Putin preparing for a global war, in which supplying gas to Europe would be directly aiding his enemy.'

Lieutenant Colonel Geir Hagen Karlsen, one of Norway's leading military officers, warned that his country - which is now Europe's most-important gas supplier after Russia was sanctioned - needs to take the threat serious, particularly after unidentified drones were seen flying low over rigs in recent days.

'Norways gas supply is probably the biggest and most strategically important target for sabotage in all of Europe right now,' he told national broadcaster NRK.

Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of Lithuanias parliament, added: These incidents show that energy infrastructure is not safe . . . It can be interpreted as a warning.'

It came as German officials warned that Nord Stream has been so badly damaged by the blasts that it will likely never work again.

German security services said the explosions left three of four undersea tubes so severely damaged they are now beyond repair, Tagesspiegel reported.

Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU Commission, this morning vowed the 'strongest possible response' to what she called 'sabotage' of the pipelines - but stopped short of directly blaming Russia.

Charles Michel, the EU Council President, added: 'Nord Stream sabotage acts appear to be an attempt to further destabilise energy supply to [the] EU.'

Gas is now leaking into the Baltic from three holes, scientists have confirmed, with safety concerns leading to a five-mile exclusion zone being imposed around the affected area.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said her government believes the leaks were caused by 'deliberate actions', adding that the gas supply pipeline will be out of action for around a week.

She said on Tuesday evening: 'It is now the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident. There is no information yet to indicate who may be behind this action.'

Her Energy Minister Dan Jorgensen also said the size of the holes in the pipelines indicate that the leaks could not have been caused by an accident such as getting hit by an anchor. The damaged pipelines are at a depth of 70-90 meters below sea level, he added.

The remarks were backed by Sweden's PM Magdalena Andersson, who has said informations suggests the blasts were likely sabotage.

She said her government was in close contact with partners such as Nato and neighbours such as Denmark and Germany concerning the developments.

Ms Andersson continued: 'We have Swedish intelligence, but we have also received information in our contacts with Denmark, and based on this concluded that this is probably a deliberate act. It is probably a matter of sabotage.

'It is not a matter of an attack on Swedish or Danish territory. But that said, the government is taking what happened very seriously, not the least in light of the current security situation on our close proximity.'

Investigations are ongoing into major leaks in Russian pipelines that are now spewing gas into the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark, including assessing evidence of possible sabotage.

'Unprecedented' climate catastrophe fears over Nord Stream gas leaks Huge leaks in the two largest gas pipelines linking Russia to Europe could cause an unprecedented environmental catastrophe, experts have warned. Three large fissures have opened in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipes which European leaders say were the result of sabotage, with heavy suspicion falling on Moscow. Huge amounts of gas is now bubbling to the surface of the ocean, releasing large amounts of methane - a potent greenhouse gas - into the atmosphere. Atmospheric chemist David McCabe, who is senior scientist at the non-profit Clean Air Task Force, said: 'If these pipelines fail, the impact to the climate will be disastrous and could even be unprecedented.' McCabe and other emissions experts told Reuters that it was not yet possible to assess the size of the leak, given uncertainties around factors such as the temperature of the gas in the pipeline, how fast it's leaking, and how much gas would be absorbed by microbes in the water before reaching the surface. But since both pipes contained mostly methane, 'the potential for a massive and highly damaging emission event is very worrisome', McCabe said. A 'conservative estimate' based on available data suggests the leaks together were releasing more than 500 metric tons of methane per hour when first breached, with the pressure and flow rate decreasing over time, said Jean-Francois Gauthier, vice president of measurements at the commercial methane-measuring satellite firm GHGSat. By comparison, the huge Aliso Canyon gas leak in the United States in 2016 spewed around 50 tons of methane per hour at its peak. 'So this would be an order of magnitude more,' Gauthier said. A spokesman for Nord Stream 2 - one of the leaking pipelines - said this week the system held 300 million cubic metres of gas. Releasing that amount in entirety to the atmosphere would result in around 200,000 tonnes of methane emissions, said chemical engineer Paul Balcombe at London's Queen Mary University. That amount of methane would have about the same global warming potential over a 100-year timeframe as about 6 million tons of carbon dioxide, according to Reuters calculations based on IPCC conversion factors. That's roughly on par with the amount of CO2 emitted in an entire year by mid-sized cities such as Havana, or Helsinki or Dayton, Ohio. The amount of gas leaking from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline system is less clear, with a pipeline spokesman declining to say how much was left in the system when it was taken offline for maintenance a few weeks ago. Stefano Grassi, head of the European Union energy commissioner's cabinet, said Tuesday that the leaks risked becoming 'a climate and ecological disaster'. 'We are in contact with [EU member states] to look into what happened and find the fastest way to stop leaks and avoid worse damage,' Grassi said in a tweet. EU countries were among more than 100 countries, including the United States, Brazil, Pakistan and Mexico that pledged last year to slash their combined methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, in a bid to help stave off disastrous levels of climate change. While oil spills can immediately affect and ultimately kill wildlife, authorities say the gas pipeline gas leaks pose a limited threat to the surrounding plant and animal life. The German environment ministry said the leaks would not pose a significant threat to marine life, but Greenpeace raised concerns on Tuesday that fish may get caught in plumes of gas, which could interfere with their breathing. Denmark's Energy Agency told Reuters said it was too early to say who would investigate the Nord Stream 2 leak and no-one has been to look at the pipeline yet. It added the leaks will likely continue for several days and perhaps even a week. Advertisement

It comes after Kyiv's presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak said on Twitter: 'The large-scale gas leak is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression towards the EU.'

Podolyak accused Russia of seeking to 'destabilise the economic situation in Europe and cause pre-winter panic'.

Latvian Defence Minister Artis Pabriks also today called on Nato and the EU's member states to jointly investigate the Nord Stream blasts.

While it may not be in Russia's long-term economic interests to destroy one of its key potential money earners, the destructive act could create economic panic in Europe in the short term.

The leaks, which emerged on Monday and are expected to last several days, raised concerns over environmental damage. They caused a spike in the price of natural resources  a possible Russian motivation for sabotage.

Initially they were assumed to have been accidental, but opinions rapidly changed yesterday with several governments stating that three separate leaks happening almost simultaneously was beyond coincidence.

In Moscow, the Kremlin said it did not rule out sabotage as a reason for the damage to the Russian-built network, which has not been supplying any gas to Germany in recent months.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'This is very concerning news. No option can be ruled out right now.' But European neighbours said that the sabotage was carried out by Russia itself  even though it would be hugely damaging in economic terms,

It comes after shocking footage released earlier today by the Danish military from a flyover of the affected region showed huge swathes of the sea near the Danish island of Bornholm churning as the gas bubbled to the surface.

A military statement claimed that the largest leak 'is spreading bubbles a good kilometre (3,280ft) in diameter. The smallest is creating a circle about 200 metres (656 feet) in diameter', while the head of Denmark's Energy Agency said it could take up to a week for gas to stop draining into the sea.

'The sea surface is full of methane, which means there is an increased risk of explosions in the area,' Kristoffer Bottzauw said, adding that ships could lose buoyancy if the entered the affected region.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it would be 'in no-one's interest' if attacks or acts of sabotage caused the leaks detected in the Nord Stream gas pipelines amid an energy standoff between Europe and Russia over gas supplies.

Speaking alongside India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, he added: 'There are initial reports indicating that this may be the result of an attack or some kind of sabotage, but these are initial reports and we haven't confirmed that yet. But if it is confirmed, that's clearly in no one's interest.'

The White House said the US was ready to provide support to European partners conducting an investigation.

Blinken added that his understanding was leaks would not have a significant impact on Europe's energy resilience, and reiterated that Washington was working to address energy security for Europe in the short- and long-term.

European gas prices rose on the news of the leaks, with the benchmark October Dutch price up almost 10 per cent on Tuesday. Prices are still below this year's stratospheric peaks, but remain more than 200 per cent higher than in early September 2021.

The unsettling incident comes as Sweden's National Seismology Centre (SNSN) announced that their equipment registered powerful undersea blasts in the region yesterday. It said one explosion was equivalent to a magnitude-2.3 earthquake.

The Nord Stream pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between Europe and Moscow amid Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine that has pummelled major Western economies and sent gas prices soaring.

The cause of the leaks has not yet been confirmed, however, and the European Commission said it was too early to speculate on the potential causes.

Meanwhile, Norway said it will strengthen security at its oil and gas installations in the wake of the gas leaks amid reports of drones buzzing its rigs. Newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad reported last week that unidentified drones had been observed at least at six Equinor installations, including at its giant oilfield Johan Sverdrup.

Last Tuesday, a drone was observed some 50 meters away from Equinor's Heidrun platform in the North Sea, breaching the 500-metre security perimeter, the newspaper reported.

A massive area of gas bubbles stretching more than 3,000ft across is seen in the Baltic Sea off Sweden yesterday

A handout photo taken from a Danish F-16 jet on 27 September 2022 and made available by the Danish Defence Command shows a gas leak of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline off Bornholm, Denmark, Baltic Sea

A reading from a German Centre for Georesearch seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm shows two spikes, at 0003 and 1700 GMT, followed by a lower-level 'hissing' on the day when the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic gas pipelines sprang leaks one after the other

Kazakhstan risks Putin's wrath: Ex-Soviet ally vows to 'care' for Russians fleeing 'hopeless situation' Kazakhstan has risked the wrath of Putin by offering to 'care for' Russian men fleeing conscription due to the 'hopeless situation' back home. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, president of the ex-Soviet state, also offered muted criticism of Putin's war - saying that the 'territorial integrity of states must be preserved' as the despot moves to carve up Ukraine using sham referenda. He spoke as the country's interior ministry revealed almost 100,000 Russians have crossed the border in six days since Putin ordered fighting-age men to be drafted. Tokayev's speech marks the latest act of defiance from a country that has been a close ally of Moscow in the past, and is the latest rumbling of discontent from Russia's satellite states in Asia as Putin's power wanes. Advertisement

'There is no doubt that these were explosions,' SNSN seismologist Bjorn Lund told broadcaster SVT, suggesting the pipelines were likely sabotaged.

'With energy releases this big there isn't much else than a blast that could cause it,' another seismologist added. 'You can see that they are quite sudden. It is a very sudden energy release. It's not a slow collapse of something.'

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said: 'We faced an act of sabotage, we don't know all the details of what happened, but we see clearly that it's an act of sabotage, related to the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine.'

Anders Puck Nielsen, a researcher with the Centre for Maritime Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, said the timing of the leaks was 'conspicuous' given that a new pipeline carrying gas from Norway to Poland was opened today.

'The arrow points in the direction of Russia,' he said. 'No one in the West is interested in having any kind of instability in the energy market.'

The extent of the damage means the Nord Stream pipelines are unlikely to carry any gas to Europe this winter even if there was political will to bring them online, analysts at the Eurasia Group said.

'Depending on the scale of the damage, the leaks could even mean a permanent closure of both lines,' Henning Gloystein and Jason Bush wrote.

They noted that undersea pipelines are designed so they can not be damaged accidentally and leaks are rare.

Mr Puck Nielsen said of possible sabotage that 'technically speaking, this is not difficult. It just requires a boat. It requires some divers that know how to handle explosive devices'.

'But I think if we look at who would actually benefit from disturbances, more chaos on the gas market in Europe, I think there's basically only one actor right now that actually benefits from more uncertainty, and that is Russia,' he added.

Two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline were reported by Sweden's Maritime Authority last night, shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered that prompted Denmark to restrict shipping in the area.

Of the two pipelines hit by leaks, Nord Stream 2 has never operated, while Nord Stream 1 carried gas to Germany until late August when Russian energy giant Gazprom cut off the supply, claiming there was a need for urgent maintenance work.

Gazprom's explanation of technical problems have been rejected by German officials as a cover for a political power play to raise prices and spread uncertainty.

The fresh incidents will hinder any effort to start or restart either pipeline for commercial operations, and triggered an investigation with Swedish and Danish energy agencies.

The head of Denmark's energy agency warned such leaks 'happen extremely rarely', lending further credence to speculations of sabotage given that three separate leaks sprung up across two different pipelines.

Denmark's energy minister Dan Jorgensen said this morning: 'Yesterday, a leak was detected on one of the two gas pipelines between Russia and Denmark - Nord Stream 2. The pipeline is not in operation, but contains natural gas, which is now leaking.

'Authorities have now been informed that there have been 2 more leaks on Nord Stream 1, which is also not in operation but contains gas,' he added.

The leaks were located northeast of the Danish island Bornholm, a Swedish Maritime authority spokesperson said.

Gazprom, who owns the majority stake in Nord Stream AG which owns and operates the pipelines, declined to comment.

Nord Stream AG however released a statement warning that the pipelines had suffered 'unprecedented damage' in one day.

'The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented,' it said.

One European governmental source, when asked if there was specific intelligence indicating sabotage, said: 'Not specific yet, but it seems this pressure failure can only happen when a pipe is completely cut. Which pretty much says it all.'

Nord Stream 1 has not been supplying gas to Europe since late August after Moscow announced the pipeline would be closed for three days for maintenance.

The pipeline was never opened again after the G7 group of advanced economic nations in early September agreed an price cap on Russian oil and moved to bar insurance for tankers or shipping companies helping Moscow to sell supplies above the cap.

The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline was completed earlier this year but had not entered commercial operations.

The plan to supply gas via the pipeline was scrapped by Germany days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February.

European politicians say Moscow's decision to close the pipeline was simply a pretext to slash supply and hasten a European energy crisis.

Putin has kept the Nord Stream 1 pipeline closed since August after the G7 group of advanced economic nations in early September agreed an price cap on Russian oil and moved to bar insurance for tankers or shipping companies helping Moscow to sell supplies above the cap

Morning light falls on the landfall facility of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline and the transfer station of the OPAL gas pipeline, the Baltic Sea Pipeline Link, in Lubmin, Germany, July 21, 2022

Danish authorities have asked that the country's level of preparedness for the power and gas sector be raised after the leaks.

The raised level would mean that companies in the power and gas sector have to implement measures to increase safety at for example plants, buildings and installations.

Ships can lose buoyancy if they enter the area affected by the leaks, and there may be a risk of an ignition over the water and in the air, the Danish energy agency warned.

It said the gas leak would only affect the environment locally, which means that only the area where the gas plume in the water column is located would be affected.

A spokesperson from Energinet, Denmark's national electricity and natural gas operator, confirmed that precautionary measures would include increased surveillance of pipelines and and security measures, but declined to give specifics.

(From L to R) Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Polish President Andrzej Duda shake hands after turning a valve to symbolically open the new Baltic Pipe natural gas pipeline on September 27, 2022

Meanwhile, a new subsea pipeline delivering Norwegian gas to Poland and neighbouring countries with an annual capacity of 10 billion cubic metres per day was inaugurated today.

The Baltic Pipe is seen as a key element in the diversification away from Russian energy sources for Poland and other European and Nordic nations, and was completed ahead of schedule in light of the impending energy crisis.

The European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said: 'The Baltic Pipe is a key project for the security of supply of the region and the result of an EU policy drive to diversify sources of gas. The pipeline will play a valuable role in mitigating the current energy crisis.'

At a ceremony in western Poland, Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland said the project was 'a milestone on the important path towards European independence from Russian energy.'

And Polish President Andrzej Duda called the new pipeline 'a Polish dream', which Prime Minister Morawiecki said showed that 'the era of Russian gas dominance is ending'.

MailOnline has contacted representatives of the Baltic Pipe project for comment.

Putin squirms in his seat as Belarus dictator Lukashenko rants about men 'running away' from mobilisation in Russia as huge traffic jams on Georgia border are captured in images from SPACE

By WILL STEWART and DAVID AVERRE for MAILONLINE

This is the moment an uncomfortable-looking Vladimir Putin squirmed in his seat as he was forced to endure a bizarre lecture on people fleeing his rule from fellow autocrat Alexander Lukashenko.

The Belarusian president - who needed Putin's help to crush a pro-Western democratic movement in his country in 2020 - assured the Kremlin leader he would win his war in Ukraine, despite the growing unrest over his decision to mobilise 300,000 new troops.

The Kremlin chief looked hunched and uncomfortable, saying little during the meeting in Sochi as Russians continue to protest his mobilisation edict or flee abroad to avoid being drafted.

'Our course is right, our cause is right,' Lukashenko told Putin, bringing a rare smile to the Russian warmonger's lips.

'We will win. We have no other choice. We, as Slavs, would not tolerate humiliation,' Lukashenko told him.

The Belarusian leaders bombastic speech belied the situation on the ground though.

The call for mobilisation has proved wildly unpopular, with hundreds of thousands of Russian men having already fled the country to avoid the call up.

Outbound flights from Russia are completely sold out, and traffic jams leading to Russia's borders are so big they can be seen from space.

Anti-war protests have erupted across the country, and Russian media reported an increasing number of arson attacks on military enlistment offices. Yesterday, an enlistment officer was shot at almost point blank range by a man who refused to be drafted.

Alexander Lukashenko (R) shakes hands with Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Sochi, Russia

Belarusian president Lukashenko (L) - who needed Putin's help to crush a pro-Western democratic movement in his country in 2020 - assured the Kremlin leader he would win his war in Ukraine

A satellite image shows trucks and cars waiting in a traffic jam near Russia's border with Georgia as Russians desperately try to flee the country, September 25, 2022

The call for mobilisation has proved wildly unpopular, with hundreds of thousands of Russian men having already fled the country to avoid the call up. Pictured: A satellite image of traffic jams near Russia's border with Georgia

A satellite image shows traffic at the Khyagt border post on Russia's border with Mongolia, September 23, 2022

Queues of traffic have been growing on Russia's borders with neighbouring countries. This satellite image shows traffic at the Khyagt border post on Russia's border with Mongolia on September 23

A group of Russian men walk with their bicycles after crossing the border at Verkhny Lars between Georgia and Russia in Georgia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. Long lines of vehicles have formed at a border crossing between Russia's North Ossetia region and Georgia after Moscow announced a partial military mobilisation

A group of Russians walk after crossing the border at Verkhny Lars between Georgia and Russia in Georgia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022

Lukashenko continued monologuing in Sochi yesterday, spouting rhetorical questions as Putin sat silently, squirming uncomfortably beside him.

'Let's say 30,000 or 50,000 [people] run away. If they were to stay, would they be our people?' the Belarusian president said.

'Let them run away. I don't know what you think about it, but I wasn't worried too much in 2020 when people left [Belarus after protests over his vote-rigging].

'They [later] ask to let them in. So these ones will also come back.

'But there's a decision needed: what to do with them? Let them come back or stay there?'

While Lukashenko and Putin shared a chat in Sochi yesterday, a young conscript shot a Russian military officer at close range at an enlistment office in an unusually bold attack reflecting resistance to mobilisation efforts.

The shooting came after scattered arson attacks on enlistment offices and protests in Russian cities against the military call up that have resulted in at least 2,000 arrests.

In the attack in the Siberian city of Ust-Ilimsk, 25-year-old resident Ruslan Zinin walked into the enlistment office saying 'no one will go to fight' and 'we will all go home now,' according to local media.

A witness quoted by a local news site said Zinin was in a roomful of people called up to fight and troops from his region were heading to military bases on Tuesday.

Footage of the incident showed how Zinin strode into the office and blasted the official before being arrested and forced to testify to the crime on camera, which he did willingly.

Authorities said the military commandant was in intensive care.

Protests also flared up in Dagestan, one of Russia's poorer regions in the North Caucasus.

This is the moment gunman Ruslan Zinin, 25 walked into a Russian enlistment office in Ust-Ilimsk and shot military commissar Alexander Eliseev

A man casts his ballot into a mobile ballot box as members of an electoral commission visit patients of a hospital during a referendum on the joining of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) to Russia, in Donetsk, Ukraine September 27, 2022

A group of Russians walk after crossing the border at Verkhny Lars between Georgia and Russia in Georgia, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022

Protests have also erupted across Russia in fury at Putin's decision to begin conscription, with some 2,000 people arrested so far

Local media reported that 'several hundred' demonstrators took to the streets Tuesday in its capital, Makhachkala.

Videos circulated online showing dozens of protesters tussling with the police sent to disperse them.

Demonstrations also continued in another of Russia's North Caucasus republics, Kabardino-Balkaria, where videos on social media showed a local official attempting to address a crowd of women who banded together to chant 'No to war!'

Concerns are growing that Russia may seek to escalate the conflict - including potentially using nuclear weapons - once it completes what Ukraine and the West see as illegal referendums in occupied parts of Ukraine.

The voting, in which residents are asked whether they want their regions to become part of Russia, began last week and ends Tuesday, under conditions that are anything but free or fair.

Tens of thousands of residents had already fled the regions amid months of fighting, and images shared by those who remained showed armed Russian troops going door-to-door to pressure Ukrainians into voting.

'Every night and day there is inevitable shelling in the Donbas, under the roar of which people are forced to vote for Russian ''peace'',' Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kirilenko said Monday.

Russia is widely expected to declare the results in its favour, a step that could see Moscow annex the four regions and then defend them as its own territory.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign got a bizarre warning about a potential Russian attempt to poison her during her third debate with Donald Trump  and her team reportedly looked into it.

The purported threat came in October 2016 from Richard Blum, the wealthy husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee, although its sourcing would later be revealed to be extremely thin, in a strange episode recounted in Maggie Haberman's new book, Confidence Man. Blum died in February.

'During preparations for the third debate, Hillary Clintons team was disrupted by a warning from the husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who said he had been told that Russians might try to poison Clinton through a handshake with Trump, to inflict a dramatic health episode during the debate,' Haberman writes.

The husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) passed on information about a warning the Russians might try to poison former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton during her third presidential debate with Donald Trump

The debate came amid an intense focus on Russia, following the hack of the DNC and just days after WikiLeaks started publishing emails hacked from Clinton's campaign chair John Podesta. The debate itself included several jabs about Russia.

Trump fielded repeated questions during the campaign about connections between his advisors and Russia. He called for the U.S. and Russia to 'get along,' and would later fume at the origins of the Russia probe and the 'dirty dossier' funded in part by Clinton's campaign.

During the third debate, Trump would say Putin 'has no respect for her. He has no respect for our president,' prompting Clinton to shoot back: 'Hed rather have a puppet as president of the United States.'

Trump shot back at Clinton that 'you're the puppet!' Then, he added: 'She doesn't like Putin because Putin has outsmarted her at every step of the way.'

It also followed a series of poisonings linked to Russia, including the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England using a nerve agent in 2018.

But Clinton did not take the threat seriously, according to Haberman, in an episode recounted in the Washington Post.

Trump and Clinton clashed over Russia and Vladimir Putin during the debate, but the poison warning quickly fell apart

Russian President Vladimir Putin was under scrutiny at the time

Current White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who was advising Clinton, raised a strategy issue that severely undercut the warning: How could Trump poison Clinton without harming himself

The warning came two years after Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer, and his daughter were poisoned in Salisbury, England

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's book Confidence Man will hit shelves Oct. 4  just one month before the 2022 midterms

Current White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, who was advising Clinton at the time, raised one serious objection: how Trump could poison Clinton in that scenario without harming himself?

The televised debate also took place in a highly secured venue jammed with Secret Service agents, audience members, and members of the media.

'Her communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, took the prospect seriously enough to check it out; the warning turned out to be mere speculation from a historian with no knowledge of Russian plans,' Haberman writes.

The episode is recounted in Haberman's Trump book, which comes out Tuesday.
Round Rock Police Department have advised residents not to confront thieves themselves but stricter laws appear ineffective at curtailing porch theft

After just 30 minutes they returned a second time, this time with cow manure, and targeted her family's vehicles

The thief returned with the diapers and smeared them over Mier's door and doorbell camera

Gabriela Mier, 37, became fed up with 'porch piracy' in her Austin neighborhood, so tricked a serial thief into stealing her kid's dirty diapers

A Texas mom tricked a serial porch pirate into stealing a fake delivery filled with dirty diapers - only for him to return and smear them on her door in revenge.

Gabriela Mier, from Austin, was further horrified to find that half an hour later the thief came back with a 'giant bag of cow manure' in a second act of revenge.

The feces were smeared over vehicles on the family's driveway and all over the porch.

'It was a really long day of cleaning a lot of cow feces,' the 37 year-old told KXAN.

Video captured on a doorbell camera shows a masked thief hurrying towards the front door with a white object in hand before rubbing it over the door and doorbell camera.

Stills from a video captured using Gabriela Mier's doorbell camera show the thief as they returned with the diapers seeking revenge

Business-owner Mier, who works full-time and is now pregnant, has been dealing with 'porch pirates' in her Austin neighborhood for months.

She says she believes the same man was behind most of the recent thefts she had suffered - and that he was the thief who picked up the booby-trapped package.

At least 12 of her neighbors said that the same thieves have been targeting their homes too.

Mier and her husband decided to take action by leaving their kid's dirty diapers in a box on their porch, disguised as a recent delivery.

Residents of Round Rock near Austin have been able to use doorbell cameras to repeatedly capture the masked thieves hurrying towards their houses and snatching packages

Gabriela Mier, 37, became fed up with 'porch piracy' in her Austin neighborhood so decided to take action

Mier said: 'When they discovered it was a bunch of dirty diapers they came back and smeared those diapers all over the front door.

'We need to stop this now, especially before the holidays get started.'

She said that the thieves would strike 'in the middle of the day, in the middle of the night' and it was always the 'same car, same people'.

Mier said the thieves would drive around in a black Chevrolet Suburban with no registration plates.

Round Rock Police Department have advised residents not to confront 'porch pirates' but have said that smearing manure on vehicles would fall under 'criminal mischief'.

Meanwhile, fellow Austin resident Britany Walker has also fallen victim to the scammers.

She says she was only able to deter porch pirates from targeting her again by shouting 'I have a baby.'

Round Rock resident Britany Walker was also a victim of 'porch piracy' but was able to deter thieves by shouting at them: 'I have a baby'

In 2019 Texas introduced new laws to clamp down on 'porch piracy' but they seem to have had little effect. A article published by the Houston Law Review in 2019 found that 'there is little evidence that these laws are resulting in their desired deterrent effect' and said 'the law should facilitate more private action'.

During the holidays Round Rock police also launch 'Operation Front Porch' in which people can have their packages delivered to the police department to avoid leaving them on the porch.

According to Commander Tom Sloan the initiative was effective. He said: 'What safer place to have your package delivered to than the police department?'

Mier has no regrets: 'Its a tool for me. I have a toddler. I work full-time and I have another one on the way, so I use this as a survival tool.

'There has to be end. It's just not OK in my book anymore.'
The White House stated on Tuesday that Russian men who are emigrating to avoid being enlisted into Moscow's conflict with Ukraine should apply for asylum in the US.

At her routine press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre informed the media that the reaction within Russia to the alleged partial mobilization ordered by President Vladimir Putin last week demonstrates this war that was begun by the Kremlin is unpopular.

US Would Welcome Russians Fleeing Putin's Mobilization Draft

Protests, rioting, and a rush for Russia's borders have resulted from the military call-up, in which the Kremlin intends to draft over 300,000 men for the battle in Ukraine. The few nations that still allow direct flights from Russia have sold out of airline tickets for days.

Over the weekend, anti-war demonstrators in the Russian province of Dagestan ran after police officers while chanting no to war and calling for the release of other anti-war protesters who had been detained. A man set himself on fire on Monday in Ryazan, 100 miles southeast of Moscow, while yelling that he opposed going to war.

Approximately 98,000 Russians reside in Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic with a significant southern border with Russia, according to the Kazakh authorities on Tuesday. Russians who had been doctors, according to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, would not be sent.

Russian military morale has been low since the beginning of the conflict, and pushing its population, many of whom lack military training, to fight won't likely improve matters, according to Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder on Tuesday, as per New York Post.

After several recordings of assaults on military recruitment centers and the announcement of recruits' deployment to the front were released from Russia, where US and British officials claimed that tens of thousands of Russian military personnel had been killed or injured, Jean-Pierre spoke. There have even been stories of Russians searching online for information on how to break their arm at home, which has been construed as a strategy to avoid serving in the military.

Since Putin's declaration, more than 194,000 Russian citizens have escaped to Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Finland by vehicle, bicycle, or foot. That followed days of news of rising airfares to nations that still accept Russians amid restrictions since the decision on September 21.

More than 9 miles of traffic congestion stretch from North Ossetia in Russia to the Georgian border. The Interior Ministry of Georgia reported that 53,000 Russian citizens have entered the nation in the past week, with 98,000 of them heading to Kazakhstan and 43,000 to Finland. Some are traveling to Mongolia, according to Daily Mail.

Read Also: Ukraine Gets Attacked by Drones Reportedly Made in Iran Amid Rising Fears on Russia's Referendums

Attacks on Russia's Military Enlisment Centers Spike

Meanwhile, recent sources state that since President Vladimir Putin announced new partial recruitment of Russian nationals to fight in Ukraine, attacks on military recruiting facilities have increased. In the past week, there have been more allegations of arson against enrollment centers and local government structures, possibly in response to Putin's announcement on Wednesday of Russia's first partial mobilization since World War II.

Within the first six months following Ukraine's invasion, at least 20 occurrences of arson against military commissariats in Russia were reported; however, the frequency of these attacks has now dramatically increased, according to a report published on Monday by the Kyiv Post.

The first incidents after the partial mobilization were reportedly recorded on Wednesday when allegedly arsonists set fire to recruitment centers in St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod in western Russia. The newspaper said that Molotov cocktails were hurled through the windows of the latter city's offices to ignite the fire.

The country's Orenburg and Zabaikal regions reported more attempted arson the next day, though information on these instances is scant. The same day, a portion of a municipal government building in Tolyatti, a city around 1,000 kilometers to the east of Moscow, caught fire, News Week reported.

Related Article: Nord Stream Pipeline Leak: Here's Why Experts Think It's a 'Sabotage' Amid Intense Russia-Ukraine War

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Karol Markowicz is a columnist and contributing editor at The Spectator World

In 2019, former President Barack Obama told a crowd, 'If more women were put in charge, there would be less war, kids would be better taken care of and there would be a general improvement in living standards and outcomes.'

How sweet and condescending. If only he really meant it.

In 2018, then-aspiring presidential candidate Hillary Clinton claimed, 'I just think women in general are better listeners, are more collegial, more open to new ideas and how to make things work in a way that looks for win-win outcomes.'

Oh, really? That would have been believable if it wasn't so self-serving.

Conservative women, like myself, weren't fooled then, and we're not being fooled now by the left's apparent love affair with our gender.

In fact, we just got quite the glimpse of modern liberals' real views on female leaders, when Giorgia Meloni and her conservative coalition, Brothers of Italy, triumphed in that country's election on Sunday.

If you haven't heard, the coming elevation of Italy's first female prime minister is actually a catastrophe.

We just got quite the glimpse of the left's real views on female leaders, when Giorgia Meloni and her conservative coalition, Brothers of Italy, triumphed in that country's election on Sunday

'I would love to see more women in powerful positions, but representation has its limits,' wrote The Guardian's Arwa Mahdawi in her coverage of Meloni's victory under the headline, 'It is great that little girls now have role models so they, too, can grow up to be crazed world leaders.

'Simply having a vagina and a fancy job title doesn't make you a feminist role model,' Mahdawi concluded.

The subtext: Successful women are great, they really are, just not this kind. 'You can't sit with us!' and 'We wear pink on Wednesdays!' went unsaid.

What is Meloni's unpardonable offense against the left-wing elites of the world?

According to the mainstream media and millions of new experts on Italian politics, she's an anti-immigrant monster, a threat to Ukraine, the second coming of Mussolini and worse.

Just look at the latest headlines.

CNN confidently proclaimed: 'Giorgia Meloni claims victory to become Italy's most far-right prime minister since Mussolini.' The Atlantic minced no words, assuring us of the 'The Return of Fascism in Italy.' And the Washington Post went with 'Danger lurks after Italy's shocking election.'

Not to be outdone, the White House got in on the act.

Anonymous 'Biden aides' told the Washington, DC insider web site, Politico, that they're 'worried' Meloni may undermine Europe's commitment to supporting Ukraine's struggle against Russia's invasion.

So what are we to make of these serious, yet vague allegations?

You decide.

Meloni has called for a naval blockade against illegal immigrants traveling to Italy from Africa. The country of more than 60 million people has absorbed an estimated 750,000 migrants since 2015.

On Tuesday, Meloni tweeted to Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky: 'Dear (Zelensky), you know that you can count on our loyal support for the cause of freedom of Ukrainian people. Stay strong and keep your faith steadfast!'

And this week, Meloni political opponent and now outgoing Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi weighed in on the claim she is Mussolini in a wig.

'Personally, I was against Giorgia Meloni,' he told CNN. 'I'm not her best friend. We are rivals but she is not a danger to democracy. The idea there is a risk of fascism in Italy is absolutely fake news.'

According to the mainstream media and millions of new experts on Italian politics, she's an anti-immigrant monster, a threat to Ukraine, the second coming of Mussolini and worse. (Above) CNN.com coverage of Meloni's electoral victory

If you haven't heard, the coming elevation of Italy's first female prime minister is actually a catastrophe. (Above) The Washington Post's coverage of Italian election

The Atlantic minced no words, assuring us of the 'The Return of Fascism in Italy'

In truth, the left hates Meloni because she is a woman. And they're not wrong to hate her. She represents everything they're not.

Independent and plain-spoken, Meloni's speeches have gone viral because she speaks to issues that matter at a time when feminist harpies take to opinion pages to chastise a woman who has blazed her own trail.

'I am Giorgia, I am a woman, I am a mother, I am Italian, I am a Christian, and you can't take that away from me,' Meloni said in a 2019 speech that has become her tagline.

Meloni isn't parroting anyone, as others clearly do. She doesn't have lines assigned to her that she can't step beyond. She's her own person and she makes that very clear.

Her political party is 'Brothers of Italy,' not 'Brothers and Sisters of Italy' or 'People of Italy' or any other iteration that would be required by foot stomping feminists.

She leads with her womanhood. The family is important in her speeches, too.

In a 2018 interview with Reuters, she worried about Italy's birthrate and the difficult choices facing mothers.

'The first thing we asked for was a grand plan to sustain the birth rate and give incentives to become parents, which is a priority in our program,' she said.

Children as important, as necessary, should be a mainstream idea, but the women 'perfecting' feminism rarely speak up for them.

Meloni will likely be neither the villain portrayed by the left nor the hero that some on the right hope she will be. Politics in Italy are tumultuous, and her success is not a given. But she is nothing like the monster invented by the left.

Maybe the newly minted Italian politics experts can take a seat and watch from afar what the woman, mother, Italian, Christian does or doesn't do.
Two young men were busted early Wednesday morning for the robbery of flashy and controversial Brooklyn Bishop Lamor Whitehead, which was caught on camera in July.

Juwan Anderson and Say-Quan Pollack, both 23, have been pinned with federal robbery charged for allegedly storming into the church and pulling guns on Whitehead as he delivered a sermon that was being streamed.

The thieves reportedly made off with more than $400,00 in bling from the ostentatious bishop.

Exhibit photos show members of the group who robbed Bishop Lamor Whitehead while he was delivering a sermon on July 24

Two of the men who carried out the robbery, both 23, were arrested and charged Wednesday

It was initially speculated by some that Whitehead played a role in staging the robbery, but insiders close to the investigation say that is not the case

Whitehead told the Daily News on Wednesday that he is 'extremely happy' that two of the alleged robbers have been apprehended.

'My wife was crying when she heard the news. We're waiting for the last one to be arrested so we can move on with our life,' he added.

The Rolls-Royce driving bishop was robbed on July 24 while speaking to his congregation when the men burst into the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Brooklyn, New York.

Whitehead has been the target of speculation that the heist was staged, but the News reports that a source close to the investigation said there was no indication that the bishop played a role in the robbery.

Authorities believe the bishop was targeted because he was known to wear flashy, expensive jewelry in the pulpit.

'This clears up the whole narrative that I had something to do with this crime,' Whitehead said.

He said he will attend the Brooklyn Federal Court hearing for the two suspects scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Two suspects were arrested early Wednesday for allegedly robbing Whitehead during a sermon he was livestreaming at his Brooklyn congregation. A third participant in the robbery has not yet been arrested

Bishop Lamor Whitehead goes into Brooklyn Federal court for the arraignment of the two suspects that allegedly robbed him while he was streaming a service in July

The humble church located at 922 Remsen Ave. in Brooklyn sits by other restaurants and studios on the block

Whitehead founded his Brooklyn-based ministry, registered as a for-profit business, in March 2014. The Bishop has been active in raising funds for it through self-created youth mentorship programs

Whitehead seen here sporting a Gucci blazer inside his Roll Royce

Whitehead previously spent five years in prison on charges of identity fraud and grand larceny, though he has been connected with NYC mayor Eric Adams since 2013

Whitehead showed off his display of Fendi and Gucci jackets along with his 'priestly robes and more'

Just weeks after the robbery, Whitehead tempted fate posting a tour of his 'prayer closet,' which could double as a designer warehouse.

The bishop showed viewers his vast collection of designer goods, including a number of Gucci and Fendi blazers and a significant designer shoe collection.

Whitehead was recently 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.
One person has been shot dead at an Arkansas hospital, and the suspected shooter has been taken into custody, according to police.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday morning at CHI St. Vincent North hospital in Sherwood, a northeast suburb of Little Rock.

Sherwood Police Chief Jeff Hagar told reporters that officers responded to a shots fired call at the hospital shortly after 10am local time, and discovered 'one victim deceased from at least one gunshot wound.'

He said that a single 'person of interest' had been taken into custody, but declined to identify either the victim or the suspected shooter.

'It's still a really early, preliminary investigation at this stage, so that's about all the information that I can give you at this time,' said Hagar.

Police respond to an active shooter incident at CHI St Vincent North hospital in Sherwood, Arkansas on Wednesday

'We can confirm an active shooter at [St. Vincent],' the Sherwood Police Department said in a statement. 'No other information will be released at this time'

Police are responding to an active shooter incident at a hospital on the outskirts of Little Rock

In a separate statement, the Little Rock Police Department said that the suspected shooter had been apprehended at around 11.11am at an Exxon gas station at 5223 South University Avenue, about a 25-minute drive away from the hospital.

Police said that further information would be released to the public later on Wednesday.

Live video from KARK-TV showed a large police perimeter around the hospital.

Cops from multiple local agencies were responding at the scene, including the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office, and the Sherwood and Jacksonville police departments.

Federal ATF agents were being dispatched to the scene to support local law enforcement, the agency's New Orleans field office confirmed.

Sherwood PD first alerted the public to an incident at the hospital at 10.18am local time, writing in a Facebook post: 'Police activity at CHI St. Vincent North. Please avoid the area!'

A follow-up statement at 11.13am CT said: 'We can confirm an active shooter at [St. Vincent]. No other information will be released at this time.'

Hospital workers were evacuated and the building was placed on lockdown

Police have established a large perimeter around the hospital and closed roads in the area

Roads around the hospital were shut down and a police helicopter was seen circling the building.

Witnesses told KARK that the incident unfolded on the hospital's fourth floor.

'It's crazy, I never expected it to be this way,' said one worker at St. Vincent's main Little Rock location who responded to the Sherwood campus to check on her colleagues.

'I wanted to come over here and I wanted to check on them,' she added.

The woman said that one of her colleagues in the hospital had heard gunshots, but was able to escape without harm.
The pensioner accused of murdering his lover and young son would have to be a 'cold-hearted, callous psychopath' to have killed the pair, a court has heard - and the defence today cited the claim that his lover told her best friend that he had never been violent towards her in its case for his innocence.

Murray Macara KC, defending, told a jury that William MacDowell is innocent and did not murder Renee MacRae, 36, and their three-year-old son Andrew MacRae near Inverness on November 12 1976, and nor did he cover up the killings.

The High Court in Inverness has previously been told by Alex Prentice KC, prosecuting, that the now 80-year-old was the only man with the motive to kill because of the risk of his more than four-year affair with Mrs MacRae being exposed and him losing everything.

But today, Mr Macara dismissed that theory.

William MacDowell, 80, denies murdering 36-year-old Renee MacRae (left) and their son Andrew (right) at a layby south of Inverness on November 12, 1976

The High Court in Inverness has previously been told by Alex Prentice KC, prosecuting, that the now 80-year-old William MacDowell (pictured) was the only man with the motive to kill because of the risk of his more than four-year affair with Mrs MacRae being exposed and him losing everything. But today, Mr Macara dismissed that theory

'It's a pretty dramatic solution to the potential problems that you're going to kill your paramour and only son,' he told the court.

'If so, he must be a cold-hearted, callous psychopath - and yet Renee MacRae told Valerie Steventon (Mrs MacRae's close confidant) he was never violent towards her.

'There was no benefit nor could there be if exposure of the relationship to Renee MacRae was a threat to his lifestyle, killing Renee MacRae and his son Andrew was a gross overreaction, so grotesque as to be absurd.'

He told the jury there 'are no bodies' and there are 'so many unanswered questions' in the case.

'The events of November 12, 1976 have been described as a mystery. It is still a mystery,' Mr Macara said, adding the defence did not concede they were murdered.

'If Mr MacDowell did have concern, love and affection for Andrew, how did he benefit from his death? How and why did he murder his only son?'

The jury was told that days after the mother and son disappeared, MacDowell had lost his job, lost his car and would possibly lose his home and children.

Renee Macrae and her son Andrew who have been missing since 1976

'There's no proof he was involved in the disappearance,' Mr Macara said. 'It's speculation, it's always been speculation.'

Mr Macara said a number of witnesses had been called to give evidence, and they were being asked to recall evidence from more than four decades ago, including one witness who recalled she heard a 'blood curdling scream'.

Mr Macara said: 'How reliable are our memories from four or five years ago, let alone 45 years ago? Distant memories can distort the truth.'

He said police officers were told the 'blood curdling scream' was a 'distinct screech'.

Mr Macara said many witnesses have since died or are no longer capable of giving evidence in person, and the trial has had to rely on statements, including a statement read out by Mrs Steventon.

William MacDowell (left) and his wife Rosemary (right)

'In this evidence we have what William MacDowell says to Renee MacRae, what Renee MacRae says to Valerie Steventon, and what Valerie Steventon says to the police,' he said.

'It's Chinese whispers and we know Chinese whispers quite often distort what the original message is.'

The court has previously heard of blood discovered in the boot of Mrs MacRae's burnt-out car.

But, holding a teaspoon, Mr Macara told the court the amount of blood was a 'very, very limited amount of liquid'.

He said: 'One-and-a-half teaspoons. Less than you take from a cough bottle.'

MacDowell, of Penrith in Cumbria, is on trial 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 accused of disposing of the bodies of Mrs MacRae and her son and also disposing of a boot hatch from his Volvo car to defeat the ends of justice.

MacDowell denies all charges against him.

Debris taken from the emptied Leanach Quarry near Inverness which is being searched as part of the investigation into the mother and son's disappearance

On the Volvo, Mr Macara said his client was under pressure to return the car after he had been sacked by his boss - Mrs MacRae's estranged husband Gordon MacRae - and he asked the jury to accept his explanation that the hatch had broken.

MacDowell has lodged a special defence of incrimination and alibi, part of which is that he was at the Mercury Motor Inn, Inverness, that evening before going home via his work and a shop, and that Mr MacRae was responsible for the killings, if they did happen.

Mr Macara posed the question to the jury of Mr MacRae's motive, in that despite he too having an affair, the relationship between MacDowell and Mrs MacRae might have affected his standing and might have been a 'visible source of embarrassment'.

But he admitted the incrimination evidence was 'extremely limited'.

There has also been evidence of sightings of a man with a 'Mexican moustache' in the company of Mrs MacRae. Mr Macara told the court there were 123 potential sightings of Mrs MacRae after November 12, but not all were eliminated.

'It only takes one and the Crown case is bust,' he said.

On Tuesday, the defence did not call MacDowell into the witness box to give evidence.

Lord Armstrong, as he began to give instructions to the jury, told them they should draw no adverse inference from this and his innocence is presumed.

The trial continues.
The pooch came back with a second stray dog, who acted as a lookout by the entrance, and dragged a second plush animal but decided to leave it in the store

The dog, known by neighborhood residents as Pacato, entered the shop alone and abandoned a teddy bear at the exit when it couldn't drag it out

A stray dog in the Brazilian city of Tabatinga tried to steal two plush animals, including a teddy bear, from a store Monday

A stuffed animal store in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo is raising its security threat level after a stray dog was captured on camera attempting to steal two plush animals, including a teddy bear.

The hilarious, brazen attempt was captured on camera when the four-legged animal waltzed into a shop in the city Tabatinga on Monday.

The surveillance video shows the dog, known by neighborhood residents as Pacato, trotting into the store and dragging a plush toy that resembled a dog towards the exit when the toy hit the corner of the exit.

Instead of reaching back for it, the Pacato left the store only to return moments later with another stray pooch as a backup.

A stray dog was busted on camera trying to steal a teddy bear from a top story in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Monday

One of the plush toys that a neighborhood stray dog knows as Pacato tried to steal from a plush animal shop in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Monday

The store owner made light of the incident by printing out a wanted poster with the image of Pacato, the stray dog

Pacato attempted to pull a teddy bear out of the store, but gave up and fled before he could be caught.

Store owner Marcos Soler told Brazilian news outlet G1 he was tipped off about the robbery attempt by a customer who had entered the store.

He didn't know what to believe until he and his staff reviewed the security camera and 'were very surprised' that Pacato tried to rob his business.

According to Soler, it was not the first time that a neighborhood stray dog struck the store.

Still image of Pacato, a neighborhood stray dog, entering a toy store in Brazil before trying to steal two plush animals

Pacato drags a plush toy towards the store exit before giving up and leaving the store

The only difference was that the other dog 'caught an even smaller pet (toy) and ended up taking it away.'

Soler made light of the incident by creating a wanted poster with Pacato on it.

'Our store has its doors open, and we even think it's cute for the dog to take the pet,' Soler said. 'Too bad he couldn't find a companion to sleep on the cold night. Let's wait for new episodes.'

The botched robbery is reminiscent of another incident involving a stray dog who was caught on camera stealing a delivery man's lunch bag.

The dog in question walked past Roseilson Melo who was dropping off an order at a home in the Brazilian northern city of Mocajuba on September 11.

The surveillance video showed Melo placing his food delivery backpack on top of his motorcycle's rear seat and leaving it open as he waited for the customer to come to the door.

Melo was chatting with the customer when the backpack tipped to the side, causing a plastic bag to fall out before the dog spotted it on the ground and disappeared with it.
The late father of the woman set to become Italy's next PM was sentenced to nine years in prison in Spain for drug trafficking, Majorcan press have revealed.

Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni's dad Francesco abandoned his family when she was just two years old to move to the Canary Islands.

The 45-year-old, who is forming a coalition with Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi following her election success on Sunday, revealed in her 2021 autobiography 'I Am Giorgia' she stopped seeing him when she was 11.

She said her last contact with the accountant-turned-restaurant owner before he died two years ago of leukaemia was a birthday telegram he sent her when she was 13.

Giorgia Meloni's dad Francesco abandoned his family when she was just two years old to move to the Canary Islands

Today, respected Majorcan newspaper Diario de Mallorca revealed he was handed a nine-year jail sentence in September 1996 after being caught trying to smuggle 1,500 kilos of cannabis resin from Morocco on a French-flagged yacht a year earlier.

It reported he received the longest sentence of the four people arrested over the drugs stash after he took the blame and claimed he had fooled them into thinking they were going to enjoy a pleasure cruise.

The far-right leader said her last contact with the accountant-turned-restaurant owner before he died two years ago of leukaemia was a birthday telegram he sent her when she was 13

The 45-year-old is forming a coalition with Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi following her election success on Sunday

The other three detainees, described as three younger relatives who included two stepchildren, are said to have received four-year prison sentences each.

Diario de Mallorca, which dug out details of the trial at Palma's Audiencia Provincial court after covering it at the time, said the Menorcan port of Mahon was not the final intended destination but they ended up there according to Francesco after his companions spotted the drugs and flew into a rage.

Revealing fascinating details about the turbulent past of Giorgia's father, it reported he told trial judges he agreed to smuggle the drugs from north Africa to Italy for just over POUNDS 268,000 after falling on hard times following the collapse of his Canary Island restaurant business.

The drug arrests are said to have happened on September 25 1995 after the cannabis resin was discovered on board a yacht called Cool Star.

The discovery was linked to a storm at the time which was also given as a reason for them diverting to Mahon port.

Francesco, better known by his nickname Franco, stood for regional elections twice in Majorca after leaving prison according to local reports - once in 2007 and again in 2011.

Although his daughter is a far-right nationalist, he has been described as a communist.

Meloni has put traditional family values at the heart of her campaign, using the slogan: 'God, country and family'.

In a 2019 speech that went viral, she proudly declared to supporters in Rome: 'I am Giorgia, I am a woman, I am a mother, I am Italian, I am Christian'.

According to France24, Meloni has a strong bond with her sister Arianna , who like her was involved in politics from a young age, and who Meloni described as 'the most important person in my life' before her daughter Ginevra was born in 2016.

Giorgia, brought up by her mum Anna Paratore, said in TV interviews during the election campaign when asked about her feelings following her father's death: 'I didn't feel hate or displeasure. I didn't feel anything.

'It was as if a television character had died.'
Activists say that cutting their hair is an ancient Persian symbol of protest

In a video, the mother-of-one can be seen taking scissors and cutting her locks

The British-Iranian national, 44, spent six years in jail in Iran over spying charges

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has cut her hair in solidarity with Iranian protesters

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has filmed herself cutting her hair in a symbol of solidarity with Iranian protesters who have been demonstrating for nearly two weeks.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 44, a British-Iranian national, spent six years in jail in Iran after being arrested on spying charges, which she denied.

In a video she organised, the mother-of-one can be seen taking scissors to her hair, and cutting her locks.

It follows protests around the world following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. The 22-year-old Kurdish woman was detained in Tehran by Iranian morality police who believed she was wearing her hijab too loosely.

Since her death on September 16, women have been filmed cutting their hair, which activists say is an ancient Persian symbol of protest, and burning their hijabs.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has filmed herself cutting her hair in a symbol of solidarity with Iranian protesters

Mahsa Amini, 22, died in police custody after being detained in Tehran by Iranian morality police who believed she was wearing her hijab too loosely

Some have been seen dancing near large bonfires to the applause of crowds that have chanted 'zan, zendegi, azadi' or 'woman, life, freedom'.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe gave the footage of her cutting her hair while naming Mahsa Amini to BBC Persian.

She says at the end of the video: 'For my mother, for my daughter, for the fear of solitary confinement, for the women of my country, for freedom,' the BBC reported.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe landed back on British soil in March, along with fellow dual national Anoosheh Ashoori, after the UK finally agreed to settle a long-standing debt to Iran.

The 44-year-old was detained on security charges in 2016 by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at Imam Khomeini airport after a holiday to Iran during which she introduced her daughter to her parents.

She says at the end of the video: 'For my mother, for my daughter, for the fear of solitary confinement, for the women of my country, for freedom'

When she handed her daughter to her parents at Tehran Airport on March 17, 2016, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was still breastfeeding Gabriella (above) who was just 22-months-old. The next time they would see each other Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was being held as a political prisoner in solitary confinement in Evin prison

She was accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government, and denied spying charges.

Her release came after the UK agreed to settle a historic 400 million debt dating to the 1970s after five years in Iranian jail on propaganda charges.

Both countries have said the fine and the release of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe are issues that should not be linked.

Ms Amini was arrested in Tehran on September 13, by Iran's morality police for allegedly breaching the rules that mandate tightly-fitted hijab head coverings and which ban, among other things, ripped jeans and brightly coloured clothes.

An Iranian female protester chants slogans as she raises a pair of scissors to cut her hair during a rally outside the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Seoul

The protester raises her hands which clutch her chopped hair as she stands outside the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Seoul

An Iranian woman holds her cut hair in Venice, Italy as a protest against the death of Mahsa Amini

Protesters cut their hair as an act of solidarity with women in Iran outside Vancouver Art Gallery, during a solidarity protest for Mahsa Amini

A woman holds her cut hair in her clenched fist as almost 2,000 people from the Iranian community in Milan gathered in protest

A woman in Milan holds her cut hair above her head in a sign of protest

Women around the world have rallied in solidarity protests (protests in front of Iranian embassy in Madrid)

The police said she died of a heart attack and was not mistreated, but her family has cast doubt on that account.

Her cousin, Erfan Mortezaei, has said that on the day she was arrested, she was forced into a police van and taken to the station where she was 'tortured'.

'There is a report from Kasra hospital [in Tehran] that says effectively by the time she reached the hospital she was already dead from a medical point of view,' he told Sky News.

'She suffered a concussion from a blow to the head.'

Following her death, protests have spread to more than 80 towns and cities in Iran.

State media has reported 41 deaths as a result of the demonstrations however Norwegian-based organisation, Iran Human Rights, reports that Iranian security forces have killed at least 76 protesters.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard and daughter Gabriella pictured outside 10 Downing Street on May 13, 2022
A 'fanatical' slavery conference began at Cambridge University today amid fears it will attack the Queen's legacy.

Academics gathered for the first day of the three-day event discussing how and why Britain could pay reparations.

The event, entitled 'envisioning reparations: historical and comparative approaches', says it wants to examine the 'increasingly prominent calls for slavery reparations'.

Organisers said the conference would create 'a forum to advance the rapidly evolving public debate on slavery's long legacies and the idea of historical reparation.'

However, insiders have warned the Cambridge University conference has been captured by 'propagandist' radical woke activists.

Organising the event is Sabine Cadeau, who led the controversial Cambridge Legacies on enslavement enquiry published last week which claimed the university had 'an appalling history of abuse'.

Earlier today a researcher, Nicolas Bell Romero, was one of several speakers to deliver a lecture at the event.

An investigation last week said Cambridge University had 'an appalling history of abuse' in relation to slavery'. Pictured: Jesus College Cambridge

He was previously criticised for a slavery report on Cambridge Universities widely condemned for its inaccuracies.

In the conference's online description, activist Wambugu Wa Nyingi said: 'In the years before independence people were beaten, their land was stolen, women were raped, men were castrated and their children were killed.

'I do not hold her [the Queen] personally responsible but I would like the wrongs which were done to me and other Kenyans to be recognised by the British Government so that I can die in peace.'

Sources told The Telegraph the comments were 'distasteful' so soon after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Following last week's inquiry, a series of recommendations have been made, which the university has committed to implementing.

These include setting up a dedicated slavery research centre, enhancing existing academic links with universities in the Caribbean and West Africa, increasing the number of postgraduate scholarships and bursaries for black British students and students from Africa and the Caribbean, and commissioning a piece of art commemorating the achievements of black academics in the university.

Outgoing vice-chancellor Professor Stephen Toope said: 'It is not in our gift to right historical wrongs, but we can begin by acknowledging them.

'Having unearthed our university's links to an appalling history of abuse, the report encourages us to work even harder to address current inequalities  particularly those related to the experiences of black communities.'
Scott is worth $28B after her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos

They used the same Giving Pledge profile to announce their marriage last year

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has filed for divorce from her second husband, science teacher Dan Jewett, in a puzzling and unexplained move.

Scott, who recently removed all mention of her husband from websites outlining her charity initiatives, filed for divorce in Washington State on Monday, according the New York Times.

According to the petition, a division of property will be 'laid out in a separation contract' that Scott and Jewett agree upon. The contract is not public. Jewett did not contest the divorce, court records said.

In March of 2021, Scott used the same Giving Pledge site to announce her marriage to Jewett, a high school chemistry teacher from Washington State, by adding his name to her vow to donate the majority of their wealth to charity.

Jewett's name has also recently been edited out of a Medium post that Scott wrote last year about their giving efforts, which first reported on the quiet changes.

The attorney who represented Scott in her 2019 divorce from Bezos declined to answer questions from the Times, and did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com on Wednesday afternoon.

Mackenzie Scott removed husband Dan Jewett's name and picture from her Giving Pledge profile sometime in the past week

The billionaire philanthropist has offered no explanation for the move, and her divorce attorney declined to answer questions

Though Scott is widely recognized as one of the most generous philanthropists on the planet, she maintains a low public profile, tweeting or writing on Medium only a few times a year to highlight charitable causes.

Scott, 52, and Jewett, 47, have rarely been seen together, and he quietly resigned from his teaching job at a private high school in Washington last year, saying he did not want to create a distraction there.

The photo of Scott and Jewett that previously appeared on the Giving Pledge site, appearing to show them out hiking together.

The photo of Scott and Jewett that previously appeared on the Giving Pledge site, appearing to show them out hiking together, is the only publicly available image of the couple

Following her 2019 divorce from Jeff Bezos after 25 years of marriage, MacKenzie Scott became one of the richest women in the world. They are seen together above in 2017

As well, some of Jewett's only known public remarks were in his letter posted on the Giving Pledge site, which has now been removed.

MACKENZIE SCOTT'S RECENT DONATIONS Mackenzie Scott has donated about $12 billion over the last two years. Her recent donations include: California Community Foundation: $55 million properties

Spelman College, the historically Black, all-women's school: $20 million

Boys & Girls Club of America: $281 million

Communities in Schools: $133.5 million

National 4-H Youth Council: $50 million

Collaborative for Gender + Reproductive Equity: $25 million

Meharry Medical College: $20 million

Guttmacher Institute: $15 million

Jed Foundation: $15 million

Leading Educators: $10 million

The National Council on Aging: $8 million

Shatterproof: $5 million

Young People in Recovery: $3 million Advertisement

'And now, in a stroke of happy coincidence, I am married to one of the most generous and kind people I know - and joining her in a commitment to pass on an enormous financial wealth to serve others,' Jewett wrote in the now-deleted letter.

The Giving Pledge campaign was launched in 2010 by Warren Buffett together with Bill and Melinda Gates, to encourage the world's super-rich to give away most of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

Since their quiet marriage last year, Scott and Jewett had also become known for donating in relative secrecy.

Giving as individuals rather than through a foundation means the couple's donations were known only when the recipients disclosed them, or through her occasional blog posts.

Scott has written previously that she doesn't respond to press inquiries in an effort not to overshadow the work of the organizations to which she donates.

Following her divorce from Bezos after 25 years of marriage, Scott became one of the richest women in the world, with a 4 percent stake in Amazon.

Since 2020, she has donated at least $12.8 billion to charity, according to a recent tally from the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Bloomberg's real-time Billionaires Index ranked her as the 41st richest person in the world on Wednesday, with an estimated fortune of $27.8 billion.

At times, her generous giving has drawn negative attention to Bezos, who is worth $137 billion, over the relative paucity of his donations to charity.

However, Bezos has stepped up his giving in recent years, and has pledged to donate $10 billion through his Bezos Earth Fund, an initiative to combat climate change that has granted $1.54 billion so far, according to its website.

Bezos, 58, and Lauren Sanchez, 52, continue to date, and were most recently spotted together at the premiere party for the Amazon Prime Video series The Rings Of Power (above)

Sanchez's ex-husband Patrick Whitesell also found new love last year, when he married Australian actress Pia Miller (seen with him above)

Scott's divorce from Bezos unfolded as the Amazon founder entered a new romance with former television news anchor Lauren Sanchez.

Bezos, 58, and Sanchez, 52, continue to date, and were most recently spotted together at the premiere party for the Amazon Prime Video series The Rings Of Power.

Sanchez, who has her own small fortune estimated at $30 million, has also dipped her toe into the world of philanthropy, announcing a $1 million gift to a group serving migrant children in July.

She is also divorced from multimillionaire business executive Patrick Whitesell, the chairman of media agency Endeavor, which owns the UFC and Miss Universe.

Sanchez's ex-husband Whitesell also found new love last year, when he married Australian actress Pia Miller.
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Remarkable and varied photos of coastal scenes from the UK were submitted in an annual photography competition to find the 'Ultimate Sea View'.

Photographers captured a range of stunning landscapes that encapsulate the beauty in Britain's coastlines and evoke emotions of nostalgia.

The Shipwrecked Mariner's Society, which provides financial support to former seafarers, announced the winner of its 10th annual Ultimate Sea View photography competition.

The national maritime charity encouraged entrants to submit pictures that captured the UK's enduring connection with the sea, such as merchant ships, fishermen, coastline, harbours and ports.

Justin Minns was awarded the 2022 Overall Winner for his entry 'The Old Oyster Beds', an aerial shot showing a shipwreck next to Oyster beds taken in Brightlingsea, Essex, and won a 500 prize voucher for photographic equipment.

Over 1,000 entries from both amateur and professional photographers were judged by a panel of experts at Trinity House in September.

Justin Minns was awarded the 2022 Overall Winner for his entry 'The Old Oyster Beds', an aerial shot showing a shipwreck next to Oyster beds taken in Brightlingsea, Essex,

'Scattered' taken at Thames Estuary, Essex by Justin Minns won the Ships and Wrecks category

'Unicorn' taken in Godrevy, Cornwall by Andrew Hocking is the Coastal Views category winner

'My Playground' taken on Skegness Beach by Jason Thompson is the People and Recreation category winner

The charity, which has given 1.3 million in grants over the past year to fisherman, merchant mariners and their dependants who are suffering financial hardship, also awarded further prizes.

Mr Minns also won the Ships and Wrecks category for his picture of a boat on the beach in front of a bright red sunset at Thames Estuary, Essex, titled 'Scattered'.

'Unicorn', taken by Andrew Hocking, which shows a rainbow above waves crashing against a rockbed in Godrevy, Cornwall, won the Coastal Views category, and Jason Thompson was awarded the People and Recreation category award for his image of a jumping dog called 'My Playground' taken on Skegness Beach.

Jonathon Killick's picture of wind turbines at sea, aptly named 'Wind Turbine', was taken in Lincolnshire and took home the Industry category first place.

Wind Turbines by Jonathan Killick, is the 2022 Industry category winner in the annual competition run by the national charity

Ships' Graveyard by Martin Chamberlain, is the 2022 Ships and Wrecks category highly commended image

Tenby Lifeboat Launch and Milford Haven Marina by Adam Jones, is the 2022 Industry category highly commended image

The VIC 32 emerging from the mist by Mike Beard, is the 2022 Coastal Views category highly commended image

Captain Osmond said: 'As we are now in the 10th year of the photography competition, it is amazing to see the nation still enjoying our coastlines and supporting our maritime industry with a passion.

'To receive the same fantastic standard of images as when we first launched the competition a decade ago is brilliant to see.

'Our seafaring community continues to face significant challenges every year, despite the outstanding contribution it makes to our lives, so it is important that we are able to use the competition as a platform to acknowledge and celebrate our maritime industry and ensure that those working within it have access to vital support.

'We thought that Justin Minns' winning image, 'The Old Oyster Beds', really encapsulated the beauty in Britain's coastlines, an area of the fishing industry which can often feel neglected, but was particularly striking with the shipwreck's presence alongside the oyster beds.'
The Queens straphanger who was viciously attacked by a homeless ex-con in a horrifying incident that was caught on camera may lose sight in her right eye and is now appealing for more police officers to be deployed to the public transportation system.

Police said that on a Tuesday morning, Waheed Foster, a 41-year-old vagrant on parolee who had previously killed his grandmother, dragged Elizabeth Gomes, 33, across the Howard Beach-JFK Airport station before kicking and hitting her in the face.

NYC Homeless Man Brutally Pummels Female Straphanger

The victim's husband Clement reported that a week after the assault by a complete stranger with a lengthy criminal history, including a 1995 arrest for the cold-blooded assassination of his 82-year-old grandma, the mother of two young children was still in excruciating pain and could hardly move.

Elizabeth Gomes, a JFK Airport private security employee, described how Waheed Foster approached her on a Manhattan-bound A train in the early morning hours of September 20 and tried to strike up a conversation. Around 5:15 a.m., she disregarded Foster, 41, and left the Howard Beach-JFK Airport station. However, as she turned around, she saw the man following her from behind.

A police complaint describes how Foster chased Gomes up a staircase before violently hitting her with a bottle as she resisted in vain. Foster was recorded on camera jumping the defenseless victim. The victim was grabbed by her shirt and shoved against the wall by Foster, who was wearing a black muscle shirt, white jeans, and red shoes, according to the complaint.

Foster then started throwing punches at the woman before stomping on her head, as per New York Daily News via MSN. He was detained without bail after being charged with assault.

In 1995, when the suspect was only 14 years old, he fatally beat his 82-year-old foster grandmother over money, according to sources. He was also arrested for assaulting a woman with a screwdriver, criminal mischief, robbery, and theft, according to law-enforcement authorities, and he allegedly stabbed a woman in the face at a mental facility in 2010.

He was out on parole for the 2010 assault until 2024 at the time of the attack last week, according to New York Post. Elizabeth Gomes told the New York Post that support is desperately needed for our city.

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New York Subway Attack Victim Blames Mayor Eric Adams

Police personnel would reportedly be stationed on stations, inside trains. She asserts that her injuries are evidence that the New York City Mayor Eric Adams hasn't increased the number of police officers stationed in subway stations, stating that "obviously, the government or nobody is doing anything for us."

Gomes criticized Adams for traveling to Puerto Rico while crime in his city appeared to be unabated, saying, "When we're out there, we're by ourselves, fighting these battles by ourselves, and what they do is go try to assist other nations who aren't experiencing anything similar to what we are here in our own country."

Adams left on Saturday night for Puerto Rico to help rebuild what he called the sixth borough of New York City after Hurricane Fiona wreaked havoc there. On Tuesday, he came back to the city, Daily Mail reported.

Crime on New York City's transportation system is up 45.8% so far this year compared to the same period in 2021, according to the NYPD. In an effort to combat the rising crime rates, Mayor Eric Adams recently announced that 2,700 subway carriages will have 5,400 cameras installed, as per Fox News.

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A schoolgirl who shot her father as part of a pre-planned murder-pact she made with her friend has died after shooting herself in the head.

The 12-year-old girl died on September 22, two days after she shot her father, 38, in the stomach at their home in Weatherford, Texas.

He has since been released from hospital and is expected to make a full recovery according to authorities.

Police confirmed that the girl and her female friend, 12, from Lufkin, had spent weeks plotting to kill their families and pets before driving off to Georgia.

The girl from Weatherford ended up turning the gun on herself in the street after opening fire on her father.

She was discovered by officers with a handgun lying underneath her, with her cause of death rules as a suicide.

The second 12-year-old girl has been taken into custody and charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

The two girls spent weeks plotting to kill their families - and their pets - before driving off together to Georgia

A spokesman for Parker County Sheriffs Office said: The 12-year-old female juvenile involved in the shooting incident in northwestern Parker County on Sept. 20, 2022, succumbed to her injuries on Sept. 22, at a local hospital.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office performed an autopsy and ruled the cause and manner of death as a suicide by gunshot wound of head.

Her father, who was the victim of a gunshot wound to the abdomen was recently released from the hospital is expected to recover.

The second 12-year-old female from Lufkin, who Sheriffs investigators believe was involved with the planning of the shooting, was taken into custody last week and has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

Officers responded to reports of a shooting around 11.30pm on Tuesday, about 30 miles west of Fort Worth.

Both father and daughter were airlifted to hospital, where the 12-year-old was pronounced dead two days later.

Cops said they responded to reports of a shooting around 11:30pm last Tuesday in Weatherford, Texas, a small city about 30 miles west of Fort Worth

She had planned to drive 230 miles to Lufkin to pick up her friend before the pair began their getaway.

It remains unclear why the girls wanted to kill their families and runaway.

'It doesn't matter if they live in a small town or a big city. Things like this can happen, unfortunately,' Lufkin Communications Director, Jessica Pebsworth, said.

'I will say that this case is definitely a time to remind parents that it's very important to know who your children are friends with, whether that's in the classroom, social media apps, Snapchat, TikTok and then also gaming platforms.'

Cops said they are withholding the names of the girls due to their age, and are also not releasing the name of the wounded father to protect the kids.
MSNBC host Joy Reid faced backlash for a comment she made Tuesday evening comparing Floridians evacuating ahead of Hurricane Ian to the illegal migrants flooding the US border.

Reid was slammed online for politicizing the natural disaster, which has so far left 650,000 Floridians without power, and imperiled the lives and livelihoods of millions more.

On the Tuesday edition of The ReidOut, the host remarked that Governor Ron DeSantis (R) would have to pause 'owning the libs' in order to manage the natural disaster impacting his state.

DeSantis was governor of Florida throughout the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw a successful mitigation effort and reopening of its economy. He also oversaw the response to Hurricane Sally, which struck the Florida panhandle in September 2020.

'Its a bit ironic now that you might have Floridians having to pour over the borders and go north and get out of the state of Florida in the exact same crisis we have been talking about on a trolling level in that state for a long time,' said Reid.

'Be careful about attacking people who have to move to save their own lives and safety, because you never know...when its your people who have to migrate, when its your people who have to get on that road,' she added.

MSNBC host Joy Reid said Tuesday night on her show that Floridians fleeing Ian were similar to illegal migrants flooding the US border

Traffic on Interstate 4 in Tampa on Tuesday as some Floridians left the area before Ian's arrival

Hurricane Ian passed over Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West overnight Sept. 27, causing flood damage and made landfall in southwest Florida on Wednesday afternoon

About 2.5 million Floridians were under evacuation orders before the Category 4 storm made landfall Wednesday afternoon with winds of up to 155 mph.

Online critics were quick to attack Reid's clunky comparison and politicization of a natural disaster.

'Oh, lets wring some partisan politics out of a natural [absolutely nothing to do with carbon emissions] disaster. What a hack,' wrote one Twitter user.

'Even in the face of impending disaster, they cant leave politics for a day' wrote another.

'I wonder why these channels with no listeners/ watchers insist on employing the dimmest people in the nation?' wrote a third.

Reid was one of a number of liberal media pundits who ferociously attacked DeSantis for sending several dozen illegal migrants to Martha's Vineyard earlier this month to protest the Biden administration's failure to respond to the crisis at the southern border.

Reid's desire to drag Hurricane Ian into the American left-right political landscape came just before her left-wing media colleague Don Lemon at CNN pushed a talking point about climate change on a NOAA hurricane expert.

The acting director of the National Hurricane repeatedly shut Lemon down and the interaction garnered a similar amount of online vitriol and mockery.
The Twitter account of a New York Democratic state senator from Queens has been caught liking a series of hardcore porn tweets as her office blamed a rouge former staffer.

The account of State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky, 83, who represents College Point and Whitestone, gave three likes to pornographic videos posted by a Twitter user with the handle @thejaslynn on September 25, the New York Post reported.

The tweets, put out by the user with an OnlyFans account, reportedly pertained to oral sex, as well as a pornographic clip with the message, 'Do you think I can sing?'

The state senator's office said Stavisky, a grandmother, did not like the videos herself as her Twitter account is controlled by staff, with her office pinning the blame on a rouge former employee who kept the login information to the account.

NY State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky's Twitter account had liked several pornographic videos posted on September 25. The 83-year-old Democrat is running for re-election this November

The likes were given to the account (above) that regularly posts obscene tweets and videos to Twitter, and includes a link to an OnlyFans account

Pierce Brix, who controls the state senator's Twitter account, said neither he nor Stavisky liked the tweets

Pierce Brix, who controls the state senator's Twitter account, said Stavisky's login information has been changed after their office was made aware of the issue.

'There is malfeasance of some sort,' Brix told the Post. 'I don't know what happened or who had access. It wasn't the senator. It wasn't me.'

The state senator's chief of staff, Mike Favilla, echoed remarks that Stavisky was free of fault.

'Clearly the senator had nothing to do with these likes' Favilla told the Post. 'Unfortunately, many former staff members and current staff have access to this account, which will be remedied.'

Stavisky, who was first elected to office in 1999 and is seeking a 12th term, also serves as chairwoman of the Senate Higher Education Committee.

She recently passed a new law to improve the reporting of hate crimes on college campuses, requiring universities to post the statistic on their websites.

Stavisky's Republican opponent for the 11th District, Stefano Forte, condemned the state senator's poor social media management and urged residents to vote her out of office.

'The taxpayers and voters of State Senate District 11 have a right to know why Senator Stavisky is liking hardcore pornography that is degrading to women  on an official government account, no less, and doing so on government time that is subsidized by our tax dollars,' Forte said in a statement.

'My team and I have been knocking on doors and talking to voters while Toby and her team spend time watching hardcore porn and releasing violent criminals. I think the proper choice for this district is abundantly clear.'

Stefano Forte, Stavisky GOP opponent this November, condemned the state senator for failing to have her social media account under control

In 2016, Danny Randell (above), who was hired to help attract Asian voters for Stavisky, posted anti-Asian rants online, saying they should 'wear name tags' to tell them apart

This isn't the first time Stavisky's office has been flagged for improper conduct on social media.

In 2016, her field director, Danny Randell, was fired after the aide was found to have posted racist rants against Asians.

Randell, was originally hired to help attract Asian voters in Queens, then a predominantly Asian borough, but he was sacked for comments he made on Facebook in November 2011.

He had posted: 'Dear Asians, at least wear name tags or something. Sincerely, the rest of the world.'

And in 2013, he retweeted a post that read: 'What are Asian people always laughing about. If your [sic] so funny why are there more Asian comedians'

Stavisky office had condemned the social media post, calling them divisive.
Republicans lawmakers are demanding that Joe Biden apologize to late Representative Jackie Walorski's family after he called out for her during an event Wednesday and the White House tried to cover up for him forgetting she was deceased by saying she was 'at top of mind.'

The president was looking for Walorski during his remarks and specifically asked where she was  even after releasing a statement last month on her death after she and two of her staffers were killed in a car crash in Indiana.

'Jackie, are you here?' Where's Jackie?' Biden, 79, said during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in D.C.

'She must not be here,' he concluded while thanking other lawmakers for the bipartisan effort aimed at ending hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. by 2030.

The moment immediately went viral on Twitter.

'Truly an awful and disgraceful blunder,' Missouri GOP Representative Vicky Hartzler noted in a Wednesday tweet.

'Jackie was a selfless leader and a dear friend,' she continued. 'Her family deserves better than this. Biden and the entire White House staff should apologize.'

Republicans are demanding President Joe Biden apologize after asking a crowd at a hunger conference to point out Republican Rep. Jackie Walorski - almost two months after she was killed in a car crash in Indiana

'Jackie was a selfless leader and a dear friend,' GOP Rep. Vicky Hartzler tweeted. 'Her family deserves better than this. Biden and the entire White House staff should apologize'

'The White House Press Secretary completely failed to defend Biden's unacceptable comments about my late friend and colleague Jackie Walorski,' Arizona Representative David Schweikert tweeted after the briefing

At the White House briefing on Wednesday, Biden's spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre attempted to deflect from the gaffe by claiming she was on the president's mind due to her family's upcoming visit with the president on Friday.

'The White House Press Secretary completely failed to defend Biden's unacceptable comments about my late friend and colleague Jackie Walorski,' Arizona Representative David Schweikert tweeted after the briefing.

'The president should personally apologize to her family and loved ones immediately,' he demanded.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's Press Secretary Doug Adres seemed exacerbated with the way Jean-Pierre handled the gaffe, tweeting: 'just admit he misspoke!! good grief'.

Republicans on the Judiciary Committee called Jean-Pierre's excuse 'disgusting' from the official Twitter account.

A spokesperson for Texas Senator Ted Cruz said the day will go down in history as the first time members of the press recognized Biden is mentally unfit.

'Remember where you where on September 28,2022,' Steve Guest tweeted. 'It's the day it finally became ok for the White House Press pool to acknowledge that Joe Biden is senile.'

Representative Jim Banks, who introduced the bill to rename a Veterans Affairs clinic in Indiana after Walorski, which Biden is signing on Friday, told DailyMail.com that the blunder was 'embarrassing.'

Congressman Andy Biggs also jumped on the comments and tweeted with a clip of the video: 'Your daily reminder that Biden is mentally unfit to be the President of the United States.'

White House's explanation for why Biden was looking for Walorski was confusing and nonsensical  and only led to more questions over the latest gaffe.

Walorski died in a car crash in Indiana with two of her staffers in August. Biden released a statement at the time saying he was 'shocked and saddened' by her death

Biden's Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly dismissed his gaffe, claiming the president was only calling out for Walorski because she was 'at top of mind' as her family prepares to visit the White House on Friday

The briefing room devolved into shouts as Jean-Pierre repeatedly suggested that the president did not forget Walorski was dead when calling out for her during his remarks earlier in the day.

Jean-Pierre insisted that it's 'not unusual' for people to say the names of deceased individuals when they are 'at top of mind,' a phrase she continued to repeat throughout her briefing Wednesday during questions from multiple outlets including CNN and CBS.

Walorski's family plans to meet with Biden at a White House on Friday, another reason that Jean-Pierre claims she was on the president's mind during the event.

'I think the American people out there who, you know, watch the briefing from time to time, maybe at this moment , will understand when someone is at top of mind,' Jean-Pierre said.

'I don't think it's all that unusual to have someone top of mind, especially as there's a big event  two big events  today and also Friday that is going to occur,' she said. 'And so he is going to see her family, they're going to honor her, they're going to celebrate her.'

The White House was scheduled to play a video tribute to Walorski during the event.

Walorski, who was 58 at the time of her death, was among the four people killed in a head-on collision on August 3, 2022 when returning from a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Claypool, Indiana.

The other deceased were the driver of the other vehicle as well as two staffers in the lawmaker's office, communications director, Emma Thomson, 28, and her district director, Zachery Potts, 27.

Biden released a statement on her passing at the time and announced that White House flags would fly at half-staff in her honor.

Jean-Pierre said that the comments needed to be taken into context so they made more sense, rather than admitting Biden made a mistake by forgetting Walorski was killed in the crash last month.

After being questioned on the mishap five times during the briefing, reporters began shouting over each other to try and get Jean-Pierre to answer the question more directly and give a more reasonable explanation.

This caused Jean-Pierre to shush and shut down Al Jazeera reporter Kimberly Halkett and call her 'rude.'

'I'm sorry, somebody was yelling over,' Jean-Pierre said when trying to redirect to a reporter asking an unrelated question.

'It is not your turn to speak and you're being rude to your colleagues,' the press secretary shot toward Halkett.

'You're yelling over your colleagues so that is incredibly rude so can you ' Jean-Pierre said as the reporter said she was trying to get an answer to the question several members of the press asked throughout the briefing.

Walorski was among the four people killed in a head-on collision on August 3, 2022 when returning from a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Claypool, Indiana

The latest gaffe will raise more questions about his mental acuity. A majority of voters told an Insider/Morning Consult poll last week that he is unfit to serve in public office.

The president could have slipped up in his remarks or there could have been a mistake with the speech on the teleprompter.

One reporter asked if the White House would release the remarks as they were prepared, which is typical with the president's public speeches. While Jean-Pierre was receptive to the question, she also cast doubt over why it was necessary to specifically have these remarks as she continued to downplay the latest gaffe by the president.

Biden's statement at the time of Walorski's death read: 'Jill and I are shocked and saddened by the death of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski of Indiana along with two members of her staff in a car accident today in Indiana.

'Born in her beloved South Bend as the daughter of a meat-cutter and firefighter, she spent a lifetime serving the community that she grew up in  as a journalist, a nonprofit director, a state legislator, and eventually as a Member of Congress for the past nine and half years.

'We may have represented different parties and disagreed on many issues, but she was respected by members of both parties for her work on the House Ways and Means Committee on which she served.

'She also served as co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, and my team and I appreciated her partnership as we plan for a historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this fall that will be marked by her deep care for the needs of rural America.

'We send our deepest condolences to her husband, Dean, to the families of her staff members, Zachery Potts and Emma Thomson who lost their lives in public service, and to the people of Indiana's Second District who lost a representative who was one of their own.'

Biden, 79, named the late congresswoman while thanking lawmakers from both parties for their efforts in helping his plan to end hunger in the United States

The latest mishap has brought up previous questions regarding President Biden's mental and physical fitness for office amid a series of verbal gaffes and incidents  including falling off his bike and up the stairs.

The most recent before his gaffe on Wednesday was last week at the 7th Global Fund Replenishment Conference, which was held in New York and is aimed at fighting AIDS, HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Following his remarks, he appears to get 'lost' when exiting the stage  engaging in a few awkward starts and stops and appearing to ask people in the audience how to get off stage. The scene was described as 'terrifying' and 'sad' by observers on social media.

Other awkward encounters have also been caught on camera over the last nearly two years as president, including two different instances where Biden stuck out his arm to shake hands with an invisible person.

At a White House event fresh out of his COVID quarantine, Biden appeared to forget that he already shook hands with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, sticking his hand out for a second time with a confused look on his face as the New York Democrat turned away.

It happened again in April after wrapping a speech in North Carolina where he turned to his right and stuck out his hand while staring into space and wandering around the stage before exiting.

Many have also pointed to Biden's mishap in August when he struggled for nearly a minute trying to put on his suit jacket  and continued to have issues even with the help of first lady Jill Biden  as more evidence of his declining physical condition.

He then proceeded to drop his sunglasses leading to an overall awkward disembarkment from Marine One after surveying the storm damage in Kentucky.

One of the biggest embarrassments for Biden happened during a bike ride on his Rehoboth Beach vacation in Delaware where he completely fell off his bike and crashed to the ground.

Earlier this month during his 60 Minutes interview, Biden shot down suggestions he was too old or unfit to run again in 2024 - and said 'watch me'.

Investigators determined that the SUV driven by Zachery Potts, 27, (left) crossed the centerline for unknown reasons in a rural area near the town of Wakarusa. Walorski communications director Emma Thomson (right) was also killed

President Biden and first lady Jill released a statement in August following the death of Walorski and her two staff members

During his speech Wednesday, Biden addressed Hurricane Ian and warned gas and oil companies not to use it as an 'excuse' to raise prices at the pump.

He asked Floridians to abide by evacuation orders as the Category 4 storm approaches the gulf shoreline.

'And if you forgive me I want to add one more warning,' Biden said. 'That's a warning to the oil and gas industry executives: Do no, let me repeat, do not, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the American people.'

Biden pointed out that while the price of oil has remained relatively low, gas prices should be going down.

In recent days, the price at the pump has ticked up again.

He added that less than 2 percent of oil production in the U.S. will be impacted - and only briefly - by the hurricane.

'This small temporary storm impact on oil production provides no excuse, no excuse for price increases at the pump. None,' he said. 'If gas companies try to use this storm to raise prices at the pump, I will ask officials to look into whether price gouging is going on.'

'For Americans watching, the industry should do the right thing,' the president added.

Biden also relayed that he had spoken to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a thorn in his side on immigration and other matters in recent months, in a phone call Tuesday night.
As Floridians brace for Hurricane Ian which made landfall late Wednesday afternoon, one resident put his life at risk to rescue a feline who was left vulnerable to the raging storm.

A video posted to Twitter by Megan Cruz Scavo has gained massive attention for a display of good humanity in action.

The video, taken in Bonita, on the state's southwest coast, shows Cruz Scavo's boyfriend, Michael, wading through the knee-high water, trudging towards an air conditioner unit where a cat was perched on top.

Many residents in southwest Florida were told to evacuate on September 27, but some did not, choosing to hunker down inside their homes.

The man in the video, Michael, gently picks up the animal before wading back through the water to bring the cat indoors to safety

'My boyfriend saving a cat from flood waters near Bonita Beach,' the woman captioned the video.

Michael carefully picks up the feline and holds the animal close to his chest as he walks towards shelter.

The video, just 44 seconds long, has amassed more than 620,000 views since it was posted just after noon on September 28.

Cruz Scavo also tagged the video with 'Hurricane Ian,' 'Naples,' 'Bonita,' and 'Fort Myers,' all cities currently dealing with or expected to deal with torrential conditions from the tropical storm.

The cat luckily does not fight the man attempting to rescue them from the high waters

Commenters were quick to ask for an update on the situation.

'Safe,' the Florida resident said on Twitter when someone asked how the cat was doing. 'He [Michael] gave it food and water and is inside his parents house.'

She also clarified that the video was taken at Michael's parents home, located 'on the beach.'

Cruz Scavo responded to one person asking if someone had left the cat behind by saying 'I'm not sure  could be a stray.'

The man in the video holds the cat close to his chest to protect it from the water brought in by the 'catastrophic' Hurricane Ian

The selfless act displayed in the video is enough to make anyone believe that humans are inherently good, and the comments echo the nature of the video.

'He's a keeper! (the boyfriend) (and the cat!),' said one woman in a reply.

'Im sorry, Megan, but he is everyones boyfriend now. I dont make the rules,' said another person responding to Cruz Scavo's post.

More than 1 million homes across the state are without power, according to poweroutage.us.

That number could be expected to rise in the coming hours and days.

As of lunchtime, Governor Ron DeSantis also said that he is expecting more than $45 billion in damage from the historic storm.

Hurricane Ian is just the fifth storm in U.S. history to hit the country with wind speeds up to 155 miles per hour.

Hurricane Ian makes landfall on southern coast of Florida, leaving more than one million residents in the Sunshine State without power

DeSantis had previously warned that the tropical storm would cause 'catastrophic' flooding and urged residents to heed evacuations and warnings issued by the state.

'Mother nature is a very fearsome adversary, please heed those evacuation warnings. You could see power outages, inland flooding, various types of tree damage from wind so be prepared for that.'

Pictures show water receding from Tampa Bay, due to the movement of the hurricane, as the same phenomenon happened just before Hurricane Irma hit.

Tampa, north of Bonita, is bracing for 6ft storm surge before landfall this afternoon, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis telling those who have remained in the red evacuation zones that it is time to 'hunker down' and 'prepare for the storm.'

Officials have warned that the storm surge could reach 18ft, with deadly winds and flooding along the state's heavily populated Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach to the Tampa Bay region - with rainfall reaching 18 inches.
The smartphone used illegally by one of Stephen Lawrences killers in his prison cell has been found inside his body after he was X-rayed at Dartmoor prison.

Officials discovered the device after investigating the Daily Mails bombshell revelations that David Norris, 46, had used it to send messages and selfies to friends outside.

Specialist scanning equipment located the black smartphone in an intimate place after this newspaper tipped off the Ministry of Justice that Norris had been flouting strict prison rules.

Staff raided Norriss cell on Tuesday evening while he was elsewhere. After failing to find the phone, they X-rayed him and the scanner revealed a large rectangle object  later confirmed to be a smartphone.

Hours later, the phone was seized and is set to be examined by the Prison Services digital investigations unit to establish who the foul-mouthed racist had secretly been in contact with from his cell on E Wing at Dartmoor, a category C prison.

David Norris, 46, posted an extraordinary picture of himself wearing Top Gun-style Aviator sunglasses with his TV and Xbox games console in the background in his cell at Dartmoor Prison in Devon

Investigators want to establish whether Norris was in communication with active criminals outside prison, including those suspected of being involved in Stephens murder in 1993.

They will also want to find out who supplied the phone, and how it was funded. There are fears that a corrupt member of prison staff may have been paid to provide the device.

Sources have confirmed that the discovery of the mobile, which according to Whitehall sources was an HTC smartphone, will almost certainly result in the racist killer being denied parole when he is eligible to apply for release.

They said experience suggested the offence will decrease his likelihood of being released from prison.

It is also likely to end Norriss hopes of being transferred to a cushy category D open prison in the coming years.

Last night Norris was being held in a segregation unit  effectively in solitary confinement  as inquiries continue.

The Mail has learned that he is set to be stripped of several privileges and could be transferred to a tougher, higher-security prison in the coming days.

Asked to comment on the extraordinary developments, which followed a major Mail investigation, a Prison Service spokesman said: A phone has been recovered and we continue to investigate. Yesterday this paper revealed how Norris was facing a criminal probe after sending sickening selfies from his cell.

Snarling brute Norris (left), 46, was one of two men convicted of 18-year-old Stephen's (right) murder at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993

Police video of their interview with David Norris on September 7, 2010, following the murder of Stephen Lawrence

Norris, centre, runs for cover as he and some of the others are pelted with eggs after leaving a Public Inquiry into police handling of the case in London on June 30, 1998

The killer  one of two men convicted of murdering 18-year-old Stephen in Eltham, south London  was using a smartphone to call and text friends, log on to Facebook and watch YouTube videos.

In a foul-mouthed WhatsApp rant this month, the unrepentant murderer launched a vile attack on former justice secretary Dominic Raab, who blocked his bid to move to an open prison in May.

The race killer  nicknamed Nozza by inmates  said: Dom Raab your [sic] f***** c*** cos the Nozza is defo home in 2 [years] and High Court now agrees.

He brazenly posted a picture of himself behind bars wearing Top Gun-style aviator sunglasses and with his TV and Xbox games console in the background.

A whistleblower said Norris bragged to fellow inmates that he was the gang member who stabbed Stephen to death. If true, this is a significant revelation because police are still uncertain who wielded the knife.

In a foul-mouthed rant on messaging service WhatsApp, the unrepentant murderer  nicknamed 'Nozza' by fellow inmates - launched a vile attack on former justice secretary Dominic Raab, who blocked his bid to move to an open prison earlier this year

In an update to his WhatsApp 'status', Norris, who can apply for parole in 2024 or 2025, bragged to friends: 'I'm coming home in 2 to liven you all up.'

Five men were initially arrested over the racist murder of the A-level student.

After an acclaimed campaign for justice by the Mail, Norris and Gary Dobson, 47, were jailed for life for murder in 2012.

Former Metropolitan Police detective chief inspector Clive Driscoll, who led the investigation which resulted in the pair being convicted, praised the Mails investigation, including the revelation about the alleged cell confession by Norris.

In a statement, he said: I hope all opportunities are explored after these articles. It could be useful to review what is already known against the comments if substantiated. I thank the Daily Mail for its continuous work in highlighting some of the weaknesses in our system. We can only move forward if mistakes or loopholes are exposed and then professionally dealt with.

In 1997, the Mail published its widely acclaimed 'MURDERERS' front page, accusing the shameless five of being Stephen's killers. In 2012, the Mail published a second front page (pictured) focused on David Norris and Gary Dobson

Killer: David Norris takes his prison cell selfie. Above: Yesterdays exclusive report

Opposition parties backed the probe into how Norris came to acquire the phone and called for the Government to crack down on contraband to avoid similar situations in the future. Steve Reed, Labours shadow justice secretary, said: More prisoners are abusing drugs and getting access to mobile phones than ever before.

Its time the Government listened to victims and cracked down hard on the flood of illegal items pouring into jails.

Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichel added: This revelation is shocking and its clear what we are seeing here is a wider issue in our prisons. Inmates should not be allowed to get a hold of banned phones. We need to see an urgent inquiry into the use of contraband phones in our prison system. In May, it emerged that Norris had been denied a move to an open prison. Mr Raab blocked the request amid fears he still posed a risk to the public.

A Prison Service spokesman said: New technology poses challenges to our prisons, yet it is also a crucial part of the solution.

Over the past two years, we have invested 125 million in transforming the way prisons prevent drugs and mobile phones from getting in, and expanding their capability to detect and seize contraband from the prison wings. From additional phone detection and blocking technology to the rollout of 75 high-resolution X-ray body scanners covering all male prisons in the last two years, our prisons are more secure than ever before.

We are also investing in a new digital forensics unit which will work alongside our digital investigation team to interrogate devices smuggled into jails to produce improved evidence more likely to bring a successful prosecution in court.

This in turn will support the work of the corruption crime and policing investigation unit which works with police to tackle the organised criminal gangs and small minority of corrupt officers responsible.

Investigators want to establish whether Norris was in communication with active criminals outside prison, including those suspected of being involved in Stephens murder in 1993

And statistics show this is working  in the past two years, more 20,000 attempts to smuggle contraband have been intercepted by scanners and the number of incidents where drugs were found in prisons fell by 13 per cent in the year to April 2022, with intelligence suggesting more drugs were found before they could get on to the prison wings. 

The judge in the Stephen Lawrence murder trial suggested he would have doubled Dobson and Norriss minimum sentence of had the law allowed.

Mr Justice Treacy told the killer pair in 2012 they would each have faced at least 30 years if they had been adults committing the same crime on a blameless and helpless victim in modern times.

In the event, Dobson was given at least 15 years and two months behind bars while Norris was told he must serve at least 14 years and three months before being considered for release.

Neither man, said the judge, had shown the slightest regret or remorse. He added: The high level of public interest in this case is at least in part a reflection of the abhorrence felt by right-thinking people at the nature of this crime.
At least seven Cuban migrants have been rescued and 20 are still missing after their vessel sank off Florida before Hurricane Ian made landfall, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.

Four individuals braved the tough sea conditions and swam to Stock Island on Wednesday, Miami Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar said on Twitter.

The U.S. Coast Guard's 7th District said a Coast Guard crew rescued three people who were found in the water approximately two miles south of Boca Chica.

The migrants were rushed to a local hospital and were treated for exhaustion and dehydration.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Border Patrol rescued seven migrants after their boat sank near the Florida coast Wednesday. Four individuals were able to swim to the shores of Stock Island and three people were located in the water two miles south of Boca Chica. Efforts were still being made to find the 20 other migrants are missing

Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds

The U.S. Coast Guard said an air unit was searching the area for potential survivors.

On Tuesday, seven Cuban nationals were detained by the U.S. Border Patrol after they landed on the shores of Pompano Beach on a makeshift, single-engine wooden raft.

Slosar urged migrants to think about the dangers that come with navigating across the Straits of Florida as Hurricane Ian was barreling to Florida.

'Do not risk your life by attempting this journey at sea,' he tweeted. 'Storm surge along with King tide can create treacherous sea conditions even after a storm passes.'

Rain darkened Delray Beach on Wednesday morning as bands from Hurricane Ian extended across the state. The Category 4 storm made landfall in southwest Florida with 155 mph winds

Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida as Category 4 storm Wednesday afternoon.

The storm's center struck near Cayo Costa, a protected barrier island just west of heavily populated Fort Myers. The massive storm was expected to trigger flooding across a wide area of Florida as it crawls northeastward across the peninsula.

Hurricane Ian pounded the coast with 150 mph winds and pushed a wall of storm surge accumulated during its slow march over the Gulf of Mexico.

Hurricane Ian caused destruction over a Naval Air Station in Key West. Navy personnel and families were evacuated Tuesday night

A portable toilet is roped to a concrete street post in Miami on Tuesday

Children play with waves at the seafront in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday. The storm killed two people in the country

About 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate southwest Florida before the storm hit. Though expected to weaken as it marched inland at about 9 mph, Ian's hurricane-force winds were likely to be felt well into central Florida.

This is going to be a nasty nasty day, two days, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis said.

Deaths from the hurricane had already been reported in Cuba, where two people were killed as Ian tore into the island as a major hurricane Tuesday, bringing down the country's electrical grid.
Western leaders fear Vladimir Putin is planning a huge escalation of Russia's faltering invasion with a deadly nuclear strike or an attack on European interests.

British and American spies believe there is 'credible intelligence' to suggest the Russian president is preparing an attack that will turn the war effort in his favour after coming to the realisation that the war was 'a colossal mistake'.

It comes as the US Embassy in Moscow is urging citizens to flee Russia amid fears that dual nationals could be drafted into its war efforts, The Mirror reports.

Embassy officials have said Russia may 'refuse to acknowledge US nationals' dual citizenship', deny their access to consular assistance and 'prevent their departure from Russia'.

The embassy also warned that leaving Russia has become increasingly difficult with flights filling and Putin's troops shutting down borders.

Putin is understood to be planning land-grab of four regions said to have voted overwhelmingly to join Russia after sham referendums in which residents were marched to the ballot box at gunpoint.

Hastily arranged votes had taken place over five days in the four areas - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - that make up about 15 per cent of Ukrainian territory.

But there is concern that Putin is planning a nuclear attack west of the regions that would create a radiation dead zone and put a halt to Ukraine's so far successful counter-offensives.

Another fear is that Russia is preparing a strike on western interests such as maritime communications cables.

British and American spies believe there is 'credible intelligence' to suggest the Russian president is preparing a huge escalation

Members of an election commission count ballots after voting during a sham referendum at a polling station in Donetsk

Russians are seen attempting to leave their country to avoid a military call-up for the Russia-Ukraine war at the Kazbegi border crossing in the Kazbegi municipality of Stepantsminda, Georgia

Officials in the UK believe Putin, as well as Russian population, now understand the war was a 'colossal mistake.

They also fear the partial mobilisation of 300,000 conscripts may be con to deceive the West into concentrating on Ukraine while he tried to leverage against support for Kyiv.

It comes amid fears that Kremlin frogmen are responsible for the 'deliberate' sabotage of the Nord Stream gas supply pipeline in the Baltic Sea that has sent energy prices soaring.

A security source told The Mirror that the leaks could act as a warning of similar assaults on communications cables.

They added: 'Putin has almost run out of options which makes a tactical nuclear strike possible west of the four regions he is claiming.

'It is possible he believes this will be enough as a show of intent to get the west to back off, create a dead zone to halt the Ukrainian counter-offensive and claim victory in the east.

'But another possibility is an attack on the communication cables between the UK and America, many of which are European links to the States.'

Damaging internet communication cables could be 'very damaging' the world's financial markets.

Putin last week announced that he would mobilize 300,000 military-aged men to fight Ukraine - setting off chaos in recruitment centres, airports and at the borders.

But Russian troops have been deployed near the border with Georgia this week as the Kremlin tries to stamp out rumours that martial law will be introduced and people banned from leaving in order to avoid being conscripted into the army.

Footage geolocated to the small town of Chmi, on the main highway from Russia into Georgia's South Ossetia region, shows at least six soldiers sitting on top of an armoured vehicle passing a queue of cars in the direction of the crossing.

Troops arrived to set up a checkpoint, sources told the Russia's RBC network, with the FSB saying they were sent to stop people storming the crossing after miles-long queues of men trying to dodge the draft built up.

Meanwhile, Western leaders have blamed Russia for the deliberate sabotage after the Nordsteam pipeline suffered 'unprecedented' damage off Sweden.

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the explosions, dismissing the suggestion as 'stupid '. But Russia does have the capacity to carry out such an attack.

Putin commands the world's largest fleet of spy submarines including one - the Belgorod - that was specifically designed to attack undersea cables, and has easy access to the Baltic via Kaliningrad and St Petersberg, where its newly-developed fleet of underwater drones is also based.

As Dr Stepan Stepanenko, research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told MailOnline: 'At first glance, this act equates to cutting one's nose off to spite the face [but] to understand why Russia would do this, we have to look at it in the context of the sham referenda taking place in Ukraine.

'Putin is fast running out of options, he needs to end the conflict with a tangible territorial gain before Russians twig what the rest of the world already knows: He lost the war.

'By conducting these sham referenda and moving the border to make these regions Russian territory, he is backing the West into an ultimatum; liberate these regions and you are directly attacking Russia.

'In this context, if Nord Stream was indeed targeted by Moscow then we can't avoid seeing it as Putin preparing for a global war, in which supplying gas to Europe would be directly aiding his enemy.'
An ocean expert says the severed foot of missing fraudster Melissa Caddick could have travelled from Sydney cliffs before washing up on the NSW south coast months later.

An examination of goose barnacles found on the foot show it was likely floating off the NSW coastline for three to seven days before appearing on Bournda beach - some 400km from Ms Caddick's Dover Heights mansion.

Oceanographer Dr David Griffin told the inquest into the fraudster's death it was entirely possible her body entered the water when she was last seen in November 2020, then floating close to the ocean floor in strong currents for about 93 days before resurfacing in February 2021.

Ms Caddick's decomposing foot encased in an Asics shoe washed ashore on the NSW south coast beach about 400km south of Sydney three months after she vanished.

Events leading up to fraudster Melissa Caddick's mysterious disappearance before her foot washed up on a NSW south coast beach are being scrutinised at an inquest. Pictured is Melissa Caddick with her husband Anthony Koletti

'The NSW coast is the most energetic oceanographic part of Australia,' Dr Griffin told the inquest.

'It is highly unlikely anything can just drift along the continental shelf without getting caught or snagged.'

Dr Griffin presented his evidence earlier than expected on Wednesday when Ms Caddick's husband was stood down from his second day in the witness box after saying he couldn't understand the 'confusing' questions.

'Your questions are confusing, the way you talk is not the way my mind works,' Anthony Koletti said.

An oceanographer confirmed it's possible Melissa Caddick's severed foot (pictured) could have floated close to the ocean floor in strong currents for at least 90 days before resurfacing

Melissa Caddick's foot washed up on Bournda Beach, 400km from herDover Heights mansion

He spent the afternoon resting out of sight in the NSW Coroners Court building, before his lawyer told the magistrate he needed to be assessed before returning to give evidence.

'We will be taking him to see someone, he may be fine, but we are not doctors,' his lawyer Judy Swan said.

If Mr Koletti is unfit to give evidence on Thursday, the inquest will bear from forensic psychiatrist Kerri Eagle.

Caddick preyed on mostly friends and family, and stole up to $30million between 2013 and 2020, counsel assisting Jason Downing SC earlier told the court.

The inquest before Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan continues.

Anthony Koletti (pictured) took time away from the witness box at his wife's inquest on Wednesday after saying he couldn't understand the 'confusing' questions.

Melissa Caddick's husband's depressing new life: Anthony Koletti says he barely goes outside anymore and can't find a job as he laments being called a 'creep, a f***wit, a toyboy, a handbag'

The husband of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick says he's been called a toyboy and a creep, even stupid by his father.

Anthony Koletti says since the disappearance of his wife he has been unable to find work, with all potential employers believing he was either involved in Ms Caddick's Ponzi scheme or played a role in her disappearance.

'I have been described as an 'arsehole', 'a creep', 'a f***wit', 'a toyboy', 'a handbag' and even as 'stupid' by my father,' he said in a 110-page affidavit tendered at the inquest into Ms Caddick's suspected death.

Mr Koletti has denied any involvement in her fraudulent activity, while giving evidence to the NSW Coroners Court.

Anthony Koletti (pictured with missing conwoman wife Melissa Caddick) said he has been labelled a 'toyboy' and 'creep' and is unable to find work

'I witnessed Melissa working hard on a daily basis (except weekends), sitting in front of screens with what appeared to me to be the stocks moving up and down,' he said in his affidavit.

'I witnessed graphs and tables. I saw numbers. I just thought that she was smart, good at what she did and very successful.'

Born exactly 11 years apart, the Sydney hairdresser and part-time DJ first met Ms Caddick as a client in his salon in 2005.

Just before she moved to London with her first husband, she and Mr Koletti shared a kiss at a restaurant.

'We did not have any (other) intimate contact at this time,' he wrote in his affidavit.

Ms Caddick met Mr Koletti, aged 11 years apart, as a client in his salon in 2005 (pictured, Ms Caddick, Mr Koletti and son)

'However I believe that Melissa fell in love with me. I fell in love at this moment.'

Then began a digital long-distance romance between the two, with frequent texts and phone calls for more than five years.

In 2011, Mr Koletti went on trips to New York and Cyprus with Ms Caddick, who separated from her husband in the same year.

He has put down to 'trauma' and 'confusion' inconsistencies in his statements before and during the inquest.

'I hardly leave my home unless I have to, I have lost a large number of my friends,' he wrote in his affidavit.

'I do not know what the future holds for me.'
Like many troubled adolescents, the 13-year-old who logged on to an online forum was looking for guidance and support.

Calling themselves a 'female to male trans' person, they spoke of their physical self-loathing.

They were desperate, they said, to wear both a 'packer'  used to create the impression of male genitalia  and a 'binder', an item of clothing designed to flatten and constrict the breasts, and which can cause serious health issues.

'The thing is, my mum won't let me,' they wrote of the binder in 2019. 'She says it's neglect to do it for under-18s.'

No binder? No problem. The chatroom moderator offered to send the item to the troubled teenager  behind their mother's back.

Many would feel that such an intervention was questionable from any source. But this wasn't just an anonymous nobody  the offer came from Mermaids, a registered UK charity for 'gender variant' and transgender children.

It's an organisation that has received some 500,000 in National Lottery funding and more than 20,000 in government grants over the years, including being hired by the Department for Education to provide training on 'gender identity' in schools.

Concerns about Mermaids were magnified in 2016, following the appointment as CEO of Susie Green, a former IT consultant with no medical training

This chatroom intervention is far from the only concerning activity at an organisation that has, in recent years, shot to national prominence, thanks to support from leading corporations and celebrities  including Prince Harry.

An extensive investigation by the Mail can now reveal a consistent stream of questionable  if not dangerous  material being circulated by the charity and those working for it.

In the past month alone, its online help centre has told users (who say they are young as 13) that controversial hormone-blocking drugs are safe and 'totally reversible'.

Mermaids repeated such claims when approached by the Mail, saying the drugs are 'an internationally recognised safe [and] reversible healthcare option', yet current NHS guidelines say 'little is known about the long-term side effects'.

Elsewhere on its chatrooms, a Mermaids moderator publicly congratulated a 13-year-old who had written on the website that they were transgender and wanted drugs and 'all the surgeries'.

Evidence also suggests Mermaids has been running a free 'binder scheme' since at least 2019, sending the items to adolescents who say their parents oppose the practice.

Mermaids told the Mail it takes 'a harm reduction position with the understanding that providing a young person with a binder alongside comprehensive safety guidelines from an experienced member of staff is preferable to the likely alternative of unsafe practices or increasing dysphoria'.

In an instance where a Mermaids chatroom operator believed they were speaking with a 14-year-old, the charity asked that safety guidelines be agreed before the binder was sent.

Yet all this comes despite the fact that Dr Hilary Cass, the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics who is leading a review of trans children's services for the NHS, has described the restrictive garments as 'painful and potentially harmful'.

The Metropolitan Police has also confirmed that if instances of minors using binders are reported, they will be treated as potential cases of child abuse. (Binders have been shown to cause instances of breathing difficulties, chronic back pain, and even changes to the spine and broken ribs.)

Amid mounting criticism  including from author and women's rights campaigner JK Rowling who tweeted on Monday that those who have 'been cheering Mermaids on without doing the slightest bit of due diligence' should feel ashamed  the Charity Commission said this week it would be taking a closer look at Mermaids.

These revelations then will undoubtedly cast doubts over the influence and reach of the charity, whose close-knit relationship with London's discredited Tavistock Gender Identity Clinic has been repeatedly highlighted by former clinicians turned whistle-blowers over the years.

Tavistock is set to close its doors next year, following a review in July by Dr Cass, that found the centre's treatment to be unsafe.

Some critics are now calling for Mermaids to be shut down, too.

'It has always claimed not to give advice for medical issues and yet its chatrooms consistently show people giving advice, often behind parents' backs.

It has not been fit for purpose for a long time,' says Stephanie Davies-Arai of Transgender Trend, an organisation of parents, professionals and academics concerned about the current trend to diagnose children as transgender.

Set up in 1995 with the stated intention of supporting 'transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse children, young people, and their families', Mermaids has undoubtedly provided vital help over the years to children in need of support on gender-related issues.

Yet it has also long proved controversial, not least for what is seen as its largely unquestioning approach towards young children who are confused about their gender and its promotion of the idea  cited on its website  that children can be 'given' the wrong gender at birth.

Binders (pictured) are items of clothing designed to flatten and constrict the breasts, which can cause serious health issues

Concerns about the charity were magnified in 2016, following the appointment as CEO of Susie Green, a former IT consultant with no medical training who had first contacted Mermaids for advice in 1999.

In a story told with almost evangelical fervour by Green  including in a 2018 TED talk  she relates how she helped her son Jack become her daughter Jackie, now 29, by taking her to the U.S. aged 12 for puberty-blocking drugs. When Jackie was 16, Green took her to Thailand for gender reassignment surgery.

Green's appointment caused huge disquiet in many quarters  but this did not stop Mermaid's public influence and prominence from increasing exponentially, rubber-stamped by a lottery grant in 2019 to the tune of half a million pounds.

That same year, the charity received the endorsement of Prince Harry, who met with Green and invited the charity to join his Royal Foundation's work on mental health.

Soon after, the coffee giant Starbucks announced a fundraising partnership with Mermaids. In the background, however, concerns were mounting among clinicians at Tavistock about the influence of Mermaids on NHS practice.

Among them was former consultant psychotherapist Marcus Evans, who had worked at Tavistock for decades but, in 2018, broke cover to emphasise the 'unusually close' relationship between the two organisations, saying that it 'interfered with the ordinary clinical environment'.

The same year, another anonymous clinician said that Mermaids' influence was 'everywhere', with Tavistock staff being encouraged to prioritise a diagnosis of gender dysphoria at the expense of any other mental health condition.

Two years later, it emerged that Mermaids staff had carried out training in 40 schools across the UK, in which they used a graph to explain the 'gender spectrum' showing a Barbie on one side and a GI Joe on the other, and various options in between.

When transcripts of the training sessions were released online, there was strong criticism of the approach, as it appeared to teach children that simply playing with toys associated with the opposite sex somehow rendered them 'transgender', potentially even leading them down a medical pathway.

Mermaids' infiltration of public life was further highlighted earlier this summer with the suspension of Dr Helen Webberley, a self-styled 'passionate transgender advocate' who founded a private online service for transgender care in 2015 called GenderGP.

Screenshots taken from Mermaids' adult chatrooms had shown that anxious parents reaching out to the charity for support were being consistently referred to GenderGP.

Dr Webberley was then suspended from practice for two months in June after a tribunal panel found she had put three patients aged 11, 12 and 17 transitioning from female to male at 'unwarranted risk of harm' by failing to provide good clinical care.

In transcripts of the hearing seen by the Mail, Dr Webberley confirms that her criteria for her competence to supply puberty blockers came from what she calls 'self-assessment' and 'consultation' with Mermaids CEO Susie Green.

At the time of writing, Dr Webberley had still not had her licence restored. She also refused to attend a further General Medical Council hearing earlier this month to explain her failure to discuss the potential impacts on fertility posed by the hormones she had prescribed one of her patients.

She has now launched a High Court appeal, declaring on Twitter in August her 'firm belief' that she did not fail the patient in any way.

Father Ted writer Graham Linehan, who has raised several concerns about Mermaids and transgender issues, calls all this 'extraordinary'. Linehan believes his planned stage show was recently pulled by producers Hat Trick because of his opposition to progressive gender ideologies.

Dr Helen Webberley was suspended from practice for two months over cases of three patients aged 11, 12 and 17

'You now have a situation where a doctor has put on record that she is prescribing hormones to children on the recommendation of a former IT worker with no medical background,' he says of Webberley.

'That would be bad enough, but underpinning it all is that Mermaids appears to be giving children the impression that they will feel happier if they brutalise themselves with medication that might leave them sterile or with other long-lasting effects. These kids don't know what they're doing and we'll be picking up the pieces for years,' he says.

For its part, Mermaids claims on its website that its approach to physical intervention has always been based on a staged model of care, and highlights that 'not all' adolescents they see consider physical interventions.

Nevertheless, Linehan is not alone in his concerns.

Barrister James Esses  the co-founder of Thoughtful Therapists who was last year ejected from a Masters' degree in psychotherapy for openly discussing fears that gender-questioning young people were being automatically encouraged to transition  says he has been inundated with messages from parents concerned at what their children had been exposed to in Mermaids chatrooms.

'In one screenshot shared by a parent, a Mermaids moderator in discussion with a young person referred to basic biology as 'blah blah blah',' he says. 'It's a sentiment you see frequently  that the 'science' is wrong.'

Meanwhile, the charity's podcast She Said They Said  said to be designed for primary school children upwards  also contains a number of misleading or factually inaccurate statements alongside content that few would consider suitable for children.

In one instance, a trans model talks of wearing their 'femme pants' (a term used in the trans community to describe the act of wearing feminine clothing) and embracing their 'inner sex siren'.

Elsewhere, one presenter suggests that 'men have ovaries and women have prostates  it's just science' and that puberty-blockers are 'fully reversible' but 'natural puberty isn't'.

In another episode, a guest described as a 'non-binary doctor' complained about the fact that biological sex is taught in medical school in a 'matter-of-fact way', while another speaker refers to the 'growing sisterhood' of young people (meaning trans men) who have gone through breast removal and were 'all fine' after surgery.

'One of the most chilling things I came across was a suggestion on their podcast that if parents are not fully supportive of a decision to transition that 'family isn't blood' and that children should create a 'misgendering jar' at home so that they can 'monetise pain',' says Esses.

'Alongside their frequent promotion of the idea that the world is at war with trans people, this is little short of brainwashing.'

Nor is Mermaids averse to waging its own war: the charity has recently mounted a legal challenge to the Charity Commission's decision to award charitable status to the LGB Alliance, an organisation centred on advocating for the rights of people who are attracted to the same sex, and who believe that medicalising children who question their gender can amount to a form of gay conversion therapy (i.e. just because a young boy might be effeminate doesn't mean he is 'trapped in the wrong body', he might simply be discovering the fact he is gay).

The five-day hearing started earlier this month and has featured several fraught exchanges, including one in which LGB Alliance co-founder Kate Harris was reduced to tears during cross-examination by a barrister acting for Mermaids.

Harris was being questioned on whether the word 'lesbian' could apply to someone who was a woman as a result of gender reassignment. She asked if that meant 'a lesbian can be a man with a penis?'.

The hearing has now been adjourned to November but, whatever the outcome, there are many who now believe it is Mermaids that should be stripped of its charitable status  and who welcome scrutiny from the Charity Commission.

'It styles itself as a support group, but it is actually a political group  it wants to change society and legislation according to its ideology,' says Stephanie Davies-Arai. 'It has no authority to advise parents on what to do with their children.'

'Mermaids joins a long line of British scandals happening in plain sight,' Graham Linehan adds. 'It is promoting damaging concepts and interventions for children, and it is doing it publicly time and again. How much more of this do we have to see before it is stopped?'
Along with Prince Andrew and lesser royals, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been "demoted" to the bottom of the Royal Family's website.

The two are rumored to have formerly occupied a position halfway down the official website, above junior royals and below senior royals. The Sussexes now rank below other royals including Princess Alexandra and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester after the page was modified after the Queen's passing.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Suffer 'Demotion'

Additionally, The Telegraph says that non-working royals including Prince Michael of Kent and his wife Marie-Christine have been completely removed from the page. The change follows King Charles III's alleged plans to slim down the monarchy throughout his reign because the public does not want to foot the bill for a continuously growing Royal Family.

The Queen's relatives, Princess Alexandra, the Duke of Kent, and the Duke of Gloucester, are all still active members and continue to be listed on the website. About 15 months ago, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were shifted to the middle of the page.

To create room for the Wessexes and Princess Royal after Megxit, they were moved from their former location beneath the Prince and Princess of Wales and had been demoted. According to reports, the King is still debating what to call Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children, who are now eligible for the titles Prince and Princess thanks to his accession.

The Queen's grandfather King George V created rules in 1917 stating that a sovereign's descendants automatically have the right to the titles HRH and prince or princess. Archie and Lilibet are now sixth and seventh in line, respectively, according to the Palace's new webpage, but their titles still read Master and Miss.

The demotivation happens at a time when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are rumored to have left England the day after the Queen's funeral and returned to California without having settled their issues with King Charles III and Prince William, as per The Sun.

Read Also: Stephen Curry Gets Brutally Honest on Adam Silver's Punishment on Suns Owner Robert Sarver

Prince Andrew Relegated to 'Dogwalker'

Meanwhile, a royal expert predicts that Prince Andrew could be permanently excluded from the Royal Family and have his primary responsibility restricted to caring for the Queen's corgis. Despite giving his shamed younger brother the go-ahead to dress in his Navy uniform in the lead-up to the Queen's official funeral, King Charles III reportedly sees no future for his brother in The Firm.

The Duke of York, 62, was forced to wear everyday clothing last Wednesday because he is no longer a working royal and had to accompany the procession of his late mother to Westminster Hall. Due to issues surrounding his association with Jeffrey Epstein and the alleged sexual abuse of Virginia Giuffre, all of which the Duke denies, the middle son of the late sovereign has been cast into the background.

In a Newsnight interview in 2019, he resisted saying he regretted his friendship with the millionaire pedophile and earlier this year, he paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault action with Giuffre, who he had previously claimed he had never met. It has been predicted that under King Charles III, Prince Andrew could be reduced to little more than the royal dogwalker-in-chief. Nigel Cawthorne, a royal expert, is aware that the Prince might only get a meager budget from the new King.

But Prince Andrew should soon forget about being a member of the Royal Family who interacts with the general population. The author emphasized that the Duke, who is frequently referred to as the Queen's favorite son, has a very limited role to play in the monarchy, Mirror reported.

Related Article: Prince Andrew Faces Dark Future After Royal Expert Reveals That King Charles III Has Zero Plans To Include Duke in Monarchy

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Some people have the strange belief that if you are brown or black, you must think and behave in a certain way.

When I was at secondary school in Greater Manchester, a few of the young Asian lads would occasionally give me the derogatory  and, I have to say, inaccurate  nickname 'white girl'.

Or they'd call me 'posh'. Why? Because I tried to speak well, didn't use slang words and occasionally wore short skirts or tight jeans. In their eyes, then, I didn't behave like a typical British Pakistani girl  who would have been more covered up and have a bit of an accent.

What this has exposed is a mindset all too common on the Left: that any non-white person who subscribes to broadly Conservative tenets of aspiration and self-improvement should be despised, castigated and dismissed as somehow 'betraying' their race

Though I laughed it all off at the time and gave as good as I got  the comments occasionally stung.

That was 20 years ago. And yet this week has reminded me that, in some quarters, things really haven't changed.

Rupa Huq, the MP sister of the ex-Blue Peter presenter Konnie, has faced a barrage of criticism for describing Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng as 'superficially' black at a Labour conference fringe event.

Rupa Huq, the MP sister of the ex-Blue Peter presenter Konnie (left), has faced a barrage of criticism for describing Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng as 'superficially' black at a Labour conference fringe event

The truth is that, far from being 'progressive' as it constantly claims, the Left is actually strikingly hidebound

In a clip shared to the Guido Fawkes political blog, the not-so-honourable member for Ealing Central and Acton said in rather unlettered fashion: 'Superficially, he is a black man. Went to Eton, I think, he went to a very expensive prep school, all the way through, the top schools in the country. If you hear him on the Today programme, you wouldn't know he is black.'

Where do you even start with such an appalling remark? Aside from the blatant racism, how does being privately educated stop someone from being black?

And who, precisely, is an authentic  that is, not 'superficial'  black man? Someone who grew up on a council estate and speaks like the rapper Stormzy?

Lest we forget, Ms Huq, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, was privately educated at the 20,000-a-year Notting Hill and Ealing High School. Very nice, I'm sure.

And just like her telegenic younger sister, she speaks in a perfect cut-glass accent. Does that make the Huqs 'superficially' Asian? Of course not.

Lest we forget, Ms Huq, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, was privately educated at the 20,000-a-year Notting Hill and Ealing High School. Very nice, I'm sure

But the MP's ugly vitriol didn't stop there. She also seemed to label the former Chancellor Rishi Sunak a 'little brown guy', while adding that the recent Tory leadership race was 'superficially' a 'multi-culty' contest, given that ethnic-minority candidates such as Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch were in the race.

Her comments rightly led to an outcry. Conservative Party chairman Jake Berry demanded that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer condemn Huq's outburst as 'nothing less than racist'.

At first, Huq had the gall to stand by her racist rant. But then she backed down and apologised. She has now been suspended from the Labour Party, pending an investigation. Let's hope  vainly, perhaps  that she learns something from this ugly episode.

But the damage has been done. For what this has exposed is a mindset all too common on the Left: that any non-white person who subscribes to broadly Conservative tenets of aspiration and self-improvement should be despised, castigated and dismissed as somehow 'betraying' their race.

I thought I had left this warped outlook behind me in the playground. But whenever I have written an article, in this newspaper or elsewhere, about the problems within South Asian or Muslim communities  from extremism to women's rights  I have had a volley of racist insults thrown at me from the 'Be Kind' brigade. They have called me a 'coconut' (brown on the outside, white on the inside), a 'sell-out' and even a 'House Muslim'  that is, a Muslim who does the bidding of the powerful non-Muslim majority. Add my job working for this paper, with its proud conservative tradition, and I might as well be a full-on traitor in the eyes of the Left.

Kwarteng was born in London to Ghanaian parents: he studied hard at Eton and Cambridge, had a flourishing career in the City and became Chancellor at the age of just 47

As an outspoken Asian woman, I don't fit into a neat box for them  and they despise that. I know plenty of other South Asian and black people in the public eye have similar experiences.

The truth is that, far from being 'progressive' as it constantly claims, the Left is actually strikingly hidebound. Like true reactionaries, they see everything through the prism of race, gender and sexuality. Anyone from an ethnic minority is expected to conform to these low, patronising and racist expectations  behaving in a certain way and holding certain opinions, such as sharing the Left's views on the economy and mass immigration.

And our votes for Labour, needless to say, are taken for granted.

If we dare to defy those stereotypes, we're accused of 'betraying our cultural heritage'.

Rubbish. In Britain, people are free to be exactly who they want to be  and are not constrained by their background or race.

Last year, the distinguished black educationalist Tony Sewell chaired an official report on race and ethnic disparities. This concluded that Britain is not an institutionally racist country

Take Sajid Javid, who in 2018 became the first non-white person to be made Home Secretary. Rather than acknowledging his achievement as a triumph for multicultural Britain (Javid's father moved here from Pakistan in the 1960s to work as a bus driver), Left-wing activists inevitably scorned him as a 'coconut'.

As for Kwarteng, who was born in London to Ghanaian parents: he studied hard at Eton and Cambridge, had a flourishing career in the City and became Chancellor at the age of just 47.

But whatever you think of their politics  and I'm not, as it happens, a Tory voter  Kwarteng and Javid are both proof of how immigrants and their children can flourish in this country, more than in any other European nation.

Last year, the distinguished black educationalist Tony Sewell chaired an official report on race and ethnic disparities. This concluded that Britain is not an institutionally racist country.

The Left have grown complacent on the lazy assumption that minorities will vote for them regardless

It asserted that factors such as family dynamics, community culture, geography and social class are more influential than racism when it comes to shaping people's chances in modern-day Britain.

While the report correctly stated that racism remains a 'real force in the UK', it also pointed out that Britain has made considerable progress over the past 50 years in race relations. Now, the largest disadvantaged group is working-class white boys.

It would be hard to think of anyone more admirable than Dr Sewell: he has helped thousands of black children from poor backgrounds to get into university.

Yet he attracted the wrath of many on the Left, who hurled racially motivated abuse at him calling him a 'coconut', 'race traitor' and 'house Negro'.

More disgraceful still was the decision by Nottingham University  where Sewell obtained his doctorate in 1995  to withdraw the offer of an honorary degree to him, as they don't confer such on figures 'who become the subject of political controversy'.

If Starmer wants to show that Labour is really ready for power, he needs to purge such rotten beliefs without mercy

The Left, if it was honest, would acknowledge all this. But they have grown complacent on the lazy assumption that minorities will vote for them regardless.

Once, that probably was true. In 1964, Tory MP Peter Griffiths was elected to the seat of Smethwick, near Birmingham, on the hideous slogan: 'If you want a n***** for a neighbour, vote Labour.' Griffiths refused to apologise, saying: 'I would not condemn any man who said that . . . I regard it as a manifestation of popular feeling.'

How things have changed. Now it is a Tory cabinet that includes not a single white man in one of the four great offices of state (Prime Minister, Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary). No, the true 'nasty party' is now Labour  and Ms Huq's own record proves it.

Three years ago, perhaps inevitably for a woman who once nominated Jeremy Corbyn to lead the Labour party, she was accused of anti-Semitism by two of her former employees.

One of them alleged that Ms Huq had repeatedly asked him why his bag, which had a number of Star of David badges pinned to it, was adorned with 'Israeli flags'.

Rupa Huq has shown that Labour has a long way to go in understanding that an individual's politics do not depend on their skin colour

The same ex-staffer claimed that Ms Huq later 'banned' him from writing policy documents, informing him that something he had written on the Israel-Palestine conflict was too pro-Israel. A panel later concluded that there was insufficient evidence that Ms Huq had breached Labour's rules and the claims were dismissed.

This week, in his damp squib of a speech, Keir Starmer claimed Labour was the 'party of the centre ground'.

'Once again,' he continued, lamely parroting Tony Blair, 'we are the political wing of the British people.'

No, Sir Keir. Because the British people have no time for the racism that is still on full display in your own party  while you yourself served proudly in Corbyn's shadow cabinet, as the sainted 'Jeremy' presided over an epidemic of anti-Semitism.

Rupa Huq has shown that Labour has a long way to go in understanding that an individual's politics do not depend on their skin colour.

And if Starmer wants to show that Labour is really ready for power, he needs to purge such rotten beliefs without mercy.
Oksana did not want her children indoctrinated by Russia after Vladimir Putins invading troops took over her village in southern Ukraine, and then imposed their school curriculum at the start of this month.

So she kept them at home  her stance hardening after seeing many teachers flee to avoid becoming tools for Kremlin propaganda and a local school being used to shield enemy soldiers from attack in Ukraines advancing counter-offensive.

First, she was threatened with a big fine  equivalent to almost 500. Then she was given a chilling warning: her three children, aged between two and 16, would be taken away and sent to Russia for adoption if she continued refusing to send them to school.

I had to leave at that point, said Oksana, 39, a former cook. I could not take the risk of finding out if their threat about my children was real or not.

Russian forces escort Ukrainians to vote in the bogus ballots at gunpoint

Fortunately, she and her offspring managed to escape Russias clutches  joining the last convoys of cars leaving Kherson before Moscow blocked all roads from the region on Tuesday as voting ended in sham referendums being used to steal chunks of Ukrainian soil.

She left behind her husband, however, since the couple feared he might be forced to fight for Putin if caught fleeing, as the Kremlin rounds up vast numbers of men to throw as fresh meat into the front-line grinder of its disastrous invasion of Ukraine.

Freedom: Refugees Polad, his pregnant wife Liudmyla and daughter Milana, two

Oksana hopes he can slip through Russia to safety in Europe after Putins formal annexation of Kherson  along with three other partly occupied regions  which is expected to be confirmed later this week, following faked referendum results. I met her in a shopping centre car park on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia, which is being used to vet, feed and assist desperate Ukrainians managing to flee Putins land grab.

No one supports the vote  not even one per cent in my village, she told me.

Yet according to declared results from the referendum  hastily called by Putin after a rapid Ukrainian advance grabbed back a substantial slab of land  87 per cent of citizens in her home region support leaving Ukraine to join Russia.

The stage-managed ballots to claim captured land, accompanied by a mobilisation that has sparked fury, protests and panic across Russia, will allow the Kremlin to assert that it is protecting its own territory.

As darkness fell on Monday evening, two convoys of about 60 vehicles each  packed with people, pets and possessions  arrived in the car park from occupied parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Some were greeted with hugs, kisses and tears in highly emotional scenes. Others simply looked exhausted after taking up to six days to pass Russian checkpoints, telling me sorry tales of shattered lives, homes and families.

One jubilant mother took selfies with her son draped in a Ukrainian flag, explaining that shed managed to get the 18-year-old out after persuading a friendly doctor to give him a faked medical certificate. We were very lucky they let us pass, said Anna, 51, adding that her son, Vladislav, had hidden in their house for a week. I was afraid they would not let him go. It was as if God smiled at us.

Once Putin claims the captured areas of southern Ukraine to be Russian, a move anticipated when he speaks to his parliament on Friday following the bogus ballots, he is likely to press-gang many of their unfortunate male inhabitants into combat against their own countrymen.

Around 100,000 Ukrainians have already been conscripted in the eastern republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, which were seized by Russian proxies in 2014. They have been sent to fight with little training and outdated weapons, resulting in terrible casualty rates.

But for all her joy at saving her son, Anna had to leave behind her mother: She is 83 years old and said she would not leave.

Most of those arriving in this regional capital  once home to fiercely independent Cossacks until they were crushed into subservience by the 18th-century Russian empress Catherine the Great  were women, elderly people or children. Yet some men had succeeded in the high-risk lottery of attempting to escape the mobilisation including Andriy, 41, a businessman who had fled without his family and told me of the rising sense of alarm among his fellow male residents.

A Russian mercenary wearing the symbol of the notorious Wagner military group stands guard outside a polling station in occupied Ukraine

He said they had been afraid to leave their homes since armed groups started prowling the streets. One time a man went to the shop and was shot dead because he had green trousers  maybe they thought he was a soldier or something.

It got worse over the past couple of weeks. There was an announcement that the Russians would be forming volunteer battalions to go and fight. They said they would recruit 8,000 men from Kherson region. Everyone started panicking.

Another group looked dazed as they drank tea in a tent erected by volunteers. Its horrible there, just a nightmare, said one 33-year-old man, sitting with his sister, wife and their four young children. The Russians treat us like dogs.

He explained that his brother had been wounded in a missile attack last week, but when they took him to hospital they were ordered to dump him on the floor and leave. When they returned the next day, they were given his corpse to bury.

The family crossed the front line after the funeral, fearing the military round-ups that followed the referendum result.

What am I going to do if they take my husband away  I have four children? said the wife with tears in her eyes. She was among 1,530 civilians, including 353 children, who arrived that day. Local volunteers said the numbers were falling even before it emerged the following day that Putins stooges had banned any people from entering or leaving Kherson.

Election officials carrying a clear ballot box (left) are let into an apartment block in occupied Ukraine accompanied by armed Russian cops (right)

One teacher, who arrived with her autistic teenage son, had continued Ukrainian classes online. It was very dangerous since it was forbidden to teach our lessons, especially when my son was not attending a Russian school, she said.

Among those on the final convoys out were three female generations of one family who had abandoned their village home after Russian tanks parked on one side, missile launching systems were placed on the other and then a neighbour was killed by an incoming shell.

Antonia, 39, told me they had moved to stay with relatives in Kherson. Then her uncle was arrested after searching for a missing friend and Russian soldiers arrived to smash up their home and phones, accusing them of passing information to Ukraine.

I told them we would if we could, but there was never any connection, she told me. They said we would never see my uncle again and that we had one week to leave or wed be detained, too.

The family said the occupiers locked down Kherson ahead of the ballot, putting up posters saying Russians and Ukrainians are brothers and forcing people to vote. I cant stand them, said Antonia. Im so glad to get out. Her words and joy at escaping Russian occupation caused her 12-year-old daughter, Daria, to weep with relief. Its going to be OK now, reassured her mother.

Other refugees and local politicians described how armed men in balaclavas had forced people to fill in ballot papers as they watched, even making them vote for everyone in their household and threatening deportation if they opposed unification with Russia.

Such actions are used to intimidate the local population, said Aleksander Starukh, the governor of Zaporizhzhia region. The entire performance has a simple goal: to justify the mobilisation.

Zaporizhzhia is the last-remaining capital still held by Ukraine in the four occupied regions. The front line is about 20 miles away after Russian forces captured more than three-quarters of the oblast (county), including Europes biggest nuclear plant.

In recent days, it has been subjected to intense Russian attacks in a bid to weaken resistance as Kyivs forces make advances in next-door Kherson, including one missile attack thought to have been targeting a major dam.

Shortly after 5am on Tuesday morning, I was woken by ten missiles slamming into the city. Analysts say the weapons used  long-range S-300 surface-to-air missiles designed in the Soviet era to hit aircraft  highlight the depleted state of Moscows munitions.

Certainly, if they were aiming at military targets, then the damage I saw to a cluster of garages and small workshops, a hotel and a block of flats demonstrates the erratic nature of such weaponry.

Maybe they thought we were hiding the Himars here, joked Sergei, the owner of a workshop making door handles, referring to the U.S.-donated missiles that helped Ukraine turn the tide of the war. At some flats beside a small military base, one resident said they had been hit four nights in a row, with the most recent missile landing 30 metres from his home.

They are trying to turn our houses into ruins, said Alexander, 65, a retired bus driver. Russia is targeting us to terrorise people, to take revenge for our advances. They cannot stop us, so they are just firing at us to make us suffer.

Yet not everyone is a patriot. Ukraine is just ridiculous, said an elderly shopkeeper, overhearing our conversation as she smoked on a doorstep. It was better in Soviet times. People did not have to work after retirement  they had proper pensions.

Much more common, however, were the sentiments expressed by a young couple with their toddler daughter, who had arrived on that convoy from Kherson, passing through Russias checkpoint when the guards surprisingly relented after six days of trying.

Im so happy to feel free again, said Polad, 25, an agricultural worker, who told me four of his friends have not been seen since disappearing into detention five months ago.

We were waiting for our armed forces to liberate us, but we had to go when Russia announced the referendum.

I knew that I could be drafted, but even if they forced me to take up arms I could never fight against Ukrainians.

His wife, Liudmyla, 22, is seven months pregnant. Now my child will be born in Ukraine, she said with a big smile. That is the most important thing for us.

Additional reporting: Kate Baklitskaya
GOP Rep. Andy Biggs said Wednesday he is 'dismayed' by Vice President Kamala Harris for visiting South Korea's border with North Korea before visiting the U.S.-Mexico border as a record number of migrants cross into the nation.

'Going back to the border [for Harris] would be sitting in a restaurant in El Paso,' the Arizona congressman quipped in an interview with DailyMail.com.

Biggs said that he had personally invited White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to visit the southern border with him.

'I've actually invited various Democrats - I've invited Ms. Jean-Pierre to come back down to the border with me because I go down so often.'

'I'm not saying the Korean Peninsula is not important but I would say that our own border is really much more important right now. And that's a real crises that we have,' he added.

GOP Rep. Andy Biggs said Wednesday he is 'dismayed' by Vice President Kamala Harris for visiting South Korea's border with North Korea before visiting the U.S.-Mexico border as a record number of migrants cross into the nation

'Going back to the border [for Harris] would be sitting in a restaurant in El Paso,' the Arizona congressman quipped in an interview with DailyMail.com

Harris will visit Korea's demilitarized zone, DMZ, on Thursday in a bid to show Washington's commitment to the south's security after North Korea test fired a ballistic missile toward the sea.

Harris has visited the border once since she was tasked with looking at the 'root causes' of migration early on in the administration  but went to the liberal city of El Paso at the northernmost part of the border in Texas, rather than to some deeper border communities.

The vice president also visited Guatemala in June 2021 where she met with regional leaders, including President Alejandro Giammattei, to talk about creating partnerships to improve conditions in the Northern Triangle to stop citizens from fleeing to the U.S.

The vice president was put in charge of the migration crisis by President Biden, but her office quickly branded the role as addressing the root causes why people flee to the U.S. from Northern Triangle countries.

Last week Harris accused Republicans of 'playing games' as GOP governors send migrants from the border to liberal cities, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott dropping 50 migrants off in front of her residence in Washington, D.C.

'They're playing games,' Harris told Vice News in an interview last week. 'These are political stunts with real human beings who are fleeing harm.'

Cuban immigrant Felix Bermudez, 56, stands next to the U.S.-Mexico border fence after traveling with his family on September 27, 2022 in Yuma, Arizona

Dozens of migrants of Haitian origin remain outside the Movimiento Juventud 2000 shelter, waiting for a place to stay, at the Tijuana border, Baja California, Mexico, 26 September 2022

Biggs' remarks came during an interview after a hearing on wait times and care access within the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA), where a number of GOP lawmakers called to 'abolish the VA.'

As veterans testified, the average wait time for a primary care appointment is 31 days, where in private practice it is under 20. The average wait time for sleep medicine is 123 days, for PTSD care, 34 days and to see a cardiologist veterans using the VA typically wait 48 to 60 days.

'Defund the thing,' suggested Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. 'It's a jobs program for government employees,' added Rep. Barry Moore, R-Al.

'I don't have 24 hours to hang out in the ER to get care,' Lt. Col Grant Moody, who is running for Bexar County Commissioner, testified.

'The VA is only doing about 50,000 surgeries annually, and maybe I really started to think that my local hospital in January, probably 20,000 surgeries annually, so at the end of the day, I'm not even convinced that the VA is truly practicing medicine,' said another witness, Darin Selnick with Concerned Veterans for America said.

'Why not abolish the VA, take all of the money up they otherwise spend, you can go to any willing provider system within our communities, and then people get bad care, they can vote with their feet,' suggested Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

Biggs said he understood his colleagues' assessment that the VA might be 'too far gone' to be saved, but touted a bill he brought forth to provide each veteran with a 'medical HSA voucher-type deal.'

'If they want to stay in the VA system they can stay in the VA system. If they want private care, they can go on - their choice, choice and competition.'
A South Australian boy is fighting for life after a car he was inside caught fire with police to investigate whether the little boy was 'playing with a lighter'.

Emergency services were called to Gaplin Street at Whyalla Stuart, about 233km northwest from Adelaide, just after 3:30pm on Wednesday.

First responders found a Holden Commodore sedan in flames with a four-year-old boy with burns to his face and body inside.

Emergency services were called to Gaplin Street at Whyalla Stuart, about 233km northwest from Adelaide , just after 3:30pm on Wednesday (pictured)

The little boy was flown by helicopter to the Women's and Children's Hospital.

'Fire Cause Investigators attended and examined the scene last night,' police said.

'Police are not treating the fire as suspicious.

'While the exact cause has not been determined, it is believed that, tragically, the child may have been playing with a lighter.'

Anyone with information on the fire has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Advertisement

The countdown to Britain's first ever orbital space launch is officially on.

A modified Boeing 747 jet is set to arrive in the UK within weeks, as Spaceport Cornwall gears up to host the historic maiden flight on British soil.

As early as next month, Virgin Orbit's Cosmic Girl plane will take off from Newquay with a 70-foot-long rocket packed full of satellites, which will then be flown to high altitude, dropped, and ignited before flying into space.

It will be a momentous occasion, with the UK finally joining the space race some 70 years after the British Space Programme was established in 1952.

Not only that, but it will come 50 years after a British-made rocket, Black Arrow, last reached space following its lift-off from Australia.

The Soviet Union was the first nation to carry out a successful space launch, with Sputnik 1 in October 1957, before the United States, Japan, France, China, India, Israel and Iran all followed.

North Korea achieved the feat in 2012, along with South Korea earlier this year, so Britain would be the 11th nation to carry out a space launch on its own soil.

Spaceport Cornwall will be the first such hub in the UK to enter service when the repurposed Newquay Airport hosts the space plane lift-off at night, after all the commercial flights have ended.

It is sure to draw flocks of crowds as Sir Richard Branson's company launches two shoebox-sized satellites on behalf of the UK government on a rocket called LauncherOne.

Once deployed, they will deliver high-tech imaging sensors, allowing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to monitor Earth and its oceans.

The Cornwall horizontal launch site is one of three spaceports in the UK that aim to start satellite launches in 2022, but is expected to beat its two Scottish rivals to seal the title as the host location of the first satellite launch from British soil.

Getting the infrastructure and regulations in place to allow for liftoff from Newquay has taken considerable time, but while the airport and its 1.6 mile-long (2.7km) runway look the same, a new building will allow Virgin Orbit to load satellites into its rocket and then attach it to the wing of its plane.

An on-site mission control will also be used to carry out the launch.

Although October 29 is when the window for lift-off opens, the mission has still not received the green light from the Civil Aviation Authority  which regulates Britain's rocket launches  so November, or possibly December, seems more likely for the first flight.

Lift-off: A modified Boeing 747 jet is set to arrive in the UK within weeks as Spaceport Cornwall gears up to host the historic maiden flight on British soil (pictured)

Sir Richard Branson's rocket company will operate from the Newquay-based spaceport (shown in an artist's impression)

The Virgin Orbit Launcher One rocket, pictured in its hanger at Newquay Airport in August last year, will be equipped with Ministry of Defence observation kit among other payloads

Virgin Orbit launches involve the firm's carrier aircraft, a modified Boeing 747 called Cosmic Girl (pictured), and a two-stage orbital launch vehicle called LauncherOne, tucked into Cosmic Girl's belly

TIMELINE OF FIRST ORBITAL LAUNCHES ON A COUNTRY'S OWN SOIL 1. Soviet Union - 4 October 1957 2. United States - 1 February 1958 3. Japan - 11 February 1970 4. France* - 10 March 1970 (From the French territory, French Guiana) 5. China - 24 April 1970 6. India - 18 July 1980 7. Israel - 19 September 1988 8. Iran - 2 February 2009 9. North Korea - 12 December 2012 10 South Korea - 21 June 2022 11. United Kingdom - ? Advertisement

The plane and its rocket will be transported from Virgin Orbit's factory in Long Beach, California, to the UK in the coming weeks.

Virgin Orbit will then send the UK government's two cubesats  measuring about 12 inches long, 8 inches wide and 4 inches deep  into space along with eight other payloads as part of a mission named Prometheus-2.

Built by In-Space Missions Ltd, based in Hampshire, and designed with Airbus Defence and Space, Prometheus-2 is a collaboration between MoD and international partners, including the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

'Space technology is crucial for developing Defence capabilities,' said Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin.

'The launch of Prometheus-2 represents another important step forward for our homegrown space programme.

'This collaboration with In-Space Missions and Airbus paves the way for the UK to become a more resilient, more robust and more significant global space entity.'

'Cubesat 1' and 'Cubesat 2' will provide a test platform for monitoring radio signals including GPS and sophisticated imaging.

Cubesat 1 includes a laser detector, a GPS receiver and a hyperspectral imager  which can capture multiple slivers of pictures over different wavelengths of light.

Cubesat 2, meanwhile, includes two optical imaging cameras, a laser range finder, and a GPS receiver.

The cubesats will allow MOD to better understand how the UK and its international partners can work together to create a 'more capable and flexible system' at a lower cost.

Technology on board the cubesats will enable MOD to identify new techniques and algorithms for operating satellites and data processing, it said.

The upcoming Cornwall launch will involve Virgin Orbit's carrier aircraft, a modified Boeing 747 called Cosmic Girl, and LauncherOne, a two-stage orbital launch vehicle tucked into Cosmic Girl's belly.

Once Cosmic Girl is at a high enough altitude  around 35,000 feet  LauncherOne is unleashed.

When at an orbital altitude, LauncherOne deploys the satellites, which will be catapulted into orbit at 8,000 miles per hour.

Virgin Orbit has already conducted three successful consecutive orbital missions with LauncherOne in 2021 and 2022, the last one in January.

There are three UK spaceports aiming to start operations this year. The one in Cornwall is a horizontal launch site, meaning it uses a carrier aircraft, such as a Boeing 747, for launches before deploying rockets when the aircraft is airborne. Conversely, Space Hub Sutherland and SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands are vertical spaceports, meaning they perform more conventional ground launches with a rocket

MILESTONES IN BRITISH SPACE 1952: British space programme adopted 1962: First British-built satellite is launched (by NASA from Cape Canaveral, Florida) 1971: British rocket Black Arrow puts a single British satellite, Prospero, into orbit from a launch site in Australia 1975: 10 nations including the UK founds the European Space Agency 1985: British National Space Centre in Leicester is founded 1991: Sheffield-born chemist Helen Sharman becomes the first British person in space 2003: Beagle 2 British Mars lander launched 2004: Sir Richard Branson forms private company Virgin Galactic 2016: Tim Peake becomes the first British person to walk in space 2018: Space Industry Act paves the way for construction of UK spaceports 2022: Three UK spaceports - one in Cornwall and two in Scotland - are expected to become operational Advertisement

However, all three took place from Mojave Air and Space Port, California, and so the first one from British soil is generating considerable interest.

Over the last 16 months since January 2021, LauncherOne has already deployed payloads in space for Virgin Orbit's customers, including NASA and the US Department of Defense.

Virgin Orbit has also revealed that it will acquire two more modified Boeing 747 aircraft to expand its operations in the US.

The new craft will help 'meet US national security and its allies' launch demands, Virgin Orbit said.

Virgin Orbit is a company within the Virgin Group, the conglomerate founded by Richard Branson in 1970.

It was formed in 2017 to develop the air-launched LauncherOne rocket, launched from Cosmic Girl  which had previously been a project of Virgin Galactic.

In June last year, Virgin Orbit's chief executive Dan Hart told MailOnline that Spaceport Cornwall could be used to send probes to Mars, Venus and the moon within the next three or four years.

'Lunar missions and smaller craft bound for Venus and Mars could be launched [from Spaceport Cornwall] within the next three or four years,' he said.

'We're not going to launch a Perseverance rover (currently being used by NASA to search for signs of ancient life on Mars), for example, but smaller interplanetary probes that explore or carry out landing missions are a possibility.'

However, despite there being talk the Cornish site could one day launch fee-paying space tourists on suborbital pleasure flights, the Virgin Orbit chief said human spaceflight was 'not currently part of the company's plans' for the facility.

Nevertheless, Mr Hart said he envisioned the spaceport having a Cape Canaveral-like effect on the Cornish community, with people knowing when a launch is coming and being inspired that their friends and neighbours have worked on it.

Spaceport Cornwall's development is expected to create around 150 jobs and allow the UK to compete in the global market for deploying small satellites into Earth orbit  an industry expected to be worth 3.9 billion by 2030, which Branson is hoping to tap into.

Also joining Britain's space race is Space Hub Sutherland, which will host the launch of a 62-foot tall environmentally-friendly rocket called Prime later this year.

This is designed to be reusable and not leave debris on land, the oceans or in the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the third UK spaceport, SaxaVord Spaceport based at Unst in the Shetland Islands, has also unveiled plans to provide launch services for customers sometime this year.

Space Hub Sutherland and SaxaVord Spaceport are vertical spaceports, meaning they perform more conventional ground launches with a rocket, while Cornwall is horizontal.

This means it uses a carrier aircraft, such as a Boeing 747, for launches before deploying rockets when the aircraft is airborne.
Huge leaks in the two largest gas pipelines linking Russia to Europe are spewing out vast quantities of natural gas - at an estimated rate of 500 metric tons per hour when first breached.

As well as the potentially devastating implications for global energy supply, the leaks could also have an 'unprecedented' environmental impact, experts have warned.

Gas has been spewing from both Nord Stream 1 and 2 since Monday, after three leaks mysteriously appeared in the system.

One has left a 3,000ft-wide area churning with bubbles of methane and other gaseous chemicals on the surface of the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Sweden.

Methane is a greenhouse gas, meaning it exacerbates global warming and climate change effects if it is released into the atmosphere.

It is also highly flammable, so when in contact with the air it raises the risk of explosion, and directly reduces air quality.

While it is not readily soluble in seawater, there are worries that fish may get caught in the plumes of gas, which would affect their ability to breathe.

'The Nordstream II leak is really disturbing,' said Professor Jeffrey Kargel, a senior scientist at the Planetary Research Institute in Tucson, Arizona. 'It is a real travesty, an environmental crime if it was deliberate.'

Atmospheric chemist David McCabe, who is a senior scientist at the non-profit Clean Air Task Force, added : 'If these pipelines fail, the impact to the climate will be disastrous and could even be unprecedented.'

Natural gas has been spewing from both Nord Stream 1 and 2 since Monday, after three leaks mysteriously appeared in the system. One has left a 3000ft-wide area churning with bubbles of methane and other gaseous chemicals on the surface of the Baltic Sea

POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF NORD STREAM LEAK ON THE ENVIRONMENT Methane released from the pipeline exacerbates global warming as it is a potent greenhouse gas

as it is a potent greenhouse gas It also can be converted into ground-level ozone , which damages human health and vegetation

, which damages human health and vegetation Bubbles of gas on the surface of the sea could explode if a spark ignited

if a spark ignited Fish may get caught in plumes of gas, which could interfere with their breathing

may get caught in plumes of gas, which could interfere with their breathing Methane released into the atmosphere reduces air quality Advertisement

What happened?

A sudden loss of pressure in the pipelines was noted by operators of Nord Stream 2 overnight on Monday.

This was followed by a statement from the Danish Energy Authority outlining that a leak had likely occurred in one of the pipes.

It was later confirmed on Tuesday by Sweden's Maritime Administration that two fissures had been detected on Nord Stream 1 in Swedish and Danish waters.

A third leak was later reported on the Nord Steam 2 pipeline, that has yet to begin commercial operations, in the same area northeast of the Danish island of Bornholm.

While Nord Stream 1 stopped delivering natural gas to Germany last month, and Nord Stream 2 has yet to begin commercial operations, the pipes still contained some pressurised gas that has been hurtling to the surface of the Baltic ever since.

Natural gas is comprised of various gaseous hydrocarbons, but consists primarily of the potent greenhouse gas methane.

A five-mile exclusion zone has been imposed around the affected area, but the leaks are expected to last several days.

While Nord Stream 1 stopped delivering natural gas to Germany last month, and Nord Stream 2 has yet to begin commercial operations, the pipes still contained some pressurised gas that has been hurtling to the surface of the Baltic ever since

One European official said that any sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines by Moscow could be designed as a warning to Europe that its infrastructure is vulnerable. The pipelines are also made with concrete-weight coated steel, suggesting again that an accident was unlikely

What are the environmental impacts?

Methane is the second biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide, meaning the leak will likely have a contribution.

Both gases trap heat in the atmosphere, similar to the glass roof of a greenhouse.

During the day, the sun shines through the atmosphere and Earth's surface warms up in the sunlight.

At night, the Earth's surface cools, releasing heat back into the air, but some of the heat is trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Too much of these gases can cause Earth's atmosphere to trap more and more heat, causing the planet to warm up.

Methane has more than 80 times the heat-trapping potency of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere.

However this does decrease over time, as it breaks down over the course of about a decade.

It is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas and oil, as well as from livestock and decaying organic waste at landfill sites.

Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas and oil, as well as from livestock (left) and decaying organic waste at landfill sites (right)

Data from commercial methane-measuring satellite firm GHGSat suggests that the leaks were together releasing more than 500 metric tons of methane per hour when first breached.

Additionally, a spokesman for Nord Stream 2 has said that the system held 300 million cubic metres of natural gas.

Releasing that amount into the atmosphere in its entirety would result in around 200,000 tonnes of methane emissions, according to chemical engineer Paul Balcombe at London's Queen Mary University.

'It is unlikely that they will release all their contents, but if just one did it would be about twice as much as the 2015 Aliso Canyon leak in the US, which was the worst leak found in the US,' he said.

'It would have a very large environmental and climate impact indeed, even if it released a fraction of this.'

That amount of methane would have about the same global warming potential over a 100-year timeframe as about 6 million tons of carbon dioxide, according to Reuters.

It is roughly equivalent to the amount of CO2 emitted in an entire year by mid-sized cities such as Havana, Helsinki or Dayton, Ohio.

A spokesman for Nord Stream 2 has said that the system held 300 million cubic metres of natural gas. Pictured: Pipes at the landfall facilities of Nord Stream 2 in Lubmin, Germany

The amount of gas leaking from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline system is less clear, with a pipeline spokesman declining to say how much was left in the system when it was taken offline for maintenance a few weeks ago.

The gas does not easily dissolve in water, so does not pose a direct threat to marine life.

However Greenpeace raised concerns on Tuesday that fish may get caught in plumes of gas, which could interfere with their breathing.

Moreover, once bubbles of the flammable gas reach the surface and come into contact with oxygen, it raises the risk of explosion.

For this reason, ships and flights have been banned in the area of the leak, as the risk of explosion poses a threat to human life and the environment.

Ground-level ozone is also produced by chemical reactions of methane under sunlight, which damages human health and plants, and is a greenhouse gas in itself.

WHY IS METHANE MORE LETHAL THAN CARBON DIOXIDE? Methane is the second biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide. Both gases trap heat in the atmosphere, similar to the glass roof of a greenhouse. During the day, the sun shines through the atmosphere and Earth's surface warms up in the sunlight. At night, the Earth's surface cools, releasing heat back into the air, but some of the heat is trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Too much of these gases can cause Earth's atmosphere to trap more and more heat and warming up the planet. However, methane has more than 80 times the heat trapping potency of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere, but this does decrease over time as it breaks down. Advertisement

What do experts think?

Professor Dave Reay, of the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute at the University of Edinburgh, said: 'The most direct effect of these gas leaks on climate is the extra dollop of the powerful greenhouse gas methane - the main component of natural gas - they are adding to the atmosphere.

'That said, this is a wee bubble in the ocean compared to the huge amounts of so-called 'fugitive methane' that are emitted every day around the world due to things like fracking, coal mining and oil extraction.'

Professor Grant Allen, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Manchester, agrees that: 'The impact will be limited as the pipelines are not pumping, just pressurised, so once the gas has escaped, the event will stop.

'Some of the methane emitted from the pipeline on the seabed will be oxidised by methanotrophic microbes (into CO2) as it rises in the water column.

'But given how violent the venting of natural gas appears to be, most of the gas will reach the sea surface as methane, a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.'

Professor Piers Forster, the Director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate at the University of Leeds, added that methane leaked rather than burnt is around 30 times worse for climate.

He said the leak would have 'a strong immediate warming effect and cause poor air quality as well', but added: 'Compared to the daily leaks in the poorly maintained gas network all around the globe it will be small though.

'Every day, around 10 per cent of our global gas supply is simply leaked to the atmosphere. This is both wasteful and bad for climate.

'Getting on top of leaking gas pipes generally can really reduce warming rates this decade and this was a key pledge made at the Glasgow COP.'

Methane is the second biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide, meaning the Nord Stream leaks will likely have a contribution

Levels of methane in the atmosphere are growing 'dangerously fast', scientists warn Levels of methane found in the atmosphere are 'growing dangerously fast', scientists have warned, and it could be global warming causing the rapid increase. A report, published in Nature, was compiled by an international team that examines data gathered by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration throughout 2021. Researchers found that methane in the atmosphere had raced past 1,900 parts per billion, which is triple levels found before the industrial revolution. This 'grim new milestone' could be linked to global warming causing a rise in wetland areas, which then produce higher levels of methane, the team said. Read more here Advertisement

Professor Forster also said the incident should serve as motivation to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources by moving to renewable energy sources.

'As we urgently build renewable energy infrastructure to reduce our dependence on foreign powers, reduce prices and reach net zero, we need to make sure it is secure from both terrorists and future warming,' he said.

'This is also an important reason why we should build more land-based solar and wind: they are both the cheapest forms of generation and more secure.'

What caused the leaks?

The exact cause of the leaks is not yet known.

Sweden's National Seismology Centre reported that two powerful underwater explosions occurred on Monday prior to the leak.

The second blast was equivalent to a magnitude-2.3 earthquake, however Bjorn Lund, the director of the Swedish National Seismic Network has assured that the leaks are not the result of one.

Seismic data gathered by him and Nordic colleagues showed that the explosions took place in the water and not in the rock under the seabed.

Their near-simultaneous appearance has prompted suspicions from Western leaders that they were caused deliberately by Russia.

They came on the same day that Poland, Norway and Denmark opened a new pipe running under the Baltic that is designed to supply central and eastern Europe without relying on Russia.

One European official said that any sabotage could be designed as a warning to Europe that its infrastructure is vulnerable.

The pipelines are also made with concrete-weight coated steel, suggesting again that an accident scenario was unlikely.

However technical malfunctions and a lack of maintenance have not yet been ruled out.

Professor Joan Cordiner, a professor of Process Engineering at the University of Sheffield, said: 'Pipes don't just leak catastrophically suddenly.

'Typically normal leaks due to corrosion start small and build up over time. Therefore such a sudden large leak can only have come from a sudden blow cutting the pipe.

'We can see from the width of the bubbles that the leak was sudden and very large, which is consistent with a large pipe being fully cut and not from normal corrosion we would see in operation.

'This is from a powerful event; either a large explosion or sudden physical trauma that cut the pipe wide open. The investigation will yield the answers.'
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It may have an eerie, UFO-like appearance but this bloom of light in the sky is actually part of the aftermath of a SpaceX rocket launch.

The spectacular and colourful sight was so bewildering that, when it was spotted by a US Air Force crew, they said the unusual phenomenon left them 'dumbfounded'.

On Saturday, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX launched 52 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

It was later that day that the amazing pictures were taken 37,000ft above the Atlantic Ocean.

Staff Sergeant Christian Magliocca, who was unable to reveal exactly where the images were snapped because it is classified, said he and his crew were 'confused' after spotting an unidentified bloom of light from the deck of their huge transport aircraft.

Fascinating: It may have an eerie, UFO-like appearance but this bloom of light in the sky is actually part of the aftermath of a SpaceX rocket launch

The spectacular and colourful sight was so bewildering that when it was spotted by a US Air Force crew they said the unusual phenomenon had left them 'dumbfounded'

On Saturday, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX launched 52 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (pictured)

The 15th Airlift Squadron loadmaster said: 'These pictures were taken at 37,000ft from the flight deck of a C-17 Globemaster III somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.

'We saw it coming over the horizon and were really confused as to what it could be.

'At first we thought it was the Artemis Launch that keeps getting pushed back.'

However, the otherworldly-like encounter was later identified as being linked to the SpaceX satellite launch.

Staff Sgt. Magliocca added: 'For us, the event lasted around ten minutes from start to finish. Truly a spectacle.

'I'm a loadmaster on the C17 so my role is all things related to the cargo compartment of the aircraft.

'The pilots and my other load flying partner were absolutely dumbfounded.

Staff Sgt. Christian Magliocca (pictured) said he and his crew were 'confused' after spotting an unidentified bloom of light from the deck of their huge transport aircraft

Not for the first time, the otherworldly-like encounter was later identified as being linked to the SpaceX satellite launch

'I think I speak for all of us when I say that we will never forget it for as long as we live.'

Several times this year a SpaceX launch has left observers thinking there might be UFOs present.

In June, a mysterious blue spiral travelling across New Zealand's skies baffled onlookers who thought it had alien origins.

The spiralling plume of gas lit up the sky over Nelson, a city at the tip of New Zealand's south island, and travelled 750km south to Stewart Island.

However, experts later revealed that the phenomenon was caused by man-made space junk in the form of a dying rocket launched by Musk's company.

A trail of mysterious moving lights that shocked Australians in January was also blamed on Starlink satellites being launched by SpaceX.

In June, a mysterious blue spiral travelling across New Zealand's skies baffled onlookers who thought it had alien origins

A trail of mysterious moving lights that shocked Australians in January was also blamed on Starlink satellites being launched by SpaceX
The world's first all-electric passenger plane took to the skies for the first time to reach an altitude of 3,500 feet during an 8-minute flight in Washington.

After years of development by Eviation Aircraft, the inaugural flight of the zero-emissions plane that's powered by two 640-kilowatt electric motors went off without a hitch when it look off at 7:10 am on Tuesday from Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington.

Alice is targeted for commuter and cargo markets and will typically operate flights ranging from 150 to 250 miles. For context, a standard flight from New York City to Washington, D.C. is about 206 miles by plane.

The world's first all-electric passenger plane took to the skies for the first time to reach an altitude of 3,500 feet during an 8-minute flight in Washington

The inaugural flight of the zero-emissions plane that's powered by two 640-kilowatt electric motors went off without a hitch when it look off at 7:10 am on Tuesday from Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington

Alice is targeted for commuter and cargo markets and will typically operate flights ranging from 150 to 250 miles. For context, a flight from New York City to Washington, D.C. is traveling about 206 miles by plane

The Alice aircraft will be available in three different configurations: a nine-passenger commuter, a six-passenger executive cabin and an eCargo version

During the inaugural flight, the motors sounded much quieter, more like electric grass trimmers, and the plane itself produced a noise that was more like a hum than the typical roar of a gasoline-powered jet.

Alice will be available in three different configurations: a nine-passenger commuter, a six-passenger executive cabin and an eCargo version. All the configurations will support two crew members and the executive cabin and eCargo versions are identical to the commuter - except for the interior.

Arlington, Washington-based Eviation has already inked a deal with DHL Express for 12 Alice eCargo planes; in addition, two regional airlines, Massachusetts-based Cape Air and Florida-based Global Crossing Airlines, have placed orders for 75 and 50 Alice aircraft respectively.

'Today we embark on the next era of aviation - we have successfully electrified the skies with the unforgettable first flight of Alice,' Eviation president and CEO Gregory Davis said in a statement.

'Today we embark on the next era of aviation - we have successfully electrified the skies with the unforgettable first flight of Alice,' Eviation president and CEO Gregory Davis said in a statement. Above: The interior of the commuter version of Alice

'This ground-breaking milestone will lead innovation in sustainable air travel, and shape both passenger and cargo travel in the future,' Eviation president and CEO Gregory Davis said. Above: Alice will be used for moving cargo around the U.S.

The plane was first unveiled more than three years ago at the Paris Air Show. The company has put its prototype through a year of assembly and ground testing - and the work seems to have paid off. Above: the galley in the executive version of Alice

'People now know what affordable, clean and sustainable aviation looks and sounds like for the first time in a fixed-wing, all-electric aircraft.

'This ground-breaking milestone will lead innovation in sustainable air travel, and shape both passenger and cargo travel in the future.'

The name Alice comes from the Lewis Carroll novel Alice in Wonderland. Back when the company was just starting out in 2016, one of its co-founders, Omer Bar-Yohay, was working while Jefferson Airplanes song White Rabbit was playing in the background. He started calling the project Alice, and the name just stuck.

Back when the company was just starting out in 2016, one of its co-founders, Omer Bar-Yohay, was working while Jefferson Airplanes song White Rabbit played in the background

The plane was first unveiled more than three years ago at the Paris Air Show. The company has put its prototype through a year of assembly and ground testing - and the work seems to have paid off.

'It was wonderful,' test pilot Steve Crane said, according to GeekWire. 'It handled just like we thought it would. Very responsive, very quick to the throttle, and it came on in for a wonderful landing. I couldnt be happier.'

Crane explained that the relatively short flight was intended to be the first in a series of 'baby steps' for the test program. 'Today was just about the initial envelope,' he told reporters. 'For future tests, well expand that envelope.'

If things proceed as planned, Eviation hopes to win certification from the Federal Aviation Administration and hit the market by 2027.

The company has also had to pivot and adjust as the technology powering all types of electric vehicles has evolved over the years.

'What weve learned is a lot, and one of the key things thats driving the development of our program is the advancement of battery technology, right?' Davis told GeekWire.

'So were being, I will say, entirely honest with ourselves about what were going to be able to achieve.  Its all going to be based on getting the batteries to converge to the development cycle for the aircraft.'

The technology publication reports that Eviation had put a $4 million price tag on the plane three years ago, but that Davis declined to specify a cost this week.
The steamship which sent an iceberg warning to the Titanic before it sank has been discovered broken in two at the bottom of the Irish Sea.

SS Mesaba transmitted a caution signal to the 'unsinkable' vessel while it crossed the Atlantic on April 15, 1912. This message was received, but never reached the bridge.

Later that night the Titanic famously hit an iceberg and plummeted nearly two-and-a-half miles to the bottom of the ocean on her maiden voyage.

The SS Mesaba continued as a merchant ship for six more years before it was torpedoed by a German U-boat during the First World War in September 1918.

It was thought to be lost to history but thanks to state-of-the-art sonar technology, the wreck of the merchant steamship has been rediscovered.

The technology maps out the seabed and can bring out details of structures.

Rediscovered: The steamship which sent an iceberg warning to the Titanic before it sank has been found broken in two at the bottom of the Irish Sea (pictured)

The wreck of the SS Mesaba was discovered with the help of state-of-the-art sonar technology

The SS Mesaba (pictured) continued as a merchant ship for six more years after the Titanic sank, before being torpedoed by a German U-boat while part of a convoy in September 1918

The multibeam sonar equipment helped researchers at Bangor University in North Wales identify the wreck and reveal her final position for the first time 21 miles off the Irish coast.

For marine archaeologists, multibeam sonar has the potential to be as impactful as the use of aerial photography was for landscape archaeology.

Experts on board the survey vessel Prince Madog were able to determine the wreck had been previously misidentified as another ship, while the sonar technology gave them the detail to prove it was in fact the Mesaba.

The steamship was sunk by the submarine U-118 of the Kriegsmarine while a convoy it was part of was making a return voyage from Liverpool to Philadelphia.

A total of 20 lives were lost, including that of the ship's commander.

Multibeam sonar equipment helped researchers at Bangor University in North Wales identify the wreck and reveal her final position for the first time 21 miles off the Irish coast

Experts on board the survey vessel Prince Madog were able to determine the wreck had been previously mis-identified as another ship, while the sonar technology gave them the detail to prove it was in fact the Mesaba

SS Mesaba (pictured) was sunk by the submarine U-118 of the Kriegsmarine while the convoy making a return voyage from Liverpool to Philadelphia

The vessel is one of 273 shipwrecks in 7,500 square miles of the Irish Sea, which were scanned and cross-referenced against the UK Hydrographic Office's database.

It was thought that 101 wrecks were unidentified, but the number of newly identified wrecks was far higher because many including the SS Mesaba had been wrongly identified in the past.

Details of all the wrecks have been published in a new book, Echoes from the Deep by Dr Innes McCartney of Bangor University, which was written under a Leverhulme Fellowship while at Bournemouth University.

Dr McCartney said: 'The results of the work described in the book have validated the multidisciplinary technique employed and it is a "game-changer" for marine archaeology.

The vessel is one of 273 shipwrecks in 7,500 square miles of the Irish Sea, which were scanned and cross-referenced against the UK Hydrographic Office's database

The Titanic, which was called the 'unsinkable ship,' went down on April 15, 1912, four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York

'Previously we would be able to dive to a few sites a year to visually identify wrecks.

'The Prince Madog's unique sonar capabilities has enabled us to develop a relatively low-cost means of examining the wrecks. We can connect this back to the historical information without costly physical interaction with each site.

'It should be of key interest to marine scientists, environmental agencies, hydrographers, heritage managers, maritime archaeologists, and historians.'

Dr Michael Roberts who led the sonar surveys at the University's School of Ocean Sciences said: 'The expertise and unique resources we have at Bangor University, such as the "Prince Madog" enable us to deliver high quality scientific research in an extremely cost-effective manner.

'Identifying shipwrecks such as those documented in the publication for historical research and environmental impact studies is just one example of this.

'We have also been examining these wreck sites to better understand how objects on the seabed interact with physical and biological processes, which in turn can help scientists support the development and growth of the marine energy sector.'
An ancient armored 'shark' that roamed the oceans 436 million years ago is believed to be humans' oldest jawed ancestor - predating the previous specimen by 15 million years.

Paleontologists reconstructed tiny skeletal fragments unearthed in China that belonged to a creature with an external body 'armor' and several pairs of fin spines that separate it from living jawed fish like cartilaginous sharks and rays.

The team also uncovered about 20 teeth from this new species named Fanjingshania, allowing them to determine they could have only come from a fish with an arched jaw margin that is similar to those found in modern-day sharks.

The fossils 'help to trace many human body structures back to ancient fishes, some 440 million years ago, and fill some key gaps in the evolution of 'from fish to human,' researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences said.

This research also produced other fossils, specifically ones that revealed the galeaspids, members of an extinct class of jawless fish, possessed paired fins.

An ancient armored 'shark' that roamed the oceans 436 million years ago is believed to be humans' oldest jawed ancestor

Corresponding author Professor Zhu Min, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, said in a statement: 'This is the oldest jawed fish with known anatomy.

'The new data allowed us to place Fanjingshania in the family tree of early vertebrates and gain much needed information about the evolutionary steps leading to the origin of important vertebrate adaptations such as jaws, sensory systems and paired appendages.'

Scientists in 2013 said they had found a 419-million-year-old fish fossil in China that disproved the long-held theory that modern animals with bony skeletons (osteichthyans) evolved from a shark-like creature with a frame made of cartilage.

Humans' ancient ancestor was recovered from bone bed samples of the Rongxi Formation at a site in Shiqian County of Guizhou Province, South China.

Fanjingshania had several features that differ from any known vertebrate, specifically dermal shoulder girdle plates that fuse as a unit to a number of spinespectoral, prepectoral and prepelvic.

Paleontologists reconstructed tiny skeletal fragments unearthed in China. Pictured is a fragment of the pectoral dermal skeleton (part of a pectoral spine fused to shoulder girdle of the new species

The team also uncovered about 20 teeth from this new species named Fanjingshania (pictured), allowing them to determine they could have only come from a fish with an arched jaw margin that is similar to those found in modern-day sharks

The creature's fin spines are among the greatest finds, as the feature helped scientists pinpoint the new species' position in the evolutionary tree of early vertebrates.

The team also determined Fanjingshania's fossilized bones reveal resorption (the absorption of cells or tissue into the circulatory system) and remodeling that are typically associated with skeletal development in bony fish, including humans.

The resorption features of Fanjingshania are most apparent in isolated trunk scales that show evidence of tooth-like shedding of crown elements and removal of dermal bone from the scale base.

Lead author Dr Plamen Andreev, a researcher at Qujing Normal University, said in a statement: 'This level of hard tissue modification is unprecedented in chondrichthyans, a group that includes modern cartilaginous fish and their extinct ancestors.

'It speaks about greater than currently understood developmental plasticity of the mineralized skeleton at the onset of jawed fish diversification.'

This research also produced other fossils, specifically ones that revealed the galeaspids, members of an extinct clade of jawless fish, possessed paired fins

Until now, only fossils of the creatures' heads have been found. These fossilized remains reveal the first time paired fins evolved

The team also discovered the full skeleton of a galeaspids, an extinct taxon of jawless marine and freshwater fish, in the rocks of Hunan Province and Chongqing and named Tujiaaspis after the indigenous Tujia people who live in this region, contain their whole bodies.

And until now, only fossils of the creatures' heads have been found.

These fossilized remains reveal the first time paired fins evolved.

First author Zhikun Gai, a University of Bristol alumnus, said: 'The anatomy of galeaspids has been something of a mystery since they were first discovered more than half a century ago.

'Tens of thousands of fossils are known from China and Vietnam, but almost all of them are just heads  nothing has been known about the rest of their bodies  until now.'

'The new fossils are spectacular, preserving the whole body for the first time and revealing that these animals possessed paired fins that extended continuously, all the way from the back of the head to the very tip of the tail.'

Corresponding author Professor Donoghue said: 'Tujiaaspis breathes new life into a century old hypothesis for the evolution of paired fins, through differentiation of pectoral (arms) and pelvic (legs) fins over evolutionary time from a continuous head-to-tail fin precursor.

'This 'fin-fold' hypothesis has been very popular but it has lacked any supporting evidence until now. The discovery to Tujiaaspis resurrects the fin-fold hypothesis and reconciles it with contemporary data on the genetic controls on the embryonic development of fins in living vertebrates.'
Ex-United States President Donald Trump warned that World War 3 might flare up over Ukraine or Taiwan, underscoring the extremely risky current situation instigated by the threat of Russian President Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons.

The New York Post reported that John Catsimatidis, the presenter of 77 WABC radio, questioned Donald Trump on issues that keep the former POTUS up late at night.

Trump replied: "I think more than anything else, I think we could end up in World War 3, and it could be all of the horrible things that took place in Ukraine."

Donald Trump also perceives that it may also happen in China's conflict with Taiwan, given "what's going on over there."

Trump also referred to Putin's speech from last week, where the Russian leader pledged to "use all the means" at their disposal to protect Russia and its citizens.

The former US president also asserted that America is at the most dangerous point in "many, many years--perhaps ever" due to the threat of nuclear weapons.

Trump reportedly concurred with Catsimatidis' assertion that if he were still US President, Vladimir Putin would have initiated an attack on Ukraine in February.

Donald Trump claimed he "got along" with the Russian head of state "very well."

"I understood him. He understood me, probably. But I understood him well, and he would have never done it," the Republican politician said.

US Closely Monitoring Russia's Nuclear Weapons Arsenal

In other news, five current and former US officials say that the United States and partner intelligence agencies are bolstering efforts to identify any Russian military activities or communications that could signify Vladimir Putin's deployment of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, per Politico.

The officials warned that it might be too late to identify signs that the unstable Russian leader had decided to launch the unexpected in a desperate attempt to recapture the initiative or intimidate the rest of the world, which may spark World War 3.

Russia's conventional missile and rocket launchers, along with the majority of its aircraft, are also capable of launching smaller, tactical nuclear warheads. These weapons are meant for more targeted use on the battlefield than strategic arms like intercontinental ballistic missiles, which send off obvious indicators when alerted or mobilized for training.

Read Also: US Expresses Openness To Accept Russian People Seeking Asylum Amid Vladimir Putin's Mobilization Order

One US government official who had access to intelligence on Moscow's nuclear arsenal and plan was not authorized to talk publicly but noted they are closely monitoring the situation.

Recent attempts include dispatching more US and allied intelligence support in the air, space, and internet and depending more on private Earth-imaging satellites, one official said.

NATO Takes Putin's Nuclear Threat Seriously

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the organization takes Russia's statements and warnings of using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine seriously, according to a Reuters report.

In his opening statements before the European Parliament, Stoltenberg declared that any use of nuclear weapons is completely unacceptable."

He said that if Russia uses a nuclear weapon, the European Union and the NATO alliance will penalize it.

The NATO chief warned that if Russia uses nuclear weapons, it "will totally change the nature of the conflict."

Russian officials declared recently that the Kremlin holds the "right" to use nuclear weapons to defend its territory.

Related Article: US Vice Pres. Kamala Harris Adds Korean Demilitarized Zone in Her Itenirary Despite Nuclear Threat From North Korea

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Asteroid impacts on the moon millions of years ago coincided with some of the largest meteorite impacts on Earth  including the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.

That is the discovery of a new study which also found that major impact events on our planet did not happen in isolation, but rather were accompanied by a series of smaller impacts.

Experts say their findings shed new light on the asteroids in the inner solar system, including the likelihood of potentially devastating Earth-bound asteroids.

The team studied microscopic glass beads aged up to two billion years old that were found in regolith brought back to Earth from the moon in December 2020 as part of the Chinese National Space Agency's Chang'e-5 Lunar mission.

Asteroid impacts on the moon millions of years ago coincided with some of the largest meteorite impacts on Earth  including the one that wiped out the dinosaurs (stock image)

The team studied microscopic glass beads aged up to two billion years old that were found in regolith brought back to Earth from the moon in December 2020 as part of the Chinese National Space Agency's Chang'e-5 Lunar mission

The heat and pressure of meteorite impacts created the glass beads and scientists say their age distribution should mimic the impacts, revealing a timeline of bombardments.

Lead author Professor Alexander Nemchin, from Curtin University, Australia, said the findings suggest the timing and frequency of asteroid impacts on the moon may have been mirrored on Earth, telling us more about the history of evolution of our own planet.

'We combined a wide range of microscopic analytical techniques, numerical modelling, and geological surveys to determine how these microscopic glass beads from the moon were formed and when,' he added.

'We found that some of the age groups of the lunar glass beads coincide precisely with the ages of some of the largest terrestrial impact crater events, including the Chicxulub impact crater responsible for the dinosaur extinction event.

'The study also found that large impact events on Earth such as the Chicxulub crater 66 million years ago could have been accompanied by a number of smaller impacts.

The Chang'E-5 spacecraft landed on one of the youngest regions of the moon, located at a mid-high latitude, and returned 1,731 g of samples to Earth in 2020

Experts say their findings shed new light on the asteroids in the inner solar system, including the likelihood of potentially devastating Earth-bound asteroids. The moon and its craters are pictured

'If this is correct, it suggests that the age-frequency distributions of impacts on the moon might provide valuable information about the impacts on the Earth or inner solar system.'

Co-author, associate professor Katarina Miljkovic, from Curtin's Space Science and Technology Centre in Australia, said future studies could help shed light on the history of the moon.

'The next step would be to compare the data gleaned from these Chang'e-5 samples with other lunar soils and crater ages to be able to uncover other significant moon-wide impact events which might in turn reveal new evidence about what impacts may have affected life on Earth,' she added.

The findings are published in the journal Science Advances.
The astronaut used a bar on the floor and large elastic bands to keep herself stable and balanced while in microgravity

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti completed a yoga class that is out of this world - she performed the Jedi warrior, shooting star and other poses in microgravity while aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Cristoforetti, who on Wednesday became the first female European commander on the station, followed along with certified yoga teacher Jaime Amor who conducted the class from an Earth-based studio.

However, the astronaut had to secure her feet to the floor with a bar and use a large elastic band to keep her balance.

While Cristoforetti was able to stay grounded for most of the poses, with some assistance, the crescent moon and eagle has landed poses saw her lift off the ground and float around the station.

While Samantha Cristoforetti was able to stay grounded for most of the poses, with some assistance, the crescent moon (pictured) and eagle has landed poses saw her lift off the ground and float around the station

Cristoforetti followed yoga instructor Jamie Amor, who was in an Earth-based studio

Yoga is a popular exercise to improve strength, mental health and flexibility, and has been performed aboard the orbiting lab by several other astronauts in the past - NASA astronauts Jack Fischer and Peggy Whitson showed off some balancing poses in 2017.

A 2012 paper, published by a team of American scientists and the US Army Institute of Surgical Research, suggested that yoga practices like breathing maneuvers, relaxation, meditation and specific muscular movements could help alleviate effects of microgravity.

By providing self-directed stress relief tools the reduction in stress-related cortisol and catecholamine spikes observed throughout the space program may be expected to ameliorate microgravity-induced changes such as immuno-deficiency and regional loss in bone architecture, as well as accelerate readaptation of balance and coordination, bone, muscle, and cardiovascular systems to Earth's gravity on return, reads the study.

Amor (left) and Cristoforetti (right) practiced yoga on the ground before the astronaut launched to the ISS

Cristoforetti used a long elastic band to perform the Jedi warrior pose, otherwise she would have floated away

Although Cristoforetti was doing yoga for fun, the short class could improve her health while she completes a long stay on the ISS.

Cristoforetti follows along with Amor, who is a yoga instructor for Cosmic Kids, a platform geared toward mindfulness for kids.

The astronaut places her feet underneath a bar that is attached to the ships floor to begin the class, which started with simple breathing exercises to calm the nerves and mind, which Amor said is very important for an astronaut during the video.

One off the stretching exercises is Hello Earth, which entails lowering your upper body toward the floor until your fingers touch.

However, such a task required Cristoforetti to use an elastic band attached to the floor in order to pull herself down.

Then the pair do the crescent moon pose, in which you stand tall with your arms together in the air and legs close together on the ground.

Cristoforetti also used the band to show the shooting star pose

But she could not use the security band during the eagle has landed pose and she floated off the ground

While Amors feet stayed planted in one spot, Cristoforetti lifted off the ground because of the microgravity.

Wearing elastic bands for assistance in zero gravity, she is also seen doing an eagle pose by crisscrossing her legs and trying to balance herself by bending a bit.

Yoga is not the only exercise done aboard the ISS, as there is a complete gym on the ship that astronauts use regularly to stay limber - and they shared a look of their makeshift gym in 2020.

NASAs Jessica Meir took the public on a tour of their makeshift equipment which includes a vacuum system that is similar to free-weights, a treadmill with bungee cords and a stationary bike without a seat or handlebars.

Studies have shown that exercise is vital only to your physical health but also to your mental well-being, Meir said in the clip.

You may need to get a little bit creative to get that heart rate elevated while at home without heading to the gym, but we are confident you can come up with something.

Exercising in space poses unique challenges, but without exercise, astronauts can lose up to 15 percent of their muscle mass, some of it permanently.

Aboard the ISS is the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (aRED), which, according to Meir, is the crews one-stop weight machine that uses two large vacuum tubes to generate the resistance.

Yoga is not the only exercise done aboard the ISS, as there is a complete gym on the ship that astronauts use regularly to stay limber - and they shared a look of their makeshift gym in 2020. Pictured is NASAs Jessica Meir running on a treadmill

The makeshift gym has a system that uses a piston and flywheel system to simulate free-weight exercises in normal gravity to work all the major muscle groups through squats, dead lifts and calf raises. Astronauts have reported see similar results to using free-weights

The system uses a piston and flywheel system to simulate free-weight exercises in normal gravity to work all the major muscle groups through squats, deadlifts and calf raises.

Astronauts have reported seeing similar results to using free-weights.

While aRED's primary goal is to maintain muscle strength and mass, resistive exercise also helps astronauts increase endurance for physically demanding tasks such as space walks, NASA explained in a statement.

The crew also needs to do some cardiovascular exercises, which is done using a small treadmill or stationary bike  but they are different from what you see at your own gym.

The treadmill aboard the ship is designed to allow astronauts to run without vibrating the equipment.

It is also equipped with a harness that is connected to bungee cords, which keep the runner in place while in the microgravity.

One of the interesting things we like to point out to people on the ground is that it is a bicycle, but we don't have a seat and we dont have handle bars, Meir said as she strapped herself into the bike and grabbed onto handles attached to the wall.
It is not known why the children were killed, but it was likely that they were gifts to ancient Chimu gods

Archaeologists found one grave with five young girls sitting head to head in a circle

Skeletons of 76 children killed more than 450 years ago in sacrificial rituals have been found in Peru

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A horrific scene of 76 skeletons belonging to children who were sacrificed more than 450 years ago has been uncovered in Peru, with one grave containing five young kids sitting head to head in a circle.

The remains were buried in two mounds and all the children, minus the five in one grave, were laid to rest with their feet facing the east and their heads towards the west, which is a repeating pattern among such sacrificial burials by the ancient Chimu society that is known for the gruesome practices.

This discovery brings the total to 302 sacrificed children that have been found in the area, all of which were killed in six different sacrificial events from 1050 to 1500.

The reason these children were killed is not yet known, but scientists speculate their lives may have been a gift to the gods.

One grave contained the remains of what experts believe are five young girls. They were placed head to head and their bodies formed a circle

The Chimu was a pre-Incan culture that emerged from the remnants of the Moche culture along the coast of Peru in 900AD and this civilization was the largest pre-Columbian Empire in Peru until the Inca.

This group is widely known for their innovations in agriculture, such as constructing large irrigation systems, along with their children sacrifices.

The graves were unearthed at Pampa La Cruz archaeological site, located in Huanchaco district, Andina reports.

Archaeologists found 25 graves in Mound I and 51 in Mound II.

The team is conducting more research to determine how these children were murdered and if there was any other reason other than that they were gifts to the Chimus gods.

The other graves were found in two different mounds: Mound I contained 25 graves and 51 were found in Mound II.

The graves were unearthed at Pampa La Cruz archaeological site, located in Huanchaco district, which is an area that has produced other mass graves of murdered children

The team is conducting more research to determine how these children were murdered and if there was any other reason other than that they were gifts to the Chimus gods

This region is known for mass graves containing remains of children, with the largest uncovered in 2019.

More than 140 boys and girls aged between five and 14 were slaughtered in what is thought to be a mass sacrifice to appease the gods of a now extinct religion.

Many of the children and juvenile animals had their hearts cut out during the grisly ritual.

An analysis dates all the remains to approximately 11450, during the peak of the Chimu civilization in northern coastal Peru.

Study author John Verano, professor of anthropology at Tulane University, said: 'This site opens a new chapter on the practice of child sacrifice in the ancient world.

'This archaeological discovery was a surprise to all of us - we had not seen anything like this before, and there was no suggestion from ethnohistoric sources or historic accounts of child or camelid sacrifices being made on such a scale in northern coastal Peru.

This region is known for mass graves containing remains of children, with the largest uncovered in 2019 (pictured). More than 140 boys and girls aged between five and 14 were slaughtered in what is thought to be a mass sacrifice to appease the gods of a now extinct religion

'We were fortunate to be able to completely excavate the site and to have a multidisciplinary field and laboratory team to do the excavation and preliminary analysis of the material.'

Anatomical and genetic tests, published in the journal PLOS One, says cuts across the children and llamas' sterna suggested they had their chests cut open to remove their hearts.

Professor Prieto said: 'Accessing the heart by transverse sectioning of the sternum is a technique familiar to modern thoracic surgeons, and is known by various names.

'The purpose of opening the chests of the children can only be hypothesized, but heart removal is a likely motivation.'
Natalie Zea's hit show LaBrea saw its season two debut on Tuesday evening to smash hit ratings.

And that same day the Texas native told E! News that things will be heating up on the time-travel series.

'You certainly see more of the romance than you saw before,' shared the Justified vet. 'I don't want to give any spoilers away, but we did have to employ an intimacy consultant this year.'

Love is in the air: Natalie Zea's hit show LaBrea saw its season two debut on Tuesday evening to mash hit ratings. And that same day the Texas native told E! News that things will be heating up on the network time-travel series. Seen at the Emmys in mid September

And her co-star Eoin Macken, who plays her husband Gavin Harris, added, 'It gets very spicy.'

Zea's character also has her former lover, Levi Delgado, hanging around; he is played by Latin heartthrob Nicholas Gonzalez.

There certainly is a love triangle on the show, and the first episode of season two hinted that Zea's Eve will be spending a lot more time with Nicholas' Levi.

Oh la la: 'You certainly see more of the romance than you saw before,' shared the Justified vet. 'I don't want to give any spoilers away, but we did have to employ an intimacy consultant this year'

Her main man: And her co-star Eoin Macken, who plays her husband Gavin Harris, added, 'It gets very spicy'

Another hottie: Zea's character also has her former lover hanging around; he is played by Latin heartthrob Nicholas Gonzalez

On Wednesday the blonde beauty spoke to Variety about season two.

The Dirty Sexy Money vet shared there will a bigger focus on the bonds her character has.

'Were able to explore personal relationships a lot more than we were able to do when we were busy trying to survive, which were still doing,' she noted.

With her kid: Zea also has a son on the show, far left; he is played by actor Jack Martin

And in mid September Natalie spoke with NBC's California Live.

She said she wants to be included in Justified redo which is filming in Florida. The bombshell played Wynona on the show from 2010 until 2015.

'Whatever they want me to do I will do it, just call me and I will come running,' said the blonde.

Olyphant is making a return to his Justified show with the follow up Justified: City Primeval.

The limited series will again feature the 53-year-old actor as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens.

It has been seven years since the original show - which also starred Zea, Walton Goggins, Margot Martindale and Jacob Pitts - went off the air.

Back for more: Zea said she would love to join Timothy Olyphant again for the reboot Justified: City Primeval

The limited series was teased in March 2021 but was only recently greenlit by FX.

It picks up eight years after the U.S. Marshall left Kentucky and headed for Miami. He is now balancing his work life and being a father to a 14-year-old girl.

According to Deadline, 'A chance encounter on a Florida highway sends him to Detroit and he crosses paths with Clement Mansell, aka The Oklahoma Wildman, a violent sociopath whos already slipped through the fingers of Detroits finest once and wants to do so again.'

The Gone in 60 Seconds star will executive produce in addition to being the male lead star in the limited series.

The past: It has been seven years since the original show - which also starred Zea (pictured), Walton Goggins, Margot Martindale and Jacob Pitts - went off the air

Justified had a total of six seasons, beginning in 2010 and ending in 2015.

The hit show landed eight Emmy nominations throughout the six seasons, including one for Timothy for best actor in a drama in 2011.

As far as attending her first Emmys this month, she told NBC she loved it.

'I felt we snuck in and no one caught us. We were at the Barry table and I hung out with Henry Winkler who is a La Brea fan. We had a really good time, most people say it is a chore but we love these things,' she said; her date was husband Travis Schuldt, who was on Big Little Lies.

'All the anxiety comes before the event, but once I was there were can people watch and have fun.'
Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Redd is reportedly dating Christina Evangeline - the ex-wife of his co-star Kenan Thompson.

However sources have told TMZ that there was no cheating involved and that there is no bad blood between the two funnymen.

Although Kenan filed for divorce this June, he and Christina were allegedly separated since 2019, while Christina and Chris are said to have started dating in the past year.

The way they were: Chris Redd is reportedly dating Christina Evangeline - the ex-wife of his co-star Kenan Thompson; Christina and Kenan are pictured together in 2017

Chris announced his departure from Saturday Night Live earlier this month, sparking wild rumors about the reasons for his exit.

By that point, he had already been seen out and about with Christina, and speculation raged online that Kenan had a hand in having Chris let go.

However the TMZ insiders insisted that no such maneuvering occurred, and that Kenan is copacetic with Chris dating his ex.

Indeed Chris is working with Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels on a new project at Audible Audio, suggesting Lorne did not fire him.

Her dashing new man?: However sources have told TMZ that there was no cheating involved and that there is no bad blood between the two funnymen; Chris is pictured last month

Meanwhile Kenan is said to be dating other people himself, and he reportedly bears no grudge about the alleged romance between Chris and Christina.

The two men have a professional relationship beyond Saturday Night Live - Chris featured on Kenan's self-titled NBC sitcom, which ended this May after two seasons.

Meanwhile Chris and Christina have apparently been acquainted for six years, which is to say about a year before Chris became a featured player on Saturday Night Live.

By the way: The two men have a professional relationship beyond Saturday Night Live - Chris featured on Kenan's self-titled NBC sitcom (pictured) which ended this May after two seasons

Chris announced this month that he would be leaving Saturday Night Live after five seasons, becoming the eighth cast member to exit the show since May.

Meanwhile Kenan and Christina were married for 11 years before news broke this May that they were going to get divorced.

They share two daughters - Georgia, eight, and Gianna, four - and TMZ reports that Kenan in his divorce filing requested that custody be evenly split.
Elizabeth Olsen looked sensational as she graced one of the four covers of Variety's The Power of Women Issue.

The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star, 33, stunned in a dramatic white shirt dress with billowy sleeves and a wide belt, and discussed her Scarlet Witch character turning malevolent in the Sam Raimi-directed Marvel sequel.

The actress revealed that she enjoyed the dark turn: 'At least in my experience, it's been hard as a woman to express rage. Its one of the most amazing feelings, because its so specific: You can know exactly why you're angry.'

Delightful: Elizabeth Olsen looked sensational in a dramatic white shirt dress with billowy sleeves as she graced one of the four covers of Variety 's The Power of Women Issue

She also added that the Scarlet Witch - a.k.a. Wanda Maximoff - role was 'quite a leap from the woman that Ive been playing!'

Olsen went on to express her initial surprise at finding out that she would be one of the key players in the film.

'I called my team, and I was like, "You guys, Im the lead villain in this film. I didnt know thats what we were doing, but thats whats happening!"'

Dark turn: The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star, 33, shared that she enjoyed the dark turn her character, Wanda Maximoff, took in the Marvel sequel

Meanwhile, Marvel President Kevin Feige thrilled fans when he discussed the character's future in the same interview.

'There really is so much more to explore,' he said. 'We still havent touched on many of her core storylines from the comics.'

As for the building that appeared to have killed her in the last film, Feige coyly said: 'I dont know that we saw her under rubble? I saw a tower coming down, and a little red flash. I dont know what that means.'

Anger: 'At least in my experience, it's been hard as a woman to express rage. Its one of the most amazing feelings, because its so specific: You can know exactly why you're angry'

He then added: 'Id work with Lizzie for another 100 years if we could. Anythings possible in the multiverse! Well have to see.'

Elsewhere in the interview she described how her method for choosing roles has changed over the years.

The sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen said that for years after doing Martha Marcy May Marlene she would take on roles if 'I was available and there was a job offer and the character seemed like something I hadnt done yet, I would say yes  thats all it took.'

More to come: Marvel President Kevin Feige also hinted at the character's future return in the interview: 'Id work with Lizzie for another 100 years if we could. Anythings possible in the multiverse!'; Pictured 2022

She admitted to being 'lazy' and shared 'I was doing what I knew would get me a pass, but I wasnt trying to go beyond that.'

However, she revealed that after being an executive producer on Sorry for Your Loss, she was inspired to strive for more: 'I just cared so much, and it feels really good to care a lot.'

Meanwhile, television mogul Oprah Winfrey, 68, shared another one of the issue's covers with filmmaker Ava DuVernay, 50.

Denim gals: Television mogul Oprah Winfrey, 68, shared another one of the issue's covers with filmmaker Ava DuVernay, 50, with both ladies stunning in denim

Oprah looked sensational in an all-denim look and silver heels, while Ava matched in denim bell bottoms and a denim belt over a long blue button up.

She discussed a potential return to acting by saying she is in no hurry to do it: 'Listen, I am living on a mount in Maui.'

'But if something perfect came along ...' DuVernay interjected, to which Winfrey replied: 'I actually do think something perfect is coming, and I kind of know what it is.'

Though she didn't give specifics, she emphasized: 'Let me tell you, it takes a lot to get me off the porch.'

Mother and daughter power duo: The third cove was graced by Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 74, and her daughter Chelsea Clinton, 42

The third cove was graced by Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 74, and her daughter Chelsea Clinton, 42.

Hillary looked chic in a navy power suit and pointed toe heels with bows, while Chelsea shined in a dusty pink dress.

The world's youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai, 25, was featured on the fourth cover.

The Pakistani female education activist - frequently referred to mononymously as Malala - looked remarkable in a violet dress with a matching violet headscarf.
Great British Bake Off contestants all remained safe for another week after two bakers missed bread week due to illness.

Rebs Lightbody, 23, and Abdul Rehman Sharif, 29, were absent from the infamous tent this week - but judge Prue Leith revealed that this means a double elimination is looming in the near future as a result.

Pleased presenter Matt Lucas told the bakers: 'Well, this week, nobody is going home. The judges felt given the quality here and the fact Rebs and Abdul aren't here, that everyone deserved the chance to bake again.'

Pleased: Great British Bake Off contestants remained safe for another week after two bakers missed bread week due to illness

Back down to earth: Rebs Lightbody and Abdul Rehman Sharif were absent from the infamous tent this week - but judge Prue Leith revealed that this means a double elimination is looming

But Prue broke the news: 'They were all thrilled to bits because nobody had to go.

'They are all friends, they don't want to see their friends go home, but sooner or later, we have to send two bakers home and that's not nice.'

Bread week - what many argue is the most difficult of the twelve on Bake Off - was a difficult one for contestants as usual this year, but 60-year-old Dawn was particularly worried after her performance.

The IT manager from Bedfordshire said: 'Bread week has been an embarrassment. I have come to the bottom of the pile this week, I'm extremely concerned.'

Bread week: This week - what many argue is the most difficult of the twelve on Bake Off - was a difficult one for contestants as usual this year

Man of the moment: On the other hand, 34-year-old Janusz was awarded Star Baker for the second time in the competition

Compliments: Paul Hollywood said of his performance: 'Janusz is very artistic, almost illusional in some of his bakes. He's clever and he certainly is one to watch going forward'

On the other hand, 34-year-old Janusz was awarded Star Baker for the second time in the competition.

Paul Hollywood said of his performance: 'Janusz is very artistic, almost illusional in some of his bakes. He's clever and he certainly is one to watch going forward.

Episode three saw the eight remaining contestants baking two signature pizzas, a technical challenge to make a pain aux raisin and a 'savoury Swedish' showstopper bake.

Many people on Twitter found the showstopper was quite the opposite of it's name - with users saying it made them 'feel sick' and comparing the bakes to Rachel's trifle in US sitcom Friends.

Yuck! Many people on Twitter found the showstopper was quite the opposite of it's name - with users saying it made them 'feel sick' and comparing the bakes to Rachel's trifle in Friends

Rebs and Abdul are to return to the show on next week's episode.

It comes as last week fans complained about Northern Irish student Rebs, 23, who asked the fellow bakers for her help in making macarons, Garibaldi biscuits and a mask made of biscuit.

When making her feline-themed macarons, she got several hands on deck to help get her over the finish line.

One person said on Twitter: 'Ban helping on #GBBO. That's the only way this becomes fair.'

Rebs was left flustered when noticing her mixture for her macarons - which were modelled on her own 15-year-old cat - hadn't turned out quite right during her first try.

She decided to start again, leaving her hugely behind the other contestants; most people's creations were being decorated while hers were still in the oven cooking.
Three of the farms on this year's season of Farmer Wants a Wife have been exposed as rentals, and not actual farms owned by the contestants.

And Daily Mail Australia can now reveal that producers were so desperate to secure 'stand-in' farms in country NSW that they approached locals to use their properties.

Because several farmers' real farms were deemed unsuitable for use due to Covid restrictions, Channel Seven reportedly went to great effort to offer residents of Gloucester a 'hefty sum' to 'borrow' their ranches during filming.

Producers for Farmer Wants A Wife were so desperate to secure 'stand-in' farms in country NSW that they approached locals to use their properties. (Pictured: Harry Lloyd, who used somebody else's farm on the series)

'A family friend was asked about renting their farm to film FWAW,' a source revealed.

'They kept upping the money. It was a hefty sum, but they didn't realise he's a former CEO of a Fortune 500 company!' they added.

While the source didn't name the CEO who was approached, they said he turned down the offer because the show 'wanted to bring in animals, but that goes against what his farm does and everything he stands for'.

'They were expecting just to pay him and he'd be out of the place,' the insider added.

Because several farmers' real farms were deemed unsuitable for use due to Covid restrictions, Channel Seven reportedly went to great effort to offer residents of Gloucester a 'hefty sum' to 'borrow' their ranches during filming. (Pictured: one of the farms on the show)

'A family friend was asked about renting their farm to film FWAW,' a source revealed. 'They kept upping the money. It was a hefty sum, but they didn't realise he's a former CEO of a Fortune 500 company!' (Pictured: one of the farms on FWAW)

It comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed that Will Simpson, Harry Lloyd and Paige Marsh used stand-in properties while filming the Channel Seven series.

Crop farmer Will was presented on the show as owning a farm in Berriwillock, north Victoria, but part of his journey was filmed on a farm 1,000km away in New South Wales.

Meanwhile, a Seven spokesperson confirmed that Paige is a first-generation farmer who doesn't even own a farm.

It comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed that Will Simpson (left) and Paige Marsh (right) used stand-in properties while filming the Channel Seven series

Interestingly, throughout the series there is never mention of 'Will's farm' or 'Paige's farm', with voice-overs instead referencing 'Farmer Harry' or 'Farmer Paige' when the show cuts to their storylines.

Daily Mail Australia understands that after Covid restrictions eased, farmers Harry and Will were able to film parts of their backstory at their real farms.

It follows revelations that Harry's journey was filmed on a dairy farm in NSW, despite his actual property being more than 900km away in Kyabram, northern Victoria.

Will was presented on the show as owning a farm in Berriwillock in north Victoria (pictured) but part of his journey was filmed on a farm 1,000km away in New South Wales

Harry's family farm (pictured) is actually located in Culgoa, 13 kilometres from Berriwillock

Seven confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the farm Harry used was not his real property, but insisted the show was not deceiving viewers or his potential partners.

'Due to Covid, part of Harry's Farmer Wants A Wife journey was filmed on a dairy farm near Gloucester,' a spokesman said in a statement.

'The location of the farm didn't impact the series as Harry's ladies were able to experience life on a dairy farm with Harry, including the early morning starts.'

Meanwhile, a Channel Seven spokesperson confirmed that Paige is a first-generation farmer who doesn't even own a farm. (Pictured: Paige at her stand-in farm)

During the series, viewers were given the impression that Paige owned her own farm
Ruth Jones has revealed she was worried readers would compare her latest work to her smash-hit sitcom Gavin & Stacey.

The actress, 56, said there was 'definitely pressure' when she prepared to publish her first book.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping, ahead of the publication of her third novel Love Untold, she went on to say that she would always be friends with co-creator James Corden as they both owe so much to the show.

Comparison: Ruth Jones, 56, has revealed she was worried readers would compare her latest work to her smash-hit sitcom Gavin & Stacey

Speaking about her foray into novel writing she told the publication: 'I was convinced people would say, 'Oh, it's not like Gavin & Stacey'  but thankfully, it got a good response.

She continued: 'When I came to do the second [novel], I thought, 'Oh gosh, how am I going to match that?' This time around, who knows? My sister and one of my best friends have read it  they enjoyed it at least!'

Ruth looked ravishing in the series of snaps as she graced the glossy magazine's front cover.

Pals: Speaking to Good Housekeeping, ahead of the publication of her third novel Love Untold, she went on to say that she would always be friends with co-creator James Corden as they both owe so much to the show (pictured together on the show)

In one look she donned a plunging emerald green dress that boasted batwing sleeves and an empire waist.

Accessorising with a selection of floral jewellery she let her brunette tresses cascade to her shoulders.

Speaking about her friendship with James Corder she went on to say: 'We'll always be friends because we shared this life-changing experience'.

Gorgeous: Ruth looked ravishing in the series of snaps as she graces the glossy magazine's front cover

'Neither of our careers would be what they are if it wasn't for Gavin & Stacey and we're both incredibly grateful for that. It's funny because it's 15 years since the first episode and so much has happened since then, yet it feels like yesterday.'

She also wore a stylish leopard print top and tied back her hair before opting for a navy sequinned number.

Speaking about her new refreshed attitude now she's over 50 the Bafta winner said she realised she had to stop taking life for granted.

Full of laughs: She also donned a stylish leopard print top and tied back her hair before opting for a navy sequinned number

'When I was younger, I used to think that there was this magical point in the future when everything was going to be perfect... but, let's be realistic, the majority of my years are behind me now! So this decade is about having my eyes open to the good things that are around me  and enjoying them.'

Ruth also reminisced about meeting the late Queen Elizabeth II calling the monarch 'mesmerising'.

'I've met her twice. She was diminutive and quiet, and very dignified but had an aura about her that was quite mesmerising. I feel very lucky to have met her.

Out now: Read the full interview with Ruth Jones in the November 2022 issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale the September 28 It is available in all supermarkets and online at MagsDirect

Gavin and Stacey ran for three series between 2007 and 2010 before returning for Christmas special - the most watched comedy in 17 years - in 2019.

Last year, BBC bosses confirmed the beloved show will return 'one day'.

While outlining the upcoming Christmas television schedule, the channel's Chief Content Officer, Charlotte Moore, discussed the future of the BBC One sitcom.

She explained: 'That wasn't something that was going to happen this year,' and followed that up with: 'One day.'

Hope: Last year, BBC bosses confirmed the beloved show will return 'one day' (L-R) Mathew Horne as Gavin, Joanna Page as Stacey, James Corden as Smithy and Ruth Jones as Nessa

Mathew - plays the titular Gavin in the series - revealed he has an 'allegiance' to the mega-hit, and would return if he were asked.

He said: 'It's quite a large ensemble and one filled with successful people. It was difficult to get everyone together last time, so it would be equally difficult to do it again.

'That said, we all have an allegiance with the show, obviously and it really is like returning to a family.

'I think we would all do it if we could. But James and Ruth want the script to be there and be right.'

However, Mathew Horne recently shut down speculation of a Gavin & Stacey reunion, admitting that it would be hard to get some 'successful people' on board.

The actor, 43, claimed that fans desiring the comedy's return 'is not enough of a reason', adding that the writers 'want to make sure that they have a story' first.

Mathew - who plays Gavin - added how difficult it was to get the ensemble together for the 2019 Christmas special, which was later declared the most-viewed non-sporting event in a decade.

Read the full interview with Ruth Jones in the November 2022 issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale the September 28 It is available in all supermarkets and online at MagsDirect.

Love Untold (Transworld) by Ruth Jones is out on the September 29

Gavin & Stacey is available exclusively to Stan in Australia.
Hugh Jackman set social media ablaze on Tuesday after confirming he will reprise his role as Wolverine in Deadpool 3.

Ryan Reynolds, who plays the foul-mouthed superhero Deadpool in the Marvel film series, announced the news in a funny teaser video that showed him at home struggling to come up with ideas for the third movie.

At the end of the clip, he admits he has one great idea that fans will love. Hugh then nonchalantly enters the scene in the background and walks up the stairs.

Hugh Jackman (left) set social media ablaze on Tuesday after confirming he will reprise his role as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, starring his friend Ryan Reynolds (right)

Ryan asks him: 'Hey, Hugh. You want to play Wolverine one more time?'

Hugh casually replies, 'Yeah, sure, Ryan,' as he walks past and up the staircase.

Marvel fans on social media erupted over the announcement, with one writing, 'Thank you for coming back,' while another wrote, 'Bravo, Hugh!'

Ryan, who plays the foul-mouthed superhero Deadpool in the Marvel series, announced the news in a funny teaser that shows him at home struggling to come up with ideas for the sequel

Hugh first appeared as Wolverine in the 2000 movie X-Men, and went on to play him in various sequels and spin-offs until 2017.

He last stepped into the shoes and claws of Wolverine in Logan five years ago.

After that film's release, the Australian actor said he hoped to play Wolverine in an Avengers movie one day.

At the end of the clip, he admits he has one great idea that fans will love. Hugh then nonchalantly enters the scene in the background and walks up the stairs

'Every time I saw an Avengers movie, I could just see Wolverine in the middle of all of them like punching them all on the head,' he said at the time.

'But it was like, "Oh well, that's not going to happen."'

Hugh holds a Guinness World Record for 'longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero' having played Wolverine for 17 years.

Hugh first appeared as Wolverine, also known as Logan, in the 2000 movie X-Men, and went on to play him in various sequels and spin-offs until 2017. (Pictured in the 2017 film Logan)
South Carolina is one of the states with the poorest road safety records, with 2021 being one of the deadliest in recent times.

According to South Carolina Department of Public Safety data, the state recorded over 2,080 deaths by the close of 2021, surpassing the 1,077 death record set in 2007. Data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also shows that South Carolina ranked the highest in fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled at 1.73 deaths.

Unfortunately, the chances of receiving injuries in a car accident in South Carolina are often high. If you have been injured in a car accident in South Carolina, here are several things you may need to know.

South Carolina Is A Fault State

Like all states, South Carolina is a fault state which means the individual responsible for causing the accident carries liability for the crash. Meaning if someone else is to blame for an accident, you could be eligible to receive compensation for your losses. However, it is recommended to hire a car accident lawyer near you while pursuing compensation. Facing a personal injury claim alone after a car accident will result in you not getting fair compensation for damages suffered due to the fault of another.

Avoid Early Settlement

The at-fault party or their insurer may contact you with an offer a day or two after an accident. Insurers know that you may be desperate and are eager to jump on any offer. Unfortunately, taking the settlement offer means signing off your right to sue for any damages.

Evidence Matters

Obtaining fair compensation for damages suffered in an accident depends on the strength of your case, starting with evidence. Collecting evidence starts with taking pictures or video footage of the scene and any injuries suffered, collecting witness testimonies, gathering the at fault's contact information, license plates, and insurance information. The best time to gather this evidence is when you are still at the scene of the accident.

Seeking medical attention after a car accident ensures that you get treatment for injuries received, including injuries that may not be evident at the scene of the crash. Besides ensuring your health, any medical records you obtain become a significant part of evidence required to build your case. They also link the accident and your injuries, provide evidence for procedures involved, cost of treatment, and medication, which helps determine economic and non-economic damages.

Calling the police and obtaining a police report at the scene of the accident offers substantial evidence to a case and can help determine liability. Even if the police fail to appear at the crash scene, the call log can help prove that you reported the accident. A police report is a public record which your lawyer can help you obtain.

Your Lawyer Matters

You may want to ensure that the lawyer you choose is the best fit for your accident before contacting them. Some things you may want to consider for an accident lawyer include their experience in a similar accident, if they have handled cases involving the types of injuries suffered, and their trial success record.

Trail experience is an important aspect as it can become a determining factor if you fail to agree on an out-of-court settlement with the defendant.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker turned heads as they stepped onto the red carpet in wild and wacky looks at the premiere of Hocus Pocus 2 in New York City on Tuesday.

The duo, along with co-star Kathy Najimy, reprise their roles as the wicked Sanderson Sisters in the highly-anticipated sequel to the 1993 classic, which is set for a September 30 release on Disney+.

Midler posed up a storm in a flowing black and white striped dress with colorful striped sleeves and a V-neckline that showed off her smooth decolletage.

Wild and wacky! Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker turned heads as they stepped onto the red carpet in wild and wacky getups at the premiere of Hocus Pocus 2 in New York City on Tuesday. The duo, along with co-star Kathy Najimy, reprise their roles as the wicked Sanderson Sisters in the highly-anticipated sequel to the 1993 classic, which is set for a September 30 release on Disney+

Midler - who plays ringleader Winifred Sanderson - twirled around for the cameras and pulled at the sides of her dress to showcase the skirt's width.

The actress, 76, gave her petite 5foot1inch frame a boost by strolling the red carpet in a pair of metallic rainbow platforms.

Her cropped silver tresses poked out from under a neon pink turban and a pair of sparkling drop earrings brushed the tops of her shoulders.

Midler was joined at the star-studded shindig by her longtime husband, actor Martin von Haselberg, who rocked a bright and quirky getup of his own.

Head turner: Midler posed up a storm in a flowing black and white striped dress with colorful striped sleeves and a V-neckline that showed off her smooth decolletage

Eye-catching: Her cropped silver tresses poked out from under a neon pink turban and a pair of sparkling drop earrings brushed the tops of her shoulders. The actress, 76, gave her petite 5foot1inch frame a boost by strolling the red carpet in a pair of metallic rainbow platforms

Midler - who plays ringleader Winifred Sanderson - twirled around for the cameras and pulled at the sides of her dress to showcase the skirt's width

Having a blast: Midler looked in her element while posing for shutterbugs ahead of the screening

Beaming: She beamed for shutterbugs

Longtime love: Midler was joined at the star-studded shindig by her longtime husband, actor Martin von Haselberg, who rocked a bright and quirky getup of his own

Fanfare: Midler looked excited to see fans as she rolled up to the premiere venue in a chauffeured vehicle

Sarah Jessica Parker made the evening a family affair as she arrived with husband Matthew Broderick, 60, and their 13-year-old twin daughters Tabitha and Marion.

Missing from the action was Parker and Broderick's 19-year-old son James.

The Sex And The City star, 57, highlighted her slender frame by slipped into a silver satin tunic with a purple and pink floral pattern throughout.

It was decked out in colorful beading on the cuffs, hem, pockets and from the collar to hem.

Family affair: Sarah Jessica Parker made the evening a family affair as she arrived with husband Matthew Broderick, 60, and their 13-year-old twin daughters Tabitha and Marion

Floral: The Sex And The City star, 57, highlighted her slender frame by slipped into a silver satin tunic with a purple and pink floral pattern throughout. It was decked out in colorful beading on the cuffs, hem, pockets and from the collar to hem

Blondie: Her signature blonde strands cascaded down her back and chest in beachy waves while shimmery brown eyeshadows made her bright blue peepers pop

She styled the eye-catching top with a pair of sheeny pink trousers that cinched at the ankles.

Parker slipped on some hot pink stiletto heels and carried her belongings in a glittery blue clutch.

Her signature blonde strands cascaded down her back and chest in beachy waves while shimmery brown eyeshadows made her bright blue peepers pop.

Broderick looked dapper as he supported his wife in a gray tweed suit styled with a pale blue dress shirt and a brown floral tie.

Dapper: Broderick looked dapper as he supported his wife in a gray tweed suit styled with a pale blue dress shirt and a brown floral tie

Her go-to: Parker slipped on some hot pink stiletto heels and carried her belongings in a glittery blue clutch

MIA: Missing from the action was Parker and Broderick's 19-year-old son James

Fashionistas: Parker's daughters showed up in darling dresses that complimented their mother's fun look

Arrival: Parker spotted just moments before stepping onto the red carpet

Doting mom: Parker looked every bit the doting mom as she wrapped her arms around her girls

Kathy Najimy looked svelte in a curve-clinging black dress with sexy cut-outs on the chest.

Her silky brunette hair was worn in curls and she kept her makeup classic by going for cateye liner and a muted pink lip.

The Sister Act 2 star, 65, shared a friendly kiss with director Anne Fletcher, who helmed the sequel and recent teased a potential third Hocus Pocus installment.

Jaimie Alexander wowed the crowd as she arrived to the premiere in a sparkling sequin coat styled with dramatic flared jeans.

To keep her coat the focus, the actress layered it over a plain white tee.

Svelte: Kathy Najimy looked svelte in a curve-clinging black dress with sexy cut-outs on the chest

All love! The Sister Act 2 star, 65, shared a friendly kiss with director Anne Fletcher, who helmed the sequel and recent teased a potential third Hocus Pocus installment

Silky: Her silky brunette hair was worn in curls and she kept her makeup classic by going for cateye liner and a muted pink lip

Dazzling: Jaimie Alexander wowed the crowd as she arrived to the premiere in a sparkling sequin coat styled with dramatic flared jeans. To keep her coat the focus, the actress layered it over a plain white tee

Kristin Chenoweth showed her love for Hocus Pocus while posing up on the red carpet with her hunky fiance Josh Bryant.

The Broadway star rocked a bubblegum pink sweatshirt with 'Hocus Pocus' written across the front in sparkly lettering and a pair of denim skinny jeans.

She finished off the look by slipping into a pair of rhinestone-covered stiletto boots and toting a pink leather clutch.

Ralph Macchio, who looked stylish in a blue plaid blazer and black skinny jeans, brought along his daughter Julia Macchio, 30, as his plus one.

Big fan: Kristin Chenoweth showed her love for Hocus Pocus while posing up on the red carpet with her hunky fiance Josh Bryant

Adorable: The Broadway star rocked a bubblegum pink sweatshirt with 'Hocus Pocus' written across the front in sparkly lettering and a pair of denim skinny jeans

Stylish: Ralph Macchio looked stylish in a blue plaid blazer and black skinny jeans

Daddy's girl: He brought along his daughter Julia Macchio, 30, as his plus one

The Cobra Kai actor, 60, shares his daughter, as well as 26-year-old son Daniel, with longtime wife Phyllis Fierro.

Belissa Escobedo oozed confidence in a brown corset top with puffed organza sleeves and matching trousers that laced-up the thighs.

Lilia Buckingham looked ultra glam in a blush floor-length gown with a tulle overlay was covered in Swarvoski crystal from bust to hem.

Whitney Peak cut a quirky figure as she made her way down the carpet in a floral and sequin mini dress styled with black Mary Jane shoes.

Confident: Belissa Escobedo oozed confidence in a brown corset top with puffed organza sleeves and matching trousers that laced-up the thighs

Glam: Lilia Buckingham looked ultra glam in a blush floor-length gown with a tulle overlay was covered in Swarvoski crystal from bust to hem

Quirky: Whitney Peak cut a quirky figure as she made her way down the carpet in a floral and sequin mini dress styled with black Mary Jane shoes

Wild side: Sam Richardson rocked a wild brown crocodile skin jacket over a beige button-up and fitted slacks

Sam Richardson rocked a wild brown crocodile skin jacket over a beige button-up and fitted slacks.

Juju Journey Brener looked darling a pink ruffled high-low dress and sparkly gold sandals.

Olivia Ponton and Ava Breeze oozed goth glam in rivaling black dresses, with Ponton took the plunge in a skimpy midi while Breeze sported a busty semi-sheer gown with a black feather collar.

Tony Hale suited up for the night to pose with his makeup artist wife Martel Thompson and their daughter Loy Ann Hale.

Darling: Juju Journey Brener looked darling a pink ruffled high-low dress and sparkly gold sandals

Goth: Olivia Ponton and Ava Breeze oozed goth glam in rivaling black dresses, with Ponton took the plunge in a skimpy midi while Breeze sported a busty semi-sheer gown with a black feather collar

Family affair: Tony Hale suited up for the night to pose with his makeup artist wife Martel Thompson and their daughter Loy Ann Hale

Dressed up: Ginger, who was dressed as drag version of Midler's Winifred, modeled a fabulous skintight skeleton dress and wore their hair in a voluminous red bouffant

Ginger, who was dressed as drag version of Midler's Winifred, modeled a fabulous skintight skeleton dress and wore their hair in a voluminous red bouffant.

Jemima Kirke looked every bit the super mom as she arrived holding hands with her son Memphis, daughter Rafella and one of the kids' friends.

Tituss Burgess highlighted his muscular physique in a fitted black sweater and a pair of bright aqua-toned trousers.

Super mom: Jemima Kirke looked every bit the super mom as she arrived holding hands with her son Memphis, daughter Rafella and one of the kids' friends

Muscular: Tituss Burgess highlighted his muscular physique in a fitted black sweater and a pair of bright aqua-toned trousers

Big return: Nearly 30 years after the Sanderson Sisters wreaked havoc on Salem, Massachusetts, the beloved witches will return in Hocus Pocus 2; fans seen at Tuesday's premiere

Coming soon: Bette Midler (Winifred), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah) and Kathy Najimy (Mary) reprise their roles in the sequel, which will debut September 30 on Disney Plus; fans seen at Tuesday's premiere

Nearly 30 years after the Sanderson Sisters wreaked havoc on Salem, Massachusetts, the beloved witches will return in Hocus Pocus 2.

Bette Midler (Winifred), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah) and Kathy Najimy (Mary) reprise their roles in the sequel, which will debut September 30 on Disney Plus.

Director Anne Fletcher revealed in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly that the sequel's opening sequence will explore the sisters' origins in the 1600s.
Tasha Ghouri and Andrew Le Page have taken their relationship to the next level by moving into the couple's first home together in London on Tuesday.

However Andrew, 27, took to his Instagram account to reveal to fans that he has done all the heavy lifting during the move.

The Love Island star told fans he is 'buzzing' despite being left to move alone while his girlfriend went to get her hair done.

'It's the perfect time': Tasha Ghouri and Andrew Le Page have taken their relationship to the next level by moving into the couple's first home together in London on Tuesday

Andrew said: 'Today is moving day, buzzing. But guess what... I'm doing it all by myself because Tasha's decided to go get her hair done.

'Baffling. A day where we need to be together to do this. But, shock, she is getting her hair done. Anyway, this is a mess at the moment. But today is moving day.'

The ITV2 star gave fans a quick glimpse of the new home as he showed off box's he had yet to unpack.

'Shock, she is getting her hair done': The reality stars wasted no time as Andrew, 27, took to his Instagram account to reveal to fans that he has done all the heavy lifting during the move

He added: 'Alright people, we've officially moved in - even though I've done all the work.'

Andrew later filmed a clip with Tasha in the car as the pair went out to celebrate her new shoe launch and moving in together.

The Love Island finalists wasted no time in finding their 'dream' two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in London, with Tasha, 24, describing the commitment as a 'fresh start.'

'Baffling': The Love Island star told fans he is 'buzzing' despite being left to move alone while his girlfriend went to get her hair done

'I've done all the work': The ITV2 star gave fans a quick glimpse of the new home as he showed off box's he had yet to unpack

The couple first shared their moving news in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, where Tasha also admitted they have already discussed getting married.

She also revealed that taking part in the dating show's 'baby challenge' proved to her that she would like to have children one day  after previously believing they weren't in her future.

Tasha said: 'Andrew and I are officially moving in together and it's our dream home. It's in east London and we are moving in two weeks.

Celebrating: Andrew later filmed a clip with Tasha in the car as the pair went out to celebrate her new shoe launch and moving in together

So sweet: The Love Island finalists have found their 'dream' two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in London, with Tasha, 24, describing the commitment as a 'fresh start'

'I am so excited because so far Andrew has been living with me in my flat with my best friend and now it's the perfect time to have a fresh start, just me and Andrew together, to be able to go home and it's just the two of us I'm really excited.

'We have lots of space in our new flat. It's a two bedroom flat with two bathrooms, it has a nice balcony, it's modern, a new build.

'I've started shopping, getting fresh bedding, candles, I want to put pictures on the walls and things like that  I can't wait.'

'Just the two of us': In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Tasha, admitted herself and boyfriend Andrew have already discussed getting married

Tasha reflects on her time in the Love Island villa as being a 'mixed experience' but says meeting boyfriend Andrew made her 'rollercoaster journey' worthwhile.

After already teasing fans with a potential engagement that could happen within the year, Tasha explained she's always dreamed of marrying at a young age and is guilty of getting 'carried away' imagining the moment Andrew proposes.

However, she didn't always see children in her future, confessing that it was Love Island's famous baby challenge and growing attached to the couple's son Leo that proved to her she could one day become a mum.

She said: 'I told Andrew it's up to you if you want to propose. It's in his hands.

'The reason why we're thinking like that is because we're both so excited and we're enjoying our time together. It's the kind of love that you just want to do it, it gets me excited if I talk about it. I get way ahead of myself but it's up to Andrew isn't it?

'I could start to envisage it': Tasha confessed that it was Love Island's baby challenge and growing attached to the couple's son Leo that proved to her she could one day become a mum

'Even before Love Island I always wanted to get engaged and married young, which has always been my dream.

'Having kids hasn't been in my head, nothing personal against children but I didn't see it in my plans.

'But when I met Andrew and we had the baby challenge I could start to envisage it, but I said to him that would be many, many, many, years down the line.

'I remember waking up to the baby challenge and thinking 'this is my worst nightmare' but throughout the day I started getting attached to Leo, the baby, and I was like 'what's going on?'

The professional dancer became Love Island's first deaf contestant this year and spoke on the show about having a cochlear implant, which is an electronic device, fitted when she was five-years-old.

After finding herself in the bottom three on multiple occasions Tasha broke down in tears  an emotional moment made worse by her former co-star Luca Bish who claimed she only cried because she wanted to win the series.

Tasha has explained that the real reason she broke down was because she felt like a failure in her mission to inspire people and raise awareness for the deaf community.

She said: 'In the villa, I couldn't have my own voice. I get emotional because having the cochlear implant is such a draining thing to have, it's not an instant fix, and when I was in the bottom three, I felt like I wasn't doing my job in inspiring people out there, which is why I got so emotional.

Tough times: Tasha says she broke down in tears after receiving the fewest public votes on Love Island because she felt she wasnt doing her job in raising awareness for the deaf community

'It wasn't because I wanted to win or anything like that. I just felt like I wasn't doing what I wanted to do, which was to inspire people and show them that you can do this.

'Coming out of the villa I had a conversation with my dad and he warned me certain things that had been said, I didn't experience any death threats but it was about the way that I speak, my cochlear implant, but if anything it gives me that fire and motivation.

'If anything I am thankful for the negativity because they're giving me that energy to use my voice even more. I won't ever stop talking or raising awareness.'

Tasha revealed to her 1.4million fan base that she's moving in with Andrew on Tuesday evening via a video posted to Instagram.

However, she didn't speak in the clip and used British Sign Language to communicate the message and will follow up on Wednesday with a video that includes subtitles.

Working together with Cadbury Fingers and the National Deaf Children's Society as part of the Sign with Fingers Big and Small campaign, Tasha wanted to demonstrate the difficulties that a deaf person can go through daily, especially when they aren't included in conversations.

She also wants to encourage more people to learn British Sign Language so that the deaf community feels included in everyday life.

Inspiration: Tasha became Love Island's first deaf contestant this year and spoke on the show about having a cochlear implant, which is an electronic device, fitted when she was five-years-old

'A little bit of BSL goes a long way': Tasha told her Instagram followers that she's moving in with Andrew using BSL and hopes she can encourage more of her fans to learn the language

She explained: 'Cadbury Fingers have partnered with the National Deaf Children's Society to launch the Sign with Fingers campaign, which is about raising awareness for deafness and to increase many more opportunities for deaf and hearing people to come together and to learn to be who we are.

'It's all about showing that a little bit of BSL (British Sign Language) does go a long way.

'Even before I got my implant, I was fluent in BSL, and I know exactly what it's like to miss out on conversations.

'Nowadays I still miss out on conversations 39 per cent of hearing people do want to learn BSL but they don't know where to start and they haven't got the tools, so the campaign is bringing that to light and it's amazing that Cadbury is doing this.'

She continued: 'I am really passionate about this and even before going into the villa I tried to raise as much awareness as possible but now I have a platform, which I can use for the greater good.

'The fact that I'm doing this now  I get emotional because it's not spoken about enough, it's overlooked, I did not expect to be working with Cadbury.'

Visit the Cadbury Fingers Hub to learn a little BSL  search Cadbury Sign With Fingers
She recently put in an appearance during Milan Fashion Week.

And Leni Klum has since jetted to Berlin, where she was seen attending the Dior J'adore Party during on Tuesday evening.

The model, 18, was swept into her boyfriend Aris Rachevsky's arms as they left the bash together and put on a very public display of affection.

It must be love! Leni Klum has jetted to Berlin, where she was seen attending the Dior J'adore Party during on Tuesday evening

Leni, who is the daughter of Heidi Klum, looked seriously chic in a printed Christian Dior co-ord, which was embroidered with the brand's name.

She styled the look with a pair of black platform heels and a padded black Dior bag, which she wore tucked over her shoulder during the outing.

Her beau, a Harvard University alum, was every inch the supportive beau as he carried his girlfriend out of the event in his arms.

Smitten: The model, 18, was swept into her boyfriend Aris Rachevsky's arms as they left the bash together and put on a very public display of affection

Glam: Leni, who is the daughter of Heidi Klum, looked seriously chic in a printed Christian Dior co-ord, which was embroidered with the brand's name

Fashion: She styled the look with a pair of black platform heels and a padded black Dior bag, which she wore tucked over her shoulder during the outing

Leni couldn't hide her delight as she left the party in her boyfriend's arms.

Aris looked smart in a white shirt and a pair of black Carhartt trousers - which featured silver chain detailing - with chunky black boots.

The couple were spotted chatting to pals outside the event.

Couple: Her beau, a Harvard University alum, was every inch the supportive beau as he carried his girlfriend out of the event in his arms

Model: Leni worked her angles for the cameras inside the event

Love: Leni couldn't hide her delight as she left the party in her boyfriend's arms

Their outing comes after Leni Klum planted a kiss on her boyfriend in a photo shared on social media Sunday.

She wore a strapless black leather leotard, which showcased her toned arms and glutes in the snap with her beau.

Aris had traveled to Milan to support Leni during Fashion Week.

Inside: Leni posed with a pal once inside the event

Kiss: Their outing comes after Leni Klum planted a kiss on her boyfriend in a photo shared on social media Sunday

The model looked incredible as she graced the runway during her own collaboration show with About You on Thursday.

The lavish show during Milan Fashion Week saw the beauty don a skimpy black co-ord from her own collection.

Leni's ribbed ensemble featured a mini skirt and matching vest as she strutted her stuff in thigh-high leather boots.

Strut: Leni looked incredible as she graced the runway during her own collaboration show with About You on Thursday

The stunner completed the look with an oversized wool lined sueded jacket which hung casually from her shoulders.

Leni displayed a perfectly contoured complexion for her big night as she slicked her brunette hair back into a bun.

Her proud mum Heidi Klum cut a stylish figure as she supported lookalike daughter from the front row.
Carrie Bickmore admitted to having 'lost the plot' after making multiple blunders while hosting The Project on Tuesday night.

The 41-year-old stammered and stumbled over her lines several times, with her fellow panelists remarking on her strange and erratic behaviour.

After the chaotic broadcast, she posted a compilation of her gaffes on Instagram and apologised to viewers for her mistakes.

Carrie Bickmore (pictured) admitted to having 'lost the plot' after making multiple blunders while hosting The Project on Tuesday night

'I lost the plot on tonight's show and this is only a small sample of the mayhem I blame [co-host] Kate Langbroek. Sorry, everyone!' she wrote.

Her first mistake came when she repeatedly slipped over her words while trying to introduce Guardian Australia political reporter Amy Remeikis.

'She joins us ow - now,' she stuttered. 'Sorry, I'm really struggling tonight!'

She later asked Remeikis: 'Amy, what do you think - do you think this has the capacity to see some big head roll - some big heads roll?'

After this gaffe, she buried her head in her hands in embarrassment.

The 41-year-old stammered and stumbled over her lines several times, with her fellow panelists remarking on her strange and erratic behaviour

After the chaotic broadcast, she posted a compilation of her gaffes on Instagram and apologised to viewers for her mistakes

Comedian Peter Helliar later joked that an alarm in the background of the taping was coming from the 'minibar' in Bickmore's dressing room.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Bickmore was under the influence of alcohol.

Also during the show, Bickmore blurted out to Langbroek and guest panelist Dr Chris Brown that she'd 'never found a lost dog'.

Bickmore blamed her co-host Kate Langbroek (right) for her gaffes

Bickmore burst out laughing, which prompted Helliar to joke again: 'Our producers are telling us pre-show drinks are cancelled! No more, no more.'

Langbroek, who was filling in for host Waleed Aly, wrote on Instagram after the show: 'Im still not sure what happened tonight.'

Fox FM presenter Fifi Box commented, 'This is sooooooooooo funny,' while KIIS FM host Jackie 'O' Henderson added: 'This is the best, Carrie!!!!'
They have remained on good terms since their split in 2018.

And Naomi Campbell joined her ex-boyfriend Skepta as they attended WizKid's performance for Apple Music Live at The Roundhouse in London on Tuesday.

The supermodel, 52, donned a chic blazer with red panelling and a pair of cargo trousers at the event.

Chic: Naomi Campbell, 52, joined her ex-boyfriend Skepta as they attended WizKid's performance for Apple Music Live at The Roundhouse in London on Tuesday

Naomi teamed her outfit with some gold and black trainers and opted to style her hair in a sleek glossy look.

Skepta, 40, put on a polished display in a black suit with a crisp white shirt layered underneath and a Louis Vuitton scarf.

The rapper and the model were first spotted together in January 2018, however were confirmed to have split in April, Naomi said afterwards she has 'love for [him] always', as they remain close friends.

Sleek: The supermodel donned a chic blazer with red panelling and a pair of cargo trousers at the event

Although she is notoriously private about her love life, she has previously stated she is 'on good terms' with her exes and is not believed to be dating anyone new at present.

It comes as Skepta was quick to show his support for ex-girlfriend Naomi after she unveiled her daughter's face for the first time in a British Vogue cover shoot.

The rapper took to Instagram to post a heart emoji, after Naomi shared an image of the cover, in which she could be seen cradling her baby girl - who she confirmed is not adopted and is her biological child.

Pose! Skepta, 40, put on a polished display in a black suit with a crisp white shirt layered underneath and a Louis Vuitton scarf as the duo joined WizKid backstage

Pals: WizKid opted for an open shirt with texture flares as he posed for a photo with Naomi

Jovial: Skepta displayed his edgy sense of style as he posed at the fashion event

Naomi has so far refused to reveal the name of her daughter, or the identity of the biological father.

Alongside the cover, the supermodel shared Vogue's caption that read: 'The incomparable @Naomi is the star of @BritishVogues March 2022 cover  and shes got company.

'After keeping her path to motherhood almost totally private, the 51-year-old is introducing her baby daughter to the world for the very first time.

'She wasnt adopted, shes my [biological] child, the beloved British supermodel tells @SarahHarris.'

Former flames: Naomi and Skepta have remained on good terms since their split in 2018 (pictured in an Instagram post shared by Naomi in 2020)

Naomi stunned fans by announcing the birth of her daughter in May, just weeks after appearing on the New York Fashion Week runway without a visible baby bump.

She said the nine-month old child is hers amid growing speculation regarding the biological parentage.

Speaking to British Vogue, the model confirmed: 'She wasnt adopted  shes my child.'

Surprise! Naomi announced she had become a mother last year with an Instagram post cradling her newborn daughter and stated she has never felt a 'greater love'
Kim Kardashian was spotted exiting a photo shoot earlier on Tuesday in Milan with her nine-year-old daughter, North, by her side.

The reality star, 41, made a show-stopping appearance wearing a pair of satin-inspired pajamas as she made her way to a car as paparazzi's cameras flashed around her.

The mother of four flew to the Italian city to attend Milan Fashion Week, and recently showcased her Ciao, Kim Dolce & Gabbana collection during the brand's runway presentation on Saturday.

Mother daughter duo: Kim Kardashian, 41, and her daughter, North, 9, were spotted in Milan earlier on Tuesday

The businesswoman opted for comfort as she left a set in the heart of Milan and donned an off-white bustier top with thin straps.

She added a silver satin blouse with front pockets which was secured and tied with a belt of the same material to accentuate her slim waist. One side of the shirt fell down her right arm, creating an off-the-shoulder look.

Kim slipped into a pair of loose-fitting, matching bottoms that were cuffed at her ankles.

To complete her fashionable ensemble, The Kardashians star slipped into a pair of see-through, pointed heels.

Stylish: The Kardashians star kept her look casual yet fashionable as she finished working on a set in Milan

Kim's blonde hair was parted in the middle, and flowed down straight past her shoulders.

Her jewelry was minimalistic, comprising of dainty silver necklaces that contained a cross-shaped pendant

The star's makeup look was clean and simple, with a touch of black mascara to make her eyes pop, along with a nude-colored glossy lipstick.

Her daughter, North, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Kanye West, also opted for comfort. She was pictured wearing a short-sleeved white T-shirt from her mother's Ciao, Kim Dolce & Gabbana collection.

The small assortment of printed shirts could be purchased at $195, but are currently sold out.

North paired the shirt with black pants and slipped into a pair of sleek, black Dolce & Gabbana platform sneakers.

Supportive: Kim's daughter, North, was pictured wearing her mother's Ciao, Kim Dolce & Gabbana shirt

Busy: The businesswoman appears to have a very busy schedule in Milan, from collaborating with Dolce & Gabbana for Milan Fashion Week to working on photo shoot sets

The mother daughter duo are no strangers of entering the fashion world together. Both Kim and North turned heads earlier in the summer when they attended Paris Couture Fashion Week in July.

During an interview with Vogue, the SKIMS founder admitted that North already gives her fashion advice.

'North is very opinionated when it comes to what I'm wearing,' the star explained to the fashion publication. 'She'll always complain when I'm wearing too much black.'

Her daughter, along with six-year-old son, Saint, four-year-old daughter, Chicago, sister Khloe Kardashian, and Kris Jenner sat front row during the Dolce & Gabbana show in Milan.

Fashionable: Kim and North turned heads decked out in Balenciaga as they attended the brand's runway show during Paris Couture Fashion Week earlier in July

New collaboration: Kim recently worked with Dolce & Gabbana on the brand's new Spring/Summer 2023 collection

Family first: Kris Jenner attended the Dolce & Gabbana runway show on Saturday with her boyfriend, Corey Gamble, and Kim's three oldest children, North, Saint, and Chicago

Kim showcased her eye for fashion by recently collaborating with designers Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce for their Spring/Summer 2023 collection which was presented during Milan Fashion Week.

When discussing the collection with Vogue, the beauty explained that the line was inspired by her, 'really big Dolce & Gabbana archive.'

The collection was meant, 'to re-present the archives with this life retrospective of the last 25 years of all my favorite looks.'

The lawyer-to-be made a guest appearance on the runway herself, wearing a figure-hugging black dress that fell down towards her ankles and was adorned with shimmering rhinestones.

The star has been studying hard to acquire her law degree, while raising her four children, whom she shares with ex-husband, Kanye West, and working behind-the-scenes for her SKIMS brand.

Fun dress: Kim donned a form-fitting silver dress in Milan, and shared a funny clip of herself struggling to walk in the gown

Interesting: Meanwhile Kim's ex Kanye West took to his Instagram Story to share some wild snaps
Donald Glover appeared to be in a jovial mood as he shared a laugh with his mother, Beverly Glover, on the set of his new series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, in New York City.

The actor, 39, sported an all-white looked and was seen carrying two bags of groceries as he laughed it up with mom on a set of stairs.

Glover later filmed a more serious scene where he appeared terrified for his life while trapped inside a stuck revolving door with an IED bomb about to go off while filming at the Whitney Museum.

A good time: Donald Glover appeared to be in a jovial mood as he shared a laugh with his mother, Beverly Glover, on the set of his new series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, in New York City

The musician - also known by his stage name Childish Gambino - rocked a white turtleneck over a matching jacket and pants.

The star - who plays Mr. Smith in the series - also sported white sneakers for the role and rocked a full beard.

Later on he was seen in a grey T-shirt, black pants and brown shoes as he continued shooting with his mom.

Laughing it up: The actor, 39, sported an all-white looked and was seen carrying two bags of groceries as he laughed it up with mom on a set of stairs

Casual: Later on he was seen in a grey T-shirt, black pants and brown shoes as he continued shooting with his mom

Meanwhile Beverly looked chic in a multi-color spotted top, black pants and a matching black tote bag.

The show is based on the extremely successful 2005 film by the same name starring Angelina Jolie 47, and Brad Pitt, 58, as married assassins.

It was so-created by Glover, Francesca Sloane, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. However, Phoebe parted ways with Donald and the show over 'creative differences' and was replaced by Maya Erskine.

Classy look: The musician - also known by his stage name Childish Gambino - rocked a white turtleneck over a matching jacket and pants

Glover revealed the news during a controversial piece for Interview Magazine, where the actor/writer/producer/director interviewed himself.

During his self-interview, Glover confirmed they had, 'classic creative differences,' but he added that he thinks they are still friends.

'What does it mean to be a friend? I still like her. I assume she still likes me,' Glover said.

In character: Glover later filmed a more serious scene where he appeared terrified for his life while trapped inside a stuck revolving door with an IED bomb about to go off

Mr. Smith: Glover plays Mr. Smith in the series. The project's release date has been pushed from 2022 to 2023

After revealing that Erskine will be taking Waller-Bridge's place, Glover added, 'Yeah. Shes dope. Its exciting. I really love the show. Im writing the finale now.'

Glover initially came up with the idea for the reboot and initially brought it to Waller-Bridge, who he co-starred with on 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The original report from The Hollywood Reporter last September said that both Glover and Waller-Bridge have remained friends, and that the split was 'amicable.'

Waller-Bridge's departure appears to have created a setback for the release of the series, which has been pushed from 2022 to 2023.
The actor Robert Cormier, who played Finn Cotter on the Canadian television series Heartland, has died at the age of 33.

Cormier died on Friday, according to his obituary, though no details were revealed about his cause of death.

Following news of his death, UPtv, an American network that airs the CBC series, paid tribute to the rising star.

Gone too soon: Robert Cormier, who played Finn Cotter on the Canadian television series Heartland, has died at 33. Cormier died on Friday, according to his obituary, which didn't specify a cause of death

'Robert Cormier, aka Heartland's Finn, was an amazing talent, gone too soon. We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing. Our sincere condolences go out to his friends, family, and co-workers,' the network wrote, adding a dove emoji.

The actor was picture in a still taken from Heartland.

Cormier's obituary notes that he was an 'athlete, an actor, and a great brother.'

It also honed in on his dedication to others and unquenchable ambitions.

'He had a passion for helping others and was always looking to achieve more,' the tribute read.

Saying goodbye: Following news of his death, UPtv, an American network that airs the CBC series, paid tribute to the rising star; pictured with costar Amber Mitchell

Cormier appeared on Heartland's 15th season as a new love interest for Amy, played by Amber Mitchell (pictured)

Fittingly for an actor, Cormier was said to enjoy 'movie nights with his family,' and he 'looked up greatly to his father' Robert.

The obituary added that his 'passion for art and film' would endure past his death.

According to his IMDb biography, Cormier was born in Toronto, Canada, and he went on to become the first actor in his family.

After heading south to get a degree in Fire and Engineering Extension Services at Texas A&M.

He then attended a graduate program at Toronto's York University in World Economics, but left before completing it to enroll in film school, which he graduated from.

Swan song: His final Instagram post from late August showed him surrounded by Heartland scripts, suggesting he may be featured on season 16, which premieres on October 2

Striving for great things: 'He had a passion for helping others and was always looking to achieve more,' his obituary said

Heartland's own Instagram account paid tribute to the late actor.

'We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Robert Cormier. He was a beloved member of the Heartland cast the last two seasons,' the post read. 'On behalf of the Heartland cast and crew, our thoughts are with him and his family, who have asked for privacy during this difficult time.'

Cormier's final Instagram post from late August showed him lying on the ground with his AirPods in while surrounded by scripts for the upcoming season of Heartland.

He began appearing on the series for its 15th season, when he became a new love interest for Amy, played by Amber Mitchell, who was featured with him in stills from the show.

Rising star: His other major roles include Winston on the Starz series American Gods, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, and the Shudder original series Slasher

His bevy of scripts suggest that he was set to appear in the 16th season, which premieres on October 2, though it's not clear how prominent his character will be.

His other major roles include Winston on the Starz series American Gods, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, and the Shudder original series Slasher.

Cormier is survived by his father Robert and mother Lisa, along with his sisters Brittany, Krystal, and Stephanie, as well as his grandmother Joanne.
Make Me Prime Minister (C4)

RATING: **

Michael Palin: Into Iraq (C5)

RATING: ****

Queen Victoria's favourite prime minister, the adulterous Benjamin Disraeli, reportedly crowed on arrival in 10 Downing Street: 'I have climbed to the top of the greasy pole.'

Dizzy was a womanising rascal with a secret love child, a writer who spent or lost his money faster than his books could earn. Of course, no one like that could ever lead the country today.

But his perception of politics as a great game fits exactly with the celebrification of Britain today.

Politics is treated as a game by two of its most avid players, Labour ex-spin doctor Alastair Campbell and former Tory bigwig Baroness Warsi, in Make Me Prime Minister (C4)

His enemies accused him of being vain and shallow  just the qualities we most prize now. These days, Disraeli would win Love Island, then two general elections, and Celebrity Bake Off.

Politics is treated as a game by two of its most avid players, Labour ex-spin doctor Alastair Campbell and former Tory bigwig Baroness Warsi, in Make Me Prime Minister (C4).

The duo are mentors, but also political assassins to 12 wannabe Cabinet ministers who aspire to show they can lead the country.

Filmed in the marble halls of a stately building that's meant to be No 10 but isn't, it's a bare-faced rip-off of The Apprentice  even copying the sequences where the rivals stride in awkward slow motion to their next appointment.

Each week, the candidates split into two parties and come up with a manifesto policy: this week, reform for primary schools.

The show falls flat for two reasons. The players, competing for a 25,000 first prize, all appear competent and well-informed about politics. They're egotists but not idiots.

One of them, council official Jackie Weaver, has plenty of experience of the limelight as well as backroom chicanery.

The show falls flat. The players, competing for a 25,000 first prize, all appear competent and well-informed about politics. They're egotists but not idiots

And the judges display neither the sense of humour nor the sadism to be entertaining. For a man who preached that MPs live and die by the soundbite, Campbell managed to say nothing memorable for the whole hour.

The result was earnest but derivative, all the windbaggery of the campaign trail with none of the drama or nastiness.

It came alive only once, when 23-year-old prospective PM Darius, who came to the UK as a refugee from the Taliban when he was a baby, launched his playground policy by dancing with pupils around a maypole.

The Mail's own Andrew Pierce was there with his notebook. 'Skip faster,' he demanded, and Darius dutifully zigzagged around the children.

Michael Palin was wading through the mess left by Campbell and his cronies on the second episode of Into Iraq (C5).

'It certainly wasn't the obvious place to visit,' he admitted as he kicked his heels at yet another armed checkpoint, watched with suspicion by men with sunglasses, moustaches and sub-machine guns.

Visiting the site of a massacre where 1,700 teenagers were slaughtered by Isis in 2014, the 79-year-old traveller sighed: 'I find my natural optimism taking a beating.'

Michael Palin was wading through the mess left by Campbell and his cronies on the second episode of Into Iraq (C5)

But he bounced back, glowing with boyish enthusiasm as he marched up the 399 steps of the spiral minaret at the Great Mosque in Samarra.

And his Pythonish appreciation of the absurd couldn't help relishing the contradictions of a country where security militias forbid filming, then lift the ban so they can take selfies when they spot a TV presenter.

'I've been offered a job at the Department of Confusion,' he announced at one government office. The post came with an upside-down desk, he fantasised, and his sole responsibility was to drink a cup of tea every 17 minutes.

Let's hope this sinecure comes with its own Silly Walk.
Sarah Jessica Parker was joined by her twin daughters Marion and Tabitha at the New York premiere of her new movie Hocus Pocus 2 on Monday.

The Sex And The City icon, 57, shares her 13-year-old girls with her longtime husband Matthew Broderick, with the actor also in attendance for red carpet launch.

Cutting a dapper figure in a sharp grey suit, Matthew could also be seen gathering together with Sarah Jessica and their daughters as they all posed for group shots.

Family night out: Sarah Jessica Parker was joined by her twin daughters Marion and Tabitha at the New York premiere of her new movie Hocus Pocus 2 on Monday

Sarah Jessica flashed her signature smile as she wrapped her arms around both her daughters while posing for snaps.

The Carrie Bradshaw star opted for an eye-catching tunic with purple and pink floral embroidery and a glittering border, teamed with a pair of cutoff purple harem trousers and hot pink shoes.

The Ed Wood actress let her trademark luxurious dirty blonde hair cascade freely over her shoulders and accessorized with a sleek black clutch bag.

All together now: The Sex And The City icon shares her 13-year-old girls Marion and Tabitha with her longtime husband Matthew Broderick

Party of four: Matthew could also be seen gathering together with Sarah Jessica and their daughters as they all posed for group shots

Looking fab: The Carrie Bradshaw star opted for an eye-catching tunic with purple and pink floral embroidery and a glittering border, teamed with a pair of cutoff purple harem trousers

Making it happen: The Ed Wood actress let her trademark luxurious dirty blonde hair cascade freely over her shoulders and accessorized with a sleek black clutch

Meanwhile her bespectacled husband cut a professorial figure in an autumnal brown suit with a silver and burgundy print tie.

Sarah Jessica, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy, who starred in the original 1993 film Hocus Pocus, have all returned for the sequel.

They are reprising their role as the Sanderson sisters, a trio of witches who are summoned back from beyond the grave.

Michael Henry, Daryl Jim Diaz, and Tim Murray played the teens in the 1993 film, directed by Kenny Ortega, who later helmed High School Musical.

Meanwhile: Her bespectacled husband cut a professorial figure in an autumnal brown suit with a silver and burgundy print tie

Details: Sarah Jessica, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy, who starred in the original 1993 film Hocus Pocus, have all returned for the sequel

Who's who: They are reprising their role as the Sanderson sisters, a trio of witches who are summoned back from beyond the grave

Meanwhile Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo and Lilia Buckingham play the group of youngsters who, along with the Sandersons, head up the cast of the new movie.

The Hocus Pocus films see the Sanderson sisters stalking the streets of Salem, Massachusetts - site of the famous witch-trial from colonial times.

Hocus Pocus 2 will drop on Disney + on September 30, leaving fans plenty of time to watch it ahead of Halloween this year.

Cheeky: The Hocus Pocus films see the Sanderson sisters stalking the streets of Salem, Massachusetts - site of the famous witch-trial from colonial times
On Wednesday, the Kremlin dismissed suggestions that it was somehow behind a potential assault on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, saying that the US had opposed them and that its companies had made significant profits delivering gas to Europe.

The Kremlin referred to the European Union's assertion that gas leaks on the Nord Stream pipes to Europe were a deliberate act as "stupid and absurd."

Putin Spokesman Denies Nord Stream Attack

In response to Ukraine's assertion that the disclosures were a terrorist attack by Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed reporters that it was both political Peskov claims that the disclosures are very problematic for Moscow. Three inexplicable gas leaks and two explosions occurred on Monday on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

Due to Russia's alleged retaliation against Western sanctions following its military intervention in Ukraine, the pipelines have been at the center of geopolitical upheaval in recent months. Russian gas shipments to Europe were reduced.

Parallel to Nord Stream 1, Nord Stream 2 was created to strengthen Germany's ability to import Russian gas. Berlin, however, stopped the newly completed Nord Stream 2 immediately before Moscow sent troops into Ukraine, as per WIONews.

Tony Blinken, the secretary of state, said on Tuesday that damaging the pipelines was in no one's interest. The United States would not speculate on the cause, according to the White House National Security Council. Swedish and Danish repair teams won't be able to plug the leaks for at least a week, the countries' prime ministers said, expressing sympathy for Germany's worries that the leaks may have been caused by sabotage.

Both pipelines weren't being used, though, when the damage happened. No Nord Stream 1 had been present. In contrast, Nord Stream 2 has never started up officially since Germany refused to approve its completion last year. Just days before Russia's invasion, the project was completely abandoned.

In contrast, Nord Stream 2 has never started up officially since Germany refused to approve its completion last year. Just a few days prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the project was completely shelved, Fox Business reported.

Read Also: [WATCH] Woman Brutally Beaten in New York by Homeless Parolee May Lose Right Eyesight, Blames Mayor Eric Adams for "Doing Nothing"

Satellite Sees Evidence of Sabotage

From orbit, it is possible to see the results of an energy sabotage attempt. The leaks caused methane gas to pour to the surface of the Baltic Sea, resulting in frothy white regions that are like churning hurricanes. One of these striking signs, the patch above the Nord Stream 2 break, which is located just southeast of Bornholm Island in Denmark, was discovered by a tiny Earth-observing satellite.

Dove, a cubesat made by Planet, is the satellite in question. Each Dove, which is roughly the size of a shoebox and can discern objects as small as 10 feet (3 meters) on the Earth's surface, is part of the San Francisco company's fleet of about 200.

Some European authorities claim that the Dove spotted indications of sabotage. Researchers and government officials have stated that it would be exceedingly rare for two pipelines to experience three breaches almost simultaneously without human interference.

Per Space, seismologists also noted significant explosions on Monday near the leak sites, which hardly seems to be a coincidence. Who set off the explosives and what they were meant to accomplish if anything at all is now unknown. Although investigations are planned, they cannot begin in full until the breaches have been fixed, according to experts.

Related Article: Nord Stream Pipeline Leak: Here's Why Experts Think It's a 'Sabotage' Amid Intense Russia-Ukraine War

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Scott Tweedie is replacing Osher Gunsberg as one of the presenters in the reboot of Australian Idol in 2023.

The Bachelor host, 48, couldn't be happier to pass the torch as he offered his congratulations to Scott, 34, in a humourous Instagram video on Wednesday.

He posted a video of himself spraying the younger TV personality with copious amounts of hairspray in a nod to his own famously coiffed 'do.

Scott Tweedie (pictured) is replacing Osher Gunsberg as one of the presenters in the reboot of Australian Idol in 2023

'Nothing gives me more joy in my career than being able to pass the torch to one of the most professional, hard-working, humble human beings I have ever had the chance to work with,' Osher captioned in the clip.

He added: 'Great gig, Scott Tweedie. Youre ready to join Ricki-Lee [Coulter, the second host] at the helm. Sail the good ship Australian Idol back out to sea for a high ratings adventure! So stoked for you both. Cant wait to watch.'

In the video, Scott is seen prepping backstage for Australian Idol as the former host comes up to him and says he's 'not quite ready yet' before adjusting his suit jacket and drowning him in hairspray.

Scott announced his new hosting gig on Instagram just hours earlier, posting promotional pictures of himself and the 2023 judges.

The Bachelor host, 48, couldn't be happier to pass the torch as he offered his congratulations to Scott, 34, in a humourous Instagram video on Wednesday

He posted a video of himself spraying the younger TV personality with copious amounts of hairspray in a nod to his own famously coiffed 'do

He captioned it: 'Some extremely exciting news: Im heading back down under to host Australian Idol alongside Ricki-Lee.

'After a 14 year hiatus Idol is coming back on Channel 7 and 7Plus in 2023! I cant wait to be apart of unearthing the next Aussie Idol with our judges Harry Connick Jr., Amy Shark, Meghan Trainor and Kyle Sandilands.

'Auditions are kicking off Monday in Adelaide *cue Aussie idol iconic theme song*.'

'Nothing gives me more joy in my career than being able to pass the torch to one of the most professional, hard-working human beings I have ever had the chance to work with,' Osher said

Osher said in the comments section that hosting the talent show was 'the most fun I think I've ever had with my clothes on'.

He added that he was excited to see what Scott and Ricki-Lee do with the position.

Earlier on Wednesday, judge Kyle Sandilands made his own announcement on The Kyle and Jackie O Show - and mistakenly claimed his former Australian Idol co-star Mark Holden was dead, despite the fact he is still alive.

Scott announced his new hosting gig on Instagram just hours earlier, posting promotional pictures of himself and the 2023 judges. (Pictured left: fellow host Ricki-Lee Coulter)

The new Australian Idol judges are (clockwise from top left): Harry Connick Jr., Amy Shark, Meghan Trainor and Kyle Sandilands

After revealing the judges on air, Kyle told his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson he wished former judge Marcia Hines was also part of the new-look panel.

'Well, you can't just bring back everyone that was on it,' Jackie said, to which Kyle replied: 'No. Well, Mark [Holden] is dead.'

A shocked Jackie clarified the 68-year-old was still alive.
Jodi Gordon looked delighted to be spending some quality time with her daughter Aleeia in Sydney on Wednesday.

The former Neighbours star, 37, couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she took a stroll with her daughter, eight, whom she shares with ex-husband Braith Anasta.

The model and actress looked stylish in a beige trench coat and designer sunglasses and had her long hair tied in a bun.

Jodi Gordon looked delighted to be spending some quality time with her daughter Aleeia in Sydney on Wednesday

She accessorised her look with a brown tote bag and sneakers.

Jodi's natural beauty shined through as she laughed it up with her lookalike daughter at a local park.

At one point she called Aleeia over to look at something on her smartphone and the pair became instantly engrossed with the screen.

The model and actress looked stylish in a beige trench coat and designer sunglasses and had her long hair tied in a bun

Their day trip follows Jodi continuing her road to recovery after completing a 30-day alcohol program.

She spent a month in rehab for alcohol addiction earlier this year, and is now on the path to redemption after embracing a healthier lifestyle and banning booze.

'Life isn't always perfect; you go through your ups and downs,' she told Daily Mail Australia at the launch of Life Botanics' new vitamin range in Sydney in July.

Jodi's natural beauty shined through as she laughed it up with her lookalike daughter at a local park

'I've made some big changes this year. So it's been a journey of getting my life to a place where I'm making changes, really taking time to invest in myself.'

Jodi, who is an ambassador for Life Botanics, said she'd been making positive changes in recent months, including following an exercise regimen, practising meditation and focusing on nutrition.

The mother of one underwent 'immersion therapy' at an exclusive clinic called The Sydney Retreat in Stanmore, where clients are offered a '30-day recovery program' for $8,800.
Selma Blairs ex boyfriend Ron Carlson might have to attend anger management courses as part of his ongoing criminal domestic violence case with the actress.

The case involving Carlson, the L.A. City Attorney's Office told TMZ Tuesday, has been referred to a City Attorney Office hearing.

Legal proceedings involved with the process typically consists of a meeting with the person involved advising consequences if the person continues to have legal issues, the outlet reported, noting that anger management is often a part of the process.

The latest: Selma Blairs ex boyfriend Ron Carlson might have to attend anger management courses as part of his ongoing criminal domestic violence case with the actress. The actress, 50, was pictured last November in LA

Blair and Carlson have both dropped their restraining orders against each other earlier this month.

The criminal case against Ron is still active, with the actress still cooperating with prosecutors, according to TMZ. One of his conditions of his bail following his February arrest for domestic violence was that he had to stay away from the star.

The city attorney has the criminal case, per the outlet, and one of the bail conditions was that Ron has no contact with her.

TMZ also reported that Selma, 50, and Ron are not back together despite both dropping the civil restraining orders against each other.

Former: The criminal case against Ron is still active, with the actress still cooperating with prosecutors, according to TMZ

In March, it was revealed that Selma was granted a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend Ronald Carlson.

The alleged incident occurred in February 22 after they had recently ended their long-term relationship, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ in March.

Following an argument, the Cruel Intentions star claims that Carlson , 52, lunged at her, jumped on top of her body and began to strangle her.

Carlson has denied the claims and has filed a petition for his own restraining order against the actress.

In the legal docs, Blair - who battles multiple sclerosis - alleges that Carlson 'strangled her, throttling her and shaking her head and shoulders aggressively' while she was lying on her sofa.

The report claims that Blair had been medicated at the time of the alleged attack due to her ongoing illness and told Carlson that she had not been feeling well.

Carlson had reportedly arrived at Blair's home to return a television set when he allegedly became violent and frustrated with her.

She alleges he screamed at her, raging: 'You f**ked up, you can't do anything, you can't love anybody, you're f**king useless, you cripple.'

The Legally Blonde star alleges that he added: 'I don't f**king deserve this, I can do so much better than you.'

Blair further details the incident in legal docs, claiming that she stuck her fingers into his eyes and mouth, and Carlson responded by covering her face and mouth with his hands.

She alleges at this point she lost consciousness as she was unable to breathe.

When police officers arrived at the scene and interviewed the actress, she claims her nose began to bleed heavily and she once again lost consciousness.

Paramedics then decided to take Blair to a hospital to evaluate her condition, the report claims.

Carlson was arrested for felony domestic violence with corporal injuries.

Police officers are said to have obtained a five-day restraining order against Carlson following the attack.

The actress then obtained a temporary restraining order through her attorney.

In response, Carlson filed a petition for his own restraining order against Blair, fifteen days after the incident. It was granted, per TMZ.

Family man: Blair shared this picture of Carlson and his daughter in 2020

In his version of events, Carlson claims that he was at her home when she had asked him to sit with her.

Carlson alleges that Blair became 'angry and antagonistic' when he declined to sit with her, and claims she got in his face and said, 'Your daughter is a f***ing loser.'

Blair has a 11-year-old son, Arthur, who she shares with with ex Jason Bleick, while Carlson has a 12-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

Blair went public with her autoimmune disease diagnosis in October 2018.

In August last year after receiving stem cell treatment, Blair revealed that she was currently in remission.

MS sufferers who undergo treatment will go through periods of relapses and remissions.

Battle: Last year, Blair revealed she underwent an 'aggressive' course of chemotherapy to treat the disease and restart her immune system (pictured above in her documentary)

The actress has been dealing with debilitating symptoms from the disease, including difficulty in speaking, and losing the ability to use her left leg fully, resulting in her using a cane to walk.

In her recent documentary about her struggles, Blair said how an MS diagnosis can be 'isolating' but was determined to get through it for her son Arthur.

'I was so burnt out. If there was an option to halt me, to rebalance after being hit so hard with that last flare, it's absolutely for my son. I have no desire to leave him alone right now.'

The Cruel Intentions star also praised the wealth of support she received from her friends and family.

'People took great care of me. I never really like life. I do now - strange, huh?' she went on. 'Just because life's so weird. I was so scared in life. To suddenly start to find an identity and a safety in me, to figure out boundaries, time management and energy. I'm having the time of my life.'




She parted ways with leading celebrity agent Sharon Finnigan, who has handled major TV stars including Karl Stefanovic and Natalie Barr, back in July.

And Domenica Calarco celebrated signing with small influencer agency ZOOZ group on Tuesday.

The Married At First Sight bride, 29, was seen leaving L'Americano restaurant in North Sydney, alongside several women from the agency, with a big smile across her face.

Married At First Sight's Domenica Calarco celebrated signing with small influencer agency ZOOZ group over lunch in North Sydney on Wednesday

She dressed the part, wearing a stylish oversized blazer over a tight white tank top paired with baggy jeans.

She accessorised with designer sneakers and a bright neon green patterned handbag.

Domenica looked incredibly bronzed, still sporting her deep tan from her recent trip to Europe.

She tied her short blonde locks back into a low ponytail and let her natural beauty shine through by wearing barely any makeup.

The Married At First Sight bride, 29, was seen leaving L'Americano restaurant in North Sydney alongside several women from the agency with a big smile across her face

Domenica confirmed her split with Finnigan several weeks ago by updating her Instagram bio this week, removing all references to SF Management.

'Domenica is determined to get her own reality show, and only cares about boosting her OnlyFans numbers, while Sharon had other plans of her' an insider told Daily Mail Australia at the time.

According to the source, Calarco thought Finnigan 'could help land her a TV gig since she works with top-notch clients like Karl Stefanovic and Natalie Barr'.

It follows reports her relationship with Finnigan was 'anything but harmonious'.

She dressed the part, wearing a stylish oversized blazer over a tight white tank top paired with baggy jeans

Domenica confirmed her split with Finnigan several weeks ago by updating her Instagram bio this week, removing all references to SF Management

The pair went their separate ways because the OnlyFans creator's expectations 'exceeded reality'.

Daily Mail Australia understands Finnigan decided to end their professional relationship early, despite being contractually bound until September.

Calarco had enlisted Finnigan to manage her fledgling career in April, following her breakout appearance on Nine's Married At First Sight.

According to the source, Calarco thought Finnigan 'could help land her a TV gig since she works with top-notch clients like Karl Stefanovic and Natalie Barr'

They held a series of meetings in which Calarco reportedly expressed her desire to launch her own podcast and makeup range.

She has since started a podcast with her co-host Ella Ding, and also collaborated with online retailer Showpo for a clothing line.

'They [SF Management] think she is going to be a huge star, bigger than Martha Kalifatidis and Abbie Chatfield,' a source said at the time.

'Domenica has bags of ideas of what she plans to do. She's been chatting to radio executives in hopes of talking them into giving her a job.'
Caleb McLaughlin has spoken about how he has experienced racism from Stranger Things fans.

The Carmel Hamlet, New York native, 20, plays Lucas Sinclair on the popular Netflix series. He said at Heroes Comic Con Belgium over the weekend at Brussels Expo that at one point he pondered why of the cast, he had the least social media followers and was the 'least favorite' among his costars.

He noted thinking, 'I'm on the same show as everybody from season one,' adding, it 'definitely took a toll on me as a younger kid.'

The latest: Caleb McLaughlin, 20, has spoken about how he has experienced racism from Stranger Things fans. He was pictured in NYC this month

He recalled one trying incident: 'My very first Comic-Con, some people didn't stand in my line because I was Black.

'Some people told me, "Oh I didn't want to be in your line because you were mean to Eleven." Even now, like some people don't follow me or don't support me because I'm Black,' he said.

He added: 'Sometimes overseas, you feel the racism, you feel the ... bigotry. Sometimes, it's hard to talk about and for people to understand, but when I was younger it definitely affected me a lot.'

McLaughlin opened up about the support he has received from his parents amid his stretch on the popular sci-fi series.

McLaughlin recalled one trying incident: 'My very first Comic-Con, some people didn't stand in my line because I was Black.' Some people told me, "Oh I didn't want to be in your line because you were mean to Eleven"'

The actor opened up about the support he has received from his parents amid his stretch on the popular sci-fi series

McLaughlin is seen with Gaten Matarazzo and Sadie Sink on the series

'My parents had to be like, "It's a sad truth, but it's because you're the Black child on the show"  because I was born with this beautiful chocolate skin, I'm not loved,' he said. 'But that's why - with my platform - I want to spread positivity and love because I do not give hate back to people who give hate to me.'

McLaughlin is the latest actor who has spoken put about experiencing racism from toxic fan bases.

In recent months, The Little Mermaid's Halle Bailey and House of the Dragon's Steve Toussaint were on the receiving end of racist messages from trolls; and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast issued a statement condemning 'relentless racism, threats, harassment and abuse' cast members who are people of color have had to endure.

In May, Obi-Wan Kenobi's Moses Ingram after she said she had been harassed with racist direct messages since the debut of the Disney+ series.

McLaughlin is seen alongside Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp and Sadie Sink in a scene from Stranger Things

Ingram, who portrays Sith Inquisitor Reva Sevander on show, took to Instagram Stories to show off a series of bigoted messages she received on social media.

The Baltimore-born actress said of the vitriol: 'There's nothing anybody can do about this. There's nothing anybody can do to stop this hate. I question my purpose in even being here in front of you saying that this is happening. I don't really know.'

Ewan McGregor spoke up to defend his Obi-Wan Kenobi costar, saying, 'There's no place for racism in this world. It seems that some of the fan base ... have decided to attack Moses Ingram online and send her the most horrendous, racist DMs. I heard some of them this morning and it just broke my heart.

'I just want to say as the leading actor in the series, as the executive producer on the series, that we stand with Moses. We love Moses, and if you're sending her bullying messages, you're no Star Wars fan in my mind.'
Sarah-Jane was caught out in an embarrassing moment on Wednesday night's episode of The Block when Scott Cam confronted her for suspicious spending.

The 30-year-old social worker called for an audit earlier this week after Omar and Oz's 'dodgy dealing' on their baby grand piano.

Scott, 59, obliged her request only to discover half-way through Sarah-Jane had been misusing her Channel Nine credit card to buy cigarettes.

The Block's Sarah-Jane suffered a very embarrassing moment when she was caught misusing funds by Scott Cam (pictured) in the audit she called for on Wednesday night

As Scott and Shelley Craft did their walk around the houses, they stopped by House One for a little chat about what he dug up in the audit Sarah-Jane and Tom requested.

'There's a couple of maybe personal purchases out of my money,' he revealed.

When Shelley asked who had done the deed, Scott gestured to the couple and continued: 'From these guys actually. I'm sure it's a misdemeanor. I'm sure it's an oversight.'

Scott, 59, obliged her request only to discover half-way through Sarah-Jane (pictured) had been misusing her Channel Nine credit card to buy cigarettes

Tom, seemingly unaware of what has happened, asked if it was Uber Eats.

'It's just a couple of things, which I shouldn't mention. They're about fifty bucks and they're in a small box,' Scott said.

Sarah-Jane instantly understood what he was talking about and jumped straight into her excuse as Scott and Shelley had a laugh.

Tom (pictured), seemingly unaware of what has happened, asked if it was Uber Eats.

'It's my ciggies and it was one time and I didn't have my purse on me,' Sarah-Jane said.

Shelley said, 'They all say that,' as Tom seemed more concerned with how much the cigarettes cost.

Afterwards, Sarah-Jane came clean to the cameras, saying: 'Guilty as charged ma'am. There's no objection, Your Honour, from here. I own it. I did it.'

'It's my ciggies and it was one time and I didn't have my purse on me,' Sarah-Jane said. Shelley said, 'They all say that,' as Tom seemed more concerned with how much the cigarettes cost. Pictured: Scott and Shelley

It comes after Sarah-Jane called for a financial audit of every contestant's house on Monday night's episode after Omar and Oz broke one of The Block's rules.

The Western Sydney mates were disqualified from Living and Dining Room Week after they 'hustled' a baby grand piano, which retails for $36,000, down to $7,500.

One of the rules of The Block states contestants must pay at least 50 per cent of the retail value of any item they purchase, which the pair eventually rectified by coughing up the extra $10,000 so they could keep the piano - but Sarah-Jane was not satisfied.
Reese Witherspoon was pictured jumping into character to film a few dramatic night scenes for the series, The Morning Show, in New York City on Tuesday evening.

The talented actress, 46, stunned in a long blue coat while holding a serious expression on her face as she portrayed her character of Bradley Jackson on set.

The Apple TV+ series recently began filming for its third season last month in August, after meeting continuous critical acclaim since the show's premiere in 2019.

Filming: Reese Witherspoon, 46, was spotted shooting a few night scenes for The Morning Show in New York City earlier Tuesday evening

The Legally Blonde actress was spotted filming a few short scenes on a damp street wearing a long, vibrant blue coat that fell down past her knees.

She carried a baby blue clutch bag in the crook of her elbow and slipped into a pair of silver heels to complete her ensemble.

Reese's blonde hair was parted in the middle, and fell down straight past her shoulders.

As she filmed a scene, the star could be seen holding a phone to her ear with a dramatic look on her face.

Talented: The actress was cast to portray the character of Bradley Jackson in the hit Apple TV+ series

Dramatic: The Legally Blonde star was seen filming a few scenes at night with a serious expression on her face

As the night progressed, Reese was spotted filming an additional scene where she was looking at a miniature billboard sign that switched from hers and Jennifer Aniston's character.

The Friends alum was also seen filming a few scenes for the third season earlier on Monday afternoon.

The Morning Show stars other talented actors such as Billy Crudup and Julianna Marguiles. Mad Men alum, Jon Hamm, is set to join the award-winning show as a series regular.

The premise of the show follows, 'the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning, exploring the unique challenges faced by the men and women who carry out this daily televised ritual,' according to IMDB.

The series is also based off the novel called, Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV, written by Brian Stelter.

Additional scene: Reese was later spotted shooting another scene where she was intently looking at a miniature billboard sign

Critically acclaimed: Reese has been nominated for various awards for her role in The Morning Show, including both Golden Globes and an Emmy Award

When discussing taking on a leading role in The Morning Show, Reese revealed to Variety that real life events and headlines are portrayed in the series.

'Harvey Weinstein happened, and all these other things happened, and Matt Lauer came, and we had to pivot all over the place because the whole world changed,' she explained to the publication.

During an interview with Extra earlier in September, Reese explained that her character in the upcoming season will, 'experience more incredible stories about love, and life, and what it means to be in media nowadays.'

The Sweet Home Alabama actress and Jennifer both not only star on the show, but are also producers on the series.

'She and I have known each other forever,' Reese stated about her co-star. 'So getting to work with one of your friends and get to collaborate and read the scripts together and come up with ideas together is just a dream come true.'

Hard-working: Reese is not only portraying a leading role in The Morning Show, but is also a producer on the series

New cast members: The actress stated during an interview with Extra that Mad Men alum, Jon Hamm, will be joining the cast for season three of The Morning Show; pictured in September at the 2022 Emmy Awards

Since its initial premiere in 2019, The Morning Show has received critical acclaim and has been nominated for numerous awards and accolades.

Reese has been nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for Best Actress in the series.

'Im always blown away by the writing and how closely it reflects the world of journalism today. Its spooky how accurate it is,' the actress informed Variety.

Filming for the third season recently began last month in August, and a set release date has yet to be confirmed.
A Queensland father has emerged as a hardcore fan of children's show Bluey by creating an unofficial 'tour' video of the hit animated show's real locations.

Karl Mander, a content creator from Brisbane and former presenter for the Hit Network, took his toddler on the 'unauthorised' visit to some the places made famous in the show.

Bluey follows the adventures of 'a loveable, inexhaustible six-year-old Blue Heeler dog' along with her family and friends.

A Brisbane father has emerged as a hardcore fan of children's show Bluey by creating an unofficial 'tour' video of the animated show's real locations. Pictured: a scene from the video

Sharing the clip to his stories, Karl can be seen pushing his tot in a pram as he 'hosts' the video.

'Today I start my new job running unofficial, unauthorised and unsolicited Bluey tours of Brisbane,' Karl captioned the video.

'At the moment my tour bus has only one seat and is only open to family members.'

Karl footage appears to feature the real-life street locations the creators used as inspiration in his story.

Karl Mander (pictured), a content creator from Brisbane, took his toddler on an 'unauthorised' visit to some the places made famous in Bluey

These include well-known landmarks such as the Wheel of Brisbane, an observation platform and the South Bank Parklands, a major tourist destinations.

The clip compares scenes from the animated show with the real-life street locations the creators used as inspiration.

Produced in Queensland, Bluey uses many Brisbane locations as inspiration.

Bluey (pictured) is the most downloaded show in the ABC's history

Launched in 2018 on the ABC, Bluey was soon hailed for its refreshing characters - particularly Bandit as a capable and astute father as opposed to a bumbling background character common in kids' programming.

It also earned rave reviews from critics and parents alike, who applauded its good-natured storylines and riffs on modern parenting.

One of the few kids' shows enjoyed by parents and children in equal measure, Bluey would eventually go on to win a string of awards worldwide, including a Kids Emmy in 2019 for its tear-jerker episode 'Sleepytime'.

Karl features the real-life street locations the creators used as inspiration in his story

In a list published by Rolling Stone of the top 100 sitcoms of all time, Bluey made 96, being the only Australian series to be featured.

The cartoon has become wildly popular in the U.S. after premiering on the Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney+ in September 2019.

It remains the most-downloaded show in the ABC's history.
Model Winnie Harlow looked incredible in a plunging skintight bodysuit as she made her way to Wizkid's concert in London on Tuesday.

Winnie, 28, showed off her model figure in her outfit, which she teamed with a long leather coat.

Wizkid, 32, performed a show at The Roundhouse for Apple Music Live in Chalk Farm with guests including supermodel Naomi Campbell, 52.

Looking good! Winnie Harlow showed off her model figure in a plunging and skintight bodysuit and leather jacket on Tuesday as she enjoyed a night out at Wizkid's concert for Apple Music Live in London

Winnie flashed a hint of her cleavage in her bodysuit, with her outfit featuring a zip-up design.

The brunette beauty teamed the look with black and gold chained belt, believed to be Chanel, and a chunky gold necklace.

She completed her look with a pair of lace-up white sneakers and a long brown leather jacket and matching gloves.

Dolled up: Winnie wore her dark locks out and over her shoulders in curls. The Cay Skin founder wore makeup including lashings of mascara and a glossy and lined nude lip

Winnie wore her dark locks out and over her shoulders in curls.

The Cay Skin founder wore makeup including lashings of mascara and a glossy and lined nude lip.

She appeared in high spirits as she stepped out at the concert and was seen posing backstage with Wizkid.

In good company: She appeared in high spirits as she stepped out at the concert and was seen posing backstage with Wizkid

Showing her support: Also in attendance was Naomi Campbell, who joined her ex-boyfriend Skepta at the concert. Pictured with Wizkid

Also in attendance was Naomi, who joined her ex-boyfriend Skepta at the concert.

The supermodel donned a chic blazer with red panelling and a pair of cargo trousers at the event.

Winnie meanwhile has been in the U.K for London Fashion Week and recently attended the Burberry show.

Burberry had originally planned to showcase their SS23 line on September 17 but cancelled the show in the wake of the Queen's death on September 8.

Before that, Winnie was in New York for Fashion Week.
'Catwoman' Jocelyn Wildenstein shared yet another heavily-filtered snap to her Instagram on Wednesday as she posed at Fendi's recent New York Fashion Week show.

The Swiss-born socialite, 82, posted pictures to her grid with Bella Hadid at the star-studded event where she displayed her smooth visage.

She had on a glamorous layer of makeup complete with a smokey eye look while wearing her blonde locks styled into waves.

Smooth: 'Catwoman' Jocelyn Wildenstein shared yet another heavily-filtered snap to her Instagram on Wednesday as she posed at Fendi's recent New York Fashion Week show with Bella Hadid

Jocelyn looked chic in a tight black dress that featured daring cut out sections pinned together, while Bella wore a leather jacket.

A few weeks ago she posted another snap from the Fendi event as she posed with Bella, Kate Moss and Amber Valletta.

As recent as 2018, the Manhattan socialite claimed to DailyMailTV that she had never undergone any cosmetic surgery despite her catlike appearance.

Change: The Swiss-born socialite, 82, is pictured at an event in 2020 without any editing or filters

Group shot: A few weeks ago she posted another snap from the Fendi event as she posed with Bella, Kate Moss and Amber Valletta

'Especially when we look back at my pictures - I think of course I am maybe more beautiful [back then],' Jocelyn defended.

'When we are young there's a certain freshness we lose with the years. But you still find the same eyes, same high cheeks, or same nose. I think I was more pretty.'

Last year, Wildenstein - who filed for bankruptcy in 2018 - sold one of three condo units she combined into a single residence on the 51st floor of Trump World Tower for $2M - according to New York Post.

Instagram versus reality: As recent as 2018, the Manhattan socialite claimed to DailyMailTV that she had never undergone any cosmetic surgery despite her catlike appearance

Jocelyn - who reportedly receives $900 a month in Social Security - has been planning to produce a docuseries on her own life, according to Page Six.

Wildenstein is 26 years older than her Canadian 55-year-old fiance, whom she got engaged to in 2017 after 15 years of dating despite them both being arrested for misdemeanor assault against each other in 2016 and 2017.

'Lloyd can be very passionate, he can be a little rough,' she said.

Through the years: Jocelyn - who reportedly receives $900 a month in Social Security - has been planning to produce a docuseries on her own life

'That's something I enjoy otherwise I would not have been with him all this time.'

Jocelyn has two children - daughter Diane, 42; and Alec Jr., 41 - from her 19-year marriage to the late billionaire art dealer Alec N. Wildenstein, which acrimoniously ended in 1999.

The judge reportedly stipulated that she could not use any $2.5B divorce settlement for further cosmetic surgery.
TikTok's struggles amidst government scrutiny and legal action continue as the short video sharing platform faces a 27 million (around $29.2 million) fine in the United Kingdom after the U.K. Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found that the company may have violated data protection laws by failing to protect children's privacy between May 2018 and July 2020.

Charges claimed TikTok may have handled the data of kids under the age of 13 without parental consent, managed "special category" data, such as ethnicity, sexual orientation, or health, without legal basis, and did not provide necessary information to users in a "concise, transparent and easily understood" manner, Engadget reported.

UK Probe Began After FTC Fine For Child Privacy Violations

ICO began investigating TikTok in February 2019, soon after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission fined TikTok $5.7 million over reported child privacy violations. At the time, the UK ICO was concerned about both TikTok's "completely open" direct messaging And the platform's transparency tools. Sexual offenders were discovered messaging users as young as eight years old, and it was found that it was easy for kids to bypass the app's age wall.

ICO noted that these were merely preliminary findings and that it has not made any definitive conclusion that TikTok indeed broke the law or should pay a fine. ICO added it would "carefully consider" TikTok's side before handing down a final decision.

Read Also: U.S. Lawmakers Grill Top TikTok Exec Over Alleged Handover of U.S. User Data to China

TikTok currently faces mounting pressure to safeguard kids, who account for a large majority of its users. In the U.S., members of Congress and state attorneys general are investigating TikTok over possible damages to child users, which includes attempts to keep them using the app for long periods. A UK fine may not be the last of the company's troubles until authorities are given proof that the platform is keeping underage users safe.

TikTok Exec Grilled Over Alleged US User Data Handover to Beijing

TikTok also faces scrutiny on the national security front, with U.S. lawmakers grilling a top TikTok executive over allegations its parent Chinese conglomerate ByteDance was sharing data of U.S. users with the Chinese communist government.

US senators repeatedly questioned TikTok Chief Operating Officer Vanessa Pappas at a national security hearing if the company could yield to Beijing in providing data about U.S. users or deleting content at the Chinese government's request.

Pappas insisted that TikTok would not yield to any demands or requests, if any, from the Chinese government for any information about its users. Pappas also emphasized that TikTok has never shared or transferred data to the Chinese Communist Party. She noted that TikTok is not headquartered in China since it does not have any headquarters at all.

While admitting that TikTok has employees who work in China, Pappas emphasized that the company also has strict access controls on the user data the company can access and where that data is stored. Data on U.S. users, she said, is stored securely in the United States. Pappas pointed out that they would not share such data to any government entity in China.

Related Article: TikTok's Global Security Chief is Stepping Down
Love Island star Shaughna Phillips showed off her sensational curves on Tuesday as she attended a PrettyLittleThing charity event in London.

Shaughna, 28, stepped out in a figure-hugging brown knitted dress which she teamed with a 2,220 Gucci handbag and tottering heels.

It comes after the blonde bombshell revealed she went to hospital in July for a colonoscopy, after contracting HPV in May.

Stepping out: Love Island's Shaughna Phillips showed off her sensational curves in a figure-hugging brown dress on Tuesday at a PrettyLittleThing event in London. Pictured with Indiyah Polak and Demi Jones

Shaughna was dressed to impress for the night out, with her ribbed dress featuring an off-the shoulder design and long sleeves.

She showed off a golden tan and wore her long locks out and over her shoulders.

Her makeup was complete with matte foundation, lashings of mascara and a glossy pink lip.

Dolled up: Shaughna was dressed to impress for the night out, with her ribbed dress featuring an off-the shoulder design and long sleeves

Girls' night! She appeared in high spirits as she stepped out, joining Love Island's Indiyah Polak and Demi Jones

She appeared in high spirits as she stepped out, joining Love Island's Indiyah Polak and Demi Jones.

The event celebrated the 18-month charity partnership between PrettyLittleThing and Girl vs Cancer that aims to help raise funds.

The two partners collaborated on a new post-surgical lingerie range with 100 per cent of the profits going to Girl vs Cancer, that aims to help those suffering from the disease.

Shaughna rose to fame on the first-ever winter Love Island series back in 2020.

Claim to fame: Shaughna rose to fame on the first-ever winter Love Island series back in 2020 (pictured)

The former democratic services officer is currently renovating her own home and helps people with her Be You With Shaughna health and fitness program.

'This is your reminder that you're strong, sexy and healthy,' one post was recently captioned.

In July, Shaughna revealed she was in hospital for a colposcopy after contracting HPV in May.

The STI is the most widespread worldwide and four out of five of the population will contract some form of the virus at least once in their life.

Helping others: The former democratic services officer is currently renovating her own home and helps people with her Be You With Shaughna health and fitness program. Pictured in July

Health woes: In July, Shaughna revealed she was in hospital for a colposcopy after contracting HPV in May

At the time, Shaughna updated her 1.5 million Instagram followers on her experience and urged women to book their smear tests.

She posted a photo of the hospital ward and captioned it: 'Sun day fun day? So I said I would be sharing my experience with you all and currently I'm sh**ting my pants.

'Still screaming for ladies to book their smears!'

A colposcopy checks whether there are abnormal cells in the cervix.

She then checked in with fans once she arrived home: 'How did the colposcopy go? Chilling and feeling sorry for myself for the rest of the day.

'Although I did have 3 nurses who were so lovely and made me feel looked after. Still screaming for ladies to book your smears if you're overdue.'

'Yesterday I received my results and have had changes to some of the cells called "borderline changes" that require further examination. I also tested HPV positive,' she previously said

HPV stands for Human papillomavirus, which the NHS describes as 'a very common group of viruses.' While HPV does not cause any problems in most people, some types can cause genital warts or cancer.

There is no blood test for HPV and it is detected during a cervical screening.

'Yesterday I received my results and have had changes to some of the cells called "borderline changes" that require further examination. I also tested HPV positive,' she previously told her followers.

She continued: 'Of course I was absolutely terrified initially, and although everyone I've spoke to has reassured me how common this is, it is still scary.'

Shaughna went on to state that she was 'so glad' to share her smear test results because she was 'terrified'.
A clip from a 2009 wildlife documentary starring Stephen Fry has resurfaced after fans were left in hysterics by his reaction to a 'frisky' bird.

The 65-year-old actor appeared on an episode of BBC Two's Last Chance to See alongside zoologist Mark Carwardine where they travelled to New Zealand to see the endangered kakapo bird - a large, flightless parrot.

The pair were able to track down Sirocco - one of the last remaining kakapos - but got more than they bargained for when the plucky bird attempted to mate with Mark.

'You are being s*****d by a rare parrot': Stephen Fry's hilarious reaction to a 'frisky' bird in a 2009 wildlife documentary has left fans in stitches after it resurfaced

In the hilarious scenes, Mark was seen attempting to photograph the parrot before it leapt onto his neck and began waddling and thrusting in an urgent manner - seemingly mistaking the zoologist's green jumper for a mate.

Looking on in shock a bewildered Stephen asked: He's getting a bit frisky - do you think he's actually attempting a sort of mating ritual?'

He then quipped: 'You are being s*****d! Look, he's so happy!

Spreading his wings: The 65-year-old actor appeared on an episode of BBC Two's Last Chance to See alongside zoologist Mark Carwardine where they travelled to New Zealand

Let me see you shake your tailfeather: They found Sirocco - one of the last remaining kakapos - but got more than they bargained for when the plucky bird attempted to mate with Mark

'I'm sorry but its one of the funniest things I've ever seen. You are being s*****d by a rare parrot. He thinks you're a female... He's really going for it!'

After a member of the crew came to Mark's aide by removing the amorous parrot from his neck it emerged the rather boisterous bird had caused some damage, leaving Mark with puncture wounds from his claws.

Yet unable to resist having another laugh, Stephen couldn't resist quipping: 'When you have the chick, I want you to call it Stephen.'

Ruffling feathers: As the clip resurfaced on social media fans were left in hysterics

As the clip resurfaced on social media, fans were left in hysterics, commenting: 'That's gonna ruffle some feather'; 'Is it me or does the Parrot look like Stephen Fry';

'This explains why they are rare Poor Parrots'; 'Being a rear NZ bird it needs to copulate with whatever is available'; 'honest to god how funny';

'still viral lol'; 'I cant breathe'; 'this will always be, without a doubt, the funniest thing I have seen on the internet.'

Bird brain: Mark was seen attempting to photograph the parrot before it leapt onto his neck and began waddling and thrusting in an urgent manner

Since appearing on the BBC Two show Sirocco has become a big name on the bird scene.

The unlucky-in-love parrot was given the title of Official Spokesbird for Conservation by Prime Minister John Key in 2010 and has the important role of advocating for conservation through human intermediaries on social media sites and blogs.

The media-savvy bird was also the subject of filmmaker Ashwika Kapur's short 'rags-to-riches' documentary Sirocco  How a Dud Became a Stud and won the Wildscreen Panda Award in 2014.

Sirocco is also the inspiration for the party parrot animated emoji which is used on the workflow application Slack.
Julia Robinson was radiant in yellow at the Dally M Awards in Sydney on Wednesday's evening.

The Brisbane Broncos star, 24, ensured all eyes were on her as she proudly showed off her sleeve tattoo in a strappy canary yellow dress on the red carpet at Royal Randwick Racecourse.

The blonde bombshell also showcased her incredible frame in the frock, which featured spaghetti straps and a crisscross design at the bust.

Brisbane Broncos player Julia Robinson ensured all eyes were on her as she flaunted her sleeve tattoo in a strappy canary yellow dress at the Dally M Awards in Sydney on Wednesday. Pictured with Steve Close

Julia paired the dress with a small white clutch and matching strappy white heels.

She wore her blonded tresses back on the night, and opted for a minimal makeup look.

The Brisbane Broncos star, 24, ensured all eyes were on her as she proudly showed off her sleeve tattoo in a strappy canary yellow dress on the red carpet at Royal Randwick Racecourse

The sporting star had onlookers bewitched by her incredible sleeve which featured floral motifs and a wolf.

The three-time NRLW premiership player hit out at keyboard warriors in August after receiving vile abuse for her ripped physique on social media.

It didn't appear to rattle her, but Robinson was determined to call out the vulgar insults.

Julia hit out after trolls posted sexist, vulgar comments about her ripped physique

The 24-year-old took to Instagram to respond to the haters who posted vulgar comments on a since-deleted Broncos Facebook post earlier this year

'I never usually read social media comments, or let them affect me however I just wanted to say that no one should be ashamed or self-conscious to have muscles,' Robinson posted on her Instagram story.

'It shows dedication and hard work. I love my muscles. Julia xoxo.'

The response was below a screenshot of some of the worst comments which included statements like: 'He's gonna be a good player', while another wrote 'he's a rig'.
Model Tegan Martin certainly turned heads in a daring sheer outfit at the Dally M Awards in Sydney on Wednesday.

The star, 30, set tongues wagging when she slipped into a racy strapless dress which flashed her kickers.

The star showed off her sensational curves on the red carpet in the frock which featured a mix of beading and sheer material.

Sheer daring! Tegan Martin, 30, (pictured) flashed her knickers in a completely see-through dress at the Dally M Awards in Sydney on Wednesday

The sheer material also flaunted the bombshell star's trim pins.

Tegan accessorised her head-turning look with a black clutch and pointed black heels.

The star showed off her sensational curves on the red carpet in the frock which featured a mix of beading and sheer material

She finished her look by wearing her blonde tresses in an elegant up-style and opted for a glossy make-up look.

She finished her overall look with black nails and a silver ring.

Despite boasting an envy-inducing figure, Tegan once revealed she'd been knocked back from modelling jobs for having too lean a physique.

Tegan accessorised her head-turning look with a black clutch and pointed black heels

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph in March 2020, she said that certain clients had told her in the past she was 'not curvy enough' for them.

'But I love these moments because they teach you that you will never be everyone's cup of tea and that is okay,' she said.

Tegan added that the fashion industry, which was once notorious for only hiring stick-thin models, was now more accepting of different body types.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph in March 2020, she said that certain clients had told her in the past she was 'not curvy enough' for them

'Throughout my career, I've definitely felt pressure to be a certain size,' she said.

'But thankfully, the industry has changed a lot since I started 10 years ago,' she added.

'The days of needing to be waif-thin are well and truly over.'
TOWIE's Ella Rae Wise and Chloe Sims looked equally as chic as they were spotted out separately in London on Tuesday.

As the ladies ran their errands, just across town their shared love interest Pete Wicks who was seen cosying up to a mystery blonde as he filmed scenes for Celebs Go Dating.

Treating herself to a shopping spree on Oxford Street, Ella was seen linking arms a male companion as she splashed the cash at Selfridges.

Out and about: TOWIE's Ella Rae Wise (left) and Chloe Sims looked equally as chic as they were spotted out separately in London on Tuesday

The stunning blonde wore a pair of Gucci thigh high boots which she teamed with a tan blazer and a thigh-skimming playsuit.

Ella had her brunette tresses gathered away from her face in sleek bun, with a soft pink lip and dewy makeup look.

Pete, 33, was recently said to have told friends that he has 'got his eye' on Ella after months of a will they won't they romance and off-screen kisses.

Snog: Across town Pete Wicks was seen cosying up to a mystery blonde as he filmed upcoming scenes for Celebs Go Dating

Across town, House of Sims Star Chloe braved the Autumn temperature change and wrapped up in an oversized black padded jacket as she headed to lunch with her OnlyFans TV Producer.

She layered the garment over a leather look top and satin trousers with heeled boots.

Chloe swept her highlighted brunette tresses up in a chic bun from a centre parting and accessorised with a pair of large hoop earrings.

Street style: The stunning blonde wore a pair of Gucci thigh high boots which she teamed with a tan blazer and a thigh-skimming playsuit

Essex beauty: Ella had her brunette tresses gathered away from her face in sleek bun, with a soft pink lip and dewy makeup look

Meanwhile, back in Essex, Pete was seen charming a mystery woman as he filmed Celebs Go Dating in Southend-on-Sea.

Pete and his date looked on cloud nine as they were spotted laughing and joking together before they tried out the attractions.

It's Pete's third season on the E4 dating show after failing to find love the first two times.

Bundling up: Across town Chloe braved the Autumn temperature change and wrapped up in an oversized black padded jacket as she headed to lunch with her OnlyFans TV Producer

The snaps come after Ella and Pete looked to have rekindled their flame as they were seen enjoying a kiss and cosy embrace after the ITV Summer Party last month.

The blonde beauty and the tattooed hunk had a steamy smooch outside Stringfellows in central London, after their brief romance during last year's series of TOWIE swiftly fizzled out over their 11-year age gap.

Ella and Pete dominated the 2021 series of ITV's The Only Way Is Essex with their undeniable chemistry.

Cosy: Back in Essex, Pete was seen charming a mystery woman as he filmed Celebs Go Dating in Southend-on-Sea

The pair never made it official. The will-they, won't-they couple then decided they were a better match as 'flirty friends' after they shared an off-screen kiss.

He also admitted he wasn't looking for a relationship after two failed relationships with TOWIE co-stars Chloe Sims and Megan McKenna.

Pete previously confirmed he had been in a secret sexual relationship with Chloe on and off for two years.

Argument: The former couple are reportedly suggesting they won't be able to film scenes together when shooting resumed in June

The pair sparked fresh dating rumours at the end of last year after a red carpet appearance together following a public fallout.

However around the same time, Pete was linked to Celebs Go Dating's Jessika Power, who later said she'd love to join TOWIE.

On an episode of TOWIE that aired in November, Pete told Chloe he got a tattoo of her name, saying: 'You are irreplaceable to me, so I might have got like a tattoo on my hand.'

Loved-up: On an episode of TOWIE that aired in November, Pete told Chloe he got a tattoo of her name, saying: 'You are irreplaceable to me, so I might have got like a tattoo on my hand'

Clearly touched by the gesture, Chloe said: 'How have I not noticed that? Oh my god! That is so nice!' while covering her face in shock.

Pete then incredibly declared his love for the mother-of-one, saying: 'The point of that is, you do mean everything to me and for anyone else who feels like I don't or for anyone you feel like I've not justified this to, I do love you to bits.'

Chloe then burst into tears clearly overwhelmed by his words and declared: 'I do love you to bits, you know that - I would be lost without you'.
She recently left fans in tears when she returned to the ballroom for one last dance with professional partner Giovanni Pernice.

Yet Rose Ayling-Ellis moved on from the emotional moment as she enjoyed a day out with a friend in London on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old actress seemed in high spirits on the outing despite recent claims that she has split from her long-term boyfriend Sam Arnold.

Two's company: Rose Ayling-Ellis moved on from the emotional moment as she enjoyed a day out with a friend in London on Tuesday

Rose cut a casual figure on the outing as she paired a black hoodie with small shorts that showcased her toned legs.

The deaf EastEnders star accessorised with a cross body bag and donned chunky white trainers.

The outing came after she left Strictly viewers in tears on Friday night as she performed on the launch show as the reigning Glitterball champion.

Loving life: The 27-year-old actress seemed in high spirits on the outing despite recent claims that she has split from her long-term boyfriend Sam Arnold

During the exciting launch show which saw the 15 celebrities paired up with the pro dancers, 2021 winner Rose returned to perform a beautiful Viennese waltz with the Italian hunk, with the moment leaving fans touched as one remarked: 'Crying all over again!'

The emotional performance comes just weeks after Rose's split from long-term boyfriend Sam Arnold was revealed, with the pair said to have spent much time apart as Rose threw herself into work commitments.

Despite her recent romance woes, the star looked in good spirits as she made a triumphant return to Strictly a year on from her win.

Low-key look: Rose cut a casual figure on the outing as she paired a black hoodie with small shorts that showcased her toned legs

Finishing touches: The deaf EastEnders star accessorised with a cross body bag and donned chunky white trainers

Joining Claudia and Giovanni on the sofa ahead of their comeback dance, Rose told how it was 'lovely' to be back on the show while expressing her shock that it had been a whole year since she first took part.

She added that training for her return dance with Giovanni made her realise how much she 'missed' training with him, while the Italian hunk added that the few hours they danced together once again was 'magical'.

The pair went on to take to the floor and danced their Viennese waltz from week five of last year's competition.

They're back! Rose left fans in tears when she returned to the ballroom for one last dance with professional partner Giovanni Pernice on Friday's Strictly Come Dancing

The dance was set to Alicia Keys' hit song Fallin' which incorporated the use of sign language in the routine.

It comes following Rose's reported split from her long-term boyfriend Sam.

According to The Sun, the couple have called it quits, with Sam leaning on Rose's pal and CBeebies host Aimee Campbell-Nottage for support.

A friend told the publication: 'Rose and Sam's relationship is definitely over, it's very amicable and they'll remain close friends, but unfortunately there is no future for them romantically.

Catching up: Rose was seen enjoying an animated conversation with her pal

Loving life: The pair flashed broad grins as they strutted down the street

They continued: 'They spent a lot of time apart while Rose was away on tour, which has had an impact. It's been difficult for them both, of course, but they're certain it's the right move  and Sam's had a shoulder to cry on in their mutual friend Aimee.'

The source added that Rose has been throwing herself into her work as she has been inundated with offers after Strictly.

It came after Rose's friends expressed doubt over the couple's future due to their busy work schedules and said they were worried the infamous Strictly curse would strike again.

Chatting away: The pair no doubt had plenty to talk about given Rose's recent Strictly return and reported split from her boyfriend

Rose - who has kept her relationship fairly private over the years - holidayed in Barcelona by herself earlier this year.

A source told the publication: 'Rose and Sam drifted apart, especially after she became so busy with work projects and was in-demand with new work opportunities.

'They still have a lot of love and respect for each other, but they're also still young and working out their lives.

On the move: Rose said on Strictly it was 'lovely' to be back on the show while expressing her shock that it had been a whole year since she first took part

Sweet: Rose said that training for her return dance with Giovanni made her realise how much she 'missed' training with him

'Rose went to Barcelona on her own to gather her thoughts and think about what she wanted. They have both grown as people since they first starting dating.

'This is Rose's moment and she is grabbing life by the horns, focusing on her career and taking any opportunity that she can.'

The Strictly curse sees couples who appear on the show break up with their partners after appearing on the programme.
Jennifer Lopez is set to become the new face of Intimissimi. The 53-year-old star has become the company's latest global ambassador, it was shared on Tuesday.

Intimissimi bosses hope Jennifer can help to build the brand in the US, where its progress was slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of their last big name reps was Sex And The City vet Sarah Jessica Parker.

Jennifer Lopez is set to become the new face of Intimissimi. The 53-year-old star has become the company's latest global ambassador, and Intimissimi bosses hope Jennifer can help to build the brand in the US, where its progress was slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic

News of Lopez joining the brand broke on Tuesday.

'With the last two years due to the pandemic we slightly cooled down, slowed our expansion, but  we are looking toward next year to spend again,' said Marcello Veronesi, the group general manager, told WWD.

Intimissimi - which specializes in bras, briefs, lingerie, vests, and pajamas - still sees massive growth opportunities in the US.

Sandro Veronesi, the company's CEO, explained: 'The market is opening up a new phase after the domination of Victoria's Secret.

'Now there are new brands and we hope to take a part of that market. We have a fashionable proposal for Intimissimi in the States. It will take some time to be known.'

Sandro also acknowledged that there are marked differences between the European and American markets.

She loves bikinis too: The siren in a swimsuit this summer by a pool

He conceded, too, that the brand needs to develop a better understanding of American consumers.

Sandro said: 'We want to grow a lot and we also want to understand better the taste and the preferences of the American public because the two markets are different and the competitors are different.

'So we have to learn a lot, and to invest in opening shops, communication and world expansion.'

Meanwhile, Jennifer previously admitted that her New York upbringing has had a big influence on her style.

She explained: 'In New York, in the Bronx, it was very, "we dress like a boy with Doc Martens and man pants and a wife beater." It was very Latin, big hoops and eyeliner, and that stayed with me. That mix of toughness and sexiness.'
Six-time Daytime Emmy winner Kelly Ripa admitted to using cosmetic injectables and thanked a New York plastic surgeon for 'restoration from the neck up' in her new book, Live Wire.

The LIVE with Kelly and Ryan producer-host - who turns 52 this Sunday - initially started using Botox in her armpits for excessive sweating, which she dubbed 'pit-tox.'

'For me, it was just more of my comfort level,' Kelly said in her People cover story, which hits newsstands Friday.

She had work done: Six-time Daytime Emmy winner Kelly Ripa admitted to using cosmetic injectables and thanked a New York plastic surgeon for 'restoration from the neck up' in her new book, Live Wire (pictured Tuesday)

'If I worked off camera, I would not wash my hair with regularity or wear makeup but when I started to see things that I didn't like, I thought, well, the next turtleneck is going to have two eye holes. I'm not saying you should let people bully you into cosmetic procedures. These are my choices for me.'

Ripa revealed that 'the hardest chapter to write' was the one about replacing Kathie Lee Gifford as co-host of LIVE with Regis Philbin, who called her 'it' and did not want another co-host.

'"Uh-oh, [executive producer Michael] Gelman, it's got an entourage,"' the petite perky presenter recalled Regis greeting her when she brought a hair and make-up artist.

'I felt horrible. He was probably trying to be funny, but at the same time it felt like a pile-on...I understand that probably he didn't want a co-host, but the network wanted me to be the cohost and I didn't think I should pass up that opportunity. I don't think it was fair to him. But it was also not fair to me.'

Turning 52 this Sunday! The LIVE with Kelly and Ryan producer-host initially started using Botox in her armpits for excessive sweating, which she dubbed 'pit-tox' (pictured Tuesday)

Kelly said in her People cover story: 'For me, it was just more of my comfort level. If I worked off camera, I would not wash my hair with regularity or wear makeup but when I started to see things that I didn't like, I thought, well, the next turtleneck is going to have two eye holes. I'm not saying you should let people bully you into cosmetic procedures. These are my choices for me'

'I felt horrible': Ripa revealed that 'the hardest chapter to write' was the one about replacing Kathie Lee Gifford as co-host of LIVE with Regis Philbin (L, pictured in 2000), who called her 'it' and did not want another co-host

She didn't return to work for four days: The perky presenter did not include any stories about Michael Strahan (R, pictured in 2016), who famously 'blindsided' her by quitting LIVE in 2016 for Good Morning America two years after vowing it was his 'top priority'

Kelly did not include any stories about Michael Strahan, who famously 'blindsided' her by quitting LIVE in 2016 for Good Morning America two years after vowing it was his 'top priority.'

'I've always just gone out of my way to be the most welcoming because I know what it feels like to go into a workplace where you may feel like you're not welcome,' Ripa said of the scandal.

As for the New Jersey native's 26-year marriage to Riverdale star Mark Consuelos, she said there's 'no inhibition whatsoever' and their sex life is 'the one part of our life that has always been very good. Even when we're arguing, it's good.'

Kelly admitted she and the Spanish 51-year-old were 'too young to get married' when they eloped at the Chapel of the Bells in Las Vegas after only a year of dating.

'Alternate book cover': As for Kelly's 26-year marriage to Riverdale star Mark Consuelos, she said there's 'no inhibition whatsoever' and their sex life is 'the one part of our life that has always been very good. Even when we're arguing, it's good'

'On paper it should not have worked, and when it didn't work, we really worked at it': Ripa admitted she and the Spanish 51-year-old were 'too young to get married' when they eloped at the Chapel of the Bells in Las Vegas after only a year of dating

On-set romance: The Let's Get Physical executive producers originally met while playing onscreen lovers Hayley and Mateo on the ABC soap opera All My Children

'On paper it should not have worked and when it didn't work, we really worked at it,' Ripa said.

'We fought for our marriage when it would have been easier to quit and throw in the towel. Listen, my parents have been married for 61 years and Mark's parents have been married for 55 years. We didn't know any other way.'

The Let's Get Physical executive producers originally met while playing onscreen lovers Hayley and Mateo on the ABC soap opera All My Children.

Kelly thought she and Consuelos would be one of those couples who got divorced after their three children - son Michael, 25; daughter Lola, 21; and son Joaquin, 19 - moved out of their $27M Upper East Side townhouse.

Empty nesters: Kelly thought she and Consuelos would be one of those couples who got divorced after their three children (pictured August 24) - son Joaquin, 19; daughter Lola, 21; and son Michael, 25 - moved out of their $27M Upper East Side townhouse

Ripa recalled: 'But there was this other moment, where we went to the beach alone for the first time since our honeymoon with cheese and a baguette. These other parents were running around us with small kids. I realized I had never noticed the sunset because I was making sure our kids didn't run into the water when I wasn't looking. So I think for us, it was "Oh, this next phase of our lives, this is kind of great"'

'But there was this other moment, where we went to the beach alone for the first time since our honeymoon with cheese and a baguette,' Ripa recalled.

'These other parents were running around us with small kids. I realized I had never noticed the sunset because I was making sure our kids didn't run into the water when I wasn't looking. So I think for us, it was "Oh, this next phase of our lives, this is kind of great."'

The Camden County College drop-out will kick off her six-date Live Wire book tour on Wednesday at Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ.

Kelly and co-host Ryan Seacrest interview talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban on Wednesday morning's episode of LIVE with Kelly and Ryan.

'Tickets are on sale now!' The New Jersey native will kick off her six-date Live Wire book tour on Wednesday at Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ
Peter Andre has told how he and Victoria Beckham's mothers used to be pen pals in their early fame days.

The Mysterious Girl hitmaker, 49, told how his mother Thea, 86, and Victoria's mother Jackie Adams used to send each other press clippings of their children when they were at the beginning of their careers.

With Jackie living in the UK and Thea living in Australia, they would email each other clippings the other couldn't find in their country.

Family: Peter Andre has told how he and Victoria Beckham's mothers used to be pen pals in their early fame days

Speaking to OK! magazine, Peter said: 'Back in the 90s, Victoria Beckhams mum used to send my mum stories from magazines when I was in the UK.

'My mum would send Jackie stories about the Spice Girls in Australian magazines. How crazy is that?'

Peter released his debut album in 1993 and achieved his biggest hit - Mysterious Girl - in 1996, the same year the Spice Girls debuted.

It comes after Peter revealed he has plans to move to Australia with his wife Emily and their children as his mother's health worsens.

Back in the day: Peter, 49, told how his mother Thea, 86, and Victoria's mother Jackie Adams used to send each other press clippings of their children when they were at the beginning of their careers (pictued with Jackie and her father Tony)

Peter has two children with his ex-wife, Junior, 17, and Princess, 15, and Amelia, eight, and Theo, five, with wife Emily MacDonagh.

He revealed that the 'whole family' will be making the trip down under.

Writing in his new! magazine column, Peter said: 'If it all goes to plan, it'll be December and we'll all be going to Oz as a family.

'We want to get out there as soon as we can and stay for as long as possible, but it's tricky with the kids' school.'

'They have different timings, which makes it complicated.'

Last week Peter admitted he is finding it hard to watch his elderly mother 'suffering and declining' as old age takes its toll.

He said he is 'sad' to see his mum Thea, 86, 'struggling' as she gets older now her health has started to decline.

Family first: It comes after Peter revealed he has plans to move to Australia with his wife Emily and their children as his mother's health worsens

The TV personality explained he is hoping to spend 'as much time as possible' with his mother and father Savvas, 89, and savour every moment with his relatives.

The Mysterious Girl hitmaker recently holidayed with his parents in Cyprus and has previously travelled to Australia to spend time with them.

He explained in his new! magazine column: 'My parents celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary last week. 67 years! It's pretty amazing. Dad's going to be 90 next year and mum's 86.

'Mum's struggling at the moment, though. She's not doing great. She's suffering a bit and declining. It's sad when they've been together so long that age is getting on top of them.

'I was with her a few months ago. We've just got to be with her as much as possible. It's just age. She's got all sorts of things going on now.'

Tough: Peter admitted he is finding it hard to watch his elderly mother 'suffering and declining' as old age takes its toll

Taking to his Instagram account last week, Peter said he was 'sad that age is taking its toll' on his parents as he shared a sweet snap of himself with them.

He penned: 'Happy 67th wedding anniversary mum and dad. Love you both with every bit of my heart. I feel happy and sad posting this.

'Happy of course that they have achieved 67years of marriage together but sad that age is taking its toll and mum especially is really struggling.

'I always pray for your health, both of you. I also pray that I can be even half the parent to my children that you both are to me.'
Alessandra Ambrosio and a friend were spotted as they exited a building after what appeared to be a workout session in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The former Victorias Secret Angel wore tight bright red Spandex pants that accentuated her toned legs and a sleeveless grey workout sweatshirt that showed off her sculpted arms.

The supermodel recently returned from walking in and attending fashion shows at Milan Fashion Week.

Workout duo: Alessandra Ambrosio and a friend were spotted as they exited a building after what appeared to be a workout session in Los Angeles on Tuesday

The model wore red acrylic framed sunglasses and cream-colored sneakers to complement her casual exercise outfit.

Her friend wore a large crossbody workout bag, a beige tank top, black yoga pants with Nike sneakers, and dark sunglasses.

The model turned Entrepreneur waved to onlookers as she got into her car.

Friendly wave: The supermodel who recently returned from walking in and attending fashion shows at Milan Fashion Week traded her designer couture for figure-flaunting workout gear

Earlier this week, the bombshell took part in a More or Less magazine shoot wearing underwear made from repurposed everyday items.

The shoot featured iconic supermodels, including Candice Swanepoel, Elsa Hosk, Stella Maxwell, Sara Sampaio, Martha Hunt, Lily Aldridge, Lais Ribeiro, and Leomie Anderson.

On Sunday, Alessandra attended the Giorgio Armani show during Milan Fashion Week.

Leggy lady: The former Victorias Secret Angel wore tight bright red spandex pants that accentuated her toned legs and derriere and a sleeveless grey workout sweatshirt that showed off her sculpted arms

Twice a year during February and September, Milan Fashion Week puts fashion in the spotlight and celebrates in the heart of Italy with fashion lovers, buyers, and the media in attendance.

The 41-year-old siren stood out in a black velvet crop top, teamed with matching trousers and stilettos with a bold red lip and her brunette locks straight.

On Saturday, Ambrosio looked ready for winter as she joined Toni Garrn, 30, in the front row at the Moncler show in Milan, wearing a skin-tight black ribbed two-piece that consisted of a turtleneck and leggings.

Back from Milan: Earlier this week, Alessandra attended many events during Milan Fashion Week

Her own brand: After nearly 17 years of being the most coveted supermodel for Victorias Secret, Ambrosio has spread her entrepreneurial wings to start her own swimwear company, Gal Floripa

Alessandra also commanded attention as she revealed her underwear in a daring ensemble as she strutted down the catwalk in the Dolce & Gabbana show. The model sizzled in a sheer mesh black jumpsuit that gave a glimpse of her lace lingerie beneath as she posed up a storm.

After nearly 17 years of being the most coveted supermodel for Victorias Secret, Ambrosio has spread her entrepreneurial wings to create and promote her swimwear company, Gal Floripa.

The model, entrepreneur, and mother of two co-created the lifestyle brand to inspire women to embrace their femininity with a holistic approach. The line also features two-piece suits for young girls titled 'Gal Mini.
Frequent flyers probably know the nightmare of having a crying, unconsolable child on their flight. There was even a child that won't let up from their crying for the whole eight-hour flight from Germany to New York, per The Independent.

However, there was one flight that could have the chance to topple that on weirdness alone.

Los Angeles-based actor Emerson Collins took to Twitter to post a video of him in an American Airlines plane with an intercom speaker blurting our weird sounds.

Collins' flight lasted around three hours, meaning he and the passengers in his flight listened to the weird sounds for that long.

American Airlines Weird Flight Details

Collins mentioned on his Twitter account that the weird sounds on his flight's intercom started before take-off, suggesting that either someone in the cockpit accidentally turned the PA system or that someone hacked into it.

Collins described the weird sound as "a cross between explosive diarrhea, vomiting, and a weird, vaguely sexual moan," according to Gizmodo. He also mentioned that the sound returned to the PA system every two to three minutes for the flight 30 minutes of the flight.

However, other publications, including Gizmodo itself, have their own ways of detailing it. Gizmodo mentioned that the sounds were a "bad impressions of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's Monster," while the Los Angeles Times called it a loud groan from pain or pleasure.

This description is based on Collin's own, who said that the noise "was either someone's unfortunate food poisoning in the bathroom or, like, someone with an uncomfortable approach to personal satisfaction."

Read More: NieR: Automata's Anime Spinoff is Heading Our Way in January 2023

Regardless of what it was, flight attendants assured Collins and his fellow passengers that there was nothing to worry about and that the crew was not the source of the bizarre sounds.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we realize there is an extremely irritating sound coming over the public announcements," the flight attendant said in Collins' video. "The flight deck is trying to troubleshoot, trying to turn it off, so please be patient with us. We know this is a very add anomaly and none of us are enjoying it."

Eventually, Collins wanted to find the source of the problem himself during the flight, resulting in him "walking the aisles like Nancy Drew" and looking around the plane for the person making the weird noises.

Much to his dismay, however, there was no one on the plane with managed to hack into the plane's PA system, nor was there anyone having a great time creating the sounds as a prank.

Collins then gave up his investigation and settled in for the rest of the flight, which didn't have a "climactic" bizarre noise at its end.

'Buggy' Plane PA System?

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time an American Airlines flight was haunted by these strange, bizarre sounds. Technology executive Bradley P. Allen also went through the same disturbing experience during his flight from John F. Kennedy Airport to Los Angeles International Airport in July.

Although both people heard the same sound, Allen experienced the noise sporadically.

Another occurrence happened much later, according to Twitter user @xJonNYC. According to their tweet, the American Airlines plane he rode had its PA system produce moaning and screaming sounds, which disturbed passengers.

American Airlines investigated the issues and said the sound was caused by a "mechanical issue." It also added that it is impossible for a hacker to compromise their planes' PA systems as they are hardwired and has no external access.

Related Article: American Airlines Has Been Hacked: Here's What You Should Know
He's best known for this role on the acclaimed police drama Line Of Duty.

And Martin Compston looked worlds away from DI Steve Arnott as he joined Marvel actor Tony Curran to film scenes for BBC's new coming-of-age drama Mayflies at the picturesque House for an Art Lover in Scotland.

The pair both donned dapper blue lounge suits as they climbed out of a vintage Austin car to record the wedding-themed scenes.

Looking sharp! Martin Compston (left) looked worlds away from DI Steve Arnott as he joined Tony Curran (right) to film scenes for BBC's new coming-of-age drama Mayflies in Scotland

Martin - who takes on the leading role of Jimmy in the series - was seen pinning a flower to Tony's suit as the pair prepared to film the nuptials.

The pair were in high spirits as they emerged from the vintage car for filming, laughing together while the director prepared the scene.

Tony - who plays Jimmy's childhood friend Tully - was distracted at one point by his phone as he waited on the outdoor set.

Get them to the church on time! The pair both donned dapper blue lounge suits as they climbed out of a vintage Austin car to record the wedding-themed scenes

Are you ready? Martin - who takes on the leading role of Jimmy in the series - was seen pinning a flower to Tony's suit as the pair prepared to film the nuptials

Having fun? The pair were in high spirits as they emerged from the vintage car for filming, laughing together while the director prepared the scene

Stay hydrated! At one point Tony was distracted by a clip on his phone as he took a sip from his drink between the wedding scenes

Here they come! The two starts emerged from the vintage Austin as they prepared to film the wedding scenes for the BBC drama

Vintage: Martin and Tony were filming at the picturesque House For An Art Lover in Glasgow, a country venue built in the late 1980s, but based on a 1901 design

The show, an adaptation of author Andrew O'Hagan's critically acclaimed 2020 novel, is described as an 'intimate and devastating portrait of male friendship' as two best friends are reunited by tragedy 30-years after the 'climax of their youth.'

Set against the backdrop of 1980s Britain, it will see Compston portray one of two young men who forge a close bond over their shared love of music, film and rebellion.

Key cultural moments, among them Manchester's burgeoning late '80s and early '90s indie scene, will be highlighted as the two friends make a shared vow to live life on their own individual terms.

Past roles: Martin is best known as the star of smash hit police drama Line Of Duty while Tony is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in his role as Bor Burison (right)

Coming soon: The show, an adaptation of author Andrew O'Hagan's critically acclaimed 2020 novel, is described as an 'intimate and devastating portrait of male friendship'

They look happy! Mayflies focuses on two best friends are reunited by tragedy 30-years after the 'climax of their youth'

Emotional: Set against the backdrop of 1980s Britain, it will see Compston portray one of two young men who forge a close bond over their shared love of music, film and rebellion

Common goal: Key cultural moments, among them Manchester's burgeoning indie scene, will be highlighted as the two friends make a shared vow to live life on their own individual terms

But three decades later their bond becomes strained when Jimmy's old friend calls with some devastating news 'that will test their friendship, love and loyalty to the limit'.

The show will also star Ashley Jensen - best known for her performances in Ricky Gervais comedies Extras and After Life - in a yet to be announced role, and will be developed by Scottish production company Synchronicity Films for the BBC.

A synopsis for the show reads: 'Mayflies is a memorial to youth's euphoria and to everyday tragedy. A tender goodbye to an old union, it discovers the joy and the costs of love.'

At odds: But three decades later their bond becomes strained when Jimmy's old friend calls with some devastating news 'that will test their friendship, love and loyalty to the limit'

Coming soon: The show will also star Ashley Jensen - best known for her performances in Ricky Gervais comedies Extras and After Life - in a yet to be announced role

Speaking about the forthcoming TV adaptation, novelist Andrew O'Hagan said: 'For a while now, I've admired the work of Synchronicity Films  Scottish in its bones and international in complexion  and it's a thrill to see them bringing Mayflies to BBC One.

'The story is a very personal one to me, and it's amazing to see the characters come to life in Andrea Gibb's wonderful adaptation.

'Director Peter Mackie Burns has a singular vision, and I look forward to seeing what he makes of the Ayrshire landscape and the emotional reality of this story.'

Mayflies will air on BBC One, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer at a yet to be confirmed date in 2023.

Martin tied the knot with his wife Tianna in 2016 at Martin's family chapel in Greenock, Scotland, before a party at Mar Hall in Renfrewshire.

They welcomed their first child in 2020 and Martin splits his time between Scotland and their Las Vegas home, which is down the road from Tianna's mother's house.

Intimate: Speaking about the forthcoming TV adaptation, novelist Andrew O'Hagan said: 'The story is a very personal one to me'
Hailey Baldwin Bieber candidly discussed her sex life with her husband of four years, two-time Grammy winner Justin Bieber, revealing they prefer to make love in the evenings.

'But I do like morning [sex] too,' the 25-year-old IMG Model confessed on Wednesday's Call Her Daddy Podcast. 'I really like doggy style.'

However, threesomes 'wouldn't work' for Hailey and the 28-year-old Canadian crooner even though she admitted the idea is 'really fun and sounds exciting.'

TMI! Hailey Baldwin Bieber candidly discussed her sex life with her husband of four years, two-time Grammy winner Justin Bieber, revealing they prefer to make love in the evenings (pictured July 2)

'But I do like morning [sex] too,' the 25-year-old IMG Model confessed on Wednesday's Call Her Daddy Podcast. 'I really like doggy style'

'I think sometimes for some people it does...I think the second you make the decision to do that there's never going back from that, and I just don't know that I would ever be willing,' Bieber explained to host Alex Cooper.

'We've worked very hard to be in the space that we're in now and trusting each other. There's such a beautiful trust and bond that I don't think that's something I would be comfortable with. Or him, for that matter.'

All the sex talk made the Arizona-born beauty feel 'weird' because she realized her parents, Stephen and Kennya Baldwin, were 'going to listen to this.'

'There's something that feels so cringe about your parents [hearing this],' Hailey said.

'There's never going back from that': However, threesomes 'wouldn't work' for Hailey and the 28-year-old Canadian crooner even though she admitted the idea is 'really fun and sounds exciting' (pictured August 3)

Bieber explained to host Alex Cooper: 'We've worked very hard to be in the space that we're in now and trusting each other. There's such a beautiful trust and bond that I don't think that's something I would be comfortable with. Or him, for that matter'

'So cringe!' All the sex talk made the Arizona-born beauty feel 'weird' because she realized her parents, Stephen and Kennya Baldwin, were 'going to listen to this'

'I can ask him about any person, any past girl': Hailey also said 'there's nothing I don't know' about Justin's prior sexual experiences (pictured June 3)

'I also have this theory that people don't care about married people sex.'

Bieber also said 'there's nothing I don't know' about Justin's prior sexual experiences.

'I can ask him about any person, any past girl anything,' the Rhode founder noted.

'He doesn't have a problem being explicit and I think that's made me trust him a lot because there's nothing I don't know.'

Ex files: That includes Grammy nominee Selena Gomez (L, pictured in 2012), who finally ended her on/off eight-year relationship with Bieber in March 2018 - three months before he rekindled his 2015 romance with Hailey

Bieber said of cheating rumors: 'When him and I started hooking up, or anything of that sort, he was not in any relationship. It's not my character to mess with someone's relationship. I was raised better than that'

'Nice to meet you': Some might not be aware that the Honest hitmaker originally met the Who's in my Bathroom vlogger at the TODAY Show in 2009 - the same exact year he met the 30-year-old pop star

That includes Grammy nominee Selena Gomez, who finally ended her on/off eight-year relationship with Bieber in March 2018 - three months before he rekindled his 2015 romance with Hailey.

'I understand how it looks from the outside,' Bieber said of cheating rumors.

'When him and I started hooking up, or anything of that sort, he was not in any relationship. It's not my character to mess with someone's relationship. I was raised better than that.'

Premieres November 4 on Apple TV+! Hailey's comments came a week after Selena unveiled the first teaser for Alex Keshishian's documentary on her called My Mind And Me

Telling her side: The film spans four years, including Gomez's split with Justin as well as her career, kidney transplant due to Lupus, and mental health struggles

Some might not be aware that the Honest hitmaker originally met the Who's in my Bathroom vlogger at the TODAY Show in 2009 - the same exact year he met the 30-year-old pop star.

Hailey's comments came a week after Selena unveiled the first teaser for Alex Keshishian's documentary My Mind And Me, which premieres November 4 on Apple TV+.

The film spans four years, including Gomez's split with Justin as well as her career, kidney transplant due to Lupus, and mental health struggles.
Live Wire, a collection of hilarious, awkward and often poignant essays from Kelly Ripa, is on sale now

Most couples choose to wait until the end of the first trimester before telling the world they're expecting a baby but Kelly Ripa had no such luck with two of her three children.

Ripa, 51, reveals in her new book of personal essays, Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories, how her inebriated husband Mark Consuelos once let the cat out of the bag about her third pregnancy just moments after she told him the good news.

The daytime TV firebrand exclusively shared an excerpt from the chapter titled, 'It's probably just the flu', where she explains how her 'drinky-drinky, happy-happy' husband couldn't keep quiet.

Cat is out of the bag: Kelly Ripa exclusively shared an excerpt from her new book of personal essays, Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories, to DailyMail.com about how Mark Consuelos let slip she was pregnant

Kelly and Mark, who are parents to Michael, 25, Lola, 21, and Joaquin, 19, were not trying for baby number three when the star found herself pregnant.

At the time, Consuelos was on the other side of the globe filming a movie that required him to go off the grid for 1940s military training, when Kelly discovered she was expecting.

Ripa had been battling what she thought was a flu for a little while and when she finally relented and went to the doctor, low and behold it was actually the baby flu.

When Mark was finally able to get in touch with his wife - who, at that point, had known for weeks that she was pregnant - it was the crack of dawn.

Whoops: She had been battling what she thought was a flu for a little while and when she finally relented and went to the doctor, low and behold it was actually the baby flu (Mark and Kelly seen with their children Michael, 25, Lola, 21, and Joaquin, 19)

She penned: '"Hello,'" I purred into the phone, trying to make the most of my predawn voice, the only time my voice sounded sexy.'

'"BABY! BAAAAABY! I'M BACK!"' Mark shouted into the phone. He was obviously at a bar, and obviously drinky-drinky, happy-happy.'

Ripa hilariously recalls letting her actor husband ramble on about his production for more than a half hour while she kept the big news to herself.

'I heard about the rations, the boot camp, the realistic-looking weapons, the tent, his tent mate James Carpinello, the drills, the SNAKES, the military raids on the faux Japanese camp. The night watch. The falling asleep. The stumbling upon an actual dairy farm, and almost being shot by a real farmer, with a real gun,' she wrote.

'It was the moment of truth. "I'm pregnant." I could hear him doing the math in his head, which very few actors can do, in their heads or otherwise,' Kelly continued. 'I thought I had the flu, or an autoimmune condition, or mono.'

Mark was still using the 'mid-Atlantic circa 1940s accent' that was required for the role during his drunken phone call.

'I wondered if he was having a mental breakdown, and whether or not I should even tell him about the thrilling new chapter about to start in our lives,' she mused.

'It was the moment of truth. "I'm pregnant." I could hear him doing the math in his head, which very few actors can do, in their heads or otherwise,' Kelly continued.

Consuelos was overjoyed at the prospect and admitted he 'had a feeling'. Kelly, on the other hand, absolutely did not.

'I thought I had the flu, or an autoimmune condition, or mono,' she wrote.

She recalled saying: 'Do me a favor, don't say anything, because I haven't told work yet, and you know how it is there, so do me But I don't get a chance to finish the sentence because mid-Atlantic 1940s Mark was back on the line, screaming into the bar, "HEY FELLAS, MY SWEETHEART'S HAVING MY KID!"

At this point, all the key players were now aware that the baby who would become Joaquin was on the way ... meaning Kelly and Mark. And, for the TV host, that was exactly how she wanted to keep it for the time being.

She recalled saying: 'Do me a favor, don't say anything, because I haven't told work yet, and you know how it is there, so do me'

'But I don't get a chance to finish the sentence because mid-Atlantic 1940s Mark was back on the line, screaming into the bar, "HEY FELLAS, MY SWEETHEART'S HAVING MY KID!"

Too funny: The New Jersey native's candor in the pages of Live Wire makes her debut book of essays so relatable to readers - even dear readers didn't have a celebrity accidentally spill the beans about about their major milestones

This was actually her second pregnancy secret blown in an unexpected way. In another chapter, Kelly revisits her first time co-hosting Live! after Katie-Lee Gifford left.

She had just found out she was pregnant with Lola. She and Mark hadn't even told their families yet and Ripa was nervous that the psychic who was to be the guest on the show would guess the truth.

Needless to say, Char Margolis, the psychic in question did actually guess that Kelly was pregnant and said so live on the air.

Ripa was flabbergast and forced to admit that, yes, she was pregnant, and no, not a soul knew aside from Mark.

The New Jersey native's candor in the pages of Live Wire is makes her debut book of essays so relatable to readers - even if no one else has had a celebrity accidentally spill the beans about their pregnancies.

Ripa recently sat down with DailyMail.com for an exclusive interview about the book, which Kelly insists is intended to entertain, not to advise. Still, Live Wire, contains sage advice to working women and mothers woven within the laugh-out-loud anecdotes.

'I want women to get behind each other in a way that is so natural for men,' Kelly previously told DailyMail.com.

The diminutive host is small in stature but larger-than-life when it comes to her personality, high energy and goals. She admitted however, that getting to this stage in her life was an uphill battle.

'It took me about 20 years to get there, where I was confident saying, 'absolutely not. That is unacceptable,'' Kelly said. '[Live Wire is] not a self-help book, but if you can find something in myself that helps you, the reader, then I will be happy. If it in some way improves your work life or your ability to negotiate for yourself, or your ability to just know that there is strength in voicing your opinions out loud.'

At this point, Ripa has no qualms about voicing her opinions ... in her book, she proudly declares that Botox is fantastic, things with Regis were awkward, the Jersey Shore is better than the Hamptons, she wishes Cher was her mom and yes, Mark Consuelos, really is that hot. Live Wire is on sale now.

At this point, Ripa has no qualms about voicing her opinions: In her book, she proudly declares that Botox is fantastic, things with Regis were awkward, the Jersey Shore is better than the Hamptons, she wishes Cher was her mom and yes, Mark Consuelos, really is that hot
She's been spotted filming her new project No Hard Feelings in Long Island, New York.

And Jennifer Lawrence was seen arriving on the set on Wednesday, dressed casually in all black.

The 32-year-old actress smiled as she waved hello to fans while sporting voluminous tousled hair.

Arrival: She's been spotted filming her new project No Hard Feelings in Long Island, New York. And Jennifer Lawrence was seen arriving on the set on Wednesday, dressed casually in all black

The beauty arrived to the set wearing black sweats with a coordinating zippered hoodie.

The Hunger Games star donned blue toned boots with brown hued sunglasses; her long hair was in waves, loose and voluminous around her.

Jennifer, who sported pink glossy lips and rosy blush, waved and smiled at fans as she walked around set.

She was first seen on set earlier this week, marking her first project since welcoming her first child Cy, seven months.

Striking: The 32-year-old actress smiled as she waved hello to fans while sporting voluminous tousled hair

Gorgeous: The beauty arrived to the set wearing black sweats with a coordinating zippered hoodie

No Hard Feelings also stars Matthew Broderick and Kyle Mooney, as well as Andrew Barth Feldman and Laura Benanti.

Jennifer not only stars in the project, but serves as one of the producers.

The film centers on Jennifer's character, who finds a Craigslist ad placed by a mom looking for someone to date their son before he heads off to college.

The movie already has a release date of June 16, 2023.

The mother of one appeared at the premiere of her film Causeway at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10.

Stunning lady: The mother of one appeared at the premiere of her film Causeway at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10

The Oscar winner dazzled in a black bodysuit with a sheer dress over it, adding strappy heels with wavy tresses.

Jennifer is mom to son Cy with husband Cooke Maroney; they welcomed him in February 2022.

They married in October 2019 at a star-studded wedding at the Belcourt of Newport in Rhode Island.
Kanye West has reportedly hired the same lawyer who represented Melinda Gates in her $130 billion divorce from ex-husband Bill Gates in his own on-going legal battle with ex Kim Kardashian.

Robert Stephan Cohen, who has also previously represented Rupert Murdoch and Chris Rock, has become Kanye's sixth divorce attorney, according to TMZ.

As Cohen is in New York and Kanye's legal separation being waged in Los Angeles, the rapper has also retained Beverly Hills based attorney Nicholas A Salick of Salick Family Law Group, APLC as counsel in California, reports the site.

Watch out Kim! Kanye West has reportedly hired the same lawyer who represented Melinda Gates in her 130 billion divorce from ex-husband Bill Gates in his on-going legal battle with ex Kim Kardashian; pictured 2019

Cohen marks the sixth attorney Kanye has hired in his divorce from Kim. Kanye is still working on settling custody and property issues with his ex-wife.

Last month, Kanye's fifth divorce lawyer, Samantha Spector, withdrew from the case due to an irreconcilable breakdown with the rapper.

Prior to Spector, West relieved attorney Chris Melcher of his duties in the case, TMZ reported in March.

Insiders told the outlet at the time that West had been indecisive in his dealings with Melcher, at some times looking to settle and other times looking to battle her in court.

At the time West switched representation from Melcher to Spector, Kardashian's lawyer Laura Wasser said that West had been 'strategically' switching lawyers in an effort to slow down the legal process in the split, Mirror reported.

Bringing out the big guns: Robert Stephan Cohen, who has also previously represented Rupert Murdoch and Chris Rock, has become Kanye's sixth divorce attorney

Split: Cohen represented Melinda during her divorce from Bill Gates, her husband of 27 years

Kardashian filed to divorce West in February of 2021 after more than six years of marriage and four children together.

She began dating comic Pete Davidson last fall, but they split up after nine months together in August.

Kim has had a contentious co-parenting relationship with Kanye since their split.

Family matters: Kim shares daughters North, nine, Chicago, four, and sons Saint, six, and Psalm, three, with West

Several weeks ago, Kanye accused Kim and Hulu, the Kardashian family's streaming giant partner, of railroading him when choosing where the kids go to school.

He compared himself to a sperm donor without a say, and fumed over the fact that the kids were attending a posh private school in L.A. when he wanted them to go to his school, the Donda Academy, set up in honor of his late mother.

In an apparent sign of victory - or at least peace with Kim - he recently shared videos of his two oldest children North, nine, and Saint, six, at his school - the Donda Academy. They appeared happily singing and dancing with a group of other children and teachers.

In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Kanye - who now goes by just Ye - explained that as he and Kim warred over the kids' upbringing, he was also battling Adidas and Gap over creative control of his Yeezy products.

'These little nuances... there were parallels at Gap, at Adidas and in my home. It was kind of a disregard for the voice I have in something I co-created. I co-created the children, I co-created the product at Gap and I co-created the product at Adidas,' he said.

'I want my kids to go to Donda and I have to fight for a say so.

He however said he had a 'new respect' for Kim, and that he always wanted her to be 'calm'.

'This is the mother of my children, and I apologize for any stress that I have caused, even in my frustration, because God calls me to be stronger. I need this person to be less stressed and of the best, sound mind and as calm as possible to be able to raise those children at the end of the day,' he said.
Carol Vorderman looked nothing short of sensational as she shared an Instagram video in a Union Jack bikini on Wednesday.

The former Countdown presenter, 61, looked ageless as she flashed her toned midriff following a workout in the two-piece and low rise blue denim shorts.

The TV personality styled her blonde tresses in loose waves as they cascaded past her shoulders.

Incredible: Carol Vorderman looked nothing short of sensational as she shared an Instagram video in a Union Jack bikini on Wednesday

Carol showed off her beauty by boasting minimal makeup and revealed to her fans that she has a 'new stretching regime and kettle bell workout'.

She penned to the clip: 'Evening. Just a bit hooked on a new stretching regime and kettlebell workouts.....doesnt take much to keep me happy eh?!

'Im still flying the flag in spite of the current economic nightmare going on in the country....!!!!'

Amazing: The former Countdown presenter, 61, looked ageless as she flashed her toned midriff following a workout in the two-piece and low rise blue denim shorts

Looking good: The TV personality styled her blonde tresses in loose waves as they cascaded past her shoulders

Earlier in the day Carol landed back in the UK at Heathrow airport after jetting to South Africa to reportedly film the I'm A Celebrity All Stars series.

The star wore a khaki tracksuit and shielded her tired eyes with shades as she left the terminal after her long flight.

The new spin-off series is set to hit TV screens in 2023 and will see fan favourites battle it out in the jungle once more, with presenters Ant and Dec having confirmed that they are currently filming in South Africa.

Sensational: Carol showed off her beauty by boasting minimal makeup and revealed to her fans that she has a 'new stretching regime and kettle bell workout'

She penned to the clip: 'Just a bit hooked on a new stretching regime and kettlebell workouts.....doesnt take much to keep me happy eh?! 'Im still flying the flag in spite of the current economic nightmare going on in the country....!!!!'

She will reportedly be joined by Joe Swash, Gillian McKeith, Phil Tufnell, Amir Khan, Jordan Banjo, Andrew Whyment, Dean Gaffney and Shaun Ryder with Janice Dickinson completing the line-up.

According to The Sun, viewers will see a group of 15 soap stars, reality TV personalities and sporting icons enter the camp.

A source said to the publication: 'It's a different format to Australia, who knows when and where celebrities will enter camp, literally anything could happen.

'It's not clear how many will start in camp or how many will be there by the end when one is crowned King or Queen of the jungle, possibly for a second time.

It's the best of I'm A Celebrity, quite literally, but there's some twists and surprises along the way for viewers and campers so it's not going to be as straightforward as they might think.'

MailOnline has contacted a representative for ITV for comment.
She rocked the London Fashion Week runway on Monday night at the Burberry show.

And now Bella Hadid has arrived in Paris for a series of appearances at the city's Fashion Week catwalks.

The US model looked incredible in a statement brown leather coat as she headed out into the city on Wednesday evening.

Whistle-stop tour: After wowing at London Fashion Week, Bella Hadid has arrived in Paris for a series of appearances at the city's Fashion Week shows

Bella went shirtless under her coat, flashing a glimpse of her bare midriff as she exited her car.

She added a pair of flared black jeans to her look, and kept comfy in flat sandals.

The runway star showed off her natural beauty, with minimal makeup, accentuated with a dash of lip gloss.

Gorgeous: The US model looked incredible in a statement brown leather coat as she headed out into the city on Wednesday evening.

Statement piece: Bella went shirtless under her coat, flashing a glimpse of her bare midriff as she exited her car

The busy star hid any sign of Fashion Week fatigue behind a pair of dark shades, but looked in good spirits as she smiled and waved at photographers.

The appearance comes after Bella walked in the Burberry Fashion Show on Monday in London.

Bella has been joined on her Fashion Week tour by her boyfriend Marc Kalman, who was spotted with her in London on Tuesday night.

Catwalk queen: The appearance comes after Bella walked in the Burberry Fashion Show on Monday in London

Feeling good: The busy star hid any sign of Fashion Week fatigue behind a pair of dark shades, but looked in good spirits as she smiled and waved at photographers

Hadid started dating Kalman back in 2020 after ending her on-again, off-again relationship with The Weeknd.

Earlier this year, the five-foot-nine beauty spoke about her relationship with her boyfriend and praised Kalman's hard work ethic, adding they had grown very close over their romance.

'I'm really proud of Marc, who's like my emotional support bunny and is incredibly talented at everything he does,' she said.
The Bachelor vet Sarah Herron announced on Wednesday that she is expecting her first child with fiance Dylan Brown.

The couple shared the happy news on Instagram that they are having a baby boy.

'We can't keep a secret any longer!' wrote Sarah, 35, captioning an image of the beaming future parents displaying their ultrasound photos. 'Our embryo transfer was a success and I am pregnant with our baby boy!'

Little boy booties: The Bachelor vet Sarah Herron announced on Wednesday that she is expecting her first child with fiance Dylan Brown. The couple shared the happy news on Instagram that they are having a baby boy

This reveal comes after a difficult year-long IVF struggle.

'We are early in the first trimester still,' Herron told People, 'but since I have shared my fertility journey so openly with my community, it's important to me that I continue in that faith.'

'Surreal doesn't begin to describe how it's all felt,' she candidly wrote on Instagram, revealing that she is seven weeks along in her pregnancy. 'The road ahead is long and I know we'll be holding our breath until the day our baby is earth side with us.'

The entrepreneur and her filmmaker fiance became engaged in May, 2021, with Dylan popping the question at the base of Mount Sopris. Natives of Colorado, the gorgeous twin-summit mountain is the couple's favorite place.

Hope-filled horizon: The Colorado couple are avid nature lovers and took their announcement pictures with the Rocky Mountains behind them

No rose needed: Sarah went on to find love and success after being eliminated by Sean Lowe in week six of The Bachelor's 17th season

Sarah proudly refers to herself as an 'IVF warrior' on her Instagram account and has been open about her diminished ovarian reserve diagnosis. 'I never imagined it would go this way for me,' she wrote on Instagram in March of last year, 'that at 34 I'd be told my chances of having a baby naturally are very slim.'

'Dr. Aimee (@eggwhisperer) thank you,' she wrote, giving an emotional shoutout to her fertility doctor in the announcement. 'From the bottom of our hearts. You have fought for this as hard as we have. I start crying just thinking about you and the gift you have been in our lives. We love you."

The former advertising executive first competed on the 17th season of The Bachelor, vying for Sean Lowe's heart in 2013. She was eliminated in week six and went on to return for the first and third seasons of Bachelor in Paradise.

Braced for paradise: Sarah tripped on a curb while walking her dog and broke her kneecap a few weeks ago

With her Bachelor days behind her, Sarah is looking forward to raising a family with Dylan Brown, referring to him in the past on Instagram as her 'forever paradise, favorite adventure bud and BEST friend.'

The SheLift founder met her husband-to-be in 2017 when he was hired as the videographer for her company's inaugural hiking retreat. The pair are passionate about the outdoors and frequently post about their thrilling adventures on Instagram.

Born with one arm, Herron has worked to overcome medical obstacles in the past and this has been a driving force behind SheLift's mission of 'empowering girls to conquer their personal mountains.' The nonprofit uses outdoor physical activities to help instill confidence in girls born with similar conditions. Certainly this new milestone will serve to increase Sarah's ability to inspire.

IVF warriors: The reality television personality and her videographer fiance braved the IVF adventure together and have come out the other side stronger than ever

The big reveal: Herron and Brown announced their pregnancy by posting a candid and heartfelt message on her Instagram Wednesday
Kathy Najimy has delved into the difficult balancing act she performs to keep up her friendships with both Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall despite their ongoing public feud.

Najimy, 65, spoke about supporting her 'separate friends' while chatting on the red carpet of the Hocus Pocus 2 premiere with People on Tuesday.

According to the actress, who stars with Parker in the Disney sequel, it's still possible to be friends with different people, even if they can't stand to be in the same room.

Balancing act: Kathy Najimy, 65, shared that she manages to be friends with both her Hocus Pocus 2 costar Sarah Jessica Parker, 57, and Kim Cattrall, 66, according to People; seen Saturday in NYC

'You know, we all can have separate friends,' she opined. 'And you can love two people the same that are on, you know, different parts of the universe.'

She added, 'Being friends with one person doesn't mean you're not friends with the other person.'

Kathy has had a professional relationship with Sarah after the two starred together in the critically derided 1993 film Hocus Pocus, which has become traditional Halloween viewing for children and millennials.

They play two of the Sanderson sisters, a group of witches, along with Bette Midler.

Mature: 'You know, we all can have separate friends,' she opined. 'And you can love two people the same that are on, you know, different parts of the universe.' Sarah and Kim haven't been on speaking terms in recent years

Work friends: Kathy and Sarah star with Bette Midler in the new Hocus Pocus sequel, though she hasn't worked with Kim on screen; still from Hocus Pocus 2

Kathy and Kim don't appear to have collaborated, but the two have maintained a friendship that has endured despite Kim and Sarah's public feuding.

The Sex And The City costars reportedly had frosty relations going back to the series, when Sarah earned more on the series after scoring an executive producer credit in the second season, which led Kim to negotiate for a higher salary.

In 2009, New York Magazine reported that the costars were no longer on speaking terms while filming the Sex And The City movie, and the relationship didn't appear to have improved at all for the filming of the second movie, which was released in 2010.

For years after, Sarah denied reports of on-set feuding, and Kim also created a public picture of a more congenial relationship.

In 2017, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Kim had been the major factor preventing the creation of a third movie, as she made additional demands for projects in exchange for her cooperation that the studio was unwilling to accommodate, though she claimed she had simply turned down the movie.

Later in 2017, Kim claimed that she had never really been friends with Sarah or her costars, and Sarah subsequently became more open about the feud

Canceled: Kim and Sarah long had a frosty public relationship, but DailyMail.com exclusively revealed in 2017 that Kim was a major factor that scuttled a third Sex And The City film, which further hurt their relationship; seen filming Sex And The City

Back in June of this year, Kathy's fans wondered if she had thrown her support behind Kim in the ongoing feud.

Sarah made an appearance on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, in which she spoke more openly about her issues with Kim than in the past.

She expressed frustration with the way she though Cattrall had hinted at their disagreements over the years.

'There is not a 'fight' going on. There has been no public dispute or spat or conversations or allegations made by me or anybody on my behalf. I wouldn't do it. That is not the way I would have it,' she said. 'So I just wish that they would stop calling this a 'catfight' or an 'argument,' because it doesn't reflect, actually  there has been one person talking. And I'm not going to tell her not to, or anybody, so that's been kind of painful for me also.'

After the podcast was released, Kathy tweeted, '@KimCattrall Sending you alll the love and support in the WORLD today!! One of the best, most authentic humans in the "business" and maybe the world! dinner soooon my love!'

Taking sides? Fans wondered if Kathy was throwing her support with Kim when she tweeted 'Sending you alll the love and support in the WORLD today' after Sarah spoke about their feud on a podcast; still from Sex And The City: The Movie (2007)

When Sex And The City was revived for an HBO Max sequel series And Just Like That late last year, Kim was missing and the female leads were reduced to a trio.

However, Kim's character Sam is still alive in the series, but living in London, which allowed the writers to involve the character via text messages.

The show's producers expressed optimism before the show even premiered about getting Cattrall to rejoin for a second season, but Parker revealed on the June podcast that they 'did not ask' her back for the first season.

'She made it clear that that wasn't something she wanted to pursue, and it no longer felt comfortable for us, and so it didn't occur to us,' she said. 'That's not "slamming" her, it's just learning. You've got to listen to somebody, and if they're publicly talking about something and it doesn't suggest it's some place they want to be, or a person they want to play, or an environment in which they want to be, you get to an age where you're like, "Well, we hear that."'

And Just Like That was renewed for a second season in March.

Kathy and Sarah can be seen in Hocus Pocus 2 starting on September 30 on Disney+.
Pierce Brosnan has revealed Robin Williams improvised his hilarious 'run-by fruiting' line in the beloved 1993 comedy Mrs. Doubtfire.

Reflecting on his time with the actor in an interview with GQ, Brosnan, 69, revealed the remark was not scripted as he recalled filming the scene with the late comedian.

In the scene, Williams throws a lime at Brosnan's head after the actor called his character, Daniel Hillard, 'a loser.'

'It wasn't in the script': Pierce Brosnan has revealed Robin Williams improvised his hilarious 'run-by fruiting' line in the beloved 1993 comedy Mrs. Doubtfire

However, Brosnan's character was unaware the real Daniel had overheard his remark with Hillard in disguise as Mrs. Doubtfire.

As Brosnan walked away carrying a tray of drinks, Hillard (Williams) expressed his displeasure by throwing a lime at Brosnan.

After the lime made contact with his head, Hillard blamed a disgruntled kitchen employee.

'Oh sir! I saw it! Some angry member of the kitchen staff, did you not tip them? Oh, the terrorist they ran that way, it was a run-by fruiting! I'll get them sir, don't worry!' Williams told a perplexed Brosnan.

Hilarious moment: Williams improvised the line 'run-by fruiting' in a scene which saw him hit Pierce in the head with a lime

'"Run-by fruiting," it wasn't in the script,' Brosnan revealed. 'I get the beers, I'm walking back and thinking, "This is going to take forever to hit me on the head." The first one missed. And the second one  is history.'

Brosnan, who played Stu Dunmeyer, a man vying for the affections of Daniel's ex-wife Miranda Hillard (Sally Field), also revealed he did not see the real Robin until the end of filming.

Even when he first met his co-star, Robin was committed to the Mrs. Doubtfire persona. The actor was in the process of his transformation during their first interactions.

Classic flick: The iconic Mrs. Doubtfire film was released in 1993 and saw Williams play a down-on-his-luck single father attempting to spend time with his children after his estranged wife gains sole custody of them

'I remember going up to San Francisco the first day. I went into the makeup trailer, and Robin was in there with a Hawaiian shirt on, big hairy arms and cargo shorts with hairy legs, but he had the head of Mrs. Doubtfire,' he recalled.

Robin remained in character as Mrs. Doubtfire during their first introductions before finally reverting back to his true self and introducing himself as Robin.

'I went to work every day on that movie, and I was always working with Mrs. Doubtfire. It wasnt until the end of the movie that I met Robin,' Pierce said.

Strike a pose: Brosnan pictured in London in March 11, 2020

The hunk spoke highly of Williams, calling the actor 'one of the great clowns, greatest comedian, actor, humanitarian' and someone who always 'led with his heart and his soul.'

Pierce said he couldn't have been more 'thrilled to be working with him (and) Sally Field.'

The iconic Mrs. Doubtfire film was released in 1993 and saw Williams play a single father attempting to spend time with his children after his ex-wife gains sole custody of them.

Icon: Williams starred in numerous hit films during his career, and even earned an Oscar for his role in Good Will Hunting; pictured 2013

In order to see his kids, he secretly re-enters their lives disguised as the elderly and loveable housekeeper Mrs. Doubtfire.

It is one of many hit films the actor starred in during his prolific career, including Good Morning, Vietnam, Patch Adams, Aladdin, and Good Will Hunting, which earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Williams passed away at age 63 by suicide at his home in Paradise Cay, California in 2014. His autopsy revealed undiagnosed Lewy body disease, which is a form of progressive dementia.
Bill Gates announced at the 2022 Forbes 400 Philanthropy Summit that he plans to run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the charitable organization that he co-chairs with his ex-wife Melinda French Gates, for the next 25 years, as per Interesting Engineering.

The foundation has been around for more than two decades since its establishment in 2000. Now, the Microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist made an announcement of his plan to wind down the foundation in 25 years.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Aims to End Infectious Diseases

"The goal for the foundation is to run for another 25 years," said Gates in the keynote conversation at 2022 Forbes 400 Philanthropy Summit.

According to him, that's probably the timeframe where Melinda and him will be available to help make sure that the foundation stays on track. After 25 years, Gates will be 91 years old, and French Gates will be 83.

In 2010, Gates and French Gates created the Giving Pledge together with Warren Buffett. The project asks billionaires "to publicly commit to give most of their wealth away to philanthropic efforts either during their lifetimes or in their wills."

For the next 25 years, the foundation aims to bring infectious disease, or "all of the diseases that make the world inequitable," to an end, according to Forbes. The goal is to eradicate or to get the diseases at a very low level.

According to The Business Insider, the foundation pledged a total of $912 million to the Global Fund earlier this week. The said amount will be used to help tackle AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Two months ago, Gates donated $20 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with the aim of increasing its annual spending.

In June 2022, Warren Buffet donated $3.1 billion. The combined donation makes the foundation's endowment to approximately $70 billion. This makes the foundation one of the largest charitable organization in the world.

Read Also: Bill Gates Says Cryptocurrency Isn't "Adding to Society" in Latest AMA

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Will Remain Focused on Eradicating Diseases

In 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was established with the goal of fighting poverty, disease, climate change, and access to healthcare and education worldwide.

Since its establishment, nearly $80 billion was spent by the foundation to fight diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and the coronavirus, as per Interesting Engineering.

The foundation has more than $70 billion in assets. Since its establishment in 2000, it has given out $65.6 billion. According to the charitable organization, it would increase its annual giving to $9 billion by 2026, up from $6 billion.

Even before COVID-19 happened, Gates predicted a pandemic would happen. In a 2015 Ted Talk, he said that the world was "not ready for the next epidemic."

With all these problems on diseases, he called for a global task force earlier this year to monitor future pandemics.

According to Gates, he's been asked to move into other areas of philanthropy but he said that the foundation will remain focused on healthcare and eradicating diseases.

When asked if his relationship with French Gates will affect the foundation, Gates said there is no reason to worry as there's only a very small chance that they won't be able to work together.

Related Article: Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures to Invest $20 Million in Startup Blue Frontier's Sustainable Air Conditioning
Lisa Kudrow has a new show lined up.

The beauty will star in Taika Waititi's Apple TV+ series Time Bandits, Deadline reported on Wednesday. The 59-year-old Friends actress will play a character named Penelope in the show.

The comedienne joins a cast which already boasts Kal-El Tuck from Unseeing Evil, House star Charlyne Yi and Martyrs Lane actress Kiera Thompson.

Starring role: Lisa Kudrow will star in Taika Waititi's Apple TV+ series Time Bandits, Deadline reported on Wednesday (pictured June 2022)

Deadline also reported that Apple has finally greenlit the project which has been in development since 2019.

Taika will also direct the first two episodes of the series which follows 'a young boy who discovers a time-traveling portal in his bedroom,' according to the series' IMDb page.

The movie is based on Terry Gilliam's 1981 film of the same name which starred Sean Connery, John Cleese, Ian Holm and many more famous stars from Great Britain.

Star-studded cast: She joins a cast which already boasts Kal-El Tuck from Unseeing Evil, House star Charlyne Yi and Martyrs Lane actress Kiera Thompson (pictured July 2022)

His series: Taika will also direct the first two episodes of the series which follows 'a young boy who discovers a time-traveling portal in his bedroom,' according to the series' IMDb page

Source material: The movie is based on Terry Gilliam's 1981 film of the same name which starred Sean Connery, John Cleese, Ian Holm and many more famous stars from Great Britain

Time Bandits does not currently have a release date.

Kudrow's part in Time Bandits is just her latest in a long string of acting roles she's had in recent months.

She is in the process of filming The Parenting which follows a couple who rent a house with their parents before discovering a ghost who lives there.

No release date yet: Time Bandits does not currently have a release date

Lots of projects: Kudrow's part in Time Bandits is just her latest in a long string of acting roles she's had in recent months (pictured March 2022)

Television heavyweights like Succession star Brian Cox, Breaking Bad actor Dean Norris and Nurse Jackie's Edie Falco will star alongside Kudrow in the horror-comedy.

She will also soon begin work on a Netflix project with Charlie Brooker, creator of Black Mirror. Details on that project have been kept under wraps so far.

She's also the narrator of Bright Futures, a television movie, currently in post-production.
THIS ENGLAND

Sky Atlantic

Rating:

Even theatre titans can have the occasional basic lapse in acting technique. Sir Kenneth Branagh, the greatest Hamlet of his generation, Baftas, Oscars blah-blah etc, has forgotten to remove the coat hanger from his Boris Johnson costume.

He plays the Prime Minister in a jelly-mould fat suit, with his arms thrust out behind him like a duck preparing for takeoff.

As he waddles around Downing Street in This England (Sky Atlantic), his shoulders are rigid, his head is thrust forward. No one has made walking look so awkward since Lurch the butler in The Addams Family.

His ridiculous posture fails to capture any of the bumbling charisma or overgrown schoolboy charm of the real Boris.

Its a criticism that extends to the whole of this six-part docudrama, which describes itself as a fiction based on real events.

Boris Johnson (played by Sir Kenneth Branagh) with future wife Carrie (Ophelia Lovibond) when she is pregnant

If this is an attempt to apply the dramatic imagination of The Crown to life in Westminster, its an abject disaster.

And if its a serious effort to chart the catastrophe of Covid and lockdown on British life, its even less successful.

Ricocheting between snapshots of hospitals and research labs, Whitehall backrooms and newspaper offices, This England is a whirl of underwritten scenes held together with tickertape captions that can barely keep up with the changing personnel. These fragments, often lasting just one or two lines of dialogue, are interspersed with shockingly tasteless portraits of the PMs sex life.

After a blizzard of clips from news reels, the drama begins with his arrival in Downing Street. Legs stiff and elbows back as if hes been lowered into his suit by a crane, Branagh-as-Boris wobbles through the door of No10.

We hear him, off camera, with future wife Carrie (Ophelia Lovibond). Hes doing his Winston Churchill impression, chuntering Power is an aphrodisiac, and shes giggling like a teenager.

Six months later, shes pregnant and fuming at having to hide from the cameras, kept from public view like the mad woman in the attic.

When he cancels a night out, she takes her revenge by threatening to withhold sex because you are too weak to tell your children about our baby  and slips into an off-the-shoulder party dress so that you can see what you are missing.

Sir Kenneth Branagh plays the Prime Minister (pictured) in a jelly-mould fat suit, with his arms thrust out behind him like a duck preparing for takeoff

Boriss non-existent relationship with his children is a constant theme. He leaves voicemails for them at Christmas, reciting their names and the same message for each, and even introducing himself in case they dont remember who he is.

We appear to glimpse them in one momentary scene  a teenage boy with a blond moptop, watching a speech by his dad on a phone screen until a sister dashes the device out of his hands.

And there are snatches of conversations with divorce lawyers as Boris bickers with hopeless resignation over the alimony arrangements with his ex-wife.

Some of the writing is bad beyond embarrassment. As the news from Wuhan grows worse, Carrie and Boris curl up to watch Kate Winslet in the virus disaster movie Contagion.

The PM complains hed rather be watching Carry On Up The Khyber. He draws out the title suggestively, and Ms Symonds gives a flirtatious shiver. Encouraged, Boris suggests, Carrie on Prime Minister?

Are we meant to believe this is a portrait of their home life?

Equally farcical is a scene at the ministerial country retreat, Chevening, where Boris sets up an easel and mopes about, pretending to be the reincarnation of Churchill and complaining about the black dog of depression.

Hes depicted as a caricature of a human being, with a Classical misquote for every occasion, occasionally rousing himself to write a page or two of his latest book, while leaving chief aide Dominic Cummings to run the country.

Cadaverous and poisonous, Cummings (Simon Paisley Day) is a bullying schoolmaster let loose among the sixth formers  special advisors or Spads, most of whom look like theyre on work experience. Hes a monomaniac with tunnel vision, a weirdo too inflexible to deal with the shifting currents of politics.

Anything he doesnt understand, he ignores  including the unprecedented floods of winter 2020 and the onset of the pandemic.

Cummingss sole focus is on a power grab, ensuring all Cabinet ministers and their advisers answer to No10  and that Boris leaves all the decisions to him.

Cadaverous and poisonous, Cummings (Simon Paisley Day, pictured) is a bullying schoolmaster let loose among the sixth formers

In case we dont get the message, the edit makes constant cuts with an elephantine lack of subtlety. Heres Cummings chanting, Get Brexit Done, and there are Boris and Carrie, transferring from a private jet to a speedboat in Mustique  before another cut, to a rack of dead bats in Wuhans wet market.

Thats followed by footage of a Chinese ambulance, and Carrie throwing up in a toilet bowl while a Chinese optometrist fights for breath on a respirator.

When chief medical officer Chris Whitty and his fellow scientists track the movements of a super-spreader patient who travelled from Singapore to London and then a Swiss resort, all while suffering from Covid, we actually see the poor man coughing as he skis. No wonder the blasted disease was transmitted so fast.

Matt Hancock (Andrew Buchan) listens to updates with his mouth slightly open, though its hard to tell whether hes in shock or just always breathes like that. His only response, as government scientists grasp how serious the Covid epidemic will be for Britains hospitals, is: Why is it always China?

Carrie is portrayed as a harridan, snapping orders at Boris. When a scandal breaks about a former girlfriend of Boriss, Jennifer Arcuri, she berates him over the phone: Do not even think about trying to talk to this woman.

And when hes musing about school, she issues an edict in front of her mother and his: We are not sending ours away, just so you know.

No one emerges with a shred of dignity, except perhaps former newspaper editor Sir Max Hastings, who is played in a cameo by Charles Dance.

He says nothing memorable, but hey, what chap would complain about that casting?

Perhaps, when he first heard about the show, Boris was flattered by the notion of seeing Branagh play him. He wasnt reckoning on that fat suit, or the prosthetics that look like an omelette has melted over his face.

The last time we saw fake fat that ugly, David Walliams was blacked up and wearing only a towel as Desiree DeVere, bickering with Matt Lucass equally grotesque Bubbles DeVere. This England is more like Little Britain.
Oprah Winfrey has dropped a hint she's planning to return to acting.

The television titan, 68, has performed in a number of movies while also juggling her career as a talk show host.

She won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in the 1985 drama The Color Purple and starred in other films like The Butler (2013) and Selma (2014)

Back to the screen: Oprah Winfrey has dropped a hint she's planning to return to acting

Her last major acting role came four years ago in Ava DuVernay's 2018 offering A Wrinkle in Time.

Now Oprah has appeared in Variety's The Power of Women Issue alongside moviemaker Ava and suggested a big screen return is on the cards.

When asked about taking on another acting role, Oprah said: 'Listen, I am living on a mount in Maui...'

Ava then chimed in, saying: 'But if something perfect came along...' prompting Oprah to add, 'I actually do think something perfect is coming, and I kind of know what it is.'

Tons of acting experience: The television titan, 68, has performed in a number of movies while also juggling her career as a talk show host (pictured 2019)

Revealing: 'I actually do think something perfect is coming, and I kind of know what it is,' Oprah said (pictured Sept. 21, 2022)

'Let me tell you, it takes a lot to get me off the porch,' she added jokingly.

Oprah didn't give any more details but the exchange suggested another project with Ava is in the cards.

On top of a Wrinkle in Time and Selma, Ava and Oprah have worked together on Queen Sugar for Oprah's OWN TV network and 2019 TV series When They See Us which boasted Oprah as an executive producer.

Longtime collaborators: On top of a Wrinkle in Time and Selma, Ava and Oprah have worked together on Queen Sugar for Oprah's OWN TV network and 2019 TV series When They See Us which boasted Oprah as an executive producer (pictured 2018)

During the interview Ava appeared to push her friend in the direction of another acting role, telling her: 'I hope that she acts more. She is, I think, the finest actress of her category.'

Oprah then joked: 'That means "One who was a former talkshow host."'

For her part, DuVernay will soon start directing the television movie, Battle of Versailles, which will center around, 'the 1973 Palace of Versailles fashion show where top French designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin faced of against American newcomers Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Anne Klein and Halston' according to the film's IMDb page.
Netflix has taken off an LGBTQ tag for its miniseries Dahmer: Monster  The Jeffrey Dahmer Story amid flak for the classification.

The series initially hit the streaming service with the tags 'LGBTQ,' 'ominous,' 'psychological,' 'horror,' 'vintage crime,' and 'dark' upon its debut September 21, with many viewers taking to social media to criticize the streaming service for the inclusion of the LGBTQ classification.

One user wrote, 'Hey hi @netflix I IMPLORE you please reconsider having Dahmer with the LGBTQ tag, especially as one of its tags right when you open the app.'

The latest: Netflix has taken off an LGBTQ tag for its miniseries Dahmer: Monster  The Jeffrey Dahmer Story amid flak for the classification. Evan Peters is seen in the titular role in the series

Another said, 'netflix added the Jeffrey Dahmer series to the LGBTQ+ tag. I am gobsmacked.'

One user noted, 'If I need to stay in my lane absolutely tell me but anyone else think it's pretty gross of @netflix to list Dahmer under #LGBTQ, especially when the True Crime tag would have worked?'

Another use pointed out the misleading nature of the tag for viewers, saying, 'Slapping the LGBTQ tag on Dahmer like Looking for LGBTQ content?? Well boy do we have the show for you! Where every episode another LGBTQ person gets massacred & eaten! Its like saying Schindlers List is a family flick for Jewish people.'

The true crime series has also been at the center of criticism over the continued commercial success of the true crime genre, and the traumatic impact it might have on survivors.

The notorious serial killer was seen in a mugshot in a prior arrest

The streaming service faced criticism over its classification of the 10-part series

Netflix subsequently removed the LGBTQ tag from the miniseries

Netflix faced a torrent of criticism over its initial decision to add the LGBTQ classification

The sister of Dahmer victim Errol Lindsey, Rita Isbell, speaking with Insider Sunday, said that Netflix never reached out to her about the series, calling it harsh and careless.

'I feel like Netflix shouldve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it,' she said. 'They didnt ask me anything. They just did it. But Im not money hungry, and thats what this show is about, Netflix trying to get paid.'

The ten-part series retells the story of Dahmer from the perspective of his victims, and explores major mistakes Wisconsin police made in handling the probe of the notorious mass murderer, who made national headlines for acts of cannibalism and necrophilia.

The show features at least 10 incidents in which authorities nearly took Dahmer into custody, but didn't, extending the twisted crime spree.

The success of the series has not come without its share of criticism, as many people took to Twitter expressing disgust over the continued commercial success of the true crime genre, and the traumatic impact it might have on survivors

One user took to Twitter to remember Dahmer's victims amid the renewed interest in the case

A person who said they were related to a victim of Dahmer's said that the miniseries was 'retraumatizing'

Crime: Dahmer in 1992 was convicted of 16 murders he'd been charged with, and sentenced to 16 life sentences in prison. He was beaten to death by another inmate in November of 1994 at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin

The show also features actors Niecy Nash, Penelope Ann Miller, Shaun J. Brown, Colin Ford, and Richard Jenkins, with directors Paris Barclay, Carl Franklin, and Janet Mock. Miller and Jenkins play the roles of Dahmer's parents, while Nash portrays Dahmers neighbor Glenda Cleveland, who tried in vain to report his bizarre behavior to authorities.

The infamous Milwaukee serial killer who murdered 17 people between 1978 and 1991. Dahmer in 1992 was convicted of 16 murders he'd been charged with, and sentenced to 16 life sentences in prison.

He was bludgeoned to death with a metal bar in November of 1994 by Christopher Scarver, another inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin.

The gruesome story of Dahmer has past been chronicled in the 2002 movie Dahmer, in which Jeremy Renner played the titular role; as well as 2017's My Friend Dahmer, in which Ross Lynch played a teen version of the nascent serial killer.

Murphy has past created 1990s true crime sagas with American Crime Story projects including 2018's The Assassination of Gianni Versace and 2016's The People Vs. OJ Simpson.
Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, is asking a judge to free him from prison, just months after California Governor Gavin Newsom denied his parole.

Sirhan's attorney, Angela Berry, says that there is no evidence that her client is still dangerous, all these years later.

The man, whose family immigrated to the U.S. from Palestine, has been in jail since he fatally shot RFK in 1968.

Berry on Friday filed a writ of habeas corpus, asking that a judge reverse Newsom's decision, as well as rule the California governor's actions as unlawful.

78-year-old Sirhan Sirhan has been in prison for more than 53 years since shooting and killing U.S. presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy in 1968

The attorney says that in denying Sirhan parole earlier this year, Newsom violated the state law which says that inmates should be paroled unless they pose a threat to the public.

In August of 2021, Sirhan was granted parole by a California board after two of RFK's sons vouched for him, saying that he should get the chance to live after the actions he committed as a young adult.

Sirhan was 24-years-old at the time of the shooting.

Throughout the years, the prisoner has maintained that he doesnt remember the killing or his confession in the days after the incident.

Robert F. Kennedy just moments after being shot by Sirhan Sirhan inside the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California on June 5, 1968

Newsom said in January that Sirhan remains a threat to the public and hasnt taken responsibility for a crime that changed American history.

Kerry Kennedy, one of RFK's children, thanked Newsom in January for not letting Sirhan out of prison, saying that he has yet to own up to the actions and the problems he created.

'This is a man who has shown no remorse, who has shown no ability to take responsibility for his crime and he is a current danger to the people of California and to our country,' Kerry said in an interview with Good Morning America.

The man shot Kennedy moments after the U.S. senator from New York claimed victory in Californias pivotal Democratic presidential primary. He wounded five others during the shooting at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles

Robert F. Kennedy smiles just moments before being fatally shot by Sirhan Sirhan

Berry said she is challenging the governor's reversal as an 'abuse of discretion,' a denial of Sirhan's constitutional right to due process and as a violation of California law. It also alleges that Newsom misstated the facts in his decision.

Berry said the governor 'acted with personal bias, incorporated the wrong law, ignored mitigation evidence, and did not afford Sirhan the same rights as others eligible for parole.'

Newsom overruled two parole commissioners who had found that Sirhan no longer was a risk.

Among other factors, Newsom said the Christian Palestinian who immigrated from Jordan has failed to disclaim violence committed in his name, adding to the risk that he could incite political violence.

Sirhan Sirhan was taken into custody shortly after the shooting in June of 1968

The ruling split the iconic Kennedy family, with two of RFKs sons - Douglas Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - supporting his release. But RFKs wife, Ethel Kennedy, and six of Kennedys nine surviving children opposed his parole.

Newsom has cited RFK as his political hero and keeps RFK photos in both his official and home offices, including one of Kennedy with his late father. Berry accused him of politicizing the parole process.

Berry accused Newsom of putting his 'political goals and agenda above that of the Constitution.'

Newsom's office did not respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom denied Sirhan Sirhan's parole in January, claiming that the man posed a threat to the public and could incite political violence

Newsom, a Democrat, has in recent months sought more national recognition in calling out Republicans particularly the governors of Florida and Texas. Newsom is running for reelection in November but he also has sparked speculation that he has presidential ambitions, something that he has repeatedly denied.

It's unclear how quickly a judge might rule on Berry's petition, and either side could appeal an adverse decision. Sirhan is set for a new parole hearing on March 1.

Sirhan originally was sentenced to death, but that sentence was commuted to life when the California Supreme Court briefly outlawed capital punishment in 1972.
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Greek PM calls on Turkiye for "substantial dialogue" instead of "fiery words"

Xinhua) 09:27, September 28, 2022

ATHENS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Greece will not follow Turkiye down the path of "fiery words," but calls on the neighboring country to choose "constructive actions and substantial dialogue," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

"Turkiye faces not just Greece, but Europe and our allies in NATO," Mitsotakis said in a press release, accusing Ankara of "repeating lies and threats."

"We will calmly and self-confidently rest in our clear positions with the strength of international law, the vigilance of our armed forces, the support of our allies," he added.

Relations between the two NATO allies have long been tense over a series of issues, including maritime and energy disputes in the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea. Lately they have exchanged strong remarks over many incidents.

Greek news agency AMNA reported that Turkiye on Monday presented a demarche to Greece's Ambassador in Ankara Christodoulos Lazaris over an alleged violation of international law through the presence of Greek armored military vehicles at border islands.

Greece later rejected the claim, AMNA said, citing diplomatic sources.

AMNA also reported that Greek deputy national defense minister Nikos Hardalias is visiting several Hellenic Army and Hellenic Navy posts on islands of the Eastern Aegean Sea on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Issues of defense and the strengthening of our deterrent power, as well as issues of national sovereignty, remain non-negotiable," Hardalias said in a statement ahead of the visits.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
When talking about popular bikes and motorcycles, there is only one name that would immediately come to your mind: Harley-Davidson. William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson started working on a motorized bicycle in 1903 in a small shed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Two years after they started working on their first model of a motorized bicycle, they finally had a finished product. Eventually, in 1905, they began the mass production of the Harley-Davidson motorbike with eight motorcycles. Fifteen years later, in 1920, Harley-Davidson would be considered the biggest manufacturer of motorbikes worldwide.

Here are 10 of the things you probably didn't know about Harley-Davidson and their motorcycles.

1. They Sold Pedal Bikes

Harley and Davidson's goal was to create a bike that didn't pedal at all. They want something that could be successfully ridden on various terrain. However, the company created standard bicycles in 1916, and for six years, they sold standard bicycles.

2. The Logo was Created Seven Years After the Company's Establishment

The logo of Harley-Davidson is quite popular and distinctive. While there is very little information known about the logo's creation, it was said to be created in 1910, seven years after the motorcycle company was established, according to Hot Cars.

3. The First Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Was Built in a Shed

In 1903 in a small shed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Harley and Davidson, who were said to be childhood friends, began tinkering with motors to invent a motorized bicycle. Their humble beginning is rooted in a 10x15-foot wooden shed, according to Money Inc. That shed is where everything started; they created their motorbike model and released it into the world two years after.

4. For an 'American' Brand, Harley-Davidson Owns Factories All Over the World

Harley-Davidson has four factories in the United States of America. However, over the years, the motorcycle company has expanded in Brazil, Thailand, and India. They also have a metallurgy plant located in Australia. From its humble beginning in a shed, it has now become an international brand.

5. The Harley Bell Brings Goodluck to Riders

Superstitious Harley-Davidson riders usually put a Harley bell on their bikes. This is a small bell that you would notice dangling under the bike. According to beliefs, the Harley bell drives away evil road spirits. Buying the bell would give you luck but receiving one as a gift will give you twice the luck that you need.

Read Also: Can The Iconic Harley-Davidson Brand Really Produce An Electric Motorcyle Worthwhile?

6. A Major Harley-Davidson Recall

In 2018, Harley-Davidson recalled 250,000 motorcycles due to a brake problem. They recalled models from 2008 to 2011 that used the anti-lock brake system.

7. The Company Used to Make Three-Wheelers

Harley-Davidson used to manufacture three-wheel vehicles from 1932 until the 1970s. It was called the Servi-Car, which was manufactured during the time of the Great Depression.

8. Harley-Davidson Bikes Were Utilized During the World War One

When the Americans joined the war in 1917, the military ordered over 15,000 bikes from Harley-Davidson to be used in the war. Because of this, Harley-Davidson bikes grew in popularity and sales.

9. For Over 100 Years, Harley-Davidson Has Been Supplying Police Bikes

By around 1907, Harley-Davidson started supplying police bikes to law enforcement, and they've continued doing so for over 100 years.

10. Many Refused to Ride a Green Harley-Davidson Motorcycle

There has been a negative image attached to a green Harley-Davidson motorcycle, thus, many riders refuse to ride it. According to superstitious riders, the color denotes bad luck.

Related Article: Harley-Davidson's Electric Mountain Bikes: Does It Really Have No Front or Rear Suspension?
Dayton Metro Library will host a variety of adult-oriented ghostly programs in October that cover everything from research tools, ghost hunters, walking tours, and haunted places right here in Ohio.

I think My House is Haunted: Historic Property Research Basics

Southeast Branch, Saturday, October 8, 1-2 pm

This program is for patrons who live in historic homes and have an interest in learning the basic steps of researching by using a variety of local, state, and national resources in print and online, including free Library resources. (Advanced registration is required.)

Ghost Hunting with the Dayton Ghost Hunters Society

Wilmington-Stroop Branch, Saturday, October 8, 2-3 pm

The Society will be on hand to share how they investigate locations, debunk claims, and evaluate evidence, even involving some local areas around here. Teens and Tweens are also welcome to attend this program.

Ghost Walking Tour in Historic Miamisburg

Miamisburg Branch, Saturday, October 22 and October 29, 3-4:30 pm

Join ghost tellers with a walk that begins at the Branch and travels around the Carnegie Library, with a venture into Veteran Memorial Park, which used to be a cemetery. (Advanced registration is required for both sessions.)

Ohios Historic Haunts: Investigating the Paranormal in the Buckeye State

New Lebanon Branch, Tuesday, October 25, 6:30-7:30 pm

James A. Willis visits the Branch to deliver a presentation that will discuss the connection between history and ghost stories. He will also share information on what happened when he spent the night (alone at times) inside more than 20 historic buildings in Ohio.

For more information, and to register if required, visit DaytonMetroLibrary.org/Programs or call the Librarys Ask Me Line at 937.463.2665.
The issue between Twitter and Elon Musk has been a fat vein for meme content. The legal battle has been causing trouble for both parties, and yet again, another one is at hand.

The lawyers of Twitter and the CEO of Tesla Motors battled it out again in Delaware's Court of Chancery. Although, the trial that will hold the final decision will be held on October 17th.

The hearing lasted for more than three hours, discussing Elon Musk's use of an encrypted messaging app, Signal. As stated by Engadget, Twitter lawyers claimed that Elon Musk is withholding messages using the app, which has a feature that immediately deletes messages.

Twitter's side has cited a screenshot of a conversation between Musk and the managing director of the tech billionaire's family office.

Read Also: Elon Musk Challenges Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal to a Debate After Accusing Company of Fraud

Why Is The Conversation on Signal Such a Big Deal?

Twitter's lawyers claimed that the message mentioned Morgan Stanley, a financial services company, and Marc Andreesen, an investor and software engineer. There were also talks about a conversation concerning EU regulatory approval.

The discovery of the screenshot became more damning since Musk and Birchall claimed beforehand that they did not use the Signal app to talk about the deal.

Musk defended himself by saying that there was no proof that they destroyed evidence. This was in response to Twitter lawyers saying that there was a missing text message between Elon Musk and Oracle Chairman, also a co-investor in the Twitter deal, Larry Ellison.

In regards to the implication that they were conducting shady conversations in the Signal app, Musk's lawyers cited that Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter, had a conversation with board chair Bret Taylor in the Signal app.

How Did All of This Even Start?

On April 25th, Musk was officially acquiring Twitter for $44 billion. Twitter's board of directors has accepted the deal. Once the transaction is complete, Twitter will become a private company.

The deal hit a bit of a snag, and Elon Musk tweeted that the deal was on hold. It was due to the fact that the CEO of Twitter publicly refused to show proof that the social media platform had less than five-percent spam or fake accounts.

Elon musk mentioned that his offer was based on Twitter SEC fillings being accurate, and their failure to provide legitimate data did not fit into that description. The Verge stated that if Elon Musk wanted a way out of the deal, this was the key to it.

The tech billionaire started showing his doubts through tweets claiming that Twitter was actively withholding the information that he was asking for and said that it was a breach of contract.

Weeks after his announcement of his plans to acquireTwitter, he has officially backed out due to Twitter making false and misleading statements during negotiations. It did not help that Twitter refused to provide data in regard to the number of spam accounts.

The legal battle was then initiated by Twitter by suing Musk for attempting to bail on the deal. Since this, Elon Musk and Twitter have been battling it outm and the final outcome will be determined after the five-day trial in October.

Related Article: Elon Musk Subpoenas Twitter Whistleblower to Disclose Spam Impact, Monetizable Users, Alleged Illegal Activity
Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue mop-up in September is expected to be around Rs 1.45 lakh crore, an official said.. (ANI file image)

New Delhi: Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue mop-up in September is expected to be around Rs 1.45 lakh crore, an official said.

The collection has been over Rs 1.4 lakh crore since March and in August it was Rs 1.43 lakh crore.

"The collection in September is likely to be little more than Rs 1.45 lakh crore. Improved business activity is expected to yield better collections in coming months," the official said.

Official revenue figures will be released on October 1.

The mop-up in September last year was Rs 1.17 lakh crore.

The official further said as per estimates, the average yearly revenue from GST in 2022-23 is expected to be around Rs 1.55 lakh crore.

The collection in April was at a record high of Rs 1.68 lakh crore. In May, GST revenue was Rs 1.41 lakh crore, in June Rs 1.44 lakh crore, Rs 1.49 lakh crore (July) and Rs 1.43 lakh crore (August).
Police attempt to detain Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) workers during a protest against the raid of National Investigation Agency (NIA), in Hubballi, (PTI)

New Delhi: The Popular Front of India, which has allegedly been involved in a series of violence and has "links" with global terror groups like ISIS, has been banned by the Centre along with its several associates for five years following the second round of crackdown against its leaders.

The organisations which were also declared banned under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA include Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CF), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

More than 150 people allegedly linked with PFI were detained or arrested in raids across seven states on Tuesday, five days after a similar pan-India crackdown against the 16-year-old group had led to the arrest of over a hundred of its activities and seizure of several dozen properties.

In a late Tuesday night notification, the Union Home Ministry said some of the PFI's founding members are the leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Both JMB and SIMI are proscribed organisations.

It said there had been many instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been working covertly to increase the radicalisation of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country, which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations, the notification claimed.

"Whereas, the Central government, having regard to the above circumstances, is of the firm opinion that it is necessary to declare the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts association outlawed with immediate effect, and accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 3 of the said Act, declares it as outlawed," it said.

The Home Ministry said Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat governments had also recommended a ban on PFI.

It claimed that PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been involved in violent terrorist activities with an intent to create a reign of terror in the country, thereby endangering the security and public order of the state.

The PFI, the notification alleged, is encouraging and trying to enforce a terror-based regressive regime, continue to propagate anti-national sentiments and radicalising a particular section of society to create disaffection against the country, aggravating activities which are detrimental to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country.

The home ministry claimed investigations have established clear linkages between PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts.

It said Rehab India Foundation collects funds through PFI members. Some PFI members are also members of Campus Front of India, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala. The activities of Junior Front, All India Imams Council. National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation and National Women's Front are monitored/coordinated by the PFI leaders, the notification claimed

PFI created these associates or affiliates or fronts to enhance its reach among different sections of the society such as the youth, students, women, Imams, lawyers or weaker sections of the society with the sole objective of expanding its membership, influence and fund-raising capacity, it said.

The Centre, through another notification, empowered the state governments to take action against these groups which were affiliated with the PFI and the possible action against them could be seizure of places and arrest of their members.

The home ministry said these associates or affiliates or fronts have a 'hub and spoke' relationship.

PFI acts as the hub and utilises the mass outreach and fund-raising capacity of its associates or affiliates or fronts to strengthen its capability for unlawful activities and these associates or affiliates or fronts function as "roots and capillaries through which the PFI is fed and strengthened", the ministry claimed.

The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as socio-economic educational and political organisations. But they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society, working towards undermining the concept of democracy and showing sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional setup of the country, it alleged.

Investigations in various cases have revealed that the PFI and its cadres have been repeatedly engaging in violent and subversive acts, the ministry claimed.

Criminal violent acts carried out by PFI include chopping off the limbs of a college professor, cold-blooded killings of persons associated with organisations espousing other faiths, obtaining explosives to target prominent people and places and destruction of public property, it said.

The notification also mentioned the names of several people who were alleged victims of the PFI's "brutal" violence and most of them belong to Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The home ministry said there had been many instances of PFI's linkages with global terrorist groups and some activists of its PFI have joined ISIS and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some of these PFI cadre were killed in these conflict theatres and some have been arrested by state police and central agencies, the Centre claimed.

The home ministry claimed the office bearers and cadre of PFI along with others are conspiring and raising funds from within India and abroad through banking channels, hawala and donations among others as part of a "well-crafted criminal conspiracy", and then transferring, layering and integrating these funds through multiple accounts to project them as legitimate and eventually using these for various criminal, unlawful and terrorist activities in India.

The sources of deposits on behalf of PFI with respect to its several bank accounts were not supported by the financial profiles of the account holders and the activities of PFI were not being carried out as per their declared objectives. Therefore, the Income Tax Department cancelled the registration granted to PFI under section 12A or 12AA of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), it said.

The Income Tax Department also cancelled the registration of Rehab India Foundation.
HYDERABAD: In a blow to the Goldstone group, the Telangana High Court has dismissed its petition pertaining to 60 acres of prime city land worth more than Rs 2,000 crore in Hydernagar.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and C.V. Bhaskar Reddy, in an order dated September 21, said on due consideration, we are of the view that filing of the writ petition by the petitioner (Trinity Infraventures of Goldstone group) is thoroughly misconceived and deserves dismissal.

The case pertains to Trinity seeking quashing of mutation proceedings issued by the Balanagar tahasildar in 2012, in favour of legal representatives of Mahbub Baig, who in turn is a donee of Nawab Ghousuddin Khan, one of the defendants of CS 14 of 1958.

A division bench presided by Justice A. Rajasekhar Reddy in May this year had directed the state revenue authorities to implement mutation proceedings issued by the Balanagar tahasildar. The bench was dealing with a case filed by the legal representatives of Baig. The Goldstone group which also claimed ownership of the land got impleaded in the case but withdrew during the course of the hearing.

Accused for creating a maze of legal disputes on CS 14 lands, the Goldstone group in June approached a vacation bench presided by Justice G. Sri Devi through a writ petition seeking the cancellation of the mutation proceedings. The bench directed the revenue authorities to not give effect to the mutation proceedings.

Significantly, the Justice Bhuyan bench raised an important question as to whether the petitioner having withdrawn from the earlier proceedings (on same land instituted by the rival claimants) could file the present writ petition.

The bench made it clear that the findings on merit by a coordinate bench (presided by Justice Rajasekhar Reddy) were binding on this bench as well. It pointed out that Trinity having withdrawn from earlier proceedings filed a writ petition that too before the vacation court. It also said the relief sought by Trinity, if granted, would amount to reviewing the order of a coordinate bench which is not permissible.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launches GIS Web Portal for Visit Andhra Pradesh 2023 campaign at his camp office on Tuesday, Department of Tourism and Culture Special Chief Secretary Dr. Rajat Bhargava is also seen.  By Arrangement

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated World Tourism Day here and started the Visit Andhra Pradesh 2023 Campaign to promote tourism in the state and released brochures to mark the occasion here on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister also unveiled the GIS web portal to guide visitors to the tourist destinations and released a brochure on the Diverse Festivities of Andhra Pradesh.

Jagan said AP is known for its rich natural, cultural, historical and religious heritages and tourist attractions and also renowned for its cuisine and hospitality of the people. The state has been a popular destination for domestic tourists, but unfortunately not many foreign tourists are coming in other than at Tirumala and Puttaparthi, he noted.

The CM said that with a view to maximising the tourism revenue, increasing the visibility of various destinations and efficiently managing the assets, the state tourism development corporation (APTDC) aimed to develop a Web GIS Portal.

Special CS to the tourism and culture department Rajat Bhargava said the Web GIS Portals are used for marketing and promotion of tourism and have the potential to improve destination management activities. AP is the first state in India to do such a promotion, he said.

All travel, tourism agencies and hoteliers will carry the logo Visit AP 2023 in their mails and promote the campaign through extensive social media interactions. The tourism department has come up with new circuits, which will be promoted as part of the Visit AP 2023. The tribal circuits, the Buddhism circuit and Vizag as a gateway destination to neighboring states will be highlighted during the campaign

The Forts of Andhra Pradesh, the temple tourism circuits including the Shakti Peethas of Pithapuram and Draksharamam, caravan tourism, experiential tourism to attract inbound tourism, beaches of AP, the heritage circuit of AP, the Festivals of Andhra Pradesh and Food & Cruiser of AP will be attractions for tourists, it is reckoned.

Hotel associations and travels agencies will conduct roadshows in Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Raipur, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Cochin, Hyderabad, Delhi and Chandigarh to promote AP tourism.
Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has stressed on providing quality food to children at Anganwadi Centres. There is a need to rope in Markfed for purchase and distribution of essentials as a pilot project, he said, and called for third-party inspection to ensure supply of quality food.

The Chief Minister chaired a high-level review meeting on maintenance of anganwadi centres, provision of quality food to children and welfare of differently abled persons, attended by minister for women and child welfare, Usha Sricharan, and senior officials here on Monday.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to address the lapses in distribution of food with more emphasis on quality food. Supply only sortex rice to anganwadi centres and for mid-day meal in schools, he said.

He said there must be special attention to train children at Anganwadi centres on language and its pronunciation. They must be taught pre-primary-1 and 2 text books in bilingual format.

The CM directed the officials to display posters with special numbers at all anganwadi centres to enable children or their parents to lodge complaints on lapses in maintenance of these.

Meanwhile, officials promised the CM they would fill up the posts of supervisors at AWCs by Sept. 30 and they would be holding screening tests for this purpose in a transparent manner. After the interviews, they would announce the marks. Those who took part in the screening tests could, if they so desire, get their answer scripts to verify them and check about any lapse in the evaluation and counting of marks.

Jagan advised the officials to set up a special fund for maintenance and cleanliness of AWCs on lines of the Toilet Maintenance Fund and School Maintenance Fund in schools.

As for the welfare of differently abled persons, the CM asked the officials to provide requisite services to these persons at village and ward secretariats. Upgradation of a Bhavitha Centre in every assembly segment for their benefit was also advised.

The Chief Minister felt the need to appoint an IAS officer to supervise the functioning and maintenance of juvenile homes in the state.
VIJAYAWADA: The YSR Congress has speeded up its counter- strategy to remove legal hurdles in the way of its aims of decentralised development of the state. The Jagan-led government amended the APCRDA act to give house lands to outsiders in Amaravati and it proposed to amend the Amaravati Master Plan and its related development plans.



Recently, the government filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on the AP high court orders that backed the development of Amaravati as sole capital. Now, the government is going further on its policy decision to have 3 capitals by conducting public meetings against the former TD governments concept of centralised Amaravati development.



Severe objections are coming from Amaravati farmers against the APCRDA act amendment and they are readying to approach court, seeking justice.



The government is bent on countering every move against its resolve for decentralized development.



The AP Assembly, on the last day of its monsoon session, passed a bill to amend the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) Act, 2014, and the Metropolitan Region and Urban Development Authorities (MRUDA) Act, 2016. By doing so, the phrase social (affordable) housing for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), including any scheme of the state government or the Union of India, had been inserted in the CRDA Act. This provides for allotment of sites for the construction of houses in the capital city.



Further, the amendment to the MRUDA Act enables the government to make modifications to the capital city perspective plan, the master and infrastructure plans and the area and zonal development plans on its own, or with a reference from the local body concerned or from the person-in-charge where an elected body does not exist, or based on an application from a land owner.



The pro-Amaravati supporters including farmers were on a Padayatra to Arasavilli for the past two months, seeking Amaravati as the solo capital. The amendment came as a rude shock to them.



The previous TD government of Chandrababu Naidu had put strong norms in the APCRDA, which cannot be changed or amended without public opinion. This proved to be a big hurdle to the present government. Its efforts to give house sites to the poor were also badly affected due to the hard norms.



The Jagan government, in January last, proposed to develop Amaravati as a Municipal Corporation with 19 villages. But a majority of the people there, who were hardcore supporters of Telugu Desam, rejected the proposal.



Recently, from 12 to 17 September, the Jagan government once again tried to establish the Amaravati Municipal Corporation with 22 villages, but there again was a bitter result of refusal at the public opinion meetings. Hence the government decided to amend the act under which the consent of local village panchayats or person in-charge of the villages was cited as the only requirement to amend the previous act.



There were no elected bodies in the Amaravati villages and hence the government can take the opinion of village incharges, paving the way to amend Amaravati Master Plan and further to establish the Amaravati Municipal Corporation, the amendment stated.



Political analysts note that the Jagan government had earlier issued GOs to give house sites to the poor in Amaravati, but those orders were dismissed by the AP high court citing the APCRDA norms. Now that the government successfully amended the APCRDA with a majority vote in the assembly and Council, this will help distribute house sites to at least 50,000 people in Amaravati. This would also strengthen the YSRC base in Amaravati.



The analysts also noted that Jagan Reddy will take forward the dedication of the YSRC government towards development of all regions through the 3-Capitals formula in the next 20 months under his Mission Election 2024 strategy.



Minister for municipal administration and urban development, Adimulapu Suresh, said the government is committed to developing Amaravati as the Legislative Capital and hence started efforts including making an amendment to the act.

CPM secretary Babu Rao said the amendments made to the CRDA Act were anti-democratic and it was unconstitutional to abolish the power of the gram sabhas and transfer the decision-making power to the bureaucracy. After the high court has given a clear verdict in the matter of state capital, it is necessary for the goverment to respect it and it is not appropriate to amend the law, contrary to the verdict of the high court, he argued.



Pro-Amaravati farmer leaders stated they will approach the AP high court seeking quashing of the amendments.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had, on the last day of the AP assemblys monsoon session, got passed the Dr NTR University of Health Sciences (amendment) Bill 2022. (DC)

VIJAYAWADA: The political controversy on the removal of NTR's name to give the YSR name for the health university has created fresh interest among the youths to learn the Telugu states political history -- mainly of the 1990's including the infamous coup against the NTR government.

Many are visiting the online social media platforms and the internet to learn as to what had happened. The youths of today are mostly unaware as to how NTR was thrown out of power.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had, on the last day of the AP assemblys monsoon session, got passed the Dr NTR University of Health Sciences (amendment) Bill 2022. It removed the Dr NTR name and included the Dr YSR name to the university. This, after heated scenes created in the assembly by the TD MLAs.

Further, health minister Vidadala Rajni and CM Jagan highlighted the past statements and displayed on the assembly screen the title of a Deccan Chronicle interview with Chandrababu Naidu published some 25 years ago. In this, Naidu had affirmed that TD no more needed NTR and tarnishing the former CMs image.

The videos and clips of these went viral due to live telecast and the youths showed special interest to know more about it by browsing the internet. Those who were born after 1990 started inquiring about contemporary political history.

Young leaders active in the youth wing of a political party, P Srinivas and Sk Basha said the younger generation did not know much about political history but the displaying of these news and video clips ignited an interest among them to know the truth.

They said Naidus coup to dethrone NTR and his statement branding NTR as an immoral person, Naidus grabbing of TD from the founder of the party NTR and suspending the founder from the TD were all matters of surprise to those who browsed the net for the details in recent days.

Youngsters P. Rajesh and D. Kasi said they didnt know that the adding of Dr to the name of NTR University of Health Sciences was done by Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and also who gave the NTR name to the Telugu Ganga project.

They said the Internet surfing also helped them to know about the alleged conspiracies to pull down chief ministers during the Congress terms in united AP as also of the communal riots in Hyderabad during the term of the Marri Chenna Reddy government.
A view of the Kremlin's Spasskaya tower in central Moscow on September 28, 2022. - The pro-Moscow leaders of Ukraine's Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions called on President Vladimir Putin to formally annex the territories into Russia, claiming residents had backed the move in a referendum. (Natalia KOLESNIKOVA / AFP)

KVIY: Russia is poised to formally annex areas of Ukraine where it has military control after referendums there reportedly endorsed Moscow's rule.

But the ballots were widely discredited and earned the Kremlin no relief Wednesday from international pressure over its assault on its neighbour.

Pro-Moscow administrations of all four occupied regions of southern and eastern Ukraine said Tuesday night that their residents voted to join Russia in five days of Kremlin-orchestrated balloting.

According to Russia-installed election officials, 93% of the ballots cast in the Zaporizhzhia region supported annexation, as did 87% in the Kherson region, 98% in the Luhansk region and 99% in Donetsk.

Russian-installed officials in those occupied regions said Wednesday they would ask President Vladimir Putin to incorporate them into Russia.

It wasn't immediately clear how the administrative process would unfold.

Western countries, however, dismissed the ballots as a meaningless pretense staged by Moscow in an attempt to legitimise its invasion of Ukraine launched on Feb. 24.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said late Tuesday that Washington would propose a U.N. Security Council resolution to condemn Russia's sham vote.

The resolution would also urge member states not to recognise any altered status of Ukraine and demand that Russia withdraws its troops from its neighbour, she tweeted.

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, also weighed in on the ballots, on Wednesday calling them illegal and describing the results as falsified.

This is another violation of Ukraine's sovereignty (and) territorial integrity, (amid) systematic abuses of human rights, Borrell tweeted.

In Kyiv, Ukraine's foreign ministry blasted the ballots as a propaganda show and null and worthless.

Forcing people in these territories to fill out some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine, a foreign ministry statement said.

It asked the EU, NATO and the Group of Seven major industrial nations to immediately and significantly step up pressure on Russia through new sanctions, and significantly increase their military aid to Ukraine.

The EU also expressed outrage over the suspected sabotage Tuesday of two underwater natural gas pipelines from Russia to Germany and warned of retaliation for any attack on Europe's energy networks.

Borrell said Wednesday that all available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act, even though the perpetrators haven't so far been identified.

Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response, Borrell said in a statement on behalf of the EU's 27 member countries.

The war in Ukraine has brought an energy standoff between the EU, many of whose members have for years relied heavily on Russian natural gas supplies, and Moscow.

The damage makes it unlikely the pipelines will be able to supply any gas to Europe this winter, according to analysts.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's military and a Washington-based think tank said Wednesday that Russia is sending troops without any training to the front line.

Moscow has struggled to hold the line against Ukraine's recent counteroffensive and has ordered a partial mobilisation to replenish its ranks.

The effort is causing unrest, however, amid a reluctant public.

In a daily briefing, the Ukraine military's general staff said 1st Tank Regiment of the 2nd Motorised Rifle Division of Russia's 1st Tank Army has received untrained new troops.

The Ukrainian military also said prison convicts are arriving in Ukraine to reinforce the Russian lines.

It offered no evidence to support the claim, though the Ukrainian security services have released audio of allegedly monitored Russian phone conversations on the issue.

The Institute for the Study of War think tank cited one online video by a man who identified himself as a member of the 1st Tank Regiment, visibly upset, saying that he and his colleagues wouldn't receive training before shipping out to the Russian-occupied region of Kherson in Ukraine.

Mobilised men with a day or two of training are unlikely to meaningfully reinforce Russian positions affected by Ukrainian counteroffensives in the south and east, the institute said.

The U.K. ministry of defence said Ukraine's counteroffensive, which has inflicted some humiliating defeats on Moscow's forces, is advancing slowly.

It said Russia is currently putting up a stouter defence.

In the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, which is partially occupied by Moscow, Russian fire killed five people and wounded 10 others over the last 24 hours, said Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the local military authority.

Authorities in the southern Ukrainian city of Nikopol said Russian rockets and artillery pounded the city overnight.

The city, across the Dnipro River from Russian-occupied territory, saw 10 high-rises and private buildings hit, as well as a school, power lines and other areas, said Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the local military administration, said.
Deepika Padukone, in the news over speculation on Brahmastra 2, was reportedly rushed to the Breach Candy Hospital after she complained of 'uneasiness' on Tuesday.

According to Pinkvilla, the actress underwent a number of tests in the hospital on Monday evening. The report added that Deepika is feeling better now. No statement on her health condition has come from her team.

Earlier, she had a health situation on the sets of the Nag Ashwin film Project K with Telugu star Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan.

The actress had earlier battled depression and had been quite vocal about it. To put her thoughts into action, she also runs the Live, Love, Laugh Foundation to create awareness about mental health, reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, and provide access to credible resources for those suffering.

On the work front, Deepika will be next seen in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan along with her Desi Boyz co-star John Abraham.
A lawsuit was filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against two former MoviePass executives for allegedly misleading investors about the company's profit potential, according to Endgadget.

Former MoviePass CEOs Mitch Lowe and Ted Farnsworth, former chairman and CEO of Helios and Matheson Analytics (HMNY), are facing a lawsuit for claiming that the company could make a profit out of its $9.95 a month plan, as per The Business Insider.

MoviePass Executives Mislead Investors

The U.S. SEC filed a complaint filed against the two MoviePass executives this week with the U.S. District Court for New York's southern district, according to Deadline.

According to the suit, Lowe and Farnsworth, intentionally and repeatedly disseminated misleading statements to public regarding MoviePass and the key aspects its business model.

The two executives are said to have misled investors by claiming that MoviePass could earn profit out of the all-you-can watch moviegoing for only $9.95 a month.

"Faced with debilitating negative cash flows - rather than tell the public the truth - Farnsworth and Lowe devised fraudulent tactics to prevent MoviePass's heavy users from using the service," the complaint said.

With this, the two executive falsely and misleadingly notified the public that "usage had declined naturally or due to measures the company had employed to combat subscribers' purported violations of MoviePass's terms and conditions of service,"

Aside from Lowe and Farnsworth, Khalid Itum was also named as a defendant. The former MoviePass vice president of business development was accused of submitting false invoices signed off by the two executives, letting him get $310,000.

Read Also: Lazarus Hacker Group Lures in Targets with Fake Job Offers

Stacy Spikes is Launching an Updated Version of MoviePass

Under the management of Lowe and Farnsworth, users were promised a $9.95 per month subscription by MoviePass. This monthly subscription is said to give users an unlimited number of 2D movie tickets.

However, as the service was likely losing a lot of money, MoviePass quickly ended it. Eventually, in 2020, the company filed for bankruptcy, as per TechCrunch.

According to The Wrap, Farnsworth and Lowe were giving "materially false and misleading public statements regarding MoviePass."

The two executives claimed that the $9.95 monthly subscription would make the company profitable. They are even suggesting that the business model is based on a rigorous market testing.

The suit cited that Lowe even claimed that people who thought the subscription price should be increased don't understand MoviePass' business model.

Moreover, Lowe falsely claimed that MoviePass conducted rigorous testing until the company is ready to roll out the $9.95 plan. In fact, MoviePass did not test the price point.

MoviePass was founded by Stacy Spikes with Hamet Watt in 2011. It allows moviegoers view a number of movies in theaters for a monthly fee. In 2017, the company was bought by HMNY.

Currently, an updated version of MoviePass is being launched by Spikes. It is undergoing beta testing in Chicago, Kansas City, and Dallas.

However, the updated version will not offer unlimited viewing. Instead, it will offer three subscription tiers priced at $10, $20, and $30 per month.

Related Article: MoviePass Relaunches App in Beta Form - How Much Will It Cost?
A Delhi court on Wednesday allowed RJD chief Lalu Prasad's plea for travelling to Singapore for medical treatment.

Special Judge (CBI) Geetanjali Goel allowed Prasad to travel abroad from October 10 to October 25.

Also Read  Lalu Yadav files nomination for RJD president post

A special CBI court in Ranchi on September 16 had allowed Prasad's plea seeking release of his passport.

At present, Prasad is on bail in the IRCTC scam case filed by the CBI.A court granted him bail in the case in January 2019.

The CBI FIR alleged that Lalu Yadav as railway minister handed over the maintenance of two railway hotels to a company after receiving bribe in the form of prime land in Patna through a benami company.
India does not believe that the efficacy or the quality of democracy should be decided by others, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, observing that each country approaches democracy, human rights, and good governance from their history, tradition, and societal context.

We spoke over the last two days of our commitment to practicing and furthering democracy, human rights, and good governance," Jaishankar told reporters during a joint news conference with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Each country approaches the issues from its history, tradition, and societal context, Jaishankar said.

Our yardstick for judgment are the integrity of the democratic processes, the respect and credibility that they command with the people, and the nondiscriminatory delivery of public goods and services. India does not believe that the efficacy or, indeed, the quality of democracy should be decided by (others), he said.

Read | US defends F-16 refit programme for Pakistan despite Indias protest

As the world's two biggest democracies, we're also committed to an enduring project, as our founders put it, of striving to form a more perfect union, Blinken said in his opening remarks.

This is a project for both of us," Blinken said.

He said the two nations need to work together to show that they can meet their people's needs.

"We must continue to hold ourselves, both of us, as well as our fellow democracies, to our core values, including respect for universal human rights like freedom of religion and belief, and freedom of expression, which makes our democracies stronger, Blinken said.
The BJP top brass in Delhi has summoned Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami over the state government's handling of Ankita Bhandari's murder.

Ankita, a 19-year-old girl, was allegedly murdered by Pulkit Arya, the son of senior state BJP leader Vinod Arya, for "refusing prostitution bid" at a resort.

Party leaders told DH that the leadership called Dhami and expressed displeasure over handling the matter. The teenager's body was found in a canal. It was alleged that Arya and two accomplices murdered her after she refused a bid for prostitution.

Ankita was a receptionist at a resort run by Arya. Consequently, staff members have also alleged that the resort was used for prostitution and drug abuse.

Read | 'Seedha sadha balak': Ex-BJP leader on son accused of Ankita Bhandari's murder

Ankita's murder has led to a statewide furore, with angry villagers carrying out rallies against the BJP government in the state. A senior BJP leader, not wishing to be named, said that the Dhami government's steps have led to a tricky terrain in the state.

"The leadership was unhappy about Dhami's government demolishing the resort. It was soon reported that villagers then alleged that the resort had crucial evidence. They could have avoided that," said a senior leader. The RSS, too, it is learnt, is unhappy with how the issue has panned out.

In Delhi, Dhami also met tourism minister G Kishan Reddy. There is speculation that he might meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming week.

As part of corrective measures, the Uttarakhand state government has expelled Vinod Arya from the state unit; he has formerly served as a state government minister.

Pulkit's brother, Ankit, too, has been expelled from the party.

Pulkit Arya and the other two accused confessed to the crime after being arrested. They said that they had pushed Ankita, and she fell into a canal after she refused their demands.
India does not believe that quality of democracy should be decided by vote banks, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Washington DC  after a meeting with the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who stressed on ensuring respect for human rights as well as freedom of religion and expression in both the nations.

Jaishankar said that he and Blinken had discussed the commitment of India and the US to practising and furthering democracy, human rights and good governance.

Each country approaches this set of issues from their history, tradition and societal context. Our yardsticks for judgement are the integrity of the democratic processes, the respect and the credibility that they command with the people, and the non-discriminatory delivery of public goods and services, he said in a joint press-conference with Blinken at the US Department of State. India does not believe that the efficacy or indeed the quality of democracy should be decided by vote banks.

Also Read: Jaishankar raises visa delay issues with US; Blinken says he is sensitive to it

The External Affairs Ministers comment appeared to be a response to a subtle bid by the US Secretary of State to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modis government in New Delhi the need to protect the core democratic principles in India.

As the worlds two biggest democracies, we (the US and India) are also committed to an enduring project  as our founders put it  of striving to form a more perfect union. This is a project for both of us, Blinken said after his meeting with Jaishankar. We have to work together to show that our democracies can meet our peoples needs, and we must continue to hold ourselves  both of us, as well as our fellow democracies  to our core values, including respect for universal human rights like freedom of religion and belief and freedom of expression, which makes our democracies stronger.

President Joe Bidens administration has been tacitly conveying to New Delhi concerns in the US over the perception that India was backsliding on human rights, freedom of speech and religion and democratic principles. The US president, himself, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris had subtly nudged the prime minister to protect democratic principles of India, when they had hosted him in Washington D.C. on September 24 last year.

The think-tanks and nonprofit entities as well as international organizations too have been expressing concerns on alleged erosion in democratic values in India.

After New Delhis relations with Washington D.C. came under stress over Indias refusal to join the US and the other western nations in condemning Russias military aggression against Ukraine, the Biden Administration earlier this year sharpened its criticism over alleged rise of religious intolerance and human rights abuse.

Also Read: US not fooling anybody with F-16 support for Pakistan, says Jaishankar

Blinken on April 12 this year said that the US was monitoring some recent concerning developments in India, including a rise in human rights abuses by some government, police, and prison officials. He made the remark, while sharing the podium with Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin, during a news conference after the India-US 2+2 dialogue in Washington D.C. He followed it up on June 2, stating that India, the worlds largest democracy and home to a great diversity of faiths, had seen rising attacks on people and places of worship. He made the remark after releasing the US State Departments 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom. Rashad Hussain, the US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, also said at the same event that some officials in India were ignoring or even supporting rising attacks on people and places of worship.

The US State Departments report itself also highlighted purported rise in religious intolerance in India.

New Delhi strongly reacted not only to the report but also the comments made by the US officials, accusing the Biden Administration of practising vote bank politics in international relations. It also turned the table on Washington DC, expressing concern over racially and ethnically motivated attacks, hate crimes and gun violence in the US.

Jaishankar, however, on Tuesday agreed with Blinken that India and the US could have healthy exchange of views on issues related to democracy and human rights. There will be convergence and best practices that we can both profit from and perhaps even share with third countries, he added, addressing the joint news conference with Blinken.
A leading Indian-origin consultant cardiologist based in the UK on Monday issued a stark warning of what he fears is a "pandemic of misinformation" around the long-term side effects of some Covid-19 vaccines.

Dr Aseem Malhotra, a National Health Service (NHS) trained cardiologist who has had two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, has called for the suspension of government mandated mRNA vaccine rollout to fully investigate serious side effects.

Having observed a rise in out of hospital cardiac arrests and heart attacks, the medic also fears that an mRNA vaccine was the likely "contributory factor" in the sudden death last year of his father, leading UK-based general practitioner (GP) Dr Kailash Chand.

Also Read | New coronavirus found in Russia could resist existing SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: Report

"Re-analysis of randomised controlled trials using the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology suggests a greater risk of serious adverse events from the vaccines than being hospitalised from Covid-19," writes Malhotra in peer-reviewed Journal of Insulin Resistance.

"Pharmacovigilance systems and real-world safety data, coupled with plausible mechanisms of harm, are deeply concerning, especially in relation to cardiovascular safety. Mirroring a potential signal from the Pfizer Phase 3 trial, a significant rise in cardiac arrest calls to ambulances in England was seen in 2021, with similar data emerging from Israel in the 16-39-year-old age group, he writes.

The two-part paper, entitled Curing the pandemic of misinformation on Covid-19 mRNA vaccines through real evidence-based medicine and based on months of research, calls for raw data from clinical trials to be released for independent scrutiny.

"It cannot be said that the consent to receive these agents was fully informed, as is required ethically and legally. A pause and reappraisal of global vaccination policies for Covid-19 is long overdue, the paper concludes.

Malhotra's assessment has been backed by other leading members of the global medical community, including Jay Bhattacharya, Professor of Medicine at the University of Stanford, and Sherif Sultan, Professor of Vascular Surgery.

"Dr Malhotras paper calls for a pause in the use of the vaccine in younger people, such as the one recently adopted by Danish public health authorities and the Florida department of public health in the United States, said Prof. Bhattacharya.

"He calls for investigation of side effect profiles of mRNA vaccines and for a halt to any vaccine mandate programs involving Covid vaccines. These papers should be considered carefully by all public health authorities who seek to adopt principles of evidence-based medicine in their recommendations to the public regarding the Covid mRNA vaccines, he said.

Prof. Sultan said Malhotras analysis is a matter of global concern amid the lack of long-term safety evaluation of mRNA vaccines.

Also Read | Covid-19 infection increases risk of long-term brain problems: Study

"These findings raise concerns regarding vaccine-induced undetected severe cardiovascular side effects and underscore the established causal relationship between vaccines and myocarditis, a frequent cause of unexpected cardiac arrest in young individuals, said Sultan.

"Surveillance of potential vaccine side effects and Covid-19 outcomes to identify public health trends and promptly investigate potential underlying causes needs immediate attention, he said.

Given the declining virulence of the infection and mounting evidence of vaccine-related harms, there can be no justification to continued mass roll-out of booster programs given the short-term risks from the vaccine likely outweigh the benefits for the majority of the population and we remain ignorant of the long-term risk to health, added Dr Bob Gill, a GP and documentary producer.
A 22-year-old County Derry man drove past a woman in the car park of a Tesco store and called her a 'tramp' while holding his mobile phone, a court has heard.

Matthew Millar, of Meeting Street, Magherafelt, appeared at Magherafelt Magistrates Court on Wednesday and entered guilty pleas to disorderly behaviour and using a mobile phone while driving.

The court heard police had received a call from the injured party at around 9.30pm on June 15 2021, saying she had been verbally abused by the defendant in the car park of Tesco on the Ballyronan Road.

She told police she observed a male 'in his early 20s' in the driver's seat and heard him shout 'you old tramp' in her direction.

The defendant was also observed holding his mobile phone while driving the car, leaving the injured party concerned the incident may have been filmed.

During an interview with police, the defendant denied using the mobile phone and said he had his hands on the wheel at the time of the incident.

Defence for Millar said he had now accepted his guilt, and that the incident had its roots in 'bad blood' between the injured party and himself stemming from an incident involving a 'number of youths'.

They said the offence was 'completely out of character' for the defendant and was a 'rush of blood to the head' about which he now felt embarrassed.

Counsel said he was active in sport, was in full time employment and also attends college in Belfast, stressing his licence was 'crucial' to his livelihood.

Judge Dunlop endorsed the defendant's licence with six penalty points and fined him a total of 250, alongside the 15 offender's levy.
Discontinued court proceedings against a military veteran accused of two murders on Bloody Sunday have resumed.

Last week, Northern Irelands Public Prosecution Service (PPS) announced it was reactivating the case against Soldier F on two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.

The former paratrooper is accused of the murders of James Wray and William McKinney on the day in January 1972 when members of the Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 civil rights protesters on the streets of Derry.

The PPS previously called a halt to the prosecution citing concerns that the case could collapse if it proceeded to trial.

The prosecution was still in the magistrates court system at that point, with lawyers preparing for a committal hearing to determine whether it would proceed to crown court trial.

The decision to halt the proceedings was challenged by the family of Mr McKinney and earlier this year the Divisional Court of the High Court in Belfast overturned the PPS move.

Earlier this month, the court rejected the PPSs bid to have an appeal referred to the UK Supreme Court.

After reviewing its position, the PPS decided to resume the prosecution.

The case was mentioned briefly at Belfast Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning.

A prosecution barrister confirmed to District Judge Peter Magill that the PPS was now in a position to recommence the proceedings.

The remainder of the legal exchanges focused on potential dates for the committal hearing, with the judge suggesting late November and December.

The case was adjourned to October 7 when timetabling issues will again be considered.

The PPS originally halted the prosecution of Soldier F amid concerns the case could collapse in light of a separate court ruling on the admissibility of evidence which caused the collapse of another Troubles murder trial involving two military veterans.

The McKinney family successfully challenged the decision by prosecutors by way of judicial review.

Bloody Sunday was one of the darkest days in the history of the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Thirteen people were killed on the day, and another man shot by paratroopers died four months later.

Many consider him the 14th victim of Bloody Sunday, but his death was formally attributed to an inoperable brain tumour.
A coroner has stressed the need for robust societal steps to protect women from domestic violence, as he delivered findings at the inquest into the death of a mother stabbed by her partner.

Katie Brankin, 37, was killed by Thomas Davidson, 53, at a glamping site in Limavady in July 2021.

Davidson, who admitted the killing during police interview, died inside Maghaberry prison six weeks later while on remand charged with the murder of the mother-of-one.

An inquest at Belfast Coroners Court heard harrowing testimony from eyewitnesses to the attack at Swanns Bridge glamping campsite on the evening of July 12 last year.

Coroner Joe McCrisken found that Davidson stabbed Ms Brankin five times, while the couple, from Newtownabbey, were staying on the site with their baby daughter.

Following an argument, Davidson stabbed her twice inside their campervan and then a further three times as she lay prone on the ramp of a neighbouring cabin.

Ms Brankin had managed to get out of the van and stagger towards the nearby cabin before collapsing.

A man who was staying in the cabin and the manager of the site had been trying to administer first aid and communicated with emergency services when Davidson approached and launched another attack, inflicting three further stab wounds to his partner.

Before that he had handed over the baby to the man from the cabin.

Mr McCrisken ruled that the fatal stab wound, which punctured Ms Brankins heart cavity, was inflicted inside the campervan.

The inquest was held a day after the PSNI launched a new strategy aimed at tackling violence against women and girls.

Mr McCrisken ruled that there was nothing police or state agencies could have done to prevent the murder, as he highlighted there had been no evidence or reports of violence or domestic abuse involving the couple before the stabbing.

Katie Brankin was one of 34 women killed by men between 2017 and 2021, he added.

Although I am satisfied that there is no evidence of domestic violence, abuse or aggression in the relationship between Ms Brankin and Thomas Davidson before the events of the 12th of July, I welcome the recent PSNI announcement of an action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, as well as the introduction of the domestic violence reviews announced by the Justice Minister (Naomi Long) in December 2020.

The coroner added: Its not appropriate for me as a coroner to comment on government policy.

So, I wont do that. But what Ill say is, as a society, we must take robust steps to secure the safety of victims of domestic violence and abuse and the safety of women and girls.

In my role as coroner I will support these efforts in any way that I can.

The inquest heard that both Ms Brankin and Davidson struggled with mental health issues.

She had been discharged from Holywell psychiatric hospital in Antrim only days before they took the trip to Limavady.

Ms Brankin, a dog walker originally from Downpatrick, had booked the stay at the glamping site.

Mr McCrisken referred to the transcripts of Davidsons interviews with police as he outlined his account of what happened.

Arguments had taken place on the afternoon, Ms Brankin had taken some alcohol and at some stage during preparation for dinner, while they were both in the campervan, in his words he saw red, he lost it and he stabbed Ms Brankin twice in the back while her back was turned to him, with this knife.

She then left  called his name and then left the campervan.

Paul Ryan and his partner Jade Hill had been staying in a cabin next to the parked campervan.

In statements read to court, they described events after Ms Brankin approached the cabin and collapsed on the ramp.

Mr Ryan said he was trying to call emergency services when a man appeared and handed him a baby.

He said the man left and returned with a knife and moved to stab Ms Brankin as she lay on the ground.

Mr Ryans partner Ms Hill, who had been holding the baby as the others administered first aid and spoke on the phone to emergency services, backed away from the scene with the campsite manager when Davidson approached and launched his second attack.

The campsite manager, in his statement, described trying to get to Ms Brankin but being warned away by knife-wielding Davidson.

The inquest heard that, following the attack, Davidson inflicted a series of wounds on himself before police arrived and arrested him.

The coroner said Davidson made full admissions from the outset when questioned by officers.

He appeared in court three days after the attack and was remanded to Maghaberry prison charged with murder.

Mr McCrisken formally ruled that Ms Brankin died from a stab wound.
New process to apply for Hunt by Reservation turkey and upland bird hunts

Oct. 2 deadline to apply for October hunts via ELS Tweet September 28, 2022 SALEM, Ore.ODFW is launching a new pilot application process for its popular Hunt by Reservation Program which allows hunters to reserve hunts on private land for turkey and other game birds on several properties. Hunters now have a chance to apply for hunts in advance through ODFW's Electronic Licensing System (ELS). Hunters can submit applications online by logging into ELS and selecting a "Reservation Hunt Application" from the "Controlled Hunts" section or by applying at a license sales agent. The process will be somewhat different than typical controlled hunts since hunters who draw a permit will be notified by email, not within their ELS account. See the Hunt by Reservation homepage for more info and detailed instructions on how to apply in ELS: https://myodfw.com/articles/hunt-reservation-program. Each hunter will get two choices for each of four hunt periods (October, November, December, January). Be sure to apply for October hunts by the deadline which is Sunday, Oct. 2 at 11:59 p.m. Any hunts not taken in the drawing will be available as in years past on a first-come, first-served basis at the Hunt by Reservation website. "Users of our previous first-come, first-served website experienced traffic slowdowns. Only some hunters could stay up late to snag a reservation as they came online," explained Brandon Dyches, ODFW Hunt by Reservation Program Coordinator. "Not only is the new process simpler, but it allows everyone a fair chance at drawing a hunt, not just those who can be online at the right time." Below are application deadlines for each hunt period. Hunters should make sure their email address is up to date in the ELS system or they won't be notified of their results. Hunt Period Submission Deadline Results Sent by Email Leftover Permits Available Online at 10am October October 2 October 3 October 4 November October 13 October 14 October 17 December November 14 November 15 November 16 January December 15 December 16 December 17 More about the Hunt by Reservation Program OSU's Soap Creek Ranch is one of the properties that participates in the Hunt by Reservation Program. There is no cost to reserve a hunt, but hunters must purchase a 2022 hunting license and turkey tag, upland validation and any other necessary permits prior to their hunt and follow all hunting regulations and program rules. Up to three hunters can hunt per reservation (individual hunters can reserve a hunt and then assign up to two additional hunters to their reservation). The Western Oregon fall turkey season begins Oct. 8 and runs until Jan. 31, 2023. Turkeys are abundant in both the Willamette Valley and Roseburg area but are often found on private land where hunting access is not allowed. Hunt by Reservation also offers some hunting for upland birds in eastern Oregon and plans to add goose hunting later this fall. The Hunt by Reservation Program first launched in 2019 as an effort to connect landowners with hunters. The program is a partnership between ODFW, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and benefits both hunters and landowners by providing quality hunting opportunities on private land with ODFW coordinating hunt logistics and managing for healthy wildlife populations in their area. Dyches stressed that hunters who participate must follow all hunting regulations and hunt responsibly. "This program is succeeding because hunters and landowners are working together with trust and respect," he said. "If a landowner reports any hunter misbehavior such as showing disrespect, unsafe shots, property damage, breaking program rules or wildlife laws, we exclude that hunter and the rest of their party from the program. Our landowners willing to participate are a precious resource. We take good care of them." ###
We spoke to Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI, immediately after Indias 5G spectrum auction to get some insights about the Indian telecommunications industry and its 5G rollout roadmap.

We also asked the COAI Director General the age-old question about EMF radiation fears of 5G frequency bands, how 5G will boost the Indian economy, and what steps the industry is taking to safeguard 5G networks in terms of national security. As the impending 5G India launch gets closer, read following edited excerpts from our interview below:

Q) Is 5G still safe? Is 5G going to add to peoples worries from a health and safety perspective in India?

This question should now be put to rest because the Indian IT Minister himself has gone on record saying that 5G networks are very safe. Several international studies have been done on this topic saying that the EMF emanating out of mobile towers are non-ionizing, and hence safe for human beings. And even if you don't know all this, just look at birds who go and nest on these towers, they build their nests and nurture their young ones, and nothing happens to them. So how can it be harmful to humans?

Also Read: India 5G Spectrum Explained: Why 700MHz Band Matters For Best 5G Coverage

This is just a myth propagated by people who are talking about unsafe 5G because they have vested interests to serve, nothing else. But as far as scientific evidence is concerned, there is nothing, not even 0.1% evidence to suggest that 5G networks are unsafe.

Q) How will 5G services roll-out across India over the next few months and years?

What is emerging is there'll be two types of 5G rollouts happening across India. One will be to cater to the demands originating from metros and the second rollout would be related to enterprise 5G services which will open up new markets, applications and use cases, and thats where the maximum 5G revenue is going to be generated from.

You also need to understand that India is a very price sensitive market. Theres a very good likelihood of new 5G tariffs to go up from existing data rates. Expecting a common citizen to really see any benefit and pay more for a new connection or having to buy a new phone to get a 5G connection is going to be difficult. Dont get me wrong, there will be lots of people who will sign-up for 5G services from day one, but the scale will not be comparable to people who are already subscribed to 4G.

Telecom operators will have to mix and match where they deliver the promise of 5G speed and coverage to 5G enthusiasts no matter what. And also for existing 4G users or people migrating from 2G or 3G. In some places non standalone 5G will also work, while some places will have only standalone 5G deployments, with network slicing and other segmentation depending on the use case.

Q) How do you react to social media memes claiming with 5G launch Indians will finally see promised 4G network speeds?

There are multiple factors that impact network speeds, and its harsh to blame only the telecom operators for it. Before I joined COAI, I also used to think that telcos are not doing their job properly. But after spending two years in the ecosystem, I realised that there are environmental factors in play which people dont realise. I'll give you two major ones  power capacity and fiber infrastructure increase for good network signals.

Our telecom infrastructure across the country requires more power to run at optimal levels. The permissions, clearances required for procuring more power are very difficult and also quite expensive. The power that is permitted to be transmitted to telecom towers is one-tenth of international levels, and more towers are difficult to deploy.

The second reason is the need for more fibre towers, and how more towers need to be connected with each other and with the network through fibre so they can carry the capacity of data that they are aggregating on the edge. That requires a huge amount of effort and the government is aware of it. The central government and private industry want to move fast to remove this bottleneck, but local and state governments don't let us put fibre through their territory.

We want more towers to be deployed, and this is where we start. We are expecting about 10 times the speed of what we have today, 10 times the capacity of what we have today, but high-speed 5G radio signals do not penetrate walls and therefore require indoor building solutions to be implemented. All of these things are work-in-progress, and there are a lot of innovations which are happening to work around some of these practical 5G deployment problems. A lot of trials are happening and we hope the 5G networks will offer a better overall experience than 4G or before.

Q) How will 5G roll-out across India impact us positively?

While e-commerce takes over 78 percent of the traffic on any network across all Indian telecom operators, the bandwidth requirement of e-commerce traffic is actually very low  as it isnt high bandwidth like video streaming or online gaming. So e-commerce in terms of 5G will be an application that requires teledensity, but will not affect the speed and latency that will be required in different areas.

Use cases like 3D holograms or teleporting your e-presence or even online gaming will get some boost, but something like telemedicine services will seriously ramp up across the length and breadth of the country thanks to 5G.

Another thing that will be grappled quickly due to 5G deployment is a merger of telecom, electronics and computing to be treated as one silo  it can no longer be looked at separately from a legal, regulatory and policy framework, which currently is not happening.

Cyber security has still been outside the domain of the telecom sector at the core infrastructure level, but that also needs to be worked into as a fundamental pillar of network security. Cyber cannot be an afterthought in the building and deployment of telecom networks anymore, the work has to be started from the drawing board, on both telecom technology as well as cyber security.

Q) How will indigenous Indian 5G hardware ramp up to safeguard our 5G networks against Chinese ODMs?

The Indian government has already taken a slew of measures which will ensure that this (deployment of indigenous Indian telecom hardware) happens as fast as possible. For now, the components which have been used in our telecom network can be divided into passive and active. Passive isnt a problem, we import industry-standard hardware from outside but yes, from the Make in India perspective, those components should also be made in India.

The active network needs software plus hardware stack expertise. The software component India doesnt have a problem with, we have always been making software for the entire world and research labs of the world, and we can do it. But we cant yet do both hardware and software, because the hardware piece of the puzzle is difficult to crack in a hurry. The design and manufacture of semiconductor chips require massive investment, and its not going to happen overnight. Currently, a lot of emphases is being made on imparting knowledge, skills and expertise to get these semiconductor companies to manufacture in India, incentivized by the government.

For now, sensitive telecom components will need to be imported from abroad. The Indian government has also made a conscious decision that they will continue with the past practice of using international standard-based telecom equipment so that we are not depending on any one country for our needs. Of course, we are not satisfied with that, we want an ecosystem to be created in India, rightly so, where we can manufacture, we can design and consume in India and export outside to the world.

The advantage of China was cheap labour and economies of scale. We have cheap labour, what we don't have is economies of scale. We don't have a manufacturing base, so incentives have now been offered to these companies to come to India, and start making in India. China has been taken out of the ecosystem in many parts of the telecommunications market, and our strategy is to not only Make in India for Indian telecom needs but also to eventually become a net exporter. It will take some time, but these steps are being monitored at the highest levels of the Indian government, because of whats at stake. So theres reason to believe the implementation of any indigenous hardware in the telco stack will also be faster.

Q) How will 5G help Indian telcos evolve in the near future?

I can make a small prediction here: that the telecom business of providing networks is not going to be a paying business anymore. Right. So you will eventually find that newer business verticals will be developed by these Indian telecom operators themselves  not just for large businesses, but even for us normal citizen-consumers. Customers will increasingly be offered consolidated 360-degree package solutions because these offerings will come from telcos themselves who understand business on one hand and 5G consumption on their network. The hope is that enough consumers will find these offerings to be transformative enough within the next year or so.

All responses attributed to Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India)

What do you think about the Indian 5G services launch slated to begin very soon? Are you looking forward to using 5G data services on your 5G-enabled smartphone or are you happy with 4G data speeds? Let us know in the comments below, and keep reading Digit.in for more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates.
From left, actor Jeon Yeo-been, director Roh Deok, and actor Im Jin-ah pose during a press conference for Netflix's new series, "Glitch," held at a theater in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Netflix



Two former friends reunited by mysterious disappearances



By Lee Gyu-lee



Netflix's upcoming sci-fi thriller series, "Glitch," will follow the story of a special friendship between two women with trust as the keyword, the director said.



"The important part (of the series) is faith. From the early stages of production, it has been the series' keyword," the series' director, Roh Deok, said during a press conference for the series, held at a theater in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday.



"It throws out questions about the importance of faith, which is part of what makes human beings. It's important to think about what one believes in and what one makes out of that faith," he said.



Led by filmmaker Roh, whose previous work includes the crime thriller film, "The Exclusive: Beat the Devil's Tattoo," and the romance film, "Very Ordinary Couple," the series revolves around a woman named Hong Ji-hyo (Jeon Yeo-been), who has the ability to see aliens.



Despite her ability, she has been trying to maintain a normal life. One day, her boyfriend, Lee Si-gook (Lee Dong-hwi), goes missing out of thin air.



As she tries to find him, she reunites with her former friend and a UFO enthusiast, Heo Bo-ra (Im Jin-ah), to chase down the secret behind a mysterious light that has led people to go missing.



The series is scripted by Gin Han-sai, who wrote Netflix's hit series, "Extracurricular."



The director noted that the series will be a mixture of several genres, including mystery, thriller and sci-fi.



"This is a genre-bending series that cannot be pinpointed on one specific genre. It can be referred to as a mystery but it can also be a series about friendship as the story follows the characters. It also has sci-fi, thriller and several others, but the fact it can't be defined by one genre is what makes this series interesting," she said.





A scene from the series, "Glitch" / Courtesy of Netflix
The government of India has reportedly sought brands to adopt NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) as quickly as possible. NavIC for the unversed is an indigenous alternative to navigation satellite systems like GPS and GLONASS. While its been around for a couple of years, India is really pushing the smartphone brands in the market to incorporate it before January 23, 2022. This report by Reuters brings this scoop to us and also shares how the stakeholders are reacting to this sudden decision.

NavIC in phones: GOIs take

In its mission of making Indian self-reliant, the government wants to standardize NavIC in place of the USs GPS and Russias GLONASS.

Its claim is the NavIC is as good as GPS of the United States in terms of position accuracy and availability in its service region.

NavIC, which is the operational name for Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) and is designed to cover 1500 kms around India, more accurately. Although Civilians can use it, a part of it will be solely used by the defense. It employs 8 satellites for this purpose including IRNSS-1A, IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1C, IRNSS-1D, IRNSS-1E, IRNSS-1F, IRNSS-1G, and IRNSS-1I.

As per Counterpoint Research, about 300 smartphones already ship with support for NAVIC. The government wants more to join this club soon.

NavIC in phones: Smartphone brands reaction

Two of the concerns that brands have are cost and clearance.

Samsung Indias Binu George addresses the first concern by saying, This would add to cost as it requires hardware design changes and additional investments to support devices specific to India. Further, the companies have already prepared for models to be launched in 2024.

This is particularly relevant to the affordable phone market.

The other concern is that NAVIC implementation would require more testing clearances, that too before the January 1 deadline. This could get in the way of their release schedules.

However, Meity has cleared the air by saying that the deadline isnt set in stone.

A media report has claimed citing a meeting that mobile cos were asked to make smartphones compatible with NavIC within months. This is to clarify: (1) No timeline has been fixed. (2) The cited meeting was consultative; and (3) the issue is under discussion with all stakeholders.  Ministry of Electronics & IT (@GoI_MeitY) September 26, 2022

We will keep our eyes on this topic and bring to you developments as and when they happen.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in.
Verdict

Lenovo has certainly taken a step up with the new IdeaPad Gaming 3i. As far as value for money is concerned, you're definitely getting bang for your buck here. Despite the flimsy hinge, we think the new design is an overall improvement, and makes more room for the fans and allows for two more vents at the back. The keyboard is one of the better ones you can find on a gaming laptop, and there's room for expansion when it comes to memory and storage. This is a solid pick if you're in the market for an entry level gaming laptop that can handle most modern AAA games.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i detailed review

Competition in the budget gaming laptop market is fierce. That being said, anyone who has gone looking for a budget gaming laptop in the past few years would most certainly come across Lenovo's budget Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming lineup of laptops. The IdeaPad Gaming laptops are Lenovo's budget alternative to their more premium Legion lineup of gaming laptops, and as such, sacrifices have been made to reduce costs. However, what we have on offer here with the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i still makes it quite an enticing option for anyone in the market looking for a gaming laptop under the Rs 1 lakh budget.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i Build and design

While the overall aesthetic of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i remains the same as its predecessors, there are some pretty major changes. For starters, they've extended the back, so the laptop lid no longer slides over the back edge when opened. This has also allowed them to not only have two vents on the back, but also move most of the IO ports, save a single USB A port on either side and the combo audio jack, behind the laptop. The new hinge however feels pretty flimsy and as a result the display flexes a lot more, even more than with the previous hinge design. The laptop body is made entirely out of plastic as opposed to metal which is featured in the Legion laptops. But then again, that is to be expected from the budget segment.

Coming to the keyboard, nothing much has changed. Which is good, you know what they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Ideapad Gaming laptops come with nice full-sized keyboards, with the arrow keys slightly separated from the rest of the keyboard. They've got decent travel distance for laptop keys and there's nice feedback as well. You also have backlighting which is a nice plus. Overall, probably one of the best keyboards you can get in the budget gaming laptop segment. The trackpad is also not very large and slightly off-centre, so it doesn't get in the way while you're typing.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming laptops have a power button that sits separately from the rest of the keyboard, and has a single LED light in the centre. The colour of this light can change depending on the mode you're on, with Blue for the quiet mode, White for auto by default, and Red for performance. Fn + Q can be used to toggle between these modes.

Under the laptop, you've got the ventilation grill and the two speaker cutouts on either side.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i I/O

Next we come to the ports. Like we mentioned earlier, you've got a gen 1 USB Type-A 3.2 port on either side of the laptop. On the left, you've got a combo audio jack as well. The rest of the I/O has been moved to the back, where you've got an HDMI 2.0 port, an ethernet port, a Thunderbolt 4 port and power.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i Display

For the display, the unit we received came with a 15.6-inch FHD 120 Hz IPS panel. 120Hz is nice, but there is a FHD 165Hz option and a 16-inch WQHD 165Hz display option as well. During our display benchmarks, we got an average brightness of 337 nits, which is not bad. As for sRGB, the display scored pretty high with 98.9% sRGB coverage. Even the DCI-P3 coverage was 75.4% which is pretty good as far as a budget gaming laptop is concerned.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i Performance

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i comes with a range of 12th gen Intel processor options, starting from the Core i5-12450H to the Core i7-12700H. The unit we received came with the Intel Core i7-12700H. For the purposes of this review, we're going to be drawing comparisons to the Alienware X14 which comes with the exact same configuration as far as the processor and GPU are considered. So we're looking at an Intel Core i7-12700H and NVIDIA RTX 3050Ti combo. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i actually scored slightly higher than the Alienware X14 in just about every processor and gaming benchmark, save a few. Considering the price difference between the two - Rs 1.75 lakhs for the X14 to the Rs 95,791 for the IdeaPad Gaming 3i, the Gaming 3i is essentially selling itself right now.

In 3DMark, the X14 scores better in both TimeSpy benchmarks, while the 3i scores higher in all FireStrike benchmarks. The overall scores are still very close. Let's move on to real-world gaming benchmarks.

Here, you can see that the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i scores higher in just about all of our gaming benchmark results, save Valorant. Even if by a few FPS, it's outperforming a laptop that's almost twice its price. Impressive.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i Memory and Storage

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i we received came with 16 GB of DDR4 3200MHz RAM. We tested the RAM using AIDA64, the results are pretty good. While not as good as the X14 which comes with LPDDR5 RAM, it still performs well.

Coming to the storage, the laptop came with a Gen 4 1TB PCIe NVMe TLC M.2 2242 SSD. The read and write speeds are decent and close to advertised speeds, but there are other budget gaming laptop offerings, such as the Acer Nitro 5 for instance, with faster SSDs in the market.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i Heat and Noise

For most of our testing the laptop ran pretty cool. So their cooling solution works. Surface level temps never crossed 45 degrees, and the palm area stayed cool for the most part. Like with most gaming laptops it will get loud as you do more intensive stuff.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i Verdict

Lenovo has certainly taken a step up with the new IdeaPad Gaming 3i. As far as value for money is concerned, you're definitely getting bang for your buck here. Despite the flimsy hinge, we think the new design is an overall improvement, and makes more room for the fans and allows for two more vents at the back. The keyboard is one of the better ones you can find on a gaming laptop, and there's room for expansion when it comes to memory and storage. While it's a great pick in the sub 1 lakh budget gaming laptop category, you also have the likes of the Acer Nitro 5 which comes very close in terms of performance and in some cases performs better, such as with RAM and storage and you might potentially get a better deal there. All that said, this is still a solid pick if you're in the market for an entry level gaming laptop that can handle most modern AAA games.
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In this month's column, I decided to look forward instead of backwards to explore the impact that Gen Z is having, and might continue to have, on the AEC industries. Gen Z is a term used to describe Americans born between 1997 and 2012. The oldest members of this group are now entering the workforce.

According to a recent study by Deltek, Gen Z currently makes up around 14% of AEC employees in the U.S. with some now starting to work in lower-level management positions. Speaking with local firms, the median Gen Z AEC workforce in Washington is around 5% but quickly growing. It's also clear that this generation is already making its mark; from the kinds of projects they want to work on, to their style of working and what they expect of employers.





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Baum has specialized in employee-owned companies, so an employee-owned consulting firm like GeoEngineers is a natural fit. He understands the broader consulting industry, and knows how to pursue mergers when appropriate, develop new markets and encourage collaboration.




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SEATTLE  In its most recent Parks District Spending Plan proposal for the Seattle Metropolitan Parks District, the city has earmarked nearly $60 million for the Green Lake Community Center.

Funds include $56 million for expansion or rebuild construction of the center and $3.5 million for planning. The plan will be voted on by the full city council this week and, if confirmed, will be the district's spending plan for the next six years.





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SEATTLE  A small apartment building at 700 N.W. Market St. sold for a little over $3 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Teter Investments LLC, which acquired the property in 2009 for about $1.1 million.





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SEATTLE  The Ducky's Office Furniture complex, at 24 S. Idaho St., has sold for over $8.2 million, according to King County records.

The seller was a local family that had owned the property for decades.





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North Korea has readied an underground nuclear test tunnel at its Punggye-ri site and a test blast could take place sometime between Oct. 16 and Nov. 7 if the regime decides to go ahead with it, South Korea's spy agency was quoted as saying Wednesday.







The National Intelligence Service (NIS) gave the assessment during a closed-door briefing to lawmakers of the parliamentary intelligence committee, citing a window of time between October's National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and November's U.S. midterm elections, according to briefed lawmakers.







"The NIS has reported that Tunnel No. 3 at Punggye-ri has been completed and the possibility of a nuclear test has risen," Rep. Yoo Sang-beom of the ruling People Power Party told reporters.







Punggye-ri is where the North conducted all six of its nuclear tests to date.







On foreign media reports on the public appearance of a 9-year-old girl assumed to be North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's daughter, the NIS said it is "unlikely" the girl is Kim's daughter Ju-ae, according to Yoo.







Rep. Youn Kun-young of the main opposition Democratic Party also said that the NIS has identified an unidentified woman who has been reported to be closely accompanying the North's leader, as a former drummer at Pyongyang's all-women Moranbong Band, named Hong Yun-mi.







The NIS also reported that Hong appears to be an aide to Hyon Song-wol, a vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, according to Youn.







The NIS also reported that leader Kim exchanged eight personal letters with Chinese President Xi Jinping and it is difficult to believe North Korea's announcement it has completely eradicated the COVID-19 pandemic, referring to the North's recent efforts to vaccinate people across its border region.







Kim appears to be showing no signs of health issues and returned to weighing between 130 and 140 kilograms, lawmakers said, citing the NIS. (Yonhap)






The Government cannot rule out dipping into the six billion euro rainy day fund early next year to help people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, the Public Expenditure Minister has said.

Michael McGrath said it was prudent of the Government to set aside the funds, despite not intending to use them.

It is a sensible thing to do it is the right thing to do,  Mr McGrath said.

He added: There is an incredible amount of volatility in the international economy, not least in the energy markets.

Tanaiste @LeoVaradkar and Ministers @HMcEntee, @SimonHarrisTD wrapping up #Budget2023 Day. Today has been all about putting money back in peoples pockets and helping families with the cost of living. pic.twitter.com/FipFQG6SeL  Fine Gael (@FineGael) September 27, 2022

We dont know what will happen with the terrible war in Ukraine.

But its a good thing that we have that reserve. We have that funding there if we need it.

We dont intend to use it but we cannot rule anything out.

It all depends on circumstances. And we will use our best judgment as time goes by, as to what is the right decision or course of action to take.

This is the result of #Budget2023Ireland #Budget2023 in terms of household disposable income. Those who need the most support are getting it. Those who pay the most taxes are funding it. The top 20% of income earners pay 77% of Irelands income tax. pic.twitter.com/qozq6Zj5fA  Ciaran Cannon (@ciarancannon) September 28, 2022

Mr McGrath made the remarks after answering questions alongside Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe from members of the public during RTE Radio 1s Today with Claire Byrne annual Budget phone-in show.

Mr Donohoe said the Government had ensured there was a Budget surplus so that they have the ability to help if conditions changed.

Michael (McGrath) and I have been united, as has the Government, in saying weve brought forward measures that go into a six-month period to provide as much certainty as we can.

We hope well be in a better place at that point. But the reason why we have a budget surplus is to be able to respond back to conditions that are changing.

Mr Donohoe described the Budget measures unveiled by both ministers on Tuesday as fair.

The Budget showed very clearly that those who have the least get the most  in the round, this is a very, very fair Budget, he said.

They made the remarks after Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said the Government will reassess the countrys financial situation in the new year to see whether it needs to intervene again to help people.

But he said he did not envisage a mini-budget being implemented.

What does #Budget2023 mean for you? Here are some of the key measures in one thread For more see https://t.co/lCMOLUmLwP pic.twitter.com/XNykekwgqZ  MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) September 27, 2022

Weve just announced the budget, a very substantial package of assistance for families and businesses, of 11 billion euros, Mr Varadkar said at the event on Wednesday.

We believe thats going to be enough, I am convinced of that. I dont see the need for a mini budget in the new year and be very, very clear about that.

We do have reserve funds, and theyre there just in case and I think thats a sensible approach.

He also said that a big part of the budget was putting money back in peoples pockets and giving them more confidence to spend.

There is some evidence in recent weeks and recent months of people who have money, saving more of it and theres a risk in that  the paradox of thrift  that people, because they feel theyre going to be worse off, dont spend money and that can create a cycle of negativity in the economy.

I hope whats been done in the budget in the round will give people a bit more confidence that they will be able to pay their bills, and will still be able to spend money in our economy, including in the tourism hospitality sector.

He said earlier on Wednesday that it was also about helping businesses with energy costs.

The way it works is that the one-off payments fall between now and Christmas. The energy discounts are before and after Christmas and the increases in the weekly rates happen in the new year, he told RTEs Morning Ireland.

So essentially were frontloading the Budget so that people are getting more up-front. You then see permanent increases in payments, pensions, welfare and permanent decreases in income tax in the new year.

But we will have to see where we are in January, February.

He also said energy prices might fall by February, but this was uncertain.

If prices continue to rise, we will have to look at it again in the new year and thats why weve put money in the tank, he said.

He added that the Government had the financial firepower to intervene again if needed.

There is more help in the new year with the energy credits and the tax deductions and increases and weekly welfare payments, but we have set aside some money in reserve in the tank in case we need to help again, he said.

Mr Varadkar made the comments on Wednesday morning, less than 24 hours after Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath officially unveiled Budget 2023 in the Dail.

The Governments 11 billion euro budget package comprises 6.9 billion euro in budgetary measures for next year, as well as a 4.1 billion euro package of one-off measures to help tackle the rising cost of living for individuals, families and households.

In one of Irelands most significant budgets in years, the pressure has been on the coalition Government to get the balance right as bills for energy, fuel, groceries and housing soar.

Mr Donohoe said a windfall tax or surplus will be used to fund any further cost-of-living measures that may be needed to help people struggling to pay energy bills.
Restoring the powersharing institutions at Stormont is a priority for both the British and Irish governments, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said.

After meeting Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, the Secretary of State said he believes the mood music is positive around reforming the executive before he has to call an election next month.

Mr Coveney said it would be an extraordinary failure of politics if the institutions are not operating in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The executive and Assembly are not operating due to a DUP protest against the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol.

While ministers remain in shadow form, they are set to leave office on October 28 and, under current legislation, Mr Heaton-Harris would have to call new Assembly elections.

It is anticipated that the election would take place in the weeks before Christmas.

Mr Heaton-Harris said: I will have to call an election on October 28 if there is no executive.

It is a very small period of time to get things moving and there are important discussions between London and Brussels, as well as between Simon and myself, but these discussions can move forward.

I am really confident that they will move forward.

The mood music that everybody talks about is seemingly very positive.

We now have to make sure that music turns into something much more fundamental that allows all parties to reform the executive.

There is an important anniversary of an important document happening next year and it would be nice to have some things to celebrate.

Mr Coveney said: The idea that we would move into the winter in Northern Ireland facing elections, rather than facing solutions in the context of what an executive should be doing, would be extraordinary.

We have a big political responsibility to find a way of getting this done in partnership with all the parties in Northern Ireland.

It is not straightforward or easy and it involves decisions taken elsewhere, outside of this island, to help us in that process.

But I think everybody knows whats at stake and the idea that we would be leading up to the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement with the institutions collapsed, with Northern Ireland coming out of a winter of discontent in terms of the cost of living, without a first or deputy first minister in place, really it would be an extraordinary failing of politics.

So despite the mountains we have to climb, it is our job together to make it happen.

Mr Heaton-Harris and Mr Coveney know each other from their time as MEPs in the European Parliament and both expressed hope that their relationship will help them reach compromises.

Mr Coveney said: I think we will be judged on what we get done together.

We know each other, we like each other.

That allows us to speak honestly about what compromise positions might look like and explore those in a way which doesnt get interrupted by a lack of trust.

The personal relationship is good and it needs to be, but we will be judged pretty quickly, in the next month, as to whether we can turn a good personal relationship into one that can get important things done for people in Northern Ireland.

Can people in Northern Ireland have their own government to deal with cost-of-living pressures, or do they have to put up with another election and all of the polarisation and tension that flows from that?

That is the test of our relationship.

Both politicians are due to meet in London again next week.

DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the protocol is the blockage to restoring devolution and called on the Government to expedite a bill which would override parts of it.

He said: The Secretary of State and the Republic of Irelands Foreign Minister should focus on replacing the protocol with arrangements which unionists can support.

This would recognise that we operate powersharing in Northern Ireland rather than majority rule.

Not one unionist MLA or MP supports the protocol.

I would love to see a negotiated outcome, but there appears to be little interest in either Brussels or Dublin to recognise the concerns of unionists.

Sir Jeffrey added: The NI Protocol Bill represents progress, but the Government should expedite it through its legislative processes.

Those seeking to delay and derail the bill are only delaying the return of devolution.
Dundalk Sub Aqua Search and Rescue Unit held their AGM on Monday night.

The event was well attended, with most members present.

Amongst the items discussed callouts from the last year which were few, with no major incidents.

Also discussed was the amount of dive sites visited by the group in the previous 12 months which included several sites in & around Carlingford Lough, as well as sites at Portmagee, Co. Kerry, Aaranmore Island, Co. Donegal, Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal, St. John's Point, Co.Donegal and Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim.

Dundalk Sub Aqua Search and Rescue Unit are a group of Volunteers female & male who give up their time in assisting other emergency agencies.

They work closely with An Garda & the PSNI in searching for missing people in the waterways & sea in & around Ireland.

The new committee was elected as follows:

Chair: Aaron Rooney.

Sec: Carol Callan.

Diving Officer: Finbarr Dillon.

Safety Officer: Alan Reburn.

Training Officer: Stephen Crosby.

Tres: Laurence Lord.

PR: Chris O Donnell.

The committee would like to thank people of Dundalk & surrounding areas, for all the help & kindness you continually show towards the club.
Fine Gael is ensuring the best start for every child with major investment in childcare and early education in Budget 2023, said Louth Fine Gael Senator John McGahon

Families throughout Ireland have been facing rising household bills and we want to make it make it easier for those really feeling the squeeze.

Senator John McGahon said: If youre looking after a family, youre facing higher energy bills, grocery bills, and the added cost of childcare.

"The double payment of child benefit worth 140 per child will significantly help qualifying households in November.

Childcare is not an option for tens of thousands of families and the pressure this cost places on families is insurmountable.

"The 121 million National Childcare Scheme will cut costs by up to 25% for families from next year. With this measure, we have put up to 175 a month, or 2,106 a year, back in parents pockets.

The new Core Funding model has provided certainty to parents that their childcare fees will not increase. The further allocation of 59 million will provide for further hours and further places.

660 additional mainstream teachers will ensure the lowest ever PTR at primary level of1:23. Over 1,190 SNAs brings to 20,300 the number supporting pupils. Over 680 more special education teachers will be provided, said Senator McGahon.

Next year, the childcare budget reaches 1 billion, five years ahead of target. The combination of measures will help make childcare more affordable and ensure the sustainability of childcare providers.

This month, we have seen a historic pay increase for early learning and childcare workers. The new Employment Regulation Order, coupled with the provisions in the budget to widen tax bands, will further enhance pay and conditions in the sector, recognising the passion, professional standing and dedication of childcare practitioners.

We need a stable and growing childcare sector, to attract and retain childcare professionals and to ensure that we can increase the capacity of childcare provision throughout the country.

"Universal access to childcare is essential to ensure an equality of opportunity for all children.

Fine Gael are committed to cutting the cost of childcare of all families and todays budget is a monumental step in the right direction, concluded Senator McGahon.




North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, a day before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is to visit the South.







South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the North Korean missile launch but gave no further details, such as when and where the weapon was fired and how far it traveled.







The launch is the second by North Korea this week. Harris is to arrive in South Korea on Thursday for talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol and other officials. She also is to visit the tense border with North Korea, in what U.S. officials call an attempt to underscore the strength of the U.S.-South Korean alliance and the U.S. commitment to ''stand beside'' South Korea in the face of any North Korea threats.







U.S. and South Korean navy ships are also conducting drills off South Korea's east coast in a show of force against North Korea.







The four-day exercise, which began Monday, involves the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. It is the first training exercise by the allies involving a U.S. aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula since 2017.







South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises often draw a furious response from North Korea, which views them as an invasion rehearsal. A short-range North Korean missile launched Sunday was seen as a response to the U.S.-South Korean training.







North Korea has dialed up its testing activities to a record pace in 2022, testing more than 30 ballistic weapons, including its first intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017. North Korea is exploiting a divide in the United Nations Security Council that deepened over Russia's war against Ukraine to speed up its arms development.







North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has threatened repeatedly that his country will proactively use its nuclear weapons if threatened, increasing security concerns in conventionally armed South Korea. (AP)


North Korea's KN-23 short-range ballistic missile, similar to the Russian Iskander, is being launched in this photo released by Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency in January 2021. Pyongyang launched ballistic missiles repeatedly this week, two on Wednesday and one on Sunday, in what is seen as a show of force against joint naval drills between South Korea and the United States. Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo



North Korea launched what appear to have been two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, Wednesday, apparently in another show of force against the latest joint military drills between South Korea and the United States.



The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches of two North Korean missiles from the Sunan area of Pyongyang between 6:10 p.m. and 6:20 p.m.



The missiles traveled a distance of 360 kilometers after reaching a maximum altitude of 30 kilometers at a top speed of Mach 6, according to the JCS.



"The military has strengthened monitoring activities and vigilance and is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the U.S.," it added.






Employees work at a mask manufacturing factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, March 6, 2020. Joint Press Corps



By Lee Hyo-jin



Korea grappled with a severe shortage of masks in early spring 2020, when face masks seemed to be the best protection against the coronavirus before the arrival of vaccines and treatments.



People had to line up at pharmacies and retail stores to buy face masks amid explosive demand and limited supply, while the government came up with a public distribution method  a five-day rotation system under which people could buy two masks per week on designated days according to their birth year.



Hundreds of small manufacturers that rushed to produce face masks enjoyed a boom following the implementation of the mask mandate, which was first adopted indoors in October 2020 and then expanded to outdoors in April 2021.



According to data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the number of mask manufacturers, which stood at 137 in January 2020, increased by more than 10 times to reach nearly 1,600 as of December 2021.



However, these businesses are now on the verge of collapse as the country braces to transition from pandemic to endemic, in which masks may no longer be required.



On Monday, the government fully lifted all remaining outdoor mask-wearing rules, including at large gatherings of 50 or more people such as sporting events and concerts.



Indoor mask requirements will remain in place for the time being due to concerns over a possible "twindemic" of seasonal influenza and a potential resurgence of COVID-19 infections this winter. But some health experts anticipate the mandate to be scrapped as early as next spring as the government mulls an exit from the pandemic.



These developments may come as good news to people who have been yearning to remove their masks. But the lifting of mask mandates is expected to deal a heavy blow to the mask producers who are already struggling with declining demand.



According to data from the drug ministry, only 30.4 percent of 1,591 authorized mask companies manufactured their products in the first quarter of 2022, meaning that two-thirds of the total businesses have virtually halted operations.



Seok Ho-gil, head of the Korea Mask Industry Association which represents about 390 mask manufacturers, viewed that the government should more actively step in to save the companies amid falling demand.



"About 90 percent of our members worried about the continued easing of mask requirements, which is expected to lead to about a 40 percent to 50 percent decrease in overall production," he told The Korea Times, Wednesday.



Many manufacturers ramped up their production and enhanced capacity in the early days of the pandemic when the government encouraged them to do so, guaranteeing that they would receive support later once demand decreases.



Seok insisted that the country's mask production capability should be preserved to some extent, so that producers can easily ramp up output again in case of future health crises.



With domestic demand expected to decline further, the association is struggling to find ways to bolster exports. But it's not easy to compete with low-priced Chinese masks that already dominate the global market, he says.



"Korean Filter (KF-94) masks boast high quality compared to Chinese (KN95) masks, but it's difficult to compete with them in terms of price. And the Chinese products have already dominated the U.S. and European markets," he said. "We hope the government can introduce feasible support measures, such as helping us secure contracts with other countries through government-level negotiations."






EBRD President Renaud-Basso and European Commissioner Urpilainen sign Financial Framework Partnership Agreement

EBRD and EU step up their close cooperation and longstanding partnership

New financial support for MSMEs in Central Asia and Mongolia

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) are stepping up their cooperation through a new Financial Framework Partnership Agreement.

EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso and European Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen signed the Agreement in Brussels, which establishes the basis for the two organisations future cooperation. Common priorities currently include support for Ukraines economy, infrastructure and citizens everyday lives, developing low-carbon green economies, accelerating the digital transition and providing equal economic and employment opportunities across 38 economies.

The two partner institutions have a large portfolio of common development operations on three continents  Europe, Asia and Africa. It spans from support for women-led businesses in Morocco to waste management projects in Mongolia and from policy dialogue initiatives in Estonia to building Africas largest windfarm in Egypt.

The EBRD President and the European Commissioner also launched two new projects which will support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Central Asia. An EBRD programme amounting to 28.6 million includes 5.3 million in EU funds and will serve to provide access to finance and know-how to MSMEs in Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Furthermore, in Mongolia, a 43 million EBRD programme includes up to 11.5 million in EU funds and will help businesses to become more resilient to economic shocks and crises.

The EU, alongside all member states and the EIB, is a shareholder and founding member of the EBRD. It has been the largest donor to the Banks projects, contributing up to 40 per cent of total donor funds since the Banks inception, with up to 500 million per year.

We enjoy a strong partnership with the European Union that is built on shared values and shared priorities, says EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso. I am proud of and thankful for the EUs continued support for the EBRD as a key partner of the European Financial Architecture for Development, which has already helped to improve the lives of millions of people in emerging and developing economies and, more recently, enabled us to respond swiftly to the war on Ukraine.

Commissioner Urpilainen said: The EBRD is one of our key allies in rolling out the EUs Global Gateway strategy  our 300 billion investment in digital, green, health and education infrastructure. Its experience, presence on the ground and expertise  particularly on private sector development  make it an exceptional partner for advancing Global Gateway in our partner countries, as Team Europe. Todays new agreement covers all types of blending operations, including financial instruments. It will enable us to make an even bigger difference for our partners and their citizens.
A Cork school has received a generous donation by an anonymous local, following a story in The Echo.

Colaiste Eamann Ris recently featured in a weekend print edition of The Echo, where it caught the eye of one kind stranger.

The principal of the Cork secondary school, Aaron Wolfe said we received a letter in the post, addressed to me and in it was a handwritten note and 100 in cash.

The note read:

Dear Aaron, saw a piece about your school in Saturdays Echo. Also on Saturday, I was 42 years sober thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous. For that reason, I would like to enclose 100 for your breakfast club.

Principal Wolfe explained that each day, before school, students get together and are given fruit, cereals and other nutritional foods by the school.

We have 610 students in the school and the breakfast club is open to everyone of them. They just have to get themselves up and to school and we try to set them up for the day with breakfast. Then at 11, for anyone who couldnt get in earlier we have croissants and all that for them at break time.

The mysterious note sent to the school went on to say: We need our children to grow up healthy and without fear. I was lost when I was 16. Im 76 now and Im still growing up!

Mr Wolfe reflected on this line, saying: This means a lot to us. It's telling of the way the education system has changed since this man was in school. Now its not just about getting results and behaving, we want to look after them emotionally too.

Colaiste Eamann Ris recently featured in a weekend print edition of The Echo, where it caught the eye of one kind stranger.

The social aspect of the schools breakfast club allows students at Colaiste Eamann Ris to feel at home in their school and not dread returning each morning.

With the current cost of living crisis, he went on to say that many schools are currently struggling to pay bills for things like electricity and we have been writing to businesses to help with our breakfast club. Phil Goodman at Douglas, Young at Heart has been great. The help means a lot. The anonymous note finished by wishing Aaron and his teachers the best of luck and helps to remind us of the kindness of strangers.
FRIENDS for more than 25 years, artists Debbie Dawson and Helle Helsner are exhibiting together at the Lavit Gallery, in Cork city, inspired by their engagement with particular landscapes.

For Debbie, best known as a glass artist, painting is something she has gone back to in recent times. For the joint exhibition, entitled Desire Lines, Debbie has gone back to childhood memories which were a way in to the landscape of her imagination.

When her mother received a terminal diagnosis of cancer, Debbie and her five siblings all came home to the family house in Glanmire to be with her. She died in March, 2021.

Obviously, it was a very sad time but it was also quite an enriching magical experience for me, says Debbie.

I spent a lot of time with my siblings. We walked around the locale. I got to know the area where I grew up. We went to all our childhood haunts. It was a remote area that we explored a lot as kids, getting lost in our imagination, having the most fantastic games. That whole childhood experience was a really special time for me.

After their mother died, Debbie and her siblings cleared up the house. Debbie found a lot of photographs taken when she was a child.

They were triggers that I used. I also took photos of the house.

Debbie Dawson, Haybarn, O'Callahan's, 2022, Oil on board

INSPIRATION

For the exhibition, Debbie imbued the photographs with her memory and imagination, recalling games played when she was a child.

There are layers to the paintings, based on the photographs, she said.

She has researched themes of landscape as metaphor, using photographic research and autobiographical references and memory to allow for the creation of imaginary worlds.

Debbie avoids the often generic representation of pastoral scenes. She has a unique take on the landscape of her childhood and creates fantasy lands and Utopian panoramas using green, pink and grey oil paint, with some glass work acting as supportive material to inform the paintings.

While the work has elements of autobiography, these are not explicit.

The titles of the paintings are clues to autobiographical elements. For example, theres a painting called Back Gate. We used to swing on this gate as kids and have great fun.

When I was about three or four, I fell off the gate and broke both my arms. It was a big accident.

I remember the reaction to it. Its a big memory for me. So while the titles give clues to autobiographical references, when it comes to the paintings themselves, anybody can read into them and get their own meaning from them.

Helle Helsner, Lecturer, Kilbrittain, and Debbie Dawson, Blackrock. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM PHOTO

A COLLABORATION BETWEEN FRIENDS

Debbie has enjoyed collaborating with Helle.

It has really enriched our friendship which has been really positive. There are no egos involved. It has been a very worthwhile experience to be aware of where the other person is coming from and not stepping on their toes. At the same time, weve ensured that the work is coherent and compatible.

Like Helle, Debbie teaches art at MTU Crawford. While working towards the exhibition, the pair had daily conversations but worked separately on their art.

We allowed the work to evolve. We would tip around ideas and bounce ideas off each other. If we were struggling at any point, there would always be support on the phone.

My work is quite different to Helles. Its the landscape that holds the work of the two of us together.

LIFE IN CORK

Helle is originally from Copenhagen. She first visited Cork for three months in 1991 and fell in love with the place. Back in Denmark, Helle did various art courses and decided to apply to the Crawford art college where she was accepted, starting her degree there in 1994. Denmark has a lot of art schools but theyre more design oriented. Im much more interested in fine art, Helle said.

Living between Kilbrittan and Timoleague, Helle feels she has the best of both worlds.

Im close enough to Cork for work. Im also close to nature. One of the reasons why I cant leave Ireland is that the nature here is so rich. I just dont have that in Denmark.

A LOOK TO THE PAST

Helle did a masters in essay form in 2001 on prehistoric casting techniques.

I specialise in prehistoric casting methods. I do my own bronze casting. I have a little foundry. I use a combination of pre-historic and modern methods. It means I can cast all my own work.

She also makes jewellery for commissions.

What draws her to prehistoric techniques?

I use different materials, but the skill set from prehistoric times is just phenomenal. Im in awe of what they could do. I realised that those methods are very sustainable, she said.

Helles work is in bronze and other precious metals in a number of finishes. Her work has always been concerned with the materials she uses and the landscapes she works in.

By combining bronze with organic material and drawing with solid objects, her aim is to blur the lines between worlds and to invite viewers to see landscape through a different lens.

Helle Helsner, Ancestral Lines, 022 Bronze and ash twigs twigs on macrocarpa base.

A LOVE OF LANDSCAPE

For the exhibition, Helle has done drawings and also a lot of sculptural work.

Theres a lot of bronzes and I also work in other materials such as wax. Ive drawn elements of landscape. Theyre abstract but they come from very specific places. I have one drawing that has elements of the Ceide Fields in County Mayo because I was on a residency there. I call it my DNA place. Im sure I was born there about 10,000 years ago. The landscape up there really speaks to me...

What appeals to me about the Cork landscape is its rawness. The further west you go, there are cliffs and mountains that are so imposing.

Where I live by the sea is a landscape that I dont have in Denmark. There is something about it. Its so vast and barren and yet so fertile. Im in awe of it, particularly the rocks.

As Helle points out, her work is a very different take on landscape than that of Debbie.

Debbies landscape is very much imagined. She is going back in time, looking at the landscape where she grew up with all her memories.

My landscape is a different kind of memory. The landscape itself has its own memory, if that makes sense. A lot of my sculptural work is figurative but abstract. Its the landscape personified.

There are figurative bronze pieces which, while abstract, have a story element. You can recognise them as figures but theyre not realistic figures.

While Debbie delved into her past for the exhibition, Helle says shed like to say she did also. But its my really ancient past. For me, its personal, but its not my family. Its my connection to the landscape. Nature is family to me.

A publication accompanies the exhibition, with text by Sarah Kelleher and Padraig Spillane and an introduction by curator by Roisin Foley.

The profoundly tactile and sensuous materialist of each artists work mirrors the complexity of the stories held in the lived spaces they investigate, writes Sarah Kelleher.

The exhibition, which opened on September 22, continues until October 15 at the Lavit Gallery on Wandesford Quay and is supported by Cork City Council, Cork County Council and the Arts Council.

For more, see www.lavitgallery.com

To find out more about Debbies work. see www.debbiedawsonstainedglass.com.

Meanwhile. check out www.hellehelsner.com for more about Helles work.
Theres no better hiking companion than your favorite furry sidekick! Taking your dog into nature for a hike is not only a great bonding experience, but also keeps them physically active and provides important mental stimulation. Just like us, its important for our canine pals to get outdoors!

However, hiking with a dog does require some planning and adherence to trail rules. Heres how to get outside safely with your pup.

Research Regulations and Conditions

Before you head out, make sure your dog is allowed to join you on the trail. Trail regulations vary, and while many state and local parks are dog-friendly, some conservation lands or areas engaging in environmental preservation prohibit pets. Some National Parks, like Rocky Mountain National Park, for example, dont allow dogs on any trails within park bounds. If youre planning a trip to a National Park, check the National Parks Services pet map to find which parks allow pets. Keep in mind that some parks allow dogs in campgrounds or parking areas, but not on trails  so, while there is not an all-out ban on dogs, they might not be allowed to accompany you on a hike. Where they are permitted, its almost certain that theyll be required to wear a leash.

Its also a good idea to check out the conditions on the trail beforehand. Read up on the terrain and make sure its suitable for your dogs abilities, as well as your own. If there are lots of man-made ladders or narrow ridges, it might not be ideal for pets. Apps like AllTrails allow users to share the terrain and current conditions of the trail, like slippery rocks and mud from recent rain or wildlife sightings. If the trail is run by an organization, their website might also list conditions and hazards.

Leash Up

Virtually all National Parks and many other natural areas require that dogs be leashed in order to prevent damage to surrounding ecosystems, interaction with wildlife, or harm to your dog, especially if there are cliffs or dangerous sections of the trail. Not all trails specify that dogs must be leashed, but keeping them close helps ensure that they dont get lost, ingest something poisonous, or interact with other hikers. Remember, your dog might be friendly, but not all other dogs are. An unleashed dog approaching another on the trail could be dangerous to all pets involved.

Short leashes are the best bet in natural areas. A leash longer than six feet might get stuck in branches along the edge of the trail, or allow the dog to stray into protected areas. Make sure their collar also has a tag with their name and a contact number in case they get lost.

Practice Trail Etiquette

Not all others on the trail  especially young children  are comfortable around dogs, so make sure to pull over and let others hike by. In general, its good trail etiquette to move aside for bikers, horses, and hikers climbing up while youre climbing down.

Make sure youre able to keep your dog calm if other people, dogs, or horses come by. They should be able to stay close and follow commands. If they tend to get overly excited or aggressive, then well-trafficked trails might not be a good idea. Additionally, let oncoming hikers know that your dog is friendly and will not harm them.

Keep at least a 1:1 ratio of pets to people  so, if only two of you are hiking, dont bring more than two dogs. That way you can keep your pup safe and prevent interaction with others on the trial.

Assess Their Physical Needs

Make sure your dog is physically ready for a hike before heading out. Remember, even if they do well on walks, hiking is much more strenuous and will be more challenging for them. Bones in younger dogs might not even be fully developed for the first year or so. Consult with a veterinarian about their physical preparedness, as well as their vaccine schedule. Assess where they are in building immunity to illness, and whether theyre ready for an adventure into the wild.

As their caretaker, you know their physical fitness best! Honestly assess their abilities beforehand: Are they able-bodied and fit? Do they do well on long walks with strenuous activity? Brachycephalic breeds like boxers, Boston terriers, and pugs sometimes have difficulty with heat and have lower endurance, but all dogs have unique needs and capabilities.

If they arent prepared to hit the trails just yet, start a trail-training regime. Begin with shorter hikes (under an hour), and if your dog still has energy and enjoyed the hike, make the next one a little longer with some more elevation gain. Nature walks in nearby local parks are a great way to get started. This will help toughen up their paws gradually too before getting on rockier trails. Its also a good idea to incorporate some longer walks and active playtime into their routine to build endurance. Additionally, if youre taking a backpacking trip or camping, practice sleeping in the tent in a yard or nearby campsite before heading out into the backcountry to make sure theyre comfortable with it.

Consider the weather too  if they dont handle heat or cold well, consider going out on another day.

Prepare for Wildlife

Another point for the leash: keeping your dog safe from plants and animals that can cause harm.

Plants like nettles, poison ivy, sumac, hemlock, some types of mushrooms, and poison oak should all be avoided (dogs dont often get a rash from poison ivy or oak, but remember their coat can pick up the oils and easily transfer it to you). Foxtail is especially dangerous, and is often found in grassy areas. Their prickly seed pods can easily get stuck to fur and sensitive areas, and can be fatal if they reach vital organs. After your hike, check your pup for burs and ticks, and remove immediately.

Consult with a veterinarian about the best course of action for snake bites and other safety issues that might arise, but keeping them close will prevent a lot of unwanted interaction with dangerous plants and animals.

First Aid Preparation

While packing your first aid kit, make sure to throw in a few dog necessities too. A basic kit for your pup should include tweezers to remove ticks and burrs, bandages and gauze, liquid bandages for paw-pad cuts, pet-friendly antiseptic and antibiotic ointment, an antihistamine in case of snake bites, and Tecnu for poison ivy. The list should be more extensive for multi-day backpacking trips, and include styptic powder to stop bleeding and calamine lotion for itchy bug bites. In case of a foot injury, bring a few old wool socks and tape to create an emergency boot.

Additionally, make sure to monitor your dog throughout the day for heat stroke and overexertion. Listen to their breathing to make sure they arent overextending themselves, and if you notice them heading towards shady areas to rest, theyre probably hot and need a break. Instant ice packs or wet rags can help if theyre overheating. Press against the jugular vein in the neck or the femoral artery along the inner thigh to help them cool down.

Food and Water

We all know the best part of the hike is a summit snack, so make sure to pack a dog-friendly one too! Like us, pets need more calories as they exert more energy. Before a hike, make sure they get food with high protein and fat levels to keep them satiated, and bring extra food for the hike. Generally, plan to bring an extra cup of dry food per 20 pounds of their weight for every meal (so, if you have a 40 pound dog and will be eating two meals on the trail, bring two extra cups of food for lunch and two extra for dinner). For backpacking trips, bring dehydrated, high-protein food that you can rehydrate along with yours.

Dont forget water! Larger dogs typically drink 0.5-1 ounce of water per pound every day, and small dogs (less than 20 pounds) need about 1.5 per pound. On a hike, theyll need even more. Bring a collapsible dish to pour water into, or they can lap as you pour it, although be careful about wasting water if you only have a finite amount. A dry nose means a thirsty dog, so check up on them frequently!

While those alpine lakes and streams look fresh and clean, they might harbor pathogens like coccidia, giardia, leptospirosis. Try to keep your dog from drinking directly from natural water sources. If youre backpacking and relying on filtration systems, youll need to filter water for them as well.

Consider Their Gear

Not only are doggie booties adorable, but they help protect sensitive feet from sharp rocks and snow (however, bring a couple of extras just in case they get lost). Their bare feet will toughen up over time, so you can forgo boots during the warmer season if theyre ready. Bring a jacket if its cold (remember, its even colder on the mountaintop), and an extra towel for backpacking trips to wipe off their feet before getting in the tent.

Dog packs are helpful for packing waste in and out of the park, or carrying snacks and water for your pup, especially if you have a heavy pack yourself or are carrying children. Start by having your pooch wear the empty pack around the house, then on walks, then add some weight to it, evenly distributed on each side. Make sure its never heavier than 25% of their body weight (or even less, if theyre older or less able-bodied). Many packs also have a handle so you can help them over steep or dangerous sections of the trail.

If youre camping, youll also need to think about your sleep system. Bring a tent that fits an extra person, and have a small foam mat and blanket ready for your dog.

Leave No Trace

LNT: the mantra of the trail!

Just like humans, dog waste needs to be dealt with property. Their poop is very destructive to native fauna. Many animals also communicate with scent, so unfamiliar and foreign scents can be harmful to them and mess with their territorial claims. For day hikes, bring poop bags to pack your waste out  and no, compostable bags cannot be buried in nature. Packing out is also the only option for alpine areas without soil, so bring bags no matter what.

On backpacking trips, you cant always pack out waste. Follow the same LNT rules for your dog as you do for yourself: bury waste in a hole at least six inches deep, and at least 200 feet from the trail, campsite, and especially water sources. A good trowel comes in handy!




US farmers call on government to oppose Mexico's upcoming ban on GM corn

US farmers are urging their government to challenge a Mexican ban on genetically modified (GM) corn under the terms of a regional free trade agreement, threatening both countries with billions of dollars in economic damage, Reuters reported.

GM corn and the herbicide glyphosate would be phased out by 2024 under an order issued by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in late 2020. Supporters of the ban argue that GM seeds can contaminate Mexico's centuries-old native varieties and cite studies showing glyphosate's harmful effects.

Although Mexico claims to have invented modern corn, it actually imports about 17 million tonnes of American corn annually and is expected to import even more this year, experts said.

Government officials in Mexico, such as Agriculture Minister Victor Villalobos, have hinted that imports of yellow corn for use as livestock feed won't be hampered. According to a US agriculture official familiar with recent meetings with Mexican officials, American farmers are still wary because no official document makes that claim.

Lopez Obrador resolutely stated this month that they do not accept GMO corn.

18% to 20% of Mexico's total U.S. corn imports are corn for human consumption, including white corn used in foods like tortillas. Whether such GM imports will be stopped by 2024 is still up for debate.

The import of new varieties of GM corn seeds resistant to glyphosate has been prohibited by Mexico's health regulator COFEPRIS since 2018. The US Trade Representative (USTR) should initiate a dispute settlement procedure under the USMCA trade agreement, which also includes Canada and Mexico, according to the National Corn Growers Association, which represents American farmers.

The association objects to Mexico rejecting biotech crop traits "without any scientific basis," according to Angus R. Kelly, the association's director of public policy, trade, and biotechnology.

Raul Urteaga, a former Mexican government official and founder of the consulting firm Global Agrotrade Advisors, said Washington could potentially bring a dispute under the USMCA's agriculture chapter, which calls for cooperation between members on each country's import regulation.

Under some USMCA chapters, a dispute settlement may be necessary if a nation believes that the government of one other member has eliminated or diminished a benefit that was in effect when the agreement was signed.

Both the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and the American Embassy in Mexico declined to comment. Requests for comment from the USTR and the USDA were not answered.

In the event that negotiations fail, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), which represents biotech firms such as Bayer, stated that it supported the (US) administration taking enforcement action on Mexico's treatment of agricultural biotechnology.

Federico Zerboni, president of the agriculture chamber MAIZALL in Argentina, which sent a delegation to Mexico in August, said the refusal of new GM seeds gave the impression that Mexico's regulator is in favour of a very old and unfeasible production system to feed the world.

COFEPRIS said that its choices were supported by scientific evidence and risk assessments.

In 2020, Bayer agreed to pay billions of dollars to settle legal claims brought by individuals who said its weedkiller had injured them.

A March report by the American consulting firm World Perspectives Inc found that Mexico's ban on corn imports could cost the nation US$4.4 billion over ten years, increase the cost of tortillas by 42% by the second year, and pose serious threats to food security.

The report found that over a ten-year period, the US could experience a US$16.5 billion decline in economic output. It did not distinguish between corn that was white and yellow.

- Reuters




New South Wales, Australia in five-year agreement to create next-gen mRNA livestock vaccines





Tiba Biotech, a pre-clinical biopharmaceutical company, has entered into a five-year agreement with the Australian state government of New South Wales to develop next-generation mRNA vaccines against emergency animal diseases that threaten Australia's livestock industry and domestic food security.

With additional support from the Australian state government of Queensland, the Australian Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Meat & Livestock Australia, this partnership is part of a broader Australian Federal and State initiative to address growing biosecurity concerns, as well as establishing a domestic RNA manufacturing capability, to ensure the region has access to cutting edge vaccines and therapeutics.

The international collaboration brings together Tiba Biotech scientists with researchers from the NSW Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness.

Australia is a major supplier of animal protein to the international market, generating US$46 billion in annual turnover and providing directly or indirectly over 430,000 jobs, according to MLA. This key sector of the economy is under constant threat by emerging infectious diseases. Having already initiated a project earlier this year with leading researchers at the NSW EMAI, Tiba Biotech is working with this network of government, research scientists, industry sponsors and animal health experts to tackle some of the more challenging disease threats.

The outbreaks of lumpy skin disease (LSD) and foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Indonesia is of paramount concern in the region. No protective vaccine against LSD is currently available, and estimates suggest that an FMD outbreak would cost the Australian economy US$52 billion over 10 years.

"We're doing everything we can to keep NSW free of foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease, but we are also preparing for the worst by investing US$148 million this year alone  the biggest investment by a single jurisdiction on exotic pest and disease control," said NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole.

"Our agreement with Tiba Biotech provides us access to some of the most advanced vaccine technology in the world," said NSW Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders.

Professor Pall Thordarson, director of the University of New South Wales RNA Institute and head of the NSW RNA Bioscience Alliance, welcomed the agreement with Tiba Biotech.

"Australia punches above its weight in RNA research; however, in such a rapidly growing field, collaboration with leading international industry players is crucial. The deal between Tiba Biotech and the NSW, Queensland and Federal animal research and biosecurity agencies will advance our shared vision to make Australia a global powerhouse in the RNA ecosystem," said Thordarson.

"While the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the rapid development and protective potential of mRNA vaccines for human health, a similar approach is possible for high-risk animal diseases," said Peter McGrath, co-founder and chief financial officer at Tiba Biotech. "A remaining challenge is the strict cold-chain distribution system that current RNA vaccines require. Tiba Biotech's nanoparticle technology has demonstrated stability at a more practical 4oC, and we are working on a freeze-dried formula that would allow users to reconstitute the vaccine in the field without refrigeration. We are pleased to be working with this powerful coalition of government, industry and researchers to develop vaccines that protect Australia's vital livestock industry and food security."



- Tiba Biotech
An applied technology by Seoul Digital Foundation and Information System Division under the Seoul Metropolitan Government enables automatic detection of problems in an underground drainage system. Courtesy of Seoul Digital Foundation



By Ko Dong-hwan



A technology that can detect problems in a drainage tunnel system beneath Seoul has won an international award in Kuala Lumpur that honors the most sustainable development growth ideas in Asia-Pacific cities.



The AI technology, currently in use, won the top prize at the 2022 SDG Awards, which were part of the 9th CityNet Congress held in the Malaysian capital from Sept. 20 to 23. CityNet is an association of urban stakeholders committed to sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 1987 by the United Nations, the international association has grown to include over 173 municipalities, NGOs, private companies and research centers. It purports to promote the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted unanimously by the U.N. member states in 2015 to promote global peace and prosperity.



The technology, realized by Seoul Digital Foundation, is an application of an existing algorithm that is based on convolution neural network (CNN), a class of artificial neural network most commonly applied to analyze visual imagery, according to Ko Seol-tae, a researcher at the foundation.





The AI technology allows an unmanned robotic vehicle equipped with a camera to move around inside a drainage tunnel, detect irregularities and send video to the robot's controller. Courtesy of Seoul Digital Foundation



The applied technology was developed jointly by the foundation and Information System Division under the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Smart City Policy Bureau last December. Through video cameras installed in unmanned robotic vehicles deployed inside tunnels, the technology can automatically detect 20 types of defects and relays its findings to the robot's controller. The technology can discern whether underground soil has been contaminated by hazardous waste, whether earth is unstable and could cause surface instability, and detect certain underground conditions that might create a sinkhole. The city government said such discoveries can lower the risks of safety accidents.



"The technology attracted lots of attention from Asia-Pacific city governments and their bureaus related to drainage systems during the award ceremony, as most cities in the region suffer from weak drainable infrastructure (compared to other regions in the world)," said the foundation's President Kang Yo-shik who visited Kuala Lumpur to attend the event.



Earlier this month, Kang flew to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to deliver a keynote speech about the technology during the Global AI Summit from Sept. 13 to 15, promoting it as a success case for AI application for public purposes. In June, the technology also won an Intelligence Award, jointly hosted by the Korea Intelligent Information System Society and Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.





Seoul Digital Foundation President Kang Yo-shik, front left, receives a prize from CityNet special adviser Mary Jane Ortega, during the 9th CityNet Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, held Sept. 20 to 23. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Russia has removed all iOS apps from VK, the second largest tech company in Russia, The Verge has reported. That includes not just the VK social media app that's the fifth most popular in Russia, but others like Mail.ru and VK Music. The move was made in response to UK sanctions against the Russian government.

VK confirmed that "some VK applications are blocked by Apple, so they are not available for download and update in the App Store," according to a (Google translated) press release. "Their core functionality will be familiar and stable... [but] there may be difficulties with notifications and payments. VK will continue to develop and support applications for iOS."

These apps are being distributed by developers majority-owned or majority-controlled by one or more parties sanctioned by the UK government. In order to comply with these sanctions, Apple terminated the developer accounts associated with these apps, and the apps cannot be downloaded from any App Store, regardless of location.

Apple confirmed that it removed the apps and shut down VK's developer accounts. "These apps are being distributed by developers majority-owned or majority-controlled by one or more parties sanctioned by the UK government," a spokesperson told The Verge. "In order to comply with these sanctions, Apple terminated the developer accounts associated with these apps, and the apps cannot be downloaded from any App Store, regardless of location. Users who have already downloaded these apps may continue to use them."

Earlier this week, the UK government imposed sanctions on Russian oligarchs over the sham referendums held in Ukraine. Included in the list are executives from Gazprombank, a Russian bank with ties to VK. "Todays sanctions will target those behind these sham votes, as well as the individuals that continue to prop up the Russian regimes war of aggression," said UK foreign secretary James Cleverly in a statement.

Russia's Ministry of Digital Affairs told state media site RT that it's investigating the reasons for the removal. The apps are still available on Google Play  Engadget has reached out to Google to see if it plans to follow Apple's lead.

Earlier this year, Apple halted sales of all its products in Russia in response to the Ukraine invasion, while also limiting Apple Pay and pulling apps from outlets like RT and Sputnik. Last year, a Russian law went into effect that required Samsung, Apple and other manufacturers to pre-install Russian apps like VK and Yandex on devices sold there.




Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Wednesday and called for improved relations between the two countries, saying it serves their common interests.







Korea and Japan "are close neighbors and important cooperative partners who share democratic values and principles of market economy," Han said during the meeting with Kishida held a day after he attended the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.







"The new government of the Republic of Korea, which was launched in May, continues to emphasize that it is in their common interest to swiftly improve and develop Korea-Japan relations," Han said, referring to Korea by its official name.







Kishida said he is "heartily" grateful for condolences to Abe by Korea and President Yoon Suk-yeol.







Japan "received numerous polite condolences from many Koreans, including President Yoon and Prime Minister (Han Duck-soo)," Kishida said.







The meeting in Tokyo came less than a week after Yoon and Kishida held talks in New York and agreed on the need to improve relations between the two countries by resolving pending issues.







The Yoon-Kishida meeting marked the first one-on-one talks between the leaders of the two nations since December 2019 and raised hopes of improving relations badly frayed over wartime forced labor and other issues related to Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. (Yonhap)






Elon Musks private messages could once again land him in hot water in his legal fight with Twitter. Lawyers for the two sides once again faced off in Delawares Court of Chancery ahead of an October trial that will determine the fate of the deal.

Among the issues raised in the more than three-hour long hearing was Musks use of encrypted messaging app Signal. Twitters lawyers claim that Musk has been withholding messages sent via the app, citing a screenshot of an exchange between Musk and Jared Birchall, the head of Musks family office.

According to Twitters lawyers, the message referenced Morgan Stanley and Marc Andreesen as well as a conversation about EU regulatory approval of Musks deal with Twitter. Twitters lawyers said they uncovered a screenshot of the exchange after Musk and Birchall had denied using Signal to talk about the deal. The screenshot showed the message was set to automatically delete.

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Lawyers for Twitter also cited a missing text message between Musk and Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison , who was set to be a co-investor in the Twitter deal. Musk and Ellison were texting the morning before Musk tweeted that the Twitter deal was temporarily on hold. Its not clear what the significance of the texts are, but Twitters lawyers noted that Musk wrote to Ellison saying interesting times before arranging a phone call with him.

Twitters lawyers are asking the judge in the case, Kathaleen St. J. McCormick, to sanction Musk over his sides handling of his messages. We do think that the time has come for the court to issue a severe sanction, Twitters lawyers said during the hearing.

Musks side attempted to downplay the significance of the Tesla CEOs use of Signal. There actually is no evidence that we destroyed evidence, one of Musks lawyers responded. Signal, you know, it sounds like it's a nefarious device, she said. In fact, Twitter executives have testified that a number of them actually use Signal messaging.

Musks lawyers cited the existence of Signal messages between Jack Dorsey and board chair Bret Taylor, and noted that current CEO Parag Agrawal has also turned over Signal messages. Signal is not some exotic mechanism, it's very common in Silicon Valley to use this platform, she said.

Notably, the latest hearing is not the first time Twitters lawyers have used Musks private messages obtained in the legal discovery process in their bid to enforce the original terms of the deal with Musk. Twitters lawyers previously called out a text message between Musk and one of his Morgan Stanley bankers in which he cited concerns about World War 3 as a reason to slow-roll his negotiations with Twitter.
If you recently traveled to a new city, theres a good chance you used Maps to plan your trip. Google wants to make that process easier. Over the next few months, you can expect Google to expand the availability of its 3D Immersive View feature. As of today, you can use Maps to see photorealistic aerial views of more than 250 global landmarks, including Tokyo Tower and the Acropolis of Athens.

In Los Angeles, London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo, its also possible to see a preview of where Google plans to take the feature in the coming months and years. In those cities, Immersive View includes a timeline functionality, allowing you to see a simulation of how a popular landmark will look at a specific time of day. Additionally, Immersive View works in conjunction with Street View, so its possible to explore nearby restaurants and shops. The idea here is to take the guesswork out of planning to visit popular landmarks and tourist destinations.

Google

Live View is also about to get an upgrade. In LA, New York, San Francisco, Paris and Tokyo, Google is adding search functionality to the augmented reality feature. Now, if youre looking for an ATM, restroom or a place to sit down and grab a bite to eat, you can use Live View to point you in the right direction. Android and iOS users can expect the updated feature to arrive on their devices in the coming months. Last but not least, Google announced today its making its eco-friendly routing feature available to third-party developers. That should allow companies like Uber and Lyft to add the technology to their apps, helping their drivers create fewer emissions.
Polestar's first electric SUV will get its official unveiling on October 12th with a host of premium features, the Swedish company announced. The Polestar 3 will launch with premium features like an air suspension, active dampers and torque vectoring, putting it up against other SUV EVs like the Mercedes-Benz EQS, Rivian R1S and Tesla Model X. Like those models, it'll be manufactured in the US at Volvo's factory in Charleston, South Carolina.

The company, co-owned by Volvo and Chinese parent Geely, revealed a fair bit of information about the Polestar 3. That includes a new glimpse from the back showing similar (but upside down) taillights to the Polestar 2. Polestar previously showed off the design from the side in June (below).

Polestar

The Polestar 3 will come with a rear-biased dual-motor powertrain similar to the one on the Polestar 2, with electric torque vectoring via a dual clutch system on the rear motor. The ride will be controlled by an adaptive dual-chamber air suspension and active dampers as standard, letting drivers switch between comfort and firm suspension dynamics. The dampers will adjust to suit road conditions "once every two milliseconds," Polestar said.

The optional Performance Pack will deliver 510 horsepower and 671 pound-feet of torque (compared to 670 horsepower for the Model X). It also includes Polestar Engineered chassis tuning for the active dampers and air suspension, along with interior details like gold seat belts.

Previously, the company has said that it's shooting for a 372-mile range on the European WLTP cycle (so considerably less in EPA terms). It'll also include a semi-autonomous driving system for highway driving, enabled by by NVIDIA tech and a lidar sensor  Volvo is likely to use similar tech on its next-gen EX90 SUV set to launch on November 9th. Rumors have pegged the Polestar 3's price at somewhere between $75,000 and $111,000 at launch.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a lawsuit against two former MoviePass executives. In a federal complaint seen by Bloomberg, the agency accused Theodore Farnsworth and Mitch Lowe on Monday of misleading investors about the viability of the companys $9.95 per month business model.

Farnsworth was the chief executive officer of Helios and Matheson Analytics, the parent company of MoviePass between 2017 and 2020. Lowe led MoviePass between 2016 and its collapse in 2020. The SEC alleges Farnsworth and Lowe intentionally and repeatedly shared false information.

Faced with debilitating negative cash flows  rather than tell the public the truth  Farnsworth and Lowe devised fraudulent tactics to prevent MoviePasss heavy users from using the service, and falsely and misleadingly informed the public that usage had declined naturally or due to measures the company had employed to combat subscribers purported violations of MoviePasss terms and conditions of service, the complaint states.

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In addition to financial penalties, the SEC is seeking to prevent both Farnsworth and Lowe from serving in director or officer positions in any company thats required to register securities with the agency. The SECs lawsuit also names former MoviePass business development executive Khalid Itum as a defendant. Itum allegedly pocketed $310,000 by submitting false invoices to the company. Last year, Helios and Matheson, Farnsworth and Lowe settled a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission related to allegations they mislead customers and failed to protect user personal information.

The complaint concerns matters subject to an investigation that the company and other news outlets publicly disclosed nearly three years ago, and Mr. Farnsworths legal team will maintain the challenge to this complaint, Chris Bond, a spokesperson for Ted Farnsworth told Bloomberg. Mr. Farnsworth continues to maintain that he has always acted in good faith in the best interests of his companies and shareholders.

The suit comes as a new version of MoviePass attempts to reestablish itself under the leadership of cofounder Stacy Spikes. The company recently launched a beta service in Chicago, Dallas and Kansas City, offering packages that start at $10 per month.

"Today the SEC filed a civil complaint against our client, Mitch Lowe, in the U.S. District Court. The allegations in the complaint relate to Mitchs time at MoviePass, particularly 2017-2018," Kobre & Kim, the firm representing Lowe, said in a statement to Engadget. "We disagree with the SECs characterization of Mitchs conduct, including allegations about statements made about the progress in building MoviePass. Bringing new commercial concepts to the market can be disruptive and uneven. Mitch remains proud of what was accomplished at MoviePass and intends to work within the legal process to resolve these allegations."

Update 9/30/22 11:10AM ET: This post was updated with a statement from Mitch Lowe's legal representatives.
Greece proposes 80-bln-euro EU energy fund to address soaring gas prices

Xinhua) 09:44, September 28, 2022

ATHENS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Greece proposes the establishment of an 80-billion-euro (76.7 billion U.S. dollars) fund by European Union (EU) to collectively deal with the impact of the spike in natural gas prices amid the energy crisis, the Greek Environment and Energy Ministry said here on Tuesday.

Ahead of the emergency Council meeting of the energy ministers of the EU member states scheduled for this Friday in Brussels, Greece's Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas has sent a letter to Frans Timmermans, executive vice president of the European Commission for the European Green Deal, and the EU's Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson outlining the proposal, according to a press statement.

According to Athens, the fund should be supported by a special levy of 10 euros per thermal megawatt-hour (MWh) that should be imposed on European power producers for the amount of natural gas they use to produce electricity.

The funds would be utilized to support vulnerable households and small and medium-sized enterprises and to finance investments in alternative fuels, like biomethane and green hydrogen.

Furthermore, the special fund should support energy companies' emergency needs for system modifications as they try to replace Russian natural gas, as well as efforts to replace natural gas with other fuels, according to the letter.

Greece estimates that the levy would generate nine billion euros annually across the EU, based on 2021 consumption figures.

This sum could be combined with a low-interest loan of 80 billion euros provided by the European Investment Bank, which could be gradually paid off by the annual levy, according to the proposal. (1 euro = 0.96 U.S. dollar)

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
President Yoon Suk-yeol shakes hands with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during their meeting at the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, June 30. Joint Press Corps



By Nam Hyun-woo



South Korea's request to set up a mission to NATO was approved, offering greater chances for Seoul to expand its strategic and security cooperation with the largest military alliance in the world.



According to its website on Wednesday (local time), the North Atlantic Council (NAC), the top decision-making body of NATO, agreed on Monday to accept South Korea's request to designate its Embassy to Belgium as the country's mission to NATO.



"This is an important step in NATO's strong partnership with the Republic of Korea," the website read. "Since 2005, the Alliance (NATO) and Seoul have developed a strong partnership, based on shared values."



It continued that the two sides' dialogues and cooperation are being developed in areas including nuclear non-proliferation, cyber defense, counterterrorism, security-related civil science projects, interoperability and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defense, as well as civil preparedness, resilience and disaster relief.



South Korea's Ambassador to Belgium Yoon Soon-gu will lead Seoul's mission to NATO.



The approval came after the South Korean government announced its plan to set up the mission, on the occasion of President Yoon Suk-yeol's attendance at the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, in June.



South Korea is not a member of the military alliance but stands as a partner nation. Japan, Australia and New Zealand are also NATO partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and the three countries have already set up their own missions to the alliance.



On the sidelines of the NATO Summit, the four Asia-Pacific partner nations held a four-way summit, in which their leaders exchanged opinions on cooperation to counter security threats.



South Korea's mission to NATO will play a role in Seoul's efforts to contribute to global security matters. While proposing the plan, National Security Office Director Kim Sung-han said the mission will be "a diplomatic platform in Europe enhancing networks with allied nations and partner countries."





Ambassador Kim Gunn, Seoul's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, right, poses with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, during their meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT  Kenya's worst drought in four decades has killed almost 2% of the world's rarest zebra in three months, and 25 times more elephants than normal over the same period.
Washington, DC  The Embassy Series and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, DC are co-organizing a landmark concert on Oct. 14 at the Polish Ambassador's residence. The concert will benefit Ukrainian children who fled the Russian aggression against their homeland and now live in Poland.

Support to Ukraine and to the Ukrainian refugees  our guests  in Poland is our priority. Helpingchildren in need, especially in the need of education and emotional support, is a cause we stand for, in the spirit of solidarity and devotion to freedom. When Ukraine wins the war, these children will rebuild the country and we wish them to have the best possible skills to do that. "said H.E. Marek Magierowski, Poland's Ambassador to the United States.The proceeds from the concert will be provided to SOK Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Warsaw, which gives specialized training to Polish educators. The latter ones help Ukrainian children transition to their new Polish schools (and a new life and language) and cope with the emotional and psychological upheaval they have experienced.

"There are more than 200,000 Ukrainian children now in Polish schools, and SOK is providingneeded training to more than 20,000 of them. We do this by training over 600 teachers who then train the Ukrainian children in two critical areas: stress reduction techniques through 'trauma informed workshops' and teaching the children Polish as a foreign language because of the need to help them feel more secure as they are coming to Poland with trauma and in distress from being in a war zone, helping them to better adapt to Polish society," said Katia Roman-Trzaska, Co-founder of the SOK (Foundation/Fundacjia SOK).

The concert will feature the award-winning performer, Alexandra Nowakowski, a Polish American-born Soprano, who has performed for the Washington National Opera, and has sung locally at the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, and the Phillips Collection, before joining the Metropolitan Opera. Alexandra Nowakowski is the recipient of the Beebe Fund fellowship which aided her to record her debut album of Polish music, KRAINA. At the concert, Alexandra Nowakowski will perform Stanislaw Moniuszko's music on the occasion of the year commemorating the great Polish composer.

"The Embassy Series is grateful to the SOK Foundation in Poland for providing trauma-informed programs, care, psychosocial well-being and support for many of the 20,000 Ukrainian children traumatized by loss of family, war and famine and their way of life," said Jerome Barry, Found of The Embassy Series. "The directors of SOK are fulfilling a moral obligation that typifies the compassionate way Polish citizens have responded to the vital needs of Ukrainians."

(Eds note: Tickets to the concert are $250, which is a minimum tax-exempt donation to benefit Ukrainian orphans and school children in Poland. To make a Donation, we ask those who want to buy Tickets to do so at www.embassyseries.org or mail a check with your contribution, made out to "Embassy Series." No part of the admission fee is related in any way with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, DC or with the Embassy staff.



SOK website https://samodzielnoscodkuchni.pl/en/strona-glowna-english/

Media Contact:



Jerome Barry- 202-625-2361; jbarry@embassyseries.org




A new serial killer historical biography, Without Redemption: Creation and Deeds of Freeway Killer Bill Bonin, His Five Accomplices & How One Who Escaped Justice, highlights the work of the Orange County Register in helping to break the biggest mass murder case in Southern California history. Starting in August 1979, Bill Bonin and Vernon Butts kicked off a ten-month murder spree which claimed 22 teenage boys in following ten-months. By year's end it was fairly obvious a serious serial killer, or killers, was on the loose, but the public was in the dark as police kept a tight lid on the story.

OC Register Staff Writer Tim Alger was working the police beat and reporting the stories, which largely ended in back pages, when award winning reporter J.J. Maloney joined the paper. Through a series of developments, Maloney began to push his editor, Marv Olsen, to dig deeper into a string of "homosexually oriented" murders of teenage boys plaguing the area.

Olsen gave Maloney the go ahead to start research while Alger continued pushing for more info from the primary law enforcement agenciesLAPD Robbery-Homicide Division and Los Angeles and Orange County Sheriff's Departments.

On March 24, 1980 J.J. Maloney published a blockbuster article on the front page of the OC Register, and everyday afterwards, accompanied by massive headlines. By this time Bonin had claimed over 15 victims and the coverage alerted the public and other media outlets of what was transpiring. Police tried to downplay the story, but from that day forward they were under ever increasing pressure to stop the murders.

The OC Register's coverage was instrumental in helping nab Bonin, a story which is told in complete detail in Without Redemption, the most detailed historical biography ever written about notorious serial killer Bill Bonin. The book was written using a trove of previously hidden investigative documents, Bonin's jailhouse diaries, news stories and tales from jailhouse interview/sessions of Bonin with co-author and Clinical Psychologist, Vonda Pelto, Ph.D.

Broken down into four parts, it discloses a Bill Bonin previously unknown to the public, solves two murder mysteries and unlocks how one day of crossroads and coincidences, in the midst of the murder spree, profoundly impacted many lives and future events.

For more info go to www.WiithoutRedemption.com

Watch the Wiithout Redempiton Book Trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0URvlYN9Tbw





How childhood abuse & Vietnam War service helped create what followed.

How Bonin manipulated California judicial, mental health & prison systems for nine years before the killings.

Interviews of Bonin, Miley & Munro with Vonda Pelto, Ph.D. before, during & after his Los Angeles trial.

Bonin's jailhouse writings offer new perspective on his brutality, methods, thoughts and personality.

How & why Bonin covered for accomplice Eric Wijnaendts, who helped him with two murders.

Why March 24, 1980, is a key date in the Bill Bonin story.

Without Redemption: Creation & Deeds of Freeway Killer Bill Bonin, His Five Accomplices & How One Escaped Justice, ISBN: 979-8841931249, Hard Cover ISBN: 979-8844477775. For more info go to www.WithoutRedemption.com or purchase the book at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Media Contact: For review copies of Without Redemption or author interviews contact Flotsam PR at 319-504-3788 or writerb@pm.me.

About the Authors: Vonda Pelto, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist and author of Without Remorse: The Story of the Woman Who Kept Los Angeles' Serial Killers Alive. Her time spent working in Los Angeles Men's Central Jail with notorious serial killers and murderers, from September 1981 till February 1985, provided the basis for Without Remorse and Without Redemption. Michael B. Butler, author of A World Flight Over Russia, is a professional photographer who has worked extensively in book, travel and corporate PR.
Wednesday, September 28, 2022

What Do Dems Mean By "Fair and Humane" Immigration? Open Borders?

By Margaret Sands Orchowski PhD.

In November 2019, I got to ask Joe Biden privately how he thought Democrats should enforce immigration laws. The then former Vice President of President Obama leaned down and whispered in my ear: "It must be fair and humane." I quickly asked him what he meant by "fair and humane?" But he moved on.

This July 2022, I got to learn personally, just how now President Biden's supposedly "fair and humane" immigration policy works at our Southern border. In an exclusive two-hour interview - in Spanish only - a (beautiful) 26-year old Venezuelan woman eagerly told me how she had walked from Ecuador to Texas in 45 days this summer and then happily took a free bus ride to DC. "The easiest border to cross", she said, "was into the USA." She simply waded across the Rio Grande river with hundreds of others.

On the Texas side she was helped by uniformed border patrol agents who asked if she was OK. At the registration table, she and her friends only had to give their names and nationalities (no documents were required). Then they were told that they were "automaticamente" registered as asylee claimants. No credible evidence of persecution was requested. After two days in a tent camp with showers, new clothes, food and phone service, they were taken to a nearby Texas town and told they were free to go anywhere. With their "discretionary parole" documents from the Department of Homeland Security and their asylum application papers, they were not given orders to appear in any immigration court.

This is not the asylum protocol of the past. The entire process has been expedited because of the surge of an unprecedented two million illegal border crossers this year alone, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Millions more are expected. So the new processes circumvent vital asylee protocols established in law for decades that required that the asylum applicant present at the border before entering evidence of a present credible threat of mortal danger if they returned to their homeland. Mortal danger has always been the basic requirement for asylum. Finding a better job has never been a reason to grant asylum. And entering illegally disqualified an applicant from that initial interview.

But now apparently anyone can enter the U.S. illegally, go to a border patrol officer and automatically be given an asylum claim application with no initial vetting and the right to remain and work for years. This is open borders. Is that what Biden meant when he said immigration enforcement should be humane and fair?

On September 20, Connecticut's Attorney General William Tong - the keynote speaker at the Migration Policy Institute's "Immigration Law and Policy" day-long conference at Georgetown Law School  proclaimed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had used cruel and inhumane practices when he flew 50 "confused" Venezuelan migrants (who had signed written consents) to Martha's Vineyard-- a self-proclaimed sanctuary island resort. They were quickly removed by the Massachusetts National Guard. Tong declared that as an Asian American with immigrant parents, he would join a lawsuit to sue Governor DeSantis for cruelty and inhumanity.

I asked Tong after his speech if he could expand on what he meant by "fair and humane" immigration enforcement? I said the perception seemed to be "Open borders". "I did not say open borders!" Tong retorted irritably several times. "Aren't you a compassionate person?" he snapped as he hastily excited the elevator with his glaring entourage.

The Deputy Director for the US Citizenship and Immigration Services in charge of vetting asylees was more forthcoming. "Most asylum applicants who came to the U.S. to get a better job, will eventually be found to be illegally in the country", Jennifer Higgins told me. She described new protocols that CIS was testing that would make asylee vetting more efficient and secure. But it will take years to fully develop them; probably after the 2024 presidential elections. Meanwhile most all those hundreds of thousands of migrants who crossed illegally into the country and claimed false asylum, will probably be allowed to stay with impunity.

Biden's "fair and humane" immigration enforcement policy seems to be messaging illegal border crossers "Come on in! You can stay!" That's open borders.

# # # # # #


Greeces Aegean Airlines plans to increase operations across all markets it serves in the former Yugoslavia next summer season, after announcing the launch of Greeces Aegean Airlines plans to increase operations across all markets it serves in the former Yugoslavia next summer season, after announcing the launch of new routes from Athens to Ljubljana and Split . The carrier will introduce an additional weekly flight for a total of five to Belgrade from July until August. All services will be operated by the Airbus A320 aircraft. Furthermore, the airline will restore scheduled one weekly seasonal operations from both Heraklion and Rhodes to the Serbian capital from June. In Skopje, it will up capacity from the 46-seat ATR42 aircraft to the 72-seat ATR72. Although the switch was initially planned for this summer, the overwhelming majority of services were operated by the smaller turboprop.





The Greek carrier will notably increase capacity between Athens and Podgorica. Its two weekly service will be maintained with the 174-seat A320 jet instead of the ATR72 from early June until October. In Croatia, Aegean Airlines will add a third weekly rotation to Zagreb from mid-June, up from two this summer. It comes as the carrier restores its pre-pandemic winter operations to the Croatian capital, with services to be maintained until January of next year, rather than until October 8 of this year, as was initially planned. On the coast, Aegean will run up to five weekly flights to Dubrovnik, up from four this summer.





The Greek carrier told EX-YU Aviation News, "The former Yugoslav region is an important market for Aegean Airlines. Demand for these routes remain strong as passengers are able to travel to Athens and beyond. Our performance is satisfactory on this market, as is the cooperation we have with partner airlines in the region. Almost all flights from the former Yugoslav republics to Athens offer very good point to point coverage, as well as access to thirty Greek domestic destinations, connections to Cyprus and destinations in the Middle East and Southern Italy, which have proved popular with passengers from the Balkan region.




There will be no 16 week limit to the marketing of free range eggs during a housing order in the EU, according to proposals tabled by the European Commission.

The draft regulation published last month repeals a previous one which originally required that free range eggs must be labelled as barn after 12 weeks of housing; this was subsequently extended to 16 weeks.

But following the worst bird flu epidemic ever experienced in Europe, in which countries such as the Netherlands have housed free range hens virtually all year, the Commission has decided to act to save the free range sector from more harm.

The draft regulation includes an amendment which makes clear that free range eggs can be marketed notwithstanding (any) restrictionsimposed (by) legislation such as a housing order.

In the UK, free range industry representatives are disappointed with Defra after it said that the egg marketing rules were unlikely to be a priority for the new government.

The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) said it would lobby for full alignment with the EU proposals.

"It is likely that the EU will move much faster than Defra which will create severe trade distortions if GB governments dont align with the EU rules in time," the industry body said.

"If the free range egg marketing rules arent aligned between the EU or N Ireland and the GB countries it would lead to free range eggs from housed hens from the EU being stocked on retailers shelves while GB free range eggs from housed hens are downgraded to barn."

BFREPA warned that this would be 'intolerable' for producers: "BFREPA would have no alternative but to let consumers and policy makers know the strength of their thoughts."

On 8 September, The Guardian reported on the looming problem: There have been fears of a collapse of the free-range egg sector if producers could no longer label their eggs as free range, despite the extra costs associated with the meeting the standard, such as reduced stocking density.

"Last year, almost two-thirds of 11.3bn eggs produced in the UK were free range.

It added: Egg producers in the UK said it was essential that the UK government now followed suit to avoid British suppliers being undercut by EU imports.

In response to the article, Robert Gooch, chief executive of BFREPA said it was 'very necessary' that the UK aligned with the EU.

"Otherwise retailers would import eggs labelled as free range from housed hens in the EU in the event of an AI epidemic when there are none on the UK market."

Discussions between industry representatives and Defra are continuing.
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Tim Berners-Lee / Newsis



By Kang Seung-woo



The Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation announced, Wednesday, that Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, has been selected as the recipient of this year's Seoul Peace Prize for his dedication to developing a peace movement to secure and protect individual data sovereignty.



The award was established in 1990 to commemorate the success of the 24th Olympic Games which were held in Seoul, Korea in 1988, an event in which 160 nations from around the world took part, fostering harmony and friendship.



According to the foundation, the eight-member selection committee conducted an in-depth screening of the candidates, including former and current heads of state and others from a range of areas, who were committed to building international peace in the fields of human rights, democratization, international cooperation, anti-war and anti-nuclear weapons, human welfare, women, children, environment, science technology and culture.



Berners-Lee, 67, developed the World Wide Web in 1989 and released it for free to people around the world. He is regarded as a true giant of the digital age who made the internet available to the general public, which was previously only used by professionals and a limited group of people.



"I am really honored to receive the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize," said Berners-Lee.



Foundation Chairman Yeom Jae-ho acknowledged Berners-Lee for his contribution to the "pursuit of positive peace by removing all structural restrictions that oppress peace including the elimination of the structural control of personal information beyond the concept of negative peace." Negative peace refers to the absence of violence. When, for example, a ceasefire is enacted, a negative peace will ensue.



Berners-Lee's invention has helped guarantee and expand the protection of the basic rights of individuals, such as individual freedom and equality, freedom of speech, and improvement of individual welfare and quality of life through technology, especially information, according to Yeom.



The recipient will receive a certificate, a plaque, and prize money of $200,000 (287 million won) and the award ceremony will be held in Seoul later this year.



Berners-Lee is promoting the Solid Project, an open-source foundation for building a web ecosystem where individuals have control over their own data usage rights.



In other words, Berners-Lee argues that in a solid-based web environment, each individual who provided personal information should have data sovereignty, the choice of where his/her data will be stored, whether a specific individual or group can access selected elements, and which application to use.



Through this process, Berners-Lee is opposing the growing influence of a small number of large internet companies that rely on user information. The internet user rights movement called Privacy and Privacy Protection on the Internet was launched with the hope that users will be able to control their personal information.



Also, Berners-Lee pointed out that authoritarian countries such as those found in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Africa, China, Russia and North Korea are banning, restricting and controlling the internet to maintain their regimes' security.



The list of the previous award winners includes Juan Antonio Samaranch, a former president of the International Olympic Committee, former United Nations Secretary Generals Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon and many more.






If youre ready for adventure, the state of Nagaland has good news for you. The tourism department of the state has partnered with extreme travel pioneers Wander Beyond Boundaries in Nagaland Offroad, an initiative to promote off-road explorations.The North-Eastern state will now have new appeal for those who enjoy travelling away from the beaten path, and scrambling down dirt tracks, crawling over rocks and crossing rivers. This partnership with Wander Beyond Boundaries (WBB) will ensure that they can now access such adventures at one more place within the subcontinent.



WBB, known to be a pioneer in the field of unique expeditions and extreme off-roading, will provide the tourism department of Nagaland expert advice based on research in the technology and geography needed to plan off-road trails.



The tourism department hopes that this initiative will encourage visitors to come to the state for compelling adventure experiences and remote locations, and widen tourism interest to its vibrant landscapes and culture beyond the cities of Dimapur and Kohima, which, currently, are the destinations to which anyone visiting Nagaland flocks.



Scheduled for November and December, the Nagaland Offroad initiative will offer adventurers a unique opportunity to come up close and personal to the lives and the lifestyles of people across the state. Travellers will explore the state in 4 x 4 self-drive vehicles for the duration of the expedition, travelling routes that have been finalised after extensive research and planning.



Kitto Zhimomi, Commissioner, Secretary, Nagaland Tourism, commenting on the initiative, has said that the intent is to use the vehicle of Nagaland Offroad to create livelihood for the people living in the interiors.



The initiative will benefit the people of Nagaland by bringing tourism rupees to local restaurants, homestays, art and craft businesses, food businesses, and other assorted adventure activities such as trekking and mountain biking, thus improving their livelihoods, as well as facilitating the development of the region.



Images: Shutterstock/used for representational purposes only



Also Read: Earn 55k a month? You Might Be Eligible For Colombias Digital Nomad Visa




The Federation ofrecently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry to facilitate mainstream trade and investment between both the countries. FBCCI president Mohammad Jashim Uddin urged US firms to source other products from Bangladesh apart from garments.

The signing ceremony took place at a seminar titled 25th September: Bangabandhu's Vision and Bangladeshi Immigrant Day in New York on September 25.

Jashim Uddin and the US chamber president Mark Jeff signed the MoU, according to a news agency report.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry to facilitate mainstream trade and investment between both the countries. FBCCI president Mohammad Jashim Uddin urged US firms to source other products from Bangladesh apart from garments.

Jashim Uddin said Bangladesh embarked on a new round of reforms to strengthen and modernise the private sector to unleash the country's potential to drive growth led by industrialisation and exports.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Cotton production in Burkina Faso in marketing year (MY) 2022-23 is projected to rise by 16 per cent to 1.15 million bales compared to the previous MY, assuming average rains, low pest pressure and appropriate fertiliser use, according to estimates by the US department of agriculture (USDA), which forecast the harvested area during the MY at 675,000 hectares (ha), a 13 per cent increase from the previous MY.

The area under cotton harvest and the cotton production level for MY 2021-22 are estimated to rise by 7 per cent and 4 per cent compared to the previous MY to 595,000 ha and 990,000 bales respectively.

Cotton production in Burkina Faso in marketing year (MY) 2022-23 is projected to rise by 16 per cent to 1.15 million bales compared to the previous MY, assuming average rains, reduced pests and proper fertiliser use, US department of agriculture estimates. The harvested area during the MY is forecast at 675,000 ha, a 13 per cent rise from the previous MY.

Though the countrys government subsidised about 50 per cent of fertiliser prices in the MY campaign, logistics were an issue, USDA noted.

Based on Burkina Fasos limited processing capacity, USDAs forecast for consumption for MY 2022-23 and the estimated consumption for MY 2021-22 are 25,000 bales each.

The only spinning company in the country, La Filature du Sahel (FILSAH), can process about 5,400 tonnes of fibre into yarn per year. Approximately half of this yarn is sold to Europe, 26 per cent in the domestic market and 24 per cent to Sub-Saharan Africa.

The countrys cotton exports in MY 2022-23 are projected at 1.215 million bales, a 30 per cent increase from the previous MY due to available supply. Cotton exports for MY 2021-22 are estimated at 935,000 balesdown by nearly 12 per cent from the previous MY.

Stocks for MY 2022-23 are estimated at 10,000 bales. Estimates for stocks in MY 2021-22 are 100,000 bales due to delays in transportation.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
The projection for Germanys export industry has dropped to minus 6.0 points in September 2022, which is a further decline from minus 2.8 points in August 2022, according to the Ifo Institute for Economic Research. The expectation for exports is currently at its lowest level since May 2020.

The Ifo Business Survey for September 2022 reveals that there are no signs of development in the exports sector of Germany currently due to the global economic slowdown.

Moreover, any major changes in the medium term are deemed highly unlikely. For many manufacturing industries, expectations regarding exports are negative.

The projection for Germany's export industry has dropped to minus 6.0 points in September 2022, which is a decline from minus 2.8 points in August 2022, according to the Ifo Institute for Economic Research. The expectation for exports is currently at its lowest level since May 2020. Moreover, any major changes in the medium term are deemed highly unlikely.

The Ifo Export Expectations take into account 2,300 monthly reports from manufacturers across Germany.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)
Indias imports of cotton yarn other than sewing thread (HS code 5205) from China have seen a multi-fold jump recently. Murmurs about the increase in imports are being heard in the domestic market andindicates the same. According to trade sources, imports are around 20 per cent cheaper but the volume remains low.

In terms of volume, Indias imports of cotton yarn from China jumped by four times in June compared to May 2022 and witnessed a mild month-on-month growth in July 2022. The imports went from 32,765 kg worth $67,023 in May to 151,962 kg worth $7.54 lakh in June this year. The imports stood at 187,928 kg cotton yarn worth $7.28 lakh in July 2022, as per TexPro.

India's imports of cotton yarn other than sewing thread (HS code 5205) from China have seen a multi-fold jump recently. Murmurs about the increase in imports are being heard in the domestic market and Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro indicates the same. According to trade sources, imports are around 20 per cent cheaper but the volume remains low.

It may be noted that the US had imposed a ban on cotton and cotton products produced in Xinjiang due to alleged human rights violations and forced labour in the region. The ban came into effect from June 2022 this year. Cotton and cotton yarn prices have witnessed a sharp fall in China following the ban.

Cotton yarn imports to India from China were at 13,399 kg ($14,982) in April, 14,318 kg ($67,924) in March and 36,307 kg ($221,872) in February 2022, according to TexPro. On a yearly basis, Indias cotton yarn imports from China stood at 414,868 kg ($2.348 million) in 2021, 577,172 kg ($2.515 million) in 2020, 806,298 kg ($3.732 million) in 2019 and 1,659,287 kg ($7.997 million) in 2018. The imports amounted to 466,623 kg ($1.916 million) during January-July this year.

According to market sources, the landed cost of Chinese cotton yarn is around 20 per cent lower than domestic prices. Cotton yarn attracts about 18 per cent basic custom duty and other taxes but Chinese cotton yarn is cheaper despite the taxes.

Industry experts said that Chinese cotton yarn, even if it was produced from cotton from the Xinjiang region, can be consumed for products manufactured for domestic and non-US international markets. Some sources said that cotton yarn is being imported by consumer industry, which indicates that the weaving industry is importing Chinese cotton yarn. Thus, the product is not being traded but is directly reaching the consumer industry.

However, the market is not worried about the imports as the volume is relatively low. A trader from Tiruppur told Fibre2Fashion, The volume of monthly imports is not alarming yet. The government will not allow flooding of Chinese cotton yarn amid new crop arrival.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands before their meeting at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Wednesday. AP-Yonhap



Han to meet Japanese business officials after returning to Seoul



By Jung Min-ho



Prime Minister Han Duck-soo called for rapprochement between South Korea and Japan at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, Wednesday, saying the two countries are important partners that share many common values.



Han, who arrived there Tuesday to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, held a meeting at Akasaka Palace, where he and Kishida discussed pending issues such as forced labor during Japan's colonial rule of Korea and security cooperation in response to North Korea's evolving threat.



"The new government of the Republic of Korea (South Korea), which was launched in May, continues to emphasize that it is in their common interest to swiftly improve and develop Korea-Japan relations," Han said. "South Korea and Japan are close neighbors and important cooperative partners who share democratic values and the principles of a market economy."



Han also conveyed his condolences to the victims of Nanmadol, a powerful typhoon that killed at least two people and injured 90 others in Japan last week.



Kishida said he is deeply grateful for the heartfelt condolences President Yoon Suk-yeol and Han sent to Abe, who was assassinated in July while campaigning for an election.



Yet, in front of journalists, Kishida refrained from speaking about the prospects of improving ties with South Korea.





Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, second from left, speaks during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo Wednesday. AP-Yonhap
South Koreas National Assembly yesterday ratified arounding off the final domestic procedure essential for the implementation of the FTA signed in October last year. The FTA, signed into law in Cambodia in January this year and ratified in June, is expected to boost Cambodian exports of garments, textiles and footwear to South Korea.

The agreement also presents opportunities for value-added investments in Cambodias downstream processing industries through a plus one business model, in which South Korean companies could expand their supply chain network developed in not only China but also Vietnam or Thailand.

The Cambodia-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) is expected boost trade between the two countries with South Korea agreeing to remove tariffs on 95.6 per cent of products imported from Cambodia, while Cambodia will eliminate duties on 93.8 per cent of imported goods, according to media reports from South Korea.

South Korea's National Assembly has ratified a free trade agreement (FTA) with Cambodia, rounding off the final domestic procedure essential to implement the FTA signed in October last year. The FTA, signed into law in Cambodia in January this year and ratified in June, is expected to boost Cambodian exports of garments, textiles and footwear to South Korea.

Cambodia-South Korea bilateral trade was valued at $885 million in 2020 and grew by 9 per cent to $965 million in 2021. Further, Cambodia imported goods worth over $600 million from South Korea in 2021 while exports reached $341 million to the East Asian nation.

The National Assembly also ratified an FTA with Israel, signed in May last year. South Korea is the first Asian nation to have an FTA with the Middle Eastern nation.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
NOIDA, India, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, theAutomotive IoT Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 25% from 2022-2028, reaching around USD 300 billion by 2028. The analysis has been segmented into Offering (Hardware, Software, and Services); Communication Types (In-Vehicle, Vehicle to Vehicle, And Vehicle to Infrastructure); Connectivity (Embedded, Tethered, And Integrated); Region/Country.





Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/automotive-iot-market/

The automotive IoT 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 automotive IoT market. The automotive IoT 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 automotive IoT market at the global and regional levels.

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Market Overview

The IoT technology helps to connect different objects in an environment with the help of both wired and non-wired connections. Moreover, an automotive IoT helps to control the operations of the vehicle to avoid any kind of accident and reduce the load from the driver. In addition, this allows complex devices like electronics, actuators, and sensors to share information with each other and other cars connected to the internet. Factors like the growing demand for connected vehicles, government initiatives for smart traffic system management, and rising adoption of road vehicle safety is driving the growth of the market. For instance, the Government of India has mandated connecting features for public transport vehicles under AIS-140 which has been regulated and enforced since April 2018.

Factors such as an increase in the cases of accidents, rising income of the populace to adopt advanced technology, an increase in demand for smart and hi-tech technology vehicles, and product launches in the market are some of the prominent factors that are positively influencing the market growth globally.

Some of the major players operating in the market include Texas Instruments Incorporated, Intel Corporation, NXP Semiconductors N.V., TomTom N.V., Robert Bosch GmbH, Google LLC, Apple Inc, The General Motors Company, Audi AG, Ford Motor.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/automotive-iot-market/

COVID-19 Impact

The recent covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the world and has brought a state of shock to the global economy. Moreover, transport limitations additionally made it difficult for enterprises in the automotive industry to get the inputs they required. Due to regulations designed to contain COVID-19, manufacturing businesses were shut down, which had an impact on the supply of automotive inputs and the activities of hired technology service providers

The global automotive IoT market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on the offering, the market is segmented into hardware, software, and services. The software category is to witness a higher CAGR during the forecast period. In addition, increasing the usage of software improves the experience for drivers and passengers and real-time information is provided by the software that helps the passenger or the driver to make decisions. Moreover, the growing use of advanced technologies is also a key factor that will drive the growth of the market in the forecast period.

On the basis of communication type, the market is categorized into in-vehicle, vehicle to vehicle, and vehicle to infrastructure. Among all these, vehicle-to-vehicle hold a significant share in the market in 2020. The vehicle-to-vehicle can provide the drivers with information on other vehicles including the speed, direction, and location, and alert the driver to be aware of any mishappening. In addition, companies operating in the market are focusing on new product development. For instance, in January 2020 , Qualcomm Technologies Inc. introduced a new Qualcomm C-V2X reference platform for vehicular and roadside units (RSUs) .

Based on the connectivity, the market is categorized into embedded, tethered, and integrated. Among all these, integrated hold a significant share of the market in 2020 owing to their ability to connect different fleets with operators and vehicle users. It is an electronic device that monitors various aspects of the vehicle and sends information to the driver.

Have a Look at the Chapters- https://univdatos.com/report/automotive-iot-market/

Automotive IoT 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 , and the Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , and the Rest of ) Rest of the World

APAC is anticipated to grow at a substantial CAGR during the forecast period. mainly driven by the rapidly developing economies, broadening internet connectivity and high-speed networks, technological developments in the automotive sector, and government initiatives for smart cities & smart traffic management systems. Moreover, the growing income of the populace is also a key factor driving the growth of the market. Some of the market players are working to advance technology to boost the growth of the market. For instance, Intel, BMW, and Mobileye three leaders from the machine learning industries, automotive, technology, and computer vision collaborated to bring solutions for highly extensive automated driving into series production by 2021.

The major players targeting the market include

Texas Instruments Incorporated

Intel Corporation

NXP Semiconductors N.V.

TomTom N.V.

Robert Bosch GmbH

Google LLC

Apple Inc

The General Motors Company

Audi AG

Ford Motor

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 Automotive IoT 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 automotive IoT market?

Which factors are influencing the automotive IoT market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the automotive IoT market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the automotive IoT market?

What are the demanding global regions of the automotive IoT 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.

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Automotive IoT Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2028 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 25% Market size 2020 USD 300 billion Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region APAC to Witness Highest Growth in the Global Automotive IoT Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, and India Companies profiled Texas Instruments Incorporated, Intel Corporation, NXP Semiconductors N.V., TomTom N.V., Robert Bosch GmbH, Google LLC, Apple Inc, The General Motors Company, Audi AG, Ford Motor 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 Offering; By Communication Type; By Connectivity; 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 analyses, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients.

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FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Commerzbank AG's (CRZBY.PK) third-quarter operating result would be impacted, after its Polish subsidiary mBank booked additional provisions for Swiss franc portfolio of the equivalent of 490 million euros, the German lender said in a statement. However, Commerzbank still expects a net result to be more than 1 billion euros for the financial year 2022. 'Despite the new burden in Poland, we are maintaining our earnings target for the full year 2022 in view of the strong overall revenue development,' said Bettina Orlopp, Chief Financial Officer of Commerzbank. Commerzbank noted that mBank booked further additional provisions for its Swiss franc portfolio of approximately 490 million euros as a result of the announced model review. The total provisions for credit agreements indexed on foreign currencies now amount to around 1.43 billion euros. The additional provisions will have a corresponding negative impact on Commerzbank's results in the third quarter which will be booked as negative revenues in 'Other net income'. mBank also announced a new settlement programme to reach individual agreements with customers. Commerzbank expects a positive operating result for the third quarter for the Group as long as the uncertainties about energy supply do not require a further significant risk provisioning. 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.




Singapore, Sept 28, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - With limited hospital capacity and growing demand for care, Hospital at Home (HaH) programmes have gained traction over the world as an alternative care delivery model.Scaling up HaH is a complex affair though. Various stakeholders have to be involved and engaged - besides patients and clinicians, there are the caregivers, third-party payers and policymakers and solutions providers - to ensure tertiary hospital care can be delivered seamlessly into a patient's home, with the best outcomes and care experience.This is why Hospital Management Asia is organising the Hospital@Home Asia conference, with Singapore's MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation as knowledge partner. The one-day event on 25 November will delve into different aspects of hospital at home programmes with a particular focus on Singapore's MIC@Home (Mobile Inpatient Care at Home).Prof Dan Yock Young, Deputy Director Medical Services, Ministry of Health Singapore, will briefly share Singapore's rationale behind pursuing hospital at home, before handing over to Dr Michael Montalto, Director, Hospital in the Home, Epworth Hospital Australia, who is one of the pioneers and proponent of this care delivery model.This leads into the panel discussions and presentations across the day. Prof Dan and Dr Montalto will be joining the first panel discussion looking at whether Hospital at Home is the future of acute medicine.The subsequent discussion will delve into the challenges and opportunities in starting up MIC@Home programmes in Singapore, followed by another session focused on the ways of scaling up such programmes. The last panel will be centred on operationalising Hospital at Home models.Representatives from Singapore public hospitals, such as Dr Stephanie Ko (Consultant, Division of Advanced Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital System, NUHS@Home), Dr Ang Yan Hoon (Senior consultant and Programme Director, Aging-in-Place Medical Home, Yishun Health), and Dr Tan Woei Jen Michelle (Consultant and Head Department of Family Medicine & Continuing Care (FMCC), Singapore General Hospital), will be part of these panels. They will be joined by international speakers such as Jeanette Walters, Executive Director Integrated Care Systems at Wellbeing SA, Australia, which runs the My Home Hospital programme; and global solutions providers such as Philips.There will be three Technology Showcases interspersed between panel sessions, where healthtech companies, agencies and care providers will take the stage to introduce and feature their solutions and offerings. Dr Carolyn Lam, Founder & CEO, Us2.ai will be sharing their AI solution that can improve diagnostic workflows for heart failure. An exhibition space featuring solutions and technologies vital to enabling home healthcare will be set up at the event as well.Don't miss this chance to network and meet with key players in the home healthcare space in Asia, and to gain insights and perspectives from an esteemed panel of speakers driving this care model. Registration is now open - click on this link for more information on the agenda, speakers, and to register: www.hospitalmanagementasia.com/events/hospital-at-home/.Hospital@Home AsiaDate: 25 November 2022Venue: Amara Hotel (in-person event)Media ContactEu Yan JunHospital Management AsiaEmail: yanjun.eu@clarionevents.comSource: Clarion Events LtdCopyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Regulatory News:

Press release Paris, 28 September 2022

As part of its Transform Accelerate strategy powered by the 'Conviviality Platform', Pernod Ricard (Paris:RI) announces today the creation of a new business unit. Its objective is to scaleup and expand geographically its existing direct-to-consumer and niche B2B businesses as they approach a mature stage of development, and to pioneer new innovative services and products to meet and anticipate consumer demand for exceptional experiences.

From 2 November 2022, Pernod Ricard will bring together The Whisky Exchange, Drinks Co and Bodeboca into this new BU to accelerate the substantial progress made in recent years. This new entity will operate as an autonomous business unit within Pernod Ricard reporting to Alexandre Ricard and we are pleased to announce the appointment of Nicolas Oudinot as CEO, who brings an impressive background in luxury, digital and innovation. "I am thrilled to join Pernod Ricard in order to drive the transformation of the industry under the leadership of Alexandre Ricard," said Nicolas Oudinot.

In a context of strong demand for high end products and e-commerce growth in our industry, this new organization illustrates the tangible business impact of Pernod Ricard's digital acceleration and transformation strategy and will enhance its competitive advantage in the distribution of premium+ spirits and wines, and related experiences.

Nicolas Oudinot has 20 years of experience in the luxury industry and strategy consulting. A graduate of Ecole Centrale Paris, with an MSc in Engineering, he began his career with The Boston Consulting Group, where he spent almost a decade serving primarily luxury and consumer goods clients across multiple countries.

In 2013, Nicolas joined the Kering Group as Projects and Strategy Director of Saint-Laurent, then of the fashion division of Kering, before transitioning internally to Gucci, where he was appointed Strategic Initiatives and Business Development Director in 2015. Over seven years, in a context of very fast growth of the brand, he evolved within Gucci to occupy the role of Chief Digital Business and Innovation Officer and then EVP New Businesses and CEO of Gucci VAULT.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales amounting to 10,701 million in fiscal year FY22. The Group, which owns 17 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive portfolios in the industry with over 240 premium brands distributed across more than 160 markets. Pernod Ricard's portfolio includes Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine's, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur or Mumm and Perrier-Jouet champagnes. The Group's mission is to unlock the magic of human connections by bringing "Good Times from a Good Place", in line with its Sustainability and Responsibility roadmap. Pernod Ricard's decentralised organisation empowers its 19,480 employees to be on-the-ground ambassadors of its purposeful and inclusive culture of conviviality, bringing people together in meaningful, sustainable and responsible ways to create value over the long term. Executing its strategic plan, Transform Accelerate, Pernod Ricard now relies on its "Conviviality Platform", a new growth model based on data and artificial intelligence to meet the ever-changing demand of consumers.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code:FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220927006154/en/

Contacts:

Emmanuel Vouin Head of Group External Engagement

+33 (0) 1 70 93 16 34
World's first commercial digital diagnosis and mapping solution for harmful nematode pests

Brazilian soybean farmers will use the tool to fight pests causing up to 30 percent yield loss

Digital tool is the result of a multi-year collaboration with Swiss AgTech startup Gamaya SA

Harmful nematodes that feed on roots of plants can cause major damage to crops, causing billions of dollars in damage. Today, Syngenta Crop Protection, a global leader in agricultural innovation, is launching the world's first commercial digital solution to diagnose infestations of plant-parasitic nematodes in soybean crops by analyzing photographs taken from satellites This marks a breakthrough in the management of this devastating pest and is a product of Syngenta's focus on delivering an expanding portfolio of digital and precision agriculture solutions to farmers worldwide.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220927006053/en/

Syngenta has launched the world's first commercial digital solution to detect harmful nematodes (Photo: Business Wire)

Plant-parasitic nematodes are microscopic parasites living in the soil that feed on plant roots, opening pathways to further fungal infections and threatening plant health, crop quality and yield. These harmful nematodes account for as much as USD 150 billion in crop losses globally each year.

The new digital tool uses a unique, proprietary algorithm to analyze images of fields obtained by satellites, allowing it to identify areas of high infestations of plant-parasitic nematodes in crops and estimate potential losses caused by these microscopic parasites. Using the tool, farmers can make quick adjustments to their field management practices, helping them avoid losses in yield, as well as optimizing the use of inputs, improving the sustainability of their farms.

Syngenta will first market this service to soybean farmers in Brazil, where the company already offers an extensive range of advanced digital solutions. Soybean is one of the most important crops in the world for its vital role in food production, and Brazil accounts for approximately 35 percent of global soybean production. In Brazil, plant-parasitic nematodes cause estimated losses in soybean production amounting to more than USD 5.4 billion a year. So far, the threat from harmful nematodes has been largely invisible and insufficiently understood, and estimates say that Brazilian farmers lose as much as 30 percent of their yield in highly infested areas.

"Harmful nematodes that devastate crops are a major threat to farmers and food security, and Syngenta is using cutting-edge digital solutions to help combat these pests," said Jeff Rowe, President Global Crop Protection. "We are excited to be launching this product in Brazil, and there is great potential to scale this solution to other countries and crops and transform the decision-making capabilities for growers."

This first-of-its-kind innovation is the culmination of a multi-year collaboration with Swiss-based AgTech startup Gamaya SA a spin-off from Switzerland's Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne bringing together its highly specialized expertise in algorithm development together with Syngenta's agronomic and crop knowledge. Syngenta is integrating this advanced digital solution within its own digital technology platform, CROPWISETM

"At Syngenta, we will continue to invest in machine learning and data science, to develop further breakthrough offers for farmers," said Feroz Sheikh, Chief Information and Digital Officer of Syngenta Group. "The technology is a great addition to our CROPWISETM platform, which already digitally connects almost 200 million acres of land, and underlines our commitment to invest in and partner with providers in the AgTech space."

The introduction of the digital diagnosis and mapping tool for harmful nematodes comes as Syngenta launches TYMIRIUM technology globally, its next-generation nematicide and fungicide for both seed and soil uses that can help farmers maximize crop output while preserving soil biodiversity and health.

About Syngenta

Syngenta is one of the world's leading agriculture companies, comprised of Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Seeds. Our ambition is to help safely feed the world while taking care of the planet. We aim to improve the sustainability, quality and safety of agriculture with world class science and innovative crop solutions. Our technologies enable millions of farmers around the world to make better use of limited agricultural resources. Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Seeds are part of Syngenta Group. In more than 100 countries we are working to transform how crops are grown. Through partnerships, collaboration and The Good Growth Plan we are committed to accelerating innovation for farmers and nature, striving for regenerative agriculture, helping people stay safe and healthy and partnering for impact. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com.

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta, www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/syngenta

Data protection is important to us. You are receiving this publication on the legal basis of Article 6 para 1 lit. f GDPR ("legitimate interest"). However, if you do not wish to receive further information about Syngenta, just send us a brief informal message and we will no longer process your details for this purpose. You can also find further details in our privacy statement.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This document may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as 'expect', 'would', 'will', 'potential', 'plans', 'prospects', 'estimated', 'aiming', 'on track' and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors.

2022 Syngenta. Rosentalstrasse 67, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.

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Contacts:

Syngenta Crop Protection

Michelle Ng

Head, External Communications

michelle.ng@syngenta.com
Bang Mini serves up powerful sound and beat-driven light shows in this modern-day Bluetooth boombox

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Tronsmart, an established audio brand specializing in premium Bluetooth headsets and speakers, launched their latest portable party speaker with a handle, called the Bang Mini.





"Following on the heels of our 2021 outdoor party speaker, Bang, we wanted to design a shrunken-down, more portable edition for people on the go," said Eric Cheng. "Bang Mini offers 50W of popping sound thanks to two independent speaker cavities. The front cavity houses two mid tweeters and one passive radiator that offer crystal clear treble in superior clarity. The rear cavity presents punchy bass via two woofers."

Bang Mini offers great specs and exceptional stereo sound, with no bulk. It leverages Tronsmart's proprietary SoundPulse Audio, which has three main characteristics. Firstly, it's designed to counteract harmonic distortion and eliminate noise, making the vocals gentler, the sound richer, and allowing listeners to enjoy their music for a longer period. Secondly, SoundPulse technology changes the sound output position of the chamber to the front of the speaker, broadening the sound range to fill the entire room with quality vocals and strengthening the stereo sound effect. Thirdly, SoundPulse technology offers an enhanced bass effect. It allows differences in sound to be processed separately. This means the bass can be enhanced while managing to produce high-pitched vocals as well.

Perhaps Bang Mini's most eye-catching feature lies in its beat-driven light show mode. The speaker has seven neon-colored lights that react to the rhythm of the music playing. Users can freely switch among circling, breathing, and beat-driven patterns. Moreover, with its IPX6 waterproof rating, music lovers can eligibly take it with them to the beach or by the pool without worrying about spills, splashes, or sand. Furthermore, NFC seamless pairing quickly connects to your device with one touch. Other features include stereo pairing, a long 49-foot range, up to 15 hours of playtime, Bluetooth 5.3, and a built-in powerbank to give the mobile device a boost.

The speaker is available on Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Amazon ES. Besides, three promotions are available to celebrate the launch on Tronsmart website from September 28 to October 13, 2022.

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AliveCor, the leading innovator in personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology, today announced a new integration partnership with health tech specialist Dignio. The partnership combines AliveCor's KardiaMobile, a NICE-recommended personal ECG device, with the MyDignio smartphone app to facilitate the seamless transmission of cardiac arrhythmia data between patients and clinicians.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common form of arrhythmia,[i] is a leading cause of AF-related stroke.[ii] Almost half of the 1.3 million people in the UK living with AF are undiagnosed,[iii] [iv] leaving them at risk of suffering the life-changing, and often devastating, consequences of this serious form of stroke.[v] Patients with AF admitted to hospital for ECG monitoring can require multiple appointments, placing unnecessary pressure on over-stretched NHS services. Remote heart rhythm monitoring can play an important role in the early detection and prevention of AF.

AliveCor and Dignio have collaborated on a ground-breaking digital partnership with University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust to create one of the UK's first virtual wards for patients with AF. Using KardiaMobile, patients were able to be remotely managed for cardiac care services and recover in their own homes, whilst being monitored by specialist clinicians through the MyDignio app, a connected care solution. The app connects to several devices, including blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters, and now it also connects to KardiaMobile. The method for transferring remotely recorded ECG data between patients and clinicians can be challenging. By making the transfer of data simpler and faster, utilising AliveCor's CE approved Software Development Kit (SDK), the partnership demonstrates the potential of technology integration on both streamlining healthcare services and improving the overall patient experience.

Sean Warren, Business Director UKI at AliveCor said, "Collaborating with like-minded partners such as Dignio and seamlessly integrating data via AliveCor's SDK solution, brings patients and clinicians closer together, enabling people to take charge of their own health with the best technology available. We welcome the opportunity to work with organisations with values aligned to ours - to save lives and transform cardiology by delivering intelligent, highly-personalised heart data to clinicians and patients anytime, anywhere."

About AliveCor

AliveCor, Inc. is transforming cardiological care using deep learning. The KardiaMobile device is the most clinically-validated personal ECG solution in the world. The KardiaMobile system can detect up to six common arrhythmias, including Atrial Fibrillation. KardiaTM is the first AI-enabled platform to aid patients and clinicians in the efficient detection of atrial fibrillation, the most common arrhythmia and one associated with a highly-elevated risk of stroke. AliveCor's enterprise platform allows third-party providers to manage their patients' and customers' heart conditions simply using state-of-the-art tools that provide easy front-end and back-end integration to AliveCor technologies. AliveCor protects its customers with stringent data security and compliance practices, achieving ISO 27001 Certification, SOC 2 Type 2 Certification and HIPAA compliance attestation. AliveCor is a privately-held company headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. "Consumer" or "Personal" ECGs are ECG devices available for direct sale to consumers. For more information, visit alivecor.com.

About Dignio

Dignio UK is part of a Norwegian based company that provides tried and trusted technology. It specialises in connected care solutions and has been successful in other health areas in several parts of the UK. Its 'My Dignio' and 'Dignio Care' smartphone and tablet apps connect directly to its 'Dignio Prevent' data platform, which is used by clinicians to assess patients remotely in real-time.

[i] British Heart Foundation. Managing atrial fibrillation in primary care. Available at: https://www.bhf.org.uk/for-professionals/healthcare-professionals/innovation-in-care/managing-atrial-fibrillation-in-primary-care. Last accessed September 2022.

[ii] Heart Rhythm Alliance. AF-related stroke? AF-related stroke. Available at: https://www.heartrhythmalliance.org/afa/uk/af-related-stroke. Last accessed September 2022.

[iii] British Heart Foundation. Managing atrial fibrillation in primary care. Available at: https://www.bhf.org.uk/for-professionals/healthcare-professionals/innovation-in-care/managing-atrial-fibrillation-in-primary-care. Last accessed September 2022.

[iv] Heart Rhythm Alliance. Heart Rhythm Week. Available at: https://www.heartrhythmalliance.org/afa/uk/heart-rhythm-week. Last accessed September 2022.

[v] Heart Rhythm Alliance. Atrial Fibrillation Management. Available at: https://www.heartrhythmalliance.org/files/files/Atrial%20Fibrillation%20Management_2010%20Full%20Report.pdf . Last accessed September 2022.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/alivecor-joins-forces-with-dignio-to-streamline-the-transfer-of-personal-electrocardiogram-data-between-patient-and-clinician-301634852.html
September 28, 2022, Oslo, Norway: PGS has secured solid industry pre-funding for a MultiClient survey* in West Africa. The Ramform Atlas is scheduled to mobilize for the survey late October and acquisition is expected to complete early January.



"This is the firstMultiClient project in West Africa since early 2021 as we experience increasing demand for high-fidelity MultiClient data from our clients," says President & CEO in PGS, Rune Olav Pedersen.

*The project was included in booked position update in September investor presentations.

FOR DETAILS, CONTACT: Bard Stenberg, VP IR & Corporate Communication

Mobile: +47 99 24 52 35



***

PGS ASA and its subsidiaries.

***

The information included herein contains certain forward-looking statements that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. These statements are based on various assumptions made by the Company, which are beyond its control and are subject to certain additional risks and uncertainties. The Company is subject to a large number of risk factors including but not limited to the demand for seismic services, the demand for data from our multi-client data library, the attractiveness of our technology, unpredictable changes in governmental regulations affecting our markets and extreme weather conditions. For a further description of other relevant risk factors we refer to our Annual Report for 2021. As a result of these and other risk factors, actual events and our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in or implied by such forward-looking statements. The reservation is also made that inaccuracies or mistakes may occur in the information given above about current status of the Company or its business. Any reliance on the information above is at the risk of the reader, and PGS disclaims any and all liability in this respect.

--END--




Zaandam, the Netherlands, 28 September 2022 - Ahold Delhaize today announces that its Supervisory Board intends to propose the reappointment of Frans Muller as President and CEO and member of the Management Board at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 12 April 2023.

Peter Agnefjall, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Ahold Delhaize, stated: "We are delighted that Frans will continue as President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize, subject to shareholder approval. Since he started in this role in July 2018, the company has continued to build on its strengths. Under Frans' leadership the Leading Together strategy was introduced, which increased its ability to better serve its customers."

"Frans and the executive team he built have demonstrated the long term validity of their strategic choices, delivering solid financial results. From this basis the company is able to contribute positively to communities and address the challenges facing our society, like keeping healthy and sustainable food affordable."

Upon the nomination for reappointment, Frans Muller said: "I am grateful for the nomination and would be honored to continue to lead Ahold Delhaize, together with the Executive Committee colleagues, our great local brands and caring associates, making sure we support our communities and deliver on our purpose of helping our customers eat well, save time and live better."

Frans Muller became President and CEO on 1 July 2018. Before that, he served as member of the Management Board and Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Integration Officer since 2016. Prior to Ahold Delhaize, Frans was the President and CEO of Delhaize Group.

-ENDS-

Cautionary notice

This communication contains information that qualifies as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words such as proposes, to, reappoint, intends, 2023, remains, is, keeping, continue to, making sure, deliver and purpose, or other similar words or expressions, are typically used to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the "Company") to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the Company's public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company's management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Company's management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.





For more information

Press office: +31 88 6595134 / media.relations@aholddelhaize.com

Investor relations:?+31 88 659 5213 / investor.relations@aholddelhaize.com

Social media: Instagram: @Ahold-Delhaize | LinkedIn: @Ahold-Delhaize | Twitter: @AholdDelhaize?



About Ahold Delhaize

Ahold?Delhaize is one of the world's largest food retail groups and a leader in both supermarkets and e-commerce. Its family of great local brands serves 55 million customers each week, both in stores and online, in the United States, Europe, and Indonesia. Together, these brands employ more than 413,000 associates in 7,452 grocery and specialty stores and include the top online retailer in the Benelux and the leading online grocers in the Benelux and the United States.?Ahold?Delhaize brands are at the forefront of sustainable retailing, sourcing responsibly,?supporting local communities and helping customers make healthier choices. The company's focus on four growth drivers - drive omnichannel growth, elevate healthy and sustainable, cultivate best talent and strengthen operational excellence - is helping to fulfil its purpose, achieve its vision and prepare its brands and businesses for tomorrow. Headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands,?Ahold?Delhaize is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels stock exchanges.













Attachment




South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met his Dutch counterpart Wopke Hoekstra on Wednesday to discuss bilateral ties including their chip partnership.







In the meeting held at the foreign ministry in Seoul, the two assessed how South Korea and the Netherlands have continuously developed their ties through cooperation in areas like semiconductors.







Noting the two countries celebrated 60 years of diplomatic ties last year, Park expressed gratitude for the Netherlands' participation in the Korean War.







Hoekstra expressed hopes their bilateral cooperation could expand to fields like economic security and defense and eventually develop into a strategic partnership.







The Dutch minister voiced gratitude for Seoul taking part in global sanctions against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and for providing humanitarian support to the war-torn country. (Yonhap)


STOCKHOLM (dpa-AFX) - Sweden's retail sales declined for the fourth straight month in August, figures from Statistics Sweden showed on Wednesday. Retail sales fell a working-day adjusted 5.1 percent year-on-year in August, faster than the 3.8 percent decrease in July. Sales of durable goods dropped 9.0 percent annually in August, while those of consumables, excluding sales at the state-owned chain of liquor stores, remained unchanged. On a monthly basis, retail sales decreased 0.4 percent in August versus a 0.2 percent fall in July. For the June to August period, retail sales contracted a working-day and seasonally adjusted 5.6 percent compared with the previous three-month period. 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.
The largest conference connecting regulators and the financial industry will explore how technology and data can enable regulatory reporting to be more efficient

Regnology, a leading software provider with an exclusive focus on regulatory reporting solutions has announced its 29th annual RegTech Convention, taking place on the 29th-30th November in Frankfurt, Germany and virtually. The convention will bring together nearly 2,000 delegates across regulatory authorities, supervisory agencies, and financial institutions to explore the evolving trends in regulation.

The theme for this year's convention is Regulation 3.0, which will be explored across 30 keynotes and panel discussions from leading industry experts and Regnology subject matter experts. Over thirty external speakers will discuss how the regulatory complexity for financial institutions can be reduced in view of a challenging global economic environment, the pressure to maximize cost efficiencies, and an evolving financial market landscape.

Fredrik Reinfeldt, Swedish prime minister from 2006-2014, will address the current political and economic challenges in Europe and how it affects the topic of regulation in his opening keynote. Additional contributors will include senior leaders from the European Central Bank, BaFin, HSBC, Commerzbank, Google, and IBM.

Participants will benefit from a deep dive on regulation, with sessions covering European reporting, supervisory and regulatory technology trends, including the 'state of play' regarding ESG requirements, the institutionalization of crypto assets and Public Cloud. They will also be able to meet with Regnology's experts during a collection of micro-conferences and educational breakout sessions across banking, transactions, and supervisory tech.

This year's RegTech convention is the second since the appointment of Regnology CEO Rob Mackay in 2021. Under his leadership, the organization has accelerated a full transformation to position Regnology as a global leader in regulatory technology, underlined by strong corporate values.

The convention will be livestreamed and available on demand following the event.

The full agenda and registration can be found at: https://www.regtech-convention.com/en/agenda/

RegTech 2022 speakers include:

Fredrik Reinfeldt, Former Swedish prime minister from 2006-2014 and member of the European Council

Markus Cevela, Managing Director Head of Statutory Reporting Austria, Erste Group Services GmbH

Sidhartha Dash, Chief Researcher, Chartis Research

Martina Drvar, Advisor, European Central Bank

Nils Gerstengarbe, Chapter Lead, Commerzbank

Naja Nalapurakkal, Business Area Technology Leader-ESG, Nordea

Nicola O'Connor, Chief Information Security and IT Risk Officer, AIB

Jermy Prenio, Principal Advisor, BIS

Ulku Rowe, Technical Director of Financial Services, Google Cloud

Daniela Schackis, Deputy Director General, European Central Bank

Michael Schmelzer, NFPE CFO, Nomura

Dr. Johannes Turner, Director Statistics Department, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB)

Dr. Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Professor of International Economics, Graduate Institute of Geneva

Sabrina Wilson, COO, Copper

About Regnology

Regnology is a leading technology firm on a mission to bring safety and stability to the financial markets. With an exclusive focus on regulatory reporting and more than 7,000 financial institutions, 30 regulators and 20 tax authorities as clients, we're uniquely positioned to bring greater data quality, efficiency and cost savings to all market participants. With over 700 employees in 12 countries and a unified data ingestion model powering our work, our clients can quickly implement and derive value from our solutions and easily keep pace with ongoing regulatory changes.

Regnology was formed in 2021 when BearingPoint RegTech, a former business unit of BearingPoint Group, joined forces with Vizor Software, a global leader in regulatory and supervisory technology.

For more information about Regnology, connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Visit our website: www.regnology.net

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005085/en/

Contacts:

Mireille Adebiyi, Chief Marketing Officer, Regnology

info@regnology.net
Kantata praised for providing real-time visibility over all aspects of services businesses

Kantata, the leading global supplier of purpose-built technology for professional services, today announced it ranks first on G2's Fall 2022 Europe Grid for Professional Services Automation Software (PSA). This marks the second quarter in a row Kantata has earned the number one designation among all of the leading PSA vendors. Kantata also tops G2's global Fall 2022 Grid for Resource Management and is recognized as a Leader on the global Project Management, and Project and Portfolio Management Fall 2022 Grid report.

G2 rates products for its grid reports algorithmically based on data sourced from product reviews from G2 users around the world and data aggregated from online sources and social networks. Its Europe Regional Grid reports reflect only reviews received from users in the Europe region.

The Kantata Cloud for Professional Services is a powerful collection of resource management, financial management, project management, team collaboration, business intelligence, integration, and workflow automation functionality. The 1,231 European users who published their reviews for the Fall 2022 Europe Grid for PSA described how Kantata delivers the clarity, control and confidence they need to efficiently manage their businesses. For example:

"(Kantata) has removed a majority of the manual aspect of our job especially with end-of-month billing. (Kantata) is a place for us to keep track of all deals in the pipeline as well as all deals in delivery, financials, supporting documents, billing information, resourcing, and so much more."

"Kantata has enabled our PS team to take control of our business and give us insights we never had before. The ability to assign resources with confidence has been the single biggest improvement to our department's efficiency. In addition we appreciate the accuracy of forecasting which has improved the standing of PS within our company."

"The best thing about Kantata is that I can see budgets and time entries in real-time. I struggled with our old project management software because it didn't include time tracking. I spent so much time trying to see where we were at on budgets before Kantata. Now, I can know in real-time."

"The Kantata Cloud for Professional Services is purpose-built to provide professional services organisations with a single source of truth over every aspect of their business," said Sarah Edwards, Chief Product Officer, Kantata. "We are committed to delivering innovative solutions with unmatched flexibility, functionality, and scalability through both Salesforce-native and open-architecture product options that help our clients elevate operational performance."

Kantata serves professional services firms of all sizes and specialties in the UK and across Europe out of its London office, including Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, FDM Group, Logicalis, and Sage.

About Kantata

Kantata takes professional services automation to a new level, giving people-powered businesses the clarity, control, and confidence they need to optimize resource planning and elevate operational performance. Our purpose-built cloud software is helping over 2,000 professional services organisations in more than 100 countries focus and optimize their most important asset: their people. By leveraging the Kantata Cloud for Professional Services, professionals gain access to the information and tools they need to win more business, ensure the right people are always available at the right time, and delight clients with project delivery and outcomes.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005131/en/

Contacts:

Jen Dodos

949-322-6181

jen.dodos@kantata.com
LONDON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RevLifter, the leading eCommerce deals personalization platform, is looking to combat global carbon emissions by giving online retailers the opportunity to plant trees in exchange for sales made by their customers.

The group's new offer type - Green Offers - is powered by a partnership with environmental organization Ecologi, which has offset over 2.2 million tonnes of CO2e by supporting reforestation projects in countries like Madagascar, Mozambique and Uganda.

In a typical campaign, brands will pledge to plant 10 mangrove trees in return for the customer completing their purchase. Green Offers are delivered by RevLifter's RevConvert technology, which uses real-time signals like the customer's exit intent, their current spend, and cart contents, to inform the delivery of personalized incentives through native overlays.

RevLifter believes Green Offers can help to close the 'intention-action gap' that prevents the majority of customers from making positive contributions to the environment. Research from Harvard Business Review shows that 65% of shoppers want to buy from purpose-driven brands with strong sustainability credentials, but only 26% find a way to do so.

Simon Bird, RevLifter's Co-Founder and CEO, says: "As RevLifter is the link between the brand and the consumer, we knew we could devise something that helped each side bring positive change to the world.

"Green Offers provide a way for the consumer to turn everyday actions into something that has a measurable impact on the planet. On the retailer's side, it's an opportunity to facilitate that contribution, but also drive sales through a totally discount-free method, and resonate with audiences that value more than just price."

As part of RevLifter's ongoing efforts to create positive change, the company has also gained the PlanetMark Certification. The programme requires businesses to pledge to improvements in sustainability within their operations by measuring and reducing their carbon footprint. RevLifter will now aim to reduce its output year on year while aiding global reforestation projects through Green Offers.

About RevLifter

RevLifter is on a mission to make every eCommerce deal intelligent. Its technology enables brands to make sense of anonymous site visitors by using real-time signals from their journey to deliver hyper-personalized offers, recommendations and messages that have them spending more, more often.

Richard Towey

richard.towey@revlifter.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/revlifter-looks-to-reduce-carbon-emissions-by-launching-green-offers-as-an-eco-friendly-offer-type-301633189.html
New online magazine driving critical conversation about art on the blockchain to feature articles by students of Sotheby's Institute to help bridge academic research with the world of digital art

LONDON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Right Click Save (RCS), the online magazine dedicated to elevating cultural discourse around art on the blockchain and Sotheby's Institute of Art (SIA) today announced a partnership that will expand scholarly interest, research, and writing about NFTs.

With this new partnership commencing at the start of the SIA academic year, RCS will offer an inaugural "Call for Submissions" to SIA students of Masters level to share their best writing on art and technology with RCS readers. The partnership will enable students to participate in the debate about NFTs in a high-profile publication dedicated to this area.

"Students of Sotheby's Institute are ideally placed to examine the growing influence of technology in art," said Alex Estorick, Editor in Chief of RCS. "At a time when art and technology are closer than ever, RCS is a natural space for them to cross-fertilize. This partnership will help a new generation of scholars to lead that conversation."

"We're delighted that our students will have this new opportunity to bring their writing and thought on this major development of today's art world to the public sphere via RCS," said Jonathan Woolfson, Director of Sotheby's Institute of Art - London. "It is vitally important that the art world leaders of tomorrow become deeply familiar with the momentous technological leaps of our time. Sotheby's Institute has recently introduced NFTs, Blockchain, and Cryptocurrencies to its existing range of teaching topics and expertise, so there is a really fruitful synergy here. I greatly look forward to witnessing the dialogues that will result."

About Right Click Save

Right Click Save, a ClubNFT publication, is an online magazine that seeks to drive critical conversation about blockchain, NFTs, and Web3. Its aims are as follows: Engage readers about the ongoing topical and historical importance of NFTs to culture. Give artists and collectors of the NFT space the same level of respect afforded those of the traditional art world. Help artists, collectors, and the uninitiated to comprehend the changing reality of NFT ownership. Foreground new voices and foster dialogue between different creator communities. Offer the highest quality of art writing anywhere in the NFT space. For more information: www.rightclicksave.com.

About Sotheby's Institute of Art

Founded in 1969, Sotheby's Institute of Art (SIA) is the pioneer in the study of art and its markets. With campuses in New York, London, and Online, and a large array of developing programmes, SIA's academically innovative and professionally focused teaching philosophy enables students to acquire specialized knowledge of art's objects, histories, and markets to impact art and arts-related industries. For more information: www.sothebysinstitute.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/right-click-save-partners-with-sothebys-institute-of-art-to-expand-scholarly-interest-in-nfts-301634801.html
Financing led by Brandon Capital from its newly established UK operation; Forbion and Atlas Venture co-led the round

USD68M series A will enable London -based Pheon Therapeutics to advance its lead ADC compound targeting a novel cancer antigen and further develop its proprietary payload platform for development of novel ADCs

Jonathan Tobin , Partner at Brandon Capital appointed Chair of the Board alongside experienced CEO Bertrand Damour and CSO Leigh Zawel

Investment signals Brandon Capital growth in the UK and Europe , from its HQ in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia and LONDON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brandon Capital, Australasia's leading life science venture capital firm, is pleased to announce its leading role in the USD68m series A financing of Pheon Therapeutics (Pheon), that has emerged from stealth today.

The Pheon financing reflects Brandon Capital's ongoing growth and signals its goal to become an active international investor including in the UK and European markets. Jonathan Tobin, Partner and head of Brandon Capital's London office, takes on the role of Chairman of Pheon's board of directors. Other leading life sciences investors Forbion and Atlas Venture co-led the round, with participation from seed investor Research Corporation Technologies (RCT).

This new investment, Brandon's largest into a European based company to date, will enable Pheon to advance its lead ADC program to clinical proof-of-concept and establish a pipeline of novel ADCs.

Pheon is an emerging UK-based Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) specialist developing next generation ADCs for a wide range of hard-to-treat cancers. It has recently signed a collaboration with an Australian research member of the Brandon Capital managed Brandon BioCatalyst - a unique network of over 50 leading medical research institutes.

The Company's lead program exploits a novel target that is highly expressed in a broad range of solid tumors. The lead compound is expected to reach IND within the next 18 months. Using both novel and clinically validated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and arming them either with warheads from its proprietary payload platform which boasts a novel mechanism of action, or with off-the-shelf linker payload combinations, Pheon is finely attuned to balancing safety and efficacy for each target.

A highly experienced and successful early-stage venture investor, Brandon Capital is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and has already established an international presence, including in the USA. It has backed some 60 innovative life sciences companies over the past 15 years with its growing European portfolio currently including UK-based early-stage companies Myricx Pharma, led by Brandon Capital UK Venture Partners Dr Roberto Solari and Dr Robin Carr, and Pathios Therapeutics, co-founded by Brandon Capital UK Venture Partner Dr Tom McCarthy. It was natural to choose the UK as the launch pad for its European expansion, opening a London office in Kings Cross a year ago. With Venture Partners also based in the US, Brandon has a team of 20 including Investing and Venture Partners located across the world's largest biotech and pharmaceutical markets.

Jonathan Tobin, Partner at Brandon Capital and Chair of Pheon, said: "Our philosophy as an investor is to support entrepreneurs to bring the most promising medical research breakthroughs into medical therapies that save lives and improve quality of life. We have a strong reputation for helping to grow a high-value, sustainable biotech industry in Australia & New Zealand delivering jobs, wealth and improving patient outcomes. We look forward to bringing these benefits to Europe, where we believe there is a wealth of innovation.

"Pheon is a typical example of the opportunities we seek to fund. In the last few years ADC drugs have started to show unprecedented clinical efficacy through a better understanding of the properties that make an effective ADC, combined with next generation payloads and targets. We are excited by the potential of Pheon's first-in-class antibody target and novel payload technology to make significant contributions to the ADC field and cancer patients.

"Pheon has attracted a strong syndicate of which we are proud to be a part and has built a proven leadership team focused on rapidly bringing its first-in-class ADC to the clinic. We look forward to extending the benefit of these cutting-edge therapeutics to more patients through target and payload innovation at Pheon."

Chief Executive Officer Bertrand Damour heads Pheon's leadership team which includes industry veteran Leigh Zawel as Chief Scientific Officer. The Company's co-founders include Paul Jackson, Vice President R&D, and advisor Professor David Thurston. Professor Thurston was previously co-Founder of Spirogen, whose payload technology is contained within ZynlontaTM, a recently approved ADC.

Chief Executive Officer of Pheon Bertrand Damour said: "We are delighted to welcome Brandon Capital, alongside Forbion, Atlas Venture and RCT as a truly international syndicate to fund Pheon to develop first-in-class ADC and our highly differentiated proprietary payload technology platform which is gaining strong momentum. We are laser focused on implementing our strategy to get our first program into clinical development as rapidly as possible, and the preclinical data generated so far are very promising. The track record and expertise of the leadership team at Pheon is outstanding, and I am proud to be working with them and our investors on this innovative approach to developing treatments for cancer patients."

For further information, please contact:

Brandon Capital (media enquiries)

UK/Europe

Sue Charles, Charles Consultants

Tel: +44 (0)7968 726585

Email: sue@charles-consultants.com

Australia

Ciara Byrne, Mana Communications

Tel: +61 (0)41 3519 430

Email: cb@manacommunications.com

About Brandon Capital

Brandon Capital is Australasia's leading life science venture capital firm, with a strong global presence supported by key partnerships and team members across the US and UK. From early-stage seed investment through to expansion capital, Brandon Capital supports life science companies from proof-of-concept through to commercialisation.

Managed by Brandon Capital, Brandon Biocatalyst is a unique collaboration of over 50 leading medical research institutes, investors, and government united by a single purpose: progressing the next generation of medical therapies and technology which improve health and save lives.

For more information, please visit www.brandoncapital.vc

About Pheon Therapeutics

Pheon Therapeutics is an Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) specialist developing a pipeline of monotherapies for novel targets and/or with novel payloads. ADCs offer the potential to treat solid tumors and liquid cancers that have not responded to other treatments. Pheon's lead program is a first-in-class ADC against a novel target that is highly expressed in solid tumors across a broad range of hard-to-treat cancer types. Pheon is backed by expert, specialist healthcare investors Atlas Venture, Brandon Capital, Forbion and Research Corporation Technologies (RCT). Pheon has a world class, proven leadership team that brings together the best of ADC engineering, clinical and managerial expertise and track record.

For further information, please visit www.pheontx.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/brandon-capital-co-leads-usd68m-series-a-financing-of-london-based-adc-company-pheon-therapeutics-301634686.html
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2022 / FALCON GOLD CORP. (FG:TSX-V)(3FA:GR)(FGLDF:OTCQB); ("Falcon" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of a fixed wing airborne magnetic survey over the Gaspard gold project (the "Property").

The Gaspard Property comprises 3 mineral claims, covering 3,955 hectares ("ha") in the Clinton Mining District of central British Columbia (Figure 1). The Property covers similar geology to the Spences Bridge Gold Belt (the "SBGB") that hosts Westhaven Gold Corp.'s (TSXV:WHN) Shovelnose gold project and the Blackdome Zone gold-silver deposit owned by Tempus Resources (ASX:TMR). The Property has year-round, all-season road access with a good network of active logging roads.

Falcon's Chief Executive Officer, Karim Rayani, commented: "We look forward to reviewing the airborne data, and integrating this with the success of our water stream sampling program to focus in on the highest priority targets. We have potentially outlined a large gold source that is supplying six separate drainage systems. We look forward to reporting back once the data has been analyzed."

Figure 1. Regional geological and structural setting of the Gaspard Project.

The airborne survey covered the entire Gaspard block which included 347- line kilometers of magnetic and radiometric surveying. The purpose of this was to delineate and map subsurface features identified in previous programs. On February 3, 2022, Falcon released results from its 2022 field program receiving heavy mineral concentrates from three creek drainages which assayed 0.236 gram per tonne gold, 1.097 g/t Au and 0.525 g/t Au (see press release dated February 3, 2022). The stream sediment samples were collected over three kilometres southeast of previous and historical anomalous stream samples taken in 1990 from four parallel drainage patterns. Total apparent length of a gold anomaly that would support an extensive drainage system at Gaspard is now five km in length.

The Property

The SBGB forms a northwest-trending belt of Cretaceous-aged, volcaniclastic and sedimentary rocks 430 km long and up to 24 km wide extending in central BC (Figure 2). The relatively underexplored volcanic rocks are highly prospective for low-sulphidation epithermal gold mineralization. Recent drilling on the Shovelnose gold project by Westhaven Gold reported 614 g/t Au and 2,070 g/t silver over 0.45 m within 41.55 m of 8.17 g/t Au and 34.64 g/t Ag (see press Westhaven press release dated June 1, 2021). The Blackdome Zone located 26 km to the south was a former mine having produced 225,000 tonnes of gold at an average grade of 20 g/t Au. Current National Instrument 43-101-compliant resources completed by SRK in 2010 report 144,500 tonnes indicated grading 11.29 g/t gold and 50.01 g/t silver, and 90,600 tonnes inferred grading 8.79 g/t gold and 18.61 g/t silver, Tempus Resources.

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.

About Falcon Gold Corp.

Falcon is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on generating, acquiring, and exploring opportunities in the Americas. Falcon's flagship project, the Central Canada Gold Mine, is approximately 20km southeast of Agnico Eagle's Hammond Reef Gold Deposit which has currently estimated 3.32 million ounces of gold (123.5 million tonnes grading 0.84 g/t gold) mineral reserves, and 2.3 million ounces of measured and indicated mineral resources (133.4 million tonnes grading 0.54 g/t gold). The Hammond Reef gold property lies on the Hammond shear zone, which is a northeast-trending splay off the Quetico Fault Zone ("QFZ") and may be the control for the gold deposit. The Central Gold property lies on a similar major northeast-trending splay of the QFZ.

The Company holds 14 additional projects: The Esperanza Gold/Silver/Copper mineral concessions located in La Rioja Province, Argentina; The Viernes Gold/Silver/Copper project in Antofagasta Chile; The Springpole West Property in the world-renowned Red Lake mining camp; a 49% interest in the Burton Gold property with Iamgold near Sudbury Ontario; in B.C., the Spitfire-Sunny Boy, Gaspard Gold claims; the Great Burnt, Gander North/South, Valentine Gold South, Victoria West, and Golden Brook acquisitions adjacent to First Mining, Matador, Benton-Sokoman's JV, and Marvel Discovery in Central Newfoundland; and most recently Battery Metals projects in Ontario and Quebec, The Timmins West and Outarde Property.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Falcon Gold Corp.

"Karim Rayani"

Karim Rayani

Chief Executive Officer, Director

Telephone: (604) 716-0551

Email: k@r7.capital

Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements

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, 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.

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: Falcon Gold Corp

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/717783/Falcon-Completes-Airborne-Magnetic-Survey-Over-Gaspard-Spences-Bridge-District
Beijing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - Focusing on the future direction and leadership within the urban digitalization and sustainability space, Terminus Group, the global smart services and AIoT solutions provider, has announced the launch of its TacOS 3.0 product profolio.

First launched in July 2021, TacOS (Terminus AI City Operating System) is an urban AIoT operating system created by Terminus Group to meet the needs of urban digitalization and is also the core of its AI CITY concept.

As a city-wide, digital platform TacOS 3.0 aims to boost the implementation of urban digitalization and sustainability with technical product capabilities and solutions, supporting the large-scale implementation of "Carbon Neutrality and Carbon Peak" activites, around the world.

Compared with the previous version, TacOS 3.0 expands a single operating system into a comprehensive product profolio composed of CityIoT, CityOS, CityApp, and CityAIoT developer frameworks. These products, claim the company, will directly support urban digitalization and implementation of urban scenarios with "Carbon Neutrality and Carbon Peak" considerations at its core.





Terminus Group CTO Dr. Hua Xiansheng presenting TacOS 3.0

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The TacOS 3.0 Product Profolio:

1. CityIoT - provides highly available, cost-effective sensors/controllers, and cloud edge smart computing devices.

2. CityOS - based on TacOS, develops a metropolitan AIoT base to achieve the full domain, full volume and full-time digitalization of buildings, communities, parks, and urban spaces; At the same time, TacOS AI middle platform is developed to provide metro AI, digital capabilities, and capacity production platform services.

3. CityAPP - Provides customers with services and value-added services from digital top-level design to the implementation of software and hardware integration scheme to keep operation, and supports the smart scenarios of buildings, communities, parks, and cities around the goals of sustainability, smart city, and industrial empowerment.

4. CityAIoT - A developer framework, creating an integrated development environment and open community, and enables a broad developer ecosystem.

Under the TacOS 3.0 product profolio, Terminus Group also officially launched TacOS 3.0 system software, which includes the TacOS 3.0 all-in-one machine, TacOS 3.0 edge gateway and other software and hardware products. In addition, TacOS 3.0 also integrates the product portfolio of professional applications and integrated platforms for sustainability implementation needs.

From energy production to consumption, TacOS 3.0 supports the tracking and management of carbon situation throughout the life cycle, enabling it to be used as a sustainable digital foundation to meet the digital, smart, green, and low-carbon needs of buildings, communities, parks, cities and other urban scenarios.

According to Dr. Hua Xiansheng, Chief Technology Officer of Terminus Group, in recent years, with continuous breakthroughs in the frontier exploration of AI, achieving the efficient application of innovative technology in the industry has been a priority. Dr. Hua believes that creating irreplaceable value in the scenarios, implementing in a large scale, and adapting to the changing future of AIoT, platforms, and systematization, are all key strategies to deal with these challenges.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. Hua said: "Currently, we need a more powerful core platform to become a sustainable foundation for the implementation of AI's large-scale value. It is clear that it lies beyond the power of one company to seek a new chapter of global sustainability with ecological force. However, the rationale behind the development of TacOS 3.0, is to create a specific product that will be central to Terminus Group's future AI development strategy, with this in mind."

The promotion of "Carbon Neutrality and Carbon Peak" work is a systematic project, which requires the cooperation of both the upstream and downstream in the industrial chain, as well as across the industry, in universities and R&D. To this end, Terminus Group has established partnerships across the AIoT industry chain, and in different fields of expertise, to promote joint efforts of all parties and contribute to the implementation of sustainability in contemporary urban scenarios. This is achieved through scientific and technological innovation, industrial empowerment, financial services and other relevant areas. It is anticipated that the upgrade of TacOS to 3.0 will see its capabilities also bring many possibilities for subsequent exploration.

Since the launch of TacOS (1.0), the platform has been widely used in the urban AIoT industry, and is now operating in more than 120 cities, globally,. According to the Terminus Group, unlike similar products being developed by other companies, as an urban operating system, TacOS 3.0's modular and low threshold features can help developers reduce the difficulty of development, and also help solution providers more flexibly adapt to more urban scenarios, providing the possibility of creating a more vibrant ecological approach to city-wide planning.

Kratos Fan

001-626-4568311

fan.lvwei@tslsmart.com

United States

www.terminusgroup.com

###

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138640
Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, PC, a Bronx, NY-based injury law firm, announces an extension of its telephone hotline (888-6LEJEUNE) for those wishing to bring water contamination claims against Camp Lejeune.

Bronx, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - The latest initiative from renowned accident and medical malpractice attorneys Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. offers expert legal support to claimants who have suffered as a result of the toxic water supply at the infamous North Carolina military base. The firm is reaching out to anyone who may have spent more than 30 consecutive days at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987.

More details can be found at https://ask4sam.net/camp-lejeune-justice-act-new-york-states-toxic-water-claims-legal-action-information-page or by calling the hotline at 888-6LEJEUNE (888-653-5386).





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The recently launched hotline enables prospective claimants to speak with an experienced New York attorney and receive guidance on how best to move forward with legal action. The announcement explains that those seeking compensation have only two more years in which they can bring a case against the Camp Lejeune organization.

The support line has been set up in response to the passing of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2021 in June of this year. This legislation is part of the PACT Act which seeks to compensate veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their years of active service. Located in Jacksonville, NC, the drinking water supply at the United States Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune was found to have been contaminated with cancer-causing toxic volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethylene and vinyl chloride.

Silberstein, Awad & Miklos attorneys can help victims take advantage of this long-overdue legislative change. Previously, due to a statute of repose from the North Carolina legislature, a time limit of one year was imposed on any civil lawsuits relating to Camp Lejeune. More information can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=15403827867169252873

The firm is reaching out not only to soldiers who were stationed at the camp but also to their families and staff who worked at the base. Prospective claimants can call the toll-free hotline for a complimentary consultation with the legal team to determine whether they are eligible to seek compensation for damages and healthcare costs.

The Veterans Association has released a list of presumptive conditions for the Camp Lejeune lawsuits. These include bladder, liver, kidney, breast, brain, prostate, lung, and esophageal cancers alongside aplastic anemia, renal toxicity, ALS, birth defects, infertility, hepatic steatosis, leukemia, and childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

For more information, visit https://www.yahoo.com/news/ask4sam-launches-york-camp-lejeune-035200874.html To read about the initial launch of their Camp Lejeune injury hotline, or call 1-877-ASK4SAM.

Contact Info:

Name: Ask 4 SAM

Email: sam@ask4sam.net

Organization: Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C.

Address: 2825 3rd Ave Ste. 301, Bronx, NY 10455, United States

Phone: +1-718-204-8000

Website: https://ask4sam.net

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138649
Clinical Advisory Group to advise on Pneumagen's clinical development programme for Neumifil, a novel broad-spectrum antiviral intranasal spray. This will include the planned Phase 2 clinical trial in patients who are at high risk of viral induced exacerbations of their underlying disease, such as COPD and bronchiectasis.

ST ANDREWS, Scotland, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pneumagen, a clinical stage biotech company developing Neumifil, a broad-spectrum antiviral, intranasal drug for the prophylaxis and treatment of viral respiratory tract infections (RTIs), today announced the appointment of five world leading experts in respiratory and infectious diseases to its newly formed Clinical Advisory Group (CAG). The CAG will work closely with the Pneumagen management team to support its clinical development programmes, with an emphasis on the continued rapid and successful progress of its lead drug candidate, Neumifil.

The newly formed CAG will be chaired by Dr Charles Haworth, who will be joined by Professor James Chalmers, Professor Sanjay Haresh Chotirmall, Professor Peter Wark and Professor Kevin Winthrop.

"We believe that Neumifil has the potential to dramatically change the disease management landscape of patients with chronic lung disease at risk of viral induced exacerbations," said Dr Charles Haworth, Chairman of the CAG. "As a broad-spectrum antiviral, this novel treatment option has the potential to significantly reduce complications, hospitalisations and death for these patients who currently have limited options to prevent exacerbations of their condition."

Douglas Thomson, CEO of Pneumagen, commented, "We are exceptionally pleased and honoured to have attracted such high-quality members to our newly created Clinical Advisory Group, all of whom are prominent experts in the fields of infectious and respiratory diseases. Their experience, insight and guidance will be crucial for the design of the Phase 2 study planned for 2023. In this study our lead product, Neumifil, will be evaluated as a novel treatment for patients who are at high risk of viral induced exacerbations of their underlying disease, such as COPD and bronchiectasis."

The members of the Clinical Advisory Group are:

Dr Charles Haworth: Consultant Respiratory Physician, Cambridge Centre for Lung Infection at Royal Papworth Hospital England, he specialises in treating adults with cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections. He also serves as Honorary Consultant at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge England.

Professor James Chalmers: Asthma and Lung UK Chair of Respiratory Research at the University of Dundee and Honorary Consultant physician at Ninewells Hospital Scotland. His clinical and research interests are in respiratory infections including pneumonia, COVID-19, bronchiectasis and COPD.

Associate Professor Sanjay Haresh Chotirmall: Current professional and academic roles include Associate Professor and Provost's Chair of Molecular Medicine at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore where he also serves as Assistant Dean (Faculty Affairs). He is Consultant Respiratory Physician at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore and Visiting Reader at Imperial College London with clinical interests in bronchiectasis, complex infection and microbiome medicine.

Professor Peter Wark: Senior Staff Specialist in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle Australia, and a Conjoint Professor with the University of Newcastle Australia. In addition, he is a director of the Immune Health Programme at the Hunter Medical Research Institute.

Professor Kevin Winthrop: Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Studies in Portland, Oregon USA. Dr Winthrop is a Professor of Public Health at the School of Public Health and a Professor of Infectious Diseases and Ophthalmology at the School of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Prior to this, Dr Winthrop served as an infectious disease epidemiologist with the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Neumifil is currently being studied in a controlled human infection model (CHIM). This Phase 2, single centre, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of two dosing regimens of Neumifil, administered prophylactically as an intranasal spray to healthy participants, who then receive a controlled dose of flu virus. This clinical proof of concept study will enrol up to 100 individuals and follows a successful Phase 1 trial for Neumifil that produced positive preliminary data evaluating safety and tolerability in healthy volunteers.

For further information, please contact:

Pneumagen

Douglas Thomson, CEO

Email: info@pneumagen.com

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (Financial PR)

Frazer Hall, David Dible, Sandi Greenwood

Email: Pneumagen@medistrava.com

020 3928 6900)

About Pneumagen

Pneumagen is a clinical- stage biotech company developing Neumifil, its lead product, as an intranasal drug for the prophylaxis and treatment of a broad range of viral respiratory tract infections (RTIs).

Neumifil is a novel, engineered multivalent Carbohydrate Binding Molecule (mCBM), which is being developed for the broad-spectrum prevention and treatment of Influenza Virus (IFV), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and Coronavirus infections including COVID-19. Neumifil acts by directly binding and preventing the entry of the viral pathogens into the host. Neumifil was generated using Pneumagen's proprietary GlycoTarge technology that identifies novel mCBMs for further development.

In addition to Neumifil, Pneumagen is harnessing its GlycoTarge platform to enable the development of a pipeline of therapies targeting other infectious diseases.

Pneumagen was established in 2016 as a spin-out from the University of St Andrews in Scotland giving Pneumagen access to world-class scientific expertise and capabilities in viral RTI's specifically related to glycobiology.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/pneumagen-creates-international-clinical-advisory-group-of-world-leading-respiratory-and-infectious-disease-experts-301634702.html




South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup expressed expectations Wednesday that the country's homegrown KF-21 fighter under development will play a "great" role in deterring evolving North Korean threats.







Lee made the remarks at a ceremony celebrating the first flight of the jet that the country has been pushing to develop by 2026 under the 8.8 trillion-won ($6.15 billion) project aimed at replacing the aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighters and bolstering air power.







Built by Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), the fighter successfully carried out its maiden flight in July, but the test proceeded without any government-led ceremony due in part to uncertainties over whether the flight would succeed or fail.







"I am thankful to KAI, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the Air Force, related companies, academia and research institutes that have dedicated themselves to the development of the KF-21 fighter," Lee said.







"The KF-21 will be a key player for air defense that dominates future battlefields and will play a great role in deterring North Korean threats," he added.







The ceremony was attended by top Seoul officials, including DAPA Minister Eom Dong-hwan and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Jung Sang-hwa, as well as Indonesian Deputy Defense Minister Muhammad Herindra.







The presence of the senior official from Indonesia, a partner country in the KF-X project, apparently highlighted the country's commitment to continuing its participation in the fighter acquisition program.







DAPA officials said that Wednesday's ceremony was intended to demonstrate the capability of the KF-21 fighter to carry out its flight mission safely.







"A success in developing a Korean-style fighter means the country will become an advanced country that uses its homegrown aircraft for training Air Force pilots and defending its territorial air," a DAPA official was quoted as saying.







KF-21 prototypes are set to make more than 2,000 sorties to complete the development process by 2026. (Yonhap)


CAMBRIDGE, England and COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vernalis Research ("Vernalis"), a fully owned subsidiary of HitGen Inc., and Contera Pharma A/S ("Contera") are pleased to announce a strategic drug discovery collaboration on an undisclosed target.





Under the terms of the agreement, Vernalis and Contera will use their respective expertise in fragment and structure-based drug design and RNA-based drug development within neuroscience to design small molecules against a particularly challenging target for a rare neurologic disorder. All costs of activities until a predefined milestone will be shared between the partners. Should that first stage of the collaboration be successful, the partners will have the option to extend the collaboration and Vernalis will be entitled to receive research funding, downstream milestones and royalties on candidates resulting from the partnership. Contera will be responsible for development and commercialization of these candidates. The partners also have the option to extend the collaboration beyond the initial target.

Mike Wood, Managing Director of Vernalis said: "This strategic partnership marks the entry of Vernalis into the exciting field of RNA-targeting small molecules. We are extremely pleased to work with Contera on this promising target and we look forward to expanding our collaboration to multiple targets in the field of neurology."

Kenneth Vielsted Christensen, CSO of Contera, said: "We are pleased to announce this agreement which marks the expansion of our drug discovery efforts within the exciting field of RNA therapeutics. RNA-targeting small molecules is an area of high attention and entering this field will allow us to broaden both our target and indication space. The partnership with Vernalis, which is at the forefront of drug discovery innovation, enables us to drug previously undruggable neurology targets by adding small molecules targeting RNA to our existing in-house ASO and siRNA capabilities. Vernalis, a world leader in drug discovery, is a strong partner and the perfect match for us in our efforts to discover and develop novel RNA therapeutics for patients suffering from neurological disorders."

Dr. Jin Li, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of HitGen Inc., commented: "It is pleasing to see this collaboration between Vernalis and Contera. Targeting RNAs by small molecules or RNAi has become an exciting approach to developing innovative medicines for many diseases affecting human health. The technologies and expertise available at Vernalis and HitGen are highly relevant in this field. I look forward to seeing further progress from the collaboration."

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1768471/HitGen_Logo.jpg

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - MAX RESOURCE CORP. (TSXV: MAX) (OTC Pink: MXROF) (FSE: M1D2) ("Max" or the "Company") is pleased to report its ground-based IP and TMI anomalies correlated well with surface geochemical targets and successfully defined new drill targets at URU Central (URU-C and URU-CE). Mobilization of the drill rig is fully underway and continuous channel sampling at URU-CE returned 19.4m @ 1.3% copper + 2.5 g/t silver to be drill tested (refer to drone video in Figure 4a).

The 20-km-long URU District is located on the southern portion of the Company's wholly owned 90-km-long CESAR copper-silver project in Northeastern Colombia (refer to Figures 3 and 4).

The 14-line-km Induced Polarization (IP) and Ground Magnetometer (TMI) survey consisted of 7 lines spaced at 100m and with IP stations every 50m. At URU-C and URU-CE, the IP chargeability and TMI anomalies correlate with surface copper-silver mineralization, indicating extend of the mineralized zone to over 500m northeast, and dips to the east. Also, an extended 20-line-km TMI survey is underway testing the northern extensions of the TMI anomalies.

Mobilization Underway: Mobilization of the drill rig and related equipment nears completion; drilling will commence on or before October 11, 2022. The modular rig will run HTW or NTW diamond core and is capable of drilling to depths of 400m (refer to Figure 1).

Drilling Imminent: The first ever 2,000m program (8 holes from 5 pads) will drill test the main mineralized zones of URU-C and URU-CE. A second phase will immediately follow and continue through to year-end (refer to Figures 5 to 7).

URU-C, Pad 1: Two drill holes (P-URU1 and P-URU2) will test the down dip continuation of surface rock channel sampling, where results of 9.0m @ 7.0% copper + 115 g/t silver and 16.8m @ 8.3% copper + 146 g/t were obtained. The third hole (P-URU3) will test a blind target supported by a strong magnetic high and IP chargeability high at a depth of 100m.

URU-C, Pad 2 and 3: P-URU4 and P-URU5 are located 290m along strike and 190m vertically above Pad 1. These holes will test the down dip continuation of the surface channel sampled ridge of 52.0m @ 4.9 % copper + 41 g/t silver.

URC-CE, Pad 4 and 5: These pads will be located 373m vertically above and 750m east of Pad 1. Two drill holes (P-URU6 and P-URU7) from Pad 4 will test the surface channel sampled zone of 19.4m @ 1.3% copper + 2.5 g/t silver to depths of approximately 200m. Drill hole P-URU8 (Pad 5) will test an IP chargeability high target at a depth of 100m.

Initial drill results: Max anticipates mineralized intervals will be released in short order, as the chalcocite copper mineralization is distinctly visual as veinlets, stockworks and breccias (refer to Figure 2).

"The main objective of this initial drilling program at URU is to confirm the down dip continuation of the copper-silver mineralization for both the URU-C and URU-CE discoveries. Follow-up drilling will target mineralization along strike and further down dip. To gauge the enormity of the URU District, Max's drilling is currently targeting a significant 1-km of strike of the URU 20-km-long surface copper-silver mineralization," commented Max CEO, Brett Matich.

"Bloomberg New Energy Finance (NEF) estimates that in 20 years, the world's copper miners must double the amount of global production - from the current 21 million tonnes annually to 40 million tonnes - just to match the demand for a 30% penetration rate of electric vehicles," he continued.

"Max is fully funded, with approximately $20 million in the treasury, allowing the Company to continue exploring and expanding the copper-silver mineralization further into the CESAR Basin, while at the same time zeroing in with focused follow up exploration and drilling on significant discoveries," he concluded.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

Max adheres to a strict QA/QC program for core handling, sampling, sample transportation and analyses. Drill core samples will be securely transported to the Company's core facility in Valledupar, Colombia. Samples will be sawn in half, labelled, placed in sealed, securitized bags and shipped directly to ALS Laboratories for prep in Medellin, Colombia and subsequent assaying in ALS Lima, Peru.

QA/QC control procedures include the systematic insertion of duplicate, blank and certified reference materials (CRM), at regular intervals into the sampling stream. Geochemistry analyses will consist of four acid / ICP-MS (ME-MS61) with overlimit values subsequently analyzed using the four acid / ICP-AES (ME-OG62) technique.

In addition, all drillholes are surveyed for deviation via north-seeking gyro surveys. The deviation surveys provide accurate data about the true inclination and azimuth of the drill hole. Obtaining an accurate survey of the drill holes will result in a better contextual understanding of the drill samples, and a more robust 3D geological model. Max is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy of the data referred to herein.

Figure 1. Mobilization of the rig and core trays



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Figure 2. Chalcocite rich sample



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Figure 3. CESAR 90-km-long copper-silver belt



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Figure 4.URU 20-km-long drilling location



To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

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Figure 4a.The URU-C and URU-CE Drone Video (Click play image to view video) https://youtu.be/7ErABV-krC0



To view an enhanced version of Figure 4a, please visit:

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Ground Magnetometry (TMI) Results

Max has completed its first ground TMI survey over the same grid as the IP Survey at the URU-C and URU-CE area. Results have delivered an extremely strong correlation with known mineralization. Figure 5 demonstrates the strong magnetic high sitting directly over and on trend with URU-C defined by channel sampling reported from the base level of 9.0m @ 7.0% copper + 115 g/t silver and 16.8m @ 8.3% copper + 146 g/t silver.

The upper level is located 290m along strike and 190m vertically above the base level returned 4.9% copper + 41 g/t silver along a 52m ridgeline, true width is yet to be determined. This NE trending axis of the magnetic anomaly extends approximately 900m, well beyond the sampling to date.

Figure 5. Ground Magnetometer (TMI) and proposed P-URU1 to 8 drill holes



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All four magnetic highs appear to be connected with moderate intensity features. The ground TMI survey has been a resounding success with excellent correlation to mineralization and appears to be a cost-effective tool. As such the TMI survey has been approved for significant expansion for over 5-km along trend to the Northeast.

Induced Polarization (IP) Results

The high-resolution IP survey has now provided coverage over an 800m North South area, covering the URU-C and URU-CE discoveries. The IP chargeability data has demonstrated significant correlation with mineralized outcrops although with modest chargeability values. This could be explained by the presence of massive chalcocite as demonstrated in continuous channel sampling which would be extremely conductive but not very chargeable accounting for the modest chargeability.

Having said that, the trend of chargeability matches with the known zones and correlates extremely well with the TMI survey and particularly well with the 1-km East West Magnetic trend discussed above. The IP data also provides the three-dimensional view with depths over 200m, assisting in refining the drill targets. Figure 6 is a plan view of the IP Chargeability at 100m depth and Figure 7 is a compilation of all depth slices at 50m intervals integrated into topography.

Figure 6. Induced Polarization (IP) chargeability at -100m and proposed P-URU1 to 8 drill holes



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Figure 7. IP Chargeability -50m depth slices and proposed P-URU 1 to 8 drill holes



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Next Exploration Steps

Based on geophysical interpretation and already identified mineralized outcrops along the assumed northern extension from URU-C and URU-CE the Company has extended the ground TMI survey by over 20-line-km. Representative rock and soil sampling will be carried out along all IP and TMI lines and along the northern extensions of the TMI survey.

In addition, regional exploration will consist of interpretation and modelling of historic seismic data, MTI geophysical survey and geochemical sampling as the Company continues to work towards expanding zones further into the CESAR basin.

Cesar Copper Silver Project Summary

CESAR lies along the copper-silver rich 200-kilometre-long Cesar Basin in Northeastern Colombia. This region provides access to major infrastructure resulting from oil & gas and mining operations, including Cerrejon, the largest coal mine in South America, held by global miner Glencore (refer to Figure 1). Max's twenty-one mining concessions collectively expanse over 188-km.

Max is proactive, with the corporate goal of transitioning the Cesar basin towards the mining of copper, the key metal for the Colombia's transition to clean energy.

Max executed a 2-year co-operation agreement with Endeavour Silver Corp. (TSX: EDR) (NYSE: EXK), which assists Max to significantly expand its 100% owned landholdings at CESAR, Endeavour will hold underlying 0.5% NSR.

Max is focusing on three major copper-silver districts individually located along the CESAR 90-kilometre-long belt, with the objective of expanding the zones and defining drill targets. Next step is inaugural drilling program at URU-C and URU-CE:

The 32-km long AM district with highlight values of 34.4% copper and 305 g/t silver

with highlight values of 34.4% copper and 305 g/t silver The Conejo district , averages 4.9% copper (2% cut-off) over 3.7-km

, averages 4.9% copper (2% cut-off) over 3.7-km The 20-km long URU district , includes the URU-C and URU-CE discoveries, highlight channel sampling of:

7.0m @ 8.5% copper + 143 g/t silver

16.8m @8.3% copper + 146 g/t silver

52mn @ 4.9% copper + 41 g/t silver

19.4m @ 1.3% copper + 2.5 g/t silver

, includes the URU-C and URU-CE discoveries, highlight channel sampling of: 7.0m @ 8.5% copper + 143 g/t silver 16.8m @8.3% copper + 146 g/t silver 52mn @ 4.9% copper + 41 g/t silver 19.4m @ 1.3% copper + 2.5 g/t silver Regional exploration continues along the CESAR 90-kilometre-long copper belt

Geologically, Max interprets the sediment-hosted copper-silver mineralization in the Cesar basin to be analogous to both the Central African Copper Belt (CACB) in the south and the Kupferschiefer deposits in Poland of the CESAR copper-silver belt to the north. Almost 50% of the copper known to exist in sediment-hosted deposits is contained in the CACB, including Ivanhoe Mines Ltd (TSX: IVN) 95-billion-pound Kamoa-Kakula discovery in the Congo.

Kupferschiefer, the world's largest silver producer and Europe's largest copper source, is a mining orebody ranging from 0.5 to 5.5m thick at depths of 500m, grading 1.49% copper and 48.6 g/t silver. The silver yield is almost twice the production of the world's second largest silver mine.

Source: Central African Belt Descriptive models, grade-tonnage relations, and databases for the assessment of sediment-hosted copper deposits with emphasis on deposits in the Central Africa Copperbelt, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia by USGS 2010. Kamoa-Kakula by OreWin March 2020. World Silver Survey 2020 and Kupferschiefer Deposits & Prospects in SW Poland, September 27, 2019. Max cautions investors that the presence of copper mineralization of the Central African Copper Belt and the Polish Kupferschiefer are not necessarily indicative of similar mineralization at CESAR.

Qualified Person

The Company's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release was reviewed and approved by Tim Henneberry, P Geo (British Columbia), a member of the Max Resource Advisory Board, who serves as a qualified person under the definition of National Instrument 43:101.

About Max Resource Corp.

Max Resource Corp. (TSXV: MAX) is a mineral exploration company advancing the newly discovered district-scale CESAR copper-silver project. The wholly owned CESAR project sits along the Colombian portion of the world's largest producing copper belt (Andean belt), with world class infrastructure and the presence of global majors (Glencore and Chevron).

In addition, Max controls the RT Gold project (100% earn-in) in Peru, encompassing a bulk tonnage primary gold porphyry zone, and 3-km to the NW, a gold bearing massive sulphide zone. Historic drilling in 2001, returned values ranging 3.1 to 118.1 g/t gold over core lengths ranging from 2.2 to 36.0-metres.

The safety of our people and the communities where we operate is most important. We conduct exploration in a manner which supports protection of ecosystems through responsible environmental stewardship.

Source: NI 43:101 Geological Report Rio Tabaconas Gold Project for Golden Alliance Resources Corp. by George Sivertz, Oct.3, 2011

For more information visit: https://www.maxresource.com/

For additional information contact:

Tim McNulty E: info@maxresource.com

T: (604) 290-8100

Rahim Lakha E. rahim@bluesailcapital.com

*The Venture 50 ranking is provided by TSX Venture Exchange Inc. ("TSXV") for information purposes only. Neither TMX Group Limited nor any of its affiliated companies guarantees the completeness of this information and are not responsible for any errors or omissions in or any use of, or reliance on, this information. The Venture 50 program is not an invitation to purchase securities listed on TSX Venture Exchange. TSXV and its affiliates do not endorse or recommend any of the referenced securities or issuers, and this information should not be construed as providing any trading, legal, accounting, tax, investment, business, financial or other advice and should not be relied on for such purposes".

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.

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 TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for Max Resources Corp. 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 filings are available at www.sedar.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138629
Company receives highest recognition for providing the most innovative broker software in the industry

Brighton, UK, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Systems today announced that it has been recognised as this year's Best Broker Software Management House by Insurance Times in the Tech & Innovation Awards. The award acknowledges exceptional services for brokers and highlights broker satisfaction in areas such as innovation, security, trading navigation, data analytics and the overall etrading experience.

The annual Insurance Times Tech & Innovation Awards acknowledge and celebrate companies that are blazing a trail for others and demonstrating the benefits of fully utilising technology. For Best Broker Software Management House, judges specifically acknowledged Applied Systems' forward-thinking approach and strategy that focus on being a technology enabler to an industry that has been starved in the past.

"We are honoured to be recognised as the UK's most innovative leader in broker software by Insurance Times," said Tom Needs, Chief Executive Officer, Applied Systems Europe. "The recognition is a testament to the work Applied has done to partner with our customers to bring new innovation to a market eager to see new providers provide alternate solutions to the time-old challenges of this industry."

The Applied products and logos are trademarks of Applied Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S.

About Applied Systems

Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world's largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied's people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.
Two gold awards solidify UST's reputation as a leading Human Capital Management performer in the technology sector

LONDON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UST, a leading digital transformation solutions company, has won a total of nine coveted Brandon Hall Group awards for excellence in Human Capital Management (HCM) across a range of categories. UST received two golds, two silvers, and five bronze awards, a testament to the outstanding work that the teams are doing to achieve boundless impact, immersive employee learning experiences, and training programs.





UST received excellence awards for entries in the following categories: Best Advance in Competencies and Skill Development, Best Advance in Leadership and Development for Women, Best Advance in Talent Management Technology Implementation, Best Advance in Leadership Development, Best New Hire Onboarding Program, Best Use of a Blended Learning Program, Best Advance in Corporate Culture Transformation and twice for Best Results of a Learning Program.

UST received gold recognition in two categories, Best Advance in Talent Management Technology Implementation for its Career Velocity initiative as well as Best Results of a Learning Program for the Automation for Efficiency campaign. Career Velocity is an innovative program that allows employees to chart a career path by examining the advancement opportunities that accompany a range of skill sets. Managers and employees use resources from Career Velocity to uncover career preferences and discover how best to expand skills. Furthermore, the learning intervention put in place by UST through the Automation for Efficiency campaign has been successful across various geographies and has fulfilled a range of business needs.

The entries were evaluated by a panel of independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts and executives who found that UST has established a robust HCM leadership development program based on its unique Servant Leadership philosophy. Servant Leadership incorporates the ideals of empowerment, team building, participatory management and the customer service ethic under a single leadership philosophy. This dynamic leadership methodology makes UST a leader in HCM and emphasizes service to others, a holistic approach to work, promoting a sense of community and the sharing of power in decision making.

UST was recognized for placing employees at the center of everything that the company does and striking an ideal balance between results and relationships. Partnerships with leading companies such as Udemy, ProGrad and Enparadigm allow for continuing education for UST team members, ensuring that they are able to gain the skills needed for career advancement. Brandon Hall Group evaluated entries based upon these criteria: how well they fit the need, the design of the program, functionality, innovation and overall measurable benefits.

"Digital upskilling is critical at all levels of a corporation, especially for leaders who must be equipped with the technical, data and management skills necessary to execute successful transformation. Our award-winning programs are deepened by collaboration across the organization and give us a framework as well as the necessary tools to support change from within. Our core tenet at UST is 'Born To Learn'. These awards are a reflection of how much it is ingrained into everything we do every single day at UST. Winning nine Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards underscore UST as an organization that is an elite Human Capital Management innovator," said Kavita Kurup, Global Head for Human Resources, UST.

"As a leading digital services partner to our clients, we have focused on creating a digital culture within our organization first. An overarching Servant Leadership Philosophy and the Born to learn Culture has helped us accelerate our internal Digital Transformation. I am delighted to see that Industry Benchmarking and research bodies like Brandon Hall are noticing such efforts. The awards are a true testimony to UST's continuing focus on making ourselves an employer of choice and a Digital Transformation partner of choice," said Madana Kumar, Global Head - Leadership Development, UST.

"Excellence Award winners distinguish themselves through their growing understanding that all the functions of HCM are integrated and must work together to move businesses forward. It is a pleasure to see more organizations collaborating across functions and getting more sophisticated and accomplished at delivering measurable benefit through ground-breaking HCM practices. We saw more alignment between HCM and business objectives than ever before," said Rachel Cooke, Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Hall Group.

For more information about careers at UST, please visit https://www.ust.com/careers

About UST

For more than 22 years, UST has worked side by side with the world's best companies to make a real impact through transformation. Powered by technology, inspired by people, and led by our purpose, we partner with our clients from design to operation. Through our nimble approach, we identify their core challenges, and craft disruptive solutions that bring their vision to life. With deep domain expertise and a future-proof philosophy, we embed innovation and agility into our clients' organizations-delivering measurable value and lasting change across industries, and around the world. Together, with over 30,000 employees in 30+ countries, we build for boundless impact-touching billions of lives in the process. Visit us at www.UST.com

About Brandon Hall Group

Brandon Hall Group operates the largest and longest running awards program in Human Capital Management. As an independent HCM research and analyst firm they conduct studies in Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Talent Acquisition and HR/Workforce Management. These benchmark studies help organizations by providing strategic insights for executives and practitioners responsible for growth and business results.

Coupling the research studies with the best practice from the awards, Brandon Hall Group has helped more than 10,000 clients globally and more than 28 years of delivering world-class research and advisory. At the core of our offerings is a membership program that combines research, benchmarking and unlimited access to data and analysts. Membership enables executives and practitioners to make the right decisions about people, processes, and systems, coalesced with analyst advisory services which aim to put the research into action in a way that is practical and efficient.

Brandon Hall Group has also launched professional certifications for business and human capital management professionals to upskill themselves and gain credentials for career advancement. (www.brandonhall.com)

Media Contacts, UST:

Tinu Cherian Abraham

+1 (949) 415-9857

Merrick Laravea

+1 (949) 416-6212

Neha Misri

+91-9284726602

media.relations@ust.com

Media Contacts, U.S.:

S&C PR

+1-646.941.9139

media@scprgroup.com



Makovsky

ust@makovsky.com

Media Contacts, Australia:

Team Lewis

ust@teamlewis.com

Media Contacts, U.K.:

FTI Consulting

UST@fticonsulting.com

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Hithium's new battery has an energy efficiency of 95% and an energy density of 170 Wh/kg. It can purportedly operate for more than 12,000 cycles.China's Hithium presented a new battery at the RE+ Anaheim event in California last week. "We produced the Hithium 300Ah Battery at our manufacturing facility in Xiamen City, Fujian Province," a company spokesperson told pv magazine. "And in the near future, we'll also have another manufacturing plant in Chongqing." The battery measures 71 mm x 173 mm x 207 mm and weighs 5.6 kg. It has a capacity of 300 Ah and a nominal voltage of 3.2 V. It also features ...

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.
It serves multiple Ahold Delhaize brands in Europe and the U.S.



The plant builds on a long tradition. The first Delhaize wine bottling plant opened in 1880.

Capacity of bottling 18.000 bottles per hour.

Reducing carbon emissions through bulk transportation.



Zaandam, the Netherlands, 28 September, 2022. Yesterday, in the presence of Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, Delhaize opened its new wine bottling plant in Brussels. Standing at 9,500 square metres, it is the largest in the Benelux, representing an investment of 30 million. The plant will not only bottle wine for Delhaize customers, but also for other Ahold Delhaize brands in Europe and the U.S. and brands outside Ahold Delhaize. With this new plant, Ahold Delhaize strengthens its wine expertise in a sustainable and efficient way.

In the bottling plant, wines from different vineyards from around the world arrive in bulk, in tankers or via containers. They are stored in large barrels in the wine cellar until they are ready to be bottled. Before the wine is bottled or boxed and goes to the store, the wine goes through a number of processes such as filtering. The filtration and storage processes are still carried out in the traditional way.

Reducing carbon emissions through bulk transportation

It is the ambition to bottle a natural product such as wine in a sustainable way. That is why Delhaize has invested in sustainable systems such as water and heating for cleaning and maintaining the temperature in the building. Besides that, the wine is stored underground as there is an almost constant temperature in winter and summer without the need for cooling or heating. Importing wine from all over the world in bulk, instead of bottled wines not only halves transportation costs, it also reduces the wine's carbon emissions.

Sharing expertise

Delhaize wants to continue to offer affordable high-quality wine to customers. The wine that is bottled in the new plant will not only be available in Delhaize stores, but also at other brands within Ahold Delhaize. By doing so, the brands are sharing expertise with a focus on innovation, sustainability and affordable prices for customers.

Wouter Kolk, CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia: "The great local brands of Ahold Delhaize all have their own special or local expertise. I am always proud when we can share knowledge in a way that benefits our other brands, and their customers.Today it becomes clear that Delhaize's 140+ years of experience in bottling wines is taken to an even more ambitious level. My congratulations to the Delhaize team for this strong and sustainable achievement!"

Art of the heritage

Wine has always been an important product for Delhaize. Shortly after Delhaize was founded in 1867, it opened its own wine bottling plant in 1880 in Brussels. This tradition continues with the opening of the new, high-tech wine bottling plant which can bottle the equivalent of 14 Olympic swimming pools per year and has a storage capacity of three million liters of wine.

New wine bottling plant in numbers:

Investment of 30 million

9,500 m surface area

Serves multiple Ahold Delhaize brands: Delhaize, Albert Heijn, Gall & Gall, AB Vassilopoulos, Mega Image, Albert, Hannaford and Food Lion.

Storage capacity of three million liters of wine

18,000 bottles bottled per hour

Four bottle lines

8 km of pipes in which wine is transported

150 different wines

73 employees and wine experts

Half of the bottles sold at Delhaize come from this bottling plant

-ENDS-





Cautionary notice

This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words such as is, will, strengthens, sustainable, efficient, ambition, continue to and taken to, or other similar words or expressions, are typically used to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the "Company") to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the Company's public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company's management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Company's management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

For more information

Press office: +31 88 6595134 / media.relations@aholddelhaize.com

Investor relations: +31 88 659 5213 / investor.relations@aholddelhaize.com

Social media: Instagram: @Ahold-Delhaize | LinkedIn: @Ahold-Delhaize | Twitter: @AholdDelhaize

About Ahold Delhaize

Ahold Delhaize is one of the world's largest food retail groups and a leader in both supermarkets and e-commerce. Its family of great local brands serves 55 million customers each week, both in stores and online, in the United States, Europe, and Indonesia. Together, these brands employ more than 413,000 associates in 7,452 grocery and specialty stores and include the top online retailer in the Benelux and the leading online grocers in the Benelux and the United States. Ahold Delhaize brands are at the forefront of sustainable retailing, sourcing responsibly, supporting local communities and helping customers make healthier choices. The company's focus on four growth drivers - drive omnichannel growth, elevate healthy and sustainable, cultivate best talent and strengthen operational excellence - is helping to fulfil its purpose, achieve its vision and prepare its brands and businesses for tomorrow. Headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands, Ahold Delhaize is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels stock exchanges.

Attachments
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - On 22nd September 2022, XTrend Speed won Best Forex Copy Trading Platform - Global given by Global Forex Awards.





XTrend Speed wins the 6th 2022 award--Best Forex Copy Trading Platform

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/138646_00deb57b249fb869_001full.jpg

In mid-May, XTrend Speed was among the competition for Best Copy Trading Platform. Four months later, it stands out from hundreds of those involved in the competition, showing XTrend Speed is a professional broker, and the Copy Trading function has high recognition.

Copy Trading is a function that was developed to provide assistance to novices. Novices don't have enough introductory knowledge to analyse the fundamentals, technical indicators and financial statements that are needed to invest. Therefore, XTrend Speed developed the Copy Trading function with which novices can copy any masters' trades present in the app.

One point worth emphasizing is that the Copy Trading function developed by other brokers is an independent derivative app, that is to say investors need to download another app, which increases time costs and sunk costs. However, XTrend Speed features the function, making the usage experience simpler and smoother.

It is the Copy Trading function that fits perfectly with XTrend Speed's philosophy--- "Trade big - Dream big". The CEO of XTrend Speed Michael Rezaie once said: "Our technology evolved by listening to traders and developing an app they want to use. Today traders want instant access to the markets, wherever they are in the world. XTrend Speed is the ultimate app for the mobile generation." As he says, "we improve products in our clients' best interest and work hard to develop the path for realizing customers' dreams."

About XTrend Speed

XTrend Speed, a professional broker, supports investors trading more than 140 symbols involved in Forex, commodity, index and stock. It has gone viral across more than 170 countries in recent years, with more than 10,000,000 users. XTrend Speed pushes small-amount investment, which allows traders to invest from $2. It features such functions as Watch Live that livestreams the analysis of symbols, Starters School, News, Copy Trading. With the help of these, both novices and masters can find investment that works for them in XTrend Speed.

Download link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rynatsa.xtrendspeed

Announcement link:

https://www.globalforexawards.com/retailawards

https://www.globalbrandsmagazine.com/award-winners-2022/

https://panfinance.net/category/award-winners/

https://www.forex-awards.com/

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/573258995/xtrend-speed-wins-best-mobile-broker-award-in-europe-for-2022

Company Name: Rynat Capital (Pty) Ltd

Contact Person: Kai-te Huang

Email: support@xtrendspeed.com

Country: South Africa

Website: www.xtrendspeed.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138646
MONACO, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New solutions ranging from preserving biodiversity to water treatment to build together a more sustainable future in the yachting industry.



The 2nd Monaco Smart and Sustainable Marina Rendezvous has come to an end collecting ideas and projects to take a step closer to the marinas of the future. At the centre of two-day event, hosted by Yacht Club de Monaco, meetings and talks between 50 startups and 20 marinas and architects representing 26 nations. For this second edition, M3 (Monaco Marina Management), the Monegasque consultancy specialised in development, management and promotion of marinas and yacht clubs partnered again with Blumorpho, experts in innovation for sustainable business, with support from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation,the Government's digital transition programme, Extended Monaco, Credit Suisse, Al-Rushaid Group, Bombardier, MB92 and Xerjoff. In the continuity of marina event, the organisers now want to bring together the entire boat ecosystem with the organization on March 13 - 14 2023 of the first edition of Monaco Smart and Sustainable Yacht.

The International Smart & Sustainable Marina Awards 2022 winners were announced. The Israelian startup ECOncrete was chosen among 7 finalists for their bio-enhancing concrete technology that can be integrated to traditional marine construction projects. "Designed to promote marine biodiversity, enables responsible marine constructions", explained Philippe LeBlanc, Eu sales & business development manager. In the architects category, first place went to NBAX for their marina in Sanya, Hainan, implementing a yacht club in combination with a film studio. In the Marinas category Flisvos (Greece) won the prize. The public vote crowned Habacoa (Bahamas) and its superyacht marina project with 136 berths (the smallest is 45 meter the largest is 220 meter).

"The level of architectural firms' projects was very high: some of them are already established, while others are new discoveries. In general - noted Jean-Michel Wilmotte, archistar and member of the jury in the architects category - in my opinion the marinas represent the connection between land and water. They are places where you can live, where you can spend days among design and activity. We are approaching a new dimension for marinas, which can therefore become places to spend time. I think Monaco is the right place to see this change: from an architectural point of view the city is constantly evolving and the new Yacht Club headquarters is an example of how to combine the world of boating and architecture . I believe these two worlds combine well together. " "It was a fantastic experience, the level of startups was very high and the work sectors were the most varied: from water treatment to robotics to energy efficiency. It is a very useful event for marinas. We awarded the Israeli 'ECOncrete' because we assessed the positive impact for sustainability. The material presented can be used on a large scale," said Marc Hervas MB92.

For more information:

LaPresse SpA Communication and Press Office Director

Barbara Sanicola - barbara.sanicola@lapresse.it

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/87af3162-ffe7-45d3-8def-1d403b4ea37c

The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/652ee808-9887-4477-97ee-d383b3c2f596
LONDON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wirex, a global leader in the blockchain industry, today announced the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Uzbekistan Direct Investment Fund. With this partnership, the company will support the Uzbek government as they implement blockchain solutions and distributed ledger technology for various government services.





The collaboration with Wirex comes at a pivotal time as Uzbekistan looks to become a Central Asian leader in implementing innovative financial technology. Having recently established a forward-thinking regulatory framework for the country's sector, the move aims to further attract retail and institutional investors. In addition to the partnership, Wirex plans to provide financial investment for several projects to promote growth within the finance and blockchain sectors, enable 35 million Uzbekistan's to access to the benefits of blockchain technology.

Atabek Nazirov, Director of the Uzbekistan Direct Investment Fund commented: "Being located in the heart of the Central Asia, with traditions infused by the Great Silk Road, Uzbekistan has always played a critical role in the economic and financial growth of the region. To continue this path, it's vital we take advantage of opportunities within the global fintech space and utilise new technologies, including blockchain and distributed ledger. Wirex is a global veteran and one of the fintech leaders, with regulatory expertise in multiple markets. They already possess what we need to achieve this, including the global regulatory landscape and technical aspects of blockchain integration. We're delighted to choose to partner with Wirex."

Commenting on the partnership, Svyatoslav Garal, Managing Director of Wirex APAC said: "Over the past 7 years, our company has gathered tremendous experience in developing blockchain technologies and has built one of the best platforms in the world. Aligning closely with our goals, this partnership is a significant milestone not only for Wirex and Uzbekistan, but also for blockchain more generally. We're excited to work alongside the Uzbekistan Direct Investment Fund in order to help the sector thrive, enrich the financial ecosystem there and set a benchmark for other countries, and ultimately expand."

About Wirex

Wirex is a worldwide digital payment platform and regulated institution that has forged new rules in the digital payments space. In 2015, the firm developed the world's first crypto-enabled payment card that gives users the ability to seamlessly spend crypto and traditional currencies in real life.

Wirex was created in 2014 by CEOs and co-founders Pavel Matveev and Dmitry Lazarichev, who identified the need to open up the esoteric world of cryptocurrencies and make digital money accessible for everyone. With the core aim of making it as easy as possible to use digital assets in everyday life, Wirex provides a trusted and cost-effective service for crypto and traditional currency transactions by incorporating the next generation of payments infrastructure integrated with cryptocurrency blockchains.

With over 5 million customers across 130 countries, the company offers secure accounts that allow customers to easily store, buy and exchange multiple currencies instantly at the best live rates on one centralised mobile app. Quick and simple crypto transfer options are available, as well as the freedom to spend 150+ traditional and cryptocurrencies in more than 80 million locations around the world using the Wirex card.

Wirex continues to develop the product in line with market developments, whilst adhering to regional regulations and securing appropriate licensing where it exists. A proven industry pioneer, Wirex launched their own native utility token, WXT, and introduced the world's first crypto reward programme, Cryptoback, which earns cardholders up to 8% back in WXT for every transaction they make.

To reflect the growth of the metaverse, throughout 2021, the company has expanded their product to enable mainstream access to DeFi. Starting with the launch of their popular X-Accounts feature, offering unprecedented levels of interest, Wirex has continued to add to their DeFi arsenal with the release of the non-custodial Wirex Wallet and a partnership with Nereus, a decentralised liquidity market.

Wirex is based in London, with offices in Singapore, Kyiv, Dallas, Dublin and Atlanta. With over $5bn worth of transactions processed already and rapid expansion into new territories, including the US, Wirex is uniquely placed to support and promote the mass adoption of a cashless society through creative solutions.

| wirexapp.com |

About the Uzbekistan Direct Investment Fund

The Uzbekistan Direct Investment Fund (UzDIF) is a state-owned fund with a focus on providing long-term capital to leading companies in Uzbekistan with strong potential for growth and high shareholder returns. The fund also aims to attract foreign investments as co-investors to develop growing industries, support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and grow regional economies. The Uzbekistan Fund for Reconstruction and Development (UFRD), a sovereign wealth fund, is the sole shareholder of the Direct Investment Fund.

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PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Data Bridge Market Research has recently published a Report, titled, "Global Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor Market" The report offers an extensive analysis of key growth strategies, drivers, opportunities, key segment, Porter's Five Forces analysis, and competitive landscape. A comprehensive Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor market research report offers greater insights into different market segments on which firms are largely depending for surviving in the market. All the elements involved in this report are investigated and analysed by a team of imaginative, eager and motivated researchers and analysts so that nothing gets missed out in the study. Hence, the market report is all-embracing and object-oriented which is structured with the combination of an admirable industry expertise, unique solutions, industry knowledge and most recent tools and technology. If you want to succeed in today's fast-paced business environment, you need to read this Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor report since it's a wealth of knowledge covering all the latest developments and providing insightful industry analysis.





Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the smoke, gas and alcohol sensor market which was growing at a value of 3.64 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach the value of USD 18.82 billionby 2029, at aCAGR of 22.80%during the forecast period of 2022-2029. In addition to the insights on market scenarios such as market value, growth rate, segmentation, geographical coverage, and major players, the market reports curated by the Data Bridge Market Research also include in-depth expert analysis, geographically represented company-wise production and capacity, network layouts of distributors and partners, detailed and updated price trend analysis and deficit analysis of supply chain and demand.

Get Sample Copy of the Report to understand the structure of the complete report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-smoke-gas-and-alcohol-sensor-market

A smoke sensor is a device that is installed in smoke alarms. A smoke alarm detects the presence of smoke in a home and alerts the occupants that a fire has started. Gas sensors are electronic devices that detect and identify various types of gases. They are commonly used to detect toxic or explosive gases and to measure gas concentration. The alcohol sensor, which detects ethanol in the air, is technically known as a MQ3 sensor. When a drunk person breathes near an alcohol sensor, the sensor detects the ethanol in his breath and provides an output based on the concentration of alcohol.

The global development and implementation of various health and safety regulations, increased adoption of gas sensors in HVAC systems and air quality monitors, increased demand for gas sensors in critical industries, increased air pollution levels, and the need to monitor air quality in smart cities are the factors driving the growth of the gas, smoke and alcohol sensor market. Alcohol consumption impairs a person's judgement. An individual loses the ability to think clearly, leading to various issues such as drinking and driving, which increases the risk of accidents and harmful activities that escalate into ferocity.

Some of the major players operating in the smoke, gas and alcohol sensor market are:

Texas Instruments Incorporated

Panasonic Corporation

Siemens

Honeywell International Inc.

ABB

Analog Devices, Inc.

General Electric

Kongsberg

Emerson Electric Co.

STMicroelectronics

Microchip Technology Inc.

NXP Semiconductors

Maxim Integrated

Mouser Electronics, Inc.

Robert Bosch GmbH

T.E. Connectivity

OMEGA Engineering Inc.

Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Endress+Hauser Hauser Group Services AG

Amphenol Corporation

Recent Developments

In November 2019 Sensirion AG, a sensor manufacturer , released a new mass flow metre for measuring oxygen (O2) and laughing gas (N2O) levels. The product is expected to hit the market by mid-2020.

, released a new mass flow metre for measuring oxygen (O2) and laughing gas (N2O) levels. The product is expected to hit the market by mid-2020. In August 2022 , Emerson Electric Co. Ltd., an American technology leader , launched two new Rosemount 628 Universal Wireless Gas Sensors to detect three gases carbon monoxide, oxygen, and hydrogen sulfide simultaneously.

, , launched two new Rosemount 628 Universal Wireless Gas Sensors to detect three gases carbon monoxide, oxygen, and hydrogen sulfide simultaneously. Amphenol, a fibre optic cable manufacturing company based in the United States , launched the Telaire T3022 series of CO2 lasers in March 2019 .

, launched the Telaire T3022 series of CO2 lasers in . In January 2019 , NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. acquired Caire Inc., a manufacturer of oxygen sensors, to expand its product portfolio with oxygen sensors.

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Expected Impact of Economic Slowdown on the Pricing and Availability of Products

When economic activity slows, industries begin to suffer. The forecasted effects of the economic downturn on the pricing and accessibility of the products are taken into account in the market insight reports and intelligence services provided by DBMR. With this, our clients can typically keep one step ahead of their competitors, project their sales and revenue, and estimate their profit and loss expenditures.

Opportunity

Smart phone-based sensors integrated with mobile applications and rising demand for accurate alcohol and narcotics detection systems will create enormous opportunities for the growth of the smoke, gas, and alcohol sensor market during the forecast period.

What the Report has in Store for you?

Industry Size & Forecast: The industry analysts have offered historical, current, and expected projections of the industry size from the cost and volume point of view

Future Opportunities: In this segment of the report, Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor competitors are offered with the data on the future aspects that the Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor industry is likely to provide

Industry Trends & Developments: Here, authors of the report have talked about the main developments and trends taking place within the Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor marketplace and their anticipated impact at the overall growth

Study on Industry Segmentation: Detailed breakdown of the key Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor industry segments together with product type, application, and vertical has been done in this portion of the report

Regional Analysis: Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor market vendors are served with vital information of the high growth regions and their respective countries, thus assist them to invest in profitable regions

Competitive Landscape: This section of the report sheds light on the competitive situation of the Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor market by focusing at the crucial strategies taken up through the players to consolidate their presence inside the Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor industry.

Key Industry Drivers

Rising pollution levels and growing emphasis on HVAC systems

The growing use of HVAC systems and rising levels of air pollution have accelerated global demand for gas sensors from critical industries to monitor air quality. The government's emphasis on industrial hygiene and safety is expected to open up new opportunities for gas sensor manufacturers. Aside from that, the global development of smart cities provides a boost to market growth. Global demand for gas sensors is being fuelled by a rapidly expanding semiconductor industry, the development of high-end features in sensor devices, and technological advancements. Regulations imposed by the government on industries and mining, as well as other activities to reduce emissions, are expected to accelerate market growth.

Strict regulations on drunk driving

Currently, one of the key drivers increasing the adoption of alcohol sensor is drunk driving regulation. The police use a two-step procedure to enforce drunk driving laws. In the first step, potential offenders are screened at sobriety checkpoints. Previously, they used handheld Alco metres to identify individuals who may be driving while under the influence of alcohol. Blood sampling or more advanced breath analysing instruments are used in the second step to deliver judicial evidence. The first sorting phase is typically inefficient because checkpoints must be strategically placed to avoid impeding traffic, which encourages the use of alcohol sensors.

What are the key highlights of this report?

A well-outlined evaluation of the pricing data has been conducted by prominent analysts, based on the product, application, as well as regional terrains

A detailed scrutiny pertaining to the vendor landscape alongside the important companies that may help better evaluate the competitive scenario of the global marketplace

Important, insightful information with respect to the regulatory spectrum that governs the market, coupled with the investments poured in by many stakeholders in the global industry

A deep-dive scrutiny of the many parameters boosting the overall market share along with their influence on the projection as well as dynamics of the global industry

A detailed understanding of the numerous opportunities available in the global market as well as the identification of important factors

An intrinsic evaluation of the many trends prevailing in the global market that may help scrutinize the developments in the business space

To Gain More Insights about this Research, Visit @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-smoke-gas-and-alcohol-sensor-market

Market Scope: Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor Industry

By Power source

Battery Powered

Hardwired With Battery Backup

Hardwired Without Battery Backup

By Product type

Photoelectric Smoke Detector

Ionization Smoke Detector

Dual Sensor Smoke Detector

Others

Service

Engineering Services

Installation & Design Services

Maintenance Services

Managed Services

Other Services

By Type

Oxygen

Carbon Monoxide (C.O.)

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Nitrogen Oxide

Hydrocarbon

Other Types

By Technology

Electrochemical

Photoionization Detectors (PID)

Solid State/Metal Oxide Semiconductor

Catalytic

Infrared

Semiconductor

Fuel Cell Technology

Others

By End users

Commercial

Residential

Oil & Gas and Mining

Transportation & Logistics

Telecommunication

Manufacturing

Food & Beverages

Others

Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor Market Regional Analysis/Insights

The countries covered in the smoke, gas and alcohol sensor market report are U.S., Canada and Mexico in North America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, 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.

Asia-Pacific dominated the market, accounting for more than 32.0% of global revenue. The growing awareness of the impact of air pollutants on human health in Asia Pacific countries such as India and China is driving demand for gas sensors for air quality monitoring.

Table of Content:

Section 01: executive summary

Section 02: scope of the report

Section 03: research methodology

Section 04: introduction

Section 05: market landscape

Section 06: market sizing

Section 07: five forces analysis

Section 08: market segmentation by product Type

Section 09: market segmentation by Technology

Section 10: customer landscape

Section 11: market segmentation by end-user

Section 12: regional landscape

Section 13: decision framework

Section 14: drivers and challenges

Section 15: market trends

Section 16: competitive landscape

Section 17: company profiles

Section 18: appendix

Request for Detailed TOC @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-smoke-gas-and-alcohol-sensor-market

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Prosecutors on Wednesday arrested former Vice Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Hwa-young on charges of taking bribes from an underwear company in return for business favors, officials said







Lee, currently the head of the convention and exhibition center KINTEX, was accused of pocketing some 250 million won ($175,315) worth of bribes from Ssangbangwool in the forms of a corporate credit card and luxury vehicles between 2018 and early 2022 while he was serving as vice Gyeonggi governor for peace and then head of KINTEX.







Lee previously served on the underwear maker's board of directors as an outside member.







Prosecutors believe that in return for the bribes, Lee helped Ssangbangwool sign a business agreement with North Korean organizations in 2019, under which the underwear firm is promised business rights to secure rare earth metals and other mineral resources from North Korea.







Ssangbangwool's stocks had skyrocketed following the deal.







On Wednesday, Lee was detained after the Suwon District Court issued an arrest warrant on charges of bribery and political fund law violations. The court also issued an arrest warrant for Ssangbangwool's vice chairman on bribery and other charges, officials said.







Lee has denied the charges, saying he hasn't used a corporate credit card issued by the underwear firm.







The case is drawing attention as it took place while Lee Jae-myung, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, was serving as Gyeonggi governor. Prosecutors are likely to look into whether the DPK chairman was aware of the alleged ties between the former deputy governor and Ssangbangwool. (Yonhap)


With site documentation, OpenSpace will provide visibility and efficiency to QBS' network throughout various industries

SAN FRANCISCO and LONDON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OpenSpace , the global leader in 360 jobsite capture and AI-powered analytics, shared that European software procurement platform QBS Software is joining its Partner Network. With more than 10,000 software publishers on its platform and expert customer service, QBS's reseller network will widen access to OpenSpace throughout the EMEA construction, banking, insurance, facilities management, and retail industries, improving onsite visibility and efficiency.





With OpenSpace Capture , builders or site managers can fully document their jobsite while walking the site as they normally would with a mobile device or an off-the-shelf, consumer 360 camera that can be attached to their hardhat. Once the video is uploaded to the cloud, OpenSpace's computer vision technology stitches images together and pins all the images to the floor plan, creating a trusted visual record of site status. Powered by the company's Vision Engine, the site image map is typically ready to view in about 15 minutes after upload. In a survey of OpenSpace's community and customers, it was found that on average 67% of customers reported saving thousands of dollars on project costs, while 74% saved multiple hours per week. Through this partnership, QBS will be able to expand its portfolio and enable its enterprise customers to benefit from these cost and time savings.

"Our focus is on providing innovative and top-of-the-line software that creates opportunities for our customers and partners. With OpenSpace we are able to bring an industry-leading solution in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) space," said Dave Stevinson, QBS Technology Group CEO. "With OpenSpace, we're able to bring an industry-leading and easy-to-use solution that improves coordination and efficiency of builders, project managers, owners, contractors, and sub-contractors throughout a wide variety of industries."

OpenSpace is used today on projects in 86 different countries around the world, and has seen growing momentum in the EMEA region recently, with a 300% year-over-year increase on-platform in 360 imagery capture. Regional customers include JLL, Skanska, VINCI, and Unispace, among others. With QBS joining the OpenSpace Partner Network, even more builders, owners, and property managers will have easy access to OpenSpace's site capture and analysis technology.

"Having worked with QBS Software for 20 years, I've experienced firsthand the amazing support that they provide to technology resellers," said OpenSpace's Head of Channel and Partnerships Andrea Brown. "We are thrilled to be partnering with QBS to bring OpenSpace to any project, regardless of the industry, and believe that with the breadth of the QBS partner base, we'll be able to bring this technology across all EMEA."

By having a historical visual record of the site, OpenSpace makes it easier for projects to stay on budget and on time , as well as enabling smoother remote collaboration among stakeholders. OpenSpace's technology can also mitigate risk , as the 360 image captures serve as a time machine that can be used to go back and view historical site status. In terms of project analysis, OpenSpace offers automated progress tracking technology, which measures the percent of work completed for key pathways like walls, mechanical, electrical, and more. Customers can also use the platform to create 3D scans of certain areas onsite, using LiDAR-powered iPhones and iPads.

For more information about OpenSpace or QBS, visit www.openspace.ai or www.qbssoftware.com .

About OpenSpace

Founded in 2017, OpenSpace is an AI technology company on a mission to bring new levels of transparency and efficiency to construction and real estate. With our platform, builders automatically capture a complete visual record of the construction site, providing a single source of truth that increases coordination, drives accountability, and simplifies dispute resolution. To date, our customers have used OpenSpace to capture more than ten billion square feet of imagery from active construction projects across thousands of sites in over eighty-six countries.?Follow us on LinkedIn .

Contact:

openspace@bulleitgroup.com ?

About QBS Technology Group



Established in 1987, QBS Technology Group (including QBS Software) provides a platform for software companies and channel partners to increase efficiency and achieve growth. With a focus on innovative software - covering the enterprise, cloud, and consumer markets - QBS Technology Group combines experience, specialist skills, local presence and trusted relationships.

Named in the London Stock Exchange 1000 companies to inspire Britain, the group is headquartered in London with 8 regional offices across Europe.

Learn more by visiting www.qbstechnology.com , www.qbssoftware.com , www.qbssoftware.de , www.qbssoftware.fr or www.qbssoftware.se , or follow us on LinkedIn .

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Launched by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), the "Taiwan Modest Fashion and Beauty Online Pop-up Shop" was launched virtually with its official announcement on September 27th at 2 pm (Taipei time) through a live online broadcast. The event aims to advertise Taiwanese firms and introduce good-quality products with a series of activities, including Online Pop-up Shop, Modest Fashion Show, Makeup Demo, Halal Beauty product launch, and one-on-one online Business Matchmaking. This event was co-organized by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), Taiwan Sweater Industry Association (TSIA), and the Commerce Development Research Institute (CDRI).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220923005297/en/

Director General of the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ms. Cynthia Kiang (right 2), President CEO of TAITRA, Mr. Simon Wang (left 2) cut the ribbon for the opening of the 2022 Taiwan Modest Fashion Pop-up Shop (Photo: Business Wire)

The Online Pop-up Shop showcases more than 35 premium beauty products suppliers from Taiwan. The Modest Fashion Show also announced the latest clothes by well-known Taiwanese clothing brand designers such as SABRA ANDRE, GIOIA PAN, and young promising designers from Malaysia and Indonesia. Ms. Cynthia Kiang, the Director General of BOFT, is wearing an elegant Muslim-style tailored dress, while Mr. Simon Wang, the President CEO of TAITRA, is wearing a hand-made gorgeous Muslim patterned bow tie. The programs of Makeup Demo and Halal Beauty product experience present the BEST Taiwan beauty products.

You are all invited to visit the "Taiwan Modest Fashion and Beauty Online Pop-up Shop." The Online Pop-up Shop will run until the end of 2022 and the event video is available at: https://modestfashiontaiwan.taiwantrade.com/

In April 2017, TAITRA was entrusted by the government to set up the Taiwan Halal Center and help promote the Taiwanese Halal industry. After many efforts, Taiwan's Muslim tourism-friendly image has hit a record high. This year, it was ranked second among all non-Organization for Islamic Cooperation (non-OIC) countries in terms of Muslim-friendly travel in the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI). The survey provided exciting good news for Taiwan's tourism industry. We aim to create a Muslim-friendly environment in which Muslims can purchase quality products made in Taiwan without worries and have more convenient lives. To explore more interesting products, please visit our online shop.

For more information, please contact your local Taiwan Trade Center Branch Office.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220923005297/en/

Contacts:

Taiwan Trade Center, Istanbul by email: istanbul@taitra.org.tw or tel: 90-212-2904000
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - Fathom Nickel Inc. (CSE:FNI) (FSE: 6Q5), (OTCQB: FNICF) (the "Company" or "Fathom") is pleased to present the assay results from the recently completed 1,773 meter summer exploration program (the "Summer Drill Program") together with an update on the overall exploration strategy at Albert Lake Project, with highlights as follows:

Summer drill program successfully extended nickel mineralization an additional 150 meters to the south, thus confirming continuous nickel mineralization throughout the 300+ meter Bay-Island Trend (referred to as the Bay Area Conductive Corridor in previous News Releases). The Bay-Island Trend is a new mineralized zone that remains open along and across strike.

It is now evident the Bay-Island Trend represents a second mineralized zone originating from the same magmatic "plumbing" system that yielded historic Rottenstone.

The Company recognizes a distinct geochemical, geophysical signature and geologic setting controlling the Bay-Island Trend and historic Rottenstone deposit.

The Company is developing a pipeline of similar exploration targets we plan to drill in the first quarter of 2023.

Ian Fraser, CEO & VP Exploration stated, "The discovery of a new 300+ meter mineralized ultramafic intrusive body that is geologically similar to the historic Rottenstone deposit in Fathom's first year as a public Company is a tremendous accomplishment. It demonstrates that we have developed an exploration strategy and methodology to locate the Ni-Cu-Co+PGE mineralization we are seeking at Albert Lake. The new Bay-Island Trend discovery, in conjunction with the high-grade, historic Rottenstone deposit demonstrates that a significant mineralizing event occurred at Albert Lake. As my colleague Dr. Peter Lightfoot, a recognized expert in nickel sulphide deposits, suggests, "the high metal tenor mineralization associated with the Rottenstone deposit is important as it points to the potential of high-grade massive sulphides occurring within other similar geologic settings". The Company and its team of consultants recognize numerous other similar geologic settings within the area proximate to the Bay-Island Trend and historic Rottenstone deposit. We are currently fine-tuning exploration targets in an area of favourable stratigraphy exceeding 5 kilometers in strike with a plan to test multiple drill targets in the first quarter of 2023".

Summer Drill Program, Bay-Island Trend

Drill programs in 2021 and 2022 resulted in the discovery of a new mineralized zone, the Bay-Island Trend located 400 - 500m meters west, northwest of the historic Rottenstone deposit. The Bay-Island Trend is analogous to the historic Rottenstone deposit in style of mineralization, in rock association, geologic setting and magmatic sulphide mineralogy (See Table 1, Figure 1).

The Summer Drill Program 2022 amounted to 15 drillholes (AL22058 - AL22072) for a total of 1,773 meters (Table 2).





The Bay-Island mineralized zone now measures in excess of 300 meters, has a shallow plunge to the north, and remains open along strike north and south.

To date, mineralization has been defined at approximately 60 meters below surface (south end) and approximately 130 meters below surface at the north end.

Insufficient drill pierce points across the width of the mineralized zone currently exist to determine the true width of this new discovery.

Summer 2022 drillholes had continuous mineralized intervals up to 18.0 meters in thickness.

Within the Bay-Island Trend, zones of higher-grade mineralization do occur. Net-texture sulphide over intervals up to 3.5-meters in drillhole AL22052 assayed >1.0% Ni. Massive sulphide intervals assayed up to >2.0% Ni (AL22051) and remobilized mineralization within pegmatite contains intervals that assayed up to >3.0 g/t 3PE 1 (AL22052). See Table 1.

(AL22052). See Table 1. With respect to nickel equivalent (NiEq), several drillholes within the Bay-Island Trend intersected mineralized intervals >1.00% NiEq 2 indicative of and suggestive of the potential for higher grade pockets within this extensive mineralized zone.

indicative of and suggestive of the potential for higher grade pockets within this extensive mineralized zone. The Bay-Island Trend has a definitive electromagnetic (EM) signature and the discovery of this new mineralized zone was the result of diligent borehole electromagnetic (BHEM) surveying of every drillhole drilled within this mineralized and conductive zone.

Within the Bay-Island Trend, several very strong off-hole BHEM anomalies remain untested by follow-up drilling.

The Bay-Island Trend is associated with a positive MAG signal; a signal that continues along strike to the north for an additional 500 meters.

Figure 1: The Bay - Island Trend



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7843/138669_1de29d12f4a84aac_001full.jpg

Figure 1 portrays and highlights significant mineralized intercepts the Company has intersected in 2021/2022 along this new mineralized ultramafic discovery, the Bay-Island Trend. Circles represent the pierce points of individual drillholes along the trend. Note mineralized intercepts south of the historic Rottenstone mine are also included in Table 1.

Table 1: Summer 2022 Drilling Highlights Plus Other Drillholes

Drillhole Id Location From (m) To (m) Interval3 (m) Ni % Cu % Co (ppm) 3PE1 (g/t) NiEq2 % AL22060 Bay-Island 74.00 75.00 1.00 0.20 0.20 133 0.17 0.33 AL22061 Bay-Island 65.72 70.25 4.53 0.15 0.08 80 0.65 0.21 AL22062 Bay-Island 104.13 109.85 5.72 0.23 0.11 127 0.21 0.34 AL22063 Bay-Island 77.00 88.25 11.25 0.38 0.20 245 0.28 0.57 AL22064 Bay-Island 98.77 104.27 5.50 0.19 0.08 130 0.14 0.28 AL220654 No significant results AL22067 Bay-Island 63.15 80.00 16.85 0.27 0.15 154 0.19 0.40 Including 63.15 77.40 14.25 0.30 0.18 161 0.21 0.44 AL22068 Bay-Island 89.00 101.35 12.35 0.32 0.22 207 0.24 0.49 Including 91.35 96.70 5.35 0.49 0.22 316 0.35 0.71 AL22071 Bay-Island 75.90 76.90 1.00 0.22 0.16 146 0.17 0.35 AL22072 Bay-Island 115.05 124.70 9.65 0.22 0.11 149 0.17 0.33 Including 118.8 124.70 5.90 0.31 0.16 193 0.24 0.46 Including 122.50 124.70 2.20 0.50 0.28 301 0.37 0.75 AL22057 Bay-Island 97.55 103.60 6.05 0.58 0.19 355 0.36 0.81 Including 99.40 101.75 2.35 1.00 0.31 600 0.52 1.36 AL22054A Bay-Island 144.48 149.28 4.80 0.20 0.08 113 0.22 0.30 AL22053 Bay-Island 98.85 108.03 9.18 0.37 0.27 239 0.29 0.58 AL22052 Bay-Island 95.86 109.13 13.27 0.62 0.29 391 0.63 0.94 Including 97.6 105.74 8.14 0.87 0.41 536 0.85 1.30 Including 99.03 102.57 3.54 1.09 0.42 675 0.75 1.57 Including 97.6 98.22 0.62 0.58 0.43 364 3.29 1.26 AL22051 Bay-Island 105.4 111.18 5.78 0.36 0.10 200 0.28 0.51 Including 108.2 109.37 1.17 0.89 0.12 472 0.72 1.22 Including 108.79 109.07 0.28 2.13 0.22 1110 1.74 2.92 AL22049 Bay-Island 103.68 111.72 8.04 0.32 0.23 189 0.27 0.49 Including 104.66 105.9 1.24 0.78 0.72 444 0.66 1.26 AL22040 Bay-Island 118.37 127.85 9.48 0.28 0.20 151 0.21 0.42 Including 120.2 125.03 4.83 0.42 0.29 215 0.30 0.63 AL21021 Bay-Island 136.32 143.97 7.65 0.22 0.13 122 0.17 0.35 AL21024 Rottenstone South 4.50 11.97 7.47 1.06 0.88 353 4.09 2.10 Including 6.77 10.77 4.00 1.46 1.39 481 6.91 3.11 AL21017 Rottenstone South 8.65 26.73 18.08 0.68 0.51 226 1.43 1.20 Including 9.90 12.43 2.53 1.79 2.09 599 3.02 3.31 AL21029 Dime 136.53 139.04 2.51 0.24 0.05 96 0.69 0.53 Including 136.53 137.7 1.17 0.49 0.10 192 1.46 0.85



1Where 3PE refers to Pd+Pt+Au

2Where used in this news release NiEq% = Ni%+ Cu% x $3.52/$11.06 + Co% x $23.65/$11.06 + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $903.00/$11.06/22.04 + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $2102.0000/$11.06/22.04 + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,673.40/$11.06/22.04 (Kitco + LME Cobalt prices Sept. 22, 2022)

3Note; interval (m) refers to drillhole interval and are not true thickness.

4Drillhole AL22065 does not appear on Figure 1. This drillhole tested a deeper conductor well below mineralized trend depicted in Figure 1 and returned insignificant results.

A nickel cut-off >=1000 ppm Ni was used to determine the mineralized intervals reported in the Table. Also; not reported in Table, drillholes AL22058, AL22059 and AL22070 did not intersect mineralization and drillholes AL22066 and AL22069 were abandoned due to technical issues.

Table 2: Summer 2022 Drillhole Location Table

Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Inclination Final Depth (m) Status AL22058 510334.0 6244610.9 451.8 120 -82 77.0 Completed AL22059 510410.6 6244681.3 451.8 54 -69.5 123.0 Completed AL22060 510339.7 6244632.7 451.1 100 -64 108.0 Completed AL22061 510339.2 6244623.4 451.3 132 -61 107.7 Completed AL22062 510410.8 6244681.0 451.8 62 -62 134.0 Completed AL22063 510410.4 6244681.0 451.8 50 -83 116.0 Completed AL22064 510410.4 6244681.6 451.8 50 -65 119.0 Completed AL22065 510388.9 6244645.9 450.6 151 -63.5 344.0 Completed AL22066 510357.2 6244648.8 451.1 138 -69.5 23.0 Abandoned AL22067 510357.2 6244648.8 451.1 138 -68 107.0 Completed AL22068 510384.2 6244643.6 450.8 36 -60.5 125.0 Completed AL22069 510384.0 6244643.6 450.8 31 -59 35.0 Abandoned AL22070 510384.2 6244643.4 450.8 35.1 -69.5 110.0 Completed AL22071 510384.1 6244643.1 450.8 35 -85 101.0 Completed AL22072 510410.3 6244681.8 451.8 45 -56 143.0 Completed

Go-Forward Exploration Plans

Following the Summer Drill Program and our continuing interpretation of results, it is now clear that the Rottenstone deposit and the Bay-Island Trend mineralized zone are confined to fold hinges within a much broader fold structure and within an area of favourable stratigraphy now recognized over a strike in excess of 5 kilometers. Within this area also occurs the historic mineralized ultramafic occurrences at Tremblay-Olson. At the Tremblay-Olson showing, historic trenching of a mineralized ultramafic returned assays up to 3.11% Ni (see July 6, 2022 News Release). The Bay-Island Trend, the Tremblay-Olson occurrences and the historic Rottenstone deposit are associated with a distinct positive MAG signal. This MAG signal is weak immediately north of the historic deposit but intensifies 400 meters further north and eventually forms a hinge before it continues south towards the Bay-Island Trend. A southern hinge is defined by MAG and appears to be associated with the area of historic trenching at Tremblay-Olson. The Company also recognizes a positive soil geochemistry signal associated with the Bay-Island Trend, and north and south of the Rottenstone deposit. Limited soil geochemistry on the Tremblay-Olson area in 1987 highlight the two known mineralized occurrences. Fathom plans to map and prospect and complete soil geochemistry on the newly acquired Tremblay-Olson ground prior to the onset of winter.

The Fathom exploration team is currently building a comprehensive 3D model incorporating all the areas discussed above. The goal of this exercise is to incorporate all available data sets to define similar geologic settings as the historic Rottenstone deposit and our new discovery the Bay-Island Trend. We are confident this exercise will yield multiple high priority drill targets within our new discovery area but will also yield new and exciting exploration targets to the north and south of the Rottenstone deposit and within our recently acquired Tremblay-Olson property. The Company is planning an extensive Winter 2023 drill program. Furthermore, the Company would like to re-emphasize the significance of a drill intercept in drillhole AL21029 located approximately 4 kilometers south, southwest of the Rottenstone deposit where similar ultramafic and host stratigraphy yielded significant Ni-Cu-Co+PGE mineralization associated with very little contained sulphide, suggestive of possible high nickel tenor in this area referred to as the "Dime" (Table 1).

The Company has now successfully demonstrated the presence of a magmatic nickel sulphide system (plumbing system) at the Albert Lake Project. The scope of and the potential size of this system remains to be determined.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC) Disclosure Statement

Fathom implements an industry-standard QA/QC for all field and diamond drill programs. Fathom, through the services of TerraLogic Exploration Inc., inserts QA/QC samples in its diamond drill programs at a rate of one sample per approximately every 12-13 samples collected. Standards sourced from CDN Resource Laboratories and CCRMP were inserted into the sample stream at a rate of 1 in 30 samples. Additionally, lab duplicates (coarse rejects) were inserted and positioned in the sample sequence at a rate of 1 in 30 samples and positioned in the sample sequence alternating with standards to result in a QA/QC insertion rate of no less than 1 in 15 samples. Blanks were inserted at the start of every sample batch and additionally after samples of anticipated high-grade or high sulphide content.

Assaying is performed at ALS Canada Ltd. ALS is an accredited laboratory; (SCC - CAN-P-1579 and CAN-P-4E ISO/IEC 17025) and is independent of Fathom. All drill core samples are analyzed using a 4-Acid digestion followed by 33 element ICP-AES analyses (Code ME-ICP61). Over limit Ni, Cu results are further analyzed by 4-Acid ore grade elements ICP-AES process (Code ME-OG62). Analyses for Au, Pd and Pt utilized the ore grade Pt, Pd and Au by ICP-AES (Code PGM-ICP27).

Qualified Person and Data Verification

Ian Fraser, P.Geo., CEO, VP Exploration and a Director of the Company and the "qualified person" as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101, has verified the data disclosed in this news release, and has otherwise reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release on behalf of the Company.

About Fathom Nickel Inc.

Fathom is an exploration company that is targeting magmatic nickel sulphide discoveries to support the rapidly growing global electric vehicle market.

The Company now has a portfolio of two high-quality exploration projects located in the prolific Trans Hudson Corridor in Saskatchewan: 1) the Albert Lake Project, a 90,000+ hectare project that was host to the historic and past producing Rottenstone deposit (produced high-grade Ni-Cu+PGE, 1965-1969), and 2) the Gochager Lake Project, a 4696-hectare project that is host to a historic, NI43-101 non-compliant open pitable resource consisting of 4.3M tons at 0.295% Ni and 0.081% Cu. The Company anticipates Winter 2023 exploration programs at both projects.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Ian Fraser, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-President, Exploration 1-403-650-9760

Email: ifraser@fathomnickel.com

or

Manish Grigo, Director of Corporate Development

+1-416-569-3292

Email: mgrigo @fathomnickel.com

Forward Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" that are based on expectations, estimates, projections and interpretations as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "seek", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and include, without limitation, statements regarding payment of terms under the Option Agreement, permitting for the Property, receipt of an exploration permit, timing of the exploration program on the Property and the Company achieving the earn-in thresholds under the Option Agreement. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward- looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138669
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - African Energy Metals Inc. (TSXV: CUCO) (FSE: BC2) (OTCQB: NDENF) (WKN: A3DEJG) ("African Energy Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has retained (the "Engagement") Altus Capital Partners Inc. ("Altus") as its corporate finance advisor. Altus has been engaged to provide a full ranges of services including financing advisory, M&A facilitation and structuring, and general corporate finance services.

About Altus Capital Partners

Michael Townsend, Managing Partner of Altus has been an acting director and key stakeholder of African Energy Metal since August 2020. He has played an integral role in the growth of Company acting in an advisory and governance role as African Energy Metals has worked to develop its projects in the DRC. Mr. Townsend has visited the Company's projects in the DRC twice over the past two years and has an extensive understanding of the Company's operations and goals in Africa. He continues to play a hands-on role and intends to visit the DRC later this year.

Altus is a venture finance and corporate advisory firm based in Vancouver, Canada, and Southern California, that partners with hyper growth businesses and successful operators. Over the past 5 years Altus has been involved in the financing and syndication of over $300 million for venture stage companies in a wide range of sectors including mineral exploration, SaaS, clean-tech, and CPG. Altus prides itself on its 'hands-on' approach, taking an active advisory role with its portfolio companies beyond just the provision and syndication of capital. This is further supported by the firm's deep global network of investors, consultants, and partners.

As compensation under the Engagement, Altus will receive $10,000 per month in consulting fees, such fees to be payable in common shares of the Company at the 30-day VWAP, as well as a one-time grant of 300,000 common share purchase options exercisable at $0.10 for 3 years.

About African Energy Metals

African Energy Metals is a natural resource company with a focus on the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of copper, cobalt, and lithium energy metals projects in the DRC. The Company is pursuing near term coal projects with current resources in Tanzania. African Energy Metals has the intention of acquiring interests in additional concessions or relinquishing concessions in the normal course of business. African Energy Metals has an experienced management team located in Africa.

For further information, please contact:

Stephen Barley, Executive Chairman

Phone: (604-834-2968)

Email: info@africanenergymetals.com

Website: www.africanenergymetals.com

Reader Advisory

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Although the Company believes, considering the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of the Company its securities, or its financial or operating results.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138671
Significant events in the first half:

Launch of construction on CEOG, the world's first multi-megawatt hydrogen power plant;

Rubis becomes majority shareholder in Renewstable  Barbados ("RSB"), a multi-megawatt power plant developed by HDF Energy;

Barbados ("RSB"), a multi-megawatt power plant developed by HDF Energy; Development of Renewstable Swakopmund, a multi-megawatt hydrogen power plant in Namibia;

Investment in the largest decarbonised hydrogen plant of the Caribbean in Trinidad and Tobago;

Continued organisation of five regional teams fuelled by 16 new hires to support the Group's international expansion goals.

Solid first-half results:

Significant increase in revenues (1.7 million, up from 0.5 million in the first half of 2021) and improvement in EBIT thanks to advances on power plants under development;

Positive cash flow from operating activities of 1.3 million and 94.2 million in cash and cash equivalents to support the Group's rapid development.

Expansion of the project portfolio:

Potential for 1,939 MW in RE capacity and 3,390 MWh in hydrogen storage capacity.

Bordeaux, 28 September 2022 - Hydrogene de France ("HDF Energy", "HDF" or the "Group") - Euronext Paris: HDF - a pioneer in continuous or on-demand electricity generation from hydrogen and renewable energies (wind or solar), has published its results for the first half of 2022. The condensed consolidated financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 27 September 2022. The limited review procedures for the first half financial statements have been completed and the auditors' report will be issued shortly. The first-half financial report, including the condensed consolidated financial statements for H1 2022 and the notes thereto, will be available by 30 September 2022, in the "Regulated information" section of the Group's website (www.hdf-energy.com under "Investors").

Damien Havard, Chairman and CEO of Hydrogene de France, said: "HDF Energy once again confirmed its strong growth trajectory in the first half of the year. We achieved all of our objectives: expanding our teams in all regions, increasing our portfolio of potential and ongoing projects, and major milestones for our longest running plants. For example, we launched the construction of CEOG, welcomed a new majority shareholder to RSB and invested in NewGen, one of the biggest green hydrogen production projects in the world.

In just a few months since our IPO, we have established ourselves as the first global player capable of delivering hydrogen power projects and rapidly translating them into an economic reality. From 2024, we will be able to produce large amounts of non-intermittent renewable power based on hydrogen and renewable energies.

This is how we create value for our shareholders, all our stakeholders, and the local communities and economies in which we operate. We are very proud to be helping solve the major economic, strategic and environmental challenges of our time."

Another period of strong growth

Launch of construction of the French Guiana Power Plant (CEOG), the world's first multi-megawatt hydrogen power plant

Having entered the "construction" phase in September 2021, the CEOG project reached a new milestone in the first half of 2022 with the launch of construction of the plant. The first Renewstable power plant, invented and developed by HDF, CEOG produces 100% renewable power and stores the energy produced via green hydrogen, supplying the equivalent of 10,000 homes in French Guiana, day and night. It does so in a stable and continuous manner, at a lower cost than the region's existing diesel power plants, without greenhouse gas emissions, fine particles, noise or smoke.

Representing total funding of 170 million, CEOG is the first renewable energy project in the world to have obtained a capacity contract with a grid operator (EDF). HDF Energy holds 10% of CEOG, accounted for using the equity method since 2018, and operates under a project management contract.

New majority investor in the Renewstable Barbados (RSB) project, the largest hydrogen power project in the Caribbean

On 16 February 2022, the RUBIS Group tooks a 51% stake in Renewstable Barbados (RSB). The largest hydrogen power and storage project in the Caribbean, RSB is the second hydrogen power project developed by HDF Energy to welcome a majority investor.

HDF remains fully committed to the project, in which the Group still holds a 49% stake. Furthermore, HDF is operating under a project development and project management contract.

Development of a new Renewstable plant in Namibia, the first of its kind in Africa

HDF is also making progress in the RSWK project in Swakopmund, the first green hydrogen power plant in Africa. Located in Namibia, this project represents a total investment of 181 million supported by all partners. The plant will eventually provide stable and renewable power, round the clock, all year round, thanks to its large-scale hydrogen storage capacity.

Annual production is estimated at 142 gigawatt hours, thereby meeting the energy needs of approximately 142,000 people. The plant will make a significant contribution to the energy sovereignty of a country that currently imports 40% of its energy from South Africa. HDF Energy has therefore confirmed its outlook and development goals in Africa.

Acquisition of a majority interest in the NewGen Carbon Neutral Hydrogen project in Trinidad and Tobago

In April 2022, HDF Energy acquired a 70% majority stake in NewGen in Trinidad and Tobago, a project initiated by local company Kenesjay Green Ltd ("KGL"). Once complete, the NewGen plant - representing a total investment of over $200 million supported by all partners - will be one of the largest clean hydrogen production facilities in the world, producing competitive, carbon-free hydrogen to meet 20% of the hydrogen needs of the existing Point Lisas ammonia plant.

HDF Energy offers its expertise in the development and financing of large-scale hydrogen projects, thereby helping to accelerate the industrial transition to low-carbon models.

HDF Energy has also arranged conventional project financing for NewGen, mostly in the form of debt plus a smaller portion in equity. HDF will eventually retain only a minority stake in the NewGen project once it is opened to investors, thereby limiting its financial commitment. Remuneration for the development and estimated profitability will be very similar to the Group's other projects.

Ramping up team organisation to support development goals

In order to complete programmes currently underway and regularly expand its project portfolio, HDF Energy has continued to strengthen its teams, in line with the development plan presented during its IPO. With 16 new hires in the first half of 2022 and a total of 71 employees at the end of June, the Group is fully on track to achieve its target of around 100 employees by the end of 2022.

Most new hires were made in the business development teams. These teams currently comprise 48 employees across 20 countries, all of whom have experience in the development of major power production projects and detailed knowledge of the regions in which HDF Energy operates.

These investments in new talent, as well as the strategic partnerships with its two industrial shareholders, RUBIS and TEREGA, give HDF Energy the resources it requires to ensure optimal development of its holdings and the expansion of its project portfolio.

First-half 2022 results, a reflection of the Group's structure and development

First-half 2022 revenues driven by the RSB project

In the first half of 2022, Hydrogene de France posted condensed consolidated revenues of 1.7 million, up from 0.5 million in the same period last year. This primarily corresponds to revenues recorded under the project development and project management assistance contract for the CEOG and RSB projects, in which HDF Energy is now a minority stakeholder.

As a reminder, HDF Energy's project development revenues are recognised on a percentage-of-completion basis, based on the costs actually incurred over a given period, and may fluctuate depending on the development phase of the various projects. However, the value created is only recognised once control of the SPV is lost, which usually occurs when an investor acquires a majority stake.

Similarly, the supply of fuel cells only contributes to the Group's revenues when the cells are actually delivered, bearing in mind that manufacturing may be spread over a year or more, and despite the fact that rights to payment under contracts are not subject to recourse.

For information, advance payments received but not recognised under H1 2022 revenues amounted to 1.0 million (recorded under contract liabilities in the balance sheet, giving a total of 3.1 million), including 3.0 million relating to the CEOG fuel cell supply contracts. At 31 December 2021, advance payments received but not recognised as revenue amounted to 2.1 million.

Improvement in EBIT

In keeping with HDF Energy's structure and development, operating expenses increased once again during the first half to 3.1 million, up from 2.4 million in the same period last year. They include 2.2 million in staff costs (0.8 million in the first half of 2021), an increase that reflects the progress made by the Group in the structuring and expansion of its teams.

External project development expenses followed the same trend, amounting to 1.9 million in the first half of 2022, up from 0.6 million in the first half of 2021. The Group also recorded income from asset disposal of 1.0 million following the dilution of its holding in RSB, enabling RUBIS to acquire a 51% stake in the project company.

Revenue growth helped to offset the increase in these expenses; H1 2022 EBIT amounted to a loss of 1.1 million, compared to a 1.9 million loss in H1 2021, including 0.8 million in IPO costs.

Net financial income amounted to 0.1 million. after a loss of 0.7 million in the first half of 2021, including the non-conversion premium on convertible bonds (OC 2021), which was offset against receivables as part of the IPO.

After recognition of 0.1 million in tax income, the net consolidated loss amounted to 0.8 million in the first half of 2022, compared to a 1.9 million loss for the same period last year.

A solid and well-managed financial structure

As a result of its rigorous cash management, HDF Energy has 94.2 million in cash and cash equivalents (95.1 million at 31 December 2021), plus 4.0 million in cash (included in the 4.2 million non-current financial assets) tied up in the CEOG project. As such, the Group has the financial means required to continue its development and accelerate its commercial rollout.

Shareholders' equity amounted to 108.9 million at 30 June 2022.

Expansion of the project portfolio

Increase in plant potential

The Groupe carefully monitors the progress of its project portfolio at all stages of development (prospecting, development and construction). This pipeline is a leading indicator of the Group's value creation over the coming years, both for HDF Energy and all the stakeholders in these projects, via the positive knock-on effects that ensue (reduction in GHG emissions, etc.).

Faced with the challenges of climate change and energy sovereignty, HDF has noted a positive trend towards low-carbon energy projects in all of its operating regions, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and southern Africa. Governments are increasingly interested in HDF projects. For example, in March 2022 HDF Energy signed a partnership agreement to study hydrogen-based power plant projects in the Philippines, as well as an agreement with Malaysia in May 2022 promoting green hydrogen production to decarbonise the electricity grid.

As such, at the end of H1 2022, the portfolio of prospective projects had increased to 1,939 MW, and 3,849 MWh of energy storage.

Planning permit obtained for high-power fuel cell factory

The teams are fully engaged in the development of the Blanquefort factory (Bordeaux), which will mass-produce high-power fuel cells. Its main purpose is to equip Renewstable power plants with fuel cells, and it will also supply fuel cells to the high-power maritime and rail markets, as well as data centers. HDF Energy has already signed agreements with leading partners, such as the one with Captrain in May 2022 for the first-ever transformation of a hydrogen-powered shunting locomotive.

In summer 2022, HDF Energy obtained the building permit cleared of all appeals.

The factory is a highly innovative project, and will help lower industry emissions. As such, the project has been pre-selected by the Government under the European IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest) funding scheme to increase generation capacity to the Gigawatt level. HDF Energy is awaiting the decision of the European Union before moving on to the next stages of this major project.

Read financial information on Hydrogene de France

at www.hdf-energy.com

ABOUT HYDROGENE DE FRANCE (HDF ENERGY)

HDF Energy is a global pioneer in hydrogen energy. HDF Energy develops high-capacity Hydrogen-Power plants and is active in their operation. These plants will provide continuous or on-demand electricity from renewable energy sources (wind or solar), combined with high power fuel cells supplied by HDF Energy

Hydrogene de France develops two types of Hydrogen-Power plants:

Renewstable (POWER TO POWER ): Multi-megawatt power plants, producing stable electricity 24h/day, composed of an intermittent renewable source and on-site hydrogen energy storage

): Multi-megawatt power plants, producing stable electricity 24h/day, composed of an intermittent renewable source and on-site hydrogen energy storage HyPower (GAS TO POWER): Multi-megawatt power plants producing electricity on demand from green hydrogen from gas transportation networks.

HDF Energy has integrated key fuel-cell know-how under a memorandum of understanding with Ballard (seven-year exclusive licence agreement) and has developed the world's first mass production plant for high-power fuel cells for energy, which will be commissioned in France (Bordeaux Metropole) in 2023. Through this activity, HDF Energy will also serve the maritime, rail and data center markets.

HDF Energy has positioned itself as a powerful accelerator of the energy transition by offering non-intermittent, grid-friendly and on-demand renewable power.

HDF shares have been listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris compartment B since 24 June 2021.

Contacts

HYDROGENE DE FRANCE Investor relations Press contact Sylvain Charrier

+ 33 (0)5 56 77 11 11

sylvain.charrier@hdf-energy.com Margaux Rouillard

+ 33 (0)1 53 67 36 32

hdf-energy@actus.fr Serena Boni

+33 (0)4 72 18 04 92

sboni@actus.fr

APPENDIX

Summary of all projects initiated and developed by HDF Energy

Regional breakdown showing stage of maturity and power to be installed

Construction Development Prospecting Plant

MW Storage

MWh Plant

MW Storage

MWh Plant

MW Storage

MWh EMEA 55 128 201 603 166 197 Latin America & Caribbean 216 592 410 1,192 Asia 91 159 982 900 Southern Africa 84 230 281 912 Indian Ocean 31 74 100 189 Total 55 128 623 1,658 1,939 3,390

Condensed consolidated statement of net income and other comprehensive income

6 months ended (000) 30 June 2022 30 June 2021 Revenues 1,746.1 405.0 Other income from operations 322.9 100.2 Total income from operations 2,069.1 505.1 Purchases consumed, change in WIP and finished goods inventories 423.7 0.0 External expenses -1,855.9 -641.9 Personnel expenses -2,202.1 -779.2 Taxes and duties -5.8 -28.5 Depreciation, amortisation and impairment -659.0 -84.3 Share of earnings of associates and joint ventures -0.5 0.0 Income from disposal of fixed assets, securities and operations 1,041.2 0.0 Other operating income and expenses 108.8 -861.5 EBIT -1,080.5 -1,890.3 Net financial income/(expense) 111.8 -679.5 Income before tax -968.6 -2,569.8 Corporate income tax

Other items of comprehensive income 122.6

-33.1 640.4

-6.6 Consolidated net income/(loss) -879.1 -1,936.0

Condensed consolidated statement of financial position

(000) 30 June 2022 31 December 2021 Intangible assets 4,263.1 3,714.1 Property, plant and equipment 777.5 482.8 Other non-current assets 8,505.7 6,954.1 Non-current assets 13,546.2 11,151.0 Current assets 104,550.4 104,447.8 o/w Cash and cash equivalents 94,244.4 95,123.3 TOTAL ASSETS 118,096.6 115,598.8 Shareholders' equity 108,946.5 109,145.0 Non-current borrowings 188.3 129.9 Post-employment benefits 56.2 68.2 Other non-current liabilities 113.8 113.8 Non-current liabilities 405.8 311.9 Current borrowings 176.7 115.2 Trade payables 1,622.1 1,111.6 Contract liabilities 3,128.0 2,110.0 Other current liabilities 2,614.9 2,805.1 Current liabilities 8,744.3 6,141.9 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 118,096.6 115,598.8

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AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of "a" (Excellent) of Pozavarovalnica Sava d.d. (Sava Re) (Slovenia), the operating holding company of the Sava Re group. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Sava Re's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

Sava Re's strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), liquid investment portfolio, prudent reserving and good internal capital generation collectively contribute to an overall balance sheet assessment of very strong. Additionally, the company exhibits low reliance on reinsurance and sound financial flexibility, with access to both equity and debt markets.

Sava Re has a track record of generating strong and stable operating results, indicated by a five-year (2017-2021) weighted average return-on-equity ratio of 13.3% (as calculated by AM Best). Consistent reporting of operating profits over the past five years has been driven by sound life and non-life underwriting performance, supplemented by healthy investment income. At year-end 2021, the company reported a combined ratio of 88.3% with a five-year average combined ratio of 92.3% (as calculated by AM Best). For the first half of 2022, Sava Re reported a net profit of EUR 28.9 million and a combined ratio of 92.3% despite challenging market conditions, putting the group on track to achieve the planned net profit of EUR 60 million for full-year 2022. The group originates approximately 71% of its gross written premiums in Slovenia, where its leading competitive position and prudent underwriting helps generate strong and relatively stable earnings.

Sava Re benefits from a strong position in its core domestic market of Slovenia, where it is the second largest player and holds an approximately 29% market share in terms of gross written premiums. The group's insurance business is dominated by premiums written in Slovenia; however, the company has been actively expanding in the West Balkan markets. AM Best expects to see further geographic diversification in the medium term in both the direct and reinsurance segments, as the group continues to prudently develop its position in the international reinsurance market.

AM Best considers Sava Re's ERM to be developed and appropriate for the company's risk profile and operational scope.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright 2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Contacts:

Andrea Porta

Associate Financial Analyst

+31 20 308 5430

andrea.porta@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey

Manager, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Victoria Ohorodnyk

Associate Director

+31 20 308 5432

victoria.ohorodnyk@ambest.com

Al Slavin

Communications Specialist

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098

al.slavin@ambest.com
MANCHESTER, England, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Improving employee mental health and preventing burnout isn't a quick fix. There's no one size fit's all approach to supporting your employees-and research published by Dell Technology in their Breakthrough study shows just that.

Bertrand Stern-Gillet, CEO at Health Assured, says that preventing staff burnout involves a considered approach to work-life balance that puts employees first. And that means putting mental health on your organisation's agenda.

What external pressures do home workers face?

Home and hybrid workers might save time on the morning commute. But they may be missing out on the social interactions vital to a healthy life. The routine of getting up, out of the house and making the journey to work can also be conducive to a productive workday, with the office atmosphere promoting engagement with tasks and increasing creativity among teams.

There may also be a tendency for workers to find that a home set-up blurs the lines between home and work life, increasing the risk of burnout. That said, every worker is unique; others may find that a hybrid or home-working set-up helps them manage their life responsibilities more effectively. However we know that having the autonomy to choose is something employees value in an organisation.

I think the main thing is that you provide employees with the tools they need at home to do the job effectively-and you keep in touch. Schedule regular meetings, keep up email contact, check in on employees and remember the factors that could impact their mental health.

How can you help prevent burnout?

Burnout is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that arises after long periods of stress. It's hard to make a comeback from this position, so prevention is always better than cure.

To prevent burnout among workers, you must promote a healthy work-life balance. You can do this by putting employee mental health on the agenda.

Offer mental health support if you can afford to do so, and train your managers in stress management, resilience, and mental health topics like menopause.

Check-in with employees regularly and review workloads to ensure they are manageable. When you put employee wellbeing first in this way, the results speak for themselves.

About Health Assured

Health Assured is the UK and Ireland's largest independent and award-winning employee assistance programme (EAP) provider. Every day, we offer specialist support to over 15 million lives.

We aim high, and we achieve it. Our goal is 100% engagement-we want everyone in your care to use our service. We're your healthy advantage.

Public, private, and non-profit businesses have relied on our clinical expertise since 1978 to keep their people on-track.

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EQS-News: Bank of America Securities Europe SA / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

Pre-stabilisation Period Announcement



28.09.2022 / 20:00 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



28 September 2022 Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft Pre-stabilisation Period Announcement BofA Securities Europe SA (contact: Victor Dumas Vorzet; telephone: +33187701048) hereby gives notice, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilisation Manager named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation EU/960/2016 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU/596/2014). The securities: Issuer: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft ("Porsche AG") Description: -Offering of existing non-voting preferred bearer shares with no par value of Porsche AG ("Preferred Shares")

-ISIN: DE000PAG9113

-WKN: PAG911

-Ticker: P911 Offer size: 99,021,740 Preferred Shares (excluding the over-allotment option) Stabilisation: Stabilisation Manager: BofA Securities Europe SA, 51 rue la Boetie, 75008 Paris Stabilisation period expected to start on: 29 September 2022 Stabilisation period expected to end no later than: 28 October 2022 Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility: Up to 14,853,260 Preferred Shares

The Stabilisation Manager may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Trading venues where stabilisation may be undertaken: Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Xetra, BATS Europe, Berlin Stock Exchange, Bremen Stock Exchange, Chi-X Exchange, Dusseldorf Stock Exchange, Equiduct MTF, Hamburg Stock Exchange, Hanover Stock Exchange, Munich Stock Exchange, Stuttgart Stock Exchange, Turquoise MTF, Aquis BV, Athex Group, CBOE BV, Liquidnet EU, Cboe BIDS, Turquoise Dark BV, VirtuPosit and Tradeweb BV

In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time. Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules. This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction. This announcement and the offer of the securities to which it relates are only addressed to and directed at persons outside the United Kingdom and persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters related to investments or who are high net worth persons within Article 12(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the United Kingdom. If and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, any EEA Member State before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation") (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in that Member State. If and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, the UK before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in the UK in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "UK Prospectus Regulation"), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in the UK who are qualified investors within the meaning of the UK Prospectus Regulation (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the UK. This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States.

28.09.2022 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


NOIDA, India, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights theGreen Technology And Sustainability Market v is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 24% from 2021-2027, reaching 48 billion by 2027. The analysis has been segmented into Component (Solutions and Services); Technology (IoT, Digital Twin, Cloud Computing, Blockchain, and Others); Region/Country.







Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/green-technology-and-sustainability-market/

The green technology and sustainability 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 green technology and sustainability market. The green technology and sustainability 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 green technology and sustainability market at the global and regional levels.

Request for Sample Pages

https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=26018

Market Overview

The global green technology and sustainability market is growing on account of the increasing investments in critical infrastructure is likely to drive the green technology and sustainability market. For instance, in 2020, the US government has committed a federal investment of USD 1.7 trillion in climate resilience and clean energy over the course of the next 10 years. Furthermore, growing environmental awareness and growing concerns among organizations and individuals about global warming are the factors driving the growth of the green technology and sustainability market. Moreover, increased demand for eco-friendly products or less harmful products is driving the growth of the market. The government initiatives for dropping the carbon footprint and minimizing waste production are major factor that is anticipated to propel the growth of the market over the forecast period.

COVID-19 Impact

The recent covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the world and has brought a state of shock to the global economy. The global pandemic has impacted the manufacturing and ICT industry and has transformed the way of working. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the green technology and sustainability market as there has been a decrease in the number of industries who invested in the green technology.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/green-technology-and-sustainability-market/

The global green technology and sustainability market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on component, the market is segmented into solutions and services(consulting, integration and deployment, support and maintenance). The solutions segment is expected to achieve a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The rise in the awareness of technology causing environmental hazards is a major factor that drives the adoption of green technology and sustainability solution among verticals across the globe, which, in turn, drives the green technology and sustainability market growth.

Based on technology, the market is segmented into IoT, digital twin, cloud computing, blockchain, and others. The blockchain segment held a significant share of the green technology and sustainability market in 2020 and is expected to witness substantial growth during the forecast period. The growth of blockchain can be attributed to the various benefits provided by blockchain technology such as blockchain increasing trust, security, transparency, and the traceability of data shared across a business network and delivering cost savings with new efficiencies.

Have a Look at the Chapters - https://univdatos.com/report/green-technology-and-sustainability-market/

Green Technology And Sustainability Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America (US, Canada , Rest of North America )

(US, , Rest of ) Europe ( Germany , France , Spain , UK, Rest of Europe )

( , , , UK, Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , Rest of ) Rest of the World

For a better understanding of the market adoption of Search and Rescue Robots, the market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in the countries such as North America (US, Canada, Rest of North America), Europe (Germany, France, Spain, UK, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Rest of World. North America held a prominent share of the global green technology and sustainability Market in 2020 and is expected to showcase a prominent growth rate during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the presence of leading green technology and sustainability service providers and the integration of cloud and IoT with green technology and sustainable market solutions.

The major players targeting the market include

Enablon

Salesforce

Microsoft

Schneider Electric

Engie Impact

Intelex

Enviance

LO3 Energy

Isometrix

Taranis

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 green technology and sustainability 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 green technology and sustainability market?

Which factors are influencing the green technology and sustainability market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the green technology and sustainability market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the green technology and sustainability market?

What are the demanding global regions of the green technology and sustainability 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

Asia-Pacific Smart Homes Technology Market

Green Power Market

Intelligent Lighting Controls Market

Energy Harvesting Market

Electric Insulator Market

Green Technology and Sustainability Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute Details Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2027 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 24% Market size 2027 USD 48 billion Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region North America to Dominate the Global Green Technology and Sustainability Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, and India Companies profiled Enablon, Salesforce, Microsoft, Schneider Electric, Engie Impact, Intelex, Enviance, LO3 Energy, Isometrix, and Taranis 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 Component; By Technology; 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 market s 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: Ankita.gupta@univdatos.com

Website: https://univdatos.com/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1225049/UnivDatos_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/green-technology-and-sustaniability-market--is-expected-to-display-a-steady-growth-by-2027cagr-24-univdatos-market--insights-301635396.html




The number of babies born in Korea hit an all-time low in July, while deaths climbed to a record high in the month amid rapid aging and the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Wednesday.







A total of 20,441 babies were born in July, down 8.6 percent from the previous year, according to the data from Statistics Korea.







It marked the lowest for any July since the statistics agency started compiling related data in 1981.







Korea has faced a chronic decline in childbirths as many young people delay or give up on getting married or having babies in the face of an economic slowdown and high home prices, combined with changing social norms about marriage.







The country broke its own record for the world's lowest childbirths last year.







Its total fertility rate  the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime  came to 0.81 children in 2021, down from 0.84 the previous year. Last year marked the fourth straight year that the number was below 1.







Rapid aging and the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic also pushed up the number of deaths to a record high in July.







A total of 26,030 people died in the month, up 1.2 percent from a year earlier. It marked the highest figure for any July and also represented the 17th straight month of increase.







As the number of deaths outpaced that of births, the nation's population declined by 5,588 in July, marking the 33rd consecutive month of fall.







Korea reported the first natural fall in its population in 2020, as the grim demographic trend has continued.







Meanwhile, the number of marriages fell 5 percent on-year to 14,947 in July, the data showed.







More people have postponed or delayed their weddings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.







Divorces declined 9.3 percent on-year to 7,535 in July. (Yonhap)


Summary: Land Topography Corporation was established as an engineering consultant firm in Los Angeles. Recently, the company announced the expansion of its service after becoming a California-licensed land surveyor.

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - Land Topography Corporation is an engineering consulting firm located in Los Angeles. In the latest development, the company has announced the expansion of its services after becoming a California-licensed land surveyor. Land Topography Corporation marks the completion of a five-year strategic plan to modernize land surveying services via technology. The newly launched services of Land Topography Corporation include the following surveying features:

 Topographic surveying

 Boundary surveying

 Construction staking

 Subdivision survey

 GIS

Furthermore, Land Topography Corporation has been in the field since 2014. The company is serving its clients in the Los Angeles area by customizing their requirements. With the use of the company's platform, ALTA Surveys are always sent to commercial brokers, architects, banks, and developers in a matter of days rather than weeks. The company has also split its surveying operations into four different departments, each offering specific services in residential, commercial, land use, or building construction.

Clients of Land Topography Corp vary from individuals with sought-after single-family homes to savvy real estate agents in need of commercial project expertise that can rapidly deliver and expand with their growing inventory. Top areas of services include topographic surveying, boundary surveying, construction staking, subdivision survey, GIS, etc.

In addition to that, Land Topography Corporation has progressed after the expansion. The months after Covid were very successful for the business, and the staff expanded to its size. The expanding team needs square footage so that everyone can have their workstation. The firm is looking to find the ideal location for its second office in LA; however, it is proving to be a more time-consuming endeavor than first anticipated.

Upon considering the area's projected expansion, it is planned to expand its presence in LA. The firm's board members have decided that the new LA office will be headed by one of the Senior Surveyors, and the name will be announced later.

About Land Topography Corporation

It is an engineering consulting agency that offers its services in land surveying. Before 2017, they used to provide drafting services. The company's latest growth expands its services by incorporating new technologies, including instruments like RTK GPS receivers and drones for a faster and more accurate survey of properties on the hillside and steep areas. For this, they trained new employees and created a field crew. The company also allocates workload based on project needs and employee skill sets for optimal output.

About the Founder - CEO Cyrus Azarmy

The CEO of Land Topography Corporation, Cyrus Azarmy, is an artist and engineering consultant. After seeing land surveying businesses close their doors in the wake of the recession that began in 2007, Cyrus staked his company's future on disrupting outdated business models and implementing technological solutions to meet customer needs. After five years, the firm has built the concept into a useful enterprise-wide platform that automates processes and handles individual assignments.

Potential clients and intending users must visit the official website for further information or avail of their services.

Media Details:

Company Name: Land Topography Corporation

Company Phone Number: (818) 334-9135

Company Website: https://www.landtopographycorp.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138724
Halifax, Nova Scotia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - E-Tech Resources Inc. (TSXV: REE) (FSE:K2I) ("E-Tech" or "Company") is pleased to announce results of its annual meeting held September 27, 2022.

All resolutions were passed, and the shareholders have elected Jim Megann, John Philpott, Ken Marshall, Christopher Drysdale, and Frances Wall as directors of the Company. In addition, the Company has appointed Jim Megann as interim CEO, replacing Mr. Daniel Whittaker, who will step down as interim CEO of the Company in order to direct his focus to the expansion of other exploration projects.

Jim Megann is an accomplished executive and business leader with experience in the exploration, communications and marketing industries. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Torrent Capital Ltd., Sona Nanotech Inc., and OARO and is the former CEO of Stockport Exploration Inc.

E-Tech will continue its search for a permanent CEO to lead the Company in its next phase of exploration. "We are pleased to have Jim Megann lead the Company as CEO on an interim basis," said Dan Whittaker, outgoing interim CEO. "E-Tech's board and management team is well positioned to develop an exploration and operational plan to advance the Eureka project."

"There has been a lot happening at E-Tech, notably the most recent widespread exploration program and the signing of a Letter of Intent with the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC)," said Jim Megann, interim CEO. "The Company has been in the process of completing its radiometric and magnetic survey, which has been augmented with a robust mapping and grab sampling campaign. These results are being used to define future drill targets, further giving us confidence on the expanded size potential for Eureka. E-Tech and the SRC intend to continue to cooperate in the supply of a sustainable source monazite concentrate. We are eager to continue the excellent work being completed in Namibia."

About E-Tech Resources Inc.

E-Tech is a rare earth exploration and development company focused on developing its Eureka Rare Earths Project in Namibia. The Eureka project is located approximately 250 km north-west of Namibia's capital city Windhoek and 140 km east of Namibia's main industrial port Walvis Bay. The project is situated next to the national B1 highway in the Erongo Region of Namibia.

The Eureka deposit lies in the Southern Central Zone of the Neoproterozoic Damara Belt within Exclusive Prospecting License ("EPL") number EPL 6762, which covers farms Eureka 99 and Sukses 90.

Namibia is recognized as one of Africa's most politically stable jurisdictions, with an extremely well-established national infrastructure and a clear and transparent mining law.

Cautionary Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking information, such as statements regarding the appointment of directors and consultants. This information is based on current expectations and assumptions (including assumptions relating to general economic and market conditions) that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results may differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking information. E-Tech does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking information in this release, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information unless and until required by securities laws applicable to E-Tech. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the filings made by E-Tech with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

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.

For further information, please contact Jim Megann, Interim CEO of E-Tech Resources Inc., at (902) 442-7192.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138779
Eclipse, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of a customizable modular rollup, raised $15M in Pre-Seed and Seed funding.

The seed round was led by Tribe Capital and Tabiya, with participation from Infinity Ventures Crypto, Soma Capital, Struck Crypto, and CoinList. The Pre-Seed was led by Polychain with participation from Tribe Capital, Tabiya, Galileo, Polygon Ventures, Accel, Dawn Song, Sreeram Kannan and Ryan Fang.

The company intends to use the funds to grow its ecosystem and to further promote technical development, especially by attracting Rust engineers and expanding the business development team.

Founded in 2022 by Neel Somani and Sam Thapaliya, Eclipse is a technology company that enables developers to deploy their own customizable rollups using the Solana virtual machine, using any chain for security or data storage. The company has already partnered with a series of major ecosystems including Celestia, EigenLayer, Oasis Labs, Polygon, Cosmos, and NEAR. It has also received a development grant from the Solana Foundation to support the development of rollups powered by the Solana virtual machine.

The team anticipates a public testnet to go live in early 2023. The network will be launched with support from the Celestia ecosystem; the team has already joined Celestias Modular Fellows program and entered a token swap with Celestias foundation.

Eclipse was launched as a portfolio company of Anagram, a venture capital fund founded by Lily Liu.

FinSMEs

28/09/2022
Since its inception in 2022, investfox has worked to improve the investing business by making it more open and honest. Providing objective expert ratings and a place for reliable user feedback, the startup aims to make it easier for customers to choose between investment companies and possibilities.

The startup, which is newly launched and is a private equity funded company, wants to make the investment much easier for people and help them to choose the proper broker, which suits best their needs and strategies.

As investing in financial markets becomes more and more popular among people around the world, the number of investing companies skyrockets respectively. As competition increases and new opportunities emerge for investors, it is imperative that consumers keep an eye on the development of investment companies and the services they offer. For example, if one company was considered a good investment company years ago, today it has many competitors, which may furnish customers with more developed and innovative services. So, when it comes to trading or investing in financial markets, its crucial to be on the lookout for changes in the providers services. And heres where investfox shines and is a prominent game-changer. Continue reading to get more about the company and the way it is going to change the review of investment companies.

What does investfox do?

Newbies on the investment journey will find investfox to be an incredible resource. The projects huge knowledge base, with appealing graphics, is meant to make acquiring advanced financial information as simple as feasible.

Using investfox, everyday investors will have a place to discuss and assess the services they get from financial institutions and the possibilities available to them. In addition, investfox will serve as a resource for those just getting started in the world of trading and investing in the financial markets. But thats not all you can do with investfox. The founder, Konstantin Rabin, claims that the investing business is very divided and that there are few educational resources available to its members. The team intends to close this gap by regularly publishing papers that analyze the investing industrys marketing, operations, regulation, and other factors.

The investfox initiative provides the organization with a straightforward, verifiable rating system. Its goal is to provide scores to investment firms based on many criteria, including the quality of their services, their responsiveness to client needs, and the breadth of their product choices. The investfox reviews and its user ratings on investfox are kept completely separate, allowing users to openly discuss their experiences with various investing firms.

How can investfox become a game-changer?

When it comes to businesses in the investing industry, investfox is a great place to read both professional and customer evaluations. If you arent sure which broker to choose, the experts at investfox can provide you with a detailed assessment of the firm and a grade based on a wide range of factors. Nonetheless, investors may make their voices known and share their thoughts on the platform by using the comments section on investfox. So how exactly do the financial service providers evaluation work on investfox?

The startup has its own methodology and when it comes to evaluating a certain broker experts at investfox take into account 8 main factors, including:

Safety Assets Fees Account opening Trading software Support Research Mobile Experience

Each of these criteria has its own maximum point. For example, in the case of safety, the coefficient is 2 and the maximum point is 5. So, if the company has the highest quality safety it will be evaluated with 5 points and will be multiplied by the coefficient (in this case coefficient =2). In addition to that, when it comes to the regulations, its regulator, based on its reputation, has different scores. Finally the higher score a certain brokerage has, the more reputable and credible it is for the investors. This system, as it involves every significant aspect that should be fulfilled by the brokerage firm, can be quite useful for investors who want to find the best brokerage. In addition to this, investfox is prominent not because of only expert reviews, but because of the user reviews. This platform unites user and expert reviews, so that new visitors can look at both of them and find whether or not a certain broker can be suitable for them. How does this work exactly? Lets take a simple example.

For example, when you want to choose a movie to watch, you visit one of the most famous websites like IMDB, to get as much information about the movie as possible (whether or not it suits your taste and whether or not it is worth watching, has good soundtracks, visual effects and so forth). You look at the user reviews on the things you wonder about the movies. When you find that some movies have better reviews than others, you most probably choose the better-reviewed movie to watch. The same goes for investfox, you choose the financial service provider that has better services and better reviews from the users. This kind of system can be game-changing in an investment world, which increases in size from time to time and becomes more and more competitive.
Wicked Kitchen provides convenient meal solutions across multiple supermarket departments, available at Kroger stores across the country, Sprouts Farmers Market, Publix, 7-Eleven, Lazy Acres, Giant Food Stores and Wal-Mart.

Wicked Kitchen, a Minneapolis MN-based plant-based foods company, raised $20M in Bridge funding.

The round was led by Woody Harrelson, Ahimsa VC, and NRPT.

The company intends to use the funds to further ramp up global brand awareness initiatives and expand retail distribution and other channels to include food service.



Led by CEO Pete Speranza, and created by chefs and brothers Chad Sarno and Derek Sarno, Wicked Kitchen provides meal solutions across multiple supermarket departments. Products, including frozen and shelf-stable, chef-driven animal-free foods including noodle cups, sauces, frozen entrees, pizzas, meal kits, and ice creams, are currently in more than 6,500 retail stores across the U.S. at Kroger stores and its banners including City Market, Dillons, Foods Co, Fred Meyer, Frys, Gerbes, Jay C Food Store, King Soopers, Marianos, Metro Market, Pay-Less Super Markets, Pickn Save, QFC, Ralphs, Ruler and Smiths Food and Drug. They are also available at Sprouts Farmers Market, Publix, 7-Eleven, Lazy Acres, Giant Food Stores and Wal-Mart. In addition to expanding its footprint and offerings in the U.S., the brand launched 23 products in Finlands leading grocery retailer, S-Market, and, next month, it will introduce 17 products into Thailands largest retailers, Tops Market and Central Food Halls.

Wicked Kitchen also owns Good Catch, a consumer packaged goods company offering seafood without harming the environment and sea life.

FinSMEs

28/09/2022
On September 24, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.

Wang Yi said that China and Algeria enjoy a special and deep friendship, which has stood the tests of evolving international situation and further strengthened during the fight against the pandemic. The two countries are friends in need and friends in good faith. China is ready to work with Algeria to carry forward the traditional friendship, and advance side by side along the path of development and revitalization, to open up new prospects for bilateral relations.

Lamamra said that China and Algeria are good friends enjoying a high-level and strong comprehensive strategic partnership; the two sides follow the same set of principles in international affairs, and share the same goal of national revitalization. He thanked China for providing strong support to Algeria in implementing national strategies, and expressed readiness to further deepen and expand exchanges and cooperation with China in various fields. He noted that Algeria highly appreciates and actively supports the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by President Xi Jinping, and has joined the Group of Friends of the GDI. Algeria looks forward to strengthening cooperation and expanding common understanding with China with a view to achieving common development and prosperity. Algeria appreciates the objective and just position China has held on the Ukraine issue, and is in favor of solving the issue through negotiation to restore peace and stability.

Wang Yi said that under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, China and Algeria have cemented mutual trust, maintained frequent and close contacts, and deepened bilateral cooperation, which has fully reflected the high quality of China-Algeria comprehensive strategic partnership. Algeria is a major developing country and a representative of emerging economies. China appreciates that Algeria was one of the first countries to join the Group of Friends of the GDI and has been active in implementing the initiative. China is ready to work with Algeria to play a constructive role in promoting world peace and development.

The two sides agreed to accelerate the negotiation and conclusion of the five-year plan for China-Algeria comprehensive strategic cooperation, the plan for the Belt and Road cooperation, and the three-year plan for cooperation in major areas, among others, so as to inject new impetus into the expansion of practical cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation between China and Arab states. China supports Algeria in playing its role as the rotating presidency of the League of Arab States and in holding a successful Arab League summit, and welcomes Algeria joining the BRICS family.

The two sides agreed to strengthen solidarity, jointly uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, jointly safeguard the principle of non-interference in others internal affairs, and jointly promote international fairness and justice.




The Seoul city government will additionally ban Grade 4 diesel vehicles, the second lowest in the country's five-tier emission standard, from the city's central areas starting in 2025 with a goal of dramatically reducing air pollutants, the mayor said Wednesday.







Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced the measure as part of a broader air quality improvement project aimed at reducing the ultra-fine particle density in downtown Seoul from 2021's 20 micrograms per cubic meter to 13 by 2030.







Seoul plans to invest 3.8 trillion won ($2.6 billion) through 2030 for the project.







Under the plan, diesel vehicles classified as Grade 4 in the country's five-tier emissions standard will be restricted from the roads in the Jongno and Jung districts starting in 2025.







Grade 4 applies to vehicles that produce 0.5 gram or more of carbon monoxide per kilometer among other pollutants. Cars in that category, currently numbering 81,139 across Seoul, produce six times more fine dust than those by Grade 3 cars.







Currently, Grade 5 diesel vehicles are banned across Seoul from December-March and in the central Seoul areas throughout the year.







In 2030, the city plans to adopt a blanket ban on Grade 4 vehicles across Seoul, while all cars powered by internal combustion engines will be banned in central Seoul starting in 2035 and across the city in 2050, the mayor said.







The air pollution reduction project also includes turning all delivery motorcycles and trucks into electric by 2025 and 2026, respectively, Oh said. (Yonhap)


On March 27, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda in Katmandu.

Wang appreciated Prachanda's long-term contributions to developing China-Nepal relations and promoting inter-party exchanges, saying China cherishes its generations of friendship with Nepal. China's friendly policy towards Nepal is for all Nepali people and has maintained continuity and stability. We are glad to see that Nepal's friendship with China has always been a consensus transcending all parties in Nepal and enjoys a solid social foundation. No matter how the situation changes or what challenges we encounter, China's friendship with Nepal will not change, and China's investment in Nepal will not decrease. China is ready to work with Nepal to implement the outcomes of President Xi Jinping's visit to Nepal and push for new progress in cooperation across the board. At present, the international situation is turbulent and volatile, and non-peace factors are on the rise. We should be vigilant against the resurgence of the Cold War mentality and chaos in the region and jointly safeguard the good situation of regional peace, stability and development.

Prachanda congratulated China on successfully hosting the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 despite the pandemic. He said that Nepal and China are connected by mountains and rivers and enjoy traditional friendship. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have maintained close exchanges and sound cooperation. He thanked China for its strong support for Nepal's economic and social development, disaster resistance and COVID-19 response, and expressed readiness to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and accelerate Belt and Road cooperation, especially connectivity and infrastructure projects. Nepal will continue to adhere to the one-China principle and never allow any force to use its territory to engage in activities undermining China. This position has never wavered and will never waver.

Wang Yi appreciated Nepal's understanding and support for China's legitimate propositions, saying that China also supports Nepal in safeguarding sovereignty and national dignity and adhering to independent domestic and foreign policies, and is willing to work with Nepal to safeguard China-Nepal friendship and regional peace.
On September 24, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Gabonese Foreign Minister Michael Moussa-Adamo on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Wang Yi said, Gabon is a good friend of China in Africa. The two countries have always held sincerity and friendly feelings with each other, treated each other as equals, achieved win-win cooperation and common development, and forged a profound friendship, and the comprehensive cooperative partnership continues to consolidate and develop. The Chinese side stands ready to work with the Gabonese side to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, so as to help Gabon accelerate its development and revitalization and bring more benefits to the Gabonese people.

Wang Yi said, China has always stood that all countries, big and small, are equals and always stood on the side of developing countries and African countries, and will continue to deliver tangible results for African partners, and develop and revitalize together with African brothers and sisters. Congratulations to Gabon on assuming the rotating presidency of the Security Council next month. China is ready to strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs, jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and uphold the basic principle of international relations of non-interference in internal affairs.

Moussa said that Gabon and China enjoy a time-honored friendship, and mutually beneficial cooperation has yielded fruitful outcomes. China is Gabon's largest economic and trade partner. China has helped Gabon improve its infrastructure, and taken the lead in supporting Gabon's response to the pandemic. Chinese enterprises have made important contributions to Gabon's economic development, which the Gabonese government and people will never forget. Gabon is also China's reliable partner, and will continue to firmly abide by the one-China principle, and oppose politicizing human rights. Gabon stands ready to strengthen the synergy between the Emerging Gabon Strategic Plan and the Belt and Road Initiative, to diversify the country's economy. Gabon warmly welcomes investment from China, and looks forward to expanding cooperation and achieving more mutually beneficial and win-win results.




President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed Wednesday to raise the country's artificial intelligence (AI) competitiveness to No. 3 in the world as part of efforts to rebuild the nation.







Yoon made the promise while presiding over a regular economic meeting in Gwangju, 268 kilometers south of Seoul, saying he will also double the size of the country's data market to over 50 trillion won (US$35 billion).







The meeting came on the heels of Yoon's unveiling of the "New York plan," which centers on seeking a digital order that can help realize the universal values of freedom, human rights, peace and solidarity.







To achieve the plan, the government said at the meeting that it will pursue a new digital strategy focused on making South Korea the world's top digital nation, using digital technologies to enhance industries' competitiveness, and creating a society where everyone can enjoy the benefits of digital technologies, among other goals.







The meeting was held at the Kimdaejung Convention Center and brought together officials from relevant government ministries and businesses, including Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom.







Yoon also toured the "AI Tech+ 2022" exhibition under way at the convention center, where he tested various technologies, including a kiosk that can be used by disabled people and an AI-based photo transformation technology.







This was the president's first visit to the Jeolla provinces since May, when he attended a ceremony commemorating the May 18, 1980, democracy uprising in Gwangju.







During the campaign, he visited the city and pledged to transform it into a leading AI and digital data hub. (Yonhap)






The labor union of Seoul Metro pays a silent tribute to the murder victim at a press conference held in front of Seoul City Hall, Sept. 20. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-suk



Rule of no punishment without victims' consent responsible for many deaths, activists say



By Lee Yeon-woo



The Sindang Station murder case has been an awakening moment in Korea. It revealed that stalking victims are left without proper protection. The suspect, a 31-year-old man, allegedly killed a 28-year-old female subway station worker while he was on trial without detention after the victim pressed charges on him for stalking.



The brutal murder case raised a red flag. The current law, which prohibits the prosecution of offenders if the victims do not consent, has drawn the ire of the public. Calls are growing to remove this regulation to better protect the victims.



Experts say the lack of punishment without victims' approval is highly problematic in two ways. First, it allows stalkers to harass and chase victims once again by encouraging the settlement of cases. In addition, the police are often reluctant to intervene in cases and encourage offenders and victims to reach a settlement and end the case faster.



"It is possible that stalkers abuse the regulation and think it is the victims who decide their punishment. That belief makes stalkers approach the victims again and again. They might even grow angry when victims don't agree to a settlement," said Kim Jeong-hye, a researcher at the Korean Women's Development Institute.





Graphic by Cho Sang-won



An anti-stalking law first took effect in Korea last October after 22 years of efforts by activists to enact it. It is the first law that enables punishment for stalkers with up to three years in prison. Thanks to this law, stalking reports made to the police and number of arrested stalkers have increased drastically. In only the first half of 2022, the number showed a fivefold increase.









Before the legislation, stalking had long been considered a minor offense. Those who were found guilty of stalking crimes were fined less than 100,000 won ($70). Korean society had not taken stalking seriously because of the belief that it is part of a relationship.



People believed that a man who follows a woman is only trying to woo her, not harm her. So police would often encourage victims to reach settlements with their stalkers in the past, as many thought it was an overreaction to consider it a crime.



"In the workplace, you might encounter people saying that he did it (stalking, or other types of harassment) only because he liked her. There's even an old saying that 'A single stroke won't fell an oak.' This belief contributes to creating more stalking crimes," Kim Sang-gyun, former head of the Korean Association of Criminal Psychology and a professor of police science at Baekseok University, told The Korea Times.





A citizen pays tribute to the victim of a stalking murder at a memorial located in front of Sindang Station's women's room, Sept. 19. Newsis



However, activists and some lawmakers have long criticized this practice, urging society to take so-called "intimate crimes," such as domestic violence, dating abuse and stalking, more seriously.



Sex crimes were also prosecuted only after a victim's consent. But that practice was abolished in 2013 after perpetrators were increasingly seen harassing victims to reach a settlement.



Heather Flowe, a professor of psychology at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, voiced concern about the practice of refraining from prosecuting stalkers without the victim's consent. "Requiring victims to press charges, especially ones that are vulnerable and being intimidated by the perpetrator, is highly problematic," she said.



The U.K. government enacted Stalking Protection Orders (SPO) in 2020 prohibiting stalkers from contacting their victims, and a violation can result in up to five years of imprisonment, Flowe told The Korea Times. In addition to the orders, courts are also able to impose an interim SPO to provide immediate protection for victims while a decision is being made.





Police and prosecutors meet to discuss countermeasures for stalking crimes at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon
Authorities have identified a Chehalis, Washington man as the pilot killed Thursday, Sept. 22 when a single-engine aircraft slammed into a slope in mountainous eastern Linn County.

Wayne Wirt was the only occupant in his 1966 PA-28 Cherokee Cruiser when it crashed near Linns border with Deschutes County. His age is unknown.

Wirts plane had departed Sisters before crashing under unknown circumstances, according to an initial report by the Federal Aviation Administration. Wirt registered the aircraft with a Llano, California address.

County rescue crews found Wirts body the following day, Sept. 23, after a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter found the crash site. They reported Wirt likely had suffered fatal injuries in the crash.

The extent of the injuries were clear that he didnt survive the crash, Sheriff Michelle Duncan said by phone.

Duncan said rescuers with the sheriffs office secured the site, on a steep slope of the Cascade Range, while FAA and National Transportation Safety Board investigators began examining the wreckage.

Hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail reported hearing a loud crash and smelling fuel Sept. 22. Wirt missed his scheduled arrival time.

Family told The Chronicle newspaper out of Centralia, Washington that Wirt was flying from Llano, California to Chehalis.

The crash is the second fatal crash in September involving the PA-28 series of aircraft.

A pilot and passenger were killed Sept. 14 when a 1977 Piper Arrow III lost power soon after takeoff from Myrtle Beach International Airport in South Carolina.

Witnesses reported that plane coasting until it struck a 40-foot pine tree and power lines, shearing the right wing from the aircraft. The plane came to rest near a gravel roadway and then burned in a fire.
Cider pressing, noon to 3 p.m., Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site, 32655 Boston Mill Drive, Shedd. People of all ages are invited to help make cider the old-fashioned way. Taste the cider, get a jug to take home, tour Oregons only surviving water-powered mill, built in 1858. Information: phototraveler02@gmail.com.

"Why Visit This Fish Lake? (There Are 10 in Oregon)," 2 p.m., main meeting room, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave. David Turner and Rolf Anderson, authors of the new book "Fish Lake in the High Cascades: A Historic Legacy," will discuss the Fish Lake historic site above the headwaters of the McKenzie River. Books will be available for purchase. Information: 541-766-6793.

Art for the Heart "Embracing Brave" Gala Benefit for The Arts Center, 6 p.m., Corvallis Community Center, 2601 NW Tyler Ave. An evening of art, auctions and community to support equitable access to and engagement with the visual arts for youth and adults.

Marcus Rezak's Truth In Sound (Zappa tribute featuring Ike Willis and more), 8 p.m., Whiteside Theatre, 361 SW Madison Ave., Corvallis. Tickets: $15 general admission pre-sale at whitesidetheatre.org; $20 at the door.

SUNDAY
Arab League voices concern over violent armed clashes in Libya

Xinhua) 09:49, September 28, 2022

CAIRO, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) on Tuesday voiced grave concern over the deadly armed clashes in the western Libyan city of Zawiya.

In a statement, the AL said it closely followed the incident and renewed its appeal for "all Libyan parties to strive hard to spare their civilians from bloodshed."

The clashes broke out in Zawiya some 45 km west of the Libyan capital Tripoli on Sunday between armed groups, claiming the lives of at least five people and leaving some 13 others injured, local medics said Monday.

The Al also demanded "an immediate ceasefire in the Libyan city and strict measures taken against the perpetrators," according to the statement.

"It is important that Libyan institutions closely and instantly work to reach a consensus on a constitutional base necessary for running the elections," the AL added.

Libya has been suffering political instability and chaos ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Ruling People Power Party lawmakers, including Reps. Kweon Seong-dong, left, and Park Dae-chul, third from left, protest broadcaster MBC for broadcasting President Yoon Suk-yeol's hot mic gaffe in which he used profanity, at the broadcaster's headquarters in Mapo District, Seoul, Wednesday. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea spoke out against the move, calling it media suppression. Joint Press Corps


By Lee Jang-woo





Lee Jang-woo, mayor of Daejeon Metropolitan City
Tokyo, Sept. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global hydropower market was valued at USD 236.4 billion in 2021. Hydropower is a viable source of energy which is cost effective as well as efficient. The utilization of hydropower can be done for a variety of purposes such as recreation and agriculture. The active participation of the government encouraged many consumers all over the world for utilizing hydropower as a source of energy.



The huge investments made by the government as well as many key market players for increasing the production of hydropower energy has emerged as a major growth factor for the market. The technical advancements which have taken place all over the world for the generation of hydropower has increased its rate rapidly.

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Regional snapshots

The region of Asia Pacific has emerged as the largest market as a result of the huge amount of electricity that is generated from hydropower. The market is mainly benefiting from the generation of energy in the region of China, India and Japan. The cost of production of electricity from hydropower has been reduced which emerges as a major growth factor for the market in this region. The huge investments which are made in the field of hydropower by the key market players has help the market to record a considerable revenue over the period of time.

The geographical region of Europe has emerged as the second largest market as a result of the huge amount of hydropower energy that is generated. Increasing concern regarding the greenhouse gases has boosted the demand for renewable sources of energy.

Report Highlights

On the basis of type , the segment of micro hydropower has emerged as the largest segment owing to the huge number of manufacturing plants that are set up all over the world.

, the segment of micro hydropower has emerged as the largest segment owing to the huge number of manufacturing plants that are set up all over the world. On the basis of capacity , the segment of up to one MW has emerged as the largest segment due to their extensive usage all around the world.

, the segment of up to one MW has emerged as the largest segment due to their extensive usage all around the world. On the basis of component , the segment of civil construction has emerged as the largest segment as a result of the extensive demand. Civil constructions include the building of dams which emerges as a major factor for the growth of this segment.

, the segment of civil construction has emerged as the largest segment as a result of the extensive demand. Civil constructions include the building of dams which emerges as a major factor for the growth of this segment. On the basis of geography, the region of Asia Pacific has emerged as the largest market due to the extensive demand of hydropower as renewable source of energy.

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Scope of the Report

Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2021 USD 236.4 Billion Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 371.8 Billion Asia Pacific Market Share 42% in 2021 North America Market Share 30% in 2021 CAGR 5.16% from 2022 to 2030 Base Year 2021 Forecast Year 2022 to 2030 Key Players Siemens Energy, General Electric (GE), Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA, TOSHIBA CORPORATION, FLOVEL Energy Private Limited, ANDRITZ, Natel Energy, Gilkes, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, SNC-Lavalin Group, Kolektor, Mavel, a.s., Canyon Hydro

Market dynamics

Drivers

The rapidly increasing demand for electricity all over the world has emerged as a major driving force for the growth of the hydropower market. The requirement for electricity in the under developed as well as the developed nations has boosted the market considerably. The demand for electricity is expected to increase further in the future as well. The renewable sources of energy are put into use for generation of electricity on a large scale. Hydropower being a very efficient source of energy has emerged as a widely used natural resource for the generation of electricity. The developed nations have emerged as a major consumer of hydropower energy as a result of the huge demand of electricity which is experienced. The heavy usage of electric vehicles in the developed countries has emerged it's a major driving force for the growth of the hydropower market. The demand for electricity generated from hydropower is expected to rise further with the increasing demand for electric vehicles among the potential consumers all over the world.

Restraints

The investment that is required for generation of hydropower is tremendous and hence emerges as a major obstacle for the growth of the market. The high capital investment which is expected for the generation of electricity from hydropower makes it difficult for the developing countries to opt for such facilities. The production of electricity from hydropower is expensive and hence the growth of the market is hindered. The availability of skilled professionals for the functioning of the hydropower plants emerges as a major challenge for the market due to the shortage. The labor cost for hydropower plants is very high which proves to be an obstacle for the growth of the market. The approval of the government is mandatory for setting up a hydropower plant which emerges as another obstacle for the market.

Opportunities

The governments are taking active participation in setting up a number of hydropower projects all over the world with a view to increase the production of energy from renewable sources of energy to fulfill the increasing demand of people all over the world. Various partnerships and collaborations are taking place all over the world for setting up hydropower projects that will help in production of electricity on a large scale. New opportunities have been offered to the key market players by the government for the production of electricity from hydropower. Huge number of investments made by the key market players for the generation of electricity from hydropower has proved to be a major opportunity for the growth of the market.

Challenges

The resources that are required for the generation of electricity from hydropower is insufficient and hence emerges as a major obstacle for the growth of the market during the forecast period. The major challenges faced by the developing and underdeveloped countries who already have a shortage of economy as well as resources. These countries have to borrow help in order to develop themselves in terms of hydropower energy from other neighboring countries. The high cost associated with the production of hydropower energy emerges as a major challenge for the growth of the market during the forecast period. The maintenance cost of the machines which are involved in the production of electricity from hydropower emerges as another major challenge for the growth of the market.

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Recent Developments

An electricity provider from Columbia, Isagen SA, was awarded with a contract to buy a couple of 19.9 MW hydropower plants in February 2021 in Antioquia. The generation of renewable energy has been boosted by this industry with the help of this project that has costed it around USD 194.8 million.





Market Segmentation

By Type

Mini Hydropower

Micro Hydropower

By Capacity

Above 100 MW

Under 10 MW

Others





By Component

Civil Construction

Electromechanical Equipment

Electric

Power Infrastructure

Others





By End-User

Industrial

Utility

Others





By Geography

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa (MEA)





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English French

MONTREAL, Sept. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MONARCH MINING CORPORATION (Monarch or the Corporation) (TSX: GBAR) (OTCQX: GBARF) reports today that it has suspended its operations at the Beaufor Mine due to financial and operational challenges. The mine will be put on care and maintenance for an undetermined period.



As reported on August 31, the slower ramp-up of the Beacon mill following a number of mechanical and procurement issues, as well as problems with the grade reconciliation of the material stockpiled, caused cash restrictions and forced the Corporation to slow down its mining activities at Beaufor.

Following a review of its operations, the Corporation received confirmation of continuing significant discrepancies between the reported grade of the material mined at Beaufor and the grade of material processed at the Beacon Mill, which is causing continued lower cash flow from operations than expected and generating insufficient funds for the Corporation to continue its operations.

The Corporation intends to continue to process the estimated stockpile of 20,000 tonnes to generate funds prior to placing the Beacon Mill on care and maintenance. In addition, the Corporation is planning to start a complete review of identified issues, including stockpile management and its mining methods in finding solutions to resolve the dilution issues.

The Corporation has started a strategic review of its assets and operations. Monarch is currently working closely with its lenders, suppliers, customers and potential investors to develop a strategy to fund its activities.

The decision taken today by the Board and management was after careful consideration of all available information from the mine and mill operations, and the Corporation current and projected financial situation. We understand that this situation is difficult for our shareholders, employees and stakeholders, said Jean-Marc Lacoste, President and Chief Executive Officer of Monarch. We will continue to work towards resolving the present situation at the operations while seeking strategic and financial alternatives to maximize stakeholder value.

About Monarch

Monarch Mining Corporation (TSX: GBAR) (OTCQX: GBARF) is a fully integrated mining company that owns four projects, including the Beaufor Mine, which has produced more than 1 million ounces of gold over the last 30 years. Other assets include the Croinor Gold, McKenzie Break and Swanson properties, all located near Monarchs wholly owned 750 tpd Beacon Mill. Monarch owns 29,504 hectares (295 km2) of mining assets in the prolific Abitibi mining camp that host a combined measured and indicated gold resource of 666,882 ounces and a combined inferred resource of 423,193 ounces.

Forward-looking statements

Some of the statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable securities laws. All information contained in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is forward-looking information. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects, budget, guidance, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, strategy, target, intends, objective, goal, understands, anticipates and believes (and variations of these or similar words) and statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, should, might occur or be achieved or will be taken (and variations of these or similar expressions). All of the forward-looking information in this news release is qualified by this cautionary note. Forward-looking information is not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. These statements reflect Monarchs current expectations of future revenues and business prospects and opportunities and are based on information currently available to Monarch. Monarch cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Monarch currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties described in Monarchs annual information form filed with the Canadian Securities regulators on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ) on December 1, 2021. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted herein including but not limited to: timing and anticipated cost of care and maintenance activities at the Beaufor Mine, inherent hazards associated with the operation and closure of mining projects, volatility in financial markets or general economic conditions; capital requirements and the need for additional financing, unanticipated changes in production, mineral reserves and mineral resources and the related grades, metallurgical recoveries and loss of key personnel. Although Monarch has attempted to identify important factors that could cause its actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, there are other business risks and hazards associated with mineral exploration, development and mining that cause its results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Although Monarch believes that the forward-looking information contained herein is based on reasonable assumptions (including assumptions relating to economic, market and political conditions, requirements readers cannot be assured that actual results will be consistent with such statements. Monarch expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information in this news release, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jean-Marc Lacoste

President and Chief Executive Officer 1-888-994-4465

jm.lacoste@monarchmining.com Mathieu Seguin

Vice President, Corporate Development 1-888-994-4465

m.seguin@monarchmining.com

www.monarchmining.com

Table 1: Monarch combined gold resources
English French

New state-of-the-art facility in Melbourne will further enhance Bombardiers customer service footprint in Asia-Pacific

Melbourne Service Centre will provide quick and efficient maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities for all Bombardier business aircraft, including a parts depot and back shop capabilities

An important market for Bombardier, Australia is also part of a comprehensive worldwide aftermarket network expansion



MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier today announced the grand opening of its new Melbourne Service Centre at Essendon Fields Airport in Melbourne, Australia. The new facility is a testament to Bombardiers commitment to the Australian market and establishes a key building block in its growing global customer support network. At full capacity, the new OEM-operated Melbourne Service Centre will add 65 aerospace jobs in the community, including more than 48 highly skilled technicians and boost Bombardiers customer service footprint in Asia-Pacific by some 50,000 square feet.

Australia is a key market for Bombardier with more than 80 aircraft in its Australian business fleet. Bombardier is also the OEM with the largest percentage of deliveries in Australia, representing 31% of the market (47% for medium and large business jets). This new, highly efficient facility will serve as an important gateway to Asia-Pacific, serving as a key focal point for customers in the region and for future growth prospects of the Bombardier fleet.

The addition of the Melbourne Service Centre is the latest in a series of worldwide infrastructure investments aimed at enhancing Bombardiers customer service capacity in line with our 2025 plan, said Eric Martel, President and CEO, Bombardier. In the past year, we have added close to one million square feet of service capacity in several key locations, solidifying our plan to bring more Bombardier jets home no matter where they operate.

Earlier this year, Bombardier enhanced its customer service footprint in Asia-Pacific with the opening of the new Singapore Service Centre. Bombardier will soon celebrate the opening of its enhanced London Biggin Hill Service Centre in the UK, and later this year, will gather to highlight the opening of its new, state-of-the-art Service Centre at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.

Customers at the new Melbourne Service Centre will benefit from a variety of service options, including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, modifications, avionics installations and AOG support for Bombardiers dynamic family of aircraft  including the newly introduced Global 8000 aircraft, the flagship of a new era. The facility will also boast a 4,000 sq. ft. parts depot.

The new Melbourne Service Centre brings essential, specialized services for our customers, enabling us to continue to deliver the service excellence they have come to expect from Bombardier, said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Executive Vice President, Services and Support, and Corporate Strategy, Bombardier. Our new facility will provide infinite benefits, including quick aircraft turnarounds, greater convenience and OEM peace of mind to Bombardiers growing customer base in Australia.

The creation of the new facility also underscores the steadfast commitment of the team from the Essendon Fields Airport as well as the Victoria Government, which has supported Bombardiers development of the service centre and its growth plan.

Partnering with one of the worlds leading manufacturers of business aircraft for its new facility is evidence of Essendon Fields continued investment in creating a centre of excellence for general aviation here in Victoria. There are more business jets based here than anywhere in the country, and Bombardiers commitment cements Essendon Fields as Australias home of business aircraft, said Brendan Pihan, CEO of Essendon Fields.

The new Melbourne Service Centre also aptly illustrates Bombardiers comprehensive global customer service commitment to provide the best customer service experience in business aviation today.

About Bombardier

Bombardier is a global leader in aviation, focused on designing, manufacturing, and servicing the world's most exceptional business jets. Bombardiers Challenger and Global aircraft families are renowned for their cutting-edge innovation, cabin design, performance, and reliability. Bombardier has a worldwide fleet of approximately 5,000 aircraft in service with a wide variety of multinational corporations, charter and fractional ownership providers, governments, and private individuals. Bombardier aircraft are also trusted around the world in special-mission roles.

Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Bombardier operates aerostructure, assembly and completion facilities in Canada, the United States and Mexico. The companys robust customer support network includes facilities in strategic locations in the United States and Canada, as well as in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, the UAE, Singapore, China, and an Australian facility opening in 2022.

For corporate news and information, including Bombardiers Environmental, Social and Governance report, visit bombardier.com. Learn more about Bombardiers industry-leading products and customer service network at businessaircraft.bombardier.com. Follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Bombardier, Learjet, Challenger, Global and Global 8000 are registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

For information

Matthew Nicholls

Bombardier

+1 514-243-8214

Matthew.Nicholls@aero.bombardier.com

Scott Thomson

Forge Communications

+61 432 218 681

scott@forgecomms.com

Visuals of the new Melbourne Service Centre are available here.
SINGAPORE, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It is great news for Druce - the international sales agency of Grand Marina, Saigon and The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Hanoi. Both developed by Masterise Homes with services provided by Marriott International, the two projects have seen strong buyer interest from Asian and European markets.

In September 2022, Druce organized VIP consulting sessions in Singapore to introduce Marriott branded residential apartments in Vietnam.

Robert Bartlett, CEO of Druce Global, shared: We had positive responses with great appetite in various markets. With our 200 years of experience with prime property all over the world, we knew that we could showcase Marriott Residences & JW Marriott Residences at Grand Marina, Saigon and The Ritz-Carlton Residences at The Grand, Hanoi around the world and that they would look extremely favorable in comparison with non-branded residences in global markets. This showcases Vietnam in the best light and underlines the fact that real estate developments have now met the highest standards of international markets.

This is not the first time Vietnam attracted foreign buyers in the branded residence sector. In 2021, Masterise Homes partnered with Asia Bankers Club to launch Grand Marina, Saigon in Hong Kong which also had great sales results amidst the global pandemic.

These continuous successes highlight the great demand for investment properties in Vietnam and the confidence international buyers have for residences affiliated with Marriott International brands.

They are sure-fire investments for global investors. Both Druce and Asia Bankers Club attributed the success to two key factors including their prime location in Vietnam and their association with the worlds leading hotelier brands.

The dual  branded Grand Marina, Saigon brings to Ho Chi Minh Citys coveted District 1 branded units from two Marriott International brands  JW Marriott and Marriott. Overlooking the northern banks of the Saigon River, this trophy asset fuses uncompromising quality and world-class Italian fitouts complemented by the dedicated services and signature amenities from JW Marriott and Marriott. The quality of the development is backed by the strength of the Marriott International brands, its global network and the guarantee of effortless home ownership.

Vietnams first Ritz-Carlton Residences, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Hanoi is a boutique branded apartment complex, featuring 104 units rising up in the heart of Old Quarter, the citys main business hub. Located in an enchanting area with captivating architecture, ambience and history, The Residences is a landmark that marries the best modern levels of amenity with historic workmanship and design. The project attracts a large audience of loyalists and trophy collectors who identify with the legendary brands lifestyle while providing a statement of your discerning taste and an exceptional eye for choosing only the best.

Savvy buyers and luxury lifestyle connoisseurs have more than enough reasons to scoop up these timeless assets. First up is the undeniable prestige of owning a globally recognized branded residence. Then there is the investment appeal of Vietnam property market.

Since 2015 when Vietnam legalised foreign property ownership, the market has been receiving increasing interest from foreign buyers, especially in the high-end sector.

Vietnam is renowned to Singapore as a fast-growing market with great potential.

Dung Duong, executive director at the real estate services and investment firm CBRE, said, With the number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals significantly increasing in Vietnam and foreign investors making a comeback after the pandemic, high-end and luxury properties will continue to receive a lot of interest, especially well-branded projects with assured product quality. Vietnam will see a strong appetite for branded residences as this sector is still in its infancy in the local market and the pricing is more reasonable compared to regional level, which offers greater upside potential.

In 2021, Marriott Internationals milestone branded residential project- Grand Marina, Saigon signified international confidence in the countrys strong fundamentals  and its significance on the global real estate map. Vietnam is a vibrant destination and has over the years experienced record levels of tourism as international travelers flocked to the country and domestic travelers began to discover the many wonders available in their own backyard, says Emma Smithson, Regional Director of Residences Operations, Asia Pacific, Marriott International. With the recent reopening of borders, we are hopeful for Vietnam to rebound rapidly, we are excited to expand across even more parts of this captivating country.

As Marriott announced plans to expand its portfolio fourfold in Vietnam over the next few years, it continues its vote of confidence in both Vietnams positive economic development and the branded residence sector. Buyers can certainly take heart from this.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aabcaa96-a051-4823-a0db-66f71e467a72

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/43c97c72-960e-4bb2-ab5d-49022981f289
This drone picture taken on Sept. 16 shows pine trees in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province that turned brown after getting infected with pine wilt disease. Courtesy of Green Korea United





By Lee Hae-rin







An estimated two million pine trees are turning brown after becoming infected with pine wilt disease, according to a local environmental group. The group says that the current damage is close to the levels of 2013 and 2014 when over two million evergreen trees were infected  if not worse.







Environmental group Green Korea United announced Monday that the group had conducted on-site and drone observations across the country since June this year, during which, it discovered over two million pine trees infected with pine wilt disease.







The country's southeastern region, which includes the cities of Busan, Pohang and Gyeongju, is the hardest hit by the spread of the disease, the group said. Some of the damaged forests are designated as world heritage and cultural heritage protection areas. The infection is heading northwards, quickly spreading to areas near Seoul and in Gangwon Province.







Seo Jae-chul, a senior ecological activist of the organization who conducted on-site visits, said the damage from pine wilt disease has never been as visible before. This year is the first time that infected trees have been detected near roads and railroads since the disease was first discovered in the country in 1988, the activist said.







Pine wilt disease is caused by 1-millimeter-long worms called pinewood nematodes. These tiny worms are parasites of long-horned beetles and infest host tree branches during their spring feeding season. After they arrive, the nematodes reproduce rapidly and clog the tree's vascular system, disrupting the tree's water and nutrient flow and eventually leading to the death of the host tree. The withering rate of infested trees is 100 percent, as there is no cure for the lethal disease once a tree has become infected.







Pinewood nematodes visible via microscope / Courtesy of the National Forest Service





The sudden spread of the lethal disease is caused by climate change, according to experts.







Seo said that the average spring temperature has gone up due to global warming and activated the reproduction and spread of insects that carry the nematodes. Kim Dong-soon, a professor of plant resources and the environment at Jeju National University, also said that the recent drought and typhoons might have weakened the trees, disrupting their resin secretion and facilitating the movement of the pine nematodes from beetles to trees.







Meanwhile, the group's estimate of two million infected trees is far greater than the latest statistics from the National Forest Service (NFS). The NFS conducts surveys of pine wilt disease damage with 135 local governments every year, and as of this April, the government had reported that only 380,000 trees were infected with the disease.







Seo pointed out that the government's statistics are incomplete and far from realistic. Despite the rapid spread of the disease since spring this year, several local governments have halted monitoring or failed to provide accurate reports on local damage, the activist said.







The NFS told The Korea Times Tuesday that it will conduct a study to grasp the extent of the additional damage by November of this year with the Korea Forestry Promotion Institute's pest control center. Last year, the government body monitored 520,000 hectares of pine forests nationwide with a drone, covering about 34 percent of the total pine forest area.







Also, the NFS plans to conduct intensive pest control from this October to April of next year, in which infected trees are cut down, turned into wood chips and burned to prevent the disease from spreading to other plants and trees. Non-infected trees surrounding the damaged trees will be given a type of inoculation so as to stop the spread of the parasitic infection.







If left unmanaged, the disease could quickly spread to infect over 40 to 50 percent of the country's pine trees, the group warned. In a worst-case scenario, the dead trees' roots could weaken the stability of mountain slopes and cause landslides in future torrential rains, Seo said.


Pune, India, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global agriculture equipment market size was valued at USD 157.89 billion in 2021. The market is projected to grow from USD 168.30 billion in 2022 to USD 272.36 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period.

This information is stated by Fortune Business Insights, in its report, titled, Agriculture Equipment Market, 2022-2029.

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List of Key Players Mentioned in the Report:

AGCO Corporation (U.S.)

Alamo Group Inc. (U.S.)

China National Machinery Industry Corporation (China)

CNH Industrial N.V. (U.K.)

CLAAS KGaA GmbH (Nagoya, Japan)

Deere & Company (U.S.)

Kubota Corporation (Japan)

Mahindra & Mahindra (India)

SDF S.p.A. (Italy)

Valmont Industries Inc. (U.S.)

COVID-19 Impacts:

Supply Demand Disparity Impelled Pricing Volatility and Short Term Interruption in Market

The disorderly influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global agricultural sector has been extensive and flexible. Moreover, due to considerable loss of life and lack of indispensable goods during the national shutdown, the global economy has gone through adverse poverty. This has additionally encouraged a new sort of emergency in the agricultural sector, thus swaying not only the agricultural sector but also multiple other sectors throughout the globe. Various producers, amid this trend, have shifted their emphasis toward contributing more to frontline healthcare employees.

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Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2029 Forecast CAGR 7.1% 2029 Value Projection USD 272.36 Billion Base Year 2021 Agriculture Equipment Market Size in 2021 USD 157.89 Billion Historical Data 2018-2020 No. of Pages 120 Segments Covered By Equipment Type, By Application, By Region Agriculture Equipment Market Growth Drivers Development of Novel Products and Surging Product Diversity is Strengthening Market Dynamic Growing Consciousness Concerning Equipment Advantages and Suitable Government Policies is Jointly Reinforcing Market Acquisitions Initiated by Key Companies to Promote Market Growth Asia Pacific to Lead Stoked by Economic Development in Key Countries

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Segments:

Development of Novel Products and Surging Product Diversity is Strengthening Market Dynamic

Based on equipment type, the market is classified into agriculture tractors, harvesting equipment, irrigation & crop processing equipment, agriculture spraying & handling equipment, soil preparation & cultivation equipment, and others (hay & forage equipment, trailers). The agriculture tractors segment is anticipated to contribute toward a prime share of the global market.

Land Development Segment to Witness Bolstered Growth Owing to its Demand Across Industrial Sector

On the basis of application, the market is divided into land development, threshing and harvesting, plant protection, and after agro processing. The relentless augmentation in the necessities of farmlands across multiple region is a pivotal factor behind the amplification of the land development segment on the global landscape.

Geographically, the market is segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Report Coverage:

The report highlights leading regions across the world to offer a better understanding of the user. Furthermore, it provides insights into the latest industry trends and analyzes technologies deployed at a rapid pace at the global level. The report examines various paradigm shifts associated with the transformation of software. It further highlights some of the growth-stimulating factors and restraints, helping the reader gain in-depth knowledge about the market for agriculture equipment.

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Drivers and Restraints:

Growing Consciousness Concerning Equipment Advantages and Suitable Government Policies is Jointly Reinforcing Market

Globally, the market is displaying considerable traction owing to the rising population and constant requirement for enhanced efficiency to satisfy the food demand. Additionally, the rising purchasing power of people, quick pace of industrialization, and the demand for great quality packaged foods are bolstering the market outlook in the coming years. The increasing demand for agricultural products primarily navigates the demand for planting and fertilizing equipment in place of manual planting and fertilizing methods.

Regional Insights:

Asia Pacific to Lead Stoked by Economic Development in Key Countries

Asia Pacific held the largest agriculture equipment market share and stood at USD 59.23 billion in 2021. It is projected to observe a stunning CAGR of 8.3% for the forecast period. Expansion in the market is owed to the rapid and updated economic expansion of nations such as China, India, and many economies within the geographical region of ASEAN, offering collective progress of Asia Pacific.

The sturdy existence of the indispensable companies Alamo Group Inc., AGCO Corporation, Deere & Company, and Valmont Industries across the U.S. is assisting the growth of the market in North America.

The GCC is responsible for a prime share in the market for agriculture equipment of the Middle East & Africa region due to the backing by government organizations to uplift farming processes and integrate modern farming methods.

Competitive Landscape:

Acquisitions Initiated by Key Companies to Promote Market Growth

The leading players in the market constantly opt for efficient strategies to bolster their brand value as well as promote the global agriculture equipment market growth. One such efficient strategy is acquiring competitive companies and further securing a profit for both the companies.

Key Industry Development:

May 2022: AGCO Corporation, a pioneering supplier and producer of agricultural equipment, machinery, and precision agriculture technology, purchased JCA Industries, Inc., which is a dominating player of autonomous software for agricultural equipment and electronic system This procurement will permit AGCO Corporation to use JCA technologies precision agriculture software in its agriculture machinery that will refine experience of customers of AGCO Corporation.

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Detailed Table of Content

Introduction Definition, By Segment Research Methodology/Approach Data Sources

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Macro and Micro Economic Indicators Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities and Trends Impact of COVID-19 Short-term Impact Long-term Impact

Competition Landscape Business Strategies Adopted by Key Players Consolidated SWOT Analysis of Key Players PESTEL Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis Supply Chain Analysis Global Agriculture Equipment Key Players Market Share Insights and Analysis, 2021

Global Agriculture Equipment Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2018-2029 Key Findings By Equipment Type (USD) Agriculture Tractors Harvesting Equipment Irrigation & Crop Processing Equipment Agriculture Spraying & Handling Equipment Soil Preparation & Cultivation Equipment Others (Hay & Forage Equipment, trailers, etc.) By Application (USD) Land Development Threshing and Harvesting Plant Protection After Agro Processing By Region (USD) North America Latin America Europe Middle East & Africa Asia Pacific

North America Agriculture Equipment Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2018-2029 Key Findings By Equipment Type (USD) Agriculture Tractors Harvesting Equipment Irrigation & Crop Processing Equipment Agriculture Spraying & Handling Equipment Soil Preparation & Cultivation Equipment Others (Hay & Forage Equipment, trailers, etc.) By Application (USD) Land Development Threshing and Harvesting Plant Protection After Agro Processing



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Have a Look at Related Research Insights:

Mining Equipment Market Size, Share, Trends | Global Report, 2028

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Food Processing Equipment Market Size, Share | Global Report [2027]

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Pune, India, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global robotic air purifier market size was valued at USD 280.1 million in 2021. The market is projected to grow from USD 302.0 million in 2022 to USD 535.1 million by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period.

This information is stated by Fortune Business Insights, in a report titled Robotic Air Purifier Market, 2022-2029.

Get a Sample PDF Brochure:

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List of Key Players Mentioned in the Report:



iRobot Corporation (U.S.)

ROVACS (China)

Diqee Intelligent Corp Ltd (China)

Ecovacs (China)

Fakir Hausgerate GmbH (Germany)

Aier Environment Technology Co Ltd (China)

Shenzhen Global New Intelligence Technology Co Ltd (China)

JETS Air Pro (U.S.)

MTG GmbH (Germany)

Prosenic (China)

COVID-19 Impacts:

Hasty Growth in Market During COVID-19 Pandemic Spurred Development

The outbreak of COVID-19 had a positive impact on the market. Surged indoor time spent by customers has presented notable augmentation in the sales of these products throughout the world. The net sales of IRobot Corporation rose by around 18% in 2020 in comparison with 2019.

Lockdown execution in multiple nations, such as India, the U.S., Africa, and others, and social distancing guidelines imposed to avert the spread of coronavirus resulted in an abrupt shutting of manufacturing divisions and also limited the operations in public areas.

Browse Summary of this Research Report:

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Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2029 Forecast CAGR 8.5% 2029 Value Projection USD 535.1 Million Base Year 2021 Robotic Air Purifier Market Size in 2021 USD 280.1 Million Historical Data 2018-2020 No. of Pages 140 Segments Covered By Product Type, By End-User, By Region Robotic Air Purifier Market Growth Drivers HEPA Segment to Lead the Market Growing Consciousness Related to Indoor Air Quality to Accelerate Demand Innovative Product Launch Announcement by Key Players to Bolster Market Growth Asia Pacific to Hold Lions Share Backed by Robust Economic Development

Segments:



HEPA Segment to Lead the Market

By product type, the market is categorized into HEPA, active carbon, electrostatic precipitator, ion & ozone generator, and others (anion purification layer and palmer purification layers). The HEPA segment is anticipated to lead the market.

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Residential Segment to Demonstrate Higher CAGR in the End-user Segment

By end-user, the market is categorized into residential and commercial.

The residential segment is estimated to perceive strong growth of 8.9% during the forecast period due to the usage of robotic air purifier in residences.

The scope of the global market is characterized into five regions, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America.

Report Coverage:



The report offers a detailed study of the market and a keen examination of the major segments of the market. It provides an in-depth analysis of key players and their insightful strategies to spur the robotic air purifier market growth for monetary gains. It also shares tangible insights which guide business owners with their investment perspective. The regional dynamics and how they shape the market in an upward curve are presented in the report. Moreover, COVID-19 impacts have been added for additional information and how it is expected to affect the demand for such purifiers in the near future.

Drivers and Restraints:



Growing Consciousness Related to Indoor Air Quality to Accelerate Demand

An escalating urbanization and overpopulation throughout the urban areas have amplified the amount of air pollution and significantly tainted the air quality index throughout the chief cities of fundamental countries. The application of air purifiers through residential and commercial spaces to gain improvement in the air quality has recorded notable augmentation across nations such as India, Brazil, the U.S., and others. A rising alertness concerning the usage of robotic air purifier to reduce air pollution will positively boost market growth.

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Regional Insights:

Asia Pacific to Hold Lions Share Backed by Robust Economic Development

Asia Pacific is estimated to hold a dominating robotic air purifier market share, stoked by sturdy financial growth in economies involving China, India, Japan, and others.

North America is anticipated to grow with highest growth rate, owing to surge in strict guidelines and rise in awareness about indoor air quality, fueling the growth of the market.

In Europe, owing to larger household spaces in residential as well as commercial spaces, the demand for such purifiers is bolstering. Also, rising installation of all-inclusive ambient air quality management and growing cognizance among people navigate the growth of the market in Europe region.

Competitive Landscape:



Innovative Product Launch Announcement by Key Players to Bolster Market Growth

The prominent players adopt several strategies to bolster their position in the market as leading companies. One such key strategy is acquiring companies to bolster the brand value among users. Another essential strategy is periodically launching innovative products with a detailed study of the market and its target audience.

Key Industry Development:

May 2022: iRobot Corporation presented iRobot OS, a genius home intelligence platform. It offers a fresh level of user experience for smart homes and sorting homes. This novel OS is intended for enhancing the performance of products.

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Detailed Table of Content

Introduction Definition, By Segment Research Methodology/Approach Data Sources Executive Summary Market Dynamics Macro and Micro Economic Indicators Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities and Trends Impact of COVID-19 Short-term Impact Long-term Impact Competition Landscape Business Strategies Adopted by Key Players Consolidated SWOT Analysis of Key Players Global Robotic Air Purifier Market Key Players Market Share Insights and Analysis, 2021 Global Robotic Air Purifier Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2018-2029 Key Findings By Product Type (USD) HEPA Active Carbon Electrostatic Precipitator Ion & Ozone Generator Others (Anion Purification Layer, and Palmer Purification Layers, etc.) By End User (USD) Residential Commercial By Region (USD) North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East and Africa North America Robotic Air Purifier Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2018-2029 Key Findings By Product Type (USD) HEPA Active Carbon Electrostatic Precipitator Ion & Ozone Generator Others (Anion Purification Layer, and Palmer Purification Layers, etc) By End User (USD) Residential Commercial By Country (USD) U.S. End User Residential Commercial Canada End User Residential Commercial Mexico End User Residential Commercial Europe Robotic Air Purifier Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2018-2029 Key Findings By Product Type (USD) HEPA Active Carbon Electrostatic Precipitator Ion & Ozone Generator Others (Anion Purification Layer, and Palmer Purification Layers, etc) By End User (USD) Residential Commercial By Country (USD) Germany End User Residential Commercial U.K. End User Residential Commercial France End User Residential Commercial Italy End User Residential Commercial Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific Robotic Air Purifier Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2018-2029 Key Findings By Product Type (USD) HEPA Active Carbon Electrostatic Precipitator Ion & Ozone Generator Others (Anion Purification Layer, and Palmer Purification Layers, etc)



TOC Continued...!

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Robotic Welding Market Size & Growth | Global Report [2028]

Waterjet Cutting Machine Market Share , Growth | Global Trends, 2027

Baggage Handling System Market Size , Report | Forecast 2027

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Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

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Pune-411045, Maharashtra, India.

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US: +1 424 253 0390

UK: +44 2071 939123

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Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com

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SINGAPORE, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It is great news for Druce - the international sales agency of Grand Marina, Saigon and The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Hanoi. Both developed by Masterise Homes with services provided by Marriott International, the two projects have seen strong buyer interest from Asian and European markets.

In September 2022, Druce organized VIP consulting sessions in Singapore to introduce Marriott branded residential apartments in Vietnam.

Robert Bartlett, CEO of Druce Global, shared: We had positive responses with great appetite in various markets. With our 200 years of experience with prime property all over the world, we knew that we could showcase Marriott Residences & JW Marriott Residences at Grand Marina, Saigon and The Ritz-Carlton Residences at The Grand, Hanoi around the world and that they would look extremely favorable in comparison with non-branded residences in the global markets. This showcases Vietnam in the best light and underlines the fact that real estate developments have now met the highest standards of the international market.

Investors in Singapore paid special attention to Vietnams branded residences.

This is not the first time Vietnam attracted foreign buyers in the branded residence sector. In 2021, Masterise Homes partnered with Asia Bankers Club to launch Grand Marina, Saigon in Hong Kong which also had great sales results amidst the global pandemic.

These continuous successes highlight the great demand for investment properties in Vietnam and the confidence international buyers have for residences affiliated with Marriott International brands.

They are sure-fire investments for global investors. Both Druce and Asia Bankers Club attributed the success to two key factors including their prime location in Vietnam and their association with the worlds leading hotelier brands.

The dual  branded Grand Marina, Saigon brings to Ho Chi Minh Citys coveted District 1 branded units from two Marriott International brands  JW Marriott and Marriott. Overlooking the northern banks of the Saigon River, this trophy asset fuses uncompromising quality and world-class Italian fitouts complemented by the dedicated services and signature amenities from JW Marriott and Marriott. The quality of the development is backed by the strength of the Marriott International brands, its global network and the guarantee of effortless home ownership.

Vietnams first Ritz-Carlton Residences, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Hanoi is a boutique branded apartment complex, featuring 104 units rising up in the heart of the Old Quarter, the citys main business hub. Located in an enchanting area with captivating architecture, ambience and history, The Residences is a landmark that marries the best modern levels of amenity with historic workmanship and design. The project attracts a large audience of loyalists and trophy collectors who identify with the legendary brands lifestyle while providing a statement of your discerning taste and an exceptional eye for choosing only the best.

Savvy buyers and luxury lifestyle connoisseurs have more than enough reasons to scoop up these timeless assets. First up is the undeniable prestige of owning a globally recognized branded residence. Then there is the investment appeal of Vietnam property market.

Since 2015 when Vietnam legalised foreign property ownership, the market has been receiving increasing interest from foreign buyers, especially in the high-end sector.

Dung Duong, executive director at the real estate services and investment firm CBRE, said, With the number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals significantly increasing in Vietnam and foreign investors making a comeback after the pandemic, high-end and luxury properties will continue to receive a lot of interest, especially well-branded projects with assured product quality. Vietnam will see a strong appetite for branded residences as this sector is still in its infancy in the local market and the pricing is more reasonable compared to the regional level, which offers greater upside potential.

In 2021, Marriotts milestone branded residential project - Grand Marina, Saigon signified international confidence in the countrys strong fundamentals  and its significance on the global real estate map. Vietnam is a vibrant destination and has over the years experienced record levels of tourism as international travelers flocked to the country and domestic travelers began to discover the many wonders available in their own backyard, says Emma Smithson, Regional Director of Residences Operations, Asia Pacific, Marriott International. With the recent reopening of borders, we are hopeful for Vietnam to rebound rapidly, and we are excited to expand across even more parts of this captivating country.

As Marriott announced plans to expand its portfolio fourfold in Vietnam over the next few years, it continues its vote of confidence in both Vietnams positive economic development and the branded residence sector. Buyers can certainly take heart from this.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/882b0704-b535-4e38-9b66-b06a2e787366

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3f1c396c-cea3-474c-981a-504b91fef06e
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West Mining Corp. (West or the Company) (CSE: WEST) (OTC: WESMF) is pleased to announce that it has received the final result for the Companys 2022 soil sampling program from its Blue Cove Copper Project located in Newfoundland. A total of 232 samples were collected over four separate target areas on the Project. These areas include the Hilltop, Ryles Barisway, Yellow Cove and Blue Cove targets.



In addition, a ground magnetometer survey was completed on the Hilltop Target. Results and maps related to the results of the ground work has been made available on the Companys website.

The results of the exploration work proved successful in defining geochemical targets of interest in all areas with the most compelling of these related to the Hilltop Target. A defining multi-element copper, zinc and silver anomaly correlating directly with a geological contact based on magnetic data was defined across the length of the survey area. This geochemical/geophysical target is located in an area where a single 184 foot drill hole by prospectors utilizing a winkie drill intersected a 5 foot interval with individual samples grading up to 0.49% Cu, 2.0% Pb and 1.9% Zn historically. Geochemical targets were also identified on the west side of the Ryles Barisway grid in the area of known copper mineralization. Additional work is required to followup on this target to better delinate the anomaly. At the main Blue Cove showing, the difficult terrain in the area made it impossible to perform soil sampling in an effective manner. Samples in the general area of Blue Cove did however highlight a zinc anomaly in the area.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f76ffb4f-e71f-4936-a6be-a0820af76a7f

The results of the first exploration program at Blue Cove Project illustrate the need for additional work to be performed.

Nick Houghton, President and CEO comments, It is very encouraging to see the final soil sample results returned from the lab with defining anomalous outcrops along the expanse of the Blue Cove project. The area has proven its worth to the Company as an exploration target and merits further delineation.

Soil samples were collected in a careful and diligent manner. Samples were tagged and secured prior to shipment to Eastern Analytical Labs located in Springdale, Newfoundland. Eastern Analytical is a 17025 ISO accredited commercial laboratory in operation since 1987. All samples were assayed using the ICP (Induced Couple Plasma) multi-element package with fire assay for gold.

Dean Fraser, P.Geo., a "Qualified Person" for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

About West Mining Corp.

West Mining Corp. is a mineral exploration company acquiring and developing advanced and prospective early-stage exploration projects. It is fully focused on its 100% owned, 9000 hectare Kena Project located near Nelson, British Columbia. The Kena Project comprises three adjoining Properties: Kena, Daylight and Athabasca. A recent NI43-101 resource estimate for Kena gave 561,900 oz Au indicated and 2,773,100 oz Au inferred at a cut off of 0.25 g/t Au contained within the Gold Mountain, Kena Gold and Daylight Zones. The Kena Property also hosts the large Kena Copper Zone, along with with the historic Euphrates and Gold Cup gold-silver mines. The Daylight property contains the historic past producing Daylight, Starlight, Victoria, Irene and Great Eastern gold mines. Along trend to the north is the Athabasca Property, with the historic Athabasca Gold Mine. The historic mines and known mineralized zones on these three properties are structurally controlled along a 20 kilometre strike as identified by strong geophysical signatures.

For additional information, please refer to the Companys public disclosure record available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

West Mining Corp.

Nicholas Houghton

President & CEO

nick@westminingcorp.com

The Canadian Securities Exchange accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words may, would, could, should, potential, will, seek, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Companys current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to them, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation: the potential of the Companys mineral properties; the estimation of capital requirements; the estimation of operating costs; the timing and amount of future business expenditures; and the availability of necessary financing. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. Such factors include but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and exploration or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward- looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law.




Dublin, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Organic Baby Food Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global organic baby food market size reached US$ 4.4 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 9.2 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.08% 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. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Since the initial years are fundamental for a baby's healthy growth, its necessary to limit the baby's exposure to any kind of dangerous chemicals. Organic baby food prevents the presence of any kind of pesticides in the baby's system as it is made of fruits and vegetables that are not sprayed with chemical pesticides, and meat from animals that are not given antibiotics or growth hormones. It also does not contain any artificial flavours, preservatives or colours. Owing to this, parents are now shifting from conventional baby food towards organic baby food.



Rising number of malnutrition cases and health concerns for the overall growth of the babies represent the key factors driving the global organic baby food market. Improved economic conditions have resulted in increased expenditure by the parents. Therefore, they are willing to spend on high-quality and expensive products for the wellness of their babies.

Urbanisation and growing working population, especially women, has encouraged convenience-oriented lifestyles, which is increasing the demand for organic baby food globally. However, the high price of organic baby food, as compared to the conventional baby food, is anticipated to impede the market growth in some regions.



Competitive Landscape:

The report has further analysed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key global players being

Abbott Nutrition

Danone

Nestle

Hero Group

Kraft Heinz

This report provides a deep insight into the global organic baby food market covering all its essential aspects. This ranges from macro overview of the market to micro details of the industry performance, recent trends, key market drivers and challenges, SWOT analysis, Porter's five forces analysis, value chain analysis, etc. This report is a must-read for entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, consultants, business strategists, and all those who have any kind of stake or are planning to foray into the organic baby food industry in any manner.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global organic baby food market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What are the key regions in the global organic baby food market?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global organic baby food market?

Which are the popular product types in the global organic baby food market?

What are the distribution channels in the global organic baby food market?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the global organic baby food market?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the global organic baby food market?

What is the structure of the global organic baby food market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the global organic baby food market?

How is organic baby food manufactured?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Organic Baby Food Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Breakup by Product Type

5.5 Market Breakup by Distribution Channel

5.6 Market Breakup by Region

5.7 Market Forecast

5.8 SWOT Analysis

5.9 Value Chain Analysis

5.10 Porters Five Forces Analysis



6 Market Breakup by Product Type

6.1 RTE (Ready-to-Eat) Baby Food

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Milk Formula

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Dried Baby Food

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Others

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Distribution Channel

7.1 Supermarkets and Hypermarkets

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Specialty Stores

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Convenience Stores

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Online Retailers

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast

7.5 Others

7.5.1 Market Trends

7.5.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Region

8.1 North America

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Europe

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Asia Pacific

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Middle East and Africa

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast

8.5 Latin America

8.5.1 Market Trends

8.5.2 Market Forecast



9 Organic Baby Food Manufacturing Process

9.1 Product Overview

9.2 Raw Material Requirements

9.3 Manufacturing Process

9.4 Key Success and Risk Factors



10 Competitive Landscape

10.1 Market Structure

10.2 Key Players

10.3 Profiles of Key Players

10.3.1 Abbott Nutrition

10.3.1.1 Company Overview

10.3.1.2 Description

10.3.1.3 Product Portfolio

10.3.1.4 Financials

10.3.1.5 SWOT Analysis

10.3.2 Danone

10.3.2.1 Company Overview

10.3.2.2 Description

10.3.2.3 Product Portfolio

10.3.2.4 Financials

10.3.2.5 SWOT Analysis

10.3.3 Nestle

10.3.3.1 Company Overview

10.3.3.2 Description

10.3.3.3 Product Portfolio

10.3.3.4 Financials

10.3.3.5 SWOT Analysis

10.3.4 Hero Group

10.3.4.1 Company Overview

10.3.4.2 Description

10.3.4.3 Product Portfolio

10.3.4.4 Financials

10.3.4.5 SWOT Analysis

10.3.5 Kraft Heinz

10.3.5.1 Company Overview

10.3.5.2 Description

10.3.5.3 Product Portfolio

10.3.5.4 Financials

10.3.5.5 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h0mdz8

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Dublin, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Ready-Mix Concrete Market By Type, By Application, By Mixer Type: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global ready-mix concrete market was valued at $447,981.1 million in 2020, and is projected to reach $704,243.8 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 4.5% from 2021 to 2030.

The proportions of water, additives, aggregates, and cement in ready-mixed concrete (RMC) are predetermined. Each of these materials is combined in quantities according to the standard code to produce necessary durability and strength. Precast concrete is more popular than conventional concrete owing to its convenience, simplicity of use, and quality. Ready-mixed concrete is mainly engaged in the construction of residential and commercial structures, as well as manufacturing and transportation facilities.



Growing demand for diverse building materials and rise in interest in durable construction increases the demand for ready-mixed concrete in the construction sector. Growing population's expansion and urbanization are also predicted to have a significant influence on the rise in housing, employment, energy, food, clean water, transit infrastructure, and social services demands. As a result, construction businesses are preferring environmentally friendly, low-cost houses and buildings, to assure the highest standards and quality product that precast concrete provide.



Ready-mix concrete, on the other hand, needs a setup to ensure that the materials are mixed in the proper proportions. In that instance, the corporation may be forced to transfer the mixture owing to lack of setup space near the building site. The concrete may settle or lose its workability, which is likely to stymie the ready-mix concrete market's growth as the mixture has a short shelf life of 90 minutes.

Similarly, economical and employment issues in different developing countries like Iran, Iraq and Indonesia are expected to indirectly hamper the growth of the market. Furthermore, issues such as lack of transportation and logistics infrastructure, non-tariff barriers to cross-border trade, and low foreign direct investment stifle the region's economic growth, which is predicted to limit the expansion of the ready-mix concrete market.

In addition, increased government and private infrastructure expenditures is likely to provide favorable ready-mix concrete market growth for industry players during the forecast period. For example, in January 2019, China invested US$163 billion in the infrastructure sector to combat the economic slowdown. Two major airports and railway terminals are among the new development projects. Similarly, India declared in August 2021 that it will invest more than $1 trillion on infrastructure construction to stimulate economic growth, which is expected to create lucrative opportunities for key market players.



The ready-mix concrete market is segmented on the basis of type, application, mixer type, and region. By type, the market is segmented into transit mix concrete, central mix concrete, and shrink mix concrete. By application, it is divided into commercial & infrastructure, residential, and industrial. By mixer type, it is segmented into volumetric and barrel truck/in-transit mixer. Region-wise, the market is analyzed across North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Spain, and rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, and rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa).



The major players profiled in the ready-mix concrete market include, ACC Limited, Barney & Dickenson, Inc., CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V., CRH plc, HeidelbergCement, Holcim Ltd., SIKA group, Ultra Tech Cement Limited, Vicat SA, and Vulcan Materials Company. Major companies in the market have adopted acquisition, product launch, and partnership as their key developmental strategies to offer better products and services to customers in the ready-mix concrete market.



Key Benefits For Stakeholders

This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the ready-mix concrete market analysis from 2020 to 2030 to identify the prevailing ready-mix concrete market opportunity.

The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities.

Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network.

In-depth analysis of the ready-mix concrete market forecast.

Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market.

Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players.

The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global ready-mix concrete market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies.

Key Topics Covered:



CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION



CHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



CHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW

3.1. Market definition and scope

3.2. Key findings

3.2.1. Top investment pockets

3.3. Porter's five forces analysis

3.4. Top player positioning

3.5. Market dynamics

3.5.1. Drivers

3.5.2. Restraints

3.5.3. Opportunities

3.6. COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the market



CHAPTER 4: READY-MIX CONCRETE MARKET, BY TYPE

4.1 Overview

4.1.1 Market size and forecast

4.2 Transit Mix Concrete

4.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.2.3 Market analysis by country

4.3 Central Mix Concrete

4.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.3.3 Market analysis by country

4.4 Shrink Mix Concrete

4.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.4.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 5: READY-MIX CONCRETE MARKET, BY APPLICATION

5.1 Overview

5.1.1 Market size and forecast

5.2 Commercial & Infrastructure

5.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.2.3 Market analysis by country

5.3 Residential

5.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.3.3 Market analysis by country

5.4 Industrial

5.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.4.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 6: READY-MIX CONCRETE MARKET, BY MIXER TYPE

6.1 Overview

6.1.1 Market size and forecast

6.2 Volumetric

6.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.2.3 Market analysis by country

6.3 Barrel Truck/In-transit mixer

6.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.3.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 7: READY-MIX CONCRETE MARKET, BY REGION



CHAPTER 8: COMPANY LANDSCAPE

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Top winning strategies

8.3. Product Mapping of Top 10 Player

8.4. Competitive Dashboard

8.5. Competitive Heatmap

8.6. Key developments



CHAPTER 9: COMPANY PROFILES

9.1 ACC Limited

9.1.1 Company overview

9.1.2 Company snapshot

9.1.3 Operating business segments

9.1.4 Product portfolio

9.1.5 Business performance

9.1.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.2 Barney & Dickenson, Inc.

9.2.1 Company overview

9.2.2 Company snapshot

9.2.3 Operating business segments

9.2.4 Product portfolio

9.2.5 Business performance

9.2.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.3 CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V.

9.3.1 Company overview

9.3.2 Company snapshot

9.3.3 Operating business segments

9.3.4 Product portfolio

9.3.5 Business performance

9.3.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.4 CRH plc

9.4.1 Company overview

9.4.2 Company snapshot

9.4.3 Operating business segments

9.4.4 Product portfolio

9.4.5 Business performance

9.4.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.5 HEIDELBERGCEMENT AG

9.5.1 Company overview

9.5.2 Company snapshot

9.5.3 Operating business segments

9.5.4 Product portfolio

9.5.5 Business performance

9.5.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.6 Holcim Ltd.

9.6.1 Company overview

9.6.2 Company snapshot

9.6.3 Operating business segments

9.6.4 Product portfolio

9.6.5 Business performance

9.6.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.7 SIKA group

9.7.1 Company overview

9.7.2 Company snapshot

9.7.3 Operating business segments

9.7.4 Product portfolio

9.7.5 Business performance

9.7.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.8 UltraTech Cement Limited

9.8.1 Company overview

9.8.2 Company snapshot

9.8.3 Operating business segments

9.8.4 Product portfolio

9.8.5 Business performance

9.8.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.9 Vicat SA

9.9.1 Company overview

9.9.2 Company snapshot

9.9.3 Operating business segments

9.9.4 Product portfolio

9.9.5 Business performance

9.9.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.10 Vulcan Materials Company

9.10.1 Company overview

9.10.2 Company snapshot

9.10.3 Operating business segments

9.10.4 Product portfolio

9.10.5 Business performance

9.10.6 Key strategic moves and developments



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/j9c354

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Dublin, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Thermoplastic Polyolefin Market Share, Size, Trends By Type, By Application, By End-Use Industry, By Region, Segment Forecast, 2022 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The demand for polypropylene is increasing considerably, owing to the surging need for syringes and medical vials, and specimen bottles. This is attributable to an increase in vaccination drives in various countries such as Israel, the U.S., and India due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.



In addition, the demand for food packaging increased owing to uncertainty or fear of lockdown in many countries. This is attributed to the uncertainty of lockdowns leading to panic buying of food and health products, which correspondingly increased the demand for polypropylene.



They are used in industries such as automotive, building & construction, medical, and others. The automotive segment accounted for a major share in 2021. Modernization of vehicles and rising demand for high-performing vehicles boost the growth of this segment. Increasing consumer inclination toward electric and hybrid vehicles, technological advancements, and rising investments in research and development is expected to offer growth opportunities during the forecast period.



Asia-Pacific accounted for a major share of the global thermoplastic polyolefin market in 2021. Population growth. Industrialization and greater penetration of passenger vehicles support the industry growth in the region. The rising application of the industry in the construction and medical sectors further boosts the adoption in Asia-Pacific. Increasing adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles in the region also fuels growth in this region.



Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) Market Report Highlights

Polyethylene segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period owing to increasing application in automotive and medical applications

Injection & molding is expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period on account of technological advancements in the segment

Automotive segment dominated the global market in 2021 due to greater demand for light weight and high performing passenger cars

Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the industry during the forecast period. The presence of large consumer base for polyolefins in Asia-Pacific is a major factor contributing toward the growth. Furthermore, established healthcare sector and development of the renewable energy industry boost the industry growth

The global thermoplastic polyolefin market is highly competitive owing to the existence of large industry players with global presence including Alphagary Limited, Borealis AG, DOW Inc. Elastron, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Formosa Plastics Corporation, GAF

The publisher has segmented the thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) market report based on type, application, end-use industry, and region.:



Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO), Type Outlook (Revenue - USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

Polyethylene

Polystyrene

Polypropylene

Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO), Application Outlook (Revenue - USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

Film & Sheet

Blow Molding

Injection Molding

Others

Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO), End-use Industry Outlook (Revenue - USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

Automotive

Building & Construction

Medical

Others

Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO), Regional Outlook (Revenue - USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

North America

U.S

Canada

Europe

Germany

UK

France

Italy

Spain

Russia

Netherlands

Asia Pacific

China

India

Japan

South Korea

Indonesia

Malaysia

Latin America

Argentina

Brazil

Mexico

Middle East & Africa

UAE

Saudi Arabia

Israel

South Africa

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Executive Summary



3. Research Methodology



4. Global Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) Market Insights



5. Global Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) Market, by Type



6. Global Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) Market, by Application



7. Global Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) Market, by End-use Industry



8. Global Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) Market, by Geography



9. Competitive Landscape



10. Company Profiles

Companies Mentioned

Alphagary Limited

Borealis AG

DOW Inc. Elastron

Exxon Mobil Corporation

Formosa Plastics Corporation

GAF

Hexpol AB

INEOS Group Holdings S.A.

Mitsui Chemicals Inc

Noble Poylmers

Polyone Corporation

Saudi Aramco

Teknor Apex Company

The Mitsubishi Chemical Holding Group

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ft7rl

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Dublin, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Sustainability in Aviation: Demand Analysis and Growth Opportunities" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering

This study examines programs and platforms that create demand for sustainability in the aviation industry

Mandates from aviation regulators, like the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), are playing a vital role in driving sustainability in the aviation industry.

Aviation associations of scheduled and nonscheduled airlines have developed sustainability programs that will be updated on a regular basis. Aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and startups are developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) platforms and hydrogen kits that can be placed on turboprop aircraft.

Airlines play a crucial role in driving the demand for sustainability as they work closely with aircraft OEMs, engine OEMs, lessors, and technology providers. Airlines from North America and Europe are investing in new aircraft platform providers and working with startups focusing on the usage of hydrogen as a fuel.

Airlines from the Asia-Pacific and Latin America are working only on eVTOL aircraft and assisting eVTOL aircraft manufacturers with certification processes and infrastructure development.

The study also examines the key factors driving and restraining the adoption of sustainability in the aviation industry and concludes by identifying the key growth opportunities emerging in the aviation industry around sustainability.

Key Issues Addressed:

What are the sustainability mandates made by the ICAO, EASA, and FAA?

What are the roles of aircraft OEMs, aircraft engine OEMs, lessors, and technology companies

What are the latest platforms and programs being leveraged in the industry?

Which are the airlines developing electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft?

Key Topics Covered:

1. Strategic Imperatives

Why is it Increasingly Difficult to Grow?

The Strategic Imperative

The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on Sustainability in Airlines

Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine

2. Growth Opportunity Analysis

Growth Drivers for Sustainability in Airlines

Growth for Sustainability in Airlines

Sustainability in Aviation - Demand Value Chain Analysis

Airlines Playing a Vital Part in Driving the Sustainability Demand in the Aviation Industry

Sustainability in Aviation - Regulations

NBAA - Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation Program

NATA - Sustainability Standard for Aviation Businesses Certification Program

CFM's (RISE) Program

Airlines' Participation in Electric and Hydrogen-powered Aircraft Platform Development

3. Growth Opportunity Universe

Growth Opportunity 1: Regular

Growth Opportunity 2: Partnerships between Airlines and All-electric Aircraft Platform Providers to Develop Infrastructure

Growth Opportunity 3: Increased R&D to Test Hydrogen Fuel on Traditional Aircraft Engines

Companies Mentioned

European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/b48dpp
Dublin, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Satellite Electric Propulsion Market - A Global and Regional Analysis: Focus on Mass Class, Mission Type, Mission Application, Component, and Country - Analysis and Forecast, 2022-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.





The global satellite electric propulsion market is estimated to reach $1,027.3 million in 2032 from $522.3 million in 2021, at a growth rate of 4.10% during the forecast period. The satellite electric propulsion technology companies have witnessed the demand from the growing commercial industry. The ecosystem of the satellite propulsion system market comprises system manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and end users.

Market Lifecycle Stage

Between 1957 and 2021, many governments and commercial organizations such as Ariane Space, Europe Space Agency (ESA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), started demonstrations for the new propulsion system for different satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). Since then, technology has evolved continually and transformed the entire space industry by developing unique products and systems.

Currently, many space agencies and commercial companies across the globe have been focusing on developing low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. This would drive the market for the propulsion system. Moreover, rising research and development activities to develop cost-efficient propulsion technologies and advancements in 3D printing technology for developing the components of satellite propulsion systems are other factors contributing to the growth of the LEO-focused satellite propulsion technology market. For instance, in June 2022, ThrustMe signed a contract with European Space Agency (ESA) to provide an NPT30-I2-1.5U electric propulsion system for the GOMX-5 mission under ESA general support technology programme (GSTP).

Impact

The increasing number of smaller telecom satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) with the upcoming mega-constellation has placed a high demand for the production of electric propulsion during the forecast period.

Furthermore, rising research and development activities for building low-cost and efficient propulsion systems for satellites.

Market Segmentation

by Mass Class

Small Satellite (0-500 Kg)

Medium Satellite (501-2,200 Kg)

Large Satellite (Above 2,200 Kg)

The satellite electric propulsion market is expected to generate huge revenues from the above 2,200 Kg mass segment, followed by 0-500 Kg.

by Mission Type

Earth Observation

Communication

Technology Development

Others

Based on mission type, the global satellite electric propulsion market is expected to be dominated by the communication segment during the forecast period. This is due to the increasing development of small satellite constellations for communication by commercial industries.

by Mission Application

Station Keeping

Orbit Raising

Based on mission application, the global satellite electric propulsion market is expected to be dominated by the station keeping segment during the forecast period. The satellite operators prefer more electric propulsion for station keeping irrespective of their nature of taking more time to maneuver.

by Component

Power Control Units

Power Distribution Units

Pointing Mechanism

Pressure Regulators

Valves

Flow Controllers

Mass Flow Sensors

Pressure Transducers

Particle Filters

Tanks

Plumbing/Tuning

Propulsion Chamber/Nozzle

by Region

North America - U.S.

Europe - France, Germany, Russia, U.K., and Rest-of-Europe

Asia-Pacific - China, India, and Rest-of-Asia-Pacific

Rest-of-the-World - Middle East and Africa and South America

Europe accounted for the highest share of 81.82% in the global satellite electric propulsion market by value in 2021, owing to a significant number of companies based in the region.

Key Market Players

Accion Systems

Airbus

Aliena Pte Ltd.

ArianeGroup

Astra

Busek, Co. Inc.

CU Aerospace

ENPULSION GmbH

Moog Inc.

Neutron Star Systems

Northrop Grumman

Orbion Space Technology

Phase Four, Inc.

Safran

Sitael S.p.A

Thales Alenia Space

Business Dynamics

Business Drivers

Increasing Demand for Large Constellations for Smaller Telecom Satellites in Low Earth Orbit (Leo)

Rising Research and Development Activities for Building Low-Cost and Efficient Propulsion Systems for Satellites

Business Challenges

Relatively Low Thrust Nature of Electric Propulsion Systems Impose Longer Timelines for Orbit-Transfer Risking Satellite Exposure to Radiation and Delaying Mission Timelines

Integration of Electric Propulsion Results in a Growing Power Budget (Imposing the Need for More Onboard Power and the Addition of More Associated Power Electronics)

Business Opportunities

Satellite Manufacturers can Achieve Multiple Variants of the Satellite When Utilizing the All-Electric Option Owing to its Scalability Advantage

Key Topics Covered:

1 Markets

2 Product

3 Region

4 Market - Competitve Benchmarking & Company Profiles

5 Growth Opportunities and Recommendations

6 Research Methodology

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/91wgi9

Attachment
CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pan American Energy Corp. (the Company or Pan American) (CSE: PNRG) (OTC PINK: PAANF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a property option agreement (the Option Agreement) with FMS Lithium Corporation and Horizon Lithium LLC (the Vendor), pursuant to which the Company has been granted the right to acquire a 100% interest in the Horizon Lithium Property (the Property). The Property is comprised of 839 unpatented lode mining claims covering approximately 17,334 acres of land, located in the Big Smoky and Monte Cristo Basins of Esmeralda County, Nevada. The Company intends to explore the Property to determine the extent, if any, of claystone-hosted lithium mineralization.



Jason Latkowcer, CEO of the Company, comments, The Property is located south and adjacent to the Tonopah Flats project held by American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) with the American Lithium TLC project to the north, both located within the Clayton Valley  Tonopah Lithium Belt. The Option Agreement presents us with the opportunity to acquire the Property which, if acquired, will be our largest property in the United States, located in a top global jurisdiction for mining. We are excited by the potential of the Property, and look forward to advancing it through a strategic exploration program aimed at determining whether the Property is underlain by the same geologic formation that hosts American Lithiums TLC deposit and contains mineralization projected from the TLC deposit, through Enertopia and ABTCs Tonopah Flats project.

Pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement, the Company has the option to acquire a 100% interest in the Property from the Vendor, in consideration for completing a series of cash payments and issuances of common shares (Common Shares) in accordance with the following schedule:

Deadline Cash Payments Common Share Issuances* Initial Payment (within five business days of the Option Agreement) US$250,000 US$2,000,000 First Anniversary of Receipt of Drill Permits Necessary for the Company to Undertake Exploration Drilling (the Drill Permits) US$250,000 US$3,000,000 Second Anniversary of Receipt of Drill Permits US$500,000 US$4,000,000

* Common Shares to be valued based on the greater of the 20-day volume-weighted average price (VWAP) of the Common Shares prior to the issuance of such Common Shares and the lowest price permissible pursuant to the policies of the exchange(s) on which the Common Shares are then listed.

In addition, if during the period beginning on September 27, 2022 (the Effective Date) and ending on the date that is five (5) years from the Effective Date, (A) the Company completes 10 consecutive drill holes on the Property, which drill holes are comprised of at least 400 meters of drilling and which drill holes have an average grade across the cumulative core of such drill holes of at least 750 parts per million lithium, the Company shall issue an additional US$1,250,000 worth of Common Shares, and (B) if the Company publicly discloses a National Instrument 43-101 compliant technical report declaring a mineral resource estimate on the Property containing inferred mineral resources of 2 million tonnes or greater of lithium carbonate equivalent, the Company shall issue an additional US$3,750,000 worth of Common Shares, in each case such Common Shares being valued based on the greater of the 20-day VWAP of the Common Shares prior to the issuance of such Common Shares and the lowest price permissible pursuant to the policies of the exchange(s) on which the Common Shares are then listed.

All Common Shares issued to the Vendor pursuant to the Option Agreement will be subject to a twelve-month contractual escrow arrangement, during which time, subject to customary exceptions, such Common Shares may not be traded without the prior approval of the Company. The Common Shares issuable pursuant to the Option Agreement will be released from the escrow arrangement in four equal tranches: 25% will be released after three (3) months, a further 25% after six (6) months, a further 25% after nine (9) months, and the remaining 25% balance after twelve months. In addition, all Common Shares issued pursuant to the Option Agreement shall be subject to a statutory four month hold period pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws. The Vendor has also agreed, pursuant to the Option Agreement, to customary orderly sale provisions with respect to sales by the Vendor of the Common Shares issued under the Option Agreement, pursuant to which the Vendor will give prior notice of any proposed sale of Common Shares issued pursuant to the Option Agreement to the Company, and allow the Company a period of time to organize a buyer for such Common Shares.

During the term of the Option Agreement, the Company will be the operator of the Property, and will be responsible for paying all exploration costs and maintenance fees owing to the Bureau of Land Management.

About Pan American Energy Corp.

Pan American Energy Corp. (CSE: PNRG) (OTC PINK: PAANF) is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties containing battery metals in North and South America.

The Companys flagship asset is the 100% owned Green Energy Lithium Asset, located in the Paradox Basin, Utah, USA.

The Company has also executed an option agreement with Magabra Resources with the right to acquire up to 90% interest in the Big Mack Lithium Project, 80 km north of Kenora, Ontario.



On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Jason Latkowcer

CEO & Director

Contact

Phone : (585) 885-5970

Email: info@panam-energy.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Companys current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the Companys exploration plans and objectives at the Property and the exploration potential of the Property, including the potential of the Property to host lithium mineralization (whether hosted by the adjacent geology, extending from the adjacent mineral properties, or otherwise).

Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information, including, in respect of the forward-looking information included in this press release, the assumption that: the Company will successfully complete its planned exploration program in accordance with the expected parameters and that such program will yield the results anticipated by the Company, including the establishment of lithium mineralization at the Property.

Although forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions of the Companys management, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in project parameters as plans continue to be redefined, that mineral exploration is inherently uncertain and that the results of mineral exploration may not be indicative of the actual geology or mineralization of a project and that mineral exploration may be unsuccessful or fail to achieve the results anticipated by the Company, including the establishment of lithium mineralization at the Property. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Containers are stacked on docks at Busan Port, Korea's biggest seaport, Sept. 13. Newsis



Italian maritime economist urges Busan Port to become a hub connecting global ports via 'green shipping corridor'



By Ko Dong-hwan



BUSAN  Smart ships need smart ports. That's what Fabio Ballini, an assistant professor at World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden, often says. With the climate crisis encouraging the world to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, more and more attention is shifting towards oceans. Largely unexplored natural resources still remain untapped beneath the seabed  in potentially gargantuan volumes. With over 70 percent of the Earth's surface covered by water, the amount of international trade occurring via ships exceeds that of trucks and planes.



The global freight ecosystem continues pushing shipyards to evolve and meet demands for smarter and more energy-efficient ships that burn less fossil fuel and generate less pollution.



Visiting Busan for 2022 Korea Maritime Week and International Maritime High-Level Discussion hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries from Sept. 21 to 23, the Italian maritime economist specializing in maritime energy management got a chance to explore Busan Port, Korea's biggest port in the country's southeast. While praising the port's modernized features, Ballini argued that it should keep evolving further alongside other more advanced ports around the world to act as one of the key international hubs.



"Busan Port has a very advanced strategy, with an environmental department to deal with emergency technology solutions," Ballini said in an interview with The Korea Times. "One of the important steps for a port is to have a dedicated department to handle environmental energy issues and decide which kinds of technology to put in place. Busan Port has also invested a lot in digitizing ships, port interfaces and cargos. I was also amazed at the port's ability to forecast container movements, which makes it one of the top container ports in the world."





Fabio Ballini is an assistant professor at World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden, teaching maritime energy management. Courtesy of Fabio Ballini



Ballini, who commutes to Malmo from his residence in Copenhagen, Denmark  a 40-minute ride across Oresund Bridge  said Busan Port could be one of the nodes along a "green shipping corridor," a network of global ports that are geared towards greener operations with net-zero emissions. How to do that? The expert said the port should first take into account the needs of various stakeholders in decision-making regarding its operation.



"It first requires commitment from different stakeholders, either public or private," Ballini said. "It also needs a platform where all these actors can exchange different opinions and expectations. That will help it become part of this green shipping corridor linking different ports in the world and decarbonizing the shipping sector."



He said advanced ports in Europe are a model for Busan. For example, more and more European ports in recent decades have become "landlord ports," with services leased to private operators. This kind of ecosystem obligates the port to take into account the voices of all stakeholders in its operations.



"Landlord port's decisions involve more and more stakeholders, like municipalities and different industries. So shareholders of a single port can be quite a mix," Ballini said. "For a port to push its energy strategy, it is better to involve its stakeholders from the beginning to generate an outcome that is shared and appreciated by all the stakeholders."



Increasingly, advanced ports around the world also place the environment as one of their top policy priorities. "When a government sets a target of decarbonizing the shipping sector or other climate change-related goals as a national policy, ports are subject to such policies' direct or indirect effects," Ballini said. "These ports have now formed a European sea port organization to represent voices of port operators and reflect them to regulatory or industrial bodies. One of the best tools for ports is to come altogether."





A port at Marina Bay in Singapore's central business district is busy in August 2017. Gettyimagesbank
DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With help from Innovation Refunds, the industry leader in turnkey tax solutions, California-based Lomita Feed successfully obtained critical Employee Retention Credit (ERC) funding. The 101-year-old animal feed storefront used the ERC benefits to retain employees and cover expansion costs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lomita Feed owner Bill Lockwood first heard about Innovation Refunds through a radio ad. With the pandemic in full swing, feed stores in the U.S. began experiencing the effects of the supply chain shortage. Lockwood, along with other feed store owners, urged buyers to minimize over-shopping as inventories reached critical levels across the country.

By guiding Lockwood and his team through the ERC application process, Innovation Refunds connected Lomita Feed with critical ERC funding to expand the original storefront to include the Doc Gunner Saddlery. Named after one of Lockwood's late horses, Gunner, the saddlery was launched in tandem with the Doc Gunner Foundation.

Lockwood, driven by his passion for rescuing animals, expressed his gratitude for the Innovation Refunds team's assistance during such a stressful period, saying, "Innovation Refunds made it very simple. Just had to get a few of my records together, submit that, and they made it as painless as possible. It allowed us to keep the amount of people that we needed."

Lockwood's plans include helping underprivileged children learn to ride and take care of horses through the Doc Gunner Foundation, made possible by the increased profits from the expanded storefront. He also plans to dedicate a percentage of all sales to Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP) research. "I believe that you take care of the people that take care of you," added Lockwood. "The community has taken care of us. The employees have allowed that to occur. Because of that, I had a responsibility to take care of all of them as well."

"Our team is thrilled to hear about Lomita Feed's expansion project and charitable efforts made possible through ERC relief," said Howard Makler, CEO of Innovation Refunds. "Stories from mission-driven companies like Lomita Feed are great reminders as to why we are helping small and midsize businesses with their claims."

To learn more about Innovation Refunds' mission to help small and midsize businesses secure funding through government relief programs, please visit www.innovationrefunds.com.

About Innovation Refunds

Our mission is to assist small and medium-sized businesses to attain cash incentives from federal and state governments.

Innovation Refunds began providing its services in 2020. Since then, it has been able to provide financial solutions to thousands of companies, with billions in cash refunds available for small and medium-sized businesses.

Contact Information:

Maria Penaloza

maria.penaloza@newswire.com



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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tactical Resources Corp. (CSE: RARE) (OTC: USREF) (Tactical Resources or the Company), a mineral exploration and development company focused on the rare earth elements (REEs) that drive the critical technologies of the future, is pleased to announce it has completed a geophysics work program at its Lac Ducharme Project in Canadas province of Quebec.



Building on previously completed surface sampling and geochemistry at the Lac Ducharme project, a ground magnetic survey and a ground radiometric survey was performed in May and June 2022 by Exploration Facilitation Unlimited Inc. (EFU) on the Lac Ducharme Rare Earth project located within the Cote Nord Region in eastern Quebec. EFU, a comprehensive discovery-focused services company that specializes in advancing underexplored properties through their technical field services completed the field data collection for the program.

The Company also engaged the services of Consulting Geophysicist Jean Hubert, a professional engineer and member of l'Ordre de Ingenieurs du Quebec and of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) who processed and interpreted the resulting data generated by the EFU team.

The work program consisted of a magnetic and radiometric survey over the core of the property. The output lineaments will be used to gain a better spatial understanding of the structural geology and lithological units and how they relate to the known REE showings on the property. This survey is a key component of the toolbox approach to advance the Lac Ducharme project. The magnetic survey totaled 50.2 line-kilometers including 39.4 traverse lines and 10.7 of tie lines which were read with GMS-19V Overhauser magnetometer. The radiometric survey consisted of 894 measurements of the total radiation from near surface concentrations of key rare earth pathfinder elements potassium, uranium, and thorium.

Following processing, interpretation was completed by Consulting Geophysicist Jean Hubert to produce magnetic lineaments (Figure 1). These lineaments are key for structural analysis as they are potential indications for faults and allow interpretation in areas under cover with limited rock exposure.





Figure 1  Total Magnetic Field with interpreted magnetic lineaments for the Lac Ducharme Project. Light Rare Earth Element occurrences are indicated with a yellow diamond.

Company CEO, Ranjeet Sundher, notes, Our efforts in Canada are an important part of our overall strategic plan for the rare earth segment across North America. We are developing a strong portfolio that provides us with an ability to leverage increased private industry and governmental interest in the sector that offer both short-and long-term horizons of opportunity. In Canada, the government is working to develop a comprehensive understanding of the nations mineral needs over the medium to long term, with nearly $4 billion proposed in the latest budget for a critical minerals strategy to boost supplies. Combined with our Companys efforts in the USA, we are excited by the prospects the burgeoning REE sector can mean for Tactical Resources corporate growth and commensurate shareholder value on both sides of the border.

Tactical Resources is focused on becoming a premier North American developer of REE products to meet domestic supply chain needs. For more information, please visit the Tactical Resources website.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors,

Sincerely,

~Ranjeet Sundher~

Ranjeet Sundher

Chief Executive Officer & Director

Tactical Resources Corp.

www.tacticalresources.com

Notes

Jean Hubert, P. Eng., geophysicist and consultant to the Company is the Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101, who has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical content of the press release.

About Tactical Resources Corp. (CSE: RARE) (OTC: USREF)

Tactical Resources is a mineral exploration and development company focused on rare earth elements based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and holds interests at the Lac Ducharme property located in Quebec, the Peak Project in western Texas, and the SAM property in Northern Saskatchewan. The Company is also actively involved in the development of innovative metallurgical processing techniques to further unlock REE development potential. Find out more at: www.tacticalresources.com and follow us on Twitter.

Forward Looking Information Disclaimer

This news release contains statements and information that, to the extent that they are not historical fact, may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding future plans, objectives, or economic performance, or the assumption underlying any of the foregoing. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as may, would, could, will, likely, except, anticipate, believe, intend, plan, forecast, project, estimate, outlook, or the negative thereof or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the geophysics work program to be undertaken by EFU and the anticipated results therefrom, and the Companys strategic plan for its REE projects in North America.

Forward-looking information is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. The material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, key personnel and qualified employees continuing their involvement with the Company; the Companys ability to secure additional financing on reasonable terms; the competitive conditions of the sector in which the Company operates; and laws and any amendments thereto applicable to the Company. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks relating to the future business plans of the Company; risks that the Company will not be able to retain its key personnel; risks that the Company will not be able to secure financing on reasonable terms or at all, as well as all of the other risks as described in the Companys long form prospectus dated February 28, 2022, under the heading Risks Factors. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking information. Further, any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Companys management to predict all such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect information or events after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law, including securities laws.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. 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 release.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Tactical Resources Corp.

Investor Relations

Email: investors@tacticalresources.com

Telephone: +1 (778) 588-5483

Matt Chatterton, Director

Tel: +1 (778) 613-2068

Email: info@tacticalresources.com

Media Inquiries

media@tacticalresources.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b7bec5c-8939-4e1d-b468-72b9eacee644
New York, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Medical Device Reprocessing Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Type, By Device Category, By Application, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022  2028" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06322170/?utm_source=GNW

In the healthcare business, medical devices are utilized in a number of processes, including diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, and enhancing the health and wellbeing of monitored individuals. The treatment of medical devices or their components and parts in the market for medical device reprocessing includes making them reusable.



Pre-soaking, automatic washing, manual cleaning, and disinfection are among the procedures used in the reprocessing of medical devices. Medical instruments that can be reused include stethoscopes, forceps, and endoscopes. Reprocessing may involve point-of-use treatment, packaging, cleaning, high-level disinfection, and sterilization, among other procedures, depending on the categorization of the device.



Sterilization and disinfection are crucial for preventing the transmission of infectious germs to patients through medical devices and instruments. The risk of infection is decreased and patient outcomes are enhanced in a healthcare facility by adhering to industry standards and best practices for medical device reprocessing. In addition to the Instructions for Use provided by the devices manufacturer and the rules and procedures of the healthcare facility, industry governing bodies also provide guidelines for the reprocessing of medical devices.



A sample system for classifying medical equipment into reprocessing criticality categories based on use risk is the Spaulding classification. It can be used to assist determine how much processing an instrument requires. Reprocessing used medical equipment properly is a crucial step in ensuring the safety of patients. Reprocessing is done to make sure that equipment is clean and safe for the following patient by removing tissue, blood, and other biological debris as well as by inactivating infectious bacteria.



COVID-19 Impact Analysis



Hospitals produce a lot of waste per bed each day, and the beginning of COVID-19 has raised this volume even more by boosting the demand for single-use medical equipment. The public, patients, healthcare staff, and waste management personnel are all at risk for health issues as a result of improper management of disposing of medical waste. By reprocessing the discarded single-use medical equipment, many medical device reprocessing service providers are implementing sustainability solutions to help manage this problem. hence enhancing waste reduction and increasing product longevity. Hence, the COVID-19 pandemic spurred the growth of the COVID-19 pandemic.



Market Growth Factors



Helps Is Addressing The Issue Of Increasing Medical Waste



Activities related to healthcare produce a considerable amount of waste that could have a negative impact on the health of people as well as sanitary staff. The majority of this waste is not any riskier than standard home waste. Some forms of medical waste, however, pose a higher risk to health. It includes infectious waste, of which sharps trash, body part waste, pharmaceutical or chemical waste, radioactive and cytotoxic waste, and broken thermometers are included. In addition, hazardous biological waste is produced in part by medical waste. The generation and disposal of medical waste is a crucial issue, particularly in nations with a high population along with inadequate sanitation.



Substantially Saves Cost For Hospitals And Other Healthcare Facilities



Tools and devices used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities are very expensive. As the number of patients needing various surgeries is increasing, affording these devices can become a significant challenge for hospitals. However, hospital sterilizing practices had to evolve as plastic materials became more prevalent. They developed in complexity and emphasized security. Nowadays, reprocessing is considered a third-party procedure. Hospitals should expect cost reductions from reprocessing companies, which also offer to contribute to their financial success.



Market Restraining Factors



Rising Number Of Complexities In Medical Devices



The challenges of performing adequate cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization have grown as medical devices have gotten more complicated over time. The sterilization, disinfection, and cleaning of medical devices involve numerous stakeholders, including regulatory organizations, such as the FDA, CDC, state departments of public health, medical device makers, re-processors, standards-setting bodies, and test labs. The burden of ensuring that reprocessing methods are effective and adhered to falls on the numerous stakeholders involved in this issue.



Type Outlook



Based on Type, the Medical Device Reprocessing Market is bifurcated into Reprocessing Support & Services and Reprocessed medical devices. In 2021, the reprocessing support & services segment held the biggest revenue share of the medical device reprocessing market. The significantly increasing growth of the market is primarily attributed to the expanding demand for ways to cut down on medical waste. In addition, the growth of the segment is also owing to an increasing number of businesses and organizations offering reprocessing services and support.



Device Category Outlook



On the basis of Device Category, the Medical Device Reprocessing Market is segregated into Critical Devices, Semi- Critical Devices, and Non- Critical Devices. In 2021, the semi-critical devices segment recorded a substantial revenue share of the medical device reprocessing market. The growth of the segment is rising as a result of the increasing significance of such devices all over the world. During a process, semi-critical equipment may come into contact with mucous membranes or skin that is not intact.







Application Outlook



By Application, the Medical Device Reprocessing Market is segmented into Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Gynecology, Arthroscopy & Orthopedic Surgery, General Surgery and Anesthesia, and Other Applications. In 2021, the gastroenterology segment garnered a significant revenue share of the medical device reprocessing market. The rising growth of the segment is majorly attributed to the rapidly changing lifestyle of people all over the world. Due to unhealthy eating patterns along with a sedentary lifestyle of people, the demand for gastroenterology treatment is inclining all over the world.



Regional Outlook



Region-Wise, the Medical Device Reprocessing Market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. In 2021, North America held the largest revenue share of the medical device reprocessing market. The regional market is expanding as a result of factors, like the growing demand to lower healthcare expenses in the US and the existence of top service providers of medical device reprocessing in the US area. Moreover, the growth of the market in the region can also be linked to the expanding economy, the rise in chronic disease prevalence, and the growing demand for hospital cost savings.



The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include Stryker Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Medline Industries, Inc. (Centurion Medical Products Corporation), Medtronic PLC, Steris Healthcare, Arjo Group (ReNu Medical, Inc.), Cardinal Health, Inc. (Sustainable Technologies), Avante Health Solutions, Konoike Group, and Vanguard AG.



Scope of the Study



Market Segments covered in the Report:



By Type



 Reprocessing Support & Services



 Reprocessed Medical Devices



By Device Category



 Critical Devices



 Semi- Critical Devices



 Non- Critical Devices



By Application



 Cardiology



 Gynecology



 General Surgery & Anesthesia



 Gastroenterology



 Arthroscopy & Orthopedic Surgery



 Others



By Geography



 North America



o US



o Canada



o Mexico



o Rest of North America



 Europe



o Germany



o UK



o France



o Russia



o Spain



o Italy



o Rest of Europe



 Asia Pacific



o China



o Japan



o India



o Australia



o South Korea



o Singapore



o Rest of Asia Pacific



 LAMEA



o Brazil



o Argentina



o UAE



o Saudi Arabia



o South Africa



o Nigeria



o Rest of LAMEA



Companies Profiled



 Stryker Corporation



 Johnson & Johnson



 Medline Industries, Inc. (Centurion Medical Products Corporation)



 Medtronic PLC



 Steris Healthcare



 Arjo Group (ReNu Medical, Inc.)



 Cardinal Health, Inc. (Sustainable Technologies)



 Avante Health Solutions



 Konoike Group



 Vanguard AG



Unique Offerings



 Exhaustive coverage



 Highest number of market tables and figures



 Subscription based model available



 Guaranteed best price



 Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06322170/?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. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Laser Tracker Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Offering, By Application, By Industry, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022  2028" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06322155/?utm_source=GNW

Instead of physical control devices and traditional hand tools, laser trackers are frequently used to calculate objects.



An object that can be shifted anywhere within the base units line of sight can be measured quickly and precisely by a laser tracker by tracking a laser beam and calculating 3D coordinates. The rising demand for three-dimensional measurement solutions across a variety of industries, including aerospace and defense, automotive, and power generation, as well as the increasing use of laser trackers for the assembly of large components are some of the major and crucial factors that have contributed to these advancements in distance measurement technology and processing speed.



In addition, the market for laser trackers is predicted to expand in the above-mentioned projected timeframe due to the rising number of automotive and aviation manufacturers as well as the rising demand for research & development activities in 3D measurement techniques.



A high-definition camera or cameras, in the case of the Radian Pro is mounted on the tracker and it faces the same way as the laser beam. The laser trackers are used to measure aspheric surfaces and to assemble optical systems for the first time. As long as all of the degrees of freedom for the optics can be transferred to SMRs, the laser tracker can be utilized directly to measure the position of optical elements in a system.



Covid-19 Impact Analysis



The COVID-19 outbreak has had an impact on the economies and industries of many different nations. One of the major sectors affected by this outbreak is the automotive sector, which is currently dealing with supply chain disruptions, technology event cancellations, and office closures. As a result of this, the laser tracker market has also been negatively affected due to the reduced demand for laser trackers from the automotive industry. Due to factory closures, supply chain challenges, and the general market collapse brought on by COVID-19, the market is also being negatively impacted. As the production of laser trackers has been hampered due to the lack of resources.



Market Growth Factors



High precision, portability, & accuracy of laser trackers



The portability of laser trackers is extremely high; they have an internal battery that enables extreme precision over very long distances and can operate in the most difficult conditions while retaining the highest level of accuracy. Modern lasers are portable and, when used within a practical measurement range, have remarkably high accuracy. Additionally, modern systems are Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for even more seamless communication between sensors to speed up data transfer. The most precise portable tool for large dimensional metrology is the laser tracker.



The growing use of cloud computing



SMEs are increasingly utilizing cloud computing services due to certain benefits like no upfront infrastructure setup costs and the availability of computing services on demand. These factors are fueling an increase in the demand for cloud services across a range of organizations. The hybrid cloud has several benefits, including better workload management, increased security & compliance, and efficient integration with DevOps teams. Additionally, it offers the flexibility to switch from on-premises to cloud or between clouds and possesses the necessary scale to outperform rival businesses.



Market Restraining Factors



Availability of alternatives for performing inspection and calibration tasks



The presence of alternatives like Laser Radar is a significant factor that could restrain the growth of the Laser Tracker Market. Laser radars have the high precision needed to measure intricate objects. Its frequently employed for engineering purposes. By releasing new versions and updated laser radar products, businesses have begun concentrating on expanding their footprint in high-volume metrology applications. Although skilled operators are required to operate the equipment because laser radar technology is primarily automated, it is more effective than other surveying techniques that call for more manual labour.



Offering Outlook



Based on offering, the laser tracker market is segmented into hardware, software and services. The hardware segment dominated the laser tracker market by generating the maximum revenue share in 2021. Because laser tracking providers can gather a significant amount of data in a brief amount of time, which results in decreased inspection time, highly accurate measurements, & process stability, manufacturing companies are outsourcing their measurement and inspection tasks to them. These elements would fuel the growth of the segment.



Application Outlook



On the basis of application, the laser tracker market is fragmented into quality control & inspection, alignment, reverse engineering, and calibration. In 2021, the alignment segment covered a substantial revenue share in the laser tracker market. Engineering, manufacturing, and quality control professionals can measure & inspect large parts, machinery, and other large objects on-site by the use of laser trackers while they are being used, or wherever it is most practical and economical to do so. This benefit of laser tracker is expected to support the market growth in this segment.



Industry Outlook



By industry, the laser treatment market is divided into automotive, aerospace & defense, energy & power, general manufacturing, architecture & Construction, transportation and others. The automotive segment led the laser tracker market with the highest revenue share in the laser tracker market in 2021. The expansion of the automotive industry across a variety of applications, including reverse engineering, alignment, and quality control & inspection, is made possible by businesses growing interest in studying emerging markets. Additionally, a number of automakers have begun to invest in cutting-edge technologies like laser trackers to upgrade contemporary cars with cutting-edge features, boost productivity, and meet the expanding demand for automobiles.



Regional Outlook



Region wise, the laser treatment market is analyzed across the North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and LAMEA. In 2021, the North America region witnessed the largest revenue share in the laser tracker market. This is because of the high availability of resources in the region. Laser trackers have enormous growth potential in these industries for applications like reverse engineering, quality control, inspection, calibration, and alignment due to the explosive growth of the electric vehicle demand and the production of solar modules. All these factors are supporting regional market growth.



The major strategies followed by the market participants are Product Launches. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix; Hexagon AB is the forerunners in the Laser Tracker Market. Companies such as 3D Systems Corporation, Faro Technologies, Inc. and Automated Precision, Inc. are some of the key innovators in Laser Tracker Market.



The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include FARO Technologies, Inc., 3D Systems Corporation, Hexagon AB, Automated Precision, Inc., Mitutoyo Corporation, InnovMetric Software, Inc., PLX, Inc., Chotest Technology, Inc., VMT GmbH (Herrenknecht AG group of companies) and Hubbs Machine & Manufacturing, Inc.



Recent strategies deployed in Laser Tracker Market



Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements



Jun-2022: 3D Systems partnered with EMS-GRILTECH, a Swiss corporation with worldwide activities in High-Performance Polymers and Specialty Chemicals. Under this partnership, the companies would launch DuraForm PAx Natural, a first to market material available for all Selective Laser Sintering platforms. This partnership aimed at improving additive manufacturing materials development.



Nov-2021: Hexagon partnered with Airbus, a European multinational aerospace corporation. This partnership focused on integrating two Leica Chiroptera 4X bathymetric LiDAR sensors for maritime surveillance into the C295 MSA, Airbus Maritime Surveillance Aircraft. Further, the Hexagons new technology would allow the detection of underwater objects in near real-time, a significant innovation in the airborne bathymetry industry.



May-2021: Mitutoyo came into partnership with API, a global company providing advanced dimensional metrology solutions. This partnership aimed at distributing APIs portable dimensional metrology equipment. Additionally, the partnership would offer a great opportunity for Mitutoyo to add the most complete line of high-quality portable metrology equipment to what the company can offer to its consumers.



Oct-2020: Automated Precision entered into a partnership MeetConsult. Through this partnership, API would be able to supply Dutch consumers with innovative mobile 3D metrology, on-site measurement services, Laser Tracker calibration, and an attractive rental program, using more than 30 years of expertise in international markets & development.



Acquisitions & Mergers



Jan-2022: FARO Technologies took over SpatialMetrix, a leading manufacturer as well as supplier of laser trackers, metrology software & contract inspection services. The acquisition would serve FARO with the opportunity to expand its product line with a complementary technology for the existing consumer base.



Aug-2021: Hexagon completed the acquisition of Wuhan Zhongguan Company, a high-tech company dedicated to the development of software & hardware products in the fields of digital photogrammetry, computer vision, and intelligence. Through this acquisition, the companies aimed at enhancing their capabilities in the field of 3D data acquisition & further expand Hexagons solution portfolio in the field of intelligent manufacturing.



Jan-2021: PLX took over Reflex Imaging, a start-up company that develops optical devices and laser scanners. This acquisition would uphold PLXs position at the forefront of the photonics industry & adds Reflex Imagings ground-breaking technology to PLXs industry-leading capabilities in the field of monolithic optics.



Product Expansion & Product Launches



Aug-2022: Mitutoyo launched Quick Vision Pro Series, the new generation of Mitutoyo Vision Measurement Systems. Quick Vision Pro Series machines are packed with high-performance technologies that greatly enhance 3D non-contact measurement & productivity. This highly advanced non-contact measuring system delivers even more efficiency, speed, and versatility to the Mitutoyo Vision Measurement line.



Jun-2022: Hexagon introduced Leica Absolute Tracker AT500. AT500 automatically re-establishes interrupted lines of sight within a broad field of view without any user interaction and offers reflector measurement up to 160 meters from the tracker to simplify 6DoF probing functionality. Various features of AT500 contribute to extremely fast setup times, that includes the systems built-in controller unit, a first for an Absolute Tracker.



Apr-2022: Hexagon launched WRTL, a wireless laser tracker automation system. The launch of WRTL aimed at solving common configuration challenges faced by consumers setting up large, automated inspection systems by removing the requirement of a cable connecting the laser tracker & the scanner controller, opening up the chances for the tracker and/or the scanner to be mobile through mounting on an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) or automated guided vehicle (AGV).



Apr-2022: InnovMetric released PolyWorks 2022, the latest smart 3D metrology digital ecosystem. PolyWorks 2022 offers various new functionalities that would expand the capabilities of its ecosystem foundations. It facilitates multipiece inspection when CAD data is not available.



Apr-2022: FARO Technologies launched FARO Focus Premium Laser and FARO Stream mobile app, unprecedented, ultra-efficient data capture and collaboration platform. The launch focused on serving with fast, accurate, and complete field capture along with real-time data verification.



Oct-2021: Automated Precision unveiled iSCAN3D 3D scanner, a handheld laser metrology 3D scanner produced. This launch focused on the APIs growing market providing the next-generation measuring solution, integrating both tactile & laser scanning into a single, seamless, high-accuracy solution.



Nov-2020: FARO Technologies introduced 6Probe, a new generation Vantage Laser Tracker 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DoF) Probe. The new 6Probe offers exceptional portability and is compatible with FARO VantageS6 and VantageE6 Laser Trackers, enabling users to build, inspect and measure products faster and with greater accuracy.



Scope of the Study



Market Segments covered in the Report:



By Offering



 Hardware



 Software



 Services



By Application



 Quality Control & Inspection



 Alignment



 Reverse Engineering



 Calibration



By Industry



 Automotive



 Aerospace & Defense



 Energy & Power



 General Manufacturing



 Architecture & Construction



 Transportation



 Others



By Geography



 North America



o US



o Canada



o Mexico



o Rest of North America



 Europe



o Germany



o UK



o France



o Russia



o Spain



o Italy



o Rest of Europe



 Asia Pacific



o China



o Japan



o India



o South Korea



o Singapore



o Malaysia



o Rest of Asia Pacific



 LAMEA



o Brazil



o Argentina



o UAE



o Saudi Arabia



o South Africa



o Nigeria



o Rest of LAMEA



Companies Profiled



 FARO Technologies, Inc.



 3D Systems Corporation



 Hexagon AB



 Automated Precision, Inc.



 Mitutoyo Corporation



 InnovMetric Software, Inc.



 PLX, Inc.



 Chotest Technology, Inc.



 VMT GmbH (Herrenknecht AG group of companies)



 Hubbs Machine & Manufacturing, Inc.



Unique Offerings



 Exhaustive coverage



 Highest number of market tables and figures



 Subscription based model available



 Guaranteed best price



 Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06322155/?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.



__________________________
PAXTON, Ill., Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Accolade Healthcare's Certified Nursing Assistant School had its first round of graduates complete the course on Friday, Sept. 16. The classroom located at Accolade Healthcare of Paxton Senior Living, 450 E. Fulton St., hosted eight students for their first class which began on Aug. 1.

Our instructor, Terri Richards, reports the CNA class will take six weeks to complete. The first four weeks are lectures and lab, and if students successfully pass this portion, then they advance to the clinical phase, which is 10 days long. Once students finish the course, they will go on to take the state examination.

Accolade Healthcare's goal in opening the CNA School is to combat the staffing shortage by creating an opportunity that is feasible for our Auxiliary Aides to attend. All eight students were from Paxton, IL, and surrounding areas, which meant the school's location assisted in minimizing the cost of travel. Terri comments on the class, "As the coordinator, my goal here is to train these Auxiliary Aides to be the best CNAs to fill the positions in our facilities and hopefully move ahead to other healthcare positions, like nursing or therapy. (The Program) is offered free of charge and students receive a stipend while in class. Next steps are to develop a preceptor program so each new CNA will get off to a good start in their career."

Terri stated the next session will begin on Oct. 3, and currently, 15 new students are enrolled in the class. Accolade Healthcare is excited to see the Auxiliary Aides moving on to the next level and hopes new students will be interested in this opportunity.

About Accolade Healthcare

Accolade Healthcare is a healthcare company with six skilled nursing communities and one assisted living facility located across central Illinois. Accolade Healthcare began on Aug. 1, 2017, when two skilled nursing facilities were acquired by the company. Services provided: Skilled Nursing Care, Long-Term Care, Respite Care, Outpatient Therapy, Hospice Services and more to our community members.

For more information about Accolade Healthcare, please visit our website www.accoladehc.com or visit our Facebook Pages.

Media Inquiries - Nicole McIntosh nmcintosh@accoladehc.com

Contact Information:

Nicole McIntosh

media

nm.mac19@gmail.com









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Image 1: Initial Class









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Attachment
New York, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Knowledge Process Outsourcing Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Service Type, By Application, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022  2028" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06322140/?utm_source=GNW

KPO can assist businesses in lowering operational expenses and the demand for specialized workers. Organizations can concentrate on their core duties and increase productivity and outcomes by outsourcing certain of their procedures.



Research and analytics, contract search, data management, remote education, contract research & biotech, market research, and content publication are just a few of the services that are currently being outsourced. The KPO business is predicted to grow faster than other industries due to the rising demand for better flexibility in Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and convenience in change management procedures together with cost-cutting.



Industries can save a substantial amount of time as well as money by outsourcing key system processes. Another factor boosting the markets growth is the increased demand for professional services like research, training, managed services, and maintenance. Highly skilled professionals, including lawyers, engineers, and architects, are available in developing nations like China, India, and the Philippines to offer professional services at lesser prices than their western countries.



It is challenging to extract valuable information from the sources accessible due to the volume of data present. In such a situation, businesses turn to KPO organizations that employ knowledge specialists in a variety of sectors and use numerous tools for analyzing company processes and streamlining decision-making. Customers desire high-quality services, therefore firms must adopt procedures and organizational structures that not only boost productivity but also provide their goods and services a strategic boost.



COVID-19 Impact Analysis



The knowledge process outsourcing market has been negatively impacted due to the outbreak of COVID-19. This is because the COVID-19 outbreak has reduced overall IT spending as a result of businesses temporarily closing and layoffs. The organizations in the various regions are changing their work-from-home policies as a response to the problem. Companies that outsource are moving toward cloud-based work platforms that reduce manual labor and enable work automation, increasing worker productivity. However, the IT sector will soon recover after the pandemic period, so outsourcing firms are required to concentrate on long-term investments and retain contact with customers and partners.



Market Growth Factors



Rising Adoption Of KPO In The Retail Sector



In the modern world, practically all organizations are driven by data or information, which enables them to develop new goods and provide services to clients more effectively. The need for knowledge process outsourcing in the retail industry is rising as the value of data in firms grows. To help retail businesses discover solutions to their complicated issues, KPO service providers are providing KPO services to them. KPO service providers offer retail businesses with comprehensive analytics solutions that include research on consumer behavior and shopping preferences.



Plug The Knowledge & Skill Gaps In The Business



In an effort to fill both known and unidentified gaps in their teams knowledge and skills, companies frequently hire KPO services providers to essentially build an organizational knowledge map. There are occasions when having a third-party provider is a necessity. In this situation, the businesses may hire a provider to fix a specific internal process or to fill a talent shortage on the staff. In other cases, though, the company might hire a specialized outsider since they are unsure of what should be improved within the company.



Market Restraining Factors



Problems With Data Security Among Enterprises



Giving a third-party organization access to the companys information is not possible without danger for a variety of reasons. One must have faith in the KPO suppliers to keep the data as secure as possible, even if that means at times adhering to compliance rules. Transferring data between parties will also inevitably increase the chances of data loss or theft. The businesses will almost certainly be transmitting or receiving data of some kind from the KPO partners at all times, so the team would always be facing the danger of data security.



Service Type Outlook



Based on service type, the knowledge process outsourcing market is segmented into analytics & market research; engineering & design; financial process outsourcing; legal process outsourcing; publishing outsourcing; research & development outsourcing and others. The research & development outsourcing segment garnered a promising revenue share in the knowledge process outsourcing market in 2021. Businesses are increasingly hiring KPO firms to handle their research and development tasks. Along with that, businesses can access a pool of highly qualified people who can offer creative solutions to challenges and hasten the launch of new goods and services to the market by outsourcing research and development work.



Application Outlook



On the basis of application, the knowledge process outsourcing is classified into BFSI, healthcare & pharmaceutical, IT & telecom, manufacturing, retail and others. The healthcare & pharmaceutical segment covered a significant revenue share in the knowledge process outsourcing market in 2021. Diagnostic or administrative projects could be part of a medical KPO. The most successful industry for outsourcing administrative jobs, such as medical coding, is the healthcare sector. To identify the correct billing codes that may be applied to a specific diagnosis of a patient, coding requires a skilled specialist.



Regional Outlook



Region wise, the knowledge process outsourcing market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and LAMEA. In 2021, the Asia Pacific region led the knowledge process outsourcing market by generating the largest revenue share. This is a result of the quick offshoring of crucial procedures and expert services. Because of the advancement of technology and the growth of knowledge-based businesses, new business opportunities have emerged.



The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include Accenture PLC, Wipro Limited, Genpact Limited, HCL Technologies Ltd. (HCL Enterprises), ExlService Holdings, Inc., McKinsey & Company, Moodys Corporation, Mphasis Limited (Blackstone, Inc.), Ernst & Young Global Limited, and R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company.



Strategies deployed in Knowledge Process Outsourcing Market



Jan-2022: HCL Technologies extended its existing partnership with OSRAM, a German company that makes electric lights. The expansion of partnership aimed at digitalizing the companys key business processes and drive enterprise resource planning and consumer relationship management systems standardization in the organization. The partnership would enable greater maturity in ams OSRAMs digital execution capabilities as well as drive global IT operations excellence by rising agility and scalability to accelerate innovation. To enable this, HCL would develop and operate a modern digital foundation through the data center, hybrid cloud, and network transformation.



Jul-2021: Accenture took over Linkbynet, a leading cloud services provider. This acquisition focused on strengthening the Accenture Cloud First capabilities. This acquisition would bring deep cloud and engineering specialization, managed services, sophisticated technology tools, and cybersecurity intelligence.



Jul-2021: Wipro came into partnership with Celonis, the global leader in execution management. Under this partnership, Wipro would introduce the Global Celonis Center in order to drive operations transformation for clients. The partnership would leverage the Celonis Execution Management System and Wipros expertise to streamline operations for clients across a range of areas that includes finance, human resources, and supply chain management.



Jun-2021: Accenture completed the acquisition of Umlaut, an engineering consulting and services firm. This acquisition would significantly scale Accentures deep engineering capabilities in order to help businesses use digital technologies such as cloud, artificial intelligence, and 5G to transform how they design, engineer, and manufacture their products and embed sustainability. The addition of Umlaut would add more than 4,200 industry-leading engineers and consultants across 17 countries to Accentures Industry X services, and expand the companys capabilities across a range of industries.



Jun-2021: Genpact expanded its geographical footprints in Germany. From this expansion, the company focused on meeting client demand for a range of process-driven transformation services solutions for supply chain management, finance and accounting, procurement, and analytics across key industries, including high tech, retail, consumer goods, life sciences, and industrial manufacturing.



Jan-2021: Genpact acquired Enquero, a technology solutions company. The acquisition of Enquero would expand the companys strong foundation of present capabilities in delivering end-to-end transformation to enterprise clients.



Oct-2020: Mphasis partnered with Contour, the global decentralized platform building the new standard. The partnership aimed at accelerating the scaled adoption and extend the reach of the Contour network by banks, enterprises, and partners across the globe. This partnership would help Mphasis would leverage its proven Front2Back Transformation approach and its portfolio of next-generation IT and operations capabilities to help accelerate the implementation and usage of the Contour network across the global community of banks, corporates, and ecosystem partners.



Feb-2020: McKinsey & Company signed an agreement to acquire Orpheus, a recognized innovator in digital procurement. By this acquisition, the company would now integrate Orpheus into its Operations practice, specifically into its offering for procurement leaders. The strategy and management consulting giant would combine Orpheus with its own expertise in the field to bring the latest offering to clients: Spend Intelligence by McKinsey.



Dec-2019: EXL extended its existing partnership with Direct Line Group, a British insurance company. The expansion focused on delivering better consumer and business outcomes using a team of insurance experts, automation, and analytics solutions.



Scope of the Study



Market Segments covered in the Report:



By Service Type



 Analytics & Market Research



o Customer & Marketing Analytics



o Operations & Supply Chain Analytics



o Competitive Intelligence & Industry Analysis



 Engineering & Design



 Legal Process Outsourcing



 Publishing Outsourcing



 Research & Development Outsourcing



 Financial Process Outsourcing



 Others



By Application



 BFSI



 Retail



 Manufacturing



 IT & Telecom



 Healthcare & Pharmaceutical



 Others



By Geography



 North America



o US



o Canada



o Mexico



o Rest of North America



 Europe



o Germany



o UK



o France



o Russia



o Spain



o Italy



o Rest of Europe



 Asia Pacific



o China



o Japan



o India



o South Korea



o Singapore



o Malaysia



o Rest of Asia Pacific



 LAMEA



o Brazil



o Argentina



o UAE



o Saudi Arabia



o South Africa



o Nigeria



o Rest of LAMEA



Companies Profiled



 Accenture PLC



 Wipro Limited



 Genpact Limited



 HCL Technologies Ltd. (HCL Enterprises)



 ExlService Holdings, Inc.



 McKinsey & Company



 Moodys Corporation



 Mphasis Limited (Blackstone, Inc.)



 Ernst & Young Global Limited



 R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company



Unique Offerings



 Exhaustive coverage



 Highest number of market tables and figures



 Subscription based model available



 Guaranteed best price



 Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06322140/?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.



__________________________
SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nexus IT, a leading IT security and support company, announced today it has appointed former founders of INTELITECHS Jake Hiller and Eric Sessions to the roles of CRO and COO, respectively.

This announcement follows the recent merger of INTELITECHS and Nexus IT, and these appointments are designed to support Nexus IT's five-year strategic growth plan. Hiller and Sessions will join founder and CEO of Nexus IT Earl Foote on the executive team.

With nearly 20 years of professional experience in IT solutions, Jake Hiller will be responsible for implementing revenue-generating initiatives through enhanced marketing, sales and customer success strategies.

"As a serial entrepreneur for most of my career, I have learned that the strength of the pack is greater than the strength of the lone wolf. This is precisely why I am thrilled to have joined forces with Nexus IT and to take on the role of CRO," said Hiller. "My new role will allow me to lean into my own strengths and lead our incredible top-of-funnel team, consisting of marketing, sales and customer success."

Eric Sessions' COO appointment is a seamless transition for him. Sessions possesses over 16 years in the IT solutions industry, with a combination of responsibilities on both the data analytics and operations sides of the business, which led him to becoming President and COO of INTELITECHS in 2011. In his new role, Sessions will play an instrumental part in strengthening the already solid fulfillment and operations teams in order for Nexus IT to implement results and drive quality client outcomes on a larger scale as The Company grows.

"I am excited to take on the COO responsibilities for Nexus IT and am certain that my experience running INTELITECHS has prepared me to do so in a seamless and effective way,'' said Sessions. "I know that with the combination of my, Jake and Earl's efforts and our talented teams' significant contributions, we will be able to meet and exceed our growth goals and service enhancement objectives."

In addition to the appointment of Hiller as CRO and Sessions as COO, The Company has repositioned its organizational chart to reflect a "Team of Teams'' approach, meaning Foote, Hiller and Sessions will lead specific sectors of the business in a lateral way and come together to ensure all efforts are cohesive. As a result, shifts and transitions have been made amongst all departments.

"Growth means more opportunity and more opportunity means more star power is needed to execute on the vision. There is no one I am more excited to collaborate with than industry titans Jake and Eric, who have already proven their incredible leadership and execution power in the short period of time INTELITECHS has been merged with Nexus IT," said Foote. "With our new 'Team of Teams' model, we are prepared to continue on our path to become the most innovative and fastest-growing IT solutions company nationally, all while sustaining the integrity-first culture we are committed to for our team and our clients alike."

Nexus IT will be announcing additional initiatives and key hires later this year to continue the momentum of its growth strategy.

About Nexus IT

Nexus IT is an IT Support and Cybersecurity Services (MSP/MSSP) company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company provides IT and Cybersecurity services across the nation with a worry-free, hyper-responsive approach, so leaders can focus on growing their business. In its 24th year, Nexus IT continues to elevate its team, clients and community to new heights with its award-winning support, vibrant workplace, lively culture and community-minded initiatives.

Contact Information:

Angela Bonnici

Director of PR

angela@nexusitc.net



Related Images











Image 1: Nexus IT Appoints CRO & COO to Drive Its Five-Year Growth Strategy





Jake Hiller & Eric Sessions Step Into C-Suite Roles at Nexus IT, After Merging With The Company









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Attachment
San Francisco, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iterable, the most powerful communication platform that helps brands activate customers with joyful experiences at scale, today announced its expansion into Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) to support its growing global customer base. Iterables operations in the region will be led by Jeremy Smith, Vice President and Country Manager for Iterable ANZ, who will execute the companys local go-to-market strategy and strengthen Iterables presence in the region.

"Australia and New Zealand are undergoing an exciting period of innovation, and our expansion into ANZ not only brings us closer to our local customer base, but it enables us to bring Iterable to organizations in the region who are ready to catalyse their growth," said Andrew Boni, CEO and co-founder of Iterable. "Our success as a company comes when our customers are successful, and this move ensures we continue to deliver outstanding support to our customers as they look to build closer relationships with their own customers.

Iterable now has over 700 employees globally, with offices in Denver, New York, San Francisco, and London. The company recently announced it surpassed 1,000 customers operating in 44 distinct countries. By expanding to Australia and New Zealand, the company is underlining its continued commitment to delivering exceptional, localised support for its rapidly growing customer base.



Iterables move to ANZ is in response to growing demand from its customers, as more businesses are looking to activate their customers with higher levels of personalisation, orchestration, and automation. The company has developed a trusted network of customers and partners in the region, including:



Envato, a world-leading online community for creative assets, tools, and talent, based in Victoria, Australia, joined Iterables customer community earlier this year.



Iterable has been a game changer for how we manage our customer communications flows at Envato, said Adam Noonan, Head of Marketing at Envato. With millions of customers around the globe, we needed a platform that would enable high-quality, behavioral-based journeys at scale, empowering our marketing teams without heavy reliance on engineers. Iterable has done just that. Integrating with our tech stack, it has put sophisticated segmentation in the hands of marketers, allowing us to easily grow and optimise our program. This has resulted in better customer experiences for our creative community.





Iterable has been a game changer for how we manage our customer communications flows at Envato, said Adam Noonan, Head of Marketing at Envato. With millions of customers around the globe, we needed a platform that would enable high-quality, behavioral-based journeys at scale, empowering our marketing teams without heavy reliance on engineers. Iterable has done just that. Integrating with our tech stack, it has put sophisticated segmentation in the hands of marketers, allowing us to easily grow and optimise our program. This has resulted in better customer experiences for our creative community. Western Australia-based Student Edge provides students discounts, study tools, jobs, paid surveys, competitions, forums, news, and more. Student Edge first joined Iterable as a customer in 2021.



With Iterable we can understand our audience on a much deeper level and provide a highly personalised, targeted communication experience, said Bianca Anderson, Membership Marketing Manager at Student Edge. Iterable is pivotal for us to continuously improve our audience experience, and keeping members-first at the forefront of everything we do. Increasing automation and tailoring our strategy to the interests of our audience for both product and marketing communications has been a game changer.





With Iterable we can understand our audience on a much deeper level and provide a highly personalised, targeted communication experience, said Bianca Anderson, Membership Marketing Manager at Student Edge. Iterable is pivotal for us to continuously improve our audience experience, and keeping members-first at the forefront of everything we do. Increasing automation and tailoring our strategy to the interests of our audience for both product and marketing communications has been a game changer. Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to as TVNZ, is a television network broadcast throughout New Zealand and parts of the Pacific region. TVNZ first joined Iterable as a customer in 2017.



Iterables flexibility and the ease of the platform has enabled us to leverage our data to personalise direct messages in a way that was previously not possible," said Sara Lorimer, Head of Data-Driven Marketing at TVNZ. With Iterable, were able to deliver more relevant and timely recommendations for our viewers.





Iterables flexibility and the ease of the platform has enabled us to leverage our data to personalise direct messages in a way that was previously not possible," said Sara Lorimer, Head of Data-Driven Marketing at TVNZ. With Iterable, were able to deliver more relevant and timely recommendations for our viewers. VMLY&R is a global full-service marketing agency and a partner of Iterable.



We are incredibly excited to see Iterable launch in our region and are very proud to be their official launch partner across Australia and New Zealand," said Thomas Tearle, Chief Executive Officer, Australia and New Zealand at VMLY&R. Iterable allows us to truly connect our clients brands with its simple, modern and flexible platform, which importantly gives us the ability to activate data previously unactionable in other legacy platforms. Under Jeremys stewardship, we believe that Iterable will achieve exceptional growth and we cant wait to be part of it.

Iterable is widely recognized for setting a high standard for customer experience around the world. The success of the brands and businesses in their community underscores its continued execution delivering value to their customers. To learn more about Iterables platform, features, partnerships, and to explore Iterable's customer success stories, visit www.iterable.com.


New York, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Infrastructure as Code Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Component, By Type, By Infrastructure Type, By Deployment Mode, By Organization Size, By Vertical, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022  2028" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06322085/?utm_source=GNW

Managing IT infrastructure used to be a very challenging task traditionally. The necessary hardware and software have to be manually managed and configured in order for the applications to function.



However, technologies have drastically changed in recent years. The manner in which businesses plan, create, and maintain their IT infrastructure has been transformed and improved by trends, like cloud computing. Infrastructure as code is one of the key elements of this approach. Using configuration files to administer the IT infrastructure is known as infrastructure as code or IaC.



Applying the same discipline of application code generation to infrastructure provisioning is known as practicing infrastructure as code. In the same manner that application code is kept in a source control system, like AWS CodeCommit, all configurations must be defined declaratively. The use of infrastructure as code should be supported by the orchestration, provisioning, and deployment of infrastructure.



AWS, in contrast, offers a DevOps-focused approach to building and maintaining infrastructure. AWS offers services that make it possible to build, deploy, and maintain infrastructure in a descriptive, programmatic, and declarative manner, similar to how software developers compose application code. These services offer accuracy, precision, and reliability. The AWS services serve as the foundation for many higher-level AWS DevOps ideas and practices and are essential to a DevOps approach.



IT infrastructure management used to be done manually. Servers would be physically installed and configured by individuals. They would deploy the program only after configuring the workstations to the precise settings needed by the OS and applications. Moreover, this manual procedure frequently produced a number of issues. Cost is the first significant issue.



COVID-19 Impact Analysis



The lockdowns led various manufacturing facilities and businesses to a significant haul. In addition, the infrastructure as code market was also majorly hampered due to the pandemic. Due to the closure of operational activities, several companies, including large enterprises and small & medium enterprises were closed. Due to this, the demand for infrastructure as code significantly reduced during the initial period of the pandemic. However, in the second half of 2020, several companies all over the world accelerated the adoption of infrastructure as code. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the IT and Telecom industry witnessed rapid growth. Due to this, the demand for infrastructure as code tools and services is expedited in the telecommunications industry.



Market Growth Factors



Introduction Of Modern And Complex Cloud Architecture To The Market



Consumer preferences and behavior are currently changing dramatically. To survive in the cutthroat market, businesses are giving priority to these preferences. The demand for cost-effective strategies to improve operational efficiencies of businesses is rising as a result of growing consumer expectations and increasing competition among industry leaders. Because manual processes are laborious, repetitive, and time-consuming, businesses that employ them to complete business-critical tasks sometimes encounter problems, such as inaccurate data interpretation.



Development Of Composable Infrastructure



The adoption of Infrastructure as code solutions is anticipated to be fueled by aspects including streamlined operations, resource scalability, and built-in data protection and recovery. Industries now do not fully understand the advantages of composable systems. This status is estimated to improve in the coming years as buyers become more aware of the advantages and benefits of composable solutions due to the top companies in the infrastructure as code ecosystem. The majority of infrastructure as code solutions are currently being used by large businesses.



Market Restraining Factors



Lack Of Technical Knowledge And Risk Of Human Error



Infrastructure as code, which offers a programmable resource model and standard programming model, has made it possible for the software to fully govern the lifetime of servers and cloud infrastructure. Some companies might be hesitant to implement the infrastructure as code as well as DevOps models due to the high level of technical proficiency they require, the required adjustments to culture and business practices, the dangers of migrating an existing solution, or the potential that their team is underqualified.



Component Outlook



Based on Component, the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market is bifurcated into Tools (Configuration Orchestration, Configuration Management, Infrastructure Provisioning, and Others) and Services. In 2021, the tools segment acquired the largest revenue share of the infrastructure as code. The rapidly rising growth of the segment is primarily owing to the increased convenience and better customer experience.



Type Outlook



On the basis of Type, the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market is categorized into Declarative and Imperative. In 2021, the imperative segment recorded a substantial revenue share of the infrastructure as code market. Imperative systems are frequently simpler at first. An imperative system is set up more like how a human brain works. With imperative systems, customers can keep considering configuration as a series of activities or phases, each of which advances them closer to the end result.



Infrastructure Outlook



By Infrastructure, the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market is bifurcated into Mutable and Immutable. In 2021, the mutable segment registered the highest revenue share of the infrastructure as code market. When referring to IaC, the term mutable describes an infrastructure that necessitates being updated and modified frequently in order to keep up with the shifting demands of the business.



Organization Size Outlook



On the basis of Organization Size, the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market is divided into Large Enterprises and SMEs. In 2021, the large enterprises segment acquired the biggest revenue share of the infrastructure as code market. Among large businesses, the trend of digitization has been steadily growing. Due to the presence of a large workforce, the expanding interconnection of bandwidth and mobility trends are particularly visible among large organizations.



Deployment Type Outlook



By Deployment Type, the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market is Segregated into On-premises and Cloud. In 2021, the cloud segment procured a substantial revenue share of the infrastructure as code market. A service provider gives businesses cloud IaC services in the form of virtual and enhanced servers, communications, storage, as well as managed application services over a worldwide network of data centers or cloud computing infrastructure.



Vertical Outlook



Based on Vertical, the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market is classified into BFSI, IT & Telecom, Government, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Retail, and Others. In 2021, the IT & telecom segment registered a substantial revenue share of the infrastructure as code market. Network infrastructure as code employs the DevOps methodology to construct pre- as well as post-change testing and validation procedures in addition to standardized techniques for configuration changes.



Regional Outlook



Region-Wise, the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market is analyzed across North America, Europe, LAMEA, and Asia-Pacific. In 2021, North America held the maximum revenue share of the infrastructure as code market. Due to the regions growing adoption of critical infrastructure solutions by end users, North America is focusing on growing its critical infrastructure market. The infrastructure as code market in the US is large. It has a substantial supply base, which contributes to the growing market of the nation.



The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Amazon Web Services, Inc., Oracle Corporation, Google LLC, Dell Technologies, Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Broadcom, Inc., ServiceNow, Inc., and Alibaba Group Holding Limited.



Strategies Deployed in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market



Jul-2022: IBM acquired Databand, a data observability software vendor. Through this acquisition, the company aimed to offer the most comprehensive range of observability capabilities to IT within data, applications, and machine learning. This acquisition would seamlessly provide the technology they require in order to deliver reliable data and AI at scale.



Apr-2022: Amazon took over GlowRoad, an Indian social commerce startup. Through this acquisition, Amazon aimed to expand its entrepreneurship across millions of creators, students, homemakers, and small sellers throughout the entire country. Moreover, this acquisition would bring more efficiency along with cost optimization to customers.



Dec-2021: Oracle Corporation acquired Cerner Corporation, an American supplier of health information technology services, devices, and hardware. This acquisition aimed to assist Oracle to scale up its cloud business in the hospital and health system market.



Jul-2021: Microsoft completed its acquisition of RiskIQ, a cybersecurity services provider. Under this acquisition, Microsoft aimed to integrate RiskIQs services and solutions into its cloud-native security products portfolio.



Jun-2021: IBM took over Turbonomic, an Application Resource Management (ARM) and Network Performance Management (NPM) software provider. This acquisition aimed to enable IBM to become the only company providing a one-stop shop of AI-powered automation capabilities, all built on Red Hat OpenShift to run anywhere.



May-2021: Google Cloud launched Vertex AI, the latest managed machine learning platform. Vertex AI is designed to make it easier for developers to deploy and maintain their AI models. This latest product allows better deployments for a new generation of AI that would empower data scientists and engineers to do fulfilling and creative work. Ultimately, the goal with Vertex is to reduce the time to ROI for these enterprises, to make sure that they cannot just build a model but get real value from the models theyre building.



Dec-2020: IBM took over Instana, a leader in observability and application performance monitoring. With this acquisition, the company aimed to strengthen its Watson AIOps portfolio to bring the best-in-class, AI-powered automation capabilities to handle the complexity of advanced applications.



Jun-2020: Microsoft acquired CyberX, a security startup. This acquisition aimed to complement the capabilities of the existing Azure IoT security and extend to prevailing devices.



Scope of the Study



Market Segments covered in the Report:



By Component



 Tools



o Configuration Orchestration



o Configuration Management



o Infrastructure Provisioning



o Others



 Services



By Type



 Declarative



 Imperative



By Infrastructure Type



 Mutable



 Immutable



By Deployment Mode



 On-premise



 Cloud



By Organization Size



 Large Enterprises



 Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs)



By Vertical



 BFSI



 IT & Telecom



 Healthcare



 Government



 Retail



 Manufacturing



 Others



By Geography



 North America



o US



o Canada



o Mexico



o Rest of North America



 Europe



o Germany



o UK



o France



o Russia



o Spain



o Italy



o Rest of Europe



 Asia Pacific



o China



o Japan



o India



o South Korea



o Singapore



o Malaysia



o Rest of Asia Pacific



 LAMEA



o Brazil



o Argentina



o UAE



o Saudi Arabia



o South Africa



o Nigeria



o Rest of LAMEA



Companies Profiled



 IBM Corporation



 Microsoft Corporation



 Amazon Web Services, Inc.



 Oracle Corporation



 Google LLC



 Dell Technologies, Inc.



 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company



 Broadcom, Inc.



 ServiceNow, Inc.



 Alibaba Group Holding Limited



Unique Offerings



 Exhaustive coverage



 Highest number of market tables and figures



 Subscription based model available



 Guaranteed best price



 Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06322085/?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.



__________________________
Skokie, IL, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Launched in the lead-up to the 81st anniversary of the Babiy Yar massacre, Illinois Holocaust Museum has created a new online experience sharing the little-known history of the Holocaust in the Soviet Union as told through the stories of Chicago-area survivors and their families. This new site includes an online exhibition; a research page with access to the Museums full photo and object collection connected to the Holocaust in the Soviet Union; a stories page developed in partnership with Holocaust Community Services highlighting individual stories of Chicago-area survivors and rescuers; and a page dedicated to secondary classroom educator and student activities.

The history of the Holocaust in the Soviet Union has largely been ignored and forgotten, and in some cases, purposefully erased, says Leah Rauch, Illinois Holocaust Museums Director of Education. But more than 2.5 million of the Holocausts victims were Soviet Jews. The time is long overdue to address what happened in the German-occupied Soviet Territories in our classrooms and online.

Included in this extensive history of the Holocaust in the Soviet Union are the key moments leading up to Operation Barbarossa and the Babiy Yar massacre. One of the largest military invasions in modern history, Operation Barbarossa began on June 22, 1941, and set the stage for the mass murder of Jews in the Soviet Union. Just a few short months after the invasion, over 33,000 Jewish men, women, and children were murdered at Babiy Yar, a ravine near German-occupied Kyiv, Ukraine on September 29-30, 1941. It was the largest single mass grave on Soviet territory. Earlier this year, the Babiy Yar Holocaust Memorial Center in Kyiv, Ukraine was bombed by Russian forces.

Additionally, the Museum will share the story of Soviet Jewry after the Holocaust, the Refuseniks who often faced harsh treatment for trying to emigrate, and the activism and international support that led to an easing of emigration restrictions beginning in 1988. Of the living Holocaust Survivors in the Chicago area, 90% are from the Former Soviet Union (FSU), and Chicago played an instrumental role in the fight for the Refuseniks and their resettlement, making it critical for the Museum to highlight and share these stories.

The virtual exhibition allows Illinois Holocaust Museum to reach an even broader audience, bringing these stories to life through interactive elements such as maps, photographs, and artifacts. Viewers will be able to examine a range of objects including:

A miniature Hebrew bible, printed in Warsaw in the late 19 th century, that was found by a Soviet Jewish officer in the liberation of a Polish concentration camp in 1945.

century, that was found by a Soviet Jewish officer in the liberation of a Polish concentration camp in 1945. Excerpts from Irving Leavitts diary entries detailing the German invasion of his hometown in Poland and the day-by-day destruction of the Jewish community.

A letter from June 1944 written by local Survivor Mikhail Mirkin, a Jewish Soviet Red Army soldier, who was inquiring about the fate of his parents in Chereya, German-occupied Belarus.

Educators can utilize the exhibitions unique resources for their students, including lessons covering the full breadth of Nazi atrocities, how the Holocaust reached beyond Europes borders, and injustices against the Jewish community in the Soviet Union after the war. Students can explore and learn through eight engaging activities that each address an essential question about the Holocaust.

The Holocaust in the Soviet Union Online Exhibition is made possible through the generous support of Tanya and Michael Polsky, Claims Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and Julie Bashkin and Matt Brody.

More information about the exhibition and Illinois Holocaust Museum can be found here. A media kit for the exhibit can be found here.

About Illinois Holocaust Museum

Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center honors the Survivors and victims of the Holocaust and transforms history into current, relevant, and universal lessons in humanity. Through world-class exhibitions and programs, the Museum inspires individuals and organizations and provides a universal wake-up call to action: Take history to heart. Take a stand for humanity. The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.ilholocaustmuseum.org or call 847-967-4800.

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By Lee Jae-woong



It has been more than seven months since the war in Ukraine broke out. Europe is suffering from the most tragic conflict since World War II. There has been no tangible progress in diplomacy, and no one knows when the war will end. As Russia countered the sanctions by cutting supplies of oil and gas to European countries, people in Europe are worried about a stiff rise in the prices of heating and electricity in the coming winter.



Adding insult to injury, there are concerns that the Balkan region, often described as a powder keg in Europe in the early 20th century, could fall into another crisis caused by the ongoing conflict between Serbia and Kosovo.



In the 1990s, Serbia suffered under heavy sanctions as the main instigator of the civil wars among the countries of former Yugoslavia and during the Kosovo War (1998-1999). It was bombed by NATO in 1999. Eventually the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution No. 1244 settled the matter and ended the Kosovo War in June 1999. Since then, there have been dialogues going on between Serbia and Kosovo with little progress despite the efforts of both sides and U.N. and European Union mediators. In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia, and Serbia would not recognize Kosovo, causing tensions ever since.



Recently, albeit little known in Korea, the situation escalated, as the Kosovo government announced the introduction of new measures regarding ID cards and car license plates for ethnic Serbs mostly living in northern Kosovo from September, who, in return, defiantly protested against them. The last-minute efforts of the EU and the United States temporarily resolved the problem, as both sides agreed to allow the free passage of people. However, concerns still linger, as the Kosovo government argued that all cars in Kosovo should be registered with Kosovo plates before the end of October. This is a stark reminder that the security situation is fragile, where old disagreements are not settled, and memories of the Kosovo war remain fresh, with no tangible solution to be found in the foreseeable future.



Serbia is historically and geographically in a strategic location between East and West. Because of its location, the country has been implicated in constant struggles among the great powers since its liberation from the Ottoman Empire. And now, Serbia seems to be mulling over which path it should take amid a very volatile environment. After the Kosovo War and the subsequent political, economic and social turmoil, the Serbian government proclaimed its accession to the EU as a top-priority foreign policy.



At the same time, the country has maintained very close relationships with Russia and China for various reasons. Both Russia and China are staunch supporters of Serbia in opposing Kosovo in becoming a member of the U.N. Russia is exporting oil and natural gas to Serbia at cheaper than market prices, and China is a big investor in Serbia regarding infrastructure and other industries, including mining.



With the start of the Ukraine War, the EU wants all European countries united in condemning Russian aggression and imposing sanctions. However, Serbia didn't join and remained the only country in Europe  except Belarus  not to impose sanctions.



On the other hand, Russia wants Serbia on its side, believing that more trouble in Kosovo could divert the attention of the world from Ukraine and turn the war situation to its advantage. Well aware of that possibility, European nations have been acting vigorously to persuade Serbia  and Kosovo  to continue the dialogue to resolve the pending issues and seek long-term solutions so as to normalize their relationship.



Given the strong rhetoric from both Serbia and Kosovo, it is unlikely that they will find a solution very soon. But it is absolutely necessary for all relevant actors to work together to prevent another military conflict in Europe from happening given the dire political and economic situation the world is facing.



For the Korean government, proclaiming Korea as a "Global Pivotal State" armored with "value-centered diplomacy," should expand its realm of attention to regions like the Balkans in its effort to play a leading role in diplomacy in order to enhance the peace and security of the world.



It needs to collaborate closely with the U.S. and other like-minded countries in Europe in persuading countries like Serbia to stand with the international community as an unswerving advocate of fundamental principles of international law, such as the territorial integrity of a sovereign state, and promote peace and prosperity. Through the value-based approach, both Korea and Serbia can build a more sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship.



Lee Jae-woong is the Korean ambassador to Serbia.


SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Throughout 2022, thousands of companies have used Newswire's Media Advantage Platform to share their news while repurposing their stories for commercial marketing to ensure online visibility needed for brand awareness and increasing sales.

Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are recognizing that a cadence of press releases complemented by earned media, sponsored media interviews, and Forbes leadership pieces are rapidly replacing third-party SEO programs that aren't delivering the desired return on investment.

"Newswire's customers are transforming the power of the press release by leveraging our Media Advantage Platform (MAP) that enables earned media, native advertising, and thought leadership opportunities to power their integrated media and marketing returns," said Joe Esposito, Chief Executive Officer at Newswire. "We utilize our own platform to deliver our story consistently to power our growth," Esposito added.

Transforming the power of a press release into a powerful marketing tool is taking place in the technology, e-commerce, healthcare, and financial services industry every day. For example, companies in healthcare and the healthcare tech industry have leveraged the Media Advantage Platform to land coverage in several leading industry publications, including but not limited to the following:

Authority Magazine

Grand Rapids Business Journal

HIPAA Journal

Healthcare Tech Outlook

mHealthIntelligence

Ten7 Podcast

Opportunities like these have enabled Chief Marketing Officers and CEOs seeking higher returns on media spend to share their ideas through thought leadership pieces and ancillary paid media opportunities. Subsequent media outreach and media pitching, included as part of Newswire's Media Advantage platform, leverage press release campaigns to create earned media opportunities.

Earned Media coverage can often lead to benefits such as a notable uptick in website traffic, higher conversions, improved search engine optimization rankings, and more. In addition to brand awareness and online visibility, Newswire repurposes campaigns through sponsored content, digital marketing, and paid advertising to drive inbound interest that increases sales.

"While CMOs' roles and responsibilities will vary from company to company, we are chiefly responsible for planning and implementing an organization's overall marketing strategy. The Media Advantage Platform is available to Chief Marketing Officers like myself who are looking for new ways to engage audiences and aid them in generating more returns on their investment," said Charlie Terenzio, Chief Marketing Officer at Newswire.

Visit www.newswire.com for information on distributing the right message to the right audience at the right time.

About Newswire

Newswire is a media technology company that provides its clients the Media Advantage Platform, consisting of press release distribution, media databases, media monitoring, and newsrooms that power the Media Advantage: greater brand awareness through earned media, increased online visibility through greater SEO recognition, and more sales inquiries through targeted digital marketing campaigns.

Through its disruptive Media Advantage Platform, relentless commitment to customer satisfaction, and passion for customer performance, Newswire is automating media and marketing communications for large and small businesses seeking to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time for the right purpose.

To learn more about Newswire and its Media Advantage Platform, visit Newswire.com and discover why our customers have named us #1 for Customer Satisfaction and Ease of Use for four years in a row.

Contact Information:

Charlie Terenzio

CMO and SVP of Media and Marketing Communications

Newswire

Office: 813-480-3766

Email: charlie@newswire.com

Contact Information:

Charlie Terenzio

Chief Marketing Officer

charlie@newswire.com



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This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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New York, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Gene Therapy R&D Market Report 2022-2032" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06321433/?utm_source=GNW





The Gene Therapy RandD Market Report 2022-2032: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.





Diversification of Technical Risks is a Key Strategy for Winning in the Gene Therapy RandD Market



The majority of the biotechnology firms associated with gene therapies are established across a special technology platform i.e., novel viral capsid that could have favoured acceptance in an organ system. Most of them continue to de-risk the technology as soon as possible, with the underlying technology platform that gave birth to the gene therapy candidates often being the main feature across chosen indications. This focuses risk on the technology platform and exposes the company to a catastrophic event that would have a negative impact on the entire portfolio. When it comes to this challenge, early-stage gene therapy firms often lack this choice; and once the newly founded technology achieves traction, executives will often follow adjacent plans that diversify risk and optimize prospects for the company. Companies working on gene therapies may evolve distinct viral delivery vectors or technologies for in vivo and ex vivo applications. Furthermore, balancing spending levels between developed and emerging channels, as well as deciding whether to implement new innovations in-house or obtain them from outside sources, is difficult. Importantly, strategic decisions about technology should be matched with strategic decisions about indication mix to ensure a clear future path.





400 million People Suffer from One or More of Over 7,000 Rare Diseases



About 400 million people globally suffer from one or more of over 7,000 rare diseases reported. Rare disease affects between 3.5% and 5.9% of the worlds population. The cause of 72% of rare diseases is hereditary, while others are triggered by pathogens (bacterial or viral), asthma, and environmental conditions, or are degenerative and proliferative in nature. Approximately, 70% of genetic rare diseases begin in childhood. Symptoms that are relatively normal can obscure underlying unusual disorders, resulting in misdiagnosis and treatment delays. The lack of loss of mobility caused by the chronic, worsening, degenerative, and often life-threatening manifestations of the condition has a significant effect on the patients quality of life. Thus, the rising number of rare disease patients around the world is anticipated to drive the gene therapy application in this segment during the forecast period.





The costliest medication in the world right now is Zolgensma, which treats spinal muscular atrophy, a rare hereditary illness that harms nerve cells and causes muscle degeneration. The life-saving medications one-time treatment for a young child costs $2.1 million. While Zolgensmas excessive cost is an incongruity at present times, there will be several cell and gene therapies available over the next ten years, with prices ranging from thousands to millions of dollars for a single dose. By 2025, the FDA is anticipated to approve 10-20 cell and gene therapies annually.





Asia-Pacific Region Remains a Hub for Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products



With the many legislative initiatives put forth by the governments to promote innovation, research, and development in Asia-Pacific, the area remains a hub for advanced therapy medicinal products. Over the course of the projected period, this is expected to propel market expansion. A*STARs Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) and WuXi Advanced Therapies, a fully owned subsidiary of WuXi AppTec, established a new agreement in May 2022 to introduce WuXi ATUs unique Tetracycline-Enabled Self-Silencing Adenovirus (TESSA) technology in the Asia-Pacific area. WuXi ATU will provide the resources, tools, funds, and training necessary to advance the development and commercialization of TESSA technology in Singapore as part of this partnership. BTI will support WuXi ATU in its research and development of cell and gene therapy in Singapore by providing research skills, facilities, and access to its network of partners.





What Are These Questions You Should Ask Before Buying A Market Research Report?



 How is the gene therapy RandD market evolving?



 What is driving and restraining the gene therapy RandD market?



 How will each gene therapy RandD submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2032?



 How will the market shares for each gene therapy RandD submarket develop from 2022 to 2032?



 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2022 to 2032?



 Will leading gene therapy RandD markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?



 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2032 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2032?



 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?



 What are the gene therapy RandD projects for these leading companies?



 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2022 and 2032? What are the implication of gene therapy RandD projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?



 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the gene therapy RandD market?



 Where is the gene therapy RandD market heading? And how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?



 What can be the best investment options for new product and service lines?



 What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path? C-suite?





You need to discover how this will impact the Gene Therapy RandD Market today, and over the next 10 years:



 Our 461-page report provides 169 tables and 228 charts/graphs exclusively to you.



 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.



 Contains in-depth analysis of global, regional and national sales and growth



 Highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors





This report tells you TODAY how the Gene Therapy RandD Market will develop in the next 10 years, and in-line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.





Forecasts to 2032 and other analyses reveal the commercial prospects



 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2032, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.



 You find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.



 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, restraints and challenges), PEST analysis, Porters Five Forces and recent developments.





This report includes data analysis and invaluable insight into how COVID-19 will affect the industry and your company. Four COVID-19 recovery patterns and their impact, namely, V, L, W and U are discussed in this report.





Segments Covered in the Report





Disease



 Cancer



 Rare Diseases



- Oncologic



- Non-oncologic



 Cardiovascular Diseases



 Ophthalmic Diseases



 Haematology



 Neurological



 Diabetes Mellitus



 Other Diseases





Vector



 Viral



- Retrovirus



- Adenovirus



- AAV



- Lentivirus



- Others



 Non-viral



- Naked DNA



- Gene Gun



- Electroporation



- Lipofection





Techniques



 Gene Augmentation Therapy



 Gene Replacement Therapy





Participants



 Small/Medium Pharma and Biotech



 Universities and Research Institutes



 Hospitals



 Government and Public Bodies



 Big Pharma





In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for 5 regional and 18 leading national markets:





North America



 U.S.



 Canada





Europe



 Germany



 UK



 France



 Italy



 Spain



 Russia



 Rest of Europe





Asia Pacific



 Japan



 China



 India



 Australia



 South Korea



 South East Asia



 Rest of Asia Pacific





Latin America



 Brazil



 Mexico



 Rest of Latin America





MEA



 GCC



 South Africa



 Rest of MEA





The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Gene Therapy RandD Market, 2022 to 2032, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.





Leading companies and the potential for market growth



 Astellas Pharma Inc.



 American Gene Technologies



 Applied Genetic



 Bayer



 Benitec BioPharma



 Biogen



 Bluebird Bio



 Bristol Myers Squibb



 Calimmune, Inc. (CSL Behiring)



 Cellectis



 F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.



 GeneQuine Biotherapeutics



 GenSight Biologics



 Gilead Lifesciences, Inc.



 Novartis AG



 OCUGEN, INC.



 Orchard Therapeutics



 Oxford Biomedica



 Pfizer, Inc.



 REGENXBIO Inc.



 Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc.



 Sanofi



 Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.



 Spark Therapeutics (Subsidiary of Roche)



 Takeda Pharmaceuticals



 Taysha GTx



 Transgene



 UniQure NV



 Voyager Therapeutics



 ViGeneron.





Overall world revenue for Gene Therapy RandD Market, 2022 to 2032 in terms of value the market will surpass US$2,126.3 million in 2022, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2032. Our work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.





How the Gene Therapy RandD Market, 2022 to 2032 Market report helps you?



In summary, our 460+ page report provides you with the following knowledge:





 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for Gene Therapy RandD Market, 2022 to 2032 Market, with forecasts for disease, vector, techniques, and participants size each forecasted at a global and regional level discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues





 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for 5 regional and 18 key national markets  See forecasts for the Gene Therapy RandD Market, 2022 to 2032 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and MEA. Also forecasted is the market in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, UK, Italy, China, India, Japan, and Australia among other prominent economies.





 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market including company profiles for 30 of the major companies involved in the Gene Therapy RandD Market, 2022 to 2032 Market.







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06321433/?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.



__________________________
BERLIN and DENVER, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ThinPrint, the leading enterprise print management expert, today announced the launch of its ezeep Blue Office add-in for Microsoft 365  and thus for Microsoft Teams  to enable printing in Word and Excel directly from the Microsoft Teams app.



Microsoft Teams is one of the most widely used applications in companies across the globe. More than 270 million people worldwide use the Teams application for chats and meetings, according to Microsoft. Although convenient and fast for collaboration, it is cumbersome when it comes to printing. Documents shared in Teams can't be printed directly but must first be downloaded, reopened and sent to the printer of choice. Alternatively, when you select the "Print" menu item, a PDF is automatically created, which you can then send to the printer.



An Office add-in from ezeep Blue now provides a shortcut to these awkward processes. Word and Excel documents can be printed directly from Teams. The add-in can be installed easily via the AppSource Store which is integrated in Teams. Once the Office add-in is installed and printers are linked to an ezeep Blue account, printing can be triggered immediately, without the need to download and re-open the document. Printing also works not only in Teams, but also in desktop and online versions of Word and Excel.

"With this add-in, we round out our offering for Microsoft and now support Office 365 in addition to Azure Virtual Desktop and Cloud PC," said Charlotte Kunzell, CEO of ThinPrint GmbH. "This seamless integration of ezeep Blue based on our JavaScript library ezeep.js impressively demonstrates how easily and elegantly printing can be integrated into any web application with our solution."

More information about Teams printing or printing from Office 365 in our video: https://ezeep.io/teamsdemo

To create a free account visit https://www.ezeep.com/free-trial/.

About ezeep:

With ezeep, printing is dramatically simplified, enabling any device to print to any printer  whether from desktops, smartphones, tablets, or even drag & drop via any browser-enabled device.

Consumers print unlimited and  naturally  free-of-charge to their own printers and, depending on the provider, free or at a cost to external printers. This makes printing as easy as making a phone call, eliminating the need for any user support. Companies can lower the infrastructure demands on their printer setups in branch offices worldwide, thanks to ezeep, drastically simplifying their administration. With this, the total costs for deploying printers is significantly reduced.

Coworking spaces, universities, exhibition grounds, train stations, airports and kiosks can not only make their printers publicly available with just a single click, but also charge for printing with ease. The same applies to private users or cafes which want to share their printers with others. Printers are thereby transformed into sources of income, not costs. Open interfaces enable integrations with existing solutions, such as for user and resource management, cost control or compliance monitoring for maximum cost savings via automation. A constantly growing ecosystem of standard integrations by development partners makes these benefits also available to non-technical users.

By reducing costs and removing all technical requirements, whilst providing the ability to use third-party printers at any time, ezeep ensures that in the future people will be able to print from almost every location quickly and easily, for whatever reason they might have. ezeep is committed to minimizing the CO2 footprint of printing and ensuring that printed paper can be a meaningful, productive and responsible alternative to screen-based information consumption. For more information, please visit: www.ezeep.com .

Media Contacts:

North America:

Kendra Westerkamp, VisiTech PR

Phone: +1-303-752-3552, email: CT@visitechpr.com
New York, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) Market Report 2022-2032" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06321432/?utm_source=GNW





The Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) Market Report 2022-2032: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.





FLNG Competes for Customers and Investors in the Congested LNG Market



Although FLNG only makes up a small percentage of the entire LNG business, it has recently generated significant interest. In a world where rigorous capital management is required, FLNG offers lower capital investment and controlled costs. Faster building times provide early cash flows to finance further development, as seen by the FIDs created for Coral and Tortue. In contrast, it is anticipated that growth would slow down and become more consistent as FLNG competes for customers and investors in the congested LNG market.





The major drivers for the growth of the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) market are a rising level of confidence in the capacity to conduct the liquefaction process offshore, an increase in global LNG supply, and the convenience of using it (using FSRUs). On the other hand, uncertainty around the FLNGs viability and safety factors are restraining the growth of FLNG market. The industrys expansion depends on determining the safety, functionality, and problem areas of these vessels because doing so will make projects easier to finance and easier to insure. The market is still low due to FLNGs specialty, despite the fact that there are fewer barriers to entry on the FSRU side.





Rise of Clean and Alternate Technologies Will Limit the Growth of FLNG Market



The use of LNG as a ship fuel can greatly lessen the effects of maritime operations on the environment, most likely without raising expenses. International trade is likely to increase dramatically in the next years, and if nothing is done, maritime shipping emissions are predicted to rise by a factor of 2-3 by 2050. IMO regulations mandate that new-build boats be more fuel-efficient in order to slow the growth of emissions. Thus, LNG is one possibility for lowering the GHG emissions from ships. LNGs reduced carbon content allows it to contribute to a reduction in GHG emissions. The fuel used as a benchmark determines the possibility for well-to-propeller GHG reduction.





What Questions Should You Ask before Buying a Market Research Report?



 How is the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) market evolving?



 What is driving and restraining the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) market?



 How will each floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2032?



 How will the market shares for each floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) submarket develop from 2022 to 2032?



 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2022 to 2032?



 Will leading floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?



 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2032 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2032?



 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?



 What are the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) projects for these leading companies?



 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2020 and 2032? What are the implications of floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?



 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) market?



 Where is the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) market heading and how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?



 What are the best investment options for new product and service lines?



 What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path and C-suite?





You need to discover how this will impact the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) market today, and over the next 10 years:



 Our 363-page report provides 174 tables and 160 charts/graphs exclusively to you.



 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.



 It contains in-depth analysis of global, regional and national sales and growth.



 It highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors.





This report tells you TODAY how the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) market will develop in the next 10 years, and in line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.





Forecasts to 2032 and other analyses reveal commercial prospects



 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2032, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.



 You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.



 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, restraints and challenges), cost structure, impact of rising floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) prices and recent developments.





This report includes data analysis and invaluable insight into how COVID-19 will affect the industry and your company. Four COVID-19 recovery patterns and their impact, namely, V, L, W and U are discussed in this report.





Segments Covered in the Report





Market Segmentation by Spending



 OPEX ($Mn)



 CAPEX ($Mn)





Market Segmentation by Type



 Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO)



 Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU)





Market Segmentation by OPEX Type



 Topside Development



 Hull Design and Construction



 Mooring System



 LNG Transfer Systems





Market Segmentation by CAPEX Type



 Engineering and Design



 Materials and Parts Procurement



 FLNG Construction



 FLNG Commissioning



 Other CAPEX Type





In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for four regional and 20 leading national markets:





North America



 U.S.



 Canada





Europe



 Germany



 Norway



 United Kingdom



 Russia



 Italy



 Rest of Europe





Asia Pacific



 China



 Indonesia



 India



 Rest of Asia Pacific





Middle East and Africa



 Angola



 Nigeria



 Iran



 Ghana



 Mauritania



 Rest of Middle East and Africa





South America



 Brazil



 Rest of South America





The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Floating Liquefied Natural Gas Market, 2022 to 2032, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.





Leading companies and the potential for market growth



 Chevron Corporation



 Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., Ltd



 Equinor ASA



 Excelerate Energy L.P.



 Exmar NV



 Exxon Mobil Corporation



 Golar LNG



 Hoegh LNG Partners LP



 Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co Ltd



 Lloyds Energy



 Petroleo Brasileiro S.A



 Royal Dutch Shell



 Samsung Heavy Industries Co Ltd.



 TechnipFMC Plc



 Total SE



 Woodside Petroleum Ltd





Overall world revenue for Floating Liquefied Natural Gas Market, 2022 to 2032 in terms of value the market will surpass US$19,587 million in 2022, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2032. Our work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.





How will the Floating Liquefied Natural Gas Market, 2022 to 2032 report help you?



In summary, our 363-page report provides you with the following knowledge:





 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for Floating Liquefied Natural Gas Market, 2022 to 2032 Market, with forecasts for market value, market volume, spending, FLNG Type, OPEX Type, CAPEX Type and company size, each forecast at a global and regional level  discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues.





 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for four regional and 20 key national markets  See forecasts for the Floating Liquefied Natural Gas Market, 2022 to 2032 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA. Also forecasted is the market in the US, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Russia, UK, Italy, China, India, Indonesia, and Angola among other prominent economies.





 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market  including company profiles for 15 of the major companies involved in the Floating Liquefied Natural Gas Market, 2022 to 2032.







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06321432/?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. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market Report 2022-2032" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06321431/?utm_source=GNW





The Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market Report 2022-2032: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.





Ageing Population Coupled with Rising Healthcare Expenditure to Open New Avenues



In recent years, the medical device industry has expanded, led largely by longer life expectancy and increased healthcare spending. In developing markets, this is particularly evident. In addition, a move to value-based healthcare solutions has been generated by the regulatory climate, which has resulted in intensified competitiveness, evolving business models and the introduction of new strategies for achieving sustained growth in this competitive industry. In addition, the growing geriatric population and the resulting rise in the incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases are also pushing the acceptance of medical devices.





In the medical device contract manufacturing industry, developing economies such as China, India, and Brazil present substantial growth prospects for players. Their tremendous customer population, increasing knowledge of healthcare, and developments in healthcare facilities have created a desirable climate for healthcare markets to expand overall. When compared to their developed counterparts, these countries still have relatively lenient laws.





Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Challenges



Due to relentless cost increases combined with growing demands to minimise time to market, manufacturers of medical devices are gradually engaged in completely or partly outsourcing their product production and assembly. This provides space for medical device firms to spend more on their core competencies and still focus on cost cutting and business pace opportunities. However, when it comes to medical device outsourcing, there is much more to assess and calculate, particularly in terms of adhering to the requisite quality requirements. This article encapsulates the key advantages and the several considerations to consider when participating in outsourcing medical equipment, from the typical risks to determining the vertical integration capability of an outsourcing partner.





What Questions Should You Ask before Buying a Market Research Report?



 How is the medical device contract manufacturing market evolving?



 What is driving and restraining the medical device contract manufacturing market?



 How will each medical device contract manufacturing submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2032?



 How will the market shares for each medical device contract manufacturing submarket develop from 2022 to 2032?



 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2022 to 2032?



 Will leading medical device contract manufacturing markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?



 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2032 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2032?



 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?



 What are the medical device contract manufacturing projects for these leading companies?



 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2022 and 2032? What are the implications of medical device contract manufacturing projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?



 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the medical device contract manufacturing market?



 Where is the medical device contract manufacturing market heading and how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?



 What are the best investment options for new product and service lines?



 What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path?





You need to discover how this will impact the medical device contract manufacturing market today, and over the next 10 years:



 Our 293-page report provides 122 tables and 150 charts/graphs exclusively to you.



 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.



 It contains in-depth analysis of global, regional and national sales and growth.



 It highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors.





This report tells you TODAY how the medical device contract manufacturing market will develop in the next 10 years, and in line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.





Forecasts to 2032 and other analyses reveal commercial prospects



 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2032, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.



 You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.



 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, restraints and challenges), cost structure, impact of rising medical device contract manufacturing prices and recent developments.





This report includes data analysis and invaluable insight into how COVID-19 will affect the industry and your company. Four COVID-19 recovery patterns and their impact, namely, V, L, W and U are discussed in this report.





Segments Covered in the Report





Sector Outlook



 Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS)



 Material Processing



 Finished Products





Class of Device



 Class I



 Class II



 Class III





Service Type



 Device Development and Manufacturing Services



 Quality Management Services





Device Type



 Diagnostic Devices



 Drug Delivery Devices



 Therapeutic Devices



 Other Devices





In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for four regional and 15 leading national markets:





North America



 U.S.



 Canada





Europe



 Germany



 United Kingdom



 France



 Rest of Europe





Asia Pacific



 China



 Japan



 India



 Australia



 South Korea



 Rest of Asia Pacific





Latin America



 Brazil



 Argentina



 Mexico



 Rest of Latin America





Middle East and Africa



 GCC



 South Africa



 Rest of MEA





The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market, 2022 to 2032, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.





Leading companies and the potential for market growth



 Benchmark Electronics



 Celestica Inc.



 Consort Medical PLC



 Cregenna Medical



 Flextronics International



 Forefront Medical Technology



 Gerresheimer



 Integer Holdings Corporation



 Jabil Inc.



 Johari Digital Healthcare



 Nipro Corporation



 Nordson Corporation



 Nortech Systems Incorporated



 Phillips-Medisize



 Plexus Corp.



 Sanmina Corporation



 SMC Ltd.



 Tecomet



 Teleflex Incorporated



 West Pharmaceutical Services





Overall world revenue for Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market, 2022 to 2032 in terms of value the market will surpass US$77 billion in 2022, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2032. Our work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.





How will the Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market, 2022 to 2032 report help you?



In summary, our 290+ page report provides you with the following knowledge:





 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market, 2022 to 2032 Market, with forecasts for sector, class of device, service type, and device type, each forecast at a global and regional level  discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues.





 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for five regional and 15 key national markets  See forecasts for the Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market, 2022 to 2032 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. Also forecasted is the market in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, UK, Italy, China, India, Japan, and Australia among other prominent economies.





 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market  including company profiles for 20 of the major companies involved in the Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market, 2022 to 2032.







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06321431/?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.



__________________________
Greenwood Village, CO, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Augustine Institute recently secured rights to season one of The Chosen, a multi-season series depicting the lives of Christ and his disciples, on its digital streaming platform, FORMED.org. With nearly 1.5 million users, FORMED will bring a new audience to the series that has already been viewed over 400 million times worldwide. The Augustine Institute seeks to guide Catholic viewers through The Chosen, as part of its mission to help Catholics understand, live, and share their faith.

Although Scripture provides the basis for many events shown in The Chosen, its producers admittedly exercise creative freedom while filling in the storyline found throughout the Gospels. To help Catholics better understand and appreciate the fullness of the faith while watching The Chosen, the Augustine Institute will create original content centered on Catholic doctrine and highlight points of convergence and divergence from Sacred Scripture. Available exclusively on FORMED.org, this supplemental content will feature professors from the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology sharing their expertise and accompanying viewers through the series.

Season one of The Chosen is now available on FORMED.org, with season two coming in early 2023. For more information, contact Ben Akers, Chief Content Officer, through the information provided.

About The Augustine Institute: The Augustine Institute is a Catholic educational apostolate based in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Founded in 2005, the Augustine Institute exists to help Catholics understand, live, and share their faith through initiatives like Amen, FORMED, the Graduate School of Theology, Word of Life, and others.

Attachment
English French

Fast facts:



Two international bridge crossings on the Ontario-Michigan border officially dedicated updated tolling systems today.

Under a $9.3 million contract, the International Bridge (connecting Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, with Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) and the Blue Water Bridge (connecting Port Huron, Michigan, to Point Edward, Ontario) have modernized their toll systems.

Benefits of the new tolling system for both bridges include administrative cost savings, technological upgrades and improved customer service.

POINT EDWARD, Ontario, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The agencies in charge of two international bridge crossings on the Ontario-Michigan border cut the ribbons on a new tolling system today.

Under a $9.3 million contract, the previous toll systems at the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge (connecting Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, with Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) and the Blue Water Bridge (connecting Port Huron, Michigan, to Point Edward, Ontario) have been modernized.

The contract is administered for the cross-border partnership by the International Bridge Administration (IBA) through an agreement between the IBA, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL). Representatives from all three agencies gathered in Point Edward this morning to celebrate the successful launch of the system.

''Were here today to celebrate this great collaborative effort in building a software solution for our future tolling needs,'' said Natalie Kinloch, chief executive officer of FBCL. ''The transition has gone smoothly and, going forward, this new system will help us realize many efficiencies by sharing a common platform between our partner bridges. This translates to great value for the citizens of Canada and the state of Michigan while providing a better experience for bridge users.''

By working together, the bridges have saved an estimated 36 percent on upfront costs. Over the course of the next decade, projected savings could be on the order of $6.5 million to $7 million.

The contract costs of the new system are being shared equally by the IBA, MDOT and FBCL, a Canadian Crown corporation wholly owned by the Government of Canada. Through its board, the International Bridge is managed as a joint venture of FBCL and MDOT. The U.S. portion of the Blue Water Bridge is a State of Michigan entity.

''We expect to gain a lot from this new, technologically up-to-date system: greater flexibility in toll payment solutions, easier management of devices in the system, and increased accuracy and reliability,'' said MDOT Chief Administrative Officer Laura Mester. ''For our customers, we foresee a whole host of benefits.''

The toll system is now live on both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the Blue Water Bridge and the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge. Prime contractor IBI Group and their team of professionals, working in close cooperation with the bi-national team, implemented the system and will provide operations and maintenance support for up to 10 years for toll software services.

While a boon for the bridge agencies, the biggest benefits of the new system will be for customers.

Over time, all three operators plan to discontinue the current card-based systems and transition to more convenient radio frequency identification (RFID) windshield tags that are automatically read by the toll system when customers pull into a lane. RFID tags purchased from any of the three agencies will work at any of the crossings, although customers will have to maintain accounts with each agency.

Website and account access will be standardized for all three bridge agencies for improved customer experience. New web portals will allow customers to manage accounts more effectively. This will include the ability to review transactions, make one-time payments or set up automatic payments, request new or replacement tags, cancel tags, generate statements, and more.

Mobile phone apps for managing toll accounts will be available for Apple and Android devices. Mobile payment options, along with new credit payment options, are available at select locations.

For information on specific features of the new tolling system at each crossing, check with the appropriate bridge website:

Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge: tolls.saultbridge.com

Blue Water Bridge Michigan side (MDOT): www.BlueWaterBridge.us

Blue Water Bridge Canadian side (FBCL): www.federalbridge.ca/connexion/







Representatives from the Sault St. Marie International Bridge, The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Blue Water Bridge, and The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL) celebrated the deployment of a new toll system at all three agencies with a ribbon cutting in Point Edward, Ontario, this morning. (FBCL photo)





Staff from the International Bridge Administration cut the ribbon on the new toll system at the International Bridge between Sault Ste. Marie Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. (MDOT photo)





Staff from the Blue Water Bridge cut the ribbon on the new tolling system on the U.S. side of the bridge connecting Port Huron, Michigan, with Point Edward, Ontario. (MDOT photo)

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Dan Weingarten

WeingartenD@Michigan.gov

Jocelyn Garza

GarzaJ10@Michigan.gov

Remi Francur

rfrancoeur@federalbridge.ca

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9572df7c-19ae-41a0-8f83-57c9a48e985f

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7064f020-33c9-4abb-99b9-54d5e9b76bd6

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/196ab282-f0ab-4474-98f7-823f906283fd
TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Middlefield Group, on behalf of Discovery 2022 Short Duration LP (Discovery 2022 or the Partnership), is pleased to announce that it has filed a final prospectus relating to the initial public offering of Discovery 2022 Class A and Class F units. The offering is being made in each of the provinces of Canada. Closing is scheduled for October 13, 2022.



The objectives of the Partnership are to provide investors with capital appreciation and significant tax benefits to enhance after-tax returns to limited partners, including the deductibility of 100% of their original investment. The Partnership intends to achieve these objectives by investing in an actively managed, diversified portfolio comprised primarily of equity securities of Canadian gold mining companies.

Middlefield is a leading provider of flow-through share funds in Canada and has a strong track record of delivering positive after-tax returns. Since 1983, Middlefield has sponsored 66 public and private flow-through funds and has acted as agent or manager for over $2.5 billion of resource investments.

The syndicate of agents for the offering is being co-led by RBC Capital Markets and CIBC Capital Markets and includes BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., National Bank Financial Inc., Scotiabank, TD Securities Inc., Manulife Securities Incorporated, Richardson Wealth Limited, iA Private Wealth Inc., Canaccord Genuity Corp., Middlefield Capital Corporation, Wellington-Altus Private Wealth Inc., Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. and Raymond James Ltd.

For further information, please visit our website at www.middlefield.com or contact Nancy Tham in our Sales and Marketing Department at 1.888.890.1868.

This offering is only made by prospectus. The prospectus contains important detailed information about the securities being offered. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained from your IIROC registered financial advisor using the contact information for such advisor. Investors should read the prospectus before making an investment decision.
EDMONTON, Alberta, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Provincial Court of Alberta has outlined the concrete steps it is taking to provide a culturally relevant, restorative, and holistic system of justice for Indigenous individuals that access the Court.



At a rare public press event on September 28, Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Alberta Derek Redman formally announced the Courts Indigenous Justice Strategy. The Indigenous Justice Strategy is the product of two years of discussions with leaders of Indigenous communities across the Province as well as with leaders of legal and service organizations that interact with those communities. The Indigenous Justice Strategy is intended to serve as a response to some of the pervasive issues faced by the diverse community of Indigenous individuals who access the Court. It represents a preliminary step on the part of the Court as it continues to fulfill its ongoing obligation to listen and engage in collaborative dialogue with Indigenous communities so as to better understand their distinct priorities.

The 20 concrete steps of the Indigenous Justice Strategy include:

Providing educational opportunities so as to ensure broad-based understanding of the history, heritage, and laws of local communities as well as an understanding of and, where appropriate, the participation in cultural activities

Supporting the establishment of restorative justice programs and Indigenous courts to meet the needs of local communities

Conducting annual meetings between the leadership of the Courts and the leadership of Treaty 6, 7 and 8 as well as with the leadership of the Metis Nation of Alberta and the Metis Settlements

Incorporation of Indigenous cultural practices in courthouses and courtrooms where appropriate

Encouraging Indigenous applications for employment in various capacities within the court system

Mentorship programs for Indigenous lawyers and students

Observing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation



The Courts 2021-2024 Strategic Plan includes Indigenous Initiatives as a priority, Provincial Court of Alberta Chief Judge Derek Redman said. The leadership of this Court has spent the past two years listening to people from across the Indigenous communities of this province, and we are ready to put what weve heard  what weve learned  into action. We will continue to listen and to respond.

"The Metis Nation is pleased to continue the dialogue with the Provincial Court towards achieving a common goal of ensuring meaningful access to justice for all Indigenous people, including Metis Nation citizens throughout the province, Metis Nation of Alberta president Audrey Poitras said. We look forward to continued positive relationship building ensuring that Metis perspectives are more than a footnote, no longer the forgotten people.

The Provincial Court of Alberta's Indigenous Justice Strategy is important because it will lead to new, vital relationships between the court and Indigenous communities and organizations, said Honourable Marion R. Buller, C.M., former Chief Commissioner of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The Indigenous Justice Strategy embraces the principles and Calls for Justice of National Inquiry. These new relationships will shape the future of the court by creating collaborative change. Collaborative change will lead to meaningful changes to Alberta's justice system.

Native Counselling Services of Alberta has been pleased to be a part of the consultation on the Provincial Court Indigenous Strategy over the past year. In cooperation with Yellowhead Tribal Council, the court officials acted on our joint recommendation to implement Indigenous Court in Edmonton and other urban centres. After several months of operation, Indigenous Court has shown that by addressing historic and inter generational trauma, indigenous people can change their lives in meaningful ways with wrap around community supports. Native counselling services of Alberta supports the Indigenous Strategy and looks forward to engaging with court officials on the implementation of other aspects of the Provincial Courts Indigenous Strategy, Native Counselling Services of Alberta Chief Executive Officer Marlene Orr said.

The work done in the development of the Provincial Courts Indigenous Justice Strategy was completed after meaningful consultation with the Indigenous community over the past year. Yellowhead Tribal Council and Native Counselling Services of Alberta has been working with the courts to implement Indigenous Court in Edmonton, a key aspect of the strategy. Continuous meaningful engagement by our communities in the implementation stages of the strategy will be key to ensuring it is carried out in a manner that reduces the over representation of First Nations people in the justice system, Treaty 6 Grand Chief George Arcand Jr. said.

In the Blackfoot world-view and in our language, there is no word for Crime. Our word is Mistake. According to our Traditional Knowledge Keepers, a person is said to have made a mistake; a mistake can be corrected, and a person can be helped in a peaceful way to make his life right again. I fully endorse this initiative of the Provincial Court that will see the beginnings of the recognition of Indigenous holistic principles and practices exercised in the court, Retired Provincial Court Judge Aakaotasi (Owns Many Horses), Eugene J. Creighton, KC of the Kainai/Blood Tribe said.

The Provincial Court of Alberta is the busiest court in Alberta, with all criminal matters beginning and over 97 per cent ending at the Provincial Court level. Every year, more than 500,000 people interact with the Provincial Court of Alberta in some way, either as a witness, as a lawyer, as a defendant, or as a plaintiff. For most Albertans, the Provincial Court is a primary point of contact with the justice system.

For more information, contact:

Olav Rokne

Senior Communication Advisor

Provincial Court of Alberta

olav.rokne@albertacourts.ca

780-203-3490
Toronto, ON, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Public safety in Ontario continues to improve when compared to 10-year averages across all industries regulated by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), as reported in TSSAs 2022 Annual Public Safety Report published today. The report was released during TSSAs Annual Public Meeting along with the organizations 2022 Annual Report.

While there have been slight increases in incidents and injuries over the past year, these are still below 10-year averages, said Viola Dessanti, Director, Strategic Analytics, TSSA. After a very unusual previous reporting year, when there were so many lockdowns and closures due to the pandemic, we expected to see some increases in incidents as activities began to resume to pre-pandemic levels.

State of Safety Snapshot

As Ontarios public safety regulator, TSSA administers technical safety regulations for amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts to enhance public safety in the province. TSSAs Public Safety Report presents the safety data it collects including the number of incidents and injuries reported, as well as the severity of injuries.

In this reporting period (May 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022, TSSAs 2022 fiscal year, which will be referred to as 2022 hereinafter), there were five per cent more incidents reported to TSSA compared to the 2021 reporting year. However, the number of incidents that occurred in 2022 is 16 per cent lower than the 10-year average.

Similarly, while injuries more than doubled across all TSSA safety program areas in 2022 compared 2021, the number of injuries was 22 per cent lower versus the 10-year average.

Safety Programs Deliver Promising Results

As an Outcome-Based Regulator, TSSA uses data to understand risk, shape the oversight framework and develop procedures and programs to better target risks and support compliance from regulated parties.

In May 2021, TSSA implemented a lapsed authorizations reinstatement program to ensure that regulated entities renew their authorizations in a timely manner and are not operating without valid licensing. Active authorizations are essential for TSSA to effectively monitor the activities of the businesses, facilities and devices operating in the province and collect data required to validate knowledge, competency and qualifications. Since the launch of the program, 94 per cent of authorizations that had lapsed in fiscal year 2022 were resolved through either renewals or shutdowns.

Actively following up on authorizations that dont renew is improving TSSAs ability to track and follow up with those operating illegally, further protecting the wellbeing of the Ontario public, said Bonnie Rose, President and CEO, TSSA.

TSSA launched its first major Outcome-Based Regulator initiative, the Compliance Support Program, in 2019. As part of this support-focused program, TSSA uses data to identify regulated stakeholders with high-risk operations and devices and offers them the opportunity to work directly with TSSA to address their specific non-compliances. Since the launch of the program to the end of this reporting period, 160 regulated stakeholders with operations and devices deemed high risk have received free education and engagement to address their specific safety issues. Of those stakeholders, 87 per cent have seen improvements in their risk scores overall.

The early results of these safety programs are very promising, said Rose. We will continue to monitor data and analyze trends to better understand how we can continue to leverage evidence to achieve our goal of a safer Ontario and reduce the potential for public harm.

For a full picture of the state of public safety in Ontario, access TSSAs 2022 Public Safety Report at www.tssa.org. The report includes case studies depicting some of the harmful incidents that occurred in Ontario in the past year, as well as actions taken and lessons learned.

About TSSA

Throughout Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) administers provincial safety regulations and enhances public safety. TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services include public education authorization, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, compliance support, enforcement, and prosecution activities.
European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) Chairperson Dirk Lukat, fifth from left, Maria Castillo-Fernandez, fourth from left, ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Korea, and other ECCK representatives hold up the 2022 white paper in their hands as they pose for a photo at a press conference on the annual publication in Seoul, Sept. 28. Yonhap



The European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) on Wednesday called for Korea to consider revising regulations on electric vehicles and several other key sectors to provide more procedural clarity and flexibility in line with international standards.



The ECCK made the recommendations to the Korean government in its latest annual white paper for this year, which contains a total of 96 comments on the regulatory issues across 18 industries, including automotive, energy and environment, chemicals, food and others.



The recommendations were made based on the conclusion of the discussions among the 21 ECCK committees that represent the industries by sector.



Its automotive committees proposed the government announce its supply target of EVs and other eco-friendly vehicles to Korea in advance, at least two years before the implementation, to ensure a stable supply of green cars.



They called for the EV certification procedures to be amended in a way that fits the specific needs of EVs, as the current procedures remain based on internal combustion engine cars.



The white paper noted the need to ease rules on the width of commercial vehicles from the current limit of 2.5 meters, as opposed to the 2.55 meters in Europe, since it remains an obstacle to expediting the introduction of eco-friendly vehicles, such as electric trucks and buses, into Korea.



"The intention of our recommendations is to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the market," ECCK President Christoph Heider said at a press conference.



"I hope that we will see the Korean administration take a greater leadership role in the implementation of international standards, or full adherence to them, something which is of key importance to all our member companies," he said.



For the energy sector, the ECCK addressed offshore wind power as one of the most promising renewable energy sources due to Korea's geographical characteristics, suggesting more clear guidelines and unified licensing processes be established to boost the sector.



Flexibility in new substance registration standards for chemical manufacturing imports, and the need for more sufficient time for grace periods or gathering industries' comments prior to any law amendments were also included in the recommendations.



The ECCK also called for an easing of retail licensing rules for food importers and e-commerce regulations for liquor vendors.



According to the ECCK, the total amount of trade between Korea and the economic bloc grew notably in the past decade, from 61 billion euros ($58.5 billion) in 2010 to 107 billion euros in 2021.



The ECCK was established in 2012 as an advocacy group for promoting trade and business relationships between Europe and Korea. As of 2021, the ECCK had 370 member companies and represented about 50,000 employees working in Korea. (Yonhap)


Sacramento, CA, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Who: Produced by California Forward (CA FWD), in partnership with its California Stewardship Network, the California Economic Summit influences CA FWDs ongoing movement to make the government and economy work for everyone.

What: The event features keynote speakers, state policy leaders, regional business and civic leaders, working sessions on critical issues facing California and more. This years Summit includes plenary discussions on encouraging energy evolution and climate adaptation, advancing inclusive regional economies, bolstering Californias creative economy, and more. In addition, the Summit will advance policy priorities through various working sessions on inclusive economic development, education and workforce, resilient and productive landscapes, broadband for all and more.

The goal of the California Economic Summit is to create a shared economic agenda that sets the stage for collective action in 2023. Throughout its decade-long history, the collective work done at the Summit has set the framework for tangible achievements for Californians, including over $6.5 billion in broadband expansion, $600 million for the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF), nearly $1.5 billion investment in wildfire resilience, $500 million for the California Dream for All homeownership program and more.

The full Summit agenda can be found here .

Speakers: This years confirmed speakers to date include, but are not limited to, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh, State Senator Anna Caballero, State Senator Scott Wiener, State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and more. The full list of speakers, updated regularly, can be found here .

When: October 27-28, 2022

Where: Mechanics Bank Arena, Theater and Convention Center, 1001 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301 or virtually (virtual includes access to plenary sessions only).

How: Credentialed media are welcome and encouraged to attend the Summit  either in person or virtually  at no cost. Email Sarah Walsh at sarah@cafwd.org for registration information.

###

ABOUT CA FWD

California Forward (CA FWD) leads a statewide movement, bringing people together across communities, regions and interests to improve government and create inclusive, sustainable growth for everyone. A 501(c)(3) organization, CA FWD drives collective action to identify solutions that can be taken to scale to meet the challenges the state is facing. CA FWD serves as the backbone for the California Stewardship Network , an alliance of regional economic development leaders, and is home to the California Economic Summit and the California Dream Index . To view our work product from last years Summit, which informs our agenda for the year and will be built upon at this years Summit, see the 2022 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity .

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Volvo Construction Equipment President of Region Asia Tomas Kuta speaks in a roundtable interview with Korea's three English-language daily newspapers at Crest 72 in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Volvo Group Korea





By Park Jae-hyuk







Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has dismissed concerns among industry insiders about the insufficiency of its electric construction equipment  compared to conventional diesel machines  showing its confidence regarding the quality and performance of the ECR25 compact electric excavator, which was displayed in Seoul, Wednesday, for the first time in Asia.







"Compact equipment is less of a concern, as it does not work for eight to 10 hours," Volvo CE President of Region Asia Tomas Kuta said in a roundtable interview with Korea's three English-language daily newspapers, on the sidelines of the 2.5-ton machine's showcase event. "It usually works for four to five hours a day, and its batteries can last up to four hours."







Kuta was not even worried about any possible negative impacts caused by the recent economic downturn concerning the demand for the new construction equipment. He said his company has maintained strong positions in Europe, North America and Asia, despite a significant drop lately in China's construction industry.







The head of Volvo CE's Asia operations, however, acknowledged concerns about the lack of battery charging stations not just in Korea, but also all across the world. In order to solve the problem, he promised that his company can provide chargers to consumers, if necessary.







Regarding competition with Korean rivals, the Czech Republic-born executive said Volvo CE's products may be more "refined" thanks to its R&D centers worldwide. According to industry officials, HR E&I has already supplied electric excavators to the Korean market, and Hyundai Genuine is set to come up with such products next year as well.







Kuta described the global transition to electro-mobility as a "paradigm shift," but at the same time, he admitted it is still difficult to use batteries to operate larger machines. He therefore mentioned hydrogen fuel cells and biofuels as alternatives to diesel for larger construction equipment.







Volvo Construction Equipment Head of Market Korea Lim Jae-tack operates the ECR25 compact electric excavator during a press conference at Crest 72 in Seoul, Wednesday. Newsis





According to Volvo CE, its ECR25 was developed and built at the company's Belley factory in France, although the company finished building the first mass-production line for electric excavators in April in its Changwon plant in South Gyeongsang Province.







The Swedish firm has also collaborated with Samsung SDI for the supply of battery cells for the ECR25.







"In addition to the advantages of an electric excavator with less noise, and no exhaust fumes, it is highly useful in urban or densely populated environments as its small rotation design enables easier operations in a small space," the company said in a press release.


ECCK Chairperson Dirk Lukat, front row center, poses with other ECCK committee heads during the White Paper 2022 Press Conference held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Wednesday. From the left in the front row, Passenger Vehicles Committee head Kim Hong-joong, EU Ambassador to Korea Maria Castillo-Fernandez, Lukat, ECCK President Christoph Heider and Heavy Duty Commercial Vehicles Committee head Park Gang-serk. From left in the second row, Energy & Environment Committee head Moon Go-young, Food Committee head Karsten Kuehme, Beer, Wine & Spirits Committee head James Paton and Chemical Committee head Hwang Jee-seop. Courtesy of ECCK

By Kim Hyun-bin







The European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) is calling on the Korean government to consider revising regulations on electric vehicles (EVs) and other industrial sectors to provide more procedural clarity and flexibility in line with international standards.







The ECCK made the recommendations in its latest annual white paper, which contains a total of 96 comments on regulatory issues across 18 industries, including automotive, energy and environment, chemicals and food, released during a press conference held at the Korea Press Center, Wednesday.







The automotive committee proposed the government make transparent its supply target for EVs and other eco-friendly vehicles to Korea in advance, at least two years before the implementation, to ensure a stable supply of eco-friendly vehicles.







"To ensure a stable supply of electric vehicles and other eco-friendly vehicles to Korea, the Passenger Vehicles Committee has recommended that the government's supply target be decided at least two years in advance," ECCK Passenger Vehicles Committee Chairperson Kim Hong-joong said.







"Another issue is the clarification of certification procedures for EVs which may not address the specific needs, because current procedures have been prepared based on previous internal combustion engine cars. To reduce administrative processes and lead time, an exchange of information and sufficient discussion with industry would be more helpful."







The white paper also noted the need to ease rules on the width of commercial vehicles, from the current limit of 2.5 meters, as opposed to 2.55 meters in Europe, since it remains an obstacle to introducing eco-friendly vehicles such as electric trucks and buses into Korea.







"International standards are becoming more and more important. I hope that we will see the Korean administration take a greater leadership role in the implementation of international standards, or full adherence to them, something which is of key importance to all our member companies,"?ECCK President Christoph Heider said.







In addition, ECCK Chairperson Dirk Lukat said it is "critical" for the Korean government to secure a fair and transparent business environment for European companies to operate in Korea.







"It would be critical for the government to commit to making necessary adjustments to create and ensure a fair and transparent business environment for both Korean and European businesses. Therefore, we hope that this white paper serves as a strong and constructive communication tool for both European business and Korean authorities," Lukat said.







Looking to the future, the ECCK aims to continue forging a stronger, more collaborative relationship with the Korean government to further improve the business environment for foreign investors in Korea, the ECCK said.






Head of the separatist self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin and Secretary of the United Russia Party's General Council Andrey Turchak react at a news conference on preliminary results of a referendum on the joining of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) to Russia, in Donetsk, Ukraine Sept. 27. Reuters-Yonhap



The Kremlin paved the way Tuesday to annex more of Ukraine and escalate the war by claiming that residents of a large swath overwhelmingly supported joining with Russia in stage-managed referendums the U.S. and its Western allies have dismissed as illegitimate.



Pro-Moscow officials said all four occupied regions of Ukraine voted to join Russia. According to Russia-installed election officials, 93 percent of the ballots cast in the Zaporizhzhia region supported annexation, as did 87 percent in the Kherson region, 98 percent in the Luhansk region and 99 percent in Donetsk. Possibly explaining the lower favorable vote in Kherson is that Russian authorities there have faced a strong Ukrainian underground resistance movement whose members have killed Moscow-appointed officials and threatened those who considered voting.



In a remark that appeared to rule out negotiations, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy told the U.N. Security Council by video from Kyiv that Russia's attempts to annex Ukrainian territory will mean ''there is nothing to talk about with this president of Russia.''



He added that ''any annexation in the modern world is a crime, a crime against all states that consider the inviolability of border to be vital for themselves.''



The preordained outcome sets the stage for a dangerous new phase in Russia's seven-month war, with the Kremlin threatening to throw more troops into the battle and potentially use nuclear weapons.



The referendums asking residents whether they wanted the four occupied southern and eastern Ukraine regions to be incorporated into Russia began Sept. 23, often with armed officials going door-to-door collecting votes.



Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to address Russia's parliament about the referendums on Friday, and Valentina Matviyenko, who chairs the body's upper house, said lawmakers could consider annexation legislation on Oct. 4.



Meanwhile, Russia ramped up warnings that it could deploy nuclear weapons to defend its territory, including newly acquired land, and continued mobilizing more than a quarter-million additional troops to deploy to a front line of more than 1,000 kms (more than 620 miles).



After the balloting, ''the situation will radically change from the legal viewpoint, from the point of view of international law, with all the corresponding consequences for protection of those areas and ensuring their security,'' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.



Many Western leaders have called the referendum a sham, and the U.N. Security Council met Tuesday in New York to discuss the voting, with the U.S. and Albania planning to introduce a resolution that says the results will never be accepted and that the four regions remain part of Ukraine. Russia is certain to veto the resolution.



The balloting and a call-up of Russian military reservists that Putin ordered last Wednesday are aimed at buttressing Moscow's exposed military and political positions.



The referendums follow a familiar Kremlin playbook for territorial expansion and more aggressive military action. In 2014, Russian authorities held a similar referendum on Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, under the close watch of Russian troops. Based on the voting, Russia annexed Crimea. Putin cited the defense of Russians living in Ukraine's eastern regions, their supposed desires to join with Russia, and an existential security threat to Russia as a pretext for his Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.



Putin has been talking up Moscow's nuclear option since Ukrainians launched a counteroffensive that reclaimed territory and has increasingly cornered his forces. A top Putin aide ratcheted up the nuclear rhetoric Tuesday.



''Let's imagine that Russia is forced to use the most powerful weapon against the Ukrainian regime that has committed a large-scale act of aggression, which is dangerous for the very existence of our state,'' Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian Security Council that Putin chairs, wrote on his messaging app channel. ''I believe that NATO will steer clear from direct meddling in the conflict.''



The United States has dismissed the Kremlin's nuclear talk as a scare tactic.



The referendums asked residents whether they want the areas to be incorporated into Russia, and the Kremlin has portrayed them as free and fair, reflective of the people's desire for self-determination.



Tens of thousands of residents had already fled the regions because of the war, and images shared by those who remained showed armed Russian troops going door-to-door to pressure Ukrainians into voting.





Workers hang Russian flags at an apartment building in Luhansk, Luhansk People's Republic controlled by Russia-backed separatists, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap




Moscow will not give out passports to Russians mobilized by the army, a government information portal said Wednesday, as fears of travel restrictions rise and tens of thousands flee the country.







"If a citizen is summoned for army service or received a summons (for mobilization), he will be refused a passport," the government website said.







It added that those who are not issued a passport will be notified how long the hold will be in place.







Since President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilization to prop up the Russian army in Ukraine, tens of thousands have crossed into neighboring countries to evade the draft.







Many have feared that men of military age would be barred from leaving the country, with reports that some have already been turned away.







Only a minority of Russians hold a passport that allows them to leave the country.







Russia also has a system of "internal passports"  a document used as a form of ID and accepted in some of Russia's ex-Soviet neighbors.







The portal did not mention restrictions on the handout of those documents.







Russians can travel to Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan  where many have fled to since Putin announced mobilization  on internal passports. (AFP)


Guam would see some $1.2 billion to $2 billion in annual military construction spending for the next seven to eight years even as the island holds a stronger role in the national defense system, Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, commander of Joint Region Marianas, told the business community on Wednesday.

Nicholson was the guest speaker at the Guam Chamber of Commerces general membership meeting, which also kicked off the business groups 2022 Toys for Tots campaign in partnership with the Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz.

Construction linked to the relocation of roughly 5,000 U.S. Marines to Guam has been going on for years but the peak years from fiscal 2023 to about fiscal 2030 will see a total of $8.4 billion to $16 billion in projects.

Jobs, economy

All this would significantly boost jobs and the local economy, Nicholson said.

That is enormous. When you look at where the budgets are for construction in some other places, you might see a $2 billion project but its a one-time thing, Nicholson said. Were talking the next seven to eight years between $1.2 billion and $2 billion of construction each year (on Guam).

Nicholson covered a wide range of topics at the business organizations meeting at Hilton Guam Resort & Spa, from further strengthening the islands missile defense system to encouraging small businesses to bid on military projects.

Great news

Ed Untalan, chairman of the Guam Chamber of Commerce, said the size of construction projects is great news, considering the state of our economy.

Untalan also said the government of Guam can follow what the military has been doing  outsourcing certain services to the private sector.

Population growthToday, there are some 9,700 active duty service members on Guam, Nicholson said.

Even when the Marines arrive in a few years, the military population will still be significantly lower than what it was in the 70s and 80s, Nicholson said during a question-and-answer session with members of Guams largest business organization.

The military population would still be in the 16,000 to 17,000 range even at the peak of the buildup, which Nicholson said is well shy of the 26,000 service members on Guam at the height of the Vietnam War, the 20,000 or so during the Cold War era, or the 38,000 to 54,000 after World War II.

The military expects to start rolling in the Marines in fiscal 2024 until the maximum number is reached in 2027, depending on the construction pace. Substantial work has been completed on Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz in Dededo.

Only roughly about 2,000 Marines will be permanently stationed on Guam, while about 3,000 will be rotating here every six months, Nicholson said.

Small businesses

For small businesses, that means more opportunities, for example, to have more military personnel and their families do tourist activities.

Theres a lot of room for growth here and I want you to know about that, Nicholson told business community representatives.

The annual military construction projects of $1.2 billion to $2 billion include whats needed to construct the support facilities for the missile defense system.

What the Missile Defense Agency is designing is a system that has the right radars and the right missiles to be able to detect and intercept all of those threats not just from one direction but surround the island, Nicholson said, adding that Guam already has the capability to defend the island with the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, battery.

Other islands have also been seeing increased investment from the military, he said.

In addition to efforts here on Guam, we are also taking steps to shore up existing infrastructure on the other islands, investing in places, rather than building up more bases, he said, allowing agility and the ability to move forces around when and where they are needed.

Military per diemDuring question-and-answer with Chamber members, Nicholson said the military is looking into the service members per diem which has remained the same for a long time.

He cited as an example Navy personnel having to pay $20 for a gallon of milk while on Tinian.

The same goes for housing allowances  were taking a hard look at that, he said.

Partnerships

Nicholson also talked about the militarys enduring partnerships with the local community, the local government and the business community.

While taking on huge military contracts could be daunting for many of the small businesses on Guam, there are still several opportunities for them to make a huge, healthy profit, even if it only involves, for example, the refurbishment of playgrounds in family housing areas on base, he said.

Many Guam companies, however, have partnered with stateside or international firms to bid on and get hefty military contracts on Guam projects.

And while construction will eventually end, that doesnt mean work ends.

Those facilities will require maintenance workers, they will require custodial services, they will require all of the things it takes to keep buildings and organizations operational.
The fuel surcharge, which is the most expensive part of power bills, is expected to drop by about 50% in 2025, after the new fuel-efficient Ukkudu power plant is operating, according to Guam Power Authority General Manager John Benavente, who said the price of power will continue to drop in the following years as more renewable energy projects are completed.

The fuel surcharge, which currently is 29.6 cents per kilowatt-hour, is expected to drop to about 14.6 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2025, Benavente told the Consolidated Commission on Utilities Tuesday evening.

The average residential power customer, who uses about 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month, now pays $393.56, including $296.04 for the cost of fuel.

Based on GPAs estimates, that customer would pay only about $146 for fuel in 2025, saving them $150 per month.

If the power rate, which is the other part of the power bill, remains the same, the average customers bill would be $243.56.

Phase IV

GPA currently purchases 85 megawatts of solar power from contractors in Mangilao and Inalahan, and the CCU Tuesday evening approved GPAs request to start the procurement process for an additional 180 megawatts of renewable energy, called Phase IV.

The procurement of the Phase IV renewable energy projects must be reviewed by the Public Utilities Commission before GPA can put the projects out to bid.

According to Benavente, the Phase IV projects are expected to be complete by 2026, which will further cut the customer fuel charge to 14.1 cents per kilowatt-hour.

The fuel charge is expected to drop to as little as 11 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2027, according to Benavente, when GPA plans to start burning liquefied natural gas at Ukkudu, which is cheaper than diesel.

The power plant, which is scheduled to start operating by April 2024, is capable of burning both types of fuel  that would cut the fuel cost by another $30 per month for the average customer.

Benavente told the CCU that using more renewable energy will reduce the amount of fuel needed to provide power and shield customers from spikes in the price of fuel. For example, the Ukkudu power plant is expected to save customers the cost of about 500,000 barrels of oil per year.

Lower costs, affordable and sustainable, Benavente said.

Benavente told the CCU that GPA eventually will ask for permission to procure another 180 megawatts of renewable energy  called phase V  which should be operating by 2028. At that time, GPA would be getting about 40.9% of its energy from renewable sources, he said.

Five-year plan

Benavente said GPAs renewable energy plan for the next five years includes the following:
China's National Day celebrated in Ethiopia amid call for deepening ties

Xinhua) 09:52, September 28, 2022

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A special ceremony was held Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, to celebrate the forthcoming 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

The reception ceremony, which was organized in a hybrid format, brought together senior Ethiopian government officials, Chinese diplomats in Ethiopia, representatives from the business community as well as members of academia and scholars. Representatives from Chinese companies, the Chinese Medical Team, and Confucius institutes in Ethiopia attended the ceremony via online video link.

Ethiopia's former President Mulatu Teshome said in a speech that since the founding of the PRC, China has grown into the second largest economy in the world, and people's lives have significantly improved.

"Even against the backdrop of COVID-19 headwind and global economic downturn, China has achieved victory in poverty alleviation with flying colors," the former Ethiopian president said. "The success of China is the success of people known for their industry, wisdom and fortitude; it is the success of a governance and development model that adapts to basic national conditions; it is the success of people-centered, results-oriented and forward-looking leadership."

He further extolled the ever-expanding China-Ethiopia comprehensive, strategic and cooperative partnership as well as the positive contributions of Chinese engagements in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia's Finance Minister Ahmed Shide also echoed Teshome's remarks as he underscored the "transformational positive impact" that the founding of the PRC has played on the betterment of the Chinese people and others around the world.

Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan described the Sino-Ethiopia friendship as "an epitome of China-Africa cooperation."

"Looking forward, our bilateral relationship is highly promising with huge potential," Zhao said as he emphasized the two countries' common aspiration of realizing a better life for their respective peoples.

This Saturday will mark the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the PRC.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
A flooded street is seen in downtown as Hurricane Ian makes landfall in southwestern Florida, in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. Sept. 28. Reuters-Yonhap





The U.S. Border Patrol said 20 migrants were missing after their boat sank, with four Cubans swimming to shore in the Florida Keys islands and three rescued at sea by the coast guard.







The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the eye of the "extremely dangerous" hurricane made landfall just after 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) on the barrier island of Cayo Costa, west of the city of Fort Myers.







Dramatic television footage from the coastal city of Naples showed floodwaters surging into beachfront homes, submerging roads and sweeping away vehicles.







Some neighborhoods in Fort Myers, which has a population of more than 80,000, resembled lakes.







The NHC said Ian was packing maximum sustained winds of 150 miles (240 kilometers) per hour when it landed.







It later weakened to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 90 miles per hour, while still battering Florida with "storm surge, winds and flooding," the NHC said at around 11:00 pm local time Wednesday (0300 GMT).







More than two million customers were without electricity in Florida on Wednesday evening, out of a total of more than 11 million, with southwestern areas of the state the hardest hit, according to the PowerOutage.us tracking website.







Ian is set to affect several million people across Florida and in the southeastern states of Georgia and South Carolina.







As hurricane conditions spread, forecasters warned of a once-in-a-generation calamity.







"This is going to be a storm we talk about for many years to come," said National Weather Service director Ken Graham. "It's a historic event."







Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis said the state was going to experience a "nasty, nasty day, two days."







People play in the breaking waves at the Malecon, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 28. AP-Yonhap









The town of Punta Gorda, north of Fort Myers, was in near-total darkness as the storm wiped out power, save for the lucky few buildings with generators.







Howling winds ripped branches off trees and pulled chunks out of roofs.







About 2.5 million people were under mandatory evacuation orders in a dozen coastal Florida counties, with several dozen shelters set up, and voluntary evacuation recommended in others.







For those who decided to ride out the storm, authorities stressed it was too late to flee and residents should hunker down and stay indoors.







Airports in Tampa and Orlando stopped all commercial flights, and cruise ship companies delayed departures or canceled voyages.







With up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain expected to fall on parts of the so-called Sunshine State, and a storm surge that could reach devastating levels of 12 to 18 feet (3.6 to 5.5 meters), authorities were warning of dire emergency conditions.







"This is a life-threatening situation," the NHC warned.







The storm was set to move across central Florida before emerging in the Atlantic Ocean by late Thursday.











Ian had plunged all of Cuba into darkness a day earlier, after battering the country's west as a Category 3 storm and downing the island's power network.







"Desolation and destruction. These are terrifying hours. Nothing is left here," a 70-year-old resident of the western city of Pinar del Rio was quoted as saying in a social media post by his journalist son, Lazaro Manuel Alonso.







At least two people died in Pinar del Rio province, Cuban state media reported.







In the United States, the Pentagon said 3,200 national guard personnel were called up in Florida, with another 1,800 on the way.







DeSantis said state and federal responders were assigning thousands of personnel to address the storm response.







"There will be thousands of Floridians who will need help rebuilding," he said.







As climate change warms the ocean's surface, the number of powerful tropical storms, or cyclones, with stronger winds and more precipitation is likely to increase.







The total number of cyclones, however, may not.







According to Gary Lackmann, a professor of atmospheric science at North Carolina State University, studies have also detected a potential link between climate change and rapid intensification  when a relatively weak tropical storm surges to a Category 3 hurricane or higher in a 24-hour period, as happened with Ian.







"There remains a consensus that there will be fewer storms, but that the strongest will get stronger," Lackmann told AFP. (AFP)






Guam was in no immediate threat after North Korea apparently fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Wednesday, a day before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is to visit South Korea.

No immediate threat was assessed for the Marianas from the reported launch, Maj. Gen. Esther Aguigui, acting Homeland Security advisor, said in a press release issued by Guam Homeland Security and the Office of Civil Defense.

Events such as this remind us that natural hazards will never be our only cause for concern. Use September, as National Preparedness Month, to have discussions with your families about how you can prepare for all-hazards, Aguigui said.

The Associated Press reported that Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the North Korean missiles lifted off 10 minutes apart on Wednesday afternoon from its capital region and flew toward the waters off its east coast.

Japanese Vice Defense Minister Toshiro Ino said Japan's military also detected the launches and that the weapons flew in an irregular trajectory.

Ino said that North Koreas repeated missile firings amid (Russias) invasion of Ukraine is impermissible. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea's provocations would only deepen its international isolation while pushing South Korea and the United States to strengthen their deterrence.

The launches follow a missile test by North Korea earlier this week.

Harris is to arrive in South Korea on Thursday for talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol and other officials. She also is to visit the tense border with North Korea, in what U.S. officials call an attempt to underscore the strength of the U.S.-South Korean alliance and the U.S. commitment to stand beside South Korea in the face of any North Korea threats.

U.S. and South Korean navy ships were also conducting drills off South Koreas east coast in a show of force against North Korea.

The four-day exercise, which began Monday, involves the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. It is the first training exercise by the allies involving a U.S. aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula since 2017.

South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises often draw a furious response from North Korea, which views them as an invasion rehearsal. A short-range North Korean missile launched Sunday was seen as a response to the U.S.-South Korean training.

South Korea and Japan estimated that the North Korean missiles fired Wednesday flew 300-360 kilometers (185-220 miles) with a maximum altitude of 30-50 kilometers (19-30 miles). The low trajectories resembled the flight of the missile fired on Sunday, which some analysts said was likely a nuclear-capable, highly maneuverable weapon modeled after Russias Iskander missile.

In recent years, North Korea has been adding Iskander-like missiles and other solid-fuel weapons to its arsenal. Some experts say the weapons are designed to carry battlefield nuclear warheads to counter the stronger conventional forces of South Korea and the United States, which stations about 28,500 troops in the South.

North Korea has dialed up its missile testing activities to a record pace in 2022, launching more than 30 ballistic weapons, including its first intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017. North Korea's Sunan area where Wednesday's launches occurred was the site of various missile tests this year, including two ICBMs.

Earlier this month, North Korea adopted a new law authorizing the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in some situations, as it continues to escalate its nuclear doctrine. U.S. and South Korean officials have also said the North may soon conduct its first nuclear test in five years.

North Koreas torrid run of weapons tests this year is seen as exploiting divides in the United Nations Security Council over Russias war against Ukraine and the U.S.-China rivalry. In May, China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-led bid to impose new sanctions on North Korea over its ballistic missile tests this year, which violate U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Earlier Wednesday, South Koreas spy agency told lawmakers that a North Korean nuclear test could happen between mid-October and early November.

According to some lawmakers who attended the meeting, the National Intelligence Service said if the test occurs, it is likely to come after China, North Korea's last major ally, holds a key Communist Party congress on Oct. 16 but before the United States votes in midterm elections on Nov. 8.

The spy service also said North Korea recently began administering COVID-19 vaccines to its people for the first time, Yoo Sang-bum, one of the lawmakers present at the briefing, said without elaborating.

Earlier this month, leader Kim Jong Un told his countrys rubber-stamp parliament that North Korea would begin its rollout of vaccines. In August, he made a widely disputed claim that his country had overcome its first COVID-19 outbreak and ordered an easing of pandemic-related restrictions.
A new learning opportunity for Guams youth is now available thanks to the Guam Public Library System and the Micronesian Training Development Institute Youth Empowerment Programs Story Hour.

The Story Hour program, available at both the Nieves M. Flores Memorial Library in Hagatna and at the Dededo branch, allows kids to get more involved with the library through activities such as story reading, arts and crafts, and even tutoring on certain subjects available at the library.

Kris Seerengan, director of the Guam Public Library System, explained how the Story Hour program is just one way for the community to become more involved with Guams library system.

Most of our libraries are located in the heart of Guam, and so thats so close to their homes. So they can attend any of the library programs and make use of the other library services we offer, said Seerengan, who explained that the governor wants to increase the number of days that the library will be open to the community.

The Story Hour program at the library branch in Hagatna is hosted by the Youth Empowerment Program. The program currently has 11 students from high school and beyond that assist with the program and are even trained to work with individuals with disabilities.

Brian Mafnas, a Youth Empowerment Program coordinator, shared how the Story Hour program is bringing in more people from the community.

We did see a dramatic increase to the use of the public libraries since weve been doing the programs there. We do know its going well because we get a lot of repeat participants, said Mafnas.

Story Hour is scheduled for 3 p.m.-5 p.m on Wednesdays at the Hagatna library branch and from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Dededo branch.




Haiti - FLASH : Disconnected and irresponsible remarks of Chancellor Geneus at the UN





On Monday, September 26, 2022, Haitian Chancellor Jean Victor Geneus made disconnected and irresponsible remarks on the reality of Haiti before the UN Security Council, which provoked strong reactions in Haiti, in particular from the main employers' associations, which , in an open letter to Prime Minister Ariel Henry dated September 27, asks him to officially intervene and correct the words of Chancellor Geneus



Note that his remarks contradict the speech of Prime Minister Ariel Henry that Chancellor Geneus himself read on Saturday September 14 during the 77th Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly...



Letter from employers associations :



"Mr. Prime Minister,



The Employers' Associations signatories of this letter were flabbergasted upon reading the official message conveyed by the Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geneus, before the United Nations Security Council, Monday, September 26, 2022.



The Minister of Foreign Affairs said we quote him '[...] I am able to announce that with the exception of a few Isolated cases, the situation is generally under control and calm has returned to several parts of the country [...]' end of quote.



The boards of directors of ADIH (Association of Industries of Haiti), AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce in Haiti), ATH (Tourist Association of Haiti), CCIH (Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Haiti), and the CCIHC (Haitiano-Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) were deeply surprised by these Irresponsible remarks made by Minister Geneus before the UN Security Council, because they in no way reflect the reality of the current situation in the country.



Indeed, the signatory employers' associations assume that the Prime Minister is well informed of the socio-political unrest that has reigned across the country since Monday, September 12th. These unrest have systematically paralyzed all sectors of activity throughout the territory, causing the closure of businesses, schools, and even state offices. The scenes of looting and burning of gas stations. private companies, private residences, sites of international organizations, and even state institutions, the blocking of a large number of streets with 'barricades' preventing any movement of goods and people, the effective blocking by gang leaders of the oil terminals to prevent the free distribution of these strategic products, the violent movements of groups of the population to maintain this climate, and the movements of popular demonstrations are facts that describe the reality of Haitian life current.



It is a fact that the National Police of Haiti, despite its limited means, tried by punctual actions to restore order, however It is also a fact that in no case can we speak today of a "situation under control" when activities remain paralyzed, when the country is on strike, when here it is impossible to obtain fuel throughout the territory, when several hospitals close their doors. when kidnappings and rapes are common occurrences, when access to the Grand Sud and Grand Nord departments is impossible, when thousands of Haitians remain displaced from their homes by armed gangs, when Haitians survive in fear.



We can only imagine the Minister of Foreign Affairs being perhaps outside to local affairs must have been misinformed by telling the UN Security Council that 'the situation is under control'.



However, given the consequences of such a declaration, the employers' associations believe that it is the duty of the Government to quickly remedy this diplomatic blunder, by offering a new official message that is truthful to the UN Security Council, for the inform about the reality on the territory.



We hope, Prime Minister. that you will understand the merits of our approach, and will know how to take the appropriate actions to restore the truth, the credibility and the image of the Haitian Government.



Please accept, Prime Minister, our patriotic greetings. 



Cc: General Secretariat of the United Nations (UN)



Signatories:



Laurent Saint-Cyr - President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Haiti (CCIH)



Wilhelm Lmeke, President, Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH)



Raina Forbin, President, Tourist Association of Haiti (ATH)



Jean-Philippe Boisson, President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Canada-Haitian (CCICH)



Michelle Mourra, President, American Chamber of Commerce in Haiti (AmCham Haiti)



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37728-haiti-politic-speech-by-pm-henry-at-the-77th-ordinary-session-of-the-un-general-assembly.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - USA : A Haitian-American pleads guilty to firearms trafficking





The United States Attorneys Office for the District of Colorado announces Haitian national Peniel Olibris, age 32, has pleaded guilty to smuggling goods, specifically firearms, from the United States.



According to the plea agreement, the defendant came to the attention of law enforcement in October of 2019 when a firearms store manager in Arvada, Colorado, reported a suspicious customer. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating and learned that between February 2019 and June 2020, Olibris and an associate purchased 77 firearms in the District of Colorado.



The plea agreement states in July 2020, Mr. Olibris admitted to law enforcement agents that he shipped a few firearms to Haiti, where he is from and where some of his family members still live. He explained that he placed the firearms in boxes inside cars and had the drivers take the cars from Colorado to Florida.



In Florida, one of his associates coordinated with a shipping company to send the cars containing firearms to Haiti [...]



According to the shipping company located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Olibris shipped 13 cars to Haiti between September 30, 2019 and May 29, 2020.



This conduct violated of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.



The defendant entered his guilty plea on September 19, 2022, before Judge Regina M. Rodriguez. Sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2023.



This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cramer-Babycz and Albert Buchman are handling the prosecution.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2022/09/27 | Source

Taiwanese actor Greg Hsu's pictorial has been released.

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Greg Hsu recently covered the October issue of Star & Style Magazine at Style.

Greg Hsu, who recently held a fan meeting in Korea, met about 4,000 fans in person and had a precious time. He said, "It was my first fan meeting in my life. I was very touched by the fans' love, and I felt like I was fully charged with energy", he said.

When he visited Korea and asked about the most delicious food, he raised his thumb by choosing Jjajangmyeon and Korean beef. Greg Hsu said, "I really fell in love with it. I grilled Korean beef and had just one bite, and it tasted really good. I don't think I'll forget the taste of Jjajangmyeon I ate here again", he said.

Greg Hsu emerged as a representative youth star in Asia through the Taiwanese drama "Someday Or One Day" as Li Ziwei, becoming so popular he caused a syndrome in Korea and the term 'Sangchinja'.

When asked if he knew the meaning of 'Sangchinja', he said, "I found out when I came to Korea this time. As soon as I heard the meaning, I laughed a lot. I think it's because of a good scenario, a good director, and good actors", he said modestly.

Greg Hsu, who said he usually watches Korean works, expressed his intention to work in Korea. Greg Hsu, who said, "I'm careful to say I want to be with someone when asked about a celebrity I want to work with". At the same time, Greg Hsu, who said he was a fan of Lee Ji-eun, shyly expressed his fan sentiment, saying, "I think she is a very versatile artist and she is cute".
Published on 2022/09/27 | Source

New posters added for the upcoming Korean movie "Devil in the Lake" (2022)

Advertisement

Directed by Tak Se-woong

With Park Ha-na, Heo Jin, Jung Young-joo,...

Synopsis

Bo-yeong moves into the mansion of the previously wealthy grandmother, Wang, as a caregiver with a dangerous intention.



Mother Kim, the only blood relative of Wang who hired Bo-yeong, sets conditions such as 'Do not bring anyone, especially children', and 'Do not go near the reservoir'.



Ominous and bizarre signs continue in grandmother Wang's huge mansion located next to a reservoir called 'Gwimot', where people are dying, and Bo-yeong finds out that foreigners who have visited the place have suffered a mysterious death...

Release date in Korea : 2022/10/19
No one is thinking that the entire 1,300-kilometre border should be fenced up. There are areas where the risk [of illegal crossings] is higher, she underscored in an interview on YLE Aamu on Tuesday.

MINISTER of the Interior Krista Mikkonen (Greens) on Tuesday confirmed she is in favour of exploring the possibility of building a fence on the border between Finland and Russia.

Theyre areas with settlements on both sides of the border and with old roads and routes  the kind of places where it could be easy to enter.

The Finnish Border Guard estimated in a recent report that building a fence on up to 260 kilometres of the border is warranted in light of changes in the security environment of Finland. The construction of physical obstacles along the border is made possible by the border guard act adopted last summer.

Officials at the Border Guard have already started the process of identifying areas where the fence would have the greatest impact.

The Ministry of the Interior alone cannot make the decision to build the fence, but a political agreement is required from the entire government, reminded Mikkonen. While the cost of the project will depend on factors such as the length of the fence, the minister has previously estimated that the fence could cost over a million euros per kilometre.

If you look at Estonia, the border fences built there cost about 1.3 million euros per kilometre, she said to Helsingin Sanomat in May.

Mikkonen on Tuesday also acknowledged the concerns prompted by the increase in cross-border traffic following the partial mobilisation announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin. She reminded, though, that despite the sharp increase the number of border-crossers remains lower than before the coronavirus pandemic.

The Border Guard is able to flexibly assign staff where theyre needed, she assured.

Weve made sure that there are enough border guards at both border-crossing points and terrain along the eastern border, she added. Weve also beefed up monitoring and well definitely detect it if someone tries to cross the border.

The Finnish government is expected to make its decision on new rules and entry restrictions concerning tourists from Russia on Thursday. Pasi Kostamovaara, the chief of the Border Guard, told Helsingin Sanomat yesterday that the agency is prepare to adopt the new rules and practices as soon as on Friday.

He also viewed that the fence would be required particularly in, for example, emergencies where large numbers of migrants are brought to the border to apply pressure on Finland.

Our eastern border isnt an exception to the eastern border of the European Union. Others have already introduced fences. Its the duty of security authorities to prepare for the situation developing in a worse direction, said Kostamovaara.

Underlying this is a comprehensive assessment of the change in the security environment, he added. With Russia invading Ukraine and its relations with the west becoming significantly more strained, it has been estimated that the change in the environment is thorough and long term. Its smart to prepare for more challenging situations. If theyre feasible, you have to prepare for them.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto (Greens) on Friday said Finland would take action to prevent all entries based on tourism, signalling a complete turnaround in the governments stance.

JOHANNA VUORELMA , a research professor at the Centre for European Studies of the University of Helsinki, has identified a number of inconsistencies in the decision-making process that is set to restrict the ability of Russians to enter Finland.

The decision does include some exceptions that have yet been either ironed out or made public.

The Finnish government had referred to principles of the rule of law throughout last summer and early autumn as justification for continuing to issue tourist visas for Russians. Vuorelma on Monday told Helsingin Sanomat that the government claimed initially that a collective suspension of visa issuance is unfeasible because the assessment must always be conducted at the individual level.

Still the decision was ultimately made with certain exceptions, she stated.

The government had also estimated that such a change of course on the visa issue would require legislative amendments and violate the rules of the Schengen Area. Ultimately, however, no legislative amendments were made and a section that made the move possible was found.

Vuorelma clarified to the newspaper that she is not reproaching the decision itself or its jurisprudence but rather the decision-making process leading up to it. The process, she explained, will likely increase misgivings about the rule of law at a time when its basic pillars are being politicised around Europe.

It doesnt look good if you first point to the rule of law and then go against your earlier justification.

She added that the process could also complicate foreign-policy making in nearby areas. By pointing to principles of the rule of law, she explained, the government implicitly called into question the decisions made by Poland and the Baltics.

Diplomatically this didnt create the impression of regional solidarity, told Vuorelma.

Finland ultimately sided with its fellow member states, albeit on different grounds. While Poland and the Baltics have defined Russian tourists as a security threat, Finland is set to prevent them from entering the country on grounds of the harm they could cause to its international standing. Vuorelma warned that the vague justification could be used more freely in future in response to other immigration-related problems.

Helsingin Sanomat on Monday reported that the Finnish government is expected to make a final decision on the entry restrictions by Thursday.

Most Finns appear to be in favour of denying entry to Russian tourists. Ilta-Sanomat reported a week ago that seven in ten respondents to its survey expressed their support for an entry ban. Heated public discussion about the issue had continued since the removal of pandemic-related entry restrictions at the borders in early July.

The Finnish government had come under pressure to impose the ban not only from opposition parties, but also from Poland and the Baltics.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
LIGHTNING EDITORIAL: Comp Plan 2045 presents opportunity for solutions

Its hard to divine at this point the ultimate meaning of the populist uprising over land-use at a meeting of the Henderson County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 6.

Traffic patterns  and highway hazards  come to mind:

Either the population at large is on a collision course with two commissioners crusade to deregulate land-use;

Or two or more trains of thought are merging into a more or less harmonious one-way avenue to manage growth, contain sprawl and conserve land.

Although Commissioner David Hills successful campaign to deregulate how many storage units homeowners can place on their property could be a one-off, Hill is on the record as a skeptic about land-use regulations in general. After commissioners endured a withering barrage of admonition and condemnation about what a poorly crafted 2045 comprehensive land-use plan could mean for apple farms, open land, traffic and pollution in that Sept. 6 meeting, Hill alone raised the banner of property rights.

This is not an easy task, to control growth, he said. We have to respect peoples property rights. This is America. You know, we do have rights and government is not to come in and overrun those rights.

Its not all bad that someone on the board speaks for landowners rights. Hills property rights advocacy would have been a welcome tonic when commissioners forced 70-some heavy-handed conditions on developers who sought a rezoning to allow the Tap Root dairy subdivision.

Commissioner Michael Edneys proposal to eliminate restrictions on construction in floodplains in commercial zones has quietly vanished  at least for now. In any case, it must have been impossible for commissioners to ignore the cocked eyebrows and murmurs from the conservation caucus, stormwater engineers and emergency management experts.

Many of us disagree with Commissioner Hill about the rights of the individual taking precedent over anyone elses rights, retiree Joe Elliott told commissioners during public comment time in their Aug. 17 meeting. Chipping away at the land development code is not what we need. We want strong rules that will guide growth and development in the future.

If we avoid a collision course between laissez-faire policy and the populist demand for strong growth management, maybe we will instead blaze a path to common ground. Theres evidence that could be taking shape. At a Comp Plan 2045 public input meeting on Monday night, Edneyville farmers and other residents got a glimpse at a farmland conservation idea. It has a cool acronym  APPLE, for Agriculture Preservation & Protection of Land and Economy. Like all good ideas, APPLE has many fathers, among them Mark Williams, the AgHC leader, and his board of directors. On a parallel track, state Rep. Tim Moffitt is in the process of drafting a statewide bill to create a program to protect farmland from development.

This fork in the road from an outdated land-use plan to a new one has also given rise to talk of another good idea  a Henderson County land conservation fund. There are numerous models around the state and country of how one could work; interest groups are sure to pitch plenty of ideas of what a land conservation fund could pay for. Lets blue-sky a handful. If wed put the words farmland protection, Ecusta Trail, Saluda Grade Trail, flood prevention and pickleball in the ballot question, the measure would pass overwhelmingly. Too broad? Maybe.

But big ideas, solutions to the problems that come with our inevitable growth and the imperative to drive safely in the same direction  that is where we stand today. As they enter the decision-making stage of a plan to guide growth, the economy and quality of life for next 20 years, elected leaders ought to identify and embrace common goals and stamp the plan with the words to enact them.
$80M industrial-warehouse development coming to McMurray Road

A Minnesota investment company plans to break ground next week on the Blue Ridge Commerce Center, an $80 million industrial/warehouse development made up of four buildings and 654,216 square feet of Class A space on a 65-acre site on McMurray Road.

Oppidan Investment Company, a national property development firm headquartered in Minneapolis with offices in Apex, will break ground on the project at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 6. Construction is expected to be completed in late summer of 2023. The property sits directly on Interstate 26 with great visibility and easy access to both Asheville and Greenville, S.C.

We are excited to bring Henderson County and the Town of Hendersonville a Class A Industrial Park," said Tim Brent, Oppidan's executive vice president Southeast. "This property was prime for development and the demand drivers of the area, with its continued population growth, labor and connectivity, made it an easy decision for us to invest here. Weve designed very flexible buildings to be able to accommodate a wide variety of users and tenant sizes and were excited to bring that variety of industry, jobs and tax base to the city and county.

This is Oppidans second industrial development in North Carolina. In May 2022, Oppidan broke ground on the $100 million Apex Commerce Center, a four-building Class A industrial development on 121 acres. The Apex project is part of Oppidans $157.3 million nine-property industrial pipeline with Rockpoint Group, a real estate private equity firm.

Rockpoint Group serves as the equity partner. Also included in the project are Omega Construction, Cooper Construction and Merriman Schmitt Architects. Al Williams, Matthew Greer and Jay Hill from JLL served as the brokers. For more information, visit Oppidan.com.
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Please note that some countries outside of the EEA have a lower standard of protection for personal data, including lower security requirements and fewer rights for individuals. We may transfer and/or store personal data collected from you to and/or at a destination outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Such personal data may be processed by agencies and/or suppliers operating outside the EEA. If we transfer and/or store your personal data outside the EEA we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient implements appropriate measures to protect your personal data.

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(1) Right to be informed  you have the right to be told how your personal information will be used. This Policy and any other policies and statements used on our website and in our communications are intended to provide you with a clear and transparent description of how your personal information may be used.

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Personal information is processed on the basis of a persons consent Personal information is processed on the basis of a contractual relationship Personal information is processed on the basis of legal obligations Personal information is processed on the basis of legitimate interests

(1) Consent

We will ask for your consent to use your information to send you electronic communications such as newsletters and and fundraising emails, and if you ever share sensitive personal information with us.

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Most of our interactions with supporters are voluntary and not contractual. However, sometimes it will be necessary to process personal information so that we can enter contractual relationships with people. For example, if you subscribe to one of our publications, or purchase merchandise online.

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On 6 August 2022, Jamaicans celebrated 60 years of formal national independence from British rule. The parasitic Jamaican ruling class attempted to use the pomp, ceremony and spirit of national fervour to distract from worsening economic and social crises. But the fact is that the tasks of Jamaicas independence struggle have not been completed.

The death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III in Britain has put the question of republicanism squarely on the table in the British Caribbean, including Jamaica. In the eyes of the majority of ordinary Jamaicans, now is the time to cut ties with these imperialist has-beens.

Jamaicas real history is a litany of slavery, rebellion, and class struggle. From the first European landings in the 16th century, through the English invasion of the island in the 1670s, up until independence, Jamaica was crushed under colonial rule. Sugar cane plantations were worked by huge numbers of slaves toiling in unbearable conditions, and produced massive profits for the English colonialists. In the words of Trinidadian Marxist historian, CLR James:

For three centuries the sugar economy and the slave trade dominated the West Indies and the world market.

Jamaicas history is filled with heroic uprisings, waged by black slaves and peasants against their slave masters. From Tackys Rebellion (1760-61); to the great slave revolt of 1831 following on from revolts in Barbados in 1816 and Demerara in 1823; to the Morant Bay rebellion of 1865.

National independence was not graciously bestowed by the British ruling class upon the Jamaican masses, but hard-fought for and ultimately won by the working class and peasantry, fearlessly resisting their imperialist oppressors.

Jamaicas revolutionary traditions must be rediscovered by a new generation of trade unionists, conscious class fighters, and youth looking for a way out from the horrors of capitalism.

The Great Depression & 1938 general strike

After the abolition of slavery, the sugar trade and colonial oppression still endured in Jaimaica. The Great Depression of 1929 was a turning point, as it led to a slump in the price of luxury goods, including sugar, which had a huge impact on Jamaica. High unemployment and economic stagnation caused widespread discontent.

Despite the banning of pickets, many strikes broke out throughout the 1930s  mainly among dockers and transport workers / Image: libcom

In fact, the radicalising mood of the masses throughout 1929 and 1930 led the British Armed Forces stationed on the island to disband a regiment of native Jamaicans and replace it with British troops, to avoid fraternisation during a possible uprising.

Jamaica was ruled under the Crown Colony system  a colony administered by the British monarchy who appointed a Governor. As such, political parties and parliamentary elections did not exist for ordinary Jamaicans, since the requirements to run for the administration were designed to make only upper-class Jamaicans eligible.

The anger in society, therefore, expressed itself in a radicalisation on the industrial front. Although the formation of unions were legal in Jamaica, peaceful pickets of workplaces were illegal. In spite of this, many strikes broke out throughout the 1930s, mainly among dockers and transport workers. Some even came to violent clashes between workers and the state forces. As Trinidadian Marxist George Padmore describes in 1931:

One of the clashes with the police took place at Rio Cabre, near Spanish Town. The Government is constructing a bridge there [...], the men, realising how badly they were being exploited, formed a strike committee and downed tools. They demanded eight hours labour at 3/6 per day instead of 3/- [3 shillings and sixpence (42p a day or 2.10 a week) instead of 3 shillings (36p)]. The employers (Government contractors) refused and the men began to picket the bridge. The Government ordered armed police to the scene, and attempted to break the strike through intimidation. The labourers refused to return to work under the old conditions. Strike-breakers were brought in, and the strikers took active measures to see that the blacklegs did not work. Then the police sided with the strike-breakers, and a general pitched battle took place. The police used their rifles and bayonets, while the strikers kept up the offensive with bottles and stones. Only after reinforcement was rushed to the scene were the strikers outnumbered and dispersed by the superior arms of the police.

Beginning in earnest with the dock workers organised in the newly formed Jamaica Workers and Transport Union (JWTU), the strike wave culminated in a general strike in 1938, which, as George Padmore wrote: covered Kingston. City cleaners and wharf labourers ceased work. For days the garbage remained uncollected. Factories were closed, shops and offices were forced to shut; tram, bus and rail services ceased. Even the Fire Brigade threatened to strike.

This was a tremendous demonstration of the power of a working class that had only lately arisen, out of a population that less than a century prior had been largely enslaved. In a demonstration of class solidarity, CLR James writes: On May 23rd 1938, American sailors in the harbour of Kingston, Jamaica, refused to blackleg on the black dock-workers and collected subscriptions for the strikers.

Alexander Bustamante

A prominent participant in the strike was an anti-colonial agitator organised in the Jamaican Workers Union (JWU), Alexander Bustamante. Bustamantes agitation led to him being imprisoned, but, such was his popularity with the masses, the government was forced to release him. Winning the respect of the masses, Bustamante was then thrust to the head of the general strike.

Strike agitator Alexander Bustamente was a right-wing trade union leader from the outset / Image: Robert Knudsen

To be sure, Bustamente was not a socialist, but a right-wing trade union leader from the outset. CLR James accurately described him as an unprincipled demagogue. Throughout his life he would repeatedly claim that he stood for no particular economic or social system over another.

His actions spoke for themselves and demonstrated his ultimate loyalty to maintaining the status quo of capitalist exploitation. Nevertheless, he commanded considerable authority over sections of the organised working class for his fiery opposition to British colonialism.

After the strikes, as a concession to achieve peace, significant efforts were made by the British colonial government to encourage land parcelisation among the peasantry. At the same time, in every sector of industry, the increasing weakness of British imperialism meant it was being usurped by US capitalism.

The PNP and JLP

The economic concessions from the British government could not contain the urgency felt by many Jamaicans for more political rights, such as organising political parties. It must be said that, without the development of the trade unions and the increasing confidence of the workers, the formation of the political parties would not have occurred.

Norman Manley founded the Peoples National Party, based on the reformist ideas of Fabianism / Image: Jamaica Information Service

For example, the Trade Unions Council (1938-52) was founded at the same time as the Peoples National Party, as well as the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU).

The PNP, founded by Norman Manley, was based on Fabianism, a reformist tradition originating in Britain. This peculiarity can be partially explained by the fact that Manley had been educated as a lawyer in England at Oxford University. Fabianism appealed to Manley, as a petit-bourgeois intellectual.

Nevertheless, the PNPs programme included nationalisation of sugar manufacturers such as British-owned Tate and Lyle, as well as abolishing the British monarchy as head of state, with Jamaica instead becoming a republic. In the eyes of the ruling class, who were always keen to stem the rising radical mood of the masses, this programme posed a major threat.

Although Bustamante and Norman Manley, who were also cousins, had worked in the labour movement together during the late 1930s, Manley found collaborating with Bustamante impossible. A clash of personalities  Bustamante the relaxed, charismatic rogue, in contrast to the formal and legalistic Manley  concealed the fact that their differences were fundamentally political; one was a defender of the status quo, while the other advocated reform.

In fact, Bustamante eventually split from the PNP in 1943 to form the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), tied to his union, the BITU. The PNP and JLP at that time clearly represented the left-wing and right-wing tendencies in the labour movement, respectively.

Following the labour unrest of the 1930s, in 1938 the British government ordered the West India Royal Commission to investigate the situation in the British Caribbean and propose solutions to a growing crisis. The findings were included in the Moyne Report, which described the widespread squalor and misery of the masses throughout the Caribbean.

After years of delay, in 1944 the British government issued the recommendations of the report including universal suffrage and a new expanded 32-member House of Representatives. That years general election brought Bustamantes JLP to power, winning 22 seats. Manleys PNP won only 5, with the remainder won by small parties. Bustamantes victory was partly because of the personal authority he held over the masses but also because he was able to mobilise and organise his supporters through the BITU, something the PNP lacked.

In this period, Bustamante earned the moniker the uncrowned king of Jamaica due to his considerable control over organised labour and unofficial leadership of the government.

In 1946, CLR James wrote:

The Peoples National Party controls a small association of unionists, but the mass power is in Bustamentes handsThe masses of the people are not hostile to Manley and the PNP. They are, however, fanatically loyal to Bustamente and often express regret at the lack of unity. The PNP struggles to win the Jamaican masses to its program.

However, the 1949 general election was much closer. The PNP received more votes than the JLP, but it was the JLP that actually secured more seats. At this point, a political stalemate existed  neither party was capable of winning a decisive victory against the other.

Manley, in a rightward shift under pressure from the capitalists who wanted to remove the revolutionary elements from the PNP, purged radicals from the party throughout the 1950s. The first wave in 1952 included Trevor Munroe, and in 1954 four prominent party members, including self-described Marxist, Richard Hart, were expelled for their communist sympathies.

In an attempt to break Bustamantes stranglehold over the trade union movement, Manley founded the National Union of Workers in 1952 as an industrial wing of the PNP.

British imperialism and the West Indies Federation

Following the Second World War, the grip of British imperialism over the West Indies was the weakest it had ever been. As was the case in many colonial countries across the British empire, demands for Jamaican independence intensified.

The West Indies Federation was not based on working class internationalism, and so narrow nationalist interests came to the fore / Image: NuclearVacuum

By the 1950s, all of the progressive forces in Jamaica backed independence in one form or another. Under Manley, Jamaica joined the West Indies Federation in 1958. The intention behind this federation was to combine 10 British-controlled Caribbean nations into one political and economic union.

However, this union was not based on working-class internationalism, and the nationalist interests of the respective leaders came to the fore. In almost every nation involved there were splits on the question of what the scope of the federation should be, what relationship it should take with British imperialism, and how members of the federation would avoid becoming dominated by the economically stronger islands.

Eventually, Bustamante opposed the federation and argued that it would harm the national economy of Jamaica. Driven by narrow, nationalist interests Bustamante wanted to protect the interests of the petit-bourgeoisie and appeal to reactionary layers within the working class who supported Anglo-US imperialism.

In contrast, Manley put forward the idea that a united West Indies Federation would remove barriers to economic development, and be a progressive step forward in breaking from British imperialism.

Manley called a referendum in 1961 on whether Jamaica should remain in the Federation. 54.1 percent voted no", shattering Manleys plans of a united British West Indies. Many who were in favour of the federation were concentrated in the urban areas, while many poor rural areas voted against  fearing they would have to foot the bill if the economy suffered.

Jamaicas road to independence looked increasingly likely to come via an agreement with British imperialism, which found it difficult to maintain even a diminishing number of colonies.

Independence  Babylon gone?

After the defeat in the referendum, Manley negotiated with the British for Jamaican independence, and the following year the Jamaica Independence Act 1962 was passed in the UK House of Commons.

The Independence Act of 1962 did not stop Jamaica being dominated by imperialism / Image: govuk

It stated that Jamaica would remain a member of the Commonwealth, with the Queen as the head of state over a Jamaican Parliament. Many old colonial elements remained in the Constitution enabling Britain to still rule Jamaica indirectly.

Effectively the independence granted by Parliament merely handed over the day-to-day tasks of managing capitalism to the now-trusted Bustamante/Manley regimes.

The bitter rewards of Manleys failures were shown when the JLP under Bustamante won the first independent elections in April 1962 (26 seats for the JLP to 19 for the PNP). Manley would not be the PM to usher in the independence that he had spent decades fighting for.

Without a doubt, the lack of a bold, socialist programme as part of the deal for national independence and the timidity of Manley in the face of the imperialists, led to his defeat. Independence was met with large and jubilant celebrations by workers and youth but many had been sold the illusion that independence under capitalism could solve their economic and social problems.

Although independence had been formally declared, imperialism remained, and the US wasted no time in filling the gap left by British imperialism. This scramble by US imperialism led to a greater concentration of wealth developing over the next decade in the hands of US-owned businesses.

In Jamaica, the tasks of the bourgeois-democratic revolution were carried out in a partial and uneven way over decades, because the Jamaican bourgeoisie was not strong enough to carry out these tasks by themselves. In the words of Ted Grant:

The bourgeoisie of the colonial areas has come too late on the world arena to be enabled to play the progressive role which the Western bourgeoisie played in the development of capitalist society.

For this reason, Anglo-US imperialism continued to dominate the Jamaican economy. In fact, following independence, the World Bank provided Jamaica with the biggest ever loan at the time to a developing country for educational purposes.

US imperialism, through the World Bank, began exploiting Jamaicas natural resources and labour; expanding the bauxite industry and manufacturing sectors. This led to living standards for urban and rural workers to decline and a rapid increase in inequality.

Any illusions about independence on a capitalist basis being able to raise living standards, provide good quality free education, or even basic necessities like clean water and electricity, melted away.

Throughout the 1960s, and particularly following the impact of the world economic slump in the early 1970s, Jamaican workers and youth turned to revolutionary ideas  eventually bringing the PNPs Michael Manley (Norman Manleys son) to power on a popular left-reformist programme.

Unfortunately, Manleys regime would fail to break from capitalism. After carrying out radical reforms and partial nationalisations, Manley came under immense pressure from US imperialism and the IMF to reverse these and cut ties with neighbouring Cuba. Manleys regime was brought down in 1980 with hundreds of people killed in political violence stoked by US imperialist meddling.

Revolutionary leadership needed

60 years on and Jamaica is still dominated by Anglo-US imperialism with the British monarchy as head of state. For decades the PNP and JLP have promised referendums on becoming a republic. But why havent they materialised?

Since the 1980s the PNP and JLP have come to represent the interests of two wings of the ruling class; the left liberals and the right wing. Neither is willing to fully break with British or US imperialism, let alone capitalism.

Prince William and Kate's visit to the Caribbean helped strengthen the mood for republicanism / Image: Prachatai

However, there is mounting pressure on the Jamaican ruling class to follow Barbados example by holding a referendum on becoming a republic. The calamitous visits by the British monarchy to the Caribbean this year have only strengthened this mood for republicanism.

When Prince William and Kate met with Jamaican PM Andrew Holness, in front of cameras they politely listened to him inform them that his country was moving on from the monarchy.

Holness has started the process of removing the British monarchy as head of state by 2025, but after so many false starts, who is to say that they wont break their promises again? And even if Jamaica does become a republic, what plan does Holness and the Jamaican establishment have to solve the dire economic and social conditions that millions of Jamaicans live under?

A Jamaican republic under capitalism offers nothing to workers and youth. It is only the struggle for socialism and abolition of capitalism that can guarantee true independence from both the feudal British monarchy and US imperialism.

Jamaicas economy has in the last decade been lauded, with a relatively high GDP and profits flowing. But this wealth has not found its way to the working class. The rich enjoy all of lifes luxuries, while the poor live in squalor, unable to feed themselves on poverty wages, and denied basic essentials.

Capitalism in Jamaica has been a disaster. Corruption and violent crime are rife. Living standards havent improved for decades. And the environmental damage caused by Bauxite mining has left thousands with infertile land and poor health.

The parasitic presence of US, UK, and increasingly Chinese businesses exploiting Jamaican resources and workers provide the Jamaican ruling class with healthy profits from lucrative contracts. The government expects the value of bauxite mining exports to increase 7 per cent to US$507 million this year.

If nationalised alongside other major industries as part of a socialist plan of production, these profits could be used to solve the myriad of social and economic problems that blight the lives of the working class. Let alone the vast amounts of money that are paid to the IMF to service decades worth of loans.

The fight for genuine independence must also come with a struggle against capitalism, which has led the Jamaican working class down the path of misery, poverty, and destitution. In addition to casting off the colonial relic of the monarchy, Jamaicans must rediscover their revolutionary traditions, and fight for real freedom, which can only come with socialist revolution.
Chief Operating Officer Chett Abramson holds three decades of industry senior leadership experience as he joins Oliver Hospitality, the Nashville hotel and restaurant management company known for creatively reworking old historic properties into new thoughtful and engaging spaces. Abramsons' background in food & beverage operations as well as hotel operations provides him with a unique understanding on how to navigate Oliver Hospitality's boutique luxury portfolio to greater financial and operational success.

Prior to joining Oliver Hospitality, Abramson was the Area Managing Director of New York for Ace Hotels, overseeing the opening of Ace Brooklyn and the reopening of Ace New York.

For 13 years, Abramson was a Founder/Operations Partner and COO of the award winning 21c Museum Hotel Group where he was tasked to oversee the day to day hotel operations including food & beverage, room sales, revenue management, reputation management as well as the art, accounting and IT departments.

Prior to joining 21c, Chett was a Senior Project Director for Drew Nieporent's Myriad Restaurant Group's consulting division and was involved in projects from Manhattan to Moscow. He was also the Director of Operations for the restaurant group, overseeing the restaurants New York's Nobu, Nobu 57, Tribeca Grill and Montrachet. Abramson also served six years as the Area Director of Purchasing and Director of Food and Beverage for Starwood Hotels W New York, W Tuscany and W Court. Chett was part of the opening taskforce for W Seattle and Chicago.
Dubai Holding, a diversified global investment company with presence in over 13 countries, today announced the appointment of Katerina Giannouka as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jumeirah Group as of December 2022.

A recognised professional in the international hospitality industry, Giannouka joins Jumeirah Group with 20 years of experience in business leadership, operations, hotel development, asset management and strategic advisory.

Katerina joins Jumeirah Group from Radisson Hotel Group, where, as President Asia-Pacific since 2017, she led the execution of a comprehensive five-year strategic and operating plan, delivering unprecedented growth of nearly doubling the size of the hotel portfolio. Prior to this, Katerina led the Asia-Pacific and China Development team of ultra-luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, where beyond delivering growth, she played an influential role in supporting new brand development, corporate decision making and strategic planning.

View Katerina Giannouka's LinkedIn Profile

Katerina Giannouka is a graduate of Swiss Alpine Center in Alpnach Dorf - Switzerland
PHOENIX  The hotel industry is in a unique circumstance of arguably being in the midst of an upswing at the same time as the broader economy nears the onset of a recession.

Speaking during the "A View from the Top" panel at the 2022 Lodging Conference, Apple Hospitality REIT CEO Justin Knight said he's never had to talk through both occurrences with investors at once before.

"This is the first time in 25 years that I'm talking about a recovery and recession at the same time," he said. "I think we have incredibly interesting dynamics for our industry right now, because we are, I think, on the margin continuing to see recovery in our business despite the fact that when you look at the macro numbers for the overall economy there are some troubling areas."

Aimbridge President and CEO Michael Deitemeyer said the thing that gives him pause as he thinks about a possible recession is how leisure demand has had an outsize impact on the ongoing demand recovery, and it's unclear just how sustainable that will be if business travel continues to lag.

Read the full article at HotelNewsNow (part of CoStar)
St. Kitts Tourism Authority (SKTA), the official destination marketing organization for the island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean, hosted a launch event in New York City to kick off its latest brand campaign Venture Deeper developed by Tambourine, the country's agency of record.

SKTAs Venture Deeper campaign includes motion, photo, and written content to encourage deep exploration of St. Kitts. The campaign is designed to appeal to the discerning travelers who are eager to immerse themselves fully in a new and authentic experience, said Stephany Bermudez, Vice President of Creative Services, Tambourine. The campaign invites travelers to savor the days on the island more thoroughly by exploring and uncovering the full beauty St. Kitts has to offer.

To develop and launch the campaign, Tambourine defined campaign creative guidelines, executed an immersive motion and still production, crafted various content stories featuring local culture and history, developed the advertising and media strategy, and owned distribution. The campaign will span across SKTAs website, social media channels, television, out-of-home, and various digital advertising channels.

The launch event was held on Sept. 20, 2022, in New York City at Lavan541, an iconic event venue located in Chelsea. The private event showcased the campaigns content assets on floor-to-ceiling walls while Rummeliers educated guests about the islands local rums.

The event was a wonderful way to launch Venture Deeper, said Ellison Tommy Thompson, CEO, SKTA. We have a long-lasting relationship with Tambourine and we continue to be impressed with their ability to tell our story in a dynamic and thoughtful way.

About St. Kitts

Located in the northern Leeward islands where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean is the captivating twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Discover a distinctive array of wellness pursuits, resort relaxation, astonishing natural beauty, and a dash of history on one of the most unspoiled and relaxing islands in the Caribbean.

About Tambourine

Tambourine continues to shake up the hospitality industry with custom integrated marketing solutions for hotels, resorts, and destinations worldwide. The companys emergence as the market leader for both branded and independent hotels is a testament to its core values: putting customer service center stage, setting the standards for hotel website design, and making performance digital marketing easier and more profitable for its valued partners.

Thomas McDermott

Vice President of Corporate Marketing

+1 954 975 2220
MARKHAM, Ontario - Maestro is heading to London next month to showcase the latest in cloud and on-premises Web browser property-management systems. As an exhibitor at the Independent Hotel Show, to be held October 4 and 5 at Olympia National Hall, Maestro will demonstrate why it is hailed the preferred PMS solution for independent hotels, luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups. In addition to Maestros browser-based platform with flexible deployment options in the cloud, on premises, self-hosted, or private cloud, attendees will also see Maestros complete line of mobile, tablet and touchless apps to create a seamless, unified guest booking journey and centralize the guest itinerary while also adding conveniences, personalization, and operating efficiencies for guests and staff alike.

We are eager to see our clients in attendance as well as introduce our full suite of solutions to other UK hoteliers at the Independent Hotel Show, said Warren Dehan, Maestro President. With our solutions we strive to give operators the power to choose how they wish to deploy a modern Web browser-based PMS. Operators neednt feel pushed adopt only a cloud system to gain the modern convenience of a web browser-based system. So, we worked hard to maintain flexibility for the independent hotelier to work the way they choose, while delivering a sophisticated PMS suite including mobile and contact-free innovations for both guests and their staff. They have choices, and our team will be standing by to discuss their needs and how we can satisfy them.

While at Stand 1510, hoteliers will experience:

Guest Engagement Strategies & Tools

Business Analytics & Data Mining

Mobile & Contactless Tools for Guests & Staff

Web Browser Platform Benefits & Deployment Options

Cloud Hosting & Security Considerations

Social Media Engagement & Direct Booking Tools

Rate & Yield Management Strategies

Integrated Operations Across Property Portfolio

Latest Maestro Modules & Tools

Tools & Services to Help with Staff On-Boarding

Comprehensive API and Integration Options

Credit Card EMV/3DS Updates and More!

Maestro on Display

Of particular interest to hoteliers will be Maestros Mobile Guest Engagement platform, featuring mobile check in, mobile pre-registration, mobile key, mobile check out, mobile post check-in/-out surveys, and mobile two-way text messaging with mobile guest service fulfillment and sentiment management via the Maestro Guest XMS platform. Also of interest will be Maestro Mobile Staff Operations, a rare combination of Mobile Housekeeping and Mobile Soft Check In with guest messaging that facilitates early check in so guests can post active charges before they can enter their rooms and receive text notifications when the room is ready and the mobile key is activated. Additionally, the company will showcase its Mobile Case and Incident Management through Guest XMS that enables staff to alert relevant departments via text with photos when furnishings, fixtures or equipment need attention and then assign a ticket to track the case through completion.

To be unveiled at the show is Maestros NEW frontline user Tablet application featuring the latest addition to the Maestro web and cloud software ecosystem. With minimal training required, staff can get up to speed instantly on the software and begin using the systems streamlined set of functions and features. Tablet gives staff mobile access to Maestro as well as via traditional desktop if desired, and it can be leveraged for curbside check in or for line-busting during high traffic check-in/-out times.

We cant wait to meet with hoteliers and introduce our comprehensive portfolio of integrated solutions and mobile web apps designed to boost hotel efficiency and deliver a touchless guest experience by reducing or eliminating the need for physical contact, Dehan said. People will see how Maestro solutions can take the day-to-day operational pressure off staff and management, seamlessly sharing data at every point of contact to help them deliver uncompromising experiences with efficient staffing levels.

For more information on Maestro, visit www.maestropms.com.

About Maestro

Maestro is the preferred Web Browser based cloud and on-premises PMS solution for independent hotels, luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups. Maestros PCI certified and EMV ready enterprise system offers a Web browser version (or Windows) complete with 20+ integrated modules on a single database, including mobile and contactless apps to support a digitalized guest journey as well as staff operations. Maestros sophisticated solutions empower operators to increase profitability, drive direct bookings, centralize operations, and engage guests with a personalized experience from booking to check out and everything in between. For over 40 years Maestros Diamond Plus Service has provided unparalleled 24/7 North American based support and education services to keep hospitality groups productive and competitive. Click here for more information on Maestro. Click here to get your free PMS Buying guide.

Barb Worcester
Whenever we think about hospitality, hotels are usually the first thing that comes to mind. During our 6-month mandate as Ambassadors of Swiss International Air Lines, we wanted to broaden our understanding of the meaning of hospitality according to the aviation industry. What better way of finding out than directly going to the field and being surrounded by professionals in the sector? Marie spent a day with the staff and guests in the SWISS Business lounges at Geneva Airport, while Marion took a flight to Porto and helped the Cabin crew in their everyday tasks.

Source: EHL

"Place of work: above the clouds"

Let's start this journey by discovering the vision of the four inspiring speakers we accompanied during these two wonderful days.

The interviewees:

Michael Schiess , Head of Lounges, leads a team that is the highest instance for SWISS in the lounge, representing the brand and leading hospitality daily.

, Head of Lounges, leads a team that is the highest instance for SWISS in the lounge, representing the brand and leading hospitality daily. Adele Luthi , Head of Operations, and Magali Brugger , Duty Station Manager, ensure that the clients' prior-to-the-flight experience runs smoothly. They assure that the agents apply the procedures, the quality, and safety standards. It is consistent teamwork, communication and coordination, as they act as an intermediary between the two parties

, Head of Operations, and , Duty Station Manager, ensure that the clients' prior-to-the-flight experience runs smoothly. They assure that the agents apply the procedures, the quality, and safety standards. It is consistent teamwork, communication and coordination, as they act as an intermediary between the two parties Martin Ammeter, Head of Cabin, manages all the Cabin crew in Geneva and supervises the cabin operations. He ensures the respect of the standards and is responsible for the continuous development of the Cabin crew members.

The meaning of 'hospitality' for SWISS

We asked our four speakers about their understanding of the word 'hospitality', and the answers were very different. However, each speaker put across some crucial points for SWISS, and they all gave a good representation of this broad term that differs from one sector to another.

The Geneva SWISS Lounges are the starting point of the journey for many passengers. Michael mentioned: we have to show them the kind heart we have in Switzerland, that we are very special. Passengers come from all around the globe, and the goal is to show the quality of legendary Swiss hospitality, which is required when joining Swiss International Air Lines. The brand trusts the staff lounge to give the first good impression. Michael makes sure to support and strengthen his employees, so they can give their best input to the customers: I always say that I build the stage, then my staff can perform.

We have to show them the kind heart we have in Switzerland, that weare very special. - Michael Schiess.

Outstanding quality and magic moments are the keywords Martin used numerous times in his answers. He said that much importance is given to the individual and personal side. Like Michael, he thinks trusting the staff to the fullest enables them to create unforgettable moments that will build customer loyalty and encourage the guests to come back. The interaction is vital. Staff members like to take a moment to have a conversation and create memorable moments on board that the passenger does not expect. However, sometimes, some of the passengers are not willing to interact. According to Martin: our strength is to be able to sense what they actually need.

Again, the diversity of passengers is not insignificant; they all have different needs. Therefore, the crew add a human touch and give a broader choice to the guests: the menu or the time they want to eat. The personalized aspect is, of course, especially emphasized for the business class travelers. For instance, the staff know which wine each client prefers. However, personalization does not only mean knowing the guests preferences, but it also gives them options they can choose from, such as pre-ordering their SWISS Saveurs menu or booking their aisle seat in advance.

Adele and Magali specify that the passenger is at the center. They talked about the little extra that makes you stand out. In case of an issue, it is essential that guests feel the staff members are present to assist them. Staff try to be as transparent as possible, which is what passengers appreciate. If the service has always been good, passengers will be more understanding if it goes bad once. Adele and Magali also pointed out the importance of communication between SWISS personnel. For sure, the smoother the communication is, the more opportunities there are to improve the guest experience and internal processes.

Differences with the hotel industry

Indeed, the aviation and hotel industries share the idea of the customer always remaining at the center of operations. However, we can sense differences in how customer satisfaction is nurtured in the two sectors.

Michael mentioned the time constraint, which is managed differently in the hotel industry. Passengers coming to the lounge have a limited amount of time before taking their flight. All the services requested, such as having lunch, must be delivered quickly. There are waves of people coming to the lounge, usually two hours before the flight, who must be served simultaneously. This puts much pressure on the system, logistics and facilities. Then, the lounge goes quiet for some time. Michael also pointed out that unforeseen events can happen, such as a flight cancellation or a plane that must return to the airport. All these events have to be handled efficiently to avoid a failure in the system. The staff members have to offer a service that the guest cannot do by themselves, for example, quickly finding new flight connections.

Adele and Magali explained that going to the airport is primarily a step from point A to point B: passengers are not at the airport to relax or have a good time: it is a constraint, something you have to go through. It is usually stressful, and you never know why people are traveling, it may be for holiday, business or any kind of event. Therefore, the important goal of the airline industry is to transform this way of traveling into a pleasant hospitality journey and make the guest feel serene, safe and welcomed by the different stakeholders throughout the process.

Martin said that the most significant challenge on board is to deal with the only resources available. In a hotel, if a guest asks for a product, the staff usually have it in the kitchen or they can find a solution to purchase it. In contrast, on board, we count on the creativity and expertise of the crew to offer a high-quality product that will also satisfy the passenger, even though it is different than what was asked for. Moreover, the safety aspect does not often feature in a hotel, but on board when there is turbulence, safety comes first! This for sure influences the service, but thankfully, passengers are generally understanding.

After all, hotels and airlines have a codependent relationship. Despite their differences, they must align in terms of customer service and work together to create a meaningful journey from A to Z.

Our strength is to be able to sense what the passengers actually need. - Martin Ammeter.

The future of hospitality in the airline industry

Hospitality has come through constant evolution. Hotels have overcome many changes and technological advancements, but the customer has always been at the center.

This is how our four speakers see the future of hospitality in the airline industry.

Michael: The core of customer service will stay the same: giving the best of ourselves to our guests.

Martin: Airlines can mirror the eye for detail they have in the hotel industry. The customer base will evolve and the challenge will be finding services that match customer needs. Individualization is important but needs to be manageable for the staff. They will still be free to perform as long as the standards are respected.

Magali and Adele: The importance of maintaining the level of quality that has been reached. Despite the evolution that will follow, saving time to offer a consistent service is mandatory. We are heading towards a service that will become increasingly personalizable.

With the pandemic, travel habits have evolved and low-cost companies may not be at the center stage anymore. Instead, people travel less, but when they do, they travel better - spending more on comfort such as in premium economy. For efficiency and health reasons, technology and automation may also become stronger with self-check-ins or self-bag drops. To compensate for the lack of human exchanges at certain times of the journey, trust and one-on-one interactions will be developed and reinforced. Indeed, even though machines will (and already) replace humans, the remaining staff will be more devoted to the guests experience.

Other services such as baggage collection directly at home and delivery where the guest will be staying are already established by Swiss in partnership with AirPortr. Here again, we can see how they apply the concept of individualized experience by providing tailored offers. The purpose is to prevent stressful and unpleasant events, and allow passengers to customize their journey according to their needs. Lets not forget that the sentence people buy experiences, not products is already shaping future business ideas and services. The future lies in accommodating the guests unique characteristics.

With customer satisfaction and hospitality also comes respect for guests' values and beliefs, such as the involvement of sustainability in their daily lives. SWISS is already one step ahead with the sun-to-liquid fuel, which will make it the first airline company to use renewable energy sources. This may attract more passengers who are sensitive to these matters.

In case of an issue, the staff members try to be as transparent as possible, which is what the passengers appreciate. - Adele Luthi et Magali Brugger.

A few anecdotes in the air

Because we know you are curious about what can happen in the airline industry, we asked our interviewees to share some memorable anecdotes with us.

Michael explained that once, a passenger in the business lounge in Zurich realized he'd forgotten his passport at home in Hamburg, but had to fly to Singapore the next day. As he was a very loyal guest, the SWISS staff hatched a plan. The passenger's wife dropped the passport at Hamburg airport and a SWISS crew member took it during a flight to Zurich. Michael went to the plane's door to pick it up and handed it on time to the passenger, who was very happy. It was definitely a risk, but it was communicated to the guest when they decided to proceed with the idea. Sometimes, the crew has to think outside the box and go beyond standard procedures to please the guest.

Adele and Magali remembered when a business class passenger did not want to board because she did not have her hand cream and wanted to go to the pharmacy to buy some. As the plane doors were about to close, the crew had to find a solution quickly. A flight attendant finally handed the passenger her own hand cream. Another time, a lady was behaving rather threateningly with her nail file because she was angry that she had to pay fees for her extra luggage. In these times, the crew members have to talk calmly and patiently with the passenger to understand what is happening in order to offer solutions and release the tension.

Martin explained that he was once about to take the lunch order in the business class when a passenger asked him if he had eaten already. He said no, to which she responded, then go have your lunch and serve me afterward. I can wait. That was a kind show of consideration towards the staff.

It's time to land

This behind-the-scenes session with SWISS allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of hospitality from an airline's perspective. From having gone through the business lounges to the aircraft, passing by briefings and security checks, it is now time to land. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Geneva airport. For your safety and comfort, please keep your seatbelts fastened until the safety signs are turned off. We hope you have enjoyed sharing this journey with us and wish you a pleasant stay.

About EHL Group

EHL Group is the global reference in education, innovation and consulting for the hospitality and service sector.

With expertise dating back to 1893, EHL Group now offers a wide range of leading educational programs from apprenticeships to master's degrees, as well as professional and executive education, on three campuses in Switzerland and Singapore. EHL Group also offers consulting and certification services to companies and learning centers around the world. True to its values and committed to building a sustainable world, EHL Group's purpose is to provide education, services and working environments that are people-centered and open to the world. www.ehlgroup.com

EHL Hospitality Business School

Communications Department

+41 21 785 1354

EHL

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Singapore- CapitaLand Investment Limiteds (CLI) wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), has launched a global TikTok campaign  the #Infin8Citadines Global TikTokers Challenge. The challenge will see eight TikTok influencers from different countries including Australia, France, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, the UAE and Vietnam, create weekly-themed content to compete for a grand prize  a 24-night stay at Citadines properties across eight different cities. In celebration of Citadines For The Love of Cities brand refresh, the challenge will also extend weekly giveaways to TikTok fans, with over two million points for Ascotts loyalty programme  Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) available for the redemption of complimentary stays and more. The campaign will feature prominently on Ascotts newly activated TikTok channel (@discoverasr).

How the challenge works

During the month-long challenge, eight selected TikTok influencers* from around the world will be hosted at participating Citadines properties** for a stay. During which, they will capture content around Citadines brand signature programmes and the infinite possibilities for guests to live, work and play at and around the properties in the cities they each represent. From promoting active lifestyles and dishing out insider tips as part of activ, to introducing local coffee cultures and the latest cafes to bring out the brands passion for coffee; content will be posted on the TikTok influencers respective channels and on @discoverasr every week.

TikTok followers who comment on and like the #Infin8Citadines content produced by these eight influencers over three weeks, will stand a chance to win 80,000 ASR points to redeem complimentary stays (nine winners per week). To qualify for the weekly giveaways, followers will need to be an ASR member, follow Ascotts TikTok account (@discoverasr), comment and like any of the influencers videos reposted on the @discoverasr channel.

In the final week of the #Infin8Citadines Global TikTokers Challenge, the most influential TikTok influencer amongst the eight, will win the grand prize  a 24-night stay at Citadines properties across eight different cities. The grand prize winner will be selected based on the highest level of engagement achieved with their content and the most sign-ups for the ASR loyalty programme across the campaign period.

Tan Bee Leng, Ascotts Managing Director for Brand & Marketing said: Ascott is thrilled to kick-off our first-ever TikTok challenge in partnership with some of the most creative content creators on TikTok. Collectively, these eight TikTokers from around the world have garnered more than 600,000 fans and over 8.2 million likes for their videos to date. We look forward to seeing fresh engaging content which will enable travellers to discover what Citadines has to offer, alongside the many benefits of our ASR programme; and most importantly help our guests gain different ideas to best live, work and play in each city."

"TikTok was the most-downloaded app across Asia Pacific in 2021[1]. From city hacks and destination offers to accommodation reviews, travel-related content has proven to be one of the most engaging on TikTok. With the platform growing in popularity as a source of travel inspiration, Ascott is excited to launch our @discoverasr TikTok channel to connect with this growing demographic of next-generation travellers.

With the ASR programme, guests can enjoy priority check-ins, birthday discount e-vouchers, brand-specific arrival experiences and welcome amenities or signature gifts that are customised across Ascotts suite of brands. Guests can sign up here: https://www.discoverasr.com/en/sign-up.

*Participating TikTok influencers in # Infin8Citadines Global TikTokers Challenge:

**Participating Citadines properties in the #Infin8Citadines Global TikTokers Challenge:

Citadines Connect Sydney Airport (Australia)

Citadines Tour Eiffel Paris (France)

Citadines Sudirman Jakarta (Indonesia)

Citadines Namba Osaka (Japan)

Citadines Bay City Manila (Philippines)

Citadines Raffles Place Singapore (Singapore)

Citadines Culture Village Dubai (UAE)

Citadines Marina Halong (Vietnam)

For more information on the #Infin8Citadines Global TikTokers Challenge, please visit https://www.discoverasr.com/en/infin8citadines.

About The Ascott Limited

The Ascott Limited (Ascott) is a Singapore company that has grown to be one of the leading international lodging owner-operators. Ascott's portfolio spans more than 200 cities across over 30 countries in Asia Pacific, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the USA.

Ascott has more than 78,000 operating units and over 57,000 units under development, making a total of more than 135,000 units in over 800 properties.

The company's serviced apartment, coliving and hotel brands include Ascott The Residence, The Crest Collection, Somerset, Quest, Citadines, lyf, Preference, Vertu, Harris, Citadines Connect, Fox, Yello, Fox Lite and POP!.

Ascott's loyalty programme, Ascott Star Rewards, offers exclusive benefits to its members when they book directly with Ascott for their stays at its participating properties.

Ascott, a wholly owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Investment Limited, pioneered Asia Pacific's first international-class serviced apartment with the opening of The Ascott Singapore in 1984. Today, the company boasts over 30 years of industry track record and award-winning brands that enjoy recognition worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.discoverasr.com.

About CapitaLand Investment Limited

Headquartered and listed in Singapore, CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI) is a leading global real estate investment manager (REIM) with a strong Asia foothold. As at 31 December 2021, CLI had about S$122.9 billion of real estate assets under management, and about S$86.2 billion of real estate funds under management (FUM) held via six listed real estate investment trusts and business trusts, and 29 private funds across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and USA. Its diversified real estate asset classes cover integrated developments, retail, office, lodging, business parks, industrial, logistics and data centres.

CLI aims to scale its FUM and fee-related earnings through its full stack of investment management and operating capabilities. As the listed investment management business arm of the CapitaLand Group, CLI has access to the development capabilities of and pipeline investment opportunities from CapitaLand's development arm. Being a part of the well-established CapitaLand ecosystem differentiates CLI from other REIMs.

As part of the CapitaLand Group, CLI places sustainability at the core of what it does. As a responsible real estate company, CLI contributes to the environmental and social well-being of the communities where it operates, as it delivers long-term economic value to its stakeholders.

Visit http://www.capitalandinvest.com/ for more information.
London - With more than 5,000 keys across Europe, EQ Group strengthens its position in Paris where the group already has six hotels. Namid Mangalji, Senior Managing Director and Co-Founder of EQ Group says, This acquisition reinforces our conviction in the strong underlying fundamentals of the Paris hospitality market which has experienced tremendous growth in 2022. We are excited to partner with Eternam to unlock value through a strategic renovation of the asset." The asset will represent the 5th Marriott branded hotel for EQ, who have a strong working relationship with Marriott International.

Eternam, already an investor on behalf of its clients in more than 80 assets through 25 transactions, continues to build its position in this asset class. Jonathan Donio, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Eternam, says that Due to our strategy of partnering with renowned hoteliers who have a thorough understanding of their markets, the partnership with EQ is a natural progression.

He adds, The Courtyard Paris Arcueil is our 13th hotel acquisition this year and continues to demonstrate our strong position in this asset class, highlighting our expertise in the structuring of club deals and offering our clients access to a property that is typically reserved for institutional investors.

Featuring 170 guest rooms, a restaurant and a fitness centre, ideal for leisure and business travellers alike, the Courtyard by Marriott Paris Arcueil hotel, operated by Marriott International, is located conveniently near the Porte de Versailles and 15 minutes by train to central Paris.

Buyer advisors: Gide (DD, acquisition, financing), UGGC (corporate, structuring) and Cazals Manzo (taxation), Deloitte (DD), Seller advisors: DLA Piper (legal) and Mutual Finance (Raed Hanna), Buyer Advisor CBRE Hotels, Lender: BRED.

About Eternam

Eternam is a regulated asset management company which operates on the whole real estate value chain: collective investment funds, club deals, investment advisory and residential investments. Eternam is built around a team of 18 professionals who possess strong expertise in sourcing and structuring. In 11 years, Eternam has closed more than 40 club deals and structured 10 investment funds in the real estate and hospitality sectors. In the last 5 years, Eternam has invested more than 1.5 billion in equity and currently manages 700 million. (www.eternam.fr)

About EQ Group

Established in 2011, EQ Group is a leading European hospitality investment and management platform with over 1.7B of hotel real estate across 5,000 keys. EQ's institutional discipline coupled with entrepreneurial, hands-on operational management, enables them to identify and execute niche, high-value-add opportunities in the hotel investment market. EQ has a strong track record in creating unique, design-led environments by working with best-in-class interior designers and architects to create high-impact spaces maximising the value of its hotel real estate. (www.eqgrp.com)
Atlanta, GA  The RADCO Companies (RADCO), one of the nations leading opportunistic real estate developers, has acquired three new hotels in the Gulf of Mexico resort community of Panama City Beach, FL. The properties add 281 new Marriott and Hilton rooms to RADCOs fast-growing Hospitality Division. Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The properties include a Home2 Suites, adjacent Fairfield Inn & Suites, and a Hampton Inn. All three hotels will be managed by LBA Hospitality. Hospitality Real Estate Counselors (HREC) served as brokers for the Home2 Suites and Fairfield Inn properties, with Hunter Hotel Advisors brokering the Hampton Inn deal.

RADCO launched a new hotel division in early 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemics operational and capital markets disruptions in the hospitality sector. RADCO is actively seeking out hospitality assets that are in line with the companys overall opportunistic investment strategy, according to CEO Norman Radow.

Select-service and extended-stay hospitality assets in the Southeast have proven very resilient despite numerous challenges facing the sector, said Radow. They have maintained strong performance over the past 18 months, and we see a lot of upside potential as these robust leisure and growth markets continue to rebound from the pandemic.

Bhavnesh Vivek, VP, Hotel Acquisitions at RADCO, states, RADCO sees tremendous opportunities in the hospitality sector and anticipates adding several more hotel assets to our portfolio in the coming months.

We are incredibly excited to be selected by RADCO as their operating partner for these hotels as they expand their investment in the hospitality space, adds Beau Benton, President, LBA Hospitality. I am convinced that our similar corporate cultures and combined commitment to those we serve will offer a distinct advantage for all stakeholders.

One of the properties RADCO has acquired opened in 2021, while the other two will require minor renovations. As part of its value-add strategy, RADCO plans to make additional capital and operational improvements to each of the properties.

The RADCO Companies has a 28-year history of acquiring and investing in opportunistic real estate across all asset classes. The firms investment strategy targets underperforming assets that offer immediate mark-to-market opportunities, as well as assets requiring capital infusion to add value. RADCO seeks out well-located assets that have limited access to institutional debt or equity capital for a variety of reasons.

RADCO is no stranger to the hospitality sector. The firms first project in 1994 was the re-development of a distressed 53-story Atlanta hotel, office and condominium tower that later became the Four Seasons Hotel. The notable turnaround project put the company on the map and more than 100 successful projects later, RADCO remains a fearless, successful, and flexible leader in the real estate industry.

About The RADCO Companies

RADCO was founded in 1994 with the mission of "Building Better Living." Based in Atlanta, RADCO is a national real estate company that specializes in the acquisition and redevelopment of value-add multifamily and hospitality investments across the Southeast and Central US. Over the past 10 years, the firm has acquired and invested in approximately 30,500 multifamily units in 15 markets and six hotel acquisitions in the last year. RADCO has completed more than 100 deals totaling $3.2 billion. For more information, please visit https://www.radco.us.
Group and business travel segments are showing steady recovery in Q4, with 4.3 million group room nights already booked for H1 2023.

After an outstanding summer of travel, Amadeus Agency360 and Demand360 data sources are showing strong recovery indicators for the remainder of 2022 and evidence of growing traveler confidence as the sector looks towards 2023.

Amadeus in-depth Demand360 business intelligence data, which offers both retrospective and forward-looking insights to inform revenue strategy, reveals that global hotel occupancy has exceeded pre-pandemic levels consistently throughout the summer.For July and August 2022, hotels have seen a global occupancy average of 67% compared with an average of 64% over the same timeframe in 2019 - a 3% increase from 3 years ago.

These positive trends indicate consistent consumer confidence when it comes to booking travel for future stay dates, laying excellent foundations for a strong Q4 where on-the-books data is already outpacing 2019 bookings.

Mirroring the recovery of occupancy rates is the stabilization of booking lead times. 2022 now virtually matches the booking behaviors seen in 2019 with 53% of bookings made in the 0-7 day window versus 50% of bookings made in this timeframe in 2019. As the booking lead time improves, this implies increasing traveler confidence as people make longer term commitments. Average Daily Rates (ADR) also continue to trend positively for the fall season, exceeding 2019 for the remainder of 2022 and, as usual, peaking around the Thanksgiving holiday (US) and Christmas.

Group travel is set for a strong conference season in Q4. Global group occupancy is consistently between 1-2% of pre-pandemic levels for the remainder of 2022 as the conference sector starts to rebound. Amadeus data shows that group bookings are now also starting to extend more confidently into 2023, with 4.3 million bookings already made for H1 2023.

Opportunities to get together in person need to be leveraged to have the greatest impact possible. We want to make sure we design events that matter, where people come back energized and solutions are created. The power of human connections is the ultimate renewable resource,added Mariela McIlwraith, Chief Sustainability Officer, Events Industry Council (EIC) Centre for Sustainability and Social Impact.

With group travel set for strong recovery into Q4 and beyond, hoteliers can confidently plan in advance for larger groups, mitigate the potential impact of staff shortages, and begin to think about what new and exciting event technology to implement to support planners demands.

Business travel is also seeing a steady recovery as the year continues. 2022 is closing the gap to 2019 levels according to Amadeus Agency360 data, which reveals that hotel bookings across all major global distribution systems (GDS) have increased 98% in August 2022 compared to January 2022. At the start of this year, hotel booking volumes fell behind 2019 performance by 62%, but this gap has progressively closed over 2022, with global hotel booking volumes in August finishing 23% behind 2019 levels.

A new Amadeus survey of travel agents supports this, as 60% of respondents say they are now logging into the GDS more than 4 times a day as business travel resumes. 7 in 10 agents agree that COVID-19 has heightened their roles as price, health, and safety remain the most important factors for travelers globally.

With more travelers looking to travel agents for support on their end-to-end journey, a connected travel ecosystem and healthy distribution mix is more important than ever for hoteliers and destinations to offer a wide variety of promotions and accommodations.

Katie Moro, Vice President, Data Partnerships, Hospitality, Amadeus, concludes, It is very encouraging to see such positive data this summer across all segments of hospitality. As the appetite to travel looks set to continue to build in the forthcoming months, it is essential that hoteliers and destination marketers have accurate, forward-looking data insights to enable them to maximize their revenue strategies and minimize the ongoing challenges connected to staff shortages. With this insight, they can also understand more about who is travelling, enabling them to deliver a truly differentiated experience.

Notes to the editors:

About Amadeus Demand360

Amadeus Demand360 provides hoteliers the deepest level of market occupancy insight, including two years of historical and one year of forward-looking on-the-books data from over 35,000 data providers, enabling users to compare performance against their competitive set, identify new trends, and make the most informed revenue strategy decisions possible.

About Amadeus Agency360

Agency360 is the industrys only business intelligence solution that tracks 100% of travel agent bookings across all three major GDS providers: Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport. Identify and capture revenue opportunities early on with forward-looking data about agency booking patterns. Stay flexible with an understanding of which agencies to prioritize as booking behaviors evolve and remain confident that youre making the most informed decisions possible.

About Amadeus

Amadeus powers more personalized and authentic travel experiences. Our solutions are designed to enrich every stage of the traveller journey and help hospitality providers acquire, service, and retain guests by profitably driving demand and converting them into loyal fans.

Backed by over 30 years of experience, we design open, cutting-edge software to provide the most efficient, trusted, and reliable systems for our customers. With experts in 175+ countries, we have a deep understanding of the hospitality industry and a desire to enable our hotel partners to create memorable guest experiences.

To find out more about Amadeus, visit www.amadeus-hospitality.com.

Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Alison Guillot
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Instagrams attempt to copy TikTok with Reels is not going well

TikTok quickly rose to success with its short video format, and YouTubes Shorts is finding a big audience, but Instagram does not seem to be having the same luck.

Opinion from Mike Masnick of Tech Dirt

For many years, weve written about the myth  that is still believed by many, including many policymakers and journalists  that big companies always win out by simply copying smaller more innovative companies, and just grabbing the market from them. While there are a few examples of this happening, it is much, much more common for the big companies to flop when they do so. Weve given examples of this over and over and over and over and over and over again, going back many years.

There are many reasons for these failures, starting with the fact the initial innovator usually has a much better tacit understanding of why their products are successful and catching on, and its usually a lot more than what you can see on the surface. The copycats are doing cargo cult style imitation. Theyre copying the stuff that they can see, but they dont truly understand the more hidden aspects that really make a product or service successful.

Witness this recent story from the Wall Street Journal showing that Instagrams somewhat aggressive moves to turn its service into a TikTok clone are flopping to an embarrassing level.

Instagram users cumulatively are spending 17.6 million hours a day watching Reels, less than one-tenth of the 197.8 million hours TikTok users spend each day on that platform, according to a document reviewed by The Wall Street Journal that summarizes internal Meta research. The document, titled Creators x Reels State of the Union 2022, was published internally in August. It said that Reels engagement had been fallingdown 13.6% over the previous four weeksand that most Reels users have no engagement whatsoever. One reason is that Instagram has struggled to recruit people to make content. Roughly 11 million creators are on the platform in the U.S., but only about 2.3 million of them, or 20.7%, post on that platform each month, the document said.

Ouch. The article also quotes a successful TikTok creator who posted videos to basically all the other popular services these days and found that these short videos just dont work on Instagram.

This spring, Mr. Purifoy posted the same video across TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Snapchats Spotlight and Instagram Reels. The video received millions of views on every platform except Instagram. There, it got less than 100,000. Nobodys going to make original content for Instagram, Mr. Purifoy said. It just doesnt make any sense.

The article also highlights the desperation moves from Instagram, including promising to pay creators a billion dollars by the end of this year to try to bribe people into making original content for Reels. But, of course, weve seen this play out as well  and so have many creators.

Sure, some are happy to take the free money, but weve seen how these programs dont last, and the creators who become reliant on such funds get screwed over in the end. Because in a year or two from now well see the inevitable story about how Instagram is cutting back on these payments, followed by stories of influencers who thought they had it made thanks to these programs now struggling to earn a living. Its the cycle of social media life.

But it very rarely turns the copycat/follower into the leader in the space.

Its no secret that Meta has been struggling to remain relevant over the last few years. Its main product, Facebook, has been feeling old and stuffy for a while. And while Instagram was the backstop that was keeping the overall company growing, everyone realized that TikTok was the new hotness. Now, obviously, a few years ago the same was true of Snap, and Meta did successfully co-opt Snaps disappearing stories concept into both Facebook and (even more) Instagram. But, I wonder if that made the company cocky that it could do the same to TikTok as well.

Of course, none of this is over. The world keeps moving, and I imagine that Instagram will keep tweaking whether you like it or not. And perhaps that will lead to actual adoption. Or maybe Metas political operatives will succeed in convincing Congress to ban Tiktok.

But, on the whole, it looks like we have yet another example of how the simple narrative  e.g. Facebook is dominant and no one can ever beat them  is not necessarily true.

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Music Producers: How to increase your productivity

Nothing will improve a producers efficiency like keeping everything organized. Heres how to get started

by Kam Lal of SoundFly

We all have different workflows in our digital audio workstations (DAWs), and its not uncommon for them to change over time! Unfortunately, some producers never focus on their workflow as a way to improve their productions.

Why is your workflow important?

While some artists feel like workflow restrictions impact their creativity, others thrive. Building in processes to how you create songs can lead to even better results.

Imagine you recorded a great guitar chord progression. The melody and rhythm are cool and you cant wait to build a track around it. But as soon as you load up a VST piano, you realize that your guitar loop is out of tune! You forgot to tune your guitar before starting.

Having a production workflow that loads a tuning plugin to your guitar tracks could help. It could remind you to check your tuning before you even start. Tuning the guitar in Melodyne will take much longer than getting it right to start with!

An efficient creative environment can help you finish better songs.

Creating and Using DAW Templates

For starters, your production should start with a template. A template lets you make setting up a session a breeze. It includes pre-made audio and MIDI channels to get your project going. Theyre color coded and bussed into your most used plugins.

Save these production templates to help you start creating quickly.

For example, I have a kick drum channel already created in my template. Its color coded and placed at the bottom of my session where I like to mix my drums. It has a pre-made EQ on the channel to mellow out some bass frequencies. Theres also a compressor pre-loaded with some shaping settings I use often.

Obviously, every song and mix are different. But when Im always reaching for similar tools in my drum production, I use this template as a starting point.

Also in my template are a few instances of Serum and Sylenth. These are my go-to soft synths for songwriting. They start pre-loaded on piano patches to start writing chords as soon as my session loads.

Finally, I have audio tracks armed for scratch vocals and guitars. These are both commonly in my productions. Create a few templates and update them whenever you find something new that could help! As your productions evolve, youll learn what plugins and busses you use most often.

+ Read more on Flypaper: How to Streamline Your Songwriting and Production Processes.

Color Coding Tracks

Color coding your tracks is also a great way to speed up your process. Dumping samples, loops, and recording audio can fill up your project quickly. Use color coding to separate different types of instruments and tracks.

Its easy to lose track of a clap sample in a sea of synths. With color coding, you can rearrange your project to keep certain elements together. For example, many pop-centric producers keep vocals at the top of their sessions. Melodic instruments come next and drums are usually at the bottom.

There are no right or wrong ways to color code your session. But there are plenty of common conventions that many producers follow!

Name Your Channels

Get into the habit of naming your channels. For starters, the way you name channels makes recording easier. Easily scan file names and know where your reverbs and routing channels are. As you export stems for a mixing engineer, your naming convention can also make it easier for them to get started.

Many producers will name each track with the type of file it is followed by more information. For example, a drum track may be named DRUMS_Wide Clap. Guitars could be called GTR_Rhythm Left.

It doesnt matter what you use to name your tracks as long as its consistent and easy to understand.

Use Labels and Markers

Use tags and labels to describe your arrangement. DAWs like Logic and Pro Tools let you create markers for different song sections. Verses, choruses, and bridge sections can all get labeled to make jumping around a breeze.

If you send your session to other producers to collaborate, theyll be able to see your song sections too. Some common markers and labels are:

Intro

Verse

Pre-chorus

Buildup

Drop

Chorus

Break

Bridge

Outro

Instrumental

Organize Your Sounds and Samples

Organizing your sounds is very important. Many of us have gigabytes of samples, loops, and one-shots. Keeping these all in your downloads folder slows you down when youre looking for something to finish your song.

Most DAWs give you organization tools to pre-load sample libraries and keep them sorted. The same thing goes with your synth and patch libraries. Keep folders named so that you always know where to find the sounds you need.

Its not sexy to organize your sounds. But if youve got a quiet day or two it can be a big investment in your studio workflow.

Save Different Versions

Once youre ready to start bouncing out versions of your songs, how you name them is important! Dont hit the keyboard and call your demo asdlfkjasdfl. Spend time to name your project and come up with consistent naming conventions.

If youre working with clients, this will help you know what files theyre referencing when they send notes. Personally, I use a format of songname-version-date. That could look like here-we-go-v3-march-10.

Stay Organized With Feedback

Keep your finished projects separate from your works in progress. After youre ready to export a file and send it to clients, you can use a platform like Notetracks to share feedback. Invite collaborators to share creative ideas and keep your versions all in one place.

When you sign off on the final mix, you can move the project to a finalized folder on your computer. Notetracks lets you manage versions and keep you on track to a final mix.

Every producers workflow is different. It can take months or years to find one that fits into your creative style. But implementing some basic organizational tips can speed up your projects! Use consistent naming and take time to make reusable templates in your workflow.

Ask other producers how they keep their project workflow sane! What tips do you have for working as a producer?

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Williamstown Residents Urged to Attend Planning Sessions

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Residents are being encouraged to attend at least one of two community meetings next month to provide input into the town's comprehensive plan.

Representatives from the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee attended the Select Board's meeting on Monday to both announce the release of the committee's "existing conditions" report and promote the open house it plans for Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Williamstown Youth Center.

The Thursday event will be held in two sessions, at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., and is designed to collect thoughts from the public about the many elements that go into what formerly was known as the town's master plan.

Those elements include housing, economic development, transportation, public facilities, environmental sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion.

"If you're only interested in one topic, like schools, you can stay at that table," said Stephanie Boyd, the current chair of the Planning Board, which is responsible for drafting the plan.

Boyd recommended that anyone planning to come to the Oct. 13 session at least familiarize themselves with the 25-page executive summary from the existing conditions report but stressed that no specialized knowledge is needed to participate in the community meetings.

Boyd and Community Development Director Andrew Groff, who staffs the Planning Board and the CPSC, emphasized that the Oct. 13 meetings are just the start of the committee's effort to reach out to the community.

"We need to listen to the community and understand its hopes, wants and desires for the next 20 years," Groff said. "We're going to look at target focused outreach on harder to reach groups: students, seniors and lower income residents."

The town already is receiving some feedback through the special email it established for the project: cpsteering@williamstownma.gov

Don Dubendorf, who serves on the plan committee, said when the group releases the plan -- hopefully next spring -- it wants as many residents as possible to feel a sense of ownership.

"We are going to overwhelm people with requests and data," Dubendorf said. "We don't want people to come to the end and say, 'I had no idea.' Please, please, please engage."

In other business on Monday, Randy Fippinger requested the town to make a public statement in support of historically marginalized communities by flying a progress pride flag in a prominent location. Fippinger suggested a spot on Main Street at the top of Spring Street.

He said the idea stemmed from conversations with the Gender Sexuality Alliance at Mount Greylock Regional School and argued that such a public display would make a statement about the values of openness and inclusivity that the town has been attempting to embrace.

Jeff Johnson immediately signed on to the idea and said the town should go further, suggesting a communitywide celebration during Pride Month in June and swapping out the American flags the town flies up and down Main Street at Memorial Day for pride flags and then going back to American flags in time for the Fourth of July.

As they met inside a Town Hall which, for months, has been illuminated with blue and yellow lights in honor of Ukraine, the board members returned to a familiar discussion point: whether the town or board should take stands on political issues not directly related to town government.

Andy Hogeland told his colleagues that while he personally supported the pride flags and what they represent, he has concerns about how a municipal display could open the town for requests for "equal time" from groups whose agendas run contrary to the town's values.

"I'm very much in favor of gay pride flags," Hogeland said. "I have an institutional problem with the Board of Selectmen picking social causes to get behind when members of the town could have different priorities.  How would we say no to an NRA flag or a white supremacist flag or an anti-abortion flag or a pro-abortion flag?"

Town Manager Bob Menicocci agreed that there were legal issues to be considered, citing a recent Supreme Court decision that compelled Boston to fly a flag from a Christian group after it requested "equal time" with a pride flag and similar displays.

"Hats off to the GSA and pass along my compliments [for the idea]," Hogeland said. "This is not about them. This is about the issue of equal time."

Hugh Daley said he would consult the town counsel about how the town could accomplish the end sought without opening the door to allowing displays on town property from every conceivable group.

"We should take a second and formulate with legal counsel the path that allows us to do the thing we want to do without doing the thing we don't want to do," Daley said.

The board on Monday heard a report from Fippinger on the response of the Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity to a draft purpose statement that emphasizes the creation of a strategic plan "to make Williamstown ready for a more diverse future."

Fippinger said that the discussion at the DIRE Committee's Sept. 19 meeting was productive, and he and Johnson reported that a joint DIRE-Select Board working group is making progress on "wordsmithing" the purpose document.

Daley said he hopes to be able to have a revision available for the DIRE Committee to review in early October and for the Select Board to potentially approve on Oct. 12, when it holds a meeting moved from the second Monday of the month to avoid a conflict with Indigenous Peoples Day.

"Let's remind ourselves the paramount, most important thing will be the creation of the strategic plan," Daley said. "Anything that gets in the way of that strategic plan [formation] is pushing us backwards.

"I'm very focused on this strategic plan being focused on increasing the diversity and community building efforts within the community."

In reference to one of the next big community events in town, Menicocci announced that trick-or-treat hours in Williamstown will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 31.
Dalton to Hold Special Town Meeting Oct. 19

DALTON, Mass.  Dalton will be holding a special town meeting at Wachonah Regional High School at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19, to vote on four articles.

Voters will decide whether to expand the scope of the Wahconah Regional High School project to include a new track at an added cost of up to $45,000 a year to the town.

The Select Board will also be meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 11, to vote on whether or not it will support the track.

Article 2 will to see if the town will approve a transfer of funds from the General Stabilization account to the Police Outside Detail.

The Finance Committee will discuss on Wednesday, Oct. 12, whether the amount presented to the town will be $5,000 or $10,000.

Article 3 of the warrant is to see if the town will approve a transfer of funds from Sewer Stabilization to Project Account 932 in the amount of $720,000. These funds would be used toward addressing inflow and infiltration into the sewer system, as found during a source evaluation study.

The Finance Committee will also hear the town manager's presentation on using $360,000 from American Rescue Plan Act funds and $360,000 from Sewer Stabilization.

Article 4 of the warrant will authorize the payment of unpaid bills from the previous fiscal year. The cost of these bills is approximately $143 and requires a 9/10ths vote.

The board also accepted the Police Department's Municipal Road Safety Program Grant in the amount of $19,192.04.

The town had used this grant many years ago due to short staffing making it difficult for the town to apply but due to the departments and Administrative Assistant for the Dalton Police Department Beckie Whitaker's efforts, they have been approved for the grant again.

The grant will cover a bike and pedestrian rodeo in the Spring of 2023 where they will inspect bikes and hand out helmets, educational materials, and reflective vests and bans. It will also cover the enforcement and monitoring of crosswalk violations and extra patrols.

In other business:

The board voted to rescind Nancy Persson and Deborah Horth's appointment to the Americans with Disabilities Act Committee.

Persson has been part of the committee for a while. Executive Assistant Alyssa Maschino said she was not able to speak to Persson but was informed by her daughter that she is not in good health.

"Just want to say thank you to Nancy for her volunteer work on the ADA committee to this date and I appreciate your time and effort," Select Board Chair Joseph A. Diver said.

Horth moved out of Dalton about five years ago and Maschino said she has been unable to contact her. Diver said he thanks Horth for her work as well.

The board approved the appointment of Lynn Clements to the ADA Committee, effective Sept. 27 through June 30, 2022.

 James R. Duryea Jr. was appointed as a permanent sergeant, effective Sept. 27.

Duryea has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, has been with the department full time since 2016 and has been the department K9 handler since 2017. He is also the union association president.

He is the department's step six instructor and pistol, rifle, shotgun, and less-lethal instructor.

"A couple of things about Sgt. Duryea is he has absolutely immense respect from the officers, our department, and I couldn't be happier to have him in this position," Police Chief Deanna Strout said.

He will be going to field training officer school in November so he will also be one of the department's training officers.

 Heather Durant has left her position as assessor's clerk and a replacement will be hired. Patty Malay Nichols was welcomed as the new assistant town clerk.

 Resident Richard Hall addressed the board to remind residents of Resident Richard Hall addressed the board to remind residents of the town rate for electricity rights

"Ratepayers will continue to enjoy the stable rate of $0.09603/kWh which is 30 percent lower than Eversource's winter Basic Service rate of $0.13702/kWh," from a text with the electricity aggregation price.
Ward 2 Councilor Charles Kronick speaks Tuesday on his petition to force homeless camps out of Springside Park.

Pittsfield Council Rejects Petition on Homelessness in City Parks

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Ward 2 Councilor Charles Kronick's second attempt to evacuate homeless encampments was shot down by the City Council on Tuesday.

His request to postpone all of the Parks Departments' future funding requests and grant approvals until the prohibiting of camps in Springside Park is enforced failed 8-2 with himself and Councilor at Large Karen Kalinowsky voting in favor.



Instead, the councilors referred Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey's petition asking for an update on the initiatives the city is undertaking to address homelessness to Mayor Linda Tyer.



"The purpose of my petition is to formally recognize the City Council as a legislative body that is completely distinct from the administrative body of the mayor's office, and I've been calling upon us to exert our financial authority and adopt this resolution," Kronick said.



"And this is really an expression of common sense. We can debate from time to time what is objectively, perhaps [an] emergency for emergency grants and what is something that has to be, absolutely must be done, but this sends a message that the City Council is looking at this problem that we have and we are in agreement that we have, that we will be keeping our eye on the budget requests going forward."



In his petition, he wrote that "Springside Park is in such a degraded state due to the damage caused by homeless camps which endanger abutting properties and present grave health risks" and that the "park is completely inhospitable to the taxpayers who are the lawful owners of it."



Kronick argued that the proposal doesn't aim to criminalize homelessness or defund the department but his colleagues said otherwise.



"This petition, to me, reads as an attack on homeless people, people who are poor," Councilor at Large Earl Persip III said, adding that the people need to be supported and none of them want to live in the park.



Persip said the city needs to focus on other things like the 28-unit transitional housing project that is proposed on West Housatonic Street. He pointed to the opposition that was raised about the project at a city meeting last week, speculating that people don't want homeless camps in the park but also don't want unhoused people in their neighborhoods.



"We all talk about  most of us talk about [how] we want to actually help. Everyone wants to help from a distance though so let's keep our priorities straight. I won't support tabling this. I won't support passing this. I will support things like the two other petitions on the table," he said in regards to Kavey's petition and another petition from Kronick requesting a progress report on the city's Homelessness Advisory Committee.



"I will support future things of funding and actually getting people transitional health, those are the things we need to focus on. We need to spend our energy there in finding solutions. This is not a solution in my opinion at all. It is an attack. It's criminalizing them."



Persip agreed that things like aggressive panhandling need to be addressed but said most of the campers in Springside Park are "good tenants."



Kalinowsky was one of the people who spoke against the transitional housing proposal last week and defended her stance, saying she is not against the project but wants to see it done right. She feels that the proposed building is too large for the parcel and that there is not enough parking.



"It doesn't mean that we don't like the homeless and we think badly of the homeless," Kalinowsky said about Kronick's petition. "It means something needs to get done."



Ward 3 Councilor Kevin Sherman said he understands that the frustration is there but wants to address the issue in a productive way, not a "one size fits all Draconian measure" against the entire parks population in the city.



He believes that a community discussion and an update on the city's initiatives for the homeless population and an update from the Homelessness Advisory Committee makes sense and that punitive action does not.



"I think we all agree it's a huge issue. We all agree that we want to have people in homes, not parks, not tents and so forth," Sherman said.



"We want folks to have a quality of life across the board whether it's the unhoused or the housed."



He added that he did not support Kronick's request for a public hearing on the homeless encampments at the last council meeting because it would open the door to air grievances, hearsay, and things of that nature.



Councilor at Large Peter White said the city needs to be addressing the issue by using funds to help house people and have systems of support in place as it has been doing. The city recently allocated $8.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for housing initiatives.



"I don't like this painting with a broad brush that homeless people in our community are bad people and they're specifically causing problems," White said.


Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire Seeking Arts Proposals

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire is calling community-oriented arts, humanities, and science program proposals, which are due online by midnight Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. More information can be found at https://massculturalcouncil. org/local-council/ccnb/

CCNB encourages organizations, schools, and individuals to apply for grants that support cultural activities in our communities. The Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire serves these eleven municipalities: Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida, Hancock, Lanesborough, New Ashford, North Adams, Monroe, Savoy & Williamstown.

For local guidelines and complete information on the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, contact Cecilia Hirsch, Chair. The link to online applications and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available online at www.mass-culture.org

CCNB is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community.
Some of the Voices of Recovery rally participants in City Hall on Tuesday night to hear the mayor proclaim September National Recovery Month in the city.

North Adams Part of National Opioid Treatment Study



Mayor Jennifer Macksey reads the recovery proclamation into the record at Tuesday's City Council meeting with Wendy Penner and Richard Alcombright, who informed the council of the city's participation in a national study. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  North Adams is one of more than a dozen communities in Massachusetts, including Pittsfield, that is part of a federal study on opioid prevention and recovery.

"I want to very simply give this council one word to remember tonight, and that is 'heal,'" Richard Alcombright told the City Council on Tuesday. "The city of North Adams is one of 16 communities in the commonwealth that will be benefiting from the Healing Community Study over the next 15 months. ...

"Mayor Macksey is aware and was very supportive of this effort and the opportunities and the resources and the resources that can bring to North Adams and Northern Berkshire."

The "Helping to End Addiction Long-term" Initiative is being undertaken by the National Institutes of Health and covers 67 communities in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio. In Massachusetts, it includes both Berkshire cities and about a dozen others such as Greenfield, Lawrence and Springfield. Boston Medical Center's research team is leading the Bay State aspect.

The team will look at comprehensive and integrated treatments in both medical and community settings and prevention strategies.

Alcombright, former mayor, was speaking on at the council meeting after around 40 community members rallied for addiction recovery on the lawn of City Hall. The Voices of Recovery gathering had been postponed from two weeks ago because of the weather.

Community and regional organizations has risen to the occasion when it comes to supporting the recovery community, Alcombright said.

Thank you city councilors for your support and it's your support and the support of our community that have made so much possible for those suffering from substance use disorder and their families right here in North Adams," he said. "Unlike the political and stigma-based interference found in so many other communities around solutions for prevention, of harm reduction, the city of North Adams has risen to understand that to combat the problem, multiple programs offering multiple services provide for the best solutions and the best outcomes."

Mayor Jennifer Macksey, who is supportive of the study and the resources it can bring to North Berkshire, declared September National Recovery Month in the city. Her proclamation read into the record noted that "the misuse of prescription and illegal drugs remain a national epidemic" and that more people now die from overdoses than in auto accidents.

The scourge of addiction and substance misuse are diseases that "recognize no economic, education, gender, generational or social boundaries," she read but people can recover with treatment.

"Men and women in recovery showcase the power each of us pulls to transform ourselves our families and our communities," Macksey continued before presenting the proclamation to Alcombright and Wendy Penner, who has long been involved in recovery efforts locally and is now on the Drug Addiction Recovery Team in Northampton.

Alcombright said he had asked the mayor to be placed on the agenda of a future meeting to explain the magnitude and intent of the study and what it will mean for North Adams. He also asked those in the audience who were in or who had a family member in recover to stand up to show the "faces of recovery." Seven or eight people stood up in the gallery.

"Over the past 12 or so years, it's been absolutely heartwarming to see how our leaders have embraced recovery," he said. "I'd like you all to see the faces of recovery, those that you serve with your support advocacy, and those who thank you for your service."
Guest Column: Together, We Can End Hunger

A recent survey from Berkshire Regional Planning Commission tells us one in 10 Berkshire County residents report rarely or never being able to afford healthy food. In a land of plenty, food insecurity is the heartbreaking reality for many of our friends and neighbors, colleagues and family members.

Hunger persists despite the interventions  including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children; and the National School Lunch Program that came out of the 1969 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health.

The nonprofit Feeding America shares that more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, in the United States are food insecure, and that hunger costs the United States over $160 billion annually in poor health outcomes, chronic disease, and lost productivity. Moreover, for school-age children, hunger is among the many significant barriers to learning readiness and educational achievement. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that "the toll of hunger and these diseases is not distributed equally, disproportionately impacting underserved communities, including communities of color, people living in rural areas, people who are differently-abled, older adults, LGBTQI-plus people, military families, and military veterans."

Locally, 26 percent of the food insecure population identify as Black and only 7 percent identify as white.

On Sept. 28, the Biden-Harris administration and stakeholders from Congress, federal and state agencies, nonprofits including United Way Worldwide, and people with lived experience from every walk of life will take part in a new White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health. Organizers have set an ambitious goal to introduce a national strategy to "end hunger and increase healthy eating and physical activity by 2030."

This national focus is encouraging and necessary. As Massachusetts-based nonprofit Project Bread has stated, "Without a doubt, policy change is simply the most impactful solution to address hunger." However, we know that policy change takes time, and while hunger persists, there is much we can, should, and must do to support efforts to realize the promise of systems-level change. Put simply, we can't let up on the local fight against food insecurity. This is a

longstanding and shared commitment of Berkshire United Way, Northern Berkshire United Way and our community partners.

For example, NBUW supports the Berkshire Food Project, based in North Adams. This year alone, Berkshire Food Project has served more than 80,000 meals, provided emergency food, online SNAP assistance, and offered community, connection and companionship to people who may be food insecure.

In this work they are part of a network of partners that include the Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Berkshire Bounty, the Berkshire Dream Center's mobile food pantry and Bright Morningstar Kitchen, Price Memorial AME Zion Church, the South Community Food Pantry, and countless others. Thanks to recent state legislation, schools serve nutritious lunches  and in some districts breakfast as well  to all students free of charge. Through these efforts, individuals and organizations provide tens of thousands of meals, literal tons of fresh, healthy food and produce every year, and affirmation and dignity in meeting this most basic of human needs.

This especially important for our community, where data indicate 33 percent of Berkshire County's food insecure population live above the poverty line and, therefore, are ineligible for food programs such as SNAP. Central to these efforts is the work of tireless, dedicated volunteers who gather, organize and deliver food to pantries, and from there to distribution sites and doorsteps across Berkshire County.

This spring, BUW led #HereForGood Volunteer Month, which included several activities focused on food security. We collaborated with the Outreach Program and local volunteers  including volunteers from Greylock Federal Credit Union (a sponsor), Rotary Club of Pittsfield, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, UNICO and Unistress  to assemble 20,000 meal packets. During our Day of Caring event, hosted by L.P. Adams and organized in collaboration with Berkshire Bounty, volunteers filled 1,000 bags with approximately 15,000 pounds of nonperishable food items, and BUW and NBUW collaborated to distribute this food to local food pantries, senior housing, and other sites.

These are just a few examples of our long-standing and ongoing effort to overcome food security in the Berkshires. They reflect the commitment and spirit that animates our work. We're proud to know that in times of need people look to their local United Way and our network of partner agencies and non-profits, including hundreds of dedicated volunteers, for help, support and solutions.

No one has all the answers or the ability to solve every problem alone. That's why Berkshire United Way, Northern Berkshire United Way, and our United Way colleagues across Massachusetts stand shoulder to shoulder in serving our communities and will continue to act locally while national solutions evolve.

For more information on the White House conference, visit whitehouse.gov/hungerhealthconference

Tom Bernard is president and CEO of Berkshire United Way and Duffy Judge is the executive director of Northern Berkshire United Way.
RTHK: US supporting Europe after Nord Stream leaks

The United States said on Tuesday it was ready to help European allies on energy security after leaks were detected on the Nord Stream pipelines and said it was assessing whether sabotage was to blame.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was looking at reports that the leaks were "the result of an attack or some kind of sabotage".

"If it is confirmed, that's clearly in no one's interest," Blinken told reporters.

"My understanding is the leaks will not have a significant impact on Europe's energy resilience," Blinken said.

But he added: "What's critical is that we are working day in day out, both on a short term basis and a long term basis, to address energy security for Europe and, for that matter, around the world."

He pointed to US efforts to step up shipments of liquified natural gas since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine as US allies, notably Germany, tried to reduce their reliance on Russian energy.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan later tweeted that he had spoken to his "counterpart Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe of Denmark about the apparent sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines".

"The US is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europe's energy security," he added.

A White House official earlier said that "we stand ready to provide support" to Europeans after the leaks.

Ukraine accused Russia of causing the leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, saying the alleged actions amount to "nothing more than a terrorist attack".

Photographs taken by the Danish military showed large masses of bubbles on the surface of the Baltic Sea, while Sweden's seismological institute reported underwater blasts. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chinese embassy in New Zealand celebrates 73rd founding anniversary of PRC

Xinhua) 10:01, September 28, 2022

WELLINGTON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in New Zealand on Tuesday held a reception to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In his opening remarks, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong said that the lives of the Chinese people have fundamentally changed over the past 73 years.

The Chinese people have a greater sense of benefit, happiness and security, and absolute poverty, which plagued the Chinese nation for centuries, has come to an end, the Chinese ambassador said.

Applying a new paradigm featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, China is accelerating its transition toward a higher quality, more efficient, more equitable, more sustainable and safer development pathway, he said.

On relations between China and New Zealand, the ambassador said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and New Zealand, which is not only a significant milestone but also an important opportunity for both sides to reflect on the progress made together and chart the course for the future development of bilateral ties.

The ambassador stressed that China regards New Zealand as a valued friend and partner and believes in a bright future for bilateral relations.

China is ready to join hands with New Zealand on the basis of mutual respect, mutual understanding and mutual benefit to take the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to new heights.

For her part, Deborah Geels, deputy secretary of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, extended congratulations to China, saying that New Zealand has been firm and consistent in its commitment to the one-China policy and the implementation of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
BillEase, one of the fastest-growing consumer finance apps in the Philippines, today announced a successful gathering of its top merchants through a masterclass in partnership with MoEngage, a global insights-led customer engagement platform.

As a rapidly growing shop now, pay later platform in the Philippines, BillEase continuously strengthens its relationship with merchants and end consumers. While searching for the ideal customer engagement platform, BillEase also needed a platform that could improve the deliverability of push notifications.

By using MoEngages industry-first capabilities like Push Amplification Plus, BillEase has improved the deliverability of its messages, increasing engagement amongst merchants and end consumers.

By associating with MoEngage, we look forward to enhancing our customer engagement strategy and boosting conversions on BillEase. We aim for BillEase merchants to increase their conversions and their customer lifetime value, said Georg Steiger the CEO and Co-Founder of BillEase.

Saurabh Madan, the Vice President and General Manager of MoEngage Japan, ANZ, and SEA, said the partnership aims to scale greater heights in the Filipino fintech ecosystem: It is our ultimate goal to assist BillEase in its mission of increasing financial access to Filipinos. With our best-in-class customer engagement platform, we aim to support them in all aspects of customer engagement.

As part of its fifth-anniversary celebrations, BillEase has collaborated with MoEngage for an exclusive masterclass How to Engage with Customers to Increase their Lifetime Value on September 23rd, 2022 at Marquis Events Place, Taguig.

#GROWTH Masterclass by MoEngage was an invite-only event offered by BillEase to its topmost merchants. The attendees received fresh insights on how to leverage customer engagement to create personalized and seamless brand experiences to increase their customer lifetime value.

Panelists from Sta. Lucia Grocers, Lazada PH, PriceLOCQ & BillEase leading meaningful discussions on how to engage customers

In a panel discussion hosted by Sirish Krishna Pallevada the Country Manager of MoEngage to the Philippines, Lazada Philippines shared that investing in consumer research plays a vital role in providing a seamless experience to users: Whatever we learn from our customers, we formulate that into strategy, and whatever message we come up with, we push forward with strategies that are aligned with different teams of the platform, said Krisel Macatangay, Lazadas Consumer Relationship Management (CRM) Manager.

PriceLOCQ Philippines meanwhile, shared the importance of making sure that customers have a seamless experience for both online and offline transactions: It requires close alignment between the teams. More than it just being a marketing aspect, being familiar with your users journey is something that affects all the things that contribute to developing and promoting your product, said Dyane Chua, PriceLOCQs Consumer Marketing and Analytics Supervisor.

The event brought together over 30 growth & marketing leadership attendees with a range of topics on engaging customers and driving growth.

For panelist Janme Dhakal Jr., Managing Partner of Sta. Lucia Grocers, one of the key factors in emerging from the unexpected silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic was knowing their customers and hearing what they have to say: We had customers who were senior citizens who live alone. It was more of listening to them and identifying what their pain points are and solving them as much as we can.

BillEases Head for Offline Merchants Khristine Subijano shared that tailor-fit solutions for customers are as important as it is for partner merchants: We look into their typical services that customers are utilizing. Depending on the usage of our customers, we figure out which programs we should highlight. For the merchants segment, when we see that theres low performance in a segment, we try to push more marketing initiatives or collaborations. We do the same thing for segments with potential.
Epson Philippines partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines for marine ecosystem restoration has officially kickstarted with a ceremonial launch in Balabac, Palawan. Supported by project stakeholders such as the European Union delegation to the Philippines and local government officials, the project launch highlights the importance of rehabilitating mangrove sites, recognizing their critical role in marine biodiversity and protecting coasts from erosion and storm surges.

A part of a mangrove forest is shown here at one of the project sites of the Balabac Ecosystem Restoration Project in the southwestern tip of Palawan. The almost 490,000 hectares of sea around Balabac Island is recognized as an area of outstanding marine biodiversity in the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion and is also a vital marine corridor for wildlife.

Epson, which has previously supported the development of WWF-Philippines virtual museum Museo Kalikasan, is now supporting the Mangrove Restoration Project in the municipalities of Balabac and Bataraza, Southern Palawan. As part of the wider European Union-funded Ocean Governance Projectan initiative focused on strengthening habitat resilience through restoration in the Sulu Sulawesi Seascape that covers the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysiathe joint mission in Palawan aims to boost local capacity in taking care of the mangroves, as well as address other critical issues such as plastic waste management. With Epson as a key partner, the Mangrove Restoration Project was able to expand beyond Balabac and into the neighboring municipality of Bataraza. In addition, the growing relationship between Epson Philippines and WWF-Philippines only further drives Epson Philippines commitment to support sustainable innovations and initiatives to solve the worlds greatest challenges.

Corporations have a shared responsibility in sustainable development, said Eduardo Bonoan, Epson Philippines General Manager for Marketing Division, who shared his remarks virtually during the project launch. As Epson continues its commitment to sustainable innovation and environmental responsibility, we believe in forming critical partnerships with organizations that are aligned with our valuessuch as WWF-Philippines.

To further the goals of the Mangrove Restoration Project, WWF-Philippines will continue to work with local government and key stakeholders such as Epson Philippines to establish a Community Learning and Innovation Hub that aims to bridge knowledge gaps and strengthen coastal communities experience in resource management, thereby helping to build local capacity.

It is important that we continue to protect and manage Balabacs valued mangrove forests to boost our efforts in keeping a healthy environment and supporting local livelihoods, said Balabac Mayor Shuiab J. Astami, who officially launched the project in Balabac Island.

We are excited to be part of this multi-stakeholder effort that will restore critical mangroves in Balabac, Palawan and improve the way their coastal resources are managed for the long haul. We strongly hope that this project will succeed and serve as an example for many other communities, said Executive Director of WWF-Philippines, Katherine Custodio.

Moving forward, Epson aims to continue setting a more sustainable example for corporations across the region.

Working alongside governments, local champions and conservation organizations, we are proud to be part of this public-private partnership that is aligned with our renewed Epson 25 Corporate Visionwhich aims to enrich communities and help realize a sustainable society, concludes Bonoan. We hope that this opens up a path for more sustainable partnerships in the future.
Retail chain for consumer goods Electronics Mart India Ltd. announced on Wednesday that it has set a price range of Rs56-59 per share for its Rs500 crore initial public offering (IPO). According to a statement from the firm, public subscription for the inaugural share sale will start on October 4 and end on October 7.

Investors may submit bids for a minimum of 254 equity shares and subsequently in multiples of 254. Pavan Kumar Bajaj and Karan Bajaj established Electronics Mart India Ltd (EMIL) as a private company with the name "Bajaj Electronics" for their retail electronics and consumer goods operation.

As of August of the current year, the business had 112 outlets spread over 36 locations. With the exception of two specialty stores under the name "Kitchen Stories" that cater to kitchen-specific needs and one specialty store format under the name "Audio & Beyond," all of its multi-brand outlets operate under the brand name "Bajaj Electronics."

EMIL now holds a position of leadership in South India. It intends to steadily develop in NCR and extend its retail network in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in accordance with its cluster-focused business strategy. More than 70 consumer durable and electrical manufacturers have more than 6,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs) available for viewing at EMIL across a variety of product categories. It runs through three channels: e-commerce, wholesale, and retail.



Revenue from operations for the firm climbed to Rs 4349.32 crore in FY22 from Rs. 3201.88 crore in the previous year, while profit after tax increased by 77.22% to Rs103.89 crore from Rs58.62 crore. The issue's book-running lead managers are JM Financial, IIFL Securities, and Anand Rathi Advisors.

The initial public offering consists of a new issue of equity shares totaling Rs500 crore with no opportunity to sell. The net proceeds will be used by the firm to pay down debt, support further working capital needs, and finance capital expenditures. The money will also be utilized for ordinary business needs. Qualified institutional investors will receive 50% of the offering size, followed by retail investors receiving 35% and non-institutional investors receiving the remaining 15%.
Backing Indias long-standing demand, Nepal has called for United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms, making it more representative, inclusive, and transparent.

Addressing the general debate of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Nepals foreign secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal said, Nepal supports UN reform initiatives, including revitalizing the General Assembly and reforming the Security Council, to make it more representative, inclusive, and transparent.

Foreign Secretary Paudyal is leading a Nepali delegation to the 77th UN General Assembly which began on September 13 at the United Nations headquarters, New York.

Nepal has been giving its backing for Indias bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council for a couple of years, stating that it was needed to reflect the changed times and make it more effective.

Proposals to restructure the UN Security Council, which now has five permanent members and ten elected to two-year terms, have been around for over two decades, but have hit a stalemate in the UN General Assembly.

A senior official of Nepals foreign ministry elaborated that Nepal was for expanding both permanent and non-permanent categories of Security Council membership and supported India, Japan, Germany and Brazil being given permanent seats.

Nepal wants the reform in the UN Security reforms to reflect contemporary realities for making it more effective, representative, responsive and capable of handling the increasingly complex global problems. As an immediate neighbour of India, we have been supporting Indias bid for UN Security reforms, the official told India Narrative.

Nepals foreign secretary Paudyal, in his bilateral meeting with Indian counterpart Vinay Mohan Kwatra in New Delhi mid-September, had backed Indias bid for UNSC reforms. The two sides had held discussion on cooperation on multilateral forums including the United Nations.

On September 24, thirty two countries including India called for urgent and comprehensive reforms in the UN Security Council in order to adapt the United Nations to contemporary world realities.

In a Joint Statement, the countries said they stand united as a group of pro-reform like-minded States which are determined to work towards a more inclusive, responsive, and participatory international governance architecture.

Apart from other issues, in his address to the 77th session of the UNGA, Nepals foreign secretary Paudyal expressed deep concerns over the deaths and suffering of civilians in the war in Ukraine. He called for an urgent cessation of hostilities and violence and urged all concerned parties to exercise maximum restraint and return to the path of dialogue.

Nepal opposes any threat or use of force against the territorial integrity, political independence, and sovereignty of a country under any pretext and circumstance, Paudyal said.

Also Read: Foreign secretaries highlight connectivity and culture as next steps to elevate ties between India and Nepal
In an embarrassing incident in Patna, the managing director of the Bihar Women's Development Corporation asked a schoolgirl if "she wants condoms too" when the student asked for affordable sanitary napkins.

IAS officer Harjot Kaur responded to the little girl's query by saying, "Tomorrow, you will ask the government for jeans and, later, beautiful jeans."

Financial Express

"In the end, you will ask the government for family planning methods and free condoms, too," she added.



A schoolgirl in Bihar asked an IAS officer: Can the government give sanitary pads at  20-30?



Officer replied- Tomorrow you'll say, gov can give jeans too & beautiful shoes after that?You will eventually expect the gov to give you condoms, too.++ pic.twitter.com/EUjMtX21V7  Shabnam Nafisa Kalim (@BanjaraThoughts) September 28, 2022

At a workshop on "Sashakt Beti, Samriddh Bihar," the officer was interacting with schoolgirls when the accident happened (Empowered Daughters, Prosperous Bihar).

The conversations took place on stage at a workshop on Sashakt Beti, Samriddh Bihar' (Empowered Daughters, Prosperous Bihar).



The project tagline:Towards enhancing the value of girls'.



IAS officer: Ms Harjot Kaur Bhamra, Head of Women and Child Development Corporation, Bihar  Rituraj (@KnottyMedic) September 28, 2022

Harjot's inappropriate remarks haven't gone down too well with people on the internet.

This type of IAS officer are toxic for our society 

Bihar government immediately take action against her @yadavtejashwi @NitishKumar https://t.co/Ra0T1Q9JWT  AKASH KUMAR MISHRA (@akashmishra1528) September 28, 2022

Harjot Kaur Bhamra is an IAS and CMD of women and child development Bihar. There are better ways to answer the question the girl asked but she responded with arrogance and rude behaviour. Shame on her she doesn't deserve to be at that post. @IASassociation https://t.co/EbVZt0ZwpY  NamitaJaiHind  (@NamitaJaiHind) September 28, 2022

A girl from a slum in Bihar asks for subsidised sanitary pads at an event on enhancing value of girls and IAS officer Harjot Kaur Bhamra responds, Want free condoms too? Should such insensitive officers be allowed to remain in service? @IASassociation @biharCMO pic.twitter.com/GrhggEpqXZ  Yash Barupal (@yashpal_barupal) September 28, 2022

Bihar CM @NitishKumar should suspend this IAS officer immediately. Aisa badhega Bihar?

Vaideh mein betiyon ka tirasskar nahin kara jaata, Mahoday! https://t.co/EUtKTMk7BJ  Gunja (@GeeKayTalks) September 28, 2022

@NitishKumar

Respect CM of Bihar,

I request you take necessary action against IAS Harjot Kaur for her hated speech how can a woman and government servent talk like that.

Sir I humble request you to provide some facility for school girls. https://t.co/Xy2qM1Vs3f  Vinay Suhag (@VinaySuhag) September 28, 2022

According to multiple reports, the event was held in partnership with UNICEF.

"The government is giving lots of free things. Can they not provide us sanitary pads that cost Rs 20-30?" the schoolgirl had asked.

Kaur continued her disgusting rant and did just not stop at the 'condom' remark.

When the girl from the slum retorted that the people elect the government, Kaur cautioned the student. "not to vote."

"Dont vote. Become Pakistan," she said.

The officer did try to teach a lesson from her remarks.

"Why do you need to take anything from the government? This way of thinking is wrong. Do it yourself," she told the audience, which comprised girls from Classes 9 and 10 primarily.

But the streak of great questions and responses was long.

When a kid said that her school's girls' restroom is still damaged and that boys frequently use it, the officer responded, she said, "Tell me, do you have separate toilets at home? How will it work if you keep asking for many things at different places?"

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In June 2022, advertising giant Publicis Groupe introduced the newest member of its C-suite at a technology conference in Paris. Named Leon, the chief metaverse officer is not a human but a new interface in the form of an avatar to further help its clients understand, navigate and develop Web3 strategies.



Publicis wants Leon to help blue-chip clients like Walmart Inc., UBS Group AG and Nestle SA understand what the blockchain, NFTs and a more immersive internet experience could mean for their businesses, as per a Bloomberg report.

And wait. Leon even has a LinkedIn profile, an email address and a French accent. But no, it doesn't get a paycheck, as it's a digital avatar.

While Leon isnt human, companies are increasingly hiring real people to help them navigate the so-called meta-jungle. Firms, as varied as consumer-products giant Procter & Gamble Co., talent manager Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Spanish telecom carrier Telefonica SA, luxury-goods maker LVMH and wedding-registry retailer Crate & Barrel, have all decided they need a chief metaverse officer (CMO), the report mentioned.

shutterstock

Though a recent tech-sector downturn has hit metaverse stalwarts like Meta Platforms Inc. and Roblox Corp. particularly hard, it hasnt stopped companies from rolling out million-dollar paydays to new executives as a down payment to secure their digital future. As per the Bloomberg report, Gartner analysts say one in four people will spend at least an hour a day in the metaverse within a few years.



Brands need to get closer to their customers, and the metaverse is a channel to do that, said Hamza Khan, a McKinsey partner who co-leads the firms metaverse efforts, the report mentioned. Compared to the early days of e-commerce, this time around brands are a lot more active a lot earlier.

Also Read: How this Indian Couple Is Building 'Food Metaverse'

Brands Digging Deep Into The Metaverse

Initially, chief metaverse officers first appeared at video-game makers, where immersion in a digital universe is central to the products. But the role has been popping up at more staid institutions dipping their toes into web3.

P&G launched a digital platform called BeautySPHERE this year and reimagined a popular TV ad from the 1980s into a video game. Nike Inc. bought a virtual sneaker company and created a world modelled on its real-life headquarters. Starbucks Corp. is introducing coffee-themed NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, linked to its customer-loyalty program. Walmart might create its own cryptocurrency. Luxury brands like Gucci, Balenciaga and Dolce & Gabbana have brought their fashions to virtual domains in the hopes of converting extremely online youth into real-world buyers of pricey handbags, watches and jewellery, as per Bloomberg.

So basically, translating that talk into action is the job of executives like P&Gs Ioana Matei, whose title is head of emerging and immersive technologies, and LVMHs Nelly Mensah, vice president of digital innovation and emerging solutions at the home of Fendi and Bulgari. Disneys man in the metaverse, Mike White, is a senior vice-president in charge of next-generation storytelling and consumer experiences, as per the report.

Worlds first chief metaverse officer

Forbes

The ideal chief metaverse officer can speak as fluently about AR and VR as she can about sales and marketing, according to Cathy Hackl, who helps companies set up their meta-business units and claims to be the worlds first chief metaverse officer, a title she bestowed upon herself.



Theyre not easy to find, but there are people who straddle both of these worlds, she said.

As per a Forbes report, Web3 is an innovative and sometimes confusing space that many businesses are still learning to navigate and maximize. And for some of the biggest brands in the world, Cathy Hackl has been the essential guide into the Metaverse.

Hackl is a Web3 strategist and tech futurist. As founder and Chief Metaverse Officer at Journey (formerly Futures Intelligence Group), she supports brands that are breaking ground and expanding their businesses into the virtual world. Her studio helps clients capitalize on tools like NFTs, gaming, virtual fashion, virtual worlds and Metaverse growth strategies. Hackl is largely credited with being the first professional to be bestowed the title of Chief Metaverse Officer.

Appropriately nicknamed the Godmother of the Metaverse, Hackl has been at the forefront of bringing Web3 to business strategy. But her success didnt begin in tech. Hackl was a broadcast journalist before transitioning into corporate communications and live video, as per Forbes.

Also Read: Gucci Becomes First Major Brand To Adopt 'ApeCoin'

For the latest and interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here.
Through Vitality, Manulife customers can track health data and earn rewards for engaging with the program.

Vitality has been live since 2016 and has helped tens of thousands of Canadians improve their overall health and wellbeing, according to Manulife.

Read more: Canadas 10 largest insurance companies ranked

Up to the latest launch, Vitality had been a paid-for option, originally available through its family term product and later its individual health and dental product.

As of November, it will launch a two-tiered membership program for its insureds, with Vitality Go, which offers discounts at major outlets as a reward for developing healthy everyday habits, expected to be complimentary. Vitality Plus, which offers the potential for annual premium savings and additional offers, will cost a small monthly fee.

Essentially, how it works is that customers go through a broad spectrum of activities, many of which they already do today, including exercise, nutrition, sleep, preventative screenings, things like going for a workout, going for a run, getting a flu shot, or going to the dentist, Savage explained.

When they do those things, they get Vitality Points, and those points contribute to statuses which contribute to rewards

Manulife is working with big name brands, including Tim Hortons, Amazon, Expedia, and Apple Watch.

Participation in the program will be fully optional, Savage said.

Customers have the ability to decide what theyre comfortable sharing with Manulife, he confirmed.

For those customers that do choose to share, Savage said there are also benefits for advisors.

In terms of what advisors can see, advisors wont see the level of personal information in terms of personal biometrics or anything like that, but they can be aware of their clients achieving higher statuses, Savage said.

For example, if a client had silver or gold or platinum status, the advisor could congratulate them on the milestone, as well as check in on if theyre seeing the rewards if theyve booked a trip, if theyve got an Apple Watch and how theyre enjoying it.

It gives the advisors the opportunity to have many more conversations.

Read more: Manulife launches new health and dental insurance contest

More than 55% of advisors surveyed by Manulife said they believed Vitality was improving their customer retention. Three out of four said Vitality gave them new opportunities to interact with customers, and two out of three found that Vitality helped to differentiate their practice from the competition.

Studies have shown that through the COVID-19 pandemic Canadians physical and mental health has suffered. Interest in the program increased during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, according to Savage.

We believed in the Manulife Vitality program and this desire to help customers live better, healthier lives before we even knew that there would be a pandemic, but the pandemic has certainly underscored the need and the benefits of some of these healthy behaviours and activities, Savage said.

We have certainly seen interest in the program go up significantly as weve gone through the pandemic, and it has also shown that Manulife Vitality is an ongoing program that lets us bring the latest in terms of scientific and health research and benefits to our clients.

As for the health benefits of Vitality, Manulife pointed to data that showed nearly one in three of its members with elevated blood pressure were able to improve their readings to normal levels within a year.

Surveyed members also said they had increased exercise activity by at least 20 minutes on a weekly basis, while more than half of members with somewhat at-risk psychological distress said their mental state had significantly improved.

We strongly believe that life insurance players should care about helping their customers live longer, healthier and better lives, Savage said. And were in a unique position in our industry to be able to make that impact for our customers.
Its an opportunity that Yiana Stavrakis (pictured) knows well as the head of an insurance company. The more you undergo [the problem-solving process], the more you realize a mix of social and analytical skills are required, observed Stavrakis, president of Monarch E&S Insurance Services.

That mix of social and analytical skills includes emotional intelligence, teamwork, and sound decision-making. Not once have I effectively solved a problem in a vacuum, Stavrakis admitted. A singular perspective will lead to incorrect assumptions, incorrect decision-making, and ultimately a lack of credibility. The problem-solving process takes longer using a team approach, but the results are always worth it.

Before joining Monarch in 2020, Stavrakis provided strategic sales and marketing guidance as chief sales officer for Specialty Program Group. But her insurance journey started with Metro Insurance Services, a real estate MGU, where she honed her underwriting and claims management skills.

She is among a stellar line-up of insurance leaders speaking at the Women in Insurance Summit in San Francisco next month. As the leader of a full-service MGA and wholesale brokerage, she applies her own five-step problem-solving process on the job, which she shared with Insurance Business. The first step, she said, is identifying the problem while ensuring an environment of transparency and open-mindedness.

I try not to jump to blame or even answers immediately, so my team feels comfortable coming to me with issues and are engaged in helping find a solution, she stressed.

The second step is considering possible solutions and forming a working group of stakeholders to collaborate with. For Stavrakis, creating a safe environment for sharing ideas and creative brainstorming is critical for this stage.

The third step, and the most difficult, is making a decision. Pulling a trigger on a solution can be frightening, but Stavrakis cited wise words from the pilot Amelia Earhart: The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity.

She explained: There will never be a perfect answer, ever. If you are open-minded to feedback, research thoroughly, and monitor results consistently, you will make the best decision with the information you have at that moment.

The fourth step is to create a plan to implement the solution. During this phase, proper communication is integral to success, Stavrakis said. Its also more than likely that mistakes will occur at this stage, but leaders should stand firm and keep pushing forward toward the goal.

There will be times when we must take ownership of missteps, but this makes us human, and if we act quickly based on valid feedback, there will be minimal collateral damage, she added.

Finally, the fifth step is to solicit feedback and monitor results. A robust plan at this stage should identify roadblocks and opportunities quickly, allowing for course correction on the fly, Stavrakis said. Leaders should have the patience and flexibility to pivot when things arent working as planned.

Stavrakis also favors a conceptual approach to problem-solving, which involves prioritizing based on impact and strategically tying solutions across various problems. Insurance leaders should also have the foresight to consider how each decision impacts another.

Though decision-making calls for tenacity, she cautioned fellow insurance leaders against prioritizing speed and making calls based on personal impulse. Dont jump to solutions quickly and get the right people engaged, so you have well-thought-out proposals, Stavrakis advised.

You dont have all the answers alone, but you are responsible for guiding the ship there with the right people rowing in the same direction.

Insurance leaders are addressing some of the industrys most impactful issues at the Women in Insurance summit in San Francisco on October 4 at the JW Marriott Union Square.

Visit sanfrancisco.ibwomenininsurance.com to learn more about the event.
The Advocate reported that the OIR moved to shutter FedNat on September 23. The regulator gave clarification that its referral of FedNat to receivership would not affect Florida policyholders.

Its important to note, FedNat had zero policies in force in Florida at the time of the referral. In June 2022, FedNat early canceled approximately 56,000 of the 140,000 policies in force in Florida, an OIR spokesperson said.

The remaining policies were assumed by Monarch National Insurance Company. All outstanding claims will become the obligation of FIGA (Florida Insurance Guaranty Association).

In May, the insurer filed a notice to withdraw from Louisiana, allowing it to cancel its then 13,500 policies in the state. FedNat said at the time that it had enough money to pay any outstanding claims. But earlier this month, FedNat told the OIR that it had overstated its financial position, and that it did not have sufficient funds to pay its debts and other obligations, court documents revealed.

It was also reported by The Advocate that FedNats admission came after a merger last month with Louisianas Maison Insurance, which was already owned by the same parent company.

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon is looking into the potential impact of FedNat being placed into receivership.

I am reaching out to Florida to get a clearer understanding of this development from a Louisiana point of view, Donelon said in a statement to Fox 8. My preliminary understanding is that it will have no effect on any Louisiana policyholder, but may have LIGA implications relative to claims pending at the time of Floridas action.

Read more: Three property insurers see their ratings downgraded, withdrawn

FedNats referral to receivership comes a month after its financial stability rating by Demotech was withdrawn. It has been said that ratings withdrawals typically preceded a companys insolvency or rehabilitation.
A heavy equipment operator doing demolition on the eighth floor of the Government Center garage in downtown Boston died on March 26, 2022, when the partially demolished floor collapsed, and the 11,000-pound excavator and its operator fell 80 feet. It was the employees first day on the job.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, its inspection found that Brockton-based contractor JDC Demolition Co.. Inc. failed to adequately train its workers on the demolition plan and safety management system to help them recognize and avoid unsafe conditions.

As a result, OSHA has cited the company for 11 violations of workplace safety standards and proposed a total of $1,191,292 in penalties.

Specifically, on the morning of the collapse, OSHA said that another heavy equipment operator, who had started demolition on a concrete beam on an upper floor bay, told the foreman they had concerns about the floors safety. Despite the employee raising safety concerns, a second employee was assigned to operate the excavator. That worker, the deceased, never received a safety briefing and was not trained to follow the engineers demolition plan.

OSHA also found that JDC Demolition deviated from the demolition plan by imposing unsafe loads, in the form of heavy equipment, on the partially demolished seventh, eighth and ninth floors. The demolition plan prohibited the placement of heavy equipment on partially demolished floor bays.

OSHA Regional Administrator Galen Blanton in Boston said JDC knew the heavy equipment on the partially demolished floors exceeded the weight limits and still allowed a worker, unaware of the hazards, to do demolition work. This willful and egregious disregard for safety cost a workers life and exposed other employees to potentially fatal hazards, Blanton said.

OSHA also cited John Moriarty and Associates Inc., the demolition projects general contractor, for four violations with $58,008 in proposed penalties, including for failing to ensure that partially demolished floors were of sufficient strength to support the mechanical equipment and that employees were trained to recognize and avoid overloading of floors during demolition.

Both employers have 15 business days fo comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Topics Workers' Compensation
A New Jersey court has ruled that an insurer is not required to provide coverage to an Uber Eats food delivery driver under the states law requiring app-based transport services to provide underinsured motorist for their drivers.

The law requiring transportation network companies to provide at least $1.5 million in underinsured motorists coverage only applies to companies and drivers that transport passengers, the Superior Court of New Jersey in Essex County has ruled.

The case was one of first impression for the court but an easy one for it to decide based on the text of the Network Company Safety and Regulatory Act itself. The law, by its literal and unambiguous terms, protects only those drivers who are in the process of arranging or providing a ride to a rider, the opinion states.

Scott C. Malzberg was appealing from a lower courts dismissal of his claim for underinsured motorist coverage against James River Insurance Co. Malzberg was injured in a motor vehicle accident while he was operating his motorcycle in Hackensack as an Uber Eats delivery driver. The Uber Eats app allows food delivery service providers and restaurants to connect with each other so that they can fulfill orders placed by consumers. He also sued Portier, the company that operates the Uber Eats app.

Malzberg signed a contract that warned him that his own insurance may not provide coverage for delivery services and that it was his responsibility to resolve issues with his own insurer.

The driver who hit him was insured by CURE Auto Insurance with bodily injury liability coverage limited to $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident. His injuries exceeded the limits of that personal auto insurance policy.

Portier, the company that operates the Uber Eats app, had a business auto insurance policy from James River. That policy defines an insured to include Delivery Drivers who have entered into a contract to use the UberPartner Application and who have logged into the UberPartner Application. Importantly, however, the James River policy does not provide underinsured motorist benefits.

Malzberg argued that under the statute, James Rivers policy must provide underinsured motorist coverage in the amount of at least $1.5 million because the statute refers to drivers who receive connections to potential riders and related services from a transportation network company. Malzberg broadly construed related services to include food delivery.

However, the court rejected the contention that this isolated phrase so significantly expands the scope of the statutory scheme, which nowhere mentions food delivery.

Malzberg further argued that there is a hole in the law created by the constant evolution of technology and that there is no sound reason for the Legislature to have afforded insurance protection to a driver transporting a prearranged rider but not to that same driver delivering food.

But the court said that matter is something for lawmakers to address, not the courts. Although we appreciate the economic consequences of plaintiffs situation, his contention that there is a hole in the law raises policy considerations that simply are beyond our purview, the ruling states.

Topics New Jersey
A New York bus driver faces sentencing for fraudulently collecting more than $30,000 in workers compensation wage indemnity benefits by falsely claiming that she was unable to work as a result of a disability, officials announced.

State Inspector General Lucy Lang reported that Antoinette Laney, of Kenmore, pleaded guilty in Erie County Court to grand larceny.

Laney worked as a bus driver for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) at the time of her claimed May 15, 2017, injury. She subsequently submitted at least 15 NFTA workers compensation 30-day reports, which included false representations of her physical ability and work activity, and made false representations to medical providers, according to court documents.

Lang, who also serves as the workers compensation inspector general, said her offices investigation found that between September of 2018 and October of 2019, Laney misrepresented the degree and extent of her disability, as well as her ability to work. The investigation also revealed that during this time period Laney was working as a personal shopper and grocery delivery driver for Instacart.

As a result of her misrepresentations, Laney fraudulently obtained workers compensation benefits from the NFTA in the amount of $30,212.69.

As part of her plea, Laney agreed to pay full restitution and she faces a maximum of fours years in prison when she is sentenced in December, Lang said.

Topics Workers' Compensation Fraud New York Talent Personal Auto
Any deliberate disruption to the EUs energy infrastructure would meet a robust and united response, its top diplomat said, after several states said two Russian pipelines to Europe that have been spewing gas into the Baltic had been attacked.

It remained far from clear who might be behind the leaks or any foul play, if proven, on the Nord Stream pipelines that Russia and European partners spent billions of dollars building.

Russia, which slashed gas deliveries to Europe after the West imposed sanctions over Moscows invasion of Ukraine, has also said sabotage was a possibility and that the leaks undermined the continents energy security.

Gas Leaks in Russia-Europe Nord Stream Pipelines Raise Sabotage Fears

The European Union believes sabotage probably caused the leaks detected on Monday in the Nord Stream pipelines, Josep Borrell was reported as saying by German broadcaster ntv, echoing views aired by Germany, Denmark and Sweden on Tuesday. The EU has not named a potential perpetrator or suggested a reason behind it.

Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response, Borrell said, according to ntv.

Denmarks defense minister, meanwhile, said on Wednesday there was reason to be concerned about the security situation in the Baltic Sea region following a meeting with NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.

Russia has a significant military presence in the Baltic Sea region and we expect them to continue their saber-rattling, Morten Bodskov said in a statement.

In a sign of how long it might take to ascertain the full extent of the damage and the cause of the leaks, Bodskov also said it might take a week or perhaps two before the areas around the damaged pipelines were calm enough to be investigated.

Swedens Prosecution Authority said it will review material from a police investigation into the damage to the pipelines and decide on further action.

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson had told a news conference on Tuesday that two blasts had been detected in relation to the leaks. Although this did not represent an attack on Sweden, Stockholm was in close contact with partners such as NATO and neighbors such as Denmark and Germany.

Seismologists in Denmark and Sweden said they had registered two powerful blasts on Monday in the vicinity of the leaks and the explosions were in the water, not under the seabed.

The Nord Stream pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between capitals in Europe and Moscow that has damaged major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring and sparked a hunt for alternative supplies.

Denmarks armed forces said the largest gas leak had caused a surface disturbance of well over 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) in diameter, while agencies issued warnings to shipping to avoid the area.

Norway has said it will strengthen security at its oil and gas installations in the wake of the leaks and reports of drone activities in the North Sea and Danish authorities asked that the level of preparedness in its power and gas sector be raised.

Gas Flows

Operator Nord Stream has called the damage unprecedented, while Gazprom, the Russian-controlled company with a monopoly on its gas exports by pipeline, declined to comment.

Neither pipeline was pumping gas at the time the leaks were found, but the incidents scupper any remaining expectations that Europe could receive fuel via Nord Stream 1 before winter, while there are also concerns about gas piped via Ukraine.

A development that could have a more immediate impact on gas supplies to Europe was a warning from Gazprom that Russia could impose sanctions on Ukraines Naftogaz due to ongoing arbitration, analysts at ING Research said.

Naftogazs CEO said on Wednesday the Ukrainian energy firm will continue with arbitration proceedings against Gazprom over Russian natural gas which transits the country.

Gazprom said earlier in the week that while rejecting all Naftogazs claims in arbitration, it may introduce sanctions against the company in case it presses ahead with the case.

The risk is that these flows come to a complete halt, which will only tighten up the European market further as we move towards the heating season, the ING analysts added.

European gas prices rose following news of the leaks. The benchmark October Dutch price TRNLTTFMc1 was up by 11% at 204.50 euros/megawatt hour on Wednesday. Although prices are still below this years peaks, they remain more than 200% higher than in early September 2021.

Russia reduced gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream 1 before suspending flows altogether in August, blaming Western sanctions for causing technical difficulties. European politicians say that was a pretext to stop supplying gas.

The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had yet to enter commercial operations. The plan to use it to supply gas was scrapped by Germany days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, in what Moscow calls a special military operation, in February.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; writing by Alexander Smith; editing by Louise Heavens)

Photograph: Stored pipes for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline stacked at the Port of Sassnitz in Germany. Photo credit: Bigstock

Topics Russia Europe
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australian police were investigating a purported hackers release of the stolen personal data of 10,000 customers of the nations second-largest wireless carrier and demand for a $1 million ransom in cryptocurrency, the companys chief executive said Tuesday.

The Australian government has blamed lax cyber security at Optus for the unprecedented breach last week of the personal data of 9.8 million current and former customers.

Jeremy Kirk, a Sydney-based cyber-security writer, said the purported hacker, who uses the online name Optusdata, had released 10,000 Optus customer records on the dark web and threatened to release another 10,000 every day for the next four days unless Optus pays the ransom.

Australia Plans to Toughen Privacy Rules After Massive Cyber Attack on Optus

Asked if the hacker had threatened to sell the remaining data if Optus did not pay the $1 million within a week, the companys chief executive, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, told Australian Broadcasting Corp., We have seen there is a post like that on the dark web.

Australian Federal Police said Monday their investigators were working with overseas agencies, including the FBI, to determine who was behind the attack and to help shield the public from identity fraud. Police declined further comment Tuesday as the investigations were ongoing.

Theyre looking into every possibility and theyre using the time available to see if they can track down that particular criminal and verify if they are bona fide, Bayer Rosmarin said.

Kirk wrote in his website Bank Info Security that Optusdata later deleted the post along with three samples of the stolen data.

Optusdata sent Kirk a link to a new post that withdrew the ransom demand, claimed the stolen data had been deleted and apologized to Optus as well as its customers.

Too many eyes. We will not sale (sic) data to anyone, the post said, adding that Optus had not paid a ransom.

Kirk said he asked why Optusdata had changed their mind but received no response.

Australian Information and Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk, the national data protection authority, said the latest post indicates  this is a very fast-moving incident.

Its a major incident of significant concern for the community. What we need to focus on here is ensuring that all steps are maintained to protect the communitys personal information from further risk of harm, Falk said.

Web security consultant Troy Hunt suspected the apology had come from the hacker. But he did not accept that the data was now safe.

The question now is what happens next? Will we just hear no more from this individual? Will the data appear in a larger volume tomorrow, next week, possibly years from now? Hunt said.

At least one of the 10,000 Optus customers whose data was released on the dark web Tuesday had received a text message purportedly from the hacker demanding a 2,000 Australian dollar ($1,300) ransom, Nine Network News in Sydney reported.

Your information will be sold and used for fraudulent activity within two days or until a payment of AU$2,000 is made, the text said, including details of an Australian bank account in the name Optusdata.

The extortion target, identified only as Belinda and described as a mother of a 5-year-old child with cancer, told Nine, To be honest, its just not what we need.

I guess theyre just trying to hopefully pressure people into paying, she said. Nine did not report whether she intended to pay.

Earlier Tuesday, Kirk said the released personal data appeared to include health care numbers, a form of identification not previously revealed publicly to have been hacked.

Cybersecurity Minister Clare ONeil urged Optus to give priority to informing customers of what information had been taken.

I am incredibly concerned this morning about reports that personal information from the Optus data breach, including Medicare numbers, are now being offered for free and for ransom, ONeil said. Medicare numbers were never advised to form part of compromised information from the breach, she added.

ONeil on Monday described the hack as an unprecedented theft of consumer information in Australian history.

Of the 9.8 million people affected, 2.8 million had significant amounts of personal data, including drivers licenses and passport numbers, breached and are at significant risk of identity theft and fraud, she said.

Kirk said he used an online forum for criminals who trade in stolen data to ask Optusdata how the Optus information was accessed.

Optus appeared to have left an application programming interface, a piece of software known as an API that allows other systems to communicate and exchange data, open to the public, Kirk said.

The Australian Financial Review newspaper said the theory that Optus left open an API had been widely reported.

Bayer Rosmarin rejected such explanations, but said police had told her not to release details.

It is not the case of having some sort of completely exposed API sitting out there, Bayer Rosmarin said.

ONeil didnt detail how the breach occurred, but described it as a quite a basic hack.

Optus had effectively left the window open for data of this nature to be stolen, ONeil said.

Photograph: A customer waits for service at an Optus phone store in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. The Australian government said on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, it was considering tougher cyber-security rules for telecommunications companies after Optus, the nations second-largest wireless carrier, reported personal data of 9.8 million customers had been breached. Photo credit: AP Photo/Mark Baker, File.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Cyber Law Enforcement Australia
Five firefighters were injured while battling a house fire in Ohio over the weekend, authorities said.

Officials said the blaze was reported in a home in Springfield at about 2 p.m. Tuesday. Assistant Chief Matt Smith said crews were on the second floor when the fire suddenly took off _ which he said may have been a flashover _ and firefighters were ordered to evacuate.

The Springfield News-Sun reports that one firefighter was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. Smith said four other firefighters were also transported to hospitals for treatment.

There was no immediate word on the condition of those injured. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Ohio
Gaylord D. Lincoln and G. Lincoln Farms, LLC, located in Springport, Michigan, have agreed to pay $1,200,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of fraudulent claims for federal crop insurance and federal farm benefit payments. The settlement amount was negotiated based on the defendants ability to pay.

U.S. Attorney Mark Totten stated, Michigan farmers depend on federal programs to provide economic security, and these agricultural programs are essential to the national wellbeing. But, in turn, USDA relies on farmers to tell the truth and play by the rules. My office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud on these programs.

This settlement resolves civil claims the United States brought against the defendants in a December 2021 lawsuit. In its complaint, the United States alleged that the defendants defrauded the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) by operating a scheme to avoid benefit program payment limitations. Specifically, the United States alleged that the defendants placed their farmland and crops in the names of their employees, who served as a facade for defendants but had no financial risk or interest in the crops and had them enroll in FSA benefit programs. These individuals then provided the FSA benefit payments to the defendants. The United States further alleged that defendants caused these individuals to take out fraudulent federal crop insurance policies for these crops, even though they had no insurable interest in these crops, and that the proceeds of the policies went to the defendants.

Shantel R. Robinson, Special Agent-In-Charge, United States Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), said, The United States Department of Agriculture is committed to combatting crop insurance fraud through civil enforcement under the False Claims Act. Fraudulent activity within the crop insurance program undermines its intent and misdirects taxpayer dollars from where they were intended. The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General will continue its mission to investigate allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse in USDA programs.

The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Michigan, USDA-OIG, and USDAs Risk Management Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Hull represented the United States.

The complaint and other filings in this case can be found on the Courts online docket under United States v. Lincoln, No. 1:21-cv-1089 (W.D. Mich.).

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice

Topics Fraud Michigan Agribusiness
With maximum sustained winds of 150 mph at just after 3 p.m. on Sept. 28, Hurricane Ian was just shy of Category 5 status when it made landfall in Cayo Costa, Fla.

Ian, one of the strongest hurricanes to ever make U.S. landfall, was the first hurricane to strike Florida since 2018. Its collision with the Sunshine State was the storms second landfall, having already struck Cuba. Forecasters are also considering the possibility of a third landfall on the East Coast after the storm leaves Florida and gets to the Atlantic Ocean.

Variables such as the storms track, strength, speed, landfall location, and cause of loss will ultimately determine losses to the insurance industry from Ian, and while much had been made when the storms direct path strayed from the heavily-populated Tampa-St. Petersburg area to the north, many of the locations within Ians current wind field are well-populated and have been growing. For instance, according to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Fort Myers was the sixth fastest-growing large city in the United States between July 2020 and July 2021.

Ian appears poised to land on the list of costliest hurricanes in history. The intense storm could be the second hurricane to make the list of Top 10 costliest hurricanes in the last two years.

The Insurance Information Institute (Triple I) said many of the insurance modelers are putting losses at between $20 billion and $40 billion.

Alex Sosnowski, Accuweather senior meteorologist, said Ian is in line to affect much of the same area as Hurricane Charley in 2004. However, Ian is a much larger storm. Accuweather said Charley could almost fit inside the eye of Hurricane Ian.

Charley caused nearly $7.5 billion in insured losses when it occurred ($9.7 billion in 2018 dollars), and was on the Top 10 list of costliest hurricanes until a couple of years ago.

In terms of hurricane strength, Hurricane Ian ranks in a tie for fourth place with Charley and a Florida Keys event in 1919 for the strongest hurricanes by maximum sustained wind (150 mph) to make landfall in Florida on record, Phil Klotzbach, meteorologist at Colorado State University and author of the CSU hurricane forecast report, tweeted at 3:25 p.m. yesterday. Minutes later, he also observed that Ian ranks fifth  tied with multiple other hurricanes  in a ranking of all continental U.S. landfalling hurricanes. (Florida storms on Labor Day event in 1935, Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and Hurricane Michael in 2018 outrank the fifth-place hurricanes, as does Hurricane Camille, a 1969 event that made landfall in Mississippi and ranks second, according to Klotzbachs chart.)

Risk modeler CoreLogic noted that in addition to have a wind field that is more than double that of Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Ian is moving forward more slowly. According to CoreLogic, Charley made landfall at more than twice the speed of Ian.

In the last advisory before landfall, the National Hurricane Center reported Ians speed at 9 mph. Later in the day, and early this morning, it was moving at 8 mph.

Insurers in line to cover the losses include the top 10 homeowners insurers in the state (listed below), published by rating agency AM Best before the storm made landfall. After landfall, AM Best downgraded and withdrew the ratings of one of the insurers in the fourth-ranked group, Tower Hill Prime Insurance Company, a commercial and personal lines insurer in Tower Hill Insurance Group.

Yesterday afternoon, CoreLogic estimated that 7.2 million single- and multifamily residences with a combined total reconstruction value (RCV) of $1.6 trillion fall within the moderate and high flash flood risk bands, as forecasted by the National Hurricane Center. NHC forecasts that the entire state of Florida is at some level of flash flood risk due to heavy rainfall from Hurricane Ian, with most of the state being at moderate (40 percent) or greater risk.

The large wind span and the slow speed of Ian have significant impacts on not only the number of homes that will experience hurricane-force winds across Florida, but these factors will greatly magnify the storm surge and precipitation-induced inland flooding, CoreLogic said.

Images on the Weather Channel showed many cars submerged under water.

Hurricane Ians impact on Florida residents appears to be a worst-case scenario, combining the most dangerous components of three infamous U.S. landfalling hurricanes: Andrew (1992), Katrina (2004) and Irma (2017), CoreLogic said, also noting that storm surge depths of up to 18 feet above the ground surface may flood thousands of homes.

On Monday, Neptune Flood, an insurance technology firm placing private flood insurance, said that the company saw a four-times increase in quotes above their normal volume, in anticipation of the storm, noting that The National Flood Insurance Program offers a maximum limit of $250,000 in coverage in areas like Tampa Bay where the average home price approaches half a million dollars. Neptunes policy count in Florida is 30,000 and 130,000 across all states.)

Analysts at Morgan Stanley, who reported current industry estimates of insured losses in the $10-30+ billion range, also wrote in a research note that Hurricane Ian should provide an incremental boost to reinsurance pricing momentum during the Jan. 1 renewals.

(Editors note: This story was updated 9 a.m. Sept 29.)

Photo: Hurricane Ian as seen from space. (Image credit: NOAA)

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane
Auto and property insurers in the last three months have settled class-action lawsuits in Southern states alleging the carriers systematically underpaid claims. A federal appeals court in Georgia has decided a similar issue in favor of the insurer, noting that plaintiffs in a State Farm lawsuit are too disparate to form a class.

The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling in Rashad Baker et al vs. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. The court found that, despite concerns over the insurers method of determining the diminished value of damaged vehicles, the plaintiffs did not prove that all affected policyholders since 2017  about 600,000 drivers  were equally injured by the use of the formula.

Appellants failed to demonstrate that State Farms use of the 17(c) formula always resulted in the underassessment of diminished value claims, the Atlanta-based appeals court wrote in the per curiam opinion.

The 17(c) formula is a court-approved method that State Farm adopted for calculating the payout on vehicles damaged or totaled in accidents, following a 2001 Georgia Supreme Court decision. The plaintiffs in this case argue that State Farm has misused the formula to undercut the value of its insured vehicles involved in accidents.

The claimant attorneys relied mostly on the testimony of Richard Hixenbaugh, founder of Collision Claim Associates, in Atlanta. He is a certified collision analyst and has spent years adjusting claims, his website shows.

In the course of our vehicle diminished value research, information was collected pertaining to all 50 states. As a result, we launched CollisionClaims.com to assist consumers nationwide with vehicle diminished value claims, the site notes. Hixenbaughs Linkedin page said he has participated as an expert witness in three class-action lawsuits on diminshed value.

Hixenbaugh testified in the Baker case that his analysis of 75 claims found that the formula always produced low-ball values. Among other issues, State Farm set a 10% cap on the diminished value factor, or the amount it will bump up the market value of a crashed vehicle. The formula also factored in the mileage twice and undervalued the worth of cars with high mileage.

The appeals court said that, to be sure, Dr. Hixenbaugh identified some fundamental flaws with the 17(c) formula. But he based his opinion on a small and unrepresentative sample size. He also claimed that the formula State Farm used was incorrect, based mostly on his generalized knowledge and experience, the judges noted.

The district court and the appeals court said each policyholders case was highly individualized and the request for class certification did not meet the requirements spelled out in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The rules require that the class members have commonality and that the common questions of law or fact predominate over questions affecting only individual class members.

Each policyholders case must be examined to determine if their vehicles were low-balled and if State Farm breached its contract, the court said.

The lawsuit by Baker and two other policyholders will now continue in federal district court, but not as a class action involving hundreds of thousands of drivers.

The courts opinion deviated from the outcome in two other recent class-action cases in which policyholders argued that insurers had artificially reduced the value of property in thousands of claims. In Alabama, State Farm in July agreed to settle claims brought by homeowners. The claimants argued that the insurer inappropriately depreciated the cost of labor and other non-material costs on repairs to insureds property.

In Mississippi, USAA insurance company in August settled a class action from drivers who said that the insurer did not include taxes and fees when paying out on totaled vehicles.

Topics Lawsuits
A boat captain has been charged with manslaughter in a Memorial Day parasailing crash in the Florida Keys that killed a 33-year-old Illinois woman and injured her young son and nephew.

Daniel Gavin Couch, 49, was booked into the Monroe County Jail on Thursday and was being held on a $100,000 bond.

An investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found Couch cut the line holding Supraja Alaparthi and the two boys because the parasail was dragging in high winds from a sudden summer storm.

They were still strapped into the parasail as they were dragged across the waves for nearly 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) before slamming into the old Seven Mile Bridge, the investigation found.

Family members, including Alaparthis 6-year-old daughter, were on the boat that afternoon. They were visiting the Keys from Elk Grove Village, Illinois, and told the captain they could return the next day if the weather was too bad to go up in the parasail. But the captain said it would be OK, the familys attorney Michael Haggard said when he filed a wrongful death lawsuit in June.

After the parasail hit the bridge, Alparthi was underwater. Her 10-year-old son was hanging upright, and her 9-year-old nephew was bent backward with his head under water, the report said.

The captain did not maneuver his vessel under the bridge to offer aide even though the family members on the parasail vessel later reported they were begging him to help, the arrest warrant said.

The captain of a nearby boat took the victims to shore.

Weather data, pictures, and videos gathered throughout the investigation show black, ominous looking clouds and areas of high winds in the vicinity of the incident, the arrest warrant said.

Investigators also found Couchs decision to cut the tow line was gross and flagrant and he should have taken into account other possible options to safely bring the passengers down.

A lawyer who could speak on Couchs behalf was not listed in jail records.

Photo: (AP Photo/Tony Winton, file photo)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Florida
Autumn is finally here, and I cannot hide my excitement! While to many, autumn means cosy nights in, lit fires and mugs of cocoa, your skin may be going through a more challenging time.

The onset of colder weather means we are turning on our heating and exposing our skin to two vastly different environments, both of which are far from ideal for our skin barrier. The bracing cold can attack our skin, causing redness and irritation, whilst going indoors to an overly heated home can dry out our delicate skin barrier and lead to transepidermal water loss (TEWL). So, apart from hibernating for the next six months, what can we do? We can make like a Nerd and prepare our skin for maximum resilience by committing to the following:

Invest in a comforting cleanser: Winter can exuberate any feelings of discomfort if you suffer from common winter side effects such as transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Some cream cleansers support the skin's natural moisturising factor and these together with oils and balms can feel the most comforting on the skin as we move into winter. Nourishing cleansers arent just for dry skin types - oily skin types can also benefit from a richer product providing the formula has been specifically developed for oily skin.

Try an exfoliating acid: Regular exfoliation assists cell regeneration by removing any dead skin cells. Liquid exfoliants are more respectful and tend to be more effective than physical scrubs and so we recommend opting for these over the grainy variety. Try incorporating a treatment cleanser containing AHAs into your evening regime. A cleanser such as Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser (22.50, theskinnerd.com) will gently polish away any dullness whilst addressing dehydration. Use 1-2 t imes a week to smooth and refine dry, uneven skin.

Include a hydrating serum: To look healthy, your skin needs moisture, so look for products that contain hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and humectant properties like glycerin and niacinamide to bind moisture to the skin. For extra hydration, you can apply a moisturiser on top to seal it in. I love Skingredients Skin Veg Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum (55.00, skingredients.com) which is full of vitamins and skin boosting nutrients  it's like a super juice for the skin!

Apply a ceramide barrier booster before bed: Topical ceramide replacement can assist in reducing TEWL and support skin immune cells, increasing barrier defense. Due to their emollient properties, ceramide-based products are also ideal for night-time use, locking in moisture and aiding restoration while you sleep.

Use products that assist our skin's growth factors : Growth factors are present throughout the body and do their bit for the skin by telling our cells to heal and grow. Supporting our skins growth factors is especially important in the colder season, as they play a huge role in regenerating and rejuvenating the skin. Not only will growth factors work to repair damaged skin, but they will also help to boost collagen and elastin production. I recommend Environ Focus Care Colostrum Gel (46, theskinnerd.com), which contains immunity-building colostrum to help growth factors strengthen the skin and boost resilience.

Wear:

SPF: Your year-round essential, a high factor SPF provides vital defense against the sun's harmful rays, which are damaging even when the sun isnt out! To avoid the perils of UV exposure (think premature skin ageing, fine lines and skin laxity to name a few), you must wear SPF every single day.

Avoid:

Harsh scrubs: Gritty scrubs and physical exfoliants can damage the skin barrier, which needs to be working optimally to protect your skin from the elements.

Moisture-stripping facial washes: Cold weather calls for a swap from a foamy wash to a creamier, skin respectful formula  but take care not to overload the skin with heavy products.

Nerdie Pick

ASAP Skincare Advanced Hydrating Moisturiser, 61

If youre looking for something that effectively replenishes moisture, ASAP Skincare Advanced Hydrating Moisturiser could be the one for you. Containing powerful antioxidants, Vitamin C, CoEnzyme Q10, green tea and ceramides, this lightweight formula helps to prevent free radical damage and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage.

ASAP Skincare Advanced Hydrating Moisturiser, 61, theskinnerd.com
Ryanair has said it will create more than 2,000 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew, engineers, and IT developers in Ireland by 2030.

The airline also said it wants to grow Irish traffic from 20m to 30m per annum over the next decade.
The mother of James Leonard, of the award winning The Two Norries podcast, has admitted she penned his eulogy when he was in the depths of his drug addiction as she feared he would die.

James Leonard and Timmy Long, Corks popular podcasters who overcame addiction and imprisonment, are set to appear on a full-length episode of Nationwide on RTE 1 on Wednesday.

Majella Gould told the show that she used to fantasise about James being well.

Because when I used to be getting the images of him in a coffin I couldnt cope with those images. Even though (when he was bad) I did write his eulogy and I did visit him and I asked him what clothes he would like me to lay him out in when he died. 

'Super proud'

Ms Gould said she is ecstatic at how James turned his life around. I am super proud of him because of his resilience. I thought I would be burying him so many times. Look at him now.

She said she is also very proud of Timmy and wishes his mother was alive to witness his success.

Last August the friends were named Cork Persons of the month for their work in helping people who struggle with addiction and mental health problems.

Only learning to read and write at 32, Timmy has completed an honours degree in construction management, along with two Fetac courses, and runs his own property, maintenance, and construction company employing people in recovery.

Since James became sober in 2013, he has earned a sociology degree and a MA in criminology. He is currently studying for a PhD at UCC.

Timmy said Ardcullen is a lot quieter now but when they were young, the road was often a race track for cars. Our lives could have been in serious danger because of the mischief we were getting up to. They were great times until they started getting chaotic.

James described his childhood as having been okay until his father left home to serve a prison sentence in the late nineties.

The two visited Cork Prison as part of the show. James said that prison was in some ways like an extension of my community.

It was like a rite of passage for someone like myself. It is sad really that our aspiration was to be in a cell.

He said for prisoners the goal is always to get out but as soon as they do their anxiety levels soar.

I would always go back to drugs within the hour. A taxi from here (prison) to the dealer or to the chemist. To level that anxiety and that fear. I would still be in a miserable life but that was the sad reality for me.

During the show James also visited Blairs Hill in Cork city, the site of his last overdose. He had taken two bags of heroin and was lucky that a member of the public spotted him and raised the alarm. Thankfully I made it to treatment and I never looked back, he said.

Brothers in prison

During his visit to Cork Prison, Timmy said that the last time he was there he also had three brothers who were serving a sentence in the same place at the same time.

I walked to the landing and I had three brothers on the same landing. And I had a sense of security when I walked in because it can be a very scary thing for somebody to walk in to a prison.

Timmy said the breakthrough for him was in a cell in the Bridewell Garda Station in Cork city in 2011.

I remember crawling around the floor thinking where am i going to get my next drug? Thinking these bits of white paint on the floor were cocaine. I had a glimpse of awareness and I said what are you doing here? I got up off the floor here and I jumped on this bed. I cried myself to sleep. This was it. I was a broken human being.

The pair say they are both thankful for the support of the Cork Alliance Centre, which helped them on their path to education.

The Two Norries Nationwide Special will be broadcast on RTE 1 on Wednesday at 7pm
Burma Ex-Myanmar Military Officers in Fear After Former Generals Assassination

Retired high-ranking offices at the Armed Forces Day parade in Naypyitaw in March 2022.

The assassination of an obscure retired general at his Yangon home has sent shockwaves through Myanmars regime and the citys community of retired officers.

Ex-Brigadier General Ohn Thwin, 72, was shot dead on Saturday and his son-in-law, a retired captain, was also killed.

Ohn Thwin was the mentor to deputy junta chief Vice Senior General Soe Win.

Following the assassination, Thet Thet Khine, a former National League for Democracy member and now a regime-appointed minister, had her Bahan Township home fenced off with numerous rolls of razorwire and five CCTV cameras were added along the fence.

Her family still lives in the house while she spends most of her time in Naypyitaw.

Most retired generals live in Yangon although many have mansions in Naypyitaw. But after Ohn Thwins assassination, many are thought to be considering a move to the ghost-town capital which is now under a nighttime curfew.

Junta-appointed ministers and their deputies are apparently moving, The Irrawaddy has been told.

While affluent neighborhoods in Yangon are scattered with retired generals, they also live in separate luxury estates in Thuwunna, Thanlyin and Mayangone townships, known as Bogyoke Ywar or the villages of generals.

Lieutenant generals and generals can keep guns after their retirement and the military provides them with security. But there is no junta security apparatus for other retired officers. Some retired officers have asked on social media to keep firearms with a license.

Junta officials were also shocked when Thein Aung, the chief financial officer of Mytel Telecommunications Co, a joint venture between the military and Vietnams defense ministry, was gunned down by an unidentified man in Mayangone Township, Yangon, in November last year.

The 56-year-old was a former naval lieutenant commander and was a friend of the current navy chief, Admiral Moe Aung.

It is widely believed that insiders were involved in both assassinations of two low-profile former officers.

Veterans have been rocked by fear and insecurity since Ohn Thwins assassination, admitted a retired officer.

Soldiers are not afraid of death as they have fought all their lives. But they are concerned for their families, said a source close to a retired general.

The regime apparently has no plan to protect former personnel but it does want to bring them back to duty when necessary. Ohn Thwin was a prominent reservist.

Under the NLD government, the military forced then defense minister Lt-Gen Sein Win and border affairs minister Lt-Gen Ye Aung to step down and appointed them as chair and vice-chair of the Myanmar War Veterans Organization.

The regime has stopped officers in the junta-affiliated Border Guard Force in Karen State from retiring amid fierce fighting with resistance groups, pointing to a recruitment crisis.

And what was junta chief Min Aung Hlaing doing when former generals were panicked by the news of Ohn Thwins assassination on Saturday evening?

He was watching a play about Natshinnaung and how the 17th-century Taungoo princes alliance with the Portuguese mercenary Filipe de Brito e Nicote led to his destruction.

The following day, Soe Win attended the same play, despite the murder of his mentor.
Burma Fifteen Myanmar Regime Troops Including Colonel Reportedly Killed in Kayah State

Resistance fighters of Central Region Special Operation Force during an operation in Kayah State in May 2022. / Photo- CRSOF

Fifteen Myanmar military soldiers including a senior officer were reportedly killed on Monday in Demoso Township, Kayah State when a combined force of Karenni resistance groups attacked regime troops occupying a village.

Fighters from Karenni Revolution Union (KRU) and Demoso Peoples Defense Force (PDF) attacked 70 junta troops from Division 66 stationed at the school and monastery of Konethar Village outside Demoso Town on Monday evening, according to KRU.

A KRU spokesperson told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that resistance fighters attacked the junta troops from close range.

During an intense firefight, 15 regime soldiers, including one believed to be a colonel, were killed.

Resistance fighters witnessed junta soldiers calling out that their senior officer had been killed and retreating from the clash, said the KRU spokesperson.

Citing military sources, some media reported on Wednesday that Lieutenant Colonel Aung Ko Oo, the commander of Light Infantry Battalion 6 under Division 66, was killed in the shootout.

However, the KRU said that their forces was unable to confirm the rank of the dead officer.

Regime forces targeted the area with heavy weapons in the aftermath of the clash, preventing resistance fighters from retrieving weapons abandoned by the junta soldiers.

One KRU fighter, Khun Soe Paing Thu, died on Tuesday morning after being wounded in the clash.

Junta troops left Konethar Village after the battle. The villages residents fled several months ago when regime soldiers first deployed there.

In the aftermath of the clash, KRU asked the parallel National Unity Government and Myanmar people at home and abroad to supply them with ammunition.

We can support ourselves, but we cant fight without ammunition, said the KRUs spokesperson.

On Tuesday, seven military regime soldiers were reportedly killed in Kayahs Loikaw Township when snipers from the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force and Central Region Special Operation Force (CRSOF) ambushed junta forces stationed on a hilltop in the township.

CRSOF said resistance fighters escaped from the area, despite regime troops responding to the attack with machine gun and mortar fire.

Myanmar junta forces nationwide are suffering daily losses from attacks by PDFs and ethnic armed organizations.
Burma India: The Myanmar Juntas Off-the-Radar Friend

Regime leader Min Aung Hlaing (left) and Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar during the credentials presenting event in Naypyitaw in April 2022. / Cincds

When the world talks about the isolated Myanmar military regime, the discussion of its few allies tends to focus on Russia and Chinas engagement with the junta and support for it on the UN Security Council (UNSC). One country that has been strangely absent from this conversation, however, is India.

The worlds largest democracy, Myanmars huge neighbor to the northwest has tried its best not to antagonize the junta, which has killed more than 2,000 people for rejecting military rule.

During the just-ended UN General Assembly, more distant regional neighbors like Malaysia and East Timor expressed sadness at the Security Councils failure to take serious action on Myanmar, and warned that the conflict in the country was impacting the security and stability of its neighbors. Contrast this with the meek comments from the representative of Indiaa non-permanent member of the current UNSC and Myanmars neighborwho said simply: We supplied 10,000 metric tons of food aid and vaccine shipments to Myanmar.

Since the coup, India has maintained a relationship with the regime, one that continues to grow in the diplomatic, military, economic and electoral spheres.

Last week, a delegation led by regime Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Minister Tin Htut Oo was in India to visit the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR), which is working in cooperation with the Indian state-owned National Seed Corporation (NSC). Myanmar state-run media said the purpose of the visit was to acquire seeds of a variety of beans and pulses, including green gram (mung beans), which regime leader Min Aung Hlaing seeks to export as a means of pulling Myanmars economy out of its nosedive.

One of the members of the delegation was economist Dr. Zaw Oo, who advised the junta on the formation of an economic think tank with the aim of helping the Myanmar military rule the country. He recently called for improved civil-military relations, saying this was needed to end the chaos the country has been facing on all fronts since the coup last year.

The delegation also met representatives of the India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA) and the Overseas Agro Traders Association (OATA) to discuss the addition of green gram to Myanmars bean and pulse export list, and to invite more Indian investment in Myanmar. They also met with other private companies to buy seeds for cotton and sunflower, another crop Min Aung Hlaing is pinning his hopes on to serve as a substitute for the countrys edible oil imports.

The warm relationship between India and the current Myanmar regime dates back to its earliest days in 2021. While the regime was being internationally condemned for its coup in February of that year, India was careful not to make any direct reference to the military coup or to condemn it in its statements.

While the majority of international military attaches boycotted the regimes Armed Forces Day parade the following monthamid bloody junta crackdowns on peaceful protests against military ruleIndia was among a handful of countries, including Russia and China, to join the event.

Then in November, India invited regime Admiral Moe Aung to the Goa Maritime Conclave 2021 hosted by the Indian Navy.

India militarys ties with its Myanmar counterpart predate the coup, however.

It trains a number of Myanmar soldiers at its facilities and Min Aung Hlaing has been a frequent visitor to New Delhi, forging ties with his counterparts there. In 2020, the Myanmar military acquired its first submarine from India.

Furthermore, India is currently involved in developing the nearly US$400-million Kaladan port and highway project in the west of Myanmar, as well as contributing around $250 million to another road project to connect Indias landlocked northeastern states with Thailand via Myanmar.

Diplomatically, while other countries like Britain and Australia have a bumpy relationship with the Myanmar junta, as evidenced by a downgrading of their diplomatic presence, Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar presented his credentials to Min Aung Hlaing in April this year.

Then, a few weeks later, the ambassador rushed to hold talks with regime-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) chairman Thein Soe to ask about electoral processes and discuss further cooperation with the UEC on the upcoming election. China also met with UEC officials in the same month to ask about the agencys ongoing plans, including inspections of political parties ahead of the planned election.

The junta is planning to hold a general election next year that many at home have rejected, seeing it as a sham intended to cement the regimes grip on power.

A UN rights envoy warned that the vote would be a fraud, while the US said there is no chance it could be free and fair, adding that it was likely just an attempt to manipulate the region and the international community.
Burma Myanmar Junta Jails Doctor-Turned-Model for Six Years Over Online Porn

Model Nang Mwe San / Bagan Traveler

A junta tribunal in Yangon sentenced a prominent doctor-turned-model to six years in prison on Tuesday for sharing photos and clips deemed provocative to video-hosting platforms that charge users.

Nang Mwe San and another top model, Thinzar Wint Kyaw, were detained in August and charged with harming culture and dignity for posting clips online, including to intimate video-hosting platform OnlyFans.

Nang Mwe San allegedly distributed paid pornographic photos and videos that could harm Myanmar culture and dignity, the junta said in a statement.

Trained as a doctor, Nang Mwe San had her medical license revoked in 2019 by the Myanmar Medical Council, which said her outfit in a social media post went against Myanmar culture and tradition.

As she lives in Yangons North Dagon Township, which is under the direct control of the military, the model was tried by a military tribunal, and was not allowed to hire a lawyer. She was given six years under Section 33 (a) of the Electronic Transactions Law less than two weeks after her first court hearing on Sept. 14.

A lawyer said: Yes, she has been given six years. There is a difference between civilian courts and military tribunals in the way they examine cases. Lawyers are allowed at civilian courts, and defendants can present witnesses and evidence, and there is cross-examination of witnesses before a judgement is made. In a military tribunal, only the plaintiff is examined, and lawyers are not allowed.

Nang Mwe San had her passport seized by the regime when she went to renew it in May as she was preparing to accompany her father to Bangkok for medical treatment. As her father could not go to Bangkok, he died on June 1.

Thinzar Wint Kyaw, who faces the same charge under Section 33 (a) of the Electronics Transactions Law, is however being tried in a civilian court in Mayangone Township, which started to hear the case on Sept. 14. The court has not yet given a ruling.

The duo participated in mass anti-coup protests along with other artists and celebrities following the military coup last year. Section 33 (a) carries a maximum term of 15 years.
Burma Myanmar Juntas Yangon Economics Minister was Friends with Assassin Conspirator

Lieutenant Colonel Myo Myint Aung was appointed as Yangons economics minister.

Yangon Regions new economics minister was friends with one of the conspirators in the assassination of the National League for Democracys (NLD) legal advisor U Ko Ni in 2017.

Earlier this month, Lieutenant Colonel Myo Myint Aung, then Yangons military recruitment commander based in Insein, was appointed the regions minister of economy. He succeeds Aung Than Oo, who was appointed after last years coup and dismissed following corruption allegations in June.

Myo Myint Aung attended the Defense Services Academy with Aung Win Zaw, who was behind U Ko Nis assassination on January 29, 2017, outside Yangon International Airport.

Observers speculated that U Ko Ni was targeted because of his criticism of the military-drafted 2008 Constitution.

He is believed to have played a key role in advising the NLD to create the position of state counselor for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after the 2015 general election victory.

Aung Win Zaw was handed a death sentence, which has not been carried out.

Following the 2021 coup, Myo Myint Aung served as a judge on regime tribunals prosecuting protesters and dissidents.

He was reportedly part of a tribunal that handed down death sentences to four pro-democracy activists, including former NLD lawmaker Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw and veteran activist Ko Jimmy, who were executed in July, Myanmars first executions in more than three decades.

Yangon business owners have criticized Myo Myint Aungs appointment, with one telling The Irrawaddy: Yangon is crucial for the countrys economy and the appointment means the regime only wants people who will do what theyre told and is not interested in their abilities.
Burma Myanmar Regime Sentences Jailed Journalist to Extra Prison Time, Hard Labor

Ma Htet Htet Khine has been detained in Yangon's Insein Prison since August 2021.

Myanmars junta sentenced the jailed journalist Ma Htet Htet Khine to an additional three years in prison with hard labor on Tuesday.

Ma Htet Htet Khine was sentenced by a military regime court under the Unlawful Association Act. She had already been given a three year sentence for incitement on September 15, after being detained for over a year, meaning that she has been jailed for a total of six years.

The journalist was previously the presenter of the Khan Sar Kyi [Feel It] television program produced by BBC Media Action for audiences in Myanmar.

BBC Media Action is dismayed and alarmed to hear of this additional sentence for our freelance producer, Htet Htet Khine, in Myanmar, BBC Media Action Chief Executive Officer, Caroline Nursey OBE, said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

We remain concerned for her safety and well-being in detention, and call for the release of Htet Htet Khine and other media workers who have been unjustly detained in Myanmar, added Norsey.

Ma Htet Htet Khine was arrested in August 2021 in Yangon and has been held since then in Yangons notorious Insein Prison.

She was charged with incitement under Article 505(a) of the Penal Code and then under the Unlawful Association Act for allegedly working as a volunteer editor for Federal FM, a radio station launched by the parallel National Unity Government.

Over 140 journalists have been detained by the junta since last years coup and 60 remain in prison. Four reporters have died in military custody.
Burma Myanmar School Attack Could Be War Crime: UN Probe

Students belongings are strewn about inside the school after the attacks in Let Yet Kone Village.

GENEVAUN investigators said Tuesday that the Myanmar junta commanders who ordered an attack this month on a school that left a dozen children dead could be liable for war crimes.

The investigators pointed to multiple reports indicating that the school, located in the compound of a monastery, came under attack for several hours, first from helicopters firing rockets and machine guns, followed by an infantry attack.

The United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) said in a statement that the Sept. 16 attack in Let Yet Kone Village in Sagaing Region may be considered a war crime with commanders criminally liable.

Myanmar 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 IIMM, which was established by the UN Human Rights Council in September 2018 to collect evidence of the most serious international crimes, said it was working to assess criminal responsibility for the attack.

Armed attacks that target civilians are prohibited by international laws of war and can be punished as war crimes or crimes against humanity, the statement said.

Teachers from the school told AFP that some children were playing outside while others attended classes as two helicopter gunships flew in and opened fire with machine guns and heavy weapons.

They described the terrifying horror of the onslaught, including watching a wounded child screaming in agony, begging to die.

The Myanmar junta said they had sent troops in helicopters to the village after receiving a tip-off that fighters from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)an ethnic rebel groupand from a local anti-coup militia were moving weapons in the area.

The military accused the rebels of using civilians as human shields, and said it had seized mines and explosives from the village.

IIMM warned though that even if this was the case and the armed attack had a military objective, it is prohibited according to the laws of war if it is expected to result in civilian injuries or deaths that are excessive in relation to the expected direct military advantage achieved by the attack.

The investigators stressed that commanders who launch a military attack near civilians have obligations under international law, including taking all possible precautions to minimize harm to noncombatants.
Analysis Myanmar Regime not Interested in Genuine Peace Talks With EAOs

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing shakes hands with UWSP vice chair Luo Yagu / CINCDS

Representatives of three powerful ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) based in eastern Myanmar  the United Wa State Army (UWSA), the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) and the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP)  met junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Monday for a second round of peace talks during which they pressed their demands.

The Irrawaddy takes a look at what the EAOs are asking for and the juntas response.

SSPP proposes changes to army-drafted constitution

At the meeting, SSPP vice chair Sao Khun Hseng suggested a set of preconditions to build peace and establish a federal, democratic Union, according to a SSPP statement. Those preconditions included the implementation of provisions in the 1947 Panglong Agreement, as well as agreements reached at the 1961 Taunggyi Conference of non-Bamar ethnic delegates, and the establishment of a separate Bamar state aimed at establishing ethnic equality.

Sao Khun Hseng also suggested five amendments to the constitution, including a provision that sovereignty of states, which are parts of the Union, is derived from people. He also demanded that states must have absolute self-determination and must be politically equal, plus the sharing of power, resources and taxes and the implementation of a federal financial system.

All the security and defense forces of the Union must be under the control of the democratically-elected government, added Sao Khun Hseng.

Shan Nationalities League for Democracy general secretary Sai Leik said: I think [the SSPP vice chair] mainly referred to articles 5 and 7 when he called for the implementation of Panglong. The agreement was signed by Shan, Chin, Kachin and Karenni [together with Bamar] to gain independence and build the Union together. According to those articles, citizens of the Frontier Areas shall enjoy rights and privileges which are regarded as fundamental in democratic countries, and full autonomy in internal administration for the Frontier Areas is accepted in principle. But I am sure that those provisions have never been implemented.

UWSA repeats Wa demand for statehood

Newly-promoted Ai Nap Lai, head of the politburo of the United Wa State Party, the political wing of the UWSA, was part of the UWSA delegation that met the junta chief. Ai Nap Lai is a son of Zhao Nyi Lai, one of the founders of the UWSA.

UWSA liaison officer Nyi Rang based in Shan States Lashio said that the UWSA leaders mainly discussed development of their region at the talks.

We mainly discussed regional development. Regarding your question of whether we discussed statehood, we have been demanding that for a long time. We will also meet the [regimes] National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee, he said.

Despite its absolute autonomy over areas known as Wa State in Shan State, the UWSA, the most powerful EAO in Myanmar, has demanded official statehood.

NDAA demands self-administered region

The NDAA, based in Mongla in eastern Shan State, demanded that the area it controls, which is known as Special Region 4, be designated as a self-administered region, according to sources close to the NDAA.

NDAA spokesman Kham Maung said: The delegation has not yet arrived back and we dont know yet what they discussed.

Military regime media doesnt report EAO demands

Junta-controlled newspapers contained only a few lines about what EAO representatives discussed with the coup leader, instead highlighting what Min Aung Hlaing said.

EAO leaders were overjoyed at the talks with the junta chief, promised not to secede from the Union and advised solving disagreements peacefully without the use of arms, said regime media.

The peace process will be implemented in line with the army-drafted 2008 Constitution and the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), added junta media.

The report was just an echo of the statement issued by the UWSA after the first round of talks with Min Aung Hlaing in May. In its statement, the UWSA promised not to secede from the Union, while asserting its right to determine the fate of Wa State, except in national defense and foreign relations. But the UWSA did not mention the NCA in its statement.

An ethnic affairs analyst who wished to remain anonymous said that Min Aung Hlaing met the EAOs not to listen to their demands, but to persuade them not to supply arms to the resistance groups fighting the regime.

I think it will be difficult for the Myanmar military to prevent those groups from supplying arms to Peoples Defense Forces (PDF). Although the groups may not publicly support the PDFs, they will surely supply them indirectly, said the analyst.

Will regime fulfill EAO demands?

The SSPPs demand is a reminder of the common desire of all the ethnic groups across the country, said the ethnic affairs analyst.

To have a Bamar state is part of the Shan federal proposal also known as the Taunggyi proposal because it was adopted at the 1961 Taunggyi Conference. The main intention is that Bamar people must also have a state, only then will there be equality, he said.

Ethnic minorities are demanding a Bamar state because they will otherwise have to listen to the Bamar who make up the majority under the current system, he added.

The analyst said: It appears that the SSPP had already discussed its demands with the UWSA and NDAA before making its presentation to the junta chief. And I assume the UWSA and NDAA support those demands.

The fact that the regime did not report the SSPPs demands shows it [the junta] is opposed to the SSPPs demands, noted another ethnic affairs analyst.

The military is only thinking about how to buy time and is not interested in peace. So it is approaching the SSPP based on that, while the SSPP is fighting and negotiating at the same time, he said.

Military tensions are running high between the regime and the SSPP with the two sides clashing earlier this month in Momeik Township in northern Shan State.
Guest Column The Two Hands of Washingtons Myanmar Policy

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One day a civilian government will assume power in Myanmar and the United States will come back promising security, democracy, human rights and free trade.

The return is likely to happen much as it did after 2011, when as described in Erin Murphys new book Burmese Haze, a triumphal US State Department arrived in Naypyitaw with planeloads of people and gifts, claiming credit for midwifing the transition to democracy.

It will then dangle a visit by a US president as a critical marker on that western-designed road to peace and democracy. Lectures about the nobility of US-style democracy and capitalism will be delivered, while Myanmars explanations about its own history brushed aside as well, boring.

Bilateral relations from the perspective of the Department of State are well-described by Murphy, the occupant of the Central Intelligence Agencys Burma desk from 2007-12. As she relates this, US policy is about democracy, humanitarianism and free-market values that both nations share. And citizens pass on information in exchange for cash and vague promises of a US visa should things become difficult.

But there are two important things left out of Murphys book: that the US largely views Myanmar as a pawn in the chess game with China or any acknowledgment of Myanmars views of the bilateral relationship.

Murphy was a front-seat observer of Myanmars peace and democratic reform process between 2007 (just before Cyclone Nargis) and the coup in 2021. Her views are well-informed, at least regarding the US perspective, because of her top-secret clearance and high-level access.

She conducted interviews for the book with former secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, and even State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, maintaining access to the highest levels of the US government, even after quitting the CIA. Academics and journalists can only dream of such access.

Covert action

Burmese Haze avoids serious discussion of US reliance on the CIA and other intelligence work in Myanmar.

The listening post that is the sprawling embassy on Yangons Inle Lake, completed under the Than Shwe regime, is passed off as basically a reading room with US magazines, computer terminals and a place to learn English.

But the embassy includes 10 buildings built since 2007, including a four-story chancery, as Google Earth shows.

In other words, Myanmars junta long cooperated with the US to establish facilities which presumably collect electronic data from southeast Asia and China and cultivate human intelligence in Myanmar.

Germanys Der Spiegel magazine reported that National Security Agency eavesdropping equipment was in the embassy.

The problem for any future civilian government will be that different US hands will offer contrasting opportunities and risks.

But the only hand described in Burmese Haze is the open hand of the generous US promoting democracy and human rights and opposing the junta.

That hand can be a bit brash and overconfident but generously supports programs of democracy, human rights and development.

The other hand is ignored in Burmese Haze. The secretive security-conscious US wants to block Chinese goals for Myanmar and has routinely used Myanmars military to further its aims. A civilian government will need to deal with both pressures.

Cyclone Nargis: where the two US policies came together

US assistance to Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis in 2008 opens Burmese Haze. Murphy describes an ever forward-thinking US Navy conducting Cobra Gold exercises in Thai waters just before the cyclone. After consulting satellite images, but without asking permission from the Than Shwe regime, the US Navy immediately repositioned itself off Myanmars coast for a major relief operation.

In response, the regime ignored the typhoon and focused on the threat of a potential US invasion.

Than Shwe repositioned the armed forces in preparation for an invasion. The junta denied visas to relief workers and restricted travel to afflicted areas by US Embassy staff. According to Murphy, the denials were accompanied by boring lectures from military officers, presumably about the CIAs history of supplying insurgencies, funding the Nationalist Chinese armies in the north of the country from the 1950s to the 1980s, support for ethnic armed organizations and that spy center in Yangon.

As Murphy writes, the regime finally relented and permitted the US Navy to deliver relief. Murphy brags about how embassy staff managed the relief operation and naval planes, helicopters and relief deliveries assisted millions of victims in the Irrawaddy delta. Murphy writes that embassy staff took over management of Yangon Airport and became air-traffic controllers, managing flights that the incompetent junta could not.

By describing the airport takeover, Murphy finally describes clandestine operations and how US democratic values were compromised, while the State Department cozied up to the generals to build the huge US Embassy in 2007.

How was it that air-traffic controllers appeared from the massive embassy? Air-traffic controllers are typically not found among embassy staff. The embassy is a US intelligence hub with staff presumably focused on monitoring Chinese capabilities.

Needed to do this, it seems, are air-traffic controllers able to take over Yangon Airport at short notice.

Democracy, human rights and US jets in Naypyitaw

US visitors appeared more regularly following Myanmars 2010 general election. The release from house arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi encouraged visits from those who believed Myanmar was on a path to democracy and human rights. Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama sought to deliver a new round of assistance for democracy, human rights and peace-building.

As Murphy tells it, Clinton planned a personal visit to Myanmar. Her staff rolled out her Air Force jet for the visit. But after some consternation, the air-traffic controllers at the embassy apparently warned that Naypyitaw Airport was too small to handle her plane. They asked if it could use the capitals broad boulevards instead.

Murphy says the plane had five books for the visiting diplomats: David Steinbergs Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know; Thant Myint-Us The River of Lost Footsteps; Pascal Khoo Thwes From the Land of Green Ghosts, Emma Larkins No Bad News for the King and George Orwells Burmese Days. It had movies, including Beyond Rangoon about a US citizen who participated in the 1988 demonstrations. Somehow though they forgot 2008s Rambo IV about a renegade US soldier rescuing an American missionary family from the military.

Strangely they forgot Daw Aung San Suu Kyis Freedom from Fear. And then halfway across the Pacific, they realized that both Clinton and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi were dog lovers. A hapless foreign service officer was sent from the plane in Korea to find a dog toy for Clinton to give as a gift.

Clintons brief time in Myanmar was full of pomp. Much television time was spent with Daw Aung Suu Kyi, recognizing her Nobel Peace Prize. And of course, Myanmar was lectured publicly about human rights, democratic elections, peace, health, and China. And then the money spigot for supporting the police and armed forces in drug intervention programs was opened and the capacity of the military enhanced.

Quieter lectures were likely delivered pointing out that aid to the military was contingent on stopping Chinese dam construction at Myitsone, slowing Chinas Belt and Road Initiative and perhaps limiting Chinese investment in factories and retail. But unlike the surfeit of detail about dog toys, such requests are left out of Burmese Haze.

How would a civilian government deal with the two faces of US policy?

If this regime eventually falls and a civilian government emerges, the US will return. The problem is that despite the failure of US policies described in Burmese Haze, the approaches are likely to be the same.

There will be an emphasis on democracy, capitalism and human rights, even while clandestine cooperation for security supports the armed forces and police.

This will be done in a quiet exchange for access to the huge US Embassy as Washingtons geopolitical concerns about China will remain.

The clandestine arrangements funding policy on Myanmar are always secondary to concerns about China. Issues regarding CIA activity, past and present, will remain off-the-table too, dismissed as boring history speeches. Complaints about ongoing clandestine involvement will be ignored and concerns about a US military presence in the region brushed aside.

But a civilian government should not brush aside the CIAs involvement in the fight against drugs and Chinese Communists, dating back to the Second World War.

A new government must insist that bilateral relations run two ways. They need to make clear that the United States is deeply distrusted by generations who ask questions like, What are those naval ships offshore doing?, What about the threats of armed intervention during the Rohingya crisis in 2017?, Why are so many visa applications rejected? What about that war on drugs? and What about the past support for the military and police?

And, What about the construction and maintenance of the large listening facility at the embassy under the Than Shwe regime, despite sanctions, and US claims to be apostles of democracy and human rights?

Such questions should be addressed in a book about US relations with Myanmar between 2010 and 2021. Burmese Haze does not do this. I guess such a book awaits a future author, although probably not one who is from the CIA.

Tony Waters is a guest professor at Leuphana University in Germany and was a professor of sociology at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He has been writing about Myanmar since 2017.
GOVERNMENT has urged the public to continue following guidelines on the prevention of COVID-19 following an increase in new cases in the past few days.

Speaking to NewsDay, Health and Child Care deputy minister John Mangwiro said Zimbabweans should take more precautions.

Cases have risen in the past week from as low as four confirmed cases on August 29 to as high as 33 cases on Tuesday when three deaths were recorded on the same day.

People must continue to take COVID-19 seriously because it is still with us. There should be no room for complacency and people must continue following set measures, Mangwiro said.

Zimbabwe has recorded 5 599 COVID-19 deaths and 257 000 cases since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Hamadziripi Dube, a medical practitioner, told NewsDay that there was need to encourage more people to get vaccinated.

Almost everyone is going around without wearing a mask. We still need to push for people to be vaccinated so as to achieve herd immunity for our country, he said.

We still need to reach our herd immunity so as to ensure safety. The media should continue giving awareness on the issue and ensuring increased vaccination through their work.

Statistics show that 4,73 million Zimbabweans have been fully vaccinated, against a government target to vaccinate 10 million citizens.

Community Working Group on Health executive director, Itai Rusike said the surge in COVID-19 cases showed the general poor compliance and adherence to the public health preventive measures.

We are also aware that the infection-detection rate remains low due to the decline in testing capabilities but we really want to encourage the people of Zimbabwe to come forward and take the vaccine and those with pre-existing health conditions should especially take the additional booster jab, Rusike said.

Government lifted the mandatory wearing of face mask on August 16, but only for the fully vaccinated following a decline in recorded cases and fatalities. Newsday
Jamf demonstrated its own internal deployment for BYOD devices built on Jamf and Apple-specific workflows, and designed to eliminate the need for employees to carry work and personal mobile phones.

It includes self-enrolment and setup, device partitioning to keep work and personal use separate, cloud identity-based single sign-on for all work applications, and self-service app installation with automatically set app-based security.

The process also provides VPN access to enterprise resources with no setup by users, automatic zero-trust blocking of all compromised users and devices, enterprise ID cards procured and placed in Apple Wallet for access to physical offices, dual eSIM setup (one work, the other personal), and uses Apple's Focus mode to work-only or personal-only modes for better work life balance

The company pointed out that Jamf-managed Apple devices can be shipped directly to an end user, ready for automatic configuration for an individual's use and fully secured against on-device and in-network security threats from the moment the device is powered up for the first time.

A new feature of the Jamf Protect endpoint security suite for macOS and iOS is Jamf Trust, an app that binds user identity to the device so that Jamf's security services are dynamically configured according to user identity and role, and carried through to their application access, streamlining the need to enter credentials and verify identity.

In October, Jamf Protect will gain rich endpoint telemetry data collection along with a new offline deployment mode that streams telemetry data directly to a SIEM for customers with high compliance requirements.

Jamf continues to work to make it easier to keep non-App Store applications up to date. Last year it started making app installers available within the Jamf App Catalog, and the company now monitors more that 1,000 titles, and offers more than one hundred vetted and maintained app installers to make life easier for IT staff while improving device security.

Forthcoming features include improved user notifications, and provision of customised app catalogs so users only see apps that relevant to the user and have been authorised by the IT department.

The existing ability to block access to Apple devices or specific capabilities on the device when a compliance issue has been detected has been enhanced by working with cloud identity providers such as Okta to ensure only protected devices with encrypted data can run enterprise apps, while automatically blocking compromised users and devices.

Forthcoming integrations will make Microsoft Device Compliance available on macOS by the end of the year in addition to the existing iOS support, and Google BeyondCorp on iOS devices in early 2023 in addition to the existing macOS support.

Also expected early next year is integration with SwiftConnect, allowing the use of digital employee badges accessible in Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch, with authentication via through the employee's cloud identity. This will work with a wide range of providers including Microsoft, Okta, Google, HID, Lenel, and Genetec.

Closer to hand is Jamf's support for Apple's Declarative Device Management functionality, allowing a device to proactively report its status in real-time so that automated or user-driven action can be taken to get the device into a new state for security, compliance or productivity reasons. This capability is expected in October.

Jamf and AWS demonstrated the ability to automatically enrol virtual EC2 Macs into Jamf Pro when they are provisioned through the AWS portal. This provides IT administrators with visibility of their entire Mac fleet, and the ability to deploy policies, configurations and software to their virtual Macs while collecting a full complement of inventory details about the computer and the EC2 environment it's running in.

And a new remote access feature (to appear in early 2023) will allow IT admins with the ability to authenticate and take remote control of any physical or virtual Mac in their fleet from within Jamf Pro, improving their ability to support users and devices anywhere in the world.

"The focus of this year's JNUC is simplifying the management and security of devices used for work. In order to do this, we are asking Jamf Nation two questions: do your users love the technology they are using for work, and do your IT and security teams trust that technology? Our focus at Jamf is to ensure the answer to both of those questions is a resounding 'yes', with something we call Trusted Access," said Jamf CEO Dean Hager.

"Trusted Access puts enrolment at the foundation  whether for a BYO or corporately-owned device  and establishes the user as trusted. It also ensures only safe devices are able to access work resources to keep company data protected. For those devices that are enrolled and safe, their access to resources is completely seamless. The user can work anywhere, access all the corporate resources they need, and do not require multiple passcodes to remain productive."
LG Business Solutions has introduced a line-up of endpoint cloud computing products to streamline and optimise operations in workplaces including hybrid and corporate offices, education, government, and healthcare facilities.

The LG Cloud Computing line-up features both Thin Client and Zero Client solutions across hardware including Thin Client all-in-one monitors, Box Type Thin and Zero Clients, and the LG Gram Thin Client laptops.

Powered by a quad-core processor, the LG Thin Client monitors showcase features including the capability to connect to multiple monitors for greater efficiency and a USB Type-C connection for 4K high-resolution images and fast data transfer.

Meanwhile, LG Zero Client monitors are ideal for government organisations as they have no local operating system. In addition, LG Zero Client devices encrypt data for fast transfers. The LG Gram delivers performance in a portable and fully featured laptop. Users can maximise its performance when the LG Gram is paired with LG monitors and displays.

The broad compatibility of our Cloud Computing devices across cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure and AWS, virtualisation platforms such as Citrix and VMware and Nvidia Grid vGPU to name a few, ensures Australian businesses will experience seamless endpoint integration, striking a balance between enhanced productivity and collaboration, along with advanced security, at a competitive investment, said LG Business Solutions Australia head of business development and sales for cloud solutions Angelo Koulos.

Supporting the future of corporate work

In Australia and New Zealand, 44% of chief information officers plan to increase funding in cloud platforms this year.

Addressing the needs of the future of work and as many Australian businesses embrace hybrid working models, LG Cloud Computing solutions supports organisations in connecting employees from various locations to operate at scale.

LG says switching from a conventional PC system to a VDI environment can reduce total cost of ownership for corporate business by up to 51%.

The LG UltraWide display (34CN650N and 34CN650W) can replace multiple display set ups to help executive and C-suite staff who need to access spreadsheets, budgets, and data.

They can use up to two 4K UHD resolution displays to get more done in less time. The screen can be used to view multiple windows at once, and share screens with colleagues.

Ideal for larger teams, the Box Type Thin Client (CL600N and CL600W) supports up the three displays in total while its compatibility with a range of interfaces such as the USB Type-C allows users to simultaneously transmit data, video, and audio at high speeds as well as deliver up to 60W of system charging power to devices with one cable.

Remote learning made easy

With desktop devices like the LG All-in-One Thin Client range, students and teachers can access valuable research tools by logging into a virtual desktop from any available desktop computer.

This also reduces the risk of a data breach through minimal endpoint exposure, ensuring data remains safe in a centralised data centre.

At the same time, educational institutions can cut operating costs by streamlining administrative and technical support. Cloud-supported digital learning environments can help reduce the need for licenses and hardware.

Securely scale up in government workplaces

LG Thin Client runs virtual desktops and applications at the data centre to reduce the risk of malware, viruses and information leakage. This will bolster security and increase resilience towards outages or cybersecurity threats.

Government workplaces that run LG Thin Client can update an entire fleet of devices from one centralised terminal to eliminate the need to update individual devices.

LG Thin Client desktop monitors and mobile devices with in-built IPS display technology allows users to view clear images and content on-screen, including charts and reports, at angles of up to 178-degrees. Employees can access files and collaborate remotely without compromising security and reducing the need to install a personal desktop and monitor at every desk in the office.

Meanwhile, various interfaces including the latest USB Type C connection enables users to view up to 4K high-resolution images and transmit data quickly.

With no local data storage, LG Zero Client devices can also help reduce the risk of data theft or loss.

The 24CK550Z with teradici PCoIP performs HW decoding, helps CPU to enable more tasks and saves battery life, while ensuring that no data will be found once it is unplugged.

This is similar to the CBV42-BP desktop device that works with an independent monitor.

Seamless access in healthcare settings

Devices like the LG 24-inch All-in-One Thin Client for Healthcare (24CN670N and 24CN670W) allow medical professionals to log in and access information and resources from a protected data centre.

The in-built IPS display can support multiple configurations including tilting, swivelling, and pivoting as well as dual-monitor workstations to present clear and vivid images from wide viewing angles for enhanced team collaboration.

With an inbuilt dual-band RFID module, people can use the device as a personalised Thin Client. This allows staff to log into the personal virtual desktop on a single device.
Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson has partnered with telecommunications and network service provider Bluesky to provide equipment services to modernise network in Samoa.

Our top priority is providing high-speed connectivity for our customers, said Bluesky CEO Justin Tuiasosopo.

Bluesky will leverage Ericssons Radio System, Cloud Core, Cloud Unified Data Management, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) solutions, and a cloud execution environment to support 3G, 4G, and 5G non-standalone connections.

Were thrilled to partner with Bluesky as the company looks to modernise its network and bring high-quality connectivity to the America Samoa community, said Ericsson North America vice president and head of customer unit regional carriers Eric Boudriau.

5G will bring fast speed, low latency, and new use cases to consumers and businesses.

Ericsson said deployment will begin in late 2022.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 27 September 2022.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has asked Oracle to pay more than US$23 million (A$35.7 million) to resolve charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

In a statement, the SEC said Oracle's subsidiaries in Turkey, the UAE and India had created and used slush funds to bribe officials for business between 2016 and 2019.

Oracle subsidiaries in Turkey and the UAE also used these slush funds to pay costs for foreign officials to attend tech conferences. This violated the company's policies and procedures, the statement said.

In some cases, these funds were used for officials' families to also attend international conferences or else to travel to California on side trips.

This is the second time that Oracle has paid fines over the creation of slush funds., charges that side funds amounting to millions of dollars were being created by Oracle India, were settled.

The creation of off-book slush funds inherently gives rise to the risk those funds will be used improperly, which is exactly what happened here at Oracles Turkey, UAE, and India subsidiaries, said Charles Cain, the SECs FCPA Unit chief.

This matter highlights the critical need for effective internal accounting controls throughout the entirety of a companys operations.

Oracle settled the matter without any admission or denying the SECs findings. The company said it would cease and desist from committing violations of the anti-bribery, books and records, and internal accounting controls provisions of the FCPA.

Oracle said it would pay approximately US$8 million in disgorgement and a US$15 million penalty.

The SEC said its investigation was conducted by Samantha Martin and Laura Bennett and supervised by David Reece. It thanked the Capital Markets Board of Turkey, Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority, and the Securities and Exchange Board of India for their help.
China's renminbi becomes 4th global payment currency: report

People's Daily Online) 10:19, September 28, 2022

A staff member of the Bank of Communications demonstrates the use of the online wallet of digital RMB at the Happy Valley Beijing theme park the in Beijing, capital of China, June 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

The Chinese currency, the renminbi (RMB), became the fourth global payment currency, according to the 2022 RMB Internationalization Report released by the People's Bank of China, the central bank.

The RMB overtook the Japanese yen to become the fourth most active currency for global payments by value in December 2021, with a share of 2.7 percent, according to data from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), a global provider of financial messaging services.

The RMB's share of international payments increased to 3.2 percent in January 2022, a record high.

Cross-border RMB receipts and payments in non-banking sectors hit a record high of 36.6 trillion yuan ($5.1 trillion) last year, up 29 percent year on year, according to the central bank report. The net inflow of cross-border RMB settlements stood at 404.47 billion yuan last year.

According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Chinese currency accounted for 2.88 percent of global foreign exchange reserves in the first quarter of this year, up 1.8 percentage points from 2016 when it entered the IMF's Special Drawing Rights basket, ranking fifth worldwide.

Meanwhile, the amount of cross-border RMB settlements related to the real economy maintained rapid growth.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Apple on Wednesday confirmed it had removed popular Russian social network VKontakte from its app store worldwide due to sanctions imposed by the UK.

The British government on Monday sanctioned 92 Russian individuals and entities after President Vladimir Putins regime held referenda in Moscow-controlled areas of Ukraine  denounced as a sham by Kyiv and its allies  and stepped up threats against the West.

Mock referees held with gun barrels cannot be free or fair and we will never honor their results, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

The sanctions target those behind these bogus votes, as well as those who continue to support the Russian regimes war of aggression, he said.

San Petersburg-based tech company VK said in a blog post that some of its apps are no longer available on the App Store, which serves as the sole gateway for content on Apple mobile devices.

VK apps are used for messaging, digital payments and grocery shopping, as well as social networking.

The VK apps removed from the App Store were distributed by developers controlled or majority-owned by parties sanctioned by the UK government, and Apple is complying with the law, according to the Silicon Valley tech giant .

Apple said it has terminated developer accounts associated with the apps that arent available on the App Store, regardless of users location.

People who already have the apps installed on devices can still use them, but updates will no longer be provided through the App Store, according to Apple and VK.

Their core functionality will be familiar and stable, VKontakte parent VK said of the apps.
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday, Seouls military said, just days after Pyongyangs last test and ahead of a visit to South Korea by US Vice President Kamala Harris.

The launches, which were part of a record-breaking blast of weapons tests by North Korea this year, came after Seouls spy agency warned that Pyongyang was close to conducting another nuclear test.

South Koreas military said it had detected two short-range ballistic missiles fired from the Sunan area of ??Pyongyang.

The missiles flew about 360 kilometers (223 miles) at an altitude of 30 kilometers at a speed of Mach 6, Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, adding that they were analyzing the details of the launches.

Our military has increased surveillance and surveillance and maintains the greatest preparedness in close coordination with the United States, he added.

Japan also confirmed the launches, with Deputy Defense Minister Toshiro Ino saying North Koreas recent spate of missile tests was unprecedented in frequency.

The repeated rocket launches cannot be tolerated, he said.

The latest launch came after North Korea tested a short-range ballistic missile on Sunday.

Harris will arrive in Seoul on Thursday for a brief visit during which she will visit the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea.

The White House said Harris trip, which follows a visit to Japan, was intended to underscore the importance of the alliance with Seoul.

Washington is Seouls main security ally, stationing about 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect it from the North.

Last week, the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan conducted joint drills with the South Korean Navy in waters off the Korean peninsula.

Under Seouls fiercely new President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, the two countries have stepped up joint drills they claim are purely defensive  but North Korea sees them as rehearsals for an invasion.

 Harbinger 

South Korean and US officials have been warning for months that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing for another nuclear test.

Earlier Wednesday, Seouls spy agency said Pyongyang appears to have completed a third tunnel at its Punggye-ri nuclear site, MP Yoo Sang-bum told reporters after a Seoul National Intelligence Service briefing.

Pyongyang is likely to choose the window between Chinas upcoming Communist Party Congress on Oct. 16 and the United States mid-term elections on Nov. 7 for its next nuclear test, Yoo said.

North Korea, under multiple UN sanctions over its weapons programs, typically seeks to maximize the geopolitical impact of its tests through careful timing.

The isolated regime has tested nuclear weapons six times since 2006. The latest and most powerful, in 2017  which Pyongyang dubbed a hydrogen bomb  had an estimated yield of 250 kilotons.

Seoul has also spotted signs the North is preparing to launch a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), the presidents office said Saturday, a weapon Pyongyang last tested in May.

Todays launch makes it clear that the North is trying to gain the upper hand on the peninsula with a nuclear arsenal at its disposal, Kim Jong-dae of the Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies told AFP.
Iran launched cross-border missile and drone strikes in Iraqs Kurdistan region on Wednesday, killing nine people, after accusing Kurdish armed groups stationed there of fueling a wave of unrest that has rocked the Islamic Republic.

The death of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, 22, on September 16 while in the custody of Irans morality police has sparked a large wave of protests and a crackdown that has claimed the lives of scores of protesters over the past 12 nights.

Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has in recent days accused Iraq-based Kurdish groups of attacking and infiltrating Iran from the northwest of the country to sow insecurity and unrest and spread unrest.

After several previous Iranian cross-border attacks that left no casualties, rocket and drone fire claimed nine lives and wounded 32 on Wednesday, Arbil regional health minister Saman al-Barazanji said while visiting some wounded at a hospital in the capital autonomous region of Kurdistan in Iraq.

Among the casualties are civilians, including one of those killed, a senior Kurdistan Region official previously told AFP.

An AFP correspondent reported that in Zargwez, about 15 kilometers (10 miles) from Sulaimaniyah, smoke billowed from affected sites, ambulances rushed to the scene and residents fled while medics treated the wounded.

In Baghdad, the Iraqi federal government called on the Iranian ambassador to protest the deadly attacks, while the UN mission in Iraq deplored the attack, saying missile diplomacy is a reckless act with devastating consequences.

These attacks must be stopped immediately, the UN mission said on Twitter.

 Cowardly Attacks 

Other strikes on Wednesday destroyed buildings around Zargewz, where several exiled left-wing Iranian Kurdish parties have offices.

The area where we are has been hit by 10 drone strikes, Atta Nasser, an official with Komala, an exiled Iranian group, told AFP, blaming Iran for the attacks.

The headquarters of the Kurdistan Freedom Party was hit by Iranian attacks, Hussein Yazdan, a party official, told AFP about the location in the Sherawa region south of Erbil.

Another group, the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran, said its bases and headquarters in Koysinjaq, east of Erbil, were hit by missiles and drones.

These cowardly attacks come at a time when Irans terror regime is unable to deal with the ongoing internal protests and silence the civilian resistance of the Kurdish and Iranian people, it tweeted.

 Precision Guided Attack Drones 

Amini, 22, died in Tehran on September 16, three days after she was arrested for allegedly violating Irans strict dress code for women, which requires them to wear hijab headscarves and modest clothing.

Her death sparked the largest protests in Iran in nearly three years and a crackdown that has killed at least 76 people, according to the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights, or around 60, according to Irans semi-official Fars news agency.

Protests have particularly rocked Kurdish communities in western Iran, which have strong ties to Kurdish-populated areas of Iraq.

Many Iranian Kurds are crossing the border into Iraq to find work due to a biting economic crisis in Iran, largely caused by US sanctions.

Iranian state television said Sunday that the Revolutionary Guards had attacked the headquarters of several separatist terrorist groups in northern Iraq with missiles and precision-guided attack drones.

Two days later, Deputy Guards General Abbas Nilforoushan said that the establishment of a base by the enemies of the Islamic Revolution in this region is unacceptable, Tasnim news agency reported.

For some time, counter-revolutionary elements have been grabbing and infiltrating Iran from the northwest of the country to sow insecurity and unrest and spread unrest.
We noted with dismay this month when Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and other state Republican leaders objected to municipalities in the state encouraging people to vote through support of Get Out the Vote campaigns.

The GOP leaders said such municipal involvement was inappropriate and possibly illegal.

Their pique was triggered when Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced support for Milwaukee Votes 2022, a get-out-the-vote effort led by a liberal group, GPS Impact. No public funds are going toward it.

GOP leaders labeled it Zuckerbucks 2.0, a pejorative reference to how more than 200 Wisconsin communities cumulatively accepted $10 million in grants to support election efforts prior to the 2020 presidential election from the non-profit Center for Tech and Civic Life, funded by hefty donations from Priscilla Chan and her husband, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Those donations, which included Racine and four other Democratic-leaning cities in the state, were challenged by conservatives in court and roundly rejected by state courts  just as federal courts have ruled. They are legal.

Vos and GOP leaders issued a statement saying, It is inappropriate for any municipality to support a GOTV campaign. Democrats continue to allow suspicious activity and highly partisan groups to meddle in our elections. Milwaukee Votes 2022 is essentially Zuckerbucks 2.0. This must stop now.

Have we really gone so far down the rabbit hole of rabid partisan divide that municipalities cant encourage their citizens to vote? Would Republican leaders extend such a prohibition to private donors, civic groups like the League of Women Voters? Or even newspapers?

Get out the handcuffs, then. This newspaper  and many others across the state  have, for years, encouraged their readers to go to the polls on Election Day.

We have argued that it is not only a citizens right but also an obligation, a civic duty to ensure that the best candidates are elected to office and that referendums give clear direction to political leaders.

Our view  quite contrary to that expressed by GOP leaders this month  is that in a participatory democracy it is very important to get as many citizens to participate and that means casting a vote. That brings more buy-in to what our elected government is doing and supports the legitimacy of its actions.

The more voters who go to the polls, the more confidence there will be in our government and its actions. More than ever, in these contentious times, thats important. Voting matters  it can shape the path of our schools, our municipalities, our state and the leaders of the country.

Go vote in November and every election after that.
The patient has a severe infection of the hand and is not improving on the current antibiotics, I explained to the medical director at the insurance company.

I understand. However, the patient has no elevated white count or fever, and I cannot get it to meet the criteria, so I will have to deny the necessity for the patient to stay in the hospital, she explained.

I felt my voice rising and my face turning red as I continued, Well  where is this patient supposed to go then? As a fellow provider  what do you suggest I do?

I knew this wouldnt end well, but I couldnt help but get outraged again. Eventually, the medical director even agreed the patient needed treatment; however, based on the guidelines, she could not approve the hospital stay. I let out a sigh of frustration and hung up the call.

Prior authorization (one part of the utilization management processes) is a widely known frustration among patients and health care providers. At the start of the pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provided hospitals with several waivers to help them focus on direct patient care. Understanding that these processes were a hindrance to patient care. In the face of crisis, there was the recognition to remove administrative obstacles and allow hospitals to care for a community in need.

Inherently this puts into question the necessity of such processes. There has been a clear demonstration of the rise of administrative costs contributing to the overall cost of care in the U.S. When we increase regulations, the administrative burden increases. Is this increase justified? Has utilization management processes had the intended impact to justify the means?

The utilization management process largely came into play after the creation of CMS in the 1960s. During this time, health care costs were rising under the fee-for-service model. There was already a need to combat unnecessary testing and services. With the formation of CMS, there would be a massive undertaking by the federal government to provide health insurance to the elderly, poor and disabled. With this large expansion  cost containment was pushed to the forefront. The need was there and now the opportunity aligned with the ability of the federal government to mandate it.

Out of this bore the basis of utilization management (UM). The initial intent was to review the medical necessity of hospital stays, various procedures, and tests. Companies created guidelines to determine if medical decisions were made appropriately and if services were utilized correctly. If they were deemed unnecessary, the people and places performing them would not be paid.

Before my frustrating conversation with the insurance companys medical director, these UM processes did occur. A utilization review nurse on both the hospital and insurance side reviewed the patients current information against the criteria. The nurses were unable to justify the patients medical status based on laboratory values, vital signs, or imaging results. What these guidelines often fail to factor in is scenario-specific information. This patient had a severe infection of his hand, which necessitated us to treat him differently. If he didnt improve, he could lose function in his hands, and his life would suffer greatly. While practicing medicine, there is always an element of judgment required that is hard for software to account for.

Under our current payor model, UM processes are a necessity. We need them for payors to understand the care being given by health care providers. Guidelines are a necessity as well. They aid in reducing unnecessary care and spending. There is good necessary work here. But what I fear is that, in allowing and adhering to these guidelines and processes, we have also opened ourselves to their abuse of them. Under the guise of utilization, payers can cut reimbursement for essential care. UM has become a wall for payors to hide behind without providing any room for clinical reasoning or flexibility.

Earlier this year, the DOJ filed a federal suit to stop the acquisition of UnitedHealth Group (one of the largest private insurers in the nation) of Change Healthcare. Change Healthcare maintains InterQual Criteria, one of the largest guidelines set for inpatient medical care. These guidelines are often cited as the reasoning behind the denial of payment or prior authorization. Now the largest private insurer would own these products and possibly be able to further impact outcomes to their benefit.

Commenting on the lawsuit, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki of the Justice Departments Antitrust Division stated, The proposed transaction threatens an inflection point in the health care industry by giving United control of a critical data highway through which about half of all Americans health insurance claims pass each year. He says, Unless the deal is blocked, United stands to see and potentially use its health insurance rivals competitively sensitive information for its own business purposes and control these competitors access to vital health care technology innovations. The departments lawsuit makes clear that we will not hesitate to challenge transactions that harm competition by placing so much control of data and innovation in the hands of a single firm.

I shudder to think what my earlier conversation with the medical director will look like now.

Sneha Tella is an internal medicine physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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I came out as transgender in my post-baccalaureate years. I grew up in California and was enjoying my time in college at Boulder. Although I had been severely bullied in middle school, there were never any problems for me in the adult world.

Discrimination was not something I thought really existed because I had not seen it.

Blissfully discovering my new self, I began my social transition. I was finally coming into myself when my premed advisor told me succinctly that I needed to find the closet I had just come out of and get right back in.

The thought of crawling back into my old closet was pure insanity, or so I thought. It was not until two more instances where physicians told me that you look too gay and that I needed to tone it down that the seriousness of the situation set it. I climbed back into my closet, tossed out all of my mens clothes, and replaced them with womens clothes. I remember going to Express the day before my white coat ceremony trying to find something that was not too gay.

The facade did not last long. It was too hard to be someone else every day. Looking in the mirror and seeing what was looking back at me made me cringe. I spend hours trying to find the perfect balance between feminine and masculine. Trying for the unisex look was somewhat acceptable. After the first year of medical school, I went full butch. I let the whole school think that I was a lesbian. It was so much easier than explaining I was trans. I began to see what discrimination meant. My medical school was in the Midwest.

Being a hidden transman in a lesbian costume was a massive daily struggle. Medical school is not easy, and the added LGBTQ stress was a weight. When it came time to enter the Match with my mediocre grades and USMLE score, I was posed with the question, Do you want to disclose your LGBTQ identity to your programs? I did not mention it in my personal statement because I was afraid of not finding a match.

All of my activities were LGBTQ related, but I remained silent about the biggest part of myself in the most important part of my application. It had not helped that my photo had been critiqued as being too masculine. I had been advised to shove myself back further into my closet.

Because my application was only just mediocre, I was advised to apply to programs that might be willing to accept me. Unfortunately, many of these places are located in conservative areas. Even now, people advise me to apply to places where I know I would be unsafe living and where I know the institution would probably not want me.

And here we have the point of the article and the real question.

Where do the mediocre trans and visibly queer people go to residency?

Residency is a highly competitive process, and it is only getting worse. If you are in the top 10 percent of your class, you can certainly apply to UCSF, which is a Mecca for the LGBTQ population.

But for people like me, who are not exceptional, where do we turn? Do we choose a less competitive specialty? Now that I have fully transitioned, people tell me to go stealth, which means hide that I am trans and take everything off my application that might give me away. Besides having that feel like a whole different type of closet, it is nearly impossible. I have published papers in my deadname, and there is no way to change that. I have training verification letters in my deadname, and I cannot seem to have some of those changed either.

Right now, I am standing out of the closet, and the door has been padlocked shut. What a luxury to be able to apply to residency in a state that is less competitive and not have to worry if I will be harmed if I try and live there. An even bigger luxury would be the thought that a conservative institution would even consider allowing me into their residency program.

What a privilege to be able to apply wherever I want with only my credentials being considered.

What a privilege not to have to worry about my LGBTQ status affecting my application process.

But that is not reality, and I am not alone. This begs the question. What are we going to do to change things? How are we going to equalize the playing field? And I think it is going to come down to the institutions that are in safe places to reconsider their application practices and perhaps consider some applicants who might not have the luxury of applying in less desirable areas.

Miles McIntosh is a physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
DCC Oil Ireland has announced that it has rebranded to Certa Ireland with all its consumer-facing brands to adopt the brand, Certa.

The new branding represents the growth of the company over the past three decades and will see each of its six consumer brands, Emo, Campus Oil, Jones Oil, Certa, CC Lubricants and Source Lubricants fall under the same umbrella brand.

This will see all its operations in Kilkenny be rebranded with the new brand name in the coming weeks. As Irelands largest network of pay@pump forecourts, with 37 nationwide, the move will see 18 home heating depots nationwide be rebranded to Certa over the next number of weeks.

It is expected that the consolidated brand will provide an opportunity to deliver enhanced commercial performance through improved pricing power, a stronger distribution model, and a broadening of its customer base.

Today is a very exciting day in the next step in the evolution of our business as we bring our 332 colleagues and six brands under the same umbrella," said Andrew Graham, MD Certa Ireland.

"While our brand is now nationwide, we look forward to continuing to engage with our customers locally and provide them with a more seamless service than ever before.

Weve been in business in County Kilkenny for years and we hope to maintain a level of performance to rival that of the countys hurlers!
Dear Editor,

It is estimated that there are over 1,400 people living with dementia in Kilkenny, and that number is set to increase.

September 2022 marks the 11th year of World Alzheimers Month. While the aim of the month is to raise awareness and understanding of dementia, the HSE and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland are also keen to promote the local supports available for those affected by the condition.

Through my work as a Dementia Adviser, I know getting an early diagnosis and information about the range of services and support available is important to ensure that people can manage their condition and make informed choices. Social isolation is often more likely for a person with dementia and staying socially active and engaged can help in many ways. As well as slowing the progression of dementia, it can positively affect mood and a persons overall health and well-being. Activities could range from meeting a friend, to continuing hobbies, joining new groups such as the Mens Sheds or availing of services such as our Memory Technology Resource Rooms or attending dementia friendly events such as the Azure Programme at Butler Gallery.

There are people in the Kilkenny community who may be recently diagnosed, awaiting diagnosis, concerned about their memory or having difficulty with mental tasks. I would urge you to seek support now, by contacting me or the Helpline team who can signpost to services in your area. We are here to support you on your journey and to look at ways to help manage your condition or improve your general well-being.

There are many types of dementia and conditions can affect people in many different ways. Its important to acknowledge that everyones experience is unique and that not all treatment will be suitable for everyone. Dementia should not only be seen as a disease affecting older people, in fact over 4,000 people in Ireland with dementia are under 65. Kilkenny People readers should also be aware of the things they can do to keep their brain healthy.

You can find further information on how to protect your brain health and your local community support groups and services at www.understandtogether.ie

If you are concerned about dementia, support is available, call the national Helpline free on 1800 341 341 or email helpline@alzheimer.ie

The Dementia Adviser service and national Helpline are provided by the Alzheimers Society of Ireland supported with funding from the HSE.

Yours sincerely,

Claire Cahill

Dementia Adviser, Kilkenny

claire.cahill@alzheimer.ie
Budget 2023 cuts the cost of education to help pupils, students, and their families, according to Fine Gael TD, John Paul Phelan.

Speaking as the Budget was announced, Deputy Phelan said: Budget 2023 is a Cost of Living Budget, designed to help you and your family, with measures for the most vulnerable and the squeezed middle. One of the key priorities is to help reduce the cost of education.

For example, we are helping with the cost of putting a child through school. From September 2023, all primary school children will receive free school books. This was a Fine Gael commitment in our election manifesto and something that was piloted under a Fine Gael Minister for Education.

We are also determined to support those who need it most. My colleague Minister Josepha Madigan has also secured the largest ever Special Education Budget in the history of the State of 2.6 billion, a 10% increase on last year. Fine Gael committed to prioritising Special Education in this Government appointing Minister Madigan as the first ever Minister of Special Education and Inclusion and that commitment is clear in this years budget.

It allows for an additional 370 new Special classes, meaning over 2,000 more children will have access to a place and a substantial increase in the budget for the NCSE, who will see their grant increased by nearly 13 million, almost double their annual budget. The number of Special Needs Assistants will grow by nearly 1,200 achieving Minister Madigans commitment of well over 20,000 SNAs for the first time ever, almost double the number of SNAs in 2011 when Fine Gael came into office.

This Budget also reduces the teacher pupil ratio by 1 at primary school with over 660 teachers for primary and post-primary schools which will really support schools fighting for teachers especially in rural schools.

We are also helping students and families with the cost of going to college, by both cutting fees and raising the student grant. This will be of immense benefit to students form this region studying either in the newly-established SETU or travelling elsewhere to study.

The Student Contribution Fee will be reduced by between 500 and 1,500 for 58,000 families from next year on and in a special recognition of the rising cost of living it will be reduced by 1000 in this academic year. This will help 96,000 families.

We are also cutting fees for apprentices this year too. We will increase all student grants from January and recipients will get a double payment this December, as well as an increase in stipends for PhD students.

With supports for an additional 4,000 apprenticeship places, there will be a range of career choices and ways to reach a qualification through earning & learning for young people.

Deputy Phelan concluded: The Government is also helping the education sector to cope with rising costs. 100 million is available in 2022 to ensure schools are supported in dealing with the energy cost pressures they will face in the months ahead, and to support school transport providers. An additional 10 million will also be provided for further and higher education institutions.

Aside from the education measures, this cost-of-living Budget is putting more money back in your pocket by cutting income tax, increasing pension payments, and increasing welfare payments for families, people with disabilities and carers. We are helping you and your family with the cost of living in areas like childcare, public transport, and saving up for your first home.

All of this is possible thanks to the strong economy under Fine Gael, and we are also putting aside a Reserve Fund of 2 billion this year and 4 billion next year to protect Ireland from unexpected future shocks.
Research has shown that Irish womens belief in their ability to run a successful business is continuing to grow as this years National Womens Enterprise Day (NWED) was launched in Kilkenny today. The initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices, now in its 16th year, will take place on the 13th October with the aim of encouraging female entrepreneurship and supporting women in business across the country.

The research, part of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) for 2021, showed that 49% of women surveyed believed they had the necessary skills and knowledge to start a business. This was up from 39% in 2018. The report also highlighted that Ireland has the third highest rate for early-stage women entrepreneurs across European countries, with over 1,400 women starting a new business in Ireland every month.

Early-stage women entrepreneurs in Ireland are mainly focused on the customer services sector with 64% of those surveyed working in that area. The report showed a significant growth in export customers for these businesses, with 26% of customers of these early-stage startups based abroad, up from 15% in 2019 highlighting how they have diversified their markets during Covid.

The theme of this years National Womens Enterprise Day is Our Future, Our Way which will be reflected in the 16 physical events taking place across the country, supported by Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities. The Kilkenny event, run by Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny will take place at Mountain View, Ballyhale, Co. Kilkenny, from 9.30am  2.30pm. This will be a facilitated networking and exhibition event to allow attendees meet with other female businesses and to pitch for business.

Ruth Larkin, Lark Bridal Ltd will MC the event and host a masterclass entitled Elevate Your Pitch in 30 Seconds followed by a panel discussion with Suzie McAdam, Suzie McAdam Design and former judge on RTEs Home of the Year along with our Leading Light Louise Kennedy. The event will conclude with a networking lunch. Tickets are 10 or 15 to display and pitch your business.

Pat Fitzpatrick, Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council said I am delighted to support National Womens Enterprise Day, particularly as we are seeing in person events return this year. Events like NWED are important in supporting women entrepreneurs and those considering starting a business with insights from leading business women and introducing them to a network of entrepreneurs who are blazing a trail in the Irish market and overseas.

Aileen McGrath, Head of Enterprise (Acting), said; National Womens Enterprise Day has become a flagship event for women entrepreneurs and businesswomen every year. While the past two years saw successful online celebrations, it really is special to be back in person supporting the inspirational businesswomen of Kilkenny. If you have that itch to start a business, or maybe you are already running a business, then this is the event for you. It can help you grow your network, find out what supports are available and learn from those who have gone before.

Let us come together to celebrate our achievements to date and support one another in the opportunities to come  Our Future, Our Way.

Booking at www.localenterprise.ie/kilkenny
The 600 euro-worth of energy credits announced by government to help with soaring energy bills is not enough to help people survive the winter ahead, two renters have said.

Three energy credits worth 200 euro each are to be paid out as part of the governments cost-of-living package, with one being issued before Christmas and two at the start of 2023.

Friends Ali Stone, 36, and Brian Shanahan, 32, who have a council tenancy in a rural part of Co Tipperary, said that the measure is not enough to get through the winter months, and that their most recent monthly energy bill was worth 660 euro.

Youre going into a winter like this, its going to be hard enough, Mr Shanahan said.

Were here and weve every heating system off, wrapped up in duvets. And were in a nice home at the minute, and were actually afraid to even turn on the shower. You know, were in and out in five minutes, he said, adding that he sometimes leaves with shampoo still in his hair.

Ms Stone says that the price of groceries has become ridiculous, and that the three energy credits worth 200 euro each for both before and after Christmas was a joke and not enough to help people trying to survive the winter period.

She said she would have liked to see something in the budget to stop rents increasing further during the energy crisis to help ease the pressure on people.

Id like to see the government open their eyes and and help families by getting a cap on how much landlords can charge per property, Ms Stone said.

That is going to save a lot of families from being homeless because they cant afford to pay ridiculous amounts per week, on top of them trying to pay ridiculous amounts of electricity and then feed their families.

Its unsure for a lot of people right now. And the uncertainty going into Christmas for a lot of families who are terrified that theyre not going to be able to put the turkeys on the table.

Ms Stone and Mr Shanahan had rented a previous property privately that had mould and pest issues, and entered into mediation through housing charity Threshold and the Residential Tenancies Board to resolve the issue.

The housing situation at the moment is scary, Ms Stone said.

This time last year, we didnt have any security. Neither of us. And it was terrifying. So I cant imagine (how other renters) feel right now going into the winter with no security.

Homelessness is not just in the big cities, its all over the country. Its nationwide.

Mr Shanahan added: Theres not enough consideration for small towns and, to be honest, landlords are running riot in small towns.

They also welcomed the introduction of a Vacant Homes Tax, which was confirmed in the Budget announcement with the aim of increasing the supply of homes for rent or purchase to meet demand, according to Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.

Putting the tax on them is the right job, Mr Shanahan said.

It comes after three energy companies announced price hikes this month alone.

Electric Ireland said gas and electricity bills would increase from October 1, Bord Gais Energy said its price hikes would equate to an extra 50 euro a month on gas and electricity bills, while Flogas Energy announced its third cost increase of the year last week.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has revealed record overcrowding figures at an Irish hospital.

According to the INMO's daily Trolley Watch report, a total of 529 patients are waiting for beds at hospitals today, with a record 88 patients in Cork University Hospital (CUH).

The INMO's Industrial Relations Officer, Liam Conway, called the situation at CUH "completely unworkable".

He said, "The bed deficit that currently exists in both CUH and the community is completely unacceptable. There is no real or meaningful plan to support the CUH Emergency Department and its surrounds when it comes to increasing bed capacity in the months ahead. Urgent engagement is required to ensure that discharge facilities are available in the community.

"A bespoke taskforce is now needed to tackle the ongoing issues in Cork University Hospital. Our members in CUH will not tolerate another winter where they are exposed to excessive workloads which leads to excessive burnout."

CUH isn't the only overcrowded hospital nationwide today, with 73 patients waiting at University Hospital Limerick, 42 at University Hospital Galway, 38 at St Luke's Kilkenny and 31 at Letterkenny Unversity Hospital.

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha, called today "another worrying day in the Irish health service".

She said, "We are on a very dangerous path to unprecedented hospital overcrowding this winter and beyond.

"Our daily trolley figures indicate a real problem all across the western seaboard and the midwest. Nurses in these hospitals are incredibly burnt out and indicating that they are working in unsafe staffing situations before the worst of the winter has even hit.

"The INMO will now seek to engage with the relevant health and safety authorities such as the HSA and HIQA. We will be seeking that fire officers inspect areas with high overcrowding."

Ms Ni Sheaghdha also called for Budget 2023 to be "ambitious" when it comes to increasing capacity and ensuring beds are staffed adequately.

The overall 2023 allocation for health (23.4billion) was announced in the Budget yesterday (September 27) by the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, with the INMO calling for "more clarity" on how it will be spent.

Speaking after the Budget was announced, Ms Ni Sheaghdha said, "The continued increase in health spending is welcome if it is guaranteed that money is spent in an efficient way. We need to ensure that money allocated to the Department of Health is spent to get staffing right, building up capacity and moving to the universal care model as envisioned by Slaintecare.

"While we know from Minister McGraths speech today that an additional 6,000 workers will be employed across the health sector, no specifics were offered when it comes to exactly how many nurses and midwives will be recruited."

She continued: "Recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives deserves a laser focus in the year ahead.

"The same way we have a pupil-teacher ratio embedded in Budgets year on year. We need to see a patient-nurse ratio that dictates what the safest level of staffing should be in each of our acute hospitals. When our children enter school we expect them to be in an environment where they can get the attention they need to thrive, why dont we expect the same when a loved one is in hospital?

"We are currently seeing levels of 15 patients to 1 nurse. We are seeing instances of maternity wards closing because of staffing issues. This is unsustainable. Money allocated in Budget 2023 must be used to develop a safe and sustainable staffing levels as envisioned in the Sage Staffing Framework in Nursing and Midwifery.

"While reductions to the Student Contribution Charge for our student members is welcome, student nurses and midwives are still paying above the odds for accommodation costs to carry out their placements, which is a core part of their training. The Minister for Finance must clarify if students qualify for the Renters Tax Credit."

According to Ms Ni Sheaghdha, the government must also do more to reduce the cost-of-living near large hospitals in Dublin, Cork and Galway in order to ensure young nurses and midwives see Ireland as a viable place to work.

She said, "The government will have to go further than a tax credit for renters to keep the future of our health service here.

"As one of the first organisations to recognise and highlight the real challenges women with menopause face in the workplace, we welcome that HRT and period products will now be VAT free.

"Much more detail for health spending is now required.
THEN:

Emily Gould was an assistant editor at Hyperion Books when she appeared in our July 2005 cover story, Smartest Money Moves at Any Age. At 23, she was thriving in her first post-college job, but she acknowledged being less than savvy about money, including failing to take full advantage of her 401(k). Id rather be a young person with beautiful shoes than an old person with a roof over my head, she said then.

NOW:

Part of an early generation of bloggers, Gould left Hyperion in 2006 for a job at Gawker, the media/gossip blogging site. She later wrote about that experience, and her willingness to share personal details online about her life and relationships, in a first-person account for The New York Times Magazine. The story featured a provocative photo of Gould on the cover and generated a torrent of comments, most of them negative. She was stunned by the reaction, but the attention paved the way for a book deal (a memoir later published as And the Heart Says Whatever), for which she received a $200,000 advance.

Gould looks back on the rest of her twenties as rocky and tumultuous. The book, published in 2010, sold poorly, and within a few years the money was gone, partly to cover taxes, health insurance premiums and her agents commission but also to pay for pricey clothes and an apartment she couldnt afford. Gould even cashed out her 401(k) retirement account (incurring a big tax bill and a 10% early-withdrawal penalty). The Emily Gouldspecific financial crisis coincided with the global financial crisis, she says.

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Life in her thirties has been much smoother, says Gould, now 33. Her first novel, Friendship, hit bookstores in 2014 and has earned back its $30,000 advance. Last year, she married writer Keith Gessen; in June, the couple had their first child, Raphael. These were things Id always imagined would happen, but it was unclear if they ever would or when, she says.

Gould is writing another novel, and she co-owns (with Ruth Curry) Emily Books, an online bookstore that offers monthly subscriptions to feminist e-books. Earlier this year, Gould and Curry raised more than $40,000 through Kickstarter (opens in new tab) to develop the site and partner with Coffee House Press to publish original books.

Any regrets? The way she spent the $200,000 is a big one. I wish I could go back to that old self and scream, Buy an apartment!  says Gould, who lives with Gessen and Raphael in a rental apartment in Brooklyn, N.Y. Still, having a child really makes all the other stuff you were anxious about feel like small potatoes.
The big news at one of our staff meetings recently was that Sam Marcus, son of managing editor Barbara Marcus, had landed a full-time job, with benefits, in his field of photo editing/magazine production. This was an achievement because Sam, like so many other young people, graduated from college in 2008, just as the economy -- and the job market -- was tanking. His first job, at a computer store in New York City, was a nightmare of erratic schedules and poor treatment, says Barbara, but it pushed him to get his resume out there and hustle.

With a series of internships, both paid and unpaid, Sam gained experience and contacts. He was working as an independent contractor at a media firm when a full-time production job opened up, and he jumped at it. Im proud of him, says his mom. And well she should be. The job market for new grads -- and for workers in general -- seems to be picking up, but the positions still go to those who hustle. As a magazine editor who interviews job candidates, Id like to offer my best advice for getting your foot in the door.

First, a note to parents: Steer but dont hover. Its okay to refer your children to people you know who can help with their job search. But let them make the contact.One father I know kept his son Andrews resume on his computer. When he saw an ad for a job for which Andrew was qualified, hed fire off a resume. But it was up to his son to follow up. (Andrew landed a temporary gig that he hopes will turn into a full-timeposition.)

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Insulated from face-to-face (or even voice-to-voice) contact by social networks and text messaging, many young people in particular have a tough time picking up the phone or meeting someone in person. But it helps if people like me can attach a face, or at least a voice, to an applicant.

Once you make a contact, send periodic reminders that youre still interested.Even if an applicant seems promising, a single e-mail is often buried under the dailydeluge. Polite but persistent e-mails are more likely to get an answer -- eventually.Review the job description and troll the companys Web site to become familiarwith what it does. My husband is in charge of hiring entry-level employees at hissmall firm. He once received more than 100 responses to an ad posted on Craigslist,but he set up only five interviews. Most of the other applicants were either overqualifiedor had misread the job description.

Remember that a job e-mail is not a text message. R u hiring? or the equivalentis no way to address a prospective employer. Get the spelling, grammar and punctuation right.

And take heart. Like Sams, your perseverance will pay off. A study by theUniversity of Michigan Retirement Research Center found that participantswho ranked high on a scale of conscientiousness earn about $1,500 more per yearthan the average American and have significantly higher lifetime savings.Way to go, Sam.
Now that Anna Nicole Smith's former boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, is raising their daughter, Dannielynn, you can expect the legal disputes surrounding Smith's death to melt away like snow in the Bahamas, right?

Joke, people.

In fact, Smith left behind enough unanswered questions and competing interests to keep lawyers wrangling into the next decade. The Playboy centerfold and widow of oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II died in February 2007 at age 39 of a drug overdose, leaving behind her baby, three would-be daddies and a drawn out lawsuit for a share of her late husband's fortune. DNA tests showed Birkhead, a photographer, to be Dannielynn's father; Howard K. Stern, another paternity contender, was named executor of Smith's will, and Smith's mother is battling Birkhead for guardianship rights. Smith's son and only beneficiary, Daniel, died of a drug overdose a few months before his mother.

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What can we learn from all this drama? If you must live a messy life, clean your financial affairs up before you depart it. Here are five tips for tidying up your estate so that others don't have to.

1. Plan for contingencies. Smith's will, written in 2001, left whatever property she had in trust for her son. It specifically excluded unknown children, a provision that's more commonly used by men to protect against claims by heirs they're not aware of. Had Daniel not died before Smith, Dannielynn would have been out in the cold -- a development Smith probably would not have intended, says Joanna Grossman, a law professor at Hofstra University. "She was probably just thinking of her one son and wanted him to have everything." Instead, his death caused the will to lapse. With no will, state intestacy law made Dannielynn sole heir, a determination later affirmed by the court.

Tortured as those circumstances sound, they demonstrate a failure on the part of Smith's will to clarify her wishes and prepare for contingencies, which is, after all, the whole point of estate planning. You can avoid similar complications by building in flexibility -- including naming alternative beneficiaries and stating your intentions toward unborn children -- and revising the will as needed to include specifics, such as the name of a new child.

2. Appoint a guardian. Although Birkhead's situation has yet to be resolved (the final custody hearing will be held in June in the Bahamas), he has a big leg up in his custody dispute. It's the biological or adoptive parent who generally gets custody of the children if the other parent dies. Still, you should name a guardian in your will in case the other parent isn't available or you both die around the same time. Think that can't happen to two relatively young people in a single family? Look at Smith and her son.

If you're convinced that the other parent is unfit for custody, name another guardian, outline your reasoning and hope that the court agrees. Simply saying you prefer someone else doesn't cut it, says Grossman. "If there is a real live parent who has legal rights, your preference is not going to trump that." Because Birkhead passed both the DNA and fitness tests, says Grossman, "there's no justification for taking the child away."

3. Design your own funeral. Sure, you could leave the arrangements to your next of kin and leave it to them to argue over the details. Smith's mother, for instance, wanted to bury her in the family plot in Texas; instead, Dannielynn was awarded custody of the body, and Richard C. Milstein, Dannielynn's representative, had Smith buried in the Bahamas.

You can avoid the bickering by putting your funeral instructions in writing, preferably in a living will, which is more readily available to survivors than a regular will, says Martin Shenkman, an estate-planning lawyer in Teaneck, N.J. Have a lawyer write or review the document to make sure the terms are legally enforceable. And include the same instructions in your testamentary will, giving your executor the authority to cover funeral expenses out of the estate.

4. Legalize your love. Getting married for estate-planning purposes hardly constitutes a Hallmark moment, but it does entitle your surviving spouse to half the property you acquire during your marriage or to a significant share of your estate, depending on where you legally reside. You can't easily override those rights, in a will or otherwise, although your spouse can waive them. For Stern, a marriage license would have meant inheriting some of Smith's estate; as the boyfriend, he gets zip.

What if you're in a same-sex partnership? A number of states accord domestic partners some or all of the same protections as married couples; Massachusetts and California recognize same-sex marriages. No matter what your state or status, you can always name a loved one as beneficiary in your will.

5. Tie up loose ends. Ironically, Stern has since been appointed executor of Smith's estate, as well as a cotrustee, with one-time rival Birkhead of a trust set up for Dannielynn's benefit. Before you start enjoying that soap opera, make sure your own legal arrangements avoid potential conflicts. "Don't assume that it's just Hollywood types who have these issues," says Shenkman. "A lot of people have messy personal lives."
Our auto-insurance company increased our premiums by $150 per year based on our credit score. Can it do that?

It certainly can, in most states. In fact, many insurers changed their pricing models over the past few years to make credit scores a much larger factor in setting auto- and homeowners-insurance premiums. That's one reason it's important to monitor your credit report and keep a good credit score at all times -- even when you aren't about to buy a house or car.

It might seem that credit scores would have nothing to do with insurance. But insurers have found a strong correlation between credit scores and claims: People with low scores are a lot more likely to file insurance claims than people with high scores.

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In 2004, the Texas Department of Insurance conducted its own study to see whether this was true. After studying the claims records of two million insurance policies, the insurance department found "the difference in claims experience by credit score was substantial," according to the regulator's report. The 10% of policyholders with the worst credit scores were 1.5 to 2 times more likely to file a claim than the 10% of policyholders with the best credit scores, for both auto and homeowners insurance. They also found that drivers with the best credit scores are involved in about 40% fewer accidents than those with the worst credit scores.

But because of the current economic situation, some states have recently adopted laws requiring insurers to let people request an exception to the credit-based rating because of "extraordinary life circumstances" that affect their credit score -- such as a serious illness or injury to themselves or an immediate family member; death of a spouse, child or parent; divorce; identity theft; temporary loss of employment for three months or more; or military deployment overseas.

"Many companies had an appeals process through which you could explain why your credit was tough and you could get special dispensation, but this formalizes it," says Wes Bissett, senior counsel, government affairs, for the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. Texas, Delaware, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico and Illinois have adopted laws granting this type of appeal; other states are expected to follow suit.

But even if you live in a state that hasn't adopted this law, Bissett says it doesn't hurt to let your agent or insurer know upfront about any special circumstances that have affected your credit score -- even before you apply for a policy (you can find an independent agent at www.iiaba.org (opens in new tab)). "If they know in advance, they might be able to reach out to the company or focus on companies that might work better for that particular person," he says.

Some insurers count your credit score a lot more than other insurers do when setting rates. A few companies might offer particularly good deals for people with low scores, and the reverse can be true, too: "If you have a less than sparkling driving history and accidents that aren't of a horrible nature, there are some companies that are more willing to overlook those because of a strong credit history," says Bissett. Also, some companies check your credit score only when setting your rate as a new customer; others review your score once a year.

The credit score the insurer uses is actually a bit different from the credit score a potential lender uses -- usually a proprietary "insurance score" with a formula that the company doesn't publicly disclose. But you can take the same key steps to improve your credit score and your insurance score: Check your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com (opens in new tab). You can get a free copy of your report from each of the three credit bureaus every 12 months; stagger your requests so that you see a copy every four months. Fix any errors on your report promptly. Also be sure to pay your bills on time (if you can't make the full payment, at least pay the minimum by the deadline), try to keep your charges below 25% of your available credit (even if you pay the bill in full by the deadline), and don't open or close a lot of cards at once. See Five Ways to Boost Your Credit Score (opens in new tab) and Demystifying Your Credit Score (opens in new tab) for more information.
I recently asked my twentysomething friends what they'd like to know about getting health insurance. The most common response? "Everything." Evidently, and understandably, those of us navigating the maze of health insurance for the first time are less than clear on the ins and outs. Plus, paying for health insurance coverage can be a drag when you dont have much cash to spare.

But skipping it could be even more costly. Although the number of uninsured young adults is falling, thanks to new federal rules requiring most insurers to allow children on parents health plans up to age 26, more than one-fourth of young people remain without coverage. In 2010, about 27% of 18-to-24 year olds and 28% of 25-to-34 year olds had no health insurance, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. I have seen so many stories about young people who ended up saddled with enormous medical bills, says Kathleen Stoll, deputy executive director of Families USA, a health-coverage advocacy organization. Its not a risk you want to take if you can find an affordable source of coverage. Here's how to get good coverage without going broke:

Individual Coverage

Even if you have the option of employer or parental coverage, you may be able to find less-expensive coverage on your own. In most states, healthy, young people can find individual policies in the private market with premiums of about $150 to $200 a month, says Ankeny Minoux, president of the Foundation for Health Coverage Education. A high-deductible policy may run closer to $100 a month. On average, single coverage through an employer costs an employee $921 a year in premiums, or about $77 per month, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. But the cost varies widely by employer. You can shop for and compare policies at sites such as eHealthInsurance.com (opens in new tab). Or find a broker who will help you get coverage through www.nahu.org (opens in new tab).

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Check your plan options carefully, says Aaron Smith, executive director of Young Invincibles, an organization that advocates for health care for young people. You may find that, say, certain prescriptions or doctors you visit regularly arent covered. And keep in mind that premiums you pay through an employer will be deducted from your paycheck before taxes, a perk you wont have with individual coverage.

Also, if you have a health condition, you may have a hard time finding coverage in the individual market. (You will be able to get a policy if you live in one of the six states that guarantee coverage in the individual market regardless of your health -- Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Washington. But note that premiums tend to be significantly higher than average for everyone in those states -- not just for those with health conditions.) An employer plan cant deny you health insurance or charge you more because of a preexisting condition, although it may be able to impose a waiting period on coverage related to your illness. (For more on preexisting conditions and health coverage, see Families USAs Your Guide to HIPAA Protections (opens in new tab).) Those with preexisting conditions who have been without insurance for at least the past six months can look into the U.S. governments Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (opens in new tab); premiums are about the same as the market rate for a healthy person. Many states also have high-risk pools for people with preexisting conditions, and they have different eligibility requirements than the PCIP. The rates are often considerably higher than standard market rates -- and if youre already in one of the state pools, youre not eligible for the PCIP. See www.coverageforall.org (opens in new tab) for state-by-state information.

Parental Coverage

Under the Affordable Care Act, most insurers now have to cover those who are younger than 26 on their parents policy, as long as the policy has dependent coverage -- a great option for the many young people who are searching for a first job or working a part-time job with no benefits. (Good news for those of you whose parents use the militarys insurance plan, Tricare: Youre now covered, too, though the rules differ from those governing other policies. See ASK KIM: Military Health Plan Now Covers Adult Children for more information.)

Once you do get a full-time job that offers health-insurance benefits, your parents policy is no longer required to insure you unless they purchased it in the individual market or if the plan was established after March 23, 2010. Check whether your new employer will impose a waiting period before you can sign up for health coverage; if it does, ask your parents insurer whether its policy will cover you during the waiting period. If it wont, you may want to get a short-term policy until your employer coverage kicks in. (For more on the rules, see the governments page (opens in new tab) on coverage for young adults. And for state-by-state information on getting health coverage tailored to young adults, see www.gettingcovered.org/toolkit (opens in new tab).)

Employer Coverage

Congratulations -- you have a job with benefits! Or maybe youve had your job for a while (still an accomplishment worthy of a congratulations!), and youre simply coming up on annual open-enrollment period (the time during which you can choose or change your employee benefits). Either way, now is a good time for you to review your employers health benefit options. You may have a few plans to choose from -- say, three types with varying premiums, deductibles and coverage -- or you may have just one option.

Tempting as it may be, dont just gloss over the thick booklet outlining the plans, which should include a summary of benefits detailing coverage. Reading it is not always fun, Smith says. But its important in making a smart financial decision. And its crucial now, as employers pass on more of the rising costs of health insurance to workers.

Some key elements of your plan that youll need to understand:

The premium. Most employers dont cover the full premium, so youll likely have money automatically drawn from your paychecks, before taxes, to cover the rest. If you choose a plan with a high deductible (the amount you pay out of pocket for medical services before your insurance coverage kicks in), your premiums will likely be a bit lower than if you pick a low-deductible plan. Keep in mind that differences in premiums and deductibles may not be the only price variations among plans; the co-payments for certain kinds of services, for example, may change, too.

The deductible. Many young people working on entry-level salaries are short on savings. So if youre thinking about lowering your premium by choosing a high-deductible plan, make sure that you can afford it, Stoll says. Calculate your potential out-of-pocket maximum for the year -- the highest amount youd have to pay in health care costs, including your deductible and co-payments or coinsurance (but not premiums), until the insurer assumes full costs.

Many health-insurance plans cover preventive care with no deductible or co-payment required, so you may not have to pay for such annual services as checkups and blood screenings. And if you have a health savings account or flexible spending account, you can use that tax-free money to pay for many out-of-pocket costs (see Take Advantage of Tax-Deferred Accounts for more on these types of accounts). Your employer may contribute money to your HSA if you pick a high-deductible plan.

The network. An insurance plan will often provide the highest amount of coverage if you go to a doctor within its network. If you have a preexisting condition or certain specialists that you see regularly, choosing a preferred provider organization (PPO) is likely your best bet. Typically, a PPO will provide coverage for doctors outside of its network, but youll have to pay more out of pocket for the services. If youre in good health and have the option of using a health maintenance organization (HMO), you could save money because the fees tend to be lower. But youll likely be more restricted on the doctors you can visit in order to get any amount of insurance coverage.

Future Coverage

As your life changes, your insurance needs will, too. Getting married? You may be able to get better coverage or lower premiums through your spouses plan, or vice versa. And if you have children, you should evaluate your plans to see how kids might best fit. You may even find that a combination of individual and family policies is the least costly and most effective way to cover your new family (see How to Beat Rising Health Insurance Premiums).

Plus, many health care reform provisions have yet to take effect. As the law stands now, in 2014, you will have to get coverage or pay a fee if you dont -- unless you fall below very low income limits or meet other specific requirements. Also, no insurer will be permitted to reject you or charge more because of a preexisting condition or set caps on the amount of coverage you can receive.
In my last two columns, we've discussed the outsized role that luck plays in the world of investing, how to go about establishing our overall asset allocation, determining our risk tolerance and projecting our expected returns. Now we need to know what variables to look for to select better-than-index returnsor how to identify skill in the marketplace.

To do this, we're going to need the following tools:

The right benchmark for each of our asset classes

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Reliable data sources

An understanding of the following metrics:

Alpha

Tracking Error

Manager experience and tenure

Consistency of excess returns

Costs

A way to manage a potentially limited selection (i.e. inside of a 401(k) plan)

Let's start with selecting the appropriate benchmark for the hypothetical four-asset portfolio we developed in my last article. If you are going to evaluate skill, you have to have a consistent, reliable comparison. This isn't always as easy as it sounds, as two funds with similar sounding names can use very different comparison benchmarks and possibly even have two very different objectives. In our case, we will use the following asset classes and recommended benchmarks:

U.S. Stocks  Standard & Poor's 500-stock index

International  MSCI EAFE (Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe Australasia and Far East) index

U.S. Small Cap  Russell 2000

Bonds  Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond index

(You may note that I am using the Russell 2000 index for small cap U.S. stocks. This is because the tools we will be using may not have access to the Dimensional U.S. Small Cap index that I used in my last article.)

Now we need some good data sources. The tools I use are Morningstar, Fiduciary Analytics (from the Center for Fiduciary Studies), Evestment, TD Ameritrade's fund and ETF research and information from the mutual fund's own sites.

When evaluating skill, and the potential for persistently better results than the index, there are a few statistics that can help us. The first is alpha, which measures the active return on an investment, or the return that is in excess of the comparison benchmark. We may be interested in average alpha, over a period of time, such as three years, five years or 10 years, but I recommend looking also at this metric on an annual basis, to get a sense of consistency. Averages, whether they are performance averages or other statistical measures, tend to get corrupted easily by big differences in select periods, so look at each year.

When you hear the term "tracking error," I want you to think of "error" as "deviation" or difference" as this measurement is focusing on the degree of differential in returns of the investment over its benchmark. If you see that the fund is exhibiting a significant tracking error, but the returns are consistently under the benchmark, you should look closely at replacing the fund or not selecting it in the first place. What we are looking for is significant tracking error and returns that are consistently better than the fund's benchmark.

If our screening is progressing well at this point, we want to look into the experience of the manager, or team, and their years of running this particular investment. I'd like to see 10 years of overall experience and at least 3 years with the fund. This is where we will go to the fund website and look at annual reports, fact sheets, manager commentary, etc. You want to get a sense of the character and competence of the management team. I'd also like to know if the fund family has a record of being good fiduciaries and whether the corporate culture represents those values.

Costs are no small factor, and I am very sensitive to the management costs involved in the funds we use. If we are successful in finding skill and therefore an advantage in terms of performance, we may be willing to pay a little more for it. But you also have to take into consideration the type of fund or asset class you are investing in. If I were to rank the typical asset classes in terms of paying up for skill, I'd rank them as follows (from lowest fee expectation to highest):

U.S. Money Market/Short-Term Bonds U.S. Government Bonds U.S. Corporate Bonds U.S. Large-Cap Stocks U.S. Mid-Cap Stocks International Large-Cap Stocks U.S. Real Estate U.S. Small-Cap Stocks International Bonds International Small-Cap Stocks Emerging-Market Stocks

So if you have a promising U.S. government bond fund that is charging a higher fee than the average U.S. large-cap stock fund, you may have a problem. Take for example the institutional shares of PIMCO Long-Term U.S. Government Income Fund versus the R5 shares of American Funds Growth Fund of America. The PIMCO bond fund has an expense ratio of 0.48%; the American Funds stock fund of 0.38%. Yes, this does happen in the real world!

Finally, having a limited universe of investments to choose from, as is common in a company 401(k) or on many broker-dealer platforms, can complicate our task. In this event, you will have to combine these principles with a ranking process and make the best choice you can within the universe available to you. If the choices are too limited, you might consider requesting that your employer review the plan and make changes. That sounds radical, but you are within your rights to do so if you have a sound basis.

Doug Kinsey is a partner in Artifex Financial Group, a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm based in Dayton, Ohio.
Planning to fly with an infant or toddler this summer? While it's no secret that traveling with a young one in tow can be quite a challenge, with the right preparation and a little knowledge of airline policies, you'll be well equipped for a smoother flight.

Angela Greiling Keane of Washington, D.C., a frequent traveler with her daughter Taylor, who turns 2 in July. Mother and daughter have flown eight round-trip flights to Kentucky, Florida, Minnesota and the Bahamas. When Taylor was a young infant, Angela held her on her lap for free, as allowed by most airlines. But on recent flights, as Taylor has gotten bigger and more active, Angela and her husband Matt Keane have bought Taylor her own seat. "We value the non-screaming kid," explains Angela.

Most airlines let a child younger than 2 years old travel free on an adult's lap. This option can be a good way to save money on short jaunts with younger infants who will probably eat or sleep or want to be held the entire flight anyway. But on longer flights -- or on any-length trip with an older infant or toddler -- you may want to spring for a separate seat for your child. The obvious reason: you'll be more comfortable when your child is not on your lap. Your sanity may be worth the price of that extra ticket.

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But just as importantly, when you buy a seat for your infant, airlines will allow you to pack your baby paraphernalia and other items in two more checked bags, plus a carry-on item. Airlines generally don't allow a carry-on allowance for babies who travel in your lap, unless you pay additional baggage fees of up to $75. (Of course, a saintly flight attendant may look the other way if he or she sees you carrying a diaper bag or similar item.)

Get a bargain

Fares for children under age 2 are generally half the cost of regular-price adult fares. But it pays to comparison shop for bargains on adult fares first, says Nancy Dunnan, editor of the newsletter Travel Smart (opens in new tab). "Buying an adult fare for your infant may be cheaper than the infant fares on certain flights," she says. For example, when Angela recently booked flights on Southwest Airlines, she saw that advanced-purchase fares were less expensive than infant fares, which recently ranged from $49 to $129 one-way.

Many times, the major airlines will charge half fare while discount carriers won't offer a discount at all. If a major airline and a discount carrier both fly your route, compare the total cost of flying your family on each airline before purchasing. You may find it is cheaper to buy three seats on a major carrier with one of them a discounted infant fare than three seats on a discount carrier, if the discount airlines do not offer cheap seats for the youngest travelers.

To book infant fares, visit the airline's Web site or an online travel agency and look for the option of picking a "child" or "infant" fare when searching. Note some airlines may require that you book such fare through their phone reservation systems, instead of online. Buy as early as possible, too. The airline may require you book infant fares at least a week in advance, says Dunnan.

An added bonus to buying your child a seat is that it's potentially safer. The Federal Aviation Administration urges parents to seat their child in a child restraint system (CRS), such as a car seat, but it does not require it. Children may gain additional protection from turbulence or a crash when such a seat restrains them. For infants roughtly 6 months old or younger, ask the airline about reserving a seat with a free bassinet (typically available on international flights). Infants weighing less than 20 pounds should use a rear-facing CRS.

Airline child policies

Knowing ahead of time what to expect can make all the difference between a pleasant flight and a nightmare in the skies. Get the info you need about the airlines and their policies on infant fares and travel before you book your tickets:

Airtran (opens in new tab)

Alaska/Horizon (opens in new tab)

Aloha (opens in new tab)

American (opens in new tab)

Continental (opens in new tab)

Delta (opens in new tab)

Frontier (opens in new tab)

JetBlue (opens in new tab)

Midwest (opens in new tab)

Southwest (opens in new tab)

United (opens in new tab)

US Airways (opens in new tab)
Ryan: It's nearly Valentine's Day, and love is in the air. Here at Kiplinger we encourage lovebirds to hold hands, take long romantic strolls and of course, check out each other's credit reports. We know it's less than sexy, but Sandy and I are joined by senior editor Eileen Ambrose, to tell you why it and other money strategies for couples are necessary in our main segment. On today's show, Sandy and I highlight some of the best and worst career paths for the next decade and delve into another game of Financial Fact or Fiction. That's all ahead on this episode of Your Money's Worth. Stick around.

Ryan: Welcome to Your Money's Worth. I'm Kiplinger staff Ryan Ermey, joined as always by senior editor Sandy Block. Sandy, it's a special episode today. It's the Valentine's Day episode of Your Money's Worth. How are you feeling?

Sandy: Feeling the love, Ryan.

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Ryan: Oh, thank goodness. Well, before we get into all that, we're going to be talking to senior editor, Eileen Ambrose, about couples and money in our main segment. Before we get into that, a couple of slideshows that are up on Kiplinger.com right now are the 30 best jobs and 20 worst jobs for the future. We're talking through the end of 2027, and what our colleagues on the website have done is that they took 773 popular occupations and focused on, in the case of the good ones, ones in which people in those jobs are collecting generous paychecks, jobs that are expected to expand over the next decade or so, and tilted toward jobs that you don't have to pay an exorbitant amount in education in order to earn a respectable salary. We thought that I would go through some of the best jobs, and you would go through some of the worst jobs. What is your worst job you've ever had?

Sandy: My worst job I ever had was in between, in high school and part of the time in college I worked at the local Dairy Queen. You would be amazed at how many drunk people show up at the Dairy Queen. It was either that or a hundred in Little Leaguers who only had enough money to buy one Dilly Bar, but wanted to go through the entire menu first.

Ryan: Here's the thing. I'm actually not surprised at all that drunk people show up at Dairy Queen. Being a fan...

Sandy: In the middle of the day?

Ryan: ... being a fan of the Oreo Blizzard myself. Listen, sometimes...

Sandy: You need some help.

Ryan: ... it cures what ails you. All right. I guess my worst job was I worked in a warehouse one year in college. There was a shipment. I was brought on as extra work because there was a shipment that had been sitting in the warehouse for like a year and had to go out. It was like 95 degrees in there every day, and because this had been sitting in there for so long, it had collected so much dirt that I would come home every day, and I would be dirty from under my fingernails to where my t-shirt ended, and from my thighs to my socks.

Sandy: Nasty.

Ryan: I mean, blow my nose, black.

Sandy: Oh, nasty. Well, I used to come home wearing a large milkshake, so I feel you there. I get it.

Ryan: The number one job for the future, care to guess?

Sandy: I'm afraid it is not journalism.

Ryan: No, no, no, no. It's app developer, which makes sense, right?

Sandy: Yeah.

Ryan: Look down at how you're consuming this podcast right now, likely on an app of some sort. We're looking at about $101,000 annual median salary, 30% expected job growth through 2017, and you only need a bachelor's degree to get it. Well, not necessarily, but if you have a college degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field, you can likely get in as a web developer, and that's sort of a launching pad through which you could work your way up. Obviously, we understand why this is an area of expected growth because it's virtually ubiquitous.

Sandy: That's right. So what's another one, Ryan?

Ryan: One that I thought was interesting. We're not going to go in order. We're going to go in the ones that we think are interesting. Number eight on the list is physician's assistant, which I thought was especially interesting because physician is number nine.

Sandy: I would imagine physician requires a huge investment of time and money. I'm guessing that a physician's assistant is a lot less onerous in terms of debt.

Ryan: Right. It really highlights the way that if you're focused on value, you can really take into account all of these different factors when choosing a profession. I think a lot of people interested in getting into the medical field think, "Well, I have to go to med school, because I have to get the prestigious job as a doctor." But a physician's assistant, you're still working with patients. You're still trained to diagnose and treat patients, and write prescriptions, and run tests, but it doesn't require nearly as much schooling, so you're not going to come out of PA school with nearly as much debt, and you're not going to have to spend as much time in school. For a lot of people, maybe your MCAT didn't go the way you wanted or whatever, or maybe just being a physician isn't for you, this could still be way to be in a medical field that's extremely lucrative, that's extremely fast-growing. There's a lot of different ways to look at it. I thought that was an interesting one.

Sandy: Yeah, that is. Give me one more.

Ryan: Well, the last one I wanted to talk about was something that is kind of on the brain right now with unemployment so low, human resources managers.

Sandy: Oh, HR.

Ryan: Yeah. They're at an extreme premium because there's really heightened competition with unemployment so low among employers to attract the best people, so they need to hire good HR people. This is yet another one that you can start out with a bachelor's degree. You can get an entry level position as a human resource specialist. You can work your way up into this human resources manager role. The median salary is $107,000...

Sandy: Whoa.

Ryan: ... or so. It's an area that we expect to grow by about 10% per year through 2027.

Sandy: No heavy lifting, no dust, no milkshakes. Sounds good to me, Ryan.

Ryan: All right. What are some of the worst ones here?

Sandy: Okay. All right. My first one ... this makes me sad because it's projectionist. I actually worked as a projectionist in high school. I made good money at it. But there are a couple of reasons. There's just been a big decline, and the median annual salary is 22,000, partly just because people don't go to the movies as much anymore. But I think a bigger issue, and I see this when I was a projectionist, you actually had to haul the reels up the stairs and change them. Now I think it's all digital. I think it's set it and forget it, so there's no particular skill required. I can't remember the last time I went to a movie where the film broke. It used to happen all the time, and you had to have a special skill to get that sucker back up.

Sandy: In our worst jobs, we also offer some alternate careers. The alternate career for someone who is an aspiring projectionist is to be an AV tech, which maybe we made fun of those guys in high school, but you can make some pretty good money. There's a lot of demand for them, and median pay is about twice what it is for a projectionist. That's one.

Sandy: Another one won't surprise anybody, which is a watch repairer. I mean, maybe there's a couple of specialized guys who are working on expensive watches, but people use high-tech devices. They don't get their watches repaired. They just get a new one, so that one doesn't really surprise me. If you really want to work with your hands, and you like wires, look into being an electrician instead. There is a demand for that, and we're not...

Ryan: And a union.

Sandy: ... we are not going to run out of electricity.

Sandy: The last one just kind of made me laugh, and that is an embalmer. Now I remember when I was in high school we had career day. There was somebody from the local funeral, and he was like the most popular guy there. I think maybe that was probably just because of the kind of gross factor, but it was also because in small towns the funeral home owner is often the richest person in town, because people are going to die. But more and more people are being cremated, so embalming is just really not a skill that there's a lot of demand for. But if that does interest you, there is a ... you know, people are still dying. There certainly are opportunities in being a funeral services manager, someone who arranges whatever type of funeral or arrangements a person wants. It's not that that particular business is out of style, but embalming is apparently something that there's just not a lot of demand for anymore. It's a dying industry.

Ryan: Yeah, a dying industry indeed. Although, I've always thought that the whole funeral services industry is like an incredibly noble profession.

Sandy: Yeah, you're with people at their most vulnerable. Having had my own experience with it, yeah, these people are angels on earth, I think, when they do it well. It's just that particular aspect of it is no longer in demand.

Ryan: Well, at any rate, folks, we'll have links to the slideshows and the show notes, whether you have a kid who's coming out of college or going into college, or you're just considering a career change, these are the ones that have the best prospects and...

Sandy: Or worst.

Ryan: ... for the next decade or so. Check it out. We're going to have it in the show notes, Best Jobs for the Future. We'll stick it in the show notes or just go find it under slideshows at kiplinger.com.

Ryan: Up next, senior editor, Eileen Ambrose, joins the show to talk couples and money. Don't go anywhere.

Ryan: We're back. We're here with senior editor, Eileen Ambrose. Eileen, since it's the special Valentine's Day episode of Your Money's Worth, we're here talking couples and money. Thanks so much for coming on.

Eileen: My pleasure.

Ryan: Well, talking about money has been called the last taboo. I guess we're wondering, is that still true?

Eileen: It's becoming less of a taboo. Our February issue showed that 86% of millennials feel comfortable talking about money with their partner. Gen Xers and baby boomers were close to them in that, so people are feeling more comfortable. On the other side, we still have room to improve. Polls show that 60% of married couples fail to disclose their salaries to each other before they got married. One out of five committed financial infidelity, which is basically hiding a credit card, a checking account, or savings account from your partner.

Ryan: Yikes.

Eileen: The other thing that polls show is that finances are increasingly important when you're looking for a partner. Four out of 10 people told WalletHub that they would not date a person with bad credit. More than half of people said that they would not marry someone with bad credit.

Sandy: So having bad credit makes you undateable. We've heard some planners have recommended that before you get married, you exchange credit reports. Why might that be a good idea? It doesn't sound very romantic to me.

Eileen: It's not romantic.

Sandy: Maybe some wine.

Eileen: It's a good idea, though, because when you're at the point that you're going to marry this person, you need to know a lot about each other, especially on finances. By sharing the credit report, that shows like what kind of debt you have, whether you have student debt because you went to get an MBA or whether you're racking up credit card debt and not paying your bills. That opens up a different discussion. But it tells you what kind of debt someone has, whether they've had bankruptcies in the recent past. Maybe it shows that they have a good credit record, and that's good to know so then you could take the discussion further, and you set your goals then.

Sandy: Yeah, because we hear stories from time to time of people who get married, and then find out that their partner has thousands of dollars in student debt, and that a big part of their combined finances have to go to making those payments. I think that can be a real buzz kill as far as romance goes. It seems like that is something you'd want to go going in, if for no other reason because it informs what you're going to be able to do, whether you're going to be able to buy a house, what kind of life you're going to have with that person.

Eileen: Yeah. A lot of times people will just say, "Well, I have some debt." Again, with the credit report, you will see how much debt. I mean, you need to get the numbers. From there, you could build beyond your credit report, share information about your assets. Once you have that, you talk about your goals and maybe the two of you decide that your goal will be buying a house in five years. All of that sets the stage for a happy financial life together.

Ryan: Once you have your happy financial life together, you still have to go about managing your various accounts. I know in the past we've advocated for some kind of yours, mine, and ours approach, right? Like you might have a joint account for joint expenses, your mortgage payment, or appliances for the house, or whatever. Then separate accounts for expenses that not necessarily that you want to keep from each other ... although that could be the case if you want to buy someone a gift ... but expenses on your own hobbies, and interests, and things like that.

Eileen: That's one approach, and it's a good approach. Everybody has different money management styles. You need to find the right one for you and your partner. To merge or not to merge accounts is ... I mean, to merge accounts is one of the big questions that you'll confront as soon as you get married. You'll find that some people advocate and some people are very happy about merging everything, because you're on the same team. That shows that you are on the same team. It makes finances simpler, because you have fewer accounts. Other people are very strict. They keep everything separate. They just divide the bills in half. They will also even prorate them. If you have one person who makes more than the other, they will prorate the bills so that the higher earner pays more.

Sandy: But, Eileen, a lot of couples get married at the later stage in life. It seems to me that those couples might be more inclined to keep separate accounts because they have more complex finances and maybe kids from a previous marriage. Do you think that's a good idea?

Eileen: Yes. Blended families have more difficult finances. You might have adult children from a previous marriage concerned that a parent's new marriage might reduce their inheritance, or you might have the new spouse uncomfortable or not liking the fact that a good chunk of the family income is going to alimony or child support. In cases like that, a prenup before you get married or postnup after your marriage, you could set forth your expectations of the finances. Also, when you have children from a previous marriage, that's where many families set up trusts so that they won't be disinherited when the parent dies.

Ryan: Talking about different styles when it comes to couples, one thing I know we've written about when it comes to investing is that a lot of times partners can have very different levels of risk tolerance and very different investing styles. How can couples go about blending two different ways that they like to invest?

Eileen: Yes, planners tell me that about half of couples have different styles. One tends to be more aggressive, and one more risk adverse. When you're looking at a couple's finances, you're looking at the whole picture, not just each individually. For those couples, if each of you have a 401(k), say, and they're about the same size, you can probably invest the way you want and then combined, when you put the whole picture together, you have a well-balanced portfolio. But if you don't have that, you could set different parameters, say like instead of having 80% of your entire portfolio in stocks, you set up a sum like 65% or 70%, which is aggressive enough for that one partner who likes to take on more risk, but not too risky for the other who would panic in a market downturn.

Sandy: But eventually you're going to retire, and you're going to be taking money out of both of those accounts, so it's going to be harder to keep them separate. Do you find that there are a lot of conflicts between couples about that issue and just when they're going to retire at all?

Eileen: As couples get older, and then as they approach retirement, a lot of times they combine accounts, just to simplify them so they don't have to keep track of so many accounts. That's not so much of an issue of combining accounts at probably that age. What is a big issue is that you have couples offer differ on retirement expectations. They spent like decades saving together and hoping to retire, but they never talked about what that retirement would look like or when it would happen. You find that with couples when there's a big age difference, so you have one partner who wants to retire at 65 and just assumes that the younger spouse who might be in the peak of their career, would retire at the same time. That leads to a lot of friction. For those couples, again going back to having to talk about things and being transparent, having these discussions like 10 years before either of you think about retiring can solve a lot of problems.

Sandy: I think sometimes that happens even when their ages aren't that different, just because people have different plans for when they ... one partner might just be loving his or her job and want to continue to work, and the other might be just counting the days until they reach full retirement age for Social Security and they can stay home. I think that is something people don't talk about enough.

Eileen: Yeah, and it's also the solution for these couples. It could be that the one who loves work stays working full-time, and then the other one just takes a part-time job, so they're semi-retired and still getting out of the house and having things to do, instead of waiting for the other spouse to come home from work.

Ryan: It really sounds like it's something that we've talked about before on this podcast, which is that you need to have money talks with your partner before they turn into money fights.

Eileen: Yes, and before they become a discussion with a divorce lawyer.

Sandy: Which is very expensive.

Ryan: So like we said, What To Talk About on a Money Date, you'll find it on the back page of the February issue of Kiplinger's Magazine. Eileen, thank you so much for coming on.

Eileen: You're welcome.

Ryan: After the break, it's credit reports, and tax rates, and a new game of Financial Fact or Fiction. Stay tuned.

Ryan: All right. Before we go, another quick game of Financial Fact or Fiction. I'm going to go first because Sandy, I know you've been itching to expound a little bit on yours, something that's very important to a lot of people in the discourse at the moment. Mine ties into what we were just talking about with Eileen. Which is fact or fiction? Now that it's the new year, you can get all three of your credit reports since you're entitled, from the three reporting agencies, to free credit reports per year.

Sandy: I think that's true, Ryan.

Ryan: Now, see, I thought that was true for a long time, too. The way I worded that, I mean I was being a little fishy there. You are entitled to three per year, but it's three per 12 months, not per calendar year. If you just got them in December, you've got to wait another 12 months. But, you know, this is something that we tell people to do all the time. You have to go to annualcreditreport.com to get your Experian and TransUnion and Equifax credit reports. Why do you want to see your credit reports? One is because it could be an indicator that you've been the victim of identity theft if you look at your report and find other names on it or something like that. It could also reveal that information on there is inaccurate, which affects your credit. In either case, if you find discrepancies in your report, report them to the agencies in question.

Sandy: One thing we often recommend, Ryan, is since you can get any one of your reports every 12 months, that you stagger them. Instead of ordering all three now, order Equifax now, order TransUnion in three months, and Experian three months later. That's sort of a free credit monitoring system, because then you can sort of keep a track of if anything weird is happening without having to pay for a credit report.

Ryan: Right on.

Sandy: All right. My fact or fiction is, if you're top tax rate is 70% ... and we're assuming you're pretty wealthy ... you will pay 70% of your income to the Feds.

Ryan: Well, I know that's not true. Tell the people about marginal tax rates, Sandy.

Sandy: Okay. Marginal tax rates don't apply to the total amount of taxes that you pay. Under our progressive tax system, your income is taxed at different levels, so you'll pay, say, 10% on a certain amount, 12% on a certain amount, 22% on a certain amount, and 24% on a certain amount. That makes sense because if, say, once you hit the 24% tax bracket that applied to all of your income, nobody would ever want a raise. It wouldn't work. The reason this is in the news is that some progressive Democrats have proposed raising the top tax rate for very wealthy people. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has proposed a 70% top tax rate on the very wealthy, but this would only apply, in her proposal, to income over 10 million.

Ryan: Right.

Sandy: You have to make 10 million before you hit the 70% mark. But there's so much misinformation about this. Recently the former governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, tweeted to a bunch of fifth graders. He said, "How would you feel if you went to your grandma's, and did some chores, and she gave you $10, and then when you went home, and your parents made you give them $7 back?" Of course, all the fifth graders were like, "Like that would be so not fair." Then everybody else came on Twitter and said...

Ryan: Well, it wouldn't be fair.

Sandy: It wouldn't be fair...

Ryan: That's why we're not doing it.

Sandy: ... and it wouldn't be true. Yeah. We've always had a progressive tax system. I think where the confusion comes is people look at their tax brackets. They think if they're in the 22 ... forget the really rich people. People look at ... they see that they make a certain amount of income, and they're in the 22% tax bracket. They think that they pay 22% on their income. 22% is their marginal rate. That's what they pay on their top, the top dollar that they owe, but their effective rate could be much lower than that. One of the things I think is always interesting about doing tax software is it will usually tell you what your effective rate is. It's going to be a lot less than 22%.

Sandy: People can have very interesting and political discussions about whether it makes sense to raise the top marginal tax rate on rich people, but if you're going to have these conversations, you need to be clear on how that works. We're not going to tax 70% of anybody's income. I don't even think they do that in Sweden ... maybe they do, I don't know. It's important to understand this, because it helps you make decisions in your life. If you think that making more money will automatically trigger taxes on your entire income, you're going to be less likely to try aand make more money. That's just not how it works.

Ryan: That's right. Make more money, folks.

Ryan: Well, that's it for this episode of Your Money's Worth. For show notes and more great Kiplinger content on the topics we discussed on today's show, visit kiplinger.com/links/podcasts. You can stay connected with us on Twitter (opens in new tab), Facebook (opens in new tab) or by emailing us at podcast@kiplinger.com. If you like the show, please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Your Money's Worth wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening.
Ryan: Well, it's December, which means there's one thing on everybody's mind - year end tax strategies. What? Just us? Seriously though, the new tax law changes the typical advice, and Sandy and I will discuss last second moves to trim your tax bill in our main segment. On today's show, we'll also get into the buzz surrounding cannabis stocks, before wrapping up with some deals to take advantage of before they disappear. That's all ahead on this episode of Your Money's Worth, stick around.

Ryan: Welcome to Your Money's Worth. I'm Kiplinger staff writer Ryan Ermey, joined by senior editor Sandy Block. We're coming at you from our lovely offices in downtown Washington, D.C. And something I feel like I should know, Sandy, but I don't, do you actually live in Washington, D.C.?

Sandy: No, I just live across the river in Arlington, but I did live in D.C. for many years.

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Ryan: I'll tell you what, I went for a run last night; I like to run around my neighborhood. And even in the dead of winter, late at night, in 30 degrees or whatever it was, it's still like running through clouds of pot smoke all the time.

Sandy: I feel like when I walk to the metro every night, I'm walking though Woodstock. There's just so much weed out there.

Ryan: Well, it's something that we get pitches about all the time. It's something that people are interested in. In case you're keeping score at home, D.C. now joins 10 states ... That's Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington state ... who have all legalized recreational marijuana now.

Ryan: Canada made headlines in October for legalizing recreational marijuana nationwide. So as financial people, this, of course, raises the question: Is there money to be made investing in cannabis companies?

Sandy: That's right, and we get pitches all day long from people saying that we should write a story about pot stocks. But U.S. distributors are still pretty hamstrung by the law, right?

Ryan: Yeah. Marijuana is still a Schedule I narcotic in the U.S., meaning that it's illegal federally. That means companies run into trouble when they try to, say, do business across state lines. They have to do a ton of business in cash because a lot of financial institutions don't want to get into legal trouble. And because they're not compliant with U.S. federal law, they can't be listed on major U.S. exchanges.

Ryan: So a lot of these U.S. based companies end up being penny stocks that you can only buy over-the-counter. But as long as Canadian companies are compliant with U.S. law, meaning that they don't have any business in the U.S., they're operating totally in Canada, they can be listed on U.S. exchanges. The big blockbuster stocks that you hear about in this space are all Canadian companies that are listed on the NYSE.

Sandy: How are those Canadian stocks doing?

Ryan: Well, it's been a really wild ride. You've probably seen headlines about some of the bigger players having really shot up in October after legalization happened in Canada. And then there was a big plummet because ... Really the big problem was that a lot of these companies have failed to meet demand, and that's really not that surprising when you consider ... Legalization happens, and it's not overnight that these companies are totally equipped to handle a nationwide distribution business. They're not going to be Coca-Cola right away.

Ryan: A lot of these companies are taking some time to figure things out and spending a lot of money, and trying, and failing, and figuring out some of these issues like supply chain. They're not going to be Coca-Cola just yet. They don't really have the infrastructure in place.

Sandy: So it sounds like what you're saying is it's probably better for investors to hold off?

Ryan: Right now, it seems like that's probably the prudent thing to do, although we get the allure. Our friends at Arcview, which is a marijuana/cannabis investment research firm, estimate that North American's spending on legal cannabis was something around 12 billion dollars in 2018, and they think that can double by the end of 2021.

Ryan: When you think about it, someone is going to control the biggest slice of what is a pretty rapidly growing pie. Someone out there is going to be the Coca-Cola, the Philip Morris, or what have you, of pot, but it's just really hard to tell at this stage who that is going to be. And not only that, but they still have to compete with a black market. So any bets on pot stocks now are going to be extremely speculative, and I probably wouldn't put any money that I wasn't willing to lose in pot stocks.

Sandy: Okay, that makes sense, Ryan. I've been reading so much about the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Are there companies that I could invest in that stand to benefit, even though they're not necessarily growers and distributors of pot?

Ryan: Yeah, those major Canadian companies are interesting because they're vertically integrated growers and distributors. That's really an investment in the whole game for recreational. Whereas, you're right, the medical side of things is growing, too, worldwide.

Ryan: There a couple biotech firms in the mix when you start taking a look at pot stocks. A firm, GW Pharmaceuticals, recently scored the first FDA approval of a non-THC cannabis-based drug in order to treat epileptic disorders, and seizures, and things like that. Like any biotech firm, the viability of the company and of investing in its stock depends on approvals like that. But it still remains to be seen whether doctors are going to prescribe it and what kind of customer base exists for those kinds of drugs.

Sandy: Well, I'm still intrigued, Ryan, mainly because of my walk to the metro. Are there any other opportunities out there for people who really think that this is going to be the next big thing?

Ryan: There are other stocks, other companies, that are investing in this space, and the big one that comes up in a lot of these stories is Constellation Brands. They're an alcoholic beverage company. They're known for distributing Mexican beers, like Corona, in the U.S. They have made a pretty substantial investment in one of the big Canadian firms, one of the big Canadian growers, and so that is sort of seen as a tangential play. Of course any time we're talking about a stock here at Kiplinger's and playing a theme, like cannabis investing is, we think about what portion of that company's bottom line, or even top line, is made up by this investment.

Ryan: The cannabis investment in this case isn't really enough to move the needle on the stock right now. It doesn't make up a significant portion of the company's revenues. But if it's a stock that you like anyway, if you think that their alcohol distribution business is a good one, then maybe it's worth considering investing in the company. And that way you can have this company that you like, that also gives you a little bit of cannabis flavor, which by the way, Corona kind of has anyway.

Sandy: That sounds like great advice, Ryan. Where can listeners learn more about pot stocks?

Ryan: Well, it just so happens that I'm working on a bit of a deeper dive on pot stocks for the February issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. Keep an eye out for it on newsstands, or find it on Kiplinger.com.

Ryan: After the break, our resident tax maven takes me to school on year-end moves. Don't go anywhere.

Ryan: On to our main segment where we usually do an expert interview, and today is no exception. It's you. Sandy Block, come on down. We're going to be talking year-end tax moves. It's something that we've covered just about every year in the magazine, but thanks to the tax overhaul, some of our standard advice may no longer apply.

Sandy: That's right, Ryan, because the tax overhaul doubled the standard deduction. So that means people who typically have itemized, may no longer have to do it. Congress estimates that only about 13% of tax payers will itemize this year. And that means some of the standard advice that we give, for example, prepaying your mortgage or your state and local property taxes so you can deduct them on this year's return instead of next year's return. Well, if you're no longer going to be claiming those deductions ... I mean, I'm sure that your bank, or the state, won't turn down any money, but it may not make sense to do that. And there's a lot of other things that are changing too.

Sandy: We really won't know how that's going to affect people on an individual basis until they do their tax returns, because some people will still itemize. But it does turn a lot of things on its head.

Ryan: Why might someone consider prepaying 2019 bills now?

Sandy: Well, the main reason is because you get to take the deduction sooner rather than later.

Ryan: I see.

Sandy: And in some cases ... And this still may be true. If you're close to the threshold, for example, the standard deduction for a single person has risen to $12,000. Well, if you know ... Maybe you bought a house and you have a lot of mortgage payments, a lot of mortgage interest, but you're very close to $12,000, prepaying the bills might get you over the top and then you would itemize.

Sandy: That's really important for people who give to charity. If you think you're close to the threshold of itemizing, it makes a lot of sense to bulk up your charitable contributions this year because that could lower your taxes. And what people may end up doing in the future, is maybe giving twice as much to charity one year and not the next, so they itemize some years and claim the standard deduction in others.

Ryan: So the idea is, for charitable giving at least, it's a way to reduce your taxable income, right?

Sandy: That's right. But again, if you're claiming the standard deduction ... And many, many people will be claiming the standard deduction ... giving to charity is going to be giving from your heart, not because it's going to lower your taxes. It will be really interesting going forward to see how that affects ... Charities are very concerned about this, so it really will be interesting to see how the fact that you don't get a tax break might still cause you to give or not.

Ryan: Charitable giving is sort of a classic year-end thing that we talk about, another is that people get bonuses at the end of the year. So that ties into your tax strategy too, right?

Sandy: That's right. If you're lucky enough to get a bonus, you may want to resist the temptation to spend it, and put it in your 401k instead. A lot of companies will give you that option. You can put a lot of money in your 401k, and most people don't even come close to the total, which is 18500 if you're under 50 and 6000 more than that if you're over 50.

Sandy: So if you get this bonus, and you don't need it to keep the lights on, why not sock it in your 401k? Not only will you increase your financial security in retirement, but you will lower your taxes, and that is not affected by the tax overhaul. Contributing to your 401k is still the most effective way to lower your tax bill, no matter what your tax rate is.

Ryan: What about people who have kids? Now, that's always a more complicated tax situation, right? Actually, I don't know. Have things gotten more complicated, have they gotten easier for people with kids? What's the strategy?

Sandy: Well, the strategy here, I think, it depends on the age of your kids. If you have kids in college, one thing that still makes a lot of sense is to prepay, maybe, a college bill that's due in January so that you can take full advantage of the American Opportunity Tax Credit which is worth up to 2500 dollars for every kid you have in undergraduate college. Now, you don't have to itemize to claim. This is available to anyone, and it is a dollar for dollar reduction in your tax bill.

Sandy: A tax credit is the most valuable tax break you can get. So if you have a kid in college, you haven't already maxed out on this credit, I would definitely recommend prepaying some of your 2019 bills so you can take this credit when you file your taxes. Because if you have a kid in college, you are going to need that money.

Ryan: Right. And that's one, if I'm not mistaken, you can take it for four years that your kid is in school, right?

Sandy: Every year that your kid is a full-time undergraduate student, you're eligible for this credit. If you have more than one kid, you can claim more than one credit. This is one you don't want to overlook. And again, you don't have to itemize to claim it, so I would definitely look into prepaying your college expenses if you happen to have the money.

Ryan: That's why I'm having more kids, things are looking up. What about little kids?

Sandy:Well, if you have little kids, hopefully they're going to go to college someday.

Ryan: You'd like to think.

Sandy: Contributing to a 529 college savings plan is a very tax-effective way to save for their college expenses. Now, you don't get a federal tax break on contributions to your 529 plan, but many states do allow you to deduct all or part of your contribution. And if you make that contribution by the end of the year, then you can claim that deduction when you file your state tax return next year. So check that out.

Sandy: That's, again, just as contributing to your 401k lowers your taxes and increases your retirement security, contributing to a 529 college savings plan increases your children's financial security and might lower your state taxes as well.

Ryan: Yeah, this is something I've dealt with a little bit, because it does creep into that investing territory. Now, I know that some states give you a break only if you invest in their plan. Whereas, some states will give you a break for investing in other plans. So it pays to shop around, right?

Sandy: It definitely pays to shop around. A good place to research plans is savingforcollege.com, which is a great warehouse for all things about 529 plans. If you have a crummy plan with lousy investments and high fees, maybe you don't want to ... Because you can invest in any state's plan. But if your own state has a good plan, and it offers a tax deduction, there's really no reason to go anywhere else.

Ryan: Right. On the flip side, if your state doesn't offer any deduction anyway, you might as well invest in the best one that you can.

Sandy: That's right, and the same goes for the nine states that have no state income tax. In that case, the country is your oyster, look for any plan that suits you best. And there are lots of good resources out there, in our magazine and elsewhere on our website, where you can research the lowest cost, most effective plans.

Ryan: Yeah, and we'll put the links for all of our content on that in the show notes for this episode. So is there anything else that you think is essential for people to remember as they're going into the end of the year, as they're trying to reduce the tax bill? Of course, we never advocate evading your taxes, but avoiding them within whatever the law is, is absolutely okay. Is there anything else that people should be remembering?

Sandy: I just think at this time of year, it's a good idea to do a quick run-through to make sure you're not overlooking any potential tax breaks that expire at the end of the year. One thing that I think, particularly for older folks or anybody who's had a serious medical problem, is to add up all of your un-reimbursed medical expenses over the year. If you have a lot, you might be able to deduct them on your tax return. You might want to have some things done between now and the end of the year to get yourself over the threshold for that. So that's something I would take a look at.

Sandy: And again, particularly this year, do a back-of-the-envelope calculation about what you think your deductions are going to be. If you're close to the threshold for itemizing, look for some last minute tax breaks you could take advantage of that would just get you over that hump so you will itemize when you file your tax return.

Ryan: Well, I'm a nailed-on standard deduction guy. Dad, if you're out there, make sure you're listening. Check in on this stuff. Sandy, fantastic advice as always. Thank you.

Sandy: Thanks, Ryan.

Ryan: Coming up, you may have money you've got to use or lose. It's financial fact or fiction, next.

Ryan: Alright, before we go, Sandy and I wanted to wrap things up with a little game of financial fact or fiction. Sandy, you're up first.

Sandy: Now that Sears has filed for bankruptcy, Sears gift cards are worthless.

Ryan: I seem to remember there being something like this with Toys"R"Us. So I'm going to say fact, they're worthless.

Sandy: No, fiction. Sears has made it clear that it will accept gift cards in all of its stores, the ones that are still open, as well as on its website. Gift cards are still valid.

Sandy: However, if you happen to have one or you get one for Christmas, we really encourage you to use them as quickly as possible. Because as you mentioned with Toys"R"Us, when they filed for bankruptcy and then were forced into liquidation, they gave gift card holders only 30 days to redeem the value of their gift cards. So not only did people have to rush to stores, but they found a vastly depleted supply of toys in which to buy. Our advice is if you have a gift card from Sears, go out and buy yourself some tires, or shirts, or socks as soon as you can.

Ryan: Especially if you get a gift card for Christmas from someone who is really not on the ball. From one use it or lose it scenario to another, fact or fiction: You can use dollars from your flexible spending account for co-payments, deductibles, prescription drugs, and other out-of-pocket medical costs.

Sandy: That is a fact, Ryan, because I have had a flexible spending account in the past and I have used it for all of those things.

Ryan: That is a fact. And let's review really quickly, a flexible spending account is something that you can contribute to, and you can use money from this account to pay for medical expenses. But if you have an HSA, health savings account, that comes with a high deductible plan, those funds rollover to the next year. But flex accounts typically don't.

Sandy: Right. Some companies require you to use up all the money by the end of the year, and others may give you until the end of the first quarter to use the money. But there is this use it or lose it thing hanging over your head, that you have to spend the money.

Ryan: Yeah, a lot of people try get creative, especially if they have a lot of money left over. Our good friend, Kim Lankford, our lovely colleague, says you can stock up on items you can use throughout the year: contact lenses, prescription sunglasses, contact lens solution, sunscreen with a high SPF, back and knee braces, heat and cold packs, first aid kits.

Ryan: But I thought we could get a little bonus fact or fiction round. I've gone to fsastore.com, which is where you can find out if certain purchases qualify, and found some out-of-the-box stuff. I'm going to put you to the test here.

Sandy: Hit me, Ryan.

Ryan: Alright. First thing's first, can you get acupuncture with your FSA funds?

Sandy: I would say no.

Ryan: You can. Acupuncture and chiropractic, both available with FSA funds. What about aromatherapy?

Sandy: Ooh, aromatherapy. That just sounds too weird.

Ryan: It is too weird, you can't do that one. What about programs to quit smoking?

Sandy: I think that would be yes, because the government wants us all to quit smoking.

Ryan: Yes, indeed. You can use programs to quit smoking, and you can purchase gum or nicotine patches if prescribed to you by your doctor. Botox?

Sandy: I hope not.

Ryan: No, with a caveat. Surgery is covered, but no plastic surgery is covered. But if you're prescribed Botox for something else, say your migraines, that can be covered.

Sandy: Headaches that make you look better, okay.

Ryan: Exactly right. Breast pumps?

Sandy: Yes.

Ryan: Yes, indeed. What about diapers and baby formula?

Sandy: Ooh, tough one. I'd say no.

Ryan: That is correct, with the very small caveat that if you have prescription baby formula, if your baby needs special formula, your FSA will cover the difference between the normal baby formula and the special baby formula.

Sandy: That's too bad, because if those things were covered, nobody would ever have to forfeit any FSA funds. That's anybody with kids.

Ryan: Alright. Deodorant?

Sandy: No.

Ryan: No. Dental floss?

Sandy: Ooh, tough one. Yes.

Ryan: No.

Sandy: Darn!

Ryan: No dental floss.

Sandy: No dental floss!

Ryan: What about gym memberships?

Sandy: Ooh, tough one, because that does improve your health. No.

Ryan: Correct, no. However, once again, if you've been diagnosed with obesity or something like that and your doctor recommends a weight loss program, you may be able to get a letter of medical necessity that you can submit to your provider, and they may be able to cover that. Alright, last one here. Over-the-counter medication?

Sandy: I would think no.

Ryan: You actually can. Just the tricky thing is, you have to get a prescription. So if you can get your doctor to write you a prescription for Claritin, or ibuprofen, or Nasacort, or whatever you take, that is going to be eligible for FSA funds. And there's all kinds of stuff, really. You've got your Dr. Scholl's inserts and things like first aid kits. I think someone in this office got first aid kits for all of their grandchildren, for Christmas one year, because they had to spend down their FSA.

Ryan: So the advice is go to fsastore.com. You can see a list of everything that is eligible with the caveats that we talked about, whether you need a prescription or a letter of medical necessity. And you too could be stuffing your family stockings with the likes of first aid kits, and ibuprofen, and Dr. Scholl's.

Ryan: Thanks, Ryan.

Ryan: That's it for this episode of Your Money's Worth. For show notes and more great Kiplinger content on the topics we discussed on today's show, go to kiplinger.com/links/podcasts. You can stay connected with us on Twitter (opens in new tab), on Facebook (opens in new tab) or by emailing us podcasts@kiplinger.com (opens in new tab). And if you like the show, please remember to rate, review and subscribe to Your Money's Worth wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening.
An aerial view of the Pentagon is seen here in June 2020. Twelve civilians were killed and five civilians were injured because of US military operations in 2021, according to a Pentagon report released on September 27.
Top image: A Delta Airlines Boeing 757 pushes back from the gate at the Tampa International Airport on Tuesday, September 27. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) CNN's Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.
Thailand's AIS partners with China's ZTE to launch 5G innovation center

Xinhua) 10:34, September 28, 2022

BANGKOK, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's leading mobile operator AIS and China's ZTE on Tuesday jointly launched a 5G innovation center in an effort to facilitate local infrastructure upgrading and elevate the nation's digital economy.

Thai Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said at the launching ceremony that he believed the cooperation between Thai and Chinese companies will certainly help Thailand upgrade its digital technology and achieve the digitalization goals of the national strategy Thailand 4.0.

Chaiwut is optimistic that 5G technology will further improve the overall quality of life in the country.

Kan Trakulhoon, AIS's chairman of the Board of Directors, said that the cooperation with ZTE is more than a mere partnership. "We have a common goal of seeing Thailand release its full potential and to emerge as an even more powerful digital nation."

Chinese companies such as ZTE have been actively contributing to the enhancement of synergy between Thailand 4.0 and the Belt and Road Initiative, said Wang Liping, minister counselor for economic and commercial affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, highlighting the innovation center as an important collaboration project.

ZTE's CEO Xu Ziyang said via live streaming that the center will also serve as a research platform to discover new technology needs and test ZTE's latest technology for local application.

The innovation center is a showroom of 5G products and solutions provided by both parties to help level up the capabilities of the nation's smart 5G network.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI): The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved a proposal to increase the dearness allowance (DA) of the central government employees and pensioners by 4 per cent.

This is the second increase in the dearness allowance of the central government employees this year. In March 2022, the government announced 3 per cent increase in DA. That increase was effective from January 1, 2022.

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Central government employees, central government pensioners and family pensioners getting pensions from the central government will benefit from the increase in the DA.

Before the 4 per cent increase approved by the union cabinet on Wednesday, the effective DA of the central government employees and pensioners stood at 34 per cent. Now, this is increased to 38 per cent.

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The new increase is effective from 1st July 2022.

"Cabinet approves release of additional instalment of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief @ 4 per cent to Central Government employees and pensioners, due from 01.07.2022," PIB tweeted.

Addressing a media briefing after the cabinet meeting, Union minister Anurag Thakur said the Cabinet has also decided to extend the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for another three months.

The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) scheme was introduced after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 28 (ANI/PRNewswire): DBS Bank India Limited today announced that it has provided a bespoke Credit Insurance - Accounts Receivable solution to Tata Metaliks, a pioneer in manufacturing pig iron and DI pipes in India, in collaboration with HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co Ltd and reinsured by Atradius, a worldwide provider of trade credit insurance.

This credit insurance deal is amongst the first to leverage Trade Credit Insurance. The revised framework was rolled out by the Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (IRDAI) in November 2021, allowing banks to participate in this proposition.

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DBS has proven global expertise in managing Trade Credit solutions and is using its global experience to offer best-in-class solutions to customers in India. Through the collaboration between DBS, HDFC ERGO and Atradius, this solution enables corporates to transfer the risk of their account receivables onto an insurer while getting financing against those insured receivables from a bank.

Corporates can leverage this solution to transform the credit receivables, reduce risk and speed up their cash conversion cycle. The ability to increase sales to long-standing customers of the corporates differentiates this solution from other financing propositions. Therefore, it is a unique value addition for businesses.

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Divyesh Dalal, Managing Director & Head, Global Transaction Services, DBS Bank India, said, "We expect insurance-backed receivable discounting to grow into a key working capital management as well as a sales enablement tool for corporates in India. The solution will help treasurers to drive discussion around corporate customers where there is a need to structure the credit risk. In this endeavour, DBS has partnered with insurers like HDFC ERGO and Atradius to create an active trade credit insurance market in India. The deal is expected to ease the credit receivables for not just Indian corporates but also small and medium enterprises. It would help transform the trade landscape in India."

Sanjay Kaw, President, Commercial Business, HDFC ERGO said, "Following IRDAI's guidelines for Trade Credit Insurance, we are delighted that DBS is one of the first movers in the Indian market, supporting financial transactions backed by Trade Credit Insurance. The policy protects the banks from a potential buyer default in case of funded receivables."

Karishma Suvarna Gadia, Commercial & Sales Head, Atradius India, mentioned, "Opening up of regulations on Trade Credit backed financing holds great opportunities; Atradius prides itself in being in the forefront to find solutions to best suit a client's needs. We are happy to be associated with DBS to facilitate their working capital solutions."

DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with 18 markets. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named "World's Best Bank" by Euromoney, "Global Banks of the Year" by The Banker and "Best Bank in the World" by Global Finance. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named "World's Best Digital Bank" by Euromoney and the world's "Most Innovative in Digital Banking" by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the "Safest Bank in Asia" award by Global Finance for 14 consecutive years from 2009 to 2022. DBS was also ranked No. 1 on Forbes' list of the World's Best Banks in India for two consecutive years.

DBS Bank has been present in India for 27 years, opening its first office in Mumbai in 1994. DBS Bank India Limited is the first among the large foreign banks in India to start operating as a wholly-owned, locally incorporated subsidiary of a leading global bank. DBS provides an entire range of banking services for large, medium and small enterprises and individual consumers in India. In 2016, DBS launched India's first mobile-only bank, digibank, with ~1 million savings accounts. In November 2020, Lakshmi Vilas Bank was amalgamated with DBS Bank India Limited. The bank now has a network of nearly 600 branches across 19 states in India.

DBS provides a full range of consumer, SME, and corporate banking services. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region's most dynamic markets.

DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers and positively impacting communities through supporting social enterprises, as it banks on the Asian way. It has also established an SGD 50 million foundation to strengthen its corporate social responsibility efforts in Singapore and Asia. In 2020, DBS introduced the "Towards Zero Food Waste" initiative as part of a global sustainability practice to encourage a shift in behaviours and mindsets to reduce food waste.

With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. The bank acknowledges the passion, commitment and can-do spirit of our 30,000+ staff representing over 40 nationalities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company is a joint venture between HDFC Ltd. and ERGO International AG; the primary insurance entity of the Munich RE Group of Germany. HDFC ERGO is one of India's largest non-life insurance companies in the private sector. A digital-first company, transforming into an AI-first company, HDFC ERGO is a leader in implementing technology to offer consumers the best-in-class service experience. The company has created a stream of innovative & new products as well as services using technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Natural Processing Language (NLP), Robotics, and IBM Watson. HDFC ERGO offers a range of general insurance products and has a completely digital sales process with ~93% of retail policies issued digitally. The self-help tech platform developed by HDFC ERGO has empowered the customers to avail 58% of the services virtually in a self-help mode on a 24x7 basis with ~40% of the customer requesting services digitally.

The Company offers a complete range of General Insurance products including Health, Motor, Two-wheeler, Home, Travel, Cyber, Agriculture, Credit, and Personal Accident in the retail space along with Property, Marine, Engineering, Marine Cargo, Group Health, and Liability Insurance in the corporate space.

Be it unique insurance products, integrated customer service models, top-in-class claim processes, or a host of technologically innovative solutions, HDFC ERGO has been able to delight its customers at every touch-point and milestone to ensure consumers are serviced in real-time.

Please log on to www.hdfcergo.com for more information on HDFC ERGO and the products and services offered by the Company.

This story has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)

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New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI): Turnover of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited surged by 57 per cent to hit a record high of Rs 28,215 crore for the financial year 2021-22, the Ministry of Steel said on Wednesday.

For the financial year 2021-22, the Company earned positive Profit Before Tax (PBT) after 6 fiscal, Atul Bhatt, Chairman and Managing Director of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) said while addressing the shareholders.

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During the year, the company achieved an EBITDA of Rs 3469 crore with a growth of 148 per cent over the previous year. The Company has also earned a cash profit of Rs 1,923 crore in the financial year 2021-22.

The 40th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the Navratna PSU, was held on Wednesday in Visakhapatnam.

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Bhatt said that the best performance was registered during the year in all major production areas with growth over the previous year, in spite of curtailed operations in Q4 on account of Coking Coal crisis.

The Hot Metal production of 5.77 Mt achieved during the year is the highest for any single unit of Public Sector Steel Plant in the country. Best Ever Performance was registered during the year in all important Techno Economic parameters. High End Value Added Steel production was increased by 29 per cent over previous year.

Based on the customers' requirement, 22 new grades were developed during the year. Reaping the benefits of Central Despatch Yard, best ever Despatch Rake Retention of 15.58 hr was achieved in the year. The Company achieved a growth of 81 per cent in the Sales to Projects Segment. With this, a growth of 28 per cent was achieved in Domestic Sales, though the Automobile Sector was impacted by shortage of semiconductor chips. With focus on High End Value Added Steel production, growth of 18% was achieved over the previous year (2020-21) he added. (ANI)

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Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 28 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Rela Hospital has received the Award of Appreciation from the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN) in three categories for liver transplantation for the years 2021-2022. The award was presented by Hon'ble Health Minister Thiru Ma Subramanian to Prof Mohamed Rela and his liver transplant team at the award ceremony organised by the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu to felicitate the donor's families, doctors, and nurses.

Prof. Mohamed Rela and his team received an appreciation award for performing the highest number of paediatric liver transplants during the 2021-2022 period under the Chief Minister's comprehensive health insurance programme. Rela Hospital received the award for the excellent performance of liver transplantation in Tamil Nadu during 2021-2022. These awards of appreciation are the highest accolades given to hospitals across Tamilnadu that raises awareness of organ donation and performs organ transplantation as well. Rela Hospital supported by Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme has performed liver transplantation for more than 100 children from Tamilnadu.

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Prof Mohammed Rela has been honoured as the "Pioneer in Liver Transplantation" by the Government of Tamilnadu.

"We are forever grateful to the Government of Tamil Nadu for their visionary leadership and unwavering support for organ transplantation. It is their support aided by our surgical excellence and innovative approach to healthcare that has transformed the way we support the communities we serve, and lay a solid foundation for our future," said Prof Mohamed Rela, Chairman of Rela Hospitals. He also said, "I would want to express my gratitude to the families that choose to give their loved one's organs to save many other families. That is not an easy task at that emotional time."

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This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)

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Bollywood filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, on Wednesday shared a throwback picture featuring actor Tabu to celebrate 21 years of Chandni Bar on social media. Taking to his Twitter handle, the Heroine director posted a series of pictures along with a note. Sharing the picture, he wrote, "From #ChandniBar to #BabliBouncer has been a great journey for me, today it's #21yearsofChandniBar. I thank my producer R Mohan my cast #Tabu, @atul_kulkarni, the entire star cast, technicians & audiences for making it a milestone film in my career. #21YearsofChandniBar." Madhur Bhandarkar Condoles Raju Srivastavas Death, Says Cant Believe Hes No More Among Us.

The first picture features young Tabu and the director. The next images of Madhur explaining the scene to Tabu on the Chandni Bar film sets. Apart from Tabu and Madhur, the picture features Atul Kulkarni, one of the casts of the films. Chandani Bar was released on September 28, 2001. The film revolved lives of Mumbai's bar dancers and the life of the Mumbai underworld, including prostitution, dance bars and gun crime. The film apart from Tabu and Atul, also include Rajpal Yadav in key role. For this film, Tabu also got National Award for Best actress. Ganesh Chaturthi 2022: Tamannaah Bhatia Offers Prayer With Madhur Bhandarkar at Mumbais Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh Mandal.

Madhur is known for his films like Fashion, Herione, Page 3, Calendar Girls, Traffic Signal and Corporate. The director received three national awards in his career for Page 3, Traffic Signal and Chandani Bar. Apart from this, Madhur Bhandarkar announced a film during the pandemic 'India Lockdown' which stars Prateik Babbar, Aahana Kumra and Shweta Basu Prasad in the lead roles.

Madhur Bhandarkar Celebrates 21 Years of Chandni Bar

From #ChandniBar to #BabliBouncer has been a great journey for me, today its #21yearsofChandniBar  I thank my producer R Mohan my cast #Tabu, @atul_kulkarni , entire star cast, technicians & audiences for making it a milestone film in my career.#21YearsofChandniBar pic.twitter.com/UvpLjeSrQj  Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) September 28, 2022

Recently, his movie Babli Bouncer was released on September 23, which got a positive response from the audience. The film is based on real 'bouncer town' of North India - Asola Fatepur. In the movie, Tamannaah Bhatia was seen in a never seen avatar, as Babli Bouncer.

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New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) India added 3,615 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,45,79,088, while the active cases declined to 40,979, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll climbed to 5,28,584 with 22 fatalities which includes eight deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

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The active cases comprise 0.09 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.72 per cent, the ministry said.

A decline of 1,378 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

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The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.12 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 1.55 per cent, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,40,09,525, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.

According to the ministry, 217.96 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year. It crossed the four-crore mark on January 25 this year.

The 14 fatalities reported in the last 24 hours include two from West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.

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Chandigarh, Sep 28 (PTI) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said his government was firm on introducing app-based cab services in the coastal state.

"I want to give you an assurance that in a few days app-based taxis will be available," Sawant told reporters in Chandigarh.

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Two months ago, Goa Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho had said the state government was firm on introducing app-based cab services and would not bow down to pressure from the private taxi lobby which was against it.

Private taxi operators have been opposing app-based cab services, claiming it will destabilise their business.

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On private taxi operators opposing app-based cab services, Sawant said, "In a few days the taxi issue will be resolved and you will get app-based taxi in Goa."

Responding to a question on Haryana BJP leader Sonali Phogat's mysterious death in Goa last month, Sawant said, "On demand of her family, we have handed over the investigation to the CBI."

"Any assistance which CBI may require from the Goa Police will be given. A CBI team has already visited Goa and it is carrying out investigation in the state," he said.

With Phogat's family earlier expressing dissatisfaction with the initial probe by the state police, Sawant said, "Goa Police conducted investigation in a very good manner."

"All evidence collected has been handed over to the CBI," he said.

Responding to another question on the drug issue, he said, "Our anti-narcotics cell is doing a good work. In my tenure, several raids have been conducted and many have been arrested. Police force is keeping a vigil even at night parties and clubs."

Asked about the tourism sector, he said Goa is doing a lot of work, particularly in infrastructure development.

"We want Goa to become country's tourism capital.... Besides sun, sand and sea, we are promoting spiritual and wellness tourism," Sawant said.

The Goa chief minister was addressing a news conference here. He visited Ambala in Haryana to meet Charanjeet Kaur, 84, whose husband Karnail Singh Benipal was killed in Patradevi in Goa in 1955 while fighting for the coastal state's liberation from the Portuguese.

Goa, which attained statehood in 1987, was liberated from Portuguese rule on December 19, 1961.

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Indore, Sep 28 (PTI) Police have registered a case against two men for allegedly spraying petrol on the private parts of stray dogs in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city, an official said on Wednesday.

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The canines would writhe in pain due to this act of cruelty, the official from Sanyogitaganj police station said.

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Two employees of a dairy located in Jaora Compound area were allegedly harassing the stray dogs for a long time by spraying petrol on their genitals with syringe, he said, adding that no arrest has been made yet.

Priyanshu Jain, president of the Indore unit of People for Animals organisation, lodged a complaint at Sanyogitaganj police station on Tuesday night, based on which a case was registered against two persons under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and other relevant provisions.

Some people who saw those persons committing the cruelty told us that the accused would feel happy seeing the plight of the dogs. They were causing severe pain to the dogs for their own enjoyment," Jain said.

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Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 28 (ANI): In a major jolt to the Congress ahead of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections later this year, the party's state unit working president, Harsh Mahajan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday and said that the party has become "directionless and leaderless".

Mahajan joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Piyush Goyal today in the national capital.

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Speaking on the occasion, Mahajan said, "I was in Congress for 45yrs... today, Congress has become directionless, leaderless. There's neither a vision nor workers on the ground level."

Reacting to the latest induction, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said that Congress is facing a bad phase with the quitting of the party's working president.

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"Congress is facing bad times and you are seeing that situation in the whole country. Himachal Pradesh, which is on the cusp of elections, has a similar situation too," he told ANI.

Thakur hinted that more such joining will be seen in the near future.

Taking a jibe at Congress, Thakur said that two out of the four working presidents that the party appointed have joined the BJP, thus failing the bid to strengthen the party.

"To strengthen the Congress, an arrangement was made that along with a president, 4 working presidents should also be made so that the Congress party would be kept together. They tried to make such attempts. Now out of those four, two working presidents have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party" he said.

"Pawan Kajal was the working president of Kangra, he came first and Nalagarh MLA Lakhwinder Singh Rana, State Vice President of Congress Party, has also joined our party," Thakur added.

The Chief Minister further welcomed Mahajan into the BJP.

"And today I am happy that Harsh Mahajan Ji who is a senior leader of the Congress party and has also been a minister in the Himachal Pradesh government for a long time, was the working president of the Congress party and I can say that he was very close to Holly Lodge. He had an important role in making all the arrangements, making the strategy. So today he joined our party, I welcome him," he said.

He said that half the Congress members are leaving the party and with the passage of time, more people are expected to quit the party.

"I can say that more such things will be seen in the coming time. Half the Congress has left the party. So he is welcomed and greeted and we will give him full respect, place and recognition in the party and give him opportunities according to his stature," he said. (ANI)

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Bhopal, Sep 28 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh reported 16 new coronavirus positive cases on Wednesday, which took the state's overall infection tally to 10,54,268, a health official said.

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The death toll remained unchanged at 10,771 as no fatality was reported in the last 24 hours, he said.

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The case positivity rate stood at 0.3 per cent.

The recovery count increased by 32 to touch 10,43,374, leaving the state with 123 active cases, the official said.

As 4,326 samples were examined during the day, the number of tests in Madhya Pradesh went up to 3,00,37,021, he added.

A government release said that 13,29,84,330 anti-coronavirus vaccine doses were administered in the state, including 8,61,568 on Wednesday alone.

The coronavirus figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 10,54,268, new cases 16, death toll 10,771, recoveries 10,43,374, active cases 123, number of tests so far 3,00,37,021.

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New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The tunnelling work for the country's first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) has moved into the next phase with the construction of an around-1.5-km-long tunnel from Anand Vihar to New Ashok Nagar, according to an official statement.

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is implementing India's first Regional Rapid Transit System between Delhi and Meerut.

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The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor is 82 km long, of which 14 km is in Delhi. The Delhi section has four stations -- Jangpura, Sarai Kale Khan, New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar -- with only Anand Vihar station being underground.

Two 'Sudarshan' tunnel boring machines are in operation to construct two three-km-long parallel tunnels from Anand Vihar station towards New Ashok Nagar.

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Out of this, the first Sudarshan 4.1 has already bored 1.5 km tunnel to date, while the second Sudarshan 4.2 has also constructed about one kilometre of tunnel so far.

To retrieve these Sudarshan machines, after the completion of the construction of the tunnels, a retrieving shaft has been built near the New Ashok Nagar station, from where the corridor gets elevated.

The tunnel segments are being manufactured at NCRTC's casting yard. Due to the large rolling stock and a high design speed of 180 mph, the width of RRTS tunnels is being constructed as 6.5 metre diameter, the statement said.

Compared to the Metro systems, this is for the first time that a tunnel of such a large size is being constructed in the country.

For the movement of trains in the underground parts of RRTS, two parallel tunnels are being built.

Along with this, provision has also been made for various security measures to ensure the safety of passengers. There will be a cross-passage approximately every 250 metres in the underground sections for the safety of passengers in case of any emergency.

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New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) Delhi on Wednesday logged a minimum temperature of 23.6 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal.

With partly cloudy skies predicted during the day, the maximum temperature is likely to settle around 35 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

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Mahesh Palawat, vice president (meteorology and climate change) of Skymet Weather, said the southwest monsoon will retreat from some more parts of west Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and the Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat in the next two to three days.

Subsequently, it will withdraw from Delhi-NCR by October 1-2, he said.

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The IMD said the line of withdrawal of the southwest monsoon currently passes through Khajuwala, Bikaner, Jodhpur and Naliya.

However, a cyclonic circulation over the west-central Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a low-pressure area which will move in the northwest direction up to Madhya Pradesh. It is predicted to cause rainfall in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan and some parts of Delhi-NCR between October 3 and October 7, Palawat said.

Delhi witnessed incessant rains from September 21 to September 24 due to an interaction between a cyclonic circulation and a low-pressure system which helped it cover a large rain deficit that had piled up over the preceding one-and-a-half month.

The rainfall recorded at the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, swung from a 49 per cent deficit on September 21 to a surplus of 39 per cent on September 24.

The capital has recorded 164.5mm of precipitation against a normal of 121.3 mm in September so far.

On average, the city gauges 125.1 mm of rainfall in September. The incessant rains last week also brought down the overall deficit in the monsoon season.

Delhi's overall rain deficit in the monsoon season dropped from 35 per cent (till September 22) to 17 per cent by September 25 morning.

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Panaji, Sep 28 (PTI) The Goa Police have appealed to people in the state not to believe in rumours about attempts to kidnap children from schools, saying no such incidents have been reported.

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The police made the appeal on Tuesday after a mob thrashed a man in Vasco town suspecting him to be involved in kidnapping a minor boy.

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Director General of Police Jaspal Singh in a tweet said, "Some schools are issuing advisories on the basis of incidents of attempted kidnappings. It is clarified that no such incidents have been reported and there is no such trend."

"While it is important to take precaution we advise all to not believe in rumours as they might cause panic, he added.

The Vasco police said a mob attacked a man suspecting him to be involved in kidnapping a boy.

"Apparently, the man is mentally unstable and he would be admitted to the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (near Panaji) after getting proper court orders, a police official said.

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Nuh (HR), Sep 28 (PTI) A couple and its five-year-old daughter were killed on Wednesday while their two other children were injured when an SUV ran over them in Bhadas village on the Alwar-Gurugram road in Nuh district, police said.

An FIR has been registered against the unknown car driver, who fled from the spot, at Nagina Police Station, and police took the SUV in custody, they said.

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According to the police, the deceased were identified as Aarif (29), his wife Sahana Praveen (28), and their daughter Kaifa Bano. The family lived in Matawas village in Alwar, Rajasthan.

Aarif with his wife and three children had come to a private hospital in Bhadas for treatment. The incident took place in the afternoon when they were to return home.

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According to the complaint filed by Aslam, Arif's brother, he and his brother had come to a private hospital in Bhadas on their motorcycles.

After treatment they were talking to each other outside the hospital with their bikes parked on a roadside.

Around 2.30 pm, a speeding car came from the Badkali side and ran over Aarif, his wife and three children and hit the parked bike too.

Hearing the sound of the accident people came from nearby and some passersby helped us but my brother Aarif and his daughter Kaifa Bano were killed on the spot, Aslam said in his complaint.

"Sahana Praveen, my sister-in-law and her son Mohammad Kaif were rushed to medical college, Nalhar, where Sahana Praveen also succumbed to injuries while her son is being treated.

Kasaf, the two year-old daughter of my brother, narrowly escaped with some minor injuries and was discharged after first-aid, he said.

Following the complaint, the yet-to-be-identified car driver was booked under sections 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC.

We handed over the bodies to kin after the post mortem. The car driver will be nabbed soon, said Assistant Sub-Inspector of police Lal Singh, the investigating officer in the case.

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Lucknow, Sep 28 (PTI) A special court here on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of Rohit Agarwal, a director of the company that ran the hotel where four guests were killed in a fire incident earlier this month.

The incident had taken place at Lucknow's Levana Suits Hotel.

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Passing the order, Special Judge Gaurav Kumar said the applicant was a director of the company which was running the hotel and in connivance with the Fire Department and development authorities, he committed serious illegalities in the construction of the hotel.

It was said that the hotel was being run without a proper NOC and the applicant did not follow the guidelines.

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"The offence is very serious and the applicant is not entitled to bail at this stage," said the judge.

Earlier, moving the bail application, Agarwal had pleaded that he was not present in the hotel at the time of the fire incident.

He had also stated in the bail plea that the hotel had an NOC from the Fire Department and the Lucknow Development Authority.

He also said that the hotel had not committed any illegalities.

Opposing the bail plea, it was contended that due to criminal negligence of the accused, the incident took place.

It was well within the knowledge of the applicant that if any fire incident took place, there would be no safe exit for guests as it did not provide proper exit place.

It was also stated that gas cylinders were also kept in the hotel in an unsafe manner.

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New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Wednesday dismissed a plea by Facebook India challenging the probe ordered by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) into WhatsApp's updated privacy policy of 2021.

Justice Yashwant Varma rejected the plea saying there has to be some end to the luxury to litigate.

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Facebook India approached the single judge bench after a division bench of the high court in August dismissed its impleadment application in a related matter and granted it liberty to challenge the CCI order by way of a separate writ petition.

The division bench on August 25, dismissed the appeals of WhatsApp and Facebook Inc against a single judge's order rejecting their challenge to the probe ordered by the CCI into the instant messaging platform's updated privacy policy.

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Facebook India, the Indian subsidiary of US-based Facebook Inc (now known as Meta Platforms), argued that the CCI has clubbed it in its ongoing investigation against Facebook Inc and WhatsApp even though it has not formed any prima facie opinion against it.

There has to be a prima facie case which directs the Director General to cause any investigation. I am aggrieved by the clubbing order. The allegations made are exactly the same. I am a subsidiary but not involved in any policy-making, senior advocate Parag Tripathi, representing Facebook India, said.

Justice Varma noted that the plea by Facebook Inc challenging the CCI probe has already been dismissed by the division bench.

With all due respect, you suddenly wake up now and challenge the order. Enough is enough. There has to be some end to luxury to litigate, the high court said and dismissed the plea.

The division bench, in August, had said the single judge's April order was well-reasoned and the appeals were devoid of merits.

In April last year, a single judge of the high court refused to interdict the investigation directed by the CCI on the petitions by WhatsApp LLC and Facebook Inc --now Meta Platforms.

In January last year, CCI on its own had decided to look into WhatsApp's updated privacy policy based on news reports regarding the same.

WhatsApp had argued before the division bench of the high court that CCI cannot probe a policy which has now been kept in abeyance to await the fate of the Data Protection Bill and as well as the decision of the Supreme Court and the high court on issues concerning the legality of the privacy policy.

Facebook had argued that there was not even prima facie material in the case against it and CCI cannot investigate it in a creeping fashion. CCI, however, had contended that its investigation into the new privacy policy should be allowed to proceed as the policy has not been withdrawn and the scope of its inquiry has no overlap with the Supreme Court proceedings which pertain to issues of an alleged infringement of user privacy.

The anti-trust regulator had said that its investigation concerned WhatsApp's anti-competitive sharing of user data with Facebook and not the issues concerning privacy law and judicial process cannot be used to thwart the investigation.

It had also defended the initiation of a probe against Facebook as well in connection with WhatsApp's privacy policy, saying that the former is the holding company of the messaging platform and it can potentially exploit the data being shared.

Before the single judge, WhatsApp and Facebook had challenged CCI's March 2021 order directing a probe against them.

While dismissing the petitions against the CCI probe, the single judge had opined that although it would have been "prudent" for the CCI to await the outcome of petitions in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court against WhatsApp's new privacy policy, not doing so would not make the regulator's order "perverse" or "wanting of jurisdiction". PTI SKV

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New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday urged teachers of Delhi government schools to instill among students the spirit of making India the number one country in the world.

He was speaking at an event held to mark one year of the implementation of the Deshbhakti curriculum in Delhi government schools.

Also Read | Brown Sugar Worth Rs 1 Crore Seized During Raid in Bhubaneswar.

The curriculum was launched on September 28 last year to mark the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

"Political leaders will not make the country number one. It is the 130 crore people who will make the country number one.

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"I request teachers to instill the spirit of making India the number one country in the world so that when students come out of schools, they work towards it," he stressed.

He also said if the Deshbhakti curriculum is started in the country, it will help eradicate the caste discrimination prevalent in the society.

"Under the curriculum, a student said she learnt that one should not look at anyone through the lens of caste. This will always stay with her. If the curriculum is implemented in the country, it will end caste discrimination," he said.

Kejriwal said the Delhi government had started three curricula -- Deshbhakti, Entrepreneurship and Happiness for students.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kulgam (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 28 (ANI): Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir killed three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists, including a Pakistani one in twin operations in Kulgam in the last 24 hours.

J-K Police got intelligence input on the presence of terrorists in the Ahwatoo area of Kulgam. A joint cordon-and-search operation was launched by police, Army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the area.

Also Read | Gujarat: Man Who Received Antlers of Spotted Deer As Gift in 1975 Arrested for Illegal Possession.

During the search operation, as the joint search party approached the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon the security forces which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter.

According to the police, two local terrorists were killed in the encounter. They were identified as Mohammad Shafi Ganie of Batpora and Mohammad Asif Wani alias Yawar of Takia Gopalpora.

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As per police records, both the killed terrorists were categorized terrorists and were linked with the proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Police said both the terrorists were involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on police/security forces and civilian atrocities.

Earlier on Monday, J-K Police, along with Army and CRPF, launched a joint cordon-and-search operation in Batpora village of Kulgam following the input of the presence of terrorists in the area.

During the search operation, as the joint search party approached the suspected spot, the hiding terrorist targeted the civilians as well as the joint team in a bid to escape. Although the civilians were evacuated to a safer place, an Army soldier and two civilians received gunshot injuries. They were immediately shifted to the hospital for treatment. In the ensuing encounter, a Pakistani terrorist, identified as Abu Hurarah linked with proscribed terror outfit JeM, was killed.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that besides involvement in several terror crimes, the Pakistani terrorist was involved in the recruitment of local youths into terror ranks.

Incriminating materials, arms and ammunitions, including an AK-56, two AK-47, a pistol, a grenade, four magazines and a pistol magazine, were recovered from both the sites of encounters. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.

In this regard, cases under relevant sections of the law have been registered in respective police stations and investigations have been initiated. (ANI)

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Chandigarh, Sep 28 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday reached Dubai on a day's visit during which he will visit the Sharjah Safari.

Khattar along with a team of four officials from the state accompanying him will get a direct feedback about the best practices in the Sharjah Safari project as the state and the central governments are proposing to set up a wildlife safari in the Aravalli hills in Gurugram region, official sources here said.

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Upon his arrival, Khattar held discussions with a leading business group regarding infrastructure development and investment opportunities in the state.

"Had a cordial & productive meeting with Mr Sharafuddin Sharaf from Sharaf Group, Dubai. Various issues regarding infrastructure development and investment opportunities in Haryana were discussed during our interaction," Khattar tweeted.

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According to its website, Sharaf Group is a highly diversified business with operations in the areas of shipping, logistics, supply chain, retail, travel and tourism, information technology, financial services, hospitality and real estate, education and manufacturing.

Khattar along with four officials from the Haryana's Tourism and Wildlife Department will be visiting Sharjah Safari on Thursday, the sources said.

Sharjah Safari is host to more than 120 species of animals.

The Haryana government and the Union Environment Ministry are considering setting up a wildlife safari in the Aravali hills in Gurugram and Nuh districts in the proximity of the national capital.

The sources said Khattar along with his team of officials will visit the Sharjah Safari and talk to officials there. Meanwhile, sources said Khattar missed his flight to Sharjah in the morning from Delhi and later travelled in an Air India Express flight in an economy class as he had mistakenly left behind his passport in another bag here.

There were two bags of same colour due to which confusion occurred, the sources said.

Khattar and an aide's flight was booked, but tickets had to be cancelled and later they took another flight after CM's passport was arranged from here.

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Kotdwar (Ukd), Sep 28: The main accused in Ankita Bhandari case on Wednesday could not file their bail application in a court here after a local body of lawyers decided to boycott them, even as protests were held demanding a CBI probe into her murder.

The matter was to be heard virtually in the civil court here but lawyers refused en masse to move the bail applications on behalf of the "perpetrators of such a heinous crime".

The Bar Association of Kotdwar passed a resolution not to represent the accused, a lawyer said. Ankita Bhandari Murder Case: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Announces Rs 25 Lakh Assistance For Murdered Receptionists Family.

Earlier, Anganvadi workers, with sickles in their hands, and women associated with different organisations held a protest here demanding a CBI probe in the case.

The protesters from Rikhnikhal, Ekeshwar, Dwarikhal and Dugadda in the district took out a rally from Jhanda Chawk to the tehsil briefly, blocking NH 534 on the way, and handed over a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to local authorities.

Ward councillor Saurav Naudiyal said he had submitted a memorandum demanding a CBI probe into the case. The protesters also demonstrated outside the court demanding the hanging of Ankita's killers.

In Dehradun, the Congress held a dharna at Gandhi Park for a CBI probe into the Ankita Bhandari murder case, saying it has no confidence in the ongoing investigation by the SIT.

Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat, Leader of Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly Yashpal Arya, state unit president Karan Mahra, his predecessor Ganesh Godiyal and other party leaders participated in the protest.

The chief minister hurriedly ordered the demolition of the resort to destroy evidence. The DGP's telephonic conversation with the slain girl's father was recorded and put in the public domain. It is a crime. How can we trust an SIT constituted by him? We demand a high court-monitored CBI probe into the case, state Congress chief Mahra said.

Chief Minister Dhami announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh to the family of Ankita Bhandari and assured her family that the case would be heard in a fast-track court. Ankita Bhandari Murder Case: BJP Suspends Father and Brother of Accused Pulkit Arya After Body of Receptionist Found in Uttarakhand Canal.

"The state government is with Ankita's family. We will extend all help to them. The case is being probed by an SIT (Special Investigation Team). The investigation will be conducted impartially and completed as soon," he said.

Meanwhile, a senior police official said the case is being investigated from all angles with total promptness.

Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, was allegedly killed by the resort owner and two of his accomplices.

The official said the three accused, including resort owner Pulkit Arya, were arrested within 24 hours of the matter being handed over to the regular police force from revenue police on September 22.

"A special investigation team (SIT) headed by a DIG-level officer is fast collecting the evidence based on which we can plead for the hanging of the accused in the court of law," he said, requesting anonymity.

Rubbishing allegations that the accused are being shielded by destroying evidence related to the case in the garb of demolishing parts of the resort, he said there has been no tampering with the evidence.

Asked why the VIP guest, who finds a mention in Bhandari's chat with her friend that has now gone viral and to whom she was asked to offer "extra service" for money at the resort, is yet to be brought under the ambit of the probe, the official emphatically said he will also be included.

"It is, in fact, in our efforts to find out about him that we have summoned Ankita's friend from Jammu. The investigation will be carried forward on the basis of his interrogation," he said.

The accused had said they had pushed Bhandari into the Chilla canal on September 18 and her body was found on September 24.

He said that samples from her body parts have been sent for a forensic examination to rule out rape and the report is likely to be available soon.

The probe is being conducted very fast and the truth will soon come out, he said.

"People should keep patience. Ankita will get justice," he asserted.

The SIT probing the case on Tuesday seized a grey Activa and a black Pulsar motorcycle, which were suspected to be used in the crime.

The SIT has also summoned a couple who had worked at the resort earlier and others for interrogation, it said.

The SIT has found the list of guests staying at the resort on the day of the incident. It has also collected physical evidence and is examining electronic evidence such as CCTV footage and mobile call records.

The main accused Pulkit Arya is the son of former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vinod Arya, who was expelled by the party when Pulkit's name cropped up in the case.

Also on Wednesday, an RSS office bearer who had uploaded an objectionable post on the social media against the kin of Bhandari after her murder was booked for sedition and spreading caste animosity.

"A case has been registered against Vipin Karnwal, an RSS functionary, at the Raiwala police station under the IT act for sedition and spreading caste animosity,'' Rishikesh SDM Dinesh Chandra Dhaundiyal said.

Karnwal's social media post had sparked tension in Raiwala and Rishikesh with protests at different places. The highway to Delhi was blocked by protesters on Wednesday too but they lifted the blockade after an assurance from the police that a case will be lodged against Karnwal.

(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 28 (PTI) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday detained a senior official of the Maharashtra government's Directorate of Technical Education, a woman professor and two others for taking bribe to facilitate admission of a student in an architecture college in Thane district, officials said.

Also Read | Supreme Court Says It Is Sacrosanct Duty of Husband To Provide Financial Support to Wife and Minor Children.

The ACB officials also recovered Rs 3,15,000 cash from those detained, which they had collected from 11 students, including the complainant in this case, they said.

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Deputy Superintendent of Police (Thane ACB) Ashwini Patil said in a release that the process of registering an offence against the four at the Mira Road police station under the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar police commissionerate was underway.

Those detained were identified as Jitendra Ramdasji Nikhade (54) Assistant Director of the Technical and Joint Director Divisional Officer at Bandra; Rupali Hitendra Gupte (50), professor at K L Tiwari College of Architecture located at Mira Bhayandar; Santosh Rangrai Hubale, (45), office superintendent of the college and Shreya Santosh Bane (46), senior clerk.

The complainant's daughter was pursuing a course in an architecture college, which shut down. In order to get admission in K L Tiwari College and also to grant the change of subject, the principal of the college demanded Rs 30,000, the ACB said.

Professor Gupte asked the complainant to hand over the money to the office superintendent and when the complainant met Hubale, he made a demand of Rs 30,000 to be given to the Joint Director of Technical Education, it said.

After that, the complainant approached the Thane unit of the ACB. Based on the complaint, the anti-graft agency laid a trap at the college office on Wednesday and caught Bane accepting Rs 15,000 from the complainant on behalf of the superintendent and the professor, it said.

During the inquiry and the raid, it came to light that the accused had similarly demanded Rs 30,000 from 14 students, the ACB said.

Further investigation is on.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ayodhya (UP), Sep 28 (PTI) Memorials to Hindu religious icons and leaders associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement will be developed in Ayodhya in the near future, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Lata Mangeshkar Memorial in Ayodhya, Adityanath said memorials will also be developed to top Hindu philosophers such as Ramanandacharya and Ramanujacharya.

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Union Culture Minister G Kisan Reddy and seer Nritya Gopal Das were among those who attended the function at the "Ram Katha Park" after the inauguration of an intersection in the pilgrim city dedicated to singing legend Lata Mangeshkar.

A recorded message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was played on the occasion.

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(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bhubaneswar, Sept 28 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, during a meeting with investors in Bengaluru on Wednesday, said his government "walks the talk" and does not believe in making empty promises, a statement by his office said.

The state, endowed with abundant natural resources, skilled human resources and stable governance, is fast emerging as a leading destination for industries and investment, Patnaik said at the meeting.

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"Odisha is committed to provide an ecosystem for job-linked industrial growth. If any state is providing X incentive for promotion of business opportunities, we will provide X-plus. Our government walks the talk," Patnaik was quoted as saying in the statement released by the chief minister's office (CMO) here.

He underlined that his government provides continuous support to the start-up ecosystem in the state.

Also Read | Ankita Bhandari Murder Case: Lawyers Boycott Receptionist's Killers Including Main Accused Pulkit Arya; Protesters Demand CBI Probe.

Addressing industry representatives, Patnaik urged them to invest in Odisha and be our partner in ushering in a new Industrial age in Odisha. I welcome you all to the state and seek your participation in the Make in Odisha Conclave, being held in Bhubaneswar from November 30 to December 4".

The conclave will provide industry captains and thought leaders a platform to talk about the future of various industrial sectors, the chief minister maintained.

"Odisha is ranked among the top states of India in terms of live manufacturing investments and has been accorded the 'achiever' status in the recently released 'Ease of Doing Business' ratings," he added.

Earlier in the day, Patnaik met around 20 industry captains and discussed investment opportunities with them. The CM had one-on-one interactions with the managing director of Wipro-GE Healthcare, Dr Shravan Subramanyam, and managing partner of IBM, Amit Sharma, among others, according to the statement.

Official sources said companies such as IBM, Accenture, Concentrix, Happiest Mind and E&Y will open their development centres in Odisha soon.

Earlier this month, Patnaik had attended a similar investors' meet in Mumbai and interacted with industrialists including K M Birla, Anil Agarwal and Anand Mahindra.

(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 28 (PTI) The West Bengal government on Wednesday appointed Jadavpur University Professor Omprakash Mishra as the interim Vice-Chancellor of the North Bengal University (NBU) in place of Subiresh Bhattacharya, who was arrested by the CBI recently in connection with the teacher recruitment scam.

A Higher Education department notification said, the chancellor of the state university is pleased to appoint Mishra as the VC of NBU for a period of three months "or till the appointment of a regular Vice-chancellor" on recommendation by a search committee or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

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Mishra was being appointed in place of Subiresh Bhattacharya with immediate effect, the notice said, adding that Mishra was also given the additional charge as the first VC of Darjeeling Hill University.

Mishra is currently Professor of International Relations at Jadavpur University.

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"Yes, I got the letter from the higher education department and looking forward to my new posting. I have accepted the offer," Mishra told PTI.

Incidentally, Mishra, who joined ruling Trinamool Congress in September 2019 from Congress, had unsuccessfully contested from Siliguri seat in 2021 Assembly election.

Subiresh Bhattacharya was arrested by the CBI in connection with teacher recruitment scam. He was the Chairman of School Service Commission (SSC) from 2014 to 2018.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thiruvananthapuram, September 28: The opposition Congress in Kerala and its coalition partner Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Wednesday welcomed the Centre's decision to ban the Popular Front of India (PFI) for its alleged terror activities, but said that the RSS should also be similarly outlawed.

Strongly condemning the activities of the PFI, senior IUML leader M K Muneer said the radical outfit had misinterpreted the Quran and persuaded the community members to adopt the path of violence. The PFI not only tried to mislead the young generation but also tried to create division and hatred in the society, he said in Kozhikode.

"All Islamic scholars in the state have strongly condemned the extremist ideologies. But, outfits like PFI have made even tiny children raise contemptuous slogans. Which Islam has persuaded them to do so?" the legislator asked. PFI Ban: List of Popular Front of Indias Associates and Fronts Declared As Unlawful Associations.

Stating that IUML has always opposed the deeds of both RSS and PFI-SDPI, Muneer said the respective communities should reject the communal ideologies of such outfits. Sharing similar views, senior Congress leader and former state home minister Ramesh Chennithala said the Centre's decision to ban PFI was a "good thing".

"RSS should also be banned like this. In Kerala, both majority communalism and minority communalism should be equally opposed. Both the outfits have flared up communal hatred and thus tried to create division in the society," he said.

Chennithala said Congress is a party which has taken a strong stand against communalism spread by both the majority and minority communities. The recent dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the PFI turned violent, affecting normal life in many parts of Kerala as agitated activists pelted stones at public transport buses, destroyed shops and vehicles and threatened the general public.

The hartal was called by the PFI to protest against the raids in offices and residences of its leaders and their subsequent arrests on September 22 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other agencies for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country. PFI Ban Message to 'Anti-National Groups' That They Will Not Survive in India, Says Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai.

In a notification issued late Tuesday night, the Union Home Ministry banned the PFI saying the central government is of the opinion that the Islamist outfit and its affiliates have been involved in subversive activities, thereby disturbing public order and undermining constitutional set up of the country and encouraging and enforcing a terror-based regressive regime.

It continues "propagating anti-national sentiments and radicalising a particular section of society" with the intention to create disaffection against the country, it said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Indore, Sep 28 (PTI) The Popular Front of India (PFI) had tried to instigate a particular community following the violence during a Ram Navami procession in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone earlier this year, and collected around Rs 55 lakh in the name of helping the riot-affected people, a senior police official said.

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The central government on Wednesday banned the PFI and several of its associates for five years under a stringent anti-terror law, accusing them of having "links" with global terror groups like ISIS.

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"Our investigation found that the PFI, which turned into action locally after the violence in Khargone, tried to instigate a particular community and collected about Rs 55 lakh donation from them in the name of helping the riot-hit people," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Intelligence wing) Rajat Saklecha told PTI.

Khargone city had witnessed communal clashes on April 10 during the Ram Navami celebrations, wherein stones were hurled, vehicles torched and some houses damaged, leading to the clamping of curfew in the entire city.

He said the PFI had started its activities in 2008, but the organisation came into the light after spearheading the agitations against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).

The police official said that the PFI started spreading its activities in the guise of different organisations and was trying to extend its base in entire western Madhya Pradesh, especially in the districts bordering Rajasthan.

The organisation also tried to instigate people on communal lines after a bangle seller from Uttar Pradesh, Tasleem Ali (25), was beaten up in a locality here on August 22, 2021, Saklecha said, adding that before the organisation was banned, 70 to 75 people were associated with it in Indore.

The PFI tried to get less educated people and daily wage earners associated with the outfit through social media, he said.

According to him, police forces have been deployed outside the local PFI office at Jawahar Marg after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seized objectionable material from here.

Following the ban, security has been beefed up around the PFI's sealed office, Saklecha said.

The officials said that three PFI leaders were arrested on September 22 during NIA raids, while four more persons with links with the banned outfit were held on September 27 by the Madhya Pradesh Police.

(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 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed condolences to the bereaved families of the seven people who died in the Lakhimpur Kheri bus-truck collision earlier in the day.

"Distressed by the accident in Lakhimpur Kheri, UP. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF (Prime Minister's National Relief Fund) would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," a tweet from the Prime Minister's Office read. President Droupadi Murmu also expressed condolences to the kin of the people who lost their lives in the accident today.

"Deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people in a road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones in this accident and wish the injured a speedy recovery," Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted in Hindi.

The Police Commissioner, in a conversation with the media persons, confirmed the death of seven persons and said that 25 people are being treated in the hospital and are currently stable. UP Road Accident: Eight Killed in Head-on Collision Between Private Bus and Mini Truck in Lakhimpur Kheri, CM Yogi Adityanath Expresses Grief.

"As of now, seven people have died. 25 are being treated in the hospital and are stable. 14 people have been referred to Lucknow for treatment," said Roshan Jacob, Commissioner. The bus was heading from Dhaurehra to Lucknow when the accident occurred in the Police Station range of Isanagar near Era bridge.

After receiving the information, the ADM and Circle Officer (CO) City had reached the district hospital. Condoling the accident, state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed the senior officials to reach the spot and ensure proper treatment for the injured.

"Chief Minister Shri @myogiadityanath Ji Maharaj has condoled the loss of lives due to road accident in the Lakhimpur Kheri district. Maharaj Ji has directed the senior officers to immediately go to the spot and conduct relief and rescue operations and make proper arrangements for the treatment of the injured," the CMO tweeted (in Hindi). "Expressing his condolences to the bereaved family members, Maharaj Ji (Yogi) has wished for a speedy recovery of the injured," it added.

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New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to stay the Centre's order dismissing Gujarat cadre IPS officer Satish Chandra Verma from service. Verma had assisted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in its probe into the Ishrat Jahan 'fake encounter' case.

A bench of Justices KM Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy said that it is not inclined to interfere with the Delhi High Court's order which had refused to stay the dismissal order, as it was an interim order.

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On September 26, the Delhi High Court had refused to stay the dismissal order of Verma.

On September 19, the Supreme Court had kept in abeyance for a week Verma's dismissal order and left it to the High Court to consider whether to continue the stay or not.

Also Read | Ankita Bhandari Murder Case: Lawyers Boycott Receptionist's Killers Including Main Accused Pulkit Arya; Protesters Demand CBI Probe.

During the hearing, counsel appearing for Verma urged the court to stay the dismissal order against him.

"I have put in 38 years of service. At least I may be honourably permitted to leave. Please extend the stay and let the High Court decide", the counsel told the bench.

To this, Justice Joseph said, "But we have to balance everything. You talked about your honour and prestige but if the truth is on your side, you will have your day in court. We can't do it now. You will have your tribulations, but if justice is on your side, you will succeed."

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that he does not object to the advancement of the date before the High Court but added that there is a "darker side to the story".

The bench said the plea pending before the High Court be listed on November 22 for hearing and asked the High Court to dispose of the matter as early as possible.

The High Court while declining interim stay had posted the case for further hearing on January 24, 2023.

1986-batch Gujarat cadre IPS Verma was dismissed from the service on August 30, a month before his scheduled retirement on September 30.

The Delhi High Court while hearing a plea by Verma had directed the Union Home Ministry not to implement the dismissal order till September 19 so that he could approach a higher court to get relief.

The senior police officer was last posted as inspector general with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Tamil Nadu.

If the dismissal of Verma comes into effect, he will not be entitled to pension and other benefits.

Verma had probed the Ishrat Jahan case between April 2010 and October 2011 and on the basis of his investigation report that a SIT had held that the encounter was "fake". The Gujarat High Court later directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the case and avail Verma's services.

Verma approached the top court after the High Court allowed the Home Ministry to take action against him in the view of a departmental inquiry that proved the charges against him, including interacting "with public media" when he was chief vigilance officer of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation, Shillong.

On August 30, the High Court had said that the disciplinary proceedings against Verma shall not be implemented without the court's permission if it is prejudicial to him.

Following this High Court's order, the Centre had again moved the High Court seeking its permission to impose the disciplinary action to dismiss Verma from service. The High Court permitted the Centre to implement the order but not before September 19. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear on October 12 a batch of pleas challenging the Centre's 2016 decision to demonetise currency notes of denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1000.

A constitution bench headed by Justice S A Nazeer said it will consider if the pleas are an academic exercise.

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The bench, also comprising Justices B R Gavai, A S Bopanna, V Ramasubramanian, and B V Nagarathna was hearing a batch of 58 petitions challenging the Centre's November 8, 2016 decision to demonetise the currency notes.

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New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The Social Democratic Party of India, perceived as the political arm of the now-banned Popular Front of India, received contributions of over Rs 11 crore since 2018-19, according to data available with the Election Commission.

An unrecognised political party registered in Delhi, the SDPI was formed in June 2009 and registered with the poll panel in April 2010.

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In the financial year 2018-19, the party collected Rs 5.17 crore as contributions and Rs 3.74 crore in FY 2019-20. It received contributions of Rs 2.86 crore in FY 2020-21, according to details available on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi.

Citing the contribution reports, officials said a major chunk of donations came from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

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In a statement on Wednesday, the Social Democratic Party of India described the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associate organisations as a "direct blow to democracy".

Quoting its president M K Faizy, the party alleged that whoever spoke against the "wrong and anti-people policies of the BJP regime" have faced threats of arrests and raids.

The government on Wednesday banned PFI and several of its associates for five years under a stringent anti-terror law, accusing them of having "links" with global terror groups like ISIS.

Besides PFI, the organisations which were also declared banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) include Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

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Jaipur, Sep 28 (PTI) The spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah Zainul Abedin Ali Khan on Wednesday welcomed the Central government's decision to ban the Popular Front of India (PFI) for its alleged terror activities.

The Deewan of the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti said the action was taken in compliance with the law and to prevent terrorism. It should be welcomed by all, he said.

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"If the country is safe then we are safe, the country is bigger than any institution or idea and if someone talks about breaking this country, breaking the unity and sovereignty here, talks about spoiling the peace of the country, then he has no right to live here," Khan told PTI.

He said there have been reports of "anti-national activities by PFI" and the ban imposed on it is in the interest of the country.

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"Two years ago, I had first demanded that the government ban PFI," the Ajmer Dargah deewan said.

Chairman of All India Sajjadanashin Council Nasiruddin Khan also welcomed the step taken by the government. "No institution is bigger than the country," he said.

The Centre has imposed a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and several of its associates for their alleged terror activities.

The organisations which were also declared banned under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA include Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CF), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

The action of the Central government came days after a countrywide crackdown on the 16-year-old PFI, arrest of over a hundred of its activities and seizure of several dozen properties.

In a late Tuesday night notification, the Union Home Ministry said some of the PFI's founding members are the leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Both JMB and SIMI are proscribed organisations.

It said there had been many instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

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Thane, September 28: A 58-year-old woman from Maharashtra's Thane district allegedly lost more than Rs 26 lakh after being lured to invest in an insurance scheme promising high returns, police said on Wednesday. Based on a complaint filed by the woman on Tuesday, the Vithalwadi police registered a case against two persons under sections for cheating.

The woman, after retiring from a government job in 2020, went to a nationalised bank to invest money in a fixed deposit. A bank employee informed her about a lucrative private insurance scheme where after investing Rs 5 lakh for five years, she would get a return of Rs 38 lakh after 10 years, a police official said quoting the complaint.

The woman made the payment for two years, but later found the clause of getting Rs 38 lakh was missing from the scheme document, hence she decided to discontinue the policy. She contacted the insurance company where an official introduced her to a person who claimed to be from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA). Another Scam of Delhi Government? Was the Salary of Lakhs Given to 'Ghost Teachers'?.

The person along with the other accused, under the pretext of helping the woman get back her money, allegedly asked her to make a number of payments between October 2021 and February 2022 which amounted to Rs 26,66,137, the official said. When she did not get the money, she checked with the IRDA and was informed that no such person worked with them.

The woman then filed a police complaint, based on which a case was registered against the two accused, the police said, adding that no arrest has been made so far.

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Kulgam (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 28 (ANI): Two terrorists were killed in Avhotu village of Kulgam district in an operation by the Indian Army along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF on Tuesday, said the police.

On search of the encounter site, two AK series rifles, grenades and other warlike stores were recovered, added the police.

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The police has identified the neutralised terrorists as Mohammad Shafi Ganie and Mohammad Asif Wani of Takiya, Kulgam. Both the terrorists were members of the Jaish-e-Mohammad.

"On receipt of specific information regarding the presence of terrorists in Avhotu village of Kulgam District, a joint cordon and search operation was launched in the area by the Indian Army along with JKP and CRPF at about 03:20 PM on 27 Sep 22," stated a press release.

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The army established a quick initial cordon around the suspected cluster of houses in the village which was subsequently strengthened by additional troops. On confirmation of the presence of terrorists in the suspected place, priority was given to the evacuation of civilians from the cordon to a safe location.

After that, the Army unit attempted to induce the surrender of the hiding terrorists by making repeated surrender calls, however to no avail.

During the search of the target house, terrorists resorted to indiscriminate firing to break the cordon. Troops retaliated with effective fire, thereby foiling their escape attempt and neutralising one of the terrorists. In the ensuing firefight, one soldier sustained a splinter/ricochet injury in the foot.

The soldier was evacuated to 439 Field Hospital, Awantipura. Meanwhile, due to the indiscriminate fire by the terrorist, the Gas Godown in the vicinity of the target house caught fire, leading to multiple explosions. Considering the safety of civilian life, efforts by Army and police were pressed in towards dousing the fire by use of water bowsers and foam sprinklers, simultaneously maintaining an impregnable cordon.

Later contact was re-established and the second terrorist was also neutralised owing to the accurate fire of the troops. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the MoU between India and Bangladesh on withdrawal of up to 153 cusecs of water by both countries from the border river Kushiyara.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on September 6 between the Ministry of Jal Shakti and Bangladesh's Ministry of Water Resources on withdrawal of up to 153 cusecs of water each by the two countries from Kushiyara during dry season from November 1 to May 31 for their consumptive water requirement.

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According to an official statement, the MoU will enable Assam to withdraw up to 153 cusecs of water from the common stretch of Kushiyara river.

A Joint Monitoring Team shall be set up by both the countries to monitor the withdrawal of water by each side during dry season, the statement said.

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By Hari Mohan

Malappuram (Kerala) [India], September 28 (ANI): Congress MP from Kerala on Wednesday compared the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with the Popular Front of India and demanded a similar ban on it for perpetuating "Hindu communalism."

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The remarks by Lok Sabha MP Kodikunnil Suresh came in the wake of the ban by the central government issued through a notification late on Tuesday on Popular Front of India and its affiliates for having 'terror links."

"We demand a ban on RSS as well. The ban on PFI is not the remedy as RSS is also spreading Hindu communalism throughout the country," K Suresh said.

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"So both the RSS and PFI are equal. The government should ban both. Why only PFI? RSS is also doing the majority communalism," he said.

K Suresh further added that the communalism of both the majority as well as minority is dangerous.

"Wherever majority communalism is there, then minority communalism is also coming up. So ultimately both (majority and minority) communalism is dangerous. It is dangerous for the country. So the government should ban both. Otherwise no result," the Congress Lok Sabha chief whip added.

Earlier senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh while denouncing the violence perpetrated by the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Kerala, lashed out at the RSS and VHP as well, calling them "ek hi thali ke chatte batte" while also demanding action against "all those who spread hatred and violence.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday night made the announcement through a notification declaring "the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect".

Alongwith PFI, a ban was also imposed on its fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF). Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an "unlawful association".

As per the notification, the Central government declared PFI and its associates or affiliates or the fronts as 'unlawful organisations' in the exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. 1967 (37 of 1967) and banned the organisations under section 4 of the UAPA.

Earlier on September 26, the Karnataka unit of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), a political wing of the Popular Front of India condemned the raids conducted by the National Investigation Agency against its members, and asked why the central agency had not yet conducted raids on the RSS and its affiliated organizations for "acts of communal hatred".

The NIA had arrested over 106 members of the PFI during its largest-ever raids spread across 15 states on September 22. (ANI)

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Washington, Sep 28 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday discussed with US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines ways to work together to boost the bilateral strategic partnership.

Jaishankar is on a four-day official trip to Washington.

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"A pleasure to catch up with an old friend, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, this morning. The conversation covered working together to further India-US strategic partnership," Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting.

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On Tuesday, Jaishankar held talks with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during which they reviewed the progress in the US-India strategic partnership and exchanged views on global and regional issues, including approaches to advance a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

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New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI): Australia's envoy to India Barry O'Farrell extended greetings to Retired Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan on his appointment as India's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on Wednesday and expressed to work closely to advance strong defence relationship between the two nations.

In a tweet, Australia's envoy to India wrote, "Congratulations Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) on your appointment as India's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). looks forward to working closely with you to continue advancing our strong #defence relationship."

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The government on Tuesday appointed Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He had retired as the Eastern Army Commander in May last year and was serving as the Military Advisor to the National Security Council.

This is the first time that a retired officer has been appointed at this position for which a gazette notification was issued to announce the change in rules for the appointment.

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In a career spanning over nearly 40 years, Lt Gen Chauhan has held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast India.

He will also function as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders, an official release said.

Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) will be the second CDS of the country after Gen Bipin Rawat who died in a helicopter crash in December last year in Tamil Nadu.

Born on 18th May 1961, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

In the rank of Maj General, the officer had commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramula sector in the Northern Command.

Later as Lt General, he commanded a corps in the North East and subsequently went to become the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command from September 2019 and held the charge until his retirement from the service in May 2021.

In addition to these command appointments, the officer also tenanted important staff appointments including the charge of Director General of Military Operations.Earlier, the officer had also served as a United Nations mission to Angola.He superannuated from the Indian Army on 31 May 2021.

Even after his retirement from the Army, he continued to contribute to national security and strategic matters. For his distinguished and illustrious service in the Army, Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.

The CDS is the most senior uniformed officer in rank, the first among equals -- the only four-star officers in the country are the CDS, the chiefs of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.

The post was lying vacant since December 8 last year after the death of General Bipin Rawat. When General Bipin Rawat was appointed CDS by the Narendra Modi government within six months of coming back to power in 2019, it was hailed as one of the biggest reforms in the higher military structure of the country.

The CDS is also the single point of contact for the government for giving military advice and is the senior-most bureaucrat in the defence ministry which has four major departments.

The appointment comes amid efforts by the government to give a big push to indigenisation in the equipment for defence forces. (ANI)

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Bangkok [Thailand], September 28 (ANI): Myanmar beauty queen Han Lay who was facing threats from the military junta is seeking asylum in Canada.

The 23-year-old who took refuge in Thailand after criticizing her home country's ruling military junta has left Bangkok for Canada where she is expected to seek asylum, Thai immigration officials told CNN.

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Han Lay captured international attention with an emotional pageant speech during the finals of the Miss Grand International Myanmar competition in 2021 when she held up a banner with the words "Pray for Myanmar" to raise awareness of human rights atrocities committed by junta officials.

She received death threats after the speech and decided not to return home after the competition - which was held in Thailand.

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However, she appeared to face the threat of deportation after returning to Thailand last Wednesday following a trip to Vietnam, reported CNN.

She was stopped by officials at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport who said they had discovered a problem with her passport and since then she had been in limbo.

Archayon Kraithong, deputy chief of Thailand's immigration bureau, told CNN on Wednesday that Han Lay had left Bangkok on Tuesday night. "Her final destination is Canada," he said without giving further details.

Han Lay previously said that she was seeking political asylum in Canada despite wanting to remain in Thailand.

"Han Lay was the victim of a deliberate political act by the junta to make her stateless when she flew back to Thailand from Vietnam last week," said Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director of Human Rights Watch, adding that it was "not the first time" junta officials had "weaponized" Burmese passports.

"There is no doubt that what transpired was a trap to try to force Han Lay to return to Myanmar, where she would have faced immediate arrest, likely abuse in detention, and imprisonment," Robertson added, reported CNN.

The situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate following the 2021 military coup. Human rights violations remain rife, rights groups say and state executions have returned as conflict across the country rages.

Millions continue to resist the ruling junta led by Min Aung Hlaing, which has killed hundreds of pro-democracy protesters and locked up the country's democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (ANI)

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Tokyo [Japan], September 28 (ANI): North Korea fired an apparent ballistic missile on Wednesday evening, just a day ahead of US Vice President Kamla Harris' visit to Demilitarized Zone dividing South and North Korea.

Notably, this is the second launch from nuclear-armed North Korea in four days, The Japan Times reported.

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South Korea's military also confirmed the launch of an unidentified ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan.

After the missile launch by North Korea, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida issued an instruction where it stated that one needs to dedicate maximum effort to gather and analyze the information and provide the public with speedy and adequate information. The second one was to ensure the safety of aircraft, vessels, and other assets. Lastly, "Take all possible measures for precaution, including readiness for contingencies."

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Earlier, on Sunday, North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile for its first major weapons test since early June

This apparent missile launch came as US Vice President is all set to visit the Demilitarized Zone dividing South and North Korea on Thursday, Voice Of America reported.

Harris is spending most of this week in South Korea and Japan, two East Asian nations the Biden administration sees as alternative options in the region as China grows bolder.

Harris was among dozens of foreign dignitaries in Tokyo on Tuesday to pay respects to assassinated former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, who was killed on July 8.

"The alliance between Japan and the United States is a cornerstone of what we believe is integral to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," Harris said. "And this is something we prioritize because we also believe it is in the best interest of the American people in terms of their security and prosperity and we do believe the same for Japanese people," she added as quoted by Voice of America.

In the last week, Kim Song, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, accused the US of compelling the DPRK to adopt a law on the policy of nuclear forces.

While speaking at UNGA, Kim Song said, "The United States compelled the DPRK to adopt a law on the policy of nuclear forces in defiance of the US hostile hostility." (ANI)

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Washington [US], September 28 (ANI): US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday to discuss the US-India commercial relationship and welcomed the government of India's participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).

The US Secretary also appreciated Jaishankar's views on IPEF going forward and emphasized the need for an ambitious and high-standard outcome as she underlined working closely with India in the discussions ahead, the official statement by US Department of Commerce read.

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Secretary Raimondo and Jaishankar agreed that both the CEO Forum and the US-India Commercial Dialogue are key opportunities to strengthen the commercial partnership between the two countries and to advance progress on issues relevant to the economies of both India and US, teh press release added.

Both the ministers met on Monday and discussed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework alongside high technology cooperation between the two countries.

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The talks between the two ministers also covered resilient supply chains, high technology cooperation, semiconductors and business promotion in Washington as Jaishankar is in the US on a 10-day visit to hold bilateral consultations with several US cabinet ministers.

In a tweet, Jaishankar wrote, "An excellent meeting with Commerce Secretary@SecRaimondo. Our conversation covered resilient supply chains, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, high technology cooperation, semiconductors and business promotion. Look forward to seeing her in India."

Notably, External Affairs Minister, Jaishankar also met US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon where he was welcomed in an enhanced honour cordon ceremony on Monday.

The External Affairs Minister concluded the high-level United Nations General Assembly debate in New York on Saturday. Jaishankar was in New York from September 18 to 24.

IPEF, a group of 13 countries, is a multilateral economic framework. Since its launch in May launch, IPEF countries have engaged in intensive discussions to scope out each pillar of the Framework.

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) was launched jointly by the USA and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo.

India joined the IPEF and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the launch event along with US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and other leaders from partner countries. Previously, virtual Ministerial Meetings were held immediately after the launch on May 23 and thereafter from July 26-27, 2022. (ANI)

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Washington, Sep 28 (PTI) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has underlined the need to "modernise" the UN Security Council by making it more inclusive and increasing the number of permanent seats in the global body, a "long-standing" goal of India.

India has been at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for urgent long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member.

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"We recognise that to meet the challenges we face, members of the UN must not only uphold the charter but also modernise the institution, including by making the Security Council more inclusive," Blinken told reporters at a joint news conference with visiting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

"That's why, in his address to the General Assembly, President (Joe) Biden expressed his support for increasing the number of both permanent and non-permanent representatives of the Security Council, a long-standing goal of India," he said on Tuesday.

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"This includes permanent seats for those nations we've long supported, and permanent seats for countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean," the top American diplomat said.

At present, the UNSC comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent member countries which are elected for a two-year term by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France and the United States and these countries can veto any substantive resolution. There has been growing demand to increase the number of permanent members to reflect the contemporary global reality.

Jaishankar, who arrived here from New York where he attended the UN General Assembly Sessions, said the reform of the UN is a particularly topical subject.

"We appreciate the positive approach of the US to this issue reflected in the position articulated by President Biden himself. We look forward to working with the US to take this further," he said.

"I also expressed appreciation at the strong cooperation that we have got from the US on the question of tackling international terrorism. In particular, I refer to the listing of well-known and wanted terrorists by the UN sanction process. In many other formats too, our two countries collaborate to keep the world safer and more secure," Jaishankar said.

In New York, S Jaishankar on Sunday said that terrorism should not be used as a "political tool" and the idea that something is blocked without assigning a reason challenges common sense.

China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, has repeatedly put holds on listing proposals by India, the US and other allies to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions regime of the Council.

Last week, China put a hold on a proposal moved at the United Nations by the US and co-supported by India to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, as a global terrorist.

Last month, China put a hold on a proposal by the US and India at the United Nations to blacklist Abdul Rauf Azhar, the brother of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) chief Masood Azhar and a senior leader of the Pakistan-based terror organisation. Abdul Rauf Azhar, born in 1974 in Pakistan, was sanctioned by the US in December 2010.

In June this year, China had put a hold, at the last moment, on a joint proposal by India and the US to list Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki under the 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.

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Bhubaneswar, September 28: Brown sugar weighing over 1 kg worth over Rs 1 crore was seized in Odisha's capital city Bhubaneswar during a raid, police said on Wednesday.

On the basis of intelligence input, a team of Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha crime branch conducted a raid on Sundarpada-Jatni road under Airfield police station on Tuesday and seized brown sugar weighing 1050 gram from the possession of a drug peddler, the police said. The drug peddler namely Umesh Behera of Bhubaneswar was arrested and is being forwarded to the court.

In this connection, the STF has registered a case against Behera under sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The task force has intensified its special drive against narcotic drugs in view of the festive season, informed the official. Odisha: Brown Sugar Worth Rs 1 Crore Seized in Dhenkanal; Two Arrested

Since 2020, the STF has seized more than 58 kg of brown sugar, 202 gram cocaine and more than 111 quintal of ganja, 750 gram opium and arrested 159 drug peddlers.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 28, 2022 05:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Bengaluru, September 28: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is on a visit to Bengaluru to woo potential investors as the State gears up for the "Make in Odisha Conclave '22" in Bhubaneswar from November 30 to December 4.

Multiple one-to-one meetings with potential investors across sectors like food-processing, aerospace and defence, and healthcare were held on Tuesday to discuss possibilities of investing in Odisha, officials said.

Indian information technology industry czar and founder-chairman of Wipro, Azim Premji, was among those who met Patnaik, who was accompanied by a senior government of Odisha delegation which had one-to-one meetings with several potential investors here, it was stated. Odisha Working Towards Harnessing Tourism Potential: CM Patnaik.

The government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, is organising "Odisha Investors' Meet" here on Wednesday evening.

"The idea behind organising this is to showcase the diverse business-friendly ecosystem of Odisha to the potential investors and help them to form an informed decision to invest in Odisha to meet the ever-growing demands in Eastern and North-Eastern India as well as the ASEAN Markets," officials said.

The Chief Minister will be meeting senior industrialists to discuss their plans for Odisha and personally invite them to the "Make in Odisha Conclave '22", they said. Odisha CM Arrives in Bengaluru, to Attend Odisha Investors' Meet.

"Odisha with its long coastline and developed ports in Dhamra, Paradeep and Gopalpur acts as a Gateway to East and SouthEast Asia", according to officials.

The Chief Minister is expected to highlight the major pro-business reforms undertaken by his government and ask the industrialists to explore Odisha as a potential destination for setting up their business units, they said.

Some of the major potential investors across sectors including e-commerce and IT space are scheduled to have one-on-one meetings with Patnaik, it was stated.
Bengaluru, September 28: Senior Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge is not averse to running for AICC president polls if party chief Sonia Gandhi asks him to contest, sources close to the veteran leader said on Wednesday. Names of leaders like Kharge, a former Union minister and a Nehru-Gandhi family loyalist, are doing the rounds for the October 17 AICC presidential election for which the nomination process would continue till September 30.

"Kharge has told Sonia Gandhi that whatever the party decides, he will adhere to it," a close associate of the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said, adding: "Ultimately, he will do what the party (Sonia Gandhi) suggests him to do".

A Congress leader said Kharge has "good connect and rapport" with opposition leaders like NCP chief Sharad Pawar and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury which would be an "added advantage" and "he is sharp as ever". Shashi Tharoor to File Nomination for Post of Congress President on September 30.

"In the Hindi heartland also, he has got a sort of fan following for his Hindi," another leader said. Sources close to 80-year-old Kharge, however, also said he believes only the Nehru-Gandhi family has the "enigma and charisma" and no one else has that kind of clout throughout the country.

Kharge, who has pitched for the return of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president, believes that with Lok Sabha elections just two years away, touring the country and taking the party forward is a "very humongous task", sources said. "He (Kharge) has never declined anything that the party has asked him to do," the close aide said. "The party took care of him. Whatever the party decides, he will do."
The Jharkhand government on Wednesday said it has set a target to cover a total of 25.50 lakh farmers under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme by March 2023.
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat from September 29 to launch various development and infrastructure projects worth 29,000 crores spread across Gujarat.
Prasad made the remark replying to queries from journalists about the Union Home Ministry's ban on Popular Front of India and several of its associates under a stringent anti-terror law.
Two priests and a middle-aged bus conductor, who connived to get a minor girl forcefully married, were pronounced guilty on Wednesday and sent to jail by a court in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district.
A Chinese national was shot dead and two others were injured after an unidentified assailant inside a dental clinic in #Karachi's Saddar area, a police official said, the media reported. pic.twitter.com/eiR254o3Xo IANS (@ians_india) September 28, 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.)
After the imposition of a ban on the Popular Front of India (#PFI), several Muslim organisations welcomed the move by the govt.



Similarly, Saiyed Zainul Abidin of Ajmer said that the ban has been invoked in the national interest as PFI was indulging in anti-national activity. pic.twitter.com/3lgbfUpZUH IANS (@ians_india) September 28, 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.)
Punjab Chief Minister #BhagwantMann (@BhagwantMann) urged Centre to start more international fights from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Chandigarh to facilitate the Punjabi diaspora across the globe. pic.twitter.com/eFADgXukku IANS (@ians_india) September 28, 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.)
New Delhi, Sep 28: The Indian cyber agency CERT-In on Wednesday warned WhatsApp users of multiple bugs which could be exploited by a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system.

In an advisory, CERT-In, under the IT Ministry, described two remote code execution vulnerabilities in Meta-owned WhatsApp in both Android and iOS versions.

The first vulnerability exists in WhatsApp due to integer overflow. Apple Removes Russias Social Network VK From Its App Store Globally.

"A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute remote code in an established video call," warned the cyber agency.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system, said CERT-In. World Rabies Day 2022: Vaccination Drive Launched for Stray Dogs in Delhi-NCR.

Hackers can also exploit a second vulnerability in WhatsApp by sending a specially-crafted video file that can put users' information at risk.

CERT-In advised WhatsApp users to install latest security updates.

WhatsApp has nearly 500 million users in the country, according the third-party reports.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 28, 2022 07:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
The Aztec Empire previously ruled a vast swathe of land, which is now modern Mexico. Five hundred years after the Spanish conquered them, several aspects of the once-mighty empire still exist in Mexico. It is even felt in the capital of Mexico City, which was built on top of the ruined former Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.

Last year, Mexican authorities even commemorated the 500th anniversary of the "fall" of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan to the Spaniards. The battle was one of the most important battles in world history, where Spaniards and their indigenous Tlaxcala allies managed to conquer what was the world's largest and most impressive capital at that time.

READ NEXT: Mexican Food: Top 5 Taco Varieties You Have to Try in Mexico

Aztec Culture in Mexico Still Alive in What Was Once Tenochtitlan

During the 500th anniversary of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan's fall to the conquistadors and their indigenous allies, traditional healers and dancers resplendent in feather headdresses and body paint performed ancient rites in Mexico City.

One of them, Sergio Segura Octocayohua, told France 24 that he and others like him strived to preserve Aztec culture and even had their own celebrations to honor the "heroic defense" of the city.

During a break from overseeing healing rituals in the capital's historic district, Sergio Segura Octocayohua said the Aztec identity, philosophy, and history live on despite being distorted. He noted that they no longer fight with weapons but with words, identity, and dance.

The Aztec commemoration drew in tourists who watched musical performances using traditional drum huehuetl and enjoyed traditional street food. There were plenty of dancing and purification rituals, which they did on the site of the ancient Aztec capital.

Aztec food is also being served, with popular Mexican foods like Guacamole, tamales, and tortillas owing their origins to the Aztecs. Many Mexican street foods being enjoyed today are also of Aztec origin. Some of its ingredients, such as chocolate, corn, tomatillos, and various chilis, were already introduced to Europeans.

The Fall of the Aztec Empire and the Rise of Modern Mexico

When the infamous conquistador Hernan Cortes landed in what is now the city of Vera Cruz, the fate of the Aztec Empire was sealed.

With the aid of some natives, many of whom resented the Aztecs for their brutal human sacrifices and raids into their villages, the Spaniards overpowered many of their opponents with the use of modern weaponry and something the Aztecs never expected, cavalry and war dogs.

According to National Geographic, Emperor Moctezuma initially welcomed Cortes and the conquistadores simply because he thought Cortes was actually an incarnation of the serpent god, Quetzalcoatl.

However, mistrust and lack of understanding between the two sides prompted conflict, which led the Spaniards and their Tlaxcala allies to besiege the Aztec Capital, raising temples to the ground and building Mexico City from its ashes. And as they say, the rest is history.

Many of the former Capital's ruins can still be found around Mexico City, with some Aztec ruins being found dotted around the rest of the country.

READ MORE: Mexico: 5 Underrated Mexican Food That Are Not Tacos

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Fall of Tenochtitlan (1521) - Spanish-Aztec War DOCUMENTARY - From Kings and Generals
A Maryland couple has pleaded guilty after trying to sell top secret information about Virginia-class nuclear submarine's nuclear reactor to a foreign country, which was later identified as Brazil.

The couple in question, Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, seems like a typical suburban couple from Annapolis, Maryland. However, the Toebbes may have committed espionage.

This is the second time the couple pleaded guilty to their crime, as a judge threw out their previous plea agreements last month because their sentences were too low. According to the Baltimore Sun, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Trumble stated that the lower sentences for both suspects were "not in the best interest" of the country and therefore threw out the plea agreement.

As for the country they tried to send the information to, it was not identified in court papers. However, a source familiar with the case told ABC News that it was Brazil.

Toebbes Captured After Mistaking Undercover FBI Agent for Foreign Representative

Meanwhile, Jonathan Toebbe admitted to sending a package to a foreign government. It contained a sample of restricted data, as well as instructions to buy additional restricted data.

Court documents revealed that Jonathan was corresponding to a person he believed to be a representative of a foreign government. However, it turned out he was transacting with an undercover FBI agent. That agent initially sent $10,000 in cryptocurrency to Jonathan as a "good faith" payment in June 2021.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Advisor on Trial for 'Espionage Lite,' Allegedly Trying to Influence Ex-President on Behalf of UAE

The communication between the FBI agents acting undercover and the Toebbes lasted for over a year. This culminated in the couple traveling to West Virginia to do a Dead Drop by placing an SD Card with information about the submarine's nuclear reactor inside a sandwich and leaving it for the FBI agents to pick up.

After receiving an additional $20,000 in cryptocurrency from the undercover FBI agents, Jonathan Toebbe sent them a decryption key for the SD card. Upon inspection, the FBI agents found restricted information about Virginia-class submarines inside.

The couple was then arrested last October, with both pleading guilty to their crimes.

Who Are the Toebbes and Why Did They Have Access to Nuclear Information?

Diana Toebbe, 46, was a private school teacher in Maryland. However, she will forever be remembered as a spy who tried to sell secrets to Brazil when she was arrested with her husband, Jonathan Toebbe, 43.

According to NPR, Jonathan was a former U.S. Navy engineer who had access to top-secret government information. He repeatedly sold details about the design elements and performance characteristics of Virginia-class submarines to foreign agents. Upon his arrest, the government managed to recover classified documents from him.

When the FBI raided their Maryland home, they found a trash bag of shredded documents, thousands of dollars in cash, and valid children's passports. They also found a "go-bag" containing a USB flash drive and latex gloves.

READ NEXT: Mar-a-Lago Search Warrant Unsealed: Donald Trump May Have Violated Espionage Act, Committed Felonies

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Diana Toebbe Changes Plea To Guilty In Espionage Case - WJZ
The leader of an extremist ultra-orthodox Jewish sect known as Lev Tahor was arrested by state and federal officials in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. The sect leader was identified as Menachem Endel Alter of Jerusalem. He is accused of organized crime and human trafficking.

Endel Alter was arrested near the Mexico-Guatemala border, inside the Lev Tahor group's jungle compound, in an operation led by the Mexican Attorney General's Office. The Associated Press also reported that an unspecified number of women and children were removed from the compound.

BBC reported that a three-year-old child removed from the compound was already flown to Israel.

Extremist Jewish Sect Members Claim Detentions are Illegal

Endel Alter's brother, Moshe Alter, arrived in the area where the sect members were held to deliver food. It was reported that the Mexican government was holding around two dozen women and children at a shelter. Moshe Alter told the media that authorities had taken away a 3-month-old baby, with the mother currently staying at the shelter.

Young women wearing long, flowing white hooded robes also appeared at the shelter gate to protest the detentions. They shouted at officials and banged on the perimeter walls. One of them, Nissan Malka, talked to the Associated Press and claimed that the people inside were "illegally detained."

Moshe Alter also stated that a second man was arrested, and he was identified by the community as Moshe Joseph Rosner/ He also stated that the Lev Tahor group was under scrutiny from various governments because of "political-religious conflict with former members of Lev Tahor who are trying to dismantle it."

Several of those arrested were not just Mexican citizens but also Israeli nationals. There were also others who held dual citizenship with various countries, including Canada, the United States, and Guatemala.

A total of 26 sect members were found in the compound. Several leaders have been detained on suspicion of child abuse. The attorney general's Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime (Femdo) is investigating them.

READ NEXT: Florida Vegan Mom Gets Life in Prison for Starving Toddler Son to Death

What Is the Extremist Jewish Sect Known as Lev Tahor?

Lev Tahor, which means Pure Heart in Hebrew, is a Jewish sect known for its extremist practices, as well as imposing a strict regime on members. The sect is so infamous that it has earned the nickname the "Jewish Taliban."

The group advocates child marriages and also inflicts harsh punishments for minor transgressions. Like the Taliban, where it gets its nickname, it also requires women and girls, many of whom are as young as three-years-old, to completely cover themselves up with robes. Many have pointed out the similarities in the sect's beliefs with the Taliban.

The group is not just in legal trouble in Mexico but also in the United States and its home country of Israel. Israel's foreign ministry has said that members of the group are suspected of "human trafficking and serious sexual offenses, including rape."

In the United States, two of the sect's leaders were convicted of kidnapping and child sexual exploitation crimes. Their crimes involved kidnapping two children from their mother and returning a 14-year-old girl to an illegal sexual relationship with an adult male.

According to Haaretz, they were originally located in Canada but relocated to Guatemala following the allegations of child abuse. The group is also known to shun technology, much like the Amish people in the United States.

READ MORE: Louisiana Mom Stabs Her 2 Kids, Kills 4-Year-Old Daughter Before She Does Instagram Live Covered in Blood

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Full Episode: Lev Tahor - Crime Beat TV
Hurricane Ian has been seen in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico as of late Tuesday morning, according to a National Hurricane Center advisory.

CNN News reported that Ian's winds have decreased only slightly after its trip across western Cuba. However, it keeps the storm at Category 3. The hurricane is expected to gain strength again later today and become a Category 4 before the day ends.

The Hurricane Center said in its forecast that Ian is expected to approach the west coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday and Wednesday night.

There is a projected highest surge, expected to be eight to 12 feet, which would occur south of Tampa Bay and north of Bonita Beach. It includes Charlotte Harbor and the cities of Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda.

The center added that its forecast on Ian is that it is seen to be an "extremely dangerous major hurricane."

Several Florida counties have expanded their mandatory evacuation order such as Hillsborough County and Manatee County.

Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said that those along the coast and prone to flooding should take the storm seriously and evacuate. Hopes said that it is a "worst-case scenario."

READ NEXT: Florida Hotels Offer 'Distress Rates' as Hurricane Ian Nears the State and Strengthens to Category 3 Storm

Hurricane Ian Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that he had a call with U.S. President Joe Biden after the media briefing on Hurricane Ian. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed the call between the governor and the president in a tweet.

In addition, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell had been in communication with Florida's governor.

In preparation for the hurricane, the Seminole County government said in a statement that toll services have been suspended in central Florida.

More than 2.5 million residents are under evacuation orders or had been advised to evacuate due to dangerous storm surges, flooding, and strong winds, according to The New York Times report.

A spokesman with the Jacksonville Aviation Authority, Greg Willis, said that Jacksonville International Airport intends to remain open as long as airlines are still flying.

Hurricane Ian Landfall in Cuba

In Cuba, the entire island has been reported without any electricity after a collapse of the power grid, as announced by the Ministry of Mines and Energy. Officials are working to restore power through Tuesday evening and Wednesday.

Associated Press News noted that Ian had made landfall in Cuba's Pinar del Rio province, wherein officials had established more than 55 shelters and evacuated 50,000 people.

Cuba suffered a "significant wind and storm surge impact" due to Ian, according to the U.S. hurricane center.

Cuba's capital was not all spared with Havana's residents expressing worry about flooding and workers unclogging storm drains/

Havana's El Fanguito, which is a poor neighborhood near the Almendares River, had residents living there packed up whatever they could, as reported by The Guardian.

The slow movement of the storm over the Gulf allows it to gain strength and grow wide before going to Florida's west coast.

READ MORE: Tropical Storm Ian Path: Strength, Current Location, and When It Will Hit Florida, Revealed

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Hurricane Ian LIVE | Storm Surge, Catastrophic Winds & Flooding Expected in Florida - from ABC Action News


With the midterm elections happening in a few weeks, social media companies are now going after foreign-run websites believed to be trying to influence local elections.

Meta, the parent company for Facebook and Instagram, revealed that they have uncovered several fake accounts being run from Russia and China that are posting on both sides of the political spectrum to influence the voters.

A Meta spokesperson told CNN that the company has already shared details of the Chinese accounts with the FBI. This was the first time that the company targeted accounts run from China. However, the Russian influence campaign was vast.

According to Meta's official statement, they took down two unconnected networks in China and Russia for violating their policy against coordinated inauthentic behavior.

CNN has reached out to other companies like YouTube and Twitter. A Twitter spokesperson told them that they are also investigating the information referenced in Meta's report and are taking enforcement actions on accounts that violate the Twitter Rules.

READ MORE: TikTok Spreading Misinformation? New Report Says Their Search Engine Shows Fake News

China's Efforts to Divide Americans Further Using Social Media

Meta stated that the pages of Chinese origin ran across multiple social media platforms. The first one targeted U.S. domestic politics ahead of the 2022 midterms, while another aimed to stir the Czech Republic's foreign policy toward China.

"They were running fake accounts that pretended to be Americans and try to talk like Americans and they were talking about really divisive domestic issues like abortion and gun control," Meta global threat intelligence lead told CNN in an interview.

Meta also revealed that the Chinese-run accounts stuck to a pattern that coincided with a nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday work schedule during working hours in China.

The company did admit that these Chinese sites were still a small operation and have not been able to build a meaningful audience yet. However, with social media, their posts can be shared rapidly and become viral at any moment, which is what makes them dangerous.

Russian Efforts Included Fake Versions of Legitimate News Websites Like The Guardian

While the Chinese operation was relatively small, the network of Russian accounts was complex. Meta even described it as the "largest and most complex Russian operation" they have disrupted since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

The company managed to uncover a network of over 6 websites, all impersonating legitimate news organizations, and have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Telegram, Twitter, and other sites. This included over 2,000 Facebook accounts and pages, and all were trying to push pro-Kremlin narratives about the war in Ukraine.

One of the websites that these fake accounts were mimicking is the legitimate news website, The Guardian. Their report stated that the websites were designed to mimic real Western news outlets, including themselves.

These mimic websites posted fake news, including the fake version of The Guardian, which posted an article accusing Ukraine of murdering civilians during the Russian occupation of Bucha. However, Meta noted that the mimicry was not perfect, but showed an investment to make the sites appear perfect.

READ MORE: Twitter Whistleblower To Testify About Social Media's Cybersecurity Concerns in Congress

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Meta says they shut down 'covert' Russian and Chinese Facebook accounts - CNN
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children, Archie and Lilibet, remain without any royal titles. However, this could change in one condition.

SheFinds reported that royal expert claims that the royal titles could be given to the Sussex children if the "book goes away."

The palace insider noted that trust will be "permanently damaged" if the mentioned memoir is published, adding that Prince Harry will never be "welcomed into the new King's inner circle."

The insider then said that the choice is apparent whether Harry chooses his family or $20 million, adding that it is the price of "being welcomed back into the fold."

Royal expert Katie Nicholl also cited the memoir on the recent episode of True Royalty TV's "The Royal Beat," wherein she said the titles changes depending on whether the royal family has trust in the Sussex family.

Nicholl said King Charles III is willing to give the royal titles to Archie and Lilibet. However, it comes with a caveat, which is trust.

READ NEXT: Prince Andrew Tried to Block King Charles III Succession and Asked Queen Elizabeth to Make Prince William Monarch: New Book

Prince Harry Altering Memoir After Queen's Death

Another royal expert noted an In Style report that Harry is doing some last-minute alterations in his book.

Kinsey Schofield said that Harry is afraid that he will come off as insensitive and afraid that there will be a backlash if he was to release some of his stories after the Queen's death.

Schofield added that they were told that Harry was trying to get some items removed, and working around some of the stories he told in his book.

However, the royal expert said that it could be way too far past the deadline if Harry were to make those changes.

Aside from Harry's memoir, there are also edits being made to Markle's upcoming podcast interviews to ensure that nothing insensitive or insulting is released towards the royal family.

Prince Harry Memoir

In July 2021, it was first reported that Harry was writing a memoir, which he described as "accurate and wholly truthful."

It was scheduled to be released in fall 2022, but there are speculations that the publication date may be postponed to 2023.

Random House said in a press release reported in TODAY that Harry will share for the "very first time" the definitive experiences and life lessons that have formed him.

The announcement of the said memoir came six months after he and Markle stepped away from their senior royals' duties and decided to move to California.

Harry's memoir has made headlines, with many questions if it may have contributed to tension between him and his brother, Prince William.

Author and royal commentator said that Harry's memoir will show a "particular agony for Charles."

Brown predicted that the memoir will show Harry's relationship with his mother, Princess Diana, including her death in 1997.

Random House noted that the memoir of the Duke of Sussex will cover his childhood and fatherhood.

READ MORE: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Opt Not to Hold Daughter Lilibet's Christening in the U.K. As It's Likely to Be in California: Royal Sources

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Prince Harry is desperate to rewrite memoir - from TalkTV


The Justice Department has filed a revised inventory of Mar-a-Lago documents seized in former President Donald Trump's Florida residence.

Trump had claimed without proof that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) planted evidence when it searched his mansion. NBC News reported that aside from the revised inventory of seized items, the Justice Department also declared the accuracy of the new list.

The court-appointed special master in the case, Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Dearie of New York, had ordered the Department of Justice to file a declaration of all non-classified items to Trump's lawyers.

The list will be part of Dearie's review of documents that FBI agents seized from the Mar-a-Lago estate on August 8. The differences made in the list were mostly the quantity of non-classified government documents and Trump's collection of magazine and newspaper articles.

A federal appeals court earlier ordered that the classified documents should not be included in the special master's review. A total of 55 items were added to the updated list. The Justice Department said more than 11,000 government-owned documents and photographs were removed from the Mar-a-Lago estate.

READ NEXT: Liz Cheney Vows to Do 'Whatever It Takes to Stop Donald Trump's 2024 Nomination; Says She 'Won't Be a Republican' if It Happens

Justice Department Updated List of Mar-a-Lago Documents

The FBI submitted the first version of the inventory list several weeks ago. The agency noted that it filtered out potentially privileged items in the updated version, according to The Guardian.

In the affidavit, an FBI agent wrote that he was unaware of any documents or materials confiscated from the Mar-a-Lago mansion that did not reflect in the Revised Detailed Property Inventory "other than materials that the Privilege Review Team has not provided to the Case Team."

The unnamed agent added that the changes between the initial and recent lists were "minor." Dearies had gave Donald Trump's lawyers until Friday to provide evidence to back up the claims that the agency was "incorrectly describing" any materials.

Dearie added that the submission of the supporting evidence would be the "plaintiff's final opportunity to raise any factual dispute" regarding the completeness and accuracy of the inventory.

Donald Trump on Mar-a-Lago Documents

Donald Trump also claimed that his powers when he was president were broad, saying he could declassify virtually a document by simply "thinking about it."

According to The New York Times, Trump made this new argument when he defended his decision to keep government documents in his Florida home during an interview with Fox host Sean Hannity last week.

A three-judge appellate panel of the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit had brushed aside the claims that Trump had declassified 100 highly classified documents found in Mar-a-Lago.

The court wrote that there was "no evidence that any of these records were declassified." The court added that declassifying an official document would not alone make it personal or a possession someone could hold onto after leaving office.

Justice Department had obtained a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago and listed the basis of the investigation with three other laws, which include the Espionage Act and obstruction.

Donald Trump has continued to publicly claim that he had declassified everything the FBI seized from his Mar-a-Lago residence.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Admits He Didn't Win Presidential Election 2020 During Interview With Presidential Historians

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Appeals Court: DOJ Can Resume Criminal Probe of Classified Documents Seized From Mar-a-Lago - From CBS News
A California teen and her fugitive dad accused of murdering the teen's mom were both killed during a shootout with police on Tuesday.

Sheriff Shannon Dicus of San Bernardino County said 15-year-old Savannah Graziano was wearing tactical gear when she ran toward sheriff's deputies during the shootout on the 15 Freeway in Hesperia.

However, it is not clear whether the bullet that killed the California teen was from her father or the deputies. The Associate Press reported that she was brought to a hospital but died shortly before noon. Her 45-year-old father, Anthony John Graziano, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Sgt. Chris Surgent of the Fontana Police Department, Graziano allegedly killed 45-year-old Tracy Martinez, the teen's mom, during a domestic violence event near a Fontana elementary school on Monday morning. The couple's family told the investigators that they were getting a divorce.

READ NEXT: Mexico Police Kill 13 in Deadly Shootout with Gang Members

Fugitive Dad Kidnapped His California Teen Daughter

The Fontana Police Department sent out an Amber Alert after Anthony John Graziano drove off in a white 2017 Nissan Frontier with his daughter.

Graziano was said to be dangerous and carried a gun. A call to the sheriff's office on Tuesday morning said the vehicle described in the Amber Alert had been found. The call noted that the car was in Barstow and heading the freeways - southbound.

As the deputies got closer to the car at the Main Street exit in Hesperia, a shootout broke out between the police and the suspect. Witnesses to the shooting said they heard a lot of gunfire, ABC 7 reported.

Deputies had been chasing the older Graziano's pickup truck when shots were fired, "shooting back at the deputies" through the rear window.

The vehicle broke down on the shoulder of a highway in Hesperia, leading to the firefight. Dicus said the teen was in tactical gear as she ran toward the deputies after getting out of the passenger side of a truck.

Dicus noted that the deputies did not know it was the girl at first as she was wearing a military-style vest with armored plates and a helmet. The California teen was shot before her father was also killed in the shootout.

California Investigators Revealed a Shocking Twist at the Shootout

While the detectives found only one weapon in Anthony John Graziano's truck, they said it was possible that his daughter was also firing.

"There may be some information that the passenger was involved in firing back at the deputies and we're still trying to confirm that at this point," Dicus noted.

He went on to say that the information given on Tuesday was preliminary and that coroner's investigators still needed to confirm the identities of both people who died in the gunfight.

Dicus said the investigation is "complex," and that his department will look at any videos that may have been captured during the chaos.

The California Highway Patrol noted that all lanes of the 15 Freeway at Bear Valley Road were closed and that drivers were being directed to other roads because of the ongoing police activity. Officials said the roads will be closed for several hours.

The California Highway Patrol noted that the Amber Alert had been deactivated following Savannah's death.

READ MORE: NASA DART Successfully Crashes into an Asteroid | Here's Why This Mission is Important

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Savanna Graziano: California Amber Alert Teen Dies in San Bernardino County Shootout- From FOX 11 Los Angeles
Ukraine's seaports ship more than 5 mln tons of foodstuffs under grain deal

Xinhua) 10:35, September 28, 2022

KIEV, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's Black Sea ports shipped 5.29 million tons of foodstuffs under a key grain deal signed in July, the country's Infrastructure Ministry said Tuesday.

A total of 231 vessels have left the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny since Aug. 1, the ministry said on Facebook.

On Tuesday alone, nine ships carrying 345,000 tons of foodstuffs departed from the ports in Ukraine to countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, it said.

Separately, Taras Kachka, Ukraine's trade representative and deputy minister of economic development, trade and agriculture, wrote on Facebook that the country's exports via the seaports surpassed 4 million tons in September, its highest level since March.

On July 22, Ukraine and Russia separately signed a deal with Turkiye and the United Nations in Istanbul to resume food and fertilizer shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Laois headquartered oil firm Emo Oil is being rebranded with sister companies in the fuel business.

DCC Oil Ireland has announced that it has rebranded to Certa Ireland with all its consumer-facing brands to adopt the brand, Certa.

A statement said the new branding represents the growth of the company over the past three decades and will see each of its six consumer brands, Emo, Campus Oil, Jones Oil, Certa, CC Lubricants and Source Lubricants fall under the same umbrella brand.

All its operations in Laois be repurposed with the new brand name in the coming weeks. Campus and Jones Oil are also located in Laois but Emo Oil's has a significant presence in Clonminam Industrial Estate.

A statement says it expected that the consolidated brand will provide an opportunity to deliver enhanced commercial performance through improved pricing power, a stronger distribution model, and a broadening of its customer base.

In addition, the centralised customer service will deliver a personal touch that also allows Tesco Clubcard holders to be awarded points on both home heating and fuel at the forecourts.

Andrew Graham is MD Certa Ireland: Today is a very exciting day in the next step in the evolution of our business as we bring our 332 colleagues and 6 brands under the same umbrella. While the Certa brand is now nationwide, we look forward to continuing to engage with our customers locally and provide them with a more seamless service than ever before.

Were very much looking forward to continuing and growing our presence in the OMoore county for years to come, it said.

Emo Oil was named after the historic village of Emo between Portlaoise and Portarlington by one of the founders of the business.
The Government has failed to adequately support low and middle income workers and renters in Budget 2023, a local TD has claimed.

Deputy Brian Stanley has criticised the government for not freezing rents and claimed landlords will use a Budget tax break to hike rents.

Failure to introduce a rent freeze ensures that renters will continue to face financial uncertainty going forward as landlords will use the tax credit to hike rents. Sinn Fein has long advocated for renters to receive a one months tax credit but this must be accompanied with a rent freeze, he stated.

Deputy Stanley said the budget provides for no additional social and affordable homes to purchase. The provision of these units are essential components for resolving the housing crisis. Instead, the Government has written another blank cheque to landlords through an increase of 97 Million in rent subsidies. Rent supports should only be a short-term measure.

Describing the minimum wage increase of 80 cent for low paid workers as derisory, he called for a 1.40 increase in order to reach a living wage by the end of 2023.

He said: The Government's income tax changes also fail to benefit lower income workers. According to the CSO, the medium wage in Ireland is 36,095 meaning that less than 50% of workers will receive no benefit from the higher tax threshold moving from 36,800 to 40,000. Sinn Fein would have reduced USC and tapered it so low- and middle-income workers benefited the most.

According to Deputy Stanley, the budget does nothing to deal with the root cause of the energy price crisis. Instead, the Government is writing a blank cheque. The energy credits for households will again be pocketed by the energy companies. Sinn Fein wanted to cap energy prices and introduce a windfall tax to ensure that energy companies would be financially penalised for price gouging.

He said workers and families face a further increase in the carbon tax this October, yet the Government's retrofit plans do not prioritise low- and middle-income households. Sinn Fein has proposed a number of targeted retrofit schemes that would prioritise regions like the Midlands that are dependent on solid fuel and also a tiered scheme based on household income. The Government has also continued its scheme to subsidise the purchase of expensive Electric Vehicles such as SUVs and land rovers mainly in urban areas like South Dublin which have adequate public transport.

In Health, Sinn Fein welcomes the Governments decision to adopt our long-advocated proposal to expand the GP visit card. But there are no targets to address the crisis in our hospital system. There are no figures for additional critical care beds in the budget despite Ireland being well below the EU average. Sinn Feins alternative budget commits to rapidly expanding our hospital capacity with 500 extra beds plus 37 additional ICU beds, said Deputy Stanley.

Despite committing large amounts of public money, this Government failed to put it where it's most needed, he argued.
Laois councillors are calling for new houses to be allowed to include chimneys and burn solid fuel.

Given the rising cost of electricity and the oil and gas crises, homeowners must be allowed to light a fire to keep warm cheaply, says Cllr Willie Aird.

His motion tabled to the September meeting of Laois County Council, a day before the Government's budget, got the backing of colleagues.

Cllr Aird proposed that the council request Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan to allow chimneys in all new homes.

Many new houses are built without chimneys to reach the high BER energy ratings demanded by planning rules. He wants an option for hard pressed Laois people.

"We do talk about all this turf cutting and burning wood to stop but I don't believe it will happen. We are all buying smokeless coal and timber. Gas has gone through the roof, what is going to happen? You will never be cold if you have a fireplace. All you have to do is buy a bag of turf or wood and you're warm for the night. If you don't have a gas card, who do you turn to? The Vincent de Paul and other than that you're cold for the night

"I think it's all completely wrong. years ago people would be hungry but they always had a fire. I notice lights turned off now in houses at night. I can see it. Itt's like we are going back to the 50s.

I know people out there who will be in dire straits this winter. They are talking about more hikes in electricity and gas. If they had another form of heating at least they could switch," he said.

Cllr PJ Kelly, who sells fuel, supported his motion.

"Some older people do their cooking on solid fuel. They are actually turning off applicances now to save," he said.

Cllr Barry Walsh who does BER energy rating surveys on houses, partly disagreed.

"Nowhere is it written that you can't have a fireplace. But there are energy calculators and if you do, you have to put in 20 solar panels. I have one just for effect, I rarely light it," he said.

He added that houses should be insulated properly to save energy, and grants for that have risen to 50%.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley said she has no chimney in her modern warm house but still blasted the Minister for the Environment, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan for his policies.

"He thinks we all live in Dublin and we can go on our trendy bicycles to the LUAS. This area is classified as being dependent on solid fuel. The transition period from peat was meant to take place over ten years and it happened in two.

"I grew up in O'Moore Place and we had a Stanley cooker that had heating, hot water and the kettle on all the time with a little bucket of turf. It's 50,000 to retrofit your house. We will end up with estates where half the houses will be deep retrofitted and the others won't be because they are privately owned and those people will never have the money to bring them up to a B rating. A bale of briquettes is nearly 7. Where are you going removing all of that with no alternative?" she said.

Cllr Seamus McDonald said that solid fuel is the cheapest way to heat a house, while Cllr Padraig Fleming praised stoves.

"You can get a stove that fits into a chimney and if you put timber in and the controls are right, it will still be burning that evening and the house warm. It's essential, it's a cheap fuel," he said.

Cllr Ollie Clooney complained that there is no plan B after turf burning is "done away with".

"We have moved too fast. All the timber in forests uncut and people are cold in bed. Beech trees are lying idle. Shame on them they don't realise about the working man," he said.
Laois Chamber in collaboration with ND Audit and Advisory, Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors with offices in Portlaoise and Dublin, held a Budget 2023 Breakfast Briefing on Wednesday morning.

The event took place in Mulhalls Restaurant, with a great attendance from business owners across all sectors.

Presenting at the Budget Briefing, Noel Delaney of ND Audit and Advisory which was established in 2021, welcomed the participation of Minister Sean Fleming, Minister of State at the Department of Finance dealing with Insurance, Credit Unions and International Financial Services.

Noel Delaney noted that not only did Minister Fleming understand the local business community, being a TD for Laois-Offaly, but his background in finance added particular weight to his summary of the Budget and the budgetary process.

Addressing the large crowd, Noel Delaney continued by stating how important it was to have the budget breakfast as a face to face meeting again and thanked Laois Chamber for facilitating the event.

Minister Fleming provided a broad overview of Budget 2023 to attendees along with an update on insurance reform. This was followed by an in depth briefing and presentations from Lynda Heavey and Niall Dempsey of ND Tax, who provided important analyses about how the changes announced will impact businesses and employees.

Speaking following the event, Laois Chamber CEO, Caroline Hofman, said, Mulhalls Restaurant provided the ideal setting for the Budget 2023 Breakfast Briefing, and we would like to thank our members and the wider business community in Laois for attending and supporting this event.

"Whilst we held a Budget Briefing last year, unfortunately this had to be held virtually due to Covid-19 so it is fantastic to have emerged from the pandemic and to be able to have this event in person. I would like to thank Noel, Shane and all the team at ND Audit and Advisory for collaborating with us and being part of this important event on the Laois Chamber calendar.

"Minister Sean Fleming provided an important overview of the Budget, as well as an update on his commitment regarding insurance reform and the work that is being done through the Department of Finance.

"We were also delighted to have the expertise of Lynda and Niall to hand, with excellent presentations about the key aspects of Budget 2023. They provided everyone in attendance with an informative and in-depth analysis of how the changes announced will affect businesses and employees, along with technical details. There was plenty of engagement from the audience during the question and answers session also.

All proceeds raised from the event will be donated to Laois Domestic Abuse Service.
Laois had the lowest number of IDA supported jobs in the entire country last year, figures released by Tanaiste Leo Varadkar reveal.

The figures show Laois significantly behind every other counties in Ireland when it comes to jobs supported by the IDA in 2021.

Details of the IDA supported jobs were released in table form by Tanaiste Leo Varadkar in a written response to a parliamentary question by Deputy Louise OReilly on Tuesday.

She had asked the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs per county in IDA Ireland-sponsored companies in tabular form.

In response Minister Varadkar said in the first half of 2022, IDA Ireland, the inward investment agency of the Irish Government reported significant investment growth, returning FDI employment creation plans to above the pre-pandemic 2019 record levels, despite a continuing challenging global environment.

He noted 155 investments were won, with associated employment potential of over 18,000 jobs, up nine percent on the same time in 2021. 73 were new name investments.

According to the Tanaiste, the IDA Ireland has worked hard to create a welcoming environment for FDI in all parts of the country and the strong regional spread of jobs and investment to date demonstrates the government's commitment to regional development, with 73 of the 155 investments won being outside of Dublin. IDA Irelands objective is to see long-term sustainable jobs in every regional location in Ireland.

However, of all the beneficiaries in 2021 Laois came last with 157 IDA supported jobs. The figure was less than half the number of IDA supported jobs recorded in the second lowest county, Monaghan at 430 jobs. It represented less than an eighth of the number of jobs supported in neighbouring Co Offaly, where the figure stood at 1,302.

The Table below was supplied by the Tanaiste.

Notwithstanding the serious global challenges and uncertainties ahead, FDI is well placed to remain a vital contributor to Irelands prosperity and future success. IDA Ireland will continue to work to ensure Ireland remains an attractive location for investment in the years to come, said Minister Varadkar.
Virgin Atlantic is giving its crew the choice of what uniform to wear in an update to its gender identity policy.

The airline announced that its pilots, cabin crew and ground staff now have the option of wearing its red or burgundy uniform.

The carrier said it wants to champion the individuality of its workers by enabling them to wear clothing that expresses how they identify or present themselves.

Female Virgin Atlantic employees were previously required to wear a red uniform, while males wore burgundy.

The company said the change makes it the most inclusive airline in the skies.

Cabin crew member Jaime Forsstroem said: The updated gender identity policy is so important to me. As a non-binary person, it allows me to be myself at work and have the choice in what uniform I wear.

The airline said its existing trans inclusion policies include allowing time off work for medical treatments related to gender transition, a choice of changing and shower facilities that align with the gender a person identifies as, and co-creation of a personalised transitioning plan.

Virgin Atlantic is also introducing the option of including pronouns on workers name badges, and has updated its ticketing system to allow passport holders with gender neutral markers to use the title Mx and select gender codes U or X on their booking.

Mandatory inclusivity training will be rolled out across the workforce at the airline and Virgin Atlantic Holidays, while there will also be inclusivity learning initiatives for tourism partners and hotels in destinations such as the Caribbean.

This is to ensure all our customers feel welcomes despite barriers to LGBTQ+ equality, Virgin Atlantic said.

The measures are part of the airlines Be Yourself agenda.

Previous changes include dropping a requirement for female cabin crew to wear make-up, and scrapping a ban on visible tattoos for all cabin crew.

The airlines chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen said: At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are.

Thats why its so important that we enable our people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work.

It is for that reason that we want to allow our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify and ensure our customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns.
The Tanaiste has said the Government will reassess the countrys financial situation in the new year to see whether it needs to intervene again to help people.

But Leo Varadkar said he did not envisage a mini-budget being implemented.

He described the Budget unveiled on Tuesday as a dynamic response to a unpredictable and rapidly unfolding situation.

What does #Budget2023 mean for you? Here are some of the key measures in one thread For more see https://t.co/lCMOLUmLwP pic.twitter.com/XNykekwgqZ  MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) September 27, 2022

Ultimately this Budget is about helping people with the cost of living, reducing the amount of tax you pay, increasing welfare payments and pensions, more money in peoples pockets and reducing some costs that are very high in Ireland, like childcare or public transport or the cost of putting children through college, Mr Varadkar told RTEs Morning Ireland programme.

Its also very much about helping businesses with energy costs too.

The way it works is that the one-off payments fall between now and Christmas. The energy discounts are before and after Christmas and the increases in the weekly rates happen in the new year.

So essentially were frontloading the Budget so that people are getting more upfront. You then see permanent increases in payments, pensions, welfare and permanent decreases in income tax in the new year.

But we will have to see where we are in January, February.

He also said energy prices might fall by February but this was uncertain.

If prices continue to rise, we will have to look at it again in the new year and thats why weve put money in the tank. Weve set aside 2 billion voted into the Reserve Fund late last night. And we have other contingency funds as well.

So yes, we will have to look at the situation come January, February, see where we are in terms of the public finances, what the economy is looking like, and particularly what prices are looking like.

We do have some financial firepower to intervene again to help people in the new year if we have to. And we might not have to. It is a prudent approach for helping people most now when they need us.

There is more help in the new year with the energy credits and the tax deductions and increases and weekly welfare payments, but we have set aside some money in reserve in the tank in case we need to help again.

Mr Varadkar made the comments on Wednesday morning, less than 24 hours after Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath officially unveiled Budget 2023 in the Dail.

The Governments 11 billion euro budget package comprises 6.9 billion euro in budgetary measures for next year, as well as a 4.1 billion euro package of one-off measures to help tackle the rising cost of living for individuals, families and households.

In one of Irelands most significant budgets in years, the pressure has been on the coalition Government to get the balance right as bills for energy, fuel, groceries and housing soar.

Mr Donohoe said a windfall tax or surplus will be used to fund any further cost-of-living measures that may be needed to help people struggling to pay energy bills.

Among the major measures announced were three energy credits worth 200 euro each, a 500-euro tax credit for renters for this year and next year, and double social welfare payments in October.

All social welfare payments will also go up by 12 euro.

Lump sums of 500, 400, and 200 euro will be paid in November to those in receipt of the Working Family Payment, the Fuel Allowance and the Living Alone Allowance respectively.

A double payment of the 140-euro child benefit will also be issued in November. Childcare fees will decrease by 25% for centres registered under the National Childcare Scheme.

As part of further one-off measures, third-level student contribution fees will be cut by 1,000 euro, and a double monthly payment will be made to those who receive the third-level SUSI grant.

Main opposition party Sinn Fein said the Budget fell short of what was required, with finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty arguing that more should have been done to help the squeezed middle and those earning 35,000 euro or less.
There is now a willingness in the British Government to have a serious dialogue about solving problems caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol, Irish Foreign Affairs minister Simon Coveney has said.

Speaking following a meeting with new Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris at Hillsborough Castle, Co Down, Mr Coveney said the messages coming from London were quite different from those of recent months.

Mr Heaton-Harris said that he preferred a negotiated settlement with the EU over the post-Brexit arrangement, but added that the Government would continue with its legislation to override parts of the treaty.

The protocol, signed by former prime minister Boris Johnsons government, effectively keeps Northern Ireland aligned with many EU single market rules to avoid a hard border with Ireland, therefore requiring some checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea.

Devolution in the region has been in flux since February when the DUP withdrew its first minister from the governing executive in protest at the economic border created in the Irish Sea by the protocol.

The government has introduced legislation which effectively tears up parts of the agreement, sparking a row with the EU.

The meeting between the two figures came hours before former EU negotiator Michel Barnier told a gathering in Dublin that the bloc must not and will not back down.

During an address in Iveagh House, Mr Barnier said that Brexit also remained a challenge for Ireland, and a blow to the European Union project.

He said: The European Union must not and will not back down, and the protocol of Ireland and Northern Ireland must and has to be respected by the British government. This is international law.

European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic is due to have a conversation with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly later this week on the issue.

But ahead of that, Mr Coveney said his meeting with Mr Heaton-Harris had focused on rebuilding partnerships, stating the aftermath of Brexit had brought unnecessary tension.

Speaking about the Northern Ireland Protocol, he said: We know what the obstacles are, they have been there for too long.

There are new people effectively in the relationships now.

It is not a coincidence that the new Prime Minister (Liz Truss) has met President (Ursula) von der Leyen, President (Joe) Biden, the Taoiseach (Micheal Martin).

The conversations, from my understanding, have been positive in terms of trying to find a sensible way forward.

From an EU perspective, they dont want this issue to drag on.

The last thing the EU wants to be doing is taking the British Government to court.

He added: What the UK and EU have in common far outweighs what divides us.

The aftermath of Brexit and the protocol issue has been a source of unnecessary tension that we need to move beyond.

That puts the onus on us, what does that look like in terms of practical compromise?

We see the messages coming from London now as quite different from the messages we were getting some months ago.

We do believe there is a willingness now for an honest and open, serious dialogue about trying to put these issues to rest.

Mr Heaton-Harris said that the Governments protocol bill was continuing its passage through parliament.

He said: We want to negotiate a settlement here.

We want to negotiate with our European partners to find the solutions here.

But the bill will still go through its processes if that doesnt work.

The two ministers said they had also discussed how to restore the Stormont powersharing institutions and controversial government legislation on dealing with the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Mr Heaton-Harris said: Our joint top priority is doing everything we can to ensure an executive is re-established before an election has to be called.
A Newbridge-born priest who died in a car accident three years ago left behind hundreds of sermons on his personal computer.

Following the discovery, his family have now published his writings to honour his memory and share his reflections.

Fr. John Cummins (52) was parish priest of Abbeyleix and Ballyroan when the accident occurred. He had earlier served in Carlow town and Naas. He was hugely popular because of his gentle and witty personality. The highly accomplished priest was also an effective preacher.

After his death in 2019, his family discovered he had carefully retained many of his homilies from the previous twenty years on his computer.

His sister Maria and brothers Con and Gary are now publishing Fr. Johns sermons in a book My Life In Your Hands. The sermons accompany Sunday scriptures each week during the calendar year. Two more volumes may be issued to coincide with the three-year cycle of church readings.

Con remarked: John was very bright and had wonderful insights. He was a man of deep prayer and personal thought. This book will be his legacy and readers will be able to follow Johns reflections on a week-by-week basis.

Some holyday sermons are also included as well as an article by Fr. John marking his 25 years as a priest, and his funeral tribute to his father.

Kildare & Leighlin Bishop Denis Nulty said Fr. John always carefully prepared his sermons. He has left behind a trove of homilies ... he was a wonderful wordsmith.

His lifelong friend, Bishop Ger Nash of Ferns, recalled that Fr John loved the idea of the priest as the Interpreter of Life, helping people to make sense of their lives and to see the presence of God in its complexity.

Fr. John was originally from Newbridge where his parents Renee and Con owned a licensed premises on Main Street. The family were also involved in many local musical and dramatic productions.

Educated at Newbridge Patrician Brothers school, Maynooth and in Rome, Fr. John held a doctorate in Early Celtic Christianity and could speak six languages. Always modest about his achievements, he had a great sense of fun and once did a parachute jump to raise funds for charity.

Fr John spent four years in Naas after his ordination in 1991. Following his five- year studies in Rome, he became chaplain at I.T. Carlow in 2000. He then ministered in Carlow Cathedral for over a decade until 2017. He was only Parish Priest of Abbeyleix & Ballyroan for 18 months when the fatal accident occurred.

My life in Your Hands has over 170 pages and retails at 10. It will appeal to those with an interest in religion or spirituality and especially anyone who knew John. It is available at major bookshops and parish centres in Kildare, Carlow and Laois.
Photo above: Leona Doyle

Irish breast cancer patients and survivors are urging others to be aware of the warning signs of the disease.

The call comes as part of the 'Care for Your Pair' campaign, an early detection initiative which aims to get Ireland talking about breast health and the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

Leona Doyle (35) from Co. Tipperary had just finished breast-feeding her youngest daughter when she discovered a lump on her breast. Initially she thought it might be a swollen milk duct and wasnt alarmed.

She said, "It was around this time that the musician Sarah Harding had passed away from breast cancer. I remember reading how she had put off seeking medical attention when she found lumps, so I decided it would be best to get myself checked out by my GP.

"It was only after I had been referred on for mammogram and a biopsy that I was diagnosed with stage three invasive ductal breast cancer. I am so glad that I went to my GP that day."

Bernie Sherry (51) from Co. Monaghan was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2020 just as the pandemic got under way. She is happy she pushed to be seen by a medical professional despite disruptions to services.

She said, "I would like people, especially women, to be kinder to themselves and prioritise their health. I am a mother of two and farmers wife, I have a very busy lifestyle. Typically, I used be working hard most of the week and looking after everyone else but myself.

"When I was growing up, there wasnt the same emphasis on minding yourself. So I would say to trust your gut, if you notice anything unusual for you, get yourself checked out. You know your own body best.

Photo: Bernie Sherry

Sharon Greaves (55) from Co. Dublin is one of many people whose opportunity of receiving a prompt cancer diagnosis may have sadly slipped through the cracks during the pandemic. She had only recently become eligible for breast screening when Covid-related service disruptions hit in 2020.

On a visit with her GP, she was recommended to book herself in for a mammogram. Sharon was in the fortunate position of being able to source one privately, where the imaging picked up two tumours in her breast.

She said, "The first one was detected straight away, and they also caught a shadow which a follow-up MRI identified as another tumour. Im left to think that had I been called for screening it would have been caught earlier, and maybe they would have caught it with the first tumour which might only have required a smaller surgery.

Sharon went on to have a full mastectomy and breast reconstruction in October 2020 followed by further surgeries and hormone therapy.

Photo: Sharon Greaves

Caroline OSullivan, Cancer Nurse at the Irish Cancer Society said, "Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in Ireland. Over 3,500 women and approximately 35 men are diagnosed with it each year. It is vital therefore that everyone be breast aware. Thankfully most breast cancers are diagnosed at an earlier stage. The earlier you are diagnosed, the more treatment options are available to you, including surgery, radiotherapy, and drug therapies."

You can support the 'Care for Your Pair' campaign by hosting a Big Pink Breakfast or making a donation to fund vital breast cancer research and support services this October (visit cancer.ie/careforyourpair for more information).

All funds raised through Care for your Pair will go directly to support breast cancer patients like Leona, Bernie and Sharon, by providing crucial cancer services, such as the Irish Cancer Society Support Line, Volunteer Driver Service, Night Nursing Service and free counselling.

Changes in your breasts to be aware of, according to the Irish Cancer Society:

 A lump or thickening in your breast or armpit.

 A change in the size or shape of one breast.

 A change in the skin of your breast, like puckering or

 Dimpling (the skin may look like orange peel).

 A breast abscess (infected boil)  this may appear as a

 Red, tender area on your breast.

 A change in your nipple, like a pulled-in, sunken or

 Flattened nipple.

 An unusual discharge (liquid) from one or both of your nipples  the discharge may be blood-stained or watery.

 A change on or around the nipple, such as a rash or flaky or crusted skin.

 Swelling in your armpit or around your collarbone.

 Breast pain alone is not usually a sign of breast cancer.

These symptoms can be caused by other things, but always get them checked by your GP.

How can I check myself?

1.) Get to know whats normal for you  how your breasts look and feel.

2.) Know what to look out for, like lumps or other changes to the look and feel of your breast or nipple.

3.) Look for changes in the mirror and feel for changes, too. You could do this when you are in the shower, when putting on moisturiser or when lying down.

4.) Check all parts of your breast, your armpits and up to your collar bone.

5.) Discuss any changes with your GP  without delay

Check your breasts regularly. You have a better chance of cure and recovery if breast cancer is diagnosed early, before it has grown bigger or spread to other parts of the body. Learn what looks and feels normal for you and check your breasts every month. Talk to your GP if you notice anything unusual.

If you are concerned about breast cancer, call the Irish Cancer Societys Support Line on Freephone 1800 200 700. You can also find out more at www.cancer.ie.
Le Castellet, southeastern France, has had no drinking water since June 8 THEO GIACOMETTI/HANS LUCAS FOR LE MONDE

In 2021, according to data collected by Le Monde from regional health agencies (ARS), water agencies and local authorities, about 20% of people in metropolitan France  some 12 million  regularly or occasionally received water from their taps that did not comply with quality criteria. This figure was 5.9% in 2020, according to the health ministry.

While the figures reveal the extent of the contamination of water resources by pesticides and their degradation products, they also show severe flaws, persisting for many years, in the monitoring of drinking water.

Most of the data has been available to the Direction Generale de la Sante (DGS, which ensures that France's health policies are applied) for several months, but has not been aggregated for public release until now. The DGS declined our requests for an interview. Their official presentation, scheduled in the coming weeks, promises to be difficult: in a country where the rare deviations from drinking water quality standards each year are presented as marginal and harmless, the current situation is as alarming as it is unexpected.

The former director general of the ARS Nouvelle-Aquitaine Michel Laforcade, retired since 2020, believes that the health authorities have "failed" on the issue of pesticides and their degradation products, metabolites. "There is a lot of self-censorship in the administration, a kind of inability to look at reality," he said. "One day, we will have to be accountable. It may not be on the same scale as the contaminated blood affair but it could become the next public health scandal."

What happened? Why did non-compliant water reach less than 6% of the French population in 2020 and 20% the following year? This is not from any recent, sudden acceleration of pesticide use, but rather a "jolt of knowledge," as Mickael Derangeon, vice president of Atlantic'eau, the Loire-Atlantique water works company, put it.

Regional differences

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In 2021, responding to a December 2020 instruction from the DGS, regional health agencies began monitoring certain pesticide metabolites that had not previously been subject to testing. Pesticides fragment and recombine with elements in the environment, which results in a whole range of related chemicals. For each phytosanitary product in the market, there can be up to ten metabolites, some of which are considered "relevant" by the health authorities  potentially dangerous  and others "irrelevant."

Depending on their geology, dominant agricultural practices, and resources (surface or groundwater), differing parts of the country are affected to varying extents. Hauts-de-France is in the worst position, with 65% of the population affected by non-compliance. Brittany (43%), Grand-Est (25.5%), Pays de la Loire (25%), Bourgogne-Franche-Comte (17%) and Normandy (16%) follow among the most affected regions.

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Demonstration against the government, on Wenceslas Square, in Prague, Saturday, September 3, 2022. PETR DAVID JOSEK / AP

The scale of the demonstration was a shock in a country where support for Ukraine has been massive since the war began. On Saturday, September 3, 70,000 Czechs  according to the police  demonstrated in Wenceslas Square in the heart of Prague. Officially, they were protesting against the energy policy of the conservative government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala and rising energy prices. In reality, the rally was an opportunity to chant pro-Russian messages.

On the stage, the multiple organizers of the Czech Republic First movement, which includes various far-right groups, representatives of the local Communist Party, conspiracists and anti-vax activists, shouted slogans against the European Union (EU), NATO and the government's pro-Ukrainian policy. "The government may be Ukrainian, it may be Brussels, but it is certainly not Czech," proclaimed Zuzana Majerova Zahradnikova, the chairwoman of the small right-wing nationalist Tricolor party.

Read more Subscribers only The war in Ukraine weakens Eastern Europe's economies

This movement surprised observers and local politicians in the central European country, which has mobilized heavily to take in nearly 400,000 Ukrainian refugees and is a major supplier of arms to Kyiv. Mr. Fiala, who heads a strongly pro-Western coalition, attacked the organizers as a "Russian fifth column." "According to them, the solution to expensive energy is to leave NATO and the EU. They want to make us a vassal of Moscow again," he protested.

Change of atmosphere

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Along with the resignation of the government, one of the main demands of the demonstrators is indeed "to enter into direct gas supply contracts with Russia" and to ask for the return of Ukrainian refugees to their homes. Like most EU countries, the Czech Republic has seen its gas supplies plummet in recent months due to the policy of selective cuts by Russian supplier Gazprom. "Many of the demonstrators were not pro-Kremlin, but they are very worried about this winter," said Milos Gregor, a political scientist at Masaryk University in Brno. "The organizers, who are identified personalities from the extremist and pro-Russian scene, took advantage of this."

From denouncing Muslim migrants to anti-Covid measures to supporting Russia in the Ukrainian conflict, the main organizer, Ladislav Vrabel, "knows how to take on issues that divide society," said Mr. Gregor, who put his influence into perspective. "The majority of Czechs are still in favor of supporting Ukraine." But this time Ladislav Vrabel was joined by far-right political forces, as well as the Czech Communist Party, some of whose representatives still salute the crushing of the 1968 Prague Spring by the Soviet army. Most of these parties did not pass the threshold to be in parliament in 2021.

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Photo shared by the Danish Defense Command showing a gas leak at the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea off the Danish island of Bornholm on Sept. 27, 2022. HANDOUT / AFP

In an unprecedented event, the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, which link Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea and are intended to supply Europe with Russian gas, suffered at least two underwater explosions on Monday, September 26. The explosions caused three methane leaks off the Danish island of Bornholm, located between southern Sweden and Poland. Dramatic boils on the surface of the water, ranging from 200 meters to 1 kilometer in diameter, were spotted by the Danish military, which released aerial images of the disaster on Tuesday.

"These are deliberate actions, this is not an accident," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at a press conference called on September 27, adding that she was taking the incident "very seriously." Denmark has dispatched two military vessels, the frigate Absalon and the environmental protection vessel Gunnar Thorson, as well as several helicopters. Maritime traffic has also been banned in a five-nautical mile (about 9 kilometers) zone around the leaks, as well as aerial overflight below 1,000 meters altitude. On Tuesday afternoon, the Swedish police announced that they were opening a preliminary investigation for "aggravated sabotage."

According to the National Center for Seismology at Sweden's Uppsala University, two underwater explosions were detected by measuring devices on September 26, shortly before the gas leaks appeared on the surface. One of the detonations had a magnitude of 2.3 on the Richter scale and was recorded at as many as 30 measuring stations in southern Sweden. The depth of the sea at the level of the leaks  two are located in the Danish exclusive economic zone, one in the Swedish zone  is "70 to 90 meters," according to Danish Energy Minister Dan Jorgensen. The Norwegian seismic monitoring organization Norsar also recorded the two tremors.

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Kremlin says it is 'extremely concerned'

No conclusive explanation was given on Wednesday morning as to the origin of the explosions, but the theory of it being an accident has been ruled out by the authorities. While accidental ruptures of underwater telecommunications cables torn off by an anchor or a ship's trawl are not exceptional, this is implausible for a gas pipeline whose walls are made of 12 centimeters of concrete and steel, especially in case of simultaneous incidents. The size of the explosions  one of them had a power equivalent to 100 tons of TNT, according to seismologic readings  also leaves little doubt that the detonations were intentional.

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AN INTERNATIONAL conference was hosted by Limerick City and County Council in a bid for local authorities to address the biodiversity emergency that Ireland is facing.

In partnership with the National Biodiversity Data Centre Over, the conference took place in two days - attracting around 200 delegates to the Limerick Strand Hotel.

Initially supposed to be held in 2020, as part of Limericks designation as European Green Leaf city, the conference heard from a panel of experts about the decline of the countrys biodiversity.

As a result of the decline, almost a quarter of all species are threatened by extinction.

Examples of case studies in Europe were presented to showcase how concerted actions by local authorities can help with biodiversity issues to create a more diverse and healthy living environment.

Speakers highlighted the need for public bodies to take the challenge of biodiversity more seriously, as well as to incorporate biodiversity targets in all aspects of their work.

Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Francis Foley commented that there are so many examples of international, national, and local best practice that councils can draw on to deliver better outcomes for biodiversity.

By their very nature, local authorities are ideal organisations to champion the drive to improve our biodiversity and address the current biodiversity emergency. I am hugely encouraged by the enthusiasm for learning and action that already exists within professionals and communities to drive forward real change, Mr. Foley said.

Director of the National Biodiversity Data Centre, Dr Liam Lysaght, said: What the conference has done is highlight some of the wonderful initiatives and actions that are already happening in local areas, that span the spectrum from large scale state supported, to smaller community and more voluntary focussed initiatives. The conference looked at the success and lessons of some of these, and called on local authorities to adopt more of these initiatives locally with a view to greatly upscale efforts to address local biodiversity loss.

Malcolm Noonan, Minister for Heritage, highlighted the hugely important role that local authorities play in shaping policies and actions at the local level.

The emerging fourth National Biodiversity Action Plan will outline goals ambitions for local authorities in terms of biodiversity, and call for the appointment of Biodiversity Officers to support the process within each local authority.
MEMBERS of the public will get a chance to meet with Professor Luke ONeill when he visits Limerick later this Wednesday for a fireside chat.

The world-renowned immunologist from Trinity College Dublin is one of the best-known and trusted voices who came to prominence during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prof ONeill and Cathal Friel, a co-founder and Chairman of Poolbeg Pharma plc, will participate in the fireside chat at the Clayton Hotel, Limerick from 1pm.

Mr Friel is also a co-founder of the world-renowned infectious disease clinical trials company, Open Orphan plc.

During the event, which is free to attend, both experts will discuss and debate their views on what may be in store for individuals and businesses in Limerick and across Ireland during the winter months.

The pair will also discuss the likelihood of a surge in cases of Covid-19 and Influenza during November and December.

Following the fireside chat, there will be a Questions and Answers session and a presentation from Jeremy Skillington, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma plc on the work the company is doing.

Registration is open to the public and is free to attend on a first come, first served basis with links to book on Poolbeg Pharmas website
FOUNDING president of University of Limerick Dr Ed Walsh has presented a vital archive of his papers to the university.

These papers recount the history of setting up UL from the eyes of Dr Walsh.

Exactly 50 years to the day since then Taoiseach Jack Lynch performed the official opening of the National Institute of Higher Education (NIHE), ULs forerunner, Dr Walsh handed over the archive of work diaries from almost three decades at a ceremony on campus yesterday, Tuesday September 27.

The main component of the papers being presented to UL President Professor Kerstin Mey and the Glucksman Library on the campus comprises of 28 and a half years of Dr Walshs diaries.

The over 300 diaries recount significant events from the time of setting up the NIHE and UL.

Dr Walsh noted that he and current UL President Professor Kerstin Mey were due to speak at the ceremony precisely 50 years to the hour from the time the Taoiseach performed the official opening in 1972.

The exhibition launch of A University of Our Time: University of Limerick, 19722022, also took place yesterday which is a year-long public exhibition, one of the many events to mark the anniversary of the establishment of the University.

I used to have a diary in my wallet and when anything that I thought was of significance was

happening, good or bad, I wrote it down. In the early days I was very conscious that, if we

succeeded in what we were trying to do, it would be seen in hindsight as quite significant, Dr Walsh explained.

I am also giving two discs to the President, one that has a chronological sequence of

events for 28 and a half years, and the other is based on topics. People frequently contact me to ask are you sure about this or that, and I go to this database and I discover very often the answers, Dr Walsh added.

President Mey thanked Dr Walsh for the treasure trove of papers he was handing over and hailed the importance of his leadership for the foundation and establishment of the University" and the importance and excitement that he has handed his papers to UL.

The exhibition, curated by Dr Zara Power of ULs Department of History, is a wonderful immersion in the journey taken through the first steps of establishing our founding institution, Professor Mey said.
THE Dutch and German Ambassadors to Ireland have endorsed the proposition that the Shannon Estuary has the potential to generate renewable energy at a European Scale.

Ambassador Adriaan Palm (Netherlands) and Ambassador Cord Meier-Klodt (Germany) recently visited Foynes Port which will be a key enabler of the estuarys planned transformation into a global renewable energy hub over the coming decades.

The visit was at the invitation of Shannon Foynes Port Company, which has statutory jurisdiction over all marine activities on the Estuary.

The Shannon Estuary is earmarked as the supply-chain hub for realising Irelands enormous offshore wind opportunity off the west coast. That wind resource is estimated to be capable of generating up to 80GW of electricity  ten times our national requirement.

Both Germany and The Netherlands have ambitious wind energy and green fuels generation plans and believe that the Shannon Estuary and Ireland is also on a path to contributing significantly to Europes energy mix in the decades ahead, such is the scale of the opportunity here.

Following the visit, Ambassador Palm commented: The Netherlands, Ireland and, indeed, the EU through the REPowerEU programme, see wind and green fuels as key components in the mix for tackling climate change and energy security. Im delighted to have been able to come to Foynes to witness first-hand the potential here and it is enormous. It is at a scale that will impact way beyond domestic requirements but, I believe, can make a significant impact on the wider European energy mix.

Ambassador Meier-Klodt added: Based on what we have seen and heard here at Foynes, the opportunity is such that domestic requirements can be met from here but with significant additional capacity beyond that for a mix of opportunities, including electricity or green fuels exports into a market that wants it, Europe. That means Ireland has the opportunity to become a leading international renewable energy exporter. If it realises that opportunity, it will be good news for Ireland and good news for Europe in terms of climate change, energy security and the economy.

David McGarry, chairman of Shannon Foynes Port Company says he's delighted to have welcomed the two ambassadors.

"Their visit follows that of other high ranking political and official figures from across the EU as well as energy developers over recent months. There is growing awareness and consensus that the opportunity off the Shannon Estuary is enormous because of our proximity to what are among the best winds in the world here on the west coast, the deep water we have that is essential for building out turbines at the scale required to harvest these winds, the availability of port sites needed for this and more," he said.
LIMERICK'S Jim Kemmy was remembered at a commemorative event in the city last weekend.

To celebrate the life and legacy of Jim Kemmy, several events were organised from September 23 to September 25 by the Remember Jim Committee.

On Friday, September 23, Professor Eoin Devereux, from ULs Centre for the Study of Popular Music and Popular Culture, gave a talk about Jims life.

During the opening event, a capacity crowd heard Eoin Devereux talk about Jim Kemmys life, labour, and legacy. He examined Kemmys formative influences, his activism in politics and trade unionism, but also his pioneering role as a local historian.

Professor Devereux stressed Jims radicalism, describing his life-long socialism as progressive and pragmatic.

One of Jim Kemmys most noteworthy talents was his capacity to go against the grain of traditional orthodoxies and engage with more critical perspectives on how society was organised and whose interests were being served, noted Eoin Devereux.

Over a decade, The Limerick Socialist publication stood as a strong counterpoint to the establishment view of Limerick. It bravely questioned the sacred cows who occupied positions of power in Limerick and Ireland.

Professor Devereux noted that as an editor, writer, and curator, Kemmy also devoted stamina to promote an interest in Limericks complex history.

The hallmark of his local history project was its truly democratic nature. It was governed by an inclusive approach which was always mindful of the need to include the voices and experiences of the poor, the marginalized, the working class.

To conclude, Professor Devereux stated to speak of Kemmys legacy in the singular was a disservice to his memory. For me, his life-long commitment to a just, socialist, humanitarian view of the world is what stands out most of all. Jims bearing witness for the common man and woman, for calling out exploitation and for always imagining and proposing a better world, for all, through collective action is what strikes me most.
Ten students have begun their priesthood studies for Irish dioceses.

The new students have begun their Propaedeutic programme for the 2022-2023 academic year which, upon completion, allows the seminarians to apply to a seminary to continue formation for an Irish diocese.

Commenting on this years intake of new students, Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, chair of the Bishops Council for Vocations, said, "The men who have gone forward for training for priesthood in Maynooth are to be applauded. They are certainly going against the cultural norm, but they are so much needed.

"Amid the chaos of today, within and outside the Church, these men give hope to many. God is still calling, and there are men of courage who are answering Him. May all of us support them with our prayers and encouragement."

Just 56 seminarians are currently studying for the priesthood for dioceses.

According to the National Diocesan Vocations Coordinator for the Bishops Conference, Father Willie Purcell, the students are "counter-cultural".

He said, "... By entering the seminary they show the world that God never ceases to call men to priesthood. Every vocation is missionary and is lived out in witnessing to the unconditional love of God in our lives expressed in our service of those whom we are called to minister to.

"As the faithful in Ireland and around the work continue to journey together on the Synodal Pathway, the generosity of these men calls us to reflect on our own vocation story as we take our part in the renewal of the Church in our respective dioceses and parishes.

"I wish to especially thank all the vocations directors across the country for their work in accompanying those who are discerning a vocation to priesthood."
Sinn Fein has criticised the Governments new tax credit for renters as inadequate and flawed.

The 500 euro payment was announced as part of Budget 2023 on Tuesday.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the tax credit is not enough as people are paying high rents while the measure also excludes students and low-income workers.

She also claimed the measure will only work if there is a ban on rent increases.

There are 3 design errors in #Budget2023 measures for renters:  500 credit is not enough; The Tax Credit is not refundable, excluding students and low income workers; There is still no ban on rent increases. Government needs to correct these now says @MaryLouMcDonald pic.twitter.com/gw7QlxjP9Q  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) September 28, 2022

After leaving renters high and dry for years, yesterday the Government showed up with a 500 euro annual tax credit, Ms McDonald said in the Dail.

That is it. It is completely ignoring the other part of the solution  a ban on rent increases.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin defended the measure, saying people will be able to claim tax credit back on rent paid this year.

It will be 500 euro for next year, 2023, and on an ongoing basis. The Sinn Fein budget just suggested 1,500, he added.

However, based on 400,000 renters, that proposal would have an estimated cost of 600 million.

There is a massive hole in Sinn Feins provision. There is a 300 million black hole in its housing plan. Its figures do not add up.

Ms McDonald claimed the tax credit will not make a dent for people paying high rents in Dublin and other cities.

A 500 euro tax credit is better than nothing. I have no doubt that those tenants who can avail of it will take what they can get as they struggle to pay their rent, she added.

However, let us be very clear this will not make a dent for people paying average rents of over 2,000 euro per month or 24,000 euro a year in Dublin, or those paying nearly 1,500 euro a month or 18,000 euro per annum across the State.

Crucially, the tax credit is non-refundable, meaning that those without a taxable income are left out. Who are they? The Government has left out students and low-income workers.

Ms McDonald reiterated her partys call for a three-year ban on rent increases, saying that without it, the rent credit will be wiped out by further hikes.

Putting cash back in Renters' Pockets  Renters will receive a 500 tax credit this year and a further 500 tax credit next year.#Budget2023 pic.twitter.com/S6KQn7LodB  Fianna Fail (@fiannafailparty) September 27, 2022

The truth is that despite the Governments posturing, it has left the door wide open for more rent hikes, more exploitation and more hardship, Ms McDonald added.

Will the Government give renters a real break by putting a months rent back into their pockets through a refundable tax credit?

Mr Martin pointed to comments by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, which described budget 2023 as sensible.

It said the Government had managed to direct resources to those who need them most and more money is being targeted towards those people, Mr Martin added.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said that the renters tax credit at best will pay for one weeks rent for an average person renting in her constituency of Dublin Bay South.
Shock has been expressed at the details emerging from a tragic incident in Clarecastle, Co Clare, which left a young girl and a woman in a critical condition in hospital.

The girl was found with serious injuries at a property in Clareabbey early on Tuesday morning.

The woman was found unconscious, and both were rushed to hospital where their conditions were described as critical.

Both the girl and the woman are understood to be Ukrainian nationals.

An incident room has been set up at Ennis Garda Station and a senior investigating officer has been appointed to oversee the investigation.

A family liaison officer has also been appointed to the family.

Local politicians and a government minister expressed sympathy and offered support to those affected by the incident.

Its a tragic story for the people coming in from the Ukraine, its an awful shock for the community of Clarecastle and Ennis, and a tragic story in the house from what I hear, local councillor Pat Daly said.

Its a sad situation that a child is very sick.

He added: Whatever happened in there, no-one will know for a long time.

Fine Gael TD and Clarecastle local Joe Carey said our hearts go out to the family and the Ukrainian community.

We just want to support them in any way we can, he said on RTE News.

Earlier on Wednesday, Minister for Children and Integration Roderic OGorman, who is leading Irelands response to housing Ukrainian refugees, also offered supports to those affected.

He said: A really tragic situation has occurred there. Obviously we dont want to get into any great detail, but were very aware and have been since soon after the incident occurred and offering what supports we can.
New Delhi: State-owned Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. has inked long-term oil supply contracts with Brazils Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) and Colombias state-run Ecopetrol SA, boosting the countrys energy security.

The contract with Petrobras for 1.7 million metric tonne per annum (mmtpa) was inked during Indias petroleum and natural gas secretary Pankaj Jain visit to Brazil last week where he also met Petrobras CEO Caio Paes de Andrade. The long term contract with Ecopetrol was inked in Singapore.

Mint had reported about Indias, the worlds third-largest oil importer, plans to sign these long-term contracts as part of efforts to diversify its energy basket by importing crude oil from non-Opec (Organisation Petroleum Exporting Countries) sources.

In a tweet, Indias petroleum and natural gas ministry said Jain had productive discussions with CEO Petrobras, Caio Paes de Andrade, on mutually beneficial arrangements for crude oil export to India from Brazil and export of petroleum products to Brazil.

He also discussed collaboration in the refining, bio-fuels & EP sectors," the tweet said and added, Witnessed signing term contract of 1.7 MMTPA between @IndianOilcl & #Petrobras.

This is the first ever term contract between an Indian company and Petrobras and comes in the backdrop of state-run Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) subsidiary Bharat PetroResources Limiteds (BPRL) plans to invest $1.6 billion to develop BM-SEAL-11 project in Brazil.

Indias Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in July had approved this additional investment in the project which is expected to see production from 2026-27, wherein BPRL has 40% participating interest and Petrobras with 60% participating interest is the operator.

#IndianOil is committed to strengthening Indias energy security! Keeping with that goal, we signed a Term Contract with the Colombian national oil company Ecopetrol in Singapore today as a part of our continued efforts to diversify our crude oil sourcing," Indian Oil corp. said in a tweet.

Indian Oil Corp. is commissioning its 15 mtpa Paradip refinery, which has a complexity factor of 10.7 based on the Nelson Index and can process high-sulphur crude. India is a key Asian refining hub, with an installed capacity of more than 249.36 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) through 23 refineries. It plans to grow its refining capacity to 400 mtpa by 2025. Large Indian refiners include IOC, BPCL, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), Nayara Energy Ltd (formerly Essar Oil) and Reliance Industries Ltd.

MoU between @BPCLimited & Petrobras for long term cooperation was also signed," Indias petroleum and natural gas ministry said in a tweet.

BPCL has a refining capacity of 5.3 mmtpa. These long term crude oil supply contracts are a result of government-to-government negotiations on preferential pricing for India and supply stability. India has been trying to diversify its crude oil energy import basket, with its major sources of crude oil imports being Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Nigeria and USA.

Andre Aranha Correa do Lago, Brazilian ambassador to India, had earlier told Mint that Brazil was becoming a central player in the oil market, with it currently being the seventh largest global crude oil producer and exporter of oil, and poised to quickly become the 5th largest global crude oil producer and exporter.

Today, India is the third largest market for Colombian crude oil," Mariana Pacheco Montes, the Colombian ambassador to India had earlier told Mint.

Production cut by Opec has been weighing heavy in Indias energy market. The country has also been requesting Opec for a reduction in official selling price, extension of credit period from existing 30 days to 90 days from bill of lading, freight discount and open credit based on credit worthiness of Indian state-run refineries. India has called for a global consensus on responsible pricing". India has also consistently been pitching for a price and terms correction on the so-called Asian premium. With most Asian countries being primarily dependent on West Asia to meet their energy needs, customers from the continent are seen paying the Asian premium as compared to prices paid by the US or EU.
New Delhi: Coromandel International, Chambal Fertilizers and Indian Potash Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Canpotex, Canada.

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mansukh Mandaviya said the MoU will reduce both supply and price volatility and ensure a stable long-term supple of potash fertilizer to India. Government of India has been encouraging the domestic fertilizer industry to establish supply linkages through long term partnerships with resource rich nations. Given Indias high dependence on imports of raw material and fertilizer minerals, these partnerships will provide secured availability of fertilizers and raw materials over a period of time."

The minister added that as a part of the MoU, Canpotex will supply up to 15 LMT (lakh metric tonne) of potash annually for a period of three years to Indian fertilizer companies. This supply partnership is expected to improve availability in the country and reduce supply side and price vulnerabilities.

Canpotex is among the largest suppliers of potash globally, exporting around 130 LMT of product annually.

Mandaviya said that this initiative will improve the availability of MOP (Muriate of potash) ahead of the upcoming sowing season. It will uphold their welfare and contribute towards ensuring food security in the country. The MoU will also lead to strengthening of our mutual relationship and furthering bilateral relations between the two countries."

He added that the government was working towards long-term MoUs for potash and other fertilizers with countries like Russia, Israel and others.

Aimed at reducing import dependence, the Department of Fertiliser has included PDM (Potash derived from Molasses) in the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme to support indigenous sources of potash. Similar initiatives have also been taken by fertilizers companies for manufacturing of potash from spent wash.
New Delhi: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday gave its ex-post facto approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bangladesh for withdrawal of up to 153 cusecs of water each by both the counties from the river Kushiyara which lies along the border during the dry season.

The MoU was signed on 6 September.

The MoU will enable the government of Assam to withdraw water from the river during the November-May dry season. A joint monitoring team will be set up by both the countries to monitor the withdrawal of water by each side.

The Kushiyara River is a distributary of the Barak River that flows in Indias northeast region and has a common boundary with Bangladesh in the Sylhet district.
North Korea fired a ballistic missile off its eastern coast on Wednesday, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, a day before US Vice President Kamala Harris was set to visit the demilitarized zone dividing the nations.

The missile is the second launched by North Korea this week. On Sunday, it fired a short-range missile into waters off its eastern coastline- its first launch since shooting off its single-day record of eight in June.

Harris will become the first senior White House official to visit the DMZ during Bidens tenure. The visit comes as the White House has struggled to engage North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on talks over his countrys nuclear program.

Hours before, Sung Kim, the US special envoy to North Korea, underscored the Biden administration was open to dialogue. He called on Pyongyang to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy," according to a State Department statement late Tuesday in Washington.

The latest launch came after South Koreas spy agency told lawmakers Wednesday that North Korea completed construction on Tunnel No. 3 in the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, indicating that it may conduct its seventh nuclear test sometime between Oct. 16 and Nov. 7.

North Korea also recently denied it sold weapons to Russia in an unusually direct statement, blasting the US over rumors" that Kims regime was aiding Vladimir Putins war.

So far in 2022, the North Korean leader has fired off more ballistic missiles than in any other year of his decade in power. He has tested rockets designed to evade US-operated interceptors, increasing the threat of a credible nuclear strike against the US and its allies in Asia.

Earlier in the week, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo told Harris that her visits to the DMZ and Seoul will be very symbolic demonstrations of your strong commitments to the security and peace to Korean Peninsula, and we are working with you and US in dealing with North Korea."

In August, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi went to the Panmunjom truce village in the Demilitarized Zone. The place where soldiers from the two sides stare down each other is a symbol of military tensions that have simmered since the US came to South Koreas defense in 1950 after North Korea invaded and started the Korean War.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
The crew is headed to Orlando and will be stationed there until the hurricane hits. Afterwards, they will be directed to certain areas where assistance is needed.
Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: September 28 2022

Port Washington community leaders Dr. Joel Ziev and Stella Spanakos have been appointed to Nassau Countys newly formed Advisory Council on People with Disabilities.

Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D - Glen Cove) applauded the appointments of Port Washington community leaders Dr. Joel Ziev and Stella Spanakos to Nassau Countys newly formed Advisory Council on People with Disabilities. Both were recently and unanimously appointed to the Council by the Nassau County Legislature.

During Dr. Zievs five-decade career of advocating for the rights of disabled people, he has served as the Director of Instructional Services from 1977-1979 for the Henry Viscardi School in Albertson; Executive Director for the New York Society for the Deaf from 1980-1997 and as a Certified Impartial Hearing Officer for the New York State Department of Education from 1979-2022. In 1997, he established the Port Washington-based Partners for Access LLC, which provides disability access, consulting and support services to public and private agencies, schools, hospitals, and law firms on meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for addressing the special programmatic and access needs of people with disabilities.

Spanakos founded The Nicholas Center in 2010 with the mission of delivering robust services to young adults like her son, Nicholas, who is on the Autism spectrum. In many cases, people like Nicholas struggle when at age 21 because they transition from a supportive educational setting into adulthood with limited opportunities for engagement and employment. The Nicholas Center is dedicated ensuring that adults on the Autism spectrum have access to the resources and support they need to thrive in the communities where they live and work. Today, the Center provides daily support to over 120 individuals, and the Spectrum Designs Foundation, a custom apparel and promotional items business, is the largest employer of people with Autism in Nassau County.

Dr. Ziev and Spanakos were appointed to the Advisory Council on Monday alongside Nadia Holubnyczyj-Ortiz, of Floral Park, and Lora Webster, of Point Lookout.
Music, Movies & Entertainment, Arts & Culture

By Chris Boyle Published: September 28 2022

The Cinema Arts Centre will host a two-day event featuring film screenings and panel discussions.

On November 4-5, 2022, the Cinema Arts Centre (Huntington, NY), will present a two-day conference, Extremism: Confronting Hate Without Fear. This event will bring together some of the country's leading experts on extremism to examine the growing threat of radicalization in America and around the world. Showcased at this event will include a selection of award-winning films, with their filmmakers, along with authors, journalists, experts, and academics on dimensions of the topic of extremism. During panel discussions audience members will get to hear first-hand about the use of hate speech in social media, explore moral questions of bioethics, understand what life is like inside extremism movements, hear about its influencers, and life after someone decides to leave extremism. The focus will be to not only explore the growing trends of extremism but to identify ways that communities can unite and find solutions for this destructive trend.

Long Islands first major conference to cover the growing trend of extremism, the event will feature four programs: Next Generation Now: Growing Influencers in the Alt Right and the Language They Use, The Breeding Ground of Extremism: Exploring the Use of Social and Online Media, Extremism and Bioethics: Exploring the Moral Dimensions of Abortion, Vaccination and Public Health, and Life After Extremism. Each of the segments will focus on an issue that intersects with current extremist movements, legislation affecting womens rights, vaccine misinformation, Internet radicalization, and others aspects of misinformation and propaganda. Audience members will have a chance to pose questions to speakers and panelists and meet them following each segment.

The two featured films, White Noise (2020) and Personhood (2019), explore the topics of right-wing extremist influencers, and the policing of pregnant women in America.

Guest speakers include:

Jo Ardinger , director of the documentary film Personhood: Policing Pregnant Women in America ,

Daniel Lombroso , director of the film, White Noise, The New Yorker.

Jacob Appel, MD, JD, MPH, bioethicist, social critic and author of 20 books including, Who Says Youre Dead? Medical and Ethical Dilemmas for the Curious and Concerned.

Michael Edison Hayden , senior investigative reporter and spokesperson, Southern Poverty Law Center

Helio Fred Garcia , crisis expert and author of Words on Fire: The Power of Incendiary Language and How to Confront It

Patrick Riccards , CEO, Life After Hate

Christopher Mathias, senior reporter, Huff Post

Film director Daniel Lombroso commented, "I'm thrilled to share White Noise with the Long Island community and discuss my insights as a result of the three years I spent filming it across a dozen countries. With nationalism surging in the US and Europe, it's critical to discuss the roots of this dangerous ideology and where it's heading next.

Physician, lawyer and bioethicist Jacob Appel stated, "I'm delighted to be taking part in this important event at the Cinema Arts Centre at such a crucial moment in our history. As both a mental health provider and a bioethicist, I think one of the best tools we have against extremism is to acknowledge its presence and to increase awareness. This conference offers a valuable opportunity to do so."

Student Scholar Awards are available for high school and university students who would Ike to attend this event. Interested students should email nate@cinemaartscentre.org if they are interested in applying for a Student Scholar Award. It should be noted this is an in-person event.

I am honored that the Cinema Arts Centre immediately was interested in holding this event when I brought the idea to them this summer, said Jacqueline Strayer, Cinema Arts Centre Trustee, consultant and faculty member at New York University and Columbia University. It is our hope that many of our communitys young people will attend given the generous support of our Board and local organizations that are helping to underwrite this event and provide student scholarships. It is vital our community understands the implications of extremism and its destructive consequences.

The receptions following the segments will feature live musical performances and a diverse selection of food from local restaurants.

The Cinema Arts Centre has a nearly fifty-year history of bringing topics of social consequence to our community. This event underscores the values we have at the Cinema Arts Centre, and we are delighted to have such impressive speakers and topics discussed in our community, as we explore this troubling and growing issue of extremism, said Dylan Skolnick, co-director, Cinema Arts Centre.

Numerous community groups have joined the Cinema Arts Centre as partners in this event. Interested organizations and individuals who would like to be communication partners and sponsors, please contact rene@cinemaartscentre.org.

Location: Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave, Huntington, NY 11743

Program Schedule:

Next Generation Now: Growing Influencers in the Alt Right and the Language They Use - Friday, November 4 th at 7pm

The Breeding Ground of Extremism: Exploring the Use of Social and Online Media - Saturday, November 5 th at 10am

Extremism and Bioethics: Exploring the Moral Dimensions of Abortion, Vaccination and Public Health - Saturday, November 15 th at 2:30pm

Life After Extremism - Saturday, November 15th at 5pm

For the full detailed program including speaker information and ticket purchase, access here: Extremism: Confronting Hate Without Fear

The Cinema Arts Centre (CAC) is Long Islands premier, year-round, independent and international film showcase and its leading 501(c)3 not-for-profit community cinema. Located on Long Islands North Shore, just an hour from Manhattan, the CAC is unique in scope and programming, with three state-of-the-art theaters, including a main theater holding nearly 300 seats. Founded by Vic Skolnick, Charlotte Sky and Dylan Skolnick in 1973, the CAC serves approximately 150,000 individuals each year. For more information, please visit https://cinemaartscentre.org.
Business & Finance

By Chris Boyle Published: September 28 2022

Panel discussions will consist of stakeholders from the food and beverage industry and representatives from local government agencies.

The Long Island Food Council will host and educational panel discussion from 8:30a.m. to 1:00p.m. on Tuesday, October 18 at the Hotel Indigo-East End, Riverhead. This educational panel will feature guest speaker Chairman. Vincent Bradley, of the New York State Liquor Authority. Panel discussions will consist of stakeholders from the food and beverage industry and representatives from local government agencies.

Educational events for members and non-members of the LIFC cover topics beneficial to growing businesses and grant access to experts in industry. The panel will address issues, share resources and vital information to help shape economic growth in the food, beverage and hospitality industries of the Long Island region. Attendees will have an opportunity to speak with panelists, ask questions, and network with business professionals in the industry.

This educational event is open to members and non-members of the LIFC. This event is free to attend for LIFC members, guests of LIFC members are $25 and non-members are $40.

Tickets are available for sale at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/414250523467

More details are available at www.longislandfoodcouncil.com

ABOUT THE LONG ISLAND FOOD COUNCIL
(Alliance News) - AVI Japan Opportunity Trust PLC on Wednesday said it was optimistic about the performance of its portfolio in the wider context of weak markets.

At June 30, the firm's net asset value per share was 108.39 pence, down from 120.87p on December 31. In the six months ended June 30, AVI Japan's net asset value return was negative 9.7%. This compared to a return of negative 8.2% for the company's benchmark index, the MSCI Japan Small Cap Index.

AVI Japan invests in a portfolio of 20 to 30 Japanese stocks.

The firm swung to a pretax loss of GBP15.6 million in the half from a profit of GBP3.8 million the previous year. It recorded income on investments of GBP2.3 million, up from GBP1.9 million a year prior.

Chairman Norman Crighton said the company had performed well "in the face of lacklustre performance of small cap stocks and a notable sell off in the currency in Japan, as well as a turbulent global environment."

He added that as stock markets stabilise following the disruption caused by the pandemic and Russia's attack on Ukraine, the company aims to grow by "issuing shares at a premium to NAV to take advantage of the opportunities identified by the AVI teams in London and Tokyo".

AVI Japan declared an interim dividend of 0.75 pence per share.

AVI Japan shares were trading 1.3% lower at 113.00 pence per share on Wednesday afternoon in London.

By Holly Beveridge; hollybeveridge@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Everyman Media Group PLC on Wednesday said its outlook for the rest of the year is promising, following progress in the first half.

In the six months ended June 30, the London-based independent cinema chain said revenue multiplied to GBP40.7 million from GBP7.7 million a year prior. This narrowed its pretax loss to GBP798,000 from GBP9.2 million.

Everyman attributed its first-half performance to several factors, including a healthy 20% growth in admissions since 2019, and "robust spend per head".

The company said that with film production back up to speed after Covid disruptions, it was optimistic about meeting market expectations for the second half.

Chief Executive Alex Scrimgeour added that he believes the company is now back on track following several turbulent years. "Cinema will always be an important part of the fabric of the UK as a place to be entertained, and has historically remained as such during more difficult economic conditions and recession."

The company declared no interim dividend.

Everyman shares were trading 3.0% higher at 99.90 pence each in London on Wednesday morning.

By Holly Beveridge; hollybeveridge@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Nostrum Oil & Gas PLC on Wednesday said its Chief Financial Officer Shane Drader has resigned.

Nostrum is an Amsterdam-headquartered oil and gas company with operations in Kazakhstan.

Drader joined the company in August last year.

Nostrum said that it will now initiate a process to recruit a new CFO and added that Drader will ensure an effective transfer of his responsibilities.

Chief Executive Arfan Khan said: "Shane has been a valued colleague at Nostrum, serving an important role during a challenging period of transformation for the company as it seeks to complete a financial restructuring and re-establish its operations on a stronger footing."

Shares in Nostrum were down 4.4% to 2.75 pence each in London on Wednesday afternoon.

By Sophie Rose; sophierose@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Wednesday and not separately reported by Alliance News:

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LoopUp Group PLC - London-based software provider for remote meetings - Expects to raise a minimum of GBP3 million in a placing and a subscription at a price of 5.0 pence per share. Estimates that the placing and subscription will represent roughly 57% of its existing share capital. The proceeds will support the next phase of investment in Cloud Telephony and Hybridium, the transfer of meetings customers from PGi Connect, near-term working capital for the company, and strengthen its balance sheet going forward.

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Surface Transforms PLC - Liverpool-based manufacturer of carbon fibre reinforced ceramic materials - Proposes a capital raise to raise GBP16.0 million at the issue price of 40 pence per share. It will raise GBP15.8 million through an accelerated bookbuild and GBP200,00 through a subscription. Proposes open offer to raise a further GBP3.0 million with existing shareholders. Plans to use the net proceeds to partially fund the construction cost to increase the revenue capacity of its Knowsley manufacturing facility to GBP75 million from GBP50 million per year. Zeus Capital Ltd and finnCap Group PLC act as joint broker.

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MaxCyte Inc - Gaithersburg, Maryland-based platform for cell-based research - Signs a strategic platform license deal with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. Vertex obtains non-exclusive clinical and commercial rights to use MaxCyte's Flow Electroporation technology and ExPERT platform for the development of its CRISPR/Cas9-based gene-edited therapy. To receive platform licensing fees and programme-related revenue. Does not disclose financial details of the deal.

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Morses Club PLC - Nottingham, England-based home collected credit provider and online lender - Enters into a voluntary application for the imposition of requirements with the Financial Conduct Authority over customer redress claims for unaffordable lending. Was talking with the UK regulator over customer redress claims. Had previously paused the processing of all new redress claims.

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Trinity Exploration & Production PLC - Leeds-based oil exploration company focused on Trinidad & Tobago - Says it "welcomes" the government of Trinidad and Tobago's stated intention to stimulate higher levels of activity and investment in the energy sector as set out in its 2023 Budget Statement. "The government's focus on stimulating the energy sector, and specifically oil production, is to be welcomed and will provide opportunities for Trinity. The supplemental petroleum tax changes for onshore production will positively impact our cashflow, thereby increasing our capacity to reinvest," Chief Executive Jeremy Bridglalsingh comments.

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Reabold Resources PLC - oil and gas company with projects in the UK, the US and Romania - Executes a sale and purchase agreement for the conditional acquisition of Simwell Resources Ltd for GBP1 million. Says the transaction increases its footprint in the emerging Zechstein trend in the European Permian Basin.

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By Abby Amoakuh; abbyamoakuh@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Zaim Credit Systems PLC shares were temporarily suspended on Wednesday pending an investigation into the control of its wholly-owned subsidiary Zaim Express LLC.

Zaim is a Russia-focused fintech company; its shares were suspended, last quoted at 1.5 pence each in London.

Zaim said that it has been made aware of a "discrepancy" with regard to the ownership of Zaim Express' share capital and is experiencing a lack of effective operating control.

The company added that it is exploring options to investigate the discrepancy, including engaging legal advisers to pursue a remedy.

"The company will update the market upon conclusion of the investigation in due course," it said.

By Sophie Rose; sophierose@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Denmark confirms three leaks in Nord Stream gas pipelines

Xinhua) 10:42, September 28, 2022

COPENHAGEN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Three leaks have now been detected on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the vicinity of the Danish island of Bornholm, the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) said in a press release on Tuesday.

On a visit to Poland to attend the opening ceremony of the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the authorities and the government take the incidents very seriously, and "it is hard to imagine that it could be a coincidence."

The first gas leak occurred on one of two Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines on Monday.

According to the DEA, the Danish authorities were notified of the escalation in leaks following a significant drop in pressure on Nord Stream 1 as a result of the two leaks, one in Danish waters and the other in Swedish waters.

"The two leaks were detected shortly after the first leak that was detected on Nord Stream 2 in Danish waters on Monday," the DEA said.

"Breakage of gas pipelines is extremely rare, and therefore we see reason to raise the preparedness level as a result of the incidents we have seen over the past 24 hours," Kristoffer Botzauw, director of the Danish Energy Agency (DEA), said in the press release.

"We have to ensure thorough monitoring of Denmark's critical infrastructure in order to strengthen security of supply going forward."

While the DEA insists that none of the recent leaks "have any significance for the supply of gas to Europe and Denmark, as none of the pipelines were in operation," it did note that the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) has issued a navigation warning and established a no-go zone with a radius of five nautical miles (approximately 10 kilometers) for ships and one kilometer for aircraft.

Nord Stream 2 had just been finished and filled with 300 million cubic meters of gas when the German government canceled it just days before the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Nord Stream 1 has been shut down since the beginning of September.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Merdeka.com - I'll be your destination

Tell me your favourite song

Make me your next location

Darlin' what you waiting for

I'll take you around the world to

Show you how I feel about you-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

Vegas

Or we could fly to Rome Let's hit Jamaica Tequila down in Mexico

Or we could lay low

Spend a week under the covers We can go St Tropez

What you got to lose if I don't care about the rules

That's why I'm asking you to

Stay, stay

I'll be your destination

Tell me your favourite song

Make me your next location

Darlin' what you waiting for

I'll take you around the world to

Show you how I feel about you-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

I'll be your destination

Tell me your favourite song

Make me your next location

Darlin' what you waiting for

I'll take you around the world to

show you how I feel about you-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

Paris

Or we could go to Greece Make love in Costa Rica, ARIBA

Ah, My Mona Lisa

You're a masterpiece

Or we could lay low

Spend a week under the covers We can go St Tropez

What you got to lose if I don't care about the rules

That's why I'm asking you to

Stay, stay

I'll be your destination

Tell me your favourite song

Make me your next location

Darlin' what you waiting for

I'll take you around the world to

Show you how I feel about you-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

I'll be your destination

Tell me your favourite song

Make me your next location Darlin' what you waiting for

I'll take you around the world to

Show you how I feel about you-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

I'll be your destination

I'll be your next vacation

Ooh and how i feel about you-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
In the days that followed the devastating blaze that destroyed the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard, agents began investigating a suspect who was seen running from the scene just before sailors saw smoke, an agent testified Tuesday.

The investigation found that the suspect, a sailor, had searched Google for the terms "heat scale" and "fire color heat scale" less than an hour before the blaze began, according to testimony. Investigators also found graffiti inside a nearby portable toilet that read "I did it" and "I set the ship on fire"  messages that a handwriting expert testified were likely written by that same sailor.

However, that sailor was not Ryan Sawyer Mays, the 21-year-old on trial charged with aggravated arson and the willful hazarding of a vessel.

On Tuesday, the Naval Criminal Investigation Service agent who headed the investigation into the fire testified that she stopped pursing the other suspect in the spring of 2021 when he was administratively discharged from the Navy. The investigation then turned full bore on Mays, who denies starting the blaze. He faces life in prison if convicted.

The testimony came during the second day of the defense's presentation of the case and offered an alternative narrative to the one brought last week by the prosecution.

Investigators say the fire began July 12, 2020, around 8 a.m. in the ship's lower vehicle storage area, or "lower V."

Miya Polion, a former petty officer 3rd class on the Bonhomme Richard, testified Tuesday she saw a tall, dark-skinned sailor in blue coveralls running from the lower V ramp, across the upper vehicle storage area and up the ramp to the ship's hangar bay just after 8 a.m. Mays is White.

"I never stopped looking at him because it was kind of weird to be running on the ship," Polion said during testimony Tuesday. She reported this to NCIS when investigators began searching for witnesses, she said.

Polion was new to the ship and did not recognize the sailor, who was also wearing a mask, she said. She identified the sailor later when NCIS arranged for her to see several Engineering Department sailors come in for a sort of lineup, she said. Agents also walked the ship with Polion as she showed them her location relative to the sailor, video of the walk-through played at trial showed.

The Union-Tribune is not naming the sailor Polion said she saw because he has not been charged with a crime.

Mays, who was arrested Aug. 20, 2020, and placed in confinement, was released from the brig in October 2020 as NCIS pivoted to this second suspect, according to Gary Barthel, who was Mays' civilian attorney at the time.

NCIS Special Agent Maya Kamat investigated the other sailor until he left he Navy in the spring of 2021, she said, which is when investigators re-focused on Mays.

During questioning, Kamat said the sailor explained the Google searches found on his phone were related to a novel he was writing with a second man about a dragon living on a ship. Kamat said she saw the manuscript for the novel and a conversation about the story on the messaging app Discord with the sailor's writing partner.

She also said the sailor declined to put investigators in touch with his writing partner and they did not pursue the issue further.

Kamat testified that she stopped investigating the other suspect "because he was separating from the Navy" and was no longer subject to military law. On cross-examination by prosecutors, she agreed that the evidence against the second sailor wasn't strong because Polion was "too far away"  at a distance of 115 feet  to identify him.

The defense is expected to rest its case on Wednesday.

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.

2022 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Days after saying that the water on the USS Nimitz was clean following a recent issue with fuel leaking into the ships water, the Navy is acknowledging that tests are still showing signs of contamination leading the service to delay a planned deployment of the aircraft carrier.

The problem with fuel in the water was first detected on the evening of Sept. 16 while the ship was at sea. Three days later, the Navy declared the issue resolved once the ship was moored at Naval Station North Island, California.

But subsequent testing has shown theres still fuel in the ship's water system, the Navy said in a statement Tuesday. For now, the carrier is being supplied by city water from the port until the system can be fixed.

Read Next: Military Prepares as Hurricane Ian Bears Down on Florida

"The internal potable water system remains offline until we can be certain it can produce the highest quality water to the crew, Ens. Bryan Blair, a spokesman for the commander of Naval Air Forces, said in a statement to Military.com.

Blair noted that waste water samples taken after an initial fix to the system on Sept. 19 did not detect measurable amounts of fuel hydrocarbons in the waste water. However, additional testing was conducted Sept. 21 on water samples from the ships potable water tanks which yielded detectable traces of hydrocarbons, he added.

The update follows online reports that have continued to allege issues with the water quality aboard the aircraft carrier. Last week, after the Navy said that the water issues had been resolved, Military.com also asked Navy officials about images of the carrier moored to a pier studded with portable tanks of freshwater that seemed to call into question the assurances of safe drinking water aboard the ship. Navy spokesman Cmdr. Zach Harrell said more information on tankers was forthcoming last Wednesday but did not provide more details.

Blair said that since Sept. 17, the ship has been connected to the city of San Diego's water supply, which he said means the ships water should be safe.

But the Sept. 21 test showing that there was still fuel in the ship's water tanks has led the Navy to delay a planned departure from the port in order to conduct further testing and evaluation of its potable water system, Blair said.

The entire incident has drawn parallels to the massive fuel spill at the Navys Red Hill fuel storage facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, that exposed and sickened thousands of sailors and their families to the same toxic fuel.

After a spill at the Red Hill facility in November, the Navy indicated to local residents that the water was safe to drink.

Capt. Erik Spitzer, the Navy commanding officer who led the base at Pearl Harbor, told residents "that there are no immediate indications that the water is not safe," adding that "my staff and I are drinking the water on base this morning, and many of my team live in housing and drink and use the water as well."

But the next day, the Hawaii Health Department advised residents to avoid drinking or using the water in any way, and the Navy was forced to reverse course after subsequent testing revealed jet fuel tainting water supplies and reports of sickened residents continued to pile up.

Spitzer publicly apologized a month later for trusting the initial test results and misleading the sailors and families living on base. He retired in June, earning the Defense Department's second-highest noncombat service award in the process.

Its not clear how many sailors aboard the Nimitz, which has a crew of thousands, were exposed to contaminated water, but Military.com has heard from former sailors, several of whom asked that their identities be withheld to avoid retaliation, that the issue of fuel mixing with drinking water is hardly new.

Bradley Martin, a Rand Corp. researcher and a 30-year Navy veteran, previously told Military.com that over many years, there were many times when some amount of contamination from JP5 got into water tanks, and I experienced it."

"These are complicated pieces of machinery," Martin said of aircraft carriers. "So, there's miles and miles and miles of piping, acres of tank tops and stuff like that ... where some contamination could occur."

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Nimitz Drinking Water Contaminated With Jet Fuel, Navy Acknowledges
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Wednesday, its neighbors said, a day before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is to visit South Korea.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the North Korean missiles lifted off 10 minutes apart on Wednesday afternoon from its capital region and flew toward the waters off its east coast.

Japanese Vice Defense Minister Toshiro Ino said Japan's military also detected the launches and that the weapons flew in an irregular trajectory.

Ino said that North Koreas repeated missile firings amid (Russias) invasion of Ukraine is impermissible. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea's provocations would only deepen its international isolation while pushing South Korea and the United States to strengthen their deterrence.

The launches follow a missile test by North Korea earlier this week.

Harris is to arrive in South Korea on Thursday for talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol and other officials. She also is to visit the tense border with North Korea, in what U.S. officials call an attempt to underscore the strength of the U.S.-South Korean alliance and the U.S. commitment to stand beside South Korea in the face of any North Korea threats.

U.S. and South Korean navy ships were also conducting drills off South Koreas east coast in a show of force against North Korea.

The four-day exercise, which began Monday, involves the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. It is the first training exercise by the allies involving a U.S. aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula since 2017.

South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises often draw a furious response from North Korea, which views them as an invasion rehearsal. A short-range North Korean missile launched Sunday was seen as a response to the U.S.-South Korean training.

South Korea and Japan estimated that the North Korean missiles fired Wednesday flew 300-360 kilometers (185-220 miles) with a maximum altitude of 30-50 kilometers (19-30 miles). The low trajectories resembled the flight of the missile fired on Sunday, which some analysts said was likely a nuclear-capable, highly maneuverable weapon modeled after Russias Iskander missile.

In recent years, North Korea has been adding Iskander-like missiles and other solid-fuel weapons to its arsenal. Some experts say the weapons are designed to carry battlefield nuclear warheads to counter the stronger conventional forces of South Korea and the United States, which stations about 28,500 troops in the South.

North Korea has dialed up its missile testing activities to a record pace in 2022, launching more than 30 ballistic weapons, including its first intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017. North Korea's Sunan area where Wednesday's launches occurred was the site of various missile tests this year, including two ICBMs.

Earlier this month, North Korea adopted a new law authorizing the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in some situations, as it continues to escalate its nuclear doctrine. U.S. and South Korean officials have also said the North may soon conduct its first nuclear test in five years.

North Koreas torrid run of weapons tests this year is seen as exploiting divides in the United Nations Security Council over Russias war against Ukrain300300e and the U.S.-China rivalry. In May, China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-led bid to impose new sanctions on North Korea over its ballistic missile tests this year, which violate U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Earlier Wednesday, South Koreas spy agency told lawmakers that a North Korean nuclear test could happen between mid-October and early November.

According to some lawmakers who attended the meeting, the National Intelligence Service said if the test occurs, it is likely to come after China, North Korea's last major ally, holds a key Communist Party congress on Oct. 16 but before the United States votes in midterm elections on Nov. 7.

The spy service also said North Korea recently began administering COVID-19 vaccines to its people for the first time, Yoo Sang-bum, one of the lawmakers present at the briefing, said without elaborating.

Earlier this month, leader Kim Jong Un told his countrys rubber-stamp parliament that North Korea would begin its rollout of vaccines. In August, he made a widely disputed claim that his country had overcome its first COVID-19 outbreak and ordered an easing of pandemic-related restrictions.

___

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
The Army's law enforcement and investigatory agency's website was malfunctioning for at least three weeks, leaving non-government computer users without a readily available way to report crime tips, request case files directly or access information for ongoing investigations regarding missing or wanted soldiers.

The Criminal Investigation Division's website had been inaccessible for commercial browsers since at least Sept. 6, when a Military.com reporter noticed the error and contacted the office. The problem was due to a certificate issue that took "much longer than expected" to fix, according to a division spokesperson.

While CID said that the website had always been accessible for those using government networks, the spokesperson told Military.com over email that "we were experiencing difficulties for non-Department of Defense computer users...having difficulties connecting because their web browsers did not trust the DoD-issued website certificates."

Read Next: 'Tens of Thousands' More Veterans Will Be Eligible for VA Health Care Starting Oct. 1

After Military.com informed the office that it would be publishing a story about the issue on Tuesday, after originally contacting the office on Sept. 6, the office messaged an hour before the publication deadline that the problem had been fixed.

When asked whether this fix was scheduled or prompted by the publication's inquiry, a spokesperson said neither was the case, adding that "we were as surprised as you were that it was resolved."

The website, now operable for all users, is also a resource for soldiers to access information -- both on and off duty, and without a government computer -- in ways that may require discretion outside of duty hours or their chain of command.

For example, the website features an anonymous tip line and information on red flags associated with and how to report online romance scams, a crime akin to "sextortion" that CID has previously said increased by 163% during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The spokesperson said that "there has been no perceived interruption" for services or instances of reporting.

The website also includes information and reward amounts for what the division considers "cold cases," like information on Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez, a soldier whose decapitated head washed ashore near the Outer Banks of North Carolina after a misbegotten and controversy-laden camping trip with several other soldiers in May 2020.

"For additional resources, soldiers, civilians and the general public should use their local garrison's website," the CID spokesperson said when asked how soldiers might access CID resources without total website availability. "Each garrison's website has a multitude of links and phone numbers for reporting issues and emergencies."

-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.

Related: Soldier 'Sextortion' Cases Surged During the Pandemic, Army Statistics Show
Some applicants who test positive for THC while trying to join the Air Force and Space Force may get another opportunity to apply under a new pilot program being tested out by the services.

Department of the Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told Military.com in a statement Tuesday that the services are starting a two-year pilot program that would allow certain applicants that test positive for THC -- the main psychoactive component in marijuana -- to come back and try again.

"The pilot program offers some prospective applicants an opportunity to retest after 90 days if they are granted a waiver," Stefanek said in an emailed statement. "If those who have been granted a waiver pass a second test, candidates will be allowed to enlist."

Read Next: Military Prepares as Hurricane Ian Bears Down on Florida

The waiver program is available for recruits in the Air Force, Space Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard.

Under previous Department of the Air Force policy, a positive THC screening at a Military Entrance Processing Station -- also called MEPS -- would have excluded a candidate from joining. But as the military faces its most difficult recruiting environment in decades, the services are workshopping a wide variety of options that would allow those previously disqualified to find a way into the ranks.

Only certain Air Force and Space Force applicants will be considered for a waiver, though.

Waivers will "be offered for applicants who possess a score of 50 or higher on the Armed Forces Qualification Test, do not have any Cat 1 or 2 (major) moral violations, possess a high school diploma (Tier 1, no alternate credentials), and are otherwise medically qualified for

Service," Stefanek said.

If they test negative for THC 90 days later and enlist, "they must adhere to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and DAF policy which prohibit drug use," Stefanek added.

The military has zero tolerance for drugs such as cocaine, heroin or methamphetamines, but recruits in many branches have received waivers for marijuana as it has grown in popularity and become legal for recreational use in a handful of states.

Marijuana use actually surpassed cigarette smoking in America, according to an August poll from Gallup. Sixteen percent of Americans say they currently smoke marijuana, whereas a new low of 11% of American adults reported being smokers.

"Americans' regular use of marijuana is modestly higher than cigarettes at this point, but the trend over recent decades in marijuana use is upward," the Gallup findings showed.

The vast majority of states have legalized marijuana for medical use, recreational use or both. Only 11 states have not allowed marijuana in any form: Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas, according to MJBizDaily, a trade publication that follows the industry.

Notably, more than 50% of all new recruits come from states where marijuana is now legal, at least for medicinal use, according to a 2021 study by Rand Corp., a think tank that researches issues facing the military.

While marijuana and other THC-related products may be legal in many states, they are still illegal at the federal level and, therefore, outlawed for service members.

The Department of the Air Force's policy is effective immediately, according to Stefanek, and the pilot program will be in effect for two years.

After reviewing how effective the policy is and reviewing data, Stefanek added there is a possibility "adopting this as a permanent change to DAF recruiting and accessions policy."

Stefanek said the Air Forces experiment builds on similar programs the Army and Navy have used in the past.

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: Drug and Alcohol Test Results Might Be Waived for Air Force and Space Force Recruits
7:00pm: Kelsey Wingert-Linch of AT&T SportsNet has reported that Blackmons injury happened last week as he rounded a bag at Coors Field and that he tried to play through it. Blackmon is set to undergo surgery on Monday in Denver and should be healthy for Spring Training.

6:05pm: The Colorado Rockies have reinstated infielder Jose Iglesias from the 10-day injured list. In a corresponding move, the Rockies have placed outfielder Charlie Blackmon on the 10-day injured list with a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Iglesias returns to the active roster just over three weeks after his initial placement on the 10-day IL with a right-hand contusion. Before his injury, the 32-year-old Iglesias was in the midst of a strong season, slashing .300/.337/.392, good for a .729 OPS, with an extremely low 12.0% strikeout rate but paired with a below-average 3.8% walk rate. Additionally, Iglesias provided serviceable defense at shortstop, with a .981 fielding percentage and 0 Outs Above Average, as measured by StatCast.

After a strong showing with the Red Sox late in 2021 after being DFAd by the Angels, Iglesias joined the Rockies as they moved on from the Trevor Story-era, signing a one-year, $5MM contract. With the recent promotion of prospect Ezequiel Tovar, ranked as the Rockies second-best prospect by MLB.com, Iglesiass time in Colorado may soon be over. However, after a solid season with the Rockies, Iglesias will likely command a Major League contract in the offseason.

As for Blackmon, his 2022 season has been forced to end prematurely. Since signing a six-year, $108MM extension in 2018, Blackmon has posted a .287/.348/.478/.826 slash line with a WRC+ of 107, 7% better than league-average, park-adjusted, and two All-Star appearances. The 2022 season has not been as kind to the 36-year-old, with Blackmon amidst one of his weaker seasons in recent memory of .264/.314/.419/.733. The long-time Rockie has a player option for the 2023 season, with a value of $15MM, and is likely to accept it. Blackmon is expected to be healthy for Spring Training, per Wingert-Linch.
Okese1, rapper

27.09.2022 LISTEN

Born Afrane Frank, known by his stage name Okese1 has been angered by the Global Citizens Festival organizers.

The hip-hop artist has complained that his "Na Today" hit track was used to promote the show on Saturday, September 24 without his consent.

The outraged rapper, in a deleted tweet, complained about being sidelined by Ghanaian industry players, particularly those who were part of the event organisers.

He said he is preparing to file a lawsuit against them for using his intellectual property at the Black Stars Square prior to the event that night without his approval.

So who was that actually performing Na today at the Global Citizen Show  Yall blackball me tryna hide me n still use my songs to promote yo Shows!!!! We had no contract No settlements made!!! Im suing yall, he threatened.

Saturday's event was cheerfully marked by powerful stage performances from both Ghanaian and international artists such as Sarkodie, Stormzy, Tiwa Savage, Stonebwoy, Tems, Gyakie, Daddy Lumba, Kwesi Arthur, Yaw Tog, and others.

The Global Citizen Festival is an annual music festival in which attendees can earn free tickets by taking action to end extreme poverty.

The event, held in Accra, Ghana, aimed to bring together artists and world leaders in order to achieve a policy agenda focused on empowering girls and women, defending the planet, and effecting change.
Bridget Otoo, a Ghanaian female media personality with Accra-based Metro TV, has described President Akufo-Addo as a "plagiarism addict."

Ghanaians on social media, according to the journalist, should not be surprised if President Akufo-Addo uses a video by musician Kirani Ayat and his video producer, David Nicol-Sey for a documentary without their permission.

Bridget Otoo said on Tuesday, September 27, after the news went viral on Twitter, that any President who copies even in his inaugural speech can do it with ease.

why is anyone surprised at Nana Akufo-Addo taking creatives content without asking for permission? his inaugural speech as president was plagiarized.

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time - Maya Angelou.

Earlier on Tuesday, September 27, Kirani Ayat revealed that he sent a proposal to the Ministry of Tourism in 2018 to include his video in the Year of Return tourism documentary, which was turned down.

To his surprise, the same rejected video was used in a documentary shared by the President on his official Twitter account without his or his producer's permission.

The president of Ghana has used my video GUDA in this ad to promote Ghana. I was actively reaching out to the Ministry of Tourism in 2018/19 to use this video to push tourism in the North and got NO reply, yet today its in an ad and no one reached out to me for permission, he reacted.
28.09.2022 LISTEN

Celebrated Canada-based Ghanaian gospel artiste, Minister Ike has won 'Best International Gospel Artiste' of the year award at the 2022 Mano Awards in Canada.

The event which took place on September 24 at Serbian Hall in the city of Edmonton seeks to recognize the achievements of African musicians and musicians from North America.

Minister Ike was the only Ghanaian artist to compete with musicians from other North American countries and African countries like Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

Speaking to this portal, Minister Ike said,'' I'm very elated for winning such a great award...This shows that Ghana music is not dead as people claim...I won this award against heavyweights. It's a massive win for Ghana and I thank God for letting me become the first Ghanaian to win this award".

The Onyame Gya hitmaker won his first honorary award as a gospel music personality for 2016 at the 3G Awards on the 5th of November in New York.

He won his second honorary award for 2016 on 28th November as the Best Gospel Artiste of the year at the Pan African Awards in Ohio.

Minister Ike, is out with his debut single track for 2022 dubbed Only God. The powerful song is currently enjoying massive airplay on various radio stations.

After bagging several international awards with his Me Nyame'' and Onyame Gya hit songs, Minister Ike has so far won three awards with the newest single track 'Only God' this year.

Watch how he received the award below:

Source: hotfmghana.com
27.09.2022 LISTEN

The former propaganda secretary of Akatsi South Constituency, Mr Kondo John, popularly known as Jargon, has reiterated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is the only alternative to rescue Ghanaians from the economic hardship they are experiencing under the leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Advising aspirants and delegates in the Akatsi South municipality in the Volta Region, the outspoken party stalwart added that Ghanaians are yearning for the return of the NDC, hence the need for them to elect radical and intelligent, and skillful aspirants for a resounding victory come 2024.

"Before Victory 2024, you [delegates] should look out for someone with the required skills, someone who can provide competent leadership, someone with the enviable track record to deliver, and someone with the experience to provide you, the delegates, and the entire population with better leadership you have been crying for. You need to look out for a unifier and a leader who can be trusted," Jargon stated in an interaction with the media.

Endorsing the candidacy of Mr. Japhet Festus Gbede, a deputy communication officer aspirant, Mr. John Kondo strengthened that the delegates must be ready to elect skillful and vibrant, energetic youths who have the ability to wrestle power from the NPP government.

He added that the party's delegates must not allow money to elect the next set of constituency executives for the party in the Akatsi South Constituency.

"If the money comes, take it in good faith but vote against them. You must make them aware that, you are above the GHS20, or GHS50.00," he furiously added.

He appealed to the party's delegates to vote massively for Mr. Japhet Festus Gbede a young, skillful, outspoken, vibrant and energetic deputy communication officer aspirant to help in restructuring the communication front of the party in the constituency.

"We cannot afford to fail Ghanaians by electing incompetent executives who will not be loyal, committed, and dedicated to the party's election 2024 victory agenda," he emphasised.
French foreign minister Catherine Colonna was in Kyiv Tuesday on an unannounced visit to Ukraine in a show of support for the country invaded by Russia. This comes as the EU said it would sanction those involved in organising "illegal" Russian referendums to annex four eastern regions of Ukraine.

"Good morning Ukraine, it's good to be back," she wrote on Twitter, posting a picture of herself walking in Kyiv with the French ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins.

During her visit, Colonna is meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and with Ukraine's top prosecutor Andriy Kostin.

She is also scheduled to hold talks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and to visit to a military airport in the city of Gostomel, north of Kyiv.

The referendums are taking place place in the Donetsk and Luhansk "People's Republics", which declared independence in 2014, and were recognised as such by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February this year - and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions that were occupied by Russian forces after the invasion.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE,) which monitors elections in member-states, has branded the referendums as "illegal" because referendums "can only be announced and conducted by legitimate authorities in compliance with national legislation and international standards."

'Travesty'

French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, described the referendums as a "travesty" and "provocation", speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last week.

The G7 countries have said they will "never recognize" the results, while Washington has promised a "swift and severe" response through additional economic sanctions.

The UK government has already sanctioned 92 Russian individuals and entities for their various roles in the voting.

"Sham referendums held at the barrel of a gun cannot be free or fair and we will never recognise their results," Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

New sanctions?

Meanwhile, the EU is set to sanction organisers of the votes.

"There would be consequences for all people who participate in the illegal, illegitimate referendums," Peter Stano, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, told journalists.

The Kremlin warned Tuesday that votes held in Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine to join Russia would have security implications, with officials in Moscow recently threatening the use of nuclear weapons.

"The legal situation will radically change from the point of view of international law and that will also have consequences for security in these territories," the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

'Netherlands to annex Russia'

The referendums even became topic of merciless parody by Dutch comedian Arjen Lubach, and an online video of his show targeting the referenda went viral.

Lubach said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "was organizing a referendum in a country where he has no territorial claim," and if Putin can do that, "then the Netherlands can do the same in Russia."

The video, partly in Russian, states that The Netherland's King William IV "is also your king, adding that "when you belong to the Netherlands, your sons don't have to die in a meaningless war against Ukraine.

'International observers'

Meanwhile, the pro-Russian Dan-News agency reported that, in total, more than 400 polling stations were opened for the referendum in the Donetsk "People's Republic" alone.

The agency reported that in the first four days of the voting period, turnout had reached 86,89 percent.

The voting was witnessed by "international observers," according to the Russian Tass News Agency, which mentioned retired journalist "Patrick Baab, a German observer," "Janlisbert Velasco of Venezuela" and several others.

But, according to the European Platform for Democratic Elections EPDE, a cooperation with Transparency International, none of the observers fulful the criteria needed for "credible election observation.

Influx of Russians in Georgia

Elsewhere, the number of Russians arriving daily in neighbouring Georgia has nearly doubled since President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation for the war in Ukraine, officials in Tbilisi said Tuesday.

The Caucasus country has been a major destination for Russians fleeing since the war began on 24 February.

The Kremlin said it wanted to recruit around 300,000 men.

"Four to five days ago 5,000-6,000 (Russians) were arriving in Georgia daily. The number has grown to some 10,000 per day," Georgia's interior minister Vakhtang Gomelauri told journalists.

On Tuesday, the local interior ministry in a Russian region that borders Georgia said there was a back-up of around 5,500 cars waiting to reach the Georgian border.

(With agencies)
The Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Her Excellency Damtien L. Tchintchibidja as part of a Mission to monitor ongoing activities being implemented by the ECOWAS Commission and its partners in The Gambia engaged the project team of The Gambia Pilot for the Regional Stabilization and Development Fund, to observe the status of implementation, and gather key lessons that could be useful in the design of intervention strategies for additional countries being supported under the Fund, namely, Guinea Bissau, Niger, and Mali.

She congratulated the project team (GAMWORKS and GIZ), for the work done so far, and encouraged them to expedite the implementation of the remaining activities as the project prepares to close in December 2023. She highlighted the importance of using the project to build resilience, through the provision of basic social services and the creation of sustainable economic opportunities for women and youth.

Following the engagement with the project team, the Vice President embarked on site visits to a Fish Processing Site built by the project to support economic activities of women in Brufut, as well as an 80-bed student dormitory built by the project to enhance vocational training at the Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) in Mansa Konko. She observed some innovations developed by the students and encouraged the Vocational Institute to take advantage of the support provided by the ECOWAS Commission and its partners to increase access to vocational skills development for youth in the country.

The Vice President also visited the newly established National Centre for the Coordination of Early Warning and Response Mechanism (NCCRM), the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA), the Headquarters of the ECOWAS Military Intervention in The Gambia (ECOMIG) and had a working session with Mrs Miatta French, the ECOWAS Resident Representative in The Gambia, the West Africa Police Information System (WAPIS) project team and partners from the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the European Union (EU).

Watch more photos below:

H.e. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice President Of The Ecowas Commission Arrives Gamworks For A Working Session With The Project Team As Part Of Her Mission To The Gambia

H.e. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice President Of The Ecowas Commission During A Working Session With The Project Team (gamworks And Giz)

H.e. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice President Of The Ecowas Commission During A Working Visit To The National Centre For Early Warning In The Gambia

H.e. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice President Of The Ecowas Commission During The Visit To Brufut Fish Processing (smoking) House

H.e. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice President Of The Ecowas Commission In A Session With Ecomig As Part Of Her Mission To The Gambia

H.e. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice President Of The Ecowas Commission Vat The Technical Training Centre In Mansa Konko, The Gambia Where The 80 Beds Dormitory Has Been Built

H.e. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice President Of The Ecowas Commission Visits Ecomig As Part Of Her Mission To The Gambia

H.e. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice President Of The Ecowas Commission Visits The Ecowas Regional Competitive Authority (erca) In Banjul, The Gambia.jpeg

H.e. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice President Of The Ecowas Commission Visits The Technical Training Centre In Mansa Konko, The Gambia Where The 80 Beds Dormitory Has Been Built

H.e. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice President Of The Ecowas Commission With The Wapis Project Team And Partners From Interpol And The Eu
Economic development as a notion entails increasing production, gradual qualitative and structural improvements to the economy, productive forces, growth, and development elements. The level and quality of life of the population, science, culture, human capital, and education, all play important roles in economic development, which results in employment and a sustainable economy.

Speaking about economic development as a process, it should be understood that it is defined by unevenness rather than straightness of movement; for instance, it is unavoidable that there will be times of both growth and decline. Although Ghana has a wealth of resources, including gold, diamonds, bauxite, cocoa, manganese, and oil, the nation is still crawling along like a baby, more than 60 years after gaining its independence. I will focus more on this topic in this post.

Tribal people and adversaries have insulted and disrespected Kwame Nkrumah. The reputation of this noble leader, who gave his life to make Ghana one of the finest countries in the world, has been tarnished by resentment and hatred from those who will try everything to rewrite or alter history but no matter where you are from, the fact that you are a black man with African ancestry means that Nkrumah's story will always be present.



The ruins of a Nkrumah-built sewing factory should have been renovated to employ the thousands of young people who are currently unemployed, but many Ghanaian politicians today, prioritize plundering the nation's wealth and hiding it in foreign banks.

Nkrumah spent all of his time as a leader fighting the colonialists, and once Ghana gained independence, he realized that freedom had no purpose unless jobs were created to benefit Ghanaians. He was aware that with rapid growth, the number of production components would increase, enabling Ghana to completely develop and support its economy, without depending much on foreign nations. This was one of the factors contributing to Ghana's amazing economic achievement under Kwame.

Therefore, any Ghanaian who believes that Akufo Addo has accomplished more than Kwame Nkrumah should return to school and study Ghana's history and economy under Nkrumah. I'm very perplexed by how Nkrumah managed to gain recognition and more famous than any other Ghanaian leader decades after his passing. That implies that no one can fill his shoes or diminish his fame since he is unique.

Kwame Nkrumah did not rely on exports to build Ghana; instead, he used the nation's resources to create jobs by constructing several infrastructures, including schools, hospitals, and factories, since he is aware that extensive economic growth is characterized by the attraction of additional factors of production. The list of some of Nkrumah's accomplishments is provided below.

Kwame Nkrumah made significant educational investments by constructing schools like Mfantsiman Secondary School, Ofori Panyin Secondary School, Techiman Secondary School, Winneba Secondary School, Swedru Secondary School, Apam Secondary School, Dormaa Secondary School, Tema Secondary School, Oda Secondary School, and Labone Secondary School, which produced many academicians and scholars from Ghana.

Kwame Nkrumah also set up several colleges, including the Kwadaso College of Education, the Atebubu Training College, the Berekum Training College, the Fosu Training College, the Enchi Training College, and the Ghana National College at Cape Coast because the nation needed training facilities to educate Ghanaians about improving education.

A glance at universities and technical Institutes

Accra Polytechnic, now Accra Technical University, University of Cape Coast (UCC), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Institute of African Studies, Kwame Nkrumah Institute of Economics and Political Science (now the south campus of UEW), Kumasi Technical Institute (now University), Ajumako, School of Languages (now under UEW), Accra Polytechnic, now Accra Technical University, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and (University College of Gold Coast.)

His initiatives to strengthen the health care system in Ghana resulted in the construction of large hospitals like the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi. The Ghana Medical School was also founded by him.

To sustain Ghana's economy and create jobs for its citizens, Kwame Nkrumah started several enterprises, including the Abosso Glass Factory, Zuarungu Meat Factory, Wenchi Tomato Factory, Kade Match Factory, Akosombo Textiles Limited, Kumasi Shoe Factory, Pwalugu Tomato Factory, Asutuare Sugar Factory, Komenda Sugar Factory, Kumasi Jute Factory, Nsawam Cannery, GIHOC Fibre Products Company, Tile Factory, Tarkwa Bonsa Tyre Factory, Bolgatanga Meat Processing Factory, and the Bolgatanga Rice Mill Factory.

Kwame Nkrumah founded "The Black Star Line," a fleet of ships that belonged to Ghana. The Bank of Ghana (BoG), the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), the National Investment Bank (NIB), the State Insurance Company (SIC), the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the Ghana Oil Company (GOIL), the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GHAPOHA), the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), the National Management and Productivity Institute, the Ghana Film Industries, Accra, the Ghana Airways Corporation, and the Ghana National Trading Corporation, Cocoa Marketing Board (COCOBOD), Tema Steel Works, Volta Aluminum Company VALCO) and Guinea Press, now the Ghanaian Times.

The Labone Estate, Kanda Estates, Osu Ringway Estates, Airport Residential Area), (Patasi Estate, Kwadaso Estate, Buokrom Estates, North and South Suntreso), the Tema community, State Hotels (Star, Meridian, Ambassador, Continental now Golden Tulip Accra, Atlantic, City Hotel Catering Rest Houses now Golden Tulip Kumasi), and Peduase Lodge are some of the additional projects Nkrumah created to support commercial purposes and accommodation.



Money stolen from Ghana, including the COVID funds that have been transferred to unidentified locations or accounts could be used to revive the collapsed Zuarungu Meat Factory, built by Kwame Nkrumah to create jobs and sustain the economy.

Others include the Kotoka International Airport, the Atomic Reactor Station, the Ghana Museums, the Ghana Film Corporation, the Ghana News Agency, and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. State Farms, Institutes, the Tema Motorway, and the Adomi Bridge.

Research evaluation and a conclusion

When researching Kwame Nkrumah's accomplishments in Ghana, you'll be startled to see that many of the facilities he constructed have either been left to decay, destroyed, or collapsed as a result of tribalism, jealousy, and hate. To give the appearance that Kwame Nkrumah didn't accomplish anything in Ghana, they were neglected and allowed to deteriorate. That is how tribalism can destroy a nation and its history.

If the company Nkrumah left behind had been properly cared for to stimulate the economy, Ghana would not have been forced into such a state of misery. Instead, succeeding Ghanaian politicians turned to corruption and ignored the foundation Nkrumah laid, which caused the economy to collapse today. Fortunately, John Mahama was the one adherent of Nkrumah's philosophy and ideology who was able to build several projects.

Unfortunately, the same tribalism that led to Nkrumah's removal from the government also succeeded in persuading Ghanaians that John Mahama is dishonest and incompetent. He lost the 2016 elections, but Ghanaians quickly realized that the NDC government's successor had fooled them. They immediately tried to remove Akufo Addo from office in 2020, but it was too late. His choice of Jean Mensah as head of the Electoral Commission and Kwasi Anin-Yeboah as Chief Justice ensured that he would remain in office at great expense to ordinary Ghanaians today.

Even though the administration under Akufo Addo is on a sod-cutting frenzy, it is currently impossible for the government to name specific projects it has carried out. The hospitals serving the towns of La-Teshie and Nungua, as well as the judges bungalows, are state-owned facilities that the president has demolished without placing them. If you believe that this political party would take you to paradise, are you then a sensible person?

Don't just rely on starting new projects to create jobs to support the economy. If the NPP government has diverted all of the state funds into private accounts and consequently lacks the funds to construct new factories or businesses, they still have the chance to restore some of Kwame Nkrumah's factories that have been allowed to fail, but that option was also rejected. More significantly, they also abandoned the projects left unfinished by the previous NDC administration.

This is one of the many reasons why I initially thought this government would drag Ghanaians into a deep hole from which they would be unable to escape or from which it may take years for them to emerge. Since everything in the country is political, I wasn't spared in my attempts to warn Ghanaians about the NPP administration. I became the target of hate and insults, which eventually stretched to my late mother and father. Since the dust has finally cleared and shown what I said would happen, I am no longer concerned about this. I feel vindicated.

I'm still writing and appealing to Ghanaians to reject tribalism and elect a better president for the nation and the following generation's kids. Just as good parents never give up on their children's progress, I will continue to write to urge Ghanaians to avoid making the same mistakes that led to the collapse of the economy and the cedi, the high rates of corruption, crime, unemployment, and debt without accountability that have shaken the country.

Thats my strong message to the intelligent ones among Ghanaians, no one, whether educated or illiterate, should vote for the NPP if Akufo Addo fails to put Paul Adom-Otchere, his corruptly appointed journalist, and Eugene Arhin, his director of communication supporting and promoting his bad deeds, behind bars. The progress of a country depends on corrupt politicians being removed from office and put behind bars; adding them to governments will cause the collapse of the country. That's exactly what we have witnessed.
A Circuit Court Judge, His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah is urging the courts to take a strong stance against galamsey-related cases.

His Honour laments that the destruction galamsey is causing to the country's water bodies and forest cover is far-reaching not only on humans but also on animals within those natural habitats.

Denying a bail application for Aisha Huang and three other Chinese nationals facing illegal mining and sale of minerals charges on Tuesday, His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah said it was sad that the country would soon have to import water if galamsey was not fiercely fought against.

This is an activity that is destroying our water bodies. Look at how it is destroying our forests. We, the humans, are complaining. The animals in the forest are suffering. It's very sad.

If this should go on, the Ghana Water Company will soon shut down, and we would have to import water to drink. Every Ghanaian must help deal with illegal miners. I pray other courts will take a hard stance against such persons, he lamented.

Lawyers for the Chinese nationals said the continuous detention of the accused persons was sending the wrong signals to the international community.

Her lawyer, Captain Rtd. Nkrabea Effah Dartey was worried that the impression being created was that foreign nationals would not find Justice before the Courts of Ghana.

He thus strongly urged the Court not to be bothered by happenings outside the courtroom, but to consider only the two charges before it.

The prosecution however argued that the accused persons, though foreign nationals, were bound by provisions of the law as much as any citizen would be bound and that the accused persons were not being treated any differently.

On the basis of that, His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah refused the bail application and ordered their continual remand.

Aisha Huang and the three others will, thus, reappear on October 12.

---citinewsroom
The Minority in Parliament is demanding a detailed report on the agreement between Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and a US-based Ghanaian owned energy company, Genser Energy Holdings.

The Minority contends that the conditions of the deal, in which Genser committed to pay a reasonable price for gas to power embedded power plants it leases to various large mines and consumers in the cement and ceramics industries, must be interrogated.

Industry players including IMANI Africa have also raised concerns about alleged financial recklessness.

Speaking to Citi News, the Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, John Jinapor, said the Committee would review the deal when Parliament resumes.

Some of the questions have been answered while others are pending. For the information that could not be provided, we have directed that GNPC makes all those information available to us regarding the financial analysis underpinning the agreement and investment decisions.

We are also aware that, Ghana Gas is deeply involved, so we have decided that we will summon Ghana Gas to appear before us because I am clear in my mind that, there are some issues that need addressing, he said.

Already, the government has described as misleading reports that Ghana is likely to incur a $1.5 billion financial loss in the agreement.

For now, it is a bit exaggerated, a Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy, Mohammed Amin said to the press.

The Africa Centre for Energy Policy and IMANI Africa revealed in a report that the deal in which Genser committed to pay a reasonable price for gas to power embedded or off-grid power plants it leases to various large mines and consumers in the cement and ceramics industries triggers possible financial recklessness on the part of GNPC.

But Mr. Amin said IMANI and ACEP should have been more measured while sharing their conclusions.

I was thinking that before IMANI and ACEP would put out into the public domain matters of this consequence, they should have made these matters referable to GNPC.

Ghana Gas which used to be a subsidiary of the GNPC has been invited to meet the committee on Monday on the matter.

John Jinapor, is, however, expecting further details on the agreement between the GNPC and Genser.

He is concerned with the financial analysis underpinning the agreement and the thinking that went into the investment decisions.

The committee will interrogate this matter to its logical solution our duty is to make sure the State is not short-changed, he said.

---citinewsroom
Percival Kofi Akpaloo, leader and founder of the Library Party of Ghana (LPG), has said the booing by the youth at last Saturdays Global Citizens Festival is just the tip of the iceberg.

The 2020 presidential candidate asserted that looking at how Ghanaians are suffering, hooting at the President at gatherings may become a normal action by the youth to express their displeasure.

Speaking to Accra-based Angel TV/FMs Anopa Bofo morning show, the politician intimated that things will get worse than the one recorded on Saturday if the President keeps sleeping and not taking any action.

"All is not well to Ghanaians. Ghanaians are not happy. When I saw this video I said it is a tip of the iceberg, because people are not happy in this country. Nobody should sit anywhere and think all is well," he stated.

According to him, the President's advisors should also be blamed for the abysmal performance of government that has brought hardship to Ghanaians.

He advised the President to listen to the people's cries and stop alluding to the advice of his self-serving appointees, who may have misinformed him.

I think the problem with the president at the moment is that people are not advising him well because when it came to the period to reshuffle his appointees, he took things lightly.

"If he effected the change in the government, people will begin to realise that you want to do something...but he took things lightly," he intimated.

He stressed, "President as a person will not know what is happening on the ground.

Some outraged and suffering Ghanaian youth who attended the Global Citizens music festival gave the President an unpleasant evening during his speech at the event.

Soon after the President mounted the stage to deliver the 6-minute welcome address, he was booed with "away! Away!" chants from the crowd.

It continued till the President concluded his speech at the Black Stars Square on Saturday, September 24.
The Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye has directed all Regional Hospitals to establish Staff Clinics dedicated to the care of all health staff.

Speaking at the opening of the 29th Annual General Conference of District Directors of Health Service in Takoradi, Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye said the creation of Staff Clinics will ensure that health staff recover within time to get back to work.

I'm looking out for a DDHS Group that cares for the carers. The question now is that, who cares for the carers? When a midwife or a nurse is sick at the CHPS Compound, who takes care of her? That is why we have instructed that all Regional Hospitals establish staff clinics that are dedicated to all staff from all levels. Just make sure that you're insured, have your ID card, and you can go there for care and that is extremely important, he said.

While assuring the District Directors of the Ghana Health Services efforts to improve their accommodation and transportation, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye however urged them not to renege on their responsibilities to supervise the operations of private health facilities in the country.

You must have oversight responsibility. Your name is not District Director of Ghana Health Service, but you are District Director of Health Service, which means that you have oversight over everybody or health activity in your district being quasi-government, private facility or Ghana Health Service facility and that role must not be reneged onLet's not forget that under the law we have oversight of healthcare and therefore play that role properly, he added.

A Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Francis Chisaka Kosolo who said the World Health Organization working with government to strengthen health systems through investment in primary healthcare asked the District Director of Health Services not to forget lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic where the absence of resilience health care system in most countries disproportionately affected people living with Non-Communicable Diseases, NCDs.

On his part, the National Chairman of Directors of Health Services Group, Dr. Emmanuel Akwoulo Agyigewe Teviu commended government for some improvement in accommodation and vehicles for Health Directors but called for more as the challenge with accommodation and vehicles remains.

The Western Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Yaw Ofori Yeboah, commended the dedication of District Directors of Health Service and challenged them to continue as the Service also looks at ways to improve their logistical needs.

The ongoing two-day 29th National Annual District Directors of Health Service Group Conference in Takoradi is on the theme: Strengthening NCD's Services within Primary Healthcare Towards a Resilient Pandemic Preparedness and Response; The Role of The DDHS.

---citinewsroom
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdelhamid al-Dbaiba, said here Tuesday he was working to make tourism an essential pillar of the national economy and one of the main objectives of his government
Ten customers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Ashanti Region, have been arrested for reconnecting electricity after they were disconnected.

The ten were arrested at Abuakwa, Makro, Manhyia, Tanoso and other communities in the Abuakwa district during a night exercise.

The power distributing company arrested the 10 as part of its special exercise to improve revenue mobilisation.

The 10, were among 150 customers who were disconnected for failing to pay their bills and who were involved in illegal connection in the region.

Some of the customers arrested settled their bills and were reconnected.

The ECG TaskForce Manager, Ing Fred Kwabena Bediako, told the media that the exercise forms part of efforts to reduce losses and improve the companys revenue generation drive.

He indicated that a similar exercise will take place nationwide continuously to ensure a stop to customers reconnecting themselves.

We thought that with last experience people would have stopped doing the self-reconnection but going out today has proved that we need to intensify this monitoring to be able to deter electricity consumers from self-reconnecting.

He added that: We dont take delight in doing such things because it is tiresome and increases cost but we are forced under the circumstance to do this exercise.

Source: classfmonline.com
Teacher Unions in the country have commended the Ghana Education Service (GES) for correcting the promotion year from 2017 to 2018 to reflect the required number of years, which is four years in the grade.

This follows a discussion between the Teacher Unions including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana (CCT-GH) and the GES regarding pertinent issues bordering on the various Unions in the country in August 2020.

In a letter addressed to the Director-General of the GES, the unions reminded the GES of the outstanding issues which are yet to be addressed.

The unions enumerated the issues including: Payment of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) allowance, Grievance arising out of Promotion to the Grade of Director I & II, Grievance arising out of payment of allowance to Teachers in deprived communities.

The others are Lower ranks promotions and related matters, Review of the 2020 collective agreement between GES and the teaching staff within the GES and National teaching council (CPD) points.

The unions said they anticipate a quick response to these issues.

Source: classfmonline.com
28.09.2022 LISTEN

The Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) is sponsoring 2000 children under 18 to enrol on the National Health Insurance Scheme.

The gesture is in support of the 1000k for Health project which seeks to court the support of well-meaning Ghanaians to pay and underwrite the NHIS registration fees for at least 1,000 vulnerable children under 18 living in Ashanti Regional communities.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, said this when the CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Bernard Okoe Boye paid a courtesy call on him on Monday.

Mr Osei-Mensah stated that the initiative would help address a major challenge bedevilling access to health care in the Region and the country as a whole.

Dr Bernard Oko Boye disclosed that the 1000k for health project is an initiative to supplement the government's commitment to enrol vulnerable children, especially children with childhood cancer on the National Health Insurance.

He also stated that the NHIA board of directors has approved that persons 70 years and above, who registered with the NHIS can access health care on the same day.

Dr Oko Boye said the initiative was necessary due to the frustration that some elderly people experience when attempting to obtain health care.

Thus, the waiting period of 30 days has been waived for subscribers who are 70 years and above just as pregnant women.
Four Foreign envoys at separate occasions on Tuesday, presented their Letters of Credence to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House to begin their duty tour of the country.

They were Simone Giger, the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Jeannette Njuma Nyakeru, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bijan Gerami Naziksara, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Bernice Owen-Jones, Australian High Commissioner.

During separate interactions with President Akufo-Addo, they all commended Ghana for its leadership in promoting democratic values and the maintenance of peace and security, particularly in the West Africa region.

Bernice Owen-Jones, in her remarks, said there was a lot Australia and West Africa could collaborate and do to address some pressing security challenges in the region such as terrorism

She said her country currently was funding an international counter-terrorism academy in La Cote d'Ivoire to deliver training and security capabilities in the region.

The Australian Ambassador said the mining sector for decades had been the main pillar of the bilateral relationship between Ghana and Australia, and in some countries in the West African Region.

Australia, she stated, has over $40 billion in investments in west Africa and was proud of her countrys engagements in the extractive sector in Ghana for which both countries had derived many benefits.

She said there were other sectors of the economy that the two countries were closely engaged in  education  where many Ghanaian professionals had been supported to study in Australia through the Australia Awards Scheme.

Bernice Owen-Jones commended the work of the Australian Commission in Ghana which has so far supported over 250 projects over the last 20 years to deliver development to communities.

She said there were more areas such as closer business-to-business links, and links between the universities and civil societies that the two countries could further explore to deepen the relations.

The Australian Ambassador expressed her countrys commitment to working with the Ghanaian government to deepen further the strong relationship between the two countries.

On his part, President Akufo-Addo congratulated Bernice Owen-Jones on her appointment and added that Australia and Ghana have had an excellent relationship since the latters independence, 65 years ago.

He said as members of the Commonwealth, Ghana and Australia had shown commitment to the goals of the association and shared common aspirations and commitment to democratic values, and respect for human rights, which binds the two countries closer.

President Akufo-Addo expressed his gratitude for the contributions Australia had made and continues to make in the countrys development journey, especially in the extraction sector.

The President added that currently, there were 26 Australian companies in Ghana that were listed on the countrys stock exchange.

President Akufo-Addo said Ghana finds her partnership with Australia very useful and beneficial and that there was a very promising engagement that the two countries could enter into to further deepen the relationship.

Swiss High Commissioner, Simone Giger told President Akufo-Addo that I think I do not have to convince you of the excellent relations between Switzerland and Ghana as your state visit to my country was a testimony of that great relations.

She said President Akufo-Addos leadership which has further cultivated a renewed bond of friendship had been key and hoped the bilateral relations, as well as the high-level engagements between the two countries achieved over the past few years, would be maintained.

Simone Giger said Switzerland had recently adopted a strategy on Sub-Sharan Africa, the first ever which demonstrated her countrys willingness to engage more with Africa.

And within that strategy, she said Ghana had been defined as the so-called Lioness and with its presence in Ghana, Australia would want to intensify the already long relations with Ghana.

She was convinced that every development and economic engagement that the two countries pursued was in line with the Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda.

Switzerland is here to work together with Ghanaian counterparts to develop the local private sector to diversify the Ghanaian economy and in the end hopefully, to create jobs for the countrys youthful population, Simone Giger stated.

Other areas of cooperation that her country was ready to be deeply engaged in were Education, finance, technological know-how, digitalization and the fight against climate change.

She said the Republic of Ghana and the Confederation of Switzerland 2020 signed a landmark bilateral agreement on Climate Protection that would allow the two countries to implement the agreed cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Simone Giger said though the implementation had not yet started, it had already raised a lot of interest and I think what we are going to do under this agreement would be of great interest not only to our two countries but to many more countries.

I am keen and eager to work together with your administration on the realization of this agreement and also towards dissemination, hopefully, of all the good pipes we are going to create.

The Swiss Ambassador announced that Switzerland would soon join the United Nations Security Council for the first time and that Switzerland would be in good company there with Ghana and looking forward to cooperating with Ghana within the framework of the Security Council.

She said Switzerland would hope to rely on the Presidents expertise and experience and given our like-mindedness, I think we would find different topics on which we can vote together to prevent conflict, sustaining peace and also in addressing the issues of climate change and security.

President Akufo-Addo said Ghana and Switzerland have a good base to forge ahead even stronger relations, a relationship he said has been beneficial and productive for us here in Ghana.

He said Ghana continue to cherish that relationship and hoped that during your time here as Ambassador we will see an intensification of this relations.

He expressed optimism that the Climate Change agreement between the two countries could be a model for many countries on how to work in a structured manner to deal with the socio-carbon credits over the environment.
28.09.2022 LISTEN

The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, has called on businesses to channel their investments to the Northern Region and take advantage of the many prospects peculiar to the region.

He made this statement in Accra during the State of the Region Report, a weekly news conference organized by the Ministry of Information for Regional Ministers to present updates on projects in the regions.

He stated that the area was gaining popularity among investors looking to make sizable investments due to the region's welcoming business environment, restoration of calm in the area and many investment opportunities.

There is much to be achieved for the Northern Region given the huge potentials at our disposal. In this regard, I wish to use this opportunity to call on investors to inject the necessary capital into the various sectors of our economy, the Regional Minister emphasised.

According to Alhaji Saibu, the area is blessed with vast and fertile agricultural lands that, when fully utilized, may transform the region's economy, help achieve food security, lower poverty, unemployment and rural-to-urban migration.

He acknowledged that the area faced difficulties, but the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs), as well as other local private citizens, were working together to make sure that the environment was favourable for investment, which in turn encouraged people to make investments.

Despite the challenges in the region, the RCC and MDAs in the region, in collaboration with other key stakeholders, will continue to create the necessary conducive atmosphere for businesses to thrive, and for people to go about their socio-economic activities, he stated.

In addition to attracting investors, the Regional Minister highlighted the infrastructure initiatives that are fostering regional development, such as road and health projects.

He announced that the Department of Urban Roads is now working on 245.58km of roads in Tamale and other capitals of the MMDAs in the region.

Alhaji Saibu further noted that 82 health-related facilities have been completed and currently in use, accounting for 72% of all completed projects.

These projects include CHPS compounds, clinics and hospitals, administrative buildings for district health directorates, housing for healthcare personnel, and supplying logistics to hospitals, he stressed.
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has issued a press release informing the general public that data on all mobile money loan customers are domiciled in the databases of credit bureaus.

This is to warn Mobile Money loan defaulters refusing to re-register their SIM Cards with the Ghana Card to think twice.

According to BoG, failure to repay such loans will attract negative repercussions on borrowers credit reports/history and could subsequently adversely affect any chance of obtaining loan facilities from other financial institutions and credit providers in the future.

The attention of Bank of Ghana has been drawn to some individuals who have acquired loans through mobile money platforms, but have deliberately refused to register their SIM cards under the on-going national SIM Card registration exercise, with the intention of avoiding repayment of the acquired loans.

Borrowers who have discarded their SIM Cards are advised to contact their telecommunication service providers or respective lenders, to discuss repayment arrangements to avoid adverse information on their credit reports, that could deny them access to future credit facilities, parts of a press release issued by the Bank of Ghana on Wednesday has said.

The ongoing SIM Card re-registration process is scheduled to end on Friday, September 30.

With thousands of SIM Cards not registered, it is unclear whether there will be another extension of the deadline.
Dr. Richard Amoako Baah

28.09.2022 LISTEN

A former Political Science lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr. Richard Amoako Baah has bemoaned the current state of the Ghanaian economy.

He said the President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is behaving as if the country belongs to him and his friends.

According to the senior NPP member, it is baffling how the President has refused to take advise all this while when Ghanaians continue to suffer in the hard economy.

When you advise Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo he doesn't take it. We should stop behaving like the country belongs to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his friends, Dr. Amoako Baah said in an interview with Joy FM on Wednesday morning.

Earlier this week, the Political Scientist urged President Akufo-Addo to take lessons from the hooting incident over the weekend.

In his view, the boos are an indication that Ghanaians are unhappy with his style of managing the affairs of the country.

He should use this to advise himself as to how angry Ghanaians are. For such an occasion to be turned into such a fiasco is very bad. If he has been listening to his handlers to tell him what he wants to hear, now, he should put his ears down and get others to tell him what is going on.

He has to know his own popularity among his people. People are hungry, you go to this occasion in a convoy, why should you do that? The country is in hardship and yet you dont behave in any way to let people know that you feel for them and that youre in it with them. You continue doing business as usual, Dr. Amoako Baah told Starr FM in an interview on Monday.

On Saturday, the President was at the Global Citizens Concert organised at the Black Stars Square.

While mounting the stage to deliver a speech, President Akufo-Addo was subjected to booing by a section of the crowd.

The youth clapped their hands while shouting away 'away.'
The use of contemporary digital technologies in numerous aspects of life and production is known as digitalization. It is an accomplishment for Ghana to pursue a similar route to development given that the notion of economic activity based on digital technology is widely applied in every country without exception and is present in a variety of domains of life and production.

However, there is a hidden goal behind GhanaCard's implementation in the country, which is adversely hurting Ghanaians' ability to conduct business and develop its digital economy. The NPP government planned evil schemes to benefit them rather than the public, the introduction of the GhanaCard as the exclusive form of identification for voting and conducting business transactions in the nation is included.

It is necessary to open offices in all of Ghana's regions for the issuance of national identification cards to people of the nation in the proper manner. Unfortunately, if my memory serves me correctly, there is only one center in the entire nation that has been chosen and given permission to carry out this task; some people have already received their cards, while others have not yet.

Many Ghanaians claim that the NPP government only distributed cards in NPP strongholds while rejecting requests from the NDC and other political parties. That indicates that this is being done on purpose to restrict voters' ability to vote for other political parties and to boost the NPP's chances of winning. If this evil scheme materializes, election-related violence may result.

One thing I've noticed about the entire NPP leadership team is that many of them lack intelligence or are smart. Even NPP politician Ken Agyapong stated that "what is called sense; the NPP politicians have absolutely none because they never learn from their mistakes. After all, if they do, they would recognize right away that Ghana is no longer a place where politicians should take Ghanaians as fools.

Even though the majority of Ghanaians are aware of the evil agenda hidden beneath the NPP government's objectives, the public will remain silent if the government passes legislation and introduces measures while pretending to be acting in the best interests of the populace. The typical Ghanaian won't raise a fuss over the onerous sim-card registration and GhanaCard-related issues; instead, they'll find a way to make life difficult for the NPP administration.

An important instance is the implementation of the E-Levy. The administration ignored the people after being rejected by the majority of Ghanaians, even though it had been in power for more than six years at the time, without providing jobs for the people. Ghanaians thought the NPP government a valuable lesson, by cashing out their money from the financial system. Therefore, the E-Levy failed, decimating numerous mobile transaction firms across the country.

Many Ghanaians are now dissatisfied with the GhanaCard, which makes it difficult to cash in the nation. I don't know the reason behind the NPP administration's choice, but I will say that it is the most foolish move ever made by a government because what is taking place in foreign countries over how Ghanaians are sending home money to their families will have a long-term negative impact on the government.

Since learning that many Ghanaians are having trouble cashing their own money due to the lack of a GhanaCard, the majority of Ghanaians living abroad have discovered alternate ways to send money to their families back home. As a result, the business of sending money to Ghana is currently booming in several regions of Europe and the United States.

Ghanaians living in Europe and the United States of America can send their relatives thousands of dollars in foreign currency that can be easily paid or cashed in Ghana without a GhanaCard. Illegal money brokers have suddenly become more prevalent in Europe and the United States, particularly through African marketplaces, where Ghanaians send their families in Ghana thousands of dollars and euros, which they then cash through brokers who represent them in Ghana.

Every time the NPP government enacts policies that have an impact on Ghanaians at home and abroad, they all come up with ways to overcome those policies, which frequently hurt the ruling government. Despite this, they never learn any lessons due to greed, dishonesty, and corruption. Due to the GhanaCard as the only identification to cash in Ghana, the NPP administration is currently losing millions, possibly billions, which could have assisted in stabilizing the economy.

The NPP government allegedly made the GhanaCard issue tough for NDC and other political party members on purpose, according to a social media rumor. If this rumor is true, the NPP government will still lose the election. As previously stated, Ghana is in a time where the people can no longer be duped. Many GhanaCards can be given to NPP supporters, but the polling area will be as quiet as a cemetery since they have lost interest in the administration and are unwilling to continue this suffering and hardships.

Given the possibility that many people won't cast ballots, anything Ursula Owusu and the National Identification Authority try to help the NPP win in 2024 would likely fail once more, just like the E-Levy. Therefore, the NPP's intentions for ensuring their win in 2024 are useless. Because they failed the people, the party has lost the public's trust, respect, and regard for its integrity. They are dishonest and liars, that's why Akufo Addo was booed.
Kuoro Buktie Limann IV, the Paramount Chief of the Gwollu Traditional Area has indicated that slavery affected the growth in the Sissala area and thereby derailed development.

He said over 250, 000 people within the Sissalla area alone were captured during the slavery, which to some extent derailed development.

He told the GNA in Gwollu that Europe had meted out the worst forms of atrocities to Africa saying, No amount of compensation will be able to soothe our suffering.

Kuoro Limann IV also expressed worry about how tourists during Emancipation Day events are limited to only Forts and Castles in the Coastal areas to the neglect of roots of the slavery.

The slaves were captured from the north and sent to the Coast to be shipped. Tourists visit places of No return but they don't visit where the slaves were captured, he said.

He said tourism on slavery would be incomplete if attention was not equally given to the roots of slavery and that slave camps in the north will be extinct if attention is not paid.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the area to acquaint itself with the development challenges and tourism potential and to see how the place could be developed more.

The chief said Gwollu as a slave route emptied the Sissala area as a conservative figure of more than 250,000 people were sent away as chattel slaves and that's why it left the villages empty.

He said, From here to Navrongo and back to Hamile, there were few people. You will see vast and deserted places because they took the strong people away, it is now that we have started populating the area.

The Paramount Chief said now that tourism was being promoted, the diaspora people must be allowed to trace their route through to where they were taken away from and argued that Cape Coast, Anomabo and Elmina were all exit points to Europe and the Americans.

He explained that allowing Europeans, Americans, and others to visit tourist sites in the north would increase the revenue base of all the towns and communities that were affected by the slave trade as the country sought to promote tourism.

He emphasized that slaves were gathered from Southern Burkina Faso through Gwollu and other towns right up to Salaga slave Market.

He said the slave route from Paga, Gwollu through to Salaga slave market must not be forgotten and erased in history because of a lack of interest and access roads to those areas.

He said the people of Gwollu built an anti-slavery wall against the raiders whom he mentioned as Samori and Babatu Zato, a place he said had been left unattended.

The anti-slave walls were built of mud that had holes in them where the locals hid and pointed their bows and arrows at the enemy each time they came to attack, and this eventually protected them from the raiders.

The Gwollu Kuoro mentioned the Gwollu mystery bone setting centre, the anti-slavery defence wall and slave route and the local viagra centre as some tourist attractions worth visiting.

The rests are the tomb of Dr Hilla Limann and the crocodile pond of Gwollu, which if properly taken care of could generate revenue for development.

Kuoro Limann IV appealed to the government to consider constructing roads linking to tourist sites in the region to boost tourism and for investors to relocate to the area.

GNA
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa, KT Hammond has blasted the Ghanaians who booed President Akufo-Addo at the Global Citizens Festival over the weekend.

On Saturday, the President was at the Global Citizens Concert organised at the Black Stars Square.

While mounting the stage to deliver a speech, President Akufo-Addo was subjected to booing by a section of the crowd.

The youth clapped their hands while shouting away 'away.'

Speaking to Joy News, KT Hammond has condemned the incident, describing it as disrespectful, scandalous and undemocratic.

While lambasting the revellers who hooted at the President, the Adansi Asokwa MP said all the youths know is to grow beards and walk around empty-headed.

We dont sit in a country and do this. Lets be patient. He is the President of the country. The youth must be patient. When there is a problem we always say we are going to see the old lady. We dont say we are going to see [you the youth] with big heads like coconut. The old lady is someone who is old and has something in the head.

When you [the youth] meet respect the elderly. Because of politics then you will just be insulting people just like that. Its not possible for us to leave you to do [politics], you dont understand it and you cant do it. You [the youth] have just left your beard to grow and walking around with nothing in your head, KT Hammond shared.

Listen to the veteran parliamentarian in the Joy News video below:
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA)  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has welcomed the renewal of his mandate by the UN General Assembly, saying he was humbled by the decision
The unfortunate incident that transpired at the Global Citizens Festival over the weekend has been described as a warning to President Akufo-Addo and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to Democratic Youth for Competent Leadership (DYFCL), the booing of the President should be a wake-up call to the NPP to start preparing their handing over notes to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

President Akufo-Addo was booed by the overcrowded participants who were chanting 'Away, Away, Away' when he was called on stage to read his speech.

The unhealthy development has stirred controversy as most Ghanaians seem to be in support of the booing, as they insist the President and the NPP have failed Ghanaians in managing the economy.

The NPP Deputy Communications Director, Owusu Bempah has however, accused the main opposition NDC of being behind the incident just to embarrass the President.

But a statement by DYFCL has advised the President and NPP to see the current development as persistent anger of many Ghanaians due to the high cost of living people are going through in the country.

The statement also indicated that the NDC is surprised to see Government and party communicators blaming the Party instead of reflecting back on promises made prior to the 2016 and 2020 general elections.

"It is now clear that the NPP and President Akufo-Addo has woefully failed Ghanaians and we think it is time to show remorse and apologise for poor management of the economy instead of trying to defend the unthinkable," the group emphasised.
28.09.2022 LISTEN

Agonaman Executive Club, a development oriented organization has been launched at Agona Swedru in the Central Region to spearhead the development of Agona State, especially in the areas of education and infrastructure.

The over 70-membership club aimed at developing the area says they were going to partner Assemblies in the jurisdiction to produce quality human resources needed for national development.

According to the General Secretary of the Club, Mr. Robert Abeku Ansah, they will do everything possible within their means to improve academic standards and social amenities.

"The Agonaman Executive Club started as an Association with the intention of meeting the welfare needs of its members, but we saw the need to set up a formidable Club made up of people from diverse ways to open our doors for development partners.

"We are therefore in partnership with international organizations to create job opportunities for the youth in Agonaman which consist of Agona West Municipal Assembly and the Agona East District Assembly.

"We have also participated in World Youth Summit to seek support for the well-being of the youth in the country and around the globe. Plans are far advanced for regular participation in subsequent World Youth Forums.

"One of our major priorities is to improve the academic standard of education. The abysmal performance of our students in recent times has become a source of worry.

"To this end, we have decided to work with all the stakeholders in the education industry including Parents Associations (P.A), Old Students Association as well as various Civil Society Groups to work together to improve the academic standard," Mr. Abeku Ansah stressed.

The General Secretary in his report hinted that plans were far advanced for the club to construct a modern library facility at Agona Swedru to cultivate the habit of reading among children of school going age.

"Aside other things, Agonaman Executive Club is going to organize all the Youth Groups to support self-help projects in their Communities.

"As a registered Club in the records of the Registrar General, we have the ability to bring together the most vibrant and energetic young people of Agona together towards our ultimate dream.

"Again, plans are far advanced for the construction of a visitors lodge at the Agona Swedru Government Hospital, construction of a police post to boost security situation in Agona and also roll out programmes towards United Nation Sustainable Development Goals," the General Secretary noted.

Regent of Agona Swedru, Nana Kweku Essieni V lauded members of the club for their foresight to spearhead the development of Agonaman noting that Nananom will support them to achieve their set goals and objectives.

As a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Mathematics at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Isaac Kwame Dontwi who chaired the ceremony pledged to support skill training among the youth in Agona to be self-dependent. He promisese to contribute his quota towards the sustainability of Agonaman Executive Club.

Agona West Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Evans Addison Onoma Coleman and his colleague District Chief Executive for Agona East Hon Janet Odei Paintsil equally pledged their support to the Club.

The Agonaman Executive Club has Mr. Eric Kwame Bentum as its Chairman, Mr. Robert Abeku Ansah, as General Secretary and Mr. Frank Gorman, Legal Adviser among others.
28.09.2022 LISTEN

A former parliamentary aspirant in the Akatsi South Constituency, Mr. William Kormatsi has said the country under the leadership of Nana Addo Danqua Akufo-Addo has no economy to mismanage again.

According to the business tycoon, the economy is dead with the country's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) above 100%.

Mr. Kpormatsi made this assertion on his official Facebook page.

"Ghana has no economy again! Historically, debt to G.D.P is now beyond 100%. Let's take care of our small savings!" he stated.

According to him, the magnitude of suffering being experienced by Ghanaians is more the ravages of war, advising Ghanaians to guard their savings in the country's banks.

Mr. Kpormatsi's comments add to the sentiments of many Ghanaians who have decried the country's economic woes.

Ghana, under the leadership of President Nana Addo and Dr. Bawumia, is currently experiencing a hard time, with the country's currency consistently falling against the US dollar and other major currencies.
Felix Kwame Quainoo

28.09.2022 LISTEN

It is trite knowledge that diseases and sicknesses are consequentially an integral part of our daily lives. No matter how well we take good care of ourselves one can never escape the scathing sword of sicknesses and diseases. Indeed, diseases and sicknesses are no respecter of persons. They have no regard for gender, creed, race, ethnicity, religion, politics or social standing.

For many of us, when the unfortunate happens and we fall sick or we are bogged down by an ailment our first point of call is a health facility. Health facilities are ordinarily expected to be places of solace, tranquility and healing.

Unfortunately, that is not the case. The work being done by some of the health facilities across the length and breadth of this country leaves much to be desired in both public and private health facilities.

I have had an excruciatingly and unpleasant experience of losing two close relatives in recent times, one in February at a public facility and the other in August at a private facility. (Names withheld). This got me thinking deeply about how our very lives are virtually in the hands of health workers and how well they handle it determines our fate and survivability.

Quite often we read in both the mainstream and social media about the poor services being rendered by some hospitals in the country and until it happens to you directly or indirectly you might not appreciate or fully grasp the gravity of the sad reality in a lot of our health facilities.

Some of our compatriots who have been at receiving end of these poor services rendered by some health facilities mostly complain about rude, uncaring and unfriendly medical staff and how their negligence wreaks havoc on innocent citizens of this country.

Others also complain bitterly about substandard medical facilities as well as medical staff whose handling of patients begs the question whether they are duly trained and certificated medical professionals or not!

The actions and inaction of medical staff in our medical facilities are partly to blame for the high mortality rates being recorded in some of our medical facilities across the country.

The administration of wrong medications, wrong dosages and application rates as well as wrong surgical procedures have killed and maimed too many of our people and we should all be concerned since we are all at risk of dying needless deaths from substandard medical facilities and incompetent medical staff.

Why on earth should one visit a health facility in times of sickness without returning home hale and hearty? For me, the number of deaths being recorded in some of our health facilities in recent times is way too many and this calls for urgent probe into the activities of our health facilities.

For instance, on 18th February this year, a 40-year-old male relative of mine was suddenly taken ill and was admitted at a public health facility and in less than 10 hours he was gone just like that. I have a strong feeling that he could have been saved but for the negligence and inaction on the part of the medical handlers. Around 11pm a particular drug was administered to the patient whose breathing was being supported with oxygen only for his breathing to sharply and irregularly rise and fall and in less than a minute after a particular drug was administered, he was already gone and the usual we are sorry bla bla bla was re-echoed quite painfully.

As if that was not enough, just last month my 44-year-old big sister walked into a private facility somewhere in Kumasi for myomectomy. She was not 'sick', she was hale and hearty. The surgical process I am told was successfully done on Sunday only for her health to deteriorate afterwards and by Thursday she was also gone painfully just like that.

In both of these scenarios from a layman in the medical profession's point of view I could draw conclusions of ineptitude coupled with negligence and of course lack of respect and responsibility for human lives as the common risk factor that played out

It is therefore not surprising knowing people travel outside the country just to access good quality medical care which involves huge sum of money. But the question is what about the masses who do not have the wherewithal to access quality health care from outside the country? Should we continue to die needlessly like some experimental guinea pigs? What are we doing as a people to also create a congenial medical atmosphere in our country for the good people of this country so we stop dying like chickens?

Most medical people have no sense of responsibility for human lives. They kill patients needlessly in our medical facilities through their actions and inactions ostensibly because they are sure to get away with it! I believe naming and shaming medical personnel and facilities who are negligent in the discharge of their duties as well as other stringent punitive actions against culprits would go a long way to sanitize the system for better healthcare delivery system.

As it stands now fighting one's way through the justice delivery in case of medical negligence is an uphill task. Special courts should be designated to handle cases of medical negligence and infractions for victims and their families to be able to seek redress.

To this end, I would like to urge the Ghana Health Service (GHS) which has the supervisory and regulatory authority over all health facilities in the country to intensify supervision, monitoring and evaluation of all health facilities in the country and deal drastically with non performing facilities. This is about human lives and absolutely nothing should be left to chance. I am sure if GHS start closing down medical facilities for just a single human life lost negligently our handlers of medical facilities would begin to sit up.

Ghana Medical Association (GMA), The Ghana Medical and Dental Council, The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) and all other professional bodies within Ghanas medical space to admonish their members to ensure the highest standards of ethics and professionalism for the betterment of our health delivery and administration system. These professional bodies I believe should endeavour to crack the whip and withdraw the license of members who breach their code of conduct and ethics.

I would like to urge the government to work around the clock to ensure our medical infrastructure are up to scratch whether in urban or rural areas for efficient health administration system. Also, government must work hard to ensure a proper and well-functioning and above all a sustainable National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to save more lives especially in low-income groups. Remember this is about human lives and we need to do everything within our power to make our NHIS one of the best if not the best in our subregion.

Again, government should ensure the availability of basic drugs in our health facilities. It is sad to visit some facilities like Community Health and Planning Services (CHPS) compounds, Health, Centers, Clinics and Even Hospitals only to be given prescription to buy your drugs from outside the facility. Indeed, this situation makes a mockery of the emergency services being delivered by these facilities. What is the usefulness of the emergency unit of any medical facility with basic drugs to respond to cases. The issue of fake drugs purchased by our central medical stores and supplied to health facilities especially public health facilities should also be looked at for the betterment of our health administration system.

The "No Bed" syndrome in our health facilities continue to be a blot on our collective conscience as a people and there should be a deliberate and well calculated plan in place to ensure that going forward the "No Bed" syndrome would be a thing of the past. Never again should any patient visit any facility and sleep on the floor, on a bench or in a plastic chair. We have come too far as a nation to allow such avoidable and disgraceful incidences to be part of the narrative. Let us all tell ourselves Never Again!

Let me quickly add that of course there are some medical facilities and medical staff who are doing a great job and doing their best to save lives and we doff our hearts for them for saving lives to the best of their abilities. Kudos to all those who are holding high the flag of the medical profession and putting our country on a pedestal despite the challenges. We are grateful for the great job you guys are doing.

Let us all put our hands to the wheel and make our country a better place to live in. God bless our homeland Ghana and make her great and strong.

Felix Kwame Quainoo

0244998919/0207744933

The writer is a freelancer from Aboso in the Western Region.
Every fourth day of September, the rivers of the world are remembered and their importance underscored.

The importance of the near ritual is just so mankind does not take these water bodies for granted and therefore treated as if they are not sensitive to abuse.

September 25 has come and gone but in Ghana, the day was not observed in the manner that it should have been especially against the backdrop of the unprecedented abuse of these water bodies in the country, in recent times.

The Ankobras, Tanos, Offins, Pras and others have never been so abused by unscrupulous persons.

In spite of the place of rivers in our lives, criminal activities are being perpetrated by some persons on them as they prospect for gold thereby contaminating the water sourced from these bodies.

The great rivers of the world such as Mississippi, Irrawaddy and Mekong, among others, play significant roles in the lives of the people who live along these.

Millions of persons derive the sources of their livelihood from these bodies of water and in some areas they are deified because of the special roles they play in the lives of the people who live along them and even beyond.

From artisanal fishermen who fish on them for food to governments which use them to provide hydroelectricity, the uses of rivers are multifaceted.

Today, unfortunately, government is fighting a running battle with persons who see nothing wrong with contaminating water bodies.

So bad is the situation that the public money used to purify the contaminated water to make it potable for human consumption is on a rising spree.

The turbidity of water, as a result of illegal mining activities on the country's water bodies and the accompanying cost of reversing the quality, is a matter of concern for the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).

The Corporate Affairs Manager of the GWCL recently warned about the possibility of importing water if the negative situation continues. He even announced the importation of water from a certain region to another, a situation which was occasioned by the turbidity of the local river.

Besides the turbidity as a result of which the GWCL spends more money in the water treatment process, some of the illegal miners use dangerous chemicals in their gold prospecting, thus threatening crops which depend on the river.

It is our hope that in subsequent World River Days we shall as a nation, enduring the negativities of the contamination of our rivers, organise activities to raise more awareness about the abuse of our water bodies. Water is life and so those who ignore this reality and continue on their tangent of abusing it are threats to our survival and should therefore be considered as enemies.

-Daily Guide
28.09.2022 LISTEN

2nd Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party in the Fanteakwa south constituency, Nana Kofi Akomea Jnr has waded into the booing of President Akufo-Addo with a call to the youth to use proper means to address their concerns.

The experienced NPP Communicator was of the view the youth could have expressed their displeasure in a different way instead of on such a global stage.

Nana Kofi Akomea Jnr in an interview with this reporter described the incident as unfortunate and disgracing to hoot at the first gentleman of the land to the world.

Even though he did not apportion blame on any individual or group, he found it difficult to understand why some persons can plan and hoot at the President, knowing well that the world was watching.

According to Nana Kofi Akomea Jnr, he does not believe the booing has anything to do with the current state of the economy but reasons best known to the hooters.

He stressed that the Akufo-Addo-led government has been touted as one of the many Presidents who has well handled the economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

He added that the President needs commendations from Ghanaians and not the other way round.

"I will urge Ghanaians, especially the youth to trust in the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government as a lot is been done to redeem the image of the current global economic crisis," he emphasised.
28.09.2022 LISTEN

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has disclosed that talks between the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are progressing steadily.

On Monday, September 26, a team of IMF officials commenced the second phase of negotiations with the Ghana government.

Updating the media on talks so far, Ken Ofori-Atta has disclosed that government wants to reach a deal with the Fund so it can include it in the 2023 Annual Budget statement to be presented in November.

He assured the Ghanaian people that government remains committed to reaching a deal with the IMF that will restore the countrys economy and give it some stability.

Government is committed to ensuring that a comprehensive package is negotiated with the aim of restoring microeconomic stability and ensuring durable and inclusive growth and promoting social protection, the Finance Minister told journalists at a press briefing.

According to Ken Ofori-Atta, government officials and the IMF team with the help of the World Bank are currently undertaking debt sustainability analysis to inform the direction of the negotiations for a support programme.

He said the IMF and government team are working to update the medium-term micro fiscal framework to inform IMF programme design

Also, the government team and the IMF team are discussing policy measures and structural reforms aimed at addressing the economic challenges braving the country towards restoring and sustaining microeconomic sustainability, fiscal and debt sustainability, as well as promoting inclusive growth and social development.

We simply have not reached any agreement with the fund as we are in the process of completing the debt sustainability analysis, Ken Ofori-Atta added.

The second phase of the talks between government officials and the IMF team will last for 10 days.
As part of efforts to get a lasting solution for Ghanas industrialization, the Alliance for Development and Industrialization (ADI) is calling on the two Bretton Institutions - the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to channel its financial assistance for Ghana to the industrialization sector of the economy.

In a statement issued in Accra and signed by the president of the think-tank, Richard Danso, the current GDP growth depicts that the fundamentals are there for Ghana to restructure and build the economy.

He indicated that the recent figures released by the Ghana Statistical Service, (GSS), depict that the economy expanded by 4.8 percent of GDP. However the manufacturing sector recorded a GDP growth of 8.8 percent by the end of the second quarter of this year.

According to him, over the years most of the World Bank project support has not helped enough to catapult the needed impact expected by the International Development Agencies. The challenge has been that private participation has been lacking and this has not helped the country to record the needed growth.

He stressed that the impact of the countrys industrialization on the economy could be achieved if all donor support is focused on industrialization and privatization which would lead to sustainable social development.

We believe that Ghanas dependence on cocoa should be diverted for a multi-sectorial focus, for example, mango, avocado, coconut among others. Our natural resources should be processed at an affordable price to take advantage of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, he intimated.

Mr Richard Danso added, the cedi depreciation gives Ghana the opportunity to trigger Africas industrialization and export drive among member countries which would give the country the needed forex, improve our balance of payment, shore up our reserves as well as stabilize the cedi.

We believe that notwithstanding the cedi depreciation with its profound advantage, it needs a critical investment for the country to realize its returns.

ADI pleads with the government to strengthen financial institutions so they can attract the needed investments, as well as FDIs, flows into the country.

It advised government to cut down on public service expenditure by introducing private sector participation to promote good performance and efficiency.
Mr. Ibrahim Mahama yesterday invited Master Solomon Atimbiri who hails from the Upper East Region but currently resides in Kumasi, for a mentorship session and exhibition of his invention works.

Mr. Ibrahim Mahama's attention was drawn to the 17-year-old inventors video after it went viral on social media last weekend. The young inventor was able to build a moving excavator and other trucks by using locally available materials.

Mr. Ibrahim Mahama took interest and decided to mentor young Solomon Atimbiri, by offering him the needed support in realizing his dream. He has been attached to a team of local and expatriate engineers. He will be given practical training whenever school is on break till he completes school.

He will join the company permanently and will be working with a team of professional engineers after completion of school. Some of the current engineers working within Mr Ibrahim Mahama's firm were also discovered as raw talent and developed to become professional engineers.

Solomon Atimbiri ll be given the best support and environment to become an accomplished professional engineer and inventor.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has announced plans by the government to transition from the use of fossil fuel to renewable energy by 2070.

To that end, Dr Bawumia has called on stakeholders in the energy sector to accelerate the production and utilization of oil and gas reserves in Ghana.

Dr Bawumia was speaking at the official opening of the 5th Edition of the Ghana International Petroleum Conference (GhIPCon), in Accra on Wednesday, 28 September.

Let me add that Ghana has set a target of 2070 to fully transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. So, even though as a government, we are fully committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070, we also have to take steps to accelerate the production and utilization of our oil and gas reserves.

What this means is that even though we want to contribute to reducing emissions, we are of the view that a balance must be struck and maintained in the context of our social, economic, and environmental requirements.

So, fossil fuels, particularly natural gas will continue to be part of Ghanas energy mix in the short term, whilst strategies will be put in place to increase the share of renewable energy in the mix from medium to long term, Dr Bawumia said.

On his part, the Chief Executive of NPA, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid reiterated governments commitment to reducing the emissions from the consumption of petroleum products.

We at the NPA are committed to supporting governments agenda in reducing the emissions from the energy products we consume in Ghana.

And Im glad to mention we were the first west African country to reduce sulphur content in transport and industrial fuels from a maximum of 5000ppm to a maximum of 50ppm, he stated

The 3-day conference is on the theme Energy Transition in the African Petroleum Downstream Context: Prospects, Challenges and the Way Forward.

The conference is being organized by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in collaboration with the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD).

It has attracted major players including CEOs, experts and decision makers in the petroleum sector across the West Africa Sub Region.
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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said any concept that seeks to mobilise and inspire Africas young people to stay and contribute to the development of the continent was extremely important and timely.

President Akufo-Addo said the youth conference to be organized in Ghana by the All African Conference of Churches (AACC) on the theme: Africa my home, Africa my future was the best possible expression in this contemporary time.

Addressing a delegation of the AACC who had paid a courtesy on him at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, President Akufo-Addo said political and economic difficulties confronting the continent, had forced the youth to leave in search of better lives abroad.

That, the President said, was imperative for leaders of Africa to work hard to build a continent that inspired the youth to stay and contribute and I think the Church taking the lead is extremely important and timely.

President Akufo-Addo said he was, however, fortified that these developments were not peculiar to Africans because at the end of the 19th century, virtually the whole of Italy migrated to America so was the people of Ireland, due to economic circumstances.

The President expressed his full support for the idea of the AACC and their upcoming youth programme to be organised in Ghana.

The delegation of All African Conference of Churches led by the Most Rev Dr Kwabena Boafo, Presiding Bishop, Methodist Church, Ghana called on the President to introduce its General Secretary and, also, announced the upcoming African Youth Congress.

Most Rev Dr Boafo said the youth conference which was initially scheduled for 2020, was postponed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The General-Secretary of AACC, Rev Dr Fidon Mwombeki, said at the last AACC conference in Kigali, Rwanda in 2018, the association decided to organise a youth conference to inspire the youth to be patriotic to their homeland  Africa.

He said the youth of Africa had been uninspired and unpatriotic and disappointed with the political leadership and economic systems of Africa and had embarked on journeys to foreign lands to seek better living conditions there.

Rev Dr Mwombeki said though the youth were right to move out to seek a better life in places that had better jobs and living conditions, the AACC thought otherwise to sensitise them to stay and help develop the continent.

He said the AACC wanted to create a platform where young Africans would meet and think about Africa in the spirit of the early leaders of Africa on the continent.

That, when founding fathers first met in 1945 as students in England, Manchester and they decided we wanted independence, we appreciate where did they get that audacity.

Rev Dr Mwombeki said all countries in Africa were under colonialism but the students were resolved to lead an independent Africa and within 15 years, African countries began to attain independent.

That audacity, that courage, that patriotism which made them come back and suffer, and go to jail in other to bring independence, that spirit of patriotism is the one in which we want to encourage and provide a platform that the young people themselves can encourage and inspire each other, he stated.

The All Africa Christian Conference, also known as the All Africa Conference of Churches was formed in April 1963 during the second meeting of the Assembly of Churches of Africa held in Kampala, Uganda.

That, AACC which was established almost at the same time as the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now African Union (AU), had the same aim of liberating Africa  working for political independence and later economic independence.
Ghanas demand for petroleum products has increased significantly from an average of 7 to 41 percent in 2021, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid has said.

The unprecedented surge in consumption is a result of various technology based schemes and interventions being implemented by the downstream regulator to curb illicit fuel activities over the past few months.

Speaking at the official opening of the 5th Edition of the Ghana International Petroleum Conference (GhIPCon), in Accra on Wednesday, 28 September 2022, Dr. Abdul-Hamid says the sector currently has annual sales value of GHC 32.94 billion representing a contribution of 7.2 percent to Ghanas Domestic Gross Product (GDP).

Africas petroleum downstream sector is entering a new era. As the world looks to accelerate its transition away from fossil fuels, the pressures on our industries are mounting.

We are all exposed to the global energy transition, as our countries depend on oil and gas revenues. Ghanas petroleum downstream industry which has an annual sales value of about GHS32.94 billion according to 2021 estimates contributes 7.2% of the countrys GDP.

This represents a 41% increase in demand for fossil fuels as compared to 2020. This is an unprecedented surge in consumption of fossil fuels when the annual average over the years had been between 5% and 7%, The NPA Chief Executive added.

He emphasized that Ghana is committed to reducing the emissions from consumption of energy products.

We at the National Petroleum Authority are committed to reducing the emissions from the energy products we consume in Ghana, and this culminated in the reduction of sulphur content in transport and industrial fuels from a maximum of 5000ppm to a maximum of 50ppm.

As previously mentioned, Ghana is one of the few African countries that consumes low Sulphur fuels, with a roadmap for local refineries to comply, he said.

Dr Mustapha Hamid further charged participants at this years conference to deliberate on the key issues with a focus to devise strategies for deployment.

Speaking on behalf of the Energy Minister, a Deputy Minister of Energy, William Owuraku Aidoo, says Ghana remains committed to an energy transition agenda and the development of the petroleum industry.

Ghana remains committed to both an energy transition agenda and the development of its petroleum industry, including downstream sector, we believe that the way forward is to strike an important and fair balance between the two without compromising our determination to maximize the benefits we need for our industrialization.

I am convinced beyond measures that the conference will provide significant outcomes to guide us on the way forward, and I look forward to further engagements in this direction, he added.

He further charged players in the West Africa Sub region to improve refinery capacity to produce high-quality fuels to reduce Green House Gas emissions.

The 3-day conference is on the theme Energy Transition in the African Petroleum Downstream Context: Prospects, Challenges and the Way Forward.

The conference is being organized by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in collaboration with the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD).

It has attracted major players including CEOs, experts and decision makers in the petroleum sector across the West Africa Sub Region.
The Upper East Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is calling for security protection for over 3,000 teachers in and around Bawku in order to embark on their duties.

GNAT says these teachers must be conveyed by the security personnel to and fro several times due to the conflict in the area.

The Regional Chairperson for GNAT, Ivy Betur Naaso, made the call in an interview with 3FM's Sunrise on Wednesday hosted by Alfred Ocansey.

The Chairperson was updating Sunrise on whether or not teachers have abandoned their posts as a result of the conflict in Bawku.

On September 19, 2022, a teacher was killed during a shooting by some youths. The teacher was on his way to school when he was hit by a bullet.

This prompted the national executives of GNAT and NAGRAT to halt teaching in the Bawku enclave since they are not safe.

Madam Betur Naaso explained that apart from the over 3,000 teachers in Bawku, the non-teaching staff who also provide services to students and pupils must also be protected.

We are preparing them [pupils] for the BECE and they are going to write the same examination that pupils in non-violence regions are going to write. The pupils don't even come to school because of the conflict, she explained.

---3news.com
28.09.2022 LISTEN

A 37-year-old mother of two, Catherine Nsor was nearly burnt to death by a mob in Tamale after being mistaken for a thief.

The woman, who sells cereals, was left incapacitated for sometime, following the incident.

Narrating her ordeal to Class FMs Savannah Regional Correspondent, Zion Abdul-Rauf, the woman, explained that, she was walking along the Aboabo road in Tamale to the Central Market on a Friday, when a woman, known as Jamila, approached her.

The woman had indicated that someone in a nearby shop wanted to have a word with her.

The mother of two, hurriedly followed the woman to the shop, thinking it was a known person asking to see her.

However, upon reaching the shop, one of the women asked the other woman who was sent to call her, whether, she was the thief they were looking for.

According to the women, she had come to their shop to steal their money.

The shop owner, took her phone and called her brothers who came and stripped her naked outside, and started flogging her, which attracted a crowd.

The mob joined the women in flogging her with electrical cables and other items.

She was later taken to a house and locked up, where she was forced to accept that she had stolen the GHS10,000, before she would be let free.

The mother of two noted that she still denied stealing the money in question, and told them she had no inkling about what was going on.

She was then taken back to the market with the mob carrying old tyres and a gallon of petrol to burn her alive.

One of the guys brought a gallon of petrol and was looking for something to cover my mouth before setting me ablaze alive when a team of police arrived at the scene, she stated.

She was immediately sent to the hospital, where she was admitted, treated and later discharged.

The mother of two then lodged a complaint with the police, and the suspects were arrested and granted bail.

The suspects realising that she had been wrongly accused, called on some prominent chiefs in Dagbon to intervene so the matter will be settled out of court.

She declined to settle the matter out of court.

The suspects were arraigned.

Source: classfmonline.com
A former political science lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been living in a realm of some fantasy since the assumption of his second term of office.

According to the lecturer, the President still thinks he is the same popular candidate in 2016.

The lecturer explained that some of the utterances of the president in recent times are worrying, to say the least.

"It is time the president must be reminded that he does not have the wealth of popularity he had in his first term," the lecturer averred.

"The president in his posture thinks he is still popular after the second term win," the lecturer said.

Dr Richard AmoakoBaah said these in an interview with the host of Ghana Yensom morning show Mr Emmanuel Quarshie on Accra 100.5 FM on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.

He was reacting to the booing the president suffered at the just-ended Global Citizens Festival held in Accra on Saturday, September 24, 2022.

"That popularity has dwindled significantly in the second term of the president," he said.

He noted the president had no business going to that function.

He called on the president to sack his handlers for failing to properly brief him (the president) on the atmosphere of the area.

He blamed the media for treating the president with kid-gloves by not asking some probing questions on the matter of the management of the economy.

He said the president is always comfortable when being interviewed by the likes of Sefa Kai in the studios of Peace FM and in the studio of Wontumi TV among others.

''These people have failed to ask him (the president) probing questions," he bemoaned.

"On certain occasions, he says things and they allow him to get away with it," he added.

The president must be told that the people are not happy about the happenings in his second term.

"The young people are seeing the class corruption in his administration and the ineptitude of his ministers, particularly the Minister of Finance," he concluded.

Source: Classfmonline.com
The President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Piotr Hofmanski has denied the accusations that the Courts suo moto was to investigate and prosecute only persons of African descent.

Piotr Hofmanski said even though the Courts initial prosecutions were mostly Africans, it was because some African countries had asked the ICC to intervene.

But currently, he said, the ICC was actively conducting investigations and prosecutions in other parts of the world even though the pending five trials of the Court were cases of the African continent.

Piotr Hofmanski, who paid a courtesy call on President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, said the ICC was currently prosecuting and investigating 16 other cases from all over the worldAfrican, South America, Asia and Europe over crimes under its jurisdiction.

The last opening situation on investigations of the prosecutors office, Piotr Hofmanski, disclosed were mainly cases from Asia  Myanmar, Palestine, Afghanistan, South America Venezuela and in Europe  Georgia and Ukraine.

The landscape of the ICC prosecutions, according to the ICC President, had changed as we have become more and more universal, just as the ICC aimed to provide justice for all countries of the world to close up the gap of impunity.

And this is exactly what we do he stated, adding; but of course, it is never enough as the Court needed to do more to galvanise support to build the moral universal situation for other countries to join.

As President of the Court, Piotr Hofmanski said it was one of his priorities to convince and attract other countries to join the ICC to engender world peace and security.

To achieve that goal, he said it was imperative that the ICC cooperated with countries, not only to convince them to ratify the ICC status but also to domesticate and implement the mechanism of cooperation with the ICC.

That, he said, was the area where Ghana needed to do more, especially with the adaptation of the Rome Status to ensure that the countrys courts tried perpetrators of genocide, crime against humanity and war crimes.

But that, Piotr Hofmanski indicated, was the sovereign decision for the Ghanaian Parliament to make at its own time.

Ghana has been urged by some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), to adopt the Bill for the Rome Status of the International Criminal Court to ensure national courts, try perpetrators of genocide, crime against humanity and war crimes.

Ghana accepted a recommendation of the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2012 to domesticate the ICC status in November 2017.

If the bill is passed, it would enable the countrys courts to prosecute perpetrators of the ICC Status crimes as well as transfer cases to the ICC that domestic courts are unable to prosecute.

Ghana has been commended for its original commitment to the ICC, as the second African country to ratify the International Court, but has not given the status effect under domestic law.

Piotr Hofmanski underscored the role Ghana played in the ratification of the status of the ICC which had not only provided additional funding support for the Court, but also political support.

On his part, President Akufo-Addo said the work of the ICC was one of the few areas where there was broad political support in the country.

The President said the countrys Parliament that ratified the Treaty in 1999 was the Parliament dominated at the time by the present opposition and soon after his party, the New Patriotic Party took office in 2001, he as the then Attorney-General participated in the ceremony that brought the treaty to effect.

He directed that the Attorney-General took steps to domesticate the Roman status so that the countrys courts could try crimes under genocide, crime against humanity, and war crimes, as well as transfer cases to the ICC when the need arises.

President Akufo-Addo said though the current Parliament was a hanged one we can support it to become a reality.
Commissioner of Police (COP) Madam Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, Director-General of Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has expressed the need for institutional collaboration to enhance security and the fight against criminal activities in the country.

She called on all stakeholders as well as revenue mobilising agencies to work together to form a formidable team to track down the operations of criminals and their activities.

She emphasized that As stakeholders, we cannot fight organised crime without effective collaboration. We must always be a step ahead of them in terms of intelligence gathering.

COP Madam Addo-Danquah made the call at a stakeholders engagement forum in Tamale as part of her tour of the Northern Region to strengthen institutional partnerships to fight crime and promote peace and security in the country.

The forum brought together representatives of Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, EOCO, Ghana Revenue Authority, and Attorney General's Department amongst other stakeholders.

Mr Cephas Nelson Agroh, Tamale Area Director of Ghana Revenue Authority, expressed the need for stakeholders to take measures towards enhancing effective communication amongst them to help track the activities of criminals in the region.

He added that There is a need to prioritise a good record-keeping system to minimize tax leakages and other illicit cash inflows into the country.

Mr Edward Cudjoe, Northern Regional Director of Administration at EOCO said the effective collaboration of all relevant stakeholders in the region would ensure speedy investigations into alleged criminal operations.

GNA
Judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, and African Court on Human and Peoples Rights (African Court) Judges and Registry Officers have rolled out a peer-to-peer bench-marking discussion in a bid to enhance exchanges and deepen cooperation.

In her welcome statement, ICCs Vice-President Ibanez Carranza in a statement available to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema restated the critical understanding of the complementarity between international criminal and regional human rights systems as both work within the same interconnected global justice network.

She stressed the importance of working through synergy to achieve the common cause of ending impunity for crimes committed against humans.

Lady Justice Imani D. Aboud, President of the African Court who is the leader of the delegation explained that the working visit forms part of efforts to increase engagement in judicial dialogue with international institutions and sharing similar or cross-cutting mandates.

Lady Justice Aboud stated that the visit was also to strengthen recommendations from previous engagements to enhance legal knowledge and improve institutional practices.

She said as the only operational judicial organ of the African Union, the African Court has adopted judicial dialogue as one of the key pillars of its current strategic plan to achieve its mandate toward more effective protection and enforcement of the individual and group rights guaranteed in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

She said one legal anchorage of the African Courts engagement with the ICC is Article 21 of the Rome Statute, which requires all stakeholders of international criminal justice to work consistently with internationally recognized human rights standards.

The African Courts President and her delegation met with ICCs Vice-President, Judge Ibanez Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza, and Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa  formerly a Judge of the African Court.

The delegation also met with senior officers of the Office of the Prosecutor and Registry of the world criminal tribunal.

The discussion revolved around issues concerning international justice, and particularly questions that arise in the intersection between international criminal justice, and international human rights adjudication such as fair trial rights, use of technology in the administration of justice, as well as reparations to victims.

The two teams also engaged in legal aid, and knowledge management systems which have become key components of an effective administration of justice in the international realm.

In concluding their exchanges, the two institutions committed to enhancing the existing cooperation through positive complementarity; as well as continued operational and judicial engagement.
28.09.2022 LISTEN

Madam Matilda Banfro, Greater Accra Regional Director, Gender Department, has revealed that the disparity in the age of consent and marriage was being looked at by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

Madam Banfro said to empower adolescents in their sexual reproductive health rights, the Gender Department has rolled out training sessions separately for both teenage girls and boys.

She made the statement during an open forum as part of a stakeholder dialogue programme on child marriage organized by the Greater Accra Regional Gender Department, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in Tema, which was monitored by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult).

During the discussion, some opinion leaders called on Parliament to review Ghanas laws to ensure that the age of consent for sex tallies with the legal age for marriage.

The countrys laws stipulate that a child aged 16 can consent to sex, while the marriage age is set at 18 years which is seen as the period of adulthood.

According to opinion leaders, the difference in age confuses adolescents and serve as a contributing factor to adolescent pregnancies, abortions, and early marriages.

The age of 16 for consent, and marrying at 18 is confusing our children, lets come together and push the age to 18 so if you can have sex, then you can also marry, an opinion leader stated.

The stakeholders also identified that late night social activities such as outdooring, funerals and parties also contributed to children engaging in sexual activities with some of the girls ending up pregnant and cohabitating with men.

They noted that for instance that in Tema New Town, weekends were characterized with playing of music at such functions deep into the night where young boys and girls are seen engaging in sexual activities and other immoral behaviours in the open.

They therefore called on the Tema Traditional Council (TTC) to collaborate with the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to pass a by-law to ban such late-night activities in the area to help safeguard the future of the children.
Hundreds of people flocked to a Guinean court Wednesday as former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara was set to stand trial over a 2009 stadium massacre in an historic moment 13 years in the making.

"It's like a dream, even if we've always believed it would happen", said Asmaou Diallo, the head of a victims' association.

The trial is expected to begin Wednesday afternoon in a purpose-built court in the capital Conakry, and comes over a decade after more than 150 people were killed in days of violence that the ex-dictator and several co-defendants are charged over.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, called on Guinean authorities to respect international law, namely on witness protection and the presumption of innocence.

"Justice... is not a cosmetic exercise", he said. "I will be watching this trial very closely".

Pramila Patten, a UN special representative, congratulated the ruling junta for its "display of political will" for moving ahead with the trial.

Camara, 58, and his co-defendants face a litany of accusations from murder to sexual violence, kidnappings, arson and looting, and Camara himself is charged with "personal criminal responsibility and command responsibility" over the crimes.

On September 28, 2009, and in the days that followed, security forces loyal to the then-junta leader slaughtered more than 150 people and raped at least 109 women who had gathered a political rally in a Conakry stadium, according to a UN-mandated report.

The real figures are likely higher.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters had been peacefully demonstrating against a possible election bid by Camara.

Numerous testimonies report how security forces entered the stadium, cordoned off the exits and opened fire indiscriminately.

They attacked unarmed civilians with knives, machetes and bayonets, leaving the stands, corridors and grass strewn with the dead and dying.

They sexually assaulted and then killed many women. Others were trampled to death in the panic.

International investigators said the abuses could qualify as crimes against humanity.

Camara had been living in exile in Burkina Faso but returned to Conakry on Saturday. Relatives say he intends to "clear his name".

The defendants were jailed Tuesday and told they would be detained for the duration of the trial.

"I don't even dare believe that my rapists are still alive", one survivor, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP.

"But the fact that this trial is taking place is a relief".
28.09.2022 LISTEN

Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has revealed that Africa today carries the largest share of the international peace and security burden, which in fact should be a global responsibility.

She, therefore, called for predictable and sustainable financing as means to win the battle against terrorism across the globe as well as strengthening the capacity of regional institutions for peace and security and continental integration, and economic transformation.

She said unless there is a paradigm shift Africa shall continue to fall short in building inclusive and stable societies and preventing recruitment and radicalization.

Madam Botchwey made Ghanas position clear addressing the ministerial session of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council in the margins of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

The ministerial session was also to develop modalities for strengthening regional organizations in efforts to combat and manage terrorism, violent extremism, and radicalization on the continent in New York.

Madam Botchwey whose statement was made available to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema emphasized the need for secure predictable sustainable financing for the peace continuum.

She said the fragility of systems in Africa and the lack of resilience of economies has been underscored by the impacts of COVID-19, the war in Ukraine and the worsening impacts of climate change.

She noted also that Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RMs) have emerged as the key players in responding to the terrorism and violent extremism that threaten countries in Africa.

She also called for strengthening the capacities of these regional bodies, which is a reflection of renewed determination to silence the guns and achieve the Africa We Want.

Madam Botchwey emphasized that it is time to ensure that the United Nations, especially the development partners on the Security Council, respond with commitments and support that are consistent with ambitions and needs for peace and security, and sustainable development.

Ghanas Minister of Foreign Affairs who is the chair of the AU Peace and Security Council for the month of September 2022 revealed that Africa has rolled out a number of initiatives toward arming itself to stand against terrorism.

The initiatives include the 2020-2024 ECOWAS Action Plan for the Eradication of Terrorism in West Africa, the Accra Initiative; and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Mission in Mozambique, the Multinational Joint Task Force and the G5 Sahel.

Madam Botchwey intimated that budgetary constraints have limited the ability of these regional organizations thus making the prospects of success in taking on the terrorist menace and at the same time recovering from economic shocks seem bleak.
A former political science lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has said President Akufo-Addo has been living in a realm of fantasy regarding his popularity since the assumption of his second term of office.

According to Dr Richard Amoako Baah, the President still thinks he is the same popular candidate in 2016.

The lecturer who is senior member of the NPP explained that some of the utterances of the president in recent times are worrying, to say the least.

"It is time the president must be reminded that he does not have the wealth of popularity he had in his first term," Dr Amoako Baah who attempted but failed at becoming the governing partys chairman said.

"The president, in his posture, thinks he is still popular after the second term win," he said in an interview with the host of Accra100.5FMs morning show Ghana Yensom on Wednesday, 28 September 2022.

He was reacting to the booing the president suffered at the just-ended Global Citizens Festival held in Accra on Saturday, 24 September 2022.

"That popularity has dwindled significantly in the second term of the president," he said.

He noted the president had no business going to that function.

Dr Amoako Baah called on the president to sack his handlers for failing to properly brief him on the atmosphere of the area.

He blamed the media for treating the president with kids gloves by not asking some probing questions about his management of the economy.

He said the president is always comfortable when being interviewed by the likes of Kwami Sefa Kayi in the studios of Peace FM as well as Wontumi TV among others.

These people have failed to ask him probing questions," he bemoaned.

"On certain occasions, he says things and they allow him to get away with it," he added.

The president must be told that the people are not happy about the happenings in his second term.

"The young people are seeing the class corruption in his administration and the ineptitude of his ministers, particularly the Minister of Finance," he noted.

Source: Classfmonline.com
The President of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Csaba Korosi, has stated that the war in Ukraine has raised credible risks of global nuclear disaster, while the nuclear threat on Korean Peninsula also continues to pose an unacceptable risk to the region and to the world.

He said arsenals across the world are filled with more than 13,000 warheads, stressing that investments in these weapons continue to increase, while too many people struggle to buy food, educate their children, and keep warm.

I am particularly appalled by the recurring, thinly veiled threats of nuclear strikes. Tactical strikes, it is often added, but we all know that such a conflict would never stay at the tactical level, he said.

Mr Korosi was speaking at an event to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, held as the annual debate in the General Assembly Hall, UN Headquarters, New York which was made available to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult in Tema.

He wondered how the world had arrived at this situation after decades of efforts to promote both nuclear disarmament and awareness about the existential threat that nuclear weapons pose to humanity.

He also wondered how this deadlock could be overcome, stressing that achieving a nuclear-free world is the UNs top disarmament priority, now more than ever.

As a global community, we must find the courage to return to the path of disarmament, for the sake of people and planet. To start, safeguarding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty shall remain an iron principle for all future talks on disarmament and non-proliferation, he said.

Mr. Korosi called for countries to renew their commitment to fully implement the treaty, comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, and refrain from actions and rhetoric that destabilize international peace and security.

He also addressed the status of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which opened for signature 25 years ago.

The CTBT has yet to enter into force because it must be signed and ratified by 44 specific nuclear technology holder countries, eight of which have yet to ratify it: China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Pakistan and the United States.

I call on the remaining Annex 2 countries to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty without delay, allowing it to finally enter into force  as 174 Member States have already ratified it and now eight Member States are yet to do so, he said.

The President of UN General Assembly also noted negotiations on a proposed Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty, which are long overdue, must begin immediately.

In this critical moment, let us reverse the trend of mistrust and confrontation, and instead focus on rational compromises and wise solutions. Let us honour this commemorative day with a renewed and genuine determination towards a world free of these weapons of the Apocalypse, Mr. Korosi said

Meanwhile, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has stated that: "Ghana remains gravely concerned by the threats of a nuclear episode, whether by accident or deliberate action, because of the constant military engagements around Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine by Russia".

Madam Botchwey stated Ghanas concern addressing a High-Level Meeting at the United Nations, New York with focus on the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine.

The Foreign Minister added that Ghana supports the efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to avert a nuclear catastrophe in Ukraine a copy of her statement made available to the Ghana News Agency in Tema stated.

She said Ghana remains supportive of international accountability measures including the various investigative processes being undertaken by the ICC, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Human Rights Council.

It is 17 years now since the UN passed a resolution to deal with any acts of impunity in any part of the world.

This is because impunity anywhere poses serious threats to international peace and security, the international legal order, and our multilateral system, she said.
28.09.2022 LISTEN

The United Nations (UN) has warned that the global community faces the threat of potential global catastrophe and recommits to peace and has therefore called on countries to step back to avoid the tragedy.

Let me be clear. The era of nuclear blackmail must end. The idea that any country could fight and win a nuclear war is deranged. Any use of a nuclear weapon would incite a humanitarian Armageddon. We need to step back.

Nuclear weapons are the most destructive power ever created. They offer no security  just carnage and chaos. Their elimination would be the greatest gift we could bestow on future generations, he said warning of the threat of humanitarian Armageddon, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stated in a speech available to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema.

The UN Secretary-General was speaking at an event to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, held as the annual debate in the General Assembly Hall, UN Headquarters, New York.

We need to take into account the evolving nuclear order, including all types of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery. And we need to address the blurring lines between strategic and conventional weapons, and the nexus with new domains of cyber and outer space, Mr. Guterres said.

Mr. Guterres recalled that the Cold War had brought humanity within minutes of annihilation. Yet decades after it ended, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, we can hear once again the rattling of nuclear sabres.

The UN Secretary-General expressed disappointment after countries failed to reach a consensus at a conference last August to review the landmark Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the only binding commitment to the goal of disarmament by States which officially stockpile nuclear weapons.

He said four weeks of intense negotiations at UN Headquarters, delegations left without an outcome document because Russia objected to the text about its control over Ukrainian nuclear facilities.

Mr. Guterres also underscored the need for a new vision for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, pointing to his New Agenda for Peace, which calls for meaningful disarmament and developing a common understanding of the multiple threats facing the international community.

The UN Secretary-General also called for countries to leave New York with a new commitment to work towards a peaceful future, without eliminating nuclear weapons, there can be no peace. There can be no trust. And there can be no sustainable future.

The UN Chief pledged the commitment of the global body not to give up and urged countries to use every avenue of dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation to ease tensions, reduce risk and eliminate the nuclear threat.
Despite international calls for restraint, Iran's police have warned that they will crush protests that erupted nearly two weeks ago following the death of Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for allegedly breaching the rules obliging women to wear headscarves.

Scores of people have been killed since demonstrations erupted when the 22-year-old Kurdish woman died after being arrested in Tehran for allegedly breaching the Islamic republic's strict rules on hijab headscarves and modest clothing.

Widespread protests took place for the twelfth straight night on Tuesday, according to opposition media based outside Iran.

In an "Open Letter to the International Community," the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PKDI,) run by exiles based in Iraq, France, Bulgaria and Canada, the Kurdish group cites "reliable figures" showing that, in Iranian Kurdistan alone, 25 people were killed "by direct fire by the terrorist forces of the Iranian regime," and 225 arrested.

Cross-border strikes

Meanwhile, Iran has been accused of killing seven people and wounding 28 in cross-border strikes on Wednesday against Kurdish factions in Iraq that have denounced the crackdown on protestors in the Islamic republic.

In an immediate reaction, Iraq's federal government said it will summon the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad to protest over the strikes.

Iraq's Forgeign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed al-Sahaf said in a statement that "the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad will be summoned urgently, to deliver a letter of protest in a very harsh tone" on the subject of the bombardments.

But Iran's Mehr News Agency cites a statement by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, saying that it had staged an operation against "anti-Iranian terrorist groups in the northern region of Iraq," adding that "the operation will continue until the effective removal of the threat and the dismantling of the headquarters of the terrorist groups."

'Blow to the head'

"Police officers will oppose with all their might the conspiracies of counter-revolutionaries and hostile elements, and deal firmly with those who disrupt public order and security anywhere in the country," the police said.

The statement came only hours after UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres had asked Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi not to use "disproportionate force" against protesters.

"We are increasingly concerned about reports of rising fatalities, including women and children, related to the protests," the UN chief's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Fars news agency said Tuesday "around 60" people had been killed since Amini's death on 16 September, up from the official toll of 41 reported on Saturday.

But the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights said the crackdown has killed at least 76 people.

Officials said Monday they had made more than 1,200 arrests, including activists, lawyers and journalists.

A cousin of Amini said she had been visiting Tehran with her family when she encountered the notorious morality police and died after a "violent blow to the head".

Amini, whose Kurdish first name is Jhina, was arrested along with her brother and female relatives after leaving an underground station despite being "dressed normally", Erfan Salih Mortezaee said.

"The police officer told (her brother), 'We are going to take her in, instil the rules in her and teach her how to wear the hijab and how to dress'," he told AFP in Iraqi Kurdistan.

"Jhina's death has opened the doors of popular anger," said Mortezaee, who joined the Iranian Kurdish nationalist group Komala after leaving the Islamic republic a year ago.

(With news agencies)
Obesity in adults has nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016 across the world. The World Health Organization estimated that by 2016, about 1.9 billion adults worldwide were overweight. More than 650 million of these adults were obese. These represent about 39% and 13% of the world's adult population, respectively.

Women bear a disproportionately higher burden of obesity. In 2016, it was estimated that 15% of the world's women and 11% of men were obese.

Overweight and obesity are burgeoning health issues in sub-Saharan Africa  particularly South Africa, with a significantly high burden of overweight and obesity.

In our recent research we looked at the prevalence of overweight and obesity among women of childbearing age in South Africa. Earlier studies published in 2013 , 2014 and 2019 (including a government report) show the prevalence of overweight and obesity at one single point in time. But there is a dearth of studies looking at trend data on overweight and obesity prevalence among women of childbearing age, including socioeconomic determinants.

Obesity leads to a number of maternal and child health problems . These include infertility, miscarriage, babies having congenital abnormalities and other adverse obstetric outcomes. Women who are super-obese experience more pregnancy complications (hypertension, pre-eclampsia and surgical complications) than those who are morbidly obese. Noncommunicable diseases associated with obesity are among the top causes of death in the country.

Overweight and obesity

Our study looked at nationally representative data on the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity in South African women aged 15 to 49 who were not pregnant. It covered the period 1998 to 2017.

The study found a rise in the prevalence of overweight (from 51.3% to 60%) and obesity (from 24.7% to 35.2%) between 1998 and 2017.

There are a number of factors behind the rising trend of overweight and obesity in women of childbearing age in South Africa. These include rapid economic development since the new democracy in 1994, urbanisation, and the increased number of women in the labour force.

Working women tend to have low-energy expending jobs. And mobility is less energy-intensive because of shorter commutes and the use of motorised transport. Long working hours make it difficult for many women to prepare healthy meals. In addition, processed food is more widely accessible. Also, the wider living environment may act as a barrier to physical activity. High crime levels in communities can lead to safety concerns that prevent women from being physically active.

Read more: Young women in Soweto say healthy living is hard. Here's why

Factors associated with being overweight and obese were: increased age; self-identifying with the black African population group; higher educational attainment; residing in an urban area; and belonging to wealthier socioeconomic quintiles. Current smokers had decreased odds of being overweight and obese.

The prevalence of obesity in South Africa is high relative to that documented in other countries (except for urban Egypt). Rates of overweight and obesity documented in the US , Morocco and urban sub-Saharan Africa vary between 10% and 32%.

Our findings show that South Africa is off-track with meeting targets it set in 2013 for reducing overweight and obesity levels. The initial goal was to get levels down 10 percentage points by 2020 .

Given that by 2017 the levels of overweight and obesity were still at 60% and 35.2%, respectively, it is clear from this research that more needs to be done.

Recommendations

The current tax on sugar-sweetened beverages is an example of the government's commitment to fighting obesity in South Africa. However, the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity among women of childbearing age reported in this research means the government needs to complement this tax with other interventions.

Read more: New research shows South Africa's levy on sugar-sweetened drinks is having an impact

The government should run sensitisation and awareness-raising campaigns and programmes targeting certain groups of women. There is a need to focus on women who are older, who self-identify as black African, with higher educational attainment, who live in urban areas, and who are relatively wealthy.

In addition, the interests of the food industry that contribute to the rise in overweight and obesity need to be regulated. And investments must be made by the government to promote healthy lifestyles and safety in urban communities. At an individual level, women need to have healthy lifestyles and be physically active. This will help to reverse or restrain the rise in overweight and obesity.

Mweete D. Nglazi received funding from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) through its Division of Research Capacity Development under the National Health Scholarship Programme from funding received from the Public Health Enhancement Fund/South African National Department of Health. The content hereof is the author's sole responsibility and does not necessarily represent the official views of the SAMRC. The funder had no role in writing the article.

John Ele-Ojo Ataguba 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 Mweete D. Nglazi, PhD graduate, University of Cape Town And

John Ele-Ojo Ataguba, Senior Lecturer in the Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town
28.09.2022 LISTEN

Four passengers including a pregnant woman have died in a gory accident at Kronum in the Suame Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The victims, a pregnant woman, her husband and her two children reportedly died on Tuesday, September 26, 2022 when a Sprinter bus with registration number AS 8293-21 crashed into a Techiman bound Ssangyong bus with registration number AS 9700-22 at Kronum New York Junction.

The impact of the accident according to eyewitnesses caused the sprinter bus to roll and sat on the roof of Ssangyong vehicle, killing the pregnant woman and her two children on the spot.

The husband was however pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Some residents who witnessed the unfortunate incident told this reporter that, the driver of the sprinter bus suffered severe injuries and is currently receiving treatment at the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

The four were said to have boarded the Ssangyong bus from Kumasi to Techiman.

When contacted the Ashanti Regional Police Command said they were not aware of any such accident.

The Public Relations Officer for police in the region, ASP Godwin Ahianyo said they had not received any report of the accident and so could not speak to it.

This was after Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) at the Suame Divisional Headquarters who were reported to have gone to the scene denied giving information on the accident to this reporter with an excuse that only the regional police command has the information.
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has stressed that the government is keen on taking the needed steps to rebuild the Ghanaian economy.

During a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, September 28, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta indicated that the government is focusing on the productive sectors to rebuild the economy.

We will leverage on our strengths to rebuild the economy focusing on our productive sectors. Initiatives such as the YouStart programme that will provide a Million jobs will support entrepreneurs with loans to build their capacity to create more jobs and realise the Presidents vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid and an entrepreneurial nation, the Finance Minister told the media.

In an appeal, he called on Ghanaians to support the government during these difficult times as it pushes to turn around the current state of the economy.

He said he is confident that just as many challenges faced in the past, Ghana will overcome this one as well.

I remind each and everyone that Ghana is the only place we have. Its progress and prosperity is our collective duty. We have overcome many challenges and risen to the occasion many times. This is another challenge which we must overcome.

This too shall pass, if we remain united and purposeful. Let us not forget that the battle is indeed the Lords, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said.
The trial of former Guinean dictator Moussa Dadis Camara and other former officials over the September 28, 2009 stadium massacre opened on Wednesday in the capital Conakry, an AFP correspondent reported.

Dozens of victims who had waited 13 years for the proceedings packed the upper galleries of the purpose-built courtroom.

With crowds of journalists and officials below, they watched as Camara and 10 other former military and government officials standing trial entered the courtroom.

The proceedings were broadcast live on national television.

"It's like a dream, even if we've always believed it would happen," Asmaou Diallo, the head of a victims' association, told AFP.

Camara, 58, and the other defendants face a litany of accusations from murder to sexual violence, kidnappings, arson and looting, and Camara himself is charged with "personal criminal responsibility and command responsibility" over the crimes.

On September 28, 2009, and in the days that followed, security forces loyal to the then-junta leader slaughtered 156 people and raped at least 109 women who had gathered for a political rally in a Conakry stadium, according to a UN-mandated report.

The real figures are likely higher.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters had been peacefully demonstrating against a possible election bid by Camara, who had come to power in a December 2008 coup before being sworn in as president.

Numerous testimonies report how security forces entered the stadium, cordoned off the exits and opened fire indiscriminately on a crowd that had previously been festive.

The killers attacked unarmed civilians with knives, machetes and bayonets, leaving the stands, corridors and grass strewn with the dead and dying.

They sexually assaulted and then killed many women. Others were trampled to death in the panic.

International investigators found the abuses could qualify as crimes against humanity, noting the brutality went on for several days against sequestered women and male detainees who were tortured.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, on Wednesday called on Guinean authorities to respect international law, namely on witness protection and the presumption of innocence.

"Justice... is not a cosmetic exercise", he said in Conakry. "I will be watching this trial very closely."

'Political will'

Pramila Patten, a UN special representative, congratulated the ruling junta for its "display of political will" for moving ahead with the trial.

Despite recurring commitments under former president Alpha Conde's regime, victims and relatives have been waiting more than a decade for the trial.

Delays by those in power and the impunity for security forces that had become an "institution", according to the commission, long cast doubt on the chances of a trial.

Then the head of the current military junta, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who came to power in a putsch in 2021 after 11 years of civilian rule, in July demanded the trial be held before the next anniversary date.

Camara had been living in exile in Burkina Faso but returned to Conakry on Saturday to stand trial. Relatives say he intends to "clear his name".

The defendants were jailed on Tuesday and told they would be detained for the duration of the trial.

"I don't even dare believe that my rapists are still alive," one survivor, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP.

"But the fact that this trial is taking place is a relief."
The United States on Wednesday signed a $350 million grant for infrastructure projects with Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera, hailing his record on good governance.

The aid through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which assists developing nations that meet democratic benchmarks, will fund a major road network in the African country to connect rural and urban areas.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed Chakwera for his "deep commitment to democratic and economic reform" and called the project a "remarkably positive opportunity" to boost agricultural production in Malawi.

"These projects will be transparent. They'll be collaborative and built to meet the highest standards of quality," Blinken said.

"They'll provide grants to Malawi -- not debt," Blinken said, drawing an implicit contrast to rising power China, which frequently faces US-led charges of burdening developing nations with flashy projects that come in the form of unfavorable loans.

Chakwera was elected in 2020 on a campaign to fight corruption in the developing country. Earlier this year he sacked seven ministers over graft concerns.

"My administration has taken a zero-tolerance stance against corruption, shielding no one from investigation and prosecution," Chakwera said before the signing with Blinken.

Voicing gratitude to the United States, he said, "Together we're making strides for everyone's good."

Chakwera called on the United States to consider a further project that would jointly include Zambia and Mozambique and give landlocked Malawi reliable access to the Indian Ocean.

"Safe and reliable rail and road transport investments will certainly help reduce barriers to growth and create opportunities for all of our people," Chakwera said.

President Joe Biden's administration has put a renewed focus on Africa as it seeks to counter not only China but Russia, which has sought to limit support in the developing world for punishing Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Blinken said the Malawi project would also address a key US priority by trying to reduce gender-based violence by making it safer for women to bring goods to markets.
The Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah is urging judges and magistrates not to be influenced by public criticisms in the discharge of their duty.

Yours is to dispense justice and to uphold the rule of law irrespective of public clamour, the Chief Justice said.

The judiciary has come under criticism in recent times, with President Akufo-Addo describing it as unwarranted attacks which must be condemned.

At the 2022 General Meeting of the Association of Magistrates and Judges, Justice Anin-Yeboah also said criticism of the judiciary must be constructive.

As the saying goes, you will not value what you have unless you lose it. On this line, the consequence of losing what you have, in terms of our justice system, will be unthinkable.

Deputy Attorney General, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah who attended the event attributed the recent attacks on the Judiciary to what he describes as a distorted coverage of court proceedings by some media firms.

He thus urged the media to collaborate with the judiciary to ensure fair reportage.

This collaboration will undoubtedly ensure that accurate and fair information is made available to the consuming public.

Public perceptions of the judiciary are often coloured by misunderstandings of decisions and judgments of the court, Mr. Tuah-Yeboah said.

By Citi Newsroom
Four Labour Unions in the Public Universities in the country have expressed displeasure over what they say is the blatant unilateral variation of agreed conditions of service in the face of hostile economic conditions by the employer.

At a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, September 28, the Labour Unions threatened to stage an unprecedented industrial action to express their displeasure if their concerns are not addressed in the next one week.

The four aggrieved Labour Unions in the Public Universities that have threatened to take the action are the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), Tertiary Education Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH), and the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG).

The Unions are aggrieved over the none payment of overtime allowance, the none payment of the Book and Research Allowances (BRA) for this year, revision of fuel allowance and vehicle maintenance allowance which is disadvantaging the majority of members contrary to an agreement already in place.

We know the language that easily sinks in their psyche, and we will speak it in one (1) week if they fail to heed to their own agreement with us.

The concerned Labour Unions are admonishing all the rank and file of their membership to remain calm and steadfast, that it will resist any attempt by the Employer to vary the terms of their agreed Conditions of Service without due process. The Unions also take this opportunity to advice the Employer to be circumspect as we do not take delight in disrupting the academic calendar, nevertheless when compelled to do so, we will not hesitate, National President of UTAG, Prof. Solomon Nunoo told the media today.

National President of UTAG, Prof. Solomon Nunoo

He continued, Therefore, the Employer should immediately rescind its intension to vary our conditions of service, else, teaching, and related activities on all the campuses will be withdrawn with effect from Wednesday, 5th October 2022.

Speaking to the media at the press conference, UTAG General Secretary Prof. Ransford Gyampo expressed displeasure, insisting that the government has taken the Labour Unions for granted for too long.

He said, "It appears the country is being run by people who are not serious and so because they are not serious they take all of us also not to be serious.

The Senior Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, urged stakeholders to immediately take action before the Labour Unions explode with their planned industrial action.

They are giving evasive excuses and we have important Ministers who are looking on. When we explode they will come and beg. So we are telling the National Security Minister, we are telling the Minister of Education, the Minister of Finance and Minister for Employment, the head of the National Labour Commission, we are telling them that they can look on and wait for us to explode but this time the explosion will be more massive because we are doing it together with all the labour unions on the various campuses.

So we have given them one-week ultimatum. Lets see how it goes. The mother of all industrial action will be witnessed in this country, Prof. Ransford Gyampo warns.
The Co-Chair of the Ghana Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, Dr. Steve Manteaw says the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation's payment of revenues accrued from 7% interest in the Jubilee and TEN petroleum fields to Ghana Offshore Holding Company is a total breach of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA).

Dr. Manteaw who is a former Chairman of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) told Citi News, GNPC must return the over $100 million revenues from crude lifting as a result of the 7% which was acquired by GNPC on behalf of the state back into the Petroleum Holding Fund in accordance with PRMA.

Anadarko was a partner to the Jubilee and the TEN project Production Agreements. Anadarko's interest was subsequently acquired at the international level by another oil company called Occidental. Occidental later decided to offload its operations in Africa and therefore took a decision to sell their interest in Jubilee and TEN previously acquired from Anadarko. GNPC was assigned 7% of the stake and we (state) had to pay for 7%. A company in an offshore jurisdiction was therefore incorporated, Ghana Offshore Holding Company, to hold the 7%.

The Petroleum Revenue Management Act stipulates that all petroleum revenues howsoever derived are to be first deposited into the Petroleum Holding Fund. There is a good reason for that, which is to enable us track the revenue flows and demand accountability in terms of how they are disbursed and utilized.

Contrary to this provision in the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, my information is that Ghana has lifted some oil in respect of that 7% and GNPC has deposited the proceeds from that transaction in an offshore account in the name of the Offshore account, he explained.

Dr. Manteaw said this act by GNPC is illegal. My view is that, this is a departure or a complete contravention of the provisions of the petroleum revenue management acts and GNPC has no legal basis for keeping a portion of petroleum revenues outside the petroleum revenue management framework. We've had some discussions and GNPC has proffered some explanations but I remain to be convinced that, that action sits well within the legal framework he added.

Dr. Steve Manteaw moreover said the public can test the issue at the court to get GNPC to return the proceeds to the Petroleum Holding Funds.

We (GHEITI) are doing further consultation and reviewing their (GNPC) explanations in the context of the law. If we think that we are still in disagreement with the position of GNPC, we will let GNPC know and if GNPC is still refusing to do the needful, then of course every citizen of this country has the right to go to court to seek a mandamus to comply GNPC to do what the law says it must do which is to bring it back into the Petroleum Holding Fund.

---citinewsroom
The Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Kwame Asuah Takyi has sued Media General, managers of TV3 for GHC20 million over alleged defamation.

Johnnie Hughes, host of the morning show of the Accra based television station is also joined in the law suit.

The said defamatory publication per the writ of summons sighted by this portal is related to a statement made on Jonnies Bite, a segment of the station morning programme dubbed New Day by Johnnie Hughes between August 24 and September 23, 2022, concerning the plaintiff.

Johnnie Hughes was reported to have said Comptroller General, you were interdicted in 2013. That is what your officers are saying for the same visa fraud and permit malpractices. As of your 2019/2020 since your directive came, you are bringing all those pets to you. The people are begging to ask questions again. What are you up to? Are you doing something again?

They say they dont understand why you have tried to centralise everything when you have made guilty in the past and went on interdiction. Until 2017, you were interdicted five (5) years.

The corruption must stop, Takyi must go among other allegations.

The plaintiff averred that the statement made by the journalist was to describe him as corrupt official who is treating his officers outside unfairly and poorly as well as using his office to settle personal issues with other officers.

He also maintained that the publication is making right thinking people to believe that he has a questionable character and is unfit to fulfill his duties as Comptroller General.

That he is also using his office to enrich himself, he added.

According to him, the allegations made by the journalist are false as they are calculated to tarnish his image and lower his reputation in the right thinking of members of the public.

The plaintiff further said the statement made by Johnie Hughes were defamatory to him and therefore, want an order for the media practitioner to retract and delete from it various media platforms, websites, archives or records the statement made.

He also wants the story pull down with the links deleted from all search engines the publication made by the second defendant.

Besides, he wants the defendants to render an unqualified apology through the same medium the publications were made.

Finally, the plaintiff is demanding HC20 million damages including exemplary damages and an order to restrain the defendants either by themselves or assignees from further publication or causing to be published the said words or any other words.

According to him, the statement has sore his reputation and suffered serious distress and embarrassment after he was bombarded with phone calls from friends and relatives.

Find copies of the summons below

---DGN online
Vice President of Ghana, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

28.09.2022 LISTEN

The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has stressed that he has an unshaken belief that the petroleum downstream industry will continue to be the anchor for the transformation of African countries.

The Vice President said this while delivering a speech as a special guest of honour at the Ghana International Petroleum Conference 2022 (GhIPCon) today, Wednesday, September 28.

Speaking at the Conference organised by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on the theme "Energy Transition in the African Petroleum Downstream Context: Prospects, Challenges and the way Forward", Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said it is most appropriate coming on the heels of the inauguration of the National Energy Transition Committee to draft a framework geared towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

He said while the government of Ghana is fully committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070, it has to take steps to accelerate the production and utilisation of the country's oil and gas reserves.

Vice President Bawumia noted that even as the government wants to contribute to reducing emissions, it is of the view that a balance must be struck and maintained in the context of social, economic, and environmental requirements.

He said in the process to succeed during the energy transition, countries and industry players should prioritise innovation and come up with solutions to tackle the challenges.

In order to thrive during the energy transition, I will urge the players in the downstream sector on the African continent to focus on innovation and diversification. They should also keep an eye on the long-term implications of the transition and stay prepared for potential disruption in the future which can be turned into future growth areas, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said in his address.

In his concluding remarks to formally declare the 2022 Ghana International Petroleum Conference (GhIPCon) open, the Vice President indicated that the conference offers a platform for key stakeholders across the sub-region, to harmonize policies, and opportunities to allow the petroleum downstream industry to respond to global developments and trends consistent with member countries development interests, while adding, And I have an unshaken belief that the petroleum downstream industry will continue to be the anchor for the transformation of our countries.

The 2022 GhIPCon incorporates an Africa Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) technical session.

This technical session is expected to share best practices amongst ECOWAS regulators in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cote DIvoire, and Togo and other key stakeholders on progress made thus far on adoption of the mandated AFRI-5 (50-ppm Sulphur) fuel specification and promote collaboration on its implementation going forward.

The Conference which kicked off today in Accra will end on Friday, September 30.
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has disclosed that Ghana has not reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a support programme yet.

According to him, Ghana needs a viable domestic financial system to support its development programme.

..we simply have not reached any agreement with the Fund on the parameters of any debt operations as we are in the process of completing the debt sustainability analysis. Government shall continue to actively engage all stakeholders in a clear and transparent manner as we seek to fast-tract the IMF negotiation process.

Ghana needs a viable domestic financial system to support its development programme, especially in these three years with limited access to the International Capital Market, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, September 28.

During the engagement with the media, the Finance Minister assured Ghanaians government is determined to protect the financial sector.

He said the government will engage stakeholders to come up with mutually beneficial arrangements that will protect the financial sector.

Therefore, everything must, and will be done, to protect our financial sector; and there must be room for a win-win conversation through extensive stakeholder engagement with both our domestic and external investors. Ghana has always had a collaborative approach with its partners and we shall, I am confident, come out with an historic arrangement, Ken Ofori-Atta said.

The Finance Minister is part of the government of Ghana team engaging IMF officials this week.

The engagement which forms part of the second phase of talks with the IMF for a support programme started on Monday, September 26, and is expected to last 10 days.
On September 28, commencing at 9:25 a.m., Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Christian Wulff, Former President of the Federal Republic of Germany who visited Japan to attend the State Funeral for the former Prime Minister ABE Shinzo, for approximately 15 minutes. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
On 28 September, commencing at 4.35 p.m. for approximately 15 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, held a summit meeting with H.E. Mr. Albin KURTI, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, who was visiting Japan to attend the state funeral for the former Prime Minister ABE Shinzo. The summary of the meeting is as follows.
On September 28, commencing at 10:10 a.m. for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with H. E. Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi, during his visit to Japan to attend the State Funeral of former Prime Minister Abe. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
Wednesday morning saw healthcare stock Race Oncology [ASX:RAC], developer of cancer drug treatments and melanoma therapies, provide an update on an improved formulation of its Zantrene (RC220) product.

The announcement came 24 hours after the company detailed a new Drug Discovery Program, initiated in pursuit of the companys Beyond Zantrene strategy.

By the early afternoon, Race had budged upwards in share price by more than 4%, however, this was not enough to bring it out of the red.

Race is currently trading at a 44% decrease in share value in the year so far, and is 29% down in both its sector and compared with the wider market benchmark over the past 12 months:

www.TradingView.com

Races Zantrene (RC220) update

The latest announcement by Race pertained to its Zantrene (RC220) drug, more specifically, an improvement on its formulation which better caters for peripheral  arm or leg vein  IV delivery in patients.

This new discovery, led by Dr Benjamin Buckley and the University of Wollongong, proposes a simpler alternative for clinicians and an optimal choice for patients suffering from solid tumours.

It could mean that invasive central venous catheters used in many types of tumours, melanomas, and cancers will no longer be required, improving quality of life and lessening pain for many patients.

The improved RC220 also suggests a simpler, more rapid treatment without use of expensive oncology equipment, thus making it a desirable commercial alternative.

Race will first need to enter necessary clinical trials, however, the company admitted a minority of solid tumour patients have been willing to take part in the trials so far.

Nevertheless, a contract has been signed with Societal for FDA Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standard, which is required for clinical trials.

Dr Daniel Tillett, Races CSO stated:

The development of the RC220 IV formulation is a major advance for Race. The chemical properties of Zantrene make developing a peripheral formulation highly complex and challenging. I am extremely proud of the Race team and our collaborators in developing the new RC220 formulation and believe this is a pivotal step in bringing the promise of Zantrene to clinical and commercial reality.

CMO Dr David Fuller added:

The availability of a peripherally administered formulation of Zantrene is a major step forward and will allow Race to more effectively explore multiple opportunities in the solid tumour and cardioprotection space.

RC220 is anticipated for delivery later in Q2 23 at the cost of US$611,900 in contracts, and a new international patent is to be submitted even earlier.

Interestingly, Race alluded to delaying the patient submission for as long as possible, to maximise the effective on-patent life of RC220 and hence its future commercial value.

RAC to grow Beyond Zantrene

Race has begun the process in screening fragments in a program aimed at discovering new novel drugs within areas of cancer and other complex diseases.

The Monash Fragment Platform has been contracted for furthering research and testing, incurring a total cost of $286,786, which the company believes can be 43.5% returned with the R&D Tax Incentive.

Phil Lynch, Races CEO, commented:

Addition of new FTO inhibitors to Races drug pipeline creates major value as it grows Race Beyond Zantrene and positions us as a world leading RNA epitranscriptomics pharma company.

Race is continuing work at the University of Wollongong to further Zantrene variations and improvements, with the intention to create an oral, less frequent formulation.

Investors will be updated on the progress of these activities in the future.

Lets talk lithium

Turning from the medical field for a moment, did you know eight of the 10 best-performing stocks on the All Ordinaries in 2021 were lithium stocks?

Lithium stocks havent fared as well in 2022, with many of last years high-flyers trading well below their 52-week highs.

The easy money has already been made; it seems.

So does that make it too late to consider the lithium sector?

Not necessarily

Two of our experts recently profiled three Australian lithium stocks they think are being overlooked by the wider market.

Click here to find out what this means.
Today, Perth-based gas and geothermal energy producer Strike Energy [ASX:STX] said it has had its combined Kingia Sandstone gas reserves and resources independently certified.

What followed was a surge in share price; Strike shares were rocketing 7% upwards merely hours after making the announcement on Wednesday.

While shares were worth 23 cents earlier today, the energy resources stock has seen a tumultuous landslide of 18% over the last month as recessionary fears hit home with many investors.

Nevertheless, despite lagging in its sector by 34% over the past 12 months, Strike has managed a gain of more than 12% on its own metrics in the year so far.

Source: Trading View

Strikes South Erregulla Kingia progress

This morning, gas and resources producer Strike Energy revealed that its 100%-owned South Erregulla site has now received independent certification by Netherland Sewell & Associates (NSAI).

NSAI found the combination of net 2P Reserves and net 2C Contingent Resources total approximately 306 PJ  a substantial upside in results for the Kingia Sandstone area alone.

Yesterday, NSAI submitted a report focused on the drilling, coring, log, seismic, and production testing stats from the South Erregulla 1 (SE1) well:

NSAI estimates net 3P plus net 3C gas Reserves and Resources totalling approximately 463, which represents substantial potential from the South Erregulla-1 well, Strike reported.

According to Strike, these results were due to a successful drilling operation at the SE1 well, and now the company expects appraisal drilling to occur in Q2 2023.

Appraisal drilling, which is currently planned for Q2/2023, has the potential to add additional Reserves and Resources and high grade the currently certified numbers, as has been seen recently through the appraisal to the North at the West Erregulla gas field, stated Strike.

Further drilling is also expected to further Kingia and Wagina gas Reserves and Resources, with the Wagina gas discovery anticipated to see testing in the coming weeks.

Strikes Managing Director and CEO Stuart Nicholls said:

With NSAI independently certifying a combined net 2P Reserves and net 2C Contingent Resources of approximately 306 PJ in the Kingia Sandstone alone from the drilling of one well, Strike has high confidence in the gas potential of the broader South Erregulla structure and the ability to provide the gas feedstock for our integrated low carbon fertiliser development, Project Haber. Strike now has 532 PJ of independently certified 2P and 2C Reserves and Resources in the Erregulla region alone2 , with the potential to add additional volumes following successful testing of the Wagina gas discovery over the coming weeks. Owning and controlling 100% of the surface and subsurface rights at South Erregulla gives Strike the ability to maximise the value of the gas resource in a timely fashion through its vertically integrated energy and fertiliser strategy. The drilling at South Erregulla-1 has been truly transformational for the Company.

Source: Strike

What does the future hold for Strike?

Strike is demonstrating that it is well prepared for utilising its resources in the gas industry, laying the groundwork for testing and necessary certifications so it can soon chase production.

Earlier this month, it sought a $30 million investment tip from its shareholders to fast-track production targets to early 2023.

In raising the $30 million through investor funding, Strike would be up $65 million for its project spending balance.

Strike also revealed it would put $14 million into a low-carbon urea fertiliser acquisition in WA (the Project Harber) as it chases strategies within global decarbonisation goals.

Chasing cleaner energy  the rise of EVs (electric vehicles)

Now, decarbonisation and clean energy are expanding fast as the world chases net-zero targets.

And one of the best ways to achieve our decarbonisation goals is via EVs.

And while lithium has dominated the headlines surrounding EVs in 2021, we should not forget the other equally necessary battery tech materials  copper, nickel, cobalt, and graphite.

With lithium stocks correcting in 2022, there may be a smarter way to play the EV theme this year.

In our latest report, we profile this smarter way, and it involves what you might call lithiums little brother.

Regards,

Kiryll Prakapenka
Feature: Ethiopian coffee garners popularity among Chinese consumers

Xinhua) 10:44, September 28, 2022

An employee works at a coffee processing plant in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Oct. 21, 2021. The increasing number of consumers and growing popularity of Ethiopia's coffee among the Chinese people is propelling Ethiopia's coffee export market, officials and coffee exporters said. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The increasing number of consumers and growing popularity of Ethiopia's coffee among the Chinese people is propelling Ethiopia's coffee export market, officials and coffee exporters said.

"Currently, the youth in China are really fond of Ethiopian coffee and we are witnessing growing coffee market share in China and other parts of Asia," Adugna Debela, director general of the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA), said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Figures from ECTA showed that Ethiopia exported 11,935.65 metric tons of coffee to China during the last Ethiopian fiscal year which ended on July 7, earning 65.31 million U.S. dollars, up by 84 percent year on year.

The increase has made China the seventh major importer of Ethiopian coffee last fiscal year (July 8, 2021-July 7, 2022), up from 33rd in the previous fiscal year (July 8, 2020-July 7, 2021)

Ethiopia obtained a record 1.4 billion U.S. dollars from exporting over 300,000 metric tons of coffee last Ethiopian fiscal year. The top five export destinations were Germany, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Japan.

Debela argued that China would be one of the main destinations for Ethiopian coffee due to its population size and the growing coffee drinking habits among the people.

"Very recently, countries like China, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates are coming to the front line, after consumers in those countries tested and proved that Ethiopian coffee is an organic one," Debela said.

Amid the growing demand for Ethiopian coffee in the Chinese coffee market, a growing number of Ethiopian coffee growers and exporters are vying to penetrate the emerging Chinese coffee market.

Israel Degefa, Chief Executive Officer of Kerchanshe Trading, the largest producer and exporter of coffee in Ethiopia, shares the idea of the director general and anticipates "China would be one of the main destinations for Ethiopian coffee in the near future."

"In general, the Chinese market is growing every year and we are tripling our export to China both in volume of coffee and value. The demand is high and we are preparing to grow more coffee to feed the Chinese market," Degefa said.

Ethiopia, which is known as the origin of Arabica coffee, is recognized worldwide for its rich coffee quality, variety of flavors and aroma, making the demand for the commodity increase globally.

For Degefa, the rising demand for Ethiopian coffee in China has to do with a cultural shift. "I think there is a cultural shift among the Chinese people. The Chinese new generation is adapting to drink tea and coffee concurrently," Degefa said.

Temesgen Cherkos, export manager of Hadeed Trading Private Limited Company, said his company is making increasing shipments of coffee to China, attributing the rise in the volume of coffee export to growing coffee drinking habits in China.

"We have been sending coffee to China for two years now. We exported a small volume of coffee the previous year but this year, after we got registered in China, we are exporting an increasing volume of coffee to China. At least we make shipments of 10 containers of coffee to China every month," he said.

There are about 5 million coffee growers in Ethiopia and more than 25 million people in the country depend on coffee production and processing for their livelihood. Also coffee accounts for up to 30 percent of Ethiopia's export revenue, according to ECTA.

However, figures from the ECTA show that only 12 percent of Ethiopian coffee export commands the highest price in the international coffee market due to lack of using modern technology and the best variety of species in the production and processing of coffee.

According to ECTA, coffee Arabica is highly vulnerable to changing climatic conditions, especially the desert weather which is posing a potential threat to coffee production.

Employees work with coffee beans at a coffee processing plant in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Oct. 21, 2021. The increasing number of consumers and growing popularity of Ethiopia's coffee among the Chinese people is propelling Ethiopia's coffee export market, officials and coffee exporters said. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
September 28, 2022

Whodunnit? - Facts Related to The Sabotage Attack On The Nord Stream Pipelines

For decades the U.S. opposed European projects to receive energy from Russia. It wants Europe to buy more expensive U.S. oil and gas.

the Lemniscat @theLemniscat - 15:56 UTC  Sep 27, 2022 US plan was always to stop EU buying Russia's gas

2014

Rice:"You want to change the structure of energy dependence. You want to depend more on the North America energy platform ... to have pipelines that don't go through Ukraine & Russia"

https://youtube.com/watch?v=aF0uYIjaTNE

Europe's, and especially Germany's industry, depends on cheap energy from Russia. Without it Europe will be de-industrialized and go broke.

The U.S. had threatened to disable the pipelines connecting Europe to Russia.

ABC News @ABC - 9:59pm  7 Feb 2022 Pres. Biden: "If Russia invades...then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it."

Reporter: "But how will you do that, exactly, since...the project is in Germany's control?"

Biden: "I promise you, we will be able to do that."

abcn.ws/3B5SScx

Currently the U.S. is winning its war on Europe's, mainly Germany's, industries and people. Yesterday's sabotage attack on the Nord Stream I and II pipelines, which are supposed to bring Russian natural gas to Germany, mean that the the war on Germany has entered its hot phase.

A question remains: Whodunnit?

Russia has no motive to destroy the pipelines it owns. These are valuable, long term assets and the gas that escaped from them yesterday was on its own worth some $600 to $800 million.

A pipeline that could be turned off and on again was a leverage point for Russia that gave it some negotiation power. A destroyed pipeline gives Russia no leverage. This is truly elementary. One can not spin that away.

During the war in Ukraine Russia has not stopped to deliver gas to Europe as contractually agreed. Instead European countries, Poland, Ukraine and Germany have blocked overland and sub sea pipelines that brought gas to Germany.

German people have protested against the U.S. ordered shut down of the Nord Stream II pipeline. (Nord Stream I was recently offline because Siemens was prevented by sanctions from maintaining its compressor turbines.)

Thousands of people in Gera in Germany against Olaf Scholz's policy and the explosion of energy and gas prices. They demand an end to sanctions on Russia and the reopening of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Demonstrations also in other German cities but EU media censors them.

Embedded video

A day after the protests the pipelines were sabotaged:

HERE IT IS

Footage from the site of a gas leak on the underwater section of the Nord Stream.

The video was published by the Danish military.

Earlier, the Kremlin said that it was most likely about sabotage.

The same opinion was expressed in the German government.

Embedded video

Yesterday's attack on the Nord Stream system is not unprecedented:

professional hog groomer @bidetmarxman - 15:51 UTC  Sep 27, 2022 In 2015, the annual routine underwater survey of the Nord Stream 1 pipelines came across a remote operated vehicle rigged with explosives right next to one of the lines in Swedish waters.

The umbilical cable had been cut. The drones national origin was never disclosed. 

In 2015 Pipeline Journal reported:

[T]he Swedish military has successfully cleared a remote operated vehicle (drone) rigged with explosives found near Line 2 of the Nord Stream Natural Gas offshore pipeline system. The vehicle was discovered during a routine survey operation as part of the annual integrity assessment of the Nord Stream pipeline. Since it was within the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) approximately 120 km away from the island of Gotland, the Swedes called on their armed forces to remove and ultimately disarm the object.

...

The national identity of the drone has not been verified so far, as many countries use Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) of a similar construction, [Jesper Stolpe, Swedish Armed Forces spokesman,] said.

To destroy a sub sea pipeline requires more than a ROV/drone delivered shaped charge.

Javier Blas @JavierBlas - 15:18 UTC  Sep 27, 2022 How strong is a Nord Stream pipe? Quite!

The steel pipe itself has a wall of 4.1 centimeters (1.6 inches), and it's coated with another 6-11 cm of steel-reinforced concrete. Each section of the pipe weighs 11 tonnes, which goes to 24-25 tonnes after the concrete is applied.

It wasn't earthquakes that destroyed the pipelines. These were several well targeted and massive explosions:

A Swedish seismologist said on Tuesday he was certain the seismic activity detected at the site of the Nord Stream pipeline gas leaks in the Baltic Sea was caused by explosions and not earthquakes nor landslides. Bjorn Lund, seismologist at the Swedish National Seismic Network at Uppsala University, said seismic data gathered by him and Nordic colleagues showed that the explosions took place in the water and not in the rock under the seabed.

The targeted explosions were not small:

Dagny Taggart @DagnyTaggart963 - 15:56 UTC  Sep 27, 2022 Swedish seismologists from Lund University noted that "at least 100 kg of TNT (perhaps more) were used to destroy the pipelines."

Here is where the pipelines were hit:

The Baltic Sea is controlled by NATO. This from June 2022:

"BALTOPS, with the high degree of complexity, tested our collective readiness and adaptability, while also highlighting the strength of our Alliance and resolve in providing a maritime domain with freedom of navigation for all," said Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO). Led by U.S. Sixth Fleet, BALTOPS 22 was command and controlled by STRIKFORNATO. From the staffs headquarters in Oeiras, Portugal, Rear Adm. James Morley, STRIKFORNATO deputy commander, was responsible for ensuring participants met all training objectives.

...

[Rear Adm. John Menoni, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Two,] also noted several instances in which forces stepped beyond know warfare methods to push limits with new technologies at sea and ashore. Whether it was mine-hunting UUVs, persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance from an observable UAV, or demonstrating the value of the emerging Marine Corps concept of Expeditionary Advance Base Operations (EABO), our men and women continue to develop the tactics, techniques, and procedures that ultimately make meaningful contributions to Maritime Domain Awareness and increase the lethality of our forces. At sea, ships fine-tuned tactical maneuvering, anti-submarine warfare, live-fire training, mine countermeasures operations, and replenishments at sea. The Swedish submarine participating in the exercise, the U.K.s Daring-class air-defense destroyer HMS Defender (D 36), and aircraft from other participating nations trained in anti-submarine warfare. Meanwhile, mine operations served as an ideal area of focus for testing new technology. Scientists from five nations brought the latest advancements in Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) mine hunting technology to the Baltic Sea to demonstrate the vehicles effectiveness in operational scenarios. The BALTOPS Mine Counter Measure Task Group ventured throughout the Baltic region practicing ordnance location, exploitation, and disarming in critical maritime chokepoints.

While the Baltops 22 maneuver already took place in June and July of this year the U.S. Sixth Fleet left the Baltic Sea only a few days ago (in German, my translation):

Big Fleet Group From U.S. Navy Passes [German island passage] Fehmanbelt On Wednesday morning the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge, escorted by the Landing Ships USS Arlington and USS Gunston Hall, was en route towards west. Previously, the ships were part of US units that took part in NATO maneuvers and called at numerous ports in Germany, Scandinavia and the Baltic States. The "USS Kearsarge", flagship of the association and largest warship of the US Navy, which was in action in the Baltic Sea in the last 30 years, has 40 helicopters and fighter planes as well as more than 2000 soldiers on board, the escort ships about 1000. For the around 4,000 soldiers are heading back home on the east coast of the US after their six-month deployment.

Parts of the Kearsange operations in the Baltic Sea were dedicated to test special sub sea mine destruction technologies:

A significant focus of BALTOPS every year is the demonstration of NATO mine hunting capabilities, and this year the U.S. Navy continues to use the exercise as an opportunity to test emerging technology, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Public Affairs said June 14. In support of BALTOPS, U.S. Navy 6th Fleet partnered with U.S. Navy research and warfare centers to bring the latest advancements in unmanned underwater vehicle mine hunting technology to the Baltic Sea to demonstrate the vehicles effectiveness in operational scenarios. Experimentation was conducted off the coast of Bornholm, Denmark, with participants from Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport, and Mine Warfare Readiness and Effectiveness Measuring all under the direction of U.S. 6th Fleet Task Force 68.

Off the coast of Bornholm, Denmark, is where the pipelines were hit. Just days ago the USS Kearsarge was in that area:

An expeditionary detachment of US Navy ships led by the universal amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge days ago was in the Baltic Sea

It was 30 km from the site of the alleged sabotage on the Nord Stream-1 gas pipeline and 50 km from the threads of Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline

On September 2, interesting maneuvers performed by an American helicopter with the call sign FFAB123. Then it was assumed that this board was from the USS Kearsarge air wing, and today more details were looked. According to the website ads-b.nl , this call sign was used by 6 boards that day, of which we managed to establish the side numbers of three. All of them are Sikorsky MH-60S. By superimposing the FFAB123 route on the scheme of yesterday's accident, we get a rather interesting result  the helicopter either flew along the Nord Stream-2 highway, or even between the points where the accident occurred. On Twitter, meanwhile, there were screenshots of other flights of American aviation  the following screenshot was taken on September 13.

The MH-60S carries big electromagnetic sensors which allows it to detect submarines, mines and - in the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea - sub sea pipelines.

This overlay picture of two others posted above is especially of interest:

The U.S. military is not the only force that was near the area of the pipeline damage. Just a 100 kilometer south is the Polish naval base Kolobrzeg (the former German Kolberg) which harbors mine laying ships and the 8th Koobrzeg Naval Combat Engineer Battalion. Naval combat engineers are experts in blowing up anything that is under water, be it mines or pipelines.

In 2021, while Nord Stream 2 was still being build, the Polish navy had interfered and endangered the pipe laying vessels in the very same place.

Artifaktus @bzyqer - 7:49 UTC  Sep 28, 2022 Gdy Wy mycie zeby, przebieracie sie w pizamy i szykujecie do snu, jeden niestrudzony Polak wyrusza w swoja odzia w kierunku Bornholmu majac na sercu dobro Polski a moze i Niemiec ... Translated from Polish by Google

When you brush your teeth, put on your pajamas and get ready to go to sleep, one tireless Pole sets off in his boat towards Bornholm with the good of Poland and maybe Germany at heart ...

Image

During the recent Ukraine crisis Poland has rejected to receive Russian gas. It closed the Yamal pipeline that transports natural gas from Russia to Germany. Poland continued to consume Russia gas. It received it from Germany which had received it through the Nord Stream I pipeline from Russia.

Poland and Denmark have build a new sub sea pipeline which connects it to the pipeline that brings Norwegian gas to the Netherlands and Europe.

The pipeline was opened yesterday, the very same day the Nord Stream system was sabotaged.

Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland @PremierRP_en - 11:25 UTC  Sep 27, 2022

 The #BalticPipe is a joint Polish-Danish investment in the energy security of the region.

Image

Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland @PremierRP_en - 13:43 UTC  Sep 27, 2022

The launching ceremony of the #BalticPipe gas pipeline with participation of PM @MorawieckiM , PM of Denmark Mette Frederiksen & @prezydentpl @AndrzejDuda.

The Baltic Pipe is a strategic infrastructure project aimed at creating a new gas supply corridor on the European market.

Video

The Baltic Pipe has a capacity of only 10 billion cubic meters per year. The Nord Stream system could carry up to 110 cubic meter per year. All of which is needed to keep Europe's industries running.

For more on Poland's involvement, likely in cooperation with the U.S., read these informed speculations by John Helmer:

The explosions at Bornholm are the new Polish strike for war in Europe against Chancellor Olaf Scholz. So far the Chancellery in Berlin is silent, tellingly.

The Poles should be reminded that other countries also have the capabilities to sabotage sub sea pipelines.

Radosaw Sikorski is a former Minister of Defense and Foreign Minister of Poland. He is now a Member of the European Parliament. Yesterday he posted a picture of the gas escaping the damaged Nord Stream pipelines and thanked the U.S. for blowing them up.

Sikorski is married to the neoconservative writer Anne Appelbaum who is notorious for her anti-Russian and anti-German screeds widely published in U.S. media.

In 2014 during the Maidan coup in Ukraine another notorious neoconservative, Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, told the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, who should become the new prime minister of the Ukraine. She famously expressed her opinion about European concerns: "Fuck the EU" Nuland said. She is currently the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

Over the last decades Germany has financed the Euro zone with up to 1.24 trillion Euros. (See also this thread). This was possible because Germany was exporting lots of industrial products and had a yearly surplus from its trade. With Germany's industry going down because a lack of cheap energy that surplus will vanish. Europe, all of it, will become a poor continent.

Philip Pilkington @philippilk - 21:23 UTC  Sep 27, 2022 9/ The European energy war will likely go down in history, together with the Treaty of Versailles and the trade wars of the 1930s, as one of the biggest economic policy errors in history. 10/ Another thing: when Trump was elected on a platform of milder protectionism, many people rightly pointed to the 1920s and 1930s and warned against these policies. These same people appear to have supported these much more 1920s/30s-like policies this past year. Ironic.

This does not happen by chance or fate. It is part of a long term neoconservative plan for continued U.S. supremacy over the world. The Anglo-American axis is the only party to benefit from the recent events.

The U.S. allegedly warned Germany of sabotage of the Nord Stream system (in German).

This reminds of President Joe Biden's warning of a Russian invasion in Ukraine early this year.

It is easy to predict such events when you are the one who intends to cause them.

The U.S. knew that the Ukraine was going to launch an attack on the Donbas republics. The U.S. knew that Russia would intervene to help its brethren. Russia had said so. The Ukrainian attack started with artillery preparations on February 17. Russia intervened on February 24.

The above is a collection of the currently available facts. You can draw your own conclusions from them.

Posted by b on September 28, 2022 at 9:56 UTC | Permalink

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Alec Baldwin poses for a photo with his Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for "Saturday Night Live" at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, Sept. 17, 2017.
President Donald Trump rape accuser E. Jean Carroll arrives for her hearing at federal court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, Oct. 21, 2020.
King Point residents leave with their belongings after an apparent overnight tornado spawned from Hurricane Ian at Kings Point 55+ community in Delray Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.
French Senate report denounces sexual abuse in porn industry View Photo

PARIS (AP)  Sexual and physical abuse in Frances porn industry is systemic and lawmakers should better regulate the production of videos and protect children who are heavily exposed to the content, according to a French Senate report released Wednesday.

The report, titled Hell Behind the Scenes, was the first prepared for the French parliament to focus on the porn industry, which the authors described as predatory.

A former porn performer who now works as a filmmaker welcomed the long-overdue look at the industry, though she said it doesnt do enough to hold platforms that distribute violent porn accountable.

During six months of research, the Senates delegation for womens rights and gender equality heard from over 50 people, including some involved in the industry, womens rights activists and victims.

Both the actual volume of pornographic contents accessible to all and their very nature have contributed to make violent sexual acts against women banal, the reports authors wrote.

Sexual, physical and verbal abuses are widespread in porn, making them systemic. They are not simulated but very real for the women who are being filmed, they added.

In the past two decades, pornography has massively developed as global video platforms multiplied and social media helped share content.

A police investigation into alleged rape, human trafficking and pimping in Frances porn industry has called attention to abuse in the business. Dozens of alleged victims have come forward in two separate cases linked to a major video platform and Frances leading amateur porn site.

The investigation revealed that the consent of women was not being asked or respected in many occasions.

The former porn actress, known by her performing name, Nikita Bellucci, was among those who spoke to the senators because for once, people working in the porn industry were given a voice, she told The Associated Press. Bellucci would not disclose her full identity to protect her childrens privacy.

Bellucci  who has worked in the porn industry for more than a decade in France, Eastern Europe and the U.S.  said she was proud of her job yet stood in the front line to denounce how women are targeted by abuse in the industry.

She recalled with much emotion in her voice how, in the early stage of her career, her consent (was) abolished while performing a scene. It took her ten years to realize what happened because she believed the wrong idea that a porn actress cant be abused because she chose to do this work.

The Senate report aims to alert the government and the broader public to the huge scale of the problem, its authors said. They noted the massive, ordinary and toxic viewing of porn by children, despite French law requiring viewers to be at least 18 years old.

The report found that 90% of pornographic scenes include violence and that two thirds of children aged 14 and less have seen pornographic content  voluntarily or not.

We must stop having a dated, distorted, watered-down view of porn. Porn today includes violent, degrading, humiliating content, Sen. Annick Billon, co-author and president of the Senates delegation, said.

Scenes in which a man, most often several men, up to 50, inflict physical and sexual abuse on women have become standard, she added.

Billon and the other delegation members issued 23 recommendations for enforcing current laws and introducing new regulations.

They include making it a criminal offense to incite the committing of a rape in the context of the porn industry, issuing dissuasive fines to make it more difficult for minors to access porn and requiring age-verification mechanisms.

Sen. Laurence Rossignol, report co-author and a former minister in charge of womens rights, said the two major cases being investigated by police highlighted some of the industrys methods, including an initial rape to break women, she said. Thats the same method as in prostitution rings.

To withdraw videos from the internet, producers require women to pay 3,000 to 5,000 euros ($2,900-4,800)  ten times the fee they were paid for shooting them, the report said.

Rossignol said policies to fight abuse in the porn industry must come as an additional step in the wake of the #MeToo movement that made a political issue of sexual abuse.

What is shocking to us is that when its about fighting terrorism online, our legal arsenal is useful and efficient. When its about violence against women, its not efficient and not applied, Rossignol said.

For Bellucci, the report came a bit too late  yet the move is positive. She praised the recommendation to reinforce sex education of teenagers, especially at school. We now live in a society thats hyper-sexualized by the internet and social media. It is very important to address these topics, said the 32-year-old mother of two.

What were asking for, above all, is a legal framework. And being actually protected, Bellucci said. As a porn producer and director, she explained how she takes care of the actors, discussing what practices will be performed and requesting their consent at every stage.

Other countries have tried to regulate online porn but face challenges. Efforts in Britain to tighten age verification on porn sites have run up against privacy concerns.

In the U.S., legislation seeking to remove tech platforms traditional immunity for violations of laws related to online child sexual-abuse material was approved earlier this year by a key Senate committee. It has faced substantial pushback, however, including from some liberal Democratic lawmakers.

A new law enacted this month in California targets cyber flashing, in which victims receive unsolicited sexually graphic material, often from strangers. People who receive the material by text, email, app or other electronic means will have the legal right to sue the sender.

___

Marcy Gordon in Washington and Kelvin Chan in London contributed.

By SYLVIE CORBET and JADE LE DELEY
TIRANA, Albania (AP)  Three former presidents of Albania and one of Kosovo on Wednesday visited ethnic Albanian former commanders in the fight against Serbian rule in Kosovo who are being held in a Netherlands prison pending trial for alleged war crimes.

Former Kosovo President Behgjet Pacolli said he visited the detainees together with three Albanian former presidents  Rexhep Mejdani, Alfred Moisiu and Bamir Topi  and Pandeli Majko, a former Albanian prime minister and now a lawmaker.

He said they wanted to show  support and solidarity with their last battle in defense of Kosovos war for freedom and independence.

An EU-backed war crimes court and a linked prosecutors office based in The Hague have arrested five ex-Kosovo Liberation Army leaders since 2020, including Kosovos ex-president Hashim Thaci, and former parliament speaker Kadri Veseli. They have denied wrongdoing. Only one of the five has gone on trial.

In 2011, the Council of Europes Parliamentary Assembly passed a resolution calling for a European Union mission in Kosovo to investigate war crimes and organ trafficking in Kosovo and Albania. It cited allegations that fighters from the now-disbanded KLA trafficked human organs taken from prisoners, slain Serbs and fellow ethnic Albanians.

The resolution was based on a 2010 report by Swiss Sen. Dick Marty, a Council of Europe investigator, who said the KLA was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Serbs, Roma and ethnic Albanians suspected of collaborating with Serbs during the 1998-1999 Kosovo war. The KLA fought Serbias forces to try to win independence for Kosovo, then a Serbian province.

In July the Albanian Parliament asked Europes top human rights body to rescind the 2011 resolution and clear both Albania and Kosovo of the organ trafficking claims.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly last week, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said rescinding the resolution would help restore the credibility of such an important international organization as the Council of Europe.

Kosovos war left more than 13,000 dead, mostly ethnic Albanians. It ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian troops.

In 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, a move that Belgrade refuses to recognize.

___

Follow Llazar Semini at https://twitter.com/lsemini

By LLAZAR SEMINI

Associated Press
Dinner With a Scientist 2022 View Photos

Angels Camp, CA  The Annual Dinner With A Scientist saw record-breaking attendance for 2022.

The recent event brought together 130 students, 40 teachers, 26 scientists, and 15 volunteers from 14 schools in Calaveras and Amador County. The almost 200 attendees were the highest ever. Each year, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professionals and 4th12th-grade students come together to discuss those fields. The event was held at the Tower Pavilion at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds off Highway 49 in Angels Camp for the second year in a row.

Each year, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professionals and 4th12th-grade students come together to discuss those fields. The students are divided into groups of up to ten that then visit the scientists table. The scientists, some performing demonstrations, discussed their careers and college pathways with the students, who are able to ask questions, with each sitting lasting for 30 minutes. CCOE officials stated, The event is intended to inspire young minds in scientific realms and provide students with an opportunity to explore new ideas.

This years keynote speaker was Shannon Ayers, Engineering Leader and Technical Manager at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. CCOE noted that students and teachers remained attentive during the address, with hands raised throughout her speech wanting to know more.

Superintendent of Schools Karen Vail remarked, It was so powerful to watch the level of engagement increase as the evening progressed, the students were so enthused and eager to learn.
Iraq: 4 officers wounded in Baghdad Green Zone rocket fire View Photo

BAGHDAD (AP)  Four Katyusha rockets landed in Baghdads heavily fortified Green Zone government area Wednesday, wounding four security officers, Iraqi state news reported.

The rockets landed as parliament voted to keep Speaker Mohammed Halbousi on the job, rejecting his resignation request. Halbousi was originally named a candidate for the post by parliamentarians backed by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadrs 73 lawmakers resigned last June to protest the political deadlock.

The Iraqi military said earlier in a statement that one rocket landed near parliament, another near the parliaments guesthouse, and a third at a junction near the Judicial Council. Two security officials told The Associated Press that the fourth rocket also landed near parliament. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.

The U.S. has often accused Iranian-backed militia of firing rockets into the Green Zone.

The officer of caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in a statement said security forces were pursuing the assailants who fired the rockets, and asked protesters to remain peaceful.

Earlier, supporters of al-Sadr attempted to storm Baghdads Green Zone government area Wednesday as the Iraqi parliament held session on the resignation of its speaker.

AP journalists saw those supporting al-Sadr waving flags as security forces gathered around them. They managed to break through a security barrier on a bridge leading to the heavily fortified zone but got no farther.

Al-Sadrs bloc won the most votes in parliamentary elections last October but he has been unable to form a majority government. His followers stormed the parliament in late July to prevent their rivals from Iran-backed Shiite groups from forming a government.

With ensuing rallies, clashes with security forces, counter-rallies and a sit-in outside parliament, the government formation process has stalled.

Al-Sadr has been calling for the dissolution of parliament and early elections and has been in a power struggle with his Iran-backed rivals since the vote.
EXPLAINER: Rare sedition charge at center of Jan. 6 trial View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  The founder of the Oath Keepers and four associates are on trial in the Capitol attack on charges that include seditious conspiracy  a rarely used Civil War-era accusation that strikes to the heart of what prosecutors say happened that day.

Stewart Rhodes and his followers are the first Jan. 6 defendants to stand trial on such a charge for what prosecutors say was not a suddenly ignited riot but a coordinated plot to stop the transfer of presidential power.

The stakes are high for the Justice Department, which hasnt tried a seditious conspiracy case in a decade and hasnt won a guilty verdict since the 1995 prosecution of Islamic militants who plotted to bomb New York City landmarks.

Prosecutors say Rhodes and his far-right extremist group spent weeks preparing to use violence to stop Biden from becoming president. Rhodes, a Texan, recruited members to come to Washington, amassed weapons and organized armed teams to be on standby outside the city in case they were needed, authorities say.

The plot came to a head, prosecutors say, on Jan. 6 when Oath Keepers were captured on camera shouldering their way through the mob of President Donald Trumps supporters and storming the Capitol in military-style stack formation.

The Oath Keepers, for their part, have said their preparations, training, gear and weapons were to protect themselves against potential attacks from left-wing antifa activists, or to be ready if Trump invoked the Insurrection Act to call up a militia to support his bid to stay in power. Rhodes has said there was no plan to attack the Capitol and the members who went inside went rogue.

Jury selection started on Tuesday for the trial that is expected to last several weeks.

Heres a look at the charge of seditious conspiracy and its history:

___

WHAT IS SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY?

The law was enacted after the Civil War to arrest Southerners who might keep fighting the U.S. government.

In order to win a seditious conspiracy case, prosecutors have to prove that two or more people conspired to overthrow, put down or to destroy by force the U.S. government or bring war against it, or that they plotted to use force to oppose the authority of the government or to block the execution of a law.

Rhodes, Kelly Meggs, Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson and Thomas Caldwell arent charged with conspiring to overthrow the government or levy war.

Instead, prosecutors charge that they conspired to forcibly oppose the authority of the federal government and forcibly block the execution of laws governing the transfer of presidential power.

Specifically, the Oath Keepers are accused of conspiring to forcibly obstruct the execution of the Electoral Count Act and the Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution, which address the counting of electoral votes.

Seditious conspiracy calls for up to up to 20 years behind bars, if convicted. Rhodes and his associates also face several other serious charges.

WHY CAN IT BE DIFFICULT TO PROVE?

The charge has rarely been brought in recent memory, and with mixed results.

Its not enough to merely show the defendants advocated the use of force  prosecutors must show they conspired to use force. Seditious conspiracy cases are legally complex, and prosecutors are sometimes reluctant to file the charges because they can be difficult for juries to grasp.

Juries dont understand them, then when you want to communicate that idea to a larger audience, the public doesnt really understand, said Jeffrey Ian Ross, a criminologist at the University of Baltimore.

While seditious conspiracy has a broad definition, sometimes juries want more than simple use of force against the government, because the term sedition conjures an image of overthrowing the government, said Barbara McQuade, who was U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan when a judge there cleared militia members of the charge in 2012.

In the case of Jan. 6, however, because the attack against the government took place at the U.S. Capitol, while it was certifying a presidential election, even these high expectations can be met, McQuade, now a University of Michigan Law School professor, said in an email.

Alan Rozenshtein, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, also said prosecutors shouldnt have a difficult time proving seditious conspiracy in the Oath Keepers case.

If this is not sedition, I dont know what is, he said.

WHO HAS FACED THE CHARGE BEFORE?

The last time the Justice Department tried a seditious conspiracy case was in 2010 in an alleged Michigan plot by members of the Hutaree militia to incite an uprising against the government.

A judge ordered acquittals of the sedition conspiracy charges at a 2012 trial, saying prosecutors relied too much on hateful diatribes protected by the First Amendment and didnt, as required, prove the accused ever had detailed plans for a rebellion.

Lawyer William Swor, who represented Hutaree militia leader David Stone, has said that prosecutors in the case failed to prove that group members were more than just talking and were actively planning to oppose the government.

Stones diatribes evince nothing more than his own hatred for  perhaps even desire to fight or kill  law enforcement; this is not the same as seditious conspiracy, the judge said.

The last successful seditious conspiracy trial was in the 1995, when Egyptian cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman and nine followers were convicted in plot to blow up the United Nations, an FBI building, and two tunnels and a bridge linking New York and New Jersey.

Abdel-Rahman, known as the Blind Sheikh, argued on appeal that he was never involved in planning actual attacks and his hostile rhetoric was protected free speech. He died in federal prison in 2017.

Prosecutors also secured seditious conspiracy convictions in another, now largely forgotten storming of the Capitol building in 1954. Four pro-independence Puerto Rican activists rushed the building and opened fire on the House floor, wounding several representatives.

Also, Oscar Lopez Rivera, a former leader of a Puerto Rican independence group that orchestrated a bombing campaign that left dozens of people dead or maimed in New York, Chicago, Washington and Puerto Rico in the 1970s and early 1980s, spent 35 years in prison for seditious conspiracy before President Barack Obama commuted his sentence in 2017.

And in 1988, jurors in Fort Smith, Arkansas, acquitted white supremacists charged with seditious conspiracy. The defendants were accused of plotting to overthrow the federal government and establish an all-white nation in the Pacific Northwest, and conspiring to kill a federal judge and FBI agent.

WHO FACES SIMILAR CHARGES IN THE JAN. 6 ATTACK?

A total of nine members or associates of the Oath Keepers are fighting seditious conspiracy charges. A second trial for the other Oath Keepers charged in the case is to begin at the end of November.

Three other Oath Keepers have already pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy, are cooperating with investigators and could testify against Rhodes at trial. Rhodes lawyers have claimed in court documents that those Oath Keepers are lying and pleaded guilty only because they were pressured by the government and hoped to get lighter sentences.

Several members of another far-right extremist group, the Proud Boys, have also been charged with the crime, including former chairman Henry Enrique Tarrio. They are scheduled to stand trial in December.

____

Richer reported from Boston.

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and LINDSAY WHITEHURST

Associated Press
Biden to oil industry: Dont raise prices due to hurricane View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden on Wednesday warned oil and gas companies against increasing prices for consumers as Hurricane Ian lashed Floridas southwest coast.

Do not, let me repeat, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the American people, Biden said at the start of a conference on hunger in America and just hours before the hurricane made landfall as a massive Category 4 storm.

Biden said that the hurricane provides no excuse for price increases at the pump and if it happens, he will ask federal officials to determine whether price gauging is going on.

America is watching. The industry should do the right thing, Biden added.

There are few signs that average gas prices have jumped significantly in Florida as the hurricane began to approach. AAA put the statewide average at just under $3.40 a gallon, six-tenths of a cent higher than a week ago.

A 99-day run of falling pump prices nationally ended recently, and the 14-week decline was the longest streak since 2015. The nationwide average price had risen past $5 a gallon  and $6 in California  in June as the economic recovery and an increase in travel boosted demand for gasoline and Russias war in Ukraine caused a spike in oil prices.

Gasoline prices mostly reflect trends in global oil prices, and crude  both the U.S. benchmark and the international Brent  has been slumping since mid-June on growing fears of a global recession that would reduce demand for energy.

Many energy analysts believe prices are more likely to rise than fall in the next few months. But changes in sentiment about the economy, Russias war against Ukraine, and even hurricane season  always a threat to disrupt refineries along the Gulf Coast  make predictions uncertain.

A spokeswoman for the American Petroleum Institute, an oil industry group, said the industry is focused on delivering fuels where they are needed most while ensuring the safety of our workforce during the hurricane.

Gasoline prices are determined by market forces - not individual companies  and claims that the price at the pump is anything but a function of supply and demand are false, spokeswoman Andrea Woods said.

The hurricane was lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status. Ian grew to a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane overnight with top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.

Before making its way through the Gulf of Mexico to Florida, Hurricane Ian tore into western Cuba on Tuesday, killing two people and bringing down the countrys electrical grid.

___

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Josh Boak and Matthew Daly contributed to this report.

By AAMER MADHANI

Associated Press
McConnell backs post-Jan. 6 revisions to elections law View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he will proudly support legislation to overhaul rules for certifying presidential elections, bolstering a bipartisan effort to revise a 19th century law and avoid another Jan. 6 insurrection.

The legislation would clarify and expand parts of the 1887 Electoral Count Act, which, along with the Constitution, governs how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential winners. The changes in the certification process are in response to unsuccessful efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to exploit loopholes in the law to overturn his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden, and the violent attack on the Capitol by his supporters as Congress counted the votes.

Congress process for counting the presidential electors votes was written 135 years ago, McConnell said. The chaos that came to a head on Jan. 6 of last year certainly underscored the need for an update.

McConnell made the remarks just before the Senate Rules Committee voted 14-1 to approve the bill and send it to the Senate floor, where a vote is expected after the November election. The only senator to vote against the legislation was Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, one of two senators to stand and object to Bidens certification last year.

The GOP leaders endorsement gave the legislation a major boost as the bipartisan group pushes to pass the bill before the end of the year and ahead of the next election cycle. Trump is still pushing false claims of election fraud and saying he won the election as he considers another run in 2024. McConnells support for the law could put him even more at odds with Trump, who frequently berates the GOP leader and has encouraged Republicans to vote against it.

The House has already passed a more expansive bill overhauling the electoral rules, but it has far less Republican support. While the House bill received a handful of GOP votes, the Senate version already has the backing of at least 12 Republicans  more than enough to break a filibuster and pass the legislation in the 50-50 Senate.

As he announced his support, McConnell noted that Democrats also objected to legitimate election results the last three times that Republicans won the presidency. The situation obviously called for careful, methodical and bipartisan work, he said, noting that the bipartisan group that negotiated the bill worked on the language for months.

McConnell called the House bill a non-starter in the Senate because of the bipartisan compromise on the Senate language. We have one shot to get this right, he said.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Rules panel, expressed a similar sentiment. The Senate legislation is the bill that will achieve a strong bipartisan consensus, she said.

Cruz, who stood with Trump as he made false claims of fraud in 2020, called the legislation a bad bill and said it would make it harder for Congress to challenge fraudulent elections. He questioned why any Republican would support it.

The bill is all about Democratic rage at Trump, Cruz said.

Cruz was the lone dissenter. Among the Republicans who voted for the bill after McConnells statement was Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith  one of only eight senators to oppose Bidens certification in January 2021. Missing the committee vote was GOP Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Trumps ambassador to Japan who was in Tokyo attending the state funeral of former Prime Minster Shinzo Abe.

Senators made minor tweaks to the legislation at Tuesdays meeting but kept the bill largely intact. The bill, written by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, would make clear that the vice president only has a ceremonial role in the certification process, tighten the rules around states sending their votes to Congress and make it harder for lawmakers to object.

The changes are a direct response to Trump, who publicly pressured several states, members of Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence to aid him as he tried to undo Bidens win. Even though Trumps effort failed, lawmakers in both parties said his attacks on the election showed the need for stronger safeguards in the law.

If it becomes law, the bill would be Congress strongest legislative response yet to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, in which hundreds of Trumps supporters beat police officers, broke into the Capitol and interrupted the joint session as lawmakers were counting the votes. Once the rioters were cleared, the House and Senate rejected GOP objections to the vote in two states. But more than 140 Republicans voted to sustain them.

Differences between the House and Senate bills will have to be resolved before final passage, including language around congressional objections.

While the Senate bill would require a fifth of both chambers to agree on an electoral objection to trigger a vote, the House bill would require agreement from at least a third of House members and a third of the Senate. Currently, only one member of each chamber is required for the House and Senate to vote on whether to reject a states electors.

The House bill also lays out new grounds for objections, while the Senate does not.

___

Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to reflect that Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., did not participate in the committee vote because he was in Tokyo attending the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe.

By MARY CLARE JALONICK

Associated Press
CHICO, Calif. (AP)  A Northern California man who lived with the body of his dead roommate for four years was charged with stealing his money by writing dozens of checks on his account, prosecutors said.

Darren Pirtle, 57, of Chico, was charged Monday in Butte County Superior Court with identity theft and forgery. He was expected to enter a plea on Thursday.

Pirtle is accused of forging checks to himself from the credit union account of Kevin Olson, 64, who hadnt been seen since October 2018, according to the Butte County district attorneys office.

Olsons body was found last week on the floor of a back bedroom of his home, prosecutors said.

Authorities searched the home after starting a missing-person investigation in August, after a relative told police he hadnt seen or heard from Olson for about four years, the DAs office said.

Relatives said they had tried over the years to contact Olson and spoke to Pirtle, who gave various excuses for his absence, District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a statement.

A Chico police officer who contacted Pirtle was told that Olson was out of town, the DAs office said.

Olson was retired from the United States Navy and his monthly retirement checks were sent directly into his Navy Federal Credit Union account, prosecutors said. His mortgage was still being paid, they said.

Beginning in July 2019, Pirtle allegedly forged about 50 checks on the account, authorities said.

Authorities believe the Olson died in late 2018. An autopsy will be held to determine the cause of his death.
By Tom Engelhardt. Originally published at TomDispatch.

No one listened better than Studs. For those of you old enough to remember, thats Studs Terkel, of course. The most notable thing about him in person, though, was this: the greatest interviewer of his moment, perhaps of any moment, never stopped talking, except, of course, when he was listening to produce one of his memorable bestselling oral histories  he essentially created the form  ranging from Working and Hard Times to The Good War.

I still remember him calling my house. He was old, his hearing was going, and he couldnt tell that my teenage son had rushed to answer the phone, hoping it was one of his friends. Instead, finding himself on with Studs talking a mile a minute, my son would begin yelling desperately, Dad! Dad!

With that  and a recent publishing disaster  in mind this morning, I took my little stepladder to the back of my tiny study, put it in front of my bookcase and climbed up until I could reach the second to the top shelf, the one that still has Studss old volumes lined up on it. Among others, I pulled down one of his later oral histories, Will the Circle Be Unbroken?: Reflections on Death, Rebirth, and Hunger for a Faith. In its acknowledgments, I found this: Were it not for Tom Engelhardt, the nonpareil of editors, who was uncanny in cutting the fat from the lean (something I found impossible to do) and who gave this work much of its form, Id still be in the woods.

And that still makes me so proud. But let me rush to add that, in the years of his best-known work when I was at Pantheon Books (1976 to 1990), I was never his main editor. That honor was left to the remarkable Andre Schiffrin who started Studs, like so many other memorable authors, on his book career; ran that publishing house in his own unique way; found me in another life; and turned me into the editor he sensed I already naturally was.

For me, those were remarkable years. Even then, Andre was a genuinely rare figure in mainstream publishing  a man who wanted the world to change, a progressive who couldnt have been a more adventurous publisher. In fact, I first met him in the midst of the Vietnam War, at a time when I was still an Asian-scholar-to-be and involved in organizing a group, the Committee of Concerned Asian Scholars, that had produced an antiwar book, The Indochina Story, that Andre had decided to publish.

In my years at Pantheon, he transformed me into a book editor and gave me the leeway to find works I thought might, in some modest fashion, help alter our world (or rather the way we thought about it) for the better. Those included, among others, the rediscovery of Charlotte Perkins Gilmans early-twentieth-century utopian masterpiece Herland; the publishing of Unforgettable Fire, Pictures Drawn by Atomic Bomb Survivors (not long before, in the early 1980s, an antinuclear movement in need of it would arise in this country); Nathan Hugginss monumental Black Odyssey; Eduardo Galeanos unique three-volume Memory of Fire history of the Americas; Eva Figess novel Light; John Bergers Another Way of Telling; Orville Schells Watch Out for the Foreign Guests!: China Encounters the West; and even  my mother was a cartoonist  the Beginners comic book series, including Freud for Beginners, Marx for Beginners, Darwin for Beginners, and, of course, Art Spiegelmans MAUS, to mention just a modest number of works I was responsible for ushering into existence here in America.

The Second Time Around

What a chance, in my own fashion and however modestly, to lend a hand in changing and improving our world. And then, in a flash, in 1990 it all came to an end. In those years, publishing was already in the process (still ongoing) of conglomerating into ever fewer monster operations. Si Newhouse, the owner of Conde Nast and no fan of progressive publishing, had by that time taken over Random House, the larger operation in which Pantheon was lodged and he would, in the end, get rid of Andre essentially because of his politics and the kind of books we published.

We editors and most of the rest of the staff quit in protest, claiming we had been Newhoused. (Writers like Barbara Ehrenreich and Kurt Vonnegut would join us in that protest.) The next thing I knew, I was out on the street, both literally and figuratively, and my life as a scrambling freelancer began. Yes, Pantheon still existed in name, but not the place I had known and loved. It was a bitter moment indeed, both personally and politically, watching as something so meaningful, not just to me but to so many readers, was obliterated in that fashion. It seemed like a publishing version of capitalism run amok.

And then, luck struck a second time. A few years later, one of my co-editors and friends at Pantheon, Sara Bershtel, launched a new publishing house, Metropolitan Books, at Henry Holt Publishers. It seemed like a miracle to me then. Suddenly, I found myself back in the heartland of mainstream publishing, a consulting editor left to do my damnedest, thanks to Sara (herself an inspired and inspiring editor). I was, so to speak, back in business.

And as at Pantheon, it would prove an unforgettable experience. I mean, honestly, where else in mainstream publishing would Steve Fraser and I have been able to spend years producing a line-up of books in a series we called, graphically enough, The American Empire Project? (Hey, it even has a Wikipedia entry!) In that same period, Sara would publish memorable book after memorable book like Barbara Ehrenreichs Nickel and Dimed and Thomas Franks Whats the Matter with Kansas?, some of which made it onto bestseller lists, while I was putting out volumes by authors whose names will be familiar indeed to the readers of TomDispatch, including Andrew Bacevich, James Carroll, Noam Chomsky, Michael Klare, Chalmers Johnson, Alfred McCoy, Jonathan Schell, and Nick Turse. And it felt comforting somehow to be back in a situation where I could at least ensure that books I thought might make some modest (or even immodest) difference in an ever more disturbed and disturbing America would see the light of day.

Ive written elsewhere about the strange moment when, for instance, I first decided that I had to publish what became Chalmers Johnsons remarkable, deeply insightful, and influential book Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire on the future nightmares my country was then seeding into the rest of the planet. Think, for instance, of Osama bin Laden who, Johnson assured his readers well before 9/11 happened, we had hardly heard the last of. (Not surprisingly, only after 9/11 did that book become a bestseller!) Or consider Noam Chomskys Hegemony or Survival: Americas Quest for Global Dominance, which I published in 2003. So many years later, its very title still sums up remarkably well the dilemma we face on a planet where whats on the mind of top foreign policy officials in Washington these days is  god save us!  a new cold war with China. Were talking, in other words, about a place where the two major greenhouse gas emitters on Planet Earth cant agree on a thing or work together in any way.

The Second Time Around (Part 2)

But let me not linger on ancient history when, just the other day, it happened again. And by it I mean a new version of what happened to me at Pantheon Books. Its true that because, in my later years, TomDispatch has become my lifes work, I hadnt done anything for Metropolitan for a while (other, of course, than read with deep fascination the books Sara published). Still, just two weeks ago I was shocked to hear that, like Pantheon, Metropolitan, a similarly progressive publishing house in the mainstream world, was consigned to the waves; its staff laid off; and the house itself left in the publishing version of hell.

Initially, that act of Holts, the consigning of Metropolitan to nowhere land, was reported by the trade publication Publishers Weekly, but count on one thing: more is sure to come as that houses authors learn the news and respond.

After all, like Pantheon, at the moment of its demise, it was a lively, deeply progressive operation, churning out powerful new titles  until, that is, it was essentially shut down when Sara, a miraculous publisher like Andre, was shown the door along with her staff. Bam! What did it matter that, thanks to her, Metropolitan still occupied a space filled by no other house in mainstream publishing? Nothing obviously, not to Holt, or assumedly Macmillan, the giant American publishing conglomerate of which it was a part, or the German Holtzbrinck Publishing Group that owns Macmillan.

How strange that were in a world where two such publishing houses, among the best and most politically challenging around, could find that there simply was no place for them as progressive publishers in the mainstream. Andre, who died in 2013, responded by launching an independent publishing house, The New Press, an admirable undertaking. In terms of the Dispatch Books I still put out from time to time, I find myself in a similar world, dealing with another adventurous independent publishing outfit, Haymarket Books.

Still, what an eerie mainstream we now inhabit, dont we?

I mean, when it comes to what capitalism is doing on this planet of ours, book publishing is distinctly small (even if increasingly mashed) potatoes. After all, were talking about a world where giant fossil-fuel companies with still-soaring profits are all too willing to gaslight the public while quite literally burning the place up  or perhaps I mean flooding the place out. (Dont you wonder sometimes what the CEOs of such companies are going to tell their grandchildren?)

So the consignment of Metropolitan Books to the trash heap of history is, you might say, a small matter indeed. Still, its painful to see what is and isnt valued in this society of ours (and by whom). Its painful to see who has the ability to cancel out so much else that should truly matter.

And believe me, just speaking personally, twice is twice too much. Imagine two publishing houses that let me essentially find, edit, and publish what I most cared about, what I thought was most needed, books at least some of which might otherwise never have made it into our world. (The proposal for MAUS, for instance, had been rejected by more or less every house in town before it even made it into my hands.)

Yes, two progressive publishing houses are a small thing indeed on this increasingly unnerving planet of ours. Still, think of this as the modern capitalist version of burning books, though as with those fossil-fuel companies, it is, in reality, more like burning the future. Think of us as increasingly damaged goods on an increasingly damaged planet.

In another world, these might be considered truly terrible acts. In ours, they simply happen, it seems, without much comment or commentary even though silence is ultimately the opposite of what any decent book or book publisher stands for.

You know, it suddenly occurs to me. Somebody should write a book about all this, dont you think?

Copyright 2022 Tom Engelhardt
Patient readers, we had to remove two cross posts that we were not authorized to use. Please do not compound the error by reposting archived versions. I removed two threads that did so, besides speculating on the causes of the removal. Apologies, and thank you! lambert

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NASA crashes DART spacecraft into asteroid in worlds 1st planetary defense test (videos) Space.com

Exceptional fossil suggests early birds were brainy Science

The Unease You Feel Is the Fed Pushing Into a Recession Bloomberg. This Powell dude is one busy guy:

NOW  US central bank digital currency would not be anonymous, says Federal Reserve Chair Powell. pic.twitter.com/xwkQFZTrjk  Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 27, 2022

Well, naturally!

Climate

#COVID19

China?

Tokyo Olympics bribery arrests widens to third Japan sponsor AP

The Koreas

A palate cleanser (SD): The Tripitaka Koreana  carved on 81258 woodblocks in the 13th century  is the most successful large data transfer over time yet achieved by humankind. 52 million characters of information, transmitted over nearly 8 centuries with zero data loss  an unequalled achievement. 1/ pic.twitter.com/TaNkmlldhA  Incunabula (@incunabula) September 26, 2022 Neal Stephenson holds that the transmission of Hebrew scripture is the paradigm for informational hygiene in Snow Crash, but at zero data loss woodblock carvers beat scribes.

The Bezzle

How Kenya Became the Worlds Geothermal Powerhouse Reasons to be Cheerful

Syraqistan

Dear Old Blighty

European Disunion

How a party of neo-fascist roots won big in Italy AP. Commentary: cant believe they made mussolini a woman in the reboot. this woke nonsense has ruined yet another franchise  Ida (@Ida_Clemens) September 26, 2022

New Not-So-Cold Cold War

Supply Chain

Our Famously Free Press

The Washington Post Dabbles in Orwell (excerpt) Matt Taibbi, TK News. Amazing, even for the intelligence community assets at WaPo (who are not the entire institution, fortunately, as the drastic rewrite of the embarassing first version shows). Commentary: Its extra weird for the Wash Post of all papers to do this since they enthusiastically congratulated themselves for sharing in the 2014 Pulitzer for Public Service for having published hundreds of Snowdens top secret documents. Then they turn around and malign their own source. https://t.co/BOU3ZKITN4  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 26, 2022 This tweet summarizes the debacle, but as usual, Taibbi documents his stomping in excruciating detail. I do quarrel with the headline: dabbles, as opposed to bathes regularly? Soaking in it?

Abortion

University of Idaho releases memo warning employees that promoting abortion is against state law Idaho Capital Sun

Realignment and Legitimacy

Class Warfare

Saul Kripke obituary Guardian (AL). On naming and necessity.

How Big Is Infinity? Quanta (DL). Fun!

Antidote du jour (via):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Lambert here:

Helmer sheds some light on this extraordinary tweet by global thinker, Bullingdon Club member, AEI fellow, former Minister of Defense of Poland, and Blob spouse Radek Sikorski:

Thanks for what? Helmer explains.

By John Helmer, the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and an advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. He is the first and only member of a US presidential administration (Jimmy Carter) to establish himself in Russia. Originally published at Dances with Bears

The military operation on Monday night which fired munitions to blow holes in the Nord Stream I and Nord Stream II pipelines on the Baltic Sea floor, near Bornholm Island, was executed by the Polish Navy and special forces.

It was aided by the Danish and Swedish military; planned and coordinated with US intelligence and technical support; and approved by the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

The operation is a repeat of the Bornholm Bash operation of April 2021, which attempted to sabotage Russian vessels laying the gas pipes, but ended in ignominious retreat by the Polish forces. That was a direct attack on Russia. This time the attack is targeting the Germans, especially the business and union lobby and the East German voters, with a scheme to blame Moscow for the troubles they already have  and their troubles to come with winter.

Morawiecki is bluffing. It is a very strange coincidence, he has announced, that on the same day that the Baltic Gas Pipeline opens, someone is most likely committing an act of sabotage. This shows what means the Russians can resort to in order to destabilize Europe. They are to blame for the very high gas prices. The truth bubbling up from the seabed at Bornholm is the opposite of what Morawiecki says.

But the political value to Morawiecki, already running for the Polish election in eleven months time, is his governments claim to have solved all of Polands needs for gas and electricity through the winter  when he knows that wont come true.

Inaugurating the 21-year old Baltic Pipe project from the Norwegian and Danish gas networks, Morawiecki announced: This gas pipeline is the end of the era of dependence on Russian gas. It is also a gas pipeline of security, sovereignty and freedom not only for Polish, but in the future, also for others[Opposition Civic Platform leader Donald] Tusks government preferred Russian gas. They wanted to conclude a deal with the Russians even by 2045thanks to the Baltic Pipe, extraction from Polish deposits, LNG supply from the USA and Qatar, as well as interconnection with its neighbours, Poland is now secured in terms of gas supplies.

Civic Platforms former defence and foreign minister Radek Sikorski also celebrated the Bornholm Blow-up. As we say in Polish, a small thing, but so much joy. Thank you USA, Sikorski added, diverting the credit for the operation, away from domestic rival Morawiecki to President Joseph Biden; he had publicly threatened to sabotage the line in February. Bidens ambassador in Warsaw is also backing Sikorskis Civic Platform party to replace Morawiecki next year.

The attack not only escalates the Polish election campaign. It also continues the Morawiecki governments plan to attack Germany, first by reviving the reparations claim for the invasion and occupation of 1939-45; and second, by targeting alleged German complicity, corruption, and appeasement in the Russian scheme to rule Europe at Polands expense. .

The appeasement policy towards Putin, announced PISM, the official government think tank in Warsaw in June, is part of an American attempt to free itself from its obligations of maintaining peace in Europe. The bargain is that Americans will allow Putin to finish building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in exchange for Putins commitment not use it to blackmail Eastern Europe. Sounds convincing? Sounds like something you heard before? Its not without reason that Winston Churchill commented on the American decision-making process: Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted. However, by pursuing such a policy now, the Biden administration takes even more responsibility for the security of Europe, including Ukraine, which is the stake for subsequent American mistakes.

Where does this place Poland? Almost 18 years ago the Federal Republic of Germany, our European ally, decided to prioritize its own business interests with Putins Russia over solidarity and cooperation with allies in Central Europe. It was a wrong decision to make and all Polish governments  regardless of political differences  communicated this clearly and forcefully to Berlin. But since Putin succeeded in corrupting the German elite and already decided to pay the price of infamy, ignoring the Polish objections was the only strategy Germany was left with.

The explosions at Bornholm are the new Polish strike for war in Europe against Chancellor Olaf Scholz. So far the Chancellery in Berlin is silent, tellingly.

Follow on the map where the Bornholm Blow-up  three simultaneous bomb or torpedo explosions  was arranged.









The Nord Stream operating company posted first notice of the attack on its website on the evening of September 26. Tonight [Swiss time] the dispatchers of the Nord Stream 1 control centre registered a pressure drop on both lines of the gas pipeline. The reasons are being investigated.

The following morning the company added: The significant pressure drop caused by the gas leak on both lines of the gas pipeline registered yesterday leads to a strong assumption of the pipeline physical damage. Nord Stream AG immediately informed the relevant coast guards about the incident. The positions of two assumed damages have been identified and are located north-east from Bornholm in Swedish and Danish EEZ, respectively. Currently the Swedish and Danish maritime authorities established a 5nm safety zone around the identified locations (Nautical information | Danish Maritime Authority (dma.dk)). Nord Stream AG has started mobilization of all necessary resources for a survey campaign to assess the damages in cooperation exchange with relevant local authorities. Currently, it is not possible to estimate a timeframe for restoring the gas transport infrastructure. The causes of the incident will be clarified as a result of the investigation. The European sanctions regime blocked company officials from investigating at the site.

Russian satellite, aviation, and electronic monitoring of the area is comprehensive; Ukrainian double-agents corroborate. The Russian account of what happened is provided in this summary of open sources by Gazeta.ru. The military preparations in the days and hours before the blasts have not been disclosed, yet.

The operator company Nord Stream said that at the same time destruction was recorded on three lines of the offshore gas pipelines Nord Stream and Nord Stream2. The destruction that occurred in one day simultaneously on three lines of offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented. It is impossible to estimate the time frame for restoring the operability of the gas transportation infrastructure, the operator of Nord Stream noted.

The Kremlin is concerned about the situation. This is very disturbing news. We are talking about some kind of destruction in the pipe of an unclear nature in the Danish economic zone, said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin spokesman stressed that the pressure in the gas pipelines had dropped significantly: This is a completely unprecedented situation that requires urgent investigation. Peskov noted that the nature of the destruction is unknown. Sabotage is not excluded. No option can be ruled out now. Obviously, there is some kind of destruction of the pipe. And what was the reason  before the results of the research appear, it is impossible to exclude any option, Putins press secretary added.

The opinion that the destruction occurred because of someones ill will was expressed earlier by the deputy head of the National Energy Security Fund Alexei Grivach. If a leak on one line could still be an accident, the consequence of a defect or an involuntary impact, then on three [lines] it is clearly someones ill will. Well, who is fighting with Russian gas in Europe is not really hiding, RIA Novosti quotes him as saying. Grivach believes that it will take months to repair the gas pipeline lines. The representative of the operator company Ulrich Lissek drew attention to the fact that it is difficult to determine the causes of the pressure drop due to the sanctions regime and the lack of personnel on the ground. On the night of September 26, a leak occurred on one of the lines of the Nord Stream-2 pipeline. According to the representative of Nord Stream 2 AG, Ulrich Lissek, in some place along the pipeline, most likely a hole has appeared. He said that in normal mode, the pressure inside the gas pipeline lines is 105 bar, but on the German segment it has decreased to 7 bar. The Danish Maritime Administration has discovered damage to a gas pipeline near the island of Bornholm. Presumably, the alleged point of emergency is located in the exclusive economic zone  just beyond the border of the territorial waters of Denmark. The leak was located at the position of 54 52.60 north latitude 015  24.60 east longitude, writes RBK.





For RBKs coverage, including surface filming by the Danes of gas bubbling above the pipeline holes, click.

This is what the government in Warsaw arranged at Bornholm a year and five months ago. At that time Morawiecki was prime minister; the German chancellor was Angela Merkel. The official Warsaw innuendo in Merkels direction was more restrained than it is now against Scholz.





Left: Angela Merkel; right, Mateusz Morawiecki. Source: http://johnhelmer.net/

Then the Polish spokesman for the security and intelligence services, Stanislaw Zaryn, launched a stream of accusations on his Twitter account. According to Zaryn, Russian public disclosure of the Baltic engagements was information warfare intended as a pretext for launching activities aimed at enhancing its military presence in the Baltic region. He went on: #NordStream2 may be used by #Russia as a pretext for the deployment of its naval forces along pipelines route. This may lead to a partial closure of the Baltic Sea.

Now Zaryns innuendo is plainer. What Zaryn means to say is that Germany jeopardizes the security of Poland.





Western propaganda media have tried to create the appearance of German government approval for the Polish attack.

Denmark, Germany and Poland warn of sabotage after Nord Stream leaks, the Financial Times, the Japanese platform in London, headlined: Berlin says Russias involvement cannot be excluded after damage to gas pipelines at centre of Europes energy crisis. Scholz and his ministers were not quoted. Instead, low-ranking, anonymous German officials said there was concern in Berlin that the sudden loss of pressure in both pipelines could be the result of a targeted attack. They added that Russias involvement could not be excluded, but said Germany was not involved in the investigation being run by Denmark and Sweden.

In Washington, the local newspaper claimed European leaders blame Russian sabotage after Nord Stream explosions, quoting Danes, Swedes, Poles, Ukrainians, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and five European officials with direct knowledge of security discussions [who] said there was a widespread assumption that Russia was behind the incident. Only Russia had the motivation, the submersible equipment and the capability, several of them said. Not a single German government official could be found to speak by the newspapers Berlin bureau.

The temptation for Morawiecki to break out of the political stalemate he and his Law and Justice (PiS) party have been in since June has also been driven by fear that, following the fresh Russian reinforcements, the Ukrainian battlefield will move west and south; Ukrainian electric light and heat will be cut off; and millions of fresh refugees will attempt to cross into Poland again.

Tracking polls for Polish voter intentions illustrate the flat lines for the two leading parties, and the potential growth of the left and right minority parties. On September 1, the PiS party leader launched the Polish reparations attack on Germany, declaring we have also taken the decision as to the further stepsWe will turn to Germany to open negotiations on the reparations. The move didnt shift the partys poll rating. The Bornholm Blow-up was already in planning for three weeks later.





Source: https://www.politico.eu/

Independent Warsaw political analyst Stanislas Balcerac comments: Poland is not a place where brainstorms happen. Only the brainless Sikkie [Sikorski] is having his day.
(Natural News) JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned that vetoing future fossil fuel projects would send the U.S. into a death spiral.

Dimon issued the warning after Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) reminded him during a Congressional hearing that his company, along with six of the largest U.S. banks, have committed to wind down their emissions from lending and investment activities to align with the net-zero goal by 2050. To achieve this goal, Tlaib reiterated that JPMorgan ought to veto all oil and gas projects moving forward.

But Dimon begged to differ in his response to the congresswomans question whether or not the bank has any policies against funding new oil and gas developments. Absolutely not, and that would be the road to hell for America, he answered.

We arent getting this one right. The world needs 100 million barrels effectively of oil and gas every day, and we need it for 10 years. To do that, we need proper investing in the oil and gas complex.

Investing in the oil and gas complex is good for reducing CO2, explained Dimon. Weve all seen, because of the high price of oil and gas  particularly for the rest of the world  youve seen everyone going back to coal.

The JPMorgan executive earlier rebuked environmentalists pushing to curb the production of gas and oil, arguing that such a move could lead to increased coal use in developing countries.

Tlaib then turned to other banking executives to ask their positions on fossil fuels. Three other CEOs present concurred with Dimon, but they told the Michigan representative that they have also invested in renewable energy projects. Citigroup and Bank of America executives also testified that they are collaborating with their clients to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

This failed to mollify Tlaib, however. We are living through a climate crisis today and a commitment to net zero requires a commitment to ending fossil fuel financing. In the end, were going to pay the cost of the public health impact.

Banks oppose stringent decarbonization rules

Dimons statements against rejecting future fossil fuel energy projects followed rising opposition to increasingly stringent decarbonization rules among banks. Some institutions, including JPMorgan, are now mulling an exit from the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ).

This reconsideration came as a result of their growing fears of litigation opportunities, which are rife in the new climate-related requirements for the businesses they fund.

Some of the most significant members of the Glasgow alliance said they feel blindsided by tougher United Nations climate criteria and are worried about the legal risks of participation.

A senior executive from a U.S. bank said: I am close to taking us out of these global green commitments  Im not going to allow third parties to create legal liabilities for us and our shareholders. It is immoral and irresponsible. What if we get it wrong, make a mistake or someone lies? Then the bank can be sued, that is an unacceptable risk.

European banks such as Santander also expressed their misgivings, and the potential loss of some of the worlds biggest and most influential banks could be a serious blow for the GFANZ group, which was formed last year and took center stage at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow.

Legal departments at banks are especially anxious about tougher U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules around climate-risk disclosures and commitments proposed by SEC Chairman Gary Gensler in February, which will require them to formal disclosures in annual reports about governance, risk management and strategies with respect to climate change.

Moreover, companies will also have to disclose and be held accountable for any targets or commitments made and are expected to come up with detailed plans on how these will be achieved. (Related: Report: Electric vehicle sales to increase sharply by 2040, but thats not all good for the environment.)

Bankers also complained that the demands placed on them were not supported by equally robust government action on climate change, nor do they have the technology that can hit some of the net zero targets they rely on.

Visit GreenTyranny.news for more updates regarding the Net Zero agenda.

Watch the video below to be more informed about how Net Zero can negatively impact most of the global population.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

The Highwire with Del Bigtree: Net Zero is a deliberate attack on global food supply.

Globalists want to track your individual carbon footprint for total control over your travel, food and consumption of goods.

Woke investors are putting American national security at risk with their anti-fossil fuel gambits.

Sources include:

RT.com

OilPrice.com

WashingtonExaminer.com

FT.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) An adviser to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned young people against getting the latest version of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) booster doses.

Dr. Paul Offit, a member of the FDAs Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), expressed doubts over the COVID-19 bivalent booster. The regulator reportedly approved the updated version of the vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 without conducting human clinical trials.

When youre asking people to get a vaccine, I think there has to be clear evidence of benefit, he said during an interview. Because if you dont have that, then its not fair to ask people to take a risk, no matter how small.

A healthy young person is unlikely to benefit from the extra dose, Offit remarked, pertaining to the boosters that specifically target the B11529 omicron strain and its BA4 and BA5 sub-variants.

He reiterated his opposition to the bivalent booster in a Sept 21 op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, writing that he voted against authorizing the updated vaccine during a VRBPAC meeting.

According to Offit, the more contagious omicron rendered even the fully vaccinated at risk of mild illness. In turn, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that a third and fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose reduced hospitalizations.

But not everyone benefited. Those who did fell into three groups: the elderly, people with serious health problems and people who were immunocompromised, he pointed out. It would be wise to focus on those at risk rather than the young and healthy.

How does it compare with the old monovalent one? We dont know for sure, because the FDA authorized the new shot without clinical trials, Offit remarked. (Related: We FINALLY found a vaccine that Paul Offit doesnt endorse: the bivalent booster for covid.)

Other doctors also hesitant about untested bivalent booster

The CDC issued a recommendation on Sept. 1 for the reformulated bivalent boosters from Pfizer and Moderna. It recommended the Pfizer booster dose for Americans aged 12 and up, while the Moderna booster was recommended for those aged 18 and older. The public health agency advised people to get the updated boosters at least two months after their last vaccination.

Offit explained in his op-ed that the new bivalent vaccine contains mRNA from the ancestral strain and BA4 and BA5, the sub-variants that account for virtually all currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 [infections].

Members of the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) also expressed doubts about recommending a vaccine that did not undergo human clinical trials. ACIP member Dr. Oliver Brooks remarked during a committee meeting: I really do struggle with a vaccine that has no clinical data that has been reported for humans.

Dr. Melinda Wharton, associate director for vaccine policy and clinical partnerships at the CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, downplayed concerns by Brooks and other ACIP members. She compared the bivalent COVID-19 shots to influenza vaccines, which are updated annually without any human data.

Despite acknowledging that there will be some bumps in the road as officials transition to the updated shots, Wharton reiterated the importance of the new bivalent vaccines that  according to her own words  will provide more protection.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky also defended the bivalent boosters, saying that they were formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant and can help restore protection against the pathogen.

Watch Stew Peters and Dr. Jane Ruby discuss the FDAs approval of the untested bivalent COVID-19 vaccines.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Untested bivalent COVID jab being rolled out.

SKIP THE SCIENCE: FDA allows rollout of UNTESTED Big Pharma COVID shots.

FDA approves Omicron booster jab before midterms without a single human test.

NO SCIENCE AT ALL: FDA grants EUA to untested bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters.

Dr. Peter McCullough warns: FDA greenlighted Big Pharmas bivalent booster vaccine despite lack of human trials.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

WSJ.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Rev. Marty Grisham of Loudmouth Prayer Ministry discussed how to live a lifestyle of prayer as a believer during the Sept. 13 episode of America Unhinged on Brighteon.TV.

Filling in for host Dr. John Diamond, Grisham said Christian believers can hear a lot of wonderful and insightful things from the Holy Spirit when the Lord speaks to His people through the Holy Bible.

Aside from the Bible, the reverend added that God also gives people the spoken word. Grisham shared how God has spoken to him many times about America and the Church, the Body of Christ.

When He speaks to us, He gives us insight of where the Church is supposed to be going. Corrections, direction, instruction, things along those lines, said Grisham. So as God speaks to us, we take what He speaks to us, we mix it with the written word of God. And we put that together in prayers because we want to pray.

According to the Loudmouth Prayer founder, a believer needs to have faith in both the Word of God and the Spirit of God. When believers learn to work with both, they can interact with God the Father through His Son Jesus every single time and do it according to His rulebook, the Holy Bible.

He stated that when believers open the Holy Bible, they will find out about who God is, who He says believers are, how believers are to communicate and how believers are to have fellowship.

Prayer is an intimate time of communication and fellowship with God

Grisham pointed out that prayer is an intimate time of communication and fellowship with God. No matter what believers are doing, they can still have intimacy, prayer, communication and fellowship with God throughout the day through what he calls constant contact.

Sins, problems, issues, physical pain and other excuses that people make are the lies the Devil uses so that people wont have fellowship with God. Even longtime Christians who have not been growing in their walk, relationship, fellowship and constant contact with God have been convinced by Satan that they are sinners.

According to Grisham, people dont have a prayer life because of sin consciousness  which arose when Adam and Eve disobeyed Gods command not to eat the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. This eventually led to the separation between God and man.

Despite this, the reverend added that a person can always come home to the Father, just like the prodigal son.

Our loving heavenly Father, Jehovah, wants us no matter whats going on in our life, no matter what sin, problem, persecution or situation we are in. He wants us to come and be with him and talk with him.

Grisham also stated that God can provide us with answers to our problems, but people need to talk to Him and hear what He has to say  given His omniscience.

However, a person must have fellowship with God first so that He can help bring healing and the grace to overcome sin and sinful nature through the power that comes from Him. (Related: Prayer can help bring healing, say researchers.)

Grisham said when the Lord Jesus came to bring salvation to the people, He came and gave us the ability to set aside our sinful nature, the sinful mindset and the sinful consciousness.

Follow Awakening.news for more news about the power of prayer.

Watch the the Sept. 13 episode of America Unhinged below. America Unhinged airs Monday to Friday at 9-10 a.m., Saturday at 8-9 a.m. and Sunday at 9-10 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

The Resistance Chicks Leah and Michelle Svensson talk about the power of prayer in changing a nation  Brighteon.TV.

B-Alert News: Bishop Leon Benjamin says prayer is more powerful than government  Brighteon.TV.

America Unhinged: Living inside Gods heart the most important thing in life, says Heidi Baker  Brighteon.TV.

B-Alert News: Power of prayer is about power of leadership and influence  Brighteon.TV.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

BibleGateway.com
(Natural News) Numerous pro-abortion journalists have rushed to the defense of Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, after she drew heavy criticism for claiming: there is no such thing as a heartbeat at six weeks [of pregnancy].

(Article by Bill DAgostino republished from NewsBusters.org)

Abrams further pontificated: [The heartbeat] is a manufactured sound designed to convince people that men have the right to take control of a womans body. One cant be certain, but Abrams seems to have gotten her talking point from Dr. Nisha Verma, an abortionist from Georgia who has become something of a go-to source for establishment journalists looking to debunk the idea of a fetal heartbeat.

In 2021, Verma told NPR:

The flickering that were seeing on the ultrasound that early in development of the pregnancy is actually electrical activity, and the sound that you hear is actually manufactured by the ultrasound machine.

For many people, Abramss fumble was likely the first time theyd even heard this argument. But as National Review contributor Alexandra DeSanctis pointed out on Thursday, abortion supporters have made claims such as these for years, even before heartbeat bills were common. She continued:

The pieces come in several flavors. Some are billed as reporting articles on heartbeat laws, wielding absurd phrases such as fetal cardiac activity, the pulsing of what becomes the fetuss heart, and embryonic pulsing.

We decided to investigate just how widespread this pseudoscientific pro-abortion narrative was throughout the establishment media, so heres a hopefully close-to-exhaustive list of which leftwing print outlets have abandoned seriousness in service of the abortion cause.

But first, let us consider this quote from radiologist Pradheep J. Shanker on why the electrical pulses argument is nonsensical:

Ultrasound only detects density and motion. It cannot detect any electrical activity at all. This is a scientific fact It is true that the valves in the heart develop later. However, the cardiac muscles that are located in the embryological heart are contracting. They are in fact moving inward and outward. That is how you define a beat.

Keep Shankers words in mind as you peruse the following quotes from purportedly serious publications:

The Atlantic: How Ultrasound Became Political (2017)

Previously titled, How the Ultrasound Pushed the Idea That a Fetus Is a Person, this piece has undergone heavy revisions since it was initially published in 2017. For example, it no longer includes the unfounded assertion that babies in utero have no heart to speak of six weeks into a pregnancy.

Business Insider: The fetal heartbeat that defines Texas new abortion laws doesnt exist, say doctors (2021)

This piece opens with a bulleted list of key points. One item reads: A six-week-old fetus doesnt have a cardiovascular system, the sound of the thumping is from the machine.

HuffPost: Stacey Abrams Enrages Republicans By Citing Science On Fetal Heartbeats (2022)

In which author Josephine Harvey stops just short of punctuating her argument with Slay, queen!

Jezebel: Stacey Abrams Corrected Abortion Misinformation and Republicans Lost Their Minds (2022)

This article is very similar to the one from the Huffington Post, but written with a less family-friendly lexicon. Actually thats a pretty decent description of Jezebel in general.

Live Science: Is a fetal heartbeat really a heartbeat at 6 weeks? (2021)

This piece quotes a doctor who refers to a fetal heartbeat as a little flutter in the area that will become the future heart of the baby. Sounds sciencey!

The New York Times: Louisiana Moves To Ban Abortion After a Heartbeat Is Detected (2019)

Paradoxically, given the title of the article, author Alan Blinder referred to an unborn babys heartbeat as the pulsing of what becomes the fetuss heart.

New York Magazines The Cut: Embryos Dont Have Hearts (2019)

Katie Heaney writes: To wit, though pulsing cells can be detected in embryos as early as six weeks, this rhythm  detected by a doctor, via ultrasound  cannot be called a heartbeat, because embryos dont have hearts. As with most of the pro-abortion pieces in this vein, the fact pattern presented in the article is a clear product of expert-shopping.

NPR: The Texas Abortion Ban Hinges On Fetal Heartbeat. Doctors Call That Misleading (2022)

Republished shortly after the draft Dobbs opinion was leaked in May, this article is the source of Dr. Vermas misleading quote about heartbeats being manufactured by ultrasound machines.

Texas Tribune: For Texans who want a child but have difficult pregnancies, the new abortion law just made that journey even harder (2021)

This article is yet another case of ideologically convenient expert-shopping: Medical and legal experts say it is misleading to use heartbeat to refer to the cardiac activity of embryos at a developmental stage when they dont possess a heart.

The Washington Post: Conservatives junk science is having real consequences (2019)

This piece is exactly what one would expect from opinion writer Dana Milbank. The surprising bit was seeing the Posts Glenn Kessler defending Abrams this past week in a tweet which read:

FWIW, fetal heartbeat is a misnomer. The ultrasound picks up electrical activity generated by an embryo. The so-called heartbeat sound you hear is created by the ultrasound. Not until 10 weeks can the opening and closing of cardiac valves be detected by a Doppler machine.

Wired: Heartbeat Bills Get the Science of Fetal Heartbeats All Wrong (2019)

Before deploying the same goofy argument as all of the above articles, author Adam Rogers takes a moment to complain about the phrase unborn human individual, presumably on the grounds that its too humanizing.

Did we miss any? If you find another major print outlet thats sacrificed its credibility on the altar of abortion, contact @banned_bill on Twitter and well add it to the list.

Read more at: NewsBusters.org
(Natural News) The New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) is requiring second graders in all schools to learn about transgenderism and gender identity as part of the states new sex education curriculum. School boards that refuse to implement the new curriculum can be disciplined by the state government.

The revised sex education standards were adopted by the New Jersey Board of Education in 2020, but they are being implemented for the first time this school year. The standards were adopted to address topics that students should know about, including personal growth and development, pregnancy and parenting and social and sexual health. This includes other sex education topics that were already being taught like health conditions, diseases, personal safety and other health-related topics.

According to the new curriculum, by second grade, students will learn about gender-role stereotypes and transgenderism and other ways people express their preferred gender. By fifth grade, public school students in New Jersey will be taught about hormones and sexual development.

In addition, fifth graders will be told that they should feel welcome and included regardless of their gender, gender expression or sexual orientation, meaning that they will be encouraged to become transgender at the young age of 10 or 11.

Eighth-grade students will receive instruction on factors that contribute to making healthy decisions about sex. They will also be taught about vaginal, anal and oral sex. (Related: VA Education Department updates model policies for public schools, requires adherence to students BIOLOGICAL SEX.)

State government to discipline school boards that refuse to implement curriculum

School districts that refuse to implement the new sex education curriculum can be disciplined by the state. This warning comes after several school boards and county governments heavily criticized the new curriculum as being inappropriate

In its statement, the NJ DOE made it clear that parents who do not want their children to participate in these classes are welcome to remove their children from sex education classes after they write a letter to the principal explaining that the lessons conflict with their conscience or sincerely held moral or religious beliefs, wrote the department.

The Lakewood School District board in south-central New Jersey has officially adopted an opt-in policy, wherein parents and guardians must report to the board if they would like their children to participate in the Social and Sexual Health and Pregnancy and Parenting components of the updated sex education curriculum. Students and parents who fail to fill up the opt-in forms will automatically be excluded.

Garwood School District in northern New Jersey passed a resolution not to adopt a curriculum that discusses some of the topics required by the state.

The Board of County Commissioners for Sussex County passed a resolution asserting that parents should decide immediately whether they want their children in these new sex education classes. The Sussex-Wantage Regional School District in the same county passed a resolution saying it disagrees with the NJ DOEs changes to the sex education curriculum.

Back in May, the Board of County Commissioners for Atlantic County passed a resolution urging the NJ DOE and state Gov. Phil Murphy to cease from implementing their sexuality education curriculum for grammar/elementary school children and require that all local school boards have public meetings for public input on the sexuality education prior to implementation.

Other school districts are attempting to avoid censure from the NJ DOE while still trying to circumvent the curriculum. The Hoboken School District, for example, is hosting a family health night to discuss the new topics brought up by the new curriculum with both parents and children. These open events include experts who are talking families through the topics.

Millstone Township Schools is implementing all of the new topics in the updated curriculum, but many lessons will be left for parents to teach at home if they wish. These include topics on sexual orientation, gender identity and sexual intercourse leading to reproduction for fifth graders. The topic regarding strategies used by sex traffickers and laws around consent that are designed to keep children safe from pornography is also excluded from in-class instruction. Resources are being provided for parents that want to teach these topics at home.

Learn more about public education in America at PublicEducation.news.

Watch this video as Gabe Zolna of the Zolna Report reacts to the news that New Jersey students will be taught about gender identity in schools.

This video is from the ZolnaReport.com channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Virginia reverses transgender school policy, returns right to affirm childrens gender to parents.

Florida school board votes against recognizing October as LGBTQ History Month.

TRANS TYRANNY: Teacher arrested and IMPRISONED for using wrong student pronouns.

Books on gender transitioning recommended to kindergartners in Newsoms California.

California K-12 reading list includes books about transgender toddlers, how Trump and Founding Fathers are racist.

Sources include:

BigLeaguePolitics.com

NorthJersey.com 1

NYTimes.com

Gothamist.com

NorthJersey.com 2

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Deborah Peoples is a former Tarrant County Democratic Party chair and two-time candidate for Fort Worth mayor.

(Article by KanekoaTheGreat republished from Kanekoa.Substack.com)

After two runs for Fort Worth mayor, Deborah Peoples, 69, is ready for her next chapter as Tarrant County judge.

I am this unique blend of corporate and community, Peoples told the Forth Worth Report. What I bring is not only my wealth of experience, but my ability to problem solve and my commitment to the citizens.

She is challenging Republican Timothy OHare to succeed the retiring Glen Whitley as the highest elected official in Tarrant County.

But theres one major problem.

Last week, The Gateway Pundit released police body camera footage that shows an officer talking to a homeless man named, Charles Jackson, a felon previously convicted of voter fraud in 2019, who claims Deborah Peoples and her associate Stuart Clegg paid him $200 for every ballot that he fraudulently acquired from elderly voters.

Furthermore, Jackson claims that he filled out ballots five days a week for six months and that Deborah and Stuart paid him on average $900 to $1200 a week in cash including bonuses and a moped for ballots that he voted all Democrat.

The footage was released last week, but the corporate media has been completely silent about the video, and Deborah Peoples hasnt even put out a public statement in response.

Link to the full 11-minute video of Charles Jackson and the police officer talking on January 3, 2020. It was obtained through an open records request courtesy of The Gateway Pundit.

JACKSON: Each time I get someone to sign they gave me $200.

OFFICER: To sign the absentee ballot?

JACKSON: Yeah, but that wasnt easy though, those people were 65 and older you know.

OFFICER: How many people you get to sign?

JACKSON: One day I got like $1200 in like four hours.

OFFICER: Did you fill out anything or did you have them fill it out?

JACKSON: No, I filled it out while I was talking to them, and then I switched it around, and let them sign it.

OFFICER: So you voted everyone for them?

JACKSON: Yeah, yeah pretty much. You know once you vote one just vote all Democrat and they wasnt intending to do that.

OFFICER: How would you get them to sign?

JACKSON: I was told to tell them we were just making sure what we got in the system is correct. And they already had the information; they had their name, their kids name, or how old they was, their birthday, their phone number. I would say is this information correct? They said yeah and I said well sign if its correct. Once they signed then they voted.

OFFICER: So was that paper ballot or on the computer?

JACKSON: Both. Tablet was in my hand and I had paper as well.

OFFICER: So then you would take it back to?

JACKSON: Stuart Clegg and Deborah Peoples. She was the district Chair for Democratic headquarters.

OFFICER: How much money did you make?

JACKSON: I did it for like six months man. I had gotten a room at the Echo. Stayed up there for six months Every day I got someone to sign you know.

OFFICER: So in six months time how much do you think roughly?

JACKSON: Id say on average at least $900 or $1200 a week. Five days a week.

Voter Fraud allegations in Fort Worth are getting worse. Former Democratic Party leader paid women in alleged Tarrant voter fraud ring, AG says. This story details allegations of the crime. https://t.co/pnp6M9k40y#tcot#PJNET#txlege  Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 25, 2018

In court documents, state prosecutors alleged former Tarrant County Democratic Party executive director Stuart Clegg funneled money to Leticia Sanchez, one of four paid campaign workers arrested and charged with submitting false and forged mail-ballot requests in an organized criminal voter fraud scheme.

When Sanchez learned that state police investigators were interviewing members of her vote harvesting group, she directed Tepichin to send a text message to the crew conveying a message from Sanchez and Stuart Clegg to not cooperate with investigators, the notice states.

The message, sent in Spanish, translated stated: Hello, there is a group of malicious people investigating our work. We have been told by our boss, Mr. Stuart, that we should not give any information. Just give them the phone number of the lawyer who is in charge of this matter. If anyone has contacted you, asked any type of questions, please tell us immediately so we can let the lawyer know, according to the Star-Telegram.

Clegg was never charged for a crime.

OFFICER: Would they pay you cash?

JACKSON: Cash.

OFFICER: So who would actually give you the cash?

JACKSON: Stuart. Deborah gave me cash too. Stuart gave me cash. Rubin gave me cash. Then they gave me bonuses and they bought me a moped.

OFFICER: Howd you meet them?

JACKSON: I was on Race street and they had a rake and a shovel and I was going and trying to find work. You know how the grass grows on the sidewalks. So I done that you know [inaudible]. You can come back tomorrow and do my flowers. Well, I done that too you know. Well, you can come by tomorrow.

OFFICER: Who was saying this to you?

JACKSON: Deborah Peoples. And then she called Stuart Clegg to come over and said hes a good worker you know. He said hey man come on and help me put these signs out. So I start putting signs out and then I start working the polls and then I start doing a lot of things.

Jackson told the police officer that he was initially bailed out by Stuart Clegg and placed under a gag order, and that he was later sentenced to ten days in prison for voter fraud.

At the time, news coverage claimed there was no evidence that Jacksons case was related to the indictment of the four women: Leticia Sanchez, Leticia Sanchez Tepichin, Maria Solis, and Laura Parra, but this newly released footage indicates that Jackson was also being paid by Stuart Clegg, and furthermore, that he was also being paid by, Deborah Peoples, the current Democratic nominee for the highest elected position in the 15th most populous county in the United States.

Last Friday, the Tarrant County Republican Party released a statement that calls for an investigation into the matter saying, In the video, the individual explained to a police officer that Ms. Peoples directed him to target the elderly, steal their votes, and harvest those votes for specific candidates in the 2016 election.

Timothy OHare is the Republican nominee for Tarrant County judge.

With less than 45-days to go until the election, lets help Mr. OHare, the Tarrant County GOP, and the entire country bring attention to the fact that, Charles Jackson, a felon previously convicted of voter fraud, accused Deborah Peoples and Stuart Clegg of paying him $200 in cash for six months for every ballot that he fraudulently acquired from elderly voters  and Deborah Peoples is still the current Democratic nominee for Tarrant County judge.

Rumble link to the highlights or full video  YouTube highlights below:

If you would like to take action  please consider sharing this article and video  contacting the Tarrant County election office at 817-831-VOTE or filing a complaint with the Texas Secretary of State citing the illegality of vote harvesting in Texas Election Code 276.012:

https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/complaintform-sos.pdf

Read more at:
(Natural News) The U.S Postal Service spied on MAGA protesters, gun rights activists and other right-wing groups between late 2020 and early 2021, according to records obtained by The Washington Times. MAGA is former President Donald Trumps slogan meaning Make America Great Again.

(Article by Liz George republished from AmericanMilitaryNews.com)

Patrick Eddington, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, obtained heavily redacted files detailing the USPS surveillance activities from September 2020 to April 2021, which included a secret effort to surveil social media known as the Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP).

The USPS monitored the activities of gun rights activists, protesters planning to demonstrate against police in Louisville, Kentucky after the shooting of Breonna Taylor, and right-wing groups traveling to Washington, D.C. after the 2020 election.

Eddington said the documents demonstrate the USPS surveillance capabilities.

The Postal Service cannot reliably deliver mail to my own home, yet they can find the money and people to effectively digitally spy at scale, including on Americans engaged in First Amendment-protected activities, Eddington said.

A redacted bulletin obtained by Eddington through the Freedom of Information Act also detailed how postal inspectors tracked peaceful armed protests by demonstrators at a Second Amendment rally in Virginia last year.

The gathering lasted approximately two hours, with members identifying themselves as affiliates of the Proud Boys, Boogaloo Bois and Last Sons of Liberty, the USPS bulletin said. Counter-protesters from the Black Lives Matter movement also attended. With heavy law enforcement presence the demonstrations stayed peaceful in nature.

Another bulletin from the iCOP in September of 2020 noted that Louisville, Kentucky was under a state of emergency due to the investigation of Breonna Taylors shooting.

The social media monitoring program also warned that a Million MAGA March scheduled for Nov. 14, 2020, would cause traffic issues in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, adding that an announcement for the event was found on a conservative forum.

Analysts working on the iCOP also monitored social media platforms Parler and Wimkin, other bulletins show. The USPS determined that Parlers deplatforming impacted protests planned for President Joe Bidens inauguration; postal inspectors compared the disrupted protests to the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol.

Some of the USPS bulletins included disclaimers that they are not trying to infringe on Americans constitutional rights and that the purpose of the surveillance was to support law enforcement.

When asked about why the USPS surveilling Americans, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said its inspectors are federal law enforcement officers who work to protect USPS employees, infrastructure and customers.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service occasionally reviews publicly available information in order to assess potential safety or security threats to Postal Service employees, facilities, operations and infrastructure, the agency said in a statement.

Read more at: AmericanMilitaryNews.com
(Natural News) In the dry, hot desert wastelands of southern Texas, a revolutionary device called the Bivy Stick is helping border security patrols more easily capture illegal aliens.

One operator and team leader of a patrol spoke with Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, about how the device has greatly improved his teams operations  watch below.

The Bivy Stick is a satellite-based text messaging device that works all the time, including when no cell towers are in the vicinity. This is handy for southern border teams working in remote areas with no nearby communications infrastructure.

We use these to communicate GPS coordinates to where we are seeing drug runners or people carrying stuff, the operator explained to Adams.

A lot of times, well be doing human tracking of these groups coming across and well be in a canyon and come up on a group of 10 to 15, and having to send that information out to get the arresting agents on site and get the vehicles to pick them up, he added.

Or we have to lead them out, so we have to be tracked where were going for our own safety and communication.

The Bivy Stick, the operator says, has played a crucial role in ensuring that these capture operations run smoothly with fewer of the usual hiccups.

The Bivy Stick can help protect you no matter where you are

The Bivy Stick comes with a GPS tracking module that allows others within a connected group to see the location of members and their teams.

Without actually having to directly communicate either through phone or text, the Bivy Stick allows for identification and capture teams to see where everyone else is at all times  and all without the need for a cell tower connection.

Even in areas where cell towers are present, canyons and other topography can cut off the signal. The Bivy Stick outsmarts that limitation by always communicating with satellites.

The device does allow for text messaging if need be, and also has a map function. It is also heavy duty, powerful, and has a long battery life.

Keep in mind that the Bivy Sticks use as a border patrolling tool is just one use among many. Hikers can also benefit from it, as can emergency first responders, rescue patrols, and others.

If we have any medical attention or issues ourselves, we are able to send that out and still get air flight in to recover us or pick us up and move us to a different location, the coordinator added about how the Bivy Stick can be used to save lives.

So, in coordinating across the network, it is awesome.

In many ways, the Bivy Stick fills the gaps in communication faced by military, law enforcement, and other similar groups. The operator says it beats anything else out there, particularly because it is small and lightweight, adding very little to pack weight.

And if you carry around a solar charger of some kind, the Bivy Stick will theoretically never run out of power no matter where you are, which makes it a powerful connection and networking tool no matter your circumstances.

We were having to use IVs to save illegal aliens that were about to die, so getting those coordinates out and being able to communicate that is imperative not only for them but also for our own safety, the operator added about another practical in-the-field use for the Bivy Stick.

The Bivy Stick satellite-based communications device is available at SAT123.com, a sponsor of Brighteon.com.

Sources for this article include:

Brighteon.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) If Democrats win the midterm elections this November, the Biden regimes green energy agenda will hit the fast lane with the blessing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

House Republicans are warning that the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a major U.S. green group linked to Biden policymaking, has deep ties to the Chinese government, which wants for nothing more than to cripple the United States economy.

Phasing out fossil fuels, we now know, is a death sentence not only for the economy but also for humanity. There will no longer be enough fertilizer to grow food, or fuel to transport it. Everything will come to a grinding halt, and this is what Republicans say they want to avoid.

The NRDC, in case you are unfamiliar with it, is a non-profit organization based out of New York City. Its total assets exceed $450 million in value, and it has been directly involved in climate issues in China since the mid-1990s.

Several top officials at the NRDC have worked directly with the CCP or other government-sponsored institutions. These same officials work directly with the Biden regime to form the very climate policies that are now decimating our nations economy. (Related: Back in June, the Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] cannot force the fossil fuel industry to transition to green energy.)

One of these officials is Gina McCarthy, the NRDCs former president and Bidens climate czar from January 2021 until earlier this month. Current NRDC president Manish Bapna is also heavily involved in sway policy within the Biden regime, having attended at least two (that we know of) White House meetings in recent months.

If the NRDC is really about promoting clean energy, then why is the group tied to communist China, the worlds biggest polluter?

On its website, the NRDC openly celebrates its collaboration with a wide range of Chinese and international powers that aim to boost green energy policies and fortify environmental regulations in the communist country.

The NRDC is also tied to the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerrys office on policy issues, according to internet emails from the State Department that were obtained by Protect the Publics Trust, a watchdog group.

Rarely, if ever, does the NRDC condemn the CCPs abusive ruling tactics or its energy-guzzling ways. It turns out that communist China has the biggest  by far  carbon footprint, as they call it, burning more fossil fuels and polluting the environment at a rate much higher than the rest of the world.

Communist China is the worlds leading polluter, in other words, and yet the NRDC, which claims to represent clean energy, is tied at the hip to the regime. Does that make any logical sense to you?

China accounts for about 27% of total global emissions  nearly tripling the total in the U.S., the worlds second-largest emitter, according to Rhodium Group  and continues to approve and construct a large amount of coal power plants, reports Fox News.

On its website, the NRDC brags about this, too, claiming that communist China has made a serious commitment to turning its cities into healthier places to live and currently leads the world in renewable energy installation and electric vehicle penetration.

The NRDCs Chinese language website indicates that the office is registered under the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau and supervised by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China. Its Chinese office has 35 employees and a $4.2 million annual budget.

By comparison, the groups international work in North America, South America, South Asia and the Middle East has 11 staffers and a $1.1 million annual budget, Fox further notes.

More related news coverage can be found at Tyranny.news.

Sources for this article include:

FoxNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) just published a bombshell paper showing that mRNA poisons from Covid-19 vaccines transfer through breast milk to babies.

Contradicting everything we were told by the government, Big Pharma and social media fact checkers, the study establishes that yes, Fauci Flu shots are a deadly affair for both mother and baby.

Entitled Detection of Messenger RNA COVID-19 Vaccines in Human Breast Milk, the paper, which was led by researchers out of New York, highlights the fact that trials for the injections excluded several vulnerable groups, including young children and lactating [women].

This exclusion was purposeful, of course, because including mothers and their babies would have exposed the experimental drugs as contagious, in a sense, passing through breast milk from mother to child.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration deferred the decision to authorize COVID-19 mRNA vaccines for infants younger than 6 months until more data are available because of the potential priming of the childrens immune responses that may alter their immunity, the studys abstract reads.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends offering the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines to breastfeeding [women], although the possible passage of vaccine mRNAs in breast milk resulting in infants exposure at younger than 6 months was not investigated.

Upon investigation by the crew behind this paper, it was discovered that mRNA can, in fact, be detected in the expressed breast milk (EBM) of lactating women who get jabbed within six months post-delivery.

Joe Biden and his regime are guilty of committing crimes against humanity

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) tweeted about the study, emphasizing the fact that Joe Bidens injection mandates caused infants (for which no safe dose has been established) to receive mRNA through their mothers [sic] breast milk.

Does abuse of power get any more evil? he further asked. (Related: The toxicity of mRNA could have to do with its low integrity.)

Every individual who was forced to get injected by the Biden regime needs to know about this pertinent new research, especially women who are planning to get or are already pregnant.

The long-term effects of all this mRNA exposure both for mothers and their children remains to be seen. Many are already chronically ill, and some suspect that many more will be sick or dead in the coming years.

mRNA poisons everything in the human body, wrote someone in a comment on an article about the JAMA study. 100,000,000 Americans will be dead from the jab before 2026.

The jab victims that dont die by 2026 will be severely disabled before they die  which will be before 2030. Big Pharma acting under U.S. government orders to do this.

Another wrote about a friend of his wife who recently got her seven-year-old child boosted for the Fauci Flu. It turns out the mother had no idea about the risks involved because the type of information that we share here is unfortunately not reaching everyone.

Our doctor told us to breastfeed because the vaccine will go into the breast milk, added another, explaining that she quickly switched doctors and of course avoided getting her newborn child injected.

Dont forget the polyethylene glycol, said someone else, referring to a toxic allergen added to the shots that some have speculated might play a role in transhumanist genetic reprogramming.

Mother gets vaccinated, baby formula goes in short supply, government encourages mothers to breastfeed, breast milk now contains mRNA vaccines  coincidence? wrote another about the obvious conspiracy taking place on a wide scale.

More of the latest news about Fauci Flu shots can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

JAMAnetwork.com

Twitter.com

NaturalNews.com

CitizenFreePress.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Der Spiegel, one of Germanys premier magazines, claims that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) warned about a possible attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines from Russia just days before it happened.

Citing unnamed sources, Der Spiegel says the CIA tipped off Berlin about a potential sabotage incident that would bring both Nord Stream 1 (NS1) and Nord Stream 2 (NS2) offline. (Related: It appears as though the Nord Stream pipelines might never turn back on.)

CIA warned Germany weeks ago of coming attack on natural gas pipelines Nord Stream I & II (from Russia to Germany), tweeted American author and co-founder of the Breakthrough Institute, Michael Shellenberger.

Russia could have pulled off such an attack but It is difficult to see whether Russia or Ukraine could have an interest in such an incident,' he added, citing the Der Spiegel report.

The article goes on to speculate that from Ukraines point of view, a permanent interruption of gas from Russia to Germany could be a possible interest in the room.

On the contrary, the article adds, there would be immense political disadvantages that could arise from an attack.

Biden regime says its not going to speculate on the cause of the pipeline destruction

An investigation is underway into the incident, which another source familiar with what has already been uncovered says points to sabotage.

We cannot imagine a scenario that does not include a targeted attack, this person added, as quoted by REMIX.

NS2, which was completed last fall but never approved and turned on, was damaged alongside NS1, which remains offline indefinitely due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Having these two important pipelines offline potentially for good means that no more Russian energy is flowing into Germany. There are very few Russia-Europe pipelines left that are still operational, we now know.

Mette Frederiksen, Denmarks prime minister, told reporters that the damage caused to NS1 and NS2 are deliberate actions, not an accident.

There is no information yet to indicate who may be behind this action, she further said, adding that authorities do not see the threat as being against Denmark specifically.

The Biden regime, meanwhile, is staying tight-lipped about the matter. When asked, CNNs White House and national security reporter Natasha Bertrand said Biden and his crew are not going to speculate on the cause of it.

The U.S. stands ready to support European partners efforts as they investigate, she added.

Kylie Atwood, another CNN national security reporter, added in a tweet that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced it is in no ones interest to know whether the pipeline damage was the result of an attack or sabotage.

Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, as you may recall, warned back in January that if Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward  watch below:

??January 27, 2022 VICTORIA NULAND: If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward. pic.twitter.com/gYSaMd0yJc  AZ ???? (@AZmilitary1) September 27, 2022

So who is really responsible for this? The usual suspects in Americas deep state government apparatus are once again front and center as the most likely suspects.

Food processing plants, refineries  seems like there is a good deal of this going around, wrote a commenter about how key components of the global economy are conveniently breaking down or being destroyed one after another  almost like a perfect storm.

Theyre really doing it, added another. The USA is really setting up WW3 probably to obfuscate the impending collapse of the petrodollar.

As the world implodes into a wasteland of chaos and destruction, we will keep you informed about it at Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com

RMX.news
(Natural News) (Article by Alex Newman republished from TheNewAmerican.com)

More evidence including a whistleblower have confirmed that the U.S. Navy did indeed shoot down TWA Flight 800 in the Atlantic as it left New York, and the CIA and the New York Times worked to cover it up, explained renowned investigative reporter Jack Cashill in this interview on Conversations That Matter with The New American magazines Alex Newman. Families of the victims have now filed a lawsuit against the government as a result of the FOIA documents that have emerged thanks to the work of tireless researchers.

According to Cashill, this was a tragic accident by the U.S. Navy as it was testing out new technology to shoot down planes and missiles. Under pressure from the CIA, the FBI played a key role in covering up the truth, and the dishonest New York Times carried water for the cover-up, highlighting the power of the Deep State. Cashill thinks Bill Clintons re-election was one of the major reasons why the cover-up was so extreme. There must be accountability, he said.

Read more at: TheNewAmerican.com
(Natural News) There is no better example of just how anti-Western culture the leftist elite in Europe and the United States have become than Giorgia Melonis rise to become Italys new prime minister.

Ordinarily, the elitist left would be touting the victory as a triumph for women (she is the countrys first female prime minister), but because she is against every culturally destructive tendency of the anti-West left, she is already being vilified as the most far-right prime minister since Mussolini.

Only, World War II-era dictator Benito Mussolini was far-left, being an authoritarian and an avowed socialist. But facts dont matter to todays left any more than they have ever mattered to a political ideology that is hell-bent on destroying Western civilization, not strengthening it.

I am Giorgia, I am a woman, I am a mother, I am Italian, I am Christian, a fired-up Meloni told supporters in central Rome over the weekend as her right-leaning party won a majority of seats in the Italian parliament. No one will take that away from me.

Lost in the freak-out is the fact that Italians voted for her party, meaning they support the foundational pro-family, pro-Italian agenda  not the globalist agenda of left-wing anti-Western elites who have been adopting policies for decades that tear down the family, tear down traditions, and destroy the culture.

Yes to natural families, no to the LGBT lobby! Yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology! Yes to the culture of life, no to the abyss of death! a passionate Meloni declared in a speech in June.

Everything we stand for is under attack, she told the conservative audience at CPAC. Our individual freedom is under attack. Our rights are under attack. The sovereignty of our nation is under attack. People understand that in this age, the only way of being rebels is to preserve what we are Knowing what we stand for is what we need to face this challenge.

New PM of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, speaking English at CPAC 2022 Part 2 I see the woke ideology destroying the foundations of the nature of family, attacking life, insulting religion Will we surrender in front of this?! No, we will not! We will fight it standing tall! pic.twitter.com/NZC7zLUcgJ  Robert Kearney (@Robkearney1981) September 26, 2022

That is what Italians voted for, as Fox News Tucker Carlson noted during his Monday monologue while calling on Republicans to take up the same mantle as Meloni, speaking up for and acting on behalf of preserving and protecting our culture from the culture destroyers in the Democrat Party.

Its true here, Carlson said after playing a clip of Meloni speaking about the cultural assault on her own country by the leftist elite. American families are facing the very same onslaught from the very same poisonous ideologies. The difference is that in this country its rarely acknowledged except on the fringes.

Contrast that to whats happening in the United States, Carlson continued.

House Republicans just spelled out what theyre running on. Its a document called the Commitment to America. Its fine. Probably not much in it that you disagree with. Have you heard of it? he asked.

No, you probably havent! You probably havent read it. Nobody really cares. Because theres nothing real in it. Theres not a single word in that document about the attacks on the American family that you see every day. Thats at the center of most peoples concerns. How are my kids? Will they have a life that resembles mine? That was called the American Dream. Does it still exist? No. Carlson noted.

He added that leftists are calling Meloni (and MAGA Republicans) fascists when in fact, conservatives are just the opposite and that it is the left that behaves in a fascistic manner, adding that the left uses the word to describe anyone who disagrees with them.

So, they hate your family, they hate your religion, and you dont actually have to put up with it because its a democracy, and youre supposed to be in charge, you being the population. Thats a radical message? God, family, country. Thats not radical. Its hard to imagine a more wholesome message, a more pro-human platform. Fascists dont believe in God because God is a rival to their power, he said.

WATCH:

Sources include:

BizPacReview.com

France24.com
(Natural News) Fifty percent of young adults who get myocarditis from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine will die within five years, according to former Eastern Ontario COVID Response Team member, Dr. Chris Alan Shoemaker.

In a recent episode of The Ben Armstrong Show, the host talked about the possible long-term consequences of the COVID-19 vaccine that people are yet to see happen. Based on Shoemakers data, around 95 percent of people in intensive care units are fully vaccinated  which makes sense as their immune systems are now damaged.

Shoemaker is a licensed physician with 45 years of experience and has worked in emergency medicine, family practice and on military bases. His works in direct patient care at the West Ottawa COVID Care Clinic and the Eastern Ontario Response Team to COVID-19, as well as his experience with the vaccines, have convinced him that the vaccine is more toxic than the virus. More toxic, more damaging and more lethal, especially in the long term as it damages the T-cells.

Your T-cells are an important part of your immune system to fight viruses and cancer. It will kill you quickly or slowly, Shoemaker explained.

They make you four times more likely to get COVID. In the last eight months, 95 percent of the people in the ICU are fully vaccinated. The vaccinated have been harmed. Their immune systems are being harmed. Stop harming your immune systems. You are only going to perpetuate the pandemic.

Moreover, Shoemaker believes that the vaccines are especially dangerous for children and is calling on the Canadian government to stop all COVID shots for them. (Related: Britain bans COVID vaccine for children under 12, says they are at very low risk of developing severe COVID.)

Keep your needles out of the shoulders of our children. The medical facts on this are beyond dispute. Children are given zero help by these vaccines, he said at a weekend demonstration from London, Ontario. It kills two out of every 1,000 within a year. Do you want your child to be one of those two who will die?

Britains Office of National Statistics recently released a report showing the vaccines horrific toll on children. After studying the first eight months of vaccination, hoping for a 10 percent reduction in death cases, they found the opposite: Double-vaccinated children died by 5,200 percent more than non-vaccinated ones.

Your 10 to 14-year-old is now, by proven statistics out of the United Kingdom, 100 times more likely to die in the following six months than a non-vaccinated child. This is a horrible number, Shoemaker said of the data.

COVID-19 vaccines worse than the disease itself

In South Africa, where the rate of vaccination is only six percent, COVID-19 cases are minimal.

But in Israel and New Zealand, where vaccination rates are extremely high, disease rates are climbing. These are also the same countries that are seeing Vaccine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. (Related: Britain bans COVID vaccine for children under 12, says they are at very low risk of developing severe COVID.)

Its all junk. It has bad stuff in it. The toxicity of this human-designed genome injected into your shoulder is 100 times worse than getting the virus, Shoemaker said. The shots go straight into your bloodstream, into your bone marrow, your brain, to your myocardium, ovaries, testicles.

It also appears that COVID-19 vaccines are killing young doctors in Canada, where 38 doctors under the age of 50 died in a span of 40 days. Many of them died within 10 days of their fourth jab. They were just following the rules. They were good people, Shoemaker said.

The death statistics are too damning, and according to Shoemaker, the vaccines dont even work.

Shoemaker called on Canadas top officials to ban the vaccines to save childrens lives. You are killing children in Canada by foisting these vaccinations onto them, he said.

He also implored Canadians to stand up against the government. They are feeding you a line. They are perpetuating a myth. They are not making you safer.

Visit Vaccines.news for more updates about the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines for children and young adults.

Watch the video below and listen to Dr. Shoemakers claims regarding COVID-19 vaccine.

This video is from The New American channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Canadian mRNA expert SUSPENDED for criticizing COVID vaccine for children.

Drs. Simone Gold and Angie Farella of AFLDS warn against COVID vaccine for kids.

Americas Frontline Doctors attorney files lawsuit against U.S. government for 45,000 covid vaccine deaths.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

RAIRFoundation.com
(Natural News) American utility customers already facing some of their biggest bills in years are slated to pay more this winter as natural gas prices continue to soar.

The price of natural gas has more than doubled this year due to the worldwide supply shortage made worse by Russias invasion of Ukraine. It is likely to remain high for months as fuel is required to light and heat homes during the winter. The supply crisis has made it considerably more costly for utilities to buy or generate power, and those expenses are being passed on to customers. (Related: Electricity prices expected to rise significantly this summer)

Customers electricity rates from New Hampshire to Louisiana are rising, with the Energy Information Administration expecting the residential price of electricity to average 14.8 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2022  up 7.5 percent from 2021.

The agency predicts record gas consumption this year amidst soaring prices, in part due to power producers being restricted in their ability to burn coal because of supply restraints and power plant retirements.

Electricity prices have climbed in many parts of the nation alongside natural gas prices as exporters ship record amounts of the fuel abroad due to supply shortages in Europe, which is working to cut its dependence on Russian supplies.

Natural gas producers, crippled by pipeline restrictions and investors urging austerity, havent raised production enough to relieve the pressure.

CPI for electricity in August sees largest 12-month gain since 1981

According to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the consumer price index (CPI) for electricity in August moved up 15.8 percent over the same month a year ago, the largest such 12-month gain since 1981.

The stress is specifically intense in New England, which is investing heavily in renewable energy sources. However, several of those projects are not yet operational and it still depends greatly on natural gas for electricity production. The area has minimal pipeline capacity and imports huge volumes of liquefied natural gas, which are in short supply as an outcome of European demand.

Eversource Energy, a utility company that supplies about four million electric and natural gas customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, carried out an unprecedented price hike for customers in New Hampshire last month. The rates more than doubled from nearly 10.67 cents to 22.57 cents a kilowatt-hour and will stay at that level up until January 2023.

James Daly, Eversources vice president of energy supply, said that rate hikes appear especially exorbitant in New Hampshire because regulations demand the company to contract for supplies less common than in other states, where price hikes are more progressive as a result. He added that wholesale electricity prices have approximately tripled since 2020, reaching $130 per megawatt hour during times of peak demand.

Were still seeing the effects of the war in Ukraine on liquefied natural gas prices, and that affects our winter supply situation, Daly said.

Donald Kreis, who works in favor of utility customers through New Hampshires Office of the Consumer Advocate, said his office has recently seen a dramatic rise in the number of calls from customers worried about their ability to handle the surge in electricity prices. The costs of natural gas and fuel oil delivery have surged as well, making home heating more costly as it gets colder.

People are really freaked out because winter looms, Kreis said.

The National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) has predicted the highest winter heating season in a decade  a 35 percent leap to an average of $1,202 from two seasons ago. NEADA has estimated that about one in six American families is already behind on utility bills.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts energy officials are warning citizens that the rate of heating their homes and keeping the lights on is expected to soar this winter as the price of natural gas surges.

Almost half of New Englands electric generation is powered by natural gas or liquid natural gas, primary commodities that are sold on the world market and subject to its wishes. The areas relative overdependence on natural gas is going to mean budget-busting electricity bills for many households this winter and state officials are reportedly working with federal counterparts to prepare.

Follow Electricity.news for more news about the rising electricity rates in America.

Watch the video below to know more about looming blackouts and electricity shortages.

This video is from the SecureLife channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Skyrocketing electric bills compound Texans winter storm woes.

Third-world America: Michigan city cuts power, removes street lights due to inability to pay electric bill.

3 Off-grid ways to save money on your electric bill.

German municipalities preparing for dark winter of blackouts, simulate 400 deaths in first 96 hours.

Electricity shortages are coming, warn power grid operators.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

PatriotLedger.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Steel production in Europe is literally close to collapsing as the continent deals with major spikes in energy costs thanks to having become overly dependent on Russian gas and oil, which is now being heavily sanctioned following the February invasion of Ukraine.

In Sweden, for instance, energy costs have hit several major manufacturers, putting them on the verge of having to close down, especially the steel industry, which has been particularly hard hit by soaring natural gas expenditures, the Swedish publication Samnytt reported.

ReMix added:

Steel forging company Bharat Forge in Karlskoga has experienced a quadrupling of its electricity prices and now risks being forced to halt its operations. This is primarily due to the fact that its furnaces are electric and consume up to 60,000 megawatt-hours per year, according to the news portal, and the rise in energy prices has seen production costs soar by many millions.

We cannot bear these costs; it is completely impossible, site manager Niklas Blom told the outlet.

The steel components that are produced at the factory are crucial for other manufacturers, especially large-ticket items like automobiles and aircraft. Plus, steel production is vital to keep the just-in-time supply chain operating, especially after being hard hit by COVID-related shutdowns and closures, many of which lasted for months.

The rise in the Swedish forges steel production costs mean that the firm is far less competitive with other steel makers in the European Union and abroad.

Unfortunately, this leads to us in Sweden losing competitiveness against low-wage countries. In the end, business will disappear from Sweden. Our employees feel very bad. And if our employees feel really bad about this, the company wont feel good either, Blom added.

He has called on the Swedish government to lend greater financial support to the industry to prevent it from shutting down completely. Blom said that without urgent state intervention, the company is likely to collapse, though he added that negotiations appear to be going well.

But if they dont produce any agreement on assistance, then he has warned that there will be a kind of economic crisis in Sweden that will cause a collapse in manufacturing, and low-wage EU member nations will step in to fill the void.

Meanwhile, steel makers in Germany are facing a similar problem, especially since Germany was extremely reliant on Russian energy.

Production in Germany is currently no longer competitive, Reiner Blaschek, the CEO of ArcelorMittal Germany, which recently closed two plants in the country, ReMix reported. The outlet added that Blaschek is calling for fast intervention by the German government, noting: We need competitive energy prices for industry.

Separately, ReMix reported:

At ArcelorMittals steel plant at the port of Hamburg, workers are coordinating production to ensure it does not interfere with peak electrical loads  seen during the morning and evening  for residents in the city of Hamburg. The Hamburg steel plant consumes an enormous amount of energy. For example, in one of the smelters that makes crude iron, it uses 76,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in just one hour, which is the equivalent of half a million televisions, according to German newspaper Die Welt.

We have the gas needs of the city of Lubeck and the electricity needs of Kiel, said Ansgar Juchter, an engineer at the plant.

Other industrial sectors are also having major problems, the CEO of ArcelorMittal Germany added.

Steel produced at the Hamberg plant is used to manufacture a variety of products and infrastructure such as machines, automobiles, ships, bridges, power plants and pipelines. And as energy prices continue to soar, not only is the steel industry at risk of cratering but if it happens, it would create a domino effect across a wide range of other manufacturing sectors and take large sections of German production offline.

Sources include:

RMX.news

Welt.de
(Natural News) Another day, another example of how corrupt the FBI has become and why Republicans should seriously defund the agency when they retake control.

Court papers unsealed this week indicate that agents lied to a federal magistrate judge in order to secure a warrant so they could seize more than $86 million in private assets from a privately owned safe deposit box store in Beverly Hills, Calif., The Epoch Times reported.

U.S. Private Vaults became the subject of an FBI probe after agents and local police observed suspected drug dealers and buyers in the vicinity of the business, which housed more than 1,000 private safe deposit boxes.

On March 22, 2021, FBI agents raided the business after securing a search warrant from U.S. Magistrate Judge Steve Kim, granting them the authority to seize personal property belonging to the firm and individuals, the Los Angeles Times reported. During the raid, agents seized tens of millions in cash, gold, silver, jewelry and more.

According to the government affidavit that requested several warrants, the FBI included assurances that agents would respect the rights of all safety box customers, which obviously did not happen.

The Epoch Times notes further:

Written by Andrew Brown, an assistant U.S. attorney and driving force of the investigation, that section of the affidavit makes it clear that warrants only authorize seizure of the nests of the boxes themselves, not their contents, according to the Los Angeles Times.

However, by the time Kim got the warrant request, the FBI had allegedly made preparations to seize the contents inside the deposit boxes.

Matthew Moon, a high-ranking FBI special agent from Los Angeles, asked Jessie Murray, chief of the bureaus asset forfeiture unit in L.A., in the summer of 2020 if Murrays team was capable of handling a possible large-scale seizure involving safety deposit boxes at U.S. Private Vault, according to the L.A. Times, to which Murray responded in the affirmative.

In late 2020 and early 2021, Murray joined a conference call to plan the seizure operation. A memo was issued by FBI agent Lynne Zellhart to fellow agents describing the procedures for carrying out the raid, The Epoch Times report noted further. The memo, which was approved by Moon, asked agents to assign ID numbers to all cash found inside the deposit boxes to be cataloged in the Consolidated Asset Tracking System, which the agency uses to organize forfeitures.

Kim wrote specifically in his order authorizing the search warrants that he did not approve a criminal search or seizure of the contents of the safety deposit boxes, but the FBI agents conducting the raid violated that order and seized them anyway.

In order to seize assets according to U.S. forfeiture laws, the government must have evidence to prove that these assets were either the result of criminal activity or used to fund such activities, noted The Epoch Times.

The judge also instructed agents to identify the owners of the deposit boxes and get ahold of them to let them know they could come and claim their property, according to the L.A. Times. Following the raid, the bureau posted a notice on the storefront window asking customers who had their boxes confiscated to come forward and claim it. But when they did, they were then subjected to FBI investigations and agents probed their state tax records and their bank accounts.

Following the raid and the subsequent investigations, customers who had their property seized got together and filed a class action lawsuit against the FBI, accusing the bureau of blatant violations of customers constitutional rights.

Regardless of what happens in the lawsuit, the FBI has obviously gone off the rails and is operating independently of any rules, protocols or constitutional restrictions. If Republicans dont have the courage to disband the agency, it must be substantially defunded.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

LATimes.com
(Natural News) Yet another gas pipeline to Europe  one of the last that is still online, just to be clear  faces closure due to an ongoing legal spat between Russia and Ukraine.

Reports indicate that the Russia state-owned gas giant Gazprom PJSC has rejected all claims from Ukraines energy firm Naftogaz concerning arbitration proceedings over the transit of Russian gas.

Gazprom notified the arbitration court about its rejections, as well as announced that sanctions may have to be imposed against Naftogaz if it attempts to pursue the arbitration case any further.

Should these sanctions become a reality, Gazprom would be prohibited from paying Ukraine any further transit fees  meaning no more gas for Europe. (Related: Russias Nord Stream 1 [NS1] is offline indefinitely, and Nord Stream 2 [NS2] was just blown up, rendering it useless.)

Earlier this month, Naftogaz initiated a new arbitration proceeding against Gazprom, claiming the Russian energy company failed to pay for the rendered service of gas transportation through Ukraine.

According to Naftogaz, funds were not paid by Gazprom, neither on time nor in full.

In response, Gazprom said that Naftogaz has no appropriate reasons to reject its obligations on transit via the Sokhranovka point, a key route through which Russia exports gas to Europe.

Another one-third of Europes energy supply from Russia could disappear overnight

Back in May, Ukraine suspended the flow of Russian gas through Sokhranovka, which delivers nearly one-third of the fuel that is piped from Russia to Europe straight through Ukraine.

Ukraine blamed Russia for the shutdown, indicating that the flows would be moved elsewhere. Immediately following the halt, gas prices skyrocketed by almost 20 percent as traders speculate that Europe will have to live without Russian gas both this winter and beyond.

In practice, this will mean a ban on Gazprom from fulfilling obligations to sanctioned bodies under completed transactions, including financial transactions, the company announced about the dispute.

According to some reports, it is not a matter of if the Naftogaz pipeline will be shut down, but rather when. In that event, the only pipeline left for Gazprom to send gas will be the TurkStream pipeline to Turkey, which covers Turkey and a handful of European countries that havent severed business ties with Russia.

Whats the most outrageous of all this is the EU can click a mouse and reverse the sanctions on Russia, and un-freeze their billions that they stole, one commenter expressed about the situation.

Almost makes you wonder if they want the continents useless eaters to freeze to death.

Another person pointed out that the ruling elite clearly have one thing on their mind, and that is an official declaration of war leading to World War III.

If Russia itself disabled NS1 and NS2 (a possibility one cannot rule out), but manages that the blame is pinned on the USA (maybe Russia can get Presidementia Biden to make another speech?), it will be the greatest clandestine operation in history, speculated another.

Someone else responded that he does not feel like Russia is the culprit here because its not in their best interests.

Having the pipeline available makes it easier for the EU to reverse course and drop sanctions, this person added.

Eliminating the pipeline makes it more likely for sanctions to continue, so you have to give a good look at the winner in this scenario, and unfortunately, its the USA. The U.S. happens to be one of the few countries with the means and ability to carry out this kind of operation.

The latest news about the conflict between Russia and the West can be found at WWIII.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Former U.S. President Barack Obama is using incumbent President Joe Biden as an avatar in his war against Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to Dr. Scott Lively.

During the Sept. 18 episode of Prophecy and Politics on Brighteon.TV, the activist and preacher explained that Obama was using game characters in a bid to prepare for World War III with Putin as the enemy.

According to Lively, Dementia Joe was too plain and likable, with his demented creepiness  too obvious to hide from the general public [that] increasingly perceives him as weak and incompetent. However, Obamas Hollywood scriptwriters saw these faults not as policy failures but as deficiencies in the narrative.

Carrying the belief that the public likes former President Donald Trump because of his narrative, Obamas creative team made Biden look more like his Republican predecessor. Thus, the Dark Brandon avatar was born. The Obama team knows that Americans do not have confidence that the wimpy Grandpa Joe can lead the U.S. to war against Russia, so Dark Brandon was introduced to change peoples mind.

The invention of Dark Brandon floated as sneak preview for a while in the chat rooms of the creative elites, and then burst fully formed onto the political scene [amid] Hitler-esque glory, like the launch of a new Marvel superhero, Lively said.

In reality, its just Obama switching to a more suitable avatar. Acting through an avatar is a special kind of deception because you can do it somewhat or completely anonymously, depending on the circumstances, that adds a sense of invulnerability that fosters risk-taking, and diminishes inhibitions.

Lively pointed out that the Dark Brandon avatar, which the American people first saw on Sept. 1 in Philadelphia, is a reflection of deliberate diabolical evil.

The visual staging of Dark Brandons debut was strikingly similar to that of Obamas own acceptance speech for the 2008 Democratic nomination for president, which, like Hitlers Nuremberg rally stage, was directly modeled on the Pergamum altar  the Sita Satan  where Satan dwells in Revelation 2:13.

Lively: Obama still acting as president through Biden

According to Lively, Obama is behind everything Biden is doing  and has been using the former vice president as a cats paw to promote his policy. Moreover, Obama did not leave Washington, D.C. at the end of his term unlike all other modern presidents.

He might have bought the building or at least leased a sizable portion of the World Wildlife Fund building, just about a mile from the White House, he said.

The Prophecy and Politics host said Obama hates Putin so much that he would not hesitate for a moment to launch WWIII. Lively explained: Ive advocated this perspective and explained that Obama literally tried to start a hot war with Russia in between Hillary Clintons last election and Trumps inauguration in January 2017.

True enough, an article Lively wrote at the time touched on this issue.

Its pretty obvious to me that Obama intended to launch a hot war with Russia. The now demonstrably fake news about Russian hacking of the election results [utterly baseless] was a transparent pretext to expel the Russian diplomats, which was intended to provoke retaliation in kind, Lively wrote. (Related: BOMBSHELL: Former DNI Ratcliffe says special counsel Durham is aware Obama, Biden KNEW about Clinton campaign plot to entrap Trump in fake Russia scandal.)

In the same article, Lively noted that Obama restarted the Cold War in 2013 after Putin banned gay propaganda for children. That is the turning point right then, he said on the program.

The U.S. has always used Ukraine going all the way back when Obama was a senator; he was over there in Ukraine, he said. That was when they were starting to set up the bio-weapons labs. When he became president, the use of Ukraine was an eventual lever against Russia.

Visit BarackObama.news for more articles related to Barack Obama.

Watch the full Sept. 18 episode of Prophecy and Politics with Dr. Scott Lively below. Catch new episodes of the program every Sunday at 10-11 a.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

Leaked audio recording reveals Obama-Biden regime officials plotting coup against Ukrainian president in 2014.

Obama-Bidens partisan Justice Department launching attack on U.S. Supreme Court following Roe reversal.

Warning: Bidens nuclear deal with Iran described as much worse than Obamas treasonous deal.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

ScottLively.net
(Natural News) Scores of researchers from a top U.S. nuclear weapons lab are now reportedly on Chinas payroll, according to a just-published report.

The Epoch Times, citing a report from the strategic intelligence firm Strider Technologies, noted that some 162 scientists and researchers who worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have been recruited by the Chinese Communists to work on Beijings military programs.

The reports foreword notes:

The inspiration for this report comes from a March 2017 article in the South China Morning Post titled Americas Hidden Role in Chinese Weapons Research. The article notes that so many former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists have returned to the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and are now working on military research programs that they are referred to as the Los Alamos Club. However, no specifics about this Club, its membership, or the programs these scientists are working on were reported.

The objective in conducting this study is to contextualize and document the ongoing efforts of the PRC government to send promising scientists to U.S. national laboratories for training while also recruiting leading scientists back to the PRC to advance its own military programs, the foreword adds. Former Los Alamos scientists have made, and continue to make, considerable contributions to the PRC hypersonic, missile, and submarine programs that present an array of security risks for the United States and the entire free world.

The report itself documents the extensive effort by China dating back decades to recruit top nuclear talent for Beijings own nuclear and weapons programs under the rubric of a Talent Superpower Strategy.

Between 1987 and 2021, at least 162 scientists who had worked at Los Alamos returned to the PRC to support a variety of domestic research and development (R&D) programs. Fifteen of those scientists worked as permanent staff members at Los Alamos, the report says.

Of those fifteen, thirteen were recruited into PRC government talent programs; some were responsible for sponsoring visiting scholars and postdoctoral researchers from the PRC, and some received U.S. government funding for sensitive research, the report continued. At least one of these staff members held a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Q Clearance allowing access to Top Secret Restricted Data and National Security Information.

Out of 113 LANL postdoctoral researchers and permanent staffers who went back home to China, nearly 80 percent of them were chosen to take part in the Chicom governments talent programs, according to the report. They then went on to make strides in the development of the Chinese militarys hypersonic missile program as well as unmanned vehicles, jet engines, warheads and stealthy submarines.

The report also pointed out several examples of the recruitment processs inner workings, primarily by exploring the careers of many associated researchers who were employed by the LANL and later hired by Beijing.

Of the 162 returnees, at least 59 scientists were selectees of the PRCs flagship talent recruitment programthe Thousand Talents Program (TTP) and its youth branch, the Youth Thousand Talents Program (YTTP), the report noted.

Ninety-eight of the scientists who returned were postdoctoral researchers, and 49 were visiting scholars. Although such individuals do not have access to the most sensitive research at Los Alamos, they still pose a risk of technology transfer and economic espionage. The DOE has acknowledged instances in which researchers elsewhere have passed dual-use and export controlled research to the PRC via visiting students and scholars, it added.

The report also said that, finally, the U.S. government recently began taking steps to mitigate the risks of Chinas ongoing recruitment strategy, but it may be too little, too late. For instance, China is already well ahead of the U.S. in terms of developing and fielding hypersonic missiles that can carry nuclear warheads around the globe and strike American targets in one-third of the time of existing ICBMs.

The next global war will not go well for America.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

StriderIntel.com
(Natural News) On February 7 Professor of Economics Michael Hudson explained why Americas Real Adversaries Are Its European and Other Allies:

What worries American diplomats is that Germany, other NATO nations and countries along the Belt and Road route understand the gains that can be made by opening up peaceful trade and investment. If there is no Russian or Chinese plan to invade or bomb them, what is the need for NATO? And if there is no inherently adversarial relationship, why do foreign countries need to sacrifice their own trade and financial interests by relying exclusively on U.S. exporters and investors? These are the concerns that have prompted French President Macron to call forth the ghost of Charles de Gaulle and urge Europe to turn away from what he calls NATOs brain-dead Cold War and break with the pro-U.S. trade arrangements that are imposing rising costs on Europe while denying it potential gains from trade with Eurasia. Even Germany is balking at demands that it freeze by this coming March by going without Russian gas. Instead of a real military threat from Russia and China, the problem for American strategists is the absence of such a threat.

(Article republished from MoonOfAlabama.org)

What the U.S. needed was to provoke Russia, and later China, into reacting to U.S. arranged threats in a way that would oblige its allies to follow its sanction policies.

The rather dimwitted European leadership fell for the trick.

The U.S. arranged for a Ukrainian attack on the rebel held Donbas region. This started on February 17 with intense artillery preparations against Donbas positions as recorded by the OSCE observers at that border. Russia had to react or see the ethnic Russians in those areas getting maimed and killed by Nazi devoting Ukrainians.

There was no way to prevent that but by other than military means. On February 22 Russia recognized the Donbas republics as independent states and signed defense agreements with them.

The same day the German chancellor Olaf Scholz canceled the launch of the undersea Nord Stream II pipeline which was to transport Russian gas to Germanys industries and consumers.

The Europeans launched a sequence of extremely harsh economic sanctions against Russia which, prodded by the U.S., had been prepared months in advance.

Russias Special Military Operation, under Article 51 of the UN Charter, commenced on February 24.

A follow-up piece by Michael Hudson on February 28 stated that Germany had been defeated for a third time in a century:

The active military force since 1991 has been the United States. Rejecting mutual disarmament of the Warsaw Pact countries and NATO, there was no peace dividend. Instead, the U.S. policy by the Clinton administration to wage a new military expansion via NATO has paid a 30-year dividend in the form of shifting the foreign policy of Western Europe and other American allies out of their domestic political sphere into their own national security blob (the word for special rentier interests that must not be named). NATO has become Europes foreign-policy-making body, even to the point of dominating domestic economic interests. The recent prodding of Russia by expanding Ukrainian anti-Russian ethnic violence by Ukraines neo-Nazi post-2014 Maiden regime aims at forcing a showdown. It comes in response to the fear by U.S. interests that they are losing their economic and political hold on their NATO allies and other Dollar Area satellites as these countries have seen their major opportunities for gain to lie in increasing trade and investment with China and Russia.



As President Biden explained, the current military escalation (Prodding the Bear) is not really about Ukraine. Biden promised at the outset that no U.S. troops would be involved. But he has been demanding for over a year that Germany prevent the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from supplying its industry and housing with low-priced gas and turn to the much higher-priced U.S. suppliers.



So the most pressing U.S. strategic aim of NATO confrontation with Russia is soaring oil and gas prices. In addition to creating profits and stock-market gains for U.S. companies, higher energy prices will take much of the steam out of the German economy.

(Some people currently peddle a Secret RAND study from January 2022. It is obviously faked. It is simply a write up of Hudsons analysis.)

Nord Stream II was created to make Germany independent from pipelines running through Poland and the Ukraine. Blocking it was the most stupid thing for Germany to do and thus chancellor Scholz did it.

In the following months Poland blocked the Yamal pipeline which also brought Russian gas to Germany. Ukraine followed up with cutting off two Russian pipelines. The main compressor stations of the Nord Stream I pipeline, which the German company Siemens had build and has the maintenance contract, failed one after the other. Sanctions are prohibiting Siemens from repairing them.

It is not Russia that has blocked its gas and oil from European markets. It were the German, Polish and Ukrainian governments that did it.

Russia would in fact be happy to sell more. Putin has recently again offered to push as much Russian gas as possible through Nord Stream II to Germany:

After all, if they need it urgently, if things are so bad, just go ahead and lift sanctions against Nord Stream 2, with its 55 billion cubic metres per year  all they have to do is press the button and they will get it going. But they chose to shut it off themselves; they cannot repair one pipeline and imposed sanctions against the new Nord Stream 2 and will not open it. Are we to blame for this?

It is the German government that is to blame for rejecting that offer.

The economic war against Russia that the sanctions against were meant to win has failed to move Russia. The Rubel is stronger than ever. Russia is making record profits even while selling fewer gas and oil than before the war. Russia may have a small recession this year but its standard of living is not in decline.

As was easy predictable and, as Michael Hudson explained, the economic consequences of the anti-Russian sanctions within Europe have in contrast huge catastrophic consequences for the Europes industries, its societies and its political standing in the world.

Governments and the media had so far refrained from noting the gigantic problems that are coming up and which industry leaders had pointed out early on. Only over the last two weeks or so have they picked up the urgent warnings.

Der Spiegel, Germanys major weekly, asks: How Bad Will the German Recession Be? and states the obvious:

The first German companies have begun throwing in the towel and consumption is collapsing in response to the fallout from exploding energy prices. The economy is sliding almost uncontrolled into a crisis that could permanently weaken the country.

The piece discusses the five stages along which the catastrophe will happen.

Act One: Freezing Production  It is becoming prohibitively expensive to produce in Germany.

Act Two: The Price Trap  No one buys at the high prices German products now cost.

Act Three: The Consumer Crisis  Needing to pay high energy prices German consumers buy less of everything else.

Act Four: The Wave of Bankruptcies.

Act Five: The Final Act on the Labor Market.

When Germany will have some 6 to 10 million unemployed people, and the government less tax income as only a few companies will be profitable, the social system will break down.

European industry buckles under weight of soaring energy prices headlines the Irish Examiner:

Volkswagen, Europes biggest carmaker, warned last week that it could reallocate production out of Germany and eastern Europe if energy prices dont come down.Europe is paying seven times as much for gas as the US, underscoring a dramatic erosion of the continents industrial competitiveness that threatens to cause lasting damage to its economy. With Russian President Vladimir Putin redoubling his war efforts in Ukraine, theres little sign that gas flows  and substantially lower prices  would be restored to Europe in the near term.

OilPrice.com provides that Europe Faces An Exodus Of Energy-Intensive Industries.

In fact The EU is sleepwalking into anarchy:

All eyes may be on the Italian election results this morning, but Europes got much bigger problems on its hands than the prospect of a Right-wing government. Winter is coming, and the catastrophic consequences of Europes self-imposed energy crisis are already being felt across the continent.

As politicians continue to devise unrealistic plans for energy rationing, the reality is that soaring energy prices and falling demand have already caused dozens of plants across a diverse range of energy-intensive industries  glass, steel, aluminium, zinc, fertilisers, chemicals  to cut back production or shut down, causing thousands of workers to be laid off. Even the pro-war New York Times was recently forced to acknowledge the crippling impact that Brusselss sanctions are having on industry and the working class in Europe. High energy prices are lashing European industry, forcing factories to cut production quickly and put tens of thousands of employees on furlough, it reported.



Its truly a sign of the feebleness of Europes politicians that despite the fast-approaching cliff, no one can bring themselves to state the obvious: that the sanctions need to end. Theres simply no moral justification for destroying the livelihoods of millions of Europeans simply to school Putin, even if the sanctions were helping to achieve that aim, which they clearly arent.

The U.S., while also going into a recession, will profit, as it had planned, from the European catastrophe.

The Handelsblatt, a business daily, reports that Germany companies are moving production to North America.

Washington is attracting German companies with cheap energy and low taxes.

The German government is claiming it wants to prevent that but that is impossible without ending the energy sanctions.

The New York Times is of course happy with the situation. As European producers get out-priced from their markets the U.S. is taking up their slack:

Factory Jobs Are Booming Like Its the 1970s

U.S. manufacturing is experiencing a rebound, with companies adding workers amid high consumer demand for products..

The U.S., with the help of European politicians, is waging a war against the people of Europe and their standard of living. It is now on the verge of winning that war.

No help will come from outside to prevent that from happening:

Germany Secures Just One Tanker of Gas During Scholzs Gulf Tour

Europe, and especially Germany, can only escape this obvious trap if it opens the pipelines from Russia. It is now high time to do that.

Read more at: MoonOfAlabama.org


File photo After the imposition of a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) on Wednesday, several Muslim organisations welcomed the move by the government. After the imposition of a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) on Wednesday, several Muslim organisations welcomed the move by the government.



Chairman of All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council, Naseeruddin Chisti said that if the action was taken after considering the public order, then everyone should show patience and welcome the action taken by the government.



Similarly, Saiyed Zainul Abidin of Ajmer said that the ban has been invoked in the national interest as PFI was indulging in anti-national activity.



Muslim Students Organisation of India (MSO), a body of Muslim Sufi students too have welcomed the move, and said in a statement that PFI was indulging in extremist activity.



As per the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, "there had been a number of instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups and some activists of the PFI have joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of these PFI cadres linked to the ISIS have been killed in these conflict theaters and some have been arrested by State Police and Central Agencies and also the PFI has linkages with Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a proscribed terrorist organisation."



The Centre on Wednesday through its notification said that the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country and supporting militancy in the country.



The Centre on Wednesday banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates for a period of five years. The affiliates include Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an "unlawful association".




An unseen intruder overran a crop of California's most treasured ornamental trees in 2012. The budding branches of coral beans, the official city tree of Los Angeles, began drooping and dropping away, showing stems hollowed out from the interior by Erythrina stem borer moth larvae.

New research published this week in the Journal of Applied Entomology exposes the culprit's origin through DNA analysis of insects donated by the late Dan Lindsley, a retired UC San Diego genetics professor.

Tracking the origin of southern California's latest invasive pest

Lindsley discovered a new visitor to the bug lights he'd placed up outside his home in La Jolla, CA to study the local moths the same year southern California's coral beans were dying from their peculiar disease, as per ScienceDaily.

Lindsley forwarded these and other moth specimens to Andrei Sourakov, the study's principal author and collections coordinator at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

Sourakov was shocked by the presence, even preponderance, of Erythrina borers in the first box, identifying the mottled brown moths as the newcomers among Lindsley's samples.

Sourakov linked the prevalence of Erythrina stem borers to the exceptionally high quantity of rainfall experienced by Southern California two years before the epidemic.

Their unexpected rise was a bad omen for the state's coral trees and the horticulture enterprises that grew them.

Erythrina stem borer larvae nibble their way through pliable stems, causing the tree to die slowly as shoots are devoured quicker than they can develop.

The larvae are particularly drawn to the bright red blossoms of coral beans and may dig into mature fruit to devour the seeds.

The Erythrina borers resurfaced in 2015 after Hurricane Dolores dumped heavy rain on southern California.

It wasn't long before Sourakov began receiving questions from residents concerned about their coral beans.

While the moths' numbers have decreased after the 2015 epidemic, they have been detected in southern California every year since indicating that they are here to stay.

Before officials can eradicate the bugs, they must first determine where they originated.

The nearest populations in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts are obvious possibilities, but Erythrina stem borers have a vast range, ranging from Florida to the Caribbean and portions of South America, with very similar species also found in Africa and Asia.

Because stem borers may quickly move from one location to another within their host plants, they could have arrived from anywhere in the world via the horticultural trade.

Researchers concluded that the moths were most closely linked to those found in the Baja Peninsula and Arizona by decoding the DNA of Lindsley's specimens and comparing it to that of moths from other nations and states.

Although the moths of North and South America appear to be almost identical, a DNA study indicated that the western moths were on a completely different evolutionary path than their eastern cousins.

The specimens were found to be western, but to our amazement, all western moths were genetically separated from the rest of the New World, according to Sourakov.

They had two entities here, one from Florida to Argentina and the other from western North America, which we called a new subspecies.

While it is still conceivable that the insects were transported into California unknowingly, their arrival might also be the consequence of a natural extension of their range, which could be mediated by regional climatic changes.

The researchers completed their investigation with advice on how to remove their infiltration using synthetic pheromones to entice and trap adult moths, now that they know where the moths are coming from.

Read more: Climate Change-Triggered Invasive Insects and Diseases Threatens Dozens of US Tree Species with Extinction

The Erythrina stem borer

Also known as the Erythrina twig borer (Terastia meticulosalis), is a potentially lethal Erythrina species pest, that has been spotted multiple times in southern California from San Diego to Ventura in the latter part of 2015, as per the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Department.

Erythrina, a Fabaceae family member, comprises some of the most useful, valuable, well-adapted, and stunning blooming trees in southern California, embellishing landscapes along the coast and nearby plains and valleys.

Indeed, a well-known E caffra planted decorating the broad median of San Vicente Boulevard in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles was certified as an outstanding planting.

The abundance of sightings implies a more recent arrival, yet the ESB was first observed in 1973 at Fort Piute in the California desert north of Needles near Nevada's southern point.

The ESB is of particular concern to us since so little is known about its treatment, and it looks to be particularly damaging to coral trees, infesting seeds, shredding branch tips, and even killing entire plants.

It is a significant pest of naturally existing and imported coral trees in Florida, where it is native, and is prized for agriculture, medicine, and landscape ornamentation.

Because of the ESB, it is very hard to cultivate exotic coral trees in Florida.

The ESB is one of five species of the Terastia genus, which includes moths from the Americas through Africa, Asia, and the western Pacific.

The ESB is the only species in the genus that is indigenous to the Americas. T africana, T egialealis (Africa), T margaritis (India), and T subjectalis are the other four species (Asia and western Pacific).

Related article: 6 Invasive Insects You Should Need To Kill Immediately According to Scientists
A study reveals that researchers managed to build a battery-free, wireless camera capable of capturing high-quality colored images in the ocean, even in dark environments. The invention is useful for underground ocean explorations monitoring deep seas, the effects of climate change, and pollution.

Nature Communications published the study, and it is available to read in ScienceDaily.

According to researchers, the underwater camera is expensive by using research vessels and ships to check and recharge batteries. It is considered a major challenge for undersea exploration.

With the ocean covering 70% of the planet Earth, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explained that more than 80% of oceans have remained unobserved and unexplored.

Challenges in undersea explorations

NOAA said scientists and researchers have depended on sonar technologies to understand and map the sea floor. It noted sonar technology had mapped 10% of the world's ocean, while 35% is on the record of mapped ocean and coastal waters in the United States (US).

Furthermore, NOAA said there are many mysteries to learn from the deep ocean. It involves mapping and understanding the ocean's biological, chemical, geological, and archeological mysteries.

The study's senior author Fadel Adib said that one of the exciting applications of the underwater camera is climate monitoring. Adib explained that they missed 90% of ocean data as they built climate models.

Also Read: New Study Reveals Nanoplastics on Food Chain Could Cause Potential Health Risks

Adlib added that the underwater camera could help them develop more accurate climate models, understanding the impacts of climate change on the ocean.

Adlib is also an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and director of the Signal Kinetics group in the MIT Media Lab.

Underwater camera

The underwater camera can capture high-quality colored images underwater, even in a dark environment. The study said that the camera is about 100,000 times more energy efficient.

The wireless underwater camera transmits the data through the ocean.

Moreover, the researchers called it an autonomous camera powered by sound. It means that the underwater camera converts the mechanical energy from the sound waves in the ocean as it travels through the water and into the electrical energy powering the device's communication.

Then, the sound waves help in transmitting the data to the receiver.

Unlike other cameras, the undersea camera that researchers built doesn't require a power source, operating for weeks.

The promising features of the undersea camera can help explore the unobserved parts of the ocean.

With the amazing battery-free undersea camera, the researchers used a device in which the camera could harvest its power, according to the study.

Furthermore, the researchers said that they tested the camera underwater. Amazingly, they captured undersea images of plastic bottles in New Hampshire pond, African starfish, and the underwater plant Aponogeton ulvaceus present in a dark sea environment.

It explained that the underwater camera could acquire energy using the transducers placed around the camera's exterior.

Transducers are made from piezoelectric materials, which can produce electric signals when mechanical forces are applied. Then, what happens is as sound waves hit the transducer, causing it to convert to electrical energy.

According to the study, the research is supported by:

Office of Naval Research

the Sloan Research Fellowship,

The National Science Foundation MIT Media Lab

Doherty Chair in Ocean Utilization

Related Article: Scientists Study the Impact of the Deep Sea Mining on Oceans

For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News.
Grey and Harbor Seals, favored prey of Great White Sharks, swim around the harbor in Chatham, Massachusetts on July 15, 2022. - The coast of Massachusetts is home to many White Sharks during the summer months. With interest in sharks growing, a shark related tourism industry has sprung up in places like Chatham, including sightseeing tours. (Photo : Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

A seal must has a new home in a freshwater water source near Beverly, Massachusetts, and it is unknown how it arrived there.

Shoebert the Seal in Beverly City

From its very discovery in Shoe Pond on the 25th of September, Shoebert the seal has become tremendously highly regarded with residents, leading government agencies to implement cautions not to disturb the living creature, as per Newsweek.

The seal has become a community sensation, with senior officers calling it Shoebert. Seals are predominantly ocean creatures. Gray seals may be managed to find all over the north Atlantic Ocean, with an approximate 450,000 of them living in Canadian and American seas.

According to the regional channel The Washington Post, it is believed that Shoebert got into the bottom portion of Shoe Lake all through storm surge through the use of a conduit that links to the waterfront.

It remains unknown for everyone on how the seal reached into the top half of the reservoir. In just about any event, as covered by Headtopics, Shoebert is now living in wetlands, however the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries section reports that the seal looks to be in good condition. Shoebert has a food production because the lake contains fishes.

On the 19th of September, NOAA Fisheries New England/Mid-Atlantic said on Facebook, that at this juncture, the most appropriate line of conduct is to not meddle with the seal since it is fit and active as well as clearly acting properly.

Experts told that they would therefore keep on going to cooperate with the township of Beverly to examine the seal, and if the seal's differences in solubility, we might very well consider choices that are in the greatest advantage of the creature.

The NOAA first thought that the Shoebert might well navigate its own out of the local lake, observing that the seal had showed the capacity to hoist itself out on a barrier more than once, implying that it is capable of leaving the location when appropriate, the World Time Today reported.

Also read: Amazing Lizard Facts From Geckos to Komodo Dragons

Freshwater Pond Now Home of a Seal





Nonetheless, the seal still had not departed the region by itself as of the 22nd of Septembe, therefore authorities have opted to put affairs into their own hands.

The Beverly Fire Department tweeted that afternoon that the NOAA was making arrangements for potential displacement for Shoebert's and the broad sense good of the nation, claimed Flipboard. Moreover, the emergency services advised that general public to therefore please remain at least 150 feet away, since seals may be combative.

Regional writer Stanley Forman shared a photograph on Twitter showing rescue workers along the lake's edge with massive nets as one cop waited in a paddling craft.

However, the initiative done by the authorities to remove the seal on the pond proved ineffective. On Thursday night, Beverly Fire Department tweeted that Shoebert might have sensed something was up, thus leading to his actions. Furthermore, experts claimed that the netting were a telltale sign.

Again, for time being, the seal's vacation in Beverly shall persist, although with officials aggressively attempting to relocate the creature into a more convenient site, it looks that the regional celebrity's time there is short, as per Newsbreak.

For their own protection, individuals in the general community have been instructed to remain behind all gates and obstacles and therefore not approach Shoebert or any additional seal.

Related article: 120-Pound "Monster" Blue Catfish Released Back to Water by Tennessee Fisherman, Might Break Record
The invasive longhorned tick is known to cause millions of agricultural revenue losses, affecting cattle producers worldwide. In 2017, the study said researchers first detected a longhorned tick in New Jersey.

The longhorned tick is originally in Russia and the Australasian region, reaching Midwestern parts of the United States, Mid-Atlantic, and New New England.

According to the study published in ScienceDaily, researchers from the University of Missouri discovered the longhorned tick existence in northern Missouri. Cattle could suffer from bovine theileriosis, killing the animals' red blood cells.

Longhorned ticks can threaten livestock, with an economic impact on the producer, supplier, and consumers.

While conducting anaplasmosis surveillance research, Rosalie Ierardi found two Longhorned ticks in Linn County, Missouri. Ierardi is an anatomic pathologist at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine.

Ierard said the importance of studying invasive ticks appearing in different geographical regions. It could help farmers and experts to immediately conduct preventive steps in protecting the livestock on the farm, noting the huge economic implications it could cause.

Longhorned ticks

The study explained that the Longhorned tick could greatly affect the farmers. The infestation can result in the weight loss of cattle. However, there are no confirmed cases of bovine theileriosis in Missouri cattle, and the species threat has remained low.

Although the threat of the Longhorned tick is low in Missouri, the researchers urged the farmers to be vigilant for potential infestation. As a result, cattle producers have been on alert to protect the health of their livestock and implement quarantine protocols.

Based on the CDC Disease Control and Prevention's website, Longhorned ticks were found (as of September 27, 2021) in many parts of the United States, including Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Arkansas, Connecticut, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Delaware, and Georgia.

Moreover, researchers explained that the Longhorned tick could easily spread and infest areas because of the nature of female long-horned ticks capable of laying eggs without a male's assistance.

Also Read: New Study Reveals Nanoplastics on Food Chain Could Cause Potential Health Risks

Vigilance

On the other hand, Ram Raghavan, who tracks the spread of different species of ticks in the United States, explained that the warmer conditions in Midwest could provide a perfect place for ticks and pathogens to thrive.

Raghavan added a concerning prediction that the problem could worsen because the planet continues to warm. Raghavan is a professor, at MU College of Veterinary Medicine and MU School of Health Profession

Furthermore, the professor said the discovery of Longhorned ticks in Norther Missouri shows a need for vigilance and routine monitoring to prevent the spread of ticks and diseases, which could potentially harm animals, humans, and pets.

The researchers noted some of the symptoms that cattle can experience.

Losing weight

Weakness

Jaundice

Pregnancy loss.

Researchers advised farmers to consult and inform the nearest local veterinarian or the MU Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory for assistance.

Ultimately, the Disease Control Center said that farmers should inform the local health department if they find the presence of Longhorned ticks.

Related Article: Study on Bears' Insulin Control May Advance the Treatment of Human Diabetes [Research]

For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News.
Forecasts said Hurricane Ian would unleash flooding, storm surges, and coastal flooding in Florida.

Residents are urged to prepare.

The National Hurricane Center said that Hurricane Ian is said to approach the west coast of Florida as a dangerous hurricane.

From Tropical Storm to Hurricane, Ian has strengthened, causing damaging winds and flooding rainfall. The Hurricane is said to gain more strength in the Gulf of Mexico as it approaches Florida.

Western Cuba felt the brunt of Hurricane Ian from Monday to Tuesday, suffering from heavy rains, strong winds, flooding, and dangerous seas.

According to the AccuWeather website, Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski explained that Ian could slow down in the Southeast states with heavy rainfall if it maintains a forward speed.

Moreover, the Senior Meteorologist added that there could be a potential heavier rainfall if Hurricane Ian might stall for one day or two in the Southeast.

Hurricane Advisory

In the advisory of the National Hurricane Center, Cuba downgraded the hurricane warning to a tropical storm in the provinces:

Isla de Juventud

Pinar del Rio

Armisa

The advisory said Hurricane Ian's location on Tuesday was seen about 230 miles south of Sarasota, Florida. It is moving to the north at 10 mph. Hurricane Ian had sustained winds near 120 mph with higher gusts.

The National Hurricane Center added that Hurricane Warning is extended southward to Chokoloskee on the west coast of Florida.

Meanwhile, storm surge warnings are in effect in Marineland, Flagler, and Volusia counties.

Although Hurricane Ian will weaken wind intensity, AccuWeather explained that it can still impact states in the United States, causing coastal concerns.

According to the advisory, hurricane warnings are present in Dry Tortugas, Chokoloskee to Anclote River, and Tampa Bay.

Also Read: Hurricane Ian Intensifies As it Approaches Florida and Cuba.

Meanwhile, storm surge warnings are in effect in Tampa Bay, Suwannee River Southward to Flamingo, Dry Tortugas, St. John River, and Flagler and Volusia.

Moreover, a storm surge watch is in Florida Bay, Florida keys from the card sound bridge westward to key west, Mouth of St. Mary's River, and Santee River.

A tropical storm watch is present in North Altamaha sound and South Santee River.

Visit the National Hurricane Center website to read the updated summary of warnings and watches.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Courtney Travis said that the southern Appalachians could feel the higher rainfall totals.

The weather website added that forecasts were not expecting flooding disaster inland with Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane Ian preparation

Forecasts said that Hurricane Ian could result in flooding, rainfall, and damaging winds. Hurricanes can threaten properties and lives. As a result, being prepared is essential. Here are some reminders:

Be aware of the current weather news and announcements.

It is advisable to refrain from traveling as the hurricane approaches. Roads can be closed, damaged, or flooded.

Check the status of your houses for possible damages.

Keep an emergency bag with basic food, medicines, primary documents, and a power bank. In case of emergencies like evacuations, it is important.

If there is an evacuation announcement, seek immediate shelter as advised by your local authorities.

Related Article: Forecasts Suggest Fiona Could Become Most Intense Storm on Record to Hit Atlantic Canada

For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News.
According to research published in The Conversion, humans have left a significant quantity of trash on the surface of Mars over the period of 50 years of exploration.

According to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, nations have sent 18 human-made objects to Mars in 14 distinct missions, several of which are currently ongoing.

Over 7000kg of rubbish was left by robotic exploration after 50 years

The three primary sources of debris on Mars are abandoned gear, idle spacecraft, and crashing spacecraft, as per Hindustan Times.

A lot of little, wind-blown rubbish has been discovered throughout the years, including the netting material recovered most recently.

On June 13, the Perseverance Rover uncovered a large, sparkling thermal blanket 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) distant from where it had landed.

Debris from their landing vehicles was discovered by both Curiosities in 2012 and Opportunity in 2005.

Another sort of debris on Mars' surface is made up of nine inactive spacecraft.

Among these spacecrafts are the Mars 3 lander, the Mars 6 lander, the Viking 1 lander, the Viking 2 lander, and others.

Destroyed spaceship pieces are another major source of trash. At least two spacecraft have crashed, while four more have lost touch soon before or immediately after landing.

The most difficult component of every Mars landing mission is safely descending to the planet's surface, which does not always happen as planned.

The total mass of all spacecraft dispatched to Mars is around 22,000 pounds (9,979kg). After subtracting the 6,306 pounds (2,860kg) of the currently working vessels on the surface, there is 15,694 pounds (7,119kg) of human garbage on Mars.

Scientists are now most concerned about the risk that garbage on Mars presents to ongoing and future missions.

The Perseverance crews are tracking every piece of debris they come across and checking for anything that might contaminate the samples the rover is collecting.

NASA engineers have also considered the chance of Perseverance becoming entangled in landing debris, although they have judged that the danger is negligible.

The historical background of the Martian debris gives it significance. The spaceship and its components represent mankind' earliest efforts toward planetary exploration.

Also Read: Scientists Calculated the Risk of You Dying From a Crashed Space Junk

What are the chances of getting struck by falling space debris?

Earlier this year, two different cases of space debris crashing down to Earth in unexpected areas occurred, as per the BBC.

The uncontrolled re-entry of a Chinese Long March 5B rocket over Malaysia was quickly followed by reports in July of certain spacecraft pieces turning up in remote New South Wales, Australia, which have now been proven to be from a SpaceX Crew-1 mission.

As the space industry expands, such occurrences are likely to become increasingly common - and potentially dangerous.

But how big of a danger is there?

The term "space trash" refers to the components of a space system that are no longer needed.

It might be a satellite that has reached the end of its operational life (like the International Space Station will in 2031), or elements of a rocket system that have served their function and are destroyed.

China has launched three Long March 5B rockets to date, each of which has been deliberately left in an uncontrolled orbit. This meant they had no idea where they were going to land.

Concerning the SpaceX debris discovered in Australia's Snowy Mountains, SpaceX de-orbits its rocket sections in a controlled manner and designs other components to burn up upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

However, as the newest news shows, these things do not always go as planned.

So far as we know, just one person has been hit by it. Lottie Williams, a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was hit in the shoulder by a fragment in 1997.

It was around the size of her hand and was believed to have originated from a Delta II rocket. She picked it up, took it home, and reported it the next day to authorities.

However, as more and more items enter space and return, the odds of being struck by someone or anything are growing.

This is particularly true with massive, uncontrollable things like the Long March 5B.

There are numerous various estimates of the likelihood of space debris colliding with someone, but the majority are in the one-in-10,000 range.

This is the likelihood of somebody getting struck, wherever in the globe. However, the chances of a specific person getting hit are one in a trillion.

These estimations are based on a number of criteria, but we'll focus on one in particular for the time being.

The graphic below depicts the orbital path taken by the recent Long March 5B-Y3 rocket during its last 24 hours (various objects have different orbital courses), as well as its re-entry site, which is highlighted in red.

Related article: Space Junk Heading Towards the Moon at Super Speed
The launch of the Artemis I spacecraft was canceled because of the threat of Hurricane Ian, NASA announced.

Hurricane Ian, which strengthened from Tropical Storm to Hurricane, is expected to unleash heavy rains, storm surges, and high winds in Florida after it pounded the Western part of Cuba.

In an advisory, the National Hurricane Center shared that Hurricane Ian is a dangerous hurricane approaching the west coast of Florida.

Hurricane warnings and tropical storm watch have been issued in parts of Florida, with Hurricane Ian could bring coastal flooding.

NASA website explained that Artemis 1 would be the first in a series of missions with humans for deep space exploration and commitment.

The spacecraft is set to travel 280,000 miles from Earth and thousands of miles beyond the moon. The human exploration will be for over the course of about a four to the six-week mission.

It added that the space launch system rocket and Orion spacecraft are considered the most powerful in the world for humans to explore deep space.

Furthermore, Orion will stay in the space system longer than any spacecraft.

Artemis 1

According to the AccuWeather report, the Artemis I spacecraft would no longer attempt a launch until or at least mid-October.

NASA's website announced the postponement after managers decided to roll back. The decision was based on the current weather as Hurricane Ian did not show improving weather conditions in the Kennedy area.

Additionally, the report said that it would give time for employees and protect the integrated rocket and spacecraft system.

According to NASA's recent announcement, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis returned to the Kennedy Space Center.

NASA said that SLS is known for missions beyond low-Earth orbit with cardo or crew being carried to the moon or beyond.

Also Read: Astronomers Discover Hot Gas Bubble Spinning Around Massive Black Hole

As the rocket is in storage, the NASA team will conduct maintenance, ensuring the systems are fully working. It announced that the team would perform inspections, retest the system, and plan for the next launch attempt

Canceled launches

AccuWeather reported the canceled launches of the deep space exploration spacecraft:

The first attempt on August 29 did not launch because of a fuel leak and a bad sensor on the main engine.

September 3 launch was canceled because of a fuel leak.

The other launch windows are November 12 to 27 and December 9 to 23.

NASA explained that the contribution of every state in America is key to building Artemis for the long-term human exploration of the moon.

To keep updated with the recent announcements about the Artemis 1 launch and other deep space explorations, you can visit the page of NASA.

Recently, NASA Perseverance Rover captured a cat loaf rock on Mars and saw it from a closer view with NASA's advanced and mast-mounted cameras.

The image became an instant trend on the internet and became NASA week's photo.

Related Article: NASA Says Jupiter Will Reach Closest Approach to Earth For the First Time in 59 Years

For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News.
According to information published by the Greek MoD on September 27, 2022, it was decided to name the three Navy FDI HN frigates under construction in Lorient, France, as follows: Kimon, Nearchos, and Formion.

Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

A model of the future FDI (Defence and Intervention Frigate) frigate (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Greece signed an agreement with France's Naval Group to purchase three FDI frigates with an option for one more for the Hellenic Navy as part of a $5 billion defence package.

Two of the vessels, destined for the French Navy in 2025, now will be delivered to the Hellenic Navy. The date of the construction agreement was anticipated to be at late 2021 or early 2022.

In December 2021 it was reported that an agreement for construction had been signed by France and Greece with the actual contract for the construction of the ships having been signed on 24 March 2022.

About the FDI HN frigate

The FDI HN will quickly and sustainably enhance the capabilities of the Hellenic Navy's surface fleet as they will be delivered in a very short timeframe, starting in 2025 for the first two units and in 2026 for the third one.

The FDI HN features high-level capabilities in all warfare domains: anti-ship, anti-air, antisubmarine and special forces projection. Its air and surface defenses are ensured by the most modern sensors, including the Thales Sea Fire, the first all-digital multifunction radar with an active antenna and fixed panels.

The FDI HN is equipped with a unique integrated mast that brings together all the airborne sensors, enabling permanent 360 surveillance. As the first frigate on the market to be natively protected against cyber threats, the FDI HN is equipped with two data centers hosting almost all of the ship's applications.

She will have a length of 122 m, a beam of 17.7 m, and a displacement of 4,460 tons. The ship will have a crew of 110 people as well as an aircrew detachment of approximately 15 people.

She will also have a flight deck and one hangar to accommodate one unmanned VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft or one NH-90 naval helicopter.
China unveils plan to improve harmless disposal of sludge

Xinhua) 10:47, September 28, 2022

BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have unveiled a plan to improve the harmless disposal of sludge to reduce pollution and improve resource utilization.

By 2025, the daily capacity of new harmless sludge disposal facilities in China will be at or above 20,000 tonnes, according to a plan released by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The rate at which urban sludge is disposed of harmlessly will top 90 percent by 2025. By that time, a sludge treatment system with complete facilities, safe operations, green and low-carbon models, and effective supervision will be generally in place.

By the end of 2021, nearly 4,600 sewage treatment plants had been built in cities and counties across the country, with an annual sewage treatment capacity of approximately 70 billion cubic meters. However, there remains significant room for improvement in terms of harmless treatment and resource utilization.

The plan outlines a string of policy steps, including promoting the utilization of certain materials in sludge, improving disposal facilities, and enhancing whole-process management.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)


file photo After the crisis broke out in the Congress in Rajasthan, sources on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi here and give an explanation of the happenings, including the boycott of the CLP meet in Jaipur by the MLAs loyal to him. After the crisis broke out in the Congress in Rajasthan, sources on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi here and give an explanation of the happenings, including the boycott of the CLP meet in Jaipur by the MLAs loyal to him.



Sources said that he will remain in Delhi till September 30. A section of the Congress leaders was again pushing for Gehlot's name for the post of president. The decision can be taken by this evening, the sources said, adding, "The ongoing Rajasthan crisis will also be settled in the next two days.



Sachin Pilot, who is facing stiff opposition from the Gehlot camp for the post of CM, is already in Delhi. So far Pilot has been maintaining a silence, which is being considered serious. According to sources, the decision regarding the post of CM can also be taken soon.



The Congress on Tuesday served show-cause notices to Rajasthan Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal, party chief whip Mahesh Joshi and RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore for holding a parallel meeting of party legislators in Jaipur.



The notice issued to Dhariwal said that he, being Parliamentary Affairs Minister, has committed "grave indiscipline" by hosting a parallel MLAs meeting at his residence and thus "pressuring MLAs not to attend the official meeting".



"As Parliamentary Affairs Minister, hosting the unofficial meeting confused the Congress MLAs as to which one was convened officially," the notice reads.



The notice that has sought response within 10 days also noted that Dhariwal's action (parallel meeting) came even when senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken repeatedly clarified that they have come to speak to each MLA "individually and impartially" to make a report to be submitted to Sonia Gandhi.



Similarly, the notice addressed to Joshi stated that he, as Chief Whip, has conducted a "grave indiscipline" by boycotting the official CLP (Congress Legislature Party) meeting and by participating and convening parallel meeting of the MLAs at the time when officially appointed observers were waiting for the official meeting to start.



"As Chief Whip your presence at the unofficial and illegal meeting confused the MLAs as to which one was convened officially," added the notice.



The observers have not named Gehlot in their reports and notices. According to sources, the high command is trying to settle the situation and avoid further controversies.



Along with this, the high command is on a strategy to keep all possibilities open. The name for the nomination for the president's post is likely to be finalised on Wednesday.






file photo Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Amba Mata Temple in Gujarat on Saturday (September 30) after travelling through the Abu road in Rajasthan, said BJP sources. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Amba Mata Temple in Gujarat on Saturday (September 30) after travelling through the Abu road in Rajasthan, said BJP sources.



He will land in a special plane at the Abu road located air strip and then travel 21 km of which 16 km road stretch falls in Rajasthan .



Rajasthan BJP team has planned a rousing welcome for the Prime Minister.



BJP state president Satish Poonia went straight to Udaipur from Delhi and from Udaipur he left for Abu Road by road to oversee the preparations to welcome PM Modi on his arrival in Abu Road on Saturday.




By: Gabriel Gomane, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.

Originally created primarily to support WAN virtualization, SD-WAN capabilities have evolved to manage more aspects of the networkincluding security. Today, secure SD-WAN solutions have also enabled IT teams to eliminate branch firewalls in favor of a simplified branch WAN infrastructure.

The reasons are manifold. As network architecture continues to shift to the cloud, branch offices must now tackle new security challenges as the network grows more complex as more users connect outside the traditional security perimeter. At the same time, enterprises want additional flexibility to cope with the growing number of cloud applications, the ability to open new branches faster, or host new applications more quickly. The traditional network structure, built on MPLS, routers, and firewalls, simply cannot handle the flexibility enterprises need, due to the cost, complexity, and rigidity this hardware demandsespecially as it was never designed to be part of the emerging cloud infrastructure of today.

In response, secure SD-WAN solutions now incorporate firewall capabilities that empower organizations to perform simple and quick deployments without compromising security. By taking advantage of the flexibility of SD-WAN virtual overlays combined with firewall capabilities, organizations can simplify the security function across the LAN, the WAN, and the cloud.

With these secure solutions, network administrators can enjoy the following benefits and more, including:

Create zones and restrict access between zones to segment the network based on identity and/or role

Detect and prevent intrusions, including DDoS attacks

Perform deep packet inspection and filter packets based on the application

Monitor the full slate of active network connections

Secure connections through data encryption

Tightly integrate with security functions in the cloud such as SWG, CASB, and ZTNA

Log security events

Outlined below are four specific reasons to replace branch firewalls with a secure SD-WAN, a key tenant to fully embracing the cloud-first era with modernized network and security architectures.

Delivering all-encompassing security services via secure SD-WAN

Secure SD-WAN solutions incorporate next-generation capabilities such as deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention, DDoS protection, application and access control through identity-based policies, and events logging.

Furthermore, secure SD-WAN can combine heterogeneous links such as MPLS, internet, and 5G. However, unlike MPLS, internet and 5G links are not secure. To secure these links, a secure SD-WAN solution builds IPsec tunnels using AES 256-bit encryption across the entire SD-WAN fabric, protecting branch offices from potential data breaches. When SD-WAN virtual appliances are deployed in public clouds, IPsec tunnels are also created, extending corporate security policies to the cloud.

Finally, a secure SD-WAN enforces security policies across the entire fabric by automatically propagating policy changes to branch offices through central orchestration.

Unlike branch firewalls, a secure SD-WAN solution provides additional threat protection while securing untrusted links and seamlessly enforcing security policies across branch offices.

Streamline local operations via secure SD-WAN

In the pre-cloud era, branch environments suffered from equipment sprawl and planned obsolescence issues with traditional firewalls, routers, and MPLS. They also required specific IT expertise to install and maintain the equipment, increasing costs, time, and complexity.

Secure SD-WAN solutions integrate the latest firewall technology in addition to offering WAN capabilities such as routing and WAN optimization so that organizations can consolidate equipment into one single appliance. By reducing equipment sprawl and management, IT can more easily control the network and its security capabilities within a single console instead of supporting multiple disparate management tools.

Furthermore, secure SD-WAN offers zero-touch provisioning, meaning the branch does not need experienced IT personnel on the ground to configure as security policies are automatically provided to the branch. Organizations can quickly and easily set up new branch environments or update potentially thousands of existing branches where security policy changes can be automatically distributed.

Utilizing a thin branch model, secure SD-WAN solutions reduce the burden on branch environments by virtue of easy deployments without sacrificing flexibility or security.

Secure SD-WAN smooths the path to the cloud

With most organizations moving critical applications to the cloud, sending the traffic back to the data center no longer makes sense as it impacts application performance and ultimately the end-user experience. A secure SD-WAN helps eliminate the need to backhaul traffic to the data center.

By automatically steering traffic to the internet based on pre-determined policies, thanks to the ability to identify applications, network administrators can greatly improve performance and experience through secure SD-WAN. A trusted cloud application such as Microsoft 365, Salesforce, or RingCentral, as defined by the organizations security policies, can be sent directly to the cloud while untrusted applications can be directed first to a cloud-delivered security service before forwarding to the SaaS provider.

Going further, advanced secure SD-WAN tightly integrates with multiple cloud-security vendors offering the organization the freedom of choice to select the best security service and build a best-of-breed SASE architecture. With the offerings available today, choosing a single SASE vendor solution cant deliver both best-in-class network and security technologies.

Secure SD-WAN solutions support cloud-first organizations by improving performance and security while enabling a best-of-breed SASE architecture approach.

Securing IoT devices via micro-segmentation through a secure SD-WAN

Organizations are witnessing an exponential rise in IoT devices connecting to the network, dramatically increasing the attack surface area while posing major cybersecurity challenges. IoT devices, based on simple architectures, cannot run security agents. Therefore, organizations require a different security approach for IoT devices to protect networks from potential vulnerabilities.

An advanced secure SD-WAN solution includes the ability to extend security beyond the SASE architecture with its next-generation firewall capabilities. It can implement zero trust network segmentation, based on identity and role-based access control, ensuring that users and IoT devices alike can only reach network destinations consistent with the respective roles within the business.

As SD-WAN uses virtual overlays that are mapped to firewall zones, organizations can provide each zone with security policies that limit connectivity with other zones. In essence, a policy may allow only outgoing traffic, or allow incoming traffic only from approved applications and services while blocking all traffic from less secure zones.

Secure SD-WAN solutions can create micro-segmentation policies that span from the LAN, across the WAN, to data centers, and cloud platforms.

A secure SD-WAN solution such as the Aruba EdgeConnect Enterprise SD-WAN platform provides a secure network foundation for Zero Trust and SASE frameworks. The solution includes a next-generation firewall with fine-grained segmentation and identity-based access control capabilities, as well as IDS/IPS and DDoS defense to protect branch offices from malicious activities. The solution tightly integrates with leading SSE (Security Service Edge) providers allowing organizations to build a best-of-breed SASE architecture.

Recognized by an independent, global organization, Aruba EdgeConnect Enterprise became the first solution to attain secure SD-WAN certification from ICSA Labs, thanks to its advanced security features.

To learn more, visit the Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN page.
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Lenovo Group is marking its 30th anniversary with its largest data-center product launch ever, with more than 50 new products covering servers, storage, and edge systems.

Specifically, the celebration is for the ThinkSystem server, and many of the announcements were about upgrades.

The next generation of ThinkSystem servers and storage, along with the ThinkEdge edge computing device lineup, as well as the ThinkAgile family of hyperconverged infrastructure appliances collectively are called Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions V3.

The new lineup includes 15 new ThinkSystem servers with either AMDs latest Epyc or Intels Xeon Scalable processors. The new ThinkSystems are available with AI accelerators, and GPUs, DPUs, SmartNICs, and FPGAs.

Lenovo says the result is performance. Lenovos scale-up systems can provide 70% faster financial-analytic performance and AI modeling and development twice as fast as the previous generation of hardware, according to Kamran Amini, vice president and general manager of infrastructure solutions, group server storage and software defined solutions.

The new V3 systems are all built flexible and customizable to be able to address the smallest customer base to the largest global cloud service-providers needs. They are designed for the telcos and large enterprise and SMB, said Amini.

Lenovo is covering an array of software platforms with its hyperconvered ThinkAgile servers. The ThinkAgile MX and SMX are powered by Microsoft Azure HCI and Azure Stack while the ThinkAgile HX is powered by Nutanix and the ThinkAgile VX powered by VMware vCenter.

The company also updated its DE series of storage products, featuring all-flash as well as flash/HDD hybrids. They range from the all-flash DE6600HF, which delivers 2 million IOPS, to the entry level 6400 all flash storage solution that can scale up to 1.8 petabytes for under $20,000.

In addition to all-flash configuration, the hybrid flash/mechanical drive configurations are flexible and can hold up to eight petabytes. This will enable enterprises to start with smaller capacity and add to it as their business grows, said Amini.

These new solutions are also targeted for new application workloads that are seeing in the industry, such as AI, big-data analytics, and edge computing, he said.

To help manage tdata-center systems, Lenovo has introduced a cloud-based service called XClarity One, an infrastructure-management tool that handles IT orchestration, deployment, automation, metering, and support spanning on-premises, edge, and cloud. It manages Lenovos on-demand TruScale system deployment, supporting pay-as-you-go usage of IT equipment.

The service enables administrators to monitor the performance of servers and track hardware usage if they are using a consumption-based model. Additionally, XClarity One promises to ease a number of common infrastructure management tasks such as deploying new equipment.

Finally, Lenovo introduced the fifth generation of Neptune Direct Water-Cooling technology. Lenovo got the water cooling religion earlier than its competitors and Neptune is a key differentiator for the company.

Lenovo introduced Neptune for HPC gear, but said the new generation can extend water cooling to general-purpose computerst. The new technology recycles warm water to cool systems and can reduce power consumption up to 40 percent over older versions of Neptune.
IARU welcomes new member society The IARU member-societies have voted to admit the Sudan Amateur Radio Union (SARU) as its newest member society



Founded on August 6, 2021, SARU has 54 licensed radio amateurs as members.



The address of SARU is Khartoum Airport P.O. Box 2 Code 11112-Sudan; Tel: +249 9 1296 3115; Whatsapp: +249 9 2654 0764.

email SudanARU@outlook.com;

website www.qrz.com/db/st0hq



Congratulations to the officers and members of our newest member-societies!



Source IARU

https://www.iaru.org/2022/iaru-welcomes-new-member-society/
Retired Judge Chase Leonhard writes of the implementation of the SAFE-T Act: "One might well be confident that members of the bench, the bar and the legislature alike will rise to the occasion and ensure that the new law strikes an appropriate balance between public safety and the rights of the accused."
AP

Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamped southwest Florida, flooding streets and buildings, knocking out power to 2 million people and threatening catastrophic damage further inland
Scott Reeder is a staff writer for the Illinois Times. He can be reached at sreeder@illinoistimes.com.
WRC23: 23cm/RNSS study report

The Chair of IARU Region 1 Spectrum and Regulatory Liaison Committee, Barry Lewis G4SJH, reports ITU-R Study Group 4 has finalised the study report regarding the amateur radio 1240-1300 MHz band

On the IARU Region 1 site he writes:

During the period 7 - 13 September 2022, the IARU once again participated in the preparatory work for WRC-23 agenda item 9.1b in ITU-R Working Party 4C (WP4C). The IARU summary report on the WP4C meeting can be found here.



Updated studies were provided by France and new studies were contributed by the Russian Federation (GLONASS), China (COMPASS) and Japan.



The IARU provided a contribution providing information agreed in WP5A highlighting the low duration of busy times for amateur activities in the 23cm band. This information was adopted into the draft report. Whilst the studies confirm the potential for interference to occur into co-frequency RNSS receivers in almost the entire band, all the studies have assumed only static scenarios without any consideration of the geographic distribution and density of amateur transmitters or the temporal aspects of amateur or RNSS operations. Some studies take account of antenna patterns, but many results and conclusions focus only on worst case main beam consideration. The IARU Region 1 has published a commentary document on these aspects available here.



As a result of these studies and the regulatory status of the amateur service allocation, our ability to operate in certain parts of the band and at the power levels allowed today is likely to be constrained if regulators want to protect the RNSS receivers. This discussion will continue in the development of the Guidance Recommendation in ITU-R WP5A.



WP4C plenary agreed to elevate the document to Draft New Report status and passed it to Study Group 4 (SG4) for adoption. Therefore drafting work is complete.



Study Group 4 met on September 23rd and adopted the report for publication. IARU is totally engaged in the discussion that will continue in WP5A to ensure that the amateur services can continue to develop in this band and allow all the amateur applications in use today to continue.



Source IARU Region 1 https://iaru-r1.org/
In 2019, less than half of children aged 216 years with sickle cell anemia received the recommended screening for stroke, a common complication of the disease, according to a new CDC Vital Signs report. In addition, many of these children are not receiving the recommended medication, hydroxyurea, which can reduce complications such as pain and acute chest syndrome. Hydroxyurea can also improve anemia and quality of life.

Sickle cell anemia is the most severe form of sickle cell disease, which is a red blood cell disorder that primarily affects Black and African American people. It's estimated that sickle cell disease affects approximately 100,000 Americans.

We must take action to ensure that children with sickle cell anemia are receiving potentially lifesaving treatment. The pain and complications these children often experience can be excruciating and debilitating and can last for hours, days, or even weeks. Preventive care and medicines, such as hydroxyurea, can help ease the pain and suffering these children go through, and may extend their lives." Debra Houry, M.D., M.P.H., CDC Acting Principal Deputy Director

Data from more than 3,300 children with sickle cell anemia continuously enrolled in Medicaid during 2019 were analyzed in this report. The data came from the IBM MarketScan Multi-State Medicaid Database.

Key findings

About half (47%) of children aged 29 years and 38% of children aged 1016 years received transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound to assess their risk for stroke. Sickle cell anemia is a leading cause of childhood stroke.

Only 2 in 5 children aged 29 years and about half of children/teens aged 1016 years with sickle cell anemia used hydroxyurea.

Both the stroke screening and hydroxyurea use were highest among children with high levels of health care use, as well as those with evidence of prior complications from their disease.

Sickle cell anemia can shorten a person's life expectancy by more than 20 years and can lead to complications affecting all parts of the body. These complications are preventable-;not inevitable. We must do more to help lessen the pain and complications associated with this disease by increasing the number of children who are screened for stroke and using the medication that can help reduce painful episodes." Karen Remley, M.D., M.P.H., Director, CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities

Many people with sickle cell anemia report barriers to receiving the recommended screening and treatment. Structural racism is one of those barriers. For example, despite their extensive health care needs, many people with sickle cell anemia do not have access to providers with expertise in treating the disease or report feeling stigmatized and having their symptoms dismissed when they do receive care. Other barriers include concerns among parents and providers about potential side effects and effectiveness of hydroxyurea.

Much can be done to help children with sickle cell anemia and their families:

Health care providers can work to consolidate care by integrating screening into a single, comprehensive health care visit for children with sickle cell anemia.

Health care institutions can develop formal reporting systems to document and respond to racist behavior and empower people with sickle cell anemia to safely report concerns about prejudice or inequality.
Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute (BCI) at Queen Mary University of London, the Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, and the University of Milan have identified a novel role for a cancer-causing gene in controlling an important genetic process that underpins genetic variation in prostate cancer.

The findings, published today in Cell Reports, reveal how the gene influences the generation of genetic variants in prostate cancer that may predict disease relapse and represent new drug targets to improve patient survival.

Prostate cancer is the commonest male cancer in the world and lead cause of male cancer-related death. It is very variable in its genetic makeup, which makes diagnosis and treatment tricky, as there is not a one size fits all approach for treating patients. A knowledge of the drivers of genetic variability will help us understand the disease better, and improve treatments." Dr Prabhakar Rajan, Co-Senior Author, Group Leader at BCI and Consultant Urological Surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust

Alternative splicing is the process whereby segments of genes are shuffled to create different combinations of genetic code known as 'splice variants,' which provide the instructions to make proteins. Through alternative splicing, a single gene can code for multiple different proteins that are expressed at different levels and have various functions in the cell.

Alternative splicing is an important process for regulating gene expression and generating genetic and protein diversity within normal cells; however, it is disrupted in many cancer types, including prostate cancer.

In this study, the team identified that the cancer-causing gene FOXA1 is a key regulator of alternative splicing in prostate cancer and may control the generation of splice variants that influence disease relapse and patient survival.

FOXA1 fine-tunes alternative splicing in prostate cancer

FOXA1 is a type of protein known as a pioneer transcription factor. Transcription factors can select which genes in DNA are transcribed into the instructions used to make proteins within our cells and the rate at which this occurs. As a pioneer factor, FOXA1 opens up DNA for binding by distinct transcription factors. Changes to FOXA1 have been found to drive the initiation and progression of prostate cancer.

By assessing alternative splicing in cell line models and primary cases of prostate cancer, the team found that high levels of FOXA1 limited genetic diversity towards splice variants that have a functional benefit for the cancer cells. The investigations revealed that FOXA1 favoured splice variants that were present at high levels within the cells and silenced splice variants expressed at low levels, thus reducing the splicing variability in prostate cancer.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

Dr Rajan said: "This unique finding has never been shown before for a controller of alternative splicing and may mean that FOXA1 directs prostate cancer cells to act in a particular way that may be detrimental to patients."

Co-senior author Professor Matteo Cereda, Associate Professor at the University of Milan and Group Leader at the Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, added: "For the first time we show that an early player of transcription regulation is also responsible for the fine tuning of alternative splicing."

Potential new targets for treatment

To determine whether FOXA1-controlled alternative splicing had an impact on patient survival, the team analysed clinical data from over 300 patients with primary prostate cancer, available via The Cancer Genome Atlas.

Although high levels of FOXA1 reduced splicing variability, the team found that FOXA1 enhanced the inclusion of genetic segments into splice variants that are strong markers of prostate cancer recurrence. Using prostate cancer cell lines, the team revealed that the inclusion of one particular genetic segment in the splice variant of a gene called the FLNA gene, which is controlled by FOXA1, conferred a growth advantage to prostate cancer cells, which may drive early disease relapse.

Dr Rajan said: "This study illustrates how we can exploit the power of genomics to make important scientific discoveries about how genetic variability in prostate cancer is controlled. We hope our findings will have clinical impact by identifying more precise markers of disease recurrence and new potential drug targets."

The team would now like to further test whether the splice variants they have identified to be linked to cancer recurrence are useful in predicting disease relapse in reality, and to undertake experiments to determine whether targeting these genes could represent new ways to treat prostate cancer.

Dr Rajan's work on this study was supported by funding from Cancer Research UK, Barts Charity, Orchid Charity, The Royal College of Surgeons of England, and The Urology Foundation.

Professor Cereda's work on this study was supported by funding from the AIRC, the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, and the Fondazione Piemontese per la Ricerca sul Cancro Onlus through the Fondazione del Piemonte per l'Oncologia.
A new study concludes that the 2020 European ban on menthol cigarettes made it more likely that menthol smokers would quit smoking, supporting previous Canadian research on the positive public health impact of banning menthol cigarettes.

Christina Kyriakos from Imperial College London led the study in collaboration with researchers from Maastricht University and the Trimbos Institute in the Netherlands and the International Tobacco Policy Evaluation Project (ITC Project) at the University of Waterloo in Canada.

This Dutch study is our second major national study to provide evidence of the powerful impact of banning menthol cigarettes on quitting, which supports proposed menthol bans in the U.S. and other countries." Geoffrey T. Fong, Professor of Psychology and Public Health Sciences at Waterloo, and Principal Investigator of the ITC Project

The research team surveyed a national sample of adult smokers of menthol and non-menthol cigarettes in the Netherlands before and after the EU menthol ban. Of the menthol smokers surveyed before and after the ban, 26.1 per cent had quit smoking. This quit rate was higher than the control group of non-menthol smokers, of whom only 14.1 per cent had quit.

In fact, the increased quit rate of 12 per cent of menthol smokers after the European ban is greater than the increased quit rate of 7.3 per cent found in an ITC study of the menthol ban that was in effect across Canada in 2018.

For decades, tobacco companies have added menthol to cigarettes because it creates a cooling sensation that reduces the harshness of smoke. It makes it easier to start smoking, causing non-smoking youth to be more likely to progress to regular smoking and become addicted to nicotine.

For more than a decade, the World Health Organization and many other public health authorities have called on governments to ban menthol in cigarettes to reduce smoking, which kills 7.1 million smokers and 1.2 million non-smokers from second-hand smoke per year worldwide. The global tobacco control treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, calls upon countries to prohibit or restrict menthol and other additives that make smoking easier.

To date, 35 countries have banned menthol cigarettes. On April 28, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a proposed rule to ban menthol in cigarettes and cigars. An ITC study published that day on the impact of the Canadian ban projected that a ban on menthol cigarettes in the U.S. would lead more than 1.3 million smokers to quit.

The Dutch study also found that one-third of menthol smokers reported continuing to smoke menthol cigarettes even after the ban. The tobacco industry markets a wide range of accessories to enable people to add menthol flavouring to tobacco products themselves.

"These tobacco industry actions undermine the effectiveness of the menthol ban. By tightening the regulations to include these menthol add-ons, the impact of the menthol ban on quitting could be even greater," said Marc Willemsen, co-author of the Dutch study and professor in tobacco control research at Maastricht University and scientific director of tobacco control at the Trimbos Institute.

The study, Impact of the European Union's menthol cigarette ban on smoking cessation outcomes: Longitudinal findings from the 20202021 ITC Netherlands Surveys, appears in the journal Tobacco Control.
A polyp is a small growth of tissue in the colon that can evolve into colorectal cancer. Patients with polyps have a higher risk of evolving cancer in the future.

- Using Artificial intelligence (AI) during colonoscopy, endoscopic examination with a camera, can be useful to detect pre-cancerous polyps, Yuichi Mori, doctor and associate professor from the Clinical Effectiveness Research group at the University of Oslo says.

The AI-tool used during colonoscopy builds upon the same technology as facial recognition on cellphones. By marking the polyps in red or green boxes, the tool assists doctors during colonoscopy, helping them to see polyps they otherwise could have missed.

- The technology is useful when the polyps are small or possibly hard to detect, Mori says.

More patients are recommended control-colonoscopy every three years

A possible flaw with the new technology is that doctors detect more small, non-dangerous polyps using the tool, which then have to be removed. Even if the removal of small polyps does not have any larger side effects, one in a thousand will experience bleeding or a smaller rupture in the colon during removal.

Mori and co-researchers have compared results after colorectal cancer screening, with and without the use of AI. Around 5.800 patients were included in the study.

- Using AI-tools during colonoscopy resulted in a rise of patients with polyps being recommended screening every three years of 20 percent in Europe, says Mori. Usually patients are recommended controls every 10 years.

The research was published in Impact of artificial intelligence on colonoscopy surveillance after polyp removal: A pooled analysis of randomized trials.

More screening can lead to over-diagnosis

Because the patients have to go through more screenings, using AI during colonoscopy can result in over-diagnosis, strain on the patients, and higher financial costs for the health services. Some patients also find colonoscopy uncomfortable. Taking laxatives and drink two to three liters of clear liquid before the exam can be hard.

We do not know if more colonoscopies will lead to a lower risk of contracting colorectal cancer over time, or if it will just increase the financial strain on the hospitals. This requires longitudinal clinical effectiveness studies, and studies of the financial costs of using AI during colonoscopies." Yuichi Mori, Doctor and Associate Professor, Clinical Effectiveness Research Group, University of Oslo

Lower costs when using artificial intelligence during screening

Mori and his co-researchers have in another new article studied if using AI during colorectal cancer screening actually leads to higher financial costs for the health services. The study shows that using AI-tools during colorectal cancer screening in the US, reduced the costs by 57 dollars per person.

- Using AI during screening can prevent around 7200 cases of colorectal cancer and around 2000 related deaths on the American population level. This will save society costs of 290 million dollars per year in the long run. The study is based on modeling, and we do not yet know if the estimates are correct. To be able to know, we will need large-scale clinical studies, Mori says.

The research was published in Cost-effectiveness of artificial intelligence for screening colonoscopy: a modelling study.

Mori is now working on the EU-financed research project OperA, a portfolio of large-scale clinical studies of long-term effects of using AI during screening.

- The goal is to change the standard of treatment by establishing reliable clinical evidence, and in the long run improving the outcome for the patients, for instance when detecting colorectal cancer. The OperA-project will find the answer to these important questions, Mori says.

New colorectal cancer screening-program in Norway

Norway has recently introduced a national screening-program for detecting colorectal cancer. 55-year-old men and women will be offered screening through colonoscopy or fecal samples starting this fall.

- I am happy Norway is now introducing a colorectal cancer screening-program, and I hope it will contribute to reducing cancer, Mori says.

- We do not yet know if AI can contribute to making a difference during screening, but I hope it will be utilized when it can be useful, he finishes.
University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers and their collaborators have solved a decades-old mystery about how E. coli and other bacteria are able to move.

Bacteria push themselves forward by coiling long, threadlike appendages into corkscrew shapes that act as makeshift propellers. But how exactly they do this has baffled scientists, because the "propellers" are made of a single protein.

An international team led by UVA's Edward H. Egelman, PhD, a leader in the field of high-tech cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), has cracked the case. The researchers used cryo-EM and advanced computer modeling to reveal what no traditional light microscope could see: the strange structure of these propellers at the level of individual atoms.

While models have existed for 50 years for how these filaments might form such regular coiled shapes, we have now determined the structure of these filaments in atomic detail. We can show that these models were wrong, and our new understanding will help pave the way for technologies that could be based upon such miniature propellers." Edward H. Egelman, PhD, UVA's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics

Blueprints for bacteria's 'supercoils'

Different bacteria have one or many appendages known as a flagellum, or, in the plural, flagella. A flagellum is made of thousands of subunits, but all these subunits are exactly the same. You might think that such a tail would be straight, or at best a bit flexible, but that would leave the bacteria unable to move. That's because such shapes can't generate thrust. It takes a rotating, corkscrew-like propeller to push a bacterium forward. Scientists call the formation of this shape "supercoiling," and now, after more than 50 years, they understand how bacteria do it.

Using cryo-EM, Egelman and his team found that the protein that makes up the flagellum can exist in 11 different states. It is the precise mixture of these states that causes the corkscrew shape to form.

It has been known that the propeller in bacteria is quite different than similar propellers used by hearty one-celled organisms called archaea. Archaea are found in some of the most extreme environments on Earth, such as in nearly boiling pools of acid, the very bottom of the ocean and in petroleum deposits deep in the ground.

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Egelman and colleagues used cryo-EM to examine the flagella of one form of archaea, Saccharolobus islandicus, and found that the protein forming its flagellum exists in 10 different states. While the details were quite different than what the researchers saw in bacteria, the result was the same, with the filaments forming regular corkscrews. They conclude that this is an example of "convergent evolution"  when nature arrives at similar solutions via very different means. This shows that even though bacteria and archaea's propellers are similar in form and function, the organisms evolved those traits independently.

"As with birds, bats and bees, which have all independently evolved wings for flying, the evolution of bacteria and archaea has converged on a similar solution for swimming in both," said Egelman, whose prior imaging work saw him inducted into the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors a scientist can receive. "Since these biological structures emerged on Earth billions of years ago, the 50 years that it has taken to understand them may not seem that long."

Findings published

The researchers have published their findings in the scientific journal Cell. The team consisted of Mark A.B. Kreutzberger, Ravi R. Sonani, Junfeng Liu, Sharanya Chatterjee, Fengbin Wang, Amanda L. Sebastian, Priyanka Biswas, Cheryl Ewing, Weili Zheng, Frederic Poly, Gad Frankel, B.F. Luisi, Chris Calladine, Mart Krupovic, Birgit E. Scharf and Egelman.

The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, grants GM122150 and T32 GM080186; U.S. Navy Work Unit Program 6000.RAD1.DA3.A0308; and by a Robert R. Wagner Fellowship. The researchers' paper does not represent the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense or the U.S. government.
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers assessed the effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination in the US.

Background

By August 1st 2022, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had been responsible for nearly 90 million SARS-CoV-2 infections and one million fatalities in the US. SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations have been a crucial part of the US pandemic response since December 2020. However, the effects of immunization are difficult to measure.

About the study

In the present study, researchers calculated the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and fatalities prevented by SARS-CoV-2 vaccination within the first six months after the vaccine became available using a dynamic county-scale metapopulation model.

The team combined a data assimilation technique with a metapopulation model coupled with a Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered (SEIR) structure. Here, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 throughout and among the 3142 American counties was simulated. The reported case counts for each American county from the time the first COVID-19 cases were discovered there in February 2020 through the date of the first authorized SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on December 14th, 2020, were assessed using the model-inference system.

The team compared the baseline vaccination scenario to three counterfactual no-vaccination scenarios that were simulated over the same period to measure the burden prevented by vaccination. To simulate various levels of non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) response in the absence of vaccination, all counterfactual scenarios assumed no vaccinations but had varied transmissibility:

Counterfactual Scenario 1: A scenario in which there was no transmission change and no vaccination, and each location's time-varying reproductive number (R t ) and daily time series were as implied by the baseline scenario;

) and daily time series were as implied by the baseline scenario; Counterfactual Scenario 2: A scenario in which there is no vaccination and R t for each location-day is 10% higher than in the baseline scenario; and

for each location-day is 10% higher than in the baseline scenario; and Counterfactual Scenario 3: An absence of vaccination, with a 10% reduction in R t for each location day compared to the baseline scenario.

The study assumed that excess cases would have persisted and resulted in hospitalizations and mortalities at the same overall rate as observed in each US state in the summer and fall of 2020 before the vaccine was available. This assumption allowed the estimation of hospitalizations and deaths in the counterfactual scenarios. Each scenario's total number of prevented cases was multiplied by a state-specific pre-vaccine Case Fatality Rate (CFR) and Case Hospitalization Rate (CHR).

The team used data from the US-based Premier Healthcare COVID-19 claims database to multiply the distribution of estimated COVID-19-related hospitalizations prevented by the distribution of expenses per hospitalization episode.

Results

On December 14th, 2020, the beginning of the simulation period, it was predicted that 74.1% of the American population was susceptible, while 0.8% had been exposed, 0.8% had become infectious, and 24.3% had recovered. The proportion of the population that had not yet contracted COVID-19 since the pandemic started, known as the median estimated susceptible fraction, ranged between 58% in North Dakota and 94% in Vermont. In states located in the northwest and northeast, the susceptible fraction was the highest. In Minnesota, the median time-dependent reproductive number was 0.8, while in Tennessee, it was 2.0.

Before immunization, the CFR ranged between 0.5% in Alaska and 2.3% in Rhode Island. The CHR was between 3.8% in Alaska and 20.7% in Kentucky during the same time frame. Despite a slight decrease in CHR at the national level from the pre-vaccination period to the analysis period, the team found no consistent population-level changes in CFR at the national level or in CFR and CHR at the state level.

The baseline model predicted a total of 16.1 million COVID-19 cases, 1.4 million related hospitalizations, and over 246 thousand deaths between December 14th and June 3rd, 2021. Almost 51% of Americans had received a minimum of one COVID-19 vaccine dose by June 4th, 2021. Location-specific vaccination rates varied greatly, from 35% in Mississippi to 74% in Vermont. The number of vaccinations received by individuals each week increased over time, starting at fewer than five million per week and peaking at 14 million in April when vaccination was made available to all adults aged 16 years and older.

The majority of prevented cases were recorded between April and June 2021 in the three counterfactual scenarios. The median estimates of cases prevented for each state ranged from 1000 to 6400 cases per 100,000 people. Hospitalizations prevented ranged from 74 to 752 median cumulatively per 100,000, while deaths prevented ranged from 16 to 128 median cumulatively per 100,000. At the start of the immunization campaign, a greater vaccination rate and population susceptibility were associated with a greater averted case burden.

Conclusion

Overall, the study findings demonstrated that COVID-19 vaccination decreased the disease burden. The COVID-19 vaccination was linked to over 8 million fewer confirmed cases, over 120,000 fewer deaths, and 700,000 fewer hospitalizations within the first six months of the campaign, according to base case statistics. As a result, the COVID-19 vaccines were a vital part of the US's public health response to the COVID-19 epidemic.

*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.
Published in Leukemia Research, University of Minnesota Medical School researchers explored the possible biological mechanisms that could explain the association between being overweight or obese prior to pregnancy and the increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children.

"Recent research has found that increasing rates of overweight and obesity among people of childbearing age in recent decades may be contributing to concurrently increasing rates of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia," said Andrew Marley, MPH, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the U of M Medical School. "However, it is unknown how maternal obesity may be impacting ALL development."

Researchers say explanations for this possible increased risk include:

Changes in fetal or newborn epigenetics -; or behavioral and environmental factors that can affect the way genes work.

Altered insulin-like growth factor profiles and insulin resistance.

Modified adipokine -; or cell signaling proteins from adipose tissue -; production and secretion.

Changes to immune cell populations.

Impacts on birthweight and childhood body weight.

The research team stated each of these mechanisms have biologically sound reasoning because they are impacted by obesity, can be observed in fetuses or newborns, and have been documented in pediatric ALL patients at diagnosis. They have also been linked with ALL development.

"This review is important because if we identify the mechanisms behind this association, we can provide better and more tailored approaches to treatment and prevention," Dr. Marley said.

Although the reasons for an association between obesity prior to pregnancy and leukemia development in children have been proposed, evidence remains circumstantial. Further research is suggested to find a biological signature connecting pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity to leukemia risk in children. Researchers say more specific epidemiological and clinical research could help provide a better understanding of the association and improve future prevention and treatment efforts.
Two Houston Methodist cancer researchers have been awarded a half million dollars in funding from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to further research two of the most lethal, difficult-to-treat cancers that all-too-often have poor prognoses.

Jenny C. Chang, M.D., director of Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center and Emily Hermann Chair in Cancer Research, received a $250,000 grant to study the interaction between obesity and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Chang says TNBC, already the worst prognosis among the subtypes of breast cancer, has even worse outcomes in obese patients. These patients have a higher chance of resisting chemo and an increased risk of relapse and poorer survival. She says the reason is unclear, but evidence indicates it's associated with chronic inflammation and that two essential players of chronic inflammation  tumor neutrophil infiltration and nitric oxide (NO) levels  have been identified to play pivotal roles in obesity-associated TNBC.

Studies have shown that obesity reprograms the tumor microenvironment and that this reprograming is accompanied by increased nitric oxide levels that, along with infiltrating neutrophils, compromise vascular integrity and cause increased breast cancer metastasis. Chang and her team propose that NOS inhibition will reverse the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment to enhance the efficacy of the current standard of care. Successful completion of their proposed work will provide an improved understanding of the role of the NOS inhibitors in TNBC and may define prognostic markers in obese TNBC patients at a higher risk of mortality, as well as help the design of successful clinical trials to enhance the appropriate selection of TNBC patients who would benefit from chemotherapy and/or immune checkpoint therapy.

Jing Yang, Ph.D., an associate professor of oncology with the Houston Methodist Research Institute and member of the Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, received a $250,000 grant to study multiple myeloma, which is the second most common blood cancer, to improve the therapeutic efficacy and survival in these patients. Specifically, Yang and her team are looking at a novel FDA-approved monoclonal antibody treatment, daratumumab (DARA), that has shown to improve therapeutic efficacy when combined with other drugs, but falls short in patients with high-risk multiple myeloma who too often relapse or don't respond to the treatment at all.

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Yang's team believe they found a clue to better understand how multiple myeloma cells resist DARA and keep it from being effective. Using the largest public database for multiple myeloma patients, they examined tumor gene expression and patients' best clinical response, which led them to identifying a protein called NHE6 that may be involved in multiple myeloma's resistance to treatment with DARA. They found that the NHE6 protein is highly expressed in multiple myeloma cells, and its high expression is correlated with patients' poorer prognoses, high-risk genetic features and multiple myeloma stage progression. Ultimately, these multiple myeloma cells with the high NHE6 level were less responsive to DARA.

Yang and team's plan is to investigate the role and mechanism by which NHE6 induces DARA resistance and develop NHE6 as a new target to improve DARA efficacy in murine models and patients. The knowledge gained from their study should uncover innovative insight into how multiple myeloma cells escape from DARA treatment. Given that DARA is an emerging compound used as standard care for multiple myeloma patients, they believe their new strategy of targeting NHE6 and developing an inhibitor to do so could significantly improve DARA-based multiple myeloma therapy outcomes.
New research shows 100 per cent effectiveness of an innovative breath sampling device developed by Northumbria University medtech spinout, PulmoBioMed, that could revolutionize diagnosis of a range of diseases, including COVID-19.

The results mean that PulmoBioMed's game-changing device, PBM-HALE, can be used to study infections of the deep lung, reducing the need for invasive or costly procedures often required for disease diagnosis.

PBM-Hale is a hand-held aerosol collecting device that allows sampling of the lung in a non-invasive way - by patients simply breathing into it.

To date, all inventions used for collecting breath samples are challenged by issues relating to contamination, sample loss and variability. PBM-Hale technology resolves these issues, with newly published data showing that the device detected 100 per cent of COVID-19 cases tested in the company's latest clinical study.

Dr Sterghios Moschos, Associate Professor at Northumbria University and Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of PulmoBioMed, said:"We and others have now shown with various devices that exhaled breath contains the virus that causes COVID-19. Previous studies though could not distinguish between what is coming out of the mouth (saliva) and what comes out in fine aerosol particles. Some of them were also very easy to contaminate with virus in the atmosphere or the skin.

"Our study is the first to show that the virus can be detected in the fine aerosol particles generated in the lung, even in resting breath. It shows the virus is found mostly in the tiniest particles we breathe out, not the saliva that might be accidentally spit out as we breathe or speak.

"This means that using our device in combination with the standard PCR test used worldwide, we can detect the genome of the virus in 100% of patients, when sampling the breath for just one minute. This would identify anyone infectious or shedding virus.

"We are also the first to show that the amount of virus produced is 90 times higher on average if you sing loudly. It reinforces why high-quality masks are important to prevent transmission indoors, and why ventilating enclosed spaces is critical to preventing transmission. These small particles are known to linger for hours if the space is not ventilated.

"The study shows that PBM-HALE can be used to study infections of the deep lung with no need for invasive procedures that present high risk to the patient and cost thousands to healthcare systems - all in a simple, hand-held device."

Findings from the study come as the company announces the appointment of world-leading clinical respiratory scientist Professor Peter J Barnes FRS, FMedSci as its new clinical non-executive director. Ranked the most highly cited clinical scientist in the UK and the most highly cited respiratory researcher world-wide for the past 20 years, Professor Barnes has published over 1,000 peer-reviewed papers on asthma, COPD and other airways disease and serves on the editorial boards of over 30 academic journals.

Speaking about PulmoBioMed's technology, Professor Barnes said:"I am very impressed by the capabilities of the new PBM-HALE device, which is able to detect the virus that causes COVID-19 in the breath for the first time. This device has enormous potential application in diagnosing lung infections and in the diagnosing and monitoring of lung diseases, including asthma and COPD. The ease of collecting breath samples non-invasively means that it can be applied to children and to frail and ill patients."

The PulmoBioMed team presented their latest research at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Barcelona earlier this month.

The preprint paper, detailing the team's findings and entitled 'Airborne Pathogen Detection in Fine Aerosol Exhaled Breath Condensates' and a full list of authors can be found on the health sciences preprint websiteMedrxiv.

Northumbria University has recently gained reinforcement of its already outstanding reputation for excellence in research, having been ranked 8th in the UK for research power for professions allied to health, such as cellular and molecular sciences, in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.

Taking innovative technology to market

The process of taking academic technology to create PulmoBioMed was made possible by support from Northern Accelerator, a collaboration between Northumbria, Durham, Newcastle and Sunderland Universities to commercialise research and boost the region's economy.

Northern Accelerator's 'Proof-of-Concept' funding supported the development of the first functional prototype. Northumbria graduate, Saqib Ali, was appointed as a Design Engineer at PulmoBioMed and carried out the rapid prototyping of PBM-HALE using 3D printers within the University's engineering labs.

A second Northern Accelerator initiative, 'Executives into Business', supported the onboarding of the executive team, and a third programme of support, 'Future Founders', provided business training.

PulmoBioMed also benefitted from North by Northwest Partner's'Innovation to the Commercialisation of University Research' (ICURe) programme, which helped validate the market for the spinout's technology. The company won additional funding from Innovate UK to support the first 18 months of business development activities.
According to the media reports, even after that flat refusal, the Indian government did not stop urging but rather pressurizing the Canadian government to act against the rising pro-Khalistani sentiment in Canada.

by Ali Sukhanver

Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) is a US-based organization which has been striving and struggling for an independent Sikh land for the last many years. The basic demand of this organization is the secession of Punjab from India and the formulation of a separate homeland for the Sikh community. It was founded in October 2007 and primarily was headed by lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. With its head-quarter in New York, the organization was banned in India in 2019. Now this movement for a separate Sikh land run by the SFJ has become a worldwide movement and millions of Sikhs are providing all possible support to it. Recently on 19 September, a referendum for the independent Sikh land Khalistan was organized by the SFJ in Brampton, Canada. According to the media reports, more than 100,000 Canadian Sikhs took part in that voting. Canada is home to over one million Sikhs. It is something very interesting that there are more than 30 million Sikhs all over the world and out of these 30 million about 28 million live in India. It means that India is home to 90% of the total Sikh population but the handful of extremist Hindu elements has made their life hell there in India. Circumstances have compelled them to migrate to the countries like Canada where everyone enjoys equal rights, particularly regarding religious liberty.

Representational image of Sikhs in Pakistan [ Photo: Tribune, Pakistan]

With reference to the Sikh referendum in Canada, the BJP government had many times urged the government of Canada to put a strict check on the leaders of the Khalistan movement in Canada but the Canadian government always plainly refused to do so. The Canadian government spokesman said that their country would never stop Canadian Sikhs from expressing their views by holding the Khalistan Referendum as the legal parameters of the country's laws consider it a democratic process. He furthermore said that it all was a peaceful process. According to the media reports, even after that flat refusal, the Indian government did not stop urging but rather pressurizing the Canadian government to act against the rising pro-Khalistani sentiment in Canada.

As far as the Khalistan movement is concerned, it is getting day by day stronger all over the world; since in Canada, there are more than one million Sikhs, the strength of this movement could be felt more there. The leaders of the Khalistan movement say that they are not against the Hindu community; they have no hatred against any religion but they hate the BJP extremists who dont let them live in India. These extremists very bluntly and openly claim that India is only for the Hindus and no one from any other religious school of thought must strive and desire to stay in India; particularly the Sikhs and the Muslims. For the purpose of defaming these two communities, the Indian intelligence agencies are doing their utmost. Recently on 13th September, the walls of a prominent Hindu temple in Toronto Canada, known as BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir were defaced by scrawling pro-Khalistan and anti-Indian slogans. The BJP government without wasting any time and without any proof and investigation started condemning the Sikh community living in Canada for defacing the temple walls.

Some social media users started sharing a video of the defaced shrine where Khalistani sentiments can be seen written on the walls but according to Livemint, the legitimacy of the video could not be confirmed. On the other hand, the Canadian government simply rejected the Indian point of view by saying that Canadian nationals have every freedom to express their views under the country's laws relating to the right to freedom of expression and the right to free speech and assembly. Here an important point to be noted is that this so-called hate-incident took place just five days ahead of the Khalistan Referendum voting.

There is another side of the incident too. The Canadian police claimed that it had arrested an Indo-Canadian man for tearing a picture banner of the martyred Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the city of Caledon, Ontario. This incident occurred a few days before the defacing incident of the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. It means these two incidents were designed in a very calculated manner. The perpetrators tried to target the peace and harmony of Canadian society where everyone is allowed to do anything living within the boundaries provided by the law of the country. Certainly, the BJP government is not happy with the Canadian government as it has granted legal freedom to the Sikh community of raising its voice for Sikh rights. It is a sheer misconception of the Indian government that by pressurizing the Canadian government, it would succeed in crushing the Sikh demand for a separate and independent Sikh homeland. The same cruel behaviour of the Indian government could be noticed in the Illegally Occupied valley of Kashmir where the local people are being treated as if they are slaves.




In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers evaluated the efficacy of the anti-inflammatory drug dimethyl fumarate (DMF) in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as part of an early phase, randomized, controlled assessment trial in the United Kingdom (UK).

Background

Pulmonary inflammation and the increase in circulating inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein are commonly observed during severe outcomes of COVID-19. Various immunomodulatory treatments, such as interleukin-6 inhibitors, Janus kinase inhibitors, and corticosteroids, have been used to limit severe COVID-19-related mortality.

Studies have shown that a part of the innate immune system called inflammasomes plays a major role in inducing proinflammatory cytokine release and pyroptosis. Specifically, the nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has been associated with severe COVID-19.

Dimethyl fumarate has displayed anti-inflammatory effects against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro and is thought to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation. However, there have been no clinical trials until now to test the efficacy of DMF in reducing inflammation in COVID-19 patients.

About the study

In the present study, the efficacy of DMF was tested as part of the randomized evaluation of COVID-19 therapy (RECOVERY) trial being carried out in 177 UK hospitals funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network and 15 non-U.K. hospitals. Of the 177 hospitals, 27 participated in the DMF trials.

Eligible participants were 18 years old or above, with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and no medical history, which might put them at risk during the DMF trial. Pregnant women were excluded from the study.

Half the participants were randomly assigned to the usual standard of care, while the other randomized half was administered DMF along with standard care. Oral doses of 125 mg were administered every 12 hours for the first four days, and then the dosage was increased to 250 mg twice daily for the next eight days or until discharge.

The measured primary outcome was the clinical status on the fifth day based on an ordinal scale with seven categories ranging from hospital discharge to mortality. The secondary outcomes were measured based on various parameters, including clinical status improvement time, peripheral blood oxygenation, C-reactive protein levels on the fifth day, and time to discharge.

Results

The results indicated that DMF had no beneficial effects on the fifth-day clinical status of the 357 patients who received DMF along with standard care. Treatment with DMF did not result in any significant improvement in secondary outcomes either. However, although 13% of the patients experienced rashes, flushing, and gastrointestinal side effects commonly associated with DMF, no new adverse reactions were observed.

Although DMF has been effective in inhibiting inflammasomes in vitro and has been successful in halving relapse rates in multiple sclerosis and treating psoriasis, it had no noticeable in vivo effects on COVID-19 outcomes. The authors believe that while DMF is known to inhibit inflammasome activation pathways, the progression of COVID-19 symptoms might not be directly related to these pathways. The other immunomodulators used in standard care could also have affected the efficacy of DMF.

While other adverse reactions, such as abnormal liver function test scores and transaminitis, were observed, the participants in the only standard care group also exhibited these reactions, suggesting that DMF was not the cause.

The study had some limitations, including a sample size not large enough to observe varied effects among a diverse group of patients or to evaluate a reduction in mortality rates. Moreover, the authors believe that since the trial was open-label, the knowledge about the treatment could have affected the outcomes.

Conclusions

Overall, the evaluation of dimethyl fumarate during the RECOVERY clinical trials showed no discernible effects in improving the clinical status of COVID-19 patients compared to the standard treatment methods. There were no improvements in the secondary outcomes, such as time of discharge, blood oxygenation, or C-reactive protein levels.

Common DMF-associated side effects such as rashes and gastrointestinal reactions were observed, but no new adverse reactions occurred. In conclusion, the clinical trial results do not recommend DMF as a potential COVID-19 treatment option.

*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.
Expectant mothers in South Australias Eyre Peninsula and northern regions will benefit from greater access to specialist midwifery care, as the University of South Australia introduces the Bachelor of Midwifery at its Whyalla campus from 2023.

Image Credit: University of South Australia

The new offering will significantly bolster the regional midwifery workforce, providing much-needed local supports to rural communities.

In Australia, there is a maldistribution of midwives in rural and regional areas with unfilled vacancies and difficulties recruiting adding to workforce shortages.

UniSAs Bachelor of Midwifery Program Director, Dr Angela Brown, says that the Whyalla-based degree will attract and retain a local midwifery workforce.

Regional communities need local midwives who can provide quality healthcare for mothers and families, Dr Brown says.

Time and time again we hear of mothers travelling long distances to access maternity services  sometimes for urgent care, but often several weeks ahead of their babys due date to ensure they have appropriate care when their baby is born  and we know that this can be very stressful for women and families alike.

The new midwifery degree at Whyalla will enhance availability of training locally for regional students, providing additional locally trained staff that can work regionally and improve midwifery shortages.

Students will be working in partnership with staff in the Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network (FUNLHN), so theyll gain clinical knowledge and hands on experience from highly skilled regional midwives already working in our local antenatal, birthing, and postnatal models of care.

Access to the midwifery degree at Whyalla will enhance and complement current midwifery services in regional South Australia.

Whyalla midwifery students will also participate in UniSAs unique Continuity of Care Experience (CoCE), where student midwives are paired with pregnant women to provide supervised care throughout the pregnancy, birth, and post-natal period. Here, students are directly involved in a minimum of 30 births during their studies and participate in the pre- and post-birth care of many more women.

Lyndell Eckert, Director of Nursing and Midwifery at Whyalla Hospital says the new degree is a welcomed addition to current regional health services.

Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network looks forward to working in partnership with UniSA as they embark upon this new and exciting locally delivered Midwifery degree, Eckert says.

Midwifery training thats closer to home for regional students will be an asset to recruiting and retaining locally trained midwives and continuing our midwifery services for women in our community. New midwives would then be well placed to gain employment in the FUNLHN in our Aboriginal Birthing Programs, at the Port Augusta Hospital or in the Whyalla Midwifery Group Practice. Lyndell Eckert, Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Whyalla Hospital

Health and Wellbeing Minister Chris Picton says the new degree opens new opportunities for regional students.

Midwives play an important role in the backbone of our health system and it is vital we provide opportunities to regional students to help their local communities, Minister Picton says.

Having this new degree on offer will establish an attractive new pathway, allowing future midwives to kickstart their health career and complete their studies and training in the Upper Spencer Gulf.

This will deliver a much-needed boost for future mothers and their families to have local care, developing the next generation of midwives and addressing workforce challenges for the region.
The findings of a new study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server depicted that wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) can provide information on the circulating respiratory viruses in a community. As well as saving time and money, this method may assist in appropriate clinical decision-making, behavior modification, and public health interventions.

Study: Wastewater surveillance of human influenza, metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus, and seasonal coronaviruses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Image Credit: Daniel Jedzura / Shutterstock

Background

Acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs) are a major cause of mortality and are associated with significant morbidity in children under five. ARI can be bacterial, fungal, or viral in origin, and severe symptoms are usually seen in cases with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs)  with complications like pneumonia and bronchiolitis. Secondary infections can result from upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) exacerbation.

Today, most ARIs have viral etiology with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and seasonal human coronavirus holding prime positions as causative pathogens. Other viruses contributing to the etiopathogenesis of ARIs are  rhinovirus, influenza, human parainfluenza (HPIV), adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, non-rhinovirus enteroviruses, and human bocaviruses.

Many ARIs resolve spontaneously, and their management may not necessitate diagnostic testing. This limits the recording of precise disease incidence based on the causative agent, knowledge of the circulating respiratory diseases, and understanding of the disease epidemiology, disease interference, and co-infections.

WBE can aid in gaining insights into infectious disease incidence in communities as they comprise composite biological samples with bodily excretions that harbor infectious disease markers. This mode of sample testing does not entail individual investigations or medical intervention. In addition, this method can also account for asymptomatic infections in community-level data sources.

WBE has demonstrated utility in disease surveillance and understanding community circulation of major viruses, for instance  poliovirus, Salmonella, hepatitis A, and enteroviruses. However, its widespread use has not been implemented.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic prompted WBE application for documenting respiratory diseases. The accuracy of this method of recording disease incidence was proven during the period of widely accessible clinical testing for COVID-19.

The study

This study tested the utility and precision of WBE in recording the incidence and community-level circulation of viral respiratory diseases.

Here, validated novel hydrolysis probe-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays were developed to detect respiratory viral genomes. Wastewater solids that were collected three times a week were tested over 17 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Major viral etiologies of respiratory infections were mainly tested for; vis, seasonal human coronaviruses (229E, OC43, NL63, and HKU-1), RSV A and B, influenza A and B, parainfluenza (1-4), metapneumovirus, and rhinovirus ribonucleic acid (RNA).

Results

Quality analysis showed consistent fecal strength and RNA extraction efficiency. RNAs were detected from all tested viruses in wastewater samples. Median Influenza A, influenza B, and RSV A were non-detect while viral RNA from these viruses was detected in 28%, 6%, and 14% of the samples, respectively

The median concentration for SARS-CoV-2 was 48000 cp/g, while all concentrations were lowest at study commencement in February 2021. There was an increase in viral RNA concentration until January 2022, after which it decreased dramatically.

The viral RNAs began to rise until the Omicron BA.1 wave passed, except for RSV B. High human coronavirus RNA concentrations first reemerged when concentrations of all other viruses (including SARS-CoV-2) were relatively low.

Almost all human coronavirus RNAs were of OC43in seven of the nine samples testedpreceding April 2022. Thereafter, the OC43 RNA concentrations declined, accounting for only 20-30% of human coronavirus infections. Meanwhile, 229E and HKU-1 increased from <10% to greater than 50% and 20-30%, respectively.

Similarly, we measured RNA concentrations of each HPIV (1, 2, 3, 4A, and 4B) in samples 239 spanning the time series. RNA from all four HPIVs were present; HPIV 3 dominated most 240 samples (40-90% of total HPIVs), although each HPIV 2 and 4B also dominated in one of the 241 nine tested samples. HPIV 1 and 4A contributed the least to total HPIV present (median ><10% to >50% and 20% to 30%, respectively.

The tests detected RNAs from all four human parainfluenza viruses  with a predominance of HPIV 3. One of the tested samples also showed high HPIV 2 and 4B concentrations, while HPIV 1 and 4A had the lowest contributions.

When state-aggregated positivity rates for respiratory infections of viral etiology were tallied with the wastewater viral RNA concentrations, significant associations could be established between the two. Further, positive correlations were found for all viruses apart from influenza B.

Among the human coronaviruses, OC43 exhibited the highest positivity. While among human parainfluenza viruses, the HPIV 3 dominated in positivity rates. HPIV 2 and 4 had lower positivity rates, whereas HPIV 1 was rare in clinical specimens.

Of note, viral RNA concentrations correlated to each other and the SARS-CoV-2 N gene concentrations  from a regional monitoring program. On testing a three-day smoothed wastewater concentration, influenza B and RSV A RNAs did not correlate to other viral RNA concentrations. In addition, human coronavirus RNA concentrations did not correlate to other viral RNA concentrations.

Recording abundant circulating viruses can be useful for strategizing disease prevention and control and may help contain viral infection outbreaks. This information can also help in planning appropriate public health awareness campaigns  to encourage informed decision-making and behavior modification.

*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.
Numerous gastrointestinal diseases result in sideropenia (iron deficiency), which, when untreated, can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Sideropenia is observed in a wide range (3676%) of individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), whereas iron deficiency is found in 1015% of celiac disease patients and escalates to 50% of patients after bariatric surgery.

Image Credit: PharmaNutra Spa

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the physiological range of hemoglobin (Hb) differs according to gender and age. The physiological hemoglobin (Hb) ranges for men is 1418 g/dL, 1216 g/dL for women, and 10.513.5 g/dL for children.

Image Credit: PharmaNutra Spa

A lower Hb level than the above values indicates iron deficiency anemia. Other important parameters were also measured for the confirmation of anemia.

Sideremia refers to the amount of iron in the bloodstream bound to a particular protein called transferrin (physiological range: 50180 mcg/dL)

Saturation of transferrin (%TSAT) is a protein that transports iron in the tissues and districts responsible for its use (physiological value: >20%)

Ferritin is a storage protein that can hold up to 4500 iron atoms (physiological range: 30300 ng/mL)

Hematological alterations are not always apparent with iron deficiency, though; hemoglobin levels may be normal despite ferritin and transferrin saturation being low.

Gastrointestinal diseases can end up causing chronic inflammation, restricting the bodys absorption and utilization of iron.

In fact, these patients have functional sideropenia (Transferrin Saturation (TSAT) 20% Ferritin >30 ng/mL), and regular oral iron supplementation is usually ineffective in resolving this problem. This is because, in these chronic conditions, the body makes high levels of hepcidin, a peptide hormone produced by the liver that works by lowering the serum concentration of iron.

Celiac disease

The small intestine is affected by an autoimmune and digestive condition known as celiac disease. The condition is brought on by eating foods that contain gluten. The illness can impair the bodys ability to absorb all of the nutrients it needs and lead to long-term digestive problems.1

An allergy to the grain protein gliadin, which makes up the majority of gluten, results in celiac disease. In these individuals, gliadin acts as a foreign substance that, because the intestinal mucosa is unable to detect it, encourages lymphocyte aggregation. This harms the intestinal mucosa, which eventually deteriorates until the intestinal villi disappear.

The symptoms vary, but the most prevalent include abdominal pain, bleeding, weight loss, joint pain, skin rashes, headaches, tiredness, and iron deficiency anemia.

Image Credit: PharmaNutra Spa

Obesity

Obesity is a huge public health concern around the world. Obese patients who are unable to lose weight are increasingly turning to bariatric surgery. All bariatric surgery techniques lead to a significant reduction in nutrient absorption. Iron, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 are the most important nutrients that are deficient after bariatric surgery.

Sideral

PharmaNutra spa has come up with Sucrosomial Iron (Sideral) to counter states of iron deficiency.

Image Credit: PharmaNutra Spa

This novel technology is an innovative iron-containing oral formulation in which iron pyrophosphate is encased (covered) in a matrix of phospholipids and sucrose esters of fatty acids (Sucrosome).

This method results in increased gastrointestinal tolerability and greater iron absorption in the intestine. Numerous pieces of scientific evidence (both preclinical and clinical) have been published in international scientific publications in recent years, confirming the efficacy of Sucrosomial technology.

Gastroresistance is provided by the sucrester matrix, which shields iron from the acidity of the pH of the stomach, as established in dedicated studies. This permits the Sucrosome to reach the intestinal mucosa intact, where it is absorbed as a vesicular structure by enterocytes via paracellular and transcellular pathways.

Image Credit: PharmaNutra Spa

In the intestinal mucosa, in addition to enterocytes, there are membranous cells (M cells) belonging to Peyers plaques. Preclinical research studies have shown that these cells are also able to absorb the Sucrosome by endocytosis.

Numerous clinical studies using Sideral in the field of gastroenterology have shown how this technology may restore normal hematochemical values and guarantee proper red blood cell and hemoglobin function.

Conclusion

The innovation of the Sucrosomial technology is characterized by excellent tolerability, allowing iron intake at any time of day (with or without meals), for extended periods of time, and preventing any discomfort generally associated with iron intake, like an unappealing metallic aftertaste, irritation of the gastric mucosa, nausea, or constipation.

By addressing the drawbacks of conventional iron supplements, Sideral increases iron absorption in all situations of iron deficiency or rising iron demands.

Bibliography

www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/celiac-disease https://www.sideral.it https://www.humanitas.it/malattie/obesita/ https://www.mici360.it/anemia-e-carenza-di-ferro-nella-malattia-di-Crohn https://www.ecco-ibd.eu/publications/ecco-guidelines-science.html S. Gomez-Ramirez, E. Brilli, G. Tarantino, M. Munoz. Sucrosomial Iron: A New Generation Iron for Improving Oral Supplementation. Pharmaceuticals (Basel).2018 Oct 4;11(4):97. https://www.who.int/health-topics/anaemia#tab=tab_1 Bertani L. et al; Oral Sucrosomial Iron Is as Effective as Intravenous Ferric Carboxy-Maltose in Treating Anemia in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis; Nutrients 2021 Feb 12;13(2):608. doi:10.3390 S. Mahadev, et al.; Prevalence of Celiac Disease in Patients with Iron Deficiency Anemia  a Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Gastroenterology. 2018 Aug; 155(2): 374382.e1:

About PharmaNutra Spa

Founded and led by the President Andrea Lacorte and Vice President Roberto Lacorte, PharmaNutra was established in 2003.

It develops unique nutritional supplements and innovative medical devices, handling the entire production process, from proprietary raw materials to the finished product.

The effectiveness of its products is documented by considerable scientific proof, including 112 publications.

The Group distributes and sells its products in Italy and abroad. In Italy, products are sold through a network of 150 Pharmaceutical Representatives serving doctors and also exclusively selling PharmaNutra products to pharmacies throughout Italy. Products are sold in over 50 countries abroad, through 39 partners selected from among the finest pharmaceutical companies. PharmaNutra leads the market in the production of iron-based nutritional supplements under the SiderAL brand, where it boasts a number of important patents on Sucrosomial technology.

Over the years, the Group has developed a precise strategy for the management and production of intellectual property, founded on the integrated management of all the various elements: proprietary raw materials, patents, brands and clinical evidence.

Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Light rain early. A mix of sun and clouds by afternoon. High 49F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 31F. Winds light and variable.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The trial of a 33-year-old Asian man who killed an African woman because she had posted photos of his family on social media has started at the High Criminal Court.

On the day of the incident, the suspect had spent the night in her house before strangling her with a piece of cloth that he had hidden among her clothes.

In order to hear and review the prosecution witnesses, the court decided to postpone the case until October third.

The incident started when the Hoora Police Station notified the Capital Governorate Prosecution that the body of an African woman had been discovered at her Gudaibiya home.

The investigation was started right away by inspecting the murder scene and the body of the deceased, and forensics was given the task of conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

In a report, a worker claimed that he had gone to the scene of the incident to conduct some repairs at the sponsors request when a friend of the victim came at the house and was surprised by an odd odour coming from the apartment.

He informed his sponsor, who had submitted the report, after she asked him for assistance. Criminal investigations found that the victim had been killed by an Asian man. He was arrested along with another Asian suspect who had been identified as having stolen the victims phone days prior to the murder, linking him to the crime.

During interrogation, the two defendants confessed to having committed the crime. Due to an argument that had developed between them over the fact that she had uploaded images of his female relatives on social media, the perpetrator had made the decision to strangle the victim in her bedroom with a piece of cloth.

The phone in his possession, which the second defendant had stolen from the victim before the murder, included those pictures. In order to prepare for their referral to a criminal trial, both defendants were detained.
The current President Ariel Henry was installed to his post by the Core Group (made up of six countries, this group is led by the United States, the European Union, the UN, and the Organization of American States). Henry became the president after the still-unsolved murder of the unpopular President Jovenel Moise

by Vijay Prashad

A cycle of protests began in Haiti in July 2018, anddespite the pandemichas carried on since then. The core reason for the protest in 2018 was that in March of that year the government of Venezueladue to the illegal sanctions imposed by the United Statescould no longer ship discounted oil to Haiti through the PetroCaribe scheme. Fuel prices soared by up to 50 percent. On August 14, 2018, filmmaker Gilbert Mirambeau Jr. tweeted a photograph of himself blindfolded and holding a sign that read, Kot Kob Petwo Karibe a??? (Where did the PetroCaribe money go?). He reflected the popular sentiment in the country that the money from the scheme had been looted by the Haitian elite, whose grip on the country had been secured by two coups detat against the democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide (once in 1991 and again in 2004). Rising oil prices made life unlivable for the vast majority of the people, whose protests created a crisis of political legitimacy for the Haitian elite.

The government of Haitiled by acting President Ariel Henrydecided to raise fuel prices during this crisis, which provoked a protest from the transport unions. [ Photo: CNN]

In recent weeks, the streets of Haiti have once again been occupied by large marches and roadblocks, with the mood on edge. Banks and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)including Catholic charitiesfaced the wrath of the protesters, who painted Down with [the] USA on buildings that they ransacked and burned. The Creole word dechoukaj or uprootingthat was first used in the democracy movements in 1986has come to define these protests. The government has blamed the violence on gangs such as G9 led by the former Haitian police officer Jimmy Babekyou (Barbecue) Cherizier. These gangs are indeed part of the protest movement, but they do not define it.

The government of Haitiled by acting President Ariel Henrydecided to raise fuel prices during this crisis, which provoked a protest from the transport unions. Jacques Anderson Desroches, president of the Fos Sendikal pou Sove Ayiti, told the Haitian Times, If the state does not resolve to put an end to the liberalization of the oil market in favor of the oil companies and take control of it, nothing good will come of it. [O]therwise, he said, all the measures taken by Ariel Henry will be cosmetic measures. On September 26, trade union associations called for a strike, which paralyzed the country, including the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince.

The United Nations (UN) evacuated its nonessential staff from the country. UN Special Representative Helen La Lime told the UN Security Council that Haiti was paralyzed by [a]n economic crisis, a gang crisis, and a political crisis that have converged into a humanitarian catastrophe. Legitimacy for the United Nations in Haiti is limited, given the sexual abuse scandals that have wracked the UN peacekeeping missions in Haiti, and the political mandate of the United Nations that Haitian people see as oriented to protecting the corrupt elite that does the bidding of the West.

The current President Ariel Henry was installed to his post by the Core Group (made up of six countries, this group is led by the United States, the European Union, the UN, and the Organization of American States). Henry became the president after the still-unsolved murder of the unpopular President Jovenel Moise (thus far, the only clarity is that Moise was killed by Colombian mercenaries and Haitian Americans). The UNs La Lime told the Security Council in February that the national investigation into his [Moises] murder has stalled, a situation that fuels rumors and exacerbates both suspicion and mistrust within the country.

Haitis Crises

An understanding of the current cycle of protests is not possible without looking clearly at four developments in Haitis recent past. First, the destabilization of the country after the second coup against Aristide in 2004, which took place right after the catastrophic earthquake of 2010, led to the dismantling of the Haitian state. The Core Group of countries took advantage of these serious problems in Haiti to import onto the island a wide range of Western NGOs, which seemed to substitute for the Haitian state. The NGOs soon provided 80 percent of the public services. They frittered considerable amounts of the relief and aid money that had come into the country after the earthquake. Weakened state institutions have meant that the government has few tools to deal with this unresolved crisis.

Second, the illegal U.S. sanctions imposed on Venezuela crushed the PetroCaribe scheme, which had provided Haiti with concessionary oil sales and $2 billion in profits between 2008 and 2016 that was meant for the Haitian state but vanished into the bank accounts of the elite.

Third, in 2009, the Haitian parliament tried to increase minimum wages on the island to $5 per day, but the U.S. government intervened on behalf of major textile and apparel companies to block the bill. David Lindwall, former U.S. deputy chief of mission in Port-au-Prince, said that the Haitian attempt to raise the minimum wage did not take economic reality into account but was merely an attempt to appease the unemployed and underpaid masses. The bill was defeated due to U.S. government pressure. These unemployed and underpaid masses are now on the streets being characterized as gangs by the Core Group.

Fourth, the acting President Ariel Henry likes to say that he is a neurosurgeon and not a career politician. However, in the summer of 2000, Henry was part of the group that created the Convergence Democratique (CD), set up to call for the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Aristide. The CD was set up in Haiti by the International Republican Institute, a political arm of the U.S. Republican Party, and by the U.S. governments National Endowment for Democracy. Henrys call for calm on September 19, 2022, resulted in the setting up of more barricades and in the intensification of the protest movement. His ear is bent more to Washington than to Petit-Goave, a town on the northern coast that is the epicenter of the rebellion.

Waves of Invasions

At the UN, Haitis Foreign Minister Jean Victor Geneus said, [T]his dilemma can only be solved with the effective support of our partners. To many close observers of the situation unfolding in Haiti, the phrase effective support sounds like another military intervention by the Western powers. Indeed, the Washington Post editorial called for muscular action by outside actors. Ever since the Haitian Revolution, which ended in 1804, Haiti has faced waves of invasions (including a long U.S. occupation from 1915 to 1930 and a U.S.-backed dictatorship from 1957 to 1986). These invasions have prevented the island nation from securing its sovereignty and have prevented its people from building dignified lives. Another invasion, whether by U.S. troops or the United Nations peacekeeping forces, will only deepen the crisis.

At the United Nations General Assembly session on September 21, U.S. President Joe Biden said that his government continues to stand with our neighbor in Haiti. What this means is best understood in a new Amnesty International report that documents the racist abuse faced by Haitian asylum seekers in the United States. The United States and the Core Group might stand with people like Ariel Henry, but they do not seem to stand with the Haitian people, including those who have fled to the United States.

Options for the Haitian people will come from the entry of trade unions into the protest wave. Whether the unions and the community organizationsincluding student groups that have reemerged as key actors in the countrywill be able to drive a dynamic change out of the anger being witnessed on the streets remains to be seen.

This article was produced by Globetrotter.

Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian, editor and journalist. He is a writing fellow and chief correspondent at Globetrotter. He is an editor of LeftWord Books and the director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is a senior non-resident fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China. He has written more than 20 books, including The Darker Nations and The Poorer Nations. His latest books are Struggle Makes Us Human: Learning from Movements for Socialism and (with Noam Chomsky) The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Appeals Court overturned the acquittal of a man accused of sexual harassment of a mentally handicapped minor, sentencing him to one year in jail, after granting the Public Prosecutions appeal.

The decision came after the court unanimously decided to overturn the acquittal and hold him guilty. Based on the evidence against him, the Public Prosecution charged the convict with sexual harassment of the victim and referred him to the High Criminal Court, which found him innocent.

The Public Prosecution appealed the verdict for factual and legal reasons. The High Appeals Court deliberated on the appeal in the presence of the defendant and his attorney until it decided to accept it and punish him.

The Chief Prosecutor confirmed that the role of the Public Prosecution is not limited to investigating and disposing of criminal cases and bringing them before the courts, but that its legal jurisdiction extends to following up on, studying, and challenging criminal judgments in the interest of the law and the public interest, and for realistic and legal reasons.
TOKYO, Sep 28 ( Nikkei ) - From birth control to increased access to doctors, more Japanese companies are including so-called femtech services in their benefits package to address health concerns unique to their female workers.

"Thanks to our company's benefits, I suffer less from hormonal issues," said Yuumi Shimura, a project manager at Tokyo-based sales startup Surpass. "I can throw myself into my work without stress."

Women make up around 80% of the workforce and nearly 60% of directors at Surpass, and Forbes Japan has praised the company for actively creating a welcoming environment for motivated women. Since May 2021, its benefits include free access to birth control pills, which can be used to ease cramping and premenstrual syndrome.

Surpass President Ryoko Ishihara herself used to suffer from period pains. "I wanted to make sure that if the pills could improve my employees' health, then they would be formally part of our benefits package," she said.

Interested workers and their partners can meet online with a doctor and receive a prescription at the company's expense. In February, Surpass also made it easier for employees to see a gynecologist at a partner hospital in Tokyo. ...continue reading
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TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - On Thursday, September 22, 2022, a Justice of the Peace issued process against Sar-El Canada in relation to allegations that the organization recruited or induced individuals to accept an engagement as volunteers in the Israeli armed forces. The order resulted in a summons being issued, which compels Sar-El Canada to attend court and respond to allegations that it violated section 11 of the Foreign Enlistment Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. F-28.

Section 11 of the Foreign Enlistment Act states that "Any person who, within Canada, recruits or otherwise induces any person or body of persons to enlist or to accept any commission or engagement [combatant or non-combatant] in the armed forces of any foreign state or other armed forces operating in that state is guilty of an offence."

It is alleged that Sar-El Canada acted as an intermediary to recruit or induce individuals to volunteer in a non-combatant role with the Israeli military. It is further alleged that once in Israel volunteers would reside on military bases, wear military uniforms, and complete tasks that would otherwise be assigned to soldiers. These tasks allegedly included (but were not limited to) packing food rations or medical kits, cleaning tanks, painting helmets, radio repairs, and gas mask refurbishment. It should be noted that these allegations have not yet been proven in court.

The case was commenced as a private prosecution by David Mivasair and Rehab Nazzal. Mivasair is a rabbi residing in Hamilton, Ontario. He previously served as the spiritual leader of two Canadian synagogues for twenty-one years. Mivasair was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2016 and has a history of involvement in peacebuilding and justice projects in Israel-Palestine. Nazzal is a Palestinian-born multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Ontario. She holds a PhD in Art and Visual Culture from the University of Western Ontario. In December 2015 Nazzal was shot in the leg by a sniper while photographing activities of the Israeli armed forces in Bethlehem.

Mivasair commented that "We believe that the recruitment in Canada of volunteers to assist the Israeli military ought to be a concern of all Canadians. This issue was brought to the attention of the federal government and the Toronto Police Service. They both failed to act. We felt obliged to bring this prosecution as a civic duty to ensure respect for the rule of law." Nazzal added that "This case is about an alleged violation of Canadian law. We are confident that the Court will carefully consider the evidence available and adjudicate this matter in a fair and impartial manner."

The matter returns to court in Nov 23, 2022, 08:30 AM, Room 114 at the Old City Hall Courthouse (60 Queen Street West) in Toronto, Ontario.

SOURCE John Philpot, avocat

For further information: Information (English): Shane Martinez, attorney, 647-717-8111, [email protected]; Information (French): John Philpot, attorney, 514-668-9150, [email protected]
Illegal Cigarettes from Ontario Becoming Huge Problem in BC and Alberta

ETOBICOKE, ON, Sept. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Members of the the Ontario Korean Businessman's Association (OKBA) and their national partner association, the United Korean Commerce & Industry Association of Canada (UKCIA), are combining resources to fight the negative impact illegal contraband tobacco has on both government and small businesses.

While smoking rates continue to decline, the presence of cheap unregulated contraband tobacco has spread into western Canada with disastrous results for small businesses. Convenience stores owners in Ontario who have long been demanding government get tougher with contraband traffickers are now planning on helping their industry colleagues in BC and Alberta to raise awareness to their respective provincial governments.

"Everyone agrees that the fewer people who smoke, the better. Licensed tobacco retailers including our members take the responsibility of selling a highly restrictive product like tobacco very seriously", said spokesperson Mr. Kenny Shim, OKBA President. "However, we continually see how easy it is for customers to purchase unregulated and untaxed cigarettes, often right out in front of our stores. Contraband is killing our businesses, and robbing government of billions in tax dollars."

The OKBA has been lobbying the provincial government in Ontario for more than a decade on the issue of contraband tobacco. Now, their counterparts out west are seeing illegal tobacco shipped from Ontario make its way to small towns and communities everywhere. Earlier this year British Columbia elected to add 7% GST to tobacco sales, which pushed the total tax per pack of cigarettes to $6.50; the highest level in Canada. A carton of cigarettes sold in a convenience store can sell for as much as $170. In comparison, contraband tobacco is sold for as little as $20 or less for the same quantity.

Added Shim, "In Ontario we have seen hundreds of our members close their stores permanently because of contraband tobacco. It's not just the lost sales of tobacco, but other items customers don't buy when they no longer come into our stores. Now our colleagues in BC and Alberta are suddenly seeing it critically impact them as well and they are desperate for government to listen to their concerns. We plan on sharing all our experience and knowledge to help them get their message out."

Convenience store owners from Western Canada will be meeting with their Ontario counterparts from the OKBA in early October to learn from their experience and ongoing advocacy efforts with government.

The UKCIA represents 500+ independent convenience store owners across Western Canada and the OKBA represents over 900 stores in Ontario. The OKBA has successfully run an advocacy and awareness campaign called "Save Our Stores" to help tell their story.

SOURCE United Korean Canadian Industry Association (UKCIA)

For further information: Media Enquiries: To arrange an interview with Kenny Shim, President & Chief Operating Director of OKBA, contact Lindsay Yaciuk, 905-715-2788, [email protected]
Fidelity Clearing Canada to serve as custodian, now supporting ether for institutional investors

TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Fidelity Investments Canada ULC today launched Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF and Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF Fund for investors looking for exposure to ether.



These strategies leverage Fidelity Clearing Canada ULC (Fidelity Clearing Canada), Canada's first Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada entity to offer a secure digital asset trading and custody solution for institutional investors including investment funds.



Building on the capability to custody and trade bitcoin, Fidelity Clearing Canada's innovative platform now supports ether, providing institutional investors a regulated and secure way to access two of the most prominent digital assets.



In leveraging Fidelity Clearing Canada, Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF and Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF Fund will offer investors institutional-grade, innovative, multi-level security features backed by the global strength of Fidelity, which has been an early explorer and offers deep resources in and knowledge of digital assets for clients.



Effective today, Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF will begin trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange with the ticker symbols: FETH (Canadian dollar version) and FETH.U (U.S. dollar version).



"Building on Fidelity Advantage Bitcoin ETF, Fidelity continues to bring innovative investment products to the market," said Kelly Creelman, Senior Vice President, Products and Marketing, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC. "Backed by an industry leading custody solution from Fidelity Clearing Canada, FETH and Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF Fund offer more secure and regulated options for investors to gain exposure to ether."



"As Canada's first regulated institutional platform for digital assets, we're proud to be supporting clients like Fidelity Investments Canada," said Scott Mackenzie, President, Fidelity Clearing Canada. "Adding support for ether to our current bitcoin trading, custody and record-keeping offering is an important innovation as demand for digital assets continues to grow."

Why Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF, Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF Fund and Fidelity Clearing Canada?

There are several reasons why investors may wish to invest in these funds instead of purchasing and storing cryptocurrencies directly and why leveraging Fidelity Clearing provides an advantage:

How It Works - The investment objective of Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF is to invest in ether. Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF Fund invests in the ETF. When an investor purchases the ETF, they will own units of the ETF, which in turn owns physical ether. The price of units will go up and down directly in relation to the price of ether.





- The investment objective of Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF is to invest in ether. Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF Fund invests in the ETF. When an investor purchases the ETF, they will own units of the ETF, which in turn owns physical ether. The price of units will go up and down directly in relation to the price of ether. Fidelity Security Features - Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF accesses ether through Fidelity Clearing, which in turn leverages Fidelity's selected trading platforms. The physical ether that the ETF owns is stored using an institutional-grade custodial model, offering the ETF access to the trading and custody of digital assets in a secure way.





- Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF accesses ether through Fidelity Clearing, which in turn leverages Fidelity's selected trading platforms. The physical ether that the ETF owns is stored using an institutional-grade custodial model, offering the ETF access to the trading and custody of digital assets in a secure way. Tax Efficiency and Liquidity - Like all Fidelity ETFs and corresponding mutual fund versions, the new ether funds are eligible for tax-advantaged registered accounts. Similar to purchasing a stock on the exchange, investors can invest in Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF the same way they invest in other ETFs, by purchasing ETF units on the exchange.

About Fidelity Investments Canada ULC

At Fidelity, our mission is to build a better future for Canadian investors and help them stay ahead. We offer investors and institutions a range of innovative and trusted investment portfolios to help them reach their financial and life goals.



As a privately-owned company, our people and world class resources are committed to doing what is right for investors and their long-term success. Our clients have entrusted us with $187 billion in assets under management (as at September 20, 2022) and they include individuals, financial advisors, pension plans, endowments, foundations and more.



We are proud to provide investors a full range of domestic, international and global equity and income-oriented mutual funds, ETFs, asset allocation strategies, managed portfolios, sustainable investing products, alternative mutual funds and a high net worth program. Fidelity is available through a number of advice-based distribution channels including financial planners, investment dealers, banks and insurance companies.

About Fidelity Clearing Canada ULC

Fidelity Clearing Canada (FCC), a leading provider of custody and clearing services, provides robust, flexible, and scalable solutions to registered portfolio managers, investment dealers and other institutional investors. Clients rely on FCC for expertise in wealth management technology, trading, administration and reporting and business transition, which gives them the freedom to focus on what they do best  helping their investors achieve their financial goals. FCC is the first IIROC member dealer providing Canadian institutional clients with the ability to trade traditional securities and digital assets through the same platform.



Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees, brokerage fees and expenses may be associated with investments in mutual funds and ETFs. Please read the mutual fund or ETF's prospectus, which contains detailed investment information, before investing. Mutual funds and ETFs are not guaranteed. Their values change frequently, and investors may experience a gain or a loss. Past performance may not be repeated.

Ether has historically demonstrated high volatility. Particular investment strategies should be evaluated based on an investor's tolerance for risk. An investment in these funds is considered high risk.

Find us on social media @FidelityCanada

Related Links

http://www.fidelity.ca

SOURCE Fidelity Investments Canada ULC

For further information: Chris Pepper, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Fidelity Investments Canada ULC, T: (416) 307-5388, M: (416) 795-7762, E: [email protected]
National Carrier awarded the Best Airline Staff Service in Australia & Pacific

SUVA, Fiji, Sept. 23, 2022 /CNW/ -- Fiji Airways has been named winner of the award for the Best Airline Staff Service in Australia & Pacific at the prestigious World Airline Awards, held today at the historic Langham Hotel in London.

It is the second time passengers have chosen Fiji Airways for this top prize for the Best Airline Staff Service in Australia & Pacific, after the airline previously won the award in 2019.

The Best Airline Staff Service Awards assess all frontline service contact points across both the airport and on-board environment, including check-in, lounges, service assistance, boarding and arrivals, as well as the full range of on-board cabin staff service.

Managing Director and Chief Executive of Fiji Airways Mr Andre Viljoen said "it truly is an honour for our airline to be recognized for our commitment to service. I thank all the hard working staff at Fiji Airways who made this award possible. We won this same award in 2019, and I am proud of the fact that we have not been complacent despite the challenging period that Fiji Airways and indeed the entire aviation industry has faced due to the pandemic."

"Fiji Airways is focused on major plans to enhance our products and service to continue evolving and offering the best to all our guests," he added.

Edward Plaisted of Skytrax said: "Fiji Airways have embarked on the most comprehensive review and upgrade of product and service during the last 2 years, and the airline management and staff should be delighted with this recognition for having the Best Airline Staff Service in Australia & Pacific. In addition to this success for front line staff service, Fiji Airways should also be delighted with their performance in 2022 which sees the airline rise into the world's top 50 airlines this year."

THE 2022 WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS

The World Airline Awards are wholly independent and impartial, introduced in 1999 to provide a customer satisfaction study that was truly global. Travellers across the world vote in the largest airline passenger satisfaction survey to determine the award winners. The awards are referred to by media around the world as "the Oscars of the aviation industry".

All costs of the Survey and Awards event are paid by Skytrax, and airlines do not pay any entry or registration fee. There are no charges for use of the Award logos and results.

The online customer survey operated from September- 2021 to August 2022, together with invitations sent to previous year respondents in the survey database. The customer survey is provided in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Chinese. Over 100 customer nationalities participated in the 2021/2022 survey with 14.32 million eligible entries counted in the results. Survey entries are screened to identify IP and user information, with all duplicate, suspect or ineligible entries deleted. More than 300 airlines are featured in the final Award results.

About Fiji Airways: Founded in 1951, Fiji Airways Group comprises of Fiji Airways, Fiji's National Airline and its subsidiaries: Fiji Link, its domestic and regional carrier, Pacific Call Comm Ltd, and a 38.75% stake in the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa on Denarau Island, Nadi. From its hubs at Nadi and Suva International Airports, Fiji Airways and Fiji Link serve 108 destinations in over 15 countries (including code-share). Destinations include Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK, Hong Kong (SAR China), Singapore, India, Japan, China, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. The Fiji Airways Group brings in 64 percent of all visitors who fly to Fiji, employs over 1000 employees, and earns revenues of over FJD$1 billion (USD $460m) pre-COVID. Fiji Airways rebranded from Air Pacific in June 2013. Visit www.fijiairways.com for more information

IMAGES: download here.

SOURCE Fiji Airways

For further information: CampaignLab | [email protected]
To celebrate, Lynx is launching a contest to win free flight and accommodation packages to its new sun destinations

CALGARY, AB, Sept. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Lynx Air (Lynx), Canada's new ultra-affordable airline, today announced its expansion into the United States, with the addition of Orlando, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Las Vegas to its network.

Lynx will be flying their fleet of brand-new Boeing 737 aircrafts to Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix this winter. (CNW Group/Lynx Air)

Orlando will be Lynx's first US destination, with flights taking off from Toronto starting on January 27, 2023. Lynx's US network will continue to expand over the following weeks, with the launch of services out of the Calgary gateway to Phoenix on February 7, 2023, Los Angeles on February 16, 2023, and Las Vegas on February 24, 2023. At that point, Lynx will be operating 5,292 seats per week to and from the United States from its Toronto and Calgary hubs.

Tickets go on sale today, and the fares are truly ultra-affordable, starting from $109* one way, including taxes. To celebrate, Lynx will be offering four lucky Canadians a chance to win a free flight and accommodation package to one of Lynx's new sun destinations. The airline has also launched a limited-time seat sale, offering up to 50 per cent off all base fares to and from the United States, with the promo code LYNXUSA. The sale will run from 11:00 AM MDT on September 28, 2022, and end at 12:00 PM MDT on October 6, 2022. For complete contest details, and to book an ultra-affordable fare, please visit FlyLynx.com .

"With winter approaching, we know Canadians love to travel south in search of warmer weather. We are thrilled to be offering an ultra-affordable option to four of the most popular sun destinations in the United States," said Merren McArthur, CEO of Lynx. "By choosing Lynx, Canadians can save on the journey and spend more at their sun-soaked getaway. We are so excited about our US expansion that we have launched a competition today to win a free flight and accommodation package to one of our new sun destinations: Orlando, Phoenix, Los Angeles or Las Vegas."

"This is another great option for Toronto Pearson passengers to access popular winter destinations," says Janik Reigate, Director, Strategic Customer Relationships for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. "As the U.S. is a top country for travel through Pearson, these routes support travel to an important and attractive market for Canadians."

"Lynx's expansion to the U.S. is a strong indication of their confidence in YYC and that the future of air travel is bright. Their new routes provide Calgarians even more choice to visit desirable destinations south of the border," said Rob Palmer, Vice President, Commercial, Strategy & Chief Financial Officer. "We look forward to continuing to partner with Lynx Air on creating memorable experiences for our guests."

Lynx's US schedule:

Round Trip Market Service Starts Weekly Frequencies Toronto, ON to Orlando, FL January 23, 2023 4x Calgary, AB to Phoenix, AZ February 7, 2023 3x Calgary, AB to Los Angeles, CA February 16, 2023 3x Calgary, AB to Las Vegas, NV February 24, 2023 4x

Please note that dates are subject to change. Visit the website for full schedule details.

* Available for a limited time; fares are accurate at the time of release and include taxes and fees; fares vary by destination and date.

About Lynx Air

Lynx Air (Lynx) is Canada's leading ultra-affordable airline and is on a mission to make air travel accessible to all with ultra-affordable fares, a fleet of brand-new state-of-the-art Boeing 737 aircraft and a great flying experience. Lynx is a privately owned Canadian airline with the financial backing and industry expertise required to transform the Canadian aviation landscape. To learn more visit FlyLynx.com or connect with Lynx on Facebook , Twitter , or Instagram .

Ultra-reliable and energy-efficient, Lynx Air's fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft are serviced and operated by one of the most experienced teams in the business. The aircraft offers advanced aerodynamics and highly efficient engines, which result in significant fuel savings that cut the airline's CO2 emissions by an estimated 14 per cent over even the most efficient single-aisle planes. These are vital improvements that decrease Lynx's carbon footprint and help make it one of Canada's greenest and most sustainable airlines. All Lynx aircraft meet the highest internationally certified safety standards and are certified by Transport Canada.

SOURCE Lynx Air

For further information: Media Contact: Paula Worthington, Worthington PR & Story, For Lynx Air, 403-585-2429, [email protected]
Saudi sees +121% pre-pandemic recovery sector growth, according to UNWTO Tourism Barometer

Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb : "Through continued leadership and commitment, we have made incomparable progress."

UNWTO Barometer reports +60% global tourism sector pre-pandemic recovery

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 27, 2022 /CNW/ -- Saudi is the fastest growing tourism destination in the G20. Saudi Arabia's exponential sector growth has seen an extraordinary +121% increase from pre-pandemic international tourism levels as recognized by the newly published UNWTO Tourism Barometer. The substantial tourism recovery recognizes not only Saudi's considerable investment in tourism, but also the country's pioneering leadership in future-proofing its tourism sector.

UNWTO Barometer (PRNewsfoto/Saudi Tourism Authority)

Saudi was swift in its response to the pandemic and rolled out vaccines to ensure high immunization rates quickly which accelerated the easing of restrictions and the reopening of the country to tourists. The government also implemented several measures aimed at supporting companies and employees working in the tourism sector thereby mitigating the effects of the pandemic. Tourism is a key pillar of Saudi's transformative Vision 2030 and the country has ambitious goals to ensure that tourism contributes 10% of the country's GDP by 2030, with one million jobs created along the way.

According to the UNWTO Tourism Barometer, the global tourism sector saw international tourist arrivals almost triple from January to July 2022 (+172%) compared to the same period of 2021. This means the sector recovered to almost 60% of pre-pandemic levels.

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, and Chairman of the Board of Saudi Tourism Authority said: "Recognition of Saudi's achievements in the UNWTO Tourism Barometer is a key milestone in our extraordinary recovery and much of the success lies in our leadership's multipronged approach to managing the pandemic and accelerating the sector's pace of recovery. Saudi opened to the world in September 2019 and through continued leadership and commitment, we have made incomparable progress toward realizing our ambitious Vision 2030 tourism goals. We are invested in a sustainable future for tourism, and today I am proud of Saudi's position as the fastest growing tourism destination in the G20."

In 2020, Saudi Arabia's G20 leadership shaped strategies for recovery to foster a more sustainable and resilient sector, and today, Saudi Arabia has outperformed the G20 countries in pre-pandemic tourism recovery. A core pillar of Saudi's transformative Vision 2030, an ambitious roadmap for the future, building a resilient tourism ecosystem is fundamental to the Kingdom's economic diversification strategy, with people at its core. In line with the National Tourism Strategy, Saudi has ambitious goals to ensure that tourism contributes 10% of the country's GDP by 2030, with one million jobs created along the way.

About Saudi Tourism Authority

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), launched in June 2020, is responsible for marketing Saudi's tourism destinations worldwide and developing the destination's offering through programs, packages and business support. Its mandate includes developing the country's unique assets and destinations, hosting and participating in industry events, and promoting Saudi's destination brand locally and overseas. STA operates 16 representative offices around the world, serving 38 countries.

About the UNWTO Barometer

The UNWTO Barometer monitors short-term tourism trends on a regular basis to provide global tourism stakeholders with up-to-date analysis on international tourism. The report is published four times a year and includes an analysis of the latest data on tourism destinations and source markets. The Barometer also includes a Confidence Index based on the UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts survey, which provides an evaluation of recent performance and short-term prospects for international tourism.

Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1908947/Saudi_Tourism_Authority_1.jpg

SOURCE Saudi Tourism Authority

For further information: Elizabeth Bosley, +971 55 947 8375, [email protected]
Massive fire kills 5 during Durga Puja festivities

Three children among five people have died after a massive fire broke out at a Durga Pu...

3 October, 2022

Read more
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has allegedly discovered over 10 dead bodies in a forest in Anambra State. The publicity secretary of...





The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has allegedly discovered over 10 dead bodies in a forest in Anambra State.





The publicity secretary of the group, Mr Emma Powerful said the bodies were those of its members and were discovered in a forest in Nnobi, Idemili North Local Government Area.





The group said members of the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) were responsible for the killing.





Powerful in a press release called on the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo to caution the operatives of AVG, saying they will bring bad image to his government if he failed.





We are calling on you people to caution your militias and the gang you created to demonise and destroy IPOB-ESN. Soludo may not know what these criminals are doing in the streets but we are advising him to reorganise them, otherwise, they will bring doom to him and his government.





On 22nd September 2022 more than 10 dead bodies of innocent IPOB members were discovered at Nnobi forest in Idemili South LGA of Anambra State where they were dumped after extrajudicial execution.





The slain IPOB members were abducted in other communities in Anambra State and executed at Nnobi forest. To deceive the gullible minds, they made it seem as if those that they killed were criminals murdered in cold blood.





We want the public to know that for some weeks now many IPOB family members in Anambra State have been missing since Soludo created this criminal militia working with Fulani controlled Military and Police to eliminate IPOB members.





The group claimed that Governor Soludo was not aware of the real identities and intentions of the people he armed as security personnel, insisting that most of them had ulterior motives.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reminded politicians, parties and citizens of the regulations guiding election camp...





The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reminded politicians, parties and citizens of the regulations guiding election campaigns.





The commission said it would not condone any act of violence or hooliganism as the Presidential and National Assembly campaigns kick-off today.





Joseph Chukwu, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ebonyi met with chairmen and leaders of parties on Tuesday in Abakaliki.





The official warned candidates and parties against using foul language, adding that they must adhere to financing regulations and limits.





Chukwu clarified that Governorship and State Houses of Assembly campaigns would commence on October 12.





The REC advised political platforms and their flagbearers to strictly adhere to part 5, section 92 of the 2022 Electoral Act.





The law forbids campaigns/slogans tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly, or likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.





There must be no abusive, slanderous or base language, insinuations, or innuendoes likely to provoke violent reactions or emotions.





Also, masquerades shall not be employed or used by any political party, aspirant or candidate during political campaigns.





Religious places, police stations and public offices shall not be used for campaigns, rallies, or to attack parties, candidates, their programmes and ideologies.





Chukwu told the parties to caution their members, standard bearers and followers against activities that may instigate violence.





Such actions include destruction and or defacing campaign billboards and posters of candidates and denial of political parties access to public facilities for rallies.





Scheduling of political rallies by two or more political parties the same day at the same venue close to each other, he added.





The INEC official stated that the commission would sanction parties that contravened any section of the Electoral Act.
Peter Obi, standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP), has asked Nigerians not to allow politicians to sway them with religious or tribal se...

Peter Obi, standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP), has asked Nigerians not to allow politicians to sway them with religious or tribal sentiments in the 2023 polls.

Campaigns for general election take off today.

During his courtesy visit to the palace of the Ooni of Ife on Tuesday, Obi appealed to Nigerians to elect the next president based on capacity, competence and commitment to national development.

Dont look at tribe or religion. Its what we, the politicians, the elites, use to deceive you. Dont look at our religion. Let nobody tell you its his entitlement. Its nobodys turn; its Nigerians turn. Its the turn of the Nigerian youths. Nobody will take anything from them this time! Nobody is entitled to it. And dont say its their money. Its your money they are giving you. If I bring money, take it, Obi said.

Its your entitlement. Nobody is entitled to take it from you. If they give you money, take it. They are only paying part of their debt.

This is a movement for the youth to take back their country. I set up a movement that would go a long way to reveal how things are going wrong in the country.

Obi said it was unacceptable for the country not to be able to produce food for the people despite abundant human and mineral resources.

We have enough land and resources to make provision for feeding the country. A state can feed this nation, not to talk of 36 states. We should not wait for crude oil alone from the Niger Delta to sustain us. Enough land and fund are available for the citizenry, he said.

Everybody in Nigeria is suffering, including Nigerian youths. Enough of manipulation! Please, dont consider tribe. It is nobodys turn! It is Nigerians turn!

Nobody should vote for me because I am an Igbo man or a southeast man or because of my religion. Theres no tribe where people are eating free food. People are not buying bread cheaper in the southwest than in the southeast. Poor people in Nigeria are suffering in Nigeria.
Troops of the Nigerian armys Operation Hadin Kai are in a gun battle with Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri, Borno state. TheCable...

Troops of the Nigerian armys Operation Hadin Kai are in a gun battle with Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri, Borno state.

TheCable reports that the terrorists ambushed soldiers escorting commercial vehicles at Yaleri village along Damboa Road.

According to an intelligence officer who spoke to Zagazola Makama, a publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the troops engaged the insurgents while the passengers scampered for safety.

The jihadists rained heavy gunfire on the Military convoy moving in armoured and soft-skin vehicles, escorting commercial vehicles but the troops are currently responding to them, the intelligence officer was quoted as saying.

There is no certain figure of casualties yet.

Recall that troops of 27 task force battalion recently killed scores of Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) fighters in Yobe.

The ISWAP members had converged at Wulle on Sunday to launch an attack on the troops formation but they were repelled.

Zagazola had recently reported that ISWAP fighters have concluded plans to stage ambushes and attacks against the Nigerian military along strategic routes and formations in the north-east.
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore has condemned the court order stopping the Labour Party and ...





The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore has condemned the court order stopping the Labour Party and supporters of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi from holding a rally at Lekki Toll-Gate, Lagos.





It was reported that a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State stopped the Obi supporters popularly known as Obidients from converging at the Toll Gate.





The Obidients had scheduled ObiDatti23 Forward Ever Rally to be held on October 1, 2022 in Lagos. They planned to converge at the facility before proceeding to other places.





But Justice Daniel Osiagor who gave the order said the LP supporters can pass through the facility for its rally but must not converge there.





Reacting, Sowore in a post on his official social media handles, said it was dangerous that a judge could give such an order stopping the peaceful gathering.





He wrote, It is completely wrong for anyone to have gone to court to stifle a legitimate political gathering by @PeterObi supporters at #Lekkitollgate and equally dangerous that a judge gave an order stopping the gathering.





It is a matter of time before a crazy injunction is granted that opposition groups cant campaign in @OfficialAPCNg stronghold. I totally condemn these acts.
A District Court in Western Tacoma, Washington, United States, has sentenced Abidemi Rufai, the suspended aide of the Ogun State Governor,...

A District Court in Western Tacoma, Washington, United States, has sentenced Abidemi Rufai, the suspended aide of the Ogun State Governor, Dayo Abiodun, to five years imprisonment for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.





This was confirmed in a statement by the United States Attorneys Office, Western District of Washington, on Monday.





The statement said in part that Rufai, A 45-year-old resident of Lekki, Nigeria, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to five years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his attempt to steal nearly $2.4m from the United States government, including approximately $500,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown.

Until his arrest, Rufai was a Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor.





The statement, however, said he admitted a long history of using stolen identities to defraud U.S. disaster programs, including aid for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and file fraudulent U.S. tax returns.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge, Benjamin Settle, said the motivation was greed, unrestrained greed, and callousness towards those who have suffered.





According to U.S. Attorney Nick Brown, Mr. Rufai was relentless in his scheme to use the stolen identities of Americans for fraud.





He orchestrated mystery shopper scams, business email compromise attempts, and filed fake tax returns to financially harm individuals and businesses.

But when disaster struck, so did Mr. Rufai. Whether it was hurricane disaster relief, small business loans, or COVID unemployment benefits, he stole aid that should have gone to disaster victims in the United States, Brown said.





The Associate Deputy Attorney-General, Kevin Chambers, the Justice Departments Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement, said, Abdemi Rufai chose to exploit the pandemic for personal gain, using stolen identities of Americans to support his lavish lifestyle overseas.

The U.S. Attorneys Office and their law enforcement partners did exceptional work bringing this defendant to justice. The Department will continue to pursue fraudsters who abused these programs and seek to recover their ill-gotten gains, whether they are in the United States or overseas.





According to records filed in the case, since 2017, Rufai stole the personal identifying information of more than 20,000 Americans to submit more than $2m in claims for federally funded disaster relief benefits and fraudulent tax returns.





The various agencies involved paid out more than $600,000. The largest amount of fraud was committed against the Washington State Employment Security Department, which paid out $350,763 in fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims to accounts controlled by Rufai. Rufai also submitted fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims in at least 17 other states.





The Employment Security Department deeply appreciates the tireless efforts of the Department of Justice, federal agencies and law enforcement in this matter.





We always stand ready to hold those accountable who steal public funds and we appreciate the partnership in catching and prosecuting this individual, the Commissioner for the Employment Security Department, Cami Feek, said in the statement.
Unknown gunmen suspected of being kidnappers have murdered the eldest son of Bauchi State House of Assembly member representing Dass Const...

Unknown gunmen suspected of being kidnappers have murdered the eldest son of Bauchi State House of Assembly member representing Dass Constituency, Hon. Bala Ali.

The incident was announced during the House plenary on Tuesday under personal explanation, by the member representing Burra Constituency, Hon. Ado Wakili.

He extended his condolences to the Members on the murder of Alis eldest son, describing the incident as tragic praying to Almighty Allah to forgive the deceased and grant him Jannatul Firdaus.

The plenary was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Danlami Ahmed Kawule, who directed that a special prayer be conducted for the deceased and was led by Hon. Bello Muazu Shira representing Shira Constituency.

The Speaker then announced that the House would pay a condolence visit to the Member and his family in Dass immediately after the plenary.

Narrating what happened, Hon. Baballe Abubakar Dambam representing Dambam/Zagaya/Jalam Constituency, explained that the eldest son of Hon. Bala Ali was kidnapped by unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers a few days ago, held him for days, and killed him.

According to him, the funeral prayers for the deceased have already taken place, describing the incident as shocking and disturbing.
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Washington admits to conducting biological research on low-income Ukrainians: Russian media

Xinhua) 10:49, September 28, 2022

MOSCOW, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. delegation in Geneva has admitted that Washington had been conducting biological research on low-income citizens from Ukraine at a meeting of the states parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, Russia's Sputnik news agency has reported.

"U.S. and Ukrainian explanations regarding the export of strains and biomaterial belongings to Ukrainian citizens, and their adherence to ethical standards when conducting research on military personnel, low-income citizens, as well as ... patients in psychiatric hospitals, looked extremely unconvincing," Igor Kirillov, chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces of the Russian Armed Forces, was quoted by the media as saying.

Kirillov said Washington admitted to carrying out the research, noting that the transfer of pathogenic biomaterials to the United States was not done frequently.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
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A man was killed in a double shooting while in a vehicle on Interstate 10 East near Louisa Street, New Orleans police said Wednesday.

He's the fifth 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 killing was the one of two overnight homicides reported in New Orleans. The other was reported in the 7th Ward.

The shooting was reported to police at 10:13 p.m. Tuesday in the eastbound lanes near exit 239A-B. The two people were in a vehicle when someone shot them, police said. A man died at the scene, and the other was taken via ambulance to a hospital, where his condition was not immediately available.

Their names and ages have not been released.

No other details were immediately available from authorities.

Map of interstate shootings

As of Wednesday, at least 24 people have been shot on New Orleans interstates and highways. Nineteen of the 22 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

As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, there have been 207 murders in New Orleans this year, which is about 30% 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, 18 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 man accused of multiple stabbings in the French Quarter was booked into the Orleans Justice Center Wednesday on two counts of aggravated battery, one count of second-degree battery, two counts of simple criminal damage to property, one count of aggravated burglary and one count of domestic abuse involving strangulation, according to court records.

Police say Jamal Peters, 34, stabbed two people in the French Quarter in two separate incidents that happened within an hour's span Friday night. Then, Sunday evening, he broke into a house on Elysian Fields Avenue in the 7th Ward and threatened its three occupants with a knife before fleeing, according to the NOPD's Major Offense Log.

French Quarter stabbings

The first stabbing occurred in the 700 block of Toulouse Street at around 11:05 p.m. Friday. Peters allegedly asked a 44-year-old woman to buy him a drink. When she refused, Peters allegedly stabbed her in the back multiple times, then ran away. Her current condition is unknown.

Less than an hour later and one block away, Peters stabbed again, police say, this time a 52-year-old man who passed him near the intersection of Toulouse and Bourbon Streets at around 11:55 p.m. Peters allegedly stabbed the man in the back multiple times. The man went to a hospital, police say, and his current condition is unknown.

A 7th Ward break-in

On Sunday night at around 5:54 p.m., a knife-wielding Peters broke into a house in the 1300 block of Elysian Fields Avenue, police said. He threatened to kill a 60-year-old woman, 81-year-old man and 31-year-old woman inside, police said. The victims retreated; Peters fled, and police obtained a warrant for Peters' arrest.

He was booked into Orleans Justice Center Wednesday morning, and bond will be set this afternoon.
A migrant waits on the Mexican side of the border after United States Customs and Border Protection officers detained a couple of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border on the beach, in Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 26, 2022. A federal judge in Louisiana has on Wednesday, April, 27, 2022, ordered the Biden administration to stop phasing out a public health rule that allows the expulsion of migrants without an opportunity to seek asylum. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)
Gov. Eric Holcomb next week is heading overseas again to try to attract new businesses to Indiana and to thank foreign companies that already have brought jobs and investment to the Hoosier State.

The Republican chief executive, along with Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers and a delegation from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC), is leaving the state Sunday on a five-day trade mission to Germany and Switzerland.

"Germany and Switzerland have both been long-standing reliable partners with Indiana for many years," Holcomb said. "As we think about the future of energy and industrial growth domestically, we must always keep in mind how far-away global events affect our shared and connected economies."

"For example, the war in Ukraine has had serious repercussions that have rippled across all of Europe and Asia, and Im particularly looking forward to discussions with our German partners about how we can assist and lead our way through these times of great industry change," he added.

According to the IEDC, Indiana is home to 535 European-owned businesses that support 117,600 Hoosier jobs.

Last year, Indiana exported $10.3 billion in goods and services to Europe, or about 25% of the states total exports, while the $36.6 billion imported from Europe accounted for 47% of Indiana's imports, the IEDC said.

The Hoosier delegation is hoping to maintain and grow those numbers through meetings with German business executives, participation in a roundtable discussion at the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany, tours of Swiss business enterprises and meet-and-greet sessions with corporate leaders from Medartis, Roche and other Swiss companies operating in Indiana.

"Im looking forward to our continued discussions around innovation and industries of the future in both countries and in Indiana," Chambers said.

"Our partnerships with Germany and Switzerland have been crucial to industry growth and technological advancement across advanced manufacturing, industry 4.0, pharmaceuticals and orthopedics, energizing research and development, and providing quality career opportunities for Hoosiers," he added.

This is Holcomb's 13th foreign trade mission, and his third visit to both Germany and Switzerland, since becoming governor in 2017.

The costs of the state delegation are being paid through private donations to the Indiana Economic Development Foundation.
MERRILLVILLE  Gov. Eric Holcomb and U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, took a victory lap of sorts Tuesday in recognition of their joint efforts to position Northwest Indiana to grow and thrive in the years and decades ahead.

The Republican chief executive and Democratic congressman seemed to be of one mind that recent federally funded state economic development initiatives, including the READI program, are preparing the Region, its municipalities and citizens for the economy of tomorrow.

Holcomb told some 400 corporate and community leaders gathered for lunch at the Dean and Barbara White Community Center that Northwest Indiana's manufacturing legacy, talent pool, university research and development programs, and geographic location near Chicago put it among "very few places on planet Earth" where all those essential economic components are found together.

"As we look at our strengths as a state, and what we're trying to accent, this plays perfectly into our sweet spot, so to speak," Holcomb said.

The governor said Indiana's READI program, which is investing through the Northwest Indiana Forum $50 million from the American Rescue Plan to unlock $550 million in related funding for 34 locally designated job training, infrastructure and quality of place projects, ensures the Region's future remains bright.

"There are 16 other regions in our state that are sleeping with one eye open because of what you're accomplishing here," Holcomb said. "It's really an exciting time."

Mrvan said that outcome is exactly what he had in mind when he voted last year in favor of the American Rescue Plan that was opposed by every Republican representing Indiana in Congress.

"When I was able to vote for the American Rescue Plan, it was with the vision to make sure that we are making a positive impact in our community, and I'm proud of that investment and I'm proud of that vote," Mrvan said.

"And I just want to thank you, governor, for the approach you took towards it, because I can go back to Washington, D.C. and say: 'Proof positive,'" he added.

Mrvan and Holcomb said similar great things are on tap thanks to the Mrvan-sponsored CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to bring microchip manufacturing back to the United States, and may lead to Northwest Indiana being designated a "tech hub" for additional federal investment in high tech jobs and education programs.

The congressman said shortening the microchip supply chain will ensure American businesses, particularly auto manufacturers, never again have to delay production, cut back on Northwest Indiana steel purchases, or lay off workers because they don't have access to the chips they need.

"I was a township trustee. Whenever anyone is losing a job or not working, it impacts me to my core," Mrvan said. "The manufacturing and education components (of the legislation) will allow us to leap, and retain talent here in Indiana as we manufacture our way back to success."

To which Holcomb responded: "Ditto. Well said, congressman."

The 30-minute discussion between Holcomb and Mrvan at the annual "Ignite the Region" celebration was moderated by Heather Ennis, president and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Forum.

She said their bipartisan work on behalf of Northwest Indiana in uncertain and tumultuous times have helped the Region effectively plan for its future, instead of just living hand to mouth and trying to survive.

"There's some pretty cool stuff happening here in Northwest Indiana. This is evidence that we're moving together in partnership like never before," Ennis said.

"I know competition compels us, it's the nature of free enterprise, I get it. But cooperation is really what's going to sustain us. It's what helps us move forward," she added.

Speaking to reporters following the lunch, Holcomb said his appearance alongside Mrvan exactly six weeks before Election Day wasn't an endorsement of Mrvan's campaign for a second term representing Lake, Porter and northwest LaPorte counties in Congress.

"That's for Northwest Indiana to decide. I will say this, we have for years had a good working relationship with our federal partners at large," Holcomb said. "We'll continue to look for ways which we can move this Region forward, and I'll partner with anybody that wants to help me do that."

"He is an honorable man, Congressman Mrvan, and his opponent is, if you look at her life story  it is a very compelling, courageous, ceiling-shattering story that folks would be proud of as well," Holcomb said.

That opponent, Republican Jennifer-Ruth Green, repeatedly has condemned the federal spending initiatives supported by Mrvan and implemented by Holcomb.
HAMMOND  An Indianapolis man caught directing a deadly shipment of illicit drugs to Northwest Indiana is going to prison.

Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio imposed a 70-month sentence Wednesday on 44-year-old Erasmo Martinez, who pleaded guilty May 3 to conspiring to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.

The U.S. attorneys office first charged Martinez three years ago with dealing heroin and the painkiller fentanyl in early 2019.

Prosecutors said an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gang Response Investigative Task Force uncovered plans by Martinez and two other men to sell the illicit drugs in Lake County.

Investigators used a confidential informant to solicit the sale of several ounces of heroin and nearly nine pounds of fentanyl.

Court papers explain that a fraction of an ounce of heroin is potent enough to cause a fatal overdose.

Fentanyl, which is considered 50 times more potent than heroin, has caused more than 36,000 overdose deaths in 2019, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Prosecutors alleged the government informant spoke with and texted Martinez several times in January 2019 to arrange the sale of more than $4,100 in heroin, which was delivered by Martinezs co-defendants to those in the undercover operation at a discount stores parking lot in Hammond.

Martinez and his co-defendants then arranged for a large shipment of fentanyl to be delivered March 23, 2019, to a location in north Highland.

Authorities stopped a car, in which the drug was being transported, on Indianapolis Boulevard nearly a mile south of the Borman Expressway and arrested Martinezs co-defendants.

Martinez was facing trial last May on five felony drug counts and was in jeopardy of a life sentence if convicted when he signed a plea agreement to give up his right to make the government prove the case against him in return for leniency.

Martinezs co-defendants, George A. Arroyo, of Chicago, and Nestor Ochoa, 29, of Berwyn, Illinois, are already serving prison sentences of a similar length.
CROWN POINT  A Lake Criminal Court judge set aside a jury's verdict Tuesday in a case against a babysitter charged in connection with the death of her former friend's 8-month-old daughter in 2016.

Trisha Woodworth, 32, of Calumet Township, was convicted in July of a felony count of neglect of a dependent but acquitted of two felony counts of battery in the death of Maci Moor.

Judge Samuel Cappas listened to arguments from Woodworth's attorney Harold Hagberg and Lake County Supervisory Deputy Prosecutor Eric Randall about Woodworth's motion to correct errors.

However, the judge ultimately set aside Woodworth's conviction on the neglect count on his own motion.

Cappas said Hagberg provided ineffective counsel at trial and concluded it would be an manifest injustice to sentence Woodworth to a minimum of 20 years in prison on evidence presented at trial showing she waited less than 10 minutes to call for an ambulance after Maci became unresponsive. The judge said he was not reweighing the evidence.

Cappas said Hagberg was clearly an experienced trial attorney, but asked if he had ever tried a criminal case before. Hagberg said Woodworth's case was his first criminal trial.

Hagberg never put any proposed plea offers on the record ahead of trial, and he didn't address the facts related to the neglect count in his closing arguments, Cappas said.

Randall said Hagberg was assisted by attorney Andreas Kyres and others from the Alvarez Law Office, all of whom are experienced criminal defense attorneys.

He objected to Woodworth's release on her own recognizance, arguing she could be a flight risk, he said.

Cappas said Woodworth has appeared in court while on bond for years and was not a flight risk. He granted Kyres' request to release Woodworth.

Woodworth was expected to receive a new trial on one count of neglect of a dependent, a level 1 felony.

Prosecutors planned to consult with the Indiana attorney general's office about a possible appeal of Cappas' decision to set aside the July verdict, Randall said.

Cappas said both parties made logical arguments, and there were two different theories about what caused Maci's death.

The state's medical experts testified Maci died from shaken baby syndrome and likely suffered an injuries shortly before she became unconcious.

Defense experts testified Maci likely suffered a stroke while in Woodworth's care April 15, 2016, as a result of a blood clot that formed after she fell April 11, 2016, at her parent's home while playing with a "jump-a-roo" toy.

Hagberg said jurors' decision to acquit Woodworth of the battery counts showed the state didn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Woodworth caused the injury that resulted in Maci's death.

Randall said the jury had already weighed the credibility of evidence at trial, and it wasn't clear if they believed testimony from Woodworth's relatives about events the day Maci became unresponsive.

"Despite the acquittal, I believe the jury believed there was an injury that day," Randall said.

Evidence was presented that Maci's injury was inflicted, he said.

"They don't like it, but it was a reasonable verdict," he said.

Cappas appeared to agree with Hagberg's interpretation of the evidence.

Woodworth and her family members applied cold compresses to Maci and took her outside for fresh air in the minutes before calling 911, he said.

"I think those are reasonable actions to take," he said.

In many neglect cases, the caregiver waits hours before seeking medical attention after a child is injured. Woodworth's case was different, he said.

"So now I'm left with sentencing a woman to between 20 and 40 years in prison for arguably a nine-minute delay in calling the ambulance," he said.
CROWN POINT  A 34-year-old man man pleaded guilty Tuesday in connection with a shooting last year in East Chicago.

Maurice A. Vernon, of East Chicago, pleaded guilty to battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a level 5 felony.

If Lake Criminal Court Judge Samuel Cappas accepts his plea agreement, Vernon would receive a five-year sentence.

If he qualifies, he would serve two years in the Lake County Community Corrections program and three years on probation.

According to charging documents, Vernon shot a man in the leg Sept. 6, 2021, in a parking lot in the 900 block of West Chicago Avenue.

When police arrived, they found the man on the ground and applied a tourniquet to slow his bleeding.

Cappas set Vernon's sentencing for Nov. 8.
HAMMOND  A Whiting man is going to prison for his murderous role in the Latin Dragon Nation street gang.

U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon imposed a 210-month prison term this week on 34-year-old Mario Colunga.

Colunga is among 19 members or associates of the Latin Dragons street gang indicted since 2017 and convicted of drug-related violence across Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

He pleaded guilty June 13, 2019, to a racketeering conspiracy charge alleging he participated in the street gangs illicit activities between 2010 and 2016.

Although he left the Dragons in 2016 to join another street gang, he returned to it a year later and participated in the murder of Mike Whitford, 49, in Chicago on July 14, 2017.

His victims family reportedly said Whitford was an innocent bystander in a drive-by shooting of another man that took place in the 10600 block of South Green Bay Avenue, on Chicagos far south side.

This case was the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; police departments in Hammond, East Chicago, Merrillville and Hobart; the Lake County Sheriff's Department; and Illinois police.

Federal prosecutors say it was among dozens of homicides committed in the last 15 years by street gangs competing for turf on which to sell illicit drugs.
MERRILLVILLE  A transformative leader for Northwest Indiana has been recognized with one of the state's highest honors.

Bill Hanna, former president and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, was named a Sagamore of the Wabash and presented his framed Sagamore certificate by Gov. Eric Holcomb during a surprise ceremony in front of some 400 Region business and community leaders Tuesday in Merrillville.

The Republican governor said the Sagamore, second only to the rarely awarded Sachem, recognizes Hoosiers "who have contributed way above and beyond the normal call of duty."

In Hanna's case, Holcomb said Hanna's fingerprints are all over seemingly every recently completed or ongoing major project in Northwest Indiana, including the Double Track and West Lake expansions of the South Shore Line, the associated transit development districts, rehabilitation of the Lake Michigan shoreline and the runway extension and expanded cargo capacity at the Gary/Chicago International Airport.

"They became reality because of his influence," Holcomb said. "He is trusted. He is respected. If I had to pick one honest broker, if I could only pick one honest broker in the state of Indiana, it is our friend, and certainly my friend, Bill Hanna."

Hanna was joined by his wife, children and parents as the governor presented him with the Sagamore award. He initially was at a loss for words.

"I'm a little blown away. I'm usually not unprepared, but in this case, I'm a little staggered by this," Hanna said.

Hanna later said the moment was particularly special because the award, a designation granted only by the governor, was given to him by Holcomb.

"The source of these things is important to me, and I could have said everything that he said about me back to him," Hanna said.

"It's been a privilege of a lifetime, especially from a professional perspective, to be with somebody who is your friend, watch them ascend to a position where some people feel entitled to everything, yet this person feels entitled to nothing and responsible for everything  never losing his humanity the entire time through the crisis, never stopped planning for the future," he added.

Hanna led the RDA under three Indiana governors from 2009 until 2021. He now serves as executive director of the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation for whom the Merrillville community center where Hanna was honored is named.

Prior to leading the RDA, Hanna was city manager and deputy mayor for Valparaiso, economic development director for Valparaiso and vice president of the Valparaiso Economic Development Commission.

He earned his law degree from Valparaiso University, a master's of business administration from National Louis University in Chicago and a bachelor's degree in organizational management and human resources from Colorado Christian University.

Hanna is a U.S. Army veteran and served in the army's official presidential escort and as a sentinel and head trainer/guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

Heather Ennis, president and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Forum, seemed to speak for many in the room when she said: "What an amazing man."
HIGHLAND  From one end of Wicker Memorial Park to the other, bikers were there last Sunday for the annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride. An estimated 2,000 motorcycles were expected for one purpose.

We're giving back to veterans, said Enrique Herrera, of Highland, a Marine veteran who served 1990-94.

Joining Herrera was with his son, Xavier, 11, and his brother, Cosme Herrera, of Hammond, who served in the Army 1997-2002. He saw action in Bosnia and Kosova.

Were getting together with veterans, Cosme said. Veterans do a lot  the ones serving, the ones here and the ones not here.

The ride, which started in 1999, is a partnership of the North Township Trustees Office with the Wicker Park Memorial Fund and the American Veterans Motorcycle Riders Association.

Trustee Adrian Santos called Sundays numbers truly humbling, a testament to the importance of area veterans.

With assistance from local and county police departments, the 27-mile route traveled through Highland, Munster, Dyer, Schererville, Merrillville, Gary, Calumet Township and back to Highland.

Along the route, supporters cheered participants from lawn chairs and their vehicles. Fire trucks suspended a large American flag near the intersection of Ridge Road and N. Broad Street in Griffith.

Not everyone rode motorcycles. Coming off a stroke, Bobby Fields of Matteson, Illinois, brought his truck. He served in the Army 1963-75, along with three years in the National Guard.

Im here because Im a veteran, Fields said. We need to thank these people for fighting for our country.

Not all riders were veterans. Jill Kane supports American Legion Post 261 in her hometown of Cedar Lake.

This is for the veterans, and this is a great benefit every year, she said. Anything I can do to help them, this is for them.

Theresa Sulski of Burnham, Illinois, has volunteered at the ride for eight years. Her son Andrew rode in this years parade.

Sulski continues to volunteer as a tribute to her father, the late Ines Carrillo, who served in World War II and was involved in the liberation of the Philippines.

I do it to honor him and my other family members serving now, Sulski said.

Many participants decorated their bikes with flags. That included Ricky Gray, of Valparaiso, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era, 1973-79.

I do this for the fellowship with other veterans, said Gray, a V4V rider since 2016.

Near him was Walter Sandoval, of Valparaiso, an Army veteran of 1966-69, including two years in Vietnam. He was a mountaintop radio operator on Hill 837, which today, he said, is a tourist attraction.

I love doing this ride, Sandoval. Its a lot of people, lot of motorcycles and I grew up with motorcycles.

He added, A lot of times, people take veterans for granted. Regardless of whether youre Democrat or Republican, were all Americans.

Craig Allen, of Portage, was in his second ride. Not a veteran, he was riding for all veterans, including some friends.

This helps veterans not only financially but mentally, Allen said. It lets people know were here for them and we back them.

Jeff Richmond, a friend who served in the Navy 1990-94, has been a regular rider in the benefit. I do this for the cause and because of all they sacrificed, he said of veterans.

Tim and Mary Toppen of Manteno, Illinois, did not serve in the military, but they have relatives and friends who served. That includes Aaron Toppen, a cousins son, who was killed by friendly fire while deployed to Afghanistan in 2014.

One of my regrets is that I never served in the military, Tim said.

Were only here to support the veterans, Mary added. Veterans have needs, like meals, medicines and housing. We should support them for all they do for us.

The pre-ride program featured the posting of colors by AVMRA members and speeches by Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. and U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, who called the ride a time to celebrate America.

Retired U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Lorenzo Mendoza, the guest speaker, called the ride an opportunity for veterans to maintain the camaraderie whey shared by serving, ... and an opportunity for the community to show its appreciation for our veterans.

Originally from East Chicago, Mendoza now lives in Schererville. He served in the USAF for 26 years, 1991-2017. That included tours in Korea and Italy.

Mendoza recalled his military duty as fantastic, the opportunity to serve my country, a chance to meet different people and a chance to lead and mentor.
Julian Assange operates from the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where his internet connection was recently cut off. But that has not stopped him from being one of the most significant and unusual players in the 2016 election campaign in the United States.

His WikiLeaks platform has released tens of thousands of hacked emails from inside Hillary Clintons campaign and the Democratic National Committee, making Mr. Assange a reviled figure among supporters of the Democratic nominee and a hero to backers of Donald J. Trump.

On Tuesday morning, Mr. Assange weighed in one last time as Americans headed to the polls, releasing a statement that offered an explanation for making the leaks public, an assertion of impartiality and a defense of the WikiLeaks mission.

The real victor is the U.S. public, which is better informed as a result of our work, Mr. Assange wrote, adding that his organization publishes information as quickly as possible and as fast as the public can absorb it.
Last years General Assembly was hardly a pleasant affair between the United States and Iran. The two presidents used the annual gathering to vilify each other, with Mr. Trump describing Iran as a rogue regime and calling the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran an embarrassment and Mr. Rouhani responding by calling the American president a rogue newcomer to international politics.

Since then, relations between Iran and the United States have deteriorated further. In May, Mr. Trump announced Washingtons withdrawal from the nuclear deal. The White House has reimposed sanctions on Iran in the hopes, it claims, of getting a better deal as well as a significant change in the behavior of the Iranian government. An even tougher round of sanctions will probably go into effect in November.

But the nuclear deal is far from the only issue in the Iranian-American relationship. The two countries also have interests in Afghanistan and in the war against the Islamic State; in Syria, both Iran and the United States should be concerned about reconstruction as the seven-year-long civil war there winds down. And both Iran and the United States are involved and invested in the disastrous war in Yemen, which has become a humanitarian catastrophe.

These are all the topics that could and should be on the table at a summit between Mr. Trump and Mr. Rouhani.
A representative of a mysterious Chinese oil company was convicted Wednesday on charges that he tried to bribe government leaders in Africa in a case that put foreign officials on the stand to discuss deals, some of which were hatched in the hallways at the United Nations.

The federal trial of Patrick Ho put a spotlight on the methods that a once fast-growing oil company, CEFC China, used to expand its reach from Asia to Africa, Europe and the United States. Mr. Ho, a former government official in Hong Kong who ran a research organization funded by CEFC, was convicted just a little over a year after federal agents arrested him when he was getting off a plane at Kennedy International Airport.

A jury of nine women and three men in Lower Manhattan deliberated for less than a day after a seven-day trial in which Mr. Hos lawyers did not call a single witness. Mr. Ho, 69, who has been held in federal custody since his arrest in November 2017, showed little emotion when the verdict was read. As he had throughout the trial, he wore a traditional purple Chinese tunic in court.

He was charged with five counts of conspiracy and attempted bribery under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and three counts of money laundering involving two separate schemes involving officials in Chad and Uganda. The jury convicted him on seven of the counts on a day when the courthouse was largely closed for business to mark the funeral of former President George Bush.
WASHINGTON  A federal judge on Thursday ordered the release of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who in 2010 leaked archives of military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks, and who was jailed last year for refusing to testify before a grand jury that is investigating the organization and its founder, Julian Assange.

The release came one day after Ms. Manning tried to kill herself and was hospitalized, according to her lawyers.

In a brief opinion, a Federal District Court judge overseeing the matter, Anthony J. Trenga, said that he also dismissed on Thursday the grand jury that Ms. Manning was refusing to testify before after finding that its business had concluded.

The court finds that Ms. Mannings appearance before the grand jury is no longer needed, in light of which her detention no longer serves any coercive purpose, Judge Trenga wrote.
Gas leaks raise suspicions of Russian sabotage

European nations are investigating two suspicious leaks in gas pipelines from Russia to Germany, raising concerns about possible sabotage.

The leaks under the Baltic Sea on Monday caused a sudden drop in pressure in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines  neither of which had been active. Swedens national seismic network said it had detected large undersea explosions near the locations of the leaks. Footage released by Denmark showed a swirling mass of methane bubbling up onto the waters surface.

Speculation immediately fell on Russia, which denied responsibility. Several countries are investigating. It is an extraordinary situation, said Denmarks prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, adding, It is difficult to imagine that it could be accidental.

Context: The pipelines have been a focal point of the broader confrontation between Russia and Europe. After the E.U. imposed economic sanctions on Russia, Moscow began withholding its natural gas, threatening the continents energy supply.
The pharmaceutical companies Biogen and Eisai said on Tuesday that a drug they are developing for Alzheimers disease had slowed the rate of cognitive decline in a large late-stage clinical trial.

The strong results boost the drugs chances of winning approval and offer renewed hope for a class of Alzheimers drugs that have repeatedly failed or generated mixed results.

The positive data also offer Biogen a second chance after the companys disastrous rollout of another Alzheimers drug, Aduhelm. That medication won regulatory approval last year despite little evidence that it could slow cognitive decline, received only sharply limited coverage by Medicare and has proved to be a commercial failure.

The results appear stronger for the new medication, lecanemab. Cognitive decline in the group of volunteers who received lecanemab was reduced by 27 percent compared with the group who received a placebo in the clinical trial, which enrolled nearly 1,800 participants with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimers disease, the companies said.
Its so large that their two-bedroom living area fills only half of the space. Rasmussen and Aparo, theater-world veterans, have turned the rest into two studios that Aparo calls blank canvases for creativity. They charge fees for film and photography shoots there. They also make the studios available, free, to artists and community organizations.

Their loft, the top floor of what was once a factory in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where potato chips were made, is covered by a 1982 state statute that affects a tiny fraction of citys rental stock  only 325 buildings at the moment, according to the Department of Buildings. The law provided protections against evictions and rent increases to artists who had converted industrial spaces or lofts into living and working quarters.

Most of the loft dwellers who went through the required certification process were in SoHo. But a few in Brooklyn also sought eligibility, among them Rasmussens mother-in-law from an earlier marriage. She eventually passed the loft on to Rasmussen and his first wife. In the divorce, he told our writer D.W. Gibson, I gave her all the money, and she gave me the loft.

Rasmussen, 52, has now lived there for half his life. Essentially my rent is locked in at the rate it was when they first started renting in this building, he said. Im thankful for the loft law  so thankful. Without it, we wouldnt be able to stay in the city.

He and Aparo, 36, barely knew each other before the Covid-19 closed in, though they had moved in the same circles for years, and both left the city during the pandemic to care for family members. They began exchanging texts after she wrote a social media post about looking after her grandmother, who had Parkinsons disease. Before long, text messages were not enough. I finally said: Im going to reach out because I need to talk about it and you probably do too  this is not a text conversation, he recalled.
Wouldnt it be fitting if the regimes in Moscow and Tehran  the first defined by a cult of its leaders machismo, the second by its systemic misogyny  were brought down by protests inspired and led by women?

The possibility is no longer remote. The protests that have unfolded throughout Iran since the cruel death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini  accused of violating Irans hijab rule, arrested by the morality police and almost certainly beaten into a coma in detention  are the most serious since the Green Revolution of 2009 after Mahmoud Ahmadinejads fraudulent re-election.

But this time may be different.

Then, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was vigorous and in full control of the system. Now, there are reports that he is gravely ill. Then, Iran exported roughly 2.3 million barrels of oil a day. Now, thanks in part to sanctions imposed by the Trump administration, it exports about 800,000. Then, the protests were mainly about politics, which were centered in Tehran. Now, they are about human rights, and there is a potent ethnic component: In Irans Kurdish region, from which Amini hailed, the city of Oshnavieh was briefly seized by protesters over the weekend. Then, the regimes militia and security services seemed to easily overpower the protests. Now, Irans chief justice, Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, has been caught on video complaining that his officers are overwhelmed and have not slept.

But the biggest factor is the female factor.

In 1979, when women were demonstrating against the threat of hijab, they were alone, the writer Roya Hakakian, who lived through the Iranian revolution as a teenager, told me on Monday. Now the tide has dramatically changed. Men recognize womens leadership and are at their side. Its clear that these demonstrators have forged a collective identity that is contrary to the identity of the regime. They counter the regimes misogyny with unprecedented egalitarianism.
A great honor. But she told me last week that despite her legal victory, soaring oil prices emanating from the Ukraine war have put renewed pressure on her Indigenous communitys forests. As she put it, The oil is in the forest, and they think our home is the solution.

As John Reid, the senior economist for Nia Tero, explained, Supply shocks from Ukraine and Russia become demand shocks across the world, including in the intact forests, because the intact forests are all big potential suppliers of agricultural commodities, gold, oil, gas and wood. (Reid and Thomas E. Lovejoy wrote Ever Green: Saving Big Forests to Save the Planet, an outstanding primer on the vital role intact forests play in sustaining the biosphere.)

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is a leader of the Mbororo pastoralist people in Chad. It is bad enough, she told me, that Lake Chad has lost about 90 percent of its water and many of its species, but now people in her community are asking her: Why has the price of flour and fuel gone up so high? Russia and Ukraine are very far away, so why are we hurt? They dont understand how the shocks of a war in Ukraine can radiate far enough to hit even landlocked, sub-Saharan Chad.

When the war started, added Ibrahim, the African countries were asked to choose a side. And all we were thinking is that we need food. This war has become a big problem for all of us. Everywhere she turns now, she added, Chinese companies are looking for land for industrial agriculture, which is a huge problem for her pastoralist people.

For Indigenous peoples, the land is everything, Ibrahim wrote in an essay last week in The Mail & Guardian, which is based in South Africa. It is the source of our food, shelter and medicine, as well as the wellspring of our culture and history. Over countless generations, we have learned to live well on our land. We know how to protect it, how to restore it and how to serve as its engineers and nurturers rather than its destroyers.

Unfortunately, some greedy leaders, like President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, resent the fact that Indigenous peoples control precious resources  in the case of Brazil, over 13 percent of its territory, much of it intact forest. Brazil bought $3.5 billion worth of fertilizer from Russia last year, a flow now constricted by Western sanctions. So as soon as the war started creating fertilizer shortages, Bolsonaro blurted out: This crisis is a good opportunity for us, The Washington Post reported. Where theres Indigenous land, there are riches beneath it.

He then moved to pass legislation that would enable companies to mine potassium from Indigenous peoples forests so Brazil can make more of its own fertilizer.
TAMPA, Fla.  With so many near-misses over the decades, it had become common to believe Floridas Tampa Bay region was somehow protected from hurricanes. The last one hit more than a century ago, in 1921, inundating much of Tampa and surrounding towns.

Since then, gleaming high-rises have multiplied in downtown Tampa along the Hillsborough River. Shiny new condos look out on the bay in St. Petersburg. Home values in wealthy enclaves like Shore Acres have crept higher and higher, even though many of the properties are barely a foot above sea level.

As Hurricane Ian winds its way north after swiping western Cuba, the Tampa Bay region and southwest Florida could now face a level of destruction that many who live along the densely populated coast and its white-sand beaches have never experienced. No matter where the storm hits, millions of people will be affected.



Cuba was already suffering. The entire island was without power on Tuesday night after a collapse of the power grid, the countrys Ministry of Mines and Energy said. Officials said the power company was working to restore power, with the hope that some parts of the grid would be working by Wednesday morning.

Ian is forecast to make landfall in southwest Florida as a major hurricane on Wednesday night, with winds up to 130 miles per hour and the biggest storm surge  up to 12 feet  predicted roughly between Sarasota and Naples. That surge and accompanying rainfall are of particular concern for the states western coast because the Gulf of Mexico is shallow, leaving excess water with no place to go but onto land. That geographical quirk helps explain why local officials have urged 2.5 million people in eight counties to evacuate.
But the advocates urged the Biden administration to speed up the processing of those who apply to enter the United States as refugees. Although 125,000 refugees could have been allowed entry last year, the administration processed only about 20,000.

Despite good-faith efforts, the Biden administration fell far short as it grappled with a decimated system inherited from its predecessor, Krish OMara Vignarajah, the president of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said in a statement.

The refugee system is only one of several ways that displaced people can apply to live in the United States. People crossing the border can apply for asylum if they can prove they would be persecuted at home. And in special circumstances, the United States government can grant parole to people from other countries, a legal tool that allows migrants entry but does not give them the right to pursue a green card or citizenship.

That is what Mr. Bidens administration did in the cases of refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. Tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan were paroled into the United States temporarily after the Biden administration withdrew American forces from the country. A similar process was used for tens of thousands of people fleeing Russian forces in Ukraine.

But those people do not count against the renewed 125,000-person cap because they are not formally considered refugees. They will not receive financial benefits reserved for official refugees, and they will not be able to pursue citizenship.
ALPHARETTA, Ga.  Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia appeared at a campaign event on Tuesday afternoon for his counterpart in Georgia, Brian Kemp, helping to bolster Governor Kemps re-election pitch to voters.

The event, in Alpharettas idyllic town center, brought out more than 200 conservative voters from around Georgia, several with hats, T-shirts and signs bearing Mr. Kemps campaign logo. In his speech, Mr. Youngkin pressed for conservative voters to turn out en masse on Election Day and pointed out the competitive politics of the two Republican governors states.

Mr. Youngkin also focused on the issues that helped him get elected. Education and the economy, he said, represent the failed policy of the progressive liberals.

We all know that it has failed, Mr. Youngkin said. This is not a Republican view. This is an American view.
The C.I.A. issued a vague warning in June to a number of European nations, including Germany, that the two Nord Stream gas pipelines that carry natural gas from Russia could be targeted in forthcoming attacks, three senior officials familiar with the intelligence said on Tuesday.

The warning was not specific, the officials said, and they declined to say whether Russia itself was identified as a possible attacker. American officials said that while it appeared likely that the damage to the pipelines was the result of sabotage, they had reached no conclusion about who might have been responsible. Both pipelines suffered a sudden loss of pressure and released gas into the sea, European officials reported, and the chances that both suffered accidents nearly simultaneously seem low.

The German publication Der Spiegel was the first to report that the U.S. had provided what intelligence officials call strategic warning of a possible attack  a warning that came with no specifics about the likely time or place or manner of a potential strike.

The C.I.A. declined to comment on the warning.

The Biden administration, which in the run-up to the war often accused Russia of planning attacks on Ukraine, was careful on Tuesday not to blame Moscow  or anyone else. At a White House news briefing on Tuesday, Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary, said she was not going to speculate on the cause of this.
Moscow then began diminishing its supplies through existing lines, first choking off flows through overland pipelines, as President Vladimir V. Putin appeared to calculate that Russia could absorb the resulting economic pain longer than Europe could. Over the summer, Nord Stream 1 operated at a fraction of its capacity, and the flow halted in late August. The escalation has sent the price of gas soaring and forced leaders to call on businesses and citizens to reduce consumption or face rationing in the winter.

Reflecting the markets sensitivity to threats, perceived or real, natural gas prices in Europe spiked on news of the leaks, with the benchmark Dutch contract jumping almost 20 percent on Tuesday to 208 euros ($199) per megawatt-hour, compared with about 39 a year earlier. Gas prices, which have been volatile since the war began, peaked at nearly 350 in August but had been falling in recent weeks.

This has all the hallmarks of a burning down the house energy warfare strategy, Helima Croft, head of commodities at RBC Capital Markets, said of the likely attacks. Russia was never going to let the West have an easy energy detox, but these acts of sabotage portend a new dangerous, asymmetric phase in the Kremlin campaign to raise the economic stakes for its adversaries.

The 27 European Union member countries agreed in July to cut natural gas use by 15 percent through the spring, and have arranged alternative supplies, allowing them to build up their stockpiles. The governments in Denmark and Germany both said on Tuesday that the leaks would not affect natural gas supplies in their countries.

It would be no simple matter to inflict damage on both of the Nord Streams, each of which is actually two pipelines. Lying more than 300 feet below the surface in places, the steel pipes are coated in concrete, designed to withstand the pressures at such depths, as well as changes in internal pressure on the 760-mile journey from Russia to Germany. They were subject to numerous stress tests and certification before being laid on the sea floor.

Swedish scientists said on Tuesday they had recorded two separate large underwater explosions, several hours apart on Monday, near the Danish island of Bornholm, that registered 1.8 and 2.3 on the magnitude scale used to measure earthquakes. They resembled explosions carried out by the Swedish Navy, said Bjorn Lund, associate professor of seismology at the Swedish National Seismic Network.

Its very clear that these were not earthquakes, Mr. Lund said in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Operators of each of the two systems, independently of each other, soon after reported drops in pressure within the pipelines.
KYIV, Ukraine  The four days of stage-managed referendums on joining Russia in occupied parts of Ukraine wrapped up on Tuesday, as pro-Moscow officials used raw intimidation tactics, including armed men in ski masks at polling stations, Orwellian messaging and thinly attended festivities to influence the vote.

The referendums were intended to be a show of democracy by Russia, and even though most Western leaders dismissed them as a sham, they are likely to have chilling consequences. The purported results claimed the great majority of residents had voted to join Russia, giving the Kremlin a rationale to formally announce annexation as soon as this week.

The Russian state news media was reporting what it described as results showing enormous levels of support for joining Russia in four occupied territories. Tass, the Russian news agency, reported 92.68 percent in favor in Zaporizhzhia, 86 percent in Kherson in the south, and 93.95 percent in Donetsk and 98.53 in Luhansk in the east.

Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, told the U.N. Security Council that Russia was staging sham referendums that were an effort to erase the norms of international law.
KYIV, Ukraine  The Kremlin has dispatched still more forces to shore up its faltering war effort, but the units are headed not to Ukraine but to Russias borders with other countries, where on Tuesday they were confronting young Russian men trying to join an exodus out of the country.

As the avenues for Russians to escape a draft order issued last week narrowed, the Federal Security Service sent armored vehicles to the frontiers, where some men waiting to flee were being served military call-up papers, the state news media reported.

The rush to the borders began within hours of President Vladimir V. Putins announcement last week of a military call-up affecting hundreds of thousands of Russians, and the flow has gotten only bigger since then. Though the Kremlin dismissed reports that it may soon forbid nearly all military-age men from leaving the country, many Russians were taking no chances.
Sonia Handelman Meyer, whose memorable black and white street photography around New York City in the 1940s and 1950s reflected her training at the Photo League, a left-leaning collective of photographers who believed their work could change poor social conditions, died on Sept. 11 at her home in Charlotte, N.C. She was 102, having enjoyed a late-life rediscovery of her work in the last 15 years.

Her son, Joe Meyer, confirmed the death.

Ms. Handelman Meyer joined the progressive New York-based Photo League in 1943, learning about socially engaged photography in workshops from one of its founders, Sid Grossman, and other teachers. She soon began making her way around the city with her Rolleicord camera, unobtrusively capturing the humanity of ordinary people doing ordinary things.

In Spanish Harlem, she found a forlorn little girl shyly standing atop a stoop; a group of teenagers, one of whom stared her down; and three boys who affected tough guy poses after chasing her down the street demanding that she photograph them.

In Manhattan, she photographed three Black men, including a police officer, grimly watching an anti-lynching protest in 1946 after two Black couples were killed in Georgia.
Russian soldiers are going door to door forcing people to vote to join Russia and so because of that, 97 percent of the vote has been pro-Putin. Yeah, but I mean, lets be honest  I mean, these voters have a choice' in the same way we have a choice to not accept cookies on that website, you know? Yeah its like, what? So what, if I click no can I not see how child stars have aged? What kind of a choice is that?  TREVOR NOAH

You know my question is, who the hell is the 3 percent? No, Im really impressed by this. Who had the balls to still vote against Putin while his soldiers watched them mark their ballots? Who was there and just like, Yes, I have voted  for yo mama!  TREVOR NOAH

And honestly, like why do they even go through all of this, huh? Like going door to door, making everyone sign [expletive] just so you can do whatever are you already doing anyway. I mean, it is one thing to conquer a town and blow up their buildings but to make them do paperwork? There is evil and then theres evil.  TREVOR NOAH
Valerie Maynard, a Harlem-bred artist whose sculptures and prints explored the complexity, but also the humanity, of Black identity while tackling racism in the civil rights and apartheid eras and beyond, died on Sept. 19 in Baltimore. She was 85.

The writer Alexis De Veaux, a longtime friend, said she died of cardiac arrhythmia in a hospital.

While Ms. Maynard, who was aligned with Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 70s, explored various mediums and materials over a six-decade career, her work was consistently unflinching in its social commentary. It mined the historical legacies of oppression, both at home and abroad, while also celebrating the joy in the African American cultural experience and the beauty of the Black visage and form.

This is art that summons, that creates what should be and disassembles what should not, Toni Morrison wrote in the introduction to Lost and Found, a limited-edition 1989 portfolio of Ms. Maynards lithographs. That portfolio was part of No Apartheid, a celebrated series of more than 250 works using spray-painted acrylic that Ms. Maynard produced in the 1980s and 90s. The medium is dream, Ms. Morrison added, but the power is magic.

Ms. Morrison, Stevie Wonder and Lena Horne were among the notables who purchased Ms. Maynards work. Her sculptures were also seen in If Beale Street Could Talk, Barry Jenkinss 2018 film adaptation of the 1974 novel by Ms. Maynards longtime friend James Baldwin.
When Frederick Douglass arrived in Rome, the city, at first, was disappointing. In his mind, Rome was its glorious past, its imposing ruins, its magnificent Colosseum, not the contemporary Rome that he unexpectedly found before him and that was not in the guidebooks he had read. Nevertheless, during his sojourn  described in the 1892 edition of Life and Times of Frederick Douglass  Rome managed, as it always does, to win his heart.

Today, many visitors share his initial feeling. The signs, the lights, the chaos and the traffic of contemporary Rome can grate at travelers. But my advice to those who visit is to go beyond your expectations. Rome is like a wedding cake, made of different layers and stories. Theres the cream, and theres the sponge cake. Theres the Rome of the Caesars, the Rome of the Popes, the Rome of the artists.

There is also a Rome that speaks of the colonialism that Italy imposed on Africa. Think, for example, of the Dogali Obelisk. Located between the Termini station, the citys main railway junction, and the Piazza della Repubblica, on the smallest of the seven hills on which historical Rome is built, it is an ancient Egyptian piece to which a base was added to make a monument that glorifies the Italian soldiers who fell in a battle during the countrys colonial expansion in East Africa.

We find colonial traces in the names of streets as well. The square in front of the Termini station is called the Piazza dei Cinquecento, or the Piazza of the Five Hundred, also in honor of the same fallen Italian soldiers in Dogali, which is in present-day Eritrea. Today, some people  especially supporters of the feminist movements that in Italy have also joined the fight against racism  recall that there were many more Africans killed during that colonial effort, and argue that the piazza should be rebaptized the Piazza of the Five Hundred Thousand to remember them as well.
The trade groups are claiming that the C.F.P.B. overstepped the bounds of its duties when it added discrimination and disparate impact as categories to its regular exams of banks and other lenders under a provision in the Dodd-Frank financial regulation law that bars banks from engaging in unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices.

The law was not supposed to cover discrimination, they say, and the newly added categories are raising the costs of complying with it by forcing banks to document in new ways the effects their products are having on different groups and, in some cases, pay for lawyers to deal with C.F.P.B. officials asking questions about their products.

On top of that, the groups say, Mr. Chopra made the change without first proposing it publicly and listening to feedback, as is the norm. He simply updated the examination manual that banks and their regulators use as a rubric for assessing their compliance with the law. And Mr. Chopra has strictly prohibited the banks from talking publicly about their run-ins with the C.F.P.B. on the matter, a gag order they say is doubly unfair.

The C.F.P.B. treats the entire process as producing confidential information that belongs to the agency, the banking groups said in the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Tyler, Texas. Banks cant discuss the regulators action against them without the prior written permission of the director, according to the lawsuit.

By any name, this is regulation without any opportunity for public scrutiny and typifies the C.F.P.B.s transparency and accountability problems, the lawsuit said.
Two years later, in his own Giving Pledge letter, Mr. Jewett sounded full of enthusiasm. I am married to one of the most generous and kind people I know  and joining her in a commitment to pass on an enormous financial wealth to serve others, he wrote.

Yet he also noted that he had not previously considered making any kind of public statement about his charitable priorities because he had never sought to gather the kind of wealth required to feel like saying such a thing would have particular meaning.

As recently as last week, according to the Internet Archives Wayback Machine, which preserves old versions of web pages, his letter was still twinned with hers on the site, accompanied by a photo of the two of them looking as though they were out for a hike together. Today there is just a headshot of Ms. Scott, along with her letter.

Ms. Scott has refused to speak publicly about her giving, declining repeated interview requests from news organizations including The New York Times. Her lawyer did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. Attempts to reach Mr. Jewett through friends, family and former colleagues and at an address associated with him in Seattle were unsuccessful. His lawyer declined, through a legal assistant, to comment on the divorce.

Ms. Scott made her charitable announcements in long posts on Medium that listed the names of organizations that received billions of dollars cumulatively.

Last month, Ms. Scott gave two homes in Beverly Hills, valued at a combined $55 million, to the California Community Foundation. The foundations affordable housing grant-making functions will receive 90 percent of the value of the properties. Mr. Jewetts name, which had been in recent gift announcements, was nowhere in the news release.

The Health Forward Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., announced on Tuesday that it had received a $15 million gift from Ms. Scott. The Episcopal Health Foundation in Houston also recently announced that it had received a $20 million grant from Ms. Scott. Neither announcement mentioned Mr. Jewett.
This article is part of Upstart, a series about companies harnessing new science and technology to solve challenges in their industries.

Simmone Taitt had a romanticized notion of her journey to motherhood  ups and downs, sure, but an overall beautiful experience. Then she had a miscarriage. What happened next changed the way she thought about compassionate health care, and inspired her to found a start-up, Poppy Seed Health, that aimed to support women the way she wished she had been supported.

According to Ms. Taitt, during a prenatal appointment the doctor couldnt find a heartbeat. She looked at me and said that my body had terminated the pregnancy, which was a dagger to the heart, she said. Its normal and happens all the time, Mrs. Taitt recalls the doctor saying. I will see you in a few months when you start trying again  and she left the room.

That was the extent of the support Ms. Taitt received. I gathered my things, she said. I was crying. I was devastated, and that was the most emotionally insensitive and shocking thing for me to hear.
The word recalcitrant has appeared in 49 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on June 27 in The Wild History of the Real Only Murders Building by Penelope Green:

Fans of the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building know the building at the center of the drama as the Arconia, where Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez play an unlikely trio of residents who become amateur sleuths with a podcast. But the Renaissance-style apartment building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan is actually called the Belnord, and it has been making headlines for more than a century. . The buildings owner, Lillian Seril, would earn the dubious distinction of being one of the citys worst landlords: By all accounts, she was both litigious and recalcitrant, refusing to fix even the simplest issues, but energetic enough to sue not only her tenants but also the landlord association that threw her out for not paying her dues. (Tenants recalled buying their own refrigerators and sneaking them in with the help of sympathetic building staff, because Mrs. Seril would not allow their broken appliances to be repaired or replaced.)

Daily Word Challenge

Can you correctly use the word recalcitrant in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using todays Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the words definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the Recommend button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how recalcitrant can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.
My name comes from a language I cant speak. My mother, who grew up in Cotabato City in the southern Philippines, knows five languages, including Tagalog (taught at school), Ilocano (from her parents), a mash-up of Ilonggo and Cebuano (from the housekeepers) and Chabacano (from the neighbors). But English is the only one we share.

We didnt eat much Filipino food at home when I was a child in Honolulu, beyond chicken adobo and, on special occasions, leche flan with its pooling caramel. My father, a pubkeepers son from Liverpool, England, was the cook; when my mother arrived in the United States as a bride, armed with a degree in chemistry, she didnt even know how to make rice. She planned to name me Anne-Marie, then found out that my father, without consulting her, had written Ligaya on my birth certificate: in Tagalog, happiness. (Ligaya is also the title of a 1993 hit by the Filipino rock band Eraserheads, with the infamous line Gagawin ko ang lahat pati ang thesis mo, which translates as Ill do everything for you, even your thesis, a declaration of love that perhaps makes sense only in a culture so insistent on the pursuit of education.)

We all talked at once. We ate plate after plate.

I moved to New York with a handful of Filipino words  essentials, like salamat (thank you), kanin (cooked rice) and ay nako (sometimes oh my, sometimes just an exasperated sigh). I used to joke that my mother could always find another Filipino, wherever she was, and within minutes theyd be fast friends. Inevitably theyd turn out to be distantly related; the cousins multiplied. But if I heard Tagalog in my new city, it was only in passing. Id see Filipinos on the street and feel like an impostor. Did they see me, too?
Fourteen guards at New Jerseys only prison for women were indicted Tuesday in connection with a violent 2021 midnight raid that left two women with serious injuries.

The officers charged include a former top supervisor at the prison, Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, a troubled institution the Justice Department found two years ago was plagued by sexual violence.

Gov. Philip D. Murphy announced last year that he planned to close the prison and relocate women to smaller lockups, an indication that the problems highlighted first by federal inspectors investigating years of sexual abuse at the prison, and later by state officials looking into the raid, were beyond repair.

The indictments, handed up Tuesday by a state grand jury, stem from the Jan. 11, 2021, raid, in which correction officers in riot gear entered several cells to forcibly remove women, some of whom were suspected of throwing feces and urine at guards, according to the New Jersey attorney generals office.
The trouble began for Mr. Adame last December, when someone took screenshots of him during one of those sessions. The photos appeared on the message boards of LPSG, a website that says it forbids revenge porn but where users nonetheless post nude pictures of other people without their knowledge or consent.

Those pictures were sent to his employer in March, but in the following months Mr. Adame said he realized whoever took the pictures had been secretly recording him for some time. By the end of the summer, several different batches of photos had been sent to his employer and to his mother.

On Monday, he filed a legal proceeding under the provisions of New York Civil Rights Law that covers revenge porn, seeking to compel the parent company of LPSG to provide him with identifying information about people who posted his pictures, so that he might pursue a criminal complaint or lawsuit.

Mr. Adame asked Spectrum to give him the email address it received his pictures from, but he said they have not yet done so. A lawyer for the parent company of LPSG, Lawrence G. Walters, said the company would comply with the subpoena sent by Mr. Adame if and when it is approved by the court.

Mr. Walters said his client, which is based in Europe, had assisted Mr. Adame on several occasions with his requests to remove user-posted gossip about the incident and links to the content.

Mr. Adame said he told his employer the pictures were taken without his consent, that he was in treatment for his compulsive behavior, and that he stopped using webcam sites in December 2021. Spectrum accepted his explanation, he said, but told him it might be forced to take action if new pictures emerged or if he continued to use webcam sites.

I think a lot of us have things  for some people, they turn to food or whatever thing they do that is somewhat compulsive or they think they do too much of, Mr. Adame said. For me it was going on a webcam.
New Yorks exams  which all third- through eighth-grade students are typically asked to take during the spring  represent a broad window into how city children in particular have held up since the disruption began, though testing experts have cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions from the data.

The big question for New York will be what kind of information can they provide to the public about differences in the tested population from one time period to the next? said James Kemple, the executive director of New York Universitys Research Alliance for New York City Schools. Frankly, its probably more likely to be of use as a baseline going forward than a comparison with past history.

The format and rigor of the state tests have undergone major changes over the past two decades, making longer-term comparisons next to impossible. This years results, for example, do not offer insight into how current students are doing compared with children in the late 2000s or even the mid-2010s.

But the relatively comparable 2018 and 2019 tests show gaps have remained steady between Black and Hispanic students and their white and Asian American peers. Three years ago, there was a roughly 38-percentage-point gap between the pass rates of Black and white students on the math exam. The difference held this year.

Overall, about 21 percent of New York Citys Black students and 23 percent of Hispanic students passed this years math exam, compared with 59 percent of white students and 68 percent of Asian American students.

The pass rates for each group were more than six points lower than for pupils in 2019, with Hispanic students scoring nearly 10 points lower. Eighth grade students saw the biggest decline: Their scores were 11 points lower than those of children in the same grade three years ago.

Education experts have said teaching more challenging math concepts remotely can be tough, while families may be more active in helping their children keep up with reading at home.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has expanded her commanding lead over Representative Lee Zeldin, her Republican challenger in the New York race for governor, according to a Siena College poll released on Wednesday that showed her leading by 17 percentage points.

The poll suggested that Ms. Hochul, a Democrat from Buffalo vying for her first full term, has improved her standing among voters since a Siena College survey in August that had her up by 14 points.

With six weeks until Election Day, Ms. Hochul has held a comfortable lead in most public polls, buoyed by a seemingly insurmountable fund-raising edge that has allowed her to spend freely on television ads attacking Mr. Zeldin over the past few weeks.

The poll was but the latest indication of the uphill battle that Mr. Zeldin faces to capture the governors office in New York, where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans two to one. The state hasnt elected a Republican governor since George E. Pataki, who left office in 2006.
A New Jersey-based bank accused by the Justice Department of redlining to avoid making loans in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods agreed on Wednesday to create a $12 million homeownership fund, in one of the largest federal settlements of its kind.

Lakeland Bank admitted no wrongdoing as part of a consent decree brokered by the U.S. Department of Justice, which had been investigating the banks lending practices between 2015 and last year. But Lakeland has agreed to open two new branches, including one in Newark, and to increase mortgage lending in underserved communities of color in three northern New Jersey counties.

The agreement with Lakeland follows similar settlements negotiated in the past year by the Justice Department with lending institutions in Houston, Memphis and Philadelphia, and is believed to be the third largest of its kind. Only a $25 million settlement with New Jersey-based Hudson City Savings Bank in 2015 and an $18 million settlement with Trident Mortgage involving redlining in the Philadelphia area in July were larger.

We hope that this settlement sends a strong message regarding our commitment to ending redlining across the nation, Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights, said in announcing the agreement.
With a slightly different spin of the wheel, Ms. Thomas might have wound up a public figure in her own right, out picking fights and spreading chaos in the mold of Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert. Back in 1986, as a young lawyer fighting against policies like maternity leave and comparable worth, she was named one of 28 young women of promise by Good Housekeeping. At the time, she expressed a desire to run for Congress. But the next year she married Clarence, and his subsequent appointment to the Supreme Court scrambled her trajectory. Im kind of stuck here, she told The Wall Street Journal in 1997, when asked about her youthful congressional dreams.

Instead, Ms. Thomas has for decades operated in a kind of gray zone: Her professional identity and influence are not wholly defined by her husband, but they are inextricably bound up in his importance. She has endeavored to make the most of a tricky situation. And without question, she has been helped by  and she has capitalized on  the shift in her party toward its right wing. For Ginni Thomas could not be Ginni Thomas without the mainstreaming of conspiracy culture and heavy-duty grievancemongering in the G.O.P.

Ms. Thomas has long been one to get swept up in the passion of causes and movements. In her early years in Washington, she joined the Lifespring self-help craze, which many people criticized as a cult. She eventually extracted herself from the group and went on to become an anti-cult activist.

During the Obama era, she threw herself into the Tea Party revolution with gusto, cultivating connections and credibility with the partys angry populist wing. When Mr. Trump came to power, she threw herself even harder into the MAGAverse  which is more a cult of personality than a political movement.

Ms. Thomas goes in for sharp-edge partisanship and evil-libs-are-destroying-America demagogy. Finding so many like-minded warriors in Mr. Trumps Republican Party freed her up to really let her freak flag fly.

During his presidency, she would approach administration officials about people she thought should be fired or hired. She would occasionally pop in to visit with Mr. Trump at the White House. For one formal sit-down, she brought along a bunch of her conservative allies for what inexplicably morphed into part gripe fest  with attacks on everyone from transgender people to Republican congressional leaders to members of Mr. Trumps administration  and part quasi-prayer session.

Much like Mr. Trump, she took to social media with a vengeance, pushing out lib-bashing memes and other partisan red meat. Her efforts to meddle in the 2020 election were merely the high point  or, rather, low point  in a long and tireless career of crusading.

Not that Ms. Thomass work is finished. The MAGAfied Republican Party is one in which her most outrageous views and behavior are ever more at home. This does not seem to trouble her extremely powerful husband or much of her party  at least not enough for anyone to seriously consider holding her accountable. Given all this, the most disturbing question we really should be looking to clarify may be: What on earth will she get up to next?

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Growing up in southern Iran and Southern California, I had the pleasure of having a father who loved to tell stories about his childhood in Iran. Most of his stories were funny, but there was one that always brought him to the brink of tears.

Of course, he never cried; he always changed the subject right at the breaking point. It was the story of his oldest sister, Sedigeh, the smartest sibling in their large family. Because she was a girl, she was married at 16, which was not unusual for Iranian society in the 1930s. Despite her intellectual curiosity, she never had a chance to finish school. My father made it clear to me that he considered this to be a crime. My aunt Sedigeh, now 99 and blind, made the most of her life, raised four successful sons who married strong women and raised successful children. As much as she relished her family, the rest of us wondered what she could have done with her life had she been given the freedom to prosper like her brothers, all of whom became doctors or engineers.

But even my aunt Sedigeh, with all the limitations forced upon her, did not as a young woman have to wear a hijab, the head cover that was made compulsory by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The hijab has not always been a part of Iranian culture. Pictures of Tehran in the 1960s and 70s show women wearing Jackie Kennedy-inspired dresses, short sleeves and miniskirts. But more important than their freedom to dress as they wished, Sedigehs generation witnessed the rise of women throughout Iranian society, in law, education and medicine, to name a few fields.
To the Editor:

Re But Can She Cure Her Ailing Heart? (Science Times, Sept. 20), about a rural doctor who developed a heart condition brought on by her work:

As a primary care doctor, I was particularly moved by the story about Dr. Kimberly Becher and felt heartbroken that she had to largely leave her practice. Unfortunately, it is a familiar scene. But rather than describe her experience as burnout, as though this circumstance were a failing of Dr. Bechers, the better description is overworked, an egregious failing of the system.

In the past 15 years, the practice of primary care has nurtured the potential for moral and physical injury for practitioners unable to practice at the pace required by the systems that employ us. Every day we must choose between working according to our professional standards or taking care of ourselves, potentially failing at both.

Many factors  including heavy caseloads, the electronic health record and a slew of administrative responsibilities  have lengthened our workdays, and fewer providers are now willing to practice outpatient medicine.

Healthy communities require sufficient numbers of primary care providers who, in turn, require far more support and resources than are currently available, to all our detriment.
If the recent rout in the stock market has you drastically cutting back your retirement spending plans, it probably means that you were counting too much on ever-rising asset prices. But a new research paper suggests that spending less at advanced ages is not necessarily a sign of failure to plan. Even people who plan perfectly do it.

Lets back up for a minute. The notion that your spending should be consistent over your lifetime is known as consumption smoothing, an economic concept developed by Milton Friedman, Franco Modigliani, Robert Hall and others. The core idea is simple: No amount of luxurious living at age 60 compensates for living in penury at 25 or 85. So you should borrow when youre young, save and pay off debts during your peak earning years and then spend down your savings in old age. If you do it right, you will enjoy an even standard of living throughout your adult life.

But theres one obvious difficulty with consumption smoothing, which is that you dont know how long youre going to live. A level of consumption that would work perfectly if you live to 85 could leave you destitute if you live an additional 10 years.

One need hardly be reminded that your expiration date is in most cases unknowable, Menahem Yaari, an Israeli economist, wrote in an article in The Review of Economic Studies in 1965. Yaari recommended decreasing your consumption level a little bit every year you stay alive. That regular updating strikes a balance between leaving too much money behind if you die young and running out prematurely if you live long.
Hazony replied by email that the statement is intended

to permit a public life rooted in Christianity and its moral vision in those parts of the United States in which a majority of voters support such a public culture. This is in keeping with our endorsement of the federalist principle in Clause 3. There are many states in the United States where no such majority exists, and the Statement of Principles does not envision using the national government to impose such a public life on those states. The point is to return church and state issues to the states to be resolved through the democratic process.

In her March 2022 paper, Illiberalism: a conceptual introduction, Marlene Laruelle, a professor of international affairs and the director of the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at George Washington University, provides a four-part definition of the term:

Illiberalism is a new ideological universe that, even if doctrinally fluid and context-based, is to some degree coherent; it represents a backlash against todays liberalism in all its varied scripts  political, economic, cultural, geopolitical, civilizational  often in the name of democratic principles; it proposes solutions that are majoritarian, nation-centric or sovereigntist, favoring traditional hierarchies and cultural homogeneity; and it calls for a shift from politics to culture and is post-post-modern in its claims of rootedness in an age of globalization.

Laruelle argues that there are significant differences between illiberalism and conservatism as it has been traditionally understood:

The key element that dissociates illiberalism from conservatism is its relationship to political liberalism. Classical conservatives  such as the Christian Democrats in Europe or the Republican Party in the U.S. before Donald Trump  are/were fervent supporters of political rights and constitutionalism, while illiberalism challenges them. For classical conservatives, the political order is a reflection of the natural and family order, and therefore commands some submission to it. For illiberals, todays political order is the enemy of the natural order and should be fought against.

In a 2021 Wall Street Journal op-ed, Why America Needs National Conservatism, Christopher DeMuth, president from 1986 through 2008 of the mainstream Republican American Enterprise Institute and now chairman of the National Conservative Conference, reinforces Laruelles point: When the American left was liberal and reformist, conservatives played our customary role as moderators of change. We too breathed the air of liberalism, and there are always things that could stand a little reforming. But, DeMuth continued, todays woke progressivism isnt reformist. It seeks not to build on the past but to promote instability, to turn the world upside-down.

The doctrines of progressivism have resulted, DeMuth argues, in

mayhem and misery at an open national border. Riot and murder in lawless city neighborhoods. Political indoctrination of schoolchildren. Government by executive ukase. Shortages throughout the worlds richest economy. Suppression of religion and private association. Regulation of everyday language  complete with contrived redefinitions of familiar words and ritual recantations for offenders.

How deep is the reservoir of support that national conservatism can tap into? The striking pattern in polling data shows that over the years from 2017 to the present, Trump, despite all his liabilities, has retained a consistent favorability rating, ranging from 41 to 46 percent of the electorate, a base that appears virtually immovable.

Arlie Hochschild, a professor of sociology at Berkeley and the author of Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right, has been interviewing voters in Eastern Kentuckys Appalachia since 2018, exploring the reasons behind this unwavering loyalty.

I asked her about the prospects of illiberalism in this country and she replied by email: We should keep a close eye on the sense of grievance stored up almost as a springboard within the word stolen.  The background to this, Hochschild argued,

is that blue-collar, rural/small town  especially white and male  have since the l970s been the losers of globalization, and the two parties now represent two economies. To this demographic, economic loss is compounded with a loss of fallback sources of honor  gender, sexuality, race  for white heterosexual males these, too, seem under attack. This is the deep story of Stop the Steal, and they see reality through that story.

The story does not end there. Hochschild continued:

The right believes that it is the left, not the right, that is moving toward fascism. Inside the right wing mind today freedom is threatened by the left. Political correctness a form of thought control. The left controls the media. The F.B.I. is scanning Facebook to hunt down patriots in Washington. So, ironically, they see themselves as brave upholders of freedom, democracy, civil liberties. They arent saying we want strong totalitarian control so we get to impose our values on others. They see themselves as the victims of this control and Trump as their liberator from that control.

Still, national conservatism faces significant hurdles. For example, Hochschild pointed out, this country recently saw a dramatic change in the Kansas electorate: In the days after the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision leaked, Kansans turned out in record numbers in the primary and delivered a victory for abortion rights, a win fueled by Democrats out registering Republicans by 9 points since the Dobbs decision was announced, with a staggering 70 percent of all new registrants being women.

How dangerous, then, is Americas current right populist movement?

Tait, the historian of conservatism, is cautious in addressing this question, noting that national conservatism seems to represent something new in that it seems to explicitly depart from liberalism instead of reproducing it in a compromised, conservative way. He described the Edmund Burke Foundations Statement of Principles as

an effort at a mature, sanitized post-Trumpism. But a great many of the guardrails of constitutional liberalism and fusionist conservatism have been undermined and we may see a politics less constrained by liberal constitutional norms and rules. Likewise, the actors prominent in this space are less constrained by right-wing respectability politics, including Ron DeSantis and Josh Hawley.

Damon Linker, a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center, sees a strong parallel between trends in the United States and the illiberal developments in Europe. Referring to the recent election in Italy, Linker posted What just happened in Italy? on his Sept. 26 substack, Eyes on the Right, arguing that

Were left with a picture of a country in which the center-left is supported mainly by the educated, secular, and professional classes, while the right appeals to a cross-section of the rest of the country  the working class as well as the middle and upper-middle classes, along with the religiously pious and the large numbers of Italians who treat religion as a symbol or identity-marker without actually believing in or practicing it.

If that sounds familiar, Linker continued,

thats because similar things have been happening in many places over the past decade. The precise political results of these shifts have varied from country to country as theyve interacted with different electoral systems, but the underlying trends in public opinion can be seen to a greater or lesser extent in France, Great Britain, the United States, and other countries. In each case, the center-left has gone into decline with the center-right and anti-liberal populist right rising to take its place. Until the center-left figures out a way to win back the working- and middle-class, as well as the nominally religious, it will continue to lose precious political ground to the populist and nationalist right.

William Galston, a senior fellow at Brookings, points out in an essay, What Is National Conservatism? The movement could be the future of the American right, that Two of illiberalisms most important intellectuals, political theorists Yoram Hazony and Patrick Deneen, have mounted a frontal attack on the entire individualist, rights-based liberal political tradition that they trace back to John Locke. In Eastern Europe, this critique resonates, Galston continued, but it does create a problem for the United States where, historians inspired by Louis Hartz have argued, political liberalism is our tradition.

National conservatives, Galston argued,
Mention the ocean, and its hard not to think of jaws. The deep waters contain many tooth-lined mouths: the bear-trap maws of sharks and dolphins, the slack lips of shoaling and reef fish, the baleen-filter gape of enormous whales. Jawed fish eventually crawled out of the seas millions of years ago and gave rise to the jawboning vertebrates we are today.

But when did such an evolutionary innovation arise? A pair of fossil beds discovered in Southern China suggest that the answer may lie tens of millions of years deeper into the past than previously thought. The findings  which include beautifully preserved new species of early fish, the oldest-known vertebrate teeth and a lot of fish with armor  were published Wednesday across four papers in Nature.

This is a step change in where were thinking about these events in the chronology of vertebrate evolution, said Matt Friedman, a paleontologist at the University of Michigan who was not involved in the research but wrote a perspective article that accompanied the Nature papers.
LONDON  Burberry has named Daniel Lee as its new chief creative officer. After months of speculation, the news came less than 48 hours after a runway show from the Italian designer Riccardo Tisci  a collection that proved to be his swan song with the British luxury house.

The appointment, announced Wednesday, marks the return of a British designer to the top of Britains largest luxury brand by sales. The company reported 2.8 billion pounds (now, $3 billion) in revenue for the year ended April 2. It is also the most dramatic change to the house under its new chief executive, Jonathan Akeroyd.

Mr. Lee, 36, was most recently creative director of Bottega Veneta from 2018 until 2021, when his abrupt departure from the Italian label that he had transformed into a hit machine shocked the fashion world, raising eyebrows. His appointment at Burberry comes six months after the arrival of Mr. Akeroyd, as Burberry looks to reposition itself following the muted success under Mr. Tisci and its former chief executive, Marco Gobbetti (a fellow Italian).

Mr. Lee, who was born in Bradford in the north of England, will join Burberry on Monday and oversee all Burberry collections, according to a statement from the brand. He is to present his debut runway collection for Burberry during London Fashion Week in February.
PARIS  This fashion week, Philippe Vasset, editor in chief of Glitz Paris, isnt expecting any front-row seats. His new feather-ruffling publication, however, probably will show up in a few.

Glitz, a digital newsletter focused on exposing the inner workings of the luxury business, is scheduled to debut officially on Thursday, published weekly in French and in English. But during the Paris shows it also is to appear in print, handed out free of charge near selected fashion venues. And posters for an introductory advertising campaign already are plastered on kiosks all over the city.

Brands are on notice.

Luxury, and fashion in particular, is a brand-new world for Mr. Vasset, 50, who dresses more like a disheveled Left Bank intellectual than a cashmere-clad clotheshorse. Since 1999 he has been reporting on the shadowy world of intelligence and other hard-core subjects like mining for Glitzs parent company, Indigo Publications. He also he briefly spent some of his early working career as a corporate detective.

Our publications are focused on closed worlds, and the threshold to getting information and getting into those worlds is very high, he said during an interview at Indigos headquarters, a suite of offices in the Second Arrondissement with slate-gray accent walls, armchairs in acid yellow and stools in magenta. The decor included both a vintage Olivetti typewriter and a crimson Godfather movie poster with the line, Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
Googles search engine looks a little different these days. Results pages are now often filled with shopping items, maps, news articles, information bulletins and ads before people can scroll to lists of results  the blue links that became synonymous with the service.

On Wednesday, at an event called Search On in San Jose, Calif., Google executives signaled that the search engine would keep up with Silicon Valleys latest trends, continuing the companys march away from text queries and results to become more focused on images and immersive material.

When people look up vacation destinations, for example, they will see what Google calls visual forward search results  organized tiles of photographs presented much like Stories on Snapchat or Instagram, along with a map and images from travel sites that link to guides.
Global Confucius Institute Day celebrated in Vietnam

Xinhua) 11:00, September 28, 2022

Two Vietnamese students try traditional Chinese painting at Hanoi University in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Shengxiong)

HANOI, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A series of activities were held at Hanoi University in the Vietnamese capital from Sunday to Tuesday to celebrate the Chinese Culture Week and the Global Confucius Institute Day.

Co-hosted by the Confucius Institute at Hanoi University and Duxiu Bookstore at Hanoi University, the activities included contests of writing Chinese characters among Vietnamese students, a number of cultural experience subjects, and an art performance.

Le Chi Nghia from Hanoi and Do Thi Huyen Trang from the northern city of Hai Phong won the university students' and high school students' Chinese character writing contests, respectively.

Luo Jun, a principal of the Confucius Institute at Hanoi University, told Xinhua that the growing economic, trade and cultural exchanges between China and Vietnam had raised the standard for nurturing talent in the Chinese language, and the contests could both show the students' capability and the quality of the Chinese language education among Vietnamese students.

Over the three days, over 1,500 students and people from all walks of life participated in the cultural experience subjects at Hanoi University, such as traditional Chinese painting, paper cutting, and hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group. An art performance was held on Tuesday afternoon to culminate the event.

Le Thi Thanh Tam, a Vietnamese student who was admitted to Fujian Normal University, took part in the activities wearing hanfu, and told Xinhua that although she had watched a number of Chinese series set in ancient times, it was her first try of hanfu, and she felt excited as if she was taken back to those times.

The first Global Confucius Institute Day was observed in Vietnam on Sept. 27, 2014.

The prize-winners of a Chinese characters writing contest for Vietnamese university students pose for photos with the organizers of the contest and representatives of teachers at Hanoi University in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 25, 2022. (Confucius Institute at Hanoi University/Handout via Xinhua)

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
MANZINI - SNUS deputy secretary general (SG) has been arrested for allegedly raping an eight-year-old pupil from one of the local schools in Manzini where he is posted as a student teacher.

SNUS is an acronym for Swaziland National Union of Students. Ayanda Mncedisi Mhlongo (28) of Mganwini has been arrested together with Bukiwe Simelane (18) of Mganwini, and the former faces a charge under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act and the Pharmacy Act. His co-accused (Simelane) shared the latter charge of the Pharmacy Act.

It has been alleged that the deputy secretary general raped a minor from one of the schools where he is posted as a student teacher. Further, he was allegedly found in the unlawful possession of dagga weighing 13.73kg.

Arrested

Worth noting is that the SNUS deputy SG was arrested by police officers at his home in Mganwini, Luve in the Manzini Region, on Monday. Subsequent to his arrest, he together with his co-accused, appeared before Manzini Acting Senior Principal Magistrate Sindisiwe Zwane yesterday. According to the charge sheet, in count one, the accused person is charged with the offence of contravening Section 3(1) (a) as read with Sub-section (9) (a) of the SODV Act, in that upon or about September 23, 2022, he (allegedly) wrongfully and intentionally had unlawful sexual intercourse with the minor. It further states that this happened in the Manzini Region. The deputy secretary general reportedly put the complainant at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and infections by not using protection. By his alleged unlawful act, he is said to have inflicted life trauma on the complainant, and reportedly broke the element of trust the survivor had on him. This is per the aggravating circumstances envisaged by the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act cited in the charge sheet.

Meanwhile, in count two, both accused persons were charged for contravening the Pharmacy Act in that upon or about September 26, 2022, they jointly, in furtherance of a common purpose and not being holders of a licence or permit, were allegedly found in possession of 13.73 kg of dagga. This happened at or near Antioch area in the Manzini Region. For the deputy secretary generals bail, he was advised to apply for it at the High Court. Meanwhile, Simelane was granted bail fixed at E4 000. They were remanded in custody till October 11, 2022.
She understands the tone of storytelling very well and can throw herself into that, whatever it is, the director, Knud Adams, said. With confidence comes that transformational fearlessness where she knows what needs to be served and dives in headfirst.

Both collaborators referenced Beanss presence, onstage and off, with Vaill noting that the performance is happening before you even realize its a performance, and Adams, who said the role was hers as soon as she expressed interest, praising Beans as seeming boundless in what she can take on.

That limitlessness is a trait that also comes through in conversation, even if Beans is unaware of it, half-joking that she was grateful that shed had no faith in herself for her Skin of Our Teeth audition.

I got the audition through Lileana, because wed worked together quite a bit, and shes a friend, explained Beans, who has appeared in several Off Broadway productions directed by Blain-Cruz, including Anatomy of a Suicide and Marys Seacole. I read the play and, Im going to be honest with you, thought, OK, this play is weird, but this part! How are they going to cast someone whos not famous? It made me go into the audition with a lot of freedom, so I did the craziest version I possibly could. It empowered me to make really big choices, and I felt free in a way Id never felt before as an actor.

Blain-Cruz said she first starting keeping tabs on Beans after seeing her in a non-equity showcase production of Sam Shepards Curse of the Starving Class at Williamstown Theater Festival in 2017, and has since cast her in four productions.

I was excited, but not sure, about Gabby for Skin, because it is such a particular role, Blain-Cruz said. But she came in and blew it out of the water. Her alacrity with language is stunning, and her moving the character between an exhausted lady-of-the-stage into this zany character voice revealed somebody who is willing and bold enough to go full-tilt.

The director noted that, along with the other productions on which theyve collaborated (including Girls at Yale Repertory Theater), Beans has excelled at existing in different realities and times. Blain-Cruz commended her as a dramaturgically intelligent actor who has become her muse, and whose humor and intensity she believes would perfectly suit a Yorgos Lanthimos film like The Lobster.
Are my best days behind me? Wendell Pierce said as he put down his steak knife. Was I ever any good? A man cant go out the way he came in. A man has got to add up to something. It was here that he began to cry.

This was on a recent weekday evening at the Palm, an upscale steakhouse in the theater district, and Pierce was quoting, at least in part, from Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman, which is in previews now and will open on Broadway on Oct. 9, following a successful London run a few years ago. Pierce, 58, stars as Willy Loman, the decompensating salesman of the title. It is his first Broadway appearance in more than 30 years. And even though Pierce has enjoyed a robust career, which includes long stints on prestige television shows and an Obie award for sustained excellence of performance, the questions that obsess Willy  questions of attainment, opportunity, legacy  are questions that obsess him as well. So much that when asked to consider them, he found himself weeping into his surf and turf.

I want to make my mark, too, he said. Im like Willy Loman.

Pierce grew up in Pontchartrain Park, a midcentury New Orleans suburb that attracted middle-class Black families. He graduated from an arts high school, then matriculated at Juilliard, graduating in 1985. For years he was a journeyman, filming an episode of television here, a movie there, then perhaps appearing in a play, like Caryl Churchills finance industry farce, Serious Money, which came to Broadway, briefly, in 1988. (He has helped to produce two other Broadway shows, but Salesman marks his return as an actor.)
Google Translate and Papago offer character drawing, but Google had an annoying habit of inputting a character before youve finished fully drawing  which puts you into a somewhat frantic race against time, and can radically change meanings. (An initial translation for the Korean for How much is it? came out as Is it frozen?)

Regardless, to commit to character drawing is to sign up for some time spent scribbling on your palm. The process works more smoothly for simpler scripts like Japanese hiragana and katakana, and is more involved for Chinese and some Korean hangul. (Those traveling to Taiwan should remember that Traditional Chinese characters are the standard, which are even more complex.)

The kinetic process of handwriting in these apps can be good for an intermediate or advanced language learner, who might want to learn characters in a more active way while traveling. Those learners can try Pleco (for Chinese) and Kanji Recognizer (for Japanese, Android only), which are essentially dictionary apps and provide more detailed translations and shades of meaning.

A useful tip: Some smartphones actually have handwriting as an installable option in their keyboard settings. So while Microsoft Translator, for example, does not have handwriting functionality, you can just use your keyboard to draw characters into its standard text translate field, and it will work just the same.

Speak up!

For those who prefer to talk, speech-to-text (and text-to-speech) is offered on many of these translation apps, including Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, Papago and Pleco.

The app SayHi  which has Cantonese, Hindi or Thai, among other languages  specializes in voice and audio, and can play your translation in a man or womans voice and vary the speed. It also keeps a history of all your translations, so you can replay a phrase you use often, like Im allergic to seafood! It even has a conversation mode: You select two languages, set the phone down between two people, and take turns speaking back and forth.

Overall, Google and Microsoft worked fine, but would often halt after five or six seconds while Say Hi routinely managed 20 to 30 seconds at a time. This extra listening time is often crucial to catch the half-sentences, or general confusion of a live voice translation.
From the narrow standpoint of election analysis, this is a really important part of why Dobbs is unique: Its a seminal policy victory for the party that doesnt hold the White House.

Usually, its the presidents party that pulls off the biggest policy change of a presidents first term  after all, its the party in power  and, in doing so, elicits a backlash from the electorate.

Brown v. Board

On the other end of the spectrum, the courts ruling on Brown v. Board, which held that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, was also a common point of comparison:

Brown v. Board of Education, 1954. One could argue that the Republicans were not the Southern party and the Democrats were, but the trend of the Democrats was unmistakably toward civil rights (Truman integrating the armed forces; Humphreys civil rights plank at the 1948 convention). Also Eisenhower lobbied Warren against Brown (privately).  Kenneth McCue A possible case of the party out of power achieving a major policy goal might be the Brown v. Board case in 1954. But of course it is complicated, since the Democratic Party was still the bastion of the Solid South, so only part of the party was in favor of Brown. In any event, the Democrats did score solid gains in the 1954 elections, though Eisenhower would sweep to a strong win in 1956.  John Connolly, Sophia Smith Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, Smith College

The Brown decision has a more interesting  if still uncertain  case for being a victory for the party out of power. As our two commenters remind us, Democrats had already taken important steps toward embracing civil rights by this time, even though they were still the party of the Solid South (at least in congressional elections). Whether Dwight Eisenhower liked it or not (he didnt), Earl Warren was appointed by the president.

On the other hand, Brown didnt spark quite the same kind of broad public opposition as Dobbs, let alone Dred Scott. In a post-Brown poll, Gallup found that a modest majority (54 percent to 41 percent) approved of the decision. Republicans didnt make opposition to Brown the center of the midterm campaign in 1954, as Democrats would like to do this time.

The End of Reconstruction

This one surprised me.

The best analogy I can think of is the 1876 election. As part of taking office, Rutherford Hayes agreed to remove troops from the South and end Reconstruction. Its not a perfect parallel, as Democrats controlled the House after 1876, so Hayes didnt have unified control of government. However, interestingly, in 1878 neither party made gains in Congress, but Democrats lost more seats than Republicans.  Jacob Smith, visiting assistant professor of political science, Kenyon College

Unlike Dred Scott and Brown v. Board, the end of Reconstruction was unequivocally a seminal policy victory for the party out of power. Its an odd one  it was, after all, carried out by the president. But it certainly fits our key criteria. And as Mr. Smith notes, this was an interesting election in another respect: The party out of power actually lost seats in the 1878 midterm election.
Inmates and activists had been planning the strike since late June, he said, because of a blunt realization: There is nothing good that comes from the state corrections department. Theres no rehabilitation. Theres no compassion. (Mr. Williams is serving a life sentence for a rape offense, which he said he did not commit.)

Ms. Caldwell said the strike would continue until officials met their demands, including improved living conditions and creating a more transparent and streamlined parole process. The prisoners are calling for creating a review board to oversee the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles and repealing the Habitual Felony Offenders Act, a law that results in longer prison sentences.

Alabama fails over and over and over again to address the crisis thats going on, Ms. Caldwell said by phone on Tuesday night.

Advocates from Alabama Prison Advocacy and Incarcerated Families United and other groups had been scheduling Zoom calls with inmates since late June, asking them to persuade other incarcerated people to participate in the strike, Ms. Caldwell said. The calls were mostly with inmates who had influence among prisoners.

We set a date and, you know, got the message out and got it clear that, Hey, this is what were going to do; if you guys want freedom, you know, you have to walk in unison, she added.

The strike comes a week after photos of an emaciated inmate, Kastellio Vaughan, captured the attention of thousands online. His sister posted the photos on Facebook, writing, Get Help.

The Alabama Department of Corrections said in a statement on Tuesday that Mr. Vaughan had surgery for an obstructed bowel in August, after a gunshot injury. In September, he was again hospitalized because of complications. The department said he opted to be discharged both times against medical advice and has refused medical treatment or attention since Sept. 7.
Still, even some in the movement found him beyond the pale. Murray Bookchin, a philosopher and environmental theorist, called him an eco-fascist for statements that appeared to prioritize animals over people, like when he seemed to endorse famine in Ethiopia and immigration restrictions in the United States as means to reduce the human population. (In both cases he had misspoken, he said.)

There was at times a method to his madness: Mr. Foreman argued that his stridency gave room to mainstream groups, or even less-aggressive direct-action organizations like Greenpeace, to negotiate in Washington; they could point to him as the extremist alternative.

We will not make political compromises, he wrote in 1980 in the first issue of the Earth First! newsletter, which he expanded into the Earth First! Journal. Let the other outfits do that. EARTH FIRST will set forth the pure, hard-line, radical position of those who believe in the Earth first.

It soon emerged that the F.B.I. agent had encouraged the sabotage, essentially trying to entrap Earth First! in a felony, and most of the charges were dropped. Mr. Foreman eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for giving the agent two copies of his book Ecodefense: A Field Guide to Monkeywrenching (1985), an action that prosecutors said constituted conspiracy to commit a crime.

The stress of the legal proceedings nevertheless created fissures in the organization, as did the arrival of a new, younger cohort of activists who wanted to inject social justice issues into Earth First!s environmentalism. Mr. Foreman, who called himself a redneck for the environment, had never shown much interest in left-wing politics, and in 1990 he and his wife, Nancy Morton, publicly split with Earth First!

The group, they wrote in a letter to its members, had become dominated by an overtly counterculture/anti-establishment style.

We feel, they added, like we should be sitting at the bar of a seedy honky-tonk, drinking Lone Star, thumbing quarters in the country western jukebox, and writing this letter on a bar napkin.
Evacuation orders could be expanded as the storm nears the coast, but here is the status as of Wednesday afternoon.

In Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, mandatory evacuations were ordered for coastal areas and some inland areas by 9 p.m. on Tuesday. On Wednesday, people were advised to shelter in place. Residents can use an online tool to see their evacuation status. A list of shelters is available here and you can sign up for emergency alerts here.

Pasco County, just north of Tampa, ordered mandatory evacuations for some areas on Monday, with voluntary evacuations elsewhere. Shelters will be available starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday; a list of shelters can be found here, and an interactive map of evacuation zones here.

Hernando County, further north of Tampa, ordered a mandatory evacuation on Tuesday of all areas west of U.S. Highway 19, which includes residents in coastal and low-lying areas. Manufactured homes countywide are also under this order. One pet-friendly public shelter is available and another is open for those with special needs. You can sign up for emergency alerts here.

Citrus County, also north of Tampa, ordered a mandatory evacuation on Tuesday of all low-lying areas west of U.S. Highway 19 and several sections east of the highway. A list of evacuation zones, emergency shelters and additional resources can be found here. On Wednesday, residents were advised to shelter in place.

Collier County, south of Fort Myers, ordered a mandatory evacuation on Tuesday for residents in immediate coastal areas and people in mobile homes. The county has opened four pet-friendly emergency shelters and three shelters for the general population. A list of evacuation zones can be found here. On Wednesday morning, residents were told to shelter in place.

Glades County, northwest of Fort Myers, has encouraged people living in mobile homes or in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding to voluntarily evacuate. One pet-friendly shelter will be open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Highlands County, further inland, has issued a voluntary evacuation of areas prone to flooding and homes without concrete slab foundations, such as mobile homes, recreational vehicles and trailers.

Pinellas County, which includes St. Petersburg and Clearwater, ordered evacuations for some areas beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, with more areas joining at 7 a.m. Tuesday. Residents can check their evacuation zone here. On Wednesday, residents were told to shelter in place.

Manatee County, which is south of St. Petersburg and includes Bradenton, ordered mandatory evacuations for some areas and voluntary evacuations for others, effective at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Residents can find their evacuation level here and information about shelters here. On Wednesday, County officials said to shelter in place and that emergency shelter doors were closed.

Sarasota County, which extends from Sarasota to Englewood, called for the evacuation of some areas. People living in residential vehicles, mobile or manufactured homes, and boats must evacuate. Residents can look up their evacuation level here. Information about shelters is here; all are pet-friendly.

Charlotte County, north of Fort Myers, ordered an evacuation for some areas on Monday, including barrier islands. On Wednesday morning, all residents were ordered to shelter in place and avoid the roads. Residents can check their evacuation zone here.

Lee County, which includes Fort Myers and Cape Coral, ordered evacuations for barrier islands and low-lying areas. On Wednesday, residents were asked to shelter in place. An evacuation map is available here. Shelters began opening at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

Levy County, southwest of Gainesville, ordered residents living in mobile homes and recreational vehicles, or in low-lying and coastal areas, to evacuate. These evacuations must be completed by noon on Wednesday; information on zones and other details is available here.

Taylor County, northwest of Gainesville, issued a voluntary evacuation for low-lying, flood-prone and coastal areas. Evacuation zones are here. One pet-friendly shelter will be open by 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Putnam County, east of Gainesville, issued a voluntary evacuation for people living in low-lying or flood-prone areas or mobile homes. Shelters opened on Tuesday evening.

Seminole County, north of Orlando, issued a voluntary evacuation for low-lying areas, designated flood zones, residents living in mobile or manufactured homes and people with special needs.

Volusia County, northeast of Orlando, issued a voluntary evacuation for residents of low-lying areas and people in mobile or manufactured homes.

Franklin County, southwest of Tallahassee, issued a voluntary evacuation of its barrier islands.

Clay County, southwest of Jacksonville, ordered an evacuation for some areas on Tuesday. The order includes people living in mobile or manufactured housing. Residents can find their evacuation zone here. Shelters open at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

St. Johns County, just south of Jacksonville, ordered an evacuation of some areas, including the cities of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach.
HAVANA State employees began restoring electricity in parts of Cuba on Wednesday after the nations power grid was knocked out by Hurricane Ian, which continued to buffet the islands north shore with strong winds and some flooding as it lashed Floridas coast.

The storms damage was particularly severe in Pinar del Rio province, home to the tobacco farms that supply Cubas famous cigar industry, with the hurricane damaging more than 5,000 farms there, according to state media.

Top government officials from Havana visited the province, which also lost telephone service. They promised to restore power to schools and hospitals and begin rebuilding.

The storm was still causing strong winds that created minor tidal waves in Havana and in other northern areas, leading to moderate coastal flooding, according to state media, citing the nations Institute of Meteorology. More than 16,200 people have been evacuated because of the storm.
In some of Mr. Masterss earliest television and digital ads, he claimed without evidence that Mr. Trump had won the 2020 election and called for a militarization of the United States border with Mexico. His immigration ads had a video game-like quality, featuring ominous music, stark desert backdrops and faceless masses of migrants.

On his website, as in speeches and podcasts, he echoed a sanitized version of the racist great replacement conspiracy theory, claiming that Democrats were trying to bring more immigrants into the country to change its demographics and give the party an edge.

But since the Aug. 2 primary, Mr. Masters has tried to soften his tone, seeking to focus his bid on inflation, crime and illegal immigration. Before the primary, three of the four television ads that were paid for by his campaign captured him alone in the desert. Since then, two of his campaigns three ads have featured his wife and children.

His website has also undergone a cleanup: A line about Democrats purportedly importing immigrant voters has been removed, and he was one of several Republicans to take down false claims of a rigged 2020 election. His site deleted mentions of his support for some of the most stringent abortion restrictions, including a federal personhood law (ideally a Constitutional amendment) that recognizes that unborn babies are human beings that may not be killed.

A person close to Mr. Masters told CNN last month that the candidate wanted his website to be seen as a living document, and he told the radio station KTAR News this month that any changes to it reflected a new way that were talking about something, but its not a backtrack or anything like that.

Mr. Masters, who often appears with Ms. Lake, has not completely abandoned his combative instincts. He recently drew criticism for describing Vice President Kamala Harris as a beneficiary of an affirmative action regime. This month, he declined to commit to accepting this years election results.

Mr. Masterss supporters are unfazed by his attempts at moderation. They still see him as a potential bulwark against President Biden and what they describe as radical Democrats who want to regulate guns, open the border and take control away from parents in schools.
The new tactic of flooding offices with challenges escalates that debate  and weaponizes the process. Sorting through the piles of petitions is costly and time-consuming, increasing the chances that overburdened election officials could make mistakes that could disenfranchise voters. And while election officials say theyre confident in their procedures, they worry about the toll on trust in elections. The challenge process, as used by election deniers, has become another platform for spreading doubt about the security of elections.

Its a tactic to distract and undermine the electoral process, said Dele Lowman Smith, chairwoman of the DeKalb County Board of Elections in Georgia. Her county is among several in Georgia that have had to hold special meetings just to address the challenges. The states new Republican-backed election law requires that each challenge receive a hearing, and the process was taking up too much time in regular board meetings.

The activists say they are exercising their right to ensure that voter rolls are accurate.

If a citizen is giving you information, wouldnt you want to check it and make sure its right? said Sandy Kiesel, the executive director of Election Integrity Fund and Force, a group involved in challenges in Michigan.

But in private strategy and training calls, participants from some groups have talked openly about more political aims, saying they believe their work will help Republican candidates. Some groups largely target voters in Democratic, urban areas.

It is not unusual for voter rolls to contain errors  often because voters have died or moved without updating their registrations. But states typically rely on systematic processes outlined in state and federal law  not on lists provided by outside groups  to clean up the information.
PIGGS PEAK  The Piggs Peak Town Council had to lock its doors to prevent a group of ratepayers from entering the premises to deliver a petition.

The Piggs Peak Ratepayers Association wants the town council to stop the planned auctioning of properties that owe rates. Yesterday, about 20 residents and some senior members of the Piggs Peak Ratepayers Association, approached the town council to demand that the auction, scheduled for September 30, 2022, be stopped. Should the proposed auction go ahead, the town council would collect at least E3.8 million from the sale of the properties.

Auctioned

According to an advert, 10 properties are expected to be auctioned. The residents and ratepayers, including police officer Sergeant Busta Vilakati, were at the town council yesterday. However, the doors were locked to prevent all the people from entering and only a few, including some police officers were allowed entry. More police officers, including Piggs Peak Station Commander Assistant Superintendent Dino Nzalo, were among the officers who later arrived. Vilakati, who is also the Secretary of the Piggs Peak Ratepayers Association, was among those who were allowed entry into the building while others remained outside, angry that they had not been allowed entry. The residents also wanted to deliver a petition but they refused to hand it over to anyone else other than the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mzwandile Ndzinisa.

After some minutes, the CEO, accompanied by police officers, exited the building to listen to the concerns of the residents and ratepayers. Vilakati spoke on behalf of the residents. He said the reason the residents headed to the civic centre was to deliver a petition. He said following a newspaper advert, the residents wanted to know what instrument the town council used to auction the properties. He said the council had not involved the residents or the councillors in the decision. Further, Vilakati said the councillors no longer had the mandate to make such decisions because their term of office had ended. He said since their term of office had ended, they had no authority to act on behalf of the ratepayers. Reading through the petition, Vilakati said the residents were still trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic effects. He also said the town council hardly called residents for meetings to inform them about such important decisions. Vilakati also said the residents were not happy that every time they wanted to see the CEO, it was difficult to do so. He said there was always a problem and that police officers ended up being called.

Happy

Dan Dlamini, who was also among the residents, said they were not happy that the civic centre now had controlled access. He said in the past, it was easy for people to enter and see the treasurer or CEO without difficulty but that this had changed. We were not consulted about this, said Dlamini. The CEO eventually received the petition. He said some of the issues would be discussed by the Board. This was after Vilakati intercepted to remind him that the residents wanted an answer before the end of business today. Vilakati also said the residents and ratepayers would be back to follow up on the matter tomorrow.
WASHINGTON  As a powerful hurricane hammers Floridas Gulf Coast, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is confronting a vastly different calculus in his dealings with President Biden and the federal government.

Mr. DeSantis, a Republican widely seen as holding White House ambitions, is one of his partys foremost political provocateurs, often appearing on national television to rail against an administration in Washington he denounces as overbearing. As recently as February, Mr. DeSantis dismissed Mr. Biden as someone who hates Florida, saying baselessly that he stiffs storm victims of relief for political reasons.

But now, as Hurricane Ian threatens to inflict significant damage across Florida, Mr. DeSantis must rely on assistance from the same federal government whose public health guidance he has ridiculed during the pandemic. Beyond that, he must work with the very president he has castigated and may soon run to replace.

We all need to work together, regardless of party lines, Mr. DeSantis said on Fox News on Tuesday night, adding that he was thankful for the Biden administrations assistance. The administration wants to help, he said. They realize this is a really significant storm.
Since that review is no longer delaying or diverting the criminal inquiry, it is not clear what benefits remain for Mr. Trump.

For one, a special master will cost a lot of money. Judge Cannon rejected Mr. Trumps proposal that taxpayers should foot half the bill of the review, instead saying he would be solely responsible.

That includes the full cost of a vendor who will scan all the materials, as well as support staff for Judge Dearie, like an assistant who bills $500 an hour. Mr. Trump will also have to pay his own lawyers fees as they filter thousands of pages of records and then litigate disputes about which ones can be withheld as privileged.

And far from indulging Mr. Trump, as his lawyers likely hoped in suggesting his appointment, Judge Dearie appears to be organizing the document review in ways that threaten to swiftly puncture the former presidents defenses.

For example, the judge has ordered Mr. Trump to submit by Friday a declaration or affidavit verifying the inventory or listing any items on it that plaintiff asserts were not seized in the search.

But if Mr. Trump acknowledges that the F.B.I. took any documents marked as classified from his personal office and a storage room at Mar-a-Lago, as the inventory says, that would become evidence that could be used against him if he were later charged with defying a subpoena.

Requiring Mr. Trumps lawyers to verify or object to the inventory also effectively means making them either affirm in court or disavow a claim Mr. Trump has made in public: his accusation that the F.B.I. planted fake evidence. While it is not a crime to lie to Fox News viewers or on social media, there are consequences to lying to a court.
WASHINGTON  In a sign that the United States and its allies believe that the fighting in Ukraine will last years, military officials from more than 40 countries gathered at NATOs headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss how their governments can ramp up production of arms and ammunition.

The meeting was held under the auspices of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which the U.S. Defense Department created after Russia invaded the country in late February.

The top civilian and uniformed military leaders of member nations meet monthly to review Ukraines needs and requests, and their pledges of support. But on Wednesday, the government officials responsible for purchasing weapons  national armaments directors, as the Pentagon calls them  met as a group for the first time. William A. LaPlante, the Pentagons top acquisitions official, led the closed-door session.

After months of shipping billions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine, the donor countries now find that they need to make more munitions to continue the flow as winter approaches. But increasing production is not necessarily something that can happen overnight.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court, which has been closed to the public since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, announced on Wednesday that its courtroom would reopen when the justices return to the bench on Monday.

Masking in the courtroom for oral arguments will be optional, the courts announcement said. It added that the building will otherwise be closed to the public until further notice.

The court will retain live audio coverage of its arguments, an innovation it started in the spring of 2020, when it began hearing them over the telephone. It continued to provide an audio feed when the justices returned in the fall of 2021 to hear arguments before a few dozen law clerks, journalists and others in an otherwise empty courtroom.

The courts isolation increased in May, after the leak of a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade and the protests that followed prompted security officials to erect an eight-foot fence around the courthouse. The fence came down in August.
On Wednesday, Katie Couric revealed that she had breast cancer. In an essay on her website, she wrote about the heart-stopping, suspended animation feeling she had upon receiving her diagnosis in June; she also noted that she had dense breasts  a common classification that can increase the risk of developing the disease.

About half of women who are 40 years old or older have dense breast tissue, said Dr. Laura Esserman, director of the Breast Care Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Heres what to know about what breast density means and how dense breasts can influence cancer risk.

What does having dense breasts mean?

Density isnt related to breast size or firmness, said Dr. Sarah Friedewald, chief of breast imaging at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. It is a measure of how much fibrous and glandular tissue is in your breasts compared with the amount of fatty tissue, as viewed on a mammogram. These tissues include the glands that create milk, the tubes that ferry milk to the nipples and the fibrous tissue that binds them together.

Every mammogram report includes an assessment of a woman's breast density, which falls into one of four categories: almost entirely fatty; some areas of scattered density; evenly dense; or extremely dense. Dense breasts is an umbrella term that refers to the latter two categories.
The trial comes even as military leaders have toppled governments in the region, including in Guinea, a nation of 13 million where Col. Mamady Doumbouya, a U.S.-trained officer, staged a coup last year. Guinea has suffered from decades of state repression and impunity, leaving some observers wondering whether its judiciary, which has been historically been weak, can hold a fair trial on the massacre.

Since Colonel Doumbouya seized power in September, 2021, the Guinean authorities have cracked down on civil liberties, including banning protests, dissolving the countrys main pro-democracy coalition, and firing live ammunition at demonstrators. At least seven protesters died in clashes with security forces this summer. The government of Colonel Doumbouya has pushed for the trial, which is expected to last at least a year, and has framed it as a chance for overdue justice.

Many survivors of the 2009 massacre and relatives of victims have praised him for bringing the countrys former president and others to court, despite the criticisms of his rule by rights groups.

He is a soldier who thinks about us, who takes our pain and abandonment into consideration, said Sarah Cisse, 43, a Guinean political activist and former humanitarian worker who participated in the 2009 demonstration. I want to thank him.

The officials standing trial include Captain Camara; his aide-de-camp, who witnesses say was at the stadium and directing guards there; and the head of a gendarme unit involved in the killings. Shortly after the massacre, Captain Camara deflected responsibility on his aide-de-camp  who shot Captain Camara in the head in retaliation, according to the authorities at the time. Captain Camara, who had held power in Guinea for about a year, survived the shooting and lived in exile in Burkina Faso until returning to Guinea last week for the trial.
Follow our live coverage of Brazils presidential election between Bolsonaro and Lula.

On Sunday, Brazilians go to the polls to choose their next president. But for months, the question gripping the country has not been who will win, but whether Jair Bolsonaro, the countrys current leader, will attempt a coup if he loses.

Mr. Bolsonaro, who is trailing in the polls, has gone to great lengths to sow doubt about the validity of Brazils election, claiming, for instance, that the countrys electronic voting machines will be manipulated to sway the vote in favor of his leftist opponent, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Despite Mr. Bolsonaros friendly relations with the military, he seems to lack the institutional support that he would need to stage a successful coup. And if he loses by a large margin, he may conclude that it is more prudent to accept the result than to try to overturn it.

But many remain concerned about the possibility of a violent uprising by his supporters, similar to what the United States experienced on Jan. 6, 2021, but potentially on a larger scale.
Liu Jingyao is not the first young woman to accuse a powerful Chinese businessman of rape. She is not the only Chinese woman to confront a man and seek legal charges against him.

But she is one of the first to pursue her case in an American courtroom.

That could make all of the difference for Ms. Liu  and for the nascent #MeToo movement in China.

Jury selection begins Thursday in Minneapolis in the civil trial against one of the worlds most prominent tech billionaires, known as Richard Liu in the English-speaking world and as Liu Qiangdong in China. He is the founder of JD.com, an e-commerce giant in China that draws comparisons there to Amazon.

Ms. Liu, who is unrelated to Mr. Liu, says that the businessman followed her back to her Minneapolis apartment and raped her after an alcohol-soaked 2018 dinner for Chinese executives that she attended as a University of Minnesota volunteer, according to court filings. He has denied the allegations, insisting that the sex was consensual.
The leaks may help Russia by pushing energy prices higher.

In some respects, disrupting the pipelines serves little immediate purpose for anyone.

And, on the surface, it is unclear why Moscow would seek to damage installations that cost Gazprom billions of dollars to build and maintain. The leaks are expected to delay any possibility of receiving revenue from fuel going through the pipes.

On the other hand, the natural gas market is spooked, which helps Russia by raising the price of its gas. On Monday, prices for European gas futures had fallen by nearly half from their high in August. After news of the leaks, they rose nearly 20 percent to about 205 euros (or $191) per megawatt-hour, roughly five times the level of a year ago.

After months of increases and volatility, energy markets had recently begun to settle down as optimism grew that Europe could avoid shortages this winter by finding alternative supplies and filling gas storage facilities.

The ruptures could also be a reminder from Moscow that if European countries keep up their support for Ukraine, they risk sabotage to vital energy infrastructure. Experts have warned for years of the danger posed by potential attacks. According to analysts, any disruption could spell trouble because European countries that have been dependent on Russian gas, like Germany and Austria, have little margin for error.

Over the last year, Gazprom and Russia have taken steps like altering the flows on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which analysts say were intended to raise political tensions and energy prices.

This incident has sent a chill through the markets because it highlights that a risk of disruption to pipelines not controlled by Russia exists, said Massimo Di Odoardo, the vice president for gas research at Wood Mackenzie, an energy consulting firm.
But others noted that one of two Nord Stream 2 pipelines was undamaged, leaving Mr. Putin the possibility of using it as leverage if the winter turns particularly cold.

Many Western officials and analysts said sabotage would fit neatly into Mr. Putins broader Russian strategy of waging war on multiple fronts, using economic and political tools, as well as arms, to undermine Ukraines allies and weaken their resolve and unity. It demonstrates to an already jittery Europe how vulnerable its vital infrastructure is, including other pipelines and undersea power and telecommunications cables.

This is classic hybrid warfare, said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, head of the defense committee in Germanys Parliament, who stressed that for now she had no evidence Russia was behind the attack but believed it was the most plausible culprit.

Putin is going to use every hybrid measure at his disposal to fluster Europeans, from food to refugees to energy, she said.

Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that accusing Russia was predictably stupid and absurd. He said American natural gas suppliers were reaping huge profits from increased sales to Europe, suggesting that the United States was to blame.

Of course we were not, said Adrienne Watson, the spokeswoman for the White Houses National Security Council, in a rare on-the-record denial. We all know Russia has a long history of spreading disinformation and is doing it again here.

Russian news outlets picked up on the Kremlins allegation, playing clips of Mr. Bidens vow on Feb. 7 that if Russian invaded, then there will be no longer Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it. U.S. officials said he meant diplomatic and economic action, and noted that Mr. Biden had been proved correct when Germany halted the project.
LOBAMBA  A former accountant at the Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) has left the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Linda Nxumalo, on the cross, dying for his sins.

The accountant resigned while facing a charge of mismanagement of funds at the entity as explained by Nxumalo during the appearance of the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday. The mismanaged funds were estimated by Nxumalo to be around E80 000. The committee instructed Nxumalo to pay back the money for the reason that she failed to hold the employee to account and recover the mismanaged funds even before he resigned or ensure that the accountant was put to account and the money was recovered.

Reconciliations

The issue of the accountant came to the fore when the entity was responding to a query where the Auditor General (AG), Timothy Matsebula, reported that there were no petty cash reconciliations prepared in the financial years ended March 31, 2016 to 2021, yet petty cash amounting to E357 347 was being spent and cashed out by employees. The petty cash was not accounted-for, and the expenditure purposes and the delivery of services and goods remained uncertain. It was further noted that, at year-end the petty cash account had negative balances from the years ended March 31, 2016 to March 31, 2021, which means that certain petty cash payments cashed were not allocated to the petty cash account. I am concerned that there is a risk of lack of proper audit trail on reconciliation of petty cash amounts, which is a process that should be done prior to issuing another petty cash cheque to be cashed out. Some of the petty cash expenditure might have been omitted and not disclosed, and petty cash was understated as it is not possible that the entity can owe these amounts if petty cash spending is based on cash basis, submitted the AG in his report.

Matsebula added that the management was advised to make sure that petty cash reconciliations were prepared timeously and reviewed by senior personnel prior to issuing the next petty cash cheque. The management was further advised to work on reconciling the petty cash account in the coming year. Apart from the petty cash anomaly, Nxumalo revealed that the accountant, who was the overseer of the entitys accounts at the time, was charged for the E80 000 mismanaged funds and he attended a disciplinary hearing. Subsequent to the hearing, the accountant then tendered a resignation letter. Members of the PAC, including Manzini Region Member of Parliament (MP) Busisiwe Mavimbela, Mangcongco MP Oneboy Zikalala, Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane and Gege MP Musa Kunene all wondered why the CEO gave the green light to the resignation letter knowing well that the accountant was running away from his crimes.

In her defence, Nxumalo said the accountant resigned on an immediate effect basis, but the matter was then reported to the police as well as the Anti-Corrupt Commission (ACC). The committee was not convinced that Nxumalo had done justice to put the accountant to account as they even questioned why the money was not deduced from his pension as it was revealed that he was employed on a permanent basis. Nxumalo was tasked with ensuring that the money was recovered from the accountant or she faced paying it from her pocket.

Checked

On the issue of the petty cash, the management of the entity stated that they would ensure that there was proper documentation and filing to enable complete record-keeping. Management further stated that they would also ensure that the petty cash reconciliation was checked and signed by a senior level personnel. According to the ministrys responses forwarded to the AG, the controlling officer also stated that the non-reconciliation of petty cash was one of the irregularities identified in the Finance Department. Although petty cash was being reconciled manually, it was not correctly captured on accounting software. This resulted in a situation, where there was loss of audit trail and failure to properly allocate petty cash expenditures, hence the balances sitting on the balance sheet as unallocated petty cash amounts. To resolve this issue, ETA has assigned an officer to manage and reconcile petty cash thereof.

Furthermore, ETA has stipulated a monthly petty cash figure of E2 500 and the reconciliations are done and accordingly filed together with the supporting documents as revealed in the entitys responses forwarded to the AG. The controlling officer further stated that, worth noting was that the petty cash control account had been cumulative over the years and as such, the amount in question is the E82 907 as opposed to the E357 347. To address this, ETA is working on a revised petty cash procedure document with clear approval stages.
KYIV, Ukraine  Russian proxy officials in occupied areas of Ukraine appealed on Wednesday to President Vladimir V. Putin to join Russia, kicking off what is expected to be several days of pageantry and formalities intended to give Russias annexation plans a sheen of legitimacy.

The moves are meant to check boxes under Russian law and the Russian constitution in a process for claiming land in a neighboring country that most of the rest of the world sees as patently illegal.

Staged referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine were hastily set in motion last week after Russia suffered setbacks on the battlefield. After five days of stage-managed voting, in which many residents said they were coerced to cast a ballot by armed soldiers, the Russian proxy officials in occupied areas announced purported results that showed, as expected, overwhelming support for joining Russia.

With the ostensible results in hand, the proxies asked the Russian government to incorporate their territories into Russia in informal appeals issued on Wednesday morning.
Nine people were killed and at least 32 others, including children, were injured in semiautonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq on Wednesday after Iranian forces bombarded the region for the fifth straight day, the Iraqi News Agency reported, citing the regional health ministry.

As security forces in Iran have moved to curb protests that have embroiled cities across the country for more than a week, the repercussions are being felt in neighboring Iraq, where Tehran has been waging a brutal attack on Kurdish opposition groups.

The drone and missile strikes targeted offices and paramilitary bases of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in Iraqi Kurdistan, including in the cities of Erbil, Sulaimaniya and Pirde, Kurdish officials and rights groups said.

They were the latest in a string of attacks on the region since Saturday, after Tehran accused Kurdish groups based in northern Iraq of fomenting some of the demonstrations that have overtaken Iran for 12 days.
JERUSALEM  Four Palestinian militants were killed on Wednesday during an Israeli Army raid in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian health officials, in one of the deadliest confrontations in the territory this year.

The men were among more than 90 Palestinians and two Israeli security officials killed in the West Bank so far in 2022, the biggest spasm of violence there in seven years.

Israeli military raids have surged in the West Bank since March, when the Israeli Army began an operation to curb a wave of Arab attacks in the spring that killed 19 Israelis and foreigners, some of which were perpetrated by Palestinians from the West Bank.

Palestinian attacks on Israeli soldiers and settlers within the West Bank have also increased during the same period, amid rising Palestinian resentment at the increase in Israeli raids; frustration at the entrenchment of the 55-year occupation; and an unwillingness by the Palestinian Authority, the body that administers nearly 40 percent of the West Bank, to crack down on militants operating within its small pockets of control.
Charts of costs for three abortion patients, in which the cost of the procedure and other expenses including travel and lodging amount to as much as $4,884. Abortion Expenses for Patient A Idaho  Washington Notes: Early second trimester. Traveling with spouse and two children. Procedure Other expenses Travel Hotel Food, child care, misc. Total $3,350 $1,534 $362 $782 $390 $4,884 Assisted by the Northwest Abortion Access Fund Abortion Expenses for Patient B Florida  New York Notes: 22 weeks pregnant. Seeking procedural abortion. Procedure Other expenses Travel Hotel Food, child care, misc. Total $2,350 $900 $200 $500 $200 $3,250 Assisted by the Florida Access Network Abortion Expenses for Patient C Texas  Minnesota Notes: Seeking medication abortion. Procedure Other expenses Travel Hotel Food, child care, misc. Total $700 $621 $508 $113  $1,321 Assisted by the Midwest Access Coalition

L.V. found out she was pregnant on Aug. 7. The next day she called Womens Health and Family Care in Jackson, Wyo.  the only abortion provider in the state  to schedule an abortion.

She was told the procedure would typically cost $600 at the clinic, but a state law banning abortion might take effect soon. In that case, she would have to travel out of state, setting her back even more.

L.V., who asked to be identified only by her initials, panicked. She had recently been in a car accident and had outstanding medical and car bills to pay.

When the clinic told me how much, my mouth dropped, she said. She was told to contact Chelseas Fund, a Wyoming nonprofit that is part of a national network of abortion funds, to ask about financial assistance.

Abortion funds have for decades helped cover the cost of the procedure  about $500 in the first trimester and $2,000 or more in the second trimester  for those who cannot afford it. But they are playing a bigger role since the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, taking in more donations and disbursing more money to more patients than ever before.

Total patients supported in 2022 Abortion funds are on pace to support more patients this year than last year. A chart of patient counts for 10 abortion funds, in which they are on pace to support more patients this year than last year. 0 2,000 4,000 people Chicago Abortion Fund D.C. Abortion Fund Northwest Abortion Access Fund Hoosier Abortion Fund Midwest Access Coalition WMF Wisconsin New Orleans Abortion Fund 2021 total N.M. Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Florida Access Network North Dakota WIN Fund 0 2,000 4,000 people Chicago Abortion Fund D.C. Abortion Fund Northwest Abortion Access Fund Hoosier Abortion Fund Midwest Access Coalition WMF Wisconsin 2021 total New Orleans Abortion Fund New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Florida Access Network North Dakota WIN Fund

Since the courts decision, abortion has been banned in large parts of the Midwest and the South. Those seeking abortions must travel farther and stay longer, often spending thousands of dollars on added costs beyond the procedure itself, including flights, hotels, child care, food and gas.

About half of women who have abortions are living below the poverty line, and most states do not allow the use of state Medicaid funds to cover the cost of the procedure. Abortion funds have been inundated with callers seeking money and support.

Before the courts decision, the Midwest Access Coalition handled around 30 cases each week. A typical patients expenses used to cost the fund around $1,000. The group now helps upwards of 50 people each week and spends twice as much.

Our wraparound service cost is easily becoming $2,000 per client or more, said Alison Dreith, the groups director of strategic partnerships. Weve staffed up, were taking on this increased workload, but were still not going to be able to meet all of the need.

Patient travel adds up as distances increase

Charts of costs for three abortion patients, in which the cost of the procedure and other expenses including travel and lodging amount to as much as $1,821. Abortion Expenses for Patient G Missouri  Illinois Notes: Lives in rural Missouri and requires two flights, first to St. Louis then to Chicago. Procedure Other expenses Travel Hotel Food, child care, other. Total $560 $1,808 $1,158 $650  $2,368 Assisted by the Chicago Abortion Fund Abortion Expenses for Patient H Alaska  Washington Notes: Early second trimester. Traveling from a remote area of Alaska. Procedure Other expenses Travel Hotel Food, child care, other. Total * $1,821 $1,125 $571 $125 $1,821 *Covered by Alaska Medicaid. Assisted by the Northwest Abortion Access Fund Abortion Expenses for Patient I Georgia  Florida Notes: Eight weeks pregnant and wants medication abortion. Procedure Other expenses Travel Hotel Food, child care, other. Total $640 $800 $200 $500 $100 $1,440 Assisted by the Florida Access Network

Each abortion fund operates differently, but the process is generally the same: A patient must first confirm an appointment with a clinic, and then the fund will pledge a certain amount toward the cost of the procedure. Afterward, the clinic invoices the fund. Funds that offer practical support will often book flights or bus tickets and hotels for their clients. Money for food or gas might be sent via PayPal or Venmo, or offered to clients in cash.

A survey of abortion funds around the country shows that the cost of patient support has risen  in some cases steeply  since the courts decision. Last year, the average patient pledge for the D.C. Abortion Fund was $250. In August of this year, that amount rose to $850.

Change in average spending per patient Charts of average patient spending for 10 abortion funds. Average spending across all funds has generally risen so far in 2022 compared with all of 2021, and in some cases has risen steeply. Northwest Abortion Access Fund New Orleans Abortion Fund $1,100 $1,000 $729 $700 $500 $308 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD North Dakota WIN Fund Florida Access Network $1,000 $658 $500 $300 $242 $225 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD D.C. Abortion Fund Chicago Abortion Fund $1,000 $500 $297 $255 $200 $175 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD Hoosier Abortion Fund WMF Wisconsin $1,000 $500 $253 $256 $238 $242 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Midwest Access Coalition $1,000 $500 $346 $338 $185 $182 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD Northwest Abortion Access Fund New Orleans Abortion Fund North Dakota WIN Fund $1,100 $1,000 $729 $700 $658 $500 $308 $242 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD Chicago Abortion Fund Florida Access Network D.C. Abortion Fund $1,000 $500 $300 $297 $255 $200 $225 $175 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD Hoosier Abortion Fund WMF Wisconsin $1,000 $500 $253 $256 $238 $242 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Midwest Access Coalition $1,000 $500 $346 $338 $185 $182 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD Northwest Abortion Access Fund New Orleans Abortion Fund North Dakota WIN Fund Florida Access Network D.C. Abortion Fund $1,100 $1,000 $729 $700 $658 $500 $300 $297 $308 $255 $242 $225 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Chicago Abortion Fund Hoosier Abortion Fund WMF Wisconsin Midwest Access Coalition $1,000 $500 $346 $338 $253 $256 $238 $242 $200 $185 $182 $175 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD 2021 2022 YTD Note: Data for 2022 is through mid-August and, for some funds, even more recent. The average pledge amount for the North Dakota WIN Fund increased significantly in 2022 because of additional patient funding for long-acting reversible contraception.

Part of what were seeing is folks coming to get care later in gestation, said Alli Korman, the funds operations director. She said that because of long wait times  clinics nationwide are booked as much as three weeks out  and a more complicated landscape for patients to navigate, they must now delay care until later in pregnancy, when the procedure is more expensive.

More complicated procedures require more money

Charts of costs for three abortion patients, in which the cost of the procedure and other expenses including travel and lodging amount to as much as $4,305. Abortion Expenses for Patient D Wisconsin  Illinois Notes: Needs hospital-based care because of a fetal anomaly. Traveling with two children. Procedure Other expenses Travel Hotel Food, child care, other. Total $3,450 $855 $75 $600 $180 $4,305 Assisted by the Chicago Abortion Fund Abortion Expenses for Patient E Texas  Washington Notes: Medical complications. Has been waiting weeks for appointment. Texas doctor offered only complete hysterectomy. Procedure Other expenses Travel Hotel Food, child care, other. Total $2,125 $1,596 $1,160 $396 $40 $3,721 Assisted by the Northwest Abortion Access Fund Abortion Expenses for Patient F Illinois  Illinois Notes: Scans revealed caller needs to be seen in hospital. Extended hotel stay over holiday weekend. Procedure Other expenses Travel Hotel Food, child care, other. Total $3,450 $359  $359  $3,809 Assisted by the Chicago Abortion Fund Note: Data for 2022 is through mid-August and, for some funds, even more recent.

In 2020, the National Network of Abortion Funds, an organization of nearly 100 member funds around the country, received $1.9 million in individual donations.

In just the first week after the courts decision in June, the network received more than $10 million in donations. Of that, $3.7 million went to the network, and an additional $6.7 million went directly to member funds. That windfall has allowed many of its members to spend more already this year than they pledged to patients in all of 2021.

Total patient spending in 2022 Abortion funds are on pace to spend more this year than last year. A chart of spending for 10 abortion funds, in which seven of the 10 funds have already spent more this year than they had in all of 2021. $0 $500,000 $1,000,000 D.C. Abortion Fund Northwest Abortion Access Fund Chicago Abortion Fund New Orleans Abortion Fund Midwest Access Coalition Hoosier Abortion Fund WMF Wisconsin 2021 total North Dakota WIN Fund N.M. Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Florida Access Network $0 $500,000 $1,000,000 D.C. Abortion Fund Northwest Abortion Access Fund Chicago Abortion Fund New Orleans Abortion Fund Midwest Access Coalition Hoosier Abortion Fund WMF Wisconsin 2021 total North Dakota WIN Fund New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Florida Access Network Note: Data for 2022 is through mid-August and, for some funds, even more recent.

But abortion funds also face their own rising costs and uncertainty in a world after Roe. Many are run by volunteers, and they said they are struggling to keep up with the increasing volume and complexity of cases as more states move to ban abortion.

Calls are taking twice as long, were having to re-explain to people this new shifting landscape, to reassure people that abortion is still legal  or to reset expectations because now they might have to travel several states over, said A.J. Haynes, the board president of the New Orleans Abortion Fund, which saw the legal status of abortion in Louisiana change three times this summer.

Even after the flood of donations in recent months, more money is needed to cover paid staff members, data infrastructure and legal guidance.

In October, we will be significantly rolling back the amount of support we are able to offer, Ms. Haynes said. We are simply unable to meet the needs of our callers with the funds we have available for the remainder of the year without a significant increase in support.

Legal concerns add barriers and costs

Anti-abortion groups say some funds are operating in a legal gray area, if not in violation of state laws. In Texas and Oklahoma, private citizens may sue anyone who aids an abortion, while those who assist patients in Alabama in obtaining out-of-state abortions could face felony charges.

Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America, said she expected abortion funds would come under more scrutiny. There are questions of how these outside entities are operating and if they are now violating state laws to facilitate illegal abortions, she said. Lawmakers are asking those questions.

Providers are already wary of new restrictions, and abortion funds said policy changes by some of the national reproductive rights groups have created more hurdles and expenses for their clients. In Idaho, where abortion is banned, patients who could travel to nearby Utah for the procedure are being denied medication abortion from the Planned Parenthood affiliate there over concerns about legal liability.

That was really poorly communicated to us, and it creates a much greater burden on abortion funds working in these states, said Riley Keane, a practical support lead at the Northwest Abortion Access Fund.

Given the ongoing uncertainty in many places, some funds have decided to spend what money they have now.

We have been fully funding patients. We made the decision to get everyone their abortions because we dont know what the legal landscape will be next month, Eloisa Lopez, the executive director of the Abortion Fund of Arizona, said in an interview in August. On Friday, abortion became illegal in Arizona.

In Wyoming, a judge temporarily blocked the states abortion ban, and L.V. was able to secure an appointment. Chelseas Fund told her it could pay only $300, but another group, the Wyoming Abortion Fund, had agreed to cover the remaining $300.

I expected them to come back to me and say Oh we can only pay this much,  she said. I was so surprised. I didnt have a plan. I wouldve just put it on my credit card and gone into even more debt.
A New Jersey man has apparently been holding such a grudge against the ex-wife he divorced nearly five decades ago that he goes to her grave almost every day just to relieve himself on her grave.

This shocking story was recently made public by 43-year-old Michael Murphy who used hidden cameras to catch the culprit in the act after finding traces of urine and plastic bags with feces whenever he visited his mothers resting place at the cemetery at Tappan Reformed Church in Orangetown, New York. The captured footage revealed an elderly man visiting the grave almost every day, at around 6:00 in the morning, and casually relieving himself on the womans headstone. He was later identified as her ex-husband, whom she had divorced 48 years ago and whom she had not been in contact with since 1976.

Photo: Matt Botsford/Unsplash

THIS IS BREAKING MY HEART, Michael wrote on his Facebook page a few days ago. A man from Bergen county New Jersey has been leaving bags of poo and p*****g on my mothers tombstone almost every morning like a normal routine assisted by his wife also. We have weeks and months of evidence. It has been reported to the police and the news outlets. No one in my family has had contact with him since 1976 or so.

Michaels mother, Linda Louise Torello, was married for a brief period of time to the man captured on video but had a falling out when she became pregnant and the man did not want responsibility for the child. He has apparently been holding a grudge ever since

How he found my mothers grave site we are not sure. But this stems back to a problem almost 50 years ago. Pray for us thank you and please share this!!! Lindas son wrote in his Facebook post.

Michael and his sister asked permission from the cemetery administration to install the hidden cameras, hoping to catch the culprit in the act, after discovering traces of urine and bags of feces at their mothers grave almost daily. The captured footage also revealed that the man was almost always accompanied by his current wife, which only makes the deed more insidious.

After police said that they couldnt take any actions against the man reliving himself on a dead womans grave on a daily basis, Michael Murphy told reporters that he hoped to file a complaint against the guy for cemetery desecration.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

APCO Worldwide is providing strategic communications and media relations in the US for Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the democratic opposition to Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 28 years.

She stepped in for her husband, video blogger Siarhei Tsikhanouskaya, and ran for president in the 2020 election after he was arrested and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Independent monitors said the election was rigged by Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Rioting broke out following the vote, which led to the arrests of more than 3,000 people and Putin sending tanks to Minsk to put down the uprising.

Tsikhanouskaya, who is currently living in exile in Lithuania, visited New York this month for the opening of the UN general assembly.

In a Sept. 19 interview with the Voice of America, she urged continued western support for Ukraine, which borders Belarus. She said: 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.
An emotional address from a man who returned from the United States to the former Sean Ross Mother and Baby Home where he was born in 1953 provoked a heart-warming reaction at a commemorative event in Roscrea on Sunday.

Patrick McDermott, whose mother Moira died in 2007, previously visited Sean Ross Abbey in 2015 and 2017, but on Sunday was welcomed home personally by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald when he returned to Roscrea.

Mr. McDermott was sent to Chicago in 1957 with three other children for adoption to American families.

When Patricks mother Moira became pregnant four years earlier her family removed her from the family home in Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim and sent her to Sean Ross Abbey Mother and Baby Home near Roscrea.

Patrick McDermott and his wife Bianca speak with Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald at the Angel's Plot at Sean Ross Abbey

In his address at the commemoration event, which was attended by people from across Ireland and the United Kingdom and United States, Mr. McDermott said he had no memory of his birth mother and could recall the confusion he felt throughout his formative years about the shadows looming over his background.

He described his adoptive family and others who adopted Irish children as kind people who put their faith in the Church, but did not realise the true circumstances behind the adoption process.

Mr. McDermott was very moved by the film 'Philomena', which documents the story of Philomena Lee and her son Michael Hess, who was sent for adoption to the United States after he was born in Sean Ross.

Remarkably, Mr. McDermott shared a dormitory in Notre Dame University with Michael Hess and neither man realised their shared experience and background.

Pictured on the steps of Corville House - the former Mother and Baby Home at Sean Ross Abbey on the grounds of the St. Anne's campus in Roscrea are Michael Donovan and Teresa Collins from the We Are Still Here group with Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and Tipperary TD Martin Browne

Describing Mother and Baby Homes as institutions of containment, Mr. McDermott said his first years in America were plagued with nightmares and intense lonliness.

He said I would go on to all the other children all the time telling them I was from Ireland and my parents gave me many stern lectures telling me not to do that.

In the hours before his departure for the United States, Sister Hilegarde McNulty wrote a letter for Mr. McDermott's new parents, describing him as a quiet and thoughtful boy who will remember when many forget.

He said American families were misinformed with tales of the new world bailing out the old world and that they believed mothers had died in childbirth, not that the children had been taken forcibly from their mothers only hours after giving birth.

He said that after years of disentangling the truth he made contact with his maternal family in Drumshanbo who welcomed him home with open arms.

Addressing the gathering after Mr. McDermott, Mary Lou McDonald spoke to him directly and said that his dream of coming home is no longer a dream.

Visitors from around Ireland and from the United Kingdom and United States visited the Angel's Plot and local representatives laid wreaths

I am so very taken and moved by Patrick's story and by Bianca - by your strength, your integrity and also by your compassion. For me that has been the standout mark of all those who I have met that were born here, or adopted from here, or who were trafficked from institutions like this.

Because despite the fear and the horror and the cruelty of Mother and Baby Homes, the real legacy is the enduring humanity and the profound dignity of survivors and it is their bravery that continues to expose the truth so that Ireland can confront and learn from the appalling way that the State treated women and children not too long ago, Ms. McDonald said.

Mary Lou McDonald attends Sean Ross Abbey Roscrea commemoration

It is their courage that allows us to stand here today to not only commemorate, but also to say confidently that we will get to the full point of truth, justice and healing, she said.

These places were not homes - home is a place where you are respected and loved, protected and safe and nurtured - our job now is to ensure survivors and their families feel the love and dignity and protection of a real home - and Patrick you are home, Mary Lou McDonald said.

Founder of the We Are Still Here Sean Ross Survivors group, Teresa Collins, with Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and Tipperary TD Martin Browne in the Angel's Plot
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald visited Roscrea on Sunday to address a commemoration at the former Mother and Baby Home in Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea.

Survivors of abuse in the former institution and their families from across Ireland, the United Kingdom and United States traveled to Roscrea for the very solemn and poignant commemoration, which was organised by the local group 'We Are Still Here - Sean Ross Survivors' group.

Founder of the group, Teresa Collins gave an emotional address from the steps of the former institution and spoke candidly about the need for further examinations of the site to a large crowd which included local authority representatives and many local people.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald expressed her "great admiration for the incredible dedication and the work that has been done locally to support survivors, adoptees, their families and above all to push for the full truth about what happened here in Sean Ross Abbey and to ensure we never forget what was lost to these children and women."

Describing Teresa Collins as "a powerhouse", Deputy McDonald also thanked Tony Donlan, who owns the St. Anne's campus and has worked closely with survivors to accommodate their need for access to the site for commemorations and potential further scans of the grounds and the Fogarty family for their assistance in organising the memorial.

Pictured on the steps of Corville House - the former Mother and Baby Home at Sean Ross Abbey on the grounds of the St. Anne's campus in Roscrea are Michael Donovan and Teresa Collins from the We Are Still Here group with Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and Tipperary TD Martin Browne

"Anytime I come to Sean Ross I can feel a heavy stillness in the air - as if the air carries the memories of what we know happened in this place and the weight of all the truth we have yet to uncover. The shadows and stains of cruelty and trauma are like that - they run deep and become indelible and weave themselves into the fabric of the nation, until they are removed from the tapestry by the light of truth and justice, by the strength of survivors and the healing process of memorial", Ms. McDonald told the attendance.

Ms. McDonald said that "for far too long" those in power in Ireland stonewalled survivors and their families, instead choosing to "hide away from the barbaric truth of the abuse and human right violations that occurred here".

"Denial, suppression and shame were chosen over justice", she said.

"Teenage girls were tied up and abused during labour and women were sent to unpaid work in the local fever hospital and mothers getting to hold their newborn child for only an hour, to have that child stolen away from them.

"Sean Ross Abbey was not a home - it was a place of dominance and control - a place where women and girls were robbed of their lives and where children had the truth of who they were erased and they were trafficked from their mothers. The Angel's Plot bears testimony to the human tragedy of Sean Ross Abbey", she said.

Ms. McDonald said "the journey to truth is far from over '' and called for further investigations to determine the actual number of children buried in the Angel's Plot and on lands adjacent to the site - areas where according to people who lived in the vicinity at the time also contain human remains.

She said the report from the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes "let down very many survivors" who are seeking truth that she said "sadly remains in the distance". She urged Minister Roderic O'Gorman, "for the good of survivors", to push ahead with his commitment to allow a human rights expert to examine all testimonies provided to the Commission.

She added that the redress process "must be fair" and that religious institutions must contribute to the redress scheme for survivors - "that is the very least we can expect" she said.

Cathaorileach of Tipperary County Council, Roger Kennedy and Roscrea based County Councillor, Michael Smith also addressed the commemoration and laid a wreath in the Angel's Plot when the gathering moved to the site located close to Corville House.

The Cathaoirleach said that Tipperary County Council will continue to support the implementation of the findings of the enquiry and pledged the local authority will continue to support the survivors group. He said Tipperary County Council has "been ahead of all others in acknowledging the report of the Commission of Inquiry".

The event was also addressed by Patrick McDermott, who was born in Sean Ross and returned for the commemoration from Chicago in the United States. Doves were also released at the Angel's Plot - a symbolic gesture which was very moving.

Emotional return to Roscrea for American Sean Ross adoptee

Speaking afterward, Teresa Collins said Sundays event "was a very emotional one. But it also served as a powerful reminder that survivors, their families and their representatives will never stop in our campaign to seek the truth that has been hidden at mother and baby homes across the country  whether thats through the sourcing of unrecovered records, or scanning land at Sean Ross Abbey to determine the number of children that were buried there.

More than anything, I want to pay tribute to all those for whom Sean Ross Abbey has left an indelible mark, but whose determination has gotten us so far. With you, we will all continue to seek justice, truth and recognition for those whose voice was silenced for so long.

Tipperary TD Martin Browne, highlighted the need for further scans at the Angels Plot and on adjacent lands: This is needed so that those who went before us and who have no records to show for their short lives, can be properly accounted for, remembered, and ultimately, memorialised in a way that shows a level of recognition so many were denied within the walls of Sean Ross Abbey and other Mother and Baby Homes.

Visitors from around Ireland and from the United Kingdom and United States visited the Angel's Plot and local representatives laid wreaths
SOMETIMES you do have to wonder. How is it the case that seemingly otherwise, intelligent, even well-educated people are seduced by Russia, or what they believe it to represent?

In my student days I was endlessly bewildered by those members of the then Workers Party - (formerly Official Sinn Fein, later Democratic Left, later still the Labour Party - though a Workers Party remains in existence still in Ireland) - many of them personal friends, who seemed so bewitched by the Soviet empire (though they would never have used the word 'empire' to describe it).

Some even visited Eastern European states back then in the days of the Iron Curtain  as guests of relevant regimes  and returned as though they had visited the Promised Land, all that milk and honey.

During the 1980s the Workers Party became, to paraphrase historian John Mulqueen, the Soviet voice in Dail Eireann. To get there (and stay) they adopted many of the strategies associated with Soviet so-called 'democratic centralism' i.e. dictatorship (though they never used the word!) from the top.

They, secretly, infiltrated the media, academics and the trades unions during the 1970s and 1980s. They were particularly successful in doing so where the Union of Students in Ireland was concerned, though in that instance they were somewhat more upfront about their allegiances.

They had what can only be described as a deep faith in things Soviet and, as counterbalance, a deep-seated distrust, prejudice even, of all things US of A.

It was the sort of faith that had no difficulty in explaining away or finding a different 'explanation' for the atrocities under Stalin, including the starving to death of an estimated three million Ukrainians during forced collectivization of farms there in the 1930s, or the brutal crushing of uprisings in Hungary and then Czechoslovakia the beating down of the wise and great art beaten down.

As with all people of a deep faith, discussion was futile as they were beyond persuasion. It took history to sort them out and, in particular, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

These latter day zealots were by no means unique. Even the great playwright and Dubliner George Bernard Shaw was beguiled. He visited the Soviet Union in 1931 and found Stalin  whom he greatly admired  to be charmingly good-humored. He expected to see a Russian worker and I found a Georgian gentleman, he said.

At the end of that trip he wrote: Tomorrow I leave this land of hope and return to our Western countries  the countries of despair. Returning to Europe he described Stalin as a giant, while other politicians were pigmies and he dismissed the 'myth' about hunger in the Soviet Union by saying he ate the most slashing dinner in his life while there.

Some time later he would write: I myself am as strongly susceptible as anyone to the fascination of the Russian character as expressed by its art and personally by its artists.

For a man whose middle name could have been 'Sceptic' this was extraordinary self-delusion. Of course, as proven by our more recent (former) Workers Party friends, he wasnt the only Irish person to indulge such fantasy. Nor were they the last.

It continues to this day through the actions of the two Irish MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace. Here is Clare Daly on Twitter at the weekend, in response to Taoiseach Micheal Martins strong speech last week at the UN condemning Russian actions in Ukraine and calling for that countrys removal from the UN Security Council: Scandalous! @MichealMartinTD supposed leader of neutral country behaving as #NATO stooge when he should be championing peace & end to the war. Where was his call for US, UK & France to lose their seats for Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria? Pathetic!

Here is Mick Wallace on Saturday last, also on Twitter, on a speech by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said the war in Ukraine was about autocracy versus democracy, and addressing Ms von der Leyen directly, he said: What you are really saying is that the #EU is taking instructions from the #US, regardless of the cost to the #environment + citizens of Europe. Both EU + US are undermining their own climate ambition just to punish Russia  this is brain dead stuff as the Planet is burning

Not once since Russia invaded Ukraine last February have either of these two MEPs criticised that action or the subsequent discovery of war crimes by Russian troops against murdered ordinary people in Ukraine uncovered as those soldiers were forced to retreat.

Not once have they criticised Russian bombings of residential parts of cities, schools, hospitals or civilian areas of Ukraine generally, not to mention its wiping off the face of the earth of places such as Mariupol.

I only hope this is remembered at the next European elections when Ms Daly and Mr Wallace are held to account for all of this by the electorates in the Dublin and South European constituencies.

Meanwhile in Moscow Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, who supports Putins invasion of Ukraine, told his countrys men at the weekend that: The Church recognizes that if someone, moved by a sense of duty and by a need to fulfill his oath, remains faithful to his calling and carried out what his duty commands, and if he dies while carrying out that duty, then he, without doubt, is committing an act tantamount to sacrifice. He is sacrificing himself for others. And consequently we believe that this sacrifice washes away all the sins he has committed.

He advised: Go bravely to fulfill your military duty. And remember that if you lay down your life for your country, you will be with God in his kingdom, glory and eternal life.

He said: The fear of death drives a warrior from the battlefield, pushes the weak to betrayal and even to rebel against their brothers. But true faith destroys the fear of death.

Yes, thats Patriarch Kirill, one of Putins main recruiting sergeants, telling the men of Russia that if they go to war against Ukraine and are killed they are guaranteed a place in heaven for ever and ever Amen!

It is hardly the first time in history that a Churchman has held out the promise of eternal life while sending men to their deaths, but it is comparatively rare in these times. Then, clearly, Kirill is more Russian than a man of God and doesnt appear to be any rush himself to be a warrior in Ukraine.

Russia is the barbarous aggressor in Ukraine, attempting to suppress a people and, with our own long, tragic history of suffering under the yoke of a larger, sometimes merciless bully intent on making itself great (again!), we indomitable Irishry should be among the last to side with the big guy as he attempts to crush his smaller neighbour.

The Taoiseach is 100% correct in describing Russia at the UN as behaving like a rogue state and not playing a constructive role on the UN security council which is charged with securing international peace. There was, he said, a huge irreconcilability between Russia being a permanent member of that council and its behaviour in attacking Ukraine.

As a result of its invasion of Ukraine last February it should lose its permanent seat on the UN security council, he said.

There are currently five permanent members of that security council: the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France. There are also 10 non-permanent members elected for a two-year term. Ireland currently holds one of those positions and will do so until the end of this year.

Well done Taoiseach!
THE Nigerian-born priest who served as a curate in Tullamore for six years has thanked the parish for its support.

Fr Luke Ohiemi, was appointed as curate with pastoral duties in Clara and in Tubber parishes and is now based in Horseleap.

In a last message to his former Tullamore parishioners at the weekend, Fr Luke said: Growing up in Nigeria and going to the seminary to train for the priesthood, I heard a lot about Ireland, and knew a bit about the land of St Patrick. But I never knew there was any place called Tullamore on the map of the world.

Fr Luke added: Yet providence and the mission of Christ led me to find a home amongst you in the last six years. Sharing the mission of Christ with you, I learnt, I made some mistakes and grew.

Thank you for every encouragement, support and kindness. I will forever carry Tullamore in my heart because you have become a part of my history. Keep me in your prayers as I do same with you. Thank you!

In a tribute a couple of weeks ago, Tullamore parish priest Fr Joseph Gallagher said Fr Luke will be missed.

He has been very much part of our parish during very challenging times and we have appreciated his dignified and prayerful presence among us.

Fr Gallagher added: His ministry to young people in our schools, to couples preparing for marriage, to the sick at home and in hospital, to the needy, to families in time of bereavement, to prayer groups, his patient listening and thoughtful advice, these have all been part of his committed and gentle ministry.

In 2015 Fr Ohiemi, Diocese of Idah, Nigeria was appointed by the Bishop of Meath to minister in Kinnegad parish while pursuing post-graduate studies in Maynooth.
MBABANE - Some human rights defenders have sought the intervention of the Eswatini Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration/Integrity in the assault of incarcerated MPs, Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube.

The human rights bodies want the commission to investigate the incident wherein the two Members of Parliament (MPs) were reportedly assaulted by officers from His Majestys Correctional Services (HMCS). The human rights defenders have since forwarded a complaint to the commission, imploring it to act on the matter as it borders around human rights violation. The chairman of the commission, Senior Lawyer Sabelo Masuku, confirmed receipt of the complaint by some of the human rights defenders.

Complaint

When asked what the commission was doing after having received the complaint, Masuku said it must not be an organisation that complains but should be a natural person. He said they were still to give a feedback to the organisations that approached them. HMC has appointed a six-member team to conduct a probe into the assault of the legislators last Thursday morning. It was previously reported that the MPs, together with seven inmates, were assaulted by warders, who had their faces covered with balaclavas. It was further reported that upon entry, the officers started assaulting the two legislators with open hand claps, fists, kicked them and also used spray guns.

The Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration is established by the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini as a commission with a three-prong mandate as articulated in the Constitution in Section 164 and 243 respectively. Section 163(1) establishes the commission as a Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration. Section 243 further establishes the commission as an Integrity Commission. The commission is, therefore, a hybrid institution, which not only performs the functions of a National Human Rights Institution, but also Public Administration (Ombudsman) and Integrity Commission. Meanwhile, lawyers representing the MPs, have described the probe instituted by HMCS as an exercise in futility.

Inquiry

Senior Lawyer Ben J. Simelane, who is part of the MPs legal team, said any findings by the probe team would have an institutional bias, hence the need for an independent judicial inquiry, which would be conducted in the open. He said there should be an open commission of enquiry where witnesses would be called. Simelane was quoted as having said: Let someone who is independent do it. Instead of wasting time, why not appoint people who are independent and not attached to the institution. He was adamant that the investigation should be conducted by someone who would listen to both parties instead of being biased towards either of the parties. Lets stop playing games, let us have something in the open. Instead of wasting time, government must set up a proper judicial commission of enquiry, said Simelane.
MANZINI  Foul play is suspected in the escape of three suspects, who are considered dangerous, from Matsapha Police Station yesterday morning.

At 5am, the trio, currently on the run, was part of seven suspects arrested for alleged illegal possession of guns, armed robberies and attempted murder. They are said to have walked out of the police station. The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) had kept the trio in custody, who before the escape, were charged with multiple counts, which are inclusive of a string of armed robberies, two attempted murders and contravening the Arms and Ammunition Act. The three suspects were arrested at Mahlabatsini two Sundays ago. When the arrest was effected, they were allegedly found in possession of a 9mm pistol without a permit or licence while at Mahlabatsini. The suspects are Siphelele Moses Simelane (19) of Mahamba, Khetha Mxolisi Zwane (29) of Mkhondvo and Bheki Gwebu Mahhusha (32), who hails from Ntshanini. They all hail from the Shiselweni Region.

Apprehended

When the police apprehended them on the wee hours of September 18, 2022, there had been a string of armed robberies committed in a single night, resulting in a combined loss of items and cash valued at about E210 000. During the commission of the robbery, a 56-year-old woman of Othandweni reported that she was robbed of her motor vehicle. The motor vehicle was a silver grey Toyota Spacious registered USD 486 AS, valued at E65 000, and it was taken at gunpoint by three unknown men, while at Othandweni.

Investigating

Also, Big Bend police were investigating an armed robbery case where at around 3am, a 32-year-old woman of St. Philips reported that she was robbed of cash, a Samsung cellphone and 45.42 litres of petrol. All these items were said to be valued at E110 694.88 and they were taken at gunpoint by four unknown men while at St. Philips Filling Station. There was also another armed robbery case wherein a 58-year-old man of Eteni, Matsapha reported that he was robbed of his cash and cellphone, all valued at E29 000 at gunpoint by five unknown men.

It is yet to be determined if the escaped trio was linked to these particular robberies.

It was gathered from impeccable sources that the trio took advantage of an officer who was opening the holding cells in order to allow the support staff to collect crockery, in preparation for serving suspects breakfast. It was also gathered that while the police officer opened the holding cells, one of the suspects on the run, grazed the law enforcer with a knife in an effort to induce him to surrender. After overpowering the police officer, one of the suspects was said to have banged a member of the support staff against the wall, as they walked out of their holding cell. As they left, it was gathered that some police officers, who were in the shift, sought cover as the suspects bolted towards the front desk. However, sources have questioned the manner in which the suspects escaped.

Reinforced

They claimed that it was known that security was reinforced such that even officers at the reception were always armed. It was gathered that there were also questions on how one of the suspects, who is sickly and currently has a catheter attached to his body, was able to run for a distance without being apprehended. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the escape of the trio. She said the REPS was seeking public assistance in the re-arrest of the three suspects who escaped from police custody yesterday morning. In her appeal to have the suspects rearrested, Vilakati said, one of the three was sickly and currently had a catheter attached to his body. Vilakati said: Police are appealing to members of the public, including families of the suspects, to assist with information that may lead to their re-arrest. For any information, please call Manzini RCBO Superintendent Thabo Hlophe at 7606 8570 or Desk Officer A/Insp 7668 6833 or Matsapha Police Station at 2518 7111 or alternatively call the police emergency number 999/9999.

She assured members of the public that all received information would be treated confidentially and those reporting were guaranteed anonymity. In the same breath, Vilakati also encouraged the suspects to surrender themselves back to the police as this would work in their favour.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon placed tobacco Wednesday on the graves of some of the people who died in a stabbing rampage on the James Smith..

CTV News 28 Sep 2022
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President Biden, speaking at the White House, warned energy industry executives not to raise the price of oil or gas in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
The nation's top oil and gas group slammed President Biden on Wednesday for suggesting companies may price gouge as Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Florida.
The EU denounced the "illegal" annexation votes Russia held in occupied Ukrainian regions. Meanwhile, Canada said it will impose new sanctions over Russia's "sham" referendums. DW rounds up the latest.
The national AfD headquarters in Berlin has been searched by investigators, according to the far-right party. Prosecutors are probing former AfD head Jorg Meuthen for false accountability statements, media report.
Activists in Italy are concerned about what far-right firebrand Giorgia Melonis election as the new prime minister could mean for abortion rights in the country.
All four of the occupied areas of Ukraine have voted to join Russia after referendums in the republics and regions, pro-Moscow officials have said.
By Anton Antonenko*



As the first sounds of Russian missiles woke up people in various Ukrainian cities and towns in the..

Eurasia Review 27 Sep 2022
Hurricane Ian is headed for the gulf coast of Florida after making landfall in Cuba. The hurricane is expected to bring storm surge and heavy rain to the area.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov will participate in the 2nd Meeting of Energy Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), which will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on September 28, Azernews reports.

The meeting will focus on cooperation in the oil and gas, petrochemical, renewable, and smart energy, energy efficiency, green energy transition, and sustainable energy development sectors.

Parviz Shahbazov's speech and bilateral meetings are planned to be held within the meeting.

Hosted by Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov and moderated by the Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Baghdad Amreyev, the ministerial meeting will be attended by the ministers in charge of energy of the OTS member and observer states.

"The agenda of the high-level meeting will cover the following items: Follow-up of the issues raised at the 1st OTS online Ministerial and Working Group Meetings on Energy; discussions on exchanging experience in the field of energy efficiency; briefings on the exchange of best practices/ training programs, proposals on organizing future training programs/webinars; discussions on the establishment of the OTS Coordination Committee for Energy Cooperation; finalizing the OTS Program on Energy Cooperation for 2023-2027 and its Action Sheet," OTS's press service reported.
Germany's environment minister has backed a decision to extend the lifespans of two nuclear plants amid an energy crisis. But the Green politician said Germany's phaseout of nuclear power was delayed, not shelved.
Russia fired a salvo of missiles at Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv, overnight, hitting a railroad yard and knocking out power to more than 18,000 homes.
The European Union has also vowed to retaliate for any attack on Europe's energy networks.
Taiwan's former top defense official, Admiral Lee Hsi-ming, told DW he is concerned that Taiwanese forces are not ready to fight off China, and that a new defense concept is needed.
Premier Tim Houston is calling for more transparency and co-operation from major telecommunications companies, blasting them for not being more involved with provincial co-ordination efforts in the wake of Hurricane Fiona.
A suspected act of sabotage - possibly by Russia - against gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea was likely a premeditated attack using underwater explosive devices detonated remotely, according to a British defence source.
The Bank of England has intervened in the markets with emergency action to steady the nation's finances. The move came after a tax cut proposal under new Prime Minister Liz Truss triggered financial chaos.
Dog rescue organizations hope Canada will reverse its ban on street dogs from over 100 countries, most of them in Africa, Central and South America, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The past president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association says while the ban may seem severe, it's warranted.
Seven tourists from Delhi and UP were killed and 10 more were injured after their bus skidded off the road and fell into a gorge near Jalori Jot in Kullu's Banjar area of Himachal Pradesh around 9pm Sunday. The accident brought back into focus the dangers of nightly travel on winding Himalayan roads, especially in the wet season.
Arabian Drilling Company, a leading oil and gas drilling contractor in Saudi Arabia, has announced the price range for its planned initial public offering (IPO), as well as the commencement of the participating entities' bidding and book-building period.

The company had on September 18 announced its intention to proceed with an IPO of 30% of its share capital. The approved red herring prospectus containing the full details of the offering was published on September 19.

The price range for the offering has been set between SR90 and SR100 per share.

The offering comprises 26,700,000 offer shares, consisting of a secondary offering of 19.89% of the companys total share capital through the sale of 17,700,000 existing shares by the current shareholders of Arabian Drilling (The Industrialization & Energy Services Company (TAQA) and Services Petroliers Schlumberger) and a primary offering of 10.11% through the issuance of 9,000,000 new shares.

The total offering size is expected to be between SR2,403 million ($641 million) and SR2,670 million ($712 million), implying a market capitalisation at listing between SR8,010 million ($2,136 million) and SR8,900 million ($2,373 million), the company said.

Immediately following listing, the company is expected to have a free float of 30% of the entire issued share capital of the company.

The IPO will comprise an offer of 26,700,000 offer shares to participating parties entitled to participate in the book-building process (Participating Entities) in accordance with the CMA instructions for book-building process and allocation method in initial public offerings, including non-resident qualified foreign financial institutions in accordance with the rules for qualified foreign financial institutions investment in listed securities.

Following the completion of the participating entities tranche, the offer shares will also be offered to Saudi Arabian nationals, foreign residents in the kingdom and GCC nationals (Individual Investors). Initially, 100% of the offer shares will be provisionally allocated to the Participating Entities. This may be reduced to 24,030,000 shares (representing 90% of the total) depending on the level of demand by individual investors. The final number of offer shares allocated to the Participating Entities will be accordingly adjusted based on subscription from individual investors, the company said.

Key dates

* Bidding and book-building period for Participating Entities - September 28 to October 5

* Final offer price announcement - Ocotber 11

* Announcement of provisional allotment of offer shares October 11

* Deadline for payment of subscription money by Participating Entities based on their provisionally allocated offer shares -Ocotber 17

* Subscription Period for Individual Investors based on final offer price - Ocotber 18  19

* Announcement of final allocation of shares and notification of excess subscription monies (if any) - October 25

* Refund of excess subscription amounts (if any) - On or before October 27

* Expected start of trading on the Saudi Exchange - Trading of the offer shares is expected to commence after all relevant legal requirements and procedures have been fulfilled.

-TradeArabia News Service
PM Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, in a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday, discussed regional and global issues, including the Ukraine conflict, called for peaceful resolution of disputes, and underlined the significance of fair and transparent development finance.
Magdalena Andersson told a news conference the Swedish government was in close contact with partners such as NATO and neighbors such as Denmark and Germany concerning the developments.
More than a dozen retired military officers and national security officials urging President Biden to support expanded U.S. domestic energy production in the interest of national security.
Tampa (AFP) Sept 27, 2022



Soon to be in the teeth of a monster storm, anxious Tampa residents were making final preparations Tuesday ahead of potentially catastrophic Hurricane Ian, which is forecast to slam Florida's west coast with a ferocity unseen here in decades. Authorities have issued evacuation orders for more than two million Floridians, including those in the most vulnerable areas around the Tampa Bay, wher
Royal Mail workers are to stage a further 19 strikes in the next two months in a deteriorating dispute over pay and conditions.
Norman Reedus paid tribute to his wife Diane Kruger and beautiful family as he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
A judge has sentenced US capitol rioter Kyle Young to seven years in prison, calling him a one-man wrecking ball who helped in a sustained assault on a police officer.
Zeleros, the European company developing the scalable hyperloop, an ultra high-speed mobility solution for transport of passengers and goods, and ArcelorMittal, the worlds leading steel and mining company, have carried out trials to analyse the behaviour of steel grades for optimal use in hyperloops.

A testing facility in the form of a spinning wheel that can reach linear speeds of up to 500 km per

hour has been designed and built at ArcelorMittals Rail Excellence Centre in Spain, to test how

certain steels perform in ultra-high-speed conditions, prior to testing on a scaled hyperloop

track.

The results provide data to further advance the selection of the best steels for hyperloop use, considering safety, energy efficiency, cost and scalability as the main decision criteria.

Zeleros and ArcelorMittal have been working together since 2017. Since then, experts from both companies  including all of ArcelorMittals R&D centres - have jointly developed studies to analyse the way in which materials behave in high-speed conditions, measuring the effects of key characteristics for hyperloop technology, such as the electromagnetic properties of steels (hyperloop designs propose the use of magnetic levitation).

As part of the collaborative work between the two companies, ArcelorMittals rails business in Europe -- ArcelorMittal Europe -- long products, rails and special sections - has developed new products with improved guiding and braking performance, as part of the wider co-engineering project between Zeleros and

ArcelorMittal.

To reach Zeleros' vision of building a scalable hyperloop, including the braking, guiding and

levitation technology in the vehicle, this collaboration is key. Thanks to the continuous improvement of steel, we can radically reduce infrastructure costs and assure energy efficiency and infrastructure viability, stated Daniel Orient, Zeleros CTO.

The work we have been doing with Zeleros reflects the importance we place on our involvement in innovative projects using steel in infrastructure and transportation, and that contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, said Nicoleta Popa, Portfolio Leader of Construction Applications, Infrastructures and Long Products of ArcelorMittal Global R&D.

The multidisciplinary ArcelorMittal team for the structural, mechanical and electromagnetic aspects, proves the strength of our approach for such complex innovative projects, both in defining new products and in developing new solutions, said Frederic Painchault, Head of marketing of Global automotive & Mobility solutions.

Besides hyperloop, ArcelorMittal has participated in studies of materials for other applications developed by Zeleros, such as the SELF (Sustainable Electric Freight-forwarder), conceived to move standard intermodal containers in a faster, automated and sustainable way within ports, for which the test track is currently under construction in the port of Sagunto in Spain. - TradeArabia News Service
The toppling of a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was violent and therefore human rights protections were not available as a defence to a charge of criminal damage, Court of Appeal judges have ruled.
Authorities are urging millions of Floridians to evacuate as Hurricane Ian is expected to soon hit the state. Here's what to know.


Hurricane Ian delivered an eerie omen to coastal Florida residents Wednesday morning: Its winds pulled massive amounts of water out of Tampa Bay and other areas.
The leader of Britains main opposition Labour Party accused the governing Conservatives on Tuesday of losing control of the economy, and promised to take the UK out of
The Pentagon said the proposed sale greatly improves Pakistans ability to support counterterrorism operations through its robust air-to-ground capability. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took a sharp dig at the US deciding to send the F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan earlier this month to...
Brazil condemn the racist abuse of Richarlison as the forward has a banana and other objects thrown at him in their win over Tunisia.
The Johnson family, who own the New York Jets, say it was "their duty" to help Ukraine after making a $1m donation and a humanitarian trip.
Opalesque Industry Update - According to new research from London-based Nickel Digital Asset Management (Nickel Digital), Europe's leading regulated and award-winning digital assets hedge fund manager founded by senior traders and investment professionals formerly from major financial institutions including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, institutional investors and wealth managers are starting to become more optimistic about the crypto market. Nickel commissioned research with 200 professional investors from across seven countries who collectively manage around $2.2 trillion in assets and found more than two out of three (67%) believe the current crypto winter is either over or has less than six months to run. Its study found 9% believe the bear market in cryptocurrencies and digital assets is over while 58% say it will end within six months at the latest. They have been buoyed by the recent performance of Bitcoin which has rallied from previous lows and more than a fifth (21%) questioned believe valuations will start to rise over the next six months with another 6% saying there will be no further declines in valuations. However, the research shows professional investors are still expecting some volatility over the next six months while the crypto winter starts to ease as the table below shows. Not all professional investors surveyed are optimistic about the crypto and digital asset market in 2023, the research found. Around 27% questioned expect the bear market to last up to a year from now while 7% expect it to last more than a year. Fiona King, MD at Nickel Digital, said: "The recent relative stability hoovering around lows first hit three months ago provided some respite for the market and that is reflected in the return of some confidence among professional investors. Invesco has recently been quoted predicting a Crypto Spring which would spur professional investors back into digital assets." Anatoly Crachilov, CEO at Nickel Digital, added: "It is a well-grounded long-term optimism. Investors acknowledge that the ongoing crypto winter still has some way to run but there is also a recognition that, if history is any guide, once the winter ends these high-beta markets will stage strong recovery." Nickel Digital Asset Management is a London-based FCA authorised and regulated investment manager that offers a range of digital asset strategy solutions for institutional investors. Its mission is to provide a gateway for traditional investors into the digital assets market across a broad range of risk profiles.
The Saudi Export Development Authority (Saudi Exports) is at the Big 5 Construct Nigeria, a major construction industry event, being held in capital Lagos, under the identity "Made in Saudi" with 15 national companies taking part under its umbrella.

The three-day event, which concludes tomorrow (September 29), will see the Saudi companies showcase their innovative products as well as strike strategic partnerships and seal new agreements.

These firms will review the latest technologies and innovations being unveiled at Big 5 Construct Nigeria as well as get a peek into the sustainable solutions, said Saudi Exports in its statement.

A major event for the building sector, Big 5 Construct Nigeria offers regional companies a major platform to promote their products and also boost their global presence, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Reigning Miss International Sireethorn "Bint" Leearamwat, who just recently walked the runway of Bangkok International Fashion Week 2022, is scheduled to visit Romania this October.

The Thai beauty queen will be welcomed by Miss International Romania 2022 Ada-Maria Ileana on a 5-day adventure showcasing the beauty and culture of her beautiful country.

Bint will arrive in Bucharest on October 3 for her first-ever European visit during her 3-year historic reign and what better way to celebrate this experience than to explore, feel the magic, and indulge in the culture of the southeastern European country.

"I can't wait to explore the wonders of Bucharest, experience the amazing castles of Romania, and get a taste of your rich culture. I can't wait to meet you guys," she wrote on social media.

Miss International Romania also went online and stated: "We are honored to have her and we are waiting for you to join our journey through the small piece of heaven we call home."

Romania is known for the forested region of Transylvania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains. Its capital city and commercial center, Bucharest, is the site of an iconic landmark, the gigantic communist-era Palatul Parlamentului government building.




"To grow further, we must do something beyond of what we have already mastered" - that was the message of Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) Chairman Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa at a Board of Directors meeting of the company.

Alba, one of the worlds largest aluminium smelters, held its third quarterly Board of Directors meeting at the Al Dana Hall on Wednesday (September 28).

Shaikh Daij started the meeting by thanking Alba executives, management, employees, and contractors personnel for the exceptional safety record of the company, with Alba setting a precedent in its safety performance with more than 31 million safe working hours without LTI.

Adding further, he said: To further grow, we must do something beyond of what we have already mastered. With the first concrete pour at Power Station 5 Block 4, we advance closer to meet our ESG objectives. As we step in the last quarter of this year, we remain focused to embrace the challenges we see in todays market as opportunities to finish 2022 strong.

During this meeting, the Board of Directors discussed and approved the minutes of the previous meeting on August 11, 2022 as well as reviewed reports of the Executive and ESG Committee, Board Audit Committee and the Nomination, Remuneration and Corporate Governance Committee.

The Board also reviewed the companys ESG developments to include the debut of Power Station 5 (PS5) Block 4s construction project, which will bring Alba one step closer in its race towards decarbonisation in terms of higher efficiency and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Moreover, the board was apprised of the successful closure of the financing with Sinosure Export Credit Agency in relation to this project.

Along with the Chairman of the Board, Shaikh Daij, the Alba Board of Directors comprises six directors appointed by Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company  Yousif A Taqi, Suha Karzoon, Shaikh Isa Bin Khalid Al Khalifa, Tim Murray and Rasha Sabkar. The three directors appointed by Sabic Industrial Investments Co (SIIC) are Ahmed Alduriaan, Iyad Al-Garawi and Omar A Al-Amoudi and one elected director is Mutlaq Hamad Al-Morished. -TradeArabia News Service
Photo: (Photo : David Mark)

The parents of the blind toddler, Lucas, who almost died and may have had difficulty walking after his foot was filled with Intravenous Fluid (IV), which was allegedly left unchecked by hospital staff for seven hours, are seeking legal advice after being denied support from the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), per NZ Herald.

The parents, Ginni and Mike, worry their son born with special needs, may have also lost crucial months of development. Lucas' mom, Ginni, said she doesn't know if her son will ever walk again after the hospital committed a huge mistake, adding that she didn't expect ACC to be that heartless.

The Starship Hospital admitted to missing some of the 16-month-old's medical documents amidst an investigation to analyze what went wrong and has now apologized to the family for the failure. The mom emphasized that her son's foot was swollen like a rubber dog's toy, and the IV was continuously leaking into the toddler's foot the whole night. According to Starship's protocol, children's IV lines should generally be checked every hour.

The mother revealed the hospital only rushed in when the IV line was already leaking. Doctors and nurses yelled, "code blue, code blue," and that's when they only started taking things seriously. According to data gathered by the news outlet, 400 to 560 people obtained taxpayer-funded compensation each year due to being harmed by an IV inserted wrongly into the veins or dislodged. ACC accepted 258 treatment injury claims for IV cannulation.

Read Also: Research: Almost Half of the American Teens Are Constantly on Their Phones

Lucas and his family were severely traumatized

Mike, Lucas' dad, said they were grateful for Starship Hospital, as without them, the toddler wouldn't be alive. The hospital being the toddler's hero made the situation worse and hard to swallow as the hospital is the main reason he is having difficulties, which could have been avoided in the first place. "It's that betrayal of trust."

The family was now speaking out to prevent the situation from happening again and help make the system better. The family has been left severely traumatized by what happened to their 16-month-old child.

Before the incident happened in June, Lucas received weekly occupational therapy provided by the Starship Hospital because the young boy was born with Septo-Optic Dysplasia (SOD). According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), SOD is a rare disorder usually characterized by abnormal development of the optic disk, pituitary deficiencies, and often agenesis or the absence of the septum pellucidum.

The rare condition left the toddler with special needs almost completely blind.

Lucas got distressed after the injury and cried himself to sleep

The parents claimed that the IV harm caused further damage to the young boy's development and may have left him with fatal nerve damage in his foot, primarily affecting his ability to walk. Mike added that his son is a special kid who is blind and needs every bit of sensory he can get specifically through his feet, and the staff may have removed all of that.

The parents lodged a treatment injury claim seeking coverage for wound care, rehabilitation, and child support so Ginni could also return to her work. An occupational therapist, sought by the family, said in a report that the 16-month-old toddler experienced a significant decline in functional ability due to the injury and the subsequent extended stay in hospital. The report also mentioned that Lucas was about to start daycare while his mother could return to work, but due to the unfortunate events, neither could do that anymore.

The toddler cried himself to sleep three months after the injury he sustained because he was so distressed. Lucas' condition is rare, affecting 1 in every 100,000 births, with boys and girls affected equally, per NHS.

Related Article: Three-year-old Toddler Reunites With Parents After Spending the Night Alone at Poinsett State Park in Wedgefield
Photo: (Photo : Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Officials in Illinois announced that a 3-year-old boy has died after his aunt allegedly pushed him into Lake Michigan in the city of Chicago, NBC News reported.

The kid was with Victoria Moreno on September 19 when the 34-year-old allegedly pushed him into the water in the 700 block of East Grand Street. That is the site of Navy Pier, which is a tourist attraction.

Police issued a news release saying the offender did not attempt to rescue the victim. Cops said that emergency personnel pulled the toddler from the water, and he was transported to a hospital in critical condition.

Charges against Moreno may be upgraded after Brown's death

The young child, identified as Josiah Brown, was pronounced dead at 10:16 a.m. on Sunday, September 25, at Lurie Children's Hospital, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. Brown's family described Josiah as a bundle of joy who loved his dad and was full of energy.

Moreno was arrested by police less than an hour after the boy was in the water at the scene. She was charged not only with first-degree attempted murder but also aggravated battery of a child, according to CBS News.

She was denied bail at a court hearing on Wednesday, where her defense attorneys argued that she has mental health issues. According to prosecutors, Moreno lives with her family in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines. She left the house with her nephew Josiah without anyone else knowing.

She allegedly allowed the toddler to crawl under a chain-link fence blocking access to the water at Navy Pier. According to the media outlet, the prosecutors said that she pulled the child toward her when she saw people watching them.

Read Also: Family Blames Hospital as Dad Dies of Internal Bleeding Just Days After Chilean Recluse Spider Bite

Moreno did not attempt to rescue Brown after he fell into the water

Prosecutors alleged that Moreno climbed over the fence when no one else was around and pushed Josiah off the platform, causing the boy to fall 6 feet into the water below. According to prosecutors, the toddler was in the water for 30 minutes before divers were able to pull him out from the bottom of the lake.

Moreno's next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, September 30, according to ABC 7 Chicago. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office also released a statement on Monday, September 26, saying that charges against Moreno so far have not been upgraded following the death of Josiah.

The statement said that they anticipate additional charges may be filed against Moreno after the medical examiner's office and police department have completed their investigations. Chicago police said during a weekly update that it is up to the state's attorney's office to upgrade any charges in the case.

Related Article: Grieving Mom of American Who Died Fighting in Ukraine Wants His Remains To Be Brought Home
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It's being reported this morning that Apple has increased the specification it wants from its OLED on Silicon (OLEDoS) panels from Samsung and LG Display. More specifically, Apple originally requested 2800 PPI (pixels per inch) and has now increased it to 3500 PPI to increase the immersion consumers will feel from its first-generation mixed reality headset that is rumored to be launching in 2023.

Yet it appears that this morning's report from The Elec is simply echoing information from reports that we posted back in August and earlier in September (01, 02 and 03); information that was posted by Counterpoint in greater detail.



The Elec repeats that Apple will initially use Sony's micro-displays and then shift to LG and Samsung in second-gen headsets. It also repeats that while Apple's mixed reality headset will start with OLEDoS at 3500ppi, Samsung and LG are working on 6,000-7,000ppi using future LEDoS displays.

The only new information in The Elec's report is minor. It states that "Samsung Display had been slow to dip its toe on OLEDoS as it believed it was a small market but the top executives at Samsung had admonished Samsung Display for judging on the technology quickly." Further, the report's sources claim that "Samsung considers OLEDoS to have a lower entry barrier than LEDoS and wants to lead on the latter technology over its rivals LG Display and Sony."
Apple's CEO along with various members of Apple's executive team have been on a business trip visiting various sites in Germany and the UK meeting with Store teams, developers and much more. Tim Cook has been tweeting about key stops on their trip and our report covers the main tweets and provides you with jumbo images of key events to view.

Apple Executives in Germany

Apple's CEO Tim Cook and SVP of Hardware Technologies Johny Srouji visited the company's state-of-the-art lab in Munich this week.

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Visited our latest state-of-the-art labs in Munich this morning. This chamber is where our incredible engineers conduct some of the cellular testing done to ensure were optimizing for performance and connectivity. pic.twitter.com/JKRTMa23NA  Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 28, 2022

Octoberfest!

Of course, the trip was timed to enjoy Germany's famed Octoberfest. How could it not. Cook Tweets: "So happy to be back to Oktoberfest. Bottom up!" The photo shows that Eddie Cue was along for this trip ... and to the pub.

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Schee, dass ma wieder amoi gmiadlich zamsitzn. So happy to be back to Oktoberfest. Prost! pic.twitter.com/AcPy8ugH9v  Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 28, 2022

Apple's Tim Cook visits the Apple Store team and local developers at Rosenthaler Strae Berlin.

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Thanks for the warm welcome from the team at Apple Rosenthaler Strae in Berlin! Great to see German developers Flowkey, komoot, and Dogo, who are helping people all over the world learn piano, plan a hike, or train their dog  including the very well-behaved Ninja. pic.twitter.com/iuQ1aTYFBz  Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 27, 2022

Surfs Up in Munich!

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Surfs up in Munich! It was amazing to see what local photographer Jannik Obenhoff was able to capture on iPhone 14 Pro Max at one of the only urban surfing spots in the world. pic.twitter.com/hrDcUkr2Bj  Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 28, 2022

While in the UK

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It was great to spend time with our team members at Apple Brompton Road and Regent Street today. Their care and support for our customers always puts a smile on my face! pic.twitter.com/gRisVO8bns  Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 26, 2022

Apple's CEO Tim Cook and VP Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson Enjoyed an amazing gospel performance from Volney Morgan & New-Ye at Apples Platoon Studios.

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Enjoyed an amazing gospel performance from Volney Morgan & New-Ye. And 12-year-old Nandi Bushell  wow, can she play! Were so proud to support emerging new British artists and help them unlock their creative potential at Apples Platoon Studios. pic.twitter.com/RsTuciXice  Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 27, 2022

Apple's CEO hyped up over their new offices opening in 2023 at the iconic Battersea Power Station.

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We cant wait to open our new offices in the iconic Battersea Power Station for so many of our team members in London early next year. It's a tribute to this incredible city and a reflection of our commitment to Apple's future in the UK. pic.twitter.com/67M3qpaSTB  Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 26, 2022

Apple's Executive Team + Ted Lasso Cast Members Ham it Up

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Southbank Centre

Were delighted to announce our partnership with @Apple, expanding Apples Racial Equity and Justice Initiative to the UK.

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Cook Tweets: "As part of our work to address challenges in racial equity and justice, were excited to partner with Southbank Centre to increase representation in the arts."

As part of our work to address challenges in racial equity and justice, were excited to partner with Southbank Centre to increase representation in the arts. This is a wonderful program designed to unlock peoples full creative potential, and were thrilled to be a part of it. https://t.co/FKAbGmaCRK  Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 26, 2022

If there are more Tweets from Apple's CEO worth noting in the coming days, we'll update this report.
Chinese official calls for mutual learning between cultures

Xinhua) 11:03, September 28, 2022

Wu Weihua, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, addresses and declares open the 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

JINAN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese official has called for boosting exchanges, dialogue, and mutual learning between cultures and upholding the shared values of humanity at a forum on Confucian culture that opened Tuesday.

The Confucian thoughts of harmony, including exchanges and dialogue, inclusiveness, and mutual learning, have played an active role in the continuity and inheritance of the Chinese civilization for over 5,000 years, said Wu Weihua, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Wu declared open the 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations.

Wu said these thoughts also inspired cooperation among different peoples and mutual learning among civilizations.

Exchanges, dialogue, inclusiveness, and mutual learning are the most fundamental way to handle relations among countries, peoples, and civilizations, Wu said.

Wu added peace and development should come first, and humanity's shared values should be promoted to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

The Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations is themed "Diversity of Human Civilizations and Common Values of Mankind." More than 200 experts and scholars from home and abroad attended the opening ceremony of the events which will last two days.

Confucius (551-479 B.C.), a Chinese educator and thinker, influenced countless generations of Chinese society.

Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the opening ceremony of 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the site of 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows guests attending the opening ceremony of 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the opening ceremony of 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the site of 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Bookings for economy return travel in November and December from UAE increased by 83% in August compared to the previous month, with the Philippines and India leading the list, said Skyscanner, a leading travel marketplace.



The most popular trip length is two weeks to a month (43% of bookings), it added;



Top winter destinations for UAE travellers:



1. Philippines

2. India

3. Pakistan

4. UK

5. Qatar

6. Egypt

7. Turkey

8. Thailand

9. USA

10. Ireland



Live Skyscanner winter deals for UAE travellers using everywhere search:



Abu Dhabi to Catania, Italy (direct economy return flight) 16-28 November: AED241 ($65.60)

Abu Dhabi to Athens (direct economy return fight) 22-29 November: AED279

Sharjah to Istanbul (direct economy return flight) 1-15 November: AED560

Abu Dhabi to Male (direct economy return flight) 19-29 November: AED662



Saudi winter trends



Bookings for economy return travel in November and December from Saudi Arabia soar by 106% in August compared to the previous month.



The most popular trip length is 1-2 weeks (35% of bookings)



Top winter destinations for Saudi travellers:



1. Turkey

2. Philippines

3. India

4. UAE

5. UK

6. Thailand

7. Egypt

8. Pakistan

9. Indonesia

10. Italy



Live Skyscanner winter deals for Saudi travellers using everywhere search:



Damman to Vienna (direct economy return flight) 5-12 November: SAR 340

Damman to Rome (direct economy return flight) 14-25 November: SAR 370

Damman to Cairo (direct economy return flight) 13-20 November: SAR 758

Riyadh to Istanbul (direct economy return flight) 2-7 November: SAR 1387



Skyscanner Travel Expert Ayoub El Mamoun said: Were continuing to see booking behaviours return to pre-pandemic and seasonal norms with travellers keen to make the most of their trips following a long period of lockdowns and stop-start travel restrictions. Weve seen Saudi Arabia bookings for November and December breaks increase by 106% in August compared to the previous month and, in the UAE, bookings for the same winter period increased by 83% in August versus July as travellers look beyond summer and towards winter for their next travel plans.



The cost of travel will be top of mind for many holidaymakers thinking of a break this year and planning for 2023. Signing up to Skyscanners price alerts is a great way to keep on top of price changes to your favourite destination, meaning youll be the first in the know for any price drops. Searching by multiple dates and airports will also give you the best chance of a bargain. Skyscanners whole month and everywhere search tools help you do that with a few clicks so you can pick up a bargain.



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, Mamoun added.  TradeArabia News Service
European countries on Tuesday raced to investigate unexplained leaks in two Russian gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark, infrastructure at the heart of an energy crisis since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.



Experts and also Russia, which built the network, said the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out.



Sweden's Maritime Authority issued a warning about two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered that had prompted Denmark to restrict shipping in a five nautical mile radius.



Both pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between European capitals and Moscow that has pummelled major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring and sparked a hunt for alternative energy supplies.



"There are some indications that it is deliberate damage," said a European security source, while adding it was still too early to draw conclusions. "You have to ask: Who would profit?"













Read Full Story .... Reuters >>> :









Source: Reuters









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The Deputy Minister of Energy Dr Mohammed Amin Adam has touted investment potentials in the energy sector as one of the best in the sub-region, hence the need for investors to turn their attention to Ghana.



He made this call when he addressed on behalf of Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, a US-Ghana EXPO RoundTable B2B matching organized under the auspices of the US-Ghana Chamber of Commerce with support from Ghanas Ministry of Trade and Industry.



Dr Amin said Ghana has a lot of untapped hydrocarbon resources, both offshore and onshore, which the sector is seeking to explore and exploit through partnerships with private companies.



In Ghana, Exploration and Production (E&P) licenses are awarded through open, transparent and competitive public tender processes. However, E&P licenses may be awarded through direct negotiations without public tender if direct negotiations represent the most efficient manner to achieve optimal exploration, development and production of petroleum resources in a defined area. Either way, prospective contractors must have the requisite technical and financial abilities to undertake petroleum activities he said.



The Karaga Member of Parliament also said Ghana aspires to become a hub for refined petroleum products in the West African sub-region and beyond, culminating in the establishment of the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC). He said the hub will host infrastructure such as refineries, port terminal facilities, storage facilities, petrochemical plants as well as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals with a network of pipelines. He asked investors to capitalize on the opportunity this presents.



In the power sector, the Deputy Minister highlighted the plethora of opportunities in renewable and nuclear spaces. The most important thing we want to do as a Ministry is to ensure the lights are for economic growth and therefore, we ask that your partner us strategically in the power value chain to ensure this he added





These insightful Trade and Investment roundtable discussions on US-Ghana investment opportunities are part of the governments overarching strategy of boosting investments for economic growth as the country seeks recovery economically from the debilitating effects of the COVD-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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

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Cyber Crime fighter, David Gyedu popularly known as DK Cyber, has cautioned Ghanaians against "Worldremit scams affecting people online who are money greedy.



According to him the public should take note that there is no machine which doubles money for any person or an organisation in the world.



DK Cyber explained that world remittance lets you send money abroad with a Smartphone, tablet or computer to family or anyone in another country.



He emphasized that when migrants send home part of their earnings in the form of either cash or goods to support their families, these transfers are known as workers or migrant.



"We are facing fraudulent attempts to impersonate brands online in our current modern era, so Ghanaians should be extra careful when operating social media platforms such as Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook etc.," he cautioned in an interview with Peace FM News.



He again advised Ghanaians especially those who are greedy for money to be cautious with such offers online, and cautioned that once your money is smartly taken by them the victim can no longer access it.



Bank of Ghana Warning





Bank of Ghana (BoG) has identified a money doubling scheme operating in Ghana under the pseudo name Worldremit. This fraudulent scheme is distinct from the globally renowned Fintech, WorldRemit which is in the business of international fund transfers.



This scheme encourages customers to select preferred packages, following which a code is generated by the fraudsters with which they obtain the WhatsApp accounts of their victims for spurious purposes.



The scheme is fraudulent and does not reward investors as promised. The general public is cautioned against patronage of this and other similar

unsanctioned schemes.



Bank of Ghana states that it has not licensed any entities or individuals engaged in Money Doubling.

Source: Gifty Akoto/ Peace FM Newsroom









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The 2020 vice presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has said the Mahama administration, with her as Education Minister, got rid of a lot of under-tree schools as well as built new conducive ones in their place and also improved the pupil to textbook ratio.



Our schools under trees project was a big thing, she told Emmanuel Quarshie (Hitman) on Accra100.5FMs morning show, Ghana Yensom, on Tuesday, 27 September 2022, indicating we eliminated a lot of them.



We focused on the Schools Under Trees project and replaced several thousands of them with conducive schools for teaching and learning, she noted.



The data is there. We have a whole book of our achievements, she noted.



Also, she said Mr Mahama, at the time, was responsive to her ministrys needs, which, she noted, contributed to the improvement of the pupil to textbook ratio.



We also inherited a situation where 3 pupils shared one textbook. By the time we were leaving office, the situation had changed such that every child had four textbooks, she said.



It was a very very big leap  from one book to three children to four books to one child, she noted.



She also noted that enrolment went up.





Source: class fm









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The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has backed the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana on its decision not to accept recognize degree certificates issued by Medical and Dental Schools from Ukraine who studied online.



This justification comes after the Ghana Medical and Dental Council issued a statement announcing its decision not to accept Ukraine-trained doctors who studied online as a result of the Russia-Ukrainian War.



According to the Medical and Dental Council, studying medicine on online platforms fall short of the required medical training process.



Justifying the decision of the Medical and Dental Council in an interview with host of Atinka FMs AM Drive, Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, the Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Titus Beyuo said association supports the Medical and Dental council on its decision not to compromise the standards of the medical profession.



According to Dr. Titus Beyuo, no country in the world will permit an online-trained doctor to handle the lives of humans.



Doctors have a public obligation to protect the collective health, safety and well-being of Ghanaians and that they will not relent on it.



There are some countries that do not allow the doctors they train to practice in the countries in which they trained and that raises suspicions. Why will you train a person to become a medical doctor and not trust the person to be able to take care of your own nationals? It means you did not train the person well. We support the Medical and Dental Councils release because around the world, no one studies medicine online. Medicine is about apprenticeship and practical work and not an online course, he added.













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About 6.4 million children under five years in Ghana have been immunised against polio during the just-ended immunisation exercise.



The Programme Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), Dr Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, who disclosed this in an interview has described the exercise as a huge success.



He explained that the EPI targeted approximately 6.3 million children to be immunised in the exercise which was done from September 1 to 4 and would continue next month from October 6 to 9.



Dr Amponsa-Achiano, however, said because of the recent rains, children in some areas in Bono East, Oti, and other regions which have island communities had not been immunized because the team could not visit those places.



He indicated that the team would go to the island communities in two weeks when the waters had receded to immunise the children there.



Immunisation campaign



Dr Amponsa-Achiano explained that the immunisation exercise was in response to an outbreak of the non-wild type of the virus known as circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus Type two (cVDPV2), hence the need for every child to receive at least two doses in about four weeks interval.



He said children who were not vaccinated in the first round of the immunisation campaign could still receive the second dose during the second round of the campaign which comes off from October 6 to 9, although that was not enough to ensure protection.



He urged caregivers, particularly parents, to ensure that they made their children available for the second round of the campaign.



You need the two rounds. If you missed the first round of immunisation, you cannot go to a health facility to take it because this vaccine is different. It is called the Novel Oral Polio Vaccine Type two (nOPV2) and is not available in routine clinics.



If children missed the first exercise, they should take advantage of the second one and get immunised.



It will not be enough to take one dose but it is better than nothing, he added.



Background



The Ghana Health Service (GHS) from September 1 to 4 began immunising children below five years across the country against polio. The exercise is in two rounds, the first round started on September 1 to 4 and the second round is scheduled for October 6 to 9.



The exercise is aimed at stopping the spread of the polio virus across the country.



Dubbed Kick polio out of Ghana: vaccinate your child now, it is in response to recent tests by the GHS that confirmed non-wild polio in the environment, and two cases of this type of polio in children below five years, with both children becoming paralysed.

Source: Graphiconline









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Motorists have been advised to be attentive at fuel stations to avoid being served with undesirable or unwholesome fuel.



They have been asked to continuously prompt fuel attendants on the type of fuel they wanted to buy and pay attention to the colour codes, to be sure that the right products were dispensed into their fuel tanks.



The Head of Consumer Services Department, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mrs Eunice Budu Nyarko, gave the advice during an engagement with commercial drivers and traders within the Wa Municipality in Upper West, last Friday.



She said that the red coats on fuel nozzles meant fuel was super or petrol, black meant diesel while green stood for differentiated products or high octane (Ron 95).



Mrs Nyarko urged motorists to keep an eye on the dispenser screens to ensure that the right amount of fuel being bought was punched.



She also encouraged them to always demand fuel receipts after purchase as that would aid in investigations in cases of fuel complaints.



Let us build confidence and trust in each other and desist from all petroleum-related dishonesty and fraud to help build a better Ghana, Mrs Nyarko added.



The Upper West Regional Manager of the NPA, Bashiru Natogma, urged consumers to report fuel-related incidents to NPA officials for redress.



He also urged them to report within 48 hours of purchase of fuel if they suspected anything fishy at the pump or with the product.



The Consumer Service and Security and Intelligence Directorate of the NPA collaborated with the Upper West regional office to organise the event.

Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh









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Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has held bilateral talks with the German Federal Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock.



The meeting was held on the sidelines of a two-day conference being held at the German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, Germany.



It afforded the two women the opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest to both countries, including the impacts of the triple Cs  Climate Change, COVID-19 and Conflicts- on the global economy.



The ministers also reviewed the current status of bilateral relations between the two countries and touched on the current political and security situation in the Sahel, notably, the overthrow of democratic governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.



Madam Ayorkor Botchwey informed her German counterpart of the plans by the government to host the Accra Initiative Conference at the end of October.



She said the conference is aimed at providing a platform for stakeholders to share information on possible solutions to curb the rising political unrest in the region and further avoid a spillover.



Ghanas Foreign Minister underscored the importance of climate initiatives that would reap tangible benefits, especially in African countries, as these countries remain the lowest emitters of greenhouse gases.



She said Ghana, through its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), is committed to attaining sustainable transition to a low carbon economy through measures such as the National Forest Plantation Programme, Forest Plantation Strategy and Youth in Afforestation Programme, as well as the commitment to plant 20 million trees in 2022.



On her part, Ms. Baerbock emphasised that Germany remains committed to maintaining its presence in the Sahel even in the face of current challenges.



Ms. Baerbock intimated that Germany would continue to drive its Climate Foreign Policy at the upcoming COP27 Conference and advocate for Industrialised countries to fulfil their promises to take further responsibility and action regarding the global climate crisis.



The two ministers affirmed their active participation in the upcoming COP27, to be held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, from November 6 to 18, 2022.



Conference



Speaking at the conference themed Strengthening Democracy- Towards Resilient Institutions and Societies in the G7 and Africa, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey expressed worry over the abuse of social media platforms, which is becoming a pervasive threat to democracy.



According to her, some unscrupulous individuals are taking undue advantage of technology to sow hate speech in countries and across countries, violence against people and faiths and subvert elections by both misinformation and disinformation and manipulation of vote counting.



She noted that Ghana is shouldering the high costs of fighting the terrorists and violent extremists that threaten coastal states of West Africa from the Sahel, in addition to piracy on her Atlantic waters.



Paradoxically, she said the success in improving socio-economic outcomes has been key to preventing radicalisation and recruitment by terrorists.

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.

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Prof Jane Naana Opoku- Agyemang, the former Minister for Education during former President John Dramani Mahamas presidency has assigned a reason for the then National Democratic Congress (NDC) government's decision not to roll out a Free Senior High School programme.



According to her, the NDC in government chose the progressively Free SHS as against the en-masse Free SHS implemented by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) today.



"We refused to do the NPPs kind of Free SHS to prevent the students from fighting over food," she said.



"There is no food to feed the children because of the NPP's free-for -all programme," she explained.



My team at the Ministry knew that the NPPs concept of Free SHS is problematic because the research was available for them to read.



She said research from the West African Examination Council (WEAC) among others abound for them and the handing over notes were all available for them.



"Now the National Buffer Stock Company is in shambles and cannot supply food to the schools and they are blaming the NDC for it after six years of leaving power?" she queried.



Prof Jane stressed that the NPP arrow cannot be pointed at the NDC.



The former Education Minister who became the running mate to former President John Dramani Mahama in the 2020 general elections said these in an interview on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Emmanuel Quarshie (The Hitman) on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.



"In 2020, when we said the implementation of the Free SHS was problematic and that we will review it, the naysayers said we will cancel it," she said.



"They have come to terms with the teething problems of the implementation of the Free SHS so they should review it and make it better," she told the governing NPP.



She called on the NPP to review Free SHS and find out what is wrong with the policy





Source: class fm









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New Delhi, Sep 28 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday slammed the Centre for not considering the commutation petition filed by death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana, accused of assassinating Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

The court asked the government to take immediate steps on the plea filed by Rajoana, seeking commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment.

"Please take immediate steps on the issue. Whatever decision you (Centre) have to take, you take. But you have to take a decision," a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit said.
The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, says the Sinohydro Projects have silenced critics, who variously discredited it as not possible.



He mentioned the construction of road infrastructure being spearheaded by the government and expressed his utmost satisfaction for the timely completion of the 22-km Cape Coast inner city roads project.



He was commissioning the roads on Monday after he cut the sod for its construction in November 2019 as part of the Master Project Support Agreement between the Government of Ghana and the Peoples Republic of China through SinoHydro Corporation.



I am particularly happy today because when we first mooted the idea of the Sinohydro road project after my visit to China in 2018. Many of our political opponents said that what we were proposing to do under that project is not possible. They said we were lying.



But today marks yet another day of the commissioning of yet another Sinohydro project. Unfortunately for some of our opponents, when we say something and they dont understand, instead of asking for explanation and also reading about it, they dont like to read, they dont want to ask for explanation; they just say you are lying, Dr. Bawumia started.



Dr. Bawumia indicated that a total of 144km of roads such as the Tamale Interchange, upgrading of selected feeder roads in Ashanti and Western Regions, as well as the Jaskian-Dodopepeso roads were living testimonies.



Others are; the 100km Kumasi inner city roads, the construction of PTC interchange in Takoradi, which is 50 per cent complete, as well as the construction of Sunyani and Berekum inner city roads, which are 60 per cent complete.



Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, the Minister of Roads and Highways, said government was adopting smart, progressive and innovative methods to improve the road infrastructure in the country as well as contribute to the socio-economic development of our people.



My Ministrys vision is to build a Ministry of Roads and Highways that can honour its financial obligations and where value for money is not compromised.



I want to assure this nation that as the managers of the roads sector, we will do everything possible to deliver to the proud people of this country and build healthy infrastructure that is comparable to any infrastructure in the world and give value for money, Mr Amoako Atta added.













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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.
Some Ghanaians in the Ashanti Region gave the Asantehene a rousing welcome following his return from his journey outside Ghana.



The video dated on September 25, 2022 shows Otumfuo Osei Tutu arriving in an airplane at the Kumasi Airport.



Even though details of where he was returning from were not stated in the video, many were captured holding the Asanteman flag while some Adowa dancers displayed to welcome the king.



After waiting for a few minutes, the Asantehene finally descended from the plane, being escorted by some dignitaries wearing a suit while the people cheered him up.



He went on to greet dignitaries and some other personalities people at the airport.



He was subsequently led by some branded vehicles and motorbikes to his palace.



Watch the video below











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

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Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has criticised the EU parliament after it called on his government to halt a strategic oil pipeline project with neighbouring Tanzania.



Two weeks ago EU lawmakers passed a resolution warning of human rights abuses and the social and environmental risk posed by the project.



"Some of these EU MPs are insufferable and so wrong that they think they know everything but should calm down," Mr Museveni said at the annual Uganda International oil & gas summit on Tuesday.



He added: "This is the wrong battleground for them. I hope our partners join us firmly and advise them. For us, were moving forward with our programme."



Mr Museveni has touted the oil pipeline project as one that would boost the country's economic development.



Rights groups say some 100,000 people risk being displaced and have urged the contractors, France's Total Energies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, to pause the $10bn (8bn) project until they find an alternative route.



The East African Crude Oil Pipeline project will stretch 1,443km (896 miles) from Lake Albert in western Uganda to the Tanzanian port of Tanga on the Indian Ocean.

Source: BBC









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The Operation Halt II initiative has arrested one illegal miner in the Atwima Mponua and Amansie South districts of the Ashanti Region.



A total of 12 excavators were impounded following almost a 24-hour operation embarked on in the area by the soldiers.



Also, the soldiers destroyed three excavators and confiscated a car as well as a motorbike belonging to the illegal miner.



Several hectares of arable lands have been destroyed within the two districts as a result of illegal mining activities.



Interestingly, the illegal miners abandoned their equipment and fled the sites upon seeing the military team approaching.



Meanwhile, the military team handed over the seized excavators to the police and the district assemblies after removing the control boards.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg is not one of America's ten wealthiest people for the first time since 2015, due to his company's staggering stock price drop over the last year.



The 38-year-old Facebook founder has lost more than half his fortune - $76.8 billion - since September 2021, which led him to drop from number three to number 11 on the Forbes 400 list of America's wealthiest people, according to Forbes.



As at Tuesday, September 27, Zuckerberg's net worth stands at $57.7 billion.



In October 2021, Facebook officially became Meta.



Since then, Meta's Reality Labs division lost $10 billion last year, the company announced earlier this year during its earnings call. The company, which has seen its stock price drop 38 percent in the last six months, has also faced increased government scrutiny on many fronts including an FTC antitrust investigation of Zuckerberg's company.



Meta's Instagram and Facebook is also losing its middle aged and teenage customers to TikTok. Facebook reported its first ever quarterly loss of daily active users in February.



On the new Forbes 400 list, Elon Musk, worth $251 billion reigns supreme, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, worth $151 billion and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, worth $106 billion compete the top 3.



Software mogul Larry Ellison sits at number four with $101 million, just above investor Warren Buffet at $97 billion.



Alphabet co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who also saw their net worth drop, take the fourth and fifth spots. Ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer sits at number eight with a worth of $83 billion.



Other than Musk, the only other person in the top ten to see their fortune increase is Michael Bloomberg.



Jim Walton, the youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, rounds out the top ten with a worth of $57.9 billion.



Zuckerberg became a billionaire in 2008 at the age of 23. He debuted on the Forbes 400 list at number 321 with a worth of $1.5 billion.









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The anti-galamsey task force have been roaming major river bodies since 2017 A police officer, Nuhu Abubakar, on Tuesday, September 27 lost his life after drowning in River Sui in the Sefwi Bodi District of the Western North Region.



The General Corporal was part of a team on an anti-galamsey operation at Sefwi Amoaya in the district.



A statement issued by the police said investigations into the circumstances leading to the incident have already begun.



Preliminary report indicates that the deceased Police Corporal together with a Police team were on anti-Illegal Mining Operation duty around the River Sui when the unfortunate incident happened.



While investigations continue, the Police Administration wishes to express its deepest condolences to the bereaved family, colleagues and the Service as a whole.

Source: 3news.com









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The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has said Ghana is in the progress of becoming a digital gateway for the African continent, which will go a long way to help bridge the digital divide for others who are not digitally inclined.



In addition, she said Ghanas achievement in the past years on digital transformation, as well as measures laid down by the Government for future practice, put the country in a better shape to become a digital gateway to the continent.



She made this known at the Ministerial Roundtable Session, which precedes the International Telecommunication Unions (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) in Bucharest, Romania.



The session under the theme Building Better Digital Future is aimed at providing an opportunity for high-level reflections and constructive exchange of views and institutional experiences from high-level representatives of various countries.



In this respect, the Government of Ghana, led by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Co-Chair of the Group of Eminent Advocates for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and also a firm believer in the power of digital technology to drive socio-economic development, is actively implementing our digital Ghana agenda. This is intended to position Ghana as the digital gateway to the continent. Indeed, the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with the Secretariat headquartered in Ghana is a pointer to the African Continent-wide marketing strategy powered by digitalisation. We are therefore extending our digital infrastructure to our borders to enable seamless connection to our neighbours.



The Minister further highlighted some of the Government initiatives that have been undertaken to accelerate digital transformation over the years.



She added, Our Government has also introduced initiatives to narrow the digital divide and empower citizens to embrace the use of ICT. We are implementing a Rural Telephony project to connect over 3 million people. These previously unconnected people now have equal access to the innovations introduced by the Government in Ghanas digital transformation journey.



The Plenipotentiary Conference is the supreme decision-making body of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which meets once every four years to set the Unions general policies, adopt the four-year strategic and financial plans, as well as elect the senior management team of the organization, the Member States of the Council, and the members of the Radio Regulations Board. This years conference dubbed PP-22 will be held in Bucharest, Romania, from 26 September to 14 October 2022.



Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful also called for support as Ghana seeks re-election to the ITU Council for the 2023 to 2026 term, as well as the representation of Mr Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko for election to the Radio Regulations Board (RRB).



Chairperson, Ghana, remains an active member of the ITU, fully committed to the work of the ITU Council, and we will continue to align our goals with the ITU strategic plan, which will be adopted here in Bucharest. Ghana considers the collaborative platforms initiated by the ITU and the various regional and global partnerships essential to the growth of not only the Africa Region but all Member States for our collective benefit. To this end, Ghana will continue to serve the ITU community, and as we seek reelection to the Council, we are counting on your vote and support to retain Ghana as a Council member to continue serving you diligently she indicated.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been asked to reevaluate his popularity after he was booed at the recently held 2022 Global Citizen Festival at the Black Star Square in Accra.



The President got booed as he mounted the stage to speak at the event which was held on Saturday at the Black Star Square.



The crowd in a video that has gone viral can be heard chanting away, away . . .  immediately he started speaking.



This reaction has been condemned by many but others believe it is a 'true reflection' of what Ghanaians are feeling.



Political Scientist, Dr. Amoako Baah speaking to the issue on Starr FM, asked the President to "use this to advise himself as to how angry Ghanaians are. For such an occasion to be turned into such a fiasco is very bad. If he has been listening to his handlers to tell him what he wants to hear, now, he should put his ears down and get others to tell him what is going on. He has to know his own popularity among his people. People are hungry, you go to this occasion in a convoy, why should you do that? The country is in hardship and yet you dont behave in any way to let people know that you feel for them and that youre in it with them. You continue doing business as usual.



According to him, "It is just a sad occasion, this should never happen. It also goes to speak to the handlers of the President, how is this possible that this old man could be left on the stage all that time by himself? Hes talking they dont mind him, they just booing him and nobody mounted the stage to interrupt the whole thing and give the President the chance to come back again and address them very quickly and get off the stage. Nothing happened, he stood there and he was talking but they didnt mind him. He eventually raised his hands and walked off. Very sad, it also shows that the President is not able to gauge his own popularity."











Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Rockson Dafeamekpor, the Interim President of the newly formed Law Society of Ghana (LSG) has reacted to a media report suggesting that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin has withdrawn his membership from the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).



In a press statement made available to Graphic Onlines Parliamentary correspondent, Nana Konadu Agyeman, Mr Dafeamekpor who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for South Dayi in the Volta Region denied the media report that the Speaker told the LSG that he has withdrawn his membership from the GBA.



Rather, he said when the LSG called on the Speaker at his office last week, he expressed in strong words his revulsion about the state of the GBA and wishes to see a change for a better Bar Association committed to the aims, objectives and ethics as captured and practiced globally.



It must be placed on record that nowhere in the Speakers welcoming remarks during our [LSG] visit, did he ever state that he has resigned from the GBA, he said.



Mr Dafeamekpor was reacting to the media report which suggested that Mr Bagbin has withdrawn his membership from the GBA.



When aides of the Speaker were reached by Graphic Online over the weekend, they also denied the Speaker said anything of that sort.



GBA Presidents reaction



Meanwhile, the President of the GBA, Yaw Acheampong Boafo has told Graphic Onlines Kwame Asare Boadu that the association was unaware if Mr Bagbin has revoked his membership.



Mr Boafo said the GBA has not received any notification from the Speaker of Parliament about the revocation of his membership of the association.



No, he has not told us anything. We only heard it was when the Law Society of Ghana (LSG) went to him that he said what has been reported in sections of the media, but he has never notified us, Mr Boafo told Graphic Online.



The media report at the weekend had suggested that Mr Bagbin had said the conduct of the association had been problematic especially with its position on matters of national interest.



The LSG delegation, led by its Acting President Rockson Dafeamekpor, was at the Speakers office to congratulate him on his new position as the President of the Commonwealth Leaders Association.



The LSG is an association for lawyers and law students who seek to shape national discourse and fight against injustice in all forms.



Nothing wrong



In his reaction to the report, Mr Boafo indicated that there was nothing wrong for a member to resign from the GBA because there was freedom of association in the country.



If you want to resign that is your own decision, but let me say that he has not sent a formal notice of revocation of his membership. We still consider him as a member, the GBA President stated.



Problematic



He also had a problem with the headline of the story.



The headline of the story as against the body of the story is problematic because the news item has no link to the story, he said.



Explaining, Mr Boafo made reference to the story, which said the Speaker stopped paying his dues when he saw that lawyers who went to the public tribunal were being victimized.



The point is that, you can be a member of an association but not in good standing that is if you dont pay your dues. But to say that you have revoked your membership, well, I cant get it.



He added: The news item said he had stopped paying his dues which is totally different from not being a member.



For now, the GBA President said, he could not verify whether Mr Bagbin had stopped paying his dues.



I cannot say for now if he pays his dues unless the [GBA] secretariat finds out, he added.



Profile



Born on September 24, 1957, at Sombo in the Upper West Region, Mr Bagbin studied at the Ghana School of Law where he passed out in 1982.



He had a stint with Akyem Chambers, a firm of legal practitioners, consultants and notaries public, as a partner. between 1989 to 1992.



He served as external solicitor of the Credit Unions Association of Ghana (CUA), Nii Ngleshie family of James Town, and a number of private business firms in Accra.



The Speaker had also been a partner of the Law Trust Company, a firm of legal practitioners, consultants and notaries public.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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Ankara, Sep 28 (UNI) Moscow considers the decision of Turkish state-owned banks to abandon the use of Russia's payment system Mir as forced, as it was made under "unprecedented" US pressure and Washington's threats of imposing secondary sanctions against Ankara, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

"It is clear that [Turkish] banks and economic operators are under the strongest US pressure, they are being threatened with secondary sanctions against the banking system. This decision [to abandon the use of the Mir payment system] was, certainly, made under this completely unprecedented pressure," Peskov told reporters, when asked to estimate the decision of Turkish banks to suspend the Mir payment system.

Moscow and Ankara need to jointly look for ways to counter US pressure in such a way that does not harm bilateral trade and economic cooperation, and does not deprive Russian tourists visiting Turkey of comfortable conditions, the Kremlin spokesman added.
The Deputy National Organizer of the National Democratic Congres, Chief Nixon Biney has held a peer review session with some regional organizers of the party.



The review focused on assessing his term as deputy organizer of the party and how they can build on the positives and strengthen the NDC at the grassroots.



The event was honored by the Ashanti, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, and Western North regional organizers of the NDC and their deputies.



Addressing his fellow organizers, Chief Biney appealed for a candid evaluation of his term, noting that only honesty can help shape the party and improve on the shortfalls.



He exhorted their minds to the task ahead, stressing that, as members of the NDC, they have a responsibility to galvanize support for the party to win the 2024 elections.



Chief Biney stressed that Ghanaians are looking forward to the NDC rescuing them from what he perceives to be the shackles of the NPP and that the organizers have an important role in the rescue mission.



I held an end-of-term review and assessment of office as a deputy National Organizer in Ashanti region with the regional organizers of the middle belt. Officers present were the Ashanti, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, and Western North regional organizers and their deputies. We reviewed performance in the last four years and also looked at the way forward for our department and how we can make it better to help mobilize Ghanaians and support for victory come 2024. Ey3 Zu! Ey3 Za!.



The meeting comes amid reports that Chief Biney is under intense pressure from bigwigs in the party to step up and contest the substantive role.



It has been reported widely that some influential members as well as the grassroots of the party deem him as the best fit for the task ahead and want him to throw his hat in the ring for the role.



It remains to be seen if Chief Biney will heed the call and contest the position which is currently being occupied by Joshua Akamba.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Yaw Gyampo has condemned the hooting of President Akufo-Addo.



In a release, he stressed, I insist we cannot throw our culture of courtesy, respect and civility to the dogs".



The Presidents speech writers who are obviously out of touch with the economic miserization of the people, keep writing flowery and utopian speeches for the President, in a manner that plays on the emotional keyboards of Ghanaians. But I end by insisting that we are still Ghanaians, a well cultured people and must go back to our values that found a decent way of expressing dissent, Prof. Ransford Gyampo has indicated in a statement.



He concludes, We know the lines between disagreements, criticisms and disrespect and we must keep the boundaries. We also know the lines between the PRESIDENCY and the President as well as the OFFICE and the PERSON who occupies it. Let us keep these boundaries for the sake of national cohesion and development. This is my position both as a Normative Political Scientist and a Logical Positivist.



Read the full statement below



1. We are Ghanaians, a well cultured people and must go back to our values that found a decent way of expressing dissent. We need not be emotional and indulge in irrational politics of equalization and comparison, that copies and perpetuate bad practices all the time, else our drive towards democratic maturity would be too long.



2. There were times when my Akuapim people were very civil and decorous even when they were insulting. Have we forgotten the me pa wo ky3w se wo y3 aboa expression? Among my Fanti, people, especially those of us from Saltpond, Ghanas Political Mecca, we never feared the Police, yet we also believed in the expression aban ye dur (government is heavy). This guided our utterances, conduct and attitude towards the Police even when they had incurred our displeasure. Until recently, you could not slap back a Police Officer, not because he was too strong as person, but because of the OFFICE and POSITION he occupied in his or her uniform.



3. We do not like how the country is being governed. Times are too hard and there is a feeling of despondency among many Ghanaians. The only crop of people who do not feel the heat in Ghanas current economy are NPP government appointees, and article 71 office holders. This is what has filled the body politic with intense anger to the point that, even the beneficiaries of power are suddenly cowed into fear and are unable to speak out against this singular act that has monumentally embarrass their appointing authority.



4. But I speak for Ghana and I dont care swimming against the tide, particularly when I know that, human beings are generally creatures of emotions and not creatures of logic. I insist we cannot throw our culture of courtesy, respect and civility to the dogs. The OFFICE and POSITION of the PRESIDENCY that transcends the individual occupying it, MUST be respected by ALL, regardless of its occupant and irrespective of how we feel against the occupant of the OFFICE.



5. No nation develops without its culture, so its completely out of place to use bogus examples that are at variance with cultural values to justify acts of disrespect. Barack Obama, George Bush, Emmanuel Macron etc all suffered disrespect but these must not be our yardstick. We saw how Donald Trump never wanted to leave office even when he was defeated in an election and we mocked at him as a developing democracy. It is disingenuous to look for bad examples to justify bad conduct. We must copy from best practices.



6. His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, once had a torrid experience at the Manhyia Palace when he was met with tumultuous chant of change from some NPP supporters. He and his entourage were there to commiserate with the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, during the one week celebration of the Queen mother of the Ashanti stool Asantehemaa Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa, Ampem II. The event which was supposed to be solemn one, turned out to be rancorous when some of the mourners deliberately shouted insults and gestured change towards the president as he arrived at the funeral grounds. The security details of the President had difficulties paving way for him and NPP supporters had a field day as they offered all manner of rationalization and justification for this act of disrespect.



7. When some Ghanaians, including the loudest supporters of the NDC kept quiet over this, some of us spoke out openly against such act of gross disrespect exhibited against the President (JM) and the PRESIDENCY to the displeasure of some other Ghanaians, including the NPP support base. The records are there for anyone who wants to verify.



8. A few days ago, Patrons at the 2022 Global Citizen Festival, we are told, hooted at President Akufo-Addo when he mounted the podium to deliver a speech at last nights event held at the Black Star Square in Accra.



Thousands of patrons turned up at the event grounds to witness the international festival, with several local and international artistes performing. But when the President mounted the stage to address the crowd, people started chanting and hooting at the President, making it difficult for him to deliver his address.



9. Like what happened to President Mahama, this is also not courteous and respectful and even though many NPP apparatchiks and appointees are scared to come out to speak in condemning this practice; and even though some other level headed Ghanaians are very angry with how bad things are and hence would not comment about the disrespect shown the sitting President, some of us wont shut up. We will speak against this act of disrespect against the President and the PRESIDENCY, regardless of how angry we are, and the fact that, we would even be leading labor once again to go on strike very shortly.



10. Yes, we are hungry but we cannot eat with both hands when we find food. A few party appointees are enjoying, even in times of hardships, and are asking the rest of us to keep tightening our belt. The Presidents speech writers who are obviously out of touch with the economic miserization of the people, keep writing flowery and utopian speeches for the President, in a manner that plays on the emotional keyboards of Ghanaians. But I end by insisting that we are still Ghanaians, a well cultured people and must go back to our values that found a decent way of expressing dissent. We know the lines between disagreements, criticisms and disrespect and we must keep the boundaries. We also know the lines between the PRESIDENCY and the President as well as the OFFICE and the PERSON who occupies it. Let us keep these boundaries for the sake of national cohesion and development. This is my position both as a Normative Political Scientist and a Logical Positivist.



Yaw Gyampo

A31, Prabiw

PAV Ansah Street

Saltpond

Suro Nipa House

Kubease

Larteh-Akuapim





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Residents of Juaboso in the Western North region are gradually falling out of business as Chinese nationals have taken over their daily petty trading.



Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, the Member of Parliament(MP) for Juaboso constituency, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh lamented that Chinese nationals are not only engaging in galamsey but are also selling provisions and spare parts.



A trading activity that was hitherto reserved for the indigenous community members of Juaboso and its environs.



Hon. Mintah Akandoh who is very much worried about the unpalatable situation says the government's fight against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey has become a mere rhetoric with the Chinese mining with impunity.



"The NPP government do not have the desire to fight or end the illegal mining because they are not committed to it. A number of NPP foot soldiers and even top hierarchy are heavily involved in the galamsey business. For instance, with what happened at Elubo, an NPP constituency Secretary was among those who were arrested for destroying a whole village in the name of Galamsey," he said.



He further explained that though government claims to have invested heavily in the fight against illegal mining, it looks more attractive now than before because those who are caught destroying the water bodies and the forest reserves are left to go unpunished which will at least serve as a deterrent to others.



"How can we allow Chinese nationals with the aid of Ghanaians to destroy our water bodies and forest reserves and also take over businesses meant for Ghanaians," he rhetorically asked.



Expressing his disgust for the rate at which illegal miners have taken over his constituency, he noted that government's abysmal performance in the fight against galamsey clearly shows that they are losing it.



Watch Video Below





In spite of its complexity and the extreme difficulty in dealing with illegal mining, the government will continue to review the interventions and also devise new strategies that will eventually help stem the tide.This is because the government is determined not rest on its oars until the fight against the phenomenon, popularly known as galamsey, is won.The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, gave the assurance and also said the governments intervention to deal with the menace should not be misconstrued as a ploy to get people out of work as small-scale mining sector was recognised as a key component of the countrys mining ecosystem.

Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]









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Mr Alan Kyerematen, the Minister of Trade and Industry has urged Ghanas Diasporan community to partner local stakeholders to accelerate the nations industrialisation process.



Ghana cannot succeed in her quest to become an industrialised country without the full support and participation of her Diasporan citizens, he emphasised.



Beyond the remittances you send back home to support your families, Diasporans have increasingly become a great source of capital, creativity, entrepreneurship, technology, and knowledge transfer, he said.



Mr Kyerematen was speaking at the Ghana Diaspora Public Affairs Collective (GHPAC) inaugural Goldren Gala Awards and Symposium in Washington DC, in the United States of America.



The GHPAC is a nonpartisan, and non-profit social welfare advocacy dedicated to empowering Ghanaians in the Diaspora through civic and political action that can be instrumental in helping Ghana achieve her industrial transformation goal.



The Minister said the governments strategic approach to harnessing the capabilities and network of Ghanaians in the diaspora was based on a number of considerations, including improving the business environment; enhancing the productive capacity of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to produce for both export and local consumption; providing fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for manufacturing; and improving access to foreign markets.



No country had developed without industrialisation, he noted, hence the 10 largest economies in the world the United States, China, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, India, France, South Korea, Italy and Canada  were also the most industrialised economies.



The Minister said in pursuit of the strategic objectives, the Government had since the year 2017 been aggressively implementing numerous interventions as part of its Industrial Transformation Agenda aimed at making Ghana the new manufacturing hub for Africa.



These include promoting One District One Factory (1D1F) Initiative; developing new Strategic Anchor Industries aimed at diversifying the Ghanaian economy beyond Cocoa and Gold; and decentralising institutional support for SMEs through the establishment of Business Resource Centres and Business Advisory Centres throughout the country.



Also are the development of Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones around the country to provide access to industrial lands, dedicated source of electricity, water, telecommunication services , among others, for those interested in going into manufacturing.



Mr Kyerematen noted that, in spite of the current global economic challenges largely occasioned by the joint effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, the Ghanaian private sector had stood resolute and continued to explore opportunities to expand their frontiers.



He, therefore, urged Ghanaians in the diaspora to partner their counterparts in Ghana to take full advantage of the market opportunities.



The Government of Ghana will, therefore, continue to provide relevant support and incentives for such partnerships between Ghanaians in Ghana and their counterparts living in the diaspora, he added.













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Presidential hopeful Percival Kofi Akpaloo believes that the hostility which was exhibited toward President Akufo-Addo over the weekend is the tip of the iceberg.



To Mr Kofi Akpaloo who is the founder of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), such reactions from the public are anticipated and not unusual especially when things seem to go awry in the course of governance.



However, President Akufo-Addos case of the booing and jeers was borne out of the fact that he has over the period failed to heed the cries of the public.



The LPG party leader alluded to calls for the New Patriotic Party leader to reshuffle his appointees in the various leadership positions and said that the President downplayed the demands of his followers.



I think the problem with the President at the moment is that people are not advising him well, because when it came to the period to reshuffle his appointees, he took things lightly.



If he effected the change in the government, people will begin to realise that you want to do something . . . but he took things lightly, Mr Kofi Akpaloo stated in his interview with Kwamina Sam Biney of Angel FMs 'Anopa Bofo' morning show.



According to Mr Kofi Akpaloo, President as a person will not know what is happening on the ground therefore if the public is demanding certain changes he must listen.



All is not well with Ghanaians. Ghanaians are not happy . . . when I saw this video I said it is a tip of the iceberg, because people are not happy in this country. Nobody should sit anywhere and think all is well, he added.













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Aspiring National Youth Organiser of the laregest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Brogya Genfi, has not taken kindly to some comments made by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa, Kobina Tahir (K.T) Hammond over the much-talked-about booing of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the recently held Global Citizen Festival at the Black Star Square.



In an interview with Journalists shared by Accra-based Joy FM, the legislator argued that it was not right for the youth to disrespect the President and by extension elders in the society, especially for political reasons.



We dont live in a country and do that. Lets be humble. Whatever we do, the president is the Executive Head of this country. When he came, he didnt say anything. It wasnt even a political platform.



Young Adult's Heads Like Coconut



The outspoken MP further stated that since it is "elders" who are consulted for counsel in challenging times and not the youth, the latter needs to stay humble.



"He (Akufo-Addo) only said the event has brought the attention of the world to Ghana and the youth started booing at him. We will always tell the youth to be humble. When a matter comes up, we say we are going to consult elders. We dont say we are coming to consult the youth whose heads are like coconut.



We consult the elderly on matters because they are wise. But because of politics, we do anything with the elderly. Let it even be a political platform that you can heckle but it wasnt even a political rally. The youth should respect the elderly. We shouldnt let it be that because of politics we can insult everyone. Its not possible for the youth to be left to manage the affairs of the country.



They wont know how to do it in the first place. You dont understand. You are galivanting about in this town with your beard, nothing is in your heads, Mr KT Hammond is reported to have said.



But the NDCs youth leader, Brogya Genfi in a Facebook post believed the NPP lawmaker's comment was more of an insult than a piece of advice.



The dishonourable Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, K. T. Hammond has a problem with himself.



He has developed a problem with his self-esteem since Akufo-Addo treated him as surplus to the requirement to serve in government. It is so serious an issue for him, such that, even in the dying moments of the Akufo-Addo government, K. T. the drill ship dealer wants to insult the youth of Ghana to please Akufo-Addo for a position.



Nobody needs a careful study to see whether or not KT's head is like coconut, Mr Genfi who has described himself as a youth Leadership of Courage said in his post.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan says President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo 'prophesied' the economic crises that have befallen Ghanaians.



According to Kwamena Duncan, the President knew that the country will face these crises from the very time he made decisions to save lives during the Coronavirus pandemic.



He stated that the President made a hard choice when the deadly viral disease swept the country.



"It is by his efforts that we all have lives today to go up and down, that today it's impossible that thousands and thousands of our Ghanaian youth could gather at the Independence Square. He chose to protect, to save lives. That's what the President did; so he must continue to hold his head high . . . If you save lives, it will be at the expense of some other thing. Akufo-Addo was prophetic when he made the hard choice and which was the best choice. So, he knew the consequences would come," he said.



But the former Minister was however confident that the President will not let down the citizenry.



He assured Ghanaians that the President and his government is set on the right course to salvage the economy, therefore called on them to rally behind the Akufo-Addo administration.



"This country, we need to stay together. What has happened now is a major hurdle but I trust the leadership, we will go over this hurdle and we get back on course," he stated.



Kwamena Duncan made these submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show while discussing the Government of Ghana's resort to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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

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Coalition Avenir Quebec Francois Legault speaks to reporters during an election campaign stop in L'Assomption, Que., Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. Legault says raising immigration levels above 50,000 newcomers would be "suicidal" for the Quebec nation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Writer and former Pittsburg State University art professor S. Portico Bowman will return to campus on Monday, Oct. 3, for a reading of her debut novel, Cashmere Comes from Goats.

The reading will begin at 7 p.m. in the Governors Room of the Overman Student Center. The event is free and open to the public; it is sponsored by the PSU Distinguished Visiting Writers Series and the Student Fee Council.

Bowman taught for 20 years in Kansas, where she worked until recently as an art professor, art writer, and gallery director in Porter Hall at PSU.

English Professor Casie Hermansson praised the book.

The novel tells an engaging  and at times urgent  story, but its real dazzle is in the moment by moment where we all live, Hermansson said. Porticos prose is wonderful and does every one of those moments justice.

English Professor Chris Anderson is looking forward to seeing Bowmans creativity in a new medium.

Creativity takes many forms, and its not easy to master more than one art form, but Portico Bowman has done it, he said. I'm eager to hear more about how her talent for visual art and her talent for writing fiction intersect."

Bowman grew up on the Canadian Prairies and has lived in Massachusetts, California, and Hawaii.

She received her MFA degree in ceramics at UT Knoxville in Tennessee and is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers in Toronto.

She recently was awarded a $25,000 Canada Council for the Arts Research and Creation grant for her second book, Would You Give Up Arms For Wings: a story inspired by the visionary life and writings of Paulus Berensohn.

Cashmere Comes From Goats was published in May by Stonehouse Publishing. Bowman lives with her husband Tom in Prairie Village, Kansas.
Selouan Stops Benitez on Way to Maiden Super MILLION$ Victory

September 28, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

All eyes were on the in-form Francisco Benitez when the latest GGPoker Super MILLION$ final table kicked off, not least because the Uruguayan sat down with more than twice as many chips as his eight opponents. Yet it was not Benitez who emerged victoriously, but Rodrigo Selouan, the man who found himself sixth of nine in chips when the first cards fell at the star-studded final table.

Selouan had reached the Super MILLION$ final table four times before but had always fallen shy of the victory. His wait for glory is no over, and his GGPoker account has an extra $499,143 in it.

GGPoker Super MILLION$ Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Rodrigo Selouan Brazil $499,143 2 Konstantin Maslak Russia $384,891 3 Francisco Benitez Uruguay $296,792 4 Aram Oganyan Mexico $228,858 5 Dominykas Mikolaitis Poland $176,473 6 David Coleman Canada $136,079 7 Mikita Badziakouski Thailand $104,931 8 Samuel Vousden Finland $80,913 9 Justin Bonomo Canada $62,392

Mattsson Goes Post to Post and Wins the 2022 WSOP Online Main Event

Justin Bonomo had only seven big blinds in his stack when the final table action began, so it was unsurprising to see him become the first eliminated player. Bonomo is not the kind of player to sit around nursing a short stack, but his attempts to rectify his perilous position were in vain.

Samuel Vousden was the next player heading for the exits despite having the fourth-largest stack at the start of the evening. Vousden was also at the final table of the WSOP Online Main Event, so crashing out of the Super MILLION$ was not a total disaster, especially as he finished fourth in the WSOP Online Main Event for $1,178,040.

Seventh-place and $104,931, the first six-figure score of the night, went to Mikita Badziakouski, who is still waiting to win this $10,300 weekly tournament. David Coleman ($136,079), Poland-based Lithuanian Dominykas Mikolaitis ($176,473), and Aram Oganyan ($228,858) joined the ever-growing list of fallen stars as the tournament marched towards its conclusion.

After Breakout Year in 2021, Kyna England Named First ClubGG Ambassador

Benitez finally came unstuck in third place, a finish that came with $296,792 in prize money, which means Benitez now has more than $2 million in earnings from his Super MILLION$ exploits.

Heads-up saw Selouan lock horns and butt heads with Russian grinder Konstantin Maslak. Both players are regulars in the Super MILLION$ but neither had an outright victory to show for their efforts. That was all set to change, with the winner of this one-on-one clash being crowned the Super MILLION$ champion for the first time.

Selouan got the job done and the proverbial money off his back after he sent Maslak to the showers in second place. Maslak headed into the night with $384,891 reasons to be happy with his performance, but the tournament was Selouan's, as was the $499,143 first place prize.
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MSNBCs Nicolle Wallace said President Biden sees nothing political in Hurricane Ian as he has already pre-promised aid to Florida.

Video of Wallace:

Nicolle Wallace said on her show Deadline: White House:

This President, this White House has already approved whatever aid is requested by the state of Florida. I dont even think those disaster declarations have been made, but the aid has been It feels like in our badly broken politics, this President doesnt see any sort of shades of anything political.

Hes already pre-promised whatever aid is needed to help the state recover. Obviously, a governor will seek whatever help and assistance, financial or otherwise, his state and constituents need on a day like today.

Wallace and former Rep. David Jolly discussed the federal and state relationship needed to recover from a natural disaster. Jolly pointed out that the rebuilding and the relationship will last for years.

Biden has been a textbook example of how a President should lead and support the state and local governments after a natural disaster. There is no politicization of the crisis, and president Biden is not putting himself front and center. The President and his administration are committing the resources of the federal government to help the people who the historic Hurricane Ian is impacting.

It is a significant change from the previous administration and deserves to be acknowledged and noted by Nicolle Wallace.
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Trump said that Dr. Oz had to win the Senate race in Pennsylvania to help him overturn the 2024 election.

According to a Washington Post story on Maggie Habermans new book:

Throughout the book, Trump is portrayed as transactional and narcissistic  at times charming, at other times cruel  but always attuned to his own political fortunes, no matter the issue. During his meeting in the Oval Office with Barack Obama in 2016, he eschewed policy and asked Obama how he kept his approval ratings high, according to the book. He told advisers that he needs people such as Pennsylvania Senate nominee Mehmet Oz (R) in office in case the election is challenged in 2024 or they try to impeach him again.

The Fetterman Campaign Demands Answers From Oz

In a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, the Fetterman campaign responded to the Washington Post article:

What promises did Dr. Oz make to Trump in exchange for his endorsement?

In the primary after Oz met with Trump, he said that we we cannot move on from 2020  is this what Oz was talking about?

If elected, will Dr. Oz promise to respect the will of the voters and vote to certify the results of the 2024 election, not challenge the results on behalf of Donald Trump?

Trump Wants Oz In The Senate To Undermine The 2024 Election

Trumps slate of Senate candidates was chosen with 2024 in mind. Donald Trump wants candidates who will work to overturn the 2024 election if he loses again to President Biden.

Donald Trump has no interest in competency or whether his endorsed candidates are fit to govern. Trump wants JD Vance, Herschel Walker, and Mehmet Oz to win election to the United States Senate so that they can do his bidding in 2024 and beyond.

Trump is using 2022 to rig 2024, and candidates like Oz owe the people of Pennsylvania an immediate explanation.
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The casual and comfortable racism that ran through Trumps dark and perpetually aggrieved soul was shockingly open behind closed doors. His racism was serious enough that staff under Trump became assertive, close to ordering Trump to pull back, according to Rolling Stones most recent review of Maggie Habermans book confidence man. Trump assumed that staff of color were waiters:

Why dont you get the food, Trump told staffers for Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and others, according to New York Times reporter Maggie Habermans new book, Confidence Man.

Imagine the humiliation felt by Trumps staff (most of them) and imagine the fury from Schumer and Pelosi, and now try to put oneself in the shoes of those being told to get food. It would be near impossible to hold back and yell straight into Trumps face.

Then-White House chief of staff Reince Priebus rushed to correct Trumps remark, telling the then-president that hed just addressed top congressional aides before going to find the actual White House waitstaff.

Ones better angels would like to believe that Priebus was deeply offended and rushed in anger to address the problem. Alas, it was just as much a political threat. One can allow that the two are not mutually exclusive.

Trumps remark to the staffers is just one example of Trumps casual racism detailed in pages of Confidence Man reviewed by Rolling Stone. For example, later in that same meeting, Trump told Schumer and Pelosi that ballots cast by illegals were the only reason hed lost the 2016 popular vote to Hillary Clinton, Haberman reports. After an awkward silence, Pelsoi interjected: I dont believe so, Mr. President.

This is one of the Republicans most offensive and absurd beliefs. If you were in the country illegally, perhaps for over five years, with your family, who might be here lawfully, you would live every day under the hammer of fear that youd be arrested and deported on any given day. The pain is near incalculable. And so what are the odds that someone here illegally is going to walk into a government-run election that requires a name, address  and some I.D.? Doing such a thing would be seen as one of the most dangerous ways to call attention to oneself and thus it would be the last thing you would do.

And yet, it is just too easy for Trump to simply assume that his enemies would vote to bury him. If illegal votes are a legitimate concern, wouldnt the government be just as concerned about Canadians casting illegal votes?

No, its just typical, comfortable Trump racism. It is his default setting.

NEW: Donald Trump assumed that a racially diverse group of top congressional aides at a White House meeting were waiters, according to Maggie Haberman's new book.https://t.co/7Ygnwv1hIf  Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) September 28, 2022
Three historic preservation experts said Aiken should look to its past to continue its growth downtown.

Donovan Rypkema of PlaceEconomics, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, former Preservation South Carolina chief executive Mike Bedenbaugh, and Aiken native and former Preservation Charleston director Kristopher King spoke about the benefits of historic preservation Wednesday afternoon at two identical workshops hosted by the Historic Aiken Foundation at the Amentum Center for the Performing Arts.

The first workshop began shortly after 1 p.m. when Foundation President Linda Johnson introduced Rypkema.

Rypkema's presentation focused on the general economic benefits of historic preservation. He said historic preservation brought more jobs, resulted in more local businesses opening, that historic areas bring tourists who spend more money, that property values were higher in historic districts, that the walkabilty in historic neighborhoods was higher and that the population density was higher in historic areas.

He said in the U.S. every 100 new construction jobs result in the creation of 135 other jobs. For historical preservation, he said every 100 historic preservation jobs result in the creation of 186 new jobs in the economy.

Rypkema showed a chart that indicated the ratio of new businesses to businesses closing was just over 1, i.e. more businesses were opening than closing, in Arkansas. For businesses in the districts that received money from Main Street Arkansas, a economic development program that focused on historic preservation, the ratio was much higher, meaning more businesses were opening or less were closing.

He said property values were higher because of the certainty that a person living in the neighborhood has that his neighbor isn't going to dramatically change their property.

Rypkema also said that population and economic growth often returns first to historic districts before the rest of the city the district is in.

Johnson next introduced Bedenbaugh  he said before the event started that he was fifth cousins with Aiken City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh  who serves as CEO of Preservation Solutions and previously served as the head of Preservation South Carolina.

Bedenbaugh began his presentation by showing examples of preservation projects he had worked on. The examples included the Palmetto Compress building near the University of South Carolina's Columbia campus that was converted from an abandoned cotton warehouse into off-campus student housing and the Curtiss-Wright hanger at Columbia's L.B. Owens Airport that was converted from an abandoned hanger into a brewery and restaurant.

He also shared his rules for historic preservation. The first rule was that old deteriorated buildings are not the fault of the building but of the owners. The second was that other factors may motivate investors and developers more than a desire to improve the town. The third rule was that dedication and patience are needed to overcome the first two rules. The last rule was that historic preservation requires specialized knowledge that every architect and engineer doesn't have.

Johnson next introduced Aiken native King.

King began his presentation with pictures of several of the unique attractions in Aiken including the city's grid system, its inheritance from the Winter Colony and the "vibrant downtown" that many cities don't have.

King said that millennials, people born between 1980 and 2000, prefer authenticity and uniqueness to comfort and predictability in lodging and places to live.

He also suggested that downtown Aiken could be placed on the National Register of Historic Places which would provide federal and state tax incentives for historic preservation.

The three men then participated in a question and answer session with Johnson .

The event ended shortly after 2:30 p.m.

Attendees included Stuart Bedenbaugh, Aiken Municipal Development Commission Chairman Keith Wood, AMDC Vice Chairman Chris Verenes and AMDC Executive Director Tim O'Briant.

A similar event was held at 6 p.m. Wednesday evening.

The foundation is one of the plaintiffs in the July 5 lawsuit that was filed to stop the city of Aiken from moving forward with the current proposed plans for the Project Pascalis downtown redevelopment project. The foundation also requested a meeting with Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon to discuss the project and options for it; however, that meeting never happened due to the litigation.

For more information about the Historic Aiken Foundation, visit historicaikenfoundation.com.
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.).
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Lowcountry residents hunkered down because of Hurricane Ian over the next few days might have some down time on their hands, and an airline that serves Charleston says now is the time to offer a fare sale for flights over the winter.

Utah-based Breeze Airways announced Sept. 28 it will offer nonstop flights from the Lowcountry to 14 cities with one-way fares starting at $29 and $39 and to four West Coast destinations  Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco  with one-way fares starting at $99.

"Whether you want to see the fall foliage or just get somewhere a bit warmer, Breeze has a destination and a low fare for everyone this autumn," Breeze President Tom Doxey said.

Fares must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 3 for travel from Nov. 1 through Feb. 14, 2023.

The promotional fare is only available when booking a new reservation. Supply is limited. The promotion is valid for inbound travel to Charleston on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and for outbound travel from the Lowcountry on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Price displayed includes taxes and government fees. Fare prices, rules, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice. Blackout dates include Nov. 17-28 and Dec. 22-Jan. 3. Other restrictions may apply.
Charleston's Board of Architectural Review is poised to consider initial design approval for a $50 million research and classroom complex the Medical University of South Carolina wants to build on its main campus on the peninsula.

Site plans show a six-story, 89,189-square-foot structure at 74 President St. next to the MUSC's bioengineering building. The proposed building will be used for the College of Health Professions.

The bottom four floors are planned to be finished for current occupancy while the top two floors will be shell space for future expansion.

The building will include 5,000 square feet of research space, a 6,000-square-foot auditorium as well as faculty and staff office and support space. An elevated pedestrian bridge will connect to the second floor of the existing bioengineering building.

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MUSC spokesman Montez Seabrook said the new building will be in addition to current facilities that house the College of Health Sciences, which includes the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences for physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology. The college also includes departments for clinical sciences, health sciences and research, and health care leadership and management.

The College of Health Professions, following an MUSC board directive in 2018, aims to increase overall student numbers by 20 percent by fiscal year 2024 in response to a projected health care workforce shortage in South Carolina.

The college had 763 students enrolled in 2018. The number grew gradually to 1,049 students in 2021, a 37.5 percent increase.

The college expects the number of enrollees to jump over the next few years after adding several new programs, including master's tracks for speech-language pathology, genetic counseling, clinical neurophysiology and bachelor's and master's degree programs for respiratory therapy.

The Board of Architectural Review will consider conceptual approval of the design Sept. 28.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Mostly cloudy. High 67F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph..

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Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
A legislative panel is questioning why Santee Cooper's largest customer is taking legal actions that, in a worst-case scenario, could create more financial hardships for the state-owned utility that could require a bailout.

The 20-member Central Electric Power Cooperative has been trying in court to block Santee Cooper from recouping from customers the unbudgeted $450 million it has had to spend on fuel after coal and natural gas prices spiked unexpectedly over the past year.

"This is about the entire state, not just a certain group of ratepayers," said Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-West Columbia, chairman of the Joint Bond Review fiscal oversight subcommittee.

Moncks Corner-based Santee Cooper has been forced to purchase fuel for its generators at skyrocketing rates after an August 2021 fire crippled a mine owned by Foresight Energy, its largest coal provider. The war in Ukraine has made the situation worse.

Santee Cooper can't pass on those costs to customers because it is under a rate freeze as part of a lawsuit settlement. The agreement prohibits it from raising rates through December 2024, but the utility can ask for permission to collect the money retroactively.

Central is objecting to Santee Cooper's efforts to claim exceptions to the settlement, which was struck after the expansion of the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station was halted in 2017. The group, which represents 20 independent electric providers around the state, also has requested an audit.

The judge overseeing the case, for now, has ruled in favor of Santee Cooper in an order handed down this week, said Ken Lott, the utility's finance chief.

But should Central prevail later and Santee Cooper is blocked from recouping its fuel expenses, Lott said that it "will have a significant impact on Santee Cooper moving forward."

He added that both sides are working to find a "mutually beneficial framework," but Setzler voiced skepticism Tuesday about the negotiations. He pointed to Central's recent decision to opt out of a plan to work with Santee Cooper to replace coal-fired units at the Winyah plant in Georgetown County with a natural gas generator.

"It may be time we talk to Central and hear from Central in this sub-committee where they are and if they understand what impact the decisions they are making have on us," he said during a Sept. 27 meeting.

Setzler called Santee Cooper's financial situation "concerning," he said.

"Worst-case scenario, you get ruled against, and conceivably Santee Cooper could become insolvent. ... Or the state would have to find a way to infuse some money into Santee Cooper, which all would benefit customers of one entity to the detriment of citizens of South Carolina," he said.

Committee members agreed that their next meeting would include a question-and-answer session with Central Electric officials.

"With all the heads I see shaking, we will plan on that occurring," Setzler said.

In a written statement late Tuesday, Central CEO Rob Hochstetler said his group bowed out of the Winyah gas plant plan because it "believed, after extensive study, had a significant amount of pipeline risk and did not offer cooperative members the power supply flexibility we need."

"We remain open to other options that Santee Cooper may propose and are looking at all options available to provide the best value for our members," he said.

Hochstetler added that Central has been trying to protect the small co-ops it represents by making sure that the rate-freeze exceptions that Santee Cooper is looking to claim to recover its fuel costs "are appropriate in light of that agreement."

"We raised concerns and asked questions as thorough due diligence would require and, as indicated in testimony by Santee Cooper today, remain in discussions with them about how to reach an agreement that works for all parties involved," he said.

Santee Cooper isn't the only power provider coping with soaring fuel bills. Duke Energy is seeking to recover $145 million in unanticipated expenses from its South Carolina customers. And Dominion Energy filed for a rate increase in March to collect $142 million from its Palmetto State ratepayers.
A poetry festival that is celebrating its seventh year in Charleston will be hosted this year by mostly women of color.

The Free Verse Festival, organized by Charleston poet laureate Marcus Amaker in 2016 at the start of his tenure, will take place Oct. 12-16 with a focus on five events.

Among hosts are Emily Wingfield, Mara DeMauro, AsiahMae and Jammie Huynh.

Wingfield will kick off the week of events by reading a poem before the first screening of "La Manplesa," an experimental feature film about the 1991 Mount Pleasant uprisings in Washington, D.C., told through the voice of Salvadoran American poets.

The film will be shown at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Oct. 12 at the Terrace Theater. Tickets are $5.

Wingfield is the co-founder of a national poetry collective spotlighting women of color called Tender Heart Collective. She helped form the group because she never quite fit in, she said. She always felt a little out of place growing up in America as bisexual and multiracial; she's Black, Chinese and White. She turned to poetry to explore her emotions and identity.

Though she has never seen the film, she believes the general theme will be a good fit for her poems about uprising and revolution, Wingfield said. The social activist has been a local voice for Black Lives Matter, works at the Coastal Community Foundation and seeks to incite change with her words.

"I often write a lot about social justice issues," said Wingfield. "I hope my words can serve as an inspiration for more individuals to get involved in revolutionary politics, even through art."

Maura DeMauro, who began telling stories through dance and then transferred the art to paper, will host "Collective Truths" at Cannon Street Art Center.

At 7 p.m. Oct. 13, poets will share their stories and truths boldly by welcoming the idea of "radical self-acceptance." Tickets are $10.

To DeMauro, radical self-acceptance is embracing who you are in spite of any potential external judgements.

"It's a deep and calm understanding of the self as a whole," she said.

The event is inspired by a class that the first-generation college student took at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2014 that focused on the art of storytelling and monologue.

"I hope this show inspires others to do a couple of things: reflect on their own experiences and meet others with empathy," said DeMauro. "We are all walking the path of life trying to understand our chapter in the greater story. Listen and share peacefully with others."

AsiahMae, poet and community curator, will then lead a poetry slam at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at Cannon Street Arts Center. The free-to-enter-and-attend competition will be limited to 20 poets, and cash prizes up to $300 for first place will be rewarded.

AsiahMae was a co-founder of former artist collective and cultural hub IllVibetheTribe and published a poetry book called "Oxygen" in 2016.

My art is simply political because I am a tall, fat, Black, queer femme in the Bible Belt, AsiahMae told The Post and Courier as part of a story on Black creatives from South Carolina in 2020. Until this country changes, the way I look, the way I speak, the way I dress, the way I love, the art I put out  everything  is going to be looked at through political lenses.

Social justice is the topic on hand for the fourth event of the Free Verse Festival, as hosted by Jammie Huynh.

"Still We Rise" is an open-mike night dedicated to poems of resistance, empowerment and protest. The free event will take place at 4 p.m. Oct. 15 at Queen Street Playhouse.

Huynh, an MFA student in poetry and arts management at the College of Charleston, works at The Swamp Pink Literary Magazine and moved to the Lowcountry just last year.

She participated in two 2021 Free Verse Festival open-mike nights and said it opened her eyes to what poetry could do for a community.

"Poetry is a way to connect, to make others feel," said Huynh. "...Poetry tells us we are not alone."

The "Still We Rise" event will be a reminder that "we are not alone in this fight," she added.

"There is a lot to be angry and sad about," said Huynh. "There are injustices occurring right before our eyes, and it can be so easy to feel powerless, but words can be power, words can be strength, words can be hope and light and so much more."

The final event of the week will then center around experimental music as performed by poet laureate Amaker. The free "Beats, Books & Booze" event will take place from 1-5 p.m. Oct. 16 at The Sparrow in Park Circle with performances from local poets, including Wingfield and Huynh, with a chance to buy their books.

For a full schedule of events and more information, visit freeversefestival.com.
SUMMERTON  Two South Carolina schools joined the historical sites recognized under the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park Expansion and Redesignation Act, signed into federal law in May.

Summerton High School and Scott's Branch High School were segregated, the former built in 1936 for White students and the latter built in 1951 as a "separate, but equal" school for Black students.

Four years before the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Harry Briggs and 20 other parents of Clarendon County School District 1 students filed suit against R.W. Elliott, president of the county school board at the time, calling for desegregation. Briggs took the case to U.S. district court, and lost what would become known as Briggs v. Elliott. Scott's Branch was built as a result.

But the fight was far from over. Briggs v. Elliott was among five cases that the U.S. Supreme Court would consider together in deciding on the future of segregation in the United States. The high court's decision took its name from another one of those cases, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kan.

In Clarendon, Bea Rivers remembers signing a petition with her parents in 1949 to end school segregation there. She was in first grade, and classmates with Briggs' younger sister.

"We lived it, our parents lived it, my parents suffered for it," Rivers said. "I am absolutely glad that they stepped up for us. If they hadn't, where would we be?"

Under the new federal recognition legislation, the U.S. Department of the Interior and National Park Service partnered to help tell the school desegregation stories that paved the way for the landmark high court ruling that separation of students by race was inherently not equal, banning segregation and ordering its dismantling.

Along with the site that sparked the South Carolina case, other cases that were part of the Brown decision, including former school sites in Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D.C., along with the former Summerton High and Scott's Branch High, were designated as part of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Park.

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-Columbia, and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited Scott's Branch, now a Clarendon County School District 1 community center, on Sept. 27 to dedicate monuments to the key figures from the rural South Carolina town, including Briggs and the Rev. J.A. DeLaine, and their contributions to the civil rights movement.

"It is our solemn responsibility at the Department of the Interior, as caretakers of America's national treasures, to tell the whole, sometimes difficult story of our nation," Haaland said.

Rivers said DeLaine, a former school principal in Clarendon County, was like a second father to her. He was her neighbor, living down the street from her childhood home and across the street from the Scott's Branch site.

When DeLaine signed on to Briggs' lawsuit, his status as a community leader led to more widespread knowledge of his association with the movement.

It was not long before DeLaine, who "visited everybody, and everybody visited him," was under attack, Rivers said.

He would get death threats. Bullets were shot at and into his home. Rivers said her father and other men would volunteer to guard DeLaine's house in shifts at night, shotguns ready. He and Briggs both lost their jobs. Eventually, they and their families left Summerton and moved to New York for their own safety. The reverend's house, on the Summerton town line, had been burned down.

Rivers moved to Washington right after graduating high school and did various federal government jobs for more than 30 years, she said, having vowed to carry on Briggs' and DeLaine's legacies by working toward equity in education.

Before the Brown decision, Black students in Clarendon County and many other locations across the country had no public school transportation, according to the National Park Service. Black students attended school in a one-room, wood-and-tar-paper shack with no plumbing, while White students attended school in larger brick-and-mortar buildings with amenities.

"I don't care who I sit next to in the classroom," Rivers said. "I don't care. As long as there's a good teacher up front talking to us and teaching us, it doesn't matter to me."

Although it was not added to the national park sites, Haaland and Clyburn also visited the former Booker T. Washington High School building, on the University of South Carolina campus, on Sept. 27.

Through another agreement with the National Park Service, the university's Center for Civil Rights History and Research secured $3.4 million in federal funds  over the next five years  to further research and curate exhibits marking "pivotal but often overlooked" South Carolinian footprints on the civil rights trail.

"South Carolina's rich civil rights history has not received the recognition it deserves," said Clyburn, who pushed to create the partnership between the university researchers and the National Park Service.

The Sept. 27 dedication of the Scott's Branch High site saw about three-dozen guests. The same-day event at the former Booker T. Washington High saw close to 300.

"I felt I had an obligation to do what is necessary for my children and my grandchildren," Clyburn said to the crowd, "to have it just a little bit better."

Click here for more news from Columbia, S.C.
LEXINGTON  Several organizations vying for COVID-19 relief money from Lexington County made their case to the County Council in a special meeting Sept. 27.

Proposals came from a community college, a fire district, a rural internet provider, a water and sewer utility and several nonprofit groups.

With information from the seven proposals, council will soon vote on how to allocate remaining money from the county's State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund  money that was passed in March 2021 as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act to help relieve state and local governments affected by the pandemic.

"These were some good presentations," County Council Chairman Scott Whetstone said. "It gave us a lot to think about."

Lexington County, which received $58 million in pandemic relief funding, will spend its remaining $16 million on some combination of projects to stimulate economic growth in the county.

After the American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law in March of 2021, $350 billion of federal funding, known as the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund was distributed across the nations state and local governments. The money was available for a wide variety of uses, including infrastructure improvements, replacing lost public sector revenue and premium pay for essential workers.

So far, Lexington has spent much of its $58 million on a one time bonus for essential county employees and improvements to emergency response programs, including fire and EMS.

Organizations had the opportunity to apply for a portion of the money early in 2022. Lexington received 35 applications for funding, which totaled $61 million. The county will allocate $16 million to some combination of these organizations.

Seven of the 35 applicants presented their requests in the special called council meeting, given the complicated nature of their requests.

"The applicants today, with their larger requests and some more detailed, we felt the need to bring them before the council," County Administrator Lynn Sturkie said.

The seven groups that presented included charities, schools and infrastructure organizations.

Midlands Technical College requested $4.6 million to offer to pay the tuition of all graduates from Lexington County high schools.

Internet service provider Comporium requested $9.4 million to improve the quality of internet service to a rural section of the county near Pelion and Swansea.

Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission, a nonprofit utility provider that services much of Lexington, requested $10 million to fund a number of capital projects to improve service.

The Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission cited the devastating impact of the pandemic to the organization, and requested more than $500,000 to provide premium pay to employees and get its budget on track.

Irmo Fire District asked the council for about $1.5 million to pay for the construction of a new training facility, a new engine and premium pay for its firefighters.

Given the resounding impact of the pandemic on first responders' mental health, Big Red Barn Retreat, an organization that provides healing programs for veterans and first responders, asked for the money to send 14 qualifying Lexington County residents to its seven-day trauma training program.

The Midlands Fatherhood Coalition, a nonprofit that seeks to end poverty through fatherhood and family support, requested $175,000 for outreach programing and improving its resources.

With the information from the seven presentations and the other applications, county employees will compile a recommendation and present it to council members in the coming weeks, Whetstone said. The council will then vote on how to spend the remaining fiscal recovery fund money.
As Port of Call Food + Brew Hall nears its one-year anniversary on Oct. 19, the Holy Citys only food hall is undergoing several changes that ownership hopes will be completed by November.

Five new vendors, two of which are being curated by Port of Call Owners Ryan Kaufmann and Thomas Berry, are entering the food hall, located at 99 S. Market St. in the former home of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Three of the forthcoming vendors are still in the works, while two  patio soft serve spot Pineapple Hut and scratch bakery Delicieux  are now open.

Taco Art, LowCo Seafood Shack and Pisco Mar are all slated to open (in that order) by November.

Delicieux is owned by New York City native Bri Wilson, who started a ghost kitchen bakery with the same name shortly after moving to Charleston in 2020. Wilson has been trying to bring Delicieux to Port of Call since it opened, likening the hustle and bustle of the Market Street area to her hometown.

Delicieux drinks and treats are based on ones Wilson enjoyed during her childhood.

We have a huge coffee and cafe culture in (New York City), Wilson said. I had the pleasure of having a childhood that was filled with some of the best treats in the world.

Being the lone Port of Call vendor that opens in the morning could mean less foot traffic near Wilsons stall, which debuted in mid-September. Signage out front informs those strolling Market Street in the morning hours that Wilson is there.

Im hoping to pick up once the locals know that I'm here in the morning, Wilson said. The locals that have come have returned so that hopefully speaks to the quality of the product.

While Port of Call is losing the talented chef Setrini Sison, owner of the Bok Choy Boy and Ren Osteria stalls, Kaufmann confirmed that Greek vendor Argo will continue to serve inside the hall alongside Palmira Barbecue, which offers a fascinating blend of the traditional and the progressive, according to The Post and Courier contributing restaurant critic Robert F. Moss.

Patrons can also still visit Raw Lab, the worlds only omakase style raw bar, according to Owner Kevin Joseph, who has been dazzling diners with an 11-course meal in a section of Port of Call that used to house Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.s apparel shop.

That means the food hall will have eight total vendors heading into 2023.

Kaufmann called the food halls first year a success, though he would like to establish a more buzzing atmosphere and attract more Charleston residents to the high traffic, tourist-centric area where the hall is located.

All in all its going well, Kaufmann said. We get locals down there, but that doesn't negate the fact that we are very tourism-driven.

Soon-to-open LowCo Seafood Shack could address this area of improvement, Kaufmann said. Curated in-house, LowCo will serve the Southern cuisine customers have been asking for, like shrimp and grits, Lowcountry boil and boiled peanuts.

Just everything you think of when you think of Lowcountry cuisine, Kaufmann said.

Kaufmann and the food halls team are also heading up the new Taco Art stall, featuring five types of tacos, nachos and rice bowls.

Perhaps the most exciting addition to Port of Call will be Pisco Mar, a Peruvian concept led by chef Esteban Delgado Diaz, who recently moved to Charleston from Chiclayo, Peru. The move came after Kaufmann and Berry took a trip to Peru to learn about the countrys cuisine.

Upstairs at Port of Call  currently home to a bar and beer hall  Diaz will combine lessons learned from his mother and grandmother in his youth with his studies in Peruvian gastronomy, meaning diners can expect a modern take on traditional cuisine found in Peru. Each seated multi-course meal will be paired with a drink menu that celebrates pisco, a spirit that is made in five coastal valley regions of Peru.

For chefs, food halls like Port of Call offer the opportunity to test out a concept before opening a brick-and-mortar space. This was certainly the case for several former tenants of the now-closed exploratory food hall Workshop  Charleston area restaurants Malika, Pink Bellies, Rebel Taqueria and Little Miss Ha are all owned by Workshop graduates.

This could be a possibility for Diaz in the future, according to Kaufmann.

Down the road, we may end up doing a stand alone with it, Kaufmann said. We wanted to toy with the concept at the food hall in advance of doing that.

Changes will be made to the upstairs space Pisco Mar will occupy, meaning Diaz will be the last of the new vendors to enter Port of Call.
At the invitation of the Japanese Government, the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, attended the state funeral of the countrys former Prime Minister, Mr. Shinzo Abe, held on 27 September 2022.

After the funeral, Dr. Mikuriya had an opportunity to speak with Japans current Prime Minister, Mr. Fumio Kishida, and to other political leaders from around the world who had come to Tokyo to pay their last respects to Mr. Abe.
Seven Charleston-area restaurants were recognized on Tripadvisor's latest Best of the Best Restaurants for 2022 list, giving the Holy City more nominees than any other city in the country.

Halls Chophouses Charleston location rang in at No. 5 on the fine dining list, sliding down two spots from its No. 3 ranking in 2021.

Joining Halls Chophouse  which counts four South Carolina locations and another in Nashville  on that list was Circa 1886 Restaurant (No. 13), Peninsula Grill (No. 18) and FIG (No. 19).

Lahaina Grill in Lahaina, Hawaii, earned the top ranking.

This comment came with Halls' ranking: All accolades are entirely deserved. Everyone truly strives to provide the best service possible. And they succeed absolutely! Ambiance, service, foodeverything is a 10!

It's worth noting that the exact same description of Halls came alongside its No. 3 ranking last year.

According to Tripadvisor, an online travel and booking company, "The 2022 Best of the Best Restaurants are calculated based on the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings for restaurants on Tripadvisor collected from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, specific to each award subcategory, as well as an additional editorial process."

Tripadvisor named award winners in six subcategories as part of its latest list: Fine Dining, Everyday Eats, Quick Bites, Date Night Restaurants, Picture-Perfect Restaurants and Hidden Gems, new this year.

Each category featured the top restaurants in the world, while five of the six had United States-specific lists.

Charleston stacked up more honors than any other U.S. city with seven.

Queology (No. 9) and Acme Lowcountry Kitchen (No. 14) were named on the Everyday Eats list, while Circa 1886 also landed on the Date Night Restaurant list at No. 6.
GREENVILLE  At the end of August, an auctioneer quickly rattled off prices for a rare gasoline sign inside a hall in Greenville County.

Audience members in attendance placed their bids. Others updated their offers online while some called theirs in over the phone  all happening in real time.

The Musgo Gasoline sign up for grabs had been deemed the "Holy Grail of antique advertising signs by Richmond Auctions, a business located off Augusta Road.

Thirty days before the auction started, absentee bids opened online. The day of the sale the auctioneer began with the highest submitted bid: $400,000.

The auctioneer bumped the price by $10,000 each time. A $400,000 bid eventually rose to $500,000, then jumped to $600,000 until the sign sold for a whopping $1.5 million price tag with a 15 percent buyer's premium. It was one of more than 520 items sold at the two-day auction.

The sale took about 10 minutes  an uncommonly long time for the auction, owner Jordan Richmond said. Items usually sell once every minute.

Richmond Auctions sells original collectible memorabilia, specializing in advertising. The company does not sell reproductions or restored items. It guarantees all items are originals.

The Musgo Gasoline sign was no ordinary sign. It quantifies an otherwise lost piece of the past. The gas company was founded in Muskegon, Mich., in the late 1920s. While there are not a lot of kept records on it, it is believed that the company shuttered somewhere between six months to two years after it launched, perhaps due to the Great Depression.

Today, there are about 18 to 20 known signs for the gas company in existence, Richmond said, but most are in poor condition. After Musgo closed, its signs were used by a plumber as septic tank covers. Richmond estimates there are two or three signs that escaped such use, including the one the auction hall sold in late August.

That Musgo Gasoline sign had been hidden away in an attic in Michigan before Richmond Auctions acquired it. It is a 48-inch, double-sided porcelain sign with an image of a Native American in the center. It is primarily yellow with the name Musgo in green and the word "Gasoline" in red, running through the middle.

"The one that we just sold was found in an attic, and we believe it to have been there since day one," Richmond said. "I think they put it away for whatever reason. It was never in the plumber's hands. And it was literally perfect. It was pristine like they just made it."

The front side of the sign was "free of blemishes throughout," a catalog promoting the auction in August said. The reverse side had "a tiny bruise above the Indian's head dress and a couple factory imperfections including a small pencil eraser sized rust area to the top left of 'A' in Gasoline," the catalog continued.

The auction company works closely with The Authentication Company (TAC). Richmond said it was the highest-rated Musgo Gasoline sign TAC had ever viewed. A previous one was graded 8.5. The Richmond sign was graded 9.5.

The buyer of the Musgo sign wants to remain anonymous, but Richmond said the person is not local to the area but does live within the United States.

The sign has already been hand-delivered, along with almost 90 percent of all items the auction sells. Richmond said the buyer plans to use the Musgo sign as the centerpiece of their otherwise small collection.

Richmond has had other sign-selling successes in the past. He pointed to his companys logo on his shirt, displaying a small airplane. The design was inspired by a Smith-O-Lene Aviation Gasoline sign. He owned the aviation gasoline companys sign in his personal collection for a long time until he sold it at the companys first auction in April 2021 to kickstart the venture.

"It was the sign that encouraged me or gave me the confidence to start this auction company because it's that rare as well," he said. "It's close to a Musgo."

It sold for $182,000. Since then, Richmond Auctions has sold several expensive signs, but all hover around $100,000 or less. None compare to the recent million-dollar sale.

"Really, we're just caretakers of this stuff," Richmond said. "It's already history. I feel like we're here to preserve and protect it. Like that Musgo, it's made 100 years in pristine condition. So, I feel like we're purveyors of history, just passing it along to the next collector to take care of it."

Antiques collector to auction hall owner

Richmond became fascinated with antiques 12 years ago when he and his wife wanted an old Coca-Cola machine for their game room. After they got the soda dispenser, he wondered if the soft drink company also had old signs for sale. He explored eBay, found a sign and instantly became hooked.

For the last decade, he had a side hustle as a sign dealer. He started a website to help people appraise and authenticate antiques, a skill he has since cultivated. Tens of thousands of signs have passed through his hands over the years.

While dabbling in sign sales, Richmond owned a nutrition business from 2009 to 2015. After that, he worked as a consultant for a few years until he wanted to dive into a new full-time job that aligned closely with his passion for antiques and memorabilia.

Richmond started his auction company about two years ago with his business partner, Mike McCandless. The two held their first auction in early 2021 in Spartanburg. Since then, the partners have hosted four auctions, some of which were multiday events.

When the business partners held their first auction, about 95 percent of the items for sale were from their own collections since they were unknown in the antiques industry at that point. By the second auction, Richmond estimated about 75 percent of the items were from their collections. By the most recent auction in August, about 25 percent were their own with 75 percent being items sold on consignment from other people.

In January, Richmond and McCandless bought their building at 1451 Donaldson St., off of Augusta Road. They gutted and rebuilt it over the span of eight months.

About 100 movie-theater-style seats line the front of the auction hall. The back half of the building is a showing room where the inventory is displayed for people to peruse before bidding.

At the front of the hall, next to the tables where clerks monitor online bids during auctions, a massive Westland Buffalo Gasoline sign is situated in a corner. It is the first sign Richmond and McCandless bought together. They will never sell it.

"It's real sentimental to us," Richmond said. "It was one of the first trips we ever went on. We found it from California."

Richmond's personal collection consists of about 50 to 60 pieces, most of which are kept in his office. He is drawn to the graphics of advertisements and doesnt know exactly what he likes until he sees them.

McCandless prefers vintage car memorabilia, owning over 60 Dodge, Chrysler and Plymouth cars and about 1,200 antique automotive signs.

The hall has a multiday auction coming up in February 2023. Set dates have not yet been determined.
South Carolina is opening up what could be unprecedented access to mental health training and guidance to teachers and other school support personnel to meet the needs of students.

The John H. Magill SC School Behavioral Health Academy was created by psychology faculty at the University of South Carolina and is funded by a $3.2 million grant from the SC Department of Health and Human Services. There will also be 12 pilot projects for enhanced training at school districts, with three each in the Lowcountry, Midlands, Upstate and Pee Dee regions.

South Carolina has actually been a leader in school-based mental health going back to the early 1990s but this is something new and it is open to everyone, said Dr. Mark Weist, project director and professor of clinical psychology at USC.

"We think this is really innovative, we dont know of any other state that is doing anything like this," he said. "We are offering it to all districts, to any staff in the district, to gain knowledge of mental health."

Through an online portal, school personnel from principals to teachers to food service staff would be able to access training modules that could help give them additional skills to help students, Weist said.

More Information For more information on the John H. Magill SC School Behavioral Health Academy or to access training, go to: scsbha.org

"Anyone can enhance their knowledge of mental health, which will increase their ability to be proactive and supportive of students when they present their needs," he said.

There will also be training specific for those counselors and mental health professionals working in or who want to be in schools, Weist said. But many of the skills school personnel could gain, such as teaching problem-solving or relaxation techniques, do not need a behavioral health degree, he said.

"A lot of things that we can do to promote mental health can be done by anybody working in a school building," Weist said. "So the academy is offering courses that are relevant to anyone that is interested."

The academy is part of DHHS' effort to expand mental health services at the urging of Gov. Henry McMaster earlier this year, spokesman Jeff Leieritz said.

"This really started with recognition from the governor and the attention he drew to this (issue) through his State of the State address and also the executive order he issued to have us look into the school-based mental health services," he said.

In that order, McMaster noted a 31 percent increase in mental health-related emergency room visits by adolescents in 2020 from 2019 while less than half the schools were receiving state-provided clinicians. An average of six kids a day show up for mental health services in the pediatric emergency room at Medical University of South Carolina just in Charleston, Leieritz said.

According to the "2022 State of Mental Health in America" report from Mental Health America, more than two-thirds of kids in South Carolina with major depression did not receive treatment for it, which was 46th, or sixth-worst, among all states and the District of Columbia. The state was also fourth-worst in the number of children with emotional or behavioral problems who had an Individualized Education Plan tailored to their needs, with just over 2,100 kids in South Carolina receiving that service.

The data in that report was from 2019 or earlier and by all indicators "that has gotten worse during the pandemic," Leieritz said.

It is not just the pandemic but all of the other issues, such as widespread social divisiveness, that emerged around the same time, which Weist refers to as "pandemic-plus." To address this, it is important to take a holistic approach that looks at the social, emotional, behavioral and academic aspects of the lives of students, he said.

"Ideally, programming should be balanced and focused on all of those realms," Weist said.

But within schools, with remote learning and other issues, there have been academic declines among some students that stretch across the last few years and schools may be trying to make up for that now, he said.

"School administrators, school leaders often will feel pressed to focus on academics exclusively but thats not what we need," Weist said. "Thats not what the youth and the families and the teachers are telling us."

To help increase the availability of behavioral health in schools, Medicaid addressed a pay disparity that used to pay school counselors $37 a session for work that school-based Department of Mental Health counselors received $77 per session for. Equalizing that pay would encourage more schools to hire their own counselors to receive the enhanced payments and so far that seems to be the case: 30 districts are considering directly contracting with counselors to provide or supplement those services compared to 14 that directly contracted the year before, Leieritz said.

"That's an encouraging initial sign," he said.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Generally cloudy. High 67F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 45F. Winds light and variable.
This is a developing story. The most recent update was 3:46 p.m. Sept. 29.

MYRTLE BEACH  A hurricane warning is now in effect for the counties of Horry, Georgetown and Williamsburg ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall in the region this Friday.

Horry County and the cities of Conway and Surfside Beach have already declared localized states of emergency ahead of Hurricane Ian preparing to strike the county this Friday as a Category 1 hurricane.

Also, Myrtle Beach plans to close its beaches Friday, the Horry County School District plans to transition to eLearning on Friday and other cities in the county have made their own respective announcements and plans in preparation for the storm.

County and city officials warn of heavy rainfall, tropical storm winds and coastal flooding from the storm. No evacuation orders have been given for Horry County at this time.

Horry County declares state of emergency

Horry County Council has declared a localized state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Ian that will go into effect 9 a.m. Sept. 29, and remain in effect for 60 days, unless otherwise declared by County Council.

Also, the Horry County Emergency Management Department will move to Level 2 starting 9 a.m. Sept. 29, which means the county will start operating in a heightened state of awareness with emergency plans beginning to be implemented.

"County officials have begun discussions with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, coastal communities including local municipalities, and will continue to monitor the situation closely," county officials said in a statement issued Sept. 28.

Horry County government offices, facilities and all circuit/family and magistrates courts will be closed Friday, Sept. 30.

All Horry County parks will be closed starting at 5 p.m. Sept. 29, and all county-sponsored athletics are cancelled from Sept. 29 through Oct. 1. Parks & Recreation Centers plan to be open Oct. 1 for indoor activities.

All Horry County Memorial Library branches will be closed Sept. 30. The Horry County Museum and L.W. Paul Living History Farm has cancelled all programming Sept. 30.

Horry County Emergency Management encouraged residents to prepare for the storm by clearing debris from storm drains or gutters to help mitigate potential flooding; securing yard items and decorations; avoiding flooded roadways; and continually monitoring reputable weather information sources for up-to-date hurricane information.

Myrtle Beach to close beaches Friday

Travis Glatki, Myrtle Beach's Emergency Management Division manager, said that the city is expecting 5 to 8 inches of rain, and storm surge coastal flooding of 2 to 4 feet. Because of this, Myrtle Beach plans to close its beaches on Sept. 30, as well as on Oct. 1, depending on weather conditions.

"The county is stating that the river levels are low, so even if we do get that much rain, we're not expecting any sort of widespread flooding," Glatki said. "The main concern is the coastal flooding with the high tide and the storm surge."

Although some of the earliest wind gusts are expected around 8 a.m. Sept. 30, Glatki said the tropical storm winds of 30 to 40 mph are not expected until Friday evening or night.

Glatki encouraged the public to get all errands done before Friday afternoon and Friday evening because the the heavy rain and strong winds are expected to start around that time. Also, he encouraged the public to avoid the coast as much as possible this weekend, due to the expected coastal flooding.

The city will use its mass notification system to update residents on what it is expected from the storm.

Myrtle Beach plans to do a partial activation of its emergency operations center to help with quick, efficient emergency response during the storm, and Glatki said that all city generators are "ready to go." Myrtle Beach Public Works officials have also lowered pond water levels to help alleviate potential flooding risk.

Also, in Myrtle Beach, a variety of city events that were planned for this weekend have been postponed and/or cancelled:

Nights at Nance Concert Series has been rescheduled for Oct. 6.

Myrtle Beach Fire Department's Public Safety Day has been rescheduled for Oct. 22.

Pride in the Park has been rescheduled for Oct. 22.

Myrtle's Market will be closed on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

Fall Jerk Festival has been rescheduled for Oct. 30.

I Love Seafood Festival has been rescheduled for Nov. 5-6. New dates for the 9th annual Britfest Car Show (originally set for Oct. 1) and Myrtle Beach Open Beach Volleyball (originally set for Sept. 30-Oct. 2) have not been announced by the city. The Myrtle Beach International Airport will remain open. People are encouraged to check with their airlines on flight status throughout the rest of the week and this weekend.

Horry County School District to close facilities Friday

The Horry County School District issued a statement Sept. 28, stating that all HCS facilities will be closed this Friday, Sept. 30, due to the incoming storm.

The district will continue to operate Friday, however, with an eLearning day for all students, and school staff members will provide directions for students regarding Fridays eLearning day.

Additionally, all after-school activities for the district are canceled for Thursday, Sept. 29, and Friday, Sept. 30.

All school district employees will work remotely with the exception of non-instructional staff, like nutrition services staff, bus drivers, maintenance technicians and building services staff.

"These employees will not report to work, but will be allowed to make up the day based upon schedules provided by their supervisors," according to the district. "Employees with questions regarding their work schedules should contact their respective supervisors."

For updates, school families and staff are encouraged to monitor the district's website or visit "Horry County Schools" on Facebook and Twitter.

Conway declares state of emergency

Conway City Council held an emergency council meeting virtually Sept. 29 to approve a local state of emergency for the city. The state of emergency will take effect immediately and last for 60 days.

All youth athletics with Conway Parks and Recreation are cancelled from Thursday, Sept. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 2, including tackle, flag, baseball, softball, soccer, cheerleading and volleyball, as well as Tiny Tigers scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 1.

Then, the Kids Carnival, which was scheduled for Oct. 1, will be held in conjunction with Smoke on the Waccamaw BBQ Festival on Saturday, Oct. 15, according to Conway Parks and Recreation.

Tornado risk is currently marginal for the city. Damage assessments will begin Saturday, Oct. 1, according to city officials.

"We're not anticipating a flood like we've had in the past, but the potential is there," Conway City Administrator Adam Emrick said. "That's something we're preparing for."

The Conway High School Educational Foundation's Hall of Fame Banquet, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 29, has been postponed.

The Conway Farmers Market, North Myrtle Beach Farmers Market, Georgetown Farmers Market and Valor Park Farmers Market, which were all scheduled for this weekend, have now been cancelled.

Starting Sept. 28, a ban on open burning has taken effect immediately within Conway due to hazardous conditions expected from the storm.

The following items can be burned: Chiminea, fire pits, portable outdoor fireplaces and other approved containers using manufacturer's guidelines, as long as it is not within 15 feet of a structure. Piles of debris, bonfires, fields, yards and ditches are not allowed to be burned, per city officials.

City officials encouraged the public to prepare a hurricane kit, check on any neighbors or friends who may need help preparing and secure debris and items around their home, like outdoor furniture, trash bins and flag poles. People should also clear away any dead or fallen tree branches.

Officials also encouraged the public to have an available evacuation plan if necessary, especially if they live in a low-lying area.

North Myrtle Beach moves to Level 2

The City of North Myrtle Beach moved to Level 2 Emergency at 9 a.m. Sept. 29, and it plans to move to Level 1 Emergency at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 30.

Level 2 Emergency (OPCON 2) means that North Myrtle Beach city emergency officials are maintaining enhanced awareness that a disaster or emergency could occur. Horry County also moved to this level on Sept. 28.

A Level 1 Emergency (OPCON 1) indicates that a full alert has gone into effect for the city and a disaster is occurring or imminent.

Storm surge and tropical flooding in North Myrtle Beach is expected and the threat has been increased. Flash flooding and coastal flooding should be expected, along with sustained winds of 30 mph and wind gusts of more than 50 mph.

Hazardous beach conditions are expected through Saturday, Oct. 1, and possibly later. High tides will increase the impact of coastal flooding and erosion. The highest levels will begin on Friday, Sept. 30, and last through at least Saturday, per city officials.

The heaviest flooding rains are expected Sept. 30 into the night. However, conditions could change for the worse, per city officials.

There is a risk of tornadoes Sept. 30 into the night. Tropical storm force winds will begin Sept. 30. Rain totals are still very high at 4-6 inches with some areas receiving more, according to city officials.

Surfside Beach declares state of emergency

The city of Surfside Beach declared a state of emergency Sept. 29 ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall on Friday, Sept. 30.

City officials also announced Sept. 29 that it will suspend all sanitation services on Friday, due to the weather conditions expected from Hurricane Ian.

All Friday sanitation services have been rescheduled to allow the city's public works staff to focus on emergency situations that may arise from the hurricane, per city officials.

Friday curbside recycling will now take place on Oct. 3. Friday yard debris will now be serviced on Oct. 4. Friday's commercial dumpster route will be serviced on Oct. 2.

Surfside Beach's Public Works department has already started removing banners from light poles and lowering the water levels of the town's two largest lakes, Dogwood Lake and Lake Elizabeth, which creates more capacity for stormwater runoff.

"Our public safety personnel, police and fire departments are closely monitoring the storm as it approaches," according to a statement from Surfside Beach on Sept. 27.

"While the path of Hurricane Ian is still unclear, this is a good reminder for area residents to plan and prepare. Look for and secure any loose items on your property that could be thrown by the wind."

Surfside Beach residents may notify public works of any downed trees or limbs or other conditions affecting roads and public right-of-ways by calling the town's non-emergency dispatch line at, (843)913-6368.

National Weather Service updates region on storm potential

Hurricane Ian will hit South Carolina Friday, Sept. 30 as a Category 1 hurricane. Wind impacts of up to 70 mph are expected Friday, especially across northeast S.C. Heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding, and there is an existing threat of isolated tornadoes, per the NWS as of 1 p.m. Sept. 29.

The new hurricane warning went into effect from the National Weather Service at around 11:15 a.m. Sept. 29.

Meanwhile, a tropical storm warning is in effect for the remainder of the counties in northeast S.C. and southeast N.C.

A storm surge warning is in effect from Little River to the South Santee River, as well as north of Little River, per the National Weather Service as of 1:30 p.m. Sept. 29.

The storm first made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane along the western coast of Florida Sept. 28.

Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency for the state of South Carolina this week in preparation for Hurricane Ian making landfall.
The WCO has conducted two sub-regional workshops for the development of Risk Indicators for goods and substances regulated by the Montreal Protocol and Basel Convention Agreements to support Customs Administrations and National Environment Agencies in the EAC and SADC regions. The workshops were held consecutively from 23rd to 26th August 2022 in Kampala, Uganda; and from 29th August to 1st September 2022, in Lusaka, Zambia, under the auspices of the Trade Facilitation and Customs Modernization Programme for Sustainable Development in SubSaharan Africa (Sida-WCO TFCM Programme), with funding from the Government of Sweden.

The four-day events emphasized the important role of Customs administrations in fighting against the illicit transboundary movement of hazardous waste, illegal or unregulated trade of ozone-depleting substances and the significant contribution that Customs, alongside National Environmental Agencies, undertake to uphold the sustainability of the global environment. To that end, the workshop reaffirmed the importance of cooperation between Customs Administrations and National Environmental Authorities in jointly applying effective and efficient risk management methodology to enforce controls related to the exports, imports and transit of the goods and substances regulated by the two Multilateral Environmental Agreements. A team of experts from the WCO, along with participants from Customs and Environmental Agencies, held interactive work sessions and made presentations to identify the critical risk indicators based on risk criteria, including documentation, importer, exporter, transport route, goods and other elements associated with the cross-border movement and trade of goods and substances. Additionally, the workshops addressed solutions to the critical areas and issues affecting Customs and Environment agencies to efficiently implement controls for the aforementioned agreements.

A combined total of thirty-three (33) officials representing Customs administrations, alongside the respective National Environment Agencies from the EAC and SADC regions, have benefitted from the workshop by enhancing their requisite knowledge and skills on the subject matter and ultimately enabling them to develop a draft framework of risk indicators to enforce regulations under the Basel Convention and Montreal Protocol Agreements. The joint work has also strengthened the commitments between the Customs Administrations and National Environment Agencies to collaborate better at the level of border operations.

Based on a continued technical collaboration with the WCO Environment Programme, UNEP OzonAction, and the Basel Convention Secretariat, the Sida-WCO TFCM Programme will provide further technical assistance to Customs administrations in the SADC and EAC regions to address the trade-related issues that adversely affect the environment while implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

For more information on the Sida-WCO TFCM Programme, kindly contact: capacity.building@wcoomd.org.
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.
COLUMBIA  An effort to further restrict abortion in South Carolina is almost certainly dead for the year after lawmakers wouldn't budge off their positions during a call back to the Statehouse.

House Republicans who insisted on a near-total ban joined with Democrats in rejecting what they saw as a more lenient Senate version of the bill.

The 95-11 vote September 27 in the House effectively stopped the measure from advancing to Gov. Henry McMaster's desk.

Now, the bill faces a near-impossible path of getting there before the November election officially kills it. Any compromise would have to be worked out by the chambers and signed by McMaster within the next six weeks.

Senate leaders say that's not happening.

Democrats claimed partial victory for temporarily blocking an outright abortion ban in the state. House Republicans are sure to try again next year, when the process would have to start all over.

"For the time being, at least, women dont have to believe theyll end up on the bathroom floor with a coat hanger trying to perform an abortion, and those who perform abortions dont believe theyll be put in jail anytime soon," said House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia.

"Thats what I believe we accomplished," he added.

The House's vote of non-support returns to senators the same ban they rejected earlier this month. A contentious, two-day debate in that chamber concluded with the Senate essentially tweaking the state's existing law; it bans abortions around the sixth week of pregnancy.

Rep. John McCravy, an ardent abortion foe, urged his colleagues not to accept a bill that largely reinforces what the Legislature passed last year.

After the U.S. Supreme Court's June decision allowed states to set abortion policy "we came back to do a job," said the Greenwood Republican who drafted the House bill. "We didn't come back to do what we'd already done."

After the vote, he and House Majority Leader Davey Hiott insisted a compromise with the Senate is still possible.

"I believe they will come back and do what a responsible body of this state would do, and thats come back to decide what the law of this state will be on this issue," McCravy told reporters.

Senate leaders have made it clear for weeks they lack the votes to pass anything more restrictive.

That hasn't changed, they said after the House vote.

"I am very disappointed," said Senate President Thomas Alexander, R-Walhalla. "As House members know, non-concurring makes passing any version of (the bill) almost impossible. The Senate's previous votes show that the House's version of the bill simply does not have enough support for passage.

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House Speaker Murrell Smith appointed McCravy; House Speaker Pro Tem Tommy Pope, R-York; and Rep. Spencer Wetmore, D-Folly Beach, to the committee that would attempt to craft some sort of agreement with senators. But that committee may never meet. The Senate would have to return and take a vote insisting on its version before its conferees could even be appointed.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said he sees no reason for the Senate to return at all.

"We all saw where the votes are. The Senate does not have the votes to pass a ban before six weeks," said the Edgefield Republican. "If anything, those votes have only hardened. Weve done the best we can do."

Massey said there's no apparent way to reconcile the two versions.

The House bill bans abortion outright, except to prevent pregnant women from dying or suffering lifelong health problems, or in cases of rape and incest. It allows crime victims to get an abortion through the end of the first trimester, or 12 weeks.

The Senate version reverts to the "fetal heartbeat" law passed last year, which bans abortions once an ultrasound detects cardiac activity. Its few changes to current law include giving rape and incest victims 12 weeks to get an abortion, instead of 5 months, and requiring a second doctor to agree with a fatal fetal anomaly diagnosis.

"I dont see a pathway" between the two, Massey said. "People can accept that now or later, but thats where we are. I understand there are people who dont like that, but youve got to have the votes to do anything different."

Alexander said the House's move puts existing law at risk. Last year's law was immediately blocked by federal courts. It temporarily took effect following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. But the state Supreme Court suspended it again last month pending a review of whether it violates privacy rights in the state constitution.

GOP senators said a section in its version is designed to fix the conflict in state law that justices pointed to in blocking the so-called heartbeat ban as they review it. A hearing is set for Oct. 19. Until justices rule differently, the state remains under a 2016 law that bans abortions past 5 months.

McMaster continued to urge legislators to send him a bill. The Republican governor has said he looks forward to a day there will be no abortions, while repeatedly noting he signed a law last year with exceptions for crime victims, the mother's life and fatal fetal anomalies.

"Take their time. Dont rush, but we need to have a bill that a great consensus of the people of the state will think is a good, reasonable bill," he said after the House vote. "I think both chambers are headed in that direction."

Since the U.S. Supreme Court's June ruling, House members and senators have returned to Columbia multiple times for committee meetings and floor debates. The extended session on abortion has cost roughly $150,000 so far on legislators' mileage and daily allowances for expenses such as meals and hotel rooms, according to tallies requested by The Post and Courier.
Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison have a line on the massive Feeding Our Future fraud. Their fallback defense is that the Minnesota Department of Education brought the case to the FBI and that MDEs $250 million payout of federal tax dollars to the perpetrators of the fraud was required by the FBI so as not to blow the investigation. They count on the inability of friendly and incompetent reporters to pierce this absurdity and they think the voters are morons.

Ellison appeared yesterday morning for an interview by WCCOs Vineeta Sawkar. Like Walz, Ellison is unaccustomed to unloving questions from friendly reporters. You can feel the flop sweat forming as Sawkar slightly presses him on his nonfeasance in shutting down the fraud. He hems and haws, pleads attorney-client privilege, refers to cooperation with the FBI investigation, and alleges compulsion by Judge Guthmanns mythical order to continue payments. Ellison presses the story that the payments continued at the instance of the FBI. (See Ellisons timeline of the scandal here.) This is a lie as open and obvious as the underlying Feeding Our Future fraud, yet this is where we are.

My friend Howard Root elaborated on this in an email yesterday (below the break). Howard writes:

* * * * *

The Minnesota Department of Education didnt want to be seen as attacking minority businesses trying to feed children in the heart of the pandemic. Instead of saying no on the site applications that resulted in the lawsuit before Judge Guthmann, MDE just delayed making a decision while they thought about what to do. On top of this, in early 2021 everyones working from home, and the department isnt an efficient organization at getting things done even in the best of times, so delay is the first choice to every decision.

But then Feeding Our Future got a good lawyer and dragged MDE into court. Guthmann told MDE to either accept or deny the site applications so MDE could appeal any denial, which is as reasonable a decision as a judge can make in this situation.

Guthmann didnt say pay the claim or deny the claim, but instead said make a decision on the claim. Even with this clear direction, MDE continued to delay making the decision on the claims because MDE still saw risk on both sides.

Then Guthmann got upset at MDE, fined them for violating his order to make a decision, and MDE at that point thought lets just pitch it to the FBI and give up and resume paying. Thatll at least get this judge off our backs.

The investigation continues for over another year and the fraud grows to a massive $250M+. Locked into a decision to punt to the FBI, however, MDE certainly werent interested in all of a sudden saying or doing anything that would make it look like MDE was responsible.

So this can of fraud continues to be kicked down the road until Luger finally holds his press conference announcing the indictments just two months before the election. DFLers must be livid that Luger couldnt just wait until after the election to indict.

Now Walz needs to come up with a quick explanation for his administrations inaction and that explanation cannot cause any harm to his or Ellisons campaign. So he says Guthmann ordered payments to continue, not expecting the judge to respondbecause judges never do.

With his thin skin Walz couldnt help throwing in fake outrage at the judges decision and demanding an investigation of Guthmann. This prompted Guthmanns response pointing out he never required payments to resume.

So now Walz has to shift his explanation to what Guthmann said during the court hearing. But that explanation falls apart when the court transcript shows that Guthmann said no such thing. So now Walz needs a third explanation of how this fraud continued for well over a year after MDE first knew about it.

At this point Walz and Ellison figure they really need to point the finger at someone who definitely will not respond, at least until after the election. That makes the FBI the perfect alibi, because the FBI will have no comment on any of these communications while the criminal case is proceeding.

Walz and Ellison assert not only that the FBI demanded that MDE continue to pay these fraudulent claims, but they brag that the FBI thanked MDE for its cooperation in the criminal investigation  as if thats the FBIs endorsement of MDE continuing to pay the fraudsters.

When asked about what the substance of the FBI communications with MDE and when anyone at MDE first knew about the fraud, Ellison claims he cant disclose anything because of attorney-client privilege  even though just seconds before he said the FBI told MDE to stay silent!

At this point, Walz and Ellison need to do is land on a story (a third story) that they can stick with through the election without creating a new angle. And dutifully, the Star Tribune has already shifted the narrative from how could MDE continued to pay this much money for this long of a time in an obvious fraud to the standard Republicans pounce.

Theres no way the FBI would tell MDE to continue paying fraudulent claims in order to build a stronger case. Instead, the FBI would say either you do what you need to do or dont pay if you think its fraud, because the FBI doesnt control the MDE. But Ellison is so arrogant that he doesnt spend any time formulating answers to obvious questions. Walz at least has the political sense to head to Grand Marais for a doughnut and isnt available for press inquiries until Thursday.

UPDATE: Former TCF Financial Corporation general counsel Greg Pulles also makes our points in his Alpha News column The DFLs big lie.
President Bidens cancelation of student loans in the aggregate amount of hundreds of billions of dollars is bad public policy in several dimensions. It lacks any respectable justification. It is also of dubious legality  although they have a theory.

The theory is a farcical stretch. They couldnt care less about the weakness of their pretense to legality. If the law doesnt fitwhat they really count on is the difficulty of finding plaintiffs with legal standing to challenge the scheme in court.

Now come Frank Garrison and the Pacific Legal Foundation. Garrison has a claim of illegality that relies on a colorable standing claim based on the taxation of the giveaway as it applies to him under state law. If Garrison can make his standing claim fly and the court has to address the merits of the lawsuit, Garrison should win. Biden lacks the authority to do what he did.

Robby Soave links to Garrisons complaint in his Reason column on the lawsuit. Andrew McCarthy takes up the standing argument briefly in his New York Post column on the illegality of the giveaway.

UPDATE: The Indiana federal district court has denied Garrison motion for preliminary relief filed in the case. The court order casts doubt on the theory of standing on which Garrisons claim rests.
Russia-backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine have concluded a five-day referendum voting to join Russia.

In what Ukraine and its allies describe as illegitimate and a sham, voting was hastily arranged in four areas: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson which make up about 15 per cent of Ukrainian territory.

According to Al Jazeera, Russian authorities incharge of the voting said the majority of the people in the region voted to join Russia. Donetsk, 99.2 per cent; Luhansk, 98.4 per cent; Zaporizhia, 93.1 per cent; Kherson, above 87 per cent.

Reports noted that ballot boxes were taken from house to house.

The voting exercise creates a legal pretext for Russia to annex parts of Ukraine after seven months of war and counting. Russia deployed the same technique in 2014 when it annexed Crimea.

Just before launching its attack on Ukraine, Russia recognised separatist Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. Zaporizhia and Kherson have yet to be recognised as independent states.

After the annexation is formally announced, any attempts by Ukraine to reclaim these regions will be interpreted as an attack on Russia.

Russias President, Vladimir Putin, last week said he was willing to use nuclear weapons to defend the territorial integrity of Russia.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council meeting held after the voting was concluded that the body remains fully committed to Ukraines territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

A Russian legislator, Valentina Matviyenko, said if the vote results were favourable, Russia could consider annexing the four regions on October 4, three days before Putin celebrates his 70th birthday.

Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.
Although his administration is known for perpetrating injustice such as human rights abuses and disregard for the rule of law, President Muhammadu Buhari last week in New York, United States, spoke about his avowed commitment to global peace and justice.

In his farewell speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as President, Mr Buhari told the 77th session that the key take home from his years in public service is to uphold values such as justice, honour and integrity at the national and global stage.

Let me convey my final reflection from this famous podium. We live in extraordinary times with interdependent challenges but enormous opportunities. The pace of change can seem bewildering, with sometimes a palpable and unsettling sense of uncertainty about our future.

But if my years in public service have taught me anything, it is that we must keep faith with those values that endure. These include, but are not limited to such values as justice, honour, integrity, ceaseless endeavour, and partnership within and between nations, he said.

However, contrary to his call for justice, the actions of the Nigerian leader since he assumed office as democratic president in 2015 have been characterised by many cases of injustice and illegality.

Catalogue of Human Right Abuses

Although Mr Buhari pledged to investigate allegations of human rights abuses against the military in his inaugural address in May 2015, the administration of the former military dictator did not waste time to start scripting its own bloody chapter of state terror.

In December 2015, seven months after Mr Buhari assumed office, the Nigerian Army, which Mr Buhari superintends as Commander-In-Chief, extra-judicially killed over 350 members of a Shiite minority group, IMN. The victims included women and children.

The army accused the Shiites of blocking a road being used by the then army chief, Tukur Buratai, thus endangering his life.

The Shiites were holding a demonstration by members of the group on a major road in Zaria, north-west Nigeria, during which they blocked the road users and Mr Buratais convoy.

The killings occurred over two days including a late-night raid on the religious base of the Shiites in Zaria.

Apart from killing hundreds of the Shiites, the army also arrested scores of them including their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and his wife Zeenah.

The hundreds of people killed by the army were also buried in secret mass graves.

The massacre was condemned by local and international human rights groups such as SERAP, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Also, when a court ordered Mr Zakzaky and his wife released in 2016, Mr Buharis government ignored the ruling and instead filed murder charges against them.

Most IMN members jailed in 2015 were released between 2019 and 2020 after the court found them innocent of all charges. But the continued detention of Mr El-Zakzaky and his wife sparked protests that turned deadly, leading the Nigerian government to outlaw the sect in 2019.

After nearly six years in illegal detention, a Kaduna State High Court eventually acquitted the couple and ordered their release in 2021.

The Nigerian government reluctantly released them but is still holding on to their international passports.

No soldier or commanding officer has been prosecuted for the massacre while Mr Buhari later appointed Mr Buratai an ambassador after the latter retired from the army.

Sowores detention

Similarly, the secret police, SSS, in November 2019 refused to release Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters from illegal custody despite a court order.

The SSS, which reports directly to the Nigerian president, said in a statement that Mr Sowore was still held because no one had turned up to collect him from detention.

They made the statement two days after a federal judge signed Mr Sowores release order after the activist satisfied stringent bail conditions imposed on him as part of his trial.

The Nigerian government filed a seven-count charge of fraud and treasonable felony against him about 50 days after he was arrested and detained by security operatives.

It was the second time Mr Sowore would be deprived of freedom despite a court order. He previously secured bail two months earlier, but it was not honoured by the SSS, whose agents subsequently filed new charges that were used as an excuse for disregarding the first order.

His first arrest was in August 2019 on allegations of plotting to overthrow the government by organising a protest.

Like Shiites, like IPOB

Also in 2015, in Onitsha, Anambra State, south-east Nigeria, soldiers killed 12 people who were celebrating the court-ordered release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The killings had been preceded by threats by the army against the then peaceful pro-Biafra protests in the South-east. The military described the protests as treasonable.

After investigations, Amnesty International (AI), in May 2016, issued a report accusing the army of killing 17 IPOB members.

Expectedly, the army denounced the allegations as unfounded.

However, an investigation by PREMIUM TIMES portrayed an even larger scale of wrongdoing.

That heavy-handed clampdown on the IPOB members is believed to be one of the reasons the group became radicalised.

Nobody was prosecuted for the killings.

In his media parley on 30 December 2015, Mr Buhari jettisoned the idea of the police investigating the militarys excesses and defended his administrations disregard of court orders for the release of Mr Kanu and the detained former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

Like the case of Mr Kanu, the president also, for several months, disobeyed court orders for the release of Mr Dasuki.

In a subsequent interview on Al Jazeera, the president seemed unmoved and even irritated when questioned about human rights violations by security forces in the South-east region. This infuriated activists and observers in Nigeria.

The persistent domestic deployment of the army for civilian policing tasks on domestic soil in violation of the constitutional requirement of Senatorial approval, as stated in Section 217, is a clear example of official lawlessness and impunity. Such illegally and unconstitutionally deployed troops are responsible for the massacres in Zaria and in the South-east, Chris Ngwodo, a consultant and political analyst, wrote in an opinion article published by PREMIUM TIMES in June 2016.

Illegal Dismissal

In 2016, the Nigerian Army compulsorily retired 38 officers.

Many of them were the countrys brightest in internal and external security operations but were forced out of service without recourse to the rules of disengagement.

Most of the affected officers were neither queried nor indicted by any panel. They were arbitrarily retired in what was considered a witch-hunting and partisanship by authorities of the army.

Even after the affected officers petitioned Mr Buhari, the presidency turned a blind eye.

Apart from the injustice of wrongly dismissing the officers, the Buhari administration has also refused to obey court rulings that ordered the reinstatement of some of the officers.

The Illegal Recruitment

PREMIUM TIMES in April 2017 exclusively reported the shocking lopsidedness in the composition of newly appointed cadet officers of the SSS.

The recruitments favoured northern Nigeria, particularly Mr Buharis home state of Katsina.

Findings revealed that the SSS recruited 51 persons from Katsina alone, whereas all the six states in the South-south got a combined 42 candidates. Also, all five states in the South-east got less than 50 people.

The nepotism in the appointment is also contrary to section 14 (3) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

Despite public outcry, President Buhari refused to act on the matter, an indication he was in support of the injustice.

Several other instances of lopsided appointments continued to generate controversy among Nigerians who accused the president of marginalisation and disregard for Nigerias federal character policy.

In June 2020, some Southern leaders sued Mr Buhari at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court over alleged marginalisation in appointments made by his administration since 2015.

But the Nigerian leader had earlier justified the nature of his appointments. In a 2015 interview with BBC Hausa, the president said he only nominates people he can trust. He added that the appointments also served as a reward for those who were loyal to him.

Similarly, Mr Buhari in a 2015 interview during his official state visit to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) said, constituencies that gave me 97 per cent cannot in all honesty be treated equally, on some issues, with constituencies that gave me 5 per cent

Charity begins abroad

Meanwhile, Mr Buharis speech reassuring the global stage of his commitment to peace and justice did not surprise close watchers of his administration.

The president has often been accused of prioritising international applause over local concerns.

In early August, many Nigerians raised concerns when it became public that their president offered about N1.15 billion to procure exotic SUVs for the government of Niger Republic despite Nigerias dire financial situation that has seen the country borrow to pay the salaries of public workers.

I think its hypocritical for the president to have a habit of acting like the big brother at the African stage when Nigeria is facing a myriad of challenges, said Nzube Akunna, a political analyst. I think he is more concerned with window dressing his image on the global stage than facing the real issues at home.
The Nigerian Economic Society is holding this years conference in Kano, North-west Nigeria, with the theme Fiscal Sustainability and Policy Response for Economic Recovery in Nigeria.

The organisers said the theme is chosen to reflect Nigerias current macroeconomic and fiscal challenges. It seeks to address cross-cutting and specific issues in the governments policy response to the fiscal sustainability challenge.

Contributors will discuss Tracking, analyzing and calculating the impact of government, private and donor investments in womens economic empowerment in Nigeria  The challenge of data reliability and macroeconomic methodology.

Supported by the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), PREMIUM TIMES will provide live updates of the discussion on womens economic empowerment which is expected to start by 9:30 a.m.

Follow live updates below;

11:30 am: The moderator, Mr Kofar-mata, a professor of entrepreneurship from Dangote Business School in Bayero University, said Women Economic Empowerment is important. Nigeria cannot develop comprehensively unless we have accurate and reliable data.

He brings the event to an end.

10:45 am: Sophia Essahmed said financial inclusion is an enabler of other development goals. She said her organisation relies on data to do its work on women empowerment.

We identify the problem by conducting a baseline survey, she said. Based on collated data, we plan and design our programmes on the implementation of activities, she added.

She said data helps in the implementation of activities such as saving household budgets and avoiding fraud and scammers.

10: 30 am: Another member of the panel, Rinmicit Aboki nee Temlong, said data is power and women need data to plan. We need data to implement policies; without data, you cannot implement meaningful interventions, she said.

She gave an instance where politicians that were empowering women with 1000 sewing machines in a community were not encouraging the women to have economical power.

We need to create a value chain not create more similar businesses that are not being patronised, she said.

Once we have data, development problems will be solved. It reduces corruption because it makes it easy to track who gets what at what point, she said.

10:12 am: Ruth Agbo said some of the key challenges faced by women in accessing funds are socio-cultural norms, the fact that women are not seen as legitimate clients and the problem of knowledge gap.

10:00 am: Mr Kareem Abdularrag reviews the budget estimates and budget implementation report data at the national and subnational governments. He tracked and identified women empowerment projects from the budget documents.

He said some of his findings are that there are many duplication efforts in womens economic empowerment-related projects across MDAs and there is a lack of coordination among the MDAs.

Also, the data on budget performance does not provide disaggregated data on Womens Economic Empowerment (WEE) specific intervention.

The panel members are discussing Tracking, analyzing and calculating the impact of government, private and donor investments in womens economic empowerment in Nigeria  The challenge of data reliability and macroeconomic methodology

9:50 am: The first presenter, Mr Kareem, speaks on tracking womens economic empowerment funds from the national and state budgets.

9:30 am: The moderator introduces himself. He is Bala Kofar-Mata. He said the panel members will discuss partnerships for women in economic development.

The panel members are Kareem Abdul, Sophia Ess Ahmed, Ruth Agbo and Aisha Adamu.
Many unarmed residents in the South-east of Nigeria have been killed by Nigerian troops deployed to check Biafra agitation in the region, findings by PREMIUM TIMES have shown.

The killings usually happen during raids on suspected camps of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN).

IPOB is leading an agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which they want carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south.

On 30 August, for instance, three unarmed residents were killed when troops from 82 Division and 34 Brigade of the Nigerian Army invaded Orsu-Ihiteukwa, a community in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State, south-east Nigeria.

Army spokesperson Onyema Nwachukwu would later claim that those killed were IPOB members.

Two of the victims, Ugochukwu Obianeli and Nonso Izuegbu, were killed while they were moulding cement blocks in the community, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.

One other victim, Nicholas Onwughala, an elderly man, was shot in his legs by the troops at Eke Ututu Market in the community, according to sources in the community.

He died the following morning, 31 August, because of complications from gunshot injuries.

Like in other previous incidents, the troops carried out the attacks as part of an onslaught against suspected members of IPOB.

Each time the troops come, they carry out shootings. And most times, they end up killing some innocent people, during shooting with the supposed ESN boys, Chidi Ibekaeme, a resident of Orsu-Ihiteukwa community, told PREMIUM TIMES.

He said there had been no attack in the community until the troops began raiding suspected camps of the IPOB members in December 2021.

I know of the three persons (killed by the troops on 31 August). Incidentally, one of them, Ugochukwu Obianeli, is my brother-in-law, Mr Ibekaeme, a lawyer, said.

We are living in fear. Each time we hear information that they are coming, we run away.

Another resident of the community, Friday Nwajuo, narrated to PREMIUM TIMES how the troops killed two of the victims and labelled them IPOB members.

We ran when we heard the army people were coming, Mr Nwajuo began.

Within 20 minutes, the soldiers came and started shooting. So, the two boys, who were labourers in a block industry, ran away for safety. All of a sudden, they stopped shooting.

When they (the two victims) came out, they thought the soldiers had left. So, the soldiers saw them and shot them dead, thinking they were ESN members, he narrated.

Again, on 17 September, exactly 18 days after, the Orsu-Ihiteukwa community in Orsu Council Area of Imo State and Orsumugho, another community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, were invaded by the troops, killing two unarmed residents and razing shops.

Both communities share boundaries.

The troops were said to have invaded Orsu-Ihiteukwa again at about 4 a.m., with many combatant vans, armoured tankers, and military helicopters.

Residents said the troops were firing shots and detonating bombs, while the helicopters hovered over the communities.

The shootings and bombardments were said to have disrupted a burial ceremony, causing guests to run inside bushes for safety.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the operation was carried out in collaboration with members of Ebubeagu, a security outfit backed by the Imo State Government.

A resident, Ifeanyichukwu Edurumba, 23, was said to have been whisked away from his house at about 12 p.m. and dragged to the market in Orsu-Ihiteukwa where he was allegedly killed by the troops.

His uncles wife, Ifeoma Onyebuchi, who was staying with him, narrated to PREMIUM TIMES what happened.

We were inside the house when we heard that army people were coming to the community. So, he (Edurumba) left his poultry farm and ran inside for safety. While we were inside, some people came and knocked on our door. They were a mixture of army people and Ebubeagu members, all in their uniforms.

They ordered us to open the door when I asked who they were. They quickly broke the door and gained entry. The boy (Edurumba) ran under the bed with some children.

One of them told us that if we dont bring the boy, they will kill all of us. I told them the boy is an orphan and the only son of his late parents and that he is a poultry farmer and also an iron bender. I told them he didnt do anything wrong.

While I was talking, they went inside the room and dragged the boy out and took him away. They checked the boys poultry when they heard his chickens clucking. They later took the boy to Eke-Ututu Market and killed him, she said.

They killed another boy

Another resident, who said he witnessed the troops invasion, spoke with PREMIUM TIMES the following day, 18 September.

They also killed one (other) boy in Orsumoghu, a neighbouring community here. I dont know his name yet, he said.

The man said he came face-to-face with the troops, while he was going to the market to buy an item, but that he hid from them for fear of being killed.

They were burning houses and stalls. They used some hammers to break shops and took whatever they liked, such as beverages, and then set the shops ablaze.

Whenever they (troops) come, they kill whoever they see, burn houses. If you come to this village now, everybody is crying. They have reduced us to rubble, he said.

The troops, according to him, razed over 30 shops.

He said it disheartened that the Nigerian government would claim to be protecting lives and property, but turned around to order security agencies to kill residents and destroy their sources of livelihood.

Video clips which captured burning shops and motorcycles were circulated on different WhatsApp groups.

In one of the clips, a victim, Anselem Ohaachosi, whose shop was said to have been burnt down, lamented the frequent invasion of the community by troops.

Yesterday, 17th of September 2022, a gang of Nigerian soldiers came to Eke-Ututu, Orsu-Ihiteukwa, destroyed peoples shops, properties (and) lives. They set my shop ablaze, he said.

Mr Ohaachosi used to sell phones and phone accessories. He said all the items in the shop had been destroyed by the troops.

He said he went into the sales of phones because he could not find a job after graduating from Imo State University.

Look at how they rendered me useless in Orsu-Ihiteukwa. The cost of what they damaged here is nothing less than N10 million. How can I start life afresh?

Mr Ohaachosi said the troops were shouting, Say no to IPOB during the raid.

Am I an IPOB member? Did they see any mark on me? I graduated from Imo State University and I am also a holder of a post-graduate diploma in education. I am an educationist. They have to pay for all these, Mr Ohaachosi said.

Another clip showed helicopters hovering in the sky.

In another clip, apparently shot the following day, 18 September, people, whose shops were not affected during the operation, were seen hurriedly packing their goods out of the shops.

The invasion of the two South-east communities by the troops has attracted condemnations.

The military did not comment on the incident.

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State would later defend the attack, claiming that the troops raided and burnt some shops in Eke-Utu Market in Orsu-Ihiteukwa Community, because materials used for manufacturing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were allegedly discovered in the market.

The governor claimed that suspected bandits operating in the area use the IEDs to fight security operatives and that an army officer, on duty in Orsu Awo-idemili community, died last month (August) from an explosion.

Mr Uzodinma incorrectly claimed that no life was lost in the attack. The governor was silent on the troops invasion of Orsumugho, a community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Not the only attacks

But those were not the only times that the Nigerian troops would kill unarmed residents in the region and tag them members of IPOB.

In April, on Easter Sunday, troops from the 34 Artillery Brigade invaded Ihioma community in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, killing scores of residents and razing houses.

There were two contrasting stories around the attack. Some residents said the killings were done by gunmen, while others accused the military of being responsible.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the troops targeted unarmed civilians in reprisal after some gunmen attacked soldiers in the community.

The attack on the residents of the community led to the hashtag #OrluIsBleeding which trended on Twitter for days.

This is the popular Ukwu Aki or Inland Guest house (which) has been razed down by the military forces.

They have been shooting since morning. Shooting and killing innocent people, burning peoples shops and properties. Thats what we witnessed today. So, we are not happy, said an unidentified resident in a video clip posted on Facebook by the social media user, Success Obum.

In the video clip, residents were seen scampering for safety while sounds of gunshots rented the air. Some residents were also seen weeping and lifting the corpses of their loved ones killed in the attack.

How can the government deploy its security agencies to destroy people celebrating their Easter? We are sad. Since night, nobody has slept in this area. Nigeria military forces (are) shooting every damn thing they see, the resident added.

But military authorities denied the allegation, claiming only IPOB members were targeted by the troops during the operation.

The troops killed one IPOB member during the operation, the army spokesperson, Mr Nwachukwu, claimed.

Mr Nwachukwu, a brigadier-general, claimed gunmen were seeking to whip up public sentiments by circulating a doctored video on social media.

Again, Nigerian troops, between 28 and 29 June, invaded Ossomala, Umunankwo and Obeagwa communities in Ogbaru Local Government of Anambra State, killing scores of unarmed youths, according to sources from the communities.

The heavily armed military forces were said to have been mobilised from Ogbaru Naval Base and Onitsha 320 artillery Regiment in over 20 trucks to hunt down suspected IPOB members, but they ended up opening fire on the residents.

Although military authorities did not respond to the allegations, residents said the military forces claimed those killed in the attack were IPOB members who had attacked some soldiers in the area.

The killings led to the hashtag #Ogbarumasscre which trended on Twitter for weeks, with gory images.

Worrisome situation

PREMIUM TIMES in 2016 published a detailed report on the massive extrajudicial killings in the South-east.

The report captured how a group of soldiers stationed at the Head Bridge Market, Anambra State, on 17 December 2015, opened fire on jubilant crowds who had poured out into the streets of Onitsha, the commercial capital of the state, to celebrate a court ruling in favour of the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained IPOB leader.

Three people died instantly while five more bodies were discovered meters away from the scene, bringing to eight the number of people killed on the spot.

Of the wounded victims taken to hospitals, four later died, bringing to 12 the number of deaths in the incident.

From Onitsha to Aba, Enugu to Umuahia, people faulted the deployment of maximum force during the military operations in the South-east, which has led to the extrajudicial killings of an unknown number of defenceless civilians across the region.

Human rights organisations like the Civil Liberties Organisation, the Intersociety for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law, Amnesty International, Center for Human Rights & Peace Advocacy, and Forum for Justice, have for years been documenting cases of extra-judicial killings in the South-east.

Between August 2015 and February 2016, about 170 unarmed citizens were shot dead or critically injured while about 400 others were arrested, charged or detained without trial, according to rights groups.

Statistics made available to PREMIUM TIMES by the rights groups within the stated period show, for example, that four people were killed in Awka and Onitsha on 30 August 2015; 13 were killed in Onitsha on 2 December 2015; 12 were killed in Onitsha on 17 December 2015; eight killed in Aba on 18 January 2016; six killed in Aba on 29 January 2016 and 22 killed in Aba on 9 February 2016.

The military usually follows a familiar pattern  after an incident, a press statement is quickly issued where the victims are labelled IPOB members. The Nigerian media, without any probe, would run the one-sided statement.

The military authorities, in most cases, would refuse to respond to questions from reporters, afterwards.

And the victims relatives, apparently from poor and vulnerable backgrounds, would grieve behind closed doors, knowing how difficult it is for them to get justice.

More extrajudicial killings

A report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rules of Law revealed that between July and August, the military and other law enforcement agencies secretly massacred hundreds of defenceless civilians in Imo, Anambra and Benue, and tagged them, terrorists.

In the report, released on 2 September, the group said part of their findings showed that the military has been working with armed herdsmen to terrorise the eastern part of the country and Benue State.

The group, while commenting on the 30 August attack in the Orsu-Ihiteukwa community, Imo State, said they were not surprised that the army falsely labelled the victims as IPOB/ESN terrorists.

Emeka Umeagbalasi, the board chairman at the intersociety, who coordinated the report, said the group shall not sit by and watch innocent citizens being mowed down by soldiers and other security forces with reckless abandon.

The military dismissed the report as a concoction and evil propaganda. It said the intersociety was sponsored by IPOB to destabilise Nigeria.

Human rights groups kick

Amnesty International Nigeria, like many other rights groups, has repeatedly condemned extra-judicial killings by security agencies in the South-east.

Instead of launching proper investigations into these killings, security and government officials are often quick to claim victims were caught up in shoot-outs or simply label them members of the ESN, the armed wing of IPOB, Osai Ojigho, the director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said in a statement in July.

The group was reacting to the killing of seven young people who were returning from a wedding ceremony in Imo State. They were allegedly killed by operatives of a government-backed security outfit, Ebubeagu.

Amnesty called on the government to put an end to the patterns of extrajudicial executions, by carrying out a prompt, impartial and independent and effective investigation into the killings and other human rights violations in the region.

Approach against IPOB questioned

Many have criticised the approach of Nigerias security agencies in fighting IPOB-linked unrest in the South-east.

One expert suggested the carrot and stick approach as the way forward.

You have to offer a carrot, thats dialogue for IPOB members and, then, use a stick, which is force, if the dialogue fails, said Nnamdi Anekwe, a security expert.

Mr Anekwe said it was the same approach that was adopted in resolving the Niger Delta crisis.

Mr Nwachukwu, the army spokesperson, did not respond to calls seeking comments on the allegation of extra-judicial killings by the military.

He did not also respond to a text message enquiring how troops are able to distinguish between IPOB members and innocent residents during operations in communities.

The best approach would have been to investigate and interrogate arrested suspects, not shoot them. But soldiers do not interrogate, they just attack, Joseph Ngwu, another security expert, said.

Even when there is an allegation of criminal activity against people, such information could be ill-motivated and, therefore, needs to be investigated first, Mr Ngwu added.

Mr Anekwe told PREMIUM TIMES that without gathering intelligence through arrested IPOB members and technical sources, it would be difficult for security operatives to differentiate between the separatists and innocent residents during operations.

Usually, if they go to a civilian area, they dont fire, until they are fired upon. And they will make sure they use minimal force in protecting themselves, Mr Anekwe said.

So, in such circumstances (returning of fire by troops) innocent people may come in between those fires  thats collateral damage.
A Federal High Court in Damaturu, Yobe State on Wednesday ruled that Nigerias Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, is not the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yobe North Senatorial District in next years election into the National Assembly.

The court ruled that Bashir Machina is the authentic candidate of the party having won the legally recognised primary supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court ruled that Mr Lawan did not participate in the legally recognised primary election of the APC to select its candidate in the election held on 28 May.

With the ruling, Mr Lawan, a former university lecturer, will not be holding an elective office for the first time since 1999 when he was elected as a member of the House of Representatives for Bade/Jakusko Federal Constituency of Yobe State.

Mr Lawal did not participate in the original APC Yobe North primary because he was contesting to be the partys presidential candidate.

Having failed to secure his partys nod to run for president, Mr Lawal tried to reclaim the partys ticket for Yobe North, a district he has represented since 2007.

Despite Mr Machinas victory at the 28 May primary, the leadership of the APC submitted Lawans name as candidate for the district.

Mr Machina kicked and filed a suit praying the court should rule that he was the bona fide candidate of the party. He also asked the court to order the INEC to include his name in its final register of candidates for the National Assembly election.

INEC had refused to recognise either Mr Lawal or Mr Machina insisting it would only recognise the candidate the court rules was the authentic candidate of the party for the district.

Earlier in the month, there was a twist in the case when a staffer of INEC filed a motion countering the commissions position.

In a document seen by this newspaper, the staffer dismissed the election that brought in Mr Machina and claimed that another primary election was conducted in the district with Mr Lawan emerging as the winner.

A civil society organisation, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), denounced the development wondering if INEC would be able to deliver credible elections in 2023.

But INEC quickly distance itself from the unnamed staffer explaining that he acted on his own

The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to a counter affidavit purportedly filed in the Federal High Court, Damaturu Judicial Division relating to the Yobe North Senatorial District primary election, the commissions spokesperson, Festus Okoye, said in a statement.

Notwithstanding the matter in Court and without prejudice to the consideration or likely outcome of the case in court, the Commission reiterates its earlier position that it stands by the report of its monitoring team and it was on the basis of that report that the Commission did not publish the name and personal particulars of any candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District, Mr Okoye said.

He also said NEC will review its quality assurance protocols, including the preview by appropriate ranking officials of all processes filed on its behalf to ascertain their correctness in all material particulars with all reports and all information at its disposal before their presentation so that a situation like this is not repeated.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has justified the burning of cocaine and other illicit drugs seized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

NDLEAs recent revelation of seizing and setting ablaze cocaine weighing 1.8 tonnes and valued at over N194 billion set off a barrage of criticisms.

The cocaine, set ablaze at the NDLEA Seme Special Area Command compound at Bereko, Badagry area of Lagos on Tuesday, was said to be the biggest singular cocaine seizure in the agencys history.

Many Nigerians condemned NDLEAs handling of the seized drugs for various reasons, including economic and evidential.

They said the government could put the high-worth illicit drugs to innovative use that could help the economy, while others said it should have been reserved for prosecuting the culprits from whom it was seized.

There were others who expressed concerns about the environment hazards of the burning.

Malami speaks

Fielding questions from State House correspondents at the end of Wednesdays Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Mr Malami said the drugs were burnt to stop them from circulating in the country.

He echoed NDLEAs explanation that a small sample of the drug was retained as evidence for prosecution.

They were burnt because we are not drug dealers, our obligation is to ensure that they are eliminated and stopped from circulating in the system.

There should be evidence and the evidence is there, accordingly profiled before being destroyed.

Even the chairman mentioned it, they retained a little to (for) us in court, but destroyed most of it and was witnessed by the people that carried it. It was also in the news that was carried, he said.

Mr Malami, whose ministry plays supervisory roles over the NDLEA, also said Nigeria could not derive economic benefit from the cocaine, or else the government would become a drug peddler.

Most of it was destroyed and I think somebody was saying why should they destroy something worth N194 billion?. But if the government were to start trading that, well become drug dealers as well.

We cannot derive an economic benefit from it, but to destroy it, because you dont want drugs circulating, Mr Malami said.

Political will to fight drug peddlers

PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier that Mr Malami disclosed how the FEC, at its Wednesdays meeting approved N580.5 million for the procurement of four armoured vehicles to fight dangerous and illicit drugs by NDLEA.

The AGF said this government has demonstrated a capacity to do things differently, not only as it relates to the fight against drug abuse.

He said the government had out-performed previous governments since 1999 in the fight against illicit drugs.

This is a government that within a period of, for example, from January 2022 to date, about N40 billion worth of drugs were confiscated, arising from the efforts of the government; the policy, the position and the political commitment demonstrated.

This is a government that, even as at last week, has succeeded, by way of establishing an unprecedented track record in having the largest seizure of cocaine of about N194 billion value, the minister said.

He said the President Muhammadu Buhari adminstration had distinguished itself from the previous administrations in terms of the funding, the policy-drive and implementation.

The clear answer is the fact that there exists a great political will in addressing the challenges being faced in all directions and in all respects, Mr Malami said.

Seizure

On 18 September, officials of the agency busted a major warehouse at Solebo Estate in the Ikorodu area of the state where over N194.8 billion worth of crack in street value were seized.

The decision to destroy the bulk of the seizure follows an order obtained by the agency from a high court in Lagos, the agencys boss, Buba Marwa, said.

Mr Marwa was represented by Sunday Mbona, the agencys director, prosecution and legal service.

Out of the 1.8-ton seizure, 1,828 blocks of cocaine were set ablaze while the remnants were secured for the purpose of prosecution of the suspects.

The five suspects linked to the cocaine were brought to the scene as witnesses and made to sign the certificate of destruction.

Mr Buba said that usually public destruction of seized illicit drugs is conducted at the end of court prosecution, however, this routine exercise is a special case.

In the meantime, the Agency is proceeding with the prosecution of those arrested in connection with this consignment, Mr Marwa said.
Gunmen have killed five soldiers in Umunze, a community in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigerias South-east.

The incident happened on Wednesday at about 12:30 p.m. beside a branch of the Zenith Bank, close to the popular Nkwo Umunze market in the area.

The gunmen were said to have opened fire on the soldiers who were in their Sienna patrol vehicle, killing five of them in the attack.

A yet-to-be-identified resident, said to have been caught by stray bullets, was also killed in the attack, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

A shop owner in the market, Comfort Mokaogwu, told PREMIUM TIMES that traders in the market closed their shops abruptly for fear of being attacked.

People were running helter-skelter. I thank God, it (the attack) did not happen close to my shop, she said.

A video clip of the slain soldiers has gone viral on social media.

In the clip, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, two bodies of the soldiers were inside their sienna vehicle  the vehicle had blood stains.

The soldiers Sienna vehicle has inscriptions, Army at the back and Army Patrol on the door side.

Another body of a soldier was seen on the ground near the vehicle. They were all in their military uniform and in the pool of blood.

Sources said two bodies of other soldiers, who were initially alive after the attack, were taken to a nearby shop by sympathetic residents.

The two soldiers, sources said, later died despite attempts by residents to resuscitate them after the attack.

Army people I just saw here now, drinking, a shocked unidentified resident was heard saying in the background of the video clip.

The body of the unidentified resident was seen lying in the middle of the road, just a few metres away from those of the slain soldiers.

Army spokesperson Onyema Nwachukwu, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking comments from him on the attack.

When contacted, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES.

He said the details of the attack were still sketchy.

Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said the commissioner of police in the state deployed some police operatives in the area on getting information about the attack.

The situation is being monitored, he said.

Increased attacks

Security has deteriorated in Nigerias South-east with frequent attacks by armed persons across the region.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

The latest incident occurred about four months after gunmen killed and then beheaded two soldiers at an unknown location in Imo State, Nigerias South-east.

On Tuesday, two persons were feared killed when gunmen attacked an army checkpoint in Amodu Awkunanaw, a community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks.

The separatist group is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which they want carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.

Leader of the secessionist group, Nnamdi Kanu, is being detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for terrorism.
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has condemned the killing of five soldiers in Umunze, a community in Orumba South Local Government Area of the state.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how some gunmen, on Wednesday, opened fire on the soldiers who were in their Sienna patrol vehicle, killing five of them in the attack.

A yet-to-be-identified resident, said to have been caught by stray bullets, was also killed in the attack.

Mr Soludo described the attack as wicked and cruel.

The perpetrators of this act must pay. Going forward, our actions will show, as these people must surely pay for this heinous and repulsive attack, the governor said in a press statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Christian Aburime.

The attack occurred less than three weeks after gunmen ambushed a Nigerian senators convoy, killing about five people, including two police officers.

The senators convoy was attacked in Enugwu-Ukwu, a community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigerias south-east.

Mr Soludo vowed that those behind the attack on the senator would be tracked down as soon as possible.

We are not going to rest on our oars, including those people that attacked Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and the rest. There will be absolutely no hiding place for them, he said.

The governor urged residents of the state to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring that security agencies were on top of the situation.

Attacks by gunmen have increased recently in the South-east.

The attacks often target security agencies and government facilities.

The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the attacks in the region. But the separatist group has repeatedly denied involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is leading an agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants to be carved out from the south-east and some parts of south-south Nigeria.

The leader of the separatist group, Nnamdi Kanu, is being detained in Abuja where he is facing terrorism charges.
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said it had received two trains  TALGO SERIES 8  for the Red Line Rail System.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, made this known in a statement in Ikeja.

He said the arrival of the trains was another major milestone in the determination to deliver the operation of the Red Line Rail System by the first quarter of 2023.

The 2 Nos. Ten and Eleven Car trains which were bought from Milwaukee are here, he said, explaining that it was necessary to decouple the train into 21 individual cars for effective transportation to Lagos.

He said the trains would be recoupled with the help of rolling stock engineers from Talgo, the company that manufactured them in the United States of America.

The engineers will also take the opportunity to train our local engineers whilst they are here to equip our young people with the requisite skills.

Once the recoupling is complete, the testing and commissioning will commence, followed by full passenger operations in the first quarter of 2023.

Each train can carry 1500 passengers and is expected to run on the Red Line Rail from Agbado to Oyingbo, with the journey taking less than 30 minutes, the Commissioner said.

(NAN)
The federal government on Tuesday reiterated that it had concluded plans to begin the remediation of hydrocarbon contaminated shoreline covering about 2,196 intertidal in Ogoniland, Rivers State.

Ferdinand Giadom, Project Coordinator of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) under the Federal Ministry of Environment, announced this at a sensitisation workshop in Gokana.

Mr Giadom said the remediation of the 2,196 hectare shoreline was the largest shoreline clean-up embarked upon in the world.

According to him, the clean-up will create thousands of job opportunities and enhance the livelihoods of Ogoni youths and their dependents.

So, in preparation for the take-off of the shoreline intertidal remediation, we have assessed a total area of 2,196 hectares and allotted it into 549 grids of 200m by 200m per grid.

The total assessed coastal lines are in B-Dere, K-Dere, Kpor and Goi communities in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

These communities will host a pilot of the shoreline remediation, and from there we will progress to the rest of the coastal communities where there is pollution, he said.

Mr Giadom said the clean-up of the Ogoni communities was at a stage where the people would see the progress made so far.

He said only certified workers would take part in the shoreline remediation project.

So, we will be transparent and principled in choosing the workforce by adopting the Bodo remediation model of open balloting to select workers.

Sixty per cent of the workforce will come through balloting while the remaining 40 per cent will be supplied by the community leadership.

Those chosen shall be trained and certified in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Levels 1 and 2, while their supervisors will have IMO Level 3 certification, he said.

Mr Giadom said issuance of IMO certification was a deliberate effort to empower Ogoni youths with requisite certification, to make them eligible to work on similar projects anywhere in the world.

The project coordinator said the exercise would commence as soon as the agency concluded with its contract processes and mobilisation of contractors to site.

To this end, remediation work in the swamp shall include removal of oily soaked debris and stumps; ranking of alga mat, removal of nipa palms and flushing of sediment.

Others are recovery of waste crude to treatment centres and the re-vegetation of mangrove which in itself will create jobs for those who will nurse mangrove seedlings, he added.

(NAN)
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, says his party will not go into alliance with Peter Obi of the Labour Party because he is considered to be a member of the old order.

Mr Kachikwu stated this on Tuesday while appearing on Politics Today, a political Programme on Channels TV.

He stated that he considers Mr Obi to be a member of the old generation like the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu.

According to the presidential candidate, anyone that has held offices in the past is considered a member of the old guard.

Mr Obi served as the governor for Anambra State for eight years, and he is popular among the youth on social media.

Mr Kachikwu also dismissed all polls that have put the LP candidate ahead in the race, describing them as cooked.

There is no difference between a Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and Asiwaju; they are part of the old order. They are people who held officesthey are all the same. They have absolutely nothing to offer. There is no reason why we should come together for the purpose of power.

I believe that there are genuine Nigerians out there supporting Obi and there is an Obi Movement. Eight years ago, there was a movement for President Muhammadu Buhari by the same Nigerians.

When people want change, anything that seems like change  until it dawns on them that they were probably scammed. I dont think there is any difference between what happened then and what is happening now.

Mr Kachikwu, who was recently suspended by the National Working Committee of his party, said there is an ongoing conversation between his party, African Action Congress (AAC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on possible collaboration on sharing of resources.

He stated that the collaboration does not involve alignment at the poll.

Working together? It is possible because SDP, (Omoyele) Sowore (of AAC)  there are background conversations happening to see how we can cooperate, that we are able to share resources. No conversation about cooperating at the polls, he said.

The presidential campaign officially commenced today (28 September) as provided in the timetable and schedule of activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja charged the National Council on Climate Change to formulate appropriate policies toward achieving green growth and sustainable economic development for Nigeria.

Inaugurating the Council before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting, the President said it marked the commencement of the implementation of the Climate Change Act 2021 and a new chapter in the renewed response to climate change in the country.

The President also directed the Attorney General and Minister of Justice in conjunction with the Minister of Environment to initiate appropriate amendments of noticeable implementation challenges inherent in the Act.

Highlighting the losses and damages caused by the recent increasing floods in several parts of the country as well in Pakistan, Bangladesh and other parts of East and Southern Africa, the President described climate change as one of the biggest challenges facing humanity.

It [Climate Change] is complex and dynamic; and requires multidimensional and multi-sectoral initiatives to address its impacts and avert its rapid advance.

Updated data show increases in sea level rise, heat waves, wildfires, floods, desertification, drying wetlands and many more disruptive climate occurrences.

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on climate change report warns that rising Green House Gas emissions could soon outstrip the ability of communities to adapt, and the window for taking decisive steps needed to spare our planet from the gravest impacts of climate change is rapidly narrowing.

We cannot ignore what is happening in our local environment. The increasing re-occurrence of floods in several parts of the country is a wakeup call, he said, lamenting the loss of lives, damage and destruction of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and agricultural production.

President Buhari, therefore, reiterated the determination of his administration to strengthen national response to climate change and accelerate the implementation of decisive actions to reduce its impacts on the people and economy.

He reaffirmed that Nigeria is a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is an established international treaty to combat dangerous human interference with the climate system, in part by stabilizing Green House Gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

It is against this background that in November 2021, after COP 26 in Glasgow, I signed the Nigeria Climate Change Act despite noticeable implementation challenges inherent in the Act, to set the framework for mainstreaming climate change action, carbon budgeting and the establishment of the National Council on Climate Change.

The council is tasked with the responsibility of formulating appropriate policies and other mechanisms for achieving low Green House Gas emissions, including green growth and sustainable economic development for Nigeria.

In a clear demonstration of our commitments as enshrined in our Nationally Determined Contributions and the Net Zero-Target by 2060, I also approved, on 25th July 2022, the appointment of the Director General and Secretary for the National Council on Climate Change.

It is imperative therefore that those lapses earlier alluded to  which include the establishment of states and Zonal offices creating a huge and costly bureaucracy is not acceptable. The Act also takes out the Commissioners of Environments from the states as members of Council, it also did not make transitional provisions capturing the work of the Inter-ministerial Working Group.

This group was responsible for Energy Transition, the supervisory oversight of the Ministry of Environment and the establishment of an Executive Management structure at the secretariat level to support the DG in running the Council Secretariat.

Accordingly, I hereby direct the Attorney General and Minister of Justice in conjunction with the Minister of Environment to initiate the appropriate amendment to reflect these observations.

Ahead of COP27 in Sharm El Shiekh, Egypt, the President expressed optimism that the National Council on Climate Change would harmonise all issues relating to Climate Change, Energy Transition Plan, Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Trading Framework, in line with its mandate under the Act, so that Nigeria can have a robust and impactful outing that captures Nigerias Climate Change priorities.

He said the composition of the council is a reflection of the magnitude of the problem and the seriousness of our response, adding that it comprises the highest level of governance and a representation of all key sectors of the economy.

President Buhari also used the occasion to thank Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for heading Nigerias Energy Transition Plan, presiding over the global launch of the plan and initiating its marketing by engaging key stakeholders in the United States.

He urged the Council to consolidate on these first steps and ensure sustained marketing of the plan.

Mohammed Abdullahi, the Minister of Environment, thanked the President for walking the talk on climate change at the international, regional and national level, demonstrating immense leadership towards Nigerias quest for net-zero by 2060.

The Council is chaired by the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, with the Vice President as Vice Chairman. The Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, is also a member.

Other members of the Council are the Ministers responsible for Environment; Petroleum Resources; Budget and National Planning; Justice; Mines and Steel Development; Finance; Agriculture and Rural Development; Power; Women Affairs; Transportation; and Water Resources.

The Governor of Central Bank; the National Security Adviser; President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria; a representative of the private sector on climate change or environment-related matters (representative of National Conservation Foundation); a representative of the National Council on Women Societies; a representative of National Youth Congress, and a representative of the Civil Society Organisation are also members of the Council

The Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change, Salisu Dahiru, will serve as Secretary.

After the inauguration, the Federal Executive Council observed a minute silence in honour of Ayodele Ogunlade, a former minister of National Planning, under former Head of State, Sani Abacha, who died on Tuesday aged 88.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said he would help the Igbos produce a Nigerian president if he wins the 2023 election.

Mr Atiku made the pledge during the meeting of the South-east leaders of the PDP in Enugu State on Tuesday.

He said his love for Ndigbo was so great that in the 2011, 2019 elections he chose Igbo men as his running mates.

Mr Atiku added he had chosen another Igbo man in Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, as his running mate for the 2023 election.

So, why do you say I will not give Igbos a fair chance to lead the country after my tenure as president?

I did that in 2019 when I brought Obi and another Obi in 2011, and for 2023 I chose Ifeanyi Okowa, another Igbo man, as my running mate, even when Ohanaeze said no Igbo should contest for presidency under PDP.

My brothers and sisters, I dont address you anymore as ladies and gentlemen, but brothers and sisters, it is clear that you cannot fall my love for Igbo nation, Mr Atiku said.

The PDP candidate said he had supported people from the South-west, the North-west and the South-east to be president at different times.

He said there was the need to make the country attractive so that the citizens could stay and contribute their quota to its development.

Mr Atiku said if elected, his administration would provide quality education that would equip the youths with the required skills and competences for a modern economy.

The PDP presidential candidate also promised that he would provide quality healthcare system for Nigerians if elected.

(NAN)
Again, the trial of murder and rape suspect, Andrew Ominikoron, at a High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, was stalled on Wednesday following the absence of his lawyer.

Abayomi Omotubora, arrived after the judge, Sherifat Sonaike, adjourned the hearing to Thursday due to his absence.

Mr Ominikoron is accused of raping and murdering a 22-year-old fashion designer, Bamise Ayanwola, in February inside a BRT bus.

He is also accused of raping another passenger, Maryjane Odezelu, on 25 November last year.

On Wednesday, the court adjourned the trial till 29 September.

Continuous Absence

Mr Omotubora was absent from the court hearing for the fifth time since the start of the trial.

The court had adjourned the trial till 28 September following his absence on July 7 and advised the defendant to take another lawyer.

Again, on 7 and 9 June 7, he was absent. On 30th June, he was absent but sent a representative.

Reasons

Mr Omotubora told PREMIUM TIMES that the hearing could not be held because he arrived late.

He added that he came from Ikorodu.

Concerning his repeated absence, the lawyer said that he has other matters. This is not the only matter, I have to appear for other matters too.

The familys lawyer, Ayo Ademiluyi, said that it is unfortunate that the defendants lawyer failed to appear in court.
The Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, of causing division among Christians.

The chairman of NOSCEF, Oyinehi Inalegwu, made the allegation on Tuesday in a statement issued in Kaduna.

Mr Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, a former governor of Borno State, are both Muslims from the South-west and North-east zones respectively.

Other Christian groups such as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) have rejected the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the APC.

Mr Tinubu recently met with some Christian clerics under the aegis of Pentecostal Bishops Forum of Northern Nigeria led by John Praise, the presiding bishop of Dominion Chapel International Church, Abuja.

The APC presidential candidate told the clerics at the meeting held in Abuja that he was one of the best friends of the Christian community in Nigeria.

But NOSCEF said it is concerned that the APC has resorted to clandestine ways of causing division in the body of Christ by recruiting unknown groups within the Christian community to counter the position of CAN and its organs on the same faith ticket.

NOSCEF is concerned that apart from the failure of the desire of the architects of the single faith ticket to cause serious divisions in the forthcoming elections, APC has resorted to clandestine ways of causing division in the body of Christ by recruiting hitherto unknown bodies in the Body of Christ to counter decisions taken by the umbrella body, CAN and its various organs.

We warn APC to stop using monetary incentives to recruit and cause divisions amongst the Christians, especially in the North, NOSCEF said.

The group recalled that in 2011, Mr Tinubu sought Muslim-Muslim ticket with Atiku Abubakar but was rejected and that in 2015, he also sought a Muslim-Muslim ticket with President Muhammadu Buhari and it was again rejected.

NOSCEF said before the commencement of the primaries, it again warned presidential aspirants against the one faith ticket in the country begging for unity, inclusiveness, fairness, and justice.

The Christian elders expressed disapproval of the actions of the APC to recruit strange Christian groups to endorse them because of its desperate efforts to succeed in the election.

We frown at the publicity they use to their advantage, to make public ridicule of Christian bodies, particularly in the North, for the purpose of causing disaffection, just to win the election.

We all know as Christians, Muslims, and people of other faiths that unity, fairness, justice, and inclusiveness will engender national progress, rather than the war of divisive religious political game, intended through the instrumentation of the same faith ticket, the group said.

Presidential and National Assembly candidates are to commence campaigns for the 2023 elections today (28 September) in line with INECs timetable and schedule of activities.
Authorities on Tuesday reported a leak in the Nord Stream one and two gas pipelines running from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea.

A video from Denmarks armed forces on Tuesday showed bubbles rushing to the surface of the Baltic Sea where the pipes run through. The leak was described as the largest gas leak and had caused surface disturbances of over one kilometre in diameter.

Russia had cut off gas supplies through Nord Stream one largely in response to economic sanctions imposed on it for attacking Ukraine. The war in Ukraine also put the offtake for Nord Stream two on hold.

This has led to an energy crisis in Europe leading to an increase in gas prices and a search for a replacement.

The leaks occurred just before the inauguration of the long-awaited Baltic pipeline that will bring Norwegian gas to Poland in efforts to wean Europe off Russia.

An investigation into the leakage has commenced as European countries suspect sabotage.

Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the leaks were caused by sabotage, while his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen said it was hard to imagine they were a coincidence.

Today we faced an act of sabotage, we dont know all the details of what happened, but we see clearly that its an act of sabotage, related to the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine, Al Jazeera quoted Mr Morawiecki as saying.

Similarly, EUs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in a tweet said the damage is not a coincidence and affects us all.

All available information indicates leaks are the result of a deliberate act. Deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response, he said.

For NATOs chief, Jen Stoltenberg, the leaks are a sabotage.

Discussed the sabotage on the #NorthStream pipelines with Defence Minister

@mfMorten of our valued Ally #Denmark. We addressed the protection of critical infrastructure in #NATO countries, he tweeted.

After the leaks were reported, Ukraine accused Russia of damaging the pipeline, saying the alleged actions amount to nothing more than a terrorist attack, Al Jazeera reported.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday, when asked about sabotage: No option can be ruled out right now. He called for an investigation.

On Wednesday, Mr Peskov dismissed suggestions that Russia was responsible for attacking the gas pipeline. He said such an accusation was quite predictable and also predictably stupid.

Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable & will lead to the strongest possible response, EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said.

According to the Danish Energy Authority, gas leaking from the damaged Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea will continue for several days and perhaps even a week.

It added that vessels could sink if they entered the area, and there might be a risk of leaked gas igniting over the water and in the air, but there were no risks associated with the leak outside the exclusion zone.

The leak would only affect the environment in the area in which the gas plume in the water column is located, and the escape of the greenhouse gas methane would have a damaging impact on the climate.

Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.
RTHK: Hurricane Ian sows destruction in Cuba

Powerful Hurricane Ian left a trail of destruction and caused a widespread blackout in Cuba on Tuesday, while Florida braced for a direct hit from the "extremely dangerous" storm that is already pummeling the US state with high winds.

Ian hit Cuba's western regions for more than five hours early Tuesday morning, before moving out over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Insmet meteorological institute said.

The storm damaged Cuba's power network and plunged the island into darkness, leaving it "without electrical service," state electricity company Union Electrica said on Twitter.

In the western city of Pinar del Rio, videos showed downed power lines, flooded streets and a scattering of damaged rooftops.

"Desolation and destruction. These are terrifying hours. Nothing is left here," a 70-year-old resident of the city was quoted as saying in a social media post by his journalist son, Lazaro Manuel Alonso.

About 40,000 people were evacuated across Pinar del Rio province, which bore the brunt of the storm, local authorities said.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said it expects Ian to gain strength before hitting the west coast of Florida as an "extremely dangerous" major hurricane.

Calls to heed evacuation warnings were echoed from local Florida officials on up to US President Joe Biden, who said Ian "could be a very severe hurricane, life threatening and devastating in its impact".

In its latest bulletin, the NHC said to be prepared for "life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flooding" in the Florida peninsula.

The Caribbean and parts of eastern Canada are still counting the cost of powerful storm Fiona, which tore through last week, claiming several lives.

Half a million residents in the US territory of Puerto Rico were still without power, according to a tracking website. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chinese language week starts in New Zealand to promote Chinese language learning

Xinhua) 11:15, September 28, 2022

A student learns Chinese calligraphy as a Chinese instructor helps at a community library in Wellington, New Zealand, Sept. 27, 2022. The opening reception of New Zealand Chinese Language Week 2022 was held on Monday evening at the Grand Hall of Parliament Buildings in Wellington. During this week, New Zealand will host a series of traditional Chinese cultural activities. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The opening reception of New Zealand Chinese Language Week 2022 was held on Monday evening at the Grand Hall of Parliament Buildings in Wellington.

During this week, New Zealand will host a series of traditional Chinese cultural activities.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern extended her congratulations to the event in a video speech starting with greetings in Chinese.

"Since 2014, New Zealand Chinese language week has helped promote and encourage Chinese language learning here in New Zealand," she said.

Ardern encouraged more New Zealanders to learn the Chinese language. "Our country is home to more than 240,000 Chinese New Zealanders who all play a significant role in contributing to our diverse culture. Communicating with someone in their language let you see things from a different perspective. So even if it is as simple as learning a new greeting, I encourage you to give Chinese a go this week."

Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong said that the rising popularity of the Chinese language in the wider New Zealand society is a reflection of the ever closer relations between the two countries.

"This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations," Wang said, noting that over the past 50 years, both sides have been open and inclusive enough to appreciate and learn from each other, in that process promoting practical cooperation for mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.

"From what we have seen today eight years after its inauguration, New Zealand Chinese Language Week has grown into a signature brand of the multi-layered and multi-faceted people-to-people links between our two countries, which have underpinned the growth of our overall friendship, culminating in the evolving comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries," Wang said.

Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Adrian Rurawhe, Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities Priyanca Radhakrishnan and Ambassador Wang presented the 2022 Youth Ambassadors and Mandarin Superstars with honorary certificates together.

The New Zealand Chinese Language Week was first held in 2014. It is another language week held in New Zealand after the Maori Language Week and the Pacific Island Language Week.

Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows a scene of a Chinese calligraphy experience activity at a community library in Wellington, New Zealand. The opening reception of New Zealand Chinese Language Week 2022 was held on Monday evening at the Grand Hall of Parliament Buildings in Wellington. During this week, New Zealand will host a series of traditional Chinese cultural activities. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)

A student practices Chinese calligraphy at a community library in Wellington, New Zealand, Sept. 27, 2022. The opening reception of New Zealand Chinese Language Week 2022 was held on Monday evening at the Grand Hall of Parliament Buildings in Wellington. During this week, New Zealand will host a series of traditional Chinese cultural activities. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)

A woman displays her Chinese name in Chinese calligraphy at a community library in Wellington, New Zealand, Sept. 27, 2022. The opening reception of New Zealand Chinese Language Week 2022 was held on Monday evening at the Grand Hall of Parliament Buildings in Wellington. During this week, New Zealand will host a series of traditional Chinese cultural activities. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
The Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja, has cleared three staff members of AIICO Capital Limited, a subsidiary of American International Insurance Company (AIICO) Plc, of stealing and dishonestly converting the firms N1.7 billion.

The acquitted defendants are Onome Odometa, Olajumoke Akano and Olabode Ogunlere.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused them of conniving with a former Managing Director of the firm, Lanre Fabunmi, of converting the money under the guise of payment of sales commission.

The judge, Oluwatoyin Taiwo, absolved them of all the 22 count charges.

She delivered the ruling on 19 September on the no-case submission filed by the three defendants, saying the prosecution led by Rotimi Jacobs, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, failed to provide concrete evidence against the defendants.

Mrs Taiwo, in the certified true copy of the ruling seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, ruled that there was no concrete evidence of connivance between the defendants and the former Managing Director of the company, Mr Fabunmi

The myriad of evidence to prove the payment of sales commission also reveals that the defendants in any capacity did not approve the payments to themselves.

In fact, according to PW2, before any payment is made, it must go through internal control, client services and then the Managing Director approves.

None of the defendants have been shown to be part of Internal Control or hatching a plan to steal from the company with erstwhile Managing Director.

Simply believing the evidence of the prosecution that they got huge sums as sales commission means they connived with the erstwhile Managing Director would be speculation on the part of the court.

A lack of concrete evidence creates doubt in the mind of the court, she said.

Charges

The prosecution accused them of offences including dishonest conversion of funds which they claimed to be sales commission.

They were also charged with the conversion of funds to purchase properties to disguise the illegal origin of the said funds.

The EFCC also accused them of conspiracy to steal by converting funds belonging to AIICO Capital Limited.

The offences were said to be punishable under section 287(8), 332(3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

EFCC opened the prosecutions case on 22 November and closed it with eight witnesses and a cache of documentary evidence.

No-case submissions

After the close of the prosecutions case, the defendants through their counsel, Tayo Oyetibo, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, and Muiz Banire, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), filed their respective no-case submissions.

They argued that the case of the prosecution did not link them to the alleged crimes.

They urged the court to consider the evidence of a prosecution witness, Bukola Oluwadiya, a director of the company, to see that the defendants never stole or converted money belonging to the company, but were entitled to the sales commission.

They said none of the prosecution witnesses testified as to the rule prohibiting payment of sales commission to staff.

They urged the court to dismiss the charges as there was no need to call on them to enter any defence.

No conspiracy

The judge, agreeing with the defence lawyers arguments, held that the EFCCs case presupposed that the defendants conspired with the former managing director of the company to divert the funds without providing evidence.

The court said an EFCC investigator, Nuru Alibaku, who testified as PW8, said, during cross-examination, that he never came across any document showing that the defendants and former managing director, Mr Fabunmi, met and carried out any illegal activity.

The court held that no such conspiracy was proved either by direct or circumstantial evidence.

The prosecution is expected to prove that indeed there was some meeting of minds between the defendants and the erstwhile MD Lanre Fabunmi to commit the offence.

However, no such agreement was proved either by direct or circumstantial evidence.

PW8 as the investigator under cross-examination said he never came across any document showing that the defendants and Lanre Fabunmi met to carry out any illegal activity.

The myriad of evidence to prove the payment of sales commission also reveals that the defendants in any capacity did not approve the payments to themselves.

In fact, according to PW2, before any payment is made, it must go through internal control, client services and then the Managing Director approves, the judge ruled.

He concluded the ruling, saying the case of the prosecution is riddled with speculations, half-truths and insufficient evidence to support the amended information.

Consequently, having failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants, the no-case submission made by the defendants is hereby upheld. The defendants are hereby discharged and acquitted, the court ruled.
A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Olu Falae, has distanced himself from Afeniferes endorsement of the Labour Partys presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Mr Falaes position is coming a day after the Afenifere leader, Ayo Adebanjo, announced the pan-Yoruba groups support of Mr Obi.

Mr Adebanjo had explained that Afenifere was backing Mr Obi for reasons of equity and inclusiveness.

He said the other geopolitical zones had produced leaders of the country, saying it was only fair that the next president should emerge from the South-east.

We cannot continue to demand that the Igbo people remain in Nigeria, while we at the same time continue to brutally marginalize and exclude them from the power dynamic, Mr Adebanjo had stated.

Automatic slot

But Mr Falae disagreed with the endorsement, saying it was still too early to pick a candidate when a proper assessment had not been done.

In a statement on Tuesday signed by his Personal Assistant, Raji Moshood, Mr Falae said it was too early to endorse any candidate without going through the programmes he had for the masses.

The elder statesman said he has to consider all important parameters, including capacity, experience and proven track record before endorsing a candidate, the statement said.

Falae admitted that the South East had not had the opportunity of being Nigerias President, stressing that its not an automatic slot that can be filled without other important considerations.

As a responsible leader, Chief Falae will consider all important parameters, including capacity, experience and proven track record before endorsing a candidate.

This correction is necessary in order not to mislead the public that Chief Falae is supporting any of the candidates yet.

It is necessary to await the programmes and manifestos of the political parties and their candidates before arriving at a particular candidate to support.

Mr Falae agreed that although the South-east region had not had the opportunity of being Nigerias president, it was for them to persuade other Nigerians that they could offer something better than candidates from other geopolitical zones.

Its not an automatic slot that can be filled without other important considerations. Chief Falae never canvassed or claimed to be supporting Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party for the 2023 race, the statement added.
The House of Representatives was forced to adjourn plenary on Tuesday following a power outage in the chamber.

The lawmakers were in the middle of a session when power bulbs in the hall started blinking thereby affecting the sound system.

Following the outage, the lawmakers were in total darkness but managed to rush through the passage of a bill.

The lawmakers were forced to adjourn the plenary till Wednesday after rushing to consider the Security Service Welfare Infrastructure Development Commission sponsored by the Chairman House Committee on Army, Abdulrasak Namdas (APC, Adamawa).

The commission being proposed by the bill will have powers to bridge the infrastructure gap within the security forces.

In the synopsis of the bill, Mr Namdas stated that the existing arrangement under the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA) and Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) cater for senior officers wives, leaving junior officers wives vulnerable after retirement.

The lawmakers could not debate the bill due to the power outage.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, referred the bill to the Committee on Defence.

Other matters on the Order Paper were stepped down due to the outage.

A bill for an Act to amend the National Youth Service Corps Act to review upward the accommodation and transport allowances of corps members in line with current realities was stepped down.

Another item stepped down by the House is a bill for an Act to amend the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency Act.

Also, there was a motion to address the effect of rain disaster in the Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State and another one to curb the incessant and unruly behaviour of touts operating on major highways in Nigeria.

Power outage is becoming a frequent occurrence at the National Assembly Complex though it seldom lasts for a long time.
A bill that seeks to remove the governor of Nigerias apex bank, CBN, as chairman of its board, has scaled second reading at the Senate.

The bill, sponsored by Sadiq Suleiman Umar (APC, Kwara North), seeks to amend the CBN Act to enable the appointment of a person other than the Governor as the chairman of its board.

The bill would also divest the board of the powers of determining and fixing salaries and allowances of its members and considering and approving the banks annual budget of the bank.

The CBN Act No. 7 of 2007 currently allows any incumbent governor of the bank to also serve as chairman of its board.

The passage of the bill was a sequel to a debate on the provisions of the legislation and attempts by some senators to kill the bill.

The proposed bill comes months after political parties held presidential primaries and elected presidential candidates.

Before the primaries in May and June, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, was branded as an aspirant for the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)  an aspiration he did not deny.

The bill

Leading the debate, Mr Umar said the bill proposes that the new chairman of the board of the Central Bank will have powers to determine salaries and allowances of members, as the governor focuses strictly on administrative duties in the running of the apex bank.

The board, he explained, would be responsible for the annual budget of the bankers bank which he said is the global standard.

It seeks to divest the governor of CBN, chairmanship of the Board as obtainable in other countries of the world, he explained. A different person with requisite qualification and required knowledge on monetary and financial policies should be made Chairman of the Board.

He said separation of the two positions will enable any sitting CBN Governor to focus more on fiscal and monetary policies than the politics of the institution.

Deliberations

In her contribution, Betty Apiafi (PDP Rivers) suggested a holistic amendment of the CBN Act as she recalled how the current CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, attempted to contest for the presidency while in office during the 2022 presidential primary election  an act, she said would not happen anywhere in the world particularly because election materials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) materials are usually kept in the bank.

Having attempted to contest for the presidency, Mr Emefiele made many Nigerians lose confidence in the bank not to temper with sensitive election materials, she said.

At this point, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who presided over plenary, cautioned colleagues against linking the bill and the debate to Mr Emefieles presidential bid.

It has nothing to do with what were discussing here.

Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South), James Manager (PDP, Delta South), Orji Kalu (APC, Abia North) and the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, opposed the bill.

They argued that more work needed to be done.

Mr Omo-Agege particularly said the attention of the chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Uba Sani, was required. Mr Sani was absent at the time.

For a little while, there were arguments about whether to step down the bill or put it to a voice vote. While some senators wanted the bill passed, others opposed it.

Mr Lawan , however, put the bill to a voice vote for second reading and the majority voted in favour of the bill.

The legislation was referred to the banking committee for further legislative work and it will report back to the Senate in four weeks.
Gunmen attacked a police station in Iganna community, Iwajowa local government area of Oyo State, Tuesday night leaving two persons, including a police officer, dead.

There is no known motive yet for the attack and locals say there is tension in the community and environs.

A resident who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said some residents are considering temporary relocation from the community.

The gunshots were too much, I was too afraid to know what was going on and before we know it they have killed two persons already including a police officer, said the resident who identified himself simply as Labiran.

This crisis has nothing to do with herdsmen because those who claimed to have seen them said they are not looking like northerners.

Adewale Osifeso, the police spokesperson in the state, confirmed the attack.

He said the police have launched an investigation to unravel the reason behind the attack as well as arrest the attackers.

Updates would be provided accordingly in due time, he added.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N580.5 million for the procurement of four armoured vehicles to fight dangerous and illicit drugs by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, made this known to State House correspondents at the end of the councils meeting which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday.

Today, a memo was presented by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, that is the Federal Ministry of Justice, which was relating to a parastatal under the supervision of the office of the Attorney General; the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The purpose of the memo was to seek approval of the council for the award of contract for the supply of four customised armoured security vehicles of 14 seater model for the NDLEA.

The contract sum is N580, 500, 000 only inclusive of 7.5 per cent value added tax with a delivery period of 16 weeks, he said.

The minister said the decision to procure the armoured vehicles was taken to encourage and safeguard the lives of NDLEA personnel who have been working very hard with impressive results being recorded.

It is common knowledge that of recent the NDLEA has been repositioned and arising from the support both in terms of our capacity building, hardware and associated things.

They have been recording an extra-ordinary or unprecedented success. Recently they seized about 1.8 tons of cocaine having a market value of about N194 billion.

So, with all these successes recorded, it is only logical that the criminals and their syndicate are now devising means inclusive of attacks on NDLEA personnel.

It is with that in mind that the memo was presented for the procurement of such vehicles for the NDLEA and the council approved, he said.

According to him, between January and July 2022 the NDLEA arrested 18,940 suspects with 2,904 convictions recorded.

(NAN)
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N27 billion for the rehabilitation of a 27km road linking Ondo and Edo states.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, revealed this to State House correspondents at the end of the Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said: The Minister of Works and Housing presented a memo for the approval of the award of contract for the rehabilitation of the Iduani-Otuwo road which links Ondo and Edo States.

The contract is for the sum of N27, 233, 577, 000 billion and it has a completion period of 27 months.

Also addressing the correspondents on the outcome of the FEC meeting, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, disclosed that the council gave approval for the second phase of the National Sugar Master Plan, which started in 2012.

He said the council approved the commencement of the 2nd phase from 2023-2033 for another period of ten years.

In 2012, the 1st phase of the sugar master plan was approved, lasting for 10 years until 2022.

Today the council approved the extension from 2023-2033 and the whole idea is for the development of the sugar industry, aimed at self-sufficiency in sugar production, he stated.

According to Mr Adebayo, the plan has several policy measures and fiscal incentives to stimulate demand and attract private sector investment in the sugar industry.

He added that four major investors participated in the 1st phase of the plan, creating 15, 000 jobs in the process with about 200 hectares of land acquired by them for the production of sugarcane to boost local production of sugar.

On his part, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, also told the correspondents that the council approved the building of a retaining wall for a salt project in Ebonyi State.

According to the minister, the wall is to help protect the washing away of the salt, which occurs naturally.

He said the salt if fully tapped, could save the country millions of dollars from importation of the commodity.

The minister added that the commodity could also be exported to earn more revenue for the country.

ALSO READ: FEC approves N718m to safeguard Abuja Light Rail against criminals

We came to council for an approval because there is an intervention; direct intervention by the president for a salt project in Ebonyi State.

We import our salt from abroad spending annually in the region of about 88 million dollars.

Now by this project, it will mitigate that. It will not satisfy local demand but at least meet some of the local demand and save us the foreign exchange.

The salt is in Ebonyi State but it cannot be mined without this infrastructure that we are about to build.

We are building a retaining wall because water comes in and washes the salt away every time.

These are salt lakes that occur naturally. After the environmental impact assessment was done, the report suggested that we should build a retaining wall, he said.

Mr Adegbite added that the proposed wall would be 27 kilometres long and about 2.9 meters high and would be funded directly from the presidency, adding that the project would be achieved in six months.

(NAN)
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, has warned members of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) not to carry out campaigns for the 2023 general elections from Abuja.

Mr Udom, who is the chairman of the Council, gave the warning during his acceptance speech at the PCCs inauguration on Wednesday.

The inauguration was held to mark the start of campaign activities for the party.

Charging members of the Council, the governor said they have the seriousness that is required to do everything and win the elections.

He said the party also has the unity that is required and that it is the duty of the council to carry to the grassroots, the message on how to rescue and restore the hope of Nigerians.

We are campaigning to win, he said. We must all work. No sitting in Abuja. Everybody will have to go back to carry the message home and make sure you win election for your unit, your ward, your constituency, not by sitting in Abuja. PDP is not an Abuja party.

On his part, the partys vice-presidential candidate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, said the party is ready for campaign and for victory.

He also assured that the PDP will record victory in the South-east  an assurance he got from the warm reception he got in Enugu on Tuesday.

He said he received the same reception in Kano which makes him hopeful that the PDP will win in the North-west as well.

While he urged members of the council to be truthful and diligent in their work as campaigns begin, he assured Nigerians that the PDP will heal the land.

Plans for Nigeria

In his speech, the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said the Muhammadu Buhari-led government has failed at the very essence of what makes a government  security of lives and property of its citizens.

The economy, he said, is in shambles, growth stagnated, the educational system is comatose and the people face massive existential challenges daily.

But all hope is not lost, he said. We have a plan to address these issues and to arrest the drift of our nation. 

He listed the plans as

 To restore Nigerias unity through equity, social justice, mutual collaboration, and consensus among the diverse peoples.

 To build a strong and effective democratic government where the safety and security of the people and their property is the primary and singularly most important responsibility.

 To establish a strong, resilient, inclusive and prosperous economy that generates opportunity, jobs and wealth while lifting the poor out of poverty.

 To encourage the adoption of a true federal system that provides where all the federating units are equal, and has a fair and representative federal government that secures the borders, defends the people and ensures national unity, whilst allowing the federating units to develop and grow in line priorities which they have set on their own.

 To redevelop, invest in, and strengthen the education system in order to provide its recipients with the education and skills needed to compete in the new global order driven by innovation, science, and technology, as well as to live healthy, productive, and meaningful lives.

While he charged members of the council to put in the work, he also urged Nigerians to align with the party for a better result and a better Nigeria.

The PDP is expected to commence campaign rallies across the country after the councils strategic meeting on Thursday.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the party plans to commence a campaign rally at Makurdi, the Benue State capital, which is also the home of the partys embattled national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
The police Oyo have launched a full scale investigation into the attack on its Divisional Police Headquarters at Igangan in Iwajowa Local Government Area of the State.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that two persons including a police officer were killed in the attack on Tuesday night.

The command vowed to make examples of the masterminds of the unfortunate incident, adding that an arrest had already been made.

This was contained in a statement by the commands spokesperson, Adewale Osifeso, on Wednesday.

It will be recalled that, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, last month condemned attacks on policemen.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the IGP ordered the police commands across the country to commence prosecution of individuals who assault its personnel.

Mr Osifeso explained that officers attached to the Iganna Divisional Police Headquarters were attacked unprovoked by the hoodlums on Tuesday.

Narrating the incident, he said, Preliminary investigation revealed that in compliance to the stop and search directives on unregistered motorcycles and overcrowded pillions to reduce the spate of robberies and abductions in the axis, operatives of the Command attached to Iganna Divisional Police Headquarters while on legitimate duties along Elejoka-Igangan road, Iwajowa LGA, were attacked by hoodlums who were clearly opposed not only to the directive but as well the relative tranquility in the axis.

In furtherance of the above, and in a bid to drive home their point, the officers were attacked unprovoked by the assailants thus leading to the death of the Divisional Crime Officer and a civilian in custody in the process of repelling the hoodlums from invading the Divisional Police Headquarters at Iganna after forcing themselves into the town.

The police spokesperson further said the Divisional Police officer and a Police Inspector whose names were not mentioned, sustained several lacerations from machete cuts and are currently being stabilized at a government medical hospital.

He added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Williams, had condemned the act and as well ordered the assistant commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to lead the investigation of the matter.
Global oil giant, Royal Dutch Shell, has acquired Nigerian solar energy provider, Daystar Power, as part of efforts to cut its greenhouse gas emission and focus on renewables.

Daystar announced in a statement Wednesday that the takeover awaits regulatory approval and will enable Shell renewable solutions business to deliver carbon emission reductions and power cost savings to commercial and industrial businesses across Africa.

The company however declined to disclose the value of the deal.

The Chief Executive Officer of Daystar, Jasper Graf von Hardenberg, said his company needed to raise more money to meet growing demand but opted to sell to Shell due to the companys strong balance sheet and long history in Africa.

He added that Shells acquisition will help Daystar increase its installed solar capacity to 400mw by 2025 from 32mw and also expand services beyond Nigeria to East and Southern Africa where it is seeing increasing demand from South Africa. As part of Shell, we will be able to execute our mission even faster, he said.

Headquartered in Lagos, Daystar provides off-grid power to commercial and industrial clients across West Africa. With networks in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo, the company offers solar and hybrid power solutions with battery storage.

Shell on its part maintains significant visibility in Africa, with interests in Algeria, Mauritania, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, South Africa and Tunisia. The companys share of production, onshore and offshore, in Nigeria was 266 thousand boe/d in 2019, compared with 255 thousand boe/d in 2018. It says that security issues, sabotage and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta remained significant challenges in 2019.

Upon conclusion of the deals, Daystar said it aims to broaden its services to companies by offering standalone solar or hybrid solutions including gas generators.

Companies need their own power solutions to drive down costs, compared to expensive grids or diesel generators, it said in its statement.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged religious leaders to stand for truth, justice, and equity and push politicians to do the right thing.

Mr Obasanjo gave the advice when the new President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Daniel Okoh, paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Abeokuta.

According to a statement made available on Thursday in Abuja by the Special Assistant on Media to the CAN President, Luminous Jannamike, Mr Obasanjo said Christian and Muslim leaders must work together to watch over the country.

He particularly urged the CAN President to work closely with the Sultan of Sokoto, adding that you can both make a turn-around, you can work together.

If you stand on the truth, you stand for justice and equity, it is then the politicians will not be able to mess us around.

I will say it with all sense of responsibility now, if we do not watch it, the politicians will wreck this country and well all regret it, and where can we look for salvation?

That is where you religious leaders have a significant role to play, he added.

According to him, it is a mistake to say politics is not for the righteous.

If we take the righteous away from politics and we leave politics to the unrighteous, the unrighteous will smear the righteous with the unrighteousness that they will carry into politics and we will have no where to go.

In the next election, if we do not watch it, it may make or break Nigeria. And I pray that it will make Nigeria, Mr Obasanjo said.

He further said having both Sultan of Sokoto and the CAN leader on the same page may make politicians to understand and listen.

If our politicians dont listen, may be our people will listen, Mr Obasanjo added.

Mr Okoh had earlier commended the former president for his contributions to Christianity in Nigeria, including the establishment of CAN in 1976 and the Inter Religious Council in 1999.

In the political sector, you set up the National Political Reform Conference which I am privileged to be a delegate, representing the Christian faith, he said.

He also commended Mr Obasanjo for various peace interventions across Africa.

Mr Okoh assured that the Inter Religious Council meeting held in Lagos recently agreed not to leave the political space to politicians alone.

He said the religious leaders would get involved in politics, but not in a partisan way.

The CAN president said that they would continue to give leadership to make sure that the values of religion permeated the political space, help Nigerians to live in peace and work for the unity of the nation.

Mr Okoh was accompanied by CAN Assistant General Secretary, Abiodun Sanyaolu, South West Chairman, Elder Adeaga, and Lagos and Ogun States CAN leaders, among others.

(NAN)
In their days, sheer grit, depth, polish and professionalism defined the quality of the journalism of the time. Johns weekly Newsweek programme could easily offer material for a media seminar in the best journalism school anywhere in the world. The all-encompassing one-hour programme, presented with masterful diction was a salad plate of fast-paced, authoritative, evidence-based news, covering politics, sociology, economics, local and international politics.

Almost as if rushing to meet datelines and satisfy a stern Editor, three of the nations gems within the media family exited by the front door to eternity. All of this happened within just ten days  Biyi Bandele: 7th August; John Chiahemen: 10th August; and Chief Duro Onabule: 16th August. Of them all, I knew John Chiahemen the most and would like to start these tributes with him.

Looking back, I do not even recall when, where, and how I met John. However, whatever little memories I had were further built up through my other friend, Tony Nnachetta, who over the years has been perhaps Johns most faithful friend. It is to him that I always had to turn for the latest updates regarding Johns endless travels around the world as a reporter without and beyond frontiers.

John was a swashbuckling, doughty, chivalrous, no-nonsense, devil-may-care, energetic yet graceful gentleman. He was a master of the art of reportage. In his days, John was a hardnosed journalist who wound his way on the open, verdant landscape in search of news, very much like a cheetah stalking its prey. The times of John Chiahemen were the times that the National Television Authority (NTA) stood alone like a lamp post on the Nigerian news horizon.

Those were the days. The NTA preceded CNN and paraded a galaxy of some of the most handsome, debonair and beautiful women anywhere around the world. With the quality of people in the NTA, we could hold our own with the best anywhere in the world. Sitting before the television set, it was often difficult to know whether we were watching or listening to the news because the newscasters elegance and poise often got in the way. Recall briefly such names and faces as Patrick Ityohegh, Tom Adaba, Michael Enahoro, Bode Alalade, Ronke Ayuba, Adamu Augie, Kere Ahmed, Yori Folarin, Elizabeth Nze, John Momoh, Khalifa Baba-Ahmed, Tony Ede, Bimbo Oloyede, Kehinde Young-Harry, Onyeka Onwenu, Sienne Allwell-Brown, Dora Ifudu, Cyril Stober, Matthews Otalike, Tokunbo Ajayi, Eugenia Abu, Chris Anyanwu, Lola Alakija, among many others.

In their days, sheer grit, depth, polish and professionalism defined the quality of the journalism of the time. Johns weekly Newsweek programme could easily offer material for a media seminar in the best journalism school anywhere in the world. The all-encompassing one-hour programme, presented with masterful diction was a salad plate of fast-paced, authoritative, evidence-based news, covering politics, sociology, economics, local and international politics. John exuded confidence and firm authority over his subject. It was little wonder that he rose to the peak of his career and was perhaps the first Nigerian to insert himself into such prestigious international media outlets such as Reuters.

In the course of a visit to Paris some years back, I met up with John who insisted that we have lunch. In his home, we had a most robust debate about politics, media, the Catholic faith and his work. In the course of our lunch, I recall John saying to me: In my work as a journalist, I have often had to turn to the Catholic Church and some of its teachings in the area of Communications for moral and professional direction. Midway, John then rose, reached out to his book shelf, which was just above the dining table and pulled out one of the Catholic Churchs most illuminating documents, the Documents of Vatican 11. He opened the chapter on Social Communications and proudly showed me its seriously disfigured pages marked by so many red lines and side comments (well, why not, after all the Vatican started radio broadcasting in 1931 and the BBC followed in 1937!). It was for me a memorable encounter. John was always both the real deal and the real McCoy.

My last physical contact with John was in Yola where I caught up with him in the course of one of the meetings of the Board of the American University. I had gone to the Gotel Radio Station for a programme and, as I came out of the radio station, right before me stood John and a group of international journalists. He told me he had left Reuters, shifted base to South Africa and was now undertaking consultancy work here and there. He had, he said, come at the invitation of Atiku Abubakar to see how to turn Gotel media around. After that, we spoke a few times, but often through Mr Nnachetta whenever he came to town. It is not surprising that it was from the same Tony that I heard that John was in poor health. Before I could respond, Tony consoled me by saying, I will give you his wife, Chizis telephone number.

I called her immediately to get updates on Johns condition. She was exceptionally warm and said that John had often spoken about me. It made our conversation very easy. She said she was on her way to the hospital and would call so I could speak to John. She did well to prepare me for what to expect by telling me ahead that although John would be able to hear me, he would not be able to talk to me.

Our paths crossed briefly in London but that was before he soared to greatness. Unfortunately, our paths never crossed again but I lived in admiration of his awesome talent and how far he had come. Biyi had energy and deep passion about Africa and Nigeria. He has joined the long list of our great sons and daughters for whom Nigeria remained a dream deferred. God rest a true son of Africa.

About forty minutes later, she made a video call and took the phone to Johns bedside. He looked healthy and as soon as he saw my face, he gave me a generous smile which gave me both great joy and deep sorrow. Though I was glad to see him but I couldnt deal with the situation before us. Chizi had already told me that Johns Parish priest had come to the hospital, celebrated Mass and given him holy communion. That pleased me and made it easy for me to proceed.

Praying for John was a very difficult decision for me, especially knowing from the briefing I had received that he was literally on his death bed and it could be my last time of seeing him. He could hear me but he couldnt talk. I prayed for him. I saw him struggling with nods of approval. He responded with more smiles to the prayers.

I did not wish to hold him for too long. I wanted to have the last laugh so, I said to him: John, I hope you know that every Catholic, including the Pope would be thankful to God to have the holy Mass celebrated specifically for him on his deathbed. So, I said to him; please remember that despite being on your bed, you still have to make an offering for the Mass that was celebrated for you! He got the message and in return, I got another very wide, priceless smile. It was the best parting gift I got as a treasure from John. Then, it all faded.

John was a great dude, a class act and definitely Unforgetable. I can still hear his throaty voice, made clearer by years of swallowing pounded yam as a good Tiv man that he was. Goodnight, John.

and then, my younger brother, Biyi Bandele. I first met Biyi in 1988, I think. I had just returned from Nigeria with over one hundred recorded tapes of my interviews across northern Nigeria for my Ph.D thesis on Religion and Power Politics in Northern Nigeria. I was struggling with transcribing the tapes and needed time and concentration. One day, I received a call from someone who introduced himself by greeting me in Hausa. Then, he told me that his name was Bandele. I was excited to hear someone speak Hausa to me as it was a bit of a rarity. Before then, I only relied on my long weekend conversations with my dear friend, Taju of blessed memory, who was in Oxford and Peter (Giwa) Badejo for some banter in Hausa. I was still trying to figure out this Bandele who spoke Hausa when he said to me, Ni dan Kafanchan ne (I am a Kafanchan boy!).

Long story short, the prospects of meeting a Yoruba brother from Southern Kaduna was exciting to me. When he asked when we could meet, I was even more excited by that prospect. My ear drums were already tired from transcribing my tapes and I needed a break so we agreed that he would come to my place over the weekend.

When he showed up, I hugged him and took him to my modest student accommodation in central London. Then, it turned out he had other intentions. All that being Kafanchan boy was part of his effort at seducing me into granting him an interview! I had no idea that he was a journalist of sorts. I am, he said, working for a newspaper called, Home News and we have been looking for you for some time. I had been assigned to look for you and to ask for an interview and so I am so happy to finally meet you. It was too late for me to complain about my brother who had now transformed into a journalist! He was armed with a tape recorder.

Home News was a well-produced newspaper and I would later come to rely on it for news about home that was naturally so scarce in those days. The publisher was Tunde Fagbenle whom I would finally meet in the London home of my friend, Peter Badejo (OBE). Our paths crossed briefly in London but that was before he soared to greatness. Unfortunately, our paths never crossed again but I lived in admiration of his awesome talent and how far he had come. Biyi had energy and deep passion about Africa and Nigeria. He has joined the long list of our great sons and daughters for whom Nigeria remained a dream deferred. God rest a true son of Africa.

Over the years, our paths did cross. Chief Onabule continued to write some of the most muscular, well researched and educative columns. He held very strong views, and his writing was not flippant. He showed evidence of a man whose well of knowledge ran deep because his opinion pieces had the capacity to walk through the length and breath of Nigerias tortured history. He represented the last drops of the old wines of journalism.

Finally, the inimitable Duro Onabule. I had known Duro over the years since his days are Editor of Concord newspapers. However, it was not until the Babangida coup that I was introduced to him by the late Chief Akanni Aluko at a reception organised for him after his appointment as the Chief Press Secretary to President Babangida.

However, my most memorable engagement with Chief Onabule was in 1992, after the charade that was the trial of General Zamani Lekwot and his kinsmen. I have told this story in my book, Witness to Justice. In response to this most unjust trial, the Archbishop of Kaduna, Peter Jatau and his counterpart, Christopher Abba, both of blessed memory, sought to see President Babangida in other to plead the cause of General Lekwot and others. After over two months of frustration with the wall erected in the Villa, they decided to drop the matter.

One day, I decided to put a call through to Chief Onabule. After our pleasantries, I said to him: Chief, what is the required protocol for seeing the president? When he asked who wanted to see the president, I told him I was the one and he immediately said: The president will be happy to see you because he knows and often speaks about you. When do you want to see him? I paused to take all this in because it was more than I had imagined, and too good to be true, so we agreed that I would call him the next day.

I then put a call through to Archbishop Jatau and informed him that a window had opened and that I was told I could see the president. The Archbishop was shocked but pleased to hear this. I then told him that I would like to use the opportunity to book for an appointment so both he and Bishop Abba could see the president. He gave me the go ahead. However, this was early June and preparations for the elections were in full swing. I was part of a Nigerian delegation of the Catholic Church for the International Eucharistic Congress billed for Seville between the 7th and the 13th of June, 1992. (I recall that all I could do for the June 12th elections was recite the rosary in Seville on that Saturday).

On the 9th of June, I got a call from Chief Onabule to say that the President would be ready to see me on the 10th of June. I told him that I was out of the country and that there was no way I could make the appointment. We agreed that I would call him immediately I got back to Nigeria. On the 19th or so, I called him and he said the president had said he would be ready to see me on the 24th. I was quite excited and then, the annulment happened. I called the Chief and he said authoritatively to me: Just find your way to Abuja. The President has said he is going for a meeting of the Supreme Military Council but he will see you still.

The next day, I got on a plane to Abuja convinced that there was no way I would be able to see the president. But, as it turned out, the meeting did take place. I arrived the Villa that day and found that I was the only one in the presidential waiting room. I was trying to get hold of myself as I was literally sweating, this being my first time in the mythic buildin,g when a soldier stood attention and said: Fr. Kukah, the president will now see you. I stood up to one of the most charming and infectious human beings I have ever met in my life. The rest is story for another day.

Over the years, our paths did cross. Chief Onabule continued to write some of the most muscular, well researched and educative columns. He held very strong views, and his writing was not flippant. He showed evidence of a man whose well of knowledge ran deep because his opinion pieces had the capacity to walk through the length and breath of Nigerias tortured history. He represented the last drops of the old wines of journalism. Rest in peace, our dear Chief.

Matthew Hassan Kukah is the Catholic archbishop of Sokoto Diocese.
The London School of Public Relations (LSPR) Nigeria was launched earlier this year to provide corporate training to business owners, professionals, and aspirants in the PR industry. On 7 and 8 July 2022, LSPR Nigeria had a workshop anchored by John Dalton, the founder, and Chief Executive Officer of LSPR Global and Susan Croft, Director of Programmes who spoke on focusing on Crisis Management and Navigating Uncertainty and Personal Branding and Executive Presence respectively.

One of the attendees, Tosho said: One of my key takeaways from the workshop was learning new hacks on how to have a wonderful presentation. It has not only helped build my confidence, I have actually adopted the knowledge in every of my activity and I can say I have improved graciously.

After months of planning, London School of Public Relations Nigeria (LSPR Nigeria) is pleased to announce that it is starting its classes. The training which is 100% virtual will be carried out in two batches. The first batch of the class starts on Saturday, 24 September 2022 while the second batch starts on Saturday, 5 November 2022.

A variety of courses will include Fundamentals of Public Relations diploma, and other shorter courses focusing on Brand Building, Reputation, and Risk Management. The courses which would be taught by world-class trainers from Europe, the United States and Nigeria will run every weekend for the duration of 8 weeks.

The training is aimed at educating individuals in various occupations on methods of building skills that will foster professional development. Interested participants are encouraged to register via the schools website, www. Lspr.ng

The founder of LSPR Nigeria, Charles Edosomwan has led advertising and digital marketing company-Teksight Edge for the past 8 years using data and technology to drive brand engagement and customer acquisition had this to say,I am excited to be leading LSPR in Nigeria and I am looking forward to delivering our first courses. We have a team of excellent trainers who are experienced in both the virtual and the traditional classroom environments. The PR Landscape in Nigeria suffers from competency and standard issues especially with regards to professionalism and barrier to entry. We have the support of local business leaders and academia to ensure that professionals and business-people in Nigeria can have access to world class training.

About LSPR Nigeria

The London School of Public Relations (LSPR) Nigeria was launched in 2021 to provide corporate training to business owners, professionals and aspirants in the PR industry.

LSPR Nigeria is a partner company to the London School of PR in the UK. The London School of Public Relations has been delivering world-class training in the UK and globally since 1993. The School is recognised in academia and the PR industry as one of the finest training establishments in PR.
Troops of Operation Forest Sanity rescued seven kidnapped persons in another clearance operation in Birnin Gwari and Chikun Local Government Areas of Kaduna State.

The States Commissioner, Ministry for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, told reporters in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Mr Aruwan said the military told the state government that the troops came under fire from terrorists, locally called bandits, while on patrol along the Birnin Gwari-Gayam-Kuriga-Manini axis.

The troops returned fire and promptly subdued the bandits, who fled into the forests, leaving behind the captives in their custody, Mr Aruwan said.

Mr Aruwan named the rescued hostages as Joseph Ishaku; John Bulus; Gloria Shedrack, and her four children, Jimre Shedrack; Jonathan Shedrack; Angelina Shedrack and Abigail Shedrack.

The Government of Kaduna State commended the troops and thanked them for their brave efforts in rescuing the victims.

The seven victims have been reunited with their families, Mr Aruwan said.

The latest operation followed that of 13th September where the troops rescued 10 kidnap victims during clearance patrols conducted around the Chikun and Igabi Local Government Areas of the state.

Birnin Gwari and Chikun local government areas are the hotbeds of kidnappers in Kaduna as they have made the Birnin Gwari highway linking Niger State inaccessible for motorists.
The presidential flagbearer of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, have on Tuesday visited the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

Mr Obi said he had gone to the monarch on a private visit, adding that when the campaign kicks off, he will tell the reason he started what he called the movement.

This movement is a simple movement, it is a movement for the youth to take back their country. A movement that will go a long way to show how things are going wrong in our country, he said.

We cant be living in a country where criminal, calling themselves politicians, have taken over the country. We cant be living in a country where our children are not in school for eight months.

We cant continue to live in a country where we have overtaken India when it comes to infant mortality.

A country where human lives make no importance again, where anybody can be kidnapped at any time we cant continue that way.

In the last couple of months after emerging candidate of the party, Mr Obi and his running mate have continued to visit notable Nigerians over their 2023 presidential ambition.

The Labour party candidate had visited the duo of former President, Ibrahim Babangida and former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar in their Minna, Niger State homes.

Mr Obi had, on Monday, shared a picture of his meeting with former President Olusegun Obadanjo, at an undisclosed location, weeks after the labour party candidate met the former President in the United Kingdom.
TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ABILITY DIABETES-GLOBAL (ADG), is the World's largest Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) for patients with DM (Diabetes Mellitus), comparing head-to-head the Sirolimus eluting stent , Abluminus DES+ (Concept Medical Inc.) with the XIENCE family of DES (Abbott Cardiovascular).

Ability Diabetes Global enrollment completed.

Diabetes has been the Achilles heel for any vascular interventional procedures and there is a clinical need for adequately powered RCTs. The prospective, randomized, open-label, 2-arm parallel-group RCT has enrolled a mammoth 3050 diabetic patients. The RCT is steered by Prof. Roxana Mehran (Chairperson), Prof. Marie-Claude Morice (Medical Director), Prof. Alexandre Abizaid, Prof. Antonio Colombo & Prof. Shigeru Saito (Principal Investigators).

The primary endpoints of the planned RCT are TLF (composite of cardiac death, MI or ischemia-driven TLR) powered for non-inferiority and ischemia-driven TLR at 1- year FU powered for non-inferiority and sequential superiority for diabetic patients.

"In the face of the pandemic, the completion of enrollment of the ABILITY DM study marks an important milestone in the largest ever prospective randomized clinical trial in patients with Diabetes Mellitus. This signifies a crucial juncture in providing real-time and current evidence with Abluminus DES+ (with DCB) technology pitched against the best-in-class DES," reflected Roxana Mehran.

Prof. Antonio Colombo shares similar sentiments. "We completed enrollment of a landmark trial. The first trial comparing two different DES in 3050 diabetics. The results will be a benchmark for any new or old PCI technology," he said.

"I would like to thank all the site investigators, operators, technicians, and study coordinators, the Cardiovascular European Research Center (CERC), and Mount Sinai and ICAHN School of Medicine who played a stellar role in achieving this," exuded Prof. Marie-Claude Morice (CERC), "in particular the CERC and Mount Sinai research team who conducted the trial so well at such a complex time; their commitment is unique and will contribute to the success of the trial, a potentially significant improvement for Diabetic patients with cardiovascular disease".

Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia (Brazil) led by Dr Daniel Chamie, and the National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Centre (Bangladesh), led by Dr Fazila Malik, played a major role in completing the enrollment followed by OLVG (The Netherlands) led by Dr Maarten Vink.

Abluminus DES+ (Concept Medical Inc.), which has regulatory approvals in Europe and other countries, uses a proprietary Envisolution technology to provide homogenous drug delivery by coating the stent surface and exposed parts of the balloon and on the edges of the balloon. In clinical studies conducted at other centers Abluminus DES+ has proven effective in managing patients with DM.

Prof. Alexandre Abizaid, who has widely used the product, "I would like to congratulate Concept Medical and all the investigators for completing the largest randomized trial in PCI for diabetic patients. This 3000-patient trial tested a novel DES technology called Abluminus which is the combination of a Sirolimus eluting stent crimped on a drug coated balloon. This is certainly a landmark study in the modern era of complex coronary intervention".

About Concept Medical Inc (CMI):

CMI is headquartered in Tampa, Florida and has operational offices in The Netherlands, Singapore and Brazil and manufacturing units in India. CMI specializes in developing drug-delivery systems and has unique and patented technology platforms that can be deployed to deliver any drug / pharmaceutical agent across the luminal surfaces of blood vessels.

www.conceptmedical.com

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1909778/Ability_Diabetes_Global.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1244676/Concept_Medical_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Concept Medical Inc.
Founder and CEO Dr. Joel Myers: 'I wanted to raise the respect for weather forecasters and meteorologists overall  Today, when we forecast a snowstorm or a hurricane, people act on it and do what is necessary to get ready.'

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Since its founding in 1962, AccuWeather, the most accurate and most used source of weather forecasts and warnings, has revolutionized the field of meteorology. Now celebrating 60 years, AccuWeather's extraordinary record of forecast accuracy has been responsible for saving tens of thousands of lives in the United States and around the world.

AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel Myers addresses more than 260 guests at the companys 60th anniversary celebration at its Global Weather Center headquarters in State College Thursday, September 22nd. Director the National Weather Service Ken Graham AccuWeather President Steven R. Smith

The company held an anniversary celebration at its Global Weather Center headquarters in State College, Pennsylvania Thursday, September 22nd, which featured the participation of elected officials and leaders of the meteorological community as well as AccuWeather staff, clients and other distinguished guests. At the event, words of praise for AccuWeather's life-saving work came from National Weather Service Director Ken Graham, World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas, and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, among many others.

Also speaking at the event was Dr. Neeli Bandapudi the newly installed president of Pennsylvania State University, where AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel Myers earned three degrees in meteorology and established AccuWeather while a second-year graduate student. Dr. Myers taught meteorology at Penn State for nearly two decades; it is estimated that he had trained 17 percent of the nation's weather forecasters by the time he retired from teaching.

What began as the dream of one man flourished into a remarkable legacy that has been built on AccuWeather's proven Superior Accuracy, which Myers says is achieved by a combination of technology, patented processes and by the drive and dedication of the most talented weather forecasters, product developers and computer specialists in the world, working together in a "crucible of excellence."

"I had a burning desire to be a weather forecaster, and I wanted to combine this dream with my burgeoning entrepreneurial spirit," said Myers. "As a teenager, I wanted to raise the respect for weather forecasters and meteorologists overall. In those days, forecasts were the butt of jokes and cartoons, 'It is the only job you can get paid for to be regularly wrong.' Today, when we forecast a snowstorm or a hurricane, people act on it and do what is necessary to get ready."

Clearly, Myers, the exceptional AccuWeather team and the entire Weather Enterprise are accomplishing that mission. In his book, The Signal and the Noise, noted statistician Nate Silver examined forecasts across a wide variety of disciplines and discovered that most made virtually no progress in accuracy over the decades. The lone exception, he found, was the science of weather forecasting.

Study after study of forecast accuracy has confirmed the statistical superiority of AccuWeather forecasts over all other sources.

Said Myers, "Statistically, AccuWeather has no peers, but the value of AccuWeather forecasts goes far beyond their statistical superiority."

According to Myers, it is achieved through AccuWeather's finely tuned art and science of prediction, which includes using the best wording, focusing on the weather's impact, and the psychology of how the forecast will be interpreted, so people will clearly understand and take the right actions.

"It is through how we word the forecast, and how we explain the weather's impact to people and to companies, so they make better decisions, get more from their day, are 'in the know' and keep their families safer," said Myers. "Our users have more trust in AccuWeather forecasts than any other source."

Since 1962, AccuWeather has kept millions of people safe when severe weather has threatened, reduced bodily injury and helped people, businesses and communities reduce bad weather losses, including preventing hundreds of billions of dollars in property damage.

Continually refining and improving the science and art of prediction and weather forecasting over the past 60 years, Myers and AccuWeather have invented thousands of innovations along the way. AccuWeather MinuteCast, the patented AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature and the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes are simply a few tools the company has introduced for greater safety, convenience and comfort. Earlier this year, AccuWeather released groundbreaking AccuWeather Alerts advanced notifications to provide better, clearer and more concise notifications when severe weather threatens to complement official government warnings.

"In our 60 years, AccuWeather has certainly become a global brand and trusted source for accurate, actionable and, when needed, life-saving information," said Steven R. Smith, AccuWeather President, who began as a forecasting intern in 1997. "With extreme weather events increasingly impacting more humans around the world, there is a growing need for increased advanced notice and accuracy. No other weather source is better than AccuWeather at weather forecasting due to our unique forecasting philosophy that has been honed and refined for six decades."

AccuWeather's successes have been documented and reported throughout the world and are evidenced by its many long-lasting client and media partnerships, including a recently celebrated 50-year relationship with Channel 6abc Action News in Philadelphia. In addition, the American Meteorological Society has bestowed far more awards on AccuWeather than any other commercial weather company. Even Congress has cited AccuWeather for its accurate and life-saving warnings.

Said Myers, "Companies pay us hundreds of thousands of dollars a year  some even pay us millions -- because what we provide is unique and superior and people and business leaders understand that if they are not using the AccuWeather forecast, they may not be getting it right."

The benefits of accurate weather forecasts to society, the global economy, and people's lives are enormous and Smith feels the goal of a "perfect forecast" is still out there.

Said Smith, "From a national security perspective, destructive severe weather causes deaths and costs trillions of dollars each year. We feel the solution toward achieving a 100 percent accurate, X number of days out forecast must come from a multinational company, a company without borders because the weather has no borders. This drives me personally, and it is clear that our work is not done here, and there is so much more we can and will do."

About AccuWeather

AccuWeather, recognized and documented as the most accurate source of weather forecasts and warnings in the world, has saved tens of thousands of lives, prevented hundreds of thousands of injuries, and saved tens of billions of dollars in property damage. AccuWeather's talented staff achieves this noble purpose and mission through a culture of ICE  Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship.

Today, AccuWeather is the most recognized and most used source of weather forecasts and warnings in the world, known to billions, and is proven and verified to be the most accurate. Digitally, AccuWeather is the #1 weather destination in the world and one of the top destination sites that exist globally.

AccuWeather forecasts appear on digital signage, in 700 newspapers, heard on over 800 radio stations, and on 100 television stations.

The AccuWeather Network reaches 35 million households, and its AccuWeather NOW streaming service is available to more than 200 million active users on many platforms, including Roku, Xumo, Red Box, LG, Amazon, and Freevee.

AccuWeather For Business serves more than half of the Fortune 500 companies and thousands of other businesses and government agencies globally who pay for the most accurate weather forecasts from any source.

AccuWeather's story is one of a fanatical dedication to Superior Accuracy , detail, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and the loyalty and commitment of many people who have joined AccuWeather's center of excellence, including many others who have dedicated their entire careers to AccuWeather.

Dr. Joel N. Myers, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, established AccuWeather in 1962 and is considered the "father of modern commercial meteorology." Myers, a leading creative thinker and visionary, has been named "the most accurate man in weather" by The New York Times and one of the top entrepreneurs in American history by Entrepreneur's Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs.

Visit accuweather.com for the most accurate hyperlocal forecasts and weather news. The AccuWeather app for Android phone and tablet users is free at the Google Play store. The AccuWeather iOS app is free at the Apple store.

Rhonda Seaton

310.508.0799

Bill Bagley

781.530.6863

[email protected]

385 Science Park Road

State College, PA 16803-2215

accuweather.com

SOURCE AccuWeather
CHICAGO, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On behalf of the more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease and their families, the Alzheimer's Association enthusiastically welcomes the positive topline data reported today by Eisai and Biogen on the CLARITY AD global Phase 3 clinical trial of lecanemab.

These are the most encouraging results in clinical trials treating the underlying causes of Alzheimer's to date.

For people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's, this treatment has the potential to change the course of the disease in a clinically meaningful way. These results indicate lecanamab may give people more time at or near their full abilities to participate in daily life, remain independent and make future health care decisions. Treatments that deliver these benefits to those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease and early Alzheimer's dementia are just as valuable as treatments that extend the lives of those with other terminal diseases.

We look forward to learning more about data from CLARITY AD at the Clinical Trials in Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) meeting in November, including data on participant safety and representation. If those data are consistent with what we saw today regarding efficacy and safety, we strongly support FDA approval and full coverage.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently implemented a National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Monoclonal Antibodies Directed Against Amyloid for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. As it stands, this NCD would severely limit Medicare coverage for lecanemab if it is approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CMS has pledged to move quickly to modify the NCD if warranted by new evidence. If full CLARITY AD results are in line with today's topline announcement and the FDA approves this treatment, Medicare beneficiaries living with Alzheimer's, a terminal, progressive disease, deserve the same immediate, full coverage under Medicare afforded to those with other terminal diseases.

Even with the success announced today, we must redouble efforts to discover new targets and test new and more effective treatments for Alzheimer's and all other dementia. The Alzheimer's Association has long been committed to advancing all potential treatment avenues , and exploring methods for combining diverse approaches into combination therapies. We also must continue to advocate to ensure access to any approved treatments, as well as quality care and support for all people.

About the Alzheimer's Association

The Alzheimer's Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia  by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

SOURCE Alzheimers Association
Daniel Neville, CFO, and Frank Perullo, President, Named Interim Co-CEOs; Board Commences Search for CEO to Support Next Phase of Growth

Abner Kurtin Becomes Executive Chairman of the Board

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. ("AWH" or the "Company") (CSE: AAWH.U) (OTCQX: AAWH), a multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis operator focused on bettering lives through cannabis, today announced that Chief Financial Officer Daniel Neville and President & Co-founder Frank Perullo have been named Interim Co-CEOs, effective immediately. As Interim Co-CEOs, Mr. Neville and Mr. Perullo will provide ongoing leadership and oversight of the Company's day-to-day operations while a search is conducted for a new CEO.

The Board of Directors has commenced the search process to identify the right CEO to support the Company's next phase of growth. The Board has retained Russell Reynolds, a leading executive search firm, to support this effort.

In connection with this announcement, Chairman and Founder Abner Kurtin will transition to Executive Chairman of the Board.

The Board issued the following statement regarding the leadership transition:

AWH has an incredibly strong foundation in place and remains well positioned to advance the goal of breaking down traditional walls in the cannabis marketplace and redefining the industry from the ground up. As the Company prepares to enter the next phase of its growth story, the Board determined that now was the right time to initiate this transition. While the Board executes its search for the Company's next CEO, AWH is fortunate to have Dan and Frank at the helm. They are both intimately familiar with AWH, and the Board is confident that they are well equipped to guide the Company forward and continue executing our strategic priorities during this period.

About Daniel Neville

Daniel Neville is Interim Co-CEO and CFO. Mr. Neville joined AWH as SVP of Finance in March 2019, and in August 2020, he was promoted to Chief Financial Officer. Before AWH, Mr. Neville worked at SLS Capital, a special situations hedge fund based in New York. He served as a Managing Director from January 2015 to March 2019 and as an Analyst from April 2010 to January 2015. Previously, he worked as an investment banker at Credit Suisse in the Technology Group, where he worked on mergers & acquisitions and IPO transactions. Mr. Neville earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Duke University.

About Frank Perullo

Frank Perullo is the Interim Co-CEO, President, & Co-Founder of AWH. Mr. Perullo's leadership has been key to Ascend Wellness Holdings' impressive growth trajectory and brand success. He spent his first three years as Chief Strategy Officer, during which time he spearheaded the company's retail expansion strategy and built out AWH's footprint. Previously, Mr. Perullo served as a strategic consultant for multi-national corporations. He was Founder of Novus Group and Sage Systems, one of the leading providers of web-based data management software, which he founded in 2002.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange, nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About AWH

AWH is a vertically integrated multistate cannabis operator with licenses and assets in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. AWH owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, growing award-winning strains and producing a curated selection of products for retail and wholesale customers. AWH produces and distributes its in-house Simply Herb, Ozone, and Ozone Reserve branded products. For more information, visit www.awholdings.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding the plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. Words such as "expects", "continue", "will", "anticipates" and "intends" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends, and on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors management believes are appropriate.

Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Such factors include, among others: the risks and uncertainties identified in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and in the Company's other reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward-looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc.
-- After the pre-Phase III clinical trial meeting with Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in June 2022, the pathway to the registration, including patient population, dose, treatment duration, etc. of ASC22 (Envafolimab) for functional cure of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) has been agreed

-- The Phase IIb Expansion Cohort will enroll 50 CHB patients with baseline HBsAg100 IU/mL who will be treated with 1.0 mg/kg ASC22 or placebo (with the ratio of 4:1) in combination with Nucleot(s)ide analogues (NAs) for 24-week treatment plus 24-week follow-up

-- The objective of this Expansion Cohort study is to confirm whether the rate of functional cure is similar to the data presented at oral session of the International Liver Congress 2022 (ILC 2022) held by the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in June 2022, which showed that 42.9% (3/7) of patients with baseline HBsAg 100 IU/mL obtained functional cure. The enrollment of 50 CHB patients is expected to be completed in early 2023

HANGZHOU and SHAOXING, China, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascletis Pharma Inc. (HKEX:1672, "Ascletis") today announces dosing of the first patient in the Phase IIb Expansion Cohort (the "Expansion Cohort") of subcutaneously administered PD-L1 antibody ASC22 (Envafolimab) for functional cure of chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

After the pre-Phase III clinical trial meeting with Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in June 2022, the pathway to the registration, including patient population, dose, treatment duration, etc. of ASC22 (Envafolimab) for functional cure of CHB has been agreed.

The Expansion Cohort will enroll 50 CHB patients with baseline hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) 100 IU/mL who will be treated with 1.0 mg/kg ASC22 or placebo (with the ration of 4:1) in combination with Nucleot(s)ide analogues (NAs) for 24-week treatment plus 24-week follow-up. The objective is to confirm whether the functional cure rate of ASC22 is similar to the data presented at oral session of the International Liver Congress 2022 (ILC 2022) held by the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in June 2022, which showed that 42.9% (3/7) of patients with baseline HBsAg100 IU/mL obtained functional cure. The enrollment of 50 CHB patients of the Expansion Cohort is expected to be completed in early 2023.

Prior to the initiation of the Expansion Cohort, Ascletis has completed a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled and multi-center Phase IIb clinical trial in China which evaluated the safety and efficacy of treating 149 patients with CHB for 24-week treatment plus 24-week follow-up of 1 mg/kg or 2.5 mg/kg ASC22 or matching placebo given once every two weeks (Q2W) in combination with NAs (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04465890).

CHB remains to be a significantly unmet medical need globally, with approximately 86 million people in China and 1.59 million people in the U.S. infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) [1]. NAs inhibit only reverse transcription of HBV RNA into HBV DNA and do not inhibit the transcription of HBV cccDNA into HBV RNA, thus have no inhibitory effect on HBsAg.

ASC22 (Envafolimab) is the most advanced clinical-stage immunotherapy in the world for CHB functional cure, i.e. HBsAg loss, through blocking PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. Ascletis presented the latest Phase IIb clinical trial results of ASC22 in patients with CHB at oral session of EASL ILC 2022 in June 2022, which showed that 42.9% (3/7) patients with baseline HBsAg100 IU/mL obtained sustained HBsAg loss and no rebound has occurred up to now since the last dosing of ASC22 (Envafolimab), indicating a potential functional cure of CHB. For tumor indications, Envafolimab has been approved for treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) advanced solid tumors by China NMPA in November 2021.

"We are very encouraged by the exciting progress which ASC22 (Envafolimab) has made for CHB functional cure during the past few months. ASC22 (Envafolimab) has preliminarily demonstrated the potential of functional cure of CHB from our results presented at EASL ILC 2022. There is a huge CHB patient population base in China with baseline HBsAg100 IU/mL[2]. While pursuing ASC22 (Envafolimab) as monotherapy for CHB patients with baseline HBsAg100 IU/mL, we are also engaging with global partners in discussion on combo therapies targeting patient population with baseline HBsAg>100 IU/mL, so as to benefit a broader spectrum of CHB patient population." said Dr. Jinzi J. Wu, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ascletis.

[1]Lim J K, Nguyen M H, Kim W R, et al. Prevalence of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection in the United States [J]. The American journal of gastroenterology 2020, 115(9): 1429-38.

[2] Jiang Haiyang, Gu Shengwang, Liu Huan, et al. Consideration on improving functional cure significantly based on the results of long-term follow-up of 1783 patients with chronic hepatitis B(in Chinese) [J] Liver, 2020, 25 (2): 4

About ASC22 (KN035)

Ascletis Pharma Inc (1672.HK) retains the global and exclusive rights to develop and commercialize ASC22 on viral indications. Progress has been made from clinical trials of ASC22 including:

1) Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) functional cure: first patient dosed in Phase IIb Expansion Cohort. Interim results from the China Phase IIb clinical trial showed 1mg/kg of ASC22 plus NAs for 24-week treatment were well-tolerated in CHB patients. 42.9% of patients with baseline HBsAg100 IU/mL obtained sustained HBsAg loss, which indicates the potential of functional cure. The abstract has been selected to oral presentation at EASL ILC 2022.

2) HIV functional cure: Phase II clinical trial of ASC22 as monotherapy has completed first subject dosing in China. The Phase I/II clinical trial in the U.S. has obtained IND clearance from U.S. FDA. Clinical trial of ASC22 in combination with Chidamide, initiated by Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center (investigator initiated trial), has completed patient enrollment.

About Ascletis

Ascletis is an innovative R&D driven biotech listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (1672.HK), covering the entire value chain from discovery and development to manufacturing and commercialization. Led by a management team with deep expertise and a proven track record, Ascletis focuses on three therapeutic areas with unmet medical needs from a global perspective: viral diseases, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and oncology. Through excellent execution, Ascletis rapidly advances its drug pipeline with an aim of leading in global competition. To date, Ascletis has three marketed products, i.e. ritonavir tablets, GANOVO and ASCLEVIR, and 20 drug candidates in its R&D pipeline. The most advanced drug candidates include ASC22 (HBV functional cure), ASC10 and ASC11(oral small molecules for COVID-19 treatment), ASC40 (recurrent glioblastoma), ASC42 (PBC, primary biliary cholangitis), and ASC40 (acne).

For more information, please visit www.ascletis.com.

SOURCE Ascletis Pharma Inc.
LONDON, UK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Atlas Corp. ("Atlas" or the "Company") (NYSE: ATCO) today confirmed receipt of a revised, non-binding proposal from Poseidon Acquisition Corp. ("Poseidon"), an entity formed by certain affiliates of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited ("Fairfax"), certain affiliates of the Washington Family ("Washington"), David Sokol, Chairman of the Board of Atlas, and Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd., and certain of their respective affiliates (the "Consortium"), to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Atlas, other than common shares owned by Fairfax, Washington, and Mr. Sokol, for $15.50 cash per common share.

The Company notes that the special committee of independent directors of the Atlas Board and its advisors reviewed, evaluated and engaged directly with the Consortium members and their advisors regarding Poseidon's unsolicited proposal dated August 4, 2022, including with respect to the factors referenced in the Consortium's letter received September 26, 2022, and other factors the special committee considered important, such as the substantial, long-term contracted cash flow of the Company's charter operations. The special committee consistently advised the Consortium that it was not prepared to recommend the $14.45 per share proposal to shareholders as it did not reflect the standalone value of the Company. Following receipt of the Consortium's revised proposal, the special committee informed the Consortium that, working with its advisors, it is evaluating the revised offer.

Atlas cautions its shareholders and others considering trading in Atlas securities that the independent special committee, working with its advisors, is in the process of carefully reviewing and evaluating the revised proposal, and no decision has been made yet with respect to a response to the revised proposal. The revised proposal constitutes only an indication of interest by Poseidon and does not constitute a binding commitment with respect to the proposed transaction or any other transaction. No agreement, arrangement or understanding between Atlas and Poseidon relating to any proposed transaction will be created unless definitive documentation is executed and delivered by the appropriate parties.

Atlas does not undertake any obligation to provide any updates with respect to this or any other transaction, or to provide any additional disclosures to reflect subsequent events, new information or future circumstances, except as required under applicable law.

About Atlas

Atlas is a leading global asset management company, differentiated by its position as a best-in-class owner and operator with a focus on disciplined capital deployment to create sustainable shareholder value. We target long-term, risk-adjusted returns across high-quality infrastructure assets in the maritime sector, energy sector and other infrastructure verticals. For more information visit atlascorporation.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements included in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, but not limited to, expectations regarding the proposed transaction, the evaluation and negotiation of any transaction are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent Atlas' estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this release and are not intended to give any assurance as to future results. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this release. Although these statements are based upon assumptions Atlas believes to be reasonable based upon available information, they are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this release are estimates and assumptions reflecting the judgment of senior management and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond Atlas' control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, all forward-looking statements should be considered in light of various important factors listed above and including, but not limited to, those set forth in "Item 3. Key InformationD. Risk Factors" in Atlas' Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021 on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 24, 2022, and in its subsequent filings with the SEC. Atlas does not intend to revise any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any change in its expectations or events or circumstances that may subsequently arise. Atlas expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether because of future events, new information, a change in Atlas' views or expectations, or otherwise. You should carefully review and consider the various disclosures included in Atlas' Annual Report and in Atlas' other filings made with the SEC that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect Atlas' businesses, prospects and results of operations.

SOURCE Atlas Corp.
In recognition of World Rabies Day on September 28, the donation is for use on tribal lands and underserved communities in collaboration with Greater Good Charities

DULUTH, Ga., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boehringer Ingelheim, a global leader in veterinary rabies vaccines, has expanded its commitment to help prevent rabies in dogs by donating nearly 100,000 doses of rabies vaccine. The donation is part of the relaunched SHOTS FOR GOOD program and will be used on tribal lands and in underserved communities across the United States.

Rabies is a zoonotic, viral disease, which can be transmitted through wild animals and pets. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatali. Even though it is vaccine-preventable, around 59,000 people still die from rabies every year globallyii. Rabies is present on all continents, except Antarctica, with over 95% of human deaths occurring in the Asia and Africa regionsiii. It can pose a significant risk anywhere if dogs are not vaccinated. Dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humansiv.

"Boehringer Ingelheim fervently believes no animal should suffer from a preventable disease," said Dr. Julie Ryan-Johnson, head veterinarian for shelters at Boehringer Ingelheim and board vice chair for Greater Good Charities. "Together with Greater Good Charities we can fight the presence of rabies on tribal lands and in underserved communities to keep pets healthier and happier for longer."

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health established the SHOTS FOR GOOD initiative in 2019 in Puerto Rico and underserved communities in California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. However, in 2020, the initiative was suspended due to global pandemic restrictions.

Since relaunching the program earlier this year, and in collaboration with the global nonprofit, Greater Good Charities, the program has enabled vaccination clinics throughout tribal lands in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, and Utah. Additional vaccines have been utilized in Hawaii as part of Greater Good Charities' Good Fix program which offers high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter to help control pet overpopulation in underserved communities.

"In observance of World Rabies Day, we recognize the positive impact of vaccination events to raise awareness about rabies and how to prevent this deadly disease," said Denise Bash, vice president at Greater Good Charities. "The generous vaccine donations from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and the Shots for Good initiative helps to protect pets while making this important effort possible."

About World Rabies Day

World Rabies Day , held every year on September 28, is observed by the United Nations as an International Day. Coordinated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, it is a day to raise awareness about rabies and how to prevent this deadly disease. Hundreds of events are held by organizations and individuals around the world in recognition of this day.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health is working on first-in-class innovation for the prediction, prevention, and treatment of diseases in animals. For veterinarians, pet owners, farmers, and governments in more than 150 countries, we offer a large and innovative portfolio of products and services to improve the health and well-being of companion animals and livestock. As a global leader in the animal health industry and as part of family-owned Boehringer Ingelheim, we take a long-term perspective. The lives of animals and humans are interconnected in deep and complex ways. We know that when animals are healthy, humans are healthier too. By using the synergies between our Animal Health and Human Pharma businesses and by delivering value through innovation, we enhance the health and well-being of both.

Learn more about Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. at bi-animalhealth.com

About Greater Good Charities

Greater Good Charities is a 501(c)(3) global nonprofit organization that works to help people, pets, and the planet by mobilizing in response to need and amplifying the good. Greater Good Charities, with a 100/100 rating on Charity Navigator, has provided more than $475 million in impact, including cash grants, in-kind supplies, and programmatic support, to charitable partners in 121 countries since 2007. To learn more about how Greater Good Charities amplifies the good across the globe, please visit greatergood.org.

Media Contact:

Chrissy Jones

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health

U.S. Communications

(516) 527-5456

[email protected]

REFERENCES

i World Health Organization: Rabies (who.int) (downloaded: April 1, 2022)

ii World Health Organization: Oral rabies vaccine: a new strategy in the fight against rabies deaths (who.int) (downloaded: April 1, 2022)

iii World Health Organization: Rabies (who.int) (downloaded: April 1, 2022)

iv World Health Organization: Rabies (who.int) (downloaded: April 1, 2022)

SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim
Partnership with Advanced Integration Technology (AIT) supports Overture's planned production launch in 2024, rollout in 2025

DENVER, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boom Supersonic , the company building the world's fastest airliner, optimized for speed, safety, and sustainability, today announced that it has selected Advanced Integration Technology (AIT) as the tooling and automation provider and integrator for the Overture final assembly line. This strategic partnership is an important prerequisite for aircraft production at the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina. Site preparation at the Superfactory is already underway, and groundbreaking is on track for December 2022.

Boom's partnership with Advanced Integration Technology (AIT) supports Overtures planned production launch in 2024, rollout in 2025.

Boom's purchase agreement with AIT spans the design, fabrication, and installation of custom tooling for the Overture Superfactory. AIT will provide an end-to-end system for the Superfactory, creating transportation and positioning tools for fuselage assembly, wing assembly, wing-to-fuselage joining, and final assembly. Major hardware provided by AIT will include automated drilling machinery, mobile transport equipment, and setups for positioning and joining setups. Boom is prioritizing design and procurement of long-lead-time sections of the tooling suite, helping to ensure that the Overture program remains on track to enter production in 2024.

"Advanced Integration Technology is a recognized leader in aircraft assembly tooling, and we are excited to be working with them to prepare the Superfactory for Overture production," said Chris Taylor, Vice President of Manufacturing at Boom. "This order will help ensure that the Superfactory is ready for Overture's manufacturing launch in 2024."

Overture will carry passengers at twice the speed of today's fastest passenger jets. As the company announced in January, 2022, Boom will hire more than 2,400 workers at the Superfactory over the next ten years, and recruiting is already underway. Boom also pledged to create over 200 internships for students in North Carolina universities, community colleges, and trade schools, and the first class of these interns is expected in 2023.

"We are honored that Boom has selected Advanced Integration Technology to design, produce and integrate Overture's Superfactory final assembly line. AIT is proud to use our industry leading expertise in aerospace production system integration to support Boom's vision of supersonic travel," said Michael Wellham, AIT President and Chief Operating Officer.

Last week, Boom announced an offtake agreement with AIR COMPANY to purchase up to 5 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) per year through the duration of Overture flight testing in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Boom also recently announced three tier-one suppliers that will contribute to key systems on Overture including Collins Aerospace, Safran Landing Systems, and Eaton. Boom is in advanced supplier conversations for several other major components of the aircraft, and also plans to announce its engine partner later this year. In August, American Airlines placed deposits on 20 Overture aircraft and pre-ordered an additional 40, bringing Overture's order book to $26 billion including orders and options.

About Boom Supersonic

Boom Supersonic is transforming air travel with Overture, the world's fastest airliner, optimized for speed, safety, and sustainability. Serving both civil and government markets, Overture will fly at twice the speed of today's airliners and is designed to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Overture's order book, including purchases and options from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines stands at 130 aircraft. Boom is working with Northrop Grumman for government and defense applications of Overture. Suppliers and partners collaborating with Boom on the Overture program include Collins Aerospace, Eaton, Safran Landing Systems, the United States Air Force, American Express, AIR COMPANY, Climeworks, and AWS. For more information, visit https://boomsupersonic.com

Photos and video available at https://boomsupersonic.com/press

Connect with Boom Supersonic on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram, YouTube

SOURCE Boom Supersonic
Modern, Upscale Brand Brings Stylish New Prototype to Denver's River North Art District

DENVER, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BWH Hotel Group today announces the opening of its urban, upscale boutique brand, Vib, in Denver's River North Art District (RiNo). The new property is the latest addition to the Vib portfolio which brings thoughtfully designed spaces that invite collaboration and socialization, while still offering flexible function with a stylish flair. The hotel has officially debuted following a grand opening event attended by President of International Operations Ron Pohl; Vice President of Brand Management Michael Morton; TWC Investor Group; and Visit Denver, RiNo Art District.

Vib Denver RiNo features a contemporary design and includes a rooftop restaurant, McDevitt Taco Supply, Colorado's best tacos and margaritas, as well as majestic views of the Rocky Mountains and Denver skyline. Additionally, guests looking to socialize over coffee can start their day with Heady Coffee Co. The perfect hangout spot to connect with fellow travelers, Heady Coffee Co. features tasty breakfast burritos and fresh lattes. Guests will also enjoy a lobby bar with crafted cocktails, light dining, and espresso beverages.

"Today's modern traveler is demanding uncompromised style and service, and our newest hotel in Denver meets those expectations," said Morton. "We launched our reimagined Vib prototype earlier this year and we're excited to now bring the design to Denver. Our newest hotel is in the heart of the city's thriving RiNo district and will provide today's business and leisure traveler with upscale vibrance and modern amenities."

Vib Denver RiNo, which is operated by TWC Management, is within proximity to a variety of popular local attractions including the National Western Complex, the Denver Coliseum, The Mission Ballroom, Number Thirty-Eight, the Forney Museum of Transportation, Coors Field, Ironton Distillery, the Colorado Convention Center, 16th Street Mall and more. The hotel is also just a short walk to the 18th & Blake light rail station, where travelers can catch the A-line to Denver International Airport or Union Station.

"We are so excited to offer travelers truly unique hotel stays in the RiNo district," adds Jennifer Gipfert, CEO & Owner of TWC Management. "We know that guests are looking for travel experiences that capture the essence of the local area, and we have done just that with this new hotel. Our team is looking forward to delivering exceptional service to guests from around the world."

A reflection of the rapidly changing modern world, Vib can be found at the heart of the fastest-moving cities around the globe. This successful new brand boasts a strong global pipeline including destinations like Cape Town, South Africa; Tempe, Arizona; and the Greek island of Crete, joining hotels already open in Bangkok, Thailand; Antalya, Turkey; and Springfield, Missouri.

The brand has garnered significant interest from developers who appreciate Vib's new, bold product offering which is also supported by BWH Hotel Group's powerhouse brand. Every Vib hotel is given unparalleled systems and support and is on-boarded with access to BWH Hotel Group's award-winning website, global partnerships and sales team, and state-of-the-art revenue management system.

Hoteliers benefit from the brand's reputation for providing superior guest service and gain access to the award-winning Best Western Rewards program, which boasts approximately 50 million members worldwide.

"Vib creates a unique investment opportunity for developers," said Brad LeBlanc, Senior Vice President, and Chief Development Officer. "A leader in the boutique segment, Vib's minimal footprint, innovatively designed social spaces and tech-infused amenities make this brand an ideal fit in some of the world's most visited destinations. We're excited about the future of Vib and look forward to opening additional properties."

Designed for urban and dense suburban areas, Vib debuted its new design with the opening of its Tempe location in March 2022.

For more information on the Vib brand, please visit BestWesternDevelopers.com and Vib.BestWestern.com .

About BWH Hotel Group

BWH Hotel Group is a leading, global hospitality network comprised of three hotel companies, including WorldHotels Collection, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotel Group. The global network boasts approximately 4,500 hotels in over 100 countries and territories worldwide*. With 18 brands across every chain scale segment, from economy to luxury, BWH Hotel Group suits the needs of developers and guests in every market.

*Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Katie Ray

Director, Public Relations & Corporate Communications

602.957.5526

[email protected]

SOURCE BWH Hotel Group
DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Eric Halpern has joined the firm's Dallas office as an associate in the Litigation Practice Group.

"We are pleased to welcome Eric to our office and know that his background in business finance and broad experience in commercial litigation matters will allow him to provide invaluable support to our team," said Bradley Dallas Office Managing Partner Richard A. Sayles.

Mr. Halpern handles complex commercial litigation matters and is experienced with class actions, labor and employment disputes, and working with companies in the energy sector, including the oil and gas industry. Mr. Halpern regularly conducts legal research on a variety of issues and works on discovery and dispositive motions.

A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Mr. Halpern received his B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to his successful mediation work, Mr. Halpern dedicates time to pro bono matters related to immigration, prisoners' rights and criminal appeals.

Bradley's Dallas office has more than tripled in size over the last three years, growing into a full-service office with particular strength in its litigation, finance, corporate, government enforcement, fintech and emerging business practice areas. The firm now has more than 50 lawyers located across its offices in Dallas and Houston and has more than 70 lawyers licensed in the state, which is part of Bradley's strategic plan to prioritize high-quality, high-value legal services for its clients in Texas and beyond.

About Bradley

Bradley combines skilled legal counsel with exceptional client service and unwavering integrity to assist a diverse range of corporate and individual clients in achieving their business goals. With offices in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and the District of Columbia, the firm's more than 600 lawyers represent regional, national and international clients in various industries, including banking and financial services, construction, energy, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, and technology, among many others.

Contact: Vivian Hood

904.220.1915

[email protected]

Social Media: @bradleylegal, #legalnews, #lawyers

SOURCE Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center joins Caris' extensive network of leading cancer institutions committed to utilizing clinical data to advance patient care and outcomes

IRVING, Texas, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences(Caris), the leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize healthcare, announced today that Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center has joined the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance (POA). The POA is a growing network of leading cancer centers across the globe that collaborate to advance precision oncology and biomarker-driven research. POA members work together to establish and optimize standards of care for molecular testing through innovative research focused on predictive and prognostic markers that improve the clinical outcomes for cancer patients.

Established in 1992, the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center is Indiana's sole National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center. Its nearly 300 researchers conduct all phases of cancer research, from laboratory studies to clinical trials to population-based studies that address environmental and behavioral factors that contribute to cancer.

"We are proud to become a member of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance," said Kelvin Lee, M.D., director of the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. "We are eager to collaborate with many of the nation's leading cancer centers on precision oncology research as we all work together to improve patient outcomes."

The IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center conducted the ground-breaking work that led to the 95 percent cure rate for testicular cancer and pioneered lifesaving cord blood transplantation. The center has more than 130,000 adult outpatient visits each year, offers more than 300 active clinical trials at any time, and provides training for nearly 2,000 students, residents, and fellows every year.

"We are delighted to welcome IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center to the growing Precision Oncology Alliance network," said Chadi Nabhan, M.D., MBA, FACP, Chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance. "The research, innovation, and patient-centric care that IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center clinicians and researchers lead are aligned with the POA vision of improving the outcomes of all patients affected with cancer. Together, we will be stronger, and do better."

The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance includes 71 cancer centers and academic institutions. These institutions have early access to the extensive database and artificial intelligence platform within Caris to establish evidence-based standards for cancer profiling and molecular testing in oncology. By leveraging the comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling available through Caris molecular profiling, Caris seeks to provide this network with the ability to prioritize therapeutic options and determine which clinical trial opportunities may benefit their patients. POA members are also able to integrate with a growing portfolio of biomarker directed trials sponsored by biopharma. Additionally, as a member of the POA, institutions have access to Caris CODEai, the most comprehensive data solution in the industry with cancer treatment information and clinical outcomes data for over 275,000 patients covering over 1 million data points per patient.

About Caris Life Sciences

Caris Life Sciences (Caris) is the leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize healthcare and improve patient outcomes. Through comprehensive molecular profiling (Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing) and the application of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms, Caris has created the large-scale clinico-genomic database and cognitive computing needed to analyze and unravel the molecular complexity of disease. This information provides an unmatched resource and the ideal path forward to conduct the basic, fundamental research to accelerate discovery for detection, diagnosis, monitoring, therapy selection and drug development to improve the human condition.

With a primary focus on cancer, Caris' suite of market-leading molecular profiling offerings assesses DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular blueprint that helps patients, physicians and researchers better detect, diagnose and treat patients. Caris' latest advancement is a blood-based, circulating nucleic acids sequencing (cNAS) assay that combines comprehensive molecular analysis (Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing from blood) and serial monitoring  making it the most powerful liquid biopsy assay ever developed.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris has offices in Phoenix, New York, Denver, Tokyo, Japan and Basel, Switzerland. Caris provides services throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit CarisLifeSciences.com or follow us on Twitter (@CarisLS).

About IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center

The Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center is Indiana's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and one of only 53 in the nation. The comprehensive designation recognizes the center's excellence in basic, clinical, and population research, outstanding educational activities, and effective community outreach program across the state. It is also home to the world's only healthy breast tissue bank and the Center for Global Oncology and Health Equity, and it serves as the central hub for cancer research and education across Indiana University. To learn more, visit IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Caris Life Sciences Media Contact:

Lisa Burgner

[email protected]

214.294.5606

IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center Media Contact:

Michael Schug

Communications Director

[email protected]

317.278.0953

SOURCE Caris Life Sciences
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CHIRLA in partnership with over 150 immigrant rights organizations locally and nationwide boost mobilization efforts to urge Congress for bipartisan support to update the Immigration Registry.

WHO: CHIRLA, CARECEN, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and others.



WHAT: Rally in Los Angeles, CA, and hold actions throughout the state to support legislation to expand a pathway to permanency for millions of long-term U.S. residents. The Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929 would update the existing Registry statute so that an immigrant may qualify for lawful permanent resident status if they have lived in the U.S. for at least seven years and are of "good moral character."



WHEN: Wednesday, September 28 at 10:00 a.m.



WHERE: Edward Roybal Federal Building, 225 E. Temple St.,

Los Angeles, CA 90012



WHY: Our outdated immigration system has impacted millions of people and has held the American economy hostage, especially as we emerge out of a devastating pandemic. A bill that updates the Registry cutoff date for the first time in more than 35 years and will allow immigrants to apply for legal permanent residency. This revision will impact up to 8 million immigrants, many of whom have been living, working, and contributing to the United States for decades, putting them on a path to citizenship. Earlier this year, House Representative Zoe Lofgren along with other members of the House introduced HR8433 in support of a registry update. For far too long, immigrants who consistently and continually contribute to our communities and our economy have been kept in the shadows in legal limbo.Updating this historically-bipartisan provision would contribute approximately $83 billion to the U.S. economy annually and $27 billion in taxes, according to FWD.us.

Media Contact:

Los Angeles

Hilda Delgado

Phone: (213) 700-3142

E-mail: [email protected]

Organization website: www.chirla.org

Contacts for Northern California Events

San Francisco.

CARECEN SF and SF partners will meet with Senator Padilla's state staff at 1:30 pm PT to discuss the Registry bill. Partners will also deliver a postcard or a key to the staff.

Point of contact:

Juan Rivera | CARECEN - SF

[email protected]

Sacramento.

CARECEN, CHIRLA and partners will meet with Senator Padilla's state staff at 11:00 am to

deliver a thank you.

Point of contact:

Eva Jimenez | CHIRLA

559-750-2814

Fresno.

CHIRLA and partners will deliver a postcard or key at 10 am PT to the Senator's state staff.

Point of contact:

Gloria Vallin | CHIRLA

559-837-3359

SOURCE CHIRLA
avaloncollegeconnector.com

NEWTON, Mass., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- College admission is on the threshold of major change. So says education industry expert Neil Chyten, as he prepares to release phase one of his Avalon College Connector software (avaloncollegeconnector.com. According to Chyten, founder of Avalon Admission, the field of college candidates is now mixed between those who do and do not submit SAT or ACT scores. The result is that competition has intensified, and alternative admission factors have increased in importance. "This is exactly why I built the Avalon College Connector, which uses 29 factors to identify, predict, and enhance the likelihood of success at America's top colleges." According to Chyten, "The Avalon College Connector is the most detailed and accurate predictor of success at America's top colleges, and Avalon is pleased to give it away 100% for free."

"This is amazing," said one student recently while at the Avalon Admission located in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. "Now I know how close I am to getting into my dream school, UPenn!"

College Admission Software Identifies, Predicts, and Enhances Admission Opportunities at Top US Colleges Tweet this

At Avalon, top US college admission begins with students filling out the Avalon College Connector surveys. The first survey is very brief, taking only five minutes, and leads to an initial college list based mainly on personal preferences. The second, called the Avalon Success Predictor, is far more detailed and leads to a calculation of likely admission success at 100 top colleges based on 22 additional factors.

"From there," says Chyten, "students get their own individualized plan for success. We know what top colleges are looking for, and create personalized plans based on that knowledge." If history portends the future, Avalon students will be hugely successful. Over more than 38 years in the industry, more than 3000 students from Chyten's companies have received admission offers from Ivy League and other top US and International colleges such as Williams, MIT, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, Oxford, McGill, U Toronto, and many others.

But why the name? Why Avalon? "I chose the name 'Avalon' because it represents a place where miracles happen. I am fortunate that in my work as an education entrepreneur and counselor, I have seen thousands of miracles happen." But Chyten says that in this modern world, unlike the Arthurian world of Avalon, Avalon will draw on solid data, statistics, and multi-level strategies, rather than miracles, to ensure the success of his students.

SOURCE NC Global, Inc.
Lists Spotlight Lesser-Known Schools Worth Consideration

IOWA CITY, Iowa, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- College Raptor, the most accurate and comprehensive college search site, released its " 2023 Hidden Gem College " rankings. In its 8th year, the rankings put a spotlight on amazing colleges and universities, one in each state and Washington D.C., that students may not know about but certainly deserve consideration.

Hidden Gems offers accessibility for the more typical student base featuring high-quality, but lesser-known institutions Tweet this 2023 College Raptor Hidden Gem Colleges by State

For the 2023 Hidden Gems, College Raptor includes four new ranking categories recognizing colleges and universities that have a religious affiliation, are affordable for the middle-class population, offer a geographically diverse student body, and have robust STEM programs. The top schools in these new categories are:

Additionally, 10 new schools took the #1 spot in their states including: University of Alaska Fairbanks (AK), Western Colorado University (CO), Gallaudet University (DC), Gustavus Adolphus College (MN), William Carey University (MS), Yeshiva University (NY), Meredith College (NC), Grove City College (PA), Virginia Military Institute (VA), and University of Washington-Bothell Campus (WA).

"At College Raptor we recognize the challenges many students and families face when creating their college application lists," said William Staib, co-founder, and CEO, College Raptor. "With our 2023 Hidden Gem Colleges, we highlight colleges that students may not have heard of before. These are amazing schools and are worth exploring for academic, financial, and social fit."

Hidden Gems are comprised of National and Regional Colleges within New England , Mid-East , Southeast , Plains Region , Great Lakes Region , Rocky Mountains , Southwest , and the Far West .

"We are thrilled to be named a top school in College Raptor's Hidden Gem Colleges List," says Karen Hunt, Vice President of Enrollment Management at Luther College. "We often talk about Luther and our hometown, Decorah, Iowa as being a destination location. Ninety percent of Luther students study away or study abroad, and our student body includes citizens from more than 60 countries and 48 states. We are happy that College Raptor has confirmed our status as a gem of Iowa and the Great Plains Region!"

The Hidden Gem Colleges are the highest-rated schools in College Raptor's 2023 Best Colleges rankings that have fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students, have a 10% or higher acceptance rate, offer five or more unique majors, and receive fewer than 5,000 applications per year.

View the complete College Raptor 2023 Hidden Gems Colleges rankings.

About College Raptor

College Raptor is the most accurate and comprehensive college search site with tools to empower students, parents, counselors, and colleges with college planning. College Raptor is the only college search platform that enables students and families to discover quality, affordable college options based on personalized estimates of financial aid, scholarships, academic match, and acceptance odds at every 4-year college in the country. More than 25 million students and families have used College Raptor to find cost-effective, academically appropriate college options that prepare them for future careers. For more information, visit CollegeRaptor.com .

Media Contact

Liz Robinson

[email protected]

(508) 733-2447

SOURCE College Raptor
YARDLEY, Pa., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CCK) will release its earnings for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022 after the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, October 24, 2022. The Company will hold a conference call to discuss these results at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) on Tuesday, October 25, 2022.

The dial-in numbers for the conference call are (630) 395-0194 or toll-free (888) 324-8108 and the access password is "packaging". A replay of the conference call will be available for a one-week period ending at midnight on November 1, 2022. The telephone numbers for the replay are (203) 369-3827 or toll free (800) 814-6746. A live webcast of the call will be made available to the public on the internet at the Company's website, www.crowncork.com.

Crown Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products to consumer marketing companies, as well as transit and protective packaging products, equipment and services to a broad range of end markets. World headquarters are located in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

For more information, contact Corporate Communications at (215) 602-2653.

SOURCE Crown Holdings, Inc.
A Partnership Between Industry Experts to Convert Heat Waste to Power in the Oil and Gas Industry

DENVER and FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Transitional Energy, a geothermal technology and development company, and Georgia-based ElectraTherm, Inc. announce that they have signed a Letter of Intent to partner to convert heat waste to power in the oil and gas industry. This announcement builds upon the successful pilot operation of Transitional Energy's Sedna Sled Geothermal System earlier this year at an oilfield located in rural Nevada. That system included ElectraTherm's Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) equipment.

The oil and gas industry produces millions of megawatts of thermal energy in the form of hot oil, gas, and water from wellbores across the United States. This heat is dissipated at the surface or is cooled off with industrial chillers prior to entering pipelines. Transitional Energy is deploying a proprietary system utilizing ElecraTherm's ORC equipment to generate power from this thermal energy.

Transitional Energy, a majority women-owned company, was founded in Colorado and is focused on developing low temperature geothermal resources from the oil and gas industry. Leveraging the team's oilfield experience, Transitional Energy has a market ready solution for oil and gas companies looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, chill produce fluids, and power their operations with 100% renewable energy.

"We value collaboration at Transitional Energy and working more strategically with ElectraTherm will allow us to bring greater value to our customers. We believe integration of ideas will be the solution to energy insecurity and emission reductions," said Salina Derichsweiler, CEO of Transitional Energy.

ElectraTherm provides industry leading heat recovery solutions utilizing ORC equipment along with proprietary technologies to convert sources of low temperature heat into clean electricity. Established in 2005 and supported by Bitzer SE, the world's largest independent manufacturer of refrigeration compressors, ElectraTherm is able to continuously develop and refine ORC heat recovery solutions. Having shipped over 100 ORC systems to over 13 countries and achieving over 2 million hours of operation, they are a global leader in low-temperature waste heat recovery.

"ElectraTherm is proud to be a part of Transitional Energy's strong value proposition to the O&G market. Using co-produced fluids to create continuous, carbon-free, renewable energy is a clear win-win for operators looking to offset their carbon footprint in a way that makes strong business sense," said Matt Lish, Managing Director of ElectraTherm.

About Transitional Energy

Transitional Energy, based in Denver, Colorado, is the first majority women-owned geothermal energy developer in the United States, turning oil and gas waste streams into baseload renewable electricity. Transitional Energy's unique processes and proprietary technology will permit the company to develop geothermal energy in lower-temperature zones. Transitional Energy leverages a combined 100 years of experience in oil and gas and a deep understanding of subsurface geology to integrate into existing well pad operations while providing a service that allows operators to produce a hybrid energy source that reduces their carbon footprint and generates renewable energy for the grid. Learn more at www.transitionalenergy.us

About ElectraTherm

Headquartered in Flowery Branch, Georgia, ElectraTherm provides industry-leading heat recovery solutions utilizing the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) along with proprietary technologies to convert sources of low temperature heat  such as waste heat and micro geothermal  into clean electricity. Our simple and effective solutions use hot water as fuel  increasing energy efficiency, reducing operating costs, and decreasing overall emissions  with no additional fuel consumption or emissions. Our commercially proven low temperature ORC systems utilize heat sources as low as 70C to generate up to 300 kWe of clean electricity. Learn more at www.electratherm.com

CONTACT:

Ashley Edge, ElectraTherm | [email protected] |+1 678-267-7620

Johanna Ostrum, Transitional Energy | [email protected] | +1 406-690-4849

SOURCE ElectraTherm and Transitional Energy
NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.; OTC: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow that drive the majority of global economy (sometimes called SMEs), has acquired SOtechnology ('SOtech'), an award-winning digital agency based in the UK.

SOtech delivers award-winning design, development and digital experience to global clients. As part of its strategic relationship with Dent Global accelerator, SOtech brings proven solutions to start-up and mid-market enterprises advancing eCommerce, eLearning, client portal and app development. For example, SOtech's clients range from Salvo1968 (UKs largest Italian food wholesaler) to Bernhardt Design (US-based furniture manufacturer and supplier) and Leading Edge Only (a global innovation portal), always delivering the tailored approach of Strategy + Creative + Tech to solve problems.

"Simple ain't easy, especially when it comes to business' digital voice" said Peter B. Ritz, co-founder and CEO of FatBrain, echoing Thelonious Monk. "The deluge of data in the age of AI and Web3 demands greater personalization and simplified customer experience. SOtech's design automation enables FatBrain's global SMEs and subscribers to realize simple, uncomplicated experiences to tell their tailored brand stories."

"With every client, we aim to understand their business and long-term ambitions so we can help them to articulate their product or service effectively to their target customers, while also providing the right technology solutions to enable them to scale at speed," said Mark Purdy, Managing Director, SOtech.

This release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of offers to buy any securities of any entity. This release contains certain forward-looking statements based on our current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof. Our actual results may differ materially from those stated or implied in such forward-looking statements, due to risks and uncertainties associated with our business, which include the risk factors disclosed in our Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 13, 2022. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions, or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," and "would" or similar words. All forecasts provided by management in this release are based on information available at this time and management expects that internal projections and expectations may change over time. In addition, the forecasts are based entirely on management's best estimate of our future financial performance given our current contracts, current backlog of opportunities and conversations with new and existing customers about our products and services. We assume no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) :

FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.; OTC: LZGI) provides powerful and easy-to-use AI solutions to empower the star enterprises of tomorrow (aka mSMEs) to grow, innovate, and drive the majority of the global economy. FatBrain's AI 2.0 technologies and advanced data services transform continuous learning, narrative reasoning, cloud and blockchain technologies into auditable, explainable and easy to integrate AI solutions. FatBrain's subscription model allows all companies to deploy its advanced AI solutions quickly and easily, securely utilizing them on premises behind their firewalls or via cloud.

For more information, please visit: https://www.fatbrain.ai.

About SOtech :

SOtechnology has been helping business clients go digital since 2007. After combining forces with Dent Global in 2014, SOtech expanded into full service digital transformation comprising strategy, design and development. SOtech was recognized globally in 2017 at the Magento Imagine Conference in Las Vegas and won best website design at the Drum Design Awards the same year. Since then, SOtech has been recognized at the eCommerce awards London in 2019 and 2020, named in the top 40 eCommerce agencies in Retail Today in 2020, and listed as a finalist in the UK Dev Awards in 2021. SOtech continues to deliver results to its their clients with a talented team of strategists, creatives and engineers enabling online experiences through technology, design and storytelling.

For more information, please visit: https://sotechnology.co.uk/.

SOURCE LZG International, Inc.
Given the rising need for rigid containers in the food business, the global market for food clamshells is anticipated to expand throughout the forecast timeline

The food clamshells market is anticipated to be driven by advances in intelligent packaging, which is anticipated to stay

WILMINGTON, Del., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2021, the value of global food clamshells market was clocked at US$ 1.5 Bn. Market study on stock clamshell packaging estimate the market to rise at 4.5% CAGR during the forecast period, from 2022 to 2030. By 2030, the global food clamshells market is expected to touch US$ 2.3 Bn. Due to the rising demand for dependable and secured rigid packaging containers in the food business, the global market for food clamshells is expanding at a steady rate. Food goods must be protected from the outside environment during storage and transit. Demand for clamshells in retail food packaging is also increasing as a result of this.

End customers are becoming more and more interested in the availability of paper and paperboard clamshells since it allays their concerns about sustainability. With the aid of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, producers in the global food clamshells market are concentrating on developing creative packaging options for food products. In order to diversify their income streams, food clamshell manufacturers & wholesalers can take advantage of incremental possibilities by creating intelligent packaging solutions.

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Key Findings of Market Report

Food clamshells are used to package items including frozen foods, vegetables, fruits, salads, bakery goods, and sandwiches. Clamshell containers for food are lightweight and affordable. Food clamshells are becoming more and more common in the packaging sector owing to their many benefits, including resealability, usability, and contamination prevention.

As disposable income rises and people lead busier lifestyles, ready-to-eat food items and convenience meals are getting more and more popular, which is expected to drive demand for custom clamshell packaging supplier. Due to the phenomenal growth in the working population, eating patterns in metropolitan regions are changing. The World Bank Group reports that about 65% of the overall population lives in urban areas. Due to the rise in popularity of packaged foods, this is anticipated to raise demand for food clamshells. Food clamshells are a popular option for food packaging due to their simplicity of use.

The global food clamshells market is anticipated to grow due to of technological advancements in packaging equipment. Manufacturers of plastic punnets can benefit greatly from the development of high-speed forming and packing equipment. The use of artificial intelligence and robotics (AI) in packaging is expected to increase the range of potential applications for punnets in the long run.

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Global Food Clamshells Market: Growth Drivers

Food clamshells are increasingly using RFID labels and QR codes since they make product tracing and tracking simple. In the food clamshells industry, intelligent packaging is anticipated to progress further. These techniques encourage product distinctiveness, which directly affects a product's shelf appeal. These factors are likely to bolster growth of the global food clamshells market in the years to come.

Global Food Clamshells Market: Key Players

Some of the key market players are

Klockner Pentaplast GmbH Co. & KG

Placon Corporation Inc.

Smurfit Kappa Group plc

Novolex Company

International Paper Company

Sonoco Products Company

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Global Food Clamshells Market: Segmentation

Material Type

Plastic

Paper & Paperboard

Product Type

Mock Clamshells

2-piece Clamshells

Tri-fold Clamshells

Application

Fruits & Vegetables

Ready-to-eat Food

Bakery & Confectionery

Frozen Food

Others

Packaging Research Reports

Paper & Paperboard Trays Market - Paper And Paperboard Trays Market is projected to rise from a valuation of US$4,444.3 Mn in 2017 to reach a valuation of US$5,893.9 Mn by 2022 end. The market is forecast to clock a CAGR of 5.8% from 2017 to 2022.

Paper Straws Market - paper straws market is anticipated to exceed the value of US$ 5.2 Bn by 2028, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2022 to 2028.

Poly Coated Paper Market - Poly Coated Paper Market is expected to cross the value of US$ 29.9 Bn by the end of 2031, estimated to expand at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2021 to 2031.

Flexible Packaging Paper Market - flexible packaging paper market is expected to reach the value of US$ 65.2 Bn by the end of 2029, It is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2022 to 2029.

Inverted Pouches Market - Inverted Pouches Market is expected to reach the value of US$19.3 Mn By the End of 2027, it is Estimated to expand at a CAGR 7% From 2019  2027.

Retort Pouches Market - Retort Pouches Market is expected to reach the value of US$ 1456.8 Mn By the End of 2025, it is Estimated to expand at a CAGR 6.5% By 2025.

Mulch Films Market - Mulch Films Market was valued at US$ 5 Bn in 2021 It is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2022 to 2026

Rigid Plastic Packaging Market - Rigid Plastic Packaging Market was valued at US$ 174.3 Bn in 2021. It is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2022 to 2029

About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, is a global market research company providing custom research and consulting services. TMR provides in-depth insights into factors governing demand in the market. It divulges opportunities across various segments based on Source, Application, Sales Channel, and End-Use that will favor growth in the market over the next 9 years.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

For More Research Insights on Leading Industries, Visit our YouTube channel 

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Transparency Market Research Inc.

CORPORATE HEADQUARTER DOWNTOWN,

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Suite 1200, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USA

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GID, a real estate owner and fiduciary that invests in multiple asset classes, is proud to announce a joint venture partnership with Hanover Company to develop Hanover Turtle Creek, a 21-story tower located in Uptown Dallas.

Located north of Dallas' Uptown in the affluent neighborhood of Turtle Creek, the property is walkable to parks, trails and greenspace and only a short distance from restaurants, retail and nightlife of Uptown Dallas.

The tower will be the first phase of a two-tower development and will consist of 341 market-rate units, featuring an expansive rooftop pool and amenity deck with unobstructed views of the Dallas skyline.

To learn more about GID, visit www.gid.com.

GID is a privately held, vertically-integrated real estate company that owns and operates a portfolio of multifamily and industrial assets, as well as develops mixed-use projects. With corporate offices in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, New York City, and San Francisco, GID is an experienced real estate private equity investor and manager supported by an integrated operating platform and has 60+ years of experience across multiple asset classes. GID's existing and under-development properties are valued at over $28.5 billion as of June 30, 2022.

The current portfolio includes over 48,000 residential units, more than 21 million square feet of industrial space, and one million square feet of retail and office space. More information is available at www.gid.com.

SOURCE GID Real Estate
DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

, 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 . 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/m0wb0x

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Big Labor scores "aggressive" victories in five states.

Commonwealth Foundation report chronicles the status of labor laws in all 50 states.

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's four largest government unions lost almost 219,000 members combined after the U.S. Supreme Court ended forced unionism for government workers in Janus v. AFSCME (2018), according to a new report released today by the Commonwealth Foundation.

The unions lost nearly 380,000 fee-paying members immediately following the Janus, with a "net loss of nearly 219,000 union members between 2017 (right before the Janus ruling) and 2021," according to the report. "Though the major national government unions have re-gained ground, they are still working against an historic decline lately exacerbated by Janus."

While membership may have fallen dramatically, government unions have only increased their political clout in several states, according to a Commonwealth Foundation analysis of the labor law landscape in all 50 states. Union executives and pro-union lawmakers have erected new barriers in several states to make it difficult for government workers to decline membership, and they are mounting "aggressive campaigns to unionize new workers."

In the wake of the Supreme Court defeat, unions have scored major legislative victories that have caused five states to fall in the Commonwealth Foundation's Labor Report Card analysis since 2017. Only one state has seen its worker freedom ranking improve over that time.

"Even with the Supreme Court's Janus ruling, government union labor executives and their allies in government are not going to make it easy for public servants to break free of union control," said Commonwealth Foundation Executive Vice President Jennifer Stefano.

"Union executives have transferred vast sums of money from workers' wages to politicians who create roadblocks to worker freedom," she said. "To ensure that the promise of Janus is realized, lawmakers across the country must stand up to ensure that every civil servant has the right to choose whether or not to be associated with a unionthey should not be forced to join a union or fund their political agendas."

Scott Walker, former Governor of Wisconsin and President of Young America's Foundation, commented that "Big Labor's membership may be waning, but government union bosses continue to exert undue influence to advance policies that maintain their grip on power at the expense of workers and taxpayers. As the Commonwealth Foundation's new labor report shows, policymakers must be vigilant to safeguard worker freedom and protect individual rights to free association."

State Labor Law Status and Grades

The Commonwealth Foundation report includes state changes in government collective bargaining laws since 2020 and grades each state based on state-level laws, administrative codes, and regulations relating to public sector collective bargaining. States received an "A" through "F" letter grade. The following graph shows up-or-down changes in state grades.

CHANGES IN STATE LABOR LAW GRADES

2017 2019 2022 Oregon D F F New Mexico D D- D- Washington D F F Missouri B B C Arkansas C C A+ Virginia A+ A+ C Illinois D D- D-

Additional Findings

Twenty-four states legally require government agencies to bargain collectively with labor unions. An additional 20 states permit collective bargaining.

Twenty-seven states provide for binding arbitration, either as a mandatory measure or by union request.

Three statesFlorida, Iowa , and Wisconsinrequire incumbent government unions to go through a recertification election or process. Most government unions nationwide achieved certification in the 1960s or 1970s and have never faced an election.

, and Wisconsinrequire incumbent government unions to go through a recertification election or process. Most government unions nationwide achieved certification in the 1960s or 1970s and have never faced an election. Only two states allow multiple unions to negotiate compensation and work conditions for public sector workers.

Thirteen statestwo more since 2019now have some form of paycheck protection.

Union dues are implicitly political because they can fund ideologically partisan issues and independent expenditure committees, or SuperPACs. Four states prohibit unions from using taxpayer-funded government payroll systems to collect political contributions or funds for use on political purposes.

Twelve states require union contract negotiations to be open to the public while still generally allowing agencies to go into executive session to determine negotiation strategy.

The complete Commonwealth Foundation report, The Battle for Worker Freedom in the States, can be found here.

SOURCE Commonwealth Foundation
AAG Secures Additional Workplace Awards Including Best Workplace for Millennials.

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Great Place to Work and Fortune have honored American Advisors Group (AAG) as one of the 2022 Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance. Earning a spot means that AAG is one of the best companies to work for in the country.

The Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance award is based on analysis of survey responses from more than over 176,000 employees from Great Place to Work-Certified companies in the financial services and insurance industry

"It's an honor to be named a Great Place to Work and we are so grateful for our dedicated employees who have made us a part of this list," said Rebecca Pacillas, AAG Chief People Officer. "AAG is truly a very special place, where we do extraordinary things for seniors, so they can achieve a better retirement."

AAG is committed to building its Caring, Driven, and Ethical culture through employee engagement, competitive compensation, and professional development. AAG recently launched One AAG, an internal sharing initiative focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. One AAG invites its employees to share their real stories and experiences through internal company newsletters and discussion panels to create a space where diverse perspectives, cultures, and values are celebrated.

In 2022, AAG was endorsed for multiple corporate accolades including Best Workplace for Millennials. AAG was also recognized by Inspiring Workplaces and awarded Arizona Top Workplaces in 2022.

AAG is headquartered in Irvine California.

About the Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance

Great Place to Work selected the Best Workplaces for Financial Services & Insurance by gathering and analyzing confidential survey responses from more than 176,000 employees from Great Place to Work-Certified companies in the financial services and insurance industry. Company rankings are derived from 75 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 .

About AAG

AAG is dedicated to helping older Americans find new ways to fund a better retirement through the responsible use of home equity. As the nation's leader in reverse mortgage lending, AAG offers a suite of home equity solutions  including Home Equity Conversion Mortgages, traditional and proprietary mortgages  that are designed to give seniors a better financial outcome in retirement. AAG is a proud member of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA). To learn more about AAG and reverse mortgage loans, please visit the company's website at www.aag.com.

American Advisors Group NMLS# 9392 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). American Advisors Group (AAG) is headquartered at 18200 Von Karman Ave., Suite 300, Irvine, CA 92612. For complete disclosure information, visit https://www.aag.com/legal-information/. These materials are not from HUD or FHA and were not approved by HUD or a government agency.

Contact:

Cindy Hearn

[email protected]

(949) 466-6302

SOURCE American Advisors Group (AAG)
Plant-Based Snack Company Debuts Product Line Featuring Yellow Peas in Three Far Out Flavors

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HIPPEAS is spreading The Peas & Love with the launch of new HIPPEAS Veggie Straws in three far-out flavors: Straight Up Sea Salt, Rockin' Ranch and Sour Cream and Onion. This delicious debut represents entry into a new salty snack category and pulse base, with sustainably grown yellow peas. Yellow peas, a category of superfoods from the same family as chickpeas, are a nutrient-dense complex carbohydrate and an incredibly sustainable crop. HIPPEAS Veggie Straws are now available at Whole Foods Market stores and select retailers nationwide.

HIPPEAS Veggie Straws

HIPPEAS Veggie Straws are made from a blend of veggies including yellow peas (it's the first ingredient!), tomato, beet, spinach, and kale! With 3g of protein and 140 calories per 1oz serving, these Veggie Straws pack a punch of plant power, to keep you keepin' on. They are also Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free and vegan! HIPPEAS Veggie Straws are available in three flavors:

STRAIGHT UP SEA SALT:

We tell it like it is. Straight up sea salt, with ingredients you can actually pronounce. Nothing hidden here but good vibes.

ROCKIN' RANCH:

Let the good times roll with rockin' ranch. A drum kick of flavor that'll have your taste buds rockin' all day long.

SOUR CREAM AND ONION:

Realer than "real" cool sour cream & onion, packed with plant-based goodness.

"At HIPPEAS, we're all about 'Giving PEAs a Chance!', so we're really excited about the launch of HIPPEAS Veggie Straws and the introduction of a new plant-based snack offering featuring yellow peas," stated HIPPEAS CMO, Julia Hecht. "Yellow peas come from the same legume family as our beloved chickpea and provide a delicious taste and crunch experience that really elevates our Veggie Straw line. Unlike the other veggie straws out there, HIPPEAS Veggie Straws are yellow pea based and contain vegetables like tomato, red beet, spinach, and kale -- not just potato starch -- plus 3 grams of protein per serving," she continued.

HIPPEAS is all about mind, body, and soil. Peas support a healthy and diverse farm by naturally keeping nutrients in the soil, where they should be! HIPPEAS yellow peas are farmed using practices like conservation tillage to improve soil erosion and crop rotations that improve soil health. Peas naturally use less fertilizer by pulling nitrogen from the air, which helps lower the brand's carbon footprint. At HIPPEAS, they believe that sustainable farming (and snacking!) is the way forward!

There's a HIPPEAS for every craving and snacking occasion. HIPPEAS Organic Chickpea Puffs come in four flavors including: Vegan White Cheddar, Nacho Vibes, Bohemian Barbecue and Sriracha Sunshine. HIPPEAS Organic Chickpea Tortilla Chips come in three flavors including: Straight Up Sea Salt, Rockin' Ranch and Sea Salt & Lime. HIPPEAS Veggie Straws come in three flavors: Straight Up Sea Salt, Rockin' Ranch and Sour Cream and Onion.

About HIPPEAS

HIPPEAS is on a mission to shake things up. HIPPEAS is calling all snackers to #GivePeasAChance while also doing good in the world. HIPPEAS Plant-Based Snacks are Non-GMO Project Verified, certified gluten-free and vegan. Pea plants release nitrogen back into the earth, so they're naturally good for the planet. True to their mantra of Peas, Love & Giving Back, HIPPEAS is proud to support local Feeding America food banks across the country by donating food and aiding in disaster relief efforts. HIPPEAS can be found at premium retailers including Whole Foods Market, Target, Wegmans, Sprouts, Stop & Shop, Shaw's, Safeway/Albertsons, Kroger, Starbucks, Amazon, Thrive Market as well as select CVS, Publix, Walmart and Costco locations. For more information, visit HIPPEAS.com and follow along on Instagram @hippeas_snacks

Media Contact:

Rachel Powell

516.314.7730

[email protected]

SOURCE HIPPEAS Plant-Based Snacks
Brooklyn Center residents given greater holistic care access as part of five-year place-based partnership

EAGAN, Minn., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hurdle Health today announced a partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) to provide free culturally responsive mental healthcare to residents of Brooklyn Center.

Traditional forms of therapy are not designed with cultural humility in mind and can perpetuate systemic barriers to accessing mental healthcare for Black, Indigenous, and communities of color. Hurdle Health was created to meet the unique needs of BIPOC communities and create a safe space where all people can feel seen, heard, and understood. Hurdle offers its care virtually to increase access and reduce the stigma of receiving mental healthcare.

Later this year, residents of Brooklyn Center will have access to culturally responsive and trauma-informed teletherapy through Hurdle Health at no cost. This effort is part of Blue Cross's five-year place-based partnership with the city of Brooklyn Center. Brooklyn Center is the second most racially diverse city in Minnesota and the only city led by a Black Mayor and City Manager. Additionally, Brooklyn Center has been disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and racial injustice, which has taken a serious toll on the physical and mental health of the community.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to serve the Brooklyn Center community. Our mental healthcare model is purpose-built to meet the needs of BIPOC residents," said Kevin Dedner, CEO of Hurdle Health. "Breaking down barriers for those seeking mental healthcare and providing therapy that puts culture and lived experience first are the first steps to building a strong community that can thrive even as it faces many challenges."

Blue Cross has made it a priority to address racial and health inequities that in Minnesota are, unfortunately, some of the greatest in the nation. In 2020, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota publicly declared racism a public health crisis and pledged to address the impacts of systemic racism on the health of BIPOC communities in Minnesota.

"Trauma and systemic racism threaten the wellbeing of individuals and communities and have a direct impact on the health inequities we see in Minnesota," said Bukata Hayes, Vice President of Racial and Health Equity at Blue Cross. "Through our collaboration with Hurdle Health, we are helping to eliminate longstanding barriers to mental healthcare and ensuring that community members receive culturally responsive care rooted in dignity and trust."

The commitment to Brooklyn Center is part of Blue Cross' five-year engagement place based strategy that was selected as a community to focus on as it is the second most racially diverse city in Minnesota and the only city that is BIPOC (Black) led at the Mayor and City Manager level of leadership, is short of some infrastructure that can act as a barrier to health, is working to resolve recent high profile trauma as Daunte Wright was fatally shot by police during a traffic stop in the city in April 2021, and is part of a long-term 'Community-Centered City' collaboration effort to advance the experience of a safe, healthy, anti-racism and equitable life by people living, doing business, and visiting the city.

"Over the past two years, Brooklyn Center experienced a disproportionate impact of COVID-19 in the number of cases and deaths by BIPOC communities. Access to cultural specific mental health services are important to the City of Brooklyn Center's effort to dismantle systemic racism and disparities," said Dr. Reginald Edwards, Brooklyn Center's City Manager.

It is partnerships like this one with Blue Cross and Hurdle Health, that will push the City of Brooklyn Center towards transformative and cultural changes, that centers around people who have been historically, contemporarily, and systematically marginalized," said Latoya Turk, Manager, Office of Community Prevention, Health and Safety with the City of Brooklyn Center. "Eliminating stigma around mental health using culturally concordant care will mean healthier people and a stronger more vibrant community for all."

About Hurdle Health

Hurdle is the leading culturally intentional mental healthcare provider. With cultural humility, we create a safe space where all people can show up as they are and feel understood. Our therapists are trained to provide culturally responsive evidence-based care to individuals, couples and families of all backgrounds, with a specific focus on people of color. Hurdle has established relationships with employer groups, leading payers and strategic partners, providing access to care to more than thirty million Americans. For more information, please visit www.hurdle.health

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

For nearly 90 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (bluecrossmn.com) has supported the health, wellbeing and peace of mind of our members by striving to ensure equitable access to high quality care at an affordable price. We are on a mission to inspire change, transform care and improve health for the people and communities we serve by reinventing both ourselves and the broader system. Our more than 2.5 million members can be found in every Minnesota county, all 50 states and on four continents. As a proud nonprofit organization, we believe working to advance wellness for all Minnesotans is the greatest investment we can make.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
In 2020, iRestify lost most of its business during the pandemic, now after experiencing revenue growth of 400%, the company is expected to triple its current footprint by the end of the year.

TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iRestify, an enterprise-wide PropTech solution that provides property managers with the talent, technology, and resources to improve their building maintenance and facility operations, has been named one of Canada's top growing companies by The Globe and Mail.

When launched, iRestify's business model focused on servicing small businesses and saw steady growth, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company lost about 90% of its business.

Erifili Morfidis (left) and Charlotte Gummesson (right) launched iRestify in late 2018

"We couldn't give up," said Erifili Morfidis, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of iRestify. "Charlotte and I decided that we were not going to lose this company," she says. "We had a responsibility to our employees, maintenance teams, their families, and our shareholders to ensure that the business succeeded."

Determined to succeed, the founders shifted their focus to multifamily and commercial properties, where the technological enhancements have been limited to the leasing experience, with almost no focus on building maintenance. This proved to be the right move for iRestify and just six months after the initial pandemic shutdown, the company grew by more than 1,000%.

"iRestify provides our clients with solutions that allow them to effectively manage their assets, long-term," said Charlotte Gummesson, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of iRestify.

"iRestify's impressive technology solution and service have truly changed the landscape of building maintenance and janitorial services, said Maurice Abel, Regional Manager of Minto Group. "With iRestify, we are preparing ourselves for the future of property maintenance."

Since then, the company has experienced rapid growth and currently services and maintains over 60 million square feet of real estate for some of the top real estate management companies in North America. iRestify has also grown its staff to 65 members, with an additional 600 cleaning and maintenance experts in the field.

"Until now, property managers have not had any real innovative options to modernize the management of services in the building, so the introduction of our end-to-end solution has really been the first foray for them," said Morfidis.

About iRestify

iRestify is a leading end-to-end PropTech solution, that provides property managers with the talent, technology, and resources to improve their building maintenance and facility operations. Currently servicing more than 60 million square feet of real estate in North America, iRestify is currently expanding its US footprint to enhance the future of building operations. Learn more about iRestify's solution: www.iRestify.com.

Media Contact:

Keyta Roberson

360-914-2000

[email protected]

SOURCE iRestify
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ITC Infotech, a leading global technology services and solutions provider today announced that it has successfully completed 10 years of strategic association with Saudi National Bank (SNB), the largest commercial bank in Saudi Arabia. ITC Infotech in these years has played a pivotal role in the Bank's modernization, digital transformation, and growth journey.

Commenting on the relationship, Saleh Saleh, Group Chief Technology and Digital Officer at SNB said, "Our collaboration with ITC Infotech has been transparent from the start resulting in a fruitful and successful relationship. ITC Infotech's deep domain experience have helped leverage growth and profitability in the rapidly transforming competitive landscape. It further enriched and expanded SNB's digital capabilities that resulted in the successful delivery of a large array of technology projects. We, at SNB, strive to fulfill one of our strategic visions to be the best digital bank and we continue to be a premier financial and banking service provider in the region."

Vishal Kumar, President and Regional Head - Middle East, Africa & APAC, ITC Infotech says, "We are very pleased to have collaborated with SNB and have played a pivotal role in their digital transformation. This relationship is a testimony of our proven capabilities and experience in anchoring the Bank's growth journey and fulfilling its vision. Our association with SNB will set a benchmark in the region and with our capabilities we will be able to contribute to the digital development of the financial and banking operations in Middle East."

Over the last decade, ITC Infotech has harnessed its deep-domain expertise and capabilities to deliver best-in-class technology consulting solutions that help clients overcome challenges and accelerate growth in the Kingdom. The company will continue to stay focused and committed to empower clients meet Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.

About ITC Infotech:

ITC Infotech is a leading global technology services and solutions provider, led by Business and Technology Consulting. ITC Infotech provides business-friendly solutions to help clients succeed and be future-ready, by seamlessly bringing together digital expertise, strong industry specic alliances and the unique ability to leverage deep domain expertise from ITC Group businesses. The company provides technology solutions and services to enterprises across industries such as Banking & Financial Services, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, Travel and Hospitality, through a combination of traditional and newer business models, as a long-term sustainable partner. ITC is one of India's leading private sector companies and a diversified conglomerate with businesses spanning Consumer Goods, Hotels, Paperboards and Packaging, Agri Business and Information Technology. For more information, please visit: http://www.itcinfotech.com/

About The Saudi National Bank SNB:

The Saudi National Bank (SNB) is the largest financial institution in Saudi Arabia and one of the largest powerhouses in the region. SNB plays a vital role in supporting economic transformation in Saudi Arabia by transforming the local banking sector and catalyzing the delivery of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. Its strategy is closely aligned with the Vision's programs. SNB also leverages its position as the largest institutional and specialized financier in the Kingdom to support the Kingdom's landmark deals and mega projects. SNB's vision is to be a premier financial and banking service provider locally and regionally through the fulfilment of strategic aspirations: to be number one in revenues, number one in profit, the best in customer service, the best digital bank, and the employer of choice, and the best Shariah-compliant products service provider in the world. For more information, please visit: https://www.alahli.com/

For further information:

Priya Trivedi

[email protected]

SOURCE ITC Infotech
MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kasm Technologies announced a partnership with Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ), one of Japan's leading Internet access and comprehensive network solutions providers, to provide remote browser isolation technology for their Safous zero-trust network access (ZTNA) offering.

"Kasm Technologies is honored to provide Kasm Workspaces remote browser isolation and DevOps-enabled container streaming technology to the IIJ Safous ZTNA solution," stated Justin Travis, Co-founder and CEO of Kasm Technologies.

The Kasm Workspaces Browser Isolation technology provides industry-leading web and application isolation capabilities used by the Safous platform for zero-trust remote access services providing application-level control over corporate resources and external SaaS capabilities, eliminating browser-based threats and providing more secure access.

A real-time on-demand demo of browser isolation can be launched within your browser by visiting: https://app.kasmweb.com/#/cast/browser-isolation

Web isolation moves the risk of browsing the web outside of the enterprise. All web interactivity is executed in remote containers running in an isolated environment with only a seamless rendering user interface being sent to the user's browser. Your users will feel as if they are experiencing the web firsthand; however, since web content never directly interacts with the user's endpoint, your enterprise is protected against malware and your data remains safe.

"One of the benefits of utilizing virtual browsers is that they defend corporate networks from risky websites." As stated Miki Tanaka, Global Service Director at IIJ, "Browser Isolation provides a virtual browser that allows users to access business applications and external SaaS applications securely  even if their PCs are vulnerable. This function also prohibits users from downloading and executing malicious files that come from email, eliminating the threat of intrusion through the internet."

The partnership between Kasm and IIJ brings cutting-edge remote browser isolation technology to the existing Safous ZTNA portfolio to provide the next-generation solution for secure remote application access.

For more information on how the Safous offering protects your network from threats on the web see: https://www.safous.com/features/remote-browser-isolation-rbi/

For more information on the Kasm Technologies Browser Isolation Technology see: https://www.kasmweb.com/browser-isolation

ABOUT KASM WORKSPACES

Kasm Workspaces is revolutionizing how businesses deliver digital workspaces using open-source web-native container streaming technology for modern devops delivery of remote workloads to the web browser. Kasm is changing remote work using our open-source web-native container streaming technology to establish a modern devops delivery of Desktop as a Service (DaaS), application streaming, and browser isolation. Workspaces uses our KasmVNC open-source, secure, efficient, web-native rendering technology. Kasm is a highly configurable platform with a robust developer API that can be customized for any workload, at any scale.

ABOUT IIJ

Founded in 1992, Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ) is one of Japan's leading Internet-access and comprehensive network solutions providers. IIJ and its group companies provide total network solutions that mainly cater to high-end corporate customers. IIJ's services include high-quality Internet connectivity services, system integration, cloud computing services, security services and mobile services.

SOURCE Kasm Technologies
NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Technavio has been monitoring the Logistics Market in Thailand, operating under the industrials industry. The report estimates the market to register an incremental growth of USD 8.89 bn, at a CAGR of 4.95% during the forecast period.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Logistics Market in Thailand

The report offers an up-to-date analysis of the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Competitors have to focus on differentiating their product offerings with unique value propositions to strengthen their foothold in the market.

Market vendors also have to leverage the existing growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. CMA CGM Group, Deutsche Post AG, Kerry Logistics Network Ltd., MON Logistics Group Co. Ltd., SCG Logistics Management Co. Ltd., Schenker AG, Unithai Group, WICE Logistics Public Company Ltd., Yamato Unyu, and YUSEN LOGISTICS CO. LTD. are among some of the major market participants. Request the Latest Free sample report.

The growing e-commerce has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, Increased lead time and supply-demand imbalance might hamper the market growth.

Logistics Market in Thailand Segmentation

Thailand's manufacturing sector will significantly increase its market share in logistics. The main driver behind the integration of industrial robots into corporate processes is the expanding manufacturers' need to boost productivity. This demand is predicted to have a favorable impact on the segment under consideration throughout the same period.

End-user

Manufacturing



Automotive



Retail



Healthcare



Others

Market Landscape

Transportation



Inventory Holding



Administration

Logistics Market in Thailand Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The logistics market in Thailand report covers the following areas:

Logistics Market in Thailand Size

Logistics Market in Thailand Trends

Trends Logistics Market in Thailand Industry Analysis

This study identifies the use of blockchain in logistics as one of the prime reasons driving the Logistics Market in Thailand's growth during the next few years. Buy Sample Report.

Logistics Market in Thailand Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will assist the logistics market in Thailand's growth during the next five years

growth during the next five years Estimation of the logistics market in Thailand size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the logistics market in Thailand

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of the logistics market in Thailand

To know additional highlights and key points on various market segments and their impact in coming years, Download Sample Report.

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Same Day Delivery Market by End-user, Service, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The same-day delivery market share is expected to increase by USD 14.53 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 21.04%.

Logistics Market Scope in Thailand Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4.95% Market growth 2022-2026 $8.89 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 3.90 Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive Strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled CMA CGM Group, Deutsche Post AG, Kerry Logistics Network Ltd., MON Logistics Group Co. Ltd., SCG Logistics Management Co. Ltd., Schenker AG, Unithai Group, WICE Logistics Public Company Ltd., Yamato Unyu, and YUSEN LOGISTICS CO. 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.

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2021

Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026

Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by End-user

Market segments

Comparison by End-user

Manufacturing - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Automotive - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Retail - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Market opportunity by End-user

Market Segmentation by Function

Market segments

Comparison by Function

Transportation - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Inventory holding - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Administration - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Market opportunity by Function

Customer landscape

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

CMA CGM Group

Deutsche Post AG

Kerry Logistics Network Ltd.

MON Logistics Group Co. Ltd.

SCG Logistics Management Co. Ltd.

Schenker AG

Unithai Group

WICE Logistics Public Company Ltd.

Yamato Unyu

YUSEN LOGISTICS CO. LTD.

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

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.

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Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
As Part of the Manzanita Sol, Pepsi Real Sugar, and Crush Celebrar Y Recordar Campaign Dedicated to the Traditional Mexican Celebration, Fans Can Enter To Win a $100 Gift Card for Their Local Grocery Store Towards Their Holiday Festivities

PURCHASE, N.Y., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Manzanita Sol, the refreshing and beloved Mexican apple flavored soda from PepsiCo, is kicking off Dia de los Muertos celebrations with the launch of its Celebrar y Recordar campaign - an ode to remembering and honoring loved ones - with limited-edition packaging and $25,000 in grocery giveaways total towards families' holiday feasts thanks to Manzanita Sol, Pepsi Real Sugar, and Crush.

Manzanita Sol is kicking off Dia de los Muertos celebrations with the launch of its Celebrar y Recordar campaign with $25,000 in grocery giveaways for fans and limited-edition packaging for Manzanita Sol, Pepsi Real Sugar, and Crush.

As fans prepare traditional recipes and ofrendas for Dia de los Muertos, Manzanita Sol wants to help fans make this year's celebrations the biggest yet with $100 gift cards across five major cities. Consumers who seek out and share photos of the limited-edition bottles of Manzanita Sol, Pepsi Real Sugar, or Crush available exclusively at select retailers can enter to win one of 250 gift cards to support their Dia de los Muertos festivities.

"Manzanita Sol represents a taste of home for so many and this year, we wanted to support fans' Dia de los Muertos celebrations with our limited-edition packaging spotlighting the culture and significance of this iconic holiday. Dia de los Muertos is all about traditions and by covering groceries for our fans, we want to make it even easier for them to make their favorite family recipes for the day," said Esperanza Teasdale, PepsiCo Multicultural Vice President & General Manager.

The brand tapped Mexican artist Totoi Semerena to design the limited-edition packaging for Manzanita Sol, Pepsi Real Sugar, and Crush. The Yucatan-born illustrator captured the vibrancy of the holiday with three new designs featuring celebrated Dia de los Muertos icons including Xoloitzcuintli, revered as the spirit guide to the kingdom of the dead, La Catrina, one of the strongest and most recognizable symbols representing the relationship Mexicans have with death, and La Calavera, or skeleton, a playful symbol of life after death.

Fans in Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, and Dallas have until November 3 to enter by posting a photo of their limited-edition Manzanita Sol, Pepsi Real Sugar or Crush on Twitter with #ManzanitaSol #Sweepstakes and @ManzanitaSolUS, or by submitting their photo via ManzanitaSolDDLM.Fooji.com, for a chance to win a $100 gift card to their local grocery retailer. Participating retailers based on city, include:

Los Angeles - El Super and Superior

- El Super and Superior Chicago - Cermak Fresh

- Phoenix - Fry's

- Fry's Houston / Dallas - HEB

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Sweepstakes begins at 12 AM ET on 9/28/22 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on 11/3/22. Open to legal residents of Los Angeles, CA, Chicago, IL, Dallas, TX, Houston, TX or Phoenix, AZ who are 18 years or older at the time of registration/entry. Full rules and regulations can be found here.

The limited-edition packaging is available now at select stores in 20oz, 2L bottles and 12 pack 12oz cans across Manzanita Sol, Pepsi Real Sugar, and Crush Orange, Grapefruit, and Strawberry products.

ABOUT MANZANITA SOL

Manzanita Sol is a delicious, lightly carbonated apple soda bursting with juicy red apple flavor that'll make your taste buds dance. The crisp, refreshing flavor is from real apple juice and tastes great with a meal or when quenching your thirst. Manzanita Sol will liven up your day and is a refreshingly different alternative to other flavored sodas.

ABOUT CRUSH

As the original orange soda, Crush has a long history of delighting flavor-loving soda drinkers with an exciting rush of fruit, flavor, and fun in every sip. When it comes to creating playful memories with bold and exciting fruit flavor, no soft drink satisfies quite like a Crush. Available in a wide range of crowd-pleasing fruity flavors, Crush will shock your senses with a sweet burst of flavor no matter which one you choose.

ABOUT PEPSICO

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com , and follow on Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

SOURCE PepsiCo Beverages North America
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Media accreditation is open for the launch of the next commercial resupply services mission to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.

Northrop Grumman is targeting liftoff of its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft no earlier than 5:50 a.m. EST, Nov. 6, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia.

Both U.S. and international media may apply for credentials to cover the pre-launch and launch activities at Wallops. The application deadline for media who are U.S. citizens is Friday, Oct. 28. International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. All media, as described in the NASA accreditation policy, must send their accreditation request to Keith Koehler at: [email protected].

Each resupply mission to the station delivers scientific investigations in the areas of biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations.

Highlights of space station research facilitated by delivery aboard this Cygnus are:

a facility and study that attempt to advance 3D biological printing of human tissue in space

a study taking advantage of microgravity to better understand catastrophic mudflows that can occur after wildfires

Uganda and Zimbabwe's first satellites developed as a part of the BIRDS program, an interdisciplinary project for non-space faring countries

and first satellites developed as a part of the BIRDS program, an interdisciplinary project for non-space faring countries an investigation into how microgravity influences ovary function

an experiment that studies if changes space-grown plants undergo to adapt to microgravity can be transmitted through seeds to the next generation

Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver critical scientific research to the space station, significantly increasing NASA's ability to conduct new investigations aboard humanity's laboratory in space.

Learn more about Northrop Grumman's commercial resupply missions at:

https://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman

SOURCE NASA
Revolving Funding Pool Will Support Programs Run by UNICEF's Generation Unlimited

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Newday Impact, a San Francisco-based asset management and financial technology company that applies proprietary fundamental research to ESG investing, today launched a Sustainable Development Goals ETF (NYSE: SDGS) that will dedicate 10% of revenues to global youth education and skills development programs.

The new exchange traded fund builds on Newday's five years of impact investing and strong relationships with grassroots, nonprofit organizations. It also continues Newday's commitment to contribute a portion of revenues to its nonprofit partners.

The Newday Sustainable Development Equity ETF seeks long-term capital appreciation through investments in companies aligned with Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles as well as United Nations Sustainable Development Goals*, with a focus on impact issues that most directly affect environmental health. At least 80% of portfolio constituents are making material, measurable, positive impacts upon one or more sustainable development themes.

Every company in the portfolio has a connection to sustainable development based on proven ESG ratings and scoring systems and has been evaluated with a rigorous analysis of fundamentals. The fund has no holdings in companies involved in fossil fuels, armaments, gambling, tobacco, alcohol or child labor.

"The future of the world depends on sustainable development, and that in turn depends on ensuring that the adults of tomorrow will be willing and able to tackle challenges like producing enough food, ensuring clean water and combating climate change," said Doug Heske, CEO of Newday Impact. "Our new SDG exchange traded fund is the first investment vehicle that makes it possible to support both needs."

The Newday Sustainable Development Goals ETF was developed in partnership with Tidal ETF Services. For more information, visit newdayimpactetfs.com.

About Newday Impact

Newday Impact is a financial services company that provides authentic portfolios for responsibility-minded investors. Backed by insightful research and recognized community leaders, Newday Impact offers portfolios addressing the major ESG issues in the world. The company also supports its partners by donating 5% of revenue to nonprofits focused on this transformational change. Newday Impact works with family offices, institutions, investment advisors, financial services platforms, and individual investors, who want both a return on investment and community impact. For more information about Newday Impact's work and investment opportunities, email [email protected] or visit https://newdayimpact.com

*In 2015, the UN announced the Sustainable Development Goals as a call to action for countries, governments, funders, and investors to unite to accomplish 17 global goals. These goals recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth  all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. The UN has provided a framework of specific indicators to measure progress and a time frame to achieve them by 2030, both of which reinforce the urgency and crucial nature of this work.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Fund, please call (415) 935-0550 or visit our website at www.newdayimpactetfs.com. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund's portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in securities or other instruments of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks not involved in domestic investments and may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than investments in securities of U.S. companies. Financial markets in foreign countries often are not as developed, efficient, or liquid as financial markets in the United States, and therefore, the prices of non-U.S. securities and instruments can be more volatile. Currency Risk. The Fund's exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. Dollar. New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

Risk of Investing Using Sustainable Development Metrics and ESG Principles. The Fund's investment strategy limits the types and number of investment opportunities available to the Fund, and, as a result, the Fund may underperform other funds that do not primarily seek to invest in companies based on sustainable development metrics or that are screened based on ESG principals. In addition, sustainable development and ESG investing may affect the Fund's exposure to some companies or industries, and the Fund will forgo some investment opportunities because they are screened out based on the Fund's investment strategy. Further, some ESG factors are inherently subjective and subject to disagreement among investors. The market's view of what constitutes a sustainable development company may change over time.

The Funds are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

SOURCE Newday
Global talent solutions leader partners with Deployed to deliver new Services Procurement 360 management service

LONDON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global talent solutions leader Randstad Sourceright is pleased to announce its partnership with Deployed  a Scoping and Statement of Work (SOW) authoring software platform  to deliver 'Services Procurement 360', a statement of work management service that allows business leaders to strengthen the link between talent acquisition and the utilization of project-based expertise.

Global organizations are increasingly turning to external service providers to deliver projects through a combination of contingent as well as distributed teams through statements of work. Deployed's software provides the scope and services procurement digital standards to create streamlined ways of assessing maturity and enhances the ability for organizations to scope complex service requirements against predefined, dynamic scope templates.

"Randstad Sourceright is committed to transforming the way that our clients can leverage and deploy their total workforce," said Mike Smith, global CEO of Randstad Sourceright. "Our continued investment in a global services procurement center of excellence and our unique MSP 4.0 model  which offers innovation-led, technology-enabled and AI-driven workforce management services  provides customers with broader access to highly qualified professionals at a time when talent scarcity is at its highest levels."

Paul Vincent, global head of Services Procurement at Randstad Sourceright, added, "We wanted to make it much easier for organizations of all levels of maturity and ambition to benefit from a services procurement solution. We know that organizations will potentially have a different support need for different categories or levels of expenditure. So, we can now be very adaptable in allowing them to choose different and, if required, multiple combinations of support depending on where we can add the most value to their current approach."

Kayleigh Kuptz, co-founder of Deployed commented: "We're delighted to be partnering with Randstad Sourceright to deliver this innovative statement of work assessment solution. Services Procurement remains the largest opportunity in the future of work and the Global MSP market; and the ability to assess maturity, gaps and opportunities for services procurement and compare to peers is significant first step in bringing broader digitization and standardization to knowledge-based services."

Deployed is rewriting the language of work with our unique scope authoring platform for projects that start smarter and finish stronger. We believe that the Future of Work is already here, and services procurement is the most important foundation of the new Project Economy ($20 trillion of economic activity year year). Deployed partners with innovative companies who want to deliver more successful projects through better preparation of work; defining, collaborating and agreeing services in one specialized platform.

About Randstad Sourceright

Randstad Sourceright is a global talent solutions leader, driving the talent acquisition and human capital management strategies for the world's most successful employers. They empower companies by leveraging a Human Forward strategy that balances the use of innovative technologies with expert insights, supporting both organizations and people in realizing their true potential. As an operating company of Randstad N.V.  the world's leading global provider of HR services with revenue of  24.6 billion  Randstad Sourceright's subject matter experts and thought leaders around the world continuously build and evolve our solutions across recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), managed services programs (MSP) and total talent solutions.

For more information, visit http://www.randstadsourceright.com/ .

About Deployed

Deployed is project Scoping and Statement of Work authoring platform that streamlines the process of defining the work to be done for any services projects. We make work more meaningful, measurable and successful. It's a powerful, modular, no code scope and SoW template builder to allow any organization to start getting insights into services procurement demand. Backed by Microsoft Ventures and other Silicon Valley funds, they won the Melinda Gate's Female Founders Competition in 2020 and were a finalist in Tech Nation's Rising Star 4.0 Awards earlier this year.

For more information, visit www.deployed.co.

SOURCE Randstad Sourceright
The Laurel plan will open soon for tours at Villages at Arrowhead Park

PAYSON, Utah, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmond American Homes of Utah, Inc., a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC), is pleased to announce the grand opening of a brand-new, fully-furnished Laurel model home at Villages at Arrowhead Park in Payson (RichmondAmerican.com/ArrowheadPark). This charming community also offers the two-story Lightner, Liesel and Leah floor plans, each with exciting structural options and designer details.

The Laurel is one of four Richmond American floor plans available at Villages at Arrowhead Park in Payson, Utah.

Model Home Tours (RichmondAmerican.com/ArrowheadParkGO)

Prospective homebuyers and area agents are encouraged to stop by Villages at Arrowhead Park between 12 and 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 8, to tour the Laurel model and discover everything this desirable community has to offer. Complimentary lunch will be provided, and attendees can also enjoy a festive pumpkin patch.

More about Villages at Arrowhead Park:

New homes from the upper $400s

Four two-story floor plans with open main-floor layouts

3 to 6 bedrooms, approx. 2,000 to 2,360 sq. ft.

Close proximity to notable universities

Easy access to abundant outdoor recreation, such as Utah Lake, Spanish Fork Canyon and Nebo Loop

Quick move-in homes available

Those who choose to build a new home from the ground up at this community will have the opportunity to work with professional design consultants to select colors, textures, finishes and fixtures for their new living spacesa complimentary service!

Villages at Arrowhead Park is located at 1538 N. 1130 E in Payson. Call 801.545.3429 or visit RichmondAmerican.com for more information or to schedule a private appointment.

About M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.

Operating under the name Richmond American Homes, MDC's homebuilding subsidiaries have built more than 230,000 homes since 1977. Among the nation's largest homebuilders, MDC's subsidiary companies have operations in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Mortgage lending, plus insurance and title services are offered by the following MDC subsidiaries, respectively: HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDC." For more information, visit MDCHoldings.com.

SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.
School of Rock Scholar Program to provide free music education for underserved communities

CANTON, Mass., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- School of Rock , the leader in performance-based music education, announced today the launch of the School of Rock Scholar Program in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM). The program will provide access to School of Rock's performance-based music education program, live events, exhibits, and other opportunities for qualifying students in underserved communities at no cost. Applications will be open from Oct. 1 through Dec. 1, with accepted students beginning the music program in January 2023.

The Scholar Program is valued at $1,500 per season, covering 1-on-1 lessons in guitar, bass, drums, keyboards or vocals and group performance programs at participating School of Rock locations. Access to instruments and practice space will be provided to Scholar Program students. Students will also have access to exclusive experiences at NMAAM, including live events, exhibits and other opportunities.

"School of Rock is proud to partner with the National Museum of African American Music to provide students of all backgrounds and economic circumstances an opportunity to learn music," said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. "We're passionate about enriching lives through music education and this partnership with NMAAM offers even more children in our communities that experience. The School of Rock Scholar Program is an additional step towards greater diversity in our schools, and we can't wait to see how more lives are transformed through the power of music."

Family financial status is taken into consideration with preference given to students who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), or have disabilities. Other factors in consideration include ability, passion, and musical potential. Students must be between the ages of 9-13 and newly enrolling at the time of applying. Applicants must be able to participate in both weekly 1-on-1 lessons and group performance program rehearsals at the time of enrollment.

"I am thrilled for this partnership with School of Rock," said Tamar Smithers, Senior Director of Education at the National Museum of African American Music. "It will allow us to collectively impact and transform the lives of underserved and underrepresented students across the country, while also creating more diverse and equitable learning opportunities for current School of Rock staff, students, and families."

In October, students in the areas of Nashville, Tennessee, Red Bank, New Jersey, Watertown, Massachusetts, and Chicago, Illinois can submit an application for the School of Rock Scholar Program. A parent or guardian and student must complete the application, which includes questions about federal benefits and yearly household income and requires a written statement from the student. While the Scholar Program will initially debut in the foregoing cities, it will soon be rolled out to the rest of School of Rock's extensive network of school locations.

School of Rock provides students of all ages an exciting and engaging music education experience, which includes bass lessons , guitar lessons , singing lessons , drum lessons , and piano lessons . Drawing from all styles of rock and roll, School of Rock students learn theory and techniques via songs from legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz, and Led Zeppelin. Thanks to the school's performance-based approach, students around the world have gained superior musical proficiency, with some moving on to record deals and larger platforms such as American Idol, The Voice and Broadway.

About School of Rock

School of Rock helps aspiring musicians master skills, unleash creativity, and develop tools they need to thrive in life. Founded as a single school in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1998, School of Rock has become a rapidly growing international franchise with over 500 schools open and in development across 15 global markets. Since 2009, School of Rock has grown its student count from 4,000 to 55,000. School of Rock offers a wide variety of music lessons , including guitar lessons , singing lessons and piano lessons . The company also sells musical instruments and music gear through its GearSelect program. School of Rock was awarded US Patent 10,891,872 in 2021 for its innovative music education method. School of Rock also has garnered the following industry awards: 2022 and 2021 Global Franchise's Awards Best Children's Service and Education Franchise; 2022 Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Top Children's Music Enrichment Brand; 2021 Franchise Innovation Award for Most Innovative Use of Customer-Facing Digital Tools; Franchise Business Review's 2021 Top 200 Franchises and Culture 100 list; 2020 Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 200 Franchise and the #1 Child Enrichment Franchise; and 2018 Forbes # 2 Best Franchise Medium-Level Investment Award and the #1 Music Franchise in America.

Follow School of Rock on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SchoolofRockUSA and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SchoolofRockUSA .

For more information on School of Rock visit www.SchoolofRock.com or call 866-695-5515. To learn more about School of Rock franchise opportunities head to http://franchising.schoolofrock.com/

About the National Museum of African American Music

The National Museum of African American Music is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to preserving African American music traditions and celebrating the central role African Americans have played in shaping American music. Based in Nashville, Tenn., the museum shares the story of the American soundtrack by integrating history and interactive technology to honor the musical heroes of African American music of the past and the present.

For more information, please visit www.blackmusicmuseum.org . You can also follow us on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter and see all our latest videos on YouTube .

SOURCE School of Rock
Patients can pay seamlessly through eMedical Practice's medical software making it simpler and more secure for patients and practices.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sphere, a leading provider of end-to-end integrated healthcare payments and security software, and eMedical Practice (eMedical) have joined to deliver seamless payment acceptance through eMedical's software.

eMedical is an affordable integrated electronic health record (EHR) application offering telemedicine, revenue cycle management (RCM), clearinghouse, patient portal and practice management solutions that make healthcare operations simpler for everyone. It creates efficiency within medical offices and increases patient quality care.

Together, eMedical Practice and Sphere's TrustCommerce payment processing platform support a full array of in-person, e-commerce and back-office payments. Dedicated to a frictionless patient experience, practices receive white glove, personalized service tailored to the organization's needs.

"Sphere has always been committed to helping healthcare technology companies deliver seamless, integrated payment capabilities that benefit staff and patients alike," said Anthony Lucatuorto, President of Sphere. "We are proud to team up with eMedical Practice to create a solution that is innovative and designed for flexibility to meet practices unique needs."

"As an end-to-end cloud solution, we here at eMedical Practice are excited to add Sphere's services as our latest upgrade to the platform," said Omar Kazi, CMO/VP of Operations, eMedical Practice. "With Sphere's up-to-date tools, we look to offer white-glove support and a more efficient tool for a comprehensive experience that allows a more proficient solution to collections and revenue cycle management."

TrustCommerce is an end-to-end patient payments platform that provides health systems with broad payment acceptance functionality, elite-level security, and expert support throughout the payments lifecycle. The platform delivers flexibility to providers, with payment functionality centralized across a wide range of applications, including front desk, back office, online, kiosk, interactive voice response, retail, parking, pharmacy, and more.

About eMedical Practice

eMedical Practice was founded in 2008 as an ambulatory billing software positioned as a solution for the overcrowded, complex systems saturating the market at the time. Over the years, eMed has expanded into an all-inclusive medical software integrated with systems including electronic health records, practice management, revenue cycle management and patient engagement, amongst others. For more information, visit http://www.emedpractice.com.

About Sphere

Sphere is a cloud-based, vertically integrated software and payments technology company serving a variety of complex end markets with an established market leading presence in the healthcare, transportation, Ecommerce, and non-profit sectors. Sphere was formed in 2017 after a few strategic acquisitions, and today offers products and solutions to their partners and customers through Sphere's TrustCommerce, Health iPASS and Qgiv platforms.

Sphere delivers product and solutions that are trusted by more than a third of the 100 largest health systems in the US and thousands of independent medical providers across the country to facilitate and drive secure payments by having Sphere's software solutions highly integrated into clients' workflows, patient billing systems, and electronic health records. Our integrated software and payments solutions help organizations increase payment collection while delivering best in class security, compliance instruments, and a single payment stack standardized for reporting and reconciliation. Sphere also provides fundraising software solutions and tools to 8,000 nonprofits in the US and Canada and maintains key integrations in high growth verticals like insurance, parking, and transportation.

Sphere is a Waud Capital Partners private equity portfolio company, that is an innovative team comprised of payments, healthcare, and technology experts with a mission to capitalize on the acceleration and digital transformation of a fully integrated payment and software experience for our clients.

Media Contact:

Michelle Ronan Noteboom

Amendola Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Sphere
The Prince tells the story of the world's most powerful person

LONDON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today The Economist launched a new 8-episode narrative podcast called The Prince, exploring the life and rise to power of China's leader, Xi Jinping. The podcast debuts ahead of the Chinese Communist Party congress, the most important event on the country's political calendar, on October 16th in Beijing where Xi is expected to take on an unprecedented third term.

All 8 episodes of The Prince will be available on Wednesday, September 28th, and can be found here: https://econ.st/3Sz8wEI

The Prince podcast

Hosted by The Economist's China correspondent Sue-Lin Wong, The Prince podcast traces the lessons the young Xi Jinping learned from his traumatic childhood and his rise during China's boom years. The result is a compelling picture of what he learned about power and how to wield it. Ms Wong talks to people who shared Xi's background, people affected by the way he changed China, and top officials who have seen him up close. Over the past ten years, Xi Jinping has gathered enormous personal power. Now, the future of China's 1.4 billion people  and maybe world peace  hinge on the mind of this one man.

Each 40-minute episode tackles a different theme surrounding Xi, and seeks to find the answers to questions surrounding the leader including: Why did Xi retain such faith in the Communist Party even as bitter struggles tore apart his childhood? What lessons did he learn from the collapse of the Soviet Union? How did he rise through the ranks to take control of a regime on the brink of collapse? How did he build the world's most sophisticated surveillance and censorship machine? How is he exporting the brutal lessons he has learned about power politics to the rest of the world?

Correspondent Sue-Lin Wong said, "Chinese politics is a black box. Nobody at the top talks. Even ordinary people are afraid to express their opinions. Despite those challenges, I was able to gain access to fascinating people who illuminate Xi Jinping's story. I hope listeners of The Prince learn not just about Xi, but also about China and its place in the world."

Editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes said, "China's importance is hard to overstate. Yet as the rift with the West widens, understanding what is happening in China has become increasingly challenging. That is why we at The Economist have doubled down on our long-standing commitment to providing world-class coverage of China, by expanding our China team and the ambition of our journalism. The Prince podcast exemplifies that ambition. Chinese journalists making a podcast like this would risk jail. Our team has spent months cutting through the propaganda and the censorship to tell the story of the world's most powerful man in eight gripping episodes."

As part of its China expansion, The Economist has also recently launched a subscriber-only newsletter titled, "Drum Tower" , offering weekly insights and observations from inside China and the places where it seeks to extend its influence. In the coming weeks, The Economist will be launching an accompanying weekly China podcast with the same name.

The Prince sits alongside The Economist's flagship daily show, The Intelligence, and other weekly programmes including Checks and Balance, Babbage and The Economist Asks, which combined have approximately 4 million unique podcast listeners and 25 million downloads per month. Economist podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or https://www.economist.com/podcasts/ .

About The Economist (economist.com)

With a growing global audience and a reputation for insightful analysis and perspective on every aspect of world events, The Economist is one of the most widely recognised and well-read current-affairs publications in the world. In addition to the weekly print and digital editions and website, The Economist publishes Espresso, a daily news app, and Global Business Review, a bilingual English-Chinese product. It produces The Intelligence, a daily current-affairs podcast, several other weekly podcasts and short- and long-form video. The Economist maintains robust social communities on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networks.

SOURCE The Economist
TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - SoftwareReviews, a leading source for insights on the software provider landscape, has published its Product Life-Cycle Management Emotional Footprint, naming two providers as Champions.

Product Life-Cycle Management (CNW Group/SoftwareReviews)

Product life-cycle management (PLM) software assists in managing the life cycle of the product, part, or component, including conception, design, prototype, build, engineering change, and, ultimately, end-of-life. Product management is a very competitive space where leaders need reliable software to create product roadmaps, capture customer feedback, and manage tasks. The best PLM software can help with business transformation, providing the digital foundation for product development and supply chain strategies.

The Net Emotional Footprint (NEF) of each software provider is a result of aggregated emotional response ratings across the areas of service, negotiation, product impact, conflict resolution, strategy, and innovation. The NEF is a powerful indicator of overall user sentiment toward the provider and its product from the software user's point of view.

The 2022 Product Life-Cycle Management Software Champions are as follows:

Siemens Teamcenter, 81 NEF, ranked high for providing security protection.

Autodesk Fusion 360, 78 NEF, ranked high for saving time for their clients.

SoftwareReviews' comprehensive software reviews provide the most accurate and detailed view of a complicated and ever-changing market. The data comes from real end users who use the software day in and day out and IT professionals who have worked with it intimately through procurement, implementation, and maintenance.

To compare and evaluate software providers using the most in-depth and unbiased analyst reports available, visit SoftwareReviews' dedicated Product Life-Cycle Management (PLM) Software category page. For more information about SoftwareReviews, the Data Quadrant, or the Emotional Footprint, or to access resources to support the software selection process, visit softwarereviews.com and connect via LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

About SoftwareReviews

SoftwareReviews is the most in-depth source of buyer data and insights for the enterprise software market. By collecting customer experience data from business and IT professionals, the SoftwareReviews methodology produces detailed and authentic insights into the experience of evaluating and purchasing enterprise software.

SOURCE SoftwareReviews
The technology used by TUV Rheinland North America in the laboratory is state-of-the-art, with automatic Brinell hardness testers that allow parts to be tested at a speed that no other equipment can match.

WEST UNITY, Ohio, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The TUV Rheinland North America laboratory in West Unity, Ohio has reached the first milestone in its 12 month history by performing 500,000 inspections of automotive parts, including pitman arms and steering knuckles. This has been achieved thanks to the work of our certified magnetic particle inspection (MPI) technicians.

This lab was opened in September 2021 as part of TUV Rheinland's mission to provide service to customers by having one regional location for all their inspection and testing requirements.

"Achieving our first 500,000 auto parts inspections has been a hard work of the entire team, which represents the quality of our service and our commitment to making the world a safer place. This is the first step that will lead us to continue making history in North America, as well as continuing our steady growth in the region", explains Josh Irwin, Inspection Supervisor TUV Rheinland of North America.

In addition, the lab has automated Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) capabilities, which can efficiently process forgings with fast turnaround times. This process is a non-destructive testing (NDT) process to detect surface and subsurface discontinuities in ferromagnetic materials such as iron, nickel, cobalt and some of their alloys. The presence of a surface or subsurface discontinuity in the material allows magnetic flux leakage, since air cannot support as much magnetic field per unit volume as metals.

The technology used by TUV Rheinland North America in the laboratory is state-of-the-art, with automatic Brinell hardness testers that allow parts to be tested at a speed that no other equipment can match. The Brinell hardness test method, as used to determine Brinell hardness, is defined in ASTM E10.

As part of TUV Rheinland's 150th anniversary, the company is focused on continuing to reinforce its global leadership and provide excellent service to customers in each of the 60 countries where it operates. In this sense, the Ohio lab will continue to expand and develop a field services division with API 510 pressure vessel inspection, API 570 process piping inspection, API 653 storage tank inspection, AWS CWI Certified Welding Inspection, non-destructive testing in UT Ultrasonic Testing, PT Penetrant Testing, and MT Magnetic Particle Testing.

About TUV Rheinland

TUV Rheinland stands for safety and quality in virtually all areas of business and life. Founded 150 years ago, the company is one of the world's leading testing service providers with more than 20,000 employees and annual revenues of around 2 billion euros. TUV Rheinland's highly qualified experts test technical systems and products around the world, support innovations in technology and business, train people in numerous professions and certify management systems according to international standards. In doing so, the independent experts generate trust in products as well as processes across global value-adding chains and the flow of commodities. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption.

Find out more about our services here.

Contact us for press inquiries:

Joel Pekay

Telephone: +1 224 318 4098

Email: [email protected]

Mariana Taborda do Amaral

Telephone: +55 11 3514 5867

Email: [email protected]

Michael Garcia

Telephone: +52 55 9140 1824

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE TUV Rheinland
Woody Harrelson among investors in fast-growing 100% plant-based CPG company as it continues global expansion of products, retail distribution points

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As it continues unprecedented company growth to meet the demand for more flavorful plant-based foods, Wicked Kitchen announces today it has raised $20 million in additional funding, while more than tripling its year-over-year sales growth of 100% animal-free products.

Wicked Kitchen provides convenient meal solutions across multiple supermarket departments, available at Kroger stores across the country, Sprouts Farmers Market, Publix, 7-Eleven, Lazy Acres, Giant Food Stores and Wal-Mart. Wicked Kitchen is on a mission to improve the lives of humans and animals by inspiring the world to eat more plants. Products are currently in more than 6,500 retail stores across the U.S., just one year after introducing the brand to the U.S. marketplace.

New investors include actor and vegan advocate, Woody Harrelson, Ahimsa VC, a fund that invests in startups building a sustainable, humane and healthy world, and NRPT, Thailand's leading food producer and innovator. The funds will help the global consumer packaged goods company founded by chefs and brothers Chad Sarno and Derek Sarno further ramp up global brand awareness initiatives and expand retail distribution and other channels to include food service.

"I have known Chad and Derek for many years and have been impressed by their wicked creativity in the kitchen and that they are not afraid to push the boundaries," said Woody Harrelson, actor and investor in Wicked Kitchen. "What I love about this brand is that the products are actually created by chefs that always put flavor first, making it so easy to go plant-based."

The 100% animal-free CPG company is on a mission to improve the lives of humans and animals by inspiring the world to eat more plants. Products are currently in more than 6,500 retail stores across the U.S., just one year after introducing the brand to the U.S. marketplace.

"During this high growth phase, it is validating to have support from additional investors who believe in our mission and in the future of plant-based foods," said Pete Speranza, CEO, Wicked Kitchen. "This latest round of funding will help us go faster to expand our offerings in the U.S and abroad and it puts us in a well-poised position as we continue to lead plant-based innovations with flavor-forward products that appeal to vegans and omnivores alike."

Slightly more than 1-in-5 U.S. consumers are looking to reduce the amount of meat they consume  a 15% increase from last year, according to Datassential's 2022 "Plant-Forward Opportunity" report. Wicked Kitchen's wide variety of frozen and shelf-stable, chef-driven animal-free foods including noodle cups, sauces, frozen entrees, pizzas, meal kits, and ice creams offer the country's largest selection of 100% plant-based foods under a single brand providing fresh, new offerings for consumers.

Key milestones since its launch in the U.S. last year include:

Acquiring Good Catch , the premier plant-based seafood brand, expanding the company's multi-category offerings to frozen and ambient seafood products and enhancing Wicked Kitchen's expansive portfolio of meal solutions and ingredients.

, the premier plant-based seafood brand, expanding the company's multi-category offerings to frozen and ambient seafood products and enhancing Wicked Kitchen's expansive portfolio of meal solutions and ingredients. Offering new frozen food items to its U.S. product lineup, including award-winning ice creams starring the lupini bean as well as artisanal pizzas and frozen entrees with global flavors.

to its U.S. product lineup, including award-winning ice creams starring the lupini bean as well as artisanal pizzas and frozen entrees with global flavors. Launching more than 38 products at Kroger and Sprouts Farmers Market , reaching consumers at more than 2,500 stores at these two retailers alone.

, reaching consumers at more than 2,500 stores at these two retailers alone. Adding 32 products, the largest variety of plant-based items from one brand at one single retailer to date at 180 Giant Food stores in five states in Eastern U.S.

stores in five states in Eastern U.S. Launching Wicked Kitchen sauces in more than 1,200 Publix stores across the Southeastern U.S.

across the Southeastern U.S. Adding quick and convenient noodle cups to 2,000 7-Eleven stores.

stores. Distribution into 1,250 Wal-Mart stores.

stores. Developed a strategy and pipeline to supply the food service sector in the U.S. and U.K.

in the U.S. and U.K. Provided 100,000 plant-based meals to help stamp out food insecurity in key markets in the U.S. through, Support + Feed, as the non-profit's exclusive TAKE THE PLEDGE Sponsor.

"Looking over the plant-based landscape, Wicked Kitchen stands out in the crowd not only because of our tremendous growth but also because of our variety across various supermarket departments," said Speranza. "The fact that retailers are picking up multiple SKUs and some are even dedicating entire frozen door sets for our products is a testimony that they want to present customers a variety of options under a single flavor-forward, plant-based brand that has broader appeal."

In addition to expanding its footprint and offerings in the U.S., the brand launched 23 products in Finland's leading grocery retailer, S-Market, and, next month, it will introduce 17 products into Thailand's largest retailers, Tops Market and Central Food Halls.

Today through Saturday, Wicked Kitchen will be participating at Natural Products EXPO East at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 - booth #1139.

Downloadable images available here .

About Wicked Kitchen

Created by chefs and brothers Chad Sarno and Derek Sarno, Wicked Kitchen is on a mission to improve the lives of humans and animals globally by inspiring the world to eat more plants. The Sarno brothers have created a pioneering, chef-driven range of delicious 100% animal-free foods that unleash the power of vegetables. Additionally, they showcase hundreds of recipes and innovative cooking techniques to make it easy to cook delicious plant-based meals on The Wicked Kitchen YouTube channel and in several published cookbooks. Wicked Kitchen provides convenient meal solutions across multiple supermarket departments, available at Kroger stores and its banners including City Market, Dillons, Foods Co, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Gerbes, Jay C Food Store, King Soopers, Mariano's, Metro Market, Pay-Less Super Markets, Pick'n Save, QFC, Ralphs, Ruler and Smith's Food and Drug. They are also available at Sprouts Farmers Market, Publix, 7-Eleven, Lazy Acres, Giant Food Stores and Wal-Mart. Wicked Kitchen also owns Good Catch, a consumer packaged goods company offering the taste, texture, and eating experience of seafood without harming the environment and sea life. For more information, visit WickedKitchen.com. For ongoing news and updates, follow Wicked Kitchen on Facebook and Instagram.

CONTACTS:

Kate Lowery 512-657-0925  [email protected]

Cathy Cochran-Lewis 512-627-5599  [email protected]

SOURCE Wicked Kitchen
GALVESTON, Texas, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- 4IR Solutions, a global holding company focused on NMR-based, real time industrial process analyzers for a variety of industries, will be presenting at the upcoming The Gulf Coast Conference, Galveston, Texas, Oct 11-12, 2022.

GCC is oriented toward the education and advancement of knowledge of Chemical Analysis Technology associated in the Petrochemical, Refining, and Environmental fields.

Paul J. Giammatteo, Ph.D. of 4IR Solutions and Mr. Shashi Mistry of Suncor Energy will be presenting the following:

Speaker Bio

Paul J. Giammatteo, Ph.D., is VP and Chief Science Officer for 4IR Solutions, Ltd. He is a recognized expert for on-line and laboratory industrial applications for benchtop NMR systems. Dr. Giammatteo received a Doctorate in Chemistry from Wesleyan University and has 40+ years of industrial, technical, and business experience in the field of analytical and process NMR technologies.

For more information, contact Dr. Giammatteo, [email protected] or visit the 4IR Solutions' booth #200 during the GCC exhibition.

About 4IR Solutions, Ltd.

4IR Solutions, Ltd., is a global holding company focused on process monitoring, analytics, control, and safety applications for a variety of industries. We offer solutions for a wide range of applications to increase product quality, reduce disruptions, enhance efficiency, and ensure safety.

4IR's Process NMR analyzers provide continuous on-line measurements of physical properties and chemical composition in production processes. The AI-60 Process NMR system is especially suited for on-line real time analyses of crude oil and other dark, opaque, and/or corrosive materials.

SOURCE 4IR SOLUTIONS LTD
The 2022 in-person event raised more than $1 million from sponsors and donors representing leading names in real estate. The funds support scholarships and mentoring programs; the program has reached more than 140 women CRE professionals since 2007.

CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When preparing women for senior leadership roles in commercial real estate, providing access to scholarships is only the first step  truly setting the next generation of women up for success in this field requires opportunities for mentoring and modeling leadership. On September 22, a crowd of more than 700 came together in celebration of these ideals at Chicago's Navy Pier for the 6th annual 'Goldie Gala.' The event was hosted by the Goldie B. Wolfe Miller Women Leaders in Real Estate Initiative ("The Goldie Initiative"), a nonprofit organization designed to prepare women for senior leadership roles in all sectors of commercial real estate.

2022 Shero Award recipient Pamela Boneham on stage with Goldie B. Wolfe Miller at the 6th annual Goldie Gala on September 22.

"I came of age in an era where I was often the only woman in the room, so it is the honor of my life to provide a new generation of women with the funds, professional network and female role models they need to forge a path to success in the commercial real estate industry," said Goldie B. Wolfe Miller, Founder and Chair at The Goldie Initiative.

The Shero: Pamela Boneham

The 2022 Goldie Gala raised more than $1,000,000 in support of the organization's Goldie Scholars and other programs. Institutional real estate investment executive Pamela Boneham was honored as the 2022 'Shero,' an award presented annually by The Goldie Initiative to a woman executive whose achievements inspire the next generation of female commercial real estate professionals.

A passionate leader in the institutional real estate industry, over the course of her career, Ms. Boneham has held management roles at Barings, DWS Group/ RREEF, Equity Office, and JLL. She was instrumental in the founding of the ULI Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI) in Chicago, sits on the Advisory Board of the Wisconsin School of Business Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, and is a former AFIRE Board Member. Ms. Boneham is also an active participant in The Goldie Initiative's mentorship program, which provides Goldie Scholars with practical, hands-on training and experience.

"I am incredibly humbled to be named The Goldie Initiative's 2022 Shero," said Ms. Boneham. "Being a mentor for the talented, capable women served by The Goldie Initiative is a privilege and an honor. These are women who are looking to make a lifetime commitment to the commercial real estate industry, and it is very gratifying to help them find the right path to realizing their dreams and goals."

Impact Shaping Women's Leadership in Commercial Real Estate

Founded in 2007 by iconic commercial real estate broker and entrepreneur Goldie B. Wolfe Miller, since its inception, The Goldie Initiative has assisted more than 140 Goldie Scholars at 18 graduate schools around the country, including Northwestern University, The University of Chicago and Georgetown. In 2022, the organization supported 30 Goldie Scholars and expanded into 18 schools nationally.

"In a field where women still remain underrepresented, organizations like ours are crucial in bridging the gender achievement gap," said Jen Sweeney, The Goldie Initiative's Board President. "Thanks to the generous support of our 2022 sponsors, we will be able to continue providing our Goldie Scholars with the vital scholarships, meaningful mentor relationships and networking opportunities they need to become invaluable leaders in commercial real estate."

The 2022 Goldie Gala was made possible with the support of more than 180 CRE firms and nonprofit organizations, and featured four Diamond Sponsors  The Debbie Frank Legacy Fund, The Jack and Goldie Wolfe Miller Fund Foundation, Millbrook Properties and Wintrust  each of whom donated $25,000 or more. View the full list of sponsors here: https://goldieinitiative.org/sponsors/

"On behalf of the Debbie Frank Legacy Fund, I am delighted to support The Goldie Initiative's life-changing programming," said Paula Harris, Founder of The Debbie Frank Legacy Fund. "Debbie Frank was a force to be reckoned with in commercial real estate and through this partnership, her memory will live on as each class of Goldie Scholars works to evolve this industry from the inside out."

View photos from the 2022 Goldie Gala here: https://goldieinitiative.org/gala/

To learn more about The Goldie Initiative, donate to the Goldie Scholars fund or apply to be a mentor, visit: https://goldieinitiative.org/

About The Goldie Initiative

Founded by Goldie B. Wolfe Miller in 2007, the mission of the Goldie B. Wolfe Miller Women Leaders in Real Estate Initiative ("The Goldie Initiative") is to prepare women for senior leadership roles in all sectors of commercial real estate. The Goldie Initiative does this by providing scholarship support for graduate study, mentorship and networking opportunities to women with high potential who are committed to becoming the leaders in the real estate industry. Learn more about The Goldie Initiative at: https://goldieinitiative.org/

Thank you to our Sponsors

The Goldie Initiative would like to thank all our sponsors for making our advancement of women in commercial real estate leadership possible. Our sincere gratitude goes out to our Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsors; a full list can be accessed here. Our Platinum and Gold sponsors are as follows:

Platinum:

Avison Young

Chicago Title Insurance Company

Eastdil Secured

Northern Trust

Real Estate Finance Forum

Ventas

Waterton

Gold:

Brennan Investment Group/ Wisconsin School of Business Graaskamp Center for Real Estate

Bridge

CBRE

CBRE Investment Management

CenterPoint

CIBC Karen & Jay Case

Colliers International

CRG

Dentons

DLA Piper

Equity LifeStyle Properties

Equity Residential

First American Title

Hamilton Partners

Harrison Street

Hines

JLL

J.P. Morgan

LandCare

Barbara Levoff

Link Logistics

Longfellow

McDermott Will & Emery

& Emery Diane & Steve Miller

David & Suzu Neithercut

Pritzker Realty Group

Sheli Rosenberg

Sidley

SIOR/SIOR Foundation

Steptoe

MEDIA CONTACT:

Patricia Agos

[email protected]

773-758-5044

SOURCE The Goldie Initiative
Greatly expanded ICA to open in new location neighboring the Carnegie Museums

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnegie Mellon University will create a new facility that will more than double its gallery space for the Miller Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) in a prominent new location thanks to a $15 million commitment from the Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds Foundation and the Henry L. Hillman Foundation.

In 2018, the ICA presented an exhibition titled "Paradox: The Body in the Age of AI," which featured this virtual reality installation by artist Claudia Hart.

The new ICA will be a civic and cultural component to the new Richard King Mellon Hall of Sciences, a collaborative, multidisciplinary building for education and research that is expected to begin construction next year. In this new location at the intersection of Forbes Avenue and Craig Street in the Oakland cultural district, the ICA will expand access and visibility to the public, diversify its programming, enhance its resources as an educational space for CMU students, create new synergies with the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, and contribute to the vibrancy of the neighborhood.

"CMU's Institute for Contemporary Art is one of the university's jewels and symbolizes our commitment to fueling artistic and creative expression, and sparking opportunities to make meaning of contemporary life by engaging with the art of our time," said Farnam Jahanian, president of Carnegie Mellon University. "We are grateful that the ICA will reach new audiences and have an increased impact through the vision and continuing support of the Henry L. Hillman Foundation and Lea Simonds, a pillar of the Pittsburgh cultural community and a beloved member of our Tartan family."

A Carnegie Mellon trustee since 2004, Simonds also is a member of the College of Fine Arts Dean's Council. In addition, she serves on the boards of the Carnegie Museum of Art, City of Asylum, and Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society; is a life trustee of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh; and is an emerita member of the Andy Warhol Museum board.

Simonds' past philanthropy at CMU includes support for numerous College of Fine Arts initiatives, including student fellowships, extracurricular experiences, and the Integrative Design, Arts, and Technology (IDeATe) Network. Among numerous other contributions, the Henry L. Hillman Foundation endowed the Henry L. Hillman President's Chair, and has provided generous support for CMU's Metro21 and Traffic21 institutes as well as the lead grant for the Hillman Center for Future Generation Technologies in the Gates-Hillman Complex.

"What is truly transformational is that this gift provides for a major evolution of the ICA, building on its impact and successes and pivoting it, both physically and philosophically, outward toward the great city of Pittsburgh," said Charlie White, head of the CMU School of Art. "With this transition, the ICA will neighbor and complement a historically significant institution that has been doing this critical work for more than a century, allowing us to position the arts alongside the sciences to enrich a gateway at one of the most important civic and cultural intersections in our city."

In addition to the synergies created by the move, the ICA will grow to 25,000 square feet, allowing it to attract significantly more visitors, which currently exceed 10,000 annually. The university expects that the additional space and resources will enable the ICA to expand its programming at the ICA, specifically by hosting more exhibitions, lectures, screenings and live performances.

"For more than two decades, the ICA has evolved to meet the rapidly changing landscape of contemporary art," said Elizabeth Chodos, director of the ICA. "This new chapter will strengthen the ICA's connection to our community, cultural institutions in Pittsburgh and contemporary art discourse at large. We are excited by this opportunity to reimagine the role cultural institutions can play in advancing culture and building a better world."

Founded in 2000, the ICA supports Carnegie Mellon's mission which includes the creation and dissemination of knowledge and art, and it frequently collaborates with students and faculty in departments across campus. The ICA creates transformative experiences with contemporary art through exhibitions, conversations and exchange. Its programming features top regional, national and international artists, as well as emerging talent from CMU's College of Fine Arts. Over its history, the ICA has mounted nearly 150 exhibitions, showcasing nearly 4,000 artists and cultural producers.

"Art is a transformational agent in our world, bringing issues into focus and amplifying voices that otherwise might not be heard by those in positions of power," said Mary Ellen Poole, the Stanley and Marcia Gumberg Dean of the College of Fine Arts. "Living artists lead the way in provoking these productive collisions, and we are thrilled that the ICA will have a larger and more strategically located platform from which to mediate such encounters."

Announced in May 2021 with a lead grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Hall of Sciences is in the design phase, with construction on the 315,000 square foot building expected to be completed in 2026. In addition to the ICA, the building will include significant education and research space for programs from the university's Mellon College of Science and School of Computer Science, creating a unique environment for collaboration across multiple disciplines. When the ICA relocates, its current Purnell Center space will be repurposed for the university's renowned School of Drama.

The grant for the ICA is the latest commitment to be announced as part of Make Possible: The Campaign for Carnegie Mellon University. The multiyear effort aims to raise $2 billion in private philanthropy to support CMU's strategic priorities across the university and its seven colleges and schools. To date, more than 57,000 supporters have contributed $1.94 billion to the campaign in support of the university.

SOURCE Carnegie Mellon College of Fine Arts
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Agree Realty Corporation (NYSE: ADC) (the "Company") today announced that it commenced an underwritten public offering of 5,000,000 shares of its common stock in connection with the forward sale agreements described below. In connection with the offering, the Company expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 750,000 shares of common stock.

Morgan Stanley and Citigroup are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

The Company expects to enter into forward sale agreements with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Citibank, N.A. (the "forward purchasers") with respect to 5,000,000 shares of its common stock (or an aggregate of 5,750,000 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full). In connection with the forward sale agreements, the forward purchasers or their affiliates are expected to borrow and sell to the underwriters an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of the common stock that will be delivered in this offering (or an aggregate of 5,750,000 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full). Subject to its right to elect cash or net share settlement, which right is subject to certain conditions, the Company intends to deliver, upon physical settlement of such forward sale agreements on one or more dates specified by the Company, an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of its common stock (or an aggregate of 5,750,000 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full) to the forward purchasers in exchange for cash proceeds per share equal to the applicable forward sale price, which will be the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions, and will be subject to certain adjustments as provided in the forward sale agreements.

The Company will not initially receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of its common stock by the forward purchasers. The Company expects to use the net proceeds, if any, it receives upon the future settlement of the forward sale agreements for general corporate purposes, including to fund property acquisitions and development activity or the repayment of outstanding indebtedness under our revolving credit facility. Selling common stock through the forward sale agreements enables the Company to set the price of such shares upon pricing the offering (subject to certain adjustments) while delaying the issuance of such shares and the receipt of the net proceeds by the Company until the expected funding requirements described above have occurred.

Copies of the prospectus supplement relating to this offering, when available, may be obtained by contacting: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014; or Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.: c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 (Tel: 800-831-9146).

This offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement and related prospectus filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). A prospectus supplement relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC. This press 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 these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

About Agree Realty Corporation

Agree Realty Corporation is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that is RETHINKING RETAIL through the acquisition and development of properties net leased to industry-leading, omni-channel retail tenants. As of June 30, 2022, the Company owned and operated a portfolio of 1,607 properties, located in all 48 continental states and containing approximately 33.8 million square feet of gross leasable area. The Company's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ADC".

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements about the terms and size of the offering, the intended use of proceeds from the offering, if any, that represent the Company's expectations and projections for the future. No assurance can be given that the offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described or at all, or that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Although these forward-looking statements are based on good faith beliefs, reasonable assumptions and the Company's best judgment reflecting current information, you should not rely on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control and which could materially affect the Company's results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, performance or future achievements or events. Currently, one of the most significant factors, however, is the potential adverse effect of the current pandemic of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, on the financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and performance of the Company and its tenants, the real estate market and the global economy and financial markets. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts the Company and its tenants will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the scope, severity and duration of the pandemic, the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, among others. Moreover, investors are cautioned to interpret many of the risks identified in the risk factors discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and other SEC filings, as well as the risks set forth below, as being heightened as a result of the ongoing and numerous adverse impacts of COVID-19. Additional important factors, among others, that may cause the Company's actual results to vary include the general deterioration in national economic conditions, weakening of real estate markets, decreases in the availability of credit, increases in interest rates, adverse changes in the retail industry, the Company's continuing ability to qualify as a REIT and other factors discussed in the Company's reports filed with the SEC. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date hereof. Unless legally required, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in the Company's expectations or assumptions or otherwise.

For further information about the Company's business and financial results, please refer to the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" sections of the Company's SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

SOURCE Agree Realty Corporation
OMEC.AI is the first company to be formed by Israel-based alliance of AstraZeneca, Merck, Pfizer, Teva, Israel Biotech Fund and Amazon Web Services (AWS), powered by BioMed X

OMEC.AI will use advanced machine learning to improve probability of success for drug candidates in clinical trials

REHOVOT, Israel, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AION Labs, the first-of-its-kind innovation lab spearheading the adoption of AI technologies and computational science to solve therapeutic challenges, announced today the formation of OMEC.AI, the lab's first startup approved by the Israel Innovation Authority. The new company will develop AI-powered solutions to analyze pre-clinical data and identify gaps in efficacy and safety to improve the probability of success of drug candidates in clinical trials.

OMEC.AI aims to build a next-generation computational platform that can both identify hidden safety liabilities and lack of efficacy for drug candidates, and suggest experiments to close the identified gaps. In addition to funding, support and mentorship, AION Labs and its pharma partners will provide OMEC.AI with pharmaceutical data for model training and advanced machine learning development.

OMEC.AI will be led by AI experts Ori Shachar and Amir Harel, both veterans of Mobileye, the leading Israeli technology company for autonomous driving technologies that was bought by Intel in 2017 for $15.3B. They bring with them a wealth of expertise in building advanced data systems at scale using deep AI technologies.

"There is currently no automated solution that employs all preclinical data in a way that allows a reliable assessment of the clinical trial readiness of a drug candidate. We are aiming to fill this gap," said Ori Shachar, co-founder and CEO of OMEC.AI. "With the support of AION Labs and its partners, we hope to develop a cutting-edge solution to significantly improve the probability of success of drug candidates that make it to the clinical trial phase."

Most drug candidates fail in clinical trials because of unexpected safety issues or lack of efficacy in human subjects. Omics[1] technologies have improved dramatically in recent years allowing for extensive tissue and single cell profiling over time. These technologies are routinely applied in large scale preclinical in-vitro and in-vivo studies. However, these multi-omics datasets are heterogenous and unreliable in predicting human biology. OMEC.AI aims to create an automated solution that employs all preclinical data in a way that allows a reliable assessment of the clinical trial readiness of a drug candidate.

OMEC.AI is the first startup to be formed by AION Labs, which creates early-stage startup teams that harness the power of artificial intelligence to transform the process of drug discovery and development for the betterment of human health. The new company has been created through the investment of leading pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Merck, and with close support from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and additional financial backing from the Israel Innovation Authority.

Founded and launched in late 2021, AION Labs forms its startups through a unique innovation model powered by BioMed X, identifying great industry R&D challenges and carrying out a global talent search for scientist founders. It then invites selected groups of scientists and computational biologists to collaborate to solve the specific research and design challenge, before selecting a founding team and setting them up for success.



"The formation of OMEC.AI is a significant milestone in our journey towards improving drug discovery and patient care through innovation," said Mati Gill, CEO of AION Labs. "We are delighted to welcome OMEC.AI to the AION Labs family and to work together to revolutionize the way drugs are developed."

About AION Labs

AION Labs is a first-of-its-kind alliance of AstraZeneca, Merck, Pfizer, Teva, the Israel Biotech Fund and Amazon Web Services (AWS), powered by BioMed X with the support of the Israeli Government that have come together with one clear mission: to create and adopt groundbreaking new AI technologies that will transform the process of drug discovery and development in order to contribute to the health and well-being of all people world-wide.

AION Labs is a unique venture hub where brilliant innovators and scientist-founders convene from around the world to solve the biggest R&D challenges guided by years of accumulated know-how, data and experience in pharma. The lab leverages its partners' wealth of knowledge and a new multidisciplinary mindset with the ingenuity, agility and innovative power of Israel's start-up ecosystem, to develop strong companies with clear long-term strategies, that will pave the way to the future of healthcare. AION Labs cultivates innovation from within; its unique venture creation process bridges the gap between outstanding academic research in the field of AI and the biggest R&D needs in the discovery and development of new medicines for the benefit of patients.

For more information, visit aionlabs.com

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Media Contact:

Raoul Wootliff

FINN Partners for AION Labs

[email protected]

+972 54 692 1720

SOURCE AION Labs
Addition of international policy advisor Jan Walter in Geneva extends the reach of Akin Gump's global, multidisciplinary public law and policy, regulatory and international trade practices

WASHINGTON and GENEVA, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Akin Gump welcomes Jan Walter as a senior policy advisor to the firm's Washington, D.C.-based public law and policy (PLP) practice. Based in Geneva, Jan is the first member of the PLP group located outside the United States, a strategic expansion of the U.S. team's globally recognized lobbying and advocacy services to organizations with business interests outside of the U.S.

Akin Gump Adds Jan Walter to World-Class Public Law and Policy Practice to Europe

Jan is a former senior public servant with extensive experience in international policy development and delivery and is particularly well versed in the political complexities of intellectual property (IP) and governance issues arising in international organizations. He will represent clients' interests before international agencies in Geneva, including the World Trade Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, World Health Organization, and other important policy and regulatory bodies.

"I am excited to join Akin Gump's highly regarded public policy teamthey are recognized as one of the most comprehensive and effective government relations practices in the world," said Jan. "I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to craft advocacy strategies incorporating a global viewpoint valuable to clients across a broad range of industries."

Jan's knowledge of key policy issues in Geneva and direct experience with international agencies will help him provide specific guidance to organizations seeking to better understand international policy positions affecting their businesses. His arrival expands the PLP practice's work advising clients on fast-moving issues of importance such as health/biotech, digital trade, standards, IP, and climate change.

PLP practice co-head Brian Pomper commented, "We are very pleased to welcome Jan to our public law and policy practice. He effectively extends the integrated offerings of our PLP, regulatory and international trade teams in Washington, D.C. to clients with issues outside of the U.S. His arrival is exceptionally timely, as global policy discussions ramp up on critical issues such as clean energy transition and IP considerations around innovation and access to innovation."

Stephen Kho, partner in charge of Akin Gump's Geneva office, added, "Jan's presence here will help Akin Gump to further tap into the dynamic negotiations and meetings that are taking place daily among the international organizations in Geneva. These discussions can impact regulations and rulemaking that will affect trade, climate change, worker rights and competition policies around the world. Jan's ability to gather information, assist in advocacy and develop strategies for our private sector and government clients will complement our office's international disputes and arbitration practices quite nicely."

Jan began his career in policy work in the Czech civil service in Prague and in Geneva. Since 2016, he has led on IP matters at the UK Mission Geneva.

About Akin Gump's Public Law and Policy Practice

Akin Gump's bipartisan public law and policy practice comprises more than 70 lawyers and other professionals, including former members of Congress and other lawyers with considerable experience in government service, who practice exclusively on legislative, policy and regulatory matters. Akin Gump has built and maintained one of the largest and most diverse government relations practices of any major law firm worldwide, stressing careful evaluation of client issues and detailed design of strategies and tactics to achieve objectives and provide advocacy that is executed in an effective, timely and coordinated manner. As a result of the breadth and depth of our experience and relationships, Akin Gump is well positioned to represent its clientsregardless of which party controls the legislative or executive branch.

The practice is consistently ranked as one of the top government relations practices in Washington, D.C., by both publications and peers, including consistently receiving a Band 1 ranking in Chambers USA for more than a decade. Akin Gump lawyers and advisors work together as a team on a daily basis, providing our clients with a comprehensive, integrated and seamless approach to problem-solving. The practice's relationships, coupled with strategic and political counsel, enable us to advocate for and achieve our clients' policy objectives and goals.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers and advisors in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Media Contacts:

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SOURCE Akin Gump
Company Appears to Manipulate Data and Overstate Avalara's Challenges to Justify Its Disappointing Sale

Company's Own Presentation Reinforces Altair's Belief that the Board Chose the Wrong Time to Sell, Conducted a Flawed Sale Process and Agreed to an Inadequate Price

SANTA ROSA, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Altair US, LLC ("Altair" or "we"), a pre-IPO angel investor in Avalara, Inc. (NYSE: AVLR) (the "Company" or "Avalara") and one of the Company's largest shareholders, today released a presentation in response to Avalara's recent, disingenuous claims about its proposed sale to Vista Equity Partners ("Vista"). The transaction is subject to a vote of shareholders at the Company's Special Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held on October 14, 2022. We will vote against the transaction.

Avalara's board chose the wrong time to sell, conducted a flawed sale process and agreed to an inadequate price Tweet this Related Documents View PDF Altair response to AVLR investor presentation

The presentation is available at: https://tinyurl.com/5fyapkdx

As outlined in the presentation, Altair believes that:

The Company is intentionally taking a pessimistic tone , in stark contrast to the optimism of its Analyst Day presentation just three months ago. We believe there is no urgent need to sell the Company. Avalara has ample cash and a bright future; its near- and long-term prospects are not meaningfully different than they were three months ago when the Company reiterated its belief that Avalara can become part of every transaction in the world.

, in stark contrast to the optimism of its Analyst Day presentation just three months ago. We believe there is no urgent need to sell the Company. Avalara has ample cash and a bright future; its near- and long-term prospects are not meaningfully different than they were three months ago when the Company reiterated its belief that Avalara can become part of every transaction in the world. Avalara appears to be manipulating the data , including by using new and inapposite peer groups and using varying dates and prices without explanation, to manufacture an argument that the Company is being sold at a "premium" valuation. We believe Vista's offer price  which is well below sell-side analyst price targets prior to the deal and below Avalara's historical valuation multiple  fails to sufficiently compensate Avalara shareholders for relinquishing their claim on Avalara's future earnings.

, including by using new and inapposite peer groups and using varying dates and prices without explanation, to manufacture an argument that the Company is being sold at a "premium" valuation. We believe Vista's offer price  which is well below sell-side analyst price targets prior to the deal and below Avalara's historical valuation multiple  fails to sufficiently compensate Avalara shareholders for relinquishing their claim on Avalara's future earnings. The Company's presentation fails to address some of the most troubling aspects of the deal. The Company has not responded to concerns about the lucrative and long standing relationship between Vista and Avalara's financial advisor, Goldman Sachs, which has received $80 million from Vista and Vista affiliates over the last two years; the Board's failure to obtain a fairness opinion from an independent financial adviser (i.e. one that did not stand to receive over $70 million contingent upon closing of the deal); and connections between Vista and members of the Board who supported this deal. Nor has Avalara provided rationale for the Board's decision to re-engage with Vista at a price lower than Vista's initial indication of interest, even after the Board had terminated the sale process, nor for the Board's decision to sell the Company during a time of macroeconomic uncertainty and capital markets volatility, which we believe had a significant negative impact on the level of interest from potential acquirers and their ability to finance a transaction and pay a fair price.

Avalara's presentation is, in our view, disheartening evidence that the Company's Board was not interested in helping Avalara reach its full potential and is instead seeking a sale of the Company as a means to avoid the hard work of dealing with transient headwinds.

Altair encourages shareholders to read its presentation along with its proxy materials, which are forthcoming.

CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PARTICIPANTS

In connection with the proposed acquisition of Avalara, Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: AVLR) by affiliates of Vista Equity Partners Management, LLC (the "Merger"), the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 8, 2022, with Lava Intermediate, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Parent"), and Lava Merger Sub, Inc., a Washington corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the "Merger Agreement"). The Participants (as defined below) intend to file a definitive proxy statement and accompanying proxy card with the SEC to be used to solicit proxies for votes (the "Proxy Solicitation") opposing the adoption of the Merger Agreement at the special meeting of shareholders (the "Special Meeting") and regarding other proposals that may come before the Special Meeting. The Participants in the Proxy Solicitation are anticipated to be Altair US, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("Altair US"), and Richard Bailey (collectively, the "Participants"), the Manager of Altair US. As of the date hereof, each of the Participants may be deemed to beneficially own, in the aggregate, 850,892 shares of common stock of the Company.

THE PARTICIPANTS STRONGLY ADVISE ALL SHAREHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER PROXY MATERIALS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SUCH PROXY MATERIALS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC'S WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV. IN ADDITION, THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROXY SOLICITATION WILL PROVIDE COPIES OF THE PROXY STATEMENT WITHOUT CHARGE, WHEN AVAILABLE, UPON REQUEST. REQUESTS FOR COPIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO [email protected].

Disclaimer

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein in any state to any person. In addition, the discussions and opinions in this press release and the material contained herein are for general information only and are not intended to provide investment advice. All statements contained in this press release that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are "forward-looking statements," which are not guarantees of future performance or results, and the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "potential," "could," "opportunity," "estimate," and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. The projected results and statements contained in this press release and the material contained herein that are not historical facts are based on current expectations, speak only as of the date of this press release and involve risks that may cause the actual results to be materially different. Altair US, LLC disclaims any obligation to update the information herein and reserves the right to change any of its opinions expressed herein at any time as it deems appropriate.

ALTAIR US, LLC HAS NEITHER SOUGHT NOR OBTAINED THE CONSENT FROM ANY THIRD PARTY TO USE ANY STATEMENTS OR INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN THAT HAVE BEEN OBTAINED OR DERIVED FROM STATEMENTS MADE OR PUBLISHED BY SUCH THIRD PARTIES. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY STATED HEREIN, ANY SUCH STATEMENTS OR INFORMATION SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED AS INDICATING THE SUPPORT OF SUCH THIRD PARTIES FOR THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN.

About Altair US, LLC

Altair is a family office.

Investor Contact

MacKenzie Partners, Inc.

Bob Marese

(212) 929-5500

Media Contact

Stanley Rowland

Phone: (925) 708-5611

[email protected]

SOURCE Altair US, LLC
Increase in prevalence of amino acid metabolism disorders, rise in research and development activities on amino acid metabolism disorders treatment, and development of healthcare infrastructure drive the global amino acid metabolism disorders treatment market growth.

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Amino acid Metabolism Disorders Treatment Market by Indication (Phenylketonuria, Maple syrup urine disease, Citrullinemia, Homocystinuria, Argininosuccinic aciduria), by Product (Folic Acid, Vitamin B6 and B12, Arginine, Thiamine, Betaine, Sapropterin, Others), by Distribution channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Drug Stores and Retail Pharmacies, Online Providers): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031." According to the report, the global amino acid metabolism disorders treatment industry generated $630.9 million in 2021, and is estimated to reach $961.8 million by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 4.3% from 2022 to 2031. The report offers a detailed analysis of changing market trends, top segments, key investment pockets, value chain, regional landscape, and competitive scenario.



Download Sample Report For Free- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/11233

Drivers and Opportunities

Increase in prevalence of amino acid metabolism disorders such as maple syrup urine disease, phenylketonuria, and citrullinemia, rise in research and development activities on amino acid metabolism disorders treatment, surge in disposable income in developing countries, and development of healthcare infrastructure drive the growth of the global amino acid metabolism disorders treatment market. However, increase in cost of amino acid supplements, lack of awareness of amino acid metabolism disorders, and associated side effects of phenylketonuria injections hamper the market growth. On the other hand, increase in the healthcare expenditure presents new opportunities for the market in the coming years.

Impact of Covid-19 on Amino acid Metabolism Disorders Treatment Market-

The Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the amino acid metabolism disorders treatment market, owing to the reduced demand for amino acid metabolism disorders treatments across several sectors.

The market faced challenges to manage the interrupted demand and supply of medical components.

The main cause of the slowdown of the amino acid metabolism disorders treatment market growth was the interruptions experienced by the government, as it was majorly looking out for preventive measures for the disease spread during the pandemic.

The phenylketonuria treatment segment to rule the roost during the forecast period

Based on indication, the phenylketonuria segment was the largest market in 2021, contributing to nearly half of the global amino acid metabolism disorders treatment market, and is expected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. This is due to the increase in prevalence of phenylketonuria and newborn screening for the diagnosis of phenylketonuria and other amino acid metabolism disorders. However, the maple syrup urine disease segment is projected to witness the largest CAGR of 5.5% from 2022 to 2031, owing to the increase in prevalence of maple syrup urine disease and development of new therapies for the treatment of the disease.

The sapropterin segment to maintain its dominance during the forecast period

Based on product, the sapropterin segment held the largest market share of more than two-fifths of the global amino acid metabolism disorders treatment market in 2021, and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the increase in prevalence of phenylketonuria and surge in demand for sapropterin in developed countries such as the U.S. and Germany. However, the betaine segment is projected to witness the largest CAGR of 5.4% from 2022 to 2031, owing to the increase in product offerings for betaine by key market players.

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The drug stores and retail pharmacies segment to dominate during the forecast period

Based on distribution channel, the drug stores and retail pharmacies segment held the largest market share of nearly three-fifths of the global amino acid metabolism disorders treatment market in 2021, and is expected to lead the trail during the forecast period, due to the increased sales of prescription drugs and OTC drugs through drug stores and retail pharmacies. However, the online providers segment is projected to witness the largest CAGR of 6.0% from 2022 to 2031, owing to the shift in patients' preference for buying medicines online since the pandemic.

North America to maintain its dominance by 2031

Based on region, North America was the largest market in 2021, capturing more than two-fifths of the global amino acid metabolism disorders treatment market, and is likely to show a prominent growth during the forecast period. This is due to the increase in demand for sapropterin and kuvan for amino acid metabolism disorders treatments in the region. Moreover, the region boasts of a wide availability of treatments and well established healthcare infrastructure. However, the Asia-Pacific region is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period, owing to the increase in prevalence of amino acid metabolism disorders and rise in number of patients seeking treatment for the disease in Asia-Pacific.

Leading Market Players

AMINO GmbH

Civentichem, LLC, Ltd.

GlaxoSmithKline PLC

Koninklijke DSM N.V.

Kyowa HakkoKirin Co., Ltd.

Merck KGaA

Pfizer, Inc.

Recordati S.p.A.

Sanofi

Shine Star ( Hubei ) Biological Engineering Co.

) Biological Engineering Co. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

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SOURCE Allied Analytics LLP
ASTRUM-005 is the first study to demonstrate that PD-1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy can improve survival for patients with ES-SCLC.

In ASTRUM-005, serplulimab combined with chemotherapy achieved by far the longest OS in first-line immunotherapy for ES-SCLC. Compared with chemotherapy, the treatment prolonged median OS by 4.5 months and had the lowest HR of 0.63.

HANSIZHUANG (serplulimab) is expected to become the world's first anti-PD-1 mAb for the first-line treatment of SCLC and to fill the clinical gap in the next five years.

SHANGHAI, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. (2696.HK) announced that ASTRUM-005, an international multi-centre study led by Professor Ying Cheng, has been published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, impact factor of 157.3), one of the top four medical journals in the world. ASTRUM-005 trial is a phase 3 study of HANSIZHUANG (serplulimab), an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) developed by Henlius independently, plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). After Prof. Ying Cheng orally presented them at the 2022 ASCO annual meeting, the results of ASTRUM-005 attract wide attention among the global research community. And now, ASTRUM-005 makes its way to the international arena once again, demonstrating the high level of academic acclaim on a global scale, the intelligence of Chinese researchers, and the strength of Chinese pharmaceuticals in terms of independent innovation research and clinical development.

Prof. Ying Cheng, the corresponding author and first author, as well as the leading principal investigator of the study, from Jilin Cancer Hospital, said, "In the ASTRUM-005 trial, serplulimab combined with chemotherapy achieved by far the longest OS in first-line immunotherapy for ES-SCLC. Compared with chemotherapy, the treatment prolonged median OS by 4.5 months and had the lowest HR of 0.63. In addition, the study showed good safety and consistent efficacy over time. ASTRUM-005 is the first study to demonstrate that PD-1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy can improve survival for patients with ES-SCLC. It is also the first international multi-centre phase 3 clinical study led by Chinese researchers to employ immunotherapy for ES-SCLC treatment, showcasing the expertise and excellence of Chinese researchers. I would like to thank all patients and their families, as well as researchers who contributed to this study. It opens a new chapter in first-line ES-SCLC immunotherapy, which will benefit a large number of patients."

OS 15.4 months, a new record

SCLC is the most aggressive subtype of lung cancer, accounting for around 15% of all lung cancer cases. Both limited stage SCLC (LS-SCLC) and ES-SCLC exhibit high malignancy, strong invasiveness, early metastasis, fast disease progression, and a poor prognosis. The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors has brought new hope to patients with ES-SCLC. At present, anti-PD-L1 mAbs combined with chemotherapy have been recommended by clinical practice guidelines at home and abroad as the first-line treatment for ES-SCLC. Compared with chemotherapy, the overall survival (OS) of patients with SCLC has been prolonged to a certain extent, but the improvements were still modest, suggesting the need for more effective treatments in this patient population.

ASTRUM-005 is a randomised, double-blind, international, multi-centre, phase 3 clinical study that aims to compare the efficacy and safety of HANSIZHUANG with placebo when combined with chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with ES-SCLC. ASTRUM-005 has set up a total of 128 sites in various countries including China, Turkey, Poland, and Georgia, and enrolled 585 subjects who were screened from 114 sites, among whom 31.5% were White. As of data cutoff for this interim analysis (October 22, 2021), 585 eligible patients were randomised (serplulimab group, n=389; placebo group, n=196), with a median follow-up duration of 12.3 months. Median OS was significantly longer in the serplulimab group (15.4 months, 95% confidence interval [CI] 13.3-not evaluable) than in the placebo group (10.9 months, 95% CI 10.0-14.3) (hazard ratio [HR] 0.63, 95% CI 0.49-0.82; P <0.001). The 24-month OS rate in the two treatment groups were 43.1% and 7.9%, respectively. Median progression-free survival assessed by an independent radiology review committee per RECIST v1.1 was also longer in the serplulimab group compared to the placebo group (5.7 months vs. 4.3 months; HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.38-0.59). Incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) was similar to the approved PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies.

Providing more treatment options for patients worldwide

The success of ASTRUM-005 is a breakthrough in the treatment of ES-SCLC with PD-1 inhibitors. Based on the results of ASTRUM-005, the New Drug Application (NDA) of HANSIZHUANG in combination with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of ES-SCLC has been accepted by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Furthermore, HANSIZHUANG has been recommended for the first-line treatment of ES-SCLC by the 2022 CSCO Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of SCLC.

In April 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan-Drug Designation (ODD) for HANSIZHUANG for the treatment of SCLC. Based on the positive feedback from FDA Biologics License Application (BLA) submission for HANSIZHUANG for the treatment of ES-SCLC and the discussion on the FDA's Type C consultation meeting, Henlius is planning to soon carry out a bridging study in the US and expected to submit BLA to FDA before Q1 of 2024. At present, there is no anti-PD-1 mAb approved for the first-line treatment of SCLC worldwide. HANSIZHUANG is expected to become the world's first anti-PD-1 mAb for the first-line treatment of SCLC and to fill the clinical gap in the next five years.

Looking forward, Henlius will actively improving efficiency through innovations, focusing on unmet medical needs to bring more high-quality and affordable therapies to patients worldwide.

SOURCE Henlius
LAVAL, Quebec, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC) (the "Company") announced today the final results and expiration of its previously announced offers (the "Exchange Offers") to exchange the existing senior notes set forth in the table below (the "Existing Senior Notes") for up to an aggregate principal amount of $4.0 billion (the "Maximum New Secured Notes Amount") of New Secured Notes (as defined below) and the related solicitations of consents (the "Consent Solicitations" and, together with the Exchange Offers, the "Offers") to amend certain provisions of the indentures (the "Proposed Amendments") with respect to the respective applicable series of Existing Senior Notes. The terms and conditions of the offers and consent solicitations are described in an Exchange Offer Memorandum and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated August 30, 2022 (the "Exchange Offer Memorandum").

The Exchange Offers expired at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on September 27, 2022 (the "Expiration Time"). As reported by D.F. King & Co., Inc., the exchange agent and information agent for the Offers, as of the Expiration Time, an aggregate principal amount of $5,594,432,000 of Existing Senior Notes had been validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) in the Offers, as set forth in the table below.

Title of Existing Senior Notes CUSIP Number(1) (Rule 144A/Reg S) Principal Amount

Outstanding Tender Cap Acceptance

Priority Level(2) Principal Amount

Tendered 9.00% Senior Notes due 2025 91911KAP7 /

C94143AM3 $ 1,500,000,000 N/A 1 $ 540,662,000 9.25% Senior Notes due 2026(3) 91911XAV6 /

U9098VAN2 $ 1,500,000,000 N/A 2 $ 752,398,000 8.50% Senior Notes due 2027(3) 91911XAW4 /

U9098VAP7 $ 1,750,000,000 $500,000,000(4) 3 $ 500,000,000 5.25% Senior Notes due 2031 071734AL1 /

C07885AG8 $ 909,188,000 N/A 4 $ 336,499,000 5.25% Senior Notes due 2030 071734AJ6 /

C07885AE3 $ 1,201,000,000 N/A 5 $ 331,952,000 5.00% Senior Notes due 2029 071734AM9 /

C07885AH6 $ 834,000,000 N/A 6 $ 371,067,000 5.00% Senior Notes due 2028 071734AH0 /

C07885AD5 $ 1,176,000,000 N/A 7 $ 710,075,000 6.25% Senior Notes due 2029 071734AK3 /

C07885AF0 $ 1,406,000,000 N/A 8 $ 540,099,000 7.25% Senior Notes due 2029 071734AF4 /

C07885AC7 $ 745,000,000 N/A 9 $ 372,967,000 7.00% Senior Notes due 2028 071734AD9 /

C07885AB9 $ 748,000,000 N/A 10 $ 539,614,000 8.50% Senior Notes due 2027(3) 91911XAW4 /

U9098VAP7 $ 1,750,000,000 N/A 11 $ 599,099,000

(1) No representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP numbers listed in this press release or printed on the Existing Senior Notes. They are provided solely for convenience. (2) Existing Senior Notes accepted for exchange on the settlement date will be accepted in accordance with their Acceptance Priority Levels set forth herein (with "1" being the highest Acceptance Priority Level and "11" being the lowest Acceptance Priority Level). The Offerors will only accept for exchange Existing Senior Notes up to an aggregate principal amount that will not cause the aggregate principal amount of New Secured Notes issued pursuant to the Offers to exceed the Maximum New Secured Notes Amount. (3) Bausch Health Americas, Inc. ("BHA") is the issuer and the Company is a guarantor of such series of Existing Senior Notes. (4) No more than $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 8.50% Senior Notes due 2027 (the "Level 3 Tender Cap") will be purchased at level "3" in the Exchange Offers.

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer Memorandum, upon settlement of the Exchange Offers, which is currently expected to occur on September 30, 2022 (the "Settlement Date"), there will be approximately $3,125 million of New Secured Notes issued in the Offers, consisting of approximately (i) $1,774 million in aggregate principal amount of new 11.00% First Lien Secured Notes due 2028 (the "New First Lien Notes"), (ii) $352 million in aggregate principal amount of new 14.00% Second Lien Secured Notes due 2030 (the "New Second Lien Notes" and, together with the New First Lien Notes, the "New BHC Secured Notes"), in each case, to be issued by the Company, and (iii) $999 million in aggregate principal amount of new 9.00% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 (the "Intermediate Holdco Secured Notes" and, together with the New BHC Secured Notes, the "New Secured Notes") to be issued by 1375209 B.C. Ltd. (the "Holdco Issuer" and, together with the Company, the "Offerors"), an existing wholly-owned unrestricted subsidiary of the Company that holds 38.6% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Bausch + Lomb Corporation. All Eligible Holders (as defined in the Exchange Offer Memorandum) of Existing Senior Notes accepted for exchange pursuant to the Offers on the Settlement Date will also be paid a cash amount equal to accrued and unpaid interest for such series of Existing Senior Notes from the last interest payment date for such series of Existing Senior Notes to, but not including, the Settlement Date.

In addition to the previously announced receipt of the requisite number of consents to adopt the Proposed Amendments with respect to the (i) 9.25% Senior Notes due 2026, (ii) 8.50% Senior Notes due 2027, (iii) 5.00% Senior Notes due 2028 and (iv) 7.00% Senior Notes due 2028 and the execution of the supplemental indentures related thereto, as of the Expiration Time, the Company also received the requisite number of consents to adopt the Proposed Amendments with respect to the 7.25% Senior Notes due 2029. Accordingly, pursuant to the terms set forth in the Exchange Offer Memorandum, the Company intends to enter into a supplemental indenture with the trustee for the 7.25% Senior Notes due 2029 to effectuate the applicable Proposed Amendments. Each supplemental indenture will become operative upon the settlement date of the Offers.

The New Secured Notes have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States, except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The New Secured Notes have not been and will not be qualified for sale to the public by prospectus under applicable Canadian securities laws and, accordingly, any issuance of New Secured Notes in Canada will be made on a basis which is exempt from the prospectus requirements of such securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the New Secured Notes in the United States and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of the New Secured Notes in any jurisdiction where such offering or sale would be unlawful. There shall not be any sale of the New Secured Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

About Bausch Health Companies Inc.

Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC) is a global diversified pharmaceutical company whose mission is to improve people's lives with our health care products. We develop, manufacture and market a range of products primarily in gastroenterology, hepatology, neurology, dermatology, international pharmaceuticals and eye health, through our approximately 88.7% ownership of Bausch + Lomb. With our leading durable brands, we are delivering on our commitments as we build an innovative company dedicated to advancing global health.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements about the future performance of the Company, which may generally be identified by the use of the words "anticipates," "hopes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "should," "could," "would," "may," "believes," "subject to" and variations or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Actual results are subject to other risks and uncertainties that relate more broadly to the Company's overall business, including those more fully described in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and detailed from time to time in the Company's other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian securities administrators, which factors are incorporated herein by reference.

SOURCE Bausch Health Companies Inc.
HOUSTON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Firm co-founder Joel M. Androphy's 20-plus years of fighting government contracting fraud, waste and abuse has led to unprecedented recognition by the federal Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Berg & Androphy said today.

Presented by the U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General and the DCIS, the award honors Androphy's "dedication, teamwork, and professionalism in support of the common interests of the Department of Defense and the nation."

Settlements negotiated by Androphy, his co-counsel and government attorneys exceed $2.6 billion. According to the award citation to Androphy, "Your efforts, expertise and tenacity were instrumental in protecting America's warfighters."

Androphy's long record of success in fraud, waste and abuse cases includes False Claims Act (FCA) / whistleblower cases involving drug manufacturers, food manufacturers and freight companies that contract with the federal government in the United States and abroad, including in wartime activity.

Androphy, who authored Federal False Claims Act and Qui Tam Litigation and has served as program director for the American Bar Association National False Claims and Qui Tam Trial Institute since 2013, said, "I am grateful for and humbled by this recognition. Along with our outstanding team at Berg & Androphy, I am proud of our record in helping fight government contracting fraud, waste and abuse."

The award was presented to Androphy by Michael C. Mentavlos, Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS Southwest Field Office, and Gregory P. Shilling, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS Southwest Field Office.

Berg & Androphy co-founder David Berg said, "We understand that Joel's award is unprecedented for a lawyer in the qui tam practice area. We applaud his extraordinary, dedicated service to our clients and to the nation."

About Berg & Androphy

Berg & Androphy tries big cases. Over the years, our lawyers, as both plaintiff and defense counsel, have represented Westinghouse, CBS, Samsung, Robert Bass' Acadia Partners, L.P., Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, and other major companies. These cases range from a dispute over nuclear steam generators to a billion-dollar patent infringement case to complex securities class actions. We have represented individuals throughout the United States in qui tam cases against large multinational companies that have defrauded federal and state governments. We have also represented victims of catastrophic personal injuries, and executives and others accused of white-collar crime. More information is available at bafirm.com.

Contact: Joel Androphy, Berg & Androphy, 713.529.5622.

SOURCE Berg & Androphy
The MassDREAMS Grant provides support for first-time home buyers that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19

RAYNHAM, Mass., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BluestoneBank is pleased to announce its official participation in MassHousing's MassDREAMS Grant Program. The program provides support, including expanded down payment assistance, for people that have been heavily impacted by COVID-19. Grants of up to $50,000 will provide eligible recipients with a down payment and closing cost assistance, with no repayment required and no strings attached. First-time home buyers who currently reside in select disproportionately impacted communities are eligible to apply for the program. If approved, the funds can be utilized towards the purchase of a primary residence family home or condominium anywhere in Massachusetts. Funds are limited, and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Bluestone Bank

"We are so proud to be one of the MassHousing approved lenders participating in the MassDREAMS Grant program," said Mike Kemple, Bluestone's First Senior Vice President & Senior Residential Lending Officer. "At Bluestone, we are always seeking the best programs that can positively impact the people in our communities. Thanks to the MassDREAMS program, affordable homeownership is now a reality."

Bluestone Bank is a community and locally driven residential and commercial lending financial institution that offers affordable mortgage and home equity options. Its experienced loan officers are experts in helping customers navigate the best funding options available to them. All your home financing needs can be answered in one place.

Requirements to apply for a grant include being a first-time home buyer of a single-family home, condominium or two to four family home, using a MassHousing or MHP mortgage and currently living in one of the 29 eligible towns. The eligible towns include but are not limited to Attleboro, Boston, Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford, Quincy and Taunton. To learn more about MassDREAMS eligibility, and pre-approval under a MassHousing mortgage, visit Home Loans - Bluestone Bank.

About Bluestone Bank

Bluestone Bank, with $1.3 billion in assets, is a full-service bank offering individual and business banking services, and financial planning services through its Bluestone Wealth and Trust division. The bank has 12 banking offices and 2 loan production offices across southeastern Massachusetts with branches in Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Lakeville, Mansfield, Norton, Pembroke, Plainville, Raynham, Taunton, and West Bridgewater. Visit bluestone.bank for more information. Bluestone Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and a member of the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). Bank NMLS ID #403265. Bluestone Bank is an Equal Housing Lender.

Media Contact

Bonnie Taylor

[email protected]

702-300-5690

SOURCE Bluestone Bank
DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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/f6j84w

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

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Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Capella Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: CMIL) (OTCQB: CMILF) (FRA: N7D2) ("Capella" or the "Company") advises that it has informed EMX Royalty Corp (TSXV: EMX) (NYSE: EMX) ("EMX") of its intention to return 7 gold exploration claims that constitute approximately 90% (466 sq. km) of the original Southern Gold Line property package in northern Sweden. However, Capella will retain a 100% interest in an eighth licence (Faboliden Sodra 103) covering an area of 44 sq. km and which is currently being explored for high-grade copper targets.

Eric Roth, Capella's President and CEO, commented: "Capella's decision to cease gold exploration activities in the Southern Gold Line area is directly attributable to two factors. Firstly, the Company will focus its Scandinavian exploration efforts on its portfolio of high-grade copper and battery metal projects in Norway and Finland (including the Lkken and Kjli projects, which were also acquired from EMX). Secondly, Dragon Mining Ltd (HK: 1712) recently announced that its environmental permit application for the commencement of full-scale gold mining at the adjacent Faboliden project has been rejected by the Swedish Court. Considering the Faboliden decision, a prudent course of action for Capella would be to not continue investing in a project that does not currently have a clear path for obtaining permits for potential future development.

Capella will, however, continue to retain exposure to gold exploration success through its two Canadian Joint Ventures  Savant and Domain, which are operated by Prospector Metals Corp. (TSXV: PPP) and Yamana Gold Inc (TSX: YRI), respectively  as well as the Katajavaara-Aakenus project in Finland. I look forward to keeping the market informed on progress at all projects."

Qualified Persons and Disclosure Statement

The technical information in this news release relating to the Southern Gold Line project has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101, and approved by Eric Roth, the Company's President & CEO, a Director, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Roth holds a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from the University of Western Australia, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). Mr. Roth has 30 years of experience in international minerals exploration and mining project evaluation.

On Behalf of the Board of Capella Minerals Ltd.

"Eric Roth"

___________________________

Eric Roth, Ph.D., FAusIMM

President & CEO

About Capella Minerals Ltd

Capella is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of quality mineral resource properties in favourable jurisdictions with a focus on high-grade copper and battery metals projects. With respect to base and battery metals, the Company's current focus is on i) advancing its recently acquired Hessjgruva project and the adjacent Kongensgruve and Kjli projects in the northern Rros copper mining district of central Norway, as well as ii) the discovery of further high-grade VMS-type deposits in a district-scale land position around the past-producing Lkken (Lkken Verk District) copper mine. The recent Perho reservation application in Finland covers part of the Erajarvi pegmatite field and is also expected to provide the Company with exposure to new lithium, cesium, and tantalum ("LCT pegmatite") discoveries.

The Company's precious metals focus is on the discovery of high-grade gold deposits on the Katajavaara-Aakenus JV in Finland and its active Canadian Joint Ventures with Prospector Metals Corp at Savant (Ontario) and Yamana Gold Inc. at Domain (Manitoba). The Company also retains a residual interest (subject to an option to purchase agreement with Austral Gold Ltd) in the Sierra Blanca gold-silver divestiture in Santa Cruz, Argentina.

Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of Capella, including the timing, completion of and results from the exploration and drill programs described in this release. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by Capella in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, is 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 information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Capella's most recently filed MD&A. Capella does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Capella Minerals Limited
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In late September, Carolinas AGC (CAGC) leaders, including members and staff, met in Washington, D.C. with Congressional Delegations from the Carolinas to urge their support of infrastructure and Career Technical Education (CTE) funding, and to oppose mandatory Project Labor Agreements pushed by unions, burdensome Buy America provisions that will create unnecessary red tape and proposed heat standards that would be extremely impractical for the construction industry.

The three-day National and Chapter Leadership Conference featured business and political sessions, networking events and visits to Capitol Hill by about 300 representatives of AGC of America's 89 chapters, including CAGC.

"This year's AGC National Chapter Leadership Conference again gave us a great opportunity to help support the construction industry in the Carolinas by informing us of the latest on what we need to know politically, and then having us do something about it by making personal visits with our Congressional delegations in North and South Carolina," said Charlie Wilson, Chair of the CAGC Board of Directors.

CAGC representatives participating in the AGC of America event included the five Board of Director officers: Charlie Wilson, Board Chair; Mark Johnnie, Chair Elect; Dean Wilson, Treasurer; Ty Edmondson, Vice Chair; and Casey Schwager, Immediate Past Chair. Also participating in the annual outing were Dave Simpson, CAGC President & CEO, and Allen Gray, Director of AGC's Utility Infrastructure Division and former CAGC Utility Division Director.

A highlight of the trip included personal visits with U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC (who supported CAGC's push to do more with immigration efforts to ease the construction workforce shortage, including his support of asylum reform), and U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-SC, who voiced support about continuing to significantly increase CTE funding. In addition, the CAGC delegation met with the staffs of U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham, R-SC, and Richard Burr, R-NC, and U.S. Reps. Patrick McHenry and Virginia Foxx, both of NC.

Some key points of the messaging to members of Congress included:

More needs to be done with guest worker relief and immigration reform, including extending DACA & TPS, to allow badly needed and qualified people into the construction industry at a time when the workforce shortage is our number-one challenge.





Continue increasing CTE funding at a time when federal funding is running at $27B for CTE versus $101B for higher education.





for CTE versus for higher education. Oppose government-mandated Project Labor Agreements on federal projects.





Oppose HR 2193 involving federal heat standards and instead support industry efforts and best practices.

Carolinas AGC is the construction industry association in the Carolinas, bringing value to our thousands of members through networking, government relations, job leads, meetings with owners/designers, education and training involving such issues as safety and open shop, and community development. Visit us at www.cagc.org, connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Please join us at any of our 100+ networking and business opportunities throughout 2022!



Media Contact: Lori McGovern at [email protected].

SOURCE Carolinas AGC
Texas-based team focused on bringing institutional expertise to retail investors

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group, one of America's largest networks of financial professionals, announced today that Burrows Capital Advisors, led by 30-year industry veteran Don Burrows, has affiliated with Cetera Advisors via Totus Wealth Management (Totus). Burrows and partners Clint Auttonberry and Michael Agol assist their clients in overseeing more than $3 billion in assets under advisement, as of September 28, 2022, for high-net-worth, ultra-high-net-worth and institutional clients from their office in League City, TX. The team members have a longstanding 21-year history of partnership and collaboration, and consistently grew their book of business exponentially together.

Burrows Capital Advisors

About Don Burrows : Burrows was the top advisor and a key leader at Hilltop, serving as a member of the firm's leadership and advisory councils. Prior to Hilltop, Burrows was a managing director at Wachovia Securities/Wells Fargo in Houston . From 1997-2000, Burrows served as SVP, institutional sales market at UBS Group AG, and VP, capital markets and institutional sales at Raymond James Financial. During his early career, he held senior wealth and investment management positions at First Southwest Company, University National Bank, and First Bancshares of Texas , Inc.

: Burrows was the top advisor and a key leader at Hilltop, serving as a member of the firm's leadership and advisory councils. Prior to Hilltop, Burrows was a managing director at Wachovia Securities/Wells Fargo in . From 1997-2000, Burrows served as SVP, institutional sales market at UBS Group AG, and VP, capital markets and institutional sales at Raymond James Financial. During his early career, he held senior wealth and investment management positions at First Southwest Company, University National Bank, and First Bancshares of , Inc. About Clint Auttonberry : Auttonberry provides a wide range of services to clients, including asset allocation and investment analysis, portfolio management, financial planning and execution of fixed income trades for institutional clients. Prior to joining Hilltop in 2012, he worked as associate vice president of investments at Wells Fargo Advisors for nearly 12 years, where he was a member of a team of advisors focused on retirement planning for individuals. He focused on fixed income sales of both primary and secondary issues to insurance companies, public funds and corporate pension accounts. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Houston , where he started work in the financial services industry as an intern with Burrows.

Auttonberry provides a wide range of services to clients, including asset allocation and investment analysis, portfolio management, financial planning and execution of fixed income trades for institutional clients. Prior to joining Hilltop in 2012, he worked as associate vice president of investments at Wells Fargo Advisors for nearly 12 years, where he was a member of a team of advisors focused on retirement planning for individuals. He focused on fixed income sales of both primary and secondary issues to insurance companies, public funds and corporate pension accounts. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the , where he started work in the financial services industry as an intern with Burrows. About Michael Agol : Agol started his career 30 years ago as a retail stock broker with Oppenheimer followed by time at Dean Witter Reynolds and UBS Paine Webber before joining the team back in 2002. Over the years Mike has built strong relationships with his clients, which include business owners and executives, charitable foundations and family offices. Mike leads the team's research and analysis of the equity market, leaning on his years of experience going back to the start of his career. Additionally, Burrows and Agol attended elementary, middle and high school together in Galveston and have known each other for over 50 years.

Two additional team members round out the Burrows Capital Advisors team: Rolando Villarreal is going on his sixth year with the team and will have dual role as Director of Operations and Financial Advisor. Ashley Villarreal will be the newest addition to the team, joining them as Director of Finance. Ashley joins the team with 16 years of banking and financial services experience working for Wells Fargo and University Federal Credit Union.

"Our close-knit team has always focused on serving our client needs first and foremost, and as we identified new ways to deliver more sophisticated advice to clients, we recognized the need to upgrade and enhance our core capabilities and resources," Burrows said. "Cetera Advisors and Totus deliver this upgrade, with dedicated support and programs that will help us continue to grow and provide a more holistic experience for clients. We welcome the independent model that Cetera Advisors and Totus offer, which will empower us to serve our client needs above all else  without restrictions or limitations. Our mission has always been to bring an institutional-level investing experience to our valued clients to support and pursue their wealth management goals. We are proud to be affiliated with Cetera Advisors and Totus and look forward to many shared successes together."

"Burrows Capital Advisors is the latest example of how today's top advisors continue to migrate toward an independent model with dedicated support and resources," said Brett Harrison, president of Cetera Advisors. "As industry dynamics continue to shift, we expect this trend will only accelerate and more billion-dollar advisory teams will reevaluate their firm affiliation and embrace an independent model. We welcome Don and the team to Cetera Advisors and Totus and look forward to collaborating to deliver the best solutions for clients and achieve success for Burrows Capital Advisors."

Burrows Capital Advisors is the latest high-profile affiliation at Cetera, which attracted a record $3.6 billion through recruiting efforts in the second quarter of 2022 through a series of large-scale recruiting wins from practices leaving wirehouse firms and other independent broker dealers. In June, Harvest Wealth, a former Merrill Lynch team, led by industry veterans Dean Packard, Scott Lowder and Vytas Maginnis, that manages more than $1 billion, joined Cetera Advisor Networks.

Visit www.cetera.com for more information.

About Cetera Financial Group

Cetera Financial Group (Cetera) is a leading financial services firm whose purpose is to enable the delivery of best-in-class financial advice to as many Americans as possible. Cetera empowers its financial professional communities to help clients achieve their version of financial wellbeing through the Advice-Centric Experience. Cetera proudly serves independent financial professionals, tax professionals, banks and credit unions in providing wide-ranging financial planning and wealth management services.

Cetera oversees approximately $353 billion in assets under administration and $122 billion in assets under management, as of December 31, 2021.

Visit www.cetera.com, and follow Cetera on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

"Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, and First Allied Securities, Inc. All firms are members FINRA/SIPC. Located at: 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101.

Individuals affiliated with Cetera firms are either Registered Representatives who offer only brokerage services and receive transaction-based compensation (commissions), Investment Adviser Representatives who offer only investment advisory services and receive fees based on assets, or both Registered Representatives and Investment Adviser Representatives, who can offer both types of services. Registered Representatives offering securities and advisory services through Cetera Advisors, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, a broker/dealer and Registered Investment Adviser.

SOURCE Cetera Financial Group
Blockchain Gaming Giant Declares the Web3 Era Open for Business

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a bold statement, ChainGuardians has declared that the Web3 Metaverse is open for business and they intend to help fund its future. Today ChainGuardians has committed $1MM in grants to entrepreneurs looking to enter the Web3 space. The "Guardians Phygital Grant" program will help entrepreneurs get integrated into the Web3 space by providing education, guidance, connections and initial financing to help integrate and incubate their business ideas into a wide variety of places in the Metaverse, including the Cyrptoverse, ChainGuardians personal blockchain powered Metaverse.

ChainGuardians is looking to invest in a future where the line between the universe and metaverse will be indecipherable. The Guardians Phygital Grant will help fashion develop in the metaverse.

In honor of their first presence at the recently completed New York Fashion week, where they unveiled their Phygital Meta Streetwear Collection, ChainGuardians will award $50,000 business grants to two Fashion/Luxury-based businesses. In the future, ChainGuardians will also launch a new $100,000 grant opportunity in a different business sector, such as wine and spirits, toys, electronics and music. The goal of the program is to create awareness of the unlimited opportunities Web3 offers entrepreneurs in terms of new revenue streams, brand awareness and untapped consumer audiences.

Since 2018, ChainGuardians has been building in the Web3 space with their own Superhero brand IP, while helping many blockchain projects begin to navigate the space. Within the ChainGuardians ecosystem, users are empowered to govern and monetize experiences as they create, build, manufacture, own, trade via a decentralized ecosystem.

"We believe the Web3 Metaverse is the future of internet and we are here to promote the adoption" said ChainGuardians co-founder and CEO Emma Liu. "ChainGuardians is dedicated to playing an increasingly pivotal role in the creation of an open metaverse that delivers real-world implications."

The grants are designed to support the entrepreneurial interests of manufacturers, designers, retailers, merchandisers, influencers, artists, essentially anyone looking to bring a business idea to life in the ChainGuardians ecosystem. To enter any of the Guardians Phygital Grant competitions, entrepreneurs simply need to submit a brief overview of the type of business, idea or experience they are looking to enter into the Web3 space. Submissions can be made beginning October 1st at www.guardians.boutique/guardians-grant. Each submission will then be reviewed by ChainGuardians and a final five will be put forth to the entire ChainGuardians community to choose the two grant winners.

Support for these budding Web3 entrepreneurs doesn't stop with just the grants. Each winner will also receive guidance on building and launching their business from a ChainGuardians expert business panel.

With initiatives such as this innovative grant program, ChainGuardians is poised to break through the technological and ideological barriers of the physical world to deliver the future economies of business the Web3 Metaverse will offer, changing the way we buy, sell, trade and share ideas, goods and information.

For artwork, interview requests or more information, contact:

Rob Bailey

201-819-1134

[email protected]

SOURCE ChainGuardians
Data-focused digital media veteran to supercharge next phase of growth as consultative partner to brands and agencies

DENVER, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Choozle , an omnichannel digital advertising platform and consultative partner to agencies and brands, announced that Adam Woods has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Woods will be responsible for extending the company's growth as it evolves beyond a self-service platform to help brands and agencies execute omnichannel campaigns  across programmatic, search and social  as a service-based ally to its clients.

Woods brings more than two decades of experience developing highly scalable technologies that drive business value through deep understanding and analysis of customer needs. He has been ingrained in Choozle's leadership team for two years, serving as the company's Chief Technology Officer, and most recently, Chief Client Officer, helping to continue Choozle's strong growth. Prior to joining Choozle, Woods was Chief Technology Officer at Wunderman Thompson Data. In this role, he helped develop a global data company that brings a privacy-first consultative approach to programmatic advertising strategies and empowers marketing leaders at Fortune 500 brands to achieve the true value of their first-party data.

"I've enjoyed working with the Choozle team over the past two years to achieve our goal of powering programmatic advertising for every brand, and am excited to continue to drive that mission forward," Woods said. "Businesses need to solve for universal challenges regarding how to effectively engage customers, particularly within the guardrails of the new privacy landscape. Choozle will continue to provide affordable, approachable yet sophisticated technology and guidance to enable success in such a fast-evolving space."

Choozle's Founder and former CEO, Andrew Fischer, resigned in May of this year; he will continue to hold his position as a board member.

"Choozle is in a great position for growth with Adam at the helm," said Fischer. "He's been a highly valued asset to the company and embodies our mission by ensuring agencies and brands have the knowledge and tools needed to execute successful campaigns. I'm excited to see what comes next for such a driven and talented organization of people."

About Choozle:

Choozle is an omnichannel digital advertising platform and consultative partner that helps advertisers navigate the complexities of the digital media landscape. Choozle provides a digital advertising software platform that leverages detailed consumer data to power programmatic advertising campaigns for an omnichannel world  all from a single, intuitive interface. Choozle combines the sophistication of multiple digital advertising tools, a demand-side platform, data management platform, and smart tag management into a single platform with human media optimization expertise to engage audiences no matter where they are. Designed for advertising agencies and marketing departments, Choozle has democratized the adtech ecosystem with its intuitive, elegant, and affordable solution. choozle.com

SOURCE Choozle
THUNDER BAY, ON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Clean Air Metals Inc. ("Clean Air Metals" or the "Company") (TSXV: AIR) (FRA: CKU) ( OTCQB: CLRMF) announces that it has filed its unaudited consolidated interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the six month period ended July 31, 2022, available for viewing on www.sedar.com .

First Quarter Financial Highlights

Total assets as at July 31, 2022 of $42,671,034

of Total cash as at July 31, 2022 of $3,129,860

of Working capital as at July 31, 2022 of $2,248,915

of Shareholder's equity as at July 31, 2022 of $41,143,954

During the six-month period ended July 31, 2022 as previously reported, the Company:

Closed a private placement raising gross proceeds of approximately $12.5 million through the issuance of 12,280,800 flow-through units at $0.285 , 10,869,600 flow-through units at $0.23 and 32.25 million non-flow-through units at $0.20 .

through the issuance of 12,280,800 flow-through units at , 10,869,600 flow-through units at and 32.25 million non-flow-through units at . Signed an exploration agreement with Fort William First Nation, Red Rock Indian Band and the Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek, confirming a framework for a mutually beneficial relationship with the Company, as Cooperating Participants regarding future development of the Company's Thunder Bay North Critical Mineral project.

Completed a total of 45 holes on the Escape Deposit for a cumulative total of 17,625 m of drilling.

of drilling. Completed a total of 27 holes on the Current Deposit for a cumulative total of 4,926 m of drilling which included 8 metallurgical test holes.

of drilling which included 8 metallurgical test holes. Completed the second to final project payment of C$1.5 million to Panoramic Resources Ltd. of Australia . The final project payment due May 13, 2023 , is C$1.5 million , which is also the final vesting condition in the option agreement with Benton Resources Inc. (reported May 15, 2020 ). Whereupon the Company will have earned a 100% interest in the Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals Project. The final property payment may be accelerated at any time at the discretion of the Company.

to Panoramic Resources Ltd. of . The final project payment due , is , which is also the final vesting condition in the option agreement with Benton Resources Inc. (reported ). Whereupon the Company will have earned a 100% interest in the Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals Project. The final property payment may be accelerated at any time at the discretion of the Company. Announced the kickoff of the Prefeasibility Study on the Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals Project with metallurgical optimization led by DRA Americas, renowned experts in beneficiation of PGE-rich sulphide ores.

Announced the appointment of Mr. Mike Garbutt , P.Eng. MBA as Chief Operating Officer to manage the Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals Project through the feasibility and environmental permitting process to a construction decision provisionally expected in Q4/2024.

Financial Summary













For the three months ended For the six months ended

July 31, 2022 July 31, 2021 July 31, 2022 July 31, 2021









Operating Expenses $ 1,010,351 $ 1,241,739 $ 2,108,430 $ 1,988,873









Net Loss and Comprehensive Loss (746,643) (794,601) (1,307,514) (842,342)









Loss per share 







Basic and Diluted $ (0.01) $ (0.00) $ (0.01) $ (0.00)





















July 31, 2022 January 31, 2022













Total Assets $ 42,671,034 $ 35,059,465













Total Liabilities 1,527,080 4,027,436













Total Shareholders' Equity $ 41,143,954 $ 31,032,029





Full details of the financial reports and operating results for the six month period ended July 31, 2022 are described in the Company's unaudited consolidated interim financial statements with accompanying notes and related Management's Discussion and Analysis, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Qualified Person

Dr. Geoff Heggie, Ph.D., P.Geo., a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 and Vice President - Exploration for the Company, has reviewed and approved all technical information in this press release.

Social Engagement

Clean Air Metals Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Panoramic PGMs (Canada) Ltd. acknowledge that the Thunder Bay North Project is on the traditional territories of the Fort

William First Nation, Red Rock Indian Band and Biinjitiwabik Zaaging Anishinabek. The parties together are the Cooperating Participants in a Memorandum of Agreement dated January 9, 2021 (press release January 11, 2021) and Exploration Agreement signed April 13, 2022 (press release April 14, 2022).

The Company appreciates the opportunity to work in these territories and remains committed to the recognition and respect of those who have lived, traveled, and gathered on the lands since time immemorial. Clean Air Metals is committed to stewarding Indigenous heritage and remains committed to building, fostering and encouraging a respectful relationship with First Nations and Metis peoples based upon principles of mutual trust, respect, reciprocity and collaboration in the spirit of reconciliation.

About Clean Air Metals Inc.

Clean Air Metals' flagship asset is the 100% owned, high grade Thunder Bay North Project, a platinum, palladium, copper, nickel project located near the City of Thunder Bay,

Ontario and the Lac des Iles Mine owned by Impala Platinum. The Thunder Bay North Project hosts the twin magma conduit bodies which host the Current and Escape deposits

forming the basis for a robust preliminary economic assessment PEA) filed January 12, 2002. The PEA of a ramp access underground mine and on-site 3600tpd milling complex and the 2-year trailing average price deck, features a pretax NPV5 of C$425m and an IRR of 31% on initial capital of $378m over a 10-year mine life.

Executive Chair Jim Gallagher and CEO Abraham Drost lead an experienced technical team who are using the Norilsk magma conduit stratigraphic and mineral deposit model to guide ongoing exploration and development feasibility studies for a low-carbon, all-electric sustainable mining operation at Thunder Bay North. As the former CEO of North American Palladium Ltd. which owned the Lac des Iles Mine prior to the sale to Impala Platinum in December 2019, Jim Gallagher and team are credited with the mine turnaround and creation of significant value for shareholders.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Abraham Drost"

Abraham Drost, Chief Executive Officer of Clean Air Metals Inc.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration

or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of

production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

SOURCE Clean Air Metals Inc.
TORONTO and GATINEAU, QC, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Converge Technology Solutions Corp. ("Converge" or "the Company") (TSX: CTS) (FSE: 0ZB) (OTCQX: CTSDF) a software-enabled IT & Cloud Solutions provider, is pleased to announce it is now certified to sell and implement IBM zSystems and LinuxONE in Canada.

IBM zSystems is an overarching title used by IBM for all of its z/Architecture mainframe computers, beginning with the z900 up to the most recent z16, released in May 2022. The "z" stands for "zero downtime," which reflects the reliability of the system. Data that is handled by IBM zSystems is encrypted by dedicated processors over the complete ecosystem, using quantum-safe data encryption. This means that encrypted data can withstand future unauthorized decryption using quantum computing capacity. Similarly, LinuxONE is an enterprise-grade server with a unique architecture designed to meet the needs of mission-critical workloads. It brings together IBM's experience in building sustainable, secure, and scalable systems with the openness of the Linux operating system. LinuxONE runs on IBM zSystems servers.

"Converge looks forward to expanding our IBM zSystems and LinuxONE capabilities into Canada," stated Greg Berard, President and North American CEO of Converge. "Converge has been offering these solutions to our clients across the United States for many years and have strong technical resources with deep expertise and knowledge around these offerings. We're excited to now be able to bring those skills to our Canadian clients and offer the same level of these IBM services and solutions across North America."

About Converge

Converge Technology Solutions Corp. is a software-enabled IT & Cloud Solutions provider focused on delivering industry-leading solutions and services. Converge's global solution approach delivers advanced analytics, application modernization, cloud platforms, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and digital workplace offerings to clients across various industries. The Company supports these solutions with advisory, implementation, and managed services expertise across all major IT vendors in the marketplace. This multi-faceted approach enables Converge to address the unique business and technology requirements for all clients in the public and private sectors. For more information, visit convergetp.com.

SOURCE Converge Technology Solutions Corp.
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Copper Mountain Mining Corporation (TSX: CMMC) (ASX: C6C) (the "Company" or "Copper Mountain") is pleased to announce an updated Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources estimate and revised life of mine plan for its 75% owned Copper Mountain Mine, located in southern British Columbia. The new life of mine plan, based only on Mineral Reserves, supports an updated mill expansion scenario to 65,000 tpd ("65ktpd Expansion"), producing a total of 4.1 billion pounds of copper equivalent(1) over a mine life of 32 years with robust economics including an after-tax net present value ("NPV") at an 8% discount rate of $1.24 billion(1).

Figure 1: Projected Net Free Cash Flow (CNW Group/Copper Mountain Mining Corporation) Appendix 2: Flowsheet for 65ktpd Mill Expansion (CNW Group/Copper Mountain Mining Corporation)

All metrics are on a 100% basis and all amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Highlights:

Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources (inclusive of Mineral Reserves) estimate of 1.1 billion tonnes increased by (2) :

: 70% to 5.5 billion pounds of copper at average grades of 0.22% Cu.



68% to 3.4 million ounces of gold at average grades of 0.09 g/t Au.



62% to 23.4 million ounces of silver at average grades of 0.64 g/t Ag.

Proven and probable Mineral Reserves estimate of 702 million tonnes increased by (2) :

: 57% to 3.7 billion pounds of copper at average grades of 0.24% Cu.



54% to 2.3 million ounces of gold at average grades of 0.10 g/t Au.



49% to 16.0 million ounces of silver at average grades of 0.71 g/t Ag.

Total mine life has been extended to 32 years with the 65ktpd Expansion commencing in 2028.

Annual average production (3) of 138 million pounds of copper equivalent (114 million pounds of copper, 54,000 ounces of gold and 367,000 ounces of silver).

of 138 million pounds of copper equivalent (114 million pounds of copper, 54,000 ounces of gold and 367,000 ounces of silver). After-tax NPV (8%) (1) of $1.24 billion .

of . All-in cost ("AIC")(3) of $1.76 per pound of copper, net of by-product credits.

1. Based on a C$1.30 to US$1.00 exchange rate and consensus metal prices for years 1, 2, 3 and long-term, respectively, of: $3.73, $3.86, $3.94 and $3.60 per pound copper; $1,796, $1,762, $1,749 and $1,650 per ounce of gold; and $21.86, $22.30, $22.24 and $21.35 per ounce of silver. 2. Compared to the prior technical report titled "Copper Mountain Mine 65 kt/d Expansion Study and Life-of-Mine Plan NI 43-101 Technical Report" with an effective date of September 1, 2020 and dated November 30, 2020. 3. For the first 20 years, starting in 2023. The Company reports the non-GAAP financial measure of AIC per pound of copper produced to manage and evaluate its operating performance. See "Cautionary Note Regarding Non-GAAP Performance Measures" in this press release.

"These results illustrate the size and scale of the Copper Mountain Mine," stated Gil Clausen, Copper Mountain's President and CEO. "Our large Mineral Reserves base underpins our updated 65ktpd Expansion study, which estimates total production of over 4.1 billion pounds of copper equivalent over a mine life that will extend beyond 30 years. Increasing plant capacity to 65ktpd requires only modest initial development capital, which is self funded with mine cash flow. In fact, not only is the Copper Mountain Mine able to fund capital required over the life of mine, but it is also expected to generate significant free cash flow beyond these requirements. In addition, higher-grade exploration upside remains, particularly at depth, providing further reserve expansion potential. With Mineral Reserves at the Copper Mountain Mine continuing to grow, the Company's total Mineral Reserves estimate, including at the Eva Copper Project, is now at 5.4 billion pounds of copper and over 2.6 million ounces of gold. We have two large, scalable assets in two of the best mining jurisdictions in the world."

The Executive Summary of the NI 43-101 technical report (the "2022 Technical Report") for the new life of mine plan for the Copper Mountain Mine is available on the Copper Mountain website at www.CuMtn.com. The Company will file the full 2022 Technical Report on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) within the next seven days and such report will be available at that time on the Company's website.

Mining & Processing

The 65ktpd Expansion includes a new primary crusher feed hopper, modifications to the primary gyratory crusher, the installation of a High-Pressure Grinding Roll (HPGR) circuit, the addition of a fourth ball mill, a regrind verti-mill, additional rougher and cleaner flotation circuit capacity, and electrical system upgrades. The existing SAG mill will be retired. The fourth ball mill, a 22 ft by 38 ft mill, will be installed adjacent to the third ball mill within the existing building. With the addition of the fourth ball mill, the ball milling line will comprise four mills operating in parallel: two identical 24 ft x 30 ft mills, and two identical 22 ft x 38 ft mills (see Appendix 2 for the proposed 65ktpd process flowsheet). This work will allow for increased throughput with a slightly coarser grind size P 80 of 165 m as compared to the current grind size of 150 m.

The 65ktpd Expansion is a planned plant-wide improvement that increases throughput in addition to:

Reducing operating costs using newer but proven technologies and equipment;

Reducing energy consumption through more efficient grinding unit operations; and

Improving flotation performance with substantially more capacity at the rougher and cleaner stages.

The mine plan is based only on Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves at the Copper Mountain Mine, and indicates a 32-year life of mine, which comprises 30 years of mining and milling followed by 2 years of processing the low-grade stockpiles. The plan indicates average copper equivalent production of 138 million pounds per annum for the first 20 years starting in 2023. The increased milling rate to 65,000 tonnes per day is planned to commence in 2028. The additional mining equipment required includes one additional shovel, 21 haul trucks and one additional drill for a total of five shovels, 49 220-t haul trucks and six blasthole drills. The 65ktpd Expansion also includes Trolley Assist on the East haul road.

Significant exploration potential remains at the Copper Mountain Mine with mineralization open both laterally and at depth. Multiple historical drillholes end in copper mineralization and geophysical data suggests the copper deposit extends below the current known resource.

Total ore mined is expected to be 652 million tonnes and total waste mined is expected to be 1,356 million tonnes, with a strip ratio of 2.08:1. Using average recoveries of 87.9% for copper, 66.8% for gold and 68.2% for silver, total production is expected to be 4.1 billion pounds of copper equivalent composed of 3.4 billion pounds of copper, 1.6 million ounces of gold and 11.6 million ounces of silver. A summary of mining, processing and production metrics is provided below. A more detailed life of mine production schedule will be available in the 2022 Technical Report on SEDAR.

Parameter(1) Unit Value Total Ore Mined kt 652,015 Total Waste kt 1,356,381 Strip Ratio w:o 2.08 Processing Rate (after year 2028) t/d 65,000 Total Copper Equivalent Produced Mlb 4,116 Total Copper Produced Mlb 3,402 Total Gold Produced koz 1,557 Total Silver Produced koz 11,629 Average Annual Copper Equivalent(2) Mlb 138.4 Average Annual Copper Produced(2) Mlb 113.6 Average Annual Gold Produced(2) koz 54.0 Average Annual Silver Produced(2) koz 367.0 Average Cu Head Grade % 0.25 % Average Au Head Grade g/t 0.10 Average Ag Head Grade g/t 0.8 Cu Recoveries % 87.9 Au Recoveries % 66.8 Ag Recoveries % 68.2 Mine Life (including stockpile years) years 32

(1) All parameters do not include 2022. (2) For years 1-20, starting in 2023.

Capital Costs

The initial capital cost required to increase throughput to 65,000 tonnes per day is estimated to be approximately $237 million. This includes the installation of the HPGR circuit, buildings, fourth ball mill, regrind circuit, verti-mill, additional rougher and cleaner flotation circuits, and electrical system upgrades. Other development capital requirements estimated at $223 million subsequently required over the remaining mine life, include additional mobile mining equipment, the East haul road Trolley Assist and water management related expenditures.

Total sustaining capital for the life of mine is estimated to be $828 million. With the 65ktpd Expansion's significant increase in Mineral Reserves and mine life, an additional replacement cycle for the mining fleet has been factored into the sustaining capital estimate which contributes to most of the total estimate.

Initial 65ktpd Expansion CAPEX Breakdown $M Direct Costs

Site Water Management $4.3 Process Plant Ancilliaries $1.9 Crushing, HPGR, Ore Storage and Conveying $67.6 Grinding $20.1 Flotation and Regrind $24.7 Reagents $0.1 Buildings $14.7 Site Development & Plant Roads $2.4 New Ingerbelle Bridge $12.9 Transformers and Substations $8.6 Freight & Logistics $3.5 Direct Costs Subtotal $160.7



Indirect Costs

EPCM $14.5 Project Indirects $16.6 Engineering Support for Permitting $1.2 Contingency $43.9 Indirect Costs Total $76.2



Total Initial 65ktpd Expansion CAPEX $236.9

LOM Capital Costs $M Sustaining Capital

Mine (Includes Capital Leases on Fleet Replacement) $715.5 Mill & Site $112.0 Total Sustaining Capital $827.5



Other Development Capital $222.8

Operating Costs

AIC per pound of copper produced is a non-GAAP financial measure. See "Cautionary Note Regarding Non-GAAP Performance Measures" in this press release.

Total LOM operating unit costs are estimated to be $10.14 per tonne milled, which includes mining cost per tonne milled of $5.75, milling cost per tonne milled of $3.87 and G&A cost per tonne milled of $0.51. Mining cost per tonne mined is estimated to be $1.70. A unit cost breakdown is provided below.

Unit Operating Costs $ per tonne milled Mine Cost per Tonne Milled $5.75 Mill Cost per Tonne Milled $3.87 G&A Cost per Tonne Milled $0.51 Total Operating Cost per Tonne Milled $10.14

Notes: Mining costs are inclusive of costs to rehandle the existing ore stockpiles.

The above costs result in an average AIC per pound of copper of $1.76 for the first 20 years of mine life.

Economics

The after-tax NPV for the 65ktpd Expansion at the Copper Mountain Mine assuming an 8% discount rate is estimated to be $1.24 billion. The economics are calculated assuming a Canadian Dollar to U.S. Dollar exchange rate of 1.30 to 1 and long-term metal prices of $3.60 per pound copper, $1,650 per ounce of gold and $21.35 per ounce of silver. Metal price assumptions are based on consensus forecasts. A sensitivity analysis on varying copper prices was completed on the after-tax NPV (8%) and the results are summarized below.

Copper prices After-tax NPV (8%) -10 % $956 million $3.60 $1,245 million +10 % $1,532 million

Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource

A summary of the Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources estimates is provided below as of August 1, 2022. The Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves.

Copper Mountain Mine Mineral Reserves Estimate (as of August 1, 2022) Category Tonnes

(kt) Cu Grade

(% Cu) Au Grade

(g/t) Ag Grade

(g/t) Cu Pounds

(Mlb) Au Ounces

(koz) Ag Ounces

(koz) Proven













CM M&N Total Pit 232,512 0.28 0.09 1.10 1,454 665 8,208 New Ingerbelle Pit 183,003 0.23 0.14 0.41 928 824 2,412 Subtotal Pit Only 415,515 0.26 0.11 0.79 2,382 1,488 10,620 Stockpile 51,765 0.15 0.04 0.45 176 67 749 Total Proven 467,280 0.25 0.10 0.76 2,557 1,555 11,369 Probable













CM M&N Total Pit 155,011 0.23 0.09 0.74 786 449 3,688 New Ingerbelle Pit 80,154 0.22 0.12 0.37 389 309 953 Total Probable 235,165 0.23 0.10 0.61 1,175 758 4,641 Proven + Probable













CM M&N Total Pit 387,522 0.26 0.09 0.95 2,240 1,113 11,895 New Ingerbelle Pit 263,157 0.23 0.13 0.40 1,317 1,133 3,366 Subtotal Pit Only 650,679 0.25 0.11 0.73 3,556 2,246 15,261 Stockpile 51,765 0.15 0.04 0.45 176 67 749 Total 702,444 0.24 0.10 0.71 3,732 2,313 16,010

1. Mineral Reserves estimate was prepared in accordance with the Australian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves prepared by the Joint Ore Reserves Committee of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Australian Institute of Geoscientists and Minerals Council of Australia, as amended (the "JORC Code") and Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards on Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources (the "CIM Standards") adopted by the CIM Council on May 10, 2014. 2. Mineral Reserves estimate was generated using the August 1, 2022 mining surface. 3. Mineral Reserves estimate is reported at 0.10% and 0.13% Cu cut-off grade for New Ingerbelle and Copper Mountain Mine ("CMM") respectively. 4. Mineral Reserves estimate is reported using long-term copper, gold, and silver prices of $2.75/lb, $1,500/oz, and $18.50/oz, respectively. 5. An average CMM copper process recovery of 80%, gold process recovery of 65%, and silver process recovery of 70% is based on geo-metallurgical domains and actual plant values. 6. An average New Ingerbelle copper process recovery of 88.5%, gold process recovery of 71%, and silver process recovery of 65% is based on geo-metallurgical domains, historical recoveries, and recent testwork. 7. Average bulk density is 2.78 t/m3. 8. Stockpile tonnes and grade are based on production grade control process. 9. Totals may not add due to rounding.

Copper Mountain Mine Mineral Resources Estimate (as of August 1, 2022) Category Tonnes

(kt) Cu Grade

(% Cu) Au Grade

(g/t) Ag Grade

(g/t) Cu Pounds

(Mlb) Au Ounces

(koz) Ag Ounces

(koz) Measured













CM M&N Total Pit 346,989 0.24 0.08 0.92 1,862 877 10,294 New Ingerbelle Pit 198,241 0.24 0.14 0.41 1,027 905 2,588 Subtotal Pit Only 545,230 0.24 0.10 0.73 2,889 1.78 12.88 Stockpile 51,765 0.15 0.04 0.45 176 67 749 Total Measured 596,995 0.23 0.10 0.71 3,064 1,848 13,631 Indicated













CM M&N Total Pit 369,786 0.19 0.07 0.65 1,558 838 7,759 New Ingerbelle Pit 165,210 0.23 0.13 0.37 845 680 1,987 Total Indicated 534,995 0.20 0.09 0.57 2,402 1,518 9,745 Measured and Indicated













CM M&N Total Pit 716,775 0.22 0.07 0.78 3,420 1,714 18,053 New Ingerbelle Pit 363,451 0.23 0.14 0.39 1,872 1,585 4,574 Subtotal Pit Only 1,080,226 0.22 0.09 0.65 5,291 3,299 22,627 Stockpile 51,765 0.15 0.04 0.45 176 67 749 Total Measured and Indicated 1,131,991 0.22 0.09 0.64 5,467 3,366 23,376 Inferred













CM M&N Total Pit 290,841 0.19 0.08 0.65 1,216 710 6,072 New Ingerbelle Pit 154,800 0.20 0.11 0.32 696 567 1,603 Total Inferred 445,641 0.19 0.09 0.54 1,912 1,278 7,674

1. Mineral Resources estimate was prepared in accordance with the JORC Code and the CIM Standards. 2. Mineral Resources were estimated using the August 1, 2022 mining surface for the Copper Mountain Mine. 3. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Due to the uncertainty that may be attached to Inferred Mineral Resources, it cannot be assumed that all or any part of the Inferred Mineral Resource will be upgraded to an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource as a result of continued exploration. 4. Mineral Resources estimate is constrained by a $3.50/lb Cu pit shell. 5. Cut-off grade is based on copper grade only. 6. Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves. 7. Cut-off grades applied at 0.10% Cu. 8. Totals may not add due to rounding.

Competent Persons Statement

The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves is based on information compiled by Patrick Redmond, Ph.D., P.Geo. Dr. Redmond is a full-time employee of the Company and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code. Dr. Redmond does consent to the inclusion in this news release of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Qualified Persons

The Mineral Resources estimate for the Copper Mountain Mine was prepared by Patrick Redmond, Ph.D., P.Geo. who is the Senior Vice President, Exploration and Geoscience at Copper Mountain. Dr. Redmond serves as the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") for the Mineral Resources estimate at the Copper Mountain Mine. Dr. Redmond consents to the inclusion of the Mineral Resources estimate in this news release and has approved the Mineral Resources information included in this news release.

Mr. Alberto Chang, P.Eng., serves as the qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 for information regarding the Copper Mountain Mine's technical information and Mineral Reserves estimate. Mr. Chang is the Vice President, Mining of Copper Mountain and has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

The qualified persons have verified the information disclosed herein, including the sampling, preparation, security and analytical procedures underlying such information, and are not aware of any significant risks and uncertainties that could be expected to affect the reliability or confidence in the information discussed herein.

About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Copper Mountain's flagship asset is the 75% owned Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. The Copper Mountain Mine currently produces approximately 90 million pounds of copper equivalent. Copper Mountain also has the development-stage Eva Copper Project in Queensland, Australia and an extensive 2,100 km2 highly prospective land package in the Mount Isa area. Copper Mountain trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "CMMC" and Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol "C6C".

Additional information is available on the Company's web page at www.CuMtn.com.

On behalf of the Board of

COPPER MOUNTAIN MINING CORPORATION

"Gil Clausen"

Gil Clausen, P.Eng.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Copper Mountain does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the Company's expectations or beliefs regarding future events.

In certain circumstances, forward-looking statements can be identified, but are not limited to, statements which use terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "forecasts", "guidance", scheduled", "target" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. In this news release, certain forward-looking statements are identified, including but not limited to: information with respect to the Company's strategy, plan or future financial or operating performance with respect to the 65ktpd Expansion life of mine plan; forecast or estimated copper production, including annual copper production, and the increase or timing thereof; projected or estimated costs, including AIC; projected, estimated or assumed prices, including the price of copper, gold and silver; exploration potential; Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves; Mineral Resources and exploration existing beyond the currently defined Mineral Reserves; projected or estimated capital expenditures; mine life; the duration of mining operations; estimated or projected mine operating figures, including mining and processing rates, the amount of ore mined and waste removed, strip ratios, copper, gold and silver grades and copper, gold and silver recovery rates; and certain financial measures, including estimated cash flows. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance and opportunities to differ materially from those implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include the successful exploration of the Company's properties in Canada and Australia, market price, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, extreme weather events, material and labour shortages, the reliability of the historical data referenced in this press release and risks set out in Copper Mountain's public documents, including in each management discussion and analysis, filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although Copper Mountain has attempted to identify important factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, achievements and opportunities to differ materially from those described in its forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause the Company's results, performance, achievements and opportunities not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. While the Company believes that the information and assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements.

Cautionary Note Regarding Non-GAAP Performance Measures

This news release includes certain non-GAAP performance measures that do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). These measures may differ from those used and may not be comparable to such measures as reported by other issuers. The Company believes that these measures are commonly used by certain investors, in conjunction with conventional IFRS measures, to enhance their understanding of the Company's performance. These performance measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures have been derived from the Company's financial statements and applied on a consistent basis. The calculation and an explanation of these measures is provided in the Company's management's discussion and analysis and such measures should be read in conjunction with the Company's financial statements.

APPENDIX 1: LIFE OF MINE PRODUCTION PLAN (Excluding Stockpile Years)



Units 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 Ore mined kt 14,286 13,822 12,620 14,589 15,090 21,289 27,073 25,978 24,167 29,194 25,624 33,053 40,844 33,798 8,908 14,723 Waste Mined kt 51,688 52,796 42,512 44,506 40,616 58,505 46,496 53,993 55,827 50,743 54,371 43,337 35,784 39,872 53,842 52,959 Total material mined (excl. rehandle) kt 65,974 66,618 55,131 59,095 55,706 79,793 73,569 79,970 79,994 79,937 79,995 76,390 76,628 73,670 62,750 67,682 Stripping ratio w:o 3.62 3.82 3.37 3.05 2.69 2.75 1.72 2.08 2.31 1.74 2.12 1.31 0.88 1.18 6.04 3.60



































Tonnes milled per day TPD 44,997 44,997 44,997 44,997 44,997 49,863 65,001 65,000 65,000 64,824 65,009 64,997 65,009 64,822 65,000 65,000



































Head Grades Milled:

































Copper % 0.35 % 0.28 % 0.28 % 0.35 % 0.44 % 0.24 % 0.27 % 0.22 % 0.23 % 0.27 % 0.24 % 0.27 % 0.30 % 0.26 % 0.17 % 0.20 % Gold g/t 0.07 0.08 0.06 0.07 0.10 0.15 0.18 0.12 0.13 0.16 0.14 0.15 0.18 0.15 0.09 0.07 Silver g/t 1.53 1.22 1.07 1.47 1.91 0.43 0.51 0.39 0.41 0.46 0.43 0.45 0.48 0.45 0.34 0.70



































Recoveries:

































Copper % 88 % 89 % 87 % 88 % 89 % 89 % 89 % 88 % 88 % 89 % 88 % 89 % 89 % 89 % 82 % 86 % Gold % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 69 % 65 % Silver % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 66 % 70 %



































Recovered Metal:

































Copper Mlb 112 92 88 111 141 87 128 100 107 124 109 124 140 122 75 91 Gold Koz 25 27 20 25 33 62 94 62 69 83 74 82 98 79 50 33 Silver Koz 566 451 397 542 708 165 252 194 201 230 213 222 240 222 171 371



Units 2039 2040 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045 2046 2047 2048 2049 2050 2051 2052 Ore mined kt 26,372 25,733 21,986 765 16,375 27,146 28,057 26,980 20,780 23,239 24,954 26,031 28,038 507 Waste Mined kt 47,003 47,362 37,887 28,897 31,244 41,322 44,712 47,821 53,640 52,799 43,493 31,952 41,883 28,521 Total material mined (excl. rehandle) kt 73,374 73,094 59,873 29,662 47,618 68,468 72,769 74,802 74,420 76,038 68,447 57,983 69,920 29,027 Stripping ratio w:o 1.78 1.84 1.72 37.79 1.91 1.52 1.59 1.77 2.58 2.27 1.74 1.23 1.49 56.28































Tonnes milled per day TPD 64,993 64,832 65,008 65,000 65,000 64,824 65,002 65,007 65,000 64,822 65,000 65,000 65,012 64,822































Head Grades Milled:





























Copper % 0.34 % 0.40 % 0.23 % 0.15 % 0.22 % 0.25 % 0.22 % 0.28 % 0.33 % 0.20 % 0.24 % 0.18 % 0.24 % 0.15 % Gold g/t 0.11 0.10 0.08 0.04 0.08 0.10 0.10 0.11 0.08 0.10 0.11 0.06 0.10 0.05 Silver g/t 1.22 1.77 0.66 0.45 0.64 0.70 0.65 0.96 1.39 0.68 0.81 0.57 0.77 0.51































Recoveries:





























Copper % 89 % 89 % 89 % 90 % 89 % 89 % 89 % 89 % 87 % 89 % 90 % 89 % 90 % 82 % Gold % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % 65 % Silver % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 % 70 %































Recovered Metal:





























Copper Mlb 157 185 107 73 102 117 102 130 151 95 112 84 111 67 Gold Koz 54 48 42 20 42 49 49 53 40 49 55 32 50 26 Silver Koz 654 945 354 242 343 372 347 513 740 365 432 303 412 271

SOURCE Copper Mountain Mining Corporation
Cox Enterprises joins the JA Chick-fil-A Discovery Center in Atlanta to help students discover what their futures

can hold

ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Cox Enterprises proudly cut the ribbon on their storefront in JA BizTown at the JA Chick-fil-A Discovery Center. As a business in JA BizTown, the Cox storefront gives 6th grade students a glimpse into the realities of adulthood while offering them an opportunity to navigate those complexities in an authentic, hands-on environment. Cox joins more than 40 other local and national companies at the JA Chick-fil-A Discovery Center, which serves more than 30,000 middle school students annually.

Dallas Clement, president and CFO of Cox Enterprises, center, debuts the new Cox storefront with Cox employees and John Hancock, president and CEO, JA of Georgia.

"As a board member of JA for almost 10 years, days like today are really special to me," said Dallas Clement, president and chief financial officer for Cox Enterprises. "Creating community resources like JA BizTown is a big reason why we partner with Junior Achievement, and it is an important part of Cox's goal to empower 34 million people to live more prosperous lives by 2034."

Cox has been a Junior Achievement of Georgia sponsor since 1997, and employees regularly volunteer at the JA Discovery Center. JA Discovery Centers are authentic environments where middle school students connect knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world concepts. Students work alongside their peers and adult volunteers in JA BizTown and JA Finance Park as they develop a greater understanding of financial concepts, build 21st century skills, and foster their entrepreneurial spirit.

JA BizTown allows 6th grade students to interact within a simulated economy and take on the challenge of starting and running a business. After in-class curriculum around the circular flow of the economy and what it means to be a citizen, students have a job within one of the many storefronts in JA BizTown, and they learn what it's like to work that job. Students earn (and spend!) a paycheck, pay taxes, vote for their elected officials for the day, and ultimately work with their peers towards a common goal of paying back their start-up loan. Volunteers guide students through the simulation and provide their own life experiences to help students discover the endless opportunities their futures can hold.

JA Finance Park allows 7th and/or 8th grade students the opportunity to manage a household budget and learn about personal finance. After in-class lessons on subjects like budgeting and credit scores, students are assigned a random 'life situation' with an education level, salary, and family scenario. They visit storefronts representing the major line items in a budget  housing, utilities, food, etc.  and work towards providing for themselves and their families within their assigned means. Throughout the day they apply for car and home loans and discover the impact a credit score has on financial well-being. Volunteers guide students through the simulation and provide their own life experience to bring authenticity to the experience.

"We are grateful and excited to officially welcome Cox Enterprises into JA BizTown," said John Hancock, President and CEO, JA of Georgia. "Cox's presence in the simulation space will give our students an inside look at a large multinational communications company that is headquartered right here in their own community. We are looking forward to students being able to experience their futures through the lens of the Cox brand."

With locations in Atlanta, Cumming, Dalton, Lawrenceville, Savannah and soon to be Augusta, more than 40 percent of all middle school students in Georgia participate in this programming.

About Junior Achievement of Georgia

Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia is a business- integrated education partner with expertise in experiential learning that successfully develops key mindsets and skills for students to lead meaningful and successful lives. JA's high-impact programs drive long-term outcomes in areas of financial literacy, career readiness, and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit, and are delivered by corporate and community volunteers. JA of Georgia offers multiple programs, with a focus on middle and high school students, including in-class programs, JA BizTown, JA Finance Park and 3DE by Junior Achievement. JA of Georgia serves 100,000 students statewide in an average year. JA of Georgia has offices in Atlanta, Dalton, Gainesville and Savannah. For more information, visit georgia.ja.org

About Cox Enterprises

Cox Enterprises is dedicated to building a better future through our leading communications, automotive and media companies. Our major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Automotive, and we are strategically investing in new industries and emerging technologies, with sizeable interests in cleantech. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Cox is a global company with $20 billion in annual revenues. Founded in 1898 by Ohio Governor James M. Cox, the company is a family-owned business committed to its people, communities and planet. To learn more about Cox, visit coxenterprises.com.

SOURCE Cox Enterprises
Fast-Growing Credit Card Company Adding Dozens of Employees in North Texas Hub

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Credit One Bank, one of the fastest-growing credit card companies in the United States, announced it is looking to hire more than 150 new employees. The Las Vegas-based company is looking to expand their national reach and establish a stronger presence in key markets. North Texas is a specific area of focus, as Credit One Bank adds dozens of team members in Dallas-Fort Worth, solidifying the area as one of its primary operational hubs outside of Las Vegas.

Leadership and specialty positions in IT are available, including roles for developers, engineers, and architects. For employees within the Dallas metroplex, employment would be remote only. Credit One Bank will hold a hiring event on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7:05 p.m. at Globe Life Field as the Texas Rangers take on the New York Yankees.

Credit One Bank intends to continue adding hundreds of employees through 2023 Tweet this

Looking ahead, Credit One Bank intends to continue adding hundreds of employees through 2023. The company offers a variety of credit card products for people at different stages in their financial journey as well as jumbo CDs. Currently, Credit One Bank employs more than 1,000 regular, full-time team members.

"The need to identify, develop and retain top talent has never been greater than it is today," said Credit One Bank's senior vice president of human resources, Todd Mayhew. "We have created programs and hired leaders that foster career satisfaction and create engaged, multi-talented, and goal-oriented teams. It's an excellent time to join our Bank."

Credit One Bank is an equal opportunity employer and offers competitive benefits and compensation plans. For more information, visit the Careers page on Credit One Bank's website.

About Credit One Bank

Credit One Bank, N.A. is a financial services company based in Las Vegas. Driven by data, Credit One Bank offers a spectrum of products for people in all stages of their financial life including credit cards through the Visa, Mastercard and American Express networks. Founded in 1984, Credit One Bank is one of the fastest-growing credit card providers in the United States. Credit One Bank is the Official Credit Card of NASCAR, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Vegas Golden Knights, and Best Friends Animal Society, and is a proud partner of WWE. Learn more at CreditOneBank.com and on social media (@CreditOneBank) on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Press Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Credit One Bank
Dowsure, a cross-border e-commerce digital API platform, has reached the 1.5 billion RMB transaction milestone, just over two months after the 1 billion RMB milestone.

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The cross-border e-commerce market has developed rapidly in the past few years, but cross-border e-commerce merchants have always had a major pain point -- lack of capital. From goods procurement, logistics, transportation, and customs clearance until received payment, there are at least three months of delay in terms of cash flow. For instance, Chinese cross-border export B2C market is estimated at 2 trillion, which means that 500 billion worth of capital is stuck in transit for three months. This will cause a large number of funds are not available for the merchants promptly. Thus, Dowsure decided to solve these pain points. The company integrated the cross-border transaction chain through API technology capability, and realized the low-cost capital irrigation of banks, to cover millions of cross-border merchants in China with universal benefits.

Dowsure Reached 1.5 Billion RMB Transactions Milestone

1. Understanding ToB Cross-border Merchants

Dowsure has been in the "cross-border" sector since it is founded. In 2016, Dowsure joined hands with its partners to create the first product covering the cross-border insurance business. After years of cultivating cross-border, Dowsure clearly understands the needs and pain points of cross-border e-commerce merchants.

Based on sellers' demand for high credit limits and a fully online application process, in June 2021, Dowsure empowered Pudong Development Bank to launch the "cross-border business loan" product through the cross-border financial cloud. The benchmark "520" for cross-border e-commerce financing products stands for "5 minutes to apply, 2 minutes to approve, 0 seconds to disburse funds". This product has benefited a large number of cross-border e-commerce merchants.

Meanwhile, based on Dowsure's reputation and prospect in the cross-border industry, it has attracted a large number of outstanding talents to join, with executive team members coming from IBM, Ping An Insurance, Bank of China, Ant Group, Ernst & Young, DJI, and other fields.

2. Precise Positioning

The information of the cross-border industry is very fragmented, which it creates an information gap between countries.

Cross-border e-commerce platforms believe that localization is the key to support the development of the merchants, and local banking institutions need to form a relatively closed loop of information flow, capital flow, logistics, etc. so that they can better serve the merchants. This is the area where Dowsure is professionalized, connecting digital information and financing, bridging them very strongly, linking the cross-border industry, and unleashing the digital value of each cross-border business through API technology capabilities.

3. Deep Understanding of Industry

In this industry, with continuous in-depth exploration, Dowsure realizes that the industry lacks capital support for not just merchants, but also the entire supply chain, including service providers.

On this basis, Dowsure partners with financial institutions to provide cross-border merchants with credit loans, invoice installments, cash advance, and other financing solutions. Dowsure also provides a full range of financing support from procurement, logistics, advertising, sales, and other cross-border scenarios to help merchants gain an advantage in the competitive market.

4. Trust from Partners

Along the way through continuous refinement, trust, understanding of Dowsure's partner, such as leading cross-border e-commerce marketplaces: Amazon, eBay, and Shopee, as well as the top 10 banks in China and around the world. Dowsure is excited about the bright future for cross-border e-commerce industry.

Huang Ke, the co-founder of Dowsure, said, "All along, we have been doing the difficult but right thing. Our partnered institutions have mature systems globally, and it is a very difficult thing to link their systems and data together in a compliant and efficient way through technical means. We appreciate the trust of our partners and would like to penetrate every area of the cross-border ecology with our partners so that we can enjoy growth with partners together.

(Future - Digital finance along with cross-border e-commerce is the norm)

Unlike traditional finance, the amount of funds that can be raised mainly depends on collateral, guarantee, property, asset, and liability ratio. In the cross-border e-commerce scenarios, all assets circulate in digital forms, such as the inventory of overseas warehouses, unsettled funds of platforms, and sales returns of merchandise.

Once the closed loop is formed, merchants can achieve realizable digital assets, and create value for these digital assets. At the same time, technology is iterating. What we want to do is to unlock the value of sellers' digital assets. The existence of digital finance will become a new norm that cross-border e-commerce cannot live without and a huge boost to fuel the development of the industry.

SOURCE Dowsure
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Detective Gordon Chase of the Cocoa Police Department was assigned a cold case regarding the homicide of a young woman six years prior. During the initial interview, two suspects were cleared when they passed voluntary polygraph examinations. Detective Chase discovered their tape-recorded statements and reexamined them for deceptive answers using software from NITV Federal Services. This would be the key to unlocking the mystery of who brutally murdered an innocent woman.

CVSA III - One of the Most Important Investigative Tools Available Today.

Detective Chase was also a Certified CVSA Examiner, so he analyzed the suspects' recordings using the Computer Voice Stress Analyzer (CVSA). Using this truth verification technologywhich is highly effective with both live subjects and recorded materialhe ruled out one suspect. The recorded statement of the other suspect indicated deception when she was asked about committing the murder. He was able to locate this woman, and she was given a CVSA examination in person. Again, the charts showed deception. Forty minutes of questioning led to the suspect admitting she committed the murder and providing information on how she disposed of the murder weapon.

The two suspects in this case both passed a polygraph examination, but this technology has a high rate of false negatives and can be compromised through various countermeasures. The CVSA technology that Detective Chase utilized, however, has no such flaws. The ability to analyze recordings as well as live voices for deception is what gave Chase the lead he needed to move the cold case forward, re-interview the suspect with the aid of the CVSA, and obtain a confession.

Voices from the past have stories to tell, but sometimes those stories are only fables. If those voices are recorded on audio or video fileswhether analog or digitalwe can go back and reexamine them for the truth. The lies told on those tapes may have never been disproven, and a suspect may even have gotten away with murder. If we go back and listen, we might hear a different story. Cold case investigators searching through old evidence often find recorded statements of suspects who were discounted. Due to the time passed, the cold case investigator starts out at a disadvantage, but sometimes these recordings can turn their luck around and solve cases when other detectives have run out of answers.

For information on what is called "One of the most important investigative tools available today" visit CVSA1.com , call toll-free at 888-266-7263 or e-mail us at [email protected].

*NITV Federal Services, 11400 Fortune Cir., West Palm Beach, FL, is the sole source of the CVSA*

The CVSA is sold only to Law Enforcement/Government Agencies

Media Contact: Kim Tegtmeier

[email protected]

561-798-6280

SOURCE NITV Federal Services
SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCIA, Mexico, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cydsa, S.A.B. de C.V. ("Cydsa") (BMV: CYDSASA) announced today the early tender results for its previously announced tender offer to purchase for cash (the "Tender Offer") up to an aggregate principal amount of its 6.250% Senior Notes due 2027 (the "Notes") that will not result in the Aggregate Purchase Price (as defined below) for the Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer to exceed U.S.$60 million (the "Maximum Amount"). The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to the terms of an Offer to Purchase dated September 14, 2022 (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"), and is subject to certain conditions.

As of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 27, 2022 (the "Early Tender Time"), U.S.$63,863,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes had been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Time. The "Total Consideration" for Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted for purchase will equal U.S.$907.50 per $1,000 principal amount of such Notes. The Total Consideration consists of the early tender payment equal to U.S.$50.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of such Notes and the "Tender Consideration" of U.S.$857.50 per $1,000 principal amount of such Notes. Holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase in the Tender Offer will also receive accrued and unpaid interest ("Accrued Interest") from the last interest payment date up to, but not including, the Early Settlement Date (as defined below). The aggregate amount of Tender Offer Consideration and Total Consideration that holders of Notes are entitled to receive, excluding Accrued Interest, for Notes that are validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase by Cydsa is referred to as the "Aggregate Purchase Price."

Pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, and subject to the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer set forth therein, including the financing condition described in the Offer to Purchase, Cydsa intends to accept for purchase all U.S.$63,863,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time and has exercised its right to have an early settlement date, which is expected to occur on October 5, 2022 (the "Early Settlement Date").

The Tender Offer is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on October 12, 2022 (the "Expiration Time"). In addition, the withdrawal deadline of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 27, 2022 for the Tender Offer has now passed; accordingly, Notes validly tendered in the Tender Offer may not be withdrawn. Holders of Notes may tender Notes at or prior to the Expiration Time in order to receive the Tender Offer Consideration. Cydsa's obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, any Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer is conditioned upon the satisfaction or, when applicable, waiver of certain customary conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, including, among others, a financing condition as described in the Offer to Purchase.

Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. is acting as the dealer manager for the Tender Offer and can be contacted with questions regarding the Tender Offer at the following telephone numbers: +1 (212) 225-5501 (collect) or +1 (800) 372-3930 (toll free) or at the following email: [email protected].

Copies of the Offer to Purchase are 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 to Purchase should be directed to D.F. King at +1 (800) 669-5550 (toll free), +1 (212) 232-3233 (collect) or [email protected].

Neither the Offer to Purchase 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 to Purchase or any related documents, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offense to make any representation to the contrary.

The Tender Offer is being made solely on the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. 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 Cydsa or any of its affiliates. The Tender Offer is not being made to, nor will Cydsa accept tenders of Notes from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offer would not be in compliance with the securities laws of such jurisdiction. No recommendation is made as to whether holders should tender their Notes with respect to the Notes. Holders should carefully read the Offer to Purchase because it contains important information, including the various terms and conditions of the Tender Offer.

About Cydsa

Cydsa is a Mexico-based holding company, headquartered in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, operating through subsidiaries located in eight cities throughout Mexico, engaged in the industrial sector. Since the incorporation of the company in 1945, Cydsa has grown into a diversified company and Cydsa's current products and services range from edible salt to specialty chemicals for diverse industries to clean energy alternatives and hydrocarbon storage. Cydsa sells over 100 different products in more than 15 countries, including Mexico, the United States, Canada, Central America, South America and Europe. As part of Cydsa's strategy, it offers the first system in Mexico and Latin America dedicated to processing and underground storage of hydrocarbons in salt caverns, offering clean, efficient and safe storage of hydrocarbons, while helping reduce the hydrocarbon storage deficit in Mexico. Cydsa currently operates through its chemical manufacturing and specialties business group and its energy processing and logistics business group.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Cydsa's perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. All statements that express belief, expectation, estimates or intentions, as well as those that are not statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Such statements use forward-looking words such as "proposed," "anticipate," "project," "potential," "could," "should," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "may," "believe," "will," "plan," "seek," "outlook" and other similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. Cydsa cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Although the expectations in the forward-looking statements are based on Cydsa's current beliefs and expectations, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements because such statements speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by federal and state securities laws, Cydsa undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason.

Contact: Oscar Abundio Casas Kirchner

Corporate Finance Director

[email protected]

+52 (81) 8152-4500

SOURCE Cydsa, S.A.B. de C.V.
Dell's industry-first co-engineered solution with Wind River speeds the adoption of open, cloud-native network technologies

News summary

Dell Telecom Infrastructure Blocks for Wind River simplify how network operators can deploy and manage open, cloud-native infrastructure

Dell services offer streamlined, carrier-grade support for the entire cloud stack including Wind River Studio

Dell expands the telecom industry's open ecosystem with the Dell Telecom Partner Self-Certification Program

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

Full story

Dell Technologies ( NYSE: DELL) is introducing a new telecom cloud infrastructure solution, co-engineered with Wind River, to help communications service providers (CSPs) reduce complexity and accelerate their cloud-native network deployments. To further power these solutions, Dell's telecom partner certification program simplifies the process for technology partners to validate and integrate their products within a rapidly growing open technology ecosystem.

Analysys Mason estimates the CSP network cloud infrastructure industry will quadruple from $6.9 billion in 2020 to $30.1 billion by 20261. However, unlike typical clouds used by enterprises, clouds for mobile networks must address distributed geographic areas and strict service level agreements (SLAs) while also supporting a wide range of software, compute and networking technologies that has made these deployments complex and costly.

"As the telecom network disaggregates, network operators are challenged to effectively acquire, deploy, test and operate a myriad of open, cloud-native solutions," said Dennis Hoffman, senior vice president and general manager, Dell Technologies Telecom Systems Business. "With our portfolio of software, solutions, development labs and partner programs, including our first open, telecom cloud engineered system with Wind River, a leader in Open RAN deployments, we can partner with communications service providers globally to simplify their transition to cloud-native technologies."

Dell Telecom Infrastructure Blocks help accelerate open, cloud-native network deployments

Dell is taking an entirely new approach to solve the complexities of cloud-native network deployments with Dell Telecom Infrastructure Blocks. The fully engineered, cloud-native infrastructure blocks simplify telecom cloud network deployment and management, while accelerating the introduction of new technologies and lowering operational expenses (OpEX).

ACG Research estimates that CSPs deploying Dell Telecom Infrastructure Blocks can reduce OpEx by 42%, resulting in a 134% return on investment over five years versus deploying telecom cloud infrastructure without the Dell solution2. As the fastest way to deploy the Dell Telecom Multicloud Foundation, launched earlier this year, these blocks include Dell PowerEdge servers, Dell Bare Metal Orchestrator management software, and a CSP's choice of integrated telecom cloud software platforms, beginning with Wind River Studio.

Dell is the first company to launch a co-engineered system with Wind River, designed and factory integrated to host telecom workloads that can be scaled easily with automation, with streamlined support from Dell for the entire infrastructure stack3. The validated and pre-packaged blocks of hardware and software are designed to meet specific telecom workload requirements and use cases, spanning the network core to Open RAN Distributed Units (DU) and Centralized Units (CU). With Telecom Infrastructure Blocks for Wind River, CSPs can:

Reduce time spent on the planning, design, validation, procurement and upgrade process.

Automate the deployment and management of Wind River Studio, significantly reducing the complexity and operational burden of managing a distributed cloud while helping ensure a consistent telecom-grade experience.

Decrease cost and time spent integrating and deploying infrastructure to a workload ready state with factory integration and reduce "Day 2" operational costs with continuous design and integration testing.

Gain streamlined, 24-hour access to designated Dell experts for the entire cloud stack, including Wind River Studio, with options for guaranteed response and restore times. Dell's services provide proactive, predictive and reactive support to maximize uptime.

"The introduction of Dell Telecom Infrastructure Blocks represents the type of collaboration and innovation needed between vendors to affordably scale Open RAN," said Andy Dunkin, head of OpenRAN RF & Digital Platforms, Vodafone. "We expect this new technology will simplify the design, deployment and management of networks, so new services on Open RAN can be delivered faster and more efficiently to customers."

Wind River delivers mature production-ready offerings based on proven Wind River Studio technology, live in deployments with leading operators. Wind River Studio provides the Containers-as-a-Service layer for a distributed cloud and the tools to automate and optimize "Day 2" operations at scale.

"Our collaboration with Dell will help address complex CSP challenges in deploying and managing a physically distributed, ultra-low-latency cloud-native infrastructure for intelligent edge networks," said Kevin Dallas, president and chief executive officer, Wind River. "As the de facto infrastructure for OpenRAN and 5G vRAN and only 5G solution that is commercially deployed at scale, Wind River Studio enables flexible networks and offers validated architectures to help service providers quickly and reliably deploy new services with industry-leading total cost of ownership for a cloud native future."

Dell Telecom Partner Self-Certification Program expands industry's trusted partner ecosystem

As the telecom industry's open ecosystem continues to grow, it becomes more complex to ensure that technologies can seamlessly work together to support each CSP's network requirements. Dell is introducing the Telecom Partner Self-Certification Program for ISVs and other industry partners to certify their software readiness for integration on Dell hardware.

Partners have a simple and transparent process for validating their solutions on Dell hardware and operating systems in the Dell Open Telecom Ecosystem Lab. Once their solutions are certified, partners are assured that the quality of their software is compatible with and ready for deployment on Dell telecom platforms. The first solutions to be certified as part of the Telecom Partner Self-Certification Program are from Intel, Litmus and Versa Networks.

Additional quotes

John Healy, vice president and general manager of Customer and Ecosystem Enabling Division, Intel's Network and Edge Solutions Group

"Intel Edge Insights for Industrial, a middleware software optimized for AI deployments at the edge, is the first Intel software platform to receive self-certification and ready for deployment on Dell infrastructure. We believe the great features that Edge Insights for Industrial has, such as video and time series ingestion and inference, will allow Dell's customers to deploy AI capabilities quickly and with excellent performance on Intel-based Dell infrastructure."

Vatsal Shah, chief executive officer, Litmus

"Mobile networks are becoming more virtualized and open, which has given startups, like Litmus, the ability to lower the barrier to entry in the telecom market. Gaining access to and certifying with the Telecom Partner Self-Certification Program will enable us to make our manufacturing edge IIoT solutions more easily consumable and scalable for communications service providers and enterprise customers."

Kelly Ahuja, chief executive officer, Versa Networks

"The Dell Telecom Partner Self-Certification Program gives customers the assurance that Versa's Unified SASE (Secure SD-WAN & SSE) software is compatible with and ready for stable deployment on Dell telecom platforms. The self-certification program provides a low touch, automated, formal program for us to certify that our software is ready for deployment on Dell Technologies telecom hardware for joint customers."

Availability

Dell Telecom Infrastructure Blocks for Wind River Studio will be globally available on November 9, 2022 .

. The Dell Telecom Partner Self-Certification Program is available globally beginning today.

Additional resources

Learn more about the Dell Telecom Infrastructure Blocks for Wind River.

Read more about Wind River Studio.

Find more details on the Dell Telecom Partner Self-Certification Program.

Connect with Dell via Twitter and LinkedIn

About Dell Technologies

Dell Technologies ( NYSE: DELL) helps organizations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live and play. The company provides customers with the industry's broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the data era.

Copyright  2022 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved. Dell Technologies and Dell are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners.

1 Analysys Mason Network Cloud Infrastructure Worldwide Forecast, October 2021.

2 Based on ACG Research Report commissioned by Dell, "Accelerating Cloud-Native Deployments and Economic Returns" September 2022. Full report (https://www.delltechnologies.com/asset/en-us/solutions/service-provider-solutions/industry-market/acg-telecom-for-infrastructure-blocks-with-wind-river.pdf)

3 Based on Dell analysis of publicly available information, July 2022.

SOURCE Dell Technologies
BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DiamondRock Hospitality Company (the "Company") (NYSE: DRH) today announced that it successfully refinanced its primary unsecured credit facility to further enhance the strength and flexibility of its balance sheet. The Company entered into an amendment and restatement of its existing $750 million credit facility (the "Credit Facility"), increasing the total Credit Facility to $1.2 billion and extending the Company's maturity schedule. The Credit Facility is comprised of a $400 million revolving credit facility, a $300 million term loan with a maturity in January 2026, inclusive of a one-year extension option, and a $500 million term loan maturing in January 2028. The revolving credit facility matures in September 2027, inclusive of two six-month extension options. The facilities will bear interest pursuant to a leverage-based pricing grid ranging from 1.35% to 2.25% over the applicable adjusted term SOFR.

"Balance sheet flexibility and liquidity are essential to take advantage of capital allocation opportunities in this environment," stated Mark W. Brugger, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This financing achieved our objective of expanding investment capacity while enhancing DiamondRock's conservative balance sheet. We expect to end the year with liquidity in excess of $600 million with no near-term debt maturities and 30 hotels unencumbered by secured debt."

"We appreciate the support our lending partners provided to meaningfully upsize our corporate borrowings in this environment," stated Jeff Donnelly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

The Company utilized the proceeds from the term loans to repay the $350 million term loan in the prior facility, the $50 million term loan facility that was scheduled to mature in October 2023 and the $150 million that was outstanding on its revolving credit facility. The Company plans to utilize the remaining proceeds to repay its 2023 mortgage loan maturities over the next 90 days. Upon the repayment of the mortgage loans, the Company will have no debt maturities until August 2024.

The following table illustrates the Company's debt maturity schedule reflecting this financing and the payoffs described above.



2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028

(in millions) Corporate Debt













Unsecured Term Loans - - - - $ 300.0 - $ 500.0 $400M Senior Unsecured Credit Facility - - - - - $ - - Total Corporate Debt $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 300.0 $ - $ 500.0















Mortgage Debt













Courtyard Manhattan/Midtown East - - $ 76.6 - - - - Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel - - - $ 76.1 - - - Hotel Clio - - - $ 57.8 - - - Westin Boston Seaport District - - - $ 179.6 - - - Total Mortgage Debt $ - $ - $ 76.6 $ 313.5 $ - $ - $ -















Total Debt $ - $ - $ 76.6 $ 313.5 $ 300.0 $ - $ 500.0

NOTE: The amounts above reflect debt balances as of September 30, 2022 and assumes the exercise of all extension options.

About the Company

DiamondRock Hospitality Company is a self-advised real estate investment trust (REIT) that is an owner of a leading portfolio of geographically diversified hotels concentrated in leisure destinations and top gateway markets. The Company currently owns 34 premium quality hotels with over 9,500 rooms. The Company has strategically positioned its hotels to be operated both under leading global brand families as well as independent boutique hotels in the lifestyle segment. For further information on the Company and its portfolio, please visit DiamondRock Hospitality Company's website at www.drhc.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws and regulations. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "project," "forecast," "plan" and other similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions and forecasts of future results. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks include, but are not limited to: the adverse impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on the U.S., regional and global economies, travel, the hospitality industry, and the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its hotels; negative developments in national and local economic and business conditions, including but not limited to, rising inflation and interest rates, job loss or growth trends, an increase in unemployment or a decrease in corporate earnings and investment; operating risks associated with the hotel business; risks associated with the level of the Company's indebtedness; relationships with property managers; the ability to compete effectively in areas such as access, location, quality of accommodations and room rate structures; changes in travel patterns, taxes and government regulations which influence or determine wages, prices, construction procedures and costs; and other risk factors contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. All information in this release is as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company's expectations.

SOURCE DiamondRock Hospitality Company
Difenda's managed and professional services work with customers end-to-end to take advantage of the scalability, reliability and agility of Azure to drive application development and shape business strategies.

TORONTO, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With the latest addition of Difenda Microsoft Information Protection & Governance, Difenda now offers eight managed and professional security services on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use on Azure. Over the past year, Difenda's technical team worked relentlessly to create these outcome-driven services for their customers.

"Security is constantly advancing to meet the needs of our customers," says Derek Nugent, VP Revenue at Difenda. "It is important to understand where customers are specifically so we can help them with their needs at that point and then get them to where they want to go. For us, that means moving beyond managed detection and response services to transforming security operations with End-to-End Microsoft Security solutions."

Difenda's current offerings include:

These eight service offers cover all Microsoft Security Solutions and enable customers to do more with their Microsoft license capabilities and drive ROI by maximizing their investment at any stage of their cybersecurity journey.

"In today's environment of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, companies like Difenda add tremendous value by working with customers end-to-end," said Kevin Magee, Chief Security Officer, Microsoft Canada. "Difenda's expertise will continue to improve the security of our mutual customers' systems."

Difenda is also an engaged Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) partner further enabling them to participate in Microsoft's technical and service innovation activities.

Difenda has also earned:

Discover how you can maximize your security investment here.

About Difenda

Difenda is a privately held SecOps-as-a-Service company founded in 2008. We deliver 24/7/365 security operations backed by modernized PCI, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001 certified Cyber Command Centers (C3) powered solely by Microsoft Security. For more information, visit www.difenda.com and follow Difenda on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Difenda
Largest German GP-led secondary in history

DPE CF I investing into DPE portfolio companies Eraneos and valantic

Additional capital & time to unlock significant further growth potential via M&A

MUNICH, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DPE Deutsche Private Equity ("DPE"), the leading growth investor in the DACH region, is pleased to announce the successful close of DPE Continuation Fund I ("DPE CF I") with a fund size of c. EUR 708 million. DPE CF I was formed to invest into Eraneos Group ("Eraneos") and valantic Group ("valantic")  two strongly performing investments acquired by funds managed by DPE ("DPE Fund III") in 2017 and 2019, respectively  and to provide additional capital and time to continue their highly successful growth strategies that have been implemented since DPE's initial investments in both companies.

Renown global investors support DPE's continuation fund

DPE CF I has been capitalized by a consortium of leading global secondary investors, led by AlpInvest Partners and co-led by HarbourVest Partners and Pantheon Ventures, alongside several further new and existing investors. DPE is delighted to have secured backing from such a high-quality group of investors in this transaction, indicating the strong interest for high-quality assets during uncertain market times. Furthermore, DPE CF I has offered a highly attractive outcome to DPE Fund III investors, who had the option to crystallize stellar returns or continue to support the growth strategies of Eraneos and valantic by participating in DPE CF I.

DPE portfolio companies with impressive organic growth and M&A track record

Under DPE's ownership and the leadership of their respective, impressive management teams, Eraneos and valantic continued their significant growth trajectories, establishing both companies as two of the DACH region's leading technology & digital transformation consultancies. As such, Eraneos and valantic have increased their revenues by over 270% and 240%, respectively, under DPE's ownership, while completing over 20 add-on acquisitions combined. DPE CF I will continue this successful investment strategy, deploying additional capital that has been raised in this transaction across a number of value-accretive add-on transactions and broader organic growth initiatives. Management teams of both firms stay significantly invested and are highly committed to continue to drive long-term success.

Continued investment to unlock further growth potential

Marc Thiery, Managing Partner at DPE, said: "We are delighted to have successfully raised DPE CF I and to finance the next chapter of value creation for Eraneos and valantic. We believe there is a significant opportunity for further growth at both companies, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with the outstanding management teams we have in place."

Guido Prehn, Managing Director at DPE said: "We are very excited about the next stage of our ownership in Eraneos and valantic, and to continue to advise on their future expansion. Additionally, we are very happy to have generated such strong returns for DPE Fund III investors and are honored to have secured the backing of a first-class group of investors in the continuation fund."

Next stage of successful development for Eraneos and valantic

Oliver Vaterlaus, CEO at Eraneos said: "We feel very proud of the success we have achieved to date in building Eraneos as a high-quality management and technology consulting firm. We owe this to the passion and commitment of our employees and to the fantastic partnership with DPE. The future will bring a wealth of opportunities, and our ambition to further grow this company is as big as ever. DPE's and its investors' strong commitment provides the ideal platform to continue our exciting journey."

Dr. Holger von Daniels, CEO at valantic said: "We are very proud that we have managed to grow valantic into one of the DACH region's leading digital consulting and software businesses. The additional capital and time provided by this transaction will allow us to continue our focused growth strategy on a European level as well as to further invest in our people, innovation initiatives and technologies in the coming years. We very much look forward to this next stage of our partnership with DPE, with all of valantic's partners being highly committed to the company and me personally staying 100% invested."

DPE was advised by PJT Park Hill (Financial Advisory), Pollath + Partners (Structuring), Stephenson Harwood, Latham & Watkins, Walder Wyss, Arendt, Gleiss Lutz and Proskauer (Legal), Alvarez & Marsal (Financial Due Diligence) and Lincoln International (Fairness Opinion).

About DPE

DPE is an independent German private equity firm and is one of the largest growth capital investors in Germany. DPE invests in SMEs across Germany, Austria and Switzerland and focuses on medium-sized companies that are active in sectors with a positive long-term development perspective. Founded in 2007, DPE has invested in 36 companies which have performed over 100 add-on acquisitions and today employ more than 10,000 people. DPE has total assets under management of c. EUR 3 billion.

For further information please visit www.dpe.de/en.

About AlpInvest

AlpInvest is a leading global private equity investor, with significant experience in working with general partners to provide liquidity solutions. AlpInvest is a highly experienced buyer in the secondary market, having committed over USD 24 billion through 180 transactions as of June 30, 2022. More broadly, AlpInvest's activities cover a broad range of private equity investing, including primary fund commitments, secondary purchases and co-investments.

For further information please visit www.alpinvest.com.

About HarbourVest

HarbourVest is an independent, global private markets firm with 40 years of experience and globally more than USD 98 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2022. Our interwoven platform provides clients access to global primary funds, secondary transactions, direct co-investments, real assets and infrastructure, and private credit. Our strengths extend across strategies, enabled by our team of more than 850 employees, including more than 180 investment professionals across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Across our private markets platform, our team has committed more than USD 51 billion to newly-formed funds, completed over USD 41 billion in secondary purchases, and invested over USD 28 billion in directly operating companies. We partner strategically and plan our offerings innovatively to provide our clients with access, insight, and global opportunities.

For further information please visit www.harbourvest.com.

About Pantheon

Pantheon is a leading global private markets firm currently investing on behalf of more than 900 investors, including public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments and foundations. Pantheon has an established reputation across private market asset classes, covering all stages and geographies. As of March 31, 2022 Pantheon had USD 87.8 billion in assets under management and advice and has committed capital to more than 870 primary funds, 280 co-investments and 420 secondary transactions since its establishment in 1982, committing more than USD 45 billion of capital across private equity strategies.

For further information please visit www.pantheon.com.

About Eraneos

Eraneos is the leading and independent management & technology consulting group that has emerged from the alliance of Ginkgo Management Consulting, Quint Group and AWK Group, as announced in 2021. Eraneos serves clients across three continents where some 1,000 dedicated and highly skilled professionals work jointly to unleash the full potential of digital. Services range from the development of digital business models and data analytics to cyber security, and from sourcing and IT advisory to the management of complex transformation projects. Eraneos has offices in Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, the Netherlands, China, and Singapore.

For further information please visit www.eraneos.com/en.

About valantic

valantic is number 1 for digital transformation and one of the fastest growing digital solutions, consulting, and software companies on the market. valantic combines technological expertise with industry knowledge and the human touch. More than 500 blue chip clients rely on valantic, including 32 of 40 DAX companies and many leading firms international companies as well. With more than 3,000 specialized solution consultants and developers and net sales of approx. EUR 400 million in 2022(e), valantic is represented in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and many additional international locations.

valantic features a unique structure, consisting of divisions, competence centers, and expert teams, which are always attuned precisely to customers' digitalization needs. From strategy to tangible realization. valantic's range of services includes the areas digital strategy & analytics, customer experience, SAP services, smart industries, and financial services automation.

For further information please visit www.valantic.com/en.

Press Contact at DPE

Mathias Weidner

Mobil: +49 172 674 02 92

Phone: +49 89 2000 38 290

Mail: [email protected]

SOURCE DPE Deutsche Private Equity GmbH
North Carolina and South Carolina in the post-landfall path of the storm

Line and tree crews ready to respond to outages locally in the Carolinas

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy is closely monitoring the approach of Hurricane Ian and preparing for potential impacts in the Carolinas in coming days. The company urges customers to prepare as well.

Company meteorologists are tracking the storm, which has the potential to bring heavy rain, gusty winds and localized flooding to portions of the company's service area in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Duke Energy prepares for storms throughout the year and has ensured that equipment, supplies and inventories in all areas that could be impacted by Hurricane Ian are available to make necessary repairs and restore power outages.

The company has crews and resources located strategically throughout the Carolinas  near areas that will likely be affected  to respond quickly and safely once the storm passes. If additional assistance is needed, Duke Energy will be able to to draw on other resources across the enterprise.

"Supporting our communities is our top priority and we have thousands of Duke Energy crew members and contractors ready to respond should outages occur," said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy's Carolinas storm director.

Line technicians and workers locally are checking equipment, supplies and inventories to ensure adequate materials are available to make repairs and restore power outages.

While the storm is forecast to be weaker after landfall, forecasts still show the potential for very heavy rain and damaging winds that could result in significant power outages. Crews will begin power restoration as soon as conditions are safe to do so. After the storm passes, downed trees and flooding can impact work conditions, making repair work more difficult.

Strengthening the grid to reduce storm impacts

In addition to trimming trees and upgrading wires and wood poles, the company has invested in smart technologies and remote restoration capabilities to help reduce the duration and number of outages, and restore service faster when outages occur.

Duke Energy's smart, self-healing technology can automatically detect outages and quickly reroute power to speed restoration or avoid outages altogether. So far this year, smart, self-healing technology helped to avoid more than 360,000 extended outages in North Carolina and South Carolina, saving customers more than 1 million hours of lost outage time, more than double the outage time saved in 2021. Over the next few years, Duke Energy expects to install enough self-healing technology on its main power distribution lines to serve most customers.

Safety information

The safety of our customers and communities is important. Duke Energy encourages customers to have a plan in place to respond to an extended power outage after a hurricane or other severe weather. Below are some tips:

Before the storm

Create (or update) an emergency supply kit to save valuable time later. The kit should include everything an individual or family would need for at least two weeks, especially medicines, water, non-perishable foods and other supplies that might be hard to find after a storm hits.

Keep a portable radio or TV or a NOAA weather radio on hand to monitor weather forecasts and important information from state and local officials.

Charge mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices in advance of storms to stay connected to important safety and response information. Consider purchasing portable chargers and make sure they are fully charged as well.

Maintain a plan to move family members  especially those with special needs  to a safe, alternative location in case an extended power outage occurs, or evacuation is required.

After the storm

Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized, as well as trees, limbs or anything in contact with lines.

If a power line falls across a car that you are in, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.

For more tips on how to prepare for storm season, and how Duke Energy can help, please visit duke-energy.com/StormTips.

For storm or power restoration updates, follow Duke Energy on Twitter (@DukeEnergy) and Facebook (Duke Energy). A checklist serves as a helpful guide, but it's critical before, during and after a storm to follow the instructions and warnings of emergency management officials in your area.

Outage reporting

While residents of coastal areas are most at risk of being affected by hurricanes, such storms also can bring damaging high winds and rain inland. Before the storm hits, customers should contact us to make sure their contact information is up to date and their communication preferences are noted, so they receive proactive outreach on the status on a power outage they may experience.

Customers who experience an outage during a storm can report it the following ways:

Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.

Use the Duke Energy mobile app  Download the Duke Energy App from a smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play.

Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).

Call the automated outage-reporting system, at: 800.POWERON (800.769.3766).

Customer service specialists will be available to manage customer calls should the need arise, with additional corporate responders from across all Duke Energy jurisdictions available to assist as needed.

There is also an interactive outage map where customers can find up-to-date information on power outages, including the total number of outages systemwide and estimated times of restoration.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Jeff Brooks (Carolinas Media inquiries)

Cell: 919.522.1168

Media line: 800.559.3853

Twitter: @DE_JeffB

SOURCE Duke Energy
JACKSON, Miss., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EastGroup Properties (NYSE: EGP) (the "Company", "EastGroup") announced today that it will hold its Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call and Webcast on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. On the call, Marshall Loeb, CEO, and Brent Wood, CFO, will discuss the Company's third quarter results, current operations, and earnings outlook for 2022.

EastGroup plans to release financial results for the quarter after the market closes on October 25, 2022. The earnings release and supplemental information package will be posted on the Company's website, www.eastgroup.net, at that time.

A live broadcast of the conference call is available by dialing 1-888-346-0688 (conference ID EastGroup) or by webcast through a link on the Company's website at www.eastgroup.net. If you are unable to listen to the live conference call, a telephone and webcast replay will be available on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. The telephone replay will be available until Wednesday, November 2, 2022, and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (access code 9532337). The replay of the webcast can be accessed through a link on the Company's website at www.eastgroup.net and will be available until Wednesday, November 2, 2022.

EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE: EGP), a member of the S&P Mid-Cap 400 and Russell 1000 Indexes, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's goal is to maximize shareholder value by being a leading provider in its markets of functional, flexible and quality business distribution space for location sensitive customers (primarily in the 15,000 to 70,000 square foot range). The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. The Company's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes approximately 55.6 million square feet.

EastGroup Properties, Inc. press releases are available at www.eastgroup.net.

SOURCE EastGroup Properties
TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EdTek Services, a full-service eLearning technology and support provider for small to midsize organizations, and Interactyx, the developer of the TOPYX LMS, are excited to announce a partnership with Aman Lara to provide 350+ Soft Skills courses to over 3400 Afghan refugees brought to Canada in the last 12 months.

Aman Lara thanks our Hosts + Sponsors: Deloitte Canada, EdTek Services, Topyx, Valemount Consulting, theValueExchange, and LearneCORE for helping us celebrate our 1-Year Anniversary and for helping us make 350 Soft Skills courses available to our Afghan community.

Aman Lara has worked under difficult conditions to bring over those Afghan allies who assisted Canada's military, diplomatic and aid staff for two decades. With this partnership, Topyx and EdTek will offer 350+ Soft Skills courses, at no cost, through the TOPYX LMS to assist Aman Lara as they resettle and transition these families.

"Landing in a strange country can be terrifying," says Brian MacDonald, executive director of Aman Lara, "but equally as scary is the process to transition to your new home. We are thankful for the commitment from Deloitte Canada, Topyx, EdTek, Valemount Consulting, Learn eCORE and theValueExchange to support our anniversary event and this valuable training program."

"We are excited to be working with Aman Lara, EdTek, Deloitte Canada and all the partner companies to help raise awareness of the challenges facing these Afghan immigrants," states Simon Cooper, Chief Executive Officer of Interactyx. "Topyx has long been a proponent of doing good while doing well and with EdTek we plan to duplicate this initiative for the Afghan people who assisted the United States during our 20-year mission and are now being brought over to the U.S."

"We heard about Aman Lara's 1-Year Anniversary to celebrate bringing over 3400 Afghans to Canada and I thought about the stories my four grandparents told about moving to a new country. So, I knew we had to help," Paul Jacobelli, President of EdTek, said. "We could not have done this alone and are grateful to key supporters at Topyx and Deloitte Canada and the other partners for immediately saying yes to assist with Aman Lara's Anniversary event and this training program."

About Aman Lara :

Aman Lara (https://www.amanlara.com) is Pashto for Sheltered Path and is rooted in the organization's deep connection to the people of Afghanistan. Aman Lara's is committed to support the evacuation and resettlement of 40,000 Afghans to Canada and expand to help others escape peril in their own countries.

About EdTek Services, Inc.:

EdTek Services (https://www.edtekservices.com) partners with small to medium-sized companies, non-profit organizations and education institutions and offers consulting, training, hands-on administrative support and technology solutions as a package that enables its clients to deliver top-quality online training and education.

About Interactyx:

Interactyx, the developer of TOPYX (https://topyx.com) learning management system (LMS), is a global eLearning software company with head offices in the United States and Canada. TOPYX clients include global users across all industries, including Fortune 100 public companies to midsize private companies, nonprofit organizations, associations, governmental agencies and educational institutions.

EdTek Services contact:

Paul Jacobelli

President

+1 (800) 827-1593 x4

[email protected]

SOURCE EdTek Services
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eighteen retired military personnel from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps sent a letter to President Biden urging him to increase support for domestic energy development today. The former military leaders express the importance of America's role as a leader against those who would use energy resources as a weapon to destabilize the market and assert power over our allies around the globe.

While Putin continues to cut off Russian gas supply to Europe, the people of Germany and other European nations are experiencing rising energy prices  with no relief in sight as winter looms. North America has the capacity to help replace Russian energy, unfortunately, the failure of American leadership to support policies that foster greater investment in U.S. oil and gas development has limited our nation's ability to develop and transport energy resources.

In releasing the letter, retired U.S. Army Major General James "Spider" Marks offered the following comment:

"The United States and our neighbors throughout North America have the energy resources available to limit the grip Russia has over the world's energy supply. However, recent U.S. policy decisions have limited oil and gas development, and canceled critical infrastructure projects, including Keystone XL. North American energy development is critical to U.S. national security and to the economic and national security of our allies throughout Europe and the world. We urge President Biden and his administration to support the development and transportation of all our nation's energy resources  especially wind, solar, natural gas, and crude oil. The U.S. is a hedge against foreign adversaries who are weaponizing their energy supply to bend other nations' political will, in opposition to freedoms and liberty."

The full letter and signers are included below.

September 28, 2022

President Joseph R. Biden

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

In support of United States national security, we are writing to encourage you and your administration to use all the powers at your disposal to increase the development of energy resources from United States and North America, including crude oil and natural gas.

The immediacy of global and geopolitical challenges necessitate the United States  once again  reassert its role as moral and economic leader, a role we can only successfully take if we have access to plentiful and affordable energy.

Many of the challenges our world is experiencing today come in large part because of Russia's unprovoked attack on, and ongoing war with, Ukraine, which has upset the global energy market. Unfortunately recent domestic policy decisions have limited crude oil development and restricted our access to critical supplies, such as the cancelation of the Keystone XL pipeline permit, a project that would have brought Canadian crude to the U.S. Additional regulatory uncertainty and restrictions have severely curtailed the construction of energy infrastructure and refining capacity, which have constrained U.S. energy development and growth.

While the consequences of these policies were masked during the economic downturn of COVID-19, the global growth of energy demand over the past two years has forced a time of reckoning. This has led U.S. officials to ask foreign nations to fill the energy supply gap. Some of these nations  while they may purport to be allies of the United States  do not support the principles of freedom, democracy, and liberty; and instead serve their own self-interests. As Lt. General H.R. McMaster stated in recent testimony, "It is self-defeating to constrain U.S. oil and gas production and exports and then supplicate to the hostile states of Venezuela and Iran to compensate for energy shortages."

If the United States' production capacity diminishes, we risk reverting to a scenario where we will have to rely on foreign rivals to meet our energy demands. To our credit, the United States has become a net oil exporter, diversifying global supplies. Our role as a purveyor to the international market is paramount, not just to prevent market volatility and avoid major price fluctuations, but also to increase our geopolitical advantage and support our allies abroad.

For more than two generations, the United States has stood as a hedge against authoritarian regimes and dictators around the globe and, time after time, the United States  in large part because of our access to low cost energy  has been able to put our finger on the scale to tip the balance of power in liberty's favor. Without ready access to affordable and plentiful energy, we also risk a new reality where freedom's adversaries will gain an upper hand in critical strategic geopolitical battles that could have negative consequences not just for citizens of the United States, but also for people around the globe.

We simply cannot allow that to happen.

Mr. President, we encourage you to support what is best for the people of the United States, our allies, and those seeking a better life around the world. Policies put into place during the last decade, including during your time as Vice President, allowed the United States to grow to global energy dominance. This put our nation in a strong economic and strategic position among our allies and our adversaries. With your leadership, we can attain our country's energy aspirations and use energy as a foreign policy tool for good.

Please support all reasonable efforts to develop and leverage energy resources in the United States and across North America.

Respectfully,

James "Spider" Marks, Major General, U.S. Army retired

James J. Carey, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy retired

Robert Carey, Captain, U.S. Navy retired

Robert Harward, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy retired

Mark Heinrich, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy retired

Francis H. Kearney III, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army retired

Thomas Magness, Colonel, U.S. Army retired

Robert Maness, Colonel, U.S. Air Force retired

Brigham A. McCown, Commander, U.S. Navy retired

Tidal McCoy, former Acting Secretary of the Air Force

Ben Mixon, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army retired

Sergio de la Pena, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs

Aaron Pluto, Major, U.S. Army retired

Bentley B. Rayburn, Major General, U.S. Air Force retired

Mastin Robeson, Major General, United States Marine Corps retired

E.G. "Buck" Shuler, Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force retired

Greg Slavonic, former Acting Undersecretary of the Navy

James N. Stewart, Major General, U.S. Air Force retired

CC: Jake Sullivan, United States National Security Advisor

Brian Deese, Director of the United States National Economic Council

SOURCE James Spider Marks, Major General, U.S. Army retired
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- El Salvador, the first sovereign nation to make bitcoin legal tender, will host Adopting Bitcoin, a conference promoting Bitcoin adoption in the context of creating a freer and more equitable financial system.

The conference, which takes place in San Salvador and Bitcoin Beach from November 15-17, brings together the bitcoin ecosystem for collaboration, networking and learning.

The event is organized by Galoy Inc., whose bitcoin banking platform powers Bitcoin Beach Wallet in El Salvador. "Nobody expected a sovereign nation to adopt bitcoin as legal tender in 2021," said Nicolas Burtey, CEO of Galoy. "The move has changed public perception about both the country and the currency. El Salvador is now making strides to become the Singapore of Central America and a beacon for financial inclusion, while bitcoin is proving itself as an excellent medium of exchange that can facilitate millions of daily transactions."

Bitfinex, the state of the art digital token trading platform, is the headline sponsor of the event. The exchange, which has the deepest Bitcoin liquidity, has a vision to extend financial freedom to communities, societies and countries across the world. Bitfinex is working closely with the El Salvador government to provide the financial technology platform for the issuance and trading of the proposed Volcano Token.

"Bitfinex is proud to be a technology and exchange partner for the Salvadoran people in their historic journey towards financial freedom and to be a sponsor of educational initiatives aimed at increasing financial and technological literacy," said Paolo Ardoino, CTO at Bitfinex.

The first two days of the event will take place at the Crowne Plaza convention center in San Salvador. More than 110 speakers from over 30 different countries will share the latest developments from the whole spectrum of bitcoin disciplines, relating to both technology and the economy. A highlight of the technology and development focused track will be the presentation of bitcoin core developer Jon Atack, while the economics focused track's most prominent name is Mexican senator Indira Kempis. The multi-track event will be conducted in English with real-time translations in Spanish for the main stages.

Day three of the event will take attendees on a field trip to Bitcoin Beach, El Zonte, where the country's bitcoin adoption originated. Mike Peterson, Director of Bitcoin Beach, noted: "After less than one year, we are seeing one in five people use bitcoin daily. Now delegations of representatives, bankers and technologists from all corners of the world are coming to El Salvador to learn how bitcoin can be used as a tool for financial inclusion."

The non-profit event can be accessed by Salvadorans at a preferential price of $21 dollars.

About Adopting Bitcoin

Adopting Bitcoin brings together stakeholders from all sides of the bitcoin ecosystem with local actors in El Salvador to network, collaborate and learn in a 3-day conference.

More information: adoptingbitcoin.org

Twitter: @AdoptingBTC

About Galoy

Galoy develops bitcoin-native banking software enabling organizations to plug into the Lightning Network and launch bitcoin banking services. The GaloyMoney open source core banking platform includes a secure backend API, mobile wallets, point of sale apps, an accounting ledger and administrative controls. Learn more at galoy.io or github.com/galoymoney.

More information: galoy.io

Twitter: @GaloyMoney

SOURCE Galoy
DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ENTACT, LLC ("ENTACT"), a leading provider of environmental remediation and geotechnical services and a portfolio company of investment affiliates of J.F. Lehman & Company ("JFLCO"), announced today that it has completed the acquisition of USA Environment, LP and its affiliates ("USA Environment"). The acquisition enhances ENTACT's capabilities and service solutions, while significantly expanding its customer base and presence throughout North America.

USA Environment is a specialized environmental remediation and industrial services provider with best-in-class safety performance and a long track-record of successfully executing a broad array of services, often in high-hazard environments with complex logistics. The Company's suite of specialized capabilities also includes unique solutions for radiological and naturally occurring radioactive materials ("RAD/NORM"), and the Company enables its blue-chip customer base to satisfy their critical environmental remediation needs across a variety of end markets including public infrastructure, specialty chemical, manufacturing, energy, mining, and brownfield redevelopment. Headquartered in Deer Park, TX with strategically-located facilities throughout the United States, USA Environment employs over 200 highly-skilled environmental remediation professionals.

Dean Pisani, Chief Executive Officer of ENTACT, commented, "We are delighted to welcome USA Environment into the ENTACT family. We have known the USA team for many years and have tremendous respect for their high-level performance across the environmental industry. USA Environment enhances our robust suite of services, adds an exceptional team of people, and will further enable us to deliver best-in-class environmental remediation services to our customers."

"With limited overlap in customers and complementary service offerings, the combination of ENTACT and USA Environment will allow us to realize strategic benefits and increase opportunities for growth," added Bob Weber, Chairman and President of USA Environment. "Most importantly, ENTACT delivers high-quality, safe work for its customers, characteristics that align well with our core values at USA Environment."

"The acquisition of USA Environment is a critical milestone in our strategy to create the nation's leading provider of specialized environmental remediation services for a highly discerning customer base," said Glenn Shor, Chairman of ENTACT and Partner at JFLCO. "ENTACT is experiencing robust demand for its services. This acquisition represents a highly strategic addition of talented and like-minded remediation professionals that will enable ENTACT to continue to grow and satisfy its customers," added Will Hanenberg, Director of ENTACT and Managing Director at JFLCO.

Jones Day provided legal counsel to ENTACT and JFLCO. D.A. Davidson served as exclusive financial advisor and Haynes Boone, LLP provided legal counsel to USA Environment.

About J.F. Lehman & Company, Inc.

Founded in 1992, J.F. Lehman & Company focuses exclusively on investing in the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental industries. The firm has offices in New York and Washington, D.C.

www.jflpartners.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/349934/j_f__lehman___company_logo.jpg

SOURCE J.F. Lehman & Company
BANGALORE, India, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Epoxy Resin Market is Segmented by Type (DGBEA (Bisphenol A and ECH), DGBEF (Bisphenol F and ECH), Novolac (Formaldehyde and Phenols), Aliphatic (Aliphatic Alcohols), Glycidylamine (Aromatic Amines and ECH), by Application (Paints & Coatings, Composites, Adhesives & Sealants, Electrical and Electronics): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2028. It is published in Valuates Reports under the chemicals industry category



Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Epoxy Resin market size is estimated to be worth USD 10260 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 14390 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period 2022-2028.

Major factors driving the growth of the Epoxy Resin market

The rise in construction investment, notably in residential development, is driving the growth of the epoxy resins market. Moreover, the demand for paints and coatings used in the manufacturing of automobiles and other durable goods, as well as industrial maintenance applications, is anticipated to fuel the Epoxy Resin market growth.

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TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF EPOXY RESIN MARKET:

Epoxies are used in structural components, engineering adhesives, and paints in the construction industry to increase durability, strength, and resilience, ensuring longer lifespans and reducing the need for repainting and refurbishing. Epoxy paints offer a robust, long-lasting protective layer that is simple to keep clean. Epoxy paint has distinct qualities that make it excellent for garages, warehouses, and other indoor spaces. These qualities include resistance to chemicals, corrosion, and ease of cleaning. This factor is expected to drive the growth of the epoxy resin market.

In the upcoming years, the epoxy resin market is anticipated to be driven by rising disposable income and consumer propensity to spend more. Due to expanding middle-class family demand and rising disposable income in emerging countries like China, India, Brazil, Vietnam, and others, global vehicle production grew quickly in recent years. The demand for products was fueled by the increase in the demand for automobiles, which drove up the consumption of paints and coatings throughout the automotive industry.

To capitalize on value-adding opportunities in applications including metal protection, plastic tooling, and lightweight composites for the automobile industry, manufacturers are focusing on diversifying their product lines. They are spending money on research and development to create epoxy resins, an important class of chemicals used in a variety of industrial applications. The use of epoxy resins in the manufacture of autos, boats, and aircraft are becoming more and more popular.

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EPOXY RESIN INDUSTRY SHARE

Based on region, China holds about 45% of the global production market share, followed by South Korea with about 15% share.

The top 3 businesses in the epoxy resin market are Olin, Hexion, and Nan Ya Plastics. They account for around 30% of the total epoxy resin market share.

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Key Companies:

Olin Corporation

Nan Ya Plastics Corporation

Hexion Inc.

Kukdo Chemical Co. Ltd.

Huntsman Corporation

Chang Chun Plastics Co. Ltd.

Aditya Birla Chemicals

3M Company

Company BASF SE

Sinopec Corporation

Dow Coating Materials

Solvay

Henkel

Nona composites

Polyset Co Inc

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SIMILAR REPORTS:

- The global Waterborne Epoxy Resin market was valued at USD 1122 Million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 1886.5 Million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.4% during 2021-2027.

- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Flexible Epoxy Resin market size is estimated to be worth USD 596.5 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 794.8 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 4.9% during the review period.

- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global High-Purity Epoxy Resin market size is estimated to be worth USD 1262.5 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 1981.3 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 7.8% during the review period.

- The global Coating Resins market size is estimated to be worth USD 26370 million in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 31290 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 2.9% during the review period.

- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Amino Resins market size is estimated to be worth USD 10190 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 13920 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 5.3% during the review period.

- The Ion Exchange Resins market was valued at USD 2115.1 million in 2022, and it is expected to reach USD 2671.6 million by 2028, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.0% during the forecast period (2022-2028).

- The global Automotive Coatings market size is estimated to be worth USD 20350 million in 2022. It is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 24550 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 3.2% during the forecast period 2022-2028.

- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Plastic Resins market size is estimated to be worth USD 860420 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 992000 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 2.4% during the review period.

- The global Phenol market size is projected to reach USD 22250 Million by 2027, from USD 17380 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 4.2% during 2021-2027.

- The global Unsaturated Polyester Resins (UPR) market was valued at USD 10860 Million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 19230 Million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 8.5% during 2021-2027.

- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Metal Coatings market size is estimated to be worth USD 14410 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 19400 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 5.1% during the review period.

- Global High Temperature Epoxy Resins Sales Market Report 2022

- Global Epoxy Resin for Encapsulation Sales Market Report 2022

- Global Epoxy Resin for Wind Turbine Blades Market Insights and Forecast to 2028

- Global Special Epoxy Resin for Wind Turbine Blades Sales Market Report 2022

- Global Composite Epoxy Market Research Report 2022

- Global Novolac Epoxy Resin Market Research Report 2022

- Global Formaldehyde Resins Market Insights and Forecast to 2028

- Global Linear Phenolic Resin Market Research Report 2022

- Global Cation and Anion Exchange Resins Market Research Report 2022

- Global Solid Acrylic Resins Market Insights, Forecast to 2028

Click here to see related reports on Epoxy Resin Market

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SOURCE Valuates Reports
Partnership Provides Long Term Financing to Gligan Fitness to expand their group fitness therapy and technology to help personalize the experience of those seeking help for both physical and mental disorders.

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ETHOS ASSET MANAGEMENT INC USA, announced a new long-term financing partnership with Gligan Fitness Ltd., United Kingdom. Gligan Fitness promotes equality and self-reliance by providing support to allow young people to become agents of their development and progress. Ethos has committed to providing significant capital infusion that will continue for several years.

Carlos Santos, CEO of Ethos Asset Management Inc, stated,

GLIGAN FITNESS - UK LOGO

"We are thrilled and honored to be partnering with Gligan Fitness under the dynamic and passionate leadership of CEO and Founder, Laura Gligan. From the moment we met Laura we were totally captivated by her joyous, caring spirit and absolute positive mental attitude towards everything in her business, her life and especially towards vulnerable young people. We are very pleased to announce our Philanthropic Financing Facility (PFF) for Gligan Fitness and the commencement of a very important project, focused on improving the lives of young people, their families and the elderly in Manchester, England. The range of mental health issues that affect many people and communities today requires high quality interventions and support  Ethos is proud to be partnering with such a great individual in Laura Gligan, her team and organization at Gligan Fitness".

Laura Gligan, CEO and Founder, Gligan Fitness Ltd., stated,

"From the very first conversation with Carlos Santos, CEO of Ethos Asset Management it felt like a meeting of minds, and it was immediately clear that there was a shared vision between our organizations to create lasting and positive impacts across our communities. We are absolutely delighted and honored to be partnering with such a visionary organization, led by Carlos Santos. Gligan Fitness couldn't have asked for a more inspirational and engaged business partner to join forces with, in our mission to provide high quality interventions and support to the most vulnerable people in our communities. The long-term finance agreement will allow Gligan Fitness to focus on growing and scaling the services already delivered as well as widening the services offering and geographical reach. This is such an incredible exciting time for the business and we're really looking forward to getting the next couple of projects up and running".

Craig Freeman, Ethos UK Associate, stated,

"I was delighted to have been involved with Ethos and Laura on the project. Laura has so much energy and enthusiasm for her business and to helping the people of Manchester.

The partnership with Ethos will help her achieve her ambition of providing more services to the community a lot faster than she could have ever imagined. Keep up the good work Laura and Ethos!".

About Ethos Asset Management Inc:

Ethos Asset Management (Ethos) is an independent, US-based company with global reach in resource mobilization and project financing.

For more information, please visit https://www.ethosasset.com

About Gligan Fitness Ltd:

Gligan Fitness Ltd (Gligan Fitness) is an independent UK based company working to improve physical and mental wellbeing in our communities. In inner-city communities, physical and mental health issues are prolific and significantly impact the overall quality of life for the residents and their future prospects. Gligan Fitness works in these communities to improve people's overall physical and mental wellbeing.

For more information, please visit https://www.gliganfitness.co.uk/

Contacts:

Laura Gligan, CEO and Founder, Gligan Fitness Ltd:

Email [email protected]

Craig Freeman, Ethos UK Associate:

Email [email protected]

Ethos USA:

Ethos Asset Management INC: Press Office

[email protected]

+18585354814

SOURCE Ethos Asset Management Inc
Firm honored by Great Place To Work

CAMAS, Wash., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fisher Investments Canadaa subsidiary of US-based Fisher Investmentswas named a 2022 Best Workplace in Financial Services by Great Place To Workthe global authority on workplace culture. The award is based on anonymous employee survey feedback and honors organizations that have strong relationships with their employees and foster a culture of success.

"We sincerely appreciate this recognition from Great Place to Work," said Fisher Investments' CEO Damian Ornani, adding "Cultivating a work environment where our employees can thrive is vital in our mission to help more clients globally."

Great Place to Work recognizes companies based on anonymous employee survey results across factors including compensation, benefits, career advancement opportunities, competence of management and overall workplace atmosphere. Survey feedback revealed Fisher Investments' employees believe the company provides strong opportunities for career growth in a rewarding and client-focused work environment.

"We are proud our employees shared they feel valued and supported," remarked Carrianne Coffey, Fisher Investments' Senior Executive Vice President of Private Client Group International. "This recognition is a testament to our hard work and steadfast dedication to help build rewarding, life-long careers for our employees across the global Fisher organization."

About Fisher Investments

Fisher Investments is an independent, fee-only investment adviser. As of 6/30/2022, Fisher Investments and its subsidiaries manage over $165 billion in assets globallyover $131 billion for private investors, $31 billion for institutional investors and $2 billion for US small to mid-sized business retirement plans. Fisher Investments maintains four principal business groups: US Private Client, Institutional, Private Client International and 401(k) Solutions, which serve a global client base of diverse investors. Not all strategies are offered/sold in all jurisdictions. Founder and Executive Chairman Ken Fisher wrote the Forbes "Portfolio Strategy" column from 1984 through 2016, making him the longest continuously running columnist in the magazine's history. In recent years, Ken's columns have run consistently in major media outlets across almost every Western European country as well as material Asian countries, spanning more countries and more volume than any other columnist of any type in history. Over the last decade, Ken has regularly appeared on CNBC, Fox Business, Fox News, CNN International, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg TV, and numerous other financial news outlets. Ken has also authored 11 books, including four New York Times bestsellers on finance and investing. For more information on Fisher Investments, please visit www.fisherinvestments.com.

Media Contacts

SOURCE Fisher Investments
Interview: CPC's governance positive for people of whole world -- Congo's ruling party leader

Xinhua) 11:17, September 28, 2022

General Secretary of the Congolese Labor Party (PCT) Pierre Moussa speaks in an interview with Xinhua in Brazzaville, the Republic of the Congo, Aug. 30, 2022. (Photo by Guy-Gervais Kitina/Xinhua)

BRAZZAVILLE, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The governance of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has made "uplifting" achievements, and is beneficial to the people of the whole world, said General Secretary of the Congolese Labor Party (PCT) Pierre Moussa in an interview with Xinhua.

The CPC's governance has ensured "progress and success" in many aspects of Chinese people's lives, and it is "positive" not only for the Chinese people but also for the people of the world, he said.

The fact that China has eradicated extreme poverty under the leadership of the CPC is a "major and uplifting" achievement, said the PCT's general-secretary, noting that the CPC has honored its commitments to the Chinese people and the people of the world.

Moussa also spoke highly of the CPC's efforts to establish socialism with Chinese characteristics and practice democracy that suits its own culture, which has enabled it to achieve "so much success" for its own people.

"Each people establish democracy by its own means, in accordance with its culture, past, and the objectives it aspires," he said.

"In general, copying and pasting does not work. The fundamental reference must be the culture of its people and the objectives that the people expect," said Moussa.

Speaking of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China, Moussa said the GDI will enable countries around the world to overcome common challenges, including food insecurity and climate change.

According to Moussa, cooperation between the Republic of the Congo and China has borne fruits in various fields, and flagship projects in bilateral cooperation have improved his country's social and economic development.

The Belt and Road Initiative has erected a new platform for international cooperation and injects great impetus into global development, including the Republic of the Congo, he said.

Moussa sees the upcoming 20th National Congress of the CPC as an "event of global significance" and wished it a "full success."

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
AMSTERDAM, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Freya Pharma Solutions, a late clinical stage pharmaceutical company focusing on the development of effective pharmaceutical therapies for women diagnosed with Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder (FSIAD), today announced the receipt of early European Medicines Agency (EMA) scientific advice on its upcoming pivotal phase 3 clinical trial (the ALETTA trial), investigating Lybrido for the treatment of FSIAD. The EMA Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) came to its conclusions within the short, 40-day evaluation phase, without necessitating a discussion meeting for further clarification. Freya will now implement the adjustments as recommended by EMA in its clinical development program for Lybrido.

Dr. Jan van der Mooren, Chief Medical Officer of Freya, stated:

"I am very happy with this early EMA scientific advice, as it represents an important milestone in the development program for Lybrido. The EMA advice holds very constructive and valuable elements that will contribute to the successful development of our therapy. It also strengthens our understanding of how to further design the clinical program to ensure a timely launch of Lybrido on the European market. Following the short procedure, Freya is still well on track with its planning of the ALETTA trial. Lybrido is an innovative drug in a market with very few approved drugs in the United States, and no drug being approved in Europe so far."

Together with the expert support of the members of the Scientific Advisory Board, Freya will implement the adjustments as recommended by the EMA in the clinical development program of Lybrido. The initial focus will be on the study protocol of the ALETTA trial, a randomized placebo-controlled phase 3 clinical trial to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of Lybrido. Clinical research organization CR2O BV (www.CR2O.nl) is leading the preparation, execution, and reporting of this trial.

Freya Pharma Solutions is currently preparing the first phase 3 clinical trial in Europe as part of a clinical development program with several studies in Europe, to be followed later by additional trials in the United States. The company is highly confident that it is well on track with the clinical development of Lybrido as a treatment for women suffering from sexual dysfunction, and the related distress which often negatively interferes with their quality of life.

About FSIAD

Low sexual desire is consistently reported as the most common sexual complaint in women. As a result, many women are dissatisfied with their sex lives, which often affects their social and emotional wellbeing. FSIAD is defined in the 2013 version of the DSM-5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a publication by the American Psychiatric Association, as a persistent lack or significant reduction of sexual interest and/or arousal. Persons can be medically diagnosed after having a well-defined number of symptoms causing clinically significant distress and which have persisted for a minimum of six months. The disorder is specified by severity level and subtyped into lifelong versus acquired, generalized versus situational.

About Lybrido

A total of 20 phase 1 and phase 2a trials and large-scale phase 2b trials in 17 research sites in the US have been conducted to date. These trials have investigated the safety and efficacy of two novel on-demand pharmacological treatments that have been designed to treat two FSIAD subgroups: women with low sensitivity for sexual cues (Lybrido) and women with over-activation of sexual inhibition (Lybridos). Lybrido increases central sexual motivation and physiological sexual responses, such as swelling of vaginal erectile tissue and lubrication. The therapy is being developed as 'on demand' treatment with the aim to increase central sexual motivation from 3 to 6 hours after intake. This treatment comprises a novel (dual-route, dual-release, fixed-dose) combination tablet consisting of a testosterone coating for sublingual administration and an inner-core component containing the phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE 5) inhibitor, sildenafil. The inner-core component is coated with a delayed-release matrix to ensure that the peak plasma concentration of the sildenafil coincides with the window of increased sexual motivation induced by the testosterone component. Thus, this combination enables an increase in genital arousal through an increase in responsivity to sexual stimuli.

About Freya Pharma Solutions

Freya Pharma Solutions is a late clinical stage company focused on developing effective pharmaceutical therapies for FSIAD, building upon fifteen years of solid research. The company has two compounds in development, Lybrido and Lybridos, to address the range of potential causes of FSIAD. Based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Freya aims to offer patients a convenient, personalized 'on demand' solution for this recognized unmet medical need. www.freyapharmasolutions.com

Please contact for further information:

Freya Pharma Solutions, Amsterdam

Marcel Wijma, Chief Executive Officer

[email protected]

For media

LifeSpring Life Sciences Communication, Amsterdam

Leon Melens

T: +31 6 538 16 427

E: [email protected]

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SOURCE Freya Pharma Solutions
Genesys Cloud AI Experience simplifies how organizations deliver and improve bespoke end-to-end customer journeys with turnkey personalization, automation and prediction

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Genesys, a global cloud leader in experience orchestration, today introduced Genesys Cloud AI Experience, a new solution designed to help organizations optimize customer journeys through accelerated experience innovation powered by smarter personalization, automation and prediction. With the new solution, Genesys has expanded its experience orchestration capabilities, enabling organizations to listen and understand customers and employees through seamless coordination of technology, interactions and touchpoints. Now with greater ability to predict actions, automate journeys in real time and drive toward outcomes, Genesys Cloud AI Experience makes it possible for any organization to orchestrate people-centric experiences at scale, fostering long-lasting relationships.

Many organizations are challenged to find strategies for dealing with both rising customer volume and changes in expectations, while facing an uncertain business market. With pressure to deliver better experiences with less, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have the potential to help; yet many organizations are hamstrung by legacy business processes, siloed point solutions and insufficient technical resources. Outside of large companies, most lack the data scientists and resources to implement and deploy technologies orientated around their customers and employees while still supporting business objectives.

Experience Orchestration at Scale

With Genesys Cloud AI Experience, organizations can integrate real-time data and customer signals to easily orchestrate and optimize proactive, personalized engagement across digital and voice touchpoints. When AI works harmoniously in the background of every experience, customers are met with new levels of understanding and care, and employees are equipped with smarter tools and insight to improve every interaction.

Genesys Cloud AI Experience removes the barrier of entry to AI for most organizations by combining conversational AI, knowledge, agent assistance, predictive routing and predictive engagement into a single integrated solution. This enables stronger customer journeys in weeks versus quarters. By eliminating the friction of isolated systems, the solution embeds intelligence and intent across the end-to-end experience, allowing organizations to recognize the bespoke needs of every customer at any stage of a journey.

In addition, the solution helps organizations extract more value from their data so self-service and employee assisted engagements can be fine-tuned with greater precision. With turnkey implementation and fast time to value, organizations have all the tools they need to orchestrate better experiences at scale using the AI, digital and self-service capabilities included in Genesys Cloud AI Experience. Available now, organizations can add these capabilities to their existing Genesys Cloud CX contract or include it as a part of a new deployment.

"While AI and automation tools permeate throughout the customer and employee lifecycle, they are often adopted as separate point solutions that limit the ability to address consumers' journeys holistically," said Dave Schubmehl, research vice president, Conversational AI, IDC. "Organizations that leverage the integrated AI capabilities of Genesys Cloud AI Experience are positioned to address radically different use cases in customer experience, increasing the breadth of their impact."

Improving Customer Journeys with AI-Driven Optimization

The newly enhanced components of Genesys Cloud AI Experience allow organizations to accelerate their path to customer journey optimization using the latest AI innovations from Genesys, including:

Better digital experiences : To standout in an economy dictated by the experiences you provide, organizations face new pressures to satisfy and connect with customers. Instead of plain text, the new Genesys digital bot flow builder allows organizations to differentiate their customer self-service experiences using rich media, images, visual menus, added languages and more. With better digital bots, organizations can create engaging, visual, conversational experiences to solve a customers' needs more effectively.





: To standout in an economy dictated by the experiences you provide, organizations face new pressures to satisfy and connect with customers. Instead of plain text, the new Genesys digital bot flow builder allows organizations to differentiate their customer self-service experiences using rich media, images, visual menus, added languages and more. With better digital bots, organizations can create engaging, visual, conversational experiences to solve a customers' needs more effectively. Smart knowledge: Whether supported by a human or a bot, today's customer service experiences are made or broken on the knowledge that powers them. However, too often, knowledge is trapped in silos. That's why Genesys is making it easier for organizations to create, enrich and train knowledge across channels with a new centralized workbench powering self-serve and human-assisted service. Now, with access to images, dynamic articles, enhanced language dimensions and expanded search capabilities, organizations have smart tools at their disposal to support customers in real time. A new knowledge optimizer gives organizations deeper visibility into content effectiveness and usage, helping them detect the most valuable customer resources.





Whether supported by a human or a bot, today's customer service experiences are made or broken on the knowledge that powers them. However, too often, knowledge is trapped in silos. That's why Genesys is making it easier for organizations to create, enrich and train knowledge across channels with a new centralized workbench powering self-serve and human-assisted service. Now, with access to images, dynamic articles, enhanced language dimensions and expanded search capabilities, organizations have smart tools at their disposal to support customers in real time. A new knowledge optimizer gives organizations deeper visibility into content effectiveness and usage, helping them detect the most valuable customer resources. AI transparency: To remove the "black box" approach many organizations take, Genesys launched an explainability feature to AI routing, by supplying insights into the factors driving better customer outcomes across voice and digital channels. It's visualized, explained and accessed through an intuitive Genesys Predictive Routing guide that pinpoints features in its AI model via a user-friendly dashboard. This insight fosters confidence and trust in AI models and delivers new insights to drive better decisions.





To remove the "black box" approach many organizations take, Genesys launched an explainability feature to AI routing, by supplying insights into the factors driving better customer outcomes across voice and digital channels. It's visualized, explained and accessed through an intuitive Genesys Predictive Routing guide that pinpoints features in its AI model via a user-friendly dashboard. This insight fosters confidence and trust in AI models and delivers new insights to drive better decisions. AI-driven orchestration optimization: Now with embedded data services, interaction data is captured while speech and text analytics, intent mining, and identity resolution are automatically applied. This gives organizations new insights they can use to personalize and refine engagements for best customer outcomes. In addition, with the audience size estimator recently added to Genesys Predictive Engagement, employees can see the impact of their predictive strategy on their operations, ensuring they have the right resources in place to handle elevated volumes.

"As a pioneer in Experience as a Service, we're making it easier for organizations of all sizes and scale to stay ahead of changing consumers' needs through experience orchestration. Using Genesys Cloud AI Experience, we're giving organizations a powerful foundation to help them innovate effortlessly and wow their customers through more proactive, personalized experiences," said Olivier Jouve, executive vice president and general manager, Genesys Cloud CX.

To learn more, attend a live webinar, "Meet the New Genesys Cloud AI Experience," on October 4 at 2 PM EDT or on demand following the event.

About Genesys

Every year, Genesys orchestrates billions of remarkable customer experiences for organizations in more than 100 countries. Through the power of our cloud, digital and AI technologies, organizations can realize Experience as a Service, our vision for empathetic customer experiences at scale. With Genesys, organizations have the power to deliver proactive, predictive, and hyper personalized experiences to deepen their customer connection across every marketing, sales, and service moment on any channel, while also improving employee productivity and engagement. By transforming back-office technology to a modern revenue velocity engine Genesys enables true intimacy at scale to foster customer trust and loyalty. Visit www.genesys.com.

2022 Genesys. All rights reserved. Genesys, the Genesys logo, Genesys Cloud CX, Genesys Multicloud CX and Experience as a Service are trademarks, service marks and/or registered trademarks of Genesys. All other company names and logos may be registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.

Media Contacts:

Rachel Faulkner Perez

Genesys

+1 317.403.1781

[email protected]

Nectar Communications

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SOURCE Genesys
The new research center will accelerate cures for the world's gravest cancers

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gladstone Institutes has partnered with the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), the leading network of immuno-oncology expertise in the world, to establish a new research center focused on using genomics and CRISPR technology to program the human immune system to treat cancer.

Alex Marson will serve as director of the new Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Gladstone Institutes aiming to accelerate cures for the worlds gravest cancers. Photo: Michael Short/Gladstone Institutes

Through the partnership, Gladstone scientists will collaborate with other preeminent research centers in the PICI Network to explore how genome editing could accelerate fundamental insights into how immune cells are "wired," which could potentially lead to a new generation of cell-based cancer immunotherapies.

Alex Marson, MD, PhD, director of the Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology and a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco, will serve as director of the new Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Gladstone Institutes. Members will also include Gladstone Assistant Investigator Karin Pelka, PhD, and Ansuman Satpathy, MD, PhD, affiliate investigator at Gladstone and assistant professor in the Department of Pathology at the Stanford School of Medicine.

"Our Gladstone team is working at the forefront of the exciting field of genomic immunology," Marson said. "We are pioneering new CRISPR genome-editing technologies that may offer faster, cheaper, and more precise ways to rewrite DNA programs in human immune cells. We are also developing novel synthetic programs to help the immune system fight cancer more effectively. As a long-time member of the PICI community, I'm thrilled to join forces with other leading institutions to bring the next generation of immunotherapies to cancer patients quickly and efficiently."

In 2019, backed by an initial investment of $25 million from PICI, Marson and PICI Network scientific leaders from UCSF, the University of Pennsylvania, Broad Institute, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute co-founded cancer cell therapy developer ArsenalBio. This successful endeavor exemplifies the collaborative work between researchers brought together by PICI.

Funding for PICI centers is intended to support bold, high-risk scientific research and bridge academia and biotech through the potential formation of companies founded on next-generation therapies for cancer.

"We are thrilled to welcome Gladstone to the PICI Network, with Alex Marson as director of the newly established center," says John Connolly, PhD, PICI chief scientific officer. "Having collaborated with distinguished fellow researchers in the Network, providing significant contributions to PICI studies and scientific retreats, and successfully proving our bench-to-market-to-patient approach, Alex deeply understands PICI's unique model and our commitment to make all cancers curable diseases."

The PICI Network was established to promote collaboration between leading-edge research institutions and scientists in the field of cancer immunology. Encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and sharing research advances enables the network to maximize the scientific value of discoveries and catalyze the development of more effective cancer immunotherapies.

Organizations in the PICI Network are offered resources to support tomorrow's scientific leaders as part of PICI's Early Career Researcher program. PICI also facilitates access to advanced bioinformatics, intellectual property, sequencing, immune monitoring, industry-owned drugs, cell manufacturing, genetic engineering, and clinical trials management.

Other research institutions in the PICI Network include Stanford Medicine and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Media Contacts

Gladstone Institutes: Julie Langelier | Associate Director of Communications | [email protected]

Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy: James Goodwin | Associate Director, Communications | [email protected]

About Gladstone Institutes

To ensure our work does the greatest good, Gladstone Institutes focuses on conditions with profound medical, economic, and social impactunsolved diseases. Gladstone is an independent, nonprofit life science research organization that uses visionary science and technology to overcome disease. It has an academic affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco.

About the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy

The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) is radically changing how cancer research is done. Founded in 2016 through a $250 million gift from Silicon Valley entrepreneur and philanthropist Sean Parker, the San Francisco-based nonprofit is an unprecedented collaboration between the country's leading immunotherapy researchers and cancer centers. Partner research institutions include Gladstone Institutes; the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Stanford Medicine; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of California, San Francisco; the University of Pennsylvania; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. PICI also supports top researchers at other institutions, including City of Hope, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Institute for Systems Biology and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. By forging alliances with academic, industry and nonprofit partners, PICI makes big bets on bold research to fulfill its mission: to accelerate the development of breakthrough immunotherapies to turn all cancers into curable diseases. Find out more at parkerici.org and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @parkerici.

SOURCE Gladstone Institutes
NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GlassView , the world's largest independent video platform, today announced the release of GlassView Smart Gamma. Founded and advised by finance industry veterans and professionals, GlassView looked to trading algorithms that have fueled leading hedge funds for inspiration to maximize media performance.

"In the financial services industry, there are two chief methodologies as it relates to portfolio management, fundamental analysis and quantitative analysis," said James Brooks, CEO at GlassView. "Berkshire Hathaway employs the former with celebrated success. The buy low and hold model has worked well for Warren Buffet, but that model would not necessarily work in media trading. Quantitative analysis, on the other hand, employs a dynamic, algorithmically-driven quantitative strategy. The quant based approach is perhaps best exemplified by famed investor and mathematician Jim Simons, who has delivered 66% annualized returns from 1988 to 2018, which is an astonishing feat, beating even Warren Buffett's model by double. What's more, the quant-based approach absolutely works in media trading!"

GlassView utilizes the quantitative approach to drive performance for its clients. Gamma, a second order derivative, is the rate of change in an options delta move in an underlying asset's price. At its core, it is an important measure in the convexity of a derivative's value in relation to the underlying asset price. While a delta hedge seeks to reduce the gamma in order to maintain a hedge over a wider price range.

This hedge works in advertising as well. Gamma is a measurement of sensitivity to the rate of change in the conversion acceleration, also known as a term called "Jerk," and is based on a number of factors including the price of inventory, traffic to the page and the velocity of conversions.

GlassView has trained its model to identify spikes of conversions that surpass a certain magnitude. Our model then takes the derivative of acceleration to identify the bell curve, and purchases inventory throughout the majority of the curve. By monitoring the derivative of velocity, our algorithm mitigates against diminishing returns by ceasing the purchase of inventory as the curve approaches zero.

GlassView Smart Gamma has proven to be a competitive advantage for many of GlassView's clients. During the beta launch of Smart Gamma, conversions for GlassView's B2B, finance and insurance clients doubled.

Yann Coatanlem, board member of GlassView and CEO of Datacore Solutions, says of the firm's quant based approach, "As former head of Multi Asset Quantitative Analytics at Citigroup and now CEO of Datacore Innovations, I have seen innumerable quant based approaches in my career. Rarely have I seen a strategy and implementation that so effectively enhances performance."

For more information on GlassView, please visit www.glassview.com .

About GlassView

GlassView's mission is to drive performance through video advertising. We work with over 80 of the top Fortune 100 Global Brands, offering access to over 2.6 billion unique users worldwide, and over 280 million unique users in the United States, reaching 98% of the connected country.

Through emotion based targeting and optimization, high frequency trading (SmartGamma) & delivery across connected devices, GlassView is best known for its performance.

Leadership includes Yann Coatanlem, former Global Head of Multi Asset Quantitative Analytics at Citigroup, David Gerbits, former COO of Pandor, Renaud Dutreil, former Chairman of LVMH North America, who previously held several ministerial positions in the highest levels of French Government; Conde Nast former Executive Stephanie Newhouse; Chien Chung (Didi) Pei, chairman of the China Institute and partner in the legendary Pei Partnership Architects; Beauty and Well Being Founder & Editor Clemence von Mueffling; Jim Porcarelli, Co-founder of MediaCom North America; CBS Revenue & Operations Executive Director Dennis Colon; Candy Pratts Price, previously Creative Director for Vogue.com.

Launched in 2014, GlassView has headquarters in Dallas, with offices in New York City, Tokyo, Singapore, London, and Paris, among other locations.

About DataCore Innovations

DataCore utilizes its next generation Dominant Factor methodology to automate construction of investible asset portfolios that afford competitive returns with lower downside risk in difficult markets. Dominant Factor Indices are quantitative dynamic portfolios of ETFs selected for their Antifragility.

Dominant Factor methodology screens each candidate asset against a set of about 500 DataCore proprietary factors that are based on market observables (these risk factors have been carefully pre-selected, using Artificial Intelligence techniques). It tests for statistically significant non-linear models linking asset total returns and those of the factors within the fitting window (typically, the last 3 years) and retains for the asset only those asset-specific factors that show significant explanatory power. It then constructs asset-specific risk-reward profile that incorporates asset's projected losses in the event of severe crises based on established links and observed long-term behavior of the proprietary factors retained for the asset. Asset selection decision is then based on its risk-reward profile and risk tolerance parameters set for a particular index.

As a result, a sector (industry or geographic) is considered attractive when capital starts flowing into the sector, producing a rally in its components. But, unlike common methods (such as Black-Litterman), which tend to be fooled by speculative bubbles and suffer when these burst out, DataCore portfolios flee away from a sector when the rally becomes nervous, announcing instability and a potential severe downturn. In a way, by its nonlinear approach, the Dominant Factor methodology detects the behavioral effects of traders' sentiment on prices and is able to interpret them, so as to avoid catastrophes. Instead of following the crowd, the system reads its sentiment from its impact on price behavior and acts accordingly. This results in a portfolio that is cautious during the rallies that are fragile, and thus cuts down losses by a significant amount in the downturns. Clearly, the Beta adjusts appropriately according to the market conditions, which is for us the very meaning of "Smart Beta" and "Smart Gamma".

DataCore Innovations is lead by leading Wall Street mathematicians: Yann Coatanlem, former head of Multi Asset Quantitative Analytics, Raphael Douady, Former Head of Quantitative Finance program within the Applied Mathematics and Statistics department at SUNY Stony Brook University, and Robert Frey, former Managing Director at Renaissance Technologies

SOURCE GlassView
DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs 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 global opioid induced constipation drugs market is rising at a significant pace, projected to rise at a CAGR of 4.7% during the estimated period from 2022 to 2030.



The mechanism of action of opioid analgesics through binding to the mu, delta, and kappa receptors present in the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier and giving the desired analgesic effect to treat non-cancer pain. In addition, the opioids bind to the mu receptors present in the gastrointestinal tract, which result in a contraction of the smooth muscles and alter the peristaltic movement causing constipation.

Usually, the patients opt for over the counter osmotic laxatives and stimulant cathartics, which have been beneficial in providing relief from constipation in patients taking opioid analgesics for 3-4 weeks. In patients seeking palliative care, doctors prescribe mu-receptor antagonists and prostaglandin derivatives to cure opioid induced constipation.



In the present scenario, prescribed drugs are dominating the market on account of an increasing number of patients showing resistance to over-the-counter laxatives and cathartics. Moreover, opioid analgesics binds to the mu receptors of the gastrointestinal tract causing severe contraction of smooth muscles, altering the peristaltic activity of the gut motility, thus leading to chronic constipation.

Physicians usually prescribe branded drugs such as methylnaltrexone bromide and naloxegol (mu-receptor antagonists) and prostaglandin derivatives such as lubiprostone to gain immediate relief from constipation by increasing fluid retention and stool softening. Over the counter (OTC) osmotic laxatives and stimulant cathartics are the drugs of the first choice by the patients to treat constipation. OTC products have shown good results in patients taking opioid analgesics for less than 4 weeks.



In addition, lockdown restrictions and the need to maintain social distancing due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in more number of people staying at home. Hence, a sedentary lifestyle has resulted in the development of opioid induced constipation. In addition, irrational intake of OTC drugs and lack of physical activity will further aggravate the occurrence of opioid induced constipation in the elderly population

Regional Analysis

North America currently leads the opioid induced constipation drugs market due to the increasing number of patients suffering from non-cancer pain and rising public health awareness resulting in early diagnosis and treatment for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The European opioid induced constipation drugs market is driven by an increasing number of patients seeking palliative care in rehabilitation centers and the rising geriatric population suffering from non-cancer pain.

The Asia Pacific is set to register significant growth in opioids induced constipation drugs market on account of the huge population base suffering from chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia associated with strenuous working conditions. Rising use of opioids due to easy availability and poor regulation drives the Asia Pacific opioids induced constipation drugs market.



This report is a comprehensive research study of the global opioid induced constipation drugs market that elaborates the major trends in the market based on quantitative and qualitative research. This report provides a detailed description of the global opioid induced constipation drugs market segmenting market by drug types and geography. This report aids the market stakeholders to make improved decisions and strategies in the opioid induced constipation drugs market.

Historical - Forecast Period

This study report represents analysis of each segment from 2020 to 2030 considering 2021 as the base year. Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for each of the respective segments estimated for the forecast period of 2022 to 2030.



The current report comprises of quantitative market estimations for each micro market for every geographical region and qualitative market analysis such as micro and macro environment analysis, market trends, competitive intelligence, segment analysis, porters five force model, top winning strategies, top investment markets, emerging trends and technological analysis, case studies, strategic conclusions and recommendations and other key market insights.

Key questions answered in this report

What are the key micro and macro environmental factors that are impacting the growth of Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs 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 Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs market?

Which is the largest regional market for Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs market?

What are the market trends and dynamics in emerging markets such as Asia Pacific , Latin America , and Middle East - Africa ?

, , and - ? Which are the key trends driving Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs market growth?

Who are the key competitors and what are their key strategies to enhance their market presence in the Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs market worldwide?

Key Topics Covered:



1. Preface

2. Executive Summary

3. Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs Market: Business Outlook & Market Dynamics

3.1. Introduction

3.2. Global Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs 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. Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs Market: By Drug Type, 2020-2030, USD (Million)

4.1. Market Overview

4.2. Growth & Revenue Analysis: 2021 Versus 2030

4.3. Market Segmentation

4.3.1. Methylnaltrexone Bromide

4.3.2. Lubiprostone

4.3.3. Naloxegol

4.3.4. Naldemedine

4.3.5. Docusate Sodium

4.3.6. Others

5. Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs Market: By Prescription Type, 2020-2030, USD (Million)

5.1. Market Overview

5.2. Growth & Revenue Analysis: 2021 Versus 2030

5.3. Market Segmentation

5.3.1. Prescribed

5.3.1.1. Branded

5.3.1.2. Generic

5.3.2. Over the Counter (OTC)

6. North America Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million)

7. UK and European Union Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million)

8. Asia Pacific Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million)

9. Latin America Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million)

10. Middle East and Africa Opioid Induced Constipation Drugs Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million)

11. Company Profile

11.1. AstraZeneca plc

11.1.1. Company Overview

11.1.2. Financial Performance

11.1.3. Product Portfolio

11.1.4. Strategic Initiatives

11.2. Cubist Pharmaceuticals (Adolor Corporation)

11.2.1. Company Overview

11.2.2. Financial Performance

11.2.3. Product Portfolio

11.2.4. Strategic Initiatives

11.3. Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

11.3.1. Company Overview

11.3.2. Financial Performance

11.3.3. Product Portfolio

11.3.4. Strategic Initiatives

11.4. Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

11.4.1. Company Overview

11.4.2. Financial Performance

11.4.3. Product Portfolio

11.4.4. Strategic Initiatives

11.5. Pfizer, Inc.

11.5.1. Company Overview

11.5.2. Financial Performance

11.5.3. Product Portfolio

11.5.4. Strategic Initiatives

11.6. Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

11.6.1. Company Overview

11.6.2. Financial Performance

11.6.3. Product Portfolio

11.6.4. Strategic Initiatives

11.7. Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

11.7.1. Company Overview

11.7.2. Financial Performance

11.7.3. Product Portfolio

11.7.4. Strategic Initiatives

11.8. Shionogo & Co., Ltd.

11.8.1. Company Overview

11.8.2. Financial Performance

11.8.3. Product Portfolio

11.8.4. Strategic Initiatives

11.9. Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

11.9.1. Company Overview

11.9.2. Financial Performance

11.9.3. Product Portfolio

11.9.4. Strategic Initiatives

11.10. Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

11.10.1. Company Overview

11.10.2. Financial Performance

11.10.3. Product Portfolio

11.10.4. Strategic Initiatives

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/epjotn

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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

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/sknmk5

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SOURCE Research and Markets
NOIDA, India, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights the Green Technology And Sustainability Market v is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 24% from 2021-2027, reaching 48 billion by 2027. The analysis has been segmented into Component (Solutions and Services); Technology (IoT, Digital Twin, Cloud Computing, Blockchain, and Others); Region/Country.



Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/green-technology-and-sustainability-market/

The green technology and sustainability 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 green technology and sustainability market. The green technology and sustainability 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 green technology and sustainability market at the global and regional levels.

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Market Overview

The global green technology and sustainability market is growing on account of the increasing investments in critical infrastructure is likely to drive the green technology and sustainability market. For instance, in 2020, the US government has committed a federal investment of USD 1.7 trillion in climate resilience and clean energy over the course of the next 10 years. Furthermore, growing environmental awareness and growing concerns among organizations and individuals about global warming are the factors driving the growth of the green technology and sustainability market. Moreover, increased demand for eco-friendly products or less harmful products is driving the growth of the market. The government initiatives for dropping the carbon footprint and minimizing waste production are major factor that is anticipated to propel the growth of the market over the forecast period.

COVID-19 Impact

The recent covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the world and has brought a state of shock to the global economy. The global pandemic has impacted the manufacturing and ICT industry and has transformed the way of working. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the green technology and sustainability market as there has been a decrease in the number of industries who invested in the green technology.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/green-technology-and-sustainability-market/

The global green technology and sustainability market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on component, the market is segmented into solutions and services(consulting, integration and deployment, support and maintenance). The solutions segment is expected to achieve a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The rise in the awareness of technology causing environmental hazards is a major factor that drives the adoption of green technology and sustainability solution among verticals across the globe, which, in turn, drives the green technology and sustainability market growth.

Based on technology, the market is segmented into IoT, digital twin, cloud computing, blockchain, and others. The blockchain segment held a significant share of the green technology and sustainability market in 2020 and is expected to witness substantial growth during the forecast period. The growth of blockchain can be attributed to the various benefits provided by blockchain technology such as blockchain increasing trust, security, transparency, and the traceability of data shared across a business network and delivering cost savings with new efficiencies.

Have a Look at the Chapters - https://univdatos.com/report/green-technology-and-sustainability-market/

Green Technology And Sustainability Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America (US, Canada , Rest of North America )

(US, , Rest of ) Europe ( Germany , France , Spain , UK, Rest of Europe )

( , , , UK, Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , Rest of ) Rest of the World

For a better understanding of the market adoption of Search and Rescue Robots, the market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in the countries such as North America (US, Canada, Rest of North America), Europe (Germany, France, Spain, UK, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Rest of World. North America held a prominent share of the global green technology and sustainability Market in 2020 and is expected to showcase a prominent growth rate during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the presence of leading green technology and sustainability service providers and the integration of cloud and IoT with green technology and sustainable market solutions.

The major players targeting the market include

Enablon

Salesforce

Microsoft

Schneider Electric

Engie Impact

Intelex

Enviance

LO3 Energy

Isometrix

Taranis

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 green technology and sustainability 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 green technology and sustainability market?

Which factors are influencing the green technology and sustainability market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the green technology and sustainability market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the green technology and sustainability market?

What are the demanding global regions of the green technology and sustainability 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

Green Technology and Sustainability Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute Details Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2027 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 24% Market size 2027 USD 48 billion Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region North America to Dominate the Global Green Technology and Sustainability Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, and India Companies profiled Enablon, Salesforce, Microsoft, Schneider Electric, Engie Impact, Intelex, Enviance, LO3 Energy, Isometrix, and Taranis 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 Component; By Technology; 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 market s 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.
The merger follows Guesty's latest funding round and expands its presence in strategic regional markets to further its mission of becoming the premier global provider of property management and hospitality solutions

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Guesty , the leading property management platform for the short-term rental and hospitality industry, today announced the acquisition of Spain-based vacation rental software company, Kigo , and Australian property management software company, HiRUM . Guesty will welcome Kigo's and HiRUM's existing teams into the Guesty family, expanding its global reach, increasing R&D resources and product advancement for customers of all three platforms. The mergers continue Guesty's long-term growth vision, extending further into new markets and offering an end-to-end solution to manage the complex needs of property managers and hospitality professionals in all category segments, wherever they operate.

Guesty has acquired vacation rental software company, Kigo, and Australian property management software company, HiRUM.

Kigo and HiRUM bring thousands of customers to the Guesty family of product solutions, representing short-term rentals, vacation villas, and hospitality listings within Europe and Australia's thriving tourism sector. United in the same mission, all three companies are working to standardize and advance the best-in-class software experience for simplifying property management and operations for property management companies (PMCs) and hospitality operators of all sizes. Together with Kigo and HiRUM, Guesty expands its capabilities for flexible inventory management, allowing operators to handle traditional hotel listings, aparthotels, holiday homes and short-term rentals from one dashboard.

"Guesty, Kigo and HiRUM view consolidation as the path forward in such a dynamic space and fragmented industry," said Guesty Co-Founder & CEO, Amiad Soto. "The continued advancement of property management solutions, technology and service requires substantial resources and financial investment that can only be achieved by merging the industry's best teams and regional leaders under one entity."

"As our industry matures, we recognize Guesty's market leadership and winning technology," said Miquel Ferrer, General Manager of Kigo. "This move allows us to deliver product innovation much faster, while also driving industry standardization and deepening our business partnerships within the ecosystem. Through this acquisition, Guesty also strengthens its local presence in Europe leveraging Kigo's assets and team of experts." Mr. Ferrer will continue serving in his role as General Manager of Kigo, a Guesty company.

HiRUM Software Solutions is a household name in Australia's tourism sector, with its headquarters on the Gold Coast of Queensland. The company powers small and large hospitality operators and counts prestigious brands as its loyal customers, including Palazzo Versace Gold Coast, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Ramada by Wyndham and Grand Mercure Hotels & Resorts.

"For more than two decades we've helped Australia's leading hospitality brands streamline their operational processes, maximize revenues and grow the local tourism sector," said Sylvia & Philip Johnston, co-Founders and co-CEOs of HiRUM Software Solutions. "We are excited to join forces with Guesty and work in tandem to power the next generation of hospitality and property management technology. We will continue to stay on in our roles with HiRUM to ensure our customers receive the best-in-class service."

"The merging of Guesty and HiRUM marks a major milestone in Australian hospitality and a new era of technological advancement," says Yoav Tourel, Guesty's APAC Managing Director. "HiRUM's legacy, experience and knowledgeable roots in the local market pair perfectly with Guesty's global outlook. Together we will push forward the next era of property management solutions, covering the full ecosystem, from traditional hotels to vacation villas and short-term rentals. The timing could not be better, with Australia's tourism market booming in full recovery mode."

The acquisitions follow Guesty's latest funding round of $170 million last month, from top-tier investors Apax Digital Funds, MSD Partners and Sixth Street Growth, with existing investors Viola Growth and Flashpoint also participating. With a current global employee base of more than 600 and growing, Guesty now welcomes the Kigo and HiRUM teams within the United States, Spain, the Philippines and Australia. As one entity, Guesty increases its regional market share, expands its technological capabilities and services, and further cements its leadership position in its category.

About Guesty:

Guesty is the world's leading property management platform for the short-term, vacation rental and hospitality industry. Serving everyone from hosts to hotel brands, customers utilize Guesty's platform and solutions to centralize their reservations, guest communication, operational tasks, cleaning management and more across all the major booking OTA channels, including Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Expedia, Agoda, direct booking websites and more. With 15 offices serving customers worldwide, Guesty empowers hospitality operators to save time and resources so that they can focus on maximizing occupancy, ensuring a great guest experience, and growing their business.





About Kigo:

With offices in Spain, the United States and the Philippines, Kigo is a vacation rental management software and cloud-based platform, enabling businesses to effortlessly manage bookings, maximize revenue, reduce costs, expand their property portfolio, and streamline the end guest experience. Kigo's vacation rental management software was founded in 2008 and is used world-wide by companies all over the globe, servicing thousands of hospitality listings, with a specific dominance in the European market.

About HiRUM:

HiRUM Software Solutions is a leading Australian property management system, providing hotel and accommodations managers with a complete end-to-end solution, including Trust Accounting and channel management software. For over 20 years, HiRUM has helped small and large hospitality businesses streamline operational processes and maximize revenue.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1909899/Guesty_Kigo_HiRUM.jpg

For media inquiries, please contact:

Daniel Morgan, Director of Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Guesty
LIDKOPING, Sweden, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Handheld Group, a leading manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, today announced the release of the all-new Nautiz X81, an ultra-rugged Android handheld joining the popular Nautiz line with expanded outdoor-rugged reliability, 5G connectivity, as well as nearly limitless customization capability.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9092151-handheld-nautiz-x81-ultra-rugged-5g-android/

Introducing the NAUTIZ X81 ultra-rugged Android handheld Drops, vibrations, shocks, humidity? Bring it on: The Nautiz X81 meets MIL-STD-810G military performance standards for any rugged operation.

The innovative 4.8-inch screen uses unique display technology to deliver a truly sunlight-readable screen for outdoor work  without draining the battery life. The new Nautiz X81 comes with a full numeric keypad and was also designed to accommodate customer- and job-specific requirements. It features customization via expansion caps allowing a wide array of affordable and easy-to-develop solutions.

The handheld is ultra-rugged and durable, with an IP67-rating as waterproof and dust-sealed, and it withstands shock, vibration and extreme temperatures, from -30C up to 60C. With a powerful 2.0 GHz processor, Android 12 OS and both 5G and 4G/LTE, the Nautiz X81 offers robust computing power and versatile communication capability.

Following the long-term success of the Nautiz line of rugged devices, Handheld surveyed customers to find what they wanted from a cutting-edge new tool. The result is an all-new set of specs and functionality, but with a familiar look.

"Interestingly, while everyone was interested in expanded performance capabilities, there was also overwhelming support for the existing form factor," says Johan Hed, Handheld director of product management. "So we re-invented the wheel without changing the basic design, look and feel. Both new and repeat customers will find the Nautiz X81 has the same solid and comfortable feel of its predecessor."

Beyond the revolutionary screen, strong battery performance and wide-ranging versatility, the Nautiz X81 offers other performance upgrades. Additional pertinent features include:

a physical full numeric keypad with a dedicated scan button

Android 12, Android Enterprise Recommended and Google GMS for access to all Google apps

5G, 4G/LTE high-speed data, Wi-Fi, BT and NFC.

a dedicated multi-band u-blox GNSS receiver for fast and accurate location data using GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou.

Barcode scanning as an optional capability

a full ecosystem of accessories and add-on solutions for improved efficiency in the field.

Availability

Nautiz X81 orders can be placed immediately for shipments starting at the end of 2022.

Helpful links

Nautiz X81 specifications

Product introduction video

Nautiz X81 smart accessories

Rugged computers defined

Press images

About Handheld

Handheld Group is a manufacturer and global supplier of rugged mobile computers, including handhelds and tablets. Handheld and its partners worldwide deliver complete mobility solutions to businesses in industries such as geomatics, logistics, forestry, public transportation, utilities, construction, maintenance, mining, military and security. Handheld Group, part of MilDef, is headquartered in Sweden with subsidiaries in Finland, the U.K., the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and the USA.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcEdmoNQtOM

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1907217/nautiz_x81_ultra_rugged_handheld.jpg

SOURCE Handheld Group AB
Donation to Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) expands support of needs-based college scholarships, professional development opportunities and scholar support services

Honda will sponsor annual HSF National Leadership Conference

Majority of HSF scholars are low-income and first-generation college students

Honda will mark 20-year partnership with Hispanic Scholarship Fund in 2023

TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Honda is advancing its longstanding partnership with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) with a $1 million donation distributed over three years to help Latino undergraduate students achieve their dreams of attaining a college education and pursuing a professional career. In addition to supporting the HSF Scholarship Program, which awards needs-based scholarships to Latino undergraduate students, Honda also serves as presenting sponsor of the HSF National Leadership Conference, which provides top Latino college sophomores with professional leadership development and career opportunities.

Honda is expanding its support of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to provide needs-based college scholarships, professional development opportunities and scholar support services to Latino undergraduate students. Honda is the presenting sponsor of the HSF National Leadership Conference.

Honda has partnered with HSF since 2003. Over the past two decades, Honda has funded scholarships to help students pay for tuition, books and living expenses, sponsored events to celebrate scholars and their families, and offered students summer internship opportunities.

"Honda believes in embracing the dreams of young people and creating opportunities for them to succeed in college and in their careers," said Yvette Hunsicker, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion & Diversity for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Through our support of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Honda is helping spark creativity and innovation in Latino students and inspiring the next generation of Latino thought leaders."

Through Honda's contributions to the HSF Scholarship Program, the company is helping to provide HSF scholars with support services for academic and professional development.

"One out of every five college students in the U.S. are Hispanic, and many are low income and the first person in their family to attend college," said Fidel Vargas, HSF President and CEO. "Honda's donation and support of HSF programs are making an impact in these students' lives year-round by helping clear the pathway to college and professional careers."

Honda and the HSF National Leadership Conference

Another way Honda supports the HSF is as presenting sponsor of the HSF National Leadership Conference. The annual event provides top Hispanic scholars an inside track to academic and professional excellence, through a combination of mentoring, professional skills training workshops, and career guidance. At the 2022 Leadership Conference in Los Angeles, Honda associates and members of Honda's Latino Dreams in Action (LDIA) Business Resource Group shared professional insights, company leaders offered career development advice, and Honda's university relations team interviewed scholars for internships and full-time positions in the company's critically important Connected Automated Shared Electrified (CASE) business unit.

Honda's three-year donation to HSF is part of the company's commitment to helping people reach their life's full potential by funding national and local organizations that provide support to communities located near Honda operations and align with the company's five strategic CSR pillars of Education, Environment, Mobility, Traffic Safety and Community.

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility and the Honda USA Foundation

For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda's mission is to create products and services that help people fulfill their life's potential, while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.

SOURCE American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Hotels in Bangkok and Sevilla exhibit original art IRL; while @ibisstyles followers on Instagram can win an NFT

PARIS, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ibis Styles is bringing new artistic pop to the metaverse with its 2022 #OpenToCreators global campaign, in partnership with world-renowned digital creator and contest ambassadors @tikkywow and @naranjalidad. As of today, the NFTs of all artists associated with the ibis Styles 2022 Open to Creators campaign will be shared in an ibis Styles virtual art gallery in the metaverse, accessible through spatial.io. The virtual gallery follows recent IRL events at ibis Bangkok Silom and ibis Styles Sevilla, where original works and NFTs were created. Followers of @ibisstyles on Instagram can now enter for a chance to win an NFT created by the artist Naranjalidad, which will be transferred through Opensea. The winner will also receive gold member status for ALL Loyalty Program (contest's terms & conditions here).

Steamed bun time by @tanstar.artist (CNW Group/ibis Styles) ibis Styles is bringing new artistic pop to the metaverse with its 2022 #OpenToCreators global campaign, in partnership with world-renowned digital creators and contest ambassadors @tikkywow and @naranjalidad (CNW Group/ibis Styles) A digital work by @jeffaphisit that appears in the ibis Styles metaverse gallery available on Opensea. (CNW Group/ibis Styles)

"ibis Styles loves to welcome the unapologetic creators, the artists with edgy style who are bringing to life the freshest content and pushing creative boundaries," said Laure Duberga, Vice-President, Economy Brands, Accor. "This year, our annual #OpentoCreators campaign has a unique theme, with a focus on digital artists and NFT creators. We are showing our support for these artistic innovators by providing multiple platforms for expressing their creativity in our hotels, through our social channels, and ultimately, across the metaverse."

The newly opened ibis Styles Bangkok Silom hosted an exciting IRL art experience in August, with @tikkywow creating an original artwork which is now exhibited alongside his two commissioned works that are featured prominently in the hotel. At the same event, an NFT of @tikkywow's work was created for the ibis Styles NFT portfolio and will appear in the newly launched ibis Styles virtual gallery in the metaverse. In addition to @tikkywow, other artists featured at the Bangkok event included @jeffaphisit and @tanstar.artist. Their digital works will also appear in the ibis Styles metaverse gallery available on Opensea.

A cool design hotel on Silom road, in the heart of Bangkok's central business district, ibis Styles Bangkok Silom served as the ideal inspiration zone from which to launch the brand's annual global campaign. Featuring bold, brilliantly colored, oversize murals designed by @tikkywow, the hotel is a local hotspot for meeting up and enjoying drinks or meals with friends. The restaurant PrudRod serves up deliciously authentic Thai cuisine, and Boho is a lively rooftop bar overlooking the sparkling skyline of the city. Stylish guestrooms offer state-of-the-art amenities and Google Home voice-enabled devices.

More recently in September, digital creator @naranjalidad led the artistic process at the opening event celebration of the new ibis Styles Sevilla. Collaborating with Instagram fans of @ibisstyles, @naranjalidad created an NFT which will also appear in the ibis Styles virtual art gallery in the metaverse.

The new ibis Styles Sevilla is a place to see and be seen, with a rooftop cocktail and snack bar. Featuring nightly live music, La Azotea de la Roldana attracts locals as well as hotel guests for a buzzy atmosphere. The upbeat vibe continues inside, with a brightly colored design inspired by Andalusia's famous orange tree patios. With 218 rooms offering the "Sweet Bed by ibis", the hotel delights guests with a sparkling pool & fitness center and a great location near the Santa Justa AVE station.

"The goal of our Open to Creators campaign is to democratize today's most advanced forms of creation  digital art and NFTs  by involving our audiences in the creative process. Through our social networks, we hope to ignite the imagination of ibis Styles guests, fans and followers, and invite them to collaborate with these ultra-talented digital artists," said Caroline Benard, Senior Vice-President, Economy & Midscale Brands, Accor. "At ibis Styles, we believe creativity must be shared and appreciated as widely as possible, and we are here to support creators, while empowering more people to join the global conversation and participate in the artistic community. That is why we turn our brand into a creative venue: in our hotels, on our social media platforms and in the metaverse."

@ibisstyles

#OpenToCreators

About ibis Styles

Creative design and a playful atmosphere are what travelers find when they stay with ibis Styles. With a unique design concept built around a precise theme and a confident, optimistic approach, ibis Styles hotels deliver simple, trendy and economical hospitality. The friendly staff delight in surprising guests with joyful little extras to make every stay feel personal and special. Couples, families, solo travelers and business guests are all welcomed warmly at more than 560 uniquely designed ibis Styles hotels across 45+ countries. ibis Styles is part of Accor, a world leading hospitality group counting over 5,300 properties throughout more than 110 countries, and a participating brand in ALL - Accor Live Limitless  a lifestyle loyalty program providing access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences.

ibis.com | all.accor.com | group.accor.com

PRESS CONTACT: Gautier Rouquayrol, Global Brands Communications, [email protected]

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1908978/ibis_Styles_IBIS_STYLES_ENTERS_THE_METAVERSE_WITH_2022__OPEN_TO.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1908980/ibis_Styles_IBIS_STYLES_ENTERS_THE_METAVERSE_WITH_2022__OPEN_TO.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1908981/ibis_Styles_IBIS_STYLES_ENTERS_THE_METAVERSE_WITH_2022__OPEN_TO.jpg

SOURCE ibis Styles
DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Metal Packaging Market By Material, By Type, By Application: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global metal packaging market was valued at $108.8 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $147.4 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 3.1% from 2020 to 2030.



Metal packaging refers to a variety of packaging and protective materials made from steel sheets and aluminum sheets. The most common types of metal packaging materials include, aerosols and beverage cans, containers, barrels, barrels, hubcaps, and closures. It protects the contents from moisture and bacteria and allows fresh food to be stored without refrigeration. These materials also have advantages, such as compactness, high density, toughness, ductility, and thermal conductivity, and are widely used in food, beverage, industrial, personal care products, and pharmaceutical packaging.



The growing food and beverage industry is currently one of the key drivers of market growth. Metal cans, especially aluminum cans, are one of the most popular packaging solutions for storing a variety of beverages, such as beer, sparkling wine, soda, iced tea, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, and coffee-based drinks. Increase in acceptance of metal packaging by organic food manufacturers contributes to market growth.

This is further catalyzed by growing consumer awareness of the various health benefits of storing organic produce in metal-based packaging products. In addition, the advent of resalable and customizable cans that offer enhanced functionality and storage capacity creates a positive outlook for market growth. Manufacturers are developing innovative and aesthetically pleasing designs for a variety of personal care products to expand their customer base. Other factors, such as increase in use of aerosol cans in the pharmaceutical industry, extensive R & D activities, and rapid urbanization globally are expected to continue to drive the market.



The metal packaging market is segmented into type, material, application, and region. Depending on type, the market is categorized into cans, caps & closure, barrels & drums, and others. Depending on material, it is fragmented into steel, aluminum, and others. By application, it is classified into food, beverage, healthcare, personal care, and others. Region-wise, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.



The global metal packaging market analysis covers in-depth information about the major industry participants. The key players operating and profiled in the report include, Amcor plc., Ardagh Group S.A, Ball Corporation, CPMC Holdings Ltd., Crown Holdings Inc., Greif Incorporated, Metal Packaging Europe, Silgan Holdings Inc., Tata Steel, and Ton Yi Industrial.



Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly spreading and ruthlessly affects the business environments of major markets. The demand for metal packaging witnesses significant decline in all segments. Some regions, particularly, North America and Europe, witness greater decline than Asia-Pacific. Amidst the ongoing crisis, metal packaging producers are operating at a lower capacity and are planning to scale up their operation after carefully assessing the course of COVID-19 in the near term.



Furthermore, import and export activities were significantly impacted, which, in turn, adversely affect the industries using metal packaging, thereby affecting the metal packaging market.

With nearly 98 billion units produced each year and four groups being consumed weekly by every EU citizen, Metal Packaging Europe (MPE) led the European producers of rigid metal packaging to recognize the metal packaging sector as essential in ensuring the uninterrupted flow of critical goods in the aftermath of COVID-19. Several beverage can manufacturers' expansion projects have helped the countries satisfy the rise in demand for metal cans in recent years. However, due to country-specific travel restrictions and safety concerns, there have been delays.



Moreover, multiple supply chain disruptions led to significant manufacturers to report setbacks. For instance, in May 2020, Ball Corporation announced delays in beverage packaging projects in Europe and Brazil due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.



The U.S. reported witnessing a surge in demand for processed foods like canned soups and vegetables during the outbreak of COVID-19, affecting the metal packaging across the food industry's supply chain.



Metal container manufacturers were required to speed up production, but the labor remained a challenge. Crown Holdings, announced to increase production in the U.S. across 2020. The pandemic added urgency to the effort. The company initiated 81 open production jobs at its 25 U.S. plants, in place of third production line being set up at a factory in Nichols, New York. Silgan Holdings has over 50 plants across the U.S. The company reported an increase in first-quarter earnings in 2020, partly due to a jump in demand for cans.



Key Benefits For Stakeholders

This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the metal packaging market analysis from 2020 to 2030 to identify the prevailing metal packaging market opportunities.

The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities.

Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network.

In-depth analysis of the metal packaging market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities.

Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market.

Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players.

The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global metal packaging market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies.

Key Topics Covered:



CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION



CHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.1. Key findings of the study

2.2. CXO Perspective



CHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW

3.1. Market definition and scope

3.2. Key findings

3.2.1. Top investment pockets

3.3. Porter's five forces analysis

3.4. Top player positioning

3.5. Market dynamics

3.5.1. Drivers

3.5.2. Restraints

3.5.3. Opportunities

3.6. COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the market

3.7. Pricing Analysis

3.8. Regulatory Guidelines

3.9. Patent Landscape



CHAPTER 4: METAL PACKAGING MARKET, BY MATERIAL

4.1 Overview

4.1.1 Market size and forecast

4.2 Steel

4.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.2.3 Market analysis by country

4.3 Aluminum

4.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.3.3 Market analysis by country

4.4 Others

4.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.4.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 5: METAL PACKAGING MARKET, BY TYPE

5.1 Overview

5.1.1 Market size and forecast

5.2 Cans

5.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.2.3 Market analysis by country

5.3 Caps and Closures

5.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.3.3 Market analysis by country

5.4 Drums and Barrels

5.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.4.3 Market analysis by country

5.5 Others

5.5.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.5.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.5.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 6: METAL PACKAGING MARKET, BY APPLICATION

6.1 Overview

6.1.1 Market size and forecast

6.2 Food

6.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.2.3 Market analysis by country

6.3 Beverages

6.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.3.3 Market analysis by country

6.4 Personal Care

6.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.4.3 Market analysis by country

6.5 Health Care

6.5.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.5.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.5.3 Market analysis by country

6.6 Others

6.6.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.6.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.6.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 7: METAL PACKAGING MARKET, BY REGION



CHAPTER 8: COMPANY LANDSCAPE

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Top winning strategies

8.3. Product Mapping of Top 10 Player

8.4. Competitive Dashboard

8.5. Competitive Heatmap

8.6. Key developments



CHAPTER 9: COMPANY PROFILES

9.1 Amcor plc

9.1.1 Company overview

9.1.2 Company snapshot

9.1.3 Operating business segments

9.1.4 Product portfolio

9.1.5 Business performance

9.1.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.2 Ardagh Group S.A

9.2.1 Company overview

9.2.2 Company snapshot

9.2.3 Operating business segments

9.2.4 Product portfolio

9.2.5 Business performance

9.2.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.3 Ball Corporation

9.3.1 Company overview

9.3.2 Company snapshot

9.3.3 Operating business segments

9.3.4 Product portfolio

9.3.5 Business performance

9.3.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.4 cpmc holdings ltd

9.4.1 Company overview

9.4.2 Company snapshot

9.4.3 Operating business segments

9.4.4 Product portfolio

9.4.5 Business performance

9.4.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.5 Crown Holdings Inc

9.5.1 Company overview

9.5.2 Company snapshot

9.5.3 Operating business segments

9.5.4 Product portfolio

9.5.5 Business performance

9.5.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.6 Greif Incorporated

9.6.1 Company overview

9.6.2 Company snapshot

9.6.3 Operating business segments

9.6.4 Product portfolio

9.6.5 Business performance

9.6.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.7 Metal Packaging Europe

9.7.1 Company overview

9.7.2 Company snapshot

9.7.3 Operating business segments

9.7.4 Product portfolio

9.7.5 Business performance

9.7.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.8 Silgan Holdings Inc

9.8.1 Company overview

9.8.2 Company snapshot

9.8.3 Operating business segments

9.8.4 Product portfolio

9.8.5 Business performance

9.8.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.9 Tata Steel

9.9.1 Company overview

9.9.2 Company snapshot

9.9.3 Operating business segments

9.9.4 Product portfolio

9.9.5 Business performance

9.9.6 Key strategic moves and developments

9.10 Ton Yi Industrial

9.10.1 Company overview

9.10.2 Company snapshot

9.10.3 Operating business segments

9.10.4 Product portfolio

9.10.5 Business performance

9.10.6 Key strategic moves and developments

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/l9b0cv

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Integrating data and analytics to provide innovative solutions for property valuation and insurance underwriting

Accelerating and simplifying the insurance process

Generali subscribes to the new service

DENVER, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Intermap Technologies (TSX: IMP) (OTCQX: ITMSF) ("Intermap" or the "Company"), a global leader in 3D geospatial data and intelligence solutions, today announced a partnership with Deloitte Advisory and Dataligence to provide an innovative solution for calculating real estate prices for insurance.

In the new solution, Intermap's Aquarius RMA service is integrated into Dataligence's Price Map Calculator to provide the Czech market with precise real estate prices. Generali Ceska pojistovna, part of one of the world's largest insurance groups, Generali, is a current subscriber to Intermap's flood risk insurance software and the first subscriber to this new solution. The integration will increase real estate data transparency to meet increasing demand for real estate property valuation and data services. The Price Map Calculator processes the most extensive database of information to accelerate and simplify transactions, providing insurers with accurate property values when underwriting.

"Intermap's European insurance solutions leverage unmatched, proprietary datasets that can be integrated into workflows to provide the market with innovative solutions," said Patrick A. Blott, Intermap's Chairman and CEO. "Our unique capabilities and versatile datasets enable insurers to understand and underwrite peril risk and apply that information in other industries, such as real estate and financial services."

"Accurate property price valuation is key to setting up and negotiating a quality insurance policy," said Jana Flajsarova, Senior Manager of Non-Life Insurance at Generali Ceska pojistovna. "Currently, when market prices of real estate are often volatile, this tool provides clients with a clear and trustworthy guide for setting the correct value insured for home insurance. The largest insurance company on the Czech market subscribed to this innovative solution because of the simplicity it brings to the negotiation process for clients, as well as the robustness of the data used and the overall reliability of the tool. Our goal is to always provide our clients with highly professional service, and this solution takes us significantly forward in our efforts."

"We are always happy to find new utilizations for our first-class price and real estate datasets," said Milan Rocek, founder and CEO of Dataligence. "The latest cooperation with Intermap and Generali embodies our vision of how having the proper data helps to digitize and facilitate processes in various industries. The implemented solution will speed up our partners' workflow and, more importantly, benefit the end clients, who can rest assured that their property is always insured at the correct amount."

In the first half of 2022, Intermap's monthly recurring revenue for insurance solutions in Europe grew by 34%. The Company's insurance revenue in the region continues to grow through building new customer relationships and expanding existing contracts.

Learn more about Intermap's European offerings at intermap.com/european-solutions.

Intermap Reader Advisory

Certain information provided in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate", "expect", "project", "estimate", "forecast", "will be", "will consider", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Intermap believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Intermap's forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties pertaining to, among other things, cash available to fund operations, availability of capital, revenue fluctuations, nature of government contracts, economic conditions, loss of key customers, retention and availability of executive talent, competing technologies, common share price volatility, loss of proprietary information, software functionality, internet and system infrastructure functionality, information technology security, breakdown of strategic alliances, and international and political considerations, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed Intermap's Annual Information Form and other securities filings. While the Company makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Intermap or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law.

About Intermap Technologies

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP; OTCQX: ITMSF) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on the creation and analysis of 3D terrain data to produce high-resolution thematic models. Through scientific analysis of geospatial information and patented sensors and processing technology, the Company provisions diverse, complementary, multi-source datasets to enable customers to seamlessly integrate geospatial intelligence into their workflows. Intermap's 3D elevation data and software analytic capabilities enable global geospatial analysis through artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing customers with critical information to understand their terrain environment. By leveraging its proprietary archive of the world's largest collection of multi-sensor global elevation data, the Company's collection and processing capabilities provide multi-source 3D datasets and analytics at mission speed, enabling governments and companies to build and integrate geospatial foundation data with actionable insights. Applications for Intermap's products and solutions include defense, aviation and UAV flight planning, flood and wildfire insurance, disaster mitigation, base mapping, environmental and renewable energy planning, telecommunications, engineering, critical infrastructure monitoring, hydrology, land management, oil and gas and transportation.

About Dataligence

The Trigema investment group recently bought a majority stake in CenovaMapa.org, creating the largest real estate data platform on the Czech market. CenovaMapa.org was simultaneously rebranded to become Dataligence. Over the past few years, Dataligence, with the use of Deloitte consulting, became the top data provider for online property valuations in the Czech Republic. Under its new name and ownership, Dataligence will continue operations, becoming the most extensive source of data for the Czech real estate market.

SOURCE Intermap Technologies Corporation
Initial rollout includes utility token and play-to-earn game, with additional features to come

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Delphia ("the Company"), an investment platform bridging the worlds of traditional and decentralized finance to help people build wealth by investing their data, today announced the launch of its digital asset ecosystem ("the Ecosystem"). The Ecosystem brings new features to the Company's investment platform by offering users rewards for contributing to the community, which will play an instrumental role in the development of various investment strategies.

The creation of Delphia's digital asset ecosystem is the latest step the Company is taking to allow everyone to harness the economic value of data. The Ecosystem will launch with a utility token, Phi ($PHI), to provide participants with a reward for being active members of the community and future contributors to the Company's data set. The integration of token rewards, in combination with attaching value to data and Delphia's industry-leading investment algorithms, will allow the Company to merge the worlds of traditional asset management and decentralized finance, creating a hybrid model spanning traditional and decentralized finance that levels the playing field between all classes of investors, from Main Street to Wall Street. In order to earn PHI, members will participate in various signal-generating games that improve the Company's data set, which is used to attract and identify new investment opportunities.

Andrew Peek, CEO and Co-Founder of Delphia, commented on the news, "At Delphia, we're on a mission to increase investor access to the economic value that gets created by our data, thereby increasing access to financial prosperity. Integrating the Ecosystem into the Delphia asset management platform will enable us to further incentivize people to share their data and increase the overall value of the data for those investing with Delphia. The Ecosystem, as well as PHI, provide our investors with what we think is the best way to leverage their proprietary data and increase their returns."

At launch, PHI can be earned through Delphia's initial data game, Consensus, where participants answer a series of questions on various consumer trends. The number of tokens earned will correlate to the skill of those who engage. In the near future, PHI held by members of the Ecosystem will give investors access to a broad spectrum of exclusive features, such as early access to trading strategies and overall enhancements to the in-app experience. Additional avenues for earning tokens, as well as new rewards, will be announced in the coming months.

Peek concluded, "PHI and the ecosystem it's built on will allow us to merge the worlds of traditional and decentralized finance in a way not seen before. Delphia is built around collective action  a core belief of the digital asset industry at large  which made launching a token and data-centric ecosystem the next logical step in providing value to our investors. We are excited to work directly with our community to enhance all aspects of the platform and provide investors greater access to the myriad of investment opportunities that can be derived from our collective data."

Additional information on the Ecosystem can be found in the litepaper: https://docs.delphia.com/delphia/

About Delphia

Delphia was founded on the premise that people should be able to capitalize on the value of their data by using it to get access to top-tier investment opportunities. Delphia bridges traditional and decentralized finance, enabling its members to build wealth by investing their data, beginning an AI investment strategy that aims to outperform the market. Delphia's proprietary algorithm will use the data being invested by its members to make stock selections across thousands of publicly traded companies up to seven financial quarters in the future. In addition to its retail investment strategies, Delphia runs a hedge fund for accredited investors, which in its first year was the fifth highest-performing equity long-short fund, by single-year performance, in hedge fund history.*

Delphia has offices worldwide, including New York, San Francisco, Toronto, and London.

Delphia's mobile investment platform is currently available for download on the App Store and Google Play .

Delphia's Digital Ecosystem, including PHI and Consensus, are made available by Delphia Research Inc. Delphia (USA) Inc. is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

*Source: HFR, Inc. www.hfr.com. Delphia (USA) Inc. has extracted information from data contained in the HFR Products as of July 25, 2022. HFR has not reviewed, verified, approved of, or endorsed Delphia (USA) Inc.'s work product. Delphia (USA) Inc. and HFR are not affiliated.

Media Contact

Peter Padovano

M Group Strategic Communications (on behalf of Delphia)

646.859.5953

[email protected]

SOURCE Delphia
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JonesTrading Institutional Services LLC ("JonesTrading"), a leading global banking and brokerage, today announced a strategic relationship with Boldwater Partners LLC ("Boldwater" or "Boldwater Partners").

Boldwater is led by CEO and founder John Finn, an industry veteran who has decades of substantial industry expertise and experience as a trusted advisor to leading fund sponsors and institutional investors. Prior to launching Boldwater he was Global Head of Hedge Fund & Alternative Credit Distribution at Eaton Partners ("Eaton"), a wholly owned subsidiary and affiliate of Stifel Financial Corp. In that role, he led Eaton's hedge fund practice that represented more than 25 different fund managers and raised over $5 billion in assets during his tenure.

Specific to JonesTrading, there is anticipated near- and long-term client demand for JonesTrading's Capital Introduction Services. To accommodate this demand and to prepare for the continued growth of the already strong franchise, Boldwater and Mr. Finn will consult and advise JonesTrading on the development and implementation of these Capital Introduction Services. Mr. Finn's focus will be on operations and developing processes and structure, along with communicating these services to both the institutional investment community and clients of JonesTrading.

The Capital Introductions Group facilitates introductions across JonesTrading institutional clients, including its prime brokerage, outsourced trading, and its agency relationships. Capital Introduction also represents cross-selling opportunities into JonesTrading's diversified services.

Alternately, JonesTrading will support Boldwater Partners' broker-dealer activities, which will include primary capital placement, direct sponsor-led transactions, general partner solutions, secondaries, and co-investments for premier alternative asset managers. Mr. Finn's Boldwater services will be additive to the already robust JonesTrading's service suite.

With deep expertise that spans private equity, hedge funds, private credit, real assets, and commodities, Boldwater Partners will seek to identify and source exceptional investment opportunities and simultaneously provide partner clients with guidance and execution in all aspects of capital formation and strategic direction. Client alignment will be paramount for Boldwater Partners, with intentions to invest alongside its clients, both directly and as a significant portion of the firm's fees.

Said Jeff LeVeen, Global Head of Outsourced Trading: "Capital Introduction is an essential offering demanded by our global institutional client base. Our goal is to maximize their experience by having comprehensive services available at JonesTrading - outsourced trading, prime brokerage, electronic capability, and cap intro. Boldwater and John Finn will facilitate rapid operational capability to meet that need as we scale. Additionally, Boldwater represents an opportunity for JonesTrading to pursue a potential expansion into private fund placement and partner with a proven industry expert."

Said John Finn, CEO of Boldwater Partners LLC: "JonesTrading is the premier relationship-based liquidity provider in the space. Relationships, and alignment of those relationships, are also the basis of Boldwater's placement business and core to the firm's ability to execute for both clients and investors alike. That shared focus on relationships and alignment will result in an enhanced client experience for both organizations."

About JonesTrading

For almost 5 decades JonesTrading has focused on creating liquidity and trading blocks for institutions around the world. Our unique position in the marketplace has enabled us to gain the trust of and establish deep relationships with institutional and corporate clients. We have leveraged our success by expanding our services into additional award-winning offerings. Today JonesTrading is a highly differentiated independent broker-dealer and investment bank providing a wide range of services including: Equity Trading. Derivatives Trading, Outsourced Trading, Electronic Trading, Investment Banking/Capital Markets, Prime Services, Private Markets Trading, as well as Research /Market Intelligence. Member FINRA and SIPC.

About Boldwater Partners LLC

Boldwater Partners is an independent placement agent and alternative asset advisory firm specializing in capital formation, strategic development, and liquidity solutions for premiere asset managers across all alternative asset classes. With deep expertise that spans private equity, hedge funds, private credit, real assets, and commodities, Boldwater Partners strives to identify and source exceptional investment opportunities and simultaneously provide partner clients with guidance and execution across primary capital placement, direct transactions, general partner solutions, secondaries, and coinvestments. Client alignment is paramount for Boldwater Partners, with a significant portion of the firm's fees invested with, and alongside, our clients.

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SOURCE Jones Trading Institutional Services
Renowned Corporate and Regulatory Attorney Brings Two Decades of Legal Expertise in International & U.S. Financial Markets to INX Leadership

NEW YORK and TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The INX Digital Company, Inc. (NEO: INXD, INXATS: INX, OTCQB: INXDF ) ("INX"), a broker-dealer and inter-dealer broker, announced today that Keren Avidar has joined INX as Global General Counsel. In her new role at INX, Avidar will employ decades of experience working in high-ranking leadership positions at prestigious law firms worldwide to provide legal, compliance and regulatory guidance as the company continues to shape the future of the digital economy.

Keren Avidar, GC (PRNewsfoto/The INX Digital Company, Inc.)

"We welcome Ms. Avidar to the INX family and are thrilled to have the opportunity to leverage her pristine reputation as one of the finest legal minds in global digital finance," said Shy Datika, CEO of INX. "Our continued mission is to work hand-in-hand with U.S. and international regulatory bodies to build successful bridges between the traditional and digital economies at scale. Ms. Avidar has the background and expertise to help us navigate this process now and well into the future."

As INX's Global General Counsel, Avidar will be involved in all aspects of the company's legal, regulatory and compliance matters. From setting governance policies to establishing standards and implementing procedures for effective compliance programs throughout the organization, Avidar will ensure INX's solutions for issuing and trading digital assets continue to thrive knowing that all legal and compliance aspects are covered.

"I'm excited to join the INX team of experienced professionals that continue to innovate the digital asset market, while encouraging regulation. At INX, we believe that the regulatory framework is intended to protect investors and preserve financial stability, which allows for greater growth and adoption," said Keren Avidar, INX's Global General Counsel. "I am privileged to be part of the INX team in our collective efforts to help build the digital asset ecosystem on a solid regulatory foundation."

As a member of both the New York and Israeli Bar Association, Avidar is a globally sought-after authority on relevant laws and regulations of traditional and digital asset trading all over the world, including the regulatory bodies that oversee global markets like the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), as well as European Securities & Markets Authority (ESMA), European market infrastructure regulation (EMIR), and many others.

Avidar's deep knowledge of global trading standards and practices will be vital as INX builds on its mission to increase access for U.S. and international investors to the growing opportunities in the digital economy  setting a global standard for effectively achieving democratization in financial markets. For more information about INX, visit https://www.inx.co/

About INX:

INX provides a regulated trading platform for digital securities and cryptocurrencies. With the combination of traditional markets expertise and a disruptive fintech approach, INX provides state-of-the-art solutions to modern financial problems. INX is led by an experienced and dedicated team of business, finance, and technology veterans with the shared vision of redefining the world of capital markets via blockchain technology and innovative regulatory approach.

About The INX Digital Company, Inc. INX is the holding company for the INX Group, which includes regulated trading platforms for digital securities and cryptocurrencies, combining traditional markets expertise and an innovative fintech approach. The INX Group's vision is to be the preferred global regulated hub for digital assets on the blockchain. The INX Group's overall mission is to bring communities together and empower them with financial innovation. Our journey started with our initial public token offering of the INX Token in which we raised US$83 million. The INX Group is shaping the blockchain asset industry through its willingness to work in a regulated environment with oversight from regulators like the SEC and FINRA.

In addition to operating two regulated trading platforms for blockchain assets, INX's interdealer broker, I.L.S. Brokers, plans to offer non-deliverable cryptocurrency forwards to Tier-1 banks in the future. For more information, please visit the INX Group website here .

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Other Disclosures

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. In disclosing the forward-looking information contained in this press release, INX has made certain assumptions, including with respect to, the continuous development of the INX trading platform, the offering of non-deliverable cryptocurrency forwards, and the development of the digital asset industry. Although INX believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to regulatory developments, the state of the digital securities and cryptocurrencies markets, and general economic conditions. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, INX disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking information or otherwise.

The NEO Exchange is not responsible for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the 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.

For further information, contact:

The INX Digital Company, Inc.

Investor Relations

+1 855 657 2314

Email: [email protected]

For more information, contact:

Liz Whelan

[email protected]

(312) 315-0160

SOURCE The INX Digital Company, Inc.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vita Inclinata (Vita), developer and producer of precision aerospace and industrial stabilization devices, today announced the appointment of Kevin Campbell as Executive Vice President of Finance. Campbell is an experienced financial executive with a strong mix of technical, operational, strategic, and commercial finance skills and a history of building, leading, and motivating teams in high-growth, investment-oriented businesses.

Kevin Campbell Joins Vita Inclinata As Executive Vice President of Finance

Campbell's goal at Vita is to create shareholder value by ensuring the company makes the best investment decisions to take advantage of its significant organic and acquisition-related growth opportunities. In addition, he will be focused on scaling the finance and accounting functions to support this rapid growth.

Campbell said, "I am impressed by Vita's life-saving technology and its impact within the aerospace and industrial markets and am excited to be part of an organization dedicated to saving lives. My background in driving operational improvements, overseeing capital market and corporate development activities, and building teams will better position Vita for its next growth phase."

Most recently, Campbell was Senior Vice President of Treasury and Corporate Development at Air Methods, which provides emergency medical services to over 100,000 patients annually in 48 states. In this position, he was responsible for capital and investment management, corporate development, capital market activities, treasury, and investor relations. He also previously served as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance at Air Methods where he managed the annual budget, quarterly forecast, and management reporting processes, among other things. Before joining Air Methods, Campbell served as Managing Director at Avondale Partners, a boutique investment bank where he wrote research on publicly-traded companies. He began his career at Greenwich Alternative Investments, where he was responsible for qualitative research on hedge funds, managing three funds that invested in other hedge funds, and the firm's relationships with its largest institutional investors.

"Kevin Campbell's leadership experience and ability to position corporate financial systems for notable growth is an outstanding addition to our executive team," said Caleb Carr, CEO of Vita. "His demonstrated experience financially guiding an aviation medical company to national success parallels Vita's growth goals. We are eager to benefit from the dividends his experience will bring to our organization."

About Vita Inclinata

A friend's death during a rescue operationwith a helicopter close but unable to stabilize due to weather and terrainwas the genesis of Vita Inclinata. Founded in 2015 as a way to solve a real problem, Vita today controls chaotic swinging and spin and adds safety and precision for rotor-wing and fixed-wing aircraft and cranes. With the mission of "Bring them home, every time," Vita's technology changes the narrative while saving lives, time, and money across industries, including search and rescue, military, firefighting, public safety, construction, wind energy, and oil and gas. The company is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, with offices in Washington, DC, and Huntsville, Alabama. For more information, please visit www.vitatech.co.

For more information, contact:

Betsey Rogers

BridgeView Marketing

603-821-0809

[email protected]

SOURCE Vita Inclinata
Patients, Doctors, Researchers Gather to Exchange

Knowledge about the Most Common Cancer Biomarker

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer patient advocates, doctors, researchers, and pharmaceutical industry partners are joining forces during KRAS Kickers Connect conference Sept. 30-Oct. 1 in Charlotte. The in-person and virtual hybrid event features world renowned scientists and patient advocate leaders. KRAS Kickers Connect will be held Friday and Saturday at the Hyatt Centric Charlotte SouthPark, 3100 Apex Dr., Charlotte.

"For decades, KRAS-driven cancers were considered 'undruggable,'" says Terri Conneran, KRAS Kickers Founder and Charlotte lung cancer patient. "Now, KRAS patients not only have FDA-approved targeted treatments, we are on the cusp of exciting new discoveries through the many KRAS clinical trials underway. KRAS Connect is a unique event where patients, researchers, clinicians and industry partners explore creative ways of working together to advance these efforts."

KRAS cancers are no longer "undruggable." We now have targeted treatments and are on the cusp of exciting discoveries Tweet this

The KRAS biomarker, or gene mutation, is the most common cancer biomarker, accounting for 25 percent of all lung cancers. KRAS is found in colorectal and other cancers, as well. Conneran, who has been battling lung cancer since 2017, founded KRAS Kickers to create a network for patients and families in search of KRAS information and support.

The conference will also be livestreamed and recorded and made available to registrants. To register to attend online, visit https://www.kraskickers.org/kraskickersconnect2022.

In addition to patient advocate leaders, some of the conference's distinguished speakers include the following:

Channing Der , Ph.D., Sarah Graham Kenan Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill .

, Ph.D., Sarah Graham Kenan Distinguished Professor at the . Kristen Marrone , M.D., Assistant Professor of Oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins and Associate Program Director of their Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program.

, M.D., Assistant Professor of Oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at and Associate Program Director of their Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program. Ferdinandos Skoulidis, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

MD Anderson Cancer Center. Sumita Bhatta , M.D., board certified oncologist and Vice President, Global Medical Affairs, Head of Oncology at Amgen.

KRAS Kickers members engage with leading doctors, researchers, and advocates to learn about new developments and clinical trials, connect to resources, build community, and share their stories to give hope to others with a common goal to kick cancer's KRAS! The mission of the Dusty Joy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, doing business as KRAS Kickers & LiveLung, is advancing education, early detection, optimal care, and empathy to people impacted by lung and other cancers triggered by specific biomarkers.

PRESS CONTACTS: Terri Conneran, 704.299.0814, [email protected]

Dusty Donaldson, 336.302.7714, [email protected]

SOURCE KRAS Kickers
Limited-Edition Necklace Benefits Breast Cancer Research

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LAGOS, the fine jewelry brand, continues its partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), offering a special style designed to capture lasting memories and honor all those loved and lost.

Each LAGOS Maya Heart Necklace features a lovely pink ceramic heart, complemented by the brand's signature sterling silver Caviar beading. From October 1-31, 2022, LAGOS will donate 25 percent of each necklace sale to BCRF, with nearly $50,000 donated since 2020.

The LAGOS Maya Heart Necklace features a lovely pink ceramic heart, complemented by sterling silver Caviar beading. Tweet this LAGOS Maya Heart Necklace Benefitting Breast Cancer Research Foundation LAGOS Maya Heart Necklace Benefitting Breast Cancer Research Foundation

The Maya Heart Necklace is the perfect memento to benefit a very special cause. BCRF funds research in key focus areas including tumor biology, treatment, prevention, survivorship, metastasis, and heredity and ethnicity. BCRF is the largest private funder of breast cancer research worldwide.

Globally, breast cancer causes the greatest number of cancer-related deaths among women, and incidence rates are on the rise. LAGOS is proud to be able to contribute to this ongoing and necessary research.

"Breast cancer is something that has impacted so many of those close to me," said LAGOS Founder and Creative Director Steven Lagos. "It became obvious that we could do something special that could potentially benefit so many. We support those who are fighting this disease, we support survivors, and we will never give up hope on finding a cure."

The BCRF Maya Heart Necklace is available exclusively on LAGOS.com for a limited time while supplies last.

About LAGOS

Since 1977, LAGOS has been a pioneer in designer fine jewelry, combining precious materials and expert craftsmanship to offer modern, iconic styles. LAGOS was founded by master jeweler Steven Lagos, who developed the brand's signature Caviar design in 1984. Each Caviar collection offers bold, feminine styles that encourage personal expression. LAGOS' national campaign, MY LAGOS MY WAY, was created to reinforce these core values and inspire the LAGOS woman. LAGOS is available at LAGOS.com, its flagship boutique in Philadelphia, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom and independent jewelers around the country. For more information, inspiration and latest styles follow @lagos_jewelry on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Visit www.LAGOS.com to learn more about the history of the brand and to shop the entire collection.

About BCRF

Breast cancer is a complex disease with no simple solution. Research is the key to stopping it in its tracks. Founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is the largest private funder of breast cancer research in the world. We invest in the best minds in sciencefrom those investigating prevention to metastasisand foster cross-disciplinary collaboration. Our approach accelerates the entire field and moves us closer to the answers we urgently need. We can't stop now. Join us in fueling the world's most promising research. With you, we will bring the end of breast cancer into focus. Learn more and get involved at BCRF.org.

Contact

Jamie Harris

[email protected]

SOURCE LAGOS
MARION, Ill., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Landmarks Illinois is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards, an annual program now in its 29th year that celebrates exceptional preservation efforts in Illinois. Our 2022 award-winning projects, located in Belleville, Chicago, Lockport, Marion, Petersburg and Rockford, will be honored at a public ceremony on November 4, 2022, at the historic Chicago Cultural Center.

Crown Brew Coffee Co. owners Joshua Benitone and Jared Gravatt. Crown Brew Coffee Co. in Marion, Illinois, is the recipient of a 2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Rehabilitation. (Photo Credit: Crown Brew Coffee)

"Our 2022 award winners demonstrate the impact preservation has in our Illinois communities: it creates inspiring places where people want to live and visit, boosts jobs and economic activity and strengthens local pride," said Bonnie McDonald, President & CEO of Landmarks Illinois. "We are proud to bring well-deserved attention to these preservation efforts and the people who thoughtfully and beautifully preserved our historic places."

2022 LANDMARKS ILLINOIS RICHARD H. DRIEHAUS FOUNDATION PRESERVATION AWARD RECIPIENTS

Hotel Belleville, Belleville

2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Advocacy

Thanks to the efforts of dedicated, local preservationists, the 91-year-old former Hotel Belleville has been rehabilitated into an affordable housing development called "Lofts on the Square." Owners MH Belleville Associates LP undertook the $14.6 million transformation of the historic, Art Deco-style hotel, a 2014 Landmarks Illinois Most Endangered site. The project is an example of the power of sustained advocacy efforts as well as public-private collaboration.

Chicago Cultural Center Grand Army of the Republic Rooms, Chicago

2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Restoration

The Grand Army of the Republic Rooms, completed in 1897 in Chicago's Cultural Center (the city's former main public library) have undergone a $15 million restoration to preserve and honor the original features designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Healy & Millet. The project, which spanned more than two years, was funded by a generous anonymous donor and led by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Harboe Architects and Berglund Construction.

Lincoln Park Zoo Pepper Family Wildlife Center, Chicago

2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Rehabilitation & Winner of the Richard H. Driehaus Legacy Award

Lincoln Park Zoo's historic lion house has been reborn as the Pepper Family Wildlife Center following a much-needed $41 million rehabilitation and expansion. This Chicago Landmark, constructed in 1912 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, has been restored to its original Arts & Crafts-style appearance, features greatly improved zoo animal habitats, and provides an immersive and fully accessible space for the enjoyment for visitors.

Mattie Butler Apartments, Chicago

2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Leadership

Longtime Chicago housing activist Mattie Butler and her organization Woodlawn East Community and Neighbors (WECAN) collaborated with Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) to guarantee the long-term affordability of two 1920s Woodlawn apartment buildings. Initially saved in the 1990s by WECAN, POAH obtained the property in 2017 and in 2022 celebrated the completion of the $26.8 million renovation of the renamed Mattie Butler Apartments, honoring Ms. Butler's decades of stewardship and activism for affordable housing in the Chicago South Side community.

Pullman National Monument and State Historic Site, Chicago

2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Rehabilitation

This award honors six organizations and federal agencies for their decades of leadership and advocacy work in Chicago's Pullman community that led to the creation of the 12-acre Pullman National Monument & Historic Site and the $35 million rehabilitation of the long-vacant Pullman Administration-Clock Tower Building (now the Pullman Visitor Center). Recipients of the award are: the National Park Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, National Parks Foundation, Positioning Pullman Project Team and Historic Pullman Foundation.

Lock & Mule, Lockport

2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse

Local residents and business owners Inga Carus and Peter Limberger renovated the vacant former Mackin Motor Company Building in Lockport's downtown historic district to open Lock & Mule, a craft brewery, restaurant and event venue. The adaptive reuse of the 7,000-square-foot building  constructed in 1927 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places  received support from the City of Lockport and has contributed to the revitalization of the downtown area.

Crown Brew Coffee Co., Marion

2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Rehabilitation

Crown Brew Coffee Co. opened in October 2020 in a 120-year-old building in downtown Marion that owners Joshua Benitone and Jared Gravatt rehabilitated largely on their own. As the first business to open in a city-led downtown revitalization effort, the coffee shop serves as an example of what is possible when local governments and business owners join efforts to drive economic development.

Broadgauge, Petersburg

2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse

Built in 1872 as a "megastore" selling hardware, groceries and dry goods, the Broadgauge Building in Downtown Petersburg has been reopened and reimagined by owner Douglas Pope. Today, the multi-purpose building includes a bar, restaurant, billiards room, event space and coffee shop, drawing the community back into the historic space and becoming one of the town's largest employers.

Rockford City Market, Rockford

2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse

The nonprofit Rock River Development Partnership adaptively reused three vacant storefronts at historic buildings in downtown Rockford to create new business and event space. Conceived as an indoor extension of the existing outdoor Rockford City Market, the transformation of these properties as year-round market facilities has brought new life to downtown Rockford's streetscape and economy, attracting residents and visitors alike, hosting community events, and providing opportunities for collaboration.

Please visit our website to learn more about each of the 2022 award winners.

AWARDS CEREMONY EVENT DETAILS

The 2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards Ceremony will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 4, 2022, at the Chicago Cultural Center's second-floor Claudia Cassidy Theater in downtown Chicago. A cocktail reception will immediately follow in the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Rooms. The event is open to the public.

Tickets for the event are $50 for Landmarks Illinois members and $65 for non-members. A student rate of $35 is also available with proof of a student ID. Guests who wish to join remotely can view a live, virtual presentation of the ceremony for free with registration. Tickets can be purchased at our website or by contacting Alma Rebronja, Events Manager at [email protected].

ABOUT THE AWARDS PROGRAM

Since 1994, the annual Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards has honored individuals, projects and programs in Illinois whose work demonstrates a commitment to excellence in preservation. A jury of preservation professionals from across Illinois selected the 2022 winners based on the project's positive impact in the community, how it inspires others to save places as well as degree to which the project aligns with Landmarks Illinois' mission, values and guiding principles.

ABOUT LANDMARKS ILLINOIS

We are People Saving Places for People. Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based nonprofit historic preservation organization serving the people of Illinois. We inspire and empower stakeholders to save places that matter to them by providing free guidance, practical and financial resources and access to strategic partnerships. For more information, visit www.Landmarks.org.

Media Contact:

Kaitlyn McAvoy

Communications Manager

Landmarks Illinois

[email protected]

SOURCE Landmarks Illinois
Thursday, October 6, 2022, at 6 p.m. at Signature Grand

PLANTATION, Fla., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating the past, looking to the future, is the theme for the 20th Annual For the Public Good Gala fundraiser presented by Kelley Kronenberg and Justice for Kids. Legal Aid programs of Broward County will host the much-anticipated event on Thursday, October 6, 2022, at 6 p.m. at Signature Grand (6900 State Road 84, Davie).

During the event, both Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LAS) and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA) will honor two prestigious community members who have made a tremendous difference to these organizations, the cause of equal justice, and the local community. Honoree Belinda Keiser, Vice Chancellor of Community Relations and Student Advancement of Keiser University will receive the Tony Karrat Excellence in Community Service Award. Honoree Edward Zebersky, Esq., Partner at Zebersky Payne Shaw Lewenz, LLP, will receive the Honorable Thomas Lynch Excellence in Justice Award.

"It is important that we bring attention to these two diligent community leaders for advancing the very programs that serve the underprivileged and positively impact the economy in Broward County," said Brent Thompson, Executive Director of Legal Aid Service of Broward County. "As we celebrate the LAS organization's almost 50-year history in the community, we are thrilled to be looking to the future with Belinda and Ed, our legal professionals, and community leaders at large by our side."

LAS Board Chair Douglas H. Reynolds, Esq. of Tripp Scott and CCLA's Board Chair Carlos E. Sandoval, Esq. of Carlos E. Sandoval P.A. welcome all to the For the Public Good Gala fundraiser that will host more than 400 lawyers, judges, and members of the business community. Event attendees will enjoy an evening of networking, cocktails, and a seated dinner program emceed by NBC Miami's Sheli Muniz.

Proceeds from the event will enable LAS and CCLA to continue to provide free civil legal representation, advice, and education to more than 20,000 eligible clients in need, including children, seniors, veterans, homeless persons, persons living with HIV/AIDS, survivors of domestic violence and other crimes, families facing eviction, and unaccompanied immigrant minors in our communities.

"As we celebrate this year's Gala fundraiser, we will be reflecting on the last 19 years of CCLA's service of providing voices to our at-risk populations," said Lisa Goldberg, Executive Director for Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. "Without people like our honorees Belinda and Ed, our many judges, and pro bono attorneys who have truly supported our organizations, we wouldn't be able to continue providing these critically needed resources to the community."

Title sponsors include Kelley Kronenberg and Justice for Kids. Additional sponsors include: Keiser University, JM Family Enterprises Inc., Jacquelyn & Bruce Rogow, Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk, Shutts, The Law Office of Kelly D. Feig, P.A., Tripp Scott, Van Horn Law Group, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Daszkal Bolton LLP, Florida Power & Light, GlantzLaw, GrayRobinson, P.A., Kim Vaughan Lerner, LLP, Law Office of Carlos E. Sandoval PA, Liberman Cabrera Thompson & Reitman, PLLC, MDT Marketing, Quarles & Brady LLP, Truist, Valley National Bank, Zebersky Payne Shaw Lewenz, LLP, Aleida Ors Waldman, P.A., Birnbaum, Lippman & Gregoire, PLLC, Centennial Bank, GlantzLaw Charity Fund, Kelley Legal, King Lindsey, LAN Infotech, Law Office of Diana Santa Maria, P.A., Marks & Fleischer, Moore Rabinowitz Law, Nelson Mullins, The Quackenbush Law Firm, Akerman, Associated Financial Consultants, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, Chorowski & Clary, P.A., Dentons Cohen & Grigsby P.C., Fiske & Company, Keller Landsberg PA, Lisa G. Goldberg, Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm, and Holland & Knight. Media sponsors include Daily Business Review, Encore Global, NBC 6 News, and South Florida Business & Wealth/Lifestyle Media Group.

*Sponsor's as of 09-26-2022

Tickets are $150 and sponsorships are still available. For more information or to purchase tickets visit https://bit.ly/ForThePublicGood2022 or call (239) 298-8130.

About Legal Aid

Legal Aid Service of Broward County is a not-for-profit law firm established in 1973. The mission is to provide high quality free civil legal advice, representation, and education to the poor of Broward County to improve the lifestyle and living conditions of the low-income community and to encourage self-sufficiency.

Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida is a not-for-profit law firm established in 2003 and funded, in part, by the Legal Services Corporation. The mission is to improve the lives of low-income persons in our community through advocacy, education, representation and empowerment.

LAS (#SC-02337) and CCLA (#CH19226) are 501(c)(3) corporations registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer services. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free 1-800-435-7352 within the state or visiting www.freshfromflorida.com. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the State. CCLA is a Legal Services Corporation (LSC) grantee. CCLA is required to notify donors that our funds may not be used in any manner inconsistent with the Legal Services Corporation Act or Section 504 of Public Law 104-134. The LSC Act and regulations may be viewed at www.lsc.gov. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

MEDIA CONTACT: Aimee Adler Cooke, [email protected] or 561-302-6902

SOURCE Legal Aid Service of Broward County; Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida
FREMONT, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leopard Imaging Inc. (Leopard Imaging), a global leader in intelligent embedded camera design and manufacturing, is going to VISION - the World's leading trade fair for machine vision  taking place at Stuttgart from October 4th to 6th.

Leopard Imaging, a global leader in embedded vision system design and manufacturing, will exhibit at VISION at Stuttgart, Germany Oct 4th - 6th, 2022.

Exhibiting with onsemi, a leader in intelligent power and sensing technologies, Leopard Imaging will showcase advanced imaging solutions and machine vision solutions applicable in robotics and machine vision imaging solutions for two markets: factory automation and IoT. The company will discuss innovative solutions with its partners, industry experts, and customers to develop more advanced imaging solutions.

Leopard Imaging is showcasing several embedded vision system demos based on high performance image sensors from onsemi. The 2D/3D stereoscopic Hawk Camera, LI-AR0234CS-STEREO-GMSL2-30 , integrates two AR0234CS global shutter image sensors from onsemi with an active pixel array of 1920(H) x 1200(V), delivering 120 frames per second and offers a wide horizontal field of view of 120 degrees. Stereoscopic cameras require high performance from image sensors as the accuracy of depth calculations depend on precise calibration. The AR0234CS from onsemi combines cutting-edge global shutter efficiency technology with optimized MTF and SNR, perfect for sensitive applications such as 3D imaging. Additionally, 2D/3D camera also couples with a 6-axis IMU for highly accurate (sub-microsecond) timestamping of the camera frames relative to the IMU also needed highly accurate robotics perception.

With the same AR0234CS CMOS image sensor, Leopard Imaging will also showcase a 2D robotic vision camera Owl. LI-AR0234CS-GMSL2-OWL has a wide horizontal field of view of 202 degree and runs 120 frame per second with an active pixel of 1920 (H) x 1200 (V). Equipped with GMSL2 Serial coax interface with PoC, the Owl camera can be implemented into different application systems, such as IoT, robotics, automation, etc.

As an Elite Partner to NVIDIA, Leopard Imaging works closely with NVIDIA to develop embedded vision systems to address increasing demand in robotics, edge AI, industrial machine vision, and autonomous machines applications. At the exhibition, Leopard Imaging will showcase both 3D depth cameras on NVIDIA Jetson Xavier and Orin AI platform.

Leopard Imaging is going to exhibit at Vision Stuttgart 2022 October 4th - 6th in Messe Stuttgart, Germany to meet customers and partners. Please visit us at Booth 30 in Hall 10.

About Leopard Imaging Inc.

Leopard Imaging is a global leader in embedded vision systems design and manufacturingfocusing on core technologies that improve image processing in autonomous vehicles, drones, IoT, robotics, and AI edge devices. As a NVIDIA Elite Partner and a member of the AWS Partner Network, Leopard Imaging also works closely with SONY, onsemi, OMNIVISION, and established sensor companies in producing advanced camera solutions for global customers. With Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) services, Leopard Imaging provides camera solutions for Microsoft, Google, Amazon, ZOOX, Boston Dynamics, and many other established organizations. More information at https://www.leopardimaging.com .

Press Contact

Cathy Zhao

[email protected]

+1 408-263-0988

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1909114/Leopard_Imaging_Vision_Stuttgart.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1428125/Leopard_Imaging_Inc_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Leopard Imaging Inc.
This partnership will significantly expand Libby's points of distribution for its growing product line up

NAPA, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bubbled wine brand Libby and Sonoma-based wine producer Don Sebastiani & Sons announce today a strategic partnership where Don Sebastiani & Sons will serve as the exclusive sales representative for Libby within the United States. Don Sebastiani & Sons will manage and activate Libby's national distributor network, while the brand will maintain control of its direct-to-consumer channel, production, and marketing operations.

Libby

"Sparkling wines have continued to captivate consumers' attention with consistent growth, and albeit early days, the low-ABV/low-cal wine sales show extreme promise in the U.S. Libby fuses these two growing market spaces with our unique low-ABV bubbled wine for everybody, and every occasion," said Libby co-founder and CEO Grant Hemingway. "Don Sebastiani & Sons is the ideal strategic partner for us as we push into wholesale distribution with their commitment to quality and innovation. We are excited to continue building the momentum that began with our direct-to-consumer release and bring our exceptional wines to store shelves."

After a successful direct-to-consumer launch into 20 markets this past spring, Libby will seek to strategically expand distribution nationally, starting with four launch markets this fall  Calif., Ore., Wis. and Tenn.  through the Don Sebastiani & Sons distribution network. As the exclusive sales representative, they will sell all Libby products designated for the on and off premise channels, which will include the highly anticipated release of innovative bubbled wine products in early 2023.

"We are thrilled to partner with Libby to bring these innovative products to the market and build on the direct-to-consumer efforts," said Don Sebastiani & Sons CEO Omar Percich. "This is going to fill one of the holes that we have in our portfolio but more importantly it's a product that Don Sebastiani & Sons is aligned with from a quality and affordability perspective. It checks a lot of boxes from low calorie to low alcohol and we expect to have early success with this brand because it's really what consumers are looking for."

Bubbly and refreshing, Libby is made from sustainably grown Californian grapes. Each wine is fermented separately to bring out its individual characteristics. The wines are then stabilized and filtered to ensure consistency and quality before blending to reach a low ABV of 7-8% and finally, carbonated to specific levels before bottling. Libby is gluten-free, vegan-friendly, non-GMO and available in Rose Blend and White Blend.

For more information, visit www.drinklibby.com and Instagram, @drinklibby.

About Libby

Bubbly and refreshing, Libby is a low-calorie and low-ABV wine made from a non-traditional carbonation process that guarantees delicious flavors and affordable pricing. Libby's bubbled wines are made in California, where the brand works with a multi-generational family-owned winery using sustainably grown grapes. Available in both cans and bottles, Libby's Rose and White Blends are gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and non-GMO, and have a low-ABV of just under 8%, with no added sugars. For more information, visit www.drinklibby.com ,

About Don Sebastiani & Sons

Rooted in tradition, driven by innovation, and headquartered in the Napa Valley, Don Sebastiani & Sons makes and markets a robust portfolio of adult beverages, including the leading premium ready-to-drink margarita in the United States, Flybird, imported from Jalisco, Mexico and made with 100% Blue Weber Agave wine. Donny Sebastiani is fourth-generation proprietor of this family-owned and run business. For more information, visit www.donsebastianiandsons.com .

Press Contact: Kirsten Anderson

212-226-2922

[email protected]

SOURCE Libby
Milwaukee Finishing Complex will be essential in the continued growth of Signicast and the Milwaukee community

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Signicast, a Form Technologies company, will officially celebrate the opening of its doors at its latest investment casting facility on October 19, 2022. Milwaukee Finishing Complex (MFC) will round out the family of Signicast locations in the Milwaukee area, expanding secondary operations and other finishing services while acting as an extension of the Hartford and Brown Deer facilities.

Located at 1241 W. Canal Street in the heart of the Menomonee Valley, the new facility already created 60 new jobs at a 12,000-square-foot facilitywith hopes of hiring 20 more employees by the end of the year. The facility was previously home to Nova Technology International.

At a time when industry-leading manufacturing customers are demanding precision components to higher quality standards and tighter timeframes, the addition of MFC will enable Signicast to better support its growing customer base with the highest quality precision cast components in the market.

MFC hopes to not only serve customers but become a pivotal part of the center-city Milwaukee community.

Championing the addition of the urban facility, Marc Riquelme, President, Signicast and OptiMIM said, "Consistent with the continued vision of Signicast, the addition of MFC is critical to serving customers at the highest level. The new location will allow for increased capacity and sustained growth, working in conjunction with our more established Hartford and Brown Deer facilities. Expanding to downtown Milwaukee was the obvious choice and best decision for our company, employees, and customers."

Like many other US-based manufacturers, adding facilities in more populous areas additionally helps combat the nationwide labor shortage. Signicast, too, is no stranger to feeling the effects of finding talent. After thinking through many viable options, the solution was easybring the work to the talent. MFC, while smaller than other Signicast locations, offers employees entry into a global organization with huge growth potential.

Ted Kraus, General Manger, Signicast Brown Deer and Hutchins said, "Our most recent attempt to combat the labor shortage was opening the brand-new finishing complex in downtown [Milwaukee] to be in a more accessible location and proximity to available labor. The expansion to the Menomonee Valley has been a success. The area is thriving with new business, and we are proud to be a part of the continued growth."

MFC will round out Signicast's US locations, bringing the count to ten. Investment casting operations also extend into the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

Media outlets are invited to attend the ceremony. If you are interested in attending the MFC Ribbon Cutting, please email Danielle Sedory, Marketing Manager, directly at [email protected]. Details will be sent out to confirm your spot.

About Signicast, a division of Form Technologies

Signicast is the world's most advanced investment casting specialist, bringing together in-depth precision engineering knowhow and unprecedented automation to solve our customers most critical component manufacturing challenges. With world-leading experts, rapid prototyping and delivery, and the most advanced investment casting facilities in the world, Signicast is redefining how today's manufacturers create, refine, and deliver products. Learn more about Signicast at www.signicast.com/about-us/why-signicast.

Today, Form Technologies combines three world-leading precision component manufacturers in their respective end-markets. Dynacast delivers precision-engineered die cast components, Signicast delivers investment cast and prototype components, and OptiMIM delivers metal injection molding components. Form Technologies operates 28 manufacturing facilities in 19 countries, with additional sales offices and over 8,800 employees.

CONTACT: Danielle Sedory, Marketing Manager, Form Technologies

980.201.5392

[email protected]

SOURCE Signicast
Collectively authored by more than 100 attendees of a recent event, manifesto urges companies to prioritize gender equality in order to level the playing field for women in tech

SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK and LONDON and AMSTERDAM and BERLIN, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MACH Alliance today announced the publishing of a first-of-its-kind "Women in MACH Manifesto for Gender Equality." The manifesto was collectively developed by over 100 women in tech and a select few male allies attending the first-ever international Women in MACH event and awards ceremony, organized by Mindcurv.

The event, which was held 22nd and 23rd September in Madrid, brought together advocates for gender equality from across the MACH technology community to network and deliver inspiring sessions about technology, leadership, diversity and inclusion (D&I). A live poll of attendees found that an overwhelming majority (90%) of those in the audience said they had felt discriminated against at some point in their careers due to their gender.

The manifesto is a document that calls on technology companies to take further steps to advance equal opportunities for everyone. Businesses are invited to sign the document, signaling their commitment to taking actions toward this goal. Topics covered include:

Equal pay

Equality in hiring

Promotions based on merit

Culture

Representation in leadership

Allies

"MACH is a modern category, and the companies we work for are driving forward a new era in enterprise technology," said Holly Hall, Managing Director at the MACH Alliance. "In parallel, we feel obligated to urge companies in our ecosystem to do more when it comes to nurturing the success of women. We want to help the sector become more active contributors on the subject of gender equality not simply because we know it's right, but because we know women already play a crucial role at many of these enterprises. Our goal is to elevate their contributions and pave the way for others to succeed in this space."

"Our Women in MACH event showed the strength of female leadership in what is still a male dominated industry," said Markus Tillman, EVP at Mindcurv. "By coming together we can help advance each other, the workplace for current and future generations, the MACH category and the tech sector as a whole. We want the manifesto to become a guiding star for everyone who is active in the rapidly growing MACH community, with the goal to carry the manifesto into the world to drive change."

All companies are welcome to sign the manifesto, which can be found here . Businesses that have signed receive a badge to promote their commitment to this vision and agree to take steps outlined in the document to meaningfully create space for women in MACH. In addition to providing ongoing resources to stay true to the manifesto's mission, the Alliance will publish bi-annual reports to demonstrate how the committed organizations are moving the needle on D&I metrics specific, but not limited to, women in MACH.

Event host, Mindcurv, is a system integrator headquartered in Germany. The company is a member of MACH Alliance, the group of independent tech companies dedicated to advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems.

About the MACH Alliance

The MACH Alliance is a [501(c)(6)] non-profit organization, governed by an independent board and does not endorse specific vendors, members or otherwise. The Alliance was formed in June 2020 to help enterprise organizations navigate the complex modern technology landscape. It aims to guide and show the business advantage of open tech ecosystems that are Microservices based, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS and Headless. All MACH Alliance members meet certification principles that are published on the website.

The MACH Alliance welcomes technology companies and individual industry experts who share the same vision for the future. Learn more at machalliance.org, read here about MACH certification and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Media contact:

Megan Lampros

[email protected]

SOURCE MACH ALLIANCE, Inc
 If 510(k) cleared, this next-generation investigational inhaled nitric oxide delivery system would be the latest in a long line of dual channel delivery systems building on Company's dedication to meeting clinicians' evolving needs 

DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt plc (OTCMKTS: MNKPF), a global specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced the submission of a 510(k) premarket notification application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an investigational inhaled nitric oxide delivery system for INOmax (nitric oxide) gas, for inhalation.

The safety and efficacy of the investigational inhaled nitric oxide delivery system has not been evaluated by the FDA.

INOmax (nitric oxide) gas, for inhalation, is an FDA-approved treatment that is indicated to improve oxygenation and reduce the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in term and near-term (>34 weeks gestation) neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure associated with clinical or echocardiographic evidence of pulmonary hypertension in conjunction with ventilatory support and other appropriate agents.1 Please see Important Safety Information for INOmax below.

"This FDA submission marks an important milestone in our commitment to providing advancements in the delivery of our products to help improve clinician experiences," said Steven Romano, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Mallinckrodt. "We look forward to working closely with the FDA during the regulatory review process."

If 510(k) cleared, the next-generation inhaled nitric oxide delivery system would be the latest in a long line of dual channel delivery systems; would combine automation, integration and interaction in one device; and build on Mallinckrodt's dedication to meeting clinicians' evolving needs.2

INOmax has a well-established efficacy and safety profile with more than 20 years on the market and over 875,000 patients treated globally.1,3

Mallinckrodt is committed to providing support to healthcare professionals utilizing the INOmax delivery systems. Mallinckrodt provides access to INOmax Total Care offerings whose goal is to help critical care clinicians face unexpected challenges in the NICU by providing comprehensive, 24/7/365 service, device training, and INO delivery support when and where they need it. For more information about INOmax, please visit INOmax.com.

The investigational inhaled nitric oxide delivery system is not available for sale, distribution or use.

INDICATION

INOmax (nitric oxide) gas, for inhalation, is indicated to improve oxygenation and reduce the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in term and near-term (>34 weeks gestation) neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure associated with clinical or echocardiographic evidence of pulmonary hypertension in conjunction with ventilatory support and other appropriate agents.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

INOmax is contraindicated in the treatment of neonates dependent on right-to-left shunting of blood.

Abrupt discontinuation of INOmax may lead to increasing pulmonary artery pressure and worsening oxygenation.

Methemoglobinemia and NO 2 levels are dose dependent. Nitric oxide donor compounds may have an additive effect with INOmax on the risk of developing methemoglobinemia. Nitrogen dioxide may cause airway inflammation and damage to lung tissues.

levels are dose dependent. Nitric oxide donor compounds may have an additive effect with INOmax on the risk of developing methemoglobinemia. Nitrogen dioxide may cause airway inflammation and damage to lung tissues. In patients with pre-existing left ventricular dysfunction, INOmax may increase pulmonary capillary wedge pressure leading to pulmonary edema.

Monitor for PaO 2 , inspired NO 2 , and methemoglobin during INOmax administration.

, inspired NO , and methemoglobin during INOmax administration. INOmax must be administered using a calibrated FDA-cleared Nitric Oxide Delivery System.

Please see Full Prescribing Information.

Globally, prescribing information varies; refer to the individual country product label for complete information.

ABOUT MALLINCKRODT

Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, hepatology, nephrology, pulmonology, ophthalmology, and oncology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics; cultured skin substitutes and gastrointestinal products. Its Specialty Generics reportable segment includes specialty generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com .

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS RELATED TO FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release includes forward-looking statements concerning Mallinckrodt's s 510(k) premarket notification application and the Company's inhaled nitric oxide delivery system. The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: satisfaction of regulatory and other requirements; actions of regulatory bodies and other governmental authorities; changes in laws and regulations; issues with product quality, manufacturing or supply, or patient safety issues; and other risks identified and described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of Mallinckrodt's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Mallinckrodt's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended July 1, 2022 and other filings with the SEC, all of which are available on its website. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date hereof and Mallinckrodt does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

CONTACT

Media Inquiries

Heather Guzzi

Senior Vice President, Green Room Communications

973-524-4112

[email protected]

Investor Relations

Daniel J. Speciale

Global Corporate Controller & Chief Investor Relations Officer

314-654-3638

[email protected]

Derek Belz

Vice President, Investor Relations

314-654-3950

[email protected]

Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company. Other brands are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company or their respective owners. 2022 Mallinckrodt. US-2200202 09/22

References

1 INOmax. Package Insert. INO Therapeutics LLC; 2021.

2 Data on File - Ref-05943. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.

3 Data on File - Ref-01753. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.

SOURCE Mallinckrodt plc
NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Menz Bonner Komar & Koenigsberg LLP has secured a settlement in a whistleblower case against Public Consulting Group LLC ("PCG"). PCG, which is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, provides consulting and operational services for public sector health, education, and human service agencies and authorities. As it relates to the matter being settled, PCG, pursuant to a contract with the State of New Jersey, provided administrative support for New Jersey's Special Education Medicaid Initiative ("SEMI") program.

Philip R. Sellinger, United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, announced the settlement, under which Menz Bonner Komar & Konigsberg's client, Shane Shackford, Psy.D., will receive 21% of the recovery from the settlement. The Office's press release is here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/massachusetts-company-enters-settlement-agreement-resolve-claims-medicaid-over-billing.

Mr. Shackford, brought forward the allegations against PCG in 2012. According to the settlement agreement, Relator alleged that PCG and various New Jersey school districts made or caused to be made false claims in connection with the State of New Jersey's SEMI program. Relator alleged that PCG caused local school districts to submit claims to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") for evaluation services that PCG knew or should have known were not covered by Medicaid. The United States contends that PCG submitted or caused to be submitted claims for payment to the Medicaid Program.

David Koenigsberg, stated "This case is a powerful illustration of how the False Claims Act enables individuals to step forward and expose significant fraud and how whistleblower law is particularly effective in helping the government expose abuses in government funded programs. We thank the New Jersey United States Attorney's Office for working with us and our client to bring this case to a successful conclusion."

David Koenigsberg, who was the Chief of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, has used whistleblower laws to recover more than $1 billion for federal, state and local governments in cases involving taxes, Medicare, Medicaid, defense contracts, government funded research, banking, education programs, and government contracting.

Menz Bonner Komar & Koenigsberg LLP provides litigation services in a variety of areas including whistleblower cases, insurance coverage, personal injury, product liability, contract, and other business-related litigation.

SOURCE Menz Bonner Komar & Koenigsberg LLP
Make a positive, sustainable impression with a new take on the old analog calendar at a time when workers are feeling less than organized

LONDON and BOSTON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MOO , designers and printers of premium, customizable products, has launched its Perpetual Planner , a dateless, Swiss-bound book with a clear and helpful canvas for organizing, prioritizing, and doing. Designed to accommodate an array of planning styles and crafted from high-quality materials, the planner reflects MOO's effort to help companies reimagine gifting with meaningful, long-lasting products they will be proud to brand and people will be drawn to use.

Easily customizable planners with full-wrap printing, metallic foils, blind debossing and more for orders of 10 and above. A Swiss-bound, dateless planner with a smart brass or stainless steel calendar clip, durable cloth cover and silky smooth, Munken Kristall paper.

Featuring the same durable cloth cover and silky smooth Munken Kristall paper as MOO's popular notebooks, the Perpetual Planner represents a more sustainable way of planning. With no dates to limit its shelf life, there is no need to waste a single page, or dispose of it each year. An innovative, stylish brass or stainless steel calendar clip bookmarks each page and frames the month, weeks and days, and is the type of clever design feature MOO customers have come to expect and appreciate.

The Perpetual Planner comes at a time when staying organized is a struggle. In a recent MOO* poll of more than 1,000 U.S. workers, 73% said they feel only somewhat organized in their professional lives. Additionally, MOO found:

8-in-10 know at least 1 coworker who needs help organizing - 56% say at least several of their coworkers need assistance

77% said their lives would actually improve if their coworkers were more organized

1 in 5 identified their boss as the one person in their lives who needs help being more organized

75% said writing things down helps them stay organized and turn plans into action

"We could all use a fresh, analog approach to planning to counterbalance our digital lives," said Richard Moross, Founder and CEO of MOO. "The MOO Perpetual Planner is purposefully designed to give people more control over their days and turn dreaming into doing. It is the right product at the right time for companies searching for useful gifts that will leave a lasting, positive impression."

MOO's Perpetual Planner, starting at $30 (24.00), includes:

Durable cloth cover in Midnight Blue, Jet Black, Charcoal Grey or Berry Red

Brass or stainless steel calendar clip to keep days, weeks and months on track

Covers 80 weeks with 160 pages of Munken Kristall paper

Flexible layout with grid and lined sections for list-making, sketching and planning

Swiss-bound so every page lays flat

Measures 5.12" x 8.15"

For customization options, visit here .

"MOO has a reputation for making everyday products even better," explained MOO's Global Director of Product and Industrial Design, Toby Hextall. "With the Perpetual Planner, we started with the necessary basics and added only what was useful because ultimately, the content that goes into the planner is even more important than the planner itself."

About the MOO Survey

MOO conducted a Survey Monkey poll of more than 1,000 US workers making $50,000+/year to gather opinions on planning and organizing. Responses were collected and analyzed in August 2022.

About MOO

MOO , designers and printers of premium, customized products, is headquartered in London with US offices in Boston, Denver and Lincoln, RI. Launched in 2006, MOO helps brands of all sizes look their best by combining accessible design and high-quality products with sophisticated printing and move-mountains customer service. The company is the trusted choice of millions of customers across the globe. Follow @MOO on Instagram and Twitter .

Press Inquiries:

Angela Giovanello

Public Relations for MOO

Boston, MA

[email protected]

SOURCE MOO
LISLE, Ill., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fabio Souza has been appointed Executive Vice President, Service Solutions at Navistar as of August 2022. In this newly established role, Souza is part of Navistar's Executive Board and reports to Mathias Carlbaum, President and CEO.

In alignment with its strategy and vision to accelerate the impact of sustainable mobility, Navistar has placed a renewed emphasis on the service solutions and digitalization areas of its business. Souza will be responsible for aftersales, with a focus on expanding total service solutions, digital strategy, and new business models to best support customer's future needs.

Souza will be responsible for aftersales to best support customer's future needs. Tweet this

"Our customers have the incredibly difficult task to reduce carbon emissions and at the same time deliver profitability," said Carlbaum. "Navistar strives to support our dealers and customers by offering turnkey solutions. With Fabio's background and customer-centric mindset, I am confident we will bring all aspects of service solutions to our customers, even those that we haven't thought of yet."

Prior to his current role, Souza was the vice president and general manager of commercial operations at Scania in Brazil. He delivered innovative solutions to meet customer needs, introduced vehicle connectivity and pioneered the flexible maintenance program for Scania in the Brazilian market.

"Navistar has the greatest potential in the North American market, and I am truly honored to join this diverse, global executive leadership team," said Souza. "Through collaboration and with the strength of the TRATON GROUP, I am confident that we will capitalize on Navistar's potential and create new business models where it makes most sense for our customers."

Souza has held many roles at Scania since he started as a parts analyst in 2001. In addition to Scania Brazil, he also worked as the services director at Scania Mexico and the managing director of Scania's Commercial Operations in South Africa. Souza's vast history in the commercial trucking industry is supported by his involvement in South Africa as a member of the board of Scania Financial Solutions and the vice president of heavy vehicles of NAAMSA, a local association of motor vehicle manufacturers.

Souza holds an industrial and mechanical engineering degree from The University Center of Faculty of Industrial Engineering (FEI) in Brazil. In addition, he attained a postgrad degree in business administration and marketing from the Higher School of Advertising and Marketing in Brazil (ESPM). Souza also holds a specialization in administration and management from Stockholm School of Economics.

About Navistar

Navistar, Inc. ("Navistar") is a purpose-driven company, reimagining how to deliver what matters to create more cohesive relationships, build higher-performing teams and find solutions where others don't. Based in Lisle, Illinois, Navistar or its subsidiaries and affiliates produce International brand commercial trucks and engines, IC Bus brand school and commercial buses, all-makes OnCommand Connection advanced connectivity services, and Fleetrite, ReNEWeD and Diamond Advantage brand aftermarket parts and includes a Brazilian manufacturer of engines and gensets, MWM Motores Diesel e Geradores. With a history of innovation dating back to 1831, Navistar has more than 14,500 employees worldwide and is part of TRATON SE, a global champion of the truck and transport services industry. Additional information is available at www.Navistar.com.

SOURCE Navistar International Corporation
Innovations and updates across the suite give customers the insight and control to increase productivity, enhance profitability, and drive growth

LAS VEGAS, Sept 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SUITEWORLD 2022 -- Oracle NetSuite today announced a series of new product innovations to help organizations run more efficiently and increase the bottom line. The latest NetSuite innovations include an AP (accounts payable) automation solution that can increase the accuracy and speed of processing bills and making payments; a new CPQ (configure, price, quote) solution that helps accelerate and simplify the sales process; a new workforce management solution that can streamline scheduling, time tracking, and wage calculations; and a new shipping solution that helps bring added efficiency to warehouse operations.

In addition, NetSuite has introduced new automation and analytics. These can give organizations the insights and control to increase productivity and profitability by enhancing the financial, inventory management, manufacturing, and project management functionality within NetSuite.

"With an economy in transition, businesses can look to the certainty of data to find new paths to profitability and growth," said Evan Goldberg, founder and EVP, Oracle NetSuite. "To help our customers do this, we continue to extend the capabilities of NetSuite. The latest updates span everything from financial management to HR to sales processes. They're designed to help our customers run their business in a better way and support their growth journeys."

NetSuite has introduced new solutions to address the time-consuming and labor-intensive accounts payable (AP) process, grow sales, deliver a seamless buying experience for customers, improve the efficiency of warehouse operations, and adapt staffing quickly to changing business needs.

With new automation and analytics, organizations can enhance efficiency and profitability by consolidating data, automating tasks, improving inventory management, streamlining workflows, and simplifying rebate and trade promotion program execution.

Data Residency: New data centers built on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) help customers meet residency requirements and reduce latency by bringing NetSuite and data closer to customers. In the past year, NetSuite has opened 11 data centers in new cities, including Amsterdam , Newport , Osaka , San Jose, and Tokyo .

New data centers built on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) help customers meet residency requirements and reduce latency by bringing NetSuite and data closer to customers. In the past year, NetSuite has opened 11 data centers in new cities, including , , , San Jose, and . Intercompany Netting: New intercompany netting capabilities automatically book transactions across subsidiaries to streamline the period close process.

New intercompany netting capabilities automatically book transactions across subsidiaries to streamline the period close process. Inventory Management: Using NetSuite Warehouse Management System (WMS) and NetSuite Smart Count, customers can better manage inventory in unexpectedly empty bins in the warehouse. Once the bin is marked as empty, an inventory count is automatically triggered. And once the inventory is updated, the bin is made available again.

Using NetSuite Warehouse Management System (WMS) and NetSuite Smart Count, customers can better manage inventory in unexpectedly empty bins in the warehouse. Once the bin is marked as empty, an inventory count is automatically triggered. And once the inventory is updated, the bin is made available again. Mobile Manufacturing: The enhanced mobile application for NetSuite Manufacturing streamlines work order flows and validations, improves usability, and reduces data-entry mistakes.

The enhanced mobile application for NetSuite Manufacturing streamlines work order flows and validations, improves usability, and reduces data-entry mistakes. Planning and Budgeting: New task management capabilities in NetSuite Planning and Budgeting help customers execute more efficiently and accurately by increasing visibility, automating tasks, and automatically recording activities related to those tasks. The enhanced version builder for scenario planning makes it faster to capture a range of budget or forecast scenarios to quickly deal with change.

New task management capabilities in NetSuite Planning and Budgeting help customers execute more efficiently and accurately by increasing visibility, automating tasks, and automatically recording activities related to those tasks. The enhanced version builder for scenario planning makes it faster to capture a range of budget or forecast scenarios to quickly deal with change. Platform : New expansion of object support in REST simplifies integration with other systems. Meanwhile, Visual Studio enhancements for object management and project validation boost developer productivity. SuiteCloud developers can also enjoy a more modern development experience with the Graal runtime environment and the latest ECMAScript language features within SuiteScript 2.1.

New expansion of object support in REST simplifies integration with other systems. Meanwhile, Visual Studio enhancements for object management and project validation boost developer productivity. SuiteCloud developers can also enjoy a more modern development experience with the Graal runtime environment and the latest ECMAScript language features within SuiteScript 2.1. Quality Management: New quality management functionality delivers more flexibility by allowing unplanned, ad hoc inspections that enable companies to drive higher quality across their product lines.

New quality management functionality delivers more flexibility by allowing unplanned, ad hoc inspections that enable companies to drive higher quality across their product lines. Rebates and Trade Promotions: New rebate and trade promotion management capabilities help save time and increase efficiency by automating the creation, execution, accrual, and reconciliation of vendor and customer rebate programs.

Get all the latest updates from SuiteWorld by registering for SuiteWorld On Air: netsuitesuiteworld.com/onair. By registering, attendees will have access to keynotes, sessions, demos, and NetSuite's two-day live broadcast, NetSuite TV. Learn more about how organizations are leveraging the power of NetSuite to increase efficiency, improve productivity, and grow profitability.

Contact Info

Amanda Parmer

Oracle

[email protected]

+1.775-224-6280

Oracle NetSuite

For more than 20 years, Oracle NetSuite has helped organizations grow, scale, and adapt to change. NetSuite provides an integrated system that includes financials / Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), inventory management, HR, professional services automation, and omnichannel commerce, used by more than 32,000 customers in 217 countries and dependent territories.

Learn more at https://www.netsuite.com. Like us on Facebook , and follow us on LinkedIn , Instagram , and Twitter .

Trademarks

Oracle, Java, and MySQL are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation.

SOURCE Oracle NetSuite
Native macOS counterpart joins iOS version in efficiently managing short notes

EGGERSDORF/GRAZ, Austria, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Elemental Tools launched Infos for Mac, a new app for quickly storing and retrieving short pieces of information in an easy way. The new macOS app complements the iOS version that launched earlier this year extending the feature set with Mac-only features, such as a global quick-create keyboard shortcut.

Infos remembers everything - so you don't have to Infos also allows adding tags, links and attachments to your short notes

Infos comes with a very clean and clear user interface resembling a grid of cards where each card represents a piece of information (or info) stored. Infos can contain short notes with links and optional attachments. You can organize infos via tags and categories. Additionally, categories can be assigned colors adding additional clarity to your information grid.

"We store everything from our spouses passport numbers, over important tips and tricks to remember, to our cars license plates in Infos," said Elemental Tools co-founder Wolfgang Bartelme, the designer behind the app. "The primary design goal was to really find information very quickly -- whenever or wherever you need it."

Infos provides a convenient and simple way for storing all those short pieces of unrelated information you never knew where to put before. However, the app is not designed for strong encryption, therefore you should not store sensitive pin codes or passwords.

The new app integrates with Apple's Siri (if the user allows it) with the idea that over time Siri will suggest some infos at the right time or place depending on prior usage patterns. Infos also provides a configurable global hotkey for quickly creating new infos on your Mac.

Infos is now available for Mac, iPhone and iPad and can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store. For storing more than 10 infos, users have the choice between a monthly or yearly subscription, and a one-time purchase option. For more information about Infos please visit https://www.infos-app.com.

About Elemental Tools

Elemental Tools creates productivity apps that empower people to achieve more by focusing their creativity, unlocking their potential and helping them optimize their personal workflows. Elemental Tools is the maker behind Firetask, a Kanban GTD task manager, Ideabook, a personal idea management tool, and Infos, a short information manager app. Elemental Tools focuses on the Apple ecosystem developing apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.

Media contact:

Gerald Aquila

[email protected]

+43 3117 30215

SOURCE Elemental Tools
WSWA Educational Foundation Releases Study Conducted by Morning Consult That Finds American Moms Are Concerned DTC Spirits Shipping Will Increase Underage Access, DUIs

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the WSWA Educational Foundation, in partnership with Morning Consult, released the findings of a new survey that measured perception of direct-to-consumer (DTC) spirits shipping among American mothers. Morning Consult surveyed 2,000 mothers nationally during a five-day period in August with an oversampling of target populations in New York and Texas  two states that will face DTC spirits shipping bills when their legislative sessions open in the new year.

American mothers believe Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) spirits shipping will increase underage access to alcohol. Tweet this U.S. Mothers Concerned that DTC Spirits Shipping

"Regardless of geographic or partisan differences, mothers across the country agree on one thing quite strongly  the health and safety of the public needs to be at the forefront when considering laws and regulations about the sale and distribution of alcohol," said Morning Consult's Food and Beverage Analyst Emily Moquin. "Particularly, a majority of mothers are concerned that the DTC shipping of spirits will increase underage access and access to dangerous counterfeit product."

American Mothers Believe DTC Spirits Shipping Will Increase Underage Access

Among the most powerful findings of the study was the near-unanimous (91%) agreement among American mothers that underage drinking is important for lawmakers to consider when deciding alcohol laws and regulations, with a majority (73%) considering this "extremely important."

When asked, 72% of American mothers expressed concern that the DTC shipping of liquor/spirits across state lines will increase underage access to alcohol. These findings were true for both New York and Texan mothers despite geographic, cultural, and partisan differences.

73% of Texan mothers are concerned that DTC shipping of liquor/spirits across states lines will increase underage access to alcohol.

73% of New York mothers are concerned that DTC shipping of liquor/spirits across states lines will increase underage access to alcohol.

American Mothers Know the Current System of Alcohol Regulation Works

Two-thirds (68%) of American mothers1 think their state is regulating alcohol production and sales "about right." In fact, American mothers2 are three times as likely to say the current three-tier system is working well than not working well.

Furthermore, a strong majority (78%) of American mothers3 recognizes the importance of alcohol distributors when it comes to the sale of alcohol as it relates to public health and safety. Again, these findings were true for both New York and Texan mothers despite geographic, cultural, and partisan differences.

80% of Texan mothers feel alcohol distributors are important when it comes the sale of alcohol.

78% of New York mothers feel alcohol distributors are important when it comes the sale of alcohol.

American Mothers Know Underage Access Is Best Combated by Local, Licensed Retailer Delivery

Mothers surveyed were more likely to say that ID checks with DTC alcohol shipments  like those proposed for delivery through the United States Postal Service (USPS) or common carriers like UPS or FedEx  are less effective than ID checks done in stores or through local, licensed delivery.

WSWA has long championed local delivery from alcohol licensees, with delivery executed by their employee or a licensed third-party delivery company with ID-check training. WSWA advocates that the delivery person must conduct legal-drinking-age verification and provide beverages in safe, sealed containers with proper labeling.

Methodology

This survey was conducted between August 2 and August 8, 2022, among a sample of 2,000 mothers nationally, 600 mothers in New York and 600 mothers in Texas. The interviews were conducted online. Results from the full national survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Results from the New York and Texas surveys have a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

About Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America

WSWA is the national trade association representing the distribution tier of the wine and spirits industry, dedicated to advancing the interests and independence of distributors and brokers of wine and spirits. Founded in 1943, WSWA has more than 380 member companies in 50 states and the District of Columbia, and its members distribute more than 80% of all wine and spirits sold at wholesale in the United States. The WSWA Educational Foundation is the charitable arm of WSWA and focuses on education initiatives and industry studies.

To learn more, please visit www.wswa.org or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

About Morning Consult

Morning Consult is a global Decision Intelligence company changing how modern leaders make smarter, faster, better decisions. The company pairs its proprietary high-frequency data with applied artificial intelligence to better inform decisions on what people think and how they will act. Learn more at morningconsult.com.

1,2,3Asked of mothers who have heard of their state's current systems regulating alcohol production and sales and at least have a sense of what they are.

MEDIA CONTACT

Michael Bilello

Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications & Marketing

[email protected] | (202) 716-4805

SOURCE Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NOTA Laboratories, a development stage company focused on proprietary nitric oxide (NO) delivery systems to treat a wide variety of acute and chronic respiratory and inflammatory illnesses, has just signed a Joint Development Agreement with NGK Spark Plugs of Nagoya, Japan. NGK also own CAIRE Inc., a major supplier of oxygen concentrators for home, clinic, and hospital use and where NOTA's NO systems will have a substantial synergistic impact.

NOTA has two patented platform technologies that inexpensively generate NO "on-demand." The Company's systems are compact and suitable for the hospital, clinic, and in-home / ambulatory use. NOTA's NOGEN System generates NO continuously for up to 6 months by the electrochemical reduction of nitrite, while the company's LANOR System uses light to produce NO from a filmstrip coated with a proprietary chemical mixture. LANOR is also small, lightweight and can be battery operated, making it ideal for both emergency and in-home use.

Nitric oxide's biological importance was only discovered in the 1980s and has since garnered a tremendous amount of attention from biomedical researchers with over 20,000 publications and 400 ongoing clinical trials using NO for a range of applications. NO is produced in our sinuses, blood vessels and in other parts of the body where it acts as an antiviral, antibacterial, vasodilator, anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic. It is a key component of the body's immune response to infection. NOTA's systems can be used to augment the body's NO production for potentially life-saving applications like persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), reducing systemic inflammation response syndrome (SIRS) during and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery, for use in treating respiratory infections and their associated inflammatory response, and for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an application where many oxygen concentrators are used.

Malcolm Kahn, NOTA's CEO said, "We are delighted to partner with NGK whose expertise in design, engineering and manufacturing will help accelerate our products to market." Glenn Davis, President of NGK Medical noted that "the collaboration with NOTA will allow NGK and its CAIRE oxygen concentrator business provide broader solutions to COPD patients where the use of NO will help reduce exacerbations and improve their quality of life."

NOTA's other proprietary NO delivery technologies, which are single-use infection fighting disposables, including a sinus spray, a sachet that can be placed into a face mask and two catheter products, have been spun out into a separately run startup, NOxygen Therapeutics.

NGK is a leading supplier of spark plugs, ceramic, and medical products. The medical products division is a key diversification strategy for the company through both internal and collaborative development that can have an impact on health and wellness.

Malcolm Kahn

201-615-5766

[email protected]

www.notalabs.com

SOURCE NOTA Laboratories
As employees around the world collectively seek out a greater sense of connection, community, and fulfillment, the comprehensive fifth annual report examines the most pressing issues relevant to employee retention and great work in the midst of ongoing transformation

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- O.C. Tanner , the global leader in employee recognition and workplace culture, today announced the release of its 2023 Global Culture Report. Now in its fifth year, the report details the latest trends and strategies to win and retain people, including: reconnecting workplace community, creating fulfilling employee experiences, fortifying weary leaders, and integrating recognition and symbolism early and often. Based on data gathered from over 36,000 employees, leaders, HR practitioners, and executives from 20 countries worldwide, the report was announced at O.C. Tanner's sold-out annual culture conference, Influence Greatness .

"The future of work depends on embracing change and rebuilding community within the workplace. This year's report demonstrates the importance of reconnecting employees with purpose and meaning," said Dr. Alexander Lovell, Director of Research and Data Science at the O.C. Tanner Institute. "Organizations should be deliberate in creating opportunities for employees to feel fulfilled in their work. Not only do they do better work, but we found that highly fulfilled employees want to stay at their organization for an extra three years. We hope this report will act as a guide for organizations and enable leaders to support, challenge, and inspire their employees to do great work."

As organizations continue to adjust to a new era of work and manage the uncertainty of a subsiding global pandemic and looming economic recession, the report highlights what employees want most: connection, community, and fulfillment. As organizations prepare for the next crisis, employees are still trying to heal from the disconnection caused by the pandemic. A sense of community is more important now that employees are returning to the office and searching for fulfillment and connection, but unfortunately, many organizations' current programs are failing to meet evolving employee desires. Successful organizations are the ones reconnecting with their people by adopting a community mindset where employees find meaning in their work, believe that they belong, and experience greater personal fulfillment.

"There's no such thing as 'work-life balance'  it's just 'life balance.' With that, a meaningful focus on employees' holistic wellbeing is crucial for organizations to retain and attract talent in today's environment," said Gary Beckstrand, Vice President of the O.C. Tanner Institute. "Data from our 2023 Global Culture Report shows that when organizations enable life balance, support the growth and development of everyone holistically, create a thriving workplace community, and help each person contribute to the collective purpose, great business outcomes are abundant."

Sample key findings include:

Highly fulfilled employees plan to stay three years longer at their organizations than unfulfilled employees.

Nearly one third (32%) of employees are unfulfilled in their jobs. These employees have 399% greater odds of looking for a job elsewhere, 71% decreased odds of promoting their organization as a great place to work, and 47% decreased odds of putting in extra effort to help their organization succeed.

When feelings of community, connection, and belonging are strong at an organization, the odds that employees will do great work (236%), take pride in the organization (318%), and want to stay (252%) are far better.

Most employees (76%) consider their workplace a community and almost as many (72%) say it's important for them to feel like part of a community at work.

When organizations score high on the Community Index, they experience great outcomes. Strong workplace communities have:

957% higher odds employees will be Promoters on the eNPS scale



100% higher odds of aspirational levels of great work



62% increase in employee estimated tenure (from 7.1 years to 11.5 years)



58% lower probability of employees actively looking for a new job



785% higher odds employees feel like they belong

A sense of belonging leads to better retention (+43%), higher satisfaction with employee experience (40%), less burnout (-38%), and more great work (+20%).

With numerous new responsibilities and expectations placed on them, many leaders are succumbing to stress and burnout.

Leaders are 43% more likely to say work is interfering with their ability to be happy in other areas of their lives.



Just under two thirds (61%) of leaders report having more general responsibilities at work since before the pandemic, versus only one third (34%) of individual contributors who say the same.



While 79% of leaders think they have a "good sense" of what their employees want, only 48% of employees agree. Nearly one third (29%) of employees say there is a notable conflict between what their managers want and what their coworkers want, and only a little more than half (54%) believe their managers are "on my side."



Mid-level and entry-level leaders are 33% and 47% less likely to feel appreciated, respectively, compared to senior leaders. They also don't have as much access to resources and support as senior leaders do.

Despite the value they bring to the workplace and the high demand for them, many generalists feel under-recognized by their employers:

50% feel their contributions are overlooked



44% rate their employee experience positively



43% feel unsupported in their work

Employees are three times more likely to remember a recognition experience when it includes a symbolic award.

When recognition occurs regularly in teams, the odds of having a strong community improve 508%. When it's integrated into the organizational culture, the odds improve 387%, and the strength of that community increases 19%.

Frequent, tailored recognition experiences spread throughout the year have a larger, more lasting impact on recognition integration and workplace culture than singular company-wide eventsthose "Employeepaloozas"no matter how much organizations spend.

This comprehensive report, which serves up actionable data for business leaders seeking change, can be accessed at O.C. Tanner's website here: https://www.octanner.com/global-culture-report.html .

About O.C. Tanner

O.C. Tanner is the global leader in software and services that improve workplace culture through meaningful employee recognition experiences. Our Culture Cloud employee recognition platform helps millions of people thrive at work.

Our team of more than 1,500 programmers, researchers, designers, client professionals, and craftspeople hail from 58 countries and speak 62 languages. Together, we create the technology, tools, and awards that help our clients shape productive work environments, drive innovation, and fuel positive business results. Learn more at octanner.com .

Research Methodology

The O.C. Tanner Institute uses multiple research methods to support the Global Culture Report, including interviews, focus groups, cross-sectional surveys, and a longitudinal survey.

Qualitative findings came from 10 focus groups and 81 interviews among employees and leaders of large organizations. The groups and interviews were held throughout 2021 and 2022, each representing various types of employers, including both private and public entities.

Quantitative findings came from online survey interviews administered to employees multiple countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The total sample size was 36,441 workers at companies with 500+ employees.

SOURCE O.C. Tanner
NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Omnicom Group Inc. ( NYSE: OMC) has been recognized as the most effective marketing communications company in the world in the 2021 Global Effie Effectiveness Index. The Effie Awards are one of the industry's most prestigious honors celebrating "ideas that work" in the industry.

Four Omnicom agency networks  BBDO Worldwide, DDB Worldwide, OMD and TBWA\Worldwide  placed in the top six of the Most Effective Agency Network category. At the local level, DDB Colombia, Sancho BBDO and Colenso BBDO ranked in the top ten of the Most Effective Agency Offices in the world.

These notable rankings demonstrate Omnicom's standout talent among the 4,500 global finalists involved.

"This is an incredible honor to be recognized by the Effies, especially during a very difficult period where our people had to contend with a global pandemic among other geopolitical challenges," commented John Wren, Chairman and CEO of Omnicom Group. "I'm so proud of all of our winners and want to congratulate them. Our ranking is a reflection of our people's dedication to upholding the most effective and creative work in the industry."

"The 2021 Effie Index reflects work achieved during one of the most challenging periods in recent history. The brands and agencies included in these rankings have shown a relentless commitment to marketing effectiveness, and represent the tenacity, agility and creativity across our global industry," said Traci Alford, Global CEO, Effie Worldwide. "Congratulations to all of the top ranked companies for continuing to deliver ideas that work and grow your businesses."

About Effie

Effie is a global 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to lead and evolve the forum for marketing effectiveness. Effie leads, inspires and champions the practice and practitioners of marketing effectiveness through education, awards, ever-evolving initiatives and first-class insights into marketing strategies that produce results. The organization recognizes the most effective brands, marketers and agencies globally, regionally and locally through its 50+ award programs across the world and through its coveted effectiveness rankings, the Effie Index. Since 1968, Effie is known as a global symbol of achievement, while serving as a resource to steer the future of marketing success. For more details, visit effie.org.

About Omnicom Group Inc.

Omnicom Group (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms offer services in advertising, strategic media planning and buying, precision marketing, commerce and brand consulting, experiential, customer relationship marketing (CRM), public relations, healthcare marketing and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries.

SOURCE Omnicom Group Inc.
NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers who say they will or may look for a new job in the next six months are ready to walk even though they expect larger raises and bonuses this year. These findings are according to an OperationsInc survey of 1,000 U.S. adults employed for wages as of September 7, 2022.

Among jobseekers, two in five (42%) expect to receive at least a 6% pay raise from their current employer this year compared to only one in four (27%) non-jobseekers who expect the same.

Jobseekers (55%) are significantly more likely than non-jobseekers (35%) to ask their manager or supervisor for a raise Tweet this

"Employers entering 'raise season' historically have been able to count on the typical 3% increase to meet expectations and exceed cost of living increases," says OperationsInc CEO David Lewis. "In 2022 that's no longer true and, with 3.7% unemployment and over 11 million open jobs, even the most generous of employers will be sorely disappointed when that exceptionally high increase still results in unhappy employees."

Additional findings from the survey of 1,000 U.S. workers show that:

Half of workers (50%) surveyed say they will or may look for a new job in the next six months, and half (49%) of those jobseekers say that higher pay is the top reason they are looking for a new job.





Most workers (67%), including most jobseekers (60%), expect to receive a pay raise at the end of this year.





Jobseekers (55%) are significantly more likely than non-jobseekers (35%) to say they will ask their manager or supervisor for a raise or bonus before the end of the year.





Among jobseekers, two in five (44%) expect the raise they will receive from their current employer will be larger than last year, and half (50%) think their bonus will be higher.





One in three (32%) jobseekers say their employer has told them to expect higher pay raise or bonus amounts this year compared to one in four (25%) non-jobseekers who say the same.

To view additional findings from the OperationsInc survey, download the full report.

About OperationsInc

OperationsInc provides scalable, reliable HR, Recruiting, Training, and Payroll & HRIS Technology outsourcing services. With more than 20 years in business and as one of the largest HR consultancy firms in the United States, OperationsInc has served more than 1,800 companies across 70 industries. Our end-to-end portfolio of services is fully customizable and easily scalable as business needs change. We serve as an extension of our clients, offering professional guidance, providing essential functions, and designing tailored, effective solutions for nonprofits and companies of all sizes, at every stage of growth. Learn more at www.operationsinc.com.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE OPERATIONSINC
Major Relief Effort to Help Over 3,000 Families

MAYAGUEZ, Puerto Rico and MIAMI, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Orlando Bravo, a Founder and Managing Partner of Thoma Bravo, one of the largest private equity firms in the world, made a personal contribution of $10 million to the Bravo Family Foundation to help with Hurricane Fiona relief efforts in Puerto Rico, specifically targeting those communities most affected and other vulnerable populations.

"In these instances where my hometown is once again experiencing a natural disaster, the least I can do is support the relief efforts," said Bravo, who was born in Mayaguez. "This donation seeks to alleviate some of the pain for Puerto Ricans who were only just starting to recover from previous hurricanes, earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic."

In partnership with community leaders, the Bravo Family Foundation will use these funds to provide immediate aid to six communities (the municipalities of Mayaguez, Salinas, San German, Cayey, Loiza and Cabo Rojo), which the Foundation serves as part of existing programming, as well as other regions across the island also devastated by the flooding.

"After the hurricane ripped through Puerto Rico last week, we interacted with community leaders from our Exceptional Community Leaders program, youth from the Empowering Young Entrepreneurs program and participants from the Rising Entrepreneurs program," said Blanca Santos, Executive Director of the Bravo Family Foundation. "Simultaneously, we worked quickly to address the immediate needs of the neighborhoods served by the Foundation by providing solar generators, water and food."

The Foundation established a communication network to identify the most pressing needs within these communities and is focusing on adults over the age of 65 years, families with children and people with disabilities, with the aim of supporting more than 3,000 families across Puerto Rico.

Bravo created the Bravo Family Foundation in 2017 as a direct response to Hurricane Maria. Following the storm, he donated an initial $10 million for immediate relief efforts. He later committed an additional $100 million to the Foundation to promote entrepreneurship and economic development in Puerto Rico through training programs in economics, business and technology, specifically aimed at developing young entrepreneurs and community leaders. Since then, the Foundation has established itself as a private, nonprofit organization focused on supporting underserved communities, individuals and groups who have limited access to high-quality learning opportunities, technical training and financial support.

"My broader vision for the Bravo Family Foundation is to help build a more inclusive and prosperous society and economy for Puerto Rico, and I think this starts with the younger generation," Bravo explained. "I want to encourage youth from marginalized communities to achieve their dreams by opening them up to opportunities for personal and economic advancement, but, at this moment, we need to get back to basics and help those most affected by this hurricane return to normalcy as soon as possible."

The Bravo Family Foundation

The Bravo Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization committed to underserved and marginalized individuals, groups and communities who have limited access to high-quality learning opportunities, technical knowledge and financial support.

Its vision is to contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous society and economy for Puerto Rico. The mission is to promote social justice in the island by empowering youth and marginalized communities to have equal access to personal and economic progress opportunities. The Foundation focuses on the development of community leadership and entrepreneurship through a series of innovative initiatives.

Orlando Bravo

Orlando is the Founder and Managing Partner of Thoma Bravo, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, Miami and Chicago that invests in software and technology services companies. Today, Orlando drives the company's strategy and investment decisions in accordance with his principles of partnership, innovation and performance. He has overseen more than 400 software acquisitions made by the company, which represent more than $220 billion in transaction value.

Orlando was born and raised in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. After graduating from college, he developed a successful professional career in business. In addition to his achievements as an entrepreneur, Orlando has embraced business philanthropy, focusing on promoting the principles of social justice through programs that empower and offer youth and community-based organizations in Puerto Rico social entrepreneurship opportunities, as well as professional and business-focused personal development programs. Even though Orlando has lived and had a successful career outside of Puerto Rico, he has always remained deeply connected to his island roots. In 2018, he made a $100 million contribution to the Bravo Family Foundation, which funds all of the ongoing programs the Foundation currently offers.

For additional information,

website: www.bravofamilyfoundation.org

Twitter: @BravoFamilyFdn

Facebook: BravoFamilyFoundation

Instagram: bravofamilyfdn

SOURCE Bravo Family Foundation
QUEBEC CITY, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - OxyNov Inc. has filed a 510(k) submission with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the FreeO 2  device, an oxygen therapy device developed by the company itself.

The FDA is a U.S. government agency responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of medical devices, among other things. FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medical products more effective, safer, and more affordable.

This 510(k) submission by OxyNov is an important step in obtaining marketing authorization in the United States for the FreeO 2  device.

"Today marks an important milestone in our commitment to our customers and patients to advance the world of healthcare," said Patrice Allibert, PhD, President and CEO of OxyNov.

The application is currently under review by the FDA, and the process is expected to take several months. While waiting for FDA clearance, OxyNov is continuing its preparations for the launch of the FreeO 2  device in the United States.

The commercialization of the FreeO 2  device in the U.S. market will help establish OxyNov's reputation among distributors.

ABOUT OXYNOV

In 2009, two physician-researchers joined forces after a clinical research project to develop a device to automate the administration of oxygen therapy. They founded OxyNov Inc. to focus entirely on developing the FreeO 2  device and improving the application of this treatment on a daily basis. The company has been in business in Europe since 2017 and in Canada since 2019.

ABOUT THE FREEO 2  DEVICE

The FreeO 2  is a revolutionary oxygen therapy device. It was developed by physician-researchers at Laval University and licensed by Health Canada in 2019. It continuously and automatically adjusts each patient's oxygen flow, accounting for individual needs and dynamics to help patients remain within the target oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) set by the clinician. The results of various published studies suggest that the FreeO 2 device is statistically superior in maintaining normoxia compared to manual or constant flow oxygen titration. Equally important, the FreeO 2 device minimizes the duration of desaturation or severe supersaturation compared to conventional oxygen therapy; in all studies, there was a statistically significant difference in favour of the FreeO 2 device.

SOURCE OxyNov
Investment kicks off a partnership with the high-growth SaaS company that delivers deeper insights and fresh thought leadership through its market intelligence platform.

CHICAGO and NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Positive Sum, today announced that it has invested $20M in Tegus, the world's leading research platform for institutional investors. Positive Sum joins existing Tegus investors IGSB, Oberndorf Enterprises, and Willoughby Capital. Founded in 2017 by twin brothers Michael and Thomas Elnick, Tegus has revolutionized the research process for decision makers at top institutional investment firms, Fortune 1000 enterprises, investment banks, and consultancies.

Positive Sum Advisors LLC

In addition to the investment, Tegus has partnered with O'Shaughnessy's Invest Like the Best podcast and media channels to drive brand awareness and bring investors proprietary insights from their platform. O'Shaughnessy will join the Tegus Board as an Observer, helping guide Tegus further towards their mission of modernizing and streamlining the investment research process.

"My appreciation for Tegus and its founders has grown continuously since we started working together in 2020," said Patrick O'Shaughnessy, CEO and Partner at Positive Sum. "The product has always been best in class, and seeing it transition into a fully-fledged platform for investors opens up endless possibilities."

"Patrick understands our customers and the investment community better than anyone," commented Tegus Co-Founder and Co-CEO Mike Elnick, "Through his podcast, Invest Like the Best, he has studied and interviewed the best investors and operators in the world, identifying pain points and value drivers that will help Tegus innovate and continue to bring unmatched insights to the investor community."

This funding announcement comes just weeks after Tegus acquired Canalyst, expanding their core solution offering to include accurate, customized, and downloadable models on companies and industries. Tegus plans to continue growing its platform to serve investors the best research available, and enable their customers to focus on the most valuable work in making investment decisions.

About Positive Sum

Positive Sum is an early-stage venture capital firm led by co-founders Patrick O'Shaughnessy and Sam Cates. Positive Sum invests across stages, especially from Seed to Series B, in companies that are creating and reinventing categories.

About Tegus

Tegus is the world's leading research platform for institutional investors. With real-time access to the most comprehensive database of over 50,000 expert interviews, 4,000+ downloadable financial models, workflows to surface and analyze data from SEC filings, as well as expert interview services, Tegus streamlines the way institutional investors and businesses conduct research. The company serves more than 2,500 customers worldwide, including investment firms, corporations, and consultancies. For more information about our leading market and business intelligence solution, visit tegus.com.

Media Contact:

Patrick O'Shaughnessy

[email protected]

SOURCE Positive Sum Advisors LLC
Ballast Research, Hamilton Place Strategies, Flag Media Analytics, alva, Gotham Research Group, and Decode_M Merge Into One Entity To Offer Unrivaled Intelligence And Strategy To The World's Leading Companies

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Ballast Research, Hamilton Place Strategies, Flag Media Analytics, alva, and Gotham Research Group, along with newly acquired Decode_M, officially rebranded and launched as Penta , a stakeholder solutions firm combining intelligence and strategy capabilities. Penta is backed by a majority investment by Falfurrias Capital Partners.

The announcement follows a year of exciting growth and collaboration as the firms bring together industry-leading analytical and research capabilities with deep communications expertise. Drawing on these capabilities, Penta will work with clients to define, inform, and strengthen decision-making and understanding between business leaders and their stakeholders.

Penta will be led by President Matt McDonald, previously a partner at Hamilton Place Strategies for over a decade. The company's leadership will also include Senior Partners Tony Fratto, Alberto Lopez-Valenzuela, and Mike Berland, as well as Kevin Madden, who is returning to the firm after three years as executive vice president at Arnold Ventures. Mike Gottlieb will continue in his current role as president of Ballast Research within Penta. Beth Comstock and Alex Jutkowitz will serve as board advisors to the newly combined entity.

"Leaders know the challenges they face in the increasingly complex stakeholder environment. It is time to meet the moment with a purpose-built firm that offers comprehensive and actionable intelligence to inform stakeholder strategy and engagement," said Penta President Matt McDonald. "With our proprietary technology and deep experience across sectors and disciplines, Penta is uniquely positioned to serve this need."

"Penta's integrated approach will help leaders understand what the reputational risks they face mean for their business, and how to engage with stakeholders to reach desired outcomes," said Board Chair Alex Jutkowitz. "Looking ahead, we will continue to seek strategic opportunities that will enhance our offerings and insights."

As the newest addition, Decode_M brings innovative research methodologies and advanced analytics capabilities to the Penta team. Decode_M's proprietary MFactor tool is the first of its kind to measure the cultural momentum of brands, products, people, and movements. Proven problem solvers and data-driven storytellers, the Decode_M team will be an essential part of helping clients understand "What's Next?" to drive growth and identify risks and opportunities for their businesses.

Penta comprises over 200 professionals in New York, London, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, working to bring data-driven, strategic solutions to more than 200 clients. With the support of Falfurrias Capital Partners, Penta will continue to make acquisitions that will expand the firm's global reach. The integration of the firms into Penta will be complete by the end of year following the conclusion of Ballast Research's current research cycle.

To learn more about Penta's offerings, visit pentagroup.co .

For media inquiries, please contact Julia Decerega at [email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1907941/Penta_Logo_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Penta
CANTON, Mass., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Point32Health, the parent company of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan, has announced three finalists for its first annual Innovation Challenge Symposium this fall:

Freespira, Inc. , based in Kirkland, Washington , is the maker and provider of Freespira, the only medication-free, FDA cleared digital therapeutic treatment proven to significantly reduce or eliminate symptoms of panic disorder, panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder in just 28 days.

based in the maker and provider of Freespira, the only medication-free, FDA cleared digital therapeutic treatment proven to significantly reduce or eliminate symptoms of panic disorder, panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder in just 28 days. HealthSmartRx Solutions , an Irving, Texas -based supplier of pharmacy benefit optimization services, including the Smart RxAssist program, which reduces the financial burdens associated with high-cost infused medications by making them more affordable.

an supplier of pharmacy benefit optimization services, including the Smart RxAssist program, which reduces the financial burdens associated with high-cost infused medications by making them more affordable. Wider Circle [widercircle.com], based in Redwood City, California , works with health plans nationally to deliver unique hyper-local care programs and communities that connect neighbors for better health. The company's peer-based delivery network addresses health inequities while driving resilience, improving member experience, and reducing costs. Wider Circle offers its programs in several languages to underserved people in more than 320 communities nationwide.

Point32Health initiated this challenge to facilitate discovery, development, and implementation of innovative solutions that improve health care for its members and communities, increase affordability, and improve the overall healthcare experience.

"After a highly competitive application process, we believe we have selected three organizations that are at the forefront of health care and clinical innovation in our country," said Michael Sherman, MD, MBA, MS, executive vice president and chief medical officer. "As a leader in fostering relationships and working with businesses on ground-breaking therapeutic advances, we look forward to understanding their operating models and learning how they are working to improve the health and wellness of individuals across the country."

The Innovation Challenge Symposium is an opportunity for one or more of these companies to work with Point32Health on a pilot or program, funded by the insurer. Representatives from each company will attend the Symposium and present their industry innovations to the Point32Health leadership team at the company's headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts on October 12, 2022. For more information, visit: https://www.point32health.org/2022-innovation-challenge/. Any questions about the Symposium can be sent to: [email protected].

About Point32Health

Point32Health is a leading health and wellbeing organization, delivering an even-better health care experience to everyone in our communities. Building on the quality, nonprofit heritage of our founding organizations, Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, we leverage our experience to help people find their version of healthier living through a broad range of health plans and tools that make navigating health and wellbeing easier.

Our programs take a 360-degree view of health for our members  no matter their age, health, race, identity or income. Our Institute works to improve population health  and our Foundation works with communities to support, advocate and advance healthier lives for everyone. We use empathy to understand what's important to those we serve, always making their priorities our own. And we work to guide and empower people by bringing together wide-ranging partners and perspectives to create new approaches that make a real difference for our community, our industry and our 2.2 million members across New England.

SOURCE Point32Health
SHANGHAI, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the investment division of Viva Biotech, Viva BioInnovator is committed to being a collaborative platform for Innovative Biotech companies from around the world. Over the past 2 months, our portfolio companies progressed greatly.

ABM Therapeutics Announces First Patient Dosed in Phase I Clinical Trial of ABM-1310 in China

On September 16, 2022, ABM Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is invested and incubated by Viva BioInnovator, announced that the first patient has been successfully dosed with ABM-1310 in a multi-center phase I clinical trial in China.

ABM-1310, ABM Therapeutic's proprietary clinical candidate developed as a next-generation BRAF inhibitor, is a highly selective, highly water-soluble, orally administrated, and brain-penetrant small molecule BRAF inhibitor. ABM-1310 phase I trial, conducted in China, is a multi-center, open-label study to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary anti-tumor activity of ABM-1310 in Chinese patients with BRAF V600X mutated advanced solid tumors.

F5 Therapeutics awarded First Servier FAST Discovery Award

F5 Therapeutics, which invested and incubated by Viva BioInnovator, was recently awarded the first Servier FAST Discovery Award. Winning this award means F5 stood out from 23 applications, indicating the industry's recognition of F5's innovative treatment methods in the field of biomedicine. "Servier FAST Discovery Award" is co-sponsored by Servier and the California Life Sciences Association (CLSA) to support early-stage life science companies using innovative approaches in areas designated by the group: oncology, auto-immune diseases, genetically driven neurodegenerative, and movement disorders.

F5 is transforming targeted protein degradation to advance drug discovery by utilizing the cell's normal protein regulation systems to remove disease-causing proteins that cannot be targeted by traditional approaches. The NExMods Platform (NEosubstrate Expression Modulators) represents a novel approach to "molecular glues" capable of delivering effective medicines to patients across diverse therapeutic areas: oncology, immuno-oncology, fibrosis, inflammation, and neurodegeneration.

AceLink Therapeutics Receives Orphan Drug Designation for its Novel GCS inhibitor AL01211 for the Treatment of Fabry Disease

AceLink Therapeutics, Inc. (AceLink), invested and incubated by Viva BioInnovator, is an innovative biopharmaceutical company developing transformative therapies for genetic diseases. On September 7, 2022, they announced that they received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for AL01211 as a treatment for Fabry Disease.

AL01211 was selected based on its unique properties to effectively treat peripheral organs that Fabry disease affects by reducing the risk of off-target effects by preventing the crossing of the blood-brain barrier.

HAYA Therapeutics won the "TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award 2022" and was successfully selected for the "Soonicorn Club 2022"

On Sept. 7th, 2022, the "Top 100 Swiss Startup Award 2022," sponsored by Venturelab, was announced. HAYA Therapeutics, invested and incubated by Viva BioInnovator, was named TOP100 Swiss Startups' 8th Best Startup and came first in the Cardiovascular & Drug Discovery sectors. In addition, HAYA Therapeutics was recently included in the"SoonicornClub 2022", which names the top Swiss technology startups. The awards given demonstrate the industry's recognition of their potential in the field of biomedicine.

Regenacy Pharmaceuticals Announces Completion of Enrollment for their Phase 2 Study in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy and $9.3 Million in Series B Financing

Regenacy Pharmaceuticals Inc, invested and incubated by Viva BioInnovator, is a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company developing breakthrough treatments for diabetes and other peripheral neuropathies. On August 24, 2022, they announced completion of enrollment for the company's phase 2 study of ricolinostat, an oral selective deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) inhibitor for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). The company also announced the closing of a $9.3 million Series B financing led by Cobro Ventures.

Arthrosi Completes AR882 Renal Impairment Study and its Phase 2b Study Enrollment

Arthrosi Therapeutics, Inc., which invested and incubated by Viva BioInnovator, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the treatment and management of gout. On August 9, 2022, they announced the completion of their renal impairment study that utilizes the lead compound, AR882. AR882 is a potent and selective uricosuric agent which has shown effectiveness in lowering serum urate in patients with normal renal function and in patients with mild to severe renal impairment.

On Aug. 23, 2022, Arthrosi announced the completion of enrollment for its global Phase 2b clinical study of AR882 for the treatment of chronic gout. The study, which exceeded the initial target enrollment of 120 patients, is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AR882 in chronic gout patients who meet ACR/EULAR gout classification.

About ABM Therapeutics

ABM Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a mission to focus on the small molecule research and development of novel drugs for the treatment of cancer, and on brain cancer and cancer metastases. ABM has been building its broad and robust proprietary pipeline to construct a brain medicine R&D platform through collaboration with CROs. ABM's pipeline includes several programs in various stages of discovery and development, most of which have improved brain permeability to address the unmet needs of treating cancers and metastases in the brain.

About F5 Therapeutics

F5 is evolving targeted protein degradation to transform the landscape of drug discovery by utilizing the cell's normal protein regulation systems to remove disease causing proteins that cannot be targeted by traditional approaches. The NExMods Platform (NEosubstrate Expression Modulators) represents a novel approach to "molecular glues" capable of delivering impactful medicines to patients across diverse therapeutic areas: oncology, immuno-oncology, fibrosis, inflammation, and neurodegeneration.

About AceLink Therapeutics

Founded in 2018, AceLink Therapeutics is an innovative biopharma startup focusing on developing safe and effective medicines to address genetic diseases with high unmet needs. The company's initial focus is to develop novel therapeutics for Fabry disease. For more information, please visit www.acelinktherapeutics.com.

About HAYA Therapeutics

HAYA Therapeutics is a precision therapeutics company that discovers and develops innovative tissue- and cell-selective genomic medicines for fibrotic diseases and other serious health conditions associated with aging, including cancer. The company's discovery engine focuses on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) within the "dark matter" of the human genome -- key tissue and cell-specific drivers of fibrosis and other disease processes -- to identify novel targets and drug candidates with the potential for greater efficacy and safety than existing treatments.

About Regenacy

Regenacy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company regenerating biological function by protein acetylation for the treatment of diabetic and other peripheral neuropathies and other chronic conditions. The company's selective inhibition technology provides superior safety profiles and potential enhanced efficacy compared to non-selective HDAC inhibitors. Regenacy selectively inhibits histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) to restore normal intracellular protein and organelle transport in peripheral neuropathies, and also has a portfolio of selective HDACs 1 and 2 inhibitors that have potential to treat major blood diseases such as leukemia, sickle cell disease, -thalassemia, and cognitive dysfunction in neurological disorders. www.regenacy.com

About Arthrosi Therapeutics

Arthrosi Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in San Diego, CA, in 2018 with a mission to create a revolutionary treatment option to target uric acid levels and reduce joint damage for people living with gout. With its vast therapeutic and treatment knowledge, Arthrosi has accumulated a comprehensive and robust intellectual property portfolio and impressive Phase I and Phase II data showing industry leading efficacy rates and superior safety profiles. To learn more about Arthrosi, please visit www.arthrosi.com

SOURCE Viva Biotech Holdings
NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Technavio has been monitoring the publishing market, operating under the industrial industry. The report estimates it to register an incremental growth of USD 19.2 billion during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis of the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. Request the Latest Free sample report.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Publishing Market 2022-2026

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will decelerate during the forecast period. Competitors have to focus on differentiating their product offerings with unique value propositions to strengthen their foothold in the market. Market vendors also have to leverage the existing growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Amazon.com Inc., Bertelsmann SE and Co. KGaA, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, Cambridge University Press, Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH and Co. KG, Hachette Livre, John Wiley and Sons Inc., McGraw Hill Education Inc., Pearson Plc, PLANETA CORPORACION Srl, RELX Plc, Springer Nature Switzerland AG, Thomson Reuters Corp., and Wolters Kluwer NV are among some of the major market participants.

The growing impact of e-books has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, Low revenue from newspapers and traditional book publishing might hamper the market growth. Download Free Sample Report.

Publishing Market Segmentation

Based on geographic segmentation, 63% of the market's originated from APAC during the forecast period. In addition, the traditional category led the growth under the platform segment. This report provides an accurate prediction of the contribution of all the segments to the growth of the superfood powders market size.

By Platform

Traditional



Digital

Geography

North America



Europe



APAC



Middle East And Africa



South America

Publishing Market Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The publishing market report covers the following areas:

Publishing Market Size

Publishing Market Trends

Publishing Market Industry Analysis

This study identifies the rise in the number of indie and self-published authors as one of the prime reasons driving the Publishing Market growth during the next few years. Buy Sample Report.

Publishing Market Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will assist publishing market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the publishing market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the publishing market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of the publishing market, vendors

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Flexographic Printing Machine Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026:According to Technavio's analyst, the flexographic printing machine market size is expected to be valued at USD 502.93 million by 2026 with a progressing CAGR of 6.14%.

Publishing Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Decelerate at a CAGR of 1.22% Market growth 2022-2026 $19.2 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 1.36 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 63% Key consumer countries US, Canada, China, UK, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Amazon.com Inc., Bertelsmann SE and Co. KGaA, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, Cambridge University Press, Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH and Co. KG, Hachette Livre, John Wiley and Sons Inc., McGraw Hill Education Inc., News Corp., Oxford University Press, Pearson Plc, PLANETA CORPORACION Srl, RELX Plc, SANTILLANA GLOBAL SL, Scholastic Corp., Springer Nature Switzerland AG, Thomson Reuters Corp., and Wolters Kluwer NV 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 Platform



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 ($ billion)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



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 Platform

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on Platform - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Platform - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Platform

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Platform



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Platform

5.3 Traditional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on Traditional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Traditional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 30: Chart on Traditional - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Traditional - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Digital - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on Digital - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Digital - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 34: Chart on Digital - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Digital - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Platform

Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Platform ($ billion)

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 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 43: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 44: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 45: 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 46: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 47: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

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 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 50: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 52: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 53: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 55: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 56: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 57: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 59: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 60: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 61: Data Table on South America - 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 ($ billion)



Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



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 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

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 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 72: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.11 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 74: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 75: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 76: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 77: Data Table on UK - 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 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 79: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

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 ($ billion)

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 Bertelsmann SE and Co. KGaA

Exhibit 89: Bertelsmann SE and Co. KGaA - Overview



Exhibit 90: Bertelsmann SE and Co. KGaA - Business segments



Exhibit 91: Bertelsmann SE and Co. KGaA - Key news



Exhibit 92: Bertelsmann SE and Co. KGaA - Key offerings



Exhibit 93: Bertelsmann SE and Co. KGaA - Segment focus

10.4 Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH and Co. KG

Exhibit 94: Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH and Co. KG - Overview



Exhibit 95: Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH and Co. KG - Product / Service



Exhibit 96: Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH and Co. KG - Key offerings

10.5 Hachette Livre

Exhibit 97: Hachette Livre - Overview



Exhibit 98: Hachette Livre - Product / Service



Exhibit 99: Hachette Livre - Key news



Exhibit 100: Hachette Livre - Key offerings

10.6 McGraw Hill Education Inc.

Exhibit 101: McGraw Hill Education Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 102: McGraw Hill Education Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 103: McGraw Hill Education Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 104: McGraw Hill Education Inc. - Segment focus

10.7 News Corp.

Exhibit 105: News Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 106: News Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 107: News Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 108: News Corp. - Segment focus

10.8 Pearson Plc

Exhibit 109: Pearson Plc - Overview



Exhibit 110: Pearson Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 111: Pearson Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 112: Pearson Plc - Segment focus

10.9 PLANETA CORPORACION Srl

Exhibit 113: PLANETA CORPORACION Srl - Overview



Exhibit 114: PLANETA CORPORACION Srl - Product / Service



Exhibit 115: PLANETA CORPORACION Srl - Key offerings

10.10 RELX Plc

Exhibit 116: RELX Plc - Overview



Exhibit 117: RELX Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 118: RELX Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 119: RELX Plc - Segment focus

10.11 Scholastic Corp.

Exhibit 120: Scholastic Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 121: Scholastic Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 122: Scholastic Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 123: Scholastic Corp. - Segment focus

10.12 Thomson Reuters Corp.

Exhibit 124: Thomson Reuters Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 125: Thomson Reuters Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 126: Thomson Reuters Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 127: Thomson Reuters Corp. - Segment focus

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 128: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 129: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 130: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 131: Research methodology



Exhibit 132: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 133: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 134: List of abbreviations

Sales and merchandising are the final stages in the e-book value chain, where the e-books reach the customers. Sales are carried out through specific e-retailers or directly from a publisher official website, and merchandising options are available across multiple formats.

This model is not as popular as the other two. However, it is expected to be profitable for the e-book publishing segment. A well-designed advertisement platform, such as Google, can bring in substantial revenue that will allow retailers to charge even less for their books. Based on the location of the reader and the user profile information (including the purchase history), advertisements can pop up as notifications or can be delivered in e-books and apps, aiding in revenue generation.

model

model

ad model

services

channels

retail model

model

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
BESSEMER, Ala., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of California's new FAST Recovery Act, leading self-service solutions firm PYE wants to partner with quick service restaurants to help combat the legislation many operators believe will harm their businesses.

Since the bill's introduction, PYE has fielded inquiries from more than 500 restaurants searching for ways to lower labor costs and increase profitability. The company hopes to help position the restaurants against an uncertain future with its growing line of kiosks.

The threat

The recently signed act established a wage council for fast food workers made of 10 representatives fast-food restaurant franchisors, franchisees, and employees, along with employee advocates and two government representatives.

The council will set industry standards for working hours, conditions, and wages for California's 500,000-plus fast-food workers. Read the bill in its entirety here.

Fast-food employers are concerned about increasing labor costs, as the bill creates the potential for the minimum wage to reach $22 per hour  much higher than the state's current minimum wage of $15 per hour.

How can employers respond to mandated wage increases?

Employers should review their labor and employment practices and policies with their attorneys to ensure they remain compliant with California law throughout the changes.

Employers will also need to prepare for big wage increases. That means adjusting budgets, lowering labor costs, and increasing profitability, all without cutting the employee hours necessary to run an efficient business.

At first glance, the task is nearly impossible without drastically raising customer prices. However, the California employers contacting PYE to implement self-ordering kiosks see a solution to keep their businesses resilient against wage increases.

Lower labor costs with PYE kiosks

Quick service restaurant (QSR) kiosks allow customers to order independently, eliminating the need for restaurants to pay an employee to take orders and secure payments. Case studies have shown that self-ordering kiosks allow many restaurants to minimize the use of cashiers and, in some situations, reduce payroll spending by $48,000 per year. Self-service kiosks typically increase order size by more than 20% due to factors like upselling, automated menu optimization, and privacy while ordering that result from kiosk implementation.

In addition to lowering labor costs and increasing profit, PYE kiosks have been shown to reduce revenue loss by securely accepting both cash and credit card payments directly from the consumer. This is a rarity among QSR kiosks, as many only accept card payments. PYE kiosks also reduce wait times, improve order accuracy and speed up table turnaround times.

The time to act is now

Wage hikes may take place on Jan. 1, 2023, and annually thereafter. Wages can increase by no more than the lesser of the following, rounded to the nearest 10 cents: 3.5% or the increase in the Consumer Price Index.

The FAST Recovery Act applies to quick-service restaurants in California that meet the following criteria:

Sells for immediate consumption on or off-premises.

Customers order or select items and pay before eating.

Items are prepared in advance, including those prepared in bulk and kept hot or with items prepared or heated quickly.

Limited or no table service (table service doesn't include customers ordering from their table via an electronic device).

Part of a set of fast-food restaurants with at least 100 establishments that share a common brand.

Employers facing mandated wage hikes need to lower labor costs while driving profit. PYE's QSR kiosks are the answer.

PYE is offering kiosks with no upfront hardware costs. Learn more by scheduling a demo before the changes take effect.

Web: www.mypyepos.com

SOURCE PYE
KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- An exceptional cinematic event at the Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Cultural Centre (JACC) , which hosted the documentary (Elizabeth a Portrait in Parts) on its screen, amid a high turnout of documentary enthusiasts, seats were reserved within hours.

Queen Elizabeth II commemorated at the heart of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Cultural Centre (JACC)

The documentary, which features the critical historic moments of the late Queen's life over a period of 89 minutes, presented scenes, footage and details appearing for the first time on the big screen, narrating the stages and points of the outstanding Queen's reign, over 70 years of variables, conflicts and achievements from the timid princess scene to the historical scene of Queen Elizabeth II, It also includes a number of exclusive interviews with close figures shown for the first time, providing unprecedented details, the film was directed by the late Roger Michel, who excelled in his execution with a distinctive vision, and it's his last work before his passing at the end of 2021.

Sarah, one of the event attendees,fell in love with the details of the film.She was very moved , saying, "It feels like we're looking at a flashback painted accurately where I met Queen Elizabeth, the mother, grandmother and leader, and saw her in her different stages. I am deeply touched by her personality and saddened by her death".

Ahmed pointed out the great harmony and compatibility between the soundtrack and the visual scenes, and highlighted "the film's music, by the brilliant George Fenton, has added an unparalleled aesthetic and completed a vital part of the work". The work he sees as a brief glimpse into Queen Elizabeth's journey and a comprehensive look at her private and public life.

Jaber Al-Ahmed Cultural Centre JACC is an architectural and cultural landmark in the heart of Kuwait that opened in 2016 and aims to highlight and showcase local and international arts and creations and is a national center for culture in the country .It consists of 4 buildings with attractive jewel-inspired design and contains theaters, conference halls, concert halls,exhibition halls and restaurants surrounded by parks and green spaces.

CONTACT: [email protected], + 965 22060880

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829320/Jaber_Al_Ahmed_Cultural_Centre_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1908802/JACC_Queen.jpg

SOURCE Jaber Al-Ahmed Cultural Center
HOUSTON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Red Sea National Petrochemical Company ("Red Sea") has selected Univation's UNIPOL PE Process for two reactor lines. Each reactor line is designed to achieve world-scale nameplate capacities and will enable Red Sea with significant production capabilities to satisfy growing regional and export-focused demand for polyethylene products.

The two new reactor lines will be located in the Suez Canal Economic Zone in the Arab Republic of Egypt. Red Sea will take complete advantage of the broad product flexibility of the UNIPOL PE Process by designing both plants with "full-density" capabilities providing Red Sea the ability to produce both HDPE and LLDPE products in either reactor platform.

We are very proud that Red Sea selected Univation's UNIPOL PE Process for this impressive integrated project in Egypt. Tweet this

To cover their targeted polyethylene product segments, Red Sea has elected to take advantage of Univation's high-density polyethylene (HDPE) technology platforms. These include PRODIGY Bimodal HDPE Technology to produce a range of advantaged bimodal HDPE applications (e.g. PE100 pipe, film, blow molding), and also ACCLAIM Unimodal HDPE Technology which enables the manufacture of advanced unimodal HDPE products (e.g. large part blow molding, unimodal films, pipe applications). Additionally, Red Sea will access Univation's XCAT Metallocene Technology allowing the production of specialty metallocene LLDPE films covering a wide-range of food preservation film structures, durable shipping packages, and sustainable agricultural film applications.

As a further enhancement to the operational performance of their two UNIPOL PE Process lines, Red Sea selected Univation's advanced process control platform: PREMIER APC+ 3.0. APC+ 3.0 is Univation's latest generation of process control software and is designed to maximize the value derived from the UNIPOL PE Process enabling Red Sea to achieve world-class operational metrics.

Additionally, Red Sea recently signed a separate agreement with Linde Engineering for the steam cracker unit to produce ethylene feedstock for the two UNIPOL PE Reactor lines. Linde Engineering will also be responsible for the preparation of the Basic Design Engineering Package (BDEP) for the two lines. Univation Technologies and Linde Engineering have a cooperation agreement, which was formed to enable measurable capital investment synergies and overall lower operation cost derived from a high degree of integration of the UNIPOL PE Process with the cracker platform.

Luis Cirihal, president of Univation Technologies, commented, "We are very proud that Red Sea selected Univation's UNIPOL PE Process for this impressive integrated project in Egypt. We look forward to contributing over 50 years of Univation's polyethylene technology know-how to enable the successful completion of all key project phases  including design, construction, commissioning, and start-up  for these two world-scale plants." Luis continued his comments, "Additionally, we are pleased to work with both the Red Sea team and our alliance team members at Linde Engineering to maximize the combined engineering and design strengths of the UNIPOL PE Process and the cracker platform. Our shared goal is to deliver to Red Sea a further competitive edge in the marketplace by enabling lower initial capital expenditure as well as on-going advantaged operating costs."

Red Sea National Petrochemical Company added the following comments, "The Red Sea project is an important step for both our company and for the country of Egypt towards becoming a regional center for value-added petrochemical products. This project also delivers on Red Sea's strategic objectives of achieving the reputation as the most reliable producer of petrochemical products in our region, and furthermore creating significant petrochemical production capacity to satisfy our customer's growing demand in both local and international markets." Moreover, "This truly world-scale project is notable as one of the largest petrochemical complexes in the Middle East and the single largest complex within the African continent. We are pleased to work alongside experienced technology providers including Univation Technologies and Linde Engineering  and we anticipate the successful completion of these key projects and the rapid introduction of Red Sea's high-performance products to our loyal customers around the world."

About Univation Technologies, LLC

Univation Technologies is the global leader in licensed polyethylene technology. Univation has a proven track record of delivering process, product and catalyst technologies as well as related technical services to the global polyethylene industry for more than 50 years. More than one-third of all HDPE and LLDPE resins produced globally is supplied by the industry-leading UNIPOL PE Process. Univation is also the world's leading manufacturer and supplier of conventional and advanced polyethylene polymerization catalysts designed specifically for the UNIPOL PE Process. For more information, visit www.univation.com.

UNIVATION, XCAT, PREMIER, stylized "Univation Technologies," and the stylized "U" are registered trademarks of Univation Technologies. UNIPOL is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow, licensed for use to Univation Technologies.

Contacts

Univation Technologies, LLC

Duane Thompson

+1-713-892-3668

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Univation Technologies, LLC
Report identifies key drivers for high performance and high digital agility

CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- West Monroe, one of the fastest-growing digital services firms, today announced the findings of its new research, "Building a Digital Organization." This report succeeds West Monroe's Be Digital Research published in August 2022, designed to narrow the focus on the biggest area where leaders need the most support and direction with digital transformation: Organization & People. The strategies and data outlined in this research will help companies and leaders move past this hurdle.

The research polls more than 300 executives to identify the critical culture, talent, and structure practices driving digital agility and business performance.

Digital agility is an organization's ability to effectively leverage data and technology and alter work processes to improve customer and employee experiences and corresponding business results. Digitally mature organizations are adept at leveraging data to shape insights, predict outcomes, and drive shorter- and longer-term business growth, ultimately becoming more competitive.

"Professionals across every industry are re-evaluating their career paths and looking for the right employer to meet their needs," says David Hilborn, Managing Partner of West Monroe's Human Capital Management practice. "In the middle of this societal reckoning around how we define and value work, the data offers a clear mandate: The time is now for organizations to adopt a digital approach that will build agile, high-performing teams."

The research findings highlight key accelerators of companies with high performance and high digital agility (HH), noting what makes them especially competitive and positioned for success, including:

Risk-taking  Nearly 9 in 10 HH companies (87%) report that the company's culture fosters a "fail fast" environment that encourages measured risk-taking. This environment keeps talent focused on long-term outcomes while allowing for experimentation.

 Nearly 9 in 10 HH companies (87%) report that the company's culture fosters a "fail fast" environment that encourages measured risk-taking. This environment keeps talent focused on long-term outcomes while allowing for experimentation. Collaboration  HH organizations bring together diverse perspectives to problem solve, develop new solutions and make improvement iteratively. A notable 90% of HH organizations report that they measure, reward, and recognize employees for working collaboratively to achieve business results.

 HH organizations bring together diverse perspectives to problem solve, develop new solutions and make improvement iteratively. A notable 90% of HH organizations report that they measure, reward, and recognize employees for working collaboratively to achieve business results. Development  In a competitive talent market, 100% of HH companies have a defined learning and upskilling strategy to build necessary digital skills. Critically, these organizations have key ownership for training and learning from across the businessnot just within human resources or talent management.

 In a competitive talent market, 100% of HH companies have a defined learning and upskilling strategy to build necessary digital skills. Critically, these organizations have key ownership for training and learning from across the businessnot just within human resources or talent management. Retention  HH companies are also effectively battling societal trends like the "Great Resignation" and "quiet quitting." A notable 80% of HH organizations say they have the strategies needed to improve talent retention or already retain all the talent needed to be successful.

In addition to the four key drivers, the report also identifies 10 statistically significant attributes that are correlated with high performance and high digital agility. For more findings, view the full report here.

About the Research

West Monroe's human capital research was conducted in partnership with Sapient Insights Group through an online survey platform and 1:1 interview tactics rooted in best practices, reaching 300 respondents across private, public and government/non-profit sectors throughout North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific. Ninety percent of respondents were executives or director-level leaders across 10 industries.

About West Monroe

West Monroe is a digital services firm that was born in technology but built for businesspartnering with companies in transformative industries to deliver quantifiable financial value. We believe that digital is a mindsetnot a project, a team, or a destinationand it's something companies become, not something they do. That's why we work in diverse, multidisciplinary teams that blend management consulting, digital design, and product engineering to move companies from traditional ways of working to digital operating modelsand create experiences that transcend the digital and physical worlds. Connected by the 13 founding values that drive our culture, our 2,400 employees work collaboratively across the firm with the belief that our clients' success is our success. Visit WestMonroe.com to learn more.

Media Inquiries

Christina Galoozis

Senior Manager, External Communications

[email protected]

847-302-1762

SOURCE West Monroe Partners
VISALIA, Calif. , Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC), a family-owned college that provides a career-focused curriculum for students, is pleased to announce its 45th Anniversary Celebration on Friday, Oct. 7, from 9am  12pm at the SJVC Visalia campus located at 8344 W. Mineral King Ave, Visalia, CA 93291. The event will include several guest speakers, an award ceremony, campus tours, and additional activities for guests to celebrate SJVC's 45 years of serving local communities.

"This historic milestone marks nearly half a century of providing students with a pathway for success, and we are excited to celebrate with the greater community as we continue to find new ways to enrich the lives of all those we serve," said President of SJVC, Nick Gomez. "While we reflect upon our history and look toward the future, I am confident we will continue to grow, adapt, and excel at helping our students reach their fullest potential."

In 1977, Shirley and Bob Perry founded SJVC to meet a need they experienced firsthanda need for local, high-quality career training. Shirley always wanted to work in healthcare, but without easy access to a formal education, she had to teach herself medical assisting while raising her two sons.

After passing the certification exam, Shirley wanted to find a better option for people in similar situations, so Bob quit his job and the couple began making their vision a reality. Soon after, SJVC opened its doors in Visalia, Calif. with only three students as part of Shirley's first medical assisting class.

Today, SJVC serves thousands of students on 17 campuses across California and online. Since 1977 SJVC has served as a model of educational excellence while delivering economic and social value throughout the state. SJVC now offers more than 20 programs in the medical, business, and industrial trade fields, and some notable highlights include:

As of 2021, SJVC has awarded more than 72,000 certificates and degrees preparing professionally trained graduates for jobs in the healthcare and industrial trade fields.

Between 2018-2020, SJVC helped educate more than 3,500 graduates per year, providing thousands of qualified job candidates to local employers throughout California .

In 2019, SJVC was the largest educator of licensed Respiratory Therapists in the state of California . An estimated 1 in 4 of all Respiratory Therapy graduates in 2019 were from SJVC in the state of California 1.

Several SJVC Respiratory Therapy programs earned the Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) 2 including:

including: SJVC Rancho Cordova (20152021)



SJVC Bakersfield (2016, 2017, 2020, 2021)



SJVC Temecula (20172021)



SJVC Ontario (20172019)

In addition, the Dental Hygiene programs at SJVC have provided complimentary dental services for years, serving more than 20,000 patients since 1998 and totaling more than $7,000,000 in complimentary services to underserved communities3.

The communities served by SJVC benefit from its focus on outcome-based learning. Faculty, administrators and staff are committed to helping students develop specific vocational knowledge and skills, as well as achieving the core student learning outcomes in information management, technical literacy and professional development. SJVC is committed to student achievement with a skills-based approach to education, and with a focus on career services and academic performance, graduates are highly qualified and motivated to enter the workforce.

Learn more about the story of Shirley and Bob Perry and the programs at SJVC.

Visit consumerinfo.sjvc.edu for important information on program outcomes.

About San Joaquin Valley College

San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) is an accredited private college that provides career-focused curriculum and instruction to its students. Founded in 1977, SJVC has 17 campuses located throughout California  plus an online division  and offers more than 20 accelerated certificate and associate of science degree programs in the medical, business, and technical fields. A second-generation, family-run college, SJVC has awarded more than 72,000 certificates and degrees preparing graduates for professional success in their chosen careers.

San Joaquin Valley College is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 748-9001, www.wscuc.org. The WSCUC is an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Questions or requests to review documents pertaining to accreditation should be directed to Crystal G. VanderTuig, Accreditation Liaison Officer San Joaquin Valley College, 3828 W. Caldwell Ave. Visalia, CA 93277 (559) 734-9000, [email protected].

1 Based on Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) completions data

2 Source: coarc.com/about/awards-and-scholarships/

3 Based on the ADA's 2020 National Dental Expenditures $430 per capita: https://bit.ly/adanationalexpenditure

SOURCE San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC)
LONDON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ShapeBlue, the CloudStack company, today announced that it has become a 100% employee-owned business: owned by all of its employees for the benefit of all of those employees.

100% of the shareholding of the company is now held by an Employee-Owned Trust (EOT) for the benefit of its staff, whilst the existing leadership team remains in place with no planned changes to the company's strategy.

The company, with offices in London, Bangalore, Cape Town and Sao Paulo, are the largest independent integrator of CloudStack technologies globally. The move to employee ownership was chosen as a mechanism to protect the company's long-term mission and their involvement in the Apache CloudStack open-source project as well as distributing the value of the company amongst its team.

Giles Sirett, CEO of ShapeBlue, commented: "I am very proud to be able to say that ShapeBlue is now 100% employee-owned. This guarantees our future as an independent company and allows us to continue to deliver for our customers through our deep involvement in Apache CloudStack."

Sirett continued: "This change of ownership model does not affect the our growth & technical strategies, service offerings and day-to-day operations becoming employee-owned does not affect our mission or ambitions as a company. Our leadership team remains unchanged, and I am very much looking forward to leading the company through this next phase of its development. It does, however, change our overall purpose  we are no longer a company that's ultimate purpose is to make gains for a small group of shareholders. The ultimate power and value in this business has shifted from its shareholders into the hands of the people who generate that value: its employees."

Employee ownership is one of the fastest-growing corporate ownership models. In the UK alone, there are now more than 1,000 employee-owned businesses, with the sector more than doubling in the past three years.

The fast pace of growth amongst businesses has taken off with the use of the employee ownership trust (EOT), introduced by the UK government in 2014 to encourage long-term employee ownership, and one in every 20 private company sales is now to an EOT, with ShapeBlue joining a network of EOTs in the UK that include Richer Sounds and Go Ape.

James de le Vingne, Chief Executive of the Employee Ownership Association (EOA), said: "We congratulate ShapeBlue on its transition to employee ownership; securing the ethos, values and culture of the business. Businesses that give employees a stake and a say build trust and shared responsibility, uniting leaders and employees behind a common purpose, and leaving businesses in a better position to flex and adapt."

About ShapeBlue

ShapeBlue are the largest independent integrator of CloudStack technologies globally and are specialists in the design and implementation of IaaS cloud infrastructures for both private and public cloud implementations. The company combines 100s of person-years of experience in designing and building complex network, storage and compute infrastructures with globally leading skills in Apache CloudStack. Their services include consulting, integration, training and infrastructure support.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/shapeblue

https://twitter.com/shapeblue

SOURCE ShapeBlue
The lifestyle discovery store unveils a new roster of brands

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SHOWFIELDS NoHo has launched its latest curation; guests are invited to discover new brands to see, taste, smell and touch - all together for the first time under one roof at the multi-level store.

First floor highlights include innovative home fragrance brand, Pura , who is joined by popular supplement company Cymbiotika . The statuesque first floor art gallery will be dedicated to newly launched brand, the fileist , a marketplace supporting and spotlighting innovative female invented products. Powered by GoDaddy , the fileist was founded by business leader, inventor and creative authority, Lindsay Albanese .

After enjoying the first floor, guests will head upstairs where they will be introduced to both new and familiar brands, shown through the SHOWFIELDS lens. Tech-savvy wellness products abound on the second floor where guests can demo a digitally connected pilates reformer from Frame Fitness , an advanced sleep aid device from Helight , award winning air purifiers from Levoit and more. Self-care also stands out on this level - including an experiential installation from Colgate hum , an innovative smart electric toothbrush.

On the third floor, guests will be introduced to clean cosmetics & skincare brand Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics and FHI Heat: professional grade hair tools. Also on display will be a curation of Black-owned brands, showcased together for the first time. Brands in the curation include Melanie Marie , Perfectly Cordial , Silver & Riley , Vontelle and Mielle Organics with more launching throughout the fall.

The third floor is also home to SHOWFIELDS' selection of fashion and accessories brands including Sundown by Splendid and Gobi . Breakout brand Sheertex is also located on the third floor - showcasing their signature rip-resistant tights just in time for fall.

SHOWFIELDS invites consumers to be the first to experience the new curation beginning at 2:00pm on September 28th; guests can enjoy giveaways, a live DJ, Tarot card reading presented by activewear Geyed and more. The Fall season of Showfields' programming kicks off on October 1st.

About SHOWFIELDS

Launched in 2019, SHOWFIELDS is a lifestyle discovery store featuring rotating, themed curations of mission driven products, art, and events that can be found "IRL" for the first time. With stores in Manhattan, Miami and Los Angeles, SHOWFIELDS has created a unique opportunity for brands to run measurable retail campaigns in the world's most desirable retail locations.

Press inquiries: [email protected]

SOURCE SHOWFIELDS
BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atom Computing today announced the opening of its new research and development facility in Boulder during a ceremony attended by industry and academic partners, officials from federal, state, and local government, and representatives from Colorado's Congressional delegation.

"Leading researchers and companies are choosing to partner with Atom Computing to develop quantum-enabled solutions because our atomic arrays have the potential to scale larger and faster than other qubit technologies," said Rob Hays, CEO of Atom Computing. Tweet this Atom Computing's first-generation system, Phoenix. (PRNewsfoto/Atom Computing)

The new facility is Atom's largest to date and will house future generations of its highly scalable quantum computers, which use atomic arrays of optically-trapped neutral atoms. The company opened its first office, which also serves as its global headquarters, in Berkeley, California in 2018.

Governor Jared Polis called the Boulder facility a significant and important investment in Colorado and evidence the state is emerging as the preeminent hub for quantum computing innovation in the U.S. and globally.

"We are excited to welcome Atom Computing to Boulder, which is already one of the world's most booming centers for the quantum computing sector," Polis said. "The addition of Atom Computing helps further position Colorado as an economic leader for the next big wave of technology development and will create more good-paying jobs for Coloradans."

The Boulder facility represents an important milestone for Atom Computing, which raised $60 million through a Series B earlier this year to build its second-generation systems. The company's 100-qubit prototype system, Phoenix, is housed in Berkeley and recently set an industry record for coherence time .

"Leading researchers and companies are choosing to partner with Atom Computing to develop quantum-enabled solutions because our atomic arrays have the potential to scale larger and faster than other qubit technologies," said Rob Hays, CEO of Atom Computing.

Hays said the company chose Colorado because of the quantum expertise and top talent in the area and plans to expand its presence in the state.

"We expect to invest $100 million in Colorado over the next three years as we develop our roadmap and hire more employees to support those efforts," he said.

Ben Bloom, Atom Computing's founder and CTO, said the company's strong ties to Colorado also contributed to its decision to build a facility in Boulder.

"Many of our team members, myself included, have connections with local universities," said Bloom, who earned a Ph.D. from University of Colorado-Boulder where he helped renowned physicist, Dr. Jun Ye, build one of the world's most accurate atomic clocks. "We are committed to Colorado."

Jun Ye, who currently serves as Atom's Scientific Advisor, called the new facility an important addition to the quantum ecosystem.

"It is extremely gratifying to see our recent CU graduates emerge as the early trailblazers of the rapidly growing quantum industry," said Ye, a physics professor at CU Boulder. "This creates a powerful ecosystem for the best science and technology to develop side-by-side, providing outstanding opportunities for Colorado students to lead the next wave of innovations in quantum research and the market."

To learn more about Atom Computing visit: https://atom-computing.com .

About Atom Computing

Atom Computing is building scalable quantum computers with atomic arrays of optically-trapped neutral atoms, empowering researchers and companies to achieve unprecedented breakthroughs. Learn more at atom-computing.com, and follow our journey on LinkedIn and Twitter .

SOURCE Atom Computing
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Silver Valley Metals Corp. (TSXV: SILV) ( OTCQB: SVMFF) ("Silver Valley" or the "Company"), a brownfields exploration Company with projects that comprise deposit(s) of lithium - potassium (sulphate of potash) located in Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi, Mexico and silver-zinc-lead located in Idaho, USA respectively, announces a $500,000 unit financing.

Subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, Silver Valley Metals Corporation plans to undertake a non-brokered private placement of up to 5.55 million units at a price of nine cents per unit for gross proceeds of up to $500,000. Each unit shall comprise one common share in the capital of the company and one half of a common share purchase warrant, with each full warrant entitling the holder to purchase one common share at a price of 18 cents per share at any time within two years of the date of issuance. All securities to be issued under this private placement will be subject to a four-month resale restriction.

The Company intends to close the private placement immediately following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of all regulatory approvals. The net proceeds of this private placement are earmarked for:

Completing the phase 2 exploration campaign through to the end of the year at the Ranger-Page project; this includes completing the comprehensive geological model from four phases of geophysical surveys, numerous geochemical surveys including soil sampling, rock chip and trench sampling, LIDAR integration, and fieldwork structural interpretation. These programs are ongoing. Following this, a compelling multi-target drill plan will be developed and marketed for the upcoming inaugural drill campaign. To maintain its lithium  sulphate of potash (Li-SOP) project / deposit(s) in Mexico. This includes financing the legal dispute regarding the lithium aspect of its deposits which the Company anticipates being resolved before the end of the year. The expectation has been given from the Supreme Court of Mexico that they will provide an answer to the validity of the Company's deposit(s) considering the amendment to the mining law that was undertaken by the Government this past April. The Company's challenge is that the amendment is not supported by the Mexican Constitution nor the international trade agreements between Canada and Mexico . Project option payments at Ranger-Page. General working capital including AGM, audit, overhead and marketing.

To view Ranger-Page Project and MexiCan Project presentations: https://tinyurl.com/bde29bsm

The Company continues to move its projects' forward in a cost-effective manner with a very successful group of Silver Valley geologists and intends to complete significant milestones in the coming months that is anticipated to bring positive impact to all shareholders'. Being in a tier one mining jurisdiction in Idaho and moreso, northern Idaho and the Silver Valley, possessing all patented claims, being the first company in this western sector of the Silver Valley to consolidate the area including an option to own the Page Mine (see September 20, 2022 news release regarding historic resources and mine extension drilling results  click here: https://tinyurl.com/mwdpu6fn), an option to own five additional historic mines and applying modern exploration to the entire project package for the first time, the Company anticipates numerous compelling high priority targets will be defined at the conclusion of the exploration program in Q4 2022 / Q1 2023. (see September 12, 2022 press release regarding new target areas that are being defined outside the known and expected areas of mineralization  click here: https://tinyurl.com/h6cdbbbp ).

And lastly, the 100% owned lithium and sulphate of potash deposits, the MexiCan project, is receiving little value in the market today but the Company remains hopeful for a positive resolution later this year which in turn will have a positive impact for all shareholders.

Silver Valley Metals appreciates and thanks all shareholders for their support.

To subscribe for the private placement please email:

[email protected]

Qualified person

Timothy Mosey, BSc, MSc, SME, is the qualified person for the company and qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Mosey supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

About: Mexican lithium - potassium (sulphate of potash) project:

Silver Valley owns a 100% interest in a lithium and potassium bearing salar complex comprising 4,059 hectares on three mineral concessions (the "Mexican Projects") located on the Central Mexican Plateau in the states of Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource contains 12.3Mt of Sulfate of Potash (SOP) and 243,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) and remains open in all directions for expansion. The Company is currently exploring strategic alternatives for the Project to enhance shareholder value. The Company considers the asset valuable and important.

About: Ranger-Page project:

Silver Valley's primary focus is on its flagship Ranger-Page Project ("The Project") located in the Silver Valley of Idaho, 60 kilometres east of Coeur d'Alene and 1 kilometre from the I-90 freeway. In 2020 Idaho was ranked the first in the world in policy perception and 9th best mining jurisdiction (Fraser Institute Annual Mining Survey). The Project borders the famous Bunker Hill Mine to the east and for the first time consolidates the western extent of the prolific Silver Valley mining corridor by one operator in the past 100+ years.

The Project is on patented claims, there are no royalties and comprise 6 historical mines. The largest of these, the Page Mine, was a top ten producer in the Silver Valley producing over 1 billion pounds of zinc and lead and 14.6 million ounces of silver. The Page Mine has high grade silver-zinc-lead historic reserves and remains wide open at depth beyond what has been defined to date.

There is shared underground infrastructure connecting the larger Page mine with five shallow historical mines within the larger Project area. The Company has underground mining data and surface geological data that supports high grade silver-zinc-lead mineralization present within the shallow, undeveloped mines. These mines remain open at depth, and laterally along strike.

Exploration potential beyond the historical mines is considered significant due to no modern systematic exploration applied to the project.

About Silver Valley Metals Corp.

We are a group of experienced exploration, mining, and financing specialists focused on the pursuit of mineral discovery and development. Our expertise in evaluating targets, consummating strategic and accretive outright sales, joint ventures, and /or acquisitions is the mandate for Silver Valley Metals Corp. We look to further de-risk potential projects via obtaining historical geological data that reflects untapped exploration potential that are in top tier mining jurisdictions preferably near producing mines.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Silver Valley Metals,

"Brandon Rook"

Brandon Rook, President & CEO, Director

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

SOURCE Silver Valley Metals Corp.
Destination by Design, thought leader and industry specialist, partners with communities to build and brand towns that draw new residents.

BOONE, N.C., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Destination by Design (DbD) is an innovative economic development firm based in Western NC and breaking ground across the U.S.

Comprised of urban planners, designers, and communication experts, DbD began by helping once-vibrant towns originally centered around the textile industry, but forced to reinvent. The firm provides the full range of services that towns need at every stage of re-development.

A family enjoys a peaceful trip down the Catawba River in McDowell County, NC

Local governments in North Carolina, including Wilkes and Rutherford Counties , have contracted DbD to create master plans intended to revitalize their downtowns and create enticing recreational areas. By capitalizing on historic main streets and public lands, DbD helps communities discover and leverage these as major new economic drivers. More plans and work samples can be found HERE .

Don Cason, Rutherford County, NC Tourism Director says, "Were it not for the vision and expertise of Destination by Design, our tourism infrastructure master planning effort wouldn't have been possible".

This cultural shift taking place in North Carolina is not an anomaly. Families nationwide are seeking out places to live that offer access to outdoor recreation, walkable communities, and local character. Beyond business parks and chain restaurants, they are looking for quality of life.

"Quality of life, outdoor recreation, and environmental protection are now major economic development themes," said Eric Woolridge, DbD's Director of Planning.

News of what DbD is accomplishing in NC is spreading to other parts of the US as more communities seek out the firm's expertise. "I'm hearing from municipal governments around the country: 'We see what is happening in Western NC and we want that for ourselves,'" said Woolridge.

Among other states, DbD has worked in Oregon, Florida, Maryland, Wyoming, Alabama, and Michigan to design and implement placemaking strategies, and to brand and market each community's unique story.

About Destination by Design: As a multidisciplinary economic development firm, Destination by Design is comprised of local government planners, engineers, urban designers, and communication specialists. The team collaborates to plan, develop, brand, and promote destination-quality recreation and tourism assets. To learn more, visit https://dbdplanning.com and on Instagram @destination_by_design .

SOURCE Destination by Design
Social Media Marketing Services Procurement report explains key category management objectives that should form the base for sourcing strategy, including:

Top-line growth

Scalability of inputs

Green initiatives

Category innovations

Supply base rationalization

Demand forecasting and governance

Minimalization of ad hoc purchases

Adherence to regulatory nuances

Cost savings

Customer retention

Reduction of TCO

Supply assurance

Sign Up for a Sample Social Media Marketing Services Procurement Market Report: https://www.spendedge.com/sample-report/social-media-marketing-services-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

This report evaluates suppliers based on provision for an applicable insurance policy, real-time analysis, pipeline software solutions, and conduct pipeline surveys. In addition, suppliers are also shortlisted based on business needs, technical specifications, operational requirements, security compliance, regulatory mandates, legal requirements, quality control, change management procedures, pricing models, penalty clauses, SLA nuances, acceptance criteria, and evaluation criteria.

Best Selling Reports:

Asset Recovery Services - Forecast and Analysis: The asset recovery services will grow at a CAGR of 9.49% during 2021-2025. Asia Asset Recovery Pte Ltd., TES-Amm Singapore Pte Ltd., and Iron Mountain Inc. are among the prominent suppliers in the asset recovery services market. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report. Vulnerability Management Sourcing and Procurement Report: Vulnerability Management Procurement Market, prices will increase by 4%-6% during the forecast period and suppliers will have moderate bargaining power in this market. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report. Celebrity Talent Management Services - Sourcing and Procurement Intelligence Report: This report offers key advisory and intelligence to help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers for their celebrity talent management services requirements. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report.

Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contact

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE Technavio
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Susan G. Komen, the world's leading breast cancer organization, today issued the following statement on the veto of diagnostic imaging legislation (SB 974) by Governor Gavin Newsom. The legislation was passed by the California legislature earlier this month:

"Legislation championed by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) and Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D-Burbank), would have eliminated barriers to care so that nearly 1 million people with state-regulated health plans could now receive medically necessary diagnostic imaging without any out-of-pocket expenses. These tests are critical in determining if there is a need for a biopsy but can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars," said Molly Guthrie, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Susan G. Komen.

"Komen disagrees with the reasons cited for the veto  cost and an overstepping of federal screening guidelines as they do not apply to diagnostic imaging  and believes without this legislation, thousands of women every year will forego diagnostic breast imaging simply because of the cost to them. This life-saving legislation was expected to provide an estimated 2.3 million breast imaging services at no cost to the patient, likely leading to earlier diagnosis and often better outcomes. SB 974 would have built upon recent success across the country, enabling people in nine states, most recently Georgia and Oklahoma, to receive more timely treatment for their breast cancer," Guthrie said.

"Komen's Center for Public Policy will continue to advocate for policies that ensure fair and equitable access to high-quality breast care for all, no matter their age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, cancer stage or socio-economic status," added Guthrie.

More information about the legislation can be found here.

About Susan G. Komen

Susan G. Komen is the world's leading nonprofit breast cancer organization, working to save lives and end breast cancer forever. Komen has an unmatched, comprehensive 360-degree approach to fighting this disease across all fronts and supporting millions of people in the U.S. and in countries worldwide. We advocate for patients, drive research breakthroughs, improve access to high-quality care, offer direct patient support and empower people with trustworthy information. Founded by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy's life, Komen remains committed to supporting those affected by breast cancer today, while tirelessly searching for tomorrow's cures. Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. Connect with us on social at www.komen.org/contact-us/follow-us/.

CONTACT:

Amanda DeBard

Susan G. Komen

(972) 701-2131

[email protected]

SOURCE Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Chicago and Maine-based Veteran Chooses Stratos for its Vast Suite of Services Available to Affiliated Practices, Including Technology and Practice Management Support

BEACHWOOD, Ohio, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC (Stratos), a Stratos Wealth Holdings company, announced the successful recruitment of wealth management veteran Kenneth J. Gimbel, who has more than $400 million in assets under management (AUM). Stratos Wealth Advisors, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor, manages over $2.2 billion in advisory assets and over 20 million in third-party managed assets as of June 30, 2022.

Kenneth Gimbel

Gimbel joins Stratos from CIBC Private Wealth Management in Chicago where he was a managing director and senior relationship manager. He has more than 50 years of wealth management experience and specializes in developing specifically tailored asset management programs for large and complex trusts and investment relationships.

"I'm thrilled to welcome Ken to Stratos," said Robert Samson, Stratos Managing Director in Chicago. "Ken has had an extraordinary career spanning over half a century  serving retail and institutional clients  and we are so pleased he has chosen to affiliate with us."

Jeff Concepcion, Founder and CEO of Stratos, added, "We're excited that Ken chose to join our firm as he continues to provide expert guidance to his clients. We look forward to supporting his continued success and growth."

Gimbel was previously a partner at Geneva Investment Management before it became part of CIBC in 2017. He also spent 15 years in Harris Bank's Wealth Group where he worked with ultra-high-net-worth (UNHW) clients. Before Harris Bank, Gimbel was director of pension fund investments for automotive supplier BorgWarner Inc.

He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado and his MBA from Northwestern University.

Gimbel said, "After spending decades in this industry, I knew exactly what I needed to better serve my clients and after considering my options, Stratos proved to be the obvious choice. I look forward to working with Jeff, Rob and the entire team at Stratos as I continue to provide the level of care and service my clients expect, and now with the support of Stratos' services."

About Stratos Wealth Holdings

Stratos Wealth Holdings is a family of companies focused on supporting the growth and success of financial advisors across business models and affiliation structures. Stratos companies include Stratos Wealth Partners, Stratos Wealth Advisors, Stratos Wealth Enterprises and Fundamentum. Stratos includes a national network of over 350 experienced financial advisors and financial planning practitioners working across 26 states throughout the country. The Stratos family of companies collectively oversees $21 billion in AUM/AUA as of June 30, 2022.

Media contact

Kevin Elvington

(440) 505-5608

stratoswealth.com

[email protected]

SOURCE Stratos Wealth
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being released by The Boeing Company pursuant to Orders of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

EASTERN DIVISION







SEAFARERS PENSION PLAN v. ROBERT A.

)

BRADWAY, et al. and ) DOCKET NO. 1:19-cv-08095 THE BOEING COMPANY as Nominal )

Defendant )









IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE







SEAFARERS PENSION PLAN v. ROBERT A. ) C.A. No. 2020-0556-MTZ BRADWAY, et al. )















SUMMARY NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF DERIVATIVE AND CLASS ACTIONS, PROPOSED SETTLEMENTS OF THE ACTIONS, AND SETTLEMENT HEARINGS

TO: ALL CURRENT STOCKHOLDERS OF THE BOEING COMPANY ("BOEING")

ALL HOLDERS OF BOEING STOCK BETWEEN DECEMBER 11, 2019 AND AUGUST 10, 2022

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AND IN ITS ENTIRETY. YOUR RIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IN THE ACTIONS.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to Rule 23.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and an order of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (the "Federal Court") of the pendency of the above-captioned stockholder derivative action titled Seafarers Pension Plan v. Robert A. Bradway, et al. (the "Federal Action"), which was brought by the Seafarers Pension Plan ("Seafarers" or "Plaintiff") on behalf of and for the benefit of Boeing and current Boeing stockholders.

YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED, pursuant to Rule 23 of the Rules of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the "Delaware Court") and a Scheduling Order of the Delaware Court, of the pendency of the above-captioned putative stockholder class action titled Seafarers Pension Plan v. Robert A. Bradway, et al., C.A. No. 2020-0556-MTZ (the "Delaware Action"), which was brought by Seafarers on behalf of a putative class of Boeing stockholders who held Boeing stock at any time between December 11, 2019 and August 10, 2022 (the "Delaware Settlement Class").

YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that, as provided in a Stipulation and Agreement of Compromise, Settlement, and Release (the "Stipulation") agreed upon by Plaintiff and Federal Defendants and Delaware Defendants (as defined in the Stipulation, collectively, "Defendants") to resolve the Federal Action and Delaware Action, dated August 10, 2022, Plaintiff and Defendants (collectively, the "Parties"), have reached proposed settlements in both the Federal Action and the Delaware Action, subject to approval of the Federal Court and the Delaware Court. Pursuant to the Stipulation, as consideration for the Federal Settlement, Defendants shall cause their insurers to make a monetary payment to Boeing of $6.25 million, less the amount of any attorneys' fee and expense award and service award awarded by the Federal Court. Also pursuant to the Stipulation, as consideration for the Federal and Delaware Settlements, Boeing shall modify the language of its by-law concerning forum selection to the agreed language set forth in Exhibit A to the Stipulation.

Additional information concerning the terms of the Settlements, as well as a description of the history of both the Federal Action and Delaware Action and an explanation of stockholders' legal rights with respect to the Settlements, is provided in the full Notice of Pendency of Derivative and Class Actions, Proposed Settlements of the Actions, and Settlement Hearings (the "Notice"). The Notice is being sent by mail to record holders of Boeing stock as of the close of business on the date of the Stipulation and Delaware Settlement Class members who were record holders of Boeing stock, or, with respect to such holders who have elected to receive information from Boeing electronically, by electronic means. Boeing stockholders may also request a copy of the Stipulation and the Notice by contacting counsel listed below.

A hearing regarding the settlement of the Federal Action will be held by the Federal Court (the "Federal Settlement Hearing") via Zoom on December 14, 2022 at 9:45 a.m. Videoconference and dial-in information is available on the Federal Court's docket or by contacting Plaintiff's Counsel.

At the Federal Settlement Hearing, the Federal Court will be asked to: (a) determine whether the terms and conditions of the Settlement in the Federal Action, as set forth in the Stipulation, are fair, reasonable, adequate, and in the best interests of Boeing and its stockholders and should be approved by the Federal Court; (b) determine whether the Federal Order and Final Judgment should be entered, dismissing the Federal Action with prejudice, including as against the Federal Defendants, releasing the Released Federal Plaintiff Claims against the Released Defendant Parties, and barring and enjoining prosecution of any and all (i) Released Federal Plaintiff Claims against any and all Released Defendant Parties and (ii) Released Defendant Claims against any and all Released Plaintiff Parties (as such terms are defined in the Stipulation); (c) hear and determine any objections to the Federal Settlement; (d) consider Plaintiff's petition for an award of attorneys' fees and expenses and service award (the "Fee and Expense Application"); and (e) rule on other such matters as the Federal Court may deem appropriate.

A hearing regarding the Delaware Action will also be held by the Delaware Court (the "Delaware Settlement Hearing"). The Delaware Settlement Hearing shall be held at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, 500 North King Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, on January 5, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.

At the Delaware Settlement Hearing, the Delaware Court will be asked to: (a) determine whether the terms and conditions of the Settlement in the Delaware Action, as set forth in the Stipulation, are fair, reasonable, adequate, and in the best interests of the Delaware Settlement Class and should be approved by the Delaware Court; (b) determine whether the Delaware Order and Final Judgment should be entered, dismissing the Delaware Action with prejudice, including as against the Delaware Defendants, releasing the Released Delaware Plaintiff Claims against the Released Defendant Parties, and barring and enjoining prosecution of any and all Released Delaware Plaintiff Claims against any and all Released Defendant Parties (as such terms are defined in the Stipulation); (c) for settlement purposes only, certify, on a non-opt out basis, the Delaware Settlement Class, appoint Plaintiff as class representative for the Delaware Settlement Class, and appoint Plaintiff's Counsel as class counsel for the Delaware Settlement Class; (d) hear and determine any objections to the Settlement; and (e) rule on other such matters as the Delaware Court may deem appropriate.

Stockholders may, but do not need to, attend either the Federal Settlement Hearing or the Delaware Settlement Hearing.

Any objections to the proposed Settlement in the Federal Action must be filed with the Federal Court and delivered to counsel for Plaintiff and Defendants such that they are received no later than twenty (20) calendar days before the Federal Settlement Hearing, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice.

Any objections to the proposed Settlement in the Delaware Action must be filed with the Delaware Court and delivered to counsel for Plaintiff and Defendants such that they are received no later than twenty (20) calendar days before the Delaware Settlement Hearing, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice.

The Settlements will not become effective until both the Federal Order and Final Judgment and the Delaware Order and Final Judgment are entered by their respective Courts, and both Actions are dismissed. If approved, the Settlements will resolve all claims in the Federal and Delaware Actions.

Please note: Because the Federal Action was brought as a derivative action, which means that it was brought on behalf of and for the benefit of Boeing, the benefits from the Federal Settlement will go to Boeing. Individual Boeing stockholders will not receive any direct payment from the Federal Settlement. Also, please note that there is no proof of claim form for stockholders to submit in connection with the Settlements, and stockholders are not required to take any action in response to this notice.

DO NOT CALL OR WRITE TO THE FEDERAL COURT, THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE FEDERAL COURT, THE DELAWARE COURT, OR THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTER IN CHANCERY REGARDING THIS NOTICE.

All questions regarding this notice and the Settlements should be made to the following counsel for Plaintiff:

Carol V. Gilden, Esq. Richard A. Speirs, Esq. COHEN MILSTEIN SELLERS & TOLL PLLC Amy Miller, Esq. 190 S. LaSalle Street, COHEN MILSTEIN SELLERS & TOLL PLLC Suite 1705 88 Pine Street, 14th Floor Chicago, Illinois 60603 New York, New York 10005 [email protected] [email protected]

[email protected]



Dated: September 1, 2022





BY ORDER OF THE COURT

United States District Court for the

Northern District of Illinois





BY ORDER OF THE COURT

Court of Chancery of the

State of Delaware



Contact

Boeing Media Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE Boeing
NOIDA, India, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, the Industrial IoT Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 7% from 2022-2028, reaching USD 112 billion by 2028. The analysis has been segmented into Component (Hardware, Software, and Solution); Connectivity (Wired and Non-wired); End-Users (Manufacturing, Energy & Power, Healthcare, Agriculture, and Other); Region/Country.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/industrial-iot-market/

The industrial IoT 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 industrial IoT market. The industrial IoT 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 industrial IoT market at the global and regional levels.

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Market Overview

Industrial IoT is defined as the use of actuators and smart sensors to enhance manufacturing and production along with the improvement in the industrial process. Additionally, industrial IoT is often called industry 4.0 or industrial internet and uses the power of real-time analytics and smart machine to provide effective and required results. In recent times, IoT in the industrial sector has seen significant growth owing to its ability to find the inefficiency and problems at an early stage and provide several benefits such as cost and time saving as well as provide control over quality and sustainable practices. In an industrial setting, IoT is connected with the devices that collect, monitor, analyze, and exchange of data. The connected devices are able to capture, sense, and store the information and could analyze the effective output from the raw data.

The Industrial IoT Market is expected to grow at a steady rate of around 7% owing to the increasing utilization of the industrial IoT in the energy sector, automotive sector, manufacturing sector, and agriculture sector coupled with the increasing investment and technological advancement. Major companies in the market offer industrial IoT for challenging applications with technologically advanced features. For instance, in February 2021, Cisco partnered with the Newark company to provide the industrial IoT network for non-carpeted and harsh environmental conditions across North America.

COVID-19 Impact

Due to travel limitations and the projected dismal financial performance of market players in 2020, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt the industrial IoT industry. Supply chain execution, regulatory and policy changes, labor reliance, working capital management, and liquidity and solvency management are all major concerns for Industrial IoT manufacturers. Since the COVID-19 epidemic has considerably diminished by the beginning of 2021, a lot of businesses are resuming operations. In terms of demand and supply, China is one of the major players in the industrial IoT market. China's supply shortages have triggered a chain reaction throughout the world.

https://univdatos.com/report/industrial-iot-market/

The global industrial IoT market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on component, the market is segmented into hardware, solution, and services. The solution segment is expected to witness significant market growth during the forecast period on the account of increasing overall equipment effectiveness, improve efficiency, and cost reduction through better access to the data from real-time solutions are supporting the growth of the solution segment. Also, the production process planning, optimization by the data collection, real-time monitoring, and sensor-generated data analysis are propelling the growth of the solution segment. For instance, the solution segment could be used in smart factories, asset monitoring, inventory management, machine maintenance, and predictive maintenance among others.

Based on connectivity, the market is segmented into the wired and non-wired segments. The non-wired segment is expected to witness significant market growth during the forecast period owing to its cost-effectiveness and less complex nature. Additionally, the wireless segment provides the additional advantage of the work done through the remote location along with the increased production and safety of the individual and organization. The integration of the 5G technology and technological advancement supported the growth of the wireless industrial IoT. For instance, Cisco developed the cisco catalyst IW9167 wireless series that provides the connectivity for the state-of-the-art hardware and is able to operate under critical applications.

Based on end-users, the industrial IoT market is segmented into manufacturing, energy & power, healthcare, agriculture, and other segments. The industrial IoT in the manufacturing sector is expected to witness significant market growth during the forecast period owing to machine utilization, predictive maintenance, asset tracking, facility management, and just-in-time manufacturing facility. Additionally, IoT helps the organization with the better scheduling and planning of production activities along with process optimization and improved efficiency.

Have a Look at the Chapters - https://univdatos.com/report/industrial-iot-market/

Industrial IoT 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 , and the Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , and the Rest of ) Rest of the World

APAC is anticipated to grow at a substantial CAGR during the forecast period. This is mainly due to the growing number of industries and better connectivity networks in the region. Additionally, the increasing population along with increasing research & development expenditure with the increasing number of local and international IT companies in the region are expected to support the industrial IoT market in the region. Also, the growing investment and increasing number of various industry verticals such as healthcare, manufacturing, and grid formation are creating the demand for industrial IoT in the region. Furthermore, the government takes several measures in the region to support industry 4.0. For instance, in India, the government's industry 4.0 vision rests on four major principles including information transparency, interconnection, decentralized decision making, and technical assistance.

The major players targeting the market include

Oracle Corporation

IBM Corporation

Cisco System Inc.

Microsoft Corporation

Rockwell Automation Inc.

Energyworx BV

HCL Technologies Limited

Honeywell International Inc.

ABB Ltd.

Siemens AG

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 Industrial IoT 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 industrial IoT market?

Which factors are influencing the industrial IoT market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the industrial IoT market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the industrial IoT market?

What are the demanding global regions of the industrial IoT 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

Industrial IoT Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2028 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 7% Market size 2028 USD 112 billion Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region North America to Dominate the Industrial IoT Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, and India Companies profiled Oracle Corporation, IBM Corporation, Cisco System Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Rockwell Automation Inc., Energyworx BV, HCL Technologies Limited, Honeywell International Inc., ABB Ltd., and Siemens AG. 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 Component; By Connectivity; 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.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new national survey conducted jointly by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and E Pluribus Unum finds nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%), including 89% of Democrats, 75% of independents, and 51% of Republicans, support doing something about existing Confederate memorials and statues in public spaceswhether that's re-contextualizing them with information about the history of slavery and racism, moving them to a museum, or destroying themrather than leaving them as they are.

"Race, religion, and political affiliation strongly color the lens through which Americans view our past and its legacy today," says Robert P. Jones, president and founder of PRRI. "Yet, the broad support for honest conversations about our shared history, repairing the damages of historic racism, and reimagining our public spaces to embrace everyone can offer a road map for how and what our communities choose to honor in the future."

When respondents were asked about preserving the legacy of the Confederacy, the partisan and religious divides are deeper. A slim majority of Americans (51%) support preserving Confederate history through public memorials and statues. Republicans overwhelmingly back efforts to preserve the legacy of the Confederacy (85%), compared with less than half of independents (46%) and only a quarter of Democrats (26%). Religion also plays a role in support for preserving the Confederate legacy, with white Christian groups more likely to express support than non-Christian religious Americans, Jewish Americans, or the religiously unaffiliated.

Support for Confederate monuments is positively correlated with views about the existence of structural racismthe idea that slavery and past discrimination continue to have effects today. Those supportive of keeping Confederate monuments or preserving the legacy of the Confederacy are also likely to deny the existence of structural racism.

Americans' awareness of and support for Confederate memorials, statues and other commemorative symbols frequently diverge along both partisan and racial/ethnic lines, with Black Americans often holding views distinct from other groups. Meanwhile, at least nine out of ten Republicans, compared with about four in ten Democrats, see each of these as a manifestation of Southern pride, rather than of racism.

Almost all Americans (90%) say they support efforts to tell the truth about the history of slavery, violence, and discrimination against racial minorities in their communities, including 84% of Republicans. Additionally, three quarters of Americans (74%) support repairing the damage done by past violence or discrimination against racial minorities, including more than half of Republicans (52%).

"The impact of the Confederacy extends far beyond its former geographic borders. Still, while Americans experience issues around race differently, there is often more common ground than we realize," says Scott Hutcheson, managing director of E Pluribus Unum. "Identifying what unites us will help us find solutions to undo the legacy of slavery and racism and move toward building more inclusive and equitable communities."

The full report, Creating More Inclusive Public Spaces: Confederate Memorials, Structural Racism, and Building for the Future, is available at prri.org.

About PRRI

PRRI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to conducting independent research at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy.

About E Pluribus Unum

Founded by former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu in 2018, E Pluribus Unum (EPU) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to build a more equitable and inclusive South, uprooting the barriers that have long divided the region by race and class.

SOURCE PRRI
DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Susan G. Komen, the world's leading breast cancer organization, and GE Healthcare, a leading global medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics and digital solutions innovator, are partnering for the first time to support the Susan G Komen's Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) Impact Series.

Every person deserves personalized breast cancer care options. In continuing its support of Susan G. Komen and efforts to improve outcomes for the breast cancer community, GE Healthcare has made a commitment to help Komen provide critical educational programs for the MBC community.

GE Healthcare's investment will support the Susan G. Komen's MBC Impact Series to ensure that people living with MBC and their loved ones have a safe and collaborative space to gather information to help make decisions for improved physical and emotional health.

"As a leader in imaging and healthcare innovation, GE Healthcare has shown its commitment to the MBC community through its investment in groundbreaking imaging agents that highlight estrogen receptor-positive tumors in patients whose breast cancer has recurred or spread," said Victoria Wolodzko Smart, Senior Vice President of Mission at Komen. "GE Healthcare's goals are aligned with our goal to conquer aggressive and deadly breast cancers and this partnership will help us bring critically needed access to the latest information on imaging, treatments and innovations to empower MBC patients."

"GE Healthcare is delighted to continue working closely with Susan G. Komen in the advancement of breast cancer care solutions. Partnering to help improve the resources available to patients with MBC is absolutely critical to women struggling with this disease," said Catherine Estrampes, President and CEO, US and Canada at GE Healthcare. "Our continued focus on personalized medicine and creating a healthier future for women, underscores the value GE Healthcare places on enabling patients to understand their diagnosis and treatment options."

The Komen MBC Impact Series is a free series that offers those living with MBC access to practical information and resources to help make decisions for improved physical and emotional health. Participants have the opportunity to learn from leading experts in breast cancer research, hear from individuals living with MBC and gather information from wellness experts.

Living with MBC and How the MBC Impact Series Helps

For Sheila Johnson, who has been living with MBC since 2009, Komen has been a trusted resource and guide that she turns to for the latest information.

"Being diagnosed with MBC is difficult and there is a lot to learn about the disease and possible treatment options. Being able to learn directly from leading experts is critical for us to stay alive," said Johnson. "Knowledge is power and providing the MBC community with the latest information is crucial to having a productive relationship with my oncologist. I love having access to the MBC experts through the MBC Impact Series because it reaffirms my faith in the medical community as a whole."

About Metastatic Breast Cancer

While improvements in early detection and treatments led to a 42 percent reduction in the breast cancer mortality rate in the U.S. from 1989-2019, nearly 44,000 people in the U.S. will lose their lives to breast cancer this year, and almost all of these deaths are attributed to MBC.

"This stark reality is driving research discoveries at a rapid pace, so it is crucial for MBC patients to have access to evidence-based, easily accessible information from trusted experts to help them understand their disease and make timely decisions about their treatment," said Wolodzko Smart.

For evidence-based information on MBC or to learn about the MBC Impact Series, visit https://mbc.komen.org.

Through this new collaboration, Komen and GE Healthcare also plan to develop educational resources on diagnostic approaches, including the role of tumor markers and molecular imaging in guiding personalized care for the MBC community.

About Susan G. Komen

Susan G. Komen is the world's leading nonprofit breast cancer organization, working to save lives and end breast cancer forever. Komen has an unmatched, comprehensive 360-degree approach to fighting this disease across all fronts and supporting millions of people in the U.S. and in countries worldwide. We advocate for patients, drive research breakthroughs, improve access to high-quality care, offer direct patient support and empower people with trustworthy information. Founded by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy's life, Komen remains committed to supporting those affected by breast cancer today, while tirelessly searching for tomorrow's cures. Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. Connect with us on social at www.komen.org/contact-us/follow-us/ .

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare is the $17.7 billion healthcare business of GE (NYSE: GE). As a leading global medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics and digital solutions innovator, GE Healthcare enables clinicians to make faster, more informed decisions through intelligent devices, data analytics, applications and services, supported by its Edison intelligence platform. With over 100 years of healthcare industry experience and around 48,000 employees globally, the company operates at the center of an ecosystem working toward precision health, digitizing healthcare, helping drive productivity and improve outcomes for patients, providers, health systems and researchers around the world.

Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Insights for the latest news, or visit our website www.gehealthcare.com for more information.

CONTACT: Amanda Skahan

Susan G. Komen

972-855-4388

[email protected]

Mathilde Bouscaillou

GE Healthcare

+33 6 47 00 82 71

[email protected]

SOURCE Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Teamsters Local 317 Members at Sysco Syracuse Walk Off Job Over Unfair Labor Practices After Weeks of Contentious Contract Negotiations

SYRACUSE, N.Y., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamsters Local 317 members at Sysco Syracuse are on strike after weeks of contentious contract negotiations with the company. Last night, more than 230 drivers and warehouse workers walked off the job in response to unfair labor practices (ULPs) being committed by management. Picket lines could extend to more locations across the country in the coming days.

"We're striking over unfair labor practices, unsolved grievances, and unfair wages," said Matt Wademan, a 30-year driver at Sysco Syracuse. "This is nothing but corporate greed. Sysco simply doesn't want to pay us what we're worth."

Nationally, Sysco faces multiple federal investigations for violating U.S. labor law. The Teamsters are currently in negotiations at several Sysco-branded locations across the country, and hundreds of members are currently working without a contract or have contracts about to expire due to the company's failure to bargain in good faith.

"We aren't going to allow corporations like Sysco to bully and disrespect workers any longer," said Tom Erickson, Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division. "Sysco Teamsters are more unified than ever. Members know how important their Teamster contract is, and they are united in this fight. Locals across the country are standing together to win our members the respect they deserve, and they have the backing of 1.2 million Teamsters across North America behind them."

Sysco [NYSE: SYY] is North America's largest broadline foodservice company, providing food and supplies to restaurants, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and government accounts.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 10,000 Sysco workers nationwide.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Daniel Moskowitz, (770) 262-4971

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
New white paper from Tencent and Accenture shows how the new concept of "Immersive Convergence" helps integrate the digital economy with reality to solve real-world problems and improve operations

HONG KONG, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "There will soon be a new connection that integrates digital and physical forms, transcending time and space," said Pony Ma, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Tencent. "The doors to the future are opening with 'Immersive Convergence'. It offers new solutions to users, industries and society, and is set to bring new application scenarios, incubate a new industrial ecology and shape a new way of life."

Tencent and Accenture have jointly published an Immersive Convergence white paper, which outlines the concept originated by Pony Ma. According to the white paper, Immersive Convergence is an innovative model that integrates the digital economy and the real world.

Immersive Convergence can do a number of things:

For individual users, it can provide an immersive experience anytime, anywhere.

For enterprises and organizations, it can make services more measurable, enhancing quality and driving organizational efficiency.

For society as a whole, it can improve resource utilization, innovate the model of industry development, enhance operational efficiency of the public sectors and promote sustainable development.

Critical technologies are constantly evolving

"Based on the immersive experience and real-time digital twins, Immersive Convergence can be operationalized and executed in the real world through two-way interaction," said Dowson Tong, Senior Executive Vice President and CEO of the Cloud and Smart Industry Group.

To fully realize Immersive Convergence requires the continuous evolution of five critical technologies. The digital twin and remote interaction functions are the model's core technologies. Ubiquitous intelligence, trusted platform module (TPM) and infinite computing power also form its foundation.

With the Internet of Things (IoT), real-time communication (RTC), extended reality (XR), multi-sensory interaction and multi-modal fusion sensing technology, remote interaction can be upgraded into two-way interaction. In the future, remote interaction will also provide a full sensory experience. For example, port operators can use audio and video technologies, coupled with multi-angle cameras, to handle containers remotely in a more efficient way.

The white paper pointed out that key enabling technologies are either relatively mature or are under rapid development. It is expected that in 2040, quantum computing, holographic projection, folded optical path technology, brain-computer interface and other cutting-edge technologies will see further breakthroughs in supporting the realization of Immersive Convergence.

Integration of digital economy and the real world is key to solving practical issues

Immersive Convergence's ultimate goal is to solve practical issues in real scenarios, using the integration of digital economy and the real world as its main connecting point.

Tencent has built a number of successful cases of Immersive Convergence. A good example is Tencent Meeting, a widely used cloud conferencing product in China with an overseas version called VooV Meeting, which has supported more than 300 million users worldwide. Tencent Meeting has opened its API and SDK interface, committing to building an open ecology for video conferences that connect people.

Tencent also collaborates with a partner to explore building a "digital factory" with fully restored holographic glasses-free 3D effects. This application leverages technologies such as Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT), digital twin and distributed cloud to help experts and engineers manage the actual production line and equipment.

In the financial services industry, more banks are leveraging Tencent's technologies such as audio and video, AI, and big data to create an immersive financial services scene. Businesses that had to be queued offline in the past now can be handled online, which helps residents who live in remote areas, migrant workers and people with limited mobility.

Dowson Tong said, "The integration of digital technology and the real economy is becoming a top priority and industry trend. Immersive Convergence is an important strategy and roadmap for Tencent's Industrial Internet to accelerate. Tencent will join its partners to help organizations leverage Immersive Convergence as a value-adding tool to enhance business efficiency while reducing costs and realizing the value of industry to make the world a better place."

About Tencent

Tencent uses technology to enrich the lives of Internet users. Our communication and social services, Weixin and QQ, connect users with each other and with digital content and services, both online and offline, making their lives more convenient. Our targeted advertising service helps advertisers reach out to hundreds of millions of consumers in China. Our FinTech and business services support our partners' business growth and assist their digital upgrade. Tencent invests heavily in talent and technological innovation, actively promoting the development of the Internet industry. Tencent was founded in Shenzhen, China, in 1998. Shares of Tencent (00700.HK) are listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

About Tencent Cloud

Tencent Cloud, one of the world's leading cloud companies, is committed to creating innovative solutions to resolve real-world issues and enabling digital transformation for smart industries. Through our extensive global infrastructure, Tencent Cloud provides businesses across the globe with stable and secure industry-leading cloud products and services, leveraging technological advancements such as cloud computing, Big Data analytics, AI, IoT and network security. It is our constant mission to meet the needs of industries across the board, including the fields of gaming, media and entertainment, finance, healthcare, property, retail, travel and transportation.

SOURCE Tencent
The Alliance to Announce the First Black Business Equity and Inclusion Score Card for Accountability in the Marketplace

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 27 at the State of Black Business Luncheon in Washington, D.C., the National Business League (NBL) and the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) came together as the nation's two oldest and largest Black trade associations to announce their formation of the National Alliance for Black Business (NABB). NABB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent federation of Black business organizations and allies mobilized as a unified authority to represent, research, educate, promote, and advocate for Black business equity throughout the United States and the Pan-African diaspora.

National Business League (NBL) and National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) form National Alliance for Black Business Tweet this Larry Ivory, Chairman of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Charles H. DeBow, III, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Ken L. Harris, Ph.D., President/CEO of The National Business League, Eugene R. Cornelius, Jr., Senior Director, Center for Regional Economics, Milken Institute, Johnny L. Ford, Founder of World Conference of Mayors

"Booker T. Washington believed that the U.S. economy's roots in the free market require the full participation of businesses of all sizes and races to achieve its greatest potential. But, as of today, Black businesses in America and throughout the globe continue to remain at the bottom of the economic spectrum. Exclusion is a bad economic policy, and it is time that Black organizations unite to hold the public and private sector accountable by measuring their Black contracting and procurement spending success. This is one of the core platform reasons why the NABB was formed, to produce a Black business equity and inclusion score card that will effectively move the needle."  Dr. Ken L. Harris, President/CEO of the NBL

Charles H. DeBow III, President and CEO of the NBCC, and Dr. Kenneth L. Harris, President and CEO of the NBL, presented the historic announcement in the presence of America's top Black business professionals, international representatives, and executive leaders from the public and private sectors of the federal government.

"The National Business League (1900) and the National Black Chamber of Commerce (1993) represent 151 years of service to Black businesses. We collectively believe that business is a science that produces success. The NBL and NBCC share both historical and platform principles with origins steeped in rich legacies as champions of industry and commerce. The geneses of the National Alliance for Black Business are to unify a collaborative vision and sustain Black communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity, both domestic and abroad. Our definition of success will be measured by those we serve."  Charles H. DeBow III, President/CEO of the NBCC

The NABB also announced the launch of an unprecedented tool: The Black Business Equity and Inclusion (BBEI) Score Card. This score card will ensure accountability in the public and private sector of the marketplace. "According to Fortune, American companies pledged $50 billion to Black communities. But a new study found that much of the funding has yet to materialize." Black America is a $1.6 trillion purchasing power in the United States and the Alliance plans to make the entities who successfully provide equitable opportunities for Black businesses public, while also working to help companies that miss the mark in the Black community. The Black Business Equity and Inclusion Score Card will be released at the February 2023 NABB National State of Black Business Conference in Washington, D.C. during Black History Month.

"Economic self-sustainability is a collective endeavor and with the creation of the National Alliance for Black Business, it signals a historic and significant change towards collectivism and collaboration to help the Black community reach its full ownership potential. The NABB has embraced some of PowerNomics foundational strategies to help correct some of the errors and failures of integration. From this point forward, all aspects of life must have an economic platform and agenda towards the full empowerment and liberation of Black people."  Dr. Claud Anderson

The NABB will work with several key partners to help structure the organization and provide relevant research and data while making the proper market linkages to effectively drive the success of Black businesses in both America and around the world.

"The first organization to join this newly formed alliance is the World Conference of Mayors. Since the beginning, the World Conference of Mayors has been a crucial facilitator of collaboration and promotor of Black economic development. Therefore, we are honored to join the NABB to bring together all of the worlds' mayors to support the organization's Black economic agenda and unification platform."  Johnny L. Ford, Founder of the WCM

If you are a media outlet and would like to cover the event, please contact Darian Shorts at [email protected].

About the National Alliance for Black Business (NABB)

The NABB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan federation of Black business associations, organizations, leagues, chambers of commerce, owners, and allies that were mobilized as a unified authority to represent, research, educate, promote, and advocate for the economic, enterprise, entrepreneurial, and equity interest of Black businesses and consumer trends throughout the United States and the Pan-African diaspora.

About the National Business League (NBL)

The NBL was founded by Dr. Booker T. Washington on August 23, 1900 and is the first and largest independent nonprofit trade association for Black-owned businesses and professionals in the United States of America. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has 120,000 members nationwide and manages local chapters throughout all 50 states and internationally. The NBL recently celebrated 122 years of service and is a proud partner to more than 125 Fortune 500 companies and public and private sector organizations worldwide.

About the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC)

The NBCC was founded in 1993 by Harry Alford and Kay DeBow and has empowered the Black Business Community for over 29 Years. It is the largest Black business association in the world and is dedicated to economically empowering and sustaining African American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the organization manages more than 200 chambers across 40 states and 50 nations.

Media Contact:

Darian Shorts

240-686-5361

[email protected]

SOURCE The National Business League
Compounding disaster preparation and response efforts make community support vital

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Salvation Army is preparing resources and personnel to meet the immediate needs of survivors and first responders ahead of Hurricane Ian's potentially historic landfall in Florida. Ian comes just days after Hurricane Fiona ravaged Puerto Rico, where The Salvation Army is still serving survivors and first responders.

Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall as a Category 4 storm the night of Wednesday, Sept. 28, on the west coast of Florida. If Hurricane Ian stays on its projected path, it will mark the first direct impact of a hurricane in the area since 1921. Main concerns include a heavy storm surge leading to severe flooding conditions along the coastline. With the entire state of Florida now under a state of emergency and about 1 million residents planning to evacuate ahead of landfall, The Salvation Army is positioning resources and personnel to respond to widespread need as efficiently as possible.

"We are carefully monitoring Hurricane Ian and have mobile feeding units and disaster response teams along the Florida coast prepared to respond," said Major Todd Hawks, Community Relations and Development secretary for The Salvation Army's USA Southern Territory. "This storm has the potential to bring impacts to the west coast of Florida not seen for nearly a century  if ever. With the public's generous support, we will be able to serve this community for as long as we are needed."

On the second front of the recent explosion of hurricane activity, The Salvation Army is continuing to meet the needs of Hurricane Fiona survivors and first responders in Puerto Rico by providing a wide range of emergency services. Many of the communities being served are the same ones who have been dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria which made landfall five years ago.

"Disaster relief is always about the long game," said Bob Myers, Emergency Disaster Services director for The Salvation Army's USA Eastern Territory. "It's about helping people to get their houses and their communities rebuilt. It's also about providing long-term emotional and spiritual care to disaster survivors as much as we can, because sometimes the recovery on the inside can be harder than the recovery on the outside."

Disaster response updates can be found below:

Ian Prep/Initial Response:

The Salvation Army has as many as 37 canteens (mobile feeding units) and one field kitchen ready to mobilize across the impacted area immediately after the worst effects of the storm are realized.

Each one of these can feed 500-1,500 people per day

A caravan including Salvation Army mobile feeding units and a Southern Baptist field kitchen will depart from Texas with over 6,000 pre-made meals and begin feeding Saturday. The field kitchen will begin service Tuesday.

with over 6,000 pre-made meals and begin feeding Saturday. The field kitchen will begin service Tuesday. The Salvation Army is already serving some of the predicted 1M evacuees at a few of their shelters in Florida .

evacuees at a few of their shelters in . Two major warehouses in Tampa, Florida and McDonough, Georgia (near Atlanta ) are being prepped with food, water, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, and anything else that will be needed by the thousands of people in the storm's path.

Fiona Response:

The Salvation Army has served more than 18,778 individuals and distributed the following items at its community centers in San Juan , Caguas, Bayamon, Mayaguez, Arecibo, Loiza, Guayama, Humacao, Ponce, Penuelas, and Fajardo:

, Caguas, Bayamon, Mayaguez, Arecibo, Loiza, Guayama, Humacao, Ponce, Penuelas, and Fajardo: 20,000+ prepared meals, food boxes/meal kits, and snacks



19,326 drinks and bottles of water



1,942 packs of diapers



662 personal hygiene kits



519 ice bags



990 cleanup kits and cleaning products



107 blankets

Additional services and items provided at some Salvation Army community centers include:

Charging stations for people to charge personal devices like mobile phones, laptops, portable medical equipment, etc.



Emotional and spiritual counseling and support



Clothing for children and adults



Furniture

The Salvation Army disaster personnel are also collaborating with federal, state, and local emergency management agencies and other social services organizations in both locations to monitor ongoing impacts and adapt response efforts, if necessary.

A digital media kit with current disaster assets can be found here.

For more information on The Salvation Army's continued response, visit disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

To make a financial gift to support Hurricane relief efforts:

Donate online: www.HelpSalvationArmy.org

Donate by phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)

One hundred percent of designated disaster donations go to direct services for survivors and first responders.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army annually helps more than 25 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,200 centers of operation around the country. During times of disaster, 100% of designated donations to The Salvation Army are used for immediate response and long-term efforts. In 2021, The Salvation Army was ranked No. 2 on the list of "America's Favorite Charities" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood.

CONTACT: [email protected], (703) 302 - 8640

SOURCE The Salvation Army
DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Virtual Cards Market Size, Share & Trend Analysis Report by Card Type (Credit Card, Debit Card), by Product Type (B2B Virtual Cards), by Application (Business Use, Consumer Use), by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global virtual cards market size is expected to reach USD 60.06 billion by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 20.7% from 2022 to 2030, according to this study conducted.

The increasing usage of digital payment platforms is creating the demand for virtual cards worldwide, which is anticipated to drive the growth of the market. In addition, various types of virtual cards offer the consumer a particular set of benefits, such as efficiency and convenience, which also bodes well for the growth of the market.



Virtual cards are changing the financial landscape by introducing a new level of protection for everyone involved in the payment transaction. Hospitality is one industry that has endorsed the use of virtual cards. Moreover, virtual cards are creating the possibility of making payments more dynamic during the check-in and check-out process for the consumers.



The investments being raised by virtual card solution providers are expected to create new possibilities for the growth of the market during the projected period. For instance, in May 2022, MasterCard and fintech company OPay announced their collaboration, paving the way for access to financial services and economic prosperity by bringing digital commerce to thousands of people in the Middle East and Africa. With this collaboration, OPay consumers and merchants in this region will be able to engage with brands and businesses anywhere in the world.



The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to play a crucial role in driving the growth of the market during the forecast period. People are opting for contactless and digital payments due to the pandemic outbreak, thereby opening new opportunities for the growth of the market. Furthermore, these cards offer contactless payment solutions and are widely accepted at most of the payment gateways and mobile applications such as PayPal and Google Pay which is projected to drive the market growth post-pandemic.

Virtual Cards Market Report Highlights

The credit card segment is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period. The growing e-commerce businesses worldwide is expected to drive the demand for virtual credit card among consumers, thereby contributing to the segment's growth.

The B2C remote payment virtual cards segment is expected to witness significant growth during the projected period. The growth of the segment can be attributed to the increasing real-time digital disbursements in mobile platforms worldwide.

The business use segment is anticipated to dominate the market during the forecast period. Businesses across the globe are adopting virtual card payments to streamline their payment processes and meet their evolving customer needs, which is one of the vital factors that propelled the segmental growth in 2021.

The Asia Pacific regional market is expected to witness the fastest growth during the projected period. The increasing internet penetration across the region is expected to play a decisive role in driving regional market growth.

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Methodology and Scope



Chapter 2 Executive Summary



Chapter 3 Virtual Cards Industry Outlook

3.1 Market Segmentation and Scope

3.2 Market Size and Growth Prospects

3.3 Virtual Cards Market - Value Chain Analysis

3.4 Virtual Cards Market - Market Dynamics

3.4.1 Market driver analysis

3.4.1.1 Increasing demand for digital transactions

3.4.1.2 Rising demand for an additional layer of security

3.4.2 Market challenge analysis

3.4.2.1 Security issues associated with virtual cards payments

3.5 Penetration and Growth Prospect Mapping

3.6 Virtual Cards Market - Porter's Five Forces Analysis

3.7 Virtual Cards Market - PESTEL Analysis



Chapter 4 Investment Landscape

4.1 Investments Raised by Companies

4.2 Investment Strategies by Companies

4.3 Virtual Cards Investment Opportunities

4.4 Investors' Vision & Goal Analysis



Chapter 5 Virtual Cards Type Outlook

5.1 Virtual Cards Market Share By Card Type, 2021

5.2 Credit Card

5.2.1 Virtual credit cards market, 2017 - 2030

5.3 Debit Card

5.3.1 Virtual debit cards market, 2017 - 2030



Chapter 6 Virtual Cards Product Type Outlook

6.1 Virtual Cards Market Share By Product Type, 2021

6.2 B2B Virtual Cards

6.2.1 B2B virtual cards market, 2017 - 2030

6.3 B2C Remote Payment Virtual Cards

6.3.1 B2C remote payment virtual cards market, 2017 - 2030

6.4 C2B POS Virtual Cards

6.4.1 C2B POS virtual cards market, 2017 - 2030



Chapter 7 Virtual Cards Application Outlook

7.1 Virtual Cards Market Share By Application, 2021

7.2 Business Use

7.2.1 Virtual cards market in business use, 2017 - 2030

7.3 Consumer Use

7.3.1 Virtual cards market in consumer use, 2017 - 2030



Chapter 8 Virtual Cards Regional Outlook



Chapter 9 Competitive Analysis

9.1 Recent Developments & Impact Analysis, By Key Market Participants

9.2 Company Categorization

9.3 Vendor Landscape

9.3.1 Key company market share analysis, 2021

9.4 Company Analysis Tools

9.4.1 Company market position analysis

9.4.2 Competitive dashboard analysis



Chapter 10 Competitive Landscape

10.1 American Express Company

10.1.1 Company overview

10.1.2 Financial performance

10.1.3 Product benchmarking

10.1.4 Strategic initiatives

10.2 BTRS Holdings, Inc.

10.2.1 Company overview

10.2.2 Financial performance

10.2.3 Product benchmarking

10.2.4 Strategic initiatives

10.3 Wise Payments Limited

10.3.1 Company overview

10.3.2 Financial performance

10.3.3 Product benchmarking

10.3.4 Strategic initiatives

10.4 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

10.4.1 Company overview

10.4.2 Financial performance

10.4.3 Product benchmarking

10.4.4 Strategic initiatives

10.5 Marqeta, Inc.

10.5.1 Company overview

10.5.2 Financial performance

10.5.3 Product benchmarking

10.5.4 Strategic initiatives

10.6 Mastercard

10.6.1 Company overview

10.6.2 Financial performance

10.6.3 Product benchmarking

10.6.4 Strategic initiatives

10.7 Skrill USA, Inc.

10.7.1 Company overview

10.7.2 Financial performance

10.7.3 Product benchmarking

10.7.4 Strategic initiatives

10.8 Stripe, Inc.

10.8.1 Company overview

10.8.2 Financial performance

10.8.3 Product benchmarking

10.8.4 Strategic initiatives

10.9 WEX, Inc.

10.9.1 Company overview

10.9.2 Financial performance

10.9.3 Product benchmarking

10.9.4 Strategic initiatives

10.10 Adyen

10.10.1 Company overview

10.10.2 Financial performance

10.10.3 Product benchmarking

10.10.4 Strategic initiatives



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/se9ulp

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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SOURCE Research and Markets
200 of the Costa Rican companies are from regions outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) and 132 have never exported.

SAN JOSE, September 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After two years of being staged virtually, Tuesday, September 27 saw the official opening of the 24th edition of the largest business roundtable in Costa Rica and Central America: Buyers Trade Mission  BTM  2022. This year, the event  organized by Costa Rica's external commerce promoter (PROCOMER)  will be attended by around 600 Costa Rican exporters and 374 buyers from 47 countries. Additionally, almost 4,000 business meetings have been scheduled.

The goal of BTM, which is taking place at Costa Rica's Convention Center, is to promote exports and link the agricultural and specialized industrial sectors with the services of micro, small, medium, and large-sized Costa Rican enterprises, making it a global showcase for these Costa Rican sectors.

The inauguration was attended by the president of the Republic, Rodrigo Chaves, the Minister of Foreign Trade and President of the Board of Directors of PROCOMER, Manuel Tovar, the General Manager of PROCOMER, Pedro Beirute, ministers and presidents of other portfolios, embassy and consulate staff, and strategic alliances, among others.

"Never has a commercial event been more emotive or charming than this business expo, the largest in all of Central America. Because Buyers Trade Mission is more, so much more, than an event attended by exporters and buyers. In the coming days, while they make business deals, define commercial strategies, or agree on the logistics for delivering products to their customers, I would like them to think about this: by buying those flowers, those fruits, that coffee, those medical devices, they are not only buying a product, they are also investing in the education, health and prosperity of Costa Ricans," said Rodrigo Chaves President of the Republic.

"Costa Rica is a country that is open for business, and the 24th edition of BTM is proof of that. In the coming days, many buyers from various countries will experience what it is to do business in Costa Rica: a place where every dollar invested is converted into sustainable productivity. Costa Rica has a robust commercial platform that consists of 16 bilateral and regional commercial agreements providing us with preferential access to and predictability of trade flows with over 50 partners, which cover two thirds of the global GDP and more than 2.5 billion people," added Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade and President of the Board of Directors of PROCOMER.

For his part, Pedro Beirute, General Manager of PROCOMER, added that "As a service institution in the export sector and generator of development for Costa Rica, the goal that drives us towards the future is focused on the axes of innovation, inclusion, and sustainability. By means of the exports focused on these axes, we will be able to bring wellbeing to everyone in our country, wellbeing that translates into the generation of more business, more quality jobs, and a better quality of life for the people in all communities."

Beirute mentioned that, apart from being a return to face-to-face business after two years of virtual business, this edition of BTM includes another important element: the high participation of regional companies. "There are 200 companies from various regions outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM), regions from which 33% of goods exported from the country originate and which will generate more and better opportunities for the country," he said.

BTM 2022 brings together 599 Costa Rican companies, of which 80% are SMEs and 132 have never exported. Of the 200 companies outside the GAM, 41 belong to the Huetar Norte region, 34 to Pococi, 27 to the Huetar Caribe region, 27 to the Brunca region, 27 to the region of Occidente, 24 to the Chorotega region, and 20 to Pacifico Central.

60% of the buyers are from new companies that have never done business with Costa Rican exporters. Additionally, of the total participants, 33% are from North America, 29% from Central America and the Caribbean, 19% from Europe and the Middle East, 12% from Asia, and 7% from South America.

As with previous years, at this edition of BTM, there will be exhibition showcases for national products, and the dynamic of the business meetings will be the same: Costa Rican exporters have 25 minutes to present their product, prices, and logistics aspects, among others things. Subsequently, PROCOMER will start its follow-up process to finalize any business opportunities that are generated.

Also, the so-called "Inverse Missions" will take place in parallel. These initiatives consist of visits from buyers from advanced industry and education services to Costa Rican companies and universities to find out about their facilities and capabilities and to analyze the potential of doing business and/or forming alliances.

SOURCE PROCOMER
NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States National Committee (USNC) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), a committee of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is pleased to announce that the U.S. will host the 86th IEC General Meeting on October 31-November 4 in San Francisco, California.

Sponsors

This international gathering will bring together over 1,500 delegates from 81 nations for a combination of management and technical meetings. In total, 300 meetings of technical committees, subcommittees, working groups, and more will be held over the six days. The U.S. last hosted this important global standards event in 2010 in Seattle, Washington.

At the October 31 opening ceremony, attendees will hear from IEC President Yinbiao Shu; USNC President Kevin Lippert; ANSI President and CEO S. Joe Bhatia; UL Standards and Engagement President and CEO Terry Brady; and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Dr. Laurie Locascio, speaking on current issues and future directions for the international standardization system.

The U.S. has hosted the IEC General Meeting seven times since 1904. As host of the 2022 General Meeting, the USNC reaffirms U.S. commitment to international standardization, creating opportunities for U.S. industry to participate in standards activities that promote global market access. This international gathering will also serve to raise awareness of IEC international standards to U.S. industry, and foster international cooperation in electrotechnical standards activities.

"As technologies continue to evolve at an ever-increasing rate, global standardization is more important than ever," said Kevin Lippert, USNC President. "The USNC is thrilled to once again welcome the entire IEC community to the U.S. From the opening ceremony festivities to the technical discussions that will take place throughout the course of the events, the General Meeting will be an exciting and dynamic gathering for everyone in the electrotechnology industry."

Events scheduled over the course of the five-day gathering include meetings of the IEC Young Professionals group, a workshop for industrializing countries, an IEC Academy & Capacity Building workshop, the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Forum, and more.

Participation in the 2022 IEC General Meeting is open to all delegates registered in the IEC Expert Management System (EMS) and to representatives of invited international organizations.

The USNC serves as the focal point for U.S. parties who are interested in the development, promulgation, and use of globally- relevant standards for the electrotechnical industry. The Committee is also engaged in the assessment of conformance to standards, undertaking work in areas such as testing, certification, and accreditation. As the U.S. representative to the IEC and many related regional standardization bodies, the USNC serves as a conduit to the global standards-setting community for technical and policy positions arising in the U.S. and brings issues from the global arena to the U.S. for review, consideration, and response. The USNC is a totally integrated committee of ANSI.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations.

The Institute represents and serves the diverse interests of more than 270,000 companies and organizations and 30 million professionals worldwide. ANSI is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For more information, visit www.ansi.org.

About the IEC

The IEC is the world's leading organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic, and related technologies  collectively known as electrotechnology. With full and associate member bodies representing 170 countries around the world, the IEC promotes international cooperation on all questions of electrotechnical standardization and related matters. The IEC coordinates the work of 20,000 experts globally.

Some of the many technologies embraced by the IEC include electronics; magnetics and electromagnetics; electroacoustics; multimedia; telecommunication; and energy production and distribution.

The IEC also manages conformity assessment systems that certify that equipment, systems, or components conform to its international standards.

SOURCE American National Standards Institute
NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The " Vaccines Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 " report has been added to Technavio's offering. The report expects the market size to grow by USD 28.28 billion between 2021 and 2026, accelerating at a CAGR of 4.13% during the forecast period. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the drivers, trends, and challenges influencing the growth of the market. Download PDF Report Sample

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Vaccines Market 2022-2026

The market is driven by increased funding for vaccine development and new vaccine launches. The rising prevalence of various diseases has necessitated vaccine manufacturers to invest heavily in their technical capabilities to develop new drugs. Pharmaceutical companies are partnering with the government, researchers, manufacturers, purchasers, and policymakers to deliver successful vaccine innovations. In addition, governments across the world are increasing the allocation of funds toward the development and launch of new vaccines. For instance, in March 2021, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) proposed to invest approximately USD 10 million in a Hyderabad-based company Virchow Biotech, to produce up to 200 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine in India. Many such developments are expected to foster the growth of the global vaccines market during the forecast period. Learn more about the other factors driving the growth of the market. Buy Report Now

As per Technavio, the development of nanoparticle vaccines will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This research report also analyzes other significant trends and market drivers that will influence market growth.

Vaccines Market: Development of nanoparticle vaccines

The traditional way of creating vaccines includes the development of vaccines from protein subunits and killed pathogens and some vaccines are based on live attenuated organisms. These vaccines have the risk of regaining their pathogenicity under certain immunocompromised conditions. To overcome such challenges, researchers and pharmaceutical companies are focusing on the development of nanoparticle-based vaccines. These have higher efficacies and can have targeted deliveries to achieve desired immune responses. Such benefits are increasing investments in the R&D of nanoparticle-based vaccines globally. This trend is expected to have a positive impact on the growth of the global vaccines market during the forecast period.

Vaccines Market: Segmentation Analysis

This market research report segments the vaccines market by type (prophylactic vaccines and therapeutic vaccines) and geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (ROW)).

The market will observe significant growth in the prophylactic vaccines segment during the forecast period. The segment is driven by the increasing demand for prophylactic vaccines to treat various viral diseases such as Hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV), whooping cough, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, and shingles.

The North American region led the vaccines market in 2021, followed by Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (ROW) respectively. During the forecast period, the North American region is expected to register the highest incremental growth. The growth of the regional market can be attributed to the increasing number of immunization programs and the strong prevalence of infectious diseases such as influenza, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, HIV, measles, malaria, and tuberculosis, and non-infectious diseases such as cancer.

Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request Sample Report Here

Some of the key topics covered in the report include:

Market Drivers

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Competitive scenario

Related Reports:

Vaccines Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4.13% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 28.28 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 4.0 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution North America at 48% Key consumer countries US, Canada, Germany, UK, and France Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Astellas Pharma Inc., AstraZeneca Plc, Bavarian Nordic AS, Bharat Biotech Ltd., BrightPath Biotherapeutics Co. Ltd., CSL Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Emergent BioSolutions Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Gradalis Inc., Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc., Johnson and Johnson, Merck and Co. Inc., Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp., Novavax Inc., Pfizer Inc., Sanofi, Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., and Valneva SE 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 Type



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 ($ billion)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



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 between2021 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 Type

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Type

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Type



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Type

5.3 Prophylactic vaccines - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on Prophylactic vaccines - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Prophylactic vaccines - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 30: Chart on Prophylactic vaccines - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Prophylactic vaccines - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Therapeutic vaccines - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on Therapeutic vaccines - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Therapeutic vaccines - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 34: Chart on Therapeutic vaccines - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Therapeutic vaccines - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Type

Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Type ($ billion)

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 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 43: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 44: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 45: 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 46: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 47: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

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 Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 51: Data Table on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 52: Chart on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 53: Data Table on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 54: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 55: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 56: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 57: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 58: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 59: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 60: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 61: 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 62: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 63: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 64: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 65: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.9 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 66: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 67: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 68: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 69: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.10 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 72: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.11 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 76: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 77: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.12 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 78: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 79: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 80: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 81: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 82: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 83: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 84: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 Astellas Pharma Inc.

Exhibit 85: Astellas Pharma Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 86: Astellas Pharma Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 87: Astellas Pharma Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 88: Astellas Pharma Inc. - Key offerings

10.4 AstraZeneca Plc

Exhibit 89: AstraZeneca Plc - Overview



Exhibit 90: AstraZeneca Plc - Product / Service



Exhibit 91: AstraZeneca Plc - Key news



Exhibit 92: AstraZeneca Plc - Key offerings

10.5 Bavarian Nordic AS

Exhibit 93: Bavarian Nordic AS - Overview



Exhibit 94: Bavarian Nordic AS - Product / Service



Exhibit 95: Bavarian Nordic AS - Key news



Exhibit 96: Bavarian Nordic AS - Key offerings

10.6 Bharat Biotech Ltd.

Exhibit 97: Bharat Biotech Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 98: Bharat Biotech Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 99: Bharat Biotech Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 100: Bharat Biotech Ltd. - Key offerings

10.7 BrightPath Biotherapeutics Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 101: BrightPath Biotherapeutics Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 102: BrightPath Biotherapeutics Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 103: BrightPath Biotherapeutics Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

10.8 CSL Ltd.

Exhibit 104: CSL Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 105: CSL Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 106: CSL Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 107: CSL Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 108: CSL Ltd. - Segment focus

10.9 Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 109: Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 110: Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 111: Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 112: Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 113: Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

10.10 Emergent BioSolutions Inc.

Exhibit 114: Emergent BioSolutions Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 115: Emergent BioSolutions Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 116: Emergent BioSolutions Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 117: Emergent BioSolutions Inc. - Key offerings

10.11 GlaxoSmithKline Plc

Exhibit 118: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Overview



Exhibit 119: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 120: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Key news



Exhibit 121: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 122: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Segment focus

10.12 Gradalis Inc.

Exhibit 123: Gradalis Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 124: Gradalis Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 125: Gradalis Inc. - Key offerings

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 126: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 127: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 128: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 129: Research methodology



Exhibit 130: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 131: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 132: List of abbreviations

About Technavio

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.

Contacts

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
Two gold awards solidify UST's reputation as a leading Human Capital Management performer in the technology sector

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UST, a leading digital transformation solutions company, has won a total of nine coveted Brandon Hall Group awards for excellence in Human Capital Management (HCM) across a range of categories. UST received two golds, two silvers, and five bronze awards, a testament to the outstanding work that the teams are doing to achieve boundless impact, immersive employee learning experiences, and training programs.

UST received excellence awards for entries in the following categories: Best Advance in Competencies and Skill Development, Best Advance in Leadership and Development for Women, Best Advance in Talent Management Technology Implementation, Best Advance in Leadership Development, Best New Hire Onboarding Program, Best Use of a Blended Learning Program, Best Advance in Corporate Culture Transformation and twice for Best Results of a Learning Program.

UST received gold recognition in two categories, Best Advance in Talent Management Technology Implementation for its Career Velocity initiative as well as Best Results of a Learning Program for the Automation for Efficiency campaign. Career Velocity is an innovative program that allows employees to chart a career path by examining the advancement opportunities that accompany a range of skill sets. Managers and employees use resources from Career Velocity to uncover career preferences and discover how best to expand skills. Furthermore, the learning intervention put in place by UST through the Automation for Efficiency campaign has been successful across various geographies and has fulfilled a range of business needs.

The entries were evaluated by a panel of independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts and executives who found that UST has established a robust HCM leadership development program based on its unique Servant Leadership philosophy. Servant Leadership incorporates the ideals of empowerment, team building, participatory management and the customer service ethic under a single leadership philosophy. This dynamic leadership methodology makes UST a leader in HCM and emphasizes service to others, a holistic approach to work, promoting a sense of community and the sharing of power in decision making.

UST was recognized for placing employees at the center of everything that the company does and striking an ideal balance between results and relationships. Partnerships with leading companies such as Udemy, ProGrad and Enparadigm allow for continuing education for UST team members, ensuring that they are able to gain the skills needed for career advancement. Brandon Hall Group evaluated entries based upon these criteria: how well they fit the need, the design of the program, functionality, innovation and overall measurable benefits.

"Digital upskilling is critical at all levels of a corporation, especially for leaders who must be equipped with the technical, data and management skills necessary to execute successful transformation. Our award-winning programs are deepened by collaboration across the organization and give us a framework as well as the necessary tools to support change from within. Our core tenet at UST is 'Born To Learn'. These awards are a reflection of how much it is ingrained into everything we do every single day at UST. Winning nine Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards underscore UST as an organization that is an elite Human Capital Management innovator," said Kavita Kurup, Global Head for Human Resources, UST.

"As a leading digital services partner to our clients, we have focused on creating a digital culture within our organization first. An overarching Servant Leadership Philosophy and the Born to learn Culture has helped us accelerate our internal Digital Transformation. I am delighted to see that Industry Benchmarking and research bodies like Brandon Hall are noticing such efforts. The awards are a true testimony to UST's continuing focus on making ourselves an employer of choice and a Digital Transformation partner of choice," said Madana Kumar, Global Head  Leadership Development, UST.

"Excellence Award winners distinguish themselves through their growing understanding that all the functions of HCM are integrated and must work together to move businesses forward. It is a pleasure to see more organizations collaborating across functions and getting more sophisticated and accomplished at delivering measurable benefit through ground-breaking HCM practices. We saw more alignment between HCM and business objectives than ever before," said Rachel Cooke, Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Hall Group.

For more information about careers at UST, please visit https://www.ust.com/careers

About UST

For more than 22 years, UST has worked side by side with the world's best companies to make a real impact through transformation. Powered by technology, inspired by people, and led by our purpose, we partner with our clients from design to operation. Through our nimble approach, we identify their core challenges, and craft disruptive solutions that bring their vision to life. With deep domain expertise and a future-proof philosophy, we embed innovation and agility into our clients' organizationsdelivering measurable value and lasting change across industries, and around the world. Together, with over 30,000 employees in 30+ countries, we build for boundless impacttouching billions of lives in the process. Visit us at www.UST.com

About Brandon Hall Group

Brandon Hall Group operates the largest and longest running awards program in Human Capital Management. As an independent HCM research and analyst firm they conduct studies in Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Talent Acquisition and HR/Workforce Management. These benchmark studies help organizations by providing strategic insights for executives and practitioners responsible for growth and business results.

Coupling the research studies with the best practice from the awards, Brandon Hall Group has helped more than 10,000 clients globally and more than 28 years of delivering world-class research and advisory. At the core of our offerings is a membership program that combines research, benchmarking and unlimited access to data and analysts. Membership enables executives and practitioners to make the right decisions about people, processes, and systems, coalesced with analyst advisory services which aim to put the research into action in a way that is practical and efficient.

Brandon Hall Group has also launched professional certifications for business and human capital management professionals to upskill themselves and gain credentials for career advancement. (www.brandonhall.com)

Media Contacts, UST:

Tinu Cherian Abraham

+1 (949) 415-9857

Merrick Laravea

+1 (949) 416-6212

Neha Misri

+91-9284726602

[email protected]

Media Contacts, U.S.:

S&C PR

+1-646.941.9139

[email protected]



Makovsky

[email protected]

Media Contacts, Australia:

Team Lewis

[email protected]

Media Contacts, U.K.:

FTI Consulting

[email protected]

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1422658/UST_Logo.jpg

SOURCE UST
Virgin Atlantic announces an update to its gender identity policy and removes requirement for its people to wear gendered uniform options

The policy, effective today, champions the individuality of Virgin Atlantic's people by enabling them to wear the clothing that expresses how they identify or present themselves. This follows previous changes including optional make up and allowing visible tattoos for crew members and its front line people

In addition to the policy, wider updates include the introduction of optional pronoun badges, ticketing system amends to allow for passport holders with gender neutral gender markers to use their gender codes and titles, mandatory inclusivity training for staff and training in destination with tourism and hotel partners

It comes as research* finds that allowing staff to embrace their individuality at work increases mental wellbeing (49%), feelings of happiness (65%) and creates a better experience for staff and customers (24%)

View and download campaign video https://virg.in/ojnd

View and download social campaign video https://virg.in/ojnR

LONDON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin Atlantic has launched its updated gender identity policy, giving its crew, pilots, and ground team the option to choose which of the iconic uniforms, designed by Vivienne Westwood, best represents them  no matter their gender, gender identity, or gender expression.

Crew members (left to right) Jamie Forsstroem, Tania Wiks, Alison Porte, Leigh Dixon, Gary Ogden join TV personality, Michelle Visage, to showcase Virgin Atlantic's gender identity uniform policy and pronoun badges, rolled out across the airline for colleagues from today.

Reflecting the diversity of the workforce and in a move that cements its position as the most inclusive airline in the skies, Virgin Atlantic will offer its people a fluid approach to its red and burgundy uniforms, meaning LGBTQ+ colleagues will be able to choose either the red or the burgundy uniform, depending on which best reflects themselves.

The announcement is part of an ongoing drive to champion the individuality of its people and customers and is complemented by the roll out of optional pronoun badges for all its people and those traveling with the airline. This move enables everyone to clearly communicate and be addressed by their pronouns. The badges will be available to teams and customers from today and customers simply need to ask for their preferred badge at the check in desk or in the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse.

Virgin Atlantic has also updated its ticketing systems to allow for those who hold passports with gender neutral gender markers to select 'U' or 'X' gender codes on their booking as well as the gender-neutral title, 'Mx.' In lieu of passports with gender neutral gender markers being available for all, Virgin Atlantic is implementing a longer-term plan to amend communication preferences to ensure customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns across all touchpoints.

Mandatory inclusivity training will also be rolled out for its people at all levels across Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Holidays as well as a series of inclusivity learning initiatives for tourism partners and hotels within destinations such as the Caribbean to ensure all our customers feel welcome despite barriers to LGBTQ+ equality.

Launched as part of its 'Be Yourself' agenda, the airline has already unveiled a series of industry-leading inclusivity initiatives for its people to ensure they can truly be themselves at work and feel comfortable in their roles. This latest addition follows a decision in 2019 to offer cabin crew the choice whether to wear make-up as well as the option to wear trousers and flat shoes. More recently the airline lifted restrictions around allowing visible tattoos for crew members and its front line people.

Jaime Forsstroem, Cabin Crew at Virgin Atlantic commented: "The updated gender identity policy is so important to me. As a non-binary person, it allows me to be myself at work and have the choice in what uniform I wear."

Michelle Visage, Tanya Compas, Talulah-Eve and Tyreece Nye have teamed up with Virgin Atlantic to showcase the new policy in a stylised fashion shoot that has been released today.

Michelle Visage commented: "As the mother of a non-binary child, and as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, these efforts by Virgin Atlantic to further inclusivity for its people are extremely important and personal to me. People feel empowered when they are wearing what best represents them, and this gender identity policy allows people to embrace who they are and bring their full selves to work."

The announcement comes as research finds that enabling employees to express their true selves at work boosts happiness (65%), increases mental wellbeing (49%), creates a more positive workplace culture (36%) and provides a better experience for customers (24%). Employees also reported feeling more accepted and comfortable when able to be their true selves at work (26%) and an increased sense of loyalty to their employer (21%).

The airline's initiatives also include an update of its existing trans inclusion policies, which already allows time off for medical treatments related to gender transition, personal choice of changing & shower facilities that align with the gender a person identifies as and co-creation of a personalised transitioning plan.

Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic's Chief Commercial Officer says, "At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are. That's why it's so important that we enable our people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work. It is for that reason that we want to allow our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify and ensure our customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns."

To find out more about Virgin Atlantic's inclusivity commitments head to https://virg.in/oji6 or follow the airline on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

*Data conducted by 3Gem on behalf of Virgin Atlantic between September 5-6, 2022, polling 2,000 adults aged 18+ across the UK.

About Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2021, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain's only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the fifth year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs 6,500 people worldwide, flying customers to 27 destinations across four continents.

Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. On 3 February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers.

Sustainability remains central to the airline and since September 2019, Virgin Atlantic has welcomed seven brand new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, helping to transform the fleet into one of the youngest, quietest and most fuel efficient in the sky. By 2022, the airline will operate a streamlined fleet of 38 twin engine aircraft following the retirement of its B747-400s and A340-600s, making its simplified fleet 10% more efficient than before the Covid-19 crisis impacted.

For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic.

SOURCE Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd
Wemade joins the biggest blockchain conference in Asia as a title sponsor

Henry Chang , CEO of Wemade, gave a keynote speech on WEMIX3.0 ecosystem and WEMIX$, its stablecoin

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wemade is participating in the biggest blockchain conference in Asia, TOKEN2049 Singapore, as a title sponsor. The event started on 28 September and will be held for two days in Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore.

Wemade is operating the biggest booth and Wemade Stage to introduce the WEMIX3.0 ecosystem, which will launch this October. The mega-ecosystem includes WEMIX PLAY, NILE and WEMIX Fi.

Henry Chang, CEO of Wemade, gave a keynote speech on The Digital Economy and the Stablecoin: WEMIX3.0 and WEMIX$, which included a detailed explanation on WEMIX$, soon-to-be-launched stablecoin. .

"The fact is, valuable and sustainable things eventually succeed. 3 requirements are needed to create a successful stablecoin, which are stability, stable/native reflexivity and scalability," he said. "We made every effort to develop a stablecoin WEMIX$ that is necessary for the digital blockchain economy. WEMIX$ will become a new history of stablecoin and that history will be the cornerstone of the digital blockchain economy."

Wemade has been pouring efforts in the global roadshow WIN2022 to introduce WEMIX to the global blockchain scene. Since GDC this March in San Francisco, it's been joining many domestic and global events.

After TOKEN2049, where leading global Web3 companies are participating, it will join G-STAR, the biggest game show in Korea this November as a finale.

SOURCE Wemade Co., Ltd
Webcast and conference call on October 28, at 7 a.m. PT (10 a.m. ET)

SEATTLE, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY) will release third quarter 2022 results on Thursday, October 27, after the market closes. The company will then hold a live webcast and conference call the following day, on Friday, October 28, at 7 a.m. Pacific (10 a.m. Eastern), to discuss the results.

To access the news release, live webcast and presentation online, visit the Investor Relations section on www.weyerhaeuser.com.

To join the conference call from within North America, dial 877-407-0792 (access code: 13724916) at least 15 minutes prior to the call. Those calling from outside North America should dial 201-689-8263 (access code: 13724916). Replays will be available for two weeks at 844-512-2921 (access code: 13724916) from within North America, and at 412-317-6671 (access code: 13724916) from outside North America.

ABOUT WEYERHAEUSER

Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest private owners of timberlands, began operations in 1900. We own or control approximately 11 million acres of timberlands in the U.S. and manage additional timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. We manage these timberlands on a sustainable basis in compliance with internationally recognized forestry standards. We are also one of the largest manufacturers of wood products in North America. Our company is a real estate investment trust. In 2021, we generated $10.2 billion in net sales and employed approximately 9,200 people who serve customers worldwide. Our common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WY. Learn more at www.weyerhaeuser.com.

For more information contact:

Analysts - Andy Taylor, 206-539-3907

Media  Nancy Thompson, 919-861-0342

SOURCE Weyerhaeuser Company
RACINE, Wis., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Modine Manufacturing Company (NYSE: MOD), a diversified global leader in thermal management technology and solutions, announced today that William A. Wulfsohn will join the Company's Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Wulfsohn served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ashland Global Holdings, a public specialty chemicals company, from 2015 to 2019. Currently Mr. Wulfsohn serves as a Director at specialty chemicals company, PolyOne/Avient Corp. He also served as the founding Chairman of Valvoline for the first year after its successful spinoff from Ashland Global Holdings in 2016. His prior employment includes strategic, M&A and international experience in senior roles including President and Chief

Executive Officer at Carpenter Technology Corporation, Senior Vice President, Coatings at PPG Industries and Vice President and General Manager  Nylon System at Honeywell International Inc.

"We are very pleased to welcome Bill to the Modine Board," said Marsha Williams, Chairperson, Modine Board of Directors. "He brings unique skills which will benefit both the Board and the management team at a time when Modine is refocusing its businesses toward faster growing and more profitable product lines. Bill's senior leadership skills and extensive board experience will bring invaluable expertise to Modine in furthering the Company's transformation."

Mr. Wulfsohn holds an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Mr. Wulfsohn will stand for election at Modine's 2023 annual meeting of shareholders.

About Modine

At Modine, we are engineering a cleaner, healthier world. Building on more than 100 years of excellence in thermal management, we provide trusted systems and solutions that improve air quality and conserve natural resources. More than 11,000 employees are at work in every corner of the globe, delivering the solutions our customers need, where they need them. Our Climate Solutions and Performance Technologies segments support our purpose by improving air quality, reducing energy and water consumption, lowering harmful emissions and enabling cleaner running vehicles and environmentallyfriendly refrigerants. Modine is a global company headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin (USA), with operations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. For more information about Modine, visit www.modine.com.

Investor & Media Contact

Kathleen Powers (262) 636-1687

[email protected]

SOURCE Modine Manufacturing Company
QUINCY, Mass., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- XS Brokers (XSB), a leading independent insurance underwriting and wholesale brokerage group, announces a realignment plan to better support the organization's considerable year over year growth.

With the company's continued and consistent success attributed to strong relationships with its retail agent clients, Misty Quail has been promoted to EVP, Business Development Manager. Under her leadership, she will ensure XS Brokers' family-owned company values extend to supporting clients and advance the company's efforts of attracting Top 100 retailers nationwide.

Within the Brokerage arena, considerable growth has also led to positive change. "Over the past three years, XS Specialty Brokerage has become a significantly larger portion of XSB's overall premiums. As a result, our Brokerage offerings have grown considerably all the while enhancing our depth of product solutions and service performance to our retail insurance agent clients," said Eric Wirkus, President of XS Brokers.

Sean McVicker, newly promoted to EVP/National P&C Brokerage Leader, will continue to focus on scaling the Brokerage division's Casualty business as well as guide an alignment of Brokerage Property. Additionally, in recognition of the impact of the middle market in today's business, a middle market property group will relaunch with a focus on carrier access and high-quality standards.

"These Brokerage promotions demonstrate the leadership quality that resides in our company. These are the associates, individually and collectively, that have helped drive the division's growth from 21% of the company's total premium in 2020 to over 35% in 2021. If that isn't impressive enough, through August of this year, our Brokerage run rate exceeds 47%," added Wirkus.

"We believe in the value of promoting from within individuals who demonstrate leadership and an understanding of the needs of the client," said Adam Devine, CEO of XS Brokers. "In this case, we have been fortunate to have several very talented associates in our Brokerage division who have played a central role in enabling XS Specialty Brokerage to achieve phenomenal growth performance."

Additional Promotions

Brendan Nohelty, promoted to SVP/Division Leader Brokerage Property, will lead all Brokerage Property initiatives, including Middle Market placements.

Steven Finkelstein, promoted to SVP/Professional & Mgmt. Liability, will be expanding alignment with other Product leaders to continue their 30% growth year over year efforts.

Ryan Darby promoted to VP/Mid-West Region in recognition of his success in growing the presence of XS Brokers in this part of the country.

Within Binding Authority, Brian Radell has been promoted to SVP/Binding Authority Markets taking a lead role on engagement with binding carriers and relationship management.

To support the growth and diversification of carriers within the Binding Authority market segment, Chris Kiely has been promoted to SVP/Technical Underwriting.

"We are enthusiastic about our growth potential and our exceptionally strong leadership team," stated Wirkus. "We will continue to invest in our people, operations, and services to ensure our long-term business growth objectives are achieved."

XS Brokers Insurance Agency (www.xsbrokers.com) is an independent binding authority and wholesale brokerage group headquartered in Massachusetts. With offices throughout the Northeast and Southeast, XSB is a full-service insurance group providing leading-edge coverage solutions exclusively to retail agents and brokers. Since 1978, XSB has focused on providing a broad range of personal and commercial lines solutions, service excellence, and market agility to help retail agents drive growth. Licensed in 50 states and with well over 30 binding authority facilities and strategic carrier appointments, XSB continues to achieve double-digit growth and profit.

SOURCE XSB
United Nations, Sep 28 : After weeks of gang violence and protests in Haiti, humanitarians warn that life-saving services could halt, a UN spokesman said.

"After almost two weeks of complete blockade of the country's main fuel entry point, water distribution is seriously compromised and health facilities are running dangerously low on fuel," said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

He added that some hospitals cannot admit new patients and are preparing to close, adding that many hospitals are running out of oxygen, Xinhua news agency reported.

The WHO and its affiliate Pan American Health Organisation are working with health authorities and partners to refurbish emergency medical services at one major public hospital, he said.

The UN agencies joined the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to provide medical supplies for two public hospitals in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, the spokesman added.

He said the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and UNFPA also work with hospitals, health authorities and partners to install solar power supplies. However, solar power is insufficient to keep hospitals fully functioning.

Dujarric added that UNICEF estimates that 22,000 children under the age of 5 years, and more than 28,000 newborns, are at risk of not receiving essential health care services for the next four weeks.

He said the current access crisis also raises concerns about the 36 sites for internally displaced people in Haiti. The sites host more than 24,000 people displaced by last year's earthquake in the south and by the recent gang violence in Port-au-Prince.

"Our colleagues on the ground are concerned about reports of widespread sexual violence, rape and gender-based violence," the spokesman added.

Haiti's humanitarian response remains seriously underfunded despite increasing needs, he said.

"As of today (Tuesday), we have received only a third of the funding required for the country's $373-million humanitarian plan for 2022."
Ouagadougou, Sep 28 : Eleven soldiers were killed in an attack on a supply convoy in northern Burkina Faso, the Burkina Faso government said in a statement.

According to the statement on Tuesday, a supply convoy under military escort and heading to the city of Djibo was attacked by terrorists near the commune of Gaskinde in Soum province, the Sahel region, Xinhua news agency reported.

The provisional toll stood at 11 soldiers killed, 28 wounded, including 20 soldiers, and nearly 50 civilians missing, the statement added.

The attack also caused significant material damage, and a search for the attackers was ongoing, the statement said.

Security in Burkina Faso has worsened since 2015 as attacks have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1.9 million others in the West African nation.
Riyadh, Sep 28 : Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has appointed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the kingdom's Prime Minister, Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a royal decree.

The king meanwhile issued a decree on Tuesday ordering a cabinet reshuffle, appointing Saudi Prince Khalid bin Salman as the Defence Minister, Xinhua news agency reported.

Heads of ministries that were kept unchanged include the Energy Minister, the Foreign Affairs Minister, the Investment Minister, the Interior Minister, and the Finance Minister.
Kiev, Sep 28 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has met with visiting French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss support for Ukraine, the presidential press service reported.

At the meeting, Zelensky on Tuesday thanked France for its support on the issue of granting Ukraine a candidate status for EU membership and voiced his belief that Ukraine will move forward along the path toward European integration, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Ukrainian President also voiced appreciation to French President Emmanuel Macron for his assistance in talks on the visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

Zelensky and Colonna also discussed defence assistance for Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia.

Colonna arrived in Kiev earlier on Tuesday for her second visit since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February.
Havana, Sep 28 : Cuba has been left completely without power after the category 3 hurricane Ian lashed the island nation, government officials have confirmed.

On Cuban state television on Tuesday, the head of the electrical energy authority announced that an island-wide blackout had occurred as a result of the national electrical system's breakdown, leaving 11 million people in the dark, reports the BBC.

The breakdown took place after one of the main power plants could not be brought back online.

The hurricane, which made landfall on Monday night, has also led to the death of one person, while buildings were damaged all across the country.

Forecasters had warned that some regions of Cuba could see up to 12 inches of rain.

Meanwhile, Ian, packing wind speeds of up to 195 km/h, is now bearing down on Florida, according to the US National Hurricane Center's (NHC) latest update on Tuesday night.

It is projected to make landfall on Florida's west coast late on Wednesday, the BBC quoted the NHC as saying.

The Center added that Ian could be a category four hurricane by the time it strikes Florida's western coast, with some 2.5 million people in the state currently under evacuation orders.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday has declared a state of emergency for the state and has activated 5,000 National Guard troops.

He warned in a news conference that the storm is "the real deal".

The White House has also made its own emergency declaration, which will help federal and state officials co-ordinate disaster relief and assistance.

President Joe Biden spoke with DeSanti on Tuesday evening, and the two committed to "continued close co-ordination", the White House said.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Centre on Wednesday banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates and affiliates for a period of five years in the wake of nationwide raids against the Islamist organisation by law enforcement agencies.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central Government hereby declares the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates or fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an 'unlawful association'," read a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

"Whereas, the Central Government, having regard to the above circumstances, is of firm opinion that it is necessary to declare the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect, and accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 3 of the said Act, the Central government hereby directs that this notification shall, subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act, have effect for a period of five years from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette," it added.

As per the notification, the PFI is involved in several criminal and terror cases and shows sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority of the country and with funds and ideological support from outside, it has become a major threat to internal security of the country.

"Investigations in various cases have revealed that the PFI and its cadres have been repeatedly engaging in violent and subversive acts. Criminal violent acts carried out by PFI include chopping off limb of a college professor, cold blooded killings of persons associated with organisations espousing other faiths, obtaining explosives to target prominent people and places and destruction of public property," it added.

The ban comes after the recent raids carried out at the premises of PFI members by the National Investigation Agency and Enforcement Directorate.

On September 22, teams led by the NI) arrested 106 leaders and activists of the PFI in nearly 15 states.
Lucknow, Sep 28 : The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to upgrade the security system in the banking sector.

Principal secretary, home, Sanjay Prasad said, surveillance systems and data storage would be made more effective to strengthen the security system of banks.

Following a meeting with the bank officials, Prasad said bank officers have been further directed to check the circulation of counterfeit currency and provide better facility of Internet banking to the customers.

"Adequate arrangement of CCTVs should be made mandatory in all the bank branches, currency chests and ATM branches. Security equipment, alarms, sirens and other gadgets installed in banks should be checked regularly. The banks should also make proper arrangements for fire safety," he said.

Bank officials have been asked to make adequate arrangements for fire prevention in all banks and to compulsorily conduct fire audits regularly.

The government also called for better coordination between the banking sector and the state government, particularly the police.
Lucknow, Sep 28 : In yet another case of 'love jihad', a 30-year-old man has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district for marrying a woman after posing as a Hindu and then harassing her.

Superintendent of police (Sitapur), Ghule Sushil Chandrabhan said a case under appropriate IPC sections had been registered and the accused had been arrested on the basis of a complaint given by the woman at Laharpur police station.

"Necessary action will be initiated and the safety of the woman will be ensured." The Laharpur police station in-charge, Rajeev Singh said the accused was identified as Mohd Wasim, who posed as a Hindu and told the woman that his name was Arjun.

He married her about a year ago.

Singh said the accused married the woman in a temple to conceal his identity and she came to know about his real identity after the marriage when the family members of his first wife came looking for him.

He said the woman was forced to convert.

The accused, meanwhile, disclosed that he was a resident of Agra, but originally he hails from Sitapur's Tambor area.

Singh said the accused was booked under IPC sections 420 for fraud, 323 for voluntarily causing hurt, 504 for insulting and 506 for criminal intimidation.

"Section 3/5(1) of Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act has also been invoked against him," he said and added that the Religious Conversion Act was meant for prohibition of unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion and allurement and the Indecent Representation of Woman Act was to prohibit indecent representation of women through advertisements or in publications, writings, paintings, figures or in any other manner.
Hyderabad, Sep 28 : Tollywood superstar Mahesh Babu's mother Ghattamaneni Indira Devi passed away on Wednesday morning after a prolonged illness. She was 70.

Indira Devi, who had been undergoing treatment at a leading hospital in the city since last week, breathed her last at home.

She is survived by her husband and veteran Telugu yesteryear star Krishna, her son Mahesh Babu, and three daughters.

Her death is the second tragedy to strike the Ghattamaneni family this year. Her elder son Ramesh Babu had passed away earlier this year.

A pall of grief engulfed the superstar's home on Wednesday. Tributes and condolence messages have begun pouring in to the family over social media.

Tollywood Megastar Chiranjeevi was among the first to condole Mahesh Babu and Krishna. "Extremely sad to hear about the demise of Indira Devi garu. I convey my deepest condolences to Superstar Krishna garu, brother Mahesh Babu, and the family" he tweeted in Telugu.

Film industry bigwigs have been making a beeline to the Ghattamaneni family home to pay their respects to the deceased matriarch.

Family sources said that the funeral will be held on Wednesday afternoon.
Seoul, Sep 28 : The number of babies born in South Korea hit an all-time low in July, while deaths climbed to a record high in the month amid rapid aging and the Covid-19 pandemic, new data revealed on Wednesday.

A total of 20,441 babies were born in July, down 8.6 per cent from the previous year, according to the data from Statistics Korea.

It marked the lowest for any July since the statistics agency started compiling related data in 1981, reports Yonhap News Agency.

South Korea has faced a chronic decline in childbirths as many young people delay or give up on getting married or having babies in the face of an economic slowdown and high home prices, combined with changing social norms about marriage.

The country broke its own record for the world's lowest childbirths last year.

Its total fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime -- came to 0.81 children in 2021, down from 0.84 the previous year. Last year marked the fourth straight year that the number was below 1.

Rapid aging and the fallout of the pandemic also pushed up the number of deaths to a record high in July.

A total of 26,030 people died in the month, up 1.2 per cent from a year earlier. It marked the highest figure for any July and also represented the 17th straight month of increase.

As the number of deaths outpaced that of births, the nation's population declined by 5,588 in July, marking the 33rd consecutive month of fall.

South Korea reported the first natural fall in its population in 2020, as the grim demographic trend has continued.

Meanwhile, the number of marriages fell 5 per cent on-year to 14,947 in July, the data showed.

More people have postponed or delayed their weddings due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Divorces declined 9.3 per cent on-year to 7,535 in July.
International community clear-eyed about Western countries' double standards on human rights: China

(People's Daily App) 13:39, September 28, 2022

Most of the international community knows about Western countries double standards on human rights and their interference in other countries internal affairs, China said on Monday.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a routine press briefing in Beijing when asked to comment on a statement delivered by Pakistan on behalf of nearly 70 countries at the 51st session of the United National Human Rights Council.

The statement said that Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet are Chinas internal affairs and expressed opposition to the politicization of human rights, double standards and interference in Chinas internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.

A handful of Western countries have blatantly interfered in the internal affairs of other countries in the name of human rights and repeatedly applied a double standard on the issue of human rights, Wang said. The overwhelming majority of the international community have long been clear-eyed about this.

Nearly 100 countries expressed their understanding and support for Chinas legitimate position in various ways at the Human Rights Council, Wang said. More than 20 countries voiced support for China by making their separate statements or other means, he said. This speaks volumes about who enjoys broad support and who doesnt.

There were serious human rights problems including gun violence, botched COVID response, human trafficking and so on within the US and a handful of other Western countries, the ministry spokesperson noted.

We urge these countries to stop lecturing other countries on human rights and stop applying a double standard and seeking political manipulation, he said. They need to be held accountable for the human cost and catch up on their human rights record.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Meerut Sep 28 : A young couple from Uttar Pradesh who worked at the now infamous Vantara Resort in Rishikesh, had managed to 'escape' two months ago after they witnessed 'suspicious' activities there.

The couple Rishita and her husband Vivek Bhardwaj, 29, walked 10 km until they caught a bus and returned home in Meerut.

Rishita, 27, worked at the front office of the resort and Vivek was with the housekeeping department.

Within a month of joining, the couple decided to quit after witnessing the alleged wrongdoings.

They found the job through a post on social media.

The couple told reporters that the main accused in the Ankita Bhandari case, Pulkit Arya, was abusive.

"He would entertain guests with girls and drugs. We decided to leave within a month of joining. However, when we went back home to Meerut, we started receiving calls from the two other accused, Ankit Gupta and Saurabh Bhaskar. They kept calling us for over a week, urging us to return. They promised everything would be alright and assured us of better emoluments," said Vivek.

The couple are now back in Rishikesh to depose before the Uttarakhand police probing the case.

Rishita told reporters: "We went back but they continued with their illicit activities. They even refused to give us our salaries and thrashed me once. I approached the local police, who were of no help. We tried to contact the Haridwar police but no help came from them either. Cops kept telling us that the area did not fall under their jurisdiction and that we must approach the local patwari. However, the patwari was hand in glove with Pulkit and others and joined in on our harassment." She further alleged that she was held 'hostage' along with her husband after the two were forced to sign an apology letter for a fake theft case.

"They said that the letter would be used against us if we even thought of leaving," she added.

The couple said that they left the resort at 3 a.m. by scaling the wall along with another employee and walked a long distance till they boarded a bus.

"A four-member SIT in its ongoing probe of the case will record the statement of the couple in the case," the Uttarakhand Police said in an official release on Tuesday evening.
Bengaluru, Sep 28 : Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday welcomed the imposition of ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) in the country for five years.

"The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in coordination with various state police departments had carried out raids on PFI workers and gathered evidence," he said.

He further stated that PFI was one of the religious fundamental forces which indulged in pitting the youth of the country against the nation. The move to ban PFI is good in the view of maintaining the integrity and unity of the country.

This is also a step which was necessary to maintain peace and harmony in the country, the Home Minister stated.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood has given directions to take up strict vigilance across the state against the backdrop of the move. The local police have been directed to conduct peace meetings with the Muslim community leaders.

It has also been directed to take those who try to disturb peace into custody. The central government has also issued warnings to take preventive measures in this regard.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Pratap Reddy has given directions in localities where Muslims live in more numbers. The orders have been issued to lock all the PFI's offices in the city.

The notification of the union government has mentioned the murder of BJP activist Praveen Kumar Nettare in Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka. It has also mentioned the proposal of the Karnataka government to ban PFI.
Paris, Sep 28 : France will launch a new inoculation campaign with Omicron-adapted bivalent Covid-19 vaccines next week amid a resurgence of fresh cases, Health Minister Francois Braun announced here.

Speaking to the local media on Tuesday, the Minister said the resurgence has been reported across the country over the past three weeks, reports Xinhua news agency.

Braun said a new booster dose will protect the at-risk groups from developing severe symptoms, including the vulnerable, those aged over 60 and health workers.

He said the general public are welcome to be vaccinated, too, if they wish.

The Omicron-adapted vaccines, approved by the French National Authority (HAS) on September 20, will be available at pharmacies and inoculation centres starting from October 3, he said.

Though wearing a mask is no more mandatory in France, Braun called on the citizens to be more sensible by putting it at crowded places.

The French Public Health Agency has warned that "the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 has accelerated throughout the metropolitan territory with virological indicators rising sharply".

The three Omicron-adapted vaccines approved by the HAS include those of Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech targetting the Omicron variant BA.1, and that of Pfizer/BioNTech adapted for the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020, France, one of the worst-hit countries, has reported a total of 35,238,174 Covid-19 cases and 155,000 deaths.
Chennai, Sep 28 : The Tamil Nadu police is set to seal the Popular Front of India (PFI) offices across the state in the wake of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banning it and its affiliated organisations.

On September 22, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) swooped down on the PFI and its leadership across 15 states. The national agency recorded the arrest of 45 people, including its national chairman, OMA Salam, national general secretary, Nasarudhin Elamaram, its intellectual face, Prof P. Koya.

Sources in the state home ministry told IANS that the home secretary of Tamil Nadu would soon issue a circular leading to the sealing of the offices of PFI and its affiliated organisations like the Campus Front of India, Women's Front of India, Rehab Foundation of India, and others.

A senior officer with the Tamil Nadu Police told IANS that there would be arrests in many cases that are registered against the PFI functionaries.

While the ban on the PFI is announced, political observers said that other than putting a break in the functioning of the ideology for some time, the ban will not be able to bring in a radical change.

Abdul Sathar, a businessman and a social activist while speaking to IANS from Tambaram, Chennai said, "The PFI in fact invited this ban. The actions and the programmes of the organisation led to Centre banning it. However, I feel that just like SIMI reappeared, these organisations would soon regroup in a different colour and name. But definitely, brakes have been applied, and also the whole top brass of the PFI being behind bars will make regrouping exercise a bit difficult." The PFI has been charged with establishing ties with even IS and also radical organisations in Bangladesh.
New York, Sep 28 : In recent days Iran has seen deep public unrest, with demonstrations and protests taking place in some 80 cities, triggered by the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, who was detained by authorities in Tehran on September 13 and died, while in custody, three days later.

In a statement on Wednesday, the New York-headquartered UN Women said that "it stands with the women of Iran in their rightful demands to protest injustice without reprisal, and to be free to exercise their bodily autonomy, including their choice of dress; and also supports them in seeking accountability, and the upholding of their basic human rights as stipulated in the Charter of the UN".

"We call on relevant authorities to support and enable the expression of their full human rights in a safe environment without fear of violence, prosecution, or persecution.

"We align with the remarks by the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the need to ensure the rights to due process and release for all women who have been arbitrarily detained and with the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, in the call for the Iranian authorities to hold an independent, impartial, and prompt investigation into Ms Amini's death, to make the findings of the investigation public and to hold all perpetrators accountable.

"We reiterate our expression of condolences to the family of Mahsa Amini. We remain steadfast in upholding the rights of women and girls in every part of the world," the UN Women added.

According to the Iran Human Rights (IHR), a Norway-based organisation, at least 76 protesters have been killed by Iranian security forces in the 11 days of unrest across the country against Amini's death.

The organisation also said that hundreds of people have also been arrested, including 20 journalists.

The anti-government demonstrations have spread to more than 80 cities and towns across Iran since Amini's funeral on September 17.
Colombo, Sep 28 : At least 80 houses were destroyed due to a fire that broke out in a highly populous area in Colombo, with around 220 people displaced, Sri Lankan police said on Wednesday.

The fire broke out at the Kajeemawatte Flats in Thotalanga at around 8 p.m. on Tuesday night and it took firefighters several hours to get the blaze under control, reports Xinhua news agency.

Twelve fire trucks were pressed into service.

No casualties were reported in the incident, and those affected are housed in community centres and places of worship.

The police are yet to determine the cause of the fire and the total property damage has not been estimated.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed his Secretary Saman Ekanayake to take steps to provide immediate relief to all the people affected by the fire.
Los Angeles, Sep 28 : Actress-director Elizabeth Banks has denied that her film 'Charlie's Angels' is some sort of a feminist manifesto.

The director, who is gearing up for her upcoming release 'Call Jane', maintained that she was merely making an action movie with 'Charlie's Angels', reports Deadline.

Banks said in an interview with The New York Times that she is proud of the movie and the actors in it. She then pushed back on what she sees as a narrative that has developed about the film.

She said, quoted by Deadline: "There was a story around Charlie's Angels that I was creating some feminist manifesto. I was just making an action movie. I would've liked to have made 'Mission: Impossible', but women aren't directing 'Mission: Impossible'.

"I was able to direct an action movie, frankly, because it starred women and I'm a female director, and that is the confine right now in Hollywood. I wish that the movie had not been presented as just for girls, because I didn't make it just for girls. There was a disconnect on the marketing side of it for me."
Athens, Sep 28 : Greece will not follow Turkey down the path of "fiery words", says Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, while also calling on the neighbouring country to choose "constructive actions and substantial dialogue".

"Turkey faces not just Greece, but Europe and our allies in NATO," Mitsotakis said in a statement following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, accusing Ankara of "repeating lies and threats", reports Xinhua news agency "We will calmly and self-confidently rest in our clear positions with the strength of international law, the vigilance of our armed forces, the support of our allies," he added.

Relations between the two NATO allies have long been tense over a series of issues, including maritime and energy disputes in the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea.

Lately they have exchanged strong remarks over many incidents.

Greek news agency AMNA reported that Turkey on Monday presented a demarche to Athens' Ambassador in Ankara Christodoulos Lazaris over an alleged violation of international law through the presence of Greek armoi=ured military vehicles at border islands.

Greece later rejected the claim, AMNA said, citing diplomatic sources.

The agency also reported that Greek Defence Minister Nikos Hardalias is visiting several Hellenic Army and Hellenic Navy posts on islands of the Eastern Aegean Sea on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Issues of defence and the strengthening of our deterrent power, as well as issues of national sovereignty, remain non-negotiable," Hardalias said in a statement ahead of the visits.

The Prime Minister's remarks came a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to "use all means" to protect Ankara's rights and interests against Greece.

"We will not fail to use all the means to defend our country's rights and interests against Greece, when necessary," Erdogan said at a press conference after a cabinet meeting on Monday.

He accused Athens of making policies based on "provocative actions" and suggested that Greece is being "dragged into a swamp with military build-ups".
Chennai, Sep 28 : Urban air mobility company Fly Blade India P. Ltd. is likely to get one H125 helicopter from Airbus this October/November, said a top company official.

He also said the company will be launching helicopter service between Bengaluru International Airport and HAL on weekdays starting October 10 at Rs 3,250 per seat.

The company will subsequently introduce more routes to Whitefield and Electronic City, he added.

"A wholly owned subsidiary in Gujarat's Gift City has placed orders for a couple of helicopters with Airbus. The helicopters will have a seating capacity of 5/6 persons. The first helicopter is expected to be delivered this October/November," Amit Dutta, Managing Director told IANS.

He said the subsidiary company will lease the helicopter to operators from whom Fly Blade will hire for its operations," Dutta added.

The Fly Blade is a joint venture between the US-based BLADE Urban Air Mobility Inc. and the New Delhi-based venture capital firm, Hunch Ventures, which began its operations in 2019.

The company has partnered with Airbus and Eve Air Mobility to expand its short-haul air mobility services in India through fleet expansions.

The company began its maiden flights in Maharashtra between Mumbai, Pune and Shirdi. Later it expanded its scheduled by-the-seat helicopter flights to Karnataka (to Coorg, Hampi, and Kabini) and Goa; launched its bed-to-bed air medevac service and also chartered plane service.

Speaking about the proposed helicopter service between Bengaluru International Airport and HAL Airport, he said annually about 40 million people visit the airport and majority of them by taxis that charge about Rs 2,000. Converting a small percentage of the taxi traffic to helicopter service will be a sizable revenue potential.

"It takes about two hours to reach the Bengaluru International Airport. On the other hand for Rs 3,250 one can reach the airport in 12 minutes by our helicopter," Dutta said.

According to him, similar service will be offered in Goa.

Dutta said during the Covid-19 pandemic the company operated medical evacuation flights. After withdrawal of the Covid-19 lock down demand from the domestic tourists have picked up.

The company's flights have an occupancy of about 75 per cent.

According to him, the company plans to expand its network and offer its services in 10 states over the next 24 months leasing about 50 crafts.
Singapore, Sep 28 : Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) announced on Wednesday that a bomb threat on Singapore Airlines flight SQ33 from San Francisco has been verified to be false.

The MINDEF said in a social media post that earlier this morning, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) was informed of the bomb threat, reports Xinhua news agency.

Preliminary investigations indicate that a 37-year-old male passenger had allegedly claimed that there was a bomb in a carry bag, and had assaulted the crew.

The Singapore Armed Forces and SPF were mobilized immediately, said the Defence Ministry.

The air force's F-16C/Ds escorted the aircraft to safety at Changi Airport, and teams from The Singapore Army's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosives Defence Group and Airport Police Division were on site to verify the claims.

The threat was subsequently verified to be false, and the suspect has been arrested, said the MINDEF, adding that police investigations are ongoing.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : After the imposition of a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) on Wednesday, several Muslim organisations welcomed the move by the government.

Chairman of All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council, Naseeruddin Chisti said that if the action was taken after considering the public order, then everyone should show patience and welcome the action taken by the government.

Similarly, Saiyed Zainul Abidin of Ajmer said that the ban has been invoked in the national interest as PFI was indulging in anti-national activity.

Muslim Students Organisation of India (MSO), a body of Muslim Sufi students too have welcomed the move, and said in a statement that PFI was indulging in extremist activity.

As per the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, "there had been a number of instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups and some activists of the PFI have joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of these PFI cadres linked to the ISIS have been killed in these conflict theaters and some have been arrested by State Police and Central Agencies and also the PFI has linkages with Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a proscribed terrorist organisation." The Centre on Wednesday through its notification said that the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country and supporting militancy in the country.

The Centre on Wednesday banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates for a period of five years. The affiliates include Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an "unlawful association".
Kiev, Sep 28 : The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will set up a project office in Ukraine, the Kiev government said in a statement.

The government has authorised Yulia Svyrydenko, the First Deputy Prime Minister, to sign the deal with the FAO, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

"The adoption of the agreement and the establishment of the FAO office in Ukraine will raise cooperation to a much higher level," Svyrydenko, who is also the Economy Minister, was quoted as saying.

According to the Minister, the creation of the FAO office will help to support Ukraine's agricultural producers and facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid to all the people in need in the wake of the ongoing war.

It would also enhance the cooperation between Ukraine and the FAO on agricultural exports, Svyrydenko added.

Between late February and mid-August, the FAO provided emergency agricultural assistance, such as seeds and multi-purpose cash aid, to 80,000 people in 13 regions of the war-torn nation, according to the statement.
New Delhi, Sep 28: Backing India's long-standing demand, Nepal has called for United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms, making it more representative, inclusive, and transparent.

Santosh Ghimire New Delhi, Sep 28: Backing India's long-standing demand, Nepal has called for United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms, making it more representative, inclusive, and transparent.

Addressing the general debate of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Nepal's foreign secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal said, "Nepal supports UN reform initiatives, including revitalising the General Assembly and reforming the Security Council, to make it more representative, inclusive, and transparent." Foreign Secretary Paudyal is leading a Nepali delegation to the 77th UN General Assembly which began on September 13 at the United Nations headquarters, New York.

Nepal has been giving its backing for India's bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council for a couple of years, stating that it was needed to reflect the changed times and make it more effective.

Proposals to restructure the UN Security Council, which now has five permanent members and ten elected to two-year terms, have been around for over two decades, but have hit a stalemate in the UN General Assembly.

A senior official of Nepal's foreign ministry elaborated that Nepal was for expanding both permanent and non-permanent categories of Security Council membership and supported India, Japan, Germany and Brazil being given permanent seats.

"Nepal wants the reform in the UN Security reforms to reflect contemporary realities for making it more effective, representative, responsive and capable of handling the increasingly complex global problems. As an immediate neighbour of India, we have been supporting India's bid for UN Security reforms," the official told India Narrative.

Nepal's foreign secretary Paudyal, in his bilateral meeting with Indian counterpart Vinay Mohan Kwatra in New Delhi mid-September, had backed India's bid for UNSC reforms. The two sides had held discussion on cooperation on multilateral forums including the United Nations.

On September 24, 32 countries including India called for urgent and comprehensive reforms in the UN Security Council in order to adapt the United Nations to contemporary world realities.

In a Joint Statement, the countries said they stand united as a group of pro-reform like-minded States which are determined to work towards a more inclusive, responsive, and participatory international governance architecture.

Apart from other issues, in his address to the 77th session of the UNGA, Nepal's foreign secretary Paudyal expressed deep concerns over the deaths and suffering of civilians in the war in Ukraine. He called for an urgent cessation of hostilities and violence and urged all concerned parties to exercise maximum restraint and return to the path of dialogue.

"Nepal opposes any threat or use of force against the territorial integrity, political independence, and sovereignty of a country under any pretext and circumstance," Paudyal said.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Chennai, Sep 28 : The Kancheepuram police shot a history-sheeter twice in his legs to apprehend him after he threw a country-made bomb and attacked a policeman with a machete.

Sachin (26) from the Eramiyoor village in Kancheepuram district was involved in several criminal cases and had been dodging the police for long. The incident took place on Wednesday early morning.

Kancheepuram police on a tip-off came to know that the criminal was hiding at a place near a private college in his native Eramiyur village. A police team led by inspector Sivakumar reached the spot at 3 a.m.

A senior officer with the police team, who apprehended Sachin, told IANS that on reaching the spot, the police team was attacked with a country-made bomb which was hurled at the police team from the hideout of Sachin.

The bomb did not burst, but Sachin jumped into the spot and attacked a constable, Bhaskar who was in the team with a machete. The constable was grievously injured but the Sub Inspector, Sivakumar fired two shots on the legs of Sachin and he was apprehended.

The injured history-sheeter was taken to Rajiv Gandhi Medical College hospital and his arrest was recorded. The constable Baskar is also undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 28 : The Kerala unit of the BJP on Wednesday demanded that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should ask for the resignation of State Ports Minister Ahamed Devarkovil as he belongs to the Indian National League (INL), which has close relations with the now banned Rehab India Foundation (RIF).

Rehab India Foundation (RIF) is one of the associates of Popular Front of India (PFI) and have been banned by the Centre for five years.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central Government hereby declares the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates or fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an 'unlawful association'," read a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Surendran told the media that Vijayan should boot out the Left ally, Indian National League (INL) from the Left Democratic Front.

"Mohammed Suleiman, who is part of RIF, is also part of the INL and, hence Vijayan, if he has any concern for our country, should immediately ask the Minister to resign and throw out the INL," said Surendran.

Meanwhile, top INL leader Kassim Irikoor denied all the allegations levelled by Surendran.

"The baseless allegations levelled by Surendran are nothing but political nonsense. The RIF is something which was floated in Delhi and as a responsible INL leader, I categorically state that there are no relations with RIF and INL," said Irikoor.

The ban comes after the recent raids carried out at the premises of PFI members by the National Investigation Agency and Enforcement Directorate.

On September 22, teams led by the NIA and Enforcement Directorate arrested 106 leaders and activists of the PFI in nearly 15 states.

CPI-M state secretary M.V. Govindan said the Central Committee of the CPI-M will soon come out with the response.

"Just by banning one organisation won't be helpful," said Govindan.

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan also aired similar views and also said, "the RSS is one organisation which is out to destroy peace," and the Congress party has nothing to do with such organisations.

However, all eyes are on how things will be for SDPI -- the political wing of the PFI -- as its name is not included in the banned list. Both, the Congress and the CPI-M, will have to tread cautiously as the PFI in Kerala has a huge vote bank.
Ahmedabad, Sep 28 : Bajrang Dal (VHP's sister organisation) activists are visiting garba venues in the city to create awareness among Hindu girls and women against falling into the trap of 'Love Jihad'.

VHP-Bajrang Dal spokesman Hitendrasinh Rajput told IANS on Wednesday that some 40 activists visited two garba venue sites on Tuesday and distributed leaflets among girls and women asking them to be careful while speaking to youths and males from other communities or religion.

Rajput said during surprise checking, they had found four youths of minority community at the R K Party plot, of which three succeeded in fleeing, while one was caught and beaten up.

Muslim youths don't participate in garba with religious ferver but with malafied intention of luring Hindu girls, that is why they are carrying out surprise checks which will continue throughout Navratri across the state, Rajput reasoned.
Islamabad, Sep 28 : Pakistan Senator Danesh Kumar has slams the discrimination against minorities in the hiring for posts in foreign missions, lamenting that only 17 officers employed at over 122 Embassies were members of minorities.

Broaching the matter during a session of the upper house held under the chairmanship of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, the Senator said it was "humiliating" for him that out of those scant jobs, six khakrob posts have been given to religious minorities, The Express Tribune reported.

Federal Minister Sherry Rehman agreed that a proper representation of minorities was necessary and the job quota reserved for them was respected.

These posts are from Federal Public Service Commission (FBSC), she said.

Meanwhile, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said that he has prepared a joint law with the Establishment Division and quota seats have been approved as a special case while a special exam will be conducted in future for the purpose.

Subsequently, Sanjrani sent the issue of the minority quota to the relevant committee.

However, Senator Kumar went on to ask Federal Minister for Education Rana Tanveer Hussain to explain whether he had consulted priests of religious minorities while holding consultations for the curriculum reforms.

"Instead, the government has appointed a maulana saheb to head the ministry for religious affairs," he protested.

As Rana Tanveer lashed out at the minority senator asserting he would only answer the latter's question if the minority senator sat down, the opposition hit back at the education minister for "bullying" them into silence, The Express Tribune reported.

At this point, Sanjrani intervened to defuse the heated exchange.
Agra, Sep 28 : A Supreme Court order to stop commercial activities within 500 metres of the Taj Mahal has triggered a huge controversy that could create tension and uncertainty affecting the revival of tourism in the post-pandemic era.

The apex court has directed the Agra Development Authority (ADA) to stop all business activities within 500 metres from the periphery of the World Heritage Site.

The order came while disposing of a petition by a group of shopkeepers who had been shifted from their original location to a new site close to the parking area.

They complained that while they had moved out, a large number were still continuing commercial activities in the restricted area.

The order is likely to affect at least 500 shops, handicraft outlets, restaurants, hotels in the Taj Ganj locality.

A rough estimate suggests around 50,000 people could be rendered jobless.

Sources said the affected people were contemplating on moving a review petition in the apex court, while politicians were also being contacted.

But a BJP MLA said the party could do nothing as the matter was before the apex court.

Meanwhile, the ADA has started a survey and listing of establishments in the 500-metre zone.

Clearly, there is lack of unanimity at the local level.

Green activists pointed out that in December 1996, the Justice Kuldip Singh bench of the Supreme Court had ordered the closure of all polluting industries in the Taj Trapezium Zone. Industries that agreed to switch over to natural gas were however spared later.

This action followed acceptance of the high powered Dr S. Vardharajan Committee report that had made a number of suggestions to contain high pollution level in the 10,000 sq.km eco-sensitive Trapezium Zone.

The Taj Ganj market, and the shops on the eastern, southern and western gates of the monument carried on with commercial activities.

Vehicles had to be permitted though there is a ban on movement of petroleum based automobiles.

"The whole area is congested, stinking and full of people who are accused of fleecing tourists. Unauthorised or freelance guides are called Lapkas in the local lingo," a tourist guide said.

The 'Catch 22' situation is not easy to resolve. If the apex court goes by the 1996 precedent, then there should be no hope for relief, but if the Uttar Pradesh government takes up the case and is able to persuade the apex court of the grim implications of the order, some relief may be forthcoming, a senior advocate said.

The 17th century monument of love is annually visited by more than seven million tourists and is India's star tourist attraction.

Lakhs of local people earn their living from tourism.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : After the crisis broke out in the Congress in Rajasthan, sources on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi here and give an explanation of the happenings, including the boycott of the CLP meet in Jaipur by the MLAs loyal to him.

Sources said that he will remain in Delhi till September 30. A section of the Congress leaders was again pushing for Gehlot's name for the post of president. The decision can be taken by this evening, the sources said, adding, "The ongoing Rajasthan crisis will also be settled in the next two days.

Sachin Pilot, who is facing stiff opposition from the Gehlot camp for the post of CM, is already in Delhi. So far Pilot has been maintaining a silence, which is being considered serious. According to sources, the decision regarding the post of CM can also be taken soon.

The Congress on Tuesday served show-cause notices to Rajasthan Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal, party chief whip Mahesh Joshi and RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore for holding a parallel meeting of party legislators in Jaipur.

The notice issued to Dhariwal said that he, being Parliamentary Affairs Minister, has committed "grave indiscipline" by hosting a parallel MLAs meeting at his residence and thus "pressuring MLAs not to attend the official meeting".

"As Parliamentary Affairs Minister, hosting the unofficial meeting confused the Congress MLAs as to which one was convened officially," the notice reads.

The notice that has sought response within 10 days also noted that Dhariwal's action (parallel meeting) came even when senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken repeatedly clarified that they have come to speak to each MLA "individually and impartially" to make a report to be submitted to Sonia Gandhi.

Similarly, the notice addressed to Joshi stated that he, as Chief Whip, has conducted a "grave indiscipline" by boycotting the official CLP (Congress Legislature Party) meeting and by participating and convening parallel meeting of the MLAs at the time when officially appointed observers were waiting for the official meeting to start.

"As Chief Whip your presence at the unofficial and illegal meeting confused the MLAs as to which one was convened officially," added the notice.

The observers have not named Gehlot in their reports and notices. According to sources, the high command is trying to settle the situation and avoid further controversies.

Along with this, the high command is on a strategy to keep all possibilities open. The name for the nomination for the president's post is likely to be finalised on Wednesday.
Chennai, Sep 28 : With Tamil Nadu planning an ambitious five-year literacy drive for people above the age of 15, the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Non-Formal and Adult education is seeking volunteers for imparting writing and reading skills.

The programme slated to be conducted from 2022 to 2027, will be run totally using the support of volunteers.

A total of 5 lakh people are expected to gain writing and reading skills by this programme in the state.

With the help of student volunteers, the non-formal education department will identify those who are not able to read and write.

The volunteers have to be those who have passed tenth classes and will have to work for a minimum of six months.

Volunteers with Illam Thedi Kalvi (ITK) which is the door step education programme of the government, Nehru Yuvak Kendra Volunteers and students are preferred as volunteers for the adult literacy programme.

MNREGA records will be used to check on the reading and writing abilities of its members. The volunteers will enquire with the students about the reading and writing skills of their parents and their relatives. The Chief Education Officers (CEOs) will be monitoring the progress of the adult literacy programme every month.

The department of formal and adult education officials told IANS that the classes can be held at local aided and unaided schools. A total of 200 hours of teaching should be done in six months period.
Bengaluru, Sep 28 : Deputy leader in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Congress MLA U.T. Khader said on Wednesday that action should be initiated against all organisations which work against the constitution.

Reacting to the ban imposed on the Popular Front of India (PFI), former minister Khader stated that there should be equal action on those organisations, individuals who are indulging in spreading hatred, pitting one community against the other in the society, staging attacks on individuals and conspiring to commit murders.

Those organisations must be dealt in the same way, he stated indirectly targetting the Hindutva organisations.

He further said that there should not be any discrimination in initiating action. Only one murder case in the backdrop of communal hatred has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

"Only in one case compensation has been given. There should not be any discrimination in dealing with such cases," he said, referring to the serial communal revenge killings in Dakshina Kannada district. "The ruling BJP has reached out to the family of its activist but turned blind eye towards two youth hacked to death belonging to the minority community," said Khader.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has stated that until Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are in-charge, no harm can come to this country. "No room for disruptive activities in the country," he said.

"Many PFI activists have crossed borders to get trained. They are operating from there and have indulged in many untoward and disruptive activities in the state," CM Bommai stated.

He appealed to the people not to have any link with the banned outfit
Copenhagen, Sep 28 : Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that her government considers the Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks to be "deliberate actions".

"It is the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident," Frederiksen told journalists late here Tuesday.

On Monday, Danish and Swedish officials said that leaks had been identified in two natural gas pipelines -- Nord Stream 1 and its twin, Nord Stream 2 -- under the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark's Bornholm island, near the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden, reports Xinhua news agency.

Frederiksen said that "two explosions" have been registered, but she refused to speculate as to who might be responsible.

Also addressing the reporters, Dan Jorgensen, the Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, said: "The gas pipes lie at a depth of 70 to 90 metres and consist of over 12 cm thick layers of steel and concrete, respectively. The nature of the leaks indicates that there are such large holes that it cannot have happened by accident." He said that the leaks are not expected to cause supply security issues in the short term.

Citing Denmark's foreign intelligence service, Defence Minister Morten Bodskov said that it did not see any increased military threat against Denmark after the leaks.

"I would like to emphasize that the defence intelligence service does not consider that there is an increased military threat to Denmark," he said.

Bodskov added that no advance warnings had been received, but that there had been an increase in tensions around the Baltic Sea.

"This is a serious matter. The defence is increasing its presence around Bornholm." Bodskov has a previously scheduled meeting dedicated to the Nord Stream pipelines with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : As India undergoes a not-so-quiet smartphone revolution -- as an explosion in feature smartphones is shaking up the market providing multiple options to users -- global smartphone brand realme has brought one-of-its-kind realme Design Studio to the country.

Design and innovation have always been part of realme's DNA and the brand recently launched its Design Studio in Gurugram. The idea is simple: Today, users not only seek cutting-edge features, but seek smartphones that are sleek, and stylish with amazing designs.

Hence, the market environment calls for smartphone designs that customers find attractive, and to this end, a brand needs to develop designs that embody customer values on the basis of customer preferences. With the help of a strong young local team, the realme Design Studio will support the most recent design trends, set trends for the industry, and also build products by connecting with local culture.

realme doesn't define its audience by their age; rather it appreciates its customers who lead a tech-forward lifestyle and isn't afraid to take risks. realme aims to deliver a fresh, cutting-edge lifestyle experience with a range of realme products. realme Design Studio India is equipped with a team of independent designers who specialize in industrial and visual designs and is dedicated to producing high-tech designs.

The realme Design Studio India will continue the design heritage and nurture designers that share IDEA, the advanced design ethos of realme (Inceptive, Diversified, Enhanced, and Authentic).

Designers from India took part in the process of curating the unique racing flag design for the recently launched realme GT NEO 3T, which was conceptualized by realme Design Studio. Taking the legacy ahead, realme has announced the first-ever collaboration of realme Design Studio with Lakme Fashion Week for Season 2 this year.

The partnership offers an elevated and in-depth overview of current fashion through top-notch fashion ideas that further demonstrate realme's powerful influence in the design and lifestyle industries. Through this collaboration, realme aims to inspire a fresh wave of young designers in India, who shares the same philosophy of aDare to leap' with the brand With more than 40 designers working under the direction of realme Design Director Paco, realme opened its first Design Studio in 2019 and created more than 100 designs. In India, realme Design Studio will have a smart young designer team of more than 20 specialists led by Madhav Sheth, CEO, realme India and Moon Wang, realme India and Europe design director.

Before establishing itself in India, realme Design Studio worked with famous Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa on the realme GT Master Edition and realme GT 2 Pro Paper Tech Design. realme has also collaborated with Jose Levy, cooperated designer of Hermes, for realme Buds Q, demonstrating realme's dedication to providing users with cutting-edge designs.

Through a greater understanding of consumer expectations and preferences, realme Design Studio in India will be able to further leverage realme's expertise in bringing the perfect amalgamation of technology and design.
Lucknow, Sep 28 : With nearly 60 villages from Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district and 20 from Gautam Buddha Nagar will soon get its new investment hub called 'New Noida'.

This Delhi-Noida-Ghaziabad investment region will be developed across 20,000 hectares in four phases over the next 20 years.

In the first phase, infrastructure and early development in the extreme northern and southern parts of the planning area as well as the administrative hub will be done. This area is in close proximity to the Eastern Peripheral Expressway and the Howrah-Delhi railway line.

It is well connected by rail, road and airport, officials said.

According to the government spokesman, the New Noida is being envisaged as an industrial and logistics hub and the state government has asked concerned officials to fast track the project.

"The masterplan has been discussed in detail. The board will now send it to the chief town and country planner in Lucknow and take feedback," said a senior official involved in the project.

The Uttar Pradesh government had issued a notification for the 'New Noida' project and declared the area as a special economic zone in January last year.

It had assigned the Noida Authority the task of executing the project.

The decision to expedite the project came a day after a Noida Authority team held a meeting at the FICCI chambers in Delhi to attract investors Ritu Maheshwari, the Authority CEO, said the meeting was intended at understanding the current market scenario and taking inputs from industry captains. Around 100 representatives from various sectors attended the meet.

The Authority team informed the participants about the resources, accessibility and benefits of investing in New Noida, officials said.

"Various aspects of the scheme, availability of land bank in commercial, industrial and group housing categories were discussed with the stakeholders. They were also informed about the procedure for applying for the plots," the official said.

The industrialists showed interest in the current scheme and requested the government to initiate projects in the PPP mode.

There were also requests to bring out a scheme for warehousing. It was also suggested to have wide roads.

'New Noida', the officials said, will have good connectivity with all forms of transport -- rail, road and air -- the upcoming airport in Jewar.

Some of the major speedways passing through the area are Eastern Peripheral Expressway, NH-91(GT Road), Ghaziabad-Kanpur Expressway.

Apart from the Northern Railway line, the eastern and western freight corridors are also being planned in the area.

A multimodal transport and transit hub is also being developed, the officials said.

'New Noida' is being planned as a smart city, with the provision of utility ducts similar to some of the townships under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme.

According to official sources, industries will make up more than 40 per cent of the land earmarked for New Noida.

The state government intends to develop a city with "smart" physical infrastructure and waste management sites, besides provision of intelligent energy with a low carbon footprint.

The city will have only 11 per cent for residential use, 8 per cent for the institutional sector and 4.3 per cent for commercial establishments.

Green belts, parks and open spaces have found special mention in the plan that lays special focus on traffic management and transportation.

The New Noida project, according to officials, is estimated to generate employment opportunities for 1.2 million people by 2040.

In the area that is set to be developed as a residential hub, high-rises and group housing societies will come up, according to the masterplan.

The document also mentions a safe and secure neighbourhood with the availability of basic amenities within "walking distance in each sector".

Officials said that the planning department is working on how much purchasable floor area ratio can be allowed in the plan.

A senior official said: "New Noida will be more modern than Noida and also greater in all aspects than Greater Noida-and this says it all."
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 28 : CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday said banning organisations serve no purpose as they resurface under a different name.

His remark comes in the wake of the Centre banning the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates for five years.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central Government hereby declares the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates or fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an 'unlawful association'," read a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Yechury said the RSS was banned thrice, has it stopped functioning? "So ban is not a solution. In the past also, banned organisations came up with a new name. Look at SIMI, it was banned and what happened," said Yechury while speaking to the media here.

"All forms of terror activities should be stopped and so should the bull dozer politics," he added.

In reply to a question on BJP president K. Surendran demanding to boot out an ally of the ruling Left - Indian National League for their links with the PFI, Yechury shot back by saying that journalists should be clear on facts.

"Going forward using WhatsApp messages won't help. In our younger days, a journalist was assessed by the sole of his footwear. One has to go out and search for news," the veteran leader asserted, adding that he is giving unsolicited advice.
Hyderabad, Sep 28 : AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said that the Centre's ban on Popular Front of India (PFI) cannot be supported and asked the government why has it not banned right-wing majoritarian organisations.

The Hyderabad MP said while he has always opposed PFI's approach and supported democratic approach, this ban on PFI cannot be supported.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president believes that a draconian ban of this kind is dangerous as it is a ban on any Muslim who wishes to speak his mind. "The way India's electoral autarky is approaching fascism, every Muslim youth will now be arrested with a PFI pamphlet under India's black law, UAPA," tweeted Owaisi.

"How come PFI is banned but organisations associated with convicts of Khaja Ajmeri bomb blasts aren't? Why has govt not banned right wing majoritarian organisations?," he asked.

He said actions of some individuals who commit crime does not mean that the organisation itself must be banned. He pointed out that the Supreme Court has also held that mere association with an organisation is not enough to convict someone.

"Muslims have spent decades in prison before being acquitted by courts. I have opposed UAPA & will always oppose all actions under UAPA. It runs afoul the principle of liberty, which is part of basic structure of the constitution," he wrote.

"We should remember that Congress amended UAPA to make it stringent & when BJP amended the law to make it even more draconian, Congress supported it This case will follow timeline of Kappan, where any activist or journalist is randomly arrested & takes 2 years to even get bail," he added.
Patna, Sep 28 : The Bihar unit of BJP and RSLP on Wednesday welcomed the Home Ministry's move of banning the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates for five years.

BJP OBC Morcha's National General Secretary and Bihar BJP Spokesperson Dr Nikhil Anand said that the outfit was involved in organising terrorism across the country.

"PFI is an organisation having modus operandi similar to that of the Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Its operators generally targetted Muslim youths for anti-national and anti-Hindu activities. They brain washed the Muslim youths and turned them into Islamic fundamentalist," Anand said.

He said the PFI focused on the areas with high Muslim population especially in the bordering districts of India. They even targetted the people going to mosques and madrasas which provided them a safe haven for their evil designs.

Unfortunately, the secular political parties always supported these anti-national organisations and protected them. The PFI charity networks also helped them cover up their anti-national and religious fundamentalist activities, he added.

While recalling that the PFI modus operandi was exposed in Patna, Anand said it was surprising to know that 20,000 people were trained on anti-India psyche and their connection with cross border Pakistani as well as Islamic fundamentalist and terror organisations were established. "Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as well as all the leaders of so-called secular parties did not utter a word against this fundamentalist organisation." Arvind Kumar Singh, another spokesperson of BJP Bihar wing said, "The central government has taken the right decision at the right time. PFI was involved in anti-national and terror activities and creating the differences in the society." Sharawan Agrawal, the spokesperson of Rashtriya Lok Jan Shakti Party (RLSP) said: "PFI is very active in Seemanchal region of Bihar and involved in communal provocation. It is a threat to the unity and sovereignty of Bihar and the country. We appeal to the Bihar chief minister to arrest the members of PFI as soon as possible.a
Chandigarh, Sep 28 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday urged Centre to start more international fights from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Chandigarh to facilitate the Punjabi diaspora across the globe.

The Chief Minister, while addressing a function to rename the airport here, urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to flag this issue with the Prime Minister and her counterpart in Civil Aviation.

He said today is the 115th birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and this day has been made memorable with the decision to name airport after the legendary martyr.

Mann said the Union government must start more flights from this airport.

The Chief Minister said that Punjab diaspora from across the globe has been demanding suchA flights to ensure air connectivity from the state to Canada, the US, Australia and other parts of the world.

He said besides commuters from Punjab, these flights will also benefit the travellers from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu-Kashmir and other states.

Mann said the state government has made concerted efforts for renaming this airport after name of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

The Chief Minister profusely thanked the Union government for naming the airport after Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh.

He said that a long-pending demand of the country has been accepted. Paying floral tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, he said that the young martyr is remembered not only for his heroism but also for his philosophy of socialism and fight against injustice.

Earlier, the Union Finance Minister accompanied by Governor Punjab Banwari Lal Purohit, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Union Minister General (retired) V.K. Singh, Member Parliament Kirron Kher, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and Haryana Minister Anil Vij unveiled the plaque to name the airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
Providence, Sep 28 : The Jamaica Tallawahs gave themselves a chance to get into the final as they beat the Saint Lucia Kings in the Eliminator. They won by 33 runs and will now go to Qualifier 2 of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

In the Qualifier 2, Jamaica will meet Guyana Amazon Warriors, who lost to Barbados in the other match of the day.

The Saint Lucia Kings won the toss and opted to field first and took full advantage of that decision with a disciplined bowling display. The Tallawahs were never comfortable. However, some late order hitting from Mohammed Nabi helped them post a defendable total.

The Kings restricted the Tallawahs to just 29 for 2 in the PowerPlay as Matthew Forde and Alzarri Joseph bowled exceptional lengths.

The Kings continued to take wickets at regular intervals and when Kesrick Williams removed Chris Green for two the Tallawahs found themselves 115 for 8. However, Nabi lead the counter attack following that dismissal and finished with 31 off 15 balls to ensure the Tallawahs had a fighting total of 148.

However, their 148 proved more than enough as the Tallawahs produced a fantastic display in the field.

While chasing the Kings got off to a good start reaching 54/2 at the end of the PowerPlay but when Du Plessis was dismissed for 41 in the eighth over. The Kings found themselves in a hole from which they couldn't recover.

Mohammed Nabi followed up his fireworks with the bat with some exceptional bowling. The Tallawahs bowling unit all played their part as the Kings folded for 115 and exited the competition.

The Tallawahs victory now means that they will battle the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the second qualifier to determine who will contest the Hero CPL final against the Barbados Royals.

Brief scores: Jamaica Tallawahs 148/8 in 20 overs (Shamarh Brooks 47, Mohammad Nabi 31 not out, Raymon Reiffer 25, David Wiese 3/19, Alzarri Joseph 2/31) beat St Lucia Kings 115 all out in 18 overs (Faf du Plessis 41, Alzarri Joseph 28, Mohammed Nabi 3/10, Fabian Allen 3/28) by 33 runs
Kolkata, Sep 28 : The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government received a major jolt from the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday after a division bench declared the state government's 'Duare Ration' (ration at doorsteps) scheme as illegal.

A pet project of Mamata Banerjee, the project was launched soon after she became the chief minister for the third consecutive term after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls and was intended to provide foodgrains under the public distribution system at the doorsteps of the people of the state.

Calcutta High Court's division bench of Justice Chittaranjan Das and Justice Aniruddha Roy, while declaring the 'Duare Ration project' as illegal, observed that the said project was contrary to the National Food Security Act, 2013 and hence should be discontinued with.

Soon after the project was launched a section of fair price shop dealers approached the Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha, demanding scrapping of the projects as it was not possible practically to provide foodgrains under the public distribution system at the doorsteps of the people of the state.

However, Justice Sinha rejected the plea of the fair price shop dealers at that point of time. Thereafter, the dealers approached the said division bench of the Calcutta High Court challenging the decision of Justice Sinha's single-judge bench. Finally, on Wednesday afternoon, the Calcutta High Court division bench declared the 'Duare Ration scheme' as not having any legal sanctity.

The development is perceived to be a major setback for the West Bengal government considering the fact it was a pet project of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This scheme was a major campaign line of her for the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections when she said that days of long queues in front of the fair price shops in the state will be over once the Duare Ration project is put in place.

Till the time the report was filed there was no reaction either from the state government or from the ruling Trinamool Congress on this development and it is yet to be clear on whether the state government will challenge the order of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court at the Supreme Court.

In fact, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government also made a similar attempt to ensure supply of foodgrains under the public distribution system at the doorsteps of the people of the state. However, the scheme also had to be called off following a court directive.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Giorgia Meloni for leading her party Fratelli d'Itaia in Italian general elections.

"Congratulations @GiorgiaMeloni for leading your party @FratellidItalia to victory in the Italian general elections. We look forward to working together to strengthen our ties," the Prime Minister said in a tweet.

Meloni is likely to form the government and may become the first woman prime minister of Italy.

Considered to be a hardline Right wing leader, she has vowed to "govern for everyone" and said that she "would not betray people's trust".
Bhubaneswar, Sep 28 : Brown sugar weighing over 1 kg worth over Rs 1 crore was seized in Odisha's capital city Bhubaneswar during a raid, police said on Wednesday.

On the basis of intelligence input, a team of Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha crime branch conducted a raid on Sundarpada-Jatni road under Airfield police station on Tuesday and seized brown sugar weighing 1050 gram from the possession of a drug peddler, the police said.

The drug peddler namely Umesh Behera of Bhubaneswar was arrested and is being forwarded to the court.

In this connection, the STF has registered a case against Behera under sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The task force has intensified its special drive against narcotic drugs in view of the festive season, informed the official.

Since 2020, the STF has seized more than 58 kg of brown sugar, 202 gram cocaine and more than 111 quintal of ganja, 750 gram opium and arrested 159 drug peddlers.
Jaipur, Sep 28 : The Diwan of Ajmer Dargah Zainul Abedin Ali Khan on Wednesday welcomed the Centre's move of banning the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates for five years and termed it a "commendable" decision.

"PFI should have been banned long back. This move is commendable," he said.

In his statement, he said that the strictest action should be taken against all Jamaatis indulging in anti-national activities so that the unity and integrity of the country is maintained. He urged the youth not to fall prey to these Jamaats and work in the interest of the nation.

"We are safe only if the country is safe. The country is larger than any institution or idea and if someone talks about breaking it, spoiling its peace and unity, he loses all rights to live here," the statement read.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : As India doubles down on local manufacturing of consumer electronics products via promoting performance-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, Avneet Singh Marwah, Director and CEO of Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd (SPPL), on Wednesday said their vision is aligned with the governments 'make in India' initiative since its inception, and they are Indias first manufacturing brand to launch QLED in Google TV across brands, even before the Chinese smartphone brands.

Established in 1990 with its head office in Noida, SPPL is a brand licensee of five major global brands - Kodak, Thomson, Blaupunkt, Westinghouse and White-Westinghouse (trademark of Electrolux).

With White-Westinghouse, introduced in 2020, Super Plastronics also forayed into the washing machines space.

SPPL started off as a plastic injection moulding manufacturing unit and then moved to making Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions. Today, the company is leading India's LED TV market, and is now cementing its position in the domestic QLED market.

"We want to capture the premium segment market now. For years, top brands were offering QLEDs at exorbitant high prices. Kodak will be offering these TVs at the same price as 4K. For the first time, a brand is launching a new technology at the same prices," Marwah told IANS.

He said that from the last seven years, Kodak is strengthening its market share in the country.

"Today, we have close to 5 per cent market share and our maximum business comes from 4K TVs. Now, with the launch of QLED TVs at an aggressive price point in the festive season, we are confident to become number 1 online brand in the QLED segment too. This will definitely increase our brand equity in the market," Marwah added.

KODAK QLED TVs are available in three sizes: 50-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch, with prices starting at prices Rs 33,999, on Flipkart during Big Billion Days Sale as BBD Specials.

Last year, SPPL announced an investment of over Rs 500 crore for three years in its fully automated TV manufacturing plant in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh.

The plant will be operational from November and aims to hire over 1,000 people, targeting the production of 1 million units for the next year and beyond.

According to Marwah, featuring 60W speakers with Dolby Atmos support, the Blaupunkt Google TV housing Far Field Voice Control with Google Assistant provides 360-degree surround sound for a theatre-like experience at home.

"We are expecting a GMV growth of 100 per cent in Blaupunkt this year and a major contribution will come from QLED TVs. We have launched QLED at the same price point of 4K TVs to capture maximum market share," Marwah told IANS.

The TVs are available in 50-inch (Rs 36,999), 55-inch (Rs 44,999), and 65-inch (Rs 62,999) in the Flipkart BBD festive sale with attractive offers.

On the other hand, French consumer appliances brand Thomson eyes a revenue of Rs 600 crore in this festive season.

The brand recently launched a new range of QLED TVs with Google TV at the price of 4k. The new series is priced at Rs 32,999 for 50-inch, Rs 38,999 for 55-inch and Rs 58,999 for 65-inch during the Flipkart sale.

Thomson's Android TV Series comes with ultra-high definition resolution and HDR10+. Bundled with sound output of 40W and powered by Dolby MS 12, Dolby Digital Plus & DTS Trusurround, the processors of these TVs are powered by Amlogic that offers a clocking speed of 1.4 GHz along with MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation) for a perfect gaming experience, according to the company.

"This year, Thomson has seen unprecedented growth despite manufacturing and supply chain issues but that did not hinder our effort, offering and pricing," said Marwah.
Bengaluru, Sep 28 : The Karnataka Congress on Wednesday demanded a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the backdrop of imposing a five-year ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) by the Centre.

Talking to media, Opposition leader in Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah said that the Congress will not oppose ban on any organisations which are involved in anti-social activities. "RSS is involved in anti-social activities and this organisation should also be banned," he demanded.

"The RSS creates unrest in society. All organisations involved in hate politics must be banned, he opined. Why did they not ban PFI all these days. The ban has been imposed after we demanded it," said Siddaramaiah.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai reacting to Siddaramaiah's demand to ban RSS, stated, "Like the cat always eyes on mice, Siddaramaiah will be waiting for an opportunity to blame the RSS.

"Whatever may be the development, he will link it to the RSS. He can't pursue politics if he doesn't take the name of RSS. Is there any grounds to ban RSS?," CM Bommai questioned.

"Siddaramaiah had taken back cases on the PFI workers. Does he need any more evidence?" he asked. "Should RSS be banned for its patriotic activities? RSS gives succor to people in need. They are struggling to preserve the culture and heritage of this country. Should they be banned for these?" CM Bommai asked.

"The RSS is a patriotic institution and it is imbibing a sense of patriotism in this country. It would be meaningless to demand for its ban," he added.

Congress MLA Tanveer Sait dubbed the ban on the PFI as a political gimmick by the BJP. Reacting to this statement, CM Bommai stated that there was a murder attempt on Tanveer Sait. He had demanded action against the PFI. "Now, just for the sake of political gains, he has forgotten the murder attempt on him and now is saying it is politically motivated, what can be said?" CM Bommai said.

BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has stated that the demand to ban the RSS was an exaggerated demand. "RSS is a factory from which patriots will come out. RSS has never indulged in violence and collected explosives, bullets," he maintained.

Meanwhile, Priyank Kharge, Congress Media in-charge and MLA, slammed ruling BJP that the decision to ban came too late and it was the failure of the intelligence department.

Karnataka BJP unit slammed the Congress on social media and said, "During its tenure, why did the Congress party withdraw 175 cases lodged against fundamental elements of PFI? Why did the Congress party show sympathy to PFI workers in spite of them involving in murder cases, violence and terrorist activities? Do you (Congress) have answers?" The BJP also chided Priyank Kharge that "his party had withdrawn cases of 1,400 PFI terrorists and he was a Congress MLA then also. You (Priyank Kharge and Congress) were silent fearing losing of votes of the terror family," BJP said.
Mumbai, Sep 28 : Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, who has been getting a lot of positive response to his recently released mythological adventure movie 'Brahmastra', is celebrating his birthday on Wednesday. The actor threw a birthday bash which was attended by Akash Ambani, the elder son of business mogul Mukesh Ambani and the chairman of the Jio telecom network.

Akash arrived for Kapoor's birthday celebration at midnight amidst tight security in his Range Rover. Celebrity paparazzi Viral Bhayani shared a video of Akash's arrival on Instagram.

The video shows scores of security personnel and Mumbai police personnel arriving at the venue to escort Akash to the party.

The Jio telecom Chairman is good friends with both Alia and Ranbir.

On September 22, Akash and his wife Shloka were spotted by the paparazzi as they arrived at parents-to-be, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's residence for dinner. The couple twinned in white ensembles as they made a grand entry surrounded by their bodyguards.

Also watch: Ranbir celebrating his birthday with fans

-- Syndicated from IANS
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Centre for delay in deciding the mercy petition filed on behalf of Balwant Singh Rajoana, sentenced to death in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

A bench headed by Chief Justice U.U. Lalit said it was not inclined to entertain the request of the Centre's counsel to grant adjournment in the matter. The bench, also comprising Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and J.B. Pardiwala, told the Centre's counsel that four months have lapsed since its May order, as it questioned the delay in taking a decision on Rajoana's mercy plea.

The top court asked a responsible officer from the department concerned to file an affidavit on the status of the matter by Thursday and scheduled the matter for further hearing on Friday.

On May 2, the Supreme Court gave two months to the Centre to decide on Rajoana's mercy plea. It said the decision by the Centre should be taken as early as possible, "preferably within two months from today".

Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, representing the Centre, submitted that the mercy petition cannot be considered as it has been filed by another organisation and not by the convict. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also argued that the mercy petition cannot be decided until the appeals filed by other convicts in the case before the apex court are not disposed of. Also, Rajoana has not challenged his conviction or sentence, either before the high court or the Supreme Court.

The bench had noted the fact that another organisation has filed the mercy petition is not an obstruction to the consideration of the matter. The bench told Centre's counsel that it had decided in September 2019 to commute the death penalty of Rajoana to a life sentence on the special occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. It further added that more than two years have passed but a decision has not been taken in the matter.

Nataraj did not agree that in 2019, a final decision was taken to commute Rajoana's death sentence. He added that it was decided that the proposal for commutation of death sentence, has to be processed under Article 72.

Nataraj had submitted that Rajoana had given a statement to the trial court that he had no faith in the judiciary and the Constitution. Justice Lalit observed, "They are all citizens of this country...need to deal with compassion..." The bench pointed out that the Centre's communication had directed the state to grant remission to other convicts. Nataraj replied that states have their independent power under Article 161. The bench noted, "Show us the orders which show states have decided independently of this communication...either this communication was made without rational application or it was an empty exercise." In the previous hearings, the top court had expressed displeasure over the government not taking any clear stand despite being given time by the court to do so. The Supreme Court had questioned the Centre over delay in sending proposal to the President for commuting Rajoana's death penalty.

The top court was hearing a plea -- filed two years ago -- seeking implementation of a decision taken by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in September 2019 to commute Rajoana's death sentence to life.

Rajoana has been in jail for 25 years awaiting his execution. In 2007, he was sentenced to death by a special court. His mercy petition has been hanging fire for more than eight years. The plea contended that inordinate delay has caused agony and adversely affected his mental and physical health. The plea also cited Devender Pal Singh Bhullar's case and claimed that delay caused by circumstances beyond the prisoners' control mandates commutation of death sentence.
Chennai, Sep 28 : The unit of director Mani Ratnam's upcoming magnum opus, 'Ponniyin Selvan 1', has now released a sneak peek in to the movie, much to the delight of fans who are waiting with bated breath for the film to release on September 30.

The one minute 32 second long video clip released by the unit shows the Pandyas swearing an oath to wipe out the royal lineage of the Cholas in the presence of Goddess Kotravai.

A dialogue that a character utters indicates that the Pandyas have been defeated in battle and have retreated to the jungles.

"The brave Pandyas will wash your feet with Chola blood. The Pandyan kingdom is where the Pandyan Emperor lives. This forest is Madurai to us," he says and adds, "Behold Amarabujanga Pandyan, son of Veera Pandiyan. He graces the Pandyan throne." The warriors then pledge their lives to Goddess Kali and to the Pandya flag and its emperor.

"For killing our beloved king Veera Pandyan, we will sever the head of Chola prince Aditha Karikalan. Death to his brother Arunmozhi Varman. Death to the chola Emperor Sundara Chozhar. We'll offer their blood to Kottravai," they swear.

The film is based on the classic Tamil novel 'Ponniyin Selvan' by eminent writer Kalki.

The film, called by Mani Ratnam as his dream project, is among the most expensive projects ever undertaken in the country.

It has the best in business handling each of its departments. A R Rahman has scored the music for this epic historical and cinematography is by Ravi Varman. National Award winning art director Thotta Tharani was in charge of production design while Mani Ratnam's trusted editor Sreekar Prasad has handled its editing.

Also Watch: Trisha about her character as Kundavai in the movie Ponniyin Selvan

-- Syndicated from IANS
Chennai, Sep 28 : Tamil Nadu will become a seaweed industry hub with its proposed seaweed park, and the state government is on a mission mode to uplift the seaweed farming, said a senior state government official.

Inaugurating the Seaweed India-2022 Conference here, A. Karthik, Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department, said the state is poised for growth as a modern seaweed hub.

"We are creating a unique opportunity for the investors and entrepreneurs to make Tamil Nadu a one-stop destination for the seaweed sector," he said.

The two-day conference is organised by Smart Agripost jointly with Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP) and Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute at National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) Auditorium.

"The government is on a mission mode to uplift the seaweed farming in the state with an integrated, tech-savvy and end-to-end approach catering to the need of fishers, industries and new entrepreneurs of the seaweed industry," he said.

Karthik said despite various efforts, the potential of seaweed farming at home remains unrealised.

"The current annual demand of seaweed in Tamil Nadu for industrial use is about 115 thousand tonnes while the current production is staggering around 15 thousand tonnes, which is 13 per cent of the installed processing capacity", Karthik added.

"Moreover, seaweed farming can also be used for carbon trading. The full potential of the seaweed is yet to be realised and we are on a rewarding journey," he said.

According to him, the proposed multi-purpose seaweed park would facilitate technology adoption for productivity enhancement, environmental improvement and the creation of sustainable livelihood opportunities to coastal people.

"The park with an investment of Rs 1,277.2 million will also offer a well-organised production system, strengthen infrastructure and competent institutions for optimum utilisation of coastal resources," he added.

The state government has already identified suitable lands for the proposed project in Ramanathapuram and Pudukottai districts, Karthik said.

Dr J.K Jena, Deputy Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) highlighted the research advancements made by the ICAR towards popularising seaweed farming in India.

Dr K S Palanisamy, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Commissioner highlighted the preparedness of various initiatives of the Fisheries Department, including the seaweed park.
Seoul, Sep 28 : South Korea has decided to cancel plans to launch satellites using Russian rockets later this year amid the international community's sanctions on Russia's space programme over the Ukrainian war, a government document showed on Wednesday.

The government is most likely to sign deals with Elon Muks-run SpaceX and the European Space Agency for the launches.

The terms of the current deals with Russia remain confidential due to five-year non-disclosure agreements, reports Yonhap news agency.

The government had planned to launch the Korea Multipurpose Satellite 6, known as the Arirang 6, on Russia's Angara 1.2 vehicle later this year from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwestern Russia and a next-generation midsized observational satellite aboard a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

In a document submitted to the National Assembly, the Ministry of Science and ICT assessed it has become "difficult" to proceed with the satellite launches using Russian rockets, citing the international community's joint sanctions on Moscow over the Ukrainian invasion.

The ministry also asked for an additional budget, estimating the projects to cost an additional 88.1 billion won ($61.1 million) in total under new launch deals.

It plans to nix the Russian deals and seek new space launch providers if the National Assembly approves the request.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : In a festival bonanza for lakhs of Central government employees and pensioners, the Union Cabinet on Thursday gave it's clearance for release of additional instalment of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief at 4 per cent.

This would be due from July 1, 2022.

A total burden of Rs 12,852 crore would be borne by the exchequer towards payment of these allowances for the current fiscal, official sources said.

From July 1, 2022 till March 31, 2023, a total of Rs 8,568 crore would be spent on it.

DA hike will be beneficial for over 50 lakh Central government employees and 62 lakh pensioners.

With this, the DA has been increased from 34 per cent to 38 per cent for all the employees.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police has arrested a top retired government official for cheating and misappropriation to the tune of approximately Rs 30 crore, a senior Delhi Police officer said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Ajay Khera, retired from the post of Executive Director (Commercial) from Central Warehousing Corporation.

Furnishing details, Special Commissioner of Police, Ravinder Kumar Yadav said the complainant in this case is the Director of Seagull Maritime Agencies Pvt. Ltd. which deals in freight forwarding business in India and had started a branch in US in 2010.

"The accused (Ex-employee of Group Company) who was working with the company as legal consultant, requested the ex-promoters of Seagull to employ his son alleged Siddharth Khera to look after the US branch of Seagull," the Special CP said.

Accordingly, alleged Siddharth Khera was appointed as Business Development Manager at the US branch of Seagull. However, it was noticed that the revenue per annum of Seagull declined steadily from the highs of 2018 to the severe low in July, 2021.

"It was revealed that alleged persons had incorporated two companies namely Azure Freight & Logistics LLP (November 2020) and Azure International LLC (June 2020) and started parallel business by taking away clientele of Seagull through misrepresentation & forgery," the senior official said.

According to the police, the accused persons in connivance with the employees of Seagull forged Bills of Lading, invoices etc, and dishonestly funneled payments made by the client of Seagull for shipments made by Seagull to the accounts of Azure International LLC.

The police said the accused also made wrong representations to Seagull clients that Azure is one of the group companies of Seagull and obtained orders from Seagull clients.

They even changed the name of the shipper in the bills of landing from Seagull to Azure in spite of the obligations for such order being performed by Seagull. While resigning, the alleged persons also replaced the original hard drives of their computers.

"The accused caused a wrongful loss of Rs 30 crore or more to the complainant company and wrongful gain to themselves," the official said.

Accordingly, after preliminary enquiry, the police registered an FIR under several relevant sections of law Economic Offence Wing police station.

A team, headed by Joint C.P. Chhaya Sharma, was constituted which arrested the accused Khera and took him in police custody on September 22.
Chamarajanagar : , Sep 28 (IANS) Two priests and a middle-aged bus conductor, who connived to get a minor girl forcefully married, were pronounced guilty on Wednesday and sent to jail by a court in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district.

The three were sent to jail on the orders of the Child Friendly Special and First Additional District and Sessions' Court.

The convicted persons were identified as M. Ravikumar, a conductor with Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), K.N. Chandrashekara aka K.N. Shastri and Rajeshwara Shastri, both priests from Mysuru.

The court gave a three-year jail term to Ravikumar and one-year rigorous imprisonment to the two priests.

According to police, the accused had forcefully taken the minor girl in his car while she was waiting for the bus on October 23, 2017. He had forcefully tied 'mangalsutra' to the girl in a shed near Gosai Ghat in Srirangapatna city, the police said.

The priests, knowing the girl was a minor, had conducted the marriage rituals and helped the accused conductor, said the police.

The charges were proved by the prosecution that the accused had sexually harassed the minor girl after marriage, and had threatened her.

Judge A.C. Nisharani passed the order and special public prosecutor K. Yogesh argued for the prosecution.
Chennai, Sep 28 : In an attempt to reduce claims litigation costs, individual policyholders complaints to Insurance Ombudsman, government owned National Insurance Company Ltd has decided to hire an Internal Ombudsman.

According to the company, the Internal Ombudsman shall deal with all grievances relating to quantum disputes arising out of claim.

The Internal Ombudsman is required to strengthen the grievance redressal mechanism and reduce the complaints to Insurance Ombudsman and pre-empt litigation in judicial and quasi-judicial forums.

As per the scheme, complaints can be lodged directly by the policyholders to the Internal Ombudsman or referred by the National Insurance.

Presently an aggrieved individual policyholder can approach the Insurance Ombudsman with a complaint after exhausting the insurers' internal grievance redressal mechanism.

It is not known whether a dissatisfied policyholder will now have to approach another layer - Internal Ombudsman- before approaching the Insurance Ombudsman.

Further it is also not known whether the Internal Ombudsman will also decide on disputed claims of non-individual policy holders.

Be that as it may, the National Insurance wants retired General Managers or equivalent, of any General Insurance Company/ Insurance Regulatory Body, other than its own.

The appointment is purely contractual in nature for a fixed term of not less than three years but not exceeding five years.

According to the National Insurance, a consolidated fee will be paid on a per case basis at Rs.1,000/- and in exceptional/high value cases, an additional fee may be considered depending upon merits and complexity of case by the General Manager at Head Office but not exceeding Rs.5,000.

In case of visit to Regional Offices, tour and other expenses will be applicable as per entitlement of General Manager of the Company, the insurer said.

Chuckling at the per case fee of Rs.1,000 a retired General Manager of a government owned non-life insurer told IANS that it is not known that retired General Managers are available so cheaply. Perhaps a serving official can also be paid on a per file basis.

The moot question now is, what is that the General Manager of National Insurance in-charge of grievance redressal is doing that warrants an Internal Ombudsman. Is this going to a parking lot for some retired officials resulting in additional expenditure for the insurer.

It should be noted that the Internal Ombudsman will be provided with secretarial staff to assist him in day to day work, which means a permanent position helmed by a temporary hand.
Chennai, Sep 28 : Two South Korean naval ships - ROKS Hansando and ROKS Daecheong - are on a friendly visit to Chennai from Wednesday to Saturday.

A total of 470 sailors, including 164 final year cadets of Korean Naval Academy, are on board, said a statement from the South Korean Consulate General here.

This is the third visit of ROKN Cruise Training Task Group to Chennai following their earlier visits in 2014 and 2015.

The Korean Navy Cruise Training Task Group, led by Rear Admiral Kang Dong-goo, is formed as midshipmen training programme for the fourth year of Korean Naval Academy to foster their adaptability to real maritime environment.

During their stay in Chennai, the Korean Navy will be part of various activities like Marina Beach clean up and the Korean Navy Brass Band will display a cultural performance to Indian audience at the Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science.

The Korean ships were made in Korea with state-of-the-art technology. ROKS Hansando, commissioned in 2020, is Korea's first training ship with full capacity of 300 personnel. ROKS Daecheong, commissioned in 1997, is a multipurpose fast combat support ship capable of supplying ammunition, fuel, fresh water, and other logistic support to combat ships in naval operations.

The Korean Naval Ships began their 110-day-long voyage on September 2 that will cover 9 countries and 10 ports around the Indo-Pacific region, including Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and the US. Their journey will strengthen ties and promote mutual understanding between Korea and the visiting countries.

Chennai is the home of a 4,000 strong Korean community and around 200 Korean companies.
Kolkata, Sep 28 : In a temporary relief for Trinamool Congress legislator Manik Bhattacharya, the Supreme Court on Wednesday extended his shield from arrest by the CBI till Friday.

On Tuesday, just a couple of hours after the Calcutta High Court ordered Bhattacharya, the former president of West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE), to appear before the CBI by 8 p.m., the Supreme Court had given relief to the Trinamool MLA from arrest till Wednesday afternoon.

However, the apex court on Wednesday did not put a stay on the inquiry by the CBI into the multi-crore primary teachers' recruitment scam involving the WBBPE.

The matter will be next heard on Friday.

The latest development means that the order passed by the Calcutta High on Tuesday relating to tampering and destroying optical mark recognition (OMR) sheets in the examination for recruitment of primary teachers in 2014 stands, and there is no respite for Bhattacharya from facing the CBI in the matter.

On Tuesday, the high court had also given CBI the liberty to arrest Bhattacharya in case of non-cooperation in the investigation process. However, Bhattacharya, who is in Delhi now, is yet to abide by the verdict of being present at the CBI office in Kolkata.

Now it is to be seen when Bhattacharya reaches Kolkata and turns up at the CBI office to face questioning. Legal experts said that although the apex court on Wednesday gave him a temporary shield from arrest for two more days, it did not allow him to avoid questioning by the CBI in the matter.

It is alleged that a total of 20.90 lakh candidates appeared for the written examination in 2014, out of which as many as 12 lakh OMR sheets were tampered with and destroyed, paving the way for recruitment irregularities.

On Tuesday, the high court observed that CBI should conduct a probe as to why and how those OMR sheets were destroyed during Bhattacharya's tenure as WBBPE president.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : A Delhi court on Wednesday granted bail to Aam Admi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan in connection with a case of alleged irregularities at the Delhi Waqf Board, being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB).

Special Judge Vikas Dhull of Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday had set Wednesday for pronouncing the order on Khan's bail application after hearing the submissions of parties.

A detailed order is expected to be made available later.

On Monday, the court sent Khan, who was arrested on Spetember 16, to 14 days' judicial custody.

According to ACB sources, the first FIR into the case was registered in January 2020 under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act read with section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code. Later Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act as well as section 409 of the IPC were added into the case.

Following the two-year-old case, the ACZB had summoned the legislator, on September 16 while it parallely conducted raids at four locations connected to him and found incriminating material at multiple places.

As per officials, Khan has also allegedly misappropriated the funds of the Delhi Waqf Board comprising grants in aid from the Delhi Government. During the ACB's raids at four locations, Rs 24 lakh cash was recovered and two illegal and unlicensed weapons, cartridges and ammunition were also seized.
Chennai, Sep 28 : After the Union Home Ministry imposed a ban for five years on the Popular Front of India (PFI) on Wednesday, several leaders and cadres of the organisation have gone into hiding.

Sources in the state police told IANS that many of the leaders and cadres who were present in public after the September 22 raids and arrest of senior leaders by the NIA are now not seen in public.

Tamil Nadu state president of the PFI, Mohammed Shaik Ansari in a statement after the ban said that the organisation would fight the ban legally. The state leader also termed the ban "illegal and undemocratic".

While the state president has put a bold face by issuing a statement, almost all the other leaders of the front are not being seen in public.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu police told IANS that some PFI leaders who were arrested from the state on September 22 were taken to Delhi and most of the second rung leaders fear that they may also be taken to the national capital and hence many of them have gone into hiding.

With the ban coming into effect, the leaders are not certain what the future will be if arrested and hence most of them have not appeared outside.

In the protest held by the Popular Front at the communally sensitive Ukkadam in Coimbatore this morning, almost all the participants were women.

Sources in the central agencies told IANS that the activities of the organisation are being monitored and if any leader or cadre is found indulging in activities of PFI, then they would be brought before the law of the land.

Dr M. Surulinathan, Retired Professor of Sociology from a private college in Madurai while speaking to IANS said, " The ban on the organisation has been apt as Popular Front was involved in several subservient activities and have misused the holy Quran and the Hadees teachings for their end. If Popular Front of India is allowed to function, then it would mean dividing the Tamil society into two." The bank accounts of the organisation have been frozen and almost all the PFI offices are sealed in Tamil Nadu.

Notably, 11 Popular Front of India leaders of Tamil Nadu, including its National Executive member, A.M. Ismail has been arrested by the NIA.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The band, baajaa and baraat are ready as Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal are all set to tie the knot. But before that, the star couple, who have reached the capital, are hosting an intimate dinner gathering for their near and dear ones on Wednesday night.

A source close to IANS gave details about the couple's plans for the night before their mehendi and sangeet ceremony on Thursday.

The source said: "They reached Delhi on Wednesday morning. Tonight, there is a family get together, intimate gathering and dinner." The couple were earlier planning to host a reception for their guests in New Delhi's Gymkhana club. However, there is now a change in plan as they have found a beautiful venue in their close friend's big bungalow and sprawling lush lawns.

The source gave details: "Gymkhana party has been moved to mid-October. To be precise for Ali's birthday on October 15. But they found a better venue. Their friend's lawn." The place has a nostalgia value as it's close to where she studied.

The source added that the wedding celebrations would begin on Thursday afternoon.

"Tomorrow is the sangeet and mehendi. It will start from early afternoon till night, which will be attended by families, close friends and youngsters." Actor Ali Fazal's family has also flown down from Lucknow and some relatives have come from Canada.

On Friday, the to-be-married couple will host a cocktail party along with formal dinner. It will be followed by a DJ party. Around 150 people are expected including extended family, acquaintances, friends and close friends from Delhi.

The two will get married in Mumbai on October 4. The wedding will take place in the afternoon at the the iconic The Great Eastern Home, a 176-year-old mill turned into a luxe event space in Byculla.

The wedding will be attended by only 40-50 people. Only close friends and family of the actors, according to the source.

In the evening, the reception will take place for their friends in the showbiz industry.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Bhopal, Sep 28 : Veteran Congress leader and president of the party's Madhya Pradesh unit, Kamal Nath on Wednesday reiterated that he is not interested to become the AICC president, adding that he wishes to focus on the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

Nath said he would be concentrating on the preparation for Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, instead of poll-bound states such as Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The former chief minister said he has made it clear right from the beginning that he would focus on the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections scheduled to be held in 2023.

"I don't want to divert my focus from Madhya Pradesh. The elections are to held next year. I don't want to interfere or get involved in this. It will take up a whole month," he said.

Nath also distanced himself from making any remarks either on his senior colleague -- Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, or his former Cabinet colleague Sachin Pilot, amid the crisis the Congress is currently dealing with in Rajasthan.

"Both Pilot and Gehlot are my friends. I won't get into this," he said.

However, he said he would come forward to mediate between the two leaders in the interest of the Congress party.

Regarding the crisis in Rajasthan Congress, Nath said he believed that "3-4 persons were guilty of indiscipline", referring to the rebellion by Ashok Gehlot's loyalists over reports that his rival Sachin Pilot could replace him as Rajasthan Chief Minister.

"At least 3-4 persons did not behave in a disciplined manner. Our leaders have presented a report to Sonia Gandhi," Nath said two days after he met Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi at the party headquarters in Delhi.
Panaji, Sep 28 : Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday visited Ambala in Haryana and felicitated Charanjeet Kaur in honour of her husband Sardar Karnail Singh, who attained martyrdom at Patradevi-Goa on 15th August 1955 while fighting against the Portuguese for Goa's liberation.

Sawant presented a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to Kaur on the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and 60 years of Goa's Liberation.

"Goa is eternally indebted to the Satyagrahis, freedom fighters and their families who dedicated their lives and laid down their lives for the Liberation of Goa," Sawant said.

Sawant, during last Independence Day, had felicitated the families of martyrs and given them a 'Certificate of Honour' for the martyrs sacrifice in liberating Goa.

About 30 martyrs from more than 20 states and 41 from Goa, had participated in a 'Satyaghraha' held on 15 August 1955 during the struggle to liberate Goa.

"These freedom fighters who came from other states along with our Goans put pressure on then central government and hence 'Operation Vijay' was launched, which gave us freedom," Sawant had said earlier.

"We can't forget the sacrifice of these freedom fighters who came to Goa to fight against the Portuguese and around 30 of them were shot dead by the Portuguese," Sawant had said.

At a young age Sardar Karnail Singh was inspired by Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha and Lala Lajpat Rai.

According to historians, Sardar Karnail Singh during schooling recited revolutionary songs in his village and used to stage skits on great Indian martyrs and also gave revolutionary speeches.

To liberate Goa from Portuguese colonial rule, a Goa Vimochan Sahayak Samiti was founded in Pune in 1955, wherein it gave a clarion call to all Indians to participate in Goa's freedom struggle. Sardar Karnail Singh then joined Goa's freedom movement and enrolled himself as a Satyagrahi to liberate Goa.
Kolkata, Sep 28 : The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday allowed West Bengal Police to conduct its own enquiry against Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari in a case accusing the latter of being a beneficiary in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.

Recently, Kanthi police station in East Midnapore district had sent notice to Adhikari on the basis of a letter from the Saradha Group founder and Chairman, Sudipta Sen to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) accusing Adhikari of being a beneficiary in the scam.

Adhikari challenged that notice and filed a petition before the division bench of Chief Justice, Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, arguing that since the CBI was already conducting a probe in the Ponzi scam, the state police cannot run a parallel probe in the matter.

However, on Wednesday, the division bench ruled that the state police can conduct a parallel probe in the matter, and also dismissed Adhikari's plea that the probe in this particular case be also handled by the CBI.

Sen recently made the same allegation against Adhikari at a court at Bidhannagar. In fact, Sen's letter to CBI had always been a tool for Trinamool Congress against Adhikari and the party leadership had been repeatedly alleging that the CBI sleuths probing the ponzi scam were deliberately ignoring the letter from Sen to avoid a probe against the Leader of Opposition in the matter.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to Centre on a PIL seeking to debar all those persons, against whom charges have been framed, from contesting election, as per the Law Commission's report.

The plea, filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, sought direction to the Centre and the Election Commission to take steps to debar persons, against whom charges have been framed in serious offences, from contesting elections.

It contended that on February 2, 2014, the Law Commission submitted its 244th report on decriminalisation of politics, but Centre did nothing. Later, it submitted a report on electoral reform and suggested steps for electoral and democratic reforms, but the Centre did nothing on it too, it added.

After hearing arguments from Upadhyay, a bench of Justices K.M. Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy sought a response from Law and Justice and Home ministries, and the Election Commission.

The plea sought a direction to the Election Commission to use its plenary power conferred under Article 324, to amend the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order 1968, to insert such a condition (restriction) for the contestants.

"There is an increase of 44 per cent in the number of MPs with declared criminal cases since 2009. Similarly, 159 (29 per cent) winners in Lok Sabha 2019 Elections have declared serious criminal cases including cases related to rape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women etc," said the plea.

It further added that out of 542 winners analysed during Lok Sabha elections in 2014, 112 (21 percent) winners had declared serious criminal cases against themselves. Out of 543 winners analysed during Lok Sabha elections in 2009, 76 (14 percent) winners had declared serious criminal cases against themselves. "There is an increase of 109 per cent in the number of MPs with declared serious criminal cases since 2009," added the plea.

The petitioner argued that consequences of permitting criminals to contest elections and become legislators were extremely serious for democracy and secularism.

"The injury caused to people at large because criminalisation of politics is at extreme level and political parties still setting-up candidates with serious criminal antecedents," added the plea.

It further argued that raising the threshold to the stage of framing of charges, the chances would be considerably reduced of false cases being maliciously foisted on the candidates. The plea added that the police have filed its charge sheet to prosecute the accused and the court has applied its mind to the police report.

"The plea added that the additional protection envisaged by the Law Commission in its 244th report is that charges should have been framed at least one year before the scrutiny of nominations. During this period, candidates could also apply to the High Court under Section 482 of the CrPC or under Article 226 for quashing of the charges against him," said the plea, adding that it would only deter political parties from giving tickets to criminals.
Panaji, Sep 28 : Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday welcomed the imposition of ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI).

"I welcome the step that is taken by the Central government towards securing national interest and internal security," Sawant, who also holds the Home portfolio, said.

"I thank the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for declaring PFI and other eight organisations affiliated to it as 'Unlawful Organisations'. The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is firm, committed to protect India against divisive and anti-India forces," Sawant further said.

Police sources said they are keeping a close watch on activities of PFI.
Chennai, Sep 28 : District collector Sravan Kumar Jatavath has ordered the detention of four persons in the Kallakurichi riot case under the Goondas Act. The accused have been arrested and lodged in the Tiruchy and Cuddalore district jail.

They were identified as J. Jayavel (22), K. Vijay (26), J. Ibrahim (26) and A. Ramalingam (56).

The four were arrested for torching school buses and police vehicles and vandalizing the property of Sakhti Matriculation School. The violence erupted on July 17 after a Class 12 student of the school was found dead on the premises of the school hostel on July 13.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested the four after analyzing the video of the incidents at the Kallakurichi school premises. Superintendent of Police, P. Pakalavan had recommended using the Goondas Act against the four.

The district collector had ordered their detention under the Goondas Act and served the order to the accused in the jails where they were lodged.

The family of the Class XII student did not accept the theory that she had committed suicide and had alleged foul play in her death. Her mother said that she had received a call from the school on July 13 around 6.30 a.m. stating that her daughter had sustained injuries from a fall and that she had been rushed to the Kallakurichi Government Medical College. The woman said that she received another call from the same person after half an hour stating that her daughter was dead.

The family of the girl did not accept her body after the postmortem on July 14 and protested in front of the school. This later led to a build-up and on July 17 it turned into a major protest with several school vehicles being torched and the school building vandalized leading to heavy losses.
Srinagar, Sep 28 : The Jammu Srinagar National highway was on Wednesday closed for vehicular traffic due to shooting stones in Ramban district, police said.

"Jammu Srinagar NHW blocked due to continuous shooting stones at Cafeteria Morh," Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police said.

The main road link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, the highway is the lifeline of the Kashmir Valley with trucks laden with essential supplies and other vehicles coming in and trucks carrying fruit from Kashmir heading out to the rest of the country.
Karachi, Sep 28 : A Chinese national was shot dead and two others were injured on Wednesday after an unidentified assailant opened fire inside a dental clinic in Karachi's Saddar area, a police official said, the media reported.

Speaking at the scene of the crime, SSP South Asad Raza told reporters that one person was killed and two persons were injured who were shifted to a hospital for treatment. He confirmed that the three were Chinese people, Dawn reported.

According to the official, the assailant, in his early 30s, was clad in trouser and a blue shirt. He entered the clinic pretending to be a patient and opened fire, Raza told Dawn.

In a press release issued afterwards, the police identified the victims as 25-year-old Ronil D Raimond Chaw, 72-year-old Margrade and 74-year-old Richard.

It said that the victims had been running the dental clinic for a long period of time and didn't have any threat, Dawn reported.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said a man with bullet wounds was brought dead to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital.

Syed said that two others -- a man and a woman -- were taken to the Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre in an injured state.

The police surgeon said that the condition of both the injured foreigners was critical as they have suffered bullet wounds in their abdomen, Dawn reported.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the killing, according to a spokesperson.

The CM sought a detailed report from the Karachi Additional IGP. Shah also ordered the immediate arrest of the attackers and observed that such incidents were not tolerable, according to the official statement.

This incident is the latest in the recent spate of attacks on Chinese nationals in the country. In April, three Chinese nationals were killed in a suicide attack outside the University of Karachi's (KU) Confucius Institute, Dawn reported.
Bengaluru, Sep 28 : The Karnataka High Court has issued a stay order on the investigation launched by the Lokayukta in connection with the encroachment removal drive at M/s Bagmane Development Private Limited, known as Bagmane Tech Park in Bengaluru.

The Lokayukta had taken up the investigation based on the complaint filed by Bagmane Tech Park.

The bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe looked into the petition filed by the founder of Samaja Parivarthana Samudaya, S R Hiremath questioning the investigation process by the Lokayukta in this regard.

The bench issued notices to the Karnataka Lokayukta, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Civic Administration Department and Bagmane Development Private Limited in connection with the case.

The petitioner Hiremath contended that the Lokayukta, as an institution, must strive towards eradication of corruption in the state. But, with regard to the Bagmane Tech Park, it has intervened and directed not to remove the encroachments.

He contended that the Lokayukta has issued orders overstepping its jurisdiction. This process has questioned the judicial powers of the court, he stressed.

The BBMP which came under fire following the collapse of infrastructure in the IT capital after the rains has begun an encroachment removal drive in the rain affected parts of the city.

Bagmane Development Private Limited, the tech park which houses major IT companies, approached the Lokayukta by filing a complaint on September 11. It contended that it feared removal of the compound of the tech park and also the stones laid by the BBMP.

The Lokayukta taking up the investigation has ordered no encroachment removal from the premises of Bagmane Tech Park. In case of removal there was a possibility of water-logging in the adjacent areas.

The petition stated that there is no legal provision for the Lokayukta to issue such orders and pleaded before the court to quash the process by the Lokayukta regarding the encroachment removal. The bench asked the counsel for the tech park to file objections regarding the petition.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Indian cyber agency CERT-In on Wednesday warned WhatsApp users of multiple bugs which could be exploited by a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system.

In an advisory, CERT-In, under the IT Ministry, described two remote code execution vulnerabilities in Meta-owned WhatsApp in both Android and iOS versions.

The first vulnerability exists in WhatsApp due to integer overflow.

"A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute remote code in an established video call," warned the cyber agency.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system, said CERT-In.

Hackers can also exploit a second vulnerability in WhatsApp by sending a specially-crafted video file that can put users' information at risk.

CERT-In advised WhatsApp users to install latest security updates.

WhatsApp has nearly 500 million users in the country, according the third-party reports.
Hussainiwala : , Sep 28 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday called upon the youth to follow the ideals of Shaheed Bhagat Singh to make Punjab a front-runner state in the country.

The Chief Minister laid floral tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev here during which a contingent of Punjab Police gave guard of honour as a mark of respect.

The Chief Minister said all have to make strenuous efforts to realise the dreams of martyrs. He said it was the need of hour to restore the pristine glory of the state.

Mann said Shaheed Bhagat Singh was not only an individual but an institution, adding that everyone must follow his footsteps for the progress of the country.

The Chief Minister said the supreme sacrifice of Shaheed Bhagat Singh would ever inspire the youth to serve the country. Apart from emancipating the country from foreign clutches, Bhagat Singh had also envisioned a corruption and poverty-free India.

However, Mann said that the country is still facing these problems.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister also announced to upgrade Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University. He said new courses will be introduced in the university so that more and more jobs can be created for the youth.

Earlier, the Chief Minister announced to resume Shaheed Bhagat Singh Yuva award and setting up of chair at Guru Nanak Dev university in name of legendary martyr.

Addressing the gathering at Khatkar Kalan, the martyr's native place, at a state-level function, the Chief Minister said the award would bestow to 46 youths every year for their outstanding contribution in several fields.

He said the award winners will get cash money worth Rs 51,000 along with an appreciation certificate.

Mann bemoaned that this award was stopped around seven years back but will be resumed now.
Chennai, Sep 28 : Two persons were killed and 34 others injured when a private bus collided with a mini-truck in Tamil Nadu's Pollachi early on Wednesday, police said.

The accident occurred at Ayyampalayam on the Pollachi-Palakkad highway when the bus, carrying 30 passengers, was trying to overtake a vehicle, but hit the truck, overturned, and fell into a coconut grove.

The deceased were identified as Nataraj, 55, and Kittusamy, 50.

Six of the injured are admitted to Coimbatore Government Medical College and the rest are admitted to Pollachi general hospital.
Patna, Sep 28 : In wake of the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI), RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said that every organisation, including the RSS, which are responsible for creating communal hatred in the country should also be banned.

"I firmly believe that the RSS should also be banned in the country. It is worse than the PFI. The previous government had banned the RSS twice. Earlier Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had imposed a ban on RSS in the country," he said.

JD-U national President Lalan Singh demanded that the Narendra Modi government clarify on what basis the ban was imposed on the PFI.

"Centre should clarify on what basis it has imposed a ban on PFI. I want to wait for the clarification of the Centre," he said.

The BJP hit back.

BJP OBC Morcha's national General Secretary and state spokesperson Nikhil Anand said: "There is a competition going on among the parties involved in the Grand Alliance to become the champion of secularism. By speaking against the Sangh, Lalu Ji wants to satisfy the sentiments of Muslims to strengthen his vote bank."
Srinagar, Sep 28 : "Kashmir breathes within its locals and visitors alike with a pulse that they can sense, a heartbeat that they can feel and an expression that they can personify." Gulaam Hassan, an elderly man, walks on the banks of the Dal Lake every morning, selling intricately carved souvenirs, most of which are based on shikaras.

Another man travels 50 km every morning to set up shop at the bustling banks of the lake, selling freshly plucked apples from his farm. His work is hard, but he bears it not as a burden, but with joy - all with a toothless yet charming smile spread across his weather-beaten face.

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is popularly heralded as Heaven on Earth for its rolling hills, lush green lands and enviable snow-capped mountains, often visible in a single frame.

While lauded for its natural beauty, the crown jewel of the summer capital of the Union Territory is perhaps the Dal Lake. Spanning across an area of 22 sq mt, the lake offers a beautiful amalgamation of people from all walks of life, and one of the most unique living experiences to be sought in the country; it's also the most-visited spot in the entire region.

If one wants to know inner peace and tranquility, one need not stray further than the Kashmir Valley. Ironically, despite the political unrest and geographical and social challenges, the way one's heart feels in Kashmir is like no other.

It's common practice in the region to see people in two unique categories, those who live on land, and those who live on the lake. Culturally speaking, the Dal Lake is one of the most potent symbols of the Valley, along with the shikaras (a kind of wooden boats) which are peppered across its waters. Life on the lake is largely sustained by the tourism industry of the UT.

After horticulture, the tourism industry is the primary source of employment for the UT, with 50-60 per cent of the population engaged in the sector in one way or another. The Kashmir Valley is known for the tradition of pilgrimage and tourism; and the tourism industry is one of the most vital sectors of the region, as it generates revenue and income, promotes interaction, improves social development and creates jobs for the local population. A substantial part of the labour force in the UT relies on tourism and related industries for their livelihood. The shikara-owners are a staple of this industry.

After the industry and people in the region suffered during the pandemic due to the lockdowns, tourism has made a stunning comeback this year. Despite the political unrest in the region, records show that the Valley saw a record-breaking footfall of two million tourists in the first eight months of this year; tourism proved to be an industry which didn't see a lull in revenue at any point so far during the year - tourists have continued to pour into the Valley across all seasons.

This massive influx of tourists - both from within the country as well as foreigners - has resulted in 100 per cent occupancy in hotels and homestays in Srinagar, as well as a whopping occupancy of 70-80 per cent of houseboats moored to the Dal Lake.

Three years after the Central government abrogated Article 370 - removing the special status of the region and turning it into a Union Territory - the Kashmir Valley has finally blossomed back into the tourist goldmine it used to be, three decades prior.

The Dal Lake, unlike any other in the country, enjoys a glorious life of its own. Providing a livelihood to close to two lakh people, the lake is home to over 5,000 shikaras, nearly 1,000 houseboats and claims to house nearly 80,000 people.

The lake comes to life as early as 4 am, with the extraordinary floating market of vegetables and fresh produce. As the sun slowly peeks from behind the Zabarwan range, reflected in the calm sparkling waters of the lake, numerous shikaras navigate around each other, bathed in the morning glow.

Surprisingly, this market is one where the rare practice of barter still works as a means of payment. As one's eyes sweeps across the scene, vendors can be seen swiftly exchanging their produce in return of the produce they require. The spirit of brotherhood and humanity is reflected as clearly as the sun's morning rays, as the people help each other load their products onto their respective boats. In fact, this spirit of cooperation is not limited to their brothers in business, but to the visitors present to watch the ethereal scene unfold as well.

The government of the UT has been engaged in promoting the growth of the region, with the inception of special programs which particularly cater to the population residing and working on the Dal. A study from 2021 revealed that with the presence of one lakh tourists, the lake generated $26 million annually in recreational revenue. The Mission Youth Initiative, launched by the J&K government, aims to develop five "tourist villages" in the lake as part of its Tourist Village Development Programme, which will help further boost the economy of the region.

Among the numerous new schemes announced by the Central government in November 2021 for the region, was the Shikhar and Shikara scheme, aimed at aiding the community of boat-owners. The initiative allowed for credit being extended up to Rs 15 lakh for the purpose of purchase or repair of a shikara.

Students hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, studying at the Aryans Group of Colleges developed an application to better facilitate the shikara-rides that tourists take in the region, as the application puts all shikara-owners in direct contact with potential customers. The Central Government was quick to grant a copyright to the "Aryan Shikara" app, being heavily invested in ideas of the people which help promote and streamline the services provided in the region, which ultimately lead to economic development for the locals as well as the territory.

In April tis year, the J&K government held a tourism festival to usher in the spring season in the Valley with pomp and show. The festival included shikaras at the Dal to be lit up with lights, creating a breathtaking picture, as well as a host of cultural activities organised as a mark of celebration.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has been making concerted efforts to reduce perceived friction between the citizens and the Central government.

The inception of a 'Boat and Shikara' festival, meant to be held in the waters between Ganderbal and Srinagar, was reminiscent of a lost era of fervour, joy and excitement, prior to the region being consumed by terrorism and unrest.

Furthermore, through way of providing special medical aid to inhabitants of the Dal Lake6, providing ration kits to shikara-owners, and extending monetary aid to shikara-owners to deal with damages to boats - the authorities of the region have been making direct attempts to touch the lives of the people who are an integral part of their society.

The Valley is bound to bounce back to its times of glory in no time if plans proceed smoothly, and the bountiful nature of the valley expected to increase multifold as the locals continue to prosper with a collective effort, just as they have in the past one year.
In a decisive move, a communal and radical outfit, Popular Front of India (PFI), has been banned for five years by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for its alleged links to terror funding. In addition to this, PFI's associate organisations -- Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala -- are also banned leading to debate in the media about this.

A leading organisation of Pasmanda muslim named All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz has welcomed this move stataing that the Pasmanda Mahaz is against Muslim communalism and believes that such organisations are also against the basic spirit of Islam.

So the extremist and radical organisations must be proscribed in order to maintain peace and harmony in the country, especially those organisations which have been instituted in the name of Islam but fail to follow Islamic principles and teachings. Islam propagates love and compassion for building an idealistic society devoid of fundamentalist organisations and proprietors who incite evil and violent activities.

There is a famous 'hadees', which states: "Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart and that is the weakest of faith." This hadees motivates all Muslims to prevent the wrong doer whether it includes big sins like killing, lynching, mass violence or small sins as abusing, backbiting.

A true Muslim must stop wicked person and organisation.

Such organisations must be banned which encourages a sense of enmity rather than love and compassion; provoking innocent Muslims into violent protests rather than focusing on a peaceful, prosperous community. The Prophet Muhammad never allowed his companions to create instability and dissonance.

"Whoever wrongs one with whom a covenant has been made, burdens him with more than he can bear or forcibly takes something from him, I will be his adversary on the Day of Judgment," (Al-Baihaqi).

The Indian Muslim community has been enjoying liberty of religion, equality, for earning livelihood, fraternity for prosperous society and enjoying a peaceful lifestyle.

Islam is as old in India as it is in Mecca.

The great examples of the Barwada Mosque in Ghogha, Gujarat built before 623 CE, Cheraman Juma Mosque (629 CE) in Methala, Kerala and Palaiya Jumma Palli (or The Old Jumma Masjid - 628 - 630 CE) in Kilakarai testifies to the statement.

All these mosques could not have survived if there was hatred and communal tensions between the communities in the past.

This shows that Muslims have always enjoyed peaceful and friendly relations with their other Indian counterparts who have different faiths.

Consequently, if a handful of deviated Muslims form such organisations or institutions that stand against love, peace, brotherhood and Indian Constitution, they must be banned and boycotted immediately.

"None of you (truly) believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." (Hadees) The reliable and applicable Hadees shows the importance of good will for our neighbours and near ones.

Contrasting this Hadees, proprietors and partners of radical organisations like Popular Front of India (PFI) have been trying to snare innocent unemployed Muslims in the organisation and grooming them to develop radical violent approaches and to harass innocent people not conforming to their ideology.

These organisations are working against humanity.

The nationwide ban is expected to force them to quit their unethical work and repent to their flaws; adopt a simple and straightforward path that will lead them to build a prosperous culture and tradition as the following Quranic verse pleads unambiguously.

"Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (Quran 25:70)" (Dr. Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie, writer is author, translator, media panelist, columnist, socio-pasmanda activist and Medical Doctor by profession)
Guwahati, Sep 28 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accompanied by Army chief, General Manoj Pande, on Wednesday visited army formations in Assam's Dinjan, as part of his two-day visit to frontline locations in the northeast.

Defence spokesman Lt Col Amit Shukla said that the Defence Minister was briefed by 3 Corps commander Lt Gen R.C. Tiwari and other senior officers on infrastructure development along the Line of Actual Control as well as capability development and operational preparedness.

Subsequently, he reviewed the operational readiness of the formation in the easternmost part of the country.

Lt Col Shukla said that during the visit, Rajnath Singh was also briefed on employment of cutting edge military equipment and technology to enhance operational efficiency of the troops deployed on the frontline.

Rajnath Singh commended the stellar work and the yeoman services being rendered by all ranks of Spear Corps under challenging conditions.

The Defence Minister would visit forward posts on Thursday to get a first hand input on operational preparedness and interact with troops. He would also be interacting with members of a second religious expedition to Athu Popu, an annual trek of local Idu Mishmi tribe, being facilitated by Indian Army since 2021 as part of its outreach and continued efforts towards supporting the locals and development of tourism.

Eastern Command chief, Lt General R.P. Kalita, along with other senior officers, also accompanied the Defence Minister.
The inaugural function of the Lata Mangeshkar international music college, on her 93rd birth anniversary. Image Source: IANS News

The inaugural function of the Lata Mangeshkar international music college, on her 93rd birth anniversary. Image Source: IANS News

The inaugural function of the Lata Mangeshkar international music college, on her 93rd birth anniversary. Image Source: IANS News

The inaugural function of the Lata Mangeshkar international music college, on her 93rd birth anniversary. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, Sep 28 : In a fitting tribute, the 'Bharat Ratna Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar International Music College & Museum' was inaugurated at the Kalina Campus of the University of Mumbai, here on Wednesday -- on the 93rd birth anniversary of the melody queen who passed away on February 6, officials said.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis did the honours in the presence of a large number of ministers, political leaders and music personalities like Usha Mangeshkar, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Meena Khadilkar, Adinath Mangeshkar, Ashok Patki, Sonu Nigam, Anup Jalota, Pankaj Udas, Mayuresh Pai, Taufiq Qureshi, Lalit Pandit, and others.

With this, the University will offer the first six certificate courses of one-year each in Hindustani classical music, Indian flute, tabla, sitar, harmonium/keyboard and sound engineering will be launched with an initial intake of 150 students.

In August this year, the Maharashtra government had handed over a 7,000-square metre plot owned by the Directorate of Libraries in the Kalina campus of Mumbai University for the music college.

However, as a temporary measure, till the college gets its own building and other amenities, it will function from the P.L. Deshpande Academy, Shinde had said.

Lata Mangeshkar desired to start such a music college in memory of her father, Master Dinanath Mangeshkar, and the former Maha Vikas Aghadi government's former Minister Aditya Thackeray had shown her the plot which she had liked.

After her demise, the ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray had announced that a world class music college would come up in memory of 'Lata didi', as she was known during her lifetime.

Later, the government had set up a 14-member expert advisory board for the college courses which included Chairman Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar, Adinath Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar, Mayuresh Pai, Zakir Hussain, A.R. Rahman and other personalities.

To start with, the teaching posts will be on an emoluments basis and clerical/ typist jobs will be filled on an external basis, machinery, equipment and other requirements will be purchased, all at a cost of nearly Rs 1.75 crore per month.

This fulfils a commitment made by the state government to start the global music college from the current academic year in memory of Lata Mangeshkar.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Virgin Atlantic has launched its updated gender identity policy, giving its crew, pilots and ground team the option to choose which of the iconic uniforms, designed by Vivienne Westwood, best represents them -- no matter their gender, gender identity, or gender expression.

Virgin Atlantic will offer its people a fluid approach to its red and burgundy uniforms, meaning LGBTQ+ colleagues will be able to choose either the red or the burgundy uniform, depending on which best reflects themselves.

The announcement is part of an on-going drive to champion the individuality of its people and customers and is complemented by the roll out of optional pronoun badges for all its people and those travelling with the airline. This move enables everyone to clearly communicate and be addressed by their pronouns. The badges will be available to teams and customers from Wednesday and customers simply need to ask for their preferred badge at the check-in desk or in the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse.

Virgin Atlantic has also updated its ticketing systems to allow for those who hold passports with gender neutral gender markers to select 'U' or 'X' gender codes on their booking as well as the gender-neutral title, 'Mx'.

Mandatory inclusivity training will also be rolled out for its people at all levels across Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Holidays as well as a series of inclusivity learning initiatives for tourism partners and hotels within destinations such as the Caribbean to ensure all customers feel welcome despite barriers to LGBTQ+ equality.

Launched as part of its 'Be Yourself' agenda, the airline has already unveiled a series of industry-leading inclusivity initiatives for its people to ensure they can truly be themselves at work and feel comfortable in their roles. This latest addition follows a decision in 2019 to offer cabin crew the choice whether to wear make-up as well as the option to wear trousers and flat shoes. More recently the airline lifted restrictions around allowing visible tattoos for crew members and its frontline people.

Jamie Forsstroem, Cabin Crew at Virgin Atlantic commented: "The updated gender identity policy is so important to me. As a non-binary person, it allows me to be myself at work and have the choice in what uniform I wear." The announcement comes as research finds that enabling employees to express their true selves at work boosts happiness (65%), increases mental wellbeing (49%), creates a more positive workplace culture (36%) and provides a better experience for customers (24%). Employees also reported feeling more accepted and comfortable when able to be their true selves at work (26%) and an increased sense of loyalty to their employer (21%).

The airline's initiatives also include an update of its existing trans inclusion policies, which already allow time off for medical treatment related to gender transition, personal choice of changing and shower facilities that align with the gender a person identifies as and co-creation of a personalised transitioning plan.

Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic's Chief Commercial Officer says, "At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are. That's why it's so important that we enable our people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work. It is for that reason that we want to allow our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify and ensure our customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns."
Patna, Sep 28 : The Jadopur police station in Bihar's Gopalganj district is on the horns of a dilemma. It has two bullocks in its custody and they stand charged with the crime of pulling a cart from which the state's Anti-Liquor Task Force (ALTF) seized contraband liquor on January 25, 2022, the Republic Day eve.

The cart is evidence for the prosecution and so are the bullocks in this case of violation of Bihar's Prohibition laws. As a result, they were handed over to the police station because the seizure took place at the Rampur Tengrahi village, which falls within the jurisdiction of the police station.

On the basis of a statement recorded by the then police station in-charge, Mithilesh Prasad Singh, an FIR was registered, and the hapless bullocks were seized along with the cart.

Now, there's no law that tells the police how to deal with bovines in lockup, nor do they have a budget to feed bullocks with healthy appetites.

For a few days, the bullocks stayed in the police station premises and then they were taken in by a good-hearted farmer in the village who took pity on the forlorn creatures.

Even as the police and the local administration were ruminating over likely ways out of the prickly problem, the district magistrate decided to take the bull by the horns. He ordered that the two animals as well as the cart be auctioned away.

The base price was fixed at Rs 60,000, but despite two auction dates passing by over the past eight months, there's been no taker for either the bullocks or the cart.

So, the bullocks continue to be in the custody of the kind-hearted farmer, but his big fear now is that if anything untoward happens to the animals, which are now the property of the state, he may end up having the long arm of the law around his neck.

The local superintendent of the state's prohibition, excise and registration department, Rakesh Kumar, has assured IANS that no effort is being spared to have the bullocks and the carts disposed of in an auction.

Till the animals find a buyer, they will continue to be the guests of the farmer, who's getting increasingly uneasy about the arrangement fraught with risks. Will his act of kindness become a noose around his neck?
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it is the sacrosanct duty of the husband to provide financial support to the wife and minor children, even by physical labour, if he is able-bodied.

A bench of Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Bela M. Trivedi said: "It is the sacrosanct duty of the husband to provide financial support to the wife and to the minor children. The husband is required to earn money even by physical labour, if he is an able-bodied, and could not avoid his obligation, except on the legally permissible grounds mentioned in the statute." "At the outset, it may be noted that Section 125 of the CrPC was conceived to ameliorate the agony, anguish, and financial suffering of a woman who is required to leave the matrimonial home, so that some suitable arrangements could be made to enable her to sustain herself and the child," it said.

Citing an apex court judgment, the bench said it has been held that the object of maintenance proceedings is not to punish a person for his past neglect, but to prevent vagrancy and destitution of a deserted wife, by providing her food, clothing, and shelter by a speedy remedy.

"As settled by this court, Section 125 CrPC is a measure of social justice and is specially enacted to protect women and children. It also falls within the constitutional sweep of Article 15(3), reinforced by Article 39 of the Constitution," it said.

Allowing the plea by a woman against a Faridabad family court order, which was upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the top court said the family court, in the instant case, had not only overlooked and disregarded the aforesaid settled legal position, but had proceeded with the proceedings in an absolutely perverted manner.

"Such an erroneous and perverse order of Family Court was unfortunately confirmed by the High Court by passing a very perfunctory impugned order," it added.

It declined to entertain the husband's contention that he had a small business, which was closed, therefore he had no source of income. "The respondent being able-bodied, he is obliged to earn by legitimate means and maintain his wife and the minor child," said the bench. It also directed the man to pay Rs 10,000 to the wife over and above Rs 6,000 to the son.

The husband had also questioned the chastity of his wife and alleged that the boy was not his biological son. However, his application for a DNA test was rejected by the family court. The family court also disallowed the woman's plea for maintenance and the daughter, but directed the man to pay Rs 6,000 monthly to the son.
Kolkata, Sep 28 : A special ED court on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his close associate Arpita Mukherjee till October 31.

This means that the duo will spend not just the Durga Puja, but the entire festive season including Laxmi Puja, Kali Puja, Diwali, and Bhai Dooj behind the bars.

Both of them attended the hearing at the court in virtual mode.

Chatterjee's counsel made a desperate attempt to get his bail plea granted on grounds of his physical ailments and family prestige. However, the ED counsel strongly objected to his bail prayer on grounds that the investigation process by the central agency is still only on and more information relating to the crime proceeds is being unearthed every day. In such a situation, the investigation process might get hampered, he contended.

During the hearing, Mukherjee broke down into tears and sought the permission of the court to get a mobile phone so that she can talk to her mother occasionally.

However, the ED counsel ridiculed her tears and reminded the court that even Chatterjee broke down into tears during a previous hearing in the matter. "But their tears do not justify their involvement in the multi-crore scam. Can't they see the tears of the eligible candidates deprived of their legitimate job offers who are protesting on the open streets of Kolkata for days," the ED counsel argued.

Finally, after hearing all the parties concerned, the court rejected the bail pleas of both Chatterjee and Mukherjee and extended their judicial custody.
Anand, Sep 28 : Fourteen councillors of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Borsad nagarpalika revolted against the party whip and voted in support of a no-confidence motion against its own palika president Arti Patel.

The Borsad nagarpalika (civic body) has 36 councillors. In the 2021 elections, for the first time the BJP won the palika with 20 councillors, capturing the Congress fort. The rest of the councillors consisted of 9 Independents, 6 from the Congress and one from the AAP. It lasted hardly one and a half years, during which not a single development work could take place, alleged rebel BJP councillor Apeksha Mahida.

She and 13 other BJP councillors with support of the Independents, Congress and AAP councillors moved a no-confidence motion against the palika president and passed it with 25 votes. Only five BJP councillors voted against the motion, supporting the president.

Her allegation is that president Arti Patel was not taking party councillors into confidence while taking up development projects, nor was she taking orders from the party leadership, because of which the government's grant money remained unused for one and a half years. That is why she and the others voted against Patel, she said, adding that even if the party suspends them, they will stick with the party.

The palika's vice president Ranjitsinh Parmar told IANS, "Our own colleagues have betrayed us, now it is for the party to take a call, whether to suspend them from the party, or get a new president elected with their support."
Jaipur, Sep 28 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday to end the ongoing political crisis in the state, triggered by the open revolt of MLAs supporting him, as well as to clear the picture on his status - both in the state as well in the party presidential poll, as per Congress sources.

Gehlot was supposed to leave Jaipur for Delhi on Wednesday evening but his plan was postponed and now, there are possibilities of him leaving later. They said that Congress Central Election Authority chief Madhusudan Mistry is not in Delhi on Thursday and hence candidates for presidential post can apply only on the last day of nominations, on September 30.

Meanwhile, in the midst of political turmoil, this afternoon, Gehlot met several senior leaders including Assembly Speaker C.P. Joshi and Minister Shanti Dhariwal. Sharing the information, state minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas claimed that Gehlot is not resigning.

On the question if Gehlot will file nomination for the post of President, he said that only the Chief Minister and the central leadership are aware of this fact.

Meanwhile, veteran leader Digvijaya Singh's name has been doing the rounds for the post of President, as he left Bharat Jodo Yatra in between to go to Delhi.

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal said that the crisis seen in Rajasthan will be resolved in a day or two.

At the same time, Sachin Pilot, who is facing opposition from the Gehlot camp for the post of CM, is already present in Delhi.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : With an eye on the forthcoming Gujarat assembly elections, the government on Wednesday extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for a period of three months, from October 1 till December 31, 2022, even though it would entail an additional financial burden of Rs 44,762 crore.

Gujarat polls are due to be held in December this year.

The extension was approved by the Union Cabinet despite opposition within the Government over continuing with the scheme as the view within the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog was that as the threat of pandemic has abated and most significantly due to the drain on the exchequer, it should not be continued further, sources aware of developments said.

It was reliably learnt that the Finance Ministry had red-flagged the scheme's continuation beyond September 30, citing rising fuel prices and growing subsidy burden apart from fiscal pressures due to the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

In addition to this, sources further pointed out that due to disruptions in global supply chains owing to the Russia-Ukraine war, food grain stocks may also get impacted in the long run, which could make it difficult for the scheme to continue further.

Finance Ministry is learnt to have suggested a lesser quota of food grains for beneficiaries in case of the scheme's continuation for some more time.

However the Union Cabinet has decided to continue with the original contours of the scheme while extending it for three months.

The scheme had been initiated by the government in April 2020 when the nation-wide lockdown had been imposed, to provide relief to the poor. Under it, 5 kg of food grains (wheat or rice) is given per person. This is given over and above the food grains provided under the Food Security Act to beneficiaries.

A total of 122 lakh metric tonnes of food grains would be distributed between October 1 and December 31, 2022, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur told media persons while announcing the Cabinet decisions.

More than 80 crore beneficiaries would benefit from the allocation of food grains till December 2022, official sources said.

In the previous seven stages of the scheme, starting from April 2020 till September 30, 2022, Rs 3.91 lakh crore have been spent and 1,121 lakh metric tonnes of food grains have been distributed.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested 26th accused in connection the seizure of 3000 kgs of heroin, valued at Rs 21,000 crore, at Gujarat's Mundra Port in September last year, an official said.

A senior NIA official said that the accused, identified as Sushanta Sarkar of West Bengal, was arrested on Tuesday for his involvement in the illegal international trade of heroin into India for supporting terrorist activities.

Heroin was seized between September 17-19, 2021 at Container Freight Station, Mundra Port by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence from a consignment of semi processed talc stone it was concealed in.

The case was initially registered by DRI and then re-registered by the NIA. In March 2022, the NIA had filed charge sheet before a special court in Ahmedabad against 10 persons.

The case pertains to an international drug smuggling syndicate, run by Afghan nationals, brothers Hassan Daad and Hussain Daad, who had sent multiple heroin consignments to India through containers. The heroin was purified in Afghanistan and the concealed in other materials like, semi-processed talc and bituminous coal. These consignments were then sent to Indian ports in Gujarat and West Bengal and further to New Delhi, via trucks.

"The accused arrested yesterday is an important part of the criminal conspiracy, and had ordered a heroin-laden shipment of semi-processed talc from Afghanistan, via Iran in November. He used his firm 'Jesus Christ Impex' for the purpose. He transported the consignment to the firm of another accused Kabir Talwar, in New Delhi. The consignment was unloaded by members of the heroin smuggling syndicate who are charge sheeted in the instant case," said the official.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The intelligence agencies were keeping an eye on the illegal activities of the now banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

Before the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday morning banned the PFI and its associates for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the agencies had learnt that the PFI had turned into a violent organisation which indulged in terror activities, hawala funding besides promoting hatred between different communities.

The agencies also found PFI links in the killing of a number of Hindu leaders.

The MHA dossier accesed by IANS said that the ministry believed that the PFI had been one of the most potent radical Muslim outfits whose members were involved in numerous cases of violence, unlawful activities and terrorism.

The PFI and its various frontal organisations had a presence in over 17 states across the country.

"The PFI encouraged its cadres to undertake actions that were prejudicial to the maintenance of peace and harmony between different religious groups, and disrupted the secular fabric of the country. Hence, it is banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," read the dossier.

As many as 1,300 cases have been registered against against the PFI, its cadres and associated organisations by different state police forces as well as the NIA.

Some of these cases were registered under the UAPA, Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act and other heinous sections of IPC.

The agencies have found that there had been a number of instances of international linkages of PFI with terrorist groups.

"Some activists of PFI, particularly from Kerala, had joined ISIS and had participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of these Indian ISIS terrorists were also killed in action by security forces in those conflict theatres. Some PFI elements associated with ISIS had been arrested by the NIA and different state police. The PFI also had linkages with Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)," the dossier read.

Sanjith, an RSS worker in Kerala, was murdered by the cadres of PFI on November 15, 2021. In Tamil Nadu, the PFI cadres killed V. Ramalingam, a Hindu leader, for challenging its 'Dawah' activities in 2019.

There were other cases of murder of pro-Hindu leaders by the cadres of the outfit, including Nandu (Kerala, 2021), Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018), Bibin (Kerala, 2017), Sharath (Karnataka, 2017), R Rudresh (Karnataka, 2016), Praveen Poojari (Karnataka, 2016) and Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016), the dossier said.

The PFI cadres had also chopped the hand of T.J. Joseph, a professor, for alleged blasphemy in 2010, it added.

Some AQ and ISIS training videos, depicting gruesome murders, had been recovered from the PFI cadres accused in this case. Such activities created fear among the members of other religious communities, besides the public, the dossier said.

In Kerala, explosives and Jihadi literature were recovered from the Padam forest area in Kollam district in June 2021. The forest area was being used by PFI as a training site.

In April 2013, Kerala Police had recovered arms and explosives from an arms training site in Narath in Kannur district. The case was investigated by the NIA and 41 PFI cadres were convicted by the court in 2016.

The PFI covertly organised training camps where the participants were trained to use force against certain religious groups, which were perceived by the outfit as enemies of Islam, the dossier claimed.

The PFI, which had always claimed to be a social organisation, was also found involved in the July 26 murder of Praveen Nettaru, a Hindu activist, in Bellare town in Karnataka. Nettaru was hacked to death by bike-borne assailants. The persons arrested so far are all members of PFI.

The murder was allegedly planned by the PFI and members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political front of PFI.

Also, the PFI had been receiving funds from dubious channels from both within the country and abroad. The PFI and its affiliates operated large number of bank accounts and received money through their aides based in India and abroad.

Over 100 bank accounts of PFI not matching with the financial profile of the account holders have come to the notice of probe agencies. As a result, the registration status of PFI under Section 12A & 12 AA of IT Act was withdrawn.

Meanwhile, a clandestine physical training centre in Telangana revealed the violent nature of the PFI. A physical education instructor, Abdul Khader, had trained more than 200 PFI cadres in martial arts in Nizamabad.

The police had registered a case at Nizamabad VI Town police station, under various sections of IPC and UAPA against 27 PFI members.

Interrogation of the accused had revealed that the PFI would identify Muslim youth, especifically from poor or middle class families, who were later trained and instilled with anti-Hindutva ideology.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday orally observed that two very good people may not be good partners, while hearing arguments on what could be parameters on dissolving marriage between consenting parties, without referring them to family court, by exercising its power under Article 142 of the Constitution.

A five-judge Constitution bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, A.S. Oka, Vikram Nath, and J.K. Maheshwari, orally observed that two very good people may not be good partners, pointing out that in some cases, people have lived together for a considerable time, yet the marriage breaks down.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, amicus curiae, contended that when a divorce petition is filed, there are allegations and counter-allegations.

The bench noted divorce is based on fault theory, under the Hindu Marriage Act, however irretrievable breakdown of the marriage could be a practical reality on ground - without getting into the issue of blaming each other.

On the aspect of fault theory, the bench said there could be allegations that the wife is not making morning tea for the parents and it is very subjective. It further added that social norms could be at the root of issues -- distinction on the nature of work, what should be done by a woman or a man.

The bench queried as to where it could attribute fault, since the social norms are changing, which is the ground reality. It added that what is attributed as fault, may not be a fault but understanding of a social norm.

It will continue to hear arguments in the matter on Thursday.

The top court is examining what could be the broad parameters for the exercise of powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to dissolve a marriage between the consenting parties without referring them to the family court.

In the family court, the parties would have to wait for the mandatory period prescribed under section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act. Article 142 deals with the enforcement of decrees and orders of the apex court to provide complete justice in a case.

--IANS ss/vd

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Bhubaneswar, Sep 28 : Odisha is committed to provide an ecosystem for job-linked industrial growth, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Wednesday.

If any state is providing 'X' incentive for promotion of business opportunities, Odisha will provide 'X-plus', Patnaik said at an investors' meet in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Welcoming potential investors at the meeting, the Chief Minister told the industry leaders, "Come, invest in Odisha and be our partner in ushering in a new industrial age in Odisha." Patnaik also said that his government 'walks the talk'.

The Chief Minister sought the participation of industry leaders in the 'Make in Odisha Conclave' to be held in Bhubaneswar from November 30 to December 4.

"I have come to invite you all to Odisha to be part of our transformative journey. Odisha is now progressing fast in every sector. On the strength of our abundant natural resources, skilled human resources and stable governance, Odisha is emerging as a leading destination for industries and investment," he said.

"The Conclave is a platform for our state to showcase our growth story and present what we have to offer to the investors across the globe. It is a platform for industry captains and thought-leaders to talk about the future outlook of various industrial sectors," Patnaik added.

Stating that most of the top Indian IT companies have established their centres in Bhubaneswar, Patnaik said his government is also providing continuous support to the startup ecosystem.

Highlighting the state's record on grounding of investment proposals, he pointed out that Odisha is ranked among the top states in India in terms of live manufacturing investments and has been accorded the 'Achiever' status in the recently-released Ease of Doing Business ratings.

Earlier on Wednesday, Patnaik met several industrialists from across sectors to discuss their plans for Odisha. He personally invited them to be part of the Make in Odisha Conclave.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Senior advocate R Venkataramani has been appointed Attorney General of India, an official statement said on Wednesday.

Venkataramani will take over from incumbent K.K. Venugopal whose tenure will expire on September 30.

A notification, issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, said: "The President is pleased to appoint R. Venkataramani, senior advocate, as Attorney General for India for a period of three years from the date he enters upon his office." Venkataramani has a rich experience of over 40 years as lawyer and he was also a former member of the Law Commission of India. He was enrolled in July 1977 in the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and joined the chambers of late senior advocate in SC P.P. Rao in 1979. He was designated as senior advocate by the Supreme Court in 1997. He has also been associated with National Law School of India University, Bengaluru.

The development came days after senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi declined to return as Attorney General.

Venkataramani was appointed court receiver by the apex court in Amrapali housing projects matter. On September 23, Venkataramani informed the apex court that over 11,000 flats will be delivered in 2 to 3 months to Amrapali homebuyers', out of which 5,428 flats will be handed over in October. A bench comprising Chief Justice U.U. Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi, appreciating the court receiver, said that giving possession of over 11,000 flats out of 38,000 flats is an important development.

--IANS ss/vd

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Bengaluru, Sep 28 : The Karnataka government is eyeing a three-fold increase in the number of tourists visiting the state over the next three years.

Speaking at the release of the revised tourism policy for 2020-26, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday stressed on the need to get one crore people to visit Karnataka over the next three years from the current figures of 30 lakh tourists.

Bommai expressed confidence that Karnataka will soon figure prominently on the international tourism map, especially since UNESCO has already identified Hampi as a World Heritage Centre, while Belur and Halebid are expected to be included in that list shortly.

The government is also working out the details of two tourist circuits. While the first tourism circuit comprises Belur, Halebid, Somanathapur and surrounding places and is called 'Mysuru Circuit', the second circuit in the northern part of the state includes Badami, Pattadakal and Hampi, and called the 'Hampi Circuit'.

"The plan is being readied to take these two circuits to the international level," Bommai said.

The Chief Minister also urged the tourist guides to work with dedication and honesty, and advised them against misleading the tourists.
Bhubaneswar, Sep 28 : The main opposition parties in Odisha -- the BJP and the Congress -- staged protest on Wednesday demanding removal of School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash from the Cabinet over the death of BJD zilla parishad (ZP) member Dharmendra Sahoo.

Sahoo, a zilla parishad member from Puri district, allegedly commited suicide at his residence here on September 24. The 48-year-old politician represented the ZP zone No. 11 under Gop, which falls under the Assembly constituency of Dash.

Odisha BJP workers and leaders, including Puri district president Ashrit Pattanayak, Bramhagiri MLA Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra and party's state vice-president Pravati Parida on Wednesday blocked the Puri-Bhubaneswar national highway at Pattnaikia Chhak in Pipili over the issue. They demanded immediate removal of the minister for his alleged involvement in Sahoo's suicide.

"An viral audio clip of Sahoo proves that Dash was involved in the death of the ZP member. So, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should immediately remove him from the Cabinet," said Pattanayak.

Notably, an audio clip purportedly made by Sahoo holding the minister and six others, including his wife and father-in-law, responsible for his death went viral on social media.

The Chief Minister should immediately order Dash's arrest in the matter, demanded BJP MLA Mohapatra.

Similarly, hundreds of activists of the student wing of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee on Wednesday gathered the official residence of Dash.

Carrying posters and raising slogans, the Chattra Congress workers had a scuffle with the police while trying to barge into the minister's residence. The Congress activists even hurled eggs and tomatoes at the house.

Accusing the Chief Minister of protecting Dash, Chhatra Congress president Yasir Nawaz said: "He (Dash) has no right to continue as education minister of the state." Earlier, a delegation of Odisha Congress had submitted a memorandum to the Bhubaneswar DCP demanding an impartial inquiry into the incident.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted a death row convict in the rape and murder of a 6-year-old, saying it cannot make someone a victim of injustice to compensate for the injustice to the victim of a crime.

A bench of Justices S. Abdul Nazeer, A.S. Bopanna, and V. Ramasubramanian said: "We cannot shy away from the fact that it is a ghastly case of rape and murder of a 6-year-old child. By not conducting the investigation properly, the prosecution has done injustice to the family of the victim. By fixing culpability upon the appellant without any shred of evidence which will stand scrutiny, the prosecution has done injustice to the appellant." "Court cannot make someone, a victim of injustice, to compensate for the injustice to the victim of a crime." The bench said it is not the quantum, but what matters is the quality and both courts below found the evidence of the first three prosecution witnesses acceptable. "The seriously inherent contradictions in the statements made by them have not been duly taken note of by both courts. When the offence is heinous, the court is required to put the material evidence under higher scrutiny," it said.

The top court said no one admitted who sent the FIR to the court and when it was sent and strangely even, the copy of the post mortem report was admittedly received by SHO on March 13, 2012, though the post mortem was conducted on March 9, 2012.

"It was the same date on which the FIR reached the court. These factors certainly create a strong suspicion on the story as projected by the prosecution, but both the courts have overlooked the same completely. This erroneous approach on the part of the sessions court and the high court has led to the appellant being ordained to be dispatched to the gallows," it noted.

The top court judgment came on an appeal filed by Chotkau, who was convicted for the offences for rape and murder, and sentenced to death by the sessions court, which was also confirmed by the Allahabad High Court.

Setting aside the death penalty and conviction, the top court said: "In fact, this is a case where the appellant is so poor that he could not afford to engage a lawyer even in the sessions court. After his repeated requests to the court of District and Sessions judge, the service of an advocate was provided as amicus. In cases of such nature, the responsibility of the court becomes more onerous."
Bengaluru, Sep 28 : The ruling BJP in Karnataka on Wednesday announced a campaign to eradicate untouchability in the state.

Minister for Social Welfare Kota Srinivas Poojari made the announcement in Kolar district of the state, referring to an incident in which a Dalit family was boycotted, and made to pay Rs 60,000 as fine for touching a Hindu deity.

"The government is all set to take up a mega campaign to eradicate untouchability in the state. It is unfortunate that the situation exists where one human being can't touch another.

"Our party is committed to ensure equality in leading lives in the society," Poojari said.

"It will also be ensured the Dalit family which has gone under trauma gets all the facilities that are due from the government," he said.

He further said stated that the district administration has already sanctioned land for the Dalit family, and Rs 1.5 lakh special grant will be increased to Rs 5 lakh towards construction of house.

"I have spoken to the district in-charge minister and he has committed to take care of the higher education of the Dalit boy," he said.

Six persons have been arrested in connection with the case of imposing fine of Rs 60,000 on Dalit boy's family for touching a Hindu god idol.

The accused had beaten up Dalit boy Chetan for touching the idol that was being readied for procession.

The incident had taken place on September 8 in Ullerahalli village.

The authorities initially turned a blind eye to the incident but later swung into action.

They broke open the lock of the temple and allowed Dalit families to take darshan of the deity.

The Dalit organisations have hoisted a blue flag on the temple, stirring a controversy.
Patna, Sep 28 : Senior IAS officer and Bihar Women and Children Development Corporation MD Harjot Kaur Bamhrah stirred up controversy with her abrasive responses to question by girl students at an event for Class 9 and 10 students here on Wednesday.

Video of the questions by students and the officer's testy and irritated answers at the 'Sashakt Beti, Samriddh Bihar' event, organised by the Corporation and Unicef, went viral on social media.

As a student asked Bamhrah that the government is providing school dress, scholarship, bicycles and many other facilities to students, can't it provide sanitary pads for Rs 20 to 30 to girls students - drawing applause, Bamhrah hit out, saying that people are clapping over the question but these are endless demands.

"Today, the government would provide you with sanitary pads for Rs 20 to Rs 30. Then you ask for jeans, pants and then, beautiful shoes," she said but did not stop there.

"When it comes to family planning, will the government give condoms (Nirodh) to you. Why would I have a habit of taking everything free from the government? What is the need of it?" At that, the student said the government comes to them to seek their votes. Bamhrah angrily replied that "this is the height of stupidity. You don't vote and go to Pakistan. You are giving a vote to take money and facilities from the government".

That girl student responded that she is an Indian and why would she go to Pakistan? "The government is providing facilities from the money of taxpayers. If taxpayers are paying taxes to the government, why would they not demand for the services?" she asked.

Another girl student claimed problem in toilets for girls in the school, saying that the boys also enter the girls' toilet and make them uncomfortable.

At this, Bamhrah asked if every student present in the hall has separate toilets for them at home, leaving many in the audience surprised and shocked at the tenor of the senior IAS officer who demeaned the girl students.
Washington, Sep 29 : The US embassy in Moscow has urged American nationals residing in Russia to depart the country immediately, citing what it claimed to be possibility that Russia could conscript dual nationals for military service.

"Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals' US citizenship, deny their access to US consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service," read an alert posted on the embassy's website, Xinhua news agency reported.

"US citizens should not travel to Russia and those residing or travelling in Russia should depart Russia immediately while limited commercial travel options remain," it added.

The advisory came roughly a week after Russia announced a partial mobilization amid the conflict with Ukraine.
Lhasa, Sep 29 : Chinese authorities have arrested a Tibetan man for posting online videos of harsh Covid-19 lockdown measures being carried out in Lhasa to contain the spread of the disease, a media report said.

Gontse, a teacher of the Tibetan language, was arrested on August 14 at his home in Khyungchu county in Sichuan's Ngaba (in Chinese Aba) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, RFA reported.

"No information is available on his current whereabouts or where he is being detained," one source said, citing contacts in Khyungchu and speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

"Gontse works as a teacher," another source in exile said, also declining to be named in order to protect his contacts in Khyungchu.

"And though the Chinese authorities gave no explanation for his arrest to his family and friends, the reason is that he shared videos and other images of the Chinese government's inhumane treatment of people in Lhasa during the lockdown, RFA reported.

"All of Gontse's social media accounts have been deleted now," the source added.

Chinese state media have reported 111 more cases of Covid-19 infection as of September 25, with 60,597 people still held in quarantine in conditions described as harsh by sources inside the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

Meanwhile, 786 people have been prosecuted by authorities for violating Covid lockdown directives in the TAR since the current outbreak was first reported on August 8, official sources say.

Speaking to RFA, Pema Gyal - a researcher at London-based Tibet Watch - said that in the name of containing the further spread of the disease, Chinese authorities in Tibet have been arresting Tibetans "with the deliberate aim of silencing them." In a September 26 statement, Tibet's India-based exile government -- the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) described the harsh conditions reported by Tibetans held without adequate food, water or medical care in China's quarantine camps.

"A Lhasa resident recently compared Lhasa's current situation to the worst days of Shanghai's two-month lockdown when people were left to starve," CTA said.

Camp managers routinely placed infected persons with others still uninfected, resulting in a further spread of the virus "at every level of society, from police to volunteers," CTA added.

CTA spokesperson Tenzin Lekshey said that Tibet's exile government has responded effectively to India's own Covid-19 outbreaks during the last two years "with the help of healthcare workers and has learned how to mitigate the crisis.

"So we are ready to offer our assistance, whether with healthcare workers or other medical facilities, if the Chinese government ever requests them," Lekshey was quoted as saying.
CSX Railroad and its Chief Medical Officer Liable for Defamation

Judgment was entered today after a Greenup County, Kentucky jury found railroad CSX Transportation, Inc. and its Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Craig Heligman, liable for defamation and interference with the doctor-patient relationship in delivering a verdict of $22,815,000 to two chiropractors. The case, Daniel Carey et al. v. CSX Transportation, Inc. et al. was tried in Greenup Circuit Court, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Case No. 18-CI-00348.

Dr. Daniel Carey, II, D. C. and Dr. Shannon Johnson, D.C. brought suit after Dr. Heligman sent a letter to an agency of the federal government, three insurance companies, and to the Ohio and Kentucky state chiropractic boards accusing Dr. Carey and Dr. Johnson of fraudulently treating CSX employees in the Tri-state area of Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. CSX later refused to accept any medical documentation from Dr. Carey and Dr. Johnson on behalf of its employees.

The jury found that the accusations of Dr. Heligman and CSX were false and that they interfered with the relationship between Drs. Carey and Johnson and their patients. The evidence at trial further demonstrated that CSX sought to avoid its obligation to pay medical benefits to its employees who treated with the chiropractors and acted with fraud, oppression, malice, or gross negligence.

The jury found Dr. Heligman and CSX liable for punitive damages in the amount of $21.4 million in addition to over one million dollars in business losses and reputational harm to Dr. Carey and Dr. Johnson. It is believed to be the largest jury verdict in the history of Greenup County, Kentucky.

Dr. Carey and Dr. Johnson were represented by trial counsel Jeff Dingwall of Eight & Sand Law and Greg Paul of Paul Law Offices. Local counsel was Ken Reed of The Law Office of Kenneth R. Reed.
Strategic Partner Manager, Kermit McKinney, in front of the UPU headquarters in Bern, Switzerland "Zonos joining the UPU Consultative Committee forwards our mission to create trust in global trade. We have over a decade of real-life experience in cross-border ecommerce, and we look forward to sharing those experiences with the UPU and postal agencies around the world," Clint Reid, Zonos CEO

Zonos, the global leader in cross-border technology, joins the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Consultative Committee, bringing decades of cross-border expertise to the table. Specializing in data and technology for calculating customs duties, taxes, and fees for international transactions, Zonos' membership will drive technological advancements in the postal industry. Zonos is contracted with postal service organizations to provide accurate data improving international shipment efficiency using cutting-edge technology.

The UPU acts as an advisory council, mediating technical agreements that impact postal functions to streamline universal postal services, encourage continual development, and enhance global communication. The UPU was established in 1874 and is the second-oldest international organization.

About Zonos

Zonos' innovative API and plugin technology allows businesses to simplify and scale their international commerce by providing the data needed for cross-border transactions, including the only true landed cost solution on the market. Driven by their mission to create trust in global trade, Zonos is decreasing the barriers for businesses seeking to expand globally, making the world market accessible to everyone.

Headquartered in the United States, Zonos has been expanding rapidly with a record-breaking $69 million series A funding in 2021 and the announcement of a new office in Gold Coast, Australia, in 2022.

For more information, please visit zonos.com.
I am beyond excited and honored for this recognition, said Joy M. Hutton, Founder of on the go GLAM. Life has thrown me some significant curveballs over the past few years, but my resilience has kept me going."

Inc. today announced its fifth annual Female Founders 100 list, honoring a bold group of 100 women whose innovations and ideas are shaping the world into a better place. Collectively, the 2022 honorees companies are estimated to be worth more than $22 billion.

The founders cross all industries and bring with them unique stories of success from each stage of the entrepreneurial journey  from startup to going public, being acquired by big buyers, or spending decades at the helm of an organization. They are reinventing everything from shoes to food and are challenging issues like financial literacy and reproductive health.

I am beyond excited and honored for this recognition and to be included amongst so many amazing women, said Joy M. Hutton, Founder of on the go GLAM. Life has thrown me some significant curveballs over the past few years, but my resilience has kept me going. I went through a tumultuous divorce 4 years ago and had to put my business on hold and then I lost my sister unexpectedly in 2020. Despite these setbacks, I realized my life is bigger than me and I launched on the go GLAM in October 2020. Launching during the pandemic was advantageous for us because a lot of people did not want to return to the salon and we were able to provide beauty services in a safe and convenient environment. Although on the go GLAM is a consumer-facing platform, our mission is to develop a strong workforce in the beauty industry. We are constantly investing in the personal and professional development of our providers. Im all about people first.

On the go GLAM in an-on demand platform that delivers beauty services to men and women in the comfort of their home, office, or hotel. Think Uber for beauty. Since its launch in 2020, the company is currently in 3 cities in Texas including Houston, Austin, and Dallas with over 60 providers and will be launching in 9 other cities over the next 6 months with plans to expand to additional cities across the nation and globally in the near future. In March 2022, on the go GLAM was featured as one of the exclusive brands in the Artist Village at SXSW. The GLAM Pros provided hair and makeup services to over 500 artists from 25 countries.

Hutton mentioned other plans to scale on the go GLAM through retail, product development, and the integration of additional technology to improve the experience for its consumers. As a woman of color entrepreneur, she has persisted despite the barriers faced when trying to gain access to capital. However, she is on a mission to continue to make an impact in beauty and tech.

Joy is a huge advocate for female entrepreneurs, so this recognition is very fitting. She served in leadership roles for organizations such as Walker's Legacy and Ellevate Houston which support the economic empowerment of women. She was recognized by the City of Houston for her leadership in entrepreneurship and February 20th was named "Joy M. Hutton Day." In honor of this day, she launched the LeadHERship Fund, a micro-grant fund for female entrepreneurs. She expressed how she has had so many people pour into her along the way and she wants to do the same.

Each year, Inc. editors review thousands of applications highlighting female founders who are challenging the status quo and tackling some of the worlds biggest problems. The list features women who have overcome challenges and lifted those around them, while leading impactful organizations across the country. They join the ranks of previous honorees including Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rihanna, and Shonda Rhimes.

These 100 female founders have identified solutions to difficult problems and created valuable, industry-changing companies out of them. We congratulate this years list on their achievements and look forward to their continued success, says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk.

To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/female-founders

After launching in 2018, the Female Founders 100 list is one of Inc.s most esteemed franchises. Inc. magazines Female Founders 100 issue (October 2022) will be available online on September 28 at https://www.inc.com/magazine and on newsstands on October 4.

Join the Female Founders 100 conversation using #FemaleFounders.

About Inc.

The worlds 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 among 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 is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.

About on the go GLAM

On the go GLAM is an on-demand platform that delivers beauty services to men and women in the comfort of their home, office, or hotel. From a blowout to facial grooming to a manicure, our GLAM Pros can deliver convenience right at your fingertips. The company currently has operations in Texas including: Houston, Austin, and Dallas, with plans to expand to other cities nationwide and globally in the near future. To learn more, visit http://www.onthegoglam.com or follow them on Instagram at: @otgglam. For press inquiries, contact: pr@joymhutton.com.
Guerrero, a minority-owned, privately held, executive advancement company at the intersection of media, professional networks, and talent acquisition, today announced the official launch of Guerrero Search, a retained executive recruitment service focused on helping companies diversify their leadership ranks.

The demand for diversity at all levels of corporate America has never been greater, yet the needle hasnt moved much, and companies across all industries still complain about not being able to find qualified diverse talent. Guerrero, which has been connecting with mid- to senior-level leaders in the Fortune 1000 since 2006 through its media, is here to change that with the launch of Guerrero Search.

Guerrero Search now offers the following services:



Retained search services to aid in diversifying senior and board-level leadership ranks

Content and branding services to help organizations attract diverse leadership

Custom research solutions to help organizations better understand the unique challenges and opportunities around recruiting and retaining diverse talent

Guerrero was launched 16 years ago with the mission of highlighting diverse leadership across the US. We were telling the stories of diverse executives long before diversity became a buzzword that quickly evolved into a must for organizations, said Pedro A. Guerrero, Managing Partner of Guerrero Search and Founder and CEO of Guerrero.

Through our various brands and professional communities, weve built a tremendous network of engaged executives who share our desire for a more equitable workplace. Were a fresh start for talent leaders who are looking for search partners with diverse networks. Were here to help companies who are serious about recruiting and retaining diverse talent and have been underserved by firms whose networks do not reflect the changing landscape in this country. Not only can Guerrero Search help identify that diverse talent, but through our data-driven research we can also help companies address their diversity recruiting pain points and gain a better understanding of what it truly means to be an inclusive organization.

For more information, visit https://guerrerosearch.com/.

For media inquiries, please reach out to Cristina Merrill at cristina@guerreromedia.com.

About Guerrero Founded in 2006, Guerrero is a minority-owned, privately held, executive advancement company at the intersection of media, professional networks, and executive search, with a specialization in the Latino professional marketplace and corporate DEI initiatives. For more information about Guerrero, visit https://guerrero.co/.

About Guerrero Search

Guerrero Search is a retained search firm that helps companies find, engage, and place qualified talent for cross-industry leadership positions. To learn more about our Executive Search offering, visit https://guerrerosearch.com.
Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (TSE Prime: 3774), one of Japan's leading Internet access and comprehensive network solutions providers, announced to add a new remote browser isolation function, "Browser Isolation" to the zero-trust network access (ZTNA) (*) service, "Safous", which is mainly available for users in the U.S and Asia and will be available starting today.

The Safous platform is a zero-trust remote access service that provides application-level control over corporate applications and external software as a service (SaaS) access from a remote environment. This optional Browser Isolation function is Safous' proprietary, sandbox-based virtual browser that allows users to access applications and SaaS virtually, eliminating browser-based threats and providing more secure access.

"Kasm Technologies is honored to provide Kasm Workspaces remote browser isolation, our web-native secure remote access and DevOps-enabled container streaming technology, to Safous Browser Isolation function. Browser Isolation is an industry-leading, cost-effective, and secure browser-based remote access solution, stated Justin Travis, Co-founder and CEO of Kasm Technologies.

ZTNA is a zero-trust solution that provides seamless and secure remote access to internal applications. Instead of authenticating at the boundaries of the enterprise network, authentication is performed through a trusted broker system each time an application is accessed.

More companies have started using SaaS in recent years, including powerhouses like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, due to the popularization of hybrid work. Unfortunately, these cloud-based systems are critical targets for attackers. In several reported cases, company networks are infected with malware and ransomware through a remote environment, causing a data breach and the suspension of business operations.

Because the browser and network on the terminal side are not secure in remote environments  and are potentially infected with malware already  the need to access internal data from remote environments securely has become a more urgent issue for companies. To solve this problem, Browser Isolation protects the terminal from browser-based threats and securely controls file manipulation when users access SaaS or corporate applications from a remote environment.

One of the benefits of utilizing virtual browsers is that they defend corporate networks from risky websites. Browser Isolation provides a virtual browser that allows users to access business applications and external SaaS applications securely  even if their PCs are vulnerable. This function also prohibits users from downloading and executing malicious files that come from email, eliminating the threat of intrusion through the internet. Website content is streamed to user browsers, allowing them to access any web application safely.

Companies also benefit from enhanced protection of sensitive data with the Browser Isolation function. Browser Isolation allows individual users to control file uploads and downloads centrally, and sensitive data is accessed through the virtual browser to prevent data breaches. Additionally, downloaded data and access history are deleted at the end of each session to ensure security.

With the release of Browser Isolation, Safous is introducing a new Advanced'' pricing tier. This tier includes everything the Standard and Standard Plus packages offers, including multi-factor authentication, external account linkage, flexible policy settings, and more  plus, Safous new, advanced Browser Isolation function. For more information about pricing and the features included in each tier, please visit https://www.safous.com/pricing.

About IIJ

Founded in 1992, IIJ is one of Japan's leading Internet-access and comprehensive network solutions providers. IIJ and its group companies provide total network solutions that mainly cater to high-end corporate customers. IIJ's services include high-quality Internet connectivity services, system integration, cloud computing services, security services and mobile services. Moreover, IIJ has built one of the largest Internet backbone networks in Japan that is connected to the United States, the United Kingdom and Asia. IIJ was listed on the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2022. For more information about IIJ, visit the official website: https://www.iij.ad.jp/en/.

The statements within this release contain forward-looking statements about our future plans that involve risk and uncertainty. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results.

For inquiries, contact:

IIJ Corporate Communications

Tel: +81-3-5205-6310 E-mail: press@iij.ad.jp

https://www.iij.ad.jp/en/

*All company, product and service names used in this press release are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners

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Women of WISPA (WoW), a group dedicated to the advancement of women in the telecommunications industry, will hold their largest gathering yet at this years WISPAPALOOZA conference in Las Vegas.

The group are expecting more than 100 attendees at the Women of WISPA breakfast, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 a.m. in Bronze Room 3 at the Ballys hotel.

Founded in 2021 by Alison Vreeswyk of Preseem, Susan Myers of Eastern Carolina Broadband, and Georgette Lopez-Aguado of Sonar Software, WoW will also be spearheading Pink Day at the conference in support of breast cancer awareness.

The group will be raising funds throughout the event for METAvivor, a nonprofit organization dedicated to Metastatic breast cancer research, support, and awareness.

Our hope is that Women of WISPA will serve as a group that encourages and supports women involved in the ISP world, said Vreeswyk. Were thrilled to see WoW growing so quickly and were honored to use our platform to raise funds for such a worthy cause.

The group held a similar session at the WISPAMERICA event in New Orleans earlier this year. That event drew over 60 attendees who gathered to show their support for women working in the traditionally male-dominated WISP industry. WISPA said theyre excited to welcome even more registrants in Las Vegas.

Women-owned WISPs and women in general play an important and growing role for WISPs and their dedicated service to their local communities, said Jennifer Lisaius, Member Relations Specialist for WISPA. WISPA is proud to host WoW, which we hope will boost female participation throughout our vibrant ecosystem and help contribute more to our tremendous industry and the customers we serve.

About Women of WISPA and WISPAPALOOZA

WoW is open to all members of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) who seek the advancement of women in the telecommunications industry. The groups shared goal is to network, engage, and mentor female members and entrepreneurs in their field. The WoW breakfast at WISPAPALOOZA will be sponsored by Preseem, Sonar Software, and Calix.

WISPAPALOOZA is the largest event on the WISP calendar, with more than 2,000 attendees expected to gather in Las Vegas for four days of networking, seminars, and interactive sessions.

To connect with WoW, follow them on LinkedIn. To make a donation to METAvivor, visit the WoW donation page.
GoNetspeed Senior Leadership Team at the Bangor Office Ribbon Cutting Ceremony! The importance of high speed, reliable Internet access has never been more evident than it is right now, commented GoNetspeed CEO Richard Clark.

GoNetspeed (formerly OTELCO), a high-speed fiber Internet provider, held a ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday at its new office space located at 396 Griffin Road, Suite 110 in Bangor.

GoNetspeed plans to build more than 115 miles of its high-speed Internet network in the Bangor, Brewer, Orono and Old Town areas  passing more than 11,000 homes and businesses. Service will be available in Brewer by early October and construction in Bangor will begin this winter. GoNetspeed expects to grow its 60-member team in Bangor by adding 25 new employees over the next two years.

Residents can visit http://www.gonetspeed.com to see if service is available at their location and to sign up for priority installation when service is available.

The importance of high speed, reliable Internet access has never been more evident than it is right now, commented GoNetspeed CEO Richard Clark. With its symmetrical upload and download speeds, fiber is uniquely positioned to facilitate things like remote work, distance learning, and telemedicine. Its simply the fastest, most reliable option available today and were excited to bring it to Bangor and Brewer and to employ area residents at our growing Bangor office.

GoNetspeed is investing in FTTP (Fiber to the Premises) infrastructure in communities across the state, and service is already available in portions of Gorham, Windham, Westbrook, Biddeford, Saco, Gray, New Gloucester, Scarborough, Falmouth, Yarmouth, and Cumberland.

What is Fiber Internet?

Fiber Internet offers symmetrical speeds, meaning that both download and upload are equally fast. The connectivity challenges that people experience with using video conferencing associated with telecommuting, on-line learning and telemedicine have emphasized the importance of fast upload speeds. GoNetspeed offers the fastest residential Internet speeds available, ranging from 250 Mbps to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps). For businesses, GoNetspeed can customize speeds beyond Gigabit capability if necessary.

About GoNetspeed

GoNetspeed, a high-speed fiber internet provider serving residential and business customers in Maine, Alabama, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and West Virginia, announced in January 2021 that it has formed a new partnership with Oak Hill Capital (Oak Hill) which will allow GoNetspeed to accelerate the expansion of its fiber network throughout the Northeastern U.S.

With a legacy of innovation and a commitment to unparalleled customer service, we are excited to accelerate the expansion of fiber networks throughout 9 different states. We will deliver more fiber, more access, more speed, and better reliability across our footprint. We are GoNetspeed  Connecting Communities one neighborhood at a time.

Adding thousands of new locations every year, GoNetspeed is one of the largest independent Internet providers in the east. For more information on the company, or to inquire about service in your residence, business or community, please visit https://gonetspeed.com.

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Media Contact:

Marnie Grumbach, marnie@fluentimc.com, 207.749.9666
A unique internship was created in 2020 and is now returning for fall 2022 between the Department of Mass Media Arts at Clark Atlanta University, automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM), and the Black Automotive Media Group (BAMG).

Dubbed The Driving Force (TDF), the 10-week internship is designed for students interested in covering the automobile industry; and incorporates instruction in editorial content, video content production, and social media outreach, augmented by GM executive presentations.

TDF evolved following discussions between automakers and the Black Automotive Media Group (BAMG) related to increased diversity, equity and inclusion for Black media in the automotive sphere. These efforts have created additional opportunities to help prepare the next generation of automotive media professionals.

TDF is led by respected automotive media experts Kimatni D. Rawlins, BAMG founder and publisher of Automotive Rhythms Communications; Greg Morrison of Bumper2Bumpertv; and other key journalists and publishers including Marcus Amick and Teia B. Collier.

The goal of TDF is to extend educational opportunities to HBCU students who may not be aware of the myriad media paths in automotive communications, said Rawlins. My automotive journalism career began with an internship with a major auto manufacturer, so I am thankful for the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience, and the experiences of fellow BAMG members with Clark Atlanta interns.

Supported by General Motors, the TDF internship, kicking off September 28th, is designed to highlight career opportunities as journalists, videographers, photographers, publicists, marketers, and digital and social media pundits covering the auto industry. Participants will showcase their work on various platforms at the end of the internship, and will also liaise with GM communications executives, designers, and product planners through a series of presentations and interviews.

We are excited to enter into a second year of partnership with BAMG to support the amazing students of Clark Atlanta University, said Michelle Malcho, vice president Product and Brand Communications, General Motors. We look forward to learning together and helping to prepare them for exciting careers in communications and journalism.

TDFs mission parallels that of the Department of Mass Media Arts at Clark Atlanta University, which provides students with rigorous academic and professional training, complemented by a strong liberal arts education.

"We continue to move with momentum to ensure our scholars at Clark Atlanta University have access to a world-class education and that mission includes offering initiatives that focus on technology and enhancing their analytical thinking skills," said Clark Atlanta University president, George T. French, Jr., Ph.D. "We want our students to exercise their creativity, be competitive in the world of technology and be included in the technology career pipeline. Initiatives such as this bring them one step closer to that goal."

Clark Atlanta student, Joshua Paul Williams was a participant in the inaugural TDF session. The business experience I inherited from participating in The Driving Force Multimedia Internship was far more than I could have imagined, said Williams. The program focused on individually developing each students communications and networking skills which has given me lifelong connections, practical lessons, and an expanded perspective.

# # #

About General Motors

General Motors is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which powers everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet,Buick,GMC,Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at https://www.gm.com.

About Clark Atlanta University

Established in 1988 by the historic consolidation of Atlanta University (1865) and Clark College (1869), Clark Atlanta University continues a 152-year legacy rooted in African-American tradition and focused on the future. Through global innovation, transformative educational experiences, and high-value engagement, CAU cultivates lifted lives that transform the world. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University, visit http://www.cau.edu.

About the Black Automotive Media Group

The BAMG is a distinguished group of Black reporters, publishers, writers, and entrepreneurs representing over 100 years of combined experience in automotive journalism within radio, television, print, experiential marketing, and social media. BAMG members either work for or own various automotive media platforms targeting diverse audiences. BAMGs primary objective is to bring equity and equality to Black professionals who work in and around the automotive industry. For additional details regarding The Driving Force HBCU internship program, please visit AutomotiveRhythms.com.
Steve Heckler, Accelebrates president, commented We are honored to partner with AWS to teach AWS Cloud Practitioners, Architects, Developers, DevOps Engineers, and others how to take full advantage of the worlds most powerful cloud computing platform.

Accelebrate Joins AWS Training Partner Program to Deliver AWS Cloud Skills Training to IT Professionals online and at client sites.

On August 30, 2022, Accelebrate, an IT training firm offering customized, private technical training, announced it has been approved by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to deliver online and on-site authorized AWS Training to learners at companies, government agencies, and other organizations. Accelebrate has joined the AWS Training Partner Program, which will enable Accelebrates AWS Authorized Instructors to deliver training developed by AWS.

As cloud technologies continue to help organizations transform their businesses at a rapid pace, employees with the necessary cloud skills are in high demand. Research shows that 85% of organizations report deficits in cloud expertise (451 Research, Voice of the Enterprise (VotE): Cloud, Hosting & Managed Services, Organizational Dynamics 2020, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence). The AWS Training Partner Program is designed for organizations like Accelebrate that meet or exceed rigorous criteria for delivering or offering high-quality technical training experiences. Accelebrate delivers AWS Training that enables IT professionals and businesses to leverage the power of the AWS Cloud for computing, data storage, and data science.

As an AWS Training Partner, Accelebrate delivers AWS training for all levels and roles, taught by expert instructors at your offices or online. Accelebrate prides itself on tailoring training to the needs of your learners and organization. This includes conducting an AWS Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) to assess the teams skills, identify gaps, and recommend training to close those gaps.

Accelebrates official AWS Classroom Training courses are taught by AWS Authorized Instructors with deep experience who help organizations to grow their AWS skill sets and prepare their staffs to pass the AWS certification exams. Accelebrate offers courses covering AWS Cloud Practitioner, Architect, Developer, Operations, Security, and Data Analysis and Machine Learning.

AWS Training is developed and maintained by AWS experts, ensuring the content reflects current best practices. AWS Classroom Training gives learners the opportunity to engage live and get questions answered by an expert instructor. Many courses also include hands-on labs, which allow learners to practice real-world scenarios in a sandbox environment. Training also helps prepare learners for AWS Certification exams, which validate technical skills and expertise with an industry-recognized credential.

Steve Heckler, Accelebrates president, commented We are honored to partner with AWS to teach AWS Cloud Practitioners, Architects, Developers, DevOps Engineers, and others how to take full advantage of the worlds most powerful cloud computing platform. We are especially looking forward to supporting our data science training clients as they shift their workloads to the cloud and take advantage of native features unique to the AWS platform.

Accelebrate also offers AWS Certification vouchers bundled with AWS Training courses to make it easier for customers looking to validate cloud skills.

Organizations need individuals with cloud skills to help transform their business, and there is a growing demand for IT professionals with AWS Cloud skills. AWS Training and Certification, along with our AWS Training Partners like Accelebrate, aims to equip the builders of today and tomorrow with the knowledge they need to leverage the power of the AWS Cloud. AWS Training, designed by the experts at AWS, teaches in-demand cloud skills and best practices, and helps learners prepare for AWS Certification exams so they can advance their careers and transform their organizations.

As cloud technologies continue to help organizations transform their businesses at a rapid pace, employees with the necessary cloud skills are in high demand. The AWS Training Partner Program is designed for organizations like Accelebrate that meet or exceed rigorous criteria for delivering or offering high-quality technical training experiences. As part of the program, Accelebrate delivers AWS Training to enable IT professionals and businesses to leverage the power of the AWS Cloud.

Maureen Lonergan, Director, AWS Training and Certification

About Accelebrate

In 2002, Steve Heckler founded Accelebrate with one laptop and himself as the sole instructor. In the following 20 years, Accelebrate has grown to consistently deliver more than 1,000 days/year of private training for over 15,000 employees, with classes delivered in-person and online for attendees from every US state, every Canadian province, and more than 30 countries.

Media Contact:

Website: http://www.accelebrate.com

Email: info@accelebrate.com

Phone from US and Canada: tel:8778491850

Phone worldwide: tel:16786483113

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accelebrate

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/accelebrate/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/accelebrate

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/accelebrateinc
Cant say enough good things about these guys. The team was on time, professional, courteous, and efficient

Serenity Movers have been operating in the NYC market for over 16 years. They navigated the challenges of operating during a pandemic. That makes Serenity one of the most experienced local moving companies, ready for any moving challenge. The Westchester community has trusted Serenity Movers to assist in moving homes, offices, and even mansions for years. Many positive customer reviews speak volumes about their success.

Serenity is skilled enough to move entire family homes or smaller single-person dwellings to or from the Westchester area. Theres something for everyone in Westchester! From the busy cities like Yonkers and White Plains to the upscale suburbs like New Rochelle and Scarsdale. Westchester offers everything from city living to elegant suburbs to rural getaways. Bordering on NYC, its close enough that you can easily take advantage of all the city has to offer, while enjoying a more relaxed suburban atmosphere.

Westchester is a community rich in diversity, culture, family, and opportunity. The County is home to some of the best schools in the country, which makes this a very desirable area for young families to start their first home. Moving an entire family has many moving parts that contribute to the stress of this experience. Serenity is able to project manage the entire moving process, so you and your family can focus on settling into your new Westchester home.

The Westchester area also boasts headquarters for companies like Pepsico and IBM. They attract large groups of professionals looking to climb up the corporate ladder. A common misconception is that moving companies only cater to larger moving projects, like family homes and offices. No matter how small or big your move is, Serenity has a service for you. So if you are a single professional moving to Westchester for a job opportunity, they can definitely help you with this transition.

If you are moving to a smaller home in Westchester, then a storage solution could be a massive help to you. Selling off items can often be a stressful task, and sometimes this can feel like you are taking a step back. Stop annoying your family and friends to store your furniture! Serenity has a range of storage solutions for you ranging from 200 to 900 cubic square feet. So, if your new home or office is shy of space, contact Serenity Movers to store your personal belongings or business assets.

Simply transporting your belongings is only part of the service offered by Serenity. The unpacking service is an added stress release for busy professionals and families settling into their new spaces. Often once a move is complete, boxes can be found strewn across your home or office. Avoid having boxes sitting around for months, and let Serenity Movers handle all your moving concerns.

Serenity Movers is an award-winning company, receiving accolades from Yelp and Home Advisor. These awards are thanks to the excellent reviews received from our clients. Carolin D. White from White Plains New York says, Cant say enough good things about these guys. The team was on time, professional, courteous, and efficient. Jennifer M. Mount Vernon, NY had this to say, Serenity Movers were professional and super-helpful at every stage of the process the guys showed up on time, were very friendly and focused on getting the job done.

Located in the lower Hudson Valley, Westchester is also just a short drive away from New England. But Westchester county has plenty of attractions of its own! Visit historic Sleepy Hollow or tour the Rockefeller Mansion, and go boating, or fishing on Long Island Sound. Check out area museums like Yonkers Hudson River Museum, or go hiking in Bear Mountain or Hudson Highlands state parks. Visit a craft brewery in Elmsford. Enjoy a farm-to-table eatery in Chappaqua. Take in a show at the legendary Capitol Theater. Or, enjoy the latest exhibits at the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase. We think youll love all that Westchester has to offer. But don't forget to call Serenity Movers - your local Westchester moving company today!
Jackie Gorman (left) & Courtney Pogue (right) The addition of Ms. Gorman and Mr. Pogue will support NDCs expansion of the program to more communities across the U.S. that seek to expand wealth building opportunities to more diverse developers.

Two leading professionals in the field of economic and community development have been named to lead The National Development Councils (NDC) innovative Supporting Empowered Emerging Developers (SEED) Academy, a high-impact, intensive training and technical assistance program for start-up BIPOC and woman real estate developers. Courtney Pogue has joined NDC from the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (TN) where he was Director of Economic Development. Jackie Gorman has come to NDC from her role as CEO and Managing Partner of Ivy Consulting, a firm that provides a variety of services to government agencies, institutions of higher education and non-profits. They will serve as Senior Directors of SEED.

NDCs SEED Academy, launched in 2012, has grown over the past decade into a program that partners with communities to provide emerging developers with training and technical assistance on the full range of subjects that a developer must know and understand to successfully enter the field. In-person, live-remote and self-guided training addresses the stages and steps of the development process and development finance. SEED Academy panel discussions bring local architects, lenders, tax credit investors, zoning officials and successful developers together to share their experience and advice with the SEED Academy participants.

Each SEED Academy ends with a capstone presentation by the Developers on their project to lenders, community leaders, and other real estate decision-makers to gain feedback and support. SEED Academy participants reconvene periodically to enhance their technical skills and knowledge, to share success stories, and to collectively identify barriers to BIPOC and woman-led developers in their communities.

Participants in SEED academies delivered by NDC, and its partners have already met with success in Detroit, Omaha, Tulsa and Seattle. The addition of Ms. Gorman and Mr. Pogue will support NDCs expansion of the program to more communities across the U.S. that seek to expand wealth building opportunities to more diverse developers and to meet affordable housing, and other neighborhood and community development goals in communities of color and low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.

This developer-focused program is built upon NDCs more than 50 years of experience as the leading (and first) provider of training specifically designed for professionals in economic and housing development. Since its inception in 1970, more than 80,000 professionals in both public and nonprofit economic, housing and community development have been trained through NDC courses to advance their communities, their organizations, and their careers.

Ms. Gorman, in addition to her work at Ivy Consulting, was also a Senior Partner with Allen Austin, an executive search firm where she led the DEI and Higher Education/Non-Profit practices. She spent several years as the CEO of San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside (SAGE), a community development organization that promotes the economic and cultural vitality of San Antonios Eastside. Prior to that she led accredited post-secondary training programs and small and minority business assistance for the Texas Engineering Extension Service. Ms. Gorman is a service-disabled veteran who served as a Military Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army.

Mr. Pogue, before his service for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, held similar positions as Director of Economic Development for the City of Dallas, TX, Clayton County, GA and for Cook County, IL. This public service followed 15 years of experience in corporate and investment banking, commercial real estate finance, and real estate advisory experience. Mr. Pogue was honored by Consultant Connect in 2020 and 2022, who named him one of North Americas Top 50 Economic Development Directors.
Mployer Advisor announces the 2022 winners of the "Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards" for Louisiana. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback.

September 28, 2022  Mployer Advisor, the leading independent platform for employers to research, review, and evaluate insurance brokers is pleased to announce the winners of its Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards based in Louisiana. Mployer Advisor has named more than 600 winners in over 50 regions as part of its second annual 2022 awards. The class of 2022 winners account for less than 5% of all brokerages nationwide.

Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards Program evaluates brokerages based on the breadth and depth of their experience across employer industries, sizes, insurance products, and employer reviews. We recognize esteemed brokers that demonstrate market-leading competencies and a proven track record of success among employers, insurance providers, and peers.

The team at Mployer Advisor is proud to honor this group of top insurance consultants as part of the 2022 class for our second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, said Brian Freeman, the Founder and CEO of Mployer Advisor. Employer-sponsored healthcare and benefits cover over 150M Americans. Who an employer selects as their benefits advisor has more impact on cost and quality than who they choose as the insurance carrier. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback.

Mployer Advisor determined the winners of the second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards by analyzing each brokerage based on historical data, online reviews, their M Score rating, and demonstrated business experience.

The Louisiana job markets are among the most competitive in the U.S. Southwest, employing over 2 million people. Offering competitive employee benefits is a critical factor in hiring top talent for the regions employers. Finding and partnering with a highly rated insurance consultant is imperative to retaining talent in any market.

The recipients of the 2022 Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards for Louisiana are as follows:

The above winners are a snapshot of Mployer Advisors matrices and proprietary M Score on June 1, 2022. To view a full list of consultants in Louisiana, visit MployerAdvisor.com.

To view a complete list of the 2022 recipients of Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, visit https://mployeradvisor.com/best-insurance-brokers.

About Mployer Advisor:

Mployer Advisor is changing the way employers search, evaluate, and select insurance advisors. The intuitive platform connects employers and employees to great benefits and insurance plans by providing employers with actionable data to easily evaluate and select the best advisor for a companys specific needs. Most brokerages have a profile on Mployer Advisor, which provides independent ratings of insurance advisors to support employers. Insurance brokers cannot pay to influence their Mployer Advisor rating. Only highly rated brokerages are allowed to advertise on the platform. To learn more about Mployer Advisor, visit https://mployeradvisor.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Disclaimer: Rankings are dynamic, and this report may not reflect the rankings currently listed on Mployer Advisors website. Because Mployer Advisors research is ongoing, interested companies that want to join next years list are encouraged to claim their free profile on Mployer Advisor.

Media Contact:

Abbey Dean (Director of Content)

Abbey.dean@mployeradvisor.com

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Frank And Oak and GoBolt Pave the Way for Carbon-Neutral Logistics in the Fashion Industry Frank And Oak and Unified Commerce Group have a commitment to sustainability, innovation, and superior customer experience, said Dustin Jones, CEO of Frank And Oak. GoBolt is a purpose-driven company with global potential, and we look forward to working together to inspire our industry.

Frank And Oak, a Montreal-based sustainable fashion brand, and GoBolt, a Toronto-based technology company building the first sustainable and vertically integrated supply chain network, today announced they have formed a strategic partnership to offer carbon-neutral same-day and next-day deliveries, beginning with Canadian shoppers. In the initial phase, Frank And Oaks customers in major markets will have their packages delivered by GoBolts electric vehicles (EV) or, when an EV is not possible, carbon offsets will be calculated and purchased. As GoBolt rolls out its full fleet by the end of 2023, all deliveries in GoBolts Canadian and U.S. markets will be made by electric vehicles.

At the core of our philosophy at Frank And Oak and Unified Commerce Group is a commitment to sustainability, innovation, and superior customer experience, said Dustin Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Frank And Oak. Once we met Mark Ang and his team at GoBolt, we knew we had found a partner with shared values and with whom we can innovate together. Like Frank And Oak, GoBolt is a purpose-driven Canadian company with global potential, and we look forward to working together to inspire our industry, to delight our customers while having a positive impact on the planet.

The move to a warehousing network positioned closer to customers to reduce travel distance, and a carbon-neutral delivery solution aligns with Frank And Oaks environmental commitments. It also coincides with the companys long-term objectives including removing virgin plastic from its supply chain, implementing more carbon offset programs, and continuing to practice a zero-waste policy among their teams and in their facilities.

Responsible leadership calls for considering how the decisions we make today will impact the environment tomorrow, said Mark Ang, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of GoBolt. Frank And Oak is an incredible brand as sustainability is not just an afterthought, its at the core of how they operate and create products. With this partnership, we can do even more to demonstrate that sustainability and an intelligent logistics system can be a competitive advantage and beneficial to the environment at the same time.

Frank And Oak was founded in Montreal in 2012 with a mission to create an apparel brand that would speak to a new generation of creatives and entrepreneurs. The company has since blossomed into one of Canadas leading lifestyle brands and omni retailers, becoming a Certified B Corp in 2019 for meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This partnership also marks the beginning of a joint relationship with Unified Commerce Group (UCG), the parent company of Frank And Oak, and GoBolt. UCG is building a portfolio of purpose-driven Canadian and American apparel brands, equipping them with resources in customer data, technology, and partnerships, to scale for the next generation of omnichannel retail. Building out a carbon neutral logistics solution is key to this vision.

Founded in Toronto in 2017, GoBolt has made a name for itself as one of the most innovative fulfillment and last-mile delivery providers in Canada and the United States. Today, GoBolt offers a simplified, customer-centric, and sustainable approach to logistics  with a warehouse network that spans 10 key markets, with more expected in 2023. By building a fully electric fleet, implementing advanced technology for smarter, more efficient delivery routes, and optimizing operations for a circular supply chain, GoBolt will be going beyond carbon neutral deliveries with its mandate to offer carbon negative deliveries by the end of 2023.

This ambitious goal is another point of alignment for Frank And Oak and GoBolt. The companies are not just committed to reducing environmental harm but rather on leaving the planet better than they found it.

To learn more about Frank And Oak, and the companys other sustainability goals, please visit frankandoak.com. For more information on sustainable logistics and how to electrify last-mile deliveries, please visit gobolt.com.

About Frank And Oak

Combining style, design and technology since it was founded in Montreal in 2012, Frank And Oak offers collections of durable clothing and accessories for men and women that are thoughtfully designed and well suited to the lifestyles of its customers. Present on the web and in 15 boutiques across Canada, 2 in the United States and 1 in China, the brand provides a personalized experience to hundreds of thousands of members, surpassing its role as a retailer to reinvent the customer experience. Inspired by responsible thinking and with an eye to the future, Frank And Oak believes that dressing with intention can inspire a more conscious lifestyle for all.

About GoBolt

Founded in 2017, GoBolt is a technology company building the first sustainable and vertically integrated supply chain network that partners with merchants to deliver a complete end-to-end customer experience. By operating as an extension of each merchant's team, GoBolt provides reliable warehousing, pick and pack, shipping, and last-mile delivery. With a growing network of warehouses across North America and a suite of proprietary apps designed and supported by an in-house engineering team, GoBolt unlocks enhanced transparency and control for merchants. The companys focus on customer-centricity is further driven by a deep commitment to sustainability. GoBolts investment in its electric vehicle fleet is a testament to the company's mission provide carbon negative deliveries by the end of 2023. For more information, visit gobolt.com.

About Unified Commerce Group

Unified Commerce Group (UCG) is a platform for the next generation of retail brands. Co-founded by Dustin Jones and Greg Freihofner, their mission is to unlock growth opportunities for high-potential retail brands through expansion into new markets and customer-centric omni-channel capabilities. Powered by a proprietary tech and data management engine, UCG offers new and established brands a platform to achieve scale by implementing best-in-class store and digital operations, accessing new global markets, and tapping into a world-class partner network. For more information, please visit http://www.unifiedcommercegroup.comUnifiedCommerceGroup.com.
Mployer Advisor announces the 2022 winners of the "Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards" for Colorado. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback.

September 28, 2022  Mployer Advisor, the leading independent platform for employers to research, review, and evaluate insurance brokers is pleased to announce the winners of its Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards based in Colorado. Mployer Advisor has named more than 600 winners in over 50 regions as part of its second annual 2022 awards. The class of 2022 winners account for less than 5% of all brokerages nationwide.

Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards Program evaluates brokerages based on the breadth and depth of their experience across employer industries, sizes, insurance products, and employer reviews. We recognize esteemed brokers that demonstrate market-leading competencies and a proven track record of success among employers, insurance providers, and peers.

The team at Mployer Advisor is proud to honor this group of top insurance consultants as part of the 2022 class for our second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, said Brian Freeman, the Founder and CEO of Mployer Advisor. Employer-sponsored healthcare and benefits cover over 150M Americans. Who an employer selects as their benefits advisor has more impact on cost and quality than who they choose as the insurance carrier. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback.

Mployer Advisor determined the winners of the second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards by analyzing each brokerage based on historical data, online reviews, their M Score rating, and demonstrated business experience.

The Colorado job markets are among the most competitive in the U.S. Mountain-Plains region, employing over 3.1 million people. Offering competitive employee benefits is a critical factor in hiring top talent for the regions employers. Finding and partnering with a highly rated insurance consultant is imperative to retaining talent in any market.

The recipients of the 2022 Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards for Colorado are as follows:



The above winners are a snapshot of Mployer Advisors matrices and proprietary M Score on June 1, 2022. To view a full list of consultants in Colorado, visit MployerAdvisor.com.

To view a complete list of the 2022 recipients of Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, visit https://mployeradvisor.com/best-insurance-brokers.

About Mployer Advisor:

Mployer Advisor is changing the way employers search, evaluate, and select insurance advisors. The intuitive platform connects employers and employees to great benefits and insurance plans by providing employers with actionable data to easily evaluate and select the best advisor for a companys specific needs. Most brokerages have a profile on Mployer Advisor, which provides independent ratings of insurance advisors to support employers. Insurance brokers cannot pay to influence their Mployer Advisor rating. Only highly rated brokerages are allowed to advertise on the platform. To learn more about Mployer Advisor, visit https://mployeradvisor.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Disclaimer: Rankings are dynamic, and this report may not reflect the rankings currently listed on Mployer Advisors website. Because Mployer Advisors research is ongoing, interested companies that want to join next years list are encouraged to claim their free profile on Mployer Advisor.

Media Contact:

Abbey Dean (Director of Content)

Abbey.dean@mployeradvisor.com

###
Today, being an honoree of this prestigious publication shows us that we are on our way to making history.

Inc. today announced its fifth annual Female Founders 100 list, honoring a bold group of 100 women whose innovations and ideas are shaping the world into a better place. Collectively, the 2022 honorees companies are estimated to be worth more than $22 billion.

The founders cross all industries and bring with them unique stories of success from each stage of the entrepreneurial journey  from startup to going public, being acquired by big buyers, or spending decades at the helm of an organization. They are reinventing everything from shoes to food and are challenging issues like financial literacy and reproductive health.

Im incredibly honored to receive such recognition. When we started ROYBI, we aimed to impact childrens lives by improving their learning experience through artificial intelligence. Today, being an honoree of this prestigious publication shows us that we are on our way to making history, said Elnaz Sarraf, Founder and CEO of ROYBI INC, Id like to thank our amazing team at ROYBI, customers, investors, and partners for their continued support.

Each year, Inc. editors review thousands of applications highlighting female founders who are challenging the status quo and tackling some of the worlds biggest problems. The list features women who have overcome challenges and lifted those around them while leading impactful organizations across the country. They join the ranks of previous honorees, including Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rihanna, and Shonda Rhimes.

These 100 female founders have identified solutions to difficult problems and created valuable, industry-changing companies out of them. We congratulate this years list on their achievements and look forward to their continued success, says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk.

To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/female-founders

After launching in 2018, the Female Founders 100 list is one of Inc.s most esteemed franchises. Inc. magazines Female Founders 100 issue (October 2022) will be available online on September 28 at https://www.inc.com/magazine and on newsstands on October 4.

Join the Female Founders 100 conversation using #FemaleFounders.

About ROYBI INC

ROYBI is the creator of ROYBI Robot, TIME Magazines Best Inventions in Education. ROYBI Robot is an AI-powered educational robot for children 3+ in language learning & basic STEM. ROYBI guides a childs linguistic development beyond traditional pedagogies, facilitating collaboration between home and school contexts. ROYBIs mission is to provide a personalized learning experience for every child, highlighting their unique abilities and interests. ROYBI creates a robust educational foundation for children during early childhood, putting them on track for a successful future.

For partnership inquiries, contact partnership@roybirobot.com

PR Contact:

Ruby Santiago

marketing@roybirobot.com

+1-415-715-9394

About Inc.

The worlds 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 various 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 among 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 is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.
Chinese envoy calls for engagement with Afghan Taliban

Xinhua) 15:07, September 28, 2022

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called on the international community to engage with Afghanistan's Taliban.

"The international community should remain engaged with the Afghan interim government in a pragmatic manner, carry out positive interactions, provide patient guidance, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and help the Afghan interim government build inclusive and moderate governance," said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

It is not constructive to keep accusing or pressuring the Afghan interim government or even to instrumentalize the issue of travel ban exemptions as a bargaining chip for negotiations. Such a move will only make the door to dialogue narrower and deepen confrontation and divergences, he told a Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.

The past 20 years have once again proved that military intervention and external models simply do not work and that the future of Afghanistan can only be decided by the Afghan people themselves. The international community should fully draw lessons from the past 20 years, and not just pay lip service to the phrase "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned," but should put it into practice, he said.

The international community should make it a top priority to help Afghanistan alleviate its humanitarian crisis and stabilize the economy, and should not politicize humanitarian and economic issues, nor link humanitarian aid and economic development with other political issues, said Geng, adding Afghanistan's frozen overseas assets should be used expeditiously for the improvement of Afghans' life and economic reconstruction.

The security, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, and refugee issues facing the country are intertwined, and require a comprehensive approach to find solutions at the root, he said.

"We hope that the Afghan Taliban will genuinely fulfill their commitments, completely cut off their ties with all terrorist groups, and work together with the international community to resolutely combat the Islamic State, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and other terrorist groups, so as to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a hub for terrorism again," said Geng.

In the long run, all parties need to help Afghanistan restore its domestic market, integrate into regional cooperation and connectivity, thoroughly eradicate the root causes of unrest, and embark on the path to lasting peace and development, he said.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Bianji)
Pacvue is an enterprise-grade marketplace advertising, sales and intelligence suite Its a huge honor to receive such prestigious recognition from Inc. as a female founder and entrepreneur, said Burdick.

Pacvue, an enterprise-grade marketplace advertising, sales and intelligence suite, today announced that its Co-Founder and President Melissa Burdick was named to Inc.s fifth annual Female Founders 100 list, honoring a bold group of 100 women whose innovations and ideas are shaping the world into a better place. Collectively, the 2022 honorees companies are estimated to be worth more than $22 billion.

The founders cross all industries and bring with them unique stories of success from each stage of the entrepreneurial journey  from startup to going public, being acquired by big buyers, or spending decades at the helm of an organization. They are reinventing everything from shoes to food and are challenging issues like financial literacy and reproductive health.

Its a huge honor to receive such prestigious recognition from Inc. as a female founder and entrepreneur, said Burdick. Pacvue has grown into a leading eCommerce software company since its inception in 2018. This award is a testament not only to my passion and dedication to moving the eCommerce industry forward, but also to all the hard work of my team along the way, building innovative technology that helps brands and retailers worldwide.

Burdick is an expert in designing for online and eCommerce marketing strategies. She co-founded and bootstrapped Pacvue in 2018 and grew it into the leading eCommerce intelligence company, culminating in Pacvues nine-figure acquisition in 2021. Burdick leveraged her deep experience in the industry to hire top talent, consistently launch first-to-market solutions with retailers and build a company culture of constant innovation.

Prior to Pacvue, Burdick was with Amazon for 10 years, where she helped launch the Amazon CPG retail business, building a business from the ground up with an evolving strategy to sell profitably online. She was an early leader of the Amazon Media Group, launching the first vendor display video ad, and developed and grew the Amazon advertising business. She is well known as an eCommerce thought leader, Forbes Business Council member and participates as a speaker at eCommerce conferences and industry podcasts.

Each year, Inc. editors review thousands of applications highlighting female founders who are challenging the status quo and tackling some of the worlds biggest problems. The list features women who have overcome challenges and lifted those around them, while leading impactful organizations across the country. They join the ranks of previous honorees including Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rihanna and Shonda Rhimes.

These 100 female founders have identified solutions to difficult problems and created valuable, industry-changing companies out of them. We congratulate this years list on their achievements and look forward to their continued success, said Inc. Editor-in-Chief Scott Omelianuk.

To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/female-founders

After launching in 2018, the Female Founders 100 list is one of Inc.s most esteemed franchises. Inc. magazines Female Founders 100 issue (October 2022) will be available online on September 28 at https://www.inc.com/magazine and on newsstands on October 4.

Join the Female Founders 100 conversation using #FemaleFounders.

###

About Inc.

The worlds 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 among 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 is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.

About Pacvue

Headquartered in Seattle, Pacvue is the enterprise software suite for eCommerce advertising, sales and intelligence. Combining unified retail analytics with the tools needed to take recommended actions, brands and sellers use Pacvue to grow their business across Amazon, Walmart, Instacart and other marketplaces. Supported by the expertise of eCommerce veterans, Pacvue empowers teams to win in the future of eCommerce. For more information, visit: Website: http://www.Pacvue.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacvue
As we continue to pursue our 5-year vision, we remain committed to a talent strategy that will have the greatest impact on key objectives, employee development and organizational transformation.

NOVUS, the independent media planning and buying agency, is proud to announce three new major employee moves: Montrew Newman has been promoted within the organization to Senior Vice President, Head of Strategy; Paul DeJarnatt has been hired from Digitas as NOVUS new Vice President, Digital; and Chris Aubin has been hired from Starcom as NOVUS new Vice President, Integrated Client Strategy.

A rapidly growing multimedia agency, the news comes as a continued show of strength from the agency, riding on the tail of winning Silver Media Agency of the Year at the Ad Age Small Agency Awards. After becoming the AOR for Lidl Grocery, Thrivent Financial, and Dollar Tree/Family Dollar in 2021, NOVUS has invested in its leadership team  landing two veterans from major industry players, Digitas and Starcom, as well as promoting within their own senior executive team  to help position the company for sustainable, future growth.

Montrew Newman, Senior Vice President, Head of Strategy

Newman was recently promoted to a newly created position of SVP, Head of Strategy. Newman is a 30-year industry veteran and one of the top skilled strategic planning and client service specialists in the business. Her work at NOVUS spans a wide spectrum including as a core contributor and driver in NOVUS new business & RFP assignments in the last 5 years, and a key leader on major multimedia accounts such as Lidl and Thrivent. Newman works to evolve NOVUS' offerings, provide deeper human insights, drive innovative media tactics, and optimize processes for the rapidly growing and scaled organization.

Paul DeJarnatt, Vice President, Digital

Prior to joining NOVUS in September 2022, DeJarnatt was an 18-year veteran of Publicis, starting in Pubicis first digital practice, Starcom IP, and later working across many Publicis Media agencies, most recently Digitas (a full-service digital agency) and Performics (a performance marketing specialist). Paul has worked on and led clients like Lenovo, Victoria's Secret, General Motors, Novartis, Kraft, and Mattel. DeJarnatt helped clients with everything from highly focused performance marketing campaigns to helping clients navigate the media and technology landscape to deliver full omnichannel marketing campaigns that reached consumers throughout their customer journey. DeJarnatt has managed campaigns big and small  from meeting with local dealer groups for General Motors to overseeing the entire global media program for Lenovo. Beyond client-specific work, DeJarnatt led the biddable media capability at Starcom and Performance Solutions at Performics, where he was responsible for developing, scaling, and distributing innovative new products for clients.

Chris Aubin, Vice President, Integrated Client Strategy

Aubin joins NOVUS after 18 years at Starcom Worldwide, where he specialized in local and field-based strategic planning leadership. That included leading regional marketing for Allstate/Esurance, restaurant brands (Applebees, Wingstop, Darden, McDonalds), and specialized retailers (Luxottica, Advance Auto Parts). Most recently, Aubin ran the $300 million Planet Fitness account at Starcom. He additionally served on the Product Acceleration Team, evaluating internal work for awards submissions, and oversaw a long-running Supervisor Success Series program fostering the growth of junior talent.

As we continue to pursue our 5-year vision, we remain committed to a talent strategy that will have the greatest impact on key objectives, employee development and organizational transformation, says Melony Rios, CEO at NOVUS. Added President & CMO Rob Davis, Were thrilled to welcome the new members of our team, Chris and Paul, who bring unparalleled experience and expertise to the agency, and are proud to celebrate the talent growth among NOVUS proven leaders like Montrew.

About NOVUS

NOVUS Media LLC is an independent media agency that uniquely plans and buys media through the lens of geography. They offer hyperlocal, customized, multichannel strategic media planning and buying with specialized multimedia talent, proprietary tools and custom techniques, representing the evolution of a next-gen agency. Focusing on local media of all types TV, OTT, addressable, radio, OOH, digital display, video, mobile and search NOVUS is fueled by marketing science and geospatial analytics to drive superior business results. For more information, go to http://www.novusmedia.com.
Providing necessary medical equipment is crucial to a patient's quality of life. We are excited to join UCare in their efforts to simplify insurance and advocate for Minnesota and western Wisconsin residents," said Asheley Carter, Strategic Partnerships Associate at Aeroflow Healthcare.

Aeroflow Healthcare, a national provider of consumer-driven healthcare products and services, today announced a contract with UCare, an independent, nonprofit health plan providing health coverage and services across Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Aeroflow Healthcare's contract with UCare enables individuals and families to optimize a comprehensive benefits program, including breast pumps, lactation education and support, continuous glucose monitors (CGM), catheters, incontinence supplies such as diapers and briefs, and CPAP machines and accessories. Aeroflow Healthcare offers an expansive suite of products to assist each patient's health journey, including educational support and exceptional customer services. Medical supplies are covered at little to no cost for qualified UCare patients and are delivered straight to the patient's door.

"Providing necessary medical equipment is crucial to a patient's quality of life. We are excited to join UCare in their efforts to simplify insurance and advocate for Minnesota and western Wisconsin residents," said Asheley Carter, Strategic Partnerships Associate at Aeroflow Healthcare. "We strive to go above and beyond to meet our patient's needs and offer the necessary support to ensure each patient's success. This contract with UCare provides individuals across the country full access to our outstanding customer service and high-quality medical equipment."

The independent nonprofit UCare offers health coverage to over 600,000 members, providing innovative services and partnerships across communities. UCare is dedicated to its mission of improving the health of UCare members through the values of integrity, community, quality, flexibility, and respect. The nonprofit offers various insurance plans, including Medicare, individual, family, and medical assistance, designed to fit each patient's needs. To learn more about UCare, visit https://www.ucare.org/.

Aeroflow strives to continue building opportunities with insurance networks in order to enable patients across the nation to quickly access medical supplies and services crucial to living a quality, comfortable life.

About Aeroflow Healthcare

Aeroflow Healthcare was founded in Asheville, NC, in 2001 as a home oxygen provider and has since grown to become one of the leading durable medical equipment providers nationwide. Aeroflow has been ranked seven times on Inc. Magazine's List of 5000 Fastest Growing Companies. In 2017, Aeroflow was also awarded the HME Excellence Award for Best Home Medical Equipment Provider and was recognized as a business offering top-notch benefits to employees with the Great Place to Work Award. Aeroflow is an accredited Medicare and Medicaid provider and accepts most commercial insurance. To learn more about Aeroflow Healthcare and getting medical equipment through insurance, visit Aeroflowinc.com.
Family-owned and world-renowned luxury Chilean brand, Lapostolle, is pleased to announce the launch of their first pisco range that features two unique expressions, Pisco Blanco and Pisco XO. The newly released spirits are now available in the U.S. through Winebow Imports.

Lapostolles piscos were created to honor Jean Baptiste Lapostolle, who founded the acclaimed fruit liqueur distillery, Lapostolle, over 195 years ago in the small French village of Neauphle-le-Chateau. The distillery earned an outstanding reputation and later became the creator of the iconic Grand Marnier brand. The Lapostolle legacy expanded into the New World when the sixth-generation Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet established the prestigious Lapostolle winery in 1994 in Chiles Apalta Valley. With the launch of the two piscos, the Lapostolle family, led by seventh-generation Charles de Bournet, is excited to embark on a new journey that honors their heritage by producing world-class wines and spirits that are French in essence and Chilean by birth.

We created our new pisco range to honor the origins of our familys legacy. Lapostolle established its name as the most respected and pioneering wine and spirits producers in 1827 beginning with my late ancestors distillery, said de Bournet, CEO of Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle. It was a natural decision to further grow our brand by creating these two pisco expressions that reflect Chiles exceptional terroir.

Lapostolle Pisco Blanco and Pisco XO use the most bold and aromatic Muscat grape varieties, Pink Muscat (Rosado) and Muscat of Alexandria, whose aromas and textures complement each other perfectly. The grapes are sourced exclusively from the Elqui and Limari Valleys, located within the northern part of Chile, maximizing the complexity of source material for distillation, then grown on traditional Spanish parrones from varying elevations, soils and microclimates.

Our goal was to craft a high-quality spirit that reflects our generations of winemaking and distilling expertise, continued de Bournet. The distillation process was adapted from the same method used to create Cognac. We imported the same state-of-the-art copper alembic still and produced our pisco from small batches of wine. The result is exceptional alcohol that preserves the aromas of the Muscat grapes.

Pisco Blanco is crystal clear in color, with subtle aromas of lemongrass, tangerine rind, and white fruit. On the palate, it has a velvety texture, with herbal and floral notes, and a spicy finish.

Pisco XO is a bright, amber color with copper red reflections. On the nose, it is fine and delicate with floral and fruity notes. It is then followed by a round and silky mouthfeel for a full-bodied, aromatic finish with light notes of gingerbread. The Pisco XO is aged for six years in French oak.

Pisco Blanco ($35) and Pisco XO ($45) are available now through Winebow Imports.

About Lapostolle:

Lapostolle was founded in 1994 by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and husband Cyril de Bournet. In establishing the familys legacy in the New World, they brought generations of French winemaking tradition and expertise to the rugged landscape of the Colchagua Valley. Today, CEO Charles de Bournet, seventh generation, leads the winery in its newest chapter of innovation along with Andrea Leon, Technical Director and Winemaker. In February 2022, Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle was awarded The Sustainability Code Certification by Wines of Chile for all its vineyards and wineries.

About Winebow Imports

Winebow Imports has been an industry leader for over 40 years, representing some of the most esteemed properties from both prominent and emerging growing areas around the world. A national importer known for cultivating lasting relationships with extraordinary wine families who are dedicated to their unique regions, Winebow Imports continues to balance its impressive growth with a culture of specialization and excellence. For more information, please visit http://www.winebow.com/imports.

About Colangelo & Partners

Colangelo & Partners (colangelopr.com) is the leading fine wine and spirits integrated communications agency in the United States, sought after by top brands and industry players for the quality of their results, creativity, and return on investment. The professionals at Colangelo & Partners work with integrity and passion to influence how U.S. audiences perceive their clients: Earning consistent, high-quality positive media coverage; organizing signature events; strategizing and executing standout digital campaigns, and implementing trade programs that strengthen relationships within the industry. Colangelo & Partners' clientele includes global, instantly-recognizable brands and passionate, up-and-coming vignerons and distillers; regional and national institutions; and technology and e-commerce companies innovating in the beverage alcohol sector.
Advanced Technology International (ATI), TechConnect and Americas DataHub Consortium (ADC) today announced the five winners of the 2022 Americas DataHub Innovation Challenge. Selected from a field of 18 finalists, winners were presented a total $50,000 in cash prizes at the Defense TechConnect (DTC) Innovation Summit & Expo, the nation's largest annual gathering of non-traditional, dual-use emerging technologies aligned with government priority requirements.

Each winner presented its innovation during the conferences Shark Tank-style pitching; finalists were given eight minutes to present to industry and government leadership aligned with participating contracting vehicles.

The five winners and their innovations are:



Candelytics, Inc., Cambridge, Mass.: A 3D data integration platform for storing, managing and sharing 3D data across multiple devices that uses data compression and tiling algorithms to achieve a 10x savings on data storage.

Duality Technologies, Hoboken, N.J.: A single platform for multiple privacy enhancing technologies that provides end users with added security and new ways to leverage disparate data sets, including training and tuning artificial intelligence/machine learning models, performing secure queries and statistical analysis.

Kinnami Software Corporation, Braintree, Mass.: A resilient hybrid data fabric for devices at the computing edge  such as satellites, IoT, drones, autonomous systems, data centers and the cloud  that features a distributed peer-to-peer data management and security software platform to enable holistic management of data protection, data availability and data security.

Knexus Research Corp., National Harbor, Md.: A high utility data synthesizer, powered by machine learning, that preserves both privacy and utility by generating a de-personalized version of sensitive data for retaining, reusing and sharing.

Ubicquia, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.: A web-based analysis and cloud management tool called UbiVu that provides real-time data and insights about energy usage, air quality levels and operational status of Ubiquia deployments, which leverage existing infrastructure to make cities smarter, safer and more connected.

DTCs Americas DataHub Innovation Challenge aligns with ADC, which represents the National Science Foundations National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). This years challenge featured several areas of interest, including innovative tools of new data integration and distribution solutions, data linking and data security, and privacy. Administrators of the challenge encouraged applications from transformative innovators representing dual-use solutions for both civilian and national security applications.

DTC features six Innovation Challenges in energy and infrastructure, medical and biodefense, autonomy and air mobility, data and digital transformation, security and intelligence, and training and readiness. This years six challenges attracted nearly 800 submissions competing for a total $500,000 in cash prizes and access to more than $50 billion in prototype-level contracting authority for government customers.

Held Sept. 27-29, 2022, at Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., DTC is the nations largest annual gathering of non-traditional, dual-use emerging technologies aligned with government priority requirements. The winner of each Innovation Challenge, in addition to a cash prize, is invited to join a consortium led by DTCs parent company, ATI, the countrys leading technology consortium management firm and one of the single largest funders of prototype-level innovations for its government customers and the nation.

About Defense TechConnect

The Defense TechConnect (DTC) Innovation Summit & Expo is the nations largest annual gathering of non-traditional, dual-use emerging technologies aligned with government priority requirements. A unique bridge between private sector innovation, commercialization and government acquisition, DTC accelerates the identification and deployment of novel technologies through rapid access of vetted startups and emerging academic and federal lab innovations. In its 10th year accelerating innovation for the nation and Americas Warfighter, DTC features 500 innovations and exhibitors and is one of the most well-attended defense innovation conferences of the year. DTCs attendees include military leadership, more than 250 DoD/SES/PEO scouts, representatives from over 50 contracting offices and hundreds of active duty service members. DTC is proud to be one of the original innovation hubs to support the Department of Defense and its missions. For more information, visit https://events.techconnect.org/DTCFall.

About TechConnect

With 25+ years of experience connecting emerging technologies with unique funding and partnership opportunities, TechConnect boasts the most robust research and innovation network in the world. It employs a broad scope of tools to deliver top technologies, including open innovation programs, conferences, and open-access publications. Each year, TechConnect prospects, vets, and connects thousands of emerging technologies with corporate, investment, municipal, and national defense clients. TechConnect is a division of Advanced Technology International. techconnect.org

About Advanced Technology International

ATI, a public-service nonprofit based in Summerville, S.C., builds and manages collaborations that conduct research and development of new technologies to solve our nations most pressing challenges. Fueled by a community of experts from industry, academia, and government, ATI accelerates impact by using the power of collaboration to help the federal government quickly acquire novel technologies. ATI is a subsidiary of Analytic Services, Inc. (ANSER), a public-service research institute organized as a nonprofit corporation, which is dedicated to informing decisions that shape the nations future. ATI.org


A Dog and a Quest: an engaging discussion of America, faith, and the bedrock of society. A Dog and a Quest is the creation of published author Godfrey Garner, a special forces counterintelligence U.S. Army veteran. He served two military tours and six civilian government-related tours in Afghanistan in intelligence and counterintelligence. Garner is a permanent faculty member at Mississippi College and an adjunct at Tulane University on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, teaching Intelligence Analysis and Counterterrorism for Homeland Security, as well as a Ph.D. dissertation committee member at Belhaven University. He is the author of over forty articles for Homeland Security Today, Journal of American Diplomacy, and Journal of Foreign Affairs.

Garner shares, The idea that the nations conservative, God-fearing, America-loving, military and police-loving men and women were disappearing at an alarming rate was just too much for Tom Dooley, the most formidable Great Pyrenees in all of the state of Mississippi, and a notable author on his own, to handle. When, therefore, such an idea was proposed, he was all too happy to pursue a quest, in search of such a missing people. Accompanied by his owner and friend, Dr. Godfrey Garner, affectionately called Poppy by him and the neighborhood dogs, he set upon a journey across America to find them. Along the way, he and Poppy met and talked to as many of the so-called missing conservatives, and to his surprise, they were not only not missing, they were abundant. A Dog and a Quest is documented proof of such, complete with pictures and descriptions of the people, the road, and the pride one feels at meeting such wonderful fellow Americans.

Written by Tom Dooley himself, in the words of a capable, true, God-fearing, America-loving member of the mans best friend community, A Dog and a Quest is sure to win the coveted Puplitzer Prize for Literature.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Godfrey Garners new book will entertain and encourage reflection as readers journey with Tom Dooley to meet a host of engaging citizens.

Garner presents a unique and encouraging message within the pages of this creative work.

Consumers can purchase A Dog and a Quest at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about A Dog and a Quest, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
GPR Ventures has closed escrow on a two-building multifamily property in Salt Lake City. This asset contributes to one of GPR Ventures core objective of expanding our multifamily value-add base while continuing our expansion in the West. This new property adds a great value-add opportunity to our portfolio due to its prime location.

GPR Ventures, a private equity real estate operator headquartered in the Bay Area with four offices in the Western U.S., has closed escrow on a two-building, 24-unit property in Salt Lake City. Capitol Estates is located down the street from the Utah Capitol and in close proximity to Salt Lake Citys downtown area and the Salt Lake City International Airport. Tenants have high walkability to local restaurants, coffee shops and parks.

This asset contributes to one of GPR Ventures core objective of expanding our multifamily value-add base while continuing our expansion in the West, said GPR Ventures co-founder and Managing Principal Glen Yonekura. This new property adds a great value-add opportunity to our portfolio due to its prime location. We look forward to working with our local teams to execute significant upgrades throughout the buildings and provide the exceptional management services that our tenants have come to expect from GPR Ventures.

TWEET THIS: Real estate investment firm #GPRVentures closed escrow on a two-building, 24-unit property in Salt Lake City. Capitol Estates is the company's fourth multifamily acquisition in the region since March 2021. https://gprventures.com/

About Capitol Estates

Located at 264 and 286 N. State Street in Salt Lake City, the Capitol Estates portfolio is comprised of two buildings. The 24 total units are a combination of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans, and the pet-friendly apartments offer private parking to residents.

GPR Ventures will work with its local property management team and construction company to execute renovations within all units within a 12-month timeframe. Planned capital improvements include interior upgrades to the bathrooms and the installation of in-unit washers and dryers, upgraded appliances and premium countertops. An office will also be converted into a 25th unit.

GPR Ventures Continues Expansion

Capitol Estates marks the fourth multifamily purchase in Salt Lake City since March 2021 when GPR Ventures closed escrow on The Ashwell, a single-building, 27-unit apartment property within the Marmalade neighborhood. In December 2021, GPR Ventures purchased the Alta View Apartments, a six-building, 64-unit residential project located at 1012 East Barbara Place, then acquired its third multifamily property in the city in February.

GPR Ventures first entered the market with the purchase of a 49,234 square foot industrial warehouse situated on 3.65 acres in West Jordan, UT. The single-building property remains fully occupied by a single tenant and was acquired by GPR Ventures in December 2020.

For more information on GPR Ventures and its complete portfolio, visit https://www.gprventures.com/.

About GPR Ventures

Founded in 2011, GPR Ventures is a privately held real estate investment firm with offices in Silicon Valley and Sacramento that specializes in providing real estate opportunities for a select group of sophisticated investors. GPR Ventures uses a dynamic, fully developed process and the acquisition-to-disposition expertise of founders Glen Yonekura and Phillip Rolla to yield consistent results. GPRs portfolio includes 112 industrial and office buildings totaling over 4 million square feet and an additional 36 acres of land. For additional information, please visit GPRVentures.com or call (408) 559-3300.
With this strong foundation, G-Force Innovations is expanding their innovation footprint, pushing the boundaries of the industry and their own business, adding to the regions innovation community, and becoming continually more engaged in the space.

Since launching a ground-breaking collaboration known as G-Force Innovations; Grange Insurance and Rev1 Ventures, the startup studio that combines capital and strategic services, are announcing momentum focused on the identification, development, and adoption of innovations to drive new insurance products and capabilities for Granges customers and agents.

Over the past three years, we've accelerated momentum by learning from and leveraging the tools and resources from insurtechs and startups, allowing us to deliver customer-centric solutions for our agency partners and customers," said Grange Insurance VP, Innovation Officer Brent Hammer. "Our proven approach with Rev1 enables us to react to changing conditions and take advantage of emerging capabilities that transform nearly every aspect of the insurance value chain.

Since 2019, G-Force Innovations has developed a strong infrastructure, creating repeatable and systematic processes that have been integrated into the corporate structure and culture of Grange. G-Force Innovations has reviewed more than 700 technologies, including 30 proofs-of-concept and pilots. Since its inception, several new capabilities have been enabled for Grange. Examples of the new capabilities include:



Accessible risk control services: Grange commercial customers can use an app-free tool to share images of facilities and operations or browse a library of risk mitigation materials, all without having a risk control consultant visit their facilities. Powered by MirrorMe, the tool instantly provides Grange with all the data needed to make fast, reasonable, and transparent risk assessments in a fraction of the time and at a minimum of effort compared to traditional surveys.

Market-leading property intelligence: Grange can access aerial imagery, computer vision detections, and third-party property intelligence to provide customers with a comprehensive, actionable view of real property risk. The insights on the Betterview platform enable Grange to predict and prevent losses, increase underwriting and inspection efficiency, and build a more transparent customer experience.

Crash location risk analysis: Grange uses location-based traffic crash intelligence and predictive analytics that enables more accurate auto insurance pricing. Combining TNEDICCA's advanced data analytics with our auto products provides us with a more precise risk understanding of our customers, giving them confidence in their coverage and Grange.

Through G-Force Innovations, Grange set out on a bold innovation vision for their enterprise. To put it simply, theyve delivered. After evaluating 700 insurtechs and working on 30 proof-of-concept projects, our partnership, leveraging Rev1s investor startup studio, continues to look globally at new technologies that can impact an important Central Ohio company and industry, said Mike McCann, Chief of Innovation Partnerships at Rev1 Ventures.

With this strong foundation, G-Force Innovations is expanding their innovation footprint, pushing the boundaries of the industry and their own business, adding to the regions innovation community, and becoming continually more engaged in the space.

Grange Insurances innovation highlights:

Since 2020, A.M. Best has provided its assessment of Granges innovation capabilities. It rated the company as Prominent for the third consecutive year. In a previous analysis across their rating universe, a Prominent assessment placed a company in the top 10% versus companies reviewed.

In 2021, increased the size of G-Force Innovations team by 50%, bringing together diverse perspectives to incubate and launch new products and services.

Aligned with new strategic sponsors, including industry innovators like InsurTech Ohio and BrokerTech Ventures.

Opened an innovation studio at its headquarters in Columbus for associates to discover and experience new ways of thinking, learning, observing, and doing work that impacts the company, agency partners, and customers while reaching mutual goals.

Were expanding our innovation portfolio. G-Force Innovations is going to build on our momentum at Grange, partnering with and creating new solutions that will deliver for our market and push us ahead, said Hammer.

To learn more about innovation at Grange Insurance, visit gforceinnovations.com.

About Grange Insurance

Grange Insurance Company, with $3.3 billion in assets and more than $1.4 billion in annual revenue, is an insurance provider based in Columbus, Ohio. Through its network of independent agents, Grange offers auto, home, and business insurance protection. Life insurance offered by Grange Life Insurance and Kansas City Life Insurance. Established in 1935, the Grange Insurance Company and its affiliate Integrity Insurance Company serve policyholders in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. For more information, visit grangeinsurance.com.

About G-Force Innovations

G-Force Innovations is the innovation arm of the Grange enterprise focused on helping rapidly deliver solutions for the evolving needs of its customers, independent agents and associates. By partnering with Rev1 Ventures, G-Force Innovations is harnessing the collective power of insurance insiders, startup supporters, and entrepreneurs to rapidly accelerate the development and deployment of bold new insurance solutions. To learn more, visit gforceinnovations.com.

About Rev1 Ventures

Rev1 Ventures is the startup studio that combines capital and strategic services to help startups scale and corporates innovate. Based in the Midwest, Rev1 connects entrepreneurs to talent, customers, space, and funding, to help entrepreneurs build great companies. With a proven track record of success, Rev1 is the most active seed investor in Ohio for the past seven years. For more information, visit rev1ventures.com.
The InterLinc Family Foundation is a cherished part of our organization and beloved by our employees. Without our employees and their charitable involvement in their communities, the InterLinc Family Foundation wouldnt exist.

Founded in 2012, the InterLinc Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity created within InterLinc Mortgage, was formed to improve the lives of families and underprivileged children in the same communities where InterLinc associates live and work. Funded by donations, the foundation supports organizations significant to InterLinc employees by partnering each charity with a financial gift and volunteer resources.

Since its inception, the foundation has had the opportunity to work with a variety of organizations across the US. This year alone, the InterLinc Family Foundation has donated to over 200,000 children for school supplies, counseling support and classroom resources, healthy meals to over 5,000 preschool children daily, food and clothing for over 20,000 homeless families, accessible doors for an after-school center built for special needs students and more.

The InterLinc Family Foundation is a cherished part of our organization and beloved by our employees. Without our employees and their charitable involvement in their communities, the InterLinc Family Foundation wouldnt exist, said President & CEO of InterLinc Mortgage and InterLinc Family Foundation Board Member, Gene Thompson.

In 2022, the InterLinc Family Foundation formed a committee of employees to assist in planning volunteer opportunities and getting the word out about the foundations endeavors. Throughout the remainder of the year, the committee plans to partner with several organizations, one of which is a Houston-based nonprofit, Houston Welcomes Refugees, whose mission is to help ease the resettlement process for newly arrived refugees through mobilizing caring and invested volunteers, fostering hope amidst crisis. InterLinc employees will help supply 20 families with bathroom and kitchen supplies for their new apartments when first relocating to Houston. In addition, employees will have a chance to write encouraging notes and greetings to share with these refugee families and hear more about the incredible work being done by Houston Welcomes Refugees.

Were thrilled to be partnering with InterLinc to pack welcome kits to help refugee families feel more at home once arriving in Houston. Starting a new life anywhere is hard, but especially for refugee families experiencing culture shock in a brand-new country and city. InterLinc is making an invaluable difference in the lives of these families and is truly showing compassion and honor to those that are often overlooked, said a spokesperson from Houston Welcomes Refugees.

Through this event and more, the InterLinc Family Foundation is making a lasting difference across the country. As they look toward the future, they hope to grow the foundation's network of partner organizations and be able to provide lasting hope to those who need it most.

About InterLinc

InterLinc Mortgage Services, LLC is a Houston-based full-service mortgage banking firm with approvals from the three largest issuers of mortgage-backed securities: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae. The Company affords clients access to enhanced mortgage product offerings, pricing competitiveness, loan efficiency, and servicing. InterLinc is licensed in 29 states throughout the Midwest and Southeast. More information is available online at https://interlincmortgage.com.
Tomorrows geopolitics will be based not on a single global order, but on multiple coexisting orders, with different actors providing leadership to manage different kinds of challenges.- Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media

Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer delivered his annual State of the World speech today at the GZERO Summit where he presented his vision for where the world is headed in 2023, including the consequences of Russias invasion of Ukraine, the fracturing of the global economy, the future of US-China relations, what comes after the G-Zero, and more.

Video of Bremmers speech is available at gzeromedia.com/stateoftheworld. The speech kicked off the annual GZERO Summit, a conference in Tokyo hosted by Eurasia Group, the world's leading geopolitical risk firm. Journalists wishing to interview Bremmer about his speech can email their requests to media@eurasiagroup.net. A text version of Bremmers speech can be found here.

Bremmers State of the World speech touched on several key issues, including:



Russia, where Bremmer says that Putins decision to invade Ukraine is a catastrophe that has effectively decoupled Russia from the worlds advanced democracies, and has united the West.

Putin hoped to strengthen Russia, boost its prestige on the world stage, and replenish public confidence in his leadership. But it will soon become obvious, even to ordinary Russians, that Putin has accomplished exactly the opposite.

US-China relations, where Bremmer says that although relations are indeed bad and getting worse, economic and political self-interest will prevent a total breakdown.

Public expressions of hostility  play well with the domestic politics of both countries... The US-China decoupling in tech and security sectors will intensify in coming years, but the interdependence that binds their fates together is becoming more important, not less.

The developing world, where Bremmer says that many of the gains from globalization have now been thrown into reverse, first by COVID and now by the Kremlin.

Developing countries, especially vulnerable to the worlds political and economic turmoil and a source of millions of migrants and refugees desperate to escape, will find over the next decade they dont have seats in the lifeboats.

The coming world order(s), where he says there will be no G-1 or G-2 to replace the G-Zero.

Tomorrows geopolitics will be based not on a single global order, but on multiple coexisting orders, with different actors providing leadership to manage different kinds of challenges.

The GZERO Summit, which plays host to Bremmers State of the World speech, brings key leaders from Japan and other nations, along with leaders from the private sector, to examine critical issues and opportunities within Asia and around the world. This years Summit features several notable speakers, including Fumio Kishida, Japans Prime Minister, Yuriko Koike, Tokyos Governor, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japans Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Taro Kono, Japans Minister for Digital Transformation. Please click here for a complete list of speakers.

About Ian Bremmer:

Ian Bremmer is a political scientist who helps business leaders, policy makers, and the general public make sense of the world around them. He is president and founder of Eurasia Group, the worlds leading political risk research and consulting firm, and GZERO Media, a company dedicated to providing intelligent and engaging coverage of international affairs. He is the host of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, which airs weekly on US national public television. Ian is also a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and many others globally.

A prolific writer, Ian is the author of eleven books, including his latest book The Power of Crisis: How Three Threatsand Our ResponseWill Change the World, which details a trio of looming global crises (health emergencies, climate change, and technological revolution) and outlines how these crises create global prosperity and opportunity. Ian also serves as the foreign affairs columnist and editor at large for Time magazine. He currently teaches at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University.

About Eurasia Group:

Eurasia Group is the world's leading global political risk research and consulting firm. By providing information and insight on how political developments move markets, we help clients anticipate and respond to instability and opportunities everywhere they invest or do business. Our expertise includes developed and developing countries in every region of the world, specific economic sectors, and the business and investment playing fields of the future. With our best-in-class advisory and consulting offerings and GZERO Media, the Eurasia Group umbrella provides the marketplace with a complete political risk solution. Headquartered in New York, we have offices in Washington, London, San Francisco, Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Singapore, and Tokyo, as well as on-the-ground experts and resources in more than a hundred countries. "Politics first grounds our work: Politics is the lens through which we view the world, and we are committed to analysis that is free of political bias and the influence of private interests.

Media enquiries

Gregory Roth

Director of Communications

Eurasia Group / GZERO Media

media@eurasiagroup.net
Artists Diego Rivera and his wife Frida Kahlo appear in The TeaBook's AmanTEsThe Lovers Organic Tea Line. As a company, we educate our consumers about positive people from various different and under-representative communities and cultures on food packaging. Culture, by definition, is something that is shared among a group of people. If we share culture, this is something that bonds people together.

To celebrate the cultural contributions of Americas Hispanic/Latinx communities to this country, The TeaBook, a Los Angeles company, is promoting its LaTEAnx/TEspanic and AmanTEs The Lovers Organic Tea Line VariTEA Samplers.

Noah Bleich, founder of The TeaBook, crafted this aromatic and vibrant collections by reflecting on the rich cultures and diverse flavors of rose, honey, chocolate and chili pepper. With all his teas, Bleich also adds a dash of whimsical puns when naming the teas. The LaTEAnx/TEspanic line features the colorful images of Hispanic artists Frida Kahlo (FriTE Kahlo), her husband Diego Rivera (TEigo Rivera) and Salvador Dali (Salvador DalTE). Mexican illustrator Mirelle Ortega is the artist of the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera tea wrappers.

We chose these three influential artists, whose work has transcended over the decades, because our product is all about celebrating art, Bleich said. Weve created a gallery of art through our detailed artistic tea bags.

Bleich highlights the love affair between Kahlo and Rivera in the AmanTEsThe Lovers Organic Tea Line. The word AmanTEs, is a pun of the Spanish word amantes which means lovers and also pointing out that the couple were tea lovers.

To educate consumers about these artists, he commissions local artists to draw images and place symbols. For example, on Riveras tea bag, there are murals depicting his ancestry and honoring the working people of Mexico. His respect and admiration for the working man is signified by a wrench in his breast pocket. Conversely, Kahlos tea bag presents her preference to express herself on canvases. Some of the subjectsa monkey and a watermelonappear on the wrapperand are the focus of some of her best known pieces Self Portrait With Small Monkey and her last work Viva La Vida, Watermelons.

Bleich said that during Hispanic Heritage Month, 10% of sales at http://www.theteabook.com of the LaTEAnX and AmanTEs collections and the individual teas of FriTE, TEiego and DalTE will be donated to the Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA).

Celebrating different cultures is important to Bleich as it opens doors to discover and learn from other ethnic groups.

As a company, we educate our consumers about positive people from various different and under-representative communities and cultures on food packaging, he said. Culture, by definition, is something that is shared among a group of people. If we share culture, this is something that bonds people together.

About The TeaBook

The TeaBook is a patented tea organizer designed to help people store, share, and serve their tea. The TeaBook is a specially designed book that stores up to 144 teas, offering a lightweight design thats been created without animal products or BPA. Customers can choose from a unique line of fine teas that come in a variety of fun blends that ensure that tea is never boring again. Varieties include Shakespearmint, a mint tea, and AgathaChrisTea, an earl grey tea. Based in Los Angeles, The TeaBook is a zero-waste company. For more information, visit https://theteabook.com/.

About the Artist

Mirelle Ortega is a Mexican illustrator and writer for kidlit and animation based in Los Angeles, California. She's created covers for award-winning middle grade series such as From The Desk of Zoe Washington, Cece Rios and Love Sugar Magic artwork for acclaimed chapter books series such as The Mythics, Vote For Effie and Mermaids Rock, and vibrant illustrations for picture books like Small Room, Big Dreams, Pepe and the Parade and her author/illustrator debut Magic: Once Upon a Faraway Land. You can find more of her work at: https://www.mirelleortega.com/. ###
From workplace awards to kindness campaigns to scholarship opportunities, these companies promote the true spirit of Maryland by reinvesting into their communities.

The Maryland Marketing Partnership, created by Governor Larry Hogan in 2016 to help drive Marylands branding and marketing efforts to attract businesses, create jobs, and grow the states economy, today shared a summary of the latest news from companies and organizations that are part of the partnership.

As Maryland businesses continue to expand their operations, it is truly heartwarming to see how they have remained steadfast in their humanitarian nature, said Tom Riford, executive director of the Maryland Marketing Partnership. From workplace awards to kindness campaigns to scholarship opportunities, these companies promote the true spirit of Maryland by reinvesting into their communities.

Bozzuto, based in Greenbelt, is leading construction for the team building Guardian House, a historic renovation in downtown Baltimore that will allocate a portion of the units for the citys first responders. Toby Bozzuto spoke at the groundbreaking on September 7, stating, Our mission is to create sanctuary for those we serve. In this case, we are creating sanctuary for those who serve us.

Cloudforce, based in National Harbor, was featured in an Inc. Magazine article as a Best Workplace for its steadfast resiliency in hiring and retention amidst the challenges of the post-pandemic Great Resignation. Cloudforce also welcomed over 80 guests at its inaugural Reinvent the Wheel, a networking soiree sponsoring the Prince Georges County Chapter of the Maryland Tech Council. Incoming freshman at the University of Maryland, College Park, Naomi Kaul was named the recipient of Cloudforces Future Force 2022 $5,000 scholarship. Naomis 3-minute video entry outlined her idea for a device that would monitor and protect the safety of vital medicines and vaccinations during shipment worldwide.

Eastern Watersports, based in Middle River, had its general manager Kailyne Johlitz featured in The Baltimore Banner sharing her favorite spots in Baltimore to get out on the water. Beginning in September, all Eastern Watersports locations are open on weekends only for kayak, paddle board, sailing catamaran, and jet ski rentals. Visit Eastern Watersports at Middle River (1923 Old Eastern Ave.); Dundee Creek (7400 Graces Quarters Road); Hammerman Beach (7200 Graces Quarters Road), or Port Covington Marina (321 E. Cromwell Street). The company is also offering sunset guided group kayak tours all month long at its Dundee Creek location; reserve your tour at Easternwatersports.com.

Route One Apparel, based in Towson, is going nationwide! The Maryland retailer recently announced products from its official Hershey collection will soon be available in 84 ITSUGAR stores across the country, including the location in New York Citys Times Square. The company also continues to grow its family of partner brands and is preparing to launch new collaborations with Morton Salt and Frederick-based Flying Dog Brewery this fall. Looking ahead to the holiday season, companies seeking unique employee gift ideas are encouraged to reach out to newbusiness@routeoneapparel.com before Oct. 31 to confirm their custom orders.

St. John Properties, Inc., based in Baltimore and one of the nations largest and most successful privately held commercial real estate firms, announced the Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation signed two full-building leases for the site of their first elementary school in Anne Arundel County. The combined space at 1503 and 1513 Signature Drive totals 72,120 square feet, and initial kindergarten through fifth-grade classes are expected to begin at Arundel Overlook in fall 2023. The Sherwin-Williams Company has also signed two leases with St. John Properties, Inc. at Timonium Exchange in Baltimore County and Magothy Beach Plaza in Anne Arundel County, totaling approximately 13,000 square feet of space. A space serving primarily commercial paint contractors is planned for Timonium Exchange as well as retail space at Magothy Beach Plaza.

SECU, based in Linthicum Heights and Marylands largest credit union, will launch its third annual, month-long kindness campaign, Kindness Connects. In October, SECU aims to inspire 250,000 acts of kindness in honor of each of its members. Employees, members, and the general public are encouraged to perform acts of kindness via complimentary Kindness Kits, which can be requested online at secukindness.org or picked up at a local SECU financial center. For every kit requested, the SECU MD Foundation will donate $5 to Special Olympics Maryland and Kennedy Krieger Institute, up to $50,000 total.

TEDCO, based in Columbia, invested in pre-seed technology startup Treevo, and the first of Marylands State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) funds in Medcura. Two of its portfolio companies were also spotlighted on ABC7 Good Morning Washington, STEER Tech, and CyDeploy. TEDCO hosted an inaugural Tech Fair with some of the largest tech companies showcasing how their platform can benefit underserved entrepreneurs and help to grow their businesses. View TEDCOs Tech Fair recap video on TEDCOs YouTube Channel.

The University System of Maryland (USM), based in Baltimore and the states public higher education system, welcomed students, faculty, and staff this fall with new leadership and a number of system-wide initiatives that hold promise for future growth and innovation. All USM institutions are open with in-person instructionthough continuing to monitor the latest COVID and monkeypox trends with local, state, and federal health officials. Fall classes began at USM institutions on Aug. 29. The 2022-23 academic year marks the initial implementation of the USMs new, student-centered Vision 2030: From Excellence to Preeminence Strategic Plan. The system welcomes new leaders at two universities: UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby and Salisbury University President Carolyn Lyn Ringer Lepre.

About Maryland Marketing Partnership

The Maryland Marketing Partnership, founded in statute as the Maryland Public-Private Partnership Marketing Corporation, develops branding strategy for the state, markets the states assets, and encourages the location and growth of new businesses in Maryland.
Solutions arent out of reach: strong implementation of the Basic Needs Allowance could help struggling military families ensure that their families are fed.

The National Military Family Association (NMFA) and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger have long worked together to fight rising hunger and food insecurity in the military community and ensure Americas service members have the resources they need to feed their families.

Now, advocates, policy makers, philanthropists, and military families are urging the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to address rising hunger and food insecurity among military families, in a series of new videos.

According to the Department of Defense, an unacceptable 24% of military families are food insecure  there is a food pantry on or near every single US military base. Worse, the 2022 Military Teen Experience Survey by the National Military Family Association found that almost half (46%) of military teens reported experiencing some level of food insecurity over the past month.

The White House conference will address food insecurity at the highest levels, which presents an important opportunity to raise that military families face more bureaucracy and barriers than civilians to the central federal food program, SNAP, and other supplemental benefits. In the military community, which traditionally values strength and self-reliance, there are also pervasive social stigmas around food insecurity.

Solutions arent out of reach: strong implementation of the Basic Needs Allowance could help struggling military families ensure that their families are fed.

NMFA and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger are sharing video messages from partners, leaders, and those with lived experience to urge long-term solutions to military hunger, and to urge bold action at the upcoming White House conference.

Joining NMFA CEO Besa Pinchotti and MAZON President and CEO Abby J. Leibman in the video are:

Senator Tim Kaine

Congressman Salud Carbajal

Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland

Congresswoman Sara Jacobs

Congressman Adam Smith

Congressman Andy Kim

California State Senator Senator Bob Archuleta

Craig Newmark, philanthropist and founder of Craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies

Policy experts Deputy Director of Government Relations Eileen Huck and MAZON Vice President of Policy Josh Protas

Also speaking out are former Navy spouse Erika Tebbens and 2022 Army Spouse of the Year Monica Bassett.

The 2022 White House Conference will catalyze the public and private sectors around a coordinated strategy to accelerate progress and drive transformative change to end hunger, improve nutrition and physical activity, and close the social disparities at their roots.

To learn more about the experience of military hunger, read MAZON's latest report.

About the National Military Family Association (NMFA):

The National Military Family Association is the leading nonprofit dedicated to serving all military families. Since 1969, NMFA has worked to strengthen and protect millions of families through its advocacy and programs. They provide spouse scholarships, camps for military kids, and retreats for families reconnecting after deployment and for the families of the wounded, ill, or injured. NMFA serves the families of the currently serving, veteran, retired, wounded or fallen members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and NOAA. To get involved or to learn more, visit http://www.MilitaryFamily.org.

About MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger:

Inspired by Jewish values and ideals, MAZON is a national advocacy organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. For more information on MAZON, please visit mazon.org.
Lideres Conforme al Corazon de Dios: a helpful and encouraging message for spiritual leaders. Lideres Conforme al Corazon de Dios is the creation of published author Misionera Sonia Cheverez, a dedicated wife and lifelong servant of God.

Cheverez shares, This book will give the reader the opportunity to awaken within them the need to know the responsibility and requirements of a good leader in the church, whether they are pastors, lay leaders, missionaries, or leaders of the various ministries serving the congregation without ever losing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit approach.

Its also useful for members and others, how ministers and leaders should serve God. The book is based totally on the direct word of God The Bible, including experiences of the author and her husband. They pastored for 40 years, serving in the ministry several Spanish speaking churches. On each of the thirteen chapters there is an important topic presented to leaders, it challenges them in areas where growth or correction is needed.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Misionera Sonia Cheverezs new book draws from her and her loving husbands personal experiences within the ministry field.

Cheverez shares in hopes of empowering the next generation of leaders to find success in their respective ministries.

Consumers can purchase Lideres Conforme al Corazon de Dios at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Lideres Conforme al Corazon de Dios, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Smoky Hill Metropolitan District joins the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System Registered vendors can access bids, related documents, addendum and award information.

The Smoky Hill Metropolitan District announced today that it has joined the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System. Bidnet Directs Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System helps local governments, such as the Smoky Hill Metropolitan District, post, distribute and manage RFPs, quotes, addendums and awards online. The purchasing group provides notifications to registered vendors of new bids related to their industry, any addenda and award information from over 350 participating agencies from across Colorado and Wyoming. The Smoky Hill Metropolitan District invites all vendors to register online at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/smokyhillmetrodistrict.

A leading factor in the Smoky Hill Metropolitan District deciding to join the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System was the need to switch to an automated purchasing process. The Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System helps to streamline the procurement process by providing a single, online location for managing and tracking all bid process activities.

The Smoky Hill Metropolitan District now has access to an extensive vendor pool which helps to enhance vendor competition. They are also able to boost productivity by saving time and effort without increasing distribution costs. The Smoky Hill Metropolitan District invites all current vendors not already registered on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System to do so today by visiting http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/smokyhillmetrodistrict. Registered vendors can access bids and view all pertinent information provided such as addendums and awards all in one convenient spot. In addition, vendors have the option to upgrade their service to receive daily email alerts with matching bid opportunities, as well as advance notices for expiring term contracts.

We are excited to join our fellow local agencies by being a part of the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, stated Jerry Dionisio, Secretary and Treasurer of the Smoky Hill Metropolitan District. Were able to monitor the whole bid process and see which vendors are interested in working with us. It also allows our vendors to seek out more business opportunities and have instant access to all the information we can provide.

Vendors may register on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System: http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/smokyhillmetrodistrict. Vendors may also contact Bidnet Directs vendor support team at 800-835-4603 option 2 with any questions regarding registration or the bid system.

Other local Colorado and Wyoming government agencies looking to switch from a manual bid process, please contact the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System for a demonstration of the no-cost sourcing solution.

About the Smoky Hill Metropolitan District:

The Smoky Hill Metropolitan District is a public governmental entity and political subdivision of the State of Colorado. Established in 1976 by vote of the property owners/developers, the District was formed to finance the installation of parks and recreation facilities, exterior fencing, landscaping, roadways and drainage facilities within the Smoky Hill 400 Subdivision, as well as provide for ongoing maintenance and operation of these parks and other facilities.

About Bidnet Direct:

Bidnet Direct, powered by mdf commerce, is a sourcing solution of regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies throughout the country. Bidnet Direct runs regional purchasing groups, including the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, across all 50 states that are used by over 1,600 local governments. To learn more and have your government agency gain better transparency and efficiency in purchasing, please visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/buyers
New Office transcosmos Commerce takes pride in its unique business model, managing clients online flagship stores as an online retailer, and buying and selling clients products on Indonesias 5 leading marketplaces  Shopee, Tokopedia, Bukalapak, Lazada, and BliBli.

transcosmos inc. hereby announces that PT. transcosmos Commerce (Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia; President Director & CEO: Naoto Osada; transcosmos Commerce), its Indonesian subsidiary specializing in e-commerce business, has expanded and relocated its headquarters to further enhance its business. Expanding the floor area fourfold from the previous size, the new headquarters now sits in the Sudirman Central Business District in Jakarta. From the new office, transcosmos Commerce aims to expand its business with about 60 employees.

transcosmos Commerce, an e-commerce company for the Indonesian market, launched its business in November, 2018. As a sales partner who connects the Japanese and other global clients with local consumers, transcosmos Commerce helps clients manage their e-commerce services. transcosmos Commerce takes pride in its unique business model, managing clients' online flagship stores as an online retailer, and buying and selling clients' products on Indonesia's 5 leading marketplaces  Shopee, Tokopedia, Bukalapak, Lazada, and BliBli.

transcosmos Commerce offers a range of services as a package at one-stop, including competitor analysis, goal setting, website design, social networking service management, landing page development, content creation, store operations, negotiation with mall operators, ad operations, campaign management, live commerce, customer services, customer relationship management, fulfillment, and monthly reports. A la carte menu is also available where clients can choose the services they need.

transcosmos Commerce's key asset is TCCM Way, which combines strong marketing operations ability and high quality monthly reporting, and it is built by transcosmos Commerce CEO Naoto Osada, who has 15 years management record in e-commerce business in Southeast Asia. For example, an average advertising ROI at marketplaces hit 24.5 in September, 2022, far surpassing the market average. Achieving such successes, transcosmos Commerce grew its sales, and has now relocated its headquarters to a larger facility to accommodate the growth. transcosmos Commerce is committed to growing further in the Indonesian e-commerce market, which still has ample growth potential.

From operations centers in Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, transcosmos delivers a diverse range of services including contact centers, digital marketing and e-commerce one-stop services for the ASEAN market. With its e-commerce services tailored for each client based on their phase of globalization and local market strategies, transcosmos helps clients build and develop their business in local markets. With the aims of assisting clients in their branding activities and expanding sales, transcosmos will continue to provide services that best fit each local market in the rapidly changing e-commerce market.

*transcosmos is a trademark or registered trademark of transcosmos inc. in Japan and other countries.

*Other company names and product or service names used here are trademarks or registered trademarks of respective companies.

About transcosmos inc.

transcosmos launched its operations in 1966. Since then, we have combined superior "people" with up-to-date "technology" to enhance the competitive strength of our clients by providing them with superior and valuable services. transcosmos currently offers services that support clients' business processes focusing on both sales expansion and cost optimization through our 172 bases across 28 countries/regions with a focus on Asia, while continuously pursuing Operational Excellence. Furthermore, following the expansion of e-commerce market on the global scale, transcosmos provides a comprehensive One-Stop Global E-Commerce Services to deliver our clients' excellent products and services to consumers in 46 countries/regions around the globe. transcosmos aims to be the "Global Digital Transformation Partner" of our clients, supporting the clients' transformation by leveraging digital technology, responding to the ever-changing business environment. Visit us here https://www.trans-cosmos.co.jp/english/
Dr. Benjamin Harris is now scheduling new patient appointments at SGF's Richmond and Norfolk locations. The foundation of our practice is based on doing what is best for our patients, promoting a strong patient-physician relationship, and promoting teamwork through collaborative care. We are constantly striving to improve the care we provide through education, research, and innovation."

US Fertility, the nations largest partnership of physician-owned and physician-led top-tier fertility practices, welcomes Benjamin S. Harris, M.D., to SGF Richmonds Stony Point and Henrico Doctors-Forest locations as well as SGF Jones Institutes Norfolk, Virginia, location. Dr. Harris is now scheduling new patient appointments.

SGF puts the patient first, shares Dr. Harris. The foundation of our practice is based on doing what is best for our patients, promoting a strong patient-physician relationship, and promoting teamwork through collaborative care. We are constantly striving to improve the care we provide through education, research, and innovation. In doing so, we can enhance the experience of every single patient as we work toward achieving their fertility goals.

To address the high demand in the region for top-quality fertility care, Dr. Harris will provide comprehensive fertility services, including:



fertility and ovarian reserve testing and diagnosis,

semen analysis,

hysterosalpingogram (HSG),

low-tech fertility treatment options such as intrauterine insemination (IUI),

in vitro fertilization (IVF),

donor egg, sperm, and embryo,

genetic screening and testing,

gestational carrier,

egg freezing,

reproductive surgical evaluation and management,

fertility preservation for patients with cancer, and

LGBTQ+ family building.

Dr. Harris is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) and board eligible in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI). Dr. Harris earned his medical degree and Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then completed his residency training in OB/GYN at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, where he was an Administrative Chief Resident. From there, Dr. Harris continued his training at Duke University Medical Center to complete his fellowship in REI.

As an avid researcher, Dr. Harris has contributed to numerous publications and presentations exploring such topics as fibroids, in vitro fertilization (IVF) protocols, reproductive epidemiology, and preimplantation genetic testing.

By welcoming Dr. Harris to the SGF physician team in Richmond and Norfolk, were able to expand access to those in need of fertility care in Richmond and Norfolk, shares Erika B. Johnston-MacAnanny, M.D., Medical Director, SGF Richmond. Dr. Harriss dedication to working together with patients to achieve their goals through providing a collaborative and educational experience directly aligns with SGFs mission to provide patient-centered fertility care.

Patients may now schedule a new patient appointment with Dr. Harris by calling the SGF New Patient Center at 757-512-8547 or by completing this brief form.

About US Fertility

US Fertility is the nations largest partnership of physician-owned and physician-led top-tier fertility practices, offering comprehensive fertility-market-focused non-clinical, administrative, and technical platforms that help domestic and international practices improve patient outcomes and increase patient access. To learn more about partnership- or affiliate-status benefits, call 301-545-1308 or visit USFertility.com.

About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF)

SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 100,000 babies born from 30+ years of continuous innovation and patient-centered fertility care. With 50 locations, including the newest location in Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as throughout CO, FL, GA, MD, NY, PA, TX, VA, D.C., and Santiago, Chile, SGF offers patients in-person and virtual physician consults, delivers individualized care, accepts most insurance plans, and makes treatment affordable through innovative financial options, including 100% refund guarantees. SGF is among the founding partner practices of US Fertility, the largest physician-led partnership of top-tier fertility practices in the U.S. Call 1-888-761-1967 to schedule a new patient appointment or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com for more information.
Published in conjunction with World Tourism Day, Virtual Vocations latest report names 15 international employers actively recruiting U.S.-based remote professionals. The flexible nature of remote work promotes both sustainability and inclusivity. Laura Spawn, CEO and co-founder of Virtual Vocations

Virtual Vocations marked World Tourism Day with the release of a new report shining a light on 15 international companies that arent letting location serve as a barrier to recruiting top talent.

In addition to naming the 15 best international employers actively hiring U.S.-based remote workers, the new report from the all-remote job board shares links to each employers dedicated profile on the Virtual Vocations company database, where jobseekers can learn more about current job openings.

The report was published Tuesday in conjunction with World Tourism Day, an annual initiative celebrating tourism and its contributions to promoting peace and preserving cultural heritage.

This year, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announced the global event would focus on the future, a nod to the UNWTOs goal of encouraging a sustainable, inclusive vision for rethinking tourism.

Its a mission complemented by a recent increase in the popularity of remote work options, according to Virtual Vocations CEO and co-founder Laura Spawn. The flexible nature of remote work promotes both sustainability and inclusivity, Spawn said.

Telework not only reduces carbon emissions and decreases paper and plastic use but also eliminates geographic hiring barriers and opens more doors for minority groups, including those marginalized by race, ethnicity, gender, and ability, to access a wider selection of careers, Spawn added. This flexibility also creates greater opportunities for professionals to travel while earning a living and simultaneously furthering their careers.

The 15 remote-enabled employers featured in Virtual Vocations Tuesday report are headquartered in eight different countries across four continents and span half a dozen industries, including information technology (IT), internet and ecommerce, business services, and marketing.

Among them, three companiesCraftybase, headquartered in Ballarat Central, Australia; NearForm, headquartered in Waterford, Ireland; and Orium, headquartered in Toronto, Canadaare 100% virtual or remote-first businesses, meaning their employees work remotely all of the time or have the freedom to choose how and where they work.

For U.S.-based jobseekers eager for more flexibility at work, the report serves as a roadmap to remote job options with more than a dozen location-flexible employers actively looking for qualified candidates to fill their current openings.

To see Virtual Vocations full list of 15 best international companies hiring U.S.-based remote professionals, visit: https://www.virtualvocations.com/blog/annual-statistical-remote-work-reports/15-best-international-companies-hiring-us-remote-workers/

ABOUT VIRTUAL VOCATIONS

Founded in 2007 by CEO Laura Spawn and her brother, CTO Adam Stevenson, Virtual Vocations is a small company with a big mission: to connect jobseekers with legitimate remote job openings. To date, Virtual Vocations has helped more than four million jobseekers in their quests for flexible, remote work.

In addition to providing a database of current, hand-screened, and 100% remote job openings, Virtual Vocations offers jobseekers a number of tools to aid in their job searches, including exclusive e-courses and downloadable content, and resume writing services. Virtual Vocations also releases several data-driven reports each year on current trends in remote work.

Virtual Vocations, Inc. is a private, family-owned, and 100% virtual company incorporated in Tucson, Arizona.

PRESS INQUIRIES

Kimberly Back

kim(at)virtualvocations(dot)com

VirtualVocations.com
Women Tech Council Award Recipients Award recipients were selected because of their impact on the technology sector and economy, their community contributions, and their work to inspire the community.

The Women Tech Council (WTC), a national organization focused on the impact of women in driving high growth for the technology sector, today announced the award recipients of the 2022 Women Tech Awards. These awards recognize technology-focused women and bring visibility to their work creating new technologies, driving innovation, impacting tech companies and inspiring the technology community. The awards also activate technology leaders and community members to help elevate and accelerate all women in tech.

After 15 years, weve seen this platform accelerate the trajectories of thousands of women and organizations throughout the technology sector, but we must do more to create the changes we need for women even faster, said Cydni Tetro, president of WTC. Creating this type of impact requires dedicated actions large and small that will help women in tech in everything from executive pathways to career development.

Award recipients were selected because of their impact on the technology sector and economy, their community contributions, and their work to inspire the community. The Student Pathway award recipient was given to an undergraduate student in the midst of their STEM degree for their promising work and dedication.

The 15th annual award recipients are as follows:



Lifetime Achievement: Ruth Novak

Operational Excellence: Manu Sood, AvidXchange

Rising Star: AJ Brau, Wander

Innovation Trailblazer: Sarah Wiley, Hightop

Leadership Excellence: Kiva Allgood, Sarcos

Education Excellence: Kristina Yamada, Utah State Board of Education

Trailblazing Innovator: Kirsten Timms, Myriad Genetics

Transformation Leadership: Travis Hallstrom, Passive Logic

Tech Leadership: Pallavi Ranade Kharkar, Intermountain Healthcare

Impact Award: Scott Anderson, Zions Bancorporation

Student Pathway: Jessica Stratton, Weber State University

As part of the awards and the organizations commitment to accelerating women in tech, the awards also recommitted all technology community members to the One More Challengea challenge to do one more thing within their current scope of work and life to help accelerate a woman in tech, and the challenge to do one more thing to magnify and maximize opportunities when theyre given. Everyone at the event committed to a specific action in each of these two areas, and technology leaders shared their One More achievements in the last year and their commitments for the year to come.

In addition to the award recipients, the following 13 finalists and 2 student finalists were also honored:



Alexa Kalandiak, Mechanical Engineer, PassiveLogic

Amy Frampton, Head of Marketing, BambooHR

Amy Jo Moore, Design Engineering Director, Northrop Grumman

Anesha McCormick, Director of Product, Pluralsight

Hau Moy Kwan, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Salt Lake Community College

Heidi Anderson, Chief Information Officer, Prestige Financial Services, Inc.

Julia Silge, Data Scientist & Software Engineer, RStudio PBC

Katie Neilson, Co-Founder & President, Assure

Krista Pappas, SVP Information Technology, Entrata

Melanie Robinson, CEO, WEBB

Natalie Birrell, SVP Engineering, Entrata

Steph Couzin, VP Go to Market Strategy & Operations, Lucid Software

Sunnie Giles, General Partner, Lane VC

Student finalist: Ashlyn Hansen, University of Utah

Student finalist: Reagan Baxter, Utah State University

The awards were held in partnership with Adobe, Clearlink, Divvy, Domo, Entrata, EY, Health Catalyst, Pelion Venture Partners and Vivint Smart Home, with networking sponsor Sorenson Capital and media sponsor TechBuzz.

Media Contact:

media@womentechcouncil.com

About Women Tech Council:

Founded in 2007, The Women Tech Council (WTC) focuses on the economic impact of women in driving growth for the technology sector. WTC builds programs that amplify and create tech talent to support more women in technology careers from high school to the board room. Through these programs, WTC offers mentoring, visibility, opportunities and networking to more than 10,000 women and men working in technology, has activated more than 25,000 girls to pursue STEM fields, and helps organizations create business environments focused on high performance, not just diversity, where men and women can succeed. These efforts propel individual careers and the talent pipeline by ensuring a strong, diverse, and entrepreneurial technology workforce.

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The Riyadh International Book Fair opened with a two-day long Publishers Conference, held September 27-28, which offered of talks from global publishing executives to foster professional development. Topics under discussion included audiobook trends, childrens book publishing, distribution challenges, the future of storytelling, book marketing, self-publishing, translation, and the best means of developing the book marketing the Middle East.

Professionals attended from across the region, including from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Turkey, as well as from Australia, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Among those from the U.S. were Michele Cobb, executive director of the Audio Publishers Association; Dan Gerstein, CEO of Gotham Ghostwriters; Kempton Mooney, director of client development for NPD Group; publishing consultant Lorraine Shanley; and Chad Post, publisher of Open Letter Books.

Saudi Arabia has long been considered a closed book market, but the past few years have seen the country open to more international collaboration, as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 program, which aims to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop such public service sectors as education, health, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism. As part of this, the new Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission (LPTC) was established in the governments ministry of culture with a mandate to foster more publishing activity in the country. Professional education for publishers is part of that agenda.

One key challenge facing the industry is a relatively low literacy rate of just 60%, though the countrys 330 publishers produce some 8,000 books per year, according to Abdulkarim Alagil, chairman of the Saudi Publishing Association, who cited statistics dating to 2018. Data, it became clear over the two days of panels, is sorely needed for the industry to advance, and a study of the market is underway as is an effort to begin establishing a unified database tracking books and book sales in the country.

Translation is top priority for the 2030 program, and Alagil said that the industry would like to see some 25,000 books translated in the next few years, with as many as 5,000 coming from English. Saudis have to read to learn about other peoples point of view and vision, he said.

To this end, the LPTC established the Tarjim translation initiative. The first year, 2021, we funded the translation of 292 books and 42 academic cultural journals, all from a total of 11 languages said Hailah Alkhalaf, director of translation at LPTC. A total of 23 Saudi publishing houses participated in the program, though Alkhalaf would like to see many more take part. This year, we have doubled the number of grants to 500 and we are actively looking for books in key subject areas that have been underserved by translation, such as philosophy and nonfiction childrens books and graphic novels, she said, but we are open to talking to anyone with good ideas and good books.

Among the books that have been funded by the program are translations of several titles by 2021 Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah, classics including At Swim-Two-Birds by the Irish writer Brian O'Nolan, and such contemporary bestsellers as The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. But the translation of ideas isnt just going one way: the Saudi Research & Media Group, one of the most prominent media companies in the Middle East, is also planning on launching a new books division.

The Riyadh International Book Fair runs from September 29-October 11 and will feature booths and book stalls from 1,000 exhibitors, as well as numerous cultural events throughout the city of Riyadh.
For The Real Dada Mother Goose, Jon Scieszka and Julia Rothman serve up six variations each on six familiar nursery rhymes36 examples of classics remixed, reimagined, and deconstructed so they become a haiku, encoded messages, and even a book report. For Scieszka, it meant coming full circle with the cheeky nonsense of his iconoclastic classic, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, illustrated by Lane Smith, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. For Rothman, who draws the graphic journalism Scratch column for the New York Times with writer Shaina Feinberg, it was an opportunity to work in a new style with a new collaborator. PW spoke with them about the childrens literature equivalent of putting new wine in old bottlesand putting blue boots on geese.

Jon Scieszka

Whats the books origin story?

Thats exactly what every kid asks methis story I actually know. I remember it was seven years ago now, I was at home thinking about what I should work on next, and that it should be fun. I went through my whole library and took out everything I really liked and I ended up with stuff by funny writers and a bunch of nonsense writers and childrens booksTomi Ungerer, Ogden Nash, S.J. Perelman, Robert Benchley. With that was a bunch of artists books, Dada books, collections of Zen koans, fairy tales, nursery rhymes. And there was Exercises in Style [by Raymond Queneau]its not completely obscure, but if you try to explain what it is to people who dont know what it is, it just gets worse.

I really like the idea of nonsense mixed with really ancient writing for kids, and I thought, What if I did nursery rhymes in lots of different ways? Thats my favorite kind of writingdoing something and twisting it and going way too far with it.

We sent it to a bunch of publishers. The challenge to them was, Its not for a preschool audience. We dont want to get stuck in nursery rhyme land. I absolutely wanted kids to look at that and say, I can do that too. 

We had a great auctionSteve Malk is my agent, and hes big on the one-shot auction. [Im happy that] it landed at Candlewick because Liz [Elizabeth Bicknell] is such a nursery rhyme fanshes done the Opie books, and shes an incredible Anglophile; the place is nursery rhyme central. And I do love the people that Candlewick has published: Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen, Kate DiCamillo, Carson Ellis. These people make beautiful books.

How did you get teamed up with Julia Rothman?

That was just a thing of brilliance. I showed the text to a couple of illustrator friends of mine, they said Scieszka, this is crazy, I cant do that, it looks like your brain just exploded. Ive always wanted to be really involved with the artists that do my books, ever since I started out with Lane [Smith]. And from the beginning, I knew this had to be a playful thing, because its eminently adaptable.

The Dada guys were the first champions of photo montage and manipulating stuffremixing photos and textso I was thinking, What if we had a Dada collage approach, so that the variations were done visually as well as in the text? And the original Blanche Fisher Wright artwork was done early enough that it was copyright free.

I didnt have anybody in mind. I follow a bunch of collage artists but I didnt know them. My daughter Casey and her husband are really active in the illustration world and they realized that they knew Julia from Brooklyn and she knows a million people from Women Who Draw [the organization that Rothman co-founded with Wendy MacNaughton].

We made a date and met at a bar in Brooklyn, and I asked Julia if she knew anyone who was good at collage. I remember her saying, Are you asking me if I can do this? I said I hadnt assumed but if shed like to try it that would be spectacular. Within a couple of days she sent me some ideas for what the Humpty Dumpty rhymes could be. And I said thats itits tweaking the Blanche Fisher Wright art just enough.

The book is co-dedicated to Wright and you pay tribute to her in your afterword. Can you talk about that?

I grew up with her version and read it to my kids and still read it to my grandkids, who are a bit mystified by itit doesnt age particularly well. Years ago, I remember looking into her story and there was absolutely nothing. Im actually working on expanding her Wikipedia entryIve been searching her on genealogy sites and collecting her books. We know a lot more about her, like that she adopted a kid who became the illustrator Gordon Laite. But as we also know of that era, no illustrator got credit. You got the assignment, you did it, and that was it.

All the mischief in the book is attributed to the Dada Geesea flock of birds who wear blue boots and are a visual running thread through all the rhymes. What was behind the idea for them?

I had the idea that the Dada Geese would be a stand-in for kidsI was thinking one character. The flock is totally a Julia invention that came from our going back and forth. Their little workshop [shown on the books first spread] cracks me up. Their boots are great. Theyre goofythey let kids know that were not being mean in messing with the art, that this is being playful and honoring it, doing something even more fun.

By the way, heres something nobody has mentioned in the reviews yet: the changes I made to the rhymes are in blue. If you look at the censored variation [in the Humpty Dumpty chapter], the censoring is in blue. That came to me as we were messing around, sending things back and forth to Liz and Julia.

Theres such an array of styles. How did you come up with them?

I had picked a collection of nursery rhymes that were all about the same length so they didnt go on for too long. [The variations] were whatever came to meEsperanto could have been any of them. Simile Excessively for Twinkle, Twinkle was pure, Dada fun stylethere could have been 20 or 30 variations on that one. Im at a point in my career where I love this part of the process, everything is possiblehow can we solve this, heres another tweak we can do.

In addition to Esperanto, Haiku, N+7 (a nonsense language invented by Raymond Queneaus Oulipo group) and other variations, there are parodies of the kind of drudgery writing expected from kids at schoola book report variation of Jack Be Nimble, a pop quiz variation of Hey, Diddle Diddle. That has to be rooted in your experience as a teacher, right?

I mined 10 years of elementary school teaching. I used to read hysterical papers like the book report. They [students] know exactly what theyre supposed to write in that formulaic-y way: How did I feel, what will happen next. I just entertained myself to no endI have a lot of variations.

This book makes such a matched set with The Stinky Cheese Man, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Maybe that was kind of a mental thingsome kind of an arc, although it wasnt immediately apparent to me.

Great segue. Lets talk about The Stinky Cheese Manwhat are your thoughts about it 30 years on?

I wrote Dada Goose seven or eight years agoit took all this time to makebut having the publication date be 30 years after the pub date for Stinky is kind of nice. It gives me a great feeling about childrens books in general. Theres so much variety out thereso different from 30 years ago. And kids are still just as funny and playful as they were 30 years ago.

And I feel so honored and lucky to realize now Ive been able to make a living writing books for kids. Thats crazy. I never would have thought thats where I was going. Doing the same kind of thing, messing around with the existing stuff, tweaking it, hoping to get kids to laugh and motivating them to be readers, not lecturing them. I love that belly laughthat is such a reward.

Do you see your role as a self-proclaimed anarchistas seen on your websitemeaning or demanding something different than it did 30 years ago?

When I was just trying to sell The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! and The Stinky Cheese Man, being an anarchist within the childrens book business was easyI was reacting to all the sappy books out there. Whats happened is so funny: a whole generation that grew up on The Stinky Cheese Man is in their mid to late 30s and theyre in charge of stuff now. Were talking to people at Netflix, and they all loved itI read that book every day when I was growing up. When Lane and I were pitching to publishing houses and Nickelodeon back then, we heard, This is too weird.

Childrens books have gotten more meta. Of course, that was the adult fiction I loved [30 years ago]everything meta, like John Barth and Thomas Pynchon. I thought, Im going to write meta fiction like that. And then I started teaching, where I had the revelation that kids are meta. Theyre the original Dadaists. Second graders say, Ill put a moustache on anything.

Youve traveled extensively to bookstores, classrooms, and libraries to promote your books and reading. Do you expect to do that again for this book?

Im just starting to arrange a couple of things. Im doing a local event at the Community Bookstore in Park Slope, Brooklyn on October 15. The other big event is for the opening of The Rabbit HOle, the new museum for kids books in Kansas City. Im on the board there. It was started by the people who owned Reading Reptile [Pete Cowdin and Debbie Pettid].

Youve always been committed to literacy and helping connect your books to the classroom. Teachers need allies more than ever these days. How do you think this book could be valuable to them?

I taught elementary school for 10 years in New York, first grade through eighth grade. Mostly I was a second-grade homeroom teacher, which I lovedtheyre reading everything, thats when kids become readers or not. Thats when they become writers and grow their sense of humor.

I had it the easiest because I was in a private school: I had small classes, support from the administration, wonderful co-teachers. It breaks my heart to see teachers getting run out of the business by people who are so uninformed about what teachers do. That's why I was sure to include all the back [explanatory] matter thats in The Real Dada Mother Goose. I didnt want teachers to have to go searching for whats an anagram or whats military code.

Whats next for you?

I love working with my son-in-law, Steven Weinbergits great to work with younger people. He and I have another project going.

Ive also got my own take on Aesops fables, called Fables for Tough Times. Its with Penguin. These were written all through the pandemic and there are some dark ones. Its for a middle school or teenage audience, which is new for me. But Im drawn to that teenage audience because I think theyre looking for some hard-core, ugly truthsbut still funny.

Julia Rothman

Can you tell us about that first meeting with Jon?

Jon brought the manuscript with him, and he started showing me and telling me ideas. He said, Ive done this sort of wordplay deconstruction of Blanche Fisher Wrights book, and I want something to go with it. He really wanted to use the art from the book, so that would be deconstructed as well.

When someone has a project and theyre super excited and have a vision that you can see and imagine how it can beit didnt take too much convincing. It was sort of out of my comfort zone. I dont work this way pretty much ever. We agreed Id try playing with it and see how it went. It was fun.

How did it feel to work with such iconic images?

Of course its a super famous book. I recognized it immediately and remember it from my childhood really well.

I made this rule for myself: that everything [for the books artwork] would be from the book, there would be no outside collage at all. If there was any kind of pattern needed, Id take it from the book. If I needed any kind of object, Id take it from the book. And if I couldnt find it, then Id draw it.

Art from the [original] book was pulled out and digitally cut up in Photoshop, and then painted with gouache. I also used a uniball pen on top of gouache, and then collaged.

Whats it like to be a member of the club of Jon Scieszka illustrators? Its a pretty selective group.

I know hes a superstar and I love his energy, and it was super exciting to work with him. But its not really my world, the picture book community.

Ive only done three other picture booksthey were with Phaidon and they were collaborations with a friend of mine. I know when I talk to other illustrators they say, Thats incredible, Ive wanted to work with him forever and its such a big dealthats how I know theres a club. 

 I hope kids will try their own versions, that they're inspired to think how they can deconstruct something and see how many variations of the thing they can do.  Julia Rothman 

How did the collaboration work? Did you run ideas by each other?

It was very collaborative, which is how I like to work. Whether its with Shaina on Scratch or someone else, its natural for me to work closely with somebody. What I love about collaboration is I could take his ideas and add a little of myself, too. It wasnt just like carrying out a task. When we were doing the postcard variation for Humpty Dumpty, I suggested we make the postcard to Mom and Dad Dumpty and he said, Love it. 

He had imagined the Dada Geese [who announce theyre taking over the book in the introduction] as one or two characters, but I sort of let that go and made it a whole flock of geese. He thought maybe they should have some wild color or spots, and I didnt want them to be that wild, so I put boots on them, and he said Perfect. Hes doing so much silliness and wordplay that I felt that the geese should be cool-looking but not steal the show.

Thats how I felt about the illustrations in general, too. There are some picture books where the illustrations are full-bleed and all that, but it wasnt the right thing for this book. The illustrations just needed to complement.

The team at Candlewick was collaborative, too. We had one initial meeting where we all sat aroundthis was in person before pandemic timesand went through book page by page; they had ideas, Jon had ideas, and I had ideas. Then I worked with Amy Berniker, the art director, and Jon worked with Elizabeth Bicknell, the editor. For the most part Amy was hands off, and after I did things, she fixed up the typography.

This is a relatively big bookhow long did your part take? What were the most challenging aspects?

We met before the pandemic and started working on it, and then during the pandemic there was a period when it was on hold. Then we got back to it and quickly wrapped up. But for a long time it was slowly coming together.

It was like a puzzle: if two nursery rhymes are mashed up [as they are for Hickory, Dickory, Dock and Twinkle, Twinkle] how do you show that in a picture? How do you show a simile? How do you show an anagram? What if the boy in the illustration is trying to make anagrams out of the stars? I had to match the text, but also match the Mother Goose illustrations with something of my own.

Has this opened up new aesthetic possibilities for you?

I think I get stuck a little bit sometimes, I think the same way, so forcing myself to work in a new medium changed the work a little. But I showed this to a friend and he said, Of course it looks just like your work, the geese are yours.

A lot of the time I think illustration is so important and for this book I really felt like the text should be the focusit was cool to accompany it and not be the star. Sometimes you do a book thats about the illustration, and this is about both.

I also got to play with typography when I did those chapter openers. I mixed up fonts and messed with them and that was fun to doI never get to do that.

Your Scratch column is notable for its diversitywhat was it like to work with images of white-skinned characters wearing old-fashioned clothing?

It definitely came up in the beginning. [The solution] was adding characters when we could that were diverse.

I really like Boring [Humpty Dumpty appears surrounded by hand-drawn soldiers of various skin tones and genders] because it was a chance to paint in my own characters and show some people of color. In one of The Hubbard Variations I was able to put in a female scientist [who also has darker skin]. Otherwise it really would be all-white characters. I thought about replacing the original characters, but we really wanted to work with characters from the original.

The book is being marketed for ages seven to 10. What do you hope readers will take away from it?

I think its for any ageand theyll find it silly and creative and fun, even if youre reading it to them. I hope kids will try their own versions, that theyre inspired to think how they can deconstruct something and see how many variations of the thing they can do.

Theres a joint dedication to Blanche Fisher Wright. Why was it important to you both?

Jon made his dedication to her, and I thought, gee, Im taking her art and working with it and messing with itIm probably the one who should be thanking her, so I said, Ill add my dedication to yours. I hope she was a creative, playful person and wouldnt mind it. And I hope someday somebody does the same to my work, too.

Whats next for you?

I just signed with Candlewick again for a picture book with Shaina based on our Scratch column. Were interviewing 20 people about their professions, and the working title is Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker which Im psyched about. It will be very similar to Scratch in that well talk to real people all over the world about their jobs and use all their real wordsonly quotes from them. So far we have a wildlife veterinarian, a bagel baker, a flower farmerjobs we find fascinating that we think kids wouldnt know about it. Were looking for diversity in all kinds of ways, in terms of who the people are and where theyre from. There are so many kids books that dont share the range of careers that people can have and the types of people who can have those careers. We want to open peoples eyes to that, and show that everybody has a place where they can do the things they want to do.

The Real Dada Mother Goose: A Treasury of Complete Nonsense by Jon Scieszka, illus. by Julia Rothman. Candlewick, $19.99 Oct. 11 ISBN 978-0-7636-9434-0
On September 22, literacy organization NABU partnered with New York City work and social space NeueHouse for a panel called Read to Rise, a discussion focusing on the role of childrens books in reducing global poverty levels and working towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals. The panel took place as part of the 77th annual UN General Assembly week.

The panelists were Coretta Scott King Award recipient and childrens author Andrea Pinkney; Ina Progonati, digital equity program and partnerships global lead, social impact at HP; Michael Hagen, senior v-p and general manager, Literacy Pro and Collections at Scholastic; Tanyella Evans, CEO and co-creator of NABU; and Yasmine Sherif, director of UN global fund Education Cannot Wait. The panel was moderated by Sarah Acer, chief social impact officer of the LEDE Company.

The event kicked off with a question about the state of education and literacy across the globe, which caused the panelists to reflect on how their hands-on experiences with communities in need of access to literacy shaped their understanding of how much people were willing to risk for the opportunity for education.

Sherif talked about her work through Education Cannot Wait her time working with refugee populations from Venezuela crossing at the border into Columbia. Every parent and child you speak to as they cross the border and you ask, Why are you leaving? they say, We want our children to have an education. We want to give them the best education for their life, Sherif said.

Reading is about empowering a human being to reach their potential. Without reading you cant access information, she continued. You cannot learn. You cant travel into imagination; your creativity cant develop. You are disabling someone without literacy.

 Reading is about empowering a human being to reach their potential. Without reading you can't access information. You cannot learn. You can't travel into imagination; your creativity can't develop.  Yasmine Sherif 

Evans, whose NABU organization aims to resolve the global literacy crisis by providing mother-tongue language books sourced from local authors and artists, shared a similar sentiment in her own work with communities in Kenya and beyond. We see for children and families in poverty and the communities were working with that they lack access to books in languages they speak and understand, and so they dont have access to literacy gains [that will benefit them later in life]. Its robbed from them, Evans noted.

Though literacy is a huge problem for many children across the globe, panelists identified the subsection of young girls as a crucial subgroup in dire need of tools to access literacy.

In her research for her book The Red Pencil, which centers on a girl in the midst of the Sudan war who dreams of learning to read and write, Pinkney discovered that there are 523 million girls on the planet who cannot read or write. Thats a big number. That adds up in my mind to the tragedy of knowledge poverty, she said. We, all of us in this room, we are the rescue squad. We have the opportunity to make that change.

Evans added to Pinkneys sentiment, noting that young women being able to read has several kinds of benefits outside of education and economic mobility, citing how the ability to read increases the chances of women having smaller, healthier families, and reduces chances of sexual exploitation.

Working Together to End Global Illiteracy

The subject of the conversation then shifted to focus on partnerships, and how nonprofit organizations can work together to attain the tools needed to reach the goal of spreading literacy across the globe.

Progonati succinctly expressed that its about who you work with when it comes to achieving large scale goals such as accelerating digital acuity for 150 million people by 2030, which is HPs mission. In 2021, HP partnered with NABU and girls education nonprofit Girl Rising to encourage children to work against harmful sexist stereotypes.

We at HP rely on working on the right partners, Progonati explained. The idea behind it is let us find the experts in the industries that actually know what they are doing, and make sure we can give them the right resources. Both HP and Scholastic have partnered with NABU to help provide books to communities in need of literacy tools. Scholastics partnership utilizes authors and creators from within marginalized communities to create books in mother-tongue languages, which were then expanded into collections and made available worldwide for readers of all ages to engage with other cultures.

We had an obligation at Scholastic to partner with someone like NABU, because the [mother tongue] books didnt exist. Hagen said. Theyre doing the work and they need someone like ourselves or HP to step up and make sure kids have access to them.

The NABU Mission

Closing out the conversation, the panelists shifted their attention to NABUs mission to resolve illiteracy through mother-tongue books and the involvement of the responsibility of the private sector in resolving the global literacy crisis.

Evans explained the three central tenets included in NABUs goal to resolve global literacy crisis by 2030, the first of which is the authentic book creation lab, which highlights artists and creators from around the world to publish approximately 300 books a year in mother-tongue languages, which readers can access through the second aspect, NABUs low-bandwidth app, available on iOS and Google Play. The final strategy is NABUs Bridge to Literacy program, which hires local ambassadors to connect with locals to help expand NABUs reach.

On what drives NABUs mission to provide mother-tongue books and make them accessible, its a love of readingthats the secret sauce. Evans said. Its not just about providing children with books. But with books they want to engage with, and books theyll love.
Publishing veteran Gretchen Young is ready to begin a new chapter in her decades-long career. In a statement released on September 28, Post Hill Press publisher Anthony Ziccardi announced that Young will be launching a new standalone imprint at the company called Regalo Press. The imprint will be distributed by Simon & Schuster, as are books from other imprints from Post Hill Press.

Throughout her career, Gretchen has published award winners and scores of New York Times bestsellers, said Ziccardi. Youngs eye for books that resonate with readers will be crucial to developing works under the imprints broad genre focus, including such topics as fiction, biography, memoir, social justice and female empowerment, Ziccardi said, adding: Im honored that Gretchen has decided to create this extraordinary new imprint at Post Hill Press.

For Young, the imprint is an opportunity to publish great books and give back. Integrating philanthropy into the book publishing business, Regalo will donate a portion beyond the authors book advance to a charity of the authors choice at the acquisition stage. The donation will be completed when the book is ready to publish.

It is our aim to inspire others to give by showing that it can be integrated into the way any industry functions, and to propel our operations toward this end without ever sacrificing the quality of what we publish, Young said, in a statement about her new career path. Our guiding principle is that the only thing better than creating a great book is harnessing that greatness in the service of others.

Young spent the last 10 years as v-p and executive editor at Grand Central Publishing, editing books by a range of authors, including Caroline Kennedy, Pulitzer prize winning writer Oscar Hijuelos, theater giant Kenny Leon, civil rights leader John Lewis.

Young spoke with PW about how she plans to bring her award-winning publishing formula to Regalo to make the imprint a success.

At this juncture in your career, why was Post Hill Press a good fit for your next step? Considering your decorated background of successful titles, what do you hope to bring to this new imprint?

I have known Anthony Ziccardi for a long time. We worked together at HarperCollins in the 90s, which was my first publishing job. I have always admired Anthonys entrepreneurial spirit and energyhe's innovative, takes chances, and I've watched Post Hill Press grow steadily over the years as a publisher of all different genres. Also, I have wanted to create a publishing business model with a charitable component for some time now. Anthony was immediately receptive to the idea and gave me the platformand the operational flexibilityto make it a reality. Publishing great books and doing good, that's the Regalo Press mission, and Anthony shares that vision with me.

This imprint sounds like an exciting venture, with each title benefiting a charity or cause close to the author. Could you tell me what the first title published under the imprint will be? What subject will it focus on?

Prior to this article youre writing, no one knows where I have landed, so these first books are just now taking form. I do have several in the early stages of being lined up, including two really special memoirs, a unique self-help title, and a pop culture-based title. Like all Regalo Press books, a donation will be made to a cause or charity of the authors choice, and these donations do not come out of the authors advance but rather from the imprint itself. Of course, we hope our authors will also voluntarily contribute, but we lead the way.

Post Hill Press has a tradition of publishing titles that are focused on conservative subjects. How will this imprint differ in tone and focus compared to what is published under Post Hill?

Regalo Press is not a conservative-focused publisher. We will choose books based on the same criteria I have used throughout my career in the industry. We are looking for well-written, engaging books by people with stories to tell that are interesting, or important, or humorous, or moving. I have published books by individuals from all over the political spectrum, but for the most part I have also avoided overtly political titlestheyre just not my thing. If you look holistically at Post Hills various imprints, you can see they do publish across all categoriesjust like a Big 5 publisherand Regalo will be the latest standalone imprint under the Post Hill umbrella.

The name Regalo suggests a focus on a Spanish-speaking audience. Considering your master's in Spanish language, did this have an influence on the imprints focus?

I chose Regalo because I wanted a word that was both lyrical and suggestive of the imprints mission. Regalo means gift in both Italian and Spanish. I am part Italian, and I am also a lifelong student of Spanish literature. Regalo is not aimed at any one ethnic group or demographic. The imprint will be broadly focused and we will embrace any title that meets our criteria.

In your role, how will you measure success beyond sales?

The first metric will be how well received our books are, and the second will be how much impact did the book have on the charity or cause involvednot just in terms of the donation but also how much the book raised awareness that could potentially lead to additional charitable support. Lets face it, we all hope to have national bestselling books. But I honestly believe that giving back is just good business, and I will consider Regalo Press a huge success if it helps prove that theory correct.

A 'growing embrace of social responsibility in the corporate realm' is being felt across all industries, especially when it comes to communications platforms and mediums such a books, you said. Considering the wide impact publishing has on spreading ideas, what duty do you feel publishers have to help shape the 'ethical framework' in the service of others?

My answer is twofold. First, publishings impact on spreading ideas is, as you say, enormous, and even though other media have now taken the lead in shaping public opinion, book publishing is still the best source of in depth information sharingthe last bastion, if you will, of ideas presented with the necessary context and background. I think this dovetails with the Regalo Press mission because the better we understand the true state of the world around us, the better able we are to see what needs fixing and to appreciate the importance of charity. Secondly, I think traditionally publishers have had to focus on the industrys narrow profit margin, so the possibility of incorporating charity into the business model was just never considereduntil now. It is my hope that Regalo Press will not only benefit important charities and causes across the globe, but also that the success of our model will help establish a new normal in book publishing and contribute to a positive feedback loop with readers that promotes charity by example.
Speaking to independent booksellers across Canada, it seems as if theyve been feeling pinched and proud in equal measure. Even as the country moves into a new stage of the pandemicone without mask mandates or much in the way of gathering limitsmany of the same troubles that have plagued bookselling over the past two-plus years persist.

For some, like Canadian Independent Booksellers Association board member Lori Cheverie, the issues start with the supply chain. Cheverie is store manager of Prince Edward Islands Bookmark and chair of CIBAs supply chain committee. She said that stores have shifted their strategy away from asking for a few copies of a broad variety of books and toward placing larger orders of fewer books earlier and earlier.

Cathy Jesson, president and co-owner of British Columbiabased Black Bond Books, said pricing for the fall is whats causing her concerns. When Im looking at a C$42 Grisham, Im thinking, where is the tipping point going to finally be? she said. And to me, C$41, C$42 fiction and close to C$50 nonfiction is really pushing it.

Despite the myriad issues that have come with the pandemic, some bookstores, like Penny University in Regina, Saskatchewan, have found ways to build their businesses. Owner Annabel Townsend said that opening in fall 2020 after the provinces first large-scale lockdown provided some advantages, namely a hungry customer base. Suddenly everybody was actually tackling their to-be-read piles, Townsend said. And I do think people suddenly started reading a lot more when they were stuck at home. For the first six months or so, while I was waiting to get the doors open, I started doing this book subscription service, and doing contactless delivery, and delivering random books to people around the city.

Still, unexpected challenges remained, including flooding in British Columbia. Our shipments from anywhere other than inside Canada all go through the port in Richmond, and that was very, very stressful, Townsend said. I think our big Christmas order turned up on the 21st of December.

Lots of in-store events had to be changed because of store capacity restrictions and other pandemic challenges. Weve only recently been able to do those events properly, Townsend noted. She also worries about the lack of communication between publishers and booksellers. Her advice to publishers, especially local ones, is to communicate earlier and better with independent bookstores so that books can end up on shelves.

Townsend isnt alone in starting a bookstore during the pandemic. In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Willow Press founder Meghan Malcolm expanded the companys business to include a bookstore in September 2021. Malcolm said part of their mission, particularly with offerings for young readers, is to spark conversations about lived experiences that arent often represented in publishing. Its a mission thats informed by their own story.

We have a family that is not like, mom, dad, brother, sister. I have a girlfriend, Malcolm said. Me and my kids are white, but my girlfriend is Black; they have another home. So something we ran into a lot was not being able to find books that show a family like theirs, or even just books that start conversations the way that I would like to talk about things with them.

Malcolm recommends the First Conversation Series from Penguin Random House to others seeking books in this vein. The project includes books by Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli for young readers about race, gender, and consent, with titles on love and bodies forthcoming in 2023. Malcolm said that their wider goal, given that their store has such a small footprint, is to be intentional about their selections and suggestions for customers. For adult readers, that means recommending titles like Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Eastons The Ethical Slut and Jessica Ferns Polysecure, books that Malcolm said sell as quickly as they can stock them. In fiction, Malcolm recommends Rebecca Roanhorses Black Sun and Katherena Vermettes The Strangers.

Malcolm is working on an expansion that will allow them to hold workshops and events in the shop. Still, they believe that the stores small size has been a strength. I cant carry everything, but thats kind of turned into why its special to people, they said, because I bring in really, really select things.

Support from near and far

Local support is also important for Calgarys Shelf Life Books. Manager Karlene Nicolajsen said that the stores founders, retailer William Lawrence and English professor, writer, and Thistledown Press publisher JoAnn McCaig, have focused on community since Shelf Life opened in 2010. JoAnns very firmly rooted in the Can Lit scene, Nicolajsen said. And the goal, then and now, was to make sure the space carried a lot of Canadian content, a lot of small press, and just serve its surrounding community and the city at large.

Nicolajsen estimates that around half of her stores bestsellers over the past year have been titles by Indigenous authors, including Drew Hayden Taylors Me Tomorrow: Indigenous Views on the Fugure and Michelle Goods Five Little Indians. She said some of the stores most anticipated titles thus far in 2022, like Canada Reads winner Joshua Whiteheads recently released debut nonfiction book Making Love with the Land, reflect readers interest in Indigenous stories and histories. Its a trend shes glad is continuing. Thats something thats really important to us, she said.

Cheverie said her store in Charlottetown, a tourist destination on Prince Edward Island, is seeing the return of traffic that was absent the previous two summers. Our tourism has certainly bounced back this year, she noted. And were seeing numbers higher than 2019, which was a record year then.

According to Cheverie, during the earlier stages of the pandemic, her customers were focused on hyperlocal books and authors, but interests have since broadened. Many of the books shes excited about this fallsuch as David Adams Richardss The Tragedy of Eva Mott, Wayne Johnstons Jennies Boy: A Newfoundland Childhood, and Ann-Marie MacDonalds Fayneare Canadian. She is still concerned about whether the forces of the publishing world will derail her timeline, however. If the planets align and they actually can ship the books, itll be great, she said.

Like in the U.S., Canadian bookstores have all seen an uptick in sales of books promoted on TikTokparticularly those for teens and young adults. In addition, titles like Alex Michaelidess The Silent Patient are fueling what Black Bond Books Jesson called a mystery wave. Much like Barnes & Noble in the U.S., Indigo, Canadas dominant bookstore chain, launched a dedicated TikTok book club and focuses a part of its online store on titles made popular by the social media platform. Jesson said booksellers and publishers need to recognize that the trend is building new readers.

TikTok titles are bringing people into the stores whom weve never seen before, Jesson said. I sometimes think that maybe reading wasnt high on their list until all of a sudden it is. They are spending a lot of money. Alongside mysteries, romantic comedies have also been driving engagement in new groups, largely teens and those in their early 20s, and that its leading to a boon in sales.

For younger readers, Cheverie said titles like Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey are also big sellers. There again, though, Jesson is concerned about the prices shes seeing. She called childrens hardcovers priced at C$25 a hard sell, noting, If publishers are smart, and they do them in a trade paper edition, we can sell that, but its becoming really, really clear to us whats not working with our massive returns on [hardcovers].

The benefits of CIBA

Chris Hall, CIBA board president and co-owner of McNally Robinson in Winnipeg and Saskatoon, said that one of the benefits of the organization is its ability to bring booksellers together to concentrate on their collective issues. Instead of having 100-plus individual voices, it allows us to speak in a coordinated way and share our solutions with each other and our frustrations with each other, he explained, but then also bring that into a coherent conversation with publishers in such a way that they can respond to that.

One win Hall said CIBA was involved in was securing federal government funding specifically for booksellersa C$32 million ($25 million) package that came to pass in March. In terms of titles hes seen fly off shelves, he mentioned Manitoba author Miriam Toewss Fight Night; he also expects high sales for two upcoming titles: The Theory of Crows by David Alexander Robertson and Tasha Pillett-Sumners Beautiful You, Beautiful Me.

Hall said that while the ongoing rise of Indigenous authors is a welcome sign, publishers must continue to focus on not just publishing these titles but putting marketing budgets behind them. Thats the challenge that remains, he said. And from being face-to-face with customers, my sense is that they are willing and anxious to read a wide number of perspectives on what its like to be living.

One thing appears to be clear when it comes to Canadas indie booksellers: just like their U.S. counterparts, they are sailing stormy seas while surviving similar waves.

John Loeppky, a frequent contributor to PW, is a disabled writer and editor who lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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Ryan Reynolds announced on social media Tuesday that Deadpool 3 will feature Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine. He also announced the sequel's release date of Sept. 6, 2024.

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Deadpool 3 will be the first Deadpool film made since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. At Fox, Deadpool was tangentially part of the X-Men universe, having introduced Reynolds' character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and included other character cameos in Reynolds' films.

Jackman previously insisted that 2017's Logan was his last appearance as the character. Logan was set in the future as Wolverine's powers were declining, so there is room for him to appear prior to the events of that film.

Reynolds set up the video speaking to the camera. Jackman walks by in the background and Reynolds asks if he'll play Wolverine one more time.

Jackman responds, "Yeah, sure, Ryan." Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" plays and the video continues to make puns like "Coming Hughn."

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Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 is National Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month  a month dedicated to honoring a subpopulation that makes up only 6.3% of the University of Georgias student body and 18.7% of Georgians. Hispanic and Latinx students have created a thriving ecosystem of groups and organizations at the University of Georgia, one of which is the Hispanic and Latino Law Students Association.
Barbara Guerrero, a school librarian at Leland & Gray Union Middle and High School in Townshend, is going to be retiring, but before she does, she is working on scanning in pieces of ephemera relating to the history of the school.
A group in military fatigues walks in front of Jackman Hall on the campus of Norwich University on July 16, 2018, in Northfield. A student at a military college who sued top Pentagon officials after he was deemed unfit for service because he tested positive for HIV has settled his lawsuit and plans to pursue his dream of becoming an Army officer, his lawyers said Tuesday.
'I don't know what we're going to do without Ray': Town mourns loss of its biggest fan, Ray Massucco
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Democratic Ukraine offers an example of a state defending itself against an aggressive great power on its border.

Vietnams support for Russia during the latters illegal invasion of Ukraine is not surprising due to the long historical relationship between the two states, even though the justification for the attack creates a very dangerous legal precedent for Hanoi, coping with a territorially aggressive neighbor of its own. Russia is a strategic comprehensive partner, many ranks above the United States in Hanois diplomatic hierarchy. But Russian losses put the government in a very awkward position vis-a-vis its public who often use foreign policy as an oblique means to criticize the Communist Party.

Vietnam will forever be indebted to Russia for its support during the American War. In particular, the provision of some 7,600 advanced surface-to-air missiles denied the United States uncontested airspace. During Vietnams occupation of Cambodia in the 1980s, the Soviet Union provided significant amounts of weaponry and economic support and was one of the diplomatically isolated Hanois few allies.

Though economic aid and military assistance ceased by 1991, and the leadership in Hanoi was aghast at the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia became the main supplier of Vietnams military modernization program. At its peak, 80 percent of all Vietnamese military equipment was Russian. That number is coming down, but Russia still accounts for 74 percent of Vietnams imported weaponry, even amidst a diversification effort.

There remain close intelligence ties as well. Although the Soviets withdrew from their naval base in Cam Ranh Bay in 1991, they maintained their signals intelligence facility there, which remains operational. There continues to be close intelligence sharing and training. This fact is not lost on the 19-member Politburo, five of whom came out of the Ministry of Public Security.

On the diplomatic front, Vietnam largely blamed Ukraine for bringing the war on itself, by not managing great power competition correctly. The thinking went, that if Kyiv had Hanois 4 Nos and a Maybe foreign policy, they wouldnt have gotten themselves invaded.

But most of all, until the war, Putin was held in high regard in Vietnam by both the leadership and public alike. For a country perpetually torn between the United States and China, Putins Russia provided an interesting alternative pole that at least appeared self-reliant and somewhat independent.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) at the Government's Office in Hanoi, July 6, 2022. Credit: AFP Cool with it

At a time when Russia is increasingly diplomatically isolated, Hanoi has continued its embrace. Hanoi welcomed foreign minister Sergei Lavrov ahead of the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia. Lavrov reiterated Hanois concerns about non-interference and sovereignty, playing up fears of U.S. meddling in Vietnams domestic politics. Russia, he reminded his interlocutors was a benevolent power committed to Hanoi regime security.

Vietnam abstained in the vote to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but supported Russia in its bid to stay on the Human Rights Council. Vietnam also sent a military team to participate in Russias annual army games.

This prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel his visit to Hanoi. This was a very clear signal of displeasure towards a government that has been showered with attention since 2021, including visits by the Secretaries of Defense, State, and the Vice President, amongst others.

U.S.-Vietnam bilateral trade in 2021 was $112 billion, compared to a mere $5.54 billion with Russia. The United States is now Vietnams largest export market - accounting for 25.6 percent of all exports in 2021, and a source of high-tech investment.

The United States has already quietly sanctioned one Vietnamese firm for evading sanctions for Russia.

Georgian activists protest against mass immigration from Russia at the Kazbegi / Verkhniy Lars border crossing point between the two countries on September 28, 2022. The latest wave of Russian exiles since the conflict began in February has seen military-aged men pour into the Caucasus country. Credit: AFP Media carry disinformation

Vietnams state-controlled media was not as neutral as some suggest, and tended to be more pro-Russian from the start. Ukraine had a really hard time getting their message out amidst Russian disinformation.

There was some pro-Ukrainian sentiment in Vietnams lively Facebook groups. Some people were very sympathetic to the country being victimized by a rapacious neighbor. Others understood the legal precedent that China would take from Putins justification for war.

But by and large, the online sentiment was a pro-Russian and explicitly anti-western echo chamber. Two Vietnamese researchers who studied the 28 Facebook pages and groups found that there were eight pro-Russian out of patriotism and nostalgia, 18 that were patriotic/conservative and anti-western, and finally those that simply presented pro-Russian news takes.

Force-47, the Vietnam Peoples Armys (VPA) 10,000-man cyber watchdog and shaper force, has been active in blocking pro-Ukranian and anti-Russian sentiment while pushing the Russian narrative through its own network of influencers.

But Russian forces are now being humiliated and in the midst of a strategic collapse. Kyivs offensive has routed Russia in northern and eastern Ukraine. Over 1,500 square miles of territory have already been recaptured, as Russia was forced to implement their tactical withdraw plan. Putin had to address Chinese President Xi Jinpings concerns at the Shanghai Cooperation Organizations recent summit.

The setbacks in Ukraine forced Putin to order the countrys first military draft since the second world war, a "partial mobilization" of all reservists and able-bodied veterans. The order prompted demonstrations across Russia and triggered an exodus of fighting-age men to foreign countries. Resistance to the draft is further demonstration of President Putin's deteriorating control, and the rapid deployment of untrained troops is a sign of the regime's desperation.

For Hanoi, the real concern is that a greater questioning of Russian capabilities and Putins leadership will quickly morph into anti-party discussions. Government pundits have doubled down, and been dismissive of Russian losses.

And thats for a reason: Foreign policy debates have a nasty habit of turning into opportunities to question the leadership in Vietnam.

Soul searching

Russian losses should prompt concerns in Hanoi. Their military is dominated by Russian equipment. The VPA is still highly influenced by Soviet doctrine. Their military remains top down and unable for local commanders to seize the initiative. The VPA remains a party army, legally bound to defend the regime, not the state.

And Hanoi should be very concerned about the deleterious effects of corruption on force readiness, logistics, and operations. The once vaunted VPA has been caught in a number of corruption scandals of late, including a Covid-19 testing scheme, a Coast Guard procurement and protection racket scandals, and land. Russias military was hollowed out by endemic corruption, something thats become normalized in Vietnam.

Finally, Hanoi has to be alarmed that Russias very real losses will impact the VPAs own procurement. Russia must quickly recapitalize its forces, and do so in the face of continued sanctions and shortages of precision milling equipment and semiconductors. There will be a shortage of Russian spare parts for years, let alone delayed delivery schedules for new equipment and munitions. This has an immediate impact on Vietnams security.

Kyivs strong defense and now successful offense put Hanoi in a bind in one final way: Ukraines success was borne out of knowing Soviet doctrine, but adapting Western force structures, tactics, doctrine, and some western equipment. And what made all of that possible was their democratization. If anything Ukraine presents a much more compelling example of a state successfully defending itself against an aggressive great power on its borders. But that is an inconvenient truth for Hanoi.

Zachary Abuza is a professor at the National War College in Washington and an adjunct at Georgetown University. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Defense, the National War College, Georgetown University or RFA.
COVID ruined Chinas image, but its human rights record, military power, and economic policies are also concerns.

People stand in front of images of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing on Sept. 4, 2022.

Chinas global image took a precipitously more negative turn after President Xi Jinping took office in 2013, with Beijing taking the blame for the COVID-19 pandemic while also facing criticism for its human rights record, military posture and economic policies, data from a Washington-based research group showed.

Ahead of the Chinese Communist Partys 20th National Congress in October, the Pew Research Center on Wednesday published a report drawing on 20 years of surveys from more than 60 countries.

The people are basically good, but leader Xi is too controlling and should not be in power this long, a U.S. woman was quoted as saying in the essay. They need to let Hong Kong be an independent state as they promised and stop persecuting the Uyghurs.

A U.S. man acknowledged that China was on the rise but said trouble would soon follow.

A rising power that will become problematic when it cannot maintain growth. Xis style of authoritarianism is deeply worrying, he said.

Not all responses focused on specific issues.

Communist pigs. Not referring to ordinary people, they are the same as you and I, an Australian woman said. But their government is nasty including president Xi Jinping.

Chinas perceived mishandling of the pandemic affected global opinion, but negative feelings toward China were already on the rise prior to 2020.

Though there was slight variation from country to country, most countries followed the same trend as the U.S., where positive feelings toward China started to turn after Xis tenure began and worsened sharply around the time the pandemic started.

U.S friction

When Xi took office during President Obamas second term roughly four in 10 in the U.S. had a favorable view toward China, while between 30-40 percent of respondents held an unfavorable view of the country.

But as friction in the bilateral relationship grew due to Chinese land reclamation efforts in the South China Sea and the U.S.s negotiation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the percentage of Americans who looked at China unfavorably rose to more than half.

Opinion of China showed slight improvement during the first half of the Trump presidency but quickly turned sour as the trade war began in 2018. Among Republicans alone, negative views of China increased by 20 percent between 2018 and 2019.

By March 2020, when it had become clear that COVID had spread beyond Chinas borders, more than three-quarters of the U.S. population viewed China unfavorably. Chinas reputation in the U.S. continued to decline, with about 82 percent today viewing Beijing negatively, as concerns grow about human rights, its partnership with Russia despite Moscows invasion of Ukraine, and other issues.

The opinion of China in other countries, though showing similar trends as that in the U.S., varied according to the bilateral relationship.

In South Korea, negative feelings increased greatly following economic pressure from Beijing in 2017 in response to Seoul installing U.S. missile interceptor technology known as THAAD. Opinion worsened during the pandemic to around 80 percent unfavorable in 2022.

People in Japan held the most negative views of China. As bilateral tensions began to rise over territorial claims in the East China Sea in 2013, 93 percent of Japanese poll respondents said they viewed China unfavorably. In 2022, that number improved slightly to 87 percent, according to Pew.

In Australia, favorable views outnumbered unfavorable well into Xis presidency and did not reverse trend until the years between 2017 and 2019 as concerns grew that China was attempting to influence the countrys domestic politics. In 2022, 86 percent of Australians view China unfavorably, an 24 percentage point increase since 2019.

Though the Pew report noted that most of the ill feelings for China were directed at the government or Xi himself, it said that discrimination and harrasment of people of Chinese descent has increased in the U.S. and in other countries since the start of the pandemic.

Additionally, while respondents were for the most part careful to clarify that their negative feelings were limited to the Chinese government or its growing economic power, those who expressed negative views of the country were about 20 percentage points more likely to support restricting Chinese students studying in the U.S. and Australia.

Growing influence

China was perceived to have growing international influence among 66 percent of people in 19 countries, while 12 percent believed it was getting weaker. At least half of respondents in 24 of the 40 countries surveyed in 2015 said China was on pace to replace the U.S. as the worlds strongest superpower, or had already done so.

In 2018, half or more of respondents in South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Australia and the U.S. said that China was a major threat. Outside of those countries, half or more considered it at least a minor threat.

In 2022, 67 percent of U.S. respondents considered China a major threat, up 19 percentage points from the previous year, and 48 percent said limiting Chinas power and influence should be a top foreign policy goal, a 16 percentage point increase over 2021.

Concerns about the Chinese military were also widespread, with 72 percent in 19 countries saying Beijings military power was a serious problem in 2022. Japan and Australia were the two countries most concerned by the military.

In many of the surveyed countries, the sense that China does not respect human rights was at or near historic highs.

Although the sense that China did not respect the personal freedoms of its people was already high in most advanced economies in 2018, it nonetheless rose significantly again in 2021, following revelations about detention camps for Uyghurs, the U.S. declaring the situation in Xinjiang a genocide and calls to boycott the 2022 Olympics over human rights abuses, among other issues, the Pew report said.

Many in the U.S. and Australia expressed concern for mistreatment of the Chinese people at the hands of their government.

I am very concerned that the people do not have any freedom in the police state in which they live, an Australian man said. I have grave concerns about the Uyghurs and the way they are being rounded up and put into the so-called re-education centers. It seems as if there is another holocaust happening to these people.

A woman in the U.S. was concerned about personal freedoms.

China has a huge human rights problem, she said, Their citizens are spied on and arrested for speaking out.

A majority of respondents in both countries in 2022 said promoting human rights in China was important, even if it harmed economic relations. Respondents in Israel, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea, however, said strengthening economic relations was more important.

Economy

Economic competition from China is seen as a serious problem in advanced countries in 2022, especially in South Korea, Japan, the U.S. and Australia, but Chinese economic growth was not universally viewed as bad, with about half in the same four countries reacting to it positively.

The report noted that while the survey was underway, Japanese exports to China fell. South Korea recorded a months-long trade deficit with China after the survey was completed.

Australia has had a trade surplus with China since before the pandemic, but Beijing enacted a series of sanctions on Canberra in 2020 as relations deteriorated over Australian support for an international inquiry into how China handled the coronavirus.

In the U.S., there was concern about the trade deficit and loss of jobs to China in 2021.

Massive economic power that cares little about their workers, but have brainwashed them with propaganda into thinking that they matter, a U.S. woman said.The workers are like robots. Everything I buy says made in China.

An Australian woman, however, marveled at the rapid pace of economic progress.

China is the only major country in the world that has lifted the majority of its population out of poverty and progressed from a third-world status to a first-world economic status in just under 40 years! she said.

Opinions about president Xi himself have followed the same trend.

Views of the Chinese president turned even more negative between 2019 and 2020. By 2022, majorities in all but two advanced economies surveyed had little to no confidence in his approach to world affairs.
Eight years ago, Hong Kong law professor Benny Tai proclaimed the official launch of his "Occupy Central with People and Love" civil disobedience movement campaigning for fully democratic elections.



Tai, who is now awaiting trial for "subversion" for his role in a 2020 democratic primary, launched the movement in response to the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s Aug. 31, 2014 decree that, while the city's voters could enjoy a one person, one vote system, they could only choose from a slate of candidates already approved by Beijing.



The government's 2014 plan, which was eventually imposed on Legislative Council elections in December 2021, was rejected by pro-democracy politicians and student activists as "fake universal suffrage," prompting a wave of class boycotts and sit-ins across the city, including an "invasion" of Civic Square, which had been declared off-limits by police.



Among the student leaders who took Tai's idea and turned it into a 79-day mass civil disobedience campaign that saw thousands of people camping out on major thoroughfares in downtown Hong Kong was Alex Chow, who as student union chief spearheaded the movement alongside youth activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, Nathan Law and Lester Shum.



"Everyone was forced to escalate these non-violent methods to put more pressure on the government, because there was no other channel left to the really huge number of Hong Kongers who were demanding political reform in 2014," Chow told RFA in an interview marking the eighth anniversary of the movement.



"It was very disappointing that the occupation by the Umbrella Movement was unable to get the government to make these reforms," he said.



"But that feeling of disappointment actually prompted even more resistance in Hong Kong later on," Chow said. "It was behind the mass movement against extradition [to mainland China] in 2019."



Joshua Wong is currently jailed for his part in the 2019 pro-democracy movement, while Shum and Agnes Chow have also served time in jail.





The early days of Occupy Central, with widespread use of tear gas by riot police on young people defending themselves with little but umbrellas and face-masks, saw Hong Kong's political struggles make headlines around the world.



Hong Kong student leader Alex Chow speaks after arriving at the police headquarters to assist investigations in relation to the Occupy civil disobedience movement, in Hong Kong, Jan. 18, 2015. Credit: Reuters By the time the 2019 mass protests erupted over plans to allow the extradition of alleged criminal suspects to face trial in mainland China, it was becoming clear that Beijing had no intention of keeping promises of fully democratic elections made as part of the 1997 handover agreement, nor of allowing the city to maintain its traditional freedoms for at least 50 years.



"Without the Umbrella Movement, we would never have seen such a strong public reaction, nor would the voices opposing [the extradition amendment] have been so loud," Chow said. "So the Umbrella Movement was extremely important."



"It was the turning point of an era, and it meant that Hong Kongers were aware of this, and of the need for change," Chow said.



"A lot of schoolkids and young people were involved in this movement in 2014, bringing an important momentum to bear, and making the Umbrella Movement happen," he said.



"Their actions were a wake-up call to many more Hong Kongers, who came to understand that, without reform, there would be no future for Hong Kong," Chow said. "We had enough power to say no to Beijing, and to the Hong Kong government, and to refuse to accept [Beijing's Aug. 31, 2014 decree on the electoral system]."



"There's no way Hong Kong could have made the kind of progress [towards political awakening] that it did without ... the Umbrella Movement]."



Since arriving in the U.S., Chow has thrown himself into "international front" work, serving on the board of the Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC), which vows to be "a voice for Hong Kong and Hong Kongers in the U.S.," according to its website.



The international pro-democracy lobby for Hong Kong successfully lobbied the U.S. government to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials, and removing the city's status as an independent trading entity. Like Alex Chow, Law is currently in exile overseas, wanted for alleged criminal offenses since a draconian national security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing took effect on July 1, 2020.The early days of Occupy Central, with widespread use of tear gas by riot police on young people defending themselves with little but umbrellas and face-masks, saw Hong Kong's political struggles make headlines around the world.By the time the 2019 mass protests erupted over plans to allow the extradition of alleged criminal suspects to face trial in mainland China, it was becoming clear that Beijing had no intention of keeping promises of fully democratic elections made as part of the 1997 handover agreement, nor of allowing the city to maintain its traditional freedoms for at least 50 years."Without the Umbrella Movement, we would never have seen such a strong public reaction, nor would the voices opposing [the extradition amendment] have been so loud," Chow said. "So the Umbrella Movement was extremely important.""It was the turning point of an era, and it meant that Hong Kongers were aware of this, and of the need for change," Chow said."A lot of schoolkids and young people were involved in this movement in 2014, bringing an important momentum to bear, and making the Umbrella Movement happen," he said."Their actions were a wake-up call to many more Hong Kongers, who came to understand that, without reform, there would be no future for Hong Kong," Chow said. "We had enough power to say no to Beijing, and to the Hong Kong government, and to refuse to accept [Beijing's Aug. 31, 2014 decree on the electoral system].""There's no way Hong Kong could have made the kind of progress [towards political awakening] that it did without ... the Umbrella Movement]."Since arriving in the U.S., Chow has thrown himself into "international front" work, serving on the board of the Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC), which vows to be "a voice for Hong Kong and Hong Kongers in the U.S.," according to its website.The international pro-democracy lobby for Hong Kong successfully lobbied the U.S. government to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials, and removing the city's status as an independent trading entity.

U.S. allies have also offered varying degrees of assistance to Hong Kongers fleeing political persecution, including the U.K. government's offer of citizenship-track visas to more than three million holders of the British National Overseas (BNO) passport and their dependents.



Nonetheless, the complete suppression of dissenting voices in Hong Kong in the wake of the national security law, as well as the jailing of dozens of fellow activists and democratic politicians, has taken a huge psychological toll on activists in exile.



"I see so many of my colleagues in Hong Kong being detained and imprisoned, and some very close friends have basically cut off contact with me," Chow said.

"I have been very lonely here in the U.S. -- I went through a period of huge grief last year."



"[I was wondering] if there is still any hope for Hong Kong, and what else I could do to help our people," he said. "How can you connect Hong Kong to what you do, if you can't even go back there?"



"There has been an enormous amount of pain and struggle, and a lot of self-doubt," Chow said.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
A former BBC television presenter and freelance journalist in Myanmar was sentenced to three years in prison with hard labor on Wednesday by a military regime court in Yangon for violating the countrys Unlawful Associations Act, bringing her total time in jail to six years, a source in the legal community said.

Htet Htet Khine, the face of BBC Media Action's national television program Khan Sar Kyi (Feel It) from 2016 to 2020, which documented the impact of war on Myanmar society, received the new sentence from Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township Court for violating the colonial-era law.

She was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 10,000 kyats (U.S. $4.70) under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act, said the source, who has knowledge of the situation but did not want to be identified for safety reasons. If she fails to pay the monetary fine, that would mean another six months imprisonment.

She was charged under Section 17(1) the Unlawful Associations Act because it appeared as though she had worked as a volunteer for the opposition group, the NUG, said the source, referring to the National Unity Government, a Myanmar government-in-exile formed by a group of elected lawmakers and members of Parliament ousted in the February 2021 Myanmar coup.

They seemed to charge her under this act because she had talked in the media, added the source.

Htet Htet Khine, a freelance journalist and video producer, has been detained in Yangons notorious Insein Prison since Aug. 15, 2021, when she was arrested with fellow reporter Sithu Aung Myint.

She was charged with incitement and illegal association for her reporting work, her family members and legal team told RFA in an earlier report.

Myint Kyaw, former secretary of the Myanmar Press Council during the previous civilian-led government, said the ruling military regime targeted Htet Htet Khine because she is a journalist.

The federal FM radio has been declared an outlawed association and contact with it is deemed as a violation of Section 17(1), he said. She was given three years in prison, which is the maximum punishment under that law.

At first she was charged under Section 505(a) and was now given the punishment under 17(1) intentionally as a targeted person, Myint Kyaw said. Section 505 (a) of Myanmars Penal Code pertains to defamation of the state.

Nathan Maung, a Myanmar-born American journalist who was detained and sentenced to prison by the military junta a week after the military takeover, said the junta is targeting journalists for merely doing their jobs.

When you are working as a professional journalist, you have to talk to people of all trades, he told RFA. Talking to a person on the telephone should not be taken as contacting an illegal organization or an illegal association.

They [the junta] will always file any kind of charges in any way they want, he said. Their sole intention is to arrest or imprison people from the news media.

I deeply respect these Myanmar journalists and reporters who are working so hard inland or at the border risking their lives to get their job done, Nathan Maung said. It is not safe even for an ordinary person talking on a telephone nowadays, so Id like to suggest that journalists take extra care in carrying out their work at a time when journalists, including Htet Htet Khine, are being given heavy sentences.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane for RFA Burmese. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Observers say the junta hoped to cover up crimes ahead of offensives in the two regions.

The smoking remains of homes destroyed by the Myanmar military in Khin-U township's Ngar Tin Gyi village, Sagaing region, April 4, 2022.

Myanmars military killed nearly 800 civilians and burned down almost 26,000 houses in Sagaing and Magway regions in the year since authorities cut off internet access to townships where anti-junta armed resistance is strongest, according to an investigation by RFA Burmese.

In compiling data based on witnesses and local reports, RFA found that at least 643 people were killed in Sagaing and 132 in Magway within the year ending Sept. 15. A total of 20,524 houses were destroyed by fire in Sagaing and 5,427 in Magway over the same period.

Beginning on Sept. 15, 2021, the authorities cut off internet access to the Sagaing townships of Kani, Salingyi. Pale, Budalin, Wuntho, Pinlebu and Kawlin  areas where junta troops have faced some of the fiercest opposition to military rule  and then launched an offensive in the areas.

Local anti-junta Peoples Defense Force (PDF) paramilitaries said authorities did the same on March 3, in some 20 other townships in the region, including Khin-U, Myaung, Tabayin, Indaw, Taze, Tamu and Homalin.

The leader of the Khin-U Support Organization, a PDF group based in Khin-U, said the internet shutdowns were part of a bid by the military to black out reports of oppression and killings by junta troops.

The internet was cut off mainly for their military purposes and was politically motivated, he said. We had to deal with many situations where we could not communicate as easily as before. They had an advantage in communications but from a military point of view, it did little for them.

He said many people in the townships had lost their lives or their homes as a result of the military offensives, while the internet shutdown blocked access to education, healthcare and income for countless others.

Beginning on Sept. 23, 2021, authorities also shut down internet access in the Magway townships of Gangaw, Myaing and Tilin.

A resident of Gangaws Hnan Khar village said that, since then, the military has been raiding the township on a monthly basis.

Military columns came to our villages once or twice a month after the internet was cut off, said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

As there was no flow of information, the people couldnt be warned [ahead of the raids] and were caught offguard, arrested, tortured and killed. We saw junta soldiers doing whatever they pleased  killing people and burning down villages.

The resident said villagers have no way to send out photos and videos of the military's crimes because of the internet shutdown, and that people have been deleting the evidence from their phones because keeping the images leaves them vulnerable to arrest.

Attempts by RFA to contact junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Htun for more information on the situation in Sagaing and Magway regions went unanswered Wednesday.

Villagers protest the junta with a banner reading 'You may cut the communications, not our revolutionary spirit.' The multi-village protest was held by residents from Yinmarbin and Salingyi townships, Sagaing region, Myanmar, June 5, 2022. Credit: Citizen Journalist Blocking access as a tactic

Aung Myo Min, minister of human rights for Myanmars shadow National Unity Government (NUG), said the militarys use of internet access as a tactic constitutes a violation of human rights.

Blocking the internet is a violation of human rights, and doing so to cover up their crimes is a much more serious one, he said. They are using it as a strategy, with the aim of blacking out information and committing various crimes and violence against the people.

Veteran journalist Myint Kyaw told RFA that while the junta may have blocked access to the internet solely to gain a military advantage, doing so severely impacted peoples everyday lives.

They should have considered the fact that it would hurt tens of thousands of people living in these regions  their social lives as well as their access to health and education, he said.

In a world where access to the internet is seen as a basic right, this point becomes more important and I think we need to investigate this action.

Political observer Than Soe Naing said that, try as they might, junta leaders cannot cover up military atrocities.

They are trying to prevent the people and the international community from learning of their crimes and the violence being visited on the regions inhabitants, he said. The reality of the situation is that they cant do that in today's world.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said earlier this month that there are at least 528,300 people displaced by conflict in Sagaing and 98,100 in Magway.

In Chin state, where opposition to the junta is also strong, the military has cut off access to the internet everywhere except the capital Haka, residents say. Authorities have also cut internet lines in Kayah states Hpruso and Hpasawng townships.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Myanmar's military council troops arrested civilians, including children, after occupying a village in Magway regions Tilin township.

A resident of Pon Nar village told RFA around 120 junta troops raided it early Tuesday morning after firing heavy artillery.

About 30 villagers were arrested, but 21 were released along the way, said the local, who didnt want to be named for safety reasons.

Nine villagers who were arrested were taken to Tilin township, including four minors.

Locals said the raid took the villagers by surprise so they did not have time to escape and they were interrogated by the troops. They said soldiers tried to persuade them not to support anti-junta Peoples Defense Forces.

There are around 70 houses in Pon Nar, with more than 200 residents. Soldiers burned down four houses, according to residents, who said there were no casualties during the raid.

Military battalion 50, based in Gangaw township in Magway region, carried out the raid according to residents.

RFAs calls to Soe Paing Mying, the junta council spokesman for the Magway regional government, went unanswered on Tuesday and the State Administration Council has not released a statement on the raid or the arrests.

According to the Assistance Association for the Political Prisoners (Burma) a total of 15,622 people have been arrested in Myanmar, with 12,519 still detained, since the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
The organizations hope the move will lead to an investigation into abuse allegations against Uyghurs.

A protester from the Uyghur community in Turkey holds an anti-China placard during a demonstration in Istanbul protesting the visit of China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, March 25, 2021.

Uyghur activist groups are welcoming a call by the U.S. government for the U.N. Human Rights Council to debate rights abuses and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang region.

The U.S. on Monday filed a proposal known as a draft decision, demanding that the Geneva-based council organize the discussion at next weeks session in response to a damning report issued on Aug. 31 by former U.N. rights chief Michelle Bachelet warning of possible crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.

Her report, released on the final day of her four-year term, said serious human rights violations had been committed in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in the context of the Chinese governments application of counter-extremism strategies.

The draft decision was endorsed by the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Finland Iceland and Norway, Reuters reported Monday, citing diplomats as the source.

The 47-member council is divided over allegations of Chinas repression of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in Xinjiang, despite reams of credible reports on abuses in the region, including arbitrary detentions, torture and forced sterilization.

It is believed that as many as 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslims have been held in Chinas vast network of internment camps purportedly set up to prevent religious extremism and terrorism in the region.

Beijing has insisted that the camps were vocational training facilities that are now closed. It has vowed to fight any U.N. action on human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang cited in Bachelets report.

Certain Western countries use the Human Rights Council as a tool for political manipulation, Wang Wenbin, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Tuesday at a regular press conference in Beijing, when asked about the proposal.

They blatantly apply double standards and have gone so far as to name and shame some developing countries and openly pressure them, he said. This has poisoned the atmosphere and led to aggravated confrontation at the Human Rights Council, which is detrimental to international human rights cooperation. The international community firmly rejects such practices.

A group of 66 Uyghur organizations from 20 countries on Monday urged governments to support passage of the draft decision.

The international community must remember its obligation to end atrocity crimes like genocide and crimes against humanity, said Dolkun Isa, president of the Germany-based World Uyghur Congress, in a statement. Justice must be served.

Governments must seize this opportunity to finally respond to the abuses, said Omer Kanat, executive director of the Washington, D.C-based Uyghur Human Rights Project. The U.N. now has a chance to give hope to a suffering people.

A vote on the proposal will be held next week in Geneva.

Translated by RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Stopped at the airport, Vo An Dan and his family had hoped to seek asylum in the US.

Updated at 12:58 p.m. EST on 2022-09-29

Vietnamese human rights lawyer Vo An Don and his family were stopped by police in Ho Chi Minh City this week from boarding a flight to New York, where they had hoped to apply for political asylum in the US, the well-known rights lawyer told RFA on Wednesday.

Don and other family members were barred from leaving Vietnam by police at Tan Son Nhat Airport at around 9:42 p.m. on Sept. 27, Don said, calling the action taken against him by authorities arbitrary and vindictive.

Don added that airport police told him he would need to contact immigration authorities in his home province of Phu Yen, on Vietnams south-central coast, for an explanation of the order barring his travel overseas.

He and his family were now on their way back to Phu Yen, Don said.

Ill work with the Phu Yen police tomorrow to find out why my departure was temporarily suspended, Don said, saying that airport police had cited security reasons for blocking his departure in accordance with Article 36 of the Law on Entry and Exit for Vietnamese citizens.

According to Vietnamese law, citizens of the country have the right to travel domestically and overseas, Don said. Ill take legal action against them and file a request for compensation if they fail to give legitimate reasons for what they did, he added.

In the past, I used to work as a defense lawyer for ordinary, common people, said Don, whose license to practice law was revoked in 2017 after he successfully defended the right to benefits of the surviving family members of a person who died in police custody.

Since then I have only stayed at home and worked as a farmer. I have not been involved in any other cases or broken the law, and there is therefore no reason to say that I have been a threat to national security, he said.

Don said he and his family had decided to seek asylum in the US because they were suffering harassment by Phu Yen authorities and economic hardship since he could no longer work as a lawyer.

The Washington-based International Organization for Migration (IOM) had secured advance funding for the familys airfare, which was returned to the IOM when the family could no longer fly.

Don had taken his children out of school and given away many of his familys belongings before trying to leave, and now has to buy many household appliances again, he said. He hopes his childrens schools will now allow them to return to class, he added.

'Prestige of the Party'

Requests for comment sent to the US Embassy, IOM offices in Vietnam and the Vietnam Immigration Department received no responses this week.

A Sept. 28 article in the Ministry of Public Securitys Public Security Newsletter said however that Don during his work as a lawyer had damaged the prestige of the ruling Vietnamese Communist Party and government by posting stories on social media and speaking to members of the foreign press.

Speaking to RFA, Truong Minh Tam  a Vietnamese lawyer and human rights activist now living in Illinois  said that Phu Yen police had abused their authority by ordering the suspension of Dons right to travel abroad.

According to Article 37 of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens, only the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Public Security have that authority, Tam said.

Also speaking to RFA, Vietnamese musician and political observer Tuan Khanh noted that Don had successfully brought a suit in 2014 against five Phu Yen police officers who caused the death of a citizen, Ngo Thanh Kieu, held in their custody.

This had likely made Don a target for provincial authorities revenge, Khanh said.

In a statement issued late on Wednesday, Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for New York-based Human Rights Watch said that the Vietnamese government's efforts to block Don's travel to the U.S. are yet another example of how it restricts the freedom of movement of activists based on what he called "vague claims" of national security.

"The reality is Hanoi doesnt want Vo An Don traveling overseas where he could speak freely about the litany of harassment, discrimination and abuse hes suffered because of his choices to represent politically sensitive clients in Vietnams kangaroo courts, Robertson said.

Vietnam has forced Vo An Don to run a gauntlet of constant abuses, including harassment, threats, and legal retaliation ... This travel ban against Vo An Don and his family shows how the Vietnam government is prepared to use every dirty, abusive trick to silence the very few lawyers left in the country who dare stand up for the principle that everyone deserves legal representation.

Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Written in English by Richard Finney.

This story was updated to include comments from Human Rights Watch's Phil Robertson.
Prisoner of conscience Can Thi Theu and her two sons, Trinh Ba Phuong (right) and Trinh Ba Tu.

Vietnams Ministry of Public Security continues to send prisoners of conscience far from their families to serve their prison sentences, as an additional punishment.

Most recently, Hanoi activist Nguyen Thi Tam was transferred to Gia Trung Prison camp in Gia Lai province, nearly 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) from her home. Another activist from Vietnams capital, Trinh Ba Phuong, was taken to An Diem Prison camp in the central province of Quang Nam, 800 kilometers (497 miles) away from his home on Sept. 21, one month after the Higher Peoples Court in Hanoi rejected his appeal and upheld his 10-year prison sentence in an appeal hearing in mid-August.

Phuongs wife Do Thi Thu and his father-in-law and sister-in-law left their hometown in Hoa Binh province on the evening of Sept. 25 and did not arrive at the prison until the next morning.

It took us 29 hours to get to the prison and back. The cost per person was at least VND1 million (U.S.$ 44) for both ways, she said.

Also arrested on charges of "conducting anti-state propaganda" under Article 117 of the Criminal Code for human rights activities and speaking out about a police raid in Dong Tam commune in early 2020, Thu's mother-in-law and brother-in-law, Can Thi Theu, and her son Trinh Ba Tu were both sentenced to eight years in prison.

Theu is currently serving her sentence at Prison camp No. 5 in Yen Dinh district, Thanh Hoa province while Tu is serving his at Prison camp No. 6 in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province, neither of which is convenient for prison visits.

Thu said to save costs her father-in-law, former prisoner of conscience Trinh Ba Khiem, rode a motorbike from their family farm in Hoa Binh to the two prisons. It took him more than two hours to reach Prison camp No. 5, and 8 hours to get to Prison camp No. 6.

According to human rights organizations, Vietnam is holding hundreds of prisoners of conscience, although Hanoi has always insisted that there are none in Vietnam, only people who break the law.

It has been a long-running practice to send the vast majority of prisoners of conscience to serve their sentences far from their families. Those with families in the North are transferred to prisons in the Central region or the South, while those in the South are sent to the Central region or the North.

Truong Minh Duc, Vice President of the Brotherhood for Democracy was sentenced to 12 years in prison for subversion in 2018 and is currently being held at Prison camp No. 6 in Nghe An.

His wife Nguyen Kim Thanh said that from Ho Chi Minh City to Nghe An, she spends more than VND5 million (U.S.$ 211) on plane tickets, bus tickets and motorbike taxis every time. On the Lunar New Year and other public holidays, the cost of traveling to the prison may rise to over VND7 million (U.S.$ 295).

Prison No. 6 has an extremely harsh climate which affects prisoners health Thanh said:

When it is sunny, the weather is too harsh. He [her husband] has to wet towels and clothes to hang on the window and his neck to cool it down,she said.

It would be very cold in winter because the prison is in a mountainous area. As the prison cell is not small, the cell is very cold due to wind.

Because of bad weather conditions, Duc has headaches and high blood pressure in the hot season and colds and allergies in the winter.

Nguyen Tuong Thuy, Vice Chairman of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam, is serving an 11-year prison sentence at An Phuoc Prison camp in the southern province of Binh Duong. He was arrested in May 2020 on charges of "conducting propaganda against the state" in the same case as President Pham Chi Dung and editor Le Huu Minh Tuan.

His wife Pham Thi Lan takes at least two nights and one day to get from Hanoi to the prison and back, and it costs at least VND4 million (U.S.$ 168) if she can buy a cheap round-trip flight ticket between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. If she can't buy cheap airline tickets and has to get them from Vietnam Airlines, the cost can be up to VND7-8 million (U.S.$295-337) for a visit.

An activist commented that the transfer of prisoners of conscience to prisons far from their families makes prisoners unaccustomed to living in new climatic conditions, which leads to them getting sick more often, especially as prison medical care is limited. Sending them away to prison also makes it difficult for their families to find the time and money to visit.

Not all prisoners of conscience are sent a long way from their family homes. Journalist Le Van Dung (Le Dung Vova) was transferred to Nam Ha Prison camp after losing his appeal against a five-year prison sentence. His wife Bui Thi Hue said it takes her four hours and about VND1 million (U.S.$ 42) for each visit.
An Iranian bombing campaign targeted Iraq's northern Kurdish region on September 28, killing least 13 people and wounding 58 others, Iraq's state news agency said.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) fired on targets in Iraq's northern Kurdish regional capital of Irbil and the eastern Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.



The strikes took place amid protests that erupted nearly two weeks ago in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who died on September 16 three days after being detained in Tehran by the morality police for allegedly breaching Iran's strict rules on head scarves.



The wave of protests and a crackdown that followed have left scores of demonstrators dead over the past 12 nights.

The IRGC has accused Iraq-based Kurdish groups of "attacking and infiltrating Iran to sow insecurity and riots and spread unrest."

IRNA said the IRGC targeted bases of a separatist group in the north of Iraq with precision missiles and suicide drones.



The attacks targeted the political offices of Kurdish parties as well as the Iranian Kurdish refugee camp.

U.S. Central Command said it downed an Iranian drone while it was on its way to Irbil, adding that the drone appeared to pose a threat to U.S. personnel in the region.

"No U.S. forces were wounded or killed as a result of the strikes and there is no damage to U.S. equipment," it said in a statement.

A senior member of Komala, an exiled Iranian Kurdish opposition party, told Reuters that several of their offices were struck.



Tariq Haidari, the mayor of the Iraqi Kurdish city of Koye, told Reuters that two people, including a pregnant woman, were killed and 12 wounded. Some of the wounded were rushed in critical condition to hospital in Irbil, he said.

The United Nations refugee agency in Iraq said on Twitter that the attack "caused damage to the Iranian refugee camps in Koye," and Iranian refugees were among the casualties.

Iraqs Foreign Ministry and the Kurdistan regional government condemned the strikes, and Iraq's federal government summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest.



The UN mission in Iraq deplored the attack, saying "rocket diplomacy is a reckless act with devastating consequences, and the U.S. State Department called the Iranian attacks an unjustified violation of Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity.



The IRGC in the last few days has repeatedly attacked areas in Iraqi Kurdistan. The IRGC said in a statement that it will continue to target "terrorists" in the region.



"This operation will continue with our full determination until the threat is effectively repelled, the bases of terrorist groups are dismantled, and the authorities of the Kurdistan Region assume their obligations and responsibilities," the IRGC said in its statement.



Widespread protests took place for a 12th straight night in Iran on September 27, according to opposition media based outside Iran.



The protests started in Aminis hometown of Saghez in Irans Kurdistan region and spread to dozens of cities and towns across Iran.



The police command was quoted by the Fars news agency as saying that Irans enemies and some rioters seek to disrupt the order, security, and comfort of the nation using any pretext."



It said police officers will oppose with all their might the conspiracies of counterrevolutionaries and hostile elements, and deal firmly with those who disrupt public order and security anywhere in the country."



The statement came only hours after the UN said its Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres called on Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi not to use "disproportionate force" against protesters.



Raisi planned a television address to talk about domestic and foreign issues facing the country later on September 28, ISNA said.



Raisi last week said the protests over Amini's death were unacceptable "acts of chaos."



Officials say 60 people have died during the protests, but the group Iran Human Rights says at least 76 people have been killed. As of September 26, more than 1,200 people had been arrested, including of activists, lawyers, and journalists.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Hundreds of professors and academic activists have signed an open letter urging international feminist communities to join them in building transnational solidarity with women and marginalized groups in Iran.

The letter is signed by academics from universities in Europe, Britain, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and other countries who say that the death of Mahsa Amini is "among many other state murders committed systemically and purposefully by the gender-apartheid regime of Iran."



The letter, titled Listen to the Voices of a Feminist Revolution in Iran, said that now more than ever "it is critical to show more potent transnational solidarity with women and other marginalized bodies in Iran.



The letter comes amid anti-government protests over the death of Amini, 22, after she was taken into custody by morality police for the alleged improper wearing of a head scarf or hijab.



"This country-wide revolt is against not only the brutal murder of Mahsa but also the essence of the Islamic regime," the letter said. "The demand is loud and clear: an end to a theocratic regime whose multi-faceted violence against marginalized bodies is manifested in Mahsas death."



The country is "witnessing a feminist revolution...ignited by rage at the murder of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini," the letter added.



The protests have galvanized Iranians while also highlighting four decades of state violence and discrimination against women, who have been pushing back against state repression for years.



The government has recently arrested more than 1,200 protesters, including 20 journalists, four lawyers, and about 25 activists and students. According to official figures, more than 40 people have been killed, including several members of the security forces. Rights groups that monitor the country believe the real number of people killed is much higher.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Mobilization has been a bitter pill for many Russians to swallow.



Russian men face being called up to serve in the biggest war in Europe since the end of World War II with little training or supplies against a more determined and better-equipped opponent.



Tens of thousands of their fellow citizens -- including many professional soldiers -- have already died or been injured on the battlefield since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine seven months ago.



And there is no sign that the heavy Russian casualties will slow down as Western nations supply Ukraine with high-precision artillery and rockets as well as intelligence.



Putins September 21 decision to mobilize at least 300,000 Russian men -- and possibly up to a million based on some media reports -- has sparked protests around the country and driven, by some accounts, hundreds of thousands of citizens to flee to neighboring countries to avoid the draft.

The sharp backlash is already forcing the Kremlin to sweeten financial incentives to stem the protests and draft dodging that threaten to undermine its invasion strategy in Ukraine.



Russian lawmakers scrambled this week to pass amendments widening benefits for those serving in Ukraine as well as their immediate family members, including debt repayment freezes and outright debt forgiveness.

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.

Russian military officials have already promised to pay draftees a monthly salary ranging from 135,000 to 200,000 rubles ($2,290 to $3,400) depending on their rank, an amount that istwo to three times the national average, according to the Moscow-based Alfa Bank.



"We need to adopt the law [on debt relief] faster so that people can calmly carry out their combat tasks," Anatoly Aksakov, the chairman of the lower house of parliaments financial markets committee, told fellow lawmakers on September 27 as they worked on the legislation.



The debt relief bill, passed on September 28, freezes loan repayments, including mortgages and consumer loans, for draftees and all others serving in the war as well as their immediate family members. The repayment freeze is valid during the course of their service and ends 30 days after demobilization.



The bill also forgives the debt of soldiers killed or severely injured during the war as well as the obligations of their close family members.



During the September 27 debate on the amendments, some deputies called for writing off the debt of all combatants, a step that Deputy Finance Minister Aleksei Moiseyev said went too far.



He argued that there was no need to forgive the debt of those who return without injury since they are earning rather high salaries for serving and their financial situation will not worsen, but improve.



Earlier on September 27, the parliament passed several amendments to the Labor Code, including guaranteeing draftees the right to return to their job within three months of being discharged and protecting their spouses from early layoffs or overtime work without their consent.



The amendments also exempt mobilized men and their family members from penalties for late payment of monthly bills for communal services and apartment building maintenance. The Duma is considering going even further and canceling the maintenance payments.

Dara Massicot, a military analyst at the Washington-based think tank RAND Corp, said the financial incentives will help the [mobilization] news go down better for some people but is not a panacea.



For others, more money will not alleviate the risks, or solve how poorly troops are being supplied, she said.



Some Russian draftees are being handed old weapons or undersupplied with gear, including medical aids, according to videos circulating on social media. Others say they are receiving little training and instruction.



Some draftees may be skeptical too that they will actually see the type of pay and benefits they are being promised, Massicot said.



If the government has money for cash incentives, why dont they have money to properly supply their troops with medical kits, she said.



From Yakutia To Daghestan



The Kremlin-controlled parliaments decision to approve incentives for draftees comes on the heels of wide-spread demonstrations against mobilization.



Protests have broken out in more than 30 locations, from Yakutia in the Far North to Daghestan in the Caucasus as well as Moscow and St. Petersburg, resulting in the arrest of more than 2,400 people.



Citizens are also venting their anger by targeting draft offices. There have been at least 20 attempts of arson -- some successful -- since the launch of the mobilization, including in the regions of Mordovia, Volgograd, Kaliningrad, and Nizhny Novgorod.

Some forms of protest have turned violent. On September 25, a man in Ryazan in central Russia set himself on fire at the central bus station, shouting that he did not want to go to war in Ukraine, according to local media outlet ya62.ru.



A day later, Ruslan Zinin, a 25-year-old from the Siberian region of Irkutsk, shot and seriously wounded a military commissar. Zinins mother said he was distraught after his best friend was drafted despite not being in the reserves.



Labor Market Impact



While the Duma bill only concerns individual loans, state banks have stepped up to help owners of small and medium-sized enterprises who are drafted, including offering to postpone business loan repayments.



But companies of all sizes say the loss of skilled employees to the draft -- or flight abroad -- will nonetheless undermine their business and they are seeking exemptions.



Russia is already facing a tight labor market with unemployment at post-Soviet lows. Skilled workers are in especially short supply, experts have said.



Companies seeking exemptions for employees say it could take months to years to retrain replacements.



Tatiana Orlova, an economist at the Oxford Economics advisory firm, said the construction and manufacturing sectors could be more vulnerable due to a high proportion of male workers.

The National Association of Manufacturers of Building Materials and the Construction Industry and the Association of Pipeline System Manufacturers have already written to the government requesting waivers, warning they could face project and production delays.



We have received reports that entire enterprise workshops for the production of pipeline systems are being mobilized," Vladislav Tkachenko, the head of the pipeline association, told reporters.



Recruitment officials are increasingly visiting job sites to hand out draft notices, Russian media reported.



That is prompting some Russian companies wary of losing male employees to recommend -- or not hinder -- remote work.



Ozon, sometimes called the Amazon of Russia, sent a note to its employees this week saying it has always been open to the idea of employees working remotely and that there are no obstacles to doing so, Forbes reported.



An employee at a top Russian bank told RFE/RL that management sent a note to male workers recommending they work remotely and to avoid residing at the home where they are registered with the government.



A Russian company in the gaming sector took a completely different step to protect its employees when it learned that designers and artists -- a large part of its staff -- dont fall under the category of IT workers exempt from service.



It ordered a charter flight to evacuate 100 employees and their families from Russia.
NATO and the European Union said leaks in two major Russian underwater pipelines designed to ship natural gas to Germany were caused by "sabotage" and vowed to take strong action to protect critical European infrastructure.

However, their statements on September 28 stopped short of accusing anyone of being behind the incident, which caused natural gas prices in Europe to spike.

The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which are owned by Kremlin-controlled Gazprom, burst in several locations in the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden.

Neither of the pipelines is currently in operation amid a standoff between Moscow and Brussels over Russias invasion of Ukraine.

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.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on September 28 that he discussed the "sabotage" of the pipelines at a meeting with Danish Defense Minister Morten Bodskov in Brussels.

"We addressed the protection of critical infrastructure in NATO countries," the chief of the Western military alliance that also includes most EU countries said on Twitter.

The EU issued a strong warning the same day to anybody attempting to attack the energy backbones of the 27-nation bloc.

"Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement, echoing a warning by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

Borrell announced that the bloc would step up the protection of its energy infrastructure following the incidents.

"We will support any investigation aimed at getting full clarity on what happened and why, and will take further steps to increase our resilience in energy security," he noted.

Borrell's statements came after seismologists from Sweden and Denmark said they had recorded powerful explosions in areas near where evidence of leaks from the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea had been found, prompting Swedish police to launch an investigation into possible sabotage.

"These incidents are not a coincidence and affect us all," Borrell said.

Neither NATO nor the EU accused anyone in particular of being behind the leaks, which come as Europe tries to fill up its natural gas storage ahead of winter amid the biggest energy crisis in decades.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhaylo Podolyak tweeted on September 27 that the reported gas leaks were likely the result of a "terrorist attack" carried out by Moscow.

Podolyak accused Russia of seeking to "destabilize the economic situation in Europe and cause pre-winter panic."

Western officials for months have been warning that Russia could cut natural gas exports to Europe to pressure Brussels over its support of Ukraine.

Russia accounted for about 40 percent of EU natural gas supplies last year, giving it enormous leverage over energy prices in the bloc. Much of the natural gas, which is used to heat homes in the winter, flows through the Nord Stream pipelines.

Nord Stream 1 accounted for more than one-third of Russian natural gas exports to the EU last year. Nord Stream 2 was set to start operation in 2022 but Germany blocked its launch in February in a failed attempt to deter Russia from invading Ukraine.

Moscow began reducing gas flows through Nord Stream 1 earlier this year, claiming Western sanctions had caused technical difficulties, driving prices to record highs and pushing the EU toward a recession.

It completely suspended exports along the pipeline in August as the EU imposed more sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia could face billion-dollar lawsuits from European customers if it doesnt resume the gas flows along Nord Stream 1.

But analysts say Moscow can now try to use the explosions to declare force majeure -- circumstances beyond its control due to an unforeseen event -- and avoid penalties.

The Kremlin on September 28 vehemently rejected accusations it was behind the two incidents, calling them "absurd and stupid."

It pointed the finger at Washington, adding that the United States had opposed the pipelines and that U.S. energy companies are earning large profits supplying gas to Europe.

However, prior to Russias invasion of Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden declined to stop the completion of Nord Stream 2.

The Biden administration also wants to avoid a natural gas crunch in Europe this winter for fear it could weaken EU unity on Russia sanctions and support for Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the incident needed to be investigated and the timing for the repair of the damaged pipelines was not clear.

"This is a big problem for us because, firstly, both lines of Nord Stream 2 are filled with gas -- the entire system is ready to pump gas and the gas is very expensive.... Now the gas is flying off into the air."

"Are we interested in that? No, we are not. We have lost a route for gas supplies to Europe," Peskov said.

However, Russia has been burning large amounts of natural gas, a process known as flaring, for months amid much lower sales to Europe, analysts said.

Russia also has enough spare capacity along pipelines that cross Ukraine to supply Europe.

The explosions came on the same day of the inauguration of a long-awaited pipeline that will bring Norwegian gas to Poland, which used to rely heavily on Russia for supplies.

The new system will bring Norway's gas across Denmark and the Baltic Sea to Poland.

Anders Puck Nielsen, a researcher with the Center for Maritime Operations at the Royal Danish Defense College, was quoted by Reuters as saying the timing of the leaks was "conspicuous" given the ceremony for the Baltic Pipe.

He said it appeared someone may have sought "to send a signal that something could happen to the Norwegian gas."

"The arrow points in the direction of Russia," Puck Nielsen said.

"No one in the West is interested in having any kind of instability in the energy market."

With reporting by SVT, Reuters, AFP, BBC, and TASS
The United States and its allies are preparing to impose fresh sanctions on Russia in the wake of what the West and United Nations have called "sham" referendums in four Ukrainian regions, with the White House saying the measures would exact a "severe" economic price on Moscow.

On September 28, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen introduced a new package of measures, saying they are designed "to make the Kremlin pay" for escalating the conflict in Ukraine.

"We do not accept the sham referenda nor any kind of annexation in Ukraine, and we are determined to make the Kremlin pay the price for this further escalation," she told reporters in Brussels.

The proposed eighth sanctions package includes further import bans on Russian products that are meant to deprive Moscow of an additional 7 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in revenues.

The White House said the United States will "never" recognize Russian attempts to annex parts of Ukraine and is preparing new economic sanctions on Moscow that will impose a "severe economic cost on Russia when they move forward with annexation."

"We will never recognize these illegal and illegitimate attempts at annexation," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on September 28.

"We will work with our allies and partners to impose additional economic costs on Russia and individuals and entities inside and outside of Russia."

The EU will fully ban imports from Russia of steel and steel products, pulp and paper, machinery and appliances, intermediate chemicals, plastics, and cigarettes, according to an EU diplomat.

The sanctions would also ban the export of EU of goods used in aviation, such as tires and brakes, and electrical components including certain semiconductors and less sophisticated components than those already banned, the diplomat added.

In addition, the diplomat said, the proposal also aims to ban the export of specific goods that can be used for torture.



The sanctions package will lay the legal basis for an oil price cap and ban EU citizens from sitting on governing bodies of Russian state-owned companies, von der Leyen said.

The new sanctions also would include restrictions on 37 individuals and companies that are engaged in organizing referendums.

This would include deputy ministers, celebrities, musicians, and people involved in spreading disinformation.

The proposal has been presented to the EU ambassadors of the 27 member countries, who are scheduled to discuss it on September 30. They will have to overcome differences in order to reach the required unanimity.

In Washington, two architects of the U.S. sanctions regime told lawmakers that future sanctions must focus on depriving Putin of what he needs to fund and fight the war.

This includes revenue from Russia's oil and gas sales and access to global supply networks to replenish his military.

Elizabeth Rosenberg, an assistant treasury secretary, stressed that the United States should be "laser-focused" on starving Russia of energy profits.

Rosenberg testified on September 28 before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee alongside James O'Brien, head of the State Department's sanction coordination office, as senators complained that the first rounds of sanctions did not hit Moscow as hard or fast as the administration had forecast.

Rosenberg told lawmakers that Russia should be in a fiscal deficit by the end of the year but for now the ruble is managing far better than the United States projected and inflation and its stock market levels aren't out of line with those of other countries.

Rosenberg and O'Brien called for stronger action against Russia as U.S. and European officials prepare to impose a system of price caps on Russian maritime oil exports. The system would be designed to keep Russian oil on the world market. The architects of the plan say this would avoid driving up prices even higher, while forcing down the price that Russia gets for its exports.

The next step must be to double down on the global arms procurement networks Russia is using to replenish its weapons and technology for the war in Ukraine, Rosenberg and O'Brien said.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa
After holding stage-managed, wartime votes on joining the Russian Federation in the Russia-occupied parts of four Ukrainian regions, the Kremlin appears to be moving rapidly toward claiming sovereignty over more Ukrainian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to address the nation on September 30 to formalize the move. The process appears to be playing out nearly identically to the one that culminated in the Russian seizure of Ukraines Crimea region in 2014.

In addition, Putin recently announced a partial military mobilization with the goal of calling up at least 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine.

Both developments come on the heels of a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive that has left Russian forces reeling in the Kharkiv region and dealt Moscow a significant public-relations blow.

Current Time, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, asked Russian political scientist and liberal commentator Ivan Preobrazhensky for his take on the Kremlins change of tactics.

Current Time: With President Vladimir Putin scheduled to address the nation on September 30, the Kremlin seems intent on proceeding with the annexation of four Ukrainian regions. How realistic are these plans considering the current military and international situations?

Ivan Preobrazhensky: We are talking about a televised spectacle that the Kremlin has set in motion. It is clear that no normal referendums are being held anywhere. It is clear that no one outside of Russia is taking any of this seriously, while inside Russia, everyone understands this is a performance. And it isnt a problem to perform a spectacle: they have all the necessary resources and opportunities. It isnt a problem to simulate voting, publish figures that were predetermined already during the summer, proclaim that the residents of the occupied territories want to voluntarily join the Russian Federation, hold an event in [the Kremlins] St. Georges Hall, applaud Vladimir Putins speech, and give him a present for his October 7 birthday.

Current Time: And what comes after the spectacle?

Preobrazhensky: After the spectacle will come two practical developments that, in the short-term perspective, are the reasons for doing this.

We are witnessing a television spectacle with which they are trying to conceal the real picture.

First, the Kremlin will have -- or so it thinks -- an additional reason to wave around its nuclear weapons and shout: These are our people! Our territories! Dont mess around or we will use the bomb!

Bearing in mind that [Ukrainian President] Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the Americans have said that they take seriously the threats Putin has already made that Russia will use nuclear weapons to defend its interests, they will now have to take them even more seriously.

The second point is connected to the reservists. [Defense Minister] Sergei Shoigu has said that those called up will not fight in the zone of the so-called special military operation. But they understand that it is one thing to fight on Ukrainian territory and another to fight on the purported territory of Russia after [those regions] are proclaimed to be Russian.

We know that this wont end the war, and nothing will stop. However, reservist-soldiers can be sent there because they will be defending the territory of the Russian Federation. Under existing laws, they definitely can participate in defensive military actions on Russian territory. This whole performance is being done to give the military action the veneer of a defensive nature.

The Kremlin does not have the resources to take the offensive. It needs to immediately mobilize a lot of cannon fodder and use them to plug the holes in the line simply to hold that line. Putin hasnt said anything about an offensive. No one in Moscow is speaking seriously about continuing to attack. Obviously, all this is being done to hold on to [occupied] territory.

Current Time: Wouldnt it be strange for them to announce an offensive even if they were planning one?

Preobrazhensky: When one side holds the strategic initiative, as Russia did at the beginning of this active phase of the war after February 24, if they have serious ambitions, then it is psychologically very important to talk about offensives, about how they are sure of total victory and the liquidation of the Kyiv regime, as they call it, and so on. Some people are still talking about this, but only village idiots  a role now being played, for example, by Dmitry Medvedev, former president and former human.

But no one is speaking like this seriously. Shoigu hasnt spoken like this, and neither has Putin. This is a very clear signal.

In Putins [mobilization] speech, he talked about the fact that military activity has moved onto Russian territory in the Belgorod and Kursk regions -- and that [the illegally Russian-annexed Ukrainian region of] Crimea is threatened. We wont allow that, he said.

This is painting a very clear picture.... We wont give back Crimea under any circumstances. Dont dare fire upon our territory. That is why we are announcing mobilization and will intensify our military activity. This is roughly the real situation, while we are witnessing a television spectacle with which they are trying to conceal the real picture.

But a lot of people have already figured out that things really look quite different.

Current Time: The images [of anti-mobilization protests] from Daghestan made a big impression over the last couple of days. Do you think the mobilization protests in Russia will grow or, as we have seen in Russia in recent years, they will fade after the initial, emotional response?

Preobrazhensky: The country has awakened in a sense and the protests will grow in areas where they meet the tacit support of the authorities -- mostly, in the non-Russian regions. In those areas, there will be negotiations with the federal center and they will reach some sort of informal agreement on reducing the mobilization burden of those regions. Im speaking about Sakha [a northern Siberian region also known as Yakutia] or Chechnya, where [strongman leader] Ramzan Kadyrov has refused to subordinate himself to federal security officials and is making decisions on his own.

Vladimir Putin himself already planted a bomb under a unified Russian Federation during the COVID-19 pandemic by shifting all the responsibility to the regional authorities. Now the regional authorities are starting to use these powers in a situation of political instability -- which is really unfolding now in Russia, despite the appearance of such police brutality.

Translated by RFE/RL Feature Writer Robert Coalson
BELGRADE -- Polina Prokofeva had only been back in Russia from holiday for one day when President Vladimir Putin sent Russian tanks rolling into neighboring Ukraine and launched the largest war in Europe since World War II, but she knew she needed to push back somehow.



Like many other young Russians from her social circle in St. Petersburg, the 25-year-old Prokofeva took to the streets to protest the Kremlins February 24 invasion, joining other Russians in opposition to their countrys aggression. Like most of the demonstrators against the war, she soon found herself arrested and sentenced to 12 days in jail.



There was a feeling of fire inside all of us who protested at that time, we were so angry, Prokofeva told RFE/RL. Myself and others had been politically active for years and we knew what Russia had become, but for most of the country, it was the invasion that finally opened their eyes.



Upon her release, she faced a difficult decision: stay and face more repression at home or flee. Tough Western sanctions instituted in early March had effectively eliminated her marketing job, which relied on international brands as clients. With few prospects and worried about persecution for her anti-war views amid a deepening government crackdown, Prokofeva joined the hundreds of thousands of other Russians who fled the country -- ultimately settling in the Serbian capital, Belgrade.



Prokofeva admits that Serbia was not her first choice.



Like other Russians, she found herself restricted by visa policies and a travel embargo that cut Russia off from much of the Western world. Initially, she first joined the exodus who left for neighboring Armenia, which has become a center for middle class Russians due to its proximity and visa-free entry. But Prokofeva felt she needed to keep moving, later going to Istanbul -- another visa-free destination that has become a hub for Russians since Moscows invasion  until finally joining the thousands of Russians attracted by Serbias open borders who made the Balkan country their transient home.

Fleeing the weight of sanctions, repression, and -- since the Kremlins September partial mobilization of reservists -- conscription, the Serbian capital has become an unlikely home to a growing community of Russians who have found themselves navigating the struggles of immigration, their identities as Russians, and issues of guilt and responsibility for the horrors of Moscows invasion of Ukraine.



There are days when I feel guilty about leaving, Prokofeva said. Its hard to watch your country burn down from afar and become like the Soviet Union again.



Welcome To Serbia



In many ways, Serbia is an unlikely destination for opposition-minded Russians like Prokofeva.



Serbia has not joined Western sanctions against Russia and in Belgrade T-shirts featuring Putin's face are sold at souvenir kiosks, while the letter Z -- which has become a Russian nationalist symbol for the Ukraine war -- is spray-painted on walls across the city.



Cultural and historic ties between the two predominantly Slavic and Orthodox Christian countries stretch back centuries and Serbia is also home to a right-wing religious segment of society who often uphold Putin as a standard-bearer for conservative values.

The NATO-bombing campaign against Serbia in 1999 during the war in Kosovo is also still a bitter wound for many and Russias invasion of Ukraine -- which Moscow has increasingly portrayed as a standoff with NATO and the United States -- has become a mirror for many Serbs.



According to a July opinion poll by the Belgrade-based rights watchdog Crta, two-thirds of the population say that they feel closer to Russia, with three-quarters of Serbians also believing that Moscow was forced into war due to NATO's intentions to expand. The poll also found that 40 percent of Serbs were in favor of dropping the country's long pursuit of European Union membership and allying with Moscow instead.



I think that Serbs dont actually know very much about Russia and what its actually like there, Yevgeny Aleksandrov, a Russian IT engineer who relocated to Belgrade after the invasion, told RFE/RL. For those who support Russia or criticize Ukraine, its because it all goes back to NATO. Thats all they see.



Kremlin propaganda has found a willing audience in Serbia, where anti-American and anti-NATO rhetoric continues to resonate. Few independent media outlets remain in the country, with much of the countrys media coming under pressure during the rule of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.



Despite these close bonds, the Serbian government has sought to keep some distance from the Kremlin amid the seven-month war, with Belgrade recently saying that it won't recognize the votes in Russian-held parts of Ukraine that Kyiv has called sham referendums.



A New Community



Its difficult to know the exact number of Russians who have come to Serbia since the beginning of the war.



According to data from Serbias Interior Ministry obtained by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), nearly 45,000 Russian citizens have entered Serbia since February. But its unknown how many have remained in the country.



Air Serbia is the only European carrier besides Turkish Airlines to maintain direct flights to Russia, and Belgrade has also been a transit stop for Russians to move on to other locations in the Balkans and beyond.



According to the same data published by BIRN, only nearly 4,000 Russians who arrived have applied for residence permits, although many who remain continue to leave the country for neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina or Montenegro and quickly return in order to reset the 30-day visa-free period that allows them to legally remain in Serbia.

Aleksandrov said that he remains one of the lucky ones whose international employer was able to help arrange a work visa and residence documents for Serbia. Many others left Russia with little money available and have picked up freelance or under the table work in Serbia or navigate complex remote work arrangements with their Russian employers.



If I were to move abroad, I never planned for it to be in Serbia, Aleksandrov said. But I feel safe here and, besides, going back to Russia is no longer an option.



Georgy, a chemical engineer from Chelyabinsk who asked that RFE/RL not use his last name in order to prevent persecution from the authorities toward his family in Russia, says that Serbia has been a welcoming home with a thriving Russian community, but adds that he believes that Russians should be more introspective and willing to take on more responsibility for their governments war crimes and abuses in Ukraine.



The 38-year-old moved to Belgrade with his wife and they have since sold their apartment back in Russia and used the money to buy a home in Serbia. He says they had previously dreamed of moving to the EU and starting a new life there, but newfound visa-restrictions have made that unlikely. Instead, he said the couple plans to stay in Belgrade and obtain Serbian citizenship.



I understand why Europe doesnt want us. We deserve it, he said. For me, the war killed many of my dreams, but it also opened my eyes. Now I cant close them.



Looking For A Voice



For Russians who have settled in Belgrade, the move to Serbia has provided relief, recovery, and a sense of safety amid the upheaval brought over the last seven months. But others remain haunted by the death and destruction in Ukraine and the future direction of Russia.



Those concerns look set to grow following the Kremlins recent mobilization announcement, which looks to escalate the war and usher in a dangerous new phase that some analysts have said could potentially see Moscow enlist all military-age men for the war effort.

Inside Russia, public opinion is difficult to discern.



The last vestiges of independent media and opposition politics have been pushed out of the country and state media has broadcast a steady drumbeat of nationalist, pro-war coverage. Some polls, such as those from the Levada Center, long-considered Russias most credible pollster, show a majority of support for the invasion, but that support may be largely passive. Moreover, the governments current mobilization drive to send some men to fight in Ukraine has sparked protests across the country and even seen some attacks on recruitment centers.



The mobilization announcement also set off another wave of emigration from Russia, with snaking border lines to countries like Kazakhstan and Georgia full of fleeing Russians looking to avoid conscription, as well as flights to visa-free destinations  such as Belgrade  selling out until mid-October.

Grappling with these ramifications has been the focus of a Belgrade-based group called Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, and Serbs Together Against War. The loose organization of like-minded residents meets weekly to discuss the war and developments inside Russia. It has also organized a series of small-scale anti-war rallies since the invasion and helped arrange aid for Ukrainian refugees in Serbia and elsewhere in Europe.



There isnt much of an anti-war voice in Serbia and there is lots of propaganda here about the war, Peter Nikitin, one of the organizers of the group, told RFE/RL.



Originally from Moscow, the 41-year-old Nikitin moved to Belgrade six years ago and works as an interpreter. He says that the group originated spontaneously following Russias invasion as people began to organize on social media.



One of the messages was to show that we -- Ukrainians, Belarussians, Russians -- can build a community together and that we all have a common enemy [in the Kremlin], Nikitin said.



The Future Of Russia



Despite the Kremlins escalating war effort in Ukraine and erosion of rights at home, uprooting and leaving Russia is not a decision taken lightly.



While some have settled in Serbia, others like Prokofeva, the activist, have used it as a stopover while trying to settle in the EU. After months of interviews and bureaucracy, Prokofeva was granted a political-humanitarian visa and will soon be moving to Germany.



For Yulia Semyachkina, 33, and Svetlana Putro, 34, that decision also meant moving their children  Semyachkinas son is eight and Putros son is six  far away from family and the familiar surroundings of their Moscow neighborhood.



But the two friends said ultimately they decided to move abroad in order to provide better opportunities for their children, especially as the Russian education system became increasingly nationalistic and pro-war amid a drive to create more patriotic education following the invasion.

I dont want my kid to become indoctrinated and be some new version of Jojo Rabbit, Putro told RFE/RL, in reference to the 2019 film about a young German boy who is enchanted with Nazi propaganda during World War II. I hope that we can raise our kids right and maybe the next generation will be different.



Integrating into Serbia has not always been straightforward, but both boys are now enrolled in Serbian schools. Semyachkinas ex-husband remains in Russia and most of her marketing contracts have been blocked or shut down due to sanctions, but she has mostly managed to supplant her income with new clients. Putros husband, who she is separated from, is Serbian, which has made the adaptation process simpler, she says, but working remotely and accessing money from Russian accounts have proved difficult.



While both Semyachkina and Putro say they remain cynical about Russias future and its imperialist tendencies, they say they often fantasize about what they will do when Putin and the system he created is no longer in place.



One day this empire will end and I have a plan to put on my best dress and celebrate with a glass of something fancy, said Putro.



I dont know when this will come. Maybe its soon or maybe its when Im 60, Semyachkina told RFE/RL. My biggest hope is just that this rotten system doesnt find a way to replicate itself.
The Ukrainian military says its forces continued their advance in the Donetsk region a day after taking full control of the strategic eastern city of Lyman, as Russia continues to sustain numerous casualties.

Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Ukrainian troops liberated the settlement of Torske near Lyman on October 2 and are hitting Russian military units in Kreminna, in the Luhansk region, "with fire."

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.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on October 3 that Russia lost 320 soldiers the previous day, most of them in the Kramatorsk and Bakhmut directions. Ukraine says that in total Russia has lost lost about 60,400 soldiers since the start of its invasion in February.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said last month that Russian losses amount to 5,937.

Neither figure could be independently verified.

There were also reports on October 3 that Ukrainian forces were recapturing towns along the west bank of the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine.

The scale of the Ukrainian advance was unconfirmed, with Kyiv maintaining all but complete silence about the situation in the area. However, Russian military bloggers described a Ukrainian tank advance through dozens of kilometers of territory along the riverbank.

In a rare comment by a Ukrainian official on the situation, Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, posted what he said was a video of a Ukrainian soldier waving a flag in Zolota Balka, downriver from the former front line.

The latest reports came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on October 2 announced that Ukrainian troops were in full control of Lyman in the Donbas region.

Zelenskiy made the brief comment in a video clip posted to his Telegram channel on October 2.

"As of 12:30 p.m., Lyman is fully cleared," he said. "Thank you to our soldiers. Glory to Ukraine."

The recapture of Lyman was Ukrainian forces' most significant battlefield gain in weeks and followed a counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region to the north that swept Russian forces and stunned many observers.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington was "very encouraged" by Ukrainian gains.

Lyman sits at a crossroads and a switch yard for railroads, and analysts say Ukrainian troops would likely use the city as a staging post for further advances east.

The city had been the scene of intense fighting for days, with Ukrainian troops gradually encircling it and the estimated 5,000 Russian troops that were defending it.

Russias Defense Ministry on October 1 said it was pulling troops out of the area "in connection with the creation of a threat of encirclement."

Unconfirmed reports said Russian forces there had suffered heavy casualties and an unknown number of soldiers were taken prisoner.

It was the latest setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, coming one day after he proclaimed the annexation of four Ukrainian regions that have been partly occupied by Russian forces for months now.

The Donetsk region, where Lyman is located, is one of the four regions Putin claimed.

Kyiv and the West have condemned the annexation declaration as illegal and a farce.

Ramzan Kadyrov, an ally of Putin and head of Russia's Chechnya region, has said Moscow should consider using a low-yield nuclear weapon in Ukraine after the loss of Lyman.

In a statement criticizing Russian generals for the loss of Lyman, Kadyrov said it was time for the Kremlin to make use of every weapon at its disposal.

I do not know what the Defense Ministry reports to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, but in my personal opinion we need to take more drastic measures, including declaring martial law in the border territories and using low-yield nuclear weapons, Kadyrov said on his Telegram channel.

Putin's declaration that Russia was annexing Donetsk, along with Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya, was a major escalation by the Kremlin. Observers said it signaled a further digging-in by the Russian leadership, dampening prospects for a peace deal.

Together with Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014, the four regions make up around 20 percent of Ukraine, including some of its most industrialized territory.

Russia's setbacks on the battlefield also come amid reports of chaos in a mobilization ordered less than two weeks ago by Putin that has seen tens of thousands of Russian men suddenly called up into the military and tens of thousands of others fleeing abroad.

Mikhail Degtyarev, governor of the Khabarovsk region in Russia's Far East, said around half of the thousands of men called up there had been found unfit for duty and sent back home. He said he fired the region's military commissar.

"The military commissar of the Khabarovsk region, Yuri Laiko, has been suspended," Degtyaryev said in a video posted on Telegram.

This will have no impact on the fulfilment of the tasks that the president has set for us," Degtyaryev said in a Telegram video.

With reporting by Reuters
Kyiv said on September 28 that Moscow-orchestrated votes on becoming part of Russia held in four Ukrainian regions partially controlled by Moscow were "null and worthless," and called on the West to "significantly" increase its military aid to Ukraine.

Russian-backed officials had announced the final results earlier, saying voters had "overwhelmingly" supported becoming part of Russia. Two Moscow-appointed regional heads sent "requests" to join Russia shortly after

Referendums that the West and United Nations have called sham votes took place between September 23- and September 27 in the parts of the Zaporizhzhya, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Kherson regions that are under Moscow's military occupation. The territories account for about 15 percent of Ukraine's territory.

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.

The move has been dismissed by Ukraine, Western governments, and the United Nations because the vote is illegal under international law.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Russian-staged votes were "null and worthless" and urged its international partners to impose tough new sanctions on Moscow and provide Kyiv with more military aid.

"Ukraine will never agree to any ultimatums," the ministry said.

"Ukraine calls on the EU, NATO, and the Group of Seven to immediately and significantly increase pressure on Russia, including by imposing tough sanctions and significantly increase their military aid to Ukraine," it said.

The White House called the referendums "illegal and illegitimate" and said that the United States will not recognize Russian-annexed areas in Ukraine. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a briefing that the referendums were manipulated by Moscow and would be challenged internationally.



"Based on our information, every aspect of this referanda process was pre-staged and orchestrated by the Kremlin," Jean-Pierre said.



"Regardless of Russia's claims, this remains Ukrainian territory," she added.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on September 28 slammed the "illegal annexation" votes and their "falsified" results.

"EU denounces holding of illegal 'referenda' and their falsified outcome," Borrell said on Twitter.

"This is another violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, amidst systematic abuses of human rights," he said.

The sham referendum was held amid claims by some local officials that voters have been threatened and coerced into voting. Election officials brought ballot boxes house-to-house in many cases accompanied by armed Russian forces.

In eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, 99.23 percent of those who came to the polls voted for its entry into Russia, prompting Moscow-backed separatist leader Denis Pushilin to hail the result as "colossal."

In another eastern region, Luhansk, Russia-appointed election officials said the final result was 98.42 percent in favor of the annexation

After the announcement of the final results, the Moscow-backed administrator of the Luhansk region, Leonid Pasechnik, sent Russian President Vladimir Putin a request for the territory under his control to join Russia, citing alleged Ukrainian crimes and the threat of genocide as the reason.



"Taking into account the decision of the republic's population at the referendum, I am asking you to consider making the Luhansk People's Republic a subject of the Russian Federation," Pasechnik said in a statement.



The head of the Russian-controlled part of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, later followed suit.



"Our residents made a historic choice and decided to become part of the multinational population of the Russian Federation, in which all people are equal before each other and before the law," Saldo said in a statement published on social media.



The requests are seen as a prelude to Putin declaring their annexation in the coming days.



Valentina Matviyenko, the chairman of the Russian parliament's upper house, said Putin was scheduled to address the parliament about the referendums on September 30 and said lawmakers could consider annexation legislation on October 4 -- three days before Putin celebrates his 70th birthday.

With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa, and TASS
Central China city encourages children participation in community management

Xinhua) 15:10, September 28, 2022

CHANGSHA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- In the city of Changde, central China's Hunan Province, children approached the podium one by one to express their findings on improper behaviors in daily life.

"Casual littering degrades the beauty of our home," said one. "It is impolite to discuss other people's private business," offered another.

The activity, conducted by the Little Raindrop Youth Social Work Service Center, aims to enhance children's sense of involvement in the management of the local community.

Among the participants was 10-year-old Yueyue, who had seen people littering and walking their dogs without leashes, and decided to share her thoughts with others.

During the girl's speech, she categorized the improper acts of people in her community, pondered the problems and explained her proposals in detail.

Most of the participants in the "children's council" are "left-behind" children or disadvantaged children, according to Chen Xu, the project director of the Little Raindrop Youth Social Work Service Center.

"We hope that, by encouraging them to participate in community governance, they will learn to actively express their ideas and needs, and be more confident," Chen said.

In Libaixi Village, 13-year-old Chengcheng discovered the phenomenon of numerous speeding vehicles, especially at times when kids were going to school. "Will this pose a risk to the safety of students going to school?" he asked.

In response, Zhu Jianxi, Party chief of Libaixi Village, called for the installation of crosswalks near the school, and for the adjacent open area to be used as a parking place for parents, allowing them to pick up their children more safely.

"It's clear that the issues raised by Chengcheng are real, and his recommendations are sound. The many perspectives of the youth can be used to build a better village environment," said Zhu, adding that once the children's ideas have been implemented, they will be invited to monitor their success.

"We want to enable children to actively voice their views and needs," said Chen.

So far, Changde's "children's council" had held 24 meetings, with a total of 360 children taking part.

"We plan on making Changde a more enjoyable and friendly place for children to live in," Chen added.

On the topic of environmental protection, some children have suggested designing and making a booklet to encourage protection of the environment and collecting interesting slogans with prizes.

"Every youngster and adult should be involved in creating a platform for equal discourse and communication among children, with the ultimate goal of constructing a child-friendly society," said Chen.

In 2021, China's National Development and Reform Commission and 22 other departments issued a guidance document on promoting the construction of child-friendly cities. It proposed that, by 2025, 100 pilot child-friendly cities should be built across the country in a bid to improve children's living environments, as well as taking their rights into consideration during policy development, among other proposals.

"I suddenly feel like I can also make a difference to my community," said An Ran, a 10-year-old participant in the "children's council."

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Hongyu)
The very first stars likely formed when the Universe was only 100 million years old. Known as Population III stars, these stellar objects were so massive that when they exploded as supernovae they tore themselves apart, seeding interstellar space with a distinctive blend of heavy elements. By analyzing ULAS J1342+0928, one of the most distant known quasars, astronomers have now identified the remnant material of the explosion of a first-generation star. Theyve noticed a highly unusual composition  the material contained over 10 times more iron than magnesium compared to the ratio of these elements found in our Sun. They believe that the most likely explanation for this striking feature is that the material was left behind by a first-generation star that exploded as a pair-instability supernova.

According to the Big Bang cosmology, nucleosynthesis does not produce heavy elements because of the rapid decrease in density and temperature as the Universe expands, said University of Tokyo astronomer Yuzuru Yoshii and colleagues.

This has led to an immediate interpretation that the heavy elements observed in various objects in the universe are synthesized in the interior of massive stars and ejected by supernovae.

Therefore, the first generation of stellar objects called Population III should be massive stars born from the gas of pristine composition consisting almost exclusively of hydrogen and helium.

If the initial mass function of the hypothetical Population III stars extended to masses as low as 1 solar mass, their lifetimes would be as long as the age of the Galaxy, and they would survive to be observed at the present day.

Contrary to expectation, despite the great observational efforts made during the past four decades, no single star without detectable metals has been found anywhere in the Galaxy.

Pair-instability supernova explosions happen when photons in the center of a star spontaneously turn into electrons and positrons  the positively charged antimatter counterpart to the electron, the astronomers added.

This conversion reduces the radiation pressure inside the star, allowing gravity to overcome it and leading to the collapse and subsequent explosion.

Unlike other supernovae, these dramatic events leave no stellar remnants, such as a neutron star or a black hole, and instead eject all their material into their surroundings.

There are only two ways to find evidence of them. The first is to catch a pair-instability supernova as it happens, which is a highly unlikely happenstance. The other way is to identify their chemical signature from the material they eject into interstellar space.

For their research, the authors studied results from a prior observation taken by the 8.1-m Gemini North telescope using the Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph (GNIRS).

A spectrograph splits the light emitted by celestial objects into its constituent wavelengths, which carry information about which elements the objects contain.

Deducing the quantities of each element present, however, is a tricky endeavor because the brightness of a line in a spectrum depends on many other factors besides the elements abundance.

It was obvious to me that the supernova candidate for this would be a pair-instability supernova of a Population III star, in which the entire star explodes without leaving any remnant behind, Dr. Yoshii said.

I was delighted and somewhat surprised to find that a pair-instability supernova of a star with a mass about 300 times that of the Sun provides a ratio of magnesium to iron that agrees with the low value we derived for the quasar.

The teams results provide the clearest signature of a pair-instability supernova based on the extremely low magnesium-to-iron abundance ratio presented in ULAS J1342+0928.

If this is indeed evidence of one of the first stars and of the remains of a pair-instability supernova, this discovery will help to fill in our picture of how the matter in the Universe came to evolve into what it is today, including us.

We now know what to look for; we have a pathway, said Dr. Timothy Beers, an astronomer at the University of Notre Dame.

If this happened locally in the very early Universe, which it should have done, then we would expect to find evidence for it.

The findings appear today in the Astrophysical Journal.

_____

Y. Yoshii et al. 2022. Potential signature of Population III pair-instability supernova ejecta in the BLR gas of the most distant quasar at z = 7.54. ApJ, in press; doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac8163
(Photo : JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) A placard hangs on the wall during the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Technology Media Workshop Telecon Briefing and tours at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, on September 12, 2022, ahead of the September 26th project test mission.

Following the successful completion of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test or DART spacecraft of NASA of its first planetary defense test the other night, the small LICIACube or Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroids spacecraft captured the very moment in its messy glory.

Mail Online reported that the Italian space agency released a set of images yesterday afternoon that exhibit a before-and-after comparison of an asteroid system called Didymos and a bright burst of debris that surrounds Dimorphos.

NASA's DART spacecraft will crash into an asteroid tonight: Watch live https://t.co/KYV2bhbDcO pic.twitter.com/cxbVAQkR12  SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) September 26, 2022

Essentially, LICIACube is small, containing a pair of optical cameras and weighing about 31 pounds. The tiny spacecraft hitched a ride with DART, which deployed the CubeSat on September 11, and is operated from a mission control center in Turin, Italy.

The science team lead Elisabetta Dotto from Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica said during a news conference that they're really proud of this recent development.

READ ALSO: NASA's DART Captures First Picture of Didymos Asteroid System [LOOK]

Dimporphos Structure

Dotto explained that the images will help scientists obtain a better insight into the structure of Dimorphos and their composition. The team head also noted that there will be more images released in the days ahead.

In the last captured image, Dimorphos is seen blanketed by hazy bright debris. It is fully covered really by this emission of detritus and dust produced by the impact.

Early this week, according to a related LiveScience report, the LICIACube stayed at a safe distance as DART zoomed into its target although it then carried out a perfectly timed drive-by past the impact area a few minutes after.

The tiny yet mighty craft is currently conducting the first deep-space mission of Italy and will continue beaming images back to Earth.

The DART Mission

The DART mission of NASA slammed into Dimorphos, a tinier space rock circling a more massive asteroid known as Didymos, to find out if it could throw off the orbit of a possible future asteroid that was threatening life on Earth.

Scientists are set to watch the Didymos system closely to find out how much the orbit of Dimorphos actually changed; such results will not come for at least two more months.

Confirmation of the successful planetary defense test of NASA took place seconds after the 14,000 mph collision, sparking applause from the ground team from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland.

On its Twitter post, NASA wrote, "Impact success!" This came after the DART spacecraft collided with a 560-foot steroid approximately 6.7 million miles away from this planet.

'Kinetic Impact'

By striking Dimorphons head-on, the American space agency is hoping that it pushed it into a tinier orbit, scrapping 10 minutes off the time it needs to circle Didymos, which is presently 11 hours and 55 minutes.

The space probe utilized what is known as "kinetic impact," which involves sending a single or more large high-speed spacecraft into the path of a coming near-earth object.

Such a mission, a similar Today UK News report specified, may evoke memories of a Hollywood disaster film like Armageddon, although this is quite real and could save Earth from colliding with a fatal space rock.

Bill Nelson, the NASA Administrator, congratulated the DART team right after the completion of the mission, emphasizing how the successful test could someday save humans.

"We are showing that planetary defense is a global endeavor, and it is very possible to save our planet," Nelson said.

Report about the recent DART test is shown on ABC 7's YouTube video below:

RELATED ARTICLE: NASA James Webb, Hubble Space Telescopes To Attempt Monitoring DART as It Slams Into Dimorphos

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.
European telecom gear maker Ericsson is expanding its local manufacturing capacities to cater to Indias demand for 5G equipment as carriers Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio begin rolling out their services on 5G networks.

Nitin Bansal, managing director India and head of networks for South East Asia, Oceania and India, said Ericsson's contract manufacturer in India had been ramping up capacities.

Our strategy is that we should build in India for India, that does need scaling up and we are scaling up our production capabilities with our partner Jabil in Pune," he said.

Ericsson will import some equipment while some will be catered by local manufacturing, however, Bansal said the target was to fulfill all of Indias local requirements from production within the country.

It would be a mix to begin with and then eventually we want to hit the target. When it comes to 4G we deliver close to 100%. requirements in India from India. So we will continue to increase our capabilities with our partner and ensure that we hit that milestone for 5G as well. It's a journey we have already embarked on with the investments with it as part of the production linked incentive with our partner," Bansal said.

Major telecom gear vendors and contract manufacturers, including Nokia, Cisco, Flex, Foxconn and Jabil, have applied under the a12,195 crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom and networking equipment manufacturing. Ericsson has partnered with Jabil for availing the scheme. The gear maker is working with Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea, but did not comment on the rollout plans of the No 3 carrier, which has not yet announced any plans of rolling out 5G services as opposed to the other two who will launch next month.

Ericsson launched its mobility report on Wednesday, which showed that 5G consumer readiness in India was strong with more than 100 million planning to upgrade to the services, which was 2-3 times higher upgrade intention compared to global markets

The report found that 5G network performance will be a driver for loyalty among consumers as one-third of the those surveyed for the report were already looking to move to a service provider which would offer the best 5G services. More than half of 5G ready users expect to upgrade to a higher data tier plan in the next 12 months," the report said.

While the report found that consumers were willing to pay 45% more for a 5G plan with bundled digital services or apps, the rich media offerings such as simultaneous stream, immersive experiences will unlock the premium segment for carriers. 10% of the consumers are willing to pay a 10% base premium for 5G connectivity only," the report stated.

High-resolution video streaming or new format video and cloud gaming were likely to drive usage among consumers. The report found that six in 10 of 4G users say they will start or increase using AR applications in real-world once sign up for 5G.

The report revealed that the demand for fixed wireless access was the highest in India among all other global markets which in turn would also drive 5G adoption. The report said that 29%, or a third of consumers in the survey were willing to move to a broadband provider offering 5G FWA from their existing service provider.
NASSCOM Foundation today announced its collaboration with DXC Technology to enable marginalized communities with digital capabilities and skill Indian youth as part of an eight-month project. In its fourth consecutive year of collaboration, NASSCOM Foundation and DXC Technology will be working towards the common goal of bridging the skills gap that the youth in India faces today, and address the digital divide, especially in Tier-II and Tier-III cities wherein there are accessibility constraints.

This project closely aligns with DXC Technologys philosophy of leveraging technology for social good and for improving the quality of life of the local community and society at large. The aim is also to contribute to economic development across communities, in keeping with the Digital India vision.

The scope of this partnership will have two key focus areas - within the ambit of the first category, 20 Resource Centres for Digital Literacy and e-Governance will be established in aspirational districts spread across seven states including, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. These Resource Centres will help in creating agents of change and engines of development by providing need-based information, e-resources and an array of digital services that will impact citizens lives and livelihoods in alignment with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

The Resource Centres will be equipped with digital assets like computers and printers, online resources like subscriptions to informative pages/channels and physical resources such as books, magazines, and newsletters to make digital tools accessible to the entire community. Communities will also be connected to appropriate government schemes and e-governance services in addition to receiving ample training in digital skills.

The skill-building initiative, on the other hand, strives to prepare India's youth for a digital future. Through this initiative, young people in India will receive advanced technical training that will improve their employability skills to meet market demands, and 60% of the beneficiaries will also receive support with job placement after successfully completing the course.

Extremely encouraged by the partnership, Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation said, We have always recognised India's demographic dividend as one of its greatest assets. However, what needs to be addressed is the ever-increasing digital divide in the country. A holistic approach, embedded in digital empowerment is the need of the hour, that not only bridges the digital divide but also makes the youth future ready. For that reason, this collaboration with DXC Technology, is extremely encouraging as it strives to address both these key aspects of digital literacy and skilling. The next 8 months will be critical in proving that technology can enable transformation at scale, especially when the right partners come together with a shared vision

Nachiket Sukhtankar, DXC Global Delivery Network Lead, and Managing Director, DXC India said, DXCs social responsibility mission is to strengthen the backbone of our society by enabling the youth with the right education and skilling opportunities. In todays digital world, if young minds and especially young women of the country are empowered with the knowledge of technology and important life skills, we can transform the future for the better. Engaging with and enabling the youth in tier II and III cities is the key to unlocking the full potential of tomorrows change agents. This collaboration with NASSCOM Foundation has enabled us to take another step in the direction of our goal and we are proud to be a part of this journey.

This collaboration will also provide DXC Technology an opportunity to enable its employees to be a part of this transformation journey through volunteering. DXC employees can volunteer as certified Digital Ambassadors (DAs) who will be responsible to motivate community members to participate in the program and be the change agents. Employees can also participate in DAs training sessions and conduct some ice-breaking sessions and mentor DAs with leadership, communication, and liaising skills. Lastly, the initiative also allows volunteers to interact with community members who are being trained on digital and financial literacy modules.
Reliance Retail, Indias largest retailer, on Tuesday announced the launch of its fashion and lifestyle department store format, Reliance Centro.

The first Reliance Centro store was launched in Delhi's Vasant Kunj area.

Reliance Centro is aimed at democratising fashion in India by strengthening its reach and connect with consumers right from categories like apparels, footwear, cosmetics, lingerie, sportswear to luggage and accessories with over 300 Indian and international brands.

Reliance Centro's core offerings are curated to make it the one stop fashion destination for all the fashion conscious mid-premium segment customer. For the fashionistas of Delhi, Reliance Centro is sure to appeal to their evolving tastes and meet the need for high definition fashion, through all seasons and for all ages.

The Reliance Centro store at Vasant Kunj embraces modern looks and ambience featuring an exciting range of good quality and fashion merchandise that is relevant to today's consumers. With wide variety of brands and style options available across key lifestyle categories the offering is designed to cater to every occasion from parties to festivals to wedding, making Reliance Centro the preferred fashion destination for all needs.

Shoppers in Delhi can now look forward to a uniquely special and superlative shopping experience for trendy fashion with a wide range of products catering to Women, Men and kids.

This 75,000 sq ft store, which is one of its kind store in this region, is a complete department store with range of over 300 brands and more than 20,000 style options for the entire family.

This new shopping destination has a special inaugural offer for its customers, besides great relevant fashion at amazing prices. The inaugural offer to get Rs 1,500 off on shopping worth Rs 3,999 or get Rs 2,000 off on shopping worth Rs Rs 4,999 and above.

Residents can head to the Reliance Centro store at Vasant Kunj for the joy of a great shopping experience.




A Luzerne County man has been charged for arranging to hire someone to murder several people.Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce announced Tuesday the arrest of Ferdinand Cuevas-Herida, of Pittston, for attempting to arrange the murders of several witnesses tied to previously charged crimes against him for sexual offenses involving female members of his family.This defendant was determined to use any means necessary to avoid facing the consequences of his actions, going as far as to attempt to arrange for his own family members to be killed, said Attorney General Shapiro. My office is committed to protecting all Pennsylvanians, including those who take the brave step of being a sworn witness in a court of law. I am grateful for the work that the Luzerne County District Attorneys Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pittston Police Department did in this investigation and the work they do every day to keep our communities safe.Earlier this month Cuevas-Heredia contacted an undercover officer and indicated that he wanted three people killed, following up with a letter detailing his plan. The defendants mother delivered an envelope of cash to the undercover officer as payment for the planned killing of the witnesses.Cuevas-Heredia has been charged with three counts of Criminal Solicitation to Commit Homicide; two counts of Criminal Attempt to Commit Witness Intimidation; and two counts of Criminal Use of a Communication Device for phone and mail.Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce expressed his gratitude to Detective Charles Balogh and Pittston City Chief Kyle Shumosic stating, The officers diligent work uncovering this heinous scheme may have saved a life and hopefully will result in substantial additional prison time for defendant. DA Sanguedolce also noted, I hasten to add our thanks to Attorney General Shapiro and his office who have been working with investigators and are leading the prosecution on this arrest and four more of this defendants cases. The Attorney Generals willingness to assist our office when resources are needed serve greatly to help our united fight for justice in Luzerne County.The sexual assault case and these new allegations will be prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Amanda McCool. All charges are accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Xi Jinping visits exhibition themed "Forging Ahead in the New Era," stresses vigorousness, resoluteness and solidarity in striving for new success of socialism with Chinese characteristics

Xinhua) 15:18, September 28, 2022

BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- As the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is drawing near, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, president of the People's Republic of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited an exhibition themed "Forging Ahead in the New Era" at Beijing Exhibition Center on September 27. Xi stressed, since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee has united and led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in solving many tough problems that were long on the agenda but remained unsolved, accomplishing many things of vital importance and long-term significance, and withstanding the test brought about by risks and challenges from political, economic, ideological, and natural domains. We have scored historic achievements and shifts in the cause of the Party and the state. All these have provided the journey to great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with more robust institutions, stronger material foundations, and a source of inspiration for taking greater initiative.

We should give as much publicity as possible to the strategic measures we have taken, great practices we have conducted, pioneering breakthroughs we have made as well as landmark achievements we have accomplished during the past decade. We should also publicize the milestone significance of the ten-year great transformation in the history of the Party, of the People's Republic of China, of the reform and opening up, and of the development of socialism and the Chinese nation. The whole Party and people of all ethnic groups will thus be inspired to gain greater confidence and initiative from history, become more vigorous, resolute and united in striving forward to write a new chapter of building a modern socialist country in all respects and achieve new success of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng visited the exhibition.

At 3:45 p.m., Xi and other leaders arrived at Beijing Exhibition Center, and walked into the exhibition hall. Themed "Forging Ahead in the New Era," the exhibition takes as a thread the governance by the CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, since the 18th CPC National Congress and focuses on the great achievements and extraordinary reforms and changes in the cause of the Party and the state over the past 10 years into the new era. It exhibits the new stage and latest progress in development and explains the strengths and drivers behind the changes. It demonstrates the Chinese communists' political and theoretical guidance in the new era and displays the solidarity, hard work and entrepreneurship of the general public as well. With a total area of over 30,000 square meters, the exhibition is divided into six parts -- the preface, central comprehensive exhibition, local exhibitions, the outlook, as well as an outdoor area and an area for interactions. Boasting over 6,000 exhibits such as pictures, objects and models, the exhibition offers a multi-dimensional display with rich contents.

There are independently-developed key products and models that showcase the great achievements our country has made in terms of its science and technology level and manufacturing capacity. There are medals and decorations reflecting China's increasingly complete and enriched award system and national-level major publication "The Revitalization Library." There are objects, diagrams and pictures vividly showcasing China's battle against poverty and response to the COVID-19 epidemic. There are simulated sand plates of a multilevel, 3D remote sensing ecological monitoring system involving a space-air-ground integrated network featuring the coordinated use of space-based satellites, aerial platforms and drones, ground-based monitoring vehicles and observation facilities. There are models of weaponry. There are also display boards and objects illustrating a holistic approach to national security and what the Party has achieved in developing its rules and regulations. Also on display is the 3D electronic map presenting the achievements of the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, and so is the sand table of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area demonstrating the highlights of its planning and building, rail construction, and scientific and technological innovations. These objects, models, vivid videos as well as pictures and charts drew the attention of Xi and other leaders. They would once in a while stop to watch a particular exhibit, listen to the stand-attendants and inquire about relevant information.

Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairpersons of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, state councilors, president of the Supreme People's Court, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, vice chairpersons of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee and members of the Central Military Commission also visited the exhibition.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Hongyu)
Bubs Australia will make and sell locally made product to Chinese parents in a new joint venture that will give the company access to 80 per cent of Chinas $40 billion baby formula market.

Under a freshly inked partnership with local dairy manufacturer Heilongjiang Ubeite Dairy Group (HUG), Bubs Australia will bypass the high barriers for international brands by selling China-manufactured products in local bricks-and-mortar stores early next year.

Bubs Australia

Until now, the company has been able to sell its products only through cross-border e-commerce, which represents only 20 per cent of the entire Chinese infant formula market.

This has been a barrier to entry for us in China for the last six years, said Bubs Australia CEO Kristy Carr.
Rone has long been fascinated by the urban legend of the ballroom at Flinders Street, often wondering if it even existed and whether he could create work there. It has always been on my list, he says.

That ambition is about to come true, as the 42-year-old Geelong-born artist opens his biggest work yet. With Time, he is about to take over not only the storied ballroom but the entire third level of the iconic Melbourne station.

Artist Rone in his architectural intervention upstairs at Flinders Street Station. Credit:Jason South

Rone is the moniker of street artist Tyrone Wright, who describes the transformation as an architectural intervention. Much more than art on the walls, it is an imagined reality of a world gone by, a glimpse of what might have been.

Ill meet you under the clocks, theres a nod to that in everything, he says. Theres something about this building and time. The clock tower [at the station] was how all the train drivers would set their watches: they would go out to all the regions, this is the space that set time for all Victoria. Its quite beautiful to know it rings out from here.
They say when one border closes, another one opens  and while Hollywood star Sean Penn mightve recently been banned from entering Russia, it seems he is always welcome in Australia.

The two-time Academy Award-winner has signed on to star in a new Stan* Original comedy called C*A*U*G*H*T, which is created, written and directed by Australian actor Kick Gurry.

Hollywood actor and producer Sean Penn will begin filming a new Stan series in Sydney later this year. Credit:AP

The satirical comedy follows four Australian soldiers sent to an unnamed war-torn country on a secret mission. Mistaken for Americans, they are captured by freedom fighters and produce a hostage video that goes viral.

They become a bit drunk on how obsessed the world is with them and their story, but then they start to lose themselves, and these guys have to fight for their identities, explains Gurry.
One of the nations largest electricity generators is expected to announce the early closure of two major coal-fired power plants in Victoria and NSW, signalling the rapidly decreasing economic viability of Australias ageing and polluting coal fleet.

AGL is expected to announce on Thursday that its Loy Yang A plant in Victorias Latrobe Valley will close in 2035, a decade earlier than previously expected. The giant brown coal plant generates about 30 per cent of Victorias power each year.

Loy Yang Power Station, in the Latrobe Valley, will close a decade earlier than expected. Credit:Eamon Gallagher

The company will confirm its Bayswater coal plant in NSWs Hunter Valley, will shut between 2030 and 2033.

There are 575 workers at Loy Yang A, which includes operations, the mine and the power station.
Its hard to imagine what Adam Levine, a man currently best known for prolifically messaging women half his age, is feeling right now.

His private life has been made public, and to add insult to injury of his own making, the content of his many direct messages was made public days after his wife, Behati Prinsloo, announced she was pregnant with their third child.

Adam Levines private messages with women on Instagram were made public just days after his wife, Behati Prinsloo, announced she was pregnant with their third child. Credit:AP

Feelings aside, though, we do know what Levine believes, and that is that sliding exclusively into the DMs of women whose frontal lobes are still developing with sexually suggestive messages does not constitute cheating.

I did not have an affair, the Maroon 5 frontman announced in a statement after a series of his texts were made public. Nevertheless, I crossed the line during a regrettable period of my life. In certain instances, it became inappropriate.
Whether the Optus hacker got in through an open window or picked the locks, the elephant in the room is that so much personal information about us is sitting in the room in the first place.

When it comes to holding our most intimate secrets, Optus is no island  credit rating agencies trade in our financial affairs, online retailers track our purchases, social platforms capture our every search, while our mobile phone has become a personal tracking device.

Why is Optus holding so much customer data? Credit:Justin McManus

While there is a legitimate debate around an individual companys responsibility to keep customer data secure, it is easy to gloss over the more fundamental issue: what are they doing with it in the first place?

There was a time when online privacy was a given, the days when the web offered freedom to roam and explore, where creators and users merged, where communities developed their own online cultures free from prying eyes.
In the 1980s, Bill was chairman (head) of the Department of Mechanical Engineering for two consecutive three-year terms. In this era, the chairman was elected by their academic colleagues. He was regarded as an insightful leader with strong interpersonal skills.

Bill Lewis.

As an academic, Bill enjoyed an ongoing and productive partnership with Professor Andrew Samuel in the field of engineering design. Bills broad and voracious appetite for learning, finely honed practical, theoretical, and pedagogical skills combined perfectly to enable him to make fundamental and long-lasting contributions to his chosen field of engineering design thinking. In 1996, Bill was awarded the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE) Medal (Australasia) for Distinguished Contributions to Engineering Education. Historically, this had been awarded to international professors and senior academic administrators of high standing. Bill was the first Australian to be awarded this AAEE Medal.

Bill retired as an associate professor and reader from the University of Melbourne in 1996. Nonetheless, he remained active as an honorary member of staff. Bill continued to engage with local industries and publish research articles. Bill was a long-standing contributor to the biannual International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED) since its inauguration in 1981. Bill and Andrews contribution culminated in ICED 05 when the Design Society accepted the Melbourne bid for the 2005 conference. This was the first ICED conference to be held in the southern hemisphere and only the second not to be held in Europe. All who attended that conference recall the success of the conference.

Bill had a strong social conscience. He took a strong interest in refugees and what he regarded was their appalling treatment by successive Australian governments. He sent many letters to his local government representative about his concerns. Following a seminar at Melbournes Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, the audience was told that volunteers were needed to engage with refugees in the community. Bill volunteered and for many years he met with a Ukrainian refugee on a weekly basis at the housing commission flats in South Melbourne. Often this meeting would be followed by lunch with academic friends at the University staff club where Bill would offer an update about the English lessons and Australian culture insights offered to his Ukrainian friend. In more recent years, when Bill could no longer assist physically, he made substantial donations to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.
Public hospitals in Victoria are on track to breach the Commonwealth funding agreements 6.5 per cent growth cap, which premiers and chief ministers are seeking to have abolished.

Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas told reporters in Melbourne on Wednesday it was hard to see a way the state could avoid exceeding the cap as its hospitals grappled with the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas says its hard to see a way the state could avoid exceeding the hospital funding cap. Credit:Meredith OShea

State and territory leaders will raise hospital funding with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese when national cabinet meets on Friday, calling for a more sustainable approach, and reexamine mandatory isolation after reducing it from seven to five days at their August 31 meeting.

This is obviously an ongoing discussion that we are having with the Commonwealth, Thomas said.

There is no doubt that health systems right across the nation have experienced unprecedented demand and of course have incurred unprecedented costs ... We need to seize the opportunity that the pandemic has presented in terms of looking at longer-term funding reform to ensure that we have a viable sustainable health care system.

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She backed GPs call for more Commonwealth funding in the October budget, saying it was clear for everyone to see that the Medicare rebates were not keeping up with expenses.

Thomas said she had not received advice from her chief health officer Brett Sutton, who last month warned isolation remained critical, on whether it was now time to abolish the rule.

Federal health minister Mark Butler this morning denied that states and territories were on track to breach the national cap, which limits the Commonwealth contribution to higher costs to about $2 billion a year, contradicting sources who told the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age this was expected in 2022-23.

Im not convinced on the advice that I have that the 6.5 per cent cap is going to breach this year, the minister told the ABCs RN Breakfast.



Im not going to pre-empt what might happen at National Cabinet in relation to any matter they might have on the agenda, including hospital funding.

If Victoria - or any other state or territory - goes over its individual 6.5 per cent cap, any surplus from the Commonwealth funding will be redistributed.

But if all states and territories exceed the cap, they will have to make up the shortfall from their own budgets.

Butler said the governments extension of its agreement to pay for half of COVID-19 hospital costs until December 31 would help ease pressure on the public health system.
The government will work with First Nations Australians on how best to deliver the referendum to establish a voice to parliament, including how to make it accessible to Indigenous people.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the voice working group in Canberra today that every member of his government was committed to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

From the people around this room (to) everywhere I go in the country, Ive got to say there is enormous goodwill, he said. This is an opportunity to lift the whole nation up. We have so much to learn from Indigenous Australians.

Linda Burney has put the Indigenous Voice to parliament at the top of the governments agenda. If the referendum is successful, it will change what it means to be Australian. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney, Special Envoy for Reconciliation Pat Dodson and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus met with the referendum working group today.

Discussions focused on the timing of the referendum, refining the question to be put to the public and the information needed to help the referendum to pass.

While a date for the referendum has not been set, it is likely to be held in 2023.

Albanese said he recognised there is a risk to holding the referendum.

If we dont have a referendum, then by definition it wont succeed, he said. The risk has to be balanced up with the certainty of failure if you dont try.

The group also discussed the design of the voice, including that the body provides independent advice and is made up of First Nations people based on the wish of local communities but it will not have a program delivery function or a veto power.

A constitutional expert group to advise on the referendum will also be established by the government.

AAP
Melissa Caddicks eldest brother Adam Grimley has made extraordinary accusations concerning the conduct of the coronial inquest into the disappearance and presumed death of his sister, including that unverified gossip was being presented as fact.

In an affidavit tendered at the inquest, Grimley attacked counsel assisting, Jason Downing, SC, claiming Downings line of questioning wrongly suggested that his brother-in-law Anthony Koletti could have harmed my sister or in someone way be complicit in her disappearance.

He said that his family is absolutely floored at any suggestion that Koletti was to blame for his sisters disappearance.

Caddick, 49, vanished in the early hours of November 12, 2020, hours after the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) and the federal police conducted a 12-hour raid at the couples Dover Heights home, in Sydneys east.
The states top coroner says the continued rate of Indigenous deaths in custody is unacceptable and more must be done to prevent incarceration after the highest-ever number of First Nations people died in NSW prisons and police operations last year.

Sixteen Indigenous people died in custody in 2021  double the previous record in NSW, which was eight deaths in 1998. It marked the highest number of First Nations deaths recorded in both correctional centres (eight deaths) and police operations (seven deaths) in a single year since records began in 1995. One person died in an inpatient facility.

NSW State Coroner Teresa OSullivan said Indigenous deaths in custody in the state had sharply risen and called for more to be done. Credit:Yianni Aspradakis

Aboriginal people represented 37.2 per cent of deaths in custody and police operations in NSW  more than 10 times the proportion of Aboriginal people in the state.

NSW State Coroner Teresa OSullivan said Indigenous deaths in custody in the state had sharply risen and that a further seven First Nations people had died this year: five during a police operation, one in a correctional centre and one in an in-patient facility.
A Queensland superyacht tour operator accused of masterminding a large cocaine importation has now been charged with manslaughter over the death of a Brazilian diver who drowned while allegedly attempting to retrieve the drugs in the Port of Newcastle earlier this year.

James Blake Blee, 62, was intercepted at Cairns airport on May 11, two days after Brazilian national Bruno Borges Martins was found unresponsive in water near a package containing 54 kilograms of cocaine.

James Blee has been charged with manslaughter over the divers death.

At the time, police linked Martins death to the arrival of the bulk carrier ship Areti, which investigators believed had a large amount of cocaine strapped to its hull when it arrived in the Port of Newcastle from Argentina.

In a search of the ship following the death, police uncovered wrappings that indicated about 50 kilograms of cocaine had already come off the ship and probably made its way into the community.
Beauty mogul and uber-influencer Zoe Foster Blake never used to like chemical sunscreens.

In a blog post in 2013, she warned readers of her blog that the products were a growing concern as chemical filters can mess with your hormones.

And true to her word, when Foster Blakes Go-To brand launched its first sunscreen  the Zincredible SPF15  in 2018 it was a zinc-based physical blocking agent.

Unfortunately Zincredible was discontinued in 2020, along with Go-Tos Pink-Nudey lip balm because they only came in one skin tone. Pinky-Nudey was still available on Wednesday from Go-Tos website, mind you.
Gerald Ridsdale was such a prolific paedophile that he cannot now remember who all his victims were, a court has been told.

The former priest has been behind bars for sexual offending against children since 1994 and will not be eligible for parole until hes 90.

Paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale (left) outside court with George Pell (right) in 1993.

But now 88, he faces the prospect of even longer behind bars.

Ridsdale has pleaded guilty to more child sexual offences, against two young boys in Mortlake, in western Victoria, in 1980 and 1981.
When I first started playing gigs as a teen in Brisbane in the mid-2000s, venues charged $10 entry for a show with three or four local bands on the bill. Not all venues were the same, but many took up to 20 per cent of the ticket price, with the rest divvied up between the bands, and all bar takings usually kept by the venue too.

On a very good night we might make upwards of $500 per band, on a bad night wed make $50 between four musicians.

The COVID-19 lockdown put a stop to live performances. Credit:Paul Rovere

Moving to Melbourne in pursuit of rock-star ambitions in 2011, I found the cost of a ticket was still around $10. Sometimes ticket prices dipped as low as $5 for a night out.

In the decade since, ticket prices have shifted closer to $15, but it now costs more for a pint of beer in some bars than it does for a 40-minute set of original music by talented young musicians.
The HelloWorld scandal where a government contract worth $1 billion was awarded to the company of a Liberal Party donor and officeholder who provided free holidays to two Coalition government ministers is another. Everyone can sleep better at night knowing the National Anti-Corruption Commission can investigate these and other whiffy episodes in Australian politics, should it choose to do so. And thats a crucial point  it cant be told what to investigate or when. It will be an independent commission that determines its own work agenda. The list above inevitably concerns activities under Coalition governments  the Liberal and National parties were in office for nine years until the Albanese governments election in May this year. But Labor knows it will be subject to scrutiny in office, too, once the bill becomes law. Its one reason the bills detail is subject to such furious attention by crossbenchers whose integrity activism has been central to this key moment in Australian politics. Introducing the bill, Dreyfus reiterated Labors position that the commission will be able to hold public hearings in exceptional circumstances and if satisfied it is in the public interest to do so.

This means it will be more like Victorias Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission than New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption. Loading The bill includes guidance to the National Anti-Corruption Commission on how to determine whether public hearings are in the public interest. Factors against public hearings are unfair prejudice to a persons reputation, privacy, safety or wellbeing; and for public hearings, making the public aware of corruption. Dreyfus says public hearings raise questions about reputational harm.

With respect, minister, these questions have known answers. They lie in the operations of NSWs ICAC over the past 34 years. The minister did not provide evidence ICACs operations had caused reputational harm to innocent parties. Instead, it has imprisoned the criminally rotten, and embarrassed those whose misconduct fell short of criminal standards out of politics, without consideration of their political stripe. If former NSW premiers Nick Greiner, Barry OFarrell and Gladys Berejiklian suffered such terrible reputational damage through their appearances at ICAC, how is it that Greiner went on to a successful career in business and diplomacy, why is OFarrell currently Australias high commissioner to India, and why is Berejiklian enjoying a six-figure salary plus executive perks at Optus? ICACs judicious use of public hearings is central to its success. In the seven years to 2019-20, Anthony Whealy points out, only 42 public ICAC inquiries were held compared to 979 private ones  a very small proportion.

Where misconduct or corruption falls short of criminality, the shame of embarrassing disclosures at a public hearing forms a crucial part of the censure  often the only one. Public hearings can also spur new witnesses to come forward with additional information. Loading If politicians do the right thing, they need not fear a public appearance before the commission. Just knowing such accountability in public is possible is a powerful disincentive to wrongdoing. ICACs enabling legislation leaves it up to the commission itself to judge when public hearings are necessary, without being hampered by the high barrier against them Dreyfus included in the bill. This has worked well, patently better than Victorias IBAC model, from which, on this detail, Labors National Anti-Corruption Commission bill draws.

ICACs investigation into former NSW Labor state government minister and Right faction boss Eddie Obeid, which led to him being charged, convicted and imprisoned for corruption, is perhaps its most stellar success. ICAC succeeded where the NSW Police failed, ending Obeids career. As a young Left faction activist, Anthony Albanese spent six years from 1989 as assistant general secretary of NSW Labor at a time when the NSW Right was at its most rotten. Someone like him who historically saw the damage done by Obeid and his NSW Right faction predecessors at close quarters, and opposed it vigorously, is likely best placed to fix this misstep in the bill quickly. Loading Its not a matter of optimising political tactics in relation to this bill.
Barry Berih wants the government to say sorry for detaining him suddenly for weeks when COVID-19 spread through some of Melbournes public housing towers, treatment no other Victorian community endured in the pandemic.

Trapped in his unit at 33 Alfred Street, North Melbourne, one of nine towers locked down at the time, he helped organise the community response through Facebook and WhatsApp to make sure families had what they needed  a task he said should have fallen to the government.

The public housing tower at 33 Alfred Street was locked down for two weeks in July 2020 when COVID-19 threatened to spread through the estate. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Born in Australia, Berih felt rejected by the decision.

Some people are letting it go. But some people havent  its 50-50, the 28-year-old said.
Copenhagen, Denmark: Methane leaking from the damaged Nord Stream pipelines is likely to be the biggest burst of the potent greenhouse gas on record, by far.

The Nord Stream pipeline leaks that were pumping huge volumes of methane into the Baltic Sea and atmosphere could discharge as much as five times as much of the potent greenhouse as was released by the Aliso Canyon disaster, the largest known terrestrial release of methane in US history.

It is also the equivalent of one third of Denmarks total annual greenhouse gas emissions, a Danish official warned Wednesday.

Unusual leaks from natural gas pipelines running from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany have triggered concerns about possible sabotage. Credit:AP

Whoever ordered this should be prosecuted for war crimes and go to jail, said Rob Jackson, a Stanford University climate scientist.
Colonel Rabuka told a packed press conference at Suvas Travelodge Hotel this afternoon that a new Constitution was being drafted and would soon be promulgated. He said he would move immediately to formally proclaim Fiji a republic. Colonel Rabuka intends to announce a new Council of Ministers as soon as possible. The council will include no more than three military representatives. He intends to stay in power as the head of the new military regime. Colonel Rabuka is still hoping that Ratu Ganilau will accept his invitation to become the first President of a Fijian republic.

He will also meet the former Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, tomorrow, and said he may ask Ratu Mara to accept the position. At the press conference, Colonel Rabuka said he hoped Fiji could remain in the Commonwealth. He said the nation had been a loyal member of the Commonwealth and had paid its due in peace and war. Closed duty free shop in Nadi, Fiji on September 25, 1987. Credit:Ray Kennedy If it was to be expelled for a minor incident which had been designed to protect the interests of ethnic Fijians, then perhaps it was not worth being in the Commonwealth.

Colonel Rabuka said the present Chief Justice and his Supreme Court would automatically lose office as soon as the new Constitution was promulgated. He intends to appoint a new judiciary as soon as possible, using local and overseas lawyers. Colonel Rabuka said that political activities such as rallies and demonstrations would be restricted under the military regime but trade unions would be allowed to operate. He gave a clear commitment to return Fiji to civilian rule in the future, stressing that he had no intention of retaining power himself. Im not the type of coup leader we have in other countries around the world, he said.

Colonel Rabuka said the new Parliament, which a new Constitution would establish, would closely mirror the recommendations of the Great Council of Chiefs, which proposed that a large majority of seats be reserved for Fijians He praised Papua New Guinea for refusing to interfere in Fijis affairs, but said he did not believe that Australia, New Zealand, Britain and the US understood the Fijian way. Colonel Rabuka said he would release the deposed Prime Minister, Dr Timoci Bavadra, soon. He plans to meet Dr Bavadra tomorrow. He said he had authorised the release of 13 other detainees today and his intention was to release all others held since last Fridays coup in the near future. Colonel Rabuka also met Fijis highest paramount chief, Ratu Sir George Cakobau, this morning and was assured that Ratu Cakobau understood and appreciated his position as well as that of the Governor-General.

Fiji remained under a tight curfew tonight, but Colonel Rabuka said that at least one of Fijis two banned newspapers would be allowed to resume publication tomorrow. A house on the outskirts of Suva was fire-bombed today, and reports of scattered violence elsewhere in the country filtered through to the capital. Members of the Democratic Freedom for Fiji movement watch the SBS news as details of todays coup in Fiji unfolds. September 25, 1987. Credit:Paul Wright Police are looking for three Fijian youths after fire gutted the home of a 42-year-old Indian father of three. In another incident, it is understood a trade union official in the northern city of Labussa was bashed by soldiers. He is believed to be in a serious condition in hospital.

On the Coral Coast, it was reported that Fijian security staff had clashed with villagers in a brawl at a hotel resort, leaving four people unconscious. Glenn Milne writes from Canberra that Mr Hawke has held talks with the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr Lange, over the Fiji coup crisis. Both Prime Ministers agreed to remain in contact on the issue and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Hayden, said last night he also planned to speak to his opposite number in New Zealand, Mr Russell Marshall. The consultations between the Australian and New Zealand Governments followed a Federal Cabinet decision yesterday to step up sanctions against the Rabuka regime including further suspension of Australian aid and defence co-operation. Cabinet yesterday decided:

Australia would not recognise any new government established by Colonel Rabuka. Australia would not accept any nomination which Colonel Rabuka made for a new Fiji High Commissioner to Australia. Australias remaining aid program would be suspended with the exception of$1 million training costs for on-going students from Fiji who Mr Hayden described as innocent parties to events in their country. Loading Australia would continue the suspension of activities under the Defence Co-operation Program which was decided on after the first coup and that in addition, the Australian Government would recall two Defence Co-operation advisers who had been working in the Australian High Commission in Fiji.
Russia accused of mounting terror attack

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New Flights Between Santo Domingo (SDQ) and St. Maarten (SXM)

SIMPSON BAY:--- On Tuesday, September 27, 2022, Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE N.V.) officially welcomed Arajet Airlines to St. Maarten with a symbolic inaugural ceremony. Arajet will have two (2) weekly flights between St. Maarten (SXM) and Santo Domingo (SDQ), offering non-stop services from St. Maarten to the Dominican Republic. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the airline will be using a Boeing 737 MAX-8 with a seating capacity of 185. This venture serves as a part of Arajetss growing network out of the Dominican Republic.



Ben van der Klift, CFO of Princess Juliana International Airport comments: Today, Im very pleased and honored to welcome Arajet to our airport and the island of St. Maarten. Arajet is an important addition to our hub function to increase St. Maarten's connectivity in the Caribbean. In addition, the entire island will benefit from this route development. There will be more tourists coming to our island and the people of St. Maarten have even more choices when they want to fly to Santo Domingo.



Victor Pachego Mendez, CEO of Arajet reacted, We are excited to start operations at Princess Juliana International Airport. St. Maarten is one of the top destinations in the Caribbean, and the launch of direct, low-fare flights from the Dominican Republic will attract more tourists, increase connectivity, and offer our guests the opportunity to experience our warm and distinctive Dominican customer service, flying in an environmentally friendly fleet of a new and modern 737 MAX-8.

Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunications (TEATT) Omar Ottley said, The Dominican Republic and St. Maarten share in a long history of trade relationships and the family ties that bind us, has favored both countries for many years. The Dominican Republic has a vast number of travel enthusiasts whose visit will further enhance our economic model as we continue to grow.

Arajets decision to include St. Maarten as a preferred destination as it expands its airlifts throughout the Caribbean is a true indication of its trust in our Countrys service cultural standard. We welcome Arajet and its staff and thank the Airlines management team for placing its confidence in our island. We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with the hopes to see increased airlifts over time, concluded Ottley.

Photo Caption: (L to R) Johanna de Windt of Halley Aviation, Ben van der Klift, CEO PJIAE N.V., Mark Breen, CFO Arajet, Nacim Yala, Spokesperson Arajet, Honorable Acting Minister of TEATT, Omar Ottley, Jasper Dore and Priscilla Halley of Halley Aviation.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication (TEATT) Omar Ottley says Arajet's two weekly flights between St. Maarten and Santo Domingo "show that we are rebounding well with hopes of an excellent season ahead."

Minister Ottley joined the Princess Juliana International Airport NV (PJIA) team in officially welcoming Arajet Airlines' inaugural flight to St. Maarten on Tuesday, September 27.

Arajet will have two (2) weekly non-stop flights between St. Maarten (SXM) and Santo Domingo (SDQ) on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Airline will use a Boeing 737 MAX-8 with a seating capacity of 185. This venture is part of Arajets growing network out of the Dominican Republic.

Ottley said, "The Dominican Republic and St. Maarten share a long history of trade relationships. The family ties that bind us have favored both countries for many years. The Dominican Republic has many travel enthusiasts whose visit will further enhance our economic model as we continue to grow."

"They will have the opportunity to bask in the sun on our beautiful beaches, experience exciting nightlife, and taste some delicious dishes at some of our world-famous restaurants."

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Arajet Victor Pachego Mendez said, "We are excited to start operations at Princess Juliana International Airport." He said St. Maarten is one of the top destinations in the Caribbean.

"The launch of direct, low-fare flights from the Dominican Republic will attract more tourists, increase connectivity, and offer our guests the opportunity to experience our warm and distinctive Dominican customer service," said Pachego Mendez.

He described the Airline as "an environmentally friendly fleet" with a new and modern 737 MAX-8.

CFO of PJIA Ben van der Klift said, "Today, I'm very pleased and honored to welcome Arajet to our airport and the island of St. Maarten. Arajet is an important addition to our hub function to increase St. Maarten's connectivity in the Caribbean. In addition, the entire island will benefit from this route development. More tourists will come to our island, and the people of St. Maarten have even more choices when they want to fly to Santo Domingo."

"Arajet's decision to include St. Maarten as a preferred destination as it expands its airlifts throughout the Caribbean indicates its trust in our Country's service cultural standard. We welcome Arajet and its staff and thank the Airline's management team for placing its confidence in our island. We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with the hopes to see increased airlifts over time," concluded Ottley.
~ Budget will be heavily affected says the Minister of Finance.~

PHILIPSBURG: --- The government of St. Maarten would have to dip its hands in its liquidity to sustain the extra costs of the parliament of St. Maarten since there are nine factions in parliament.

Just last week nine members of parliament each representing their own faction left the island for the Netherlands to attend IPKO meetings. The ten-day trip with ten members of parliament will place a real dent in the government's budget. Government was asked to provide a daily per diem for each member of parliament and the staff that travelled with the delegation while they also paid for first-class tickets for each MP.

This of course brought on an unexpected expense that was not budgeted for, and it will affect the governments liquidity, Irion said.

SMN News asked the Minister of Finance for a breakdown of the extra costs brought on by the parliament of St. Maarten. Irion promised to provide the exact figures for the IPKO trip costs and the additional cost the government of St. Maarten has to bear.

The Minister of Finance did say that government cannot deny parliament what they ask for as such the governments liquidity would have to be used to sustain the extra financial burden. Minister Irion said that the IPKO trip alone will cost more than previously budgeted and that these extra costs were not budgeted since the government did not anticipate having nine factions in parliament.

The Minister of Finance said the members of parliament dont have to hire more faction staff; however, the government does not have a say in the decisions taken by members of parliament.
PHILIPSBURG: --- Teachers at the St. Maarten Academy are being forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement that was given to them on Tuesday. The teachers have until Friday to sign and turn in the non-disclosure agreement.

SMN News understands that the non-disclosure agreement presented to teachers is to avoid the Ministry of Education from interfering with matters that do not concern the government or Ministry.

According to one school board member just recently the Ministry of Education including the Minister of Education barged into a meeting and demanded information on a case of alleged sexual misconduct involving a teacher. The board member said that the Ministry of Education has nothing to do with this kind of information. They said that the parents are responsible for filing a report with the Police Department or Prosecutors Office which will be tasked with investigating such cases.

The school board member further explained that if the police or prosecution approached the school's for information they would get it because they are the rightful entity that must investigate.

"Government and parliament need to work on laws that can further protect minors or anyone that are being sexually harassed or abused."

Asked if the school boards that are trying to implement the non-disclosures are trying to silence teachers who took to social media to express their frustration when they were not paid their vacation pay. The board member said that this has to do with vacation pay but the government is busy interfering in matters that do not concern them.

The board members said teachers that do not want to sign the non-disclosures do not have to sign them because they cannot just get fired for not signing the agreement. However, the school boards intend to incorporate the non-disclosures in teachers' contracts for the new school year.

WITU President Stuart Johnson said he received the non-disclosure and communicated it to the FAVE school board, I am against it and instructed all WITU members and by extension, all staff not to sign it.
WatchGuard Threat Lab Reports Decrease in Malware Volume, Surge in Encrypted Malware and Actively Exploited Office Vulnerabilities

28 September 2022: The latest Internet Security Report from the WatchGuard Threat Lab, shows a reduction in overall malware detections from the peaks seen in the first half of 2021, along with an increase in threats for Chrome and Microsoft Office and the ongoing Emotet botnet resurgence.

aWhile overall malware attacks in Q2 fell off from the all-time highs seen in previous quarters, over 81% of detections came via TLS encrypted connections, continuing a worrisome upward trend,a said Corey Nachreiner, Chief Security Officer at WatchGuard. aThis could reflect threat actors shifting their tactics to rely on more elusive malware.a

The Q2 Internet Security Report shows that Office exploits continue to spread more than any other category of malware. The quartera?s top incident was the Follina Office exploit (CVE-2022-30190), which was first reported in April and not patched until late May. Delivered via a malicious document, Follina was able to circumvent Windows Protected View and Windows Defender and has been actively exploited by threat actors, including nation states. Three other Office exploits (CVE-2018-0802, RTF-ObfsObjDat.Gen, and CVE-2017-11882) were widely detected in Germany and Greece.

WatchGuard researchers also found that endpoint detections of malware were down overall, but not equally. Despite a 20% decrease in total endpoint malware detections, malware exploiting browsers collectively increased by 23%, with Chrome seeing a 50% surge. One potential reason for the increase in Chrome detections is the persistence of various zero day exploits. Scripts continued to account for the liona?s share of endpoint detections (87%) in Q2.

Another key finding in the report is that the top 10 signatures accounted for more than 75% of network attack detections. This quarter saw increased targeting of ICS and SCADA systems that control industrial equipment and processes, including new signatures (WEB Directory Traversal -7 and WEB Directory Traversal -8). The two signatures are very similar; the first exploits a vulnerability first uncovered in 2012 in a specific SCADA interface software while the second is most widely detected in Germany.

WatchGuard also warns of a resurgent Emotet. While the volume has declined since last quarter, Emotet remains one of network security\-s biggest threats. One of the quartera?s top 10 overall and top 5 encrypted malware detections, XLM.Trojan.abracadabra a a Win Code injector that spreads the Emotet botnet a was widely seen in Japan.

WatchGuarda?s quarterly research reports are based on anonymized Firebox Feed data from active WatchGuard Fireboxes whose owners have opted to share data in direct support of the Threat Laba?s research efforts. In Q2, WatchGuard blocked a total of more than 18.1 million malware variants (234 per device) and more than 4.2 million network threats (55 per device). The full report includes details on additional malware and network trends from Q2 2022, recommended security strategies, and critical defence tips for businesses of all sizes and in any sector.

For a detailed view of WatchGuarda?s research, read the complete Q2 2022 Internet Security Report here or visit: https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-resource-center/security-report-q2-2022
Cindy Melby of the Laundry Love Ladies spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Starkville on Tuesday, September 27.
The Alternosfera band will meet its fans in a unique event, to be held on Thursday at the Romanian National Opera in Bucharest, before the first concert from a series of shows to take place under the name "Theatroll/Corbul Troian" [Trojan Raven], informs a press release sent to AGERPRES.

"We will be able to meet with a maximum of 50 people, on September 29, 2022, at 1:00 pm, at the Bucharest National Opera. We will talk together about Theatroll, about the concerts, answer your questions, take pictures, and... we believe that we are also singing something," the members of the Alternosfera band transmitted.

"Theatroll/Corbul Troian" represents a series of events that will take place in theatre, opera and concert halls in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara, Sibiu and Brasov.

The shows will take place in Bucharest on September 29 and 30, at the Romanian National Opera, Cluj-Napoca on October 31, at the National Opera, Timisoara on November 2, at the National Opera, Sibiu on November 4, at the State Philharmonic Hall Thalia and Brasov on November 7, at the "Sica Alexandrescu" Theatre, told Agerpres.

"Theatroll started from the desire to offer our friends, the fans of Alternosfera music, a series of concerts in which our most loved songs will be reinterpreted and sung on stage, together with the orchestra. For Theatroll we will change the club scene and festival with a theatre stage, where the lights, set and costumes will help us build, together with our audience, a new universe, that of the Trojan Raven. Although the Trojan Raven has the same mechanics as its legendary counterpart, namely infiltration, the Trojan Raven is, for Theatroll, truly a gift, not a trap by any means. The Trojan Raven is our gift to the fans of Alternosfera, an event we worked for during the pandemic, when all stages, whether music or theatre, were closed," the band members said.

Tickets for the "Theatroll/Trojan Raven" events can be purchased at www.iabilet.ro.
Minister of National Defense Vasile Dincu received, on Wednesday, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Romania, Igor Prokopchuk, a context of which he conveyed Romania's stance on the unacceptable nature of Russia's decision to support the organization of referendums in the occupied regions, reports the Ministry of National Defense (MApN).

Minister Dincu emphasized, at the meeting held at the MApN headquarters, the firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state.

The agenda of discussions covered current issues and assessments on the war in Ukraine, as well as the state of support given to the neighboring country in a multidimensional format, including humanitarian, political, diplomatic and economic aid.

The minister extended again assurances as to Romania's full involvement in supporting Ukraine. He recalled the support offered to the more than 2.3 million refugees who entered the territory of the Romanian state since the outbreak of the war, the operation of the humanitarian hub in northeastern Suceava since March of this year, as well as the support given in the grain export crisis.AGERPRES
Romania's Defence Minister Vasile Dincu said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "bluffing" when he threatened to use nuclear weapons, in an attempt to impress European countries and win recognition for the sham referendums conducted in four occupied regions of Ukraine.

"After all, what Putin has done from the beginning - threatening us, the Europeans, with nuclear weapons in March or April - what he has done was rather bluffing, trying to impress, to see how the European countries react in a possible recognition or at least acceptance of some sham referendums that he is conducting in the four regions. We do not think that this latest announcement changes the reality of the war," Dincu told Digi24 private broadcaster on Tuesday.

He added that the Russian president's threats do not change Romania's situation at all, giving assurances that NATO will not stand idly by in the case of the use of nuclear weapons.

"Nothing is changing in Romania, because we have been in a state of vigilance since the beginning of the war. We are moving forward with the defensive strategy that NATO has prepared and, of course, we are speeding up all the army acquisitions. It does not change a bit this new announcement by Putin. Many analysts label it as one of impotence, because talking about the use of nuclear weapons means rather an attempt to deter. It is a balance of violence, the ultimate violence so to speak, which is born through such declarations, because, in the end, it is a well-known thing, no one can use nuclear weapons against the other, as long as there is a balance of such arsenals. (...) NATO cannot stand idly by in such a situation. There are assurances that this balance of deterrence will work," said Dincu, told Agerpres.

On the other hand, he explained that the procedures for launching nuclear strikes are very complicated, even in the case of Russia, with several steps to follow and officials involved.

"In the chain of command, which also exists in the US and NATO for the use of nuclear weapons, as well as in Russia - because this is almost a mirror image - there are several steps; I have counted seven procedures. It is not enough for the president to press a button in the nuclear briefcase, but it is about three codes that exist with the president, the prime minister, the minister of defence and from there the military procedure begins, with the chief of staff, then those who operate. This is for the strategic strike. For tactical strikes, the procedure it's even more complicated. To try a local strike with a smaller nuclear bomb, to deter or try to annihilate a region or a city, is an even a more complicated procedure," said Dincu.
Food safety is the main factor that influences the choices of consumers in Romania, when they are in front of the store shelves, informs a press release from the National Veterinary Sanitary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA).

Thus, 59% of Romanians (46% of EU citizens) declare that they are guided by their degree of safety when purchasing food. In second place is price (48% of Romanians vs. 54% of EU citizens), while taste is only the third criterion in choosing food (43% of Romanians vs. 51% of EU citizens), told Agerpres.

"The percentage is even higher when we talk about the awareness of the importance of food safety. 71% of Romanians (70% of EU citizens) declared themselves concerned about this subject. Most of them have heard about additives in food or drinks (49% of Romanians vs 70% of EU citizens), about food poisoning caused by contamination with bacteria, viruses or parasites (49% of Romanians vs 57% of EU citizens) and about pesticide residues in food (47% of Romanians vs 65% of citizens EU), these being on par with animal diseases (47% of Romanians vs 60% of EU citizens)," the press release adds.

Approximately 6 out of 10 (63% of Romanians vs 61% of EU citizens) indicate television as the main source of information about food risks, followed by family, friends, neighbours or colleagues (50% of Romanians vs 44% of EU citizens) and Internet (27% of Romanians vs 37% of EU citizens).

At the same time, more than 8 out of 10 respondents trust physicians (81% of Romanians vs 89% of EU citizens), universities/scientists financed by public funds (77% of Romanians vs 82% of EU citizens) and farmers and primary producers (76% of Romanians vs 74% of EU citizens) for information on food risks.

"A minority of consumers would not change their behaviour in the event of a food alert (18% of Romanians vs 21% of EU citizens). Among them, the main reasons cited are: preparing food in the recommended way (34% of Romanians vs 45% among EU citizens) and the belief that all foods involve a certain number of risks and it is impossible to avoid them all (22% of Romanians vs 25% of EU citizens)," the press release reads.

The information was revealed following a Eurobarometer survey carried out by the European Food Safety Authority, between March and April 2022. Based on interviews with 1,000 Romanians (27,000 people from the EU), the research presents an image of how Europeans choose food, are aware and concerned about food safety and who they trust for information about food safety issues.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu received, on Wednesday, Jose Fernandez, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment with the U.S. Department of State, discussing, on this occasion bilateral projects in the field of economic and energy cooperation, especially joint projects in the field of civil nuclear energy, aspects of food security and the security situation in the neighborhood, with its multidimensional implications, informs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) in a press release.

According to the cited source, Minister Bogdan Aurescu highlighted, with reference to the bilateral projects in the civil nuclear field, namely the Cernavoda project and the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project, "their important potential for strengthening Romania's energy security and, implicitly, regional level".

The MAE shows that the two officials also discussed the prospect of including the wind sector among the priorities of bilateral cooperation in the energy field, with Minister Bogdan Aurescu emphasizing the fact that investments in Romania constitute investments in regional stability. At the same time, Aurescu reiterated Romania's interest and firm commitment to developing bilateral cooperation and highlighted the significant potential in the economic field, of commercial exchanges, included.

"Under Secretary of State Jose Fernandez welcomed the commitment of the Romanian side and emphasized, in his turn, the commitment of the USA in this sense and the importance of intensifying bilateral economic cooperation for the deepening of the Strategic Partnership," reads the MAE release.

Related to the role of the Black Sea in the global economy, especially in the current regional climate, Minister Aurescu presented Romania's concrete efforts to support Ukraine, pointing out the contribution of our country in facilitating grain transport.

The MAE press release also says that Undersecretary of State Fernandez noted Romania's involvement and successes in facilitating the transport of over 4 million tonnes of grain from Ukraine and emphasized that these actions contributed to averting an extremely difficult situation from the point of view of food security at global level. At the same time, the American official noted and thanked for the support provided by Romania to the Republic of Moldova bilaterally and at the level of international institutions.

The projects supported by Romania within the Three Seas Initiative were also addressed, with Minister Bogdan Aurescu emphasizing - with the example of the Rail2Sea project - their relevance for the creation of the infrastructure necessary for the strategic interconnection of the states in the region, appreciating that they will prove their value in the long term, both for the stimulation of economic development, as well as for the facilitation of military mobility on the Eastern Flank, and advocating for a substantial involvement of the USA in carrying them out.AGERPRES
The sustainability of the health system is based on the development of preventive policies, the Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, said on Wednesday at the Romania - US Economic Forum, told Agerpres.

"We must understand that the sustainability of the health system is based on the development of preventive policies and outpatient services, because they are the only ones that can keep costs under control," said Rafila.

The minister gave as an example the United States of America, which "has the largest expenditure on health in the world". He specified that "19% of an enormous GDP is allocated to healthcare in the United States".

"How did we reach this percentage? Because the percentage of increase in health expenses is always faster than the increase in GDP," the official continued.

Rafila emphasized the importance of health policies that do not change at the same time as the governments.

"We must understand that we must overcome political cycles, there must be a policy that transcends changes of governments or ministers. Consider that in Romania we had, in two years, six Ministers of Health," said Alexandru Rafila.
The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that on Tuesday, a number of 67,309 people entered Romania through border points throughout the country, of whom 8,491 were Ukrainian citizens, decreasing by 2.89 percent compared to the previous day, told Agerpres.

According to a release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday, approximately 141,000 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with more than 41,000 means of transportation, completed the control formalities at the border crossing points nationwide, both on the way in and on the way out.

As of 10 February 2022 (the pre-conflict period), a number of 2,463,927 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.

In the relevant areas - the border crossing points and the "green border," the border policemen discovered 70 illegalities (39 offenses and 31 contraventions) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, with the amount of fines enforced exceeding 106,000 lei.

On Tuesday, a number of 35 foreign citizens were not allowed to enter the country because they didn't meet the requirements stipulated by the law, while a number of 25 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave the country for various legal reasons.
The United States will increase the quantities of liquefied gas sent to the European Union, to help European states replace Russian gas and get through this winter, said Don Graves, the US Deputy Secretary of Commerce, in an interview with AGERPRES.

Also, the United States is looking, together with its partners from around the world, for alternative resources to the Russian gas.

Don Graves, former adviser to President Joe Biden, came to Bucharest together with a delegation of over 100 officials and representatives of the American business environment to participate in the ITU Plenipotentiary conference, to discuss with Romanian officials about strengthening bilateral relations, as well as to look for possibilities of collaboration with Romanian companies, told Agerpres.

Romania has a special potential, domestic resources and well-prepared people to attract as many American investments as possible and to be a gateway to the region, says the official from Washington.

He also said, in the interview, why the United States chose Romania for the location of the first NuScale modular nuclear reactor.

AGERPRES: Which is the purpose of your visit to Romania?

Don Graves: First of all, let me say that I am excited to be here, to deepen our strong relationship. And I should say to the Romanian people Thank You, thank you for your friendship, thank you for your partnership, thank you for your commitment to expanding our relationship, thank you for the humanitarian support you've been providing to the Ukrainian people, the million refugees who come through your borders. It's a strong show of just how gracious and amazing the people of this country are and it's something that we, in the United States, certainly value, our friendship and our relationship.

But, I'm here primarily for two reasons: one is to take part in the International Telecommunications Union, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, which I think is a recognition of Romania's strong leadership in the information technology and telecommunications, and ICT, but also because I wanted us to show just how strongly we believe in the bilateral relationship between the United States and Romania.

It's the 25th anniversary of the US-Romania Strategic Partnership and that's primarily focused on the national security and defence, but as we've seen over the last few years, we've been growing this trade relationship and it's my hope that we can find ways to expand that relationship significantly beyond where we are today.

AGERPRES: Which are the topics of discussion with the Romanian authorities?

Don Graves: Well, I will say we are having a much bigger meeting with the Romanian leaders tomorrow (Wednesday, ed. n.), in fact the American Chamber of Commerce is holding an event where we'll be meeting a number of Romanian ministers, along with the Deputy Prime Minister and I think the focus of these conversations is certainly to expand our trade relationship.

As it stands right now, our bilateral trade relationship is about 5 billion dollars worth of trade, and the investment by US businesses is more than 3 billion dollars. So, it's our plan, our hope that we can expand that relationship, following the direct engagement between our governments and between our businesses.

I have to say I've also had good conversations with Romanian leaders here, at this conference as well as in Washington D.C.. The Minister of Energy was in Washington about a month and a half ago and we had a very good conversation when he was in the US.

AGERPRES: What can we do to improve the bilateral commercial relationship?

Don Graves: I think it's part of what we're doing with this visit it's finding ways to connect our businesses directly, because it's one thing for governments to try to create mechanisms and it's a whole separate matter to actually make the connections between our businesses because when a US business and a Romanian business get together and look at opportunities, they are going to find ways to expand their relationships without the government getting involved, because at the end of the day, we are all focused on making sure that we're creating good jobs, high quality jobs, family sustaining jobs for both of our countries.

So, we're going to be using this American Chamber convening tomorrow (Wednesday, ed. n.), the meeting as one part of our relationship, but we are also finding additional ways to expand trade like the trade missions between our countries, we are looking to bring more US businesses to visit Romania, to understand the vast potential that is here and then also looking at ways to attract Romanian businesses to the US.

In fact, earlier this year we hosted the Select USA conference, to focus on investment and partnership in the US, and Romania had a very strong delegation of, I think, more than 30 businesses. So, this relationship between our two countries is very good now, but it can be even better if we support our businesses.

AGERPRES: Are there many Romanian businesses in the USA?

Don Graves: There are a number of businesses, Romanian businesses in the USA, they are partnering and of course there are a large number of US businesses here in Romania and we see huge opportunities in fields such as telecommunications, information technology, certainly in energy space, in agriculture, healthcare.

So, for my government is focusing on is trying to find ways working with the Romanian government to bring businesses in those fields together so we can create more opportunities for investment between our countries.

AGERPRES: Why Romania? Which are the advantages of our country?

Don Graves: Why not Romania? It's a beautiful country, you have vast resources, you have a well-trained, a highly-skilled workforce, you have an adherence to the democratic values and the rule of law, a stable country with a stable government, you have access to logistical transportation hubs, waterways so that it makes it easier for goods and services to get in and out of the country.

And this is really the gateway to the entire region for US companies, So, we believe that this is the right time, the right place for US to be looking to invest and to partner.

AGERPRES: What about the partnership in energy? Why did you choose Romania to host the first small modular reactor?

Don Graves: Again: why not? For a couple of years now we had this agreement between our countries on civil nuclear and in fact we have had another agreement focusing specifically on small modular reactors. We know that the world has to make a transition to clean energy, to renewables and move away from reliance on fossil fuels, not just because of the increasing cost of fossil fuels, but also because of the impact on the environment, the climate change and the impact of that's having.

So, we are very focused on supporting Romania as you make the transition to clean energy and are thus not reliant on countries nearby who may decide at the whim of a leader to cut off energy. The more that we can do to bring this safe, reliable energy technology to Romania, I think the better it is for you and certainly better it is for all of us in the democratic world.

AGERPRES: Is the NuScale technology safe?

Don Graves: Absolutely. It's a proven technology that's been around for 60 years. It's something that our Nuclear Regulatory Commission has signed off on, they're licensing the technology. It's very safe. In fact, it may be the most safe technology in the nuclear industry. It doesn't require a lot of pumps that might fail and a lot of maintenance because of the way that it's constructed. So, it has an automatic shut down system that is built into it that doesn't require additional water. So, it is a very safe technology, one that we are very confident it will work for the Romanian people and certainly something we believe for the American people.

AGERPRES: And you think that after the first modular reactor, there will be other reactors in our country?

Don Graves: Well, of course that's up to Romanian people and Romanian government. But, we believe that once you see just how good this small modular reactor technology can be, and the flexibility that it provides to communities and the reliability that it provides that you'll find that it's something that you want more upcoming forward.

AGERPRES: Which are the other plans regarding the energy partnership?

Don Graves: We are looking at every opportunity to expand our relationship as it relates to energy and to find ways to help Romania make that transition, so a ray of technological solutions, including nuclear, solar, wind. But we know that this is a transition over time and that's why we want to work with Romania to make that transition in a way that protects Romania's security and economic security viability.

AGERPRES: A company from USA, ExxonMobil, has just left Romania and a big oil bloc. Why do you think that happened and what should we do to prevent big companies leaving our country?

Don Graves: I can't speak to ExxonMobil's decision, I don't know the specifics of that issue. But I will say that the more that we can do to bring our business sectors together, the more that we can do to highlight the opportunities in Romania - as I said, the strong technical workforce, the good resources, the access to transportation - the more that I think US companies big and small will look at investing here, in Romania.

And I think that, in fact, it's just as important for us to find ways to help grow Romanian small and mid-size enterprises to build indigenous capacity to allow Romania's businesses to be very successful and be partners of American companies. So, we're focused on making sure that every Romanian company has an opportunity to engage with US businesses and that we can show those opportunities in Romania to a greater number of US businesses.

AGERPRES: Can you tell us the names of American companies which are willing to come to Romania to invest here?

Don Graves: We can give you a list of the companies that are participating in the AmCham event tomorrow (Wednesday, ed. n.). There is too many companies to name right off the bat. I wouldn't want a single, any one of them out of this point, but suffice is to say that US businesses are very interested in being in Romania and looking at opportunities. So, our plan is to continue to have trade missions and bring number of US businesses back to Romania to see these opportunities.

AGERPRES: How many companies are to participate in the AmCham conference?

Don Graves: 900 US companies.

AGERPRES: Quite a lot...

Don Graves: Quite a lot, yes. And we have a hundred members of the US delegation that are here for the ITU Plenipotentiary, but also that are engaging with Romanian government, Romanian businesses. Because we believe that now is the right time for us to be working with the Romanian Government.

AGERPRES: How can USA help European Union in terms of energy and gas if Russia stops delivering gas?

Don Graves: As I said, we, in the United States, are going to do everything that we can to make sure that we protect the economic security and support energy for Europe, including for this part of Europe, southern and eastern Europe. It's very important that we stand together, as partners. That's why the United States has engaged in the EU-US Energy Council to find specific ways that we can manage through this crisis that was created by Russia and not by anybody else.

But it's important for us to do two things. One is to move as quickly as we can to this transition towards renewables. We know that's something that EU and EU member countries have been doing themselves and without help, but to also find ways to manage through the coming months which may be more difficult because of the rising prices and because of lack of supply.

So, the United States is doing what it can to identify additional sources of energy, including oil and gas, but it's also as I said before it's why we have to move as quickly as we can on new technologies, like this small modular reactors, which we think is a good both medium and long-term solution for countries like Romania and for many other countries throughout Europe.

AGERPRES: For this winter, do you, the US prepare to increase the amount of LNG towards the European countries?

Don Graves: The President (Joe Biden, ed. n.) has already been talking with the EU, and also presidents and heads of government throughout the EU and has made commitments to expand the delivery of LNG. But, also working with our partners from around the world to identify sources of additional gas and oil. And we've been doing that and we think that we will continue to find new sources of energy to support Europe through this unwarranted invasion. We wouldn't be in this place were not for Vladimir Putin. So, we will do what we can - and the rest of the world is working with us - to help ensure that Europe has what it needs to get through this winter.

AGERPRES: How is the invasion of Ukraine affecting the world economy and how will it change the future?

Don Graves: Obviously, the economy across the world would be in a very different place were not for Putin's unjustified decision to invade a sovereign country and we, the United States, along with the free and democratic peoples of the world are standing behind Ukraine and will always stand behind Ukraine and countries who have this type of violation of their sovereign rights.

I think that the world's economy is clearly taking a hit, as a result, we're seeing huge challenges as they relate to the supply of oil and gas, as well as food, because we're not able to get the grain out of Ukraine to the world's markets.

But, the United States is working very closely with Europe and with other parts of the world, as I said, to identify new sources of energy, but also to bring down the prices of energy, as well as expand our production of food as well as other countries that are able to expand their production of food. Because, again, this is not something that we started, but we are going to stand by Ukraine until the very end, until Putin ends this war, and we'll also stand by the rest of the world ensuring that the world had the food and the energy that it needs to continue to succeed.

And we'll work with our good friends and partners to see what we can do to improve our economic fortunes even if we're dealing with this war.
An exhibition curated by Art Safari where one can admire a work signed by Nicolae Grigorescu from the collection of the National Art Museum of Romania, Chariot With Four Oxen and the 1:5 scale reconstruction model of the Vlaicu II airplane from the collection of the National Museum of History of Romania, will be presented at the Parliament Palace.

The exhibition is included in the events organized by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the 21st edition of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the International Telecommunications Union ITU PP (September 26 - October 14).

"From exhibitions such as The Ancient Gold And Silver Of Romania, to the author exhibitions of the artist Geta Bratescu, from the alternative representations of her work and personality and to the organization of extensive events dedicated to Constantin Brancusi, from the international presentations of the Romanian movies in the circuit of the most important world festivals, at high-profile concerts and musical recitals, the Ministry of Culture promotes beyond the borders of the country the imprint of the national identity. Through everything we do, we try to be as close as possible to the needs of creators and producers, but also to the large public, supporting both the culture of national minorities and multiculturalism," the Minister of Culture, Lucian Romascanu said, according to a press release from the ministry, sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday.AGERPRES
Investors can see Romania as "a portal" through which multiple regions and markets can be accessed, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana stated on Wednesday.

He delivered a speech in the opening of the 'U.S. - Romania Economic Forum: From Security to Prosperity.'

"Don't think of Romania from a regional perspective, as an unexplored local market, but, as a 360 degree European portal: a developed nation which provides access to the vast EU market, an ideal place to start the reconstruction of Ukraine, an anchor in this brave nation, but also in the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, in west and a platform towards the Balkans, towards the Caucasus and towards the extended region of the Middle East. The competition with Russia and China needs a strong economic investments component. Romania shouldn't be just your local headquarters, but your multi-regional headquarters," the Deputy Secretary General of NATO said, told Agerpres.

He talked about the implications of the was conducted by Russia against Ukraine.

"If the energy weapon is taken away from Russia and investments are made in a new and diversified energy market, we shall have a lot to gain," Geoana argued.
More than 40 guests from ten countries have announced their participation in the Europoesia International Festival - Meetings of European poets in eastern Braila, scheduled from September 29 to October 2, says a press release issued by the Braila County Center for Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture, told Agerpres.

"The Europoesia International Festival wants to be a celebration of universal poetry, culture and literary values and will have over 40 special guests from Turkey, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Italy, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Romania, writers of international renown, who will participate throughout the duration of the event in thematic meetings, public readings, book launches, music and poetry recitals and visits with the aim of promoting Braila culture and beyond," says the source.

Thursday, September 29, from 18:00, a Folk Evening is scheduled at the headquarters of the Braila County Center for the Conservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture.

The opening ceremony of the event is scheduled for Friday, September 30, from 10:00, at the Maria Filotti Theater, followed by two book launches, volumes written by Stere Bucovala and Varujan Vosganian. Also on Friday, at the Creation Center, the Europoesia Festival Anthology will be presented, followed by a music and poetry recital.

On Saturday, October 1, at the Panait Istrati County Library, five book launches are scheduled - Metin Cengiz (Turkey) and Muesser Yeniay (Turkey), Iossif Ventura (Greece), Jean Poncet (France) and Dante Maffia (Italy). Saturday's program also includes visits to the Panait Istrati Memorial House and the Nicapetre Braila Cultural Center.

On Sunday, October 2, the more than 40 guests from ten countries are invited to a trip on the Danube with the Lacul Sarat (Salt Lake) Ship, and then the award ceremony of the Europoesia International Festival - Meetings of European poets will take place in Braila.
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca had a meeting on Wednesday with Prime Minister of South Korea Han Duck-soo, occasion on which the Romanian dignitary requested support for the accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and extended an invitation to his South Korean counterpart to pay a visit to Romania, next year, told Agerpres.

According to a release of the Government, the meeting took place on the sidelines of the visit which PM Nicolae Ciuca is paying to Tokyo, both officials coming to Japan in order to attend the state funeral of the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The main topic included on the meeting's agenda targeted the boosting of the strategic partnership, based on which the relation between Romania and South Korea has been operating for several years. Another major topic tackled during talks was global security, in the context created by the Russian aggression toward Ukraine.

Prime Minister Ciuca said he thanked his South Korean counterpart for the good collaboration between our countries during the pandemic and conveyed Romania's wish to develop the bilateral relation framework, including in the defence area, with South Korea being one of NATO's global partners and taking into account the strategic importance from a geographical point of view of our countries and the current security challenges in the Black Sea region and those in the Asia-Pacific area. Moreover, the Romanian PM appreciated South Korean investors' interest, who had confidence in Romania's potential.

The Romanian PM extended an invitation to his South Korean counterpart to pay a visit to Romania, next year, when the two countries shall celebrate 15 years of collaboration within the strategic partnership.

Furthermore, PM Nicolae Ciuca requested support for Romania's accession to the OECD. Regarding the strengthening of the bilateral economic relations, the Romanian PM proposed the re-launch of the Committee for industrial collaboration and the organization of a business forum to capitalise on the opportunities in the area of green energy production, nuclear energy, information technology, according to the press release of the Executive.

In his turn, Prime Minister of South Korea Han Duck-soo appreciated the bilateral relations and Romania's contribution to strengthening NATO's deterrence and defence posture and guaranteeing security in the region, the quoted source mentioned.
On Wednesday, President Klaus Iohannis congratulated the civil society representatives for their involvement in projects that have changed lives in the last 20 years and that have recently managed situations such as the coronavirus pandemic or the refugee crisis in Ukraine.

The president's message was delivered on the occasion of the 20th edition of the Civil Society Gala by state adviser Catalina Galer.

"I congratulate you because, for 20 years, you have constantly promoted the efforts of the non-governmental sector, so that the initiatives with a major impact could be better known to Romanians. The concern to always find solutions to help and the involvement, the dedication and the professionalism with which you run projects that change lives," the president said.

He also recalled the crises of recent years, "as a result of which entire communities suffered".

"Although you have been directly affected by these difficult times, you have found the resources to move forward and continue to be of use to those in need. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes and new challenges to the associative sector. However, you quickly adapted, rethought the way you worked and acted immediately to support the vulnerable. When our society needed it the most, you managed to support the medical staff and provide the necessary assistance to the elderly and the disabled in risky situations. The projects carried out to ensure access to education for children affected by restrictions are also remarkable," Iohannis added.

Another crisis that the president refers to is the one generated by Russia's war against Ukraine.

"Civil society mobilized in an exemplary way and impressed the whole world with its substantial efforts to help the refugees coming from the neighbouring country. For seven months, a significant number of representatives and volunteers of the organizations have been assisting the people who crossed the border in search of safety, offering help in emergency regime, as well as medium and long-term support. I am deeply grateful for the work you have done in support of the most vulnerable and for the development and modernization of our society," he emphasized in the message.

In his opinion, in the architecture of any democratic state, civil society opposes abuses and criticizes slippages, thus becoming the voice of those who defend values and principles.

"Romania is a strong state because it has a strong civil society! Your efforts are recognized and rewarded this evening because, regardless of the context, you fought for the rights, freedom and dignity of those around you. Civil society is the catalyst for change, having the incredible power to develop communities, to increase civic participation and involvement, as well as the degree of social cohesion, but also to hold public authorities and the private sector accountable," Klaus Iohannis said.

Non-governmental organizations, according to the president, have a rich experience in various fields and, very often, bring novel and punctual approaches to solving some problems faced by certain groups and, thus, the contribution of civil society becomes essential in the formulation of government policies.

He added that the civil society is the closest to the local communities and understands very well the individual needs of the citizens, as well as the problems they face. At the same time, civil society organizations play an essential role in giving vulnerable groups the opportunity to develop, intervening to respond to certain particular needs, ensuring complementarity to state actions and reducing possible discrepancies in areas where government efforts are not sufficient.

"The constant goal of developing Romania requires a wider collaboration between the three sectors: governmental, non-governmental and private. In this sense, I urge the authorities and state institutions to cooperate more consistently with the associative sector. I congratulate you once again, I assure you of the entire my support and I wish you a lot of energy and work power to continue to carry out as many projects as possible for the benefit of those who need support the most!" Klaus Iohannis said.AGERPRES
The Romanian National Red Cross Society is going to implement, in the Capital City, a project called "Community Health," designed for the Ukrainian citizens to benefit from free medical services, informs a press release sent to AGERPRES.

Through the "Community Health" project, implemented with financial support from Majorel Romania, Ukrainian refugees will benefit from psychological support, blood glucose tests, blood pressure, pulse, weight, height measurements, EKG, general health assessment consultation, recommendations for the continuation of investigations/treatments, as the case may be, and consultations, specialist doctors being invited to perform consultations periodically depending on the number of requests. The children will also benefit from dental treatments, told Agerpres.

The Romanian Red Cross will also continue, with the support of Majorel Romania, the implementation of the "Humanity" Multicultural Center project, where Ukrainian mothers and children benefit from psychosocial support and psychological counseling, Romanian and English language courses for children and adults, after school programmes for children, thematic workshops for children and parents - drawing, dance, first aid, creation, gymnastics, combined arts.

"Life in a foreign country can be particularly difficult, especially for a family that has gone through a trauma. Through all the projects we implement in support of Ukrainian citizens in Romania, we are trying to address their most urgent needs. And since we know that a conflict can be devastating for mental health, we are implementing projects that are related to this," said Ioan Silviu Lefter, head of the Romanian Red Cross.

Majorel Romania made a donation worth 50,000 euros, funds divided equally between the two projects carried out by the Romanian Red Cross.
Romania reiterates its condemnation, in the "strongest terms", of the so-called "referendums" held between September 23 and 27 in the regions illegally occupied by Russian troops in Ukraine, with the direct involvement and support of the Russian occupation forces, whose final results were announced on Wednesday, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE).

"Romania does not recognize the results of these so-called 'referendums', which are illegal and illegitimate. They represent a serious violation of international law and, therefore, do not produce any kind of legal effect," MAE points out.

The Romanian Ministry states that, by organizing these so-called "referendums", the Russian Federation demonstrates once again that it is acting in violation of the fundamental principles of international law and contrary to the responsibilities that a permanent member of the UN Security Council has, as guarantor of peace and security in the world.

"This behavior cannot be tolerated by the international community," MAE highlights.

The representatives of the Romanian ministry remind that in the Resolution regarding "Aggression against Ukraine", adopted with an overwhelming majority on March 2, the UN General Assembly emphasized that no territorial gain achieved through the use of force or the threat of force can be recognized as legal.AGERPRES
The Blue Dots associations operating on the Romanian-Ukrainian border are making plans to meet the needs of people who will seek shelter during the winter from the war started by Russia and are looking for specialists and bare necessities.

You Hub Association Chairman Andreeas Novacovici tells AGERPRES that he expects a new wave of refugees after the referendums on the annexation of some Ukrainian territories to Russia.

He shows that all the Blue Dots in Romania, support centres for refugee children and their families, have begun to prepare intervention plans in crisis situations that could be amplified after the referendums on the annexation to Russia of the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and the occupied Ukrainian territories of Kherson and Zaporozhe.

"The numbers will increase at all customs. All the Blue Dots colleagues in the country have been warned, they have been asked to prepare plans for the winter and to increase their staff and the number of agents physically present, because this summer the activity spread around and there are fewer and fewer people who work daily at the customs offices," says Novacovici.

In the first seven months after the start of the war in Ukraine, the Blue Dot organisation of Isaccea, Tulcea County, provided services to more than 210,000 people, told Agerpres.
Romanian manufacturer of cyber security solutions, Bitdefender, has signed a multi-year partnership with Scuderia Ferrari in Formula 1, as a result of which the Romanian company's logo will appear on the pilots' helmets, on the car driven by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, as well as on the racing suits and team uniforms.

"We are delighted to be in this new partnership with Bitdefender, with whom we share values such as the highest level of technological efficiency, the pursuit of excellence in performance and a culture of security. It is a pleasure to be able to rely on a reliable partner like Bitdefender, an innovative company and highly appreciated for its professionalism and reliability," said Mattia Binotto, Team Principal and managing director at Scuderia Ferrari.

According to the source, as a partner of Scuderia Ferrari, starting with the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix, Bitdefender will display the company's logo on the Ferrari drivers' helmets, as well as on the F1-75 car driven by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and, from 2023, on racing suits and team uniforms.

The companies will also engage in marketing activities, including private meetings with Ferrari team drivers and technical team members, factory tours, pit access and other exclusive activities. In addition, Ferrari will explore and evaluate Bitdefender's cybersecurity products and services to include in its business. The partnership is a natural alignment between the two companies, highlighting the power of data, people and machines working together to excel.

"Bitdefender shares with Scuderia Ferrari a legacy of excellence and a proven track record of building innovative technologies that deliver winning results. When every second counts, only the most advanced cars win races on the circuit and only the most advanced technology has the power to prevent, defend and efficiently respond to cyber-attacks. Partnering with Scuderia Ferrari, the most iconic Formula 1 team, is a natural fit for Bitdefender. We look forward to accelerating brand awareness and remain focused on providing advanced protection to our customers across world, in terms of cyber security," said Florin Talpes, co-founder and CEO of Bitdefender.

Bitdefender offers cyber security solutions for companies and for the home.AGERPRES
As many as 1,425 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, down 437 from the previous day, on over 18,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Wednesday.

Of the new cases, 318 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 - 267, and in the counties of Timis - 95 and Cluj - 89, told Agerpres.

The highest 14-day notification rate is in Cluj County - 1.79 and Bucharest City - 1.51.

As of Wednesday, 3,266,196 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.

- Hospitalisations -

As many as 1,345 people with COVID-19, down 21 from the previous reporting, including 115 minors, are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities.

Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 124, up three, are in intensive care.

Of the 124 patients admitted to ICU, 112 are unvaccinated against COVID-19.

- Deaths -

According to the ministry, eleven Romanians, six men and five women, are reported dead in the last 24 hours.

Of the eleven deaths, one was recorded in the age group 50-59 years, two in the age group 60-69 years, three in the age group 70-79 years and five in the age group over 80 years.

All deaths were in patients with comorbidities, and three deaths were in vaccinated patients.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 67,003 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania.
Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu stated that Romania and the Republic of Korea supported each other in the most difficult moments, including during the sanitary crisis and this represents "the true test" of the partnership between the two countries.

Ciolacu met on Wednesday with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duk-soo.

"I underscored that our excellent relations are based on a solid foundation and a clear stance of our countries in terms of democratic values and a real complementarity in the economy area. Precisely because of that, it is necessary to give a new boost to reaching the objectives of our strategic partnership, which, to this date, remains the only one that Romania has with an Asian country. And here, I think of a higher capitalisation of the economic potential, by facilitating some greenfield investments, but also in the digital technology area or by strengthening the connections between our countries' SMEs," Ciolacu wrote on his Facebook page.

Speaker of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca are in Japan, until Wednesday, where they attended the state funeral organised in honor of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, told Agerpres.
The United States of America continues to consider Romania as one of the most promising markets in Eastern Europe for American trade and investment, David Muniz, Charge d'Affaires with the US Embassy in Bucharest, said on Wednesday.

He spoke at the opening of the US - Romania Economic Forum: "From Security to Prosperity."

"Romania's economic growth remains among the highest in the European Union since 2010, which is worth mentioning, while defence and related equipment is a main source of American exports to Romania. In the face of the brutal and illegal invasion of the neighbouring country by Russia, the significance of this fact and its impact, in reassuring the entire Black Sea region's security, cannot be emphasized enough. To an unprecedented extent, your collaboration and our Strategic Partnership and Alliance are helping to stabilize a vital part of Europe at a crucial time," the US official pointed out, told Agerpres.

In Muniz's opinion, "American companies continue to enjoy real success in Romania, and this is largely due to this government's commitment to transparency, which is the basis of fair and open competition."

"When barriers to trade and discriminatory regulation are removed, through carefully thought out and well-founded policy decisions, we see more investment and therefore more transparency, in other words, a virtuous circle," he said.

For her part, the interim President of the Senate, Alina Gorghiu, stated that the United States remains one of the most important sources of direct foreign investment in Romania's economy.

"Our strategic partnership represents an investment in our future. We are committed to and look forward to an increase in the volume of investments. I want to send a strong message to all American investors that Romania is engaged in directing political dialogue and actions to improve our cooperation in the field energy, security, even in other areas of the economy and allow American businessmen to increase their investments in Romania. Therefore, our desire is to pursue a deeper and broader cooperation in every economic dimension," she pointed out.

According to Gorghiu, "Romania has learned how to approach the difficult political and economic obstacles inside and beyond our national borders."

"It is clear to everyone that economic and social stability in any democratic society must be achieved through a reliable, efficient, accessible and impartial justice system. Romania has well understood and pursues this condition for national economic growth," Gorghiu said.

The interim president of the Senate spoke about the importance of the judicial system.

In this sense, Alina Gorghiu stated that "it is a priority for the Government of Romania, but also for Parliament, to create a justice system that meets both the needs of Romanian citizens and those of the private sector."
Save Romania Union (USR) national leader Catalin Drula says that five bodies have been notified in the case of Blue Air, citing "big question marks" regarding the loan granted in 2020 and the non-execution of the company's guarantees in 2022, told Agerpres.

"I have notified five bodies regarding the Blue Air case. It is the Court of Accounts, the Ministry of Finance, EximBank, BNR and ANAF. We presented documents, which, by the way, are documents that they will verify very easily that show that there are big question marks over the loan given in 2020 - there is even a substantiation note from the Ministry of Finance from 2020 in which it cancels the granting of this loan. In the substantiation note by which it was granted, it is said that there will be a non-performing loan that will damage the state, that Blue Air is a company with a negative value," says Drula.

He adds that in 2022 the guarantees of the Blue Air company should have been executed, but the government ended up paying the installments instead.

"We believe that there are probably also crimes - the non-execution of the Blue Air company's guarantees, when the state ended up paying the installments instead of Blue Air. The guarantees meant both some assets that could recover part of the damage, but especially the majority control over the company, which was supposed to become a government-run company. That is mentioned in the ordinance of 2020 as well, that could have been done when the government started paying bad loans, which is in January of this year. Ministers Grindeanu and Caciu have refused to do this, without giving any explanation. They must come up with public explanations," says the USR leader.
Save Romania Union (USR) notified the Management Authority, the European Anti-Fraud Office, the European Public Prosecutor's Office and the Court of Accounts in the case of the auction held by the Romanian Police for the purchase of BMW cars, USR president Catalin Drula announced in a press conference on Wednesday.

He specified that the acquisition involved European money and that the authorities that should deal with the control of the funds were notified.

"On the one hand, the Management Authority, which is the first to do the control activity. It is clearly violated the European directive also transposed in the national legislation which says that you cannot make technical specifications to restrict competition. And here is a clear case of financial corrections and reporting to OLAF. We have also reported to OLAF and the European Public Prosecutor's Office. It is an obligation that the Management Authority has: when it reports suspicions of fraud, to report to DLAF and the European Public Prosecutor's Office. I have sent Mr. Felix Ardelean, the managing director who deals with control, a notification in this regard. Also, the president of the Audit Authority within the Court of Accounts, the president of the Court of Accounts, as well as the European Commission, Commissioner Ferreira," the USR leader said, told Agerpres.

Drula declared that by the requirements formulated in the specifications "all competing models" would have been eliminated, through "small" modifications. In his opinion, for some requirements "there is no explanation".

"There were even jokes in the public space, that all that was left was to ask for the logo of the respective brand on the car. In fact, it's not a joke, it's a very serious thing, because it's a specification written to fit only one model of car, sold by the President (Iohannis, ed. n.)'s friend. There are European funds involved and this theft must be investigated. (...) Why in the specification the car must have a maximum of 1,450 mm? This eliminates two direct competitors who have 6 mm more on the car. All the features are made on one model. Together with my colleagues I did a market study. Basically, they eliminate all competing models or the two or three models that remain are from a completely different price range, which cannot compete on price, so it is a purchase with dedication," said Drula.

The USR chairman asked the chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), Crin Bologa, to take ex-officio action in this case.

The head of the Romanian Police, Benone Matei, declared on Monday that the procurement procedure of BMW special vehicles for the Romanian General Police Inspectorate (IGPR) equipment was supervised by the National Public Procurement Agency.
Via Transilvanica, the long-distance trail crossing Romania from Putna (northeast) to Drobeta-Turnu Severin (southwest), is completed, after four years of construction, period in which it has already gathered thousands of tourists, Romanians and foreigners, and will be officially launched on October 8, in central Alba Iulia, the city where the symbolic launch of the project took place in the Great Union Centenary, June 2018.

"Via Transilvanica is fully completed after four and a half years, years that are counted in kilometers, counties, regions, milestones and steps. The Useriu brothers, together with the Tasuleasa Social team, worked on the development of this route, which links Putna with Drobeta-Turnu Severin, with the trail to be officially launched in its entirety next month, on October 8. With this launch, Via Transilvanica will officially become the first long-distance trail in Romania crossing the country diagonally, from the northeast, to the southwest, to the Danube. Thus, our country will join the countries that have famous routes that generate millions of tourists annually," says a press release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday.

The official opening of Via Transilvanica will take place in the Citadel Square in Alba Iulia and will include a fair, workshops, exhibitions and concerts, and then the project ambassadors and famous personalities who support the project will sign the last mileposts.

Afterwards, there will be screenings and presentations in the Principia Museum in Citadel Square, as well as the launch of the book "Via Transilvanica", by Voicu Bojan.

In the evening, there will be the official inauguration of the Via Transilvanica route, followed by a concert performed by Urma, Vita-de-Vie and Subcarpati.

"So far, Via Transilvanica has gathered thousands of tourists, both Romanians and foreigners, since the construction phase of the trail," the press release states.

To mark the completion of the section from Alba and the official opening of the route in its entirety, brothers Alin and Tibi Useriu set out on the route, intending to cover, for the first time, the route in its entirety, from Putna to Drobeta-Turnu Severin, and are due to arrive in Alba Iulia on October 6.

Via Transilvanica is a project of the Tasuleasa Social organization, which carries out educational, social, environmental and cultural actions.

Minister of the Environment, Water and Forests Tanczos Barna said on Sunday, September 17, in Bradetelu, at the start of the seventh stage of the first run organized on the Via Transilvanica route, that this route represents one of the most daring and beautiful initiatives in Romania.

"Via Transilvanica is one of the most daring and beautiful initiatives in Romania, it deserves all the support. A few weeks ago (...) I promised that I would personally join this initiative, running on a much shorter section than the one covered by Tibi Useriu. But I want to experience it myself and see what this superb route through the Carpathian Mountains means. I hope I will make it safely to the finish line and I will see you at Campu Cetatii," Minister Tanczos Barna told the press.

The Via Transilvanica project of the Tasuleasa Social Association aims to mark and arrange a tourist and pilgrimage route along the length of 1,400 kilometers. The route can be traveled in its entirety or in stages, on foot, on horseback or by bicycle, and the initiators want this thematic road to highlight the cultural, historical and natural wealth and support the development of local communities.
Automobiles that used to run in Bucharest in the 1950s - 1980s will go on display on Saturday, between 10:00hrs and 16:00hrs, at the Baneasa Airport, as part of the second edition of the "City's Socialist Automobiles" exhibition.

"Automobiles that existed in Bucharest in the 1950s-1980s and their stories come together in an exceptional exhibition that presents the automotive phenomenon in Romania's socialist period. A story about people, cars and their journeys from socialism told in 3 documents: the Privileged, the State, and the Citizens of the Republic," organiser Retromobil Club Romania says in a press statement released on Wednesday.

The exhibition is a unique selection of representative vehicles for 1948-1989 and follows the developments in the automotive phenomenon in the communist era that started with the arrival of Soviet tanks in 1944, as they unfolded chronologically in three distinct periods and with the peculiarities of each: Stalinism (1947 - 1965), De-Stalinization - democratisation of the automobile (1965-1980), Ceausescu's National Communism (1980-1989), told Agerpres.

Among the exhibits on display there will be examples of vehicles for the private use of socialist dignitaries, official cars of President Nicolae Ceauaescu, a Dacia 1300 tuned for racing "as in the old days," the famous Roman RD 111 bus, western models of cars bought by the privileged of the years 1970s from the state shops and those bought by ordinary citizens on the waiting lists in the 1980s, utility vehicles of the communist police, fire brigade, army, and the political police Securitate.

The first edition of the exhibition was organised between September 30 and October 3, 2021, in the parking lot of the National Museum of Contemporary Art.

Founded in 1998 by 21 enthusiasts of historic vehicles and built according to the principles of similar groups in countries with a tradition in the field, Retromobil Club Romania aims to encourage the best preservation of historic vehicles in Romania as well as to cultivate the passion for collecting and restoring them.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  The Republican Party of Wisconsin has filed a pair of lawsuits six weeks before the election that seek records from the administrations of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson related to issues that have been campaign fodder for conservatives.

The lawsuits were filed Monday and Tuesday and come the day after a conservative law firm, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, sued the state parole commission seeking records about paroles that have been granted.

The lawsuit targeting Johnson and Claire Woodall-Vogg, executive director of Milwaukee's election commission, seeks communications between them and GPS Impact, a liberal communications firm that has helped Democrats, related to a privately funded voter outreach effort in the city. Republicans have alleged that the Milwaukee Votes 2022 campaign is an illegal get-out-the-vote campaign orchestrated by Democrats.

Johnsons office has stressed that the effort is entirely made up of nonpartisan efforts to register voters and encourage voting. GPS Impact is advising nonprofits running the program but is not receiving taxpayer money from the city or any other entity, said Melissa Baldauff, an employee of the group. Baldauff previously worked in Evers' administration and for the Wisconsin Democratic Party.

The Republican Party filed an open records request with the city on Sept. 13. According to the lawsuit, a city attorney responded on Sept. 19 that it was working on it as part of 19 requests that had come in related to the get-out-the-vote program. Republicans allege that the defendants have broken the state's open records law by failing to swiftly provide the records.

Wisconsin's open records law requires a response to requests as soon as practicable and without delay," but it often takes weeks or months for records to be provided. The time it takes to respond depends on a variety of factors, including the scope and complexity of any given request.

Many records requests take a lot longer than two weeks to be satisfied, said Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council. They're not supposed to be delaying, but it's not always instantaneous.

Republicans allege that not responding to the request as of Tuesday casts a dark cloud over the Citys administration of the election and its election-related efforts, which only risks proliferating public concerns about the upcoming election by withholding or delaying records pertinent to an extremely time sensitive issue.

Jeff Fleming, a spokesman for the mayor, said he expected the requested documents to be provided within days.

"The fact that the Republicans have rushed out a news release on a lawsuit  based on a records request submitted just days ago  suggests this is more about political posturing than it is about a substantive legal issue," Fleming said.

The other Republican lawsuit targeting Evers was filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court. It seeks records that Republicans requested in June related to communications involving the governor and his chief of staff related to the veterans home in Union Grove. Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, whose southeastern Wisconsin district includes the village, has been critical of the treatment that veterans receive at the facility.

Spokespeople for Evers and the Department of Veterans Affairs did not immediately reply to messages seeking comment on the lawsuit.
U.S. regulators on Tuesday fined 16 financial firms, including Barclays, Bank of America, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and UBS, a combined $1.8 billion after staff discussed deals on their personal devices and apps.

The sweeping industry probe, which was first reported by Reuters last year and was subsequently disclosed by multiple lenders, is a landmark case for the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, marking one their largest collective resolutions, regulatory experts said.

From January 2018 through September 2021, the banks staff routinely communicated about business matters such as debt and equity deals with colleagues, clients, and other third party advisers using applications on their personal devices such as text messages and WhatsApp, the agencies said.

The institutions did not preserve the majority of those personal chats, violating federal rules which require broker-dealers and other financial institutions to preserve business communications. That likely impeded the agencies ability to gather evidence in other, unrelated investigations, they said.

Todays actions  both in terms of the firms involved and the size of the penalties ordered  underscore the importance of recordkeeping requirements: theyre sacrosanct. If there are allegations of wrongdoing or misconduct, we must be able to examine a firms books and records, said Gurbir Grewal, director of the SECs Division of Enforcement.

The failings occurred across all 16 firms and involved employees at multiple levels, including senior and junior investment bankers and traders, the SEC said.

In a major victory for the agencies, the institutions admitted the facts and acknowledged that they violated federal laws, although Bank of America and Nomura neither admitted nor denied aspects of the CFTCs investigative findings, it said.

The institutions, which cooperated with the investigation, have begun implementing improvements to their compliance policies and procedures, the SEC said.

Spokespeople for UBS, Morgan Stanley and Citi said the banks were pleased to have resolved the matter. Bank of America, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, Nomura and Credit Suisse declined to comment.
TUESDAY, Sept. 27, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- All COVID travel restrictions in Canada will be gone starting on Oct. 1, health officials announced Tuesday.

Both international and domestic travelers to the country will be able to give up such pandemic mainstays as submitting mandatory health information through ArriveCAN when entering the country and proof of vaccination or COVID-19 testing prior to or on arrival.

The country is also discontinuing quarantine, isolation and symptom-monitoring policies, CBS News reported.

These restrictions had remained for rail and air travelers, even as others fell.

Travelers on cruise ships will lose some of the rules, but not all.

"Cruise measures are also being lifted, and travelers will no longer be required to have pre-board tests, be vaccinated, or use ArriveCAN. A set of guidelines will remain to protect passengers and crew, which will align with the approach used in the United States," the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a news release.

Though the country will also drop mask mandates for air and rail travel, health officials still "strongly recommended" wearing them. People who have COVID-19 symptoms shouldn't travel, health officials said.

The loosened rules were the result of Canada's high vaccination rates and lower hospitalization and death numbers, CBS News reported.

"Thanks largely to Canadians who have rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated, we have reached the point where we can safely lift the sanitary measures at the border," said Canadian Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos said in the release.

"However, we expect COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses will continue to circulate over the cold months, so I encourage everyone to stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccination, including booster doses, and exercise individual public health measures," Duclos said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on international travel to and from the United States.

SOURCE: CBS News
WASHINGTON (AP)  An increasing number of fake prescription pills that contain potentially deadly fentanyl are helping drive overdose death rates to record levels in the U.S., including some now manufactured in rainbow colors designed to look like candy, federal officials said Tuesday.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents are working to crack down on violent drug cartels in Mexico believed to be trafficking the drugs into the U.S., Attorney General Merrick Garland said. Between May and September, the DEA and local police around the country seized more than 10 million fentanyl pills and hundreds of pounds of powder, he said.

Vastly powerful synthetic drugs like fentanyl are behind record overdose deaths in the U.S. Law enforcement officials nationwide have been struggling to combat the surge of drugs in urban and rural communities. The global coronavirus pandemic has overshadowed the American opioid epidemic, but when overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 during the 12-month period ending in April 2021, it rocketed back into the public consciousness.

I read too many reports on too many cases, including too many young people who ended up dying after taking just one pill laced with fentanyl, often disguised as something else, Garland said.

First reported in February, the rainbow pills have been seized in 21 states now, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. While fentanyl is still more commonly disguised as oxycodone or another prescription drug, the rainbow pills are on the increase.

We believe it is being marketed and aimed at young people, Milgram said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also sounded the alarm this weekend about the rise of the drug in New York City and Long Island as he pushed for new funding to fight its spread.

Two Mexican drug cartels are responsible for the majority of fentanyl in the U.S., federal authorities said. The Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel buy precursor chemicals from China, then traffic them into the U.S., where they are sometimes sold on social media platforms.

Over the last four months, authorities have investigated nearly 400 cases, 51 of them linked to overdoses and 35 tied directly to the two cartels. In addition to being pressed into fake pills, fentanyl powder is also moved into other drugs like cocaine and heroin, Milgram said.

Our top operational priority has been and will continue to be to defeat these two cartels, she said.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be 50 times more potent than heroin, and even a tiny amount can be lethal. Fake prescription pills are especially dangerous because it's difficult to tell how strong they are.

About two-thirds of overdose deaths in the U.S. have been linked to fentanyl or other powerful, illicitly made synthetic opioids.

Jonathan Caulkins, a professor of operations research and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, said containing synthetics with law enforcement is a challenge because the drug can be made in labs anywhere rather than grown in fields like cocaine or heroin  and because it is so potent and is trafficked in smaller amounts.

How the heck is law enforcement supposed to find a few metric tons in an economy that trades megatons of raw materials? Caulkins asked.

Caulkins said the best ways to deal with the fentanyl crisis is to put money toward treatment and increasing the availability of naloxone, a drug that reverses overdoses  but added that using arrests to reduce the supply may be worth trying.

Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, contributed to this report.
An Oklahoma prosecutor who is recovering after being stabbed by his adult daughter is calling on state lawmakers for more funding for mental health services. Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler on Wednesday said in brief remarks to reporters that his family endured one of the toughest days in our lives on Tuesday. Police Capt. Richard Meulenberg says Kunzweiler's 30-year-old daughter, Jennifer Kunzweiler, was arrested following the stabbing at the home where she lived with her parents. Meulenberg said the motive was unknown, but that it was related to mental illness. It's the third time since 2015 that an elected Oklahoma official has been stabbed by an adult child.
BOSTON (AP)  A student at a military college who sued top Pentagon officials after he was deemed unfit for service because he tested positive for HIV has settled his lawsuit and plans to pursue his dream of becoming an Army officer, his lawyers said Tuesday.

I am incredibly grateful to be back on track to obtain a contract with the ROTC and then commission as an officer, Eddie Diaz, a student at Norwich University in Vermont, said in a statement released by Lawyers for Civil Rights. I just want an opportunity to serve my country, and I believe that should be available to all eligible Americans.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit filed in Burlington, Vermont in May was listed as John Doe, but Diaz is now using his real name publicly.

Diaz, 21, of Revere, Massachusetts, said in the complaint that he tested positive for HIV in October 2020 during his sophomore year at Norwich, the nations oldest private military college.

He was deemed unfit for service and dropped from the Reserve Officers Training Corps and the Vermont National Guard in violation of the Constitution and federal law despite being healthy, asymptomatic and on a treatment regimen that renders his viral load undetectable," according to the suit.

Military officials never asked him how he manages his HIV, never spoke to his treating physician, and he was never examined by a military doctor, the suit said.

He was told he would not be able to get a scholarship through the ROTC or be entitled to other benefits related to military service, including a tuition waiver and medical coverage, the suit said.

An email seeking comment on the case was left with the Pentagon's public affairs office. The Vermont National Guard, which was also named as a defendant, said that it does not make decisions on whether a person is medically fit for service.

Boston-based Lawyers for Civil Rights said it hopes Diaz's case prompts the military to change the way it considers people with HIV, which, when left untreated, can lead to AIDS.

Federal courts have ruled that HIV is not disqualifying for those already serving, but HIV is among the health conditions that disqualify a person from enlisting in the first place, the organization said.

The rules date to the 1980s when little was known about HIV, and medications were largely ineffective and had severe side effects, the lawyers said.

This discriminatory policy persists despite clear medical advancements that have, over the past decades, turned HIV into a fully manageable condition," the group said.

Diaz, who was in the Junior ROTC in high school, has wanted to join the military since he was 7 years old and was "awed" when he visited a military base with his mother, the lawsuit said. He also wanted to follow in the footsteps of several uncles and a grandfather who served.
ST. LOUIS  Police on Wednesday identified the man shot and killed Tuesday afternoon near Page and Goodfellow boulevards.

Police found Eddie Lee Johnson, 41, shot inside a home in the 1300 block of Goodfellow Boulevard just before 2 p.m.

He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Investigators say they're identified the suspect as a 27-year-old man, but additional information was not available.

Investigators had set up crime scene tape around two homes across the street from Omar's Food Shop in the 1300 block of Goodfellow Boulevard in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood, near the border of the West End neighborhood.

Johnson lived in the same block where he was shot, according to police.
A Missouri judge on Tuesday allowed a Christian boarding school to remain open for now, scheduling two days of hearings in October to determine its fate after multiple current and former students alleged widespread abuse.

Cedar County Associate Circuit Judge Thomas Pyles ruling came a day after he took over the case involving Agape Boarding School in Stockton. The Missouri attorney generals office had asked Pyle to close the school after requesting the new judge for the case previously presided over by Cedar County Circuit Judge David Munton. The state didnt say why it sought a new judge.

Pyle also approved the states request to again place Missouri Department of Social Services workers at Agape. On Monday, Munton lifted the order allowing state workers at the school. They had been there to monitor for abuse since Sept. 8.

Two days of hearings to determine Agapes fate are scheduled for Oct. 13-14.

Agapes attorney, John Schultz, said he was pleased with the judges decision allowing Agape to continue operating.

The students at Agape are not facing immediate harm as the State argued, Schultz said in a statement. We monitor the students 24/7 and will continue to do so with the DSS workers returning. We look forward to having a trial in this matter beginning on October 13th where actual evidence, versus unfounded allegations, can be heard and considered.

A spokesman for Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt declined to comment.

Schmitts office filed a motion earlier this month to close the school, calling it an immediate health and safety concern for the children residing at Agape. The school once served more than 100 boys. The current number is unclear. School officials have declined to respond to interview requests.

Last week, the Republican speaker of the Missouri House, Rob Vescovo, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore in Kansas City also urging closure of Agape. His letter said the situation is more far-reaching and contains more deeply-rooted corruption than we are able to address solely at the state level.

Vescovos letter didnt explain his allegations of corruption, and he has declined interview requests.

Agapes website calls it a boarding school for teenage boys exhibiting bad behavior or failing academics. Our mission is to turn around your troubled teen. Its parent handbook says it is a ministry of Agape Baptist Church, also in Stockton. The school opened in 1996.

Abuse allegations at Agape and a nearby Christian boarding school for girls, Circle of Hope, resulted in a new Missouri law last year that among other things established minimum health and safety requirements for boarding schools, required background checks for employees, and required adequate food, clothing and medical care for students.

Last year, Agapes longtime doctor, David Smock, was charged with child sex crimes and five employees were charged with low-level abuse counts. Schmitts office contended that 22 workers should have been charged, and with more serious crimes. But in Missouri, only the local prosecutor can file charges, and Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither has said no additional employees would be charged.

Circle of Hope, in Humansville, Missouri, closed amid an investigation in 2020 and its husband-and-wife co-founders face 99 charges, including child abuse and neglect and sex crimes.

The petition filed by Schmitts office cites several abuse allegations at Agape, including many from current students as told to DSS workers on-site.

One student was slammed through a magnetically-locked door and then restrained for about 40 minutes, several current students said.

In another case, a student said he saw another student punched in the stomach by a staff member while other staff held the student, who was then allegedly placed in handcuffs for about two weeks except for visits to the bathroom. The punishment was because the student refused to do jumping jacks, according to the court filing.

Updated at 4:30 p.m.(tncms-asset)cfbfdb48-3e60-11ed-8003-00163ec2aa77[0](/tncms-asset)(tncms-asset)6bc79198-3db2-11ed-a204-00163ec2aa77[1](/tncms-asset)
ST. LOUIS  Police on Wednesday released the identity of a woman who was shot and killed early Saturday morning in south citys Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

Police said they were called at about 1 a.m. to an area near South Broadway and Itaska Street.

They found Diamond Kennell, 21, with gunshot wounds to her upper body. EMS responded and pronounced her dead at the scene.

Kennell lived about a mile away from where she was shot, in the 3500 block of Itaska Street.
ST. LOUIS  A Vinita Park man found guilty in May of returning stolen goods to Home Depot more than 2,000 times in 28 states was sentenced Tuesday to nine years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Ronnie White gave Xaiviair Brown, 46, the prison term. A jury in May found Brown guilty of four counts of wire fraud and one count of unauthorized use of an access device. An indictment filed last year alleged that in April 2017 through March 2021, Brown stole merchandise from various Home Depot stores and then returned that merchandise to stores in 28 states, costing the retailer more than $598,000.

Brown received gift cards with store credit for the value of the returned items, authorities said. He showed stores more than 1,700 different temporary driver's licenses as part of his scheme.

The judge ordered Brown to repay $598,036 to the retailer.
SHREWSBURY  The decision to close Rosati-Kain and St. Marys high schools was primarily based on declining enrollment and income, St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski said Wednesday.

The high schools in St. Louis city are the smallest single-sex schools in the archdiocese, with 188 girls enrolled at Rosati-Kain and 222 boys at St. Marys this year.

Catholic education started in the city in the 1800s to serve a booming immigrant population, but demographic trends including population loss have resulted in too many schools, Rozanski said at a news conference at the Cardinal Rigali Center a day after school leaders confirmed the closures.

At St. Marys, 90% of students receive financial aid, 28% come from low-income families and more than half are not Catholic. Rosati-Kain did not release similar figures, but about 44 students have scholarships from the Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation at the archdiocese.

Tuition is $13,500 at Rosati-Kain and $10,500 at St. Marys, about half the cost of local independent Catholic high schools.

The schools are subsidized with grants from the archdiocese but are no longer financially viable and need to close in order to be good stewards of the gifts being given to us, Rozanski said.

Several supporters of St. Marys questioned the move to close the school with a majority Black and non-Catholic student base.

The move belies the churchs mission of social justice and evangelism, said Patricia Carosello, who taught math at St. Marys for close to 30 years before retiring in 2020 and sent her four sons to the school.

Isnt this what Catholic education is supposed to be about: discipleship and teaching students about God through education? Carosello said. It makes me crazy. I dont know why youre closing an institution thats actually doing the missionary work of the church.

The closures are the first moves in the archdioceses All Things New reorganization plan, which is expected to close dozens of parishes and grade schools when final plans are announced next year.

Having a vibrant presence in every area of the archdiocese doesnt necessarily mean that we maintain all the current ministries we have in all the current locations, said the Rev. Chris Martin, who is leading the process.

St. Marys leaders and alumni including former Mayor Francis Slay said they are looking into staying open as an independent high school.

Rozanski said Wednesday he is open to any suggestions and willing to work with the schools on future plans.

It is unclear how many teachers and school staff will lose their jobs. Teachers at both schools are represented by the St. Louis Archdiocesan Teachers Association. Students from Rosati-Kain and St. Marys protested in support of their teachers during a contract dispute earlier this year.

The elimination of Rosati-Kain and St. Marys as established learning facilities is a tremendous blow to not just our cherished school communities, but to the entire St. Louis area. School closures carry high social and economic costs for people across communities, the association said in a statement.

Sister Joan Andert, president emeritus of Rosati-Kain, said she was proud of the students for protesting in front of the school on Lindell Boulevard last March when classes were canceled because teachers staged a sickout.

They love their teachers, and they know their teachers love them. Those girls have got champions in their teachers, Andert said.

The closure announcement also sent shockwaves through the schools alumni networks. Both schools have been trusted institutions in the city for the past century, educating generations of St. Louis teenagers.

I thought it would be there forever, really, said Tim Gartner, who graduated from St. Marys in 1975, retired from Anheuser-Busch and still lives in south city. Its going to leave a hole there in Dutchtown. I dont understand whats behind it; I guess they have reasonings.

The Rosati-Kain class of 2020 has been counting on a makeup senior prom at their five-year reunion because theirs was forced to be canceled by COVID-19, said Orion Agnew, 20, of Florissant.

Right now, I feel very sad. I made a lot of good memories in that school, Agnew said. It really is an honor to have been around those people at such a formative time in my life.

Students arriving at Rosati-Kain on Wednesday said they were stunned by the impending closure. The school held a special assembly to discuss options for transferring schools next year. The only other Catholic options for girls in the city are Cardinal-Ritter, which is just over a mile away, and Bishop DuBourg, 6.5 miles.

I have to look for a new school and also leave a lot of my friends. We have a family here, said sophomore Keyri Arriaga, 15.

The schools small size was appealing to families because of the individualized attention, said Alice Johnson of University City, whose daughter Amille is a junior.

As a student in the 1980s, Johnson turned down an opportunity to attend Lafayette High in Wildwood through the desegregation program because she didnt want to uproot her education and social life.

Going into your junior year, those are the best years of your life, Johnson said. Shes just now coming into her own person, and everything is crashing down.

Updated at 5:25 p.m.
ST. LOUIS  More and more Americans have been returning to the office this fall with coronavirus cases falling and bosses beckoning. City aldermen are not among them.

The board returned from its summer break earlier this month still meeting virtually on Zoom, and interim Aldermanic President Joe Vollmer said recently that things could be that way for a while.

The big obstacle is an old problem: The aldermanic chamber at City Hall lacks a modern ventilation system to keep the air clear of viral particles and liability concerns. Alderman have long put off air conditioning because it would look self-serving. Thats one reason they take a summer recess when it gets hot and why theyre stuck online now.

Vollmer said that when the health department came down to inspect the room, their first recommendation was to find somewhere else to meet. The next best proposal was to get some portable ventilation devices, put plexiglass around the aldermens desks and deep-clean the place after Friday meetings.

And wed still have to wear masks, Vollmer said.

Theres also a proposal to install a full ventilation system. The citys Facilities Management division worked up an estimate earlier this month, taking into account the difficulty of getting consistent temperature in such a tall room and how they would need to be careful not to harm the rooms historic character. The price tag was $1.1 million, and Vollmer said he expected the work to take at least a year.

Vollmer said he didnt know what would ultimately happen. Hes not going to be spending any money with just six weeks until his tenure as president expires.The next board president will have to decide.

Vollmer, a longtime alderman from the Hill, said it seems like the board gets more done in person but noted the board is set to shrink from 28 members to 14 next year, and members could decide they dont need such a big room. They may also want $1 million for something else.

Do we invest it in that room, Vollmer said, or the neighborhoods?
CHICAGO  Nearly 1,500 migrants have arrived in Chicago from Texas as of Tuesday, city officials said.

The migrants have been bused to Chicago over the last several weeks as part of Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts promise to send migrants to sanctuary cities as a way to criticize the nations immigration policies.

Joe Dutra, public affairs director with the citys Department of Family and Support Services, said in a statement that as of Tuesday, Chicago has welcomed 1,452 migrants, which include individuals, families, children and infants.

Many have said they are from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

The migrants are arriving in buses as part of Abbotts Operation Lone Star  an effort Abbott launched in response to rising border crossings, which he blames on President Joe Bidens immigration policies. According to the busing policy, the rides from Texas to sanctuary cities like New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago are free and voluntary.

Upon arrival here, migrants are given immediate shelter and support as well as in-depth case management and access to city, county, state and community-based organizations, Dutra said.

Illinois is a welcoming state, Dutra said. We are committed to assisting each family and individual, providing human services with respect and dignity.

The city expects more people to arrive and will release updates accordingly, Dutra said.

The first busload of migrants arrived in Chicago on Aug. 31. Since then, buses with around 100 people would arrive every few days at Union Station or go straight to the suburbs, such as Burr Ridge and Elk Grove Village. From there, they have been taken to temporary housing at places such as the Salvation Army or local hotels.

Earlier this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a disaster proclamation to secure resources for the migrants bused to Illinois from Texas and deployed 75 National Guard members to assist with the logistics of receiving the migrants.

Also earlier in September, Republican governors escalated their practice of sending migrants without advance warning to Democratic strongholds, including the Washington, D.C., home of Vice President Kamala Harris and two flights to Marthas Vineyard, the latter paid for by Florida, taunting leaders of immigrant-friendly cities and highlighting their opposition to the Biden administrations policies.

Chicago Tribunes Adriana Perez contributed to this story.
JEFFERSON CITY  Though the Libertarian Party has long backed marijuana legalization, Missouri Libertarians on Sunday voted against endorsing Amendment 3, which appears on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Amendment 3 would legalize possession and cultivation of cannabis in Missouri  with limits. Marijuana users could possess 3 ounces of marijuana and would also face rules applying to home cultivation, which would require a state license.

Bill Slantz, chairman of the Missouri Libertarian Party, said its state committee on Sunday overwhelmingly voted down a motion to endorse Amendment 3, staying neutral on the plan.

We dont believe that government or legislation should be involved in marijuana, Slantz told the Post-Dispatch. The fewer the words, the better off we are.

With more wording, the more people opposed to this legislation ... can use the language against those who are trying to comply.

For example, a person possessing 4 ounces of marijuana without a medical marijuana card would still be in legal jeopardy even though marijuana use would be technically legal in Missouri.

It gets ridiculously messy, Slantz said. If you have 3.2 ounces or 3.1 ounces ... has the scale been ... checked to make sure its accurate?

He said the state committee discussed Amendment 3 earlier this year but also opted not to endorse it at that time.

We just dont believe that any government at any level should have any legislation against drugs, Slantz said.

Slantz said even though the party isnt endorsing Amendment 3, he said he is still voting for it.

The Missouri Libertarian Party has been a minor force in state politics, with its most recent candidate for governor Rik Combs winning 1.6% of the popular vote last election, or 49,067 votes.

During a candidate forum for U.S. Senate earlier this month, Libertarian nominee Jonathan Dine criticized Missouris current medical marijuana program, which allows patients to grow pot at home if they obtain a state license.

Dine said he was sentenced to three years in prison for marijuana possession in 2004.

Im now a convicted felon, he said. Im also now an authorized cultivator thanks to the state of Missouri.

So I find it ironic that they at once sent me to jail for something and now they permit me to do it if I pay them their extortion fee, Dine said.

But breaking with the Missouri Libertarian Party, Dine explicitly voiced support for Amendment 3.

Anything that would keep more people out of jail, he said.

The Missouri Democratic Party also voted this month not to take a position on Amendment 3, raising concerns about the measures expungement procedures and about making it difficult for those who do not currently have a license to enter the industry.
Feature: Chinese language top choice for Bangladeshi students in top university

Xinhua) 15:22, September 28, 2022

DHAKA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Sohail Hossain is a fourth-year student of Chinese Language and Culture at Dhaka University.

"People ask me why I study Chinese," he said. "I thought about only one thing. China has been the best friend of Bangladesh in this century."

"Now I feel really lucky. Learning Chinese was a good decision at the time and now I'm in a good position," said Sohail Hossain who recently got this year's Confucius Institute Scholarship in China.

Another student, Sumona said that anyone who knows a language like Chinese in this era of globalization will surely advance in life.

"When international relations are strengthened, if I know a foreign language, I can establish myself in the international arena," she said. "If I know Chinese, It is definitely very useful for my future."

Echoing her view, Aminatul Tayiba said one of the reasons for coming to the Chinese language is the culture of China. "I love Chinese culture and I love China, that's why I enrolled," she said.

Md Afzal Hossain is the head of the Chinese Department at Dhaka University. He said all the students hope that learning Chinese will help them get a good job.

According to the teacher, this perspective has raised interest among students. "Now students know their careers and destinations," he said, adding that "those who are getting better results and are paying attention to their studies are getting scholarships from the Chinese government."

"We have MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with many universities (in China)," he said, adding such support ensures the reputation of the department and the employment of the students.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Hongyu)
Japan and China are getting ready to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1972 normalization of their ties. But there isnt much of a celebratory mood. Improved ties between Asias two biggest economies are considered vital to the regions stability and prosperity, but they remain at odds over disputed East China Sea islands and Chinas growing military and economic assertiveness in the region.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia positioned itself Wednesday to formally annex parts of Ukraine where occupied areas held a Kremlin-orchestrated referendum on living under Moscows rule that the Ukrainian government and the West denounced as illegal and rigged.

Armed troops had gone door-to-door with election officials to collect ballots in five days of voting. The suspiciously high margins in favor were characterized as a land grab by an increasingly cornered Russian leadership after embarrassing military losses in Ukraine.

Moscow-installed administrations in the four regions of southern and eastern Ukraine claimed Tuesday night that 93% of the ballots cast in the Zaporizhzhia region supported annexation, as did 87% in the Kherson region, 98% in the Luhansk region and 99% in Donetsk.

Pro-Russia officials in the four regions said they would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to incorporate their provinces into Russia on the basis of announced vote results. Separatist leaders Leonid Pasechnik in Luhansk and Denis Pushilin in Donetsk said they were leaving for Moscow to settle the annexation formalities.

Ukraines Foreign Ministry called the balloting a propaganda show and null and worthless.

Forcing people in these territories to fill out some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine, it said.

Western countries also dismissed the balloting as an attempt by Moscow to legitimize its invasion of Ukraine launched on Feb. 24.

Regardless of Russias claims, this remains Ukrainian territory and Ukraine has every right to continue to fight for their full sovereignty, said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

In response, we will work with our allies and partners to impose additional economic costs on Russia and supporters of any annexation, she said.

Separately, the U.S. announced an additional $1.1 billion in aid to Kyiv, with funding for about 18 more advanced rocket systems and other weapons to counter drones that Russia has been using against Ukrainian troops. The latest package brings the total of U.S. aid to Ukraine to nearly $17 billion since the Biden administration took office.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged the EUs 27 member countries to agree on a new package of sanctions on Russia because of the proposed annexations.

The Kremlin remained unmoved amid the hail of criticism. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that at the very least, Russia intended to drive Ukrainian forces out of the Donetsk region, where Moscows troops and separatist forces currently control about 60% of the territory.

In an interview with The Associated Press, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was determined to reclaim all the territory that Russia has seized during the war. Mykhailo Podolyak said the annexation by Russia would change nothing on the battlefield.

Our actions depend not so much on what the Russian Federation thinks or wants, but on the military capabilities that Ukraine has, he said.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters in Washington that the U.S. would not object to Ukraine using U.S.-supplied weapons to attack those areas if they are annexed by Russia.

We have been clear when it comes to certain longer-range systems with our Ukrainian partners that these systems are for use on sovereign Ukrainian territory. If and when this annexation occurs as we expect it will, these areas will remain sovereign Ukrainian territory, Price said.

After a counteroffensive by Ukraine this month dealt Moscows forces heavy battlefield setbacks, Russia said it would call up 300,000 reservists to join the fight. It also warned it could resort to nuclear weapons.

The mass exodus has created miles-long lines for days at some borders, and local Russian authorities on one area along the border with Georgia said they would start providing food, water, warming stations and other aid to those in line. Moscow also reportedly set up draft offices at borders to intercept some of those trying to leave.

The mobilization prompted the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to warn Americans in Russia to leave immediately because Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service.

Previous embassy security alerts issued during the war also advised Americans to leave.

Ukraine's military and Western analysts said Russia is sending troops with hardly any training to the front line. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, cited an online video by a man who identified himself as a member of Russia's 1st Tank Regiment, visibly upset, saying he and his colleagues wouldnt receive training before shipping out to Russian-occupied parts of the Kherson region.

Mobilized men with a day or two of training are unlikely to meaningfully reinforce Russian positions affected by Ukrainian counteroffensives in the south and east, the institute said.

Meanwhile, the EU expressed outrage over the suspected sabotage Tuesday of two underwater natural gas pipelines from Russia to Germany, and warned of retaliation for any attack on Europes energy networks.

All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. Perpetrators have not been identified.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov said allegations that Russia could be behind the incidents were predictable and stupid, saying the damage has caused Russia huge economic losses. A U.N. Security Council meeting was called for Friday at Moscows request.

The damage makes it unlikely the pipelines will be able to supply any gas to Europe this winter, according to analysts.

On the battlefield, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Ukraines counteroffensive is advancing slowly, meeting a stouter Russian defense.

Local Ukrainian officials reported Russian attacks in the partially occupied Donetsk region that killed five people, and artillery strikes in the southern Ukrainian city of Nikopol. That city saw 10 high-rises and private buildings hit, as well as a school and power lines, said Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the local military administration.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamped southwest Florida on Wednesday, turning streets into rivers, knocking out power to 2 million people and threatening catastrophic damage further inland.

A coastal sheriff's office reported that it was getting many calls from people trapped in flooded homes. Desperate people posted to Facebook and other social sites, pleading for rescue for themselves or loved ones. Some video showed debris-covered water sloshing toward homes eaves.

The storm surge flooded a hospital's lower level emergency room in Port Charlotte, while fierce winds tore part of its fourth floor roof from its intensive care unit, according to a doctor who works there.

Water gushed down from above onto the ICU, forcing staff to evacuate the hospitals sickest patients  some of whom were on ventilators  to other floors, said Dr. Birgit Bodine of HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital. Staff members used towels and plastic bins to try to mop up the sodden mess.

The medium-sized hospital spans four floors, but patients were forced into just two because of the damage. Bodine planned to spend the night at the hospital in case people injured from the storm arrive there needing help.

The ambulances may be coming soon and we dont know where to put them in the hospital at this point because were doubled and tripled up, she said. As long as our patients do OK and nobody ends up dying or having a bad outcome, thats what matters.

The hurricane's center made landfall near Cayo Costa, a barrier island just west of heavily populated Fort Myers. As it approached, water drained from Tampa Bay.

Mark Pritchett stepped outside his home in Venice around the time the hurricane churned ashore from the Gulf of Mexico, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) to the south. He called it terrifying.

I literally couldnt stand against the wind, Pritchett wrote in a text message. Rain shooting like needles. My street is a river. Limbs and trees down. And the worst is yet to come.

A boat carrying Cuban migrants sank Wednesday in the stormy weather in waters east of Key West. The U.S. Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue mission for 23 people and managed to find three survivors about two miles (three kilometers) south of the island chain, officials said. Four other Cubans swan to Stock Island, just east of Key West, the U.S. Border Patrol said. Air crews continued to search for possibly 20 remaining migrants.

The Category 4 storm slammed the coast with 150 mph (241 kph) winds and pushed a wall of storm surge accumulated during its slow march over the Gulf. More than 2 million Florida homes and businesses were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us. Nearly every home and business in three counties was without power.

The storm previously tore into Cuba, killing two people and bringing down the country's electrical grid.

About 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate southwest Florida before Ian hit, but by law no one could be forced to flee.

News anchors at Fort Myers television station WINK had to abandon their usual desk and continue storm coverage from another location in their newsroom because water was pushing into their building near the Caloosahatchee River.

Though expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it marches inland at about 9 mph (14 kph), Ian's hurricane force winds were likely to be felt well into central Florida. In the hours since landfall, top sustained winds had gradually dropped to 90 mph (150 kph), making it a Category 1 hurricane crossing the peninsula. Still, storm surges as high as 6 feet (2 meters) were expected on the opposite side of the state, in northeast Florida.

Sheriff Bull Prummell of Charlotte County, just north of Fort Myers, announced a curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. for life-saving purposes, saying violators may face second-degree misdemeanor charges.

I am enacting this curfew as a means of protecting the people and property of Charlotte County Prummell said.

Jackson Boone left his home near the Gulf coast and hunkered down at his law office in Venice with employees and their pets. Boone at one point opened a door to howling wind and rain flying sideways.

Were seeing tree damage, horizontal rain, very high wind, Boone said by phone. We have a 50-plus-year-old oak tree that has toppled over.

In Naples, the first floor of a fire station was inundated with about 3 feet (1 meter) of water and firefighters worked to salvage gear from a firetruck stuck outside the garage in even deeper water, a video posted by the Naples Fire Department showed. Naples is in Collier County, where the sheriffs department reported on Facebook that it was getting a significant number of calls of people trapped by water in their homes" and that it would prioritize reaching people reporting life threatening medical emergencies in deep water.

Ian's strength at landfall tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane when measured by wind speed to strike the U.S. Among the other storms was Hurricane Charley, which hit nearly the same spot on Florida's coast in August 2004, killing 10 people and inflicting $14 billion in damage.

Ian made landfall more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa and St. Petersburg, sparing the densely populated Tampa Bay area from its first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.

Flash floods were possible all across Florida. Hazards include the polluted leftovers of Floridas phosphate fertilizer mining industry, more than 1 billion tons of slightly radioactive waste contained in enormous ponds that could overflow in heavy rains.

The federal government sent 300 ambulances with medical teams and was ready to truck in 3.7 million meals and 3.5 million liters of water once the storm passes.

Well be there to help you clean up and rebuild, to help Florida get moving again, President Joe Biden said Wednesday. And well be there every step of the way. Thats my absolute commitment to the people of the state of Florida.

The governors of Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina all preemptively declared states of emergency. Forecasters predicted Ian will turn toward those states as a tropical storm, likely dumping more flooding rains into the weekend, after crossing Florida.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The sentencing of a California man who pleaded guilty to plotting to firebomb the state Democratic Partys headquarters and other buildings in Northern California after the defeat of former President Donald Trump was delayed Wednesday after a federal judge rejected a plea agreement.

Ian Benjamin Rogers, of Napa, pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to destroy the building in Sacramento by fire or explosives, possessing an explosive device and possessing a machine gun as part of an agreement that could bring him seven to nine years in federal prison.

But U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said he was concerned by statements Rogers made during the pre-sentencing investigation in which he told the probation department he felt very bad for putting himself in a bad situation that allowed the government to destroy my life, according to the statement Breyer read during the hearing.

I have to say in ... 23 years Ive never seen that type of statement. Ive never seen a defendant come in and simply say I regret I was caught, he said.

The judge asked federal prosecutors to justify why they think a sentence of seven to nine years in prison is appropriate, "especially in light of the defendants statements, which to the court suggests that he continues to be a substantial danger to the community, Breyer said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Cheng told the judge prosecutors found the plea agreement appropriate because a building was not destroyed.

I dont think we have to wait in light of the Oklahoma City bombing. I dont think we have to wait until a building is destroyed, Breyer answered.

The judge scheduled an Oct. 27 court hearing to sentence Rogers and his co-defendant, Jarrod Copeland.

Rogers' attorney, Colin Cooper, told the judge his client regrets terribly participating in the plot and highlighted that he has never been in trouble with the law before.

"I am hopeful that once you hear from all of us, you will recognize that the government and Mr. Rogers and I reached an agreement that under the circumstances was appropriate and that punishment of somewhere between seven and nine years will be significant for a man whos never been in trouble before, never had a criminal conviction," Cooper said.

U.S. prosecutors in San Francisco charged Rogers and Copeland with conspiring to attack targets they associated with Democrats after Trumps defeat in the November 2020 presidential election.

Prosecutors say Rogers, 51, used an encrypted messaging application to tell Copeland he would hit the enemy in the mouth by using Molotov cocktails and gasoline to attack targets including the Democratic Party headquarters, the Governors Mansion and buildings for social media companies Facebook and Twitter.

I want to blow up a democrat building bad, Rogers wrote in one of the messaging apps he used to communicate with Copeland, according to the indictment. In a different message, he said that after Democratic President Joe Biden was inaugurated, we go to war.

The pair hoped their attacks would prompt a movement, prosecutors said when they announced the charges last July.

Napa County Sheriff's Office deputies secured search warrants after receiving an anonymous tip that Rogers possessed illegal guns and, after searching his home and auto repair shop in January 2021, seized nearly 50 firearms, including four fully automatic rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition and five pipe bombs, prosecutors said.

Agents also seized a white privilege card that looks like a credit card. Trumps Everything it says beneath the label, with the number 0045 repeated as a credit card number signaling the 45th U.S. president. Scott Free is listed as the cardholder, a member from birth through death.

Investigators also pointed to the Three Percenters bumper sticker on Rogerss vehicle, signaling support for an anti-government movement named after the belief that just 3% of American colonists defeated the British during the American Revolution.

Prosecutors say that in late December 2020, Copeland told Rogers he contacted an anti-government militia group to gather support for their movement. After Rogerss arrest in January 2021, they say Copeland communicated with a leader of a militia group who advised Copeland to delete his old messages and switch to a new communication platform.

Copeland previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and destruction of records. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 27.

Rogers also faces possession of illegal firearms and bombs charges in Napa County. His next court hearing on the Napa County charges is scheduled for Oct. 4, his attorney said.
The Agape Boarding School for troubled boys has been itself troubled, by years of allegations of abuse by staffers and others at the facility in the southwestern Missouri community of Stockton. Yet repeated efforts by top state officials to get the unlicensed Christian school closed or at least monitored by state social-services have been repeatedly stymied by local officials. As long as there are credible allegations of systemic danger to kids  and there are  the school should be closed.

The problems at Agape are part of a broader issue of lack of state oversight of unlicensed religiously affiliated schools in Missouri. It was finally addressed by 2021 legislation that brought such schools under state oversight, with requirements of background checks on employees and health, safety and fire inspections.

That law was passed partly in response to years worth of allegations from former residents of Agape, as well as a lengthy investigation by The Kansas City Star, indicating alleged physical and sexual abuse of the boys who were boarded there by staff or other students. Last year, a doctor there was criminally charged with sexual crimes against multiple boys, while five other Agape staff members were charged with lesser forms of abuse.

This month, the schools former dean of students was indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations the facility handcuffed and transported a California teenager to the school against his will, in violation of a court order. The Star reported last week that multiple other staffers have been informed by the state of substantiated allegations of abuse against them  yet they are still working at the school since state law allows them to do so until their appeals are adjudicated.

These arent scattered anecdotes but are indications of what state Attorney General Eric Schmitts office alleges is systemic abuse that justifies shutting the school down. Cedar County Circuit Court Judge David Munton initially agreed earlier this month, ordering the school to shut down, but then he rescinded his own order. Last week, Munton rescinded another order that had allowed state social services workers to remain on the premises.

To his credit, Schmitt requested and received approval for a hearing by a separate judge to decide whether the school should close.

Republican Missouri House Speaker Rob Vescovo joined the fray with a request that the U.S. Attorneys office intervene to close the school because of inaction by the local prosecutor and police. Vescovo alleges local corruption around Agape. The Star has revealed multiple connections between the school and local officials, including the fact that two local sheriffs deputies have worked there.

All of it cries out for a thorough state investigation. Those facing criminal probes are innocent until proven guilty  but that principle doesnt require leaving kids in unnecessary danger.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt made the ill-advised decision last week to join a Republican amicus brief in defense of private citizen Donald Trump after the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago estate to secure thousands of pages of government documents he unlawfully possessed, including some containing highly classified nuclear secrets. The brief reads more like a political statement than anything a real attorney would put before a judge. In fact, for the court to have paid any attention to Schmitts argument, judges would have been required to disregard the actual law rather than follow it.

Schmitt now proposes to represent Missourians as a U.S. senator. If they send him to Washington, he would become the writer of laws that, as attorney general, he is asking courts to ignore for political expediency. His brief deserved to be taken about as seriously as Schmitts lawsuit against China. And judging by the appeals courts ruling against Trump later last week, the arguments by Schmitt and other Republican attorneys general amounted to a waste of taxpayers money.

The nonsensical arguments amounted to a string of non-sequiturs and were exceedingly weak even if the basic premise of the brief was solidly grounded. Schmitt tried to apply court rulings against the Biden administration regarding immigration, the pandemic and other issues as somehow a reason to side with Trump in a wholly unrelated case.

The opening sentence of the amicus brief signals exactly where the argument would head for the next 21 pages: In response to the Biden Administrations unprecedented nine-hour search of former President Donald J. Trumps private residence and its seizure of more than 10,000 documents, President Trump filed a lawsuit seeking the return of privileged and potentially privileged documents that were taken during the Biden Administrations raid.

Note the absence of any mention of the FBI and Justice Department. The FBI, which conducted the Mar-a-Lago search, isnt mentioned anywhere in the brief. The FBI doesnt represent any administration. Its director, Christopher Wray, was appointed by Trump himself in 2017. Although Trump tried to manipulate the Justice Department to serve his political ends, he failed repeatedly. His two attorney general appointees, Jeff Sessions and William Barr, tried hard on certain occasions to appease Trump by twisting legal arguments to suit Trumps needs, but they ultimately chose to uphold the Constitution and the Justice Departments independence over Trumps ego-driven political whims.

The point is, this wasnt a Biden administration raid, and President Joe Biden says he wasnt informed about it in advance. It was a search by an independent law enforcement agency to uphold the law and prevent classified intelligence from being compromised. Schmitts amicus brief suggests the Justice Department should not have upheld the law and instead should have prioritized Trumps made-up rights and nonexistent privileges over crucial issues of national security.
Regarding "Debate prospects dim in race for Missouris open US Senate seat" (Sept. 20): Just when I thought the Missouri Senate race couldnt get more depressing, it seems to me Trudy Busch Valentine has apparently given up. I have yet to see one ad on television for her, and I get multiple emails per day about Senate races in other states, but nothing about Missouri. Republican Eric Schmitt is walking away with it, with barely a fight.

Valentine doesn't seem to want to debate and has had precious few in-person rallies. Unless something drastic happens in the next three weeks, I believe she will go down as the worst candidate Missouri Democrats have ever nominated. Schmitt has plenty of vulnerabilities that a good opponent would point out, including his stand against abortion rights and his frivolous lawsuits. Schmitt and Sen. Josh Hawley would be an embarrassing, extremist duo in the Senate for a state that used to be considered moderate and cautious.

Missourians who prefer responsible, moderate representation have only one hope  ranked choice voting and the Better Elections Amendment, which would make it harder for extremists to get elected and bypass the tribalism that dominates elections today.

Dan Connors  St. Louis County
The Ukrainian September offensive took about two weeks to liberate (or de-occupy) over 8,000 square kilometers and captured hundreds of Russian tanks and other armored vehicles intact as well as warehouses containing large quantities of ammunition, fuel and other supplies. Russian units disintegrated and troops fled in civilian vehicles for the Russian border. The Ukrainians usually dont fire on civilian vehicles. Besides, Russian deserters do more for the Ukrainian cause back in Russia than as Ukrainian prisoners. The deserters spread the word about the disaster to the Russian government and its leader Vladimir Putin. The bad news from Ukraine caused Putin to admit, for the first time, that Russian forces had suffered a major defeat in Ukraine. Previous defeats were explained as a planned repositioning of Russian forces. The September defeat was different because it resulted in a major loss of Russian troops, most of them deserting or surrendering. Putin declared a national emergency and ordered 300,000 army reservists be activated and sent to Ukraine.

Russian military reserves are a myth because they are simply a list of soldiers who were in the military for at least a year and their last known address. Technically these are unorganized reserves and not nearly as useful as reservists who are organized into units and regularly trained. In some countries the reservists are paid for the days spent training. Putin insisted that only men with military experience were being called up. That was not how it was carried out by local military recruiting personnel, including the conscripts who are called up twice a year (spring and fall). Many recruiters supplement their income by taking bribes to get men off the conscription lists. This mobilization did not yield a lot of bribe income because many of those called up simply refused to show up.

In some parts of Russia, the recruiters have access to security force police and troops who can forcibly activate reservists. This was often necessary because in many parts of the country there were not enough veterans to activate. Recruiters grabbed whoever they could, including unpopular local ethnic minorities or students who were supposed to be exempt from activation until they graduated. Anti-war protesters that were arrested were often taken. Since these men were already in custody, some were activated into the army. The government quickly noted this widespread resistance to activation and banned military age men from leaving the country. The government threatened to call up as many men as it required until it got 300,000 into uniform. The initial mobilization announcement implied that the reservists would receive two months of training before being sent to Ukraine. The reality was that most got two weeks of training, if that. Russia has lost over 100,000 troops in Ukraine so far to death, disabling injury, desertion and capture. Active-duty units throughout Russia were ordered to provide troops for duty in Ukraine and most of those sent were lost in Ukraine. Now commanders of active-duty units report that they have no more soldiers to send, even when they do.

Commanders in Ukraine wanted trained replacements they could depend on. For months they have been getting a lot of men in uniform who were often not useful as many were untrained and had little military experience or enthusiasm for being in Ukraine. The government has been trying to hide the defeats and losses in Ukraine, which began right after the invasion began in February. There were some initial successes but now the Ukrainians are armed and able to take that territory back along with territory seized in 2014. Russia conducted sham local referendums to incorporate the 2014 territories and those taken in February and March as independent states that then agree to be annexed by Russia. The UN points out that without UN election monitors the Russian referendums and elections are not legal. There is no international support for recognizing these annexations as valid and most Russian seem to agree with that, especially men mobilized for duty in Ukraine, which was and is still considered a foreign country by most Russians. While many Russians like the idea of rebuilding the Russian Empire, few are willing to fight in a combat zone to make that happen.

Ukrainian forces have learned to exploit this Russian reluctance to fight in Ukraine. Russian soldiers are given opportunities to surrender or desert, and few choose to stand and fight because the Ukrainians have a well-deserved reputation for defeating Russians who stand and fight. Russia recently passed a law that makes any Russian prisoner-of-war in Ukraine subject to a ten-year prison term unless he can escape Ukrainian captivity. Usually, its only the commander of the Russian units who wants to fight. Most of their troops prefer less violent solutions to the problem. This has led to heavy losses among officers who died trying to get their reluctant troops to fight. There were a lot of Russian troops willing to fight in February but as the months went by the Ukrainians were better at it while most of the invaders have lost any enthusiasm for fighting.

The Russian government fears that the Ukrainians are trying to drive all Russians out of Ukraine and have enough trained troops, equipped with superior weapons and commanders to make that happen. Ukrainians and a growing number of Russians see the recent Ukrainian victories as part of a trend, not some one-time event not likely to be repeated. This is already taking place in the rest of Russian-occupied Ukraine. Determined Ukrainians versus reluctant Russian troops is a major problem for the Russian government and Vladimir Putins solution is to increase the Russian threats to use nuclear weapons. There is little support in Russia and major opposition from the rest of the world to that. Putin alone cannot detonate a nuke in Russia. That requires a number of reliable and willing Russian military specialists to do. These men are well aware that this would be the first use of nukes since World War II and likely to result in Western retaliation by NATO members that also have nukes. Russian allies like Iran and North Korea are watching this with keen interest because North Korea already has some crude nukes and recently declared it would use them without warning if they felt threatened. The Iranians dont have any nukes yet but could produce them. Fear of retaliation has made the Iranians more circumspect. Both Iran and North Korea see the Putin nuclear threats as the most realistic use of nuclear blackmail yet attempted and are very much hoping Putin will win his gamble.
by Austin Bay September 28, 2022

On Sept. 13, Iranian Islamic dictatorship "morality police" in Tehran arrested a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman named Mahsa Amini. The morality police charged her with violating the regime's dress code. She hadn't covered her hair properly, or something.

On Sept. 16, Amini was pronounced dead. The Tehran dictatorship established by the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini said a heart attack killed her. Witnesses who saw her in the hospital said she died from a severe beating -- a brutal beating committed by Iranian Shia political Khomeinist zealots whose real god is the power to kill.

Big Point No. 1: Amini's Khomeinist killers want to kill a lot of people. The Khomeinist death cult controlling Iran ritually screams "Death to America" and calls Israel a "one-bomb country." The "one bomb" Tehran's hate cult invokes is, of course, a nuclear weapon.

What doesn't appear in major media is the sorry and cowardly depth of America's feckless response to the Iranian people's appeals for aid and assistance in escaping the terrible Aryan Islamofascist regime that brutalizes them.

"Aryan" puzzles you? Iran is short for Aryanistan. Land of the Aryans. That's the way privileged Iranian Ayatollah regime supremacists regard themselves.

Their Semite, Turk, Slav and Caucasus Mountain hillbilly neighbors?

Like Hitlerite German Nazis, the ayatollah clan considers these neighbors to be Untermensch. Translate that as "lower beings." God and the ayatollahs demand the Aryan-Iranians dominate.

And if you can't dominate them, a nuke will really bring death to Arabs and Turks and Israelis and Americans and whoever -- so the robed dictators claim.

Former President Donald Trump's administration leveraged this Ayatollah Aryan supremacy claptrap to fashion the Abraham Accords. Arabs and Jews are both Semites. Check with the Saudis and Emiratis. Despite the ayatollahs' incessant "nuke Israel" propaganda, the Gulf Arabs know Iran threatens them.

This isn't 21st-century racist pap. Iranian supremacists in various guises have been peddling this propaganda for some 4,000 years.

Big Point No. 2: President Joe Biden's administration has ignored the Abraham Accords. Why? The Trump administration promoted them. According to Biden ayatollahs, all things Trump are bad, verboten, unclean, and if they actually create strategic stability, they are forbidden knowledge. Democrat Party media pals like The New York Times and MSNBC must never mention them under penalty of cancel culture.

My bet: History will call the Biden administration's failure to reinforce the Abraham Accords its second-greatest strategic failure. Its foremost failure: the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle.

Back to current events in Iran. Amini's death has brought the Iranian people into the street. Since Sept. 17 the robed regime has confronted mass demonstrations, with several dozen people killed and thousands arrested. Police stations have been burned -- not because the Iranian people want to defund the police, but because the regime they serve is controlled by misogynist thugs who murder innocent women because they didn't wear a scarf.

Amini's 2022 murder echoes 2009. On June 20 of that year 26-year-old Neda Agha-Soltan exited a car in the middle of a street demonstration triggered by 2009's clearly rigged national election. A regime sniper immediately shot her through the chest and killed her.

Videos recorded her murder, providing global evidence of the Iranian regime's war on women and civilization.

But the Obama-Biden administration? In 2009, as the anti-Khomeinist demonstrations intensified and Iranians begged for American support, the Obama-Biden administration remained silent.

That silence in the face of dictatorial cruelty blew the best chance the Iranian people have had to this day to topple the true evil dominating their country.

From the start of his administration, President Barack Obama offered concessions to Iran's Aryan cult. Why? His administration was riddled with multiculturalists from the academic Left who thought American power and strong American leadership were the source of the world's most wicked problems.

In 2009 Obama failed to immediately support the Iranian demonstrators. Instead of promoting democracy he opted for finger-wagging and strongly worded memos. Gray-haired profs with ponytails may love it, but in the international arena they are kindergarten theatrics.

Biden, Obama's veep, is now in charge. Fair bet: the robed dictators will once again crush the Iranian people's rebellion.
September 28, 2022: Pakistan continues to have problems with Afghanistan, where Pakistan controls several members of the new government. The largest Islamic terror group in Afghanistan is the TTP (Pakistan Taliban), which fights to establish an Islamic government (like IEA) in Pakistan. The second largest Islamic terror group in Afghanistan is ISK (Islamic State Khorasan), which is also the local ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) affiliate and has been very active in Afghanistan since the IEA took power in late 2021. The IEA told Pakistan it would go after ISK while telling the United States they would not cooperate with the Americans or Russians in suppressing ISK activity in Afghanistan. Now ISK is once more operating in Pakistan. ISK is growing rapidly because many Taliban factions oppose Pakistans domination of the IEA and continued discrimination against Pushtuns in general. Opposition to Pakistan is one thing that most Pushtuns can agree on. While ISIL doctrine calls for attacks to concentrate on heretics (mainly Shia Moslems) and infidels (non-Moslems), the growing number of Afghan and Pakistani Pushtuns joining ISK led to more attacks in general with a larger proportion against the IEA and Pakistani military and its ISI intelligence branch. This Pushtun war against Pakistan has been around for over a decade. Most current Islamic terrorist violence in Afghanistan is the work of ISK while the TTP maintains bases in Afghanistan from which they launch attacks inside Pakistan.

The Pakistan-backed Taliban dominates the IEA government and seems unable to control what they have created. That includes the sanctuary the TTP enjoys in Afghanistan. TTP wants to impose an IEA-like government on Pakistan. Tajikistan also noted that a similar Tajik group had received sanctuary in Afghanistan just across the Tajik border. Technically the TTP has a ceasefire agreement with the Pakistani military, which is seeking to work out a real peace deal with the TTP. These negotiations are stalemated because the TTP is willing to halt their war to establish an Islamic dictatorship in Pakistan only if Pakistan agrees to autonomy for the tribal territories and pays compensation for damage the Pakistani army did after 2014 remove Islamic terrorists from the tribal territories. To maintain its shaky ceasefire with TTP, the army pretends the TTP attacks on soldiers and border guards in Pakistan are the work of other Islamic terrorist groups based in Afghanistan. These include Al Qaeda and ISIL groups.

September 25, 2022: In Pakistan, the new (since April) prime minister Shehbaz Sharif was embarrassed by the release of audio recordings that had him discussing corrupt practices with staff members. Some of the recordings involved legitimate discussions about government administration. The source of the recordings appeared to be the work of hackers who gained access to the telephone system in the prime ministers office.

September 24, 2022: In northwest Pakistan (North Waziristan) a roadside bomb was used against a military patrol, killing two soldiers.

September 20, 2022: In northwest Pakistan (North Waziristan) soldiers came under fire from Islamic terrorists across the border in Afghanistan. One soldier was killed. It was believed that the attackers were members of the TTP (Pakistani Taliban). Many TTP factions operate independently, often contrary to orders from TTP leadership. In contrast the Afghan Taliban was always more disciplined because they were dependent on the Pakistani military for and other essential aid. This included cash payments from the Afghan heroin cartels that also depend on the Pakistani military for essential supplies and services. The Afghan Taliban help protect cartel operations inside Afghanistan. Now that the Afghan Taliban once more, after 20 years in exile, control the Afghan government they find they have a lot in common with the TTP. Both Talibans see the Pakistani military as the enemy and that is causing major problems for the Pakistani military and Pakistan as a whole.

September 19, 2022: In Pakistan a court dropped terrorism charges against former PM (prime minister) Imran Khan for threatening a judge and two police commanders in a speech four weeks ago. Khan was arrested by police but released on bail. The arrest was another threat from the military which considers Kahn a threat to the military control over the government. Technically Khan was accused of terrorism, which is supporters fear the military will eventually use that to put Khan on trial and in prison. That would be a bold move for the military because Khan still has the support of many, if not most voters. The military sees Khan as a threat but not a serious enough threat to risk civil war over. Khan has been campaigning against the growing control the military has over the government as well as the media.

September 18, 2022: The Indian Army presented Indian defense firms with a list of weapons and equipment it wants to obtain within India, not from foreign supporters. While this was welcomed by some Indian firms, others saw it as another empty gesture in the governments effort to create an Indian defense manufacturing industry as effective as those found in the West and especially in China. Since 2014 the government has been obsessed with making India less dependent on imported military technology. Increased efforts to develop a domestic weapons development and production capability have failed. In response to this the government made it more difficult to import needed weapons that Indian firms were unable to develop and build. Indian military procurement over the next five years is estimated to be about $130 billion and the government is trying to address the structural problems that have prevented commercial firms from developing military equipment. India is also trying to reduce the power of government weapons development and production operations that have never been able to compete with foreign defense manufacturers.

The major goals of local procurement are to decrease reliance on Russia, which is still the largest supplier of military equipment. At the same time India is the second largest (after Saudi Arabia) importer of weapons in the world and the largest customer for Russian military exports. India has been buying less from Russia since the 1990s. Since the 1960s Russia supplied more and more, often over 80 percent, of Indian weapons imports. In the last decade that has fallen to fifty percent and continues to decline.

The second part of the program to reduce weapons imports is to make it easier for Indian firms to meet the needs of the Indian military. The government issued a list identifying specific weapons and items of military equipment that must be procured locally. Making it mandatory to buy locally has been tried before and led to some spectacular failures, so much so that the government authorized the emergency FTP (Fast Track Procurement) procedures in 2004. With FTP the military could unilaterally buy some items from foreign suppliers. It was assumed that FTP would eliminate the most embarrassing problems with getting the military weapons desperately needed. It was also believed that government efforts to clean up the corruption and other problems with the military procurement process would soon make FTP unnecessary. That has not happened.

FTP is still around to allow the immediate purchase of essential military items without the usual political and procurement delays that can add years, sometimes a decade or more, to obtaining needed items. FTP is still needed because the current confrontation with better equipped Chinese forces on the northern border makes it obvious that all the Chinese weapons and equipment is Chinese-made and clearly more modern. The new Made in India mandates make it more difficult to use FTP. The Indian Air Force believes it will not be able to replace aging jet fighters with local designs in time. The air force will shrink while the politicians come up with more ways to block efforts to fix the problem. This refusal to face reality and actually solve procurement problems is crippling the Indian military.

Meanwhile more Indians ask why China developed a world-class weapons development and production capability in the last few decades while India has not? Mainly its about corruption and decades of India making it difficult for Indians to start and operate profitable firms that could produce consumer goods as well as military equipment. The United States became the largest economy in the world over a century ago by encouraging this entrepreneurship. Many other nations, including those in Europe and East Asia (Japan, South Korea and China) followed that example.

September 16, 2022: Indian leader Narendra Modi met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi at the SCO Shanghai Cooperation Organization) meeting Putin was told that using nukes was a bad idea and the Ukraine War and the sanctions on Russia was interfering with economic and other relations with China and India. Putin told his two trading partners that he understood their concerns but no other details were made public but Putin does not appear to be heeding the advice from India and China. Putin risks losing his position as Russian leader because of this crisis. He has held that job for two decades and success in Ukraine was supposed to help him keep that job. Modi and Xi also have serious domestic problems. Modi has been the prime minister since 2014 and is accused of not paying sufficient attention to the needs of minorities. On the plus side, Modi is praised for his anti-corruption reforms and streamlining the cumbersome government bureaucracy. These efforts have kept him in power for eight years and are still working. For example, the reduced corruption has led to less popular support for the Maoist rebels that have been active in eastern India since the 1960s. The government recently reported that the number of districts where communist Maoist rebels were a problem had declined from 70 in 2014 to 46 in 2021 and the decline was continuing. The half century old Indian communist Maoist (radical communist) rebel movement suffered accelerated losses in the last two years, with over a third of the senior leadership captured or killed. Since 2021 over a hundred of the Maoist leaders a year have died (from combat or disease), been captured or, increasingly just surrendering, often because they have lost faith in their cause or the possibility of ever succeeding.

The Maoists have been having personnel problems throughout eastern India for over a decade. Time and technology have caught up with these leftist rebels as tips from civilians about Maoist activity or specific Maoists with a reward offered for their death or capture. Rewards are also offered for hiding places where weapons or equipment are stored.

The Maoists are still active but are feeling pressure from over a decade of attacks by local police and paramilitary police battalions. The Maoists have seen reduced membership and a reduction in territory where they exercise any effective control. The downside is that the paramilitary forces are often operating in unfamiliar territory and more vulnerable to ambush or roadside (or trail side) bombs. Such attacks are less frequent as are the casualties the security forces suffer.

Civilians in Maoist infested areas are less afraid of providing police with information about Maoist movements. It has also become easier to recruit Maoist members to become active informants. These spies are paid monthly and the sudden affluence of their families often alerts Maoist leaders to the presence of police informants. While details about informants are kept secret, the losses suffered because police had inside information is often obvious. The Maoist decline has demoralized leftist leaders, who have not been able to come up with any way to halt or reverse the losses. Maoists are a radical faction of the once mighty Indian communist party. Many Indian communists were slow to understand why all those East European communist governments, including Russia, collapsed between 1989 and 1991. Despite that many Indians still support communism, but not the violent, ineffective and increasingly unpopular Maoists.

September 14, 2022: In northwest Pakistan (Kurram) Pakistani and Afghan troops exchanged fire troops agreed to move back from disputed territory on the Afghan (Paktia province) border. Afghanistan and Pakistan have long disagreed on exactly where the border is and that often leads to gunfire. Both sides suffered casualties this time but no one would reveal how many.

September 13, 2022: In northern India, on the Chinese border, China and India confirmed their mutual withdrawal of troops from portions of the LAC (Line of Actual Control) in India's Ladakh State. Also known as the Macartney-MacDonald Line the LAC is the unofficial border between India and China. The LAC is 4,057 kilometers long and is found in the Indian States of Ladakh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal, and Arunachal. On the Chinese side it is mostly Tibet. China claims much territory that is now considered part of India. There have been several thousand armed and unarmed confrontations over the last decade as one side or the other accuses foreign troops' ' of crossing the LAC. The mutual troops withdrawal in Ladakh reduces tensions there but not along other LAC segments where there are still a lot of Chinese and Indian troops confronting each other.

September 6, 2022: The coalition of nations that formed to oppose Chinese claims on their territory includes India. While India is the largest member of this coalition. Much smaller South Korea is a key component in the coalition. This coalition exposed some harsh truths about the military balance in Asia. India is not considered a reliable ally nor is India as powerful as its population (second only to China) would suggest. Despite their equal populations, Chinas GDP is over five times larger than Indias. Tiny Japan has a GDP twice that of India and the Japanese and South Korean fleets combined are more powerful than the ramshackle Indian Navy. At the same time India still cooperates with Russia and China in military and economic matters. India has nuclear weapons, and these are seen as a last resort against Chinese efforts to annex Indian territory. China is less impressed with Indias non-nuclear forces. South Korea and Japan are another matter. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has changed Indias position in the coalition because this was what the Chinese were trying to do to the coalition members. China criticized Russia, privately, for going about absorbing Ukraine the wrong way. China believes in patience and persistence. The Russian approach not only failed, but made China look bad because of the close economic and military ties between the two nations.

September 5, 2022: The United States has agreed to sell Pakistan $450 million in F-16 refurbishment for its aging F-16 fighters. There are no upgrades to the F-16s, just equipment to keep them operational. The U.S. blocked this sale in 2018 because of Pakistani support of Islamic terrorism and of failure to end that support for decades. The Taliban, with the help of Pakistan, regained control of the Afghan government in 2020 and Islamic terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan have increased because of that. Pakistan remains a major customer for Chinese weapons and supports Chinese claims on Indian territory and in other areas like the South China Sea. The Americans ignored Pakistans continued connections with China, Afghanistan and support of Islamic terrorism.

August 23, 2022: In southeast Pakistan (Baluchistan province) Pakistan is blamed for an attack across the border in Afghanistan (Kandahar province) where another TTP leader died under mysterious circumstances. The Afghan Taliban attributed the deaths to a roadside bomb while eye witnesses say it was a guided missile, which Pakistan UAVs use. All four TTP commanders dying this way since late July (when the TTP peace talks with Pakistan resumed) had opposed the Pakistani terms, which greatly weakened the TTP. The pro-Pakistan Haqqani faction in the IEA government is accused of assisting in killing the anti-peace deal TTP leaders. The TTP leadership has not yet responded to this interpretation of the recent TTP commanders deaths.
Netflix's Andrey Norkin Talks Future of AV1

In this interview with Andrey Norkin we covered a range of topics, including the future of Libaom-AV1 in the face of the Alliance for Open Medias seeming focus on SVT-AV1. By way of background, Norkins day job is as a senior research scientist for Netflix, where he contributes to Netflixs video encoding pipeline, particularly relating to high dynamic range (HDR) and low-bitrate mobile encodes. However, we spoke with him in his role as Co-Chair of the Video Codec Working Group for the Alliance for Open Media.

Jumping right in, regarding the future of libaom-AV1, Andrey explained that though both Libaom-AV1, the AV1 codec in FFmpeg, and SVT-AV1 will be supported going forward, they serve differentfunctions. Specifically, Libaom-AV1 is the reference software designed to cover the whole AV1 standard. In contrast, SVT-AV1 is more of a production code base or the code base that is optimized to work ... multi core machines.

Then the conversation moved into AV1s playback compatibility. Andrey reviewed AV1s integration into smart TVs and mobile devices, which has been slower than expected but bolstered by the strong performance of several software decoders, in particular dav1d.

Next, we discussed AV1 and High Dynamic Range video a must for premium content producers like Norkins employer Netflix. Norkin first advised that HDR was incorporated into the AV1 spec from day one, and that AOMedia has been working to clarify and document how to deploy HDR 10 and HDR 10+ with AV1. That work is now complete, he reported, so HDR 10 and HDR 10+ should be supported, though Dolby Vision is not. Norkin detailed how HDR should work on the playback side, and briefly the type of testing Netflix would perform before starting to distribute AV1-encoded HDR content to AV1 players.

One topic near and dear to Norkin is film grain synthesis, which he contributed to on the development side. As Norkin related, film grain is a very common effect used by film producers, but it complicates encoding because film grain is very close to random noise, which is theoretically uncompressible. The film grain synthesis feature in AV1 removes grain from the original sequence, encodes the video, and sends an estimate of the film grain parameters to the player, which adds the film grain back in an attempt to match the source. The impact is a significant increase in

compression efficiency with minimal impact on quality.

Then we touched on AV1s current and planned suitability for AR, VR and other applications in the metaverse, and concluded with a brief look ahead at AV2. The conversation was technical and far ranging, we greatly appreciated the opportunity to speak with one of the key contributors to AV1 and to the video quality that most of us watch on Netflix every night.

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TUCSON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2022 / Western Alaska Minerals (the "Company" or "WAM") (TSXV:WAM) announces that as a result of a review by the British Columbia Securities Commission, the Company is issuing the following news release to clarify certain disclosure made on the Company's website. Previously on the Company's website under the Waterpump Creek project page, the Company disclosed a historical preliminary hand drawn polygonal resource estimate prepared by G.E. Wilson of Anaconda Mining Company in 1984. This historical resource estimate was not prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and the Company was not treating this resource as a current resource. At the time the Company made this disclosure it did not include the cautionary language prescribed by section 2.4 of NI 43-101 that is required when an issuer makes disclosure of a historical resource estimate. The Company wishes to clarify that there is no current resource for its Waterpump Creek project and investors should not rely on any previously disclosed historical estimates for the project, as they have not been reviewed or verified by a Qualified Person (as such term is defined in NI 43-101).

ABOUT WAM

WAM began trading on the TSX-V in November 2021 and maintains corporate offices in Alaska and Arizona. WAM fully controls all claims in the historic Illinois Creek Mining District located in western Alaska near the Yukon River, covering 73,120 acres (114.25 square miles or 29,590.60 hectares). This district was originally discovered by Anaconda Minerals Co. in the early 1980's. Since 2010, WAM and its private precursor company Western Alaska Copper & Gold Inc. has reassembled the Anaconda property package and been engaged in exploring the district. The district encompasses at least five mineral deposits containing gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc.

The Company currently has approximately 22,414,104 common shares issued and outstanding and 238,643 proportional shares issued and outstanding. Each proportional share is convertible to 100 common shares at the request of the shareholder and in the discretion of the Company. Because of these conversion rights, for market capitalization and financial analysis purposes, it is appropriate to convert the proportional shares to common shares and add the product of the conversion to the current number of common shares outstanding. When doing so, the sum of the approximate number of common shares (22,414,104) and converted proportional shares (23,864,300) equals 46,278,404 shares. Further information regarding the Company's share structure is available upon request.

Stuart Morris, P. Geo., a qualified person as defined in NI 43-101 has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.

On behalf of the Company

"Kit Marrs"

Kit Marrs

President & CEO

Phone: (520) 200-1667

For further information please contact:

Vanessa Bogaert, Director of Corporate Communications/IR at [email protected]

Or visit our website at: www.westernalaskaminerals.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Western Alaska Minerals Corp

View source version on accesswire.com:
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Altus Power, Inc. (Altus Power) (NYSE: AMPS), the premier independent developer, owner and operator of commercial-scale solar facilities, today announced that a selling stockholder affiliated with Blackstone (Blackstone) intends to offer and sell 7,000,000 shares of Altus Powers Class A common stock in a secondary underwritten public offering. In connection with the offering, Blackstone is expected to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,050,000 additional shares of Class A common stock on the same terms and conditions. All of the shares in the offering are to be sold by Blackstone. Altus Power will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of its Class A common stock by Blackstone.

J.P. Morgan, Citigroup and Evercore ISI are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

The shares of Class A common stock are being offered pursuant to an effective registration statement on Form S-1 that Altus Power previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on January 10, 2022 and which was declared effective on January 21, 2022. The offering will be made only by means of the written prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectuses that form a part of the registration statements. An electronic preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectuses relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SECs website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectuses relating to the offering may also be obtained, when available, from J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at +1 (866) 803-9204 or by email at [email protected]; Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 (Tel: 800-831-9146); or Evercore Group L.L.C., Attention: Equity Capital Markets, 55 East 52nd Street, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10055, by telephone at 888-474-0200 or by email at [email protected].

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of offers to buy any securities of Altus Power being offered, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any security in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Altus Power

Altus Power, based in Stamford, Connecticut, is the premier commercial-scale clean electrification company, serving commercial, industrial, public sector and community solar customers with an end-to-end solution. Altus Power originates, develops, owns and operates locally sited solar generation, energy storage, and EV charging infrastructure across the nation.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as intends, will, expect, believe or variations of such words or similar terminology that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These statements are based on Altus Powers managements current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events.

Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside Altus Powers control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements including the completion of the proposed public offering on the anticipated terms or at all.

Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements can be found under the heading Risk Factors in Altus Powers [Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 24, 2022,]1 as well as the other information we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This press release is not intended to be all-inclusive or to contain all the information that a person may desire in considering an investment in Altus Power and is not intended to form the basis of an investment decision in Altus Power. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning Altus Power or other matters and attributable to Altus Power or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above.

_____________________________

1 NTD: Reference 8-K if updated risk factors will be filed in a separate 8-K at launch to bring the risk factors into the 34 Act stream, and if not, reference the ProSupp.

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Altus Power:

For Media:

Cory Ziskind

ICR, Inc.

[email protected]

For Investors:

Chris Shelton, Head of IR

Caldwell Bailey, ICR, Inc.

[email protected]

Source: Altus Power, Inc.
Success in Australia Prompts Leading Construction Technology Provider to Expand Footprint to Europe

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Assignar, the global leader in cloud-based construction operations software, today announces the expansion of its business operations into the United Kingdom. Assignars initial expansion will target the heavy civil, excavation, demolition and rail sectors.

The company is designed to bring all construction operations under a single view, making it particularly effective for highly regulated verticals. The platform allows contractors to remain compliant and safe in their operations with real-time visibility and communications across multiple projects.

Assignar was designed from a boots-on-the-ground perspective because its the solution I needed for my contracting company, explains Assignar CEO Sean McCreanor. Contractors dont need a hands-off management system. They need a tool they can take into the field that solves for common operational problems. And thats what Assignar is purposefully designed to do.

Construction in the UK has experienced impressive growth in recent years, and experts predict the industry to grow an additional 14% in 2022 alone. Additionally, the recent passing of the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline will funnel an additional 650 billion into the industry over the next ten years.

In recent years, the software provider has partnered with numerous UK-based contracting companies for their operations in Australia. Continued success with these clients, along with strong similarities between the nations construction markets, made this expansion a natural next step. The company aims to get a sample size of UK customers by the end of 2022 and will expand the team from there.

Its really exciting to be on the ground as we begin to expand our presence in the country and look to bring improved operations to the construction industry, said Mark Milner, a Senior Account Executive at Assignar. Ive been reaching out to local contractors and people from my time working as a civil engineer. Theyve responded with a lot of excitement, especially in the traffic management and highway sectors. From my own experience, I know the UK market is more than ready for the tools offered in the Assignar platform.

London is a fantastic place to scale a global tech business, said Laura Citron, CEO of London & Partners. That's why we're delighted to welcome Assignar to London this October and are thrilled they have chosen to grow their team and operations in our thriving ecosystem. I look forward to seeing how Assignar will continue to go from strength to strength in providing safety and compliance for the UK's construction sector.

To learn more about how Assignar is providing tools that drive productivity, profitability and innovation for self-perform general and subcontractors, visit www.assignar.com.

About Assignar

Assignar is the global leader in cloud-based construction operations. Its platform helps self-perform general and subcontractors improve productivity and operations, such as labor, crew and equipment management, resource-loaded scheduling, field data, timesheets, and more. Assignar works with hundreds of customers, ranging from multinational, multi-billion-dollar companies to specialist contractors with as few as five crews. Assignars customers operate in infrastructure, road, rail, civil, utilities and other construction disciplines. The company has offices in Denver, Colorado and Sydney, Australia and is backed by Tiger Global, SecondQuarter Ventures, Fifth Wall, Ironspring Ventures, Our Innovation Fund (OIF) and Tola Capital.

For more information, visit www.assignar.com.

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Katie Huff

[email protected]

Source: Assignar
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Audax Private Debt (Audax) announced that, as Administrative Agent and Sole Lead Arranger, it provided a unitranche credit facility to support the acquisition of MediaRadar (the Company) by Thompson Street Capital Partners (Thompson Street), a St. Louis-based private equity firm.

Founded in 2006 and headquartered in New York, MediaRadar is a leader in the commercial ad intelligence market, providing data and intelligence tools to help owners of ad space across a wide variety of platforms optimize the sale of their valuable inventory. MediaRadar offers comprehensive ad analysis for over four million brands across multiple media platforms including TV, digital, mobile, email, social media, print and more. Clients enjoy unmatched quality and award-winning customer service to help them identify new prospects, create data-driven pitches, and grow their business.

The MediaRadar team has built an impressive platform of scalable ad intelligence solutions catering to the dynamic needs of ad sellers, said Blake Loweth, Managing Director at Audax Private Debt. The Companys reputation for distilling multi-channel campaign intelligence into actionable, competitive insights for its clients  on a single, easy-to-use platform  has distinguished MediaRadar in this fast-growing industry. We believe Thompson Street is an ideal partner to support the Companys growth, and we look forward to working alongside them and management as they continue to invest in MediaRadars industry-leading services.

We are excited to be working again alongside Audax Private Debt to help MediaRadar continue offering the very best suite of tools and execute on its growth vision, said Liz Borow, Managing Director at Thompson Street Capital Partners. Audax has been a diligent, flexible financing partner throughout this process. We look forward to their continued support as we work together to help maximize the Companys potential.

About MediaRadar

MediaRadar is an award-winning advertising intelligence solution that is used by media planning, buying, and selling teams. The Company offers comprehensive advertising analysis for over 4 million brands across multiple media platforms including TV, digital, mobile, email, events, social media, and print. Media sellers rely on MediaRadar to prospect, create compelling pitches, and connect with the right buyers. Agencies and marketers use MediaRadar to create the best media mix, uncover new advertising opportunities, and monitor their competitors. MediaRadar also offers custom solutions and data licensing for use in market research, sales intelligence, ad compliance, and equity markets. The Company was founded in 2006 and is based in New York, NY.

For more information, please visit www.mediaradar.com.

About Audax Private Debt

Based in New York, Audax Private Debt is a leading debt capital partner for North American middle market companies. Since its inception in 2000, Audax Private Debt has invested over $31 billion across more than 1,060 companies in support of over 270 private equity sponsors, and has raised over $25 billion in capital. The platform offers its clients a range of financing solutions, including first lien, stretch senior, unitranche, second lien and subordinated debt, as well as equity co-investments. With more than 50 investment professionals and over 180 employees, Audax Private Debt provides financing certainty, add-on investment capability, and the experience and collaborative approach to partner with private equity firms and their portfolio companies. For more information, please visit www.audaxprivatedebt.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Audax Private Debt is an integral part of Audax Group, a leading alternative investment manager with offices in Boston, New York, and San Francisco.

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Audax Private Debt

Blake Loweth

[email protected]

Media

FGS Global

Julie Rudnick / Catherine Livingston

[email protected]

Source: Audax Private Debt
FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Washington, D.C., area defense industry and community leader Michael Chavira, co-founder and managing partner of intelligence services firm Axiologic Solutions LLC, has been named the recipient of the 2022 Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award presented by the Boy Scouts of Americas National Capital Area Council.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005981/en/

The award will be presented to Chavira at an evening reception on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Tower Club in Vienna, Virginia. The ceremony will bring together civic-minded individuals and business leaders from throughout the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area in an event that recognizes and celebrates the importance of scouting in guiding and developing todays youth. Sponsorships and tickets are available at https://donations.scouting.org/#/council/082/appeal/5725.

Mike is an inspirational leader who leads from his heart, said Tom Stauber, co-founder and managing partner of Axiologic and 2022 Whitney M. Young Award event chair. Mike is generous in giving of his time, energy and resources to support causes about which he is passionate  and he has focused a tremendous amount on creating better futures for disadvantaged kids. Professionally, Mike has also helped build a thriving business with a culturally diverse workforce that offers a supportive working environment for all. He is an outstanding role model for scouts today, and his contributions to our community exemplify the good work, values and service this award celebrates.

Chavira is a recognized leader in the intelligence and government services industry, with over 20 years of experience in sensor development and integration, systems engineering, and enterprise architecture. For over a decade, he has helped lead Axiologic, a firm he started in 2009 with Stauber, to become one of the fastest-growing companies in government industry focused on serving Americas intelligence and national security missions. Axiologic has been honored with numerous awards, including seven years of ranking on the Inc. 5000 list of Americas most successful companies and inclusion by the Washington Business Journal in its Corporate Diversity Index and on its list of Fastest Growing Companies, list of Largest Government Technology Contractors and list of Largest Cybersecurity Companies in the Greater Washington area.

Previously, Chavira worked at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he developed and integrated sensor systems for the U.S. Army. He began his career as a nuclear officer and then intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy. Chavira earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Wyoming, participating in its military officer candidate school program.

He joined the Boy Scouts of America at age 10 in his home state of Wyoming. Growing up a member of a farming family, Chavira gained a strong work ethic, learned the importance of teamwork and gained a deep appreciation for lifelong learning. He continued to advance his education throughout his career, earning a Master of Business Administration from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, followed by a Master of Engineering in systems engineering from the University of Virginia and a Master of Science in finance from the Kogod School of Business at American University.

Chavira also has continued to give back to his community by serving as a member of the D.C. Scouting Cares Committee, on the board of directors of the Buffalo Bill Museum of the West and as a member of the George Mason University Government Contracting Advisory Board. He also is on the advisory board of City Kids Wilderness Project, a D.C. nonprofit that was founded on the belief that providing enriching life experiences for D.C. children can enhance their lives, the lives of their families and the greater community. With his support, Axiologic also supports City Kids as well as other charities, including the Childrens Science Center of Northern Virginia.

The Boy Scouts of America presents the Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award to recognize outstanding service by an adult individual or by an organization for demonstrated involvement in the development and implementation of scouting opportunities for youth from rural or low-income urban backgrounds. The award honors the memory and public service of Young, a noted civil rights pioneer, social worker and statesman. One of the organizers of the historic March on Washington in 1963, he also was executive director of the National Urban League and an important adviser to U.S. presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard M. Nixon.

Event sponsorships are available for contributions from $240 through $10,000. For a donation of $1,250, donors will receive five event tickets and recognition in the printed program. The major portion of a donation qualifies as a tax-deductible contribution under current IRS rules.

For information, contact Jonathan Cartner, director of field service, National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, 301-214-9115, [email protected], or visit www.NCACBSA.org.

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Media

Jonathan Cartner

[email protected]

National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America

301-214-9115

Kristina Messner

[email protected]

Messner Media Group LLC

703-716-3181

Source: Axiologic Solutions LLC
HSINCHU, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NTHU has recently received a grant from the Ministry of Education's (MOE) Chinese Proficiency Program, and is preparing to send specially trained teachers to teach Chinese at top universities in the United States, including the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The Program will also bring students at US universities to Taiwan to study Chinese, engage in cultural activities, and assist in bilingual education at primary and secondary schools.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005010/en/

Members of the Chinese Proficiency Program at NTHU.(Photo: National Tsing Hua University)

In addition to deepening exchanges between Taiwan and the United States, the Program will also help raise awareness of Taiwan at American universities.

NTHU has already signed memorandums of cooperation with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Duke University, the University of Hawaii, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and has been sending Chinese teachers to the United States since the end of 2021. Duke University and the University of Hawaii have already sent six students to study Chinese at NTHU with support from the Chinese Proficiency Scholarship.

President for global affairs Yen Ta-jen () said that in addition to having extensive teaching experience, the Chinese teachers selected to go to the United States are also adept in such traditional Chinese pastimes as paper-cutting, mahjong, and chess, and some are also skilled in playing the erhu, landscape painting, and Peking Opera makeup, all of which are highly effective forms of cultural diplomacy.

Chen Jingjia (), who has been teaching Chinese overseas for many years, is preparing to begin teaching at Duke University. Chiu Yuting () is currently a student in the Chinese language education group of the Interdisciplinary and International Masters Program.

The Duke University students studying Chinese come from a variety of departments, with clear learning goals and a positive attitude. Chiu is going to add a module on Taiwanese culture in the upcoming semester.

Li Yu-an (), also a student in the Chinese language education group of the Interdisciplinary and International Masters Program, is going to teach Chinese at the University of Hawaii, where many of the students are the children of Chinese immigrants, so even though they can hardly speak Chinese, they have a strong interest in Chinese culture.

Two of the American exchange students from Duke University are Cole Walker and Andrew Yue Qin, both of whom are already able to converse in Chinese. In addition to their Chinese classes at NTHU, they also have classes on Taiwanese history and culture, and have made field trips to Taipei, Tainan, and Hualien.

NTHU has also signed agreements with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Hawaii, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to set up Chinese language centers, arrange for exchange students, and to jointly develop course materials. Yen Ta-jen hopes that similar programs will be implemented with European universities in the near future.

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Holly Hsueh

NTHU

(886)3-5162006

[email protected]

Source: National Tsing Hua University
RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CACI International Inc (NYSE: CACI) announced today that the Department of Defense has selected the company to receive a prestigious Nunn-Perry Award for excellence in the DoD Mentor Protege Program. This honor recognized CACIs collaboration with its small business partner, CDIT, a small, disadvantaged business located in Louisiana that provides full-scale information technology and management services with a focus on software development competency.

Dan Cuviello, CACI Senior Vice President of Business Development, said, We are extremely proud of CDITs recent successes and CACIs role in supporting this up-and-coming companys growth. CACI is committed to supporting the DoDs critical missions and introducing them to new businesses that can help them achieve their goals.

Under CACIs mentorship in fiscal year 2022, this Mentor-Protege agreement has positively expanded the industrial base for the U.S. Navys Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) mission of delivering global logistics and quality of life support to the Navy and Joint warfighter. Through this partnership, CACI has helped CDIT grow its workforce by more than 188% and increase its annual gross revenues by 323%.

CDIT has also added nine new federal customers and was awarded multiple prime contracts with new customers. During the partnership with CACI, CDIT earned four key industry certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 27001, HUBZone, and CMMI-DEV Level 3. CACI also partnered with Morgan State University to provide valuable mentoring services such as strategic planning and quality management training to achieve these certifications.

Wayne Pizer, CACI Executive Director of Small Business, said, CACI has developed a preeminent roadmap for our Mentor-Protege Program, which includes invaluable training partnerships with leading institutions like Morgan State University. These efforts have resulted in CACI winning Nunn-Perry Awards for its past five DoD mentor-protege agreements.

Bill Henley, CEO of CDIT, said, The DoD Mentor Protege Program has been instrumental in helping us grow in every area of our business and position ourselves to better serve the needs of the DoD. We are very grateful to CACI for their leadership and guidance.

The DoD Mentor Protege Program was established in 1990 in response to concerns raised by DoD prime contractors regarding their inability to meet Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) subcontracting goals.

The award is named for the contributions of Senator Sam Nunn and former Secretary of Defense William Perry, both of whom played critical roles in the implementation of the DoD Mentor Protege Program.

The program has since expanded, providing developmental assistance to Women-Owned Small Businesses, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, and others.

About CACI

CACIs approximately 22,000 talented employees are vigilant in providing the unique expertise and distinctive technology that address our customers greatest enterprise and mission challenges. Our culture of good character, innovation, and excellence drives our success and earns us recognition as a Fortune World's Most Admired Company. As a member of the Fortune 1000 Largest Companies, the Russell 1000 Index, and the S&P MidCap 400 Index, we consistently deliver strong shareholder value. Visit us at www.caci.com.

There are statements made herein which do not address historical facts, and therefore could be interpreted to be forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in CACIs Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, and other such filings that CACI makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Any forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon and only speak as of the date hereof.

CACI-Company News

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005232/en/

Corporate Communications and Media:

Lorraine Corcoran

Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications

(703) 434-4165, [email protected]

Investor Relations:

Daniel Leckburg

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations

(703) 841-7666, [email protected]

Source: CACI International Inc
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Equity Commonwealth (NYSE: EQC) announced today that the company will release its third quarter 2022 operating results on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, after the close of trading. A conference call to discuss those results will be held on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at 9:00 am Central Time. The conference call will be available via live audio webcast on the Investor Relations section of the companys website (www.eqcre.com). A replay of the audio webcast will also be available following the call.

About Equity Commonwealth

Equity Commonwealth (NYSE: EQC) is a Chicago based, internally managed and self-advised real estate investment trust (REIT) with commercial office properties in the United States. EQCs portfolio is comprised of 4 properties totaling 1.5 million square feet.

Regulation FD Disclosures

We use any of the following to comply with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD: press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, or our website. We routinely post important information on our website at www.eqcre.com, including information that may be deemed to be material. We encourage investors and others interested in the company to monitor these distribution channels for material disclosures.

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Investor Contact

Bill Griffiths, (312) 646-2801

Source: Equity Commonwealth
IPO planned at a reference price of 0.817 per share

Fundraising of 8 million, guaranteed by OPM's management, planned before the end of 2022

Availability of the Disclosure Document relating to OPM

DIJON, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

Oncodesign Precision Medicine (OPM), a subsidiary of Oncodesign (ALONC - FR0011766229) (Paris: ALONC), and Oncodesign announce that Euronext Paris S.A. has authorised on September 26, 2022 the admission to listing on Euronext Access + market in Paris of OPM's ordinary shares, under the direct listing procedure in the context of the allocation of OPM shares to Oncodesign shareholders. This allocation remains subject to approval by the general meeting of Oncodesign to be held at Dijon, on 30 September 2022.

ONCODESIGN's shareholders will receive, after Oncodesign's general meeting and subject to its approval, one OPM share for one ONCODESIGN share held.

The IPO will be carried out at a price of 0.817/share, representing a market capitalisation of 5.6 million, corresponding to the valuation of the independent expert, Arthaud & Associes, on 26 September 2022. This valuation has been updated following the latest developments in OPM, notably the exercise by Servier of the exclusive worldwide license option on the Parkinson's disease program which will trigger a 7 million milestone payment (see press release dated September 26, 2022) as well as the signature of a strategic collaboration with Servier for the discovery of new therapeutic targets in the treatment of pancreatic cancer which will also trigger the payment of a first milestone of 0.5 million (see press release dated September 22, 2022) .

This expert report is available in the disclosure document, available (French version only) here.

A capital increase of approximately 8 million guaranteed by OPM's management for a minimum of 75% will be launched before the end of 2022. Concurrently with the completion of this capital increase, OPM will apply to Euronext Paris S.A. for the transfer of the listing of its shares on the Euronext Growth Paris market.

Euronext Paris S.A. has also approved the Disclosure Document relating to the admission of the shares of the OPM company on the Euronext Access + market.

Copies of the Disclosure Document (French version only) are available free of charge at the registered office of Oncodesign Precision Medicine at 18 rue Jean Mazen, 21000 Dijon. The attention of shareholders is drawn to the "risk factors" section of this document.

The Disclosure Document is also available on the websites of Oncodesign (www.oncodesign.com) and Euronext (www.euronext.com).

Next steps until OPM is listed:

30 September 2022: Allocation of OPM shares to Oncodesign shareholders by the General Meeting

1-4 October: Publication of a Euronext notice mentioning the technical reference price of the OPM share

5 October: Release of OPM shares - Listing of OPM on Euronext Access +

7 October: Settlement-delivery of OPM shares

About Oncodesign Precision Medicine (OPM)

Oncodesign Precision Medicine (OPM), the result of the transfer of Oncodesign's Biotech business incorporating AI, is a biopharmaceutical company specialised in precision medicine. Its mission is to provide patients with effective diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for resistant and metastatic cancers.

OPM's innovative technologies from Oncodesign, are OncoSNIPER for the selection of therapeutic targets using artificial intelligence; Nanocyclix for the design and selection of macrocyclic small molecule kinase inhibitors and Theranostics for the design and selection of radiolabeled biological molecules for systemic radiotherapy. Two drug candidates based on the Nanocyclix technology are expected to enter the clinical phase in 2022, one in partnership with SERVIER (exercise of the exclusive worldwide license option) to treat Parkinson's disease, the other with OPM for the treatment of chronic immuno-inflammatory diseases. Finally, OPM is also collaborating with Servier to discover new therapeutic targets for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

With a diversified portfolio of molecules and therapeutic targets, OPM is positioned as a discoverer of effective molecules against resistant and advanced cancers and other pathologies without therapeutic solutions. Based in Dijon, at the heart of the university and hospital cluster, OPM has 25 employees.

More information: opm.oncodesign.com

About Oncodesign

Oncodesign is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in precision medicine, founded in 1995 by its current CEO and majority shareholder. It has been listed on the Euronext Growth Market since April 2014. Its mission is to discover effective therapies to fight cancer and other diseases without a therapeutic solution. With its unique experience, enriched thanks to over 1,000 customers  including the worlds largest pharmaceutical companies  and based on a one-of-a-kind technological platform combining artificial intelligence, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, regulatory bioanalysis and cutting-edge medical imaging, ONCODESIGN is able to select new therapeutic targets, then design and develop potential preclinical candidates up to the clinical phase stage. Oncodesign has configured its organization to offer innovative services to its customers and licenses for its proprietary molecules. Applied to kinase inhibitors  molecules that represent a market estimated to be worth more than $65 billion by 2027 and nearly 25% of R&D investments in the pharmaceutical industry  Oncodesigns technology has already made it possible to target several molecules of interest with a high therapeutic potential, both in and outside of oncology, and has signed partnerships with international pharmaceutical groups. In 2022, Oncodesign announced the spin-off of its Biotech and Artificial Intelligence activities under the name 'Oncodesign Precision Medicine' (OPM).

More information: www.oncodesign-services.com.

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward - looking statements and estimates concerning the Companys financial condition, operating results, strategy, projects and future performance and the markets in which it operates. Such forward-looking statements and estimates may be identified by words such as anticipate, believe, can, could, estimate, expect, intend, is designed to, may, might, plan, potential, predict, objective, should, or the negative of these and similar expressions. They incorporate all topics that are not historical facts. Forward looking statements, forecasts and estimates are based on managements current assumptions and assessment of risks, uncertainties and other factors, known and unknown, which were deemed to be reasonable at the time they were made but which may turn out to be incorrect. Events and outcomes are difficult to predict and depend on factors beyond the Companys control. Consequently, the actual results, financial condition, performances and/or achievements of the Company or of the industry may turn out to differ materially from the future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by these statements, forecasts and estimates. Owing to these uncertainties, no representation is made as to the correctness or fairness of these forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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Oncodesign

Philippe Genne

Chairman and CEO

Tel. : +33 (0)3 80 78 82 60

[email protected]

NewCap

Investor Relations

Mathilde Bohin

Tel. : +33 (0)1 44 71 94 95

[email protected]

NewCap

Media Relations

Arthur Rouille

Tel. : +33 (0)1 44 71 00 15

[email protected]

Source: Oncodesign
SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Garmin Ltd. (NYSE: GRMN) invites shareholders and investors to listen to its third quarter 2022 earnings conference call on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. EDT, with executives of Garmin. The call will be held in conjunction with the company's earnings release, which will be distributed prior to market open on October 26, 2022.

What: Garmin Ltd. Third Quarter 2022 Earnings Call

When: Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. EDT

Where: Join the live webcast at http://www.garmin.com/en-US/company/investors/events/. An archive of the live webcast will be available until October 25, 2023.

Register: Participants who wish to join by phone, and analysts who wish to participate in the question-and-answer session, should register here to receive a dial-in number and unique PIN to join the audio portion of the call. It is recommended that you join 10 minutes prior to the event start (although you may register and dial in at any time during the call).

Contact: [email protected]

About Garmin Ltd:

Engineered on the inside for life on the outside, Garmin products have revolutionized life for runners, cyclists, swimmers and athletes of all levels and abilities. Committed to developing technology that helps people stay active and elevate performance, Garmin believes every day is an opportunity to innovate and a chance to beat yesterday. Garmin Ltd. (NYSE: GRMN) is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual Newsroom, email our press team, or follow us on LinkedIn.

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INVESTOR CONTACT:

Teri Seck

Garmin International Inc.

Phone | 913/397-8200

E-Mail | [email protected]

MEDIA CONTACT:

Krista Klaus

Garmin International Inc.

Phone | 913/397-8200

E-Mail | [email protected]

Source: Garmin Ltd.
ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Glaukos Corporation (NYSE: GKOS), an ophthalmic medical technology and pharmaceutical company focused on novel therapies for the treatment of glaucoma, corneal disorders and retinal diseases, announced today that its technologies will be featured in various scientific programming at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting, being held September 30 - October 3, 2022 in Chicago, IL.

Key Glaucoma Presentations:

Bryan CH Ang, MD

Novel Use of the Intraoperative OCT in Trabecular Bypass Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery

Fritz H. Hengerer, MD

Trabecular Micro-Bypass +/- Cataract Surgery Shows 5-Year Efficacy and Safety in Eyes Regardless of Prior Glaucoma Surgery

Jed Lusthaus, MBBS

Analysis of the Relationship Between IOP and Aqueous Outflow as Assessed by Hemoglobin Video Imaging After Trabecular Bypass Surgery With iStent Inject

Thomas W. Samuelson, MD

Endothelial Safety Profile of MIGS Stents

Inder Paul Singh, MD

Trabecular Micro-Bypass for IOP Reduction in Glaucoma Uncontrolled by Prior Surgical or Medical Therapy (Prospective Multicenter Pivotal Trial of iStent Infinite)

Key Glaucoma Course:

Steven R. Sarkisian, MD

MIGS: Devices and Incisional Techniques

Key Glaucoma Symposium:

Oluwatosin U. Smith, MD and Qi N. Cui, MD

New Devices in Glaucoma

Key Corneal Health Presentations:

Eric Kim

Effectiveness of CXL in Young Patients

Katherin S. Peters, MD

Racial Disparities in KC: Presentation Severity and Treatment Outcomes

Key Corneal Health Courses:

J. Bradley Randleman, MD

Advanced Corneal Topographic Analysis

Audrey R. Talley Rostov, MD

Corneal Edema, Opacifications, Ectasia and Bacterial Keratitis: Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies from the Preferred Practice Pattern Guidelines

Key Corneal Health Symposium:

Loretta Szczotka-Flynn OD, Ph.D. and Mark A. Kontos, MD

The Life Cycle of Keratoconus: From Diagnosis to Treatment and Lifetime Management

(joint session with the American Academy of Optometry)

Abstracts and full session details can be found at www.aao.org/annual-meeting.

Glaukos will also be exhibiting on the showroom floor throughout AAO at booth #4503.

The AAO Annual Meeting is among the largest gatherings of ophthalmic physicians, medical personnel, and industry executives in the ophthalmic industry. All educational content of the AAO Annual Meeting is planned by its program committee, and AAO does not endorse, promote, approve or recommend the use of any products, devices or services.

About Glaukos

Glaukos (www.glaukos.com) is an ophthalmic medical technology and pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapies for the treatment of glaucoma, corneal disorders and retinal diseases. Glaukos first developed Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) as an alternative to the traditional glaucoma treatment paradigm, launching its first MIGS device commercially in 2012, and continues to develop a portfolio of technologically distinct and leverageable platforms to support ongoing pharmaceutical and medical device innovations. Products or product candidates for each of these platforms are designed to advance the standard of care through better treatment options across the areas of glaucoma, corneal disorders and retinal diseases.

About iStent inject W Trabecular Micro-Bypass System (U.S.)

Indication for Use: The iStent inject W Trabecular Micro-Bypass System Model G2-W is indicated for use in conjunction with cataract surgery for the reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) in adult patients with mild to moderate primary open-angle glaucoma.

Contraindications: The iStent inject W is contraindicated in eyes with angle-closure glaucoma, traumatic, malignant, uveitic, or neovascular glaucoma, discernible congenital anomalies of the anterior chamber (AC) angle, retrobulbar tumor, thyroid eye disease, or Sturge-Weber Syndrome or any other type of condition that may cause elevated episcleral venous pressure.

Warnings: Gonioscopy should be performed prior to surgery to exclude congenital anomalies of the angle, PAS, rubeosis, or conditions that would prohibit adequate visualization of the angle that could lead to improper placement of the stent and pose a hazard.

MRI Information: The iStent inject W is MR-Conditional, i.e., the device is safe for use in a specified MR environment under specified conditions; please see Directions for Use (DFU) label for details.

Precautions: The surgeon should monitor the patient postoperatively for proper maintenance of IOP. The safety and effectiveness of the iStent inject W have not been established as an alternative to the primary treatment of glaucoma with medications, in children, in eyes with significant prior trauma, abnormal anterior segment, chronic inflammation, prior glaucoma surgery (except SLT performed > 90 days preoperative), glaucoma associated with vascular disorders, pseudoexfoliative, pigmentary or other secondary open-angle glaucomas, pseudophakic eyes, phakic eyes without concomitant cataract surgery or with complicated cataract surgery, eyes with medicated IOP > 24 mmHg or unmedicated IOP 36 mmHg, or for implantation of more or less than two stents.

Adverse Events: Common postoperative adverse events reported in the iStent inject randomized pivotal trial included stent obstruction (6.2%), intraocular inflammation (5.7% for iStent inject vs. 4.2% for cataract surgery only), secondary surgical intervention (5.4% vs. 5.0%) and BCVA loss  2 lines  3 months (2.6% vs. 4.2%).

Caution: Federal law restricts this device to sale by, or on the order of, a physician. Please see DFU for a complete list of contraindications, warnings, precautions, and adverse events.

For more information, visit www.glaukos.com.

About Photrexa Viscous and Photrexa

Indications: Photrexa Viscous (riboflavin 5-phosphate in 20% dextran ophthalmic solution) and Photrexa (riboflavin 5-phosphate ophthalmic solution) are indicated for use with the KXL System in corneal collagen cross-linking for the treatment of progressive keratoconus and corneal ectasia following refractive surgery.

Important Safety Information: Corneal collagen cross-linking should not be performed on pregnant women. Ulcerative keratitis can occur. Patients should be monitored for resolution of epithelial defects. The most common ocular adverse reaction was corneal opacity (haze). Other ocular side effects include punctate keratitis, corneal striae, dry eye, corneal epithelium defect, eye pain, light sensitivity, reduced visual acuity and blurred vision. These are not all of the side effects of the corneal collagen cross-linking treatment.

For more information, go to www.livingwithkeratoconus.com/ to obtain the FDA-approved product labeling.

Photrexa Viscous and Photrexa are manufactured for Avedro. The KXL System is manufactured by Avedro. Avedro is a wholly owned subsidiary of Glaukos Corporation.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that we expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for forward-looking statements contained herein, we caution you that they are based on current expectations about future events affecting us and are subject to risks, uncertainties and factors relating to our operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements in this press release. These potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the timing and extent to which obtain regulatory approval for investigational products, our ability to successfully commercialize such products, the ability to obtain and maintain adequate financial coverage and reimbursement for our products, and the continued efficacy and safety profile of our products as might be suggested in the presentations at the AAO meeting. These and other risks, uncertainties and factors related to Glaukos, and our business are described in detail under the caption Risk Factors and elsewhere in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on August 5, 2022. Our filings with the SEC are available in the Investor Section of our website at www.glaukos.com or at www.sec.gov. In addition, information about the risks and benefits of our products is available on our website at www.glaukos.com. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this press release, which speak only as of the date hereof. We do not undertake any obligation to update, amend or clarify these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005374/en/

Media Contact  Glaucoma:

Cassandra Dump

(619) 971-1887

[email protected]

Media Contact  Corneal Health:

Michele Gray

(917) 449-9250

[email protected]

Investor Contact:

Chris Lewis

Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Affairs

(949) 481-0510

[email protected]

Source: Glaukos Corporation
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) welcomes the release of reports exposing the drug industrys disinformation campaign attacking the 340B Drug Pricing Program. Ryan White Clinics for 340B Access last week published a rebuttal against the plethora of so-called studies whose authors have financial ties to the drug industry.

Ryan White Clinics for 340B Access (https://rwc340b.org/), a national organization of non-profit safety net clinics who serve people living with HIV under the U.S. Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, released these reports that respond to the drug industrys disinformation campaign https://rwc340b.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/RWC-340B-Rebuttal-to-Drug-Industry-Attacks-on-340B.pdf and the financial ties of the authors of the so-called studies to the drug industry Information on Financial Ties between authors of anti-340B articles and PhRMA (D1014854-5).DOCX (rwc340b.org).

The 340B program is essential to the U.S. healthcare safety net. It costs taxpayers nothing. It benefits safety-net providers and the people they serve. The drug industry wants to strangle it. Congress should leave it alone because its working as intended, said John Hassell, AHFs national director of advocacy. We join Ryan White Clinics for 340B Access in warning federal and state lawmakers of the dangerous lies the industry is promoting in order to increase their profits.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.6 million people in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: 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/20220927006145/en/

MEDIA CONTACTS:

WASHINGTON

John Hassell, National Director of Advocacy, AHF

+1.202.774.4854 [cell] [email protected]



LOS ANGELES

Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications, AHF

+1.323.791.5526 [cell] [email protected]



ATLANTA

Imara Canady, Regional Director, Communications & Community Engagement for AHF

[email protected]  770.940.6555 mobile

Source: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Data continue to show compelling efficacy and safety, including improvement on all key measures of pain and disability, as compared to the one-year and two-year study results

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mainstay Medical Holdings plc today announced the publication of the three-year patient outcomes data from its pivotal ReActiv8-B clinical trial. The data, published in the journal of the International Neuromodulation Society, Neuromodulation, further establish the efficacy and safety of ReActiv8 Restorative Neurostimulation, including compelling long-term durability and improvement over time on key outcome measures in the treatment of intractable chronic low back pain.

The three-year data show improvements over results from the patients one-year and two-year visits on virtually all key efficacy measures. Of note:

Outcome measure 1-year result

(N = 176) 2-year result

(N = 156) 3-year result

(N = 133) Patients reporting pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score) reduced by 50% or more from baseline 64% 71% 77% Patients reporting a greater than 20-point reduction in Oswestry Disability Index 57% 61% 63% Patients reporting VAS score 52% 65% 67% Patients taking opioids at baseline that voluntarily eliminated or reduced opioid use* 48% 60% 71%

*Percent of patients that were on opioids at baseline: (1-year=31/65), (2-Year= 34/57), (3-Year= 36/51).

Overall, 83% of patients experienced substantial and clinically meaningful improvements in pain or disability, or both, at three years.

Chris Gilligan, Director of the Brigham and Womens Spine Center at Brigham and Womens Hospital, assistant professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA), and Principal Investigator of the study, said: The recently published data from the ReActiv8-B clinical trial continued to show clinically meaningful improvements in both pain and function for patients with refractory chronic low back pain who received three years of neurostimulation. The long-term trajectory and durability of clinical benefits are consistent with the restoration of neuromuscular control and muscle rehabilitation, which gives us confidence that we are able to treat the underlying cause of chronic low back pain in these patients.

Multifidus dysfunction in patients with chronic low back pain has historically been a challenging etiology for the spine surgeon community to properly treat, said Frank Schwab, Chair of Orthopedic Spine Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, and Chief of Orthopedic Spine Surgery for Northwell Health System. These patients are not indicated for surgery, with existing treatment options being temporary and palliative. ReActiv8 therapy has proven to maintain effectiveness long-term and provides this challenging patient population with a safe and restorative solution.

Jason Hannon, CEO of Mainstay Medical, said: "These 3-year results further validate ReActiv8s restorative mechanism of action, which treats a primary underlying cause of mechanical chronic lower back pain, multifidus dysfunction. We are proud to have the only commercially available device with a strong safety profile and long-term, peer-reviewed evidence supporting the rehabilitation of this severely affected patient population, and we look forward to continuing to generate clinical and other research to compel physicians and their patients to further utilize the therapy.

The full publication can be downloaded free of charge at Three-Year Durability of Restorative Neurostimulation Effectiveness in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain and Multifidus Muscle Dysfunction - ScienceDirect

About ReActiv8

ReActiv8 is an implantable medical device designed to treat adults with intractable chronic low back pain (CLBP) associated with multifidus muscle dysfunction. Multifidus muscle dysfunction may be evidenced by imaging or physiological testing in adults who have failed therapy including pain medications and physical therapy, and who are not candidates for spine surgery. ReActiv8 has received regulatory approval in several geographic areas, and is commercially available in the European Economic Area, Australia, the UK, and the US.

About Mainstay Medical

Mainstay Medical is a medical device company focused on commercializing its innovative implantable Restorative Neurostimulation system, ReActiv8, for people with disabling mechanical CLBP. Mainstay Medical is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, and has subsidiaries operating in Ireland, the United States, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands.

Further information can be found at www.mainstaymedical.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this announcement other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding the companys intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, the companys future research studies, commercial efforts and performance, financial position, financing strategies, product design and development, regulatory applications and approvals, and reimbursement arrangements.

Forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those described in, or suggested by, the forward-looking statements. A number of factors could cause results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements herein, including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties included in the companys Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2021, which should be read in conjunction with the companys public disclosures (available on the companys website (www.mainstaymedical.com). The forward-looking statements herein speak only as of the date of this announcement.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005992/en/

PR and IR Enquiries:

LifeSci Advisors, LLC

Brian Ritchie

Tel: + 1 (212) 915-2578

Email: [email protected]

FTI Consulting (for Ireland)

Jonathan Neilan or Patrick Berkery

Tel. : +353 1 765 0886

Email: [email protected]

Mainstay Medical

Corporate Communications

Email: [email protected]

Source: Mainstay Medical Holdings plc
***1:30 p.m. Thursday, September 29, 1500 N. 19th Street, Monroe, LA 71201***

MONROE, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NOVA Workforce Institute of Northeast Louisiana (NOVA) will receive $14,500 in Partnership Grant Program (PGP) funds at a ceremonial check presentation Thursday. Representatives from Cadence Bank, Origin Bank, Progressive Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) will award the grants.

FHLB Dallas provides up to 3:1 matches of member contributions up to $12,000 per member to help promote and strengthen relationships between community-based organizations and FHLB Dallas members. The PGP also complements the development activities fostered by FHLB Dallas Affordable Housing and Community Investment programs.

NOVA identifies and connects the workforce needs of employers with educational and training entities by assisting individuals with living wage careers and employment.

WHAT: Check presentation for NOVA Workforce Institute of Northeast Louisiana WHEN: 1:30 p.m., Thursday, September 29, 2022 WHO: L.J. Holland, Executive Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager, Cadence Bank

Chris Windham, President, Northeast Louisiana Division, Cadence Bank

Billy Haddad, Senior Vice President, Origin Bank

Shelia Grayson, Vice President, CRA and Community Development Officer, Origin Bank

Kelly Shambro, Senior Vice President, Communications and Marketing Director, Progressive Bank

Paul West, Executive Director, NOVA Workforce Institute of Northeast Louisiana

Melanie Dill, Community and Economic Development Product Manager, FHLB Dallas WHERE: Tower Place Monroe 1500 N. 19th Street

Monroe, LA 71201

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928006098/en/

Corporate Communications

Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas

fhlb.com

(214) 441-8445

Source: Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
ISTANBUL--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Following an ongoing assessment of its entire operation, Eczacbas-Monrol Nuclear Products Co. (Monrol) has decided to establish a legal entity and manufacturing facility in Germany.

The new facility will focus on the manufacture of SPECT products and radiopharmaceutical products for radioligand therapy(*) such as Gallium-68 generator and n.c.a Lutetium-177. Developed by Monrol R&D teams, these products are widely used in the production of radiopharmaceuticals for cancer patients. The facility will also have a dedicated division for state-of-the art cGMP Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) services.

Monrol plans to make the site a center of excellence for both radiopharmaceutical production and scientific and industry collaborative efforts to create innovations. The facility is expected to be up and running by 2026 at an estimated cost of around 30 million euros.

(*) Targeted radioligand therapy is an innovative approach to cancer treatment that is considered to be one of the most remarkable and advanced therapies currently under study. Multiple clinical development programs and clinical trials around the world are testing this approach for various cancer types.

About Lutetium-177 n.c.a

Lutetium-177 n.c.a is a radioisotope of choice for targeted radionuclide therapy. Lu-177 n.c.a production process enables treatment options that have the potential to improve treatment outcomes for certain cancer patients. Unique properties of Lutetium-177 n.c.a make it a theranostically desirable radioisotope for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) to treat certain cancers like neuro endocrine tumors (NET) and prostate cancer; many clinical development programs are also testing the therapy for other cancers like ccRCC.

About Gallium-68

A gallium-68 generator is a device used to extract the positron-emitting isotope 68Ga of gallium from decaying germanium-68. The parent isotope 68Ge is easily utilized for in-hospital production of generator-produced 68Ga. Its decay product gallium-68 is extracted and employed in certain positron emission tomography nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures used for the diagnosis of cancer patients and direct tumor imaging.

About Monrol

Monrol is one of the worlds largest nuclear medicine companies and a leader in the development and manufacturing of GMP grade radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals. The company distributes its own portfolio of world-class radiopharmaceutical products to more than 50 countries around the globe from its headquarters in Istanbul. Committed to transforming and improving patient journeys in cancer treatment, Monrol also provides early development support to CDMO customers as well as fully integrated services for taking new product concepts into clinical trials, demonstrating proof of concept, and moving into first-in-human studies. Located near a major international airport and transportation hub, Monrol benefits from a worldwide logistics network and agreements with cargo services to 320 destinations worldwide. To learn more, visit www.monrol.com and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005666/en/

Media Contact

Alkm Aydn

[email protected]

Source: Monrol
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM, TSX: NGT) today announced that Nancy Buese will step down from the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Newmont on November 1, as she pursues an opportunity outside of the Company. Nancy will be succeeded by Brian Tabolt on an interim basis as Newmont commences a global search.

Over the last six years, Nancy provided exemplary leadership and sound guidance to Newmont. She built a strong team committed to financial discipline and maintaining a robust balance sheet while building financial flexibility that allows for reinvestment in our business, said Tom Palmer, Newmont President and Chief Executive Officer. As we look to fill this important role, our focus will be on further differentiating the strength of our Executive Leadership Team to support the next exciting chapter in Newmonts future.

Brian Tabolt is currently Newmonts Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. He joined Newmont in 2021, bringing 20 years of financial accounting and reporting experience as well as leading high performing teams providing valuable financial leadership and insights. Prior to Newmont, Brian served at Vice President, Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer for Molson Coors Beverage Company, as well as other senior technical accounting roles. He began his career in accounting with Deloitte.

As the worlds leading gold company, Newmont has an unmatched, global portfolio of world-class operations and projects managed through an integrated operating model and a proven track record of delivering value. In its 101st year, Newmont continues to take a balanced and disciplined approach to its management, with experienced leaders who demonstrate the depth of experience necessary to sustainably manage through the commodity cycles. Learn more about Newmonts leadership team at www.newmont.com.

About Newmont

Newmont is the worlds leading gold company and a producer of copper, silver, zinc and lead. The Companys world-class portfolio of assets, prospects and talent is anchored in favorable mining jurisdictions in North America, South America, Australia and Africa. Newmont is the only gold producer listed in the S&P 500 Index and is widely recognized for its principled environmental, social and governance practices. The Company is an industry leader in value creation, supported by robust safety standards, superior execution and technical expertise. Newmont was founded in 1921 and has been publicly traded since 1925.

At Newmont, our purpose is to create value and improve lives through sustainable and responsible mining. To learn more about Newmonts sustainability strategy and initiatives, go to www.newmont.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928006040/en/

Media Contact

Courtney Boone

303.837.5159

[email protected]

Investor Contact

Daniel Horton

303.837.5468

[email protected]

Source: Newmont
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PCI Pal (LON: PCIP), the global provider of secure payment solutions, has today announced that its solution, PCI Pal Digital, has been selected by Virgin Atlantic to support the airlines international omnichannel strategy.

The airlines decision to update its existing PCI compliant payment handling system, and the selection of PCI Pal Digital, was driven by changing consumer habits during the pandemic. This saw Virgin Atlantics global customers adopt a broader range of digital payment methods including web, email, mobile, social media, chat, and messaging services.

Virgin Atlantics contact center as a service (CCaS) technology partner Genesys coordinated the integration of the payment security solution. PCI Pal has been a Genesys AppFoundry partner for three years and supports the firm in delivering secure payment solutions to its enterprise customers across the world.

With proven integrations, the team successfully incorporated PCI Pal Digital with Virgin Atlantics booking systems across the enterprise, taking the payment process out of scope, to deliver PCI DSS compliance within all territories.

Chris Imhoff, Transformation Project Manager at Virgin Atlantic said, Virgin Atlantic is committed to providing our passengers with the very best customer experience, supported by the most advanced, secure and convenient payment methods. The implementation of PCI Pal Digital provides the reassurance that customer payments are handled in a secure and compliant manner, regardless of where customers are in the world, or whichever payment method they select.

Commenting, Darren Gill, CRO at PCI Pal said, We are delighted to have secured the contract with Virgin Atlantic, via our valued partner Genesys, in order to support the delivery of its global omnichannel payment strategy. Our digital payment solution will enable the airline to take advantage of digital integration for both current and future PCI compliant payment methods; it also reinforces our expertise in supporting some of the largest worldwide brands with their payment security and PCI compliance needs.

For more information regarding PCI Pal, visit www.pcipal.com, call +44 207 030 3770 to arrange a demonstration or follow PCI Pal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pci-pal/.

About PCI Pal

PCI Pal (LON: PCIP) is a leading provider of SaaS solutions that empower companies to take payments securely, adhere to strict industry governance, and remove their business from the significant risks posed by non-compliance and data loss.

Its mission is to safeguard reputation and trust by providing customers with secure payment solutions for any business communications environment including voice, chat, social, email, and contact center.

PCI Pal is integrated to, and resold by, some of the worlds' leading business communications vendors, as well as major payment service providers.

PCI Pal products can be used by any size organization globally, and it is proud to work with some of the largest and most respected brands in the world.

For more information visit www.pcipal.com or follow the team on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pci-pal/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928006022/en/

Editors Contact:

Kelsey Nass, SourceCode Communications

[email protected]

Source: PCI Pal
Plexs Proven Quality Management System Meets Updated Ford Supplier Requirements

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Plex Systems, a Rockwell Automation company and a leader in cloud-delivered smart manufacturing solutions, today announced compliance enhancements to its Quality Management System (QMS) solution, Plex QMS, to meet updated Ford Motor Company Customer-Specific Requirements for IATF 16949:2016.

Renowned for its extensive capabilities and closed loop quality process, Plex QMS follows a plan-do-check-act methodology to drive the full quality lifecycle, enabling manufacturers to deliver better margin and drive a culture of quality. The solution now also helps companies meet the newest IATF-16949 FMEA requirement, with support for families of FMEA, foundation FMEAs, and automated FMEA information flows from a Part FMEA to the Control Plan. The cloud based Plex QMS also ensures all users are accessing the same PFMEA version.

Plex is proud that in as little as five weeks, automotive suppliers can start realizing the transformative benefits of our QMS solution, said Anthony Murphy, Vice President, Product Management, Plex. Were focused on maintaining strong connections to the industry and regulatory bodies and actively engaging with customers to help deliver results-driven solutions that assist with meeting these new standards as well as reduce cost to comply.

The race to improve quality through digitalization is hitting critical mass as some automotive manufacturers are rising to the challenge and others lag behind, said Reid Paquin, Research Director at IDC. Suppliers utilizing Quality Management Solutions, like those available from Plex, offering real-time, repeatable, predictable quality can help these manufacturers by delivering superior components that reduce their overall risk exposure and support market share expansion.

Plex solutions for automotive manufacturers will be on display at the AIAG Quality Summit on October 5-6, in Novi, MI. Additionally, Plexs full suite of solutions including QMS and the FMEA enhancement will be demonstrated at the 31st annual Automation Fair, November 14-17 in Chicago, IL.

Learn more about Plex QMS for IATF-16949:2016 here.

About Plex Systems

Plex Systems, Inc., a Rockwell Automation Company, is a leader in cloud-delivered smart manufacturing solutions, empowering the world's manufacturers to make awesome products. Our platform gives manufacturers the ability to connect, automate, track, and analyze every aspect of their business to drive transformation. The Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform includes solutions for manufacturing execution (MES), ERP, quality, supply chain planning and management, asset performance management, production monitoring, process automation and analytics to connect people, systems, machines and supply chains, enabling them to lead with precision, efficiency and agility. To learn more, visit www.plex.com.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation, Inc, (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 25,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220915005727/en/

Diana Robbins

[email protected]

Source: Plex Systems, Inc.
Through long-term service enhancements, a robust financial wellness program, and more, Regions remains committed to helping customers reach their financial goals.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regions Bank today commented on a settlement announced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Sept. 28 regarding one type of overdraft fee the bank stopped charging over a year ago.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005703/en/

Regions Banks corporate headquarters in Birmingham, Ala. (Photo: Business Wire)

As part of the settlement, Regions will pay a $50 million civil monetary penalty and provide customer redress of approximately $141 million; the financial impact of the settlement will be reflected in the companys results for the third quarter of 2022.

Although Regions Bank disagrees with the CFPBs characterizations, the bank cooperated with the investigation and is pleased to move forward. Agreeing to the settlement reflects Regions desire to focus its attention on continuing to support customers through a wide range of account enhancements that have already lowered fees for many customers. With more work planned, Regions will continue to build on these customer-focused enhancements.

In 2019, Regions began developing a series of changes to its overdraft process that ultimately led to reduced fees and benefited consumers, including through the elimination of the type of overdraft fee that is addressed in the CFPB settlement. The fee addressed in the settlement impacted a small percentage of customers. The broader series of enhancements made by Regions were designed to support the banks broad customer base. Further, the changes resulted in declines of fee-related revenue. The changes Regions made also included features designed to give customers more tools for managing their daily cash flow and avoiding various types of fees.

Regions Bank Chief Legal Officer Tara Plimpton commented on the settlement with the CFPB, along with steps the bank has taken in recent years to further enhance its services:

Regions Bank has always been committed to delivering financial services our customers need, want, choose, and value, and our commitment remains strong. We are pleased to resolve this matter and look forward to building further on our commitment to help customers reach their financial goals, Plimpton said.

The CFPB settlement involves one type of overdraft fee that was previously charged when there was sufficient money in an account when a debit card or ATM transaction was authorized  but not when the transaction actually posted to the account, due to other transactions, Plimpton explained. Over a year ago, Regions stopped charging this particular overdraft fee. We took this action as part of a broader series of enhancements. These enhancements also include updating the banks posting order and transaction processing to give customers a clearer view of the money they have available for making purchases while avoiding fees. Regions took additional steps this year to even further reduce overdraft charges while eliminating other fees.

Plimpton added, Helping our customers build financial wellness is a top priority for Regions Bank. That is demonstrated through our enhanced services as well as our year-round commitment to providing free financial education and customized financial plans for consumers.

Additional Details:

Regions commitment to customers includes a series of steps taken in recent years to help customers build their savings, successfully manage their finances, and avoid various fees. Among examples:

In early 2022, Regions announced several customer-focused changes, including: The elimination of overdraft protection transfer fees. The elimination of non-sufficient funds fees. A further reduction in the banks caps on overdraft fees. The launch of an early direct deposit feature making consumers paychecks available up to two days early. The launch of a low-cost line of credit to help cover short-term financial needs. These changes were implemented during the first three quarters of 2022 and are now all in effect.



Earlier, Regions unveiled a series of posting order and processing enhancements that took effect in 2021. These changes are detailed at this link and included moving to more of a real-time order for processing debits, payments, transfers, and withdrawals. This gives customers a more current view of the money they have available for covering purchases or payments  or adding to their long-term savings.

Regions also updated its CheckCard transaction processing and previously changed how checks are processed on personal accounts to show pending transactions sooner.

In addition, Regions improved account alerts to make it easier for customers to be aware of transactions and balances. Customers can set customized alerts, such as deposit and withdrawal alerts, to keep up with their transactions and balances.

Building Financial Wellness:

Beyond account enhancements, the bank offers Regions Next Step, a robust, year-round program that connects people with free financial education. This extends beyond in-person discussions and includes a consistently updated online library of financial wellness materials for a variety of age groups. The materials are available to anyone, regardless of whether they bank with Regions. Consider these financial wellness results from 2021 alone:

Company-wide, Regions Next Step supported 124,000 financial wellness workshops covering a variety of topics.

Approximately 1.4 million people received financial education from Regions.

There were 2.4 million page views of Regions digital financial education resources.

Financial wellness is also a key component of Regions Community Engagement strategy. In cities large and small, Regions and its community partners are taking clear action to help people grow their savings, improve their credit scores, achieve homeownership, strengthen their small businesses, and more.

An Ongoing Focus:

Given the importance of financial wellness to Regions Bank and the communities served by the company, Regions will continue to explore a variety of avenues toward reaching consumers and businesses with effective services, insights, and solutions that help them reach their goals. This is reflected in how Regions bankers meet with clients one-on-one to develop customized financial roadmaps toward success. It is reflected in Regions work with nonprofits and community partners. And it will remain at the core of how Regions serves and supports its communities in the years to come.

About Regions Financial Corporation

Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE: RF), with $161 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nations largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,300 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005703/en/

Jeremy D. King

Regions Bank

205-264-4551

Regions News Online: regions.doingmoretoday.com

Regions News on Twitter: @RegionsNews

Source: Regions Financial Corporation
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Six One Commodities LLC (61C) today announced that it has successfully closed a $745 million, one-year revolving borrowing base credit facility (the Facility). The Facility was expanded from $540 million by its existing financial institutions, a globally diverse group of six European, North American, and Asian financial institutions. The Facility has a $255 million accordion feature available for a total of $1 billion to support future growth.

ING Capital LLC, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., MUFG Bank, Ltd., and Societe Generale are Joint Lead Arrangers for the Facility. Other lenders in the facility are HSBC Bank USA NA and Cooperative Rabobank U.A. The Facility will continue to be used to provide liquidity for 61Cs growing physical business.

We are again grateful for the continued strong support shown by our existing lenders, Benjamin Sutton, 61Cs CEO, said. With the global energy markets in a highly volatile state, access to liquidity is the key component of a physical commodity merchant. This further expanded Facility positions 61C for continued growth to be a leading merchant in the physical energy commodity markets for years to come.

Financial institutions are faced with difficult choices in this challenging and volatile operating environment. So, this successful syndication was a meaningful accomplishment for the 61C team in what is a cautious moment for capital providers, said Matthew Rosetti, Managing Director, Head of Trade & Commodity Finance North America for ING.

ABOUT SIX ONE COMMODITIES LLC

61C is a global merchant of physical energy commodities and provides physical supply services and structures. Formed in 2018, 61C is backed by Pinnacle Asset Management, and headquartered in Stamford, CT with offices in Houston and Singapore. The 61C team has a demonstrated track record of unique market insight, strong client relationships, robust returns, and disciplined risk management to execute opportunities within the energy merchanting space.

ABOUT PINNACLE ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.

Founded in 2003, Pinnacle Asset Management, L.P. is a private, New York-based alternative asset management firm focused on the global commodities markets with approximately $5.4 billion under management. Pinnacle provides its institutional investor base with exposure to the global commodities markets via physical and financial absolute return funds, strategies, and products. Pinnacle is registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is registered as a commodity trading adviser and a commodity pool operator with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and is a member of the National Futures Association.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928006009/en/

Joseph Limone

Chief Operating Officer

Six One Commodities LLC

[email protected]

(203) 409-2329

Source: Six One Commodities LLC
Worlds first commercial digital diagnosis and mapping solution for harmful nematode pests

Brazilian soybean farmers will use the tool to fight pests causing up to 30 percent yield loss

Digital tool is the result of a multi-year collaboration with Swiss AgTech startup Gamaya SA

BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Harmful nematodes that feed on roots of plants can cause major damage to crops, causing billions of dollars in damage. Today, Syngenta Crop Protection, a global leader in agricultural innovation, is launching the worlds first commercial digital solution to diagnose infestations of plant-parasitic nematodes in soybean crops by analyzing photographs taken from satellites. This marks a breakthrough in the management of this devastating pest and is a product of Syngentas focus on delivering an expanding portfolio of digital and precision agriculture solutions to farmers worldwide.

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Syngenta has launched the world's first commercial digital solution to detect harmful nematodes (Photo: Business Wire)

Plant-parasitic nematodes are microscopic parasites living in the soil that feed on plant roots, opening pathways to further fungal infections and threatening plant health, crop quality and yield. These harmful nematodes account for as much as USD 150 billion in crop losses globally each year.

The new digital tool uses a unique, proprietary algorithm to analyze images of fields obtained by satellites, allowing it to identify areas of high infestations of plant-parasitic nematodes in crops and estimate potential losses caused by these microscopic parasites. Using the tool, farmers can make quick adjustments to their field management practices, helping them avoid losses in yield, as well as optimizing the use of inputs, improving the sustainability of their farms.

Syngenta will first market this service to soybean farmers in Brazil, where the company already offers an extensive range of advanced digital solutions. Soybean is one of the most important crops in the world for its vital role in food production, and Brazil accounts for approximately 35 percent of global soybean production. In Brazil, plant-parasitic nematodes cause estimated losses in soybean production amounting to more than USD 5.4 billion a year. So far, the threat from harmful nematodes has been largely invisible and insufficiently understood, and estimates say that Brazilian farmers lose as much as 30 percent of their yield in highly infested areas.

Harmful nematodes that devastate crops are a major threat to farmers and food security, and Syngenta is using cutting-edge digital solutions to help combat these pests, said Jeff Rowe, President Global Crop Protection. We are excited to be launching this product in Brazil, and there is great potential to scale this solution to other countries and crops and transform the decision-making capabilities for growers.

This first-of-its-kind innovation is the culmination of a multi-year collaboration with Swiss-based AgTech startup Gamaya SA  a spin-off from Switzerlands Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne  bringing together its highly specialized expertise in algorithm development together with Syngentas agronomic and crop knowledge. Syngenta is integrating this advanced digital solution within its own digital technology platform, CROPWISETM.

At Syngenta, we will continue to invest in machine learning and data science, to develop further breakthrough offers for farmers, said Feroz Sheikh, Chief Information and Digital Officer of Syngenta Group. The technology is a great addition to our CROPWISETM platform, which already digitally connects almost 200 million acres of land, and underlines our commitment to invest in and partner with providers in the AgTech space.

The introduction of the digital diagnosis and mapping tool for harmful nematodes comes as Syngenta launches TYMIRIUM technology globally, its next-generation nematicide and fungicide for both seed and soil uses that can help farmers maximize crop output while preserving soil biodiversity and health.

About Syngenta

Syngenta is one of the worlds leading agriculture companies, comprised of Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Seeds. Our ambition is to help safely feed the world while taking care of the planet. We aim to improve the sustainability, quality and safety of agriculture with world class science and innovative crop solutions. Our technologies enable millions of farmers around the world to make better use of limited agricultural resources. Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Seeds are part of Syngenta Group. In more than 100 countries we are working to transform how crops are grown. Through partnerships, collaboration and The Good Growth Plan we are committed to accelerating innovation for farmers and nature, striving for regenerative agriculture, helping people stay safe and healthy and partnering for impact. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com.

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta, www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/syngenta

Data protection is important to us. You are receiving this publication on the legal basis of Article 6 para 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interest). However, if you do not wish to receive further information about Syngenta, just send us a brief informal message and we will no longer process your details for this purpose. You can also find further details in our privacy statement.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This document may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as expect, would, will, potential, plans, prospects, estimated, aiming, on track and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors.

2022 Syngenta. Rosentalstrasse 67, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220927006053/en/

Syngenta Crop Protection

Michelle Ng

Head, External Communications

[email protected]

Source: Syngenta
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Grovara, the exports and imports wholesale marketplace for consumer brands, will be joining 21 of its better-for-you food and beverage brands at Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia. The brands, all available for international distribution on Grovara.com, are some of the most promising in natural and organic food and beverage, representing the industrys hottest categories like plant-based protein, keto, alternative sweeteners, healthy snacks, and functional beverages.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220927005110/en/

Map of brands on the Grovara Marketplace attending Natural Products Expo East at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Expo East is where the natural products industry meets to discover, learn, and push the industry forward. There are more than 1,000 booths on the trade show floor at the Pennsylvania Convention Center with products, exhibitions, and learning sessions that are heavily influencing the healthy products industry.

We are so excited to be in our backyard for such a major event in our industry, says Grovara Vice President for Brands & Operations Kerri McLaughlin. We are looking forward to helping our brands forge new relationships with international retailers and distributors and meeting new brands.

Grovara, which was founded and is headquartered in Philadelphia, will have no fewer than 10 members of its global team of sales, marketing, and logistics experts walking the show floor to connect brands with global retailers and distributors and demonstrate the technology behind Grovaras easy global wholesale experience.

Grovara offers more than 1,000 better-for-you products, serving as the international sales channel for some of the most dynamic CPG brands in the world, like GTs Kombucha, Horizon Organic, True Citrus, and Rise Brewing. Two brands on the Grovara Marketplace  Joolies and Four Sigmatic  were named 2022 NEXTY Award winners for product innovation for Expo East.

The strength of Grovaras brands translates to sales velocity. On average, buyers on the Grovara Marketplace order at least four times from brands annually. Whats more, 76% of monthly sales are recurring, while 95% of new orders become recurring orders, meaning buyers are finding products that are selling well and orders are being fulfilled with ease.

More than 100 brands have already chosen Grovara for international distribution because it saves them time and money as they establish a turnkey overseas sales channel, says McLaughlin. Weve streamlined and automated the most difficult parts of export/import and we are bringing the future of global trade to Expo East.

To connect with Grovara at Expo East, just look for the Blue Wave and say hello to any of our team members in our signature better-for-you blue jackets walking the convention center floor.

ABOUT GROVARA

Grovara enables an easy global wholesale experience as the only B2B online marketplace for export/import. With just 1 in 10 brands selling overseas, Grovara facilitates global trade with a lightweight tech-driven platform that provides automation and intelligence-based tools. Grovara leverages visibility, discovery, and an intuitive user experience to deliver easy transacting and management, creating a streamlined pathway to dynamic global growth potential. With headquarters in Philadelphia and offices in Mexico and Dubai, Govara supports thousands of American CPG products and thousands of buyers in more than 50 countries. For more information or to join the curated ecosystem, please visit Grovara.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220927005110/en/

Alyssia Portee, Marketing Director

[email protected]

Source: Grovara
Market leaders in E-commerce Amazon, Cars24, Myntra and Tata Cliq leverage UserTesting to gain deeper customers' insights

SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- UserTesting (NYSE: USER), a leader in video-based human insight, has been recognised with the Best UX in E-commerce award at India E-commerce Summit in Bengaluru on 22nd September.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220927005237/en/

Description: UserTesting receiving the award for the best UX in E-commerce from Pradish Gireesan, Director - Partnerships, Scribe Minds and Media at the India Ecommerce summit 2022 held in Bengaluru on Thursday 22nd of September. (Photo credit: GB Kumar, Vice President , APAC)

UserTesting was ranked number one amongst a pool of companies offering UX services to its customers such as: in India, UserTesting assists its wide client roster to quickly see the value of first-party insights and help them to design and deliver innovative digital experiences. This certification affirms the companys vision to help businesses align faster on changing customer needs and prioritize the opportunities that will drive the most value.

Commenting on this, Kumar GB, Vice President - Asia Pacific, UserTesting said, UserTesting has been consistently working towards powering growth and innovation throughout the APAC region. India is one of the fastest growing countries in this cluster, thereby making it a priority market for the company. We are honored and greatly humbled to receive this award. We will continue on our mission to provide end-to end- solutions for our customers needs to successfully deliver exceptional customer experience.

Amazon, Cars24, Cliq, Eccentric Engine, HDFC Life, Mahindra Group, Myntra, Razorpay, and Tata Group- Digital are some of key strategic customers that have adopted the UserTesting Platform. Additionally, UserTesting recently partnered with Tbot Techno Systems (Tbot), a global consulting and technology services company. This collaboration is focused on bringing human insight to more organizations across India and Singapore. It offers the companies a new and trusted way to adopt the UserTesting Human Insight Platform with added consulting services from Tbot, including support and training services.

The India E-commerce Summit is concentrated to leverage the expanding e-commerce market in India. The summit explored the Impact of Covid-19 on the pandemic, Customer Experience UX-UI Design, Supply Chain Management, Understanding of Varied Consumer Profiles and more.

About UserTesting

UserTesting (NYSE: USER) has fundamentally changed the way organizations get insights from customers with fast, opt-in feedback and experience capture technology. The UserTesting Human Insight Platform taps into our global network of real people and generates video-based recorded experiences, so anyone in an organization can directly ask questions, hear what users say, see what they mean, and understand what its actually like to be a customer. Unlike approaches that track user behavior then try to infer what that behavior means, UserTesting reduces guesswork and brings customer experience data to life with human insight. UserTesting has more than 2,500 customers, including more than half of the worlds top 100 most valuable brands according to Forbes. UserTesting is headquartered in San Francisco, California. To learn more, visit - www.usertesting.com

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UserTesting, Inc.

Andy Dear

978-609-1472

[email protected]

Source: UserTesting, Inc.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Volta Inc. (NYSE: VLTA) today announced an organizational realignment to reduce costs and drive strategic priorities. This refocuses resources on accelerating the companys successful digital advertising business, collaborating with Voltas numerous retail and commercial property partners, and driving public-private partnerships that align with the $7.5 billion of funding the Federal government has allocated towards public EV charging infrastructure buildout under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Under the strategic reprioritization, Volta is focused on:

Streamlining the Organization: Todays announcement represents a 10% reduction in current full-time employees. As of today, Volta has reduced approximately 18% of its full-time employees through other workforce reductions and organic attrition since June 1, 2022.

Todays announcement represents a 10% reduction in current full-time employees. As of today, Volta has reduced approximately 18% of its full-time employees through other workforce reductions and organic attrition since June 1, 2022. Delivering Additional Cost Savings: Volta is implementing additional cost savings initiatives through tightening business processes, limiting the use of outside consultants, consolidating teams and its three San Francisco offices into one, and managing marketing and administrative costs.

Volta is implementing additional cost savings initiatives through tightening business processes, limiting the use of outside consultants, consolidating teams and its three San Francisco offices into one, and managing marketing and administrative costs. Competing for Federal Funds: Voltas model is attractive to municipalities, as demonstrated by its recent collaboration with the City of Hoboken. The companys dedicated team is well-positioned as a public-private partner for state and federal government funding, as evidenced by Voltas relationship with the State of Michigan and DTE Energy. Volta intends to continue prioritizing EV charger installations that qualify for government-provided funds by leveraging its award-winning PredictEV infrastructure planning software. By analyzing multiple data sources, including local economic and equity data, PredictEV can identify locations within the companys pipeline of more than 8,200 EV charging stalls signed or covered under master service agreements (MSAs) that satisfy the governments requirements.

"The Volta Board of Directors and senior executives are taking difficult but important steps to align the business with current market dynamics and position the company for long-term success," said Vince Cubbage, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Volta. "Despite near-term challenges, there is significant opportunity ahead in the EV charging market as adoption accelerates and federal funding for EV infrastructure is deployed. We are evaluating every aspect of the business to set Volta up to capture this opportunity through disciplined management, preservation of capital, reduction of operating expenses, and an increased focus on public-private partnerships that more efficiently grow our network and satisfy the needs of all of our stakeholders."

Financial and Install Outlook Update

The cost efficiency measures announced today intend to align Voltas business with current market conditions. In addition to the risk factors outlined in Voltas previous disclosures, these factors include: the advertising environment, particularly as automotive brands delay advertising spend due to inventory shortages; limited electrical transformer availability affecting DC Fast charger installations; and the impact of the Q4 shopping season on construction availability at commercial properties.

Given the ongoing execution of Voltas strategic reprioritization, combined with these market conditions and an uncertain macroeconomic environment, the company is revising its Q3 revenue guidance to between $13.5 million and $14.5 million. Furthermore, the company is withdrawing its full year 2022 revenue and install guidance until further notice. Volta remains committed to securing additional funding  including government incentives that will become available in 2023  and pursuing further cost savings initiatives.

About Volta

Volta Inc. (NYSE: VLTA) is an industry-leading electric vehicle ("EV") charging and media company. Volta's unique network of charging stations powers vehicles and drives business growth while accelerating a clean energy future. Volta delivers value to site partners, brands, and consumers by installing charging stations that feature large-format digital advertising screens located steps away from the entrances of popular commercial locations. Retailers can attract and influence foot traffic, advertisers can precisely target audiences, and EV drivers can charge their vehicles seamlessly as they go about their daily routines. Volta's extensive network leverages its proprietary PredictEV platform, which uses sophisticated behavioral science and machine learning technology to help commercial property owners, cities, and electric utilities plan EV infrastructure intelligently, efficiently, and equitably.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements regarding our electric vehicle charging and media network. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, future, intend, may, opportunity, plan, potential, project, should, strategy, will, would, and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2022, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), accessible on the SECs website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at www.voltacharging.com. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and, except as required by law, we assume no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928006081/en/

Media / Press:

Jette Speights

[email protected]

Investor / Analyst:

Katherine Bailon

[email protected]

Source: Volta Inc.
FILE PHOTO: A promoted tweet on Twitter app is displayed on a mobile phone near a Twitter logo, in this illustration picture taken Sept. 8, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo

By Sheila Dang and Katie Paul

(Reuters) - Some major advertisers including Dyson, Mazda, Forbes and PBS Kids have suspended their marketing campaigns or removed their ads from parts of Twitter because their promotions appeared alongside tweets soliciting child pornography, the companies told Reuters.

DIRECTV and Thoughtworks also told Reuters late on Wednesday they have paused their advertising on Twitter.

Brands ranging from Walt Disney Co, NBCUniversal and Coca-Cola Co to a children's hospital were among more than 30 advertisers that appeared on the profile pages of Twitter accounts peddling links to the exploitative material, according to a Reuters review of accounts identified in new research about child sex abuse online from cybersecurity group Ghost Data.

Some of tweets include key words related to "rape" and "teens," and appeared alongside promoted tweets from corporate advertisers, the Reuters review found. In one example, a promoted tweet for shoe and accessories brand Cole Haan appeared next to a tweet in which a user said they were "trading teen/child" content.

"We're horrified," David Maddocks, brand president at Cole Haan, told Reuters after being notified that the company's ads appeared alongside such tweets. "Either Twitter is going to fix this, or we'll fix it by any means we can, which includes not buying Twitter ads."

In another example, a user tweeted searching for content of "Yung girls ONLY, NO Boys," which was immediately followed by a promoted tweet for Texas-based Scottish Rite Children's Hospital. Scottish Rite did not return multiple requests for comment.

In a statement, Twitter spokesperson Celeste Carswell said the company "has zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation" and is investing more resources dedicated to child safety, including hiring for new positions to write policy and implement solutions.

She added that Twitter is working closely with its advertising clients and partners to investigate and take steps to prevent the situation from happening again.

Twitter's challenges in identifying child abuse content were first reported in an investigation by tech news site The Verge in late August. The emerging pushback from advertisers that are critical to Twitter's revenue stream is reported here by Reuters for the first time.

Like all social media platforms, Twitter bans depictions of child sexual exploitation, which are illegal in most countries. But it permits adult content generally and is home to a thriving exchange of pornographic imagery, which comprises about 13% of all content on Twitter, according to an internal company document seen by Reuters.

Twitter declined to comment on the volume of adult content on the platform.

Ghost Data identified the more than 500 accounts that openly shared or requested child sexual abuse material over a 20-day period this month. Twitter failed to remove more than 70% of the accounts during the study period, according to the group, which shared the findings exclusively with Reuters.

Reuters could not independently confirm the accuracy of Ghost Data's finding in full, but reviewed dozens of accounts that remained online and were soliciting materials for "13+" and "young looking nudes."

After Reuters shared a sample of 20 accounts with Twitter last Thursday, the company removed about 300 additional accounts from the network, but more than 100 others still remained on the site the following day, according to Ghost Data and a Reuters review.

Reuters then on Monday shared the full list of more than 500 accounts after it was furnished by Ghost Data, which Twitter reviewed and permanently suspended for violating its rules, said Twitter's Carswell on Tuesday.

In an email to advertisers on Wednesday morning, ahead of the publication of this story, Twitter said it "discovered that ads were running within Profiles that were involved with publicly selling or soliciting child sexual abuse material."

Andrea Stroppa, the founder of Ghost Data, said the study was an attempt to assess Twitter's ability to remove the material. He said he personally funded the research after receiving a tip about the topic.

Twitter's transparency reports on its website show it suspended more than 1 million accounts last year for child sexual exploitation.

It made about 87,000 reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a government-funded non-profit that facilitates information sharing with law enforcement, according to that organization's annual report.

"Twitter needs to fix this problem ASAP, and until they do, we are going to cease any further paid activity on Twitter," said a spokesperson for Forbes.

"There is no place for this type of content online," a spokesperson for carmaker Mazda USA said in a statement to Reuters, adding that in response, the company is now prohibiting its ads from appearing on Twitter profile pages.

A Disney spokesperson called the content "reprehensible" and said they are "doubling-down on our efforts to ensure that the digital platforms on which we advertise, and the media buyers we use, strengthen their efforts to prevent such errors from recurring."

A spokesperson for Coca-Cola, which had a promoted tweet appear on an account tracked by the researchers, said it did not condone the material being associated with its brand and said "any breach of these standards is unacceptable and taken very seriously."

NBCUniversal said it has asked Twitter to remove the ads associated with the inappropriate content.

CODE WORDS

Twitter is hardly alone in grappling with moderation failures related to child safety online. Child welfare advocates say the number of known child sexual abuse images has soared from thousands to tens of millions in recent years, as predators have used social networks including Meta's Facebook and Instagram to groom victims and exchange explicit images.

For the accounts identified by Ghost Data, nearly all the traders of child sexual abuse material marketed the materials on Twitter, then instructed buyers to reach them on messaging services such as Discord and Telegram in order to complete payment and receive the files, which were stored on cloud storage services like New Zealand-based Mega and U.S.-based Dropbox, according to the group's report.

A Discord spokesperson said the company had banned one server and one user for violating its rules against sharing links or content that sexualize children.

Mega said a link referenced in the Ghost Data report was created in early August and soon after deleted by the user, which it declined to identify. Mega said it permanently closed the user's account two days later.

Dropbox and Telegram said they use a variety of tools to moderate content but did not provide additional detail on how they would respond to the report.

Still the reaction from advertisers poses a risk to Twitter's business, which earns more than 90% of its revenue by selling digital advertising placements to brands seeking to market products to the service's 237 million daily active users.

Twitter is also battling in court Tesla CEO and billionaire Elon Musk, who is attempting to back out of a $44 billion deal to buy the social media company over complaints about the prevalence of spam accounts and its impact on the business.

A team of Twitter employees concluded in a report dated February 2021 that the company needed more investment to identify and remove child exploitation material at scale, noting the company had a backlog of cases to review for possible reporting to law enforcement.

"While the amount of (child sexual exploitation content) has grown exponentially, Twitter's investment in technologies to detect and manage the growth has not," according to the report, which was prepared by an internal team to provide an overview about the state of child exploitation material on Twitter and receive legal advice on the proposed strategies.

"Recent reports about Twitter provide an outdated, moment in time glance at just one aspect of our work in this space, and is not an accurate reflection of where we are today," Carswell said.

The traffickers often use code words such as "cp" for child pornography and are "intentionally as vague as possible," to avoid detection, according to the internal documents. The more that Twitter cracks down on certain keywords, the more that users are nudged to use obfuscated text, which "tend to be harder for (Twitter) to automate against," the documents said.

Ghost Data's Stroppa said that such tricks would complicate efforts to hunt down the materials, but noted that his small team of five researchers and no access to Twitter's internal resources was able to find hundreds of accounts within 20 days.

Twitter did not respond to a request for further comment.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in New York and Katie Paul in Palo Alto; Additional reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Kenneth Li and Edward Tobin)
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) announced the appointment of Andrea Zahumensky to the role of President, Personal Care for its North America consumer business effective October 13, 2022.

Zahumensky will lead the strategy and operations of the Personal Care division of Kimberly-Clark's North American consumer business, overseeing a portfolio of iconic brands including Huggies, Pull-Ups and GoodNites within the Baby and Child Care business, and Poise, Depend and U by Kotex within the Adult and Feminine Care business. She will report in through Kimberly-Clark's North American consumer business.

Zahumensky joins Kimberly-Clark with extensive experience building market-leading brands across the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry, including 20 years at Procter & Gamble in roles of increasing responsibility with its baby care and oral care brands. In addition, she has served as Chief Marketing Officer at Yum! Brands for its KFC brand, as well as Chief Marketing Officer and Sr. Vice President for Member Engagement Operations for CityBlock Health, Inc. a leading digital health company that offers integrated medical care, behavioral health, and social services to marginalized populations with complex needs.

Zahumensky has a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and was named #20 on the Forbes list of the world's most influential Chief Marketing Officers in 2020.

"Andrea is a CPG veteran with a proven track record of building leading brands and delivering consumer-inspired innovations," said Torres. "We are excited to welcome her to the team and we look forward to Andrea leading the continued growth of our Personal Care business in North America."

"This is the perfect opportunity to make a big impact leading and driving growth for some of the most recognized and trusted brands in the world," said Zahumensky. "I'm thrilled to work alongside a passionate, values-based team who work tirelessly to better the lives of the people and communities they serve."
Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM, TSX: NGT) today announced that Nancy Buese will step down from the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Newmont on November 1, as she pursues an opportunity outside of the Company. Nancy will be succeeded by Brian Tabolt on an interim basis as Newmont commences a global search.

Over the last six years, Nancy provided exemplary leadership and sound guidance to Newmont. She built a strong team committed to financial discipline and maintaining a robust balance sheet while building financial flexibility that allows for reinvestment in our business, said Tom Palmer, Newmont President and Chief Executive Officer. As we look to fill this important role, our focus will be on further differentiating the strength of our Executive Leadership Team to support the next exciting chapter in Newmonts future.

Brian Tabolt is currently Newmonts Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. He joined Newmont in 2021, bringing 20 years of financial accounting and reporting experience as well as leading high performing teams providing valuable financial leadership and insights. Prior to Newmont, Brian served at Vice President, Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer for Molson Coors Beverage Company, as well as other senior technical accounting roles. He began his career in accounting with Deloitte.

As the worlds leading gold company, Newmont has an unmatched, global portfolio of world-class operations and projects managed through an integrated operating model and a proven track record of delivering value. In its 101st year, Newmont continues to take a balanced and disciplined approach to its management, with experienced leaders who demonstrate the depth of experience necessary to sustainably manage through the commodity cycles. Learn more about Newmonts leadership team at www.newmont.com.
The Blackberry logo is seen on a smarphone in front of a displayed stock graph in this illustration taken February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Files

(Reuters) -Canada's BlackBerry Ltd on Tuesday reported a fall in cybersecurity revenue for the second quarter, as customers reined in spending due to an uncertain macroeconomic environment, sending its shares down about 3% in extended trading.

The company has also been facing tough competition from Microsoft Corp, Citrix Systems and International Business Machines in the security software segment, with revenue in the unit falling 7.5% to $111 million from a year ago.

The company said in an earnings call that cybersecurity segment revenue in the third quarter is expected to be flat year-on-year.

However, revenue at the company's Internet of things (IoT) unit, which includes the QNX software for automotive customers, rose about 28% to $51 million as it signed up more customers.

BlackBerry's QNX software is now embedded in over 215 million vehicles worldwide, helped by surging demand for electric vehicles and connected-car technologies.The company recently added global carmakers such as Ford Motor, General Motors, Hyundai Motor, to its already strong client list of BMW, Honda Motor , Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Motor.

BlackBerry in June said that a deal to sell its patents primarily related to mobile devices, messaging and wireless networking for $600 million to a special purpose vehicle has been delayed.

Total revenue fell 4% to $168 million for the quarter ended Aug. 31, compared with a consensus estimate of $166.7 million, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Excluding items, the company posted a loss of 5 cents per share, narrower than analysts' expectations of loss of 7 cents.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Shailesh Kuber)
Zaandam, the Netherlands, 28 September 2022 - Ahold Delhaize today announces that its Supervisory Board intends to propose the reappointment of Frans Muller as President and CEO and member of the Management Board at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 12 April 2023.

Peter Agnefjall, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Ahold Delhaize, stated: We are delighted that Frans will continue as President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize, subject to shareholder approval. Since he started in this role in July 2018, the company has continued to build on its strengths. Under Frans leadership the Leading Together strategy was introduced, which increased its ability to better serve its customers.

Frans and the executive team he built have demonstrated the long term validity of their strategic choices, delivering solid financial results. From this basis the company is able to contribute positively to communities and address the challenges facing our society, like keeping healthy and sustainable food affordable.

Upon the nomination for reappointment, Frans Muller said: I am grateful for the nomination and would be honored to continue to lead Ahold Delhaize, together with the Executive Committee colleagues, our great local brands and caring associates, making sure we support our communities and deliver on our purpose of helping our customers eat well, save time and live better.

Frans Muller became President and CEO on 1 July 2018. Before that, he served as member of the Management Board and Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Integration Officer since 2016. Prior to Ahold Delhaize, Frans was the President and CEO of Delhaize Group.

-ENDS-

Cautionary noticeThis communication contains information that qualifies as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words such as proposes, to, reappoint, intends, 2023, remains, is, keeping, continue to, making sure, deliver and purpose, or other similar words or expressions, are typically used to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the Company) to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the Companys public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Companys management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Companys management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

For more information

Press office: +31 88 6595134 / [email protected]

Investor relations: +31 88 659 5213 / [email protected]

Social media: Instagram: @Ahold-Delhaize | LinkedIn: @Ahold-Delhaize | Twitter: @AholdDelhaize

About Ahold Delhaize Ahold Delhaize is one of the worlds largest food retail groups and a leader in both supermarkets and e-commerce. Its family of great local brands serves 55 million customers each week, both in stores and online, in the United States, Europe, and Indonesia. Together, these brands employ more than 413,000 associates in 7,452 grocery and specialty stores and include the top online retailer in the Benelux and the leading online grocers in the Benelux and the United States. Ahold Delhaize brands are at the forefront of sustainable retailing, sourcing responsibly, supporting local communities and helping customers make healthier choices. The companys focus on four growth drivers  drive omnichannel growth, elevate healthy and sustainable, cultivate best talent and strengthen operational excellence  is helping to fulfil its purpose, achieve its vision and prepare its brands and businesses for tomorrow. Headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands, Ahold Delhaize is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels stock exchanges (ticker: AD) and its American Depositary Receipts are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. and quoted on the OTCQX International marketplace (ticker: ADRNY). For more information, please visit:www.aholddelhaize.com.

Attachment

Frans Muller CEO Ahold Delhaize President and Chief Executive Officer; Chair and member of the Management Board and Executive Committee

Source: Ahold Delhaize
SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As Hurricane Ian tracks inland towards Georgia and South Carolina, American National Insurance Company strongly encourages its policyholders to prepare for their insurance needs. We hope you will find the following informational resources helpful while preparing for this storm. Please be advised to follow the orders of local authorities.

If you are an American National policyholder:

There are several ways to report a claim (to ensure efficient claims service, check that your login credentials are up to date):

Mobile: Use the AN Mobile app, available for free at the Apple App store or Google Play. An account is required. Online: Go to AmericanNational.com and login to your account. To create an account, go to AmericanNational.com > Customer Login > Personal Insurance  Log In > Register. Phone: Call the 24-hour claims hotline at 1.800.333.2860. Email: [email protected]

Stay alert, stay safe:

Refer to the National Hurricane Center at www.nhc.noaa.gov for hurricane preparedness, weather tracking and additional updates.

Check your local area forecast and follow instructions from local authorities to protect yourself, your family and your property. Be sure to secure your home and property, follow your disaster plan and heed all storm warnings.

APCIA urges the following actions to prepare for Hurricane Ian:

Gather copies of your insurance policies. Keep copies of your insurance policies (home, flood and auto) in a safe, dry, and accessible location or have your policy numbers available. Save your insurers contact info. Save your insurers toll-free claims number to your cell phones contacts. APCIA has a list of insurers toll-free numbers here. Make a home or business inventory. Use your smartphone to take photos or videos of your belongings, including furniture, appliances, clothes, lawn equipment, jewelry, and art. Save your inventory to a place where you can easily retrieve it. You can also check if your insurer has an app to help with creating a home inventory.

For more information on how to protect your property and loved ones, visit www.pciaa.net > Hurricane Ian.

About American NationalAmerican National Group, Inc. is the corporate parent of the American National companies, which include American National Insurance Company and its insurance affiliates. American National Insurance Company, founded in 1905 and headquartered in Galveston, Texas, is licensed in all states except New York. American National offers a broad line of products and services, which include life insurance, annuities, health insurance, credit insurance, pension products and property and casualty insurance for personal lines, agribusiness and certain commercial exposures. The American National companies operate in all 50 states.

American National established a dedicated property and casualty division in 1973 with American National Property and Casualty Company, Springfield, MO. This company serves 38 states not including NY. To better serve the unique insurance needs of the agricultural market, American National acquired the Farm Family group of insurance companies based in NY in 2001. For corporate and investor relations information, please visit American Nationals website at www.AmericanNational.com.

CONTACT: Jeff Mills, Executive Vice President, Chief P&C Claims Officer 417.887.4990, Ext. 2199 [email protected]

Source: American National Group Inc.
DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa Cares, the community management industrys leading charitable organization, has earmarked $100,000 to assist potential victims of Hurricane Ian, which threatens to inflict major damage along Floridas Gulf Coast. Associa Cares is the charitable affiliate of Associa, the industrys largest community management company.

Currently rated as a Category 4 storm, Ian continues to increase in strength and is predicted make landfall on Wednesday night or early Thursday. It is projected to generate winds exceeding 125 mph, torrential rains, tornadoes and a storm surge that may reach as high as 8-12 feet. The storm will slow as it moves ashore, prolonging its impact on the Florida Peninsula.

Anyone impacted by Hurricane Ian can request financial assistance by emailing [email protected]. To support Hurricane Ians relief efforts, monetary donations can be made to Associa Cares by visiting the organizations website and clicking on the Donate Now button.

From past experience, we know that thousands of homeowners and communities throughout southwest Florida are at risk of being negatively impacted, said Associa Cares President Andrew Fortin. Their path to recovery will not be an easy one and this earmark underscores our commitment to helping them restore a sense of normalcy to their lives.

About Associa Cares

Associa Cares is both a U.S.-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and a registered charity in Canada, created to assist families and communities in crisis as a result of natural and human-made disasters. Through donations raised from Associa employees and at fundraising events across North America, Associa Cares is able to provide aid to the families affected by these types of tragedies. Associa Cares has provided over $4.3 million in assistance to more than 3,300 families since 2007.

Associa Cares funds are distributed to families of Associa-managed and non-Associa managed communities. To donate to Associa Cares or apply for assistance, please visit our website at www.associacares.org.

To view Associa Cares U.S. fundraising disclosures, visit: http://www.associacares.org/fundraising-disclosure-statement/.

Stay Connected

Like Associa Cares on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associacares/

Like Associa on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa

Subscribe to the Blog: https://hub.associaonline.com/

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa

Join us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa

Andrew Fortin Associa Cares 214.716.3818 [email protected]

Source: Associa
RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Artists and textile designers Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably will be touring six cities in the US promoting his new book Kaffe Fassett: Quilts in Wales.

While in Raleigh, Kaffe and Brandon will be busy giving a lecture, teaching two workshops, and greeting customers to an all-day Sit in Sew featuring his Special Edition BERNINA sewing machines. It is such an honor and a privilege to have Kaffe and Brandon come to our store, said Sona Thorburn, owner of BERNINA World of Sewing.

BERNINA World of Sewing is a full-service quilting and sewing store with a long-standing tradition in Raleigh since 1976. In July 2020, BERNINA World of Sewing opened its second location in Wilmington, NC. Our customers were so excited when we announced Kaffes visit. His workshops and sit and sew quickly sold out. Many of our customers have been collectors of his fabric for decades. Weve had the honor of admiring many Kaffe quilts over the years, and each one is special and unique, just like Kaffe, said Sona.

Textile and fiber artists, quilters, sewing enthusiasts, and lovers of color are invited to attend Kaffes Colour Inspiration lecture on October 12, 2022, at 6:30 pm. Kaffe will discuss his new book Kaffe Fassett: Quilts in Wales and present highlights from his latest projects and collaborations, including his patchwork, fabric and needlepoint, mosaics, paintings, and knitting designs.

Following the lecture, Kaffe and Brandon will hold a question-and-answer session and book signing.

The event will be held at the Stewart Theater in the Talley Student Union building at North Carolina State University, 2610 Cates Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695. The lecture is $85 and includes a copy of Kaffes new book. Tickets are available at https://bit.ly/3PYG1zE.

During Kaffe and Brandons visit, BERNINA World of Sewing will participate in an All Carolinas Shop Hop. This 82-store Shop Hop covering North and South Carolina runs through October 31st. Both store locations will have Kaffe Special Edition BERNINA machines, his latest fabric collections, notions, and more.

We hope everyone will come and have an opportunity to meet Kaffe, visit our store and explore new quilt shops in the area, said Sona.

We have our shops decorated and lots of new samples up. Our shelves are stocked with the new Kaffe Fassett fabrics, and we also will have the new Kaffe Fassett BERNINA sewing machine on the floor for customers to see and test drive, said Rilee Vo, Marketing Coordinator.

For more information or to purchase event tickets, go to their website: www.berninaworldofsewing.com

Phone: 919-782-2945

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/658d231c-00a7-4aad-8150-b8524c304d2f

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b95ea0f-3b25-4e2b-8bd4-dd4a7cd77b70

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https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/529e454a-b20e-4bea-835e-974ad53f3c60

Kaffe Fassetts Quilts in Wales Kaffe Fassett new book. Kaffe Fassett with a quilt The author with a quilt from his new book Kaffe Fassetts Quilts in Wales. BERNINA World of Sewing stocked with Kaffe Fassett designed fabrics BERNINA World of Sewing has stocked their shelves with Kaffe Fassett designed fabrics, books and patterns to get ready for the event. BERNINA B 770 QE Plus One of the new Kaffe edition BERNINA machines. BERNINA B 475 CE One of the new Kaffe edition BERNINA machines.

Source: BERNINA of America
New state-of-the-art facility in Melbourne will further enhance Bombardiers customer service footprint in Asia-Pacific

Melbourne Service Centre will provide quick and efficient maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities for all Bombardier business aircraft, including a parts depot and back shop capabilities

An important market for Bombardier, Australia is also part of a comprehensive worldwide aftermarket network expansion

MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier today announced the grand opening of its new Melbourne Service Centre at Essendon Fields Airport in Melbourne, Australia. The new facility is a testament to Bombardiers commitment to the Australian market and establishes a key building block in its growing global customer support network. At full capacity, the new OEM-operated Melbourne Service Centre will add 65 aerospace jobs in the community, including more than 48 highly skilled technicians and boost Bombardiers customer service footprint in Asia-Pacific by some 50,000 square feet.

Australia is a key market for Bombardier with more than 80 aircraft in its Australian business fleet. Bombardier is also the OEM with the largest percentage of deliveries in Australia, representing 31% of the market (47% for medium and large business jets). This new, highly efficient facility will serve as an important gateway to Asia-Pacific, serving as a key focal point for customers in the region and for future growth prospects of the Bombardier fleet.

The addition of the Melbourne Service Centre is the latest in a series of worldwide infrastructure investments aimed at enhancing Bombardiers customer service capacity in line with our 2025 plan, said Eric Martel, President and CEO, Bombardier. In the past year, we have added close to one million square feet of service capacity in several key locations, solidifying our plan to bring more Bombardier jets home no matter where they operate.

Earlier this year, Bombardier enhanced its customer service footprint in Asia-Pacific with the opening of the new Singapore Service Centre. Bombardier will soon celebrate the opening of its enhanced London Biggin Hill Service Centre in the UK, and later this year, will gather to highlight the opening of its new, state-of-the-art Service Centre at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.

Customers at the new Melbourne Service Centre will benefit from a variety of service options, including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, modifications, avionics installations and AOG support for Bombardiers dynamic family of aircraft  including the newly introduced Global 8000 aircraft, the flagship of a new era. The facility will also boast a 4,000 sq. ft. parts depot.

The new Melbourne Service Centre brings essential, specialized services for our customers, enabling us to continue to deliver the service excellence they have come to expect from Bombardier, said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Executive Vice President, Services and Support, and Corporate Strategy, Bombardier. Our new facility will provide infinite benefits, including quick aircraft turnarounds, greater convenience and OEM peace of mind to Bombardiers growing customer base in Australia.

The creation of the new facility also underscores the steadfast commitment of the team from the Essendon Fields Airport as well as the Victoria Government, which has supported Bombardiers development of the service centre and its growth plan.

Partnering with one of the worlds leading manufacturers of business aircraft for its new facility is evidence of Essendon Fields continued investment in creating a centre of excellence for general aviation here in Victoria. There are more business jets based here than anywhere in the country, and Bombardiers commitment cements Essendon Fields as Australias home of business aircraft, said Brendan Pihan, CEO of Essendon Fields.

The new Melbourne Service Centre also aptly illustrates Bombardiers comprehensive global customer service commitment to provide the best customer service experience in business aviation today.

About Bombardier Bombardier is a global leader in aviation, focused on designing, manufacturing, and servicing the world's most exceptional business jets. Bombardiers Challenger and Global aircraft families are renowned for their cutting-edge innovation, cabin design, performance, and reliability. Bombardier has a worldwide fleet of approximately 5,000 aircraft in service with a wide variety of multinational corporations, charter and fractional ownership providers, governments, and private individuals. Bombardier aircraft are also trusted around the world in special-mission roles.

Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Bombardier operates aerostructure, assembly and completion facilities in Canada, the United States and Mexico. The companys robust customer support network includes facilities in strategic locations in the United States and Canada, as well as in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, the UAE, Singapore, China, and an Australian facility opening in 2022.

For corporate news and information, including Bombardiers Environmental, Social and Governance report, visit bombardier.com. Learn more about Bombardiers industry-leading products and customer service network at businessaircraft.bombardier.com. Follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Bombardier, Learjet, Challenger, Global and Global 8000 are registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

For informationMatthew NichollsBombardier +1 514-243-8214[email protected]

Scott ThomsonForge Communications+61 432 218 681[email protected]

Visuals of the new Melbourne Service Centre are available here.

Source: Bombardier Inc.
OTTAWA, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A report released today by the Canadian Climate Institute shows that the mounting costs of a volatile climate are already dragging down Canadas economy, with these costs rising swiftly in the coming years. The reportDamage Control: Reducing the costs of climate impacts in Canadaexamines the macroeconomic costs of climate change, assessing them in both low- and -high emissions scenarios relative to a stable-climate scenario. The analysis shows that climate impacts will cost Canada billions, making life less and less affordable for households as economic growth slows, governments raise taxes to pay for climate disasters, job losses increase, and goods become more expensive due to disrupted supply chains.

The report, which is a culmination of a five-report series and the most comprehensive macroeconomic analysis of climate change in Canada to date, also presents solutions. Proactive adaptation measures and policies can limit climate change damage, cutting the projected costs in half, saving billions of dollars, and making life more affordable for households. A dollar invested in proactive adaptation measures, the report finds, can return $13-$15 in direct and indirect benefits. And if adaptation measures are combined with global emissions reductions, future costs could be reduced by three-quarters, putting Canada on a path to a more stable and affordable future.

Key findings from Damage Control:

Climate-induced damages are already here and they re adding up . By 2025, climate impacts will be slowing Canadas economic growth by $25 billion annually, which is equal to 50 per cent of projected GDP growth.

By 2025, climate impacts will be slowing Canadas economic growth by $25 billion annually, which is equal to 50 per cent of projected GDP growth. All households will lose income, and low-income households will suffer the most. Low-income households could see income losses of 12 per cent in a low emissions scenario and 23 percent in a high emissions scenario by the end of the century.

Low-income households could see income losses of 12 per cent in a low emissions scenario and 23 percent in a high emissions scenario by the end of the century. Climate change is a job-killer. Job losses could double by mid-century, and increase to 2.9 million by end-of-century.

Job losses could double by mid-century, and increase to 2.9 million by end-of-century. Adaption pays off big. Every dollar spent on adaptation measures saves $13-$15, including both direct and indirect economy-wide benefits.

Every dollar spent on adaptation measures saves $13-$15, including both direct and indirect economy-wide benefits. Limiting further warming, while adapting to the warming already baked in, pays off bigger. Taking proactive adaptation measures cuts climate costs in half, and if these are combined with global mitigation measures, then costs are cut by three-quarters.

QUOTATIONS

The findings couldnt be clearer: Canada is directly in the crosshairs of a changing climate. The economy is highly sensitive to this threat, and were already paying the costs: as early as 2025, the damages will have cut Canadas growth rate in half. We need to reckon with these massive costs and do everything we can to limit the damage. Dave Sawyer, Principal Economist, Canadian Climate Institute

The cost of inaction when it comes to climate change is measurable and mounting. We need to put adaptation and mitigation measures in place now to avoid severe damage to our economy, society, health, and well-being. Rick Smith, President, Canadian Climate Institute

The economic consequences of climate change are only now coming into view, and this report provides thoughtful insights on just how climate change could impact the Canadian economy. The threat is real, but, fortunately, theres much that can be done to limit the damages. Investing in adaptation and resilience today will help protect Canadas economy and could save lives. Taking proactive adaptation measures can cut the costs of climate change impacts and provide a strong return on investment, saving money in the long-term while paving the way for a more sustainable and prosperous future for Canadians.Susan McGeachie, Head of BMO Climate Institute, BMO Financial Group

RESOURCES

WEBINARJoin the Canadian Climate Institute for a webinar on September 29 at 1:00 pm ET focused on how we can contain the economic damage of climate impacts. Register now for Damage Control: How adaptation policy can help Canada get ready for the economic cost of climate change.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/88aec890-4d92-465e-8cd2-b33eb045a11e

CONTACT Catharine Tunnacliffe Director of Communications [email protected] (416) 527-1777

Damage control The increasing financial burden of climate change impacts on households: expenses will go up while income shrinks.

Source: Canadian Climate Institute
COPPELL, Texas, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cicis Pizza has launched a fresh focus on its dining and social experiences with its "Endless Pizzabilities" branding campaign. A recently debuted 30-second spot kicks things off and is helmed by C.C. Pazzini, a fictional and whimsical spokesperson for whom the franchise will lean on to spread the message that, beyond affordability, Cicis is about bringing people together to have fun.

The campaign marks a dramatic creative departure for the brand, utilizing bold humor and visual effects; in the campaign's video assets, the four-inch-tall Pazzini gives viewers a tour of Cicis in his magical flying machine. Pazzini touts features unique to the concept, such as the all-you-can-eat buffet, specialty pizzas, including mac and cheese, and the on-site game room, all highlighted amid tongue-in-cheek rhymes designed to add levity to the brand. The use of Pazzini is also noteworthy because it's the first time a character will be introduced to personify the Cicis brand.

This launch comes as the U.S. continues to see a return to more on-site dining, encouraging Cicis to make aggressive moves to position itself favorably for a piece of the action. "People are craving fun and social experiences, so we knew we had to take a bold direction with this campaign," said Stephanie Hoppe, chief marketing officer at Cicis Pizza. "Our creative shop, 3Headed Monster, helped us reimagine how we could amplify the fun and whimsey of Cicis' brand. We're all about building memories between friends and families, and of course, doing so in a way that won't break the bank. That's what this spot showcases, and I think it's a message that's going to resonate with a lot of folks in this moment."

3Headed Monster took inspiration from Cicis' status as the inventor of the Unlimited Pizza Buffet concept to shape this campaign. "C.C. Pazzini is an inventor and an idea person, which is a nod to Cicis' trailblazing heritage," said Shon Rathbone, founder and creative chairman at 3Headed Monster. "His endless creative energy puts new emotion behind the endless buffet concept. And he's the perfect ambassador for a restaurant that is a total experience."

The omni-channel campaign includes video (inclusive of linear TV, OTT, CTV, and online video), radio, social, display, and search across Cicis' more than 80 markets in the U.S. While the core campaign focuses on broad brand messaging, additional creative and media executions will focus on lower-funnel tactics to spotlight specific or seasonal menu items and experiences, and also attract key target audiences. On that front, media agency Kelly Scott Madison has been brought on to play point on evolving Cicis' planning strategy, investment, and analytics efforts.

"There's a lot of noise in the market right now, so we're excited to help Cicis use this fantastic creative to break through and meet their consumers in the right environments to build even more brand love," said Chad Maxwell, chief strategy officer at Kelly Scott Madison. "To do that, we're placing a deep focus on precision targeting and local nuance across markets to drive receptivity marketing at scale. We have no doubt the approach will continue to fuel love, loyalty, and growth for Cicis."

Cicis Pizza operates nearly 300 restaurants across 30 states, and the launch of this marketing campaign coincides with Cicis' push to overhaul store interiors and aesthetics while also expanding into new markets. Work to realize those efforts will accelerate considerably in the back half of this year and into 2023.

###

About Cicis PizzaFounded in 1983, Cicis invented the Unlimited Pizza Buffet concept, offering guests a wide variety of pizzas, including traditional crust and flatbreads, along with pastas, salads and desserts for dine-in, to-go and catering. With nearly 300 restaurants in 30-plus states, Cicis has been ranked by CNN Money as the No. 1 "Casual Dining Pizza Chain (for your money) in America," named by Technomic as the No. 2 "Most Kid-Friendly Chain as voted by Millennial Moms" and recognized by Nation's Restaurant News among its Top 200 Restaurant Chains. For more information about Cicis, visit cicis.com or Facebook.com/cicis.

About 3Headed MonsterDallas-based creative agency 3Headed Monster has twice been recognized as one of Ad Age's Small Agencies of the Year. The independent shop is led by three partners, Creative Chairman Shon Rathbone, Chief Strategy Officer Crystal Anderson and Managing Director Elisa Silva. 3Headed Monster is focused on Tomorrow Brands - brands that are working to make tomorrow better for the people they serve. The team fuses the three essentials of modern marketing - story, design and technology - to give tomorrow's brands the creative edge they need to challenge the status quo and win. More information is available at http://3headedmonster.com/.

About Kelly Scott MadisonBusiness first. Media always. Powered by Data Truths. These ideas drive business growth for our brand partners. Our staff of media and marketing experts uncover truths through a relentless focus on data quality and meaningnot just data quantity. These truths fuel differentiating strategies and connect people with brands in remarkable ways. That's how we accelerate businesses for today and tomorrow. To find out more, visit www.ksmmedia.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Contact Information: Carolyne Poling Associate Director, Marketing & Communications [email protected] 312.621.9378

Related Images

Image 1: Cicis Pizza Launches "Endless Pizzabilities" featuring whimsical spokesperson C.C. Pazzini Inventor C.C. Pazzini gives viewers a tour of Cicis Pizza in his magical flying machine.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Cicis Pizza Launches "Endless Pizzabilities" featuring whimsical spokesperson C.C. Pazzini Cicis Pizza Launches "Endless Pizzabilities" featuring whimsical spokesperson C.C. Pazzini

Source: Cicis Pizza
Speakers and attendees for this highly interactive digital summit will also share recommendations for identifying and communicating risk to different stakeholders across the organization

WESTPORT, Conn., Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HMG Strategy, the Worlds #1 digital platform for enabling technology executives to reimagine the enterprise and reshape the business world and recently recognized as a Top 10 Producer of Tech Events by Business Chief, is excited to be hosting its 2022 HMG Live! Global CISO Executive Leadership Summit on October 4 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. HMG Strategys highly interactive events bring together the worlds most distinguished and innovative business technology and security leaders to discuss the most pressing leadership, innovation, strategic, cultural, technology and career challenges and opportunities that they face today  and into the future.



This timely digital summit for global security leaders will bring together the worlds top CISOs, security executives and industry experts who will share their insights on how the role of the CISO is evolving along with the factors that are contributing to these changes.

HMG Strategys research reveals that cybersecurity continues to be the number one priority for technology leaders, said Hunter Muller, President and CEO of HMG Strategy. This is creating incredible opportunities for Chief Information Security Officers to expand their roles in the enterprise, to clearly communicate the threat and risk landscape with the CEO and the Board and to lead authentically to foster a culture of trust to attract and retain the talent thats needed to effectively safeguard the organization.

World-class CISOs and security leaders speaking at the 2022 HMG Live! Global CISO Executive Leadership Summit on October 4 will include:

Yassir Abousselham , CISO, UiPath

, CISO, UiPath Martin Bally , CISO, Stellantis

, CISO, Stellantis Patrick Benoit , VP & Global Business Information Security Officer, CBRE

, VP & Global Business Information Security Officer, CBRE Scott Daitzman , vCISO/Managing Partner, SJD Cyber, LLC

, vCISO/Managing Partner, SJD Cyber, LLC Nicole Darden Ford , VP & CISO, Rockwell Automation

, VP & CISO, Rockwell Automation Rocco Grillo , Managing Director  Global Cyber Risk Services & Incident Response Investigation, Alvarez & Marsal

, Managing Director  Global Cyber Risk Services & Incident Response Investigation, Alvarez & Marsal Monique Hart , CISO/Executive Director of Information Security

, CISO/Executive Director of Information Security Emily Heath , Board of Directors, Chair of Technology & Cyber Security Committee, Member of Audit Committee, Norton LifeLock

, Board of Directors, Chair of Technology & Cyber Security Committee, Member of Audit Committee, Norton LifeLock Susan Koski , Head of Security & Enterprise Response, The PNC Financial Services Group

, Head of Security & Enterprise Response, The PNC Financial Services Group Matthew Lagana , Managing Director, CTO & CISO, MBIA

, Managing Director, CTO & CISO, MBIA Kevin Powers , J.D., Director, MS in Cybersecurity Policy & Governance, Assistant Professor of the Practice, Business Law and Society Department, Boston College

, J.D., Director, MS in Cybersecurity Policy & Governance, Assistant Professor of the Practice, Business Law and Society Department, Boston College Bradley Schaufenbuel , VP & CISO, Paychex

, VP & CISO, Paychex Dr. Garrett Smiley , CISO & VP of Information Security, Serco Group

, CISO & VP of Information Security, Serco Group Gary Sorrentino , Global CIO, Zoom

, Global CIO, Zoom Frank Yanan , SVP, GIS Business Information Security Officer (BISO), Bank of America

, SVP, GIS Business Information Security Officer (BISO), Bank of America Michael Zanga, Managing Director, Global Head of Technology, Cyber, Data and Change Risk, Barclays

Valued Partners for the 2022 HMG Live! Global CISO Executive Leadership Summit include 8x8, Akamai, BetterCloud, Darktrace, Delphix, Fortinet, LastPass, Nutanix, Palo Alto Networks, Ping Identity, RingCentral, SafeGuard Cyber, Tonkean, Upwork, Zoom, and Zscaler.

To learn more about the 2022 HMG Live! Global CISO Executive Leadership Summit and to register for the event, click here.

HMG Strategy will also be hosting its 2022 St. Louis CIO Executive Leadership Summit on October 5 at The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis. Key topics to be explored at this popular in-person event will include the technology mega-trends that are evolving and use cases that technology leaders are applying for business and operational success.

Premier technology executives and industry experts speaking at the 2022 St. Louis CIO Executive Leadership Summit will include:

Bhavani Amirthalingam , SVP, Chief Digital Information Officer, Ameren

, SVP, Chief Digital Information Officer, Ameren Christy Barker , VP & CIO, Olin Corporation

, VP & CIO, Olin Corporation Palash Bera, Ph.D. , Chair; Father Davis Professor, Department of Operations and IT Management, Saint Louis University

, Chair; Father Davis Professor, Department of Operations and IT Management, Saint Louis University Jennifer Buckner , SVP, Technology Risk Management, Risk Governance and Operations, Mastercard

, SVP, Technology Risk Management, Risk Governance and Operations, Mastercard Andrea Butcher , CEO, HRD

, CEO, HRD Dedric Carter , Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Chief Commercialization Officer, Washington University in St. Louis

, Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Chief Commercialization Officer, Washington University in St. Louis Roftiel Constantine , Global CISO, Barry-Wehmiller

, Global CISO, Barry-Wehmiller Ed Corno , Chief Technology Leader, IBM Corporation

, Chief Technology Leader, IBM Corporation Michael Downs , CTO, Evolving Solutions

, CTO, Evolving Solutions Eric Druker , Data Science Director  Central Integrity, Meta

, Data Science Director  Central Integrity, Meta Luis Giraldo , RVP, Business Value Consulting, OutSystems

, RVP, Business Value Consulting, OutSystems Emily Hemingway , Executive Director, TechSTL

, Executive Director, TechSTL Peter Hogan , VP of IT, Vi-Jon

, VP of IT, Vi-Jon Jennifer Hopper , CIO, Save A Lot

, CIO, Save A Lot David Karandish , Founder & CEO, Capacity

, Founder & CEO, Capacity Emily Lohse-Busch , Strategic Advisor, Greater St. Louis, Inc.

, Strategic Advisor, Greater St. Louis, Inc. Kimberly Martin , EVP, Business Operations and Automation, Mastercard

, EVP, Business Operations and Automation, Mastercard Matthew Modica , VP, CISO, BJC Healthcare

, VP, CISO, BJC Healthcare Lisa Nichols , CEO, Technology Partners

, CEO, Technology Partners Lamont Orange , CISO, Netskope

, CISO, Netskope Ryan Robson , Principal, Digital Product Management, Edward Jones

, Principal, Digital Product Management, Edward Jones Teresa Sanzoterra , VP & CIO, Specialty Generics, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals

, VP & CIO, Specialty Generics, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Michael Seals , SVP, Business Strategy and CIO, Hussmann Corporation

, SVP, Business Strategy and CIO, Hussmann Corporation Tushar Shelar , CIO, Murphy Company

, CIO, Murphy Company Mark Sparks , VP, Global Head of Digital Product and Engineering, Bayer Crop Science

, VP, Global Head of Digital Product and Engineering, Bayer Crop Science Subbu Subramanian , SVP, CIO, Chief Process Officer, American Railcar Industries

, SVP, CIO, Chief Process Officer, American Railcar Industries Haroon Taqui , VP, Digital Portfolio, Architecture and Governance, Ameren

, VP, Digital Portfolio, Architecture and Governance, Ameren Gary VonderHaar , EVP, Operations & Technology Processing, Mastercard

, EVP, Operations & Technology Processing, Mastercard Mike Williams , CEO & Founder, Software Design Partners

, CEO & Founder, Software Design Partners Erica Wilson, VP, IT Security & Risk, Cass Information Systems, Inc.

Valued Partners for the 2022 St. Louis CIO Executive Leadership Summit include 8x8, Akamai, BetterCloud, Darktrace, Delphix, Evolving Solutions, Fortinet, The Judge Group, LastPass, Moveworks, Netskope, Nutanix, OutSystems, Palo Alto Networks, Ping Identity, Reliaquest, RingCentral, SafeGuard Cyber, ServiceNow, Tonkean, Upwork, Zoom, and Zscaler.

To learn more about the 2022 St. Louis CIO Executive Leadership Summit and to register for the event, click here.

HMG Strategy will also be hosting its 2022 Washington, D.C. CIO Executive Leadership Summit on October 13 at the Hotel Washington. CIOs, CISOs and industry leaders attending this event will explore the role of the technology leader as an enterprise change agent.

Top-tier technology executives and industry experts speaking at the 2022 Washington, D.C. CIO Executive Leadership Summit will include:

Snehal Antani , Co-Founder & CEO, Horizon3.ai

, Co-Founder & CEO, Horizon3.ai Judith Apshago , VP of IT, Amtrak

, VP of IT, Amtrak Tom Berray , Founder & Managing Partner, Cabot Consultants

, Founder & Managing Partner, Cabot Consultants Dr. David Bray , Distinguished Fellow at both the Stimson Center and Atlantic Council, as well as Principal, LeadDoAdapt Ventures

, Distinguished Fellow at both the Stimson Center and Atlantic Council, as well as Principal, LeadDoAdapt Ventures Christine Converse Hogan , CIO Advisor, Zoom

, CIO Advisor, Zoom Stephen M.R. Covey , Global Authority on Trust, Leadership and Culture, The FranklinCovey Global Speed of Trust Practice

, Global Authority on Trust, Leadership and Culture, The FranklinCovey Global Speed of Trust Practice Scott Daitzman , vCISO, Managing Partner, SJD Cyber

, vCISO, Managing Partner, SJD Cyber Mark Day , Chief Scientist, Netskope

, Chief Scientist, Netskope Paul Fipps , President, Strategic Accounts, ServiceNow

, President, Strategic Accounts, ServiceNow Luis Giraldo , RVP, Business Value Consulting, OutSystems

, RVP, Business Value Consulting, OutSystems Kristie Grinnell , SVP & CIO, DXC Technology

, SVP & CIO, DXC Technology Mohamoud Jibrell , Co-Founder & CEO, LetsDefend.io

, Co-Founder & CEO, LetsDefend.io Wanda Jones-Heath , Principal Cyber Advisor, U.S. Air Force

, Principal Cyber Advisor, U.S. Air Force Heather Kowalski , CIO, INTERPOL

, CIO, INTERPOL Dean Lane , EVP, Svitla Systems

, EVP, Svitla Systems David Mahon , Global CISO, Deloitte

, Global CISO, Deloitte David Morris , Founder & Chairman, HiPER Solutions

, Founder & Chairman, HiPER Solutions Albert Murray , Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Washington Field Offices Cyber Branch, FBI

, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Washington Field Offices Cyber Branch, FBI Christie Nader , SVP and Global CIO, Jet Aviation

, SVP and Global CIO, Jet Aviation Bob Osborn , CTO  Federal, ServiceNow

, CTO  Federal, ServiceNow Howard Spira , CIO, Export-Import Bank of the United States

, CIO, Export-Import Bank of the United States Chris Stettler , CIO, Euclid Systems Corporation

, CIO, Euclid Systems Corporation Jesse Whaley, VP & CISO, Amtrak



Valued Partners for the 2022 Washington, D.C. CIO Executive Leadership Summit include 8x8, Akamai, BetterCloud, Darktrace, Delphix, Denodo, Fortinet, LastPass, Moveworks, Netskope, Nutanix, OutSystems, Palo Alto Networks, Ping Identity, RingCentral, SafeGuard Cyber, SentinelOne, ServiceNow, Sigma, SIM Capital Area, Tonkean, Upwork, Zoom, and Zscaler.

To learn more about the 2022 Washington, D.C. CIO Executive Leadership Summit and to register for the event, click here.

To learn more about HMG Strategys upcoming CIO and CISO Summits, click here.

About HMG Strategy

HMG Strategy is the world's leading digital platform for connecting technology executives to reimagine the enterprise and reshape the business world. The HMG Strategy global network consists of more than 400,000 CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CDOs, senior business technology executives, search industry executives, venture capitalists, industry experts and world-class thought leaders.

HMG Strategys global media model generates more than one million impressions per week, providing vast opportunities for business technology leaders and sponsor partners to promote themselves and their brands.

HMG Strategy was founded in 2008 by Hunter Muller, a leadership expert who has worked side-by-side with Fortune 2000 executives with strategic planning and career ascent for the past 30+ years.

HMG Strategys regional and virtual CIO and CISO Executive Leadership Series, authored books and Digital Resource Center deliver unique, peer-driven guidance from CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, CDOs and technology executives on leadership, innovation, transformation and career ascent.

HMG Strategy offers a range of peer-led research services such as its CIO & CISO Executive Leadership Alliance (CELA) program which bring together the worlds top CIOs, CISOs and technology executives to brainstorm on the top opportunities and challenges facing them in their roles.

HMG Strategys Global Peer Actionable Insights Services Stack is a unique set of research services that are designed to keep business technology executives up to speed on the latest leadership, business, technology and global geo-economic trends that are impacting businesses and industries.

To learn more about the 7 Pillars of Trust for HMG Strategy's unique business model, click here .

Contact: Tom Hoffman, VP, Research, HMG Strategy: 203-221-2702 or at [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cf51da4f-9a33-4c3b-97e9-5badae60cada
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Sky Lithium Corp. (CSE: POWR) (FRA: K4A / WKN: A3DM2W) (OTC: CSKYF) (Clear Sky or the Company), a mineral exploration and development company focused on American lithium deposits to support domestic demand, is pleased to announce it has initiated a field work program for its 100%-owned ELi claystone lithium project in central Nevada.

The Company has engaged Tigren Inc. (Tigren) of Reno, Nevada to provide geological services. Tigren is a comprehensive discovery-focused services company that specializes in advancing under-explored properties through their technical field services. Tigren is controlled by Marco Montecinos, a director of the Company.

Company CEO and Director, Patrick Morris, notes, Lithium concentrations of 300ppm and above are considered prospective in nature. We are excited to build upon our initial grab sample results, which included a sample with over 1000ppm of lithium, and have our workplan get underway in Nevada. Tigren is scheduled to start the sampling program in early October to support the ongoing mapping program. Weve got a solid foundation in terms of concept, team, jurisdiction, property and plans for processing technology solutions to support the growing wave of demand for lithium products. We intend for this to be a busy season ahead as we continue to unearth the value and opportunity of this exciting sector.

The detailed work program will include an auger sampling program and detailed geological mapping of the project. The objective of the work program is to gain better resolution and further delineate the size, continuity, and shape of near-surface lithium mineralization at the ELi property as well as gain an additional understanding of exploration vectors and geological controls on the lithium mineralization. The auger program is planned to optimize sample integrity and representation across the property.

Located in Nevadas Little Smokey Valley, the ELi property was first sampled in 2019. In June, we shared the current sampling conducted to date. Initial field work by Clear Sky consists of a surface sample dataset covering the property at a 200m x 450m grid and upgrading infill sampling over a historic sampling area. This dataset includes 134 grab samples with results ranging from 45 to 801ppm lithium with an average grade of 292ppm. As previously released, during a site visit during Q2 2022, additional surficial samples (n=4) were collected and ranged in grade from 278ppm to 1,023ppm Li with an average grade of 695ppm Li1.

The lithium-bearing rocks within the project area are referred to as tuffaceous and other young tertiary sedimentary rocks in digital geologic models generated by the Nevada Bureau of Mines. This unit is believed to have a strong volcanic component. In northern Nye County, the unit is referred to as the Horse Camp Formation which correlates with the Esmeralda Formation in Mineral and Esmeralda Counties. It has also been correlated with older lake beds in southern Nye, Lincoln, Clark, and Humboldt counties. It corresponds to units Ts3 and Tts from the 1978 State map and is present in all counties of Nevada.

Within the state there are multiple lithium projects in a variety of early-to advanced stages. Nevada currently hosts the only operating lithium mine in the USA. The USGS first publication on sedimentary-hosted lithium (claystone lithium) wasnt until 1991, making it one of the newer deposit types in exploration. On its Eli property, Clear Sky is actively investigating the presence and quality of lithium-bearing sedimentary deposits and their suitability as candidate feedstock for innovative next-generation extraction and processing technologies.

Clear Sky Lithium advises the public that as part of its disclosure obligations as a public issuer, all material and regulatory filings can be found on www.sedar.com. We also invite the public to visit our website at www.clearskylithium.com and to sign up to our news alerts to be advised of future news releases and related company information. Please also ensure you watch our video which is now available on the website.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors,Sincerely,

~Patrick Morris~

Patrick MorrisChief Executive OfficerClear Sky Lithium Corp.www.clearskylithium.com

NotesAnna Hicken, P.Geo., of Geomax Consulting, and consultant to the Company is the Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101, who has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical content of the press release.

All sampling completed by Clear Sky within the exploration program are subject to a company standard of internal quality control and quality assurance programs which include the insertion of certified reference materials, blank materials and pulp duplicate analysis. All samples are sent to American Assay Labs located in Reno, Nevada where they are processed for lithium analysis by ICP-5AM48. American Assay Labs quality systems conform to requirements of ISO/IEC Standard 17025 guidelines and meets assay requirements outlined for NI 43-101. Data verification of the analytical results included a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to ensure accurate and verifiable results.

Surface claystone samples are selective in nature and may not represent the true grade or style of the mineralization across the entire property.

About Clear Sky Lithium Corp. (CSE: POWR) FRA: K4A / WKN: A3DM2W) (OTC: CSKYF)Clear Sky Lithium is an exploration and development company dedicated to the advancement of North American lithium deposits to support domestic demand. The Company holds interests on the Eli property in Nevada. The Company is also focusing on the development of claystone extraction and processing technologies aimed at delivering scalable efficiencies across the value chain in a sustainable manner. Find out more visit www.clearskylithium.com and watch our video.

Forward Looking Information Disclaimer

This news release contains statements and information that, to the extent that they are not historical fact, may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding future plans, objectives, or economic performance, or the assumption underlying any of the foregoing. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as may, would, could, will, likely, except, anticipate, believe, intend, plan, forecast, project, estimate, outlook, or the negative thereof or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the work program to be undertaken by Tigren on the ELi Property.

Forward-looking information is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. The material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, key personnel and qualified employees continuing their involvement with the Company; the Companys ability to secure additional financing on reasonable terms; the competitive conditions of the sector in which the Company operates; and laws and any amendments thereto applicable to the Company.

Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks relating to the future business plans of the Company; risks that the Company will not be able to retain its key personnel; risks that the Company will not be able to secure financing on reasonable terms or at all, as well as all of the other risks as described in the Companys final long form prospectus dated May 31, 2022, under the heading Risks Factors. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking information. Further, any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Companys management to predict all such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect information or events after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law, including securities laws.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. 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 release.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Clear Sky Lithium Corp. Investor RelationsEmail: [email protected] Telephone: +1 (778) 383-7240

Source: Clear Sky Lithium Corp.
MILPITAS, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As community financial institutions (CFIs) look for new ways to engage with consumers and leverage revenue-generating services within and outside of the traditional branch setting, they are turning to Eltropy at a rapid clip. Today, the leading Digital Communications Platform for CFIs welcomes new customers, including the Utah Community Credit Union, Main Street Bank, Heartland Financial, and FireFighters First Credit Union. As Eltropy celebrates its 500 customer milestone, the company is doubling down on its commitment to help credit unions and community banks reach, engage, and serve consumers in their channel of choice

With uniquely-extensive capabilities and a broad range of integrations, Eltropy is the only Digital Communications Platform capable of leveraging a true omnichannel experience; serving consumers with AI or human agents and driving engagements through Text messaging, Secure Chat, Video Banking, co-browsing, screen-share, voice calling and more.

This milestone is only the latest in a year filled with benchmarks and exciting developments. This year, Eltropy acquired leading collaborative video solution, POPi/o, and leading AI provider, Marsview, along with recently debuting Kaitlin, the first humanized AI explicitly designed for financial institutions. By streamlining the customer service experience and reducing the workload of contact center staff, Kaitlin presents unique opportunities for banks and credit unions to serve consumers more efficiently.

We have grown from serving 10 CFIs to 500+ in three years, demonstrating the best product, team, and customer-obsessed culture weve built at Eltropy. We are dedicated to helping CFIs compete with MegaBanks and FinTechs by providing cutting-edge digital communication technology that consumers are demanding today, said Ashish Garg, co-founder, and CEO of Eltropy.

Eltropy provides credit unions and community banks with the tools they need to connect with consumers in the channel of their choice  from in-branch video experiences to remote lending, video notary and virtual branch capabilities  that deliver a seamless consumer experience while streamlining staff. Now, more than 500 credit unions and community banks, ranging from $7M-$22B and $300M-$33B in assets, respectively, leverage Eltropy for its powerful Digital Communications Platform, the ability to automate frontline services, and leverage AI and conversational intelligence to unlock actionable insights.

The past three years have presented unique engagement challenges for credit unions, particularly with call volumes and handling times rising and staff and potential physical expansion opportunities decreasing, said Barb Lowman, President of CUNA Strategic Services. Eltropy has built an award-winning solution to face these and future challenges head-on and is moving the industry forward by enabling virtual branch capabilities that delight members with the ability to communicate the way they want.

Eltropy will be showcasing the combined capabilities, results, and future innovations for its Digital Communications Platform at the following events:

Click here for more information, or to schedule a meeting with Eltropy.

About EltropyEltropy enables financial institutions to engage in a secure and compliant way digitally. Using our award-winning Digital Communications Platform, community financial institutions can communicate, automate and use intelligence to improve operations, engagement and productivity. Community banks and Credit Unions use Eltropy to communicate with consumers via Text, Video, Secure Chat, co-browsing, screen sharing, and chatbot technology  all integrated into a single platform bolstered by proprietary AI, skill-based routing, and other contact center capabilities. For more information about Eltropy, please visit https://eltropy.com.

CONTACTCodeword Agency[email protected] 856-599-1879

Source: Eltropy, Inc.
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atlantic Canadians who earn the national average income pay much higher provincial personal income tax burdenssometimes almost doublethan Western Canadians earning similar amounts, finds a new study published by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

The taxes you pay can significantly influence work incentives and economic decision-making, and the fact is that middle-income workers in Atlantic Canada are paying significantly higher provincial tax burdens than comparable workers out west said Ben Eisen, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Comparing Provincial Marginal Tax Rates for Middle Income Earners Across Canada.

The study finds that Atlantic Canadian workers who earn the national average income ($52,750 in 2022) face provincial personal income tax burdens ranging from $4,463 in New Brunswick to $5,318 in Nova Scotia. This is significantly higher than workers in Western Canada earning the same amount. In British Columbia, the equivalent provincial income tax burden is $2,353, in Alberta its $3,338, and in Saskatchewan its $3,914.

These large differences are, in part, a result of much higher provincial personal income tax rates in Atlantic Canada compared to Western Canada. For instance, workers in Atlantic Canada making the national average face provincial personal income tax rates of between 13.8 per cent in Prince Edward Island to 14.95 per cent in Nova Scotia.

Western Canadians, however, dont face those levels of provincial personal income tax rates until their income reaches $150,000 in British Columbia and $500,000 in both Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Middle-income workers in Atlantic Canada are paying provincial income tax rates similar to workers with much, much higher incomes in Western Canada, Eisen said.

Its important for Atlantic Canadians to understand how their provincial income tax burdens compare to those of comparable workers elsewhere in the country.

MEDIA CONTACT:Alex Whalen, Policy AnalystFraser Institute

Ben Eisen, Senior FellowFraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:Drue MacPherson, Fraser InstituteTel: (604) 688-0221 Ext. 721E-mail: [email protected]

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Like us on Facebook

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institutes independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org

Source: Fraser Institute
TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copper Lake Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: CPL, Frankfurt: WOI, OTC: WTCZF) (Copper Lake or the Company) is pleased to provide the following update on the exploration program at its Marshall Lake copper-zinc-silver VMS project, situated in northern Ontario, as well as a corporate update.

Large-Loop Electromagnetic Survey

A large-loop EM survey (LLEM) was recently completed in the vicinity of the Deep IP discovery, where a new high-grade base and precious metal occurrence was discovered during diamond drilling in the winter of 2022. Highlighting the results of drill hole MAR-22-01, were the following drill intercepts:

8.13% Cu 1 , 7.26% Zn, 240.80 g/t Ag & 0.33 g/t Au (13.59% CuEQ 2 ) over 2.11 metres;

1 5.81% Cu, 7.32% Zn, 171.20 g/t Ag & 0.02 g/t Au (10.45% CuEQ) over 1.95 metres;

2.37% Cu, 1.75% Zn, 413.15 g/t Ag & 0.37 g/t Au (7.00% CuEQ) over 6.00 metres; including 2.26% Cu, 2.66% Zn, 1,580 g/t Ag (55.7 oz/t Ag 3 ) & 1.28 g/t Au (18.12% CuEQ) over 1.21 metres.



Collectively, the LLEM survey and previously completed borehole EM surveys delineate a prominent conductive centre comprising strong to very strong conductors, centred at a depth of 300 metres below surface (Figures 1A). The conductive center, approximately 500 metres by 300 metres in extent, is situated along the stratigraphic trend and at greater depth than the high-grade intervals obtained in hole MAR-22-01. The size, strength and location of the conductive centre is very encouraging and strongly suggests that additional high-grade mineralization may be present in the surrounding area of the Deep IP discovery. The conductive centre has never been tested by drilling, and is clearly now a high-priority target.

The LLEM survey also yielded a compelling build-up conductor, situated at a depth of 500 metres below surface (Figure 1B). It appears to be the down-dip extension of the conductive centre and accordingly, significantly increases the prospective target area for potential massive sulphide mineralization. Additional LLEM surveying is required on this conductor prior to diamond drilling in order to better define its size, orientation and strength.

A number of other conductors were also defined by the LLEM survey, including three Priority 2 conductors (Figure 2). These conductors are located near zones of strong hydrothermal alteration associated with VMS deposits and mineralization that has not been tested by previous diamond drilling. In addition, 3 large build-up conductors (Priority 3 conductors) were defined to the north of the conductive centre and on the fringes of the LLEM survey grid. These conductors are located at depth (>300 metres below surface) and have not yet been drill-tested. Notably, surface outcrops overlying these conductors have returned significant copper values of up to 6%.

Due to swampy conditions that create significant logistical problems, the diamond drilling on the Deep IP discovery will not commence until freeze-up conditions are in effect, likely in late November or early December 2022. Drilling of some of the other conductors may occur at the same time. The Company is currently soliciting bids from drilling companies to complete this work.

Additional LLEM Surveying

In view of the ability of the LLEM surveys to see conductors at much greater depths (>300 metres) than that of historic geophysical surveys, the Company is planning to perform LLEM surveys on other prospective areas of the property in efforts to define additional deeper drill targets. These areas include the Teck Hill-Gazooma and Gazooma North-RM-Lease target areas (Figure 2). Such target areas have returned shallow historic drill intercepts of 2.05% copper, 33 g/t silver & 0.31 g/t gold over 26.9 metres as well as 1.38% copper, 54.0 g/t silver & 0.10 g/t gold over 43.0 metres, respectively. Historic drilling deeper than 150 metres below surface is rare on the above target areas and elsewhere on the Marshall Lake Property.

The LLEM surveying is expected to be completed this fall by Abitibi Geophysics, prior to commencement of diamond drilling.

1 Analyses completed by Activation Laboratories in Ancaster, Ontario, Ontario utilizing the 1A2  Fire Assay AA finish, IH INAA (INAAGEO)/Total Digestion (Total) and the UT-7, Sodium Peroxide Fusin (ICP & ICP MS) analytical packages2 %CuEQ calculated using metal prices of US$3.87 per lb. for Cu, US$0.89 per lb. for Pb, US$1.65 per lb. for Zn, US$21.39 per oz. for Ag & US$1839.40 per oz. for Au3 Conversion rate: 1 gram/tonne = 0.03527396 ozs./tonne

OJEP Funding

The Company is pleased to announce that it has been informed by the minister of Northern Development for Ontario, the Honourable Greg Rickford, that Copper Lake Resources has been accepted to participate in the Ontario Junior Exploration Program for up to $200,000 towards the cost of the current Marshall Lake project work program. Terry MacDonald, CEO stated, We are very pleased to have been allocated OJEP funding under the Government of Ontarios Critical Minerals Strategy. We look forward to contributing to the success of the Governments goal of identifying new deposits of critical minerals in Ontario.

Private Placement

The Company provided an update on its $2,500,000 private placement in its September 6, 2022 News Release. The Company is looking to raise a total of $2,500,000 in the Private Placement, consisting of up to 8,333,333 Non Flow-Through Units (NFT Units) at a price of $0.09 per NFT Unit and up to 17,500,000 Flow-Through Units (FT Units) at a price of $0.10 per FT Unit. Each NFT Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of Copper Lake (a Common Share) and one Common Share purchase warrant (a Warrant). Each FT Unit is comprised of one Flow-Through common share and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a Warrant). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional share at an exercise price of $0.15 per Common Share for a period of 36 months from the closing date.

The Company had announced that it closed a first tranche of units on August 11, 2022 for gross proceeds of $1,346,250. The Company now plans to close the final tranche on or about October 13, 2022.

ABOUT COPPER LAKE RESOURCES

Copper Lake Resources Ltd. is a publicly traded Canadian mineral exploration and development company with interests in two projects both located in Ontario. www.copperlakeresources.com

The Marshall Lake high-grade VMS copper, zinc, silver and gold project comprises an area of approximately 220 square km, located 120 km north of Geraldton, Ontario and is accessible by all-season road from the Trans-Canada Highway and just 22 km north of the main CNR rail line. Copper Lake has a 79.45% interest in the joint ventured property, which consists of 233 claims and 52 mining leases. The project also includes 148 claim cells staked in 2018 and 2020 that are 100% owned and not subject to any royalties, which add approximately 30 square km to the original property.

In addition to the original Marshall Lake property above, Marshall Lake also includes the Sollas Lake and Summit Lake properties, wholly owned by the Company and not subject to any royalties. The Sollas Lake property consists of 20 claim cells comprising an area of 4 square km on the east side of the Marshall Lake property where historical EM airborne geophysical surveys have outlined strong conductors on the property hosted within the same favorable felsic volcanic units. The Summit Lake property currently consists of 100 claim cells comprising an area of 20.5 square km, is accessible year-round, and is located immediately west of the original Marshall Lake property. The Marshall Lake project is located in the traditional territories of the Aroland and Animbiigoo Zaagi igan Anishinaabek (AZA) First Nations.

Copper Lake also has a 69.79% joint venture interest in the Norton Lake nickel, copper, cobalt, and palladium PGM property, located in the southern Ring of Fire area, is approximately 100 km north of the Marshall Lake Property. The Norton Lake property has a NI 43-101 compliant Measured and Indicated resource of 2.26 million tonnes @ 0.67% Ni, 0.61% Cu, 0.03% Co and 0.46 g/t Pd. The Norton Lake property is located in the traditional territories of the Eabametoong (Fort Hope) and Neskantaga First Nations.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Copper Lake Resources Ltd.Terry MacDonald, CEO(416) 561-3626[email protected]

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.

PDFs accompanying this announcement are available at:

http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/e230aa1b-735e-40d1-be91-208d52e28677

http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/f87ca28a-d367-4296-bf77-d371a881915e

Source: Copper Lake Resources Ltd.
TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden Tag Resources Ltd. (Golden Tag or the "Company") (TSX.V: GOG) (OTCQB: GTAGF) is pleased to announce the Company is participating in the upcoming 121 Mining Investment Conference in New York. Greg McKenzie, President & CEO of Golden Tag will be presenting about the Companies recent and future planned activities.

The 121 Mining Investment Conference hosts over 60 companies joined by over 300 sophisticated investors for pre-arranged targeted 1-2-1 meetings. This years event is being held on October 6-7, 2022 in Midtown Manhattan.

About 121 Investment

121 Mining Investment events gather senior investors from institutional funds, private equity groups, family offices and sector analysts to meet with carefully selected mining company management teams in the world's leading financial hubs. Featuring cash-generating producers, near-production development companies, project generators and exciting exploration projects, 121 Mining Investment events offer investors the perfect forum to seek out their next big mining investment opportunity. 121 Mining Investment events are held annually in Hong Kong, London, Cape Town, New York and Singapore and focus on two-days of 1-on-1 meetings tailored to match the right level of mining projects with the right investment capital. Alongside the 1-2-1 meetings, delegates are able to enjoy a two-day agenda of investor-led panel discussions providing market insights, analysis and each participating mining company presenting their latest updates.

About Golden Tag Resources

Golden Tag Resources Ltd. is a Toronto based mineral resource exploration company. The Company holds a 100% interest, subject to a 2% NSR, in the San Diego Project, in Durango, Mexico. The San Diego property is among the largest undeveloped silver assets in Mexico and is located within the prolific Velardena Mining District. Velardena hosts several mines having produced silver, zinc, lead and gold for over 100 years. For more information regarding the San Diego property please visit our website at www.goldentag.ca. For additional information, please contact:

Greg McKenzie, President & CEOPh: 416-504-2020Email: [email protected]www.goldentag.ca

Cautionary Statement:

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of the phrase forward-looking information in the Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 51-102  Continuous Disclosure Obligations. Forward-looking statements are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Companys future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, will, or plan. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding presentations and investor relation activities. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the ability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company or its service providers; disruptions in information systems upon which its service providers relies in connection with the delivery of its services to the Company; and those risks set out in the Companys public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Source: Golden Tag Resources Ltd.
Reference is made to the press release 28 September 2022 from the Norwegian Government.

The Norwegian Government proposes to introduce a resource tax in the amount of 40% on salmon farmed in Norwegian ocean territory for volume above 4-5,000 tonnes with effect from the tax year 2023. The proposal does not yet contain all details and is still subject to a public hearing as well as approval by the Norwegian Parliament.

Grieg Seafood will assess how the proposal will impact the Groups business and strategy, should it be adopted in the current form. While this assessment is conducted, the Group has put new investments on hold.







About Grieg Seafood

Grieg Seafood ASA is one of the world's leading salmon farmers. Our farms are in Finnmark and Rogaland in Norway, and British Columbia as well as Newfoundland in Canada. Our headquarter is located in Bergen, Norway. Grieg Seafood ASA was listed at the Oslo Stock Exchange in June 2007. More than 750 people work in the company throughout our regions.



Sustainable farming practices are the foundation of Grieg Seafood's operations. The lowest possible environmental impact and the best possible fish welfare is both an ethical responsibility and drive economic profitability. Towards 2026, we aim for global growth, cost improvements and to evolve from a pure salmon supplier to an innovation partner for selected customers.



To learn more, please visit www.griegseafood.com
Fast facts:

Two international bridge crossings on the Ontario-Michigan border officially dedicated updated tolling systems today.

Under a $9.3 million contract, the International Bridge (connecting Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, with Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) and the Blue Water Bridge (connecting Port Huron, Michigan, to Point Edward, Ontario) have modernized their toll systems.

Benefits of the new tolling system for both bridges include administrative cost savings, technological upgrades and improved customer service.

POINT EDWARD, Ontario, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The agencies in charge of two international bridge crossings on the Ontario-Michigan border cut the ribbons on a new tolling system today.

Under a $9.3 million contract, the previous toll systems at the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge (connecting Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, with Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) and the Blue Water Bridge (connecting Port Huron, Michigan, to Point Edward, Ontario) have been modernized.

The contract is administered for the cross-border partnership by the International Bridge Administration (IBA) through an agreement between the IBA, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL). Representatives from all three agencies gathered in Point Edward this morning to celebrate the successful launch of the system.

''Were here today to celebrate this great collaborative effort in building a software solution for our future tolling needs,'' said Natalie Kinloch, chief executive officer of FBCL. ''The transition has gone smoothly and, going forward, this new system will help us realize many efficiencies by sharing a common platform between our partner bridges. This translates to great value for the citizens of Canada and the state of Michigan while providing a better experience for bridge users.''

By working together, the bridges have saved an estimated 36 percent on upfront costs. Over the course of the next decade, projected savings could be on the order of $6.5 million to $7 million.

The contract costs of the new system are being shared equally by the IBA, MDOT and FBCL, a Canadian Crown corporation wholly owned by the Government of Canada. Through its board, the International Bridge is managed as a joint venture of FBCL and MDOT. The U.S. portion of the Blue Water Bridge is a State of Michigan entity.

''We expect to gain a lot from this new, technologically up-to-date system: greater flexibility in toll payment solutions, easier management of devices in the system, and increased accuracy and reliability,'' said MDOT Chief Administrative Officer Laura Mester. ''For our customers, we foresee a whole host of benefits.''

The toll system is now live on both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the Blue Water Bridge and the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge. Prime contractor IBI Group and their team of professionals, working in close cooperation with the bi-national team, implemented the system and will provide operations and maintenance support for up to 10 years for toll software services.

While a boon for the bridge agencies, the biggest benefits of the new system will be for customers.

Over time, all three operators plan to discontinue the current card-based systems and transition to more convenient radio frequency identification (RFID) windshield tags that are automatically read by the toll system when customers pull into a lane. RFID tags purchased from any of the three agencies will work at any of the crossings, although customers will have to maintain accounts with each agency.

Website and account access will be standardized for all three bridge agencies for improved customer experience. New web portals will allow customers to manage accounts more effectively. This will include the ability to review transactions, make one-time payments or set up automatic payments, request new or replacement tags, cancel tags, generate statements, and more.

Mobile phone apps for managing toll accounts will be available for Apple and Android devices. Mobile payment options, along with new credit payment options, are available at select locations.

For information on specific features of the new tolling system at each crossing, check with the appropriate bridge website:

Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge: tolls.saultbridge.com

Blue Water Bridge Michigan side (MDOT): www.BlueWaterBridge.us

Blue Water Bridge Canadian side (FBCL): www.federalbridge.ca/connexion/

Representatives from the Sault St. Marie International Bridge, The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Blue Water Bridge, and The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL) celebrated the deployment of a new toll system at all three agencies with a ribbon cutting in Point Edward, Ontario, this morning. (FBCL photo)

Staff from the International Bridge Administration cut the ribbon on the new toll system at the International Bridge between Sault Ste. Marie Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. (MDOT photo)

Staff from the Blue Water Bridge cut the ribbon on the new tolling system on the U.S. side of the bridge connecting Port Huron, Michigan, with Point Edward, Ontario. (MDOT photo)

MEDIA CONTACTS:Dan Weingarten [email protected]Jocelyn Garza[email protected]Remi Francur[email protected]

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9572df7c-19ae-41a0-8f83-57c9a48e985f

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7064f020-33c9-4abb-99b9-54d5e9b76bd6

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/196ab282-f0ab-4474-98f7-823f906283fd

Blue Water Bridge - FBCL Representatives from the Sault St. Marie International Bridge, The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Blue Water Bridge, and The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL) celebrated the deployment of a new toll system at all three agencies with a ribbon cutting in Point Edward, Ontario, this morning. (FBCL photo) Sault Ste. Marie Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie Ontario - International Bridge Administration Staff from the International Bridge Administration cut the ribbon on the new toll system at the International Bridge between Sault Ste. Marie Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. (MDOT photo) Blue Water Bridge - MDOT Staff from the Blue Water Bridge cut the ribbon on the new tolling system on the U.S. side of the bridge connecting Port Huron, Michigan, with Point Edward, Ontario. (MDOT photo)

Source: Federal Bridge Corporation Limited
NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Global Food and Ingredients Ltd. (TSX-V: PEAS; OTCQX: PEASF), a Canadian plant-based food and ingredients company, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Global Food and Ingredients Ltd. (GFI) upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market.

GFI begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol PEASF. U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their U.S. investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the U.S. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

David Hanna, President and Chief Executive Officer remarked, We are very pleased to begin trading on the OTCQX market providing GFI a platform to better access U.S. investors and distribute our financial information to the U.S. public markets. This is an important milestone in GFIs evolution and growth which will help us broaden the communication of our story and the sustainable and environmental benefits that our plant-based ingredients and growing in-house developed products are achieving. Our goal is to be the leading supplier of plant-based, sustainable and ethical ingredients from locally sourced farms direct to consumers homes.

B. Riley Securities acted as the companys OTCQX sponsor.

About GFIGFI is a fast-growing Canadian plant-based food and ingredients company, connecting the local farm to the global supply chain for peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas and other high protein specialty crops. GFI is organized into four primary business lines: Pea Protein Inputs, Plant-Based Ingredients, Plant-Based Pet Food Ingredients and Plant-Based Consumer Packaged Goods. Headquartered in Toronto, GFI buys directly from its extensive network of farmers, processes products locally at its four wholly-owned processing facilities in Western Canada and ships to 37 countries across the world. GFI's vision is to become a vertically integrated farm-to-fork plant-based company providing traceable, locally sourced, healthy and sustainable food and ingredients. Through recent acquisition and development activities, GFI now offers a full suite of Plant-Based Consumer Packaged goods with over 20 SKUs under the YoFiit, Bentilia and Five Peas in Love brands.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX Best Market, OTCQB Venture Market and Pink Open Market.

Our OTC Link Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN and OTC Link NQB are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

Media Contact:OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected]

Source: OTC Markets
LEHI, Utah, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BodyGuardz, the leader in mobile device protection, today unveiled the results of a study revealing American attitudes and opinions regarding their smartphones, including the importance of using sustainable materials for the phones construction and its accessories. The survey also addressed durability expectations for smartphones, the frequency of upgrades, and which smartphone brands reign supreme in the U.S.

The study was conducted between August 1 and September 9, just on the heels of Apples iPhone 14 announcement. BodyGuardz surveyed mobile phone users across the U.S. to uncover expectations and attitudes about their mobile devices. When asked about the importance of their phone being constructed from sustainable materials such as bioplastics, 33% of respondents stated that it was important to them, while 29% stated that they didnt care either way, and 6% stated it was unimportant to them.

However, when respondents were asked about discarding their old phones, concern increased to 69.5% of respondents being concerned or somewhat concerned about their phones components' effect on the environment, while 17.5% were not concerned, and 7.5% didn't care either way.

Regarding the durability of their smartphone, 88% of survey respondents stated that it was very important, only 11.5% were ambivalent about their phones durability, and a small percentage felt that durability wasnt important at all (1.5%). The high percentage of users desiring durability for their smartphones should not be surprising as Americans spend a considerable amount of resources on their devices and accompanying plans. When asked about this financial cost, 39% of respondent said they spend between $50 and $100 a month for their mobile phone service, 25% spend under $50 a month, 23% of respondents spend between $100 and $150, and a small minority spend over $200 a month for their mobile phone service (12%).

In terms of habits and usage, 44% of respondents admitted to using their phone while driving a vehicle, but more than half (54.5%) stated that they never use their phone while driving. In terms of screen time, 43.3% of respondents used their phone over six hours a day, 46.9% three to five hours a day, and 9.7% of respondents used their phones only one to two hours a day.

When it came to changing their smartphones, 44% of respondents said they upgrade every year, 47% stated that they always have the same phone unless forced to replace it due to loss or damage, and 8% said they upgrade every six months. In terms of Americans favorite smartphone brands, 62% were Apple users, 27% used Samsung phones, and 11% of respondents used Motorola phones, Sony Ericsson, or another brand.

Participants from the study conducted by BodyGuardz were ages 18 to 24 (32.5%), 35 to 44 (54%), and 55 to 64 (14%). 57% of respondent reported as female, 41% identified as male, and 1% as non-binary. In addition, a majority of respondents reported an income of between $25,000.00 and $50,000.00 (17%), with the second largest group reporting $50,000.00 to $75,000.00 (16%), and the third largest reporting $75,000.00 to $100,000.00 (13%), and the fourth largest group reporting $100,000.00 to $125,000.00 (8%).

For more information on BodyGuardz, its products, and its commitment to sustainability, visit BodyGuardz.com.

About BGZ BrandsBGZ brands mission is to enhance our customers lifestyles through branded products and services of elevated value and quality. What began as a small line of screen protectors for a limited number of devices has grown into a powerhouse company behind three distinct mobile accessory brandsBodyGuardz (www.bodyguardz.com), Lander (www.lander.com) and MOXYO (www.moxyo.com). For more information, visit BGZ brands (www.bgzbrands.com).

Contact:Alex Koritz[email protected]

Source: BGZ Brands
DENVER and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SPOTLITE360 IOT SOLUTIONS, INC. (SpotLite360 or the Company) (CSE: LITE) (OTC: SPLTF) (Frankfurt: 87A) is pleased to announce it has closed a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") and issued 3,500,000 units (Units) of the Company at a price of $0.10 per Unit for gross proceeds of $350,000. Each Unit consists of one common share (each a "Share") and one-half of one transferable Share purchase warrant (with two half warrants being a Warrant). Each whole Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one additional Share at a price of $0.20 per Share for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the date of issuance.

In connection with the Private Placement, the Company has paid cash finders fees of CAD$10,500 and it has issued 105,000 Warrants on the same terms as noted above to qualified parties.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Private Placement to support growth opportunities, customer installations and general working capital requirements.

All securities issued are subject to a statutory four month and one day hold period that expires on January 24, 2023.

None of the securities issued in connection with the Private Placement will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and none of them will be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state where such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,

SpotLite360 IOT Solutions, Inc.

James Greenwell

James Greenwell, President and CEO

For more information about SpotLite360, please visit: http://spotlite360.com

Investor Relations and Media Inquiries+1 (720) 830-6120[email protected]

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 SpotLite360 IOT Solutions, Inc.

SpotLite360 is a logistics technologies solutions provider unlocking value, opportunities, and efficiencies for all participants in a supply chain. Building upon existing applications of IoT technologies, distributed ledgers, and machine learning, SpotLite360 endeavours to set new standards of transparency, integrity, and sustainability in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and agriculture industries. As regulators across the globe begin to impose new tracing and accountability requirements for the protection of consumers (e.g., DSCSA and FSMA from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration), the need for reliable, cost-effective, and versatile tracking technology is expected to grow considerably. SpotLite360s flagship SaaS solution has been engineered to seamlessly track the movement of a product by integrating with systems of all major stakeholders in a supply chain ranging from the raw materials to the hands of the end consumer. With a primary objective of onboarding new clients in 2022, SpotLite360 plans to explore innovative use cases for its proprietary stack of technologies which could transform logistics workflows in some of the worlds largest industries.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, with respect to the Company. The forward-looking information included in this news release is not based on historical facts, but rather on the expectations of the Companys management regarding the future growth of the Resulting Issuer, its results of operations, performance, business prospects, and opportunities. This news release uses words such as will, expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, estimates, or similar expressions to identify forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information reflects the current beliefs of the Companys management, based on information currently available to them.

This forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements relating to: the intentions, plans and future actions of the Company; statements relating to the business and future activities of the Company; anticipated developments in operations of the Company; market position, ability to compete, and future financial or operating performance of the Company; the timing and amount of funding required to execute the business plans of the Company; capital expenditures of the Company; the effect on the Company, of any changes to existing or new legislation or policy or government regulation; the length of time required to obtain permits, certifications and approvals; the availability of labour; estimated budgets; currency fluctuations; requirements for additional capital; limitations on insurance coverage; the timing and possible outcome of regulatory and permitting matters; goals; strategies; future growth; the adequacy of financial resources; our expectations regarding revenues, expenses and anticipated cash needs.

In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate, and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Whether actual results, performance, or achievements will conform to the expectations and predictions of the Company is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, including those listed in the Company's non-offering prospectus dated May 26, 2021.

If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Information contained in forward-looking statements in this news release is provided as of the date of this news release, and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information or future events or results, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. Accordingly, potential investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, or the information contained in those statements.

All the forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements.

Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations Firms

Disclosures relating to investor relations firms retained by SpotLite360 IOT Solutions, Inc. can be found under the Company's profile on http://sedar.com.

Source: SpotLite360 IOT Solutions, Inc.
LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAAT GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. (CSE: TAAT) (OTCQX: TOBAF) (FRANKFURT: 2TP) (the Company or TAAT) is pleased to announce that it was a sponsor of the Boundary music festival in Brighton (population 290,000), an event which has an average attendance of approximately 20,000. The Company is scaling its marketing efforts targeted towards adult smokers in the United Kingdom as a greater supply of TAAT is set to enter the market, following the largest shipment of TAAT to the U.K. to date (as detailed in a September 16, 2022 press release).

Boundary is a one-day festival at Stanmer Park, which expanded the size of its outdoor venue space this year. TAATs UK distributor Green Global Earth (GGE) recognized the opportunity to capitalize on the events outdoor environment where smoking is permitted to gain awareness and trial among adult smokers attending the festival.

TAAT Chief Executive Officer Michael Saxon commented, For the launch of TAAT in the U.K. we initially focused on London, though we are now expanding into other areas of southeastern England as we organically grow our footprint. Being part of events like Boundary has proven to be effective in many countries in which I have worked, so were pleased to have had the opportunity to engage adult smokers at the Boundary festival as part of our widened U.K. rollout. This opportunity comes on the heels of our first in-person meeting with GGE who is doing a great job of building upon the brands existing presence in its first international market.

More information about Boundary can be found on the festivals website at the following link: https://boundarybrighton.com/

To enhance brand awareness among adult smokers in the U.K., TAAT was a sponsor of the Boundary festival in Brighton which took place on Saturday, September 24, 2022. The Company is scaling its U.K. commercialization activities for TAAT as a greater supply of its product enters the market.

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.

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 Relations1-833-TAAT-USA (1-833-822-8872)[email protected]

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: Potential outcomes from the TAAT sponsorship of the Boundary music festival in Brighton (U.K.). 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

Disclosures relating to investor relations firms retained by TAAT Global Alternatives Inc. can be found under the Company's profile on http://sedar.com.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/31628026-bcc6-4904-94ea-4d54c34a0ad0

Picture 1 To enhance brand awareness among adult smokers in the U.K., TAAT was a sponsor of the Boundary festival in Brighton which took place on Saturday, September 24, 2022. The Company is scaling its U.K. commercialization activities for TAAT as a greater supply of its product enters the market.

Source: TAAT Global Alternatives Inc.
Students Selected for Second Annual Program to Receive Professional Mentorship, Monetary Scholarship and Industry Development

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thermador, the iconic American luxury home appliance brand, has announced the 2022 student scholarship recipients of its second annual Diversity in Design Pipeline initiative, which launched last year in partnership with the Interior Design Society (IDS) to empower a new generation of design talent from underrepresented communities.



Student applicants shared personal stories about their unique journeys and design aspirations with the panel of judges. The winning students, who are entering their senior year at accredited interior design programs, will receive a comprehensive awards package that includes a financial scholarship of $10,000 toward tuition. A tailored yearlong mentorship from revered design professionals will also serve to further the students burgeoning careers within the industry. Invitations to key industry events, exclusive training, and a one-year student membership to IDS round out the package.

The 2022 student applications included powerful stories showcasing passion, drive and ambition. The diverse group of winners includes: Angelica Dela Roca from Arizona State University, Celia Pena from Florida State University, Marlena Rhinehart from Pellissippi State Community College, Nadia Nassar from Arizona State University, and Sarah Pascarella from California State University, Long Beach.

This years judging panel includes: House Beautiful Director of Editorial Special Projects Carisha Swanson, HGTV Design Star Alum Justin Q. Williams, International Designer Tyler Wisler, David Charette, Founding Principal of Britto Charette, and Award-Winning Brazilian Interior Designer Juliana Oliveira.

Entering our second year of our Diversity in Design Pipeline program, Thermador is honored to connect with a new class of exceptional design students, said Beatriz Sandoval, Head of Brand Marketing for Thermador. It is a sincere privilege to be able to work with our new students as our partnership with Interior Design Society allows us to provide essential opportunities for our industrys new emerging young talent. Our goal for this program is to offer students important networking connections, mentorship and guidance so that they can establish their unique marks as interior designers.

Thermador and IDS chose this years professional design mentors for their specialized expertise and industry contributions. The roster includes: Cassandra Brunson, President and Design Principle of Design+, Kendra Rhoulhac, Interior Designer at Interiors by Brown; Liz Toombs, President and OwnerofPDR Interiors; Michael Cox, Owner of Foley & Cox Interiors; and Shelly Preziosi, Owner and Principle of Shelly Preziosi Designs Inc. The tailored mentorship program meets on a bimonthly basis to discuss the essential skills needed to be successful in the highly competitive interior design industry. Each mentor is also available to offer guidance as the students prepare to embark on their future careers as design professionals.

IDS is excited to continue working alongside Thermador to expand the reach of this impactful program, said Jenny Cano, Executive Director for the Interior Design Society. Going into our second year, we are building upon the success of our inaugural endeavor, and were excited to support each member of the newest class as they take the significant step of furthering their aspirations and unearthing their promising career paths.

I cannot thank you enough for this incredible opportunity, said student recipient Sarah Pascarella. I am overjoyed to be entering my senior year of college with Thermador and IDS by my side! I am thrilled to join you, learn from you, and truly take in all the knowledge you have to offer me and can't wait to create lifelong relationships with such talented designers!

It is a pleasure to be able to mentor these young students who are the future of the design industry and provide them with the guidance to launch their careers, said mentor Kendra Rhoulhac. These students demonstrate tremendous promise that makes me confident for what is to come in the world of design.

For more information about the Diversity in Design Pipeline Initiative, please visit: https://www.thermador.com/us/build-and-design/diversity-in-design.

About Thermador

Since 1916, Thermador has introduced innovative breakthroughs  from the worlds first wall ovens and gas cooktops with the patented Star Burner, to the Freedom Induction Cooktop, the first full-surface induction appliance, as well as the Freedom Collection, the first modular built-in fresh food, freezer and wine preservation columns. Thermador products span two completely redesigned collections: Masterpiece and Professional. These collections establish a true connection with consumers through Home Connect, which provides access to personalized content, unique partnerships and customized product guidance. Thermador is part of BSH Home Appliances Corporation, a fully owned subsidiary of BSH Hausgerate GmbH, a global leader in the home appliance industry. For more information, visit www.thermador.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at: www.facebook.com/thermador, @Thermador and @ThermadorHome, respectively.

About the Interior Design Society (IDS)

The Interior Design Society (IDS) is one of the country's largest design organizations dedicated to serving the residential interior design industry. Its a group of like-minded professionals interested in broadening their network, professional development, and continued education. IDS offers its members a place to belong within a supportive and welcoming design community through local chapters nationwide, and the new Virtual Chapter! IDS was initially founded in 1973 by the National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA) with a goal of supporting interior designers working in furniture stores. IDS has long since elevated and expanded its focus to provide support to professional interior design entrepreneurs nationwide. The national headquarters is located in High Point, North Carolina, the home furnishings capital of the world. For more information, visit interiordesignsociety.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at: https://www.facebook.com/IDSNational/, @IDSnational respectively.

Media Contact:

Allison Field

[email protected]
The Emotet comeback continues as threat actors target SCADA systems

SEATTLE, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WatchGuard Technologies, a global leader in unified cybersecurity, today announced findings from its most recent Internet Security Report, which details the top malware trends and network security threats analyzed by WatchGuard Threat Lab researchers in Q2 2022. Key findings from the data include a reduction in overall malware detections from the peaks seen in the first half of 2021, an increase in threats for Chrome and Microsoft Office, the ongoing Emotet botnet resurgence, and much more.

While overall malware attacks in Q2 fell off from the all-time highs seen in previous quarters, over 81% of detections came via TLS encrypted connections, continuing a worrisome upward trend, said Corey Nachreiner, Chief Security Officer at WatchGuard. This could reflect threat actors shifting their tactics to rely on more elusive malware.

Other key findings from the Q2 Internet Security Report include:

Office exploits continue to spread more than any other category of malware. In fact, the quarters top incident was the Follina Office exploit (CVE-2022-30190), which was first reported in April and not patched until late May. Delivered via a malicious document, Follina was able to circumvent Windows Protected View and Windows Defender and has been actively exploited by threat actors, including nation states. Three other Office exploits (CVE-2018-0802, RTF-ObfsObjDat.Gen, and CVE-2017-11882) were widely detected in Germany and Greece.

Endpoint detections of malware were down overall, but not equally. Despite a 20% decrease in total endpoint malware detections, malware exploiting browsers collectively increased by 23%, with Chrome seeing a 50% surge. One potential reason for the increase in Chrome detections is the persistence of various zero day exploits. Scripts continued to account for the lions share of endpoint detections (87%) in Q2.

The top 10 signatures accounted for more than 75% of network attack detections. This quarter saw increased targeting of ICS and SCADA systems that control industrial equipment and processes, including new signatures (WEB Directory Traversal -7 and WEB Directory Traversal -8). The two signatures are very similar; the first exploits a vulnerability first uncovered in 2012 in a specific SCADA interface software while the second is most widely detected in Germany.

A resurgent Emotet looms large. While Emotet volume has declined since last quarter, Emotet remains one of network security's biggest threats. One of the quarters top 10 overall and top 5 encrypted malware detections, XLM.Trojan.abracadabra  a Win Code injector that spreads the Emotet botnet  was widely seen in Japan.

WatchGuards quarterly research reports are based on anonymized Firebox Feed data from active WatchGuard Fireboxes whose owners have opted to share data in direct support of the Threat Labs research efforts. In Q2, WatchGuard blocked a total of more than 18.1 million malware variants (234 per device) and more than 4.2 million network threats (55 per device). The full report includes details on additional malware and network trends from Q2 2022, recommended security strategies, critical defense tips for businesses of all sizes and in any sector, and more.

For a detailed view of WatchGuards research, read the complete Q2 2022 Internet Security Report here, or visit: https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-resource-center/security-report-q2-2022

About WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.

WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. is a global leader in unified cybersecurity. Our Unified Security Platform approach is uniquely designed for managed service providers to deliver world-class security that increases their business scale and velocity while also improving operational efficiency. Trusted by more than 17,000 security resellers and service providers to protect more than 250,000 customers, the companys award-winning products and services offer five critical elements of a security platform: comprehensive security, shared knowledge, clarity & control, operational alignment, and automation. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. To learn more, visit WatchGuard.com.

For additional information, promotions and updates, follow WatchGuard on Twitter (@WatchGuard), on Facebook, or on the LinkedIn Company page. Also, visit our InfoSec blog, Secplicity, for real-time information about the latest threats and how to cope with them at www.secplicity.org. Subscribe to The 443  Security Simplified podcast at Secplicity.org, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

WatchGuard is a registered trademark of WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. All other marks are property of their respective owners.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West Mining Corp. (West or the Company) (CSE: WEST) (OTC: WESMF) is pleased to announce that it has received the final result for the Companys 2022 soil sampling program from its Blue Cove Copper Project located in Newfoundland. A total of 232 samples were collected over four separate target areas on the Project. These areas include the Hilltop, Ryles Barisway, Yellow Cove and Blue Cove targets.

In addition, a ground magnetometer survey was completed on the Hilltop Target. Results and maps related to the results of the ground work has been made available on the Companys website.

The results of the exploration work proved successful in defining geochemical targets of interest in all areas with the most compelling of these related to the Hilltop Target. A defining multi-element copper, zinc and silver anomaly correlating directly with a geological contact based on magnetic data was defined across the length of the survey area. This geochemical/geophysical target is located in an area where a single 184 foot drill hole by prospectors utilizing a winkie drill intersected a 5 foot interval with individual samples grading up to 0.49% Cu, 2.0% Pb and 1.9% Zn historically. Geochemical targets were also identified on the west side of the Ryles Barisway grid in the area of known copper mineralization. Additional work is required to followup on this target to better delinate the anomaly. At the main Blue Cove showing, the difficult terrain in the area made it impossible to perform soil sampling in an effective manner. Samples in the general area of Blue Cove did however highlight a zinc anomaly in the area.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f76ffb4f-e71f-4936-a6be-a0820af76a7f

The results of the first exploration program at Blue Cove Project illustrate the need for additional work to be performed.

Nick Houghton, President and CEO comments, It is very encouraging to see the final soil sample results returned from the lab with defining anomalous outcrops along the expanse of the Blue Cove project. The area has proven its worth to the Company as an exploration target and merits further delineation.

Soil samples were collected in a careful and diligent manner. Samples were tagged and secured prior to shipment to Eastern Analytical Labs located in Springdale, Newfoundland. Eastern Analytical is a 17025 ISO accredited commercial laboratory in operation since 1987. All samples were assayed using the ICP (Induced Couple Plasma) multi-element package with fire assay for gold.

Dean Fraser, P.Geo., a "Qualified Person" for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

About West Mining Corp.

West Mining Corp. is a mineral exploration company acquiring and developing advanced and prospective early-stage exploration projects. It is fully focused on its 100% owned, 9000 hectare Kena Project located near Nelson, British Columbia. The Kena Project comprises three adjoining Properties: Kena, Daylight and Athabasca. A recent NI43-101 resource estimate for Kena gave 561,900 oz Au indicated and 2,773,100 oz Au inferred at a cut off of 0.25 g/t Au contained within the Gold Mountain, Kena Gold and Daylight Zones. The Kena Property also hosts the large Kena Copper Zone, along with with the historic Euphrates and Gold Cup gold-silver mines. The Daylight property contains the historic past producing Daylight, Starlight, Victoria, Irene and Great Eastern gold mines. Along trend to the north is the Athabasca Property, with the historic Athabasca Gold Mine. The historic mines and known mineralized zones on these three properties are structurally controlled along a 20 kilometre strike as identified by strong geophysical signatures.

For additional information, please refer to the Companys public disclosure record available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

West Mining Corp.Nicholas HoughtonPresident & CEO[email protected]

The Canadian Securities Exchange accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words may, would, could, should, potential, will, seek, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Companys current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to them, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation: the potential of the Companys mineral properties; the estimation of capital requirements; the estimation of operating costs; the timing and amount of future business expenditures; and the availability of necessary financing. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. Such factors include but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and exploration or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward- looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law.

Figure 1 Area Map of the Soil Survey Locations

Source: West Mining Corp.
TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Western Metallica Resources Corp. (TSXV: WMS) (Western Metallica or the Company) is pleased to announce the results of its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on September 28th, 2022. The Company announces that the nominees listed in the Management Information Circular dated August 11th, 2022, for the Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Company (the Meeting) were elected as Directors of the Company. Over 97% of the shareholders that voted at the AGM approved the Director voting resolutions presented, setting the number of Directors at five and re-electing each of Gregory Duras, Peter Imhof, Joaquin Merino and Deepak Varshney to the Companys Board of Directors, as well as appointing nominated Director Brigitte Berneche.

A total of 14,939,130 votes were represented at the meeting, 29.33 percent of the Companys 50,941,998 issued and outstanding shares at the record date. Shareholders voted in favor of all matters brought before the meeting including the appointment of auditors and the election of managements nominees as directors.

Detailed results of the vote for the election of Directors held virtually at the Meeting on September 28th, 2022, are set out below. The shareholders approved the election of Directors of the persons listed below, based on the following votes:

Board of Director Nominees NumberVotes For % Votes For Number Votes Withheld % Votes Withheld Gregory Duras 14,513,400 99.9 200,000 0.001 Peter Imhof 14,513,400 99.9 200,000 0.001 Joaquin Merino 14,513,400 99.9 200,000 0.001 Deepak Varshney 14,713,400 100 - 0 Brigitte Berneche 14,713,400 100 - 0

Shareholders at the meeting also approved the appointment of McGovern Hurley LLP as the Companys auditors and the Companys continuance to Ontario. Disinterested shareholders also approved an omnibus incentive plan pursuant to which the Company may issue restrictive share units and stock options to eligible participants, subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSXV.

Western Metallica is also pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Brigitte Berneche to its board of directors, effective September 28th, 2022. Ms. Berneche is a CPA, CA, with 15 years of experience operating with public companies in the mining and publishing sectors, as well as experience with large accounting firms, specializing in corporate tax. Since 2014, she has dedicated her time to a grass roots charity she created which provides financial assistance to families with children with cerebral palsy. She holds an Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto and sits on the board of Labrador Uranium Inc.

Gregory Duras, CEO and Director of Western Metallica Resources commented, On behalf of the Company and as a fellow Director, I am very pleased to extend Ms. Berneche a warm welcome. Her extensive business and accounting experience will complement our Boards capabilities as Western Metallica continues to advance its gold and copper exploration projects. Ms. Berneches skills complement our Boards capacity to steward the company as we expand our presence in Spain, one of the most prolific gold producing regions in the world. I am also pleased that the Company has been able to attract such highly experienced individuals, such as Ms. Berneche, to bring additional depth and diversity to the Board of Directors.

Mr. James Walker did not stand for re-election and ceased to be a Director effective September 28th, 2022. The Company thanks Mr. Walker for his time, service, and contributions during his tenure. Western Metallicas Board would also like to express its gratitude to its shareholders for their continued support.

About Western Metallica Resources Corp.

Western Metallica is a British Columbia company with its head office in Toronto, Ontario, trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) under symbol WMS. Western Metallica is in the business of mineral resource exploration and development, its principal asset is its 100% owned Penedela Gold Property in the Navelgas Gold Belt in Asturias, Spain. Western Metallica also has an interest in two other Spanish gold projects in the Navelgas Gold Belt in Asturias (Valledor and Sierra Alta) and one project located in Andalucia (Nueva Celti).

Further information of the Company can be found at: www.westernmetallica.com

For more information please contact:

Western Metallica Resources Corp. Gregory DurasChief Executive OfficerEmail: [email protected]

Investor RelationsEmail: [email protected]

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This press release contains statements that constitute forward-statements. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words estimate, project, belief, anticipate, intend, expect, plan, predict, may or should and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the planned drill program and the development of the Penedela Project and other mining projects and prospects thereof. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Source: Western Metallica Resources Corp.
Eloro Resources (TSX.V: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF) (FSE: P2QM) today announced voting results in connection with the annual and special meeting of the companys shareholders, which was held virtually on Sept. 27, 2022. According to the announcement, a total of 31,830,069 common shares representing 45.55% of the companys issued and outstanding common shares were voted in connection with the meeting. Shareholders voted in favor of the election of the six director nominees as well as other items of business, including the re-appointment of RSM Canada LLP as the companys auditors, the adoption of new company by-laws, and the approval of the companys new Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP).

To view the full article, visit https://ibn.fm/jfQXK

About Eloro Resources Ltd.

Eloro is an exploration and mine development company with a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in Bolivia, Peru and Quebec. Eloro has an option to acquire a 99% interest in the highly prospective Iska Iska Property, which can be classified as a polymetallic epithermal-porphyry complex, a significant mineral deposit type in the Potosi Department, in southern Bolivia. A recent NI 43-101 technical report on Iska Iska, which was completed by Micon International Limited, is available on Eloros website and under its filings on SEDAR. Iska Iska is a road-accessible, royalty-free property. Eloro also owns an 82% interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the north-central mineral belt of Peru some 50 km south of Barricks Lagunas Norte Gold Mine and Pan American Silvers La Arena Gold Mine. La Victoria consists of eight mining concessions and eight mining claims encompassing approximately 89 square kilometers. La Victoria has good infrastructure with access to road, water and electricity and is located at an altitude that ranges from 3,150m to 4,400m above sea level. For more information about the company, visit www.EloroResources.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to ELRRF are available in the companys newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ELRRF

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Signage is seen at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

By Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ordered Regions Financial Corp to pay $191 million in fines and refunds, after the regulator said the Birmingham, Alabama-based bank charged customers illegal overdraft fees for years.

From 2018 to 2021 Regions charged roughly $141 million in illegal fees, which will be refunded, the CFPB said in a statement on Wednesday. The bank will also pay a $50 million fine.

The bank did not admit or deny the CFPB's findings. In a statement, the bank said it was pleased to resolve the matter, and had stopped charging that fee over a year ago.

The CFPB said regulators have long discouraged banks from charging so-called "authorized positive" fees, which are fees a bank charges when a customer has enough funds at the time of a transaction, but ends up overdrawing their account when the transaction clears the following day due to other activity.

The agency said the bank could have scrapped the fee earlier, but while building an alternate fee structure, it kept in place "unintelligible and manipulative processes" that made it difficult for customers to know if they had enough funds to cover transactions. The CFPB order bans the bank from charging the fee going forward.

"Regions Bank raked in tens of millions of dollars in surprise overdraft fees every year, even after its own staff warned that the bank's practices were illegal," CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in the statement. "Too often, large financial firms make a calculation that continuing to break the law is more profitable than following it."

(Reporting by Pete Schroeder; Editing by Paul Simao and Chris Reese)
A small toy figure and gold imitation are seen in front of the Newmont logo in this illustration taken November 19, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Files

(Reuters) - Top gold miner Newmont Corp said on Wednesday chief financial officer Nancy Buese will step down on Nov. 1 and will be succeeded by Brian Tabolt on an interim basis.

Tabolt joined Newmont in 2021 and is currently the company's vice president, controller and chief accounting officer.

(Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - First Hydrogen Corp. (TSXV: FHYD) (OTC Pink: FHYDF) (FSE: FIT) ("FIRST HYDROGEN" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it is advancing its European Union strategy with expansion in key European countries. This strategy is supported by the European Parliament's decision to commit to ambitious binding renewable targets and simplify the regulatory framework, with green hydrogen at the centre of this commitment.

First Hydrogen currently has key personnel in Germany, Austria, Spain, and the Benelux region. Further activities will now include development in Germany, Benelux, Eastern Europe, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy.

The new initiative will focus on identifying and signing up fleets with interest in participating in the planned European trials of the First Hydrogen Light Commercial Vans expected to commence early 2024 in Germany and France. Green hydrogen production opportunities will also be identified and developed in addition to reviewing national distribution network plans in order to identify First Hydrogen's opportunities to contribute to any planned national networks.

The European Parliament has voted in support of achieving an overall renewable energy contribution of at least 32% of the total energy mix by 2030. It will achieve a supply of twenty million tons (20Mt) of green hydrogen by 2030, with 10Mt produced (binding commitment) and a further 10Mt imported. In addition, for the transport sector greenhouse gas intensity reductions of at least 16% have been set to be achieved by 2030.

In order to ensure that green hydrogen production can start immediately, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her state of the union address announced the creation of a new European Hydrogen Bank. In her statement she argued that, "Hydrogen can be a game changer for Europe, and we believe that the 3bn budget - from the existing Innovation Fund - will be a good starting point, however we will be working to leverage that amount to ensure we move our hydrogen economy from niche to scale."

The EU markets represent some 35% of the Global Light Commercial vehicle market, with the largest EU market shares being in Germany (19%), France (28%), Italy (11%) and Spain (11%). On green hydrogen production, in addition to the recent announcements, so far the EU has announced approximately 75-billion of investments in the sector.

Nicholas Wrigley, Chairman of First Hydrogen UK, said: "The European Union policy framework and commitment to hydrogen is now in place and represents a significant opportunity for First hydrogen's total solution business model of providing fleet vehicles and hydrogen as a service."

Steve Gill, CEO of First Hydrogen Automotive, said: "We are able to quickly move into Europe by leveraging the work already competed in the UK with our initial demonstrator vans. Similar fleet trails are planned in the EU as planned with multiple fleet operators in the UK. Our vans are offering industry-leading range, rapid refueling and performance."

Robert Campbell, CEO of First Hydrogen Energy, said: "We are very encouraged to now see such strong support for green hydrogen in Europe and North America. These developments underpin our business plans for years to come."

The Company has entered into an agreement with Canaccord Genuity Corp. ("CGC") to assist in the exercise of the Company's outstanding share purchase warrants. CGC will be compensated with a cash fee equal to 5% of the total gross proceeds raised from the exercise of the share purchase warrants and a warrant (an "Agent's Warrant") exercisable at $4.50 into one common share for a period of two years from issuance.

About First Hydrogen Corp. (FirstHydrogen.com)

First Hydrogen Corp. is a Vancouver and London UK-based company focused on zero-emission vehicles, green hydrogen production and distribution and supercritical carbon dioxide extractor systems. The Company is designing and building hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered light commercial demonstrator vehicles ("LCV") under two agreements with AVL Powertrain and Ballard Power Systems Inc. The LCV will have a range of 500+ kilometres. At the same time, the company has launched its bespoke vehicle design phase which will develop its fleet of proprietary zero-emission vehicles. First Hydrogen is also developing refueling capability working with FEV Consulting GmbH, the automotive consultancy of FEV Group of Aachen Germany. The Company is also pursuing opportunities in green hydrogen production and distribution in the UK and elsewhere.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

FIRST HYDROGEN CORP.

"Balraj Mann"

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Contact:

Balraj Mann

First Hydrogen Corp.

604-601-2018

[email protected]

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains information or statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Forward-looking information may include, without limitation, statements regarding the operations, business, financial condition, expected financial results, performance, prospects, opportunities, priorities, targets, goals, ongoing objectives, milestones, strategies and outlook of First Hydrogen, and includes statements about, among other things, future developments and the future operations, strengths and strategies of First Hydrogen. Forward-looking information is provided for the purpose of presenting information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results.

The forward-looking statements made in this news release are based on management's assumptions and analysis and other factors that may be drawn upon by management to form conclusions and make forecasts or projections, including management's experience and assessments of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Although management believes that these assumptions, analyses and assessments are reasonable at the time the statements contained in this news release are made, actual results may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Examples of risks and factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from forward-looking statements may include: the timing and unpredictability of regulatory actions; regulatory, legislative, legal or other developments with respect to its operations or business; limited marketing and sales capabilities; early stage of the industry and product development; limited products; reliance on third parties; unfavourable publicity or consumer perception; general economic conditions and financial markets; the impact of increasing competition; the loss of key management personnel; capital requirements and liquidity; access to capital; the timing and amount of capital expenditures; the impact of COVID-19; shifts in the demand for First Hydrogen's products and the size of the market; patent law reform; patent litigation and intellectual property; conflicts of interest; and general market and economic conditions.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of First Hydrogen as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. First Hydrogen undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

NEITHER 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

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138632
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - Global Care Capital Inc. (CSE: HLTH) (FSE: L6V2) (the "Company" or "Global Care") announces the appointment of Ho Hung Ricky Chung to the Board of Directors, taking the place of Alexander Somjen, who has resigned.

Mr. Chung graduated from BCIT in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 1979, and also obtained a bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

Mr. Chung was employed by H.A. Simons International a consulting engineering firm for over eight (8) years as an electrical engineer in the construction of pulp and paper sawmills. Additionally, Mr Chung was involved in the establishment and operations of a Hong Kong based internet provider and as the Project Manager in the construction of "Water Park" in Guangzhou, China. Mr. Chung has been providing consulting services for various educational sectors in various sectors in China and Canada. Mr. Chung is a director of TWX Group Holding Limited (formally known as EA Education Group Inc.) which traded on the Canadian Stock Exchange.

Global Care welcomes Mr. Chung, and thanks Mr. Somjen for his time on the Board of Directors.

About Global Care

Global Care Capital is a global investment company which specializes in providing early-stage financing to private and public companies. The Company engages in new, early-stage investment opportunities in previously underdeveloped assets and obtaining positions in early-stage investment opportunities that adequately reflect the risk profile.

GLOBAL CARE CAPITAL INC.:

Company Contact:

Mr. Hugh Maddin, Interim CEO

"Hugh Maddin"

604-687-2038

[email protected]

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138744
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - Pancontinental Resources Corporation (TSXV: PUC) (OTCQB: PUCCF) ("Pancon" or the "Company") has completed all field work and has received all data for its 6-square kilometer dipole-dipole induced polarization (IP) geophysical survey, covering most of the 1,000-acre Brewer property and a significant portion of its adjacent Jefferson Project properties, located in Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

The IP survey was designed to cover the large alteration footprint exposed across the Brewer and surrounding Jefferson Project properties. The alteration exposed on surface forms a large topographic anomaly (see Figure 1), and consists predominantly of quartz with a diagnostic suite of advanced argillic alteration minerals including kaolinite, pyrophyllite, and topaz. Known gold-copper mineralization at Brewer occurs within this alteration zone and is hosted by a breccia unit that contains several percent sulphides. The IP geophysical method is ideally suited to help map the distribution of these alteration and sulphide zones in the subsurface and will provide important information to Pancon's exploration and discovery model. Integration of the geophysical and geologic information is ongoing, and the Company's interpretation and analysis of the data is expected to be completed in coming weeks.

Figure 1: Dipole-Dipole IP Survey Lines Location



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5156/138605_4f3c026214e0d8a6_003full.jpg

Pancon President and CEO Layton Croft stated: "Our new dipole-dipole IP survey is the most comprehensive geophysical survey ever conducted at Brewer, and allows us to see approximately 250 meters below surface, which is especially useful for the large and complex Brewer system. our geophysical interpretation and analysis will enhance our knowledge of existing priority drill targets, and will provide us with new drill targets. Our geophysical work will set the stage for the next phase of drilling."

The IP survey was carried out by Gophysique TMC of Quebec, Canada. Survey field work was conducted from May to July 2022, and Pancon received all survey data from TMC in August 2022. A total of 19 lines were surveyed using the dipole-dipole electrode array. The nominal a spacing between the electrodes was 100 meters and 8 dipoles were read (n = 1 to 8). The north-south oriented lines were 3 to 3.5 kilometers in length and spaced 100 meters apart for a total of 62 line kilometers surveyed (see Figure 1).

In addition, Mr. Philip Corriher resigned from the Board of Directors, effective today. The Company thanks Mr. Corriher for his valuable service and many contributions to the Pancon Board since October 2020.

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in NI 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Patrick Quigley, MSc, CPG-12116, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

About Pancon

Pancontinental Resources Corp. (TSXV: PUC) (OTCQB: PUCCF), or Pancon, is a Canadian junior mining company exploring the rich, underexplored Carolina Slate Belt in the southeastern USA. In January 2020, Pancon won the exclusive right to explore and purchase the former Brewer Gold Mine property, with an option period through October 2023. Between 1987-1995, Brewer produced 178,000 ounces of oxide gold from open pits that extended to 65-meter depths, where gold (Au) and copper (Cu) sulphides were exposed but could not be processed by the oxide heap leach operation. Pancon's 100%-owned, 1,960-acre Jefferson Gold Project nearly completely surrounds the 1,000-acre Brewer property. The Brewer-Jefferson area of interest, in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, is 12 kilometers along trend from the producing Haile Gold Mine, which produced 190,000 ounces of gold in 2021 (www.oceanagold.com). Brewer is a large, epithermal, high sulphidation gold-copper system driven by a sub-volcanic intrusive, possibly connected to a large copper-gold porphyry system at depth.

For further information, please contact:

Jeanny So, External Relations Manager

E: [email protected]

T: +1.647.202.0994

For additional information please visit our new website at http://www.panconresources.com/ and our Twitter feed: @PanconResources.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis as filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/138605
Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2022) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against The Hydrogen Technology Corporation, its former CEO, Michael Ross Kane, and Tyler Ostern, the CEO of Moonwalkers Trading Limited, a self-described market making firm, for their roles in effectuating the unregistered offers and sales of crypto asset securities called Hydro and for perpetrating a scheme to manipulate the trading volume and price of those securities, which yielded more than $2 million for Hydrogen.

The SECs complaint alleges that starting in January 2018, Kane and Hydrogen, a New York-based financial technology company, created its Hydro token and then publicly distributed the token through various methods: an airdrop, which is essentially giving away Hydro to the public; bounty programs, which paid the token to individuals in exchange for promoting it; employee compensation; and direct sales on crypto asset trading platforms. The complaint further alleges that, after distributing the token in those ways, Kane and Hydrogen hired Moonwalkers, a South Africa-based firm, in October 2018, to create the false appearance of robust market activity for Hydro through the use of its customized trading software or bot and then selling Hydro into that artificially inflated market for profit on Hydrogens behalf. Hydrogen allegedly reaped profits of more than $2 million as a result of the defendants conduct.

Companies cannot avoid the federal securities laws by structuring the unregistered offers and sales of their securities as bounties, compensation, or other such methods, said Carolyn M. Welshhans, Associate Director of the SECs Enforcement Division. As our enforcement action shows, the SEC will enforce the laws that prohibit such unregistered fund-raising schemes in order to protect investors.

As we allege, the defendants profited from their manipulation by creating a misleading picture of Hydros market activity, said Joseph Sansone, Chief of the Enforcement Divisions Market Abuse Unit. The SEC is committed to ensuring fair markets for all types of securities and will continue to expose and hold market manipulators accountable.

The SECs complaint, filed in federal district court in Manhattan, charges Hydrogen, Kane, and Ostern with violating the registration, antifraud, and market manipulation provisions of the securities laws and seeks permanent injunctive relief, conduct-based injunctions, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, civil penalties, and, as to Kane, an officer and director bar. Without admitting or denying the allegations, Ostern has consented to a judgment, subject to court approval, permanently enjoining him from violating these provisions and participating in future securities offerings and ordering him to pay $36,750 in disgorgement and prejudgment interest of $5,118, with civil monetary penalties to be determined at a later date by the court. Ostern has also agreed to an administrative order imposing a collateral industry bar and penny stock bar.

The SECs investigation was conducted by Sonia G. Torrico and Kathleen Hitchins, with assistance from John Marino of the Market Abuse Unit, David Crosbie from the Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit, and Olga Cruz-Ortiz of IT Forensics. The case was supervised by Paul Kim, Mr. Sansone, and Ms. Welshhans. The SECs litigation will be led by Nick Margida and supervised by James Connor. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority of South Africa, the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Founder and CEO Dr. Joel Myers: 'I wanted to raise the respect for weather forecasters and meteorologists overall  Today, when we forecast a snowstorm or a hurricane, people act on it and do what is necessary to get ready.'

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Since its founding in 1962, AccuWeather, the most accurate and most used source of weather forecasts and warnings, has revolutionized the field of meteorology. Now celebrating 60 years, AccuWeather's extraordinary record of forecast accuracy has been responsible for saving tens of thousands of lives in the United States and around the world.

The company held an anniversary celebration at its Global Weather Center headquarters in State College, Pennsylvania Thursday, September 22nd, which featured the participation of elected officials and leaders of the meteorological community as well as AccuWeather staff, clients and other distinguished guests. At the event, words of praise for AccuWeather's life-saving work came from National Weather Service Director Ken Graham, World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas, and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, among many others.

Also speaking at the event was Dr. Neeli Bandapudi the newly installed president of Pennsylvania State University, where AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel Myers earned three degrees in meteorology and established AccuWeather while a second-year graduate student. Dr. Myers taught meteorology at Penn State for nearly two decades; it is estimated that he had trained 17 percent of the nation's weather forecasters by the time he retired from teaching.

What began as the dream of one man flourished into a remarkable legacy that has been built on AccuWeather's proven Superior Accuracy, which Myers says is achieved by a combination of technology, patented processes and by the drive and dedication of the most talented weather forecasters, product developers and computer specialists in the world, working together in a "crucible of excellence."

"I had a burning desire to be a weather forecaster, and I wanted to combine this dream with my burgeoning entrepreneurial spirit," said Myers. "As a teenager, I wanted to raise the respect for weather forecasters and meteorologists overall. In those days, forecasts were the butt of jokes and cartoons, 'It is the only job you can get paid for to be regularly wrong.' Today, when we forecast a snowstorm or a hurricane, people act on it and do what is necessary to get ready."

Clearly, Myers, the exceptional AccuWeather team and the entire Weather Enterprise are accomplishing that mission. In his book, The Signal and the Noise, noted statistician Nate Silver examined forecasts across a wide variety of disciplines and discovered that most made virtually no progress in accuracy over the decades. The lone exception, he found, was the science of weather forecasting.

Study after study of forecast accuracy has confirmed the statistical superiority of AccuWeather forecasts over all other sources.

Said Myers, "Statistically, AccuWeather has no peers, but the value of AccuWeather forecasts goes far beyond their statistical superiority."

According to Myers, it is achieved through AccuWeather's finely tuned art and science of prediction, which includes using the best wording, focusing on the weather's impact, and the psychology of how the forecast will be interpreted, so people will clearly understand and take the right actions.

"It is through how we word the forecast, and how we explain the weather's impact to people and to companies, so they make better decisions, get more from their day, are 'in the know' and keep their families safer," said Myers. "Our users have more trust in AccuWeather forecasts than any other source."

Since 1962, AccuWeather has kept millions of people safe when severe weather has threatened, reduced bodily injury and helped people, businesses and communities reduce bad weather losses, including preventing hundreds of billions of dollars in property damage.

Continually refining and improving the science and art of prediction and weather forecasting over the past 60 years, Myers and AccuWeather have invented thousands of innovations along the way. AccuWeather MinuteCast, the patented AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature and the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes are simply a few tools the company has introduced for greater safety, convenience and comfort. Earlier this year, AccuWeather released groundbreaking AccuWeather Alerts advanced notifications to provide better, clearer and more concise notifications when severe weather threatens to complement official government warnings.

"In our 60 years, AccuWeather has certainly become a global brand and trusted source for accurate, actionable and, when needed, life-saving information," said Steven R. Smith, AccuWeather President, who began as a forecasting intern in 1997. "With extreme weather events increasingly impacting more humans around the world, there is a growing need for increased advanced notice and accuracy. No other weather source is better than AccuWeather at weather forecasting due to our unique forecasting philosophy that has been honed and refined for six decades."

AccuWeather's successes have been documented and reported throughout the world and are evidenced by its many long-lasting client and media partnerships, including a recently celebrated 50-year relationship with Channel 6abc Action News in Philadelphia. In addition, the American Meteorological Society has bestowed far more awards on AccuWeather than any other commercial weather company. Even Congress has cited AccuWeather for its accurate and life-saving warnings.

Said Myers, "Companies pay us hundreds of thousands of dollars a year  some even pay us millions -- because what we provide is unique and superior and people and business leaders understand that if they are not using the AccuWeather forecast, they may not be getting it right."

The benefits of accurate weather forecasts to society, the global economy, and people's lives are enormous and Smith feels the goal of a "perfect forecast" is still out there.

Said Smith, "From a national security perspective, destructive severe weather causes deaths and costs trillions of dollars each year. We feel the solution toward achieving a 100 percent accurate, X number of days out forecast must come from a multinational company, a company without borders because the weather has no borders. This drives me personally, and it is clear that our work is not done here, and there is so much more we can and will do."

About AccuWeather AccuWeather, recognized and documented as the most accurate source of weather forecasts and warnings in the world, has saved tens of thousands of lives, prevented hundreds of thousands of injuries, and saved tens of billions of dollars in property damage. AccuWeather's talented staff achieves this noble purpose and mission through a culture of ICE  Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship.

Today, AccuWeather is the most recognized and most used source of weather forecasts and warnings in the world, known to billions, and is proven and verified to be the most accurate. Digitally, AccuWeather is the #1 weather destination in the world and one of the top destination sites that exist globally.

AccuWeather forecasts appear on digital signage, in 700 newspapers, heard on over 800 radio stations, and on 100 television stations.

The AccuWeather Network reaches 35 million households, and its AccuWeather NOW streaming service is available to more than 200 million active users on many platforms, including Roku, Xumo, Red Box, LG, Amazon, and Freevee.

AccuWeather For Business serves more than half of the Fortune 500 companies and thousands of other businesses and government agencies globally who pay for the most accurate weather forecasts from any source.

AccuWeather's story is one of a fanatical dedication to Superior Accuracy , detail, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and the loyalty and commitment of many people who have joined AccuWeather's center of excellence, including many others who have dedicated their entire careers to AccuWeather.

Dr. Joel N. Myers, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, established AccuWeather in 1962 and is considered the "father of modern commercial meteorology." Myers, a leading creative thinker and visionary, has been named "the most accurate man in weather" by The New York Times and one of the top entrepreneurs in American history by Entrepreneur's Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs.

Visit accuweather.com for the most accurate hyperlocal forecasts and weather news. The AccuWeather app for Android phone and tablet users is free at the Google Play store. The AccuWeather iOS app is free at the Apple store.

Rhonda Seaton 310.508.0799

Bill Bagley 781.530.6863

[email protected] 385 Science Park Road State College, PA 16803-2215 accuweather.com

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SOURCE AccuWeather
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new special report, a family doctor and policy advocate with over 50 years of experience highlights current challenges for primary care and proposes increased spending within the profession. The report is published in the current issue of Annals of Family Medicine and is authored by Thomas Bodenheimer, MD, MPH, professor emeritus of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of California San Francisco.

Bodenheimer argues that low rates of national health expenditures dedicated to primary care, coupled with an ever increasing patient to clinician ratio  estimated at around 2,100 per clinician  has led to an increase in physician burnout and decreased patient access to care.

The United States has spent significantly less on primary care than other industrialized, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. In 2016, 5.4% of total health expenditures in the U.S. were directed towards primary care, compared to 7.8% in 22 other OECD countries. Additionally, increasingly complex and numerous electronic health record documentation requirements and declining numbers of new primary care doctors are widely cited as significant challenges for the field.

Bodenheimer proposes various solutions:

Increasing primary care spending through state level legislation.

Eliminating the pay gap between primary care physicians and specialists.

Developing multidisciplinary teams to care for large patient panels.

"With adequate primary care spending and powerful teams, primary care can become accessible to patients and joyful to all," Bodenheimer concludes.

In an accompanying editorial, by John M. Westfall, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Alison Huffstetler, Department of Family Medicine and Population Health at Virginia Commonwealth University, the authors find Bodenheimer's arguments compelling, writing, "The U.S. does not spend enough money to support primary care settings, train the primary care workforce, and this leads to lack of time to spend with patients on the care that really matters," adding that increased spending should be focused on team support, resources, technology and income equity for primary care clinicians.

Revitalizing Primary Care, Part 1: Root Causes of Primary Care's Problems and Revitalizing Primary Care, Part 2: Hopes for the FutureThomas Bodenheimer

It Will Take a Million Primary Care Team MembersJohn M. Westfall, Alison N. Huffstetler

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/annals-of-family-medicine-family-medicine-doctor-offers-solutions-to-challenges-facing-primary-care-in-special-report-301635877.html

SOURCE Annals of Family Medicine
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aurigo Software, North America's leading capital planning and construction management solution provider, announced the launch of Config+, a no-code, do-it-yourself advanced configuration engine, empowering end users to create, update, and deploy best practice business processes within the company's flagship platform, Masterworks. Config+ will dramatically cut down implementation and upgrade times, allowing customers to streamline the delivery of cloud-based business solutions for their capital programs.

Public agencies are constantly looking to deliver infrastructure and facility projects on time and on budget. The way each agency manages capital planning and construction is unique and business processes need to be configured according to the agency's specific local, regional, state, and federal requirements. Setting up the right workflows, approvals, and notifications can be time-consuming, resource-heavy, and slow down productivity. Until now, end users have required a high level of technical proficiency and training to complete certain workflow-related changes.

Balaji Sreenivasan, CEO and founder of Aurigo Software said, "As infrastructure and facilities investments increase over the next few years in the public sector, agencies will need to adapt quickly to changing regulatory, financial, and environmental conditions. With Config+, our customers' dependency on internal and external development resources for business requirements will reduce drastically, resulting in increased productivity and flexibility."

Config+ is an intuitive, yet powerful do-it-yourself configuration tool designed for business users with little or no coding experience. It allows authorized personnel to create and update forms, workflows, and reports with a user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop application components. Config+ also helps eliminate unnecessary documentation and multiple rounds of back-and-forth communication between end users and coders. The tool will allow even the most complex business logic and data validation rules to be updated quickly and easily without requiring technical expertise or coding knowledge.

"Config+ saves our customers time and resources," said Kevin Koenig, CTO of Aurigo Software. "Aurigo has partnered with technology leaders like Microsoft and AWS to deliver a faster, more intuitive experience for our end users."

Config+, a major enhancement to the Masterworks platform, is estimated to cut down turnaround time on process changes by up to 50%. Masterworks is used by public agencies across the U.S. and Canada to plan, build, and operate their infrastructure and facilities. Aurigo's customers include departments of transportation in Nevada, Utah, and Massachusetts, as well as the cities of Houston, Las Vegas, and Seattle.

About Aurigo Software

Aurigo builds software that helps build the world. Aurigo provides modern, cloud-based solutions for capital infrastructure and private owners to help plan with confidence, build with quality, and maintain their assets efficiently. With more than $300 billion of capital programs under management, Aurigo's solutions are trusted by over 300 customers in transportation, water and utilities, healthcare, higher education, and government on over 40,000 projects across North America. Aurigo helps capital program executives make better decisions based on proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning technology. Aurigo is a privately held U.S. corporation headquartered in Austin, Texas, with global offices in Canada and India.

Learn more at www.aurigo.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aurigo-software-launches-config-to-empower-infrastructure-and-facility-software-users-301634585.html

SOURCE Aurigo Software Technologies
CCRF's Emerging Scientist Award develops the independent research of highly qualified early-career scientists

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) recently awarded these eight promising scientists the Emerging Scientist Award, each worth $100,000, to pursue their research in the childhood cancer field:

Erin Crotty, MD, Seattle Children's Hospital, will use her grant to further investigate a brain cancer test she and her team have already developed.

will use her grant to further investigate a brain cancer test she and her team have already developed. Carol Fries Simpson, MD, University of Rochester, will study the genetic make-up of B-lymphoblastic lymphoma, an under-researched childhood cancer, to identify a targeted treatment approach for children battling the disease.

will study the genetic make-up of B-lymphoblastic lymphoma, an under-researched childhood cancer, to identify a targeted treatment approach for children battling the disease. Lillian Guenther, MD, St. Jude, is exploring a specific gene called SMARCAL1 that plays a key role in the development of metastatic osteosarcoma, a lethal bone cancer.

is exploring a specific gene called SMARCAL1 that plays a key role in the development of metastatic osteosarcoma, a lethal bone cancer. Emily Heikamp, MD, PhD, MSc, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will research the mechanisms that drive NUP98-r acute myeloid leukemia.

will research the mechanisms that drive NUP98-r acute myeloid leukemia. Jemma Larson, PhD, University of Minnesota, aims to understand the deadly impact of acute Graft-versus-Host Disease in the gastrointestinal tract.

aims to understand the deadly impact of acute Graft-versus-Host Disease in the gastrointestinal tract. Margot Lazow, MD, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, plans to conduct a clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a promising therapy called Lutathera in kids with deadly brain and spine tumors.

plans to conduct a clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a promising therapy called Lutathera in kids with deadly brain and spine tumors. Andrew Marley, PhD, University of Minnesota, will study the potential link between maternal obesity and acute lymphoblastic leukemia incidence in children.

will study the potential link between maternal obesity and acute lymphoblastic leukemia incidence in children. Jia-Ray Yu, PhD, Virginia Tech, plans to screen a series of drug-like compounds that could be used to treat acute myeloid leukemia and diffuse midline glioma.

"We would've never gotten [an R01 grant] without CCRF helping mature the project. The Emerging Scientist Award got the ball rolling, and we snowballed it into a bigger project," - Beau Webber, PhD, a 2017 Emerging Scientist Award recipient, is on his way to a 5-year, $3.3 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health to support his Ewing sarcoma research.

Why Children's Cancer Research Fund supports scientists early in their careers

At CCRF, we believe scientists early in their careers have inventive approaches that can advance the childhood cancer research field.

One of the most back-breaking parts of a researcher's career is right at the beginning. It's when they're trying to set up their labs and garner funding for their newly investigated ideas. Scientists entering childhood cancer research typically don't have extensive portfolios and research data that could make them stand out against more experienced researchers, making it difficult to earn large grants from the government and other institutions. Many innovative ideas stall or never get explored.

We've made it part of our mission to give early-career scientists the funding to pursue their research so kids can get treatments informed by fresh, forward-thinking perspectives. Our Emerging Scientist Award turns ideas into mature projects that vie for larger grants.

More about the Emerging Scientist Award can be found here.

About Children's Cancer Research Fund

CCRF invests in groundbreaking research that is leading to better treatments and cures for children with cancer. Since 1981, CCRF donors have funded research that has revolutionized the way childhood cancer is treated worldwide. Visit ChildrensCancer.org or call 888-422-7348 to learn more.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/childrens-cancer-research-fund-ccrf-awards-100-000-grants-to-eight-early-career-researchers-as-childhood-cancer-awareness-month-wraps-301636162.html

SOURCE Children's Cancer Research Fund
MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX, Telix, the Company) today announces that the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) has approved a pivotal Phase III registration study that will bridge to Telix's global Phase III 'ZIRCON' trial of TLX250-CDx (89Zr-girentuximab), for the imaging of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) with position emission tomography (PET).

The investigational new drug (IND) application was submitted by Telix's partner in the Greater China region, Grand Pharmaceutical Group Limited (Grand Pharma). The bridging study is required to provide "supplementary" data obtained in a Chinese population to establish that the diagnostic efficacy of this investigational product is equivalent in Chinese and Western populations. A dosimetry study enrolling 10 patients will precede the multi-centre Phase III bridging study, which is expected to enrol 100 patients.

A successful outcome from Telix's global ZIRCON trial combined with positive data from this Phase III bridging study will support a future marketing authorisation application for TLX250-CDx in China.

Dr David N Cade, CEO Telix Asia Pacific, said "This IND is a significant milestone for Telix and our partner Grand Pharma, enabling us to proceed with a pivotal registration study and ultimately bring new options to the 73,000 people newly diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma in China each year where there is currently critical unmet medical need."

About TLX250-CDx

TLX250-CDx (89Zr-girentuximab) is an investigational product being developed by Telix for the purpose of non-invasive detection of clear cell renal cancer in patients with "indeterminate renal masses" (IDRMs), typically identified based on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging and are an increasing medical dilemma as more scans are performed and more IDRMs are identified.

Girentuximab is a monoclonal antibody that targets carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), a cell surface target that is highly expressed in several human cancers including renal, lung and oesophageal cancers. In July 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy (BT) designation for TLX250-CDx,[1] reflecting the significant unmet clinical need to improve the diagnosis and staging of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common and aggressive form of kidney cancer.

About the ZIRCON Study

ZIRCON (Zirconium Imaging in Renal Cancer Oncology, NCT03849118) is a confirmatory, prospective, open-label, multi-centre phase III study to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of 89Zr-TLX250-CDx PET/CT imaging to non-invasively detect clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC) in adult patients with "indeterminate renal masses" (IDRMs), scheduled for partial or total nephrectomy. The study completed enrolment in July 2022 and Telix expects to report study outcomes in 2H, 2022.[2]

About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited

Telix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with international operations in the United States, Europe (Belgium and Switzerland), and Japan. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage products that aims to 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),[3] and by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).[4] Telix is also progressing marketing authorisation applications for this investigational candidate in Europe[5] and Canada.[6]

Telix Investor Relations

Ms. Kyahn WilliamsonTelix Pharmaceuticals LimitedSVP Corporate Communications and Investor RelationsEmail: [email protected]

This announcement has been authorised for release by 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 1 July 2020. [2] ASX disclosure 11 July 2022. [3] ASX disclosure 20 December 2021. [4] ASX disclosure 2 November 2021. [5] ASX disclosure 10 December 2021. [6] ASX disclosure 16 December 2020.

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SOURCE Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited
Data-focused digital media veteran to supercharge next phase of growth as consultative partner to brands and agencies

DENVER, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Choozle, an omnichannel digital advertising platform and consultative partner to agencies and brands, announced that Adam Woods has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Woods will be responsible for extending the company's growth as it evolves beyond a self-service platform to help brands and agencies execute omnichannel campaigns  across programmatic, search and social  as a service-based ally to its clients.

Woods brings more than two decades of experience developing highly scalable technologies that drive business value through deep understanding and analysis of customer needs. He has been ingrained in Choozle's leadership team for two years, serving as the company's Chief Technology Officer, and most recently, Chief Client Officer, helping to continue Choozle's strong growth. Prior to joining Choozle, Woods was Chief Technology Officer at Wunderman Thompson Data. In this role, he helped develop a global data company that brings a privacy-first consultative approach to programmatic advertising strategies and empowers marketing leaders at Fortune 500 brands to achieve the true value of their first-party data.

"I've enjoyed working with the Choozle team over the past two years to achieve our goal of powering programmatic advertising for every brand, and am excited to continue to drive that mission forward," Woods said. "Businesses need to solve for universal challenges regarding how to effectively engage customers, particularly within the guardrails of the new privacy landscape. Choozle will continue to provide affordable, approachable yet sophisticated technology and guidance to enable success in such a fast-evolving space."

Choozle's Founder and former CEO, Andrew Fischer, resigned in May of this year; he will continue to hold his position as a board member.

"Choozle is in a great position for growth with Adam at the helm," said Fischer. "He's been a highly valued asset to the company and embodies our mission by ensuring agencies and brands have the knowledge and tools needed to execute successful campaigns. I'm excited to see what comes next for such a driven and talented organization of people."

About Choozle:

Choozle is an omnichannel digital advertising platform and consultative partner that helps advertisers navigate the complexities of the digital media landscape. Choozle provides a digital advertising software platform that leverages detailed consumer data to power programmatic advertising campaigns for an omnichannel world  all from a single, intuitive interface. Choozle combines the sophistication of multiple digital advertising tools, a demand-side platform, data management platform, and smart tag management into a single platform with human media optimization expertise to engage audiences no matter where they are. Designed for advertising agencies and marketing departments, Choozle has democratized the adtech ecosystem with its intuitive, elegant, and affordable solution. choozle.com

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SOURCE Choozle
EPFL and former Stanford professor recognized for his significant impact on the electronic system design industry through pioneering technical contributions

MILPITAS, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Giovanni De Micheli, Professor and Director of the Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEL) and of the Integrated Systems Centre at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland, has been honored with the 2022 Phil Kaufman Award for Distinguished Contributions to Electronic System Design. The award is presented annually by the Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), a SEMI Technology Community, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Council on Electronic Design Automation (CEDA).

Dr. De Micheli was recognized for his extensive contributions to electronic design automation (EDA). His EDA tools and methodologies research has helped drive significant advances in the academic field of design automation and made a lasting impact on the industry through their incorporation into commercial EDA solutions. Notably, he developed multiple technologies while inspiring his students, university researchers and engineers in the industry. His work has expanded the fields of high-level synthesis, logic synthesis, and Network-on-Chip (NoC) for more than 30 years.

"Professor De Micheli, or Nanni to many of us who've been driving our industry forward for decades, stands as a relentless advocate for our field," said Aart de Geus, Chairman and CEO of Synopsys. "While many predicted our industry was fully matured, he remained focused and creative, be it with the encoding of finite-state machines combined with logic minimization or solving the cell-library mapping problem with Boolean matching. I am not alone when I express my appreciation to Nanni for advancing the field, but most important, for continuing to add findings that keep our profession fresh and exciting!"

"For the over three decades that I have known Professor De Micheli, he has established himself as a true force in the EDA community," said Dr. Patrick Groeneveld, past chair of the Design Automation Conference (DAC). "His key technical contributions lie in the areas of logic synthesis, hardware software co-design, NoC design and physical synthesis."

"Dr. De Micheli has been a stalwart innovator and supporter of EDA with numerous and lasting contributions, and certainly he well deserves this honor," said Gi-Joon Nam, President of the IEEE Council on EDA.

"On behalf of the ESD Alliance, I congratulate Professor De Micheli on receiving the 2022 Phil Kaufman award," said Simon Segars, ESD Alliance Chairman. "The industry would not be where it is today without his groundbreaking research, which was often years ahead of its time. His impact on the industry is well-recognized and celebrated with this distinguished award."

About Dr. Giovanni De Micheli

Dr. Giovanni De Micheli is a research scientist in electronics and computer science credited with inventing the NoC design automation paradigm and creating EDA algorithms and design tools. Before serving as Professor and Director of the Integrated Systems Laboratory at EPFL, he was Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. He was Director of the IEL at EPFL from 2008 to 2019 and served as program leader of the Swiss Federal Nano-Tera.ch program.

He holds a Nuclear Engineering degree from Politecnico di Milano, and Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Professor De Micheli is a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and IEEE; a member of the Academia Europaea; and an International Honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His current research interests include design technologies for integrated circuits and systems, including synthesis for emerging technologies. He is also interested in heterogeneous platform design for electrical components and biosensors, as well as in-data processing of biomedical information.

He authored the textbook Synthesis and Optimization of Digital Circuits and co-authored and/or co-edited 10 other books and more than 900 technical articles. His citation h-index is above 100 according to Google Scholar. He is member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of imec Leuven and STMicroelectronics.

Professor De Micheli received the 2020 IEEE Technical Committee Achievement Award in Cyberphysical Systems, the 2020 IEEE/CEDA Richard Newton Technical Impact Award, the 2019 ACM/SIGDA Pioneering Achievement Award, and the 2016 European Design and Automation Association (EDAA) Lifetime Achievement Award.

He also received the 2016 IEEE Computer Society's Harry Goode Award for seminal contributions to design and design tools of NoCs; the 2012 IEEE Circuits and Systems (CAS) Society's Mac Van Valkenburg Award for contributions to theory, practice and experimentation in design methods and tools; and the 2003 IEEE Emanuel R. Piore Award for contributions to computer-aided synthesis of digital systems.

He received the Golden Jubilee Medal for outstanding contributions to the IEEE CAS Society, the D. Pederson Award for best paper on IEEE Transactions on Computer Aided Design (CAD)/Integrated Computer Aided System (ICAS), and best paper awards at events including DAC; Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE); Nanoarch; and Mobihealth.

In addition, he served as Division 1 Director of IEEE, co-founder and President Elect of the IEEE Council on EDA, President of the IEEE CAS Society, and Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on CAD/ICAS. He has also chaired the following technical conferences: Memocode; DAC; DATE; pHealth; VLSI SoC; and IEEE International Conference on Computer Design (ICCD).

About the Phil Kaufman Award

The Phil Kaufman Award honors individuals who have had a demonstrable impact on the field of electronic system design through technology innovations, education/mentoring, or business or industry leadership. The award was established as a tribute to Phil Kaufman, the late industry pioneer who turned innovative technologies into commercial businesses that have benefited electronic designers. The 2021 recipient was Dr. Anirudh Devgan, President and CEO of Cadence Design Systems.

About the IEEE Council on Electronic Design Automation (CEDA)

The IEEE Council on Electronic Design Automation (CEDA) provides a focal point for EDA activities spread across seven IEEE societies (Antennas and Propagation, Circuits and Systems, Computer, Electron Devices, Electronics Packaging, Microwave Theory and Techniques, and Solid-State Circuits). The Council sponsors or co-sponsors over a dozen key EDA conferences including: the Design Automation Conference (DAC), Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference (ASP-DAC), International Conference on Computer-Aided Design (ICCAD), Design Automation and Test in Europe (DATE), and events at Embedded Systems Week (ESWEEK). The Council also publishes IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits & Systems (TCAD), IEEE Design & Test (D&T), and IEEE Embedded Systems Letters (ESL). The Council boasts a prestigious awards program in order to promote the recognition of leading EDA professionals, which includes the A. Richard Newton, Phil Kaufman, and Ernest S. Kuh Early Career Awards. The Council welcomes new volunteers and local chapters.

Stay in touch with IEEE CEDAWebsite: www.ieee-ceda.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8343531Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ieeeceda/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IEEECEDA

About the Electronic System Design Alliance

The Electronic System Design (ESD) Alliance, a SEMI Technology Community representing members in the electronic system and semiconductor design ecosystem, is a community that addresses technical, marketing, economic and legislative issues affecting the entire industry. It acts as the central voice to communicate and promote the value of the semiconductor design ecosystem as a vital component of the global electronics industry. Visit www.semi.org/en/communities/esdato learn more.

Follow the ESD AllianceESD Alliance Bridging the Frontier blog Twitter: @ESDAllianceLinkedIn Facebook

About SEMI

SEMI connects more than 2,500 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics design and manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA), the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) and SOI Consortium are SEMI Strategic Technology Communities. Visit www.semi.org, contact one of our worldwide offices, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter to learn more.

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

ContactsNanette Collins Public Relations for the ESD Alliance Email: [email protected] Phone: 1.617.437.1822

Michael HallSEMIEmail: [email protected]Phone: 1.408.943.7988

Amanda OsbornIEEE Council on EDAEmail: [email protected]Phone 1.352.872.5544 ext. 123

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SOURCE SEMI
JACKSON, Miss., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EastGroup Properties (NYSE: EGP) (the "Company", "EastGroup") announced today that it will hold its Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call and Webcast on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. On the call, Marshall Loeb, CEO, and Brent Wood, CFO, will discuss the Company's third quarter results, current operations, and earnings outlook for 2022.

EastGroup plans to release financial results for the quarter after the market closes on October 25, 2022. The earnings release and supplemental information package will be posted on the Company's website, www.eastgroup.net, at that time.

A live broadcast of the conference call is available by dialing 1-888-346-0688 (conference ID EastGroup) or by webcast through a link on the Company's website at www.eastgroup.net. If you are unable to listen to the live conference call, a telephone and webcast replay will be available on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. The telephone replay will be available until Wednesday, November 2, 2022, and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (access code 9532337). The replay of the webcast can be accessed through a link on the Company's website at www.eastgroup.net and will be available until Wednesday, November 2, 2022.

EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE: EGP), a member of the S&P Mid-Cap 400 and Russell 1000 Indexes, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's goal is to maximize shareholder value by being a leading provider in its markets of functional, flexible and quality business distribution space for location sensitive customers (primarily in the 15,000 to 70,000 square foot range). The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. The Company's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes approximately 55.6 million square feet.

EastGroup Properties, Inc. press releases are available at www.eastgroup.net.

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SOURCE EastGroup Properties
New Global Business Services Center Site Supports Company's Global Operations and Leading Credit Data and Analytics Business in Costa Rica and Latin America; Strengthens Global Equifax Cloud, Cybersecurity and Operational Innovation

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax (NYSE: EFX) has expanded its international operations with a new Global Business Services (GBS) Center site in Torre Universal, San Jose which also supports the company's leading credit data and analytics business in Costa Rica and Latin America. This new site will drive ongoing innovation in technology, the Equifax Cloud, cybersecurity and operational excellence. Existing Equifax facilities in Costa Rica are certified carbon neutral and the new site is undergoing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification, a recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership that underscores the Equifax commitment to carbon neutrality by 2040. With this expansion, Costa Rica becomes the second largest Equifax location worldwide.

"I'm energized by our growth and expansion in Costa Rica and see our Global Business Services Centers as critical drivers of Equifax business innovation and growth in Costa Rica, Latin America, and our global operations in the years to come," said Mark W. Begor, CEO of Equifax. "The GBS team leverages the foundation of the Equifax Cloud to support our Costa Rican customers as well as our international operations in keeping with our EFX2025 imperatives - which reflect our strategic shift from an era of building, investing, and transforming to one of leveraging our $1.5 billion cloud investments for innovation, new products, and accelerated growth."

Equifax began its operations in Costa Rica in 1995 as one of the first multinational organizations to establish a global technology center in the region. Since that time, Costa Rican operations have grown and are expected to exceed 2,000 employees in 2023.

Jairo Quiros, GBS Senior Vice President and Site Leader for Costa Rica, continued: "Over the last three decades, Equifax has grown our operations and investment in Costa Rica, from the creation of jobs to collaboration with higher education. Our Global Business Services Centers benefit from Costa Rica's tremendous multilingual technical talent, an important resource in meeting the evolving needs of our global customers."

The President of Costa Rica, Mr. Rodrigo Chaves, noted: "We are pleased with this expansion as it represents a signal of trust in our country from a company that not only has been a pioneer, but also has demonstrated a longstanding growth trajectory; one we would like to see deepening while we continue our road together in our nation's development."

Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica said that, "Costa Rica's knowledge-intensive services sector is now reaching more than 100,000 jobs. It is one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy and is internationally recognized. We celebrate Equifax's continuous commitment, as a leader in its field and pioneer in Costa Rica, with this expansion in our territory. We are grateful for this vote of confidence that is a reflection of a highly competitive environment, as reflected in the country's adaptability, innovation and pursuit of excellence which characterizes the Costa Rican talent to serve customers across the globe."

For more information on Equifax operations worldwide, please visit Equifax.com.

ABOUT EQUIFAX INC.

At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by more than 13,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 25 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTiffany Smith[email protected]

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SOURCE Equifax Inc.
New IBM Transformation Index: State of Cloud helps business leaders to assess gaps in their transformation journey

More than half of respondents are currently concerned about security, while 53% believe ensuring compliance in the cloud is currently too difficult

Nearly 70% surveyed say their team lacks the skills needed to sufficiently manage cloud environments

ARMONK, N.Y., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New global market research from IBM (NYSE: IBM) revealed that more than 77% of respondents have adopted a hybrid cloud approach which can help drive digital transformation, yet the majority of responding organizations are struggling with the complexity to make all their cloud environments work together. As organizations face skills gaps, security challenges and compliance obstacles, less than one quarter of respondents across the globe manage their hybrid cloud environments holistically  which can create blind spots and put data at risk.

The IBM Transformation Index: State of Cloud commissioned by IBM and conducted by independent research firm, The Harris Poll, was created to help organizations map their cloud transformation and empower them to self-classify their progress. Built on a foundation that leverages insights from experienced cloud professionals, enterprises can use the Index to gain measurable metrics that can help quantify their progress and uncover areas of opportunity and growth. The Index consisted of more than 3,000 business and technology decision-makers from 12 countries and across 15 industries including financial services, manufacturing, government, telecommunications and healthcare, to understand where organizations are advancing, or merely emerging, on their transformation journeys.

The Index points to a strong correlation between hybrid cloud adoption and progress in digital transformation. In fact, 71% of those surveyed think it's difficult to realize the full potential of a digital transformation without having a solid hybrid cloud strategy in place. At the same time, only 27% of those surveyed possess the necessary characteristics to be considered as "advanced" in their transformation. So, why the disconnect? A sampling of findings include:

Compliance: Businesses believe ensuring compliance in the cloud is currently too difficult  especially as we see enforcement of regulatory and compliance requirements heat up across the globe.

Businesses believe ensuring compliance in the cloud is currently too difficult  especially as we see enforcement of regulatory and compliance requirements heat up across the globe. Security: While businesses have embraced a variety of security techniques to secure workloads in the cloud, concerns about security still remain.

While businesses have embraced a variety of security techniques to secure workloads in the cloud, concerns about security still remain. Skills: As organizations face the realities of a talent shortage, they are failing to implement a holistic hybrid cloud strategy  which can create gaps in security and compliance and cause risk across cloud environments.

"As we see regulatory requirements grow across the globe, compliance is top of mind for business leaders. This concern is even greater for those in highly regulated industries. Yet at the same time, they are facing a growing threat landscape  one that demands holistic management of their multicloud environments to avoid the risks of a Frankencloud  an environment that's so disconnected, it's difficult to navigate and can be nearly impossible to secure, particularly against third and fourth party risks," said Howard Boville, Head of IBM Cloud Platform. "An integration strategy to bring together these different piece parts is what we believe separates the leaders from the rest of the pack  the alternative is to pay the price of the Frankencloud."

"The key value of cloud for businesses is rapid access to innovative technologies, data sources, and applications required to navigate current disruptions and transform businesses. No individual cloud can address all of an enterprise's requirements, so they must be able to use and effectively control hybrid cloud assets across many locations. IBM with its focus on providing a holistic hybrid cloud strategy is well positioned to help organizations address the security, data management and compliance complexities that can prevent them from taking full advantage of cloud innovation," says Rick Villars, Group Vice President of Worldwide Research at IDC.

The 2022 IBM Transformation Index: State of Cloud revealed:

Lack of the right skills is inhibiting progress When it comes to managing their cloud applications, 69% of respondents say their team lacks the skills needed to be proficient. This is a major roadblock to innovation, with more than a quarter of respondents saying skills and talent shortages are impeding their business's cloud objectives. The effects don't stop here  these limitations are also preventing organizations from leveraging the power of partnerships. More than one-third of respondents say a lack of technical skills is holding them back from integrating ecosystem partners into cloud environments. This challenge is even greater in the US, where nearly 40% admit to this lack of skills  pointing to the need for talent.

Exposure to cyberthreats continues to lurk despite embracing security techniques While more than 90% of responding financial services, telecommunications and government organizations have adopted security tools such as confidential computing capabilities, multifactor authentication and more, gaps remain that are preventing organizations from driving innovation. In fact, 32% of overall respondents cite security as the top barrier for integrated workloads across environments and more than one quarter of respondents agree security concerns present a roadblock to achieving their cloud business goals.

Security concerns can even hold organizations back from unlocking the full potential of partnerships. As potential security gaps can cause third and fourth party risks to loom, respondents say data governance (49%) and cybersecurity (47%) are the top challenges to fully integrating their business ecosystem into the cloud. In Brazil, cyberthreats are an even greater concern to ecosystem innovation -- 51% say cybersecurity risks pose a major challenge for businesses that want to integrate business ecosystem partners into cloud environments.

Regulatory and compliance requirements remain center stage causing businesses to pause With regulations on the rise, so too are compliance challenges. 53% of respondents believe that ensuring compliance in the cloud is currently too difficult and nearly one-third cite regulatory compliance issues as a key barrier for integrating workloads across private and public IT environments. In financial services, for example, more than a quarter of respondents agree that meeting industry requirements is holding them back from fully achieving their cloud objectives. These challenges span the globe and are especially prevalent in countries such as Singapore, China, India and Japan.

Based on the Index, IBM will launch an interactive tool to serve as a continual source of feedback for organizations to measure their transformation progress. With the ability to help companies assess how they fare against others, the tool will allow them to identify areas where transformation is stalled and where it may be excelling  unlocking the ability to diagnose and act with efficiency even against the real-world of complexity of cloud transformation.

IBM will make the IBM Transformation Index: State of Cloud tool publicly available in the coming months, aiming to provide business leaders with valuable benchmarking insights that can inform their hybrid cloud strategies. The IBM Institute for Business Value also published a new report, "A Comparative Look at Enterprise Cloud Strategy" with an action guide for how leaders can use the Index to help advance their organizations' digital transformation.

Methodology: This survey was conducted online in 12 countries (US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, India, Japan, China, Brazil, Spain, Singapore, Australia) by The Harris Poll on behalf of IBM from June 8th, 2022 to July 17th, 2022. The survey was conducted among 3,014 IT and business professionals in companies with annual revenue over $500M who have deep knowledge of their organization's Cloud strategy. The IBM Transformation Index: State of Cloud was developed by combining the data from 25+ question batteries of various formats across 9 Cloud-related dimensions that were informed by input from industry experts.

About IBMIBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting services provider, helping clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,800 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service. For more information, visit www.ibm.com.

CONTACT:Kaveri CamireIBM Communications[email protected]

Suzanne CrossIBM Communications[email protected]

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SOURCE IBM
Renowned Corporate and Regulatory Attorney Brings Two Decades of Legal Expertise in International & U.S. Financial Markets to INX Leadership

NEW YORK and TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The INX Digital Company, Inc. (NEO: INXD, INXATS: INX, OTCQB: INXDF) ("INX"), a broker-dealer and inter-dealer broker, announced today that Keren Avidar has joined INX as Global General Counsel. In her new role at INX, Avidar will employ decades of experience working in high-ranking leadership positions at prestigious law firms worldwide to provide legal, compliance and regulatory guidance as the company continues to shape the future of the digital economy.

"We welcome Ms. Avidar to the INX family and are thrilled to have the opportunity to leverage her pristine reputation as one of the finest legal minds in global digital finance," said Shy Datika, CEO of INX. "Our continued mission is to work hand-in-hand with U.S. and international regulatory bodies to build successful bridges between the traditional and digital economies at scale. Ms. Avidar has the background and expertise to help us navigate this process now and well into the future."

As INX's Global General Counsel, Avidar will be involved in all aspects of the company's legal, regulatory and compliance matters. From setting governance policies to establishing standards and implementing procedures for effective compliance programs throughout the organization, Avidar will ensure INX's solutions for issuing and trading digital assets continue to thrive knowing that all legal and compliance aspects are covered.

"I'm excited to join the INX team of experienced professionals that continue to innovate the digital asset market, while encouraging regulation. At INX, we believe that the regulatory framework is intended to protect investors and preserve financial stability, which allows for greater growth and adoption," said Keren Avidar, INX's Global General Counsel. "I am privileged to be part of the INX team in our collective efforts to help build the digital asset ecosystem on a solid regulatory foundation."

As a member of both the New York and Israeli Bar Association, Avidar is a globally sought-after authority on relevant laws and regulations of traditional and digital asset trading all over the world, including the regulatory bodies that oversee global markets like the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), as well as European Securities & Markets Authority (ESMA), European market infrastructure regulation (EMIR), and many others.

Avidar's deep knowledge of global trading standards and practices will be vital as INX builds on its mission to increase access for U.S. and international investors to the growing opportunities in the digital economy  setting a global standard for effectively achieving democratization in financial markets. For more information about INX, visit https://www.inx.co/

About INX:

INX provides a regulated trading platform for digital securities and cryptocurrencies. With the combination of traditional markets expertise and a disruptive fintech approach, INX provides state-of-the-art solutions to modern financial problems. INX is led by an experienced and dedicated team of business, finance, and technology veterans with the shared vision of redefining the world of capital markets via blockchain technology and innovative regulatory approach.

About The INX Digital Company, Inc. INX is the holding company for the INX Group, which includes regulated trading platforms for digital securities and cryptocurrencies, combining traditional markets expertise and an innovative fintech approach. The INX Group's vision is to be the preferred global regulated hub for digital assets on the blockchain. The INX Group's overall mission is to bring communities together and empower them with financial innovation. Our journey started with our initial public token offering of the INX Token in which we raised US$83 million. The INX Group is shaping the blockchain asset industry through its willingness to work in a regulated environment with oversight from regulators like the SEC and FINRA.

In addition to operating two regulated trading platforms for blockchain assets, INX's interdealer broker, I.L.S. Brokers, plans to offer non-deliverable cryptocurrency forwards to Tier-1 banks in the future. For more information, please visit the INX Group website here.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Other Disclosures

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. In disclosing the forward-looking information contained in this press release, INX has made certain assumptions, including with respect to, the continuous development of the INX trading platform, the offering of non-deliverable cryptocurrency forwards, and the development of the digital asset industry. Although INX believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to regulatory developments, the state of the digital securities and cryptocurrencies markets, and general economic conditions. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, INX disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking information or otherwise.

The NEO Exchange is not responsible for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the 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.

For further information, contact:The INX Digital Company, Inc.Investor Relations+1 855 657 2314Email: [email protected]

For more information, contact:Liz Whelan[email protected](312) 315-0160

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SOURCE The INX Digital Company, Inc.
MARION, Ill., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Landmarks Illinois is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards, an annual program now in its 29th year that celebrates exceptional preservation efforts in Illinois. Our 2022 award-winning projects, located in Belleville, Chicago, Lockport, Marion, Petersburg and Rockford, will be honored at a public ceremony on November 4, 2022, at the historic Chicago Cultural Center.

"Our 2022 award winners demonstrate the impact preservation has in our Illinois communities: it creates inspiring places where people want to live and visit, boosts jobs and economic activity and strengthens local pride," said Bonnie McDonald, President & CEO of Landmarks Illinois. "We are proud to bring well-deserved attention to these preservation efforts and the people who thoughtfully and beautifully preserved our historic places."

2022 LANDMARKS ILLINOIS RICHARD H. DRIEHAUS FOUNDATION PRESERVATION AWARD RECIPIENTS

Hotel Belleville, Belleville2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for AdvocacyThanks to the efforts of dedicated, local preservationists, the 91-year-old former Hotel Belleville has been rehabilitated into an affordable housing development called "Lofts on the Square." Owners MH Belleville Associates LP undertook the $14.6 million transformation of the historic, Art Deco-style hotel, a 2014 Landmarks Illinois Most Endangered site. The project is an example of the power of sustained advocacy efforts as well as public-private collaboration.

Chicago Cultural Center Grand Army of the Republic Rooms, Chicago2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for RestorationThe Grand Army of the Republic Rooms, completed in 1897 in Chicago's Cultural Center (the city's former main public library) have undergone a $15 million restoration to preserve and honor the original features designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Healy & Millet. The project, which spanned more than two years, was funded by a generous anonymous donor and led by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Harboe Architects and Berglund Construction.

Lincoln Park Zoo Pepper Family Wildlife Center, Chicago2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Rehabilitation & Winner of the Richard H. Driehaus Legacy AwardLincoln Park Zoo's historic lion house has been reborn as the Pepper Family Wildlife Center following a much-needed $41 million rehabilitation and expansion. This Chicago Landmark, constructed in 1912 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, has been restored to its original Arts & Crafts-style appearance, features greatly improved zoo animal habitats, and provides an immersive and fully accessible space for the enjoyment for visitors.

Mattie Butler Apartments, Chicago2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for LeadershipLongtime Chicago housing activist Mattie Butler and her organization Woodlawn East Community and Neighbors (WECAN) collaborated with Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) to guarantee the long-term affordability of two 1920s Woodlawn apartment buildings. Initially saved in the 1990s by WECAN, POAH obtained the property in 2017 and in 2022 celebrated the completion of the $26.8 million renovation of the renamed Mattie Butler Apartments, honoring Ms. Butler's decades of stewardship and activism for affordable housing in the Chicago South Side community.

Pullman National Monument and State Historic Site, Chicago2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for RehabilitationThis award honors six organizations and federal agencies for their decades of leadership and advocacy work in Chicago's Pullman community that led to the creation of the 12-acre Pullman National Monument & Historic Site and the $35 million rehabilitation of the long-vacant Pullman Administration-Clock Tower Building (now the Pullman Visitor Center). Recipients of the award are: the National Park Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, National Parks Foundation, Positioning Pullman Project Team and Historic Pullman Foundation.

Lock & Mule, Lockport2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive ReuseLocal residents and business owners Inga Carus and Peter Limberger renovated the vacant former Mackin Motor Company Building in Lockport's downtown historic district to open Lock & Mule, a craft brewery, restaurant and event venue. The adaptive reuse of the 7,000-square-foot building  constructed in 1927 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places  received support from the City of Lockport and has contributed to the revitalization of the downtown area.

Crown Brew Coffee Co., Marion2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for RehabilitationCrown Brew Coffee Co. opened in October 2020 in a 120-year-old building in downtown Marion that owners Joshua Benitone and Jared Gravatt rehabilitated largely on their own. As the first business to open in a city-led downtown revitalization effort, the coffee shop serves as an example of what is possible when local governments and business owners join efforts to drive economic development.

Broadgauge, Petersburg2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive ReuseBuilt in 1872 as a "megastore" selling hardware, groceries and dry goods, the Broadgauge Building in Downtown Petersburg has been reopened and reimagined by owner Douglas Pope. Today, the multi-purpose building includes a bar, restaurant, billiards room, event space and coffee shop, drawing the community back into the historic space and becoming one of the town's largest employers.

Rockford City Market, Rockford2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive ReuseThe nonprofit Rock River Development Partnership adaptively reused three vacant storefronts at historic buildings in downtown Rockford to create new business and event space. Conceived as an indoor extension of the existing outdoor Rockford City Market, the transformation of these properties as year-round market facilities has brought new life to downtown Rockford's streetscape and economy, attracting residents and visitors alike, hosting community events, and providing opportunities for collaboration.

Please visit our website to learn more about each of the 2022 award winners.

AWARDS CEREMONY EVENT DETAILS

The 2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards Ceremony will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 4, 2022, at the Chicago Cultural Center's second-floor Claudia Cassidy Theater in downtown Chicago. A cocktail reception will immediately follow in the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Rooms. The event is open to the public.

Tickets for the event are $50 for Landmarks Illinois members and $65 for non-members. A student rate of $35 is also available with proof of a student ID. Guests who wish to join remotely can view a live, virtual presentation of the ceremony for free with registration. Tickets can be purchased at our website or by contacting Alma Rebronja, Events Manager at [email protected].

ABOUT THE AWARDS PROGRAM

Since 1994, the annual Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards has honored individuals, projects and programs in Illinois whose work demonstrates a commitment to excellence in preservation. A jury of preservation professionals from across Illinois selected the 2022 winners based on the project's positive impact in the community, how it inspires others to save places as well as degree to which the project aligns with Landmarks Illinois' mission, values and guiding principles.

ABOUT LANDMARKS ILLINOIS

We are People Saving Places for People. Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based nonprofit historic preservation organization serving the people of Illinois. We inspire and empower stakeholders to save places that matter to them by providing free guidance, practical and financial resources and access to strategic partnerships. For more information, visit www.Landmarks.org.

Media Contact:Kaitlyn McAvoyCommunications ManagerLandmarks Illinois[email protected]

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SOURCE Landmarks Illinois
 If 510(k) cleared, this next-generation investigational inhaled nitric oxide delivery system would be the latest in a long line of dual channel delivery systems building on Company's dedication to meeting clinicians' evolving needs 

DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt plc (OTCMKTS: MNKPF), a global specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced the submission of a 510(k) premarket notification application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an investigational inhaled nitric oxide delivery system for INOmax (nitric oxide) gas, for inhalation.

The safety and efficacy of the investigational inhaled nitric oxide delivery system has not been evaluated by the FDA.

INOmax (nitric oxide) gas, for inhalation, is an FDA-approved treatment that is indicated to improve oxygenation and reduce the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in term and near-term (>34 weeks gestation) neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure associated with clinical or echocardiographic evidence of pulmonary hypertension in conjunction with ventilatory support and other appropriate agents.1 Please see Important Safety Information for INOmax below.

"This FDA submission marks an important milestone in our commitment to providing advancements in the delivery of our products to help improve clinician experiences," said Steven Romano, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Mallinckrodt. "We look forward to working closely with the FDA during the regulatory review process."

If 510(k) cleared, the next-generation inhaled nitric oxide delivery system would be the latest in a long line of dual channel delivery systems; would combine automation, integration and interaction in one device; and build on Mallinckrodt's dedication to meeting clinicians' evolving needs.2

INOmax has a well-established efficacy and safety profile with more than 20 years on the market and over 875,000 patients treated globally.1,3

Mallinckrodt is committed to providing support to healthcare professionals utilizing the INOmax delivery systems. Mallinckrodt provides access to INOmax Total Care offerings whose goal is to help critical care clinicians face unexpected challenges in the NICU by providing comprehensive, 24/7/365 service, device training, and INO delivery support when and where they need it. For more information about INOmax, please visit INOmax.com.

The investigational inhaled nitric oxide delivery system is not available for sale, distribution or use.

INDICATION

INOmax (nitric oxide) gas, for inhalation, is indicated to improve oxygenation and reduce the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in term and near-term (>34 weeks gestation) neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure associated with clinical or echocardiographic evidence of pulmonary hypertension in conjunction with ventilatory support and other appropriate agents.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

INOmax is contraindicated in the treatment of neonates dependent on right-to-left shunting of blood.

Abrupt discontinuation of INOmax may lead to increasing pulmonary artery pressure and worsening oxygenation.

Methemoglobinemia and NO2 levels are dose dependent. Nitric oxide donor compounds may have an additive effect with INOmax on the risk of developing methemoglobinemia. Nitrogen dioxide may cause airway inflammation and damage to lung tissues.

In patients with pre-existing left ventricular dysfunction, INOmax may increase pulmonary capillary wedge pressure leading to pulmonary edema.

Monitor for PaO2, inspired NO2, and methemoglobin during INOmax administration.

INOmax must be administered using a calibrated FDA-cleared Nitric Oxide Delivery System.

Please see Full Prescribing Information.

Globally, prescribing information varies; refer to the individual country product label for complete information.

ABOUT MALLINCKRODT

Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, hepatology, nephrology, pulmonology, ophthalmology, and oncology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics; cultured skin substitutes and gastrointestinal products. Its Specialty Generics reportable segment includes specialty generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS RELATED TO FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release includes forward-looking statements concerning Mallinckrodt's s 510(k) premarket notification application and the Company's inhaled nitric oxide delivery system. The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: satisfaction of regulatory and other requirements; actions of regulatory bodies and other governmental authorities; changes in laws and regulations; issues with product quality, manufacturing or supply, or patient safety issues; and other risks identified and described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of Mallinckrodt's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Mallinckrodt's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended July 1, 2022 and other filings with the SEC, all of which are available on its website. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date hereof and Mallinckrodt does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

CONTACT

Media InquiriesHeather GuzziSenior Vice President, Green Room Communications973-524-4112[email protected]

Investor RelationsDaniel J. SpecialeGlobal Corporate Controller & Chief Investor Relations Officer314-654-3638[email protected]

Derek BelzVice President, Investor Relations314-654-3950[email protected]

Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company. Other brands are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company or their respective owners. 2022 Mallinckrodt. US-2200202 09/22

References

1 INOmax. Package Insert. INO Therapeutics LLC; 2021.2 Data on File - Ref-05943. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.3 Data on File - Ref-01753. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.

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SOURCE Mallinckrodt plc
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected GHGSat, Inc., of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to provide commercial small constellation satellite products for evaluation to determine the utility for advancing NASA's science and application goals. GHGSat will provide a comprehensive catalogue of Earth Observation data High Resolution Gas Detection Commercial Earth Observation Data products.

This is a fixed-price blanket purchase agreement and each call issued is not to exceed $7 million over a five-year period. The work will be performed at the contractor's facilities in Montreal, Quebec.

The contractor shall be responsible for delivery of a comprehensive catalogue of its commercial Earth Observation data High Resolution Gas Detection Commercial Earth Observation Data products indicating at a minimum: the data sets, associated metadata and ancillary information; data cadence; data latency; area coverage; and data usage policy.

NASA will assess and evaluate these small constellation satellite data products with the purpose of augmenting and/or complementing NASA-collected data in the future. To facilitate standard scientific collaborations, NASA requires End User License Agreements to enable broad levels of dissemination and shareability of the commercial data with the U.S. government agencies and partners.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

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SOURCE NASA
Diagnostic Research Center Enables Students to Test and Develop Clinical Workflows to Help Shape Laboratory Performance and Patient Outcomes

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, today officially opened the BD Innovation Center in collaboration with University of Maryland BioPark, offering University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) students and researchers access to state-of-the-art equipment to support and accelerate innovation in medical diagnostic technology.

Located in West Baltimore at the UM BioPark (part of the UMB campus), the BD Innovation Center goal is to help streamline clinical laboratory workflows and improve patient care by expanding basic diagnostic knowledge, developing new diagnostic capabilities and shaping the future of diagnostics by allowing students and researchers to provide real-world feedback on early diagnostic concepts.

"The addition of the BD Innovation Center to the UM BioPark will not only support our thriving life sciences sector, but also help Maryland remain one of the most innovative states in the nation," said Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill. "This collaboration will ensure that our future workforce is prepared to tackle the technologies and challenges of tomorrow. We are very grateful to BD for its continued investment in Maryland."

Secretary Gill also presented Brooke Story, president of Integrated Diagnostic Solutions for BD, with a citation from Governor Hogan recognizing the history of BD in Maryland in honor of the company's 125th anniversary.

"I'm particularly proud that BD is continuing its commitment to life sciences around the world by working with UMB to put our first university-housed research center right here at home in Baltimore," said Story. "This collaboration is part of an integral pipeline to and from the local community to actively foster and build engagement with the next generation of STEM practitioners and leaders with a focus on inclusion, diversity and equity."

The BD Innovation Center currently houses:

The BD COR PX/GX fully automated high-throughput diagnostic system, which uses robotics and sample management software algorithms for infectious disease molecular testing;

The BD MAX System for mid-throughput molecular applications, which includes a variety of clinically validated assays and an open system for sample-to-answer assay development;

The BD BACTEC FX for state-of-the-art blood culture detection of organisms; and

The BD Phoenix M50 for ID/AST providing sample-to-answer identification and antimicrobial susceptibility determinations.

"UMB and the UM BioPark have enjoyed a longstanding, multi-faceted relationship with BD," said Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, President of UMB. "We look forward to establishing new collaborations that will advance the work, stimulate new research projects with UMB faculty and students, and prepare the next generations of STEM innovators."

The BD Integrated Diagnostic Solutions (IDS) business unit has its global headquarters in Sparks, Maryland with more than 2,200 associates responsible for developing and manufacturing the latest diagnostic technology solutions critical to identifying known and new pathogens. The site is integral to the company's testing innovations around cervical cancer, respiratory infections, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as well as the ongoing fight against antimicrobial resistance.

About BDBD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 75,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/ and Twitter @BDandCo.

About UM BioParkThe UM BioPark offers high-quality lab and office space solutions for companies of all sizes, especially high-growth companies seeking connection with its academic partner, University of Maryland, Baltimore. Tenants include industry-leading global firms such as Pharmaron, Illumina, BD, and Catalent, next-gen ventures, university spinouts, distinguished research organizations, cutting-edge clinical care, and contemporary workforce training programs. For more information visit www.umbiopark.com

Contacts:

Media (BD): Mela Sera, APR IDS Global Communications 443.824.8012 [email protected] Media (UMB): Claire Murphy UM BioPark Marketing 217.714.8816 (mobile)/410.706.6293 (office) [email protected]

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SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)
CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- North Park University's School of Professional Studies (SPS) will partner with College of DuPage (COD) in Glen Ellyn in a program that guarantees COD transfer students admission to North Park.

The two schools will work collaboratively, even before students transfer to North Park, to seamlessly guide students from their associate degree at COD to completing their bachelor's degrees at North Park.

"This agreement formalizes and elevates an excellent new partnership that gives students of the College of DuPage an opportunity to complete their bachelor's degrees at North Park University, in the world-class city of Chicago," said North Park President Mary K. Surridge. "We are delighted to provide this life-changing opportunity for so many students."

SPS Dean Lori Scrementi said the two schools "hope to create a community of learning for all, not only with fellow students but with faculty and staff, to build a strong, supportive network before, during, and after their time at North Park University."

Scrementi said that with its integration of Christian, intercultural, and city-centered values, SPS gives students tools for lifelong learning and a strong sense of community-focused decision-making. Faculty and staff bring the wisdom gained from their professions and vocations into each of their positions at North Park.

COD's provost, Mark Curtis-Chavez, said the institutional partnership between the schools "reflects our mutual and intentional level of commitment to providing students a clear pathway towards a timely degree in a growing number of academic programs."

He added: "We look forward to continued collaboration with North Park as we develop new ways to best support students."

Founded in 1967, College of DuPage is a community college serving students in Chicago's western suburbs. Firmly rooted in its community, it is also committed to reflecting the needs and demands of an ever-changing world.

ABOUT NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY

North Park University is city-centered, intercultural, and emerging as the model for Christian higher education in 21st Century America.

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SOURCE North Park University
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - PlantX Life Inc. (CSE: VEGA) (Frankfurt: WNT1) (OTCQB: PLTXF) ("PlantX" or the "Company"), the digital face of the plant-based community, operating a one-stop shop for plant-based products, announces that the British Columbia Securities Commission (the "BCSC") has granted an extension of its previously issued management cease trade order ("MCTO") to October 14, 2022. The MCTO was originally issued by the BCSC on August 2, 2022 due to the failure of the Company to file its audited annual financial statements, management's discussion and analysis and related officer certifications for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 (collectively, the "Annual Filings") before the prescribed deadline of July 29, 2022.

In addition to the late filing of the Annual Filings, the Company has not filed its financial statements, management's discussion and analysis and related officer certifications for the three-month period ended June 30, 2022 (collectively, the "Interim Filings") before the prescribed deadline of August 29, 2022.

The MCTO and MCTO extension were granted pursuant to the Company's applications made under National Policy 12-203  Management Cease Trader Orders ("NP 12-203"). The Company requested and received an extension related to the Annual Filings due to additional time needed to complete the review of the Company's previously announced restatement of its annual audited comparative financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 and the additional time needed for the auditors to review the multiple material acquisitions completed by the Company during the 2022 fiscal year.

MNP LLP are the current auditors of the Company and became auditors of the Company in November 2021. The Company is working diligently with MNP LLP and expects to have the audit of the Annual Filings completed, and the Annual Filings filed, no later than October 14, 2022. The Company expects the Interim Filings to be filed concurrently with or shortly after the filing of the Annual Filings.

The Company is providing this status update in accordance with NP 12-203. The Company reports that, (i) there are no changes to the information contained in its bi-weekly status default report on September 13, 2022 that would reasonable be expected to be material to an investor other than for the information in this news release; (ii) the Company is satisfying and confirms that it intends to continue to satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines set out under NP 12-203 and issue bi-weekly default status reports for so long as the delay in filing the Annual Filings and Interim Filings continues, which will be issued in the form of a news release; (iii) there has not been any other specified default by the Company under NP 12-203 (other than the failure to file the Annual Filings and Interim Filings) and no such other default is anticipated; and (iv) there is no material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed.

The MCTO does not affect the ability of shareholders who are not insiders of the Company to trade their securities. However, the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities could determine, in their discretion, that it would be appropriate to issue a general cease trade order against the Company affecting all of the securities of the Company.

About PlantX Life Inc.

As the digital face of the plant-based community, PlantX's platform is a one-stop shop for plant-based products. With its fast-growing category verticals, the Company offers customers across North America more than 5,000 plant-based products. In addition to offering delivery service for meals and indoor plants, the Company currently has plans underway to expand its product lines to include a juice and coffee company. The Company uses its digital platform to build a community of like-minded consumers and, most importantly, to provide education. Its successful enterprise is being built and fortified on partnerships with the top nutritionists, chefs, and brands. The Company's digital presence works to eliminate the barriers to entry for anyone interested in living a plant-based lifestyle and thriving in a longer, healthier, and happier life.

Connect with PlantX: Email | Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. The forward-looking information contained herein includes, without limitation, statements regarding the timing on filing of the Company's Annual Filings and Interim Filings, the Company's belief that no other filing defaults are currently anticipated and the Company's intention to continue to satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines set out under NP 12-203 and issue bi-weekly status updates for so long as the delay in filing the Annual Filings and Interim Filings is continuing, and the business and strategic plans of the Company.

By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct, and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this news release including, without limitation: the Company's ability to comply with all applicable governmental regulations; general market and economic conditions; the conflict in eastern Europe; having a limited operating history; and the Company's reliance on management and key personnel.

Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forwardlooking information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, 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.

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SOURCE PlantX Life Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The launch of Re comes alongside the announcement of a $14 million seed round with participation from Tribe Capital, Defy, Exor, Stratos, Framework, Morgan Creek Digital, SiriusPoint and a number of prominent angel investors.

The protocol, built on the Avalanche blockchain, provides investors with access to a massive and uncorrelated asset class: insurance premiums. While backing insurance policies collectively dates back 334 years to the inception of Lloyd's of London, the business remains opaque and inaccessible to most. Re aims to change that.

"The benefits Re brings to the market are multi-faceted: We're building a decentralized global insurance transaction layer that settles any kind of insurance risk, in a way that's transparent to regulators, partners and investors; administrative overhead will be lower and cost savings will inure to the benefit of insurance companies and policyholders; and finally for Members who provide capital, they earn uncorrelated yields that are comparable to high yield fixed income." said Karn Saroya, CEO of Re.

Re's capital providers, or Members, provide the financial backing for baskets of insurance policies to earn insurance premiums and yield. Today, Re already backs thousands of drivers in Texas and California and in coming weeks will be backing thousands of small businesses across the US. In the past few months, Re has assessed more than $300 million in potential premium from insurance programs. With the new funding, Re will build out its reinsurance underwriting pipeline.

Re works with distributed underwriting teams with deep domain expertise, or Syndicates, to assess the economic merits of insurance programs brought to the protocol. These teams tend to have a niche focus on specific industry segments and/or lines of business. They have expertise in pricing and disciplined underwriting, for which they need reinsurance.

Re's main application will be built on Avalanche's primary network, with private information warehoused on a Subnet, creating greater transparency and flexibility using the fastest smart contracts platform in the industry. Subnets are custom, app-specific blockchains that can be tailored to an app's exact needs. Avalanche launched in September 2020, ushering in a new era for blockchains with near-instant transaction finality.

Arjun Sethi, Co-Founder and Partner at Tribe Capital, which incubated Re under its Tribe Crypto Labs umbrella, added: "The opportunity set for a decentralized approach to reinsurance is immense - there's nearly a trillion of existing insurance surplus to be tokenized, and a huge amount of capital on the sidelines that will start to earn (re)insurance premiums in the near future. Re is ideally positioned to capture the growth in this new marketplace that is unlocked through blockchain technology."

From a timing perspective, Re is at the perfect entry point to launch into a growing addressable market, with insurance premiums rising globally. Further, the Managing General Agent program space, where specialized teams create unique insurance products and do everything but accept the risk of loss, has continued to explode upwards to $70B in the past year.

"We're proud to support Re through the Startup with Chainlink program in their mission to build a decentralized global reinsurance market that provides users with more transparency and delivers cost savings. By leveraging blockchain technology, smart contracts, and oracle networks, Re can help connect the reinsurance market to the DeFi space in a manner that is empowering for involved parties," stated Oliver Birch, GTM partnership leader at Chainlink Labs.

Re is now inviting underwriters and actuaries to apply for Syndicate roles on the protocol, having recently partnered with Joe Gaito and Jason Hoffman of Freedom Re Underwriters as the protocol's first independent Syndicate. Further, David Hampson, the former CEO of Willis Programs has joined Re as a strategic advisor and independent board member to guide reinsurance operations.

About Re

Re is a fully-collateralized reinsurer subject to regulatory oversight and approval that connects alternative capital providers to a nearly $1T reinsurance market, providing investor access to an otherwise opaque asset class. The Re protocol is a web3 application that drives a level of transparency around capital position and performance that is unrivaled by traditional reinsurers to the benefit of partners, investors and regulators.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/re-the-worlds-first-blockchain-powered-reinsurer-raises-a-14m-seed-round-to-build-a-decentralized-global-reinsurance-market-301635662.html

SOURCE Re
(Tribune News Service)  Recruits to the Air Force and Space Force may get a second chance if they test positive for the psychoactive chemical found in cannabis and marijuana, with enactment of a new Air Force pilot program.

Mirroring similar policies enacted by the Army and Navy, the Department of the Air Force is allowing a two-year pilot program that permits a retest for applicants who test positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) during an initial physical exam at a military entrance processing station.

As more states have legalized marijuana, there has been an increase of applicants who test positive for THC but are otherwise qualified for military service, the Air Force said in a statement. This pilot program will give us the information we need to inform a permanent, data-driven policy.

Thirty-seven states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands regulate cannabis for medical use for at least some residents, according to the National Council of State Legislatures.

This change in policy is being enacted at a time when the Air Force and other services are facing challenges in attracting qualified recruits.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Some 48.2 million people, about 18% of Americans, used it at least once in 2019, the CDC said.

Before, a positive THC result on that initial test would have led to a permanent bar from entry into the Air Force or Space Force. The pilot effort alters that, offering some prospective applicants a chance to retest after 90 days  if they receive a waiver.

Across the Department of Defense, there were 226 recruits barred from entering a service at the military entrance processing phase for testing positive for THC, the Air Force said, with 165 barred in 2020. For the Air Force, about 50 have been disqualified each year since 2020, an Air Force representative said.

If those who have been granted a waiver pass a second test, candidates will be allowed to enlist, according to the policy, which was shared with the Dayton Daily News.

The waiver process starts with gathering a robust set of information designed to determine if the applicant is suitable for a THC waiver, the policy states. THC waiver applications will go through multiple levels of scrutiny to ensure suitability for service.

Besides meeting all other qualification standards, waivers will be considered only for applicants who achieve a score of 50 or higher on the Armed Forces Qualification Test, dont have major moral violations, have a high school diploma and are otherwise medically qualified for service.

This policy applies to recruits to the Air and Space forces, the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard.

Once people enlist, they must follow the Uniform Code of Military Justice and Air Force policy which prohibit drug use.

The policy is effective immediately and in effect for two years. Air Force leaders will decide then whether to retain the policy.

We are reviewing our initial entry disqualifiers and looking at historical data to remove barriers to ensure we are not screening out candidates who will be successful Airmen and Guardians, the Air Force said.

(c)2022 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

Visit the Dayton Daily News at www.daytondailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Norwegian armed forces recovered a U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey on Tuesday from a remote nature reserve where it had been stranded since making an emergency landing last month.

The crew touched down on the south end of Senja island in Troms og Finnmark, Norways northernmost county, on Aug. 12 after a mechanical failure involving the tiltrotor systems clutch.

After 46 days on the island, the Osprey is being transported by boat to the closest Norwegian port for shipment to the United States. The extent of the damage to the $90 million aircraft is not yet known.

The problem the Osprey experienced is known as a hard clutch engagement. It can cause a sudden shift in power and makes the aircraft hard to control. Such occurrences have happened at least six other times since 2017, Air Force officials have said.

The U.S. military is still trying to identify the root cause of the problem, Lt. Col. Rebecca Heyse, a spokeswoman for Air Force Special Operations Command, said Wednesday.

Despite the safe landing, the crew found itself in remote terrain, surrounded on one side by the Norwegian Sea and on the other by an exposed plateau.

Airlifting the 33,000-pound Osprey was ruled out, according to reports from the Norwegian armed forces.

The recovery team used a crane boat to lift the Osprey, whose wheels were dug into the ground too far from the water's edge for it to be lifted directly.

By mid-September, all fuel had been drained from the Osprey, making it lighter and safer to move, according to reports by the Norwegian military. Teams dug the aircraft from the ground and moved it up about 55 feet toward the bay via the makeshift road.

Severe weather on the other side of the country initially delayed the arrival of the crane barge. The recovery effort also was postponed a day because of rough weather, which created 6-foot-high waves off the rocky shore.

In the aftermath of the Norway incident, Air Force Special Operations Command grounded its fleet of Ospreys for nearly 2 weeks to allow for safety reviews and discussion of possible solutions to the hard clutch engagement problem.

The August incident was the second emergency situation in Norway this year involving a variant of the aircraft.

In March, four Marines died when their Osprey crashed near the far northern city of Bodo. An investigation determined that the crash was caused by pilot error amid a series of faulty maneuvers at a low altitude.
(Tribune News Service)  The Department of the Air Force hasnt yet issued its final word on the location of U.S. Space Command headquarters  a decision that will determine whether the base remains at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs or moves to Huntsville, Ala.  but a decision is coming.

ETA, fall 2022.

Two recently completed federal inquiries, by the Department of Defenses Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office, into the legitimacy of the Trump administrations decision to relocate the base to Alabama havent yielded easy answers or talking points for those who dont agree with the findings.

The reviews found that the Department of the Air Force complied with Federal Law and Department of Defense policy and that the process was reasonable, said Sarah Fiocco, with the Air Force Press Desk. Neither of the reviews recommended the Department of the Air Force reopen the evaluation process.

Now, whats feeling more and more like an uphill battle and an 11th-hour fight to keep Space Command in Colorado Springs has united Centennial State politicians from both sides of the aisle.

As a formal announcement looms, Colorado lawmakers are again pleading their case for keeping the command where it is. Theyre also continuing to call out what they believe are flaws in the justification underlying the basing decision announced by the outgoing Trump administration in January 2021, in a surprise move that appeared to run counter to previous recommendations by the nations military brass.

U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, both Colorado Democrats, summed up their points in a Tuesday letter to Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. They argued that basing the headquarters in Huntsville would come with untold costs, human and financial.

We ... urge you to consider critical cost and national security factors as you review Space Commands pathway to Full Operational Capability (FOC) ... prior to the issuance of a final decision, they said.

Senior military and political leaders had recommended Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs as the preferred choice for USSPACECOMs permanent headquarters due in part to its ability to reach full operational capacity more quickly than any other site under consideration.

However, the recently completed environmental review of potential command sites states the Huntsville community will provide a facility that can house the in-process, nascent Space Command headquarters at no cost during the construction of a permanent headquarters.

Opponents of the Huntsville recommendation point to a 2021 paper, drafted by retired Air Force Gen. Ed Eberhart and retired Army Lt. Gen. Ed Anderson, which found that allowing Space Command to remain (on site, in Colorado Springs) saves taxpayers $1.24 billion while providing a pathway to reach full mission capability up to 7 years faster than is possible in Huntsville.

Gens. Eberhart and Anderson also raised concerns about the cost of workforce attrition, which the GAO report identified as one of the significant shortfalls in transparency and credibility.

A final decision must be based on the imperative to face rapidly evolving threats in space, especially in light of Russias invasion of Ukraine and Chinas expansion of regional influence, they said. We cannot afford to delay Space Commands pathway toward reaching Full Operational Capability.

Gazette reporter Mary Shinn contributed to this report.

(c)2022 The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Visit The Gazette at www.gazette.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
American mobile rocket systems are making the rounds in Europe on a tour stretching from the Arctic to the Baltics and beyond as the Army shows off a star of its arsenal that has garnered attention as a godsend to Ukraine.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS, was firing Tuesday in Swedens High North on a short-notice mission that began hours earlier with troops taking flight aboard a special operations C-130 flying out of Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

It provides us an opportunity to showcase a weapons system that right now theres a lot of interest in across our allies and partners, Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Maranian, commander of the Wiesbaden, Germany-based 56th Artillery Command, said in an interview Wednesday.

The mission resembled a similar one days earlier in Latvia, where American HIMARS were sent in support of combat readiness drills in the Baltics. Over the summer, U.S. artillerymen did the same in Denmark.

The 56th, which was activated one year ago to enhance the Armys ability to carry out long-range precision strikes in Europe, is increasingly finding itself at the center of high-profile training missions on the Continent.

Enter the HIMARS, which has gotten extra attention from allies for the instrumental role the system has played in helping Ukraine exact a heavy toll on Russian ammunition depots, command-and-control hubs and other high-value targets.

Its not really surprising, based on the news about HIMARS performing in Ukraine, that many of our allies and future allies are considering requesting a HIMARS purchase, Maranian said.

But while the HIMARS drills give allies a chance to see the system up close, the missions serve a larger purpose, Maranian said.

The most significant reason that we do these exercises is to demonstrate the long-range reach, of being able to put a precision long-range-fires system on the ground in short order, he said.

Deployment of the system within hours anywhere from the Arctic to the Black Sea sends a signal to adversaries such as Russia, Maranian said.

For U.S. Army Europe and Africa, the prominent role artillery now routinely plays during training exercises underscores how much the service has evolved on the Continent in the past few years.

While the Army experienced a sharp reduction in troop levels during a long post-Cold War drawdown, the service at the time of Russias initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014 also had been stripped of most of its firepower.

The last battle tanks left the Continent in the months before Russias annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula that same year, and artillery units also had departed.

Gradually, the Army began bringing back its armor and artillery, which are regarded by commanders as crucial to countering an adversary such as Russia.

While air and sea power also are key to U.S. military efforts in Europe, the Continent remains ground-centric domain, Maranian said.

What were seeing out to the to the east right now just demonstrates that more than ever, he added.
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz remains in San Diego this week while workers test the ships drinking water system after jet fuel was found in it last week, the Navy said Wednesday.

Tests on Sept. 21 showed detectable traces of hydrocarbons in the ships water used for drinking, bathing and cooking, said Ensign Bryan Blair, a spokesman for Commander, Naval Air Forces.

As a result, Nimitz's departure from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., has been postponed, Blair said. The ship had been in the final preparations for a scheduled deployment.

After sailors reported irregularities, the ships crew detected trace amounts of jet fuel in the Nimitzs water while it was at sea off the Southern California coast Sept. 16, the Navy said.

The ship has been connected to San Diegos city water supply since Sept. 17, Blair said. A flush of the ships potable water system was completed Sept. 19, the Navy previously said.

The internal potable water system remains offline until we are certain it can produce the highest quality water for the crew, Blair said.

The Navy has not said how the water system became contaminated or indicated when the Nimitz, homeported at Naval Base Kitsap, Wash., will be cleared to leave San Diego.
Frankfurt, Germany, 1946: American soldiers board the Roundup, a special tram provided by the city of Frankfurt to transport them to and from their barracks.

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The recent outbreak of the violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan, two post-Soviet states in the South Caucasus, may strike some as just another border squabble in a persistently volatile region.

But the potential for broader conflict escalation exists, and the latest clashes are inextricably linked to Russian President Vladimir Putins revanchist ambitions in Ukraine.

At the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken struck a diplomatic chord noting that strong, sustainable diplomatic engagement is the best path for everyone, and urged all parties to return to the negotiating table.

Leaders in Washington nevertheless appear divided  lost in a tangled web of history, great power competition and domestic special interests.

Azerbaijan and Armenias war began 30 years ago, when Armenia invaded Karabakh  a minority Russian-speaking enclave within the borders of Azerbaijan. Condemned for its action in successive United Nations Security Council resolutions, Armenian forces were nevertheless able to occupy that land for three decades during which there were repeated, albeit lackluster, diplomatic attempts at reconciliation by global powers. The occupation ended two years ago when violence again broke out. The resulting internationally brokered cease-fire saw much of the occupied territory returned to Azerbaijans control.

Three separate processes have been underway to establish a lasting peace. One is sponsored by Moscow, one by the European Union, and one by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europes (OSCE) Minsk Group. Given the suspect nature of Moscows motives, no less on its southern than on its western borders, and the fact that the Minsk Group has utterly failed in its three-decades-long OSCE-appointed mission to resolve the crisis, the EU seems the only credible player left. Until recently, it was making real progress. In a statement released by Brussels on Aug. 31, ministers of both countries agreed to meet by the end of September to discuss the text of a peace agreement. The president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, felt sufficiently confident in the process to state that he believed the peace agreement could be concluded within just a few months.

That process was comprehensively sabotaged by this weeks return to armed warfare, and a decades-old conflict is suddenly taking on global importance. One of Armenias first acts on returning to the battlefield was an emergency security meeting at which the country appealed to Russia, to the Russian-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization, and to the U.N. Security Council to intervene on its behalf. At the same time, Iran also tweeted its support for the territorial integrity of Armenia.

With Putin recently declaring that Armenia is not a foreign country for us, Moscow made its position clear  hardly surprising given Russias permanent military base there, and the fact that Armenias energy supplies, railways, and even its customs and borders are directly in Russian hands. Optimists may see a glimmer of hope in Putins overextension in Ukraine, as well as Ukrainian forces recent successes.

But historians may see a less hopeful precedent: Precisely when Moscow was overcommitted in Afghanistan, and suffering serious setbacks there, it armed Armenia and sent battalions of tanks and infantry to crush dissent in Azerbaijan. If Putin is seeking quick victories to deflect his publics unease with reversals in Ukraine, a short, sharp shock in the Caucasus could become an attractive option.

So far, the CSTO has taken a more measured approach. This six-nation military mutual protection body, dominated by Russia and composed of the few remaining pro-Moscow former Soviet states, could intervene on Armenias side. If Armenias sovereign territory were attacked, it would be obliged to do so. But given that the conflict is playing out in internationally recognized Azerbaijani territory, its hard to see what leverage Yerevan has in asking for the groups support. The CSTOs statements to date have sensibly tamped down the prospect of military solutions and pointed to a diplomatic path  but the possibility remains.

Sandwiched between Russia to the north and Iran to the south, its difficult to fathom a more troubled region. Were Putins malign intentions insufficiently worrisome, Tehrans apparent support for Armenias territorial integrity remains dangerously ambiguous. A large swath of public and political opinion in Armenia believes that Karabakh is Armenian. It is therefore unclear if Iran is backing its neighbors internationally recognized borders or hinting that they may back Armenias claims. Some believe the Islamic Republic may simply be flexing its muscle to assert authority in a conflict in which it has been an irrelevant bystander.

And its not only rogue states getting in on the action.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., piled on Baku earlier this month when he blamed Azerbaijan for a violation of the cease-fire. Strident comments made by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during her trip a few weeks ago to Armenia also left little room for dialogue.

Our delegation had been very outspoken, saying that this was initiated by Azeris and that there has to be recognition of that and how that will stop, she said, according to The Washington Post.

If House Democrats are eager to achieve a constructive outcome, they should reconsider their support for the Armenian cause. Alignment with Russia and Iran is not a good look. Neither will it lead to a peaceful settlement.

Blinkens conviction that there is a path to a durable peace that resolves the differences between Armenia and Azerbaijan is admirable, but the path to conflict resolution remains unclear.

What is certain is that an escalation in tensions between Yerevan and Baku is likely if U.S. officials do not unite to support both sides in a cessation of hostilities and a return to peace discussions.

Ivan Sascha Sheehan is executive director of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Baltimore. Opinions expressed are his own.
TOKYO  Japan protested to Russia on Tuesday over the detention of a Japanese consulate official on espionage allegations, denying the allegations and accusing Russian authorities of abusive interrogation.

The official was detained on Sept. 22 and interrogated with his eyes covered, his hands and head pressed and immobilized, Japan's Foreign Ministry said, prompting it to lodge a protest and to demand an apology.

On Monday, Russia's Foreign Ministry notified Japan's Embassy in Moscow that the official had been declared "persona non grata," or an undesirable person, on grounds he conducted illegal espionage activity and it ordered him to leave the country within 48 hours.

"The alleged illegal activity insisted by the Russian side is completely groundless," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

Matsuno said Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori summoned Russia's ambassador and strongly protested, demanding a formal apology from the Russian government and measures to prevent a recurrence.

The Russian authorities' treatment of the consulate official was "intimidating" during the interrogation, adding that such handling of consular officials violates the Vienna convention and a Japan-Russo treaty over consular affairs, Matsuno said.

"It is extremely regrettable and absolutely unacceptable," Matsuno said.

The consular official has since been released with no health problems and is set to return to Japan on Wednesday.

The dispute is the latest example of worsening ties between the two countries over Japan's sanctions against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Japan and Russia had expelled a number of diplomats, while Russia scrapped peace negotiations with Japan that includes talks on Russian-held disputed islands that Japan says the Soviets took at the end of the World War II.

Russia said Monday that it had detained a Japanese consulate official based in the eastern city of Vladivostok for soliciting "restricted" information, according to Russian news agencies.

"A Japanese diplomat was detained red-handed while receiving, in exchange for financial reward, restricted information about Russia's cooperation with another country in the Asia-Pacific region," the FSB, the KGB's successor agency, was cited as saying through its press service, without specifying the third country.

The FSB identified the official as Tatsunori Motoki, accusing him of seeking out information on "the impact of Western sanctions" on the surrounding Primoriye region, according to news agencies.

The Kremlin has repeatedly referred to Japan as a "hostile" country, a designation it shares with the U.S., EU countries and their Western allies, since Tokyo joined them in slapping sanctions on Moscow after Russian troops entered Ukraine on Feb. 24.

In its latest sanctions, Japan's government on Monday banned the export of materials that may be used for chemical weapons to 21 Russian organizations, including science laboratories. The measure was approved by the Cabinet following a decision by Group of Seven foreign ministers last week.
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii  The Hawaii Department of Health announced Tuesday that it would fine the U.S. Navy $8.7 million for more than 700 incidents of discharging sewage from its wastewater treatment plant on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

The notice of violation and order was issued to address a myriad of deficiencies at the Navys treatment plant near Pearl Harbor since the beginning of 2020, the Health Department said in a news release Tuesday.

The Navys failure to properly operate and maintain this wastewater treatment plant led to the pollution of state waters, Kathleen Ho, deputy director of environment health at the Health Department, said in the release.

We are taking action to protect our states water resources and to hold the Navy accountable to make critical repairs and prevent a potential catastrophic failure of the facility, she said.

The Navy has 20 days to request a hearing if it wishes to contest the order, according to the release.

The plant is operated by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command.

The treatment facility occupies about 12 acres and filters about 6.5 million gallons of household and industrial wastewater per day, according to a 2020 Navy fact sheet.

This is only the latest high-profile action taken by Health Department against the Navy.

In January, it ordered the service to empty and close the Red Hill fuel facility near the joint base after jet fuel contaminated groundwater.

The Navy contested the order to discontinue using the massive World War II-era collection of storage tanks, but in March Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin relented and ordered the facility permanently closed.

Regarding the wastewater plant, the Health Department assessed an $8,776,250.00 penalty based on 766 counts of discharging pollutants in exceedance of permit limits, 17 counts of unauthorized bypass, and 212 counts of operation and maintenance failures, the news release said.

Among the violations cited in the Health Departments order were the Navys failures to operate and maintain a sand filter bypass valve, ultraviolet disinfection systems and effluent pumps. In some instances, untreated or insufficiently treated wastewater bypassed sand filters because of poor operation and maintenance, the release said.

The order requires the Navy to take corrective actions, including assessing the condition of the plant and following up with needed repairs, obtaining a root cause analysis for recent effluent pump failures and implementing a revised maintenance plan, according to the release.

The Health Department conducted an inspection of the plant on July 26 after the Navy reported an unanticipated bypass, and concluded that the facility was not operated and maintained properly, the 10-page order states.

Discharge monitoring reports submitted by the Navy to the Health Department indicate a vast problem with discharges exceeding the allowable limit of enterococci, bacteria commonly found in human and animal fecal matter that can carry disease.

The plant exceeded allowable limits on 764 days between January 2020 and through July 2022, or more than 80% of the time, the order states.

Incidents summarized in the order suggest that the Navy, referred to as Respondent in the document, lacked proper oversight of the operation.

On July 12, the Navy notified the Health Department that wastewater was bypassing the sand filters used to clean it because a valve was partially open.

Respondent stated that the duration of the bypass was unknown, the order states. Respondent does not know why the valve was partially open nor when it was opened. Further, Respondent stated that the valve was frozen and could not be closed.

The Navy announced in April that it had awarded a $30 million contract to a local firm for modernizing the treatment plant.

The work, which was to include replacing sludge pumps, piping, valves, controls and ventilation systems, is expected to be completed by March 2024.

"The wastewater treatment plant remains operational, and the Navy continues to improve operations at the plant," the Navy said an emailed statement Tuesday.

In June 2021, the Navy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency entered into a Federal Facilities Compliance Agreement calling for a series of 21 actions to address known deficiencies, the Navy said.

The service is "on track" to meet timelines on those actions, "including assessments, plans, and construction projects" that may address some of the Health Department's order, the Navy said.
TOKYO  Armed with a new law that boosts U.S. support for computer chip manufacturing, Vice President Kamala Harris is seeking new investments and partnerships as she sits down with Japanese technology executives.

Harris was meeting with the CEOs on her last full day in Tokyo on Wednesday, a reflection of the administration's focus on boosting semiconductor manufacturing and expanding the supply chain for critical materials.

With China investing in computer chips of its own, the U.S. is working to solidify its technology relationships with South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

Legislation signed by President Joe Biden, known as the CHIPS and Science Act, includes $52 billion for grants and incentives for semiconductor companies, plus a 25% tax credit when they invest in U.S. facilities. There's also about $200 billion over the next decade to support research programs.

Jimmy Goodrich, vice president for global policy at the Semiconductor Industry Association, said "there's no one country or company that can do everything on its own."

When it comes to Japan, he said, "there's a big opportunity and significant space for future investment."

Although Japan was once a world leader in computer chip manufacturing, its status has eroded over the last two decades, and the country is increasingly worried about falling behind.

Much like the United States has done, Japan has set up its own fund to support semiconductor production. Out of $4.3 billion, $3.3 billion is being provided in subsidies for a new factory in Kumamoto, in the country's southwest.

The facility is slated to begin production by the end of 2024, and it's a partnership between the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Sony Group and Denso.

The companies participating in the meeting with Harris include Tokyo Electron, Nikon, Hitachi High Tech Group, Fujitsu Limited, Micron and others.

When Biden was in Japan earlier this year, the two nations agreed to work together on computer chips, including through a joint group focused on developing more powerful technologies.

There are worries that if Japan is slow to act, the fruits of the Biden initiative may likely be snatched up by another, and more ready, Asian ally, South Korea.

Yasutoshi Nishimura, the Japanese minister for economy, trade and industry, has repeatedly stressed the U.S.-Japan alliance on semiconductors, as well as energy and other issues.

In recent meetings with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, Nishimura has promised to set up a facility for semiconductor chips research in Japan this year, and expand the partnership on semiconductors with other allies, including Europe and Taiwan.

Atsushi Sunami, who teaches at The National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, or GRIPS, in Tokyo, noted that the drawbacks to Japan tackling advanced semiconductor technology may be rooted in the view that Japan should not get involved in defense studies.

That view stems from Japan's role in World War II and the prevalent pacifist views, both in Japan and in international circles, that came after its defeat. But Sunami stressed a quick rethinking was in order, and the U.S. moves, given the U.S.-Japan alliance, could be an opportunity for Japan.

"As the U.S.-China hegemonic competition escalates, how Japan hopes to position itself in the jockeying for international standards and rule-making, and the strategic formation of alliances among nations, as well as among companies, will be critically meaningful," he said in a report earlier this year.
TOKYO  Growing up, Fumina Oka knew little about the mysterious university her Taiwanese grandfather attended in northern China's Manchuria during Japan's occupation in the early 20th century.

But as the 28-year-old journalist studied the little-known Kenkoku University, she became fascinated about a place that started out as a grand piece of imperial propaganda meant to celebrate Japan's prewar colonization of large swaths of Asia.

In recent years, the dwindling number of surviving students, their families and those who have researched its history have come to share a sense of cross-national unity. It is built on sometimes surprising friendships forged at the Japan-run university, which glorified official notions of pan-Asian harmony even as imperial troops brutalized much of the region.

The university is a unique footnote in the rocky relationship between Japan and China, which are celebrating their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this week.

Kenkoku University operated from 1938 to 1945. It selected elite male students from Japan, China, Korea, the then-Soviet Union and Mongolia, according to a book by Hideyuki Miura, a reporter for the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. The students lived and studied together in Manchuria under the banner of "the harmony of five ethnicities."

Among the university's 1,400 or so graduates were some who played major roles in Asia's rise over the last 80 years, including former South Korean Prime Minister Kang Young-hoon.

Eager to learn more about her late grandfather, Qiu Laizhuan, Oka began a documentary project aimed at finding alumni now in their 90s and 100s in Japan.

Through a graduate-list book and a pile of letters Qiu exchanged with his classmates, she managed to find and meet seven alumni living in Japan.

Her work has encouraged growing friendships between Japanese and Chinese family members of the graduates.

Among them is Shigeru Imaizumi, 96, who entered the university the same year as Oka's grandfather, in 1944.

Imaizumi said in an interview with The Associated Press that he exchanged a few words in Japanese with Qiu whenever he ran into him at the school.

The students, about half of whom were Japanese, were encouraged at first to debate each other in an atmosphere of free speech, something that was at odds with the strict, ultranationalist atmosphere in wartime Japan. The university library even gave the students access to then-prohibited books written by Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.

By the time Imaizumi was attending the university, just before the end of World War II, life was much less lively and full of discussion. The atmosphere was tense, he said, as students worried about an uncertain future and speculated about the war's end.

"Although I didn't want to believe it, all the Chinese students seemed to know that Japan was going to lose, and so we talked very little about the situation or our beliefs compared to the first batch of students," he said.

Imaizumi said he was also bewildered by a gap between the "harmony" praised by the Japanese government and the discrimination by Japanese people against other ethnicities he witnessed daily outside the school.

"My Chinese classmates once told me there are two different kinds of Japanese  those like us and the others they encountered in the city" outside the university, Imaizumi said.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Imaizumi developed a strong friendship with a Chinese classmate who invited him to a final dinner just a few months before the war's end.

Soon after, Imaizumi was deployed to southern Manchuria as a soldier. After the war ended, he was held prisoner in Siberia for nearly two years before returning to Japan at age 21.

After broadcasting the documentary, Oka began receiving dozens of letters from family members of Kenkoku University graduates. They provided her with new documents supporting the graduates' recollections.

With those in hand, she has produced another documentary featuring the children of Kenkoku alumni, many of whom had studied in Japan. She also interviewed the son of a Chinese student who later contributed to the 1972 normalization of ties between Japan and China and became the first consul general to Japan in Hokkaido.

Two of the seven Kenkoku graduates she interviewed died after the documentaries aired, and Oka became determined to advance the university's legacy of friendship.

Oka also says the work has deepened her understanding of her multicultural past. Spending much of her childhood in both Japan and China, Oka grew up between cultures.

"One time, a classmate in China accused me of being Japanese and hit me, but in Japan I was treated as Chinese. I felt like I did not belong to any society, and it was very sad," Oka said.

She takes strength, however, from her grandfather's experience.

"My grandfather didn't really care what his nationality was and lived by a motto that anywhere in the world was his home. I want to respect that and keep this spirit of his within me," Oka said.
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 Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, attends a reception to celebrate the upcoming 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and delivers a speech in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2022. The reception was jointly held by the General Office of the National Committee of the CPPCC, the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang attended a reception on Tuesday to celebrate the upcoming 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing and delivered a speech. The reception was jointly held by the General Office of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has implemented the strategy of national rejuvenation within the context of global changes of a scale unseen in a century, said Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee. It has solved many longstanding problems, brought about important achievements on matters concerning the future, and withstood risks and challenges at home and abroad, Wang added. Noting that the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress matters in carrying forward the cause of the Party and the country, the future of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and China's national rejuvenation, Wang urged efforts to study, publicize and implement the spirit of the congress, and follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to strive for fully building a modern socialist China and advancing national rejuvenation. Stressing understanding the spirit of President Xi Jinping's address at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, Wang called for efforts to implement the principle of "one country, two systems," enforce the central government's overall jurisdiction in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs), implement the principle of patriots administering Hong Kong and Macao, as well as supporting the SAR governments in their administration in accordance with the law, ensuring that the SARs maintain their unique status and advantages, and supporting their integration into China's overall development. Wang stressed implementing the Party's overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, upholding the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, and promoting the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Strait relations. Noting that China's reunification is unstoppable, Wang warned that seeking "Taiwan independence" with foreign support will lead nowhere, while using Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail. Wang urged efforts to implement the policies of the Party and the country on overseas Chinese affairs, and help the world to better understand China. 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 Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, attends a reception to celebrate the upcoming 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and delivers a speech in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2022. The reception was jointly held by the General Office of the National Committee of the CPPCC, the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan  The United States plans to deepen unofficial ties with Taiwan, despite anticipating continued aggressive behavior from China across the Indo-Pacific, Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday at the home of the U.S. 7th Fleet.

Speaking aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Howard, the vice president, surrounded by sailors in dress whites, delivered remarks that largely focused on the regions growing tensions. She touched on Russias attempted annexation of Ukraine and a North Korean ballistic missile launch on Sunday, but zeroed in on recent actions by Beijing.

China has challenged the freedom of the seas; China has flexed its military and economic might to coerce and intimidate its neighbors, she said. We have witnessed disturbing behavior in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea  and most recently, provocations across the Taiwan Strait.

Tensions between the U.S. and China have remained high since U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Aug. 3 became the highest-ranking official to visit Taiwan in a quarter-century. Beijing responded by launching a weeklong series of drills encircling the island. Near-daily incursions of Chinese aircraft and ships into Taiwanese waters and airspace have continued since.

Beijing considers Taiwan, which split from China in 1949, a breakaway province that must be reunified with the mainland. Chinese officials, in a white paper released in August, said they would not renounce the use of force to reclaim Taiwan and that the option of using all necessary measures is reserved.

Harris, who arrived in Japan on Monday to attend a state funeral for slain former Prime Minster Shinzo Abe, said aboard the Howard that the U.S. anticipates continued aggressive behavior from Beijing, as it attempts to unilaterally undermine the status quo.

The United States believes that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is an essential feature of a free and open Indo Pacific, she said.

Echoing similar sentiments made by President Joe Biden during a 60 Minutes interview broadcast by CBS on Sept. 18, Harris vowed that the U.S. would continue to back Taiwan.

We will continue to oppose any unilateral change to the status quo, and we will continue to support Taiwans self-defense consistent with our long-standing policy, she said. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that contributes to the global good, from technology to help and beyond, and the United States will continue to deepen our unofficial ties.

Later, during a dockside news conference, Harris clarified that deepening ties meant doing the work of meeting with and reaffirming our commitment to an ally of Japan as an ally in this region, and mentioned her scheduled visit to South Korea on Thursday.

Its about strengthening the trilateral relationship that we have, she said.

Not long after Harris departure from Yokosuka, North Korea fired a pair of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the Souths Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters on Wednesday.

Harris stop in Yokosuka marked the third day of her four-day visit to Japan, during which she led a delegation of current and former U.S. officials to Abes state funeral on Tuesday. The group included U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and four others who once held his post: Sen. Bill Hagerty, U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, John Roos and Thomas Schieffer.

The funeral was held nearly three months after the former prime minister was gunned down while giving a political speech in Nara on July 8.

She later met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday. Albanese also addressed peace and security in the region, calling it a critical issue.

We live in uncertain times, he said, according to a Tuesday news release from the White House. There is strategic competition. Its something were very conscious of in the Pacific.

Han said South Koreas military alliance with the U.S. is steadfast and that his country plans to commit to protecting basic common values of the global nature, including democracy and human rights and market economy, according to a separate White House news release.

Harris will next head to South Korea on Thursday, where shes expected to discuss North Korea threats with President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul and visit the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two countries.
Japans leader vowed this week to assume the mantle of slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to bring home Japanese citizens abducted decades ago by North Korea.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas comments came Tuesday during Abes state funeral at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, as the former Abe cabinet minister addressed his mentors cremated remains onstage.

I know that you were very eager and feeling a strong resentment and sense of justice against the incidents involving the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea since before becoming a member of the house of representatives, Kishida said as he faced Abes urn.

The prime minister, his back to the audience, stood beneath a towering portrait of Abe among a cascade of green, yellow and white flowers and the Japanese flag.

I think it was very regrettable for you not to achieve repatriation of the victims, he said. I will carry on your determinations and make utmost efforts to realize the reversion of the abductees.

While the sentiment was largely seen as admirable, at least one expert in international politics believes there is a low probability of his vow being realized.

North Korea is taking this issue as a package with economic problems and nuclear weapons-related problems, said Junjiro Shida, an associate professor of international politics at Meio University on Okinawa. Japan must solve all these problems together to solve the abduction problem.

All Kishida can do is work with the international community to publicize the issue, much as Abe did in his two stints at the head of the Tokyo government, Shida told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday.

Ryutaro Hirata, 71, director-general of the advocacy group National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea, hopes that Kishida will take Abes work a step further.

Abe started this movement, Hirata told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday. This was inherited by ex-Prime Minister (Yoshihide) Suga, and now Prime Minister Kishida. Id like him to do his best and reach a Japan-North Korea summit meeting.

Hirata also hopes Kishida will work with the international community to maintain or strengthen economic sanctions to be used as leverage. But the issue wont be easily resolved, because North Korean officials keep lying about the abductions, he said.

We want the government to get information about the kidnapped, Hirata said. What are they doing? How is their situation? I think that is the most important thing.

A number of family members of the abductees attended Abes public funeral Tuesday to pay their respects, Hirata said.

The issue of abducted Japanese citizens began to take shape in the 1970s and 1980s when Japanese people began disappearing at home and abroad under suspicious circumstances, according to information on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Tokyo honed in on Pyongyang as the culprit after discussions with North Korean defectors.

Since 1991, the government of Japan has brought up the issue at every available opportunity, the ministry said. At the first Japan-North Korea summit in September 2002, then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il admitted to abducting 13 Japanese citizens, but blamed rogue groups motivated by patriotism.

Japan believes they were kidnapped by state agents to provide cultural intelligence.

North Korea returned five abductees in October of that year, the website said. The North also said eight abductees had died.

At a subsequent summit two years later, North Korea vowed to resume thorough investigations to obtain a full accounting of what had happened to all abductees, but no such accounting ever materialized.

Japan believes there were at least 17 citizens abducted between 1977 and 1983, according to the Foreign Ministry. Another 883 cases remain under investigation.

In 2014, North Korea created a special investigative committee to track down Japanese citizens in its country in exchange for loosened sanctions, but the issue was complicated by other foreign policy matters, such as North Koreas drive to procure nuclear weapons, the ministry said. It disbanded the committee in 2016 due to condemnations over nuclear testing.

Abe brought up the issue in February 2018 to North Korean diplomat Kim Yong-Nam at a reception hosted by then-South Korean President Moon Jae-In during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the ministry said. And, at Abes request, President Donald Trump broached the subject with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during summits in 2018 and 2019.

Kishida expressed a desire to meet with Kim without preconditions to resolve the issue after taking office in October 2021, Kyodo News reported Oct. 8, 2021. A spokesman for North Koreas foreign ministry replied with a statement saying the issue was long ago resolved.

Abe resigned in 2020, citing health concerns. He was assassinated by a lone gunman on July 8 while giving a campaign speech outside a train station in Nara.

Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic relations.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the Souths Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters through its messaging service Wednesday.

The launches happened just hours after Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up a speech aboard a U.S. destroyer at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, during which she condemned the Norths most recent launch on Sunday, along with aggressive actions by Moscow and Beijing.

South Koreas military said Wednesdays missiles were fired at around 6:10 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. from Pyongyangs Sunan area. Sunan hosts North Koreas international airport in the capital city, where the communist regime has carried out several rounds of weapons tests this year. The missiles were estimated to have flown roughly 223 miles at a peak altitude of about 18 miles.

North Koreas actions further strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the U.S. and South Korean militaries and will only deepen isolation from the international community, the Joint Chiefs said in its message.

Japans Prime Ministers office confirmed Wednesdays test, saying in a news release it would take all possible measures for precaution, including readiness for contingencies.

The U.S. vice president landed in western Tokyo on Monday to attend a state funeral for slain former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the following day. On Thursday, shell travel to South Korea, where shes slated to meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul before visiting the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. Wednesdays launches mark North Koreas 20th round of testing so far this year, a record, after the communist regime fired a short-range missile on Sunday ahead of Harris visit to the region. The North is also suspected by intelligence officials of having made preparations to conduct its seventh nuclear test.

None of these provocations have or will change our essential orientation, State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a news briefing Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

We have made clear together with our allies in the region that we are prepared for meaningful dialogue, meaningful diplomacy to help advance the prospects for a complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, he said. This offer of dialogue and diplomacy has, at least so far, been met only with additional provocations.

The latest test took place as the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group prepared to enter the final stretch of their four-day drills in the area with South Korean warships.

The goal of the exercise, which includes more than 20 ships from both countries, is to prepare for North Korean provocations with an aim to improve capabilities of the U.S. and South Korea, according to the Souths Ministry of National Defense.

Our combined [South Korea]-U.S. naval force is demonstrating its strength and resolve by conducting this exercise together to build our combat readiness, Rear Adm. Michael Buzz Donnelly, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 and Task Force 70, said Monday in a Navy news release. The U.S. and South Korea share one of the strongest alliances in the world and we grow stronger as an alliance because of our routine exercises here in South Korea and the close relationship and ties that we forge from operating at sea together, he said.
1:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, Japan time: Roke has been downgraded to a tropical storm, and though it maintains strong gale-force winds, it also remains well away from Japan and is forecast to keep heading northeast into the northwest Pacific Ocean.

At 9 p.m., Roke was 353 miles south of Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan moving east-northeast at 28 mph with 63-mph sustained winds and 81-mph gusts at center. Closest point of approach to Yokosuka according to Joint Typhoon Warning Center is about 330 miles southeast at 4 a.m. Saturday.
(Tribune News Service)  Russia will not submit a film for the international feature category at next years Academy Awards as President Vladimir Putins forces continue to invade Ukraine.

Variety, the Hollywood Reporter and other media outlets reported Tuesday that Russia is boycotting the Oscars, citing an announcement from the Russian film academy. The U.S. film academy did not immediately respond Tuesday to the Los Angeles Times request for a comment.

According to Variety, the president of Russias Oscars committee, Pavel Tchoukhrai, and several other members of the organization have resigned in protest of the Russian film academys actions.

In a letter obtained by Russian journalist Larisa Malyukova that was quoted in Variety, Tchoukhrai condemned the Russian film academy for making a unilateral decision over the head of the committee  a move he deemed both unfair and illegal. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Tchoukhrai told French news outlet AFP that the Russian film academy pulled out of the Oscars behind his back.

Crediting Russian film industry expert Joel Chapron, Variety reported that Nikolai Dostal, Sergey Selyanov, Vladimir Kott and Andrey Zvyagintsev have also exited the Russian Oscars committee.

Speaking with Russian news outlet Tass, Russian filmmaker Aleksei Uchitel argued that the Russian film academy did an unethical thing, to put it mildly.

In the current situation, we should show that Russias film industry still exists, and we should nominate a movie, he said.

However, another Russian director, Nikita Mikhalkov, approved of the boycott. As quoted in Variety, the Putin supporter and chair of the Russian cinematographers union said it didnt make sense to enter a Russian film for consideration in a country that currently denies its existence.

Since Putin launched his attack in February, the United States has continued to provide support and military aid to Ukraine. At the Oscars this year, the U.S. film academy observed a moment of silence to show our support for the people of Ukraine currently facing invasion, conflict and prejudice within their own boundaries.

While film is an important avenue for us to express our humanity in times of conflict, the reality is millions of families in Ukraine need food, medical care, clean water and emergency services, the academys statement read during the ceremony.

Resources are scarce, and we  collectively as a global community  can do more.

The Russian film academy has regularly submitted titles for Academy Awards in the past. In 2018, Zvyagintsevs Loveless was nominated for foreign language film (now international feature).

The 95th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place March 12 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

2022 Los Angeles Times.

Visit latimes.com.

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BRUSSELS  European companies are ramping up security around pipelines and energy prices are climbing again as the suspected sabotage of two pipelines that deliver natural gas from Russia underscored the vulnerability of Europes energy infrastructure and prompted the EU to warn of possible retaliation.

Some European officials and energy experts have said Russia is likely to blame for any sabotage  it directly benefits from higher energy prices and economic anxiety across Europe  although others cautioned against pointing fingers until investigators are able to determine what happened.

Russia has sharply curtailed natural gas shipments to Europe in retaliation for sanctions that the West put in place after its invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, Russian energy giant Gazprom increased the pressure, threatening on Twitter to cease dealing with a Ukrainian company that controls one of the two remaining pipelines that ship Russian gas to Europe.

Coming on top of the apparent sabotage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines, that means a major escalation and readiness to escalate, said Agata Loskot-Strachota, senior fellow in energy policy at the Center for Eastern Studies in Warsaw.

Seismologists say explosions rattled the Baltic Sea before unusual leaks were discovered Tuesday on the two underwater pipelines running from Russia to Germany.

All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on behalf of the bloc's 27 members. Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.

Three leaks were reported on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which were filled with natural gas but not delivering fuel to Europe ever since Russia stopped the flow to apply economic pressure on the continent.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said allegations that Russia would have sabotaged its own pipelines were predictable and stupid.

Yet as fears of further disruptions loomed, European energy companies and governments said Wednesday they have already begun to fortify energy infrastructure.

Norwegian state oil company Equinor said it raised the level of preparedness on all of its facilities, according to national broadcaster NRK. Norways energy exports have surged as European countries scramble to find alternatives to Russian supplies.

What happened in the Baltic Sea is very serious, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre told a press conference in Oslo.

Before the pipeline leaks discovered Tuesday, natural gas prices in Europe had dropped from their all-time peak in late August because countries have filled storage facilities to 87% of capacity ahead of winter, when demand for the fuel soars to heat homes and generate electricity.

But Europes natural gas prices have spiked about 14% since the pipeline ruptures rattled nerves about energy security.

Natural gas prices are roughly three times higher than just before Russia invaded Ukraine. An energy crisis driven by the war is threatening rationing, business closures and recession in Europe. The continents ability to get through winter will be deeply affected by how cold it is and whether they can find supplies to make up for whats been lost from Russia.

Another major source of Russian income  oil  has fallen sharply in price from June peaks of over $120 per barrel. On Wednesday, Brent crude futures traded at $87.40 per barrel, up more than 5% since Monday.

The extent of the pipeline damage, along with the political ramifications, raises serious doubts about the future of the Nord Stream project, which was launched so that Russia could deliver gas directly to Germany. The project has been heavily criticized by the West because it only increased Europes reliance on Russian gas imports.

The head of the Danish Energy Agency, Kristoffer Bottzauw, said Wednesday it wasn't clear when it would be safe for investigators to examine the damaged pipes, which he said are made of 12 centimeter (5 inches ) thick steel coated with concrete. The pipelines lie on the seabed between 70 and 90 meters (230 feet and 295 feet) deep.

Sweden's domestic security agency said Wednesday it was investigating the pipeline ruptures and that it couldn't be ruled out "that a foreign power is behind it.

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau was more direct, suggesting Tuesday that the leaks could be part of Russias campaign to apply pressure on the West for supporting Ukraine.

The explosions took place very close to Danish territorial waters, but not inside them, because that would have meant NATO territory, Rau said during a discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

This could mean that someone is trying to intimidate the countries of the Baltic Sea," he said.

The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting Friday afternoon at Russias request to discuss the suspected pipeline sabotage. Meanwhile, the countrys security service, the FSB, said it has opened a criminal investigation into an international act of terrorism after the explosions.

Even with eyes turning toward Russia, Anders Puck Nielsen, a researcher with the Center for Maritime Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, said that it would be hard to establish who is responsible, and just as tough to prevent similar incidents.

We have pipelines, we have communication cables like the internet. We have just power lines running on the seabed. All of this is vulnerable and our societies are very dependent on it. And its very, very difficult to monitor whats going on and to prevent a case of sabotage, he told The Associated Press.

A spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declined to respond to media reports that the CIA had warned Germany earlier this summer that the pipelines could be attacked. But let me say that according to our findings, there is no evidence that there is a natural cause for the pressure drop in the pipelines, spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters.

Simone Tagliapietra, an energy policy expert at Bruegel, said Russia's latest threat to disrupt natural gas that flows through Ukraine is not having as much impact as it might have hoped.

Its announcements are now having lower impact on prices, as both market and governments have internalized and got prepared for a full interruption of Russian gas to Europe, Tagliapietra said.

Olsen reported from Copenhagen, Denmark. David Keyton in Stockholm, Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.
The explosions that damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, causing leaks into the Baltic Sea, appear to be the "result of a deliberate act," the European Union said Wednesday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said investigations are underway into what she called "sabotage action," vowing that deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure would "lead to the strongest possible response."

Several European leaders said the explosions that caused leaks in the undersea natural gas pipelines appeared to be sabotage, as the E.U. put out a statement vowing to respond. "These incidents are not a coincidence and affect us all," the bloc said. Five European officials with direct knowledge of security discussions said it is widely assumed that Russia was behind the incident.

The Kremlin has denied responsibility for the explosions, stating that it was not in Russia's economic interest to damage the pipelines. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "absurd" to blame Moscow, adding "this is a big problem for us." He accused the United States of making "super profits" from European energy disruption. Speaking under the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, a U.S. official said the United States had nothing to do with the attack on the Nord Stream pipeline, calling the idea "preposterous."

Norway said it would increase security around its oil and gas infrastructure, while Swedish, Danish and German authorities have all opened investigations into the blasts. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he met Wednesday with Denmark's defense minister to discuss the "sabotage" and emphasized that "protection of critical infrastructure" in NATO countries remains paramount. Russia said it would consider participating in a joint investigation with European officials into the incidents but complained that it has not been approached.

The damage did not have an immediate impact on Europe's energy supplies. Russia cut off flows earlier this month, and European countries had scrambled to build up stockpiles and secure alternative energy sources before that.

But the episode is likely to mark a final end to the Nord Stream pipeline projects, a more-than-two-decade effort that deepened Europe's dependence on Russian natural gas  and that many officials now say was a grave strategic mistake.

The pair of explosions Monday produced leaks in all three of the underwater Nord Stream pipelines that connect Russia and Germany, causing massive plumes of gas bubbles to break the surface of the Baltic Sea.

"These are deliberate actions, not an accident," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters Tuesday. "The situation is as serious as it gets."

Frederiksen said the explosions, just off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm, were not "an attack on Denmark," since they took place in international waters. But Danish military leaders on Tuesday dispatched the Absalon, one of their top-of-the-line frigates, along with other patrol ships, to guard the island. Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod was calling other NATO counterparts to discuss the situation, according to a senior European diplomat who was familiar with the conversations and who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly about internal security.

"We do not know the details of what happened yet, but we can clearly see that it is an act of sabotage," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters Tuesday.

The act "probably marks the next stage in the escalation of this situation in Ukraine," Morawiecki said. He was speaking at a ceremony to open the new Baltic Pipe undersea pipeline that gives Poland and its neighbors access to Norwegian natural gas. The project was intended to reduce dependence on the gas that once flowed from Russia.

Five European officials with direct knowledge of security discussions said there was a widespread assumption that Russia was behind the incident. Only Russia had the motivation, the submersible equipment and the capability, several of them said, though they cautioned that they did not yet have direct evidence of Russia's involvement.

"No one on the European side of the ocean is thinking this is anything other than Russian sabotage," said a senior European environmental official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal thinking about the leak.

One official said it might have been a message to NATO: "We are close." Another said that it could be a threat to other, non-Russian energy infrastructure, since so many pipelines crisscross the Baltic Sea, including the one inaugurated Tuesday. A third noted that crucial internet data cables lie along the bottom of the sea, and there have been long-standing concerns that Russia has a submersible program that could cut them, causing communications chaos around the world.

Although gas was not being sent to Europe through the pipelines, there appeared to be a significant amount that remained in the pipes, raising concerns about possible environmental harm from methane  the main component of natural gas and a major contributor to climate change when it manages to reach the atmosphere.

Danish Climate Minister Dan Jorgensen told reporters that it might take at least a week to halt the flow of gas to the surface of the Baltic Sea.

Two of the damaged pipes are part of Nord Stream 1, which was previously a major transmission line of Russian natural gas to Germany, Poland and other European nations. Russia decreased and then stopped the flows through Nord Stream 1 earlier this year. The Kremlin blamed technical problems. European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, accused the Kremlin of using fossil fuels to "blackmail" countries supporting Ukraine.

The third leak is part of the newer Nord Stream 2, a project that Germany froze as Russia launched its invasion.

The Swedish National Seismic Network (SNSN) registered two distinct blasts in the vicinity of Bornholm on Monday. Automatic monitoring picked up the first blast, which registered the equivalent of an earthquake magnitude of 1.8, at 2:03 a.m. A second, larger blast, registering an equivalent earthquake magnitude of 2.3, came at 7:04 p.m.

"The location of the second blast is five or six kilometers away from where the Swedish Maritime Administration puts the gas leak," said Bjorn Lund, director of the Swedish seismic network. He noted that the complexity of the geographic area means there is some deviation in any estimated distance.

SNSN often registers blasts in the area when the Swedish navy conducts explosive exercises, Lund said, and consequently has a lot of data on the surrounding area.

"That [comparative data] make us even more sure that these are blasts and not earthquakes or landslides or something more natural," he said. "What we see now is very similar to what we recorded for these navy blasts."

The German Research Center for Geosciences confirmed similar findings to The Washington Post, saying it was certain that the seismic disturbances were not caused by a naturally occurring earthquake.

Imagery provided to The Post by Planet Labs, an Earth imaging company, showed methane bubbles appearing on the surface as early as 9 a.m. Monday, following the first recorded blast.

A spokesman for the European Commission said that although gas supplies were not at risk, officials were concerned about potential environmental damage.

"This hasn't affected the security of supply as yet," spokesman Tim McPhie said. "Deliveries have been zero on Nord Stream 1 anyway, and Nord Stream 2 is not yet authorized to operate. We are also analyzing the potential impact of these leaks of methane, which is a gas which of course has considerable effects on climate change, and we are in touch with the member states about the potential impact on maritime navigation."

The potential environmental impact was hard to assess, experts said, because the amount of methane actually released into the atmosphere depends on a wide range of variables. Methane is more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide for the first 20 years after it is released into the atmosphere. But water is able to absorb at least part of the gas when it is released underwater.

"We don't know the volume of methane coming out, we don't know how long it's going to continue, we don't know the size of the bubbles that are being formed as it comes out," all of which is key to understanding how much methane might be released, said Carolyn Ruppel, chief scientist for the U.S. Geological Survey's Gas Hydrates Project.

Scientists said that the relatively shallow depth of the pipeline  roughly 75 yards below the water's surface  was concerning.

"In a shallow situation like this, it is much more likely that substantial amounts of the methane can reach the atmosphere," Ruppel said.

The Washington Post's Meg Kelly and Michael Birnbaum in Washington, Mary Ilyushina from Riga, Latvia, Kate Brady in Berlin, Beatriz Rios in Brussels, John Hudson in Washington, and Kareem Fahim and Zeynep Karatas contributed to this report.
KYIV, Ukraine  Russia positioned itself Wednesday to formally annex parts of Ukraine where occupied areas held a Kremlin-orchestrated referendum on living under Moscows rule that the Ukrainian government and the West denounced as illegal and rigged.

Armed troops had gone door-to-door with election officials to collect ballots in five days of voting. The suspiciously high margins in favor were characterized as a land grab by an increasingly cornered Russian leadership after embarrassing military losses in Ukraine.

Moscow-installed administrations in the four regions of southern and eastern Ukraine claimed Tuesday night that 93% of the ballots cast in the Zaporizhzhia region supported annexation, as did 87% in the Kherson region, 98% in the Luhansk region and 99% in Donetsk.

Pro-Russia officials in the four regions said they would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to incorporate their provinces into Russia on the basis of announced vote results. Separatist leaders Leonid Pasechnik in Luhansk and Denis Pushilin in Donetsk said they were leaving for Moscow to settle the annexation formalities.

Ukraines Foreign Ministry called the balloting a propaganda show and null and worthless.

Forcing people in these territories to fill out some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine, it said.

Western countries also dismissed the balloting as an attempt by Moscow to legitimize its invasion of Ukraine launched on Feb. 24.

Regardless of Russias claims, this remains Ukrainian territory and Ukraine has every right to continue to fight for their full sovereignty, said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

In response, we will work with our allies and partners to impose additional economic costs on Russia and supporters of any annexation, she said.

Separately, the U.S. announced an additional $1.1 billion in aid to Kyiv, with funding for about 18 more advanced rocket systems and other weapons to counter drones that Russia has been using against Ukrainian troops. The latest package brings the total of U.S. aid to Ukraine to nearly $17 billion since the Biden administration took office.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged the EUs 27 member countries to agree on a new package of sanctions on Russia because of the proposed annexations.

The Kremlin remained unmoved amid the hail of criticism. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that at the very least, Russia intended to drive Ukrainian forces out of the Donetsk region, where Moscows troops and separatist forces currently control about 60% of the territory.

In an interview with The Associated Press, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was determined to reclaim all the territory that Russia has seized during the war. Mykhailo Podolyak said the annexation by Russia would change nothing on the battlefield.

Our actions depend not so much on what the Russian Federation thinks or wants, but on the military capabilities that Ukraine has, he said.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters in Washington that the U.S. would not object to Ukraine using U.S.-supplied weapons to attack those areas if they are annexed by Russia.

We have been clear when it comes to certain longer-range systems with our Ukrainian partners that these systems are for use on sovereign Ukrainian territory. If and when this annexation occurs as we expect it will, these areas will remain sovereign Ukrainian territory, Price said.

After a counteroffensive by Ukraine this month dealt Moscows forces heavy battlefield setbacks, Russia said it would call up 300,000 reservists to join the fight. It also warned it could resort to nuclear weapons.

That partial mobilization is deeply unpopular in some areas, however, triggering protests, scattered violence, and Russians fleeing the country by the tens of thousands.

The mass exodus has created miles-long lines for days at some borders, and local Russian authorities on one area along the border with Georgia said they would start providing food, water, warming stations and other aid to those in line. Moscow also reportedly set up draft offices at borders to intercept some of those trying to leave.

The mobilization prompted the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to warn Americans in Russia to leave immediately because Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service.

Previous embassy security alerts issued during the war also advised Americans to leave.

Ukraine's military and Western analysts said Russia is sending troops with hardly any training to the front line. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, cited an online video by a man who identified himself as a member of Russia's 1st Tank Regiment, visibly upset, saying he and his colleagues wouldnt receive training before shipping out to Russian-occupied parts of the Kherson region.

Mobilized men with a day or two of training are unlikely to meaningfully reinforce Russian positions affected by Ukrainian counteroffensives in the south and east, the institute said.

Meanwhile, the EU expressed outrage over the suspected sabotage Tuesday of two underwater natural gas pipelines from Russia to Germany, and warned of retaliation for any attack on Europes energy networks.

All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. Perpetrators have not been identified.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov said allegations that Russia could be behind the incidents were predictable and stupid, saying the damage has caused Russia huge economic losses. A U.N. Security Council meeting was called for Friday at Moscows request.

The damage makes it unlikely the pipelines will be able to supply any gas to Europe this winter, according to analysts.

On the battlefield, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Ukraines counteroffensive is advancing slowly, meeting a stouter Russian defense.

Local Ukrainian officials reported Russian attacks in the partially occupied Donetsk region that killed five people, and artillery strikes in the southern Ukrainian city of Nikopol. That city saw 10 high-rises and private buildings hit, as well as a school and power lines, said Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the local military administration.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson's long-running quest to blame the Biden administration for the war in Ukraine hasn't borne much fruit, despite his prominent perch on the most-watched cable news channel.

But it's not for lack of trying. And on Tuesday night, Carlson strongly suggested the United States is responsible for explosions that damaged the Nord Stream pipelines - and, at times, seemed to more explicitly blame it.

We know very little about what happened to the pipelines, which carry natural gas from Russia to Europe, or who was responsible if the explosions were due to sabotage, which authorities say is likely. Anything seems possible at this point.

But Carlson's supposed evidence for this being a U.S. operation is decidedly weak.

Carlson began his monologue by seeking to knock down the idea that Russia itself could have been responsible, which is the theory favored by some Western leaders. (Russia has denied responsibility.) He argued that cutting off its ability to supply energy to Europe would deprive it of leverage. "If you are Vladimir Putin, you would have to be a suicidal moron to blow up your own energy pipeline," Carlson argued. "That's the one thing you would never do."

Nonetheless, Carlson continued, that's where some people are pointing. "The Washington Post got right to it," Carlson said. "Putin, they declared, is now weaponizing the Nord Stream pipelines."

In fact, the piece he cited was an analysis from Bloomberg News, which The Washington Post also ran on its website. And the piece didn't outright say Putin had done this; it only raised the possibility. "Is Putin Fully Weaponizing the Nord Stream Pipelines?" the headline reads. That is a question, not an assertion of fact.

But it wasn't the only source for Carlson's theory that wasn't entitled to nuance.

Perhaps the most prominent quote Carlson used was from President Biden in February: Biden had said that, if Russia invades Ukraine, "there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it."

Carlson treated this as no less than a smoking gun. He cast Biden's comments as him saying "that he might take out these pipelines." Despite often casting Biden as a doddering old fool, Carlson assured that, in this instance, the president must have chosen his words carefully: "He said there won't be a Nord Stream 2. We'll put an end to it. We will take it out. We will blow it up."

You begin to see the rhetorical trick here. Biden did not say we would "blow it up," unless you're using that phrase metaphorically. (At the time, the pipeline's construction was complete but it was not operational, awaiting approval from Germany and the European Union; a few weeks later, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Berlin would stop the pipeline's certification.) But Carlson's aim is clearly to make people think about it literally.

Carlson then turned to another Biden administration official who he suggested publicly previewed just such a potential strike. It was top State Department official Victoria Nuland, who said in January, "If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward."

Carlson highlighted the "one way or another" as being a potential threat to use sabotage - similar to Biden's "bring an end to it."

But there is a very readily available, alternate explanation for these veiled and unspecific promises to halt Nord Stream 2: The fact that it wasn't at all clear how the United States could actually achieve its goal of shutting it down if Russia invaded. After all, Europe would be giving up a key energy source, and the decision largely rested with Germany.

Indeed, we wrote about exactly that just a day after Biden's February comments. The administration kept saying it would halt Nord Stream 2, but Germany was publicly noncommittal. Harder commitments might have been made behind closed doors, but this was sensitive diplomacy that made it difficult for the Biden administration to say exactly how it would make good on its promise (which it ultimately did).

Beyond that, there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of the notion of the United States conducting sabotage. High on that list is that such an action would strain relations with European allies who would like to have access to that pipeline at some future date, even as they're currently forgoing Russian energy in solidarity with Ukraine. (An official told The Post's John Hudson that the idea of U.S. involvement in the attack on the pipeline is "preposterous.")

The last source Carlson cited was not a U.S. politician, but a European one. Radek Sikorski is a member of European Parliament representing Poland and is the country's former defense and foreign minister. His Twitter account on Tuesday featured a photo of gas bubbling up to the top of the Baltic Sea, with the brief message: "Thank you, USA."

Some reports cast Sikorski's comments as explicitly blaming the United States for sabotage, and some Polish politicians suggested Sikorski was furthering Russian propaganda efforts. Prominent Russian officials promoted Sikorski's tweet, but Sikorski is not known as a pro-Russian politician.

But his meaning wasn't entirely clear; it seems possible he was crediting the United States for rendering the pipelines moot by pressuring Europe not to take Russian natural gas. In later tweets, he seemed to actually point the finger to Russian sabotage, citing a supposed Russian "special maintenance operation" on the pipelines.

(The Washington Post attempted to contact Sikorski through the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where he holds a nonresident position, but hasn't received comment from him.)

This is effectively the totality of the supposed hard evidence Carlson had for his theory. Beyond that, it was rank speculation and evaluating the various motives involved - motives which Carlson has long claimed, on the Biden's administration's side, include exacerbating the war in Ukraine.

He repeatedly qualified his comments by saying things like, "We don't know for sure." But ultimately he delivered his speculation as if it were fact and invited his viewers to do the same.

"What will be the effect of this? Every action has a reaction, equal and opposite. Blow up the Nord Stream pipelines? Okay, we've entered a new phase, one in which the United States is directly at war with the largest nuclear power in the world," Carlson said. "It doesn't mean it will go nuclear immediately, but it does suggest there could be consequences."

He added: "Have the people behind this - the geniuses like Toria Nuland - considered the effects? Maybe they have. Maybe that was the point."

Carlson then invited his guest, former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), to join in the speculation. But despite Gabbard's record of more sympathetic comments toward Russia than your average U.S. politician and her skepticism of U.S. foreign policy, she wasn't going there.

"I don't have the evidence of who was responsible for this," Gabbard, before proceeding to speak more generally about the dangers of the situation.

Apparently even she wasn't swayed by Carlson's presentation.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. will provide an additional $1.1 billion in aid to Ukraine, with funding for 18 more advanced rocket systems and other weapons to counter drones that Russia has been using against Ukrainian troops, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.

The latest package is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds contracts to purchase weapons and equipment. And it brings the total of U.S. aid to Ukraine to nearly $17 billion since the Biden administration took office.

The aid announcement comes as Russia moves to annex parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine that held Kremlin-orchestrated referendums on living under Moscow's rule. The votes were denounced by Kyiv and the West as illegal and rigged.

"We will not be deterred from supporting Ukraine, we will continue to stand with the Ukrainian people, and provide them with the security assistance they need to defend themselves, for as long as it takes," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Since the funding is for contracts for weapons and equipment, it is aimed at helping Ukraine secure its longer-term defense needs. It could take a year or two for Ukraine to get the systems. The U.S. has used Pentagon drawdown authority to provide weapons more immediately, and another announcement for that Defense Department aid is expected early next week.

The package includes funding for 18 of the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, and ammunition for them, and 12 Titan systems, which are used to counter drones. Officials have said the HIMARS and other similar systems were key to Ukraine's battle successes in recent weeks. And the Russians have been using Iranian-made drones to target Ukrainian forces, underscoring the need for more systems to counter that threat.

Also in the package is funding for about 300 vehicles, dozens of trucks and trailers to transport heavy equipment, a variety of radars, communications and surveillance equipment, and other gear for soldiers. It also will include funding for equipment to detect explosives and for maintenance and training.

A senior defense official said it will take six months to two years to get most of those weapons and equipment to Ukraine, and "a few years" for the additional HIMARS to arrive. The official said the 18 HIMARS are an investment in Ukraine's future defense, and said the contract does not rule out other U.S. efforts to send additional HIMARS more quickly through the faster Pentagon drawdown program.

Senior defense and military officials spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity Wednesday to provide details of the aid package and a military assessment of the war.

The war, now in its seventh month, has shifted to a new phase, as Russia tries to rebound from recent combat losses and use the referendums to politically solidify the gains it had made in the four occupied regions in the south and east.

Pro-Russia officials in Ukraine's Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions said Wednesday they would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to incorporate their provinces into Russia. It wasn't immediately clear how the administrative process would unfold.

Jean-Pierre said the U.S. has determined that Russia falsified the results of the referendums, which it said showed overwhelming support for annexation.

"These so called referenda have been an exercise in coercion and disinformation, executed by puppet authorities following orders from Russia," she said.

Jean-Pierre signaled that the White House was preparing new sanctions against Russia in response to the referendums, saying the U.S. and its allies planned to impose a "severe economic cost on Russia when they move forward with annexation."

A senior military official said the U.S. has seen the first portions of Russia's latest mobilization of reservists move into Ukraine. But so far it's just been small numbers of them, the official said. Russia has announced plans to call up about 300,000 men with past military service, in the wake of widespread battlefield losses in Ukraine's recent counteroffensive.

In response, tens of thousands of Russian men have fled the country to border nations in the past week, fearing that Putin's mobilization will be much broader and more arbitrary than he has suggested. There are numerous reports of men with no military training and of all ages receiving draft notices.

The U.S. military official said Putin may find it difficult to generate 300,000 forces, and noted that troops who are needed to train the new conscripts are already fighting in Ukraine, raising questions about their ability to handle the tasks.
WASHINGTON  The Pentagon will deliver the first two advanced NASAMS anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine in the next two months, providing Kyiv with a weapon that it has pressed for since earlier this year.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told Pentagon reporters on Tuesday that six more of the Norwegian-developed weapons will be delivered in the future, as much as a year or two from now. Recent reports that some of the U.S.-provided NASAMS were already in Ukraine were not correct.

The NASAMS will provide medium- to long-range defense against Russian missile attacks. Their impending delivery comes as Russia tries to rebound from recent combat losses and politically solidify gains by holding referendums in four occupied regions in the south and east.

The Kremlin-orchestrated referendums, which have been dismissed as illegitimate by the U.S. and its Western allies, are expected to be used as a pretext for Moscow to annex those regions.

Ryder said the U.S. has seen no major shifts in Russian forces aimed at bolstering or protecting the four areas, even as Moscow mobilizes more than a quarter million reservists to fight in Ukraine. He said the U.S. continues to see Russian troops trying to conduct offensive operations, but that Ukrainian forces are "successfully holding on."

Ryder also said that despite the ongoing threats from Russian leaders to use nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory  including the newly claimed areas  the U.S. has seen nothing that "would cause us to adjust our own nuclear posture at this time."

On funding, Ryder said that nearly $2.3 billion allocated to provide weapons and equipment to Ukraine will expire at the end of the fiscal year on Friday. That money is authorized by Congress to pay for equipment taken off Pentagon shelves and sent quickly to Ukraine.

"I would highlight that it's not the end of the fiscal year yet," Ryder said. "So there's still time potentially to employ that authorization." He also noted that Congress is moving to approve additional funding for the next fiscal year, which also could be used.

In other comments, Ryder said the U.S. now does confirm that Russia is using Iranian drones both for combat attacks and intelligence-gathering, and that reports that some have been shot down by Ukraine are "credible." He declined to provide numbers.
A former Army sergeant received a six-year prison sentence for distributing fentanyl while assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, the Justice Department announced Monday.

Eri Gutberto Parra-Lopez, 25, of Phoenix, Ariz., sold 3,150 pills containing fentanyl to undercover law enforcement in the suburbs of Austin, Texas, during five different meetups at grocery store parking lots, according to court documents. He pleaded guilty on April 20 to one count of distribution of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is more potent than morphine.

Army [Criminal Investigation Division] and our partner agencies take the threat of fentanyl to the public, and the Army, very seriously. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to interdict the distribution of fentanyl wherever it may occur, said Maria Thomas, a special agent with the CID.

The investigation of Parra-Lopez began in May 2021 when undercover agents with the Pflugerville Police Department contacted him through social media where the soldier used the nickname El Banks. Pflugerville is located about 50 miles south of Fort Hood.

During the next two months, law enforcement officials continued to buy pills in larger amounts, according to court documents. Lab tests confirmed the pills where counterfeit oxycodone tablets that contained fentanyl.

During one sale, Parra-Lopez told the undercover agent that he got the pills from Mexican drug cartels, according to court documents.

This case demonstrates the lengths Mexican cartels are willing to go to infiltrate our communities with deadly fentanyl for their own selfish gains, said Daniel Comeaux, a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administrations Houston division. We remain committed to our collaborative efforts with our local partners to reverse the overdose and poisoning epidemic and bring to justice those fueling it.

Parra-Lopez has since left the Army, but the service did not immediately respond to a request for his service record.
WASHINGTON  A member of the mob that launched a series of violent attacks on police  including Washington, D.C., officer Michael Fanone  in a tunnel under the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, apologized Tuesday as a judge sentenced him to seven years and two months in prison.

Kyle Young, 38, is the first rioter to be sentenced for the group attack on Fanone, who was dragged into the mob, beaten and electrocuted until he suffered a heart attack and lost consciousness.

"You were a one-man wrecking ball that day," Judge Amy Berman Jackson said. "You were the violence."

Fanone resigned from the Washington, D.C., police late last year, saying fellow officers turned on him for speaking so publicly about the Capitol attack and former president Donald Trump's role in it. In court Tuesday, Fanone confronted his attacker directly, telling Young, "I hope you suffer."

"The assault on me by Mr. Young cost me my career," Fanone said. "It cost me my faith in law enforcement and many of the institutions I dedicated two decades of my life to serving."

Young pleaded guilty in May to being in the group that attacked Fanone. Documents filed with his plea agreement offer this account:

Young and his 16-year-old son joined the tunnel battle just before 3 p.m., and Young handed a stun gun to another rioter and showed him how to use it. When Fanone was pulled from the police line, Young and his son pushed through the crowd toward him.

Just after that, authorities said, another rioter repeatedly shocked Fanone with the stun gun, and Young helped restrain the officer as another rioter stole his badge and radio.

Young lost his grip on Fanone as the mob moved. He then pushed and hit a nearby Capitol police officer, who had just been struck with bear spray, according to documents filed with his plea.

Young also pointed a strobe light at the officers, jabbed at them with a stick and threw an audio speaker toward the police line, hitting another rioter in the back of the head, prosecutors said.

In a letter to the court, Young said he cried on the phone with his wife as he left Washington.

"I was a nervous wreck and highly ashamed of myself," he wrote. "I do not condone this and do not promote this like others have done. Violence isn't the answer."

In court, he apologized to Fanone, saying, "I hope someday you forgive me. . . . I am so, so sorry. If I could take it back, I would."

Young has a long criminal history. While in prison for producing meth, he was repeatedly sanctioned for violence. His attorney said that after a difficult childhood, Young had straightened out his life, gotten married, raised four children and started working in HVAC installation. Until Jan. 6, he hadn't been arrested in a dozen years, his attorney said.

His "conduct on January 6 is isolated to a unique set of circumstances that unfolded that are not likely to be replicated," wrote his attorney, Samuel Moore.

Jackson said she believed Young had become a good husband and father. But she noted the continued possibility of political violence, with Trump and his allies responding to possible prosecution by "cagily predicting or even outright calling for violence in the streets."

The sentence she gave Young is close to the eight-year statutory maximum for assaulting a police officer.

Two of the other men accused of involvement in the attack on Fanone have pleaded not guilty. One has admitted dragging Fanone down the Capitol steps; he is set to be sentenced in October.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden is hosting Pacific Island leaders for a two-day summit as the U.S. looks to counter Chinas military and economic influence in the region. Pacific Island leaders, meanwhile, see an even more pressing concern: climate change.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken kicked off the summit on Wednesday with a luncheon for the Pacific Island leaders and other senior officials from the region. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry held a climate roundtable with the leaders, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was joining them for a dinner hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Biden is set to address the leaders at the State Department on Thursday and will host them for a dinner at the White House. The leaders also are to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and U.S. business leaders.

Leaders from Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and New Caledonia are attending. Vanuatu and Nauru are sending representatives, and Australia, New Zealand and the secretary-general of the Pacific Island Forum sent observers, according to the White House.

"This summit reflects our deep, enduring partnership with the Pacific Islands; one thats underpinned by shared history, values, and enduring people-to-people ties, Blinken told leaders as he opened the summit. Talks are expected to touch on climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and economic recovery, maritime security, environmental protection and the Indo-Pacific.

The first-of-its-kind summit comes as the administration has sought to demonstrate that the U.S. remains committed to being a enduring player in the region.

While the high-level gathering is welcomed by the region's leaders as a signal of Biden's commitment to the Pacific, there's also a healthy skepticism about whether the United States will remain engaged for the longer term in the Pacific Islands. The area has received diminished attention from the U.S. in the aftermath of the Cold War and China has increasingly filled the vacuum, analysts say.

The Solomon Islands has signaled it was unlikely to sign on to a joint statement that the U.S. hoped to have hashed out by the end of the summit, according to a diplomat familiar with summit planning.

The diplomat, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the resistance is driven in part by the Solomon Islands' tightening relationship with Beijing and in part is seen as an effort to press the U.S. for greater economic assistance.

A senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters before the summit said discussions on the joint statement are still ongoing.

For the Biden administration, stemming the growing influence of China is a high priority. But for many of the Pacific Island leaders, climate change is the existential crisis that demands attention above all else.

Last week at the U.N. General Assembly, Prime Minister Kausea Natano of the tiny island of Tuvalu described how rising sea levels have affected everything from the soil that his people rely on to plant crops, to the homes, roads and power lines that get washed away. The cost of eking out a living, he said, eventually becomes too much to bear, causing families to leave and the nation to disappear.

"This is how our islands will cease to exist, Natano said.

In June, Inia Seruiratu, Fijis minister for defense, said at the Shangri-La Dialogue that machine guns, fighter jets, gray ships and green battalions are not our primary security concern.

The single greatest threat to our very existence is climate change," he said.

Plans for the summit were announced earlier this month, just days after the Solomon Islands called on the U.S. and Britain not to send naval vessels to the South Pacific nation until approval processes are overhauled. The Solomons in April signed a new security pact with China  a moment that analysts say has created increased urgency for the Biden administration to put greater focus on the region.

The United States and Britain are among countries concerned that a new security pact with Beijing could lead to a Chinese naval base being constructed less than 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) off Australias northeast coast.

Darshana Baruah, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Beijing has been more present in the region in the last decades.

The first questions from the islands to the United States are, Is this going to last beyond the current tense cycle? Are you going to keep showing up,?' Baruah said. The second question is, 'What kind of messaging is this sending across the Indo-Pacific? Are you mistakenly giving the impression that if you want Washingtons attention you must grab Beijing's purse?'

In the leadup to the summit, Pacific Island leaders made clear that they want increased U.S. assistance on battling the impacts of climate change and help for their economies recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a senior Biden administration official.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the "lapse" in the U.S. efforts in the region comes up in every meeting with Pacific Island leaders. The White House plans to announce its first U.S. Pacific Island Strategy and announce that the Democratic president will appoint a U.S. envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum.

The U.S. will also be seeking to mend relations with the Marshall Islands, which for decades has been a strong ally but which is in a bitter dispute over a treaty thats up for renewal.

Just last week, the Marshall Islands pulled out of a negotiating session with the U.S. over their Compact of Free Association, which expires next year. The Marshall Islands says the U.S. isnt engaging in its claim for proper reparations from the legacy of U.S. nuclear testing in the islands.

The Marshall Islands says there was extensive environmental and health damage from the dozens of tests in the 1940s and 50s, which a settlement in the 1980s fell well short of addressing.

The U.S. has treated the Marshall Islands, along with nearby Micronesia and Palau, much like territories since World War II, and observers worry that a weakening of those ties would play into the hands of China.

The administration in recent months has sought to have greater presence in the region. In February, Blinken became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Fiji in 37 years. And in recent months, the U.S. along with Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the U.K. created an informal group aimed at boosting economic and diplomatic ties with Pacific Island nations dubbed Partners in the Blue Pacific.

During the Fiji visit, Blinken announced the U.S. would open an embassy in the Solomon Islands. The U.S. operated an embassy in the Solomons for five years before closing it in 1993. Since then, U.S. diplomats from neighboring Papua New Guinea have been accredited to the Solomons, which has a U.S. consular agency.

Guadalcanal, the largest landmass in the Solomon Islands, was the site of the crucial battles between Allied forces and Japan early in World War II.

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Nick Perry in Wellington, New Zealand, contributed reporting.
Lee Prendergast (32) kicked, punched and headbutted the cell door, spat on the floor, smeared blood all over the cell

An out-of-work chef smeared blood all over a garda station cell after he was arrested for hurling drunken abuse at paramedics who tried to help him when he passed out in the Phoenix Park.

Lee Prendergast (32) had refused treatment by the fire brigade when he was found lying by the roadside in the park late at night.

Judge Bryan Smyth fined him 250 at Dublin District Court when he admitted public order offences.

Prendergast, a father-of-four who was homeless at the time, pleaded guilty to public intoxication and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.

Detective Garda John Farrelly said he encountered the accused at Chesterfield Avenue in the Phoenix Park at 11pm on November 13 last year.

Prendergast was highly intoxicated and lying on the side of the road.

When Dublin Fire Brigade came and tried to tend to him, he became abusive.

Prendergast told them: Dont you f**king touch me, f**k off and get away from me.

He was very unsteady on his feet and was slurring his words as he refused treatment from the fire brigade.

He was arrested and brought to Blanchardstown garda station, where he kicked, punched and headbutted the cell door, spat on the floor, smeared blood all over the cell and refused to give gardai his details.

The accused had been charged with criminal damage but this was withdrawn by the prosecution.

Prendergast presented infinitely better in court than he had on the night of the incident, his solicitor Matthew de Courcy said.

At the time, he had had a lot to drink, had taken some tablets and was out of sorts to put it mildly.

He accepted it was a rather unsavoury incident, Mr de Courcy said.

The accused had previous public order convictions but none were in the last six years, the court heard.

At the time of the incident, his partner was pregnant, they had broken up and he was living in hostel accommodation in the city centre and drinking heavily.

Mr de Courcy asked the judge to view what happened as an isolated incident.

The accused, a qualified chef, was now back with his partner.

The judge fined him on the breach of the peace charge and took the other into consideration.
Emma Cooney (37) had drug addiction problems but got treatment and was on methadone, her solicitor John Quinn said.

A serial shoplifter who stole hundreds of euro worth of groceries and cosmetics from supermarkets has been jailed for three months.

Emma Cooney (37), described as a devoted mother, was sentenced after a court heard she had previously been given a suspended prison term.

Cooney, of Larch Hill, Santry, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to theft.

A garda sergeant said on April 30, Cooney took meat products valued at 131 from Marks & Spencer, Santry. She was apprehended by security and the goods were recovered.

On viewing CCTV, she was seen taking 174 worth of meat on an earlier date, April 24. On April 14, she was stopped taking 83 worth of cosmetics at Dunnes Stores, The Pavilions Shopping Centre, Swords. She had also entered Supervalu and took goods worth 27.

The accused went to Tesco, Artane on September 11 and stole items worth 207.

Cooney had drug addiction problems but got treatment and was on methadone, her solicitor John Quinn said.

Judge Bryan Smyth said the case warranted jail as the accused had previously got the benefit of a suspended sentence. He fixed recognisances in the event of an appeal.
Kelly (58) became very abusive and had to be restrained by officers after failing to desist.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of convicted INLA man Paul Jaws Kelly after he failed to appear in court over a boozy row with gardai.

Dundalk District Court heard how 59-year-old Kelly, who previously served a four-year jail sentence for membership of an illegal organisation, demanded gardai drive him home in a squad car while he was highly intoxicated.

The well-known dissident Republican subsequently became very abusive and had to be restrained by officers after failing to desist, the court heard.

Garda Christopher Hennessy gave evidence that at 5.20pm he was on mobile patrol accompanied by two colleagues. They were stopped outside a residence.

He noticed a man walking towards the vehicle from behind.

This person went to the passenger side. He was clearly intoxicated and was holding on to the vehicle for support.

He demanded that the guards drive him home and on being informed they were not a taxi; the defendant called the two guards in the front f***ing idiots.

When he saw the other officer in the rear he asked: Whos the s**t in the back?

On two occasions, Garda Hennessy continued, Kelly was directed to leave and refused each time.

He again called the gardai f***ing idiots.

Warrant

The witness said he got out of the car and informed the defendant he was going to be arrested.

The defendant replied: I will thump the head of you.

Kelly became highly aggressive and had to be restrained to the ground.

Kelly, of Coxs Demesne, Dundalk, was convicted in his absence of three Public Order charges with a bench warrant issued over his failure to appear.

He was found guilty of using or engaging in threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour or words, failing to comply with the direction of a garda and being intoxicated in a public place at Aisling Park on May 2 last.

Kelly, the court heard, had eight previous convictions.

The most high profile of these occurred in 2008 when Kelly was jailed for four years after he rammed a garda car with a vehicle, inside which there were bomber jackets with Republican Socialist Movement Dundalk on the back.

Paul Kelly, then aged 45, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to membership of the INLA, an illegal organisation, on December 20 the previous year.

Detective Superintendent Diarmuid OSullivan from the special detective unit told the non-jury special court that father-of-five Kelly was seen driving a black Volkswagen Passat during a garda surveillance operation in Dundalk.

Members of the armed emergency response unit moved in on Kellys car, blocking the road with a patrol car with blue flashing lights.

Kelly rammed the garda car and both he and his passenger were arrested.

When officers searched the boot of the Passat, they discovered a large number of garda uniforms which had been stolen from the homes of force members in Waterford and Lucan.
Ian OHeaire is also charged with theft of an iPhone and causing criminal damage to an apartment door

A DUBLIN man has been sent for trial accused of burgling an apartment in the north of the city.
A motorist who was travelling behind Mr Sterio, said she saw the taxi veer towards the hard shoulder and crash into the back of the truck

Forensic collision investigator, Garda Garda Barry McCormack pictured leaving the Dublin District Coroner's Court yesterday morning after giving evidence to the inquest into the death of taxi driver, Michael Sterio. Photo: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin   Colin Keegan

Truck driver Denis Joyce had been parked up on the hard shoulder after one of his tyres blew out. Photo: Colin Keegan/Collins   Colin Keegan

A taxi driver died after his car veered off the M50 in Dublin for no apparent reason and crashed into a broken-down truck parked on the hard shoulder, an inquest has heard.

The driver, Michael Sterio (70) a married father of six of Garthy Wood, Knocklyon, Co Dublin, died instantly as a result of the collision which occurred on the southbound side of the M50 between Junction 12 (Firhouse) and Junction 13 (Dundrum/Sandyford) at around 2.40pm on September 8, 2020.

A sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court yesterday heard evidence from several eye-witnesses that the victims silver Renault Fluence suddenly veered off the left lane of the motorway into the hard shoulder.

A driver with Kilsaran Concrete, Denis Joyce, told the inquest he had parked on the hard shoulder of the M50 after suffering a blow-out with one of the tyres on his Scandia tipper truck which he was using to transport a load of stones from a quarry.

Mr Joyce said he was sitting in the passenger seat waiting for assistance for about 15 minutes when he heard a bang at the back of the truck.

When he went to find out what happened, Mr Joyce said he found a car underneath his truck with a man slumped across the steering wheel.

Mr Joyce told the coroner, Crona Gallagher, that his truck was completely parked off the M50 on the hard shoulder.

A motorist who was travelling directly behind Mr Sterios taxi, Gillian Comerford, said she saw the vehicle veer towards the hard shoulder and crash into the back of the truck.

It was very smoothly done. It was just drifting. There was no indicator, she added.

Ms Comerford said there was no sign of the taxi slowing down until about one second before the crash when she saw its brake lights go on.

Another motorist, Sinead Young, who was driving in the southbound middle lane of the M50 approximately parallel with the taxi, said she also saw it suddenly veer towards the hard shoulder.

She believed the taxi driver was going at the same speed as herself which was approximately 80km/h on a stretch of the motorway with a 100km/h speed limit.

Ms Young said the truck in the hard shoulder did not have any hazard lights on to warn traffic and noted the crash happened in a flash".

A paramedic who was alerted to the collision by the eyewitnesses, Ken ODwyer, said Mr Sterio was beyond medical help at the scene.

The inquest heard tests showed both the victims taxi and the truck were in good mechanical condition.

Forensic collision investigator, Garda Garda Barry McCormack pictured leaving the Dublin District Coroner's Court yesterday morning after giving evidence to the inquest into the death of taxi driver, Michael Sterio. Photo: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin   Colin Keegan

A forensic collision investigator, Garda Barry McCormack said he found no evidence to explain why the deceaseds vehicle had veered off onto the hard shoulder.

Neither the weather conditions nor road surface was contributory factors in the crash,

While there was a bend on the M50 at the crash site, Garda McCormack said Mr Sterio would have naturally veered towards the overtaking lanes of the M50 rather than the hard shoulder if he had been distracted while driving.

The witness said it was most likely that Mr Sterio had not lost conscious control of his vehicle.

The use of the brake light shows there was conscious control, he observed.

In response to questions from the coroner, Garda McCormack said there was no evidence to suggest Mr Sterio had veered in response to a driving manoeuvre by another motorist.

The investigating garda, Patrick Tarrant, said no criminal prosecution had arisen from the case.

Garda Tarrant told the inquest that a mobile phone, which Mr Sterio was believed to have with him at the time of the crash, was never located at the scene.

Mr Sterios wife, Mairead, said he had been in good form with nothing out of the ordinary earlier that day.

The results of a post-mortem showed the victim had died from multiple traumatic injuries consistent with a road traffic collision.

Dr Gallagher said the autopsy had found no evidence to suggest he had suffered some acute medical event while alcohol was not a factor.

Addressing the inquest to thank all the witnesses, gardai and emergency services, a representative of the Sterio family said they had never held the truck driver responsible in any way for what happened.
series of slurs

series of slurs |

Prosecutors set out how Norman McKeown called the victim a C***k b****** in an apparent mistaken belief that he was Chinese

A man who racially abused a stranger in Belfast city centre has been jailed for five months.

Norman McKeown, 58, directed a series of slurs at the Filipino national he overheard speaking on the phone.

The victim also feared he was going to be hit during the encounter on July 4 this year.

McKeown, of no fixed abode, was convicted of disorderly behaviour and common assault.

Belfast Magistrates Court heard the two men came into contact while sitting on a bench in Castle Place.

Prosecutors set out how McKeown called the victim a C***k b****** in an apparent mistaken belief that he was a Chinese national.

The defendant then shouted at him: Go back to your own f****** country.

At one stage McKeown formed a fist before repeating the abusive exhortation.

Defence counsel told the court his client suffers from alcohol issues and has limited memory of the encounter.

It may have arisen from a misunderstanding; he thought he was being spoken to by this person, the lawyer said.

District Judge Anne Marshall described it as an extremely unpleasant, racist incident in the city centre.

Sentencing McKeown to five months custody, she pointed out: The injured party seemed to be sitting on a bench minding his own business when spoken to in racist terms by the defendant who also put him in fear of being struck.
Both the accused and her victim were patients at Dublin's Rotunda Hospital at the time.

Stacey Fitzgerald (31) snatched the bag when the woman was taken for an operation to deliver her child, then ran up bills on the victim's card at nearby shops in what a court heard was a "despicable" crime.

Both the accused and her victim were patients at Dublin's Rotunda Hospital at the time.

Judge Bryan Smyth said Fitzgerald "may well" deserve jail but he instead gave her a six-month suspended sentence after reading favourable probation and restorative justice reports.

The accused, with an address at a B&B on Gardiner Street, Dublin pleaded guilty to stealing the bag on September 10 last year.

Stacey Fitzgerald (31)

She also admitted theft and attempted theft at a number of north inner city shops on the same date.

Fitzgerald's plea was heard earlier this year and when the case came back before Dublin District Court, the judge said the reports seemed "very positive."

Defence solicitor Paddy McGarry said the accused understood it was a very serious offence; she had "engaged positively" with the probation service, made a charity donation and did everything the court asked.

The accused had spoken of being a mother herself, she was "genuinely sorry" and "understands the stress and worry she caused," Mr McGarry said.

Fitzgerald had developed drug issues at the age of 25, mainly crack cocaine, and while living in Tallaght she witnessed an attack near her home and ended up on the street. She was now in a house with her partner and baby.

"I think it's to Ms Fitzgerald's credit the way she has dealt with these matters," Judge Smyth said. She "may well be deserving of a custodial sentence," he said, but he suspended the sentence for a year.

Previously, the court heard Fitzgerald was an in-patient in the Rotunda and the victim was staying in the same ward prior to being taken for an operation to have her baby delivered.

Woman stole new mums baby clothes and bank card while victim was giving birth

The victim left her overnight bag in the ward, containing personal items including her clothing, clothes for the new baby and a phone charger.

After the birth, the victim began receiving text messages from her bank about possible fraudulent transactions on her account. Her partner returned to the ward and discovered the bag was missing.

CCTV footage showed Fitzgerald and another person removing the bag from the ward, the court heard. There was further CCTV evidence from Spar on Gardiner Street which showed the accused using the victim's bank card in a fraudulent transaction.

The court heard there were several thefts and attempted thefts as Fitzgerald tapped at shops with the card. The successful transactions totalled 165. The total value of the bag and contents was 350.

A search was carried out at the accuseds address where a number of the stolen items were found.

A co-accused Laurence Doran (50), with an address at the same B&B, pleaded not guilty to stealing the womans bag. He is not charged with any other offences and his case is due for hearing next month.
The boy, now 14, faces five counts of sexual assault as he cycled past them on three dates in March and April last year

A then 13-year-old boy accused of sexually assaulting four women and a teenage girl in Dublin will face trial in December.

The schoolboy, now 14, faces five counts of sexual assault as he cycled past them in two residential areas on three dates in March and April last year.

Dublin Children's Court heard he was pleading not guilty. He was due to face a hearing this week; however, it could not proceed, and a new date had to be set.

It was alleged three of the assaults happened on the same day.

Earlier, Detective Garda Alan Davis outlined the facts.

He alleged that on the first occasion, a woman was approached from behind by a young man on a bicycle. He "grabbed her by the bum and cycled on".

The court heard claims the boy sexually assaulted two other women and a teenage girl four days later.

The detective alleged the teen used the same method on the two women during incidents in the same locality but three hours apart.

Detective Garda Davis described the assault on the girl, in her mid-teens, as more aggravating.

She was also approached from behind by a male on a bike.

However, she stated that the cyclist grabbed her bottom and vaginal area.

It was alleged the girl shouted at him, but he replied, "Why are you shouting, sexy?".

Gardai arrested and questioned him at a north Dublin Garda station ten days later.

They released him pending a file for the DPP.

However, it was claimed that he sexually assaulted a mother collecting her child from creche almost three weeks later.

Detective Garda Davis alleged the boy cycled past her and grabbed her bottom.

The defence said the boy has no prior criminal convictions, and only one of the complainants identified him.

The detective agreed that apart from the assault involving the teenage girl, the incidents were on the lower end of the scale.

A report from family therapy sessions was handed into court. Counsel said it detailed "complex issues" in his life. The Children's Court accepted jurisdiction for the case.

The boy must obey conditions: no contact with complainants, a curfew, and he must stay away from the areas where the alleged incidents occurred.
Leslie Stewart (74) had been keeping dogs, pigs and poultry without water.

Dogs were rehomed after being found in a van without water on Mr Stewart's farm.

Leslie Stewart (74) had been keeping dogs in a van without water, allowing the carcasses of sheep to remain unburied, and keeping pigs and poultry in trailers without access to water.

Three collie type dogs were removed from the van and assessed for heat stroke before being rehomed by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty (ISPCA).

The animal cruelty offences had been uncovered during inspections by officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Dogs were rehomed after being found in a van without water on Mr Stewart's farm.

Judge Eiteain Cunningham described the case as horrendous and disturbing as she fined the farmer 1,500 and banned him from keeping animals for ten years.

He was also sentenced to a total of four months in jail with the sentences suspended for 12 months.

The judge said Mr Stewart had clearly not learned from his previous offences of animal cruelty and neglect.

In 2016, the Donegal farmer had received a suspended sentence and was prohibited from keeping animals for two years for cruelty to horses and donkeys on his property.

All animals on the land leased by Mr Stewart at The Thorn, Letterkenny have now been seized. They included two dogs and a number of poultry.

This has been a prolonged and challenging case involving a persistent offender, ISPCA Senior Inspector Kevin McGinley said.

The ISPCA is Irelands largest animal welfare organisation. Their inspection officers respond to allegations of cruelty, neglect and abuse and also aid sick and injured animals across the country.
Her mother also remains critically ill in hospital after being found unconscious at the premises they were staying in

A forensic garda at the scene in Clarecastle on the outskirts of Ennis, Co Clare. Photo: Press 22

Gardai at the scene in Clarecastle on the outskirts of Ennis, Co Clare. Photo: Press 22

A young Ukrainian refugee is believed to have suffered up to 70 suspected stab wounds during a frenzied and violent attack in Clare.

The eight-year-old girl was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries following the stabbing at a residence in Clarecastle, on the outskirts of Ennis, yesterday morning.

Her mother also remains critically ill in hospital after being found unconscious at the premises they were staying in.

The property is being used as emergency accommodation for Ukrainian refugees and gardai were alerted after residents reported a disturbance coming from a room at the facility.

When emergency services arrived they found the child with serious injuries while her unconscious mother was also discovered in the room.

The young girl was rushed to University Hospital Limerick and has since been transferred to Crumlin Children's Hospital in Dublin where she remains in a critical but stable condition.

sundayworld.com understands she suffered up to 70 suspected stab wounds including multiple injuries to her neck in the horrific attack.

Emergency vehicles at the scene

Her mother, aged in her mid-40s, remains in University Hospital Limerick in a critical condition.

As part of the investigation gardai have spoken to a number of people who were in the property at the time in an effort to build a clearer account of what happened to the mother and child.

One source said the scene of the incident was highly distressing for first responders while another described the incident as "frenzied".

No arrests have yet been made in the investigation led by detectives at Ennis and being overseen by a senior garda.

Locals yesterday told how they did not know any of the residents as the house only became occupied in recent weeks after lying derelict for years.

Both the woman and daughter are understood to be Ukrainian refugees who had fled their home country following the Russian invasion.

It is understood the girl had started attending a local primary school just weeks ago.

The girl is fighting for her life in hospital after the incident yesterday morning.

The childs mother also remains in a critical condition.

A forensic garda at the scene in Clarecastle on the outskirts of Ennis, Co Clare. Photo: Press 22

The house was being used as emergency accommodation.

It is understood the mother and daughter are Ukrainian nationals who recently moved into the extended property, which is accommodating up to 15 refugees who fled the war-torn country.

She was discovered with serious injuries, including multiple suspected stab wounds to the neck, and was removed to University Hospital Limerick.

Independent.ie understands the child was later transferred with a garda escort to a specialist hospital in Dublin after concerns about weather conditions meant she could not be airlifted.

Her mother, aged in her mid-40s, was found unconscious at the scene and was brought to the Limerick hospital.

It is understood investigators are awaiting a toxicology report on the woman to determine the cause of her collapse.

Locals told Independent.ie they did not know any of the residents as the house only became occupied in recent weeks after lying derelict for years.

I have seen a couple of children going in and out. If she is the child I am thinking of, she is a lovely little thing, said one local woman.

They are only here for maybe three or four weeks.

But you wouldnt see them out playing in the front because its on the main road.

There is definitely a large group living there, though, but nobody would know them.

I dont know what to say or even think about what I am hearing. I didnt realise anything happened until I saw all the guards outside.

There are a lot of elderly people living along this stretch of the road and this is just the last thing you want to happen. It would make you afraid.

The poor child. I hope we get good news about her.

Another neighbour said: I couldnt tell you how many people are living there, but I have seen several children and a few men coming and going.

I have never seen any women.

Nobody locally would really know anyone living there because it is only recently occupied again.

It has been renovated for a long time. I suspect there are a few families there because the kitchen is at the front, and its like a communal kitchen.

An investigation into the incident is being led by detectives at Ennis garda station, while a senior garda has been appointed to oversee the inquiry.

Specialist detectives are also involved in the investigation because of the age of the child.

Gardai have appointed a liaison officer to assist the family, and the scene remains sealed off to facilitate an examination by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit.

One source said the scene of the incident was highly distressing for first responders.

A garda spokesman said: Shortly before 8am this morning, Tuesday, September 27, 2022, gardai and emergency services attended a scene a domestic residence in Clarecastle, Co Clare.

A female child was discovered with serious injuries and was removed to University Hospital Limerick, where she remains in a critical condition.

A female adult was also found unconscious at the scene, and was removed to University Hospital Limerick where she is also in a critical condition.

An incident room has been established at Ennis garda station and a senior investigating officer has been appointed to oversee the investigation.

A family liaison officer has been appointed to the family.

The scene currently remains preserved, and the scene is currently being examined by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit.

This is a live, and ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time.

An Garda Siochana are appealing for anyone with any information on this incident to contact the investigation team at Ennis garda station (on) 065 6848100, the Garda Confidential Line (on) 1800 666 111 or any garda station. Enquires are ongoing.

Clare Civil Defence personnel and an interpreter were called to assist gardai at the scene yesterday morning.

The remaining occupants of the property have since been transferred to an emergency refugee accommodation centre in Ennis.

Clare Civil Defence has been providing emergency accommodation for people displaced by Russias invasion of Ukraine for the past number of months.

Gardai remained at the scene last night and continued door-to-door enquiries in the area to determine if anyone heard or saw anything relevant to their inquiry.

Several local representatives declined to comment on the incident when contacted.
The childs mother was also discovered unconscious at the domestic residence and remains in a critical condition.

A forensic garda at the scene in Clarecastle on the outskirts of Ennis, Co Clare. Photo: Press 22

Gardai at the scene in Clarecastle on the outskirts of Ennis, Co Clare. Photo: Press 22

A Ukrainian girl found with multiple stab wounds to her neck at a Co Clare refugee accommodation centre had started attending a local primary school just weeks ago, it is understood.

The girl, who is believed to be eight, is fighting for her life in hospital after suffering suspected stab wounds yesterday morning.

The childs mother was also discovered unconscious at the domestic residence and remains in a critical condition.

The house was being used as emergency accommodation.

A major investigation is now under way to establish exactly what happened at the property in the village of Clarecastle, located at Abbeyclare on the outskirts of Ennis.

It is understood the mother and daughter are Ukrainian nationals who recently moved into the extended property, which is accommodating up to 15 refugees who fled the war-torn country.

It is understood the girl started in the local primary school just weeks ago.

A forensic garda at the scene in Clarecastle on the outskirts of Ennis, Co Clare. Photo: Press 22

She was discovered with serious injuries, including multiple suspected stab wounds to the neck, and was removed to University Hospital Limerick.

Independent.ieunderstands the child was later transferred with a garda escort to a specialist hospital in Dublin after concerns about weather conditions meant she could not be airlifted.

Her mother, aged in her mid-40s, was found unconscious at the scene and was brought to the Limerick hospital, where she remains in a critical condition.

It is understood investigators are awaiting a toxicology report on the woman to determine the cause of her collapse.

Locals told Independent.iethey did not know any of the residents as the house only became occupied in recent weeks after lying derelict for years.

Emergency vehicles at the scene

I have seen a couple of children going in and out. If she is the child I am thinking of, she is a lovely little thing, said one local woman.

They are only here for maybe three or four weeks.

But you wouldnt see them out playing in the front because its on the main road.

There is definitely a large group living there, though, but nobody would know them.

I dont know what to say or even think about what I am hearing. I didnt realise anything happened until I saw all the guards outside.

There are a lot of elderly people living along this stretch of the road and this is just the last thing you want to happen. It would make you afraid.

The poor child. I hope we get good news about her.

Its a shock. And even the guards looked very shook, she added.

Another neighbour said: I couldnt tell you how many people are living there, but I have seen several children and a few men coming and going.

I have never seen any women.

Nobody locally would really know anyone living there because it is only recently occupied again.

It has been renovated for a long time. I suspect there are a few families there because the kitchen is at the front, and its like a communal kitchen.

An investigation into the incident is being led by detectives at Ennis garda station, while a senior garda has been appointed to oversee the inquiry.

Specialist detectives are also involved in the investigation because of the age of the child.

Gardai have appointed a liaison officer to assist the family, and the scene remains sealed off to facilitate an examination by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit.

One source said the scene of the incident was highly distressing for first responders.

A garda spokesman said: Shortly before 8am this morning, Tuesday, September 27, 2022, gardai and emergency services attended a scene a domestic residence in Clarecastle, Co Clare.

A female child was discovered with serious injuries and was removed to University Hospital Limerick, where she remains in a critical condition.

A female adult was also found unconscious at the scene, and was removed to University Hospital Limerick where she is also in a critical condition.

An incident room has been established at Ennis garda station and a senior investigating officer has been appointed to oversee the investigation.

A family liaison officer has been appointed to the family.

The scene currently remains preserved, and the scene is currently being examined by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit.

This is a live, and ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time.

An Garda Siochana are appealing for anyone with any information on this incident to contact the investigation team at Ennis garda station (on) 065 6848100, the Garda Confidential Line (on) 1800 666 111 or any garda station. Enquires are ongoing.

Clare Civil Defence personnel and an interpreter were called to assist gardai at the scene yesterday morning.

The remaining occupants of the property have since been transferred to an emergency refugee accommodation centre in Ennis.

Clare Civil Defence has been providing emergency accommodation for people displaced by Russias invasion of Ukraine for the past number of months.

Gardai remained at the scene last night and continued door-to-door enquiries in the area to determine if anyone heard or saw anything relevant to their inquiry.

Several local representatives declined to comment on the incident when contacted.
The pleas come days before Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch goes on trial for murder in the Special Criminal Court in a trial expected to last a number of months.

Former Sinn Fein Councillor Jonathan Dowdall and his father Patrick have pleaded guilty today to their roles in the Regency Hotel shooting of David Byrne.

The pleas come days before Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch goes on trial for murder in the Special Criminal Court in a trial expected to last a number of months.

So who is Jonathan Dowdall and how did he end up in the dock for one of the most notorious crimes in gangland history?

Today, in the first of our Crime World specials about the Regency Hotel trials, I'm talking with Sunday World Deputy Editor Niall Donald about the sensational developments today at the Special Criminal Court.

Crime Word Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud.

MORE EPISODES 
We commend the courage of Ukrainians, who continue to oppose and resist Russian invasion.

A voter is reflected in a ballot box at a polling station during a referendum in Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region, southern Ukraine, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022.   AP/PA Images

The European Unions top diplomat lashed out at Russia on Wednesday for holding illegal annexation referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine, denouncing their falsified outcome."

Russian occupying forces in four areas have all declared landslide victories.

In a message posted on Twitter, the high representative of the EU for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, said: This is another violation of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, amidst systematic abuses of human rights.

We commend the courage of Ukrainians, who continue to oppose and resist Russian invasion.

Russian-installed officials in occupied regions of Ukraine said Wednesday they would ask President Vladimir Putin to incorporate the territories into Russia.

Pro-Moscow officials in the eastern Luhansk region and partially occupied southern region of Zaporizhzhia said they will make the request later on Wednesday, while officials in the neighbouring Kherson region said they will do so "in the coming days.

Russian officials in the Donetsk region, large swaths of which still remain under Ukrainian control, are expected to follow suit.

Pro-Moscow administrations of all four occupied regions of Ukraine said Tuesday night that their residents had voted to join Russia.

Western officials have dismissed the referendums as illegal, but Putin is likely to use them to declare annexation of the four regions.

The European Unions top diplomat says the bloc suspects that damage to two underwater natural gas pipelines was sabotage and is warning of retaliation for any attack on Europes energy networks.

Mr Borell said today all available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act.

He added that any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.

Seismologists reported on Tuesday that explosions rattled the Baltic Sea before unusual leaks were discovered on two underwater natural gas pipelines running from Russia to Germany.

Three leaks were reported on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. They are not currently delivering fuel to Europe.

Meanwhile men being mobilized to reinforce Russian lines in Ukraine are apparently receiving no military training, a Washington-based think tank and Ukraine's military said.

The Institute for the Study of War cited one online video by a man who identified himself as a member of the 1st Tank Regiment, visibly upset, saying that he and his colleagues wouldnt receive training before shipping out to the Russian-occupied region of Kherson in Ukraine.

Mobilized men with a day or two of training are unlikely to meaningfully reinforce Russian positions affected by Ukrainian counteroffensives in the south and east, the institute said.

In a daily briefing, the Ukrainian militarys general staff also said the 1st Tank Regiment of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army has received new troops coming without any training.

The Ukrainian military also claimed prisoners were arriving in Ukraine to reinforce the Russian lines. It offered no evidence to support the claim.

Authorities in the southern Ukrainian city of Nikopol say Russian rockets and artillery have pounded the city overnight.

The city, across the Dnipro River from Russian-occupied territory, saw 10 high-rises and private buildings hit, as well as a school, power lines and other areas, said Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the local military administration.

He said there were no immediate casualties reported from the attacks.

In the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, which is partially occupied by Moscow, Russian fire killed five people and wounded 10 others over the past 24 hours, said Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the local military authority.

He said four people died in Kurakhovo and one person in Bakhmut from the attacks.

The British military say Ukrainian advances near the eastern hub of Lyman have been slower than previously.

Units are making slow advances on at least two axes east from the line of the Oskil and Siverskyy Donets rivers, where forces had consolidated following their previous advance earlier in the month, the British Defense Ministry said in an intelligence briefing Wednesday.

Russia is mounting a more substantive defense than previously, likely because the Ukrainian advance now threatens parts of Luhansk  as voting in the referendum on accession to the Russian Federation closes.

The British added that fighting remains intense around Kherson in Ukraines south as the Russian military remains vulnerable on the eastern banks of the Dnipro River.

Russia continues its grinding attempts to advance near Bakhmut in the Donbas even while it faces severe pressure on its northern and southern flanks, the British said. This is likely due to political pressure as Russia is using forces that could otherwise reinforce the other flanks.
While many fans agreed that Schwarzeneggers intentions were good, it was agreed that he could have written something more sensitive

The Austrian actor went to the camp with the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, who recently awarded him with the inaugural Award for Fighting Hatred.

In September, Schwarzenegger, 75, vowed to help the organisation terminate hate, saying of the honour: I am witness to the ruins of a country broken by the Nazis. I saw firsthand how this hatred spun out of control and I share these painful memories with the world in the hopes of preventing future tragedies and educating soldiers about personal responsibility.

I stand with the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation and their mission of education to ensure NEVER AGAIN.

On Wednesday, Schwarzenegger visited the camp in Poland, with the museums official Twitter account sharing his guestbook inscription on Twitter.

However, the actors fans were surprised to see that he had opted to write Ill be back, his famous catchphrase from The Terminator franchise.

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While many agreed that Schwarzeneggers intentions were good, it was agreed that he could have written something more sensitive.

Im glad he visited and wrote in the book but I had to think twice about the message, one person wrote, adding: Im sure he meant it in the nicest possible way and having been there I know its hard to find the right words but Im not sure these were the best.

Not sure the tone of that was entirely suitable, another wrote, with additional Twitter users calling it tacky and flippant.

The Auschwitz museums official Twitter page stepped in to defend Schwarzenegger, and attempted to clarify the meaning behind his decision.

This visit was planned to be relatively short. The inscription was meant to be a promise to return for another and more in-depth visit, they wrote.

The Independent has contacted Schwarzenegger for comment.
Consumer NZs recent study of rental property managers found some prospective tenants were being asked, potentially unlawfully, to share more personal information than necessary in their property applications.

The watchdog conducted a nationwide mystery shop of property agents to find out whether they were following guidance issued by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC).

The guidance was designed to help landlords and property managers comply with the Privacy Act (2020). The guidance states that a landlord or property manager should never ask a prospective tenant for information protected under the Human Rights Act.

This information includes sex (including pregnancy and childbirth), sexual orientation or gender identity, relationship or family status, religious or ethical beliefs, colour, race, ethnicity or national origins (including nationality or citizenship), physical or mental disability or illness, age (other than when the tenant is 18), political opinion or employment status.

The guidance also states a prospective tenant should never be asked to provide bank statements for their spending habits to be reviewed.

Mystery shoppers posing as prospective tenants asked rental agents about the information they collect from renters.

In the mystery shop, 10 per cent of agents encouraged the caller to volunteer extra information with a cover letter and rental CV, which might include information such as age bracket, gender, relationship status and employment status. Says one property manager.

"The more information you give, the better your chances [of securing a rental property]".

Another agent echoed that sentiment, telling the mystery shopper the more information you provide [about yourself], the smoother the process. Another suggested extra information would make your application stand out from the others.

As part of this study, Consumer asked the public to share their experiences of the rental sector. The call-out received one of the highest response rates in Consumers history.

Gray, a 25-year-old in Christchurch, says her landlord was asking some really weird questions, including how long she had held her current phone number, and her boss phone number to verify her place of work. Gray was also asked to provide bank statements and salary details.

The OPC's Privacy Act Guidance For Tenants explains when a prospective tenant applies to rent a property, the landlord shouldnt ask for bank statements to assess their spending habits. Asking about how tenants spend their money is unfair and unreasonably intrusive, except in exceptional circumstances, OPC believes.

Alarmingly, 6 per cent of agents asked the mystery shoppers to include bank statements in their application. This has the potential to breach the Privacy Act.

The rental market remains tough in many areas of the country, and many prospective tenants are offering up more information than required just to get a shot at being considered for a property, says Consumer NZ Chief Executive Jon Duffy.

It's concerning that some renters are expected and encouraged to give up sensitive private information, but it also raises questions about what happens to this information. Property managers could be discriminating against some applicants, based on the information they provide.

Mystery shoppers also asked how their information would be stored, and 14 per cent of agents became noticeably disinterested in the mystery shopper when they asked about the privacy and security of their information.

One mystery shopper noted, the more questions I asked, the less interested [the agent] seemed, and [he] almost got annoyed by them.

OPC developed its guidance in response to growing concern over a power imbalance between tenants and landlords due to a shortage in the housing market.

We saw that some property management agencies were asking for very detailed information from prospective tenants as part of their selection process, Privacy Commissioner says Michael Webster.

Recognising that tenants had little power to challenge those responsible for their housing security, we took a proactive stance to protect the rights and privacy of tenants and prospective tenants.

We worked with rental agencies and renters advocates to develop guidance to clarify the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords under the Privacy Act, says Webster.

Mystery shopping is one way for us to monitor how well the guidelines are being followed and target our compliance activities.

The OPC's guidance for tenants notes landlords shouldnt collect unnecessary and intrusive information from prospective tenants. However, it also states that the amount of information a prospective tenant gives to a landlord when applying for a property is their choice  but the amount of information provided may affect a landlords decision to offer a property.

Prospective tenants should not be disadvantaged for refusing to provide information that shouldnt be asked for at all.

Renters are feeling pressured to share personal information to sell themselves to a potential landlord or agent, Duffy says.

Ultimately it is up to the applicant how much information they share. The way we see it, they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

We hope the findings in this research encourage property agents to clean up their act. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner and Consumer NZ will continue to monitor this space.

Consumers research highlights the system is not working as well as it should for renters, who are hugely disadvantaged by the power imbalance between a prospective landlord and prospective tenant. The findings make the case for greater regulation of property agents. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is currently investigating a regulatory regime.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner supported Consumer NZ with this investigation.

What can you do?

- If you are a renter and have experienced illegal behaviour by an agent or landlord relating to your privacy, you can lodge a complaint with OPC.

- You can lodge a complaint and read more about your rights on OPCs website.

- You can also share your story anonymously with Renters United.
This October school holidays, the Antarctic Heritage Trust is bringing their popular virtual reality roadshow to Katikatis Digital Hub.

From Tuesday, October 11, to Thursday, October 13, Western Bay of Plenty District Councils Digital Hub, located at The Centre - Patuki Manawa, will play host to the Hillarys Hut Antarctica Virtual Reality Experience  a large-scale digital project that transports people to Antarctica in a way never seen before.

Through VR, youll get to step inside Sir Edmund Hillarys hut, discover what it took to be an Antarctic explorer, and see what life was like living in the coldest place on Earth back in 1957.

This free event will be on 10am-4pm for three days only and is best suited for those aged nine and above. Places are limited so bookings are essential  visit eventbrite.co.nz to book your session.

WBOPDC libraries western team leader Julia Edgecombe says its exciting to be part of the nationwide roadshow and bringing Antarctica to Katikati.

This is a fantastic opportunity for Western Bay rangatahi and their whanau to come and learn more about Sir Edmund Hillary and New Zealands first presence in Antarctica in a fun, interactive and fully immersive way, says Julia.

To celebrate this awesome event coming to the Western Bay, our libraries teams around the district will also be putting on some fun activities for tamariki during the October school holidays.

Well be going all out with the Antarctic theme  crafts, colouring competitions, movies, LEGO, and cool activity booklets  so keep an eye on the Western Bay Libraries Facebook page to find out more!

The Katikati Digital Hub opened in 2020, after receiving a $400,000 boost from the Provincial Growth Fund. Its purpose is to provide residents of Katikati and surrounding areas with access to the digital technologies needed to adopt digital tools and learn new skills.

Having the Hub equipped with all the latest digital technologies, meeting rooms and resources is providing us with the ability to host amazing events such as the Antarctic Experience right here in Katikati, as well as providing locals with everyday digital connectivity.

Were really proud of our Digital Hub, and were very lucky to be able to offer such a wonderful space to our community, says Julia.

To book free tickets for the Hillarys Hut VR Experience, head to eventbrite.co.nz

To find out more about the Patuki Manawa Digital Hub, check out pmdh.nz

For more information on the Antarctic Heritage Trust, see their website: nzaht.org

Sam and the TAE/IGY Hut. Photo: Tim McPhee.
Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi will celebrate the milestone of its 30th graduation ceremony and acknowledge the achievements of its tauira (students)  including what is possibly the worlds largest cohort of Indigenous doctoral graduands.

Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi is an indigenous tertiary education provider that offers programmes from entry-level foundational courses through to post-doctoral studies.

Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi chief executive Professor Wiremu Doherty says graduation is an important moment for students to come together with whanau and the community to recognise their hard work and look to the future.

"This event is an opportunity to recognise the incredible journey our tauira have been on and what they have achieved with support from their whanau. We look forward to acknowledging this through powhiri (welcome ceremony), hikoi (march) and the official graduation ceremony," Professor Doherty says.

Council chairperson, the Hon. Justice Layne Harvey, highlights this years graduation will be the thirtieth for Awanuiarangi as the wananga celebrates its third decade of operation.

"Our wananga began humbly with two classrooms in 1992 when it was opened by our former council member the late Ta Wira Gardiner who was then Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri.

"Over the 30 years since then, many hands have laboured to create an authentic experience of Indigenous learning within a framework of matauranga Maori that remains relevant to our underlying goals of re-empowering our communities through education.

"This year is a milestone for us for so many reasons and we acknowledge everyone who has been part of our journey."

More than 1600 graduands will be conferred at the graduation ceremony, with over 200 attending in person including a possible world-first of 13 graduands who will receive their Professional Doctorate or Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Matauranga Maori and/or Indigenous Studies.

The cohort includes students from Aotearoa as well as two international students from First Nations of Washington State and three from the island of Maui in Hawaii.

These students are flying to Aotearoa to receive their doctorates in person at the graduation ceremony.

Professor Doherty says this is an historic moment that will hopefully inspire more Indigenous students to pursue post graduate studies to help make a difference to their communities.

"Our graduands arent simply undertaking their Doctorate for the Dr title. They are passionate about their research and want to make meaningful, transformational changes within communities, whanau and hapu (sub-tribes)."

The graduands research spans wahine Maori leadership pathways, environmental management for iwi, Maori genetic and genomic research, and barriers to retaining Maori nurses in the workforce.

Iwi Taketake, a symposium for the doctoral graduands, is being hosted on today.

Head of School of Indigenous Graduate Studies, Professor Mera Penehira, says the event will allow graduands to share their research findings in an engaging, accessible way.

Professor Penehira also hopes that sharing research through a symposium format will spark an interest from other bright and curious minds to pursue masters and doctoral studies.

"We want to show that this is something you can absolutely achieve, and you can do it for the benefit of your whanau.

"The Wananga is supportive of all learners, and welcome whanau into the learning space to ensure everyone has equal access to our programmes of study. It helps when whanau can see what it is thats taking their family member away from them for so many hours a week.

"As the only wananga offering doctoral studies, Awanuiarangi is seeing growing numbers in students because it is equipped with the capability and capacity to support students in their indigeneity."

The graduation event will begin with a powhiri at Te Manuka Tutahi marae, followed by a hikoi leaving from Mitchell Park Reserve at 10 am and proceeding through the centre of Whakatane along The Strand and Muriwai Drive to Mataatua Street.

The formal graduation ceremony will begin at 11am at the Awanuiarangi Whakatane Campus on Domain Road.

Graduation event details

Date: Friday, September 30

Order of events

8am Powhiri Te Manuka Tutahi marae, Mataatua whare, Muriwai Drive, Whakatane

10am Gown and Town Hikoi through The Strand, Whakatane

11am Graduation Ceremony
Two mental health advocates are teaming up for something special.

Kapai the Kiwi series author and Bay of Plenty community leader Tommy Wilson and I Am Hope founder Mike King are releasing a book for mental health week - but with a twist.

Titled TR & Mack The Hopeful Black Dog (and a truckload of Aroha) the duo say the book is aimed at kids aged eight and up, and is hoping to change the way the world deals with bullies.

In this book we dont humiliate, punish or exclude the bullies. Instead we show them love, compassion and understanding and empower them to recognise that their behaviour is not love.

We truly believe once you show a confused kid what true love really looks like they will be empowered to change.

Tommy Kapai Wilson, who doubles as the Chief Imagination Officer for Te Tuinga Whanau, says the book is another step at tackling New Zealands mental health problem.

Tommy adds another theme in this book is suicide prevention, as New Zealands rangatahi (younger generation) are facing a crisis.

Kids dont realise what theyre doing is forever.

The book's cover. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

Mike and I started this book just before Covid-19, which caused it to be delayed. We are stoked to be releasing it this year as now is a really important time to advocate for mental health, says Tommy.

The book features recognisable Kiwiana, along with familiar organisations that have been behind Tommy and Mikes cause, such as the One Love Festival and Good Buzz Kombucha.

Along with the books effort to tackle mental health, Tommy says mental health week is a great time to announce a new counselling service Te Tuinga Whanau has to offer teenagers.

If you reach out to Te Tuinga Whanau you are able to get a one on one with an I Am Hope ambassador, who will offer free counselling."

The duo also want to give away a some copies of the book - so keep an eye out on next Friday's Weekend Sun for more information.
Bay of Plenty and Coromandel residents are being urged to expect some heavy rain in the next couple of days.

The MetService has issued a severe weather watch for heavy rain for the region.

"Heavy rain is forecast for parts of central New Zealand today and some upper North Island areas on Friday and Saturday," says a spokesperson for the weather organisation.

"A front is forecast to bring heavy northerly rain to parts of central New Zealand today.

"A moist northwesterly flow may bring heavy rain to the east of the Bay of Plenty on Friday. Another front may bring heavy rain to the upper North Island on Saturday.

"People are advised to stay up to date with forecasts in case any Watches are upgraded to Warnings or further areas are added."

Image: MetService.

HEAVY RAIN WATCH

Area: Northland, Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula

Valid: 24 hours from 3am Saturday to 3am Sunday

Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria. At this stage it looks like the heaviest rain will affect Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula and it is likely that a warning for those areas will be issued closer to the event.

Area: Bay of Plenty east of Te Puke

Valid: 17 hours from 6am to 11pm Friday

Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria.

Area: Mount Taranaki

Valid: 15 hours from 8am to 11pm Thursday

Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.

Area: Tararua Range

Valid: 17 hours from 1pm Thursday to 6am Friday

Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.
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Tnsberg, Norway, 27 September 2022: Automation specialist Hglund Marine Solutions has signed six more contracts with Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co Ltd and Babcock LGE to supply Integrated Automation (IAS), Cargo and Fuel Gas Control Systems (CCS and FGCS) for six very large ethane carrier (VLEC) newbuilds. Three vessels will be owned by AW Shipping Limited, (a joint venture shipping company, established by Wanhua Chemical Group and Abu Dhabi National Petroleum Corporation), one by Hong Kong-headquartered Pacific Gas and two by Tianjin Southwest Maritime.



These new contracts build on strong collaboration between Hglund, Jiangnan and Babcock. Previous joint projects supplied the same scope for four newbuilds in 2021 and 2022  the worlds largest VLEC vessels.



By utilizing Hglunds fully integrated automation including Power Management System (PMS), cargo and fuel gas control based on one common hard- and software platform, the vessels are providing an enhanced operational efficiency. The Fuel Gas Supply System as a component of the gas handling plant on board provides ethane from cargo to the main engine which runs on dual fuel (oil and ethanol). During voyage, a shaft generator provides power to all on-board systems enabling greater energy optimisation throughout the ship.



These projects fulfil rigorous specifications for fully integrated automation, incorporating a ship performance monitor to help support long-term performance optimisation, giving users on board and ashore easy access to the wealth of data generated by all systems.



Combining advanced efficiency technology with the complex task of integrating automation and controls on gas newbuilds is a challenging engineering task and requires a solid automation paired with deep operational knowledge in all areas.



As evidenced by previous projects, these challenges can only be overcome with effective collaboration between yards, suppliers and marine solutions specialists on the design and installation of integrated systems. Joint efforts between partners is key to guaranteeing that these VLEC newbuilds will have significantly enhanced reliability, efficiency and simplified lifetime maintenance upon delivery.



Commenting on these multiple contracts, Peter Morsbach, VP Sales at Hglund Marine Solutions, said: Were extremely proud to be working again with our partners Jiangnan Shipyard and Babcock. This demonstrates how important specialist automation expertise is when it comes to new vessel types that require multiple complex systems to work together seamlessly. These VLECs are the largest of their kind and represent a new frontier in performance. As this repeat order shows, a new generation of vessels needs a new level of focus on integrated automation, and were glad that our partners recognise this.



Wang Yu, Senior Electrical Supervisor at Pacific Gas, said: Hglund, Jiangnan and Babcock have demonstrated how important it is for suppliers to collaborate effectively to make a new generation of ships a reality. We are pleased to be working with them again and appreciate how the hard work and dedication of these partners has resulted in a high-performing, reliable and safe model of ship.



The six ships will be delivered from February 2024 to February 2025.
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ajayc123 BHPian

Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Delhi Posts: 776 Thanked: 1,531 Times

Re: What's your Strong Hybrid (Maruti Grand Vitara / Toyota Hyryder) purchase intent? Quote: chaudh2s Originally Posted by Are you interested in these 2 vehicles and in the technology thereof as a market analyst or as a market influencer? I learnt from you in another thread that you are not interested in any one of them as 3 pots are not your cup of tea. Then, what keeps you motivated to keep posting in these threads (and as I observed) mostly negatively? What will you gain (or lose) if these 2 product are either a success (or a failure)?



I am in the early stage of research for my next car (due in the next 1 or 2 years) , and a strong hybrid is on my radar.



As for my comments, I just put what I felt based on available information and my preferences of and my conclusions are based on my interpretation in my world view. My approach is to look at each decision point very deeply (It is better to play a devils advocate in buying decisions) and reach a solid decision in high expense areas like personal vehicles, rather than regret later.



If you perceive those as negative, that is your perception, and I cannot do much about that. For me that is an input for my decision. or my interpretation of some information. What may appear to be positive to me may be negative to another person. We have to acknowledge that each one of us is wired differently, and have to really not be judgemental, but try to interpret why other person is thinking differently.



As for.3 pots vs 4 pots, I have arrived at a conclusion after a lot of research, simple I dont like NHV so 3 pot is not a priority for me.



At this same time I have a positive view about the Honda City Hybrid eHeV.



My motivation: Giveback to the society. Hope to bring some reality check in the world of a lot of fake hyper marketing which I don't like -( for example the 25 km pure EV range claimed for HyRyder at the time of launch in every media publication, or a reality check on the constant drumbeat of booking pipelines (get a sense of how many of the 55k bookings will convert into purchases). An attempt to help us all collecively understand a little bit of the ground reality amidst so much paid marketing



If this thread, can debunk a myth or two, and help somebody take a more informed decision, I happy to contribute a few minutes in creating such a thread.



The only online social place I spend time online is.TBHP, because I see a lot of valuable information, and moderators demonstrate a lot of character. I have nothing to do with the automobile sector/domain other than the fact that I happen to be a mechanical engineer and have taken one course in Internal Combustion Engineering in my third year. I love to get deep into things. I am not an analyst or influencer, and am doing my day job in a technology company.I am in the early stage of research for my next car (due in the next 1 or 2 years) , and a strong hybrid is on my radar.As for my comments, I just put what I felt based on available information and my preferences of and my conclusions are based on my interpretation in my world view. My approach is to look at each decision point very deeply (It is better to play a devils advocate in buying decisions) and reach a solid decision in high expense areas like personal vehicles, rather than regret later.If you perceive those as negative, that is your perception, and I cannot do much about that. For me that is an input for my decision. or my interpretation of some information. What may appear to be positive to me may be negative to another person. We have to acknowledge that each one of us is wired differently, and have to really not be judgemental, but try to interpret why other person is thinking differently.As for.3 pots vs 4 pots, I have arrived at a conclusion after a lot of research, simple I dont like NHV so 3 pot is not a priority for me.At this same time I have a positive view about the Honda City Hybrid eHeV.My motivation: Giveback to the society. Hope to bring some reality check in the world of a lot of fake hyper marketing which I don't like -( for example the 25 km pure EV range claimed for HyRyder at the time of launch in every media publication, or a reality check on the constant drumbeat of booking pipelines (get a sense of how many of the 55k bookings will convert into purchases). An attempt to help us all collecively understand a little bit of the ground reality amidst so much paid marketingIf this thread, can debunk a myth or two, and help somebody take a more informed decision, I happy to contribute a few minutes in creating such a thread.The only online social place I spend time online is.TBHP, because I see a lot of valuable information, and moderators demonstrate a lot of character. Last edited by ajayc123 : 26th September 2022 at 19:53 .
Secretariat BHPian



Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Bangalore Posts: 257 Thanked: 2,174 Times

Re: A lighthearted poke at bikers !



Groups have already arrived. They have parked their bikes in a long line which will beat any showroom or moto rally hollow.













Discussion will then progress to the relative merits of clear case vs carbon fibre for the clutch cover. From there on it will progress to whether the fork oil must be renewed at 6000 or 8000 kms, or whether brembo brake pads or EBC chew through the rotor faster. I make a mental resolve to read a few threads on the motorcycles section of Team BHP to understand at least a few words, since I can make neither head nor tail of any of this.



The helmets are now off and you can make out three distinct classes of these road warriors. The first lot are 19 years old and valiantly trying to grow a moustache with limited success. Their rich dads must have bought them their bikes. They watch the others to try and imitate their swagger, but it is obvious that they need a lot more practice. The second lot are the more dangerous ones. They are 30 + and desperate to get back into their 20s. They have taken a ridiculous loan, and bought themselves the unaffordable ZX-10R (Price Rs 13.99 L). They are strutting their stuff up and down the parking lot valiantly trying to hide the beginnings of a pot belly. They are usually the loudest. And then there are the veterans, who have seen and done it all. They stand a little off and have an indulgent smile. They have made their millions and their steed is a Ducati Panigale V4S (Price Rs 32 L) or the BMW M 1000 RR (Price Rs 42 L). Note that the decimal points in the price have vanished !



The 19 year olds are viewing the veterans with open admiration. They will slowly shuffle their way near them, admire their bike (they desperately want to take a photo, but don't dare). Ultimately one of them will ask what the price was and the veteran will look loftily up and say "North of Rs 50 L".



A few of them start to go inside, but leave at least a couple of the young out. These are on sentry duty. You see, Nandi Upachar on a weekend is full of aunties and uncles (along with Chintu, Bablu and Mummyji). When they see a shiny bike, they can't resist taking a photo. Photo is fine, but Chintu climbs on to the bike and starts to do Vroom Vroom. This is what the sentries are there to stop. Chintu is told firmly to get down. Peace is restored when aunty asks how much the bike costs, the sentry names a price which gives aunty a heart attack and they all quickly scoot. She can be heard telling uncle in no uncertain terms to banish the thought of even thinking about such a bike !







(minding the shinies)



I have cheekily parked my puny bicycle right in the midst of the Ducatis and the Triumphs. The bikers glare at me and I glare right back !!



As I sip my tea standing out, I can see a last group straggling in. This is a group waiting for their pal who has unfortunately had a fall somewhere. The others are discussing it threadbare waiting for their comrade to show up. Invariably it's a car that is the cuplrit and 4 wheel owners are freely cursed in colourful language. The faller then shows up and he is subject to lots of tutting and oohing. He is fine, but he recounts how he slid for 50 metres (gasp gasp) and shows a minute tear in his leathers as a medal (it's on his bum and a trifle embarassing).



Everybody is now in and incredible quantities of masala dosa are being consumed. Even the fearsome aunties have been evicted from the dining area. Down in the Indian Paratha Company the same scene is repeated, except that it is aloo parathas that are being devoured. Now you know why the owners were prowling the wholesale market buying up all potatoes in sight. The eating takes more than an hour (they have been on their bikes for less than half this time and this is why the signs of prosperity in their middles are not being controlled). I have half a mind to tell them that all these gargantuan quantities of potatoes might result in exhausts that would rival their 1000 cc engines, but I wisely refrain, fearing for my life !



On Dodabbalapur road, where the Enfield gang have been banished to, a similar scene is playing out in a Darshini. There are minor differences though - this lot do things like this It is fascinating to watch the bikers come. As they dismount and park, they are in no hurry to go inside to eat. First, they will admire their bikes for a while, and do the now familiar routine of flicking a spec of dust, caressing , etc etc. Then they will, with the corner of their eye, look at the other bikes. The bikes that are roughly in their class, will come for close inspection. As a group gathers there would be many comments on the merits and demerits of each bike, with some encouraging words to the owner as to the excellent condition in which the bike is in. The owner will disparagingly wave it off saying that the ceramic coating has slightly peeled off and he ought to be taking it to the detailer soon. Bikes which are above their class will be secretly envied and studiously ignored !Discussion will then progress to the relative merits of clear case vs carbon fibre for the clutch cover. From there on it will progress to whether the fork oil must be renewed at 6000 or 8000 kms, or whether brembo brake pads or EBC chew through the rotor faster. I make a mental resolve to read a few threads on the motorcycles section of Team BHP to understand at least a few words, since I can make neither head nor tail of any of this.The helmets are now off and you can make out three distinct classes of these road warriors. The first lot are 19 years old and valiantly trying to grow a moustache with limited success. Their rich dads must have bought them their bikes. They watch the others to try and imitate their swagger, but it is obvious that they need a lot more practice. The second lot are the more dangerous ones. They are 30 + and desperate to get back into their 20s. They have taken a ridiculous loan, and bought themselves the unaffordable ZX-10R (Price Rs 13.99 L). They are strutting their stuff up and down the parking lot valiantly trying to hide the beginnings of a pot belly. They are usually the loudest. And then there are the veterans, who have seen and done it all. They stand a little off and have an indulgent smile. They have made their millions and their steed is a Ducati Panigale V4S (Price Rs 32 L) or the BMW M 1000 RR (Price Rs 42 L). Note that the decimal points in the price have vanished !The 19 year olds are viewing the veterans with open admiration. They will slowly shuffle their way near them, admire their bike (they desperately want to take a photo, but don't dare). Ultimately one of them will ask what the price was and the veteran will look loftily up and say "North of Rs 50 L".A few of them start to go inside, but leave at least a couple of the young out. These are on sentry duty. You see, Nandi Upachar on a weekend is full of aunties and uncles (along with Chintu, Bablu and Mummyji). When they see a shiny bike, they can't resist taking a photo. Photo is fine, but Chintu climbs on to the bike and starts to do Vroom Vroom. This is what the sentries are there to stop. Chintu is told firmly to get down. Peace is restored when aunty asks how much the bike costs, the sentry names a price which gives aunty a heart attack and they all quickly scoot. She can be heard telling uncle in no uncertain terms to banish the thought of even thinking about such a bike !I have cheekily parked my puny bicycle right in the midst of the Ducatis and the Triumphs. The bikers glare at me and I glare right back !!As I sip my tea standing out, I can see a last group straggling in. This is a group waiting for their pal who has unfortunately had a fall somewhere. The others are discussing it threadbare waiting for their comrade to show up. Invariably it's a car that is the cuplrit and 4 wheel owners are freely cursed in colourful language. The faller then shows up and he is subject to lots of tutting and oohing. He is fine, but he recounts how he slid for 50 metres (gasp gasp) and shows a minute tear in his leathers as a medal (it's on his bum and a trifle embarassing).Everybody is now in and incredible quantities of masala dosa are being consumed. Even the fearsome aunties have been evicted from the dining area. Down in the Indian Paratha Company the same scene is repeated, except that it is aloo parathas that are being devoured. Now you know why the owners were prowling the wholesale market buying up all potatoes in sight. The eating takes more than an hour (they have been on their bikes for less than half this time and this is why the signs of prosperity in their middles are not being controlled). I have half a mind to tell them that all these gargantuan quantities of potatoes might result in exhausts that would rival their 1000 cc engines, but I wisely refrain, fearing for my life !On Dodabbalapur road, where the Enfield gang have been banished to, a similar scene is playing out in a Darshini. There are minor differences though - this lot do things like this





(one of the 10 tables in this Darshini is blocked off - how inconsiderate !)





They also hang their jackets like this - the Nandi Upachar lot wouldn't be seen dead doing something uncool like this !





(please admire my jacket)



They are all of course dreaming when they can graduate to having their masala dosas at Nandi Upachar.

Back at Nandi Upachar, it's time for me to leave and start on the way back - it will take me an hour and a half to reach back home. As I leave, I spy the local mechanic, Iqbal Pasha, discreetly setting up in the corner, somewhat hidden away. He is a smart guy and knows what is coming.



When all the heroes come back fully satiated, about 3 bikes will refuse to start. Immediately a group forms around each, offering helpful suggestions that the drive chain slack needs readjustment or that the headstock bearings need lubrication. The owner will absolutely not admit that he doesn't have a clue. Instead he will sigh about the poor servicing at the Kawasaki shop where the bike was just the other day. He will wave the others off and say that he will sort this out himself. Once everybody is gone, he will discreetly roll his bike to Iqbal Pasha who is waiting for precisely this opportunity. He knows what is wrong but will take at least 17 minutes to set it right. The bill will be Rs 4325/- which the biker will sheepishly pay - never mind that for a similar job on a Pulsar, the mechanic would be beaten up if he charged more than Rs 43.25. But everybody is happy now. Iqbal Pasha has made his weekly killing and our hero gets to ride back home.



Meanwhile everybody else has reached home straight - no time for strutting. They are met at the door by the good lady at home and promptly despatched to the nearby bhajiwala with instructions to buy 1 kg aloo and half a kg pyaaz and not to pay more than Rs 48 for it ! The poor soul bemoans his fate having to park his Ducati and walk to the bhajiwala on such an expedition !



I simply don't understand bikers. They have travelled precisely 40 kms (capital cost per km Rs 1 L). They have spent far more time strutting around and admiring their bikes than actually riding it. They have spent double the time polishing off all the potatoes that were cleaned out of the wholesale market the previous day. And they will do this all over again next week.



No wonder I am content with my bicycle. I haughtily thumb my nose saying that I am fit and power the bicycle myself unlike these lazy show offs. But then we bicyclists are an even more strange lot. But that's another story to tell, for another day !



Meanwhile I am ducking for cover and reaching for the helmet to deflect the blows that are sure to come. And I think, I will give Airport Road and Nandi Upcahar a strategic miss for a month or two ! Back at Nandi Upachar, it's time for me to leave and start on the way back - it will take me an hour and a half to reach back home. As I leave, I spy the local mechanic, Iqbal Pasha, discreetly setting up in the corner, somewhat hidden away. He is a smart guy and knows what is coming.When all the heroes come back fully satiated, about 3 bikes will refuse to start. Immediately a group forms around each, offering helpful suggestions that the drive chain slack needs readjustment or that the headstock bearings need lubrication. The owner will absolutely not admit that he doesn't have a clue. Instead he will sigh about the poor servicing at the Kawasaki shop where the bike was just the other day. He will wave the others off and say that he will sort this out himself. Once everybody is gone, he will discreetly roll his bike to Iqbal Pasha who is waiting for precisely this opportunity. He knows what is wrong but will take at least 17 minutes to set it right. The bill will be Rs 4325/- which the biker will sheepishly pay - never mind that for a similar job on a Pulsar, the mechanic would be beaten up if he charged more than Rs 43.25. But everybody is happy now. Iqbal Pasha has made his weekly killing and our hero gets to ride back home.Meanwhile everybody else has reached home straight - no time for strutting. They are met at the door by the good lady at home and promptly despatched to the nearby bhajiwala with instructions to buy 1 kg aloo and half a kg pyaaz and not to pay more than Rs 48 for it ! The poor soul bemoans his fate having to park his Ducati and walk to the bhajiwala on such an expedition !I simply don't understand bikers. They have travelled precisely 40 kms (capital cost per km Rs 1 L). They have spent far more time strutting around and admiring their bikes than actually riding it. They have spent double the time polishing off all the potatoes that were cleaned out of the wholesale market the previous day. And they will do this all over again next week. After an hour or so, I reach Nandi Cross. As I near it, I see a crowd of bikers who have descended on Indian Paratha Company for aloo parathas. A short distance away is Nandi Upachar, where I will have a cup of tea and watch the shenanigans of the Vroom Vroom crowd.Groups have already arrived. They have parked their bikes in a long line which will beat any showroom or moto rally hollow. Last edited by Secretariat : 27th September 2022 at 08:18 .
Why it matters: Apple has removed Russia's Facebook competitor, VKontakte, from the App Store globally, a move prompted by new UK sanctions. It's one of several apps from VK, Russia's second-largest internet company, to have been dropped from the store, and the country is demanding an explanation.

VK said on its website that its apps, which include Mail.ru, VK Music, and Youla classifieds, are blocked by Apple but continue to work on devices that already have them installed. However, it did warn that there may be "be difficulties with notifications and payments."

"In recent months, key updates have been implemented on our main products, which will allow the apps to remain relevant for a long time," VK wrote. "Our experts are doing their best to maintain and continue to improve the user experience." The company is recommending the 75 million monthly users of its social network switch from the app to the mobile or desktop version of the site. The VK apps are still available on the Google Play Store.

Apple confirmed the reason for the removal in a statement that reads, "These apps are being distributed by developers majority-owned or majority-controlled by one or more parties sanctioned by the UK government."

"In order to comply with these sanctions, Apple terminated the developer accounts associated with these apps, and the apps cannot be downloaded from any App Store, regardless of location. Users who have already downloaded these apps may continue to use them."

Like many other US tech companies, Apple paused all product sales in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. However, it continues to allow the country access to the App Store. The new sanctions, introduced following the sham referendums Russia held in parts of Ukraine, include 39 members of the leadership of the state-linked Gazprombank and Sberbank banks, who own just under half of VK between them.

State-owned news agency TASS reports that VK sold its gaming division to Cayman Islands-based businessman Alexander Chachava for $642 million on Tuesday.

Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor said Apple's actions had deprived millions of Russians of access to VK apps and demanded that it explain its decision.

VKontakte's founders, brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, are also the founders of encrypted messaging app Telegram, which has spent years clashing with Putin's government. Pavel Durov (above) left VK and Russia after refusing to hand over Ukrainian protester data or block Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's VK page, notes The Reg.

Russia made a veiled threat against SpaceX's Starlink system last week, warning that its involvement in the Ukraine conflict could make the satellites a legitimate target.
Google Pixel's battery widget has a new update. It now shows an estimated time before its juice drains. The new feature essentially gives users an idea of how long it would last before it needs to plug to a charger.

But how do you get your hands on this new update?

(Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

A guest takes pictures of the new Google Pixel 3 smartphone during a Google product release event, October 9, 2018 in New York City. `

Google Pixel Battery Widget

As per the latest report by Android Central, Pixel phone users got their hands on the Android battery widget during the March 2022 feature drop.

The new widget debuted to give Pixel users an option to check out the battery percentage of their devices.

It does not only include the battery status on your Pixel phone. Instead, it also provides information for other connected devices and accessories via Bluetooth. For instance, if you have your Pixel Buds paired to your phone, it shows its juice percentage and its charging case. What's more, it also shows the status of each earbud for Pixel Buds.

The battery widget is pretty handy as it lets users take a look at the status of their various devices at a single glance.

According to a news story by 9to5 Google, the search engine giant has gradually improved the widget since it first saw the light of day early this year.

The June update for Pixel phones includes a new feature that allows users to resize it to be smaller to avoid taking up too much space on their home screen.

New Update Adds Estimated Time

But despite that, it could not tell how much time is left before the battery dies out until the latest update on the widget.

(Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

A guest holds the new Google Pixel 3 XL smartphone during a Google product release event, October 9, 2018 in New York City.

The latest update on the battery widget of Pixel phones now offers much more information regarding its battery status. 9to5 Google reports that the latest addition gives users an estimated time for how long it could still potentially last.

However, the news outlet notes that the time remaining feature exclusively works on the Pixel phone alone. And as such, it does not provide the same information for other connected devices like wireless earbuds.

So while the others only show the percentage, the widget shows an estimated time for the smartphone.

It is worth noting that Android users could also check out the estimated time remaining for the battery beneath the Settings app. So it looks like Google only made it easier to see this time.

Read Also: Google Reveals the Pixel Watch on YouTube-Here's a Deep Look on its Features and Specs

How to Get it ASAP?

Unfortunately, the update has yet to roll out to all Pixel users.

9to5 notes that it is likely to release along with the upcoming Pixel Feature Drop. However, if you want to get it right away, you will have to join the QPR1 beta program.

Related Article: Apple's iOS 16.1 Beta 2 Lock Screen Now Shows iPhone Battery Charging Indicator

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A new development for modern medicine proves it brings significant effects to halting the effects of Alzheimer's disease from developing among patients affected by it after its clinical trial. The Eisai Co. and Biogen Inc. formed a partnership to develop this new drug which proved to be effective in its trial phase and is making monumental grounds in this development.

Alzheimer's Drug Proven to Slow Down Disease

(Photo : Pixabay)

Eisai Co., a Japanese pharmaceutical company, announced via a news release that its latest clinical trial of the drug called "lecanemab" (development code: BAN2401) is successful in impeding the development of Alzheimer's disease.

The team said that it held a massive clinical trial involving 1,795 participants in its study using the lecanemab and looking at its effects among patients.

The companies, including Biogen Inc., conducted their Phase 3 clinical trials among the many participants which received the drug, and here, patients were monitored for six months. The trial's results claimed that its drug showed a 27 percent difference in Alzheimer's progression compared to those using a placebo on a common rating scale.

Read Also: Alzheimer's-Diagnosing AI Better Than Medical Experts? New Study Shows It Can Solve Physician Shortage

Eisai and Biogen's Alzheimer's Medicine

Eisai and the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company, Biogen Inc., said that there was a "statistical significant reduction" of Alzheimer's disease in patients compared to those that were given the placebo. Its partnership aims to further study and develop the drug for its future use and distribution among the global market for patients that need it.

Alzheimer's and Dementia

Alzheimer's Disease is a significant type of dementia among people and it may develop due to old age and through time, especially as the brain is not as sharp as it used to be during their prime. There are many developments in modern technology which aim to detect the disease when it is starting to develop, using artificial intelligence to avoid its progression for patients.

It is the most common type of dementia present among individuals that suffer from it, and it inhibits people from their memory and thinking skills, also taking away their ability to do basic and everyday tasks.

There are many pharmaceutical companies and researchers which still focus on answering the massive problem caused by Alzheimer's by developing drugs and treatments to fight against it. Some already came close to developing the medicine, but most are to fight the early symptoms and mild cases of Alzheimer's only.

Families and the individual themselves suffer when Alzheimer's disease progresses in a person, especially as it significantly impedes brain function from doing its job in both voluntary and involuntary functions. This new drug from Eisai Co. and Biogen Inc. is a massive progress for health tech in the modern day, especially as it potentially holds the key to countering Alzheimer's altogether.

Related Article: Is sleep for the Weak? Researchers Discover the Brain Eats Itself Due to Chronic Sleep Deprivation

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Written by Isaiah Richard

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The Samsung Galaxy S23 series got artist renders from leakers now, speculating on the upcoming look of the new smartphone which is similar to the S22 design from earlier this year. It is still unknown if Samsung would feature the same look for its flagship Galaxy smartphone, but doing so would put them in the same situation as the one they shamed for the iPhone 14's design.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Render Leaks

(Photo : Samsung)

Onleaks and Smartprix's latest render of the Samsung Galaxy S23 brings the first look at the upcoming device from the company. If it will follow the same schedule as the past years, people may be seeing the new Samsung smartphone by early January and have it available weeks later.

The new design features a similar look to the S22 series with its three vertical cameras on the rear for its standard and FE versions for the new S23.

However, the S23's cameras have different proportions as evident on the leaked render compared to the old S22, but may very well be sporting the same design.

Read Also: Samsung Ridicules iPhone 14 in Latest Galaxy Z Flip 4 Ad

Will the S23 be like the S22?

Digit released its exclusive render of the Galaxy S23 device which is similar to what Smartprix brought the world, and these are all based on insider information and leaks from other sources, rendered for the public.

Many people are supporting and corroborating this design concept which looks similar to its predecessor for the next year's release from Samsung. Still, there are no confirmed looks for the upcoming Galaxy S smartphone that will continue the lineup with new features and upgrades.

Samsung Galaxy S Series

One of the most significant leaks for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is its change for the rear smartphone camera that would feature 200MP quality for its images. However, initial leaks did not talk about what the new smartphone would look like, especially as the S21 and the S22 did not change much in their looks.

Samsung previously threw shade on the new iPhone 14 after the device launched, and an ad for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 went live alongside the event which aims to convince buyers in making the switch to Android.

Allegedly, the South Korean company said that Apple fans are "unimaginative" in their device purchases, particularly evident in their recent ad which highlights the foldable smartphone.

Nevertheless, its Galaxy S series are also standard smartphones that appear as they are, not folding like its Flip or Fold series.

Still, it seems like the new S23 smartphone coming early next year would feature the same design and camera layout for its rear according to the leaks. It may still follow the footsteps of the previous S22 which brought three cameras in its rear for the standard or FE versions, with four cameras for the Ultra variant of the series.

Related Article: [RUMOR] Recent Leaks Suggest Galaxy S23 Will Have A Lineup Similar to iPhone 14

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Written by Isaiah Richard

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Netizen Justin Pinkney has created a new AI model that tries to create a unique Pokemon out of any word or phrase. Although the end product might not be a combat-ready partner, internet users have been creating all kinds of strange and fun new creatures, as reported first by Futurism.

The funniest and weirdest to date are based on famous people and prominent figures, including an outrageous George Bush Hello Kitty Pokemon.

Create Your Own Pokemon

Using the tool, Replicate, users can build their own machine learning models and deploy them on the cloud. This is used by Lambda Labs, which allows you to create a Pokemon based on any keyword.

It enables identifiable terms to characterize the type of the Pokemon produced using "Fine Tuning Stable Diffusion." In short, you can type in the name of a famous person to get a weird and funny-looking looking Pokemon.

"Looks like my Pokemon generator is getting some attention. Lots of interesting examples in the replies to this. It's curious how much it like to generate the circular Pokemon," Pinkney wrote in a tweet.

Pinkney posted some of his own prompts, one of which also features a Pokemon inspired by Barack Obama and the well-known "Girl with a Pearl Earring" painting.

Fine tuning #stablediffusion to make Pokemon!



I wrote a quick guide on fine tuning your own Stable Diffusion: https://t.co/hLWrOjEPTm



I also released my Pokemon model, you can try it out on Replicate: https://t.co/3sVQrk54wZ

or with this Notebook: https://t.co/nRU5EQt3WC pic.twitter.com/d1FIAp49nO  Justin Pinkney (@Buntworthy) September 20, 2022

Read also: An 'AI-Powered Hologram' Creepily Revives Dead Woman to Deliver A Speech at Her Funeral

The Rise of AI Art

Artificial intelligence-generated art is proving to be a very contentious topic, raising a great deal of anxiety among artists about the possibility of them being replaced by machine learning.

AI is rapidly developing, and it is now capable of reproducing particular artworks and stylistic elements from many artists whose works are already on sale to the general public.

There are numerous instances of this, one of which is a program called "MidJourney," in which users concentrate on mimicking existing pieces of art that are accessible online.

Using Midjourney to create a futuristic, Renaissance-inspired artwork, Colorado game creator Jason M. Allen controversially won $300 at an art contest last month.

While several social media users and other artists objected to Allen's AI-generated artwork, the designer insisted that his entry, which took him more than 80 hours to produce, qualified as a piece of digital art.

Architect Manas Bhatia has also used the program to create intricate images based on written instructions for his conceptual piece, "AI x Future Cities."

Midjourney generated a set of digital graphics using text descriptions that included terms like "futuristic towers," "utopian technology," "symbiotic," and "bioluminescent material," which Bhatia then improved by tweaking the prompts.

The results of the prompts imagined a future where residential buildings are "air purification towers" covered in lushes of green.

Related Article: Can AI Create Real Art? A Look At One Of The Most Pensive Areas Of Today's Tech

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

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The "world's first all-electric commuter aircraft," named Alice, made aviation history by taking off overnight. The manufacturer, Eviation Aircraft, describes the occasion as a significant step toward zero-emissions medium-range air travel, as reported first by Interesting Engineering.

At 7:10 a.m., Alice took off from Grant County International Airport and flew for eight minutes before landing at the height of 3,500 feet (1,067 m).

The "trailblazing" flight gave Eviation crucial information that would help them better optimize the plane for mass production in the future.

Next Era of Aviation

"Today we embark on the next era of aviation - we have successfully electrified the skies with the unforgettable first flight of Alice," Eviation President and CEO Gregory Davis stated in a company press release.

"People now know what affordable, clean, and sustainable aviation looks and sounds like for the first time in a fixed-wing, all-electric aircraft. This ground-breaking milestone will lead to innovation in sustainable air travel, and shape both passenger and cargo travel in the future."

The two motors, powered by 8,000 pounds of batteries, drove two propellers using two electric motors at the airplane's tail. The aircraft's highest speed during its brief flight was approximately 171 miles per hour.

The successful flight test took place after the company had just completed a high-speed ground test on September 18.

Alice greatly reduces noise compared to light jets or high-end turboprops and operates at a lower cost each trip, according to Eviation.

Interesting Engineering noted that Alice is a turning point for a specific area of aviation that concentrates on moving small groups of people across short distances. The aircraft can carry at least 9 passengers.

The all-electric planes' creators claim that both businesses and consumers would benefit from more affordable and ecologically responsible regional travel.

Eviation said that by allowing access to airports that are currently closed to commercial flights because of noise concerns or limited operation hours, this new breed of aircraft could transform communities.

Eviation Alice will operate flights between 150 to 250 miles, with a focus on the commuter and cargo segments.

Read also: Electric Aircraft Moonshot Kitty Hawk is Shutting Down its Operations

When Can We Expect Alice's First Deliveries?

However, it is worth noting that Alice is not a fully approved production aircraft; it is simply an experimentally registered prototype.

Eviation must put the commuter plane through a rigorous flight test process, obtain Part 23 certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, and transfer it to its clients like DHL or Cape Air. Davis claims that the business anticipates starting its first deliveries in 2027.

According to The Seattle Times, Alice might become the first all-electric commercial aircraft if the FAA approves it for passenger transport.

Eviation is also waiting for more battery technology developments for the aircraft's commercial production. It is currently running on 21,500 tiny Tesla-style battery cells, as per Interesting Engineering.

Related Article: 'Flying Hotel That Never Lands': AI Sky Cruise Ship Will Use Nuclear Energy to Fly in Luxury

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

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Second-generation Covid vaccines: "The more adapted and up-to-date it is, it will include parts of the virus against which we have not been immunized"
Wu Weihua, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, addresses and declares open the 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

JINAN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese official has called for boosting exchanges, dialogue, and mutual learning between cultures and upholding the shared values of humanity at a forum on Confucian culture that opened Tuesday.

The Confucian thoughts of harmony, including exchanges and dialogue, inclusiveness, and mutual learning, have played an active role in the continuity and inheritance of the Chinese civilization for over 5,000 years, said Wu Weihua, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Wu declared open the 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations.

Wu said these thoughts also inspired cooperation among different peoples and mutual learning among civilizations.

Exchanges, dialogue, inclusiveness, and mutual learning are the most fundamental way to handle relations among countries, peoples, and civilizations, Wu said.

Wu added peace and development should come first, and humanity's shared values should be promoted to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

The Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations is themed "Diversity of Human Civilizations and Common Values of Mankind." More than 200 experts and scholars from home and abroad attended the opening ceremony of the events which will last two days.

Confucius (551-479 B.C.), a Chinese educator and thinker, influenced countless generations of Chinese society.

Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the opening ceremony of 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the site of 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows guests attending the opening ceremony of 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the opening ceremony of 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the site of 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)
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.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has criticised ASX Limited for failing to keep it updated on delays plaguing ASXs technology upgrade program, as it emerged ongoing problems with the project cost the market operators former chief executive 40 per cent of his last bonus.

The RBA said in its annual assessment of the ASXs clearing and settlement facilities, released on Wednesday, that a safe and timely replacement of the technology must be the operators key priority.

ASX chief Helen Lofthouse says the company is still unable to update the market on when new technology upgrades will go live. Credit:Michael Quelch

Further work is required to provide assurance that the system is being built to meet the required specifications, the bank said. The regulators are disappointed by the extent of the delay at an advanced stage of the program.

ASX, which runs Australias main securities trading exchange, is working to switch its clearing and settlement system, known as CHESS (which has been around since the 1990s), with blockchain.
The husband of missing fraudster Melissa Caddick has described himself as an isolated, unemployable outcast and says that the general perception of him is that he was involved in his wifes Ponzi scheme, helped her disappear or, worse still, that he harmed her.

I have been described as an arsehole, a creep, a f---wit, a toyboy, a handbag and even as stupid by my father, said Anthony Koletti in a 110-page affidavit tendered at the inquest into his wifes disappearance and presumed death.

The affidavit also says that after his wifes disappearance, Koletti left a note and a pair of earrings on top of his wifes phone that he had bought her as a gift for Christmas and which hadnt been seized during a raid by Australian Federal Police officers acting on behalf of the corporate regulator, ASIC. The Post-It note he attached to the gift read: Melissa, I no [sic] our love is deeper than pocessions [sic]. Thought you might like one of your Christmas [sic] early.

But the hairdresser is adamant he had no knowledge of his wifes frauds and said he was not involved in her disappearance or in harming her in any way. His only reason for continuing my life is to see his stepson go to university.
The Commonwealth Bank branch in Surrey Hills where one of the hold-ups occured. Credit:The Age Archives

Armed bandits struck three times yesterday to take the years hold-ups to a near record 157.

First published in The Age on September 30, 1972

The hold-up total is only two fewer than for the whole of 1971  a rate of about one hold-up every second day.

Already the years 24 hank raids have passed last years total by one.

Two men with sawn-off .22 rifles walked into the Surrey Hills branch of the Commonwealth Bank yesterday and escaped in a stolen car with $4000.

They wore plastic masks, grey felt hats and grey dust coats.

One of the bandits fired a warning shot into the roof of the bank chamber, at the corner of Union and White Horse roads, about 10.30 am.
The lack of a serious anti-corruption body at the federal level has been a running sore in Australian politics for too long. Breaking an explicit promise before the 2019 election to create such a body was one of the most craven failures of the Morrison government.

The Albanese government has, however, shown more courage and this week it is delivering on its election pledge to legislate what it calls the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus yesterday said he has allocated $262 million to the NACC. He also outlined some features that will make it far stronger than the toothless model that the Morrison government sketched out but never submitted as legislation to parliament.

For example, the NACC will have the power to initiate investigations off its own bat based on tip-offs from the public. The Morrison model restricted investigators to only acting on referrals from the government. In effect, it gave the politicians the right to decide whether to investigate themselves. Another key improvement is that the NACC will have a much broader definition of what constitutes corruption than what was proposed under the Morrison model. The NACC will be able to investigate not just politicians and public servants but also third parties such as lobbyists and bidders for government contracts who improperly influence government decisions. Be afraid, was the warning Dreyfus issued.

Dreyfus model has struck a middle course, however, on the controversial question of whether the NACC will hold public hearings. Dreyfus NACC will have the power to go public, unlike the Morrison model which did not provide for public hearings or any public findings.
San Francisco: Meta Platforms said on Tuesday it disrupted the first known China-based influence operation focused on targeting users in the United States with political content ahead of the midterm elections in November.

According to Metas report, the Chinese fake accounts posed as liberal and conservative Americans in different states. They posted political memes and lurked in the comments of public figures posts since November 2021.

The network maintained fake accounts across Metas social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as competitor service Twitter, but was small and did not attract much of a following, Meta said in a report summarising its findings.

Cornelius Whiting fills out his ballot at an early voting location in Alexandria, Virginia. Credit:AP

Still, the report noted, the discovery was significant because it suggested a shift toward more direct interference in US domestic politics compared with previous known Chinese propaganda efforts.
Bolsonaro bases his campaign against Lula on three allegations: that he is the devil incarnate (this plays well to all Brazils evangelicals); that he is a communist (he is, in fact, a social democrat who even got on well with George W. Bush  except over Iraq) and that the corruption charges, dismissed by the countrys top court, were true. This allegation I know to be nonsense, having proved to the satisfaction of the UNs 18-judge Human Rights Committee that Lulas trial was grossly unfair.

Opinion polls show Brazilian presidential candidate Lula enjoys 47 per cent support. He needs 50 per cent of the vote to claim victory. Credit:Getty

The corruption charges at that trial were always ridiculous. A massive police operation could not find any secret or overseas bank accounts or a penny out of place in his own savings or tax. A malign judge had alleged that he and his family enjoyed weekends (five, over two years) at the country estate of a supporter, and that an apartment his wife had purchased many years earlier had been upgraded by new owners of the building as a gift  although Lula had never owned or occupied it.

These allegations could not have resulted in a corruption trial in the West, as there was no evidence of any quid pro quo. He was subjected to an inquisitorial trial system long abandoned in Europe, in which the judge who investigated the case was allowed to try it as well, without a jury, notwithstanding his bias against the suspect whom he had chosen to prosecute.

I attended the first appeal, which was a farce. Before the case started, the courts chief justice declared that the judgment under appeal was impeccable. At the hearing, the prosecutor took his seat alongside the three judges while the defence lawyers were relegated to a sidebar. The judges pretended to listen to them with ill-concealed impatience for 20 minutes, then pulled out and read their own lengthy judgments that had already been written.
In some ways, writer/director Robert O'Hara has long been under the spell of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. He first directed a production of this American classic in 2012 at the Geva Theatre Center in Rochester; two years prior, he imagined what members of Hansberry's Younger family looked like after five ensuing decades in The Etiquette of Vigilance for Chicago's Steppenwolf.

The summer prior to the pandemic, O'Hara returned to the text for a production at Williamstown Theatre Festival. Now, he's brought that revival to the Public Theater, for the first off-Broadway mounting of the seminal text in 40 years. But if you know O'Hara  writer of Bootycandy and Barbecue, and director of Jeremy O. Harris's Slave Play  you know that this is not going to be a conventional A Raisin in the Sun. Here, he tells us about envisioning the drama as a tragedy, with a focus on the female characters, instead of the man who walks in and out of their scenes.

Robert O'Hara

( Zack DeZon)

This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

This production started a few summers ago at Williamstown Theatre Festival. Did they come to you or did you go to them?

I had done a production at the Geva about 10 years ago, so I was not about to do another Raisin in the Sun. I had been speaking with Mandy Greenfield from Williamstown about doing something there, and she had been developing the idea of doing Raisin, which I didn't know anything about, and she called me and said she'd love me to consider it. When she said that, there were people already attached, who were people that I really enjoyed, and I had never directed at Williamstown before. I made very clear to her that I had a different take on the play, in that I look at it as a tragedy. I don't think of it as the story of a man trying to buy a liquor store. And that was something she embraced.

Those summer theater productions are done so quickly. How, in your estimation, did it go? Did you hit everything you wanted to hit, or did you feel like there was a deeper way to go?

Well, with a classic, there's always more to explore, and I was very excited by what happened at Williamstown. The only problem was that we never really got to shape it after performances began, because there's really no preview period. You can't go back in and continue working on something at summer theater. You get it up by the grace of God and close your eyes and squint. But the actors held it together and it was very exciting and was very well received. We were looking to somehow bring the production in, and then, of course, Covid hit. So that's where we were.

Francois Battiste and Tonya Pinkins in rehearsal for A Raisin in the Sun at the Public Theater

( Joan Marcus)

I felt that your production in the Berkshires reinvented the play. I've seen the two past New York revivals, which were lovely and extremely respectful, but that doesn't leave you with the feeling that it could have been written yesterday, which yours did.

I think that's what we do with classics, especially classics that mean a lot to people, and Raisin, certainly, means a lot to a lot of people, so you better put it in a glass box with a sign that says, "Don't come too close." I will be messy and see if I can rearrange the furniture a bit, because that's what an exploration is. I can't have reverence for Raisin in the Sun and also interrogate it. There's also a little bit of fear of "What are you going to do with it?", you know? Because I have a reputation of doing new work and people don't see classics as new work. But I think that because Lorraine Hansberry was such a young writer exploring these different issues that she would appreciate an interrogation of her script. Off-Broadway almost allows you to bend the lens a little, whereas on Broadway, you need to make sure that you do no harm to the project with the product.

Do you see a connection between what Lorraine Hansberry talks about and where we are now?

All you have to do is say these things: housing crisis, racial polarization, abortion, alcoholism, poverty. And that's in the first 10 minutes alone. We are still constantly in conversation with these things. It's a no-brainer. I sit and I watch this play and I go "I can't believe we're discussing abortion in the first 15 minutes." She sort of frontloaded these things, which pays off brilliantly throughout.

So what does an off-Broadway Raisin in the Sun look like?

When the audience comes to see this at the Public, I want them to immediately say "This family has to get out of here. This is not inhabitable. This is not a place to be raising children." They have to feel the desperation. I've seen so many productions with two bedrooms, wallpaper, and I'm like "Can I move in? Why are you all leaving?" That's always been funny to me. There's real research that shows how people lived at the time and sometimes we like to clean it up, and I decided not to. I go directly into the reality of the poverty in the late 1950s in Chicago.

I think that there's not a responsibility to get it right or to make sure we don't break it, but there is a responsibility to make it speak to now. This play is not about, for me, Walter Lee. Walter Lee comes into every scene, and it's the women who started those scenes. Walter just walks in and out of those rooms. You have these three dynamic Black women in this show, and people want to make it about a man and his dreams. But what about their dreams? There are all those conversations that one can have around it that makes this production special.
Sometimes, you just want to see your enemies weep. In that way, we can all relate to Medea, the mythical sorceress of Colchis and the protagonist (villain?) of Luigi Cherubini's Medea, which has just opened the Metropolitan Opera's 2022-23 season in exquisite style. Of course, few of us will go as far as Medea in exacting revenge. Curses to the heavens, poisoned accessories, an extremely late-term abortion  nothing is off the table for her. And that's what makes this opera so horrifying and watchable.

The music helps too: Cherubini's score is a bridge between the formality of the Classical period and the unbridled passion of the Romantic. We know we're in for a dark and stormy night from the opening bars of the overture, which Carlo Rizzi conducts with the force of a conquering general.

Italian by birth, Cherubini spent most of his life in France (like Medea, he was also an immigrant), collaborating with librettist Francois-Benoit Hoffman on the original French version of Medee, which premiered in 1797. Carlo Zangarini subsequently created the Italian translation now appearing at the Met (remarkably, this is the first time Medea has ever been performed at the world's greatest opera house). The Italian version gained prominence in the 20th century in large part due to the performances of Maria Callas, the closest thing opera ever had to a genuine sorceress  until now.

Sondra Radvanovsky plays Medea, and Matthew Polenzani plays Giasone in Luigi Cherubini's Medea, directed by David McVicar, at the Metropolitan Opera.

( Marty Sohl/The Metropolitan Opera)

As she did in Norma, Sondra Radvanovsky casts an operatic spell with her must-see portrayal of Medea, scorned first wife of Giasone (Matthew Polenzani with a cool swagger that seems to mask sheer panic). With her help he brought the golden fleece back to Greece, along with a band of obnoxious argonauts (this section of the chorus exudes a real bros-before-hos vibe that spells trouble for anyone who might attempt marriage with the over-the-hill adventurer). The unlucky girl is Glauce (Janai Brugger), daughter of King Creonte (Michele Pertusi, with the steady baritone and slightly weary manner of a late Habsburg). Glauce is also a ladder for Giasone's ambition. A swashbuckling hero of the people, he's the Johnny Depp of Corinth  but does that make Medea the Amber Heard?

Radvanovsky is both scarier and more sympathetic than the Aquaman actress: When she slinks through the shadows stage right, like a spider at the rehearsal dinner, we understand completely that the whole town is against her. We root for this underdog, the founding member of the first wives club. As she begins to plot her deadly revenge, it's hard to abandon her completely, even as she seems to undergo demonic possession, the skeletal grin of death overtaking her face. She knows that they call her a foreign witch, so why not play the part with gusto? Add to that a voice that could knock flat a Spartan army and you have a Medea to haunt your nightmares. When she sings of her rabbia infernale we know that there's nowhere to hide  not even in the family circle.

Medea (Sondra Radvanovsky) and Neris (Ekaterina Gubanova) perform the wedding scene in Medea at the Metropolitan Opera.

( Marty Sohl/The Metropolitan Opera)

As the faithful servant Neris, Ekaterina Gubanova attempts to bring her boil to a simmer with a mellow rendition of "Solo un pianto." Ethereally beautiful, it nevertheless fails to hold our full attention. Even Medea's mind seems to wander as she rudely pokes through her chest of horrors mid-aria.

That's bad news for Glauce. Typically an offstage character, the princess of Corinth is given a fair hearing with a cheerful opening scene depicting her dress fitting. Exhibiting a lovely soprano, she radiates girlish giddiness, but that quickly darkens to fear of Medea. No spoiled princess, we immediately recognize her as a victim  as innocent as Medea doomed sons (Axel and Magnus Newville, to whom you want to scream, run!).

Magnus Newville, Sondra Radvanovsky, and Axel Newville appear in Luigi Cherubini's Medea, directed by David McVicar, at the Metropolitan Opera.

( Marty Sohl/The Metropolitan Opera)

Like he's directing a horror film, David McVicar (who also designed the set) places a slanted mirror upstage so that we see multiple angles of carnage. He also delivers a theatrical split-screen with Medea seething in the foreground as her husband marries another woman upstage. This scene is later echoed in Act III, with Medea luxuriating in Glauce's agony. Doey Luthi's costumes place the action in a fantastical 19th century decorated with frock coats and vats of eyeliner. S. Kathy Tucker's projections represent the most technically impressive design element, conjuring the fires of hell onstage.

All of it makes for a brilliant night at the opera starring an angry woman with a voice for the ages. This is the kind of finely crafted madness that keeps us coming back to the Met.
As the fear propaganda made its way through the mainstream media, an event occurred in Europe that eclipsed all the negativity most are accustomed to seeing. While at a conference in Vienna, Austria, in September 2022, two forces of nature met for the first time in person - Dr. Pierre Kory and Dr. Tess Lawrie.
17 States Ask Supreme Court to Protect Postal Workers Right to Honor Sabbath

The attorneys general of 17 states are asking the Supreme Court to take up the civil rights lawsuit of an evangelical Christian postal worker in Pennsylvania who quit the U.S. Postal Service after it refused to accommodate his wish not to work on the Sunday Sabbath.

The legal filing comes as the Supreme Court is poised to begin its new session on Oct. 3, its first with Biden appointee Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on the bench. It also comes as the high court has become increasingly protective of First Amendment-based religious protections in recent years.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit turned down Gerald Groffs appeal earlier this year. The petition (pdf) in the case, Groff v. DeJoy, court file 22-174, was filed with the Supreme Court on Aug. 23. Louis DeJoy, the U.S. Postmaster General, is represented by the U.S. Department of Justice. Groff is represented by First Liberty Institute of Plano, Texas.

Its a fundamental right of every citizen to freely exercise their religious freedom, said West Virginia Attorney General Morrisey, a Republican, according to TV station WBOY.

Many spend most of their time at work and people should not be expected to choose between their jobs and their faith. Thats absurd. No one should be forced to sacrifice their dedication to their religion in order to keep a job.

Morrisey and the attorneys general of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia, filed a friend-of-the-court brief (pdf) with the high court on Sept. 26, urging it to hear Groffs appeal.

According to Morrisey, Groff began working as a mail carrier for the U.S.P.S. in 2012. Groff was what is called a rural carrier associate, meaning he filled in for absent career employees. Groff worked at the Quarryville, Pennsylvania, post office until he transferred to the Holtwood post office in August 2016. The postal service initially tried to accommodate his request not to work on Sundays, but he quit in 2019 after the agency stopped accommodating him. He sued claiming the postal service discriminated against him by refusing to accommodate his religion under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The friend-of-the-court brief states that Title VIIs protections flowed from an expansive, state law-grounded view of religious liberty. Its text embodies the same. It is time to bring Title VIIs right to religious exercise back into the fold.

Fifteen federal lawmakers also filed a friend-of-the-court brief (pdf) urging the Supreme Court to take up Groffs appeal.

Among the lawmakers are Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), along with Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.).

The lawmakers said in their brief that the Supreme Court should reject the atextual definition of undue hardship it adopted in the 1977 decision of TWA v. Hardison, an earlier workplace religious accommodation on which the court ruled.

The courts definition of the phrase blatantly contradicted both the words Congress unanimously enacted in the 1972 amendments to Title VII and the Congressional purpose stated in the legislative record.

U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar has not yet filed a brief in response to the petition.

The Epoch Times reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice for comment but had not received a reply as of press time.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) arrives at the U.S. Capitol for a cloture vote of a continuing resolution to fund the government, in Washington, Sept. 27, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

22 Senate Republicans Join Democrats to Clear Path for Short-Term Continuing Resolution

Senate Democrats gained a temporary victory late Tuesday when 22 Republicans joined with them in voting to remove a procedural obstacle to passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR) that keeps the federal government open through Dec. 16 and approves more than $15 billion in additional military and operational aid for Ukraine.

The 22 GOP senators voting for the motion to invoke cloture and proceed to consideration of the CR joined with all 50 Senate Democrats on a 7223 roll call. The Senate will reconvene on Wednesday morning and take up final action on the CR.

Besides additional aid to Ukraine, the CR provides $1 billion more for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and $2 billion in emergency disaster aid assistance. There are also provisions making $2.5 billion available in compensation for victims of a devastating New Mexico wildfire.

The House is expected to approve the CR later this week and President Joe Biden will sign it into law. At that point, Congress will leave town, as senators and representatives head home to campaign in the mid-term election on Nov. 8. All 435 House seats and one-third of the Senates 100 seats are up for grabs.

But all of the lawmakers from both chambers will have to come back during the post-election Lame Duck session and complete work on a 2023 budget. The December vote will provide Democrats with opportunities to increase federal spending above levels in the CR.

The way was cleared earlier in the afternoon for the procedural vote after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that he and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) had agreed to drop the provision in the CR that would implement reforms to speed up how the government considers permits from energy companies for developing new resources.

The Manchin proposal, which would also speed up approvals for infrastructure projects such as new electricity transmission lines to carry power from wind and solar sources, drew stout opposition from Senate Republicans and many of the chambers most liberal Democrats.

The CR is necessary because, for the 43rd time since 1976, Congress has failed this year to adopt a comprehensive federal budget for Fiscal Year 2023 that begins Oct. 1. The CR mostly maintains current spending levels through Dec. 16, when Congress is expected to either adopt a massive omnibus budget measure or extend the CR into the 118th Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, 2023.

The hopes of the Senates most conservative Republicans to stop the Democrats CR and force consideration of a clean version that would carry into the new year were dashed when the 21 Republicans voted with Democrats on the motion to invoke cloture and proceed to the final decision on the CR.

The GOP senators voting with the Democrats, in addition to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, were Susan Collins of Maine, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst of Iowa, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, John Cornyn of Texas, Rob Portman of Ohio, Shelley Capito of West Virginia, Roy Blunt of Missouri, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Mitt Romney of Utah, Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy of Louisiana, Todd Young of Indiana, Richard Shelby of Alabama, Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and John Boozman of Arkansas.

Several of the Republicans voting with the Democrats on the procedural motion are expected to support the Lame Duck CR, including Collins, Shelby, Portman, and Cornyn.

Every day that we delay is a problem for our national security because it prevents new starts and continues to fund programs that are not worthy of funding, Collins told The Hill on Sept. 21. It delays the pay raise for our troops.

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn also told The Hill he will back a lame duck session vote because he believes it makes sense to try to do our business this year if we can, so we dont have to start from scratch next year.

Correction: A previous version of this article inaccurately stated the number of Republican senators who voted to advance the CR. It was 22. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
A satellite image shows the eye of Hurricane Ian approaching the southwest coast of Florida at 2:10 p.m. ET on Sept. 28, 2022. (NOAA)

1 Million Without Power as Hurricane Ian Officially Makes Landfall in Florida

Over 1 million people in Florida are without power as of Wednesday afternoon due to the impacts of Hurricane Ian, according to a power outage monitoring website.

Across the state, 1.03 million lost power as of 4 p.m. ET, Poweroutage.us says. The majority of outages are located in Lee, Collier, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Manatee counties, it shows. Lee County appears to have seen the worst impacts, with over 60 percent of all customers losing power.

Hurricane Ian has made landfall in western Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in its latest update at 3:10 p.m. ET. As of 4 p.m., the storm has 140 mph winds, said the NHC.

NOAA Doppler radar imagery indicates that the eye of Ian made landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida near Cayo Costa around 3:05 p.m. ET, the NHC said. The storm has 150 mph winds, a slight decline from the 155 mph winds at its peak, according to the agency.

Theres going to be widespread power outages, particularly in southwest Florida, said at an afternoon news conference. He told people to avoid standing water, fallen trees, and downed power lines.

At around noon, the National Hurricane Center said the storms eyewall was moving on shore at Sanibel and Captiva islands.

Off the coast on Sanibel Island near Fort Myers, swirling water flooded streets and was halfway up mailbox posts by mid-morning. Seawater rushed out of Tampa Bay, leaving parts of the muddy bottom exposed, and waves crashed over the end of a wooden pier at Naples.

A Severe Studios camera on Sanibel Island, which has a height of about 9 feet, was completely inundated by storm surge flooding at around 2 p.m. ET. Some video footage showed water near the roof of homes in Fort Meyers.

The center of the massive Category 4 storm lingered offshore for hours, which was likely to mean more rain and damage from a hurricane that was trudging on a track that would have it making landfall north of the heavily populated Fort Myers area. Catastrophic storm surges could push 12 to 18 feet (3.6 to 5.5 meters) of water across more than 250 miles (400 kilometers) of coastline, from Bonita Beach to Englewood, forecasters warned.

During the night, Ian went through a natural cycle when it lost its old eye and formed a new one. The timing was bad for the Florida coast, because the storm got stronger and larger120 mph (193 kph) to 155 mph (250 kph)with landfall just a few hours away.

The size of the storm also grew, with tropical storm force winds extending 175 miles (280 kilometers) from the hurricanes center.

AP contributed to this report.
Illegal immigrants gather, after being flown in from Texas on a flight funded by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, at Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard, Mass., on Sept. 15, 2022. (Vineyard Gazette/Handout via Reuters)

Advocates Decry Attempts to Investigate DeSantis Illegal Immigrant Flights

News Analysis

Conservative advocates and observers are calling out Democrat attempts to criminally investigate the immigration policies that Floridas Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is following by transporting migrants to so-called sanctuary cities.

A week ago, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Texas Democrat, opened up a criminal investigation after DeSantis chartered two flights taking illegal immigrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, the island haven off the coast of Massachusetts, which bills itself as a sanctuary destination for illegal immigrants.

Sanctuary cities pledge to support illegal immigrant communities, and limit or refuse to cooperate with law enforcement officials in removing illegal immigrants from the country.

Later Californias Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, a rumored rival of DeSantis for the presidential election in 2024 along with Biden, called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to open a criminal investigation into DeSantis over the incident.

Im formally requesting the DOJ begin an immediate investigation into these inhumane efforts to use kids as political pawns, Newsom said in a tweet, which included the referral letter he sent to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The House Homeland Security Committee also wrote to the DOJ and Department of Homeland Security requesting they open investigations into the flights.

One big DeSantis booster, who lost her 21-year-old son to an auto accident with an illegal immigrant in 2007, Kiyan Michael, is troubled by the implications for the country.

Why dont we investigate what we need to be investigating like why our borders are wide open? Michael told The Epoch Times.

Michael noted that DeSantis swore an oath to protect the citizens of Florida and keep them safe, as did the officials in Texas.

The Human Cost of Illegal Immigration

For those who think what happens in Texas doesnt impact the people of Florida, Michael has a simple question for Sheriff Salazar who is investigating DeSantis.

My child was killed by somebody who came through the southern border, probably. Why was that allowed to happen? What answer does the sheriff have for that? added Michael, who said she found the investigation into DeSantis actions hypocritical from a sheriff who swore to uphold the law and protect the people of Texas while ignoring the people pouring across the border illegally.

Salazar has previously said that his county isnt a sanctuary city, adding that he also didnt have the resources to enforce federal immigration law.

Were not equipped manpower wise or training wise or liability wise to be immigration officers at present, Salazar said in 2017.

A spokesperson for Bexar County Sherrifs Office told The Epoch Times that the office is not investigating Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, but rather conducting an investigation into migrants who were alleged to have been lured away from the migrant resource center in San Antonio, [Texas], under false pretenses.

The spokesperson added the office didnt have an update on the investigation.

The investigation is ongoing as our investigators are working to obtain statements from the migrants who were flown from San Antonio to Marthas Vineyard, the spokesperson said in an email. Once our investigators have concluded their interviews and investigation for this incident, we will provide an update publicly.

As a reaction to her own loss, Michael is running as a Republican for Floridas State House in District 16, which represents Jacksonville.

Last week she put out a campaign advertisement for DeSantis gubernatorial reelection bid in the Sunshine State talking about the death of her son, Brandon, whose car was hit by an illegal immigrant so hard that it flipped, according to her account in the ad.

Higher Road Fatalities

Illegal immigration left unchecked causes bad things to happen to good people, Michael said, adding that what happened to her son when he was killed in a traffic accident with a person residing in the country illegally, isnt that uncommon.

In the ten states with the highest concentration of illegal immigrants, (according to FAIRs most recent estimates: California, Texas, New York, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey and Colorado) 14.6 percent of driving fatalities are caused by an unlicensed or improperly licensed driver, said the advocacy group, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), noting that this represents a 7 percent increase over the nationwide average.

FAIR contends that the growing percentage of incidents involving hit-and-run fatalities in the United States, which grew 34 percent between 2006 and 2016, is a consequence of illegal immigration.

The group said this is in part because in Mexico it is not illegal to leave the scene of an accident, as it is in the United States.

The Process is Punishment

One prominent attorney, who represents conservative clients at the highest level, warned that the tactic of criminalizing actions of political figures is likely to be effective even if the criminal charges dont stick.

Because in all of these cases, the process is the punishment, attorney Robert Costello, who represents Rudy Giuliani and Steve Bannon in cases investigated by the DOJ told The Epoch Times.

You do not have to indict anybody; you dont have to charge them with a crime: All you have to do is investigate them for a crime, Costello added, while noting that in addition to allowing political opponents to say the target is under criminal investigation, the tactic has the added benefit in destroying the targets bank accounts.

You may know that hiring counsel is pretty expensive in situations like this, he added.

Biden Administration is Flying Illegal Immigrants Too

Rosemary Jenks, a public policy attorney specializing in illegal immigration with advocacy group NumbersUSA, noted that the very policy that Democrats are condemning in DeSantis of flying illegal immigrants around the country is the same policy used by the Biden administration, which has been flying illegal immigrants into cities around the country for the last two years, a move which also occurred under President Donald Trump.

So  the only way this works is if the Biden administration is charged too, Jenks told the Epoch Times.

Jenks alleged that the failure of Bidens border policies is causing Democrats to panic and search for an attention-grabbing method by which they can change the subject.

Theres no question that the Democrats are desperately trying to avoid acknowledging that by their own policies they have created this border chaos, he said.

Costello, the attorney for Giuliani and Bannon echoed the sentiment from Jenks.

The hypocrisy is manifest because Joe Biden has been doing exactly the same thing. I live in New York and hes been flying in planes of people who have illegally crossed over the borders to White Plains airport, and theyve caught him on videotape, Costello told The Epoch Times, citing media reports of secretly recorded video of the arrival of a flight.

According to Costello, there is an important difference between what DeSantis is doing and what Biden is doing.

On the one hand, Biden is attempting to hide the extent of illegal immigration in America.

On the other hand, the whole purpose of what Florida Gov. DeSantis was doing was to bring to the attention of the so-called liberal population who says we should welcome everybody even though they are illegal aliens and havent been vetted for anything and let them get a taste of what citizens on the southern border are dealing with, said Costello.

Yet, when theyre on somebody elses doorstep, its different than when theyre on your doorstep. And boy did it change things in Marthas Vineyard. Those [illegal immigrants] were there less than 24 hours, and they got the National Guard to escort them to an Army or an Air Force Base, he added.

To Michael, the most important difference between Biden and DeSantis on this issue is that DeSantis is trying to prevent the harm associated with illegal immigration.

In contrast, that Bidens policies are making matters worse because he wont enforce the laws that we already have.

How is DeSantis the criminal here? Michael said.

No parent should have to go through what weve been through, she concluded.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House for comment.
What is age-related hearing loss?

Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is the loss of hearing that gradually occurs in most of us as we grow older. It is one of the most common conditions affecting older and elderly adults.

Approximately one in three people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing. Having trouble hearing can make it hard to understand and follow a doctors advice, respond to warnings, and hear phones, doorbells, and smoke alarms. Hearing loss can also make it hard to enjoy talking with family and friends, leading to feelings of isolation.

Age-related hearing loss most often occurs in both ears, affecting them equally. Because the loss is gradual, if you have age-related hearing loss you may not realize that youve lost some of your ability to hear.

There are many causes of age-related hearing loss. Most commonly, it arises from changes in the inner ear as we age, but it can also result from changes in the middle ear, or from complex changes along the nerve pathways from the ear to the brain. Certain medical conditions and medications may also play a role.

How do we hear?

Hearing depends on a series of events that change sound waves in the air into electrical signals. Your auditory nerve then carries these signals to your brain through a complex series of steps.

Sound waves enter the outer ear and travel through a narrow passageway called the ear canal, which leads to the eardrum. The eardrum vibrates from the incoming sound waves and sends these vibrations to three tiny bones in the middle ear. These bones are called the malleus, incus, and stapes. The bones in the middle ear couple the sound vibrations from the air to fluid vibrations in the cochlea of the inner ear, which is shaped like a snail and filled with fluid. An elastic partition runs from the beginning to the end of the cochlea, splitting it into an upper and lower part. This partition is called the basilar membrane because it serves as the base, or ground floor, on which key hearing structures sit. Once the vibrations cause the fluid inside the cochlea to ripple, a traveling wave forms along the basilar membrane. Hair cells-sensory cells sitting on top of the basilar membrane-ride the wave. As the hair cells move up and down, microscopic hair-like projections (known as stereocilia) that perch on top of the hair cells bump against an overlying structure and bend. Bending causes pore-like channels, which are at the tips of the stereocilia, to open up. When that happens, chemicals rush into the cells, creating an electrical signal. The auditory nerve carries this electrical signal to the brain, which turns it into a sound that we recognize and understand.

Why do we lose our hearing as we get older?

Many factors can contribute to hearing loss as you get older. It can be difficult to distinguish age-related hearing loss from hearing loss that can occur for other reasons, such as long-term exposure to noise.

Stereocilia perch atop sensory hair cells in the cochlea of the inner ear. Credit: Yoshiyuki Kawashim

Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by long-term exposure to sounds that are either too loud or last too long. This kind of noise exposure can damage the sensory hair cells in your ear that allow you to hear. Once these hair cells are damaged, they do not grow back and your ability to hear is diminished.

Conditions that are more common in older people, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, can contribute to hearing loss. Medications that are toxic to the sensory cells in your ears (for example, some chemotherapy drugs) can also cause hearing loss.

Rarely, age-related hearing loss can be caused by abnormalities of the outer ear or middle ear. Such abnormalities may include reduced function of the tympanic membrane (the eardrum) or reduced function of the three tiny bones in the middle ear that carry sound waves from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear.

Most older people who experience hearing loss have a combination of both age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss.

Can I prevent age-related hearing loss?

At this time, scientists dont know how to prevent age-related hearing loss. However, you can protect yourself from noise-induced hearing loss by protecting your ears from sounds that are too loud and last too long. Its important to be aware of potential sources of damaging noises, such as loud music, firearms, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, and leaf blowers. Avoiding loud noises, reducing the amount of time youre exposed to loud noise, and protecting your ears with ear plugs or ear muffs are easy things you can do to protect your hearing and limit the amount of hearing you might lose as you get older.

How can I tell if I have a hearing problem?

Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer yes to three or more of these questions, you could have a hearing problem and may need to have your hearing checked.

Do you sometimes feel embarrassed when you meet new people because you struggle to hear? YES NO Do you feel frustrated when talking to members of your family because you have difficulty hearing them? YES NO Do you have difficulty hearing or understanding co-workers, clients, or customers? YES NO Do you feel restricted or limited by a hearing problem? YES NO Do you have difficulty hearing when visiting friends, relatives, or neighbors? YES NO Do you have trouble hearing in the movies or in the theater? YES NO Does a hearing problem cause you to argue with family members? YES NO Do you have trouble hearing the TV or radio at levels that are loud enough for others? YES NO Do you feel that any difficulty with your hearing limits your personal or social life? YES NO Do you have trouble hearing family or friends when you are together in a restaurant? YES NO Adapted from: Newman, C.W., Weinstein, B.E., Jacobson, G.P., & Hug, G.A. (1990). The Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults [HHIA]: Psychometric adequacy and audiometric correlates. Ear Hear, 11, 430-433.

What should I do if I have trouble hearing?

Hearing problems can be serious. The most important thing you can do if you think you have a hearing problem is to seek advice from a health care provider. There are several types of professionals who can help you. You might want to start with your primary care physician, an otolaryngologist, an audiologist, or a hearing aid specialist. Each has a different type of training and expertise. Each can be an important part of your hearing health care.

An otolaryngologist (oh-toe-lair-in-GAH-luh-jist) is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the ear, nose, throat, and neck. An otolaryngologist, sometimes called an ENT, will try to find out why youre having trouble hearing and offer treatment options. He or she may also refer you to another hearing professional, an audiologist.

An audiologist (aw-dee-AH-luh-jist) has specialized training in identifying and measuring the type and degree of hearing loss. Some audiologists may be licensed to fit hearing aids.

A hearing aid specialist is someone who is licensed by your state to conduct and evaluate basic hearing tests, offer counseling, and fit and test hearing aids.

What treatments and devices can help?

Your treatment will depend on the severity of your hearing loss, so some treatments will work better for you than others. There are a number of devices and aids that help you hear better when you have hearing loss. Here are the most common ones:

Hearing aids are electronic instruments you wear in or behind your ear (see figure). They make sounds louder. To find the hearing aid that works best for you, you may have to try more than one. Be sure to ask for a trial period with your hearing aid and understand the terms and conditions of the trial period. Work with your hearing aid provider until you are comfortable with putting on and removing the hearing aid, adjusting the volume level, and changing the batteries. Hearing aids are generally not covered by health insurance companies, although some do. Medicare does not cover hearing aids for adults; however, diagnostic evaluations are covered if they are ordered by a physician for the purpose of assisting the physician in developing a treatment plan. (Read the NIDCD fact sheet Hearing Aids for more information.)

are electronic instruments you wear in or behind your ear (see figure). They make sounds louder. To find the hearing aid that works best for you, you may have to try more than one. Be sure to ask for a trial period with your hearing aid and understand the terms and conditions of the trial period. Work with your hearing aid provider until you are comfortable with putting on and removing the hearing aid, adjusting the volume level, and changing the batteries. Hearing aids are generally not covered by health insurance companies, although some do. Medicare does not cover hearing aids for adults; however, diagnostic evaluations are covered if they are ordered by a physician for the purpose of assisting the physician in developing a treatment plan. (Read the NIDCD fact sheet Hearing Aids for more information.) Cochlear implants. Cochlear (COKE-lee-ur) implants are small electronic devices surgically implanted in the inner ear that help provide a sense of sound to people who are profoundly deaf or hard-of-hearing. If your hearing loss is severe, your doctor may recommend a cochlear implant in one or both ears. (Read the NIDCD fact sheet Cochlear Implants for more information.)

Cochlear (COKE-lee-ur) implants are small electronic devices surgically implanted in the inner ear that help provide a sense of sound to people who are profoundly deaf or hard-of-hearing. If your hearing loss is severe, your doctor may recommend a cochlear implant in one or both ears. (Read the NIDCD fact sheet Cochlear Implants for more information.) Bone anchored hearing systems bypass the ear canal and middle ear, and are designed to use your bodys natural ability to transfer sound through bone conduction. The sound processor picks up sound, converts it into vibrations, and then relays the vibrations through your skull bone to your inner ear.

bypass the ear canal and middle ear, and are designed to use your bodys natural ability to transfer sound through bone conduction. The sound processor picks up sound, converts it into vibrations, and then relays the vibrations through your skull bone to your inner ear. Assistive listening devices include telephone and cell phone amplifying devices, smart phone or tablet apps, and closed-circuit systems (hearing loop systems) in places of worship, theaters, and auditoriums. (Read the NIDCD fact sheet Assistive Devices for People with Hearing, Voice, Speech, or Language Disorders for more information.)

include telephone and cell phone amplifying devices, smart phone or tablet apps, and closed-circuit systems (hearing loop systems) in places of worship, theaters, and auditoriums. (Read the NIDCD fact sheet Assistive Devices for People with Hearing, Voice, Speech, or Language Disorders for more information.) Lip reading or speech reading is another option that helps people with hearing problems follow conversational speech. People who use this method pay close attention to others when they talk by watching the speakers mouth and body movements. Special trainers can help you learn how to lip read or speech read.

Can my friends and family help me?

You and your family can work together to make living with hearing loss easier. Here are some things you can do:

Tell your friends and family about your hearing loss. The more friends and family you tell, the more people there will be to help you cope with your hearing loss.

Ask your friends and family to face you when they talk so that you can see their faces. If you watch their faces move and see their expressions, it may help you to understand them better.

Ask people to speak louder, but not shout. Tell them they do not have to talk slowly, just more clearly.

Turn off the TV or the radio when you arent actively listening to it.

Be aware of noise around you that can make hearing more difficult. When you go to a restaurant, for example, dont sit near the kitchen or near a band playing music. Background noise makes it hard to hear people talk.

Working together to hear better may be tough on everyone for a while. It will take time for you to get used to watching people as they talk and for people to get used to speaking louder and more clearly. Be patient and continue to work together. Hearing better is worth the effort.

What research is being done?

The NIDCD is supporting research on the causes of age-related hearing loss, including genetic factors. Some NIDCD-supported scientists are exploring the potential to regrow new hair cells in the inner ear using drug or gene therapies. Other NIDCD-supported work is exploring medications that may reduce or prevent noise-induced and age-related hearing loss. Scientists supported by the NIDCD are also developing and refining devices that can be used to help people with age-related hearing loss.

Where can I find additional information about age-related hearing loss?

The NIDCD maintains a directory of organizations that provide information on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.

Use the following keywords to help you find organizations that can answer questions and provide information on age-related hearing loss:
Security guards stand at an entrance to Wanxia urban village, which has been closed as part of COVID-19 measures in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, on Aug. 29, 2022. (David Kirton/Reuters)

Anti-Lockdown Protest Turns Violent in Chinas Shenzhen

Shenzhen residents rise up against repeated lockdowns but are suppressed violently

A large-scale protest erupted in Shenzhen early this week after the tech hub locked down three districts due to 10 new COVID-19 cases.

The Shenzhen Health Commission announced seven symptomatic and three asymptomatic cases on Sept. 26, with four cases found in Luohu District, four cases in Futian District, and two cases in Longgang District, according to Chinese state media. Futian is the seat of the Shenzhen municipal government.

Residents of Shawei village in Futian District took to the streets to protest against the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) zero-COVID policy. The draconian measures and ongoing lockdowns have significantly impacted the residents livelihood. The village reported one positive COVID case.

According to the official announcement, the village was declared a high-risk area and was locked down on Monday; restrictions would be lifted after seven days, state-run Shenzhen Daily reported on Sept. 27.

Residents have been strictly confined to their homes since Monday. The village would be downgraded to medium risk if no new cases are reported within the seven-day lockdown period, and all residents test negative for COVID on the seventh day, according to the authorities.

Shawei has become an urban neighborhood in Shenzhen, with a small number of residents being natives of the former fishing village. Most of the residents are migrant workers from other places seeking better opportunities in the once vibrant tech hub and commercial megacity.

Since March, however, Shenzhen has been imposing confinement measures on its residents on and off, significantly impacting its economy and the lives of 17.5 million people.

Protest and Confrontation With Police

A video clip obtained by the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times shows a large group of residents protesting outside a mall in Shawei on Monday night.

At the beginning of the video, the protesters chant, Lift the lockdown! Police show up at the scene to quell the protest. Then violence breaks out between the protesters and the police. A man is heard shouting, Fight! [Were] not afraid of you!

There were over 1,000 people and several hundred police at the protest site, Shawei resident Xiaoqiang (pseudonym) told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times on the night of the protest.

There was a physical confrontation. Some people threw plastic water bottles at the police, others were pushing and shoving.

Xiaoqiang added that the police had dispersed the protesters by the time of the interview.

Locals protested against ongoing COVID lockdown measures in Shawei village, Shenzhen, China, on Sept. 26, 2022. Police were called in to quell the protest. (Courtesy of interviewee)

I am not sure if anyone has been arrested, Xiaoqiang said. But the lockdown hasnt been lifted.

The police got reinforcements and lined up together to form barricades. Protesters have been dispersed already.

The video reveals that police came in large groups from outside the village.

Ongoing Lockdowns Triggered the Protest

Xiaoqiang said the people couldnt make ends meet during the lockdowns in Shenzhen, as most of the village residents are migrants who work in factories or as delivery men. The Chinese regime refers to farmers working in cities as migrant workers.

Since March, Shenzhen has been locked down multiple times, Xiaoqiang told the publication. People need to make a living, but the government hasnt given us a break from the ongoing lockdowns.

This time [the authorities] casually ordered a seven-day lockdown again, which triggered the protest. So the people shouted, Lift the lockdown! Xiaoqiang said.

He complained that the authorities casually isolated all the close contacts of infected people in central isolation facilities and mandated PCR tests regularly.

If you dont have a 24-hour [negative] PCR test report, you cant go anywhere, Xiaoqiang said.

If you accidentally come in direct contact with an infected person, your health code will be turned yellow, which means you cannot go back to work, and your residence or workplace will be sealed.

Xiaoqiang questioned authorities handling of the pandemic and if they realized that people couldnt earn an income if they were isolated at home.

How can people make a living under such a circumstance? There is no reduction in rent, either. There are suicides every day, but the media dont report on this. I cant talk much about this with you on the phone, Xiaoqiang said, fearing retaliation from authorities.

What else have we protested for?

The Epoch Times came across one Chinese social media post that claims a woman from Shantou living in Futian committed suicide by jumping off a high-rise building on Sept. 26. Shantou is an eastern coastal city of Guangdong Province, which is about 200 miles east of Shenzhen.

An online post claims that a woman from Shantou city committed suicide by jumping off a building in Futian District in Shenzhen. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

The Epoch Times was unable to verify the womans death.

Censorship

Immediately after the interview with Xiaoqiang, The Epoch Times searched for online posts on the protest in Shawei village but found that most of them were already removed by the authorities. The publication took a screenshot of one post, which got 1,611 likes, before it was deleted.

An online post shows residents protesting against ongoing COVID lockdowns in Shawei village, Shenzhen, on Sept. 26, 2022. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

The post reads: #Shenzhen pandemic# Let the state government have a look. In Shenzhen, a first-tier city, nucleic [testing] has been mandated on a 24-hour basis since the beginning of the year. But what did we get in exchange for this? Lockdowns on top of lockdowns. We, the commoners, need to make a living. Rents, mortgages, food, drinks, daily necessities  everything needs money. [We] have reached our limit and are stressed out. Otherwise, who would want to do this [protest]?

Gao Fei, a human rights activist in Huanggang city of Chinas Hubei Province, said in an interview with The Epoch Times on Sept. 25 that the Chinese people are increasingly unhappy with the unreasonable and inhumane epidemic prevention and control measures and that the Chinese society is now like a tinderbox.

Gu Xiaohua and Xia Song contributed to this report.
Exile Iranians of the National Council of Resistance of Iran gather in front of the embassy of Iran in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 20, 2022, after the death of an Iranian woman held by the country's morality police. (Michael Sohn/AP Photo)

Australia Condemns Iranian Crackdown

Australia has condemned the deadly and disproportionate use of force by authorities in Iran against protesters who have flooded the streets across the country following the death in custody of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini who was arrested by Irans morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab incorrectly.

Women are required to wear a hijab from the age of nine in Iran after the Iranian government implemented the law in 1983, reports RFERL. However, the rule is a contentious one, which has seen consistent pushback over the 43-year rule of the Islamic regime.

We are alarmed by reports that dozens of people have been killed and many more injured, including teenagers, during heavy-handed measures Iranian authorities have implemented to crack down on ongoing protests, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said in a media statement on Sept. 27.

Australia supports the right of the Iranian people to protest peacefully and calls on the Iranian authorities to exercise restraint in response to ongoing demonstrations.

The ministers noted that Australia would support calls for a prompt, impartial investigation into Aminis death by an independent body. The call for the investigation, which is being led by the Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is said to provide a pathway for her family to access the truth about how she died and hold those responsible to account.

Amini died on Sept. 16 in police custody in Tehran, with the United Nations in a media release saying Amini collapsed after being kept in custody for three days.

Some reports suggested that Aminis death was a result of alleged torture and ill-treatment, the U.N. said in a press release on Sept. 22.

However, Iranian authorities have stated that Amini died of a heart attack.

Soon after news of Aminis death broke, a photograph emerged on social media of her lying in a Tehran hospital in a coma, angering Iranians throughout the country who have since taken to the streets for the past 11 days to demand that the Iranian security forces be held accountable for her death.

Currently, the human rights advocacy group Iran Human Rights alleges that security forces in Iran have killed 76 protestors and that live ammunition is being used against protestors. Additionally, the group claims that families of those killed in the protests are being forced to bury their loved ones at night and have been threatened with legal charges if they make the deaths public.

Iranian authorities have placed the death toll at 41 and said that the figure included security personnel, reported the BBC on Sept. 28.

Canada and US Move to Sanction Iranian Security Forces

The statement by the Australian government follows the United States and Canadas announcement that they would be placing sanctions on those involved in the death of Amini, including Irans morality police.

Weve seen Iran disregarding human rights time and time again. Now we see it with the death of Mahsa Amini and the crackdown on protests, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

Today, Im announcing that we will implement sanctions on dozens of individuals and entities, including Irans so-called morality police.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control announced it would sanction the leaders of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, the Armys Ground Forces, the Basij Resistance Forces, and other law enforcement agencies and deny them access to their properties and bank accounts held in the United States.

These officials oversee organizations that routinely employ violence to suppress peaceful protesters and members of Iranian civil society, political dissidents, womens rights activists, and members of the Iranian Bahai community, Treasury said.
A group of Asian tourists arrive to have their photograph taken in front of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, in this photo taken on May 8, 2012. (Greg Wood/AFP/GettyImages)

Australias Tourism Focus Needs a Shift From China: Study

Australia should make efforts to attract travellers from its more traditional markets to make up for the increasing decline in tourists from China, the countrys economists argue.

Word-of-mouth advertising and repeat visits are key drivers for international tourism in Australia, new research from Charles Darwin University (CDU) and Griffith University has found, with the study recommending that the Australian tourism industry make efforts to reengage with traditional tourism markets, such as Japan, Indonesia or India.

Tourism is Australias largest services export, and previously China contributed 15.5 percent of Australias international visitors in 2018, overtaking New Zealand, (15 percent) as the top source of tourists.

This was an increase of about 15 percent a year, from 353,000 a decade ago to about 1.44 million in 2019.

However, the study noted that tourism is an industry that is very open to political and environmental conditions and the authors note that as relations between Australia and China started to deteriorate in 2018 there was a corresponding decline in visitors from China to Australia.

The growth rate drastically reduced even before the COVID-19 pandemic, to be almost stagnant, said Maneka Jayasinghe, a senior lecturer in Economics at CDUs Asia Pacific College of Business and Law. Its set to worsen due to the political and economic tension between Australia and China.

To this end, it may be worthwhile exploring opportunities to re-establish the links with some of the traditional tourism markets, such as Japan, which was a major tourism market in the early 1990s but gradually declined thereafter, the paper reads.

In addition, countries with a rapidly growing middle-class, such as India, could have high potential to grow as reliable tourism markets.

The study comes at a time when the Australia-China relationship has deteriorated and shows little signs of improving.

In the latest move, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that if Beijing was serious about fixing current relations, it would need to end the trade bans on Australian goods imposed after the former foreign minister Morrison called for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses the Jobs and Skills Summit at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Sept. 1, 2022. (Martin Ollman/Getty Images)

At present, Beijing still has sanctions on beef, coal, wheat, barley, seafood, lamb, honey, and timber imports.

Returned Tourists and Chinese Migrants in Australia Could Provide Hope For Industry

Having looked at the top 20 source countries for the past 20 years, the study also found that repeat tourism was a key factor in growth for the tousim industry, with every one percent increase in visitors for any one source country, bringing an additional 0.3 percent of growth the following year.

This indicates that tourists have a good experience and make repeated visits to Australia or spread their positive perception about Australia to other potential visitors, Jayasinghe said.

Tourists gather to watch sunset colours on Uluru, also known as Ayers rock, at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Australias Northern Territory on Oct 26, 2019. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Another key factor that could make a change is the Chinese migrants living in Australia, according to the study.

Despite the slowdown in the growth of tourists from the Chinese markets, the Chinese migrant living in Australia should be enough of a lure to maintain tourism numbers, said lead author Prof. Saroja Selvanathan from Griffith Universitys Griffith Asia Institute.

This study finds that despite the deteriorating political relations between China and Australia, the stock of Chinese migrants in Australia would continue to help to increase the Chinese tourist arrivals to Australia, Selvanathan said.

One of the recommendations of the study to increase the shortfall in Chinese tourist arrivals to Australia is for the Australian Tourism Industry to target the growing middle-income classes in other growth markets such as India and Indonesia.
BC Liberal Party Leader Kevin Falcon is sworn in during an oath ceremony and introduction to the house in the Hall of Honour at legislature in Victoria on May 16, 2022. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press)

BC Liberals Propose New Party Name as Part of Rebranding Effort

Party members will be able to vote on the proposed new name before the end of the year

The BC Liberal Party could have a new name in its next election campaign against the NDP.

The party announced on Sept. 27 that it is considering changing its name to BC United as part of its rebranding effort.

BC United is a fresh alternative that expresses the Partys longstanding commitment to unity across a broad coalition of party members, as well as highlighting British Columbia front and centre in the name choice, a news release from the party reads.

The proposed new name has been selected following a three-month consultation with its members province-wide, in which over 2,000 suggestions were submitted.

The party added that a voting process will be announced in the coming weeks, and that members will have the chance to vote on the new name before the end of this year.

The possibility of a name change came about when two-thirds of party delegates who attended a convention in Penticton in June voted in favour of considering a new name, which kickstarted the consultation process. About 800 members attended that event.

The voting result was in line with the wishes of leader Kevin Falcon, who expressed interest to rename and rebrand the party during his leadership campaign earlier this year.

When I announced my candidacy for the party leadership, I made it clear that as part of a wider renewal process, I would seek input from the party membership on the possibility of changing the party name, he said in a release in June.

Strategically and Responsibly

The BC Liberals are not affiliated with the federal Liberal Party, whose name can cause confusion among voters, Falcon has said. Instead, the provincial party bills itself as a free enterprise coalition of federal Liberals and Conservatives.

With the proposed new name put forward on Sept. 27, Falcon urged members to join him in the vote.

I want to thank all the members who have taken part in the process so far, and I urge them to participate in the vote when the time comes later this year, he said. Ill personally be voting in favour of changing the Party name, and Im hopeful our members do too.

Should the new name be approved, the party says it will implement the change strategically and responsibly, noting it does not control the timing of the next election.

We are going to be smart about this, and thats been the commitment from the beginning, BC Liberal Vice President Caroline Elliott said in a release on Sept. 27.

If the vote passes, the name will be changed, but there will be flexibility to ensure the NDP dont take advantage of the situation for their own political gain.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Biden Administration Releases $1.5 Billion for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Along Highways

All 50 states in the United States received final approval Tuesday to begin construction on a nationwide network of thousands of electric vehicle (EV) chargers covering approximately 75,000 miles of highway across the country.

The Transportation Department said in a press release that it has approved the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans from the last set of 17 states, meaning that all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico will now have access to all fiscal year 2022 and 2023 National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funding, totaling more than $1.5 billion for those two years.

The program provides $5 billion over five years and is aimed at helping to build EV chargers covering thousands of miles of highway across the United States, placing one roughly every 50 miles (80 kilometers) along interstate highways.

The NEVI Formula Program was established and funded by President Joe Bidens infrastructure act in an effort to get more Americans to drive EVs, which are significantly more expensive than traditional combustion engine vehicles.

According to automotive research company Kelley Blue Book, the average price of a new electric vehicle in July 2022 was more than $66,000, while the average price of a new gasoline powered vehicle was $48,182.

EVs also have issues with range and reliability. Standard chargers take a few hours to fully charge one vehicle. The NEVI funding requires installation of faster, more powerful charging stations along highways, but even those take a full hour to charge.

Some states have noted risks of increasing the number of EV chargers across the country, including a lack of electricity grid capacity, supply chain shortages, and concerns over fairness, with those who live in wealthier areas in cities like New York and Chicago reportedly having better access to charging stations that those in poorer or more rural communities.

Gas Prices Remain High

Meanwhile, gas prices have soared in 2022, with the national average coming in at $3.77 per gallon as of Sept. 28, according to AAA. Thats up from $3.19 at the same time last year, although the cost is even higher in Western states like California, where drivers are having to fork out $6.04 per gallon.

Biden has demanded that gas stations bring down prices at the pump, and the president has continued to focus on his goal of ensuring that half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 are zero-emissions vehicles to help reach his goal of reducing emissions by 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.

It is not exactly clear how many EV charging stations the funds will support but construction of new ones could begin by next spring.

America led the original automotive revolution in the last century, and  were poised to lead in the 21st century with electric vehicles, said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, adding that the plans will help ensure that Americans in every part of the countryfrom the largest cities to the most rural communitiescan be positioned to unlock the savings and benefits of electric vehicles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is test-launched by the Russian military at the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Arkhangelsk region, Russia, in this still image taken from a video released on April 20, 2022. (Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via Reuters)

Biden Has Opened Door to Russian Nuke Strikes

Originally published by Gatestone Institute

Commentary

If Russia crosses this line, there will be catastrophic consequences for Russia, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told NBCs Meet the Press on the 25th of this month, referring to threats to use nuclear weapons. The United States will respond decisively.

Sullivan was responding to, among other things, a warning Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered in a televised address on Sept. 21. I want like to remind those who make such statements regarding Russia that our country has different types of weapons as well, and some of them are more modern than the weapons NATO countries have, the Russian leader said. In the event of a threat to the territorial integrity of our country and to defend Russia and our people, we will certainly make use of all weapon systems available to us.

This is not a bluff, he added.

The idea of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, has become a subject of debate, said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres the following day at a Security Council session on Ukraine. This in itself is totally unacceptable.

Acceptable or not, the use of nuclear weapons is fast becoming likely. The world can thank President Joe Biden for helping create the conditions for historys first total war.

Putins threat to use nukespresumably against Ukraine but perhaps others as wellwas made at the time he announced a military mobilization, Russias first since World War II.

The Russian leader has made a series of implicit and explicit nuclear threats this year. On Feb. 27, for instance, he put his nuclear forces on high alert. On March 1, he sortied his ballistic missile submarines and land-based mobile missile launchers in what was called a drill.

Russias nuclear doctrine is called escalate to deescalate or, more appropriately, escalate to win, which means threatening or using nukes early in a conventional conflict.

Even if Putin is now bluffingmost analysts think he ishe is getting what he wants with threats. Biden, for instance, has been cautious and even timid in providing military assistance to a beleaguered Ukraine. Putin has obviously noticed, which is the reason he has been making more such threats.

A nuclear war cannot be won, Biden stated in his Sept. 21 U.N. General Assembly speech, but that applause line is not necessarily true.

With nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, the Russian leader could, in a moment, reverse his fortunes by incinerating Ukraines cities and large concentrations of military assets, eventually allowing Russia to annex the entire country.

Could Putin get away with such a bold move? The main deterrent to a first strike with tactical nuclear weapons is a threatened second strike with nukes. At this time, the United States has tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, in the form of gravity bombs delivered by F-16 and F-35 jets.

These bombs, as destructive as they are, are not, as a practical matter, much of a deterrent to the first use of tactical nukes. They can be destroyed on the ground, and any that survive have to be flown long distances through contested airspace to reach targets. In short, Putin is unlikely to be afraid of Americas bombs.

That leaves the president of the United States with only one other nuclear threat for deterrence purposes: the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles. ICBMs carrying nuclear warheads can completely destroy Russia, but Putin knows Biden will never make good on any threat to use these weapons in this situation. Putin knows that Biden knows that Putin can obliterate the United States in a second strike with his ICBMs.

When Sullivan says catastrophic, Putin undoubtedly thinks hollow. American threats to use its most destructive weapons are simply not credible in this situation.

Why, then, doesnt the United States have what it needs at this crucial moment: nuclear-tipped cruise missiles like Putins? The arms-control community, arguing that such low-yield weapons would make nuclear war more likely, persuaded American presidents not to build them. President Trump authorized their development, but Biden cancelled the program.

Unfortunately, arms-control advocates got it backwards. As evident from todays developments, America lacking low-yield nuclear warheads on cruise missiles is making nuclear war more likely, not less.

So, what does the arms-control community now recommend?

The United States will need to reduce its nuclear arsenal to encourage Russia to do the same, wrote Tom Collina and Angela Kellett on the 21st of this month on the Defense One site.

Entice Russia into disarmament? Been there. Tried that. Failed miserably.

In 2010, we killed the Navy nuclear-armed cruise missile and Russia responded by confirming they were indeed building 32 new strategic nuclear systems of which 90 percent are now complete, the Hudson Institutes Peter Huessy tells Gatestone. The comparable Chinese number is 28.

Nonetheless, Collina and Kellett urge the Biden administration to not let Putins war prevent negotiations with Putin to limit nuclear weapons. If we want to prevent Russia from using its nuclear weapons to enable more aggression against weaker states, we must find a way to work with Moscow to reduce its nuclear arsenal, write the pair in War Is No Reason to Put Arms-Control Negotiations on Hold, their Defense One article.

Is it possible to work with Putin at this time?

Even if we can put aside the morality of talking to a genocidal mass murdererwe cannotit is reckless to believe Putin might actually honor arms-control agreements when he has continually violated them with impunity.

Moreover, it is bad enough to argue for disarmament in peacetime, but it is the height of folly to do so during warand when China and North Korea are making first-strike nuclear threats of their own.

Americas arms-control advocates have always been naive. Now, they are delusional.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
* Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was unanimously elected a delegate to the Party congress on April 22 in the electoral unit of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. * The other 51 Chinese leaders were also nominated by the CPC Central Committee as candidates and put to the vote in their respective electoral units. * Xi and other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee took part in elections in border areas with a large ethnic minority population, old revolutionary base areas and key regions where national-level development strategies are implemented, setting an example for leading officials. * The leaders' election as delegates at respective electoral units and their attendance at group discussions of corresponding delegations at the upcoming Party congress is conducive to strengthening guidance, promoting high-quality development, furthering the implementation of major national development initiatives, as well as building China into a modern socialist country in all respects. BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Fifty-two Chinese leaders were elected as delegates to attend the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing. A total of 2,296 delegates, representing more than 96 million CPC members and 4.9 million primary-level Party organizations, will discuss and decide on major issues critical to the future of the Party and the country at the five-yearly congress. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, was unanimously elected a delegate to the Party congress on April 22 in the electoral unit of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The unanimous vote represents the common will of the CPC members and primary-level Party organizations in Guangxi, as well as the wholehearted support of the people in the region for Xi. Guangxi officials and locals said the past decade has seen historic achievements and historic shifts in the cause of the Party and the country. The fundamental reason is having Xi steering the cause at the core of the CPC Central Committee and the Party as a whole, as well as having the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. A series of significant achievements over the past decade signify a milestone in the history of both the Party and the country. They include eradicating absolute poverty, attaining a much more balanced, coordinated, and sustainable economic development, and winning a sweeping victory in the anti-corruption campaign. "Under Xi's leadership, we are living a better life," said Yang Ning, Party chief of Jiangmen Village in Guangxi. Huang Xu, the first Party secretary stationed in Baini Village said that as long as we follow Xi and the CPC Central Committee, the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will certainly be realized. The other 51 Chinese leaders were also nominated by the CPC Central Committee as candidates and put to the vote in their respective electoral units. Xi and other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee took part in elections in border areas with a large ethnic minority population, old revolutionary base areas and key regions where national-level development strategies are implemented, setting an example for leading officials. Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng -- who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee -- and Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan were elected delegates in Gansu Province, Sichuan Province, Tibet Autonomous Region, Guizhou Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hainan Province and Jiangsu Province, respectively. The leaders' election as delegates at respective electoral units and their attendance at group discussions of corresponding delegations at the upcoming Party congress is conducive to strengthening guidance, promoting high-quality development, furthering the implementation of major national development initiatives, as well as building China into a modern socialist country in all respects. Lin Yuqing, deputy head of a middle school in Long'an County in Guangxi's Nanning City, said Xi's participation in the region's election means a lot. Lin said she and her fellow teachers will work tirelessly in their posts to boost education in ethnic minority regions. Liu Lanyi, a primary-level Party official in Gansu Province, said she is encouraged to do a better job in meeting the needs of residents in the neighborhood she is in charge of and help them solve their everyday concerns. Xu Chuan, a professor at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, said Party members and officials now have better appreciation of the fact that the strength of the CPC comes from the leadership core of the CPC Central Committee and the Party as a whole. "We are sure that Xi will lead us to a more prosperous future," said a young village Party chief of a remote Yi ethnic autonomous county in Sichuan Province, calling on fellow young people to contribute to the country's rural revitalization drive.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Sept. 20, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Says We Are on Alert Ahead of Hurricane Ian Landfall

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the federal government is on alert and in action as major Hurricane Ian is slated to hit Florida later in the afternoon.

We have approved every request Florida has made for temporary assistance, emergency assistance, and long-term assistance, he said, adding that hundreds of FEMA personnel and thousands of National Guard members have been dispatched to the Sunshine State. A search and rescue team is currently on the ground, the president said.

Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, spoke on Tuesday night, according to press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

President Biden spoke this evening with Governor DeSantis of Florida to discuss the steps the Federal government is taking to help Florida prepare for Hurricane Ian, Jean-Pierre wrote on Twitter. The President and the Governor committed to continued close coordination.

Both Biden and DeSantis on Wednesday, during separate events, warned that people should heed local officials warnings and directions.

This storm is incredibly dangerous, to state the obvious. Its life-threatening. You should obey all warnings and directions from emergency officials. Dont take anything for granted. Use their judgment, not yours. Evacuate when ordered. Be prepared, he said Wednesday.

The federal government, Biden added, will be there to help rebuild areas that were devastated by Hurricane Ian.

DeSantis said that because of Ians close proximity to the western Florida coastline, people in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, and Sarasota counties were no longer safe to evacuate. He urged residents to get off the roads and stay inside.

You need to get to higher ground, you need to get to structures that are safe, DeSantis said, adding that widespread power outages would leave millions without electricity once the storm strikes. Ian is likely to make its first landfall in Charlotte County, he said, while the National Hurricane Center (NHC) models show that it will strike around 2 p.m. ET.

According to an 11 a.m. update, the NHC said Ian is near-Category 5 strength with 155 mph winds. The extremely dangerous eyewall of Ian is now moving onshore as some areas around western Floridas coast will see between 12 and 18 feet of storm surge, the agency said.

The storms outer bands were already bringing heavy winds and rains to much of the Gulf Coast on Wednesday morning.

Earlier this week, authorities told more than 2.5 million residents to evacuate their homes for higher ground. But some, like Mark Feinman, a professional musician in St. Petersburg, chose to stay put.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) walks to the Senate Chambers in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Bill Making It Harder for Lawmakers to Object to Presidential Results Advances in the Senate

Cruz the only senator who voted 'no' to election reform bill as it passes the Senate Rules Committee

A measure that would reform the Electoral Count Act of 1887 and make it harder for members of Congress to object to or decertify presidential election results has advanced in the Senate, after Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) signaled support for the bill.

Members on the Senate Rules Committee on Sept. 27 voted 141 to approve and send the bill (pdf), titled the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022, to the Senate floor. The bill was written by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

McConnell was among the 14 senators who signaled his support for the Senate bill on Sept. 27.

Ill proudly support the legislation provided that nothing more than practical changes are made to its current form, McConnell said in remarks to the Senate. He added that the bill as introduced is the only chance to get an outcome and to actually make law.

Congresss process for counting the presidential electors votes was written 135 years ago, he said. The chaos that came to a head on January 6th of last year certainly underscored the need for an update. So did Januaries 2001, 2005, and 2017; in each of which, Democrats tried to challenge the lawful election of a Republican president.

The lone senator on the Senate Rules Committee who voted no was Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Cruz was one of two senatorsthe other was Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)who had objected to President Joe Bidens certification in the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is seen on stage during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit held at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla., on July 22, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

This bill is a bad bill.  Its bad policy and its bad for democracy. There are serious constitutional questions in the bill, Cruz said in the Senate. The text of the Constitution, Article Two says, Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors. This bill is Congress trying to intrude on the authority of the state legislatures to do that. But its also exceptionally bad policy.

We know that Democrats arent opposed to objecting to elections and presidential electors. We know that because Democrats objected in 1969. And then they objected again in 2001. Then they objected again in 2005. And then they objected again in 2017. So Democrats have a long history of going up and objecting to electors, he said.

The bill takes a significant step down that road of putting the federal government in charge of elections, Cruz noted, adding, I dont believe senators from this side of the aisle should be supporting a bill that enhances the federalization of elections and reduces the ability of Congress to respond to the very serious problem of voter fraud. I think this bill does that, and so I intend to oppose it.

Among multiple provisions, the Senate bill would clarify that the vice president has no discretionary powers and only has a ministerial role in the vote counting and certification process. It would also require one-fifth of the House and the Senate to agree to challenge a states results; current law allows objections to proceed with the support of just one lawmaker from each chamber.

A vote over the Senate bill is expected on the Senate floor after the midterm elections in November. At least 12 Republicans have signaled support for the bill, which means it can break a filibuster in the 5050 Senate.

Similar legislation passed the House on Sept. 21 with a vote of 229203; nine Republicans joined 221 Democrats in supporting the House bill, which was introduced by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

The House version of the bill would require one-third of the members of the House and Senate to agree to challenge a states certification. It also presents new grounds for objections, while the Senate does not.

If the bill passes the Senate, lawmakers would need to harmonize the Senate and House versions of the bill before a final version can be sent to Biden for his signature. This would include the language around challenging a states certification.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former U.S. Secretary of States Mike Pompeo speaks during the Global Taiwan Business Forum in Kaohsiung on Sept. 27, 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Blind Engagement With China Must End, Says Pompeo During Taiwan Visit

The United States should bolster ties with democratic Taiwan and pursue strategic decoupling with Chinas communist regime after decades of naive engagement, according to former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Chinas aggressive conduct, diplomatically, militarily, economically  have changed this region. And it brought those who prefer peace and commerce even more closely together, Pompeo said on Tuesday a day after he arrived in Taiwan as part of a four-day visit.

If we want a free 21st century and not the Chinese century, the century which [Chinese leader] Xi Jinping dreams of, the old paradigm of blind engagement must end, he continued.

Pompeo, who was the top U.S. diplomat under former President Donald Trump, made his remarks while attending the Global Business Forum in the southern port city of Kaohsiung.

America must choose instead to engage with China realistically and on our terms, the terms of freedom, which would include a deeper and far more enthusiastic relationship with Taiwan, he said.

The United States had hoped to improve Chinas political and economic security by engaging with Beijing, according to Pompeo. But such hopes had not met even the most minimal objective.

After decades of naive engagement with China, Americans have recognized there was nothing free nor fair about that trade, he said.

Trade with China has been unlikely and will not be, in the near future, remotely free. Fair trade for the world is impossible to achieve with countries that do not respect the rule of law, basic property rights, the capacity to enforce agreements.

Taiwans Vice President William Lai, right, bumps elbows with former U.S. Secretary of States Mike Pompeo during the Global Taiwan Business Forum in Kaohsiung on Sept. 27, 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Already an Independent Nation

Pompeo is the latest foreign politician to visit Taiwan amid the Chinese regimes escalated military operation against the self-ruled island.

The communist regime in China views the self-ruled island as its own territory to be taken, by force if necessary. Beijing is against any official exchanges between Taipei and other governments around the world that might suggest the islands de facto nation-state.

The last time Pompeo visited Taiwan was in March, during which he called on the United States to recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation.

Pompeo reiterated such a viewpoint on Tuesday.

Taiwan does not need to declare its independence because it is already an independent nation, he told the audience.

The fact is that no Americans who visit Taiwan and China would mistake either of these places for being the same country. One is free. One is not. One is an ally of the United States. The other is a repressive adversary, he said.

We recognized this basic fact in the Trump administration and started moving American policy. This is our business to continue success towards a greater understanding and recognition of that.

The United States ended the formal ties with Taipei in 1979 and switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing. But Washington maintains a robust unofficial relationship with Taipei and is legally bound to provide the island nation with the arms necessary to defend itself.

Pompeo expressed concern about President Joe Bidens recent muddled and confusing statement over a longstanding U.S. position of strategic ambiguity. Such a policy means U.S. administrations have been deliberately vague on whether they would defend the island in the event of a Chinese invasion.

Yet Biden said earlier this month that the United States would defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack, marking the fourth time Biden pledged U.S. military intervention. Like the previous times, the White House quickly rolled back the presidents comment, saying the U.S. policy has not changed.

Concerning Americas true commitment to Taiwan, the ambiguity that had been American policy has now become even more ambiguous, Pompeo said on Tuesday. This concerns me greatly.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas attend a press conference on the Ministerial Conference on Migration and Protection in Panama City on April 20, 2022. (Brendan Smialowski/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Blinken, Mayorkas Should Secure US Border or Face Congressional Investigation: GOP Lawmaker

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have been told that they may face congressional probes if they cant secure the southern border and reduce the flow of illegal migrants from Venezuela, according to a Republican lawmaker.

In a letter to Mayorkas and Blinken, 14 House Republicans led by Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) raise concerns about an increase of Venezuelans coming to the United States via the southern border, particularly to El Paso, Texas.

Herrell posted the warning on Sept. 27.

If they wont even try to secure our country & end human trafficking, they can explain themselves to Congressional investigations soon, Herrell wrote.

While Herrell didnt elaborate, House Republicans have said that they plan to open multiple investigations over the Biden administrations policy failures, including border control, if they secure a majority in the chamber in the November elections.

Some Republicans have said they would use their majority to impeach Mayorkas over the border crisis, including Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.), who is the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committees border security subcommittee. Also calling for Mayorkass impeachment is Irene Armendariz-Jackson, who is the GOP candidate for Texass 16th Congressional District, which includes most of El Paso.

Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) speaks to a press conference during a congressional border delegation visit to El Paso, Texas on March 15, 2021. (Justin Hamel/AFP via Getty Images)

El Paso

According to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there were nearly 204,000 migrant encounters at the U.S.Mexico border in August. Among those, 25,349 were from Venezuela, a significant jump from 17,652 encountered in July, and drastically higher than the 6,304 encountered last August.

Many of these Venezuelan migrants have chosen to travel to El Paso, according to Herrells letter, which was obtained by Fox News.

El Paso has now become ground zero of the border security crisis facing our country, as Venezuelan migrants have begun to view El Paso as the most hospitable location to illegally cross the U.S. border, the letter says.

The letter was signed by 13 other House Republicans, including Higgins and four lawmakers from TexasReps. Mayra Flores, Lance Gooden, Louie Gohmert, and Brian Babin.

U.S. Border Patrol has said that there were 1,500 daily migrant encounters in El Paso in September, Border Report said on Sept. 19; About 20,000 Venezuelan migrants have crossed into El Paso since July.

The GOP lawmakers noted how U.S. border officials have had difficulty removing migrants in El Paso under the pandemic rule known as Title 42. On one recent day, there were 1,967 apprehensions in El Paso Sector, but only 335 were expelled under Title 42, according to the letter.

The rest will be released into the public and await a court date, which can take more than two years, the letter says. The United States does not have a repatriation agreement with Venezuela, therefore it is nearly impossible for the United States to deport migrants to Venezuela or use Title 42 to return migrants.

Its more difficult for the United States to send Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and Cubans back to their countries given that U.S. relations with those nations are strained.

El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, a Democrat, has been busing migrants to cities including New York City and Chicago. Leeser recently told Border Report that he didnt want to send migrants to the nations capitol or Marthas Vineyard, saying that We send them where they want to go.

Recently, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) wrote that he received confirmation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that Venezuela was emptying its prisons and sending criminals to the U.S. southern border.

Migrants walk along the U.S. border fence to turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico in El Paso, Texas, on Sept. 21, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Take Every Possible Step

We call on both of you and your departments to take every possible step to stop illegal migration from Venezuela, the lawmakers wrote in their letter, referring to Blinken and Mayorkas.

The United States should work with countries Columbia, Panama, and other Central American nations to establish safe third country agreements and asylum cooperation agreements to allow those countries to receive Venezuelan migrants, according to the letter.

The lawmakers offered some recommendations to the two administration officials.

The Department of State should immediately pressure countries along the route from South America to deport those seeking to illegally cross their borders and enter the United States, the letter says.

As for the Department of Homeland Security, the lawmakers asked that it process asylum claims faster, immediately remove those who have been rejected, and grant legitimate asylum claims within a three-week window.

To accomplish this, DHS must surge resources and allow for migrants to have their cases heard by both CBP officers and asylum officers at Border Patrol and ICE detention facilities, the letter says. Without fast adjudication, those with legitimate asylum claims will wait years to receive benefits to which they are entitled, and those with invalid asylum claims will never face deportation for breaking our nations immigration law and undermining our asylum process.

The lawmakers want Blinken and Mayorkas to answer questions by Oct. 3, including What efforts are being taken to encourage Mexico, Central American countries, and South American countries to apprehend migrants and deport them before they reach our border?
A man dubbed the "Blue Cloth Bandit" for his alleged habit of using a cloth to cover a handgun during a string of more than five dozen robberies over a span of nearly two years was in custody in Los Angeles on Sept. 28, 2022. (Screenshot via YouTube/Los Angeles Police Department)

Blue Cloth Bandit Arrested in Series of More Than 60 Armed Robberies

LOS ANGELESA man dubbed the Blue Cloth Bandit for his alleged habit of using a cloth to cover a handgun during a string of more than five dozen robberies over a span of nearly two years was in custody Sept. 28, police said.

Charles Chukwuma Onwuemelie, 29, of Quartz Hill was arrested at his residence on Sept. 24, and he was being held on $1.4 million bail, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

Since October 2021 there have been 68 armed robberies of businesses attributed by investigators to the same suspect, an LAPD statement said.

Charles Chukwuma Onwuemelie (Courtesy of Los Angeles Police Department)

The robberies have occurred throughout the City and County of Los Angeles, according to authorities.

During their investigation  detectives discovered that the suspect commonly used a blue cloth to cover the handgun used in the robberies that occurred at gas stations, 7-Elevens and Walmarts, police said. The suspect would conceal himself by wearing different hats, a face mask and rubber gloves.

According to police, the same vehicle was involved in many of the robberies, and the same suspect was linked to the series of crimes based on several factors.

When the suspect struck again on Friday, September 23rd, detectives formulated a plan, initiated surveillance and ultimately served a search and arrest warrant, police said.

Onwuemelie was arrested at his residence and evidence linking him to the robberies was also recovered at the scene, including a firearm, police said.

On Sept. 27, the Los Angeles District Attorneys office filed 16 counts of robbery against Onwuemelie for the crimes that occurred in the city of Los Angeles, police said.

It is anticipated that additional charges will be filed by the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department related to the robberies that occurred within L.A. County borders. It is believed that the suspect may be wanted for additional armed robberies in the area.

Anyone with information about the case was urged to call LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division Detective Esther Myape at 213-486-6840. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
(Left) Savannah Graziano. (Right) Anthony John Graziano. (Courtesy of City of Fontana Police Department via AP)

California Murder Suspect, Teen Daughter Killed in Shootout

LOS ANGELESAn abducted 15-year-old girl and her fathera fugitive wanted in the death of the teens motherwere both killed amid a shootout with law enforcement Tuesday on a highway in Californias high desert, authorities said.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus did not specify whether Savannah Graziano was shot by the responding deputies or her father. Anthony John Graziano, 45, had allegedly killed his estranged wife the day before and abducted their daughter.

Investigators had issued an Amber Alert after Graziano fled. He was described as armed and dangerous.

A 911 caller reported seeing the suspects Nissan Frontier around Barstow on Tuesday, according the sheriffs department. Deputies located the pickup truck and chased it on the highway for around 45 miles (70 kilometers).

Throughout the chase, Grazianoand possibly his daughter as wellwas constantly shooting back at the deputies through the trucks rear window, Dicus said.

The shooter put several rounds through a patrol cars windshield and later disabled a second pursuing vehicle, the sheriff said.

The pickup truck became disabled on the shoulder of a highway in the city of Hesperia, and the firefight ensued.

Dicus said the girl was wearing tactical gear as she exited a trucks passenger side and ran toward the sheriffs deputies. She fell to the ground amid the gunfire. The deputies did not initially realize it was the girl who was running toward them, Dicus said, because she was wearing a helmet and a military-style vest that can hold armored plates.

She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly before noon.

Her father was found in the drivers seat and pronounced dead at the scene. A rifle was found inside the car.

One deputy was injured by shrapnel during the firefight, Dicus said.

Graziano allegedly killed Tracy Martinez, 45, on Monday morning in a domestic violence event in the city of Fontana, near San Bernardino, according to Fontana police Sgt. Chris Surgent.

Family members told investigators that the couple had been going through a divorce. Martinez was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Fontana is about 35 miles south of Hesperia, on the other side of the in San Gabriel Mountains.
Gibson, a rescue from Afghanistan, is photographed at No Dogs Left Behind in Toronto on June 29, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Tijana Martin)

Canada to Close Borders to Dogs From More Than 100 Countries Over Rabies Concerns

Federal authorities are set to close Canadas borders Wednesday to commercial dogs, including ones being put up for sale or adoption, from more than 100 countries deemed to be at high risk for canine rabies.

The move has been met with fierce opposition from some animal rescuers and advocates, but the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association says its necessary to protect people and dogs from a deadly disease.

Canada currently has no active cases of dog rabies, which is caused by a different variant of the virus than the one that circulates in wildlife such as raccoons and foxes, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in announcing the policy in June.

While rabies is nearly 100 percent preventable with proper vaccination, the disease is more than 99 percent fatal for humans and dogs once they start to show symptoms, the agency said.

The CFIA said dog rabies kills 59,000 people every year in the countries affected by the ban, including Afghanistan, Ukraine and mainland China.

Canine rabies has become a growing concern in Canada since the U.S. implemented a similar ban last year, prompting some rescue groups to redirect their efforts to send more dogs to Canada, said Louis Kwantes, past president of Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

We always knew that the risk was there, Kwantes said. But when its actually in your country, that theoretical risk becomes a real and present danger.

Two cases of rabies in dogs imported from Iran  one of the banned countries  have been confirmed in Ontario since July 2021, according to the provinces Agriculture and Food Ministry.

Both dogs had received rabies vaccines that arent licensed in Canada before their arrival, Ontario officials said. A total of 49 people who came into contact with the dogs received rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, a type of treatment that is estimated to cost about $2,000 per person.

Kwantes said these cases are illustrative of the danger posed by even a single case of canine rabies making its way into the country.

While dogs are routinely vaccinated against rabies, most Canadians are not, he said. Given the close relationship between them, the canine variant is cause for concern, he said.

Rabies is a slow disease, and depending on where the bite is, it may take months for symptoms to be detected, said Kwantes. That means if a dog was bitten and exposed to rabies before it was vaccinated, the virus could be hidden for months in its nervous system, he said.

Many of the banned countries dont have robust veterinary systems, said Kwantes, raising concerns about fraudulent vaccine certificates or inadequate inoculation.

While the CFIAs stance may seem severe, Kwantes said he believes its warranted given the risks that canine rabies and other contagions that are endemic to other countries pose to Canadas human and dog populations.

Even though its a very difficult step, I do not think its an unreasonable one, he said.

But Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice Canada, said the CFIA should have explored less stringent measures before imposing an all-out ban.

Theyve gone from zero to 100 very quickly, said Labchuk.

U.S. authorities have extended the countrys ban on dogs from countries where rabies is a problem until 2023, but also created a pathway to allow the entry of dogs that meet certain requirements.

Labchuk said Canada should have considered making similar exceptions as part of its policy, suggesting protocols such as additional vaccine verification, antibody tests and mandatory quarantines.

These steps would be labour-intensive and expensive, she acknowledged, but would still be preferable to condemning dogs in need of rescue.

Canada has really been a lifeline for dog rescue agencies operating internationally, said Labchuk. The dog rescue organizations that we work very closely with are devastated.

A number of dog rescues from across Canada have spoken out against the ban, with some even pledging to bring in as many animals as possible before it takes effect Wednesday.

Susan Patterson, founder of Thank Dog I Am Out Rescue Society in Vancouver, said the frenzy is emblematic of some of the issues surrounding the rescue of international animals.

Many well-meaning but inexperienced rescuers dont consider the infrastructure and resources it takes to ensure the dogs welfare in Canada.

Patterson said she sees the CFIA ban as a tough but necessary measure until policies are developed to hold rescue groups accountable by making sure they do their due diligence before importing dogs they might not be equipped to care for.

Theres a huge passion to bring in as many animals as you can, said Patterson, whose group was part of an effort to bring hundreds of animals from Afghanistan to Canada.

But it doesnt end when the dogs feet land on Canadian soil. Theres a lot to do once they arrive.

By Adina Bresge
Tina Kotek speaks during Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 25, 2016. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Candidates Debate as Oregons Three-Way Race for Governor Tightens to a Toss-Up

With the Oregon governors race now rated a toss-up by both the University of Virginias Center for Politics and the Cook Political Report, three candidates are busy staking out what they hope will be their path to victory in November.

On Sept. 27, Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan, and non-affiliated candidate Betsy Johnson answered questions from residents in the states central region before Oregon State University-Cascades students and staff.

In a state that hasnt elected a Republican for more than 40 years, former Oregon House Minority Drazan is running as an agent of change.

After a decade of one-party rule, this state is a mess, said Drazan in her opening.

Independent Stance

My opponents represent the status quo and would follow Kate Browns leadership. We need a new direction for our state.

A seasoned progressive, Kotek served in the state legislature for 14 years, including nine years as House Speaker.

We have real challenges: housing and homelessness, an addiction and overdose epidemic, and threats against our democracy right here in our state, she opened. We have attacks against our freedoms and gun violence. We need leaders who can solve problems.

A straight-talking timber heiress and private pilot, Betsy Johnson served as a state senator from 2007 to 2021. She left the Democrat party last year to mount a third-party run.

Im not captive to the far left or the far right, she said. As an independent governor, Im the only one who can actually crack down on crime and homelessness and protect a womans right to choose.

The winner will have her work cut out for her.

After two terms under Gov. Kate Browna Democrat who polls as the least popular governor in the nationOregon is a hot mess.

The state has a drug epidemic and a homeless crisis. Crime is up and schools are failing. Eight rural counties have voted to secede and become part of Greater Idaho.

Johnson summed up the problem.

Im a native Oregonian and my state is going to hell, she said.

A State on Drugs

Oregon leads the nation in meth use, is ranked ninth in the nation for highest drug use, and third for teenage drug use, according to a report by WalletHub.

In 2020, it was the first state in the nation to decriminalize hard drugs, such as meth and heroin, when voters passed Measure 110, which was supposed to allocate millions toward addiction services.

Since its passage, overdose deaths are up 20 percent and less than 5 percent of users have called for drug treatment as part of the Measure 110 plan.

Johnson said the measure has without a doubt compounded the substance abuse problem and is contributing to the rise in homelessness.

I campaigned against it and I voted against it, and I will work to repeal it, she said.

Drazan agreed.

Measure 110 has been a complete policy failure, she said, adding that she voted against it and would support asking voters to repeal it.

Kotek, who supported the measure, agreed that the rollout of the treatment programs was botched, but said she wont give up on the measure and plans to deliver what the voters demanded: expanded recovery services statewide.

That approach is whats wrong with politics, argued Johnson.

We roll out these programs and we fail and we just say oh well, and move on, she said.

Homelessness

More people are sleeping on the streets, in tent cities, or in RVs parked along Oregon roadsides than ever before.

According to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Oregon has the seventh largest homeless population in the nation.

The candidates agreed that Oregons homeless crisis goes hand in hand with drug use, crime, and mental health issues.

Kotek vowed to issue an executive order on her first day in office to create a 10-year plan to build more homes in the state as well as form a special emergency management team to address homelessness.

She may be vulnerable on this issue as she pushed through a policy that legalized tent camping in the state, leading Johnson to dub her Tent City Tina.

Drazan would declare a state of emergency for homelessness, which includes repealing Measure 110 and accelerating the rollout of addiction and behavioral health support programs.

We have to help Oregonians get sober and stay sober, she said, and follow up with supportive housing, work training, and supporting them with a goal of achieving self-sufficiency.

Johnson called for creating more designated camping areas and emergency shelters and following a model in which she helped to turn an unused prison into a living space for the homeless.

Failing to Educate

A Kids Count study released in August ranked Oregon 26th for overall child well being and 41st in the nation for education. And the impact of Oregons extended pandemic-related lockdowns are only now becoming evident.

According to 2020-2021 assessment tests released last week, K-12 student test scores have dropped by 9 percent.

The test scores are unacceptable, and, I would think we would all agree, not terribly surprising given how hard the last two years have been, Kotek said.

She said students need smaller classes, more career and technical education options and support for their mental wellness.

But Koteks support for extended school closures and reducing academic standards, as well as her alliance with teachers unions, may make her vulnerable.

Both Johnson and Drazan called for returning to core competencies, focusing on class time on math, reading and other core subjects.

They would reinstate academic standards and graduation requirements that were reduced under the Brown administration and support educational options like charter and homeschools.

On Abortion and Gun Control

Oregon abortion laws are among the most liberal in the nation. Abortion is legal up to the time of birth and there is no requirement for minors to obtain parental consent or notification.

Kotek is adamantly pro-choice and wants the state to provide free abortions to women from states where access may be limited.

Were at a critical time, she argued. We have to be a champion on this issue.

Johnson is unapologetically pro-choice, but doesnt want Oregon taxpayers to fund abortions for residents of other states.

Drazan is personally pro-life, but vows to follow Oregon laws as they are written.

She draws the line at using public funds for abortion tourism, which she called extreme.

Gun Control

Oregonians will vote on a ballot measure this November that opponents say would make it impossible for anyone to legally own a gun in the state.

We need to work to support responsible gun ownership and keep people safe in public spaces, said Kotek, who supports the measure. That is the role of the government.

No. Drazan, who believes the state has enough gun control laws, fired back. The role of government is to safeguard our rights and operate within our constitution.

Johnson also objects to the measure.

This new measure will just take police officers off the streets and limit Second Amendment rights, she said. She supports background checks and would like them to include information from schools.

The candidates continue to hone their message, knowing the race could come down to the wire.

A DHM research poll conducted days before the debate showed Drazan and Kotek in a statistical tie at 32 percent and 31 percent, respectively, with third-party candidate Betsy Johnson at 18 percent.
Bernie Rivers sits at this desk in his campaign office in Goshen, N.Y., on Sept. 28, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

Candidates in Their Own Words: Bernie Rivers, Democrat Candidate for Orange County Sheriff, New York

The Epoch Times sat down with Bernie Rivers, the Democrat candidate for Orange County Sheriff at his campaign office in Goshen, New York, on Sept. 26.

Rivers, the sole Democrat contender for the countys top law enforcement job, faces Republican Paul Arteta in the general election. Carmen DeStefano, a retired investigator, also runs as a write-in candidate.

The incumbent sheriff, Carl Dubois, is retiring after 20 years in office.

The below interview was edited for brevity and clarity.

The Epoch Times: Most of your career centred on environmental conservation law enforcement. How did you get into that career track?

Rivers: I was born in Suffolk County on Long Island and moved up to Mount Hope, New York when I was a kid. I attended a law enforcement class offered by Orange-Ulster BOCES as a senior from Minisink Valley High School. The instructor told us about various law enforcement careers, and I just liked the conservation officers.

I like the outdoors. When I was younger, I did a lot of hunting and fishing. You understand that traditional police officers work out of police stations, but environmental officers work out of their homes.

They give you a car, they give you all equipment, and you live in the area where you are assigned to patrol. You set your own schedules around your enforcement activities, and you report to headquarters once a month.

Bernie Rivers points to the diploma he got in 1981 after completion of a correctional officer training program in his campaign office in Goshen, N.Y., on Sept. 26, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

The Epoch Times: After you graduated from high school, you worked as a correctional officer for 10 years while juggling part-time work at local police departments. Can you share more about that experience?

Rivers: My ultimate goal was to become a state environmental conservation officer, but the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wouldnt hire you until you had four years of law enforcement experience or 60 college credits.

Working at corrections and police departments gave me the experience to qualify for the DEC test.

I became a correctional officer at 18. I put myself through a police academy and became a part-time police officer in Mount Hope, New York, at 19. That was a bit out of the realm of things because most people at the time, including the police chief, were under the impression that you could not become a police officer until you were 21.

I told the chief, No, thats not what the law says. The law says you couldnt legally purchase a firearm until you are 21, but if the police department gives me a gun, I can legally carry it. The chief made a phone call to a governing body of the police, and they told him that I was correct. Then he hired me.

The Epoch Times: You became an environmental conservation officer at 29. How was the job different compared to traditional police work?

Rivers: Environmental conservation officers are police officers who specialize in enforcing fish, wildlife, and environmental laws. In other states, you would have game wardens who just protect fish and wildlife. But in New York state, we also deal with environmental laws such as illegal dumping, air pollution, and hazardous waste.

For example, in terms of fish laws, there are what we call catch limits depending on the types of fish and seasons. If someone violates the legal limits, we can fine as much as $250 per fish. We patrol on foot, by car, or by boat. I approached people and asked them whether they had a license or if they had caught anything. Sometimes they said no, but when I looked around, I found the fish they had hidden.

Occasionally, when I was talking to people, depending on the way they answered my questions or their body language, I could feel something was not right. I would ask for their drivers licenses. Then when I ran their licenses through the system, I found out they had outstanding warrants.

Bernie Rivers stands next to a frame that contains badges and pins he wore as he climbed ranks within the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in his campaign office in Goshen, N.Y., on Sept. 26, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

Later I was promoted to an investigator, and I got to work on more complex cases. My biggest environmental case had to do with the bankrupt Westwood chemical. We eventually held the bank, not the owner, accountable for the illegal disposal of chemicals, which I think was the first time that was ever done in the state.

My biggest hunting case was about a grandfather who shot and killed his grandson during hunting in Port Jervis. As conservation officers, we are mandated by our policy to investigate all hunter-related shooting incidents in the state. In some cases, people could lose their hunting privileges.

The Epoch Times: Then you were promoted to lieutenant, captain, and director of the law enforcement division at DEC. Shortly after you retired, you decided to run for Orange County Sheriff. Why?

Rivers: This went back to the BOCES class which I attended as a high school senior. When they were talking about how a sheriff was an elected job, I did make a comment back then, That would be a nice job after I retire. As I went through my different police career stages, I put that on the back burner.

About four years ago, somebody asked me to run for sheriff here in Orange County. I would be interested in running because we hadnt had a Democrat running for sheriff here since 2002. But I said no because I thought the current sheriff, Carl Dubois, did a good job. When Dubois announced that he was going to retire, I ran.

Campaign signs at Bernie Rivers campaign office in Goshen, N.Y., on Sept. 28, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

I ran because I believe that my record, my experience, and my managerial skills are what is needed to continue to bring the sheriffs office into 21st-century policing. I do not believe I need to have worked for the sheriffs office to be able to manage the sheriffs office.

I understand how correctional facilities operate, I had done traditional police work with local police departments, and I have specialized police work as a conservation officer. When I became the chief conservation officer for the mid-Hudson Valley region, I had to manage the small pot of money that was allocated to me to run the seven counties.

As a director of law enforcement at DEC, I oversaw 350 uniformed officers statewide, managed our 30 million-plus budgets, and collaborated with other division managers.

The Epoch Times: Whats the first thing you would do as a sheriff if you were elected?

Rivers: The first thing Ill do when I get in is to do a full assessment of the sheriffs office. I think they are running a good operation. Those programs that are worthy to continue, we will continue. If there are places where we can save money, we will do so. We will look at other agencies of similar statutes for benchmarks.

The Epoch Times: In July, right after the states concealed carry law was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, New York passed a set of new gun laws within hours of introduction. Whats your take on the laws?

Rivers: I do not agree with Governor Kathy Hochul on the firearm laws that were just passed. She made it illegal for people with concealed carry permits to carry firearms in just about any place outside their homes that you can think of, so then why would people even need a permit?

I think the laws are unconstitutional. I believe once this makes its way back up to the Supreme Court, it is going to be struck down.

Since I ran, I met a lot of people who looked at me and said, Well, you are a Democrat. You want to take my guns away.

Id say, Well, yes, Im a Democrat, but Im a Democrat that believes in your first and second amendment rights. Ive always leaned towards Democratic values except for gun control and law and order.

A lawn sign supporting Bernie Rivers sits along Lake Avenue in Middletown, N.Y., on Sept. 26, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

Having been in the law enforcement field for 40 years, I believe in law and order. But I also believe there need to be some changes in terms of police reform. Id like to see people being treated equally across the board, and that all comes down to training.

The Epoch Times: New York passed major bail reform in 2019 that eliminated cash bail for most low-level crimes. Whats your take on those laws?

Rivers: The purpose of bail was never meant to be a punishment. The purpose of the bail was always to ensure people came back to court. So, if you have a judge who is setting bail higher on black and brown people but setting bail lower on non-minorities for the same crime, then you need to go address that problem.

But I think that was a major problem in New York City, but rather than addressing it within the city, they came out with this statewide bail reform. That doesnt work because upstate counties are not set up the way the largest cities are set up.

Too much was done too fast by the state legislature without consulting the people that have to work under those conditions.

Also, I want to stress that the county sheriff is not a legislator. The county sheriff doesnt write laws. A lot of people are upset with national politics and state politics, and I want people to remember that county politics is different.

Just because you are upset with national Democrats, voters should not be voting strictly on part line in county elections. They should do their research for their candidates and elect the best person to fulfill that position.

And thats the only thing Im asking people to do when they are looking at my resume.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks to the press about the three gas leaks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea at a doorstep in Copenhagen on Sept. 27, 2022. (Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)

Concerns Arise Over Potential Sabotage to Nord Stream Pipelines After Unexplained Leaks

Officials are voicing concerns that three mysterious leaks that hit the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines on the same day maybe due to sabotage.

Denmarks prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, told reporters that sabotage could not be ruled out as the cause behind the unexplained gas leaks that hit Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines on Sept. 26.

The two pipelines carry natural gas through the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. Both pipelines were not in operation but still contained gas at the time of the leaks.

It is hard to imagine that it is accidental. We cannot rule out sabotage, but it is too early to draw conclusions, Frederiksen told Politiken, a Danish daily newspaper.

Gas leak at Nord Stream 2 as seen from the Danish F-16 interceptor on Bornholm, Denmark, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Danish Defence Command/Forsvaret Ritzau Scanpix/via Reuters)

Frederiksen was in Poland attending the inauguration of the Baltic Pipe in a symbolic valve opening on Sept. 27. The new undersea pipeline is a new gas supply corridor that will carry gas from Norway to Denmark and Poland, with an annual capacity of 10 billion cubic meters per day. The pipeline is seen as a measure to cut EU reliance on fossil fuels from Russia.

Referring to the Nord Stream leaks, Frederiksen said the situation was extraordinary and unusual. It is hard to imagine that what is happening is a coincidence, she told reporters on Sept. 27.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had also suspected subversion. At the pipeline ceremony, he told attendees, Today we faced an act of sabotage, we dont know all the details of what happened, but we see clearly that its an act of sabotage, related to the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks at a ceremony to open the new Baltic Pipe natural gas pipeline near Goleniow, Poland, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Separately, at least two U.S. officials late on Sept. 27 issued statements referring to the Nord Stream leaks as an apparent sabotage.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan wrote on Twitter: I spoke to my counterpart Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe of Denmark about the apparent sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines. The U.S. is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europes energy security.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price just minutes later released a statement using the same term to describe the leaks.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod today about the apparent sabotage along the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. The United States remains united with our Allies and partners in our commitment to promoting European energy security, he said in a statement.

Simultaneous Destruction Unprecedented

Nord Stream AG, the operator of the network, issued a statement that noted the close timing of the three leaks. It told reporters, according to Reuters: The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented.

Currently, it is not possible to estimate a timeframe for restoring the gas transport infrastructure, the operator announced in a separate statement. The causes of the incident will be clarified as a result of the investigation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about the damaged pipeline, told reporters that No option can be ruled out right now, reported the state-run TASS news agency.

He also said that Russia is extremely concerned about the leaks. Certainly, this is an issue related to the energy security of the entire continent, Peskov said.

Currently, gas deliveries from Russia to Germany and central Europe are only possible via the Yamal pipeline running through Poland or through the Ukrainian pipeline network.

Nord Stream 1 had been the main source of Russian gas to Europe until late Aug. 19, when Russian state-owned oil and gas firm Gazprom shut off the gas for maintenance. In early September, Gazprom announced it had abandoned plans to restart gas flows through the pipeline to Germany indefinitely, saying that an oil leak in a critical turbine was not yet fixed. Russia has blamed international sanctions over the war in Ukraine for deterring the pipelines routine maintenance.

A ship works offshore in the Baltic Sea on the natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 from Russia to Germany on Nov. 11, 2018. (Bernd Wuestneck/dpa via AP)

Meanwhile, Nord Stream 2, never came into operation. Germany in February halted the certification of the gas pipeline shortly prior to Russias invasion of Ukraine. At the time, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the refusal to certify the pipeline was in response to Russian President Vladimir Putins recognition of the independence of two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.

In February, prior to Russias invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden had warned that Nord Stream 2 would not move forward if Russia invaded Ukraine.

If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine again, then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2, he said at a press conference with Scholz on Feb. 7. When asked how that could be achieved when given that Nord Stream 2 is under German control, Biden said: We will, I promise you, we will be able to do it.

Bryan Jung contributed to this report.
New Hope Family Services is a New York-based adoption agency that does not adopt out children to same sex or unmarried couples. (Courtesy of New Hope Family Services)

Charities Can Refuse Adoptions to Same-Sex Couples, Federal Court Rules

Privately run adoption agencies can refuse to adopt children out to same-sex couples, a panel of federal judges has ruled.

The decision was passed down in a case involving efforts by the state of New York to shut down a Christian-based adoption agency for refusing to adopt to assist gay couples.

New Hampshire Family Services also does not adopt children to unmarried couples.

The New York Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) said the agencys policies were illegal under state law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and launched efforts in 2018 to permanently bar the charity from performing adoptions.

A three-panel of U.S. District Court Justices, however, disagreed with the agency, ruling that New Hope Family Servicess policy was protected under free speech, a decision that echoed an earlier ruling by the court granting the charity temporary relief from the states actions.

It is plainly a serious step to order an authorized adoption agency such as New Hopeoperating without complaint for 50 years, taking no government funding, successfully placing approximately 1,000 children, and with adoptions pending or being supervisedto close all its adoption operations, U.S. District Court Judge Reena Raggi ruled in granting the temporary injunction in 2020.

The Syracuse-based adoption agency won a permanent injunction from the court on Sept. 7, 2022.

It is similar to a decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court last year that government agencies could not refuse to contract with private adoption agencies that refuse to adopt out to same-sex couples based on their religious principles.

The ruling was based on the city of Philadelphias refusal to exempt a Catholic adoption agency from its anti-discrimination policies.

The OCFS did not return phone calls about the ruling.

It released a brief, written statement saying they were deeply disappointed with the decision.

OCFS maintains that discrimination on any basis should not be tolerated. Were reviewing our options for next steps, it said.

Christian organizations hailed the federal courts ruling.

Mark Lipplemann, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom told The Epoch Times that the court ruling will help charities in other states under the threat of a government shutdown for having similar policies.

All across the country, government officials are attempting to silence and sideline people of faith, said Lipplemann. Now, New Hope can continue to provide critical services to children in need of safe, loving homes without being forced to violate its religious convictions.

Religious rights of private and nonprofit organizations are taking center stage in federal courts across the United States.

Last month, Christian Healthcare Centers filed a federal lawsuit against Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Michigan Civil Rights Commission for enforcing a law against them that mandates they hire gay employees, prescribe cross-sex hormones to patients seeking to change their biological gender, and use gender ideology pronouns.

In the lawsuit, the religious-based health care center said it has always welcomed patients who are gay, but does not provide treatment specific to their sexual orientation.

In effect, the law requires Christian Healthcare to check its religious faith at the clinic doorthe very faith that motivates the clinic to open its doors to help those in need, it wrote in its Aug. 29 complaint.

On Sept. 20, the Wyoming Rescue Mission filed a federal lawsuit challenging the states Equal Opportunity Act after a self-proclaimed non-Christian employee complained she was required to support Christian views while working at the homeless shelters thrift shop.

The state responded to her complaint by charging the charity with violating the Wyoming Fair Employment Practices Act and federal Civil Rights Act.

New Hope did not respond to requests for comment in its court victory. In pleadings it filed, the charity stated that it receives no government funding and has placed more than 1,000 children since 1965.

The Lifelong Adoptions network lists more than 80 adoption agencies across the United States that are LGBT friendly.
China is attempting to meddle in the upcoming midterm elections. Find out what Facebooks parent company Meta discovered on its social media platforms.

As Hurricane Ian hurtles toward Florida after putting the lights out in Cuba, 2.5 million Florida residents are being asked to evacuate.

Multiple Baltic Sea pipelines are damaged, and Europe cries foul. Meanwhile, Germany backtracks on nuclear phase-out commitments.

Topics in this episode include:

1. Hurricane Ian Hurtling Towards Florida

2. 2 Tornadoes Touch Down in Broward County, Florida

3. Ian Knocks Out Power in Cuba

4. China Meddling in US Midterms

5. US Spots Chinese, Russian Ships Near Alaska

6. US VP Kamala Harris Condemns Disturbing Chinese Actions

7. Unprecedented Damage to Nord Stream Pipeline

8. DEA Seizes 10 Million Fentanyl Pills Since May

9. Doctor Urges Global Pause of COVID-19 Vaccine

10. 2 Brothers Rescued After Plane Crash

11. US Company Conducts Electric Plane Test Flight

12. 2nd Ever Solo Kayak From California to Hawaii

13. Skunk Train Ride Through the Redwoods

14. Lawmaker Takes Horse to Work at Colombias Congress

* Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List.

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Coastal Fire Spurs Entrepreneur to Run for Laguna Niguel City Council

When the Coastal fire of May 11 blazed over 200 acres of Laguna Niguel, Javad Mokhbery received a text from a local city councilman saying his neighborhood was on fire.

Mokhbery, who is running for a seat on the Laguna Niguel City Council in the upcoming Nov. 8 election, quickly left his office in Irvine and went home to find the canyon near his backyard engulfed in flames.

I honestly thought we lost the house, he told The Epoch Times.

His house, along with the neighborhood, was ultimately spared, thanks to a shift in the wind. But over 20 homes across the canyon were burned to ashes and more than 900 people were forced to evacuate.

Mokhbery held a community gathering at his home after the fire to create a plan so residents can be more prepared for the next disaster.

Im the type of person I cannot sit back, he said.

Laguna Niguel City Council candidate Javad Mokhbery in Irvine, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2022. (Jack Bradley/The Epoch Times)

The incident pushed Mokhbery to run in the race, he said, to help prepare the city for whatever comes next: be it a wildfire or an earthquake.

Mokhbery said when elected he would work to create a water reserve in the canyon that first responders can access in case of fire.

He also said hed like to help improve the quality of life for Laguna Niguel residents.

I work eight days a week, he said. Someone like me has to be really crazy to get into  local politics.

Mokhbery, who owns a sensor manufacturing business, said he wants to make Laguna Niguel a good example for economic development.

He said in 1999, he was urged to take his operation to China, which could have saved his company money.

I completely resisted that, he said.

He also said he wants to encourage more residents to participate in city council meetings.

We should not take things for granted. [We] should not just sit back and blame people who are in power, he said.

Participation and awareness of the issues facing the community are key, he said.

American Dream

Mokhbery is a living example of the American Dream, that anything is achievable through hard work.

In 1974, Mokhbery was 20 when he moved from Iran to Michigan with less than $350 in his pocket, he said.

He landed a job as an ice cream truck vendor in Detroit and learned he could sell more in the citys poorer and more dangerous neighborhoods.

Its a package deal. You want to make more money. You have to risk going into that, he said.

Mokhbery said over time he saved up enough money to put himself through college, obtaining a mechanical engineering degree from Lawrence Technological University in Michigan.

Now, Mokhbery is a distinguished alumnus and was recently inducted into the universitys Engineering Hall of Fame.

After college, Mokhbery moved to Fullerton, where he started his business, FUTEK, which manufactured the sensors on the Mars rover Curiosity.

Later, he moved the business, which now employs 150 people, near the Irvine Spectrum.

Disclosure documents through Sept. 22, show Mokhbery with $60,000 on hand for his campaign, via a personal loan. He has not reported any individual campaign donations.

He is endorsed by the Lincoln Club of Orange County.

There are two seats open in the city council. Also in the running are Jeff von Waldburg, who is also endorsed by the Lincoln Club, Melissa Caldwell, Ray Gennawey, Stephanie Winstead, and Stephanie Oddo.
Councilwoman Arlis Reynolds Seeks Re-election to Costa Mesa City Council

Arlis Reynolds is running for re-election for District 5 of Costa Mesa City Council. Her opponent is Robert Dickson, a paralegal.

I want all residents to enjoy what I had growing up in Costa Mesa: safe neighborhoods, stable housing, beautiful parks, strong schools, and an engaged community, she says on her campaign website.

Reynolds did not respond to a request to be interviewed for this story, but since being elected in 2018, she helped establish funding for improvements in her districtwhich includes areas west of the 55, north of Fairview Park and Wilson, west of the Santa Ana River, and south of Newport Beachopened a Bridge Shelter in 2021 to reduce homelessness, secured $12 million in parks grants, and has supported local businesses and community-based organizations.

Arlis Reynolds. (Courtesy of the City of Costa Mesa)

If re-elected, according to her campaign website, she will focus on expanding parks, and recreation, advancing the citys sustainability goals, balancing its budget , and increasing safety.

The 38-year-old grew up in Costa Mesa, attended the citys public schools and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an engineering degree , and received her MBA from the University of CaliforniaIrvine.

Her professional career has focused on clean-energy investments and her advocacy work, according to her campaign website, has included the protection of the coast and natural environments.

She lobbied the city to purchase Banning Ranch to prevent a massive, high-density development project from replacing what the states Native American Heritage Commission calls a sacred sight and the last large, protected coastal open space in the city.

According to her campaign site, she has earned the Police Associations endorsement through her opposition to the OC Needle Exchange program, which seeks to provide clean needles to drug users so they will avoid contracting infections.

Before joining the city council, Reynolds was the Vice Chair of Costa Mesas Parks and Recreation Commission and, in that role, served as liaison to the Fairview Park Steering Committee, advising the council on park improvements.

She has several endorsements, including Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine), Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, and Costa Mesas Mayor John Stephens, Mayor Pro Tem Andrea Marr, and councilmembers Loren Gameros, Manual Chavez, and Jeff Harlan.
COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Analysis Finds Signals for Miscarriage, Menstrual Irregularities

Researchers have identified 14 safety signals for the COVID-19 vaccines for women of childbearing age, including menstrual abnormality, miscarriage, and fetal cardiac arrest, according to a study released on Sept. 28.

Dr. James Thorp, a maternal fetal medicine specialist in Florida, and other researchers performed a type of analysis called proportional reporting ratio (PRR) on reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The system accepts reports of adverse events following vaccination.

Comparing the rates of events following COVID-19 vaccination to those reported following influenza vaccination for women who can bear children, the researchers found a significant increase in 14 conditions, including fetal malformation, fetal cardiac arrest, and stillbirth.

Pregnancy and menstrual abnormalities are significantly more frequent following COVID-19 vaccinations than that of Influenza vaccinations. A worldwide moratorium on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy is advised until randomized prospective trials document safety in pregnancy and long-term follow-up in offspring, researchers said in the study, which was published online ahead of peer review.

Theres enough of a safety signal in our research in looking at VAERS that really we should take a pause from the vaccines until they are studied more in depth, Claire Rogers, with the Truth for Health Foundation and one of the authors, told The Epoch Times.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends COVID-19 vaccines for virtually all people aged 6 and older, including pregnant women. Other governments have offered mixed signals; the British government says that sufficient reassurance of safe use of the Pfizer vaccine in pregnant women cannot be provided at the present time, although the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency says that pregnant women should be offered COVID-19 vaccines, including the Pfizer one.

Some groups and doctors support widespread vaccination, while others have called for a pause on some or all of the vaccines due in part to safety concerns.

The pause on administering the vaccines to pregnant women would allow randomized prospective trials to be run to analyze vaccine safety, researchers said in the new study.

PRR Analysis

Proportional reporting ratio analysis involves comparing the rates of adverse events following one type of vaccination with the rates of adverse events following a different type or all other types of vaccination. The researchers in the new study analyzed the relative rates by time, by dose, and per person.

Adverse events that were identified as having an increase with COVID-19 vaccination of twofold or more, compared to flu vaccination include menstrual abnormality, miscarriage, fetal chromosomal abnormalities, fetal malformation, fetal cystic hygroma, fetal cardiac disorders, fetal arrhythmia, fetal cardiac arrest, fetal vascular mal-perfusion, fetal growth abnormalities, fetal abnormal surveillance, fetal placental thrombosis, stillbirth, and low amniotic fluid.

An increase of twofold or more constitutes a safety signal, according to the CDC. A safety signal is an identification of a possible connection between a vaccine or vaccines and an adverse event.

The agency has said it would perform PRR analysis on VAERS reports by comparing reports following a COVID-19 vaccine to reports following all other vaccines. But the CDC, to date, has refused to provide the results to the public or to The Epoch Times.

The agency earlier this year said that it didnt perform and wouldnt perform the analysis on the reports, contradicting previous statements. A top agency official, Dr. John Su, then said that the CDC started performing them in February 2021. The CDC later reversed itself again, saying it didnt start until 2022.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a recent letter that the PRRs the CDC did perform identified no additional unexpected safety signals. The expected signals were four adverse events that have been linked to COVID-19 vaccines, a CDC spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email. They are severe allergic shock, blood clotting, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and heart inflammation.

Another type of analysis on VAERS data, empirical Bayesian data mining, was done by Food and Drug Administration researchers. They have said they didnt identify any signals for the vaccines authorized in the United States, but they also have refused to release the results.
Police tape blocks a street where a person was recently shot in a drug related event in Kensington in Philadelphia on July 19, 2021. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Crime Floods American Cities, Where Allowed

News Analysis

America is experiencing a major increase in crime. Upon a murder explosion that started in 2020, other forms of criminality have metastasized, too, over the past year or so, particularly robberies, carjacking, burglaries, and theft. Police agencies across the country report perpetrators becoming more brazen and systematic.

The wildfire of villainy is fueled by an atmosphere of lawlessness and diminished accountability, but it doesnt spread indiscriminatelymany areas have successfully resisted it.

After the crack epidemic abated in the early 1990s, America enjoyed decades of generally declining crime. Even after murder spiked in 2015 and 2016 and then again in 2020, other forms of malefaction stayed on a downward trend, particularly crimes targeting property such as theft and robbery.

That is no longer the case.

Of the 150 law enforcement agencies that submitted data to the FBI for the first half of 2022, about 60 percent reported increases in property crimes. Nearly one-third reported upswings in murder and robbery greater than 20 percent and almost a quarter reported increases in burglary and theft exceeding 20 percent, compared to the same period a year earlier.

Retailers reported a 26 percent increase in organized theft in 2021, according to the latest survey by the National Retail Federation, an industry group (pdf). More than 70 percent said the risk of theft, organized retail crime, and violence toward personnel increased last year. More than 80 percent of the respondents said organized theft has gotten more aggressive and violent.

Among major cities, about 1 in 3 saw robbery shoot up by more than 20 percent in the first half of this year. One in 5 experienced murders going up by more than 20 percent, compared to the first half of 2021, according to a survey by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which draws data from 70 large police jurisdictions across the country (pdf).

A number of cities, however, have not only resisted the crime wave, but actually achieved substantial reductions. In Columbus, Ohio, both murder and robbery collapsed by nearly 40 percent, according to the survey. Robbery dropped by 30 percent in Oklahoma City. Also seeing improvements were Indianapolis, Houston, Boston, and Detroit.

The key to these dramatic differences lies in the understanding of justice by law enforcement officials in these areas, several experts told The Epoch Times.

De-incarceration

Large swaths of the United States, particularly in urban centers, have been influenced by an ideology thats nihilistic toward the countrys existing criminal justice institutions, according to several experts.

That influence often manifests through reforms and policies that make it more difficult or even impossible to put many criminals behind bars.

The most prominent factor has been the election of district attorneys espousing a de-incarceration agenda, who then refuse to prosecute whole swaths of crimes.

Another factor has been the passing of state and local criminal justice reforms that lower the penalties for crimes to the extent that, in many cases, the punishment becomes ineffectual as a deterrent.

Yet another factor has been the reforms that make police work more difficult. Some jurisdictions, for example, have banned police from pursuing a criminal who is escaping in a vehicle, except in extreme circumstances. In some areas, police have been severely restricted in use of force measures to pacify a resisting suspect. Such measures, in turn, have contributed to an increase in retirements and resignations of officers in these areas.

We have disorder on the streets with addicts and mentally ill people basically running rampant in major cities and a lot of them dying. And then we have an increase in organized and disorganized street violence, said Sean Kennedy, a criminal justice expert at the Maryland Public Policy Institute, a liberty-oriented think tank.

And we see police forces overwhelmed where theyre not even treading water; theyre just popping their head out every once in a while, as they drown.

The de-incarceration agenda also got a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was cited as a justification to release thousands of prison inmates as well as to temporarily shut down the court system. Even after the court system restarted, it often only held remote hearings while facing a backlog of cases.

In 2020, 40 percent fewer people were sent to prison than the year before. In California, 66 percent fewer were sentenced, and in New York, 60 percent fewer. The national prison population dropped by more than 200,000, according to Department of Justice statistics (pdf).

Defenders of the reforms and policies have argued that the new regime only shows leniency toward lesser offenses and still metes out punishment for serious crimes.

But because the leniency is made a matter of policy, rather than case-by-case consideration, it creates gaps in enforcement, some experts pointed out.

Think about criminal justice as an equation: Police times prosecutors times judges. And that gives you a criminal justice result, said Thomas Hogan, an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, and a former federal prosecutor.

If you go back to your high school math, if any of those police, prosecutors, or judges go to zero, then the sum of the equation is zero.

It doesnt take long for criminals to identify and exploit such gaps.

Criminals are sensitive to law enforcement policies and commonly know the law and think things through, Hogan told The Epoch Times.

People shouldnt be surprised by that, he said.

[Criminals] figure out relatively quickly that if a carjacking with a gun is going to get you 10 years in prison, and carjacking with a knife is only going to get you six months in prison, well, yeah, theyre going to use a knife instead of a gun.

A carjacking is a fitting example. An increasingly rare offense just a few years ago, it has been recently on the rise, as reported by a number of large police departments.

Its particularly troubling, according to Hogan.

Carjackings are a classic canary in a coal mine for violent crime, he said. When carjacking starts to go up, that means that prosecutors and law enforcement have lost control of the city.

Car theft has plummeted since the 1990s due, in major part, to security improvements that make it difficult to hot-wire a vehicle. There are sophisticated ways to overcome the obstacle, such as by cloning the car keys, but generally the only way to get your hands on a car is to take it from the owner while its running, Hogan said.

Thats one of the reasons why carjacking is on the rise, but not the only one.

The reason that people are engaging in carjackings these days is not to steal cars per se, Hogan said. In other words, these are not generally organized car theft gangs, who are then reselling the cars.

These are carjackings that are occurring to commit other crimes. People are engaging in carjackings because theyre going to commit another crime using that car.

So they may be going to do a drive-by shooting; they may be going to do a robbery. But knowing how much video surveillance is out there, they know they need to use somebody elses car to throw off the investigation.

Carjacking used to yield harsh punishment because the perpetrator can be slapped with federal charges on the premise that the vehicle has moved in interstate commerce.

The person would get a really substantial sentence, Hogan said.

That practice has subsided, however.

Youre not seeing that on the federal side anymore, and the local prosecutors are being overwhelmed by the cases and either cant solve them, or when they do solve them, theyre not giving them stiff enough sentences, he said.

Mass Theft

Organized retail theft has also been associated with the progressive reforms.

More than 70 percent of the retailer survey respondents opined that policies such as increasing the felony threshold for theft, eliminating cash bail, and reducing penalties for repeat offenders have been associated with greater loss from organized retail crime.

Hogan gave two case studies to underscore the point.

San Diego and Detroit, two very different places, right? One is relatively wealthy and sunny. And its demographic population probably skews more Hispanic on the minority side. Detroit, very poor, very cold, the minority population skews more towards the black population. But both of them have prosecutors, police chiefs, and mayors who are not going to be lenient with organized retail theft. And as a result, those cities are not seeing the same level of organized retail theft because theyre arresting people. Two totally different cities, he said.

On the other hand, youve got two cities like San Francisco and Philadelphia, again, totally different cities, geographically, demographically. But youre seeing huge increases in property crimes and retail theft crimes, because there, in both cities, you have a prosecutor, a police chief, and a mayor who are relatively lenient on this sort of stuff. Were allowing retail theft to go largely unpunished. And as a result, you are getting large organized retail theft rings that are working those cities.

Its relatively common for prosecutors to go easy on shoplifters. The first, second, and maybe even the third time, the offender may get off with a ticket and no charge, Hogan said. But if the criminal keeps at it, theyll get slapped with a misdemeanor and may end up in jail.

Now, however, some localities have virtually abandoned petty theft prosecutions.

That means you can do it over and over again, right? And so that clearly sends a signal, he said.

Such a gap in enforcement, then, can be exploited systematically.

When individual criminals realized, OK, I could walk into a store and basically fill up a shopping cart full of stuff and walk out and nobody will stop me, it didnt take long for organized criminals to realize that they could turn this into a profitable enterprise, Hogan said.

When they figured this out, all they did was scale it. Instead of one person going in and doing it and realizing the profit for themselves, they organize this into gangs, into groups, and turn it into a full-scale commercial operation. That full-scale commercial operation is now costing the American consumers billions of dollars in increased prices for their goods as the retail establishments who are suffering these losses pass on those costs to the honest consumers.

In New York, petty theft increased nearly 43 percent this year, compared to the same period in 2021. In San Francisco, the problem has become so pervasive that police statistics dont even capture it because victims, it appears, largely dont report it anymore.

Based on law enforcement investigations in several states, the theft is driven by organized groups that buy stolen merchandise for $1 or $2 a piece from so-called boosters, who are usually drug addicts, homeless, and petty criminals who walk into a store, grab whatever they can, sometimes filling up whole trash bags with items, from baby formula to razor blades, and simply walk out. Some stores have hired security guards, but if the thieves come in a group, its almost impossible for the guard to stop them all. Boosters sell the loot to fences, or middlemen, who then transfer it to warehouses, sometimes run as semi-professional distribution centers. The merchandise is then sold online through platforms such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

There has been some success busting the operations at the distribution side.

In 2020, five people were charged in California in the largest retail theft ring bust the state had ever seen. The group was reselling stolen merchandise internationally, including moving the goods abroad and laundering the proceeds back into the United States, according to the authorities. Some $8 million worth of merchandise was recovered and nearly $2 million seized in cash and from bank accounts, local media reported. The suspects, however, ultimately ended up with sentences ranging from three years in prison to probation and a month in jail.

In February, a Chicago couple were arrested for stealing merchandise from delivery trucks at a distribution center warehouse. Goods worth more than $2 million were recovered.

In March, authorities arrested five people in Los Angeles for running a retail theft ring that fleeced retailers for merchandise worth more than $500,000, selling it online internationally (pdf).

In May, the New York Police Department busted 41 people accused of involvement in a retail theft ring in the city. Goods worth more than $3.8 million were recovered.

The sums involved, however, hardly add up to anything compared to the tens of billions retailers lose to theft every year, based on industry survey estimates.

Brazen

Many law enforcement agencies have reported a change in attitude on the part of criminals: They have become more impudent and reckless.

What were seeing are offenders who are completely emboldened. Theyre using guns to shoot people, commit carjackings, and theyre doing it at all hours of the day and really all over the city, U.S. Attorney John Lausch, whos responsible for the Northern District of Illinois, including Chicago, told WLS-TV last year.

This year, shootings are down almost 20 percent in Chicagostill 33 percent above 2019 levels. On the other hand, robberies are up 26 percent, theft 65 percent, and car theft 66 percent (pdf).

In New York, shootings are down some 13 percent this yearbut still more than 70 percent above the 2019 level. But middle-of-the-day shootings, occurring between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., have actually increased almost 10 percent this year from the same period in 2021.

A loosely organized car theft group in Milwaukee, calling themselves the Kia boys for their penchant for stealing cars of that brand, have gone so far as to allow themselves to be featured in a YouTube documentary. Clips in the video show presumed juvenile car thieves driving recklessly, sometimes crashing. One of the self-proclaimed members said that some Kia boys have stolen as many as 300 cars. There are no real consequences for thema misdemeanor charge and three weeks in jail for stealing a car, he said.

Last year, more than 10,000 cars were stolen in the city, up from fewer than 3,500 in 2019. This year, so far, more than 6,300 have been stolen.

The car theft avalanche was preceded by a sharp increase in violence.

In 2020, Milwaukee saw 189 murders, breaking its homicide rate record set in 1991. A year later, that record was broken again, with 193 murders.

This year is shaping up to be worse yetalready, 170 have been murdered, an increase of 23 percent from the same period in 2021.

Violent crime can serve as a precursor for other types of crime because it drains police resources, according to Kennedy.

Because the other crime, violent crime, is spiking, it opens a window for petty crime. It allows for police to look the other way or not focus on [it] because they have a bigger fish to fry, he said.

Living in Washington, Kennedy has noticed that police now take much longer to respond to nonemergency calls.

Were going back to the bad old days, he noted.

No Complacency

While crime in general tends to be concentrated in poor, urban neighborhoods, there seems to be little room for complacency even for Americans living in communities that have remained relatively crime-free.

While smaller towns are still incomparably safer than large cities, that comfort considerably diminished in 2020.

In 2019, towns with a population under 50,000 had a murder rate of less than 2.9 per 100,000. That same rate was more than 3.7 in 2020, according to data reported to the FBI. Thats almost as high as that of 2019 in New York, which was 3.8.

Crime is contagious, Hogan said, particularly because of spillover effects.

Those organized crime rings that operate in the cities with impunity eventually will spread out into smaller jurisdictions around the cities, he said.

Everett, Washington, a suburban city of 110,000, located north of Seattle, saw violent crime surge by almost 50 percent, including a 133 percent increase in murder and an 83 percent jump in robberies in the first half of 2022, compared to the first half of 2021. Tacoma, a city of 220,000, located south of Seattle, experienced a violent crime increase of 75 percent, including a doubling of murders and robberies.

If you have a vigorous enough response, then, yes, you can dampen the effects of crime increasing that are leaking in from all over the place, and your marginal increases will be smaller than other places, but youre still going to see increases, Hogan said.

A common mantra among public officials in recent years has been that its not possible to arrest your way out of the problem and that what needs to be addressed are broad-scale difficulties that help crime fester, such as addiction, poverty, and homelessness.

Hogan and others, meanwhile, argue that none of the softer, long-term solutions will be effective unless theres accountability for criminals also. The most immediate solution, they prescribe, is returning to a more traditional, and tougher, law enforcement.
"Parents rights first": Fairfax County resident Lin-Dai Kendall protests at a rally outside Luther Jackson Middle School before a Fairfax County Public Schools board meeting, in Falls Church, Va., on Sept. 15, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

Debate Over Virginias New Transgender Student Policies Highlights Parental Rights Battle

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va.More than 20,000 commentscontaining both strong support and objectionswere registered during the first two days of the public comment period for Virginias new transgender student policies. The new guidelines, released on Sept. 16, overhauled the 2021 version by ensuring parents consent to their childrens name or gender identity change and requiring school bathroom use according to students biological sex.

In addition, a student LGBT advocacy groupthe Pride Liberation Projectorganized walkouts in about 100 schools across Virginia on Sept. 27, asking the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to revoke the new guidelines and their school districts to reject the VDOE model policies. The demonstrations mainly concentrated in Fairfax County, where the student group is based, and the remaining northern Virginia counties: Loudoun, Prince William, and Arlington.

The 2021 VDOE model policies, finalized in March 2021 under the states former administration, allowed students to pick their names, pronouns, and gender identities without their parents involvement. As of early September, only 10 percent, or 13, of the states 132 school districts adopted them, according to Equality Virginia, an advocacy group for the LGBT community. Nine school districts rejected the model policies.

Virginia school districts adoption of the 2021 Virginia Department of Educations (VDOE) transgender student policies according to Equality Virginias data. Counties marked in blue passed the VDOE policy, while those in light blue partially adopted the policy and those in red rejected the policy. The blue school districts also show the number of schools that participated in the walkout to protest the 2022 policy on Sept. 27, 2022, according to data from the Pride Liberation Project and Loudoun County Public Schools. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

These new revisions betray the original intent of the law, instead attacking LGBTQIA+ students across Virginia, the organizer stated in a press release, referring to the law enacted in 2020 by the former Democrat governor that authorized VDOE to issue model policies on the treatment of transgender students.

Macaulay Porter, spokesperson for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times: The guidelines make it clear that when parents are part of the process, schools will accommodate the requests of children and their families. Parents should be a part of their childrens lives, and its apparent through the public protests and on-camera interviews that those objecting to the guidance already have their parents as part of that conversation.

While students exercise their free speech today, wed note that these policies state that students should be treated with compassion, and schools should be free from bullying and harassment.

Pitting Students Against Their Parents

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is one of the 13 Virginia school districts that adopted the 2021 VDOE model policies on transgender students. The school board voted to adopt last years guidelines in August 2021, even though the majority of the online comments and in-person public comments speakers were against the policies.

Ian Prior, executive director of parental rights group Fight for Schools, at a rally outside the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) administration building in Ashburn, Va., on Sept. 13, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

Ian Prior, executive director of the Loudoun County-based Fight for Schools, a parental rights advocacy group, told The Epoch Times that the LCPS education system has pitted children against their parents.

Governor Youngkin received nearly 1.7 million votes in November of 2021, largely on his promise to restore parental rights in Virginia. He has delivered on that promise, Prior wrote in an emailed statement.

The fact that a small minority of high school students are protesting the involvement of their parents in crucial decisions about their emotional, mental, and physical health proves the point that some of Virginias public school systems are far more focused on training activists than on providing a world-class education, he added. It is unfortunate, but predictable, that this has pitted children against the rights of their parents.

In a Sept. 27 statement, LCPS said that about 1,375 students, or 1.7 percent of the total 82,000 student population, from 12 LCPS high schools participated in walkouts, which lasted, on average, 25 minutes. The statement said the activity wasnt school-sponsored and that students who chose to participate will not face disciplinary consequences.

Hundreds rallied to protest against Loudoun County Public Schools adoption of the 2021 Virginia Department of Educations transgender student model policies outside the Loudoun County Public Schools administration building in Ashburn, Va., on Sept. 28, 2021. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

Disconnect Between Parents and Schools

Carla, a licensed professional counselor specializing in adolescents, young adults, and women, who has her own business in northern Virginia, has seen first-hand the rise of gender identity issues among her clients in the past few years. Carla is a pseudonym to protect her identity and business practice.

I have seen more clients [students] disappointed and frustrated that the school allows the lack of boundaries. Theyre confused and saddened by the disconnect between their parents and the school, she told The Epoch Times.

It feels hidden, covert from their parents, yet free-feeling that they can keep something imperative from their parents. But theyre smart. They intuitively know it is wrong. They feel equal and on the same playing field as their teachers, and they know thats not OK.

Pride Liberation Projects statement quoted a queer students worry about the impact of the new policies: As a closeted student, my friends and I are terrified that we wont be able to come home if these proposed guidelines go through.

Carla responded: My thoughts are, Go home! See what will happen. Maybe youre wrong. Youre not inventing the wheel. Maybe your parents are stronger than you think. Maybe starting at home where you are loved is healthier than a sterile, boundary-less institution whose initial sole mission was to educate, not indoctrinate.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Aug. 12, 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Democrats Release Legislation to Ban Stock Trading by Members of Congress, SCOTUS

House Democrats have released their long-awaited proposal to ban stock trading by members of Congress, senior government officials, and U.S. Supreme Court justices, with the measure seeking to cut conflicts of interest, increase transparency around enforcement, and make penalties for noncompliance more painful.

The text of the legislation (pdf), Combatting Financial Conflicts of Interest in Government Act, seeks to ban a range of officialsin Congress, the executive branch, the Supreme Court, and at the Federal Reservefrom trading or owning investments in instruments including stocks, commodities, futures, and cryptocurrencies.

The draft legislation would force individuals covered by the measure to divest themselves of these holdings or put them in a qualified blind trust.

The House Press Gallerys Twitter account said in a Sept. 22 statement that the proposed legislation could be considered in the House as early as this week.

That statement came on the same day that Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), chair of the Committee on House Administration, outlined a broad framework for the legislation in a letter to fellow Democrats. The committee was tasked with reviewing deficiencies in the current financial disclosure system and proposing a fix.

Following that review, I believe that a meaningful and effective plan to combat financial conflicts of interest could help restore the publics faith and trust that our public servants act in the public interest, Lofgren wrote.

Are Our Public Officials Acting in the Public Interest?

Pressure has been growing for some time to overhaul the current financial disclosure system after media scrutiny of potential conflicts of interest in trading by U.S. government officials and their families.

A recent analysis found that over a three-year span, nearly one-fifth of the members of Congress or their family members bought or sold financial assets that showed possible conflicts of interest.

These stories undermine the American peoples faith and trust in the integrity of public officials and our federal government. Members of the public may ask, are our public officials acting in the public interest or their private financial interest? Lofgren wrote in the letter.

The draft legislation that was released on Sept. 27 by the House Administration Committee mirrors the framework Lofgren outlined, and seeks to amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.

Individuals covered by the provisions of the legislation would be allowed to invest in holdings that dont present the same potential for conflicts of interest as stocks, such as diversified mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and U.S. government securities.

The legislation also seeks to impose more painful penalties for violations, which under current law are a paltry $200 for every 30-day period of noncompliance. The new proposal seeks to raise the penalty to $500 while calling for greater transparency regarding enforcement.

The measure also seeks to require officials to provide more detail on disclosure forms. Current law allows lawmakers to disclose values of trades in broad ranges, such as $1 million to $5 million.

Under the new proposal, they would have to provide more granularity by providing a rounded value for high-value assets, transactions, and liabilities.
An aerial view of former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home after FBI agents searched it, in Palm Beach, Fla., on Aug. 15, 2022. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

DOJ Seeks Another Delay in Turning Over Documents From Mar-a-Lago to Trump

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers are seeking another delay in allowing lawyers for Donald Trump to peruse documents that were seized in August from the former presidents Florida estate.

The DOJ was supposed to provide electronic copies of the documents to Trumps attorneys and U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie, the special master in the case, no later than Sept. 26. But the government sought and received a delay of four days for the production.

DOJ lawyers said that the delay was warranted because of issues contracting a vendor to scan and store the materials.

Those issues havent been resolved, DOJ lawyers said in a new filing entered late on Sept. 27.

None of the five vendors proposed by the government were willing to be engaged by Plaintiff, the lawyers said, citing attorneys for Trump.

To try to avoid further delay, the government is moving to contract directly with a vendor, instead of having Trumps team do so.

Based on its prior experience and discussions today with the vendors, the government is highly confident at least one vendor will respond and agree to perform the work, according to the DOJ.

7-Day Delay

But because vendors still need to respond to the governments work request, the government says it doesnt know when the vendor will have the materials ready for Trumps lawyers.

In selecting the vendor, the government will place great weight on coming closest to meeting the deadline in the Amended Case Management Plan, which is this Friday, September 30, 2022, the lawyers said.

Based on its prior experience and discussions today with the vendors, and the small volume of documents, the government believes that the selected vendor will be able to make a rolling production beginning as early as this Friday, September 30, 2022, and will be able to complete production no later than the following Friday, October 7, 2022. The government will seek to have the vendor complete scanning all of the Seized Materials as early next week as possible.

The government wants Dearie, a Reagan appointee, to move the deadline to Oct. 7 from Sept. 30.

The proposal was shared with Trumps lawyers, who largely agreed with delaying the deadline, according to the DOJ. Trumps team hasnt yet entered a new filing on the matter, and Dearie hasnt yet responded to the request.

The request comes after an FBI agent attested to the court that an updated list of items taken from Trumps home in August by FBI agents is accurate. The list adjusted the total number of items taken from Mar-a-Lago.
A Byzantine-era shipwreck found off the shore of Israel, loaded with cargo from all over the Mediterranean, reveals that traders from the West came to port even after the Islamic conquest of the Holy Land, researchers say.

A surprise storm? An inexperienced captain? Whatever the reason, the merchant ship, made from fir and walnut trees and carrying containers with delights from far-off lands, sank more than 1,200 years ago in the shallow waters off what is today the Israeli coastal community of Maagan Michael.

It was around that time the largely Christian Byzantine Empire was losing its grip on this area of the eastern Mediterranean region and Islamic rule was extending its reach.

The shipwreck, dated to the 7th or 8th century, is evidence that trade persisted with the rest of the Mediterranean despite the religious divide, said Deborah Cvikel, a nautical archaeologist at the University of Haifa and director of the dig.

An aerial view shows the excavation of an approximately 65-foot cargo ship from the 7th or 8th century, which carried goods from all over the Mediterranean, according to Deborah Cvikel, a nautical archaeologist at Haifa University, in Kibbutz Maagan Michael, Israel, on Oct. 16, 2018. (Reuters/Rony Levinson)

An underwater view of the excavation shows divers surveying the wreck on Oct. 24, 2021. (Reuters/Alexandros Sotiriou)

The history books, they usually tell us that  commerce almost stopped. There was no international commerce in the Mediterranean. We had mainly smaller vessels sailing along the coast doing cabotage, she said.

But this understanding no longer seems to hold true.

Here we have a large shipwreck, which we think the original ship was around 25 meters [82 feet] long, and  laden with cargo from all over the Mediterranean.

Artifacts on deck show the ship had docked in Cyprus, Egypt, perhaps Turkey, and maybe as far away as the North African coast.

The excavation is backed by the Israel Science Foundation, Honor Frost Foundation, and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University.

Artifacts comprised of various cargos from all over the Mediterranean were found in the shipwreck. (Reuters/Amir Yurman)

The shipwrecks hull is seen jutting up from underneath the sand in shallow waters off the coast of Maagan Michael, Israel. (Reuters/Amir Yurman)

Ship Graveyard in Shallow Seas

The coast of Israel is abundant with ships that sank over the millennia. The wrecks there are more accessible for study than those elsewhere in the Mediterranean because the sea there is shallow and the sandy bottom preserves artifacts.

A storm might shift the sands and expose a relic, which is what happened with the recent discovery at Maagan Michael. Two amateur divers spotted a piece of wood sticking out from the seafloor and reported it to authorities.

Eight excavation seasons later, Cvikels team has mapped out much of the approximately 65-by-16-foot wooden skeleton that remains.

Using underwater vacuums to clear out 5 feet of sand, they found over 200 amphoras, which still contain stores such as fish sauce and a variety of olives, dates, and figs.

(Reuters/Rony Levinson/Alexandros Sotiriou)

A diver excavates the remains of the wrecks antiquated cargo. (Reuters/Amir Yurman)

There were sailing applications like ropes and personal affects such as wooden combs, as well as animals, including the remains of pests, such as beetles and rodents.

You have to be very attentive because some of the remains, like fish bones, or rat bones, or olive pits, they are so tiny that it could be lost in a split second, Cvikel said.

Some of the cargo bore symbols of the Christian Byzantine church, while others had writing in Arabic.

Researchers hope to find a hall to display the ship in its entirety to the public, otherwise they will cover it with sand and leave it on the sea bottom, along the countless other wrecks.

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Former Army Reservist Convicted of Charges Related to Spying for China

A federal jury in Chicago convicted a Chinese national and former army reservist of acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese regime.

Ji Chaoqun, 31, was found guilty on three counts, including acting as an unregistered foreign agent of China and making a material false statement to the U.S. Army, according to a statement released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Sept. 26.

Recruited by Chinas Spy Agency

Ji came to the United States on a student F1 visa in 2013. He studied electrical engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

In 2016, Ji enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves as an E4 specialist under the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest program, which authorized the U.S. armed forces to recruit certain legal aliens whose skills are considered vital to the national interest, according to the DOJ statement.

According to the complaint in 2018, Ji specifically denied having had contact with a foreign government within the past seven years. Furthermore, Ji failed to disclose his relationship and contacts with a foreign intelligence officer in a subsequent interview with a U.S. Army officer.

The charges against Ji alleged that he was targeted by agents with Chinas Ministry of State Security (MSS) in China shortly before coming to Chicago in 2013.

Prosecutors alleged that Ji was wined and dined by MSS agents who gave him a top-secret contract, in which he swore an oath of allegiance to the agencys cause, agreeing to devote his life to state security, Chicago Tribune reported.

The Task

Ji worked under the direction of Xu Yanjun, a deputy division director in the Jiangsu Province Ministry of State Security (JSSD), a provincial department of MSS.

Ji was tasked with providing the intelligence officer with biographical information on eight individuals for possible recruitment by the JSSD. The individuals included Chinese nationals working as engineers and scientists in the United States, some of whom were U.S. defense contractors.

Xu was convicted in 2021 in the Southern District of Ohio of conspiracy and attempting to commit economic espionage and theft of trade secrets, according to the DOJ.

Men work with a jet engine at a General Electric (GE) aviation engine overhaul facility in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 8, 2016. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images)

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, beginning in December 2013, Xu used multiple aliases to target specific companies in the United States and abroad that are recognized as leaders in the aviation field. He attempted to steal technology related to GE Aviations exclusive composite aircraft engine fanwhich no other company in the world has been able to duplicateto benefit the Chinese state.

Sentencing to Be Determined

A sentencing date has not been scheduled yet.

Ji faces up to 10 years in prison for acting within the United States as an illegal agent of China and up to five years for conspiracy and false statement offenses.

The FBI investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Army 902nd Military Intelligence Group, according to the DOJ press release.

Li Yan contributed to this report.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized approximately 47,000 rainbow-colored fentanyl pills, 186,000 blue fentanyl pills, and 6.5 pounds of meth hidden in a floor compartment of a vehicle at the Nogales port of entry on the southern border with Mexico on Sept. 3, 2022. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

Drug Enforcement Administration Seized Over 10 Million Fentanyl Pills in Just 4 Months: Justice Department

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized millions of fentanyl pills as part of the One Pill Can Kill initiative, an enforcement operation that spanned from May to September.

The DEA and its law enforcement partners seized more than 10.2 million fentanyl pills and approximately 980 pounds of fentanyl powder during the period of May 23 through Sept. 8, 2022. The amount of fentanyl taken off the streets during this surge is equivalent to more than 36 million lethal doses removed from the illegal drug supply, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a Sept. 27 press release.

During the enforcement operation period, 390 cases were investigated. Out of these cases, 35 had direct links to either the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) or the Sinaloa Cartelthe two primary criminal organizations from Mexico responsible for the majority of fentanyl in the United States.

The Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG are ruthless, criminal organizations that use deception and treachery to drive addiction with complete disregard for human life, said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.

To save American lives, the DEA is relentlessly focused on defeating the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG by degrading their operations to make it impossible for them to do business. The One Pill Can Kill initiative was launched by the DEA in September 2021.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams is potentially enough to be lethal. In 2021, 107,622 Americans died from a drug overdose or poisoning, of which 60 percent were attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Curbing Fentanyl Distribution From China, Mexico

In July, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody called on President Joe Biden to designate fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD). In September, 18 attorneys general, both Republicans and Democrats, wrote a letter to Biden requesting the classification.

On Sept. 21, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order that designated Mexican cartels operating in the state as terrorist organizations.

At a press conference, Abbott justified the move by pointing out that Texans are victimized due to the cartels producing and importing fentanyl.

A majority of illicit fentanyl trafficked into the United States comes originally from China. In an interview with NTDs Capitol Report program, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) revealed that Chinese ambassador Qin Gang sought to deflect responsibility for the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States.

He said, Were just selling legal products. And I said, Yeah, but those legal products combined are making fentanyl, and youre doing nothing to make sure they dont fall into the wrong hands, Wenstrup said.

A former Fort Hood Army Sergeant was recently sentenced to 72 months in prison for distributing fentanyl, and on Sept. 27, a man from Midland, Texas, was sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for possessing illegal fentanyl and firearms.

Eva Fu and Steve Lance contributed to this report.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre greet each other as MPs gather in the House of Commons to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, in Ottawa on Sept. 15, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Dynamics of Federal Politics Poised for Change With Poilievre as Opposition Leader

News Analysis

Less than a month into Pierre Poilievres leadership of the Conservative Party, the Liberals have introduced policy changes and new programs including an end to pandemic border restrictions and measures to help with the rising cost of living. And Poilievre is taking credit for some of them.

After constant pressure from Conservatives & people across Canada, Trudeau Liberals finally back down on the disastrous ArriveCAN app, unscientific vaccine mandates & forced mask-wearing, Poilievre said on social media on Sept. 26.

While the Liberals deny that their policies are driven by fear of new competition, the dynamics in the House of Commons seem to be already changing with Poilievre as Opposition leader. The longtime Ottawa-area Carleton MP is known for his fiery exchanges with the Liberals and his campaign focus on bread-and-butter issues at a time of economic uncertainty.

The initial House of Commons exchange between Poilievre and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sept. 22 received hundreds of thousands of views online. Poilievre asked whether Trudeau would cancel planned tax increases given challenges to the cost of living.

The Leader of the Liberal Party has an opportunity to respect the fact that heating your home in January and February in Canada is not a luxury. And it does not make those Canadians polluters. Theyre just trying to survive, Poilievre said. This from a prime minister who burned more jet fuel in one month than 20 average Canadians burn in an entire year. So will the Prime Minister ground the jet, park the hypocrisy, and axe the tax hikes?

Trudeau replied by bringing up Poilievres support for volatile cryptocurrencies and saying it was misdirected advice, while adding that his government is focused on direct and real help for Canadians, responding to the challenges theyre facing with meaningful measures.

Trudeau asked Poilievre if he would support the governments measures, and Poilievre replied that he would not support tax hikes. On Sept. 27, he followed up with a motion to eliminate the Liberal plan to increase the carbon tax.

Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto, says that while its still too early to see what Poilievres stamp on his party and federal politics will mean, there are already tangible changes.

Theres no doubt that the party is different because youve got a leader now, whereas before you really didnt. Candice Bergen was just a placeholder. And youve got to go back now a while when Erin O Toole was the leader, [and wasnt yet] undermined by his own caucus and party, Wiseman said.

But theres no doubt, Poilievre is a really formidable threat to the Liberals.

Its also an open question what an attention-getting Poilievre presence means for the other parties.

Marco Navarro-Genie, president of think tank Haultain Research Institute, says support for the Liberals is peeling both ways and the Conservatives will benefit even if some of that support goes to the NDP.

Two scenarios. One, [it] ends up being nothing but a fierce battle between the Liberals and the Conservatives. I think thats likely. And the second one is where the NDP picks up a good deal of the collapsed support for Trudeau, similar to when the NDP basically ate the lunch of the Liberals during the time Jack Layton rose in popularity.

When it comes to the Bloc Quebecois, Scott Edward Bennett, a political science professor at Carleton University, says Quebecers are currently occupied with their own provincial election so may not be paying much attention to the goings on at the federal level.

Quebecers will recalculate their federal support once the provincial election is concluded. It is an old game in that part of the country, he told The Epoch Times.

But there are other changes happening in Quebec that may have implications federally as well, says Navarro-Genie, pointing to the rise in support for the provincial Conservative Party in Quebec, an observation that Wiseman agrees with.

Quebecers are savvy voters, and if they think that English Canadas going to vote Conservative, many of them calculate were better off having someone at the cabinet table than not, Wiseman said.
Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, on Mar. 8, 2022. (Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters)

European Gas Prices Jump After Gazprom Threatens Ukraine Transit, Damage to Nord Stream Pipelines

Natural gas prices jumped in Europe on Tuesday following ruptures to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea and Russias warning that it may impose sanctions on the Ukrainian company Naftogaz.

Officials from both the West and Russia are investigating the ruptures to the crucial pipelines that occurred on Sept. 26, and have not ruled out sabotage.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is extremely concerned about the leaks, and that no option can be ruled out right now, telling reporters: Certainly, this is an issue related to the energy security of the entire continent.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak, meanwhile, wrote on Twitter that the leak is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression toward the EU, adding that Russia wants to destabilize the economic situation in Europe and cause pre-winter panic.

Seismologists reported three separate underwater explosions before the unusual leaks were discovered. The German geological research center GFZ also were alerted to the explosions, as did seismic stations in Norway and Finland.

The incident caused natural gas prices to surge on Tuesday, with the front-month Dutch TTF contract, the benchmark for northwest Europe gas prices, rising 8.8 percent, to 189.10 per megawatt-hour (MWh) by 05:30 ET (09:30 GMT). On Monday, it reached a two-month low of 168.50/MWh.

Potential Sanctions

Further pushing up prices was Russian gas giant Gazproms statement announcing that it had every reason to impose sanctions against the Ukrainian company Naftogaz, which has been organizing the Russian gas transit to Europe.

Naftogaz launched a new arbitration procedure against Gazprom over its alleged failure to make payments on time and in full for gas transportation services through Ukraine.

Gazprom strongly rejects all the claims of Naftogaz of Ukraine on the initiated proceedings regarding the transit of Russian gas to Europeservices not provided by the Ukrainian side should not and will not be paid, the gas giant said in a statement translated by the Russian news agency TASS.

Gazprom has notified the secretariat of the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) of the International Chamber of Commerce and the current head of Naftogaz of Ukraine about this today, the company said.

Gazprom considers the filing of Naftogaz of Ukraines appeal to be an unfriendly step and a continuation of the Ukrainian companys bad faith behavior, and that further attempts by Naftogaz of Ukraine to seek consideration of the dispute in the IAC may lead to the fact that the Russian state authorities will have every reason to impose sanctions against Naftogaz of Ukraine and to include it in the sanctions list of persons, the statement added.

In practice, this will mean that Gazprom will be banned from fulfilling its obligations to sanctioned persons under completed transactions, including financial transactions, Gazprom said.

The latest surge in natural gas prices comes as the threat of an energy crisis looms over Europe amid shortages and sanctions on Russian gas.
Networking cables and circuit boards are shown in Toronto on, Nov. 8, 2017. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)

Federal Cybersecurity Bill Threatens Privacy, Transparency, Civil Society Groups Say

Several civil society groups are pushing for changes to the Liberal governments cybersecurity bill, saying it would undermine privacy, accountability and judicial transparency.

In an open letter to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, the groups and prominent researchers call for substantive amendments to ensure the legislation delivers effective cybersecurity protections while respecting democratic principles.

Among the signatories are the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, Ligue des droits et libertes and OpenMedia.

The government wants to establish a framework to better shield systems vital to national security and give authorities new tools to respond to emerging dangers in cyberspace.

Under the bill introduced in June, key enterprises in the banking and telecommunications industries would be among those required to bolster cybersecurity and report digital attacks, or possibly face penalties.

The bill proposes giving regulators the ability to enforce measures through audit powers and fines, and would allow for criminal penalties in cases of non-compliance.

All residents of Canada can agree on the need for cybersecurity, says the letter to Mendicino. However, civil liberties, privacy, and confidence in the rule of law and accountable governance are foundational for that sense of security.

The groups say the bill would allow the government to:

 impose new surveillance obligations on private companies, something the public has long rejected as inconsistent with privacy rights;

 bar a person or company from receiving specific services by secret order;

 collect broad categories of information from operators, posing a risk for personal data;

 levy penalties for non-compliance without proper limitations to prevent abuse; and

 shroud its orders in secrecy, with no mandatory public reporting requirements or appropriate safeguards should the orders be reviewed in court.

The groups also say the legislation would allow the Communications Security Establishment, the federal cybersecurity and electronic surveillance agency, to obtain and analyze data from banks, credit unions, telecommunications and energy providers, and even some transit agencies.

The CSEs use of this information is not constrained to the cybersecurity aspect of its mandate, and any uses would be largely subject to after-the-fact review rather than real-time oversight, resulting in a significant deficit in democratic accountability.

By Jim Bronskill
Crews from Nova Scotia Power work on reconnecting the power grid to the Glace Bay Hospital knocked out by Hurricane Fiona, in Glace Bay, N.S., Sept. 26, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Vaughan Merchant)

Fiona Fallout: Nova Scotia Premier Blasts Cellphone Companies for Poor Service

The premier of Nova Scotia has issued a stinging rebuke to the telecommunications companies that serve the province, saying too many residents are still without cellphone service four days after post-tropical storm Fiona roared across Atlantic Canada.

Tim Houston issued a statement Wednesday saying its unacceptable that there are Nova Scotians who still cant call 911 or connect with loved ones.

Nova Scotians have questions about when their service will be restored, how widespread the outages are and what the companies plan to do to ensure this never happens again, he said. There is no question we need our telecommunications companies to step up and be more transparent.

The premier said the government had asked Bell, Eastlink, Rogers and Telus to send representatives to the provinces emergency co-ordination centre prior to Fionas arrival, but he said none of the companies was initially willing to co-operate.

Bell eventually sent someone after the province complained to the companys senior management, but the premier said the representative left after two days to work virtually.

Eastlink, Rogers and Telus declined to attend the (co-ordination centre) in person during the initial response, the premier said, adding that the provinces electric utility, Nova Scotia Power, was at the centre.

As well, Houston said he has asked federal Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne to hold the telecommunications companies accountable for providing information about service outages.

Other service providers have come together in an effort to make sure Nova Scotians have the information they need, yet the telecommunications companies are consistently missing from the table, Houston said.

We are calling on the federal government, as the regulator, to ensure that telecommunications are accountable for their performance in emergencies and transparent with customers.

As of Wednesday morning, more than 104,000 homes and businesses in Nova Scotia were still without electricity, which represents 20 percent of Nova Scotia Powers customers. The outages, which started early Saturday, have had an impact on cellphone service because the backup batteries in cellphone towers are dying.

Poor cellphone service has also been reported in P.E.I. and southwestern Newfoundland, where Fiona thrashed both areas with massive storm surges and hurricane-force winds.
Buildings sit in the water along the shore following hurricane Fiona in Rose Blanche-Harbour Le Cou, Newfoundland, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

Fiona Insurance Claims Could Reach $700 Million, Says Financial Agency

Although estimations for property damage from Hurricane Fiona are just emerging, Maritime residents are looking ahead to determine how they will afford to pay for their losses, and many insurance companies do not cover storm surges.

DBRS Morningstar, a financial services company, said that Hurricane Fiona would cost an estimated $300 million to $700 million due to insured losses.

This would be significant but not large enough to affect the financial strength of the large, nationally diversified insurance groups which are the top participants in the property insurance market in Atlantic Canada, DBRS Morningstar said in a Sept. 27 report.

Amanda Dean, vice president of the Atlantic region for the Insurance Bureau of Canada, said home insurance usually only covers certain types of water damage and typically requires an add-on policy for floods. And even with add-on policies, they do not usually cover storm surges because it is difficult to measure the risk with sea levels rising and coastlines eroding, she said.

The Co-operators Group Limited is one insurance company that has offered storm surge coverage to residents in Atlantic Canada and B.C.

To our knowledge, Co-operators is the only Canadian insurer that offers storm surge protection, said the companys vice-president George Hardy in a statement.

According to DBRS Morningstar, storm damage in Atlantic Canada is not usually a significant source of insured losses because of its lack of large population centres, lower property values, and relatively stable weather patterns. All four Atlantic provinces combined account for only 5.9 percent of the entire Canadian property insurance market.

Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) data show storms in Eastern Canada have contributed $152 million and $50 million to catastrophe losses in two separate loss events in 2021. This remains low compared with, for instance, the Alberta hailstorm ($500 million insured losses) or the British Columbia floods ($515 million insured losses). Going back to 1983, no Atlantic Canada severe weather event ever made a notable contribution to any of the top 10 highest loss years on record, DBS Morningstar reported.

Dean said the insurance industry wants to create a national public-private insurance program for overland flooding that offers protection to all Canadians.

A recent IBC report released on Aug. 30 says, If established, this [public-private] model could help close the insurance protection gap for the approximately 800,000 homeowners in Canada whose homes are at such high risk of flooding that private insurance is either unavailable or unaffordable.

Over the past 15 years, insurance claims from severe weather have more than quadrupled. The new normal for insured catastrophic losses in Canada has reached $2 billion annually, with water-related damage responsible for most of the losses, the report stated.

Government Assistance Programs

The Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements is a federal program that provides financial assistance to provinces to help pay for expenditures due to natural disasters, including individual property loss. The program provides financial aid to provincial governments, not the individual residents themselves.

Residents of Prince Edward Island have an online self-assessment tool to determine their eligibility for the Provincial Disaster Financial Assistance Program (PDFAP).

The scope of damage Fiona caused has been devasting and some things are not covered by our insurance policies, said Minister of Justice and Public Safety Darlene Compton. This is why we have the PDFAP. Based on our previous experiences and those of our sister Atlantic provinces, we know that this program can help cover some of the repair costs of uninsurable assets for our residents.

The Nova Scotia government said in a Sept. 26 news release that for every household, business, or not-for-profit, they would cover up to $200,000 in uninsured losses.

The Disaster Financial Assistance program provides assistance for eligible damage and losses that threaten the health and safety of individuals, municipalities, and small businesses, the release said. The program is not a replacement for insurance. It will assist in covering only the basic costs of essential items.

The Newfoundland and Labrador government said costs for damage might be covered through their provincial assistance program with help from the federal government.

The province will need to provide the dates and estimated expenditures to the Federal Government, as well as meet the $1.7 million threshold. Coordination with residents and communities in respect to disaster financial assistance is ongoing as we assess the impacts, they said in a press release.

In addition to helping with property damage, federal government announced that for the next 30 days, it would match donations made to the Red Cross to help those who need interim housing, clothing, food, and other essential supplies.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Ford Pitches for Fresh Trial After $1.7 Billion Jury Verdict in Truck Rollover Mishap

Ford Motor Co. urged a Georgia court for a new trial after a jury reached a $1.7 billion verdict against the automaker involving a truck rollover accident that left two people dead.

Ford claimed unfair preclusion from providing evidence that would have demonstrated the truck involved was safe, with a more robust roof structure than many of its peers, the WSJ reports.

Ford reportedly argued that a state judge in 2018 effectively barred Ford from defending itself against the plaintiffs claims that the trucks roof design was defective.

Ford was also unable to sufficiently show other factors at trial that could have contributed to the fatalities, including its contention that the occupants were not correctly wearing their seat belts.

Ford filed two motions in the state court of Gwinnett County in Georgia, the report added. One sought a new trial, while the other challenged the punitive damages imposed on the company in August.

The top industry safety regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, shows no investigative action or safety recalls related to incidents of collapsed roofs involving 19992016 heavy-duty Ford pickups.

Melvin and Voncile Hill lost their lives in April 2014 in the rollover wreck of their 2002 Ford F-250. Their children, Kim and Adam Hill, were the wrongful death case plaintiffs.

Jurors in Gwinnett County, just northeast of Atlanta, returned the verdict in the yearslong civil case citing dangerously defective roofs on Ford pickup trucks.

Ford works on a new smartphone-based communications technology to help warn drivers of pedestrians, bicyclists, and those approaching a vehicles path but blocked from a drivers view.

If the vehicle calculates a potential crash risk, Ford SYNC can alert drivers by the in-vehicle screen showing graphics of pedestrians, bicyclists, or more with audio alerts.

Apple Inc.s new iPhone 14 lineup has a Crash Detection feature, which can detect a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services when a user is unconscious or unable to reach their iPhone.

By Anusuya Lahiri

 2022 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Former Florida Councilwoman Runs for Laguna Niguel City Council

Stephanie Oddo is a former councilwoman in Florida, with a background in public relations as well as web consulting for high-profile agencies such as NASA, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Now, shes running for a seat on the Laguna Niguel City Council in the upcoming Nov. 8 election.

Ive had the experience of elected office, Oddo told The Epoch Times. I feel the best prepared out of all the other candidates to lead.

When her husband told her his employer wanted him to relocate to California in 2010, Oddo said she didnt hesitate as she reminisced about the summer she spent in Southern California during the 1984 Olympics.

[California] made quite an impression on me. And I always wanted to come back, she said.

(Courtesy of Stephanie Oddo)

Oddo and her husband have resided since in Laguna Niguel. One of their favorite things to do is hiking.

We have over 80 miles of scenic trails and people who live in Laguna Niguel love them and love to walk them, she said.

Protecting open spaces from development is something Oddo says she plans to do if elected.

But such in appropriate spaces, she said, is something she would agree to, such as plans for a city center, which has been approved by the city council, and will include townhomes, restaurants, and a new larger library.

I love the idea of having a central gathering space for the community, she said.

She said her previous experience as a city councilwoman in Florida, showed her how important smart planning is. The town of Belleair she represented was founded in 1925 and some of its infrastructure needed repairs.

Laguna Niguel is so young, its 30 years old, she said. We need to plan for the future.

In Laguna Niguel one thing she would keep an eye on if elected, she said, is restoring roadways or aging city infrastructure.

Public safety is another top priority for Oddo. She is endorsed by the Orange County Professional Firefighters, and additionally served in 2012 as president of the Laguna Niguel Citizens Academy, a 15-week program that gives residents an inside look at the citys law enforcement.

After the citys most recent coastal fires in May, she advocated for a better emergency alert system after hearing complaints from residents who said they never received text messages to evacuate.

She said fires affect not only residents safety but also raises rates for homeowners insurance. While living in Florida she said some lost their coverage due to continuous hurricanes and tropical storms.

When I see the fires, I right away think of homeowners insurance, she said. Its another thing that affects affordability in Southern California.

Oddo recommends residents get a free home inspection from the Orange County Fire Authority. Such an assessment, she said, can help homeowners learn how to protect their homes from potential fires.

One accomplishment Oddo says shes proud of is founding the nonprofit Healthcare Mask Collaborative, which provided through donations and private funding nearly 70,000 masks to military bases and other organizations and nonprofits during the height of the pandemic.

The masks, she said, were distributed to service personnel in Camp Pendleton and to those on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a naval ship that was stationed in Guam at the time, as well as to 150 organizations, including the Orange County Sheriffs Department.

Other examples of volunteer work include serving as president for the Rotary Club of Laguna Niguel, which seeks to resolve humanitarian issues through volunteer leaders, and founding the Orange County League of Women Voters Observer Corps, which helps provide transparency in local government.

Oddo said transparency, if elected, would be her legacy.

Anytime I go into an organization, I want to make sure I do something that is still there even after Im gone. Because thats what makes your time worthwhile, she said.

According to the citys most recent filings, Oddo has raised about $39,000 in campaign contributions through the end of June.

Her opponents are Ray Gennawey, Melissa Caldwell, Javad Mokhbery, Jeff von Waldburg, and Stephanie Winstead.
Independent MP Erin Weir makes his way to the Centre Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on September 19, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Former NDP MP Speaks Out Against Woke School Boards

A former NDP MP is criticizing woke school boards over several recent controversies, saying the actions of the school boards are giving conservatives ammunition.

In a Twitter post, Erin Weir, who was the Regina-Lewvan MP from 2015 to 2019 and a member of the federal NDP party from 2015 to 2018, referred to the case of Carolyn Burjoski, a Waterloo, Ont., teacher who was ejected from a January 2022 school board meeting after raising concerns about the age-appropriateness of sexual content contained in some of the library books available to elementary school children.

Weir also mentioned the case of Mike Ramsey, a Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) trustee who spoke up in defence of Burjoski and often took opposing views to some other board members on issues such as critical race theory and free speech. He was later suspended from participating in school meetings for several months for allegedly violating the WRDSBs Trustee Code of Conduct.

Weir added that the Halton District School Board (HDSB) is now defending the absurd in standing behind a Toronto-area teacher who has been photographed and videotaped in class wearing large prosthetic breasts. The teacher, who works at Oakville Trafalgar High School (OTHS), has gained international attention and sparked controversy over the issue.

Margo Shuttleworth, HDSB chair, previously told The Epoch Times that the school board is standing behind the teacher as prescribed by the Ontario Charter of Human Rights.

The school board has received backlash for its stance.

On Sept. 23, students, parents, and local residents gathered outside OTHS in protest. Two days later, another demonstration was held outside of a Burlington high school about 20 minutes away from OTHS and was attended by federal Peoples Party of Canada leader, Maxime Bernier.

Weirs Twitter post was in response to one by Gerald Butts, former principal secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Butts said in his post that the federal Conservatives really are copying the US organizing plan, referencing leader Pierre Poilievres comments that Canadian conservatives need to run for school board trustee positions to avoid them being dominated by the woke left.

In response, Weir said that Maybe woke school boards should stop handing conservatives so much ammunition?

Across Ontario, a growing number of candidates who say politics and ideology should be kept out of classrooms are running for school board trustee positions as the Oct. 24 election date looms.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to give an update on preparations for Hurricane Ian on Sept. 27, 2022. (Florida Governor's Office/Screenshot via NTD)

Gov. DeSantis Warns Time for Hurricane Evacuation Is Over in Several Counties

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that residents of several western Florida counties no longer can safely evacuate the area ahead of Hurricane Ians landfall.

The National Hurricane Centers (NHC) current track shows the storm will make landfall somewhere in Charlotte County at around 2 p.m. ET. The county and surrounding areas will see the highest impacts from the storm, which was upgraded to a strong Category 4 system with 155 mph winds.

People in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, and Sarasota counties could no longer safely evacuate, DeSantis said. They should stay inside and get off the roads, he added.

If you are in any of those counties, its no longer possible to safely evacuate. Its time to hunker down and prepare for this storm, DeSantis warned.

Englewood to Bonita Beach will see 12 to 18 feet of storm surge, Charlotte Harbor will get 12 to 18 feet, and Bonita Beach to Chokoloskee will receive 8 to 12 feet, according to a 9 a.m. NHC update.

Hurricane Katrina, for example, had storm surge flooding of between 25 to 28 feet along portions of the Mississippi coast when it hit the United States in 2005 and 10 to 20 feet above normal levels along the Louisiana coast.

The National Hurricane Centers modeling for Hurricane Ian as of 9 a.m. on Sept. 28, 2022. The storm is forecast to hit Charlotte County at around 2 p.m. Wednesday

DeSantis, a Republican, said that Ian could strengthen to become a Category 5 hurricane with 157 mph winds or greater.

So, this is a major, major storm, he said, noting there was a significant strengthening of the storm overnight.

Authorities urged more than 2.5 million residents to evacuate their homes for higher ground. If Ian strikes the Tampa area, it would be the first hurricane to make landfall there since the 1921 Tarpon Springs storm.

DeSantis had warned late Tuesday night that evacuation would become difficult for those who waited much longer to flee because increasing winds would soon force authorities to close highway bridges.

You need to get to higher ground, you need to get to structures that are safe, DeSantis said, adding that widespread power outages would leave millions without electricity once the storm strikes.

U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Deanne Criswell said Tuesday she worried that too few Florida residents were taking the threat seriously.

I do have concerns about complacency, Criswell said on Tuesday. Were talking about impacts in a part of Florida that hasnt seen a major direct impact in nearly 100 years. Theres also parts of Florida where theres a lot of new residents.

Ian churned across the southeastern edge of the Gulf of Mexico headed for Florida after thrashing Cuba, knocking out the electrical grid for 11 million people and ravaging the western end of the island with violent winds and flooding.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez speaks about the governments plans to amend the Broadcast Act during a news conference in Ottawa on Feb. 2, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Government Subsidies Reduce Trust in Media, Heritage Committee Hears

Government subsidies to Canadian media outlets are eroding the publics trust in reporters, MPs on the House of Commons Heritage Committee were told on Sept. 27 while reviewing Bill C-18.

Bill C-18 will permanently entrench the industrys dependency not on the loyalty of citizens, readers and viewers but upon the good graces of politicians, Peter Menzies, a former commissioner of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), told the committee, according to Blacklocks Reporter.

Menzies, who is also a contributor for The Epoch Times, said trust in the media has never been lower.

Its going to create more mistrust and its not going to end well, he said about the governments Bill C-18 (Online News Act), which he likened to another government media subsidy.

The federal government announced in 2018 a $595 million package to help the media sector.

Bill C-18 seeks to compel social media giants to make deals with media companies for revenue sharing, as advertising dollars have increasingly moved from news outlets to entities like Facebook.

Along with the objective to support struggling news organizations, the Liberals also want the bill to counter the rise of disinformation by supporting fact-based journalism and to uphold press independence from interference by Government or private entities.

As you guys know, the news sector in Canada is in crisis and this contributes to the heightened public mistrust and the rise of harmful disinformation in our society, said Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez in April when he tabled the bill.

Menzies, also a former editor-in-chief of the Calgary Herald, says the measure could have the opposite effect.

The more government assistance news media gets, the more broken the relationship with readers becomes, said Menzies. The more that relationship is broken, the more subsidy will be required.

He said hes not sure this attempt to save outlets will succeed in the long term.

The new law will keep the wolves from the door of a few legacy companies for a few more years but wont save journalism, he said.

While the amount of money involved may keep some from starving it will still leave most hungry, needy and assumed to be grateful.

Its not clear how many outlets will be able to strike revenue-sharing deals with digital platforms and Rodriguez said in April that some outlets could be left out.

Jeanette Ageson, publisher of the Vancouver news site The Tyee, also criticized Bill C-18 during committee.

Canada is facing not one news crisis but two, she said. One is financial and the other is the crisis of mistrust.

Ageson, who was speaking on behalf of the Independent Online News Publishers of Canada, said Canadians are expressing unprecedented distrust towards the news and the reporters who deliver it.

She said Canadians need to know how media obtain their financing and under what terms.

Ageson recommend the bill be amended to require the mandatory disclosure of all cash payments to publishers and said Bill C-18s lack of transparency was among serious concerns.
Members of the Oath Keepers are seen during a protest against the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Historic Jan. 6 Sedition Trial of Oath Keepers Begins

The trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and four of his co-defendants is set to start in the U.S. District Court in Washington on Sept. 27, marking one of the most high-profile cases to emerge from the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Jury selection began Tuesday and could take several days, while the trial itself is expected to last at least six weeks and will likely feature testimony from dozens of witnesses, video footage from the day of the breach, and audio and text message communications between the defendants.

Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, Thomas Caldwell, and Kelly Meggs are the first people in over 10 years to face federal charges of seditious conspiracy in their alleged actions to prevent the certification of electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election between President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden.

Seditious conspiracy is defined as two or more people plotting to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States and carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The five accused Oath Keeper defendants also face charges of conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, obstructing an official proceeding, destruction of government property, civil disorder, conspiring to prevent an officer from discharging duties, and other counts, according to a 48-page indictment (pdf).

The indictment against them alleges that they conspired to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power from Trump to Biden and that they coordinated travel across the country to enter Washington, D.C., equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and were prepared to answer RHODESS call to take up arms at RHODESS direction.

Some coconspirators also amassed firearms on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., distributed them among quick reaction force (QRF) teams, and planned to use the firearms in support of their plot to stop the lawful transfer of presidential power, the indictment states.

Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, appears on a screen during a House Select Committee hearing to Investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 9, 2022. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Had No Plans to Attack Capitol

Oath Keepers is a nationwide group of current and former military, law enforcement, and first responders founded in 2009 by Rhodes. The group seeks to defend and preserve constitutional rights.

All five members of the group have pleaded not guilty.

Rhodes previously told the FBI in an extensive interview obtained by The Epoch Times that the Oath Keepers had no plans to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, and that he had warned members of the group on the afternoon of the incident, Whatever you do, dont try to enter the Capitol.

But, no, weve got no [expletive]we had no plans. Weve got no plans now, Rhodes also told agents. My only plan right now is my main push is to get people to take care of the local communities, get strong locally, and then purge out the weenies in the Republican Party. Thats our focus. The GOP is full of RINOs [Republicans in Name Only].

Rhodes has repeatedly stated that the Oath Keepers went to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6 to provide security for events and escort VIPs who were scheduled to speak at various events at the Capitol.

The members of the Oath Keepers on trial filed an emergency motion for a change of trial venue on Sept. 23, citing concerns that they would not be granted a fair trial because of negative media coverage of them.

That request was denied, despite the group citing research showing that nearly 70 percent of Washington respondents hold a negative view of the Oath Keepers.

Dozens of members or associates of the Oath Keepers have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack. Three have pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy charges.

Another four Oath Keepers who have not pleaded guilty will go to trial on Nov. 29.

The leader of the Proud Boys group, Enrique Tarrio, is also facing charges of seditious conspiracy despite not being in Washington on Jan. 6. He is set to stand trial in December.

Nearly 900 people have been charged so far over the Jan. 6 breach and more than 400 have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial, The Associated Press reported.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Hong Kong Court Ruled to Confiscate $9 Million Assets From Humanitarian Funds

During the Hong Kong Protests, many nonprofit human rights groups had come forward to provide their service pro bono. One of them is Spark Alliance Humanitarian Funds. Spark Alliance primarily offered pro bono legal aid and bail assistance to the arrested, remanded, and charged. At the time, Hongkongers had never experienced such a high volume of arrests. Therefore, most people were unfamiliar with the legal process. The nonprofit groups were supported and funded by the public.

In December 2019, the anti-extradition nonprofit was targeted by the police. The National Security Bureau later arrested and charged four people from Spark Alliance for money laundering using a crowdfunding platform.

The Hong Kong Police had frozen its bank account of HK$70 million (US$9 million).

The Hong Kong High Court officially issued a confiscation order on Sept. 26.

Superintendent of the Financial Investigation Division (FID), Chow Cheung, stated that the confiscation order was for a nonpublic, closed-door hearing.

Chow stated that he could not reveal the reason for the ruling. However, he mentioned, The police applied for the confiscation order according to Section 8 of the Organized and Serious Crime Ordinance, which was approved by the court later.

The superintendent pointed out, This is the first time in anti-extradition cases that the High Court has ruled to confiscate the assets of a legal aid organization.

Chow argued, During June to November 2019, Spark Alliance supported the anti-extradition movement and raised over HK$80 million (US$10.25 million) via crowdfunding. But the police found that Spark Alliance had used the private company bank account to pay personal insurance, credit card bills, and so on. The police find it inconsistent with the organizations claimed purpose.

Esther Toh Lai-Bing, one of the appointed judges for the National Security Law, handled the case. The people involved in the case included a 30-year-old clerk and a 52-year-old human resource manager.

Established to Aid Protesters of the Anti-extradition Movement

According to Spark Alliances official Facebook page, the organization was founded after the 2016 incident at Mongkok MTR. It provided professional legal advice, medical assistance, and other support to arrested protesters, prisoners, and their families.

As the anti-extradition bill movement was in full swing in November 2019, HSBC accused the humanitarian fund organization of using its account to accept donations through crowdfunding to assist arrestees and protest activities. HSBC, therefore, suspended the bank account of Spark Alliance on the grounds of the inconsistency of usage of HSBC bank accounts.

On Dec. 19, 2019, the National Security Bureau arrested three males and one female, between the age of 17 to 50, who allegedly were related to Spark Alliance. The police had also frozen HK$70 million (US$9 million) which was in the groups bank account.

The same evening, Spark Alliance issued a statement on Facebook, condemning the Hong Kong Police for smearing. The group criticized the police for distorting the platform and other support channels, and its accusation of money laundering.

Shan Lam contributed to this article.
The 58th Taiwan Golden Horse Award ceremony in 2021. (Courtesy of the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee)

Hong Kong Filmmakers Warned to Think Twice Before Attending Taiwanese Film Awards

HK Films self-censor over concerns of CCP's retaliation and mainland funding loss ---------------------------

Movies are now heavily censored in Hong Kong before any showing in the city. Any movies categorized as inciting or provoking others to rebel or oppose the government will be banned.

Recently, the Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association (MPIA) urged its members to think twice before participating in Taiwan Golden Horse Awards. MPIA claims that the Golden Horse Awards had become increasingly politicized in the past few years. Many people at the awards ceremony have repeatedly confused politics with films.

Movie critics comment that a banned Hong Kong movie swept awards in the 2021 ceremony has upset the CCP. However, the critics believe that even if MPIA did not mention it, most Hong Kong filmmakers would not dare to participate in the Golden Horse Awards because they are afraid of retaliation and self-censorship by the CCP.

The 59th Golden Horse Awards will be held on Nov. 19.

MPIA sent out a letter to its members on Sept. 13, warning them about attending the Taiwanese film awards.

MPIA claimed that the Taipei Golden Horse Awards have become increasingly politicized recently, and members who wish to participate must think twice before participating. Otherwise, they might be involved in disputes and lose what they have.

Established in 1986, MPIA currently has about 204 members, including film production and distribution companies. The association also has individual members who are filmmakers, directors, screenwriters, film critics, and producers.

MPIA says movies produced and distributed by its members take up over 85 percent of the local market.

It says the members had organized four Hong Kong Film Industry Rep. Group Visiting Beijing since 1992 to reflect the industrys plight to the Beijing government and strive for market opening.

The 18th board of directors of MPIA, Honorable President, is Charles Heung Wah-keung, Shaw Brother Pictures International Ltd Representative and TVB Assistant General Manager, Virginia Lok Yik-ling.

Members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Rubber Stamp Legislature, Peter Lam Kin-ngok and Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, son of Henry Fok Ying-tung who is a former vice chairman of the CCP Rubber Stamp Legislature from 1993 to 2006, are also part of the club.

At the 58th Taipei Golden Horse Ceremony, the Hong Kong-banned movie Revolution of Our Times received the Best Documentary Film Award.

When the presenter announced the winner, the audience applauded for over ten seconds. Some people shouted, Hong Kong, Add Oil!

Taiwanese actor and Best Leading actor Winner Chen Shiang-chyi was a little choked when announcing the absence of the film crew. Chow Kwun-wai, director of Revolution of Our Times, delivered his acceptance speech in a prerecorded video.

The Golden Horse Film Awards has had a rough time with the CCP. Beijing had previously banned the Golden Horse Film Awards in 2018, but later, the CCP relaxed the ban.

The ban stemmed from a speech made by several directors, including internationally acclaimed Chinese film director Zhang Yi-Mou.

Zhang said while presenting the Best New Director award, Seeing so much work from young directors represents hope in Chinese movies.

A comment from Fu Yu, the best documentary director at the time, also rattled the CCPs nerves. I hope that my country, Taiwan (instead of China Taiwan), will be treated truly as an individual country is my biggest wish of being Taiwanese.

Chinese Actress Refused to Share the Stage with Taiwanese

Taiwanese Director and Academy Award Winner Ang Lee was supposed to present an award together with mainland Chinese actress Gong Li. However, the Mulan actress made a litigious move and refused to go on stage.

Ang Lee Won The Best Foreign Language Movie of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Best Directing for Life of Pi.

CCP Hit Back

The CCP officials not only decided to hold Chinas 2019 Golden Rooster Awards at the same time as the 56th Golden Horse Awards in August 2019, but Beijing also banned all Chinese filmmakers from attending the Taiwanese Awards ceremony.

The news shocked the Chinese film industry as Beijing forcefully shut down the cultural exchange due to geopolitics.

Filmmakers in Hong Kong and China had to remain silent and avoidant. And for the following two years, they could not attend the Taiwanese event.

At the Golden Horse Awards, in the same year (2019), Hong Kong director Johnny To Ki-feng was originally the chairman of the jury. Still, he had to step down, citing his contracts with movie investors. In the same year, many Hong Kong films also canceled their sign-up.

When the Tension Finally Smoothed Over

The tension was finally more relaxed in 2020. The CCP decided to stop the Golden Rooster Awards and the Taipei Golden Horse Award from colliding.

The movie industry believes it was due to the pandemic that China had to stop its explosive confrontation against Taiwan.

But that did not comfort Chinese and Hong Kong filmmakers.

Hence only a few movies made it to the nomination round.

In 2021, of the 573 films that participated in the Golden Horse Film Awards, over 200 were from China and Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Politician Ben Lam Siu-pan stated that the Golden Horse Film Awards had never been political. The awards ceremony itself is a place of free speech and diversified voices.

Lam argued that if it became political, it would only be by the CCP. He pointed out that Beijing wanted to silence the expanding voices of Taiwans Independence.

Simultaneously, the regime also wanted to warn Taiwanese artists to shut up. Otherwise, their movies would not reach any big screen in mainland China.

Hong Kong Movie Makers Self-censored

Lam guessed that MPIA might have received orders from the Hong Kong and Macao Liaison Office and Macao, in Hong Kong, or directly from the CCP. The organization had to send a letter to prove their loyalty to the regime.

Lam also says that no one would attend the Taiwanese Awards because Hong Kong films rely too much on funding from mainland Chinese investors.

Lam pointed out that the 2018 Golden Horse Awards had a tremendous impact on Hong Kong movies. Last year, there were more independent films than big budget movies or coproduced movies.

Due to self-censorship, Lam expects Hong Kong films gradually to disappear from the Taipei Golden Horse Awards. There are too many ways for the CCP to retaliate. Hong Kong filmmakers fear that Hong Kong and Beijing governments will ban their movies in Hong Kong or China, which affects mainland Chinese investments.
How Blatant Anti-White Racism Won Acceptance in Elite America

Commentary

In a 2021 lecture at Yale University titled The Psychopathic Problem of the White Mind, psychiatrist Aruna Khilanani described her fantasies of unloading a revolver into the head of any white person that got in my way, burying their body and wiping my bloody hands as I walked away relatively guiltless with a bounce in my step, like I did the world a favor.

Around the same time, a scholarly article in a peer-reviewed academic journal described whiteness as a malignant, parasitic-like condition to which white people have a particular susceptibility. The author, Donald Moss, had also presented his paper as a continuing education course for licensed therapists who would presumably treat patients with this condition. The paper advises: There is not yet a permanent cure.

This is a sampling of the new racism that is gaining purchase in American society even as its advocates relentlessly punish speech they deem harmful and threatening to people of color. It parallels the acceptance of anti-male rhetoric that casts masculinity as predatory and toxic, or just casually demeans males as oafish and clueless, which allows the Washington Post to give a megaphone to Northeastern University professor Suzanna Danuta Walters to ask: Why cant we hate men? (Her conclusion: We can and we should.)

The escalation of this inflammatory rhetoric is reaching the highest levels of American society, as when President Biden insinuated in a fiery campaign speech earlier this month that Donald Trump supporters are white supremacists and when he maligned conservative mask skeptics last year for Neanderthal thinking.

What strikes a casual observer is that such language would be instantly denounced if it targeted racial minorities or other protected groups. Just as remarkable is that this new rhetoric is not coming from dropouts and loners at societys margins; it is being advanced by successful professionals who have scaled the heights of respectability and are given a platform on social media and in prestigious cultural outlets.

And though each of those examples generated a public furor, such inflammatory rhetoric is defended or downplayed by cultural gatekeepers. The incidents have been piling up especially in the past few years, especially since the election of Donald Trump to the White House during the ascent of Black Lives Matter in the age of social media, and even include cases of people calling for the hate of privileged groups and insisting its not hate speech.

In its ultimate sign of success, this messaging has taken hold in public schools, corporate workplaces, medical journals, scientific research, and even diversity training in federal agencies. Its not limited to any single race but endorsed by whites, blacks, Asians, and others and disseminated in diversity materials and workplace-recommended readings that characterize white people as flawed, predatory and dangerous to society. Its sudden spread has caused a sense of culture shock and given rise to acrimonious school board meetings and employee lawsuits over hostile work environments as legions of teachers, students, and workers have been educated about white privilege, white fragility, white complicity, and the moral imperative to de-center whiteness so as not to normalize white domination.

This new take on speech produces a moral paradox, particularly among academics and journalists: Those who are most militant about policing what they deem to be hate speech against minorities, women, gays, and trans communities are often the most tolerant of demeaning depictions, incendiary rhetoric, and violent imagery against whites and men.

To those who see a double standard, such routine disparagement of masculinity and whiteness is a case study in hypocrisy that upends longstanding norms against stereotyping entire social groups. Its a manifestation of what Columbia University linguist and social commentator John McWhorter dubbed woke racism in a 2021 book of the same name that warns of the dangerous spread of the kinds of language, policies, and actions that Orwell wrote of as fiction.

But its advocates insist there is no double standard; they argue they are simply speaking truth to power, which should cause discomfort. In this belief system, reverse discrimination cant exist because social justice demands tipping the scales to favor marginalized groups to correct for centuries of injustice.

They include Rutgers University historian James Livingston who, in a Facebook critique of gentrification, described a Harlem burger joint as being overrun with little Caucasian [expletives] who know their parents will approve of anything they do. Slide around the floor, you little [expletive], sing loudly you unlikely moron. Do what you want, nobody here is gonna restrict your right to be white.

The post concluded: I hereby resign from my race. [Expletive] these people. Yeah, I know, its about access to my dinner. [Expletive] you, too.

In a phone call, Livingston, who is white, said his Facebook post was a joke targeted at white people who are privileged and therefore require less protection than marginalized groups.

White males have been the norm of our culture and our politics and our society and our economy for so long that unearthing the unstated assumptions that go into that is pretty hard work, and it reveals things that make us uncomfortable, Livingston said. So do they need to be protected? I suppose. Everybody needs some protection. But Im not too worried about people telling me that I have no right to speak on the issue of transgender individuals.

Although Livingston was initially found in violation of Rutgers discrimination and harassment policy, Rutgers later reversed its decision, accepting his claim that his Facebook post was satire protected by academic freedom.

Festering for Decades

It can seem that such putdowns and trash talk have burst out of nowhere in the last few years. But the underlying justifications have been percolating for decades, and they are seen by skeptics as a modern repackaging of ancient us-versus-them tribal reflexes. Telltale signs of role-reversal have been described by serious thinkers, such as 19th century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who wrote that He who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself.

More recently, author Douglas Murray has warned of the tendency for social justice movements to behavein victoryas its opponents once didwhich is to say: meanlyand which ultimately results in the normalization of vengefulness.

The idea that stereotyping and denigrating entire groups has no place in a society that strives for equality is one of the signature achievements of the Civil Rights era. By the 1970s, openly expressing racist slurs and jokes against black people was seen as a distasteful holdover from the Jim Crow era, an Archie Bunker-ism signifying low education and low intelligence.

The prohibition against racist speech rapidly became generalized to all identity groups. Ethnic slurs against Poles, Italians, Asians, and others became verboten as did mockery of gays and the disabled. Many words once commonly used to describe women, such as dame and broad became unacceptable, while terms that were once seen as neutral or descriptive, such as colored, Oriental, and Negro, suddenly took on negative connotations, and became unutterable in public (creating a replacement term, people of color).

But at the same time that these language taboos against expressing prejudice were becoming widely accepted across the political spectrum as a matter of civility, a far-more radical effort to regulate speech was percolating on the left.

This movement sought to limit speech on the rationale that language was a form of social control and therefore the source of oppression and violence. The assumption that hurtful language leads to harmful policies ultimately produced todays cancel culture phenomenon, where otherwise well-regarded professionals are investigated, suspended, canned, or booted from social media for simply questioning the factual claims of Black Lives Matter, for affirming biological sex differences, for satirizing ritual land acknowledgements, and even for publicly saying the Mandarin word nei-ge (because it supposedly resembles a racial epithet in English).

The core proposition of this mindset can be traced to philosophers like Michel Foucault, who developed theories of language as a form of societal power and domination, and Herbert Marcuse, the Marxist scholar whose now-classic 1960s essay, Repressive Tolerance, argues that the oppressor class and the oppressed cannot be held to the same standard. Marcuse proposed that the classical liberal doctrine of free speech is a mechanism that benefits capitalists and others who wield power, that the struggle for a real democracy paradoxically necessitates the fight against an ideology of tolerance.

The subversive intellectuals of the 1960s and 1970s passed on the torch to Critical Race Theorists and radical feminists, and in the 1990s the critique of bourgeoisie liberalism was taken up by Stanley Fish, a post-modernist literary critic and critical legal scholar who ridiculed the idea of free speech and reverse racism, giving wider exposure to these esoteric scholarly arguments.

By insisting that from now on there shall be no discrimination, they leave in place the effects of the discrimination that had been practiced for generations, Fish wrote. What is usually meant by perfect neutrality is a policy that leaves in place the effects of the discrimination you now officially repudiate. Neutrality thus perpetuates discrimination, rather than reversing it, for you can only fight discrimination with discrimination.

During the Obama era, Fish was a celebrity public intellectual publishing pieces in the New York Times titled Two Cheers for Double Standards and The Harm in Free Speech.

Thus it came to be accepted that creating a just society will require controlling speech to disempower the historically privileged and empower aggrieved groups, and to undo sex, gender, and racial disparities in society.

At Georgetown University, for example, it means that academic freedom is balanced against an equally important competing goaldiversity and equity, the latter vaguely definedwhich puts the two policies on a collision course.

Just this year, constitutional legal scholar Ilya Shapiro resigned from a plum job at Georgetowns law school over a tweet in which Shapiro voiced his frustration that President Biden had promised to name a black woman to the Supreme Court. Shapiro recommended Indian-born federal jurist Sri Srinivasan and lamented that Bidens racial litmus test meant he would instead nominate a lesser black woman. That phrasewhich Shapiro subsequently described as inartful and for which he apologized, taking down the tweetprompted an internal investigation by the universitys Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action.

Georgetowns law dean denounced Shapiros January tweet as demeaning and appalling, but in his subsequent resignation letter Shapiro noted that Georgetown defended the academic freedom of a feminist professor when sent this tweet during Brett Kavanaughs 2018 Supreme Court confirmation hearings:

Look at this chorus of entitled white men justifying a serial rapists arrogated entitlement. All of them deserve miserable deaths while feminists laugh as they take their last gasps. Bonus: we castrate their corpses and feed them to swine? Yes.

In a phone conversation, Shapiro said his experience serves as a reminder why free speech standards should apply uniformly to all citizens, rather than trying to compensate political identity groups based on theories of intersectional oppression. Such attempts end up being arbitrary, ideological, and political.

Those kinds of theories are laughable, said Shapiro, who is now director of constitutional studies at the conservative Manhattan Institute. This idea of punching up and punching down, it all depends on definitions.

Shapiro said that definitions can be rigged, so that the term marginalized or underrepresented in the academic context never refers to conservatives or libertarians who constitute ideological minorities on campus and have been documented as being reluctant to express their opinions for fear of cancel culture.

If you define it in ways that privileges your ideology, well then youre going to get the output that youre looking for in the first place, Shapiro said. Its arguing that youre rectifying a structural power dynamic when what youre doing is shifting the power to favor your preferred group.

It may come as a surprise that one of Shapiros defenders was Christine Fair, the Georgetown security studies professor who in 2018 had tweeted about castrating male corpses and feeding them to swine.

For starters, Fair said Shapiros tweet wasnt offensive. But even if it was, she said, that shouldnt matter: We have no right not to be offended.

Fair thrives on controversy and provocation. She has a blog called Tenacious Hellpussy. She publicly defended her 2018 tweet at the time, tweeting: I will not use civil words to describe mass incivility.  I will use words that make you as uncomfortable as I am with this regime.

I detest cancel culture, Fair said in a phone interview. I dont think they fundamentally understand freedom of speech. They think there is a right to freedom from speech.

But what was her motive at the time to use such gratuitously graphic language that was guaranteed to blow up in her face? She summarized her motives as giving her political enemies a taste of their own medicine: Let me show you what structural violence sounds like.

Fair said that her 2018 tweet was not without grievous consequences. After receiving death threats and rape threats, her teaching duties were suspended for a year out of concerns for her physical safety. Even as she publicly defended her free speech rights to be provocative and outrageous, Fair lugubriously apologized to staff and faculty members who were subjected to online threats and terrorized by trolls because of Fairs intemperate tweeting.

Speech codes have been a staple of college campuses for decades but the stakes intensified after Donald Trump was elected president and the nation underwent a social transformation that some call the Great Awokening. Seemingly overnight the bar for permissible speech rose for the oppressor and dropped for the oppressed. And now it was overtly about politicizing and weaponizing speech to save humanity from itself.

On Christmas Eve in 2016, just weeks before Trump took office, a Drexel University political science professor, George Ciccariello-Maher, pulled an attention-getting stunt on Twitter: All I want for Christmas is white genocide.

The next day, the provocative professor pushed the nuclear buttons again: To clarify: when the whites were massacred during the Haitian revolution, that was a good thing indeed.

Drexel officials denounced the professors comments as utterly reprehensible and utterly disturbing, and subsequently put him on administrative leave (for his own safety). The professor denounced Drexels response as chilling to his academic freedom.

Ciccariello-Maher was just getting started. He went on the offensive in 2017 against free speech advocacy and took pride in being involved in a campaign to shout down conservative speaker Charles Murray.

Were actually fighting a battle, Ciccariello-Maher said on a 2017 podcast, and for that battle we need to use weapons, and we need to fight against the enemies that we have.

He proclaimed: We make a mistake from the beginning when we assume that speech is and has been free instead of a terrain for hegemonic struggle.

A year after his controversial tweets, Ciccariello-Maher resigned from Drexel, citing nonstop harassment and threats from right-wing, white supremacist media outlets, and internet mobs.

The changing dynamic played out in public view at the New York Times in 2018, when the media organization hired and then quickly un-hired opinion writer Quinn Norton for several gaffes, including retweeting a tweet with the N-word and fraternizing with an alleged neo-Nazi.

Just six months after tossing Norton, the New York Times stood by another opinion writer, Sarah Jeong, a Korean-born graduate of U Cal Berkeley and Harvard law school whose Twitter oeuvre trafficked in crude racial stereotypes. Jeong, who was fond of the hashtag #CancelWhitePeople, tweeted out such sentiments as: White people have stopped breeding. youll all go extinct soon. that was my plan all along. And: [Expletive] white people marking up the internet with their opinions like dogs [urinating] on fire hydrants.

As the New York Times was pilloried for its double standard, progressive digital pundits at Vox came to Jeongs defense, patiently explaining for the umpteenth time that Jeong was to be exempt from censure because theres no such thing as reverse racism.

Ezra Klein, the former editor of Vox whos now an influential podcaster at the Times, accused Jeongs critics of an absurd form of literalism. He said the public misguidedly interpreted the online meme #KillAllMen literally, when Twitter habitues who are in on the joke understood that it really meant nothing more than it would be nice if the world sucked less for women.

Another Vox writer dismissed the idea that we should all play by the same rules and spelled out how the social justice left approaches the world: What makes these quasi-satirical generalizations about white people different from actual racism is, yes, the underlying power structure in American society.

There is no sense of threat associated with Jeong making a joke about how white people have dog-like opinions, the Vox piece said. But when white people have said the same about minorities, it has historically been a pretext for violence or justification for exclusionary politics.

Many Americans are still trying to figure out the boundaries of acceptable speech at a time when striving for colorblindness and equal treatment mark a person as part of the problem. However sensible it might have seemed a half-century ago as a corrective measure or to alleviate pangs of guilt, the creation of separate standards for different groups now strikes some as profoundly regressive.

The development of two separate language codes, one for whites and one for blacks, was ominous, the conservative writer Christopher Caldwell observed in his 2020 book, The Age of Entitlement.

The rules of American public decorum now resembled medieval strictures that permitted only noblemen to carry weapons or ride horses, or laws that forbade certain classes of citizens to address others by a certain name.

From RealClealWire

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Protesters throwing the statue of Edward Colston into Bristol harbour during a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Bristol, England, on June 7, 2020. (Ben Birchall/PA Media)

Human Rights Defence Not Available for Violent Statue-Toppling, UK Court Rules

The toppling of the Edward Colston statue during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020 was violent and therefore the defendants were not protected by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the UKs Court of Appeal ruled on Wednesday.

The ruling does not overturn the acquittal of criminal damage charges against the four defendants.

On Jan. 5, Milo Ponsford, Jake Skuse, Sage Willoughby, and Rhian Graham were acquitted of causing criminal damage by a jury, despite having admitted to their involvement in tearing down the statue, which has been assessed to have sustained 3,750 ($4,050) worth of damage.

(LR) Sage Willoughby, Jake Skuse, Milo Ponsford, and Rhian Graham outside Bristol Crown Court after they were acquitted of criminal damage on Jan. 5, 2022. (Ben Birchall/PA Media)

The trial heard that Ponsford and Graham brought ropes, which Willoughby passed around the statues neck, and Skuse goaded the crowd into rolling the statue 500 metres (1,640 feet) and throwing it into the water.

But the defendants claimed that the presence of the slave traders statue was a hate crime or an indecent display and that the tearing down of the statue was to prevent a crime.

Defence lawyer Raj Chada said the defendants should never have been prosecuted.

Following the verdict, then-Attorney General Suella Braverman referred the case to the Court of Appeal, asking the court to clarify whether someone can use a defence related to their human rights when theyre accused of criminal damage and whether juries should be asked to decide if a conviction for criminal damage is a proportionate interference with the human rights of the accused, particularly the right to protest and freedom of expression.

Outside the Protection of the ECHR

During the ruling on Wednesday, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, sitting with Mr. Justice Holgate and Mr. Justice Saini, said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was right to argue the prosecution of the four was not an abuse of process because the conduct of the protesters fell outside the protection of the ECHR.

Although this case did not involve the destruction of the statue, the damage that was caused was clearly significant, Burnett said.

Pulling this heavy bronze statue to the ground required it to be climbed, ropes attached to it, and then the use of a good deal of force to bring it crashing to the ground.

The judge said the circumstances in which the statue was damaged did not involve peaceful protest.

The toppling of the statute was violent. Moreover, the damage to the statue was significant, he said.

On both these bases we conclude that the prosecution was correct in its submission at the abuse hearing that the conduct in question fell outside the protection of the Convention.

He stressed that it does not suggest the four were in fact guilty of criminal damage, because there were other defences deployed by them at their trial and it is impossible to know on what basis the jury reached its verdict.

Chada, who represented the four, said, We are disappointed by the Court of Appeal judgment.

He said the toppling was not done violently and that the value of the statue had increased exponentially after the toppling.

Campaign group Save Our Statues wrote on Twitter ahead of the ruling that nobody has a right to violently damage property because they are offended, and its vital that this principle is clarified in law.

The toppled statue of Edward Colston lies on display in M Shed museum in Bristol, England, on June 7, 2021. (Polly Thomas/Getty Images)

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Bristol, a key port in the west of England, became one of the main centres of the British Empires slave trade. But while many of those involved have been forgotten, Colstons name lived on because he became a philanthropist.

According to a page on Bristol City Councils museum website, which has since been removed, Edward Colston never, as far as we know, traded in enslaved Africans on his own account.

The page said Colston and his father had shares in the Royal African Company (RAC), in which members traded gold, ivory, and enslaved Africans. He had also been an active member of RACs governing body for 11 years.

A separate museum page said Colston campaigned to keep the slave trade legal and on favourable terms for traders late in his life when he was a Bristol MP.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Weakened Hurricane Ian Batters Florida Peninsula: NHC

Update: Hurricane Ian has weakened further to a Category 1 system with top sustained wind speeds of 90 mph, hours after it made landfall over the west coast of Florida Wednesday afternoon as a Category 4.

The National Hurricane Center said in an 11 p.m. update that Ian continues to batter the Florida Peninsula with storm surges, wind, and flooding as it moves north-northeast at around 8 mph. Ian is forecast to weaken further in the next day or so.

The system is expected to move across central Florida overnight and Thursday morning and emerge over the western Atlantic at near-hurricane strength by late Thursday, before approaching the northeastern Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina coasts.

Earlier, Ian made landfall over the west coast of Florida Wednesday afternoon as a Category 4 system, according to the National Hurricane Center.

NOAA Doppler radar imagery indicates that the eye of Ian made landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida near Cayo Costa around 3:05 p.m. ET, the NHC said. The storm has 150 mph winds, a slight decline from the 155 mph winds at its peak, according to the agency.

The storms center is located between Fort Meyers and Venice Beach on the states Gulf Coast. Its expected to carve a swath northeast through central Florida before being downgraded to a tropical storm.

Hurricane Ian is making landfall now, Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote on Twitter shortly before 2 p.m. EST. Florida is ready to respond. We have fleets of highwater vehicles, 42,000 linemen, 7,000 National Guardsmen and 179 aircraft prepared to help, he added.

Over 680,000 customers are without power in Florida because of Hurricane Ian, according to the monitoring website PowerOutage.us. Most outages are being reported in Lee, Collier, Manatee, and Sarasota countries.

In the path of the storm is Cape Coral. Mayor John Gunter told CNN that conditions in his area are quickly deteriorating as of around 12 p.m. ET and noted catastrophic storm surge is incoming.

I was outside about 45 minutes ago and the winds have picked up, very high winds, he said. We know that its going to continue to increase, were well over tropical storm winds. Its raining extremely hard. So, the conditions are definitely getting worse.

Sarasota Mayor Erik Arroyo told CNN that his city is withdrawing its police officers from the streets due to hazardous conditions brought by Ian.

As the first rain from Hurricane Ian begins to fall in North Central Florida on Sept. 28, Alachua County residents fill sandbags at do-it-yourself stations using shovels brought from home. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)

As the first rain from Hurricane Ian begins to fall in North Central Florida on Sept. 28, Alachua County residents fill sandbags at do-it-yourself stations using shovels brought from home. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)

We just made the decision just now to withdraw all of our police officers from the streets just because of the sustained wind pressure that weve been having, Arroyo said.

Lee County, Florida, Manager Roger Desjarlais said that tidal waves are now washing over roads.

We would expect to see more of that inland between now and 2 oclock, 4 oclock this afternoon, Desjarlais said.

Forecasters say Ian would unleash wind-driven high surf, and torrential rains that may cause coastal flooding of up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) along with intense thunderstorms and possible tornadoes. The storms outer bands were already bringing heavy winds and rains to much of the Gulf Coast on Wednesday morning.

A 12 p.m. National Hurricane Center update on Sept. 28, 2022, shows Hurricane Ians eyewall approaching Floridas coast. (NHC)

I wish this wasnt a forecast that was about to come true. This is a storm that we will talk about for many years to come, an historic event, said Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service.

Earlier this week, authorities told more than 2.5 million residents to evacuate, but some, like Mark Feinman, a professional musician in St. Petersburg, chose to stay put.

This is a powerful storm that should be treated like a tornado was approaching your home, DeSantis said earlier Wednesday. This is going to be a nasty, nasty day or two days. This is going to be a rough stretch.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A satellite image showing Hurricane Ian over the Gulf of Mexico, on Sept. 27, 2022. (NOAA via AP)

Hurricane Ian Strengthens to Extremely Dangerous Category 4 as Florida Braces for Impact

Forecasters say Hurricane Ian has strengthened to an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm as it nears Floridas west coast, with warnings of catastrophic storm surge, screaming winds, destructive waves, heavy rainfall, and life-threatening flooding.

In a series of early morning advisories on Sept. 28, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Hurricane Ian was rapidly intensifying and that sustained winds have been recorded of up to 155 mph.

Ian has strengthened into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane, the NHC said in one of the warnings.

Conditions along the southwest Florida coast were rapidly deteriorating, NHC said in another one of the advisories, while another warned that the hurricane is expected to cause catastrophic weather impacts in the Florida peninsula.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a briefing at 7:30 a.m. EDT that Hurricane Ian was located around 80 miles south-southwest of Charlotte County and that it was moving north-northeast at around 10 mph.

It is now a Category 4 hurricane, DeSantis said, adding that the potentially deadly weather formation was knocking on the door of a Category 5 storm.

Landfall is expected in southwest Florida later on Wednesday, DeSantis said, adding that the hurricane would likely exit the northeast Florida coast probably sometime on Thursday.

The current track has the storm making landfall in Charlotte County, the governor added.

Beginning in the Next Few Hours

Catastrophic wind damage is expected along the southwestern coast of Florida beginning in the next few hours where the core of Ian makes landfall, NHC warned in a 7 a.m. EDT advisory.

A woman takes photos while waves crash against a seawall as Hurricane Ian passes through George Town, Grand Cayman island, on Sept. 26, 2022. (Kevin Morales/AP Photo/ File)

A storm surge described as catastrophic is expected somewhere along the southwest Florida coastline from Englewood to Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbor, NHC warned.

Urging residents to follow all evacuation orders, NHC said the storm surge is expected to bring inundation of 12 to 16 feet above ground level along the southwest Florida coastline, along with destructive waves.

Heavy rainfall is expected to spread across the Florida peninsula on Wednesday and into Thursday, the agency warned.

Widespread, life-threatening catastrophic flooding is expected across portions of central Florida, with considerable flooding in northern and southern Florida, as well as southeastern Georgia and coastal South Carolina, NHC warned.

Cuba Without Power

Hurricane Ian on Tuesday battered the western tip of Cuba, bringing down the electricity grid and leaving the entire island without power.

A resident uses plastic as protection from the rain in Batabano, Cuba, on Sept. 26, 2022. (Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

As the storm built steam, Florida residents rushed to board up their homes, stash precious belongings on upper floors and flee.

You cant do anything about natural disasters, said Vinod Nair, who drove inland from the Tampa area Tuesday with his wife, son, dog, and two kittens seeking a hotel in the tourist district of Orlando. We live in a high risk zone, so we thought it best to evacuate.

Nair and his family were among at least 2.5 million Florida residents ordered to evacuate in anticipation of a powerful storm surge, high winds, and flooding.

Lisa Bromfield and Mike Sernett work to place a sheet of plywood on the front windows of a store in downtown Gulfport in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Ian, in South Pasadena, Fla., on Sept. 26, 2022. (Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Airports in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Key West closed. Disney World theme parks and Sea World in Orlando all closed ahead of the storm.

Evacuation orders have already been issued for areas along the western Florida coastline. Mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders are in effect in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Charlotte, Collier, Hernando, Sarasota, Pasco, and Manatee counties.

Much Different Storm

DeSantis said on Tuesday that Hurricane Ian is likely to bring really historic storm surge and flooding potential.

If youre looking at those places in Fort Myers, Charlotte County, Sarasotathe storm surge that youre going to see generated from this is going to far eclipse what we saw when Hurricane Charley, also a Category 4 storm, hit Florida in 2004, DeSantis said.

Hurricane Ian is a much different storm, DeSantis warned.

Jack Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A satellite image shows the eye of Hurricane Ian approaching the southwest coast of Florida at 2:10 p.m. ET on Sept. 28, 2022. (NOAA)

Hurricane Ian Swamps Southwest Florida, 2 Million Without Power

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the United States, swamped southwest Florida on Wednesday, turning streets into rivers, knocking out power to 2 million people, and threatening catastrophic damage further inland.

A coastal sheriffs office reported that it was getting many calls from people trapped in flooded homes. Desperate people posted to Facebook and other social sites, pleading for rescue for themselves or loved ones. Some video showed debris-covered water sloshing toward homes eaves.

The storm surge flooded a hospitals lower level emergency room in Port Charlotte, while fierce winds tore part of its fourth floor roof from its intensive care unit, according to a doctor who works there.

Water gushed down from above onto the ICU, forcing staff to evacuate the hospitals sickest patientssome of whom were on ventilatorsto other floors, said Dr. Birgit Bodine of HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital. Staff members used towels and plastic bins to try to mop up the sodden mess.

The medium-sized hospital spans four floors, but patients were forced into just two because of the damage. Bodine planned to spend the night at the hospital in case people injured from the storm arrive there needing help.

The ambulances may be coming soon and we dont know where to put them in the hospital at this point because were doubled and tripled up, she said. As long as our patients do OK and nobody ends up dying or having a bad outcome, thats what matters.

The hurricanes center made landfall near Cayo Costa, a barrier island just west of heavily populated Fort Myers. As it approached, water drained from Tampa Bay.

Mark Pritchett stepped outside his home in Venice around the time the hurricane churned ashore from the Gulf of Mexico, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) to the south. He called it terrifying.

I literally couldnt stand against the wind, Pritchett wrote in a text message. Rain shooting like needles. My street is a river. Limbs and trees down. And the worst is yet to come.

A boat carrying Cuban migrants sank Wednesday in the stormy weather in waters east of Key West. The U.S. Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue mission for 23 people and managed to find three survivors about two miles (three kilometers) south of the island chain, officials said. Four other Cubans swan to Stock Island, just east of Key West, the U.S. Border Patrol said. Air crews continued to search for possibly 20 remaining migrants.

The Category 4 storm slammed the coast with 150 mph (241 kph) winds and pushed a wall of storm surge accumulated during its slow march over the Gulf. More than 2 million Florida homes and businesses were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us. Nearly every home and business in three counties was without power.

The storm previously tore into Cuba, killing two people and bringing down the countrys electrical grid.

About 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate southwest Florida before Ian hit, but by law no one could be forced to flee.

News anchors at Fort Myers television station WINK had to abandon their usual desk and continue storm coverage from another location in their newsroom because water was pushing into their building near the Caloosahatchee River.

Though expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it marches inland at about 9 mph (14 kph), Ians hurricane force winds were likely to be felt well into central Florida. In the hours since landfall, top sustained winds had gradually dropped to 90 mph (150 kph), making it a Category 1 hurricane crossing the peninsula. Still, storm surges as high as 6 feet (2 meters) were expected on the opposite side of the state, in northeast Florida.

Sheriff Bull Prummell of Charlotte County, just north of Fort Myers, announced a curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. for life-saving purposes, saying violators may face second-degree misdemeanor charges.

I am enacting this curfew as a means of protecting the people and property of Charlotte County Prummell said.

Jackson Boone left his home near the Gulf coast and hunkered down at his law office in Venice with employees and their pets. Boone at one point opened a door to howling wind and rain flying sideways.

Were seeing tree damage, horizontal rain, very high wind, Boone said by phone. We have a 50-plus-year-old oak tree that has toppled over.

In Naples, the first floor of a fire station was inundated with about 3 feet (1 meter) of water and firefighters worked to salvage gear from a firetruck stuck outside the garage in even deeper water, a video posted by the Naples Fire Department showed. Naples is in Collier County, where the sheriffs department reported on Facebook that it was getting a significant number of calls of people trapped by water in their homes and that it would prioritize reaching people reporting life threatening medical emergencies in deep water.

Ians strength at landfall tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane when measured by wind speed to strike the U.S. Among the other storms was Hurricane Charley, which hit nearly the same spot on Floridas coast in August 2004, killing 10 people and inflicting $14 billion in damage.

Ian made landfall more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa and St. Petersburg, sparing the densely populated Tampa Bay area from its first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.

Flash floods were possible all across Florida. Hazards include the polluted leftovers of Floridas phosphate fertilizer mining industry, more than 1 billion tons of slightly radioactive waste contained in enormous ponds that could overflow in heavy rains.

The federal government sent 300 ambulances with medical teams and was ready to truck in 3.7 million meals and 3.5 million liters of water once the storm passes.

Well be there to help you clean up and rebuild, to help Florida get moving again, President Joe Biden said Wednesday. And well be there every step of the way. Thats my absolute commitment to the people of the state of Florida.

The governors of Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina all preemptively declared states of emergency. Forecasters predicted Ian will turn toward those states as a tropical storm, likely dumping more flooding rains into the weekend, after crossing Florida.

By Curt Anderson
People enter a polling station in L'Assomption, Que., on Sept. 25, 2022, as advanced polling begins ahead of the provincial election on Oct. 3. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes)

Immigration Issue Heats Up in Final Days of Quebec Election Campaign

In the countdown to the Quebec election on Oct. 3, Premier Francois Legault has been pressing harder on the hot-button issues of immigration and cultural preservation, saying this week that accepting more immigrants would be suicidal for the French language.

As long as we havent stopped the decline of French, I think that for the Quebecois nation that wants to protect French it would be a bit suicidal to increase [the immigration threshold], Legault said during a talk before the Montreal Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 28.

Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Jean Boulet made waves after he said during a local election debate that 80 percent of immigrants dont work.

Eighty percent of immigrants go to Montreal, dont work, dont speak French, or dont adhere to the values of Quebecs society, Boulet said.

Legault told reporters on Sept. 28 that what Boulet said was false and that he had made a serious mistake that disqualifies him as immigration minister, although he will remain as a party candidate. The same day, Boulet apologized on social media for his comments.

The question of how to protect French while at the same time welcome immigrants was posed to party leaders during the second and final election debate on Sept. 22.

Legault, the leader of the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), said the first job of the premier of Quebec is to ensure the future of French and that doing so requires fewer non-Francophone immigrants.

Coalition Avenir du Quebec Leader Francois Legault speaks to the media while campaigning In Longueuil, Que.,Sept. 19, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz)

Liberal Leader Dominque Anglade told Legault he should stop pointing fingers, stop dividing, stop saying that immigration is a problem or a threat. Anglade, a former CAQ candidate and party president, left the party in 2015 due to its stances on identity and immigration.

The two also clashed on Sept. 7. At a campaign event, Legault discussed the challenges of integration and confirmed his intentions to limit immigration to 50,000 people annually. Quebecers are peaceful, he said. They dont like bickering, they dont like extremists, they dont like violence. We have to ensure that we keep it the way it is right now.

Anglade condemned Legaults comments, which he later apologized for. I deplore it and I find that its dangerous. Our responsibility is to bring Quebecers together, Anglade said.

French Perceived as Fragile

Yannick Dufresne, a political scientist at Laval University, says the clash between the benefits and risks of immigration is at the forefront in Quebec because French is perceived as fragile on a continent dominated by English.

All the parties accept that, and maybe were the first ones because of our status as a language minority to realize that and to be forced into this awkward type of discussion. Its very charged emotionally and ideologically, Dufresne told The Epoch Times.

Quebec Liberal Party Leader Dominique Anglade speaks during a question and answer session at a youth conference while on a election campaign stop in Montreal, Sept. 17, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes)

If we dont accept more immigrants, then we will lose our proportion in the country. But if we accept them, and we dont integrate them well to the French, then what are we doing? Its a challenge for [party leaders], and to choose an answer is a very, very difficult choice.

The Parti Quebecois is the only party calling for reduced immigration, suggesting 35,000 annually.

Some business groups in Quebec want more immigration. Conseil du patronat du Quebec, the provinces largest employers group, wants 80,000 newcomers annually to help fill a worker shortage expected to reach 1.4 million jobs by 2030. The Quebec Manufacturers and Exporters (MEQ) association says labour shortages cost the provinces manufacturing sector $18 billion over the last two years.

Quebec will take in close to 70,000 immigrants in the current calendar year to make up for reduced numbers during the pandemic, but will reduce the annual threshold to 50,000 for the next four years. The Conservative Party of Quebec doesnt see immigration as a long-term solution to the labour shortage and would reduce immigration targets. The Liberals want 70,000, and Quebec solidaire (QS) 80,000.

Federal Context

Federally, the Liberal government wants to bring in 450,000 immigrants annually, which means that for Quebec to maintain birthrates but keep its current share of the Canadian population, it would have to increase immigration past 115,000. However, English Canada is nervous about having that many immigrants as well.

In June 2019, a Leger poll found that 63 percent of Canadians thought the federal government should prioritize limiting immigration to accommodate the countrys capacity to integrate them into Canadian communities, while 37 percent thought Canada should prioritize increasing immigration to meet the demands of our growing economy.

Quebec Conservative Leader Eric Duhaime waves to supporters at his campaign launch rally, on Aug. 28, 2022 in Quebec City. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

The Peoples Party is the lone voice advocating a reduction to between 100,000 and 150,000 immigrants annually, primarily focusing on economic ones with the right skills, but it has no seats in Parliament.

When asked why mainstream Quebec parties could have debates on immigration that English Canada could not, University of Winnipeg political science professor Malcolm Bird said Quebec politicians better represent a spectrum of valid considerations.

Immigration is a sensitive issue, but its also very important, he said.

Anytime youre bringing people into our country, youre altering the labour market, and depending on where you are in the labour market, immigration can be a good thing, it can be an OK thing, and for many people can be a bad thing. There shouldnt be anything wrong with saying that. For much of the lefts existence, they were critical of immigration because it brought more labourers into the labour market.

Immigration has fewer downsides in a labour shortage, but its upside to solving later shortages also has limits. Conservative leader Eric Duhaime spoke of this at a press conference on Sept. 5.

The immigrant who arrives here needs services, and hes going to consume more services, hes going to need hospitals, hes going to need school for his children, hes going to need housing, hes going to go to restaurants. It will generate a need for workers, he said.

Bird says an open market could handle the influx better, but housing regulations have hindered supply from reaching higher demand. The result is higher prices.

If were going to think about the current housing crisis here, you need to think about immigration, foreign students, housing supply, all of these things in the same context. Whether its bringing new people in or building more supply, those are both important factors that need to be considered and thought about, and a part of the dialogue.

Policy Stances

The issue of religious accommodation also plays into policy stances. In 2019, Legaults CAQ government passed Bill 21, which prohibits some public-sector workers in positions of authority, such as police and teachers, from wearing religious symbols in the workplace. The Quebec Conservative and PQ leaders support this bill, while the Liberals and QS are opposed.

(L-R) Conservative Leader Eric Duhaime, Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade, Quebec Solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, Parti-Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, CAQ Leader Francois Legault and moderator Pierre Brunei, stand on the set prior to the leaders debate in Montreal, on Sept. 15, 2022. (Martin Chevalier/The Canadian Press)

The Conservative Party of Quebec said a Conservative government will select permanent immigrants on the basis of their civilizational compatibility that adheres to Western values and the ability to integrate into Quebec culture.

Duhaime has said employability, values, and language proficiency in French are more important considerations than numbers.

A person who comes here and does not work, it is not a success either for him or for the host society, he said, adding that I think we need to make sure that there are no people who think that there are religious texts that are above our laws in Quebec.
In China, Home Buyers Occupy Their Rotting, Unfinished Properties

GUILIN, ChinaFor six months, home for Ms. Xu has been a room in a high-rise apartment in the southern Chinese city of Guilin that she bought three years ago, attracted by brochures touting its riverfront views and the citys clean air.

Her living conditions, however, are far from those promised: unpainted walls, holes where electric sockets should be and no gas or running water. Every day she climbs up and down several flights of stairs carrying heavy water bottles filled with a hose outside.

All the familys savings were invested in this house, Xu, 55, told Reuters from the Xiulan County Mansion complex, her room bare except for a mosquito net-covered bed, a few necessities, and empty bottles on the floor. She declined to give her full name, citing the sensitivity of the matter.

Xu and about 20 other buyers living in Xiulan County Mansion share a makeshift outdoor toilet and gather during the day at a table and benches in the central courtyard area.

They are part of a movement of home buyers around China who have moved into what they call rotting apartments, either to pressure developers and authorities to complete them or out of financial necessity, as numerous cash-strapped builders halt construction amid the countrys deep real estate slump.

Shanghai E-House Real Estate Research Institute estimated in July that stalled projects accounted for 3.85 percent of Chinas housing market in the first half of 2022, equivalent to an area of 231 million square meters.

While some local governments have taken steps to prop up the property market by setting up bailout funds, buyers like Xu, who paid deposits in advance and are on the hook for mortgages, remain in limbo.

Mortgage Strikes

The proliferation of unfinished apartments has sparked unprecedented collective disobedience, fueled by social media: in late June, thousands of home buyers in at least 100 cities threatened to halt mortgage payments to protest stalled construction.

The overall property market is highly sensitive to cases of unfinished apartments because 90 percent of new houses bought in China are purchased off plans while still under construction, said Yan Yuejin, research director at Shanghai E-House.

If this issue is not resolved, it will affect property transactions, the governments credibility, and it could exacerbate the developers debt problems, he said.

Chinas deep property slump, along with disruptions caused by strict anti-COVID measures, are dragging on the worlds second largest economy just as the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) gears up for its once-in-five-years Congress next month.

Crashing From Paradise

Xu bought her two-bedroom, 70 square meter flat in early 2019, about a year after its developer, Jiadengbao Real Estate, started construction and began marketing apartments for around 6,000 yuan ($851) per square meter, which they said would come with facilities such as floor heating and a shared swimming pool.

Work progressed quickly at first, with blocks in the planned 34 tower complex going up one after another.

But in June 2020, Jiadengbao Real Estate hit the headlines after a court accused its parent company of illegal fund-raising and seized 340 million yuan worth of its properties, including a number of flats in Xiulan County Mansion.

Construction stopped in mid-2020, which Xu found out months later, describing her feelings at the time as crashing from paradise.

Jiadengbao Real Estate did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Since the debt crisis erupted in 2021, thousands more home buyers have been caught in similar predicaments as cash-strapped developers went into bankruptcy or abandoned struggling projects.

Fencing and Undergrowth

On a recent day, the main block of buildings at Xiulan County Mansion was surrounded by a tall blue fence while the clubhouse, touted in promotional materials, was covered in a dense undergrowth. Cement mixers, iron poles, and piles of debris lay strewn around.

Xu, who is unemployed, said she bought the apartment for her only son, with the hope that he would be able to raise a family there. She said her son and her husband, who live far away in the northern province of Hebei, blame her for their financial predicament, and no longer speak to her.

We dont know how long we will have to live here because the government has not said anything officially, she said.

The city government did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

($1 = 7.0508 Chinese yuan renminbi)
In His Own Words: Paul Arteta, Republican Candidate for Orange County Sheriff, New York

MONTGOMERY, N.Y.The Epoch Times sat down with Paul Arteta, the Republican candidate for Orange County Sheriff, at a coffee shop on Sept. 26.

Arteta won the Republican primary, besting Orange County Undersheriff Kenneth Jones by about 15 points. He will face Democratic candidate Bernie Rivers in the general election.

Carmen DeStefano, a retired investigator, is also running as a write-in candidate.

The incumbent, Sheriff Carl Dubois, will retire after 20 years in office.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

The Epoch Times: Youve worked in various roles at the Orange County Sheriffs Office for most of your career. How did you get into law enforcement?

Paul Arteta: I was born in Newburgh and raised in Ulster County. I was a union worker when my high school friends working in the jail suggested that I take the test. I did. I scored well, and I started working in jails in the early 90s. I had never been in trouble with the law before, and boom, I was with the bad people.

There was a really cool guy who would come into my little office and talk to me all the time. He said he was falsely accused, that he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, and looked like the black guy that actually did it. Then one day I got off work and found him waiting outside the jail for me. He told me he was cleared. I was like, Wow, there are innocent people in here. That changed me.

Shortly before I left the jail to become a deputy, an inmate tried to hang himself. We got him cut down and saved his life. Later I found out the inmate had raped my uncles sister-in-law. A lot of people asked me if I had known that fact, would I do anything differently? I said no. That was how close to home this guy was.

Pictures showcase the memories Paul Arteta has gathered during his career in law enforcement. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

The Epoch Times: You climbed through the ranks at the sheriffs office, from a deputy to investigator, to sergeant-in-charge of daytime patrols, and to sergeant-in-charge of investigations. Then you had an opportunity to work on the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force. Can you share more about that experience?

Arteta: When the opportunity came along in 2009, several people being asked at the sheriffs office declined to go. I saw it as an opportunity to go work with other agencies and so I went. We had a very energetic FBI agent leading the task force and focused on rival gangs in the city of Newburgh. In 2010, we had a substantial takedown, arresting about 78 gang members and sending them away to federal prisons for a very long time.

The Epoch Times: Why did you decide to run for sheriff?

Arteta: After the former Sheriff Frank Bigger got elected, he asked me at dinner, What do you see coming out of this job at the sheriffs office? I said, I want your job. Pretty much throughout my 30 years at the sheriffs office, Id wanted to be sheriff. I dont just get a job because I need to make money. I come to a job to make it better or to do good things. I just want to continue and make the office the best I can.

I think my experience at the sheriffs office makes me the best candidate. My experience also goes beyond Orange Countyhaving worked on [the] FBI gang task force and gone to the FBI national academy. I did a masters degree online with San Diego University, which revolved around 21st-century policing. I like to find out whats going on in other agencies and even countries. We might have the same problems, and maybe some trick that someone else is doing works.

Paul Arteta in his office at the Montgomery Police Department in New York on Sept. 27, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

The Epoch Times: Whats your action plan if you are elected sheriff?

Arteta: Im going to address the understaffing at the county jail. For correctional officers who have family and young children, mandatory overtime has been hard on them. We are going to take a deep dive, identify correctional officers who are assigned to jobs other than watching prisoners and bring some of them back to correctional work. Im also going to expand support and reentry services at the jailsuch as mental health, job training, and helping inmates earn back their drivers licenses.

Im going to enhance patrol, so we are more present throughout the county. There are a lot of communities in our county that dont have a police force, and Id like to make sure deputies go through those towns. Id like to have boat patrol all summer long, seven days a week, with help of grant money. We need to bring that back to protect against terrorismthe power lines that go from here all the way down to New York City. I am going to have bike patrol on the Orange County heritage trail and in the county parks. To do that, we are going to take a deep dive into different units at the office and perhaps reassign some deputies back to patrol. A lot of our job is not chasing after bad guys and arresting them; it is about deterrence and being out there for the community to see us and talk to us.

A lawn sign shows support for Paul Arteta in downtown Montgomery, N.Y., on Sept. 27, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

Im going to provide more support to local police agencies. We are going to work with them, get out there, and help them accomplish their goals. Im going to send deputies to assist with training at police academies in the county. We are losing a lot of old folks through attrition. If we can get them into police academies to train young cops in Orange County, that would be a benefit.

I want to enhance our drug task force and work more closely with the District Attorneys Office. I think the drug epidemic is probably the biggest problem in this county right now. Overdoses are rising, and a lot of property crimes are driven by drug addiction. By working with other agencies, we can get more things accomplished. We will focus on taking as many drugs as we can off the street.

The Epoch Times: In July, right after the states concealed carry law was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, New York passed a set of new gun laws within hours of introduction. Whats your take on the laws?

Arteta: I think it is a shame. It looks like its all for political reasons. We already have laws on the books that can be used to target criminals, yet they keep coming up with these laws that make it harder for law-abiding citizens.

We will take it on a case-by-case basis. Just like a district attorney has the latitude to prosecute or not, we have the latitude to arrest or not to arrest. There is an old saying that ignorance of laws is no excuse. But you cannot keep coming up with new laws and expect people to be in the know all the time. People are caught up with their lives, taking kids to schools, and doing family obligations, and many of them might not even know what the new laws say. I happen to be in the know just because of what I do.

Paul Arteta stands at the entrance of the Montgomery Police Department in New York, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

The Epoch Times: New York passed a major criminal justice reform bill in 2019 that eliminated cash bail for most low-level crimes. Whats your take on those laws?

Arteta: Why do we elect judges? We elect them to make these hard decisions such as bail. For the most part, I think judges are making the right decisions, taking into consideration your housing, your financial security, your job, your family, etc. But the bail reform took that discretion away from the judges in a lot of cases. I dont agree with everything in that reform. Nobody says we dont need reform, but I think one of the biggest problems in government today is [that] instead of making a law, they make this huge draft document and slip in all these different things so that you cant really concentrate on one item.

The Epoch Times: It is reported that you were internally investigated in the coverup of a use-of-force report and shortly afterward you left the sheriffs office in 2020. Can you tell us what happened?

Arteta: That had to do with deputies who grabbed an uncooperative inmate at a court in Middletown, New York. I didnt know of the incident at the time. There was no coverup. After that internal investigation, I retired from the sheriffs office as a captain in good standing. I just found it hard for me and Undersheriff Jones to work at the same agency when both of us were running for sheriff. I now work as deputy chief at the Montgomery Police Department.
Internal Pentagon Report Says China Is Main Beneficiary of Key US Technology Research Efforts

A confidential internal Department of Defense (DOD) report concludes that China, not the United States, is the ultimate beneficiary of DoD and other [U.S. government] research investments, according to Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).

Washington is spending billions of your tax dollars every year to hypothetically achieve technological dominance over communist China, but the ultimate beneficiary of that effort may be  China, Ernst said in a Sept. 28 statement made available to The Epoch Times.

That is the shocking conclusion of a Department of Defense (DoD) review that found China was stealing technology developed in the United States by exploiting the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

The Iowa Republican described the process by which research efforts intended to help strengthen U.S. national security actually ends up benefitting the Chinese Communist Party.

This is how it works: American companies receiving taxpayer assistance for technology development from DoD and other agencies are recruited by China to continue their work at institutions associated with [the] Peoples Liberation Army, Ernst said.

The U.S. company is then dissolved and the research and intellectual property paid for [with] U.S. tax dollars is transferred to a subsidiary in China. Just like that, American-made ingenuity is shipped overseas to our leading global adversary  and we, the American taxpayers, are funding it.

Key to the process is the ability of Chinese intelligence agents to recruit assets within the companies doing the research funded by U.S. tax dollars, according to Ernst, who cited an example included in the report, which hasnt been made public.

A researcher and the co-founders of a now-dissolved company that received four grants to develop technology for spacecraft and drones, for example, were allegedly recruited by the Chinese government and now work for institutions affiliated with the communist regimes defense agency, she said.

The result is that tens of millions of your tax dollars were spent on the development of other technologies, including broadband, biohazard detectors, solar energy, designs for military devices, and pharmaceuticals, that were all transferred to China.

Ernst said in her statement that shes giving her latest Squeal Award to all of the government agencies that have allowed these double-crossing companies to take your money and run off to China with the breakthroughs that rightfully belong to the United States.

Ernst isnt alone in her concern, as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said earlier this year that hell oppose recertifying the SBIR program unless its made secure against Chinese efforts to subvert it.

A spokesman for Paul, who asked to not be named, told Defense News in June that there are currently severe risks to national security when China continues to steal technology seeded by this program.

Dr. Paul will not reauthorize this program without reforms to strengthen research security and stop abusive behavior by bad actors lining their pockets with taxpayer dollars at the expense of new small businesses with emerging technologies being able to access SBIR awards.

Concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. technology research efforts arent new, with a result that the SBIR program, in particular, faces an uncertain future, despite the fact that its one of such key efforts.

While not well known, SBIR helps small businesses conduct early-stage, high-risk research and development by allocating small businesses a fixed share (3.2 percent) of federal agencies annual R&D spending, Charles Wessner and Sujai Shivakumar wrote in a recent report published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Eleven different government agencies are required to participate in the program, with the DOD accounting for over half of spending, or about $1.7 billion out of an annual total federal expenditure of roughly $3.2 billion, Wessner and Shivakumar wrote.

The program is unique in its focus on leveraging the creativity and drive of small businesses in the United States to address pressing government and societal needs in defense, health, energy, space, and engineering.
A Medicare and Centrelink office sign is seen in Sydney, Australia, on March 21, 2016. (Matt King/Getty Images)

Investigation Into Former Australian Governments Unlawful Debt Recovery Scheme Officially Launched

The Royal Commission has launched a major investigation into an unlawful debt recovery program initiated by the Australian government in 2016 and promised to hold those in charge to account.

On Sept. 27, the commission held an initial public hearing in Brisbane and made brief opening statements on the investigation.

The commission said the first two-week public hearing would occur in October and examine several issues, including the timing of when the unlawful debt recovery scheme became automated.

Commission Chair Catherine Holmes, who is a former Queensland Supreme Court chief justice, said the people overseeing the program would be subject to inquiry.

Many people at different levels of government will be asked to give an account of their role  with the robodebt scheme, she said.

But the focus  will be on those in senior positions, who had or should have had oversight.

What Is The Robodebt Scheme?

In July 2016, the Australian governments welfare agency Centrelink launched the Online Compliance Intervention scheme, which was later dubbed robodebt by the media, to assess overpayments and issue debt notices to welfare recipients.

The scheme used an automated data-marching system that compared welfare recipients reported income with data from the Australian Taxation Office to determine whether they were overpaid.

However, the scheme was later found to falsely accuse welfare recipients of owing money to the government and force them to make repayments.

It was estimated that the scheme wrongfully recovered around $750 million (US$480 million) from 381,000 Australians.

At the time, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, former minister Alan Tudge, and former Attorney-General Christian Porter oversaw the scheme.

Later, the federal court ruled that the scheme was unlawful in 2019, and the former Coalition government agreed to settle the case with $1.2 billion in 2020.

Victims Urged to Come Forward

Meanwhile, the commissioner has called on the schemes victims to come forward with their experiences.

This was a difficult, stressful time in the lives of thousands of people who were told they had debts to pay, Holmes said.

I understand many just wont want to revisit the experience, but submissions by those who are prepared to describe what happened in their case will be very helpful in establishing the detail and the human impact of what occurred.

Royal Commission chair Catherine Holmes makes a statement to the media at the Supreme Court in Brisbane, Australia, on Sept. 8, 2015. (AAP Image/Pool, Mark Cranitch)

Speaking to reporters on Sept. 27 morning, Government Services Minister Bill Shorten said the scheme was Australias greatest failure of public administration in social security.

It was a scheme which said it was targeted for getting Centrelink cheats to pay what they owed  the truth of the matter is the scheme was unlawful, he said.

Once a machine  a faulty algorithm asserted a debt was owed, the onus was reversed, and the citizen had to prove why the government was wrong.

These were David and Goliath struggles.

The investigation is expected to examine how the scheme was introduced and why federal ministers ignored warning signs during its implementation.

It will also look into the use of external debt collectors and other concerns raised by the public.
Its Like Walking Through a War Zone: Atlantic Canada Mops Up After Fionas Fury

Lost and damaged homes, downed trees, and power outages just part of the devastation wrought by post-tropical storm

The mood was sombre in Channel-Port aux Basques on Sept. 27.

In the wake of the devastation wrought by post-tropical storm Fiona, torn bits of walls and the roofs of houses blown into the waters of Cabot Strait still lined the shore of this small southwestern Newfoundland and Labrador community.

Its like walking through a war zone, Darlene Collier, manager of the local Salvation Army thrift store, told The Epoch Times. When I walked down there on Saturday morning, I was shocked by what I was seeing.

As the storm lashed Atlantic Canada and southeastern Quebec, two Newfoundland women and a man in Nova Scotia were washed out to sea. One of the women broke her leg but was later treated and survived. The other succumbed to her injuries. The man is still missing.

Another man, known locally as Smokey, who survived being swept into the water when a wave hit him as he tried to get into his house, was able to get back ashore unscathed and is staying with relatives.

Although built on rock, many houses along the shore of Port aux Basques on Water Street East, Feltham Avenue, Clement Crescent, and Knox Avenuehomes that had survived more than half a century of previous stormswere overcome by Fiona and washed away to sea.

Others were so damaged as to be uninhabitable. Police are patrolling the area.

A number of homes evacuated during the storm remain under an evacuation order, Newfoundland and Labrador RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Jolene Garland told The Epoch Times.

Police have responded to instances of homeowners attempting to gain access to their properties and will continue to respond to ensure everyones safety.

With the exception of one case described by the RCMP as being a minor theft involving youths allegedly trying to swipe a dirt bike helmet, the community has been rallying around those most affected by Fionas fury.

The storm first made landfall in Atlantic Canada just southwest of Canso on the northeastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia in the early morning hours on Sept. 24.

According to the Canadian Hurricane Centre, Fiona generated damaging winds, torrential rainfall, large waves, and a destructive storm surge.

Fiona smacked into Port aux Basques with winds of up to 134 km/h. But it was the storm surges that caused the greatest damage in this hardest-hit community.

Winds were actually stronger in other communities in Atlantic Canada, reaching 140 km/h in Summerside and 149 km/h in East Point on Prince Edward Island, 177 km/h at Wreckhouse in Newfoundland, and 179 km/h in Arisaig, N.S.

Buildings sit in the water along the shore following hurricane Fiona in Rose Blanche-Harbour Le Cou, Newfoundland and Labrador, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

Were Still Assessing the Damage

Students living in St. Francis Xavier Universitys Marguerite residence in Antigonish, N.S., woke up shortly after midnight on Sept. 24 to hear the wind tearing away at the roof of the building, said the universitys spokesperson Cindy MacKenzie.

Students were evacuated in the middle of the night, moved to Mulroney Hall, and later allowed to return to their residence rooms to get their laptops and other essential items before being relocated to other residences. By the following day, the university had a remediation company on the scene for clean-up operations and to prevent more water damage.

Temporary patching has been done to the roof of Marguerite to minimize water entering the building, MacKenzie said in an interview. Were still assessing the damage.

Along the path of destruction caused by Fiona, thats pretty much what most people are doing: cleaning up, assessing the damage, and trying to fix what they can and get back to their lives.

In Nova Scotia alone, 415,000 of the electrical utilitys customers lost power during the storm. Days later, on the evening of Sept. 27, there were still over 7,700 outages in the province affecting over 120,000 customers.

While progress is being made, there is still a lot of difficult work ahead, said Matt Drover, Nova Scotia Powers storm lead, in a statement.

Weve been able to start getting a better look at some of those hardest-hit areas with drones and helicopters and it is reinforcing how widespread the damage is.

During Fiona, thousands of trees fell on power lines, hundreds of telephone poles broke or were pushed aside by fallen trees, and transformers were damaged in Nova Scotia alone.

Drone footage provided by Nova Scotia Power shows a string of downed telephone poles and power lines in Glace Bay, work crews installing new poles, and giant trees toppled by the storm, blocking roads.

By the end of the day on Sept. 27, it was a similar situation with widespread outages in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

A lobster boat grounded on the rocks at the wharf in Stanley Bridge, P.E.I., on Sept. 25, 2022.(The Canadian Press/Brian McInnis)

In addition to downed trees, lost and damaged homes, many Atlantic Canadians are facing losses due to flooding from the storm surges and flash floods caused by the heavy rainfall over the weekend.

Over 100 Canadian Armed Forces personnel have been deployed to various areas to help with disaster relief efforts, having received requests for help from the governments of N.S, P.E.I, and N.L.

Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair has announced that Ottawa will match donations to the Canadian Red Crosss Hurricane Fiona in Canada Appeal to support emergency services ranging from interim housing, clothing, food, and other essential supplies.

Everyone Pitched In

In Newfoundland and Labrador, though, people arent waiting for the government to step in.

In the northeastern coastal town of Twillingate, Justin Blacker, a former principal at a school in Port aux Basques and now the mayor of Twillingate, sprang into action, calling on people from the community to drop off donations of food, clothing, and money at his garage on Sept. 25 as soon as he heard about the devastation.

J.M. Olds Collegiate principal Jessica Granter thought that was a good idea.

A home is hit by high winds caused by post-tropical storm Fiona in Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, on Sept. 24, 2022. (Rene Roy/Wreckhouse Press via AP)

She, her staff, and the students of the local secondary school started raising funds. They sold sundaes. They collected toonies from those who wanted to wear pyjamas to school. And they threw open their cafeteria to allow members of the community to drop off donations.

By noon on Sept. 27, the small school of only 111 students had raised $1,390 as well as food, clothing, and other essential items for Port aux Basques residents. They added it to the mayors drive, and it totalled about $10,000 in cash and enough emergency supplies to fill a 26-foot U-Haul trailer. The local Lions Club chipped in $500 for gas.

Its in Port aux Basques now and theres another one going out on Monday, said Granter in an interview.

Everyone pitched in. It was just crazy. One lady knit three wool hats just to donate, she said. So many people who have struggledor are struggling nowwere among those who gave the most.

At the Salvation Army in Port aux Basques, where even the water is brown and the residents are under a boil-water advisory, that help from strangers is keeping hope alive.

Theyre calling from all over the province and all over Canada to ask what they can do, said Collier. The trucks are coming in daily. We even have another one coming later with fresh produce.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno speaks at a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Sept. 5, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)

Japan Demands Apology From Russia Over Coercively Detaining Consul

Russian authorities allegedly 'blindfolded and physically restrained' the Japanese consulate official

Japans government on Tuesday demanded an apology from Russian authorities for coercively detaining a Japanese consulate official, who was accused of espionage and ordered to leave Russia.

Tatsunori Motoki, a Japanese consul in Valdivostok, was detained on Sept. 22 and declared persona non grataa term used for an unwelcome personfor allegedly engaging in spying, which Japans government has denied.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said the consulate official was physically restrained and had his eyes covered by the Russian authorities during his detention, Kyodo News reported.

Hayashi said the Russian authorities treatment of Motoki was totally unacceptable as there was no evidence that the consulate official had engaged in any illegal activity.

He further noted that detaining a consulate official violates the Vienna Convention and a consular pact between Japan and Russia.

Motoki was released after a few hours of detention and was ordered to leave Russia within 48 hours. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the consul has no health problem and will return to Japan on Wednesday.

The alleged illegal activity insisted by the Russian side is completely groundless, he told reporters.

Matsuno said that Japans Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori summoned Russias ambassador and strongly protested, demanding a formal apology from the Russian government and measures to prevent a recurrence.

Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) said Monday that it had detained a Japanese consulate official based in Vladivostok for soliciting restricted information, according to Russian news agencies.

A Japanese diplomat was detained red-handed while receiving, in exchange for financial reward, restricted information about Russias cooperation with another country in the Asia-Pacific region, the FSB stated.

The FSB identified the official as Tatsunori Motoki, accusing him of seeking out information on the impact of Western sanctions on the surrounding Primorye region.

The Kremlin has referred to Japan as a hostile country, a designation it shares with the United States, the E.U. countries, and their Western allies, due to Japans sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine since Feb. 24.

Japan has sanctioned Russian leader Vladimir Putin and several other Russian leaders, and restricted exports of certain goods to the country. It also banned certain Russian banks from the SWIFT global interbank network.

The Japanese government had supplied Ukraine with defense equipment, such as bulletproof vests and helmets, and pledged to accept Ukrainian refugees even if they have no relatives in Japan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jeanette Contreras Runs for Capistrano Unified Area 7

Mother, librarian, and self-described public servant, Jeanette Contreras is running for a seat on the Capistrano Unified School Board on Nov. 8.

I understand the value and benefits of public education. I believe that I can be a voice for parents, students, volunteers, and community members who may not have been well represented on the School board, Contreras told The Epoch Times in an email.

Contreras is running against incumbent Judy Bullockus, for Trustee of Area 7, which includes schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo, and Coto de Caza.

(Courtesy of Jeanette Contreras)

According to Contrerass website, her experience includes working as a library director for Placentia Library District for 14 years. As such, she says she has managed financially-sound budgets, contracts, negotiations, public policies, capital improvement projects, and community partnerships.

She has also served as a board member for several community service groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Club in Orange County, and the Homeless Intervention of Orange County, which runs programs to assist the homeless or those at risk of becoming so.

If elected, according to her campaign website, she wants to work to provide safe school environments with violence and bullying training for students and staff and increase accessibility to mental health services.

Contreras also wants to balance the districts budget while hiring a more qualified teaching staff and lowering the student-to-teacher ratios.

Contreras arrived in the United States from Vietnam with her family when she was 8. She attended public schools and ultimately received her bachelors degree in Business Administration from California State UniversityFullerton and a masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University.

She and her husband have lived in Mission Viejo for 14 years and have three childrentwo of which attend district schools, where both parents volunteer.

Contreras is endorsed by several organizations and elected officials, including Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), Assemblyman Phillip Chen (R-Yorba Linda), Placentia Unified School District Board President Carrie Buck, the Capistrano Unified Education Association, and the Democratic Party of Orange County.
Lawmaker Calls Justice Departments Undercount of Prison Deaths Shocking Gap

Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) has called the Department of Justice (DOJ)s failure to count nearly 1,000 prison deaths a shocking gap.

The report (pdf) on a 10-month bi-partisan investigation was revealed on Sept. 20 at a Senate hearing. The investigation focused on whether the DOJ has complied with the Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) of 2013.

What weve found are shocking gaps in federal oversight, Ossoff, who led the probe, said in an interview with Fox News Digital last week.

For example, in 2021 alone, the Department of Justice failed to count nearly 1,000 deaths in jails and prisons nationwide.

According to the Georgia lawmaker, the probe revealed that even when deaths were counted, reports on more than a third of them  failed to document the circumstances of death.

Deaths Include Many Pre-trial Detainees

Ossoff further stressed that many of those who died were pre-trial detainees. Theyre in custody, theyve not yet been tried or convicted of any crime, he said.

The congressman pointed to testimony from Americans who are victims of the misconduct to prove this point.

Folks like Ms. [Belinda] Maley, whose son, Matthew [Loflin], died of congestive heart failurepreventable while he was awaiting trial, having been convicted of no crime, Ossoff said.

We played the audio of the last phone call that they shared, where the young man behind bars said he was going to die, said he was in pain, the senator added. But his mother couldnt help him, and he didnt get any help while he was inside.

In his opinion, those deaths can be prevented if accurate information is made known. We need to understand whos dying, why they are dying, where they are dying, so that we can reduce deaths in custody across the country, Ossoff said.

Ossoff stressed that the oath he took as a lawmaker, to protect and defend the rights of all Americans, includes the incarcerated.

Humanitarian Crisis Behind Bars

The hearing last week by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which Ossoff chairs, looked for an explanation from the DOJ for its failure to oversee prisons and jails.

The DOJ itself conceded in a recent report (pdf) that it had failed to count some deaths in state prisons, and pledged to continue administering DCRA with an emphasis on providing technical support, resources, and assistance to improve state reporting.

Ossoff commented that the DOJs failure undermines efforts to address the urgent humanitarian crisis ongoing behind bars across the country.

It is not clear if the DOJ will face any consequences for failing to comply with the reporting mandate.

Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) delivers remarks as Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) looks on during an event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 13, 2022. (Mandel NGAN / AFPvia Getty Images)

Lawmakers Push Biden to Order Screening of US Investments in China

Bid to protect 'exposed' US supply chains

A bipartisan group of U.S. House and Senate lawmakers urged President Joe Biden to issue an executive order to increase the screening of investments by U.S. companies in foreign adversaries, particularly China.

An executive order controlling U.S. investment abroad would safeguard our national security and supply chain resiliency on outbound investments to foreign adversaries, eight senators wrote in a Sept. 27 letter (pdf) to Biden.

Congress has been considering a legislative proposal that would give new powers to the U.S. government to review or block billions of dollars in U.S. outbound investments into China. The proposed legislation, dubbed the National Critical Capabilities Defense Act, was revised in June. Despite strong support, the measure was dealt a setback when it was removed from legislation to subsidize U.S. semiconductor chip manufacturing and research that was approved in August.

Although negotiations continue, American workers, businesses and our national security cannot afford to wait, reads a statement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), and other lawmakers.

Related Coverage Chinas Protracted Lockdowns Cause Critical Shortages in West

The pandemic shined a spotlight on just how exposed U.S. supply chains are and the severe cost of relying on foreign adversaries for our Nations critical capabilities, the lawmakers wrote in the letter.

The group, which also included Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), and Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), pushed the president to move forward with executive action to protect U.S. workers and advance U.S. economic security interests.

The White House didnt respond to a request for comment.

U.S. President Joe Biden, shown during the third meeting of the White House Competition Council, in the State Dining Room of the White House on Sept. 26, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Government Action Long Overdue

The Biden administration hasnt yet made a final decision on a potential mechanism to screen U.S. outbound investment in China, National Security Council official Peter Harrell said earlier this month.

Its important to consider whether and how certain narrowly targeted categories of U.S. investment in foreign competitor semiconductor firms might undermine the effectiveness of these other policy tools, Harrell said at an event marking the release of a report on outbound investment measures.

However, lawmakers highlighted in the letter that the Chinese regime has an egregious track record of promoting intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer.

When we cede our manufacturing power and technological know-how to foreign adversaries, we are hurting our economy, our global competitiveness, American workers, industry, and national security, the lawmakers wrote. Government action on this front is long overdue to address the scope and magnitude of these serious risks we face as a country.

Related Coverage China Using American Private Tech to Advance Military

Worlds Principal IP Infringer

About 80 percent of all economic espionage prosecutions by the Justice Department allege conduct that would benefit China, the department stated in 2021.

An updated IP commission report (pdf), published in 2017 by the National Bureau of Asian Research, estimated that the cost of intellectual property (IP) theft to the U.S. economy could be as high as $600 billion per year.

The IP commission called China the worlds principal IP infringer, responsible for between 50 percent and almost 90 percent of all IP theft costs at the time of the report.

China continues to obtain American IP from U.S. companies operating inside China, from entities elsewhere in the world, and of course from the United States directly through conventional as well as cyber means, the IP commission wrote in the report. These include coercive activities by the state designed to force outright IP transfer or give Chinese entities a better position from which to acquire or steal American IP.

Theft of tech secrets and forced technology transfer were among the reasons that the Trump administration launched its trade war against China in 2018.

The Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing on outbound investment on Sept. 29, featuring testimony from Cornyn, Casey, and former Commerce and Treasury Department officials. It will also feature testimony from Robert Strayer, executive vice president of policy at the Information Technology Industry Council.

Reuters and J.M. Phelps contributed to the report.
Coalition Avenir du Quebec leader Francois Legault speaks to the media while campaigning in Montreal on Sept. 28, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz)

Legault Says Accepting More Than 50,000 Immigrants a Year Suicidal for Quebec

Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) Leader Francois Legault says it would be a bit suicidal if Quebec accepts more than 50,000 immigrants to the province per year because it would be impossible to properly integrate newcomers and teach them French.

Legault made the comments during an event at the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal on Sept. 28 while speaking on labour shortages in the province.

When clarifying his statements before reporters later that day, Legault said the term suicidal used in that context is a French-language expression meant to describe something that is detrimental.

Its an expression in Quebec to say that if we increase the number of immigrants while French is in decline, it would be a bit suicidal for French, Legault said.

So I think that right now we cannot increase the 50,000 immigrants per year because it would mean that we will continue to see a decline in the percentage of Quebecers, and especially Montrealers that are speaking French, and I want to protect French.

The CAQ leader was also pressed to respond to controversial comments made by incumbent immigration minister Jean Boulet last week when he said that 80 percent of immigrants to the province settle in Montreal and dont work, dont speak French, or dont adhere to the values of Quebec society.

Boulet made the comments on Sept. 21 during a radio debate for candidates in the Trois-Rivieres riding. He took to Twitter on the morning of Sept. 28, apologizing for expressing his thoughts poorly.

The broadcast excerpt does not reflect what I think, he said. We must continue to focus on the reception, francization and integration of immigrants, which are an asset for Quebec.

Legault commented on the controversy today, saying Boulet made a serious error.

Its unacceptable. I think in the fire of the exchanges, he said something that is not true. Its not true what he said, and he understands that its not true.

In an interview with LCN et a Radio-Canada on Sept. 28, Legault said Boulets comments disqualified him for the job of immigration minister but that he will be allowed to stay as a candidate.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Man Gets 7 Years in Prison for Assaulting Officer During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

An Iowa resident was sentenced on Sept. 27 to more than seven years in federal prison for assaulting a law enforcement officer on Jan. 6, 2021, matching one of the longest terms of imprisonment so far among nearly 900 U.S. Capitol breach prosecutions.

Kyle Young, 38, of Redfield, Iowa, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Washington by Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who noted that Young admitted to being among a group of protesters who participated in the assault of a former police officer in the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol.

Young attempted to turn himself in on Jan. 27 but lied about not having anything to do with the riots, according to court documents (pdf). He stated at the time that a cousin notified him that a picture of him appeared on the news.

In April 2021, Young was arrested and was subsequently indicted with two co-defendants accused of participating in the same attack. He pleaded guilty on May 5 to assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.

Jackson gave Young credit for the 17 months hes been held since his arrest, meaning hell likely serve nearly six years in prison. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release and has been ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

Young Regrets His Actions of That Day

The 38-year-old heating, ventilation, and air conditioning worker traveled from his Redfield, Iowa, home to Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, together with his 16-year-old son to join the Stop the Steal rally. He made plans more than a week prior to the event to travel to the state and attend the protest.

Once at the Capitol, Young joined a group of participants who were pushing against a police line in an attempt to enter the government building. Shortly after, he managed to enter the Capitols lower west terrace holding a strobe light toward police while pushing forward a stick-like object, per court documents.

In video footage obtained by authorities, Young was seen giving a dark object the size and shape of an electric stun gun to another man, identified by police as Daniel Rodriguez. That same weapon was later used against former D.C. Metropolitan police officer Michael Fanone.

This collage of stills shows Kyle Young giving an electric stun gun to Daniel Rodriguez at the U.S. Capital in Washington D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021. (Courtesy of Department of Justice via The Epoch Times)

About five minutes later, Young and another individual hurled a heavy audio speaker toward the police line, but it instead struck a fellow participant, drawing blood.

Young is then seen briefly holding the strobe light again, pointing it at the police line, before passing the flashlight back to his son. Moments later, he used a long pole or stick that was being passed through the crowd to strike at officers.

About ten minutes later, Fanone arrived as reinforcement at the Capitols lower west terrace where protesters were attempting to breach the tunnel. Shortly after, a 42-year-old man identified as Albuquerque Cosper Head of Kingsport, Tennessee, grabbed Fanone around the neck and pulled the officer into the crowd, which included Young, per the documents.

Prosecutors said the officer was repeatedly assaulted by multiple individuals as Young restrained him when he was at his most vulnerable. At this time, Fanone had been repeatedly tased on the back of his neck by Rodriguez as Young continued to restrain him for several seconds.

Youngs attorney, Samuel Moore, argued his engagement with the officer was two to three seconds of holding Fanones wrist. He tried to convince the judge that the governments request of seven years was excessive and outside his specific criminal conduct.

Fanone testified to the court about what he experienced that day, saying he was beaten and repeatedly shocked with a stun gun. Young also admitted to handing a stun gun to Rodriguez, who then used it on Fanone. He also admitted to grabbing the officers hand as he struggled to protect himself in the attack.

Former D.C. Metropolitan police officer Michael Fanone reveals injuries he sustained on Jan. 6, 2021, after being repeatedly shocked with a taser to the back of his neck, causing burn marks that resulted in scarring. (Courtesy of Department of Justice via The Epoch Times)

Former D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, center, shakes hands with a Capitol Police officer as Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, left, stands by outside the federal courthouse in Washington on Sept. 27, 2022. (Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo)

What I hope you do with that time is, I hope you suffer, Fanone told Young during his recount of Jan. 6, 2021, events, urging Jackson to sentence the father-of-four to 10 years in federal prison for his role in the assault.

Fanone told U.S. House Committee investigators that he was grabbed, beaten, tased, all while being called a traitor to my country. The assault on the officer stopped after he shouted that he had children. During the attack, he also suffered a heart attack and was escorted back to the police line, where he regained consciousness. He has since retired from the department.

Young originally faced more than a dozen charges but entered a plea to the single charge of assault on an officer.

Jackson told Young at the sentencing that hes one of the most serious offenders related to Jan. 6, 2021, events in his caseload, calling him a one man wrecking ball, while adding that he has seldom in [his] years on the bench been presented with anything like this.

Young cried as he apologized to Fanone, saying he wished he could take back his actions of that day.

I hope someday you forgive me, he said.

In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 870 people have been arrested throughout the nation for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement, noting that over 265 individuals have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

The harshest sentence of 10 years behind bars was given to a former New York City police officer who assaulted an officer at the Capitol with a metal flagpole.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News
A smartphone with Facebook's logo is seen with new rebrand logo Meta in this illustration taken on Oct. 28, 2021. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Meta Removes Chinese and Russian Political Influence Networks Ahead of US Midterms

Meta, Facebooks parent company, on Tuesday said it removed accounts linked to two unconnected covert operations in China and Russia seeking to influence political narratives in the United States ahead of the midterms in November.

In addition to seeking to influence U.S. domestic politics ahead of the midterms, the Chinese operation targeted the Czech Republics foreign policy toward China and Ukraine, and to a lesser extent, Chinese- and French-speaking people around the world, according to Meta.

Ben Nimmo, Metas global threat intelligence lead, said at a press briefing that, unlike previous Chinese operations which bad-mouthed the United States in South Asia, the new efforts targeted messages to Americans themselves, pushing narratives aimed at divisive U.S. domestic issues like abortion and gun rights.

When asked about the issue, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said his office is very concerned about reports of foreign election interference both new and old, Reuters reported.

Meta said the Russian network was the largest of its kind disrupted by the company since the war in Ukraine began. That operation primarily focused on Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom with narratives focused on the war and its impact.

The Russia-based operation included a sprawling network of over 60 websites impersonating legitimate news organizations, according to Meta.

The company said it shared information related to its investigation with tech companies, security researchers, governments, and law enforcement, so that they too can take appropriate action.

At the end of our full report, were also including threat indicators to help the security community detect and counter malicious activity elsewhere on the internet, the company said in a news release.

Twitter has also taken down accounts connected to the operations, Reuters reported.

Silhouettes of mobile users are seen next to a screen projection of the Instagram logo, on March 28, 2018. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Chinese Operation

The Chinese operation was active across multiple social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and two Czech petition platforms.

Meta noted that it was the first time the company disrupted a Chinese operation ahead of the U.S. midterms, as well as one targeting the Czech Republics foreign policy toward China and Ukraine.

The Chinese influence operation produced a low volume of posts, mostly during the hours of Chinas work day, which helped to identify the activity as coordinated inauthentic behavior; a violation of Metas policy.

The operation comprised of four largely separate, short-lived efforts over the last 12 months, each focused on a particular audience, and at different times some of the accounts cheer while others criticize both sides of a U.S. domestic political issue.

For example, in its report (pdf), Meta notes one of the efforts by the Chinese network group that targeted both sides of politics with an original meme about President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and another about Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), an outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party.

The Biden meme, posted on April 18, featured an image of the president with the words: One year in. Nothing is built. Nothing is back. Nothing is better.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 25, 2022. (John Raoux/AP Photo)

The Rubio meme, posted Aug. 2, featured an image of the senator with accusations of corruption. Both of these posts received one engagement each, and most of the networks U.S.-focused operations gained almost no traction overall, according to the report.

Some posts included linguistic errors, such as, I cant live in an America on regression!

Its activities in the Czech Republic were mainly anti-government and criticized the states support of Ukraine in the war with Russia and its impact on the Czech economy.

Meta noted that the Chinese network tried to influence people to be cautious against antagonizing the Chinese regime.

Each cluster of accountsaround half a dozen eachposted content at low volumes during working hours in China rather than when their target audiences would typically be awake, the company said.

Few people engaged with it and some of those who did called it out as fake. Our automated systems took down a number of accounts and Facebook Pages for various Community Standards violations, including impersonation and inauthenticity.

Russian Operation

Meta described the network originating in Russia as far larger than the Chinese effort, saying it was the largest and most complex Russian operation the company disrupted since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

It presented an unusual combination of sophistication and brute force, Meta said.

The Russian operation created fake websites with careful impersonations of legitimate news websites in Europe, including Der Spiegel, The Guardian, and Bild.

Further, the sites, which featured fake original articles criticizing Ukraine, were available in multiple languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian.

The spoofed websites and the use of many languages demanded both technical and linguistic investment. The amplification on social media, on the other hand, relied primarily on crude ads and fake accounts, Meta said.

Since May, the network, which featured over 60 websites, sought to influence opinions about the UkraineRussia war mainly in Germany but included France, Italy, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

The Russian operation promoted the original articles as well as original memes and YouTube videos on a number of platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Twitter, petitions websites Change.org and Avaaz, and LiveJournal.

Throughout our investigation, as we blocked this operations domains, they attempted to set up new websites, suggesting persistence and continuous investment in this activity across the internet, Meta said.
Having a well-educated society is important to the long-term viability of a country. School trustees are responsible for setting the direction for all the schools under their authority. (Brian Guest/Shutterstock)

Michael Zwaagstra: School Trustee Elections Are Important for Everyone

Commentary

Its election time for school boards across much of Canada. Voters in Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island will soon elect a new group of school trustees.

Historically, school board elections dont generate a lot of interest or excitement. Voter turnout rates are often below 20 percent and acclamations are surprisingly common. Many voters, particularly those who dont have children in public schools, often assume that there isnt much reason to take an interest in local school board elections. But they are wrong.

The reality is that education should be of interest to everyone. Having a well-educated society is important to the long-term viability of a country. School trustees are responsible for setting the direction for all the schools under their authority. In some school divisions, that can be hundreds of schools. School trustees must approve budgets, hire key personnel, determine policy priorities, and ensure proper transportation for students. These are significant responsibilities.

Not only is it important to vote in trustee elections, but citizens need to do their homework and take the time to thoroughly research the prospective candidates. The following are some key factors to consider before you cast your ballot in the upcoming elections.

First, find out why each candidate is running for public office. Are they genuinely interested in the school system or are they simply using the trustee position as a stepping stone for higher office? A red flag would be a candidate who has run unsuccessfully several times before at the federal or provincial level. Candidates with one eye on higher office are not likely to make good trustees.

Second, and very important, voters should support candidates who pledge to make academic excellence the top priority. We must never forget that the primary purpose of schools is to provide students with academic education. Trustee candidates should commit to ensuring that schools have a proper focus on the academic basics. If they dont, its reasonable to question whether they would be a good fit for the trustee role.

In some trustee races, particularly in Ontario and British Columbia, there is a significant amount of debate about candidates who are running on a so-called anti-woke agenda. Predictably, their candidacies have attracted a lot of opposition from people on the left, particularly those who consider themselves woke. Critics argue that anti-woke candidates are seeking to impose their beliefs on students and staff.

However, a closer look at many of these candidates indicates that far from seeking to bring politics into the school system, they, in fact, want to take politics out of education. There is nothing unreasonable about expecting teachers to leave their political ideologies at the classroom door.

On a related point, be wary of candidates who pledge to bring an anti-oppressive or anti-racist lens to their roles. While it is obviously good to oppose racism, the term anti-racist has been co-opted by woke ideologues who think that its a good idea to see everything through a racial lens. The last thing we need are trustees who make assumptions about which students are privileged and which ones are not based solely on their racial backgrounds.

Instead, it makes far more sense to treat all students as unique individuals. We need trustees who focus more on what unites Canadians rather than on what divides them. There has been far too much division in Canada over the last few years.

Trustee candidates should also demonstrate at least a basic level of competence. They should have had experience serving on volunteer boards and they should be able to point to some significant achievements in their careers. While there are no formal job requirements to be a trustee, voters have a right to expect trustees to be capable of doing the job.

Finally, look at what trustee candidates are saying about the spending of taxpayers money. School boards are in charge of multimillion-dollar budgets, and they must be held accountable for their decisions.

Its perfectly reasonable to ask potential trustees about their budget priorities. Be wary of candidates who state, or imply, that money is no object or that they dont think much about money. That is a clear sign of someone who doesnt know how to set prioritiesor a budget. Such school board candidates are unworthy of your vote.

This fall, take the time to vote. Before you vote, educate yourself about each of the candidates. It matters who serves on our school boards.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A sign reminds voters they need photo ID to vote at polling station at Hillsboro Presbyterian Church on Midterm Election Day, Nov.6, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Minnesota Counties Sued Over Duplicate Voter Registrations

An election integrity group is filing a new legal complaint each day this week regarding a different Minnesota county for officials failure to remove duplicate voter registrations from county voter rolls.

Federal law requires that duplicate registrations are eliminated from the voter roll, said J. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF). Adams is a former civil rights attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice.

It is troubling that we are seeing duplicate registrants remain on the voter roll in Minnesota counties. Each duplicate registration allows for a person to vote more than once. Removing these duplicate registrations will make Minnesotas elections more secure.

PILF describes itself as the nations only public interest law firm dedicated wholly to election integrity. The nonprofit organization exists to assist states and others to aid the cause of election integrity, and fight against lawlessness in American elections.

Under the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA), states are required to implement a computerized statewide voter registration list that is accurate and eliminates duplicate registrations.

PILF is now using state implementation provisions in HAVA that have pretty much never been used for 20 years, Adams told The Epoch Times in an interview.

Minnesota, Wisconsin, and a handful of states were exempted from the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), also known as the Motor Voter Law because it allowed people to register to vote with relative ease at motor vehicle agencies and government offices. NVRA requires states to make a reasonable effort to remove ineligible individuals names from voter rolls.

It has been difficult to get Minnesota to clean up its voter rolls because the state couldnt be forced to do it under NVRA, Adams said.

But then legal counsel discovered that HAVA contained a provision allowing states to pass rules about how to implement that law. Some states didnt do anything about it, but Minnesota solved the problem with a state law that allowed lawsuits to be filed over failure to comply with HAVA, Adams said.

So thats what were doing. Weve found all kinds of duplicate registrations, a convicted sex offender, who seems to have voted twice in 2020, according to the records, Adams said.

Nothing has happened in Minnesota for so many decades, because nobody thought there was a tool to do it. And we found a broom. And were doing it, Adams said.

On Sept. 27, PILF filed a complaint regarding Dakota County with the Minnesota secretary of states office.

According to the group, government records show there are 73 people on Dakota Countys voter roll that appear to have two voter registration numbers, despite having the same year of birth and address.

On Sept. 26, PILF filed a complaint regarding Nicollet County.

Government records indicate that there are four people on the countys voter roll that have two voter registration numbers, despite having the same year of birth and address.

One of these apparent duplicate registrants, Damian Kingbird, voted twice in the 2020 election, though only the Minnesota police can determine if an election crime did occur, PILF said in a summary.

Alarmingly, Kingbird is a convicted criminal and has been committed as mentally ill and dangerous. Records show he has been found guilty of crimes, including making terrorist threats, sexual assault, and even sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl.

Adams said that duplicate registrations give people the opportunity to vote twice.

It is alarming that a career criminal like Damian Kingbird had the ability to vote twice in the 2020 election. He only had that opportunity because Minnesota election officials were not removing duplicate registrations as required by federal law.

A recent report by PILF found that more than 2,000 registrants on New Jerseys voter rolls were identified as 105 years or older. PILF has also uncovered numerous examples of dead people being included in voter rolls in various states.

Officials in Dakota County and Nicollet County didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
Mix of Joy, Frustration for Separated Families as Canada Lifts Border Restrictions

Some families with loved ones in Canada and the United States are ecstatic about Ottawas decision to lift border restrictions, since they will be able to reunite. But beneath the joy there is deep frustration that has built up over the past years and the sentiment that the battle is only half-won, as the U.S. border is still technically closed to unvaccinated foreigners.

Im in tears right now as I type this, as Im realizing I will actually be able to hug my husband for the first time in 2 years, said Vera Post in an email to The Epoch Times. This should have never happened.

Post and other individuals in similar circumstances had spoken with The Epoch Times for a story published in August about Canadians who were affected by the travel vaccine mandate. The Epoch Times again reached out to them to get their impressions on the lifting of restrictions.

The federal government wanted its travel vaccine mandate to be world-leading and one of the strongest in the world, according to court documents pertaining to lawsuits challenging the mandate. However, the policy led to many individuals missing funerals and other key life moments, as well as bi-national families being separated.

With the removal of the the border vaccine mandate and other restrictions starting on Oct. 1, Post says she will finally be able to see her American husband she hasnt seen since November 2020. She says her husband is planning to drive up from the state of Oklahoma to Ontario once theyve gathered the required funds.

The end of the restrictions means that travellers, regardless of their citizenship or vaccination status, will be able to enter Canada. Unvaccinated individuals entering the country will no longer need to quarantine for 14 days, and the ArriveCan system will become voluntary.

US Needs to Follow Suit

Christine Dougherty is a U.S. citizen and Canadian permanent resident living in Ontario across from Buffalo in New York.

Transport Minister Omar Algabra appears by video conference as he listens to Howard Njoo, deputy chief public health officer at the Public Health Agency of Canada, during a news conference on Sept. 26, 2022, in Ottawa. Federal ministers say all COVID-19 border restrictions will end as of Oct. 1, including mandatory vaccinations, testing and quarantine of international travellers, and mandatory masks on planes and trains. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

As a U.S. citizen, she could always enter her country without issue, but coming back was problematic with the 14-day quarantine rule. Dougherty says she missed births and deaths in her bi-national family.

As a U.S. citizen, Im thrilled, but I will not forget the families that are still separated as I know how it feels to be forgotten, she says.

She now has plans to visit her sister in Buffalo as soon as the restrictions are lifted on Oct. 1

Im sure I will cry when I cross the Peace Bridge, says Dougherty, who will now be able to meet her great niece who is almost 2 years old and whom she has never met.

While this is a victory for cross-border families and a long time coming, the U.S. needs to follow suit and allow unvaccinated Canadians to enter the U.S.

Mixed Feelings

Todays announcement brings mixed feelings of relief and frustration for our family, says Eric Chambers of B.C., in reference to the governments Sept. 26 announcement about lifting restrictions.

He hopes that lawsuits launched against the travel mandates will still be allowed to go forward so that there is some accountability for the harm that these restrictions have caused to so many families.

A Federal Court hearing on Sept. 21 heard a motion by the attorney general seeking to declare the lawsuits moot due to domestic vaccine mandates having been lifted on June 20.

A person holds a smartphone set to the opening screen of the ArriveCan app in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Giordano Ciampini)

The applicants challenging the mandate point to the federal government saying the measure was only being suspended and said they want the court to rule on whether it violated charter rights.

Due to U.S. border rules, the Chambers family wont be able to cross south, but he says some relatives and good friends will now be able to visit him and his family in Canada.

Canadian/American families could never have anticipated being separated this way, and for this long, he wrote in an email.

We have loved ones that did not survive to see the lifting of the restrictions, that we can never see again.

Bi-National Families Were Abandoned

Marcella Picone of Buffalo, New York, is a U.S. citizen and her fiance in Canada is a permanent resident with whom she has two children.

I am elated that Canada has finally went pre-pandemic and has eliminated a discriminatory, unjust app, says Picone, alluding to the mandatory ArriveCan system for entering the country.

There is so much heartache, and bi-national families were abandoned and forgotten by both the U.S. and Canadian governments.

While she has been able to cross into Canada in the past months, her fiance hasnt been able to visit the United States, hence their situation hasnt changed. Unvaccinated U.S. citizens can enter their own country, but unvaccinated foreigners cannot.

Picone has been advocating for the lifting of restrictions in both countries and manages social media support groups for bi-national families. She says she also worked with the office of Congressman Chris Jacobs to deal with border restrictions.

Picone says shell continue her advocacy until the United States lifts its border restrictions, which she says make no sense given that President Joe Biden recently said the pandemic is over.

Bi-national families saw the freedom to connect and reunite with immediate and extended family suppressed during the pandemic, a freedom that should have not been forfeited and should never again be in the hands of an overbearing government, Picone said.
More Migrant Workers Not Expected to Have Big Impact on UK Economy, Experts Say

Getting more migrant workers into the UK will help some industries, but its not expected to have a significant impact on the economy, experts said.

It comes after Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng appeared to confirm media reports that immigration rules for migrant workers will be changed to address labour shortages.

Kwarteng told the BBC on Sept. 25: Its not about relaxing rules. The whole point about the Brexit debate if we want to go down there was we need to control immigration in a way that works for the UK.

When asked if additional occupations would be added to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL), Kwarteng said: Home Secretary [Suella Braverman] will make a statement in the next few weeks. But we have to grow this economy.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss and Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng visit Berkeley Modular, in Northfleet, England, on Sept. 23, 2022. (Dylan Martinez  WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Skills and Labour Shortages

Business groups, including the Confederation of British Industry and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), have long called for a change to the SOL.

Jane Gratton, BCC head of People Policy, told The Epoch Times businesses had not been able to operate fully due to labour shortages at all skill levels.

Referring to the BCCs latest Quarterly Recruitment Outlook survey, Gratton said three out of four businesses that were looking to hire people couldnt fill the vacancies during the first two quarters this year, meaning businesses had to turn away new orders and in some cases dont have the skill to complete the work that they have on their order books.

Gratton said businesses prefer not to hire from overseas but have to do so due to this critical shortage of people locally, citing the example of employers who couldnt find people they can train to do jobs that require just below level three [qualifications], referring to school leaving qualifications.

Asked whether increasing migrant labour would have different levels of impact on big businesses and smaller businesses, Gratton said SMEs (Small and medium-sized enterprises) tend to lack the experience and funding to use the immigration system and would welcome a reduction in the cost of becoming a licensed sponsor.

The Job Centre Plus logo is seen displayed outside the employment office in Trowbridge, England.

(Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Madeleine Sumption, director of The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, and Kristian Niemietz, head of Political Economy at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said they do not expect a relaxation of immigration rules will have a significant impact on the economy.

Niemietz said empirical evidence shows a liberal immigration regime has a broadly positive impact on the economy because it helps better match skills to jobs and has generally increased GDP per capita, but hes not expecting a massive impact in this case because the current system is already a fairly liberal one.

Points-Based System

Under the post-Brexit points-based immigration policy introduced by former Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government, E.U. citizens could no longer move to the UK without visas since Jan. 1, 2021, but there was a liberalisation of immigration policies for skilled non-E.U. workers.

The cap on the number of non-E.U. skilled migrant workers was discarded, and applicants in some occupations can be granted visas with salaries lower than previously required, according to The Migration Observatory.

Post-study work visa, which was introduced in 2008 and scrapped in 2012, has been re-introduced, and employers no longer need to advertise a job in the UK for at least four weeks before hiring from overseas so they can save on administrative costs.

Near-Zero Economic Impacts

Therefore, Im not expecting massive differences, Niemietz said. But whats currently quite difficult is the issue of lower-skilled migration. If they extend shortage occupations, then that could become easier.

A crane operator works above the seafront at Weston-super-Mare in England on Sept. 22, 2022. (Geoff Caddick/AFP via Getty Images)

Sumption told The Epoch Times that research suggests high-skilled migrant workers, who are already eligible under the current system, tend to have the greatest economic impact, but there had been no suggestions in media reports that the upcoming changes will include encouraging more high-skilled migrants to come.

Regarding an increase in lower-skilled migrant workers, past evidence basically suggests that while there would be benefits to specific employers who use those schemes, but the kind of macro impact of it is likely to be pretty close to zero just because the impacts of migration into low wage jobs [are] not very big, she said.

If there are workers available to do particular kinds of work, those industries may expand, Sumption said, noting that the size of a particular industry may matter for political reasons, but has few impacts from a purely macroeconomic perspective.

Sumption also highlighted other challenges related to the SOL.

It often ended up benefiting the loudest lobbyists instead of places where labours are economically most needed because working out that idea of need is just so difficult and the evidence just is quite poor, she said, adding that exploitation is also an issue when its difficult for people to change jobs due to visa requirement.

Net Migration

Relaxation of immigration rules will likely be met with resistance from some Conservative and Brexit voters, nearly half of whom now consider immigration one of the top three issues facing the UK, according to the latest YouGov issue salience survey.

Previous research suggested human values, instead of economic considerations, are stronger indicators of the publics attitudes toward immigration.

Eric Kaufmann, professor of politics at Birkbeck College, University of London, previously told The Epoch Times that unless the ruling Conservative Party starts reducing the number of net migration, its like to lose the next general election because many Brexit votes and red-wall voters wont show up again.

In an article published in 2019, Niemietz argued that anxieties about immigration are not really about overall numbers, arguing there was public support for skilled migration and free movement between Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
MPs Call for Stronger Enforcements in Bill That Would Ban Slave Labour Products

Parliamentarians are calling for stronger enforcement mechanisms in legislation that aims to ban the import of products made with slave labour. Sponsors of the bill say it will soon be passed into law.

Bill S-211, which seeks to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and amend the customs tariff, completed third reading in the Senate in April and the second reading in the House of Commons in June.

The bills co-sponsor, Liberal MP John McKay, said the legislation is close to being passed into law, and Canadian companies are preparing for its implementation.

Bill S-211 would create a reporting obligation, requiring importers to submit an annual report to the minister of public safety on the steps the entity had taken during its previous financial year to prevent and reduce the risk of forced labour or child labour in the production of goods that the entity imported into Canada.

Entities that would be subject to this reporting obligation include companies that havein at least one of its two most recent financial yearsmet at least two of three following conditions: it has at least $20 million in assets, it has generated at least $40 million in revenue, or it employs an average of at least 250 employees. Penalties for non-disclosure are $250,000.

McKay told the House Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Sept. 26 that the bill would name and shame Canadian corporations that are complicit in importing slave-made goods.

It should be clear that we cannot base our prosperity on forced labour and child labour, he said. It was immoral in the 18th century and its immoral in the 21st century.

Whether your values come from scriptures or from human rights documents, the conclusion is the same: forced labour is contrary to human dignity.

Call for Stronger Enforcement

On Sept. 27, several parliamentarians at the House foreign affairs committee meeting called for stronger enforcement mechanisms to be included in addition to the requirement of an annual report proposed for corporations.

NDP MP Heather McPherson raised concerns about the legislation, particularly the lack of next steps.

I have some deep concerns about this legislation. Part of my concern stems from the fact that [the bill] makes it look like we are checking all the boxes when this legislation is perhaps checking the first box, she said.

McPherson said Bill S-211 does not adequately address preventing and remedying harm, nor does it require companies to change their behaviour and practice other than producing the annual report. She also noted that the penalties in this bill are only for companies that fail to disclose, rather than for companies that are actually using forced labor.

We can pass all the laws we want and the government can publish all the regulations it wants, but if theres no enforcement of these laws and regulations, then they are nothing more than ink on paper, said Conservative MP Michael Chong.

The CBSA last year blocked only one shipment  temporarily, out of the hundreds of millions, billions of dollars of product that are pouring into this country that I have no doubt are being produced using slave or forced labour, Chong said, drawing a comparison with U.S. customs, which intercepted 1,400 shipping containers filled with slave-made goods during the same period last year.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed on Nov. 12, 2021, that it has made only one interception of goods believed to be made with slave labour since mid-2020, under a ban put in place by the trilateral USMCA trade deal signed by Canada in 2018. The shipment of clothing arrived in Quebec from China, according to CBSA.

In response to the calls for more enforcement, McKay said passing the law is just round one and he expects to see improvement to the bill in the future.

Youre not going to get any disagreement from me on what the facts appear to be, McKay said. I would rather hope that the government is quite aggressive, he added.

Round two, I would expect the government to be a little bit more forceful, and to use the authorities that are given to enter onto premises, examine documents, seize computers, issue warrants.
The water level at Lake Mead has dropped by about 170 feet since a regional drought began in 2000. Here, a structure lies exposed beyond the lake's Hemenway Harbor Launch Ramp in Boulder City, Nev., on Sept. 22, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Nevada Water Company Files For Bankruptcy Amid Worsening Drought

LAS VEGASOne of Southern Nevadas longest-running private water companies has gone under financially amid the regions worsening drought.

The Basic Water Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early September with roughly $50 million in reported assets and more than $7 million in bond debt.

On July 1, the company ceased operations when the Lake Mead reservoir reached Failure Level at 1,043 feet, causing a 40-inch diameter intake pipe at Saddle Island to fail.

The company said it could no longer pump water to the city of Henderson, population 291,346, and four commercial industries as the company had done for decades.

A formerly sunken boat sits on cracked earth hundreds of feet from the shoreline at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on May 10, 2022, near Boulder City, Nev. (John Locher/AP)

In a 27-page declaration filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Las Vegas, BWC president and chief financial officer Stephanne Zimmerman said the company could not meet its contractual obligations with its customers.

As the drought in 2000 worsened, Zimmerman said, the company looked at various technical ways to extend the intake pipe, called a straw, including a floating barge that proved unfeasible.

The company also considered extending the intake to a lower depth of 995 feet above sea level. However, several contractors thought the undertaking would be too risky and cause damage, leading to a failure of the intake.

Zimmerman said Basic Water in 2021 proposed acquisition of the system by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) or connecting with a third straw at 860 feet above sea level, which proved too costly.

Dire Predictions

Earlier projections were that Basic Water would continue operating until April 2023, when the federal Bureau Of Reclamation (BOR) anticipated Lake Mead would reach a failure level.

Despite these projections, it became clear in May of 2022 that circumstances had become even more dire, Zimmerman said in the declaration.

The surface level of Lake Mead reached the failure elevation on or about July 1, and the intake structures stopped pumping raw water from the lake.

In the meantime, Basic Water is seeking a viable permanent solution for its customers.

Basic Water was the sole supplier for the city of Henderson, about 17 miles south of Las Vegas, for the past 70 years. The company began delivering water in 1941 when the Anaconda Copper Co. built Basic Magnesium to supply magnesium for the Allied effort in World War II.

The water company became part of the Basic Complex, unofficially known as the Basic Townsite before the town changed the name to Henderson, in honor of former U.S. Sen. Charles Belknap Henderson (D-Nevada).

City officials, however, said the companys filing for bankruptcy would have no impact on the citys water supply.

Basic Waters intake pipe delivered raw water to Hendersons water treatment plant and, once treated, distributed drinking water to roughly 10 percent of the citys customers.

Lightning strikes over Lake Mead near Hoover Dam that impounds Colorado River water at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Ariz., on July 28, 2014. (John Locher/AP Photo)

The city for decades has purchased roughly 90 percent of its potable water from Southern Nevada Water Authority [SNWA], Kathleen Richards, Hendersons senior public information officer, told The Epoch Times.

With the closure of the Basic Water Co. intake, we seamlessly shifted to purchase 100 percent of our potable water from SNWA, Richards said.

Henderson is a member of the SNWA, a cooperative agency of seven local water and wastewater agencies formed in 1991 to address regional water issues.

The agency serves 2.2 million residents in southern Nevada, providing water treatment and delivery.

Water Emergency Declared

Due to conservation efforts, per capita water use in southern Nevada decreased by 47 percent between 2002 and 2020, even as the population grew by 52 percent, Richards said.

In 2015, SNWA built a third water intake capable of pumping water at lower elevations.

According to the SNWA, drought and climate change have caused the surface level of Lake Mead to drop by about 170 feet.

Southern Nevada is currently under a federal Tier Two water shortage declaration on the Colorado River, which feeds into Lake Mead, reducing the amount of water drawn from the lake by 8 percent.
New COVID-19 Vaccine Breast Milk Study Prompts Serious Concerns

Commentary

A new peer-reviewed study in the journal JAMA finding traces of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine material in breast milk has created a social media thunderstorm. On one end is what seems to be utter silenceno comments from those who went on public television and urged everyone to get vaccinated. Among those who have been skeptical from the start, this study appears to prove we have a medical disaster on our hands with potentially catastrophic implications.

Even when skeptics have been misled, discriminated against, and marginalized by those in power, its crucial to remain rational and clinical. Its an admittedly difficult task given the understandable feelings of betrayal and exasperation.

The truth is, this study prompts far more questions than it answers. The design was far from comprehensive, leaving extraordinary uncertainty. For one, the sample in the study is incredibly small: a mere 11 women. Anyone with a basic understanding of statistics will know its nearly impossible to make definitive population-level extrapolations based on a handful of participants.

Nonetheless, that 5 out of 11 women were found to have trace amounts of mRNA in their breast milk for 48 hours post-vaccination raises serious concerns. If 1,000 or 10,000 women were studied, would they still find a large proportion of women with mRNA traces in their breast milk? Would the aggregate mRNA concentrations be higher or lower? Might there be a signal for sustained mRNA levels beyond 48 hours? The findings in a larger sample may be far worst. Or they may point in the opposite direction. We just dont know.

As the authors state, this is the first study to find mRNA traces in breast milk:

These data demonstrate for the first time to our knowledge the biodistribution of COVID-19 vaccine mRNA to mammary cells and the potential ability of tissue EVs [extracellular vesicles] to package the vaccine mRNA that can be transported to distant cells.

Its important to note, many harmful things can be excreted in breast milk: caffeine, drugs, alcohol, medications. Mothers enduring post-birth anxiety can pass on the stress hormone cortisol through their breast milk to their infants. All this is to say, many harmful things are passed through breast milk. Traces of mRNA wouldnt be the first. How harmfulif at allmRNA is in comparison to other detrimental molecules commonly passed through breast milk is a mystery.

I spoke to a top pediatrician in New York (who asked to remain anonymous) who has been on team reality from the start, and she guesses this news is likely harmless.

We just dont know. My gut feeling is that it is likely harmless after 48 hours. However, theres very little evidence to help us definitively evaluate this risk. We certainly shouldnt be mass-vaccinating breastfeeding women based on anybodys hunchesmine included, she said.

On the other hand, other credible medical professionals have drawn more sinister conclusions. One such scientist is viral immunologist Dr. Byram W. Bridle from the University of Guelph. He infers this study underestimates mRNA levels due to temperature associations.

[The authors] did not address the issue of mothers in these studies being asked to store their milk samples in their fridge freezers, which are at no more than -20 degrees Celsius. Remember, Pfizers vaccine degrades if it isnt stored at -80 degrees C. In other words, these authors likely underestimated the problem due to degradation of the mRNAs prior to them receiving the samples for analysis, he said.

The final conclusion of the study is a train-wreck of scientific messaging:

We believe it is safe to breastfeed after maternal COVID-19 vaccination. However, caution is warranted about breastfeeding children younger than 6 months in the first 48 hours after maternal vaccination until more safety studies are conducted. In addition, the potential interference of COVID-19 vaccine mRNA with the immune response to multiple routine vaccines given to infants during the first 6 months of age needs to be considered. It is critical that lactating individuals be included in future vaccination trials to better evaluate the effect of mRNA vaccines on lactation outcomes.

First, scientific conclusions cannot be derived from mere belief (theres a different domain for this element of life). In the discussion of COVID-19 vaccines alone, how many times have scientists beliefs been derailed by reality (Fauci: vaccinated people will become dead-ends for the virus)? Jarringly, following the study authors stated devotion to vaccine safety, they warn the public of potential interference of mRNA in infants immune response to routine vaccines. This is quite alarming. The long-term implications are unknown, which ought to warrant a halt to a universal vaccine recommendation among breastfeeding women.

The initial vaccine trials were hardly rigorous enough to warrant universal recommendation in all groups. As has been widely documented, strong signals of myocarditis in men and menstrual irregularities in women werent captured in the initial vaccine trials. Now, compromised breast milk is the latest health implication that has been added to the list.

The question then becomes, why did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend COVID-19 vaccines to all breastfeeding women? Their updated recommendation this summer reads:

COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people 6 months and older. This includes people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future. CDC also recommends COVID-19 vaccines for infants 6 months and older whose mother was vaccinated or had a COVID infection before or while pregnant.

The agency didnt just make this a simple recommendation. As author Justin Hart documented, they urged breastfeeding women several times on social media to get vaccinated.

Canadas health authorities also made the same recommendation (pdf):

On May 28, 2021, the committee updated its guidance to strongly recommend the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant or breastfeeding populations, given the accumulated data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in these groups and the emerging evidence at that time on risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the context of pregnancy.

Yet again, we have discovered COVID-19 vaccine proponents made potentially dangerous inferences based on limited preliminary data. Once a certain group of scientists at the forefront of media appeared to have formed a consensus on this matter, the mainstream press embraced their claims with little criticism.

Consider the Associated Presss fact-check last year:

Medical experts have said it is unlikely that the vaccine-related mRNA that is in Pfizer and Moderna shots can pass through to breast milk.

Hopefully, mRNA traces in breast milk do indeed only remain within 48 hours after vaccination and are not toxic. Far more rigorous study ought to be conducted before we draw definitive conclusions. But one thing can be said for certain: Experimental products should not be universally recommended and mandated without a clear understanding of their safety and efficacy.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
???"La mineria peruana puede ser aun mas competitiva a traves de una mejor articulacion publico-privada. Nuestro objetivo es darle impulso al avance de proyectos mineros en diferentes etapas de desarrollo, explico el ministro @KurtBurneo.

??Nota de prensa: https://t.co/DvGxjmpUKB pic.twitter.com/dVG9aKSsay
Young people wait in line to enter the office of The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles on Aug. 15, 2012. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/GettyImages)

Newsom Signs Bill Allowing IDs for Illegal Immigrants

Illegal immigrants will be able to get California IDs starting next year, thanks to a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who called it a critical step for inclusion and participation.

An additional 1.6 million people living in the state will qualify for state-issued identification following the governors approval.

California is expanding opportunity for everyone, regardless of immigration status, Newsom said in a Sept. 23 statement after the signing of Assembly Bill 1766 and several other measures that provide additional related benefits.

Were a state of refugea majority-minority state, where 27 percent of us are immigrants. Thats why Im proud to announce the signing of todays bills to further support our immigrant community, which makes our state stronger every single day, Newsom added.

AB 1766, authored by Assemblyman Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley), will go into effect no later than July 1, 2027.

The measure supplements a law passed in 2013 that allows undocumented residents to obtain drivers licenses. Now all residents, regardless of their ability to drive or provide proof that their presence in the United States is authorized, can get IDs.

Groups such as Asian Americans Advancing JusticeCalifornia, California Immigrant Policy Center, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights supported the bill.

As one of the co-sponsors of AB 1766, we have seen firsthand what it means for those who cannot access an official identification card, said Connie Chung Joe, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing JusticeSouthern California. Its not only morally wrong to deny these residents what most of us take for granted like opening a bank account and registering our children for school, but nonsensical to withhold the State ID for non-drivers when undocumented residents can obtain a drivers license.

Those opposed included Raul Rodriguez of America First Latinos, who visited State Sen. Josh Newmans (D-Fullerton) office in August with other opponents to urge the legislator to vote against the bill, which Rodriguez said would undermine federal immigration law.

Anyone coming through this country needs to do it legally, he said in a video of the visit posted online. We have state and federal laws that need to be upheld.

The new law makes it easier for illegal immigrants to access government benefits, secure housing, obtain health care, and open bank accounts, according to Stone.

It also prohibits the states Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) from sharing applicants data with law enforcement agencies when requested, except in response to a subpoena for individual records in a criminal proceeding or a court order, or in response to a law enforcement request to address an urgent health or safety need, according to the bill. It specifies that immigration enforcement does not constitute an urgent health and safety need.

Residents will not be allowed to use identification cards for background checks when purchasing or transferring firearms, firearm parts, or ammunition.

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the DMV estimates significant one-time up-front costs, potentially in the millions, to implement the changes required by the new law.
Gov. Gavin Newsom D-Calif.) speaks during the United Nations Climate Action: Race to Zero and Resilience Forum Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies in New York City, on Sept.21, 2022. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Bloomberg Philanthropies)

Newsom Signs Package of Abortion Laws That Critics Decry as Enabling Infanticide

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed into law a package of abortion-related bills, some of which immunize women and doctors from criminal and civil liability for what critics have called infanticide.

While many Republican-led states move to ban abortion, Democrat-led California continues to lead the nations fight to decriminalize aspects of abortion and create more privacy around it, according to Newsoms office.

An alarming number of states continue to outlaw abortion and criminalize women, and its more important than ever to fight like hell for those who need these essential services, Newsom said in a statement.

Were doing everything we can to protect people from any retaliation for accessing abortion care while also making it more affordable to get contraceptives.

Among the package of laws signed Tuesday is AB 2223, which Newsoms office said will ensure that pregnancy loss is not criminalized.

Newsoms office said the law will prohibit a person from being criminally or civilly liable for miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, or perinatal death due to causes that occurred in utero.

A lawyer from the American Center for Law and Justice has said the inclusion of perinatal death, which extends to 28 days after birth, will mean the law immunizes women and doctors from liability if an infant isnt given medical care after being born alive during a failed abortion so long as the doctor notes that it was due to causes that occurred in utero.

Christian pastor Jack Hibbs described the states legislature as Newsoms huddle from hell, and said the package of laws allows the most cruel and extreme form of abortionlate term.

As a pastor, Im called to defend life. The Bible says Im called to defend those who are destined for crushing, those who have no voice for themselves. If that doesnt describe an unborn child, I dont know what does, Hibbs wrote in an op-ed for Newsmax.

Creating Privacy

Newsoms office said that among the California legislatures goals was to create more privacy around abortion in the state.

The previously mentioned AB 2223 also creates privacy by prohibiting a county coroner from launching an investigation related to or following known or suspected self-induced or criminal abortion.

The bill states that after a coroner examines a fetus and finalizes their report, the findings cant be used to establish, bring, or support a criminal prosecution or civil cause of action seeking damages against any person who is immune from liability.

Through its courts and statutes and under its Constitution, California protects the right to reproductive privacy, and it is the intent of the Legislature to reaffirm these protections, the bill states.

This would include scenarios where care is withheld or omitted from an infant, whether full-term, premature, or born alive but subsequently dies due to lack of care, according to the American Center for Law and Justice.

In such cases, a coroner might note it as an unattended fetal deathwhich under the new law couldnt be investigated further because the mother and doctor would be immune to civil or criminal liability or penalty, no matter the coroners finding. The law also deletes the requirement for a coroner to handle such a death as a death without medical attendance.

In other words, it could effectively legalize infanticide up to twenty-eight days after the baby is born (the perinatal period) for any reason, wrote Jordan Sekulow, the executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, in a blog post.

Some of the other new laws that achieve Californias privacy goals include the Keeps Medical Records Private act, introduced by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland).

This law prohibits a health care provider from releasing medical information on an individual seeking abortion care in response to a subpoena or request from out-of-state.

Newsoms office said on Twitter that 60 percent of the traffic to its new abortion access website has been from out-of-state.

Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) introduced AB 1242, called the Prohibits Cooperation with Out-of-State Entities act. This law is designed to block law enforcement and California corporations from cooperating with out-of-state entities regarding an abortion that happens in California. This measure seeks to protect a person from arrest for aiding in an abortion performed in California.

Package of Laws

Some of the other bills in the package Newsom signed will expedite the licensing of abortion providers who move to California to set up shop, provide grants to service providers who give free abortions in low-income areas, and set up a fund to educate disproportionately affected communities about sexual health, including abortion care.

Another bill, SB 523, introduced by Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino), prohibits employment discrimination and expands birth control access regardless of gender or insurance coverage by requiring health plans to cover certain over-the-counter birth control without cost sharing.

The package of bills will also provide training opportunities for nurses and midwives to learn the suction abortion technique, which is generally performed at up to 16 weeks.
NHS Settles Case With Christian Doctor Who Was Investigated for Offering Prayers to Patients

The tribunal for a Christian doctor who received complaints about offering prayer to his patients has been called off after a last-minute settlement with NHS England.

On Monday, Dr. Richard Scott, 62, from Margate, England, had been set to contest a number of complaints relating to him offering spiritual care to some patients as well disciplinary measures and mandatory conditions imposed against him by NHS England at Ashford Tribunal Hearing Centre, Kent.

However, just before proceedings commenced, NHS England, agreed to settle the case.

Marginalisation of Christians

Undoubtedly theres marginalisation of Christians happening more and more in this country, Scott told The Epoch Times.

A series of investigations throughout 2019, 2020, and 2021 had seen him threatened with removal from the NHS Practitioners List if he refused to go on a three-day 1,800 professional boundaries course at his own expense.

Scott, who has worked as a doctor for 35 years, said he was shocked to find that the course that he was mandated to attend, was usually reserved for doctors who have inappropriately touched a patient or crossed sexual boundaries.

His case had been built upon complaints filed by the National Secular Society, an organisation working exclusively toward a secular society, based on a Radio 4 interview he gave in January 2019 where he said he had led a patient in the clinic to convert to Christianity.

NHS England reached an agreement with Scott for his appeal to be withdrawn without an admission of liability. Instead, Scott will now attend a one-day course related to professional boundaries. The doctor may continue to introduce spiritual care into his consultations, as long as this is in accordance with General Medical Council (GMC) guidance.

When I first became a GP [general practitioner] in 1998, I rapidly saw that a lot of drug addicts were coming my way. I could see the standard medical approach such as taking diazepam and methadone wasnt changing their lives. And they were just going back to prison, said Scott.

He said, in addition to standard Western medicine, he began to suggest to patients that they attend Christian courses.

He added that when it came to depression and anxiety, as well as counseling and anti-depressants, as part of a holistic approach he would offer a third extra option by asking patients if they would like to know about how spiritual care changed his life.

Scott added that he has asked patients if he could pray for them.

The reason why I fought this case was not because of my own situation, but because I was aware that more and more Christians in this country are being marginalised for their faith, he said, citing the case of the Christian chaplain, Rev. Bernard Randall, who was forced out of his job at a Christan school and reported to a terrorist watchdog for giving a sermon defending the right to question LGBT ideology.

In a statement, chief executive of the National Secular Society, Stephen Evans, said that NHS patients quite rightly expect to receive healthcare without having someone elses religious beliefs imposed on them. Evangelism that targets people who are ill or vulnerable is exploitative and patients should be protected from it.

Spiritual Care

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, who backed Scotts case, said that she was delighted that Richard Scott has again been vindicated and that justice has prevailed.

Secular activists, whether campaign groups or those working within the NHS have been relentless in their pursuit of Dr. Scott. It is now time for this to end, she added.

At a time when there is widespread recognition that emotional and spiritual support play a significant role in physical healing, it has been particularly distasteful to see NHS England picking on a Christian doctor who is appropriately offering that support, said Williams.

A spokesperson for NHS England in the South East told The Epoch Times by email that: Any spiritual care in Dr. Scotts consultations must be in accordance with the clear GMC guidance and Dr. Scott has agreed to attend a one-day Professional Boundaries course within three months.

PA media contributed to this report.
Congress is on track to avert a government shutdown after the Senate cleared a key hurdle to advance a short-term spending bill.

After putting the lights out in Cuba, Category 4 Hurricane Ian hurtles toward Florida, with 2.5 million Floridians being asked to evacuate.

New York City is setting up tents to shelter the illegal immigrants bused from the border states.

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Oklahoma Panel Rejects Clemency for Man in Babys Killing

OKLAHOMA CITYOklahomas Pardon and Parole Board voted 41 Tuesday to deny clemency for a man sentenced to die for killing his 9-month-old daughter in 2002, moving him a step closer to his scheduled lethal injection next month.

Attorneys for Benjamin Cole, 57, did not dispute that Cole killed Brianna Cole, but argued that he is severely mentally ill and that he has a growing lesion on his brain that has continued to worsen while he has been in prison.

Cole has refused medical attention and ignored his personal hygiene, hoarding food, and living in a darkened cell with little to no communication with staff or fellow prisoners, his attorneys told the panel.

His condition has continued to decline over the course of this year, Coles attorney Katrina Conrad-Legler told the panel.

Cole declined to speak to the panel.

Attorneys for the state and members of the victims family told the board that Coles symptoms of mental illness are exaggerated and that the brutal nature of his daughters killing merit his execution.

Assistant Attorney General Tessa Henry said Cole killed his daughter because he was infuriated that her crying from her crib interrupted his playing of a video game.

He is not severely mentally ill, said another prosecutor, Assistant Attorney General Ashley Willis. There is nothing in the constitution or jurisprudence that prevents his execution.

Prosecutors noted that the infant had numerous injuries consistent with a history of abuse and that Cole had previously served time in prison in California for abusing another child.

Board members also heard emotional testimony from family members of the slain childs mother, who urged the board to reject clemency.

The first time I got to see Brianna in person was lying in a casket, said Donna Daniel, the victims aunt. Do you know how horrible it is to see a 9-month-old baby in a casket?

This baby deserves justice. Our family deserves justice.

Cole is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Oct. 20 at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. However, his attorneys still are awaiting a decision from a Pittsburg County judge on whether a trial will be held to determine if Cole is competent to be executed.

The evidence of Mr. Coles severe mental illness presented during todays clemency hearing reinforces the need for a full trial on his competency, Tom Hird, one of Mr. Coles attorneys, said in a statement after the hearing. He is so impaired that he does not rationally understand why the state intends to execute him and was unable to participate in the clemency proceedings.

Coles execution would the sixth since Oklahoma resumed carrying out the death penalty in October.

The state once had one of the busiest death chambers in the country, but halted executions in September 2015 following a botched execution the previous year and a mix-up in which the wrong lethal drugs were delivered to the prison for an execution.

It was later learned that the same wrong drug had been used to execute another inmate, and executions in the state were put on hold.

By Sean Murphy
Orange County Education Board Holds Forum to Strengthen Charter Schools

To promote school choice to parents, the Orange County Board of Education held a public forum aimed at strengthening Californias charter schools at a local and state level, featuring a discussion among experts and policymakers Sept. 20.

All five members of the board have been strong advocates of charter schools. The board also serves as an appeal board when a petition to open a new charter school is rejected by a local school districts education board.

Besides dispelling misconceptions about charter schools, the panel provided suggestions on how to improve and support these schools in the county through legislation and public policies.

The purpose of this forum is to inform our community about the successes and the efficiencies of public charter schools  to highlight some of the misunderstandings and myths, and [to] shed light on the realities of what public charter schools can do in our communities, board president Lisa Sparks said during a press conference preceding the forum.

Community members attend a charter school forum hosted by the Orange County Board of Education in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2022. (Micaela Ricaforte/The Epoch Times)

Moderated by former state Sen. Bob Huff, the panel consisted of former state Sen. Gloria Romero and Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, both proponents of parental choice in education; Ricardo Soto, general counsel for the California Charter Schools Association; Lance Izumi, senior director of the Center for Education at the Pacific Research Institute; and Walter Myers, an adjunct theology professor at Biola University.

Common Misconceptions: Admission, Funding, Demographics

Myers said a common misconception about charter schools is that they drain money from traditional public schools, which he said doesnt make much sense because charter schools are also public schools, or even the better ones.

Rather than a competitor to traditional public schools, charter schools are more of a model for how public-school systems can be more responsive to student needs, he said.

Myers said charter schools are producing better academic outcomes since they can lose their authorization if they are unable to effectively serve their students.

To Izumi, it is a rumor that charter schools better performance comes from being highly selective in their admission process as many of their students come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

There are people who believe charter schools cherry-pick the best students and thats why they may perform wellbut nothing could be further from the truth, he said. It is often the charter schools who are working the hardest to educate the most at-risk kids in the state, with many of them being dropouts from the public school system, or homeless youth  trying to escape families of abuse, violence, and crime.

Soto agreed, highlighting that across the state, charter school demographics mirror the traditional public school population.

Especially in some of our most challenged communities, the charter school students reflect the communities where those schools are located, Soto said.

According to Soto, among students attending charter schools, 56 percent are low-income, 52 percent are Hispanic, 15 percent are English language learners, 10 percent are students with disabilities, and 7 percent are black.

Help Charter Schools by Working With Parents, Removing Red Tape

Jorge Valdes, the newest board member appointed to the board in August, said a big concern for charter schools was insufficient facilities, based on his discovery from spending the past month visiting schools in his district.

He asked the panel how the board could help charter schools work through their local city councils to get the facilities they needed.

In response, Kiley said teamwork between the board and parents can effectively push for policy changes in city governments.

California Assemblyman Kevin Kiley speaks at a charter school forum hosted by the Orange County Board of Education in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2022. (Micaela Ricaforte/The Epoch Times)

If you mobilize enough parents [who live in the district], youll have an impact, Kiley said. [That] tends to make the decision makers look at things a little differently.

Romerowho co-authored a state law in 2010 allowing parents of students in a low-performing school to convert the school into an independent charter schoolcriticized the current process for opening a charter school, saying it has become a niche industry.

She said it often takes so much bureaucracy and legalese that consultants can charge up to $100,000 to help write a charter school petition.

The former state senator suggested the board make it more feasible for grassroots groups to create new charter schools by setting up a donor fund for these institutions or connecting groups with resources through the California Charter School Association.

Former California Sen. Gloria Romero speaks at a charter school forum hosted by the Orange County Board of Education in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2022. (Micaela Ricaforte/The Epoch Times)

Romero also suggested getting rid of the boards requirement for these groups to file a memorandum of understanding since it is not required by the state to open a charter school.

Data from the state Department of Education showed a nearly 7 percent increase in Orange Countys charter school enrollment over the past yearfrom 20,861 students in the 202021 school year to 22,295 students in the following school year.

Thats also a 15 percent jump from the pre-pandemic enrollment of 18,893 students in the 201819 school year.

Orange County is home to 35 charter schools that serve more than 21,000 students, according to the boards website.
Most of us will never need a transplant, but for the people who do, transplants can be lifesaving.

After transplant operations, recipients are told to follow a strict drug regimen to make sure their organs are not rejected by their own immune system. Rejection can result in transplant failure and necessitate removal of the donor organ.

Despite adhering to drug protocols, rejections can still be triggered can be due to the patients own health conditions, infections, and also vaccinations.

Vaccines and infections can activate the immune system and cause it recognize transplanted organs as non-self and mount an attack.

The COVID-19 vaccines have been increasingly reported in association with various organ rejections, including cornea, kidney, liver, lung, and pancreas.

Since the vaccines rolled out in 2021, the United States vaccine pharmacovigilance database, Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has documented 57 cases of transplant failures, complications, and rejections following COVID-19 injections. This is a significantly high number considering that only 92 cases of organ transplant rejection, complication, or failure after any vaccine have been reported in VAERS history.

Corneal Graft Rejection Events

A recently published Japanese study found that at least 21 patients (23 eyes affected) have experienced corneal transplant rejections following COVID-19 vaccination.

Despite the low occurrence rates of high-risk complications after vaccination, an appreciable number of vaccine recipients have experienced a wide range of post-vaccination symptoms, the authors wrote, voicing their concern.

Cornea grafts are considered as some of the safest transplant operations, with a low risk of rejection since the transplanted tissue and its grafted site is immune privileged, meaning that there is generally a lower immune response induced after corneal transplants.

However, cornea rejections have been the most documented organ rejection following COVID-19 vaccinations.

Eight corneal graft rejections have been reported in VAERS following COVID-19 vaccinations, a significant number considering only 13 cases of corneal graft rejection have been reported in the history of VAERS for all vaccines.

Dr. Winston Chamberlain, head of the Corneal and Refractive Division at the Oregon Health and Science University published a case of a corneal graft rejection with his colleagues in February 2022.

Photo of Dr. Winston Chamberlain, head of the Division of Cornea and Refractive Surgery at the Casey Eye Institute and Oregon Health and Science University (Courtesy of Dr. Chamberlain)

The patient was a 27-year-old woman who developed acute corneal rejection two weeks after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. She received the transplant over four years ago and had a stable clinical history with no history of rejection.

Chamberlain told The Epoch Times that there could be a variety of reasons behind these rejections, but there is currently too little data to come to any definite conclusions.

Unlike solid organ transplants and other parts of the body, the largest majority of corneal transplant patients are not receiving systemic immunosuppression, Chamberlain said.

Theyre on a local shower of topical steroids, which causes a local immune suppression effect.

Given that some cases of COVID-19 infections involved transmission through the eye, this transmission pathway could also play a role, Chamberlain said.

In the case study, Chamberlain and his colleagues speculated that the COVID-19 vaccine upregulates the immune system through the adaptive immune response, and the vaccine may potentially be associated with increased risk of rejection in those with ocular surface transplants, the authors wrote.

Nevertheless, Chamberlain said that rejection episodes occurring following COVID-19 vaccinations are very low.

If you take all patients with corneal transplants who have corneal transplant rejections after getting vaccinated with a COVID vaccine, or actually any vaccine, the rate would be well below 1 percent, he said.

While rejection episodes are events of significant concern, with the risk of reduced visual acuity as well as blindness. They are far less common than other transplant complications such as cataracts, glaucoma, bleeding, and many others.

The authors of the Japanese study also agreed that vaccine-associated corneal graft rejection is modest when compared to the frequency of corneal transplants, with a 2016 global survey finding 184,000 cornea were transplanted in that year.

However, they argued that the projected societal shift towards a more frequent vaccination schedule calls for clinicians to be cognizant of a possible connection between the temporality of vaccine administration and graft rejections.

Studies have also reported corneal graft rejections following influenza vaccinations, though the flu vaccine is still recommended by clinicians.

Chamberlain said that since vaccine-associated rejection cases are so low, he has not observed any differences between rejections that occurred after COVID-19 vaccines and rejections associated with other vaccines.

Considered the root of life, the strength of the kidneys comes from the relative strength of each parent at the moment of conception. (crystal light/Shutterstock)

Kidney and Liver Rejections

Kidney, liver, lung, and pancreas rejections have also been documented after COVID vaccination, albeit in lower numbers.

A South Korean study reported an acute kidney rejection that occurred in a woman 15 days after her second Pfizer vaccination. The patient had been transplanted over 13 years ago and had no history of acute rejections before.

An Australian study reported liver rejection in three transplanted women within two weeks of receiving a COVID-19 vaccination without any alternate identifiable precipitant for rejection, the authors wrote.

Two of the patientsaged 48 and 20 respectivelyrecovered from the rejection. However, the third patient, aged 24, who received her transplant seven years ago, experienced transplant failure and later contracted COVID-19. She died from COVID-19 complications.

The temporal relationship between receipt of the vaccine, onset of symptoms, and subsequent liver biochemistry derangement is highly suggestive that the vaccine was at least partially responsible for the onset of rejection, the authors wrote.

Much fewer cases of other transplant organ rejections including those of the lung and pancreas were also reported.

Rejections From COVID-19 and Other Vaccines

SARS-CoV-2 infection can also lead to complications in transplanted patients, including rejection episodes as well as complications from infections.

Studies have also documented transplant recipients experiencing organ rejections coinciding with COVID-19 infections.

A study documented a patient who received a corneal graft, but contracted COVID-19 three months later, resulting in rejection of the graft that was later controlled. Lung transplant rejections coinciding with COVID-19 infections have also been published.

Organ rejections occurring following other vaccinations such as influenza vaccines have been routinely documented to be associated with organ rejection episodes and failures including the cornea, lung, and many more.

Dr. Timothy Pruett, advisor to the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), and a transplant surgeon specializing in liver transplants told The Epoch Times that it is a balance between vaccination for immunity and immunosuppression to prevent rejection.

Since transplanted individuals are immunosuppressed from taking drugs that weaken the immune system to prevent it from attacking the donated organs, transplant recipients have a high risk of infection and succumbing to disease.

Their doctors will therefore encourage them to take vaccines to build some immunological memory against diseases to prevent them from succumbing to infections.

But vaccinations can also put them at risk of rejection due to an activated immune system, albeit a small risk. Since these risks are small, the general recommendation for transplant recipients is to get vaccinated.

Live attenuated vaccines, however, such as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and varicella (chicken pox) which contain live but weakened viruses are not recommended, as these vaccines can cause infections, and the immunosuppressed recipients immune systems may not be able to clear them.

Why Are We Seeing Organ Transplant Rejections?

Both Pruett and Chamberlain speculated that the COVID-19 vaccines could be causing inflammation or the administration of non-self materials in the vaccines are naturally triggered an immune response, leading to rejection in some transplant individuals.

Yet for the retired Thai-German microbiologist Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi, former chair of Medical Microbiology at the University of Mainz from 1990 to 2012, there is a very clear rationale behind the rejection.

Bhakdi said that the systemic uptake of the spike protein vaccines from cells across the body are leading to a systemic immune attack of blood vessel cells and organs.

The MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) Class 1 molecule, this is the transplantation antigen [triggering the rejection]  [It] was defined 50 years ago, Bhakdi told The Epoch Times.

All cells have MHC class 1 molecules on the surface, and these are different across different people. When a transplant recipient receives an allograftorgan from someone who the recipient is not genetically identical totheir immune system will recognize that the organ to be non-self and attack the organ, leading to transplant rejection, then failure.

This is why transplant recipients take drugs that suppress their immune system to prevent rejections and failures from happening.

In the case of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations, it is generally understood that the vaccine hijacks the cells transcription and translation system and causes the cell to start making spike protein.

Expression of spike protein in shoulder muscle after vaccine injection (Michael Palmer, MD, Sucharit Bhakdi, MD)

These spike proteins will be presented on the cellular surface, leading to recognition by the immune cells to be non-self, and therefore launching an attack against these cells.

Though this was to be expected, and is what happens in infections, Bhakdi said on a World Council for Health video that, contrary to the mainstream narrative during the vaccine rollout, the cellular hijacking and spike protein production is not restricted to the injection site which are the deltoid muscles, but travels through the circulatory system, contacting the blood vessels and the organs the vessels supply.

The primary attack in transplant rejection is the vessel wall, not the liver cell, not the lung cells, but the vessel cell, and when the vessel is damaged  then you have your clots, you have your leakage, you have your oxygen supply that is broken down and you have rejection and you kill your organ, he told The Epoch Times.

Already, in February 2022, a study authored by researchers from Brigham and Womens Hospital found the S protein circulating in the plasma, a liquid component of the blood, within one day of receiving a Moderna vaccination.

While that may not show a systemic production of spike protein, a German study has found spike protein and spike protein genetic material in cardiomyocytes (heart cells) of people who have experienced myocarditis.

These are suggestive that the COVID-19 vaccines have traveled into the heart, resulting in spike protein production and leading to inflammation as well as possible immune response against these cells.

You dont have to have this [the vaccines] going into the liver cell  because the moment the vessel wall is damaged, these vaccines are going to leak out through the vessels to the liver cells, the lungs, the heart, they will expressed [the vaccine materials] and these cells are then going to come under a second attack, said Bhakdi.

Bhakdi said that whether a transplant recipient experiences rejection or not is purely dependent on the actions of their blood vessel cells.

Bhakdi and Dr. Michael Palmer have recently published a study claiming there is irrefutable proof, that the [COVID-19] vaccines causes vascular and organ damage.

The study was based mostly on the works of German pathologists Dr. Arne Burkhardt and Dr. Walter Lang.

Bhkadi and Palmer analyzed pathology photos from autopsies of people who reported adverse effects following COVID-19 vaccination. They found spike protein presented on the surface of cells that line the blood vessels, lungs, and the heart. These cells were surrounded by immune cells, mounting an attack against them for presenting spike protein on cell surfaces.

Endothelial stripping and destruction of a small blood vessel after vaccination. (Michael Palmer, MD, Sucharit Bhakdi, MD)

Bhakdi and Palmer determined that these cells could not have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as those infected cells will not only present spike proteins but also other SARS-CoV-2 proteins including nucleocapsid on their surfaces while these cells only showed spike protein.

The authors determined that:

1. mRNA vaccines dont stay at the injection site but instead travel throughout the body and accumulate in various organs.

2. mRNA-based COVID vaccines induce long-lasting expression of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in many organs.

3. Vaccine-induced expression of the spike protein induces autoimmune-like inflammation.

4. Vaccine-induced inflammation can cause grave organ damage, especially in vessels, sometimes with deadly outcomes.

It is known that the benefit to risk is virtually zero, Bhakdi said.

COVID Unvaccinated Denied Organ Transplants

Since the mandates of COVID-19 vaccinations, some hospitals and healthcare guidelines have required individuals to be vaccinated in order to be put on the waiting list for organ transplants.

The Epoch Times reported in June 2022 about a veteran named James Jooyandeh.

Jooyandeh was denied a referral for a lung transplant and a religious exemption for COVID-19 injection by the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital in Wisconsin where Jooyandeh has been treated for the past several years.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer lung transplant as a treatment option for you due to your unwillingness to receive recommended routine health maintenance, including your vaccinations, which is an absolute contraindication to lung transplantation at our center, wrote Jooyandehs physician Dr. Samir Sultan, a transplant pulmonologist with the VA hospital in Wisconsin, and Dr. James Maloney, chief of surgical services at the Veterans Hospital.

One of the side effects that was just released was interstitial lung disease and thats what we have, Deborah Jooyandeh, wife of Jooyandeh told The Epoch Times, So why would he take a vaccine that causes whats killing him?

Jooyandeh is one of the many unvaccinated people who have been denied potentially life saving organ transplants due to their vaccine status.

Some transplant surgeons and ethicists argued that mandating COVID-19 vaccination for healthcare workers and transplant candidates are ethically justified, implying that it is permissible to refuse organ transplants for patients if they do not vaccinate.

Dr. Lainie Ross from the University of Chicago wrote in her opinion article (pdf) that some healthcare workers see vaccine refusal as a sign of non-adherence and therefore patients are at risk of not following strict regimen following transplant. Recipients are also seen as wasting the organ if not vaccinated, as they may die an earlier death.

Vaccine requirements for organ referrals and transplants are not new, because once transplanted, immunosuppressive drugs will make the recipient more susceptible to infections. Vaccines for hepatitis A, influenza, and others are often recommended before transplant surgery, with most patients being compliant.

But it is a first to mandate vaccines for organ transplants and referrals, considering most clinicians still do not understand the effects of mRNA vaccines in the long-term. Nevertheless, years of recommending vaccines have led to the same impulsive reflex for COVID-19 injections.

[Its] a really touchy issue, said Pruett. Our goal of transplantation is to provide a good life for people and to use the resources that we have which are relatively scarce organs, use them appropriately for our population.

You do better if you have some immunity to something than if you dont have immunity to it. So thats the rationale for giving a vaccine  My personal preferences [are that] everybody should be vaccinated.

But Pruett said that he was against vaccine mandates for organ transplants, and has since published articles voicing his opinion.

I have trouble personally with the idea of mandates  because it also goes against my whole idea that the people who come to me for care, have a right to either take my advice or not take them. Thats the whole premise of informed consent.

Ross also wrote that whether a patient refuses vaccinations or not, physicians have a fiduciary responsibility to act in patients medical best interests, and that the unvaccinated being at risk for COVID-19 is morally irrelevant.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during a Labor Campaign Rally in Brisbane, Australia on May 15, 2022. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Palaszczuk Must Guarantee Prices Wont Spike After $62 Billion Clean Energy Plan: Former Leader

Former Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has warned the state Labor governments A$62 billion (US$39.59 billion) clean energy plan is too risky, saying the opposition should push Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to guarantee regular mums and dads will not be forced to pay more.

On Sept. 28, Palaszczuk revealed the bold plan for the states energy future which includes overhauling the grid so that 70 percent of the states power needs are supplied by renewables by 2032 and 80 percent by 2035. Currently, around 75 percent of the states power comes from coal-fired generation.

As part of the plan, the government will push to build two pumped hydro dams, one at Pioneer-Burdekin and the other at Borumba by 2035; a new SuperGrid to connect solar, wind, battery, and hydrogen generators across the vast state; construct 11.5 gigawatts of rooftop solar and six gigawatts of embedded batteries, and stop operating coal-fired power stations by 2035 (except as back-up for renewable generators).

The government is also promising to create 100,000 new jobs by 2040 and that most will be in regional Queensland.

Renewable energy is the cheapest form of new energy, said Premier Palaszczuk in a statement. This plan makes Queensland the renewable energy capital of the world.

The decision to invest heavily in renewable generators comes amid ongoing price hikes to the power bills of Queenslanders.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the two new hydro facilities would together be larger than the Snowy Mountains Hydro facility in New South Wales.

We will use cheap solar electricity during the day to pump water up the mountain to store it. Then at night, we can release the water to generate electricity. Its like a giant battery, he said. The government has pledged the Pioneer facility will supply half of Queenslands entire energy needs.

While Mick de Brenni, minister for energy and renewables, lauded the fact the generators would all be delivered under public ownership.

We will maintain majority public ownership of generation and 100 percent public ownership of transmission and distribution, he said.

Too Fast, High Risk

Preceding state leader Newman responded, saying the taxpayer should not be funding such a high risk venture, and it should instead be the private sector.

I would like to see the private sector being invited to deliver these projects at their cost, at their risknot the taxpayerand guarantee that they can supply power 24 hours a day, seven days a week reliably. Thats what should be happening, he told The Epoch Times.

Id be asking for total unequivocal guarantees that this will lead to lower power prices for Queensland families and businesses, he added.

Newman said electricity prices were going up despite much of the transmission infrastructure (poles and wires) and electricity generators in the state being owned by government-owned companies Ergon Energy and Energex.

If Queenslanders are wondering about high power prices, and they only have to turn around and look at their own state government and Annastacia Palaszczuk and ask, Who are the ones charging high power prices?' he said.

The government is literally making money out of the hides of Queensland families and businesses.

The latest announcement comes just days after the Queensland government pledged $766 million to fund the largest publicly-owned wind farm in the country, which will include 150 wind turbinesenough to power 230,000 homes, according to a government statement.

The investment comes despite the states finances plunging further into debt and the government rolling out four new taxesand bigger traffic finesin the last budget to deal with soaring costs.

Further, the slated investment into renewable generators carries its own risks, particularly with new technologies like hydrogen, which some experts argue are not commercially viable.
Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu listens to a virtual speaker during a news conference in Ottawa, Mar. 30, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Parliament Passes Law Allowing Jurors to Disclose Information to Health Providers

Parliament has passed a new law that allows jurors to disclose information about jury proceedings to health care professionals.

The bill creates a carve-out in Canadas strict jury secrecy rules by allowing people to seek mental health support related to their trial experience without breaking the law.

The Criminal Code will be amended so that jurors can disclose information about a trial to health care professionals who are providing medical or psychiatric treatment, therapy or counselling.

Members of Parliament unanimously passed the bill this afternoon, and it will come into force 90 days after the Governor General signs it into law.

Conservative Sen. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, a longtime victims rights advocate, introduced the bill in the Senate last November and senators passed it within two weeks.

Tory MP Michael Cooper, the bills sponsor in the House, said earlier this year that the bill would go a long way toward supporting juror mental health.
Pastor Simon Moon Runs for Irvine Mayor to Restore Quality of Life

Irvine Pastor Simon Moon is running for mayor in the Nov. 8 election against incumbent Mayor Farrah Khan, Tom Chomyn, Katherine Daigle, and Branda Lin.

If elected, Moon plans to restore the world-class citys quality of life that he said has experienced a downturn over the past several years.

I believe, especially over the past several years, Irvine is in a decline, not on an upward path, and I want to make the changes needed to bring us back to a community we are all proud to live in, Moon told The Epoch Times in an email.

(Courtesy of Simon Moon)

Moons priorities, if elected, include relieving traffic congestion, increasing funding for public safety departments, and addressing resident concerns of health and well-being regarding the asphalt plants emissions in north Irvine.

He also plans to encourage the construction of retail stores at the Great Park in 2023.

Our Great Park families are paying taxes for the Great Park without proper amenities developed for their community, he said.

Regarding the Orange County Power Authoritya newly-formed energy provider that is facing an audit from the state and an investigation ordered by the countyMoon said its business model is not working properly as it shows a lack of transparency and inability to provide promised lower rates to our residents.

I will stand with our residents and make sure to protect our tax payers rights from any fiscal impact, he said.

Moon is a first-generation Korean American who has lived in Irvine for 10 years with his wife and three children.

He earned his bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of Arizona in 2009, and in 2013, a masters degree in Divinity and Theological Studies from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver.

As Army Reserve Chaplain and pastor at the Irvine Onnuri Church since 2013, Moon spends his spare moments with his family in the beautiful City of Irvine.

When I have a chance, I always go to the park  and talk to my wife while I drink a cold brew coffee and enjoy the fullness of freedom, he said.

Moon has the endorsements of several local leaders, including former Irvine Mayor and current Assemblyman Steven Choi (R-Irvine), and former Irvine Mayor Christina Shea. The Irvine chapter of the California Republican Assembly also endorses Moon.
Orgulloso de nuestras #FuerzasArmadas.

Estuve en el entrenamiento militar maniobras tacticas Fortaleza 2022 del @CCFFAA_PERU - Comando Operacional del Norte (CON) que fortalecera las capacidades de respuesta de la fuerza terrestre, naval y aerea para resguardar la soberania . pic.twitter.com/zDFAaeH7sq
Politics Blocking Canadian Energy Supply to Europe and Hindering Global Energy Security, Industry Players Say

Three new leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines have become the latest blow to Europes energy crisis, while some industry players say in Canada, politics has gotten in the way of ensuring energy security for allies by blocking Canadian gas from getting to international markets.

Officials are currently investigating apparent sabotage, which caused ruptures to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines that run through the bed of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.

Leaders and officials from Berlin to Moscow are beginning to suspect infrastructural sabotage, as the EU and Russia continue their energy standoff over the invasion of Ukraine.

There has been much speculation over who is behind the sabotage, with different theories being proposed.

Questerre Energy Corporation president Michael Binnion said its likely there are some legitimate issues with Russias infrastructure, but that other issues are contrived so Russia can strap down gas for political reasons. He says a comparison can be drawn with Quebec, which is also blocking Canadian gas from getting to market.

Tell me how thats different than whats happening in Canada, Binnion told The Epoch Times.

Theres all these contrived reasons in Quebec too, but the impact of it means that for political reasons Canada is also blocking gas from getting to Germany. And while our political reasons might be different, how are we actually any different?

The government of Quebec enacted legislation this year to ban oil and gas development in its territory. Quebec-based energy company Utica Resources has launched a lawsuit to challenge the ban.

Earlier this year, the federal government also rejected a major LNG project in Saguenay, Quebec, based on its environmental impact assessment.

Oil service executive David Yager also says that Canadas efforts to prevent oil and gas from getting to markets are all political.

No other country in the world has intentionally landlocked resources of this magnitude like Canada. Its unheard of, Yager said in an interview.

He noted that while Canada has undergone a series of policies and introduction of regulations that have prevented energy products from getting to the market in the name of reducing emissions, Germany and many other European countries have returned to coal-fired power plants to conserve natural gas.

Yager also added that the political environment of today is different from when Quebec introduced legislation and policy to prevent energy exploration.

Given the events in Europe, are you really saving the world by denying Canadian gas access to global markets, he said.

Exactly what are you accomplishing when people that need energy are going back to coal.
More than 400 dignitaries including civic leaders, clergy, and military personnel filled the ballroom of the Irvine Marriott near capacity for the 56th Annual Mayors Prayer Breakfast in Newport Beach, Calif., on Nov. 11, 2021. (Lynn Hackman/The Epoch Times)

Praying for Americas Leaders: Orange County Mayors Breakfast to Be Held in Irvine Sept. 30

Hosted by the nonprofit ministry Orange Coast Christian Outreach, the 57th Mayors Prayer Breakfast will be held in Irvine, California, at the Marriott Hotel from 79 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 30.

Local government, religious, and civic leaders will gather with the purpose of praying for Americas leaders, according to the event organizer. The Epoch Times is honored to be the media sponsor for the event.

Guests include eight Orange County mayors, Congress Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Huntington Beach), State Sen. Pat Bates (R-Laguna Niguel), Assemblyman Steve Choi (R-Irvine), along with the presidents of Vanguard and Concordia Universities.

Hosted by the nonprofit ministry Orange Coast Christian Outreach, the 57th Mayors Prayer Breakfast will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Irvine, Calif., on Sept. 30, 2022.

The local Mayors Prayer Breakfast started in 1964modeled after the annual National Prayer Breakfast first held by President Eisenhower in Washington in 1953and has grown from including only the Mayor of Newport Beach to mayors of all of coastal Orange County, according to Dana Haynes, chairman of the Orange Coast Christian Outreach.

The mission is to support and encourage our mayors through prayer, Haynes told The Epoch Times.

The Christian outreach consists of volunteers dedicated to changing lives one story at a time through personal stories demonstrating unique or difficult circumstances overcome through Christian faith.

The 2022 keynote speaker is Michael Franzese, a former sworn member and underboss of the Colombo crime syndicate, with nearly 300 men under his command at one point.

A church steeple near the intersection of Hazard St. and Harbor Blvd., known to authorities as a hotspot for human trafficking in Orange County, in Santa Ana, Calif., on Aug. 24, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

After a renewal of his Christian faith in the 1990s, Franzese left the mafia life and became a motivational speaker encouraging young people at prisons, schools, and churches that no one is beyond Gods redemption in this life.

The husband and father is the author of four books and hosts a YouTube channel where he shares the ins and outs of mafia activities in the United States with nearly 1 million followers.

After some of the Christian outreach committee members heard Franzeses speech, they think his story carries a message of transformation showing how God can work miracles in everyones lives, Haynes said.

The annual event creates the opportunity for local mayors to discuss the importance of faith in Orange County with the community and to restore and reaffirm the spiritual heritage of America, according to the organizer.

Tickets for the event range from $65 for each person to $10,000 for a platinum sponsorship with options to donate a table to military personnel and first responders.
A man casts his ballot for a referendum at a polling station in Mariupol on Sept. 27, 2022. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia Claims Victory in Ukraine Polls Amid Allegations of Pipeline Sabotage

Four Ukrainian provinces have overwhelmingly voted to join the Russian Federation, official Russian sources announced on Sept. 28, following five days of polling.

Most Western capitals describe the referendums as a sham and say they wont recognize the results.

According to Russian media outlets, 99 percent of voters in the Donetsk region voted in favor of integration with Russia, as did 98 percent in Luhansk, 93 percent in Zaporizhzhia, and 83 percent in Kherson.

In recent days, Russian officials have said that the four regions integration into Russia could be officially ratified as soon as Sept. 30. Once that occurs, Moscow has made it clear that it will consider the regions part of Russia and that attacks on themby Ukrainian forces or otherswould be construed as attacks on Russian territory.

The situation will change radically from a legal perspective and from the perspective of international law, with all the relevant consequences for the purposes of protecting these regions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on the final day of polling.

On Sept. 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the call-up of 300,000 experienced army reservists for military service.

Kyiv and its Western allies, for their part, say the moves by Moscow amount to the de facto annexation of the four regions by Russia.

This farce in the occupied territories cannot even be called an imitation of a referendum, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address after the poll results were announced.

The United States reportedly plans to table a draft resolution at the U.N. Security Council condemning the polls, urging member states to not recognize changes to Ukraines territorial status and demanding the full withdrawal of Russian troops from the country.

Russias sham referenda, if accepted, will open a Pandoras box that we cannot close, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Washingtons envoy to the United Nations, said on Sept. 27.

Russian forces and their local allies currently hold about 60 percent of Donetsk, which remains the scene of fierce fighting, and almost all of Luhansk. Moscow already recognizes both territories, which make up the Russian-speaking Donbas region, as independent republics.

Russian forces also currently control broad swaths of the southern Zaporizhzhia region and almost all of neighboring Kherson.

The four regions account for roughly 15 percent of Ukraines total territory.

In 2014, the Black Sea region of Crimea voted overwhelmingly to join Russia in a similar referendum. The results of that poll remain unrecognized by all but a handful of countries.

Deliberate Disruption of Pipelines?

The final day of polling in Ukraine was accompanied by reports of gas leaks along Russias Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, the causes of which remain unknown.

Both pipelines run under the Baltic Sea, linking gas fields in Russia to Germany and other European energy markets.

On Sept. 26, Danish authorities reported a gas leak emanating from Nord Stream 2. Soon afterward, Swedish authorities reported two similar leaks along Nord Stream 1.

Breakage of gas pipelines is extremely rare, the head of the Danish Energy Agency was cited as saying, noting that preparedness levels have been raised in response to the incidents.

Following warnings, aircraft and ships were ordered to maintain distances of at least five nautical miles from the vicinity of the leaks, which drove gas prices in Europe up by 12 percent on Sept. 28.

Both pipelines are deeply enmeshed in the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which last week entered its eighth month.

On Aug. 31, Russia cut gas flows through Nord Stream 1, citing technical problems caused by Western-led sanctions. The move has driven up energy prices across Europe, especially in Germany, prompting accusations that Russia has weaponized its energy exports.

The construction of Nord Stream 2, which was intended to augment the supply of Russian gas to Europe, has yet to be finalized. After Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Germany halted the project.

Seismologists in Denmark and Sweden claim to have registered two powerful blasts on Sept. 26, one of which measured 2.3 on the Richter scale, in areas where the leaks were later reported.

The reports prompted warnings in the German press of a targeted attack on European gas infrastructure and gas markets.

On Sept. 28, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said, All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act, and that deliberate disruption of Europes energy infrastructure would draw a robust and united response.

On the same day, Danish Defense Minister Morten Bodskov, following a meeting with the NATO leadership in Brussels, said, Russia has a significant military presence in the Baltic Sea region; we expect them to continue their saber-rattling.

Peskov described claims that Russia was culpable for the leaks as predictable and stupid.

Do you remember the statements by the U.S. president made back in early February? he asked. Who promised then to get rid of Nord Stream 2?

On Feb. 7, President Joe Biden vowed to halt operations of Nord Stream 2 if Russia invaded Ukraine.

Biden said at the time that if Russia invaded, then there will be  no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it. I promise you, well be able to do it.

White House officials didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) patch is seen on a CBSA officers uniform in Calgary, Alberta, on Aug. 1, 2019. (Jeff Mcintosh/The Canadian Press)

Saskatoon Police Arrest 16-Year-Old After Border Agents Seize Guns and Ammunition Coming From US

Police arrested a 16-year-old male and seized multiple firearms, ammunition, and firearm parts from a home in Saskatoon.

The investigation that led to the execution of a search warrant in Saskatoon began in Vancouver when the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) found a suspicious package.

CBSA found the package, which was addressed to Saskatoon and shipped from the United States, at a Vancouver mail centre on Sept. 2. When officers examined it, they found two gun barrels and two over-capacity 9-millimetre magazines prohibited in Canada, along with other firearm parts hidden in a commonly used construction tool.

Once the shipment was seized, Vancouver CBSA contacted their investigations unit in Regina.

The case was handed off to Saskatoon Police on Sept. 8, and their Guns and Gangs Unit started an investigation.

Police executed a search warrant for a home in Saskatoon on Sept. 13 and found a loaded, sawed-off .22 calibre rifle and some ammunition. The Guns and Gang unit seized the gun and ammunition, along with an 83-millimetre barrel, 102-millimetre barrel, two 15-round capacity magazines, and bear spray.

A 16-year-old was charged with multiple firearms offences, arrested, but then released on conditions. The investigation is still ongoing.

Were taking action to keep Canadians safe from gun violence. A central part of this takes place at our borders, where the CBSA fights smuggling and stops guns from coming into Canada. I want to thank CBSA employees and local law enforcement agencies for their quick and decisive work to keep guns off our streets and protect Canadians, said Marco Mendicino, minister of public safety, in a joint CBSA and Saskatoon Police press release on Sept. 27.

From 2021 to 2022, CBSA confiscated over 1,200 firearms, more than twice as many as the year prior, breaking a yearly record, according to Mendicino.

Mendicino released a statement on Sept. 16 about reducing gun and gang violence, which mentioned that since 2016, the government has invested $920 million to crack down on gun smuggling, support law enforcement, and work with other orders of government. Of that investment, $312 million went to the CBSA and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to improve their intelligence and investigative abilities to try and prevent illicit gun trades.

CBSA officers and staff are committed to detecting and intercepting prohibited firearms and firearm parts, as well as other weapons and dangerous goods, before they enter Canada, said Brad Wozny, CBSA regional director general of the Prairie Region.

The seizure announced today is a great example of how our officers work together across jurisdictions and with local law enforcement partners to keep Canadians safe, he added.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2021, four in ten homicides were firearm-related. The firearm was recovered in 29 percent of these homicides, and police considered almost half to be gang-related.

Saskatoon, like many other communities across the country, has seen an increase in the number of firearms tied to criminal activity. Partnerships with agencies like the CBSA give police a greater opportunity to be proactive in removing these firearms from the community, said Deputy Chief of the Saskatoon Police Randy Huisman.
When setting off for kindergarten or first grade, a child may feel prepared with a backpack loaded with crayons, pencils, and paper. But a good start in the classroom depends on more than just school supplies. Healthy hearing, vision, speech, and language are key to success at school. If a child has problems in these areas, the sooner theyre spotted, the better they can be treated.

Sometimes problems with senses, speech, or language fly under the radar. A child with a lazy eye or a little hearing loss might get along just fine at home or in daycare. But when children get to school, minor difficulties makidsy start to catch up with them. They may have trouble focusing and flourishing in the classroom. NIH-funded scientists are searching for better ways to recognize and treat these types of problems as early as possible.

Nearly all newborns are screened for hearing loss before leaving the hospital. For newborns diagnosed with hearing loss, interventions such as hearing aids or cochlear implants should begin no later than 6 months of age. When interventions begin early, children with hearing loss can develop language skills that help them communicate.

Hearing problems can also arise in older kids. Some children are born with normal hearing and develop hearing loss later for various reasons, says Dr. Mary Pat Moeller, who studies childhood deafness and language development at Boys Town National Research Hospital in Nebraska. Head injuries, meningitis, and chronic fluid behind the eardrum from repeated bouts of ear infections are just a few conditions that can lead to later hearing loss.

We rely on normal hearing to pick up concepts and learn new words, Moeller says. But a noisy classroom can be tough for kids who cant hear well. Children with undetected hearing loss may look like they have attention deficits. They may miss what theyve been told because theyre just not hearing clearly, she says.

Screening for hearing loss in school-age kids is a familiar process. Children wear headphones and raise their hands as they hear a series of tones. Some 5% to 10% of school-age children dont pass these tests. Kids with hearing loss can be fitted with hearing aids or benefit from cochlear implants or assistive devices. For example, teachers can wear microphones that send their voices directly to the childrens ears. Even children with minimal hearing loss can benefit from this type of technology.

Children learn language by listening to others and engaging in conversations. But kids with hearing loss can miss out on some of this experience. Moeller and her colleagues are studying how children with hearing loss develop language. Results from this NIH-funded research point to several factors that can help. These include the quality and fit of hearing aids, how often kids get speech and language training, and how often parents have conversations with their children.

A different source of language problems is a disorder called specific language impairment, or developmental language disorder. This condition affects an estimated 7% of children in kindergarten. Kids with specific language impairment have trouble learning new words and engaging in conversation. They might produce grammatically incorrect sentences like What he want for dinner? or they might have a small vocabulary.

Both of those are fundamental to being able to communicate with the teacher, to understanding what the teacher is saying to them, and to forming social relationships with their peers, says Dr. Mabel Rice, an NIH-funded researcher who studies childhood language disorders at the University of Kansas.

For example, a child with specific language impairment might not understand that Its time to put your things away now means Put your things away. Children who dont understand complicated sentences can seem like theyre disobedient, Rice says. More complicated grammar is also good for making friends. Saying I would like it if youd come play with me might attract more playmates than Come over here.

In the past, parents were sometimes blamed for a childs language disability. They might have been faulted for not reading enough to their children. But research suggests that specific language impairment has other roots. The disorder tends to run in families, which hints that genes play a role. Rice led a study of over 300 people, including children with specific language impairment and their families. The scientists identified a gene thats also linked to dyslexia and other learning disabilities. The finding might eventually lead to better understanding and treatment for these disorders.

Kids dont usually grow out of specific language impairment. Their language improves, but they can continue to struggle with subtleties even after they enter the workforce. It is very important to identify these kids, particularly at school entry or before school entry, Rice says. Many school districts screen children for specific language impairment before kindergarten. Language therapy can help children catch up.

Poor vision can also cause trouble in school, and the problems may go unnoticed. Vision problems are common in preschoolers, but kids dont always tell others about their symptoms. Children might even think its normal to see double or for things to be blurry. But poor eyesight can cause headaches and hinder reading. Some children with vision problems might seem to have attention difficulties, since eyestrain and headaches can make it hard to stay on task.

The most common cause of vision impairment in children is amblyopia, or lazy eye. It often arises if the eyes point in different directions, or if one eye produces a better image than the other. The brain starts to shut down signals from the weaker eye. Treatment encourages use of the weaker eye, sometimes by putting a patch over the other eye. NIH-funded research has found that treatment for amblyopia is more effective if begun when a child is young.

Some children are nearsighted, with problems focusing on faraway objects like the chalkboard. Its less common for youngsters to be farsighted, with trouble focusing on up-close items. Both can be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses.

To catch problems early, NIH funded a study of thousands of preschoolers to find the best ways to screen for impaired vision. How often screening is done and what screening is done varies widely from state to state, says Dr. Marjean Kulp, a vision researcher at Ohio State University.

The study evaluated different tests and identified a few that could best detect vision problemseven when performed by people who arent vision specialists.

Screenings only identify potential problems, and they dont catch everything. Children should have regular exams by an eye care professional.

Early detection and treatment of hearing, vision, and language problems can give kids a better learning experience.

Signs of Eye, Ear, Language Problems

Talk with a health care provider if your child:
A large disturbance in the sea can be observed off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm on Sept. 27, 2022. (Danish Defence Command )

Seismologists Reveal Suspected Cause of Damage to Nord Stream Pipelines

Two undersea leaks that began in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines were likely caused by underwater explosions, according to seismographic data.

Bjorn Lund, director of the Swedish National Seismic Network at Uppsala University, told NPR Wednesday that it is very clear from the seismic record that these are blasts. Neither of the gas pipelines were active when officials reported sudden losses of gas pressure late on Monday, which they said could only be caused by significant leaks.

These are not earthquakes, he added. They are not landslides underwater. And in an interview with Swedish television, Lund said he has no doubt that these were explosions.

His team was able to determine that the blasts occurred in the vicinity of the location of the pipelines. Both Danish and Swedish seismic agencies picked up the alleged explosions on Monday, he said.

Were not spot on, but were fairly close to the area of the leakage, Lund told NPR, adding, Theres nothing I could come up with that would produce this.

H.I. Sutton, who has written on submarine warfare, said that where the alleged blasts occurred, the water was at a relatively shallow depth. Divers or unmanned vehicles could have easily accessed it, he wrote.

The leak is near the Danish island of Bornholm, at 54.8762, 15.4099 in [approximately] 70 meters of water, he wrote on Twitter. This would be divable 2 things do make it suspicious: a) It is just over 12 nautical miles from the Island in International waters b) the [exclusive economic zone] here is disputed here.

Blame

U.S. officials on Tuesday noted that there is a possibility that the leaks were caused deliberately. But European Union leaders were more explicit and said the damage was done intentionally.

The European Union is deeply concerned about damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that has resulted in leaks in the international waters of the Baltic Sea, the European Council said in a statement. Safety and environmental concerns are of utmost priority. These incidents are not a coincidence and affect us all.

Other officials, including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, also suggested the incident was a deliberate act. No group or nation-state has claimed responsibility.

Gas leak at Nord Stream 2 as seen from the Danish F-16 interceptor on Bornholm, Denmark, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Danish Defence Command/Forsvaret Ritzau Scanpix/via Reuters)

A ship works offshore in the Baltic Sea on the natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 from Russia to Germany on Nov. 11, 2018. (Bernd Wuestneck/dpa via AP)

Its hard to imagine, Frederiksen told European media outlets, that the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipeline leaks were accidental.

While some have suggested that Russia may have been behind the incident, it was denied by top officials in Moscow.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday told reporters that Russia isnt behind the leaks, adding such claims are quite predictable and also predictably stupid, Reuters reported.

Both Nord Stream I and II run from Russia to Germany, with Nord Stream I delivering billions of cubic feet of natural gas from Russia to Europe over the years.

Since the start of the Ukraine conflict, Germany suspended the accreditation of Nord Stream II, and Nord Stream I has been plagued by shutdowns. Months after the start of the UkraineRussia conflict, EU officials said European countries would move to reduce dependence on Russian gas and other energy imports, including via Nord Stream I.

But Peksov said that the damage this week is a big problem for Russia.

Firstly, both lines of Nord Stream  are filled with gas. The entire system is ready to pump gas and the gas is very expensive  now the gas is flying off into the air, Peskov said.

Are we interested in that? No, we are not, we have lost a route for gas supplies to Europe, he added.
A large disturbance in the sea can be observed off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm on Sept. 27, 2022. (Danish Defence Command )

Senior Pentagon Official: US Absolutely Not Involved in Nord Stream Damage

A senior U.S. official said the United States was not involved in the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines carrying Russian gas earlier this week.

Speaking at a briefing with reporters on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, the Pentagon official said that the jury is still out on what actually happened to the pipelines that carry Russian natural gas to Germany.

Many of our partners, I think, have determined or believe it is sabotage, the official said. Im justIm not at the point where I can tell you one way or the other.

When asked whether any U.S. involvement could be ruled out, the official said that we were absolutely not involved.

Officials in Germany and the European Union have suspected that the damage to two pipelines was an act of sabotage. The incident was reported Monday evening as the lines were seen spewing natural gas into the Baltic Sea.

Danish Defense Minister Morten Bodskov met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the damage to the pipelines on Wednesday. Both said it was an act of sabotage, although they did not publicly say who could be responsible.

There is reason to be concerned about the security situation in the Baltic Sea region, Bodskov said in a statement to media outlets. Russia has a significant military presence in the Baltic Sea region, and we expect them to continue their saber rattling.

No country or nation-state has claimed responsibility for the incident. No Western country has pointed the blame at Russia, although some officials have posted to social media that Moscow was behind the incident.

All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act, Josep Borrell, the European Unions foreign policy chief, said in a statement. He continued, Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.

Russian officials said the FSB security service is probing the incident as an act of international terrorism, authorities told Interfax. And Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday that suggestions Russia would damage its own gas pipeline were predictably stupid and questioned why Moscow would damage its own infrastructure, Reuters reported.

In his briefing with reporters, Peskov also suggested the U.S. government may have been involved. He made note of President Joe Bidens February remark that there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2 if Russia invaded Ukraine.

Explosions

Bjorn Lund, the head of the Swedish National Seismic Network at Uppsala University, told NPR Wednesday that it is very clear from the seismic record that these are blasts and were not of natural origin.

These are not earthquakes, he added. They are not landslides underwater. And in an interview with Swedish television, Lund said he has no doubt that these were explosions.

H.I. Sutton, who has written on submarine warfare, said that where the alleged blasts occurred, the water was at a relatively shallow depth. Divers or unmanned vehicles could have easily accessed it, he wrote.

The leak is near the Danish island of Bornholm, at 54.8762, 15.4099 in [approximately] 70 meters of water, he wrote on Twitter. This would be divable 2 things do make it suspicious: a) It is just over 12 nautical miles from the Island in International waters b) the [exclusive economic zone] here is disputed here.
A group of demonstrators display signs during a pro-life rally outside the Planned Parenthood Reproductive Health Center on June 4, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)

Man Who Shot 84-Year-Old Michigan Pro-Life Activist Identifies Himself

I shot somebody. It was an accident, said a 74-year-old Michigan homeowner in a Sept. 27 video interview with TV-8 News of Grand Rapids.

The Odessa Township man admitted to shooting an 84-year-old pro-life volunteer who was knocking on doors in her community trying to persuade people to vote No on a proposed amendment to the Michigan constitution that would make abortion on demand a right.

The shooting occurred on Sept. 20 during daylight hours.

TV-8 reported earlier that law enforcement sources described the prelude to the shooting as an alleged verbal altercation while she [the volunteer canvasser] passed out pamphlets.

The man said in the Sept. 27 interview that he was in his barn when he heard his wife arguing loudly with a visitor who had come to the door of the house.

Pro-abortion protesters argue with Tyler, a pro-life protester outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, on May 15, 2022. (Jackson Elliott/The Epoch Times)

He said he grabbed his wifes .22-caliber rifle and fired a warning shot into a pine tree in front of the farmhouse.

He then joined the two women.

In the interview, the man alleged that the elderly female visitor was ranting and raving and waving a clipboard around.

Im thinking shes going to smack [my wife] with it. So, without thinking, I went to club it away with the rifle and my finger was still on the trigger guard.

He said the gun went off accidentally and a round struck the volunteer in the right shoulder.

The man told TV-8 that he knew he could be facing charges.

As of press time, the police report isnt yet completed, and no charges have been filed.

Right to Life communications director Anna Visser told The Epoch Times on Sept. 26, No one deserves to be shot for their beliefs, whatever they may be.

In a Sept. 27 press release, Visser said: The 84-year-old woman is hardly imposing, standing about 5 feet tall.

The idea that shooting this woman is at all excusable is a dangerous claim for Americans across the country who engage in peaceful door-to-door canvassing.

No one should fear violence while peacefully exercising their constitutionally protected right to free speech.

In a Sept. 24 statement, Michigan Right to Life said the wounded woman wants to remain anonymous pending the completion of an investigation by the Michigan State Police.

Pro-abortion activists protest in front of the Supreme Court in Washington on May 3, 2022, in response to a leaked draft opinion showing the courts intention to overturn Roe v. Wade. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Right to Life described the interaction between the volunteer and the elderly female homeowner as a heated conversation.

It said the unarmed volunteer was peacefully leaving when she was shot in the back.

According to a Sept. 27 Right to Life press release, the victim told authorities she was dazed by the shot and feared she would be shot again.

A single bullet passed through the flesh of her shoulder and entered her back.

The wounded woman then drove herself to the Lake Odessa Police Station to report the attack.

From there, she was transported to the hospital for treatment and was later released.

The elderly female homeowner told TV-8 that the woman knocked on her door and said she was visiting as part of a coalition to save women and babies [and] she needed me to vote No on Proposal 3.

When the female homeowner replied that she couldnt do that and asked her to leave, the argument was on, she said.

According to the female homeowner, as their voices got louder and louder, what she describes as a warning shot rang out from the barn.

She made no reference to the shot that wounded the volunteer.

As the shooting incident illustrates, passions on both sides are running high over Proposal 3.

The ACLU of Michigan, a strong backer of the proposition, stated on its website that the new constitutional amendment would ensure that safe medical care and a broad range of reproductive health care, including abortion is accessible.

This proposal will affirm that every Michigander has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which involves the right to make and carry out decisions without political interference.

The exact language of the proposed constitutional amendment reads, Every individual has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom.

That wording worries James Moffett, spokesperson for Citizens for Traditional Values, a group opposing Proposal 3.

Moffett expressed his concerns in a recent phone interview with The Epoch Times, saying: The amendment says, every individual. It does not say every adult and every minor with permission.

It also includes sterilization among the fundamental reproductive rights. We think they worded it that way to get the LGBT folks on board.

David Kallman, chief legal counsel for the Great Lakes Justice Center, told The Epoch Times that, in his opinion, the language of Proposal 3 was carefully crafted to undermine the legal rationale for every Michigan law that restricts, regulates, and limits matters pertaining to sexuality.

The language reads, A state interest [in regulating such matters] is compelling only if it is for the limited purpose of protecting the health of an individual seeking care  and does not infringe on the individuals autonomous decision making.

In other words, Do your own thing. Anything goes,' Kallman said.

The language of the proposed amendment lays the groundwork for future lawsuits brought by individuals and liberal organizations to strike down every socially beneficial statutory restriction currently on the books as unconstitutional.

The courts will inevitably expand the definition of what sexual practices and other conduct will be protected by this new right,' Kallman said.

Alan Cropsey, a former Republican state legislator and grandfather of 16, told The Epoch Times: Proposal 3 puts women supporting abortion in an awful position. By voting for the proposal to preserve the right to an abortion, they may end up losing their rights over their own children.
A voter leaves after filling out a ballot at the Beltrami County Administration building in Bemidji, Minn., on Sept. 18, 2020. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

6 Minnesota Counties Have 515 Duplicate Registrations on Voter Rolls, Watchdog Alleges

Six weeks before the midterm elections, election officials in six Minnesota counties are alleged to have failed to remove 515 duplicate registrations from voter rolls in their jurisdictions, according to a complaint by the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), a watchdog organization dedicated to ensuring lawful and fair elections.

In September 2020, the continuing failure of many states to clean up inaccurate voter rolls led PILF to pronounce the American election system to be in a critical condition.

In a study of the voter rolls of 42 states, PILF analysts found that 37,889 duplicate registrants appear to have voted twice from the same address in the 2018 election.

The same report claims that 349,773 deceased people remained on the rolls of 41 states.

The foundations investigators also found that, in the 2018 election, 8,360 registrants appear to have voted in two states.

PILF filed the first formal complaint on Sept. 26 against an election official in Nicollet County, southern Minnesota.

Government records examined by PILF showed that two people have two different voter registration numbers, despite having the same year of birth and address.

One of these apparent duplicate registrants  voted twice in the 2020 election.  Alarmingly, [the man] is a convicted criminal and has been committed as mentally ill and dangerous, PILF said in a Sept. 26 statement.

According to PILF, the serial voter has a long record of criminal convictions.

J. Christian Adams, PILFs president, said: Duplicate registrations give people the opportunity to vote twice. It is alarming that a career criminal  had the ability to vote twice.

He only had that opportunity because Minnesota election officials were not removing duplicate registrations, as required by federal law.

In a second complaint filed on Sept. 27, PILF analysts allege that 73 voters in Dakota County, southeastern Minnesota, appear to have two different voter registration numbers despite having the same year of birth and address.

PILF spokesperson Lauren Bowman Bis told The Epoch Times in an email: Duplicate registrations are a serious problem because they allow people to vote twice. Fraudulent double votes can have an impact on the outcome of elections, especially local elections that often come down to a handful of votes.

The federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 requires states to eliminate duplicate registrations.

Under its terms, states must create and maintain an accurate, computerized, statewide voter registration list.

PILF is currently locked in a legal battle with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, for her failure to remove nearly 26,000 deceased people from the states voter rolla situation PILF says she was notified of before the 2020 election.

PILF has brought lawsuits and won in Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Delaware.

In the recent Delaware case, the Court of Chancery declared that the states vote-by-mail statute, enacted by the Democratic-controlled legislature in the pandemic year of 2020, violated the Delaware Constitution.
The late Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., who died in 2018, once represented a district called "the Earmuff District" because of its unusual shape. File photo from 2016. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

States Struggling to Overcome Political Manipulation of Gerrymandering

In New York state, the late Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) once represented what was called the Earmuff District.

It took in a round part of Buffalo, a similarly shaped one in Rochester 60 miles away, and joined them with a narrow strip drawn along the Lake Ontario shore.

Former Rep. Cynthia McKinneys (D-Ga.) district in Georgia was called the Sherman District because, like Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, it marched from Atlanta to the sea.

In Louisiana, former Rep. Cleo Fields (D-La.) represented the 4th Congressional District, called the Zorro District. Older folks may remember the television show Zorro, in which the masked hero left his trademark with his sword by slashing the letter Z.

The Zorro District looked like that.

In North Carolina, the I-85 District took in parts of numerous citiesCharlotte, Gastonia, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham, and High Pointby joining them with stretches of I-85 and I-77. The district at points was no wider than the highways themselves.

These are some of the more notorious recent examples of gerrymandering, the practice by which those in charge of creating new congressional and legislative maps draw the lines unfairly.

They may do it to suit their own parties, protect incumbents, or otherwise pursue objectives at odds with the goal of grouping together people in compact geographical areas with interests in common.

The charge reliably comes up when mapsand representation in Congressneed to be adjusted following the U.S. Census. The process often winds up in court, as it did this cycle in states such as New York and North Carolina.

Is there any way to remedy this? Can states develop fair processes that cant be manipulated by politicians?

Its unlikely unless you change human nature and how humans relate to power, acquiring and holding on to it, said Carl Calabrese, a retired Buffalo-area political consultant, professor, and elected official. Youre not going to get rid of that.

It may not be quite that bad. The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute named for Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, noted that some states are succeeding in making the process fairer with various types of independent commissions.

How people define gerrymandering can vary.

The phrase stems from the early days of the republic.

Elbridge Gerry was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, a Founding Fatherhe initially refused to sign the Constitution because it didnt contain a Bill of Rightsand later vice president under President James Madison.

As governor of Massachusetts, he signed a redistricting map into law in 1812one he reportedly disliked as highly partisanincluding a state Senate district in Essex County shaped, some thought, like a salamander.

A political cartoon made that point and coined it the Gerrymander, and the phrase stuck.

Gerrymandering can mean unusually shaped districts such as that one.

It can also refer to an excessive effort expended protecting the states dominant political party. It might mean varying the population of districtsin most cases illegal now for federal redistrictingjust enough for the party in power to squeeze an extra seat or two out of the process.

And it can just mean taking pains to make sure a congressional pal doesnt lose his seat or pitting two veterans of the opposing party against each other to guarantee getting rid of one of them.

One reason that gerrymandering will never go away entirely is this: Complying with the Voting Rights Act more or less requires it. Under the act, states must create majority-minority districts, guaranteeing minority representation in Congress.

That often forces states to draw oddly shaped districts that join, say, black populations in two different cities to make a district with a majority black population. The Zorro, I-85, and Sherman districts were all the results of states complying with federal law.

Charles Bullock, a University of Georgia political science professor, described how the Sherman District came to march through Georgia.

At the time of the 1990 census, the state already had one majority-black district, one in Atlanta represented by John Lewis. Georgia gained a congressional seat in 1992 and would now have 11. State leaders knew they now needed a second majority-black district. They drew it on Atlantas east side, stretching 85 miles south to Macon.

The federal Department of Justice said this wasnt enough: Georgia needed three majority-minority districts.

The state created another one by taking the southwestern states district, which included Columbus and Albany, and adding Macon to the East. That district, the 2nd Congressional District, elected Sanford Bishop to Congress in 1992. The veteran Democrat is still there, running for reelection to a 16th term.

However, that meant that the second Atlanta district now needed more black residents found somewhere to replace those in Macon who had been assigned instead to the 2nd Congressional District. They found them in Savannah, Georgia, 250 miles from Atlanta.

Doing this can be tricky. The connecting areas, passing through sparsely populated areas, cant pick up too many white voters, or it will work against the desired minority population arithmetic. Taking that principle to an extreme is what created North Carolinas I-85 district, according to Bullock.

If the connecting areas are only as wide as the interstate, you might pick up a homeless person living under a bridge, but thats it, he said.

The districts that have been drawn since 1992 represent an unusual deal between Republicans and African American Democrats, Bullock said. He has consulted in redistricting litigation in a dozen states, including in Florida in the 1990s over Rep. Corinne Browns (D-Fla.) Fishhook District, which took in black neighborhoods in Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Ocala, and Lake City.

Republicans had the opportunity to move minority Democrats out of several districts and concentrate them into one while making the other districts more reliably Republican. This lessened the influence of white Democrats.

It was a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, Bullock said.

Democrats call this tactic packing and cracking: packing a lot of Democrats into a few districts, then cracking up the rest into smaller clusters spread around predominantly Republican districts.

At its root, gerrymandering is about parties seeking to retain or expand their power.

Michael Li of the Brennan Center, writing in September, gave high marks for fairness to redistricting commissions in California, Arizona, and Colorado; noted the struggles of New York, Virginia, and Utah; and singled out Ohio for criticism.

He reserved his highest praise for Michigan. It went from one of the most aggressively gerrymandered states in 2011 to one of the fairest this time around, Li wrote.

Among states with new reforms, there is no brighter star than Michigan. Reforms overwhelmingly approved by Michiganders in a 2018 ballot initiative took map-drawing power out of the hands of the state legislature and gave it to a 13-person independent commission that included independents and third-party members as well as Democrats and Republicans, he wrote.

To promote independence, members of the commission are barred from being current or former elected officials or from having close ties to elected officials or to partisan politics. Members are also prohibited from immediately running for office.  Michigan reforms also changed the process for passing a map. Before reforms, when the legislature drew districts, maps could be approved on a party-line basis, giving the majority party the ability to steamroll opponents and little incentive to compromise.

By contrast, the new commissions rules require that a map win support from at least some Democratic, Republican, and independent or third-party members in order to become law.

Reforms produced a sea change in Michigan. The states 2011 maps, drawn by Republicans, were some of the most aggressively gerrymandered in the country. By contrast, this decades commission-drawn map is among the countrys most politically balanced, and it easily survived legal challenges [although some minority groups say tweaks still might have to be made to some districts to ensure the fair treatment of communities of color].

Politicos concur that New York Democrats got greedyseveral of them who discussed this with The Epoch Times used the termin drawing the new maps for this round.

State voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2014 that created the Independent Redistricting Commission. Its structure made for a body with four Republicans and four Democrats appointed by the legislative majority and minority leaders, as well as two independents selected by those eight.

The commission had no tiebreaker. The respective parties on it each submitted their own maps to the legislature on Jan. 3. With Democrats controlling both houses, they threw out the commissions competing maps and created their own.

The legislature-drawn map would have limited the Republicans to four out of 26 congressional seats, as New York, in the census reapportionment, lost a seat from its previous 27.

In a drama fought out in courtrooms and the legislature during the winter and spring, a state judge overturned that map, his decision affirmed by the states high court. Also rejected in the process was the new state Senate map.

The judge, Patrick McAllister, ordered the legislature to pass new maps with bipartisan support among Democrats and Republicans in both houses. When it didnt comply, he appointed a special master to draw a new map, which he approved on May 20, barely a month before the states scheduled June 23 primary.

The congressional and state Senate primaries were postponed until late August to give candidates time to adjust.

Gerald Benjamin, a retired political science professor at the State University of New York at New Paltz, noted the irony that a process in a state with both houses of the legislature and the governors mansion controlled by the Democrats, in a decision reaching the state Court of Appeals with all seven of its justices appointed by Democrats, wound up giving the Republicans meaningful shots at eight seats in Congress, up from four.

Pigs get fed, but hogs get slaughtered, Calabrese said.

However, even states with independent commissions can see their work attacked in court, become deadlocked if they dont have a tie-breaking mechanism, or see their politically independent members accused of bias.

Also, the standards that courts use to judge whether redistricting is fair have changed over time, and judges themselves are often political appointees, according to Shawn Donahue, a political science professor at the University at Buffalo.

Some previous federal rulings limiting gerrymandering may be thrown out by the Supreme Court in cases now before it if the court decides that state legislatures are ultimately supreme in the matter of redistricting.

You could let a computer generate 100 maps that all met the criteria of equal population, being compact, geographically connected, treatment of minorities, and the like, Bullock said. And then you could throw a dart, and whichever one it hits, go with that. That would take the politics out of it.
?? El Ministerio de Salud informa que 1975 personas han sido dadas de alta por #ViruelaDelMono y se han detectado 13 casos nuevos. Todos vienen recibiendo asistencia medica y se viene realizando seguimiento a sus contactos. pic.twitter.com/ZKuJ6thOIl
TV-MA | 4 episodes | Documentary | Sept. 28, 2022

Jacques Mallet du Pan famously wrote of the French Revolution, like Saturn, the Revolution devours its children. That is equally true of Irans 1979 Revolution. Few Iranians wanted to be ruled by a theocratic regime, but the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini shrewdly exploited the international crisis to shape the new government and install himself as its supreme leader.

Both the American hostages and the Iranian hostage-takers look back on the extended ordeal in the four-part documentary Hostages, which premieres on HBO.

An American hostage being paraded before the cameras by his Iranian captors. (MPI/Getty Images)

The first episode is largely dedicated to explaining the complicated relationship America shared with Iran, particularly our involvement in the 1953 coup and our long-standing support of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, without mentioning the American governments successful efforts pressuring the Soviets to withdraw from their occupation of Iran after World War II.

Regardless, it is not until late in the fourth episode that critics of the Shah, like former hostage-taker Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, grudgingly admit the Shah compares somewhat favorably with the hardline Iranian leaders who succeeded him.

Embassy Stormed

Anyone who grew up in the 1980s will remember the news graphics marking each day of captivity for the Americans taken hostage when our embassy in Tehran was stormed by students loyal to Khomeini, the Islamist cleric, who was not yet officially associated with the Iranian government.

Yet, there are a lot of details viewers might have forgotten, like the first aborted embassy invasion, now referred to as the Valentines Day Open House. That incident is why the Carter administration hoped cooler heads would again prevail in September 1979. Instead, 52 Americans were held in often harsh conditions for 444 days.

It is important to remember that Iran had a relatively moderate interim government at the time, but they all resigned in protest of the pseudo-independent students gross violation of international law, which ironically left a void for the Ayatollah to fill.

Lessons to Learn

There are a lot of lessons to learn from Hostages, including Carters ill-conceived public assurances he would not take any military actions that might endanger the hostages, which largely tied his own hands.

President Jimmy Carter (second L) signs the order blocking Iranian funds in U.S. banks during the hostage crisis in 1979. (AFP via Getty Images)

Frankly, Hostages provides a better organized, more insightful treatment of the ill-fated Eagle Claw rescue mission than Barbara Kopples documentary on the incident, Desert One. Although generally critical of the Shah, Hostages also allows the Shahs American spokesman, Robert Armao, a fair opportunity to speak of his former boss, which gives the multi-part doc a good degree of balance.

Asgharzadeh, a former student hostage taker, now considered a reformist-opposition political figure, is comparatively measured and reflective in his analysis of events, ultimately expressing some regret for his actions and their consequences.

Not so for Masoumeh Ebtekar, the English-speaking spokesperson for the hostage takers, who is clearly just as extreme in her Islamist ideology today as she was in 1979.

The battery of directors (Abbas Ahmadi Motlagh, Maro Chermayeff, Sam Pollard, Joshua Bennett, and Jeff Durpe) never directly challenges Ebtekar during her interview segments, but Ebtekars spin is often contradicted by former American hostages, especially Michael Metrinko, who can always be counted on for punchy, unvarnished candor throughout Hostages.

Metrinkos oral history should also permanently tarnish the legacy of leftist clergyman William Sloane Coffin, who presided over a propaganda service for the hostages that resulted in a beating for Metrinko when he failed to participate with adequate enthusiasm.

Metrinkos fellow hostage John Limbert never whitewashes their captors abusive treatment either, but he repeatedly makes an important point. He argues the Iranian citizens themselves were the greatest victims of the Hostage Crisis because it directly produced an even more oppressive regime for them.

Arguably, even the interviews with the unrepentant hostage-takers have value, because they reveal their extremist mindset.

New Protests

In fact, Hostages arrives at a time when young Iranians are taking to the streets to protest the suspicious death of Masha Amini while she was held in the custody of the notorious morality police.

Iranian protesters hold a rally outside the former U.S. embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran in 2019 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

This is not the first time Iranians have taken to the streets demonstrating against Ayatollahs regime. Starting with the Green Wave protests of 2009, brave Iranians regularly risked their lives for the sake of change, rejecting and rebuking the ideology of the original hostage-takers like Ebtekar.

Politically astute viewers will groan when they see former Carter administration official Gary Sick appear in Hostages. He only briefly discusses his so-called October Surprise conspiracy theory, which alleged that the Reagan campaign colluded with the Iranians to keep the hostages in captivity until after the election.

Robert Gates, who served as Defense Secretary under Obama, vigorously dismisses the charges on-camera, but Hostages never mentions the two Congressional investigations that determined the allegations were completely unfounded.

Frankly, the Hostages editorial team should have ignored Sick altogether because his conspiracy mongering detracts from an otherwise authoritative examination of a notorious international tragedy.

It is clear from the demonstrations happening right now, the Iranian regime has no legitimacy. Hostages explains how they grabbed the power they so violently abuse. It is timely and instructive.

Recommended for viewers wanting more history and context on the crisis, Hostages premieres Sept. 28 on HBO.

Promotional ad for Hostages, an HBO docuseries on the 1979 taking of Americans from the embassy in Iran. (HBO)

Hostages

Documentary

Director: Abbas Ahmadi Motlagh, Maro Chermayeff, Sam Pollard, Joshua Bennett, Jeff Durpe

Running Time: 4 1-hour episodes

MPAA Rating: TV-MA

Release Date: Sept. 28, 2022

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
In North Dakota, Cayler Ellingson, 18, was killed by 41-year-old Shannon Brandt, who proclaimed his motive was political ideology. Coming on the heels of President Joe Bidens fiery speech about political extremism and naming a villain, this heinous crime raises serious issues about political violence and how it can be inflamed.



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The Pandemic Response Unleashed Two Kinds of Nationalism

Commentary

Sunetra Gupta became my whisperer early in the pandemic due to her comprehensive understanding of the relationship between society and infectious disease. When I met her in October 2020, and in several interviews since, she highlighted an overlooked feature of the pandemic response: its nationalism.

Every government pretended as if its pandemic response would be juridically efficacious based on borders. Since when have viruses paid any attention to lines on a map? The whole thing is ridiculous but it had to be this way the minute that states decided that they were going to set out to control the pathogen by means of political force. Governments only have juridical control within their borders, while viruses dont care.

The entire enterprise became gamified early on, with OurWorldInData publishing charts so you could find out which nations were flattening the curve. Was Spain doing better than Germany and how does that compare with France and Portugal? Was Sweden doing better or worse than its neighbors? It was a big competition to see which state was better at crushing its citizens rights.

To complicate matters, the World Health Organization was pushing states to intensify its response even while fueling a kind of virus fear of other states that were not cracking down enough. In addition, we observed the way in which multinational corporations and nonprofit foundations were fully on board with the great effort to mitigate via coercion.

The whole border struggle tapped into a primal fear of the other to the point that even within large juridical areas, sections started turning on each. In the Northeast of the United States, people were encouraged to believe that they were staying safe while rubes in Georgia and Florida were infecting everything in sight. And even in the Northeast, individual states set up quarantine rules against each other, as if New Yorkers were dirty people whereas Connecticut residents were more compliant and thus healthier.

At some point in Massachusetts, the fear of dirty people reached absurd lengths, such that Western Massachusetts came to believe that they were clean whereas the virus was circulating uncontrolled in nasty Boston. The same happened in Texas, when people in Austin feared residents coming from Dallas. I myself experienced this early on when traveling from New York: everyone just presumed I was infected.

Nationalism takes many forms and geography is only one of them. The tendency to divide people by any identifiable trait works suitably well to foment divisiveness. When the Biden administration promoted the view that the unvaccinated were spreading the disease, it was not lost on popular opinion that black Americans were vaccinated at far lower rates than white Americans. The result was obvious as it was odious.

The connection between Russias invasion of Ukraine, as well as the growing protectionist trade barriers between the United States and China, and the division of the world into warring blocs of interest, received encouragement from nationalistic trends of the virus response. If every other nation is in competition and states have unlimited power over their citizens, the tendency toward intensification of nationalist conflict in general is a result. Just as reduced trade cooperation between nations can drive war tensions, so too extreme nationalist responses to a global pathogenic problem fueled parochialism and inward-looking political movements.

Meanwhile, a political upheaval around the world seems to be favoring political parties and candidates that explicitly rejected lockdowns as a means of virus control and the resulting economic destruction that came with it. That is true in England and Italy and seems to be happening in the United States.

The victories of these non-leftist candidates and parties are routinely described as right-wing nationalist but we need to be careful with such claims. The 20th century gave us two kinds of nationalism, one compatible with liberalism classically understood, and another that is inimical to it. The former is chosen, a reflection of the wishes of the community, whereas the latter is forced. Its impossible to make sober judgments of world affairs today without understanding the difference.

The form of nationalism rooted in organic human choices is best illustrated by the situation in Europe following the Great War. Multinational, multilingual monarchies had fallen apart and war victors were in a position to draw new borders based on some criteria that included history but also language and culture. We ended up with the strange situation in which whole peoples had to lobby foreign leaders in the new carving up of the map.

This is the period in which nationalism by choice became compatible with the aspirations of human liberty. Self determination was the slogan. Ludwig von Mises, a great liberal voice of the period laid out the right principle in 1919: No people and no part of a people shall be held against its will in a political association that it does not want. The resulting border divisions were far from perfect. In some cases such as Yugoslavia they were egregious. Language divisions would have been better but even those are imperfect because dialects can differ dramatically even within the same language group: Spain is a perfect example.

We can fast forward to the interwar period in which nationalism became a beast. It became imperialist and based on race, language, geography, religion, and hereditary entitlementthe five criteria of nationalist attachment laid out in Ernst Renans 1882 essay What Is a Nation? The map of Europe turned black due to a bloodlust to purify the nation and expand it based on claims of historical justice.

Renan implicitly accepts the distinction between nations by choice and nation by force. A nation of choice is a possession in common of a rich legacy of memories  the desire to live together, the will to perpetuate the value of the heritage that one has received in an undivided form . The nation, like the individual, is the culmination of a long past of endeavours, sacrifices, and devotions. Of all cults, that of the ancestors is the most legitimate, for the ancestors have made us what we are. A heroic past, great men, glory (by which I understand genuine glory), this is the social capital upon which one bases a national idea.

On the other hand, writes Renan, a nation by force is a moral outrage.

A nation has no more right than a king does to say to a province: You belong to me, I am seizing you. A province, as far as I am concerned, is its inhabitants; if anyone has the right to be consulted in such an affair, it is the inhabitant. A nation never has any real interest in annexing or holding on to a country against its will. The wish of nations is, all in all, the sole legitimate criterion, the one to which one must always return.

With regard to race, Renan was particularly virulent that race cannot and should never be the basis of nationalism.

Human history is essentially different from zoology, and race is not everything, as it is among the rodents or the felines, and one does not have the right to go through the world fingering peoples skulls, and taking them by the throat saying: You are of our blood; you belong to us! Aside from anthropological characteristics, there are such things as reason, justice, the true, and the beautiful, which are the same for all. Be on your guard, for this ethnographic politics is in no way a stable thing and, if today you use it against others, tomorrow you may see it turned against yourselves. Can you be sure that the Germans, who have raised the banner of ethnography so high, will not see the Slavs in their turn analyse the names of villages in Saxony and Lusatia, search for any traces of the Wiltzes or of the Obotrites, and demand recompense for the massacres and the wholesale enslavements that the Ottomans inflicted upon their ancestors? It is good for everyone to know how to forget.

Thus is the spirit of Renan: affection for ones country, language, or religion is meritorious and peaceful; the use of compulsion in service of identity is not. These days, these two forms of nationalismone by choice and one by forceare constantly conflated in the news and commentary on world affairs today.

The new prime minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, for example, has been trashed as a modern-day Mussolini but a close look at the situation on the ground reveals someone who speaks for a people who share a language and history and resents attempts by global organizations such as the European Commission and World Health Organization to take those away. Her nationalism might be of the benign sort and likely is. In any case, the support behind her seems like a justifiable reaction against egregious harms.

While the mainstream media warns of her dangers, no one can deny that a beast of a different sort poses a more immediate threat to the freedoms of all peoples in the world today. The pandemic response was the most conspicuous revelation of it.

For nearly three years, most people in the world have been treated like lab rats in an experiment in bio-technocratic central management by state power, at the urging of once-respected global institutions, and this has resulted in economic crisis, demographic upheaval, and utter political panic. It will be many years before this is sorted out.

The transition will certainly involve the rise of nationalism simply because rallying people around their shared ideals can be an effective tool for beating back a machinery that otherwise seems beyond the capacity of human beings to control. Here again the aspiration is for self determination. There is nothing sinister in that.

People will deploy the remnants of democracy that still exist in order to effect change. If some elites are worried about that, they should have thought twice before locking people in their homes and destroying the means to make a living in the name of compliance with science and at the behest of large-scale industrial interests.

That is not to say there are no dangers associated with all types of nationalism, which is precisely why the pandemic response should never have dabbled in such forms in the first place. The use of force in the conduct of human life will always prompt a blowback simply because rational creatures are not inclined to live permanently in cages. If we can find our way out, humans will do our best to do so, using any tool at our disposal.

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.
In the past, Americans looked forward to the day they could retire and collect Social Security. It was something that you could count on because you had been paying for it your whole working life. Now, it seems this staple of life can no longer be counted on in the not-so-distant future.

What the Social Security Administration Says

Problems with the ability of the Social Security Administration (SSA) to maintain the current level of support for seniors have been known for a few years now. The primary cause for the problem, the SSA says, is that the number of seniors claiming Social Securityor who soon will behas exceeded the number of people paying into it.

Another reason for the growing shortage of funds to maintain the program is that women have fewer children, says CNBC. The number of children the average woman would have in 1964 was 3.2, but it dropped to 1.8 by 1974.

Besides having fewer people paying into the program, people are now living longer. It means each person on Social Security is getting a larger portion of the pie than they were even 15 years ago.

The result is that the funds are slowly being depleted. Although several sources say that the SSA cannot maintain 100 percent of its current level of support past 2035, the SSA says it can do so until 2037.

Reduction in Benefits

The SSA is now saying that retireesif there are no changes to the programwill only be able to get about 80 percent of the amount that is currently available. The program never intended to provide all the income a retiree needs, but to give seniors an additional amount to supplement other sources.

Enough Time for Change

In the past, there have been two other times when changes have been made to the Social Security program to keep it going. They occurred in 1977 and 1983. In 1983, Congress raised the age of those eligible for full benefits from 65 to 67which was enacted in 2000.

Congress still has time to ensure that the program can continue to supply the same level of support for seniors. The extra money could come from increased Social Security taxes from employees regular paychecks and higher costs for the self-employed.

Proposals to fix the shortfalls are already in the works. CNBC mentions that Senators Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Representative John Larson (D-Conn.) have already submitted their ideas.

What the Projected Future for Retirees Means

At this time, it is uncertain what can be expected from the SSA when you retire. It appears that you may be able to count on at least 80 percent for a whilebut it is uncertain how long that can be maintaineduntil some definite changes are made to the program.

What It Means for People Now

If you have not yet reached retirement age, some retirement planning is needed to ensure that you have sufficient funds during your retirement years. Remember that if you retire at 67 (full retirement age for Social Security), you can expect to live another 12 to 20 (or more) years. No matter your age, you need to start saving for retirement nowif you have not already done so.

Many people today want to retire young, but when you retire before 67, your Social Security benefits are reduced by 8 percent each year. Merrill says that waiting until you are 67 means you get 8 percent more each year above 62. The more you get from Social Security, the less money you need from other sources.

Other Ways to Ensure a More Comfortable Retirement

In addition to waiting before claiming Social Security, here are some other ways you may want to consider to prepare for a happy retirement.

Retirement Accounts

Employees may have the option to start saving for retirement through an employer-offered 401(k). It offers an aftertax way to save for retirement, enabling retirees (at least 59 1/2) to withdraw funds tax-free. Contributions are tax-deductible. Required minimum distributions must start at 72. In 2022, you can contribute up to $20,500 if you are under 50 and up to $27,000 if 50 or over.

Many employers offer to contribute to their employees retirement accounts on a matching basisup to the limit they specify. You can take advantage of this option by contributing at least up to the matching amount. After all, its free money.

Health Savings Accounts

You can also save money with some types of health accounts designed to save money. Your employer may offer a health savings account (HSA). These plans require that you have a health insurance policy that has high deductibles. This type of policy is better if you and your family are in good health, or you may be spending money that should go into savings for deductible expenses.

The advantage of this kind of health plan is that your money is pretax and grows tax-free. When you withdraw the money for health costs, you do not pay any taxes on it. After you reach 65, you can use it for any purpose. Money in an HSA is best left alone for maximum growth, and paying your health costs out-of-pocket enables you to save more money.

Best Places to Retire

You can also make your retirement money go further if you move to a state or area where the cost of living is lower. It is apt to be a small town or more rural area because it is more expensive to live in large cities. You can research the best states to retire when you want to know more.

Other kinds of growth for your money are available from other sources. For the best growth of your retirement money, including Social Security, you should see a financial advisor, who can help you to get much more than you can on your own.

The Epoch Times Copyright  2022 The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
A view of the Securities and Exchange Commission headquarters in Washington on May 3, 2013. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

The US Gets Tough on Chinas IPOs and They Shift to Europe

New transparency regulations are required across the democratic allies to end fraud and forced labor

Commentary

The United States is getting tough on Chinas initial public offerings (IPOs) on Wall Street, so those IPOs are going to Europe. Thats finance for you. Go to where the suckers are.

After about $100 billion in international investment in U.S.-listed Chinese companies over two decades, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is finally demanding that they follow the auditing rules required of all other publicly-listed companies.

Why they werent required previously is anybodys guess. God knows they needed it.

Heres an example. In 2012, China Medical Technologies collapsedbut not before it had raised $426 million from international bond sales in 2008 and 2010. Allegedly, the wife of one of the senior executives gambled over $100 million of the money in Las Vegas. In 2006, the company reportedly paid another $176 million for a Chinese diagnostics company worth just $155,000.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice declared the companys CEO and CFO to be fugitives, having allegedly defrauded China Medicals noteholders and investors of more than $400 million through misrepresentations about the use of proceeds raised through two note offerings and by then stealing the invested funds by transferring them to entities controlled by, or affiliated with, Wu and Tsang [the CEO and CFO].

The two executives live in China. Beijing is not extraditing them to the United States, which gives tacit approval to their questionable lifestyle choices.

Pedestrians walk past the New York Stock Exchange in New York on March 23, 2021. (Mary Altaffer/AP Photo)

Now KPMG, the U.S. accounting firm making plenty of money in China, is accused in a Hong Kong court by the liquidator of China Medical Technologies of an appalling audit that allowed China Medical Technologies to execute the brazen accounting fraud, according to the Financial Times. The court heard the case on Sept. 5.

KPMG previously faced scrutiny over its China accounts, having settled another similar case, for $48 million, regarding alleged fraud by China Forestry.

All of the big four American auditorsincluding Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and PricewaterhouseCoopersaccording to the Financial Times, are under the microscope for audits related to failing property developers and U.S.-listed companies over allegations linked to accounting, stock manipulation, or fraud cases.

As should be evident, even U.S. auditors cannot always protect investors from fraudulent companies, especially when those companies are paying the audit bill from abroad. Given that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be pre-sifting audit records before U.S. regulators get to them, its unclear how investors will be reasonably protected.

A combination of file pictures shows logos of PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, KPMG, and Ernst & Young. (Reuters)

So expect more lawsuits. The Big Four better increase their China-related fees to pay for them.

Other recent cases include a $300 million alleged fraud at Luckin Coffee in 2020, and Beijings targeting of Didi Chuxing, a ride-hailing app in China similar to Uber, just a few days after the company went public in a $4.4 billion IPO. Its market value promptly fell by approximately 80 percent. Those investors are justifiably irked at the regime in Beijing, and Didi itself, for not warning investors of the risk and canceling the IPO before all that money poured in.

So the new U.S. lawsweak as they aremay finally turn the screw at least a little on the approximately 200 Chinese companies on U.S. exchanges. They should force these companies to divulge their audit files to the SEC or delist.

Some good news is that new Chinese IPOs are deterred by the laws, and some are listing elsewhere. Josh Rogin noted in The Washington Post last month, Good riddance. Nobody should want companies structurally enabled to bilk investors to suction billions more dollars.

Investors in Europe, where the Chinese IPOs are headed, are unprotected. Chinese companies already raised over $2.1 billion in London and Zurich this year, whereas Chinas U.S. listings are down to just $400 million (in each of 2020 and 2021, new China listings in the United States exceeded $10 billion).

This is the first time Europe exceeded the United States in Chinese listings, which is no feather in its cap.

Zurich, in particular, has benefited from a new stock connect scheme with mainland Chinese exchanges and its less demanding requirements over the transparency of company audits, according to the Financial Times.

London and Hong Kong also have much ballyhooed, by Chinas state-controlled media, stock connects to grease the skids of money flowing into unaccountable companies on the mainland.

But even European politicians are wising up, at least to a small extent. A new law that follows something similar in the United States is planned against products that use forced labor. This will, in particular, hit imports from China, as even components (such as computer chips used in electronics and vehicles) that have raw materials (such as silica) sourced from forced labor (much silica comes from Xinjiang) will be subject to bans.

That means iPhones made in China may be banned in Europe.

To channel Beijing into compliance with international norms will require a sustained and unified effort by the international community because the CCP is so resistant to anything that puts a limit on its power.

A global approach to banning forced labor and fraudulent listings should be followed by a combined requirement by not only the United States, but the European Union, Japan, and United Kingdom that foreign (just like domestic) companies listed in allied economies submit all audits, including on forced labor, to local regulators. Any country not in compliance should be subject to secondary sanctions.

This should have been a legal requirement from the beginning of engagement with China to protect investors from fraud and consumers from the products of forced labor. Our governments failure to do so decades ago requires investigation and explanation.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower the day after FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach home, in New York on Aug. 9, 2022. (David 'Dee' Delgado/Reuters)

Trump Offers to Mediate a Peace Deal Between Russia, Ukraine, and US

Former President Donald Trump on Sept. 28 offered to step in to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, citing the recent damage that was reportedly done to the Nord Stream I and II gas pipelines.

The pipelines, which Trump wrote have been sabotaged, could lead to a major escalation between the United States, Russia, and Europe. Leaders in the United States, he added on Truth Social, should remain cool, calm, and dry.

This is a big event that should not entail a big solution, at least not yet, he wrote. The Russia/Ukraine catastrophe should NEVER have happened, and would definitely not have happened if I were President. Do not make matters worse with the pipeline blowup. Be strategic, be smart (brilliant!), get a negotiated deal done NOW.

Both sides need and want it. The entire World is at stake. I will head up [the] group???

The Epoch Times contacted the Department of State about Trumps proposal.

During a Sept. 27 interview, Trump told podcast host John Catsimatidis said that we could end up in World War III and it could be all of the horrible things that took place in Ukraine.

I think were at the most dangerous time maybe in, in many, many yearsmaybe everbecause of the power of nuclear, Trump said.

European officials have suggested that the pipelines were damaged on Sept. 26 in a deliberate act. Some blamed Moscow, although Russia jointly operated Nord Stream I with Germany for years, and a top Kremlin official on Sept. 28 dismissed such claims.

Russia, which slashed gas deliveries to Europe after the West imposed sanctions over Moscows invasion of Ukraine, has also said sabotage was a possibility. Russias embassy in Denmark said any sabotage on Nord Streams pipelines was an attack on both Russias and Europes energy security.

A large disturbance in the sea can be observed off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm after reports of unusual leaks from two natural gas pipelines running from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Danish Defence Command )

The United Nations Security Council will convene on Sept. 30 at the request of Russia to discuss damage to the Nord Stream pipelines, the French U.N. mission, which holds the presidency of the 15-member council for September, said in a statement.

Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

Seismologists in Denmark and Sweden, meanwhile, said that explosions were the likely cause of the damage to the underwater pipelines and ruled out natural causes.

Bjorn Lund, director of the Swedish National Seismic Network at Uppsala University, told NPR on Sept. 27 that its very clear from the seismic record that these are blasts.

These are not earthquakes, he added. They are not landslides underwater. In an interview with Swedish television, Lund said he has no doubt that these were explosions.

Kremlin Response

Speaking to reporters on Sept. 28, top Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov sharply dismissed claims that Moscow was behind the alleged sabotage. The damage, he said, is a big problem for Russia because gas is very expensive.

Firstly, both lines of Nord Stream  are filled with gas. The entire system is ready to pump gas and the gas is very expensive  now the gas is flying off into the air, Peskov told Reuters. Are we interested in that? No, we are not, we have lost a route for gas supplies to Europe.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at a rally to support local candidates at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 3, 2022. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Trump Reveals His Biggest Fear, Warns Were at the Most Dangerous Time  Maybe Ever

Former President Donald Trump said his biggest worry now is where geopolitical tensions over Ukraine and Taiwan may be headed, saying that he thinks we could end up in World War III and that the conflict could go nuclear.

Trump, in a Sept. 27 appearance on the Cats at Night Show, was asked about his chief concerns and what keeps him up at night.

More than anything else, I think we could end up in World War III, the former president replied.

He said World War III could be sparked by all of the horrible things that took place in Ukraine, adding that it looks like its going to happen in China with Taiwan  you see whats going on over there.

Chinas communist regime recently ramped up its military threat against the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory to be taken by force, if necessary.

China has acted increasingly aggressively when it comes to Taiwan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a recent interview, according to CBS News. That poses a threat to peace and stability in the entire region.

Even though the United States ended formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979 and switched recognition to Beijing under the One China policy, Washington maintains a robust unofficial relationship with Taipei and is legally bound to provide it with the arms necessary to defend itself.

Tensions in Ukraine, on the other hand, have taken a turn for the worse as Ukrainian forces launched a major counteroffensive, prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin to mobilize more troops and suggest in a speech on Sept. 21 that Moscow was prepared to use nuclear weapons in the conflict.

In his interview, Trump commented on Putins remarks and the nuclear threat.

I think were at the most dangerous time maybe in many, many yearsmaybe everbecause of the power of nuclear, Trump said.

For a major nation thats equal with us on nuclear power to be throwing around the word cavalierly, like nuclear, is a very bad time. A very bad time for this country and a very bad and a very dangerous time for the world, Trump added.

Trump once again expressed the view that if he were still in the White House, Putin would not have ordered his troops into Ukraine.

I got along with him very well. I spoke to him. I understood him, Trump said of Putin. He understood me, probably. But I understood him well, and he would have never done it.
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 Wins Ruling in Rape Accuser Carrolls Defamation Lawsuit

A federal appeals court in Manhattan handed former President Donald Trump a procedural victory Tuesday in a defamation lawsuit, after famed columnist E. Jean Carroll claimed that Trump had raped her in the 1990s.

In a two-to-one decision on Sept. 27, the panel on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a lower court erred when it ruled that Carroll could sue Trump for defamatory statements during his presidency, given that a federal law, known as the Westfall Act, shields government employees from liability in work-related incidents.

Carroll, 78, sued Trump in 2019, claiming the Republican sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s in a dressing room at a Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan. Because the alleged attack happened decades ago, Carroll was originally barred from suing over sexual battery, pushing her to sue for defamation over allegedly disparaging comments Trump made about the rape allegation.

Trump denied her allegation at the time and accused her of using false claims as a way to promote her book. Ill say it with great respect: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened, the-then president told The Hill in an interview at the White House in June 2019.

The D.C. Court of Appeals is now asked to weigh in on whether Trump was acting within the scope of his presidential duties when he denied raping Carroll and dismissed her during the interview. If Trump was, he would be entitled to immunity from the lawsuit, according to the ruling by the 2nd Circuit judges. And while the U.S. government can be sued over some wrongdoing by its employees, it is immune from defamation lawsuits, which would mean Carrolls suit would fail.

In a majority opinion written by Circuit Judge Guido Calabresi on Tuesday, two members of the 2nd Circuits three-judge panel declined to further address the defamation action while the matter was of extreme public importance.

We do not pass judgment or express any view as to whether Trumps public statements were indeed defamatory or whether the sexual assault allegations had, in fact, occurred, the judges said.

E. Jean Carroll talks to reporters outside a courthouse in New York on March 4, 2020. (Seth Wenig, File/AP Photo)

Trumps lawyer Alina Habba, meanwhile, welcomed the decision, saying it will protect the ability of all future presidents to effectively govern without hindrance.

We are confident that the D.C. Court of Appeals will find that our client was acting within the scope of his employment when properly repudiating Ms. Carrolls allegations, she said in a statement.

Former Attorney General William Barr and current Attorney General Merrick Garland defended the Department of Justices decision to back Trump as a defendant in the ongoing defamation case.

Dissent

In an opinion written by Judge Denny Chin, the third judge who dissented, he said that the law protecting federal employees from liability does not apply to Trump. He said it was only to protect low-level, rank-and-file government employees rather than the president.

And he said at least some of the former presidents statements were not part of his official duties.

Trump was not acting in the scope of his employment when he made comments about Carroll and her accusations because he was not serving any purpose of the federal government, wrote the judge, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.

In the context of an accusation of rape, the comment shes not my type surely is not something one would expect the President of the United States to say in the course of his duties. Carrolls allegations plausibly paint a picture of a man pursuing a personal vendetta against an accuser, not the United States chief constitutional officer engaging in supervisory and policy responsibilities of utmost discretion and sensitivity, Chin added.

Endorsing Chins dissenting opinion, Carrolls lawyer Roberta Kaplan also said she was confident that the D.C. appeals court would agree that Trumps statements were unrelated to his job.

However, chances remain that the legal fight over whether Trump or the U.S. government should be the defendant in the case could become moot. Carrolls lawyer alerted a Manhattan federal court judge in August that she plans to file a new lawsuit against Trump when New Yorks Adult Survivors Act takes effect on Nov. 24. The new law offers a one-year window during which time adult survivors of sexual attacks are able to bring civil claims when they otherwise would be barred by time requirements.

That would mean Carroll could sue Trump over the original rape allegation, which happened long before he became president.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Bayraktar Akinci unmanned combat aerial vehicle at Teknofest aerospace and technology festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, on May 27, 2022. (Aziz Karimov/Reuters)

Turkey Says Malaysia, Indonesia Interested in Buying Armed Drones

ANKARATurkey said on Monday that Malaysia and Indonesia had expressed keen interest in buying armed drones from Turkish defense firm Baykar, which has supplied the weapons to several countries after battlefield successes.

Many Asian countries, especially Malaysia and Indonesia, show great interest in our defence industry products. Agreements are being signed, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a press conference in Tokyo.

We would most gladly meet Japans need for drones, the minister added, on a visit there to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

International demand for Turkish drones has soared after their impact on conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and Libya. On Sept. 21 Reuters reported that Baykar delivered 20 armed drones to the United Arab Emirates this month.
People push a motorbike in a flooded street following the passage of Typhoon Noru in Hoi An city, Quang Nam province on Sept. 28, 2022. (Nhac Nguyen/AFP via Getty Images)

Typhoon Noru Hits Vietnam After Battering Philippines, Prompting Mass Evacuations

Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in Vietnam as powerful Typhoon Noru made landfall in the country two days after the storm devastated and inundated homes in the Philippines.

The storm reached the coast of Central Vietnam on Sept. 27 at 117 kilometers per hour (73 mph), mainly in Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, and Quang Ngai. An unspecified number of schools and shops have been closed.

Vinh International Airport has said it would be temporarily closed and will actively monitor the situation. More than 133,000 residents have been evacuated, and curfews have been imposed in Quang Nam province.

Fallen trees, torn roofs, and widespread power outages have been reported, affecting more than a half million families in several provinces.

There have been no fatalities recorded as of Sept. 28, VN Express reported.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh said on Sept. 28 that while the storm has weakened to a tropical depression, he urged people to remain vigilant for possible flash flooding from torrential rains.

A man rides a motorbike in a flooded street following the passage of Typhoon Noru in Hoi An, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, on Sept. 28, 2022. (Nhac Nguyen/AFP via Getty Images)

Nguyen Van Huong, head of the weather forecast department under the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, anticipated the countrys north-central region would receive rainfall of 100 to 250 millimeters (as much as almost 10 inches) from Sept. 28 to Sept. 30.

Experiences from recent storms show that when storms land, we are relatively safe, but when they have gone, there would be damages left behind due to landslides and flash floods, and therefore people need to pay attention, he said.

A man walks along the beach following the passage of Typhoon Noru in Danang, Vietnam, on Sept. 28, 2022. (Nhac NguyenAFP via Getty Images)

The typhoon was expected to make landfall in the central and southern provinces of Laos on Sept. 28. The Lao weather bureau has issued a warning and requested that all dams prepare emergency plans.

The Thai Meteorological Department predicted on Sept. 27 that the storm will hit Thailands northeastern provinces on Sept. 29 before weakening to a tropical depression. It warned of subsequent heavy rains, according to local reports.

8 Killed in the Philippines

Typhoon Noru was the most powerful storm to hit the Philippines this year, killing at least eight people when it made landfall on Sept. 25, including a group of rescuers scrambling to save villagers trapped in floodwaters.

Residents pass by a flooded road from Typhoon Noru in San Miguel, Bulacan Province, Philippines, on Sept. 26, 2022. (Aaron Favila/AP Photo)

Five government rescuers drowned in the town of San Miguel in Bulacan province after their boat overturned when it was hit by a collapsed wall, tossing them into rampaging floodwaters, police and officials said.

Nearly 80,000 people were moved to emergency shelters, some forcibly, across the main Luzon island, disaster-response officials said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Presidente @PedroCastilloTe lidera sesion del Consejo de Ministros,se evaluan y debaten temas a favor del pais:avances del Plan Impulso Peru, situacion de proyectos de inversion publico- privado, proyecto de ley de medidas para Plan Integral de Reconstruccion con Cambios y otros. pic.twitter.com/RrvKyBxBE8
Labour MP Rupa Huq arrives at the Cabinet office in central London on April 4, 2019. (Adrian Dennis /AFP via Getty Images)

UK Labour MP Suspended for Calling Conservative Minister Superficially Black

The UKs main opposition Labour Party has suspended an MP after she described a Conservative government minister as superficially black.

In an audio clip published online, Rupa Huq, the MP representing Ealing Central and Acton in west London, was heard discussing the elite school background of Kwasi Kwarteng, who became Britains first black chancellor of the Exchequer earlier this month.

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng walks outside Number 10 Downing Street, in London on Sept. 6, 2022. (Toby Melville/Reuters)

Superficially he is a black man, she told a fringe event at the Labour Party conference held in Liverpool over the weekend.

He went to Eton, I think. He went to a very expensive prep school. All the way through, the top schools in the country.

If you hear him on the Today programme, you wouldnt know he is black, she added, referring to the BBCs flagship morning news programme.

Huqs comments were condemned by politicians from both main parties after the clip was published by the Guido Fawkes website on Tuesday.

She was subsequently suspended from the Labour Party, and lost the party whip.

Talking to LBC Radio on Wednesday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Huqs comments were racist and wrong, and praised his partys very swift action in suspending her membership.

Ill-Judged

After the clip was published on Tuesday, Conservative Party chairman Jake Berry raised his serious concerns in a letter to the Labour leader and demanded Huqs suspension.

I trust you will join me in unequivocally condemning these comments as nothing less than racist and that the Labour whip be withdrawn from Rupa Huq as a consequence, he wrote.

In response, a Labour spokesman said: We obviously condemn the remarks she made. They are totally inappropriate and we would call on her to apologise and withdraw them.

Labours deputy leader Angela Rayner also told Huq to apologise and take immediate action over the completely unacceptable remarks.

Huq initially told the Guardian newspaper that she stood by the remarks and described criticism of her comments as being a massive misunderstanding, wilfully.

But she later said she had apologised to Kwarteng over the ill-judged comments.

She wrote on Twitter: I have today contacted Kwasi Kwarteng to offer my sincere and heartfelt apologies for the comments I made at yesterdays Labour conference fringe meeting. My comments were ill-judged and I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone affected.

PA Media contributed to this report.
UK MPs Call on Government to Scrap Irredeemably Flawed IPP Sentences

Partner of prisoner describes 'struggle and trauma' caused by Imprisonment for Public Protection

The House of Commons Justice Committee has called on the government to review the status of almost 3,000 prisoners who were jailed under the irredeemably flawed Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) system.

The committees report said the system for managing and releasing IPP prisoners was inadequate and all 2,926 in England and Wales should have their sentences reviewed and replaced.

IPP sentences (pdf) were introduced by the Labour government in 2005 to prevent people who were considered to be a danger to the public being released.

Many of those who were sentenced were convicted of relatively minor offences like grievous bodily harm (GBH) and have spent a decade longer than the two years they should have served in prison.

Andrew Sperling, a London solicitor, welcomed the committees report and wrote on Twitter: Tomorrow one of my longest serving IPP clients has yet another parole hearing. In 2006 he was given an IPP sentence for an offence of robbery of his parents. His minimum term was less than two years. He is still in prison. His family are desperate for him to be released.

Autistic IPP Prisoner

Sperling continued: He is autistic. His behaviour is challenging but this does not mean that he is dangerous. His case is a good example of the failure of planning, co-ordination and strategy which the committee highlight in their report.

The committees report said: Our report has set out various steps the government needs to take to help address the IPP problem. But it is clear to us that, while these measures are necessary, they will not be sufficient on their own to deal with the problems that have been identified in the way the IPP sentence continues to operate and is likely to operate in the coming years. The sentence is irredeemably flawed.

IPPs were scrapped by former Prime Minister David Camerons coalition government in 2012, but 1,492 IPP prisoners have never been released and another 1,434 prisoners have been recalled to prison.

Justice Committee Chairman Bob Neill said: IPP sentences were abolished a decade ago but little has been done to deal with the long-term consequences on those subject to them. They are currently being failed in a prison system that has left them behind, with inadequate support for the specific challenges caused by the very way they have been convicted and sentenced.

Bernadette Emersons partner, Abdullahi Suleman, was given an IPP sentence for robbery in 2005 and a two-year tariff.

An undated photo of Bernadette Emerson, with her partner Abdullahi Suleman and their daughter, taken at a prison in England. (Courtesy of Bernadette Emerson)

Emerson, who lives in Cardiff, told The Epoch Times: He was 22 at the time and I was 20. He was released in 2011 and we had another child but after missing a psychiatrists appointment he was recalled in 2014. He has been released and recalled several times and has not been home since 2017. He has missed his children growing up.

She said Suleman, a qualified plumber who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2004, was assaulted in prison by another inmate in 2018 and suffered a serious head injury which, she claimed, was not properly treated at the time.

Emerson said: He suffered a horrendous injury. When he was finally examined in 2020 they said his cranium had been badly damaged and had fused back together wrong. They said it would lead to mood and memory impairment. It was a life-changing brain injury.

IPP Has Caused a Lot of Struggle and Trauma

She said: IPP has caused a lot of struggle and trauma for us, knowing those injuries he received would not have happened if he was not on an IPP.

Emerson, who is co-founder of the IPP Committee in Action group, welcomed the Justice Committees report and urged the government to act on its recommendations.

She said 76 IPP prisoners had taken their own lives and she said many of them had been broken mentally by seeing murderers freed while they stayed in jail.

The Epoch Times also spoke to Kelly, whose friend Glenn was given an IPP in 2006.

Kelly told The Epoch Times: His tariff was one year and 312 days for GBH. If he had got a determinate sentence his maximum sentence would have been four years. He was involved in a fight outside a nightclub. There were a few of them involved. His co-defendant was given a 10 month determinate sentence.

Glenn has been released and recalled twice and Kelly said on the most recent occasion it was for slamming a car door during an argument.

Kelly, who lives in the West Midlands, said: This sentence has destroyed the person I once knew. The sentence has had a huge impact on everyone. His mothers mental health has been poor and his father has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He struggles to understand why Glenn is still in prison. We all feel like we are also the ones in prison.

She welcomed the committees report but said: Will the government really act on it? Theyve ignored it for so long now.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: The number of IPP prisoners has fallen by two-thirds since 2012 and we are continuing to help those still in custody to progress towards release.

While these sentences were handed down by judges who decided offenders posed a significant risk to the public, under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act we have committed to review licence conditions after 10 years. We will carefully consider the reports recommendations and respond in due course.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Two low flying Eurofighter Typhoons take off at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, England in this file photo. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

UK to Engage in Long-Term Exercises in Indo-Pacific

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has announced that it will be engaged in multiple military exercises that will see it training with multiple nations in the Indo-Pacificincluding Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Koreauntil December as part of the countrys continued tilt toward the region.

A flight of four Typhoon fighters and one Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft from the RAF travelled to Australia to participate in Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin alongside 100 other aircraft and 2,500 personnel from 17 different countries.

The extended RAF deployment in the region comes in addition to the Royal Navy celebrating one year of permanent presence in the region with the HMS Spey and HMS Tamar.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the ability of the RAF to deploy to the region long-term demonstrates the UKs commitment to maintaining its historical ties to the region.

Security and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific remain paramount, and with the Pitch Black exercises and the persistent presence of the Royal Navy in the Pacific, we are able to demonstrate our commitment and shared responsibility across the region and further strengthen our close ties with friends and allies, he said.

The increased engagement from the UK comes after the British government identified the Indo-Pacific region as being critical to the UKs economy, security, and global ambition to support open societies.

The UKs increasing military engagement in the reason comes after former Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in a policy paper in July 2021 that the UK governments vision for the country is for it to be deeply engaged in the Indo-Pacific as the European partner with the broadest, most integrated presence in support of mutually beneficial trade, shared security, and values by 2030.

We will pursue deeper engagement in the Indo-Pacific in support of shared prosperity and regional stability, with stronger diplomatic and trading ties, the paper reads.

Europe Engaging More Heavily in the Region to Counter China

The UK isnt the only European power engaging more heavily in the Indo-Pacific region, with France and Germany participating in military exercises in the region.

NATO has stated that it was moving to heighten its presence in the region as a counterpoint to Chinas increasingly aggressive stance in the region. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced in April that the organisation would increase engagement in the region to counteract ongoing aggression and militarisation from Beijing.

We have seen that China is unwilling to condemn Russias aggression. And Beijing has joined Moscow in questioning the right of nations to choose their own path, Stoltenberg said. This is a serious challenge to us all. And it makes it even more important that we stand together to protect our values.

France has recently demonstrated its ability to rapidly respond to conflict in the Indo-Pacific with a contingent of the French Air Force travelling from Paris to New Caledonia in just 72 hours, more than 16,600 kilometres (10,315 miles), to demonstrate Frances ability to engage rapidly in any possible conflict in the Pacific.

Read More France Demonstrates Air Power Capability in the Indo-Pacific

The fact that we are trying to do such air power projection in the Pacific is a concrete illustration of the French resolve to ensure the sovereignty of their territory is protected, according to Maj. Gen. Stephane Groen, chief of staff of the French Air and Space Forces Air Operations Command and commander of the drills, the Nikkei Asia reported.

Read More NATO to Engage in Asia-Pacific to Counter China

Michito Tsuruoka, an associate professor of international security and European politics at Japans Keio University, said reengagement in the region was a good strategy for European powers.

In an article for The Diplomat in 2021, he said that if other allies focus on different threats and challenges in various theatres of conflict, then theres a more significant potential for it to lead to wider perception gaps, making it difficult to work together on broader issues like China, or Russia.

Geographical distance can no longer be a shield for Europe to protect itself from the consequences of Chinas behaviour, Tsuruoka said.
The logo of video-focused social networking service TikTok, at the TikTok UK office, in London, on Feb. 9, 2022. (Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

UK Warns TikTok Could Face 27 Million Fine for Failing to Protect Childrens Privacy

The Chinese-owned social media site TikTok could face a 27 million ($29 million) fine after British authorities found that it may have breached UK data protection law by failing to protect childrens privacy.

On Monday, the UK Information Commissioners Office (ICO) said in a statement that the video-sharing platform may have processed the data of under-13s without appropriate parental consent.

The ICO investigation also found that TikTok may have failed to provide proper information to its users in a concise, transparent and easily understood way, and processed special category data, without legal grounds to do so.

Authorities issued the company with a notice of intent, a legal document that precedes a potential fine. Its provisional view is that TikTok breached UK data protection law between May 2018 and July 2020.

The ICO added that no conclusion should be drawn at this stage that there has, in fact, been any breach of data protection law or that a financial penalty will ultimately be imposed.

We will carefully consider any representations from TikTok before taking a final decision, the ICO said.

We all want children to be able to learn and experience the digital world, but with proper data privacy protections. Companies providing digital services have a legal duty to put those protections in place, but our provisional view is that TikTok fell short of meeting that requirement, said Information Commissioner John Edwards.

Ive been clear that our work to better protect children online involves working with organisations but will also involve enforcement action where necessary, he added.

In addition to this, we are currently looking into how over 50 different online services are conforming with the Childrens code and have six ongoing investigations looking into companies providing digital services who havent, in our initial view, taken their responsibilities around child safety seriously enough, said Edwards.

Chinese Communist Party

TikTok is a hugely popular short-format video app that allows users to create and share videos. It started in China as Douyin in September 2016, but was relaunched as TikTok internationally in September 2017.

In July, the UKs communications regulator Ofcom found that teenagers in the country are turning away from traditional news channels and are instead looking to Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

In February, Casey Fleming, a cyber security expert and CEO of strategic advisory firm BlackOps Partners, warned on EpochTVs Wide Angle program that if people use TikTok, they may be feeding information to Chinese Communist Party intelligence services.

All the private information that the app is collecting may be fed directly to the Chinese regime, he warned, citing a range of Chinese laws that compel companies to cooperate with regime authorities when asked.

All of your data on that phone, Fleming said, everything you do, and everything that you have stored on your phone is being sent out of the country, possibly to be used against you, he said.

The Communist Party of China is collecting vast amounts of data. It may not be used against you today. But this information might be used against you, your company, or your country in the future, he added.

The Epoch Times contacted TikTok for comment.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (R) welcomes U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, on July 28, 2021. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool Photo via AP)

US, India Vow to Bolster Ties Despite Strain Over US-Pakistan Arms Deal

Top U.S. and Indian officials on Sept. 27 pledged to deepen security and economic cooperation against the backdrop of Washingtons $450 million F-16 deal with Pakistan, which India has strongly opposed.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Washington, a day after his separate meeting with Pakistans foreign affairs minister.

Blinken said the U.S.-India partnership is one of the most consequential in the world and that both countries have made real progress in elevating it through institutions like the Quad and G-20 in the past years.

Important discussion today with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar about #USIndia's continued collaboration on global health challenges, climate change and clean energy, food security, and the implications of Russias war in Ukraine. #USIndiaAt75 pic.twitter.com/aZcMn9oXrP  Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 27, 2022

Blinken also justified Washingtons decision to provide Pakistan with an F-16 jet fleet sustainment package, saying that it was for the maintenance of Pakistans existing fleet and to help the country fight terrorism.

These are not new planes, new systems, new weapons. Its sustaining what they have, Blinken said at a joint press briefing with Jaishankar on Tuesday.

Pakistans program bolsters its capability to deal with terrorist threats emanating from Pakistan or from the region. Its in no ones interest that those threats be able to go forward with impunity, and so this capability that Pakistan has had can benefit all of us in dealing with terrorism, he added.

The U.S. State Department earlier approved the potential sale of sustainment and related equipment to Pakistan in a deal valued at $450 million. But India is concerned that the fleet could be used against it.

India Condemns US-Pakistan Arms Deal

While Jaishankar did not respond to Blinkens remarks during the press conference, he did criticize the Biden administrations decision during his interaction with the Indian community in New York on Sept. 25.

For someone to say Im doing this as its for counter-terrorism, when youre talking about an aircraft like the capability of the F-16, youre not fooling anybody by saying that, he said, according to India Today.

Jaishankar also questioned the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, saying that it has not served the interests of the United States.

Very honestly, its a relationship that has neither ended up serving Pakistan well nor serving American interests. So, its really for the U.S. today to reflect on what the merits are of this relationship and what they get by it, he added.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Washingtons relations with Pakistan and India stand on their own.

These are both partners of ours with different points of emphasis in each, and we look to both as partners because we do have in many cases shared values, we do have in many cases shared interests, he told reporters on Sunday.

Pakistan, which is nuclear-armed like India, has relied heavily on Chinese-made jets, but its fleets F-16s remain the most effective and advanced.

India and Pakistan have gone to war on three occasions. They engaged in an aerial battle in 2019 over the disputed region of Kashmir, during which India said it had shot down a Pakistani F-16 after one of its jets was brought down. Pakistan denied the claim.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Peter Christian, president of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), attends the "Small Islands States" meeting ahead of the start of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) at the Civic Center in Aiwo on the Pacific island of Nauru on September 3, 2018. (Mike Leyral/AFP via Getty Images)

US Must Strengthen Ties With Freely Associated States to Counter China in Indo-Pacific: Report

The three Freely Associated States in the Pacific Islands region with whom the United States holds special economic and defense relationships are important for countering Chinas increasing footprint in the region, according to a recent report by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), a federally-funded think tank.

Amidst this increasing power rivalry with China, the United States should elevate engagement with these nations, the report stated.

The United States has historically assigned only limited diplomatic resources to the FAS and even less to other Pacific Island nations. By contrast, China has consular staff for and frequent working and senior-level engagement with every Pacific Island nation with which it has diplomatic relations, stated the report, released on Sept. 20.

China perceives Washingtons limited engagement as a strategic void in the Pacific Island region and has been open about its intentions to fill it, USIP said.

The Pacific Island region extends from Asian littoral waters in the west, Guam in the north and Hawaii in the northeast, and Australia and New Zealand in the south and southwest respectively, and includes the 15 island nations: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.

While Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are classified as least-developed countries, New Zealand is a developed country and the remaining countries and areas are identified in as developing countries.

The United States is bound with the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau through an international agreement called the Compact of Free Association; these countries are called the Freely Associated States (FAS). The agreement allows these states access to U.S. domestic economic programs and allows the United States to operate defense bases in these nations. The citizens of FAS are also allowed to serve in the American armed forces.

However current U.S. diplomatic engagement with FAS is sprawling and decentralized and this can weaken the bilateral relations and act against the interest of U.S. national security, according to the report.

Even a modest increase in diplomatic resources is likely to meet with an enthusiastic reception from regional officials, stated the report, which was the result of a project that convened a group of 16 experts who interviewed officials and experts from the FAS and from other countries around the region.

As the competition between the United States and the Chinese regime gains pace in the Pacific region, the FAS presents a unique opportunity for the United States whose military is expanding its force posture, the report stated.

This picture taken on July 21, 2022, shows Marshall Islands Iroojlaplap (paramount chief) Michael Kabua walking through an honor guard of spear-holding warriors representing the 12 atolls and single islands in his domain at the start of a gala coronation ceremony on Ebeye Island in the Marshall Islands. Thousands of Marshall Islanders converged on Ebeye Island this week for the first coronation ceremony of a paramount chief in half a century. (Chewy Lin/AFP via Getty Images)

U.S. defense rights in the FAS present unique opportunities for new facilities and dual-use ports and airfields development. Strong U.S.-FAS connections mean that a deterioration in FAS economic or security conditions would have spillover effects into U.S. states and territories, it stated.

In a diplomatic tug of war, the Chinese communist regime was successful in flipping some Pacific Island nations to its side. After Solomon Islands and Kiribati switched their diplomatic affiliation from Taipei to Beijing, Taiwan was left with diplomatic recognition from only four Pacific Island nations.

Finally, two of the three FAS, Palau and the Marshall Islands, maintain diplomatic ties with Taipei, fortifying Taiwans international space at a time when it is under relentless pressure from Beijing, the report stated.

The U.S. State Department by years end will renew strategic partnership agreements with the three FAS: Pacific Island nations of Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. This has come through after six months of intensive negotiations, according to Special Presidential Envoy Ambassador Joseph Yun. The USIP report said this should be further leveraged.

Washington has an important opportunity in the ongoing Compact negotiations to strengthen its bilateral ties with the FAS and demonstrate a commitment to addressing their core interests to further US national interests and peace and security across the region, stated the report.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (L) and visiting Marshall Islands President David Kabua inspect the honour guards during a welcome ceremony in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on March 22, 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Recommendations

According to the report, the U.S. administration should work with the FAS nations to push back against increasing Chinese influence in the Pacific Island region, and oppose any displacement of existing diplomatic and security relationships that push rivalry with the United States.

The goal should be framed as preventing a level of Chinese influence that would destabilize regional institutions and exacerbate divisions among Pacific Island states, it said.

To gain their confidence, the United States should set up a recurring strategic dialogue with the FAS and other Pacific island nations at a level of seniority and clearly communicate to them that they hold importance to Washington. To that end, a US-FAS dialogue may be most appropriately staffed at the assistant secretary level (or equivalent) and be conducted virtually, on occasion, if needed, the report stated.

The National Security Councils new national strategy for the Pacific Islands should identify U.S. interests in the Pacific Island nations.

The White House, according to USIP, should develop a plan to use diplomatic, defense, and economic tools to secure those interests in conjunction with regional partners and frameworks, and should also commission an intelligence report on Chinas interests in the Pacific Islands region to support this effort.

Additional resources should be allocated to ensure close monitoring of Chinas increasing activity in the FAS, with a view to ensuring that US and FAS policymakers are apprised of opportunities to invoke rights of strategic denial, stated the report.

The FAS should also be made a central part of the United States overall military disposition in the Indo-Pacific, according to the report.

The Federated States of Micronesia recently agreed to develop new military facilities on its territory. Additionally, Palau has formally requested that the United States establish airstrips, ports, and bases on its islands, a request Washington should consider seriously to the extent that it aligns with defense needs, the USIP said in the report.

Other recommendations of the report include building a counter-narrative to Chinas posturing on climate and economic development, and playing an active role in promoting various exchanges involving Taiwan, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and other Pacific Island nations, including Kiribati and Nauru.
President Joe Biden speaks during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington on Sept. 28, 2022. (Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images)

White House Responds After Biden Asks Where Deceased Congresswoman Is

The White House on Sept. 28 claimed that President Joe Biden was not acting unusual when he looked around during an event and asked about a deceased congresswoman.

Biden, a Democrat, was thanking members of Congress who supported legislation aimed at tackling hunger issues when he looked around for the late Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.).

Jackie here? Wheres Jackie? I think she wasnt going to be here, said Biden, 79, Americas oldest president.

Walorski died in a car crash earlier this year. After the sudden death, Biden issued his condolences.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed later Wednesday that Biden looked for Walorski because the deceased member of Congress was top of mind.

Jean-Pierre noted that Walorskis family is expected to travel to Washington to watch as Biden signs a bill on Friday to rename a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Indiana in honor of her.

That is what he was thinking of, Jean-Pierre said.

Multiple reporters pressed Jean-Pierre, noting that he looked around for her and seemed to think she was still alive.

The confusing part is why  does the president think that shes living and in the room, one reporter wondered.

Her being on top of mind, I dont think thats unusual. I feel like many of us have gone through that particular time where someone is on top of mind and you call them out and you mention them, especially in this type of context, Jean-Pierre said.

I dont find that confusing. I mean, I think many people can speak to when you have someone in top of mind, theyre top of mind, exactly that. And it is also, if you put it into the context, its not like it happened outside of context, right? It happened at an event when we were calling out the champions, the congressional champions in particular, for this issue of food security, she added.

Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 19, 2018. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

I have John Lennon top of mind just about every day, but Im not looking around for him, one reporter quipped.

When you sign a bill for John Lennon as president, then we can have this conversation, Jean-Pierre replied.

Republicans said Biden should issue an apology to Walorskis family.

Truly an awful and disgraceful blunder. Jackie was a selfless leader and a dear friend. Her family deserves better than this. Biden and the entire White House staff should apologize, Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) said in a statement.

The White House Press Secretary completely failed to defend Bidens unacceptable comments about my late friend and colleague Jackie Walorski. The president should personally apologize to her family and loved ones immediately, Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) added.

Correction: A previous version of this article inaccurately described the facility that will be renamed for Rep. Walorski. It is a Veterans Affairs clinic. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
South Africa: Kimberley gets R4m day care centre

Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, in partnership with Airports Company South Africa and CIPLA Foundation, has handed over a R4 million day care centre to the residents of Greenfield in Kimberley, Northern Cape.

The handover on Monday was part of governments efforts to accelerate service delivery through public private partnerships (PPP).



During her address, the Deputy Minister thanked the Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality for availing land and water by constructing the newly built day care centre for the benefit of children.

We thank both National and Provincial Departments of Social Development for their relentless efforts in ensuring that children are put first. It is befitting to also extend a word of appreciation to team ACSA, which has partnered in funding many programmes previously and most recently contributed towards the building of Kutlwano Day Care Centre, Bogopane-Zulu said.



One of the parents, whose child is attending at Kutlwano Day Care Centre, Janice Brown, said she was delighted that children in the area will have a new creche, which is a safe environment and suitable for children to learn and grow.

The centre caters for our needs and provides a sense of love and care. The facilities of the creche are in a safe and good condition for our children to play and learn without being exposed to any form of danger, she said.



The centre was once a corrugated iron shack and was now refurbished into a disability-friendly facility.



Meanwhile, on Tuesday the Deputy Minister will facilitate an engagement with sex workers, government, civil society, developmental partners and the general public about challenges that continue to face the sex work trade.

The Department of Social Development calls for the decriminalisation of sex work as criminalisation poses a myriad of challenges against interventions designed for sex workers.

The department said that criminalisation of the trade is intricately linked to the ongoing human rights violations and inadequate access to social, justice and health services.

The sex work dialogue will take place this morning at the Platfontein Lodge, in Kimberley, Northern Cape.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
"The Gabonese Democratic Party (GDP) has a friendship with the Communist Party of China (CPC) lasting over 40 years. Every leader of the Gabonese party has paid visits to China to learn governance experience from the CPC. They witnessed the huge changes in China's development and deeply felt the institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics," said Michel Philippe NZE, Second Deputy Secretary General of the GDP, in a recent interview with People's Daily. Photo shows a pure electric bus in Beijing. Compared with traditional fuel-powered buses, electric buses come with less noise and are equipped with air purifiers and 360-degree surround-view cameras. (People's Daily Online/Hu Qingming) China is the world's second largest economy, the largest industrial country, the largest goods trading country and the holder of the largest foreign exchange reserves. Philippe admires such developments made by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC and speaks highly of the governance philosophy of the Chinese political party. "The CPC adheres to a people-centered approach and always puts people's interests in the first place," said Philippe, adding that is what guarantees China's constant progress. In the fall three years ago, Philippe visited China together with a GDP delegation. The delegation visited tech firms and cultural organizations in a number of Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. They also joined symposiums attended by local citizens and professionals from various industries, from which they saw the development of China. "I was deeply impressed by the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall. It comprehensively showcases the history, status quo and future of the Chinese capital's urban planning and construction. There, I learned that Beijing keeps its ancient appearances while adopting modern development approaches and methods," Philippe told People's Daily. He also felt the prosperous green development of China on the streets of Beijing, where he saw shared bikes and other green transport methods. "The citizens are taking concrete actions to put green development into practice," he said. China and Gabon have achieved common development through the Belt and Road Initiative. In June last year, China handed over the renovated parliament building of Gabon to the Gabonese government. Five months later, a school constructed by Chinese companies in the African country was completed, which can accommodate over 5,000 students. Philippe speaks highly of the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the Global Development Initiative, both proposed by China. "Chinese schemes have been recognized and responded by a number of developing countries including Gabon, and our people have also received tangible benefits from such schemes," he noted. In March last year, Gabon received the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China. "We immediately launched nationwide vaccinations. The Gabonese President and his wife were vaccinated at the earliest time possible," Philippe recalled. The second batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government to Gabon arrive in Libreville, the Gabonese capital, May, 2021. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Gabon) According to the man, the pandemic has been put under control in his country, and there has been a significant drop in both the affections and the death rate. "We and China offered mutual assistance amid the pandemic. It would have been very hard for us if our Chinese friends had not helped us," he said. China and Gabon have witnessed constantly deepening cultural exchanges over recent years. It was announced last November that the French version of the Chinese drama series Minning Town, which spotlights a real-life poverty alleviation project in northwest China, would be aired in Gabon and other African countries. "These Chinese poverty alleviation stories can strike a chord with African people. They bring the Chinese people closer to Africans and set an example for African countries to achieve prosperity," Philippe said. Philippe believes that China's poverty reduction miracle - lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in the past some 40 years - will go down in history. "More importantly, it brings hope to African countries that are still bothered by poverty today," he noted. In March this year, Philippe attended a virtual meeting held by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, which was themed on the exploration and practice of Chinese and African political parties to seek modernization paths suiting national conditions. Philippe shared his opinions on the development of political party-led media outlets and journals in the new era. He said relevant parties need to enhance exchanges and cooperation to build a clean cyberspace and a sound environment for public opinion in today's world that is highly informationized. The 20th National Congress of the CPC will kick off next month. Philippe extended his congratulations to the Chinese people for their achievements made under the leadership of the CPC. He said he hopes China can continue working with other developing countries to create a brighter future.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Private Samvel G. Antanyan, a serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces who was missing in action since September 14 after Azerbaijan launched the large-scale attack on Armenia, was found alive, the Ministry of Defense said.

Private Antanyans health condition is satisfactory.
That release could not be found.
The Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has been applauded following the recovery and eventual return of the state owned asset, Legacy 600 aircraft, from Germany.

The Nigerian Voice gathered that the Legacy 600 aircraft landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the State on Tuesday afternoon.

The state owned aircraft was said to have been recovered after being secretly abandoned in Germany by the immediate past administration in the state.

While speaking at reception of the aircraft, Governor Wike explained that it took an intelligence report for his administration to discover such an asset, owned by the Rivers State government.

Wike further stated that the immediate past administration flew the aircraft to far away Germany, without any record of it made available to his administration.

To the glory of God, the plane is back and Rivers people can see. Nigerians can see. It is not that we are playing politics.

All we are saying is that we never knew. Nobody told us until we got intelligence that we have this asset somewhere, he said.

Wike explained that the Legacy 600 Aircraft was purchased by the Dr. Peter Odilis led administration to serve the interest of Rivers people, but was abandoned with the General Atomics Aerotec in Munich, Germany by the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Ameachis administration since 2012.

What is very important to all of us here today is that when we came into power in 2015, nobody handed over any report or gave us a handover note to let us know where such an asset of the state was, only for us to hear in 2019 that this asset is somewhere, Wike stated.

Recounting how so much money was spent by the state government to get the aircraft back to the state, the governor said such money would have been put into other development projects if his administration had known of it quite early.

He said fixing the aircraft, a certificate of airworthiness certificate, issued by the Nigerian government, was secured for the aircraft to return to Nigeria.

According to him, Of course, we did everything we could do and we told Nigerians that by the grace of God, we will not allow this asset to go that way.

We must return it for the people of the State to decide what they are going to do with it. I am so elated that at the end of the day, all of our struggles are not in vain.

I thank Rivers people for the support. I thank the Rivers State House of Assembly for the support. I thank the Executive for the support.

But for their support, it would not have been possible to spend the money we spent. If you hear the money we spent, its money that would have been put in other development projects if we were told on time.

In reaction to the development, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon.Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani, expressed delight that after ten years, the Rivers State government has successfully recovered the aircraft.

He said the State government will decide how the asset will be used in furtherance of the states development.

Also, Senator Barry Mpigi representing Rivers South-East District in the Senate, hailed the governor for his tenacity to defend the interest of the State.

He added that the recovered aircraft is additional asset to the government and people of Rivers State.

Similarly, the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council Chairman, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja, said governor Wike has once again demonstrated his zeal to protect the interest of the State.

The King lauded the governor for not allowing the State property to get lost in Europe and unaccounted for.

The former Presidents of the Nigerian Bar Association, Onueze C. Okocha, SAN and Okey Wali, SAN also said the State governor has proven his determination to defend the interest of the State.
The rains are slowly abating and harmattan is coming. The year is winding and what that reminds more than anything, more than the glitz of Christmas and the spectre of a brand new year, is that the 2023 elections actually validates the year. Its a year we have been looking forward for years. A special election that will see non-incumbents slug it out for the first time since 2007.

The complex, unpredictable vortex politics can be has spurned a tricky triachy this time. Peter Obi, with all respects to him, has assembled an admirable chunk of the country's 'woke' population. He is flanked by huge favourite Tinubu Ahmed Bola, dubbed the father of Modern Lagos, whose political ingenuity scarcely fails him, and, Atiku Abubakar whose resilience, strong desire to be president and sometimes far-left stance may not be overlooked. So we have the PDP, LP and APC in the ring poised for a royal rumble.

It is important the reader here understands i am not a neutral, I clearly do hope we have a Bola Tinubu presidency for i do believe what he lacks in oratory sleekness he made up for with ideas and precision, so you can call this writer a biased one and decide if you are willing to throw away the baby and the bathwater.

Tinubu s the most realistic of all candidates. He doesn't talk about space ships and inter-galactic dominance, he preaches about the basics, the tiny aspects of society that if improved can sum up a significant whole. A modest manifesto, picking mostly the low-hanging fruits first.

Atiku's candidacy offers something slightly similar. No big promises just an ernest desire to handle society's basics and all. The pair with Governor Okowa earns my respect on the philosophical sphere, but ultimately makes no political sense. Weakened by Peter Obi's prodigal trip, shocked by Governor Wike's rebellion and faced with an almost inevitable voter apathy in the South-East (which should have been swept by Atiku if not for Obi's ambitions and IPOB's anti-voting stance) Atiku's shot at the Presidency seems headed for the rocks. There will be no surprises here.

There has been surprises overall though, most prominent of which has been Obi, silver-surfing through the clouds of Nigerian Internet. A hoard of Obidients, galloping and ever ready to gore all on their path.

While there's a lot of intellectual insincerity surrounding Obi's campaign, there are still salient points to glean from the hashtags and road shows: a new consciousness has been wakened, a new group of Nigerian electorates are born and while they will not make it this time, the next Nigerian President will have to somehow address them.

Peter Obi stumbled on a diamond in as opportunistic a way as a carnivore who chances upon a dismembered elephant. It's a win-win for him either ways, for this group which started as #endsars and metamorphosed into #obidients very quickly, it doesn't seem like election defeat would disband them almost immediately. Their social media presence and their voices will keep supplying the perfect relevance Obi needs to negotiate behind and messiah-up in Public, a deft politican here and a martyr there.

2023 is almost set. Its been won and lost already. It will also be the most colourful and debated election in our history.

There's only one problem here: prospective voters have been broken in two; patriots i.e Obidients and those who have been termed enemies of Nigeria. Therein lies the problem. This could make physical showdowns across polling units on election day very possible.

There's an unfair indoctrination going on at the ranks of the Obidient movement, a frightening school of thought that makes adherents believe that the Obi movement is so divine that supporting anyone else is disobedience to God, disservice to the nation and an act worthy to be classified as a outright cynicism.

This demonization and criminalization of anyone not supporting Obi is starkly in contrast with the concept of democracy where people are free to support whoever they want, vote whoever they want and stand by their prefered candidates without feeling they have sinned.

Its a mockery of democracy, an act of bully and a sadistic, egocentric dip in our politics. While we look ahead, to a Nigeria of our dreams, the routes may be different but no one wakes up in the morning with thoughts of just how to destroy the country. No one deliberately makes a miss-step powered only by apocalyptic imaginations and spite for nation.

This sense of entitlement, this ennobling of personalities and chronic moral superiority syndrome is why the obidients believe that it is either their way or the highway. A more selfish, feel-good political indoctrination of this manner has never before been administered in our polity.

Jones Fcc Onwuasonanya, a Senator former Rochas Okoroacha spokesperson turned Obidient wrote on Facebook recently referring to an ongoing PDP delegates meeting: The real Saboteurs of Nigerian Interests are now in Enugu planning how to sell Nigeria. God has forbidden them (screenshot is attached)

This comment by an opinion leader like Jones Fcc is a ready fuel for the intolerance of the obidients. The debate has not been altered, the debate has been jettisoned and intellectual tyranny installed.

So the grandeur of 2023 will likely be anti-climaxed by people like Jones Fcc who already minimises the elections to be a clash of light and darkness, a battle for the soul of Nigeria (where three-forked devils are involved) and a heroic act of stopping all saboteurs. Sadly, even in this democracy, saboteur now mean anyone not supporting Peter Obi. This strategy of stripping everyone else of every ounce of morality is either born of naivety or pure mischief.

Like Tinubu, Obi was an 8 year Governor. Like Atiku, Obi is also from the establishment. Not a Trump or an Obama. A regular everyday Nigerian politician whose governorship of Anambra State is still under the microscope and whose media outings suggests to space ships, Atlantis, aliens and other vague, utopian imaginations.

We have three major Presidential candidates. Not Jesus Christ and the two thieves. We have three seasoned politicians, not a blistering rookie and two veterans. We have three stallions, not a dove and two vipers.

For Nigerians, we are all looking at getting to the next phase of growth and nationhood. Our 200m+ population will choose from the three roads in front. Each with unique calculations, each yearning for a better country and each expected to respect the wishes of others.

Next year February there won't be Heroes and villains voting, there will be Nigerians. There won't be Angels and Demons on the ballots, there will be Nigerians.

Hon. Julius Bokoru is a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, an essayist, public commentator and the media assistant to Chief Timipre Sylva.
A new report by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has revealed how communities in the Niger Delta continue to live in depressing and deplorable conditions, despite the fact that the wealth derived from these areas is the main economic mainstay for the country.

According to the report, The communities in the Niger Delta remain the poorest in the country.

The 82 pages report launched today at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, is titled: We Are All Vulnerable Here: How Lack of Transparency and Accountability is Fuelling Human Rights Violations in the Niger Delta.

The report presented to the media by Dr. Olubunmi Afinowi, Faculty of Law of the University of Lagos, discloses that The region remains deeply in the grips of squalor, poverty, and environmental degradation.

The report shows that, Corruption contributes to poverty and consequential suffering of many people in the Niger Delta. The right of the people to a clean, safe and healthy environment is routinely violated and abused by the government and oil companies.

According to the report, Extensive social, economic, and environmental degeneration has largely affected the lifestyles and wellbeing of the people of the Niger Delta. Also apparent is the continued disregard and abuse of the human rights of the people of the region.

Femi Falana, SAN said at the report launch, The management of the Niger Delta Development Commission by interim administrators is illegal. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN should advise President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently reconstitute the NDDC board of directors.

Falana said, Since the appointment of interim administrators is unknown to the NDDC Act, all contracts awarded by them are illegal and liable to be set aside.

Falana also called on the Federal Government to release the report of the Forensic auditing of the NDDC to enable the oil producing communities to demand accountability from many contractors who collected huge funds and abandoned development projects in the Niger Delta region.

Among the people who attended the report launch are: Speaker of Cross Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon John Etim; the Chairman of the ICPC, represented by Dr Grace Chinda; and the Executive Secretary of NEITI, represented by Kareem Lamidi, team lead advocacy for NEITI.

The report launch was also attended by Dina Sabi, Second Secretary of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Nigeria; the Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), represented by Mr. Egbe Ekpe; and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, represented by Barrister Raji Rasaki.

Others are: High Chief Eric Barisa; Madam Florence Kayemba, Stakeholder Democracy Network; the Executive Secretary, NHRC, represented by Mr. Saliu Musa; representatives of communities from the Niger Delta; and the members of the media.

All the participants expressed commitment to ensure the full implementation of the recommendations contained in the report.

The research for the report was conducted under the Niger Delta project supported by the Ford Foundation.

The report, read in part: While the oil and gas upstream operations span the entire Niger Delta region, the empirical study in this research focuses on the Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers states.

The doctrinal study, on the other hand, is more encompassing and examines the challenges and adverse impacts of the oil and gas industries in the host communities and the governments response mechanisms through the various regulatory and institutional frameworks.

The relevant monitoring agencies have not effectively carried out their duties and functions and this has led to a continued disregard for the rights of the people and the need to protect the environment.

Corruption is a major factor in the continued degradation in the region. There is a lack of an effective governance and feedback framework to foster interactions between regulators, companies, and communities. This implies a lack of transparency and accountability from the companies and the government to the people.

The oil and gas companies receive minimal government monitoring in the conduct of their activities; more troubling is the prevalence of oil theft and illegal mining, and refining of crude oil. Such illegal activities make the region crime prone and increase the vulnerability of the inhabitants of the communities.

The communities are continually exposed to food insecurity and health risks. Most of their communal lands, land and water resources have been lost or continually threatened by degradation and pollution.

A lot of information about the oil and gas companies, their activities, environmental audits and other relevant information are not available to the public. Such information is often shrouded in secrecy, and where made available, is limited, unclear and provides little or no actual information.

Marginalization of women, the aged, the youths and other vulnerable members of the communities, such as persons with disabilities is rife. This marginalization also has far-reaching implications for the protection of the socio-economic rights of the inhabitants of the communities.

PresidentMuhammadu Buhari should publicly recognize and re-affirm that every Nigerian citizen, including oil producing communities, is entitled to economic and social rights, and take steps to ensure constitutional recognition of these rights as legally enforceable human rights.

President Muhammadu Buhari should immediately instruct the Ministry of Niger Delta Humanitarian Affairs and other government agencies overseeing the NDDC to immediately publish the forensic report on NDDC conducted in 2021.

The leadership of the NationalAssembly should ensure that the relevant committees collaborate to initiate independent public enquiries and fact-finding on how public funds have been spent by MDAs to mitigate the socio-economic impact of environmental pollution in oil producing communities.

The leadership of the National Assembly should make public the findings of any such investigations by the relevant parliamentary committees on the use of public funds by MDAs to mitigate the socio-economic impact of environmental pollution in oil producing communities.

The leadership of the National Assembly should make public all reports of previous investigations into allegations of corruption in relevant MDAs concerned with the management of issues relating to the impact of environmental pollution in oil producing communities and send such reports to anti-corruption agencies.

Kolawole Oluwadare

SERAP Deputy Director

28/9/2022

Lagos, Nigeria

Emails: [email protected] ; [email protected]

Twitter: @SERAPNigeria

Website: www.serap-nigeria.org

For more information or to request an interview, please contact us on:

+2348160537202


American tourist injured in Bangla altercation

PHUKET: Patong Police have confirmed they are investigating an incident that saw an American man injured during an incident on Bangla Rd, Patong, early this morning (Sept 28).

tourismSafetyviolencepolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Wednesday 28 September 2022, 04:00PM

Photo: Patong Police

According to the initial police report, officers were called to Patong Hospital at 3:30am after two tourists were brought to the emergency centre by rescue workers.

The American man, reported as 35 years old, from Pennsylvania, had suffered a deep laceration to his left middle finger and suffered multiple contusions to his face, some of them open and bleeding. His clothes were marked with multiple blood spatters.

With the American man was a Russian woman, 24 years old. Both were staying at a nearby resort, reported Lt Col Kittisak Sommat, Chief of Investigation at Patong Police Station.

The American man was reported to be intoxicated, angry and refusing to cooperate with the medical staff who were trying to provide him treatment, said the report.

The cause of the attack is not yet known, Lt Col Kittisak noted.

Officers have been tasked with investigating the incident and identifying the culprit responsible for inflicting the injuries, he said.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. President of France Emmanuel Macron reiterated his demand on respecting Armenias territorial integrity during a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the French presidency said.

President Macron called Aliyev following his September 26 meeting with Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan in Paris.

The French President repeated his call address to his Azerbaijani colleague on returning to the ceasefire and holding the troops in their initial positions. There are numerous deaths as a result of the clashes of the recent days. He also reminded about his demand to respect Armenias territorial integrity, the presidency said.

Macron also noted the Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyans readiness to continue negotiations over unresolved issues. Macron underscored Frances readiness to contribute to these talks.
Biden not among leaders to attend Apec

BANGKOK: At least five Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders have confirmed their participation in the upcoming Apec summit to be held in Bangkok, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said yesterday (Sept 27).

politics

By Bangkok Post

Wednesday 28 September 2022, 04:11PM

Photo: Bangkok Post.

This comes amid news that US President Joe Biden will not be attending the Nov 18-19 meeting, reports the Bangkok Post.

Mr Tanee said that a number of other Apec leaders have already informed the Thai ambassador to the United Nations during the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City that they would attend the Apec meeting. No further details of these leaders planned participation in the summit can be disclosed due to security reasons, he said.

Mr Tanee made the statement after it was reported that Mr Biden is likely to skip the Apec summit. US Vice President Kamala Harris will instead take part, according to US media reports.

The reports said Mr Biden will be hosting a Nov 19 wedding reception at the White House for his eldest granddaughter Naomi Biden, who is the eldest daughter of Mr Bidens son Hunter.

Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai said people do not necessarily pay attention to who will represent what countries at the summit. The focus is on which countries will or will not be coming to the meeting.

It doesnt really matter... as the obligations possibly adopted at the meeting will definitely be bound to the countries, not to the persons representing them, Mr Don said.

I totally understand if some Thai people may not see it the same way as many people in other countries do, he said.

But please understand that that is a common perspective shared by most people in the rest of the world.

Mr Don said he believes the upcoming meeting will bring about further trade freedom in the region. This plays a crucial role in uniting Apec members and assisting with the regions post-pandemic economic recovery, he said.

Acting Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon declined to comment yesterday on the reports about Mr Biden skipping the Apec meeting.

Anusorn Iamsa-ard, an opposition MP from the Pheu Thai Party, called on the government to think carefully about why Mr Biden might decide against coming to the summit while pledging to attend the G20 Summit in Bali on Nov 15-16.

Mr Anusorn said he believed Mr Bidens decision had something to do with the Thai governments declaration of an emergency decree which has been ongoing now for two years and six months.

The government announced earlier that the state of emergency imposed to deal with the pandemic would be lifted on Sept 30.

More than 15,000 police officers will be deployed to ensure security at the Apec summits venues both in and outside of Bangkok, said deputy national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas.
Medical services expand to cover mental health

BANGKOK: The Department of Mental Health (DMH) is collaborating with the National Health Security Office (NHSO) to expand its services to patients with mental health issues in families and communities.

health

By National News Bureau of Thailand

Wednesday 28 September 2022, 10:24AM

Photo: NNT

According to Dr Amporn Benjaponpitak, Director-General of the Department of Mental Health, the number of patients with mental health issues has risen over the past three years. For example, the number of people suffering from depression in Thailand climbed from 30,247 in 2019 to 33,891 in 2021, which aligns with the increasing cases reported around the world, reports NNT (National News Bureau of Thailand).

The director-general emphasized that the Ministry of Public Health recognizes the importance of tackling this issue by taking proactive measures in developing a system to identify patients and people with possible mental illness. Wards are being established in hospitals nationwide to facilitate specialized treatment, while antipsychotics and other medications will be added to Thailands National List of Essential Medicines.

The ministry is also expanding courses to train more personnel, while proactively working with other agencies to address mental health cases in local communities, academic institutions and other areas.

The director-general also urged the public to be mindful of family members and close friends so they can provide early support as soon as possible. She further underlined the importance of family support in alleviating illnesses and allowing patients to return to their normal lives.

For more information and support, please contact public health officials by calling the 1323 hotline or through the Smile Connect in Line application.
Phuket Veg Fest culinary talents highlighted to lure more MICE events

PHUKET: Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew yesterday joined a special event organised by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) to promote the culinary talents on the island, in the hope of attracting more MICE events (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) to Phuket.

tourismculturehealth

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 28 September 2022, 01:06PM

The event, officially called the PHUKET VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL 2022 Gastronomy Chefs Table, was held near the Dragon Statue area in Queen Sirikit Park in Phuket Town yesterday (Sept 27).

As explained last week, the plan is to make the event a Flagship Event during the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival.

The goal is to increase the value of local ingredients and promote the outstanding food science of Phuket, Governor Narong said.

Joining Governor Narong was Pattanachai Singhavara, Director of the TCEB Southern Regional Office, along with a host other VIPs, including Phuket Tourist Association President Thanet Tantiphiriyakit; Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) Southern Andaman Coast chapter Chairman Chernporn Kanchanasaya; FTI Phuket Province Chairman Charin Thamrongkiatkul; and Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) Deputy President Thiwat Seedokbub.

The event saw a healthy vegetarian selection of dishes presented by Chef Mond and Chef Korn of Chefs Table fame, and Mixologist WynROYD Restauran [sic].

The Chefs presented six dishes in total, with the final dish being dessert. They also created a drink.

Among the creations presented were the drink Damask Rose / Katom Longan Kombucha, with Dish 1 called Panipuri Banana Stalk Yellow Curry with White Turmeric and Lobak Spring Rolls alongside Smoked Jelly Mushrooms with Tamarind Sweet Soy Sauce.

Dish 2 was Beetroot with Rice Crackers and Tamarind Dripping, and Dish 3 was Smoked Pumpkin with Pumpkin Puree, Pumpkin Crumble, Pickled Pumpkin, Snow Pumpkin and Curry.

Dish 4 was presented as UmamiClarify Tomato Sea grapes with Kafir Lime Strawberry Shrub and Nammon Tonic

The final main dish, Dish 5, was Smoked Eggplant with Kale, Chinese Black Olive, Shitake Shio Koji Sauce and Rice.

Desert, presented as Dish 6, was a dish called Banana Bananana.

The event is to help attract more tourists and business travelers to travel to Phuket, or hold a seminar or other various activities in Phuket, Governor Narong said.

This will help drive the economy and help entrepreneurs in Phuket to increase their income, especially cash flow, and create more jobs, he added.
Region 8 Police tout scam gang arrests

PHUKET: Region 8 Police, headquartered at the north end of Phuket, held a press conference yesterday (Sept 27) to highlight the arrests made in nearby provinces in the crackdown on scam operations carried out by phone and online.

crimetechnologypolice

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 28 September 2022, 11:09AM

Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The police campaign, called Operation to break the horses legs, has so far resulted in 51 arrests in Region 8 Police jurisdiction, explained Region 8 Police Commander Lt Gen Amphol Buarabporn.

Region 8 Police, although based in Phuket, oversees police operations in the seven Southern Thailand provinces of Ranong, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket.

The campaign was ordered by Royal Thai Police headquarters in Bangkok, and extended nationwide, Lt Gen Amphol said.

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) was called in to assist in the operation, he added.

Highlighting several key cases, Lt Gen Amphol noted that Phra Phrom Police Station in Nakhon Si Thammarat had received a complaint on May 6 about people being deceived out of B1,419,479 in an investment scam. Twenty arrest warrants were issued, and so far four arrest warrants had been served, he said.

At Pak Chan Police Station in Ranong another complaint about an investment scam received on March 6 saw people deceived out of B625,028. In that case two arrest warrants were issued, with both suspects arrested.

In Chumphon, officers at Lang Suan Police Station received a complaint about a person being duped into believing that their phone had been used for illegal purposes, resulting in the phone owner transfering B3,053,527 to the scammer. The incident happened on June 9. Two arrest warrants were issued, with one arrest made so far, Lt Gen Amphol said.

In Krabi Town, a scam operation over sending parcels had duped people out of B15,472,231. The incident was reported on May 4. Three arrest warrants were issued, with two arrests made, he said.

The only scam operation arrests in Phuket reported by Lt Gen Amphol yesterday involved a case received by Wichit Police.

The scam was for people to invest in a cryptocurrency trading scheme, which operated from July 10 last year through to Feb 28 this year, duping people out of B1,258,630, Lt Gen Amphol said.

So far eight arrest warrants have been issued related to the scam, with four arrests already made, he said.

Lt Gen Amphol explained that one case, involving a 62-year-old woman being duped out of B2 million saw the money transferred to eight accounts for consecutive periods of up to 20 minutes.

The eight holders of the bank accounts identified were all charged with "jointly defrauding people by identifying yourself as another person and supporting money laundering, Lt Gen Amphol noted.

One person was charged with money laundering by having funds converted to a cryptocurrency and then using the cryptocurrency to make real-world purchases, he added.

The suspect was found to be involved in the operation of 26 bank accounts and two registered companies, he said.

The operation to break the horses legs is continuing, with the assistance of Amlo, he added.

Lt Gen Amphol urged people to be aware of scammers using deceitful or even threatening means to lure or force people to transfer funds to unsubstantiated accounts.

People can submit complaints at their nearest police station or to the Police Cyber Taskforce (PCT) via the website www.thaipoliceonline.com. Alternatively people can call the PCT hotline number 1441 or call the PCT call centre at 081-8663000 during office hours, he said.

While police yesterday staged a press conference to announce the results of the ongoing campaign, police have yet to reveal any progress in the case involving a man wearing a Royal Thai Police uniform claiming to be from Phuket Town Police Station defrauding a Phuket expat out of B57,000.

The man, while in police uniform, threatened to have the expat jailed by falsely claiming that the foreigner had received funds from criminal activities.

By information provided by the expat, including bank account details and screenshots showing the scammer, Phuket Town Police quickly identified the bank account holder as Pongdanai Chaiya, resident in Chiang Mai.

That was in February.

Police have never confirmed whether Mr Pongdanai is, or ever was, an officer with the Royal Thai Police.

Additional reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub
Soi Dog Foundation forges alliances to step up fight against dog meat trade, rabies

Soi Dog Foundation has proudly announced that it has officially partnered with the Department of Animal Health, Hanoi (DAH) and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) to help rid Hanoi of dog-mediated human rabies by 2030.



By Soi Dog Foundation

Wednesday 28 September 2022, 04:15PM

Dogs on the truck on the way to slaughterhouse. Photo: Soi Dog Foundation

The announcement came today (Sept 28), recognised around the globe as World Rabies Day,

The goal to eliminate the deadly disease in the Vietnamese capital is part of a worldwide effort known as Zero By 30: Global Strategic Plan to End Human Deaths from Dog-mediated Rabies by 2030.

Led by GARC, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Organisation for Animal Health, the plan aims to eradicate human deaths from dog-mediated rabies globally by the end of the decade.

The disease currently claims an estimated 59,000 human lives a year, with poor communities in Asia and Africa most affected.

The goal also closely aligns with Soi Dogs ongoing fight to end the dog and cat meat trade in Vietnam. The unregulated transport of dogs and cats  who are snatched from the streets or stolen from their owners  into Hanoi for slaughter is believed to not only be contributing to continued rabies transmission in the city but actively exacerbating it.

Soi Dogs Last Country on Earth campaign to end the dog and cat meat trade throughout Asia seeks to grasp the nettle of Vietnams desire to eradicate rabies by establishing the suspected link between the horrendous trade and the entirely preventable yet fatal disease.

The foundations joint work with the DAH and GARC will include strategic rabies vaccination campaigns and outbreak response; routine testing of samples from dog and cat slaughterhouses to establish the rabies risk; and education of at-risk communities, including targeted materials for children. The implementation of an active rabies surveillance system will help guide these efforts to ensure the data collected and the actions taken are as effective and accurate as possible.

As part of Soi Dogs campaign to end the dog and cat meat trade in Thailand between 2011 and 2014, co-founder John Dalley MBE told government officials from across Southeast Asia, Stopping the dog and cat meat trade will not eliminate rabies, but I guarantee you that if we do not stop this trade, we will never eliminate rabies  an argument that still stands today.

Soi Dog was successful in ending the trade in Thailand, and their large-scale sterilisation and vaccination programme has been a major contributing factor to the decline in rabies cases in the country. Almost 800,000 dogs and cats have been spayed/neutered and vaccinated through the programme (known as CNVR  Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return) since 2003, efforts which have been recognised by the Thai Royal Family and the Thai government.

The foundation looks forward to building on this work in Vietnam for the benefit of animals and humans alike.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Around 20 young Diaspora-Armenians from 13 countries are already in Armenia on the sidelines of the Diaspora Youth Ambassador program.

The program aims to enable Diaspora Armenian youth to expand their views on Armenias and Artsakh's political, social, economic and other issues, to support their greater involvement in community life through the transfer of new knowledge and skills, to contribute to the establishment of contacts between different Diaspora communities, as well as the youth from Armenia and Artsakh.

Speaking to ARMENPRESS, program manager Greta Mnatsakanyan said that every new project connected with Armenia is very important for Diaspora-Armenian youth. The evidence of this is the large number of applications submitted for participating in a number of programs being implemented by the Office of High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of Armenia.

We are solving a problem with this program, by engaging young people in the process of strengthening the Armenia-Diaspora ties because there are differences in generations and different approaches. Through this program we provide participants with necessary information, knowledge and also provide an opportunity so that Armenia can use their opportunities in terms of knowledge, potential and ties, she said.

Program participants Ashkhen Badalian lives in Russia for already 25 years. In the past two years she made a final decision to move to Armenia and serve her experience, knowledge and ties to the countrys development. And the Diaspora Youth Ambassador program is an important platform for the fulfillment of that goal.

Vladimir Harutyunyan from USA attaches importance to this program as he says that many in his community have no idea of what is happening in Armenia. As for his decision to move to Armenia, he said that every Diaspora-Armenian always has this idea on his/her mind.

The Diaspora Youth Ambassador program launched in 2021. 104 Diaspora-Armenians applied for the participation to the program, but 20 were selected from 16 countries. This year the program launched on September 25 and will last until October 8.

Reporting by Gayane Gaboyan
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and senior member Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced bipartisan legislation on September 27 condemning Azerbaijans recent unprovoked attack on Armenia, calling for the immediate end to U.S. security assistance to Azerbaijan, urging the release of Armenian POWs, and exploring sanctions against Azerbaijan for war crimes, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The resolution also urges Azerbaijan to respect the territorial integrity of Armenia and send robust U.S. assistance Artsakh and Armenia.

Azerbaijans renewed assault on Armenian territory and callous targeting of civilian infrastructure is a horrifying show of disregard for human life, Chairman Menendez said. As communities across the region, including in Kapan, Goris, Jermuk, Vardenis, and Tchakaten suffer at the hands of the Aliyev regime, the United States must match our words of support with robust action for the people of Armenia. With this resolution, we are making it clear that it is a national security imperative for the U.S. government to do the right thing and once and for all halt security assistance to Azerbaijan.

We welcome Chairman Menendez and Sen. Rubios decisive leadership to enforce Section 907, stopping U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, in the face of Azerbaijans ongoing occupation of sovereign Armenian and Artsakh territory, said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. The U.S. policy of artificial even-handedness has only emboldened President Aliyev to expand his attacks against Armenia and Artsakh. Its long past time to end security assistance to Azerbaijan and sanction Aliyev and his corrupt government.

The Senate resolution comes in the wake of two measures introduced in the U.S. House  led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) respectively, and supported by the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues  which condemn Azerbaijans latest attacks against Armenia and Artsakh, urge an end to military aid to Azerbaijan, and urge U.S. and international investigations into Azerbaijani war crimes. The Schiff Resolution (H.Res.1351) currently has 48 cosponsors.
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YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Council of the Paris Bar condemns the aggression of the Azerbaijani army against the Armenian people and the territory of Armenia, the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia said.

In a statement the Council recalled its adherence to the principles of the international law and called for immediately stopping violence under the aegis of the international community.

The Council of the Paris Bar reaffirmed its solidarity with their colleagues of the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia, stating that historical relations exist between them which are always renewed by cooperation agreements.
Ford will invest $700 million mainly at its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, creating about 500 new jobs over the next four years
Facebook says it has identified and stopped a sprawling network of fake accounts that spread Russian propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine throughout Western Europe
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 .
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has revised its growth forecast for the economy of Armenia. The Bank is now forecasting 8% economic growth for Armenia in 2022.

In its latest Regional Economic Prospects (REP), the EBRD said that the economies of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are enjoying some of their highest growth rates in years.

The EBRD said Armenia and Georgia are benefiting from an inflow of Russian businesses and information and communication technology (ICT) professionals, boosting the service sectors of these small economies.

However, the robust growth recorded for the region in 2022 will taper off in 2023, highlighting concerns about its medium-term sustainability. The report warns that current growth in the Caucasus is mainly driven by temporary factors that could easily be reversed.

In Armenia, the solid recovery seen in 2021 carried strong growth momentum into 2022, with economic growth reaching 13.1 per cent in the period from January to July. As in Georgia, the arrival of many people and firms from Russia led to an increase of 113 per cent in foreign inflows and boosted demand for services.

This has helped Armenia to finance its widening trade deficit. Foreign reserves have also increased by 20 per cent and the exchange rate by 18 per cent. The report forecasts robust growth of 8 per cent in 2022, up from a previous estimate of 4.5 per cent. The slowdown is expected to be less gentle, with a drop to 4 per cent likely in 2023. However, the latest growth estimate for 2023 remains above the earlier projection of 2.5 per cent, the Bank said.
A Danish official says the Nord Stream gas leaks in the Baltic Sea could emit the equivalent of one third of Denmarks total annual greenhouse gas emissions
FILE - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Paxton ran out of his house Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, and into a truck driven by his wife, a state senator, to avoid being served a subpoena in an abortion access case, according to court documents.
Pakistans foreign minister is recommending cooperation with the Taliban even though many U.S. officials say Afghanistans ruling faction have proved unworthy of it
Pankaj Mishra is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is author, most recently, of Run and Hide.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. On September 27, 2022, The Human Rights Defender Ms. Kristinne Grigoryan held meetings with the President of the European Court of Human Rights Mr. Robert Spano. ECHR Judge Armen Harutyunyan also participated in the meeting, the Office of the Ombudswoman said.

Expressing her gratitude for the opportunity of the meeting, the Defender emphasized the importance of the work and cooperation with international partners. Ms. Grigoryan presented the consequences of Azerbaijani aggression and military attack, and emphasized the importance of protecting and guaranteeing human rights in the context of serious security threats. The Defender referred to the competence of the Human Rights Defender to act as a third party in the cases related to Armenia examined at the ECHR and the work carried out by the Defender's Office in that direction.

The Defender also presented to the President of the Court the ad hoc report of the Defender on the consequences of Azerbaijan's military attack on Armenia, in which, the cases of torture, inhuman or humiliating treatment recorded during the Azerbaijani military attack were analyzed.

Mr. Robert Spano presented the statistics of the cases against Armenia in the ECHR, referring to the main violations recorded and the measures that must be taken by the State in that direction.

The President of the ECHR underlined the importance of cooperation with the Defender's Office within the Court's activities and the collection and provision of the recorded information by the Defender.
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.

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New man: Burberry has revealed that Daniel Lee (pictured) will be its new creative director

Fashion house Burberry has revealed that Daniel Lee will replace Riccardo Tisci as its next creative director from the start of next week.

Tisci, 48, has overseen a transformative but tumultuous period at the British clothing powerhouse since becoming creative head four years ago, having spent over a decade in the same role at Givenchy.

Meanwhile, Lee, born in Bradford, Yorkshire, was a virtual unknown outside the fashion world before he became the creative director at Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta from 2018 to 2021.

He helped reinvigorate the company by introducing accessories like the 'pouch' clutch bag, which became the fastest-selling bag in its history and was adorned by models Kylie Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and actress Salma Hayek.

When Tisci joined Burberry, the Italian native - who just presented the latest Burberry collection at London Fashion Week - immediately set his mark by introducing a new logo that paid homage to company founder Thomas Burberry.

He ended the use of fur in the group's clothing, expanded its sportswear and streetwear ranges, focused on appealing to a younger audience and launched campaigns involving the likes of supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

But the group was knocked off course by the pandemic causing a massive downturn in the global apparel sector as consumers stayed home and upmarket hospitality events were cancelled.

Trade has revived as lockdown restrictions have been loosened, but sales in China, Burberry's largest market, have been heavily impacted this year by the country's zero-Covid policy.

Demand outside mainland China has continued to recover, though, with leather goods and outwear purchases expanding by double-digit percentage levels in the first quarter due to high interest in its Lola handbag range, jackets and rainwear.

Cool: Burberry shares were the top riser on the FTSE 350 on Wednesday morning following the announcement that Daniel Lee would become the new creative director

Burberry chief executive Jonathan Akeroyd said Tisci had 'enhanced our creative language, modernised and elevated our product offer and brought a new generation of luxury customers to our brand.'

Regarding Tisci's successor, Akeroyd called Lee 'an exceptional talent with a unique understanding of today's luxury consumer and a strong record of commercial success, and his appointment reinforces the ambitions we have for Burberry.'

While at Bottega Veneta, the brand brought square-toe heeled shoes back on trend, replaced monthly fashion shows with private 'Salon' events and launched a digital journal after closing its social media accounts.

Bottega Veneta's sales grew significantly during Lee's relatively short tenure, increasing from around 1.2billion in 2019 to more than 1.5billion two years later.

It was one of the few luxury fashion houses owned by French conglomerate Kering, whose brands include Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga, to report an increase in revenues in 2020.

Following the announcement of Lee's selection, Burberry Group shares grew 5.5 per cent to 1,776.5p, making it one of the FTSE 350 Index's top ten performers.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the rising share price was 'perplexing given the news that chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci is leaving, as he was well respected.

He added that Burberry's main issue was the effect that Covid rules are having on demand, especially in China, rather than the popularity of its new scarfs and coats.

'Solving that problem is currently far more important to its business than what Lee might conjure up with a pen and sketchbook,' he remarked.

Lee's arrival comes just a few days after Burberry announced that Julie Brown would be stepping down as chief operating and financial officer in April next year.

Brown will take up the chief executive post at GlaxoSmithKline, thereby making the pharmaceutical firm the largest London-listed business with a female boss.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. On September 28, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received the delegation headed by Gilbert-Luc Devinaz, the Chairman of the France-Armenia Friendship Group of the French Senate, the foreign ministry said in a press release.

Minister Mirzoyan welcomed the visit of the delegation of French senators to Armenia, appreciating the continuous commitment to the Armenian-French friendship and solidarity.

The interlocutors discussed a number of issues related to Armenian-French relations. In particular they exchanged views regarding the development of Armenian-French decentralized cooperation.

During the meeting, issues related to regional security and peace were discussed. Minister Mirzoyan presented to the French senators the situation resulting from the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, highly appreciating the targeted assessments and principled position of the French side.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia emphasized that Azerbaijan's maximalist policy, attempts of solving issues through use of force or threat of use of force are unacceptable and must be unequivocally condemned by the international community.

Ararat Mirzoyan presented the position of the Armenian side regarding the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Efforts of France aimed at establishing peace in the South Caucasus, including as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair country, were highlighted.

Minister Mirzoyan also emphasized the importance of the activities of the France-Armenia Friendship Group aimed at protecting the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenians of Artsakh in the Senate.
Europe was investigating major leaks in two Russian pipelines that spewed gas into the Baltic Sea on Tuesday as Sweden launched a preliminary probe into possible sabotage to infrastructure at the centre of an energy standoff.

But it remained far from clear who might be behind any foul play, if proven, on the Nord Stream pipelines that Russia and European partners spent billions of dollars building.

We have established a report and the crime classification is gross sabotage, a Swedish national police spokesperson said.

Polands prime minister blamed sabotage for the leaks, without citing evidence. The Danish premier said it could not be ruled out.

Russia, which slashed gas deliveries to Europe after the West imposed sanctions over Moscows invasion of Ukraine, also said sabotage was a possibility and that the leaks undermined the continents energy security.

A senior Ukrainian official, meanwhile, called the incident a Russian attack to destabilise Europe, without giving proof.

We see clearly that its an act of sabotage, related to the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said at the opening of a new pipeline between Norway and Poland.

Seismologists in Denmark and Sweden registered powerful blasts in the vicinity of the leaks on Monday, Swedens National Seismology Centre told public broadcaster SVT. German geological research centre GFZ also said a seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm had twice recorded spikes on Monday.

The Nord Stream pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between capitals in Europe and Moscow that has damaged major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring and sparked a hunt for alternative supplies.

Denmarks armed forces on Tuesday released a video showing bubbles boiling up to the surface of the sea. The largest gas leak had caused a surface disturbance of well over 1 km (0.6 mile) in diameter, the armed forces said.

Swedens Maritime Authority issued a warning about two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline the day after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered that prompted Denmark to restrict shipping and impose a small no fly zone.

European leaders and Moscow say they can not rule out sabotage. Map of Nord Stream pipelines and locations of reported leaks

RISK OF EXPLOSIONS

The leaks were very large and it could take perhaps a week for gas to stop draining out of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the head of Denmarks Energy Agency Kristoffer Bottzauw said.

Ships could lose buoyancy if they entered the area.

The sea surface is full of methane, which means there is an increased risk of explosions in the area, Bottzauw said.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said sabotage could not be ruled out. We are talking about three leaks with some distance between them, and thats why it is hard to imagine that it is a coincidence, she said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called it very concerning news. Indeed, we are talking about some damage of an unclear nature to the pipeline in Denmarks economic zone. He said it affected the continents energy security.

Neither pipeline was pumping gas to Europe at the time the leaks were found amid the dispute over the war in Ukraine, but the incidents will scupper any remaining expectations that Europe could receive gas via Nord Stream 1 before winter.

Operator Nord Stream said the damage was unprecedented.

Both pipelines contained gas although they were not in operation.

Gazprom (GAZP.MM), the Kremlin-controlled company with a monopoly on Russian gas exports by pipeline, declined comment.

There are some indications that it is deliberate damage, said a European security source, while adding it was still too early to draw conclusions. You have to ask: Who would profit?

CUTTING SUPPLIES

Russia reduced gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream 1 before suspending flows altogether in August, blaming Western sanctions for causing technical difficulties. European politicians say that was a pretext to stop supplying gas.

The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had yet to enter commercial operations. The plan to use it to supply gas was scrapped by Germany days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, in what Moscow calls a special military operation, in February.

The multiple undersea leaks mean neither pipeline will likely deliver any gas to the EU over the coming winter, irrespective of political developments in the Ukraine war, Eurasia Group wrote in a note.

European gas prices rose on the news, with the benchmark October Dutch price climbing almost 10% on Tuesday. Prices are still below this years peaks but remain more than 200% higher than in early September 2021.

Norways Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) had urged oil companies on Monday to be vigilant about unidentified drones seen flying near Norwegian offshore oil and gas platforms, warning of possible attacks.

The Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) said two leaks on Nord Stream 1, one in the Swedish economic zone and another in the Danish zone, were northeast of Denmarks Bornholm.

We are keeping extra watch to make sure no ship comes too close to the site, an SMA spokesperson said.

The Danish authorities asked that the level of preparedness in Denmarks power and gas sector be raised after the leaks, a step that would require heightened safety procedures for power installations and facilities.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Map of Bahamas

An archipelago of 700 islands and islets, the Bahamas attracts millions of tourists each year.

The visitors come to enjoy its mild climate, fine beaches and beautiful forests.

A former British colony and now a Commonwealth member, the country is a major centre for offshore finance and has one of the world's largest open-registry shipping fleets. The Bahamas enjoys a high per capita income.

The huge growth in the services sector of the economy has prompted people to leave fishing and farming villages for the commercial centres in New Providence Island, Grand Bahama and Great Abaco.

As with other Caribbean countries, The Bahamas faces the challenge of tackling drugs trafficking and illegal immigration.

It has taken steps to clean up its offshore banking system.

See more country profiles - Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

FACTS

LEADERS

Head of state: King Charles III, represented by a governor-general

Prime minister: Phillip Davis

Bahamas Prime Minister Phillip Davis

Phillip Davis became prime minister when his Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) won the September 2021 general election, defeating the Free National Movement (FNM), amid the country's struggle to recover from an economic slump.

MEDIA

Tourism generates employment for nearly half the labour force in Bahamas

The government operates radio networks and the islands' only TV station. There is a handful of private radio stations. Multichannel cable TV is widely available.

TIMELINE

Some key dates in the history of the Bahamas:

1492 - Christopher Columbus makes his first landing in Western Hemisphere in the Bahamas.

1647 - English and Bermudan religious refugees, the Eleutheran Adventurers, establish the first European settlement on the Bahamas.

1717 - Bahamas become a British crown colony.

1834 - Emancipation of slaves.

1964 - Bahamas granted internal autonomy.

1973 - The Bahamas become independent.
Russian-installed officials in four occupied regions of Ukraine reported huge majorities of votes in favour of joining Russia as the United States planned a U.N. resolution condemning the referendums as shams and Russia remained defiant.

The United States was also preparing a new round of sanctions against Russia should it annex Ukrainian territory and a $1.1 billion arms package for Ukraine that will be announced soon, U.S. officials said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the United States and its allies remained committed to European energy security, after Germany, Sweden and Denmark said attacks caused major leaks from two Russian energy pipelines. It remained far from clear who might be behind the leaks.

Hastily arranged votes took place over five days in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, and in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson to the south, that together make up about 15% of Ukrainian territory.

Vote tallies from complete results on Tuesday in the four provinces ranged from 87% to 99.2% in favour of joining Russia, according to Russia-appointed officials. The head of the upper house of the Russian parliament said the chamber might consider annexation on Oct. 4.

The results are clear. Welcome home, to Russia!, Dmitry Medvedev, a former president who serves as deputy chairman of Russias Security Council and an ally of President Vladimir Putin, said on Telegram.

Within the occupied territories, Russian-installed officials took ballot boxes from house to house in what Ukraine and the West said was an illegitimate, coercive exercise to create a legal pretext for Russia to annex the four regions.

This farce in the occupied territories cannot even be called an imitation of a referendum, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in video address late on Tuesday.

The United States will introduce a resolution at the U.N. Security Council calling on member states not to recognise any change to Ukraine and obligating Russia to withdraw its troops, U.S. envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.

Russias sham referenda, if accepted, will open a pandoras box that we cannot close, she said at a council meeting.

Russia has the ability to veto a resolution in the Security Council, but Thomas-Greenfield said that would prompt the United States to take the issue to the U.N. General Assembly.

Any referenda held under these conditions, at the barrel of a gun, can never be remotely close to free or fair, Britains Deputy U.N. Ambassador James Kariuki said.

Russias ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, told the meeting that the referendums were conducted transparently and in line with electoral norms.

This process is going to continue if Kyiv does not recognise its mistakes and its strategic errors and doesnt start to be guided by the interests of its own people and not blindly carry out the will of those people who are playing them, he said.

If Russia annexes the four Ukrainian regions, Putin could portray any Ukrainian attempt to recapture them as an attack on Russia itself.

Putin said last week he was willing to use nuclear weapons to defend the territorial integrity of Russia.

But Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskiy, told Reuters that Kyiv would not be swayed by nuclear threats or by the annexation votes, and would press on with plans to retake all territory occupied by invading Russian forces.

He said Ukrainians who helped organise the referendums would face treason charges and at least five years in jail. Ukrainians who were forced to vote would not be punished.

US ARMS PACKAGE

The new U.S. arms package will include HIMARS launcher systems, accompanying munitions, various types of counter drone systems and radar systems, along with spares, training and technical support, a source briefed on the plan said.

Russia again warned the United States against arming Ukraine.

In instigating Kiev to continue using the military equipment received from the West, Washington does not realise the riskiness of its actions  Our steps to defend the Fatherland will be firm and decisive, Russias U.S. envoy Anatoly Antonov said on the embassys Telegram channel.

Diplomats say the nuclear sabre-rattling is an attempt by Russia to scare the West into reducing its support for Ukraine.

None of the four regions which held referendums is fully under Russias control, with Ukrainian forces reporting more advances since they routed Russian troops in a fifth province, Kharkiv, this month.

Zelenskiy said the Donetsk region in the east remained his countrys  and Russias  top strategic priority, with particularly severe fighting engulfing several towns.

The general staff of Ukraines military said late on Tuesday that Russian forces had shelled seven towns in Donetsk.The military said 20 towns in the Zaporizhzhia region in south-central Ukraine and 35 towns and villages in the Kherson region in the south were also hit.

Leonid Pasechnik, a separatist leader of Luhansk, said on Telegram three municipal gas workers were killed and one wounded by Ukrainian shelling in Brianka.

The missiles supplied by NATO countries are killing unarmed children, women, elderly people and municipal utility workers, he said.

Reuters could not immediately verify battlefield reports.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Over 1,500 students at Irish universities have been reported for exam cheating, plagiarism, or the use of essay mills over the past three years, it has been revealed.

In the case of 'essay mills', a student pays a company to write their essay.

Trinity College Dublin and TU Dublin reported the highest numbers of cases with more than 1,000 instances of students trying to cheat at exams or in assignments at the two universities, figures show.

The Technological University of Dublin (TU Dublin) confirmed it had dealt with 568 cases where students were found to have breached exam regulations or plagiarised material.

There were 33 cases of suspected exam-cheating in the most recent academic year and 138 cases where a student plagiarised work for their assignments.

However, the data did not include supplemental assignments that were in progress at the time, the university said, meaning the figures could rise still further.

TU Dublin said the cases it dealt with had resulted in the expulsion of two students from the college in the the past three years.

A spokeswoman for TU Dublin told Independent.ie it that it was committed to ensuring the highest academic standards were upheld for its 30,000-plus students.

TCD said it had 445 cases of suspected cheating in the academic years between 2019 and 2021 but that figures for last year were not yet available.

For the academic year 2020/21, it reported 143 cases of plagiarism and 154 cases of cheating, according to records released under FOI.

However, no students were suspended.

University College Cork (UCC) reported almost no cases over the last three years with just one case of plagiarism recorded in the academic year 2019/20.

The University of Galway said eight cases of cheating or plagiarism were reported to its discipline committee or exam security group in the last academic year.

It reported more than 110 cases of academic cheating over the past three years, with 12 of those cases subsequently overturned on appeal.

The university said plagiarism or contract cheating cases were only referred for full investigation when the level of cheating is so substantial in volume as to have a serious impact on the academic integrity of the work.
Ryanair boss Michael OLeary has called on the Irish Government to be wary of imposing unfair environmental taxes on airlines.

Mr OLeary said there is huge unfairness in environmental taxation on air travel in Europe.

Speaking at a press conference in Dublin to mark Ryanairs 35 years in business, the airline boss said that EU countries are taxing the most efficient form of air travel, which exempting the most polluting forms.

Mr OLeary said that Ryanair is committed to cut its emissions to net zero by 2050, but said environmental taxes should be fairer.

Speaking alongside Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, Mr OLeary said that the 2050 targets should be stronger.

But be careful what we wish for, he added.

One of the problems we have with the environment, theres a huge unfairness in environmental taxation on air travel in Europe.

Youre taxing the most efficient form of air travel, which is the short haul point to point. Youre exempting the two most polluting forms of air travel, which is transfer passengers are exempt from any environmental taxes and long haul is exempted.

So the richest people flying long haul, which accounts for 55% of Europes emissions, pay zero.

We are committed to being net zero by 2050. But before we get to 2023 or 2024, can we have at least some fairness? We accept everybody pay must pay an environmental tax on air travel. I dont have any issue with that.

But the richest people are the people who are creating most of the pollution should at least pay a fair share and not be exempt.

Whats going on at the moment is fundamentally unfair and wrong. Its very damaging.

If you live in the periphery of Europe in Ireland, we dont have an alternative. You cant take a train. You cant cycle off the island. So weve got a to fly and the peripheral economies are at a real risk from taxation thats been drummed up in Holland, in Germany and Belgium where they do have alternatives.

We dont in the peripheral countries and I think its something we call the Government to be wary of.

We should all pay our fair share, but everybody should pay.

Ryanair DACs CEO Eddie Wilson said that the airline wants to grow traffic in Ireland by 50%.

The airline is bringing in an additional 210 aircraft over the next four years.

Were going to grow from 165 million passengers this year to 225 million passengers and ten million of those should actually be allocated to Ireland, it has the capacity to do so, Mr Wilson added.

But lets not do something silly here by raising charges when Im able to get deals in other airports throughout Europe, where Ive got cost certainty for the next eight or 10 years.

If environmental taxes are coming in, in Europe, we would say to the Government that European level, lets make sure that everybody pays the same.

At the moment, if you fly into Amsterdam and you go on your holidays to Aruba, you dont pay a red cent in environmental taxes. Thats not fair when you think about people from Dublin who are flying into Amsterdam to visit kids in college, etc.

If theres going to be environmental taxes, theyve got to be the same for everyone.

Speaking at the event in the Merrion Hotel, Mr Varadkar said that any tax arrangement must be done fairly and appropriately.

He added: The climate transition will change the industry, but people are still going to want to fly. I dont see aviation as an enemy, but rather a partner in taking climate action.

I dont like to see people being climate shamed, whether its farmers or whether its people who fly.

We are an island nation, and we need aviation to be connected to the world and climate action doesnt change that.

I believe there is a future for low carbon aviation. Im really excited about whats happening when it comes to sustainable and systematic aviation fuels.

I know that Ryanair is playing its part with the purchase of new aircraft that burn less fuel, make less noise and carry more passengers.

Mr OLeary said that Ryanairs passengers spends just over 1.5 billion euro in the Irish economy every year.

He also said that Ryanair employed 2,300 direct jobs in 2019.

A report produced by PwC found that for every employee Ryanair hires in Ireland, two full time jobs are created in the economy.

Were supporting almost 5,000 jobs here in the economy and the visitors we bring to Ireland, about 18,000 jobs depend on them. They are supporting 22,300 jobs here in economy, Mr OLeary added.

He said that while the airline had been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, it has now recovered strongly.
Tennessee's adjutant general says hundreds of Tennessee National Guard members are being deployed to help with the response to Hurricane Ian as it heads toward Florida
This is why TKC will likely NEVER have a podcast . . . We just think they're kinda cringe.

Even Joe Rogan dominating the Internets and garnering MILLIONS of dollars and fans . . . From our vantage it just looks and sounds like a d-bag stoner sitting around b.s.ing with their friends.



However . . .

We respect anybody else who can excel in this space . . .

Accordingly, a KICK-ASS TKC READERS recently sent a snarky podcast suggestion our way . . .



"The in-stadium voice for the Kansas City Chiefs is a right-wing Rush Limbaugh wannabe in his spare time. Cute. His podcast partner, Kurt, was once a local jazz saxophonist and is now recasting himself as a conservative podcast producer.

Rebranding is a nice thing . . .

TKC has always warned readers when we finally give up this blog you'll find us somewhere singing the blues. Not kidding at all, my act is akin to lounge singing mixed with some of the better work of Patti Smith . . . Kinda like the bittersweet moments from the last few scenes of Raging Bull but with a far more upbeat baseline.



Meanwhile, Chiefs fans weren't able to dominate the competition this week and so maybe that can try to p0wnz the libs . . .



Take a listen via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Thin Mints, Samoas and stouts  oh my! Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways Council, serving Cayuga and Onondaga counties (in addition to 24 others across New York and two in Pennsylvania), is holding its first cookies and beer tasting fundraiser. Cookies Untapped will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at Collegian Hotel & Suites, 1060 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. Tickets are still available for $65 per person; attendees must be 21 or older. Purchase tickets now at gsnypenn.org/cookiesuntapped.

All 10 varieties of Girl Scout Cookies (including brand-new Raspberry Rally, which debuts for online purchase only in January) will be perfectly paired with a New York state craft beer hand-selected by A.W. Wander, upstates craft beer destination. Breweries include Beer Tree Brew Co., SingleCut Beersmiths, Other Half Brewing Co., Aurora Brewing Co. and Meier's Creek Brewing Company.

Doors open and the silent auction begins at 5:30 p.m., with pouring starting at 6 p.m. Tickets include a tote bag, collectible tasting glass, light fare and all cookie-beer pairings. Guests will enjoy live music by Keep Up, an assortment of items (Girl Scout Cookies, restaurant gift cards, spa gift baskets and more) in the silent auction, raffles and a cash bar. Plenty of free parking is available. Attendees can book limited accommodations at the discounted rate of $139 for the night. Call Collegian Hotel & Suites at (315) 701-4312 and mention Cookies Untapped.

Proceeds raised will stay local to GSNYPENN to support future programming in the communities it serves as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA.

Local Girl Scout news

After waiting more than two years due to the pandemic, Troop 40727 from Auburn was finally able to visit Washington, D.C., last month. They took in impressive sights like the White House and U.S. Capitol, and visited monuments and museums.

Troop 60311 from Auburn hand-built book garages, neighborhood lending libraries, for community service. They learned how to use tools and plan out their project.

Juliette Girl Scouts (individually registered members) Trista Allwood from Union Springs and Lilyana Thornton from Cayuga, who opened a Little Library at Harris Park this summer, were notified the project has officially earned them their Girl Scout Silver Award. The Silver Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout Cadette (grades six through eight) can earn. Girls who pursue Silver Awards look around their neighborhoods and/or schools and develop a project to make their community better in the process.

Girl Scouts serves girls in K-12. Annual membership is just $25 and financial assistance is available. To start her adventure, visit gsnypenn.org/join. To become an adult volunteer, learn more at gsnypenn.org/volunteer. To help make Girl Scouting possible for girls in your community, visit gsnypenn.org/donate.
This week an upstart blog suffered citywide journalistic rebuke following police response to a misinformation they helped to spread.

Even more importantly . . .

The family members of victims who are missing offered heartfelt statements condemning the irresponsible social media rumor-mongering.



Meanwhile . . .

THE KC DEFENDER BLOG DOUBLES DOWN & BLAMES . . . YOU GUESSED IT . . . RACISM FOR THEIR REPORTING BLUNDER!!!



Here's how they see their struggle . . .



"The story gained traction, and white media outlets across Kansas City diminished these concerns. They said nothing until the police issued a statement, which the news outlets relied on as unquestioned fact. This is yet another example of how white media outlets perpetuate the false and violent notion that police are the arbiters of truth, and that the communitys voice is unfounded if it is not supported by police statements. Too often, white media contributes to a violent structure of ignoring, silencing, and marginalizing Black people in favor of reporting an objective truth that is only police-propagated narratives."

A defiant passage from their stunning conclusion . . .



"We are not afraid, intimidated, or ashamed. We are encouraged by the positive responses and support weve received from our community, as well as their response to check on one another during this time of uncertainty. Even if the white media attempts to smear us for doing so, we will continue to listen to the community, uphold their concerns, and amplify their voices."

A quick retort . . .

As media continues to segment across the Internets . . . What's unfortunate is that diverse communities have surprisingly few community-based journalistic options beyond biased politically charged garbage blogs that don't even bother to offer readers fart jokes or hottie photo references . . .



Meanwhile . . .

We can only hope that more reputable publications like The Call & The Globe continue their progress to establish themselves in the digital space.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Tonight we play catch-up with local crime reports, news of police action and consumer warnings . . . As always, we attempt to finish the round-up with a bit of good news . . .

Check TKC news gathering . . .

Kansas City neighbors still searching for answers in deadly triple shooting KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The community still has questions while police investigate a triple shooting that happened Monday on Kansas City's east side. Three people, including a child under the age of five, were shot inside a home at 26th Street and Hardesty Avenue.

Congressman, Jackson County warn of rising deed fraud KANSAS CITY, Mo. - You've heard of stolen cars, now Kansas City, Missouri is dealing with a new problem on the rise. Someone stealing your entire home. Now that crime trend has the attention of Congress.

Cass County residents pushing for new laws after dog bite complaints on property The Cass County presiding commissioner said he has directed the county attorney to review potential changes to county ordinances in response to a property with multiple dogs on chains or tethers near a popular state trail.The new development comes after KMBC 9 Investigates first reported about the property last month, after complaints from Cass County residents about dog bites, debris, and trash near the Rock Island Spur of the Katy Trail.Cass County Presiding Commissioner Bob Huston said he has heard concerns about the site along with complaints about dog bites near the property.

Gladstone police ID alleged thief man says delivery driver handed package to GLADSTONE, Mo. - The Gladstone Police Department says officers have identified the man accused of stealing packages from an attorney's office. FOX4 News is not identifying the man since charges are not official yet, but officers say theft charges are pending. Police also recovered the car they believe he was in.

Man charged in Labor Day weekend boating crash that injured 2 people GARDNER, Kan. (KCTV) - A 46-year-old man has been charged with boating while under the influence and two counts of aggravated battery in connection with a crash over Labor Day weekend. A probable cause document alleged James Michael Allen was driving a boat on Gardner Lake at a high rate of speed when it crashed just after 11:30 p.m.

Kansas City family searching for missing teen pleads for false serial killer rumors to stop KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Rumors on social media are causing more pain for a Kansas City family who is desperately searching for a missing teen. The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department says social media rumors of a serial killer targeting women in KCMO are "completely unfounded.

Grocery store worker accused of videoing women in restroom PARKVILLE, Mo. - Platte County prosecutors charged a grocery store employee after police say he admitted to taking pictures of women as they shopped, and also videoing them using the store's bathroom. Bruno Alejandro Barrera Lumbreras, 29, faces a felony invasion of privacy charge.

Victim in KC shooting on Independence Avenue was innocent bystander: Court records One person who was shot last week on a busy thoroughfare in Kansas City's South Indian Mound neighborhood appeared to be an innocent bystander caught up in an exchange of gunfire between the occupants of two vehicles, according to court records. On Sept.

'There is hope': KC mom reacts after suspect charged in son's murder a year later KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City, Missouri man is facing multiple murder charges in connection to a double homicide in August 2020 and a homicide in September 2021 in the 18th and Vine District. Cleon D.

Court docs: Man accused of shooting, killing victim may have tracked them through social media posts KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A man accused of shooting and killing another man last September may have used social media posts to track the victim, according to court documents. Cleon D. White, 35, is charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action in the shooting death of Mortez C.

Preliminary hearing set for accused Olathe East HS shooter OLATHE, Kan. - The Johnson County District Attorney will begin presenting his case against a teenager charged with a shooting inside Olathe East High School later this year. Jaylon Elmore is charged with attempted capital murder in the March 4 shooting. A Johnson County judge scheduled the preliminary hearing in the case to begin Dec.

Interim KCPD Chief Mabin calls DOJ investigation 'opportunity' to improve department KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Interim Chief of Police Joseph Mabin addressed the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division's investigation into possible discriminatory employment practices within the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department on Tuesday at the Board of Police Commissioners meeting.

Police commissioners welcome federal civil rights investigation into KCPD KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The president of the police board says commissioners welcome a federal investigation into the employment practices at the KCPD. The U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights investigation may be the result of a number of recent lawsuits by police officers accusing the police department of racial discrimination and retaliation.

Kansas Highway Patrol receives national reaccreditation KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas Highway Patrol has received national reaccreditation from the Commission of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). CALEA accreditation comes after a rigorous assessment and signifies "excellence in public safety and commitment to community," according to a release.

MISSING: 11-year-old last seen Tuesday night in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Police Department is looking for an 11-year-old girl last seen late Tuesday night. Liliana Klenklen was last seen in the area of NW Barry Road and NW Roanridge Road at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday. She stands 5-foot-6-inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds.

Day of Remembrance honors homicide victims in Kansas City and beyond On Sunday, metro area families who have lost a loved one to violence honored their memory. It was the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims.The anti-violence advocacy group KC Mothers in Charge invited families to gather with photos of their loved ones at Visitation Church near the Country Club Plaza.

Top Missouri lawmaker urges federal prosecutors to intervene in Agape abuse case Missouri's highest ranking legislator is asking federal prosecutors to intervene and shut down Agape Boarding School, alleging "undeniable corruption" and "inaction" by local officials who he says "could do the right thing and have consistently chosen not to."

Shawnee Police Department hosts National Night Out SHAWNEE, Kan. (KCTV) - The Shawnee Police Department was out in force Tuesday night, hosting National Night Out - a free night of education and family fun. "We just have hot dogs, chips and drinks for everyone to come out and enjoy," said Sgt. Matt Burger.

Group urges community involvement in KC neighborhood with recent gun violence A group hit the streets Tuesday in an effort to stop violence in Kansas City. There have been 120 homicides so far this year. That's nine more murders than this time last year.The Blue Hills Neighborhood Association, Kansas City police, and KC Mothers in Charge went door to door Tuesday on Olive Street from 49th to 52nd streets with a singular message - prevent homicides and solve crimes."Homicide is a learned, taught behavior in the home.

Developing . . .
Recently . . . A very silly election recount supported by a vast array of trolls was quickly debunked and proven absolutely wrong. The system worked.



However, today . . . The so-called Kansas City paper of record offers perspective on a mostly imagined crisis along with a great many digs and sketchy connections to political rivals in order to debate an issue that, admittedly, isn't really new at all . . . Here's the premise of their story and something that a smaller number of subscribers actually had to pay to read . . .



"A growing collection of citizens no longer trust the outcomes of elections and promote claims of massive fraud without any basis or proof.



"Though exaggerated claims of voter fraud are not new to the Sunflower State, former President Donald Trumps continued refusal to accept his 2020 defeat helped set a fire in Kansas that continues to spread ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm election.



"As this anti-democratic trend accelerates, election experts and officials from both parties worry about lasting damage to institutions."



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Will election conspiracy theories cause permanent damage to democracy in Kansas? In early September, Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden spoke with a group of Johnson County conservatives known as the "Liberty People" about his efforts to investigate voter fraud.

There's actually more deets in this report . . .

'We don't have a democracy': Johnson County Sheriff Hayden doubles down on election conspiracies OLATHE, Kan. - Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden doubled down on claims the 2020 election was rigged in a recent video while still refusing to address other outside inquiries about the investigation he launched and oversees.

You decide . . .
Scarborough Health Network's Birchmount campus, seen in 2020, will receive $25 million from Orlando Corporation in a $75 million package, which also contains $25 for a new medical school and health-care professions training centre at University of Toronto Scarborough. - Metroland file photo
How much does it cost to fuel up in Toronto?
The U.S. Small Business Administration is preparing to honor the best of small businesses in New York state and across the country.

The administration's Upstate New York District Office is accepting nominations for the 2023 National and District Small Business Week Awards, including the annual Small Business Person of the Year Award.

Visit the SBAs dedicated website at sba.gov/nsbw to download forms, criteria, and guidelines for submitting a National nomination. The Upstate New York District Office award categories and guidelines can be found here or on the districts website: sba.gov/district/syracuse.

The SBA Awards given in celebration of National and District Small Business Week include the following:

 Small Business Person of the Year (National and District)

 Small Business Exporter (National and District)

 Minority Small Business Champion or Business of the Year

 Veteran Small Business Champion or Business of the Year

 Women in Business Champion or Business of the Year

 Rural Small Business Champion or Business of the Year

The Upstate New York District Office must receive all nominations by electronic submission only by 3 p.m. Dec. 8.

For additional information, contact Katrina Ballard at Katrina.Ballard@sba.gov.

I am pleased to expand our nomination categories for the 2023 National Small Business Week awards in Upstate New York and look forward to celebrating the hard work of our districts entrepreneurs, SBA Upstate New York District Director Bernard J. Paprocki said in a news release. I encourage members of the small business community to nominate leaders with demonstrated success in business and an impact on their community.

The Upstate New York District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration serves 34 counties in Upstate New York throughout the Capital Region, Central New York, Hudson Valley, Mohawk Valley, North Country and Southern Tier.
The Cayuga County Health Department's environmental health division is raising concern about its difficulty to communicate with people who may have been exposed to rabies.

Ani Fish, who represented the environmental health division during the Cayuga County Board of Health meeting on Tuesday, revealed that there was an individual who was recently bitten by a raccoon that was "very clearly rabid."

When the health department attempted to contact the person to set up post-rabies exposure treatment, Fish said they had a difficult time reaching them.

"We eventually did make contact after several weeks and he did receive the treatment," Fish said. "But this is not an uncommon occurrence." She believes the communication challenges may be linked to the department's COVID-19 response and "the general health department and public dynamic these days."

The department's persistence likely prevented a rare human rabies case. Rabies is a virus that can be spread among mammals, such as bats, foxes and raccoons. Humans can contract the virus if they exposed to a rabid animal.

If symptoms develop, rabies is nearly 100% fatal. That's why health officials urge people to seek post-exposure treatment, which will likely prevent rabies from developing if it's administered before symptoms appear.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were five U.S. human rabies cases in 2021  the most since 2011. In 2019 and 2020, there were no human cases reported. Most of the individuals who died last year were exposed to rabid bats.

The health department's environmental health division oversees a rabies prevention program. Cayuga County Public Health Director Kathleen Cuddy presented a two-year report at the health board meeting on Tuesday that included data about the county's rabies response. In 2021, there were 285 exposure investigations and 74 animals sent for testing. Twelve of the specimens tested positive for rabies and 39 people received post-exposure treatment.

This year, there has been a higher number of rabid foxes in Cayuga County, Cuddy said.

"Don't mess around with them," she continued. "If you wake up to a bat, hold onto the bat so we can test it and then you won't need to get treatment if we can identify it's not rabid."
None of the Iranian-manufactured suicide drones launched at the city of Mykolaiv has reached the target so far, as the Armed Forces of Ukraine are successfully shooting them down.

The relevant statement was made by Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration Head Vitalii Kim during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

We already have a certain number of the Iranian suicide drones shot down. None of them reached objects in the city of Mykolaiv. In addition, over the past day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have shot down an Orlan-10 UAV. According to the South Operational Command, the effective ways of fighting against such drones are now being developed, Kim told.

In his words, last night Russian troops struck downtown Mykolaiv with different weapons.

Last night, around 01:00 a.m. and 04:00 a.m., the enemy struck Mykolaiv with different weapons. Two rockets were launched with the Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and four missiles with the S-300 systems. Two more missiles hit an adjacent settlement, causing damage to a public transport stop and several civilian buildings. Generally, no casualties were reported, Kim noted.

A reminder that eight apartment blocks, a number of stores and a city exhibition hall were damaged in an explosion, which rocked downtown Mykolaiv last night.

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On September 27, the Ukrainian forces eliminated 58 Russian invaders and about 10 pieces of military equipment in the southern regions.

According to the Operational Command South, an enemy tank platoon attempted offensive operations in the Chkalove-Bezymenne direction. One tank blew up on an anti-tank mine, two others retreated.

It is noted that the enemy continues shelling Ukrainian positions with missile and heavy artillery, tanks and mortars. Over the past day, the Russian troops launched three airstrikes and three missile strikes on the civilian infrastructure of the front and rear areas.

The Ukrainian aviation struck the enemy five times. Air defense units downed an enemy Orlan-10 drone in the Kherson district and an enemy Su-25 attack aircraft in the Bashtanka district of Mykolaiv region.

The Ukrainian missile and artillery units performed 250 fire missions on September 27. In particular, they struck an enemy checkpoint and an ammunition depot in the Beryslav district of Kherson region.

In total, on September 27, the Ukrainian military in the south eliminated 58 invaders, a tank and 7 motor vehicles. More detailed data on enemy losses is being further clarified, the Operational Command said.

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Russia has long been preparing for a new annexation of the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories and announced mobilization to draft Ukrainians into its army.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this during a conversation with the students and lecturers of Harvard University, Ukrinform reports.

"These days, Russia hopes to announce a new annexation of the occupied territories of Ukraine. This has been in preparation for a long time, this has been obvious for a long time. We see these sham referenda in those territories that Russia wants to "devour". And we know that the mobilization in Russia was announced on the eve of this new criminal annexation not by chance. The goal is obvious - the occupier wants to take the residents of the occupied territory into the army. Either you are killed, or you kill - Russia wants to force hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians in the occupied lands to make such a choice," Zelensky said.

At the same time, he noted that there is no preventive sanctions strike that would show Russia that it will not be able to "devour" any part of Ukraine.

"When there is such a lack of preventive measures, when leadership is manifested afterwards - in response, in adaptation to the negative consequences of certain actions of Russia, this leads to a loss of time, a loss of opportunities. It makes the path to peace longer," Zelensky added.

As reported, the invaders on September 23-27 held sham referendums on the accession of the temporarily occupied regions to the Russian Federation. The international community did not recognize the legality of such a staged "expression of will."

On September 21, Putin signed a decree on "partial" mobilization in Russia. According to media reports, as many as 1-1.2 million people could be called up to fight in Russia's war in Ukraine.
The European Union Member States are holding consultations on the next package of sanctions, without waiting for the completion of Russia's sham referenda in the captured territories of Ukraine, and France will fully support it.

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Catherine Colonna made a relevant statement at a joint briefing with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The minister noted that the leader of the aggressor country, Vladimir Putin, adopted the rhetoric of escalation: he announced partial mobilization, organized sham referenda, and will use the rhetoric of escalation in the nuclear issue. However, all this will not distract France either from its principles or from its goal.

"If Russia recognizes the results of these illegal referendums, there will be new sanctions. There will be sanctions that will be adopted by the European Union, and France will fully support these sanctions," Colonna stressed.

She noted that the European Union Member States were conducting consultations to agree on a new package as soon as possible. Both individual restrictions to punish the organizers of pseudo-referendums and sectoral sanctions will be imposed.

As reported, the leaders of the "LPR/DPR" and collaborators in the Russian-occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions announced on September 20 "referendums" on joining Russia and scheduled them for September 23-27.

Western leaders emphasized that any Russian sham referenda in Ukraine would be illegitimate.

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Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Presidents Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to Ukraine Alexandru Victor Micula.

According to the Presidents Office, the officials discussed the implementation of the Fast Recovery Plan and the restoration of infrastructure in Ukraine.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko spoke in detail about the recovery plan and the creation of a special reconstruction fund. He also informed about the initiative of President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to which partner states, individual cities and large businesses are offered to take under patronage the restoration of regions of Ukraine, individual objects or directions. Everyone can choose what to take care of, the report reads.

He also noted that the needs of Ukraine are constantly updated, as the war continues and the Ukrainian Armed Forces de-occupy new territories.

"Many citizens have already returned home, and they need to restore the roofs in their houses, replace windows and so on," said Tymoshenko.

He added that part of the work, in particular the most urgent one, is carried out with budget funds, but Ukraine's resources are limited, so the help of partners is needed.

Alexandru Victor Micula noted that Romania is ready to support the recovery of Ukraine and is waiting for detailed information about the facilities and the Fast Recovery Plan, which can be presented to the government.

The Ambassador expressed interest in involving Romanian private individuals and companies in the recovery process, which could speed up the reconstruction of Ukraine, since the provision of budget funds requires bureaucratic procedure, the report reads.

In addition, the deputy head the President's Office said that the Ukrainian troops are fighting for the liberation of the Luhansk region and the final de-occupation of the Kharkiv region. And in the already liberated areas of the Kharkiv region, the issue of restoring networks that were completely destroyed during hostilities is extremely urgent.

Photo: Presidents Office
The Canadian government intends to impose sanctions on persons and entities involved in holding sham referendums in four regions of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia.

According to Ukrinform, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this in a statement.

"Canada does not and will not ever recognize the results of these sham referendums or Russia's attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. Canada and its international partners will continue to support Ukraine against Putin's attacks on its territorial integrity and the rules-based international order. In response to this further escalation, we intend to impose new sanctions against persons and entities that are complicit in this latest attempt to undermine the principles of state sovereignty, and that share responsibility for the ongoing senseless bloodshed across Ukraine," he said.

According to Trudeau, Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.

"We will continue to hold Russia accountable for its actions and to support the Ukrainian people and government as they defend their freedoms, their democracy, and their way of life. Ukraine's territory will remain Ukraine's," he said.

On September 20, the leaders of "LPR/DPR" and collaborators in the territories of the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions temporarily occupied by Russia announced sham "referendums on joining Russia" and scheduled them for September 23-27. The leaders of Western countries have already stated that any Russian sham "referendums" in Ukraine will be illegitimate. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 21 that Russia would recognize the results of the pseudo-referendums.
Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the Brothers of Italy party that won the parliamentary elections in Italy, has assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Italy will continue to support Ukraine against the backdrop of Russian aggression.

According to Ukrinform, Meloni said this on Twitter, replying to Zelensky's tweet congratulating her on the victory in the elections.

"Dear Volodymyr Zelensky, you know that you can count on our loyal support for the cause of freedom of Ukrainian people. Stay strong and keep your faith steadfast!" Meloni wrote.

According to exit polls, the right-wing coalition won the elections to the Italian Parliament, garnering from 41% to 45% of the vote.

Zelensky congratulated Meloni and her party on the victory in the elections to the Italian Parliament.

"Congratulations to Giorgia Meloni and her party on victory in the elections. We appreciate Italy's continued support for Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. We count on fruitful cooperation with the new Italian government," the head of state wrote.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia condemned Russia's sham referenda in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Georgia condemns the illegal referenda staged by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine. These attempts for annexation of Ukraines territories are unacceptable, the Ministry posted on Twitter.

It is underscored that Georgia firmly supports Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.

As reported, the leaders of the "LPR/DPR" and collaborators in the Russian-occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions announced on September 20 "referenda" on joining Russia and scheduled them for September 23-27. Western leaders emphasized that Russian sham referenda in Ukraine would be illegitimate. At the same time, Russian president Vladimir Putin said on September 21 that Russia would recognize the results of the "referenda".

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The city of Auburn has announced that a major access road will close for most of the month of October while it's repaved.

John Street, which spans the Arterial to East Genesee Street, will close Oct. 4 through the end of the month, the city announced Tuesday. The street and part of East Genesee will be repaved as part of a $850,000 project supported by a $1.54 million New York State Touring Route Fund Grant. Along with the repaving, the project will include new storm sewers, sidewalk and curb improvement, and more.

Traffic will be prompted to use North Street as a detour. Eastbound Route 5 turns from the Arterial down John Street and onto East Genesee, and the small residential street also provides access from the Arterial to Route 38A. East Genesee Street will remain open during the project, but partial closures with lane reductions will take place as needed, the city said in its announcement.

This investment in the east side of our downtown is long overdue, Auburn Mayor Michael D. Quill said. "We will be improving or installing the infrastructure underneath the streets, as well as, giving each street a much needed repaving. It will be a challenging short term inconvenience, however, in the end we will have an improved East Hill and John Street area for years to come."

Local residents and businesses will have access to John Street coordinated by the project's contractor, Paul F. Vitale Inc. of Auburn.

For more information on the project, visit auburnny.gov/johnstreetpaving.

Work on downtown Auburn paving project to begin soon A milling and paving project on two main downtown Auburn streets is set to start this summer with a goal to be finished in the fall.
Chair of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk and President of the National Assembly of France Yael Braun-Pivet visited Chernihiv region.

"Today Im paying a working visit to Chernihiv region together with President of the National Assembly of France Yael Braun-Pivet," Stefanchuk posted on Facebook.

He noted that Chernihiv region was one of the regions most affected by Russian aggression. According to Vyacheslav Chaus, Head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, 8,500 objects, mainly residential buildings, were destroyed as a result of the active hostilities. In addition, 33 bridges and crossings were destroyed, 1,000 kilometers of roads were damaged in the region.

"And this is far from a complete list of what the Russian invaders ruined," the Chair of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine emphasized.

Now the region needs assistance, primarily in reconstruction, Stefanchuk emphasized.

"I am grateful to France for participating actively in the restoration of Ukraine, in particular of Chernihiv region, by taking patronage over the region," he added.

As reported, UAH 250 million was allocated from the reserve fund of the state budget for the restoration of priority facilities of critical infrastructure and socially important objects in Chernihiv region.

Photo credit: Ruslan Stefanchuk/FB

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In a phone call with Prime Minister of Canada, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the world should not tolerate Russian nuclear blackmail.

According to the presidents press service, as part of the ongoing dialogue, President Volodymyr Zelensky had another call with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. The leaders constructively exchanged views on countering Russian aggression amid unprecedented pressure and blackmail by the Kremlin.

The Head of State thanked Justin Trudeau for the support of our country expressed in a speech at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Zelensky also expressed gratitude for the principled position of the Canadian side regarding the non-recognition of the sham referenda held by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

"The goal of these sham referenda is the annexation of new Ukrainian lands," he said.

The President emphasized that Ukraine expects the toughest reaction from international partners to Russia's recognition of the results of these sham referenda.

Zelensky separately thanked Trudeau for the defense support provided by Canada and for the consistent sanctions policy against the aggressor state. He also praised the intentions of the G7 to set a price cap for Russian oil.

They also discussed the need to provide further economic support to Ukraine, as well as specialized vehicles for demining the de-occupied territories.

In addition, Zelensky stressed the need for a tough reaction to Russian nuclear blackmail.

"The world should not tolerate Russian nuclear blackmail. We should put an end to this. The aggressor should clearly understand all the consequences of his irresponsibility," he said.

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The Cayuga County Health Department will be hosting a Pfizer vaccine clinic on Thursday, Sept. 29, and Onondaga County officials are offering a vaccine for the monkeypox virus.

The Pfizer clinic is being held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. for individuals 5 and older and vaccines being offered include:

 1st and 2nd doses of Pfizer for those 5 years and older

 Monovalent booster dose of Pfizer for individuals 5-11 years old

 Bivalent booster dose of Pfizer for individuals 12 years and older

This clinic will be held at the Fingerlakes Mall in the Event Center at the former Spirit Halloween store located on the backside of the mall near the movie theaters. Entrance to this clinic is from the outside of the mall. There will not be admittance to the clinic from the inside of the mall. Please park in the back of the mall and enter through the Event Center doors.

Anyone entering the clinic must be wearing a mask and bring an insurance card and vaccine card if they have one.

The Cayuga Community Health Network (315-252-4212) is available to assist individuals with finding clinics and making appointments. For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit cayugacounty.us/health.

Also on Thursday, the Onondaga County Health Department will be holding a monkeypox vaccination clinic for those who are at risk or may be at future risk of contracting the disease. The clinic will offer both first and second doses. Those in need of a second dose must have received their first dose at least 4 weeks ago.

Individuals will need two doses of the vaccine, at least four weeks apart, and are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after their second dose. Anyone who has received a first dose elsewhere can get their second dose at any of the OCHD clinics as long as it has been four weeks since the first dose.

The clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the basement level of the Onondaga County Civic Center in downtown Syracuse. Parking is free in the Oncenter Lot.

An appointment guarantees a vaccine, but walk-ins are welcome. Vaccine availability for walk-ins will be based on the number of appointments and vaccine capacity for the day. To register for an appointment, visit at monkeypox.ongov.net/vaccine/.

Those receiving the first-dose of the vaccine will require a second dose, which will be given on Thursday, Oct. 27, at the same time slot as the first dose. Please note that individuals are not considered fully vaccinated against monkeypox until 14 days after receiving their second dose.

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a rash. A rash can look like a blister, pus-filled bump, open sore, or widespread small hard bumps on the body.

If you think you may have been exposed and are experiencing symptoms, contact your primary care provider and notify them immediately. You can learn more by texting MONKEYPOX to 81336 or visiting on.ny.gov/3RYgHuP.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, state Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli hold double-digit leads over their Republican challengers, according to a new Siena College released on Wednesday.

Hochul, a Democrat, has a 17-point lead, 54 to 37%, over Republican candidate Lee Zeldin. That's up from the 14-point advantage, 53 to 39%, she had in August.

Siena surveyed 655 likely voters. The poll has a 3.9% margin of error.

Hochul leads among Democrats (81 to 12%), New York City voters (70 to 20%), downstate suburban voters (50 to 45%), men (48 to 44%), women (61 to 29%), White voters (51 to 41%), Black voters (80 to 12%) and Latinos (58 to 33%). Voters in every age group prefer Hochul over Zeldin.

Zeldin is supported by more than three-quarters of Republicans and has a three-point lead, 45 to 42%, among independents. He's up by one point, 45 to 44%, in upstate New York.

"Zeldin's narrow lead among independents is both good  it's a lead  and bad  it's narrow," said Steve Greenberg, Siena's pollster. "To close or even narrow a 17-point gap, he would need to win a far greater share of independents, solidify Republican support, as well as pick off some more Democrats."

Voters also have a more favorable view of Hochul than Zeldin. She has a 47% favorable rating compared to Zeldin's 31% mark. Forty percent of voters have an unfavorable view of Hochul, while one-third of voters view Zeldin unfavorably. But there are 36% of voters who either don't know or refused to answer when asked for their opinion of Zeldin.

New York voters also gave Hochul positive reviews of the job she is doing as governor  a position she has held since August 2021 after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned. More than half of voters (53%) either strongly or somewhat approve of Hochul's job performance, while 42% disapprove.

Hochul, who was lieutenant governor from 2015 to 2021, is seeking a full four-year term as governor. Zeldin, a congressman from Suffolk County, is hoping to become the first Republican to win a statewide race since Gov. George Pataki in 2002.

In other statewide races, James leads Republican candidate Michael Henry by 16 points, 53 to 37%. James is seeking her second term as attorney general. Henry is a New York City attorney.

DiNapoli, who has served as state comptroller since 2007, leads by 23 points, 52 to 29%, over Republican challenger Paul Rodriguez, a financial expert from Brooklyn.

Greenberg noted that the Democrats' leads in the statewide races have grown since August.

"Now, with fewer than six weeks until Election Day, those Republican challengers  underfunded compared to the Democrats  have their work cut out for them in a state with more than twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans, more independents than registered Republicans, and where the GOP hasn't won a statewide election in 20 years," he said.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.
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Texas State construction science senior Cole Kirby tests the durability and composure of the concrete, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, at Roy F. Mitte Building.
Germany refrains from assessing the gas leak incident at the Nord Stream pipelines until investigation results become available, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said on Wednesday

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) Germany refrains from assessing the gas leak incident at the Nord Stream pipelines until investigation results become available, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said on Wednesday.

"We are not assessing (the incident) at the moment, and we are expecting the probe's results," Hebestreit told a briefing.

The official also said that there were no preconditions to assume that a rapid drop in pressure in one of the segments of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline had been caused by natural causes.

The incident occurred on Monday in the Danish waters near the island of Bornholm.

Later in the day, the operator said that pressure drop had also been registered on both strings of Nord Stream 1.

On Tuesday, gas pipeline operator Nord Stream AG said that it was impossible to estimate when the Nord Stream pipelines could resume their operation, but noted that all resources were mobilized to assess the damage.

The cause of the incident remains unknown and an investigation is underway. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said that the disruption was caused by detonations, suggesting a possible sabotage.
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday discussed with Danish Defense Minister Morten Bodskov the issue of critical infrastructure protection after gas leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines.

"Discussed the sabotage on the #NorthStream pipelines with Defence Minister @mfMorten (Bodskov) of our valued Ally #Denmark.

We addressed the protection of critical infrastructure in #NATO countries," Stoltenberg said on Twitter.

On Monday, Nord Stream AG told Sputnik that a dispatcher had registered a rapid drop of pressure in one of the segments of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The incident occurred in the Danish waters near the island of Bornholm. Later in the day, the operator said that the pressure drop had also been registered on both strings of Nord Stream 1.

Seismologists detected underwater explosions near the pipelines on Monday. An investigation is underway.
Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Bin Said Al-Malki on Wednesday called on Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Ishaq Dar here and congratulated him on assuming the charge of Finance Ministry

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2022 ) :Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Bin Said Al-Malki on Wednesday called on Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Ishaq Dar here and congratulated him on assuming the charge of Finance Ministry.

During the meeting, Ishaq Dar felicitated the ambassador on Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman's designation as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a Finance Ministry press release said.

The finance minister highlighted the long-standing bilateral relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in various areas.

He said the two countries had exceptional relationships based on social, political, religious and cultural ties.

Dar expressed deep gratitude for the firm support of the Saudi government in pursuing investment projects in Pakistan.

He thanked the ambassador on allowing rollover of $3 billion deposits. He also thanked the Saudi Fund for Development for their valuable investments in different sectors of Pakistan's economy.

The ambassador acknowledged the long-term relationship and shared the focus of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on continuation of mutual investment projects within Pakistan.
Beijing, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2022 ) :A fire at a restaurant in northeastern China on Wednesday killed 17 people and injured three, according to local authorities.

The blaze broke out at 12:40 pm (0440 GMT) in an eatery in the city of Changchun, the local government said in a statement posted on the Weibo social media platform.

Firefighters "rushed to the scene" and completed search and rescue work by 3 pm, the statement said.

"The injured have been sent to hospital for treatment while posthumous care for the victims is being carried out," it added.

Authorities said the cause of the incident is under investigation.
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Nicosia, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2022 ) :The queue of Greek Cypriot motorists waiting to cross a checkpoint into breakaway northern Cyprus is much longer than it used to be -- a plummeting Turkish lira means cheaper petrol prices there.

For many Greek Cypriots, buying goods in the north of the divided Mediterranean island is tantamount to treason.

Turkish troops invaded in 1974 after a Greek-engineered coup seeking to unite the island with Greece, and tens of thousands of soldiers from mainland Turkey are still posted in its northern third.

The self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was unilaterally declared in 1983 and is recognised by Turkey alone.

But now more and more people are giving in to temptation and driving north to buy cheaper fuel from the Turkish Cypriots.

"My salary is only 700 Euros ($680)" monthly, said Fanourios Michail, a 60-year-old carpenter waiting at a Nicosia crossing. "I save about 200 euros a month by refuelling in the north." The internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus -- the European Union's easternmost member -- uses the euro.

But the Turkish Cypriots use the lira, which has sunk to historic lows this year. And the north also has much lower taxes on fuel.

- Checkpoint congestion - According to police figures collated between January and August this year and compared with 2021, the number of cars going north through one of the island's vehicle crossings has more than tripled from 197,230 to 601,749.

Normally, moving between the two sides should not take more than a few minutes.

Drivers present their passport or ID card to police on the Greek Cypriot side, and then drive a few dozen metres (yards) to do the same with Turkish Cypriot police, who also verify that the car has valid insurance for the north.

But for the past several months, congestion at the checkpoints means it is now more common to have to wait half an hour to cross the narrow UN-controlled buffer zone.

"Half of my customers are now Greek Cypriots, representing half of my turnover," said Turkish Cypriot Mehmet Tel, who runs a petrol station about 500 metres from one of Nicosia's crossing points.

A litre of fuel in the north is about 25 percent cheaper than in the south.

"With four kids and a relatively low salary, I just can't make ends meet otherwise," admitted a 45-year-old Greek Cypriot woman who asked not to be identified.

- Lost tax revenues - Christodoulos Christodoulou, spokesman for the association of petrol station owners in the south, estimated their annual losses at seven million euros.

The rush for cheaper fuel in the north also costs the republic 80 million euros in lost tax revenues every year, he said.

"We want this illegal activity stopped." He accused the government of failing to enforce regulations put in place in 2004 when Cyprus joined the EU to regulate the transfer of goods across the Green Line separating the two sides of the island.

This is not a government-recognised border, but Christodoulou said that the 2004 EU regulations ban the transfer of fuel from the Turkish-held north into the south.

Regular checks at crossing points are carried out "to reduce the illegal movement of fuel, protect tax revenues and curb the impact on legitimate fuel suppliers", government spokesman Marios Pelekanos told AFP.

Cyprus government regulations cap the value of goods transferred by individuals at 260 euros a day, and some products, such as tobacco and alcohol, face strict limitations.

Christodoulou told reporters that his association has not ruled out contacting Frontex, the EU agency that regulates borders, despite the government not recognising the Green Line as such.
Moscow, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2022 ) :The Kremlin said Wednesday it was "stupid and absurd" to suspect that Russia was behind gas leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines to Europe, deemed to be a "deliberate act" by the EU.

"It's quite predictable and also predictably stupid to give voice to these kinds of narratives -- predictably stupid and absurd," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters after Ukraine said the leaks were a "terrorist attack" by Moscow.

Peskov said the leaks were "quite problematic" for Moscow.

"Both branches were filled with gas, ready for pumping, and this gas is very expensive. Now this gas is disappearing into the air," Peskov said.

"I want to urge everyone to think before making any statements, to wait for results of the investigation," he added.

"This is a situation that requires dialogue, prompt interaction on the part of all sides to find what happened. So far we see an absolute lack of such dialogue," Peskov said.

Three unexplained gas leaks, preceded by two explosions, occurred on the Baltic Sea's Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Monday.

The pipelines have been at the centre of geopolitical tensions in recent months as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following its military intervention in Ukraine.

Built in parallel to the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Nord Stream 2 was intended to double the capacity for Russian gas imports to Germany.

But Berlin blocked the newly completed Nord Stream 2 in the days before Moscow sent troops to Ukraine.
Retiring U.S. Rep. John Katko won't be on the ballot in November and he won't be making an endorsement in the 22nd Congressional District race.

Katko's campaign said Wednesday that the four-term congressman, who announced in January that he would not seek reelection this year, will not endorse Republican candidate Brandon Williams or Democrat Francis Conole in the race to succeed him.

Conole, D-Syracuse, and Williams, R-Sennett (Cayuga County), are running to represent the new district comprised of Onondaga, Madison and Oneida counties. A portion of Oswego County is also in the district.

Katko has publicly stayed out of the congressional race this year. But at least two of his former aides and a political consultant who produced ads for his congressional campaigns worked for Republican candidate Steve Wells, who lost to Williams in the GOP primary. Wells also received financial support from groups aligned with Katko.

While Katko won't be endorsing in the congressional race, he is supporting candidates in other central New York races. Those endorsements include backing Esteban Gonzalez, the Republican candidate for Onondaga County sheriff.

Katko's congressional campaign had more than $1 million in the bank, according to his Federal Election Commission filing in July. His filings earlier this year showed the campaign donated $500 to the Republican Women of Central New York and $250 to the Camillus Republican Committee.

His campaign has since given more money to Republican candidates and committees, according to a spokesperson. The contributions include $10,000 to the Onondaga County Republican Committee. More donations will be disclosed in the campaign's October filing.
Copenhagen, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2022 ) :It could take up to two weeks before the unexplained gas leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea can be inspected, the Danish defence minister said Wednesday.

Due to the pressure inside the pipes and the amount of gas leaking "the reality is that it can easily take one or two weeks for the area to calm down enough to actually see what has happened," Defence Minister Morten Bodskov told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with NATO's secretary general in Brussels.

"It is a very large blast that has taken place, therefore it will take time before we can get down there", the minister said.

The pipes are at a depth of 80 metres (262 feet).

On Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said authorities considered the leaks, which emerged on Monday, to be the result of "deliberate acts".

"We are not talking about an accident", she said.

The European Union has promised "a robust and united response," to the "sabotage".
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Moscow, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2022 ) :The pro-Moscow leaders of Ukraine's Lugansk and Kherson regions called on President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to formally annex the territories into Russia, claiming residents had backed the move in a referendum.

The Kremlin-backed leader of the breakaway Lugansk region, Leonid Pasechnik, made the appeal to Putin claiming residents there had been under attack for eight years by Ukraine's army.

Moscow-backed separatists have controlled large portions of Lugansk since 2014 when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula.

"Taking into account the decision of the republic's population at the referendum, I am asking you to consider making the Luhansk People's Republic a subject of the Russian Federation," Pasechnik said in a statement published by rebel officials.

His announcement was quickly followed by a similar appeal from Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-installed leader of Ukraine's southern Kherson region, which was captured by Russia after the start of Moscow's military campaign on February 24.

"Our residents made a historic choice and decided to become part of the multinational population of the Russian Federation, in which all people are equal before each other and before the law," Saldo said in a statement published on social media.
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Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood on Wednesday presented Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Award for Excellence to Prof Dr Robina Farooq, Vice Chancellor of Govt College for Women University, Faisalabad, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2022 ) :Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood on Wednesday presented Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Award for Excellence to Prof Dr Robina Farooq, Vice Chancellor of Govt College for Women University, Faisalabad, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ECO Awards are conferred on eminent individuals of ECO Member States for their outstanding research work, contributions and achievements in the fields of economics; history and culture; science and technology; education; agriculture and environment, with regional character and contribution to the organization's goals and objectives.

Prof Dr Robina Farooq won the Award for her achievements and contributions in the field of agriculture and environment.

The ECO Awards were conferred on the winners during the 15th ECO Summit on November 28, 2021 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. However, the award winners could not travel to Ashgabat due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Prof Dr Robina Farooq's award was received by the Pakistan delegation to the 15th ECO Summit.

The award comprised a medallion along with a cash prize of US$ 5000.
The opposition right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) said on Wednesday that its federal headquarters in Berlin were searched by the city prosecutor's office

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) The opposition right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) said on Wednesday that its Federal headquarters in Berlin were searched by the city prosecutor's office.

"Since this morning, the Berlin prosecutor's office has been conducting a search in the premises of the federal headquarters of Alternative for Germany, without any prior inquiry," the party said in a statement.

If the prosecutor's office had contacted the party in advance, its members would have responded accordingly and provided the necessary documents, the co-chair of the AfD Tino Chrupalla said.

Chrupalla also noted that investigators have been copying contents of hard disks, mailboxes and file folders, which can only be interpreted as a purposeful action to limit the security and integrity of the internal party data.

Another co-leader Alice Weidel said that this is "an extremely unusual and highly disproportionate measure to intimidate" the party.

Media reports indicate that the search is primarily related to the investigation against former party chairman Joerg Meuthen over a scandal involving illegal party donations. The AfD allegedly made false statements in the accountability reports to the EU parliament in the years from 2016 to 2018.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns a deadly attack on a commercial convoy in Burkina Faso, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns a deadly attack on a commercial convoy in Burkina Faso, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the United Nations reported that the September 26 attack injured tens of civilians and killed at least 10 soldiers from the armed escort.

"The Secretary-General deplores the attack on a commercial convoy, escorted by the national armed forces and transporting essential commodities, to the town of Djibo, in Burkina Faso. The attack took place on 26 September near Gaskinde, in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso," Dujarric said in a statement.

Guterres expresses condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured, his spokesman said.

"The Secretary-General calls on the Burkinabe authorities to spare no effort in identifying and bringing the perpetrators of this heinous attack to justice and calls on all parties to ensure that civilians are spared from the consequences of the conflict," he added.

Guterres also reiterated the UN commitment to continue to work with Burkina Faso and international partners to enhance the protection of civilians.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) Allegations that Russia is behind the emergency situation at the Nord Stream gas pipelines as stupid and absurd, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

On Monday, operator Nord Stream AG told Sputnik that a landfall dispatcher had registered a rapid gas pressure drop on Line A of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The incident occurred in the Danish waters near the island of Bornholm. Later in the day, the operator also said that a pressure drop had been registered on both strings of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said the incident was due to detonations, probably caused by sabotage.

"This is quite predictable, and also predictably stupid to express such versions. Once again, it is predictably stupid and absurd," Peskov told reporters.

Russia is not interested in both pipelines being out of service, as it lost supply routes to Europe, neither is Europe, or in particular, Germany, the official added.

Russia suffers losses from the emergency situation  gas is expensive, and now it is escaping into the air, while half of it has already been planned for the internal balances of Russia, he said.
TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) A missile launched by North Korea toward the Sea of Japan already fell, the Japanese maritime security service said on Wednesday, citing the national defense ministry.

Earlier in the day, North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, which is already the second launch since past Sunday, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

The maritime security service advised vessels to remain vigilant and to report on the debris without approaching the site.
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2022) Nicaragua has declared the EU ambassador to the country persona non grata and told her to leave, according to Nicaraguan media.

A foreign ministry official notified Ambassador Bettina Muscheidt verbally on Tuesday that she was no longer welcome in the Central American country, media cited multiple diplomatic sources as saying.

Neither the Nicaraguan foreign ministry nor the European Union's mission abroad has issued a statement confirming these reports.

Nicaragua is said to have accused the EU of "interference and disrespect" of its sovereignty after the EU demanded in the UN on Monday that Nicaragua "restore genuine democracy" and release political prisoners.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) North Korea has launched two short-range ballistic missiles near Pyongyang, the Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, citing South Korean military.

The launches were made from the Sunan district, where the Pyongyang airport is located, the news agency said, adding that they were recorded by the South Korean military from 18:10 to 18:20 local time (09:10-09:20 GMT).

Earlier in the day, the news agency reported that North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, which is already the second launch since past Sunday. The Japanese maritime security service latre said, citing the national defense ministry, that a missile launched by North Korea toward the Sea of Japan already fell.
NOVOSIBIRSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) More than 150 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, developed by Russia's Gamaleya Research Center, have already been distributed around the world, including in the home country, the center's deputy director, Denis Logunov, said on Wednesday.

"To date, based on a huge pool of data, more than 150 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine have been produced and used in the world and in Russia. Huge safety and efficiency data base has been accumulated," Logunov said at the international conference OpenBio-2022 in Russia's science town of Koltsovo.

The accumulated data made it possible for Gamaleya Research Center to expand the product line and develop Sputnik M, a vaccine for children aged 12-17, as well as produce a nasal version of the Sputnik V vaccine, which was registered on April 1, according to Logunov.

Clinical studies of the nasal vaccine showed a significant increase in antibody titer, the researcher said, adding that the Russian health ministry recommends two doses of the vaccine.

In addition, the research center will soon begin clinical trials of a vaccine against the delta and omicron variants of COVID-19. Meanwhile, the health ministry will allocate additional funding for a limited clinical trial for the development of a vaccine against the BA.5 coronavirus variant, Logunov noted.

At the same time, the effectiveness of the Sputnik V vaccine from getting infected by new strains of COVID-19 has decreased if compared to the original strain, but the level of protection against lethality is still the same, he said.

Sputnik V, a combination vector vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19, was registered in Russia in August 2020. Emergency mass-distribution of the vaccine began in December 2020 in Russia and later in such countries as Argentina, Belarus, Hungary and Serbia. As of January, the vaccine was authorized in more than 70 countries around the world.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- NETA, the Chinese electric vehicle brand owned by HOZON Auto, announced on September 28 its recent cooperation with leading Israeli car dealer, Blilious Group, marking NETAs foray into the Israeli market.

Photo credit: NETA

The cooperation signified that aside from the automakers recent moves in Thailand and Nepal, its global strategy has led the NETA U and NETA V vehicle models into the Middle East.

NETA explained that Israel has advantageous governmental policies and considerable market potential for new energy vehicles, all of which paved the way for the company's exploration in the local auto market. The cooperation with Blilious Group will continue to build NETAs global influence and push Chinese auto brands to branch out to the global market in a more competitive manner.

Since the beginning of 2022, NETA has sustained a rapid growth in sales. In August, the automaker delivered 16,017 vehicles, ranking the highest among all new energy vehicle startups in China, and achieving year-on-year sales growth for 26 consecutive months.

From January to August, NETAs cumulative delivery volume amounted to 93,185 vehicles, skyrocketing 176% year over year.

In the recent months, the brand has been focusing on bringing its products overseas. In just over a month, NETA has launched the right-rudder NETA V in Thailand, opened its first overseas direct-sales store, landed in Israel, and saw the NETA V go on sale in Nepal. By the end of August, NETAs overseas orders had quickly exceeded 5,000 units with its overseas distributions channels grown to nearly 30 stores.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) Poland will do everything to support a speedy accession of Ukraine to the European Union but the process will realistically take a long time, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said during a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) event.

"Of course, Poland will do everything that we can in order to support the speedy accession of Ukraine to the European Union, but to be realistic, it's going to last long. I don't know how long. Hopefully, not as long as it took Poland, about ten years, (and) not as long as it's taking the Western Balkans states, sometimes more than 20 years," Rau said on Tuesday.

The European Union should help Ukraine to rebuild itself after the conflict with Russia is over, but Poland wishes to see the world act on the issue much sooner than that, Rau added.

Rau noted that Poland has so far delivered to Ukraine more heavy military equipment than France, Germany and Italy combined as well as is doing a lot to help Ukraine economically.

On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk requested help to defend them from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Ministry of Defense said the operation is solely targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) The Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group (banned in Russia) shelled Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone six times over the past 24 hours, Maj. Gen. Oleg Yegorov, deputy head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, said at a briefing.

"Six shelling attacks from the positions of the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group were registered in the Idlib de-escalation zone over the past day," Maj. Gen. Yegorov said.

"Three attacks in Aleppo province, two in Idlib, one in Latakia," he said.

The Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides and Control over the Movement of Refugees in the Syrian Arab Republic was established in February 2016. Its tasks include the signing of agreements on illegal armed groups and individual settlements joining the regime of cessation of hostilities, as well as coordinating the delivery of humanitarian aid.
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The United States is pledging an additional $1.1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, including the provision of 18 new mobile artillery systems known as HIMARS, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) The United States is pledging an additional $1.1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, including the provision of 18 new mobile artillery systems known as HIMARS, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday.

"Today, the United States is announcing an additional $1.

1 billion package of weapons and equipment for Ukraine through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This includes 18 new high mobility artillery rocket systems, also known as HIMARS, which Ukraine has used so effectively on the battlefield," Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing.

The package will also include armored vehicles, radar and counter-drone systems, Jean-Pierre added.
US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield is going to introduce on Tuesday a resolution condemning Russia over the referendums in Donbas, CNN said, citing a US official

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th September, 2022) US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield is going to introduce on Tuesday a resolution condemning Russia over the referendums in Donbas, CNN said, citing a US official.

The resolution will declare that the UN Security Council does not support the use of force to change state borders, the report said.

US diplomats are privately meeting with counterparts from all Security Council members, including from China and India, to ensure that they will support the document, the official noted.

Thomas-Greenfield will accuse Russia of the intention to annex the territories of another UN member country by force, he added.

Referendums on joining Russia have taken place from 23 to 27 September in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions as well as the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics.
UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) The United States will table a resolution in the UN Security Council to condemn Russian referenda held in regions in Ukraine, the US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.

"The United States will be tabling a resolution condemning the sham referenda being held in Ukrainian territory," Thomas-Greenfield told journalists on Tuesday.

The United States knows that the outcomes of these "sham referenda" were predetermined in Moscow, she added.

The UN Security Council meeting on the referenda in Ukraine was conducted upon a request by the United States, Albania and Ukraine.

United Nations Under Secretary General Rosemary DiCarlo said the referenda do not represent a genuine popular will and added they are against international law.
USM Alumnus Harris Chosen for Hattiesburg Public School District Class of 2022 Hall of Fame

Wed, 09/28/2022 - 16:25pm | By: David Tisdale

Dr. Anthony Harris, a University of Southern Mississippi (USM) alumnus and one of its former faculty members and administrators, will be inducted into the Hattiesburg Public School Districts (HPSD) class of 2022 Hall of Fame.

A 1971 graduate of Hattiesburgs former L.J. Rowan High School, Dr. Harris will be formally inducted in the HPSD Hall of Fame during a black-tie gala on Thursday, September 29, at 7 p.m. in the historic Eureka School in downtown Hattiesburg; the event will also be livestreamed at HPSDFoundation.org. Proceeds from HPSD Hall of Fame activities go in support of the Hattiesburg Public School District.

Dr. Harris earned bachelors and masters degrees from USM and a doctorate from Texas A&M University-Commerce. A fellow with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, he once traveled to 17 countries in a three-year span, and has authored 13 books, including Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round: A Coming of age story and a personal account of the Civil Rights Movement in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. An active participant in the local Civil Rights Movement, he has been a champion for social justice, education, and human rights. Featured in the PBS documentary Freedom Summer, he has a strong commitment to public education, including serving as a local school board member and establishing mentoring programs for African American boys.

Dr. Harris currently serves as professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling at Prairie View A&M University. He previously served as an administrator and faculty member at Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Mercer University, and at USM. In addition, he conducts workshops and delivers keynote addresses on topics pertaining to the Civil Rights Movement, the educational success of young Black males, and leadership.

It is an honor to have been chosen for induction into the Hattiesburg Public School Hall of Fame, Dr. Harris said. I am delighted to join the other outstanding inductees in this years class. In addition, this honor is even more special when I consider the fact that many of my achievements as an adult are directly linked to the education I received in the Hattiesburg School System.



Dr. Harris graduated from Rowan High School (formerly Royal Street High School) the last year it operated as the citys segregated high school for Blacks, before it was converted into the 10th grade campus of the desegregated school district; it serves today as an elementary school. He also attended Hattiesburgs Mary Bethune Elementary School (grades 1-6), Lillie Burney Junior High School (7th grade), and desegregated Thames Junior High (8th and 9th grades) and attended S.H. Blair High School (10th and 11th grades), the latter serving as the then all-white high school before the transition to desegregation of all the local schools. He received several academic awards in his senior year at Rowan, including in music and social studies. He was a member of the band at Lillie Burney, Thames, Rowan, and Blair, playing baritone saxophone, and was a member of the yearbook staff at Rowan.

Dr. Harris credits a corps group of dedicated educators in the citys segregated schools for helping him and his classmates thrive academically and socially, even in the face of the hardships imposed by racially discriminatory laws and customs of the Jim Crow era.



When I reflect on my 12 years in the Hattiesburg Public Schools, I am grateful for the guidance, discipline, and high expectations my teachers instilled in me, sometimes in a strict but loving manner, Dr. Harris continued. Each of my elementary school teachers  Mrs. Jackson (1st), Mrs. McGowan (2nd), Mrs. Lewis (3rd), Mrs. Fowler (4th), Mrs. Harris (5th), and Mrs. Lee (6th)  instilled in their students the desire and determination to excel and overcome obstacles and to be vigilant and cognizant of the forces and systems that were designed to relegate us to second-class citizenship.

I am especially grateful to my teachers during my senior year at Rowan High School, who emphasized the importance of resisting the path of least resistance and not accepting mediocrity in our academic work. They had high expectations of my classmates and me; and I never wanted to let them down.

Dr. Harris attended USM from 1971-1974, majoring in Spanish. He then earned a masters degree in counseling from USM in 1976 and was a counselor in its University Counseling Center, under the leadership of the late Dr. Bill Shafer, from 1976 to 1979. As an undergraduate student, he was highly active with the Afro-American Cultural Society, which presented him with the Clyde Kennard Memorial Award in 1974. Later, he served as Executive Assistant to the President under the late Dr. Horace W. Fleming and taught in the universitys Educational Leadership program and in the Counseling program.

He continues his passion for mentoring students in elementary and intermediate schools, and continues writing, working on his 14th book, a novel he expects to come out early next year. He also has a podcast, Looking Back/Moving Forward, which can be accessed on Spotify.



Joining Dr. Harris in this years HPSD Hall of Fame include:

Architect Larry A. Albert 72, Hattiesburg High School

Director of the National Sleep Center Marishka K. Brown 99, Hattiesburg High School

Current Mayor of Moss Point Billy E. Knight, Sr. 59, L. J. Rowan High School

Former Mayor of Hattiesburg J. Ed Morgan 65, Hattiesburg High School

Educator Peggy Varnado 69, Hattiesburg High School



Russ Hendley serves as chair of the 2022 Hall of Fame Committee; Jerome Brown is HPSD Foundation President.

Dr. Harris has lived a life of service through his work in the civil rights movement and his career as a counselor and academic leader, said Dr. Chris Winstead, dean of the USM College of Arts and Sciences. He is an outstanding role model for both current and former students at the Hattiesburg Public School District, such as me, as well as for our Southern Miss community. We are immensely proud of his accomplishments as an alumnus of our university and engaged and active servant leader. As a fellow HPSD graduate, I am very pleased about his induction into the HPSD Hall of Fame.
Southern Miss Cruisin Event Set for Oct. 3 at Gulf Park Campus

Wed, 09/28/2022 - 09:20am | By: Van Arnold

Piggybacking on the phenomenal popularity of Cruisin the Coast, the School of Leadership at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is hosting Southern Miss Cruisin  set for Monday, Oct. 3 at the Universitys Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, Miss.

The inaugural event will be held from 3-5 p.m. on the front lawn of the campus (730 East Beach Blvd., Long Beach). Cruisin the Coast  billed as Americans largest block party  is set for Oct. 2-9 at various sites along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where thousands of car owners will showcase their automobiles. While cool cars remain the star of the annual extravaganza, USMs School of Leadership stresses that fun and comradery share equal billing in Southern Miss Cruisin.

Bradley Winton, Assistant Professor of Management in the School of Leadership, serves as the events organizer. He points out that research conducted by the school shows that Cruisin the Coast represents the most economically impactful event hosted by the Mississippi Gulf Coast, attracting car enthusiasts from around the state and across the United States.

The College of Business and Economic Development and the School of Leadership have not historically been involved with the Cruisin event, but considering the number of CBED alumni that take part, we saw Cruisin as an opportunity to bring alumni, current students, faculty, staff, and friends of Southern Miss to the Gulf Park campus to participate in such an important event for our community, said Winton.

Registration for the USM event is not required and parking has been set aside in the parking area and street between the Great Lawn and Lloyd Hall on the Gulf Park campus. Light refreshments will be provided.

Winton notes that Southern Miss Cruisin is significant for several reasons  chief among those the opportunity for the School of Leadership to host alumni on the Gulf Park campus for what might be the first time and enable them to interact with students, faculty, and staff who already relish the campus.

Even those alumni who reside on the Gulf Coast may not realize Southern Miss has a campus right here in Long Beach, said Winton. The Southern Miss Cruisin event provides an opportunity to show off this beautiful campus and what it can offer students.

Secondly, the event connects the Gulf Park campus to significant festivities associated with the larger Cruisin the Coast itinerary. Winton says organizers purposely chose Oct. 3 to host Southern Miss Cruisin considering that the majority of cruisers will be in the Long Beach community for cruising and music events at that time.

Third, and finally, Winton explains that the Gulf Park campus plays a vital role in the Mississippi Gulf Coasts burgeoning blue economy.

An important objective of Southern Miss Cruisin is to increase awareness and support for Gulf Park so that our impact on the blue economy can continue to grow, he said. The Cruisin the Coast event provides a perfect opportunity to blend the goals of the blue economy initiative with the mission of the Gulf Park campus to educate our coastal community.

To learn more about USMs School of Leadership, call 228.214.3447 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/leadership/index.php
Southern Miss Powwow Returns to USM Hattiesburg Campus Oct. 8

Tue, 09/27/2022 - 12:00pm | By: David Tisdale

An annual tradition will be renewed on The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Hattiesburg campus when the Southern Miss Powwow returns Saturday, Oct. 8 at Spirit Park. This event, which celebrates the culture and traditions of Native peoples, is free and open to the public.

Jenna Dittman, a USM graduate student in anthropology and secretary for the Golden Eagle Intertribal Society (GEIS), is assisting USM Professor of Psychology Dr. Tammy Greer, advisor and director for the Golden Eagle Intertribal Society, in organizing the event.

Mississippi has been home to numerous Native American tribes, including Choctaws, Chickasaws, Natchez, Creeks, Houmas and others, said Dittman. We want to share our traditions with everyone through this festival-like event.

The days activities will begin with Gourd Dancing at 11 a.m. and Grand Entry at 2 p.m. Among other activities to follow, the powwow will honor several of its supporters and participants who have passed, including long-time emcee Harold Comby; the first recipient of the Tradition Keepers Award, Pearlie Thomas; and two of its Head Men, Ryan Bell, and Matthew Santella. The events closing song is set for 6 p.m.

We will miss them tremendously and honor them as we gather, Dr. Greer said. We hope to see everyone in the circle.

Organizers of the Southern Miss Powwow welcome sponsorships for the event from local businesses and organizations. For information on sponsorships, text Kaliq Sims at 769.390.2007; or contact Dittman or Dr. Greer at jenna.dittmanFREEMississippi or tammy.greerFREEMississippi.
China's monthly registrations of locally-made passenger vehicles ("PVs") reached 1,823,747 units in August 2022, jumping 19.16% from the previous year, while also climbing 5.47% from the previous month, according to the data compiled by Gasgoo Auto Research Institute ("GARI").

For the first eight months of 2022, there were 12,419,470 domestically built PVs registered across the country, representing a 4.97% decrease from a year earlier, 3.2 percentage points fewer than the drop in Jan.-Jul. volume.

Regarding the Aug. registrations of China-made PVs, the top three brandsVolkswagen, Toyota and Hondawere the same as that of the previous-month ranking. BYD was also the highest-ranking local brand of China. Tesla moved up to the 16th place with only all-electric vehicles registered. The three German luxury brandsAudi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz ranked 9th, 11th, and 12th, respectively.

In terms of the PV registrations for the first eight months of 2022, the top three brands were Volkswagen, Toyota, and Honda. BYD was still the top-ranking Chinese indigenous brand. Mercedes-Benz immediately followed BMW, while it stood two spots higher than Audi.

The Nissans Sylphy was credited the best-selling PV model by Aug. registrations. SGMW's Wuling Hongguang MINIEV dropped one spot from the previous month to the runner-up place.

Apart from the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV, there were still five new energy vehicle ("NEV") models among the top 20 models by Aug. registrations, including three BEVs (the Model Y, the Dolphin, and the Yuan PLUS), and two BYD-branded PHEV models (the Song PLUS DM-i and the Qin PLUS DM-i).

Regarding the Jan.-Aug. registrations, the top seven PV models were the same as that of the rankings by Jan.-Jul. registrations. Teslas Model Y was honored the best-selling SUV model, outperforming the popular Haval H6. Sagitar surpassed CR-V to the eighth place.

As for luxury vehicles, the German big three all had models listed among the top 20 PV models by Jan.-Aug. registrations, of which the BMW 5 Series was the best-selling one.

Regarding regional distribution, Shanghai registered the most homemade PVs in August, outselling the runner-up, Beijing, by 19,330 units. Compared to the previous month, Guangzhou's No.3 place remained unchanged. Chengdu dropped one spot from July to the fifth place, while Hangzhou stood at the fourth place by climbing one spot.

Among the top 20 cities by Aug. PV registrations, there were eleven provincial capitals. Such metropolises as Shenzhen, Chongqing, and Tianjin were all on the top 20 cities list.

The title-winning city by Jan.-Aug. 2022 PV registrations was Shanghai, who ranked fourth by the Jan.-Jul. volume. Chengdu, Beijing, and Guangzhou all had over 300,000 new PVs registered through the first eight months.

In August, China's monthly locally-made new energy passenger vehicle (NEPV) registrations rose 9.04% over a month ago to 478,796 units, while were still lower than the record-high level reached in June. Compared to the year-ago period, China's Aug. NEPV registrations soared 109.21%.

By specific powertrain solutions, BEVs posted a registration volume of 368,471 units in August, accounting for 76.96% of the country's total NEPV registrations. The PHEV registrations reached 110,245 units (including 11,591 REEVs).

Notably, there were 80 fuel cell vehicles registered across China last month.

Of the NEPVs registered in Jan.-Aug. 2022, 77.85% and 22.15% were contributed by BEVs and PHEVs (including REEVs), respectively.

Regarding the NEPV registrations in August, BYD was streets ahead of other brands. It had 156,148 NEPVs registered last month, which were even more than the sum of the No.2-No.7 occupants.

NETA ranked highest among Chinese NEV startups in terms of Aug. NEPV registrations, closely followed by NIO and Leapmotor. Nevertheless, the other two main Chinese NEV innovators, namely XPeng and Li Auto failed to gain a registration volume of over 10,000 units, of which Li Auto almost dropped out of the top 20 brands list.

BYD's leading presence in China's NEV market was also reflected by its Jan.-Aug. 2022 registrations. China's indigenous brands, such as Wuling, Trumpchi (including AION), and Chery, all entered the top 5 brand rankings by year-to-date NEPV registrations.

With respect to Aug. registrations, the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV and the Model Y outperformed other NEPV models. On the top 20 NEPV models list, there were ten from BYD brand, seven of which entered the top 10 rankings. The NETA V features the highest Aug. registrations among those under Chinese NEV start-up brands.

In terms of Jan.-Aug. 2022 registrations, four models from Chinese NEV startupsthe Li ONE, the NETA V, the XPeng P7, and the Leapmotor T03came into the top 20 NEPV models list. Both the Model Y and the Model 3 gained a seat on the top 10 list.

Shanghai were the only city whose NEPV registrations exceeded 20,000 units in August. Notably, NEPVs accounted for up to 41.92% of Shanghai's PV registrations in the month. Both Hangzhou and Shenzhen recorded an NEPV registration volume of over 19,000 units last month.

In Jan.-Aug. 2022, there were six cities with over 90,000 NEPVs registered each, of which the first three citiesShanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhouhad NEPV registrations exceeding 100,000 units.
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Leapmotor C01 hits market on Sept. 28

Leapmotor's fire new full-sized all-electric sedan model, the C01, officially hit the market on Sept. 28. Coming with five trim levels, it features a post-subsidy price range of 193,800 yuan-286,800 yuan ($210,260-$311,160).

Photo credit: Leapmotor

Haval H6 PHEV hits market

The Haval H6 PHEV went on sale on Sept. 28 with its three variants priced from 159,800 yuan to 173,800 yuan ($22,120-$24,060) after subsidies.

Haima Automobile sees 7X-E BEV go on sale

Chinese automaker Haima Automobile put the all-electric model 7X-E onto the market on Sept. 28. Offered in three trim levels, the seven-seater MPV is priced between 219,800 yuan and 259,800 yuan ($30,430-$35,960).

Tsintel Technology to supply autonomous driving products, solutions to Sinotruck

Chinese CV-used ADAS developer Tsintel Technology announced today via its WeChat account it has been nominated as a qualified supplier to the high-level autonomous driving trunk-line logistics vehicle model project of Sinotruck. It will supply Sinotruck with its high-level autonomous driving domain controller, fusion sensing system, and other products and solutions.

BYD announces presale prices of three NEV models for European markets

On Sept. 28, BYD held an online ceremony to announce it will introduce three new energy passenger vehicle (NEPV) models to European markets with their presale prices unveiled at the same time.

CATL to pour 14 billion yuan in new energy battery production base in Luoyang

Chinese battery giant CATL announced on September 28 the decision to build a new energy battery manufacturing base in Luoyang, Henan Province with an investment amount of no more than 14 billion yuan ($1.94 billion).

HOZON Auto's NETA enters Israeli market via cooperation with Blilious Group

NETA, the Chinese electric vehicle brand owned by HOZON Auto, announced on September 28 its recent cooperation with leading Israeli car dealer, Blilious Group, marking NETAs foray into the Israeli market.

Leapmotor's stock to start trading on Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Sept. 29

China's electric vehicle startup Leapmotor will be officially listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on September 29, with an initial offering price of HK$48 per share.

SAIC Motor's Rising Auto sees R7 flagship SUV hit market

Rising Auto, the premium electric vehicle (EV) brand of SAIC Motor, officially put its first flagship model, the R7, onto the market. The new model is expected for delivery this year.

Dongfeng Nissan ARIYA hits market, starting at 272,800 yuan

Dongfeng Nissan officially put the first NISSAN NEXT global strategy battery-electric model, the ARIYA, onto the Chinese market on September 27.

Baidu Apollo starts fully autonomous test in Shanghai Driverless Demo Zone

Baidus autonomous driving mobility service platform, Apollo Go, kicked off driverless test in Shanghai Driverless Demo Zone on September 27.
At the behest of the Algerian Government, the Catholic Church has announced with regret the closure of all charitable activities and facilities of Caritas Algeria from 1 October 2022.

Agenzia Fides  Algiers.

This complete and definitive closure was announced in a communique from the Archdiocese of Algiers, signed by the Archbishop Emeritus of Alger, Archbishop Paul Jacques Marie Desfarges, President of the Algerian Diocesan Association.

The Church has a charitable mission

According to the communique, the measure was taken at the request of Algerian authorities. Of course, the text says, the Catholic Church remains true to its charitable mission at the service of society and in connection with all people of goodwill.

According to Archbishop Desfarges statement, Faith leads a believer to see in the other a brother or sister to be supported and loved. Through faith in God ... believers are called to express human fraternity by safeguarding creation and the entire universe and supporting all persons, especially the poorest and those most in need, reads in part the statement announcing the closure of Caritas Algiers.

Service to the most vulnerable

The Catholic Church, concludes the communique, would like to thank all those who, over the years and in different ways, contributed to the realisation of the humanitarian service to the most vulnerable among the Algerian people.

The Algerian government decided to stop activities of Caritas Algeria without giving a detailed official justification to the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Algeria. Local sources told Agenzia Fides that Caritas was probably the subject of restrictive measures because it is considered a foreign non-governmental organisation.

Restrictions on NGOs

Representatives of the local Catholic community also see a connection with the general policy of restrictions recently imposed on foreign and multinational NGOs working in Algeria. The local Church was of the opinion that Algerian authorities did not consider the uniqueness of Caritas as the charitable arm of the Catholic Church, a uniqueness that distinguishes it intrinsically and by law from non-governmental organisations, including those working in the field of humanitarian aid.

Caritas Algerias initiatives were designed and implemented to benefit the most vulnerable sections of the Algerian population, ninety-seven per cent of whom profess Islam.
At the General Audience, Pope Francis invites prayers for the suffering people of Ukraine amid seven months of war .

By Benedict Mayaki, SJ

During the Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis turned his thoughts toward martyred Ukraine, amid the ongoing war brought about by Russias invasion of its neighbour in February.

The Pope prayed for the country, saying that it is suffering so much and its poor people have been so cruelly tried.

The Holy Father also informed the faithful gathered at St. Peters square for the Audience that he had spoken to Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Prefect of the new Dicastery for the Service of Charity, who recently returned from his fourth trip to Ukraine at the Popes behest, and who informed the Pope of the terrible situation of things there.

Let us think of Ukraine and pray for this martyred people, Pope Francis said.

Prayers for the Vatican Gendarmerie Corps

Ahead of the liturgical Feast of Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael which is celebrated on 29 September, the Holy Father invited prayers for the Vatican Gendarmerie Corps who have St. Michael the Archangel as their patron.

The Pope prayed that the Gendarmerie Corps may always follow the example of the holy Archangel and that the Lord may bless them for all the good that they do.

He further prayed that the feast of Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, which we will celebrate on Thursday, may bring about in each one a sincere adherence to the divine plans.
The Jesuit review La Civilta Cattolica releases Pope Francis conversation with Jesuits in the Russian Region while on his Apostolic Journey to Kazakhstan, in which the Pope reflected on the causes of what he calls the third world war.

By Paolo Ondarza

We must free our hearts from hatred. Pope Francis offered that plea to the 19 Jesuits he met in the Apostolic Nunciature in Nur-Sultan on 15 September 2022, while on his Apostolic Journey to Kazakhstan.

The members of the Society of Jesus had traveled to the Central Asian nation from various countries which the Jesuits refer to as the Russian Region.

"It is the people who suffer in war, said the Pope. This generates hatred, and those who make war forget 'humanity.'

Not conflict between good guys and bad guys

"I think it's a mistake to think it's a cowboy movie where there are good guys and bad guys," noted Pope Francis, adding that he has no doubt that "this is a world war."

"We need to investigate the root causes that led to the conflict," he said, referring first to the "international factors that contributed to provoking the war."

Imperialisms in conflict

The Holy Father also recalled an audience he had in the Vatican in December 2021, on the eve of the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, by a head of state who said he was very concerned "because NATO had gone barking at the gates of Russia without understanding that the Russians are imperial and fear insecurity on their borders."

Regarding the causes of the war, Pope Francis said "one cannot be simplistic.

"I see imperialisms in conflict, he affirmed. And, when they feel threatened and in decay, imperialisms react by thinking that the solution is to start a war to remake themselves, and also to sell and test weapons."

Visit to Ukraine not feasible at this time

"From the first day until yesterday, I have spoken constantly about this conflict, referring to the suffering of Ukraine," he pointed out to the Jesuits of the Russian Region.

The Pope also highlighted his visit to the Russian Embassy, soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, which he admitted was "unusual" for a Pope. He said the visit was animated by a desire to be able to speak with President Putin and open "a small window of dialogue".

He also mentioned his telephone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the missions to Ukraine by Cardinal Czerny, Cardinal Krajewski, and Archbishop Gallagher, as well as his commitment to Ukrainian prisoners.

"I was also planning to be able to go [to Ukraine]," said Pope Francis. "It seems to me that God's will is not to go at this precise moment; we'll see later, though."

Ordinary people are victims of war

"I called the invasion of Ukraine an unacceptable, repugnant, senseless, barbaric, sacrilegious aggression," he pointed out. "Ordinary people are the real victims who pay for the follies of war with their own skin."

Pope not angry when misunderstood

"I also referred to that woman who was blown up," he added in relation to the words spoken in the aftermath of the attack on Darya Dugina, daughter of the man known as Putin's brain.

"At this point, people forgot everything I had said up to that point and only paid attention to that reference. But I understand people's reactions, because they are suffering a lot."

"The Pope does not get angry if he is misunderstood, because I know well the suffering behind it," he added.

Speaking about the mission of the Society of Jesus, Pope Francis said, "I am not interested in you defending the Pope, but that the people feel cared for by you who are the Pope's brothers."

God's style is closeness

What we must do, he said, is demonstrate closeness", since "the people must feel that the Church is close because "God's style is closeness."

The full text of Pope Francis conversation with Jesuits in Kazakhstan will be made available online on Thursday, 29 September at 10:00 AM in "La Civilta Cattolica" in an article by the magazine's editor, Father Antonio Spadaro.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Rising Auto, the premium electric vehicle (EV) brand of SAIC Motor, officially put its first flagship model, the R7, onto the market. The new model is expected for delivery this year.

Coming with four trim levels, Rising Auto's R7 features a post-subsidy price range of 289,900 yuan ($40,130) to 356,900 yuan ($49,410). Notably, the users who adopt the vehicle-battery separation consumption model can get an R7 with a price as low as 205,900 yuan ($28,500) and rent battery packs separately on a monthly basis.

Photo credit: Rising Auto

Positioned as a full-sized all-electric SUV, the Rising R7 measures 4,900mm long, 1,925mm wide, and 1,655mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,950mm. It can zip from 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds.

Photo credit: Rising Auto

The automaker said the R7 will offer users a luxury experience that outshines the products of the same level as its entire series comes standard with such facilities as frameless doors, BOSE audio system, touch-sensitive leather-wrapped steering wheel, 256-color linear atmosphere lamp, double-layer thermal-protective panoramic sunroof, etc.

Photo credit: Rising Auto

In the cockpit, the eye-catching screen named "RISING MAX 3+1" is composed of a 43-inch true color triplex display and Huaweis AR-HUD system, which was first used in a mass-produced vehicle model. With a diameter of 15.05 inches, the center console AMOLED display is supplied by BOE, bearing the most interaction functions of the smart cockpit.

The AR-HUD from Huawei features a field angle of up to 13*5 and a high resolution of 1920*730, and is able to display such information as lane-level live-action navigation and real-time ADAS.

Photo credit: Rising Auto

The RISING PILOT system endows the Rising R7 with multiple intelligent driving functions, containing 33 hardware sensors, such as the PREMIUM 4D imaging radar and the 8 mega-pixel high-definition cameras. Besides, the NVIDIA Orin X chip coupled with Rising Autos Full Fusion algorithm will provide users with an all-round high-level intelligent driving experience with greater speed, safety, and reliance.

The expressway navigation function of RISING PILOT will be put onto the market synchronously with the delivery of the model in October.

The battery swapping architecture is a standard feature across all variants of the Rising R7.

Photo credit: Rising Auto

Using the RISING POWER solution, the all-wheel-drive version of the R7 carries an electric motor that churns out up to 400kW and a peak torque of 700 Nm. It is able to sprint from 0-100km/h in as low as 3.8 seconds.
The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has launched the Vietnam Business Integrity Index. The project, created in collaboration with the UNDP and funded by the British government, provides a toolkit for assessing the integrity and conduct of Vietnamese business. By doing this, the programs developers hope to attract more investment and enhance the progression of Vietnamese enterprise.

The Vietnam Business Integrity Index (VBII)  the first of its kind in the country to assess enterprises  was launched on September 21. The index, introduced by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), is designed for enterprises of all sizes, forms of ownership, sectors, and structures, and measures the integrity and conduct of Vietnamese business.

The program was created with support from FairBiz  a UNDP regional initiative funded by the British government within the framework of the ASEAN Economic Reform Program  as part of a broader scheme promoting a fair business environment in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In recent years, Vietnam is one of few countries to substantially improve its standing on the Corruption Perceptions Index compiled and released by Transparency International. The country jumped 26 places to 87th in 2021 from 113th in 2017. It is also an exception among ASEAN countries, having moved up to the 88th position on the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index last year.

Vietnam currently finds itself in a unique position as many international companies consider relocating their manufacturing and production activities out of China amid concerns about frequent policy changes due to the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and impact on economic stability. But here Vietnam faces competition from Southeast Asian markets like Indonesia. As such, it becomes ever more important for Vietnam to enhance its international reputation for business integrity.

What does the project aim to achieve?

The VBII project aims to enhance accountability and integrity within business practices at all levels. While Vietnams global standing as a business and manufacturing location might be improving, a UNDP article released last June showed that at least one in three enterprises engaging in public procurement reported informal payments to win contracts.

Patrick Haverman, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, highlighted that if used honestly and transparently by enterprises, the VBII will enhance Vietnams international stature and brand. It will do this, he contended, by creating data and information-based trust which, in turn, will serve to attract more investment and enhance the progression of Vietnamese enterprise.

Meanwhile, Deputy British Ambassador Marcus Winsley said that the program would help create a fair business climate, while effectively reforming the economy, and making progress in many other fields. Winsley also highlighted the UKs commitment to helping Vietnam realize its objectives in business and meeting international expectations around climate change, education, and health.

What does the Vietnam Business Integrity Index assess?

The index is a tool to assist Vietnamese firms to integrate ethical criteria into their production and business activities in order to come closer to international standards around transparency and integrity.

The toolkit has been recommended for any company, state or private, that is interested in business integrity as well as those that understand that business integrity is a bedrock principle for their growth.

The index was constructed in the belief that building integrity processes in a company starts with top-level commitment. The VBII states that a code of conduct, which reflects the values and expectations for the organizations ethical culture and its consequences, is the starting point for integrity building.

Groups involved in the creation of the VBII toolkit contend that applying a model for enhancing integrity is key to detecting misconduct and implementing methods to deal with misconduct. They note that the Code of Conduct helps employees and other stakeholders manage dilemmas and situations with conflict of interest. Ethics must underpin the company values and compliance with the standards, they contend.

The VBII has been created based on seven elements:

Commitments to integrity. The existence and quality of the Code of Conduct. The quality of compliance programs. Good governance for good control. The codes and compliance programs are monitored and tracked and reported to all levels of the organization. Timeliness and appropriateness of actions to address unethical conduct, the (potential) impact of unethical conduct on the corporation and its stakeholders. Review, monitor, evaluate, and change for continuous improvement.

By implementing these elements, the VBIIs creators claim that Vietnamese businesses can more easily comply with the standards expected of them by international partners and stakeholders. In deciding on investment sites, global companies will consider the state of respect in the countries for responsible business conduct with good governance and the rule of law as critical factors, UNDPs Haverman said in a statement.

A unique opportunity for Vietnamese business

Vietnamese businesses are being presented with a unique opportunity to grow as tensions rise between the West, notably the US, and China. These tensions have pushed international businesses to reconsider their position in China amid the ever-present threat of sanctions and government surveillance.

Several companies, particularly those involved in manufacturing, have been vocal about their concerns around sanctions, and have moved to reduce their exposure and production activities in China. In July, it was reported that Jeep owner Stellantis had closed its only Chinese factory. Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares said his company was implementing an asset-light strategy in China, highlighting concerns that rising political tensions between China and the rest of the world would lead to economic sanctions.

Vietnam has emerged as an alternative manufacturing location for international companies. The nation, which borders China, offers comparable, if not lower labor costs, as well as inexpensive material costs and considerable free trade access. Vietnam is a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)  a trade agreement with Pacific partners Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, and Singapore. The state also has an abundance of young workers  a big draw for many companies.

Headwinds for businesses in Vietnam

While Vietnam is open for international investment, foreign businesses still meet challenges. In turn, these challenges highlight the need for initiatives such as the VBII. Ongoing challenges include bureaucratic red tape, grey areas of Vietnamese law, a lack of intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement, inadequate infrastructure, a skills gap in some areas, and language barriers  translators and interpreters are often needed.

Vietnam is also pressing ahead with data localization regulations that have been widely criticized by US businesses as well as CPTPP trade partners. The regulation requires domestic and certain foreign companies to locally store personal data. US business groups have raised concerns that the new regulation could have a considerable impact on investment. The policy, according to Japan and Canada, is also in conflict with the terms of the CPTPP.

If these headwinds persist, Vietnam could lose out to emerging regional rivals like Indonesia, particularly since it made early gains after the fallout of the US-China trade war. The implementation of the VBII could be a timely move to overcome some of the long-standing challenges and inspire more confidence in doing business in the Vietnamese market.
Typhoon Noru left a trail of destruction in northern Philippine provinces on Monday with at least eight people dead, including a group of rescuers who were scrambling to save villagers trapped in floodwaters, officials said.

Five government rescuers drowned in San Miguel town in Bulacan province after their boat overturned when it was hit by a collapsed wall, tossing them into rampaging floodwaters, police and officials said.

"They were living heroes who were helping save the lives of our countrymen in the calamity," Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando told DZMM radio network. "This is really very sad."

Officials and local rescue groups paid tribute to the rescuers on social media. "They showed bravery and heroism in facing danger despite the perils to their own lives to fulfill their duty of saving other people," the Bulacan police force said on Facebook.

The most powerful typhoon to hit the country this year slammed ashore in eastern Quezon province on Sunday then weakened as it blew out into the South China Sea early Monday toward Vietnam, forecasters said.

Thousands evacuate, seek emergency shelter

Nearly 80,000 people were moved to emergency shelters, some forcibly, across the main Luzon island, disaster-response officials said.

Three other deaths were reported by police, including a Bulacan villager who drowned after refusing orders to leave his house beside a swollen river. A missing farmer was found dead in a plantation that was hit by a flash flood and an elderly villager died after his house was hit by a landslide. Six fishermen were reported missing in Camarines Norte province, a disaster-response official told a news briefing.

In Aurora province's hard-hit Dingalan town, more than 6,000 houses were damaged and a newly built evacuation center housing more 200 displaced families was battered by the fierce wind and rain but no injuries were reported, officials said.

About 3,000 people were evacuated to safety in metropolitan Manila, which was lashed by fierce wind and rain overnight. Classes and government work were suspended Monday in the capital and outlying provinces as a precaution although the morning skies were sunny.

The entire northern provinces of Aurora and Nueva Ecija, which were hit by the typhoon, remained without power Monday and repair crews were at work to bring back electricity, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla told President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a televised meeting the president called to assess damage.

Marcos Jr. praised officials for evacuating tens of thousands of people before the typhoon hit, preventing more deaths, but expressed concern at how Noru and another storm that devastated central and southern provinces in December rapidly intensified into super typhoons.

"Is this climate change?" Marcos Jr., who took office in June, asked. "We have kept watched on these storms for a long time but it wasn't like this before... This is something I have to deal with."

Marcos Jr. later joined an aerial inspection of typhoon-hit provinces in the rice-growing region, where many villages and stretches of roads remained flooded.

Noru underwent an "explosive intensification" over the open Pacific Ocean before it hit the Philippines, Vicente Malano, who heads the country's weather agency, told The Associated Press on Sunday.

From sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (53 mph) on Saturday, Noru was a super typhoon just 24 hours later with sustained winds of 195 kilometers (121 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 240 kph (149 mph) at its peak late Sunday.

By Monday noon, Noru had sustained winds of 130 kph (81 mph) and gusts of 160 kph (99 mph) and was moving northwest in the South China Sea toward Vietnam, according to the weather agency.

About 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines each year. The archipelago also lies in the "Pacific Ring of Fire," a region along most of the Pacific Ocean rim where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur, making the Southeast Asian nation one of the world's most disaster-prone.
Thailand will legalise abortion up to 20 weeks, the government said Tuesday, relaxing pregnant people's access to the previously restricted medical procedure.

Terminations remained illegal in the kingdom -- except under incidents of rape or threat to the mother's life -- until February last year when it was lifted for women up to 12 weeks pregnant.

However, there remains intense stigma around the procedure in the Buddhist-majority country, scarred by a 2010 case when around 2,000 illegally aborted foetuses were discovered in a temple.

Terminations of up to 20 weeks would now be permitted, a government statement said Tuesday, adding "the termination will not count as crime".

Previously, abortion was punishable by either a fine of up to 10,000 baht ($263) or six months in prison -- or both.

A notice in the Royal Gazette Monday specified that women over 12 weeks pregnant but under 20 weeks seeking a legal abortion must fulfil certain criteria.

The government statement specified that people in this category must "consult with medical consultants so that the woman has all of the information before she decides to terminate the pregnancy".

Despite the law change in February last year, abortion access across the kingdom remains limited and heavily stigmatised.

Deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Traisoranakul told local outlet Thai PBS that women seeking terminations must be treated with respect and in strict confidence.

She added they must be provided with all of the medical information and should not face pressure about the decision.

The new law will come into effect 30 days after the publication of the notice.
Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other on Wednesday of violating a cease-fire agreement that ended two days of warfare this month - the second such violation in five days.

Azerbaijan's defense ministry said that at about 6 p.m. (1400 GMT), Armenian units had started firing at Azerbaijani positions in the Kalbajar region, wounding one serviceman, and that Azerbaijani forces had taken "retaliatory measures."

The Armenian defense ministry gave an opposite account, tweeting that Azerbaijani forces had fired towards Armenian positions near the common border using mortars and large-caliber weapons, and that the Armenian side had retaliated.

After border clashes two weeks ago that killed almost 200 soldiers, the worst bout of fighting since a six-week war between the two ex-Soviet countries in late 2020, the two sides agreed to a cease-fire deal brokered by Russia.

Armenia said then that Azerbaijan had attacked its territory and seized settlements inside its borders; Azerbaijan said it was responding to "provocations" from the Armenian side.

Last Friday, both sides accused each other of breaching the truce by firing across the border.

The fighting is linked to decades-old hostilities over control of the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but until 2020 largely controlled by the majority ethnic Armenian population.
Burkina Faso says an Islamist militant attack on an aid convoy has left 11 troops dead and dozens of civilians missing.



The Burkina Faso government said Tuesday that armed fighters ambushed a 150-vehicle military-escorted convoy carrying supplies to the northern town of Djibo.

It said at least 11 soldiers were killed and more than 50 civilians are missing.

The government said that the incident occurred Monday in the commune of Gaskinde in the northern province of Soum, where, since 2015, armed organizations affiliated with al-Qaida and Islamic State have taken over large swathes of territory.

Government spokesman Lionel Bilgo described the incident as "cowardly and savage."

The death toll could reach 60, according to French news agency AFP, which cited a security source who said "practically the entire caravan was burned."

The attack will likely exacerbate shortages of basic supplies, such as food and fuel in Djibo, which has been under a de facto siege for months by militant groups.

It may also increase concern about Burkina Faso, where some two million people are displaced amid increasing conflict and climate change.
Independent media in Cambodia continue to come under attack, with journalists harassed and retaliated against, a new report found.

In its September report assessing the civic space of Cambodia, the international nonprofit CIVICUS rated the country as "repressed."

The nonprofit  a coalition of international civil society members  found "no tangible human rights improvements" in the past year and said the country's media freedom "remains under attack."

Citing an August United Nations report that surveyed 65 journalists in Cambodia, the CIVICUS report said, "Radio stations and newspapers have been silenced, newsrooms purged, and journalists prosecuted."

The dire state for media comes despite Cambodia's obligations to international covenants, said Josef Benedict, the Asia Pacific researcher for CIVICUS.

"Despite the multiple resolutions at the Human Rights Council, the authorities have instead continued to target human rights defenders, union activists and journalists with impunity," Benedict said in a statement.

The report cited issues for the media, including authorities in March revoking licenses at three news outlets for alleged violation of ethics and contracts. CIVICUS said it believes that media reporting on alleged official corruption was behind the move.

The report also cited the arrests  some violent  of journalists, and media being blocked from filming or using drones in some regions.

In the U.N. survey cited by CIVICUS, 80% of respondents reported being surveilled or restricted in the course of their journalism.

Cambodia's Ministry of Information spokesperson Meas Sophorn said the CIVICUS report does not reflect the real situation for press freedom.

In a written response to VOA Khmer, Sophorn said the media sector has evolved and diversified, which allows journalists to carry out their work freely.

"I think that what is mentioned in the report is a biased evaluation and does not completely reflect the real situation, professionalism in journalism, and press freedom in Cambodia," he said via the messaging app Telegram.

"This is an assessment based on one small part, or is one-sided, and it does not include detailed studies from all related stakeholders," Sophorn said.

'Many challenges'

Nop Vy, executive director of the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA), said the country's media face hurdles, including to their safety and access to information.

"We are facing many challenges such as lack of law for access to information that could help journalists. Another bottleneck is impunity. The government should heed this issue and put forth specific measures to end impunity for crimes against journalists," he told VOA Khmer.

Am Sam Ath, deputy director of the Cambodian rights organization LICADHO, believes the media environment has been dire since 2017, when a government crackdown resulted in some independent media outlets shuttering.

He said journalists are still facing restrictions and believes the government should reform and improve the media sector so journalists can contribute to the nation's development, as well as improve human rights in the country.

"Nowadays, we see many journalists face issues such as detainment while doing reporting," Am Sam Ath said. "The media sector plays an important role in promoting democracy and human rights."

Authorities in August detained five reporters from the Voice of Democracy broadcaster and four citizen journalists who were reporting on land being cleared at a wildlife area in southern Cambodia, CIVICUS said.

All were later released without charge.

Cambodia's Ministry of Information spokesperson said media rights are enshrined under the law and constitution to ensure journalists "can carry out their work and their rights freely without discrimination."

CIVICUS also raised issues related to digital rights, including opposition from U.N. experts and others over a proposed National Internet Gateway through which all internet traffic would flow in Cambodia.

Independent U.N. experts said the plan "poses fundamental freedoms of individuals, namely the freedoms of expression and opinion and the right to privacy," according to digital rights group Access Now.

Ensuring media can work "freely and without fear of retaliation" and the amending of laws, including incitement, insult, and criminal defamation, are among core recommendations CIVICUS has made to Cambodian authorities.

With general elections scheduled for 2023, the international community should "step up efforts to call the government out on these violations," Benedict of CIVICUS said, to ensure "a free and fair" vote.

Cambodia ranks 142 of 180 regions, where 1 has the optimum conditions for media, on the Press Freedom Index compiled by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.



This story originated in VOA's Khmer service.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris blasted Chinas foreign policy Wednesday in a speech outside Tokyo, saying Beijings aggressive behavior is threatening the international rules-based order."

Harris made the comments in an address to U.S. service members aboard the USS Howard, a Navy destroyer docked at the Yokosuka Naval Base, the largest U.S. naval installation in the world.

China is undermining key elements of the international rules-based order. China has challenged freedom of the seas. China has flexed its military and economic might to coerce and intimidate its neighbors, said Harris.

Harris, who is in Japan to attend former Prime Minister Shinzo Abes state funeral, also criticized Chinas disturbing behavior in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea, and most recently, provocations across the Taiwan Strait.

In recent weeks, China has surrounded Taiwan with military exercises, in what appears to be an attempt to reshape the status quo across the sensitive Taiwan Strait.

China claims self-ruled, democratic Taiwan, even though the island has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party. Beijing accuses the United States of inappropriately supporting what it views as independence forces in Taiwan.

Although the United States has no official relations with Taiwan, Washington is one of Taipeis most important international partners and regularly approves large weapons sales to the islands democratic government. It has also sailed military vessels through the Taiwan Strait, angering China.

The United States believes that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is an essential feature of a free and open Indo-Pacific, Harris said. We will continue to fly, sail, and operate, undaunted and unafraid, wherever and whenever international law allows.

We will continue to oppose any unilateral change to the status quo. And we will continue to support Taiwans self-defense, consistent with our long-standing policy. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that contributes to the global goodfrom technology to health, and beyond, and the United States will continue to deepen our unofficial ties, she added.

Taiwan came up in Harris conversations with the Japanese, South Korean, and Australian prime ministers in Tokyo, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters but declined to be identified.

We need to be aligned. And I think we are significantly alignedI think there was a mutual commitment by all the countries involved to peace and security in the Taiwan Strait, the official said.

Harris on Thursday heads to Seoul, where she will visit the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea.

North Korea has launched a record high number of missiles this year, including a short-range ballistic missile on Sunday ahead of Harris visit.

The DMZ stop is meant to signal U.S. commitment to defending South Korea, according to the senior administration official.

The key messaging that shes talking about on this trip is how our defense commitments are ironclad. We know theres been a lot of discussions with the Koreans about extended deterrence commitments. And to really put those words into action, we believe its a powerful signal of that, the official said.

While in Seoul, Harris will also meet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative who took office in May. Yoon has pushed to expand South Koreas alliance with the United States and supports increased shows of U.S.-South Korean military might.

Such demonstrations have increased in frequency and intensity amid predictions that North Korea will soon conduct its seventh nuclear test.
As Russias invasion of Ukraine stalls, tensions have been unleashed throughout Russian society. Voices of protest are emerging, despite the government crackdown on dissent. The city of St. Petersburg, a center of opposition to the war, is again at the forefront of citizen unrest. Henry Ridgwell narrates this report by VOAs Moscow bureau.
India has banned an Islamic organization, accusing it of involvement in terrorism and calling it a threat to the countrys security.

The ban on the Popular Front of India was announced Wednesday following a countrywide crackdown that saw over 250 of its members arrested in recent days. The ban includes the groups affiliates and will remain in place for five years.

A day before the group was outlawed, it had denied accusations of anti-national activities and called the action against its members a witch hunt.

Its political arm, the Social Democratic Party of India, has denounced the action, calling it a direct blow on democracy and the rights of the people.

The government has listed a series of charges against the Popular Front of India, which was formed about 15 years ago.

It said that the group and its associates have been involved in serious offenses including terrorism and its financing, gruesome targeted killings, disregarding the constitutional set up of the country.

The Home Ministry said that the Popular Front of India had links with global terrorist groups and some of its members had joined Islamic State and participated in terror activities in Syria and Iraq.

The government said the group has been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalize a particular section of the society while ostensibly operating as a socio-economic, educational and political organization.

The group first came drew attention after a court convicted several of its members for cutting off the hand of a college professor accused by some Muslim groups of asking derogatory questions about the Prophet Muhammad in an examination.

Although largely confined to a handful of southern Indian states for years, its influence had spread to other regions since Prime Minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist government came to power eight years ago.

Calls for a ban on the group grew after its role in fueling anti-government protests came to light in recent years.

Earlier this year, authorities in southern Karnataka state accused the Popular Front of India of supporting protests that erupted after a school banned female students from wearing hijabs. The group also supported demonstrations against a citizenship law that India enacted in 2019 that critics said discriminates against Muslims.

Senior ministers in the government welcomed the ban. Junior Foreign Minister V. Muraleedharan said that it showed that the Modi government "acts tough" with forces aiming to disrupt peace and stability.

The move comes at a time when critics have accused the government of discrimination against Muslims, who make up about 13 percent of the countrys population.

Freedom of speech, protests and organizations have been ruthlessly suppressed by the regime against the basic principles of the Indian constitution, the Social Democratic Party of India said in a statement. It accused the government of misusing investigation agencies to silence the opposition.

Pointing out that the ban comes at a time when there is a tendency of radicalization, political analyst Rasheed Kidwai said in that context if the assessment of the government is that this organization was becoming a threat to society and civil order, it is within its rights to impose a ban.

But he added that there needs to be an objective assessment of the situation by intelligence agencies. We know the tendency to move right is not confined to one social group, caste or region in the country. So, there is a need to keep a strict vigil on all, according to Kidwai.
Iranian riot police in Tehran's main squares on Wednesday confronted people chanting "death to the dictator" as nationwide protests continued over the death of a young woman held in captivity by morality police for failing to properly cover her hair with a hijab.



"We will fight, we will die, we will take Iran back," protesters chanted in Tehran's Ekbatan neighborhood, a video posted on Twitter showed.



Protests also erupted in other cities over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurd who was arrested September 13 and died three days later in a hospital after falling into a coma. The demonstrations are the biggest in Iran since protests of gas price hikes in 2019.

Amini's family filed a complaint Wednesday against the police officers who arrested her, calling for a full investigation of how her apprehension was carried out, how she was treated, and how and why she was transported to the hospital.



"The morality police must be available, and we must have the right to have permanent access to their files," Amini's family said. Judicial authorities have said the case "will be handled with care."

State media say that 41 people, including members of the police and a pro-government militia, have been killed during the protests, although Iranian human rights groups have reported a higher toll.

The protests have spread to at least 80 cities and towns throughout Iran. Security police have used tear gas, clubs and, in some cases, live ammunition to quell the protests calling for the end of the Islamic establishment's more than four decades in power.



In Chabahar, a video showed riot police firing tear gas to disperse protesters, who were chanting "Death to [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei."



Meanwhile, the country's elite Revolutionary Guards launched missile and drone attacks at militant targets in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq on Wednesday, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.

A senior member of Komala, an Iranian Kurdish opposition party, told Reuters several of their offices were struck and that there had been casualties and material damage.



Iranian authorities have blamed armed Iranian Kurdish dissidents for igniting the unrest in the country, particularly in the northwest where most of Iran's over 10 million Kurds live.



Some material in this report came from Reuters.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On Sept. 28, BYD held an online ceremony to announce it will introduce three new energy passenger vehicle (NEPV) models to European markets with their presale prices unveiled at the same time.

The three NEPV models BYD plans to launch in Europe are the Yuan PLUS (named ATTO 3 for European markets) C-segment SUV, the BYD Han E-segment sedan, and the BYD Tang E-segment SUV. To be specific, the presale price of the ATTO 3 is 38,000 in Germany, while both the BYD Han and Tang are priced at 72,000 in the country in presale.

Photo credit: BYD

The aforesaid three models will be displayed next month at the Paris Motor Show 2022 with their deliveries kicking off in such European countries as Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Besides, BYD plans to head to France and the U.K. by the end of 2022.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, BYD Europe is the first overseas branch of BYD Group, with a commitment to delivering safe and efficient sustainable solutions in new energy vehicles as an international brand. Since its inception in 1998, it has expanded businesses from battery to solar energy, energy storage, and NEV areas, with its operation footprints covering 20 countries in Europe.
More than 2 million residents in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida have been ordered to evacuate their homes as Hurricane Ian makes its slow but steady approach towards the states western Gulf Coast region.

Forecasters at the Miami-based National Hurricane Center say Ian is moving across the Gulf of Mexico carrying maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers an hour, making it a Category 3 storm on the centers five-level scale that measures a storms maximum sustained wind speed and destructive potential.

At last report, the storm was located about 175 kilometers southwest of Naples, Florida. The NHC says Ian will pass just west of the Florida Keys, an archipelago located at the tip of the Florida Peninsula, early Wednesday morning. Ian is expected to grow stronger and evolve into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane before it makes landfall sometime Wednesday afternoon or night between the cities of Fort Myers and Sarasota.

Storm surges, winds, floods expected

Forecasters say Hurricane Ian is expected to cause life-threatening storm surges, catastrophic winds and flooding in the Florida Peninsula, as well as considerable flash, city and river flooding as it crosses over central Florida between Wednesday night and Thursday before reemerging over the western Atlantic Ocean. Ian is also expected to produce as much as 30 to 60 centimeters of rain stretching from the Florida Keys and South Florida into the neighboring states of Georgia and South Carolina.

Thousands of flights have been canceled after several major airports in the expected path of the storm, including Tampa and St. Petersburg, shut down operations.

The potential devastation from Ian prompted the U.S. space agency NASA to roll its massive Artemis 1 moon rocket and Orion space capsule from its launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center  located on Floridas eastern coast  back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, further delaying its much anticipated test flight by several more weeks.

White House press secretary Karrine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday on Twitter that President Joe Biden had spoken to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to discuss the steps the Federal government is taking to help Florida prepare for Hurricane Ian. President Biden has issued an emergency declaration for Florida, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster-relief efforts and provide more federal funding.

Cuba without power

The hurricane is heading towards Florida after making landfall Tuesday on western Cuba as a Category 3 storm. The storm left the entire island without power after its aging electrical grid, which has been struggling to remain operational amid a dire economic crisis, collapsed late Tuesday.

Ian left behind a trail of destruction across Pinar del Rio province, Cubas main tobacco growing region, ripping the roofs off homes and buildings and making streets impassable from downed trees and power lines and flooding. Authorities evacuated as many as 40,000 people from low-lying areas of Pinar del Rio.

Reuters says state-run media is reporting that at least two people died in western Cuba as a result of Hurricane Ian.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Medical aid group Doctors Without Borders has called on the United Nations to add northwest Nigeria to its humanitarian response plan, due to high numbers of children suffering from malnutrition. The group, known by its French abbreviation MSF, said it has treated nearly 100,000 children in the region for malnutrition this year.

In a communique Tuesday, MSF warned that malnutrition among children in northwest Nigeria is at catastrophic levels and called for an immediate response from the global humanitarian community.

MSF even proposed that northwest Nigeria be included in the U.N.'s annual humanitarian response plan.

It's the second time in three months that the medical aid group has raised serious concerns about the malnutrition crisis in Nigeria, following an alarm about northeast Nigeria in July.

Northwest Nigeria has been hard-hit by militant attacks and raids by kidnap-for-ransom gangs since late 2020.

MSF also said climate change and soaring food prices have made matters worse.

"We have scaled our response. We're almost at a limit basically because we cannot handle this alone," said Froukje Pelsma, MSFs head of mission in Nigeria. "This is why we're asking for more people to come."

Pelsma said there are more than 30 organizations working in the northeastern part of the country but only three or four agencies in the northwest working on malnutrition.

"We want people, most especially the U.N. and other agencies, to look beyond the northeast," she said.

MSF said it has admitted 17,000 children into 10 feeding centers across five states in the region.

Zamfara State has been the most impacted, with a 64 percent increase in the number of severely malnourished children this year compared to 2021.

"We're working now in Kebbi, Sokoto Zamfara, Katsina and in Kano, but we're still also very much afraid and pretty sure that we only see the top of the iceberg," Pelsma said. "We can see numbers, but that doesn't mean that that covers the whole issue, because we cannot be in every location."

For years, humanitarian responses have been centered around northeastern states, especially Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, where the militant group Boko Haram has been active since 2009.

This week, top officials of the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) met in the capital to highlight problems of food security, with the goal of strengthening responses, using agriculture.

"There's a lot to be done. This is a country where we have quite a big segment geographically that is affected by different forms of conflict," said Fred Kafeero, FAO representative in Nigeria. "But how do we intervene in terms of strengthening and responding to that humanitarian emergency and moving towards resilience building? Much of our work is also looking at the root causes and trying to strengthen and build sustainability in the process."

On Wednesday, MSF is taking part in a high-level humanitarian coordination team meeting with top officials of the United Nations.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Wednesday that all indications are that leaks from two Nord Stream natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea are the result of a deliberate act.

We will support any investigation aimed at getting full clarity on what happened and why, and will take further steps to increase our resilience in energy security, Borrell said in a statement. Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.

The U.S. State Department said late Tuesday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod and that the United States remains united with our allies and partners in our commitment to promoting European energy security.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted that the U.S. is supporting efforts to investigate the apparent sabotage.

Denmarks defense minister Morten Bodskov is due to discuss the matter with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Wednesday.

Im not going to speculate on the cause of the leaks, replied White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to questions about the incident Tuesday, adding that she had nothing to report on whether the United States had been requested by European officials to help determine the cause of the ruptures.

'An act of sabotage'

The 1,222-kilometer-long Nord Stream 1 pipeline has been, until recently, a major source of gas for Germany. Nord Stream 2, which is 1,234 kilometers in length, has yet to go into commercial operation.

"We have established a report and the crime classification is gross sabotage," the Swedish national police said Tuesday, announcing a preliminary investigation into possible sabotage of Nord Stream 1.

There are three leaks, and therefore it is difficult to imagine that it could be accidental," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen Tuesday.

We see clearly that this is an act of sabotage  an act which likely means a further step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine, concurred Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Frederkisen and Morawiecki spoke in Gloeniow in Poland at the opening ceremony for Baltic Pipe, part of a Polish plan to reduce its energy dependence on Russia. The line will connect Poland to Norwegian gas fields through Denmark.

No option can be ruled out right now, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, regarding the possibility of sabotage, adding that the leaks are a cause for concern.

Russia closed Nord Stream 1 earlier this month, ostensibly for maintenance work.

The majority owner of the networks operator, Nord Stream AG, is Gazprom, a Russian state-owned energy company.

"The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented, said NordStream AG in a statement. "It is not yet possible to estimate the timing of the restoration of the gas transport infrastructure.

"The biggest leak is spreading bubbles a good kilometer in diameter. The smallest is creating a circle about 200 meters in diameter, according to a statement from the Danish armed services, which included photographs of the leaks off the island of Bornholm.

Powerful blasts recorded Monday

Scientists in Europe say seismographs on Monday recorded powerful blasts in the Baltic Sea, the same day the two gas pipelines dropped pressure.

"There was a spike and then regular noise," said Josef Zens, a spokesman for the German geological research center GFZ. "We cannot say if that could be gas streaming out."

Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time its enemy action, wrote Bloomberg Opinion columnist Javier Blas, quoting the late British author Ian Fleming.

The leaks are more likely a message: Russia is opening a new front on its energy war against Europe. First, it weaponized gas supply, halting shipments, including via the Nord Stream pipeline. Now, it may be attacking the energy infrastructure it once used to ship its energy, said Blas, author of The World for Sale: Money, Power and the Traders Who Barter the Earths Resources.

Amid much speculation on social media about who might have sabotaged Nord Stream there is no credible evidence of a likely culprit or motive. Analysts and amateurs on Twitter contend the Russians may have deployed divers or unmanned submersible vehicles to poke holes in the pipelines.

The leaks are a result of a terrorist attack and an act of aggression against the European Union, declared Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office.

Some anonymous accounts on Twitter, parroting Russian state media, sought to blame Washington and Kyiv. On social media on Tuesday, a video clip from early February recirculated of Joe Biden vowing to bring an end to the Nord Stream 2 project if Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Kremlin has stated that if Western Europe wants Russian gas, it should end sanctions against Moscow imposed following Russias invasion of Ukraine seven months ago.

My understanding is the leaks will not have a significant impact on Europe's energy resilience, Secretary Blinken said in Washington.

This just drives home the importance of our efforts to work together to get alternative gas supplies to Europe and to support efforts to reduce gas consumption and accelerate true energy independence by moving to a clean energy economy, a White House National Security Council spokesperson told VOA.

While the impact to Europe ahead of the winter as a result of the loss of the pipelines remains to be seen, the trio of leaks poses an immediate hazard to wildlife and maritime navigation.

The gas could suffocate animals and is an explosion threat to passing ships, according to environmental groups.

Contributors include Patsy Widakuswara at the White House; Nike Ching at the State Department, and Chris Hannas in Washington. Some information in this report came from Reuters.
North Korea conducted its second ballistic missile launch this week, hours before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris was set to visit the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea.

The North launched two short-range ballistic missiles late Wednesday toward the sea off its east coast, South Koreas military said in an alert to reporters. Japans government also reported the launch of a probable ballistic missile. No further details were available.

The launch comes three days after North Korea tested a short-range missile. North Korea has now fired 34 ballistic missiles this year  a record high.

North Koreas latest launch, though, is likely to be seen as particularly provocative, since it came as U.S. officials are planning for Vice President Harris to visit the DMZ.

Harris is in Tokyo to attend the state funeral of slain former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. She has also held a series of bilateral meetings with Japanese, South Korean, and Australian officials.

Earlier Wednesday, Harris condemned North Koreas Sunday launch, noting that it is part of its ballistic weapons program which threatens regional stability and violates multiple Security Council resolutions.

U.S. officials have not yet responded to the latest launch. But on Tuesday, a senior administration official said Harris DMZ stop is meant to signal U.S. commitment to defending South Korea.

The key messaging that shes talking about on this trip is how our defense commitments are ironclad. We know theres been a lot of discussions with the Koreans about extended deterrence commitments. And to really put those words into action, we believe its a powerful signal of that, the official said.

While in Seoul, Harris will also meet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative who took office in May. Yoon has pushed to expand South Koreas alliance with the United States and supports increased demonstrations of U.S.-South Korean military might.

Such demonstrations have increased in frequency and intensity amid predictions that North Korea will soon conduct its seventh nuclear test.
The Solomon Islands has informed its regional neighbors that it will not sign a declaration between the United States and Pacific Island nations at this weeks high-profile White House summit.

The Solomon Islands sent a diplomatic note to the regional Pacific Islands Forum announcing it will not sign the declaration during the two-day summit that began Wednesday.

The declaration, which was drafted after several weeks of negotiations between Pacific Island nations and officials with the administration of President Joe Biden, covers issues including sustainable development, tackling climate change, preserving security of the Pacific region and trade.

But the note from Honiara says the government needs more time to study the declaration and it would have to be considered by parliament. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is currently in Washington and will be attending the U.S. Pacific Summit, according to a senior administration official.

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted leaders and senior officials for a luncheon. They are also expected to meet with U.S. climate envoy John Kerry and White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

The Solomon Islands refusal to sign the declaration comes just five months after it signed a security agreement with China that has raised concerns in the United States and Australia that Beijing would establish a military presence in the Solomon Islandslocated less than 2,000 kilometers from Australia.



A draft of the agreement that emerged on social media included a provision that could allow Beijing to send armed police and soldiers to the Solomon Islands, as well as base its navy ships off the Solomons coast.

Prime Minister Sogavare insisted he would not allow the creation of a Chinese military base, saying the deal instead will help provide domestic security.

A U.S. delegation sent to Honiara failed to dissuade Sogavare from signing the security pact with China.

Earlier this month, the Marshall Islands suspended talks with American officials about renewing the two countries strategic partnership, protesting what it perceives as the U.S. failure to address the health and environmental impacts from U.S. nuclear testing in the region during the 1940s and 1950s.

Vice President Kamala Harris told the Pacific Islands Forum back in July that the United States is planning to appoint an envoy to the Forum and open new embassies in Tonga and Kiribati as part of a pledge that the U.S. would increase its diplomatic and financial support to the Pacific region. She also announced the administration had requested $60 million a year from the U.S. Congress that would triple current funding for fisheries assistance, marine conservation and climate resilience projects for the region.

Some information for this report came from Reuters.
Sudan's public prosecution has launched legal proceedings against a prominent newspaper and the bar association, triggering complaints that authorities are trying to restrict basic freedoms nearly a year after a coup.

On Monday, the public prosecution's cybercrimes unit issued an order to block the website of Al-Sudani newspaper, one of the country's most respected dailies.

A day earlier, the prosecution called the head of the steering committee for the Sudanese Bar Association in for questioning and ordered the seizure of its headquarters, a lawyer for the group said.

The public prosecutor's media office did not respond to a phone call from Reuters.

Following the military takeover on October 25, 2021, scores of veterans who served under Sudan's former ruling party began returning to the civil service, including within the public prosecutor's office, justice department and foreign ministry.

The takeover put in question a widening of political freedoms in Sudan since the ousting of former autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir in a 2019 uprising.

"We learned about the prosecutor's order through social media, and it was surprising because we were not informed of any complaint against the newspaper," Al-Sudani editor-in-chief Ataf Mohamed Mukhtar said.

Mukhtar said the newspaper, whose website was still operating Wednesday, would fight the order, which he said could be issued only by the courts.

"This order goes against the right to free speech and free press that is guaranteed by the law," he added.

The bar association had recently developed a proposal for a new constitution to resolve Sudan's political crisis, which has seen the military locked in a standoff with pro-democracy civilian parties and protesters.

Lawyer Satie Al-Haj told Reuters a lawyer had made a complaint over the association's financial disclosures. The association had secured a block on the order to seize the association's headquarters, he said.

"What is happening is an organized attack on freedoms by the remnants of the old regime who are trying to return to power," Al-Haj said.
European Union officials called Wednesday for biting sanctions on Russian trade, assailing Moscow for the sham referendums it staged in Ukraine as a pretense for an illegal land grab to change the border with its neighbor.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Kremlin-orchestrated referendums in four Ukrainian regions to join Russia "are an illegal attempt to grab land and change international borders by force."

Russia says the outcome of the balloting over the last five days heavily favors annexation but the referendums are being uniformly rejected by Ukraine, the U.S. and its Western allies.

Von der Leyen said the EU is planning "sweeping new import bans on Russian products" and to expand its export ban "to deprive the Kremlin's military complex of key technologies."

"This will keep Russian products out of the European market and deprive Russia of an additional 7 billion euros in revenue," von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels. The EUs 27 member countries would have to approve the sanctions for them to take effect and the bloc has had difficulty in reaching agreement on some previous sanctions.

We are determined to make the Kremlin pay for this further escalation, she said. Russia could annex the Ukrainian territoryabout 15% of the countryin the coming days and then claim that any attempt by Kyivs forces to retake it would be an attack on Russia itself.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged the international community to not recognize the referendums.

"With the illegal referenda organized by Russia, the Kremlin is following the same playbook that we have already seen in Crimea in 2014, Borrell said in a statement, referring to an earlier Moscow-sanctioned vote after it seized the Ukrainian peninsula as a violation of international law and the principles of the United Nations charter.

Borrell said asset freezes and European travel bans would be imposed on the "proxy Russian authorities" in the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions where the referendums were held.

Officials in the four regions said Wednesday that they would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to incorporate their provinces into Russia.

Russia-installed officials said 93% of ballots cast during the five days of voting in Zaporizhzhia supported annexation, along with 87% in Kherson, 98% in Luhansk and 99% in Donetsk.

Ukraine urged its backers Wednesday to make clear to Russia that "its attempts of annexation, blackmail and ultimatums" will only bring more support to the Ukrainian side in the conflict that began with the February invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.

"Ukraine calls on the EU, NATO and the Group of Seven to immediately and significantly increase pressure on Russia, including by imposing new tough sanctions, and significantly increase their military aid to Ukraine, including by providing us with tanks, combat aircraft, armored vehicles, long-range artillery, anti-aircraft and missile defense equipment," the Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that Russia must be isolated internationally for the sham referendums.

"There is only one way to stop this all," he said by video. "First, it is the complete isolation of Russia in response to everything it does."

If Moscow annexes these territories, Zelenskyy said, it "will mean that there is nothing to talk about with the president of Russia."

Diplomatic action

The United States and Albania have circulated a draft resolution to Security Council members condemning the referendums, calling on countries not to recognize any altered status of Ukraine and compelling Russia to withdraw its troops from the country.

"If Russia chooses to shield itself from accountability here in the council, we will then look to the U.N. General Assembly to send an unmistakable message to Moscow," U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said. "The world must stand together and defend the Charter of the United Nations."

She told reporters after the meeting that she hopes to seek a vote in the Security Council either late this week or early next week.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The youth league of South Africas ruling ANC party has endorsed Russia's referendums in occupied parts of Ukraine, which are designed to pave the way for Moscow to annex the territories.

The endorsement came after members of the group accepted invitations from Moscow to act as international observers of the Kremlin-orchestrated votes. The Ukrainian Association of South Africa says it is disappointed in the youth leagues stance while the ANC itself is remaining silent on the issue.

The head of the ANC Youth Leagues Subcommittee on International Relations, Khulekani Skosana, has commended Russian President Vladimir Putin on Twitter.

Skosana posted a clip of his interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

We stand in solidarity with all the oppressed people of the world, Skosana said. Its not just Donbas, we stand with people of Palestine, Western Sahara. We will always stand with those who are oppressed and those who dont have anyone to defend them. The revolution will not be televised, thats why we went to see for ourselves as young people of the liberation movement of President Nelson Mandela.

The president of the Ukrainian Association of South Africa, Dzvinka Kachur, said the youth league members are simply being used by Russia to try to legitimize a process that falls far, far short of international laws on referendums.

Moscow has released vote tallies showing support in all four regions where the referendums were held for five days beginning September 23.

But Kachur said that was a lie because Russia doesnt control all of these areas.

Yes, they may be controlling almost completely the territory of one region, of Luhansk but they dont control Donetsk, they dont control Zaporizhzhia and they definitely dont control Kherson, she said.

Kachur said theyve heard the international media reports of Russian soldiers going door-to-door to get people to vote at gun point.

A lot of our community members have had their relatives still in the occupied territories, she said. We understand people being tortured and how people are hiding.

Kachur added that the Ukrainian Association is disappointed in the ANC government for not reacting to the Youth Leagues statements. The government has repeatedly said it is neutral in this conflict but the Ukrainian Association says Skosanas comments are anything but.

As the ANC Youth League is connected to the government, if the government is supporting that silently I think its a big challenge for South African democracy and all South Africans living in this country because it says that the ruling party does not understand what democracy is, Kachur said.

Requests for comment from the ANCs main body went unanswered. The partys spokesperson, Pule Mabe, simply sent two text messages saying: May I please revert back.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said he was perplexed.

It is strange that the ANC Youth League could actually send observers to Russia on a very controversial referendum actually, he said. A referendum that has been referred to as a sham referendum by the global community. So, for the ANC Youth League to be sending members there, it is very strange. I dont know what exactly does the youth league aim to achieve. I dont know whether this will give them traction in South Africas politics.

Mathekga said he wonders who paid for the trip and whether the decision to go was taken within the ANC and where the decision was taken.

Reuters reports that the United States is preparing a new round of sanctions to punish Russia for any annexation move and a new $1.1 billion arms package for Ukraine that will be announced soon.
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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the Demilitarized Zone separating South Korea from North Korea, White House officials said Tuesday. VOAs Anita Powell reports from the White House, with reporting from Seoul bureau chief Bill Gallo in Tokyo.
Al-Qaidas former leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, had freedom in the Taliban-controlled Afghan capital before he was assassinated in a U.S. drone strike, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

He was unquestionably a threat to the United States and he had greater freedom to operate in Kabul than from wherever he came from, Thomas West, U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, said at an event at the Center for International and Strategic Studies.

Al-Zawahiri was targeted on July 31 at a house in downtown Kabul. Taliban authorities have not confirmed his death.

In the aftermath of the drone strike in Kabul, both the U.S. and Taliban have accused each other of violating the February 2020 U.S.-Taliban agreement, widely known as the Doha Agreement, that commits the Taliban to prevent terror threats to the U.S. and its allies from territories under Taliban control.

West said the U.S. is deeply concerned about a number of other terrorist groups active in Afghanistan.

We have concerns about al-Qaida in the Indian subcontinent, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Laskhar-e-Toiba, Ansarullah and a range of terrorist groups that still have an active presence in Afghanistan that we are exceedingly concerned about, he said.

Last week at the U.N. General Assembly, Pakistans prime minister, Shahbaz Sharif, voiced similar concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

The Taliban swiftly rejected Sharifs remarks, saying in a statement that they will not allow Afghan territory to be used against any country.

Despite concerns about their counterterrorism commitments, the U.S. has opted to remain engaged with the Taliban.

We have been in touch with Taliban leaders since the strike and, to be clear, even in the wake of this event, we are prepared to engage pragmatically with the Taliban regarding terrorism concerns, West said.

2,000 ISIS fighters

On Tuesday, the U.N. warned that the Taliban are failing to bringing security to Afghanistan as terror groups like IS-KB increasingly kill Afghans across the country.

At least 700 Afghans have died in armed conflict, mostly in attacks by IS-KB (Islamic State Khorasan Branch), since Taliban seized power last year, the U.N. has reported.

Amid the mayhem following the rapid collapse of the former Afghan government last year, jails were opened and thousands of inmates, including IS-KB fighters, were set free across the country.

There was a big prison break, West said, adding that it was unclear who within the Taliban released the prisoners and whether they knew who the inmates were.

But some of the most concerning best-trained ISIS-K fighters they let out, it was about 2,000 individuals. Some of those individuals are folks were truly worried about.

The Taliban call IS-KB fighters Khawarij, a reference to a group of Muslims who allegedly deviated from mainstream Islam in the 7th century, and claim to have killed dozens over the last year.

While U.S. officials have called IS-KB a common enemy, the Taliban have reportedly refused direct counterterror collaboration with the U.S. and insist they can address the terror group independently.
Lizzo made history on Tuesday, performing with a centuries-old flute once owned by former President James Madison.

The instrument was lent to Lizzo by the Library of Congress during the Grammy winners concert at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. She later said in an Instagram post that she became the "first and only person" to perform with the crystal flute, describing playing it like playing out of a wine glass.

As a flute player, this is iconic and I will never be over it, she said in the post.

The crystal instrument was made in 1813 for Madisons second inauguration, according to the Library of Congress. Its believed that the flute was saved by former first lady Dolley Madison before British troops set fire to Washington, D.C., in 1814 during the War of 1812.

The instrument is engraved with James Madisons name, title and the year the flute was made. Since 1941, it has been in the possession of the Library of Congress.

Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, tweeted to Lizzo on Sept. 23 and invited her to play Madisons 209-year-old flute. The library has the largest flute collection in the world.

Lizzo was spotted at the Library of Congress on Monday, and a Twitter user said he was asked if Lizzo could break the quiet rule to play the flute. The library later hinted she was visiting as a flute guest.

After performing with the instrument in front of thousands on Tuesday, she lifted the flute high in the air before giving it back to the librarian representative on stage.

I just twerked and played James Madisons crystal flute from the 1800s, she told the crowd. We just made history tonight. Thanks to the Library of Congress for preserving our history, and making history cool.
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Conservationists say the drought has killed almost 2% of the nations 2,500 Grevys zebras  the world's most endangered zebra  in the past three months due to the drought.
Cyprus released griffon vultures into the wild on Wednesday in the latest attempt to boost a once thriving population now critically endangered by poisoning.

The island's largest bird of prey has seen its population fall dramatically to the smallest in Europe in recent decades, either from accidental poisoning or changing farming techniques leaving them short of food.

Earlier this year, the population suffered a massive loss from poisoning, reducing numbers to just 8, conservationists say.

They will be joined by eight vultures from Spain, home to Europe's largest population of griffon vultures, which were released on Wednesday in the mountains north of the coastal city of Limassol. They form a group of 15 brought to the island last year, with seven released in mid-September.

Another 15 are expected from Spain in November. In the past decade, Cyprus had also brought griffon vultures from Crete.

"We were only left with eight birds because of the poison baits placed in the countryside mainly to kill foxes and dogs," said Melpo Apostolidou, project coodinator at BirdLife Cyprus, one of the partners in the part EU-funded Life with Vultures project.

The birds with names like "Pablo" and "Zenonas" have been fitted with satellite trackers to monitor their movements.

Big, gangly and smelly, griffon vultures play a vital role as nature's cleanup crew, feeding off dead carcass and reducing the spread of disease. But the use of banned poisons to kill perceived pests which the scavenging bird will then feed on has a knock-on effect.

Nicos Kassinis, a senior officer with Cyprus's Game and Fauna Service, said authorities were operating several feeding stations and had set up dog units trained to detect poison bait. "It is a serious problem," he said.

Conservationists say only when the use of poison is effectively addressed can the bird start to thrive again. "Even if we continue to bring vultures from elsewhere, we are just delaying their extinction if we don't do anything to reduce the frequency of poisoning incidents," Apostolidou said.


Vicky Stark

CAPE TOWN  The youth league of South Africas ruling ANC party has endorsed Russia's referendums in occupied parts of Ukraine, which are designed to pave the way for Moscow to annex the territories.

The endorsement came after members of the group accepted invitations from Moscow to act as international observers of the Kremlin-orchestrated votes. The Ukrainian Association of South Africa says it is disappointed in the youth leagues stance while the ANC itself is remaining silent on the issue.

The head of the ANC Youth Leagues Subcommittee on International Relations, Khulekani Skosana, has commended Russian President Vladimir Putin on Twitter.

Skosana posted a clip of his interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

We stand in solidarity with all the oppressed people of the world, Skosana said. Its not just Donbas, we stand with people of Palestine, Western Sahara. We will always stand with those who are oppressed and those who dont have anyone to defend them. The revolution will not be televised, thats why we went to see for ourselves as young people of the liberation movement of President Nelson Mandela.

The president of the Ukrainian Association of South Africa, Dzvinka Kachur, said the youth league members are simply being used by Russia to try to legitimize a process that falls far, far short of international laws on referendums.

Moscow has released vote tallies showing support in all four regions where the referendums were held for five days beginning September 23.

But Kachur said that was a lie because Russia doesnt control all of these areas.

Yes, they may be controlling almost completely the territory of one region, of Luhansk but they dont control Donetsk, they dont control Zaporizhzhia and they definitely dont control Kherson, she said.

Kachur said theyve heard the international media reports of Russian soldiers going door-to-door to get people to vote at gun point.

A lot of our community members have had their relatives still in the occupied territories, she said. We understand people being tortured and how people are hiding.

Kachur added that the Ukrainian Association is disappointed in the ANC government for not reacting to the Youth Leagues statements. The government has repeatedly said it is neutral in this conflict but the Ukrainian Association says Skosanas comments are anything but.

As the ANC Youth League is connected to the government, if the government is supporting that silently I think its a big challenge for South African democracy and all South Africans living in this country because it says that the ruling party does not understand what democracy is, Kachur said.

Requests for comment from the ANCs main body went unanswered. The partys spokesperson, Pule Mabe, simply sent two text messages saying: May I please revert back.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said he was perplexed.

It is strange that the ANC Youth League could actually send observers to Russia on a very controversial referendum actually, he said. A referendum that has been referred to as a sham referendum by the global community. So, for the ANC Youth League to be sending members there, it is very strange. I dont know what exactly does the youth league aim to achieve. I dont know whether this will give them traction in South Africas politics.

Mathekga said he wonders who paid for the trip and whether the decision to go was taken within the ANC and where the decision was taken.

Reuters reports that the United States is preparing a new round of sanctions to punish Russia for any annexation move and a new $1.1 billion arms package for Ukraine that will be announced soon.
HARARE (Reuters) - Australian-listed Invictus Energy Ltd has started drilling one of two exploration wells for oil and gas in the northern part of Zimbabwe, the company said on Monday.

The 3.5 kilometer (2.17 miles) deep well, situated in the Muzarabani-Mbire area, is part of the Cabora Bassa project in Zimbabwe, which is 80% owned and operated by Invictus through its interest in Geo Associates.

Invictus said in a statement that the drilling of the first well, Mukuyu-1, began on Friday and will last between 50 and 60 days.

Mukuyu, which will cost $16 million, is one of the largest oil and gas exploration prospects to be drilled globally in 2022, estimated at 20 trillion cubic feet and 845 million barrels of conventional gas condensate, or about 4.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent, the company said.

Invictus has been prospecting for oil and gas deposits for the past four years in the Cabora Bassa and Zambezi basins.

The company said that Mukuyu-1 will be followed by the 1.5 km deep well, Baobab-1, which will be completed in 30-40 days.

Last month, the company raised additional $17 million to fund the drilling of the exploration wells through private placement.

(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono in Harare; Editing by Anait Miridzhanian and Louise Heavens)
ST. CLOUD, Minn. October 4, 2019  National Fire Prevention Week is October 6 to 12, and the Minnesota Region of the American Red Cross urges everyone to practice their home fire escape plan and test their smoke alarms.

During Fire Prevention Week, prepare your family for home fires before the holidays and cold weather increase the risk of these crises, said Linda Blackmore, Executive Director of the American Red Cross serving Central Minnesota. Home fires are most often caused by cooking and heating equipment, and we want everyone to stay safe. Please install and test smoke alarms on every level of your home, and practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in two minutes or less.

Practice your plan and test your alarms.

For free home fire safety resources, visit redcross.org/homefires or download the free Red Cross Emergency App (search American Red Cross in app stores). The Red Cross also encourages people to share this brief video with family and friends on "How to Prevent a Home Fire".

 Include at least two ways to get out of each room in your home fire escape plan.

 Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbors home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone can meet.

 Practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in two minutes or less.

 Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, placing them inside and outside bedrooms, and sleeping areas.

 Test smoke alarms monthly, and change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it.

Lifesaving home fire campaign marks five years.

Home fires take seven lives each day in the U.S., most often in homes without working smoke alarms. Thats why the Red Cross is working with partners to install free smoke alarms in high-risk communities and help families create escape plans through its Home Fire Campaign  which has saved at least 638 lives across the country since launching in October 2014.

Over the past five years the Minnesota Region and local partners have:

 Installed 24,971 free smoke alarms.

 Reached 16,497 children through youth preparedness programs.

 Made 7,662 households safer from the threat of home fires.
The results of the four referendums on joining the Russian Federation which were held in the independent region of Donbass and in Ukraine have been announced:

 Donetsk: 99% yes

 Lugansk: 98% yes

 Zaporizhya: 93% yes

 Kherson: 87% yes

These referendums are not recognized by the G7 and NATO member states.

Nevertheless, under international law, they are totally legal. According to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 16 December 1966 (not signed by the USA) and the judgment of the International Court of Justice of 30 June 1995 (by which the USA is bound), it is incumbent upon all member states of the United Nations to facilitate the holding of referendums for the self-determination of peoples and to abide by its results.

Only one objection can be raised: the prevailing circumstances did not guarantee the impartiality of the process. This objection could apply to the Zaporizhya and Kherson oblasts, from which part of the population had fled and where electoral campaigns could not be carried out, but not to the Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, whose populations already expressed themselves in the past on the same theme and in the same way.

If we believe that these referendums were not fair and impartial, our duty would have been to be more proactive in ensuring their regularity, rather than condemning them in advance.
CELEBRATION of JENNI!

To celebrate the Joy that is Jenni, a memorial service and gathering is being held on October 1, 2022 at 11am at Our Shepherd Lutheran Church at 1090 S Page Springs Rd, Cornville, AZ 86325

Jenni crossed over May 28, 2022 from unexpected medical complications. She lived in Iowa City with the love of her life, Luke Kennedy (Marriage: 10/16/2020).

Jenni was well loved by her sister, Melissa (Jason) Pahl, her mom, Katy Sechrist and her dad, Chuck Sechrist. She has a large, extended family, throughout the country, including her grandparents Jean & Gil Sechrist of Sedona. Jenni had a devoted community of beloved friends. She was 31 years old.

Jenni was born and raised in Flagstaff. She received her nursing degree from Valparaiso University and recently attained a Doctorate of Nursing (with honors) from Creighton University.

Jenni was had a big heart, and an infectious personality. She exuded warmth and kindness to all she met. Jenni loved caring for plants, sewing with her sister, Melissa, and bike riding and working out with her husband. Jenni was quite the adventurer with a love of travel.

Her light and memory will be carried through her family, friends, colleagues, and her organ donation recipients. Please continue to keep those who love her in your thoughts and prayers.

In lieu of flowers contributions in Jenni's memory are suggested to the Iowa Donor Network.
Befana market returns to Rome after two years.

Rome's popular Befana market will return to Piazza Navona this Christmas and is scheduled from 1 December until 6 January 2023, the city has announced.

The event, a traditional fixture on Rome's Christmas calendar, was cancelled for the last two years due to the covid pandemic.

This year the city has published tenders to assign 22 operating licenses to stall-holders, with the goal of filling all 64 stall spaces at the market.

The tenders are open until 14 October and the capital says it will give preference to women traders and those under 35.

The exisiting licences were granted in 2017 as part of a controversial nine-year concession scheme overseen during the administration of former mayor Virginia Raggi.

The new stalls are to sell quality products including food from the Lazio region, toys, Christmas decorations, sweets, books, Christmas trees, leather goods and gift items. The carousel is also set to return.

In addition the city has put out tenders for Christmas street lights - a prospect hampered by spiralling energy costs - and has already sought sponsors for the Christmas tree in Piazza Venezia.

The Vatican's Christmas tree in St Peter's this year will reportedly come from the Rosello forest in the Chieti province of Italy's central Abruzzo region.
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Apple Inc. is pulling back from plans to increase production of its new iPhones this year. Instead, it will produce about as many as the prior year, in line with its original forecast. Fair enough  a looming global recession and strong dollar probably mean consumers outside the US will feel the pinch if and when they set out to buy a new phone.

Apple had raised its sales projections in the weeks leading up to the iPhone 14s release, before reverting to its earlier forecast. So in theory, the retreat didnt massively move the needle for its own products. But the trickle-down effect is harder to manage. What happens to the supply chain and the hundreds of manufacturers depending on Apple for guidance? The latest news hit them hard, sending the shares of chipmakers and phone assemblers tumbling.

Demand for memory chips, a key component in smartphones and other electronics, was already showing signs of weakening months ago  receding from the pandemic boom when everyone was sitting at home glued to their devices. In December last year, analysts at Jefferies Financial Group Inc. noted that the second-half outlook was less certain than the first due to weak demand for phones, TVs and consumer PCs.

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Yet suppliers can still be caught off-guard when big customers alter their guidance, especially at short notice. It was only recently that some of Apples suppliers had started making preparations for an expected 7% boost in orders.

Further down the chain, makers of the semiconductor production equipment used to make the chips  themselves victims of a bottleneck that squeezed output over the past two years  had been anticipating a pickup. Manufacturers in this $60 billion-plus industry were, as recently as July, expecting strong demand for memory and storage, with the market set to expand. Expenditures and investment werent projected to go down until next year, according to the North American industry association. But then some of them began revising their budgets as they were asked to cancel deliveries by customers.

How is it that these industries  so deeply dependent on each other  arent quite on the same page?

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No wonder that weve ended up with severe supply-chain snarls. Its delays like these  caused by failure to sync with the market and suppliers  that lead to intractable production issues and leave small manufacturers on the hook. While firms across the board try to gauge the correct levels of inventory and manage their product cycles, they end up either over- or under-ordering. Parts makers usually dont have long to adjust their operations.

The champion of supply-chain management, Toyota Motor Corp., recently started giving its massive network of component makers more time  to take the pressure off them, their profits and margins. That especially helps the hundreds of smaller firms  typically manufacturing just one or two components  that take the bulk of the cost pressures. Customers moving targets can tip them into trouble very quickly.

Without such guidance, suppliers are left holding the bag. Its easy to say, you cant blame Apple  on a net basis, they didnt really change their production. But as supply-chain issues persist and firms struggle to align their operations while rapid technology shifts pull them in different directions, its time the big companies started paying more attention. It isnt that hard to keep everyone in the loop.

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More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 The Semiconductor Chicken-and-Egg Problem: Anjani Trivedi

 Its (Still) Going to Be Hard to Get a Car: Anjani Trivedi

 Chip Shortages Are the Winter That Wont Go Away: Anjani Trivedi

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Anjani Trivedi is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies in Asia. Previously, she was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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When Gary Gensler, chair of the US Securities and Exchanges Commission, handed out huge fines to Wall Street dealers for failing to record WhatsApp and other messages on Tuesday, he admonished them solemnly: Finance, ultimately, depends on trust, he said. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Except, well, it really doesnt  and hasnt for a long time. This is why every aspect of what brokers and traders do each day across the financial world is regulated within an inch of its life. Its also why all communication about business between traders, bankers, investors and executives has to be recorded and kept for years.

The total absence of trust is why every large bank that matters on Wall Street, plus Jefferies Group LLC, Nomura Holdings Inc. and Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., has now been fined more than $2 billion in total by the SEC and Commodity Futures Trading Commission for not recording messages properly  and in some cases deliberately deleting them.

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Bank executives might chuckle at the irony if hadnt cost them so dearly. But the industry is its own worst enemy: Financial regulation is so complex and detailed because individuals and institutions are always finding new ways to do bad or stupid things.

There was evidence of both from the SEC and CFTC. The head of one trading desk at Bank of America Corp., for example, instructed traders to move their group chat from traditional text messages to WhatsApp and later to Signal, according to the CFTCs order. The desk head also instructed the team and brokers at a third party to delete all their messages.

This is straightforwardly bad. Theres no suggestion in the orders that the desk was doing wrong in its trading activity, but hiding your communications is never a good look. For the regulators, the big problem is that the lack of details about who negotiated what trades and why can hamper investigations later on if something goes wrong or someone appears to have been harmed.

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Several of the banks were reprimanded by the SEC because senior staff responsible for overseeing bankers compliance with communications and recordkeeping policies were themselves regularly sending DMs from their own phones about their banks business. This is face-palm plain dumb. Its like your expenses manager binning your receipts and saying: Meh, who cares?

Rules on recordkeeping to ensure people behave themselves have been part of US securities law since 1934. The problem of adhering to them isnt new, but it has grown with how easy it has become to communicate through our ever-present smart phones. I personally use three messaging apps, ordinary SMS texts and DMs through Twitter and Instagram  and many would probably see that as lightweight.

Finance and markets are social phenomena. They happen between people. It used to be that those people had to meet in person to transact on the floor of some grand exchange. Then Covid-19 showed that Wall Street can be run from kitchen tables, summer houses and lofts. The sprawling communication has led lenders and others into bad habits from the regulators point of view. Most of the big banks have been fined $200 million each  the sort of penalty normally associated with actual fraud or investor harm  because the authorities want to shock them.

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The headache for banks is how to stay on top of things. There are some technical solutions; for example, the firm Symphony Communication is selling a product that can pull WhatsApp and WeChat into the same monitored interface and is working on adding Line, Signal and Telegram. All the data generated by these different forms of communication also needs to be stored somewhere, which adds to the costs and computing needs for banks, too. (Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, also provides multi-channel communications surveillance and archiving software solutions, including for capturing WhatsApp, text messaging and other mobile channels.)

Banks and other financial firms can also make it easier for staff to communicate quickly while following the rules. They need to be absolutely clear with employees about their policies and the punishments for failing to follow them  the latter of which should be enforced. The SEC is demanding that the banks get employees to certify in writing every quarter that they are complying with recordkeeping requirements. What was that about trust again?

Of course, it will still be difficult to stop determined bad actors: If someone sets out to rob people, then no recordkeeping policy is going to make much difference. Even having staff fully aware that their communications are recorded hasnt been a barrier to traders and bankers doing dubious or idiotic things. Every major probe of financial wrongdoing of the past 15 years or so has been delivered with a trove of damning and often laughable quotes from chat rooms, emails and text messages.

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What the latest fines really tell us is that the costs of monitoring, supervising and auditing modern finance are ever growing. And that finance is in no way a trust-based industry at all.

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Paul J. Davies is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering banking and finance. Previously, he was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.

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Amid the stir caused by President Bidens plan to cancel student loan debts, far too little attention has been paid to another far-reaching reform: the administrations change to a lending program known as income-driven repayment (or IDR). If widely applied, Bidens proposal would provide additional relief to millions of borrowers  and make the US student loan system even costlier and more dysfunctional than it already is.

Unlike in standard 10-year loans, in which payments are fixed, borrowers in income-driven plans pay a percentage of their earnings each month, plus interest on the principal. The terms of such plans have become more generous since they were introduced in the 1990s. Current students who enroll in IDR pay 10% of their earnings above 150% of the poverty line and have their outstanding balances forgiven after 20 years. Low earners typically pay nothing at all.

The goal of income-driven repayment schemes, which are common in the UK and Australia, is to provide a safety net for borrowers who lose their jobs or encounter other setbacks, reducing their risk of default. In practice, however, the complexity and voluntary nature of the USs IDR system has limited its take-up among the low-income students who would benefit most. Instead, the bulk of funds dispersed through IDR plans go to those who took out loans for graduate studies  which most will never repay in full. Though less than one-third of borrowers overall are on IDR plans, they account for half of total outstanding student loan debt, carrying average balances that are twice as large as those on standard plans.

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Rather than restrain the ballooning costs of this system, the administrations changes do the opposite. Under the Biden plan, borrowers would pay 5% of their income each month, and only on earnings above 225% of the federal poverty line. Students who take out loans of $12,000 or less would have all outstanding balances forgiven after 10 years. The plan also forgives unpaid monthly interest if borrowers make their required payments.

The administration says the revised terms would ease the burden on struggling borrowers and dropouts. That may be true  but high-income borrowers would benefit even more. According to one analysis, a typical student who takes out college loans but fails to graduate would pay $92 less per month under the Biden plan than on a standard 10-year loan; doctoral degree holders, meanwhile, would get an average monthly break of $1,278. Whats more, as another points out, since roughly 70% of current and future borrowers could eventually receive forgiveness for some or all of their balances, the government stands to lose at least half the value of its student loan portfolio.

By making such generous terms available to all borrowers, the plan incentivizes students to take out bigger loans, increases overall student loan debt, drives up costs for taxpayers, and subsidizes upper-income professionals at the expense of the nearly 40% of Americans without any college education. Worse, it will only encourage colleges to continue raising tuition and weaken accountability for those that fail to prepare students for good-paying jobs.

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The administration should scrap this plan and instead work with Congress to improve the current system. The government should make enrollment in existing IDR plans simpler for lower-earning students, while also expanding targeted aid through federal Pell grants, which would limit the amount that poor students have to borrow in the first place. Meanwhile, high earners should be required to pay a larger share of their incomes and receive less in loan forgiveness. Imposing limits on the amount that can be borrowed for graduate school would discourage students from pursuing exorbitantly priced credentials at taxpayer expense.

Reducing the cost of a postsecondary education, particularly for poorer students, is a goal worth pursuing. This plan is the wrong way to go about it.

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The Editors are members of the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.

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Cruise LLC is sick of paying through the nose for semiconductors, so the self-driving car division of General Motors Co. decided to start designing chips itself. Its a bold move, but one that could see the auto company lose direction. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Only 18 months ago semiconductor giant Nvidia Corp. was showing off the Cruise Origin Robotaxi as a case study in the use of graphics processing units in Cruise cars to process the massive amounts of data its fleet collects on San Franciscos chaotic streets in real time.

Now that relationship looks fractured because of the high cost and low wriggle-room in using a GPU from a famous vendor, Carl Jenkins, head of hardware at the California-based self-driving car company told Reuters recently. Nvidia wasnt named directly, but its one of only two GPU suppliers and the other, Advanced Micro Devices Inc., isnt a player in the auto industry.

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Cruise isnt the first car company to use, then dump, Nvidia. Three years ago, Tesla Inc. announced it was going it alone to develop a chip for its full-self driving (FSD) computer. At the time, Nvidia followed up with a detailed blog post explaining why chief Elon Musk was wrong in his assessment of the differences in performance.

In reality, Cruise, Tesla and Nvidia all have solid arguments for why their chip is superior. And its understandable that car makers are frustrated at paying high costs for chips when they have little ability to customize the product or negotiate price. But auto-industry executives need to assess their core competence and make tough decisions before they embark on the path of independence.

For that, they can take guidance from Jeff Bezos and the Luxembourg beer industry. According to a now-famous speech by the Amazon.com Inc. founder, brewers in the European nation once produced their own electricity because it was a needed input in the beer-making process, and they couldnt get it from a centralized power grid.

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Unfortunately for brewers, as he pointed out in a 2008 speech, this heavy-lifting was undifferentiated  all electricity is the same  yet needed to be done at a world-class level. The quicker they could outsource electricity generation, the quicker they could get back to focusing on brewing.

The fact that they generated their own power did not make their beer taste better, Bezos said. His exhortation continues to ring loud today: Focus on what makes your beer taste better.(1)

Carmakers need to make that same calculation, and its becoming an increasingly expensive one. The price of developing a new chip climbed 10-fold in the past decade as semiconductor manufacturing gets more advanced. Before it is even sent for production each component needs to be designed, verified, tested and prototyped. That upfront cost now stands at $540 million for the latest 5-nanometer fabrication node, compared to $50 million for the older 28-nanometer technology that was first available 11 years ago, according to analysis from McKinsey & Co.(2)

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A major reason why Nvidia can wear these costs is because it makes $27 billion in revenue per year selling chips for use in computer graphics cards, artificial intelligence servers, data-processing centers, and autonomous cars. Designing chips is what Nvidia does, and so semiconductors are Nvidias beer.

Tesla and Cruise, and every other auto maker, need to ask what differentiates their product from competitors. There are many factors on which drivers make their choice, including engine power and performance, exterior look, interior design, safety, and accessories. In the future, FSD will be just another feature for buyers to consider.

Designing their own chips wont solve the current short-term supply shortage, though it will allow carmakers to better customize components for their own needs instead of buying off-the-shelf products. Its quite likely performance will be superior to what third-party vendors can offer, but that doesnt mean the final product they sell  cars  will be substantially better. Alphabet Incs Google went down the independence route many years ago, betting that the benefit of designing customized chips for its vast data centers  and moving away from Intel Corp.  would make the investment pay off. The difference here is that data stored and pumped out from Googles servers is what the worlds largest search engine buys and sells.

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For automakers to be sure that their semiconductor bets are worthwhile, they need to not only believe that self-driving features will be a major factor in a customers purchasing decision, but that their own internally developed chips are the key to that differentiation. Thats a tall order.

After years of development, and grappling with ever higher costs, theres a good chance carmakers will end up finding that while their own chips are superior, they dont make the beer taste better.

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(1) Bezos is often cited as saying Focus on what makes your beer taste better, but that exact phrase wasnt uttered in his 2008 speech

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(2) These figures are disputed by renowned chip industry analyst Dylan Patel, but the broader problem of escalating costs stands.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Tim Culpan is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology in Asia. Previously, he was a technology reporter for Bloomberg News.

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Climate change is already creating refugees around the world, a problem that will only worsen as the planet warms. But in the US, much of the migration seems to be into the teeth of climate risk. Axios published an article this week about how the fastest-growing US metro areas were also at risk of extreme heat because of climate change. Seventh on the list was the southern Florida city of Fort Myers, which has grown 124% in the past 30 years. Its risk of an increase in very hot days is relatively low  its hot enough there already  but the citys most urgent climate risks could be far more immediately devastating.

As in, this afternoon.

The monstrous Hurricane Ian, nearly a Category 5 storm, was this morning aimed directly at Fort Myers, part of a metro area with more than three-quarters of a million people. The National Hurricane Center suggests the surrounding coast faces a storm surge of up to 18 feet, which would leave much of Fort Myers and neighboring Cape Coral underwater. The lovely tourist mecca of Sanibel Island, the threshold across which Ian may crash, tops out at about 4 feet above sea level.

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My Bloomberg Opinion colleague Frank Wilkinson visited Sanibel in June to assess its ability to withstand rising seas. There he witnessed heroic measures not only to fend off climate change but also to avoid using the term climate change.

There have always been monster hurricanes, and South Florida is no stranger to them. But warmer air and seas tend to make them bigger, wetter and slower. This gives them the power to pour catastrophic amounts of water in a hurry. And Ians sheer size means few places in Florida will be spared its lashing. The storm caused dozens of tornadoes across the state overnight and will dump up to 2 feet of rain in places far from Fort Myers.

Hurricane Charley followed almost the exact same path as Ian in 2004 and was one of the most destructive storms in the states history. Ians tab is likely to be three times as high. Despite these obvious and growing hazards, Americans have swarmed into Fort Myers and the rest of Florida in recent years. The state is expected to add one new Orlandos worth of people each year for the next five years. Miami, which floods even on good days, has become Wall Street South. The Tampa Bay area, which may just miss Ians full fury, has become a small financial hub.

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The state has obvious charms for new residents. Many come to avoid taxes, snow and Democrats. Now they face the loss of life, limb and property. How much of their emigration was driven by denial of the risks, and how long can such denial withstand the battering of reality?

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Mark Gongloff is a Bloomberg Opinion editor and writer of the Opinion Today newsletter. A former managing editor of Fortune.com, he ran the HuffPosts business and technology coverage and was a reporter and editor for the Wall Street Journal.

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. [Photo/fmprc.gov.cn]



On September 22, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. The exchange illustrated Beijing's commitment to steady bilateral relations and all-round dialogue on the world stage, from the U.S. to NATO. "As a permanent member of the (UN) Security Council, China is open to conducting dialogue and exchanges with NATO, and is willing to jointly promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations," said Wang.

Beijing's suggestion that NATO should correct its perception of China remains central to consolidating support on some pressing security issues. It can expand common-ground to the benefit of a world in flux. But essential to these pursuits is a fundamental realization: That diplomacy isn't a one-way street. The U.S. and NATO should come through on reciprocal intent.

Presently, the international security and governance landscape is all but stable. Escalating challenges demand proactive leadership, and China has communicated essential wisdom to both the U.S. and NATO by cautioning against "political correctness." A shift from it is all the more important, given that the latter has signaled some degree of convergence with Beijing on areas of global concern. That includes NATO's attention to the Ukraine conflict, which has been sustained on the back of the alliance's continuous eastward expansion and more militarization. It helps to recognize that such preferences for confrontation have not brought the world any closer to peace. Similarly, on a bilateral level, zero-sum mindsets can easily frustrate the prospect of constructive engagement with China on a host of issues.

To that end, Beijing's stated commitment to respecting the "overeignty and territorial integrity of all countries"  including Ukraine  provides a concrete opening for conflict resolution to NATO, and reaffirms the fundamentals of mutual respect to any enduring cooperation with the U.S. Washington would be ill-advised to overstretch the concept of national security and continue misleading its China policy, as this is a recipe for "conflict and confrontation" that all but fails the expectations of the global community.



For NATO, it is a welcome expectation to explore cooperation with Beijing in the spheres such as arms control and climate change to "better cope" with global challenges. China's appetite for cooperation remains undiminished, but NATO's characterization of China as a challenge to its so-called interests, security and values has done little good in practice. Contrary to the largely positive overtones of the Wang-Stoltenberg exchange, NATO's controversial stance on China "has hampered much-needed cooperation against false information," increased global uncertainties in a militarized world, and prevented NATO from establishing what Beijing sees as a "rational and correct understanding of China."

The resulting misunderstandings risk undermining the "necessary cooperation" between China and NATO on issues concerning peace and stability on the world stage. After all, it is Stoltenberg's suggestion that NATO attaches ample significance to strengthening its contact with China. That position makes for good optics, but it can attract much-needed credibility if the alliance's own Strategic Concept and security propositions reflect that view in practice.

At the same time, China's record on world peace reflects all-round cooperation capacity. For instance, in his speech at the Asia Society headquarters in New York, Wang reiterated Beijing's successes in never provoking a conflict, occupying a single inch of foreign soil, or initiating a proxy war. Similarly, NATO stands reminded of the fact that China hasn't once sought a sphere of influence, greenlit participation in military groups, or interfered in countries' internal matters.

All this is a marked departure from the alliance's own preoccupations, but NATO's genuine recognition of China's peaceful contributions is central to doing away with one-sided, rivalrous tendencies. A step in that direction is needed to promote what Stoltenberg saw as NATO's "positive attitude" towards developing relations with Beijing. "China is willing to carry out necessary cooperation with NATO on global issues and contribute to peace and stability," affirmed Wang.

By virtue of a deeply internationalized world, enduring bilateral cooperation  whether between China and the U.S. or China and the NATO  requires accurate choices that are reflective of global interests and fundamental respect. The alternative is to afford enormous uncertainty to key relationships, including consequential U.S.-China ties, when the world deserves far better.



The author Hannan Hussain is a foreign affairs commentator and author. He is a Fulbright recipient at the University of Maryland and a former assistant researcher at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute. (Source: CGTN)
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The new US Covid booster campaign needs a dose of clarity about its goals and limitations. The latest bivalent vaccine  retooled to protect against the currently circulating BA.5 variant  will benefit some more than others. The oldest and most vulnerable citizens are likely to benefit most. Public health officials should aim to protect them through a targeted messaging campaign convincing them to get the shot. Younger people should only be encouraged to get it if theyre more than six months out from their last shot.

Right now, however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a broader focus  recommending that everyone over 12 get the booster if theyre more than two months out from their last shot or three months out from an infection. That diffuse message is less likely to reach those who need it most.

The situation was simpler during the initial vaccine rollout in 2021. The clinical trial data suggested that vaccinations would go a long way toward preventing infection in the first place, and so getting vaccinated was considered not just a personal health choice but a civic duty for everyone. There was broad scientific consensus that widespread vaccination would minimize cases and maybe even end the pandemic.

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That hope was crushed by the discovery of immunity-evading new variants. But there was still a pretty wide consensus that people should get a first booster, thanks to growing evidence that an extra shot, given months later, would help reduce cases and prevent severe illness.

But expert opinion had splintered by the spring of 2022. Some wanted to keep boosting everyone every six months or so, either with the original vaccines or with updated boosters. The problem was a lack of evidence that repeated boosting would make a substantial dent in cases. The new bivalent BA.5 boosters could plausibly reduce the odds of infection, but we dont know by how much.

At the end of the day, probably what counts most is the time from the last immunization or infection, says Alessandro Sette, a professor at the La Jolla Institute of Immunology. He says right now theres too much emphasis on the number of boosters people are getting, rather than their timing. For four or six months after infection or a previous booster, your immune system probably isnt very boost-able.

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Sette reiterated what Harvard University immunologist Duane Wesemann told me for a previous column: Over the months following an infection or vaccine dose, your immune system is slowly improving the quality of your antibody-making B-cells and generating slight diversity that increases the odds of effectiveness against a new variant. The number of antibodies circulating in your bloodstream can decline, but these B-cells continue to retain the ability to make new ones pretty quickly for about six months.

Thats why University of California, San Francisco infectious disease doctor Monica Gandhi told me shes been arguing that the recommended interval be six months for healthy people  not the two currently recommended (and in some places, mandated).

In principle, pushing forward a massive fall booster campaign could blunt a winter wave, but Covid waves cant yet be predictably tied to seasonal changes, and nobody knows whether BA.5 or something else will be behind the next surge. Its also unknown whether boosting someone earlier than about four months does anything to reduce the odds of infection and transmission.

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The other essential question is whether the BA.5 bivalent booster has a significant advantage over the original boosters. Sette says the evidence points that way, as least as long as BA.5 remains dominant. In fact, Sette told me that he was going to go get his bivalent booster that same day, right after our interview was over.

But pediatrics professor and Food and Drug Administration advisory committee member Paul Offit is not planning to get the new booster just yet. He called the evidence that the bivalent booster was more protective than the original underwhelming and, in an opinion piece for the WSJ, accused the CDC of overselling it, when its most likely to benefit the oldest and most vulnerable.

A more targeted CDC messaging campaign would prioritize the 35% of people over 65 who havent been boosted at all; theyd benefit the most from the retooled booster. Next on the priority list would be the over-65s who havent been boosted or been infected during the last six months. Even if they already had one booster, theres now evidence that getting a second booster reduces the risk of death, so a second shot is worth it. Its less urgent to reach the two-thirds of adults aged 18-64 whove yet to get a single booster, although theyd also benefit, so long as they havent been infected in the last 4-6 months.

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In a way, it doesnt have to be more complicated than the original rollout, which emphasized certain people needed to be first in line: health care workers, essential workers, then older people, then younger people with health problems, and then everyone else.

This time around, public health should also rank people by urgency, starting with unboosted people over 65. Even if the overall uptake numbers stay low, the booster campaign can still save lives if it reaches the right people.

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Faye Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering science. She is host of the Follow the Science podcast.

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Recessions are rare  or, at least, government statistical bureaus are slow to recognize them. But big corporations dont take chances. They work hard to avert an earnings recession, usually defined as two consecutive quarters of profit decline. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Looking at S&P 500 companies earnings, it doesnt feel like an economic downturn is on the horizon, even as worries about a global economic slump mount. These large companies may be more resilient, with their currency hedging tools and diversified businesses, one could argue.

Or perhaps theres some creative accounting at work, suggests Gavekal Researchs Charles Gave, who started his finance career in 1970. He compared S&P 500 earnings to profits from the broader economy and found that, historically, the two data series diverge on the brink of recessions.

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In fact, this profit divergence may be an even better recession predictor than an inverted Treasury yield curve. Since 1960, on every occasion when S&P 500 earnings climbed at least 20% above broader corporate profits, a recession ensued, notes Gave. We are seeing this divide again.

Heres the logic: As business conditions worsen, big publicly traded companies find it harder to generate profits that would please Wall Street. So their accountants come to the rescue. But accounting magic has its limits, so their earnings inevitably drop, causing the two data series to converge again.

I find Gaves explanation plausible. Heres a concrete example, played out in Asia. In August, SoftBank Group Corp. said it cut its exposure in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.s shares to 14.6% from 23.7%. As a result, it expected to record about 2.4 trillion yen ($16.6 billion) in gains from the revaluation of its remaining Alibaba stake.

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That would be a welcome cushion. In the first half this year, SoftBank incurred record losses from the poor performance at its two Vision Funds.

In this case, there was no cash inflow; the only tweak involved the accounting treatment. Now that SoftBank owned less than 20% of Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant no longer needed to enter SoftBanks financial statements as an associate. As a result, SoftBank can be treated as a passive investor, thereby allowing it to record unrealized mark-to-market capital gains that it couldnt do previously.

This perhaps explains why equity strategists are pessimistic on stocks. The S&Ps price-to-earnings ratio still embeds a completely misplaced equity-risk premium given the rising risk to earnings, noted Morgan Stanley this week. How reliable are the earnings we see?

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Already, large companies are revising their guidance at a faster pace than last year. All it takes is a few more profit warnings from global business leaders such as FedEx Corp., and the big corporates big profit facade will come crashing down.

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Shuli Ren is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian markets. A former investment banker, she was a markets reporter for Barrons. She is a CFA charterholder.

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Since last week, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced hed mobilize hundreds of thousands of additional soldiers, Russian men have been trying their best to get the heck out of the country. The question for us in the West is: Should we let those draft dodgers in? Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Yes, says Germany. Anybody who hates Putins way and loves liberal democracy is welcome, tweeted Marco Buschmann, Germanys justice minister, just after Putin spoke. In 2015, the German government initially said Welcome, refugees to the Syrians; in 2022, it appears to be getting ready to greet the Russians the same way.

Madness, countered one Estonian politician, speaking on behalf of many others, especially in the parts of the European Union bordering Russia. The Germans are once again being naive, the argument goes. Among the throngs of Russians claiming to be dissidents or opponents of Putins attack on Ukraine, there are sure to be any number of Little Green Men as well.

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Little green men is the memorable label given to the Russian soldiers who annexed Crimea in 2014. They wore greenish camouflage but no official Russian army insignia. Keeping a straight face, Putin pretended they were local volunteers and self-defense groups. These days, little green men can refer to any of his covert operatives. These in turn represent just one of many vectors the KGB-trained Putin uses for his hybrid warfare against the West  from disinformation and cyberattacks to interference in foreign elections and more.

The counterargument might run as follows: Yes, the West must be careful about little green men masquerading as draft dodgers and subverting the open societies of NATO and the EU. (That also applies to Russian tourists, which is why several EU countries are right to start banning most such visits by Russians.) But we must also support Russians fleeing the death grip of their dictator, for they would be in grave danger if they stayed at home after evading conscription.

This humanitarian argument has a tactical corollary. Any Russian men we host cannot simultaneously be fighting and killing Ukrainians. Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has already appealed (in Russian) to Russian men to defy the mobilization. The West could help by sheltering those who do.

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The prospect of asylum would also accelerate the brain drain of Russian society already underway. Putins Russia is losing some of its most talented and creative minds, just as Hitlers Germany once exported many of its best and brightest to the US and other countries. Some of the Third Reichs refugees, in fact, later returned to their native land as hyper-qualified and hyper-motivated American soldiers to help finish off the Nazis.

The ideal scenario, of course, would be for Russians to take Putins mass mobilization as their cue not to flee the country, but to rise up and topple the regime. But in his Russia  as in other tyrannies past and present  that puts an onus of heroism on ordinary Russians that few of us would muster. Escaping can be easier, if we make it so.

The decision for the EU and other countries therefore comes down to weighing the risk of little green men against the benefit of helping sabotage Putins mobilization, and by extension his entire war effort.

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Ensuring that every Russian draft dodger who shows up also loves liberal democracy, as Germanys Buschmann stipulated so optimistically, will be difficult  just as it was hard in 2015-2016 to spot jihadists from the Islamic State among the Syrian refugees arriving. But the torch of European asylum would be a beacon to many Russians hoping to avoid becoming cannon fodder or war criminals in Ukraine.

Its understandable that many Europeans are rejecting asylum for Russian draft dodgers. Two decades worth of experience has shown that the Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians were right in being hawkish toward Russia, whereas the Germans, in being dovish, were simply being gullible.

This one time, however, the Germans might just have the more farsighted approach.

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 The Cost of Putins Ukraine Escalation Is Already Clear: Lara Williams

 Putins Ukraine War Forces Ugly Bargains on Food and Fuel: Liam Denning

 The European Way of Life Isnt Looking Too Sweet: Lionel Laurent

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European politics. A former editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist, he is author of Hannibal and Me.

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Airline alliances and code-sharing agreements  which allow travelers to book tickets with access to more destinations and airport lounges of members worldwide  have been around since the beginning of commercial aviation. Customers like these partnerships or they wouldnt have lasted. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The Department of Justice, in an antitrust trial that began Tuesday, is seeking to undo one of these partnerships, the Northeast Alliance between American Airlines Group Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp. It allows the carriers to coordinate flights and share revenue at the four main airports in Boston and the New York area. The government contends the arrangement is essentially a merger and will drive up fares. (The case also has implications for JetBlues proposed acquisition of Spirit Airlines Inc., which faces its own antitrust review.)

There is little evidence that the alliance is hurting competition and driving up fares, and in fact it may be strengthening options in the Northeast. The case is largely a distraction, and the government should be focused instead on actual consolidation that hurts consumers, like the Spirit Airlines deal.

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Airline alliances work because carriers save money by sharing facilities such as ticket counters or maintenance. Flyers benefit from easier ticketing and the ability to earn miles with one airlines loyalty program even when another carrier operates the flight.

These arrangements started as early as the 1930s and mostly involved two airlines sharing flights. That changed in 1997 when United Airlines Holding Inc., Deutsche Lufthansa AG and three others teamed up to form Star Alliance. Two years later, American Airlines, British Airways and three other airlines created Oneworld. Not wanting to be left out, Delta Air Lines Inc. cobbled together SkyTeam in 2000 with Air France-KLM and other partners.

The three big alliances now have just fewer than 60 members with varying degrees of cooperation. Other direct alliances and code-sharing agreements abound among the worlds air carriers. In other words, airlines have been tangled together for decades even though they are owned and operated separately.

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JetBlue doesnt belong to one of the three big alliances, so in early 2021 it started operating the Northeast Alliance, or NEA, with American, which provides JetBlues customers with more destinations from the four participating airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport. JetBlue expects to leverage Americans network to capture more business passengers and bolster revenue from its Mint premium travel product, which trumpets lie-flat seats and suites.

For American, it fills a gap where its network lags behind the main competitors, United and Delta. In the New York area, which includes Newark, American carried just shy of 10 million domestic passengers in the 12 months ended in June, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Delta flew more than 18 million people, and United had 15 million. JetBlue flew 13.7 million domestic passengers.

If you say no to it, you basically hand the keys over to Delta and United, said Conor Cunningham, an analyst with Melius Research. From a competitive standpoint, it is better for consumers to have a stronger third competitor in the Northeast region. That balance would change, though, if JetBlue is allowed to acquire Spirit, he said.

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The NEA already has some competitive safeguards. It has to report operating details to the Department of Transportation, and if the two airlines dont meet escalating targets that culminate in a 15% increase of seat capacity by 2025 at JFK and LaGuardia, the two airlines will have to give up take-off and landing slots at these two key airports.

Already as part of approving the NEA deal, the Transportation Department forced the two airlines to give up a combined seven slot pairs at JFK and six pairs at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Thats no small concession. Reagan National, along with the two New York City airports, are the only three where the Federal Aviation Administration controls the slots because the airports are deemed capacity constrained.

This isnt the first domestic alliance that American has formed to plug a hole in its network. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline struck a similar deal, minus the revenue sharing, with Alaska Air Group Inc. in February 2020. That deal gives American access to Alaskas Seattle hub and a jumping off point to and from Asia. Alaska also joined Americans Oneworld alliance.

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Dont be surprised if JetBlue ends up on Americans Oneworld team at some point. The move would line up with JetBlues eagerness to expand international flights. The Long Island City, New York-based airline last year expanded a partnership with Qatar Airways, which is a member of Oneworld, and will terminate in October a code-sharing agreement with Emirates Airlines, which just agreed to an alliance with United.

The point is alliances arent eliminating competition, and they bring some benefits to passengers. The government should certainly block an American-JetBlue merger, but thats not on the table. It should scrutinize consolidation that pushes up fares or reduces flight options for passengers. The Justice Department is pursuing the wrong JetBlue deal.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Thomas Black is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering logistics and manufacturing. Previously, he covered U.S. industrial and transportation companies and Mexicos industry, economy and government.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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For anyone wondering whether Jair Bolsonaro plans to retreat gracefully into the background if he loses Brazils presidential election, his latest overseas jaunt offers one answer. Even before Queen Elizabeths funeral, he found an opportunity to rouse flag-clad supporters from the London embassy balcony, with dog-whistle references to abortion and gender ideology, hints at his opponents supposed communist allegiances  and then a guarantee that he would inevitably win, outright, in the first round.

Facts? Who needs them.

In reality, with less than a week to go before Brazilians head to the polls on Sunday, the numbers do not favor the incumbent. An Ipec survey published on Monday suggested opposition leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva could take 52% of valid votes in the first round  enough to win without a run-off, a feat only one past candidate has managed (twice)  while Bolsonaro would take 34%. The gap between them isnt narrowing. (Ipec interviewed 3,008 people on September 25 and 26, for a survey with a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points and a confidence level of 95%.)

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Polls can be imperfect and they underestimate the difference turnout will make. But with time running out and the former congressman for Rio de Janeiro struggling even on his home turf, the chances of an election-day surprise look ever more distant.

Certainly, the return of former president Lula is a troubling prospect for many Brazilians, thanks in large part to the massive corruption scandal that brewed up during his time in office and ultimately resulted in his imprisonment. The Supreme Court annulled his convictions in 2021.

A pragmatist and a shrewd political operator, though, he has built a wide coalition, bringing in business-friendly former Sao Paulo governor Geraldo Alckmin as his vice president, gaining endorsements from other high-profile moderates, like Marina Silva, an erstwhile environment minister who had ruptured ties with his party, and former central bank chief Henrique Meirelles. Lula has also invested in his enduring appeal among poorer households, who remember his housing programs, a groundbreaking cash transfer for low-income families that lifted millions out of poverty and efforts to widen access to education.

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With more than 33 million Brazilians going hungry today  and more than half living with some level of food insecurity  no wonder nostalgia is strong. Never mind that the economic backdrop will be very different in 2023, without the spectacular commodity boom that lifted all boats during Lulas first and second term, and with what is likely to be a far less congenial legislature.

Yet the question staring at Brazil today is not really about who wins the election. The real head-scratcher is what Bolsonaro, a man of openly authoritarian tendencies, will do if and when he loses, as the polls strongly suggest.

The president said on prime-time television last month that he would accept the results of the election, as long as the vote is clean and transparent. However, hes also prepared the way for a tantrum of national proportions. Taking a leaf out of US President Donald Trumps book, he has repeatedly sought to discredit Brazils well-established electoral process, and picked fights with the Supreme Court. Hes wrapped himself in the flag, smeared his opponent and portrayed the race as good against evil.

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A former army captain, Bolsonaro has sought to enlist the armed forces (and the police) to his cause  modern coups dont require tanks, but they do require the military. Hes defended Brazils military dictatorship and has steadily expanded the armed forces presence in the political sphere. His government demanded a role for them even in overseeing the voting process, a risky, indeed unthinkable move for a credible democracy. His persistent support for weapon ownership has left Brazil awash in guns. The far-right populist has also supercharged disinformation, using his speeches and direct addresses to stoke baseless rumors, then amplified by friendly social media.

Of course, even if Bolsonaro wants to hang on to power whatever happens, that doesnt mean he can.

For one, Lula looks set to win by a healthy margin if the vote goes to the second round, which will make it far harder for Bolsonaro to cry foul, and will make backing him a far less attractive option for supporters high in the countrys political, military and economic elite.

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The president has also proven a good talker but a mediocre operative, even on the backbenches, making it conceivable that if he finds sympathy in some corners of the armed forces or the military police, he will still struggle to bring the rest onside. Levels of empathy with Bolsonaro are not uniform. Thats no protection from troublesome incidents, but it does make an all-out insurrection far more challenging. Crucially, with Trump out of power, he also has no significant international backing for adventurism, as his unimpressive dance card on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly demonstrated. Serbia and Poland will hardly carry him through.

None of that means a sigh of relief is in order. Even in the best case, the two months between the runoff and the inauguration provide plenty of time for Bolsonaro to wreak havoc, say, in the Amazon. More troubling still are the divisions he has sowed, which will remain. Without Bolsonaro, some of the worst traits of Bolsonarismo may well linger, even without a party to nurture it. Hes alienated minorities and deepened the involvement of religion and the armed forces in politics. Hes promoted violence, heightened distrust in the judiciary and in the very act of voting. Whatever happens in October, the worlds fourth-largest democracy has been left dangerously weak.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

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 Latin Americas Pink Tide Cant Revive Past: Eduardo Porter

 To Woo Voters, Bolsonaro Deploys Wife and Prayers: Clara Ferreira Marques

 Brazils Democracy Needs More Friends in High Places: Editorial

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Clara Ferreira Marques is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and editorial board member covering foreign affairs and climate. Previously, she worked for Reuters in Hong Kong, Singapore, India, the U.K., Italy and Russia.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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Juvenile curfews have been used for decades as a way to combat juvenile crime and spikes in violence. But data shows that juvenile curfews often do not work. That hasnt stopped jurisdictions from trying. Earlier this month, Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced that the county would begin a 30-day enforcement period of their long standing juvenile curfew law. The period began on September 9, and the 30-day period is ongoing.

Similar discussions are taking place around the country. In Memphis, Tennessee, the city council is currently debating enforcing a more strict curfew. The same is occurring in Lubbock, Texas. And Springtown, Texas. And Forsyth County, North Carolina. And Highland County, Ohio.

In Prince Georges County, early returns on the policy are mixed. The first week yielded no arrests, according to Fox 5 News. Alsobrooks praised the program, which she said included a sharp drop in crime during the first weekend, according to the Washington Informer. Alsobrooks also said that the curfew was responsible for police picking up a 16 year old girl who was in a car with a man who had a gun. The man was arrested, and the girl was returned home while her guardians were notified.

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For Alsobrooks the main reason for imposing the curfew was to respond to a recent spike in crime. She reported in her press conference that August 2022 was the deadliest month in the history of the county.

At the time of the press conference, there had been over 350 carjackings in the county this year, a 52% increase from the previous year, according to Alsobrooks. Of those, 84 were committed by juvenile offenders, and half of those 84 were committed by offenders under the age of 15.

Alsobrooks said she was also concerned about juvenile repeat offenders. She said that 55 of the 84 juvenile carjacking offenders had prior offenses, including 34 for gun or violent crime offenses.

Just after the curfew was announced, a Prince Georges County Circuit Judge was reassigned for being too lenient, as reported by ABC 7 News DC , after he allowed a 12 year old to return home while awaiting trial.

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The academic research on juvenile curfews is clear.

The pattern of evidence suggests that juvenile curfews are ineffective at reducing crime and victimization. The average effect on juvenile crime during curfew hours was slightly positive  that is a slight increase in crime  and close to zero for crime during all hours, according to a 2016 study by the Campbell Foundation, which reviewed a collection of 12 studies on juvenile curfews.

Juvenile curfew laws gained popularity in the early 1990s after cities like Dallas enacted ordinances to deal with juvenile crime. In 1996, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) released a bulletin on the subject of juvenile curfews. Washington, D.C., imposed a curfew in 1995, the year before the bulletin from the OJJDP. Prince Georges County also introduced their curfew law in the same year.

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In Maryland, there are currently two curfew laws in the books. In Prince Georges County, the law prohibits individuals aged 16 and under from being in public spaces between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. on school nights, while the deadline moves back to midnight on Friday and Saturday. In Baltimore City, as in other parts of the country, there is also a curfew during school hours, which prohibits youth from being in public places during school hours, with some exceptions.

According to the National Youth Rights Association, there are currently more than 400 curfew laws on the books around the country, and yet there are few arrests. Curfew laws stay on the books, they just lose the focus of police departments. When there is an announcement like the one made in Prince Georges County, it is not a new law being created, but a declaration that the existing one will be enforced.

In Prince Georges County, the enforcement comes after a decade of progress. Juvenile crime dropped significantly from 2011-2020, including a 76.5% drop in juvenile complaints.

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An important metric for juvenile sentencing is the rate at which youth become committed. A committed youth is someone who has been deemed delinquent by the court system. This commitment allows the office of juvenile services in that state to assume control over the youth. The data from 2011-2020 shows that for violent crimes, the rate at which juveniles are committed in Prince Georges County is essentially unchanged from a decade ago.

On a national level, this trend continued into the pandemic. A 2020 study from the Sentencing Project showed that juvenile crime was flat or falling during the pandemic. This is consistent with OJJDP data going back to 1980.

Despite decades of positive change in juvenile crime, the recent upticks on a local level have pressured officials to reinstate curfew laws in Prince Georges County. It remains to be seen if these will have a meaningful effect.

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This article was provided to The Associated Press by the University of Marylands Capital News Service.

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KYIV, Ukraine  KYIV, Ukraine  The governor of Ukraines Luhansk region says the number of local voters cited by pro-Russia officials as having participated in a referendum on living under Russian rule is inconsistent with the number of people residing in the area after seven months of war. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight In October 2012, when the entire Luhansk region voted (in elections), 1,829 million people were registered as voters. Now, they brought to the polls 1,662 million, Serhiy Haidai, the regions Ukrainian governor, said.

According to Haidai, between half and two-thirds of the urban population of Luhansk left the region since the start of the war.

Almost no one is surprised by the results (of the Kremlin-orchestrated referendums). Thousands are outraged, by only a few are surprised, Haidai said.

Moscow is expected to move quickly to annex the four regions of Ukraine where votes were held. Haidai nonetheless predicted the results of the vote will not affect a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the east, where he says Kyivs forces are advancing towards the occupied cities of Luhansk.

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KEY DEVELOPMENTS:

 Russia prepares to annex occupied Ukraine despite outcry

 EU vows to act if energy lines hit as firms ramp up security

 How real are Putins nuclear threats in Ukraine?

 US announces $1.1 billion more in military aid for Ukraine

 Moscow tries to draft fleeing Russian men at the borders

 Official: Ukraine will fight for land Russia likely to annex

 Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

WASHINGTON  The U.S. will provide an additional $1.1 billion in aid to Ukraine, with funding for about 18 more advanced rocket systems and other weapons to counter drones that Russia has been using against Ukrainian troops, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.

The latest package is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds contracts to purchase weapons and equipment. And it brings the total of U.S. aid to Ukraine to nearly $17 billion since the Biden administration took office.

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The aid announcement comes as Russia moves to annex parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine that held Kremlin-orchestrated referendums on living under Moscows rule. The votes were denounced by Kyiv and the West as illegal and rigged.

Since the funding is for contracts for weapons and equipment, it is aimed at helping Ukraine secure its longer-term defense needs. It could take a year or two for Ukraine to get the systems. The U.S. has used Pentagon drawdown authority to provide weapons more immediately, and another announcement for that Defense Department aid is expected early next week.

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LARSI, Georgia  Long lines of Russians trying to escape being called up to fight in Ukraine continued to clog highways out of the country on Wednesday, and Moscow reportedly set up draft offices at borders to intercept some of them.

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North Ossetia, a Russian region that borders Georgia, declared a state of high alert and said that food, water, warming stations and other aid should be brought in for those who have spent days in queues. Volunteers on the Georgian side of the border also have brought water, blankets and other assistance.

North Ossetia restricted many passenger cars from entering its territory, and set up a draft office at the Verkhy Lars border crossing, Russian news agencies said. Some media outlets released photos at the crossing showing a black van with military enlistment office written on it.

Another such draft checkpoint was set up in Russia along the Finnish border, according to the independent Russian news outlet Meduza.

Tens of thousands of Russian men have fled in the week since President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilization to bolster struggling Russian forces in Ukraine. Although Putin said the callup was partial, aimed at calling up about 300,000 men with past military service, many Russians fear it will be much broader and more arbitrary than that. There are numerous reports of men with no military training and of all ages receiving draft notices.

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BRUSSELS  European Union countries should impose biting sanctions on Russian trade and hit officials responsible for sham referendums held in parts of Ukraine, senior EU officials said Wednesday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Kremlin-orchestrated referendums on joining Russia are an illegal attempt to grab land and change international borders by force.

We are determined to make the Kremlin pay for this further escalation, she said. We propose sweeping new import bans on Russian products.

The EUs executive branch, headed by von der Leyen, has drawn up several rafts of sanctions against Russia since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of neighboring Ukraine seven months ago.

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BERLIN  Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said Germany will never recognize the results of the sham referendums Russia organized in the occupied territories in Ukraine.

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Scholz made the pledge Wednesday in a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A spokesman for Scholz said the two discussed Ukraines military, political and economic situation as well as possibilities for further support, including in reconstruction.

The chancellor stressed that Germany would not let up in providing concrete support to Ukraine including arms deliveries. He insisted that Germany would never recognize the results of the sham referendums.

Russia is widely expected to declare annexation of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions after claiming overwhelming support for the bid in the voting.

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MADRID  Spain has condemned the separation referendums Russia organized in four regions it holds in Ukraine and rejected expected annexation of the territories.

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The Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that Spain strongly condemns the illegal simulacra of votes held yesterday in Ukraine.

Spains government does not grant any legitimacy to the fictitious results announced by the forces of occupation, the statement added. Spain firmly rejects any action or decision taken by Russian authorities toward the illegal annexation of the territories in question.

Spains government ... makes a renewed call to Russia to cease its armed aggression and for the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of its troops from Ukrainian territory, the ministry said.

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ANKARA, Turkey  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says separation referendums in four Russia-controlled regions in Ukraine complicate efforts to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

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Erdogans comments were carried in a statement from his office issued after a phone call Wednesday with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Erdogan also reiterated during the call Turkeys readiness to make the necessary contribution for a peaceful resolution of the war, offering to act as a mediator or facilitator for the establishment of a demilitarized zone around Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

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MOSCOW  The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has issued another security alert for Americans in Russia, warning them to depart immediately while limited commercial travel options remain.

The embassy cited the ongoing partial mobilization in Russia for the war in Ukraine.

Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service, it said.

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An Aug. 15 security alert from the embassy warned that Americans could be harassed in Russia and have difficulty obtaining consular assistance.

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BELGRADE, Serbia  Russias Balkan ally Serbia says it wont recognize the expected annexation of four Russian-held territories in Ukraine where separation referendums were held this week.

President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters Wednesday that Serbia wont and cant endorse the votes also because of Kosovo, whose 2008 declaration of independence Belgrade does not accept.

We are protecting our own territorial integrity and it is in our best interest to protect the territorial integrity of internationally recognized countries, said Vucic. That is the only thing that cannot change, those things are crucial for us.

Serbia maintains close relations with Russia despite the war in Ukraine and has refused to join Western sanctions, although the Balkan nation is formally seeking to join the European Union. Belgrade in the past several days has faced criticism for signing a foreign policy agreement with Russia.

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KYIV, Ukraine  The Moscow-appointed heads of the Luhansk and Kherson regions have published on the Telegram messaging application their requests for the territories to join Russia.

The Luhansk administrator Leonid Pasechnik cited alleged Ukrainian crimes and threat of genocide as the reason for his request, addressed to Russias President Vladimir Putin.

The Kherson region head Vladimir Saldo later did the same. The remaining two Russia-occupied regions are expected to follow suit. The requests are seen as a prelude to Putin declaring their annexation in the coming days.

Russia organized voting in four regions it holds on whether they wish to separate from Ukraine and join Russia. The votes have been dismissed by the West and Ukraine as a sham, but the pro-Russia authorities in the four regions have said people overwhelmingly supported separation from Ukraine.

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MOSCOW  The spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed speculation that Russia could be behind the damage on two underwater natural gas pipelines to Europe.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday said such allegations were predictable and stupid, noting that Russia has suffered huge economic damage from the incidents.

Seismologists reported Tuesday that explosions rattled the Baltic Sea before unusual leaks were discovered on two underwater natural gas pipelines running from Russia to Germany.

Some European leaders and experts pointed to possible sabotage given the energy standoff with Russia provoked by the war in Ukraine. The three leaks were reported on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which are filled with natural gas but are not delivering the fuel to Europe.

Peskov said the pipelines were filled with gas, all systems were ready for pumping it and the gas is very expensive.

This gas costs a lot of money, and now this gas is vanishing into the air, he said in a conference call with reporters.

Peskov noted that Russia expects the inquiry to find out what happened and said that Russian company Gazprom, as the owner of the pipeline, will take part in the process.

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MOSCOW  The spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin has intimated that Russia wont halt its special military operation after the expected annexation of four regions it holds in Ukraine.

Dmitry Peskov says at the very least Russia will need to liberate the entire Donetsk region, which remains partly controlled by Ukrainian troops.

Russia organized separation referendums in the four regions it controls and Putin is expected to declare their annexation in the coming days.

Commenting on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkens statement that Ukraine has the absolute right to take back territories seized by Russia regardless of the referendums, Peskov said the comments reflect the increasing U.S. involvement in Ukraine.

The U.S. is becoming increasingly involved in the conflict de facto, the U.S. is getting increasingly close to becoming a party to the conflict, which potentially is extremely dangerous, Peskov said.

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BERLIN  Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants Germany to take in Russians who do not want to fight in the war against Ukraine.

I am in favor of offering these people protection, the chancellor told daily newspaper Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung on Wednesday.

Of course, they have to go through a security check beforehand, so we know who we are letting into our country, he added.

The German government announced earlier this week that it wants to reach a common solution at the European level on how to deal with Russian deserters.

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ROME, Italy  The leader of a far-right party likely to be Italys next premier has reassured the Ukrainian leader of Italys support for Ukraine as it defends itself from the Russian invasion.

Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy, reassured Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a tweet Tuesday night that you know that you can count on our loyal support for the cause of freedom of Ukrainian people. Stay strong and keep your faith steadfast!

Meloni was responding to a tweet of congratulations in which Zelenskyy expressed appreciation for Italys continued support to Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression.

We are counting on a fruitful collaboration with the new government, he said.

The Brothers of Italy, which has neo-fascist roots, led Sundays parliamentary election and is set to lead a new government with its right-wing coalition partners, Matteo Salvinis League and Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia, both of whom have had ties to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

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SOFIA, Bulgaria  Bulgarias Foreign Ministry is urging against traveling to Russia and advising Bulgarian citizens there to consider leaving the country by any means of transport available.

The ministry advises Bulgarians who will stay in Russia to be vigilant, avoid crowded places and pay close attention to how the situation develops.

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ANKARA, Turkey  Turkish media report that Turkeys state banks have suspended transactions through Russias payment system, following U.S. threats of secondary sanctions on Turkish banks that accept the system.

Private NTV television and other media reported Wednesday that state-owned banks Vakiflar Bankasi, Ziraat Bankasi and Halk Bankasi decided to halt the use of the Mir system.

The decision comes days after two private banks, Is Bank and Denizbank, also stopped transactions through Mir.

NATO-member Turkey has not joined U.S. and European sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, retaining its close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv and positioning itself as a mediator between the two.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey was looking for alternatives to the Mir system, which allowed Russian tourists and those living in Turkey to access their accounts.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines Foreign Ministry has blasted the separation votes in Russian-occupied parts of their country, calling them null and worthless.

A statement on Wednesday says Ukraine will never agree to any Russian ultimatums. Instead, Ukraine asked for further international financial and other support, including tanks, combat aircraft, armored vehicles, long-range artillery, anti-aircraft and missile defense equipment.

Kyiv has received billions in aid from the U.S. and other Western nations since Russia invaded in February. The Foreign Ministry statement described the referendums as a continuation of the Russian aggression.

Forcing people in these territories to fill out some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine, the ministry said. Moscows attempts to create new separation lines or weaken international support for Ukraine are doomed to fail.

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BRUSSELS  The European Unions top diplomat lashed out at Russia on Wednesday for holding illegal annexation referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine, denouncing their falsified outcome.

Kremlin-installed governments in the four areas have all declared landslide victories.

In a message posted on Twitter, the high representative of the EU for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, said: This is another violation of Ukraines sovereignty + territorial integrity, amidst systematic abuses of human rights. We commend the courage of Ukrainians, who continue to oppose & resist Russian invasion.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Russian-installed officials in occupied regions of Ukraine said Wednesday they would ask President Vladimir Putin to incorporate the territories into Russia.

Pro-Moscow officials in the eastern Luhansk region and partially occupied southern region of Zaporizhzhia said they will make the request later on Wednesday, while officials in the neighboring Kherson region said they will do so in the coming days.

Separatist officials in the Donetsk region, large swaths of which still remain under Ukrainian control, are expected to follow suit.

Pro-Moscow administrations of all four occupied regions of Ukraine said Tuesday night that their residents had voted to join Russia. Western officials have dismissed the referendums as illegal, but Putin is likely to use them to declare annexation of the four regions.

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BRUSSELS  The European Unions top diplomat says the bloc suspects that damage to two underwater natural gas pipelines was sabotage and is warning of retaliation for any attack on Europes energy networks.

Josep Borell said Wednesday that all available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act, He added that any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.

Seismologists reported Tuesday that explosions rattled the Baltic Sea before unusual leaks were discovered on two underwater natural gas pipelines running from Russia to Germany. Three leaks were reported on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. They are not currently delivering fuel to Europe.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Men being mobilized to reinforce Russian lines in Ukraine are apparently receiving no military training, a Washington-based think tank and Ukraines military said Wednesday.

The Institute for the Study of War cited one online video by a man who identified himself as a member of the 1st Tank Regiment, visibly upset, saying that he and his colleagues wouldnt receive training before shipping out to the Russian-occupied region of Kherson in Ukraine.

Mobilized men with a day or two of training are unlikely to meaningfully reinforce Russian positions affected by Ukrainian counteroffensives in the south and east, the institute said.

In a daily briefing, the Ukrainian militarys general staff also said the 1st Tank Regiment of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army has received new troops coming without any training.

The Ukrainian military also claimed prisoners were arriving in Ukraine to reinforce the Russian lines. It offered no evidence to support the claim.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Authorities in the southern Ukrainian city of Nikopol say Russian rockets and artillery have pounded the city overnight.

The city, across the Dnipro River from Russian-occupied territory, saw 10 high-rises and private buildings hit, as well as a school, power lines and other areas, said Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the local military administration.

He said there were no immediate casualties reported from the attacks.

In the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, which is partially occupied by Moscow, Russian fire killed five people and wounded 10 others over the past 24 hours, said Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the local military authority.

He said four people died in Kurakhovo and one person in Bakhmut from the attacks.

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KYIV, Ukraine  The British military say Ukrainian advances near the eastern hub of Lyman have been slower than previously.

Units are making slow advances on at least two axes east from the line of the Oskil and Siverskyy Donets rivers, where forces had consolidated following their previous advance earlier in the month, the British Defense Ministry said in an intelligence briefing Wednesday.

Russia is mounting a more substantive defense than previously, likely because the Ukrainian advance now threatens parts of Luhansk  as voting in the referendum on accession to the Russian Federation closes.

The British added that fighting remains intense around Kherson in Ukraines south as the Russian military remains vulnerable on the eastern banks of the Dnipro River.

Russia continues its grinding attempts to advance near Bakhmut in the Donbas even while it faces severe pressure on its northern and southern flanks, the British said. This is likely due to political pressure as Russia is using forces that could otherwise reinforce the other flanks.

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Federal prosecutors are weighing whether to bring criminal charges against members of the WikiLeaks organization, taking a second look at a 2010 leak of diplomatic cables and military documents and investigating whether the group bears criminal responsibility for the more recent revelation of sensitive CIA cyber-tools, according to people familiar with the case.

The Justice Department under President Barack Obama decided not to charge WikiLeaks for revealing some of the governments most sensitive secrets  concluding that doing so would be akin to prosecuting a news organization for publishing classified information. Justice Department leadership under President Trump, though, has indicated to prosecutors that it is open to taking another look at the case, which the Obama administration did not formally close.

It is not clear whether prosecutors are also looking at WikiLeaks role last year in publishing emails from the Democratic National Committee and the account of Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John D. Podesta, which U.S. officials have said were hacked by the Russian government. Officials have said individuals one step removed from the Kremlin passed the stolen messages to WikiLeaks as part of a broader Russian plot to influence the 2016 presidential election.

[Julian Assange: WikiLeaks has the same mission as The Post and the Times]

Prosecutors in recent weeks have been drafting a memo that contemplates charges against members of the WikiLeaks organization, possibly including conspiracy, theft of government property or violating the Espionage Act, officials said. The memo, though, is not complete, and any charges against members of WikiLeaks, including founder Julian Assange, would need approval from the highest levels of the Justice Department.

Barry J. Pollack, an attorney for Assange, said Justice Department officials had not discussed with him or Assange the status of any investigation, despite his requests that they do so. He said there was no legitimate basis for the Department of Justice to treat WikiLeaks differently than it treats other journalists.

The fact of the matter is  however frustrating it might be to whoever looks bad when information is published  WikiLeaks is a publisher, and they are publishing truthful information that is in the publics interest, Pollack said. Democracy thrives because there are independent journalists reporting on what it is that the government is doing.

Pollack noted that the Obama administration was no shrinking violet when it came to pursuing reporters and journalists, a reference to the Obama Justice Departments repeated attempts to prosecute leakers. Pollack said he hoped this administration will be more respectful, not less respectful, of the First Amendment than the prior administration was.

Prosecutors are trying to determine the extent to which WikiLeaks encouraged or directed sources to engage in illegal activity.

In March, WikiLeaks published thousands of files revealing secret cyber-tools used by the CIA to convert cellphones, televisions and other ordinary devices into implements of espionage. The FBI has made significant progress in the investigation of the leak, narrowing the list of possible suspects, officials said. The officials did not describe WikiLeaks exact role in the case beyond publishing the tools.

Prosecutors are also reexamining the leaks from Chelsea Manning, the Army soldier who was convicted in 2013 of revealing sensitive diplomatic cables. Manning chatted with Assange about a technique to crack a password so Manning could log on to a computer anonymously, and that conversation, which came up during Mannings court-martial, could be used as evidence that WikiLeaks went beyond the role of publisher or journalist.

But journalists routinely employ methods  or tell sources to employ methods  that will help them avoid being identified. Justice Department officials in the previous administration believed that prosecuting Assange or other members of WikiLeaks could open the door to prosecuting news organizations and journalists who published classified information, and so they opted instead to target people, such as Manning, who had clearances to access such information and gave it to reporters.

Any prosecution thats based solely on publishing stolen classified information is going to be very difficult because of the First Amendment problem, said Michael Vatis, a former Justice Department official who oversaw cybercrime investigations and is now a partner at Steptoe & Johnson.

Vatis said Assanges exact words would matter a lot. Just expressing a desire to obtain classified information would not be enough to bring charges, he said.

I think their only realistic hope is some conspiracy charge based on WikiLeaks involvement in the actual hacking, not just publishing the results of the hacking, Vatis said. So if they were somehow planning with the hacker to do the hack or planning, in this case, with the contractor to steal the information so that WikiLeaks could publish it, then I think theyd have a much stronger chance of successfully prosecuting them.

The FBI and the Justice Department declined to comment for this article.

A prosecution of WikiLeaks members would probably draw fierce opposition from open-government and free-press organizations that see the group as practicing journalism, even if its brand is unconventional.

Trump has had a fluid relationship with WikiLeaks, depending largely on how the groups actions benefited or harmed him. On the campaign trail, when WikiLeaks released Podestas hacked emails, Trump told a crowd in Pennsylvania, I love WikiLeaks! But when it came to the release of the CIA tools, he did not seem so pleased.

In one case, youre talking about highly classified information, Trump said at a news conference earlier this year. In the other case, youre talking about John Podesta saying bad things about the boss.

[After loving WikiLeaks as a candidate, Trump decides he doesnt like leaks as president]

CIA Director Mike Pompeo said during an appearance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies this month that it was time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is: a non-state, hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors, like Russia, and he criticized prior administrations as having been squeamish about going after publishers of state secrets.

They have pretended that Americas First Amendment freedoms shield them from justice. They may have believed that, but they are wrong, said Pompeo, who had touted WikiLeaks material on the DNC when he was a congressman.

In a sign of the Justice Departments seriousness in pursuing charges, the U.S. attorneys office in the Eastern District of Virginia recently added a veteran prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney James Trump, to the case, officials familiar with the matter said. James Trump, who is also assigned to the case against Edward Snowden, won criminal convictions in 2015 against former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling, who was charged with leaking classified information to journalist James Risen. Prosecutors in that case initially sought to compel Risen to reveal his source before they ultimately backed down.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick, who examined the case under the Obama administration, also has been working on the matter in recent weeks, officials said.

In a recent Washington Post op-ed piece, Assange said that his groups motive was identical to that claimed by the New York Times and The Post  to publish newsworthy content.

The media has a long history of speaking truth to power with purloined or leaked material  Jack Andersons reporting on the CIAs enlistment of the Mafia to kill Fidel Castro; the Providence Journal-Bulletins release of President Richard Nixons stolen tax returns; the New York Times publication of the stolen Pentagon Papers; and The Posts tenacious reporting of Watergate leaks, to name a few, Assange wrote. I hope historians place WikiLeaks publications in this pantheon. Yet there are widespread calls to prosecute me.

He said in a later podcast interview with the Intercept that he believed Justice Department rules barred a prosecution of him. If they follow those rules, if they follow the First Amendment, they shouldnt be pursuing a prosecution, he said.

Prosecutors would also face practical hurdles in reviving the case involving Manning. Years have passed, and witnesses memories are likely to have faded. Prosecutors also fear that Manning might not be a cooperative witness and that defense attorneys might raise questions about her credibility, officials familiar with the case said.

Manning had been sentenced to 35 years in prison, but Obama commuted her prison term in the waning days of his administration.

Asked Thursday about his concern about leaks and whether it was a priority for the Justice Department to arrest Assange, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, We are going to step up our effort and already are stepping up our efforts on all leaks. He added, Whenever a case can be made, we will seek to put some people in jail.

Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.

Read more:

WikiLeaks latest release of CIA cyber-tools could blow cover on agency hacking operations

Ecuador cut off Julian Assanges Internet, so this guy shouted the news into his window
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KOYA, Iraq  An Iranian drone bombing campaign targeting the bases of an Iranian-Kurdish opposition group in northern Iraq on Wednesday killed at least nine people and wounded 32 others, the Kurdish Regional Governments Health Ministry said. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The strikes took place as demonstrations continued to engulf the Islamic Republic after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who was detained by the Iranian morality police.

Irans attacks targeted Koya, some 65 kilometers (35 miles) east of Irbil, said Soran Nuri, a member of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan. The group, known by the acronym KDPI, is a leftist armed opposition force banned in Iran.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in a statement said the attacks impacted the Iranian refugee settlements in Koya, and that refugees and other civilians were among the casualties.

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Iraqs Foreign Ministry and the Kurdistan Regional Government have condemned the strikes.

Irans state-run IRNA news agency and broadcaster said the countrys Revolutionary Guard targeted bases of a separatist group in the north of Iraq with precision missiles and suicide drones.

Gen. Hasan Hasanzadeh of the Revolutionary Guard said 185 Basijis, a volunteer force, were injured by machete and knife in the unrest, state-run IRNA news agency reported Wednesday. Hasanzadeh also said rioters broke the skull of one of the Basij members. He added that five Basijis are hospitalized in intensive care.

The Iranian drone strikes targeted a military camp, homes, offices and other areas around Koya, Nuri said. Nuri described the attack as ongoing.

Iraqs Foreign Ministry spokesman said the government in Baghdad was expected to summon the Iranian ambassador to deliver a diplomatic complaint over the strikes.

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In Baghdad, four Katyusha rockets landed in the capitals heavily fortified Green Zone on Wednesday as legislators gathered in parliament.

The zone, home to the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, is a frequent target of rocket and drone attacks that the United States blames on Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups.

The Iraqi military earlier said in a statement that one rocket landed near parliament, another near the parliaments guesthouse, and a third at a junction near the Judicial Council. Two security officials told the AP that the fourth rocket also landed near parliament.

Iraqi state news reported four security officers were wounded.

The office of Iraqs caretaker prime minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, in a statement said security forces were pursuing the assailants who fired the rockets, and asked protesters to remain peaceful.

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Cellphone footage circulating on social media showed smoke billowing from a carpark near the parliament building.

Following the first series of strikes in northern Iraq, Iran then shelled seven positions in Koyas stronghold in Qala, a KDPI official told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity in order to speak publicly. The Qala area includes the partys politburo.

An Associated Press journalist saw ambulances racing through Koya after the strikes. Smoke rose from the site of one apparent strike as security forces closed off the area.

Meanwhile, security forces lobbed tear gas and fired rubber bullets at protesting Iranian Kurds in Sulimaniyah.

On Saturday and Monday, Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard unleashed a wave of drone and artillery strikes targeting Kurdish positions.

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The attacks appear to be a response to the ongoing protests roiling Iran over the death of a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who was detained by the nations morality police.

The U.S. Department of State called the Iranian attacks an unjustified violation of Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We are also aware of reports of civilian casualties and deplore any loss of life caused by todays attacks, said spokesperson Ned Price in a statement. Moreover, we further condemn comments from the government of Iran threatening additional attacks against Iraq.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq said in a tweet that the country cannot be treated as the regions backyard where neighbors routinely, and with impunity, violate its sovereignty.

Rocket diplomacy is a reckless act with devastating consequences, the U.N. agency said.

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Meanwhile, Britains State Minister for the Middle East said the attacks demonstrate a repeated pattern of Iranian destabilizing activity in the region, while the German Foreign Ministry and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also condemned Iran for the strikes.

The U.N. secretary-general called on Iran early Wednesday to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force against protesters as unrest over a young womans death in police custody spread across the country.

Antonio Guterres said through a spokesman that authorities should swiftly conduct an impartial investigation of Aminis death, which has sparked unrest across Irans provinces and the capital of Tehran.

We are increasingly concerned about reports of rising fatalities, including women and children, related to the protests, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement. We underline the need for prompt, impartial and effective investigation into Ms. Mahsa Aminis death by an independent competent authority.

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Protests have spread across at least 46 cities, towns and villages in Iran. State TV reported that at least 41 protesters and police have been killed since the demonstrations began Sept. 17.

An Associated Press count of official statements by authorities tallied at least 14 dead, with more than 1,500 demonstrators arrested.

Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard in a statement called for an international investigation over the deaths of protesters.

Dozens of people, including children, have been killed so far and hundreds injured, the statement read. The voices of the courageous people of Iran desperately crying out for international support must not be ignored.

The human rights organization added that it has documented cases of Iranian security forces sexually assaulting women protesters.

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Meanwhile, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it documented the arrests of at least 23 journalists as the clashes between security forces and protesters heated up.

CPJ in a Wednesday statement called on Iranian authorities to immediately release arrested journalists who covered Aminis death and protests.

Dujarric added that Guterres stressed the need to respect human rights, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association during the meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on September 22nd.

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The manufacturing and trafficking of illicit firearms not only causes enormous civilian casualties, it also has obvious spillover effects such as exacerbating regional instability and fueling terrorism and transnational organized crimes.

While it is one of the safest countries in the world with the least gun-related violent crimes, China is willing to use its ratification of the Firearms Protocol as a chance to work with all parties so that concerted efforts can be made to address the global problem of gun proliferation.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced that China has launched the domestic procedure to ratify the United Nations' Firearms Protocol in a speech at the general debate of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday.

The United Nations Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition is the only legally binding instrument at the global level to counter the illicit manufacturing and trafficking of firearms, their parts, components and ammunition.

It aims to curb the manufacturing of illicit firearms and prevent the diversion of legally manufactured guns into the illegal circuit, as well as facilitating the investigation and prosecution of related offenses without hampering legitimate transfers.

China is firmly opposed to the illegal manufacture and trafficking of firearms and actively supports the international multilateral process of light arms control. It has always taken a prudent and responsible attitude toward military exports, strictly abides by its international obligations and does not transfer firearms to non-state actors.

China has faithfully fulfilled its obligations under the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons as well as the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons. It has actively participated in activities initiated by the World Customs Organization and Interpol to counter gun smuggling. And in July 2020, China formally acceded to the Arms Trade Treaty.

At present, the global gun epidemic is still serious. Governments of all countries should fulfill their responsibilities, strengthen domestic gun control and enhance international coordination and cooperation.

The United States not only has the world's largest number of private gun owners and a serious domestic gun violence problem, it is also the world's largest source of smuggled guns. The US has refused to accede to the Firearms Protocol and other international legal instruments on gun control, and refrained from signing the Arms Trade Treaty, seriously undermining the efforts of the international community to regulate the conventional arms trade.

To build a peaceful and safe world free from gun violence, the US is obligated to play its part in curbing gun proliferation.
The major foreign investor in Santos Barossa gas export project could lose $506 million of South Korean government funding unless the emissions-heavy project embraces carbon capture and storage or it buys millions of tonnes of carbon offsets.

If no carbon reduction action is taken, the Export-Import Bank of Korea will consider it a breach of contract and take action to recover the $US330 million ($506 million) it loaned SK, which owns 37.5 per cent of Barossa, according to a response from the bank to a question from a South Korean parliamentary representative.

Santos must cease drilling in the Barossa gas field north of the Tiwi Islands, a court has ruled. Credit:Santos

SK, one of South Koreas largest family-run conglomerates or chaebols, together with Japanese power generator JERA and Santos, committed to build Barossa in March 2021 for $US3.6 billion.

SK oil and gas subsidiary SK E&S also received a $US330 million loan from the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation.
There was a time, in the depths of the pandemic, when the nations Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly was a hard man to avoid, regularly helping front the many, many press conferences held by former PM Scott Morrison and his health minister Greg Hunt.

But that was then. These days, Kelly seems decidedly out of fashion with Anthony Albaneses government and its Health Minister Mark Butler.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Kelly hasnt held a press conference or done any media since July. Could it be because Kelly  and some of the states health supremos  were less than fulsome in their support of some recent political decisions on pandemic management, particularly national cabinet shortening the mandatory isolation period from seven days to five?

Albanese has refused to make public any health advice underpinning that effort, and eight days later the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee chaired by Kelly quietly published a statement on the Health Department website, urging people to keep isolating as long as they had symptoms.
Only a few days later, Premier Daniel Andrews placed Melbourne into its sixth pandemic lockdown. The stay-at-home orders would not end until late October, by which time Melbourne had staked a claim to being the most locked down city in the world.

On August 3 last year, Victorias chief health officer, Brett Sutton, tweeted a photo of swim coach Dean Boxall thrusting his crotch forwards and rolling his head backwards in celebratory ecstasy. Victoria had recorded no new cases that day. Sutton thought that the naysayers had been proven wrong. Victorias strategy to eliminate COVID-19 by locking down hard and fast had prevailed once again.

For decades, it is going to be asked: how on earth did it come to this? How did the people of a modern, freewheeling, cosmopolitan city end up consigned to their homes, shut out of their offices and their schools for so long?

Credit:

With Lockdown, The Ages chief reporter Chip Le Grand has written the book to which people will turn for answers. He knows the inner workings of Victorian politics better than anyone and he brings all this expertise to bear to the lockdown question.

Through a series of penetrating interviews with almost all the leading players  politicians, public servants, medical experts, journalists and commentators  Le Grand paints a searing portrait of a set of decision makers who, giddy with their remarkable early success, became fixated on a single strategy for dealing with the pandemic and were unable either to appreciate its costs and limitations or to consider alternatives.

Le Grand is careful  perhaps overly careful  to say that he does not blame anyone for the choices they made during COVID-19. These were extraordinarily stressful times. He also provides the evidence that shows that Australia as a whole emerged from the pandemic with far less loss of life than could have been expected.
Punters are coming back to so-called traditional pubs because, typically, theyre not one big room. The newly imagined older pubs in particular offer a range of spaces and rooms which cater to different needs and demographics. Loading The people who are taking over these older venues are doing extremely well. Theyre bringing modern hospitality service to older venues which have traditional layout and cater for different kinds of customers all in the one space. But why now? I think whats happened is a consequence of the small bar laws (which came into effect 16 years ago) which elevated the drinking experience to the point that old pubs have had to compete with them to get their drinkers back, Woods said.

These new old pubs have intimate spaces where punters can find a quality experience that may not have been a part of the traditional drinking barn experience back in the day. The Bassendean Hotel is a case in point. It is anything but a big beer barn, offering a range of experiences from an upstairs bar with a small snacks menu to a downstairs restaurant that serves modern pub favourites. Like many of these new venues, the Bassendean hasnt forgotten its roots, offering pub favourites like chicken parmi, fish and chips, burgers and a range of pizzas. Subiaco  a once popular drinking and dining destination, sent to sleep in recent years by a perfect storm of greedy landlords and a lacklustre local council  is bouncing back with a range of pub-style offerings at the vanguard of its rejuvenation as a hospitality hot spot. Subi has a way to go to catch up with other dining precincts like Leederville, Northbridge and the city, but three venues, the Subiaco Hotel, Bar Loiter and the just-opened La Condesa on Hay Street are pumping new energy into the inner western suburb.

La Condesa owner Clint Nolan may bridle at the idea that his new mega Mexican is pub-like, but it subscribes to all the modern pub attributes: big venue, great drinks and food that is a destination in its own right. The same goes for Bar Loiter and the Subi Hotel, the most traditional pub offer of the three. Patrick Ryan, co-owner and boss at Subiacos stylish Bar Loiter, says the rejuvenated pub culture in Perth is both customer and operator driven. The pub scene has been forgotten for years as small bars took over, but many people are after a local pub without having to go to Northbridge or the city, Ryan said. A local pub offers a kind of community, village-y feel that people want. I think the food offering is a huge part of the modern pub. People want to get a good meal in their pubs now, but in a casual setting. Its a big thing now.

When we were younger, there were lots of old school pubs where you could get a good feed and good drinks and people are coming back to that local vibe, combined with good (room) design and a demand for good food. Bar Loiter and its restaurant Dilly Dally has a capacity for 400 punters. Ryan says Bar Loiter, which has been open less than a year, attracts a diverse crowd. We get a really mixed crowd, everyone from 18-year-olds to early 20s, parents with young kids, older folks in their 50s and 60s. Diversity really adds to a venue. He believes the renaissance of local pubs is set to continue. There are some great older pubs out there ready to be snapped up by good operators. Were looking to our next project now.

WAs top new and new old pubs The Royal, Perth city

Bar Loiter, Subiaco

The Subiaco Hotel, Subiaco

The Vic Park Hotel, Victoria Park

The Beaufort, Highgate

The Elford, Mount Lawley

The Stables, Perth city

Kailis Fremantle Fish Cafe

The Commercial Bar and Kitchen, Midland.

Mayfair Lane, West Perth

Bungalow Social, Dunsborough

Paddington Hotel, Mount Hawthorn

Dandelion, Karrinyup The biggest pub opening of the past 12 months has been hospitality entrepreneur Andy Freemans Pirate Life brewery complex in Murray Street. It is a combination of public bar, high-end steakhouse restaurant, private dining rooms, a liquor and merch store, two small specialist bars and a cracking al fresco area. Aussies love a pub. Its in our DNA, Freeman said. We started as a small bar business and as weve grown we have sought out larger venues with a leaning toward a modern pub experience. Freeman says the rush to pubs by serious hospitality operators has been customer-driven. Customers want the whole pub life aesthetic, but they also want a more curated offer. Food is important in that equation. Gone are the days when youd go out for a night, smash CC and Dry all evening and not eat, the pub boss said.

Freemans new basement bar in the Pirate Life complex, Honey, is a rum bar and a textbook example of creating a wholly curated customer experience. Its not good enough these days to create a new bar experience without regard for food, tailor made to the individual venue, he said. But the rise and rise of pub culture has not come at the expense of Perths hugely successful small bar scene. We have nine venues in Perth (think Varnish on King, The Flour Factory, Hadiqa, Caballitos) and we remain very much engaged in the small bar culture at most of them, Freeman said.
Candidates vying for a seat on the Gage County Board of Supervisors next year shared their views during a public forum Tuesday evening.

Incumbent candidates Erich Tiemann, Eddie Dorn, Gary Lytle and Terry Jurgens are all seeking reelection this year. Lytle is running unopposed for the district 5 seat, and Jurgens won against fellow Republican Randy Frerking in the spring election. Since there was no Democrat challenger in the partisan race, that race was decided in the spring, leaving two contested races on the Nov. 8 ballot.

George Pinkerton of Beatrice, who was not in attendance at the Tuesday forum, is running against Tiemann for the district 3 seat, while Mark Burrows of Adams is running against Dorn for the district 1 seat.

The three candidates in attendance discussed Gage Countys highlights, and what they would hope to accomplish if elected to a four-year term.

Tiemann represents the county as a board member of the NGage economic development group, as well as as board member of NIRMA and the board chair of Southeast Nebraska Development District. Hes previously served two terms as board member of the Beatrice Area Chamber of Commerce and is a past member of the Beatrice City Council.

I see serving Gage County as a board member as an incredible opportunity to represent our area, our neighbors and our county. As a public official we have an incredible opportunity to work for and represent you, the taxpayers and constituents. I take that very seriously and Ive appreciated that over the years, and will continue to appreciate that, if elected.

Burrows is a retired postal worker who recently retired after 26 years. As a rural carrier, Burrows said he got familiar with the roads in his district and would like to see them continue to be maintained.

My job as a rural carrier gave me a lot of insight into the different ways people look at different issues or problems and what was important to them, he said. I would say in rural areas, the most frequent topic was roads. I traveled those roads over 30,000 miles each year, so I got that. I recognize the the traffic on rural roads has changed with heavier trucks and equipment, but I think they can be improved.

Dorn is seeking his second term on the County Board of Supervisors after being first elected four years ago. He said maintaining the roads and bridges would continue to be a priority if elected to a second term.

The accomplishments are keeping the roads and the bridges in good condition, which are pretty extensive right now, he said. And with the board working together I think we can work through a lot of different problems.

Tiemann said a key accomplishment during his time on the board is working toward paying the $28.1 million Beatrice 6 judgment, which is expected to be completely paid in the spring.

The Beatrice 6 will be paid off, according to our budget plan right now, in May of next year, he said. We lowered our tax rate by 6.58% this year. I would anticipate another tax reduction next year going along with that. Weve got a $13 million broadband project that will be coming up. We signed contracts on that last week. Well see that from its infancy through its compilation. Among with that, were looking at additional grants for completing the rest of the county with broadband.

Burrows commended the current board for its work on the budget, and said he wants to be a part of the process moving forward.

I think the county board has done a very good job in not raising our taxes and spending more money than is necessary, he said. I think itll be quite a challenge to continue that under the current budget. I think its probably going to have to grow. We do have to maintain and develop these roads and bridges if we want to have growth in the county. No business really wants to beat around on a bunch of broken down roads.

The candidates were also asked their thoughts on wind regulations in the wake of the County Board passing more strict rules for commercial wind energy. All three candidates said they support the current regulations that are in place after several members of the public previously spoke at hearings regarding the issue.
Thanks to Victorias voluntary assisted dying laws, Jane Humes devoutly Catholic father was able to have a peaceful, painless death. Now she wants people in the territories to also have that right.

It is a change of heart for the Liberal senator, who voted against a 2018 bill for territory rights that would give the Northern Territory and ACT the power to legalise voluntary assisted dying.

In an emotional speech on Wednesday, Hume said she understood and respected the opinions of some of her Coalition colleagues who opposed the current push for territory rights, including those who felt it was morally wrong to allow people to die by assisted suicide.

I once felt in my heart that it was wrong too. I once voted against this legislation. But I will be voting in favour of it today, she said.
Premier Mark McGowan has ruled out any increase to his governments latest public sector pay offer as the Australian Nurses Federation WA ramped up its opposition to the deal.

About 300 nurses gathered at a stop work rally outside Perth Childrens Hospital on Wednesday afternoon to protest the pay offer and staffing levels.

Nurses at the ANF rally on Wednesday. Credit:Elliahn Blenkinsop

The crowd cried, blew horns and jeered as ANF WA secretary Janet Reah recounted times the government had ignored their calls for help.

Nurse Erin Shaw said graduate nurses were being left in the wind.
Havana: Hurricane Ian tore into western Cuba as a major hurricane, knocking out power to the entire country and leaving 11 million people without electricity, before churning on a collision course with Florida over warm Gulf waters amid expectations it would strengthen into a catastrophic Category 4 storm.

Ian made landfall in Cubas Pinar del Rio province, where officials set up 55 shelters, evacuated 50,000 people, and took steps to protect crops in the nations main tobacco-growing region. The US National Hurricane Centre said Cuba suffered significant wind and storm surge impacts when the hurricane struck with top sustained winds of 205 km/h.

A classic American car drives past utility poles tilted by Hurricane Ian in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. Credit:AP

Ian was expected to get even stronger over the warm Gulf of Mexico, reaching top winds of 209 km/h approaching the southwest coast of Florida, where 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate.

Tropical storm force winds were expected across the southern peninsula late Tuesday (US time), reaching hurricane-force Wednesday  when the eye was predicted to make landfall. With tropical storm-force winds extending 225 kilometers from Ians centre, damage was expected across a wide area of Florida.
Southeast Community College's Beatrice campus hosted Ag Day for approximately 150 high school students interested in agriculture on Wednesday.

A total of 14 different stations included demonstrations in Precision Agriculture, Turfgrass Management, Livestock, John Deere Technology, Horticulture and Agronomy.

Kat Kreikemeier, Director of Admissions and Career Advising, said the focus of the days activities was to expose students to agriculture knowing that there is such a need in our community and state.

We work with all of the departments at SCC to provide the students a hands-on learning experience in all different types of agriculture with crops and livestock, said Kreikemeier. We want them to also think about what the next steps are in their education, what its like to be an SCC student and what kinds of jobs are available in agriculture.

We have a 900 acre farm that the students get to learn on. Students at SCC are spending about 60% of their time in labs, shops, in the field or working with livestock."

Annie Erichsen, SCC Instructor, worked with students in demonstrating variable rate irrigation.

Were trying to teach them the different aspects of agronomy and precision agriculture," she said. "They create a model using Styrofoam cups. We want to give our SCC students an opportunity to show what theyve learned and how to be involved."

Cliff Stukenholtz, SCC Instructor, worked with students to demonstrate the ear notching system in hogs.

This is a universal swine notching system," he said. "So if the pig is notched here in China, theyll be able to recognize it and connect it with the registry. Tags and other things can get ripped out, but the notching stays with them their whole life.

The Livestock Management class, taught by Stukenholtz, helped with the demonstration.
Four potential school board members participated in a candidate forum on Tuesday evening.

Each candidate had two minutes to introduce themselves, answer each of the seven questions and provide a summary.

Brandon Vetrovsky said he is a graduate of Beatrice Public Schools and has lived in Beatrice his entire life. He is married and has two children in the public schools. He works with Norris Public Power.

We live here and work here," he said. "We want our community to prosper. In my opinion, a good school system is the heart of a successful town."

Charles Riedesel is a retired University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor.

Im running for the school board because I love education, said Riedesel.

Doris Martin has served on the school board for three terms and is seeking re-election. Martin has worked as a teacher, a Career Academy Director at SCC and is currently the Director of the BPS Educational Foundation.

I believe in public education," she said. "It is vital for a democracy to survive. I care about our students, education and the community.

Nelson Dungan is a retired art educator.

I believe in Beatrice and in an education for all students, said Dungan.

All of the candidates saw their role as a school board member as collaborative with teachers and community. They each noted the desire to oversee administration, but to allow staff to deal with the day-to-day operations of the school.

Each of the candidates discussed the elementary school being built as important to the community.

Martin said she had a long-term goal for a Career Center as a part of Beatrice Public Schools.

We have done a much better job in Beatrice of saying that not every student needs to go to a four-year college, but theres more work to do in collaborating with businesses for students going into the trades, Martin said.

Riedesel said that he saw many students at the University that were not ready for college. He felt there were opportunities to work within the community to help students follow their dream.

Candidates discussed continued facility improvements, supporting teachers and staff including retention to help students, policy review, and communication with the public as priority areas.

Each candidate agreed to the need to cooperate with other government entities and civic organizations in the area to promote growth in the community.

Candidates Erin Chadwick, Sabrina Glynn, Eric Trusty and Roger Aden were unable to attend the forum.

A recording of the forum is included on the Beatrice Area Chamber of Commerce website and Facebook page.

Krista Wiedel moderated the event with Tim Fralin serving as the timer.
A complaint filed Wednesday in federal court accuses the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs of racial profiling and dehumanizing treatment of a White Shield woman while she was at the Standing Rock Detention Center in Fort Yates.

The complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota on behalf of Lissa Yellow Bird-Chase seeks more than $2 million in damages. The BIA said it does not comment on ongoing litigation.

Yellow Bird-Chase is a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation who founded Sahnish Scouts, an organization that helps search for missing and murdered Indigenous people.

She was pulled over for speeding on Feb. 4, 2021, by a Corson County, South Dakota, sheriffs deputy while she was driving a client she had rescued from sex trafficking to a rehabilitation center, the complaint says.

A search of the vehicle turned up used needles in the clients jacket, a baggie in the clients shoe that had contained drugs, and a baggie of marijuana that Yellow Bird-Chase said she used for medical reasons, according to the complaint.

The women were taken to the Standing Rock Detention Center, where Yellow Bird-Chase was strip-searched with at least six officers present, including men. One officer grabbed her shirt and threatened to remove her clothes if she did not do so herself, the complaint alleges.

In a private room, an officer allegedly conducted a body cavity search and required her to get on her hands and knees and crawl. The complaint alleges he also made an inappropriate remark referring to her genitalia.

The complaint alleges she was held in filthy and crowded conditions and was not provided food for 16 to 18 hours, and denied her prescription medication. She was released from jail on Feb. 8 after charges were dismissed, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit claims the BIA kept $850 in cash that she had when arrested as well as nearly half of her prescription medication.

The complaint alleges assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and other violations.

What happened to Lissa Yellow Bird-Chase is shameful and reprehensible, said Stephanie Amiotte, ACLU of North Dakota legal director. The emotional and physical distress these officers inflicted upon Lissa is severe, traumatizing and could only be born out of a fundamental disregard for her humanity and abuse of power by law enforcement officers. Our government should not treat people this way.
If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

- Monocacy Development will demolish an existing structure and put up a new building with 55 apartments and retail space on the first floor at 128 E. Third St. in Bethlehem.

- The Bethlehem Historic Conservation Commission approved materials and designs for ArtsQuest's new cultural center at 25 W. Third St. in the city.

- The gangster-themed restaurant Capo & Co. in Emmaus held a ribbon-cutting last week for its speakeasy-style bar and restaurant.

- An attraction that started in downtown Easton may go global, as Crayola said it has reached a licensing agreement for at least five more Crayola Experience venues over the next five years.

- Curaleaf marijuana dispensary has taken the place of the old Chess N Checkers bar on Airport Road in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.

- Ms. Velvet's Cafe held a ribbon-cutting last week for the new restaurant in honor of owner Carlos Marrero's sister Ruby, who died in 2017 after a hit-and-run accident.

- Pressed Bouquet, which preserves flowers in a variety of forms, recently held a ribbon-cutting with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.

- The Bethlehem Township Board of Supervisors approved the subdivision plan for River Hills, a Kay Builders plan for 44 single-family dwellings and 36 multi-family units on 29 acres near Shannon Avenue.

- Bethlehem City Council delayed a decision on the certificate of appropriateness for Skyline West, a plan is for 40 apartments in a five-story building overlooking Monocacy Creek and the city's Moravian industrial quarter.

- The Pocono Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting for Ideal Property Management, a manager of vacation rental properties.

- The Palmerton branch of KeyBank on Delaware Avenue and the Sellersville branch on Main Street will close Dec. 2 as KeyBank and other companies move toward online finance.

- The Quakertown-area theater Regal Cinemas in Richland Township has closed after its parent company, Cineworld, filed for bankruptcy.

- Saint Rocco's Treats, a Pipersville-based gourmet kitchen for dogs, will hold a ribbon-cutting Friday, Oct. 14 from noon to 1 p.m., in conjunction with the Upper Bucks County Chamber of Commerce.

- Two diners on Route 22 in Warren County caught fire on the same day: Catch 22 and Key City Diner.

- After 22 years, the casual restaurant Sullivan's on the Main in Phillipsburg has been sold.
BRUSSELS (AP)  European companies are ramping up security around pipelines and energy prices are climbing again as the suspected sabotage of two pipelines that deliver natural gas from Russia underscored the vulnerability of Europes energy infrastructure and prompted the EU to warn of possible retaliation.

Some European officials and energy experts have said Russia is likely to blame for any sabotage  it directly benefits from higher energy prices and economic anxiety across Europe  although others cautioned against pointing fingers until investigators are able to determine what happened.

Russia has sharply curtailed natural gas shipments to Europe in retaliation for sanctions that the West put in place after its invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, Russian energy giant Gazprom increased the pressure, threatening on Twitter to cease dealing with a Ukrainian company that controls one of the two remaining pipelines that ship Russian gas to Europe.

Coming on top of the apparent sabotage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines, that means a major escalation and readiness to escalate, said Agata Loskot-Strachota, senior fellow in energy policy at the Center for Eastern Studies in Warsaw.

Seismologists say explosions rattled the Baltic Sea before unusual leaks were discovered Tuesday on the two underwater pipelines running from Russia to Germany.

All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on behalf of the bloc's 27 members. Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.

Three leaks were reported on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which were filled with natural gas but not delivering fuel to Europe ever since Russia stopped the flow to apply economic pressure on the continent.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said allegations that Russia would have sabotaged its own pipelines were predictable and stupid.

Yet as fears of further disruptions loomed, European energy companies and governments said Wednesday they have already begun to fortify energy infrastructure.

Norwegian state oil company Equinor said it raised the level of preparedness on all of its facilities, according to national broadcaster NRK. Norways energy exports have surged as European countries scramble to find alternatives to Russian supplies.

What happened in the Baltic Sea is very serious, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre told a press conference in Oslo.

Before the pipeline leaks discovered Tuesday, natural gas prices in Europe had dropped from their all-time peak in late August because countries have filled storage facilities to 87% of capacity ahead of winter, when demand for the fuel soars to heat homes and generate electricity.

But Europes natural gas prices have spiked about 14% since the pipeline ruptures rattled nerves about energy security.

Natural gas prices are roughly three times higher than just before Russia invaded Ukraine. An energy crisis driven by the war is threatening rationing, business closures and recession in Europe. The continents ability to get through winter will be deeply affected by how cold it is and whether they can find supplies to make up for whats been lost from Russia.

Another major source of Russian income  oil  has fallen sharply in price from June peaks of over $120 per barrel. On Wednesday, Brent crude futures traded at $87.40 per barrel, up more than 5% since Monday.

The extent of the pipeline damage, along with the political ramifications, raises serious doubts about the future of the Nord Stream project, which was launched so that Russia could deliver gas directly to Germany. The project has been heavily criticized by the West because it only increased Europes reliance on Russian gas imports.

The head of the Danish Energy Agency, Kristoffer Bottzauw, said Wednesday it wasn't clear when it would be safe for investigators to examine the damaged pipes, which he said are made of 12 centimeter (5 inches ) thick steel coated with concrete. The pipelines lie on the seabed between 70 and 90 meters (230 feet and 295 feet) deep.

Sweden's domestic security agency said Wednesday it was investigating the pipeline ruptures and that it couldn't be ruled out "that a foreign power is behind it.

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau was more direct, suggesting Tuesday that the leaks could be part of Russias campaign to apply pressure on the West for supporting Ukraine.

The explosions took place very close to Danish territorial waters, but not inside them, because that would have meant NATO territory, Rau said during a discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

This could mean that someone is trying to intimidate the countries of the Baltic Sea," he said.

The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting Friday afternoon at Russias request to discuss the suspected pipeline sabotage. Meanwhile, the countrys security service, the FSB, said it has opened a criminal investigation into an international act of terrorism after the explosions.

Even with eyes turning toward Russia, Anders Puck Nielsen, a researcher with the Center for Maritime Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, said that it would be hard to establish who is responsible, and just as tough to prevent similar incidents.

We have pipelines, we have communication cables like the internet. We have just power lines running on the seabed. All of this is vulnerable and our societies are very dependent on it. And its very, very difficult to monitor whats going on and to prevent a case of sabotage, he told The Associated Press.

A spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declined to respond to media reports that the CIA had warned Germany earlier this summer that the pipelines could be attacked. But let me say that according to our findings, there is no evidence that there is a natural cause for the pressure drop in the pipelines, spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters.

Simone Tagliapietra, an energy policy expert at Bruegel, said Russia's latest threat to disrupt natural gas that flows through Ukraine is not having as much impact as it might have hoped.

Its announcements are now having lower impact on prices, as both market and governments have internalized and got prepared for a full interruption of Russian gas to Europe, Tagliapietra said.

Olsen reported from Copenhagen, Denmark. David Keyton in Stockholm, Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.
People visit an alternative energy exhibition in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sept. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

by Dana Halawi

BEIRUT, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- While the use of solar energy is growing in Lebanon, industry experts are concerned with several challenges that may impede the sector's continuous growth.

One of the challenges is posed by the non-professionals in the sector.

Ali Khalife, senior manager at Khalife for oil&lub, told Xinhua that some people working in Lebanon's solar industry are not experts in the field, whose work has caused technical problems, discouraging clients from using these systems.

"For Instance, in some cases, those non-professionals used the wrong electrical connectors, which do not match the system's requirements," Khalife said.

Khalife's remarks came on the sidelines of the Middle East Clean Energy Conference held at le Yacht Club in Beirut Downtown.

The conference, which runs from Sept. 7-9, along with an exhibition for experts in the field, aims to increase awareness of clean energy solutions to the public and provide an industry platform for enterprises to accelerate business cooperation and market penetration.

Hussein Fakih, manager at Takom Energy Co, agreed with Khalife. He has witnessed incidents of batteries and inverters explosion as they were installed incorrectly.

"This is why solar energy work must only be done by experts who can also provide maintenance for clients and after-purchase services," Fakih said.

Another obstacle, according to Maroun Charabati, owner of Manalco, a company dealing with clean energy solutions, is that some people still have a conservative mentality when it comes to solar.

"This necessitates awareness of its benefits for individuals, businesses, and the environment," he said.

Diana Fawaz, manager at CW Enerji, told Xinhua that one significant obstacle facing people in Lebanon is the lack of financial capability to install solar energy amid a drop in purchasing power due to the economic crisis.

Lebanon has been suffering from a chronic electricity problem, exacerbated by the lack of U.S. dollars which limits the country's capacity to import fuel for power stations. As a result, Lebanese households bear intermittent daily blackouts that last for as long as 20 hours a day.

An increasing number of Lebanese have resorted to solar energy amid fears of further power cuts as Lebanon's central bank reserves stand at less than 11 billion dollars, which means the import of fuel products might come to a complete halt.

Khalife told Xinhua that before the country's economic crisis in 2019, household demand for solar systems was nearly zero. The increase in the supply of solar systems led to a drop in their prices compared to the past.

"An average system for a household used to cost no less than 10,000 dollars," said Fakih, adding that now the price has dropped to around 4,000 dollars. 

People visit an alternative energy exhibition in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sept. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
A state auditor's investigative report into a $1.8 million building cost overrun incurred under late North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem highlights hundreds of thousands of dollars in "questioned costs" and also the companies co-owned by a Bismarck state lawmaker who stood to benefit from the building project.

The Legislature's audit committee on Tuesday turned the matter over for investigation to new Attorney General Drew Wrigley, who said he will find an independent agency to investigate.

"We're going to move with dispatch on this," Wrigley told the committee.

Lawmakers raised questions of trust and potential double-billing in response to the report's findings.

"In the scheme of things, it isn't a big amount of money," said Rep. Keith Kempenich, R-Bowman. "What's bugging me is the trust."

Senate Minority Leader Joan Heckaman, D-New Rockford, called the cost overrun "troublesome on so many levels."

Cost overrun

Wrigley in June disclosed the cost overrun to the Legislature's Budget Section, which tasked two interim committees to investigate. The issue predates Wrigley's tenure. Stenehjem died Jan. 28; Gov. Doug Burgum appointed Wrigley in February.

The Attorney General's Office under Stenehjem leased the Stealth Properties building at 1720 Burlington Drive in south Bismarck to house its numerous divisions. Parkway Property Management Owner C.J. Schorsch has said the "build-to-suit" upgrade project was punctuated by coronavirus pandemic delays, overages and change orders.

State Auditor Josh Gallion said Schorsch told former Chief Deputy Attorney General Troy Seibel by January 2021 that the project was approaching $5 million in costs, meaning the Attorney General's Office would have to pay at least $1 million in additional costs. Schorsch emailed Seibel in June 2021 of the nearly $1.8 million cost overrun.

The Attorney General's Office last year used $1.4 million from its 2019-21 budget and rolled the remaining $400,000 into a new rental rate of the lease to cover the overrun. The lease is for 10 years.

Questioned owners

The report notes three Stealth Properties owners who also owned two contracting companies that worked on the building and received payments of $630,192 without invoices -- what the report called "questioned costs," or "charges that appear to be an improper payment."

Two owners are Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, and property manager C.J. Schorsch, who are co-owners of Stealth Properties, which owns the building; Parkway Property Management, which handled the building project; and Frontier Contracting LLC, which provided contracting services.

Frontier Contracting received payments totaling $529,833, but the auditor's office received invoices for only $207,828 of that amount. The remaining $322,005 didn't have invoices, according to the report.

"The only verification our team could find were two payments from the bank on behalf of Stealth Properties," the report states.

Frontier Contracting invoices were "vague and do not contain the same level of detail as invoices from other vendors ... providing the same services or materials," according to the report.

Several Frontier Contracting invoices were for maintenance-related services the report said appear to be a landlord responsibility. Some invoices were for services that had occurred more than a year ago.

Several invoices were for services and materials already provided by other subcontractors that gave detailed invoices. Frontier Contracting had billed for carpet, but a detailed invoice had already been given by a local carpet retailer, according to the report.

Frontier Contracting also didn't have a contractor's license as required by state law, according to the report.

Dockter told the Tribune he had not seen the report but that he plans to resolve the issues with the Attorney General's Office. Several issues he said he already had "clarified."

He said the contractor's license is through Parkway.

"That was all done correctly," he said.

Dockter said he couldn't comment on the invoices beyond his knowledge that Frontier Contracting "did a very small part" of the project, such as demolition and "other odds and ends." He said he had nothing to do with billing or day-to-day operations.

Attorney General's Office officials attempted to find invoices for the questioned costs, but "were told Parkway Property Management did not have them," the report said.

Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, asked the state auditor if double-billing occurred.

"It appears as that could happen," Gallion said. He made clear "we identified (the discrepancies), and that's as far as we go."

Dockter in 2019 approached the state's facilities management director about the state leasing space at the building "that he was interested in purchasing," according to the report. Dockter "stated the Attorney General's Office approached him," but emails indicate otherwise, according to the report.

Dockter told the Tribune an office division director had mentioned to him the desire for a more conducive office space, and Dockter later found the building and approached the attorney general.

Dockter said he doesn't see an issue with him leasing office space to the state, as long as the lease is within market value.

"As a lawmaker, you're a taxpayer first, and as long as the lease and everything is what market value is, I don't have a problem," Dockter said. "I do have a problem with these payments and discrepancies that they have, but at this time I haven't seen the report or have anything, so I can't comment on it."

Schorsch did not immediately return a Tribune phone call seeking comment.

The report also named Northern Plains Plumbing, Heating and Air Co-owner Mike Gietzen as a Stealth Properties owner. Northern Plains received $308,187 in payments without invoices, according to the report. The Tribune left a phone message at Gietzen's business after hours seeking comment.

The report also delved into the deletion earlier this year of Stenehjem's and Seibel's state government email accounts, done at the direction of Stenehjem spokeswoman Liz Brocker, who resigned days after a Tribune records request for emails related to the building brought the deletions to light.

The emails are "no longer retrievable," according to state Chief Information Officer Shawn Riley.

The report notes: "Our team recognizes this timeline is incomplete. Because of missing emails, and the inability to interview some individuals, we do not have a complete understanding of what happened."
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Several train cars ended up off their tracks while crossing the Lehigh River in Bethlehem.

Part of the train derailed just before 7:30 p.m. Tuesday under the Hill to Hill Bridge, Bethlehem police said.

Only the conductor was on board, and no injuries were reported, said emergency dispatchers.

Some of the cars were leaning against the bridge's base, but police said there is no danger to the public or vehicle traffic.

Norfolk Southern representatives were on scene to assess the situation.

Crews were working to upright the cars Wednesday morning.
Schuylkill County native Danny Dewald has been living in Cape Coral, south of Sarasota, for eight years, and he is already seeing some scary signs as Hurricane Ian approaches the Gulf Coast of Florida.

"The water level is way lower than it usually is," Dewald said.

Dewald, his son, and his girlfriend are now under a mandatory evacuation.

"All the way up until 5 a.m. today we were on the edge of the cone, where we were either a tropical storm or Category 4 hurricane," Dewald said. "Now, with it shifting, we are way more in it."

He was preparing during the final hours before the storm hit.

"Gas stations now before the storm and after the storm, they run out of gas that gets tricky," Dewald said. "Water is tough."

He plans to head further inland and hunker down with a friend. In the days ahead, he's asking friends and family back home in Pennsylvania to send bug spray, water, and hand sanitizer, and some comfort from home.

"Stay calm," Dewald said. "Send me some beers and Yuengling."

He also wants loved ones back home to make sure they're paying extra attention to the news coming out of Florida.

"Family friends in Pennsylvania, that's all they get. They don't get my local news," Dewald explained. "They don't get our updates. Obviously, that scares them, because there's nothing they can do down here."
SAN DIEGO (AP)  President Joe Biden on Tuesday kept the nations cap on refugee admissions at 125,000 for the 2023 budget year, despite pressure from advocates to raise it even higher to meet the need after falling far short of that target this year.

Refugees advocates have been pushing the Biden administration to do more to restore the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The more than four-decade-old program suffered deep cuts under the Trump administration, which slashed admissions to a record low of 15,000.

After taking office, Biden quadrupled the number of refugee admissions permitted for the remaining months of the 2021 budget year. He then set the target at 125,000 for the 2022 budget year, which ends Sept. 30. But so far fewer than 20,000 refugees have been admitted.

That number excludes the roughly 180,000 Ukrainians and Afghans who came to the United States via a legal process called humanitarian parole that got them into the country more quickly than the traditional refugee program but only allows for stays of up to two years.

Refugees are provided a path to permanent residency. Their admissions are determined by the president each year, and federal funding for resettlement agencies is based on the number of people they resettle in a given year.

The 125,000 target is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest," Biden stated in his presidential determination. Historically, the average has been 95,000 under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Biden earmarked 5,000 more slots for people from Europe and Central Asia for the 2023 budget year, making room to accommodate those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

The largest number of slots  40,000  was set aside for refugees from Africa, followed by 35,000 from South Asia and 15,000 each from East Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Biden has struggled to restore the U.S. Refugee Program despite raising the numbers and removing bureaucratic barriers put in place by his predecessor, which slowed the process and led to a massive backlog.

Krish OMara Vignarajah, head of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said the Biden administration must act now to improve the refugee program with the United Nations reporting a record 100 million people being displaced from their homes.

It must ramp up and streamline overseas processing of refugee applications if this lifesaving program is to remain relevant amid an unprecedented global displacement crisis," she said in a statement.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that this ambitious target demonstrates that the United States is committed to rebuilding and strengthening the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program" through various means. He pointed to plans for a pilot program that is expected to get underway by the end of the year that will allow regular Americans to sign up to resettle refugees in their communities, much like U.S. citizens did in stepping up to help Afghans and Ukrainians over the past year.

Traditionally refugees are placed in communities by nine refugee resettlement agencies.

Our refugee admissions program embodies the best of American values and the will to help those in need, and it will continue to provide access to resettlement as a lifesaving, durable solution," Blinken said.
KOYA, Iraq (AP)  An Iranian drone bombing campaign targeting the bases of an Iranian-Kurdish opposition group in northern Iraq on Wednesday killed at least nine people and wounded 32 others, the Kurdish Regional Governments Health Ministry said.

The strikes took place as demonstrations continued to engulf the Islamic Republic after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who was detained by the Iranian morality police.

Irans attacks targeted Koya, some 65 kilometers (35 miles) east of Irbil, said Soran Nuri, a member of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan. The group, known by the acronym KDPI, is a leftist armed opposition force banned in Iran.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in a statement said the attacks impacted the Iranian refugee settlements in Koya, and that refugees and other civilians were among the casualties.

Iraqs Foreign Ministry and the Kurdistan Regional Government have condemned the strikes.

Irans state-run IRNA news agency and broadcaster said the countrys Revolutionary Guard targeted bases of a separatist group in the north of Iraq with precision missiles and suicide drones.

Gen. Hasan Hasanzadeh of the Revolutionary Guard said 185 Basijis, a volunteer force, were injured by "machete and knife in the unrest, state-run IRNA news agency reported Wednesday. Hasanzadeh also said rioters broke the skull of one of the Basij members. He added that five Basijis are hospitalized in intensive care.

The Iranian drone strikes targeted a military camp, homes, offices and other areas around Koya, Nuri said. Nuri described the attack as ongoing.

Iraq's Foreign Ministry spokesman said the government in Baghdad was expected to summon the Iranian ambassador to deliver a diplomatic complaint over the strikes.

In Baghdad, four Katyusha rockets landed in the capitals heavily fortified Green Zone on Wednesday as legislators gathered in parliament.

The zone, home to the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, is a frequent target of rocket and drone attacks that the United States blames on Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups.

The Iraqi military earlier said in a statement that one rocket landed near parliament, another near the parliaments guesthouse, and a third at a junction near the Judicial Council. Two security officials told the AP that the fourth rocket also landed near parliament.

Iraqi state news reported four security officers were wounded.

The office of Iraqs caretaker prime minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, in a statement said security forces were pursuing the assailants who fired the rockets, and asked protesters to remain peaceful.

Cellphone footage circulating on social media showed smoke billowing from a carpark near the parliament building.

Following the first series of strikes in northern Iraq, Iran then shelled seven positions in Koya's stronghold in Qala, a KDPI official told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity in order to speak publicly. The Qala area includes the party's politburo.

An Associated Press journalist saw ambulances racing through Koya after the strikes. Smoke rose from the site of one apparent strike as security forces closed off the area.

Meanwhile, security forces lobbed tear gas and fired rubber bullets at protesting Iranian Kurds in Sulimaniyah.

On Saturday and Monday, Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard unleashed a wave of drone and artillery strikes targeting Kurdish positions.

The attacks appear to be a response to the ongoing protests roiling Iran over the death of a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who was detained by the nations morality police.

The U.S. Department of State called the Iranian attacks an unjustified violation of Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We are also aware of reports of civilian casualties and deplore any loss of life caused by todays attacks, said spokesperson Ned Price in a statement. Moreover, we further condemn comments from the government of Iran threatening additional attacks against Iraq.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq said in a tweet that the country cannot be treated as the regions backyard where neighbors routinely, and with impunity, violate its sovereignty.

Rocket diplomacy is a reckless act with devastating consequences, the U.N. agency said.

Meanwhile, Britain's State Minister for the Middle East said the attacks demonstrate a repeated pattern of Iranian destabilizing activity in the region," while the German Foreign Ministry and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also condemned Iran for the strikes.

The U.N. secretary-general called on Iran early Wednesday to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force against protesters as unrest over a young woman's death in police custody spread across the country.

Antonio Guterres said through a spokesman that authorities should swiftly conduct an impartial investigation of Amini's death, which has sparked unrest across Irans provinces and the capital of Tehran.

We are increasingly concerned about reports of rising fatalities, including women and children, related to the protests, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement. We underline the need for prompt, impartial and effective investigation into Ms. Mahsa Aminis death by an independent competent authority.

Protests have spread across at least 46 cities, towns and villages in Iran. State TV reported that at least 41 protesters and police have been killed since the demonstrations began Sept. 17.

An Associated Press count of official statements by authorities tallied at least 14 dead, with more than 1,500 demonstrators arrested.

Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard in a statement called for an international investigation over the deaths of protesters.

Dozens of people, including children, have been killed so far and hundreds injured, the statement read. "The voices of the courageous people of Iran desperately crying out for international support must not be ignored.

The human rights organization added that it has documented cases of Iranian security forces sexually assaulting women protesters.

Meanwhile, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it documented the arrests of at least 23 journalists as the clashes between security forces and protesters heated up.

CPJ in a Wednesday statement called on Iranian authorities to immediately release arrested journalists who covered Aminis death and protests.

Dujarric added that Guterres stressed the need to respect human rights, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association during the meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on September 22nd.
You can create personalized omnichannel experiences for customers and protect your environment.

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JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP)  At least four Palestinians were killed and 44 wounded during an Israeli military raid Wednesday into the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported, marking the deadliest episode since Israel escalated a crackdown on the occupied territory earlier this year.

Israeli forces said they fatally shot two Palestinians they had been sent to arrest in the camp over their suspected involvement in recent shooting attacks. When soldiers surrounded a house in the camp, an explosive device detonated, a gunfight ensued and Israeli troops killed the two Palestinians, the military said.

During the raid, armed clashes broke out in the camp as militants hurled rocks and opened fire at arriving troops. The violence killed another two Palestinians and wounded at least 44 others, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

This was the bloodiest day this year, said Jamal Huweil, a 52-year-old Fatah official and camp resident. People are killed, wounded. Theres destruction. Every time (Israeli forces) come into the Jenin camp, our resistance becomes stronger and stronger.

It was chaos as Israeli troops exchanged fire with Palestinian militants on nearly every street of the crowded camp, sending bullets in all directions. Young protesters rushed to hurl stones and hand grenades at Israeli soldiers and scrambled from gunshots they received in return. Israeli armored vehicles and bulldozers rumbled down the battered roads. The clashes escalated as angry crowds of men marched through the camp's narrow alleys holding the shrouded bodies of killed Palestinians aloft.

We are here for martyrdom, they cried.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party identified one of the men killed in the clashes as a 24-year-old Palestinian intelligence officer named Ahmed Alawneh.

Alawneh is the second Palestinian security officer killed in a confrontation with Israeli troops this month. While U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces have long cooperated with Israel in an uneasy alliance against Islamic militants, the recent shootings of officers lay bare Palestinians' deep disillusionment with the security coordination. A cadre of young men with no outlet and little hope for the future have increasingly joined militant groups.

Jenin in the northern West Bank  long considered a bastion of Palestinian militancy and frequent flashpoint for violence  is governed by the Palestinian Authority like most other Palestinian urban centers, even though the Israeli military routinely carries out arrest raids in the area. The PA says the Israeli raids undermine its own forces.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for Abbas, denounced the raid, saying Israel's policy of escalation will not deliver legitimacy, security or stability."

Fatah called for protests and a general strike in the West Bank over what it described as a dangerous escalation. Small groups of Palestinians threw stones at Israeli troops and and burned tires at checkpoints near the major cities of Ramallah and Nablus, where the army responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israel's stepped-up military activities in the West Bank follow a surge in Palestinian attacks inside Israel last spring. Israel identified one of the Palestinians killed in Wednesday's raid as Rahman Hazam, the brother of a Palestinian gunman who attacked a bar in central Tel Aviv last April and was killed by police.

Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in the campaign of raids on the West Bank, making this year the deadliest in the occupied territory since 2015. The city of Jenin regularly sees Israeli arrest raids lead to gun battles with camp residents.

Most of the Palestinians killed in the recent wave of Israeli raids have been wanted militants or young men who throw stones or fire bombs at soldiers invading their towns. But some civilians, including an Al Jazeera journalist and a lawyer who inadvertently drove into a battle zone, have also been killed in the violence.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has built more than 130 settlements across the territory that are home to nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers. The Palestinians want the West Bank, home to some 3 million Palestinians, to form the main part of their future state.

The last serious peace talks broke down more than a decade ago.
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Why henlo my friends, it is I, the Emily.

I have come to you with a theory, no wait, not a theory (or a hypothesis, thank you science class), a LAW.

My law is, 6th Grade Sucks and forever will suck. We don't even get lockers! No lockers! We have to tug and pull heavy backpacks full of nonsense around with us all day, for our backpacks are endless black holes of homework. It is exhausting! Remember, a law cannot be changed. Sixth grade will forever suck no matter what anyone tries to do about it.

Anyways, enough about torture and destruction and hell, a lot of time has passed, so a quick recap.

We have been to Alaska, Tenesee, and I got a new doll (Yaass). At school, they installed a new swing set, and I have flag duty this week. Flag duty is where me, and a few other people, go outside with the four flags to raise them up the flagpole! There is one for air quality (today it was green), there is an advertisement one, there is the California flag with the derpy bear on it, and the American flag. We cannot and I repeat CANNOT let the American, or Californian flag touch the ground.

Anyways, I still remember to add a period to the end of a blog as my mom told me, so . And just to be sure, I will add a few more. .......



bloglol
The American Symphony, American Cruise Lines newest riverboat on the Mississippi, will arrive in Winona at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. It will be docked in Winona through 11:30 p.m. Thursday.

Christened in Natchez, Mississippi, on Aug. 30, the brand new riverboat is currently sailing the companys longest river cruise itinerary, a 22-day complete Mississippi River cruise from New Orleans to St. Paul.

To celebrate the maiden voyage and first-time docking of the American Symphony, the City of Winona invites everyone to a ceremony on the Winona Levee at 1:45 p.m., where the mayor will read a proclamation, the Winona Area Chamber Ambassadors will do a ribbon-cutting, Visit Winona and the Winona County Historical Society will gift the cruiseline with some Winona books, and Coca Cola Winona will offer free pop.

There will not be tours of the riverboat. Cal Fremling Drive will be closed for shuttle buses to pick up and drop off passengers. The public is asked to park in designated parking lots at the foot of Johnson Street and/or the foot of Walnut Street.

Joining the American Symphony at the Winona Levee on Wednesday is the American Countess with the American Queen Voyages cruiseline, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For further information on the two dockings in Winona, please contact Visit Winona at info@visitwinona.com or call 507-452-0735. To learn more about the riverboats, go to www.americancruiselines.com and www.americanqueenvoyages.com.
Abstract

The anatomical basis of acupuncture meridians continues to be enigmatic. Although much attention has been placed on potential correlations with inter/intramuscular fascia or lower electrical impedance, animal studies performed in the past 40 years have shown that tracer dyesspecifically Tc-99m pertechnetateinjected at strategic skin points generate linear migrations closely aligning with acupuncture meridians. To evaluate whether this phenomenon is also observable in humans, we injected two fluorescent dyesfluorescein sodium and indocyanine green (ICG)into the dermal layer both at acupuncture points (PC5, PC6, and PC7) and a nonacupoint control. Fifteen healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Of the 19 trials of fluorescein injected at PC6, 15 (79%) were associated with slow diffusion of the dye proximally along a path matching closely with the pericardium meridian. Furthermore, the dye emerged and coalesced proximally at exactly acupoint PC3. Injections of ICG at the acupoints PC5, PC6, or PC7 showed a similar trajectory close to the injection site but diverged when migrating proximally, failing converge on acupoint PC3. Injections of either dye at an adjacent PC6-control did not generate any notable linear pathway. Both ultrasound imaging and vein-locating device did not reveal any corresponding vessels (arterial or venous) at the visualized tracer pathway but did demonstrate correlations with intermuscular fascia.

1. Introduction

Meridian theory is a fundamental part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). To many TCM practitioners, acupuncture meridians are not mere conceptual constructs but physically authentic anatomical structures. Consequently, numerous attempts have been made since the 1950s to demonstrate the objective existence of meridians with the use of modern technologies. Many experiments resorted to searching for distinctive biophysical characteristics of the meridians and acupoints, including electrical, acoustic, thermal, optical, magnetic, isotopic, and myoelectric properties [1]. Others focused on anatomical correlates, including primo vessels (Bonghan ducts) [2], intermuscular fascia [2], and neurovascular bundles [3].

Despite these years of effort to date, there is no conclusive scientific evidence for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians [4]. The challenge in substantiating something as elusive as the acupuncture meridian arises from the fact that the physiological basis of acupuncture therapy itself remains unclear [1]. The search for acupuncture anatomy therefore becomes an endeavor to not only identify physical anatomical correlates but also gain physiological insights into how acupuncture may mechanistically operate [5]. Thus far, three prominent hypotheses have emerged as potential candidates.

The first hypothesis incorporates the loose connective tissue network [6]. The landmark Langevin et al.s study in 2002 reported that nearly 80% of acupoints corresponded to intermuscular/intramuscular fascial planes [7]. Subsequently, studies investigated the physiological implications of this correlation and found evidence that biomechanical stress/tension induced by needle twirling in loose connective tissue may reduce inflammation via local purinergic (adenosine) signaling pathways [8, 9]. The second hypothesis revolves around the electrical characteristics of acupuncture points/meridians. As early as the 1950s, points and meridians were identified as localized sites with increased electrical conductivity, reduced resistance, and increased capacitance [1, 10, 11]. Furthermore, these electrically distinct points were associated with unique histological, functional properties such as increased gap junctions [12, 13], nNOS expression [12, 14], and subcutaneous collagenous bands [15]. The third hypothesis, which has garnered more interest recently, is the notion that acupoints are sites with increased pressure sensitization, which are further accentuated by the presence of clinical pathology [1619]. These points are localized by extravasation of Evans blue dye into the skin interstitium, and needling these points generated significant improvements in the clinical condition compared with needling adjacent controls [16].

These three hypotheses have largely been pursued independently without much effort to consolidate or integrate the separate findings into a unifying process. Identifying a potential link between these mechanisms may provide an important holistic understanding of acupunctures physiological effects. One potential candidate for this role is the flow of interstitial fluids through connective tissues [15]. Past studies found that injection of tracer dyes at acupuncture points led to linear migration of the dye along a path aligning with acupuncture meridians [11, 2028]. The observed migratory speed, path trajectory, and selective association with technetium-99 (99mTcO4, and not other nuclear dyes) led authors to speculate that paths were attributed to a yet undescribed channel with low hydraulic resistance through the extracellular matrix [29, 30] and not to known vesselsvein or lymphatics [22, 28]. Moreover, these studies were replicated multiple times in numerous laboratories, although these were largely confined to animal subjects.

To re-evaluate this tracer-dye phenomenon, we employed clinical-grade, fluorescent contrast agentsfluorescein sodium [31] and indocyanine green (ICG) [32]at the pericardium channel on the forearms of healthy human volunteers. This study hypothesizes that fluorescent dyes will migrate along meridian pathways when injected at acupuncture points but not at adjacent controls. Additional diagnostic imaging techniques, such as ultrasound and infrared vein detectors, were utilized to elaborate the anatomical structures potentially attributable to these migratory paths.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Participants

A total of 15 healthy volunteers (11 men, 4 women) were recruited for the study. The average age was 37.5  7.5 years with a range of 30 to 56 years. Individuals who had any chronic medical condition as determined by a recent clinical medical examination were excluded. The study was approved by the Chinese Ethics Committee of Registering Clinical Trials (approval No. ChiECRCT20200040) and was conducted in accord with the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects before the study.

2.2. Injection of Fluorescent Dyes and Fluorescence Observation

Pericardium (PC) meridian and the acupoints were identified on the forearm from the wrist to the elbow by two TCM physicians (Drs Zhao and Hu) according to Nomenclature and location of acupuncture points (GB/T 12346-2006) issued by the Standardization Administration of China. Acupuncture point locations were reached by consensus and further refined or confirmed with the use of a low-electrical impedance locator device (Acupuncture Meridian Locator WQ6F30; Beijing, China) [14, 33]. The acupuncture points were demarcated with the use of two triangular stickers or circled with a marker pen aligned orthogonally to the meridian.

Both fluorescein sodium and ICG dyes were used. In 12 subjects, 0.1 mL of 20% fluorescein sodium (Wuzhou Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Guangxi, China; Product batch number: 181102) was injected intradermally at the left PC6 (Neiguan acupoint), and in a subset of 5 individuals, the right PC6 was also injected at a later date. Extra care was placed in ensuring that the injections were placed intradermally and not subcutaneously. When the fluorescence disappeared completely, some participates also received the 2nd or the 3rd injection at PC6. To assess a different fluorescent dye and other PC points, 0.1 mL of 5 mg/mL ICG (Weicai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Liao Ning, China) was injected at PC5 (Jianshi), PC6, or PC7(Daling) in 6 subjects. An adjacent control for PC6 located midway between PC6 and LU7 (approximately 1 cm radial to PC6) was tested with fluorescein injection in 7 subjects.

Fluorescence of fluorescein sodium was observed on the forearm with a laser beam of wavelength 455 nm and illumination power of approximately 0.5 mW. Photographic images were obtained and recorded with a long-pass filter of 500 nm to filter out the illumination light. ICG dye was excited with 780 nm laser and recorded with a mobile phone with a long-pass filter greater than 780 nm or with a PDE imager (model C9830; Hamamatsu Photonics, Japan). This imager utilizes a LED light source (760 nm) and a CCD camera capturing photons with wavelengths greater than 820 nm [34]. Depending on the rate of migration of the fluorescent tracer, images were obtained at intervals sufficient to capture the dynamic progression/clearance of the dye and for as long as 10 hours (fluorescein) or more than 2 days (ICG). These images were obtained in a dark room with all other light sources turned off.

2.3. Vessels Visualization with a Vein Finder

To delineate the anatomic structure through which fluorescent dyes migrated, a vein illumination device (Projection Vein Finder V800P; Shenzhen Vivolight Medical Device & Technology Co., Ltd., China) was used over the same location where the dye pathway was observed. The fluorescein tracer and vein images were photographed separately and together for comparison. Because the vein finder utilizes infrared light (940 nm, compared to 450 nm wavelength for fluorescein) and operates through different visualization mechanisms (hemoglobin absorption and not fluorescence), there was no confounding of imaging between the different methods.

2.4. Ultrasound Imaging of Vessels and Fluorescent Traces

Ultrasound imaging was also used to demarcate the anatomical structures that co-located with the dye pathway. Because the fluorescent dye is invisible to ultrasound imaging, the linear dye trajectory was marked on the skin with a pen and overlaid with a thin metal wire that generated a narrow, linear shadow in the acquired B-mode images. Ultrasound scanning was performed both transversely and longitudinally along the metal wire with an ultrasound diagnosis system (Philips HD15 ultrasound system). Ultrasound gel pad (MIBO Technology Co. Ltd, Shenzhen, China) was used to provide better visualization of the superficial skin layers and improved delineation of the metal wire location. Color Doppler was also obtained to identify vascular structures.

2.5. Statistical Analysis

The data were statistically analyzed with SPSS Statistics for Windows (version 22.0; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Ages of volunteers are presented as mean  standard deviation. Fishers exact test was applied to compare the ratios of injections producing fluorescent trajectories along meridian to total injections in different conditions. Bivariate correlation analysis with Pearson coefficients was applied to evaluate the association of age and the outcome. values (2-sided) less than 0.05 were considered significant.

3. Results

3.1. Visualization with Fluorescein Sodium

Intradermal injection of fluorescein sodium at PC6 was performed in 12 study participants. In 15 of the 19 trials, a linear fluorescence migration was observed proceeding proximally, closely aligning with the pericardium meridian. All 15 tracer pathways were within 1 cm distance of the TCM-defined pericardium channel through the whole course of visualized trajectories.

From a temporal perspective, weak fluorescence points started to appear near PC6, and continuous or broken lines began to form 10 to 60 minutes after injection. Over time, they became increasingly distinct and passed through the demarcated acupoints PC5 and PC4, terminating at acupoint PC3 (Figures 1 and 2). A distinct pathway more proximal to PC3 was not observed with the fluorescein sodium dye. The fluorescent path in the forearm otherwise began to diffuse and fade away slowly over hours. The rate of tracer formation and disappearance varied from person to person. In some participants, the fluorescent line could be clearly seen approximately 10 minutes after injection with increased fluorescent intensities peaking at 1 hour; the line would last for up to 6 hours (Figures 1(a), 2(a) and 2(b)). In other volunteers, no continuous line could be seen, although PC3 alone was illuminated (n = 5). The fluorescence at PC3 was notably distinct: it fluoresced earlier than the region between PC4 and PC3, was markedly brighter with a circular appearance (larger diameter than the width of the linear path), and also lasted longer with persistent fluorescence lasting up to 810 hours (Figures 1(b) and 2(c)).



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(b) Figure 1 Development of fluorescent lines. Migration of fluorescein from PC6 with respect to time after injection (hour: minute) as shown in right lower corners. In series (a), migration was rapid, while in series (b), migration was slower. In (a), a clear line was observed as early as 10 minutes, peaked at 60 minutes, then diminished thereafter. Of note, in (b), fluorescence at PC3 preceded appearance of the linear path between PC3 and PC4.

Figure 2 Variations in fluorescein migratory paths. Examples are provided to reveal variations in dye migrations. (a, b) Fluorescent signals were strong and quickly formed linear trajectories. Additional collateral lines were observed accompanying the main meridian-associated line. (c, d) Intermittent, broken lines formed along PC meridian within 30 minutes after injection. (e) Dye was also visualized in blood vessels. (f) Linear paths formed slowly 1 hour after injection and was weakly visible; nevertheless, PC3 appeared approximately 40 minutes before the linear path could be visualized. Similarly, in other cases, only PC3 fluoresced, while no linear path was observed (not included here). (g, h) No linear trajectories or point fluorescence at PC3 was seen.

In 7 trials where fluorescein sodium was injected into an adjacent nonacupoint control (nearly 1 cm radial to PC6), no evident presence of a linear trajectory was found proximally in the forearm even after 90 minutes of observation (Figure 3). To rule out a person-specific effect, in one of these volunteers, the PC6 on the contralateral arm was injected and a clear linear tracer pathway through PC5 and PC4 was observed, similar to that observed in the 15 out of 19 PC6 injection trials mentioned previously. This observed difference (PC6 vs. control point; linear path vs. no path) was statistically significant ( < 0.001, Fishers exact test).

Figure 3 Injection of fluorescein in nonacupoint (PC6 control). Fluorescein injected at a nonmeridian point did not produce a linear pathway, even 90 minutes after injection.

Diffusion of the fluorescent dye into blood vessels was also seen in some individuals during skin injection. Obvious trace along veins was found either alongside (Figure 2(b)) or without the presence of (Figure 2(f)) the linear dye pathway. The fluorescence from the blood vessels disappeared quicker and earlier than the dye migrating along the PC meridian. In addition, one hour after the injection, the urine became yellow and partially oily, indicating much of the fluorescein was being directly excreted through blood circulation and the urine. At the end of 4-5 hours, urine returned to baseline and no trace of fluorescein could be obviously seen.

3.2. Visualization with ICG

ICG was injected at PC5 (Figure 4), PC6 (Figure 5), or PC7 (Figure 6)each in a separate participant. Because excitation and emission wavelengths of ICG (800 nm) were in the near-infrared range, ICG fluorescence is able to be visualized at greater depths (up to 2 cm) compared with fluorescein sodium [32, 35]. Similar to fluorescein sodium, ICG produced fluorescence signals proceeding proximally along the PC meridian at an onset time of 6 minutes to 1 hour after injection. Unlike the fluorescein signal, ICG fluorescent paths were visible beyond the elbow (proximal to PC3) and were evidently progressing toward the axilla. Once the lines were fully established across the whole arm, they were traced with a pen under the excitation light. In most cases, PC3 and PC4 were within 1 cm distance from the traced line, suggesting possible correlation between the ICG pathway and the PC meridian. However, the ICG fluorescence was more diffuse compared with fluorescein, did not generate a highly distinct PC3, was diverted away from PC3 rather than passing directly through it (Figures 4 and 5), and generally persisted more than 48 hours.

Figure 4 ICG migratory path after injection at PC5. After injection of ICG at PC5 (a), fluorescent line develops and is imaged here at 2.5, 5, and 18 hours (ce). Five hours after injection, fluorescent lines are observed in both the forearm and upper arm (d). The fluorescent line was traced with a pen (b), passing by PC4 and PC3. Eighteen hours after injection, the fluorescence on the upper arm is still visible (e). The photo and video were taken with a mobile phone with long-pass filter above 780 nm.

Figure 5 ICG fluorescent line 24 hours after injection at PC6 (a). The fluorescent line was traced and compared with acupoints PC5, PC4, and PC3, marked before injection (b) (black dots). These points and traced line closely approximated each other.

Figure 6 ICG fluorescent line after injection at PC7 (a). One hour after injection, the fluorescent line appears as shown in (b). Sixteen hours later, it is weaker (c). After 24.5 hours, the line in (d) was traced and compared with acupoints (e). PC5, PC4, and PC3, marked as pink cross, closely approximated to the red traced line.

3.3. Factors Associated with Dye Migration

Among the total 35 injections with fluorescein or ICG, 28 injections at acupoints produced 22 lines along PC, while 7 injections at the control point did not yield any linear projections. The breakdown of the results by injection site is shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Comparison among injections at different points.

In total, 11 men and 4 women took part in the experiments. There were no statistical differences in the proportion of tracer migration paths associated with predetermined meridian/points between men and women ( = 0.208, Fishers exact test). Age also did not correlate with the proportion of dye pathways associated with meridians ( = 0.814, bivariate correlation analysis).

3.4. Supplementary Imaging Techniques of PC6-Associated Pathway

After fluorescein path from acupoint PC6 was fully developed, a vein illumination device was used to assess whether the path aligned with superficial vasculatures. As seen in Figure 7, veins depicted as white on a background of pink did not overlap or coincide with the main florescence line shown in greenish yellow.



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(c) Figure 7 Fluorescent path covisualized with vein-imaging. (a) Fluorescence imaging only after fluorescein injection in PC6. (c) Vein Finder imaging only. (b) Overlay of both florescent line and vein-imaging revealing no clear overlap between the fluorescent pathway and visible vasculature.

Ultrasound images further corroborated the lack of association between any blood vessel and the fluorescent pathway. Because fluorescent dye is invisible in ultrasound imaging, a thin metal wire was placed over the previously observed fluorescent line and is visible as an echogenic dot casting a shadow down the B-scan (Figure 8). Ultrasound scanning was performed along the metal wire both longitudinally and transversely (Figure 8).

Figure 8 : Transverse ultrasound imaging of fluorescent line. As shown in upper images, metal wire was overlaid on the fluorescent line and fixed in place with a rectangular ultrasound gel pad. Transverse images were obtained as the ultrasound probe followed the course of the metallic wire from PC6 toward PC3. The metal wire is seen as an echogenic white dot (white arrow in left lower picture), casting a B-scan shadow. Color Doppler signal was only seen at the end of scanning (near elbow PC3) but not directly under the metallic wire.

Figure 8 shows a representative result after transverse scanning of the forearm along the fluorescent line. For much of the path, the metallic wire was situated over the fascia located between flexor carpi radialis and flexor digitorum superficialis muscles (Figures. 8, 13). Color Doppler did not reveal any corresponding vasculature through most of the linear course from PC6 to PC3. It was only near PC3 that there were obvious Doppler signals to suggest presence of blood vessels in the proximity of the tracer pathway (red triangles in Figure 8).

4. Discussion

In this study, injection of fluorescein sodium into acupuncture points PC5, PC6, and PC7 was associated with slow diffusion of the dye proximally along a path aligning closely with the pericardium meridian. Furthermore, the dye emerged and ostensibly coalesced exactly where PC3 was demarcated beforehand. Injection of ICG at the acupoint PC6 showed a similar trajectory close to the injection site but diverged when migrating proximally and did not converge on acupoint PC3. Injections of either fluorescein or ICG at an adjacent PC6-control did not generate any notable linear pathway, at least in the timescale of our imaging acquisitions. Both ultrasound imaging and vein-locating device did not reveal any corresponding vessels (arterial or venous) at the visualized tracer pathways.

The study results reinforce the past studies that identified a slow-migrating pathway of tracer dyes along a linear path resembling acupuncture meridians [28]. Kovacs in 1992, for instance, hypodermically injected 4 different nuclear tracers[99mTc] sodium pertechnetate, [201Tl] thallium chloride, [131I] iodine sodium, and [99mTc] rhenium sulfideinto both low-electrical resistance points and adjacent controls on the legs of adult dogs [22]. Only the [99mTc] sodium pertechnetate injections into low-electrical resistance points gave rise to a linear radioactive pathway, which traveled at approximately 2.5 cm/minute over 11 cm distance, similar in scale as our study. Direct injections of the dyes into blood vessels led to a much more instantaneous appearance and subsequent disappearance of the trajectory in 10 seconds, while [99mTc] rhenium sulfatewhich has a predilection for lymphaticswas detected at axillary lymph nodes after 90 minutes in both acupoints and controls, without an evident linear pathway. For this reason, the authors concluded that veins or lymphatic vessels could not have been responsible for these trajectories [22]. Another study from China similarly found that fluorescein injected into acupuncture points have similarly reported visualization of interstitial channels along meridians in rats and mini pigs [36].

Our study is unique in incorporating fluorescent dyes in the study of an acupuncture meridian in healthy human volunteers. Compared with nuclear tracers, fluorescent dyes provide significant improvements in imaging resolution since the emitted photons during fluorescence imaging far exceed the amount released by gamma radiation in nuclear imaging at the doses considered safe for humans. Furthermore, fluorescent imaging does not require heavy machinery or the radioactive safety precautions needed for nuclear imaging and has thus enabled longer and more frequent monitoring of dye migration over time. Possibly for these reasons, this may be the first time that a dye was documented to aggregate at a proximal acupointspecifically PC3after injecting at a more distal site. To our knowledge, this represents the first evidence of a functional, dynamic link between meridian and point where both acupuncture structures were simultaneously visualized in a single test setting. The tight correspondences between the preimaging localization of PC3 (by acupuncturists) and the aggregation site of fluorescein were unanticipated and argued strongly for the specificity of fluorescein dye for localizing acupuncture-specific anatomy. Why this observation was seen with fluorescein and not with ICG remains unknown.

Despite its advantages, fluorescence imaging is not without limitations. The emitted photons from excited fluorescein at 500 nm range are prone to absorption and scattering by the skin and underlying tissues [32, 35]. Fluorescein dye was not well delineated at greater depths [31] and may not, for this reason, have been visualized proximal to the elbows or at the forearm in some individuals where it likely traversed at deeper levels. The fact that the dye re-emerged at PC3 in many suggests that the migratory pathways have a shared pattern across individuals of accessing superficial loci. The photons emitted from excited ICG, on the other hand, have wavelengths in the infrared (800 nm) range and are less apt to be attenuated by the skin and subcutaneous layer [35]. Consequently, ICGwhen migrating beyond the injection sitewas nearly universally seen at the forearm and upper arm. Although it co-localized closely with the pericardium meridian near the acupoint-injection site, it seemingly diverged away from the meridian as it migrated proximally and occasionally branched into several tributaries without ever manifesting at acupoint PC3 (in contrast to fluorescein).

The physicochemical characteristic of these dyes may account for these observed differences. ICG has historically been applied in certain clinical settings, specifically for imaging liver neoplasms [37], identifying thoracic duct [35], and detecting sentinel lymph nodes [38]. It is known to bind to albumin and enter the lymphatic vessels where it can accumulate at lymph nodes [32]. The ICG pathways observed in our experiment are thus likely to depict lymphatic vessels, and its lack of accumulation at PC3 indicates that the visualization of PC3 with fluorescein is not attributable to a lymph node. Fluorescein, on the contrary, is a small, hydrophilic molecular dye that may follow a separate trajectory within the interstitium. The ultrasound images reveal that this pathway aligns closely with the intermuscular fascia, and based on a recent study where fluorescein was injected in low-impedance points in rats and mini-pigs [36], the migratory trajectory is located within a yet undescribed interstitial channel. Past research into lymphatics identified a separate tissue-fluid channel that coursed through the interstitium and represented a path of low hydraulic resistance for extracellular fluid [39, 40]. Conceivably, the fluorescein migratory pathway follows this fluid-channel route and has some functional relationship to acupuncture meridians.

The last notable observation in our study is the specificity of the migratory pathway to acupuncture points. Injection of either dye at nonacupuncture points produced only local isotropic diffusion without any associated migration into a connected linear path. Moreover, the points were injected superficially into the intradermal layer without penetration into subcutaneous depths. Somehow, the dye injected superficially at PC acupoints was able to access a deeper migratory path that enabled migration of the dye proximally along the pericardium channel. Furthermore, the dye re-emerged superficially at PC3, near the elbow, based on the strong fluorescent signal from fluorescein, which is known to be significantly attenuated at greater depths. These results reveal the possibility of a contiguous network in the forearm consisting of a deeper channel connected to superficial access pointsmuch like what is being proposed in the meridian theory of TCM.

Collectively, the results of this experiment may help integrate the various anatomical correlates being proposed for the objective basis of acupuncture structures. The linear path undertaken by fluorescein dye aligned closely with the intermuscular fascia in the forearm, consistent with the connective tissue framework proposed by Langevin [7]. Only injection of dye at low-electrical impedance points formed these linear trajectories as revealed not only by the results of this study but also from past animal studies as well [28]. This specific, functional distinction associated with low-electrical impedance points comports with past hypotheses regarding the electrical characteristics of acupuncture points [41]. Finally, the coalescence of dye at these unique pointsEvans blue for the hypersensitized point hypothesis [16] and fluorescein dye in our studysuggests the presence of a localized pooling site within the skin that may have physiological implications. Future studies may explore whether these points have any neurovascular and interstitial convergence.

This study has several limitations. The study was limited to the pericardium channel and to healthy individuals. The generalization of this observed phenomenon may not be replicated at other body sites or other clinical scenarios. Second, the full characterization of the migration patternssuch as velocity, depth, and associated factors (e.g., hydration, arm elevation, blood pressure)was not collected in this study. Furthermore, a rich hypergeometric statistical analysis that objectively reveals spatial concordance between tracer migration paths and acupuncturist-determined meridian/points would have substantially enhanced our ability to quantify the correlations between the two trajectories along their full lengths. Finally, the physiological significance of this dye pathway and the associated low-electrical impedance points was not explored in this study. Much remains unknown about the physiological or clinical implications of this discovered network. Future studies may explore in more detail the physiological structures located at the acupuncture points and meridians (as delineated by the fluorescein dye) and how they relate to mechanisms already elaborated by past basic science studiessuch as endogenous opiate pathway. It is also necessary to quantitatively analyze the correlation between fluorescent lines and correspondent meridians regarding position and electrical impedance. Nevertheless, this study is the first to reveal a dynamic, functional link between acupuncture points and meridians in healthy humans and may open multiple avenues of research exploring the integration of the various anatomical/physiological correlates already proposed in the acupuncture sciences.

5. Conclusions

After injection of fluorescent dyes (fluorescein sodium and ICG) in the acupoints of the pericardium, not at adjacent nonacupoint control points, we observed their fluorescent lines proximately along this meridian. Especially fluorescein sodium emerged and ostensibly coalesced exactly where PC3 was demarcated beforehand. These lines cannot be attributed to blood vessels or lymphatics. The findings reinforce the previous studies that identified migrating pathways of tracer dyes along a linear path resembling meridians. This study may also be helpful in integrating the various anatomical correlates being proposed for the objective basis of acupuncture structures.

Data Availability

Data used to support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author (Dr. Bruce Qing, tangqing@enn.cn).

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Ms. Huanhuan Su for her injection operations. Ms. Na Zhao and Feng Lu are appreciated for their work on ultrasound imaging and helpful discussion. The authors thank Ms. Feifei Gu, Pengna Zhao, and Huanhuan Gong for their excellent technical assistance. This work was funded by ENN Research Fund (SMKJ20190018).
Two people made initial appearances Tuesday in Sauk County Circuit Court after Reedsburg police officers arrested them on suspicion of drug possession.

Luis E. Rosbaugh, 42, of Baraboo, and Anthony D. Hendricks, 33, of Reedsburg, both face charges for possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Hendricks was also charged with two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping. They carry a maximum prison sentence of more than three years and four years of extended supervision.

Rosbaugh faces an additional felony charge of narcotics possession and misdemeanor counts of possessing a controlled substance, driving with a revoked license, obstructing an officer and carrying a concealed weapon. They carry a maximum of more than three years in prison and four years of extended supervision.

Hendricks appeared before Circuit Court Judge Patricia Barrett, who set a $1,000 signature bond in his case. Prosecutor Gabriel David Arevalo requested a $1,000 cash bond. As a condition of the bail, Hendricks is prohibited from possessing a controlled substance without a valid prescription.

Arevalo requested Rosbaugh be given a signature bond when he appeared in court Tuesday. Barrett set a $1,000 signature bond in his case as well with the condition that Rosbaugh not possess a controlled substance without a valid prescription.

According to information released by the Reedsburg Police Department, the pair was stopped by an officer just after 9:15 p.m. Monday in the 1100 block of Commercial Avenue. Rosbaugh was driving with Hendricks as a passenger.

Hendricks was arrested on an active Sauk County warrant, said Reedsburg Police Chief Patrick Cummings. According to online court records, the warrant was issued Sept. 22 after he failed to appear in court for an August case in which he was charged with misdemeanor theft of movable property and bail jumping. Hendricks also appeared before Barrett on those charges, where Arevalo requested a $500 cash bond. Barrett set Hendricks a $500 signature bail with the condition that he have no contact with Merrimac Lodi Mutual Insurance, 431 Water St. in Prairie du Sac.

The department K-9 was deployed on the vehicle and indicated the presence of drugs. When officers searched the vehicle, they allegedly found that Rosbaugh and Hendricks were carrying illegal drugs.

Rosbaugh was arrested on the charges as well as cited for driving with an open container of alcohol in the car and driving without insurance, Cummings said. Both were taken to Sauk County Jail.

Rosbaugh is scheduled to return to court Nov. 28.

Hendricks is set to return Oct. 13. He is scheduled to be sentenced that day on misdemeanor charges of criminal damage to property and theft of movable property in a case filed May 20.
JUNEAU  A 57-year-old Watertown man will serve time in jail for misdemeanor battery for abusing his soon-to-be-former wife.

Dennis Saxby entered a no contest plea to three misdemeanor counts of battery and two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. A felony physical abuse charge was dismissed but read into the record.

Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Brian Pfitzinger accepted Saxbys plea and withheld sentencing and placed Saxby on probation for 48 months. As conditions of his probation, he must serve 120 days in jail, maintain absolute sobriety, and not enter any establishment whose primary business involves the sale of alcohol. In addition, he must undergo assessments for AODA and domestic violence and anger management along with follow-through.

According to the criminal complaint:

The 65-year-old wife of Saxby arrived at Watertown Memorial Hospital on March 3 at 2:45 a.m. with multiple bruises on her body and skin missing from her head. She reported her husband had assaulted her at their town of Lebanon home.

The woman told a deputy that her husband was intoxicated when he came home and was upset at her for calling him when he came home. He began calling her names and telling her that he no longer loved her. The woman said Saxby kept hitting her in the face. She said she waited for Saxby to fall asleep before going for help. The woman had a broken nose and bruised hand.

Saxby allegedly originally denied anything happening but later admitted there was a small altercation. According to the criminal complaint, Saxby said he had snapped because his wife had pushed him emotionally.

The couple were married in 2005. Saxbys wife has since filed for divorce.
A Juneau County Supervisor from the northern area of the county unexpectedly died in August and is remembered by his wife and area representatives for his dedication to his community, the county, and his family.

James Parrett, the 10th District Sup. and Town of Armenia chairperson who died on Aug. 20, lived in the town for 11 years and was a member of nine county committees as a county board representative. Parrett, who was also one of two vice chairs on the county board, was 60 when he died from liver failure.

According to Parretts obituary on Legacy.com, Parrett enjoyed hunting, fishing, ATV riding, and billiards in his spare time. He also was a car collector and traveler, but his greatest joy in life was spending time with his family, according to the obituary.

Kim Parrett, Jamess wife, said that Parrett spent over 50 years intermittently in northern Juneau County for hunting and fishing, and that they took vacations to the area prior to settling there. The Parretts lived in Burlington, Wisconsin, prior to moving to Armenia.

It was the most important thing to me, said Kim Parrett of her marriage to and family with James. Enjoyed moving to Juneau County to get away from the city and just being able to enjoy the outdoors more up here and being able to share that with our girls (Courtney and Samantha).

Parrett, in conjunction with Petenwell ATV Club in Nekoosa, has a scholarship for one student from either Necedah or Nekoosa High School for $500 annually. The scholarship was recently renamed the Petenwell James Parrett ATV Club Scholarship.

He meant quite a bit, said Kim Parrett of Jamess significance to the town and the county. He definitely was a supporter of the local businesses, not just up here where we live, but the whole county. He was always dedicated to trying to improve the area and communities and make things better for everyone.

Matt Goeb, a Town of Armenia Supervisor, served under Parrett for a short time.

I only knew Jim for a short time and most of this was on the town board, said Goeb in an email. Jim had a passion for his community and trying to make things better for everyone. Anything he did it was with the community in mind.

Timothy Cottingham and Roy Granger, the 18th and 15th District Sups. on the Juneau County Board, also lauded Parrett for his service to the county. The board unanimously voted for a resolution recognizing him for his four years of service on the board.

It was quite a shock, said Cottingham. Everybody was very surprised. He was a good person who worked really hard for the county.

Cottingham further discussed Parretts involvement with numerous committees and his influence on the county board, stating that he was easily elected a vice chair in April. Parretts vacant county board seat will hopefully be filled within the next month, according to Cottingham.

Granger, who served under Parrett on the countys Finance and Computer Committee, praised Parrett for his enthusiasm and heavy involvement in county government.

Jim Parrett was an excellent county board member, said Granger. He was really energetic and wanted to be part of what was going on. A definite asset for the county.
Madison is one of the nations least-prepared cities to take advantage of historic federal clean energy investments, according to a new report, even as the city joins a coalition to push the Biden administration to do more to fight climate change.

Despite ambitious plans that call for slashing greenhouse gas emissions, many U.S. cities  including Madison  are not on track to hit their targets, according to the report from Brookings Metro, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

The short takeaway: Many cities arent ready, said Joseph Kane, lead author of the report.

In order to limit the damage and deaths caused by climate change, humans need to slash greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of this decade and completely by 2050, according to the scientific consensus.

With federal climate policy stuck in political stalemate for years, cities have been on the front lines of the climate fight, said Adie Tomer, a senior fellow at Brookings Metro.

Mayors have been some of the most important truth tellers among residents and business owners about threats to their communities and what a proactive climate response could do to build a more prosperous future for all, Tomer said.

In the past 12 months, Congress has passed three landmark bills that together invest hundreds of billions of dollars in research, manufacturing and clean energy incentives that have the potential to cut emissions by 40%.

Brookings found that most of the nations largest cities arent prepared to do their part. They may lack detailed strategies, they cant reduce carbon emissions outside their borders, and they dont always coordinate with other jurisdictions.

The Brookings report recommends city leaders do an honest assessment of their current ability to decarbonize; establish regional leadership networks to coordinate efforts, standardize metrics and negotiate with private stakeholders; and develop a skilled workforce to manage the efforts.

Climate change still demands a collective response, Tomer said. Washington cannot achieve its goals if cities do not join together.

On Tuesday, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway announced that Madison will be part of a national Solutions for Pollution campaign, joining more than 200 advocacy groups calling on President Joe Biden to use his authority to curb emissions.

According to campaign organizers, Biden could use existing environmental laws like the Clean Air Act to implement nearly 20 protections that together could get the nation to the 50% reduction target while also curbing toxic air and water pollution.

The Biden administration has made incredible strides on the issue of climate, Rhodes-Conway said. There is more to be done at the federal level, and its important that each level of government use every tool in our toolbox to make a difference not just on climate pollutants, but on the pollutants that impact human health and our environment.

Outdated plan

With a score of just 14 out of 25 points, Madison ranked 39th out of 50 cities evaluated in the Brookings report. Dallas was the top-ranked city, with a score of 24.

Kane said that while Dallas has immense challenges, the city produced a comprehensive climate action plan in 2020.

Dallas has shown  that they are taking some actions, he said.

Madison scored especially poorly in terms of tracking and updating progress toward its goals and received just half the available points for funding and equity. The city received a perfect score for highlighting partnerships and making clear whos responsible for meeting goals.

One of the reasons for Madisons poor rating: It was based on the citys 11-year-old sustainability plan, which called for an 80% communitywide reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, a target that was later upped to 100%.

Jessica Price, the citys sustainability and resilience manager, said the 2011 plan was not written as a comprehensive decarbonization plan, but instead focused more broadly on advancing environmental sustainability, economic prosperity and social well-being.

The Sustainable Madison Committee is revising that plan to include steps for cutting communitywide emissions in half by 2030 and more ambitious targets for city operations. Its not clear when a draft of the updated plan will be publicly available.

Kane acknowledged that Madison and other cities may be doing more, but they need a detailed plan with measurable goals and interim benchmarks.

Thats whats there. Thats what the public sees, Kane said of Madisons current plan. If this isnt what you want people to focus on you should have something else out there. Or at least make it clear that youre working on it.

Useful lessons

The Brookings report is not the first to find Madison coming up short of its goals.

In 2020, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranked Madison 64th out of 100 cities, citing lax building standards and a lack of communitywide initiatives. Madison got a nod as most-improved the following year, though it still ranked just 39th.

Price said the Brookings report and others that rank climate plans are useful learning tools but should not be used to pit cities against one another.

Climate action has never been more urgent, so highlighting the elements of successful climate action planning helps practitioners use strategies that work, improve current practice and avoid pitfalls, she said. Successful climate action is a win for us all.

State Journal Assistant City Editor Kirsten Adshead contributed to this report.
Machines will not replace humans, yet!

Expert calls for development of a new kind of AI that is provably beneficial to humans

While the advances made within the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) have made human life easier, the threat of it taking over has been a topical issue amongst experts since the 1950s when it was first developed.

But a Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley, Stuart Russell said there was currently no indication that human life would be completely replaced by machines.

Russell was speaking under the theme Provably Beneficial Artificial Intelligence, at the 71st Dr Bernard Price Memorial lecture that was hosted virtually by the South African Institute for Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) in partnership with Wits.

The lectures are named after Dr Price for his contribution as an engineer to the South African power supply industry. As a technical expert who had a passion for the sciences, Price established the Bernard Price Institute for Geophysical Research and the Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research at Wits.

Humans capable of AI?

At the lecture, Russell explored the possibility of what the creation of AI systems that could quickly learn to outperform human beings in tasks where the human intellect is relevant (General Purpose AI), would look like for the human race.

Should computer scientists be able to create general purpose AI systems, it would be the most significant technological event in the history of humans and one of the positive impacts of this would be the improvement of the global living standards.

Because general purpose AI systems would be extremely low-cost and can be multiplied as many times as you want, they could provide high quality individualised health care, education for every child and could also be used to accelerate the rate of progress in science, said Russell.

He however believes that this kind of technology is not available nor is it imminent in the near future despite suggestions that it currently exists or is being developed.

The training of deep learning networks from large amounts of data, which is currently the popular approach in AI, was also unlikely to create general purpose AI systems.

And because these deep networks were essentially circuits rather than computer programs, they were restrictive and required large amounts of pages even for simple pieces of knowledge that could be written down on a single page.

Russell explained, We still have a long way to go before reaching human level artificial intelligence. We do not really know how to build systems that actually understand language as opposed to being able to produce the appearance of being able to understand language as current systems do.

The path to provably beneficial AI

When computer scientist Alan Turing developed AI, he had predicted that humans would lose control over machines that would eventually exceed human capabilities. But Russell argued that Turing was wrong to think that doom was inevitable.

This is despite the development of apps that have the ability to predict and manipulate the preferences of users.

Russell called for the development of new models where machines are beneficial to achieve the objectives of human beings.

Based on these models, machines would rely on a mathematical framework that would give them access to these objectives.

"That is one possible answer to Turings concern that we actually have to rebuild AI on a completely different foundation. We have to get away from this idea that we begin with a fixed objective that the algorithm is going to optimise, he explained.

According to Russell, this different approach to AI, where systems know that they do not know what the objectives of humans are, the idea of provably beneficial AI being a desirable form of technology can be proved.

While computer scientists are looking at these systems of the future that he described as better technology, Russell warned about the problems that could arise where these provably beneficial methods could be misused for evil motives or overused where AI systems run successfully to an extent where humans would end up being infantilised and feeble.
Gang warfare in Lesotho is sharpened by rivalry between accordion stars, turning one of Africa's smallest countries into its murder capital. (To be clear, it is not the accordions with which the terrorising is accomplished)

Famo has the gentlest of origins. It developed when traditional "wayfarers' hymns"  a form of spontaneous oral poetry, or rap, composed by herders or travellers to while away long hours guarding cattle or journeying on foot through Lesotho's mountains  began to be accompanied first on the concertina, and later the accordion.

But in 2004, after one Famo musician allegedly shot another, a cycle of revenge developed, fuelled by poisonous lyrics in songs. And over the last two decades scores of Famo artists and hundreds of other people connected with the music  producers, fans, DJs, musicians' family members  have been gunned down.
Two Vietnamese students try traditional Chinese painting at Hanoi University in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 26, 2022. [Xinhua/Jiang Shengxiong]

HANOI, Sept. 27 (Xinhua)  A series of activities were held at Hanoi University in the Vietnamese capital from Sunday to Tuesday to celebrate the Chinese Culture Week and the Global Confucius Institute Day.

Co-hosted by the Confucius Institute at Hanoi University and Duxiu Bookstore at Hanoi University, the activities included contests of writing Chinese characters among Vietnamese students, a number of cultural experience subjects, and an art performance.

Le Chi Nghia from Hanoi and Do Thi Huyen Trang from the northern city of Hai Phong won the university students' and high school students' Chinese character writing contests, respectively.

Luo Jun, a principal of the Confucius Institute at Hanoi University, told Xinhua that the growing economic, trade and cultural exchanges between China and Vietnam had raised the standard for nurturing talent in the Chinese language, and the contests could both show the students' capability and the quality of the Chinese language education among Vietnamese students.

Over the three days, over 1,500 students and people from all walks of life participated in the cultural experience subjects at Hanoi University, such as traditional Chinese painting, paper cutting, and hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group. An art performance was held on Tuesday afternoon to culminate the event.

Le Thi Thanh Tam, a Vietnamese student who was admitted to Fujian Normal University, took part in the activities wearing hanfu, and told Xinhua that although she had watched a number of Chinese series set in ancient times, it was her first try of hanfu, and she felt excited as if she was taken back to those times.

The first Global Confucius Institute Day was observed in Vietnam on Sept. 27, 2014.

The prize-winners of a Chinese characters writing contest for Vietnamese university students pose for photos with the organizers of the contest and representatives of teachers at Hanoi University in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 25, 2022. [Confucius Institute at Hanoi University/Handout via Xinhua]

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a message of condolence to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, over a school shooting incident in the country.

In his message, Xi said he was shocked to learn of the shooting in the Russian city of Izhevsk.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people and in his own name, Xi expressed deep condolences for those killed in the incident and sincere sympathies to the bereaved families.

(Source: Xinhua)
In December 2020, the New South Wales (Australia) Environmental Trust announced that they were awarding a $20.3 million grant to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to help halt species decline. The grant funded the creation of four new feral predator-free areas, more than tripling the size of such predator-free areas on NSW national parkland, and the reintroduction of threatened and declining species to three such previously-established areas. When the grant was announced in 2020, the NSW Department of Planning and Environment website explained:

Australia has the worst mammal extinction record in the world. In New South Wales, 14 bird species and 26 mammals have become extinct in the past 250 years. Feral cats and foxes are the key drivers of the decline in most mammals, as well as bird, reptile and amphibian species. Feral cats alone kill more than 1.5 billion native animals each year. In New South Wales, cats  more than any other feral animal  are thought to impact 117 threatened species. The plan will bring the total of fox-and-cat-free areas in NSW national parks to almost 65,000 hectares, combined with the Reintroduction of locally extinct mammals project's 3 existing fenced feral-free areas on national park estate managed in partnership with Australian Wildlife Conservancy and UNSW Sydney/Wild Deserts. More than 50 threatened species are expected to benefit, including 28 locally extinct species and more than 30 threatened species currently surviving in national parks.

It's now more than a year and a half later, and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service announced this week on its Facebook page that at least 10 species are now thriving in the 3 previously established predator-free areas where they were reintroduced. They explain:

Once locally extinct native animals like the bilby, Shark Bay bandicoot, numbat, crest-tailed mulgara and brush-tailed bettong are breeding and flourishing in the 3 feral predator-free areas established so far.

I'm so happy these creatures are doing so well and that the project is turning out to be a success! The NSW Facebook post also includes some amazing photos of these creatures, taken by wildlife photographers T Hunt/Wild Deserts, W Lawler, and B Leue/AWC. So if you've never seen a bandicoot or a numbat, or don't know a bilby from a bettong, go check them out! Which adorable once-endangered-but-now-thriving Australian creature is your favorite? They are all ridiculously cute, and it's hard to choose just one, but I'm gonna have to go with the brush-tailed bettong as my favoriteit looks like what would happen if you crossed a rat with the tiniest kangaroo you can imagine. That's exactly the kind of animal I find endearing. I mean, what's not to love?
Xi Jinping and other Communist Party of China and state leaders Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng visit the exhibition  "Forging Ahead in the New Era"  at the Beijing Exhibition Hall in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2022. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed concerted efforts to forge ahead determinedly toward a new victory of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when visiting an exhibition on the great achievements of the Party and the country over the past decade.

Xi stressed that since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee has united and led the whole Party, the country, and the people in solving many challenging problems that were long on the agenda but never resolved, making many achievements that concerned the nation's future, and overcoming many political, economic, ideological, and natural risks, challenges, and trials.

Historic achievements and shifts have taken place in the cause of the Party and the country, equipping the country with better institutions, firmer material foundations, and a more proactive mindset for realizing national rejuvenation, Xi added.

He called for more efforts in raising public awareness of strategic measures, transformative practices, breakthroughs, and landmark accomplishments over the past decade. He also urged a better understanding of the significance of the profound changes during this period in the history of the CPC, of New China, of the reform and opening-up, of the development of socialism, and of the development of the Chinese nation, so that the whole Party, the country, and the people will maintain historical confidence and enhance the historical initiative.

Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng also visited the exhibition.

Xi and other leaders arrived at the Beijing Exhibition Hall at 3:45 p.m. for the exhibition.

Under the theme of "Forging Ahead in the New Era," the exhibition focuses on the many accomplishments and shifts in the cause of the Party and the country over the past 10 years in the new era.

It spans six exhibit areas and covers more than 30,000 square meters in total. It features more than 6,000 exhibits, including pictures, material objects, and models.

Among them are objects and models showcasing China's significant improvements in science and technology and manufacturing, the state-level key publication project "Revitalization Library," and exhibits presenting China's campaigns of eradicating extreme poverty and fighting COVID-19.

Xi Jinping and other Communist Party of China and state leaders Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng visit the exhibition  "Forging Ahead in the New Era"  at the Beijing Exhibition Hall in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2022. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

(Source: Xinhua)
Editor's Note: A total of 2,296 delegates have been elected to attend the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The delegates, covering a broad spectrum, are all outstanding CPC members and have made remarkable achievements in their work. China Daily invited some delegates to share their stories with our readers.

Liu Guizhen greets a villager and inquires about her health in a village of Daixian County, Shanxi Province, in June 2017. [Xinhua/Zhan Yan]

Liu Guizhen, 60, who is short and thin and wears her hair closely cropped, has a wrinkled face that often breaks out into smiles.

She is often seen with a medical kit in her village of Duanjiawan, in Daixian County, Shanxi Province, where she has worked as a village doctor since 1978.

It is her longest-held position in her home area surrounded by mountains, but not the only one. Liu is taking on another role, in Beijing, roughly 400 kilometers from her village.

She was a village teacher for almost three decades starting 1988. Since 1996, she has served as village Party secretary. In 2017, she started a cooperative and became an entrepreneur.

This year, Liu was elected as a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

She became a village doctor in 1978, when she decided to take the college entrance examination. But she gave up on continuing her studies because of her father, who was the village Party secretary.

Back then, the village had no doctor. It was not unusual that ailing villagers saw their condition worsen because they had no timely access to medical care. Liu's father was looking for someone to participate in a government-organized training program to address that problem.

"My father said: 'You are the only one in the village who has been to high school. Who else can I turn to except you?'", she recalled.

It was not easy for Liu to become a doctor. After following the training program, she bought a number of books to continue studying by herself. In the beginning, she often consulted with professionals.

Since her very first day as a doctor, she has insisted on charging patients only for the cost of the medicines, though she often had to trudge along rugged mountain roads in rain or snow to reach them.

She even gives the medicine free of charge to patients facing economic hardship.

In 2006, when the government promoted community-level medical and healthcare services in rural China, many villagers refused to pay the annual 10 yuan fee for the service  less than the $1.30 by the current exchange rate. Liu paid it for these villagers without telling them.

A decade after Liu set out on her career as a doctor, she ran into a scenario similar to the one in 1978.

In 1988, the only teacher in Duanjiawan primary school left, and classes in the school stopped for two months. No one in the village was as qualified as Liu to take up the post, so she stepped forward again.

In 1996, the ever-growing recognition among the residents of her contribution to the remote village brought another role. She was elected Party secretary.

To make a living, the villagers traditionally grew corn, millet and potatoes. After research she conducted with the aim of addressing the poverty in the village, it occurred to her that they would be much better off financially if they switched to growing pine trees.

Liu found it difficult, however, to change villagers' mindset and conventional ideas. Many worried they would lose money if they set out in a business that was strange to them.

Liu and her husband decided they would be the first and planted pine tree seedlings in their 200-square-meter plots. Just two years later, they sold the saplings for 75,000 yuan. The profit they gained from planting trees was almost 100 times that from the traditional crops in the plots.

Many villagers soon followed their lead. In addition to pine trees, they also planted picea asperata  another spruce  and poplars. This transition brought yet more work Liu's way because villagers often sought her advice when they had problems cultivating seedlings.

She even lent money to poverty-stricken families to help them get started in the business. By 2017, when Liu started a cooperative dedicated to the saplings business, villagers had planted approximately 6.7 hectares of tree seedlings. The business helped raise the per capita net income in the village beyond 10,000 yuan by the end of 2020.

Liu has been looking forward to serving as a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the CPC.

"I'm just an ordinary person from a valley in the mountains doing some simple things," she said.

Liu said she would like to take the chance to convey the voice of the people in the villages and to devote herself to improving the teaching environment in rural schools and the living conditions of villagers.

"I never regret having stayed in the village, and I will continue to serve the villagers wholeheartedly for the rest of my life."

Xinhua contributed to the story.

(Source: China Daily/Xinhua)
People urged to go out and get your vaccination amid concerns of high levels of flu this winter

A leading critical care doctor has urged people in North Wales to get their flu vaccine this winter.

Wrexham Maelors Dr Andy Campbell thanked the public for their support during the COVID-19 pandemic  but said he was again asking people to protect themselves and their loved ones from serious illness.

Public Health experts are expecting a significant flu season this winter for the first time since the pandemic.

The number of reported cases of the flu have dropped over the past few years due to increased hand hygiene, social distancing measures and face mask usage.

However this will be the first winter since 2019 with no restrictions in place and common viruses are returning in higher numbers as we mix more and our lives return to normal.

The flu virus can be deadly and typically results in dozens of admissions to critical care units across North Wales each year.

Dr Campbell said vaccination would help the public stay healthy and relieve pressure on local NHS services.

Im asking, as we come into another winter, that you do the best you can to prepare yourself, he said.

Influenza is still a big problem in hospitals, and will be again this winter. So please go out and get your vaccination.

Its going to help so much to take the pressure off the NHS, and it will help you stay healthy and stay fit.

Experts at Public Health Wales say cases of flu are already being detected in Wales. It is thought the flu virus could be as widespread and severe as 2017, when 16,500 people were diagnosed by their GP and 2,500 people were hospitalised throughout Wales.

This summer, Australias flu season hit earlier than usual with the highest case levels in five years.

Free flu vaccines for priority groups are available from GP practices and community pharmacies, while people eligible for the Autumn COVID-19 booster are now being invited to receive their vaccination at one of the health boards mass vaccination centres.

Vaccination helps to prevent vulnerable people becoming seriously unwell, slows the spread of the viruses in our communities, and protects the NHS. With the NHS facing serious winter pressures and COVID-19 still in circulation, it is more important than ever that people who are eligible for the vaccines take up the opportunity this winter.

Eluned Morgan, Minister for Health and Social Services, said: We are encouraging everyone to get both their jabs this winter, when flu and COVID will be at their peak  to protect themselves, those around them and the NHS during what will be a busy time for healthcare in Wales.

Public Health Wales has launched a national campaign to encourage people eligible for flu and COVID-19 vaccines to power up their protection against serious illness this winter.

Vaccination is particularly important for those who are older, pregnant, or are more vulnerable because of underlying health conditions. Frontline healthcare and care workers should also take up the vaccines to help protect their patients.

Children aged between two and 16 will be offered a painless nasal spray flu vaccine. Protecting children against flu will help to prevent them becoming seriously ill, and protect older and more vulnerable members of their families and the community from the virus.

All schoolchildren from reception to Year 11 will be offered the vaccine at school, while two and three-year-olds can receive it at their GP surgery.

To help stop flu, COVID-19 and other viruses spreading, remember to Catch it, Bin it, Kill it  always cough or sneeze into a tissue, dispose of the tissue after use, and then wash your hands or use hand sanitiser to kill any viruses.

To help keep Wales safe, the Welsh Government recommends:
The new Netflix show Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was recently released, and the family of Dahmer's victims are rightfully angry about it, particularly because they were never contacted about the show; instead of the show giving "victims a voice" (which Netflix stated was their goal), the families of the victims are actually just being retraumatized. Christian Zilko of IndieWire explains:

Eric Perry, cousin of Jeffrey Dahmer victim Errol Lindsey, spoke out on Twitter to express his discomfort with "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's new Netflix series that stars Evan Peters as the infamous serial killer.

"I'm not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you're actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell's) are pissed about this show," he wrote.

Perry also noted that because the murders are public record, producers of true crime shows are not required to notify the families of the victims they portray. Perry says that nobody from "Monster" contacted his family, and that they found out about the show at the same time as everyone else.

"So when they say they're doing this 'with respect to the victims' or 'honoring the dignity of the families,' no one contacts them," he wrote. "My cousins wake up every few months at this point with a bunch of calls and messages and they know there's another Dahmer show. It's cruel."
In the final week of Brazils general election campaign, the countrys fascistic President Jair Bolsonaro has continued to warn that he will not recognize any result except for his outright victory in the first round.

Following the playbook of former US president Donald Trump in the preparation for his January 6, 2021 Capitol coup attempt, Bolsonaro has relentlessly declared for four years that the Brazilian electronic voting system is being actively rigged to favor the front-runner in the polls, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, of the Workers Party (PT). In recent weeks, he has attacked as part of this supposed conspiracy the polling institutes that unanimously show him trailing Lula by over 10 percentage points.

Lula (third from the right), Henrique Meirelles (right), Marina Silva (third from the left) (Photo by Ricardo Stuckert)

Much more gravely, he has succeeded in integrating the Brazilian armed forces, which imposed a brutal dictatorship backed by US imperialism between 1964 and 1985, in his operation to discredit Brazils voting machines. The military is mounting an operation to audit the vote separately from the countrys Electoral Court (TSE). This operation, which finally received a cowardly endorsement from the Electoral Court president, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, has effectively installed the military as the final arbiter of the election.

Under these conditions, the PT has launched a sharp turn to the right, with the aim of winning the support of even the most reactionary Bolsonaro supporters behind a third term for Lula. The party is promising big business that it will bring the kind of social peace and stability for profit making that Bolsonaro is disrupting with his right-wing demagogy. The chief concern of the PT is that the general misery of the Brazilian working class, which exploded under Bolsonaro, including the mass death and suffering caused by his herd immunity policy towards the COVID-19 pandemic, will bring into question the whole of Brazilian capitalism.

Having as its first and foremost concern the chloroforming of public opinion as to the depth of the crisis of Brazilian capitalism, the party reaffirms day and night that institutions are working and Bolsonaro is isolated in his coup preparations. The backroom maneuvers of the last two weeks, however, expose precisely the contrary.

As widely publicized by both the corporate media and PT mouthpieces like Revista Forum, Lula held a meeting on September 21 with the highest ranking US official in Brazil, Douglas Koneff, whose nomination for ambassador to Brazil remains stalled in the US Senate. The central issue in the meeting was Washingtons reassurance that the US will immediately and publicly acknowledge the results proclaimed by the TSE, likely confirming Lulas wide lead, on the evening of the election day. Senior PT advisers have reportedly requested the same from scores of Latin American and European ambassadors, in an attempt to dissuade the historically pro-imperialist military from siding with Bolsonaro and thus barring success for his anticipated coup attempt.

This entire operation is no more than a criminal bet. The US Southern Command had no problem taking part in Bolsonaros fascist Independence Day marches on September 7. It sent a naval squadron to join celebrations off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in the name of not upsetting the Brazilian military, with which the Pentagon has closely collaborated for over a century. The PT is counting almost exclusively on the fact that Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump, has more than once irritated US officials with criticism of both Biden and the US proxy war against Russia  including a sharp rebuke of US sanctions during the 77th UN General Assembly last week.

Accordingly, Lula recently bolstered his political turn towards imperialism with a largely scripted interview with the mouthpiece of Brazils agribusiness tycoons, Canal Rural, also on September 21, in which he made an unprecedented denunciation of late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, a historic target of US imperialism, which attempted to kidnap and murder him in a failed 2002 coup.

Lula took his cue from a question about gun ownership rights, which were widely expanded by Bolsonaro, leading to a sharp increase in violence perpetrated by goons at the service of large land owners and miners against both peasants and indigenous communities. Pressed on whether he would reverse Bolsonaros measures, Lula affirmed that he never opposed gun ownership in the countryside and assured that the world-famous Landless Workers Movement (MST), a key element of the PTs left-wing posturing, no longer had any interest in occupying private land, and had been transformed into a successful administrator of organic production of rice and other staples. The movement, which was once portrayed internationally as a radical opponent of the concentration of land ownership and even socialist, had matured, Lula said. In a completely unprovoked act of red-baiting, Lula then declared he was opposed to expanded gun ownership because that was what Hugo Chavez had done in Venezuela.

The PTs recent efforts have also included restoring alliances with Marina Silva, Lulas former environment minister who left his government to become a champion of capitalist green-washing and neoliberal reforms, as well as with Lulas former central banker Henrique Meirelles, who headed the economy ministry under Bolsonaros predecessor, Michel Temer. Both Silva and Meirelles took part in elaborately staged ceremonies to announce their support for Lula after years of publicly opposing the PT.

After leaving the PT and Lulas government in 2008, Silva became one of the largest recipients of corporate donations in her three attempts to become president in 2010, 2014 and 2018. Briefly leading the polls in 2014 against the PTs incumbent president, Dilma Rousseff, she was bitterly denounced by the PT for advocating the formal independence of the Brazilian Central Bank. The measure was finally approved under Michel Temer, who succeeded Rousseff after her 2016 impeachment on trumped-up charges. At the time Meirelles was the minister of economy.

Financial dailies were unanimous in indicating that a slight rise in the value of the Brazilian currency, the real, vis-a-vis the US dollar on September 20, the day after the Lula-Meirelles meeting, was due to the confidence that Lula would challenge neither the draconian spending cap imposed by Meirelles in 2017 nor the independence of the Central Bank, despite his past and present public promises.

As for the support of Silva, it included compromises on regulating the carbon credit market in Brazil and curbing deforestation, thus helping to unlock a free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union. The deal has been decades in the making and is advertised as the largest commercial deal ever signed, but it has been blocked by numerous European national governments on the grounds that Brazils intense and destructive farming methods would offer unfair competition to European small farming. Lula has historically opposed the deal claiming it would destroy national industry. Now, with Silva by his side, he has vowed to conclude it in his first six months in office, thus promising another boon to big business, while the fraudulent carbon credit schemes do nothing to stop global warming.

There is a deep sense of historical irony in the fact that the much-advertised guarantee against a Bolsonaro dictatorship, the embrace of a possible third Lula term by US imperialism, comes as Bolsonaro himself strikes a defiant tone towards the US government, exposing the deteriorating US world standing and the international descent into national rivalries and war. One of the main sources of opposition to Bolsonaro within the ruling class, and the one most stridently voiced by the PT, has been that his one-sided alignment with US foreign policy was contrary to Brazils business interests, especially as this year the country became the largest recipient of Chinese foreign investment.

Another big business figure previously reviled by the PT, Pedro Parente, who was named by president Temer to head the state-run oil giant Petrobras after Rousseffs ouster, declared in a September 20 event at the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange that if the incoming government has a certain competence, and especially with the expected improvement in China relations if Lula wins, there is an opportunity to reclaim attractiveness for foreign investments.

The transformation of Latin America into a battleground for the increasingly bellicose US confrontations with Russia and China only makes the PTs own backroom deals with Washington all the more reckless and criminal. The same reason for the PTs praising the expansion of economic ties with China and other countriesthe weakening of the US position, especially in Latin Americaalso underpins Washingtons need to preserve ties with the Brazilian military, whatever its short-term concerns about Bolsonaros recklessness, as it demonstrated on September 7. At the same time, the PTs subordination of its populist appeals to its quest for the backing of the imperialist powers makes it clear that whatever the result of the October 2 vote, Brazilian workers will face a government of unprecedented austerity and attacks on living standards, all in the name of competitiveness and great power politics.

The organization of a counter-offensive against the class war announced by both Bolsonaro and the PT requires a socialist and internationalist strategy. That perspective is only advanced by the International Committee of the Fourth International.
Sir Keir Starmers keynote speech to Labours annual conference delivered a message to big business that the party can be trusted to rein in public spending while still waging war against Russia in Ukraineand can dress this up as coming from a party that really cares for working people.

It was a cynical exercise of nationalist drumbeating, florid and empty phrases, evasions, and lies. That the drivel Starmer served up was greeted with the robotic standing ovations that characterise the Conservative Party was proof of how far Labour has lurched to the right, losing 200,000 members since he took leadership in 2020 with the worst elements of the grasping upper middle class firmly in control.

Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of Britain's Labour Party makes his speech at the party's annual conference in Liverpool, England, September 27, 2022. [AP Photo/Jon Super]

Beneath the conferences Union Jack logo, Starmer began by referring once again to the queens death, as an example of a nation united by a profound purposeto pay its respects to a remarkable sovereign.

What followed was Labours pitch for popular support, with one trite statement piled upon another: a cloud of anxiety hangs over working people; we must provide clear leadership, stand with working people, meet their ambitions for real change, Walk towards a better future, build a new Britain, together.

His criticism of Prime Minister Liz Trusss Conservative government was that it had lost control of the British economy and crashed the pound. And for what? Not for you. Not for working people. For tax cuts for the richest 1 percent in our society. Dont forget. Dont forgive.

This, his only effective phrase, was followed by more nonsenseturn our collar up and face the storm, the hard work, the graft and the common sense of the British people, We will run towards the challenges of tomorrow, a fresh start, a new set of priorities and a new way of governing, time for Britain to stand tall again. To believe in ourselves again. To chart a new course. And to get our future back.

How was this wondrous work to be done?

Tackling the cost-of-living crisis involved putting the profits of the energy and oil companies to work. Fixing the National Health Service meant somehow taking on extra staff, with no serious explanation of how this would be done.

He followed this with an obscene attempt to use the cost-of-living crisis to pledge Labours support for war against Russia. Now, Im not going to stand here and pretend the awful conflict in Ukraine is not the immediate spark of the cost-of-living crisis, he admitted, before insisting, We will never allow Putins threats and imperialism to succeed. We will stand alongside Ukraine and its people fighting on the frontline of freedom. So let this entire conference say together: Slava Ukraini!

What came next was a concerted attempt to reassure the ruling class that all that had gone before was pure rhetoric and that Labour would act in their interests alone.

Starmer spoke of how he had faced the challenge to change our party and prepare for power all in one go To make our Labour Party fit to serve our country. He had forced out the hundreds of thousands who had joined Labour in the hope that his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, would fight for socialist policies, drive out the Blairites and take on the Tories. He had ripped antisemitism out by its roots, shown our support for NATO is non-negotiable, and that we want business to prosper. Shed unworkable policies. Country first, party second.

Then came the managing of workers expectations of what Labour could do without incurring any costs for the major corporations and financial oligarchy:

I would love to stand here and say Labour will fix everything. But the damage theyve doneto our finances and our public services means this time the rescue will be harder than ever.

You need focus. Determination. And the courage to make very difficult choices. Particularly when managing the countrys finances

Were determined to reduce debt as a share of our economy. Every policy we announce will be fully costed. And we will set up an Office for Value for Money to make sure public spending targets the national interest.

And we should be clear about what that means. It means not being able to do thingsgood Labour thingsas quickly as we might like. Thats what responsible government looks like We will only borrow to invest when its in the long-term national interest.

Later, he stressed, Im not just pro-business, I want to partner with business invite them to drive forward our modern industrial strategy: a true partnership between government, business and trade unions.

These were the key passages in Starmers speech.

The ruling class confronts a major economic catastrophe that has seen the pound plunge in response to the Truss governments plans to funnel 72 billion in additional public borrowing to the corporations and the super-rich. Global investors responded by making clear that the transfer of wealth to big business must proceed, but paid for through a deepened assault on the working class not additional borrowing. Wages must be slashed, and essential services bled dry.

But this redoubled offensive is being demanded under conditions where hundreds of thousands of workers are involved in strikes demanding a living wage and millions more want to do the same. Starmers promise is that he can impose austerity measures by working with the trade unions to control and suppress rising opposition in the working class.

The same pro-imperialist agenda is behind Labours foregrounding of its Green Prosperity Plan to turn the UK into a green growth superpower. This is dressed up in environmentalist language and claims that workers will benefit from cheaper energy. But the real audience for Labours message was the British bourgeoisiea promise to make the UK more energy self-reliant under conditions of a war against Russia that has sent oil and gas prices skyrocketing.

Just look at whats happening at the moment, said Starmer. The largest onshore wind farm in Wales. Who owns it? Sweden. Energy bills in Swansea are paying for schools and hospitals in Stockholm. The Chinese Communist Party has a stake in our nuclear industry. And five million people in Britain pay their bills to an energy company owned by France.

It is to this end that Labour has promised to set up Great British Energy as a state-owned company, under the slogan British power to the British people, to take advantage of the opportunities in clean British power because its right for energy independence from tyrants like Putin.

After proclaiming Labours commitment to making Brexit work, curbing immigration and ruling out working with the Scottish National Party under any circumstances, Starmer closed with a series of references that would have been understood by all the assembled delegates as a declaration that The Blairites are back in charge.

Labour, he said, was the party of aspiration, economic responsibility, the party of the centre-ground. After directly citing Tony Blair that Labour was Once again, the political wing of the British people, he boasted of how in 1997, the year of Blairs first election victory, we modernised a country held back by crumbling public services and outdated institutions.

This is what Labour was when Corbyn led ita right-wing party of big business, austerity and imperialist war. Today, it can openly proclaim its mission thanks to Corbyns refusal to either drive the right-wing cabal from the party or break to form a new partya move that many of his remaining supporters still want him to take. Instead, he and the rump of Labours left cling desperately to the partys rotting corpse, urging workers to back a Starmer government as supposedly the only alternative to Tory rule, when it is no alternative at all.
In the past week, Russian and NATO officials have threatened to use strategic nuclear weapons that could claim hundreds of millions of lives in Europe. Meanwhile, France and Europe stand on the edge of a major economic and social crisis, with major energy and food shortages likely in the months ahead.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, right, and deputy Adrien Quatennens [AP Photo/Francois Mori]

Amid this crisis, however, the French media has been obsessed with the personal life of Unsubmissive France (LFI) ex-deputy leader Adrien Quatennens over the past two weeks. The scandal has set off a crisis in the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (NUPES) coalition, in which Jean-Luc Melenchons LFI is the largest party.

On September 12, the weekly Le Canard Enchaine published a leaked legal complaint lodged against Quatennens by his wife Celine, with whom he is in divorce proceedings. In a statement on September 18, Quatennens admitted to snatching his wifes phone from her hands and slapping her once in a context of extreme tension and mutual aggression. The private complaint appears to have been illegally leaked by the police.

The complaint, made by Celine Quatennens to chart the deterioration of her relationship with her husband, is of a noncriminal nature. There has been no charge of physical assault or any other crime against Adrien Quatennens. Throughout the scandal, his wifes stated wish that the issue remain private has been ignored by the media.

In response, Quatennens announced his withdrawal from the LFI leadership in a September 18 statement. Before his resignation, he was widely seen as LFI leader Jean Luc Melenchons potential successor. Despite his resignation, the campaign has continued, with activists demanding he also resign his seat in the National Assembly, to which he was reelected earlier this year.

The WSWS holds no brief for Quatennens, an operative whose record reflects the bankrupt, pseudo-left politics of the LFI. He reliably supported the French war in Mali and spoke sympathetically on far-right protests by police officers in 2019.

It is apparent, however, that the French media and right-wing feminist forces around the #MeToo movement are concocting a massive scandal out of thin air. Their target is the party that carried the working class districts of most of Frances main cities in this years presidential elections. Calls to expel Quatennens from the National Assembly, i.e., to overturn an election based on a media frenzy initiated by the police, are deeply anti-democratic.

The goal of this operation is not to protect victims of domestic violence. It is to distract from mounting concern among workers over the war and whether they will be able to purchase food and heat their homes this winter, while entrenching the media influence of Frances #MeToo operatives.

On September 20, 500 militant feminists from the #relevefeminism collective, including many members of LFI and the NUPES coalition, published a letter in the daily Liberation arguing that Quatennens withdrawal from LFI party life was insufficient. Even though he 'is not at this stage the subject of a judicial conviction, it said, he should also be forced to resign as a deputy in the National Assembly. It claimed that Quatennens confession makes him politically responsible.  The aggressors and perpetrators of violence cannot represent our political struggles.

Top LFI officials have denounced Quatennens for domestic abuse, despite the noncriminal nature of his wifes complaint. After Quatennens statement, LFI deputy Daniele Obono tweeted out a statement titled, a slap is a violent act. She added, We see a world fractured by these violent acts. The class struggle is full of these violent acts.  Our friends, fathers, lovers, brothers commit these acts of violence.

The press campaign also targeted Melenchon. After the resignation of Quatennens, he tweeted, Adrien decided to take it all on himself. I salute his dignity and his courage. I express my trust and affection for him. He also denounced police malpractice and media voyeurism.

Caroline De Haas, a #NousToutes (#AllUsWomen) activist and member of the big-business Socialist Party (PS), which is also part of the NUPES coalition, denounced Melenchons tweet asa catastrophe. French Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne, a member of President Macrons Renaissance Party (formerly, La Republique En Marche!), stated that Melenchons extremely shocking response trivialized intra-familial violence.

Revolution Permanante (RP), a website published by the pseudo-left French Morenoites, joined in the outrage of this reactionary campaign. An article attacked Melenchons remarks as largely shocking and for having provoked a legitimate outcry.

The militant feminists of LFI, NUPES, RP and Macrons government have found allies amongst the far right. Jordan Bardella, interim president of Marine Le Pens far-right National Front (RN), described the incident as the moral wreckage of the left and complained that Melenchon was defending the aggressor.

On Friday, the media campaign intensified after LFI deputy Manuel Bompard commented that a slap is never acceptable, but a slap is not equal to a man beating his wife every day. In response, Macrons equality minister Isabelle Rome tweeted to denounce despicable statements that trivialize violence. Green Party councilor and NUPES member Raphaelle Remy-Leleu stated that Bompards remarks were making us [women] suffer.

One might conclude from this wave of hypocrisy that Frances 35 million women are more at risk from Adrien Quatennens right hand than they are from the threats of nuclear war, food shortages and energy cutoffs in Europe.

In reality, not one of these official comments of outrage over Quatennens supposedly intolerable violence have an ounce of credibility. The Macron government and the PS waged a nearly decade-long war in Mali in which they repeatedly bombed civilians, killing men, women and children. As for Bardella, who denounces the alleged violence of the left, he is leading a party whose founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, is primarily known for torturing Algerian civilians and denying the Holocaust.

One final question is raised, however: Why has the LFI imploded in the face of the media campaign against Quatennens? It reflects the enormous influence of middle class identity politics in bankrupt pseudo-left parties like the LFI.

During this Aprils presidential elections, Melenchons party won nearly 8 million votes, largely concentrated among urban workers. Having narrowly missed qualifying for the second round, Melenchon did not try to mobilize the power of his electorate against war, austerity or the indifference to COVID-19 of both Macron and his opponent, neo-fascist Marine Le Pen. Refusing to call strikes or protests, he worked to defuse the political momentum he had acquired through the vote. Indeed, Melenchon announced that he could serve as prime minister under either Macron or Le Pen.

It was an unmistakable sign that the LFI was doing everything it could to strangle the development of opposition in the working class to Frances bankrupt ruling elites.

Now, as this establishment whips up a frenzy against Quatennens, the LFI again has no substantial opposition to propose: It has itself supported the NATO wars and the bank bailouts that are driving the surge of prices. It is therefore incapable of pointing out the hypocrisy of its right-wing critics denunciations of violence and moreover hostile to mobilizing the working class in its own defense.

The Quatennens affair again shows that a movement of opposition to imperialist war and social inequality must be organized by the working class independently of the pseudo-left milieu of LFI and in opposition to the entire ruling establishment.
A Florida CEO of a company located in Clearwater, which declared a state of emergency Tuesday due to Hurricane Ian, asked employees to show up at the office and keep working.

"Obviously you feeling safe and comfortable is of the utmost importance, but I honestly want to continue to deliver and I want to have a good end of quarter," said Joy Gendusa of Postcardmania in an email (see below). "And when [the hurricane] turns into nothing, I don't want it to be like, 'Great, we all stopped producing because of the media and the maybe that it was going to be terrible.'"

"There is always more hype in the media than any storm that has ever hit here," she said, obviously a fan of Tucker Carlson, who calls hurricanes a scam invented by the media. "Bring your pets if you feel teh [sic] need. I doubt in the end you will really need to. We are not closing, we are working. We'll make it super fun for the kids!"

From Vice:

But in the end, the email (posted by @jonahfurman on Twitter, see below) went viral, and Gendusa backed down, allowing employees to take off Wednesday and Thursday  although "they're still expected to hit 40 hours of work this week," according to Vice's Paul Blest (see second tweet below). In his post's comments, at least one employee said they will now be looking for another job.

Wild: Here are the CEO's remarks on an staff call sent out with minutes from the meeting:



"Anyway, bring your pets, bring your kids Jason can start blowing up those air mattresses Raise your hand if you're scared of the hurricane. It's really not going to be that scary." https://t.co/EAKHUFcuf5 pic.twitter.com/bnDIKJPO66  Jonah Furman (@JonahFurman) September 27, 2022

After tweets about this by @JonahFurman went viral, the company reversed course and said they'd close the office Wednesday and Thursday. But employees I spoke with said they're still expected to hit 40 hours of work this week. https://t.co/zBNqHqc0Sg  Paul Blest (@pblest) September 28, 2022

Front page thumbnail image: LouiesWorld1 / shutterstock.com
Shaun Lucas, a former Texas police officer, was acquitted Thursday of murder charges in the shooting death of 31-year old Jonathan Price on October 3, 2020.

Shaun Lucas

Lucas, then 24-years old and with less than six months of experience, responded to a call about a possible fight at a gas station in Wolfe City, Texas. After attempting to detain Price, Lucas used his taser on him before firing his service weapon four times.

According to Lt. Lonny Haschel of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Price, who was African American, was leaving the gas station when a pushing match began between him another person. The confrontation lasted for only five seconds before then-officer Lucas, who is white, arrived at the scene. Price reportedly attempted to shake Lucas hands.

Lucas claimed he believed Price to be drunk and attempted to detain him. Price resisted in a non-threatening posture and attempted to walk away but Lucas pursued, grabbing Prices arm before escalating to the use of his taser and gun.

Lucas use of deadly force resulted in his arrest two days after the incident and he was fired on October 8, 2020 for his egregious violation of departmental policies. Despite this, and what Price family attorney Lee Merritt called evidence overwhelmingly in favor of guilty, the all white jury found Lucas not guilty.

Merritt continued that Every law enforcement professional that reviewed the facts concluded Lucas use of force was unjustified. The jurys verdict goes against the weight of the evidence and leaves black Texans exposed to state sanctioned violence.

He further attributed the acquittal to an inherent bias towards law enforcement.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Meanwhile, in Philadelphia a white officer was convicted of manslaughter for killing an African American man despite a push by prosecutors for a ruling of third degree murder.

Officer Eric Ruch fatally shot 25-year old Dennis Plowden just six seconds after exiting his vehicle. Ruch was one of several officers who had pursued Plowden in a high-speed chase until he crashed his car. Plowden then sat on the side walk with his left hand in the air and his right hand concealed at his side. Ruch claimed he feared for his life and that Plowden had a weapon, which later turned out to be heroin.

While other officers took cover and held their fire, Ruchs quick trigger finger sent a bullet through Plowdens raised hand and into his head. He was fired from the police force ten months later for his actions.

Plowdens wife, Tonia Bond, won a $1.2 million wrongful death settlement from city.

The manslaughter charge could carry a sentence of up to twenty years in prison. Ruchs sentencing is set for November 17.

Significantly, the prosecution was barred from presenting evidence of ten years of complaints of misconduct against Ruch because he had mostly been cleared of wrongdoing by internal affairs.

Phoenix, Arizona

This past week police officers in Phoenix, Arizona, killed a man for throwing stones.

According to police statements, officers were leaving the scene of an unrelated incident when Ali Osman began throwing rocks at police vehicles. The officers left without interaction with Osman, but returned to the scene later that evening where Osman remained. He reportedly threw one rock at the officers as they exited their vehicle. As he prepared to throw another he was shot four times.

Ron Dalawtzai, who witnessed the shooting, told Fox10 Phoenix, Heart started racing. I was worried about the guy that was shot because we had just seen him. He looked like a normal guy, wasn't doing anything crazy, just had some rock, and was throwing them, and they had a shotgun pointed at him, had weapons pulled on him, and he had no weapons that I could see.

No officers were harmed by Osman before he was killed.

Weld County, Colorado

In another act of police brutality, officers in northeast Colorado left a detained woman in a police cruiser on an active train track, which was then hit by a passing train on September 17. Recently released body camera footage shows that the officers left Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, 20, in the police vehicle as they discussed whether she had thrown something out of her car before the traffic stop. The sound of the train horn is audible in the footage but officers only respond to the train seconds before it hits the vehicle. Rios-Gonzalez survived the crash with multiple injuries.

While the video does not show officers actively discussing parking the vehicle on the train tracks, it is difficult to believe that all three officers were oblivious to both the tracks and the danger of an oncoming train. No rational person would park a vehicle on train tracks, let alone leave a person in a vehicle on such tracks. It is also questionable as to how the officers failed to notice an oncoming train despite the horn being audible in the body cam footage for an extended time.

As of this writing no charges have been filed against the officers.

All of these events demonstrate the complete disregard for human life that exists within the American police. For them, the working class are not people but a collection of criminal threats that must be met with force. This is not the result of poor training, but of the degradation of American capitalism and turn towards police state measures.

Congressional Democrats have turned their rejection of calls to defund the police which emerged out of the mass protests triggered by the murder of George Floyd in 2020 into efforts to significantly expand police funding. This includes DSA politicians like Representative Ilhan Omar, who worked to promote a series of police funding bills this week. Four bills offering millions of dollars to local police departments and up to $250 million for mental health resources and training were passed by the Democrats last week.

This latest round of funding, in a country where tens of billions of dollars are spent on the police every year, will not resolve the core issue causing police violence. The police are an instrument of the state, created to enforce private property rights and suppress the working class. No amount of money put into additional training will change this fundamental fact.

Already this year the police have shot and killed at least 770 people according to the Washington Post. The number of deaths at the hands of the police is on track to exceed 1,000, on par with every year for the past decade.
US plans to deploy naval forces to Alexandroupoli, which serves as an important transshipment center in the NATO war against Russia in Ukraine, are further escalating tensions between Greece and Turkey.

A Greek F16 fighter jet performs during an airshow at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, Sunday, September 18, 2022. [AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis]

Last week, the Greek daily Kathimerini reported that the US Navy is interested in Alexandroupoli port, adding, Senior US military officials have proposed further deepening and expanding the port with a view to hosting and supplying US Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

These destroyers carry guided missiles and have expanded electronic warfare capabilities. The US deployment of these ships in the northern Aegean Sea would be an important step to encircle Russia and increase US-NATO combat power in the region.

These plans and Greeces ongoing aerial rearmament are creating fear in Ankara. 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. There are growing concerns in Ankara that Greece could have a stronger air force than Turkey in the next decade.

This military build-up on the Balkans is part of NATO's relentless eastward expansion and its militarization of Eastern Europe since the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The additional protocol to the Mutual Defense and Cooperation Agreement signed between the US and Greece in 2019 included the modernization of the Suda Military Base on the Greek island of Crete, the renovation of Larissa Airport, the military strengthening of the Stefanovikeio Air Base between Volos and Larissa, and the expansion and modernization of the Alexandroupoli port. These steps, constituting the Greek leg of the US-NATO war preparations against Russia, have largely been realized.

In addition, the US signed military cooperation agreements with Romania and Bulgaria, both of which became NATO members in 2004. US troops were deployed in military bases there which opened in the early 2000s.

These bases are of strategic importance in the US-NATO war against Russia, to arm Ukrainian forces with NATO weapons. Turkeys decision to close the Turkish straits between the Aegean and Black Seas to all warships immediately after the war in Ukraine began, in line with the Montreux Convention, further increased the importance of the port of Alexandroupoli. Kathimerini reported: Thousands of soldiers, tanks, helicopters and other supplies for US and other NATO forces have been quickly and effectively deployed to Eastern Europe.

At this point, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised objections to the growing US military presence in Greece, in particular the Alexandroupoli base, near the Turkish border.

In May, Erdogan charged that the nine military bases built by Washington in Greece were aimed at Turkey: Look, Greece currently owes 400 billion to Europe. There are nine American bases in Greece right now. So against whom are these bases being established, why are these bases there? This is what they say: Against Russia... This is a lie. ... They are not honest. Their attitude towards Turkey in the face of all this is obvious.

Moreover, Turkish officials made bellicose statements questioning Athens sovereignty over the islands and making open threats on the grounds that Greece had illegally armed them. On Sunday, Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency reported: Video footage [taken by Turkish army] showed that the landing ships carried military vehicles donated by the US to the islands of Midilli (Lesvos) and Sisam (Samos).

Moreover, Ankara accused Athens of getting a radar lock on Turkish warplanes on NATO missions with S-300 missiles in late August and early September. In early September, Greek coast guards fired warning shots at a merchant ship in the Aegean Sea.

Ankara, which has strong energy, trade and military ties with Moscow, is concerned that the US-NATO war against Russia could harm the interests of the Turkish bourgeoisie. Turkeys approach towards Russia is different from other NATO member states. Ankara has tried to act as a mediator, organizing a grain corridor from Ukraine under UN auspices or the recent prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia. While the NATO imperialist powers prepare for nuclear war with Russia, Erdogan is calling for a negotiated settlement.

While Ankara continues to sell armed drones to Ukraine and opposes Russias annexation of Crimea, it is also strengthening its economic and political ties with Moscow and does not participate in the US-led sanctions against Russia. In fact, it has recently faced accusations of violating sanctions through banks and some ports in Turkey.

In the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in NATO wars in Syria and Libya, Turkey has sought a deal with Russia rather than with its NATO allies. The Erdogan government is trying to maneuver between its NATO allies and their major targets, i.e. Russia and China. The tensions caused by this policy, which feeds the drive by NATO powers such as the United States and France to strengthen military ties with Greece in Eastern Europe, already erupted once, in 2016, in a failed coup attempt against Erdogan.

Erdogans visit to Uzbekistan for the 22nd summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), after which he declared his goal of joining the organization, has further angered his allies in NATO capitals.

Erdogan spoke to the PBS channel in New York after the 77th UN General Assembly just following the SCO summit. Asked, You intend to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This organization includes Russia, China, and Iran. Do you want your country to be part of the east or part of the west? Erdogan responded, I have to say very clearly that we are part of the world, neither of the east nor the west ... But the European Union has been stalling us for 52 years ... We may inevitably be in a situation of seeking different things.

Erdogan hypocritically attacked Greece, posing as a defender of refugees, during his speech at the UN General Assembly. Holding a photo of two children who drowned in the Aegean Sea, he said, Greece is turning the Aegean Sea into a refugee graveyard with its unlawful and reckless push-backs. It is high time for Europe and United Nations institutions to say Stop to these atrocities that constitute crimes against humanity.

Responding to Erdogan in the UN, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, The boats carrying the desperate people President Erdogan is talking about are leaving the Turkish shores in broad daylight, and blamed Turkey for the crisis. If President Erdogan wants to talk about red lines, he continued, then I say this: Turkish claims over the sovereignty of Greeces islands are baseless and unacceptable. Questioning the sovereignty of Greek territory crosses a red line for all Greeks.

In reality, the Turkish and Greek governments, which have supported the imperialist wars in the Middle East and are part of the European Unions reactionary deal against refugees, are jointly responsible for the catastrophe facing refugees drowning in the Aegean Sea, held in camps, or forced to stay in misery in Turkey.

The danger that the capitalist governments of Turkey and Greece, faced with growing working class opposition and explosive geopolitical tensions, could provoke a war is very serious. Despite the aggression of the Turkish and Greek bourgeoisies, there is no enthusiasm or support for war among the workers. According to a recent poll, 64 percent of people in Turkey believe that there is no enmity between the Turkish and Greek peoples.

In order to prevent a devastating war, this anti-war sentiment, which is dominant among the working class on both sides of the Aegean, needs to be mobilized into a conscious and organized movement on the basis of an international socialist program advanced only by the International Committee of the Fourth International.
Last week, the latest comprehensive study on Long COVID was published in Nature Medicine, underscoring once again the recklessness and criminality of the forever COVID policies implemented by nearly every world government. The study examined nine categories of composite neurological disorders and found that a bout with COVID-19 increases ones risk of a neurological disorder by 42 percent. In absolute terms, seven out of every 100 people with COVID-19 involved in the study suffered from a neurological disorder.

The nine categories of disorder evaluated included cerebrovascular, cognition and memory, disorders of peripheral nerves, episodic disorders, extrapyramidal and movement, mental health, musculoskeletal, sensory, and other neurological or related conditions such as Guillain-Barre and encephalitis, with hazard ratios for each category shown in the left-hand column in the figure below.

Risks and 12-month burdens of incident post-acute COVID-19 composite neurological outcomes compared with the contemporary control cohort. Source: Nature Medicine, open access, study by Evan Xu, Yan Xie, and Ziyad Al-Aly.

Each of the nine disorder categories saw risks elevated, with the most substantial increase affecting cognition and memory disorders. Within the nine categories are included common conditions such as strokes, Alzheimers disease, headaches and seizures, Parkinsons-like symptoms, anxiety and depression, dizziness, loss of smell and taste, as well as ringing in the ears. Each of these disorders can profoundly impact ones quality of life.

The study was led by Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, the Chief of research and Education Service at Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System, a nephrologist by training and expert on Long COVID, along with Drs. Benjamin Bowe and Yan Xie. In total, 154,068 people with COVID-19 were evaluated in the study, over more than 400 days on average. They were compared with 5.6 million contemporary and 5.8 million historical controls, which provide a highly robust data set for their analyses.

In a widely-shared thread on the study on Twitter, Dr. Al-Aly noted, Risks of memory and cognitive disorders, sensory disorders and disorders including Guillain-Barre [immune disorder in which the immune system attacks the nerves and causes weakness, in rare cases life-threatening] and encephalitis or encephalopathy [inflammation of the brain] is stronger in young adults. The effects of these disorders on younger lives are profound and cannot be overstated.

In the discussion section of the study, the authors note pointedly, It is imperative that we recognize the enormous challenges posed by Long COVID and all its downstream long-term consequences. Meeting these challenges requires urgent and coordinatedbut so far absentglobal, national, and regional response strategies.

They warn that the burden of neurologic disease associated with COVID-19 infections will have profound ramifications on the health of the population, health systems, and economic productivity, including risks of widening inequities. These warnings have been informed by the meticulous research that Dr. Al-Aly and his team have conducted throughout the pandemic on the clinical aspects of Post-Acute Sequalae SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), otherwise known as Long COVID.

In a recent interview, Dr. Al-Aly noted that his interest in Long COVID began when he read an op-ed in the New York Times by Fiona Lowenstein chronicling her ordeal with Long COVID after recovering from her infection in April 2020. A curious and honest researcher, Dr. Al-Aly asked, What is Long COVID? and Who is it affecting? As he explained, We took a high-dimensional approach to leave no stone unturned and characterize the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

Access to the US Department of Veterans Affairs integrated electronic health records allowed Dr. Al-Aly and his team at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, to review the charts for over 74,000 veterans infected with SARS-CoV-2 for months after and compare them to contemporary and historical controls to address the relative and absolute risk of the impact of COVID-19 on population health.

The results were astonishing. Dr. Al-Aly recalled that the breadth of organ dysfunction people were experiencing shook him to his core. More concerning for him was that even those with mild symptoms that precluded the need for hospital or ICU admission were still significantly impacted.

Dr. Al-Aly and his team have also conducted the following studies that looked at Long-COVIDs impact on the cardiovascular system, kidneys, metabolic function, and mental health. In each category, the outcomes proved detrimental.

The relative risk of acute kidney injury was two-fold higher compared to contemporary and historical controls affecting one percent of COVID-infected individuals. A small but significant minority suffered a considerable decline in kidney function compared to those without infection.

For any cardiovascular disease, the risk was increased by 60 percent in the first year after acute COVID infection, with approximately 4.5 percent more people developing these conditions. For major adverse cardiovascular events, the absolute increased risk was 2.3 percent. Although these risks were considerable for patients admitted to hospitals with severe COVID infections, even patients with mild disease had significantly increased cardiovascular outcomes.

Examining mental health disorders, they found that COVID-19 infection caused a 35 percent increase in relative risk for anxiety disorders and a 39 percent increase in depression. These patients were also experiencing higher use of medications to control their symptoms and opioid prescriptions. Additionally, they suffered poor sleep and cognitive declines. On this issue, Dr. Al-Aly warned, Weve seen early signals in our datawhich I hope does not continueof a resurgence of opioid use, specifically in people with SARS-CoV-2 infection. That demands our attention to nip it in the bud.

Similarly, there was a 40 percent increase in diabetes with an excess disease burden between 1 and 2 percent. Many who developed diabetes had to be prescribed medication to control their elevated blood sugars. When these are extrapolated for the population that required hospitalization, the figures are considerable at around 8 to 14 percent. Even for those with mild COVID-19, the absolute risk increased by 5 percent above non-infected controls.

Earlier this year, Dr. Al-Aly and his team published a study that found that people with breakthrough infection after being vaccinated only had a 15 percent lower chance of developing Long COVID and were at increased risk of death and organ damage compared to controls who never were infected. This remained true when compared to seasonal flu, dispelling the constant reference by the bourgeois press that COVID is no more harmful than the flu.

Dr. Al-Aly has compared the tragic deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19 to the tip of an enormous iceberg, with the massive long-term consequences associated with Long COVID lying below the water line. An umbrella term, Long COVID is more than just brain fog and fatigue. It can impact almost every organ in the body, and imaging and autopsy reports have proven the profound dangers that COVID-19 continues to pose to the population.

In their latest study, Dr. Al-Aly et al. make important observations on the long-term neurological consequences of the pandemic, writing, Given the colossal scale of the pandemic, and even though the absolute numbers reported in this work are small, these may translate into a large number of affected individuals around the worldand this will likely contribute to a rise in the burden of neurological disorders.

They add, This places more emphasis on the continued need for multipronged primary prevention strategies through nonpharmaceutical interventions (for example, masking) and vaccines to reduceto the extent possiblethe risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2. There is also an urgent need to develop long-term sustainable strategies to prevent mass infection with SARS-CoV-2 and to determine whether and how these long-term neurological (and other) complications could be prevented or otherwise mitigated in people who are already infected with SARS-CoV-2.

What makes these peer-reviewed studies critical is not just their presentation of the medical dangers posed to people by the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also of a political character in that the purpose of these works has been, from the outset, to inform the public of the scale of the consequence of the pandemic policies that have been implemented. The horrific results of the pandemic are counted not only in the estimated over 20 million deaths from COVID-19 globally, but also in the tens of millions of people suffering from debilitating Long COVID worldwide.

In his Twitter thread, Dr. Al-Aly observed, The best way to prevent Long COVID is to prevent COVID in the first place. This speaks to the profound need for a global elimination strategy to stop the pandemic once and for all. In the absence of a worldwide anti-COVID movement, uniting workers and scientists in every country, the pandemic threatens to continue, with new variants producing wave after wave of mass infection, death and debilitation of millions more with Long COVID.
On Saturday, at 3pm (GMT-3) [2pm New York, 7pm London, 8pm Paris], the Socialist Equality Group (GSI), Brazilian supporters of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), will present the online event The Crisis of Democracy in Brazil and the Perspective of Socialist Revolution.

The event will be held on the eve of the first round of the presidential elections in Brazil, which mark the highest point of the crisis of the bourgeois political system in the country in the last four decades.

[Photo: WSWS]

As the fascistic president Jair Bolsonaro openly promotes a conspiracy to challenge the results of the vote and install a presidential dictatorship, the military has been elevated to political arbiters of the nation, and the appointment of the next president will await a parallel vote count by the Armed Forces.

The fragile Brazilian democratic regime established in 1985-88 has, in any meaningful sense, been annihilated.

The rapidly maturing crisis in Brazil can only develop in one of two opposite directions: the consolidation of a fascist dictatorship by the ruling class, which will deepen exploitation and social misery, or the seizure of political power by the working class as part of the world socialist revolution.

The event organized by GSI will present an analysis of the historical and international roots of the Brazilian political situation, establishing its essential relationship to the crisis of global capitalism.

The dictatorial threats in Brazil stem from the same crisis conditions driving the imperialist bourgeoisies turn to a new catastrophic world war, the global elites homicidal response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the explosion of social inequality, and the resurgence of fascist movements around the world.

The GSI will make every effort to alert the working class to the grave risks contained in the present situation, which are being systematically covered up by the bankrupt bourgeois opposition of the Workers Party (PT) and its pseudo-left allies, such as the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL).

But the fundamental objective of the GSI is the mobilization of the working class as an independent political force. This is the only progressive response to the capitalist crisis and its threats of fascist dictatorship and nuclear annihilation.

The profound social, political and economic dislocations that mark our current convulsive period are provoking an unprecedented global movement of the working class. Amidst the resurgence of strikes and mass demonstrations against social inequality and the bankrupt capitalist regimes, the working class is beginning a political shift toward socialism.

We urge all readers to participate in the event The Crisis of Democracy in Brazil and the Prospect of Socialist Revolution and join the GSI in the struggle for the conscious preparation of the revolutionary socialist movement in Brazil.

Watch the event on Saturday 3pm (GMT-3) at: https://youtu.be/oFcvuM1rb7k
Work at JNAP or another auto plant? We want to hear from you: Fill out the form at the end to tell us about conditions in your workplace, or to learn more about organizing a rank-and-file committee.

An autoworker at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP) in Detroit, owned by Stellantis (Chrysler), recently spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about her support for Will Lehmans campaign for president of the United Auto Workers union. Lehman is a Mack Trucks worker and a socialist, and is calling for a rank-and-file rebellion to abolish the UAW bureaucracy and bring power to workers on the shop floor.

Janewhose name has been changed to protect her from retaliationspoke about her disillusionment with the UAW and conditions at JNAP, and appealed to her coworkers to join her in forming a rank-and-file committee at the plant.

Jane had initially written to Lehman, Hello Will, my name is Jane and I truly support your campaign. I do spread the word about your campaign and your inspiring message to a few of my friends and co-workers. But its really hard to truly get word around my plant because of intimidation tactics used in my plant. And A LOT of people dont even know we should be voting this year.

Our union doesnt teach us anything, and when I do ask questions Im either told a lie or just something to get me off their back. Im so over the scare tactics and ready for someone to teach us as they properly lead us into better working conditions.

I have no time for my family, doctor visits, anything, because were forced to work every day 10 hours instead of the eight we were told. I really want you to win. We dont want to wait until next year for another sellout contract. We need help NOW.

Well see the initiative once we start working on this, and that will speak for itself

In a discussion with the WSWS, Jane continued, Back in the day, my grandparents spoke of the Big Three, and how they were proud to be a part of the UAW, and to work and be able to provide and give us a nice life. But also, they had a good job and they still had time for family. I want to take it back to that, where we dont have to break our necks and backs, and we have to choose between providing or being supportive for your loved ones.

In building this rank-and-file committee, I believe we have to start somewhere. I cant guarantee success. But I feel like if we work together, if we are there for ourselves, we dont have to make promises. Well see the initiative once we start working on this, and that will speak for itself. I dont want to say that Im making promises. I want to just tell people lets try to become united on a deeper level, on a different platform. Because what we have been doing isnt working. Ive been here over 10 years and I havent seen unity yet. I think its time to make a change!

My grandmother and grandfather both retired from Big Three plants after several decades working there. My grandmother is the one who fuels my fire when I complain about stuff to her. She always gives me a history lesson. What she says is that the plant has always been a dirty game, but workers had someone to fight for them and she dont understand how corporate is getting away with the things that I complain about.

Corporate is the devil and the union is the devils advocate

But I understand why its happening. Corporate is the devil and the union is the devils advocate. I dont get mad at corporate. It doesnt upset me at all. Theyre greedy, their shareholders are greedy, and the only way to be successful is to be greedy in their eyes. Thats what they want. It feeds them, I expect it from them, so Im not mad at them when they treat us like crap. Im mad that we pay somebody else to help them. Im mad that my union allows it to happen.

Jane outlined the problems at her plant.

The last contracts were extremely, extremely terrible. The union kept saying that it was the best we were going to get, which I believed until I realized these people [UAW negotiators] dont really care. And I wanted to keep rejecting but theyre okay with postponing and postponing and postponing. I dont even know whats in my local contract. Thats how bad it is! Every time something happens in my plant, Ill be like, so how can they do this? Maybe its in the local contract. And every time something changes, its always in the local contract. But again, we dont have a local contract in front of us.

Its always something! I dont like that they can take our vacation. How is that fair for us? You take 40 hours of our time, for shutdown! Thats not on us! We deserve more vacation time. If theyre going to take some of our time for their shutdowns then give us more time for vacation. I think its horrible. I also think we need to reestablish sick days.

One issue is antagonizing of the worker and the overload of work. They are always antagonizing people, they walk the line to antagonize their workers. Youre working people 50 to 60 hours a week. People were complaining about being 10 hours, four days and now it is changed to five, six days at 10 hours.

Our vehicle is poorly built, not because of the workers, but because of the engineering. But instead of being honest with people, they would rather walk the line and blame everything on workers. And Im really tired of it. Its getting to the point to where its becoming worse. Every day I dont even want to go to work. And choosing to not make money rather than go into that workplace.

They took down a lot of safety measures for COVID

In March 2020, workers at JNAP participated in the wave of wildcat strikes which erupted in auto plants in Italy, Spain, Canada and the US. Workers demanded protections from COVID-19 as it first spread unrestrained throughout the auto plants, while the UAW and other unions sought to keep production going without interruption.

Jefferson North workers in protest over COVID in 2020 [Photo: WSWS]

After a two-month shutdown in 2020, forced by the independent action of workers, the companies and the UAW were able to restart operations prematurely and while the pandemic was still in its early stages. More recently, the UAW apparatus has worked with the companies to discard what little remained of their inadequate safety measures.

You can take off for COVID, but you do not get paid for COVID anymore, Jane continued. If youre sick, you cannot take off and come back the next day with a doctors note. You have to stay off and you have to be reinstated. If you have a kid whos sick you cant take off for a day, you got to come to work. If you let them know your kid is sick then they might let you go home if they got manpower, but its ridiculous. This is the type of stuff that the union allows. Whats the point of having FMLA [Family Medical Leave Act]?

They took down a lot of safeguards for COVID. At the lunch tables they had these plastic separators. And they took all of that stuff down and the safeguards arent in place. They dont have people cleaning between the shifts, they took that away even when COVID was still really bad because they want to get the line running.

She also explained that there is no longer drinking water available to workers in the plant. They used to buy cases of water. So basically, they just would have cases and they gave every team a refrigerator for keeping them cool. Then they just said theyre not providing water. And the issue is, people work hard and we need to hydrate. It was supposed to be unlimited, you can drink as much as you want, just to keep you going so you dont get so hot or overheated. But they just came to the conclusion that they werent providing water anymore.

Jane witnessed a coworker get written up for having a fan on in their personal workspace. She explained how workers are not allowed to sit in their own chairs on the line without getting written up or reprimanded, and that the shared sitting spaces in the plant are unsanitary, due to the high volume of workers, and the nature of COVID and monkeypox spreading through close contact.

Where do we have time for our kids? Our families?

How long can this last? Because its very disruptive. We cant do anything outside with our families, everything revolves around Chrysler [Stellantis] everyday all day. And its like, when we try to talk about it all we get is scare tactics. They threaten that if we dont accept certain things then we lose our vehicle, our product. I just feel like 10 hours, five days, six days a week? Where do we have time for our kids? Our families? You cant even go to the doctor if theyre not open after 5 p.m.

And when we ask the UAW, the answers they give us all sound like management-type answers. So I might as well just ask management then. Like what do we even have a union for?

To build this rank-and-file committee is the start of an opportunity

Jane urged her coworkers to join her in building a rank-and-file committee, so that workers' needs can be met.

To my coworkers: I want to say that Im here to give all the plant workers the opportunity to have a voice. Not to bash one another, but to have a voice and a platform to be heard. And, hopefully, to build a real solidarity, to where we can make change. There is so much keeping us apart, that we dont even see that were fighting each other. And were cutting each others throats, and the union sits back and really just hands us the dagger!

To build this rank-and-file committee is the start of an opportunity to not only make this place better for ourselves, but to make this place better for future workers and just the future in general. Our kids might want to grow up and be a part of the Big Three. And I surely want to see my kids be successful or anyones kids to be successful. But I would hate to see them having to go through what we go through.

To contact the WSWS for assistance in organizing a rank-and-file committee, fill out the form below.
The voting period for the referendums in the four Russian-occupied regions in eastern and southeastern Ukraine  Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Lugansk and Donetsk  ended Tuesday night, as US and Russian officials escalated threats of nuclear war. The Kremlin has declared that all four regions have voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation.

On Tuesday, former Russian president and deputy head of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, threatened that Russia could deploy nuclear weapons to defend its territories, including those it now lays claim to in East Ukraine, insisting that these threats were certainly not a bluff.

Medvedev thus reiterated warnings made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, when he announced the partial mobilization of 300,000 reservists in the wake of Russias military debacle in the Kharkiv region. After outlining the scale of the imperialist aggression Russia was confronting, and the aims of the imperialist powers to break up and destroy Russia, Putin threatened that the Kremlin is prepared to resort to nuclear weapons, stating, this is not a bluff.

Medvedev expressed the hope that the prospect of nuclear apocalypse would deter NATO from further escalating the war against Russia in Ukraine, which the imperialist powers provoked and prepared for over many years. But these hopes are as bankrupt as they are delusional.

Far from backing off, Washington and NATO have insisted that they will never recognize the territories in East Ukraine as part of Russia. NATO general secretary Jens Stoltenberg tweeted on Tuesday that he had assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of NATOs unwavering support for Ukraines sovereignty. He insisted that the sham referenda had no legitimacy, These lands are Ukraine.

An adviser to Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, responded to Medvedev by insisting, We will continue to de-occupy our territory regardless [of the threat of nuclear strikes].

In what the World Socialist Web Site has accurately described as nuclear brinkmanship, Western officials have responded to the open danger of nuclear war with a combination of callous dismissals and threats that are aimed to further fuel the dangerous escalation with Russia. In an interview with CBS 60 minutes aired on Sunday night, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken threatened Russia with horrific consequences should it deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Blinken said, Its very important that Moscow hear from us and know from us that the consequences would be horrific, and weve made that very clear. He added that using nuclear weapons would have catastrophic effects for, of course, the country using them, but for many others as well.

The escalating threats of nuclear war came as it was confirmed that three explosions at the two German-Russian gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 took place in the night from Sunday to Monday. The explosions resulted in massive leaks of gas into the Baltic Sea. While the majority shares for both pipelines belongs to Russias state-owned company Gazprom, the German companies Wintershall, and Uniper, the French Engie, as well as the Austrian OMV and the British Shell all helped build the pipelines.

In an extraordinarily provocative move, Radosaw Sikorski, a Polish member of the European Parliament and former foreign minister of Poland, effectively suggested that the US was behind the explosions. After tweeting an image of the underwater explosion, writing, Thank you, USA, Sikorski retweeted a clip with US President Joe Biden from February 7, in which Biden threatened If Russia invades...then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it.

As the war tensions between Russia and NATO are reaching fever pitch, Russian society has been thrown into turmoil by the mobilization of 300,000 reservists. While falling short of the demands for full mobilization and the proclamation of martial law, the partial mobilization is upending the lives of millions of people over night. It is a desperate effort to turn the tide in a war that is believed to have claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, and has left the remaining troops with low morale.

While Putin promised that only men with combat experience would be drafted, many reports suggest that elderly men, as well as disabled people and countless young men without any combat experience are being drafted. In the face of massive criticism, including from pro-Putin figures, the Kremlin has now admitted that mistakes had been made when draft notices were sent out, pledging that these would be corrected.

Service in the Russian army has long been widely feared in the population, as it is associatedeven in peace timeswith widespread and violent physical, emotional and psychological abuse of draftees, as well as abhorrent social conditions facing the soldiers. Families that in any way could afford to do so have traditionally sought to buy out their sons from military service. However, the partial mobilization order also affects those who had earlier been able to buy themselves out. Those resisting and avoiding the draft will face draconian prison sentences.

A large section of the middle class has responded to the partial mobilization with a frantic effort to flee the country. As soon as Putin announced the partial mobilization, flights to Turkey and Georgia, two of the few countries where Russians can still travel without restrictions, were booked out. For the past week, traffic jams stretching many miles and lasting 24 to 48 hours, have formed at virtually all border checkpoints to Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan and other neighboring countries. Over 100,000 have fled to Kazakhstan alone.

There have also been reported attacks on recruitment centers, with a 25-year-old shooting and critically wounding a draft officer, apparently out of anger about the drafting of his friend.

The Western media has cheered on those trying to flee the draft. The New York Times and other outlets that are associated with the US military and intelligence apparatus, and have promoted and justified every criminal war waged by the imperialist powers over the past decades, have also promoted the protests against the mobilization that were called by the pro-NATO liberal opposition and have been dominated by layers of the middle class.

Significant protests against mobilization have also erupted in Dagestan, a deeply impoverished and predominantly Muslim region in the North Caucasus. These protests, which have also been cheered on widely by the pro-imperialist press, appear to have an ethnic overtone in a region where resentment over the Kremlins reactionary policies has long been exploited by separatist tendencies and the imperialist powers for the most reactionary purposes. Dagestan directly borders Chechnya, where the Kremlin has waged two extremely bloody wars between 1994 and 2009. Reports also suggest that a disproportionate number of men have been drafted from Dagestan to the war since February.

The Kremlin has cracked down on all of these protests with mass arrests.

While the misnamed liberal opposition holds its protests under the fraudulent banner no to war, far from being anti-war it in fact speaks for sections of the oligarchy, the upper-middle class and the state apparatus that advocate a direct line-up behind the imperialist powers as they are preparing a carve-up of Russia, which would inevitably entail a series of wars and civil wars.

Ultimately, the social forces behind the liberal opposition are, no less than the Putin regime itself, the reactionary outgrowth of the Stalinist destruction of the Soviet Union and the restoration of capitalism. Their opposition to the Kremlin and its war in Ukraine comes from the right, not from the left. Whatever their bitter conflicts over foreign policy, all factions of the oligarchy are united in their deep hostility to the working class and a fear of the emergence of a socialist anti-war movement in the Russian and international working class.

The vast majority of the Russian population has neither the financial means to flee nor a place to go. Battered by Western economic warfare, which has laid waste to entire sections of industry such as auto, Russian workers are now facing the horrific and immediate prospect of mass slaughter not only in Ukraine but also in Russia itself.

A genuine anti-war movement can only develop in firm opposition to the oligarchic and middle-class forces of the liberal opposition and the imperialist powers. It must appeal to the workers of Ukraine and the imperialist countries, and especially the American working class, for an internationally unified struggle against imperialism and the entire capitalist system. Such a socialist anti-war movement must, above all, be based on the lessons of the October revolution and of the struggle of the Trotskyist movement against the nationalist betrayal of the revolution by Stalinism. This requires a determined and urgent fight to build sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International in Russia and Ukraine.
The following statement was issued by the Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee (RWRFC), which has been established by railroad workers to organize and unify their struggle independently of the union apparatus.

The RWRFC is hosting a public meeting Wednesday, September 28, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Organize independently to defeat government and union-backed sellout! All railroaders and their supporters are urged to attend and register for the meeting here.

To join the Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee, email railwrfc@gmail.com or text (314) 529-1064.

Brothers and Sisters,

The government-brokered deal announced by the unions has no support whatsoever from railroaders. We are discovering new concessions all the time which makes it even worse than the PEB (Presidential Emergency Board), including automatic bid scheduling for yard workers, extreme restrictions on when we can take time off for doctors appointments and even a cap on health care contributions by the carriers which they will take out of our retroactive pay in the next contract.

The unions know perfectly well the deal is massively unpopular. It is in flagrant violation of the will of the membership, which was expressed in a three-point resolution that 500 workers passed at our last public meeting on September 14 which the unions violated only hours later.

But they have no intention of yielding to the democratic will of the membership. They are prepared even to override a no vote and enforce the contract through binding arbitration, as was leaked last week to the press. They are also delaying the vote for engineers and conductors past the midterm elections in order to strengthen Congress hand should they issue an injunction. In fact, the endless delay is itself a de facto injunction, enforced by Congress and the White House through the medium of the unions. Moreover, there is every reason to suspect they will try to pass the contract through ballot fraud.

Only two days before a self-imposed strike deadline, the IAM announced today a new contract, identical to the one that the machinists already rejected by 60 percent. The union also announced another extension of the deadline into December. Not a single worker was consulted on this; the machinists had already voted to strike by 80 percent. The IAM extended the deadline because they knew that a strike would shut down the entire industry since none of the other crafts would cross the picket line.

To add insult to injury, in a Facebook post announcing the deal, in which the union turned off the ability to comment, the IAM had the gall to claim, the membership will have the final say! No, as far as the union bureaucrats are concerned, the carriers and the government have the final say. There is no line which the union bureaucracy, in collusion with the carriers and the government, will not cross to violate our will and jam sellout contracts down our throats.

We know what theythe government, the railroad companies and their accomplices in the unionswill do. The question is: What are we going to do?

If this carrier-union-government conspiracy is to be defeated, we must be the ones to do it. Nobody else will do it for us: not the media, not the government or the legal system, and certainly not the union bureaucracy.

We are not their helpless playthings. We have immense power. Nothing in the country can move without us. They are afraid of us more than anything else. In a recent interview, Biden yawned at COVID and the danger of a nuclear war but perked up when a rail strike was raised, which he described as not thinkable.

But the advantage that they have is that they have the organization through which to strategize against us. Railroaders are angry and determined, but this is, so far, unorganized. This can and must be corrected. We have to develop new, alternative organizational structures that provide us with the ability to decide what we must do and act in unison, with the discipline and democratic control that we need to fight for our rights.

This means building up a network of rank-and-file committees, uniting workers across all 12 unions, all seven Class I railroaders, and every terminal and yard. Only this type of organization, consisting only of railroaders, excluding union officials and with no unaccountable apparatus, will provide the means for us to countermand the decisions of the bureaucracy, to enforce democratic oversight of voting procedures and balloting and to prepare for strike action to fight for what we urgently need, not what the carriers are willing to dispense with.

We have a world movement of the working class on our side. Workers are fighting everywhere against union betrayals and forming rank-and-file committees to do it. Over the past week, the Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee has also received two statements of solidarity from rank-and-file committees of transportation workers in Germany.

Here is what we urge our coworkers in the railroads to do:

Attend our meeting called for Wednesday night, at 7:00 p.m. EDT, Organize independently to defeat government- and union-backed sellout! You can register here. Tell all your co-workers about it, and make sure they plan to attend. Share the page on social media and get the word out!

Begin discussions with your coworkers on the establishment of a local rank-and-file committee. Call meetings of your coworkers to pass resolutions declaring the sentiment of the membership and a common program, and elect a leadership from the rank and file. Union officials should be barred from participating to guarantee that workers retain control of the committee and that the activities of the committee can be kept confidential.

Affiliate your local committee to the national Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee. Contact us at railwrfc@gmail.com or by texting (314) 529-1064. We can also assist in the formation of local meetings.

Appeal for the broadest possible support from workers in other industries. Organize informational pickets at major factories and other industrial sites, including docks, airports and warehouses, in order to develop lines of communication between railroaders and other critical sections of the working class. Our real allies are not prominent media figures or the corporate press, but the working class, who have the same interests and are fighting against the same types of conditions as we are.

If you agree with us, join the fight! Contact the RWRFC by emailing railwrfc@gmail.com or by texting (314) 529-1064.

The RWRFC is hosting a public meeting Wednesday, September 28, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Organize independently to defeat government- and union-backed sellout! All railroaders and their supporters are urged to attend and register for the meeting here.
AlumaSafway scaffolders at Suncors oilsands operations in northern Alberta refused to accept voluntary overtime beyond their 10-hour shifts in late August to protest low pay and miserable working conditions. Acting on behalf of the multibillion-dollar energy giant, which has a dreadful health and safety record, AlumaSafway responded by filing a case with the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB). The board dutifully outlawed the workers protest as an illegal strike.

A scaffolder in Alberta

The action by the workers, members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC), was aimed at protesting horrendous working conditions that have been well known for years. Suncors operations are infamous for their very poor safety record. There have been 12 workplace deaths at Suncor sites since 2014, which is more than all of the companys closest rivals combined. Among other energy companies in the region, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. has recorded four workplace deaths in that period, while Cenovus Energy Inc. has recorded one.

The labour board ruling testifies not just to the ruthless profiteering of energy corporations but the function of state institutions ostensibly aimed at guaranteeing workplace protections and the trade unions who support them as tools of the corporate elite.

The company justified its decision to take the UBC Local 1325 to the regulatory board by citing an anonymous letter that urged workers to collectively refuse overtime. The ALRB found in favour of the employer, ruling that the anonymous letter was circulated to the Employees suggesting that Employees collectively refuse to work overtime shifts for the purpose of compelling incentives from the Employer, including improvements in compensation or working conditions, starting on Monday, August 22, 2022.

The ruling continued by stating that the Board finds the anonymous letter, and the Employees concerted refusal to accept overtime shifts for the purpose of compelling the Employer to agree to terms and conditions of employment, constitutes an illegal threat of an illegal strike pursuant to section 71 [of the Labour Relations Code], and the Board declares that these Employees have threatened an illegal strike contrary to that provision.

The directives of the ALRB were filed with the Alberta Court of Queens Bench, making them enforceable as an Order of the Court, violation of which could result in civil or criminal penalties.

The ruling starkly sums up the state of class relations in Canada. While big business is free to utilize all the instruments of the state apparatus and the courts to criminalize worker opposition to its relentless drive for profits, workers are prevented at every turn from responding collectively. The so-called labour relations system, including collective bargaining, would in fact better be termed labour enforcement by a collective dictatorship of businesses, trade unions and governments over the working class. There is no way for workers to defend even their most basic interests through these rigged institutions of bourgeois class rule.

Responding with unrestrained glee to the ruling, AlumaSafway issued a memo to employees in the tone of a schoolmaster lecturing a misbehaving child:

The Board ruled that refusing to work voluntary overtime is an unlawful strike and in violation of the Labour Relations Code when it is done, as here, by a group of employees acting together. Consequences for employees who refuse to work overtime as a group in violation of this order include: -Discipline or termination of employment for this conduct. -AlumaSafway hiring ban for those who continue to engage in illegal activity. -Legal action against striking employees for all damages caused by the illegal strike (by grievance or lawsuit). You could be personally liable for added production costs, penalties owing to Owner [Suncor] or, even the loss of the contract with our client. -Contempt of court proceedings for violation of the order entered by the court (the possibility of fines and even potentially jail). -We also expect that the Owner will be very upset with striking employees. It is possible that the Owner would consider a site ban for those involved.

The UBC merely posted a copy of the ALRB order on its website without comment. This is hardly surprising, given that the trade unions in Canadaas is the case around the worldare more concerned with defending the privileged positions of union bureaucrats provided by the collective bargaining system and various forms of union-management and union-state corporatist partnerships, rather than the workers they claim to represent.

Derrick Schulte, executive secretary-treasurer of the Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers, which serves four union locals, including UBC Local 1325, was quick to point out that workers are no longer refusing to work the overtime.

Schulte noted that the AlumaSafway workers felt they worked excessive hours, were not given enough time off and were not being compensated enough for the amount of time spent away from their families. He said he was previously unaware of those complaints but admitted that the practice had been going on for some time, with employees last receiving a miserable 47 cents per hour raise in November 2019. Schulte explained that under the collective bargaining agreement, workers should not refuse overtime without presenting a valid reason, such as being unable to find child care.

Comments from the Reddit page where the company memo appeared underscore that the Suncor plant where the scaffolders work operates with working conditions that are so brutal and with such disregard for worker safety that the oil giant struggles to fill necessary jobs.

One worker commented that his or her father works at the plant. Due to the difficulty attracting labor, the company allegedly offered an extra $150 per day to its workersbut the scaffolders were excluded from this incentive. It has been 90 [degrees] every day for the past couple of weeks and these guys are out there working hard with everyone else and not getting the same bonus, the commenter wrote shortly after the overtime refusal. [S]o they started only working the hours required under the contract. 40 hours a week.

A worker wrote, The thing that gets me is the refusal to work voluntary overtime. So how is not accepting voluntary OT considered a strike, doesnt seem very voluntary to me.

Another commenter noted the complicity of the labour relations system in enforcing company dictates, writing, Refusing overtime is an illegal strike?? What in the hell kind of labor board we got anyway? Thats absolutely ridiculous. Im shocked.

Another added, Working to rule is not striking, its either voluntary or compulsory it cannot be both.

Without reference to the labour contract provisions or even producing the alleged letter suggesting workers decline overtime, the ALRB arbitrarily declared that the scaffolders made an illegal threat of an illegal strike. But the memo issued by AlumaSafway specifically notes that workers refused to work voluntary overtime.

The ALRB and the company, with the acquiescence of the union, are making a deliberate attempt to change the definition of voluntary by claiming that the term applies only to the decisions of individuals.

The collective action of corporate management to suppress wages, limit the cost of benefits and enforce grueling working conditions is, of course, taken as entirely legitimate business operations by the ruling class. However, written communication between workers to behave in a collective approach regarding voluntary activities is deemed a violation of their contractual obligations. Workers must ask if verbal communication about working conditions will be restricted next.

In general, the construction industry and scaffolding, in particular, are notoriously hazardous lines of work. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, scaffold-related accidents result in about 60 deaths and 4,500 injuries annually in that country. The most common injuries are serious, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, broken bones and lacerations.

In Canada, more than 40,000 workers get hurt each year because of fall accidents, and they represent a large percentage of lost-time injuries accepted by workers compensation boards across the country.

Rob Stewart, a Calgary-based workplace safety expert, told the Canadian Press that dangerous working conditions are systemic throughout the entire oilsands industry and are the result of a clash between the desire to improve safety performance and the need to maximize profit.

Stewart explained, Companies are saying, we value safety, but then theyre also saying, hey, we have to have this level of production, we have to have shareholder value. He added that accidents happen when companies try to save money by skimping on equipment, staffing levels or other resources. It becomes about cost and schedule, and that translates into what actually happens on the ground, he said.

In addition to the generally miserable working conditions at work sites, the energy industrys contempt for its workers has clearly been revealed in its disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With its crowded work camps, travelling workforce and close-quartered workplaces, Canadas oil and gas sector was and still is a hotbed for coronavirus transmission.

In 2021, dozens of outbreaks at sites in and around Fort McMurray and across Alberta, fuelled by the more infectious and deadly B.1.1.7 and P.1 COVID-19 variants, helped make Alberta the province with the highest per capita number of active COVID-19 cases in Canada.
Joe Bussard, a legendary collector of 78 RPM records and historian of old-timey American roots music, has died at age 86. I learned of Bussard through the exquisite 2005 CD box set Fonotone Records: Frederick, Maryland (1956-1969) that he compiled in collaboration with the fine folks at the Dust-to-Digital record label. Also worth hunting down is the killer compilation Down in the Basement: Joe Bussard's Treasure Trove of Vintage 78s. From National Public Radio:

Bussard was born July 11, 1936 in Frederick, Md. From an early age, his passion was preservation. He sought out obscure 78-rpm records that otherwise would have disappeared: jazz, blues, bluegrass, country and folk recordings from the early 20th century  the history of America, pressed to shellac. In time, he amassed thousands of records all stored in his basement, none of them in any order except the one in his noggin[]

"He loved people," [Dust-to-Digital's Lance] Ledbetter tells NPR. "He loved to connect people through music. He was a fountain of knowledge, but he loved to share." Even as late as this year, fans visited Bussard's basement to hear records from his collection  "that meant a lot to him," Ledbetter adds. You can see that giddy excitement in the 2003 documentary Desperate Man Blues, but even more recently in a short video posted by reporter Joe Heim, when, after placing the needle on a beloved record, Bussard's eyes just sparkle.
A man serving life in prison for a deadly Las Vegas bombing in 2007 at the Luxor hotel escaped "early in the weekend" but it wasn't until Tuesday that security realized he was missing. Apparently, counting heads is not a regular activity at Southern Desert Correctional Center in Indian Springs, so Porfirio Duarte-Herrera was able to get quite a head start before a search team stumbled into action.

From ABCNews4:

He was tried and convicted, along with Omar Rueda-Denvers, after a bomb went off at the Luxor garage in May of 2007. The blast killed 24-year-old Willebaldo Dorantes Antonio. Prosecutors said Rueda-Denvers targeted Dorantes Antonio for dating his ex-girlfriend, and Duarte-Herrera built the pipe bomb, which was hidden in a coffee cup.

And from Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak:
Ohio's new abortion law was designed to please Republicans who want to force children to have their rapist's baby. The law counts fetuses as children and doesn't make an exception for rape victims. So, if a child is raped, she's forced to carry the rapist's baby to term. Unfortunately for Governor Mike DeWine and the GOP, there's not a nationwide ban on abortion yet, so raped children are able to sneak out of Ohio to get abortions in neighboring states. Earlier in the year, it was revealed that a 10-year-old child in Ohio was raped by a 27-year-old man and became pregnant. Due to Ohio's laws, the child had to travel out of state to get an abortion. It has now been revealed that at least two more children were raped and had to travel to other states to get abortions.

From Cincinnati.com:
A man who admitted assault a police officer during the Jan 6 attack on the U.S. capitol is off to jail for seven years, with a couple off for time served awaiting trial.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson called Kyle Young a "one man wrecking ball" as she sentenced him to prison. She gave him credit for the 17 months he's been held since his arrest, meaning he likely will serve nearly six years in prison. Young cried as he apologized to D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone and said he wished he could take back his actions of that day.

CNN has more:

Young, Jackson said, was the individual who handed another rioter the stun gun used to electrocute Fanone. Young then showed the individual how to operate the device.

"You had to teach him how to turn it on," Jackson said, "you armed someone."

The individual, Daniel Rodriguez, is charged with electrocuting Fanone several times in his neck and has pleaded not guilty.

"I hope someday you'll forgive me," Young, who brought his 16-year-old son with him to the Capitol, said to Fanone during the sentencing hearing. "I know you hate me."

Young told the judge that "whatever you give me as punishment I accept and I probably deserve."
About 30 Buffalo-area drivers employed by Sysco Syracuse are part of a Teamsters strike against the food distributor, alleging unfair labor practices.

The walkout by Teamsters Local 317, which is based in Syracuse, began Tuesday night. Sysco Syracuse has a warehouse in Warners, along the Thruway in Onondaga County, and offices on Walden Avenue in Cheektowaga.

Teamsters Local 317 said its members went on strike Tuesday night "after weeks of contentious contract negotiations with the company."

The workers on strike in Buffalo are drivers, while the employees who are part of the walkout in Syracuse are both drivers and warehouse workers. Their contract expired Aug. 19.

Sysco is a Texas-based wholesale food distribution company that supplies customers including restaurants, schools and hospitals.

The Teamsters union represents over 10,000 workers at Sysco nationwide. The union said it is in contract negotiations at several Sysco sites, and that "hundreds" of those employees are either working without a contract or under contracts that are about to expire.

Teamsters Local 317 in a statement quoted a longtime worker, Matt Waderman, as saying the strike was about "unfair labor practices, unsolved grievances, and unfair wages." The union said over 230 drivers and warehouse workers were on strike.

Sysco Syracuse has been in "good faith discussions" with the union on a new contract, said Shannon Mutschler, a Sysco spokeswoman.

The company has proposed wage increases that would place its employees "at or above market," along with a $2,500 signing bonus, health benefits and paid time off, she said.

"We respect and care about our drivers and deeply appreciate their contributions to our success and it is always our intent to provide fair and competitive pay and benefits, while balancing the needs of our customers and our business," she said.

Due to the strike, Sysco Syracuse has implemented its "business continuity plans," including "positioning third-party resources to support the site during the strike," Mutschler said.
Coral reefs inhabit a small fraction of the Earths oceans, but theyre crucially important to its biodiversity. Thats why coral reef researcher Marina Villoch wants to help save them, and to educate others about their importance in the process. Marina works at Mote Marine Laboratory, where she works to better understand coral reefs and develops strategies to save them from climate change!

Originally from Spain, Marina developed a love for the ocean from an early age. Her father is an ocean lover and her uncle is a marine underwater photographer. I remember the first time I snorkeled it was like a whole new world had been opened to me and I just fell in love, she tells In The Know. Since then I knew my end goal was to do marine science.

She moved to the United States for college after receiving a scholarship to study biochemistry and biotechnology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. After graduating, she secured an internship working on coral health at Mote Marine Laboratory. I was the intern that never left, which led now to my lab manager job which Im very, very thankful about, she recalls.

Marina explains that coral reefs arent just crucial to preserving life in the ocean. They also affect life on land. Coral reefs, although they only represent less than one percent of the ocean, they support more than 30 percent of the oceans biodiversity, Marina says. Coral reefs also protect our shorelines. If we dont have the 3D structure that the coral reefs provide, then were going to be more susceptible [to the effects of climate change] and its going to affect us humans.

At Mote, Marina isnt just studying coral. Shes also working to rebuild coral reefs in Florida. How our work fights climate change is by restoring the Florida reef tract, she explains. So were putting corals out there to restore the harm that us humans have caused. We want to reach a certain percentage of coral coverage so the reef can be sustainable on its own, so that corals are able to reproduce by themselves, and make that environment thrive.

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But Marina is fighting an uphill battle. Increasing ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, fertilizer runoff, and sewage water are all causing coral reefs in Florida to decline. Thats why Marina is also dedicated to research. She wants to figure out exactly what factors harm and help the coral reefs. Im very passionate about research, and I think this specific research ties very well together with climate change and how to reverse the damage that us humans have caused to the environment, she says. We try to make our environment a better place.

Marina hopes that by learning as much as possible about coral, she can learn how to save it, and how to combat climate change in the process. Conservation begins with education, she says. I feel like being educated is a first step. I hope that I can contribute to helping restore the coral reefs and also maybe bring some insight about coral health and disease and what makes the coral healthy and what makes it stressed.

She also hopes that her work will inspire other young scientists to get involved in the movement to fight climate change. She believes that, when it comes to solving climate change, its important for as many people as possible to get involved. She explains, I also hope to inspire other young persons to do research in the future and also people to be more mindful of their choices and protect our oceans, because at the end it affects all of us.

The post This 25-year-old has dedicated her career to restoring coral reefs and protecting our oceans biodiversity appeared first on In The Know.

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34-Year-Old Firefighter with Terminal Cancer Takes Final Ride in Ambulance He Used to Transport Patients

Courtesy Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Firefighters in Illinois gave an emotional farewell to their colleague with terminal cancer as he left the hospital for the final time.

On Tuesday, personnel from the Itasca Fire Protection District helped transport Frank Nunez from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago to his home, where his loved ones will focus on making him comfortable in his final days.

According to Northwestern Memorial, 34-year-old Nunez was diagnosed with a rare form of soft tissue cancer called synovial sarcoma in 2019 after he experienced pain in his left leg. But he experienced a brief remission after undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment.

Then, in 2021, doctors discovered the cancer had returned, this time in Nunez's left lung. Following the diagnosis, Nunez participated in several clinical trials, and while undergoing treatment, he continued working for the fire department. He even finished a fire inspector training class before he was admitted to Northwestern Memorial in September.

RELATED: 3 Firefighters Who Work Together Celebrate Becoming New Dads Within 24 Hours at Same Hospital

Nunez and his fiancee, Christina, celebrated his 34th birthday on Sept. 21 at the hospital and held a commitment ceremony in his room. The two met only weeks before Nunez was diagnosed with his first bout with cancer, and became engaged in June.

Nunez isn't the only person in his family fighting cancer. His mother received a stem cell transplant for leukemia at Northwestern Memorial on his birthday, and the two said goodbye to each other using a dry-erase board.

"There's nothing sadder than obviously losing somebody, especially somebody young, so vibrant as Frank," Itasca Fire Chief Jack Schneidwind told the hospital of taking Nunez home from the hospital in one of the ambulances he used as a firefighter.

"So to have us have the honor of bringing him home in this  and that's what is for us and the people volunteering  it's an absolute honor to take him on this ride," he added. "But it certainly is heart-wrenching."

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RELATED: Firefighter and Father of 3 Dies Weeks After Suffering 'Severe' Burns on the Job: 'He Fought So Hard'

Dr. Khalilah Gates said it was inspiring to see how the fire department support Nunez throughout his battle.

"To every day see his fellow firefighters at the room, and we've just come out of this pandemic where we were all on the frontlines, we were all responding," Gates told the hospital. "And to know that they have put their lives on the line for people  Frank is one of those people."

RELATED VIDEO: Firefighter-Paramedic Who Survived Alligator Attack in Fla. Lake: 'I Shouldn't Be Alive'

"And now they're here, looking for us to provide the care for him, I think means a lot," Gates added. "And I also think, and I was just telling the chief, the fact that they were always here 24/7, making sure that Frank was never alone, speaks volumes to who Frank is as a person."

A GoFundMe campaign for Nunez and his family has raised over $25,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Angry Tias and Abuelas / Illustrations by Niege Borges

In the summer of 2018, when Cindy Candia heard about people living in dire conditions on the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, a thoroughfare along the Mexican-American border less than an hour from her house in south Texas, she knew she had to do something to help. The migrants, many of whom were seeking asylum in the U.S., were forced to wait on the bridge while awaiting a chance to cross the border.

That summer, Cindy, along with Nayelly Barrios, Jennifer Harbury and Joyce Hamilton, decided to travel to the bridge to see the situation firsthand. They brought along supplies to help make the desperate conditions a little more bearable: food, clothing, personal hygiene products, umbrellas to help shield asylum seekers from the intense summer heat, cardboard and mats for sleeping and later brought buckets to use as restroom facilities.

The people living on the bridge told us they had to bathe from a water fountain, says Cindy. They began to visit the area three or four times per week.

A couple of weeks after our first visit, we met at Jennifers house to discuss how to organize our efforts, says Cindy. Jennifer threw out a name for the group that summed up who they were  grandmothers and aunts  and how they were feeling about the situation at the border: Angry Tias and Abuelas was born. We were so appalled that our government was making people live on the bridge," says Cindy. Shortly after, two more of their friends, Elizabeth Cavazos and the late Susan Law joined the group.

Eventually, the migrants were banned from living on the bridge, so the Angry Tias shifted their efforts to the McAllen bus station , about 20 minutes north of the border. That's where hundreds of asylum seekers recently released from detention ended upthey needed assistance in reading bus tickets, navigating travel plans and getting connected with resources. Angry Tias and Abuelas also began filling backpacks with emergency necessities and distributing them to whoever needed them.

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Photo credit: Hearst Owned

Expanding Their Efforts

As they gained momentum, the Angry Tias and Abuelas began spearheading a number of other efforts. They set up free tiendas, or stores, in the Matamoros migrant camp, just over the Texas border in Mexico, and trained the migrants to run the shops. Here, anyone in need can come and pick up necessary items like toiletries, diapers and formula, and food items free of charge. They also began visiting asylum seekers in detention, offering them a friendly ear to listen to their stories and answer their questions, while also connecting them to pro-bono lawyers to help with their cases. They organized sewing projects to help asylum seekers make their own masks during the height of the pandemicall from donations solicited via social media and their website.

To grow their efforts and help more people, Angry Tias and Abuelas began coordinating with local non-governmental organizations in the area, like Team Brownsville , La Posada Providencia and Senda de Vida Ministry. Theyve even helped motivate the creation of groups far from the border. Grannies Respond/Abuelas Responden started as a group of 30 people in Beacon, NY, many of whom were grandparents concerned about the health and safety of people seeking asylum. In July 2018, the group decided to travel to the border to protest the separation of children from their families and, as executive director Catherine Cole puts it, make as much noise as possible.

People came out of the woodwork to help, says Catherine. They put us up in their homes on the way, and had potluck dinners for us the entire trip. It was quite amazing. The group arrived at the border not as 30 people, but as 200.



While at the border, the group rented out a conference room and invited speakers, including immigration attorneys as well as representatives from Angry Tias and Abuelas, Team Brownsville and other groups, to share ideas.

Out of that meeting came the realization that there was a need that we could fill in by going to the bus stations and replenishing diapers, formula, shoe laces, belts and shoes that are taken in detention, says Catherine.

Thanks to the experience, Grannies Respond/Abuelas Responden now has groups in 13 states who are still working at various bus stations to help asylum seekers in whatever they need.





The Dangers of Helping

Meanwhile, the Angry Tias and Abuelas are dividing their time between two major projects. The first is ensuring the shelters in Reynosa, a Mexican border town, have sufficient supplies, as well as the ability to pay for things like electricity and water. Cindy crosses the border frequently, but takes care to maintain a low profile. Rather than announcing that she's coming by, or wearing their group t-shirts, she simply arrives with her supplies and quietly does the work. Its dangerous and emotionally taxing, but Cindy says she believes they are meant to be there.

It's sad seeing everybody living in the streets and in tents, she says. Some people just have cardboard that they're sleeping on with their babies. But when I go, I go on adrenaline.

There are days when she and the other tias and abuelas have to take time off and recoup emotionally. And then we just go back and do it again, she adds.

The groups other major ongoing project is helmed by Beverly Ortiz and Madeleine Sandefur, who, pre-pandemic, were regularly visiting asylum seekers who have been in long-term detention without court dates. The duo make sure those in detention have money in their commissary, are able to call family members and help them obtain attorneys in order to get their cases moving along.

They have a much better chance of being released once we get involved, says Cindy.

Once the migrants leave detention, Angry Tias and Abuelas work to get them transferred to shelters or other housing (including connecting them with host families). Sometimes they obtain airline tickets for them, too. Cindy also frequently works with LGBTQ+ asylum seekers to ensure their needs are met, as well.

The LGBTQ+ community may be killed in their own country, so they come here to survive, says Cindy. She says that many of the religious groups in Mexico as well as in the U.S. still arent welcoming or accepting of the queer community, so even when they do cross, they still face greater danger.

Photo credit: Hearst Owned

A Major Impact With Few Resources

Over the years, Cindy says the Angry Tias and Abuelas have helped around 15,000 asylum seekers. In 2019, the group was even awarded a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award . But in recent months, news and social media buzz around the situation at the border has dwindled, and with it, financial support.

We need money to buy more food for our shelters, says Cindy. Grants are hard to come by. We don't currently have foundations that give us money. She says their funds come mainly from individual donors.

But Angry Tias and Abuelas shows no signs of slowing down. When asked what they want others to know most, Cindy says recognition of the humanity of the issue is most important.

We hope that others will see it in their hearts to help a fellow human being, to help us to help them, she says. We're all human. That why we do what we do.



Photo credit: Hearst Owned

This story was created as part of From Our Abuelas in partnership with Lexus. From Our Abuelas is a series running across Hearst Magazines to honor and preserve generations of wisdom within Latinx and Hispanic communities. Go to oprahdaily.com/fromourabuelas for the complete portfolio.

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Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (David Parry/PA) (PA Archive)

Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will be the special guest speaker on the final day of the Labour Party conference.

She will use her address to the gathering in Liverpool to say the fate of her country and neighbouring Ukraine are connected in the fight against Vladimir Putins Russian imperialism.

Belarus, under authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko, was used as a launch point for the invasion of its southern neighbour by Mr Putins forces.

Ms Tsikhanouskaya met Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer when she visited Westminster.

A Labour spokesman said: In 2020 Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya bravely stood for election as president of Belarus against Putin-backed dictator Alexander Lukashenko, inspiring people to take to the streets after election victory was taken away by the armed forces.

Since then she has been forced to flee her home country but has remained a leader of the peaceful resistance against the Putin backed oppressive regime in Belarus and a prominent advocate of political and civil freedom.

Her legacy and her work continue to inspire pro-democratic movements in Belarus and in Russia, making her of the biggest external enemies to the Kremlin outside of Belarus and Russia.

Her message at conference will be the fate of Belarus and Ukraine are interconnected and both countries are fighting against Russian imperialism and fighting for a future of independence and sovereignty from Vladimir Putin.
Cannes Directors Fortnight has unveiled the new team of programmers and consultants who will work with incoming delegate general Julien Rejl on his inaugural selection for May 2023.

Rejl will be supported by seven programmers.

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Herve Aubron , film academic and Cahiers du Cinema critic

Agathe Bonitze r, actress, whose credits include When Margaux Meets Margaux and A Bottle In The Gaza Sea

Elsa Charbi t, experienced programmer who was formerly artistic director of Frances Entrevues, Belfort International Film Festival

Caroline Maleville , programming manager at the French Cinematheque

Jean-Marc Zekri , head of Paris arthouse cinema Le Reflet Medicis

Daniella Shreir , U.K. founder and co-editor of feminist film journal Another Gaze

Muyan Wang, Paris-based Chinese critic

They will be joined by four consultants

Alvaro Arroba , Buenos Aires-based Spanish film journalist and programmer for the citys International Independent Film Festival (BAFICI). He will advise on Latin America and Spanish-speaking countries.

Cintia Gil , former Sheffield DocFest and Doclisboa head. She will scout for documentaries for the section, which has a long history of showcasing non-fiction works.

Ming-Jung Kuo , former program director at the Taipei Film Festival from 2014 to 2018. She will advise on Taiwan and Southeast Asia.

Jean Narboni, former Cahiers du Cinema editor-in-chief.

Rejl, who was previously head of distribution, acquisitions and international sales at French film company Capricci from 2010 tp 2020, was announced as the new delegate general in June.

He takes up the baton at a complex time for the 62-year-old parallel section, run by directors guild La Societe des Realisateurs de Films (La SRF), which over the years has scouted and showcased the early films of George Lucas, Spike Lee, Roy Andersson, Martin Scorsese and more recently Lynne Ramsay, Christian Mungiu, Clio Bernard and Gamze Erguven.

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Created in the wake of the 1968 protests, the sidebar forged its identity as a place for new voices and independent-minded filmmaking but this has been challenged in recent years by the shifting focus of Cannes Un Certain Regard.

Against this backdrop, Rejls predecessor Moretti reportedly had a difficult relationship with some arthouse sales agents and distributors who traditionally work closely with the section.

Rejl, who has close links with this world through his previous roles, has vowed to repair relations with sales and distribution sector, as well as bolster gender equality and diversity within the selection.

Supporters of Moretti say that such conflicts are part of the job and credit him with returning the sidebar to its core remit of showcasing singular and independently-minded films.

They also point to Morettis gender equality track record which included the creation of both the first gender-balanced selection committee in 2019 and selection in 2021 in this history of Cannes, and a 2022 line-up in which 11 of the 23 titles were directed by women.

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Cara Loves Karl, Karl Lagerfeld party, Spring Summer 2023, Paris Fashion Week, France - 27 Sep 2022

David Fisher/Shutterstock

Cara Delevingne is showing off her Cara Loves Karl capsule collection.

After missing a New York Fashion Week event earlier this month celebrating her collection with late designer Karl Lagerfeld, Delevingne, 30, was on hand at the Paris Fashion Week party for Cara Loves Karl on Tuesday.

To mark the occasion, Delevingne wore a sultry oversized tuxedo jacket with a web belt around her neck that features Lagerfeld's name as well as a matching belt around her waist. The model completed her look with thigh-high black boots.

Early Tuesday, Delevingne sported another Cara x Karl look in a carousel she shared on Instagram. That look included a sleek black blazer with matching pants and classic pointed-toe pumps. She went without a blouse underneath her blazer, showing off its plunging neckline.

"Carakarl," she wrote alongside the set of photos.

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Delevingne announced the collection last month. She told Vogue at the time that she didn't want the pieces to be limited by gender norms.

"I've never understood how we can define clothing with a gender," she said. "It was important to me that the collection not be just unisex, but genderless."

"We've been working on this collaboration for a couple of years," Delevingne added. "I truly believe [Karl] would be really proud of what we have created and how we have created it  without defining who should wear the pieces, allowing the person to dictate what the fashion really becomes."

RELATED: Penelope Cruz Recalls Her Last Night with Karl Lagerfeld Before His Death: 'It Was Magical'

She also opened up about her special bond with Lagerfeld, who died in February 2019, during an interview with Grazia USA and recalled meeting Lagerfeld at a Chanel show.

"The first time I met him, I was immediately blown away by his kindness and generosity," said the Only Murders in the Building actress, who was 20 at the time. "Karl really taught me the importance of embracing your weirdness. He was uniquely himself and didn't care what anyone else thought. I try to live with that attitude every day."

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Speaking to the purpose of the line, Delevingne said, "The message is about inclusivity. It doesn't matter how you identify. There are pieces in this collection for everyone. It's made for everyone."

She added that talks of a collaboration began shortly after Lagerfeld died, when the brand asked Delevingne to create a tribute shirt.

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As for how she's keeping Lagerfeld's legacy alive, Delevingne opened up about how he inspired their collaboration.

"For me, Karl's style is timeless, classic, chic, yet simple, and always has a twist  which is what I kept in mind while making this collection," she said. "Karl is his own greatest legacy. Everything he did will be remembered and seen as an inspiration for future generation."
On "Intelligence Matters" this week, host Michael Morell is joined by Deputy Director of the CIA David Cohen to talk about the 75th anniversary of the agency and his career path to its top ranks. Cohen details the invisible work of CIA agents and responds to critiques of the agency. Cohen also weighs in on key players on the world stage: Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. He notes that the CIA has not seen indications that Russians are planning to use nuclear weapons.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Accomplishments, critiques of CIA: "I think part of the critique of the agency is really a broader critique of U.S. foreign policy and U.S. national security decision making. We don't make policy. We, as we've discussed, we provide intelligence, intelligence analysis to the policy community and over to the policymakers to make the policy. So I think that's one thing. A second thing is, as I was mentioning earlier, a lot of what we do are not these big headline moments. It is the daily work of agency officers. And others around the IC to collect intelligence, analyze it, package it up, produce it, provide insight and deliver it to the policy community. That is entirely invisible to the American public. So I do think we are putting points on the board every day. But that scoreboard is within the confines of the agency. So people don't see that. And so I think some of our successes, some of what we have accomplished over the years is not, by its very nature, is not visible to the American public."Russia and use of nuclear weapons: "I think your listeners will not be surprised to learn that we are paying very close attention to the potential use of WMD, whether it's nuclear or otherwise. We have not seen, as we sit here today, we have not seen indications that the Russians are planning to use nuclear weapons, tactical nuclear weapons, to a demonstration strike. We haven't seen the movements that would be associated with that. But we've got to continue to keep a close eye on this."What Xi Jinping is learning from Russia's war in Ukraine: "He's also learning lessons on a couple of different layers here. One, intelligence. I mean, I think it's pretty clear that the Russian intelligence services did not serve Vladimir Putin and the Russian leadership well here. They obviously grossly underestimated both the Ukrainian capacity to resist, as well as the willingness of the West, the EU, the United States, others to come together to support the Ukrainians. So I think Xi Jinping is wondering about his intelligence services, particularly. I think he's looking at a lot of this obviously through the lens of Taiwan and his long-term goal of gaining control of Taiwan. So I think he's questioning intelligence services. I think he's questioning his military."

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INTELLIGENCE MATTERS WITH DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CIA DAVID COHEN

PRODUCER: Paulina Smolinski

MICHAEL MORELL: David, welcome back to Intelligence Matters. It's great to have you.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Thank you. Great to be back.

MICHAEL MORELL: The last time you were on, you were the former deputy director of CIA. And now you're the deputy director of the CIA again. So this is kind of backwards, right? Usually the correct-

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: -Back to the future

MICHAEL MORELL: Back to the future. Anyway, it's absolutely great to have you. And I want to come back later to this question of being deputy director twice, because I think that's actually important.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Sure.

MICHAEL MORELL: I actually have a journalistic responsibility here to tell my listeners that you and I are friends. So I've now done that.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Okay good.

MICHAEL MORELL: And I should also tell them that our wives and our kids are a heck of a lot smarter than both of us.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Yes, I think everybody who knows us agrees with that.

MICHAEL MORELL: Okay, this month, the Central Intelligence Agency is celebrating its 75th anniversary. And for those who don't know, the CIA was created by the 1947 National Security Act, which became a law in the summer of that year. But which became effective in September. So happy birthday.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Thank you very much.

MICHAEL MORELL: And for the 50th anniversary in 1997, I was this mid-level CIA official in charge of the PDB staff and the briefers. I wonder where you were in 1997.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: So in 1997 I was a partner in a law firm here in Washington, D.C., and was actually right on the cusp of my first foray into federal service, into going to the U.S. government. So about a year or two years later, I went into the Treasury Department. This was at the tail end of the Clinton administration. Went in as a lawyer and began working on what we now call illicit finance. It was the anti-money laundering new office that was being set up in the Treasury Department at that point.

MICHAEL MORELL: So how did you get from that job in the Treasury Department to deputy director CIA? What's that story?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: A somewhat circuitous route, I would say. So I did that job for a couple of years until mid 2001. Went back out, practiced law for about seven and a half years. And then at the Obama administration is coming in at the beginning of 2009. Many of the folks who I had worked with when I was in the Treasury Department previously were coming back in different roles, in different capacities. So Larry Summers was coming back. He was going to the White House. Tim Geithner, who had been an undersecretary of Treasury, was coming back to be the Treasury secretary. And there were other folks I knew, Neal Wolin, who had been the general counsel who I worked for at Treasury, was back at the White House as Larry's lawyer at that point. Anyway, I begged and pleaded and cajoled people to take me back. And so I came back into Treasury right at the beginning of the Obama administration, in the new part of the Treasury that had been set up in the meantime, that was focused on illicit finance, on our sanctions programs, on combating money laundering around the world

MICHAEL MORELL: I think it was created as a result of 9/11

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: It was created as a result of 9/11. It was sort of the national security side of the Treasury.

MICHAEL MORELL: Right. And then, deputy director, how do you go from there to deputy director?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: So I came in as the assistant secretary for terrorist financing, did that for a couple of years, then became the undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. And in that role, in both of those roles, I worked quite a lot with the intelligence community, with the CIA in particular, and also worked with a guy named John Brennan, who, for the first four years of the Obama administration, was in the White House as the counterterrorism coordinator, the deputy national security advisor for counterterrorism. I was doing a lot of counterterrorist financing work. He had the whole counterterrorism beat in the White House. He had then, as you know, become the director. I was at the Treasury.

MICHAEL MORELL: In fact, you and I sat in many, many deputies meetings.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Indeed. Right. And he was the director. I was actually about to leave the Treasury Department. It was the sort of November, December of 2014. I had been in government for about six years at that point, and I got a call the- so your successor, Avril Haines, who was the deputy at the time, was leaving that job to come down to the White House to be the deputy national security adviser. And so John needed a new deputy, and I had gotten to know John a little bit in my prior capacity. And I knew Avril and a bunch of other folks. And I got a- basically got a call out of the blue initially from Avril who said that John was going to be calling me. I thought it was actually a prank call initially. And but, you know, John called, asked if I was interested and, you know, I jumped at the chance.

MICHAEL MORELL: Yeah. So here's the interesting question. You know, going back to where we started in Washington, D.C., everybody is focused on the next step in the ladder. So you come back to the Biden administration as deputy director again. And that was the job you had at the end of the Obama administration. Why did you do that?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: The mission, I mean, basically the mission. So I had the chance to do this job for two years, for the last two years of the Obama administration. And I loved it.

MICHAEL MORELL: It's a great job.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: It's a fantastic job. And for someone like me and like you who are really interested in national security and foreign policy. As well as in serving our country. It is an extraordinary opportunity to work with really, really fantastic people doing really interesting and consequential things. And so I had the opportunity to do that for a couple of years when, you know, in the transition into the Biden administration, this opportunity arose and the opportunity arose to work with Bill Burns, who I had known from my Treasury days when he had been at the State Department. It was a very easy decision that I was delighted to have the opportunity to come back. And to keep on working with the terrific folks at the CIA and really around the intelligence community, around the national security establishment.

MICHAEL MORELL: So a lot of our, David, a lot of our listeners are students or young professionals who are thinking about their future in their careers. You know, you've made it to the deputy director of CIA. What advice would you have for a student or a young professional, you know, who wants to be successful, who wants to rise in the U.S. government?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: I think it's a couple of things. I mean, I think one is working in the federal government, working in the national security space requires dedication. It requires you're working hard. The folks who do these jobs, the folks who I get to work with every day, are deeply committed to what they do. And if you want to progress, if you want to succeed you've got to be able to work hard and deliver. Take it seriously and produce. So I think that's part of it. The other is like, I tell folks who I have the chance to mentor and talk to about this, which is to keep your eyes open about- for opportunities. In my path, as I said, was this circuitous path to this job. I was very interested in foreign policy, national security issues in college. I decided not to pursue a career in this field. At that time, I went to law school, but I maintained my interest. And when that first opportunity arose back in the end of the Clinton administration to go in something that was not squarely in the national security space, but was at least adjacent to it. I took that opportunity. It was not a particularly smart career move at the time. I was a young partner of this law firm. And I left the law firm to take what was essentially a newly made up job, but that then created other opportunities. And when the opportunity came to go back in at the beginning of the Obama administration, again, I was a partner in a law firm. But I jumped again. So I think staying alert to opportunities and being willing to not think you have to go on the predetermined path.

MICHAEL MORELL: Yeah. You know, I did that inside the agency. I just didn't go up the ladder. I took advantage of all these different opportunities. So the 75th anniversary. How does this secret intelligence organization celebrate a birthday? Was there a cake? Did somebody blow the cake out? How does that work?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: I am neither going to confirm nor deny whether there was a cake. But we did a whole bunch of things. And it was, as you said, the actual birthday, I think was just a few days ago. But we have been building up and celebrating our birthday over the course of this past year. We've done a number of events. President Biden came out to the agency and spoke to the workforce from in front of the memorial wall there, expressed his appreciation for what we are doing for the national security and the sacrifices and the successes that the agency has delivered over the years. That was that obviously the highlight of our 75th anniversary programming. We've done other things. We had relatively recently inducted another five trailblazers into the roster of CIA trailblazers.

MICHAEL MORELL: What's a trailblazer?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: So a trailblazer is someone who has contributed to the agency in a way sort of above and beyond your average agency officer. It goes back to the OSS days, to the predecessor organization, to the CIA. And we have over, I think this actually began, I think it's a 50th anniversary maybe.

MICHAEL MORELL: I think so, yes.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Yes, it's the 50th with the original 50 trailblazers. And now on the 75th anniversary, we have topped up to 75. And so we inducted five new trailblazers. One, which was actually I think was long overdue, a woman named Virginia Hall, who was originally an officer in the OSS and then was the first paramilitary case officer in the agency back in the in the 1950s responsible for running agent networks behind enemy lines in denied areas, training, equipping, organizing resistance forces. And really a pioneer in the agency, the folks who are in the director of operations, there are paramilitary officers in particular. Look to her and her example, as still the shining example of how to do these sorts of operations. So we inducted a number of trailblazers and then one other thing we did. We have a museum in the agency, which we've had for a number of years. It has recently been refurbished. And so we had the opportunity to open up our new museum, which has artifacts from the agency's history going back to its founding even before up until the present time. I think the most recent artifacts that we have in the museum is we have the model of the compound in downtown Kabul where Ayman al-Zawahiri was was living.

MICHAEL MORELL: So you built a model of that the way we did Abbottabad.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Exactly. So we have both the Abbottabad model where Osama bin Laden was living. And we have a model-

MICHAEL MORELL: -That's very cool-

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: -of the compound and in downtown Kabul as well. And a whole host of other very cool artifacts to trace the history of the agency.

MICHAEL MORELL: David, let me ask a couple of questions about CIA's 75 year history. How does the organization define success? There has to be some kind of yardstick to measure yourself against. What is that yardstick? Maybe it's not just one thing. Maybe it's many things. And based on that, how do you assess how the agency's done over its 75 years?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Well, I think the agency has delivered for the country over these past 75 years in a really significant way. Which is not to say that we haven't had our ups and downs, that it is not a history of unalloyed success. There have been stumbles along the way, at times where we have fallen short. But our fundamental responsibility is to provide the policy community, the president, with a decision advantage, with an understanding of what's happening in the world so that the president, his closest advisers, and others around the community, around the foreign policy, national security community can make decisions about how to conduct U.S. foreign policy and conduct our national security in a way that gives us an advantage over our adversaries. And the agency, I think, delivers quite well on that fundamental responsibility. A lot of what draws attention are headline moments. And the agency has contributed to sort of signal successes in American foreign policy and national security over the years. But the way I would really grade the agency is how we do on a day in, day out basis in sort of the blocking and tackling of what it is that we are asked to do for the policy community. And that is collecting intelligence, collecting human intelligence in particular. Being an all source analytic shop that collates all that we collect and that our partners around the IC collect. And delivering insight and as I say, sort of decision advantage, indications and warning, understanding.

MICHAEL MORELL: Reducing uncertainty.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Yeah, exactly. To the policy community. And I think we do a pretty good job. But I think the grade I would give us, though, is incomplete. Because I think our job is never done. So I don't think it's- I don't think we're ready to get a letter grade yet.

MICHAEL MORELL:Yeah. I'm going to show my bias here and say, with regard to stumbles, there's not an organization on the planet that doesn't have its stumbles.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Sure

MICHAEL MORELL: Ours stand out because they're so consequential, which tells you that the work itself is so consequential. So can you react to that?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Yeah, I think that's right. And look, I mean, as you know, the agency is asked to do difficult things. Whereas, you know. You know the motto: We go where others don't go. We do things that others can't do. And working in that space, working in the space where we are asked to do hard things, occasionally we will fall short and we have. And I'll say one of the things that I am proud of in this museum that I mentioned is that we don't shy away from some of the stumbles that we have encountered over time. There is a display, for instance, about the Iraq WMD intelligence and all about how the agency, I think, did not, frankly, perform the way it should have and could have in that whole episode, and in particular with Secretary Powell's speech at the U.N. We are, and I think and I think it's important that we acknowledge that. That we recognize that.

Our museum is in large part used as a teaching tool for our officers. And so as we also show successes that the agency has had over the years, it's also important that we you talk about our stumbles, and there have been those stumbles. I think it is largely born, if not entirely born, out of the effort to do hard things, in uncertainty, in difficult places.

MICHAEL MORELL: Yeah. So I think the media. I'm gonna show my bias again. I think the media has been harder on us than is reality. I'm thinking of a book like Legacy of Ashes, which basically says everything we've ever done is a failure. And I'm wondering, is that because- do you agree with that, number one? And if so, is that because of the nature of the role of the media in our society that they have to question government or, you know, are we not sharing enough? What's your reaction to that? Is my premise wrong?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Yeah. So I think at least the premise of the book of everything being a failure, I do not subscribe to. I think that is not right. Look, I think that the- I think a couple of things. One is I do think one of the things that we have an obligation to do as senior agency officials and why I'm happy to be here today is I do think it's important for us to talk about what the agency does so people understand what we do, what we're asked to do and what we're not asked to do. So I think part of the critique of the agency is really a broader critique of U.S. foreign policy and U.S. national security decision making. We don't make policy. We, as we've discussed, we provide intelligence, intelligence analysis to the policy community and over to the policymakers to make the policy. So I think that's one thing.

A second thing is, as I was mentioning earlier, a lot of what we do are not these big headline moments. It is the daily work of agency officers. And others around the IC to collect intelligence, analyze it, package it up, produce it, provide insight and deliver it to the policy community. That is entirely invisible to the American public. So I do think we are putting points on the board every day. But that scoreboard is within the confines of the agency. So people don't see that. And so I think some of our successes, some of what we have accomplished over the years is not, by its very nature, is not visible to the American public. But whether the media plays a role in this or not, I will leave to others.

MICHAEL MORELL: You'll leave to me.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: I'll leave to you.

MICHAEL MORELL: The last question on the 75 years, I was just at a conference at the Belfer Center last Friday at the Kennedy School at Harvard on the 75th the whole day. And I was cornered by some academic historians who said-

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: -sounds scary-

MICHAEL MORELL: Who said, Michael. I was actually quite worried. Michael, you know, you guys release the analytic views of the agency at a certain point in history. But you don't release the underlying intelligence that led to those judgments. And the point they made to me was because of what you do, we can assess whether the analysis was right. But we can't assess how well the agency did at collection and how hard, and therefore, how hard the analysis was to do. How do you respond to that critique. I did not respond well to it. I didn't have an answer for them.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Well, look, I think it is frankly, harder to release the building blocks, the underlying intelligence collection that goes into the analysis because that has the greater likelihood of revealing sources and methods. And one of our absolute fundamental obligations is to protect our sources. We have to recruit people who at great risk, risk of their lives, provide us information. And in analysis you can allow a little bit-

MICHAEL MORELL: - It is not as clear

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Right. But if we were to release the underlying intelligence, that just heightens the risk that our sources and and our methods in collecting intelligence would be revealed. I think it is just more difficult to do that. I understand the critique, right? If you're an academic and really want to understand how insightful the analysis is, understanding the building blocks that went into it would be useful. But we have an intelligence agency to run and maintaining faith with our assets and maintaining the secrecy and the clandestinity of what we do will enable us to continue to do that in the future.

MICHAEL MORELL:You also have a group of historians inside who aren't shy about being critical and they have access to everything.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: I think that's actually absolutely right.

MICHAEL MORELL: So let's turn David, let's turn to the future. What needs to stay the same? What needs to change for the CIA to continue to play its role in the U.S. foreign policy process effectively? How do you think about that?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: I think this is also part of our 75th anniversary, right? I mean, we've taken time to recount our successes to be clear eyed about where we've fallen short, but also to take stock of what we need to do going forward so that the next 75 years and beyond, the agency is able to do its job. I think the way we are posturing ourselves for the challenges to come is to be very deliberate about our strategic direction. So we are taking our cue from the policy community, from the president. Substantially increasing our focus on the People's Republic of China. And that means organizationally creating a new mission center, which is how we organize the agency's activities, a new mission center that is dedicated to China, to the PRC. We're also increasing resources. We're increasing the number of Mandarin speakers that we have in the agency. And we are ensuring that the agency as a whole, not just the China Mission Center, but the agency as a whole, is increasing its focus on the range of challenges that we face from the PRC. Military challenges, technological challenges, ideological challenges. You know, the list goes on.

MICHAEL MORELL: And a global focus.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: A global focus. I mean, it is the responsibility of our Western Hemisphere Mission Center to be thinking about how the PRC is operating in South and Central America. The same is true for our Africa Mission Center, our European Mission Center. Part of what they need to do in addition to a whole host of other things in their areas of responsibility is to think about and to work against the malign influence of China in those areas.

MICHAEL MORELL: This is really important. The only other two issues in the history of the agency on which we had a global focus were the Soviet Union and then counterterrorism. This is now the third, China.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Yeah. So the China Mission Center was organized so that we are structurally and from a resource perspective focused on this issue. So we're looking at an increasingly adversarial China. We are obviously focused on an aggressive Russia. And so this under the rubric of great power competition, we are obviously, and we can talk more about this, have been spending a substantial amount of time and attention on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But by creating the structure of the China Mission Center and of some other sort of subsidiary changes that we've made. We are trying very hard to keep our eye on the long term challenge that the PRC presents.

So you've got China. You've got great power competition. We're also focused on revolution in technology. The world is obviously awash in new technologies developing very quickly. The pace of technological change is something that as an agency and, frankly, as a national security community, we need to do a better job of understanding how new technologies from biotech to advanced computing to wireless, a whole host of different technologies create risk to our national security and we need to understand how our adversaries are weaponizing these technologies. And we need to do a better job, frankly, of engaging with the private sector so that we understand how technology is developing and how we can use technology better in what we do. So the other sort of major structural change that we have made in the last year sort of set us up for the future, is we created another mission center, the Transnational and Technology Mission Center, whose responsibility is to think about broader issues of national security: climate change, global health, global food security. These sorts of issues which have real national security implications but are sort of not traditional areas of focus, but then also with a really intense focus on technology and technological developments, both as a threat that we need to understand better. And we need to collect on. We need to write about. We need to explain what we see out there to our policy community, just like any other threat, but also do a better job of incorporating technology into what the agency does every day so that we're able to execute our mission more effectively.

And as we focus on China and technology, we will, of course, continue our efforts to protect this country against the threat of terrorism. It remains an important responsibility of the CIA to collect intelligence on terrorist threats, to work with others around the IC and around the national security community to address those threats. I think the strike that was taken by the U.S. government against Zawahiri in Kabul six weeks ago is a good indication the agency was deeply involved in developing the pattern of life of Zawahiri there and assisting the effort. Earlier this year, there was a U.S. counterterrorism operation that took out the leader of ISIS, Haji Abdullah, in Syria. So the agency going forward is going to continue its important counterterrorism mission as well.

MICHAEL MORELL: You mentioned Russia-Ukraine, and maybe we could talk a bit about that because I think this is a historical event. I mean, someday in the CIA museum, there's going to be something about Russia-Ukraine. I'm not going to ask what you guys are doing operationally, but this is an event that I think is going to define history for some time. So let me ask you some questions about that, and let me do it in a bit of a strange way. What I want to do, David, is first throw out some names of some of the key players and just get your quick reaction. And then I throw out some concepts. and get your quick reaction. Let's start with the antagonist, Vladimir Putin.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: So I think as we sit here today. And I'm mindful that this is going to air probably in a week or so.

MICHAEL MORELL: We've got to be careful here

c Yeah. But I think this is a trend line that has been developing over some period of time and is, I think, not likely to change between when we're together and when this broadcasts. Putin is feeling increasingly challenged in the pursuit of what remains a constant objective. So his objective is to dominate and control Ukraine. I don't think there's any reason to think that his fundamental objective, which led to the invasion last February and has just in the last day or so, led to him doing this partial mobilization, the draft in Russia, that objective remains unchanged. I think he even said so, frankly, in the speech he did recently. That being said. I think he also recognizes, and it took a little while for him to come to this recognition for a variety of reasons. But I think he now recognizes that his military adventure into Ukraine is not going well. They are not making, they were not making any progress in the east. They had, after the initial foray into Kiev was rebuffed, they sort of swung around and were trying to essentially take over the entire Donbas. Started in Luhansk and they were going to move down into Donetsk that had stalled out basically over the summer. The Ukrainians were holding them back.

In the last several weeks, the Ukrainians have kicked off two counter offensives, one up in the northeast in Kharkiv, where they have made really significant strides in pushing the Ukraine, the Russians back essentially to the Ukrainian Russian border. Down in the South in Kherson, there's another offensive underway, which is, I think, is not progressing quite as well as the one in the northeast. But the skill and the success of the Ukrainians, particularly up in Kharkiv, I think has caused Putin to question his military. To question the capability of his military. And I think has led to this decision to do this mobilization which he has resisted doing.

When the war started Putin had about 180,000 troops amassed on the border of Ukraine, and they were part of the invasion. Now, six, seven months in, they have about 80,000 troops either killed or wounded who are no longer in the fight. He's now calling for about 300,000 new draftees essentially to come.

MICHAEL MORELL: People who served in the military before

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Who have some military experience. They have a compulsory one year military service. So he has a large pool to to pull from. But what the forces that he has used, the troops that he's used up to now have predominantly been young men and boys from outside of the major population areas and certainly outside of Moscow and St Petersburg. And so he has been able to externalize to some extent away from the elites in Moscow and St. Petersburg the pain of this invasion. Now with this mobilization, and you can see it with people voting with their feet in the last couple of days. You know, trying to get out of Russia, the reality of what has happened in Ukraine and the difficulty that the Russian military is having there is becoming more apparent. And I think that's something that Putin is going to have to try to manage over the next weeks and months.

MICHAEL MORELL: Ukrainian President Zelensky.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: You got to tip your hat to him.

MICHAEL MORELL: You sure do.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Right. I mean he has stepped up in a way that's, you know, I think few people expected he would be able to. In a couple of really important respects. Certainly internationally he has been very effective in galvanizing support for the fight against the Russians. Internally he has managed to keep together what historically has been a fractious internal political environment in Ukraine. Obviously, the Russian invasion tends to concentrate the mind and concentrate the and reduce, I think, some of the difficulty of political intrigue, that would normally be the case and was the case in Kiev over the years. But he's done a pretty good job of keeping the political situation within Ukraine well aligned to their objective here of fighting off the Russians. And he's shown himself to be a pretty good commander in chief of the Ukrainian military. Now, a lot of the credit in how the Ukrainian military has performed is obviously, should go to the folks on the front lines who have shown incredible bravery in the face of the Russian army and their and their commanders. They've done a remarkable job. As well as Ukrainian citizens who have themselves obviously endured just horrific atrocities, but have also been an important contributor to the war effort in Ukraine.

MICHAEL MORELL: One more name. Xi Jinping as it relates to Russia-Ukraine.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Yeah. So Xi Jinping, I think, is watching very carefully what is happening in Ukraine. Just before the invasion, Putin was in Beijing for the Olympics and the two of them declared their partnership without limits, sort of not further defined. But it was a part, but they said that they had this partnership without limits. I think what we have seen is Xi Jinping be quite cautious about the limits of his partnership with Putin and with Russia and has taken advantage of the situation. He's been importing oil from Russia at a reduced price. Frankly, not unlike what they did back in 2014 when the Russians went into Ukraine the first time. So he is seeing an opportunity here to take advantage of his good friend, Vladimir Putin. But I think he's also learning lessons on a couple of different layers here. One, intelligence. I mean, I think it's pretty clear that the Russian intelligence services did not serve Vladimir Putin and the Russian leadership well here. They obviously grossly underestimated both the Ukrainian capacity to resist, as well as the willingness of the West, the EU, the United States, others to come together to support the Ukrainians. So I think Xi Jinping is wondering about his intelligence services, particularly. I think he's looking at a lot of this obviously through the lens of Taiwan and his long term goal of gaining control of Taiwan. So I think he's questioning intelligence services. I think he's questioning his military. I think seeing how the Russian military has struggled in Ukraine has likely caused him to question just how well the PLA, the Chinese military would perform if they were called up.

MICHAEL MORELL: Which hasn't fought a war since 1979.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Right. And in so, which is sort of the same problem, in part the problem that the Russian military encountered, they had not seen combat for a long time. And when they got into combat, their weaknesses were revealed. Economically, he's got to be paying attention. The sanctions that have been levied against Russia by the E.U., by the U.S., by others around the world, have had a significant, really significant impact on Russia, on its economy, on its ability to continue to feed their military capability. It's obviously slightly different, more than slightly different situation in the Chinese economy versus the Russian economy. But I think he's got to be thinking about how the economic response to the invasion of Ukraine would play out if there were a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The international reaction. I think he's paying attention to. Xi Jinping wants to claim the mantle of global leadership. I think one thing that is evidence from the Russian invasion of Ukraine is that Putin's standing in the world has gone down, not up. So I think Xi Jinping's going to be thinking about that.

And then finally, I think he's got to be thinking about how Ukraine has performed in fending off an invader. And he's got to be asking himself how Taiwan would perform if there were a military effort to gain control of Taiwan. So I think on a whole host of issues, I think Xi Jinping is trying to understand the lessons to be learned from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

MICHAEL MORELL: Let me quickly run through some concepts and just get your reaction. Risk of the use of weapons of mass destruction by Putin. Is this total intimidation or only intimidation, or is there a real risk here?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Look, I think we need to pay attention to what Putin says and his use of nuclear saber rattling. Recently, something that we've got to take seriously. Our responsibility as an intelligence agency and intelligence community is obviously to pay attention to what our adversaries say, but also what they do. And so I think your listeners will not be surprised to learn that we are paying very close attention to the potential use of WMD, whether it's nuclear or otherwise. We have not seen, as we sit here today, we have not seen indications that the Russians are planning to to use nuclear weapons, tactical nuclear weapons, to a demonstration strike. We haven't seen the movements that would be associated with that. But we've got to continue to keep a close eye on this.

It's highly irresponsible for the leader of a nuclear weapons state to engage in this sort of nuclear saber rattling. I think every nuclear weapon state has a responsibility to be, to not use the threat of nuclear strikes for an advantage in this sort of situation. But it's something that we're watching very closely.

MICHAEL MORELL: Ukraine's chance of driving Russia completely out of the country, including Crimea.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Look, I think that's a tall order. But we have seen in the last several weeks some significant success by the Ukrainian military up in Kharkiv. But I think it's also important to recognize that the Russian military still controls significant territory in Ukraine. And far beyond the February 24th borders, you know, where they were before this invasion kicked off, even with the success that the Ukrainians have had in the last couple of weeks, the Russians control a fair piece of eastern Ukraine. They have a land bridge that now connects eastern Ukraine all the way down to Crimea. And they're dug in. And defense is easier than offense. And so I think it's-

MICHAEL MORELL: -a tall order-

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: I think as you said it's a tall order

MICHAEL MORELL: Putin's staying power politically should he lose the war.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Yeah. So there's an embedded uncertainty in that question. What does lose mean?

MICHAEL MORELL: I guess the way I would define it is his citizens have the perception that they lost.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Yeah. Look, I think one of the things that, I know you as a trained analyst appreciate this, is we've got to, we have to be careful about mirror imaging here. Russia is not the United States. Putin is not the popularly, truly, popularly elected leader of that country. And the way he governs is not the way that we govern here. And so if Russia and as you say, the population in Russia perceives a loss here. That's a bad day for Putin. No question. But I think we need to be sober about the grip that Putin has on the security services in Russia. Their capacity, which we have seen over the past, six, seven months now of this, since the invasion, to stifle dissent and that and to act in quite aggressive ways against people who are raising questions about the war.

But again, you cannot exclude the possibility that if there is a significant sense in Russia that they have lost, that they've lost face, that their Putin has led them into a situation that a huge number of folks in Russia find untenable that his grip on power could weaken. But I would not be, I wouldn't be counting on it.

MICHAEL MORELL: Okay. Two more real quick. Russia as a nation state, as an international player in the aftermath of the war.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Yeah, I think Russia's standing in the world is going to be diminished for a long time. And I'll just say two reasons. One, just economically, the sanctions that have been imposed on Russia have already taken a toll. Their economy is in recession. Their inflation is through the roof. They're drawing down on their reserves. And these sanctions are only going to as they stay in place that the effect of these sanctions is only going to continue to grow. I think they're in a bleak situation right now, and it's just going to deteriorate. And so Russia's economic place in the world is going to, is not going to rebound. And just along those lines. Europe is accelerating its effort to become less dependent on Russian energy. And as they make that shift, I don't expect that they're going to shift back. So and that's been obviously an enormously important source of revenue to Russia for many years. And so that is a long term problem for them. And then, look, I just think broadly, Russia's standing in the eyes of the international community is deteriorating. You see it in the way that, they just had a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand. Both Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi in small ways, but significant ways, distanced themselves-

MICHAEL MORELL:Yeah it was interesting

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: That trend line is one that also

MICHAEL MORELL: It's a deep irony here, right? Because Putin wanted to be the great Russian leader. The leader that made Russia great again. And it's just the opposite. Last one. Last question. The impact of the outcome of the war in Ukraine on the global commons. On the behavior of nation states vis a vis one another. On the possible behavior of China vis a vis Taiwan or Iran's behavior in the Middle East. How important is this war to I guess the overall concept of deterrence globally.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Look, I think it's important. People are watching. We were talking about Xi Jinping earlier. He's obviously watching this very, very carefully. And I think about it through the lens of his desire to to gain control of Taiwan. The way that the international community has responded here, I think, is sending an important message. But this story is not finished yet. And the lessons that people will take from this will obviously be different. The world is a complicated place. There are lots of different leaders out there who draw different lessons based on their unique circumstances. But the fundamental modern notion that you can't change borders by force. That sovereignty means something, and that self-determination is an important, sacrosanct precept. I think that has been reinforced. And as this continues to roll out, people will draw lessons on how it develops. But I do think that there has been an opportunity here that the international community, not uniformly, but as a whole has taken to emphasize the importance of those fundamental precepts.

MICHAEL MORELL: David, thank you so much for joining us. Really appreciate it. Fascinating discussion.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR COHEN: Thanks, Michael.

Biden speaks with DeSantis as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida: CBS News Flash Sept. 28, 2022

Dow Jones enters bear market territory

New U.K. prime minister facing dire economic challenges; new podcast on China's Xi Jinping
Candle Medias Exile Content Studio has joined forces with Trojan Horse Media, the team behind the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary, Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, to produce premium content with international appeal. This will include scripted, unscripted and audio content.

The new partners first collaborated on the podcast series More Than a Movie: American Me, which dropped on Sept. 15. The podcast series delves into the true story of Edward James Olmoss 1992 cult film classic, American Me, and the legacy the polemical film left behind. The 12-episode audio-documentary is hosted by Trojan Medias Alex Fumero.

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Trojan Horse was founded earlier this year by Fumero and Kareem Tabsch after the success of Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado. It has recently produced the critically acclaimed docuseries Menudo: Forever Young for HBO Max and is in production on the limited docuseries Gigante for Disneys Onyx Collective. Gigante is about the iconic Latino TV program, Sabado Gigante, hosted by the equally iconic Don Francisco, and the founding of Latino identity in America.

At Exile, were hyper focused on creating premium content that we believe Latino audiences will enjoy and that also makes a social impact. Having personally collaborated with Alex [Fumero] when we were at Fusion together, I knew our respective companys capabilities would seamlessly take storytelling to another level for our joint target audiences, said Nando Vila, head of content for Exile.

Kareem and I are so proud of the work weve done together so far, said Fumero, adding: But I personally wouldve never been in the position I am as a producer and filmmaker were it not for the opportunity given to me 10 years ago by Isaac Lee and Nando Vila.

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Partnering with Exile is like coming home for me to finish what we started a decade ago: To create content that elevates Latino storytellers to the global stage and allows us to tell our stories to a worldwide audience, he continued.

At Trojan Horse, and throughout our careers, Alex and I have been dedicated to telling compelling, complicated, impactful and entertaining stories about and with the communities and cultures that are so often being ignored by Hollywood, said Tabsch.

As we build and grow Trojan Horse, were thrilled to be able to collaborate with our friends at Exile Content who share our commitment to bringing these very stories to mainstream audiences throughout the U.S. and around the world.

Bought by Candle Media in May, Exile Content has been able to power through with more projects and partnerships. Our long-term strategy is to build IPs that are big and long-lasting, and ultimately create a franchise universe for the Spanish-speaking market, Vila told Variety.

Exile Content Studio and Trojan Horse

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Dr. Fadi and Kevin Dagher's $11.7 million plan to bring new apartments, a day care and an urban farm to a former East Side department store building won nearly $600,000 in tax breaks Wednesday from the Erie County Industrial Development Agency.

The ECIDA approved $593,040 in sales and mortgage-recording tax incentives for the project by the Daghers' Cedarland Development Group to transform the 40,570-square-foot building at 950 Broadway into a mixed-use building. Cedarland also is seeking property tax savings through the state's 44-A historic property exemption program.

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Formerly an Eckardt Department Store and later used by the state Labor Department for over 44 years, the three-story building on the northwest corner of Broadway and Fillmore Avenue is one of the largest in the neighborhood but has been vacant for more than 18 years. The sleek art moderne-style building  known for its rounded facade of granite, terra cotta and stainless steel - was designed by Bley & Lyman and was built in 1940.

Cedarland's project calls for 28 affordable apartments, a ground-floor day care operated by the Community Action Organization, and an indoor urban farm that will grow and sell fresh vegetables.

The day care, which will employ 25 full-time and four part-time workers, will offer free childcare services for children under age 5 in low- to moderate-income households. The urban farm will employ nine.

The apartments will be available to households earning 60%, 70% and 80% of the area median income, and will include:

10 studio units of 450 square feet each, renting for $840 per month

14 one-bedroom apartments of 660 square feet, with rents ranging from $883 to $1,212 per month

Four two-bedroom apartments of 880 square feet, renting for $1,457 per month.

ECIDA officials noted that the project is located in a highly distressed census tract, and the 62-year-old building has been underutilized, with no rental income generated. The project was also supported by Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown, and was endorsed by ECIDA's Policy Committee after an Aug. 26 public hearing.

"The use would benefit the community," said Erie County Legislator Howard Johnson. "All the development that's going on over there, this is important that they have this."

Cedarland received $511,175 in sales tax savings and $80,865 in mortgage tax breaks, with a two-year term of benefits and potential recapture.

"Without this project, the neighborhood will continue to deteriorate, and the corner remain largely inactive," ECIDA officials wrote in their evaluation report. "This development has the potential to not only affect this building but to also initiate growth in the adjacent buildings and to bring vitality to the neighborhood."

The project was also approved this week by the Buffalo Preservation Board, and will be considered by the city Planning Board as well.

This is the latest project for Cedarland, which was founded by Dr. Dagher, a Lebanese immigrant and former transplant surgeon who now focuses on real estate investment and development of blighted properties on both the East and Lower West sides of the city. Most recently, it built The Grid, with 217 apartments at 1155 Main St.

"They have a passion for delivering social and economic changes where the city needs it most," said ECIDA Vice President of Operations Beth O'Keefe.

The project would be financed with $3.17 million in bank loans, $1.66 million in developer equity and $6.83 million in public funds, including $2 million from Empire State Development Corp., $3.38 million from the state Housing Trust Fund Corp., and $2.1 million in other funds. Cedarland also received $427,000 from the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative, to offset costs for the day care, and will seek $3.54 million in historic tax credits.

Also on Wednesday, ECIDA's affiliate, the Industrial Land Development Corp., approved a $5.44 million contract with Pinto Construction Services to install public sanitary sewer and water line extensions into the new Renaissance Commerce Park in Lackawanna, at Odell and Ridge roads. Pinto beat out competing bids from Mark Cerrone Inc. and Zoladz Construction Co. Inc.

The new infrastructure will support the expansion and redevelopment of the former Bethlehem Steel campus into the business park, which already has several new businesses operating there, a 290,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and two new warehouses under construction. ECIDA and ILDC were honored this month by the International Economic Development Council for the effort to transform the formerly polluted land.

We are extremely proud of the future we are building on a site that once represented such economic and personal loss for the communities of Lackawanna and Western New York," said ECIDA and ILDC President and CEO John Cappellino. "Our path to this point has been challenging, but we are seeing this future take shape."

ILDC also approved construction of a new 1,200-foot private railroad spur and siding for Sucro Sourcing LLC, extending from Sucro's offices and storage building to the East Harbor Lead Rail line, to enable shipping of processed sugar.
Golden Retrievers in China

China Rescue Dogs

The long journey of 31 rescue dogs is finally over.

According to a release from China Rescue Dogs, the animal welfare nonprofit rescued the canines  16 golden retrievers and a mix of French bulldogs and pugs  from the dog meat trade in China in April.

Unfortunately, the dogs' journey to the United States to find homes was delayed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's one-year ban on importing dogs into the U.S. from more than 100 countries, including China.

The ban, which went into effect in July 2021, was implemented in response to the alarming number of dogs bought from foreign countries that arrived in the U.S. with false rabies vaccination certificates the year prior.

In June, the CDC extended the ban through January 2023 but also adjusted the ban to allow dogs from restricted countries to enter the U.S. with CDC approval.

Golden Retrievers in China

China Rescue Dogs

RELATED: Ohio Rescue Dog Found with Bullet Wound in His Head Is Beating the Odds with His Recovery

Through working with the CDC and with assistance from other animal lovers, China Rescue Dogs was able to get the 31 rescue dogs they saved from the meat trade into the United States on Sept. 23 after a three-week stay in Vancouver, Canada.

"We could not have accomplished this mission without the help of David MacNeil, the CEO of WeatherTech, Nordstrom, Dog is My CoPilot, and all our supporters. Dog is MyCoPilot is a nonprofit that saves dogs from high-kill shelters. The flight from Canada into the U.S. was their first international transport," Jill Stewart, the founder of China Rescue Dogs, shared in a statement to PEOPLE.

Golden Retrievers Plane

China Rescue Dogs

"This truly was a global effort with teams from China, Canada, and the United States all coming together to save these dogs from slaughter," she added.

RELATED: Bear Named Paddington Rescued from Tiny Cage at Bile Farm in Vietnam and Treated to Marmalade

All of the dogs are set to be adopted with help from 10 U.S. rescue organizations.

"To know these dogs now have a second chance at life and will experience love for the first time makes all the time spent on a project like this worthwhile," Brandy Cherven, the vice president of China Rescue Dogs, said. "They were being sent to the slaughterhouse when we stepped in and saved them."

To learn more about China Rescue Dogs' efforts and how you can help  including how to adopt a newly rescued canine  visit their website.
WASHINGTON  Unprecedented sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine have wounded  but not crippled  the country, prompting bipartisan frustration in Congress that they havent packed a bigger punch.

Pressed on that issue at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Wednesday, Biden administration officials urged lawmakers to give the sanctions more time while also promising additional actions are in the works.

The latest

Massive sanctions: Since the February invasion of Ukraine, nearly 40 countries have imposed economics costs on Russia. Financial institutions have been sanctioned. More than 1,000 Russians have seen their assets frozen abroad. And more than 1,000 companies have stopped operating in Russia, according to New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Biggest ever: The sanctions program is the largest the U.S. has undertaken, along with allies, in scope and scale, according to Elizabeth Rosenberg, assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes at the Treasury Department.

Ruble rebounds: Despite the economic penalties, Russias ruble has bounced back and is stronger than it was before the invasion.

Putin scoffs: Russian President Vladimir Putin has mocked the sanctions campaign and dismissed as stupid a Western attempt to cap prices on Russian oil and gas.

Russia-sanctions

Taking the long view

Biden administration officials said steps Russia has taken to counter the sanctions are not sustainable. Russia is running through its budget surplus and will have a deficit by the end of the year, according to Rosenberg. The administration projects that by 2030, Russias economy will be 20% smaller than it wouldve been without the sanctions.

Harder to measure are the impacts of the friction and uncertainty caused by export controls and restrictions on financing the military equipment and other goods Russians need.

At some point, the system becomes so rickety and improvised, that it can't succeed, said James OBrien, head of the State Department's sanctions coordination office.

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What's about to happen

Because Russias primary source of hard currency is oil and gas exports, the United States is working with other G7 nations on a price-capping mechanism they hope to have in place by early December. Rosenberg said the price cap has already forced Russia to negotiate steep discounts for oil its selling to Asian countries.

Other actions the administration is taking, she said, including going after the broader networks of facilitators Russia is using to buy weapons and technology. The administration also wants to plug gaps in sanctions in areas where some allies havent gone as far as the U.S. has.

Top takeaways

While senators recognized the enormous effort going into the sanctions, both Democrats and Republicans said the impact hasnt been as great as they expected.

Figuring out why that is, and what more can be done, is important not just to help end the war in Ukraine. Lawmakers are also concerned about what lessons other countries with military ambitions  particularly China  will take away.

We've got to get this right. China is watching and learning from our every move, said Idaho Sen. James Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, is the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

What they are saying

We have had an impact, but it's not quite what we thought, Menendez said.

There will be more packages. We are working on more sanctions, OBrien said.

We have to have a more clear assessment in Congress's mind and our national psyche as to just what the impact of sanctions can do, said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

We were told these were going to be the toughest sanctions ever on a country and they were going to have certain impacts, and we have not seen the full impact that was described to us," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.

"If we get this wrong, we risk not only billions of dollars in U.S. and allied economic hardships, we'll also risk providing Russia with the means to completely insulate itself from future sanctions actions and continue its brutal war in Ukraine," Risch said.

Reaction to annexation

The administration could announce additional sanctions after Russia officially annexes four regions of Ukraine that were forced into sham elections.

Separately, Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina introduced legislation Thursday to cut off economic or military aid to any nation that recognizes the annexation.

The bipartisan duo said they would try to pass the legislation either on its own or as an amendment to the annual Pentagon policy bill that the Senate may vote on in October.

Want to know more? Here's what you missed

Mass graves, suspected torture chambers: See what Russia left behind in Kharkiv

More: At anti-war protests in Russia, fears for the drafted as 'cannon fodder' and a brutal response by police

More: Mapping and tracking Russia's invasion of Ukraine

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine war: Impact of Russian sanctions disappoints federal lawmakers
florida-hurricane-ian.jpg US-WEATHER-HURRICANE-IAN - Credit: Ricardo Arduengo/AFP/Getty Images

Hurricane Ian made landfall on Floridas southwestern coast at nearly Category 5 strength on Wednesday afternoon, with sustained winds of up to 150 miles per hour and catastrophic storm surges, after knocking out power and killing at least two people in Cuba. Over a million in Florida have lost electricity so far, while the city of Fort Myers took a near-direct hit as Ian blew ashore, with footage showing houses in the area detached from their foundations and drifting in the rising floodwaters.

The good news is, relief organizations throughout the state and the Caribbean are already assisting those in need and workers on the ground. Here are a few mutual aid and humanitarian groups able to directly respond in the region during this crisis  with the help of volunteers and donations.

More from Rolling Stone

Florida

Disaster Relief at Work, or DRAW, is a 10-year-old nonprofit based in Michigan whose members travel far and wide around the U.S. to provide relief services in areas hit by floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. The organization is already in Florida to help, and it is accepting cash donations as well as donations for specific buckets of essential supplies.

The Florida Disaster Fund is the states official private fund for disaster and emergency response. Volunteer and donation opportunities are available on its website.

Convoy of Hope, another nonprofit, is currently engaged in disaster relief work in Florida, providing groceries for those in need. You can give to those communities here.

Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic

The humanitarian organization Project HOPE has been working in Puerto Rico since the island was ravaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017. The nonprofit also provided relief to the victims of Hurricane Fiona there and in the Dominican Republic earlier this month. It will continue recovery efforts in the Caribbean after Ian. More information is available here.

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The Hispanic Federation has also been on the ground in Puerto Rico, supplying aid in the wake of Hurricane Fiona as communities rebuild. The organization has contacts with groups in the Dominican Republic to support local relief efforts there. Heres their page for targeted contributions.

The United Nations World Food Programme is working to feed the hungry in the Dominican Republic and provide other emergency assistance and equipment. Donate here.

For a more direct way of giving, GoFundMe has a list of verified fundraisers on behalf of families and villages in both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico who are still recovering from Hurricane Fiona. You can sort these charity drives by location and see which are still short of their goal.

Cuba

Hurricane Ian hit Cuba as the island was already contending with blackouts and food shortages. The nonprofit humanitarian group Direct Relief has sent emergency and medical supplies to Havana, as well as a dozen areas in Florida. Heres where you can contribute to their efforts.

The Peoples Forum, a group dedicated to helping working class and marginalized communities to build unity across historic lines of division at home and abroad, is accepting donations to support Cubans affected by Hurricane Ian. Give what you can here.

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Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has yet to see final legislation to ban lawmakers from trading in individual stocks, a spokesperson said Tuesday, but he was reportedly skeptical of the idea. (Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has yet to see final legislation to ban lawmakers from trading in individual stocks, a spokesperson said Tuesday, but he was reportedly skeptical of the idea. (Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

House Democrats legislation to prohibit lawmakers from owning and trading stocks in individual companies hit a snag Tuesday when a top members support was thrown into doubt.

Democrats main goal for their remaining few days in Washington before leaving Friday to hit the campaign trail until the Nov. 8 elections is to pass a bill temporarily funding the government until mid-December.

But this week also provides the last chance for them to put up a few more legislative achievements to show voters  and the proposed ban could be one of those  even if it will not pass the Senate soon, if ever.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) listed the bill for possible consideration on the floor Friday, raising the hopes of ban backers. But according to Punchbowl News on Tuesday, Hoyer was leaning against it.

Hoyers office said it was too soon to say whether he would support a bill or not, holding out the possibility it could still make it to the floor.

Margaret Mulkerrin, a spokesperson for Hoyer, said he would like to see increased penalties for lawmakers who engage in insider trading, including congressional ethics citations and potential expulsion from the House.

He has also not seen final legislation and will reserve his official decision until that time, Mulkerrin said.

That statement was made, however, before the House Committee on Administration unveiled a 26-page stock ban bill Tuesday night.

The bill would prohibit members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children, the president, vice president, political appointees confirmed by the Senate, Supreme Court justices and federal judges as well as board members and regional bank presidents of the Federal Reserve from owning stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies or options unless they were in a blind trust or in widely held instruments, such as mutual funds or exchange-traded funds.

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Lawmakers are already barred from using insider information to make money by trading stocks and are required to report trades by themselves or family members soon after they are made under a 2012 law called the STOCK Act, but proponents of the ban say disclosure doesnt go far enough.

An analysis by The New York Times found almost 1 in 5 members of Congress, from both parties, had in recent years bought stocks that could have intersected with the jurisdictions of the committees they served on. Often, though, according to the Times, lawmakers said they followed the law or that the transaction was made by a relative or broker who had no knowledge of the lawmakers congressional work.

And questionable trades are not unheard of. Former representative Chris Collins, a Republican from Western New York, pleaded guilty in 2020 to conspiracy to commit securities fraud after he passed on a tip about a drug company to his son to help him avoid losing money on the companys stock.

Some lawmakers, though, say banning stock trading is unnecessary and would hurt office holders with little wealth by restricting them to investments like mutual funds, composed of a variety of stocks.

The bill unveiled Tuesday night received a thumbs down on Twitter from Walter Shaub, senior ethics fellow with the Project on Government Oversight and former director of the executive branch Office of Government Ethics.

Shaub said language in the bill allowing his old OGE office, the federal Judicial Conference as well as the House and Senate to set their own rules regarding what qualified as a blind trust was a giant loophole.

THEY WRITE A BLANK CHECK FOR THE TWO ETHICS COMMITTEES, THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS, AND THE JUDICIAL BRANCH TO APPROVE ANY KIND OF ARRANGEMENT THEY WANT, SUBJECT TO NO STANDARDS WHATSOEVER. LITERALLY ANYTHING GOES. ANY DAMN THING!!!! THIS BILL WOULD WEAKEN GOVERNMENT ETHICS. pic.twitter.com/LLRuIpBYlu  Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) September 28, 2022

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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HAVANA  Hurricane Ian knocked out power across all of Cuba and devastated some of the countrys most important tobacco farms when it slammed into the islands western tip as a major hurricane Tuesday.

Cubas Electric Union said in a statement that work was underway to gradually restore service to the countrys 11 million people during the night. Power was initially knocked out to about 1 million people in Cubas western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed.

Ian hit a Cuba that has been struggling with an economic crisis and has faced frequent power outages in recent months. It made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the islands western end, devastating Pinar del Rio province, where much of the tobacco used for Cubas iconic cigars is grown.





Tens of thousands of people were evacuated and others fled the area ahead of the arrival of Ian, which caused flooding, damaged houses and toppled trees. Authorities were still assessing the damage, although no fatalities had been reported by Tuesday night.

Ians winds damaged one of Cubas most important tobacco farms in La Robaina.

It was apocalyptic, a real disaster, said Hirochi Robaina, owner of the farm that bears his name and that his grandfather made known internationally.

Robaina, also the owner of the Finca Robaina cigar producer, posted photos on social media of wood-and-thatch roofs smashed to the ground, greenhouses in rubble and wagons overturned.

State media said Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel visited the affected region.

Cubas Meteorology Institute said the city of Pinar del Rio was in the heart of the hurricane for an hour and a half.

Being in the hurricane was terrible for me, but we are here alive, said Pinar del Rio resident Yusimi Palacios, who asked authorities for a roof and a mattress.

Officials had set up 55 shelters and took steps to protect crops, especially tobacco.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Cuba suffered significant wind and storm surge impacts when the hurricane struck with top sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph).

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Ian was expected to get even stronger over the warm Gulf of Mexico, reaching top winds of 130 mph (209 kph) approaching the southwestern coast of Florida, where 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate.

As the storms center moved into the Gulf, scenes of destruction emerged in Cuba. Authorities were still assessing the damage in its world-famous tobacco belt.

Local government station TelePinar reported heavy damage at the main hospital in Pinar del Rio city, tweeting photos of collapsed ceilings and downed trees. No deaths were reported.

Videos on social media showed downed power lines and cut off roads in the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa and Mayabeque. A hospital in Pinar del Rio was damaged.

The town is flooded, said farmer Andy Munoz, 37, who lives in Playa Cajio in Artemisa.

He said many people lost their belongings due to the storm surge.

I spent the hurricane at home with my husband and the dog. The masonry and zinc roof of the house had just been installed. But the storm tore it down, said Mercedes Valdes, who lives along the highway connecting Pinar del Rio to San Juan y Martinez. We couldnt rescue our things ... we just ran out.
The Guyana Innovation Group Presents Guyana's First Innovation Village at the Heart of Silica City, an Innovation District That Will Host Multiple Tech Solutions While Developing a Resilient and Futuristic Economy

Guyana Innovation Village

Guyana Innovation Village

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Sept. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Innovation Village hopes to prepare citizens for a knowledge-based economy, foster a new tech startup scene, host innovative organizations from around the world and deliver the country a non-oil economy "sandbox" that will provide local and global solutions.

In recent times, Guyana discovered one of the world's biggest oil and gas reserves. This discovery is a turning point for the beautiful country, rich with warm people and innumerable resources as the gaze of the world has gradually turned unto them with hope for better opportunities arising on the horizon.

The Guyana Innovation Group is poised to be the link connecting capabilities, cutting-edge technologies, incredible talent, and networks to visionary public and private Guyanese partners, thus forming the backbone for the growth of the non-oil economy. The Innovation Village in the heart of Silica City is a critical milestone for the country. Renowned organizations like Boston's MIT, DAR design and engineering firm, the Formula E ecosystem, including Brands Partner Group (BPG), Baptist Health, Florida International University (FIU), NV2A Group, OEC, DHL Global, Universal Music and Hotels, Alder Fuels, amongst others, are showing great interest in participating in the Innovation Village initiative.

The Silica City, located in the south of Georgetown, is the brainchild and legacy of the visionary leader, His Excellency President Irfaan Ali. The city is set to be a pioneer in all ramifications, beginning by using the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) that conforms to Guyana's commitment to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The Innovation Village will be the heart of Silica City leading the way to becoming a global laboratory.

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The Innovation Village represents a new complementary urban model, giving rise to what people are calling "innovation districts." These districts, by definition, are geographic areas where leading-edge anchor institutions and companies cluster and connect with start-ups, business incubators and accelerators. Key enabling technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence and big data are used to develop unique innovative solutions.

Cofounder of the Guyana Innovation Group, Rodrigo Arboleda, could not conceal his excitement in being a part of this laudable feat. In his words, "The Innovation Village is a nation-building project that connects science, technology, and innovation with the wellbeing of society. Our goal is to bring to Guyana the right allies that will help the country evolve into a cutting-edge nation."

Luis Videgaray, head of the MIT Artificial Intelligence Policy for the World Project, spoke on the immense potential of the Innovation Village. He said, "We are very proud to contribute to the thinking and ideas that may result in a transformational project for society. MIT is moving towards creating the right mechanisms to participate around Artificial Intelligence that will deliver well-being to society." Business leaders, governments, investors, innovators, and the general public with an eye for discovering untapped opportunities are invited to witness a turning point in Guyana's history.

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Jan Broberg is no stranger to sharing her story. The now 60-year-old actress and activist has dedicated much of her adult life to speaking out against child sexual abuse, often by opening up about her own harrowing experience: As a child in Idaho in the 1970s, she was groomed and eventually kidnapped by her neighbor Robert "B" Berchtold, a family friend who manipulated not only her but her entire family. Broberg was ultimately abducted twice, first at the age of 12 and then a second time at age 14  a shocking saga that she first chronicled in a memoir she cowrote with her mother. Later, Broberg and her family were the subjects of the hit Netflix documentary Abducted in Plain Sight, which took a deeper dive into Berchtold's chilling manipulations.

Now, Broberg is ready to share her story with a new audience. She serves as a producer on the upcoming Peacock series A Friend of the Family (premiering Oct. 6)  a gripping and nuanced miniseries she hopes will have the biggest impact yet.

"I needed all of the real human beings to have their full story told," Broberg tells EW. "It's not caricatures. It's not a simple story. There's a lot of psychology behind grooming. By telling the story in this almost psychological thriller kind of way, you understand that it's something that happens to a lot of people."

A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY -- Articles of Faith Episode 104 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jake Lacy as Robert "B" Berchtold -- (Photo by: Peacock)

Peacock Jake Lacy as Robert Berchtold in 'A Friend of the Family'

Nick Antosca (The Act) created A Friend of the Family, which explores how Berchtold ingratiated himself with the Brobergs over a period of years. Actresses Hendrix Yancey and Mckenna Grace play younger and older versions of Jan, while Anna Paquin and Colin Hanks star as her mother Mary Ann and her father Bob. Jake Lacy also stars as Berchtold, and he plays the role with both his signature charm and a sinister undercurrent, lurking beneath his smiling facade. The result is a gripping nine-episode series that unfolds slowly, revealing details and devastating emotions that the previous documentary only touched on.

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"The truth is this was a slow burn," Antosca says. "It happened over so many years, and it happened in the context of safety and normalcy. It happened in the context of the songs you listen to as you're walking to school, or the conversations you have with your friends. So, it's important to get the texture of real life."

Broberg describes Berchtold as an effortlessly charming figure, a master manipulator who brainwashed her with stories of UFOs and groomed both her parents to get access to her. (He ultimately died by suicide in 2005, reportedly only serving 10 days in jail for the kidnappings.) When it came time to cast the show, Broberg and Antosca wanted an actor who could fully capture Berchtold's charisma, ultimately recruiting Lacy  a recent Emmy nominee for The White Lotus.

"This person can't be twirling a mustache," Antosca explains of casting Lacy. "This is not an obvious villain. In retrospect, it's easy to see red flags, but this is someone who is so charismatic, charming, safe, trusted, and respected  and we needed somebody who embodies that, somebody who has a genuine goodness about them but is not afraid to go to the places that are required to play this role."

Lacy says he was initially hesitant to take on the role, but Broberg's involvement and commitment to the story helped sway him. He tells EW he was particularly intrigued by the show's nuanced approach to telling her story, presenting the Broberg family not as headline-making true crime victims but as real people  people whom he hopes viewers will empathize with.

"The strength of getting to tell this in a narrative format over nine episodes is that while it's all factually true, this hopefully gives the perspective of what it was like to be living this," Lacy explains. "It's easy to watch the documentary and think, 'How did you let something like that happen?' It's maybe easy to sit in judgement of people. I think the hope for Nick and Jan is to say, 'Well, this is how. This is what it looks like when you're swept up in this, and it's someone so close to you.'"

When Lacy arrived on set for his first day of filming, he discovered that Broberg had written him a letter  something she did for several cast members. She described the real-life Berchtold as she knew him as a child, someone endlessly persuasive and whose "superpower" was his warmth and ability to cry on command. At the same time, she also encouraged Lacy to "go for it" and find his own take on the character.

"He really was both subtle and brazen at the same time," Lacy says of Berchtold. "He wasn't just grooming Jan, but he was grooming an entire family. In doing so, he was kind of cordoning them off into silos and presenting a different version of himself so as to have control over each of them to get to Jan. Juggling those different faces and relationships is what allowed him to get what he wanted."

What an absolutely wonderful week its been here in Atlanta getting to spend time with all the talented actors telling my story. The recently @TheEmmys nominated #JakeLacy is such a joy to be around and I cant wait to see him on screen playing B. #AFriendoftheFamily @peacockTV pic.twitter.com/0rIaUCT1Tu  Jan Broberg (@janbroberg) August 4, 2022

Broberg's real-life mother Mary Ann and her two sisters also contributed to the show, sharing family photos, diaries, and even actual clothes, some of which were used on screen as costumes. (Broberg's father, Bob, died in 2018.) When EW spoke with Antosca and Broberg via Zoom in August, the writer praised Broberg for the wealth of material she and her family shared, and at one point, he motioned off screen, showing Broberg the "boxes right over here I still have to give you back." "I think the art department and wardrobe department were overwhelmed  in a good way," he says with a laugh.

For Broberg herself, she says she never expected the show to be an exact documentary of her life, but she was still pleasantly surprised by how the production team meticulously worked to recreate her childhood bedroom or imitate her old wardrobe. "I saw the care that they took to make my family home look like my family home, which they didn't have to do," she adds gratefully. But she says the most rewarding part of making A Friend of the Family was how thoughtfully it portrays her own family. When EW spoke to her, Broberg never got emotional while talking about herself, but she teared up while talking about her mother, praising Mary Ann for her candor and bravery as she shared personal details with the show's writers.

"I'm so grateful that we're going to tell her story fully, so that people can understand, 'This could happen to me,' or 'It did, and I'm too embarrassed to face it,'" Broberg says. "My parents were so brave to tell everything, no matter what."

The result, she hopes, is a show that will shine a light on the nuances of abuse  and how most abusers aren't strangers to their victims. She remembers the first time she stepped into the show's version of her childhood home, where instead of feeling sadness, she just felt at peace.

"It felt full circle," Broberg explains. "It was like this culmination of deep gratitude and of being in the place where I am in my life. I know that I can help others find that, no matter what they've gone through. They can not only survive, but they can thrive. They can find hope and get on their healing journey  and their whole families can too."

Make sure to check out EW's Fall TV Preview cover story  as well as all of our 2022 Fall TV Preview content, releasing over 22 days through Sept. 29.

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Japan on Tuesday demanded Russia apologize for detaining a diplomat over alleged espionage, denying the charge and accusing Moscow of blindfolding and pinning the man down in "unbelievable acts."

The Japanese diplomat based in the eastern city of Vladivostok was deemed "persona non grata over illegal intelligence activities", top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters, citing the Russian foreign ministry.

"The official was blindfolded, with pressure applied to both his hands and head so he was unable to move while being detained, and then he was questioned in an overbearing way," Matsuno said.

Japan "strongly protests these unbelievable acts", he said, denying the espionage allegations.

The diplomat has been released and will leave Russia by Wednesday, he added.

Japan summoned the Russian ambassador and "demanded a formal apology" for the treatment of the diplomat, which Matsuno said violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Russia said Monday that it had detained a Japanese consulate official based in the eastern city of Vladivostok for soliciting "restricted" information, according to Russian news agencies.

"A Japanese diplomat was detained red-handed while receiving, in exchange for financial reward, restricted information about Russia's cooperation with another country in the Asia-Pacific region," the FSB, the KGB's successor agency, was cited as saying through its press service, without specifying the third country.

The FSB identified the official as Tatsunori Motoki, accusing him of seeking out information on "the impact of Western sanctions" on the surrounding Primoriye region, according to news agencies.

Motoki Tatsunori, an official of the Japanese Consulate-General in Vladivostok, is seen in the departures area at the Vladivostok International Airport near Vladivostok, Russia on September 28, 2022. On September 26, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had detained Tatsunori. / Credit: Vitaliy Ankov / Sputnik via AP

The FSB distributed a short video it said showed the diplomat acknowledging that he had violated Russian laws, and reportedly said Moscow had lodged a protest with Tokyo through diplomatic channels.

Russia considers Japan to be a "hostile" country -- a designation it shares with all European Union countries, the United States and its allies, including Britain and Australia.

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Tokyo had complex relations with Moscow before the invasion of Ukraine in February, and the two sides have yet to sign a post-World War II peace treaty.

Attempts to do so have been hampered by a long-running dispute over islands controlled by Russia, which calls them the Kurils.

In its latest sanctions, Japan's government on Monday banned the export of materials that may be used for chemical weapons to 21 Russian organizations, including science laboratories. The measure was approved by the Cabinet following a decision by Group of Seven foreign ministers last week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The post Lizzo Plays Crystal Flute Owned by James Madison Live in Concert appeared first on Consequence.

Lizzo played a crystal flute owned by James Madison during her concert in Washington, DC on Tuesday night.

In the days leading up to the concert, the Library of Congress invited Lizzo to visit its extensive archive of flutes, even extending her the opportunity play a couple [of them]. As a classically trained flautist, Lizzo couldnt pass up on the offer, which led to literal history being made on stage during Tuesdays show.

This is crazy. I have to be really careful, Lizzo remarked as she began introducing the evenings very special guest. This is from the early 1800s, this was a gift to James Madison from a French crystal flute designer to celebrate his second term. There was a fire and the only two things that were saved were a portrait of George Washington and this crystal flute right here.

I am the first person to ever play it, Lizzo continued, so youre about to hear what it sounds like for the first time.

A Library of Congress representative then handed the flute to Lizzo. After marveling at the instrument for several seconds, she played a few notes, and did a bit of twerking, before handing it back to the representative.

Bitch, I just twerked and played James Madisons flute from the 1800s! she exclaimed. Thank you to the Library of Congress for preserving our history and making history cool. History is freaking cool, you guys!

Watch fan-captured footage of the moment below.

Lizzos Special Tour, which comes in support of her latest album of the same name, kicked off over the weekend in Florida (read our review here). Tickets to future dates can be found here.

The @librarycongress has the largest flute collection in the world with more than 1,800. It incl Pres James Madisons 1813 crystal flute. @lizzo we would love for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in DC next week. Like your song they are Good as hell. pic.twitter.com/2FkUFZfIYh  Carla Hayden (@LibnOfCongress) September 23, 2022

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Lizzo Plays Crystal Flute Owned by James Madison Live in Concert

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Puerto Rican rapper Alvaro Diaz has released his highly anticipated new single Lentito, presented by Gallery Sessions, via Universal Music Latino.

The track was produced by celebrated and award-winning producers including Manuel Lara, who is up for four Latin GRAMMY nominations this year, Caleb Calloway, who is up for three Latin GRAMMY nominations, and Orteez.

Lentito is part of Alvaro Diazs forthcoming album Sayonara. The accompanying visual was filmed in Barcelona, Spain with Gallery Sessions, a renowned YouTube channel dedicated to promoting live music sessions recorded in different window displays around the world. The channel boasts 200k subscribers and has featured prominent artists such as Bizarrap, Lunay, Julieta Venegas, and Maria Becerra, amongst others.

Last Thursday, Diaz performed in front of over 6,000 fans at his sold out debut show in Mexico Citys Pepsi Center WTC and was presented with various plaques for his global hit single Problemon featuring Rauw Alejandro and for his album Felicilandia.

Diaz received a Diamond, a Platinum, and a Gold certification for Problemon and a Gold certification for Felicilandia. Diaz will be wrapping up his Adios Felicilandia tour in Mexico this Saturday, October 1, at the Guanamor in Guadalajara.

Last year, Diaz linked up with Remezcla to discuss his process as an artist. He chatted about when he knew he was finished with Adios Felicilandia, and how hard that determination could be. Its really difficult. I dont know if youre ever done because if you could youd keep tinkering with it. Even right now I listen to it and theres moments where I think, we shouldve added some background vocals here. You just have to reach a point where you tell yourself to stop. I sit with the project, go through it a few times, analyze it, and since I know what I wanted the essence of it to be, I ask myself if anythings missing. I look for those things, and sometimes I make last-minute changes!

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Buy or stream Lentito.

For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music.

uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG.
I watched the 1953 movie "Prince of Pirates" last weekend. It is now forever ensconced in my personal pantheon of memorable movies.

That's because it was, far and away, the worst movie I've seen in at least 10 years.

I've never been one for swashbucklers but this one was in a class by itself. I was going to write that it was the worst I've seen in at least 20 years but didn't want you to think I was being hyperbolic. Worst in the past decade is bad enough.

It's not the worst I've ever seen. That was the 1978 film "The Norseman" directed by a fellow of marginal-import named Charles B. Pierce (He wrote Clint Eastwood's "Sudden Impact.") In "The Norseman," Lee Majors, no less, played an 11th century Viking prince who sailed to America in search of his father. For reasons never explained in the movie, the actors playing Vikings in the cast wear Lone Ranger masks. Call it the first and last Vikings and Indians movie and you've probably gotten its number.

Back in the late '70s, we tried to review every movie that came to Shea's Buffalo Theatre. "The Norseman" was an astoundingly bad accident in the departmental policy. It was nominally a "B" movie certainly but it wasn't throwaway insta-trash. Its cast included Cornel Wilde, Mel Ferrer, Jack Elam, Chris Connelly and Kathleen Freeman, all noble practitioners of the "B" movie trade.

That's the secret, for me, of the profoundly bad movie. You can't think of them as throwaway garbage. Truly transcendent junk requires a morsel of ambition. Somebody involved in the movie has to be perceived as actually trying. In the case of "Prince of Pirates," that was Barbara Rush, the reason that TCM was running the film in the first place. Crucial to understand is that the estimable Rush is still with us. She is 95.

So don't do what I did, as a matter of knee-jerk reflex, which is to curse TCM for baring its corporate taste so nakedly. Though I didn't hear Ben Mankiewicz mention that she's still with us in the movie's intro and outro, the obvious intent was to celebrate a lifelong busy actress for her entry-level career in 1953, when she was also declared a "New Star" by the Golden Globes for her performance in "It Came From Outer Space." "Prince of Pirates" was a stunningly leaden and joyless delayed companion movie to the same producer's "Prince of Thieves"  Jon Hall and Patricia Morrison in that one.

The subject of awful movies is a very interesting one. It took on a new life for those of us who were part of TV's first generation. Cheap old movies were easy, go-to programming in the earliest days of TV.

There was a plenitude of such fare, enough of them to fill air time from here to eternity. Not all of them were rubbish, of course. I remember, when I was 10, being home sick as a kid and watching on the midday movie "I Walked With A Zombie" an ultra-trash title if ever there was one. I was too sick to change the channel. How was I to know at that age that the great primal movie critic James Agee was a huge fan of that movie's producer Val Lewton? The film is no masterpiece but it's certainly masterpiece-adjacent. All I knew for years until I began looking things up is that it has always haunted me.

During the Reagan presidency, Johnny Carson always made a standing joke out of Reagan's chimp movie "Bedtime for Bonzo."

Watch the film sometime. It's smarter than at least 60% of the sitcoms in TV history. It's a challenging "idea movie," a primitive comedy about nature vs. nurture. Imagine what might have happened if George Bernard Shaw had suddenly gotten it into his head that he should be writing movies for 11-year-olds.

The reason Carson made so much fun at the movie's expense is that its director Fred de Cordova was his "Tonight Show" producer.

I hope you understand that the minute I discovered Rush was still with us, I privately applauded TCM's sentimental programming gesture  a whole evening devoted to her films.

Apart from Rush, whose blessed longevity seems to have been the reason for "Prince of Pirates'" inclusion, the movie has otherwise not a single thing to recommend it to anybody.

But imagine the grand old actress now coming upon TCM showing her larval career attempt to inject spitfire life into a movie that never, for a second, deserved it. It would be lovely to think of her remembering her youthful idealism.

When I thought about her contribution to the energy of the film, though, I found it nothing but depressing. Her liveliness made everything else look that much worse.

An oddity of being a professional movie critic for seven decades is that people, when they meet you, usually ask first for recommendations of current movies to see. Then they ask "what's the best movie you ever saw?" Then "what's your favorite movie?"

Once they have gotten to know you better, they want to get down and dirty: "What's the worst movie you ever saw?" Sometimes they'll edge into the question shyly. Other times, they will brazenly communicate their desire to party down.

That's why TV was so important. Movies, old and not so old, have always been profusely visible on TV since Day One. We've all seen a ton of garbage of all kinds on TV. No wonder we find it so easy to ask  and talk  about the major contenders in our personal repertory cinemas.

TCM is taking its responsibilities much more seriously these days  so seriously that the "classic" part of its very name has clearly bitten the dust and been redefined as merely "memorable."

Part of "The Movie Generation"  which emerged from the first TV generation  is that they invented the idea of the "underground" and "cult" movie.

Which, in its newfound dedication to diversity, TCM turned to for the midnight Friday show "TCM Underground" from which Millie De Chirico and Quatoyhiah Murray selected from the 400-plus that have been shown, 50 of the most memorable since 2006 for a book called "TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films From the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema" (Running Press, 230 pages, $24.99). You'll find all manner of jolly cinematic flotsam and jetsam in this book written with uncommon expertise and intelligence. You'll find everything from " Across 110th St." and "Friday Foster" to "Shack Out on 101" and "Eating Raoul" and Joseph Losey's "Secret Ceremony" (Elizabeth Taylor and Mia Farrow) and "Blacula" and Monte Hellman's "Two-Lane Blacktop" and, yes, Roger Corman's "The Trip."

I applaud TCM's expanded specialty affections, especially Eddie Muller's "Noir Alley" at midnight Saturdays and 10 a.m. Sundays. On this weekend's "Noir Alley," it is showing one of the best movies it has had in a while, Delmer Dave's "The Red House," which Muller describes as horror noir.

I remember being chilled to the bone by its ending when I first saw it  as well as tickled by the antsy hormonal antics of Rory Calhoun and Julie London and chilled by Edward G. Robinson as one of post-war Hollywood's earliest and scariest creations in what people are now pleased to call "the patriarchy."

Let's face it, though, if not for Rush's splendid longevity, I would have found it impossible to celebrate "Prince of Pirates" on any film list anywhere. Some films, I think, are meant to perish for the good of us all  not to be canceled, mind you, but perish by virtue of their total absence of worthwhile content.

But that, of course, comes with its own thorny self-contradiction.

When a film is as unwatchable as "Prince of Pirates," it makes for a ready-made answer to the lively and perennially commanding question "What's the worst film you've seen in the past decade?"

Hard not to get your attention, that one, I think.
The 12-foot puppet known as "Little Amal" walks through Times Square as onlookers watch on September 16, 2022 in New York City. Little Amal, who has been touring around the world, symbolizes a 10-year-old Syrian girl who is a refugee. The puppet has captured the hearts of people throughout the world while spreading the message of solidarity for displaced people. Little Amal is on a 17-day tour of New York City and will visit a variety of boroughs and neighborhoods while raising awareness about immigration and refugees.

Arturo Holmes/Getty

Meet Little Amal.

Since July 2021, a 12-foot-tall puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee named Little Amal (which means "hope" in Arabic) has been making her way across the globe to raise awareness for refugee children. "Little Amal's urgent message to the world is 'Don't forget about us,' " reads a statement on the puppet's official website.

She's already traveled over 5,000 miles across 12 countries  and this week, she's visiting the busy streets of New York City. Her visit is a co-production between The Walk and St. Ann's Warehouse.

RELATED: Texas Couple Welcomed Refugee Family of 5  and Bonded Immediately: 'We're in It for the Long Haul'

The 12-foot puppet known as "Little Amal" walks through Times Square as onlookers watch on September 16, 2022 in New York City. Little Amal, who has been touring around the world, symbolizes a 10-year-old Syrian girl who is a refugee. The puppet has captured the hearts of people throughout the world while spreading the message of solidarity for displaced people. Little Amal is on a 17-day tour of New York City and will visit a variety of boroughs and neighborhoods while raising awareness about immigration and refugees

Spencer Platt/Getty

Little Amal will be in N.Y.C. from Sept. 14 to Oct. 2, and will walk through all five boroughs, per her website.

On Wednesday, her day began at the Tenement Museum, which celebrates immigrant stories. "As she makes her way through the Lower East Side into Chinatown, Amal gets entangled in lines of laundry that are hanging from the buildings," the event description stated.

"She discovers two parallel NYC traditions that have flourished in the Lower East Side as words in Yiddish and in Mandarin float through the air above the narrow streets," the description continued.

RELATED: Clowns Spotted at Ukraine's Border Making Refugee Children Smile in 'Universal Language' of Laughter

Later that afternoon, Amal will make her way to the Clemente Soto Velez Center on the Lower East Side  where she will meet other puppets  and she'll end her night walking through the East Village.

"Amal finds that she isn't the only little girl lost in the big city. With her new friend she walks through the street of the East Village looking for shelter," the event description detailed. "On their journey they will try to answer the biggest of all questions: how to make the world a better place?"

'Little Amal', a giant puppet depicting a Syrian refugee girl, walks outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York on September 18, 2022.

ED JONES/AFP via Getty

New York City Mayor Eric Adams even recorded a statement, which was published on social media to celebrate her arrival.

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"New York City's a city of immigrants," Adams stated. "Every one of us comes from somewhere else. That is the magic of this city  people of all backgrounds living together in one place. It doesn't matter if your ancestors came on the Mayflower or fled war-torn conflict or arrived this morning on a bus from Texas."

"We owe each other compassion, understanding and a helping hand," he added.

RELATED: Two Harvard Teens Create Website to Help Ukrainian Refugees Find Free Housing

Little Amal, a 3.5-meter-tall puppet of a young Syrian refugee girl is being displayed at New York Public Library on September 15, 2022. Her journey from the Syrian-Turkish border started in July 2021, and she has become a symbol of the struggles of refugees.

Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty

Prior to coming to the Big Apple, Little Amal has had a range of experiences, from meeting the Pope at the Vatican to posing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Amir Nizar Zuabi, the artistic director of the project, told CNN he hopes the crowds recognize the puppet's overarching purpose.

"By showing her their welcome, maybe they can extend their welcome to real people that are coming to this city as we speak and need support and need empathy and need their help," he told the outlet.

Little Amal appears onstage during Global Citizen Festival 2022: New York at Central Park on September 24, 2022 in New York City.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

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Little Amal was designed and built by Handspring Puppet Company.

To build a puppet capable of taking on so many events, the company made her from robust and lightweight materials such as cane and carbon fibre.

It takes four puppeteers to bring Little Amal to life: one on each arm, one supporting her back and one inside walking on stilts. This fourth puppeteer also controls 'the harp', a complex tapestry of strings that animate Little Amal's face, head and eyes.
In this image taken from video footage run by China's CCTV, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders visit an exhibit with the theme of

Chinas president Xi Jinping made his first public appearance in days on state television on Tuesday, putting to rest rumours of a coup sparked after his absence from media since his trip to central Asia.

The president appeared on CCTV during his visit to an exhibition in Beijing on the theme of Forging Ahead into the New Era, aimed at showcasing the countrys achievements under his leadership. Wearing a face mask, he attended the exhibition alongside premier Li Keqiang and several other top leaders.

President Xi had been out of public sight since returning from a regional summit in Uzbekistan on 16 September. While the pandemic regulations in the country require him to stay in quarantine for a week, his absence paved the way for unsubstantiated rumours of a silent coup unfolding against him.

The speculations swirling on social media were so strong that the hashtag Chinacoup began trending on Twitter over the weekend. An Indian media outlet, Republic Bharat, fell for a sarcastic thread by a Beijing correspondent for German news outlet Der Spiegel that originally aimed at busting fake news circulation.

Mocking the coup rumours, Georg Fahrion had tweeted images of everyday life going on as normal in Beijing, joking that he had undertaken his investigation at considerable personal risk. But the Hindi news channel failed to see the joke, instead using Fahrions pictures as exclusive evidence of an ongoing coup.

President Xi is widely considered Chinas most powerful leader, with no active challenger to his rule. It is also not unusual for Chinese leaders to drop out of public sight to attend informal meetings. In July, the president was out of the media glare for more than a week, after returning from a short trip to Hong Kong, reported CNN.

However, the latest absence came ahead of a key party congress held once every five years. He is expected to receive a third five-year term as party leader at the congress which begins mid-October.

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Suggesting that there is nothing to be read into his brief absence, China politics expert Kerry Brown said, if there was deep dissatisfaction with Xis leadership in the elite... we would have seen at least a bit of evidence.

And I dont think weve seen much evidence of that, added Mr Brown, professor of Chinese Studies and director of the Lau China Institute at Kings College London.

I think its wishful thinking maybe in Hong Kong and elsewhere. I wouldnt think it very credible."

Additional reporting from the wires
North Korea has fired what appear to be two short-range ballistic missiles from the capital Pyongyang off its eastern coast, South Koreas military said on Wednesday.

An earlier update by South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) had referred to one unidentified ballistic missile fired toward the East Sea. This was later updated to say two projectiles had been launched.

The office of Japans prime minister Fumio Kushida also said that a projectile had been launched by North Korea and that it was a suspected ballistic missile.

Mr Kishida ordered officials to take precautionary measures and ensure the safety of aircraft and ships in response to the missile launch. Dedicate maximum effort to gather and analyse information, and provide the public speedy and adequate information, read the instructions issued by the prime ministers office.

The firing of the missiles comes on the eve of US vice president Kamala Harriss visit to Seoul on Thursday.

Ms Harris will be visiting the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea on Thursday, becoming the latest top US official to visit the peninsula.

These are likely to be the second and third ballistic missiles fired by Pyongyang off its east coast in less than four days, at a time when North Koreas rival South Korea and the US are carrying out drills in the region.

Earlier this week, the US and South Korea began their first major joint drills off the Korean peninsulas east coast in five years.

The drills, spanning over four days, are aimed at demonstrating the allies powerful resolve to respond to North Korean provocations and improve their ability to perform joint naval operations, the South Korean navy said in a statement.

Sundays missile launch saw a projectile fired from North Korea reach an altitude of 50km, Japan said. Tokyo added that the missile landed outside its exclusive economic zone.
Following a health episode earlier in the week, a happier, healthier Post Malone stopped by Clevelands Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Tuesday night (Sept. 27)  and he was ready to play ball.



Coming into the show, question marks hovered over Malone and his status when he was hospitalized with injury.



The Rockstar rapper had woken with stabbing pain whenever he breathed or moved, a lingering effect from falling through an open trap door on the stage during his Twelve Carat Tour stop in St. Louis earlier in the month.



As a result, he explained on social media, he was forced to cancel his Sept. 24 show in Boston.



Malone apparently showed no ill effects in Ohio.

During a pause in the show, Postie addressed the situation.

More from Billboard

My last show I had to pull out of, unfortunately. Because I really busted ass in the middle of the stage over there, he said pointing the spot, holding a beer in his free hand. And I woke up and my ribs were like cracking and f***ing up and I couldnt really breathe so well, he explained in a fan-filmed video.

But we got a couple of days of rest and they gave me some stuff to help out. So Im here to f***ing kick some ass.

He continued, Thank you for your patience, thank you for your support, thank you for your love. And with that, he continued ripping through a set that numbered more than two-dozen songs.

.@PostMalone told the audience tonight in Cleveland about his accident and how hes feeling now.  #TwelveCaratTour pic.twitter.com/66cekFsLkD  Post Malone News (@NewsPosty) September 28, 2022

Not only did he bounce back in the Land, Posty paid tribute to the Cavs faithful by donning a Darius Garland replica jersey  a nod to the NBA clubs underrated point guard.



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That post Malone concert in Cleveland was some of the craziest shit Ive ever seen. pic.twitter.com/fxqiAdZ8Qg  BIFF (@BIFFxYT) September 28, 2022

Post Malone in a Darius Garland Cavs jersey at tonights concert in Cleveland pic.twitter.com/eZX2J2uxmc  Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) September 28, 2022

While Posty may be recovering from his bruises, his career remains solid with I Like You (A Happier Song), his Twelve Carat Toothache collab with Doja Cat, ascending to No. 1 on Billboards Pop Airplay chart (dated Oct. 1). The achievement marks the fifth career No. 1 on the tally for each of the stars.



His fourth studio LP, Twelve Carat Toothache bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 following its release in June, following two consecutive leaders.

Next stop: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA on Wednesday (Sept. 28).



Click here to read the full article.
It took me 9 hours to relocate from LA to NYC. The biggest takeaways from my first cross-country move include packing, savings, and patience.

I filled three suitcases with my clothes and shipped all furniture straight to my new apartment in NYC. Pauline Villegas/Insider

At 22 years old, I moved for the first time from Los Angeles to New York.

The weather and my five-story walk-up were shocking, but the overall move went smoother than I anticipated.

Here are seven things I learned about moving across the country by plane.

In August, I moved from Los Angeles to NYC by plane. The entire process, from door to door, took about nine hours.

My mom and I flew United from LAX and she stayed for a week to help me get settled in my new space. Pauline Villegas/Insider

I was born and raised in Southern California, and I grew up in a suburb 25 miles outside of downtown Los Angeles. After graduating from the University of Southern California in May, I decided to move to New York City with three friends. I've never lived outside California, and NYC has always been my dream.

I flew out of LAX and into Newark International Airport in New Jersey. My mom and I used a car service that cost $100, which is comparable to Uber and Lyft prices from Newark into the city.

The move was easier than expected, but I learned a lot, practiced patience, and now I know what to expect if another long-haul move is in my future.

1. When it comes to packing for a big move, procrastination is not your friend.

I checked two bags and was able to fit most of my clothes and shoes in them. Pauline Villegas/Insider

As an avid procrastinator, I naturally waited until the last minute to pack up my childhood room. For the trip, I filled three suitcases with clothes and shoes. We both checked two bags at $35 per bag and a carry-on.

My suitcases were not quite organized to my liking, and if I planned ahead I would've properly cleaned out my closet prior to leaving.

My mom and I landed in Newark at peak rush hour, so the traffic into Manhattan was heavier than normal.

My mom and I chose Newark because tickets were less expensive than JFK or LaGuardia. Pauline Villegas/Insider

For transportation, my mom ordered a car service ahead of time to avoid the chaos of Uber and Lyft. The service cost about $100, and the driver picked us up right outside of baggage claim. The traffic after our flight was bumper to bumper, so what should've been a 30-minute trip turned into an hour.

I was the last of my three roommates to fly into the city, but we all moved into our Little Italy apartment within the same week.

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The humid weather and intense walk-up were some initial challenges off the bat, especially after the nine-hour journey.

It took multiple trips to get all my things to my apartment, but after a couple of days, we got used to the climb. Pauline Villegas/Insider

Though we were exhausted after the flight, my mom and I still had to lug our suitcases up five flights of stairs to get to my apartment. Since our building has no elevator, the trek took some getting used to.

The weather was also not on our side during moving week, as it was hot and humid each day. Luckily, the precious tenets before us left some of their A/C units so we could cool down the apartment.

2. Costs will sneak up on you, so budget wisely but include some wiggle room.

Splitwise allows you to keep track of shared costs with a group of people. Splitwise; Pauline Villegas/Insider

Throughout the moving process, costs would creep up seemingly out of nowhere. From splitting laundry detergent to rush ordering an A/C unit for a heat wave in late August, there are a million little things you won't know you need until you arrive at your new location.

In terms of budgeting, it's best to create an idea of how much money to spend and be willing to be flexible depending on how the move goes. I definitely recommend downloading the Splitwise app to split costs evenly, if you have multiple roommates.

3. You're going to create a lot of trash, but try not to let it pile up.

Every day we'd fill our hallway with all of our trash to take down. Pauline Villegas/Insider

New York apartments aren't built for copious amounts of trash, but that is exactly what moving creates. Be cognizant of taking the trash out regularly, because it can collect without notice and soon the whole apartment will be covered in cardboard.

For peace of mind and to declutter, my roommates and I made regular trash runs every time we left the apartment.

4. Be patient with orders, delivery dates, and yourself.

My mattress showed up before my Ikea bed frame, so I made due. Pauline Villegas/Insider

Though online stores like Ikea, Amazon Prime, and Walmart promise quick delivery, you should remain patient because shipment dates might change.

I was in a rush to get everything on time, but as long as there's a bed, everything else will fall into place. For me, it was nice to have staggered shipment dates so that I could finish one thing at a time and watch my room come together.

5. Plan on staggering your shipments so that they arrive before you or a few days after.

For now, my closet is mostly empty, since I shipped my bulkier items before the move. Pauline Villegas

It was nice to have staggered shipment dates so that I could finish one thing at a time and watch my room come together.

I shipped five boxes from Los Angeles to NYC, filled with mugs, books, coats, and sweaters that wouldn't fit inside my suitcase. Since I wasn't in a rush to get these items, shipping them later worked out.

6. Taking advantage of helpful tools like Task Rabbit and purchasing protection warranties can make your move smooth.

Some things I built myself, but bigger items required the help of a task rabbit. Pauline Villegas/Insider

In New York, it's almost impossible to move without asking for help. I would definitely recommend asking family, friends, or hiring movers to help.

At Best Buy, my roommates and I bought a $200 yearly warranty that guaranteed Geek Squad would mount and set up our new TV. I also hired a Task Rabbit to carry my Ikea bed up five flights of stairs and build it for me for a total cost of about $150.

Other smaller builds I was able to put together myself or with the help of my roommates.

7. On the first night in my apartment, I slept on an air mattress instead of a bed. Be sure to think of sleeping arrangements ahead of time.

My bed didn't come together until days after I flew in, so I slept on an air mattress instead. Pauline Villegas/Insider

Ahead of our arrival, I ordered an air mattress since my bed and mattress hadn't been delivered yet. The $60 air mattress from Amazon really came in handy when we arrived at an empty apartment.

My mattress was at my apartment when I flew in and my Ikea bed frame arrived three days after. The rest of my furniture, a desk, and mirror, was also from Ikea. Those items showed up a week after. After my bed was complete, I was able to take my time with the rest of the furniture and decorations to pick out what I really love.

Overall, the experience was an exciting introduction to my new life in New York City.

After the move, I felt extra thankful for the support of my roommates and my mom. Pauline Villegas/Insider

Though there were some bumps, the transition to the east coast has been smooth, so far. Thanks to services like Geek Squad and TaskRabbit, and help from friends and family, my apartment felt like home in the blink of an eye.

As I acclimate to city life and settle down after the move, the next hurdle to overcome for this Californian is the winter weather.

Read the original article on Insider
Former president Donald Trumps initial meeting with then-UK prime minister Theresa May included a bizarre query about how Ms May would react if her daughter were to be violated by multiple assailants who sported body art.

The shocking revelation comes from an excerpt from New York Times reporter Maggie Habermans upcoming book, Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America, which was first reported on by The Washington Post.

According to Haberman, Mr Trump broached the subject of abortion during his first meeting with Ms May when the topic turned to Northern Ireland.

He reportedly said: Some people are pro-life, some people are pro-choice. Imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter and she got pregnant?

Turning to then-vice president Mike Pence, Mr Trump told Ms May the ex-Indiana governor was the tough one on the issue of abortion.

He then steered the conversation towards a wind farm he wanted to stop from being built near his Turnberry golf course in Scotland.
A Tucker Carlson segment focused on the purported sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines connecting Russia and Europe, which the Fox News anchor appeared to blame on the US.

Speaking following reports of leaks in the Nord Stream pipeline on Tuesday, Mr Carlson suggested that the Biden administration was behind the sabotage and act of environmental terrorism and warned of a Russian counter-response.

Blow up the Nord Stream pipelines? OK, weve entered a new phase, one in which the United States is directly at war with the largest nuclear power in the world, said the Fox News anchor.

While the US has not designated the leaks as an act of sabotage, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the leaks were the result of acts of sabotage on the critical piece of energy infrastructure on Tuesday.

Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom  as well as Russia itself  cited a deliberate attack on the pipeline that prior to Russias invasion of Ukraine in February, supplied Europe with millions of cubic metres of gas annually. Now, that figure is effectively zero.

Citing US opposition to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline connecting Russia and Germany, Mr Carlson suggested that the US president had pre-warned of an attack on the pipeline by playing a clip from a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in February.

Speaking two weeks before Russias invasion of Ukraine, Mr Biden said there will no longer be a Nord Stream 2 ... We will bring an end to it, if Russia did invade and when asked by a reporter how the US could end the pipeline, responded, I promise you, we will be able to do it.

The Fox News host, who said he did not believe Russia was responsible for the leaks, added: Notice how he phrased that. He didnt say, I will pause the delivery of gas from Russia to Germany. He said there wont be a Nord Stream 2. Well put an end to it. Well take it out. Well blow it up.

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Tucker: When the pipelines blew up, he wrote thank you USA. Did the Biden Administration really do this? pic.twitter.com/6pFgjggLoW  Acyn (@Acyn) September 28, 2022

He continued: If you are Vladimir Putin you would have to be a suicidal moron to blow up your own energy pipelinethats one thing you would never do...Natural gas pipelines are the main source of your power and wealth. And most critically, your leverage over other countries.

Despite those remarks, Russia had already stopped gas supplies to Europe and had been operating Nord Stream 1 and 2 at very limited capacity before the leaks occurred, amid sanctions placed on Russia for the war and other retaliations by European governments.

Russia, which Mr Carlson suggested could cut undersea power cables between the US and Europe to cause an economic crisis and third world conditions  amid other possible acts of retaliation  said that it would call a United Nations Security Council meeting over the damage.

In the UK, defence sources told The Times that the most likely cause of the leaks were a Russian drone used to detonate holes in the pipes, which are now leaking gas into the Baltic Sea. That remains to be confirmed however.

Mr Carlsons comments on Russia and Ukraine were not the first to appear sympathetic to, or in line with, Russian president Vladimir Putin after he called Western support for Ukraine the largest political flashmob in American history in March.

Clips of Mr Carlsons Fox News show are meanwhile used on Russian-state owned television to prove Russias point over its invasion of Ukraine, which has dragged on for seven months.
The Luxor Hotel and Casino is seen on May 30, 2002 in Las Vegas.

RENO  The search for an escaped Nevada prisoner convicted of murder in the 2007 Luxor bombing in Las Vegas was ongoing Wednesday  at least five days since the inmate was last accounted for.

Porfirio Duarte-Herrera, 42, has been missing since Friday evening from the Southern Desert Correctional Center in Indian Springs, a medium-security facility northwest of Las Vegas, according to the Nevada Department of Corrections.

But prison officials did not notice Duarte-Herrera was missing until a 7 a.m. headcount on Tuesday.

At the time of the escape, he was serving a life sentence at the Southern Nevada prison for his 2009 conviction in Clark County.

Duarte-Herrera is 5-foot-4, 135 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. He has no tattoos.

Porfirio Duarte-Herrera, serving a life-sentence for murder, escaped from the Southern Desert Correctional Center Tuesday morning.

Authorities said he should be considered dangerous and should not be approached. Instead, anyone with information on his whereabouts should call 911.

NDOC has not released further details about Duarte-Herrera's escape, including why it took days before prison officials realized he was missing.

Deputies failed tests: 47 California deputies who failed psychological tests stripped of guns

The department said the prison was placed on a full lockdown Tuesday, and "escape procedures" were initiated around 8 a.m. after an additional emergency headcount confirmed Duarte-Herrera was gone.

The search for Duarte-Herrera has drawn assistance from local, state and federal law enforcement officials, according to NDOC.

Duarte-Herrera targeted man dating ex-girlfriend

Duarte-Herrera and his accomplice, Omar Rueda-Denvers, were convicted of first-degree murder by a Clark County jury in September 2009 for the bombing that killed Willebaldo Dorantes Antonio, a casino hot dog stand worker.

From the archives:2 detained in deadly bombing of Las Vegas Strip parking lot

That November, a judge sentenced the pair to life sentences.

Prosecutors said the motive was revenge against Dorantes Antonio, who was dating Rueda-Denvers' ex-girlfriend.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Luxor bomber escapes Las Vegas prison where he was serving life term
Little Amal is making a big impact in The Big Apple!

During her journey Wednesday through New York City, the 12-foot-tall puppet made her live studio world debut on the Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show, "The View."

MORE: Ukrainian siblings recall long journey from war zone to refugee camp

Created in 2021, the puppet represents a 10-year-old Syrian refugee from Aleppo searching for her mother. In Arabic, Amal means "hope," and the hope behind the larger-than-life puppet is to make sure nobody forgets about the children fleeing war, violence and oppression around the world.

It's estimated that Little Amal has reached more than 1 million people in-person with her artistic and commanding presence, traveling over 5,500 miles and visiting over 12 countries. She began her journey on the Syrian-Turkish border, then crossed Turkey, Greece, Italy, Belgium, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and even visited refugee children in Lviv, Ukraine.

PHOTO: Little Amal, the 12-foot-tall puppet who has travelled across 12 countries to shine a light on child refugees, visits 'The View,' airing Wednesday, September 28, 2022. (Lou Rocco/ABC)

Little Amal towered over "The View" co-hosts and audience alike as she entered the studio. She was joined by Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zubai, who's the brains behind the international symbol of human rights.

PHOTO: Little Amal, the 12-foot-tall puppet who has travelled across 12 countries to shine a light on child refugees, visits 'The View,' airing Wednesday, September 28, 2022. (Lou Rocco/ABC)

"We wanted to create a project that honors this long journey across Europe that refugees take," Zubai said. "Knowing the problem of refugees is an ongoing problem in the world caused by climate change, wars, conflict, and we wanted to create a project [that] honors them, but is also theater."

MORE: Biden administration fast-tracking Ukrainian refugees into US

Little Amal was built by the Handspring Puppet Company in Cape Town, South Africa, which also is responsible for the puppetry behind the play "War Horse." It took approximately five months to make Amal, and requires the internal puppeteer to stand on stilts that are over 3-feet tall. The internal puppeteer controls the movements for her legs, head and face, while two additional puppeteers take on her arm movements.

PHOTO: Little Amal, the 12-foot-tall puppet who has travelled across 12 countries to shine a light on child refugees, visits 'The View,' airing Wednesday, September 28, 2022. (Lou Rocco/ABC)

She is operated by nine rotating puppeteers, Ashley Winkfield, Craig Leo, Ben Thompson, Seb Charles, Fidaa Zaidan, Barges Smahneh, Nicole Baker, Yukari Osaka and Mouaiad Roumieh. Puppetry Director Enrico Dau Yang Wey told ABC News that she will often adopt different personalities depending on who is with her.

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PHOTO: Little Amal, the 12-foot-tall puppet who has travelled across 12 countries to shine a light on child refugees, visits 'The View,' airing Wednesday, September 28, 2022 with Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zubai. (Lou Rocco/ABC)

"Our puppetry team is magnificent and well experienced by now because we have been walking for more than a year," Zubai said on "The View." "It's been phenomenal to be with her."

PHOTO: A 12-foot puppet known as 'Little Amal' symbolizing a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl, walks through Times Square, Sept. 16, 2022, in New York City. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

On Sept. 14, Little Amal landed at JFK Airport. Visiting all five boroughs during her 17-day visit in New York City, she will attend 55 free and public events to show her "solidarity to immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers everywhere, not only Syrian," Zubai said. "She tells a story of all children that are like her.

One of the events Little Amal attended was at The Bronx Children's Museum, where Bronx native and co-host Sunny Hostin serves on the board. "Amal visited us and the children responded in the most positive way," Hostin told Zubai.

The last opportunity to see Little Amal in New York will be on Sunday in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Learn more about Little Amal's epic journey across the globe.

Every episode of ABC's award-winning talk show "The View" is now available as a podcast! Listen and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Spotify, Stitcher or the ABC News app.

Little Amal makes big strides in shedding light on plight of children in war zones originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
According to the posting, Breanna Wiggins, 16, is safe and has been reunited with her family. She had been missing since she was seen in the 1100 block of Ellicott Street, according to an alert issued by police Tuesday.
A boat carrying migrants to the United States sank off of the coast of Florida and left 23 people missing in the midst of Hurricane Ian, US Border Patrol said on Wednesday.

According to the agency, four Cuban migrants on the boat were able to swim to shore after their vessel sank. The US Coast Guard has launched a search and rescue mission for the 23 people who are missing as the hurricane threatens communities across the state.

#BREAKING: U.S. Border Patrol agents along with support from @mcsonews responded to a migrant landing in Stock Island #Florida. 4 Cuban migrants swam to shore after their vessel sank due to inclement weather. @USCGSoutheast initiated a #SAR operation to search for 23 individuals. pic.twitter.com/yUurGfSOSe  Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) September 28, 2022

U.S. Border Patrol agents along with support from @mcsonews responded to a migrant landing in Stock Island #Florida, Miami Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar wrote on Twitter. 4 Cuban migrants swam to shore after their vessel sank due to inclement weather. @USCGSoutheast initiated a #SAR operation to search for 23 individuals.

The passengers who made it to shore did so at Stock Island, a small island bordering Key West located southwest of Everglades National Park.

Hurricane Ian is set to be one of the most devastating storms to make landfall in the United States in recent years. It is currently categorised as a Category 4 hurricane, just shy of Category 5, with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour.
Photo credit: Courtesy

Benjamin Bratt, 58, reflects on the generous lessons passed down from his mother's abuela, Petronila "Petra" Calderon Tejada, and, now, his own mother, Eldy Bratt, as she is the matriarch of his extended family.



My mom is foundational to everything me and my siblings and our kids know and understand about family. Whats a little surprising is where she learned that. She comes from a pretty fractured immediate family in Peru. At a very early age, she became a ward of her paternal grandmother, Petraso, she did not learn how to be an amazing mother from her own mother. She honed her notion of what positive, reinforcing, loving maternalistic qualities are from Petra. And not only did she then employ those qualities and approaches to life in raising us, she's now doing it tenfold with her grandchildren.

The way my mother got to the United States was her abuela. Petra was a domestic worker for a wealthy American family living in Lima. They wanted her to come work for them in San Francisco and her condition was, I will only go if you allow me to bring my 14-year-old granddaughter. My mother. Mind you, this is a girl who was living in a dirt shack at a very early age. Going through the Golden Gate of San Francisco and then moving immediately into a mansion in Pacific Heights was stunning to her.

Photo credit: Courtesy

Two years after her arrival, Petra passed away. And that family adopted my mother and raised her. It was a jarring rags-to-riches scenarioand then that evaporated when she met and married my dad. They were not happy with her choice, and they stepped back. My mother was left to develop her notion of family in her new marriage.

After five kids and seven years of marriage, my father vanished and went off and started yet another family. As emotionally devastated as she was, my mother knew that for her kids to survive, we needed to be near the family that we knew. She bought a house two blocks away from my father, which was also near some aunts and uncles and other cousins. The one thing she lacked in her own childhood, she understood was the saving grace for all human beings.

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Photo credit: Courtesy

What is my mothers relationship with money? You really want to crack that open? For her, theres pride in getting it done yourself. My attempt to extend help to her only goes so far. Shes only willing to accept so much. I find it incredibly frustrating. That pride keeps her from living the high life that she should be living.

You have to earn your way. I try to teach my own children the enjoyment of a job well done. Im going to put a new fuel pump in my 64 impala today. I cut my own grass. Cut my trees. Im trying to get my son to enjoy what that is, too. At 16, hes a little distracted.

My relationship with money is not complicated. I always knew from an early age that, later, I was not going to want. I think I still disdain the lack of having what we needed. I didnt see it as suffering at the time, but I didnt dig it. And if I cant make money as an actor, Ill make it some other way. Ill cut your grass.

My mom leaves us messages all the time. At 85, she still sounds like a girl in terms of the tone and enthusiasm and zest for life. "My son! Its your mama! Im super, super busy. Beautiful day. Im going to Home Depot. Im doing stuff around the house, but you keep coming to my head. I have to call you. I hope youre well. Im sure you are. Just checking! God bless. Im going out right now, honey. Take care. Mamas fine. Everythings good. Love you! God bless you! The Lord is my shepherd."

I cant tell you how many friends or folks Ive had in my life whove said, I want her to be my mom.

Photo credit: Courtesy

You have to be there. It sounds so basic, but its a fact. My mother showed up at every turn. And to this day, our larger family, and Im talking about my brothers and sisters and our children, everything circles around that.

I dont think its a mistake that we refer to the planet that we live on as Mother Earth. Its all giving. Its all nurturing.

I have a beautiful marriage with my wife. Weve been married for 20 years. And were raising two kids, one with special needs. Raising kids is complicated. Its beautiful, its emotionaloverwhelming at times. To look back on the days when my mother raised us and to recognize that she did it alone, and did it well, did it progressively, did it with real intentional behind what she was trying to imbue us withto me, thats no less than miraculous.

I look back on Thanksgivings. Even when we didnt have much, my mothers home was the crash pad for what we used to refer to as the family orphans. Wed have anywhere from 10 additional guests to 20 sitting at our table. Now, Ive got a 12-foot table in the dining room downstairs, and I bring it with me wherever I move. The prerequisite is, I have to find a space that accommodates the table, otherwise I cant live there.

I strongly identify with the indigenous culture that I come fromfrom Petra. And its lasting because, in the aftermath of being disowned by not one, but two, families, it became the life raft for my mother. It became a reminder of who she is.

Photo credit: Courtesy

In 1969, my mother became active in the American Indian movement during the takeover of Alcatraz Island. My mother saw the Mohawk Native American leader Richard Oakes on the local PBS channel. He was saying, Indians of all tribes come down and support our cause. My mother called the local channel and got him on the phone. She said, Im Native American, too. Im Indian, too. But Im from South America, does that count? And he said, We dont recognize the border. In that moment, our cultural identity was sealed.

She took a speed boat to the island the next day with my six-month-old sister. She said all these brown hands reached up to help her down off the boat, and that was the first time that she was in America that she felt a sense of belonging and acceptance.

My 16-year-old son Mateo was recently invited to participate in what we essentially call a manhood ceremonywhich is like a Native bar mitzvah. Its a four-day ceremony where we go to the ceremony grounds and different respected elders from the community come in and speak. It all leads to a well-respected woman elder coming in and sharing with the boys her notion of what it means to be a man. But probably the most significant point is, at its ending, where each boy lines up with his red shawls and his mentor and they walk out to the reception area where the larger community is there to celebrate them and thank them for taking on this responsibility. And not least of those receiving them are the grandmothers. And there was my mother, who gave a beautiful speech to each of the young men, collectively saying as much. And to have that kind love and support expressed out loud for all to hear, not just the members of your community, but under the eyes of God, that can can't help but land on those young men and feel auspicious.

Photo credit: Courtesy

It wasnt until my mom was in her mid-fifties where I saw this significant embracing of what I learned was her grandmothers faith, which was Seventh-day Adventism. Shes out loud and proud with that. But when it comes to my own children, the lesson is non-specific. They have their own separate belief system thats different than my mothers, different than mine. I think theres value in that.

Its important to share these stories with my kids. Whether they ultimate land in the moment, Im not sure of yet. Its a pretty cush life they have. I didnt grow up with that.

Heres the funny thing about my mom. One of the worst housekeepers you would ever want to meet. Truly not a great housekeeper. The house would be a fucking mess, but youd come in from a day of playing and the first thing you would hear is, Wash your hands! To this day, thats something I say to my kids when they come in.

My mother never disparaged our father. She always reminded us that he is our fatherwas our father. And in speaking of him that way, she demonstrated her own sense of forgiveness. To not carry a grudge and move forward. Im still working on that.

You cant get away from who you are. From what you came up with.

Photo credit: Hearst Owned

This story was created as part of From Our Abuelas in partnership with Lexus. From Our Abuelas is a series running across Hearst Magazines to honor and preserve generations of wisdom within Latinx and Hispanic communities. Go to oprahdaily.com/fromourabuelas for the complete portfolio.



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The hoax bomb threat was made on board a Singapore Airlines flight from the US (Getty Images)

Fighter jets rushed to escort a Singapore Airlines plane as it came in to land in Singapore this morning after a passenger allegedly claimed to have a bomb in his hand luggage.

The threat, made onboard flight SQ33 from San Francisco on Wednesday (28 September), was later found to be a hoax.

The 37-year-old man accused of making the bomb threat has been arrested and police are continuing their investigations, said Singapores Defence Ministry.

The plane landed at Singapores international airport, Changi, in the early hours of Wednesday after being escorted by two fighter jets belonging to the city-states air force.

At about 2.40am Singapore time, more than 12 hours after take-off, Singaporean police were alerted to the bomb threat by the flight crew, said the Defence Ministry.

Onboard the plane, the suspect was restrained by staff after assaulting cabin crew members, Singapore police said in a statement.

He was later arrested under anti-terrorism measures and for suspected drug consumption.

After the flight landed at 5.50am local time, the plane was taxied to a remote bay for security checks and was later towed to the terminal.

Singapores Defence Ministry said: Teams from Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosives Defence Group and Airport Police Division were on site to verify the claims.

All other passengers and crew were able to disembark the aircraft at 9.20am local time, said a Singapore Airlines spokesperson.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force confirmed that two of its F16C/D fighter jets were activated to respond to the incident.

It added: Our fighters escorted the airliner till it landed safely at Changi Airport.

Last week Singapore Airlines was named the worlds second best airline in Skytraxs 2022 World Airline Awards, which rank the top carrier based on thousands of customer surveys.

Singapore scooped nine awards in total at the event, with their staff being named best cabin crew.
Photo credit: Netflix - Netflix



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Trigger Warning: Sex abuse



Jeffrey Dahmer is one of America's most famous serial killers, notorious for his years-long horrific killing spree that spanned from 1978 to 1991. The mass murderer preyed mainly on Black, Asian, and Latino men and boys, per Encyclopedia Britannica. Two of his victims were even brothers, but only one survived their encounter with Dahmer.

At the time of his arrest, Dahmer had killed 17 men, leaving a wake of destruction in his path, according to Biography. But this wasn't the only run-in Dahmer had with the law.

Netflixs new limited series, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, examines Dahmer's crimes while delving into the life stories of his victims. Konerak Sinthasomphone, the younger of the brothers, was just 14 years old when Dahmer murdered him, per The Tab. A few years earlier, his older brother, Somsack, had been victimized and abused by Dahmer at just 13.

Here's what to know about the Sinthasomphone brothers.

Who was Konerak Sinthasomphone?



Konerak was the 14-year-old son of Laotian immigrants who lived near Jeffrey Dahmer in Milwaukee. He was killed by Dahmer in 1991, and was the killer's 13th victim.

Konerak was born in 1976, according to Find a Grave. He grew up in Wisconsin with his family and older brother, Somsack. The Sinthasomphone family struggled with financial challenges, so Konerak and Somsack tried to help out by earning their own money, The Tab reported.

What happened to Konerak's brother, Somsack?

Somsack met Jeffrey Dahmer in 1988. At the time, the 13-year-old was persuaded to go to Dahmer's apartment after being offered money in exchange for nude photos. Dahmer then drugged Somsack and sexually abused him in his apartment.

However, Somsack managed to escape, per The Tab. The incident was reported to the police.

Jeffrey Dahmer was charged with sexually assault in 1988.

On Sept. 27, 1988, Dahmer was arrested for second-degree sexual assault and enticing a minor, per Showbiz Cheatsheet.

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Although he was sentenced to one year in prison with work release and five years of probation, Dahmer only spent a week in jail before he was released on bail, according to Showbiz Cheatsheet and The Tab.

Dahmer was still on probation for assaulting Somsack when he murdered his brother, Konerak.

What happened to Konerak?

Three years after Somsack's assault, the killer lured his younger brother into his apartment under similar pretenses, promising money in exchange for nude photographs.

When Konerak arrived at the apartment, Dahmer drugged the 14-year-old and tortured him, per The Tab. The Netflix series says that Dahmer drilled a hole into his skull, and he then filled it with acid. Konerak managed to escape from Dahmer's apartment briefly, running away from the building while naked and bleeding.

The daughter and niece of one of Dahmer's neighbors, Glenda Cleveland, called the police after they found the incoherent boy on the street, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Officer John Balcerzak and his partner responded to the call. However, the officers returned the young victim to Dahmer's apartment after the serial killer insisted Konerak was his drunk, 19-year-old friend, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"Despite the vigorous protestations of several African-Americans on the scene, the officers and Dahmer led Sinthasomphone back to Dahmer's apartment, where the body of one of Dahmer's victims lay unnoticed in an adjoining room," court documents read.

"Concluding that Dahmer and Sinthasomphone were adult homosexual lovers, the officers ultimately left Sinthasomphone with Dahmer. Thirty minutes later, he became Dahmer's thirteenth victim."

Jeffrey Dahmer was finally caught in 1991.

After murdering 17 people, Dahmer was finally caught on July 22, 1991, when would-be victim Tracy Edwards escaped and brought police back to his apartment.

During their investigation, police found dissolving body parts, drugs for sedating victims, and photographs of dismembered corpses around Dahmer's home, according to The New York Times.

Dahmer was sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences for his murders in 1992. He was beaten to death two years later by a fellow inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institute, according to History.

The Sinthasomphone family filed a case against the city of Milwaukee.

After the horrific trauma their family endured at the hands of Jeffrey Dahmer, the Sinthasomphone family filed a case against the city of Milwaukee and the police department, claiming that the police failed to uphold Konerak's constitutional right to equal protection of the law, based on race, sex, and sexual orientation, per Justia.

"The Sinthasomphone plaintiffs have not merely alleged that the police officers failed to protect Konerak Sinthasomphone from Jeffrey Dahmer. Rather, they allege, among other things, that the officers actively prevented private citizens from helping Sinthasomphone and, in fact, delivered Sinthasomphone, who was a minor, not to his parents, but into Dahmer's custody," the chief justice's decision to send the case to trial reads.

"In other words, the allegations are not just of police inaction, but of police action, action which violated Konerak Sinthasomphone's substantive due process rights."



The officers asked for the family's claim that they violated due process to be dismissed from the case, arguing that they had qualified immunity as police officers. The due process claim was dismissed by the judge, but the claim of Konerak's denial of equal protection was not.

The case went to trial in March of 1995, and by April, the city had agreed to a settlement in which it paid the family $850,000, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Where is Konerak's brother now?

After his brother's death and his own traumatic experience with Dahmer, Somsack has been living a very private life.

He currently lives in Wisconsin with his wife, The Tab reported. Otherwise, there aren't many details about Somsack's life after Dahmer.

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After the mass murder of teachers and students at a Texas elementary school, a small group of Republican and Democratic senators began meeting in Kyrsten Sinemas Capitol Hill office.

They crafted a bill that would eventually become the most important gun legislation passed in a quarter-century.

Senate Democrat Chris Murphy, who had toiled to try to pass new gun regulations since the 2012 slaughter of children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in his home-state Connecticut, praised Sinema for her unique ability to deliver Republican votes.

Sinema knew McConnell was the key

One of those Republicans she landed was Mitch McConnell, the U.S. Senate minority leader. When the outcome was still in doubt, McConnell signaled his support.

That was important, reported the Washington Post, because it meant bill sponsors could likely count on him bringing with him a dozen or more Republicans, the Washington Post reported.

Another view: Sinema's politics don't match Cheney's principles

Some Democrats complained the bill didnt do much. But those most engaged in solving gun violence in America understood that passing gun legislation today makes it easier to do the next time.

Because Sinema, a Democrat, had put in the time to build relationships with Republicans, because she refuses to demonize her political opponents, she played a lead role in passing bipartisan bills on infrastructure, guns, semiconductor chips and postal reform.

Is a speech with him really a betrayal?

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema made remarks about bipartisanship as a guest of Sen. Mitch McConnell during an event at the McConnell Center on the campus of the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. on Sept. 26, 2022.

On Monday, McConnell  now in his 37th year in Washington  called her one of the most effective first-term senators Ive seen in my time in the Senate.

On the same day, Democrats and liberals called her a dogs--- Senator, a dark-money shill selling out her country, and an (expletive deleted).

Many of them mistakenly believed that a speech at the McConnell Center in Louisville was a betrayal of the Democratic Party.

But Sinema follows a long line of Democrats who have spoken at the center, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Christopher Dodd, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Vice President Joe Biden.

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McConnell is clearly impressed with Sinemas eagerness to reach across the aisle in the most divided time in our generation. He also appreciates her willingness to defend the legislative filibuster that ensures the minority will have a voice in Senate lawmaking.

It took one hell of a lot of guts for Kyrsten Sinema to stand up and say, Im not going to break the institution in order to achieve a short-term goal,  he said.

Sinema spoke powerfully on American unity

Sinemas speech at the McConnell Center was a thoughtful exposition of her political philosophy, which amounts to simply this:

We get more done working together than we do apart.

That idea once seemed basic to American life, but today it makes Sinema one of the most reviled political figures in the country.

How voters view Sinema: 1 in 5 aren't sure what to make of her

Those who scorn her are probably unreachable. Theyre religionists whose pastors are the talking heads on MSNBC. To them, working with Republicans is an act of heresy. A deal with the devil.

But most Americans arent coiled that tightly. Theyre not fanatics. They would probably find themselves nodding in agreement with Sinemas words at the McConnell Center. The audience there gave her a standing ovation.

She's right: Most of us aren't that political

If you have not watched her speech, you should.

She doesnt lecture or pontificate. She doesnt speak with a booming voice. She speaks as if she just ran into you at the grocery store.

Shes real.

More and more it seems like Americans are being told that in order to be a member of either political party you must adhere to a strict, set list of policy viewpoints. But I dont think thats how a majority of Arizonans, or Kentuckians or everyday Americans think, she said.

We use our own judgment from lived experiences to form our honestly held beliefs. And we just dont have the time or energy to think about politics every waking moment.

I certainly dont.

The Senate wasn't meant to be radicalized

Sinema explained that she ran for the Senate because it was designed to take the longer view than the House, which is driven by passion and angst and hyper-partisanship.

Americas Founding Fathers designed the Senate to cool our jets, to look further out, to quell the passions that lead to impulsive decisions and unintended consequences.

If we ever needed a cooling element its in this present moment.

In Washington our politics have become increasingly radicalized, spiraling steadily downward into bitter and tribal extremism, Sinema said.

Cable news pundits, outside groups and some political leaders on both sides of the aisle have let the loudest and most extreme voices in each party dominate the discourse and set the agenda because it stokes anger, because it gets tweets ... views ... clicks.

But it doesnt solve problems.

Why Sinema holds tight to the filibuster

Problems are solved by sitting down with all of our particular competing interests and working toward a solution that, while not perfect for all, serves all, she explained.

In that vein, the legislative filibuster is a tool that requires that new federal policy be broadly supported by senators representing a broader cross-section of Americans, Sinema said. (Its) a guardrail ensuring that the millions of Americans not represented by the majority party in the moment have a voice in the process.

The problem with the filibuster is that there are not enough, she said. I have an incredibly unpopular view. I actually think we should restore the 60-vote threshold for the areas in which it has been eliminated already. We should restore it.

Demands to eliminate this threshold by both political parties, amounts to a group of people standing on two sides of a canyon shouting to their colleagues that the solutions to their shared challenges is to make that rift both wider and deeper.

Still offended? What that might say about you

We cannot keep going the way we are, said Sinema. Our partisan divide not only stops us from solving problems, it ensures that every time either party retakes control of the Senate it jams the chamber into reverse.

In recent years, nearly every party line response and reaction to the problems we have faced have led us to more division, not less. The impact is clear for all to see.

The steady escalation of tit for tat, the weakening of our guardrails and the exclusion of input from the other party furthers the resentment and anger amongst elected leaders and our constituents at home.

Over months now, weve seen angry partisans throwing bricks at Sinema. She never throws them back.

Political name-calling distracts from the more important mission  problem-solving.

This is not a defect exclusive to Democrats. The Democrats who hate Sinema, who hate those who would compromise, can see their mirror image on the political right. There they go by the names Gaetz and Gosar and Taylor Greene.

In fact, think of Sinemas speech as a mirror.

If you watch it and still think of her as self-serving and disgusting, then youll know something about yourself.

Youre part of the problem.

Phil Boas is an editorial columnist with The Arizona Republic. He can be reached at 602-444-8292 or phil.boas@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kyrsten Sinema is no traitor to work with Mitch McConnell
Urban Hawker

Max Flatow Photography

Iconic Singapore dishes, like Hainanese chicken and chili crab, are arriving in New York City. Urban Hawker, the first Singaporean hawker center in the city, is modeled after the island nation's famous hawker markets and opens in Manhattan on Wednesday, September 28.

For food lovers, Singaporean hawker stalls are the stuff of dreams. Traditional hawker centers hit that sweet spot between restaurants and street food stalls, with multiple vendors grouped into a huge complex with a common seating area. Urban Hawker features 17 vendors offering popular Singaporean fare, eleven of them directly from hawker centers in Singapore; all of the offerings are curated by Singaporean food expert KF Seetoh. Guests will have the opportunity to sample Malay, Peranakan, Chinese, Indian, Southeast Asian, and British-influenced cuisine.

KF Seetoh, founding director of Makansutra, a Singapore-based organization dedicated to promoting heritage street food culture worldwide, spent years curating Urban Hawker, bringing both vendors from Singapore as well as local favorites from the states.

Urban Hawker

Max Flatow Photography

"At Urban Hawker we have a great range of international flavors that we're excited to present to New York's diverse and curious palates and people," says Seeoth. "I have always believed that our hawker food will be well-liked by the world. Why? Because it's just good, humble heritage fare that the world will love, too."

New York favorites like Lady Wong, the first Southeast Asian pastry shop in New York City, are also setting up in the 11,000-square-foot space. Of course, you'll find some of Singapore's best hawkers, whose businesses have been passed down through generations. Highlights include Hainan Jones, where Singapore's Hainanese chicken rice, one of the country's most celebrated dishes, is the star of the show, and Dragon Phoenix, with national favorites like sambal chili crab.

Urban Hawker

Max Flatow Photography

The market also features a 30-seat bar called The Sling Bar, which offers Malaysian-inspired snacks like kuih pie tee and beef rendang sliders, in addition to gin-centric cocktails. New York City's leading market maker, Urbanspace, which runs food halls throughout the city and seasonal pop-up markets, partnered on the center, which will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. To learn more about Urban Hawker visit the website.
stuffed lobster tails

Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn

Right before Maine Lobster Week (Sept. 19-25) and National Lobster Day (Sept. 25), the Maine lobster industry was dealt a heavy blow: Monterey Bay Aquarium's trusted Seafood Watch programwhich rates seafood as a best choice for sustainability (green), a good alternative (yellow) or a type to avoid (red)downgraded American lobster to the red list.

The issue? Lobster traps sit on the ocean floor and a rope draws a vertical line up to a buoy on the surface, marking its location. And entanglement in fishing gear like this is the leading cause of death for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

The controversial move provoked a strong response from state leadership, including Governor Janet Mills and Representative Chellie Pingree, who penned an open letter to the board of Monterey Bay Aquarium, questioning the science behind the decision and calling for a reversal of the rating.

Marianne LaCroix, executive director of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative, agrees that the designation feels unfair. "I think they got this one wrong," she says, explaining that lobster fishers are especially upset. "They have been working on sustainability for 25 years, have spent significant amounts of money and time making changes to their gear to make it safer for right whales, and it's like these efforts were ignored." A Change.org petition started by the collaborative asking Seafood Watch to reconsider has garnered more than 20,000 signatures, making it seem like the public is on their side. But is the science?

Related: A Complicated Battle in the Gulf of Maine Threatens to Take Lobster Off the Menu

The Monterey Bay Aquarium followed up with a press release addressing claims made by the letter and doubling down on their decision. "The reason we red-rated this is because our audiences don't want their seafood to be aiding any environmental harm or impact. These fisheries are in violation of the Endangered Species Actthat's a really big deal! People have a right to know that that's what's going on," explains Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly, vice president of global ocean initiatives (including the Seafood Watch program).

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Lobster caught in the Gulf of Maine is not the only crustacean of concern. All American lobster caught along North America's East Coast, along with Jonah crab (often caught in the same traps as lobster), are now red-listed as well. But nowhere is lobster so ingrained in identity than in Maine. The Maine lobstering community sees the red label as an affront, as they have been working hand-in-hand with conservation groups for years and have made several improvements.

Also, the Gulf of Maine has a history of sustainable management of its seafood stocks and a reputation for good fishing practices. Local groups are leaning on this reputation to assert that they are and have always been a sustainable fishery. But the facts remain: One, that vertical ropes spanning the depth of the ocean endanger right whales; and two, that the Gulf of Maine contains the vast majority (an estimated 87%) of these ropes on the Eastern Seaboard.

In defense of Maine lobstering, there's the assertion that no North Atlantic right whale entanglements have been traced to Maine gear in 18 years, and no right whale serious injury or death has ever been attributed to Maine gear. Unfortunately, it's more complicated than that, says Amy Knowlton, a senior scientist with the Kraus Marine Mammal Conservation Program at the New England Aquarium in Boston. "Many entanglements result in only scars, so you can't determine where the incident happened. Even if the whales do have attached gear, it may be unmarked or unable to be retrieved. So it's not a simple process to determine where entanglements happen." Also, she adds, "Since May of 2022, five right whales have been observed with attached gear, and four of the entanglements occurred somewhere between Massachusetts and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, indicating the measures put in place by both U.S. and Canadian fisheries are inadequate."

The action by Monterey Bay Aquarium, which may seem like a bold stroke to the casual observer, came as no surprise to those with interest in the whale/lobster issue. Over the past few years, national regulations have been increasing targets for reducing the endangered whales' risk. Lobstering industry representatives have been included in conversations leading up to these rulings. (Now, however, they claim they can't possibly comply, and are suing the federal government.)

The question remains: how can these targets be met while allowing lobster fishing to thrive? A promising strategy is on-demand or ropeless gear, which utilizes geolocation to mark traps which have an inflatable buoy (or similar device) that will float to the surface only when activated, decreasing the amount of time vertical lines are in the water. This technology is very expensive, but more importantly, it is not yet available to fishermen. "It's not like it's something that's sitting on the shelf at their local fish supply store and they're just being grumpy about buying it," explains LaCroix. And a whole new system will have to be in place for marine control to be able to regulate this type of equipment.

In the meantime, other solutions include closing areas of ocean for specific periods of time, increasing the number of traps attached to one line, decreasing the overall amount of ropes that can entangle whales and utilizing weaker ropes or weak spots in ropes that whales can break should they become entangled. Some Maine lobster fishers have adopted these measures, but the court has ruled they are not enough to mitigate right whale risk.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is holding meetings with people in the New England lobstering community to discuss how right whale entanglement risk reduction targets can be met. "It's a really critical time for their voices to be heard," says Kemmerly. "I really wish the energy was directed at the federal government to bring the fishery back into compliance with the law, instead of distracting folks. There really needs to be focus right now."

So what's an eco-conscious lobster lover to do? Support tradition and hardworking coastal communities, or say no to lobster rolls in the name of right whales? Whether you choose to eat lobster or not, a key takeaway is that Monterey Bay Aquarium's rating is backed by years of peer-reviewed, good science affirmed by national fishing and conservation agencies. Also true: Lobster fishing is an important industry for Maine, and loads of people depend on it to make a living. Whether that should be given equal weight is a personal decision.

"None of us wants to have whale extinction on our conscience, but we also don't want the Maine lobstering industry to be extinct. It's a tough issue and there's no easy answer," says chef Evan Mallett, owner of Black Trumpet Bistro in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and an outspoken advocate for sustainable seafood. For now, he's still on team lobster. He cites a white paper issued this month by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, which takes into account much of the same information Monterey Bay Aquarium uses, but comes to a different conclusion: because of current and ongoing conservation efforts, lobster is sustainable.

Scientist Amy Knowlton doesn't like the dichotomy of lobster versus whale: "I really hope that the lobster industry recognizes that we want to help them continue, but we also want to help ensure that their gear is safer for whales. It's not either fishing or right whales, which I think it's being painted as." For people wanting to help whales, she suggests letting representatives know that you support fast-tracking improvements to fishing gear. It will be a big investment, so politicians need to know that the public supports it. "That's one main thing," Knowlton says, "to show Congress that you care and you want them to help these fisheries change."
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

You are excused for not knowing who the Try Guys are. I will proudly admit to my own ignorance, minutes before being assigned this story. But there are millions more who have adored themfor yearsto the point of white-hot obsession and, now, heartbreak.

The YouTube collective, featuring thirty-somethings Keith Habersberger, Ned Fulmer, Zach Kornfeld, and Eugene Lee Yang, came together in 2014. (They started making videos on BuzzFeed of all places, back when the site was still in the business of YouTube and meme content.) The group was designed to be an oppressively earnest, personality-driven content outfit. They specialized in the sort of soft-boy, Jackass-lite stunts designed to rake in oodles of clicks from passively online Facebook liberalsThe Try Guys Experience Labor Contraction Simulations, The Try Guys Eat Everything At KFC, The Try Guys Sit Down With Beto O'Rourkewhich thrived in the post-Trump cultural confusion.

While they split off from BuzzFeed in 2018 to go independent, the Try Guys tone didnt change. In general, I think a good analog for their overall vibe is the way Joss Whedon sweatily performed his feminism in the mid-2000s. That comparison is going to become very apt, very soon.

These professional Guys earned nearly eight million YouTube subscribers for all of their hard (?) work. While they might no longer be at the apex of their algorithm domination, they can still reliably count on hundreds of thousands of views per video, which are uploaded to the channel on a near-daily basis. It's quite the racket! The Try Guys had it made.

But what happens when one member of your anodyne cast of chaste, soyface dweebs reveals a pervasive libido? What if they develop a dangerous crush on another popular YouTuber? And what if all of this happens after the Try Guys made their marital status a staunch part of their respectability facade, to the point that all of their wives starred on their own podcast under the overarching Try Guys brand? You see where I'm going with this.

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Let's skip to the end and work backwards. Earlier this week, one of the Try Guys, Ned Fulmer, was caught on video making out with a woman, who was most certainly not his wife, at a New York City club. Fans had already noticed that the Try Guys not only had moved to a less regular upload cadence for the month of September, but also that Fulmer was not in any of the videos that had been posted since the group made that announcement. This led fans to suspect that Fulmer had been edited out; when that video supposedly of Ned appeared, it seemed to confirm all of fans' speculations about his status within the group.

2) So this all started when fans began noticing that Ned has not been present in some of the recent Try guys projects. Ned does not appear in the past 3 videos or intros. He also was not in the past 3 podcast episodes. pic.twitter.com/piF4RnDhaW  Cami (@camitwomeyy) September 27, 2022

These allegations are no longer sheathed in any innuendo or guesswork: On Tuesday, the Try Guys announced that they have severed ties with Fulmer, "after an internal review," and Fulmer released a statement admitting to a "consensual workplace relationship," adding that he will be pivoting all of his attention to his "marriage" and his "children," as he attempts to rebuild his reputation. Fulmer announced all of this on his Instagram and Twitter, where his profile photo is a picture of him making a thumbnail-ready duckfacethe sort of expression you'd see splayed out on Fortnite videoswhich I believe adds emphasis to the spectacularly hilarious incongruity of this situation.

Fulmer's wife is Ariel Fulmer, and shes deeply enmeshed in the YouTube business in her own right. She has nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram and frequently appears in the Try Guys programming, which makes the infidelity a sickly amalgamation of the personal and the professional. (She also released a statement about the affair, essentially echoing what Ned previously said.)

The images of Fulmer's indiscretion were first circulated on Reddit, where distressed fans quickly tried to puzzle out who the other woman was. Scandalously, the person he was caught with is allegedly Alexandra Herringa producer on the Try Guys set, and the star of one of the channel's spinoff serials, "Food Babies." (It's a show about a bunch of YouTubers eating a lot of food on camera. You can skip it.) Herring hasn't commented on any of this, but rumors are swirling that her fiance, Will Thayer, removed all references to her from his Instagram account, which, as we all know, is the first step of any decoupling soft-launch. It's a horrifically messy situation all around that will undoubtedly leave a number of lives damaged and careers ruined.

For all the jokes I've made here, it is important to remember that the Fulmers have two children and are being forced to work through an exceedingly common, exceedingly humiliating relationship drama under the harsh lights of YouTube fame. They should be listened to when they ask for privacy. But given the nature of the internet and the whole cottage industry surrounding influencer drama, they likely wont be.

Infidelity seems to be in the air right now. Fulmer has grabbed the baton from Adam Levine, who is mired in a TikTok-addled sexting scandal, the syntax of which has already become a hall-of-fame meme. John Mulaney endured a fracas quite similar to the Try Guys debacle back in 2021. He spoke lovingly about his wife (and their decision to not have children) for years in his stand-up comedy, before filing for divorce and quickly shacking up with Olivia Munn afterward. Munn and Mulaney had a kid together last year, and his pristine image as the ideal, wholesome husband was understandably shattered forever.

You Dont Know John Mulaney

Twitter has had enough of their favorite husbands take their favorite wives for granted. I've seen a number of people call a referendum on these so-called Wife Guys for good, because men who make their matrimonial partnerships a core part of their social media brand are not to be trusted. After all, exposing one's marriage for content only makes the potential of a fall from grace steeper and more punishing.

I get where they're coming from, but I think I have a slightly more philosophical take on the pressure of being extremely married in the crucible of YouTube. The culture has gotten a little too chummy with its favorite creators, and that has plagued the internet with this strange, faulty parasocial familiaritythis idea that you, the audience, are on the sounding board for a family unit healing from a devastating breach of trust. Nobody, not even the most ardent Try Guys watchers, the biggest Mulaney fans, or the devoted Levine army, truly knows who any of these people are. Their content provides no tangible vectors into their lives when they aren't performing; celebrities are, and always will be, strangers to us, and that is a good thing to remember. These lines have been blurred in an age where brand-building relies on an artificial intimacy that must be fostered with a legion of stans.

Yes, it is pretty cool and surreal to watch Snoop Dogg live on Twitch or Reese Witherspoon dusting off TikTok challenges, but I think we've pushed this bond way too far. Why on earth would I assume John Mulaney is a faithful husband? What evidence do I have that all is well behind the scenes at the Try Guys studio? The only authentically relatable thing about any famous person is that they, just like us, are constantly keeping up appearances.

Of course, The Try Guys found themselves in the business of being professional friends and professional spousesand that brand simply cannot stomach an affair that jeopardizes that entirely unsustainable standard. A sullying was inevitable, and it could've come in countless different forms; a divorce, an argument, a cavalcade of creative differences, a million little tiny slights eventually culminating in a break. But social media fame is not yet equipped to respond to the bitter fruits of life. It is a fundamental truth that any relationship on camera might be different off-camera, but unfortunately, for now, that divide remains unresolved. And so, Ned Fulmer will no longer be appearing on any Try Guys productions. He was not the man everyone thought he was, and on YouTube, that is a mortal blow.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Ukraines Defense Ministry warned on Monday that Russia is planning to launch massive cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, particularly targeting the energy sector, in an attempt to slow down Ukrainian counteroffensives.

The advisory said that the cyberattacks will aim to increase the effectiveness of Russias missile strike operations on electricity supply facilities, primarily located in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine.

The occupying command is convinced that this will slow down the offensive operations of the Ukrainian Defence Forces, the ministry said in the advisory.

The agency added that Russia also intends to carry out more distributed denial-of-service attacks targeting the critical infrastructure of Ukraines closest allies, including Poland and the Baltic states.

Ukraine and its allies have been testing grounds for Russias cyber operations since the onset of the war.

A Microsoft report, released in May, revealed that Russian-backed hackers had launched more than 200 cyberattacks against Ukraine since the start of the year, including nearly 40 destructive ones that targeted the countrys government organizations and critical sectors.

While some attacks against Ukraine were successful, others failed. In April, Ukraine said it successfully thwarted a Russian cyberattack intended to disrupt the countrys power grid. The attempted attack was aiming to hit computers controlling an energy firms high-voltage substations.

Ukrainian officials said the hackers behind the thwarted attack were affiliated with Russias military intelligence agency, GRU.

Russia has also been accused of targeting NATO members, including Montenegro, Estonia and Lithuania, with cyberattacks.

Although not yet a NATO member, Finland was also recently hit with a cyberattack that targeted its parliaments website. The attack coincided with President Bidens move to admit Finland and Sweden to NATO.

Mondays advisory also follows Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to mobilize 300,000 military troops to fight in the war, after Ukraine has reclaimed thousands of square kilometers of occupied territory with recent counteroffensives.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Top officials in the Biden administration on Tuesday evening spoke with their counterparts in Denmark to discuss what they called the apparent sabotage of two natural gas pipelines that run from Russia to Germany.



White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken both said they spoke with their Danish counterparts after seismic stations near the Baltic Sea recorded explosions as the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines began experiencing leaks.



The leaks led officials in multiple countries near the pipeline to point to sabotage, but Biden administration officials earlier on Tuesday declined to speculate on potential causes.

I spoke to my counterpart Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe of Denmark about the apparent sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines, Sullivan wrote on Twitter. The U.S. is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europes energy security.



State Department spokesperson Ned Price minutes later released a statement using the same description.



Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod today about the apparent sabotage along the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, Price said. The United States remains united with our Allies and partners in our commitment to promoting European energy security.

European countries have entered a standoff with Russia over its energy exports after the country invaded Ukraine in February, with the continent largely hoping to leverage other sources and combat rising prices.

Neither pipeline was supplying gas to Europe at the time of the explosions, despite being filled with gas.

Germany blocked certification of Nord Stream 2 shortly after the invasion. Russia suspended exports on the first pipeline in September, citing needed maintenance work, but the move was largely seen as retribution for the Group of Sevens agreement earlier that day to cap the price of Russian oil.

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It is the authorities clear assessment that these are deliberate actions  not accidents, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said of the explosions.

Frederiskens remark echoed some other European leaders, who also referenced the Russian invasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week threatened to use nuclear weapons against the West, saying it is not a bluff and also calling up 300,000 reservists after Ukrainian forces made significant territorial gains in a counteroffensive.

We can clearly see that this is an act of sabotage, an act that probably means a next step of escalation in the situation that we are dealing with in Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday afternoon declined to go as far when asked about Morawieckis characterization.

Im not going to speculate on the cause of this, she said. Its not something that were going to do. I know our European partners are investigating this, so we stand ready to provide support to their efforts once they have completed their investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Buffalo Common Councils Claims committee approved a settlement of more than $500,000 with a plumber left permanently disabled in an accident involving workers from the citys water department.

The committee approved Wednesday the recommendation from the citys Law Department rather than going to court and risking a bigger payout.

In light of knowing that the settlement could be larger, I think we made the right decision, said University Council Member Rasheed N.C. Wyatt.

Stephen Barile Jr. was working for Ellicott Development Co. as a master plumber dispatched to a water leak at 201 Ganson St. in February 2019, according to Bariles notice of claim.

Crews from the Buffalo Water Department arrived to shut off the water from the street, using an iron/steel crank to do the job.

While doing so, the workers rested the tool against a telephone pole without harnessing, anchoring or securing it to make sure it would remain upright. A gust of wind dislodged the crank, and it struck Barile in the head, knocking him unconscious, according to court papers.

He has a permanent, trauma-related head injury, said his attorney Aaron Glazer.

In court documents, Barile said the permanent disability caused by the workers negligence and carelessness has left him incapacitated from educational pursuits and employment.

The city contends the crew leaned a water valve cleaner against a wooden telephone pole to work with a separate water valve key to shut down water service to determine the source of the suspected water leak. Contrary to Bariles claims, the workers determined that the water valve cleaner was heavy and sturdy enough to remain secure when faced against a fixed object and made the decision, in accordance with their training and experience with the Water Division, that it was safe and appropriate to lean it in the manner in which it was on the date of the accident.

Attorneys for the city tried to get Bariles claim dismissed, but State Supreme Court Justice Catherine Nugent Panepinto denied the request in October 2021.

He is seeking $535,000 from the city in the personal injury claim.

The settlement still must be voted on by the full Council during Tuesdays regular business meeting.
Zac Efron brings some back-home cheer to his Vietnam buddies.

Thereve been a lot of movies about the war in Vietnam, and some of them have rightfully become classics: Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Born on the Fourth of July, Casualties of War, The Deer Hunter, Platoon. They all plumbed the intense human drama, the moral and ethical complications and the horrific realities of a prolonged conflict that cost nearly 60,000 American lives, plus with more than 3 million civilians and soldiers in North and South Vietnam.

There's that league of masterpieces, then theres The Greatest Beer Run ever. In beer terms, this movies a bit frothy and lite.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever

Starring Zac Efron

Directed by Peter Farrelly

Rated R

How to watch: In select theaters and on Apple TV+ Sept. 30

Zac Efron stars as Chickie Donohoe, a hawkish, mouthy New Yorker who decides to deliver some back-home barroom cheer to the neighborhood lads serving and fighting in Southeast Asia. He says hes going there to hand-deliver them cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon from the local pub.

Its 1967, and Chickie is a staunch supporter of the U.S. involvement in the war; he thinks protesters are Commie bastards and scumbags, undermining the heroic efforts of G.I.s to spread the American way. He thinks TV shouldnt report bad news, only the great things our guys are doing. Hes a good-time-Charlle boozehound who freeloads off his parents, doesnt follow through on anything and has made it so far on his cocky charms.

Even though his friends and his family tell him his idea is foolish, stupid, colossally dangerous and likely impossible, Chickie sees his beer run as his way of supporting the troops. Everyones doin something, he muses. Im doin nothing.

So off he goes, with a bag full of brewskies.

Director and writer Peter Farrelly is best known for the raunchy comedies he made with his filmmaking brother, Bobby, including Dumb and Dumber, Shallow Hal, Theres Something About Mary, The Heartbreak Kid and a 2012 contemporary twist on The Three Stooges. He branched out in 2018 into more serious fare with The Green Book, which brought him a trio of Oscars.

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Like Green Book, which was based on a true storya Black classical pianist and his streetwise Italian driver find common ground on a trip across the Deep South in the early 1960sBeer Run is also based on real retro events as detailed by the real-life Chickie in a 2020 book.

Efron, the former High School Musical Disney star, went on to big-screen roles in The Greatest Showman, the movie remakes of TVs Baywatch, Steven Kings Firestarter and the musical Hairspray, and he played notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in Netflixs Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. He gives Chickie a kind a contagious, dunderheaded likeability; some of that might be mojo of the moustache he appears to have borrowed from Tom Selleck or Burt Reynolds.

Its a somewhat whimsical, fanciful tale, about a young, preppy-looking American guy who hops off a U.S. Merchant Marine freighter into the hot zone with a sack of suds. And Farrelly leans on his light-touch comedy chops for running gags, bro banter, punchlines and scenes that point out the tall-tale absurdity of it all. But the movies tone is all over the place; the comedy often clashes with the raw, visceral realities of war, and the watered-down production values feel like hammy Hollywood hokum. Theres little movie magic to plunge viewers in the mud, blood and teeming turmoil of a country ripped apart by war.

But theres plenty of magic in that duffel that Chickie dutifully totes around everywhere he goes. At one point, a soldier asks him how many beers are in there. A bunch, he replies. Indeedit seems to be a bottomless pit of boozy sorcery, an endless well of pop-top refreshment. Chickie hands out Pabsts all over Vietnam, on the streets, in barracks, on the battlefield, even tossing them from a helicopter. Its like Felix the Cats Bag of Tricks, a cartoonish stunt. Maybe Jesus had a Chickie bag full of loaves and fishes at the Sermon on the Mount.

The movie brings up issues of relevance, then and nowabout lying government officials, the role and responsibilities of the media, a nation divided and Vietnams caustic toll. Chickies eyes are gradually opened to whats really going on, watching in shock as a prisoner of war is tossed from a military chopper, or seeing first-hand the dirty work keeping the war machine humming. He comes to realize that, hey, maybe sending American troops to get involved in a civil conflict halfway across the globe, under the ruse of fighting Communism, isnt such a swell idea. His bag of beer doesnt change anything in Vietnam, or about Vietnam. It does, however, wash away Chickies delusions.

A chorus of cardboard-thin supporting characters pops in and out; this is Chickies movie, based on Chickies book, based on something Chickie did 50-some years ago, and everyone else is just along to shore up his chummy chronicle. Some two decades removed from the Roman-arena battlefield of Gladiator, Russell Crowe plays a gruff, weary war photographer. His size is, ahem, formidable, but his duties are small, just like the iconic Bill Murrays portrayal of the flag-waving WWII-veteran bartender back at Chickies favorite Manhattan watering hole.

Dont look for The Greatest Beer Run Ever to get any champagne toasts at next years Oscars. Its a tidy little diversion, an over-simplified story about a shallow fellow who finally follows through on something and learns something elsesomething many Americans already knewin the process. It didnt end the war, but Chickies beer run changed his way of thinking.

It's no Apocalypse Now or Full Metal Jacket, but it has just enough uplifting Green Book DNA to make this sudsy, somewhat superficial tale go down easy, like a foxhole quaff from one of the lukewarm ales rattling around in Chickies duffel bag.

So, drink up. This beers on Chickie!
Police respond to active shooter at hospital in Sherwood, Arkansas. (KNWA)

One victim is dead and a suspect is in custody after a shooting at an Arkansas hospital, according to authorities.

Police in Arkansas earlier responded to an active shooter at CHI St Vincent hospital in Sherwood, a suburb of Little Rock, Arkansas.

We can confirm an active shooter at SVI. No other information will be released at this time, SPD stated.

Live video from local TV news stations showed a large number of law enforcement officers at the hospital campus in the suburb of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Roads around the hospital were shut down and a police helicopter was seen circling over the hospital.

Here are some hospital workers standing outside Academy Sports near the hospital. One tells me they were told to evacuate. #ARNews https://t.co/Ohg3sOHwgu pic.twitter.com/f4bUMC9wex  Andrew Epperson (@eppersports) September 28, 2022

A spokesperson for the hospital said CHI St. Vincent was working with Sherwood police to investigate a suspected incident, according to KNWA.

We can confirm an active shooter at SVI.

No other information will be released at this time.  Sherwood Police Department (@SherwoodArPD) September 28, 2022

KARK reported that active shooter was broadcast over the hospitals intercom system, and people sheltered before being brought out of the hospital.

Multiple agencies responded to the incident, including the Pulaski County Sheriffs Office, Jacksonville Police Department, North Little Rock Police Department, and the Arkansas State Police.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also on scene.
A Georgia man has been convicted of breaking into and robbing several Asian restaurant owners and employees homes in 2019, including a residence with a 2-year-old child.

Emmanuel Rakestraw, who reportedly worked with at least three others, carried out the attacks between March 2019 and June 2019. The group trailed victims from their businesses to their homes in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.

One attack occurred at a home in Snellville in the early morning hours of May 26, 2019. Rakestraw allegedly followed the victim from Golden Express Chinese Cuisine restaurant in Decatur and then pistol-whipped the man and stole his wallet, which contained his ID, credit cards and more than $1,200 in cash.

Rakestraw and his accomplices were also accused of stealing thousands of dollars from another Asian-owned home in March 2019. The group allegedly broke into the residence while a 13-year-old child was inside.

More from NextShark: California lawmakers reject bill that aims to stop prison-to-ICE transfers

Another incident in June 2019 involved a large household, where several elderly people and children as young as 2 were reportedly inside.

Later that month, Gwinnett County Police announced that they had arrested Rakestraw. At the time, he was already under investigation for criminal street gang activity.

Rakestraws trial began earlier this month. He was found guilty of two counts of home invasion, three counts of burglary, two counts of armed robbery and two counts of aggravated assault last week, WSB-TV reported.

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More from NextShark: NYC suspect who hit Asian man with hammer has 47 prior arrests, threatens killing spree when she is released

Rakestraw is being held without bond at Gwinnett County Jail. His sentencing date has not been scheduled yet.

Featured Image via Gwinnett County Police Department

More from NextShark: Korean Pastor Suspended for 'Blessing' LGBTQ People, Wearing Rainbow Colors
Google is making it easier to find search results from Reddit and other forum sites. The search engine is adding a new module that will surface discussions happening on forums across the web for queries that may benefit from crowd-sourced answers.

The discussions and forums module will surface relevant posts from sites like Reddit and Quora alongside more traditional search results. Its not clear exactly how Google is determining what types of searches are best suited to forum posts. The company says the new forum results will appear when you search for something that might benefit from the diverse personal experiences found in online discussions.

The feature is already rolling out for mobile searches in the United States. Google didnt specify when it may be available more widely, but said they will consider updates in the future.

Google is also adding a new feature to news-related searches that will make it easier to browse international headlines that are published in languages other than English. With the change, news-related searches will also turn up relevant local coverage translated by Google.

Google is also making it easier to read international news.

The company uses the example of the recent earthquake in Mexico. With the update, search results will also show news from Mexico, which will highlight coverage from local outlets originally written in Spanish, but translated into English. Of course, Google Chrome and other browsers are already able to translate web pages. But Google says that by elevating stories from international outlets directly in search will help provide new global perspectives on important stories.

The feature, which is labeled as being in beta for now, is expected early next year. It's starting off with the ability to translate headlines and stories from Spanish, French and German into English, though the beta designation means Google is likely to add more languages over time.
Satellite imagery shows Category 3 Hurricane Ian passing over Cuba on September 27, 2022. NOAA GOES-East

Wind speed determines hurricane categories  not the rain, storm surge, or flooding they can cause.

Category 1 storms can still leave power outages, downed buildings, and long-term damage in their wake.

These photos show the differences between hurricane categories, using memorable storms as examples.

Hurricanes Irma and Harvey were two very different storms.

Anse Marcel Beach in Saint Martin before Hurricane Irma on August 25, 2016, and the storm on September 11, 2017. Satellite image 2019 Maxar Technologies

While Harvey's record rainfall drenched southeastern Texas and western Louisiana in 2017, flooding Houston in over 4 feet of water, Irma's winds flattened buildings, trees, and power lines on the Caribbean islands it devoured.

At its peak, Harvey was a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, but its weakened winds downgraded it to a tropical storm the day after it made landfall.

Irma was a Category 5 monster that was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded. Both had widespread devastation even though they were on the opposite ends of the category scale.

Hurricane Ian is a Category 3 storm forecasted to strengthen to a Category 4 before it batters Florida this week.

Hal Needham, a hurricane scientist at Louisiana State University, explained on the weather site WXshift in 2017 that a storm's category doesn't fully convey how much damage it could cause.

"Hurricanes and tropical storms throw three hazards at us: wind, rainfall, and storm surge," he wrote. "Think of the impacts separately. Storms with weaker winds are more likely to stall and dump heavier rainfall. This shocks people, as it would seem intuitive that a Category 5 hurricane would tend to dump more rain than a Category 1 hurricane. But the opposite is true."

Here's a closer look at the type of damage that storms at different categories can cause.

The Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, which does not include lower-level tropical storms or tropical depressions, is based solely on maximum sustained wind.

Ana Pelisson/Business Insider

Source: NHC

Once a tropical storm's winds exceed 39 mph, the storm gets a name. Most storms that make landfall in the US are tropical storms, not "major" hurricanes of Category 3 and above.

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Hurricanes that have hit the continental US from 1950 to 2011, color-coded by category. NOAA

But "storms are too complex to define by one number," Needham wrote. While Harvey's strong winds on the Texas Gulf Coast caused widespread destruction, most of the devastation came after it was downgraded to a tropical storm, dumping feet of water on Texas and Louisiana.

Interstate 45 seen during widespread flooding in Houston on August 27. REUTERS/Richard Carson

Source: WXShift

While strong winds can rip shingles off roofs and tear down power lines, flooding often causes more widespread, costlier damage  and can be more dangerous for humans, no matter what the hurricane category is.

Homes surrounded by floodwater from Tropical Storm Harvey on August 29 in Houston. AP/David J. Phillip

Harvey, for example, was particularly devastating because it stalled over the Houston area, staying in roughly the same place for five days.

People float on floodwaters caused by Hurricane Harvey. David J. Phillip/AP

Category 1 hurricanes have wind speeds of 74 to 95 mph. They can damage a home's exterior, break large tree branches, and knock down power lines, causing multiday power failures. Hurricane Dolly was this rating when it hit Texas in 2008.

Hurricane Dolly caused flooding of 3 feet or more in many areas of southern Texas. Joe Mitchell/Reuters

Source: Insider

Category 2 hurricanes have wind speeds of 96 to 110 mph. Storms of this intensity can cause major damage to homes and uproot large trees. They also generate power failures that last up to weeks. Hurricane Ike was a Category 2 when it hit Texas in 2008.

Hurricane Ike's winds caused severe damage when the storm hit Texas in 2008. David J. Phillip/REUTERS

While a hurricane's category classifies how strong it is, this definition can't fully predict how devastating it might be. Superstorm Sandy hit Category 3, but by the time it made landfall in New York and New Jersey in 2012 it had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone.

Hurricane Sandy caused the deaths of hundreds of people and cost $68 billion in damage. AP

Category 3 storms have wind speeds of 111 to 130 mph. But with Sandy, the storm surge, or rise in sea level, did some of the worst damage. It reached nearly 8 feet in parts of the Jersey Shore and 6 1/2 feet around New York City. Its "superstorm" status was because it was so wide  up to 1,000 miles across.

Burned houses next to those that survived fires during Hurricane Sandy in Breezy Point, Queens. Adrees Latif/Reuters

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the most devastating storm ever to hit the US. It killed 1,833 people and caused $108 billion in damage, though it was technically a Category 3 when it made landfall in Louisiana with sustained wind speeds of 125 mph.

Flooded neighborhoods seen as the Coast Guard conducted initial Hurricane Katrina damage-assessment overflights in 2005 in New Orleans. Getty Images

Category 4 hurricanes have wind speeds of 131 to 155 mph, uprooting most trees and creating power failures that can last weeks or even months. Hurricane Charley was a Category 4 when it made landfall in Florida in 2004.

Mobile homes seen torn apart north of Port Charlotte, Florida, on in 2004 after Hurricane Charley moved through the area. J.Pat Carter/AP

Hurricane Maria was a Category 4 storm when it made landfall in Puerto Rico in 2017, leaving 100% of the island without power. Parts of the US commonwealth were still recovering from the hurricane two years later  30,000 homes had tarps for roofs.

A woman tries to walks out from her house after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Salinas, Puerto Rico, September 21, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Sources: AP, Insider

Hurricane Andrew was one of the strongest storms ever to make landfall in the US. It was a Category 5 hurricane when it hit Florida's Dade County in August 1992.

The Florida City water tower remained standing over the ruins of the coastal community that was hit by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. AP

Category 5 storms have wind speeds greater than 156 mph, which can destroy most framed homes, cause power failures, and leave areas where it hits uninhabitable for weeks or even months. Irma was a Category 5 storm when it "totally demolished" the island of Barbuda in 2017.

ABS News

Source: Business Insider

Local weather stations in Barbuda captured wind gusts of 155 mph before going silent, indicating that the instruments had been blown away. The destruction was so severe that the island was initially cut off from communication, and 90% of its buildings were destroyed.

Satellite photos show Barbuda before and after Hurricane Irma devastated the island in 2017. NASA Earth Observatory

Source: Business Insider

Hurricane Irma was so powerful that it could have been considered a Category 6 storm. Theoretically, if we extended the Saffir-Simpson scale, Irma would be a Category 6, with wind speeds of 175 to 195 mph. It ended up making landfall in Florida as a Category 4, knocking out power for 6 million people.

Water rises up to a sidewalk by the Miami river as Hurricane Irma arrives at south Florida, in downtown Miami, Florida. Reuters/Carlos Barria

Source: Business Insider

The problem with extending the Saffir-Simpson scale is that it's also a measurement based on destruction, and Category 5 storms typically destroy buildings and utilities. Technically, categories above 5 wouldn't cause more damage because there's no more damage to be done.

Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency investigate an empty flooded car during the passage of Hurricane Irma through the northeastern part of Puerto Rico. AP Photo/Carlos Giusti

Whether a storm is a theoretical "Category 6" or a tropical storm, its impact for people in its wake can be devastating.

A woman reacts while she looks at the damages in the house of her mother after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Guayama, Puerto Rico September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Part of the issue is that climate change is causing ocean and air temperatures to rise, which is making hurricanes more sluggish, giving them more time to suck up water and gain strength.

The intensity of Hurricane Dorian as it sat over the Bahamas before it moved toward Florida. Tropical Tidbits

Sources: Insider, Nature

On Tuesday, Hurricane Ian was battering Cuba and heading toward Florida as a Category 3 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, forecasted storm surge up to 12 feet, and up to 24 inches of rain predicted in some areas.

Satellite imagery shows Category 3 Hurricane Ian passing over Cuba on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. NOAA GOES-East

Sources: NHC, Insider

The NHC expects Ian to strengthen again before it makes landfall in Florida on Wednesday because it's sucking up warm water in the Gulf of Mexico. While its wind speed could be devastating, the NHC warned Ian's rainfall and "life-threatening" storm surge could cause "considerable" flooding.

A resident uses plastic for protection from the rain in Batabano, Cuba. Hurricane Ian is forecasted to hit the Gulf Coast of Florida on Wednesday. Ramon Espinosa/AP

Sources: NHC, Insider

Read the original article on Business Insider
Hurricane Ian barreled into the southwest Florida coast on Wednesday as a Category 4 monster just miles from where the National Hurricane Center initially projected it could hit.

In the days leading up to landfall, the forecast shifted the center of the track as far north as Floridas Big Bend on Sunday and also hovered over Tampa Bay on Sunday and Monday. The potential track forecast ignited fears the densely populated Tampa and St. Petersburg area could get its first direct hit since a 1921 hurricane.

Ultimately, Ian made landfall more than 100 miles to the south, very near the first position estimate for a potential Florida landfall.

So were the weekend forecasts wrong?

If we look at the forecast track of Ian with the five-day cone, its soon-to-be landfall point was pretty much always in the forecast cone, just right on the edge, said Phil Klotzbach, a tropical meteorologist at Colorado State University and lead author of its seasonal hurricane outlooks.

The first advisory for Tropical Depression Nine, which became Hurricane Ian, came very close to the exact position where the hurricane eventually made landfall on Sept. 28, 2022.

What is the 'cone of uncertainty'?

The forecast cone, also known as the "cone of uncertainty," is often misunderstood. It's a series of circles along the forecast center positions. The size of each circle shows two-thirds of the official forecast errors over five years.

Its the area where the center of the storm is most likely to move over five days, said meteorologist Scott Spratt, who retired in December as a warning coordinator for the National Weather Service office in Melbourne, Florida.

Its a great snapshot that shows you every six hours where your geographic location is relative to the cone, Spratt said. It allows people to see the trends and prepare.

LIVE COVERAGE: 'Hundreds' feared dead, sheriff says; 2.5M without power as Tropical Storm Ian continues to wallop Florida

It does not indicate where all the storm impacts will be, or even guarantee the center of the storm will stay within the cone.

NHC forecasters have been very consistent with advertising that the uncertainty in the track forecast was larger than normal, Klotzbach said. It was a complicated mess of an upper-trough over the western Gulf of Mexico, a ridge building into the Midwest, a trough over the East Coast, as well as the strength of Ian.

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Ian tended to track slightly faster than anticipated by the forecast models, he said.

Its important for people to understand the uncertainties in the forecasts, said James Franklin, a retired hurricane specialist who wrote many forecasts for the hurricane center. Thats the point of the cone.

The track shifted west and northward over the weekend because forecasters couldnt say for sure how Ian would react to those other influences in the Gulf, Franklin said.

I think the track forecast numbers for (Ian) are going to be pretty good by historical standards, Franklin said. But again, when you have a storm making an approach at an oblique angle to the coast like Charley did, and like Ian is doing, it doesnt take very large track errors to make a big difference as to where those impacts are going to occur.

Its a good illustration of where we are with uncertainty in track forecasts. Theyve gotten better, but theyre not perfect yet.

STORM TRACKER: Charting the path of where tropical storm is headed next

WHAT IS STORM SURGE? Graphics explain the deadly weather event

Four decades show big improvement in forecasting

The size of todays cone shows the vast improvements in track forecasts over four decades. Between 1990 and 2020, the two-day track forecast error dropped from roughly 200 nautical miles to about 50 miles, Franklin said: "The 72-hour errors dropped from 300 nautical miles on average to 75."

Since Hurricane Charley (2004) the 48-hour error has been cut in half, from 120 nautical miles to 50, Franklin said. "In 2004, the five-day error was about 300 miles, and now its about 150.

MORE: Charley devastated Punta Gorda 18 years ago. Now, the city braces for Ian.

Because the cone keeps getting progressively smaller as track forecasts improve, and the size of tropical storms remains the same, more tropical storm impacts are expected outside the cone than ever before.

NOAA's STAR GOES East satellite caught this image as Hurricane Ian moved over the Florida coast at 3:05 p.m. Wednesday, September 28 near Sanibel Island and Cayo Costa State Park.

The fluctuations in Ians forecast path are a good lesson that at two or three days out, it doesnt make sense to focus too sharply on any one community, especially on a coast where hurricanes arrive at oblique angles, Franklin said.

Klotzbach also noted that because Ian was tracking parallel to the coast slight changes "make big differences in who ends up getting the biggest impacts."

Anyone in the cone should not be surprised to see shifts and should be prepared, not putting up shutters or evacuating necessarily, but to be aware so theyre not caught off guard or surprised," Spratt said.

Both he and Franklin said confusion about track shifts often arise when people focus on individual computer models or forecasts from independent or amateur forecasters.

Theyre making their own forecasts or forecasts based on one model, Spratt said. That makes a difference in peoples minds, and they may think theyre out of danger.

Every NHC forecast and cone issued for Hurricane Ian. pic.twitter.com/I5kxBpUUr6  Sam Lillo (@splillo) September 28, 2022

Dinah Voyles Pulver and Doyle Rice are national reporters covering weather and climate for USA TODAY. Reach Pulver at Dpulver@gannett.com and Rice at drice@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ian path : Were early forecasts wrong? 'Cone of uncertainty' explained
Nicholas and Justin Diemel of Shawano were killed in 2019.

A Missouri man charged with the 2019 murders of two Shawano County brothers is expected to plead guilty, according to federal court documents.

Garland Nelson is charged in Johnson County, Missouri, with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of abandoning a corpse, two counts of tampering with physical evidence, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of tampering with a motor vehicle. He is accused of fatally shooting Nicholas Diemel, 35, and Justin Diemel, 24, both of the town of Navarino, and burning their bodies on his farm to cover the crime.

Nelson has been held in Caldwell County Jail in Kingston, Missouri, on federal charges of fraud and unlawfully transporting firearms. The trial for those charges is scheduled to begin Oct. 3.

The United States Attorney's Office filed a motion Tuesday requesting Nelson be released from federal custody into state custody upon word he plans to plead guilty to the state charges. A federal judge approved this request.

"Nelson is anticipated to enter a guilty plea to those counts within the next two days. Should that guilty plea not occur, the United States would request this Court re-issue the Writ of Habeas Corpus Ad Prosequendum in advance of trial scheduled before this Court on October 3, 2022," the motion said.

This means if Nelson does not enter a guilty plea to the state homicide charges, he may return to federal custody. Nelson was transferred to federal custody in March, to face charges of mail fraud for purposely damaging a check sent to Nicholas Diemel, according to Missouri newspaper St. Joseph News-Press.

In 2019, the Diemel brothers, owners of Diemel's Livestock in Navarino, went to Nelson's property in Missouri to collect a $250,000 check from Nelson for cattle he was taking care of, according to court documents. They were reported missing July 21, 2019, after failing to get on a flight back to Wisconsin.

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Nicholas' remains were found on Nelson's farm over a week after the brothers' disappearance. Justins remains were discovered near Hershey, Nebraska, on Nov. 15.

Nelson was arrested in July 2019 for tampering with the missing brothers' rental truck. That October, he was charged with their murders. Nelson admitted to disposing of the brothers' bodies, but denied killing them.

Nelson also was charged in Kansas in August 2019 for charges related to mistreating livestock. At least some of the charges related to the Diemels' business.

In 2019, two Kansas farmers told Kansas City television station KCTV5 News they had deals with Nelson that went sour. One farmer said Nelson starved about 100 cattle the farmer was keeping on Nelson's land, and the other purchased 131 calves for Nelson to look after until they were ready for sale, only to have 35 of them returned to the farmer, many "emaciated and thin." One hundred of those cattle were from Diemel's Livestock.

Nelson previously served time for fraud. In 2016, he was convicted in federal court of cattle fraud and sentenced to two years in prison for scamming victims out of more than $262,000. He was released in January 2018.

If convicted of murders during a trial, Nelson could face the death penalty  however, he may avoid that by pleading guilty.

RELATED: Family of murdered Shawano County brothers reaches $2 million settlement with family of suspected killer

Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Missouri man to plead guilty to murders of Shawano County brothers
Chris Christie, left, and Donald Trump. REUTERS/Scott Audette

Trump did not want to condemn white supremacists right away during his 2016 campaign.

That's according to NYT's Maggie Haberman's forthcoming book, "Confidence Man."

Trump told Chris Christie that "a lot of these people vote," referring to white supremacists.

Then-2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump did not immediately condemn white supremacists because "a lot of these people vote," he told former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

That's according to a Washington Post excerpt published Wednesday of a forthcoming book, titled "Confidence Man," by New York Times' White House correspondent Maggie Haberman.

Christie, a close ally of Trump's at the time, urged him during his 2016 campaign to more forcefully condemn white supremacists who had expressed support for his candidacy, including David Duke.

Video: The clothing and symbols of Capitol rioters suggest possible future threats

Trump told Christie that he would condemn them but not right away. "A lot of these people vote," he said before hanging up the phone, Haberman wrote.

The 607-page book, which comes out on October 4, extensively covers Trump's life in New York through his presidency. Haberman interviewed Trump three times for the book, The Post reported.

During his time in office, Trump was often criticized for refusing to denounce white supremacists in harsh terms. After the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Trump said days later that there was "blame on both sides."

In his 2020 presidential debate against then-Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Trump declined to unequivocally condemn white supremacists and militia groups when asked by moderator Chris Wallace to do so.

"Proud Boys, stand back and stand by," Trump responded, referring to the far-right group.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Just over three years ago, a toddler wearing nothing but a diaper was found abandoned on a porch of a house on Potomac Avenue.

It was the first clue in what would turn out to be a grisly triple homicide.

Hours after the child was found and as police were trying to figure out who he was and how he ended up on that porch, workers at an industrial site in Black Rock called authorities with a terrifying discovery: the burned remains of a van and two skeletons inside.

Soon, local and federal authorities would discover that the remains were those of the little boy's parents and a fourth person the family was with had also been killed, chopped up and then burned to near ashes in a firepit on Box Avenue on other side of town.

On Tuesday, the trial began against Deandre Wilson, the man federal prosecutors say set up a plot to rob the victims of cocaine and then shot and killed them before taking part in burning the bodies in an effort to conceal the crimes.

All of the other defendants in the case have already pleaded guilty.

In his opening statements before U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Tripi said the killings of Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon and Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud, and their friend, Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred, were all about money.

"He did it for greed," Tripi told the jury.

Tripi said Wilson, who was in court, had killed the trio as part of a scheme to rob them of cocaine which he wanted to sell.

Tripi said the victims had an arrangement with Wilson's friends  Jariel Cobb and his brother James Reed  to ferry large amounts of cocaine from Florida where they lived to Buffalo.

"They were drug dealers," Tripi acknowledged. But, he said, "they were people. They were parents. They were friends. They were children."

The trio and the toddler drove to Buffalo in a rented van on Sept. 15, 2019, and first went to a house on Lisbon Avenue where they had made deliveries before. But then they were diverted to a house on Roebling Avenue.

There, Tripi told the jury, testimony will show that Wilson put on a mask, went into a bathroom and then came out with a gun. Tripi said he beat Roman-Audiffred with the gun and then shot her. Then he went outside and shot Valentin-Colon and Merced-Plaud as they sat in the van. Then, Tripi alleged, Wilson dragged Valentin-Colon out of the driver's seat of the van and put him in the second row on the floor. Then, prosecutors say, they drove the van to a secluded spot and left it there, with the child, Noelvin, still inside. Tripi accused Wilson of leaving the child in the van with his dead parents for about eight hours until he returned with a co-conspirators and then moved it to an open field off Tonawanda Street where they torched the van and took the boy, subsequently leaving him on the porch.

Tripi said the prosecution has multiple sources of evidence  from Google cloud GPS locations to city and FBI cameras  that put Wilson in all the key parts of the crime  from where the shootings took place to where they bodies were eventually found.

Grisly new details emerge from guilty pleas in 2019 triple murder The men accused of killing three people in a 2019 drug robbery allegedly left a 3-year-old boy strapped in his car seat overnight with the bodies of his parents, who were shot to death in front of the toddler, court records show.

Tripi also told the jury that Cobb and Reed, who pleaded guilty this summer to narcotics distribution and setting a fire to destroy evidence, were going to testify against Wilson and finger him as the killer.

Wilson's attorneys, in their opening statement, said that's all the prosecution has  the testimony of two "snitches" who are hoping for a lighter sentence.

"They'll say whatever they think the government wants to hear," said attorney Daniel Henry Jr.

The first witnesses in the case gave testimony Tuesday.

First to take the stand was Lois Augsburger, the retired bartender, who walked out on to her front porch on the morning of Sept. 16, 2019, and saw Noelvin crawl out from a box she leaves outside for stray cats.

"It scared me," she told the jury. "I said: What are you doing here?" She scooped up the nearly naked boy and wrapped him in her flannel nightgown. "He hugged me," she said. She ran to a neighbor and asked him to call the police.

Also taking the stand was Zenaida Colon, Valentin-Colon's mother. She recalled how she was at work in Orlando on Sept. 16, 2019, when a relative texted her frantically with a photo of Noelvin that was circulating as an unidentified child who had just been found in Buffalo. Colon said she didn't know that her son and family were in Buffalo. She got on a plane to Buffalo and arrived by evening.

She said she was at a Buffalo police station when she heard a detective say a burned car had been found. "At that moment, I was thinking that was my son," she said. Colon has been Noelvin's guardian since the slayings.

Also testifying were the men who found the burned car next to 111 Tonawanda St. that evening.

Robert Lyons of Buffalo Business Interior recounted that a co-worker had gone out back after they had noticed damage to a gate in the easement next to the building.

The co-worker spotted the badly charred remnants of a car.

Lyons recalled saying to him: "Hopefully, there aren't any dead bodies in there."

The co-worker replied: "There is a dead body."

Lyons said he looked inside and saw skeletal remains in the front passenger side. A closer look revealed a second skeleton behind the driver's seat. Jurors were shown photos of the burnt remnants.

The trial is scheduled to resume Wednesday with testimony from police and crime scene investigators. Wolford said she expected the trial to continue until early November.
8:11 p.m. | Flash flood warning for more parts of Sarasota, Charlotte

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood emergency for Sarasota, Manatee, Hardee, western DeSoto, northwestern Highlands and southwestern Charlotte counties until 10:45 p.m. At around 7:47 p.m., The Doppler radar indicated that there was between 12 and 19 inches of rainfall, with an additional 3 to 8 inches possible in the area.

7:53 p.m. | Flash flood warning for North Port, Venice and Englewood

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for North Port, Venice and Englewood until 10:45 p.m.

7:40 p.m. | Pool damage in Venice

we lost our entire pool cage. It smashed my house and its in the front yard. Then my office started flooding. We have the lake in back that feeds off the gulf and Currie creek which is concerning me know. The winds are blistering. since filming this video, the street in front of my house has expanded. The water is halfway up my front yard. I guess I wont be campaigning for a little bit, a lot of work here. Posted by Frankie "The Scoop Guy" Abbruzzino For Mayor - Venice on Wednesday, September 28, 2022

7:31 p.m. | Much of Sarasota County without power

Much of Sarasota County is without power as Hurricane Ian hits Southwest Florida, the countys director of communications said in a Wednesday evening press briefing. As of 7:14 p.m., 246,920 customers  or about 86%  in Sarasota County were without power, according to FPL's power tracker.

The countys 12 evacuation centers  which are housing about 4,600 people  have lost power, but the two medically dependent shelters are being powered by generators, according to Jamie Carson, the director of communications.

Personnel at the countys Emergency Operations Center are communicating with those shelters through radios.

Carson said Sarasota County schools will be closed through Friday.

The countys Public Safety Communications Center, which answers 911 calls, is experiencing a very high call volume, she said.

Story continues

The Sarasota County Sheriffs Office would just like to remind everyone to please try to be patient, stay in the queue, Carson said. Theyll get to you as fast as they can.

The city of North Ports call center and phone lines are down, so Carson asked North Port residents to call Sarasota Countys call center at 311.

The countys Tactical First-In Teams are ready to start clearing major roadways once wind speeds go below 35 miles per hour for a sustained period of time.

Carson also said that National Guard soldiers are poised to help with the storm response once roadways are clear.

7:21 p.m. | Photos of Hurricane Ian in Sarasota, Manatee

7:09 p.m.| Stormy scene outside Bradenton City Hall

6:30 p.m. | NWS issues flash flood warning

The National Weather Service in Ruskin has issued a flash flood warning for Sarasota County, eastern Manatee County, northern Lee County, Charlotte County, DeSoto County, Hardee County and southwestern Highlands County until 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Doppler radar indicated that between 5 to 16 inches of rain has fallen so far and an additional 3 to 6 inches is possible for the areas indicated previously.

6:14 p.m. | Damage in Venice

5:35 p.m. | FPL official: Restoring power may take hours, days, maybe even longer than a week

A top Florida Power & Light official said customers who lose power from Hurricane Ian may face hours, days  maybe even longer than a week  to get it restored.

As of 5 p.m., about 75% - 214,560 - of FPL customers in Sarasota were without power. Another 67,720  34% of customers  in Manatee were without power.

Dave Reuter, FPLs chief communications officer, told CNN on Wednesday that the biggest challenge facing FPL in the next 24-48 hours is dealing with storm surge and flooding, and seeing where its crews can work safely. FPL is the state's largest utility with nearly 6 million customers.

We're going to use all of the tools that we have at our disposal, our drone technology, the diagnostic systems that we have to figure out where the power is out and what we may be able to do to get it back on safely and as quickly as possible, he said.

But he tempered expectations because Ians magnitude could require FPL to do a complete rebuild of the system in certain parts of the West Coast.

What we're seeing already just from some of the early visuals, we expect that there are going to be parts of our system on the West Coast, which will need to be rebuilt and that is going to take longer  could be number of days, could be a matter of weeks, depending on the nature of the damages.

He said about 1 million customers have lost power, but that 350,000 customers have gotten their power restored within the past day.

We have been restoring power to customers for the last 24 hours as [the storms] outer bands started to come through our services area, he said.

More customers, he said, will be losing power as the path of the storm meanders across central Florida and through FPLs coverage area.

The reality with a storm like this is, of course, you expect power to be out as a category 4 storm on the coastline, but as it goes through the state, there will also be additional outages due to tornadoes, flooding and the high winds that will accompany the storm all the way across the peninsula, he said.

5:27 p.m. | Sarasota schools closed until further notice

All traditional public schools are closed until further notice. Stay safe!! https://t.co/J6pv4UkFZY pic.twitter.com/PQIg2l2qlK  Sarasota Schools (@sarasotaschools) September 27, 2022

5:23 p.m.| Bradenton PD warning on downed trees

We're finding trees - and power lines - down. Winds are whipping. Please remain inside, do not drive through water, and never approach a downed power line. @BradentonGov #HurricaneIan pic.twitter.com/50o5ecT7J4  Bradenton Police (@BradentonPD) September 28, 2022

5:12 p.m. | Manatee schools closed for remainder of week

Due to conditions resulting from Hurricane Ian and the fact that 17 of our schools have served as community shelters, all School District of Manatee County schools will remain closed for the remainder of this week - through Friday, September 30th. pic.twitter.com/Tadx8D03XU  Manatee Schools (@Manateeschools) September 28, 2022

5 p.m. Extreme wind warning for Manatee, Sarasota counties

The National Weather Service in Ruskin issued an extreme wind warning for five counties, including Southeastern Manatee County and Sarasota County, which will last until 6 p.m. today. Charlotte, Lee and western DeSoto counties are also under the advisory. The Doppler radar indicated that just after 3 p.m., extreme winds were moving onshore near North Port.

As of 5 p.m., more than 182,000 customers were without power in Sarasota County and more than 42,000 in Manatee, according to FPL's power tracker page.

3:10 p.m. Hurricane Ian makes landfall

Hurricane Ian made landfall at 3:05 p.m. as a powerful Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of 150 mph.

Ian came ashore near Cayo Costa. an island off the coast of Fort Myers, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Stay up to the minute: Sign up to a special texting group for updates on Hurricane Ian and its aftermath

There she goes. A small tree is uprooted just outside a classroom at the storm shelter at Brookside Middle School. Wind gusts in Sarasota at 3 pm are reported to be near 60 mph. #HurricanIan #sarasota #stormshelter #treesdown pic.twitter.com/nnhfA3fFMJ  Samantha Gholar (@SamanthaGholar) September 28, 2022

The hurricane is moving north-northeast at 9 miles per hour.

Hurricane Ian is poised to bring hurricane-force winds to Florida's East Coast as it moves across the state.

Sign up for the latest updates on Hurricane Ian and the storm's aftermath. We are a team of journalists from local newsrooms around Florida and we will be sending you the latest updates as we have them and answering your questions as possible.

Sign up to special texting group for updates on Hurricane Ian

Sign up here for the latest updates on Hurricane Ian and the storm's aftermath. We are a team of journalists from local newsrooms around Florida and we will be sending you the latest updates as we have them and answering your questions as possible.

Here's what's included:

Privacy. We'll never share your number with anyone. You'll only receive texts from us.

Insights. Updates and information on Hurricane Ian before anyone else gets it.

Answers. Got a compelling question about the hurricane? We'll try to answer it directly.

Frequency. This will vary depending on the progress of the storm and the aftermath.

Hurricane Ian nears landfall at 155 mph, one of the strongest U.S. storms

The National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Ian was nearing landfall with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, just short of category 5 status. That would make it one of a handful of the strongest hurricanes to hit the continental United States.

The center said it was bringing "Catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding in the Florida peninsula."

Location: About 50 miles SSW of Punta Gorda and about 25 miles WNW of Fort Myers

Maximum sustained winds: 155

Present movement: NNE at 9 mph

Central Pressure: 937 MB

2:45 p.m. | Manatee County residents urged to delay driving when storm passes

Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes reports more than 5,120 evacuees are in county shelters. He said 15% of the lift stations, which lift and move solid waste, dont have power and residents are asked to limit toilet flushing.

Residents are reminded not to drive through standing water unless youre certain of the depth or that a large sinkhole wasnt created underneath. Multiple traffic signals and power lines are down already, and that it will only get worse as flooding increases.

Residents also should only use generators outside the house where there is fresh air to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Public officials will let residents know when its safe to leave their homes or shelter. He said people driving around immediately after the storm will only get in the way of the more than 2,000 Manatee County workers trying to assess and recover damages.

What will slow our efforts down is if everybody gets on the road and drives around to look for yourself about what damage has been done, Hopes said. That is a disaster tourist.

Residents who stayed put report damage and surge

Yvette Gagier, a Holmes Beach resident in evacuation zone A, chose to stay home despite the storm. She said she lost power and water but has had no damage to her home yet.

The gulf water is being pulled out, otherwise so far ok, Gagnier wrote in a text.

She said she was feeling anxious about potential storm surge, but her neighbor offered to let them use their elevated house in case of flooding.

On the Bayfront, Don Bruns chose to stay put in his sixth-floor condo at Le Chateau on John Ringling Causeway. He said the storm is the worst hes seen in the ten years hes lived here, but he feels safe.

Because hes on the sixth floor with hurricane windows and shutters, he said he felt comfortable riding the storm out so close to the water.

Bruns said he also noticed the water from the bay being pulled out from the hurricane.

2:30 p.m. | Manatee and Sarasota counties urge residents to limit toilet flushing

Three line breaks in the potable system have been reported in Manatee County. Two have been repaired, and the additional one will be repaired as soon as storm conditions improve.

About 15% of sewage lift stations are without power so customers are asked to limit flushing to avoid potential backups.

Sarasota County officials also asked residents in a tweet to limit water usage until after the storm passes to lessen stress on the countys water systems.

Three line breaks in the potable system have been reported. Two have been repaired, and the additional one will be repaired as soon storm conditions improve. Also, approximately 15% of sewage lift stations are without power so customers are asked to limit flushing. pic.twitter.com/rvcFo3LMiP  Manatee County Government (@ManateeGov) September 28, 2022

2:25 p.m.|Power outages increasing as winds grow stronger

Florida Power and Light reports that nearly 36,450 homes, or about 18 percent of customers, are without power in Manatee County and about 79,000 homes, or 28 percent of all customers in Sarasota County have lost power as Hurricane Ians winds grow stronger.

Turn off AC breakers if you lose power

If you lose power during Hurricane Ian, its a good idea to turn the breakers to your air conditioner off, to avoid possible damage as linemen work to restore service.

For a typical house that has your air conditioner outside and an air handler inside there will be two breakers, said Billy Swanson, owner of Tri-County Air Conditioning and Heating in Venice.

Turn both of those breakers off and wait until lights arent flickering and your power is fully restored.

Then you can go turn your breakers on, Swanson said.

In the past, that was a practice to avoid a blown compressor but with modern units its not just the compressor that can be damaged.

With the new units its not necessarily the compressor, Swanson said. Its a lot of the digital computer stuff.

You may not have to replace the whole unit but you'll have to replace the little part that didnt like the whole voltage fluctuation, he added. The newer units, theyre all getting more and more dependent on computer chips and circuit boards.

Youre not only protecting the winding of the compressor but also protecting the high tech chips.

1:45 p.m. | Sarasota County emergency has stopped responding to calls.

Emergency vehicles have stopped responding to calls in Sarasota County because it isnt safe to be on the roads, according to a county tweet.

Use this time to shelter in place, Sarasota County tweeted.

When sheltering in place, people should stay in the centermost place in their home, said Sarasota County Director of Communications Jamie Carson.

A fallen tree blocks Rockefeller Ave. in Sarasota, Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Winds from Hurricane Ian are getting stronger as the storm is close to landfall south of Sarasota.

You want to put as many walls between you and the exterior of your home, she said at a midday press conference.

Residents with questions about sheltering in place may call 311.

Please stay off the roads. We have debris down on 9th street, next to Motorworks Brewing Co. @BradentonGov pic.twitter.com/9Mtgc8ruNR  Bradenton Police (@BradentonPD) September 28, 2022

Despite impacts from Ian, hurricane party rages on

Marty Goodrick said he was already drenched from doing some last-minute hurricane prep favors for friends and wanted to get some food Wednesday afternoon, before hunkering down to ride out Hurricane Ian at home  thats what brought him to Salty Jims Island Bar & Grill at 3655 Webber Street.

Rob Koski, a bartender at Salty Jim's Island Bar & Grill at Beneva Rd. and Webber St. in Sarasota, Florida, pours a round of Lemon Drops for customers having a hurricane party at the bar. They plan to keep the bar open as long as they can, even as Hurricane Ian makes landfall south of Sarasota.

It was the only place open to pick up some food, and I wanted to get an order of buffalo wings, Goodrick said. I knew this place was open, so I stopped by and got some wings to bring home.

Dennis and Gemma Huff, owners of Salty Jims, said that for them, it was the logical place to ride out the storm.

This is like our hurricane shelter because we live in Zone A, down in Nokomis, Dennis Huff said. Were going to be here anyway, might as well open the door.

Customers at Salty Jim's Island Bar & Grill make a toast to Hurricane Ian Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 28, 2022. The bar, at Beneva Rd. and Webber St. in Sarasota, Florida, plans to stay open as long as they can.

As many as two dozen people had been there at one time, to grab a bite to eat and a beer.

We owned Hurricane Mike in Gulf Gate, that was our hurricane shelter too, he added.

They rode out Hurricane Irma in 2017 at Hurricane Mikes.

The Huffs plan to hunker down at Island Jims for the duration of Hurricane Ian.

As long as people are here, well be open, Huff said

1:00 p.m. |Strong winds hit area

Some of the wind gusts reported by the National Weather Service over the last two hours:

Skyway Fishing Pier 70 mph 12:11 p.m.

Sarasota Bay Marker 17 72 mph 11:54 a.m.

Sarasota 52 mph 11:42 a.m.

Venice 63 mph 12:15 p.m.

Punta Gorda 79 mph 12:18 p.m.

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport 64 mph 12:17 p.m.

Grove City (Englewood area) 66 mph 12:11 p.m.

A fallen utility pole and cable block Sawyer Rd. just south of Bee Ridge Rd. Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 28, 2022. Winds from Hurricane Ian are getting stronger as the storm nears the Florida coast south of Sarasota.

12:45 p.m. |Emergency responders no longer heading south

Sarasota County emergency vehicles are no longer responding to emergencies from Center Road south in Venice. Winds have reached 45 miles per hour, which is the point at which emergency personnel can no longer respond.

The number of people at Sarasota Countys shelters increased substantially Wednesday morning.

The countys 12 shelters had a total of 2,600 people as of about 8:30 a.m. They now have more than 4,200 people, according to Sarasota County Director of Communications Jamie Carson.

I have flown storms for the last six years. This flight to Hurricane #Ian on Kermit (#NOAA42) was the worst Ive ever been on. Ive never seen so much lightning in an eye.



This was the eye. You can see the curvature. Understand this is at NIGHT. The light is from LIGHTNING. pic.twitter.com/cfZ9ls6YD3  Tropical Nick Underwood (@TheAstroNick) September 28, 2022

12:30 p.m. |Extreme wind warning issued by National Weather Service

The National Weather Service in Ruskin has issued an extreme wind warning for south central Sarasota County and southwestern Charlotte County until 2 p.m.

Just after noon, the Doppler radar indicated extreme winds were onshore about 20 miles southwest of Punta Gorda. The winds are associated with the eyewall of Hurricane Ian, according to the National Weather Service.

The Weather Service also has extended a flood warning for the Manatee River at Rye Bridge until further notice, with waters expected to crest just below the major flood stage. Moderate flooding is expected in the area, according to the forecast. Drivers are asked to turn around when they encounter flooded roads.

Current Weather Alerts

If you can't see any local weather warnings here, you'll need to open this story in a web browser.

11 a.m. update I Hurricane Ians eyewall is coming ashore

Hurricane Ian's eyewall was moving onshore with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, according to the 11 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center. It is among the strongest storms to hit the state of Florida.

Extremely dangerous eyewall of Ian moving onshore. Ian will cause catastrophic storm surge, winds, and flooding in the Florida peninsula soon.

The center also said the hurricane's forward speed nudged down to 9 mph. The slower the storm moves, the longer effects will stay in the Sarasota-Manatee area. The storm remains large and will have impacts across the peninsula.

Weakening is expected after landfall, but Ian could be near hurricane strength when it moves over the Florida East Coast tomorrow, and when it approaches the northeastern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coasts late Friday.

Peak storm surge is still forecast to be 12 to 18 feet in Charlotte harbor.

Meanwhile, Sarasota Countys director of communications urged county residents in Levels A and B to evacuate during a midmorning press briefing.

The window to evacuate and go to an evacuation center, that window is rapidly closing, said Jamie Carson, the director of communications. The weather is deteriorating. Leave now.

As of around 10:20 a.m., the countys 12 evacuation shelters were still open. Once the winds reach 45 miles per hour, Sarasota County will send an alert to county residents telling them that they must shelter in place.

Seek an interior space away from windows, she advised. Make sure you have your radio and your provisions.

When different areas of the county reach wind speeds of 45 miles per hour, emergency vehicles will stop going to those areas.

The city of North Port reported that those in the Woodland Estates or the North Port Estates areas, and anywhere along the Myakkahatchee Creek or south of U.S. 41, will be severely impacted by historic flooding.

In Sarasota, Phillippi Creek is at its brim as the outer bands of Hurricane Ian approaches the state of Florida.

12:10 p.m. | Bradenton residents asked to conserve water

City of Bradenton officials are asking residents to conserve water after they received word from their public works staff that the wastewater treatment plant is full and in danger of overflowing, according to a City of Bradenton tweet. Officials are asking residents to not do dishes or laundry at this time, limit showering and to only flush when it is necessary.

Damage reports from Sarasota County Sheriff's Office

Heres a quick look at:



Stone Ridge Tr

Stickney Point Bridge

N Honore Avenue @ Travini Circle



Deputies are still responding to calls for service but this is not the time to be on the road. This is the time to hunker down & shelter in place. Sit tight, stay safe, stay informed. pic.twitter.com/quAFxNaJvO  SarasotaSheriff (@SarasotaSheriff) September 28, 2022

10:22 a.m. | Manatee County closing all shelters

Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said shelters will be closed effective immediately. People who are waiting in line will still get in, but after them, authorities will be locking them down.

Law enforcement will be on lockdown as well so there will be no EMS services. Hopes said the lockdown is for the safety of EMS and residents. There will be medical personnel available at shelters, though. They're hoping to open the lockdown late morning tomorrow, as they're expecting the worst of the storm to hit between 4 p.m. and midnight.

The county has seen a huge surge of people trying to get to the shelters within the last hour and a half, reaching 5,000 residents after reporting close to 3,000 earlier today. Officials are asking people again not to leave their homes until everything is in the clear. Since the eye of the storm is so huge, they're saying it may look like we're in the clear, when in reality it's not.

Its quiet in downtown #Sarasota. Were as prepared as we can be for #HurricaneIan. @SarasotaPD is on patrol w/limited service. Please stay in a safe location & follow directions from local officials. Monitor this channel and local news outlets for updates. pic.twitter.com/8NPO6Hv5LQ  City of Sarasota (@CityofSarasota) September 28, 2022

Sarasota County waterfront restaurant owners wait out Hurricane Ian

After completing hurricane preparations earlier this week, local owners of waterfront restaurants, or restaurants near the water, waited Wednesday to see what the effects of Ian would be to their businesses.

Venice Pier Group president Justin Pachota's businesses are all waterfront restaurants: Sharky's on the Pier at the base of Venice Fishing Pier and upscale, adjacent sister establishment Fins at Sharky's are both on Brohard Beach. Old Florida barbecue spot Snook Haven is on Myakka River, and concessionaire Siesta Beach Eats is on world-famous Siesta Beach.

Sharky's, Fins at Sharky's, and Siesta Beach Eats have been closed since Monday, and Snook Haven even before that, Pachota said. Windows have been boarded up and outdoor furniture and other items brought inside, along with moving as much as possible from Siesta Beach Eats' lower Sand Pavilion to the second-story Sun Deck.

Once the storm passes, Pachota said he will assess the properties, then try to organize schedules and get employees in as soon as possible, but doesnt picture being able to open any earlier than Friday evening. Until then, Pachota will wait out the storm in Venice, as he waits to see what the effects of Ian will be compared to previous hurricanes, including Irma in 2017.

Irma was a little nerve-wracking, because we hadn't gone through one of those in a while," Pachota said. "So I think as far as preparation went, it was under a probably better mental state going into this one. But now that everything's done and I'm having an opportunity to watch more of the news, I would say the anxiety is probably a little bit higher than it was with Irma."

Siesta Key restaurants and bars, including one open since 1947, brace for impact

Chris Brown co-owns Above the Hospitality Group, which operates several restaurants and bars less than a mile from Siesta Beach in Siesta Key Village including The Cottage, Summer House Steak & Seafood, MVP  My Village Pub, The Hub Baja Grill, and Beach Club, which opened in 1947. Above the Bar also operates the bar Joes in downtown Sarasota and Mad Moes Pub & Grill in Osprey, where Brown will wait out the storm at home.

Above the Bars establishments have also been closed since Monday, as staff boarded up buildings and brought in outdoor picnic tables and other furniture. Brown said they also have a generator up and ready that is mobile, in the event that multiple restaurants lose power.

For now, Brown will have to wait and see if the businesses suffer minor debris or major damage from the hurricane, and if humanitarian priorities following the storm will overshadow reopening restaurants.

Ive been here for 30 years and weve had several close calls over the years; it looks like were finally due for one," Brown said. "Obviously, were very concerned. Buildings, businesses can be replaced, we can get those up and running at a certain point, but peoples well-being is obviously the most important thing at this time.

Damage being reported

As the outer bands of the hurricane begin to batter Southwest Florida, the first signs of damage are being reported on social media.

Water starting to rise

As Ian approaches landfall between Venice and Fort Myers, the counterclockwise rotation of the winds has pushed water out along the shorelines of Sarasota, Bradenton and Tampa Bay outwards, according to photographs from the surrounding area.

This is the Manatee river in Ellenton. Here, there's usually 2-3 feet of water, but the water is being sucked out right now. #HurricanIan pic.twitter.com/2rFxPS0yJ1  Bradenton Police (@BradentonPD) September 28, 2022

Photos tweeted by the Bradenton police show the Manatee river in Ellenton, which usually has about two to three feet of water, has receded.

Here's another look at the tree that came down earlier at 50th St W and Cortez Rd West. The tree was put on a trailer and we helped drag it out of the way. #HurricaneIan #Bradenton pic.twitter.com/WAZc0Vw66T  Bradenton Police (@BradentonPD) September 28, 2022

Winds from Hurricane Ian push the water in Sarasota Bay away from shore on Wednesday morning, Sept. 28, 2022 at Bayfront Park in Sarasota, Florida. Hurricane Ian has strengthened and is expected to make landfall Wednesday along Florida's Gulf coast as a category 4 hurricane.

9:30 a.m. | Manatee County closing roads as storm approaches

Manatee County is preparing to close some roads as Hurricane Ian moves closer. In a briefing Wednesday morning, County Administrator Scott Hopes said more than 100,000 people were evacuated in the last two days. As of the time of the briefing, about 80 FPL customers in the county had lost power, and Peace River had slightly more than 3,000 customers without power.

Hopes said public transit stopped at 8:30 a.m., and shelters closed to new arrivals due to safety concerns. He said the county expects major flooding up to 13 inches and asked that people not to return home until they have been given clearance.

Just because the weather clears and the skies blue doesnt mean its necessarily safe to go out and about, Hopes said.

He said there are seven teams staffed with a fire truck, bulldozer, bus and EMS unit placed in strategic locations around the county to be activated once winds subside.

8:45 a.m. | Sarasota-Manatee shelters mostly empty

Officials in Sarasota and Manatee counties say that the shelters set up to house those who had to evacuate their homes from Hurricane Ian are only at a fraction of capacity

Sarasota County spokeswoman Brianne Grant said shelters can accommodate about 26,000 people, but as of about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, there were only about 2,600 people in the countys 12 shelters. In Manatee, there were about 2,500 people in 17 shelters as of Wednesday morning, and the county can handle about 27,000, a county official said.

Grant said those who can still make it safely to a shelter should go as soon as possible.

Sunshine Skyway bridged closed

With winds now ranging between 50 to 60 mph, the Florida Highway Patrol has closed the Sunshine Skyway bridge in both directions. The bridge will remain closed until the storm passes, officials said.

7:20 a.m. update I Ian gaining strength before landfall, near Category 5

The National Hurricane Center put out a special advisory at 7 a.m. to say that Hurricane Ian had strengthened to 155 mph maximum sustained winds, just 2 mph below Category 5 strength. The center said it could have that strength just before landfall at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

At a National Weather Service briefing at 7 a.m., Ian was 55 miles southwest of Sanibel Island and 120 miles south of Sarasota. Its moving north by northeast at 10 miles per hour.

The eyewall is 53 miles across and the outer eyewall was only 20 miles offshore of Sanibel, which has received 3.57 inches of rain over the last 12 hours.

A maximum storm surge of 10 to 16 feet is possible from Englewood to Bonita Beach this afternoon and/or tonight and 7 to 10 feet from the middle of Longboat Key to Englewood. Up to 2 feet of rain is possible, which would lead to historic flooding, the weather service said.

6:35 a.m.: Hurricane Ian strengthens into strong Category 4 storm

The National Hurricane Center issued a special advisory saying Hurricane Ian has grown even stronger. Maximum sustained winds have hit 155 mph.

The hurricane is moving north-northeast at 10 mph and is located 65 miles west-southwest of Naples.

A Category 4 storm has winds of 130 to 156 mph. Ian is just short of the 157 mph threshold to become a Category 5 storm.

The Herald-Tribune has made this article free of charge for all readers in the interest of public safety. Consider supporting the Herald-Tribune with a digital subscription.

Quick Sarasota-Manatee Hurricane Ian links:

5:45 a.m. | Tornado watch issued for Sarasota and Manatee counties as Hurricane Ian impacts the area

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for four counties, including Sarasota and Manatee. This watch is in effect until 5 p.m.

A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Florida until 5 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/fHVWgb0I2p  NWS Tampa Bay (@NWSTampaBay) September 28, 2022

5 a.m. | A Category 4 Hurricane Ian arrives in Sarasota-Manatee

Hurricane Ian has strengthened overnight and is now a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of 140 mph that extend up to 40 miles from the storm's center, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flooding to Florida.

At 5 a.m., the center of Hurricane Ian was located 129 miles south of Sarasota.

Parts of Sarasota County are already feeling tropical-storm-force winds.

The track shifted further south overnight, resulting in a possible landfall of Hurricane Ian in south Sarasota County, or north Charlotte County.

The NHC continues to predict a storm surge of 8-12 feet and rainfall of 12-18 inches for Sarasota County and lower in Manatee County.

For a more detailed look at what to expect throughout the day, see below.

What to expect today in North Port as Hurricane Ian makes landfall

6 a.m.: 40 mph wind, .3 inches of rain per hour

8 a.m.: 35 mph wind, .2 inches of rain per hour

10 a.m.: 40 mph wind, 1.1 inches of rain per hour

Noon: 40 mph wind, .5 inches of rain per hour

2 p.m.: 50 mph wind, .3 inches of rain per hour

4 p.m.: 60 mph wind, .5 inches of rain per hour

6 p.m.: 70 mph wind, .4 inches of rain per hour

8 p.m.: 60 mph wind, .3 inches of rain per hour

10 p.m.: 45 mph wind, .2 inches of rain per hour

What to expect today in Venice as Hurricane Ian makes landfall

6 a.m.: 40 mph wind, .2 inches of rain per hour

8 a.m.: 40 mph wind, .6 inches of rain per hour

10 a.m.: 40 mph wind, 1.3 inches of rain per hour

Noon: 40 mph wind, .6 inches of rain per hour

2 p.m.: 45 mph wind, .8 inches of rain per hour

4 p.m.: 50 mph wind, .7 inches of rain per hour

6 p.m.: 50 mph wind, .7 inches of rain per hour

8 p.m.: 45 mph wind, .6 inches of rain per hour

10 p.m.: 40 mph wind, .3 inches of rain per hour

What to expect today in Sarasota as Hurricane Ian makes landfall

6 a.m.: 35 mph wind, .2 inches of rain per hour

8 a.m.: 35 mph wind, .2 inches of rain per hour

10 a.m.: 35 mph wind, 1.3 inches of rain per hour

Noon: 40 mph wind, 1.25 inch of rain per hour

2 p.m.: 40 mph wind, 1 inch of rain per hour

4 p.m.: 45 mph wind, 1.3 inches of rain per hour

6 p.m.: 45 mph wind, 1.3 inches of rain per hour

8 p.m.: 45 mph wind, 1 inch of rain per hour

10 p.m.: 40 mph wind, .6 inches of rain per hour

What to expect today in Bradenton as Hurricane Ian makes landfall

6 a.m.: 35 mph wind, .2 inches of rain per hour

8 a.m.: 35 mph wind, .3 inches of rain per hour

10 a.m.: 35 mph wind, .4 inches of rain per hour

Noon: 35 mph wind, .5 inches of rain per hour

2 p.m.: 40 mph wind, .7 inches of rain per hour

4 p.m.: 40 mph wind, 1.1 inches of rain per hour

6 p.m.: 40 mph wind, 1.4 inches of rain per hour

8 p.m.: 40 mph wind, 1.2 inches of rain per hour

10 p.m.: 40 mph wind, .7 inches of rain per hour

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota-Manatee affected by Hurricane Ian's Wednesday arrival
Right-handers Ryne Nelson and Drey Jameson have made good first impressions as major-league starters, and left-hander Tommy Henry has had spurts of success. But many believe the Diamondbacks best young arm has yet to arrive  well, officially, that is.

Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt was at Chase Field on Sunday, but not to pitch. He was there to be honored as the organizations top minor league player. If he continues on his current trajectory, he should be back in a more official capacity sometime next season.

In a season split between Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno, Pfaadt this year posted a 3.83 ERA, a number that is more impressive than it might appear considering the extreme hitter-friendly environments at both levels. Even better were Pfaadts strikeout totals: In 167 innings, he struck out 218 batters, the most in a minor-league season since 2001.

Just staying aggressive regardless of what the ballpark conditions are, just pitching your game, Pfaadt said when asked about his keys to the season. At the end of the day, not basing it on results, just going out and attacking the zone and trusting your ability.

Drafted in the fifth round in 2020 out of Bellarmine University in Kentucky, Pfaadt has quickly climbed through the Diamondbacks organization. He sits around 94 mph with his fastball  a pitch that is unique, evaluators say, because it has both carry and cutting action  and also throws a slider, change-up and curveball.

During his time in the organization, Pfaadt has been known as a strike-throwing machine, but he said his ability to vacate the zone helps explain his rise in strikeout totals this season. His 218 strikeouts were the most since New York Yankees left-hander Brandon Claussen struck out 220 hitters between High-A and Double-A in 2001.

There for a little bit I was throwing too many strikes, he said. It seems like a good thing, but at higher levels its not a good thing, especially with two strikes. We tried to keep honing in on (bullpen sessions) at leaving the zone with two strikes. I think that helped get more strikeouts.

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Pfaadt said he also made an adjustment this season in terms of how he deploys specific pitches, trying to throw a wider variety of pitches to hitters on both sides of the plate. Rather than limiting himself to sliders to righties and change-ups to lefties, he tried to throw both pitches to all hitters.

Despite his success, Pfaadt did not try to downplay the difficulty of pitching in such hitter-friendly places, calling it super hard for a pitcher. Nelson (5.43 ERA in Reno) and especially Jameson (6.95 ERA in Reno) struggled in the minors before enjoying early success in the majors. Pfaadt said a key for him has been not to pay too much attention to the results.

In Amarillo, you can give up four home runs and its still a good game, he said. Just learning that last year at the end, because thats kind of what happened, and then coming back this year and knowing the lessons I learned the year prior, and bringing it all together, thats kind of what benefitted me the most.

Because he was drafted just two years ago, Pfaadt does not yet need to be protected from the Rule 5 draft his winter. Were it a protection year, Pfaadt almost certainly would have made his big-league debut already.

Still, to make it this far this quickly, particularly for a pitcher who wasnt drafted out of a major college program, is unusual. As it stands, he figured to get a chance to open eyes in spring training next year and could push for a major league opportunity.

I feel like this is a good organization for me, Pfaadt said. Like everyone else is, Im just taking the opportunities that Im given and taking it one step at a time.

Pfaadt is scheduled to start for Reno on Friday in the Pacific Coast League championship game.

Short hop

The Arizona chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of American presented its annual awards at Chase Field on Sunday. Most valuable player went to first baseman Christian Walker and right-hander Zac Gallen was the most valuable pitcher. Outfielder Jake McCarthy was the rookie of the year, and catcher Carson Kelly was given the Good Guy Award, presented to the player who most fosters a positive relationship with the media.

Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or nick.piecoro@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks prospect Brandon Pfaadt honored for dominant season
More than 3 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet, according to the United Nations. High food prices and rising inflation across the globe are expected to increase this number.

Those living in low- and middle-income countries are especially vulnerable as they spend a larger share of their incomes on food. With climate change and conflict driving up the cost of living, nutritious food is moving out of reach for even more people.

At the same time, roughly a third of food produced for human consumption goes to waste each year globally. As the consequences of food waste on both the environment and food security mount, the world cannot afford to lose so much viable food. With the cost of living crisis in full swing, governments can make better use of food banks to address hunger and inefficient food systems.

Clarify 'best before' and 'use by' dates for food donors

Since 2020, food banks have seen an unprecedented need for food assistance. During the same period, many food banks are reporting as much as a 50% decrease in food donations. To fully enable food banks to reduce food insecurity, governments must implement policies that break down barriers to food donation, rather than hinder it.

U.N. secretary-general: Ukraine war threatens to push 1.7 billion people across the world into hunger and poverty

To start, governments should adopt date labeling laws on food that clearly differentiate quality-based and safety-based dates. In some cases, "best before" and "use by" dates are marked interchangeably by food production companies. However, a growing number of countries are passing laws to clarify that while the former provides a flexible limit for when food is no longer the best quality for customers, the latter is used on foods as a stricter limit to know when food is no longer safe to eat.

Fighting hunger: Biden must address Americans' urgent needs | Tackle food insecurity by taking local actions

Story continues

Confusion around these different date labels often leads to the disposal of perfectly good food. About 84% of Americans report that they throw away food near the date on the packaging due to safety concerns, regardless of date label type.

Clearer policy and education can help mitigate the confusion that arises around date labels. The United Kingdom, for instance, developed a detailed legal framework outlining the difference between "use by" and "best before" dates. Government guidance clearly states that foods past their "best before" date can still be donated to food banks. The government has also undertaken extensive education campaigns with food loss and waste organizations to reduce consumer confusion on date labeling.

People wait in line to receive food bank packages on July 15, 2022, in Oakland, Calif.

Liability protections and tax incentives for food donations

Another barrier to food donation is the concern of being held legally responsible if someone were to become ill from donated food. Consequently, many potential donors avoid contributing safe, wholesome food at all. To help overcome this, governments can provide comprehensive liability protection to donors and food banks for donations that meet all food safety laws.

The United States was the first country to offer liability protections for food donations, and its policy remains one of the strongest globally. The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act offers comprehensive national protection from civil and criminal liability for food donors, food banks, and other qualified nonprofit recovery and distribution organizations. Donations must be made in good faith to a nonprofit that works in food redistribution for those in need, they must meet safety standards, and the end recipients cannot be charged for the food.

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To ensure food banks have the donations they need to support their communities, governments should also implement tax incentives to encourage businesses and food producers to contribute safe food that would otherwise go to waste.

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Tax incentives can help alleviate the costs associated with donation  such as the time and money needed to recover, store and transport surplus food. Furthermore, corporate donors might be more likely to donate food instead of discarding it if there is a charitable tax credit or deduction policy in place. Governments can position food donation as an economically beneficial alternative, or even go a step further and restrict opportunities to write off discarded, safe food as a business loss if it could have been donated.

For example, Colombia offers a tax credit that allows donors to receive up to 25% of the value of their in-kind food donations. This is a significant allowance for businesses in the country, which are subject to some of the highest income tax rates in Latin America. Furthermore, donors in many countries are obligated to pay value-added taxes on donated food; in some cases, they also cannot claim a credit for VAT paid on donated food but can on discarded food. Colombia has removed this barrier, exempting VAT on donated foods.

Doug OBrien is vice president of programs for The Global FoodBanking Network.

Emily Broad Leib is director of the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic.

As was found in The Global Food Donation Policy Atlas, policies across the globe vary in their level of support to food banks. At best, they encourage donation and increase the flow of food to those in need. At worst, they dissuade individuals and businesses from donating safe, edible food and therefore increase food waste.

Though the cost of living crisis is top of mind now, hunger is also on the rise due to climate and conflict  both of which are set to impact food production long term. Food banks are ready on the front lines of many food insecure communities, but they need support.

As the international community gathers at the United Nations General Assembly, countries should enact policies that leverage food banks as a long-term solution to current and future food crises.

Doug OBrien is vice president of programs for The Global FoodBanking Network. Emily Broad Leib is director of the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic.

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Help food banks: How US, communities can make better use of them
The Boston Celtics have officially released their full training camp roster for the 2022-23 NBA season, with the team currently at a total of 20 players on it  the maximum allowed in an offseason per league rules.

The league has Celtics preseason exhibition games scheduled against the Charlotte Hornets (Sunday, Oct. 12 at 1 pm ET and Friday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 pm ET) and the Toronto Raptors (Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7:30 pm ET and Friday, Oct. 14 at 7 pm ET), with the last of the four friendlies scheduled to take place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as part of the NBA Canada series making a return.

Lets take a look at all of the players who will be on Bostons roster at the start of preseason play to kick off the month of October and a return to NBA basketball.

PHOTOS: Images captured from the Boston Celtics 2022-23 season Media Day https://t.co/GWJm6DopLH  The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 27, 2022

Malcolm Brogdon (regular contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Jaylen Brown (regular contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

JD Davison (two way contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Danilo Gallinari (regular contract)

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Hauser (regular contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Al Horford (regular contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Jackson (camp contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Mfiondu Kabengele (two way deal)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Luke Kornet (regular contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Layman (camp contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Payton Pritchard (regular contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Luka Samanic (camp contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Smart (regular contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Jayson Tatum (regular contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

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Brodric Thomas (camp contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Denzel Valentine (camp contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Noah Vonleh (camp contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Derrick White (regular contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Grant WIlliams (regular contract)

Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images

Robert Williams III (regular contract)

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Listen to the Celtics Lab podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire
Percival may be a small menswear brand based in the UK, but its made quite a splash in the past year. For their latest collab, Percival linked up with Champion on a collection called Bedfellows. The collection consists of classic reverse weave Champion sweats embroidered with floral motifs, birds and other nature-inspired imagery. Each piece playfully incorporates Champions distinctive C logo within the embroidery.

You dont have to know Percival to have seen the brand before. If youve so much as glanced at a red carpet in the past year, youve likely seen at least one Percival piece. Chris Evans wore a full-placket Percival polo. Tom Holland wears Percival, Paul Mescal wears Percival, Dwayne The Rock Johnson wears Percival. Every celebrity and their mother (or more likely, their stylist) is buying this lowkey British brand. Unlike a lot of celebrity favorites, however, Percival is decidedly more accessible. At between $150 and $250 for a knit polo, Percival isnt cheap, but the brands wares dont fetch for nearly what you might expect.

Today's Top Deals

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Beyond being approved by Hollywoods most stylish men, we like Percival because it makes a lot of pieces that fit in with trends weve been particularly excited about in the past year, namely knit polos that are inspired by the Talented Mr. Ripley look. For a UK-based brand, Percival does summer wares well. And now that were in fall, the brand has delivered the work jackets and sweats well be living in until warm weather swings around again.

Champion, on the other hand, barely needs an introduction. The American sportswear brand has been around for over 100 years and theyre best known for inventing the hoodie. Champion also developed reverse weave, a horizontal knitting technique that allows the sweats to resist shrinkage. Percival took classic Champion reverse weave pieces like sweatshirts, hoodies and sweatpants and embroidered them with everything from koi fish to root vegetables. It fits in with another low-key trend weve clocked, which is outdoorsy, nature-inspired graphics. If its too warm where you are for sweats, Percival also made some Champion t-shirts.

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percival champion lawrence schlossman

Menswear enthusiasts might also recognize the models Percival tapped to display the new collection. Lawrence Schlossman and James Harris of Throwing Fits (dubbed The Shock Jocks of Menswear by the New Yorker), wore the collection in the characteristically irreverent approach they take to style.

This is the third collaboration between Champion and Percival, and it follows Percivals nearly sold-out collaboration with Campari for Negroni week. The Champion pieces are manufactured in Vietnam and embroidered by Percival in the UK. Sweats and hoodies retail for $180, pants for $135 and tees for $68. Wed recommend acting fast, because the collection is limited, with many pieces selling out already. Check out our favorites below.

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Flights include some that were paused due to the pandemic.

Getty Images

Delta Air Lines is adding new flights, and resuming previously paused routes, throughout Europe in time for next summer.

The airline will add, resume, or increase service to nine routes from across the United States as well as fly its largest transatlantic schedule ever to New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to Delta. In addition to New York, the new routes will fly from Los Angeles International Airport and from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Next summer, Delta will give customers expanded access to popular destinations across the trans-Atlantic, continuing to solidify its position as the number-one carrier in New York, Delta's Senior Vice President of Network Planning Joe Esposito said in a statement. With nearly 620 weekly flights and connectivity to 32 destinations in Europe and beyond, customers will have a wealth of iconic destinations to explore and an unmatched journey to enjoy across the pond.

Starting on April 10, Delta will add service to London-Gatwick and Geneva from New York, marking the first time the airline has flown this route to the Swiss city since 1993. Then on May 25, Delta will resume daily service to Berlin from the Big Apple as well as increase service to Rome with a third seasonal flight.

In Atlanta, Delta will add service to Dusseldorf three times each week starting on May 9, a route the carrier is restarting after the pandemic. The airline will also restart service to Edinburgh on May 25 for the first time since 2007 and resume service to Stuttgart in Germany on March 26.

And in Los Angeles, Delta will resume flights to Paris on May 8 for the first time since before the pandemic and restart flights to London-Heathrow starting on March 25, a route the airline has not operated since 2015.

Delta, like many airlines, cut flights last summer in an effort to minimize disruptions amid widespread cancellations. But the airline has since announced several new routes, including two never-before-operated, nonstop routes from Atlanta to Cape Town and Los Angeles to Tahiti in December as well as a nonstop route from Atlanta to Tel Aviv in May 2023. Additionally, Delta will resume direct flights between Los Angeles and Tokyo on Oct. 30 and introduce a brand-new daily service between Honolulu and Tokyo on Dec. 1.

Delta has also extended all travel vouchers, allowing anyone who purchases any new ticket in 2022 to rebook that ticket through the end of 2023 and travel in 2024.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

The Pennsylvania Senate race has it all: crudites, allegations of carpetbagging, two outlandish, irregular political personalities going scorched-earth for one of the most competitive seats in the country.

And now, Republicans are pushing a not-so-subtle narrative that Democratic nominee John Fetterman supportsor maybe even has ties toa gang. The Crips, to be exact.

The Crips news cycle began after the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news site, published a piece Monday detailing Fettermans use of the Crips-favored spelling of Braddock, Pennsylvania, while running for mayor of the town in 2005. The gang used the spelling Braddocc: a moniker Fetterman used in some campaign messaging in an effort to reach younger voters in the run-down steel town.

After winning his first term, Fetterman also launched the website Braddocc.com as part of his revitalization plans for the town.

Over the years, Fetterman has addressed the mid-aughts strategy, saying it shouldnt be interpreted as glamorizing gangs.

During my campaign, I [used] Vote John Mayor of Braddocc and Vote John Mayor of Braddock the way its traditionally spelled, and the reason why I did that is because there are two Braddocks, and you have to acknowledge that, Fetterman said in a 2015 interview. We have to acknowledge that heres the Braddock that only young people know, the Braddock of despair and decline, and they grew up in an era when they never knew there were 14 furniture stores and three movie theaters.

But in the spirited campaign-cycle tradition of forgoing nuance, Republicans, including GOP Senate nominee Mehmet Oz, are digging in.

PA Democrat John Fetterman Embraced Spelling Of Braddock That Showed Fidelity To Notorious Crip Gang, Oz tweeted Tuesday, parroting a Breitbart headline on the subject. Hed posted the Washington Free Beacon article Monday.

Inside the Fetterman Campaigns Bizarre Bromance

Democrat John Fetterman has a dangerous record on public safety and crime. Voters know he can't be trusted to keep Pennsylvania safe, the official GOP account tweeted with a link to the Washington Free Beacon article.

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Why does John Fetterman have a sign hanging in his home with CRIPS graffitied on it? and the Republican National Committee chimed, pointing to a Historic Braddock sign that has the gangs name painted at the bottom. The Fetterman campaign says the sign is merely an artifact from the Braddock community.

The Fetterman-Crips messaging follows a rant from Fox News pundit Tucker Carlson last week questioning Fettermans forearm tattoos. Fettermans tattoos largely refer to his work in Braddockwith one section of tattoos detailing the dates of deaths by violence in the town.

But with the Crips front of mind for Republican spinsters, a tattoo on Fettermans arm reading I will make you hurt caught the attention of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R) this week. Though Gingrich served in Georgia, he is a Pennsylvania native.

Is Pennsylvania Democrat Fettermans tattoo I will make you hurt based on his ties to the Crips gang as reported by the Free Beacon or a reference to the nine inch nails heroin song Hurt. Fetterman wont answer questions, Gingrich tweeted.

But Fetterman campaign spokesperson Joe Calvello confirmed, as much of the internet suspected, that the tattoo is a reference to the 1994 Nine Inch Nails song Hurt, which has been covered by numerous popular musical artists including Johnny Cash and Leonna Lewis.

The Oz campaign did not respond to a request for comment on whether the television doctor earnestly believes Fetterman supports the Crips or other gangs, or whether he believes Fetterman has ties to the Crips. The Oz campaign, like many Republican operatives this cycle, has tried to paint Fetterman as weak on crime.

But Calvello told The Daily Beast the conservative-led Crips narrative is absolute bottom-of-the-barrel bullshit. Like, you can see how desperate these guys are getting.

This is what theyre reaching to and its frankly embarrassing, Calvello said. He added that under John, crips in Braddock were taken off the street and put in jail.

Terry Madonna, director of the Franklin & Marshall College poll and an expert on Keystone State politics, said the attacks on Fetterman run up against the brick wall of his 68, well-established brand as someone who does not present himself as a normal politician.

I dont see that as overly relevant, to be honest with you, Madonna said of the tattoo line of attack. Because Fetterman embraces it.

You can disagree with the way the guy dresses if you want, but its who the guy is, and hes comfortable that way, the pollster told The Daily Beast later on. Ive been following the campaign pretty closely, and it does not come up that this turns people off.

The Crips messaging also doesnt necessarily translate 300 miles away in Philadelphia, where Oz recently canvassed the citys Kensington and Germantown neighborhoods to talk about crime, gun violence, and drug addiction.

George Mosee, the executive director for the Philadelphia Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network, noted that gangs in The City of Brotherly Love are highly localized, and that national ones like the Bloods and Crips havent had a visible presence in the city compared to Braddock.

What we dont have are the Crips and the Bloods on a large scale basis, Mosee told The Daily Beast, and for that reason we dont have affiliations that are actually marked by tattoos, clothingto a large extent, that just doesnt happen in Philadelphia.

In Trumpworld, longtime ally and former Health and Human Services spokesperson Michael Caputo said the latest line of attacks are an example of the Oz campaign trying to fight fire with fireor shitposting with shitpostingin response to the Fetterman campaigns more unconventional online tactics.

I take it as the Oz campaign tipping their social media hats to the singular weirdness of the Fetterman campaign, Caputo told The Daily Beast. In the theater of the absurd, weird is king.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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While mention of photographer Alexi Lubomirski conjures up Prince Harrys and Meghan Markles wedding (he took the couples official engagement photos) or family, one of his latest projects was chronicling the drought and human suffering in Kenya.

Earlier this month, Lubomirski spent eight days shooting there for the nonprofit Concern Worldwides year-end appeal titled Unite to Fight Hunger. The New York-based creative has supported the nonprofit for years. So many wells have dried up in the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia) that many are having to rely on new wells that only supply salt water. Lubomirski noted that salt water causes rickets, diarrhea and other health problems.

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As a Concern ambassador, he said, But the devastation is avoidable. It can be helped by donations. The trouble is that, at the moment, so many donations have been diverted to the Ukrainian effort that the Horn of Africa is operating on only 13 percent of the funds that it actually needs.

An estimated 18.4 million people are acutely food insecure in the Horn of Africa, and the Ukraine crisis continues to spike global wheat prices and is causing the international community to redirect humanitarian support to the Ukraine, according to United Nations research. As millions are dealing with the global food crisis, climate catastrophes and rampant conflict, Concern estimates that a person dies of hunger every four seconds. The organization aims to raise $3 million to support its programs in 25 countries that are trying to eliminate hunger and malnutrition.

Lubomirskis photographs will be used for the Concern Global Gala, public relations and marketing to raise awareness and attract new audiences.

It was a fascinating project to create this whole campaign, the fashion and portrait photographer said. The idea of trying to use the skills he has learned from trying to sell people lipstick, clothes and stuff to try to sell this idea that we have to help our brothers and sisters all over the world appealed to him.

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The campaigns concept is May you as photographs of suffering are paired with such sayings as May you never have to bury your child, or May your children have enough food to eat.

Separately, Lubomirski has released a childrens book that will support Concern. Available now, What Are Words, Really? was illustrated by the Pura Belpre Honor-winning Carlos Aponte, and has been published by Candlewick Press. Lubomirski has written a parenting book and another childrens book, as well as published books of his photography. The idea for What Are Words, Really? sprang from an early 2020 conversation Lubomirski and Aponte had about how politicians at that time were descending into name-calling without having any qualms about using speech in the most negative way and the potential for that to harm children, Lubomirski said. Shocked and disheartened by that, they set out to create a book that highlighted the power of words to help or hinder youngsters.

The most obvious examples are two four-letter words  love and hate,' Lubomirski said. its just about putting positivity out into the world instead of negativity.

While the book is geared toward children between the ages of 8 and 9, the hope is that parents who read the book will consider what they say and how they say things, the photographer said. Making the point that how individuals speak of themselves impacts self empowerment, he said the book offers a can-do attitude rather than a self-defeating one. All of Lubomirskis proceeds from the book will benefit Concern Worldwide.

Alexi Lubomirski

The lensman is working on another book that will recap a 20-year run in the industry through his celebrity portraiture that is due out in March or April of next year. Royal watchers might be interested to know that his most recent family photo with Prince Harry and Markle was the family photo with their children Archie and Lilibet that was released earlier this year. As for the monarchys changing state, he said, Its fascinating to see peoples reaction in England, who werent staunch royalists, are so deeply affected by the queens work, her devotion to the country and her lifelong service. People who didnt swing either way suddenly feel this massive loss in their life because the queen had been such a constant for them through their whole lives.

As for the current state of fashion photography, Lubomirski was enthusiastic about how the gates are finally being opened to so many people who previously had been kept outside in favor of a set group of photographers, stylists and models. Now there are so many more people, which makes it so much more interesting. There are so many more points of view and stories to tell.

However, unlike in years past, the appreciation for details in campaign photographs  the set design, the grain of the picture, the coloring process and all these beautiful things  have ebbed, Lubomirski said.

Now our canvas is our telephone. You have this ability to swipe so easily, he said. Unfortunately, I feel a lot of quality has definitely gone down because theres no need for the quality any more. Quality takes time and funds  not just time to create it, but time to appreciate it. With social media being our main source for seeing fashion photography, [most people are] not going to care about a beautiful detail in the back of a picture. Its about that instantaneous reaction that you get [with] an image and then you swipe on.

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(Bloomberg) -- A US government funding bill was stripped of an effort to speed up the federal approval process for energy projects, dealing a major setback to efforts to fast-track the approval of energy infrastructure including a stalled $6.6 billion natural gas pipeline.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday he agreed to a request by Senator Joe Manchin to remove permitting reform language from the stopgap government spending bill after it became clear the measure didnt have the votes needed to advance. In a vote immediately after the decision was announced, the bill had enough support to advance in the Senate.

It is unfortunate that members of the United States Senate are allowing politics to put the energy security of our nation at risk, Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia who had proposed the energy provision, said in a statement. A failed vote on something as critical as comprehensive permitting reform only serves to embolden leaders like Putin who wish to see America fail.

Talks on how to advance the measure before the end of the year will continue, Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor.

Manchins proposal would have required federal agencies to approve and issue all permits necessary for the construction of Equitrans Midstream Corp.s stalled Mountain Valley pipeline within 30 days. Construction on the 303-mile (488-kilometer) conduit, which crosses Manchins home state, has been stalled after a federal court in January rejected a permit to cross a national forest following a challenge by environmentalists.

Shares of Equitrans dropped 4.2% in after-market trading in New York.

Manchins bill would also have put a two-year time goal on environmental reviews for large energy projects and one year for smaller ones. In addition, the legislation would be allow the president to designate a list of at least 25 high-priority energy infrastructure projects for which permitting would be prioritized and expected the approval process for electricity transmission projects for far flung renewable energy projects that benefited from Democrats recently passed climate package.

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The bill received pushback from Republicans, who saw the proposed permitting reform as political payback for the senators vote on the spending bill, and from Democrats who said it would roll back key environmental protections. Environmental groups also cheered the withdrawal.

While the campaign against polluting oil and gas is far from over, this repudiation of Senator Manchins so-called permitting reform bill marks a huge victory against dirty energy  and also against dirty backroom Washington dealmaking, Wenonah Hauter, the executive director of Food & Water Watch said.

(Updates with remarks from environmental group in last paragraph)

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2022 Bloomberg L.P.
A 38-year-old auto repair business owner on Tuesday became the first Capitol riot defendant from Western New York to be sentenced to jail.

Daniel Warmus of Alden was sentenced to 45 days in custody to be followed by 24 months of probation for his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, when he was among the first wave of rioters to breach the U.S. Capitol.

But it was as much his actions since his guilty plea on May 23 to a misdemeanor riot charge that prompted U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman to incarcerate Warmus.

"His conduct since he pled guilty does not show remorse, does not show he learned his lesson, does not show he knows boundaries," Friedman said. "His conduct over the last six months, while on pretrial supervision, is a threat to the community."

Prosecutors have pointed out that while on pretrial release, Warmus publicly posted videos of himself confronting police officers at police stations and local government officials at government buildings over the right to film inside the buildings. His YouTube channel has more than 40,000 subscribers. Prosecutors noted the harassing emails and even a death threat that Rochester City Hall received after the publicly available contact information for its corporation counsel's office was included in one of his "Auditing Erie County" videos.

Incarceration sought for Alden man showing no 'meaningful contrition' for Capitol breach "(Daniel) Warmus has yet to show any meaningful contrition for his conduct on Jan. 6, 2021," the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington said in a recent court filing.

"What the defendant does on his YouTube channel is he conducts what he calls audits of law enforcement and local city government buildings, ostensibly for the purpose of auditing the local government's response to expression of First Amendment rights," said Kathryn E. Fifield, a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. "What the defendant is actually doing in these videos is engaging with law enforcement and local government officials and turning those engagements into confrontations.

"He's recording, he's engaging with law enforcement officers," she said. "He's going so far as to agitate these officers, escalate things into a confrontation and then call to his followers to address these First Amendment infractions by police and local government.

"The fact the defendant engages in this conduct while he's on pretrial release, while he's under supervision, shows brazen disrespect for the court, for law, for law enforcement and completely dispels the notion the defendant is a changed man or has reflected on his actions of Jan. 6," she said.

The judge called the videos a "significant aggravating factor" that contributed to the sentence of incarceration.

"When somebody puts out a video or a tweet or whatever ... you know, you've got crazy followers," the judge said.

Others pick up on what gets posted, the judge said.

"You know what you're doing when you do that," he said.

The previous Capitol riot defendants from Western New York who entered guilty pleas  all sentenced to probation and all but one also to home detention  expressed remorse during their court cases.

Before Tuesday's sentencing, prosecutors noted Warmus hadn't apologized, saying in their court papers that "Warmus has yet to show any meaningful contrition for his conduct on Jan. 6, 2021."

During his sentencing hearing, Warmus offered an effusive apology for his conduct on Jan. 6.

"Looking back to the events of Jan. 6, I realize I made one of the poorest decisions of my life when I decided to enter the building," he said. "Due to my poor choice, I found myself going down in history on the wrong side.

"The truth is I am sorry for taking part in Jan. 6," he said. "I definitely do feel like I owe the American people an apology because of the poor image I helped portray on the country that day. I was not really sure how to or when to, but sitting here at sentencing I have the first chance to speak to the court and my fellow Americans. I'd like to formally say that I am sorry. I'm sorry for the stain on the country that I helped leave."

Warmus did not bring up his YouTube videos during his remarks at the hearing.

But defense attorney Daniel J. DuBois stressed to the judge that Warmus has not been arrested and charged for anything related to the videos, adding that prosecutors did not mention the videos that showed positive interactions with the police and local government officials.

"To state that Mr. Warmus is out there causing all kinds of harm and violating the rules, it's just not true," DuBois said.

"Is it something that I suggest to him he continue? Of course not," DuBois said. "But he's not breaking the law and in his mind he's doing a service."

Capitol surveillance footage revealed Warmus was among the first wave of rioters to breach the U.S. Capitol, and he spent some 16 minutes extensively recording video inside the building, including recording the screaming, pushing and pulling, and assaults by other rioters who ultimately overcame officers guarding a rotunda entryway, federal prosecutors say.

Warmus had pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

While on the Capitol grounds, Warmus was wearing a black hoodie sweatshirt that said CNN is fake news, and he carried a black flag that, in large, white block letteat included a crude epithet next to the word antifa.

The government's court filing listed why it pushed for incarceration:

Warmus was in the first wave of rioters to breach the Capitol on its west side, and was among the first rioters to reach the rotunda.

During his 15 minutes inside the Capitol, Warmus extensively recorded events, including the first breach of the east rotunda doors.

After witnessing and recording the first breach of the east rotunda doors, Warmus made a waving gesture toward the doors as if encouraging other rioters to assist in the breach.

Warmus evaded a Capitol police officers attempt to detain him, and Warmus remained in the building following this interaction with police.

Warmus appears to have deleted all Jan. 6 content from his cellphone.

While on pretrial release, Warmus has publicly posted videos of himself harassing police officers to the point of trying to break into police cruisers  and, more generally, Warmus has yet to show any meaningful contrition for his conduct on Jan. 6.

Warmus entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing Door at approximately 2:17 p.m., within five minutes of the initial breach. He was among the first rioters to reach the rotunda at 2:24 p.m.

At one point, he picked up an unknown black object that looks like a hat and put it on one of the statues in the rotunda, according to court papers. Warmus exited the rotunda around 2:28 p.m. and headed back to the Senate Wing Door, where he exited the building at around 2:33 p.m.

In court papers, the defense said a mob mentality took hold of the Alden man on Jan. 6.

But the prosecutor scoffed at that notion.

"He had multiple opportunities to turn around, and he proceeded again and again," Fifield said.

The defense stressed that Warmus did not damage property, assault police or engage in any violence, calling that a mitigating factor.

But the prosecution saw his calm demeanor inside the Capitol differently.

"One of the things that is chilling to me when I watched the (surveillance) video, for a lot of these misdemeanor defendants, they are in the midst of chaos," Fifield said. "There is screaming. There is glass breaking. The alarms. A lot of these folks are meandering around in the Capitol as if they are on a tour. If you are calm and meandering around the Capitol in the midst of utter chaos, not turning around ... that to me is aggravating."
MONTREAL, Sept. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - The war in Ukraine has had devastating impacts on its people, transportation infrastructure and critical trade routes for a range of goods, affecting the safety, security, and prosperity of Ukrainian citizens.

Today, during the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s 41st Assembly, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, met with the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, the Ambassador of Ukraine and officials from the Railway Association of Canada (RAC), to identify areas of collaborative rail assistance to Ukraine.

Following this discussion, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ukraine , Ukraine's National Railway, Ukraliznytsia, and RAC, on behalf of Canadian railways including CP, and CN established a working group to support the reconstruction of Ukrainian transportation infrastructure and the resiliency of Ukraine's rail infrastructure.

Key objectives of the working group include:

Supporting the rebuild of rail sector infrastructure ;

Maximizing rail capacity ;

Working with the Canadian rail industry to implement core objectives and expertise ;

Analyzing challenges to the movement of Ukrainian export-ready commodities by rail; and

Attempting to identify practical solutions with government and industry allies.

Based on the significant experience and expertise of CP, CN and other Canadian railways in transporting large quantities of commodities and operating a world-class freight rail system, the railways will provide input, guidance and recommendations in support of transportation-specific issues.

Quotes

"As a key ally and partner to the Ukrainian reconstruction efforts, the Government of Canada will leverage broader industry and supply chain partnerships that can help inform decisions on freight commodity movements by rail. Together with our industry partners, we will ensure the continued movement of people and crucial commodities and products that are vital to supporting the wellness and livelihoods of Ukrainians."

The Honourable Omar Alghabra

Minister of Transport

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"Canada's railways deliver reliably over more than 42,000 kilometres of track -- as they have through two world wars and other major world events since Confederation. Overcoming logistical and other challenges, Canadian railroaders never shy away from stepping up in times of need and working together for the good of all. Our member railways have deep talent pools and a breadth of expertise to bring to bear in helping Ukrainians get food, energy, and other goods to market at this incredibly difficult time."

Marc Brazeau

President and CEO, Railway Association of Canada

Quick Facts

RAC represents approximately 60 freight and passenger railway companies, including a growing number of industrial railways and railway supply companies. RAC will leverage available resources and knowledge within the rail sector.

ICAO is a United Nations (UN) specialized agency that works with its 193 Member States to set and audit safety, security, emissions, navigation, and facilitation standards to shape and improve international air operations.

As Host Country, Canada works to provide the necessary support to ICAO and its diplomatic community. In doing so, Canada works closely with the City of Montreal, the Province of Quebec and the Secretariat of ICAO to ensure the organization continues to thrive in Montreal.

The ICAO Assembly is the Organization's sovereign body. It meets at least once every three years in Montreal and is convened by ICAO's governing body, the Council. The Assembly establishes ICAO's priorities for the upcoming three years.

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Minister Alghabra and Minister Joly look ahead to 41st ICAO Assembly

Associated Links

Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca . Subscribe to e-news or stay connected through Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Instagram to keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada.

This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons living with visual disabilities.

SOURCE Transport Canada

Cision

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2022/28/c6628.html
Including 21.3 g/t Gold, 25 g/t Silver, 0.55% Copper and 10.7% Zinc over 6.8 meters

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, September 28, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HighGold Mining Inc. (TSX-V:HIGH, OTCQX:HGGOF) ("HighGold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results from six (6) additional drill holes testing the new Ellis Zone at the Difficult Creek Prospect ("DC"), located four (4) km northeast of the Companys 1.05 Moz indicated at 9.4 g/t gold equivalent ("AuEq") JT Deposit (3.0 g/t AuEq cut-off grade). Difficult Creek is one of several district-scale prospects being explored by HighGold on the Johnson Tract project ("Johnson Tract", "JT" or the "Project") in Southcentral Alaska, USA.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005296/en/

Figure 1. Johnson Tract Project  DC Prospect  Ellis Zone Plan Map with Drill Hole Locations (Graphic: Business Wire)

Ongoing diamond drilling continues to focus on the Ellis Zone where step-out drilling on 25 meter centres has returned strong mineralization west and down-dip of recently released hole DC22-043 with 21.68 g/t Au, 30 g/t Ag, 0.61% Cu, 4.20% Zn over 11.9 meters (See HighGold press release dated September 12, 2022). The new intersections have expanded the footprint of the wide, high-grade Ellis Zone mineralization by nearly 50% and the zone remains open in all directions.

Drill Highlights of the Ellis Zone, DC Prospect

Drillhole DC22-046

14.8m @ 10.14 g/t Au, 13.8 g/t Ag, 0.28% Cu, 5.97% Zn (14.3 g/t AuEq) including 6.8m @ 21.29 g/t Au, 25.1 g/t Ag, 0.55% Cu, 0.61% Pb, 10.70% Zn (28.7 g/t AuEq) including 1.5m @ 62.50 g/t Au, 10.5 g/t Ag, 0.77% Cu, 0.59% Pb, 10.59% Zn (70.0 g/t AuEq)



Drillhole DC22-045

35.2m @ 4.2 g/t Au, 6.1 g/t Ag, 0.12% Cu, 1.40% Pb, 3.19% Zn (6.7 g/t AuEq) including 1.9m @ 12.95 g/t Au, 37.7 g/t Ag, 13.51% Pb, 31.42% Zn (36.2 g/t AuEq), and 13.3m @ 7.81 g/t Au, 6.4 g/t Ag, 0.23% Cu, 1.31% Pb, 2.35% Zn (10.0 g/t AuEq)



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Drillhole DC22-044

20.3m @ 1.72 g/t Au, 5.6 g/t Ag, 0.14% Cu, 1.46% Zn (2.9 g/t AuEq), in hole DC22-044, including 2.0m @ 8.34 g/t Au, 8.9 g/t Ag, 0.41% Cu, 4.00% Zn (11.5 g/t AuEq)



"The Ellis Zone discovery continues to deliver excellent results with some of the strongest and widest intersections to date coming from the western limit of our drilling," commented Darwin Green, CEO. "We are very encouraged by the persistence of the Ellis Zone mineralization along strike and plan to keep stepping out in all directions as we continue expanding the known extents of the zone. While still very early days, it appears we are well on our way to defining a second deposit at Johnson Tract to compliment the existing high-grade +1Moz JT Deposit mineral resource that is also open to expansion."

Discussion of DC Prospect and Ellis Zone Drill Results

The DC Prospect is located four (4) kilometers northeast of the JT Deposit and is characterized by a series of large gossan alteration zones similar in style to the +1Moz AuEq JT Deposit that collectively extend over a 1.5 km x 3.0 km area in a broad northeasterly trend. Gold mineralization and pervasive clay/anhydrite alteration are preferentially developed within dacitic to rhyolitic fragmental rocks that are capped by a shallowly-dipping sequence of lesser altered andesite volcanics that are host to a gold- and silver-rich epithermal vein field at higher elevations. The widespread extent of mineralization exposed in erosional windows through the capping andesite supports potential for a large and partially blind mineralized system linking the various DC Prospect zones together over a strike length of 3 km. Drilling in late 2021 resulted in the discovery of near-surface bonanza-grade mineralization, which returned 577.9 g/t Au and 2,023 g/t Ag over 6.40 meters in hole DC21-010. Subsequent geological modeling during the off-season inferred an east-west striking, steeply north-dipping trend to the mineralization that became the focus for the initial 2022 drill program at what is now referred to as the Ellis Zone.

To date, a total of 36 drill holes for 4,935 meters have been completed at the Ellis Zone since the start of the summer season. Todays news release includes assay results for six (6) new holes, bringing the total number of holes released to date to 14. Drill hole lengths typically range from 75 to 150 meters and have been completed as fans of holes in a close-spaced 12.5 to 25-meter grid pattern with the objective of further refining the geometry, geological controls, and grade distribution of this promising new mineralized zone. Mineralogy, veining and alteration are similar to the main JT Deposit, located four (4) km to the southwest, which has been defined from surface to a vertical depth of more than 300 meters, over a strike length of 600 meters and has an average true thickness of 40m.

Drilling to date has now defined the Ellis Zone mineralization over a strike length of approximately 125 meters and from surface to a depth of 100 meters with an average true thickness of 10 to 15 meters. An apparent shallow plunge to the southwest is now defined by thickest and the highest-grade intercepts. The Ellis Zone remains open along strike and at depth and drilling continues to step-out along to the east and west in ever increasing increments as confidence in the geological model improves.

Details of the locations of 2022 drill holes completed so far can be found in Figures 1 and 2 with key assay intersections displayed in Table 1.

2022 Exploration Program Update

The 2022 Drilling and Exploration Program includes diamond drilling (two rigs), geological mapping, geochemical sampling, airborne drone-magnetic geophysical surveying, preliminary environmental and engineering baseline studies, and general JT camp improvements. Drilling is expected to wrap up in mid to late-October with a total of 10,000 to 11,000 meters completed. To September 23rd, a total of 8,230 meters have been completed in 47 holes (36 at the DC prospect, six (6) at the Milkbone prospect, one (1) at the Kona prospect, and four (4) at the JT Deposit area). For the remainder of the drill program one drill rig will continue to focus on expanding the Ellis Zone while the second drill rig will test important resource growth targets at the main JT Deposit, one of the other core priorities for the 2022 drill season. Assays results will be released on an ongoing basis pending review and meeting Company quality assurance-quality control protocols.

Table 1. Johnson Tract Project  DC Prospect - Ellis Zone - Significant Assay Intersections

Drill Hole From To Length Au Ag Cu Pb Zn AuEq (meters) (meters) (meters) (g/t) (g/t) % % % (g/t) DC22-029 31.3 32.6 1.3 6.10 6.5 0.01 0.02 0.04 6.2 DC22-031 29.2 34.3 5.1 0.31 6.7 0.03 0.10 0.23 0.6 DC22-032 28.0 30.6 2.6 0.24 3.2 0.10 0.59 1.96 1.7 And 51.1 55.6 4.5 0.26 10.2 0.11 0.90 2.56 2.3 DC22-044 46.4 66.7 20.3 1.72 5.6 0.14 0.18 1.46 2.9 Incl 52.8 54.8 2.0 8.34 8.9 0.41 0.44 4.00 11.4 DC22-045 4.6 57.1 52.5 2.95 5.5 0.10 1.01 2.38 4.9 Incl 9.1 44.3 35.2 4.20 6.1 0.12 1.40 3.19 6.7 Incl 9.1 11.0 1.9 12.95 37.7 0.08 13.51 31.42 36.2 Incl 30.0 43.3 13.3 7.81 6.4 0.23 1.31 2.35 10.0 DC22-046 56.0 70.8 14.8 10.14 13.8 0.28 0.46 5.97 14.3 Incl 56.0 65.7 9.7 15.34 20.0 0.42 0.60 8.58 21.3 Incl 57.5 64.3 6.8 21.29 25.1 0.55 0.61 10.70 28.7 Incl 57.5 59.0 1.5 62.50 10.5 0.77 0.59 10.50 70.0

True thickness for the reported intersections estimated at 50% to 90% of reported width. Gold Equivalent ("AuEq") based on assumed metal prices of US$1650/oz for Au, US$20/oz for Ag, US$3.50/lb for Cu, US$1.00/lb for Pb and US$1.50/lb for Zn and payable metal recoveries of 97% for Au, 85% for Ag, 85% Cu, 72% Pb and 92% Zn.

About the Johnson Tract Gold Project

Johnson Tract is a polymetallic (gold, copper, zinc, silver, lead) project located near tidewater, 125 miles (200 kilometers) southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, USA. The 21,000-acre property includes the high-grade Johnson Tract Deposit ("JT Deposit") and at least nine (9) other mineral prospects over a 12-kilometer strike length. HighGold acquired the Project through a lease agreement with Cook Inlet Region, Inc. ("CIRI"), one of 12 land-based Alaska Native regional corporations created by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. CIRI is owned by more than 9,100 shareholders who are primarily of Alaska Native descent.

Mineralization at Johnson Tract occurs in Jurassic intermediate volcaniclastic rocks and is characterized as epithermal-type with submarine volcanogenic attributes. The JT Deposit is a thick, steeply dipping silicified body averaging 40m true thickness that contains a stockwork of quartz-sulphide veinlets and brecciation, cutting through and surrounded by a widespread zone of anhydrite alteration. The Footwall Copper Zone is located structurally and stratigraphically below JT Deposit and is characterized by copper-silver rich mineralization.

The JT Deposit hosts an Indicated Resource of 3.489 Mt grading 9.39 g/t gold equivalent ("AuEq") comprised of 5.33 g/t Au, 6.0 g/t Ag, 0.56% Cu, 0.67% Pb and 5.21% Zn. The Inferred Resource of 0.706 Mt grading 4.76 g/t AuEq is comprised of 1.36 g/t Au, 9.1 g/t Ag, 0.59% Cu, 0.30% Pb, and 4.18% Zn. For additional details see NI 43-101 Technical Report titled "Updated Mineral Resource Estimate and NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Johnson Tract Project, Alaska," dated August 25, 2022 (effective date of July 12, 2022) authored by Ray C. Brown, James N. Gray, P.Geo. and Lyn Jones, P.Eng. Gold Equivalent ("AuEq") is based on assumed metal prices and payable metal recoveries of 97% for Au, 85% for Ag, 85% Cu, 72% Pb and 92% Zn from metallurgical testwork completed in 2022. Assumed metal prices for the Resource are US$1650/oz for gold (Au), US$20/oz for silver (Ag), US$3.50/lb for copper (Cu), US$1.00/lb for lead (Pb), and US$1.50/lb for zinc (Zn).

Prior to HighGold, the Project was last explored in the mid-1990s by a mid-tier mining company that evaluated direct shipping material from Johnson to the Premier Mill near Stewart, British Columbia.

About HighGold

HighGold is a mineral exploration company focused on high-grade gold projects located in North America. HighGolds flagship asset is the high-grade Johnson Tract Gold (Zn-Cu) Project located in accessible Southcentral Alaska, USA. The Company also controls one of the largest junior gold miner land positions in the Timmins, Ontario gold camp. This includes the Munro-Croesus Gold property, which is renowned for its high-grade mineralization, and the large Golden Mile and Golden Perimeter properties. HighGolds experienced Board and senior management team, are committed to creating shareholder value through the discovery process, careful allocation of capital, and environmentally/socially responsible mineral exploration.

Ian Cunningham-Dunlop, P.Eng., Senior VP Exploration for HighGold Mining Inc. and a qualified person ("QP") as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release.

On Behalf of HighGold Mining Inc.

"Darwin Green"

President & CEO

Additional Notes :

Starting azimuth, dip and final length (Azimuth/-Dip/Length) for the six drill holes reported today are noted as follows: DC22-029 (180/50/50.2m), DC22-031 (180/48/76.7m), DC22-032 (180/51/73.7m), DC22-044 (180/85/95.4m), DC22-045 (230/45/132.8m), and DC22-046 (245/70/126.3m).

Samples of drill core were cut by a diamond blade rock saw, with half of the cut core placed in individual sealed polyurethane bags and the remaining half of the cut core placed back in the original core box for permanent storage, on site. Sample lengths range from a minimum 0.5-meter to a maximum 2.0-meter interval, with an average sample length of 1.0 to 1.5 meter.

The half-cut core samples are then dried for 1-2 days at 50-60 degrees Celsius, crushed to 2mm (>70%) and pulverized to 75 microns (>85%) at the Companys new onsite sample preparation facility. The preparation facility was designed under the guidance of expert third party consultant, Dr. Barry Smee, P.Geo. Sample pulps are individually packaged in paper envelopes and weigh approximately 250 grams each, the sample pulps are then placed inside security-strapped plastic totes in batches of 80-100 samples per tote with each tote weighing about 22-23 kilograms. The samples are then shipped by air freight directly to ALS Geochemistry Analytical Lab facility in North Vancouver, BC for analysis.

Gold is determined by fire-assay fusion of a 50-gram sub-sample with atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Samples that return values >10 ppm gold from fire assay and AAS are determined by using fire assay and a gravimetric finish. Various metals including silver, gold, copper, lead and zinc are analyzed by inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) atomic emission spectroscopy, following multi-acid digestion. The elements copper, lead and zinc are determined by ore grade assay for samples that return values >10,000 ppm by ICP analysis. Silver is determined by ore grade assay for samples that return >100 ppm. ALS Geochemistry meets all requirements of International Standards ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015. ALS Global operates according to the guidelines set out in ISO/IEC Guide 25.

The Company maintains a robust QAQC program that includes the collection and analysis of duplicate samples and the insertion of blanks and standards (certified reference material). The Companys database and QAQC data have been audited by two independent, external experts, Chris Brown of Oriented Target Solutions LLC and Barry Smee of Smee and Associated Consulting Ltd

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.

Forward looking statements: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively "forward looking statements"). Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Companys further 2022 drill plans and future results at the Johnson Tract Project are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Companys expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005296/en/

Contacts

For further information, please visit the HighGold Mining Inc. website at www.highgoldmining.com, or contact:

Darwin Green, President & CEO or Naomi Nemeth, VP Investor Relations

Phone: 1-604-629-1165 or North American toll-free 1-855-629-1165

Email: information@highgoldmining.com.

Website: www.highgoldmining.com

Twitter : @HighgoldMining
Photo credit: Tatiana Soares / EyeEm - Getty Images

'Tis the most wonderful time of the year!

(Record scratch) Wait, but when exactly is it again? Ree Drummond's definition of winter basically revolves around Christmas. "Winter means figuring out which Christmas cookies to make, searching for the perfect gifts, picking out the best tree on the lot, making (and delivering) cinnamon rolls to friends and neighborsthe works!" While she has a lot on her plate, Ree has one definitive rule when it comes to December: A Christmas tree should not go up until at least the second week of December. Noted!

Okay, everyone gears up for the holidays at different times, but it seems like the Christmas spirit is felt earlier and earlier each year. Some brands like Walmart offer holiday shopping deals beginning in October. Your favorite Christmas songs might even pop up on the radio around Thanksgiving! The whole thing might make you wonder, when is Christmas and why is it celebrated in December in the first place? Well, we got curious too. Read on to find out why December is the gift-giving holiday and what day of the week Christmas falls on this year.

Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25?

Photo credit: Rebecca Nelson - Getty Images

Surprise, surprisethere is no mention of December 25 in the bible. In fact, it doesn't mention a specific time or date for Jesus' birth at all! December was already a significant month prior to Christianity, as many groups celebrated the winter solstice and the return of longer days. The Romans notably observed Juvenalia on December 25, which was a feast to honor the children of Rome and the infant god Mithra.

Early Christians eventually believed Jesus was born January 6, since that aligned with the assumed date of his crucifixion. This meant that the 25th was considered a pagan day and the 6th a Christian one.

So, why did it all change? You can thank Pope Julius I for that! In the fourth century, Julius I chose December 25 as the official date to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It's commonly believed that he chose this date to help adopt and absorb the pagan festivals that occurred during the same time and thus attract the masses to Christmas instead. (Note that Juvenalia was a celebration of children!)

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By the sixth century, the "Feast of the Nativity," as it was first called, spread widely in England and Germany. While it was initially a raucous celebration, Americans reinvented Christmas as a day centered on family, peace, and nostalgia.

What day of the week is Christmas this year?

Photo credit: Sally Anscombe - Getty Images

Much like Thanksgiving, the actual day of the week that we celebrate changes each year: Christmas Eve falls on Sunday, December 24, and Christmas Day falls on Saturday, December 25 in 2022.

January 6 now marks the day that the wise men arrived in Bethlehem, so the intervening period is known as the 12 days of Christmas!

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Billy Trudsoe thought Gordon Ramsay was tough, then he met Ian.

The "Hell's Kitchen" contestant has canceled the watch party he'd planned for Season 21 of the Fox reality cooking battle, which debuts Thursday.

"Now, we're just hoping we're going to have power to watch it," the Melbourne chef said.

Trudsoe, who moved to Melbourne from Upstate New York two years ago, said he's been living "Hell's Kitchen" for 14 months now. He applied to be on the show in July 2021, and taped in early 2022.

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Photos: Hurricane Ian impacts in Brevard, scenes from Wednesday, Sept. 28

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He had to keep his participation under wraps until about three weeks ago when Fox began promoting this season's "Battle of the Ages," which pits 20-something chefs against 40-something chefs. At 40, Trudsoe is one of the experienced Blue Team chefs.

"You keep this secret for so long, and it's a tough secret to keep," he said.

Billy Trudsoe, who lives in downtown Melbourne, is a chef on the 21st season of the Fox culinary battle, "Hell's Kitchen." The first episode airs at 8 p.m. Sept. 29.

He was excited about sharing his experience with family, friends and fans of the show.

He had planned a Thursday evening watch party at the Landing Rooftop at Hotel Melby in downtown Melbourne, with a DJ, a videographer and giveaways.

"I bought a ton of merchandise, promo stuff and giveaways," he said.

About 75 people from New York were set to attend, but their flights were canceled. He was expecting another 100 from the Space Coast to attend.

The road to 'Hell's Kitchen': Melbourne chef competes on Gordan Ramsay cooking show

"I got the phone call from the Melby yesterday," he said Wednesday morning. "I'm super devastated over it," he said. "You try to be well-organized, and Mother Nature just clubs you."

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At least he won't spend Thursday night alone. He and wife Ivana will be joined by his stepfather, who drove to Melbourne. His brother flew in Tuesday night, and an aunt and uncle have evacuated to Melbourne from Bradenton.

"I may be the only contestant in the history of 'Hell's Kitchen' who can't even watch his debut on TV," he said.

"Hell's Kitchen" airs at 8 p.m. Thursday on Fox.

Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at sleonard@floridatoday.com. Find her on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard

Support local journalism: Find offers for new subscribers here: Special Offers  USATodayNetwork.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Billy Trudsoe faced Gordon Ramsay in 'Hell's Kitchen; now faced with Ian
Many Firsts But Dont Be Last  12 new teams start their journey on THE AMAZING RACE outside the U.S., in Munich, Germany, and in this seasons shocking new twist, one team will be eliminated at the end of every leg, on the season premiere of the CBS original series THE AMAZING RACE, Wednesday, Sept. 21 (9:59-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*. Phil Keoghan is the host. Pictured L-R: Emily Bushnell and Molly Sinert.

Kit Karzen/CBS Emily Bushnell and Molly Sinert on The Amazing Race

More than one year after they first met, identical twins Emily Bushnell and Molly Sinert are watching themselves  and each other  compete on The Amazing Race.

The 37-year-old sisters first opened up to PEOPLE about being separated at birth in June 2021, just weeks after the pair learned they were siblings through an at-home DNA test.

Bushnell and Sinert were one of 12 teams that competed for the $1 million prize on season 34 of the award-winning reality series, which is currently airing on CBS.

Sinert said she enjoyed getting to know her sister on the Race  though they were forced to do so at a rather "fast" pace  on Wednesday's episode of the podcast Reality Life with Kate Casey.

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"It was a really nice way to get to know each other in a very unconventional setting," Sinert told Casey. "We would have never gotten this close had we not been able to spend time without phones or away from family, just one-on-one together."

Emily Bushnell & Molly Sinert from the CBS series THE AMAZING RACE, Season 34.

Sonja Flemming/CBS Emily Bushnell and Molly Sinert's The Amazing Race cast photo

Bushnell and Sinert were born in South Korea in 1985, and ultimately sent to separate foster homes as infants before being adopted by two American families, unaware they were siblings.

Bushnell was adopted by Sandy Schwartz Klein and Christopher Bushnell and grew up with three older brothers in a suburb outside of Philadelphia.

Sinert grew up as the only child of Merill and Marla Sinert near Orlando.

"We have so much to learn about the lives we've lived," Sinert told her sister during their joint interview with PEOPLE. "But I feel like you know me better than anyone."

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Filming for the current season of The Amazing Race began on May 22, according to Reality Blurred  almost exactly one year after Bushnell and Sinert learned they were twins.

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Sinert told Casey that the Race not only helped her and her sister bond, but also gave them a chance to know each other on a deeper level.

Patience, is the New Me  Teams explore the beauty of Austria and must learn a traditional wedding dance, yodel and a song performed on alpine bells, on a special 90 minute episode of the CBS original series THE AMAZING RACE, Wednesday, Sept. 28 (9:30-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*. Phil Keoghan is the host. Pictured (L-R): Emily Bushnell and Molly Sinert.

CBS Emily Bushnell and Molly Sinert on The Amazing Race

"Just seeing how her experiences impact the way she even runs or reads the clue," Sinert said on the podcast. "Those little things that you don't necessarily talk about, you just see it happen."

Rewatching themselves competing on the Race, Bushnell added, is just "another unique way" for the sisters to get to know each other.

RELATED: Salyers Family Photos: See Pictures of the Identical Twins Who Married Identical Twins  and Their Cute Kids

"Because we're just living the day-to-day, right? This big thing happened, but we still have to go to work, and I still have to get my daughter to school and dentist appointments and all that  you kind of forget and it gets lost," she explained.

"So I'm really happy to be able to reconnect and reflect on it again. And we need to continue doing it, because it's so important and we have so much more to unpack, and we continue to do that through these conversations."

The Amazing Race airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.
RIYADH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, September 28, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) will integrate Saphetors proprietary human genome variant interpretation engine, VarSome, into its research and clinical genomics programs. The integration aligns with Saudi Arabias Vision 2030 to strengthen the Kingdoms healthcare sector and its services with technological advancements.

KFSH&RC is a leading tertiary & quaternary healthcare provider in the Middle East. A globally recognized and accredited hospital, KFSH&RC provides high-quality clinical services, including leading-edge treatments in oncology, transplantation, cardiovascular diseases, neurosciences, and genetics.

Saphetors VarSome, integrates and harmonizes 140 genetic data sources, over 32 million publications, and numerous unique annotations from a community of over 500,000 users, making it the most comprehensive database of human genome variants. VarSome also includes automated variant classification tools that apply globally recognized standards developed by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, and the Association for Molecular Pathology, for interpreting germline, somatic, and structural variants. This addresses a crucial bottleneck in analyzing next-generation sequencing data - the need to manually and individually query numerous data sources and in silico prediction tools. By implementing VarSome, KFSH&RCs clinicians and researchers will be able to analyze their data with greater speed and power to reduce the time taken to provide a diagnosis and find answers for their patients.

VarSome will be deployed as an API using an on-premises installation. The integration will ensure that data will not leave Saudi Arabia, in accordance with the Kingdoms data governance and protection laws. Saphetor developed VarSome to aggregate data in line with data privacy requirements worldwide and to overcome the difficulties of moving large volumes of data associated with whole genome sequencing.

Dr Fowzan Alkuraya, Chair at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre said, "We are committed to providing the best care possible to our patients. And we are invested in establishing King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre as one of the worlds leading healthcare providers. Working with Saphetor allows us to implement a powerful tool that greatly supports our genomic medicine programs without compromising data privacy and security regulations."

Dr Ahmed Alfares, Medical Consultant and Senior Clinical Scientist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre said, "VarSome is a crucial asset for clinical geneticists worldwide. Being able to deploy the VarSome API locally allows us to integrate this powerful tool directly into our workflows to power our variant interpretation workflows. Furthermore, it will greatly improve our ability to provide timely diagnoses to our patients and solve our toughest cases."

Andreas Massouras, Founder and CEO of Saphteror said, "We are very proud to partner with King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre and support their ambition to become a world leader in genomic medicine. We share a joint mission to provide the benefit of genomics to whomever needs it."

About King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre

King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH&RC) is a leading tertiary & quaternary healthcare provider in the Middle East. KFSH&RC's mission is to provide the highest level of specialized healthcare in an integrated educational and research setting.

KFSH&RC has a rich history of providing high-quality clinical services, including leading-edge treatments in oncology, transplantation, cardiovascular diseases, neurosciences, and genetics.

A globally recognized healthcare provider, KFSH&RC ranked 1st in Pediatric Liver and Kidney Transplants (<18 years old) compared with centers in the UK and the USA while maintaining graft survival rates comparable to the US organ transplant centers. In 2022, KFSH&RC was ranked among the top healthcare providers across the globe by Newsweek.

Guided by the goals of Saudi Arabias Vision 2030, KFSH&RC is undertaking a Transformation towards a financially sustainable, independent, not-for-profit foundation. KFSH&RC has been internationally recognized for its continuous achievements in patient experiences and outcomes by accreditations from the HIMSS Davies Award of Excellence, CHiME Most Wired, JCI, CAP, ISO 22301 & 27001, to list a few.

About Saphetor SA

Saphetor SA, is a global precision-medicine company dedicated to large-scale identification and interpretation of human genetic variants by leveraging proprietary algorithms and expert domain knowledge.

Saphetor is the creator of VarSome, a suite of intuitive and data-driven bioinformatics solutions both for clinicians and researchers. VarSome.com professional community and search engine is freely accessible, featuring a widely-recognized community-driven knowledge base that enables flexible queries across more than 140 genetic and genomic data resources.

VarSome Premium and VarSome Clinical are professional editions of VarSome with powerful functionality and further sophisticated data-mining and analysis tools. VarSome Clinical is a CE-IVD-certified and HIPAA-compliant platform allowing fast and accurate variant discovery, annotation, and interpretation of NGS data for whole genomes, exomes, and gene panels, which helps clinicians reach faster and more accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions for genetic conditions.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005081/en/

Contacts

Carl Smith,

Marketing Manager

Saphetor

E: carl.smith@saphetor.com

T: +44 (0) 7515 820918
Ohio's U.S. Senate candidates will face off twice on the debate stage in October as they enter the home stretch of a competitive, costly race that's attracted national attention and could determine who controls the Senate next year.

Republican venture capitalist J.D. Vance and Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan announced that they will participate in two debates in northeast Ohio.

The first, hosted by FOX 8 in Cleveland, is scheduled for Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. The event will be streamed on Nexstar stations across Ohio. The second debate will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown.

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The race is one of a handful nationwide that political analysts say likely will decide whether Republicans can win back the 50-50 Senate, which Democrats control by virtue of Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote.

Jessica Taylor of the non-partisan Cook Political Report called the Vance-Ryan matchup a "prime example of a race that shouldn't be competitive but is due to GOP candidate weakness coupled with Democratic candidate strength."

The Republican: Who is J.D. Vance? The Trump-backed Ohio GOP Senate nominee

The Democrat: Who is Tim Ryan? What to know about the Democratic congressman and Ohio Senate nominee

The announcements on debates came after weeks of back-and-forth between Vance and Ryan's staffs about when and where the candidates would debate.

The campaigns initially released separate debate schedules, indicating they had agreed to different events with conflicting times.

Ryan's team accused Vance of flip-flopping on his commitments after the Republican turned down a couple of debates. Vance's campaign said it was a scheduling issue but Ryan's campaign manager David Chase said Vance was ducking the Democrat.

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Vance also declined a statewide debate hosted by the Ohio Debate Commission after Republicans criticized the group's director for past ties to Democratic politics. Executive director Jill Miller Zimon previously ran for the Ohio House of Representatives as a Democrat and has donated to Democratic candidates, including a $250 contribution to Ryan in 2014. Zimon has not contributed to candidates since 2018.

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, running for an open U.S. Senate seat in Ohio, speaks to supporters after the polls closed on primary election day Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete) ORG XMIT: OHJL104

More: Trump mocks J.D. Vance, saying the Ohio GOP candidate is trying to get on his good side

More: Donald Trump won Ohio for J.D. Vance. Can he score victories in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia?

Vance participated in a GOP primary debate hosted by the commission, but Republicans were critical of the moderators decision to fact-check the candidates comments throughout the event.

A USA TODAY Network Ohio/Suffolk University poll found 84% of likely Ohio voters want candidates for Senate and governor to debate.

In the gubernatorial contest, Incumbent GOP Gov. Mike DeWine and his Democratic challenger, former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, are unlikely to face off after DeWine declined the commission's invitation.

The governor said he would instead participate in newspaper editorial board interviews and forums, where candidates don't appear on stage together.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio race: Vance, Ryan agree to debate in key race for Senate control
A.T. Oasis Coffee & Tea shop was listed as no. 11 on Yelp's top coffee shops in the US and Canada list. The shop roasts its imported Ethiopian coffee in house. Pictured are owners Abdul (left) and Aisha (right) Tedros.

A Phoenix coffee shop has landed at No. 11 on Yelp's latest list of the top 100 coffee shops in the United States.

A.T. Oasis Coffee & Tea Shop is owned by Aisha and Abdul Tedros. They opened their Ethiopian coffee shop nine years ago on Thomas Road.

"I don't know how to explain it. I'm overwhelmed by the love we have received from everybody," Aisha Tedros said. "We are so excited and we are very thankful and we are so, so pleased. Thanks to all our supporters who have helped us keep the store open. This is the hard work of everybody."

Yelp praised the shop for its "rich flavors and beautiful traditions of Ethiopian coffee."

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Why A.T. Oasis coffee is so good

A.T. Oasis imports its coffee beans from Ethiopia and roasts them in house, Aisha Tedros said. It also sells its coffee wholesale and nationwide. Specialty drinks include chai tea and spiced ginger coffee, both made from scratch.

The shop also is known for its homemade pastries, scones and Sambuca cakes. The most ordered pastries include the apricot and raisin scone and coconut cake.

"Opening this place was a dream for a long time," Aisha Tedros said. "I love people and I love coffee. And coffee is meaningful. Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia, so to be around people and to be around coffee, I said I needed to open a coffee shop."

A.T. Oasis Coffee & Tea shop was listed as no. 11 on Yelp's top coffee shops in the US and Canada list. The shop roasts its imported Ethiopian coffee in house.

3 other Arizona coffee shops made Yelp's best list

What makes A.T. Oasis stand out from other shops?

"Two things," Aisha Tedros said. "We have the best coffee. We import specialty coffee and we make quality drinks and healthy drinks. And we have the best customer service, and we believe in welcoming everybody."

Other Arizona coffee shops that made Yelp's Top 100 include Window Coffee Bar in Phoenix, which ranked No. 29; Kind Bean in Chandler, which ranked No. 36; and William's Coffee Co. in Phoenix, which ranked no. 54.

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Details: 7 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. A.T. Oasis Coffee & Tea Shop, 4613 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix. 602-957-2054, atoasiscoffee.com.

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Reach the reporter at sofia.krusmark@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram @sofia.krusmark

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix coffee shop A.T. Oasis named among the best in the US
A photograph of Emilie Parker, who was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, is shown to the jury during the Alex Jones defamation trial Wednesday in Waterbury, Connecticut. (Photo: Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut Media (pool) via Associated Press)

A photograph of Emilie Parker, who was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, is shown to the jury during the Alex Jones defamation trial Wednesday in Waterbury, Connecticut. (Photo: Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut Media (pool) via Associated Press)

A parent whose child was killed in a school shooting and who was personally targeted by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones as being an actor in a hoax testified about the onslaught of abuse he and his family suffered after harassers descended upon them.

Robbie Parkers 6-year-old daughter, Emilie, was among the 20 children and six adults killed in the 2012 Connecticut shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. A day after her death, Parker held a news conference to talk about his little girl. Just before he approached the microphones, Parker gave a nervous laugh. It was all Jones needed to accuse Parker of being a crisis actor involved in a staged event.

Jones fanatics immediately began to descend upon the family, Robbie and his wife, Alissa, testified in a Connecticut courtroom Wednesday. The parents are among several Sandy Hook families suing Jones for the sickening lies he spread for years claiming the shooting was a staged event. A jury will now decide how much Jones  who has already lost more than $45 million in a previous Sandy Hook defamation case  must pay to the Connecticut families.

It was very tender, Alissa testified about Robbies news conference that day. It was about this beautiful girl that was gone from our lives and that our life was not defined by this horrible moment but that we knew this beautiful being, and [Robbie] captured that.

A news conference meant to celebrate their daughters life was instead turned into conspiracy fodder for Jones Infowars audience. In the years to follow, Alissa and Robbie received threatening letters and emails. On a memorial page for his daughter, Robbie found himself up late at night desperately trying to delete vile messages from extremists.

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That really threw me off, Robbie testified. I was looking for something to keep me stable because my compass was spinning, I didnt know which way was what, and seeing these comments broke that connection I had, that stability.

Robbie said what started as a littering of comments from attackers soon became just a burning trash pile.

Among the messages, which Alissa described as a full on assault were threats of violence and heinous insults, including calling their 6-year-old deceased daughter a whore.

Meanwhile, Infowars saw traffic and sales spikes as Jones pushed the lie.

The parents described Emilie as a sweet girl who loved art and who put others before herself. Emilie didnt throw temper tantrums because she was so good at verbalizing her emotions, and in photos with her two younger sisters, always had her arms wrapped tightly around the both of them, the parents testified.

Jury is shown this photo. Emilie is in the middle. Robbie describes how in any picture with Emilie and her sisters, Emilie always has her arms wrapped tightly around them. Her younger sisters looked up to Emilie, Robbie testifies. pic.twitter.com/vlr76CQQgg  Sebastian Murdock (@SebastianMurdoc) September 28, 2022

In his testimony, Robbie described the day Emilie was born.

I was so scared almost by how much I could love somebody so immediately, he said. Id never felt so vulnerable in my entire life as I did in that moment when Emilie was looking at me.

During his testimony last week, Jones was asked about the lies he spread about Robbie and offered no remorse for the pain he inflicted on him and his family, at one point saying he was done saying Im sorry.

For years and years and years, you called these families actors, correct? attorney Chris Mattei, who is representing the plaintiffs, asked Jones.

No, Jones said.

You called Robbie Parker an actor many times, Mattei said.

I said it looked like he was acting, Jones responded.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
A man who pleaded guilty to felony gun and assault charges in three separate crimes was handed a determinate sentence of seven years in prison and five years of post-release supervision Monday by Erie County Court Judge Suzanne Maxwell Barnes.

Erie County District Attorney's Office prosecutors said that on May 7, 2020, Wayne A. Smothers, 27, of Buffalo, used a long rifle to shoot a man in the leg outside of a residence in the 500 block of Genesee. The victim, who was in his 30s, was transported to Erie County Medical Center for treatment.

Next, on Jan. 17, 2021, Buffalo police officers saw Smothers make an illegal U-turn on William Street, stopped him near Fillmore Avenue and confiscated a loaded illegal handgun from his vehicle's center console. The gun was sent to the Erie County Central Police Services laboratory for testing, and Smothers was linked to it through DNA evidence.

He was subsequently indicted on felony charges for both crimes, and arraigned before Judge Maxwell Barnes on June 22, 2021. Bail was set at $25,000, which Smothers eventually posted, according to prosecutors.

Then, on April 26, 2022, Buffalo police on a call about a gun in the 100 block of Olympic Avenue saw the end of a Ruger magazine sticking out from under the front passenger seat of a vehicle in which Smothers was sitting. The handgun, which was loaded, was submitted to the Central Police Services lab for testing and, once again, Smothers was linked to the illegal gun through DNA evidence.

He was arraigned before Buffalo City Court Judge Kevin J. Keane, and held on $100,000 cash bond. The Erie County DAs Office filed a motion to request that his bail be revoked on his prior pending charges. Smothers has been held without bail since his bail revocation hearing on April 29.

On Aug. 2, Smothers pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count of second-degree assault.
At least six people were injured in a shooting at an Oakland, California, high school campus on Wednesday, according to police.

Witnesses told police a car stopped outside of the shared grounds of Rusdale Newcomer and Bay Area Technology School around 12.45pm, and three gunmen got out and started shooting before fleeing.

Five people have been taken to local hospitals for treatment, including three people whose injuries are critical.

A 13-year-old student called her father as she hid underneath her desk and gunshots could be heard in the background.

"I didnt have too much information but I just rushed over," the father told KTVU. "I was about to rush the police. I was first in line, and they wouldnt let me through. I asked them, What if it was your daughter?"

Police are reuniting parents and their children at a church across the street from the campus.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden mistakenly asked whether the late Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., who died in a car wreck in August, was in attendance during a speech Wednesday at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.

Biden thanked "all of you here," singling out Walorski and other lawmakers, for their work on hunger as he spoke about his administration's efforts to end hunger in the U.S. by 2030.

"Jackie, are you here? Where's Jackie? I didnt think she was  she wasnt going to be here," Biden said.

Walorski and two of her congressional staff members died in August during a head-on car collision in northern Indiana. She was 58.

More: Indiana GOP Rep. Jackie Walorski killed in car crash

President Joe Biden speaks during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, at the Ronald Reagan Building, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Walorski, first elected to Congress in 2012, served as co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus. Politico reported that a video tribute was to honor Walorski at the conference.

Biden, known for making slip-ups in public remarks, turns 80 years old in November and has faced regular attacks from Republicans over his mental fitness. Biden has said he intends to run for re-election in 2024 but has not formally announced plans.

"No amount of spin from the White House can justify President Joe Biden forgetting the tragic passing of Jackie Walorski  the latest gaffe that calls so much into question," said Indiana Republican Party chairman Kyle Hupfer.

Biden issued a statement following Walorski's death in August, saying he and Jill Biden were "shocked and saddened" and that he appreciated the congresswoman's help on planning for the hunger conference.

More: 'Food as medicine': White House pilot program would bring medically tailored meals under Medicare

When asked about the gaffe, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Walorski was "on top of mind" for the president because of the former congresswoman's work on hunger and ahead of Biden hosting the Walorski family Friday at the White House.

Story continues

Jean-Pierre said she believes Americans will understand why Biden was thinking about Walorski.

"I don't think it's all that unusual to have someone top of mind," she said.

Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., was co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus. She died in a car wreck in August 2022.

Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden mistakenly calls out recently deceased congresswoman
Madeline Sayet in Where We Belong, directed by Mei Ann Teo, at the Philadelphia Theatre Company. The show is playing at Seattle Rep in the Leo K. Theater through Oct. 9.
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.
Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Tonja Williams said the stabbing at School 355 on Sept. 13 keeps her awake at night. The violence, which left a 17-year-old hospitalized with a partially collapsed lung and lacerations, comes roughly seven months after a stabbing and shooting outside McKinley High School in the finals days of Kriner Cash's tenure.

And it has renewed her goal to do more to ensure student safety, starting at the entrance to every building.

Williams wants walk-through metal detectors installed in every district high school by the end of the school year, a move that she said will more thoroughly examine students but also will be more efficient and less time-consuming than the current practice of using a wand to check for weapons or other contraband. She also wants more short-term security improvements at high schools, such as wanding and backpack checks for every student. Security personnel will now wand under students' feet, something that was not done before.

Williams also is reviewing applicants for the new chief of security she announced at her State of the Schools. She said it's a position that requires extensive experience in law enforcement, as well as how that approach can be tailored to fit the climate of schools. An understanding of community dangers and how those dangers may spread into schools, was another focal point for Williams.

"Certainly when it comes to security, I believe what we need in our district is a czar, an expert who comes with a different lens, a lens to knowing or understanding safety from a law enforcement standpoint," Williams said.

But even those added security measures might not have been enough to prevent the violence that occurred at School 355.

The 16-year-old suspect, who an administrator confirmed is a student at virtual program Pathways Academy that shares the building at 75 W. Huron St. with School 355 and School 42, the Occupational Training Center, was charged with stabbing a 17-year-old student in the girls bathroom of School 355. The suspect is alleged to have brought two steak knives to school, according to police reports.

Parents of students at School 355 expressed concern with security before and after the incident.

Beatrice Vargas, whose daughter Malasia is in 11th grade at School 355, visited the school with her husband Sept. 13 to celebrate her daughter's birthday at lunch. She said the security guard on duty at the time was distracted or absent while they were there, and she saw him tell students who came through that "he trusted them" and did not wand them. Vargas remembers telling her husband: "And they wonder why incidents happen at school." The stabbing occurred about an hour later.

Vargas still has questions, too: "Why did it happen?" and "How did the knife get in?"

Buffalo Public School officials will not comment on the specifics of the incident, including what security measures were in place that day, deferring to the police investigation and court proceedings.

Janate Ingram, who spoke at the most recent School Board meeting, said she was concerned about inconsistent security checks and lack of awareness that students with potential behavior risks from a different school occupied the same building as her son Christopher, an 11th grader at School 355.

The fight over a contract for Buffalo teachers is heating up For more than three years, the union that represents Buffalo public school teachers and the Buffalo School Board have been unable to agree on the terms of a new contract. The stress is beginning to show.

Ingram said she believes safety can be improved internally through improved relationships among students, teachers and parents. She did not think parents should continue to be excluded from the classroom as they were the last few years due to Covid-19 precautions. She also urged the hiring of more Black mental health counselors to "better relate" to students of color. She recommended including students, who are better at recognizing threats, in safety discussions.

Williams did not discount the relational element to safety.

"We need trust between students and adults  signs are there before they happen," Williams said regarding the need to report the potential for violence.

At the board meeting, Williams said parents are allowed to enter high schools if they make an appointment in advance, announce themselves at the door, pass through a security check, report directly to the main office and sign in. The protocol is strict for a reason, she said, referring to an incident on the first day of school in which she said 4-year-olds had to watch as parents rushed past them, trying to fight a student.

Both parents had positive remarks about School 355's response, too. Vargas commended Kathleen Schuta, the principal at School 355, for how she has handled an incident by an outside student that brought unwanted attention to her school. Ingram noted security had been heightened significantly in the days following the incident.

But there's more to do than more thorough wanding and introducing new equipment, the parents said.

"Did we learn anything from McKinley?" Ingram asked.
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If you believe in a constitutional republic with a respect for the separation of powers, this could be the most dispiriting gubernatorial election in memory.

In fact, you might approach this election feeling disenfranchised, with the most pressing question having nothing to do with any particular issue. It is, instead: Wheres a third-party candidate when you need one?

Just when New Yorkers could use one most, gubernatorial alternatives are nowhere to be found  at least not on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Instead, voters have the Hobsons choice of two major-party candidates whose understanding of constitutional government would flunk them out of any high school civics class. In fact, its doubtful either of them is capable of honestly taking an oath of office that requires them to support the constitution of the United States, and the constitution of the State of New York 

You dont need to watch any of the grainy, doom-and-gloom attack ads flooding the airwaves to define Gov. Kathy Hochul and her GOP opponent, Rep. Lee Zeldin, to realize whats at stake. Instead, listen to what they themselves are most proud of.

Poll finds Hochul holding 17-point lead in race for governor Incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul holds a strong 17-point lead over Republican challenger Lee Zeldin in the contest for governor of New York, according to a new Siena College poll.

On one hand, we have an election denier who refused to vote to certify Joe Bidens presidential victory. Zeldins mindset is the same one that fueled the Jan. 6 riot that ended in multiple deaths, 870 arrests, 18 convictions and 389 guilty pleas, according to the Program on Extremism tracker at George Washington University. And thats just so far.

Zeldin is a proud proponent of the big lie that threatens the very core of our system of government despite not only no evidence, but dozens of court cases and independent analyses to the contrary.

It doesnt take much imagination to realize that you wont long have a democratic republic if candidates  like the spoiled kid who takes his ball and goes home  accept election results only when they win.

On the other hand, what can you say about someone whose warped political calculus would have them promote policies they have to know are blatantly unconstitutional just because they think they can temporarily get away with it?

Thats what Hochul did in blithely disregarding the Second Amendment and the U.S. Supreme Court with her Concealed Carry Improvement Act and its near-blanket ban on carrying guns for self-protection by those whove passed strenuous background checks.

At first glance, this might seem like a single-issue shortcoming with ramifications less sweeping than a frontal assault on the democratic process. But this is more than just one more issue to be considered among many. The right to self-preservation is so fundamental that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness starts to sound pretty hollow once criminals get the green light to snuff out the first part of that trilogy with impunity.

Moreover, once officials like Hochul start picking and choosing which parts of the Constitution they will uphold and which they will ignore, we are all at risk. Which right gets sacrificed next?

A federal judge held his nose and upheld the gun law  for now  on a technicality. But he made clear that this spiteful response to a Supreme Court ruling striking down another unconstitutional state gun law is itself unconstitutional, and at least two more lawsuits already have been filed.

Hochul pushed through the law despite some justices, in their earlier decision, warning against just such a near-total prohibition.

If a sitting governor would so cavalierly disregard one of the pillars of the Bill of Rights with a law this extreme, on what other issues will she similarly sacrifice honesty, integrity and respect for constitutional principles?

Of course its always possible  however implausible  that she believes her gun law passes legal muster. In that case, such an utter misunderstanding of the Constitution on so fundamental a matter would be equally disqualifying despite her stances on other issues.

So thats what were stuck with given that  barring some last-minute court intervention,  theres no possibility of looking further down the ballot. Theres no prospect of selecting a conservative who disavows the big lie or a liberal who believes in the right of self-defense. For the first time in decades, thanks to changes two years ago making it harder to get on New Yorks ballot, there will be no third-party gubernatorial candidates listed this fall.

When you step into the voting booth, what you see is what you get. And at the top of the ballot, it aint pretty.

When necessary, Ive always subscribed to the lesser of two evils theory when it comes to voting. In fact, I found it hard to understand those people who claim to find two candidates so equally unpalatable that they have a hard time voting for either.

That is, until now.

With both candidates so willing to trash the Constitution, I suspect Im not the only one.
First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy joined the fiery exchange between Sikorski and Zakharova, ironically thanking Mr. Sikorski for revealing who was behind the "terrorist-style targeting of civilian infrastructure".

Sikorski himself quoted US President Joe Biden, who said at a press conference in February 2022 that if Russia attacks [Ukraine], "there will be no longer a Nord Stream II". When asked by reporters how the US intends to do it, he assured them that it "will be able to do that".

Damaging Nord Stream narrows Putin's room for maneuver"

Sikorski, who also served as the head of Polands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recalled that Ukraine and all the Baltic States have opposed the construction of Nord Stream II for 20 years, and now "$20 billion of scrap metal lies at the bottom of the [Baltic] sea  another cost to Russia after its criminal decision to invade Ukraine". In another post, Mr. Sikorski stated that such a situation strengthens the position of Poland, Ukraine, as well as Turkey. He also pointed out that the pipeline was a tool for Putin to "blackmail or wage war on Eastern Europe with impunity", and that the damage to Nord Stream narrows Putin's room for maneuver- "if he wants to resume gas supplies to Europe, he will have to talk to the countries controlling the Brotherhood and Yamal pipelines".

For his statement, the MEP was also attacked by representatives of Polands ruling Law and Justice party. The spokesman for Polish intelligence services Stanisaw Zaryn called Sikorskis Tweet "irresponsible", while Deputy Minister for the Interior Maciej Wasik said that the statement will surely be used by Russian propaganda.

REKLAMA

"Let's remember that Putin doesn't need his agents and useful idiots to love Russia. It's enough for them to be anti-Western" - Sikorski responded to his critics.

Sikorski - Zakharova. Not the first fiery exchange

It is not the first time that the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosaw Sikorski and Russias MFA spokeswoman Maria Zakharova exchanged such harsh words. Another spat took place when Sikorski recalled that Russia violated the Budapest Memorandum guaranteeing Ukraine's security in exchange for the transfer of nuclear weapons to Russia. Yet another one, when Russians insulted his wife, the Atlantic columnist and writer Anne Applebaum.

At the time, Sikorski said that it was a good thing that the Russians had read her books "Gulag" and "Red Famine", and - referring to Zakharovas problems with alcohol - wrote that it was "good that she got sober". In the past, Sikorski has compared the Nord Stream II gas pipeline deal to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

REKLAMA

***

Every day, 400 journalists at Gazeta Wyborcza write verified, fact-checked stories about Polish politics and society, keeping a critical eye on the ruling camps persistent assault on democratic values and the rule of law; the growing cultural tension between religious fundamentalism and human rights; and the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine. Our journalists are on the front lines in 32 Polish cities, reporting from the streets, hospitals, and courtrooms about issues that move public opinion.

We decided to make our service available to everyone free of charge in order to provide access to high quality journalism for expats and English speakers interested in Polish affairs.

REKLAMA

The access to information should be equal for all.
When Debra McKnight showed up to a Planned Parenthood rally last October wearing a pastor collar, people thought she was wearing a Halloween costume.

She wasnt.

McKnight is a reverend in Omaha with United Methodist Church, and she firmly supports abortion access. Her views, she said, run counter to the common assumptions people often make about her: That, as a religious leader, she is staunchly anti-abortion.

Such assumptions are not uncommon, and theyre not entirely without merit. Public polling has shown a correlation between views on abortion and faith, particularly among Christian faiths. And some faiths, such as Catholicism, are explicit in their moral objections to abortion.

The intersection of faith and abortion rights was on display earlier this year at the Nebraska Legislature, where multiple lawmakers invoked their faith when discussing their support for a bill that would have primed the state to ban abortions. After more recent attempts at legislative action failed, the Nebraska Catholic Conference pledged to continue working to uphold human dignity in the law.

But McKnight and several other religious leaders said perceptions regarding faith and abortion fail to capture the nuance within religious groups. The presumptive picture also fails to account for non-Christian faiths and other minority groups.

Contrary to public perception, its fairly common for people of faith to support abortion rights, said Katey Zeh, CEO of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

Im not as much of an anomaly as it might seem, Zeh said.

Recognizing that there are people who are both religious and support abortion rights is important as Nebraskans debate policy matters following the Supreme Courts decision reversing Roe v. Wade, according to multiple faith leaders who spoke to the World-Herald.

In Nebraska, Christianity is the dominant group of faiths. A 2014 study by the Pew Research Center found that 75% of adults in the state identified as Christian, with most of those being evangelical Protestant, mainline Protestant and Catholic. Non-Christian faiths accounted for 4% and unaffiliated individuals made up the remaining 20%.

The way each of these groups view abortion varies widely, even sometimes within the individual groups.

McKnight said Christian Scripture contains many contradictions. She said there are parts that define life as the moment of first breath.

But Laura Buddenberg, a Catholic who opposes abortion and serves as the executive director of Essential Pregnancy Services in Omaha, noted that there are pieces of Scripture that define life at the moment of conception.

The differences arent only in their personal interpretations.

United Methodist Church, according to its social principals, states that it is reluctant to approve abortion due to the churchs belief in the sanctity of unborn human life. However, followers are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child.

The Catholic Church takes a more definitive stance on the topic.

Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law, states the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a document detailing church doctrine.

The 2014 study by Pew also found differences within Nebraska Christians, with 54% agreeing that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases and 41% saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

However, the numbers shifted when factoring in all adults, not just those who identified as Christian. The numbers broke down to 50% saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases and 46% agreeing abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.

In some ways, the numbers reflect the different views held by different faith groups.

Rabbis Steven Abraham and Deana Berezin of Omaha pointed to multiple pieces of Jewish Scripture that clarify that a fetus isnt considered alive until birth, and that caring for the mother is a higher priority over saving a fetus.

Although there is some disagreement on abortion issues within the Jewish community, Abraham said most Jewish people support abortion access  an assertion borne out in the 2014 Pew study, which found 83% of Jewish Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Despite this, Judaism and other non-Christian religions are often forgotten about in discussions on abortion and faith.

Thats what it means to be a minority, Berezin said.

Views shaped by life experiences

McKnight said she grew up in a Republican household across the street from a Methodist church from the time she was 9 years old. She said she never really questioned the issue of abortion access until she reached college and was exposed to anti-abortion views held by fellow Christians.

And Ive been running into it ever since, McKnight said.

The Rev. Brandee Jasmine Mimitzraiem of the African Methodist Episcopal Church encountered anti-abortion views earlier in life.

Growing up in a low-income community, she said as early as her freshman year of high school she knew of female classmates who became pregnant. Some of them came from families who allowed them to get abortions, while others did not.

Mimitzraiem said several of the students who received abortions went on to have successful careers. For the others, she said she saw how their pregnancies had a lasting impact on their mental health.

I saw the difference in their lives, Mimitzraiem said.

McKnight said there was a 19-year-old at her college who gave birth in the dormitories because she was too ashamed to tell her Roman Catholic family about her pregnancy.

McKnight said has faced her own backlash on the issue. People have called her a baby killer on several occasions and accused her of ruining the Methodist faith because of her support for abortion rights. She said shes also received condemnation from fellow Christians for her stance on other social issues, from her support of the LGBTQA community to simply being a female religious leader.

But the backlash is felt on both sides.

Buddenberg said she has been harshly criticized for her views, including for her opposition to abortion. But when confronted by someone who disagrees with her, she said she tries to treat them with respect.

This is about loving each other better, Buddenberg said.

Even more common than the hostility, Mimitzraiem said, is the culture of silence surrounding abortion rights within religious groups, particularly when its tied to crossing racial lines. She said she talks with other Black Christians about abortion, but when speaking to white clergymen, they often avoid the topic with her.

The ones who disagree wont challenge me, Mimitzraiem said.

Even religious leaders who also support abortion rights often wont speak up until Mimitzraiem speaks out first, she said. They also fall victim to the same misconception that other people of faith are automatically anti-abortion, making them feel outnumbered by what Mimitzraiem believes is a loud minority.

We think its stronger than it is, she said.

Buddenberg didnt say whether she believes a majority of people of faith are anti-abortion, but she said the issue is far more nuanced than it may seem. She also noted that many of those who disagree with her on the legality of abortion still dont want to see the number of abortions increase.
YORK  Zachary Moore, 33, of Hixson, Tennessee, has pleaded no contest to drug-related charges in York County District Court, after a traffic stop on Interstate 80.

A deputy with the York County Sheriffs Department stopped Moore on Interstate 80 for a traffic violation.

During that stop, according to court documents, the deputy said Moore was extremely nervous, displaying an argumentative attitude and trembling. The deputy also noted the U-Haul he was driving was a third party rental, he had illogical travel plans and there were other signs typical of illegal activity.

A canine from the Seward County Sheriffs Department alerted to the presence of drugs and a search was conducted.

During that search, deputies found 193.4 pounds of marijuana inside the U-Haul.

Initially, Moore was charged with delivery of a controlled substance, but that charge was later dismissed.

This week, he pleaded no contest to possession of more than a pound of marijuana, a Class 4 felony, and having no drug tax stamp, also a Class 4 felony.

Sentencing has been set for Nov. 28.

He is facing a possible maximum sentence of two years in prison with 12 months of post-release supervision, on each conviction.
Goodbye, Lincoln. Hello again, Offutt!

Friday, the RC-135 reconnaissance jets based at Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue will return from an 18-month hiatus at the Lincoln Airport. The E-4B command and control aircraft will follow a few days later.

They will land on a brand-new runway, fully reconstructed for the first time since the airfield was built in 1941.

It brings to a close an 18-month construction project that was years in the making, executed at a cost of $200 million to the Air Force: $169 million for the new runway and apron and $31 million for the temporary facilities at Lincoln.

Thats within budget and on time, said Rob Hufford, chief of construction management for the project.

This has been a large part of my professional life for the last four years, Hufford said. Its nice to see it coming to an end.

The 55th Wing is planning a celebration Friday to welcome home the planes and about 750 military and civilian workers who endured the long commute to Lincoln for a year and a half. Buses chalked up 19,000 trips and 1.2 million road miles from Offutt to Lincoln, according to a 55th Wing press release.

Its taken a toll on the airmen, said Maj. Brian Ross, a pilot and director of Offutts project management office. This is going to lift a big burden.

Covering the costs of that commute cost the Air Force another $17 million.

A ribbon will be cut on the rebuilt runway at 2 p.m. Friday. The first RC-135 will land 15 minutes later, piloted by Col. Kristen Thompson, the 55th Wing commander. The event also will include a military working dog demonstration and the arrival of several vintage aircraft. Offutts Heartland of America Band will play.

The event is open only to military ID card holders and their families.

Pilots landing at Offutt will notice a few differences in the runway.

Gone is a distinctive 8-foot hump near the north threshold as well as a corresponding dip farther south.

Before, Ross said, it was almost like landing in a spoon.

Also new: the runways name. Now it will be called Runway 13-31, representing its compass directions (130 degrees when approaching from the northwest, 310 degrees from the southeast).

It used to be called Runway 12-30. But the Earths magnetic north pole has shifted since it was first built. So north is in a slightly different direction.

At 150 feet wide, the new concrete runway is the same width as the old one. But the 25-foot shoulders on either side are a third as wide as before, consistent with modern safety standards.

That means a lot less snow to clear in the winter, Hufford said.

The new surface is 19 inches thick, a combination of concrete and asphalt he said will be easier to maintain than the old one.

For years, the old surface had been crumbling. Offutt airmen had to be especially watchful for loose chunks of asphalt and other debris, which are dangerous if ingested into a jet engine.

New flush-mounted runway lights have been installed. The old ones stuck up at least a foot above the pavement.

At night now, its definitely easier to see, Hufford said. Now anything can roll over without hitting them  wing tips, snowplows.

The airfield has a new turnaround and parking area at the south end of the runway, wide enough for two large jets to park side by side. Its similar to the hammerhead at the north end. Taxiway Papa also has been extended.

Offutt Air Force Base has given the military a presence in the Omaha area since its establishment as an Army post called Fort Crook in the 1890s. It gained an aviation presence when an airstrip was dedicated in 1924 and named for 1st Lt. Jarvis Offutt, a pilot from Omaha who died in World War I.

The paved runway was built in 1941 to serve the new Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant, which produced more than 2,000 military aircraft during World War II. It was extended to its current length in the mid-1950s, several years after the former Army post officially became Offutt Air Force Base.

Over the years, the original concrete runway was patched and repaired but never completely replaced. By 2015, it had deteriorated so badly that it was ranked as the worst of any at the 17 bases operated by the Air Forces Air Combat Command.

The quantity of repairs we had to do just kept growing, Hufford said.

Articles in The World-Herald brought to light the poor condition of the runway. Nebraskas political leaders worked together to secure funding to rebuild the runway and to raise the levees protecting it from the nearby Missouri River.

When Hufford took charge of the project four years ago, the Air Force still hadnt decided on the scope of the reconstruction or how long the runway would be closed.

A team from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center recommended a full replacement, one designed to last 50 years.

The construction contract was awarded in June 2020. Work started the following winter. The first aircraft moved to renovated facilities in Lincoln that originally had been built for the Air Force in the mid-1950s.

Engineers took advantage of the hiatus to complete other construction work at Offutt. Both the E-4B hangar and the airport control tower were renovated, including replacement of the towers leaky windows.

The runway project now becomes part of Offutts biggest makeover since World War II. In 2019, U.S. Strategic Command opened its new $1.3 billion headquarters, turning over its old 1957 building to the 55th Wing.

And the Air Force recently has cleared ground for construction of eight new campuses on the south side of the runway, tearing down more than 100 buildings totaling about 1.2 million square feet of office space that were destroyed in the March 2019 flood. Those projects are expected to cost more than $1 billion and be completed in about five years.
Chandigarh airport is now officially Shaheed Bhagat Singh International airport, as a tribute to freedom fighter on his 115th birthday today. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, along with governors of Punjab and Haryana besides Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann officially renamed the airport on September 28. Ministry of Civil Aviation took to twitter to officially share the news. "To give a perfect tribute to one of the greatest freedom fighters of India, #ShaheedBhagatSingh on his 115th birth anniversary, Chandigarh International airport has been named as Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh," read the tweet of Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman in a speech stated how "Today, I feel very humbled & honoured to be here on this day when we are renaming Chandigarh Airport as Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport Our generation has the opportunity to remember sacrifice made by #ShaheedBhagatSingh in freedom struggle."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly radio program Mann Ki Baat on Sunday announced that Chandigarh airport will be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh. This announcement came ahead of the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on September 28.

In his radio address, PM Modi said, "My dear countrymen, three days later, that is, on the 28th of September, is a special day of Amrit Mahotsav. On this day we will celebrate the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh ji, the brave son of Mother India."

Also read: Jet Airways flight operations to get delayed? Airline in talks with lessors to get planes

"Just before his birth anniversary, as a tribute, an important decision has been taken, it has been decided that the Chandigarh airport will now be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh," PM Modi further said.
Earlier today, a 37-year-old male passenger was arrested for allegedly making a hoax bomb threat on board a flight travelling from San Francisco to Changi Airport. Due to the hoax bomb threat, the two fighter jets escorted the Singapore Airlines plane until it landed safely at Changi Airport at 5:50 am local time. The Singapore Air Force stated that two of their F16C/Ds were activated to escort a Singapore Airlines flight that departed San Francisco for Singapore. This was because of a suspected bomb threat on board the aircraft. "Our fighters escorted the airliner till it landed safely at Changi Airport." The report said teams from the army's chemical, biological, radiological and explosives defence group and airport police division were on site to verify the claim.

Defence Ministry officials, who discovered the bomb threat to be false, said the army was "mobilized immediately. "According to Singapores public state broadcaster Channel NewsAsia, the flight lasted 16 hours and 25 minutes and landed at Changi Airport without delay. The preliminary investigation indicated the male passenger had claimed that there was a bomb in a hand-carry bag and had assaulted the crew.

The airline said in a statement that the passenger had been "subsequently restrained on board" the flight and was handed over to airport police. "The safety of our customers and staff is always our top priority," the airline said. Singapore Airlines, the country's national carrier, is often regarded as one of the safest airlines in the world. In 2019, a woman and her child travelling from Mumbai to Singapore were held for questioning after the pilot raised a bomb threat alert.

Also read: 'Humiliated...' Specially-abled woman forced to crawl in plane to reach toilet: WATCH Viral Video

The year before that, a male passenger claimed he had a bomb in his bag, which caused the flight to make a U-turn as air force fighter jets scrambled to escort it. He was fined USD 4,500 for using threatening words to cause public alarm.

(With inputs from ANI)
To give tribute to one of Indias greatest freedom fighter, Bhagat Singh on his 115th birth anniversary, Chandigarh airport was officially renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh International airport. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann along with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and governors of Punjab and Haryana attended the event today. While addressing the function to rename the airport, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urged the Centre to start more international flights from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Chandigarh to facilitate the Punjabi diaspora across the globe. Mann has urged Nirmala Sitharaman to flag this issue with the Prime Minister and her counterpart in Civil Aviation.

He said today is the 115th birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and this day has been made memorable with the decision to name the airport after the legendary martyr. Mann said the Union government must start more flights from this airport.

The Chief Minister said that the Punjab diaspora from across the globe has been demanding such flights to ensure air connectivity from the state to Canada, the US, Australia, and other parts of the world. He said besides commuters from Punjab, these flights will also benefit travellers from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu-Kashmir, and other states.

Also read: Qatar Airways becomes the Worlds Best Airline, THESE carriers ranked in top 10 list

Mann said the state government has made concerted efforts for renaming this airport after the name of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The Chief Minister profusely thanked the Union government for naming the airport after Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh.

He said that a long-pending demand of the country has been accepted. Paying floral tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, he said that the young martyr is remembered not only for his heroism but also for his philosophy of socialism and fight against injustice.

Earlier, the Union Finance Minister was accompanied by Governor Punjab Banwari Lal Purohit, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Union Minister General (retired) V.K. Singh, Member Parliament Kirron Kher, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, and Haryana Minister Anil Vij unveiled the plaque to name the airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

(With inputs from IANS)
New Delhi: Makers of the upcoming action thriller `Code Name Tiranga` have unveiled the trailer of the film.

Taking to Instagram, Parineeti Chopra shared the trailer which she captioned, "HERE IT IS! - TRAILER OUT NOW #CodeNameTiranga trailer out now! Releasing in cinemas on 14th October 2022."

Here is the post shared by the actress:

In the trailer, Parineeti Chopra could be playing a RAW agent who is on a fearless mission for the country and is also seen doing a lot of hand-to-hand combat as well as stylized action sequences.

"As an actor, we are constantly blessed to have many firsts all through our career. I`m thrilled that in my 11th year in cinema I`m doing my first full-blown action film and I`m ecstatic about the reaction that I have been getting for Code Name Tiranga`s teaser. It is hugely encouraging for someone who has never dabbled in this genre," says Parineeti Chopra.

Extensively shot in Turkey, the film also stars Harrdy Sandhu as the male lead who portrays a doctor in the film. The film will also bring together actors like Sharad Kelkar, Rajit Kapur, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Shishir Sharma, Sabyasachi Chakraborty, and Deesh Mariwala.Helmed by Ribhu Dasgupta, the film is all set to hit the theatres on October 14, 2022.

The film will be facing a big Bollywood clash with Ayushmann Khurrana and Rakul Preet Singh`s upcoming comedy `Doctor G`.

Meanwhile, Parineeti will be also seen in upcoming family entertainer `Uunchai` alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, and Anupam Kher.Helmed by Sooraj Barjataya, the film is all set to hit the theatres on November 11, 2022.
A Missouri judge on Tuesday allowed a Christian boarding school to remain open for now, scheduling two days of hearings in October to determine its fate after multiple current and former students alleged widespread abuse.

Cedar County Associate Circuit Judge Thomas Pyle's ruling came a day after he took over the case involving Agape Boarding School in Stockton. The Missouri attorney general's office had asked Pyle to close the school after requesting the new judge for the case previously presided over by Cedar County Circuit Judge David Munton. The state didn't say why it sought a new judge.

Pyle also approved the state's request to again place Missouri Department of Social Services workers at Agape. On Monday, Munton lifted the order allowing state workers at the school. They had been there to monitor for abuse since Sept. 8.

Two days of hearings to determine Agape's fate are scheduled for Oct. 13-14.

Agape's attorney, John Schultz, said he was pleased with the judge's decision allowing Agape to continue operating.

The students at Agape are not facing immediate harm as the State argued, Schultz said in a statement. We monitor the students 24/7 and will continue to do so with the DSS workers returning. We look forward to having a trial in this matter beginning on October 13th where actual evidence, versus unfounded allegations, can be heard and considered.

A spokesman for Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt declined comment.

Schmitt's office filed a motion earlier this month to close the school, calling it an immediate health and safety concern for the children residing at Agape. The school once served over 100 boys. The current number is unclear. School officials have declined to respond to interview requests.

Last week, the Republican speaker of the Missouri House, Rob Vescovo, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore in Kansas City also urging closure of Agape. His letter said the situation is more far-reaching and contains more deeply-rooted corruption than we are able to address solely at the state level.

Vescovo's letter didn't explain his allegations of corruption and he has declined interview requests.

Agape's website calls it a boarding school for teenage boys exhibiting bad behavior or failing academics. Our mission is to turn around your troubled teen. Its parent handbook says it is a ministry of Agape Baptist Church, also in Stockton. The school opened in 1996.

Abuse allegations at Agape and a nearby Christian boarding school for girls, Circle of Hope, resulted in a new Missouri law last year that among other things established minimum health and safety requirements for boarding schools, required background checks for employees, and required adequate food, clothing and medical care for students.

Last year, Agapes longtime doctor, David Smock, was charged with child sex crimes and five employees were charged with low-level abuse counts. Schmitts office contended that 22 workers should have been charged, and with more serious crimes. But in Missouri, only the local prosecutor can file charges, and Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither has said no additional employees would be charged.

Circle of Hope, in Humansville, Missouri, closed amid an investigation in 2020 and its husband-and-wife co-founders face 99 charges, including child abuse and neglect and sex crimes.

The petition filed by Schmitt's office cites several abuse allegations at Agape, including many from current students as told to DSS workers on-site.

One student was slammed through a magnetically-locked door and then restrained for about 40 minutes, several current students said.

In another case, a student said he saw another student punched in the stomach by a staff member while other staff held the student, who was then allegedly placed in handcuffs for about two weeks except for visits to the bathroom. The punishment was because the student refused to do jumping jacks, according to the court filing.
New Delhi: The makers of the upcoming medical campus comedy-drama 'Doctor G' has been treating the fans with melodies from the film and are here with a video to take us behind the scenes from the sets of Doctor G, with Dr. Fatima Siddiqui aka Rakul Preet Singh. Be it her excitement of playing a doctor's character on the screen to her experience of holding a newborn baby, here comes a video capturing Rakul's fun moments from the sets of 'Doctor G'.

After having seen a fun-filled journey of a hopeful orthopaedic who turns gynecologist and the struggles he faces being the only male doctor in a class full of women, in the trailer, the audience is very excited to watch more of this campus comedy-drama. While raising the anticipation of the film, the makers are here with a BTS video that captures the lead cast Rakul Preet Singh and her time on the sets while playing her character of Dr. Fatima Siddiqui.

Fun , Drama and a lot of Doctory

This is what it took for @Rakulpreet to get into the skin of her character, Dr. Fatima Siddiqui



Watch the making of Dr. Fatima - https://t.co/QQ3AIQnqPv#DoctorGTrailer Out Now, In Cinemas on 14th October 2022  Junglee Pictures (@JungleePictures) September 28, 2022

The film has certainly come as a very special one as Rakul will be playing the character of a doctor for the first time. While Rakul was seen having a great time on the sets, she can be seen saying "From day one, when I first heard the narration to signing the film, to doing the readings, its been very special." The actress also had a first-time life experience of holding a newborn baby as she added, "I have never held such a newborn baby" during the shoot of the film.

Written by Sumit Saxena, Saurabh Bharat, Vishal Wagh, and Anubhuti Kashyap Doctor G is set to release in theatres on October 14. Junglee Pictures upcoming slate also includes Woh Ladaki Hai Kahan?, Dosa King, Ulajh and Click Shankar to name a few.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday called upon public sector banks to enhance coverage of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in all schemes and advised them to also look into their needs for capacity building and entrepreneurship development, as the community constitutes about 18 per cent of the total workforce of in banks and financial institutions.

Sitharaman gave these directions during a review meeting of various Central financial schemes being implemented by state-owned banks and their coverage of the SCs. (Also Read: Shocking! Flipkart customer orders laptop, gets Ghadi detergent bars)

During the meeting, which was attended by chiefs of all public sector banks and officials of the department of financial services as well as the chairperson of the National Commission for SCs, the Finance Minister directed them to make proper digital records for jobs being outsourced, especially for posts like safai karamcharis, from October 1, 2022. (Also Read: Amazon app quiz today, September 28, 2022: To win Rs 2500, here are the answers)

She emphasised on redressal of all pending grievances pertaining to the SC community and asked them to take these up on priority through special drives from October 2 onwards. The minister also asked banks to fill up all backlog vacancies at the earliest and in a time-bound manner.

Banks were also directed to ensure forward and backward linkages through a convergence of various schemes of different government departments for SCs while giving them financial assistance.

The Finance Minister said that the objective of the meeting was to bring all stakeholders on a common platform to work together in the fulfilment of the rights enshrined in the Constitution for the upliftment and betterment of the people belonging to Scheduled Castes.
Los Angeles: Hollywood star Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in `Deadpool 3`, actor Ryan Reynolds announced. The film will release on September 6, 2024.

"Hey everyone, we`re extremely sad to have missed D23, but we`ve been working very hard on the next a`Deadpool` film for a good long while now," Reynolds says in a video, referencing the D23 Expo in early September, reports `Variety`.

"I've had to really search my soul on this one. His first appearance in the MCU obviously needs to feel special. We need to stay true to the character, find new depth, motivation, meaning. Every `Deadpool` needs to stand out and stand apart.

"It's been an incredible challenge that has forced me to reach down deep inside. And I have nothing. Yeah, just completely empty up here. And terrifying. But we did have one idea," he adds. "Hey, Hugh, you want to play Wolverine one more time?" Reynolds asks as Jackman walks by in the background. "Yeah, sure, Ryan," Jackman replies. The video ends with Whitney Houston`s `I Will Always Love You` subtitled as `I will always love Hugh` and `Coming Hughn` teaser. The Deadpool logo appears, then is quickly sliced up by Wolverine`s adamantium claws.

Shawn Levy, who made `Free Guy` and `The Adam Project` with Reynolds, is directing `Deadpool 3`, which will officially join the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Disney`s purchase of 20th Century Fox.

The last time X-Men fans saw Jackman as Wolverine was in 2016`s R-rated `Logan`, directed by James Mangold. Wolverine famously died in the end of the film, and Jackman has stated repeatedly that the film was his swan songin the role. So it's unclear how he'll appear in `Deadpool 3`. But the character is best known for repeatedly breaking the fourth wall -- on film and in the comics -- and as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige recently told `Variety`, "anything`s possible in the multiverse".



Reynolds and Jackman have a long superhero history together. The `Deadpool` star first appeared as the character in 2009`s `X-Men Origins: Wolverine`, which was the first `X-Men` spinoff to focus on Jackman`s character.



That version of Deadpool, however, had his mouth sewn shut and did not feature his iconic red-and-black costume. Several years later, Reynolds got another go-round as the wise-cracking assassin in a proper, `Deadpool` movie.



The `Deadpool` films are the top-grossing `X-Men` titles of all time, each earning over $780 million worldwide. The first two films, which debuted in 2016 and 2018, respectively, were released by 20th Century Fox before Disney acquired the studio.
Pauri: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday spoke to the father of Ankita Bhandari, who was murdered in Rishikesh, and assured him of justice in the case. "I had spoken to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over the phone. He has given full assurance that justice will be served in my daughter`s case," said Ankita`s father. He further stressed on capital punishment for the culprits and said, "We demanded that the culprits be given capital punishment. CM Dhami has also talked about giving full cooperation from the police and administration in the whole matter," Virendra Bhandari added. The family members also agreed with the constitution of SIT in the case.

The Uttarakhand Chief Minister slammed the opposition tactics over the matter and stressed a fast-track approach in the case."I have asked that probe be done in fast track court for swift justice for Ankita Bhandari. The accused have been arrested, strictest action taken. STF was also formed. The opposition raising matter only for political reasons, action taken is just as per legal process," said CM Dhami.

Earlier, the Uttarakhand Police probing the horrific Ankita Bhandari murder case said Tuesday that the SIT had recovered two vehicles allegedly used in the crime from a resort where Ankita worked in Rishikesh. DIG P Renuka Devi said the SIT will now record the statements of the women employees of the Vantara Resort, owned by the main accused Pulkit Arya, son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya.

Also Read: Ankita Bhandari is DEAD because she REFUSED to become a prostitute': Rahul Gandhi on Uttarakhand resort murder

"We are analysing all the evidence. A post-mortem report has been received. We will record the statements of women who worked at the resort. Two motorcycles used in the crime have been found. We will apply for police custody of the accused for interrogation, including Ishita, in the resort of the main accused Pulkit Arya," the DIG told ANI.

The body of Ankita Bhandari, 19, was recovered from the Chilla Canal in Rishikesh on September 24. "It has been found from the CCTV footage that these two vehicles were used by the accused for going to Chilla barrage and coming back," the DIG said. The murder case sparked massive outrage and protests were reported from various parts of the state. Angry locals even set on fire the resort where Ankita worked. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami then ordered officials to ensure law and order in the state.
NEW DELHI: A visibly embarrassed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday ran away from a meeting halfway when he was confronted by a BJP leader over his governments repeated claims of developing schools in his constituency. The video of the incident was shared by BJP national media cell in-charge Amit Malviya and retweeted by several top Delhi BJP leaders on social media.

NDMC member @KuljeetSChahal confronts Kejriwal with information revealed in RTI, which shows that Delhi CM hasnt utilised his MLA fund to improve the condition of schools in his constituency, hasnt been part of any review.



Kejriwal, unable to answer, fled from the meeting pic.twitter.com/CdLPov5j7V  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 28, 2022

The viral video shows Delhi BJP leader Kuljeet Singh Chahal, who is also a member of the NDMC, claiming that Kejriwal did not spend anything from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to improve the condition of schools in his constituency.

Chahal cited information revealed in the RTI replies to drive his point home and claimed that the AAP chief's ''Delhi Education Model'' has miserably failed in the schools located in his own constituency.

The Delhi BJP leader went on to say that CM Kejriwal has not even been part of any review in this regard. Kejriwal, unable to answer, fled from the meeting without uttering a single word.

It may be noted the BJP has turned to RTI to "expose" the tall and "false" claims of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal regarding the ''Delhi Education Model'' and job creation in the national capital.

Delhi Chief Minister has recently written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the formulation of a plan to upgrade all government schools in the country. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back, with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan claiming that government schools in Delhi have fallen behind the national average in parameters of student enrolments, quality of education, the opening of new schools and recruitment of new principals.
New Delhi: A court in Delhi on Wednesday granted the CBI five days in custody to question businessman Vijay Nair, who was arrested in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy scam, in which Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is also a suspect. The court took note of the prosecution's contentions that, following his arrest on Tuesday, the accused was uncooperative and evasive under various pretexts. Hence, in view of the totality of facts and circumstances, application filed by CBI is allowed and accused is remanded to the custody of CBI for a period five days i.e, till October 3, 2022, Special Judge M K Nagpal said. The investigation of the case is at a nascent stage and detailed custodial interrogation of the accused is felt necessary not only to unearth the entire conspiracy and the roles played by different accused persons, including the public servants but also to trace out the trail of ill-gotten money which is alleged to have been paid to the accused public servants by way of commission, the court said.

The court also stated that the accused's interrogation in custody was required in order to confront him with the evidence already gathered by the Investigating Officer (IO). He (Nair) will even be required to be questioned with regard to the nature of data, which is stated to have been deleted from his mobile phones by way of formatting, the court said.

Also Read: Cattle smuggling case: CBI tightens noose around Anubrata Mondal, daughter Sukanya submits her INCOME details

According to the prosecution, Nair, who is affiliated with the AAP, participated in a criminal conspiracy with others, and in furtherance of the conspiracy, the excise policy of the government of the national capital territory of Delhi (GNCTD) for the fiscal year 2021-2022 was framed and implemented.

According to the prosecution, the motive was to provide undue and illegal favours to liquor manufacturers and distributors at the expense of the government exchequer, and the policy resulted in a massive revenue loss for the government.

The CBI had filed a FIR under the relevant sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act against the accused, as well as some public servants and excise department officers, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and other named and unnamed accused persons, on allegations of various irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy.

Also Read: Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav in BIG trouble, CBI gets permission from Delhi HC for THIS

According to the FIR, the accused public servants were involved in recommending and making decisions regarding the Excise Policy without seeking approval from the appropriate authority. The accused intended to extend undue favours to liquor licensees in exchange for illegal monetary benefits, according to the FIR.

(With PTI Inputs)
New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Wednesday granted bail to Aam Admi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan in a case related to alleged irregularities in appointment in Delhi Waqf Board during his chairmanship. MLA from Delhi`s Okhla constituency, Amanatullah Khan, was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch on September 16. The Special Judge Vikas Dhull on Wednesday allowed Amanatullah Khan`s bail petition and directed him to furnish a personal bail bond of Rs one lakh and one lakh amount surety. On Monday, the court remanded AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan to judicial custody remand after the police custody remand.

Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra, while arguing on behalf of Amanatullah Khan, submitted that there is evidence to show that there was any violation of rules and regulations in appointing the contractual employees of the board when as such no rules are in place. Rahul Mehra further argued that every decision was taken by the board collectively, but Amanatullah Khan has been made the only accused in this case. The senior advocate also submitted that there is no rule which bars the recruitment of persons of a constituency, area or family if they are otherwise qualified. He also said that the recruitment was done through a walk-in interview and an advertisement was also published in the newspaper. There is no material to show that the illegal money was recovered from the accused which is reflected in the diary recovered from the house of Laddan. Therefore the sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act are not made out, the counsel for the accused submitted.

There were 25 cases against the accused, out of which in 20 cases he has been acquitted, discharged or the cases have been compromised. Only 5 cases are there, out of them, one is of the CBI in which charge sheet has been filed but the accused was not arrested. In the present case accused has been arrested even after 2 years of investigation. Despite this the Prosecution has nothing against the accused even after 10 days of custody, Mehra argued.

While opposing the bail plea additional public prosecutor (APP) Atul Shrivastava submitted that there is evidence against the accused and he is a very influential person. He may influence the witnesses in this case. APP submitted that there were irregularities in the appointment.
China's President Xi Jinping has appeared in front of the media for the first time after 10 days proving all the news of his detention or a military coup wrong. On Tuesday, Xi Jinping appeared on China's state-run TV channel CCTV 13, attending an exhibition in Beijing. Social media was abuzz with rumours of Chinese President Xi Jinping being put under house arrest, and a possible coup taking place in the country, a week after two of its former minister were sentenced for corruption - a highly controversial decision in the nation's history.

In today's DNA, Zee News' Rohit Ranjan will analyse the truth behind rumours of Xi Jinping's detention and military coup in China.

After the video surfaced, it became clear that Xi Jinping is neither in jail, nor the People's Liberation Army has carried out any coup there. It also shows that Xi Jinping is healthy and has not been placed under house arrest.

XI Jinping was last seen in public when he attended the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 16.

During these 10 days, it was rumoured that the army in China has overthrown the Xi government and he has been placed under house arrest. Amid the social media buzz, videos of the army marching were being shared on social media, claiming that a large number of military forces were going to Beijing.

According to our colleague international channel WION, Xi Jinping was quarantined after returning from abroad. After Corona, there is a rule in China that whoever returns from abroad, is necessary to stay in Quarantine. That's why Xi Jinping was first quarantined for 7 days and then had to stay at home for 3 days.

Rumours of Xi Jinping's coup in China also spread rapidly because Xi Jinping's second term is about to end next month. A new president is to be elected again next month. And there is every possibility that Xi Jinping will become President for the third time.

Please watch tonight's special edition of DNA for more in-depth information and other details.
Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday strongly condemned the Centres ban on the Popular Front of India, saying every Muslim youth will now be arrested with a PFI pamphlet under India's black law, UAPA. The AIMIM chief, however, said that he always opposed the Popular Front of India's approach but the ban on the radical outfit cannot be supported.

The PFI, which has allegedly been involved in violence and has "links" with global terror groups like ISIS, was banned by the Centre on Wednesday along with its several associates for five years following a crackdown against its leaders. "While I have always opposed PFI's approach and supported democratic approach, this ban on PFI cannot be supported," Owaisi said in a series of tweets.

"But a draconian ban of this kind is dangerous as it is a ban on any Muslim who wishes to speak his mind. The way India's electoral autarky is approaching fascism, every Muslim youth will now be arrested with a PFI pamphlet under India's black law, UAPA," he tweeted.

Centre bans PFI over alleged terror links and anti-India activities

Owaisis tweets came shortly after the Centre on Wednesday banned Popular Front of India and several of its associates for five years under a stringent anti-terror law, accusing them of having "links" with global terror groups like ISIS.

Besides PFI, the organisations which were also declared banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) include Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

More than 150 people allegedly linked with PFI were detained or arrested in raids across seven states on Tuesday, five days after a similar pan-India crackdown against the 16-year-old group had led to the arrest of over a hundred of its activities and seizure of several dozen properties.

In a late Tuesday night notification, the Union Home Ministry said some PFI founding members are leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Both JMB and SIMI are proscribed organisations.

It said there had been many instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been working covertly to increase the radicalisation of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country, which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations, the notification claimed.

The Home Ministry said Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat governments had also recommended a ban on PFI.

Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Assam welcomed the decision, saying PFI was posing threat to the country's unity and integrity.

The opposition Congress in Kerala and its coalition partner Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) also welcomed the Centre's move, but said the RSS should also be similarly outlawed. Strongly condemning the activities of the PFI, senior IUML leader M K Muneer said the radical outfit had misinterpreted the Quran and persuaded the community members to adopt the path of violence. PFI not only tried to mislead the young generation but also tried to create division and hatred in the society, he said.

The home ministry claimed that PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been involved in violent terrorist activities with an intent to create a reign of terror in the country, thereby endangering the security and public order of the state.

PFI, the notification alleged, is encouraging and trying to enforce a terror-based regressive regime, continue to propagate anti-national sentiments and radicalising a particular section of society to create disaffection against the country, aggravating activities which are detrimental to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country.

The home ministry claimed investigations have established clear linkages between PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts. It said Rehab India Foundation collects funds through PFI members. Some PFI members are also members of Campus Front of India, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

The activities of Junior Front, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation and National Women's Front are monitored/coordinated by the PFI leaders, the notification claimed. PFI created these associates or affiliates or fronts to enhance its reach among different sections of the society such as the youth, students, women, imams, lawyers or weaker sections of the society to expand its membership, influence and fund-raising capacity, it said.

The Centre, through another notification, empowered the state governments to take action against these groups affiliated with the PFI and the possible action against them could be seizure of places and arrest of their members. The home ministry said these associates or affiliates or fronts have a 'hub and spoke' relationship.

PFI acts as the hub and utilises the mass outreach and fund-raising capacity of its associates or affiliates or fronts to strengthen its capability for unlawful activities and these associates or affiliates or fronts function as "roots and capillaries through which the PFI is fed and strengthened", it claimed.

The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as socio-economic educational and political organisations. But they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society, working towards undermining the concept of democracy and showing sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional setup of the country, it alleged.

Investigations in various cases have revealed that PFI and its cadre have been repeatedly engaging in violent and subversive acts, the ministry claimed. Criminal violent acts carried out by PFI include chopping off the limbs of a college professor, killings of persons associated with organisations espousing other faiths, obtaining explosives to target prominent people and places and destruction of public property, it said.

The notification also mentioned the names of several people who were alleged victims of the PFI's "brutal" violence and most of them belong to Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The home ministry said there had been many instances of PFI's linkages with global terrorist groups and some activists of its PFI have joined ISIS and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of this PFI cadre were killed in these conflict theatres and some have been arrested by state police and central agencies, the Centre claimed.

(With Agency Inputs)
Kolkata: In a huge setback for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday said the 'Duare Ration Scheme' (ration at the doorstep) of the West Bengal government is ultra vires to the National Food Security Act, 2013 and is legally void. The order was passed by the division bench of Justices Chitta Ranjan Dash and Aniruddha Roy, which held that the 'Duare Ration Scheme' is "ultra vires of the National Food Security Act., 2013" and "is, therefore, a nullity in the eye of the law".

The bench passed the order while responding to an appeal by fair price shop dealers challenging the order of a single bench of the High Court that there was no illegality in the scheme introduced by the state government.

"The State Government has transgressed the limit of delegation by obliging the Fair Price Shop dealers to distribute the rations to the beneficiaries at their doorstep in absence of any authority to that effect in the enabling act, i.E, the National Food Security Act." the division bench observed.

West Bengal | Calcutta High Court declares 'Duare Ration', a scheme run by the state govt, as illegal against the National Food Security Act



'Duare Ration' scheme was launched by West Bengal govt under which ration items were provided at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries  ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2022

It said that if the NFS Act is amended by the Union Legislature for doorstep delivery of food grains to the beneficiaries or invests any such power to the state government only then can such a scheme be made by the state and can be said to be in sync with the NFS Act.

The scheme was introduced by the Mamata Banerjee government in November 2021, for the delivery of food grains under the public distribution system at the doorsteps of beneficiaries.

On a petition by the fair price shop dealers, the single bench of Justice Krishna Rao on June 16 held that the state government's decision to deliver food grains at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries "cannot be said to be in violation of any provision of the NFS Act." The fair price shop dealers had moved to the division bench challenging the judgement of the single bench.
Her name was Mahsa Amini.

Sept. 23 was her birthday; she would have been 23 years old. She was supposed to start university last week.

She was like any other girl her age. Social media posts depict her in various modes: dancing in her native Kurdish style, blowing a dandelion and appearing in full makeup.

Before commencing her first college semester, she went on a family trip to Tehran, the capital city. It was there that she was detained by the so-called morality police for improper hijab, not abiding by the Islamic dress code laws. While in custody, she sustained injuries after being brutally beaten and fell into a coma. She died shortly after, on Sept. 16.

The incident sparked nationwide protests that continue to this day. Countless women are taking to the streets, burning their veils and cutting their hair in defiance of decadeslong repressive laws. They are doing so despite heightened militia presence and attacks that have killed up to 41 protestors so far. The incident has received global attention, with public figures around the world, including the president of the United States, expressing their solidarity with the women of Iran.

True to its reputation as the City of Good Neighbors, Buffalo has joined in the solidarity. On the University at Buffalo North Campus, the buffalo sculpture outside the Student Union is newly painted in the colors of Irans flag. The words Mahsa Amini/Be Her Voice are written across, with her picture placed alongside candles at the foot of the sculpture.

The image takes me back to the fall of 2008 when I traveled from Iran to the U.S. The original plan was to stay in Buffalo for a couple of weeks before moving on to Toronto. By chance, I encountered a UB anthropology professor who, after getting to know my academic background and bilingualism, encouraged me to enroll in the university. I took two classes that autumn as a nonmatriculated student and was officially registered in an undergraduate degree program the following semester.

It was the start of a liberal arts education that, according to philosopher Martha Nussbaum, creates the possibility of critical examination of oneself and ones traditions, rather than bowing to authority or prejudice. After graduating from UB, I furthered my liberal arts experience abroad, motivated by Nussbaums belief in its capacity to render seeing oneself as a member of a heterogeneous nation and world. Since then, I have traveled the world as much as possible, with a passion for writing about gender and cross-cultural issues.

I was only a few years older than Mahsa when I first set foot at UB. It shocks me to realize that I could have been her; my life cut off abruptly and unjustly before it could really begin. Indeed, there were people I knew who were against my leaving the country back in 2008. To this day, I face subtle and not-so-subtle discrimination for not settling into a more conventional lifestyle (I imagine it happens to many women who dare to march to the beat of their own drum).

I also know that she could have been me, having the freedom to overcome traditions and laws inhibiting women. Having the freedom of bodily autonomy and to appear in public with or without a hair covering. Having the freedom to resist patriarchal control.

And having the freedom to tell this story right now.

Mahsas life mattered. Say her name. Share her story. Be her voice.

Tara Jamali holds a master's degree in global communications and currently works remotely for Boston Globe Media.
West Bengal: Kolkata has been decked out in preparation for the coming of Maa Durga, as one of the most important festivals for Bengalis begins. People have already started to visit a number of pandals that have been built in various sections of the city and display a variety of unusual art styles. However, one specific puja pandal has captured the attention of netizens for paying special care to the city's furry residents.

Four special members of the Kolkata Police dog squad were there for the pandal's opening. Pictures of four dogs bending down in front of the deity in a photograph shared by the Kolkata Police have captured people's hearts.

The post was shared on Twitter and earned over 2k likes on Instagram. The post received a lot of appreciation from online users, who praised the kind gesture. Some others applauded the club for thinking of a pet-friendly Durga Puja pandal.

Paw Stars!



Yesterday, 4 members of our Dog Squad - Labradors Molly & Camphor, German Shepherds Liza and Dinky made a very special appearance as chief guests at the inauguration of Kolkatas first pet-friendly Durga Puja, courtesy Bidhan Sarani Atlas Club. Sharing a few glimpses. pic.twitter.com/O0ZP8S91HA September 26, 2022

Many people commented on the appearance of dogs at the pandal on social media. "This is without a doubt the highlight of Puja this year! #Saynotoanimalcruelty, "one user wrote. "Aww they're worshipping Maa Durga," said another. The police agency received praise from others for its initiative.
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath on Wednesday said he is not keen on becoming the party president and does not want to contest the election for that post as he wishes to focus on his home state, where Assembly elections are scheduled next year. He also said that the elections for the Congress president's post are being held as Rahul Gandhi refused to take up the party's reins. "I talked to Rahul Gandhi and urged him to contest so that all this (ongoing uproar) could be ended. I told him things are getting complicated. But he said he does not want to become (the party president)," Nath told reporters in Bhopal on Wednesday in reply to a question.

"Now, when he (Gandhi) doesn't want to become (party chief), elections are being held...J P Nadda became the BJP president without any elections in that party. Let alone holding elections, the BJP didn't sought the opinion of even 10 leaders of the party before Nadda was appointed to the post," he added.

Also Read: 'Everyone in BJP wears shorts?': Kamal Nath slams ruling party over burning Khaki shorts row

When asked why he he himself does not want to contest the polls for the top post in the party, Nath said he had gone to Delhi and told Congress president Sonia Gandhi that he would not leave Madhya Pradesh as Assembly elections are only 12 months away.

"I will not take this responsibility because this will take away my focus from Madhya Pradesh. I don't want to divert my focus from Madhya Pradesh," the state Congress chief said.

The new AICC chief will have to first focus on Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, where elections are scheduled soon, and there will be a need to prepare a strategy for every state, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said. The Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh are due in November next year.
The intelligence agencies were keeping an eye on the illegal activities of the now banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

Before the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday morning banned the PFI and its associates for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the agencies had learnt that the PFI had turned into a violent organisation which indulged in terror activities, hawala funding besides promoting hatred between different communities.

The agencies also found PFI links in the killing of a number of Hindu leaders.

The MHA dossier accesed by IANS said that the ministry believed that the PFI had been one of the most potent radical Muslim outfits whose members were involved in numerous cases of violence, unlawful activities and terrorism.

The PFI and its various frontal organisations had a presence in over 17 states across the country.

"The PFI encouraged its cadres to undertake actions that were prejudicial to the maintenance of peace and harmony between different religious groups, and disrupted the secular fabric of the country. Hence, it is banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," read the dossier.

As many as 1,300 cases have been registered against against the PFI, its cadres and associated organisations by different state police forces as well as the NIA.

Some of these cases were registered under the UAPA, Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act and other heinous sections of IPC.

The agencies have found that there had been a number of instances of international linkages of PFI with terrorist groups.

"Some activists of PFI, particularly from Kerala, had joined ISIS and had participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of these Indian ISIS terrorists were also killed in action by security forces in those conflict theatres. Some PFI elements associated with ISIS had been arrested by the NIA and different state police. The PFI also had linkages with Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)," the dossier read.

Sanjith, an RSS worker in Kerala, was murdered by the cadres of PFI on November 15, 2021. In Tamil Nadu, the PFI cadres killed V. Ramalingam, a Hindu leader, for challenging its `Dawah` activities in 2019.

There were other cases of murder of pro-Hindu leaders by the cadres of the outfit, including Nandu (Kerala, 2021), Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018), Bibin (Kerala, 2017), Sharath (Karnataka, 2017), R Rudresh (Karnataka, 2016), Praveen Poojari (Karnataka, 2016) and Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016), the dossier said.

The PFI cadres had also chopped the hand of T.J. Joseph, a professor, for alleged blasphemy in 2010, it added.

Some AQ and ISIS training videos, depicting gruesome murders, had been recovered from the PFI cadres accused in this case. Such activities created fear among the members of other religious communities, besides the public, the dossier said.

In Kerala, explosives and Jihadi literature were recovered from the Padam forest area in Kollam district in June 2021. The forest area was being used by PFI as a training site.

In April 2013, Kerala Police had recovered arms and explosives from an arms training site in Narath in Kannur district. The case was investigated by the NIA and 41 PFI cadres were convicted by the court in 2016.

The PFI covertly organised training camps where the participants were trained to use force against certain religious groups, which were perceived by the outfit as enemies of Islam, the dossier claimed.

The PFI, which had always claimed to be a social organisation, was also found involved in the July 26 murder of Praveen Nettaru, a Hindu activist, in Bellare town in Karnataka. Nettaru was hacked to death by bike-borne assailants. The persons arrested so far are all members of PFI.

The murder was allegedly planned by the PFI and members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political front of PFI.

Also, the PFI had been receiving funds from dubious channels from both within the country and abroad. The PFI and its affiliates operated large number of bank accounts and received money through their aides based in India and abroad.

Over 100 bank accounts of PFI not matching with the financial profile of the account holders have come to the notice of probe agencies. As a result, the registration status of PFI under Section 12A & 12 AA of IT Act was withdrawn.

Meanwhile, a clandestine physical training centre in Telangana revealed the violent nature of the PFI. A physical education instructor, Abdul Khader, had trained more than 200 PFI cadres in martial arts in Nizamabad.

The police had registered a case at Nizamabad VI Town police station, under various sections of IPC and UAPA against 27 PFI members.

Interrogation of the accused had revealed that the PFI would identify Muslim youth, especifically from poor or middle class families, who were later trained and instilled with anti-Hindutva ideology.
New Delhi: Ahead of Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, state's Congress working president Harsh Mahajan joined the BJP on Wednesday and claimed the opposition party has become "vision-less, directionless and leaderless". A former state government minister and close aide of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, who died last year, Mahajan lashed out at the Congress leadership in the state, saying it is very much ruled by "maa-beta" like in Delhi.

Singh's wife Pratibha Singh is the state Congress president now and their son Vikramaditya Singh is a party MLA. Nothing has been left in the Congress after the death of the former chief minister, he told reporters.

He joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Piyush Goyal and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for providing a "strong government".

Former Working President of Himachal Pradesh Congress Shri Harsh Mahajan joins BJP in the presence of senior party leaders at party headquarters in New Delhi. #JoinBJP pic.twitter.com/sUzWePSMFH  BJP (@BJP4India) September 28, 2022

Shri Harsh Mahajan joins BJP in presence of senior party leaders at party headquarters in New Delhi. #JoinBJP https://t.co/9CbVxUhkbp  BJP (@BJP4India) September 28, 2022

Goyal said the BJP will script history in the state by retaining power following the polls likely to be held later this year. Mahajan had been with Congress for over four decades.

Welcoming Mahajan, Goyal said he held important positions in Congress and has maintained a clean image. The BJP government in the state will be repeated, he claimed.
New Delhi: Welcoming the Centre's decision to ban the Popular Front of India (PFI) for its alleged terror activities, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday (September 28, 2022) said that the move will send a message to all the "anti-national groups" that they will not survive in India. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said that they had their command outside the country and some of their important office-bearers had even gone across the border for the training.

"For a long time, it has been a demand by the people of this country, by all political parties including the opposition CPI, CPI(M) and the Congress. PFI is the avatar (incarnation) of SIMI (banned Students' Islamic Movement of India), and KFD (Karnataka Forum for Dignity). They were involved in anti-national activities and violence," news agency PTI quoted Bommai as saying.

The group was formed on December 19, 2006, with the merger of the KFD and the National Development Front (NDF). The NDF was formed after the Babri Masjid demolition and subsequent riots in 1993.

"The PFI was involved in all sorts of anti-social activities and the time had come to ban this organization," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said.

"With a lot of background work, information, and cases, the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah has taken the right decision. This is the message for all anti-national groups that they will not survive in this country. I also urge people not to associate with such organizations," he added.

To a question that PFI was strong in coastal Karnataka and that the task before the state government to remove them, he said, "Whatever necessary, will be done."

Earlier on Tuesday, in an eight-hour-long operation, the Karnataka police detained over 80 people, mostly office-bearers and members of the PFI and its political offshoot Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) from across the state, on the basis of intelligence inputs that they were trying to foment trouble in the society.

In a notification issued late Tuesday night, the Union Home Ministry banned the PFI saying that the central government is of the opinion that the Islamist outfit and its affiliates have been involved in subversive activities, thereby disturbing public order and undermining the constitutional set up of the country and encouraging and enforcing a terror-based regressive regime.

"It continues propagating anti-national sentiments and radicalising a particular section of society" with the intention to create disaffection against the country," the notification read.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) released a statement on the Central government's ban on the Popular Front of India which is accused of 'unlawful activities'. The National President of the SDPI called the BJP government's decision a "blow on democracy" and "rights of people enshrined in Constitution".

SDPI's official press release on the matter read: "Whoever spoke against the wrong and anti-people policies of the BJP regime have faced the arrests and raids from them. Freedom of speech, Protests and organisation have been ruthlessly suppressed by the regime against the basic principles of Indian Constitution."

Also Read: 'RSS & PFI are equal, so govt should ban both': Kerala Congress MP on Centre's big move

"An undeclared emergency is clearly visible in the country", said M.K. Faizy.

Faizy urged all secular parties and people to come together to oppose the "dictatorial regime" and to "save democracy and values of Indian Constitution."

The government notification on the PFI ban read: "PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as a socio-economic, educational and political organization but, they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalize a particular section of the society working towards undermining the concept of democracy and show sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional set up of the country

Ahead of the ban, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had led a pan-India crackdown titled 'Operation Octopus' on PFI members and their residences in two phases.
Mumbai: Prior to putting a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates with immediate effect by the Centre, reports say that the Maharashtra Police on Tuesday cracked a whip on this organisation and its political wing Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The police arrested as many as 32 PFI activists after raids in Mumbai and various districts of the state. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who heads the Home department, told reporters that the action was as per law based on the investigation into their activities and evidence, adding "Attempts were being made to create a division in society and weaken the country. This was being done systematically."

According to the government notification, "PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as a socio-economic, educational and political organization but, they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalize a particular section of the society working towards undermining the concept of democracy and show sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional set up of the country." The notification said that the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been indulging in unlawfulactivities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential to disturb public peace and communal harmony of the country and support militancy in the country.

Also read: After NIA mega-raids, Centre bans Popular Front of India for 5 years

According to reports, 14 people were arrested from Aurangabad, six from Pune, one from Mumbai, four from Thane, two each from Nanded, Parbhani and Malegaon (in Nashik district) and one from Amravati. The police also arrested six people linked with the PFI and SDPI from the Kondhwa area under section 151 (3) (Arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) of the CrPC, said a PTI report, adding that these people were later released by a local court on bail.



In Mumbai, ex-SDPI chief and current general secretary Sayyed Chowdhary (52) was arrested from suburban Chembur on the information that he was allegedly involved in anti-national activities, a police official told PTI, adding that more raids and arrests are likely in Mumbai. Sayyed Chowdhary was produced before a local court which remanded him to judicial custody till October 6.

Also read: 'Secret agenda to radicalize, links with ISIS': Reasons why govt banned PFI

Thane Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Laxmikant Patil reportedly said that four PFI activists were arrested on Monday night in a joint operation carried out in the district by local police and crime branch officials, adding that two of the activists were nabbed from Mumbra and one each from Kalyan and Bhiwandi towns.

A senior official from Aurangabad said they had arrested 14 PFI members. Nashik Rural Superintendent of Police Sachin Patil said, "We have arrested two persons from Malegaon." Nanded's superintendent of police, Nisar Tamboli, also said they had arrested two persons. Amravati city police's crime branch arrested PFI district president Sohail Anwar Abdul Qadir alias Sohail Nadvi (38) from Chhayanagar, an official said.

Last week, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested 20 PFI members from different parts of the state in multi-agency raids. On Monday, the ATS arrested one more PFI activist from Nanded in the Marathwada region of the state.

Earlier on September 22, multi-agency teams spearheaded by the NIA arrested 106 PFI leaders and activists in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country. The NIA is investigating 19 cases involving the PFI. Five days after a similar pan-India crackdown against the group, accused of being linked to radical Islam, over 170 people allegedly linked with the PFI were detained or arrested in raids across seven states on Tuesday.

(With PTI/ANI Inputs)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (September 28, 2022) congratulated far-right leader Giorgia Meloni for victory in the recently-concluded Italian polls. Taking to his official Twitter account, Modi said that he looks forward to working together with Meloni, who is set to be the country's first woman prime minister.

"Congratulations Giorgia Meloni for leading your party to victory in the Italian general elections. We look forward to working together to strengthen our ties," PM Modi said.

Congratulations @GiorgiaMeloni for leading your party @FratellidItalia to victory in the Italian general elections. We look forward to working together to strengthen our ties.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 28, 2022

Meloni, who led a coalition of right-wing parties to victory, heads Brothers of Italy, a party with neo-fascist roots. It has won the most votes in Italy's national elections and looks set to deliver the country's first far-right-led government since World War II.

While the centre-right is the clear winner, the formation of a government is still weeks away and will involve consultations among party leaders and with President Sergio Mattarella.

In the meantime, outgoing Premier Mario Draghi remains in a caretaker role.

The elections, which took place some six months early after Draghi's government collapsed, came at a crucial time for Europe as it faces Russia's war in Ukraine and the related soaring energy costs.
NEW DELHI: The Popular Front of India (PFI) on Wednesday said that it has accepted the Centres ban and dissolved the organisation. It also issued a notification informing its members about the decision to disband the organisation after the Home Ministrys move to ban the outfit for a period of 5 years over its alleged terror links and anti-India activities.

"All PFI members & public are informed that the Popular Front of India (PFI) has been dissolved. MHA has issued a notification banning PFI. As law-abiding citizens of our great country, the organization accepts the decision," Kerala State General Secretary of PFI Abdul Sattar said.

"All PFI members & public are informed that the Popular Front of India (PFI) has been dissolved. MHA has issued a notification banning PFI. As law-abiding citizens of our great country,the organization accepts the decision," says Kerala State General Secretary of PFI Abdul Sattar pic.twitter.com/YQorHN43zu  ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2022

Abdul Sattar also requested all members to stop all activities related to the now-banned outfit. Sattar was arrested from Kerala's Karunagappally hours after he announced that the outfit was dissolved in a Facebook post.

5-Year Ban on Popular Front of India

Centre on Wednesday banned the Popular Front of India and several of its associates for five years under a stringent anti-terror law, accusing them of having "links" with global terror groups like ISIS. Besides PFI, the organisations which were also declared banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) include Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

More than 150 people allegedly linked with PFI were detained or arrested in raids across seven states on Tuesday, five days after a similar pan-India crackdown against the 16-year-old group had led to the arrest of over a hundred of its activities and seizure of several dozen properties.

In a late Tuesday night notification, the Union Home Ministry said some PFI founding members are leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Both JMB and SIMI are proscribed organisations.

PFI's Global Terror Links

It said there had been many instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been working covertly to increase the radicalisation of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country, which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations, the notification claimed.

The Home Ministry said Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat governments had also recommended a ban on PFI. Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Assam welcomed the decision, saying PFI was posing threat to the country's unity and integrity.

The opposition Congress in Kerala and its coalition partner Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) also welcomed the Centre's move but said the RSS should also be similarly outlawed. Strongly condemning the activities of the PFI, senior IUML leader M K Muneer said the radical outfit had misinterpreted the Quran and persuaded the community members to adopt the path of violence. PFI not only tried to mislead the young generation but also tried to create division and hatred in society, he said.

The home ministry claimed that PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been involved in violent terrorist activities with an intent to create a reign of terror in the country, thereby endangering the security and public order of the state.

PFI, the notification alleged, is encouraging and trying to enforce a terror-based regressive regime, continue to propagate anti-national sentiments and radicalising a particular section of society to create disaffection against the country, aggravating activities which are detrimental to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country.

PFI's Anti-India Activities

The home ministry claimed investigations have established clear linkages between PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts. It said Rehab India Foundation collects funds through PFI members. Some PFI members are also members of Campus Front of India, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

The activities of Junior Front, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation and National Women's Front are monitored/coordinated by the PFI leaders, the notification claimed. PFI created these associates or affiliates or fronts to enhance its reach among different sections of the society such as the youth, students, women, imams, lawyers or weaker sections of the society to expand its membership, influence and fund-raising capacity, it said.

The Centre, through another notification, empowered the state governments to take action against these groups affiliated with the PFI and the possible action against them could be seizure of places and arrest of their members. The home ministry said these associates or affiliates or fronts have a 'hub and spoke' relationship.

PFI acts as the hub and utilises the mass outreach and fund-raising capacity of its associates or affiliates or fronts to strengthen its capability for unlawful activities and these associates or affiliates or fronts function as "roots and capillaries through which the PFI is fed and strengthened", it claimed.

The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as socio-economic educational and political organisations. But they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society, working towards undermining the concept of democracy and showing sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional setup of the country, it alleged.

Investigations in various cases have revealed that PFI and its cadre have been repeatedly engaging in violent and subversive acts, the ministry claimed. Criminal violent acts carried out by PFI include chopping off the limbs of a college professor, killings of persons associated with organisations espousing other faiths, obtaining explosives to target prominent people and places and destruction of public property, it said.

The notification also mentioned the names of several people who were alleged victims of the PFI's "brutal" violence and most of them belong to Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The home ministry said there had been many instances of PFI's linkages with global terrorist groups and some activists of its PFI have joined ISIS and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some of these PFI cadres were killed in these conflict theatres and some have been arrested by state police and central agencies, the Centre claimed.

(With Agency Inputs)
Khatkar: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said a chair will be set up at Guru Nanak Dev University after Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Meanwhile, Mann also paid floral tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev at Hussainiwala during which a contingent of Punjab Police gave guard of honour as a mark of respect to the martyrs. Earlier, he was addressing a state level function at Khatkar Kalan to mark Bhagat Singh's 115th birth anniversary. Khatkar Kalan is the ancestral village of the iconic freedom fighter in Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district, which was named after him. The chair will undertake extensive research on the life and philosophy of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Mann said, adding that the move will help inspire the coming generations to serve the country.

Mann also announced the resumption of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Yuva award.' He said it will be given to 46 youths every year for their outstanding contribution across fields, said an official release here. He said the award winners will get Rs 51,000 in cash and an appreciation certificate, even as he rued the stopping of the award around seven years back.

Mann also exhorted the people to take a vow that they will not leave the country in search of good fortunes. All of us should take a pledge that we will improve the system by living here rather than fleeing in search of greener pastures, he said, adding that the government is committed to restore the past glory of Punjab.

Dreams of Bhagat Singh still remain unfulfilled and corruption, nepotism, and poverty is still rampant, because those who came into power after the British, plundered the country more mercilessly than them, Mann said. He said it vexes him when some people say that the rule of Britishers was better than the present system.

Also Read: Bhagwant Mann moves confidence motion in Punjab Assembly, slams Congress for supporting BJP's 'Operation Lotus'

This notion needs to be changed, he said. He urged the people to rise above parochial consideration of caste, communalism, and creed to make India "number one", and said doing so will be a real tribute to Shaheed Bhagat Singh and other freedom fighters who died in the struggle to get the country independence.

It is unfortunate that these days some people are questioning the sacrifice of the martyrs, which they don't have any right to, the CM said. He also said that when our national heroes were waging war against the British regime, some traitors were siding with the imperialist forces. No one remembers such people now.

He also announced that the state government will install a 5-D statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh near the international airport in Mohali. He said the hi-tech statue will inspire the younger generations to serve the country in a more spirited manner. Mann also asked the youth to read more books to update their knowledge and to cope with challenges being faced by the country.

While a 23-year-old youth of today demands a motorcycle from his parents, Bhagat Singh, when he was 23, had sought freedom for the country from the British, he said. On the occasion, the CM also felicitated descendants of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Shaheed Sukhdev. Later at Hussainiwala in Ferozepur, Mann called upon the youths to follow the ideals of Shaheed Bhagat Singh to make Punjab a front-runner state in the country.

Mann said, all of us have to make strenuous efforts to realise the dreams of the martyrs. Mann said Bhagat Singh was not only an individual but an institution and we must follow his footsteps for the progress of the country. On the occasion, Mann also announced plans to upgrade Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University. He said new courses will be introduced in the university so that more jobs can be created for the youth.
If this were a soap opera, it would be called As the Heritage Crumbles. Like many soap operas, its having a good long run. As reported last week, owner Archer Daniels Midland continues to pull apart the Great Northern grain elevator at 250 Ganson St. Less than a mile away, another neglectful owner, Darryl Carr, has been taking an easier route to demolishing his historic properties at 110 and 118 South Park Ave.  by ignoring them and refusing to make any repairs.

But the South Park buildings might have a last-minute reprieve. Finally, after more than 10 years worth of disregarded orders and penalties levied by Housing Court, the City of Buffalo has had enough. Its ready to take drastic action against Carr in the form of eminent domain proceedings.

This course of action wasnt considered without plenty of due diligence. In 2009, emergency demolition permission from Housing Court Judge Henry Nowak was reversed and the owner was ordered to secure the South Park structures. In successive appearances that go back to at least 2011, Carr has been repeatedly ordered by Housing Court Judge Patrick M. Carney to fix the worst problems and then mothball the buildings.

Carr has been fined thousands of dollars  its unclear whether any of the fines were paid  and threatened with jail. None of these penalties and directives has had the least effect. Carr remains free and the buildings continue to deteriorate. The citys 2020 request that Carr put $100,000 in escrow to hire a contractor to stabilize his buildings was also disregarded. This may have been the last straw that impelled the city to commence eminent domain proceedings, starting with a required public hearing.

These brick and cast iron structures are among the few original Erie Canal-era buildings that remain in the Cobblestone District, which was designated a local Historic Preservation District in 1994 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

Districts like Cobblestone bring heritage tourists, who, according to a recent report commissioned by Preservation Buffalo Niagara, bring an average of $658 million into the local economy annually, and stay here longer than those who dont visit historic attractions.

The building at 110 South Park, dating from 1852, is a rare example of pre-Civil War architecture in this part of Buffalo. It was first owned by English-born baker George Mugridge, who had easy access to grain at this location. Mugridge and his partners made crackers, which they shipped to New York, Pennsylvania and as far away as Minneapolis. A three-story addition to the building was built in 1871 and still stands.

Built in 1858, 118 South Park is commonly referred to as the Blacksmith Building, because it was used as a smithy from 1902 through 2001. Ed Rudnicki ran Buffalo Blacksmithing Co. here from 1954 until he died in 2001.

These structures saw the heyday of Buffalos bustling harbor scene and they lend authenticity to the popular Canalside and Cobblestone area. They would surely be of great interest to tourists and locals, if fixed up.

Its maddening that a shamefully negligent owner has been letting them fall apart, even ignoring offers from Buffalo developers such as Sam Savarino and Roger Trettle, who have offered to buy and rehab the properties.

The developer team brought in renderings by Silvestri Architects to show how the buildings could be restored. Preservation Buffalo Niagara has had engineers prepare drawings to show how the structures could at least be stabilized.

These efforts, like all attempts to bring the properties into positive territory, have been ignored by Carr, who, since 2016, has been claiming he plans to build a 55-story tower on the site. Lets deal as quickly as possible with this dubious pipe dream: Its way out of context with the surrounding community and would also require permission from the Preservation Board, which, to put it mildly, is unlikely.

The only criticism of eminent domain proceedings against Carr is that they have taken too long to enter the picture. Let them commence as soon as possible. Allow these properties to be restored and brought back to life as distinguished centerpieces of Buffalos waterfront story.

  

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.
New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday night issued a show-cause notice to three Ashok Gehlot loyalists - Rajasthan ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi, and Dharmendra Rathore - for their "grave indiscipline" and asked them to explain within 10 days why action should not be initiated against them.

The action came two days after 82 MLAs participated in a parallel meeting at Dhariwal's residence in Jaipur laying down conditions to the party and did not attend the official legislature party meeting convened for passing a resolution authorizing the Congress chief to appoint a successor to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who was to contest the Congress presidential election.

Also Read: Rajasthan political crisis: Congress MLAs take U-TURN, those who resigned say 'we are with high command'

The party's disciplinary committee sent the notices after Congress observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken submitted their written report to party chief Sonia Gandhi charging the three state leaders with "gross indiscipline".

Reacting to the development, Joshi said he was yet to receive the notice and once he gets it, a satisfactory reply would be given.

"We are soldiers of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. We have fought for truth and justice and will fight further...And will do whatever we think is in the interest of the party," Joshi said.

The Congress disciplinary panel's member secretary Tariq Anwar in the notice to Dhariwal, Joshi, and Rathore, referred to Maken's report.

"Prima facie, the above charges are an act of grave indiscipline. Therefore, this show cause notice is being issued seeking your reply within 10 days as to why disciplinary action not be taken against you as per the provisions of the constitution of the Indian National Congress," the notice to all three leaders read.

Anwar in his notice to Dhariwal said that the observers' report has submitted that as the parliamentary affairs minister he sits on the dais and is a prominent speaker at all CLP meetings in Rajasthan.

Apart from issuing statements, he has committed grave indiscipline by hosting a parallel MLAs' meeting at his residence "pressuring them not to attend the official meeting", the notice read.

"As parliamentary affairs minister, hosting the unofficial meeting confused the Congress MLAs as to which one was convened officially.

"This happened even when Shri Kharge and Shri Maken repeatedly clarified that they have come here to speak to each MLA individually and impartially report to Congress President. No decision would be made in haste. After knowing the views of MLAs, Congress President will discuss them with everyone and take a well-considered decision," the notice said.

Rajasthan PHED Minister Mahesh Joshi was told that he, being the Chief Whip, officially informed every Congress MLA for the meeting slated to be held at 7 PM on September 25 at the chief minister's residence.

"You as Chief Whip have conducted grave indiscipline on two counts. Boycotting the official CLP meeting, even after you had informed (given notice) every Congress MLA to attend it, and by participating and convening a parallel meeting of the MLAs at the time when officially appointed observers were waiting for the official meeting to start.

"As Chief Whip your presence at the unofficial and illegal meeting confused the MLAs as to which one was convened officially, the notice to Joshi said.

In his notice to Rathore, who is the chairman of the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, Anwar said he "made all logistical arrangements and were behind the entire planning of the unofficial meeting of the MLAs, held parallel to the official Rajasthan CLP meeting" which is an act of "grave indiscipline".
Gorakhpur: Politician-cum-actor Ravi Kishan has allegedly been duped of Rs 3.25 crore by a Mumbai-based businessman, his public relations officer said on Tuesday. Ravi Kishan had given the money to accused Jain Jitendra Ramesh in 2012. When nudged to return it, Ramesh allegedly handed him 12 cheques of Rs 34 lakh each.

The actor, also the Lok Sabha MP from here, deposited one of the cheques at an SBI branch here on December 7 last year but it got bounced.

He continued talks with Ramesh for the money but did not get a satisfactory answer.

Following this, a police complaint was lodged, his PRO Pawan Dubey said on Tuesday.

Cantonment police station in-charge Shashi Bhushan Rai the complaint was lodged a few days ago, based on which a case has been registered.
New Delhi: Kerala Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh criticized the Centres five-year ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) on Wednesday while speaking to the media. He demanded a ban on the Hindu outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as well.

He said, We demand for RSS also to get banned. #PFIban is not a remedy, RSS is also spreading Hindu communalism throughout the country. Both RSS & PFI are equal, so govt should ban both. Why only PFI?

Kerala | We demand for RSS also to get banned. #PFIban is not a remedy, RSS is also spreading Hindu communalism throughout the country. Both RSS & PFI are equal, so govt should ban both. Why only PFI?: Kodikunnil Suresh, Congress MP & Lok Sabha Chief Whip, in Malappuram pic.twitter.com/nzCVTImWw4  ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2022

In a big decision, the government imposed a ban on PFI for 5 years, declaring it an unlawful association.

Also Read: 'Secret agenda to radicalize, links with ISIS': Reasons why govt banned PFI - 5 points

The government notification read: "PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as a socio-economic, educational and political organization but, they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalize a particular section of the society working towards undermining the concept of democracy and show sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional set up of the country

Ahead of the ban, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had led a pan-India crackdown titled 'Operation Octopus' on PFI members and their residences in two phases.

Following the ban, police personnel was deployed outside the PFI headquarters in Chennai. Furthermore, security forces are on alert outside the PFI office in Shaheen Bagh area in Delhi.

Several leaders such as Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai lauded the central government's decision.

"I welcome the ban on (Popular Front of India) #PFI by the Government of India. Government is firm in its resolve to ensure that anyone with a diabolical, divisive or disruptive design against India shall be dealt with iron fist," tweeted Sarma.

Bommai told ANI, "It was a long-time demand by the people of this country, by all political parties, including the Opposition like CPI, CPM & Congress. PFI was involved in anti-national activities, violence. They had their command outside the country."

While Eknath Shinde said, "PFI which raises 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans doesn't have any right to raise such slogans in the country. Home Ministry will take action on that. Central govt has taken the right decision. It's a country of patriots."
New Delhi: The Centre, on Wednesday, banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) by declaring it an unlawful association. The government notification read: "PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as a socio-economic, educational and political organization but, they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalize a particular section of the society working towards undermining the concept of democracy and show sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional set up of the country

Also Read: After NIA mega-raids, Centre bans Popular Front of India for 5 years - Details inside

The Centre listed these reasons behind the PFI ban:

The government also reasoned that PFI which was launched in Kerala in 2006 was indulging in unlawful activities which threatened the security of the country and could disturb communal harmony and peace. In addition, it stated that PFI was supportive of militancy in the country. PFIs founding members were leaders of the banned terrorist organization Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and are linked to Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), said the government officials. The notification claimed the PFI was linked with global terrorist outfits such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). It further stated PFI promotes radicalization and a sense of insecurity in the country.

"The Central Government, having regard to the above circumstances, is of the firm opinion that it is necessary to declare the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect, and accordingly, in the exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 3 of the said Act, the Central Government hereby directs that this notification shall, subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act, have effect for a period of five years from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette," it said.

Prior to the ban, the National Investigation Agency had conducted two phases of pan-India raids on PFI premises dubbed Operation Octopus.

The National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate, and the state police forces jointly coordinated searches at the houses and offices of the PFI leaders and members across India.

Searches were conducted at 93 locations in 15 states of India in which over 100 activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested.

The states where the raids were conducted included Andhra Pradesh (4 places), Telangana (1), Delhi (19), Kerala (11), Karnataka (8), Tamil Nadu (3), Uttar Pradesh (1), Rajasthan (2), Hyderabad (5), Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar, and Manipur.

The searches were conducted in connection with five cases registered by the NIA following "continued inputs and evidence" that the PFI leaders and cadres were involved in the funding of terrorism and terrorist activities, organising training camps for providing armed training and radicalising people to join banned organisations.

(With agency inputs)
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee makes a significant remark on Tuesday from the stage of a Durga Puja inauguration. Mamata said, "With the support of the central government and some agencies, they are thinking that they can do anything. Their downfall has begun. Waiting for the right time now.'' The state BJP, however, termed the Chief Minister's comments as 'worthless'. Mamata inaugurated at least 15 pandals yesterday according to the predetermined schedule. On the occasion of the Durga Puja, Mamata inaugurates popular pandals like Ekdalia Evergreen, Hindusthan Park and Tridhara.

Late Minister Subrata Mukherjee was the main promoter of Ekdalia Puja. Referring to his arrest in the Narada case, Mamata said, "They arrested politicians like him! The man dies in sorrow. Bobby (Minister Firhad Hakim) was saying that Subrata was having a problem with his chest after being taken to jail. Subrata said, 'I can't accept this. If I had two bullets, I would have killed those who disrespected me. Then I would have killed myself.' Many of us have to suffer this dishonor today."

Inaugurating the Hindustan Park pandal, the Chief Minister directly questioned the activities of the opposition. "Only negative thoughts. This negative attitude took us to the bottom." The Chief Minister referred to the UNESCO recognition of the state's Durga Puja Festival and the state's title as the best destination for cultural tourism. Mamata said on allegations of misinformation against her government. "If anyone thinks that BJP and CPM will say whatever they want on digital and people will believe us, that is wrong.'' Later, the Chief Minister mentioned several development projects of the state at the inauguration of Tridhara Sammilani Mandap.
New Delhi: Two persons were killed and 34 others injured when the tractor trolley they were travelling in was hit by a truck on the Ayodhya highway on Wednesday morning, police said. Six persons with serious injuries have been referred to the trauma centre in Lucknow while the rest are undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

The accident occurred near Kotwa overbridge. A few residents of Katka village were on their way to an event in Ramsanehighat area when the speeding truck hit their tractor trolley from behind. The victims were rushed to hospital where Malti Devi (55) and Suvi (5) succumbed to their injuries.

Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) Dr Akhilesh Narayan said the injured had been admitted to the hospital and six had been sent to the trauma centre. The truck driver fled the scene, leaving his vehicle a little distance away from the accident site, the police added.
Washington: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the US always encourages its friends India and Pakistan to resolve their differences through diplomacy and dialogue. ANI asked the top official of the Biden Administration whether there was a discussion with Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to improve ties with India and improve the stability in the region, responding to which Blinked said, "We always encourage our friends to resolve their differences through diplomacy, through dialogue. That hasn`t changed. It won`t change."

Blinken met with India`s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Washington. A day before, Blinken held separate talks with his counterpart from Pakistan. Blinken on Monday said he had discussed with his Pakistani counterpart what he called managing a responsible relationship with India.

"In our discussions today, we talked about the importance of managing a responsible relationship with India," Blinken said after meeting Zardari, without elaborating. US State Department spokesman Ned Price said earlier this week that "the relationship we have with India stands on its own; the relationship we have with Pakistan stands on its own".

US-India strengthened ties

Blinken also noted that India and the United States have made real progress in elevating their partnership through institutions like QUAD and G20 and international organisations at the United Nations during the press briefing in Washington.

"The partnership between India and US is simply one of the most consequential in the world. It is to address any global challenge that our people face - health security, climate change, food security and upholding the free and open international order. Over the past years, we have made real progress in elevating that partnership bilaterally - through institutions like QUAD and G20 and international organisations at the United Nations," Blinken said.

Also Read: Visa issue: US promises to resolve Indias concern after EAM S Jaishankar flags matter

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted several issues including the ongoing Ukraine conflict, and the Indo-Pacific situation, during a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Notably, India will take over the presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20) in December. Speaking over the presidency, Blinken said: "With India holding the presidency at the UNSC in December and taking over the presidency at G20 next year, we will be able to drive more global cooperation and action together."
New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction on Tuesday (September 27, 2022) reacted to the Supreme Court allowing the Election Commission (EC) to go ahead with the hearing of its plea seeking recognition as the "real" Shiv Sena and called it a "victory of democracy". Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray, however, said that the SC ruling cannot be construed as a "victory for either camp".

"I hope they (Uddhav Thackeray camp) will learn a lesson. They will also realise which is the real Shiv Sena of Bal Thackeray," Kalyan MP and CM Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde said as he hailed the ruling as the victory of democracy.

Welcoming the top court's ruling that the EC will continue to hear the plea of the Shinde faction seeking the poll symbol of Shiv Sena, its spokesperson Naresh Mhaske said, "the rights of the EC and its powers have remained intact due to the decision of the apex court".

Fight for truth will continue: Shiv Sena's Aaditya Thackeray on SC ruling

Aaditya, son of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, said that they will fight the battle for truth with all their might.

"The arguments in the case will have a far-reaching impact on the democratic principles in the country. We stand for truth and truth will prevail. The stage for arguments has shifted from the court to ECI. We are ready for the hearing. We have faith in the judiciary. We believe in the Constitution and will fight the battle for truth with all our might," he told reporters.

Earlier on Tuesday, Justice DY Chandrachud, heading a constitution bench, rejected the plea of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction seeking to restrain the EC from deciding the state's ruling Shinde camp's claim over the "original" Shiv Sena.

"We direct that there would be no stay of the proceedings before the Election Commission," the bench, also comprising Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha, said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Thackeray faction, challenged Shinde's locus to approach the poll panel seeking claim over the party and its election symbol.

Sibal submitted the Election Symbol Order can be invoked only when the claimant belongs to the same political party but claims to be of a rival group.

"I am saying Shinde is no longer in the party and membership has been given up. How does the EC hear him then" Sibal said, referring to the disqualification notice issued against Shinde and some other Shiv Sena MLAs who had rebelled against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in June this year.

Senior advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for the poll panel, said the Election commission is free to decide who constitutes the aspect of majority.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Maharashtra Governor B S Koshiyari, contended the Election Commission is only deciding which faction is the "real" party and so it should be allowed to proceed with Shinde's plea.

Shinde group's counsel and senior advocate N K Kaul submitted an election symbol is not the property of an MLA and to which faction it belongs has to be decided by the Election Commission, asserting the poll panel cannot be prevented from taking any decision on the issue.

The bench was hearing pending cases related to the political crisis in Maharashtra that began with the Shinde group's revolt against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership which led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state in June this year.

The bruising political battle had resulted in a slew of petitions getting filed in the Supreme Court by the rival factions, and the apex court referred those to a five-judge bench on August 23, saying the conflict had raised several constitutional questions related to defection, merger, and disqualification.

It had asked the EC not to pass any orders on the Shinde faction's plea that it be considered the "real" Shiv Sena and granted the party's poll symbol, the bar which was lifted on Tuesday.

Though the Shinde faction has formed a coalition government with the BJP in Maharashtra and enjoys the support of an overwhelming majority of MLAs who had won on Shiv Sena tickets, the Election Commission cannot recognise it as the original party simply on that basis.

The EC will have to consider the support each faction enjoys in the party's legislative and organisational wings. In such cases, the poll panel also goes through the party constitution and the list of office bearers submitted to it by the party when it was united.

(With agency inputs)
Anil Chauhan profile: After a wait of more than 9 months, India on Wednesday got its new Chief Of Defence staff - Lt General Anil Chauhan - the 2nd person ever to hold the prestigious post after General Bipin Rawat - who died in a tragic plane crash last year. Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (retd) is a former eastern Army commander and director general of military operations. Sixty-one-year-old Chauhan will also function as secretary, the Department of Military Affairs, with effect from the date of his assumption of charge, the defence ministry said.



A look at Lt General Anil Chauhan's 40-year Army career



The decorated military officer has a long and commendable career graph that spans over nearly 40 years. Lt General Chauhan brings with him extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast India. The decorated military officer retired from the service in May last year when he was serving as the eastern Army Commander.



Lt General Anil Chahuhan's 1st posting - 11 Gorkha Rifles



Commissioned into 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1981, Lt General Anil Chahuhan is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. As Major General, he commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramulla sector in the Northern Command, and as Lt General, commanded a corps in the northeast and subsequently went on to become the Eastern Command chief from September 2019 and held the charge until his retirement from service in May 2021.





Director General of Military Operations and UN Mission



Lt General Anil Chauhan has also held important staff appointments including the charge of Director General of Military Operations. He had also served on a United Nations mission to Angola.



As Lt General, Anil Chauhan commanded a corps in the Northeast and subsequently went to become the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command from September 2019 and held the charge until his retirement from the service in May 2021.





Born on May 18, 1961, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.



Crucial Post-Retirement Appointments and Param Vishisht Seva Medal



Lt Gen Chauhan continued to contribute to national security and strategic matters even after his retirement as he has been associated with the National Security Council Secretariat.



For his distinguished and illustrious service in the Army, Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.



Amendments in rules to make way for Lt Gen Anil Chauhan



The post of Chief of Defence Staff has been lying vacant since the death of Gen Rawat in a helicopter crash on December 8 last year.

On January 1 2020, Gen Rawat took charge as India's first CDS with a mandate to bring convergence in the functioning of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force and bolster the country's overall military prowess.



Another key mandate of the CDS was to facilitate the restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through the establishment of theatre commands.



In June, the government amended rules paving the way for the appointment of any serving or retired Lt General, Air Marshal and Vice Admiral under the age of 62 to the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).



The change in rules allowed three-star officers to become the CDS along with serving chiefs of the three services. Officials said Lt Gen Chauhan (retd) will assume the rank of General once he takes charge as the CDS.
Kolkata: A 29-year-old YouTuber was arrested from West Bengal's Nadia district on Tuesday for allegedly creating memes on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that were derogatory, police said. Tuhin Mondal, the content creator, was arrested from his house in Bapujinagar in Taherpur police station area by officers of the Kolkata Police's Intelligence Branch, they said.

He was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by a 21-year-old man at Taratala police station in south Kolkata a week back, they said.

"Mondal, who has no steady income, is believed to have made provocative, derogatory and abusive memes by editing parts of the chief minister's speeches to defame her. The complainant claimed that such acts can incite violence and disrupt peace," an officer of Kolkata Police said.

The complaint also names at least seven other content creators, and police said that a search is on to arrest them.

A case has been filed under relevant sections of the IPC, they said.

In June, Kolkata Police arrested YouTuber Roddur Roy for abusing the chief minister in a Facebook live session.

The Kolkata Police had in April 2012 arrested Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra for allegedly forwarding an email containing a cartoon of Banerjee.
Having written before about the general ineffectiveness of the United Nations, its apparent this world body isnt about to be discarded into the scrap heap.

That being said, consider at least eliminating the permanent security council which consists of the five nations  the United States, China, Russia, Great Britain and France. I know its very unlikely it could ever happen, because its unlikely to come to any vote.

I would not be expelling these countries out of the U.N. (though the U.S., China and Russia probably should be) but I think they should be demoted to being regular members like all the other nations. The United States, China and Russia particularly have caused so much ongoing global trouble (handling of and perhaps the origin of the pandemic, supply chain issues, the Ukraine invasion and just the overall toxic relationship among the group. None are presently making any positive difference to the world being in this exclusive U.N. club.

The United Nations for too long has been a toothless tiger. I believe the permanent five (really more the permanent three  United States, Russia and China) is the real reason the U.N. lacks the power to unleash more severe diplomatic and economic discipline against misbehaving nations. This including the U.S., China and Russia too, for their dangerous, ridiculous conduct when its warranted. These three countries all get away with it because they know they can and they know there wont be a price to be paid for being an increasing danger to world peace.

As major world powers, the United States, China and Russia specifically continue to fail miserably, setting a better example as U.N. permanent members should be portraying to the world. There is a growing possibility of a devastating war between countries involving mainly the dangerous three  the United States, China and Russia with nuclear weapons.

Marcus Costello

Kenmore
New Delhi: Jackky Bhagnani has always worked to give a boost to emerging artists with his music label, Jjust Music.

Talking ahead of the journey of introducing new and fresh talents, the ator-producer is getting ready to introduce RVD, an independent rap artist from Kolkata, West Bengal, who has been building a name for himself on the east side.

RVD has created yet another beautiful song with the soulful title 'Raaz.' On September 29, Jackky will introduce RVD with a song that will be made available through his record label Jjust Music.

Here is the teaser link of the song:

RVD is a musician that stands out from the crowd by creating modernised music with a mix of cultural elements in Urdu and Punjabi. After sharing the stage with pan Indian musicians like Mohit Chauhan, Dino James, Zareen, Kayan, Gully Gang, etc., this would be RVD's first time performing his soulful composition "Raaz" for a large crowd.

Meanwhile, Jjust Music made it to the headlines for it's first pan India music video Mashooka starring bold and quirky Rakul Preet. The song turned out to be a huge success and was received well by the audience.
Los Angeles: Actress Constance Wu claims she was raped early in her career during a date with an aspiring writer.

In her upcoming autobiography 'Making a Scene', the 40-year-old actress shared that she managed to wipe the alleged incident from her memory for years before it flooded back when she found fame in Hollywood after shooting 'Crazy Rich Asians', reports aceshowbiz.com.

She said about her alleged rapist, who she named as Ty in the book.

According to an excerpt of which has been printed by Vanity Fair ahead of its publication on October 4, Wu wrote, "When Ty asked me out on a date, it felt like I had been invited to the popular kids' table. He was 36 and he was a real New Yorker. Ty was tall and broad-shouldered. He had the kind of skin where you could tell he probably had freckles on his shoulders."

She added the alleged rape took place on her second date with Ty at his apartment.

"He felt me between my legs, and I shyly pushed him away, but he could feel my arousal. He took off his pants and started putting the condom on - an obvious signal for sex - which I did not want. So I said, 'Oh gosh, I'm sorry, I'm not ready to have sex with you'," she recounted.

But she said Ty continued and was being "so tender," adding: "I repeated, as seriously as I could, 'Really, I'm not ready for sex,' my face flushing.

He smiled at me again like I was a baby kitten, held me close, kissed me, gently moved my legs apart, and then he... did it anyway."

"I didn't fight back. I just... gave up... I hate that it happened. He wanted me to stay over. I mumbled an excuse about needing to get back to my apartment for my skin care regime. I said 'sorry' a million times," she continued.

Recalling the incident more than 10 years later, "I was on a plane from Singapore, where I had finished filming 'Crazy Rich Asians'. I'd just woken up from a nap when the realisation hit me like a flood. Ty raped me. He raped me, and I hadn't done anything about it."

"A strange sound involuntarily croaked out of my throat, almost a squawk. Embarrassed, I hoped no one on the plane heard me. My heart was pounding. For a split second, I panicked. But then I talked myself out of the panic... I did not consent to sex. Maybe it wasn't violent, but it was rape. Period," she elaborated.
New Delhi: Shefali Shah is a versatile actor and there is no doubt that she is one of the best that the Hindi film industry has got today. She has always gotten into the skin of the character, from Delhi Crime to Darlings, Human, Jalsa, and many others.And now she's getting the recognition she deserves, with back-to-back awards being bestowed upon her.

Taking to social media, Shefali Shah shared a collage of the roles she has played and wrote a beautiful note. She said  One of the important things of playing varied characters is to look like them. And its such an exciting process creating these women from #GauriNath in #Human to #Natasha in #AjeebDaastaans to #Rukhsana in #Jalsa & #Shamshunisa in #Darlings, these amazing directors #VipulAmrutlalShah, @kayozeirani #SureshTriveni @jasmeet_k_reen and my team @pallavisymons and @sandhyabellarae. Becoming different people, living different lives, thats what I love the most about what I do.

Here is the post shared by the actress:

The actress, who has been part of the industry for more than two decades now, has given great performances in all of her films. Her films have always managed to travel to the audience, and now it's time that the actress gets her due. The actress, in recent times, has also been appreciated and recognised in the international arena.

Here is the collage that was shared by the actress:

She won the award for Best Actor (Female) at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2022 for 'Jalsa' and recently she won two back-to-back international awards. Later, she also went on to win the Police Award Arts Festival Premio Apoxiomeno for the presentation of cops and the police force in art and cinema for Delhi Crime S1.

On the work front, other than Delhi Crime 2, the actress will be seen in Doctor G along with Ayushmann Khurrana and Rakul Preet Singh.
New Delhi: 7th Pay Commission DA hike Latest update-- The centre may today give respite to lakhs of central government employees who have been waiting for announcement on hike in Dearness Allowance (DA). Media reports are suggesting that the big announcement might come today. An important cabinet meeting might take place today, i.e September 28, during which the government might take up DA hike issue for discussion and deliberation. Reports are suggesting that the big announcement on DA hike might come after the cabinet meeting deliberates on the quantum of DA hike, with the probability being a 4 percent DA hike.

The Dearness Allowance of central government employees is revised twice a year. The first is given from January to June, while the second comes from July to December. (Also read: PM Kisan 12th installment: Rs 2,000 likely to be credited on Friday)

If latest media reports are to be believed, Dearness Allowance of the employees could by hiked by 4 percent. This means the total DA could reach upo 38 percent. The All-India CPI-IW for the month of June has hinted at a hike in DA this month. Along with the Dearness allowance hike, employees may also get arrears for the months of July and August. (Also read: 78 days salary as bonus for Railway employees! BIG cabinet DECISION today)

The Dearness Allowance of central government employees is revised twice a year. The first is given from January to June, while the second comes from July to December.

The All-India CPI-IW for April, 2022 increased by 1.7 points and stood at 127.7 (one hundred twenty seven point seven). On 1-month percentage change, it increased by 1.35 per cent with respect to previous month compared to an increase of 0.42 per cent recorded between corresponding months a year ago, showed a Ministry of Labour & Employment data. As per latest ministry reports, the AICPI figures for May is at 129. Meanwhile, the AICP Index for the month of June is hinting at certainity that the DA would be higher. The AICPI figures for June is at 129.

The first increase in dearness allowance for the year 2022 was announced in March. In December 2021, the AICPI figure stood at 125.4. But, in January 2022, it declined by 0.3 points and fell to 125.1. The All-India CPI-IW for February, 2022 decreased by 0.1 points and stood at 125.0 (one hundred twenty five). On 1-month percentage change, it decreased by 0.08 per cent with respect to previous month compared to increase of 0.68 per cent recorded between corresponding months a year ago. For the month of March, there was a jump of 1 point. The AICPI index figures for March stood at 126.

It may be recalled that the Union Cabinet had on March 30 hiked Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) by 3 per cent to 34 per cent to compensate for the price rise, benefitting over 1.16 crore central government employees and pensioners.

The additional instalment is effective from January 1, 2022. The increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
New Delhi: Central Government increased dearness allowness to 38% from 34% on Wednesday. The step will be beneficial for over 50 lakh central government employees and 62 lakh pensioners all over India.

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The Indian government gives Dearness Allowance (DA) to the central government employees twice in a year or once every six months. Earlier, employees and pensioners put pressure to the government to increase dearness allowance which has been unpaid for 18 months by sending letters to the government.

Apart from DA hike, the Union Cabinet could also decide to extend the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for another 3 months till December. The cost to state exchequer will be around Rs 40,000.

ALSO READ | Invest Rs 411 daily and get nearly Rs 66 lakh upon maturity, check calculation

Letter demanding 18 months DA Arrear

On 18 August 2022, the Secretary (Staff Side) of the National Council, Shiv Gopal Mishra has sent a letter to the Cabinet Secretary and the President of the National Council. In the letter, a demand has been made for payment of arrears of dearness allowance and dearness relief for 1 January 2020, 1 July 2020 and 1 January 2021.

Shiv Gopal Mishra has also mentioned the Supreme Court's decision dated 08 February 2021 in a letter to the Cabinet Secretary. The Supreme Court had said in its decision that due to the economic crisis, the salary and pension of the employees can be stopped immediately, but it will have to be given back to the employees when the situation improves. This is the right of the employees. Payment should be made as per law.
New Delhi: The Ministry of Finance has now decided not to allow income taxpayers to apply for the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) scheme. The new order issued by FinMin will come into effect from October 1, 2022. This means, income taxpayers who wish to apply for the Atal Pension Yojana scheme must do so with in the next two days.

If a subscriber  who is also a tax paying citizen  wishes to join Atal Pension Yojana (APY) scheme, September 30 is the last date to do so.

Here are 10 points you want to know before joining Atal Pension Yojana before October 1, 2022

- According to the gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Finance on August 10, any citizen who is or has been an income tax payer according to the Income Tax Act will not be eligible to join the Atal Pension Yojana from October 1, 2022.

- If someone has joined the scheme on or after October 1 and is found to be an income tax payer on or before the date of coming into force of the new rule, his/her account will be closed immediately.

- However the pension amount or the accumulated pension wealth that has been deposited till that time will be refunded in one go.

- Launched on May 9, 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the APY aims at delivering old age income security particularly to the workers in the unorganised sector.

- APY can be subscribed by any Indian citizen in the age group of 18-40 years having a bank account. APY is a government scheme administered by PFRDA through NPS architecture.

- The minimum age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years. Therefore, minimum period of contribution by the subscriber under APY would be 20 years or more.

- First, it provides a minimum guaranteed pension ranging from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 on attaining 60 years of age. Secondly the amount of pension is guaranteed for lifetime to spouse on death of the subscriber. Third, in the event of death of both the subscriber and the spouse, entire pension corpus is paid to the nominee.

- APY has pre-defined monthly contributions. Under the APY, the subscribers would receive the fixed pension of Rs. 1000 per month, Rs. 2000 per month, Rs. 3000 per month, Rs. 4000 per month, Rs. 5000 per month, at the age of 60 years, depending on their contributions, which itself would vary on the age of joining the APY.

- Under APY, the Central Government would co-contribute 50 percent of the subscribers contribution or Rs 1000 per annum (whichever is lower) to each eligible subscriber account, for a period of 5 years, i.e., from 2015-16 to 2019-20, who join the NPS before 31st December, 2015.

- APY subscribers would enjoy tax benefits on their own contributions as well as their employers contribution under Section 80 CCD and 80 CCE.
New Delhi: The beneficiaries of PM-KISAN scheme, who have eagerly been waiting for the PM Kisan 12th installment money might hear some great news on Friday. Latest media reports say that the Modi government might transfer the PM Kisan 12th installment of Rs 2,000 in the bank accounts of eligible farmers on Friday (30 September 2022).

These are however just initial reports, while the government has not officially confirmed anything regarding the transfer of Rs 2,000 to beneficiary accounts of PM-KISAN scheme.

Here is how to add name PM KISAN beneficiary list

- Visit official website of PM KISAN at www.pmkisan.gov.in

- Go to Farmers Corner.

- You will find the section in left corner of the home page of www.pmkisan.gov.in

- Tap on the New farmer registration option.

- Fill the details in the registration form.

- Now click on the Submit button.

- Your beneficiary application form will be submitted online.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released 11th instalment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on May 31. PM Modi transferred an amount of around Rs 21,000 crore to more than 10 crore beneficiary farmer families.

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme was launched by PM Modi in 2019. The Scheme aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions.

Under the Scheme, an amount of Rs 6000 per year is released in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs 2000 each directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. In a financial year, PM Kisan installment is credited thrice through --Period 1 from April-July; Period 2 from August to November; and Period 3 from December to March.
New Delhi: On Wednesday, the federal government agreed to extend the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for an additional three months. The continuation of the free ration programme through December was authorised by the Union Cabinet at its meeting today, September 28.

The government will invest over Rs 40,000 crores in this programme over the next three months, it was determined in the meeting. The government has already invested 3.8 lakh crore rupees in this programme.

It is worth noting that no provision was made for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) after Covid-19. Despite this, after the budget, on March 26, 2022, the government had announced to continue it for another 6 months. At that time the government had told that about Rs 80,000 crore would be spent on continuing this scheme for 6 more months. Now that the government has decided to extend it for three more months, it is estimated that about Rs 40,000 crores more will be spent on it.

Under this scheme, the government provides free rations to the ration card holder's family. Through this scheme, the government has so far distributed 1,003 lakh metric tonnes of food grains. The scheme was launched in the year 2020 to provide free 5 kg foodgrains per person per month. About 80 crore beneficiaries are covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to reduce their hardship during the lockdown period.

The scheme has been extended multiple times since then and is now valid till December 2022.

Initially, in 2020-21, the PMGKAY scheme was announced only for a period of three months -- April, May and June 2020 (Phase-I). Later, the government extended the scheme from July to November 2020 (Phase-II).
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 28, 2022

8F3QZKNTLWBZ

FF11WFNPP956

ZRJAPH294KV5

YXY3EGTLHGJX

FF11HHGCGK3B

SARG886AV5GR

FF119MB3PFA5

FF10617KGUF9

FF11DAKX4WHV

B61YCTNH4PV3

Y6ACLK7KUD1N

FF1164XNJZ2V

FF10GCGXRNHY

WLSGJXS5KFYR

MCPTFNXZF4TA

FF11NJN5YS3E

WOJJAFV3TU5E

X99TK56XDJ4X

(Also read: OMG! An 18-year boy hacks Uber, employees' thoughts someone is joking)

How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, September 28, 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)
New Delhi: E-commerce platform Flipkarts festive sale is going on. The company offers a tempting deal in the ongoing sale. But what happens when one ordered a laptop and received some Ghadi detergent bars? Sounding unbelievable? But yes, it is right.

Wondering to know where and with whom the incident happened? Here's the answer to your curiosity. After several of the e-commerce company's customers complained that they had not received the items they ordered during the Big Billion Days event, Flipkart lately found itself in a pickle. (Also Read: Some Samsung Galaxy S22 users not receiving messages after September update: Here's all you want to know)

In this instance, a buyer who had bought a laptop for his father instead received some Ghadi detergent bars, much to his great surprise. (Also Read: Amazon app quiz today, September 28, 2022: To win Rs 2500, here are the answers)

On Tuesday, Flipkart responded to the backlash it had been receiving on social media as the Big Billion Days sale gaffes began to accumulate. The e-commerce company has detected the problem, according to a statement from Flipkart, and has taken action against the "errant party."

"As a company that prioritises its customers, Flipkart follows a zero-tolerance policy for any occurrences that erode customer confidence. For us, providing our clients with the finest online purchasing experience is of the utmost importance, Flipkart said.

The client, who went by the name Yashaswi Sharma, said in a LinkedIn post that his father made a mistake by not understanding the idea of "open-box delivery."

According to Yashaswi Sharma, his father believed that the OTP should be given to the delivery agent once the box has been delivered. My father made the mistake of assuming the box, which came from a Flipkart-verified vendor, would include a laptop rather than laundry detergent. He questioned, "Why wasn't the delivery lad able to explain the open box concept to the receiver before asking for the OTP?

"In this unique situation that offered an Open Box Delivery option, the consumer shared the OTP with the delivery professional without opening the item," Flipkart stated in a statement.

"Our customer support staff initiated a refund that will be credited within 34 working days once the incident's specifics were validated. Flipkart stated, "We have determined the problem and have also started taking action against the offending party.

Flipkart said regarding the issue, "Flipkart as a customer-focused organisation observes a zero-tolerance policy on all incidents that impact customer trust. It is of utmost importance to us to ensure the best possible online shopping experience for our customers. In this specific case that offered an Open Box Delivery option, the customer shared the OTP with the delivery executive without opening the package. Once the details of the incident were verified, our customer service team initiated a refund that will be credited within 3-4working days. We have identified the issue and have also initiated action against the errant party."

"Flipkart's Open Box Delivery is an initiative dedicated to safeguarding the customer's interests. As part of the Open Box Delivery process, Flipkart Wishmasters (delivery partner) opens the product at the time of delivery, in front of the customer. Customers need to accept the delivery only when their orders are present in an intact state and then share the OTP. This prevents any financial liability on part of the customer. This is an extension of the various initiatives that Flipkart has undertaken over the years to improve the overall customer experience and build a superior supply chain." it further added.
TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan, September 28, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Launched by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), the "Taiwan Modest Fashion and Beauty Online Pop-up Shop" was launched virtually with its official announcement on September 27th at 2 pm (Taipei time) through a live online broadcast. The event aims to advertise Taiwanese firms and introduce good-quality products with a series of activities, including Online Pop-up Shop, Modest Fashion Show, Makeup Demo, Halal Beauty product launch, and one-on-one online Business Matchmaking. This event was co-organized by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), Taiwan Sweater Industry Association (TSIA), and the Commerce Development Research Institute (CDRI).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220923005297/en/

Director General of the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ms. Cynthia Kiang (right 2), President & CEO of TAITRA, Mr. Simon Wang (left 2) cut the ribbon for the opening of the 2022 Taiwan Modest Fashion Pop-up Shop (Photo: Business Wire)

The Online Pop-up Shop showcases more than 35 premium beauty products suppliers from Taiwan. The Modest Fashion Show also announced the latest clothes by well-known Taiwanese clothing brand designers such as SABRA ANDRE, GIOIA PAN, and young promising designers from Malaysia and Indonesia. Ms. Cynthia Kiang, the Director General of BOFT, is wearing an elegant Muslim-style tailored dress, while Mr. Simon Wang, the President & CEO of TAITRA, is wearing a hand-made gorgeous Muslim patterned bow tie. The programs of Makeup Demo and Halal Beauty product experience present the BEST Taiwan beauty products.

You are all invited to visit the "Taiwan Modest Fashion and Beauty Online Pop-up Shop." The Online Pop-up Shop will run until the end of 2022 and the event video is available at: https://modestfashiontaiwan.taiwantrade.com/.

In April 2017, TAITRA was entrusted by the government to set up the Taiwan Halal Center and help promote the Taiwanese Halal industry. After many efforts, Taiwans Muslim tourism-friendly image has hit a record high. This year, it was ranked second among all non-Organization for Islamic Cooperation (non-OIC) countries in terms of Muslim-friendly travel in the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI). The survey provided exciting good news for Taiwan's tourism industry. We aim to create a Muslim-friendly environment in which Muslims can purchase quality products made in Taiwan without worries and have more convenient lives. To explore more interesting products, please visit our online shop.

Story continues

For more information, please contact your local Taiwan Trade Center Branch Office.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220923005297/en/

Contacts

Taiwan Trade Center, Istanbul by email: istanbul@taitra.org.tw or tel: 90-212-2904000
New Delhi: Korean conglomerate Samsung has been prompt and regular with software updates. The manufacturer claims that its Samsung Galaxy S22 has one of the best hardware update ratios of any smartphone you can buy right now. The officials said that frequent software updates make it one of the best flagship devices.

Sometimes not all software is flawless, Samsung's September update for the Galaxy S22 series appears to have had some imperfections, as users in the US have reported that their phones frequently stop receiving SMS texts.

Owners of the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, and even the S22 Ultra have reportedly complained about having to wait for text messages for hours on end in Reddit and Samsung Community forums. The problem is resolved by restarting their phones, but only momentarily.

There have been suggestions to utilise Airplane mode, remove the SIM card, or clean the device's cache in an effort to fix the problem, but all of these actions seem to be fruitless attempts. The S22 customers are consequently compelled to reboot their phones numerous times each day in order to prevent missing crucial texts, one complaint read.

Verizon customers who are using the September update are the ones who are complaining the most, although some T-Mobile and AT&T customers are also having problems. A few S21 owners are also struggling with this issue. The extent to which this might be a carrier issue, a Samsung software fault, or a combination of the two is now still incredibly unclear.

Specifications of Samsung Galaxy S22

Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone sports a 6.1-inch dynamic AMOLED display and Snapdragon 8 Gen. The smartphone works on Android 12. The smartphone packs 8GB RAM and up to 256 GB storage.
New Delhi: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday (September 27, 2022) said that they "could not agree more" with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he told Russian President Vladimir Putin that "this is not an era of war".

"I really want to emphasize what Prime Minister Modi said, because I think he captured, as well as anyone I've heard, fundamentally what this moment is about. As he said, this is not an era, this is not a time for war. We could not agree more," Blinken responded to a question while addressing a joint press conference with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Washington.

"I think it's very important, though, that voices as consequential as India's make themselves heard. And thats why I thought that the prime minister's comments were so significant, including as well his strong, clear support for the United Nations charter," he said.

Earlier this month, in a bilateral meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Samarkand, Modi underlined the importance of "democracy, dialogue and diplomacy" while calling for early cessation of hostilities in Ukraine.

"I know today's era is not of war. We discussed this issue with you on phone several times, that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue touch the entire world," Modi said in his first in-person meeting with Putin since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February this year.

Today's era is not that of war, PM Modi tells Prez Putin during bilateral meet on the sidelines of SCO Samarkand Summit pic.twitter.com/COvQnB4wxH  Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) September 16, 2022

US tried everything possible to avert Russia-Ukraine conflict: Antony Blinken

Antony Blinken said that they saw the "threat of aggression" mounting from Russia against Ukraine last year and tried everything possible to avert it through diplomacy.

"We warned the world about it, and we tried everything possible to avert it through diplomacy," he said.

"Unfortunately, tragically, President Putin pursued his aggression, nonetheless. And now the Ukrainian people, but also the world are reaping the consequences," Blinken said.

Important discussion today with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar about #USIndia's continued collaboration on global health challenges, climate change and clean energy, food security, and the implications of Russias war in Ukraine. #USIndiaAt75 pic.twitter.com/aZcMn9oXrP  Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 27, 2022

The US Secretary of State said that only one person has the ability to stop this aggression. And that's Putin.

"If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends," he added.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Residents of Florida's Gulf Coast boarded up their homes, packed their belongings, and fled to higher ground on Tuesday as Hurricane Ian approached, threatening a fatal storm surge and more than a foot of rain in some parts. After crashing into Cuba earlier in the day, Ian churned across the southeastern edge of the Gulf of Mexico, heading for Florida. With the massive storm on course to make landfall as a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane somewhere along Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday evening (local time), more than 2.5 million Floridians were under evacuation orders or advisories.

According to Sinar Daily, Hurricane Ian earlier made landfall in Cuba's westernmost province of Pinar del Rio in the early hours of Tuesday, bringing heavy rains and gusty winds as it makes its way toward US Florida Keys.

International Space Station issued a space view of Hurricane Ian on Tuesday, as the storm was just south of Cuba gaining strength and heading toward Florida.

#HurricaneIan was pictured from the space station on Sept. 26, 2022, as the storm was just south of Cuba gaining strength and heading toward Florida. pic.twitter.com/LBDLTP7J6N  International Space Station (@Space_Station) September 27, 2022

A Category 3 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale carries maximum sustained winds of up to 129 miles per hour (208 km per hour). The latest 8 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) hurricane advisory put Ian's top winds at 120 mph (195 km per hour).

Ian was most likely to come ashore south of Tampa near Sarasota, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. That region - home to miles of sandy beaches, scores of resort hotels and numerous mobile home parks - is a favourite with retirees and vacationers alike.

While predictions remained imprecise for where the storm would come ashore, "the impacts are going to be far, far broader than just where the eye of the storm happens to make landfall," Governor Ron DeSantis said. DeSantis warned of the potential for devastating Hurricane Harvey-like flooding that struck the Houston area in 2017, the result of a slow-moving storm piling up high water.

Parts of central Florida could see as much as 2 feet (0.6 meter) of rain from Ian, according to the National Weather Service. The NHC also issued extensive storm surge warnings for about half of western Florida's shoreline, with predictions of life-threatening coastal flooding up to 12 feet from wind-driven high surf.

Florida's director of emergency management, Kevin Guthrie, urged residents in evacuation zones to move to safety. To ease traffic congestion, authorities suspended toll collections along major highways in central Florida, the Tampa Bay area and the interstate stretch across the Everglades known as Alligator Alley.

If Ian strikes Tampa, it would be the first hurricane to make landfall in the area since the Tarpon Springs storm in 1921. It also may prove one of the costliest as the latest simulations projected storm-related damages ranging from $38 billion to more than $60 billion, Enki Research said on Tuesday.

Closings, Power Cuts in the state

Nearly 60 Florida school districts were either closed Tuesday or planned to be closed by Wednesday, DeSantis said. Many of those schools were designated as shelters for the storm and its aftermath. Commercial airlines cancelled more than 2,000 U.S. flights due to the storm.

The St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport - located on a vulnerable peninsula east of Tampa Bay - ceased operations at midday, and the Tampa International Airport shut down a few hours later.

Tampa Electric warned customers to be prepared for "extended outages." The company will institute a "targeted interruption" of service to a part of downtown Tampa on the western edge of the city. That area has already been evacuated. DeSantis said nearly 100 evacuation shelters had opened statewide.

(With Reuters Inputs)
Seoul: North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Wednesday, its neighbours said, a day before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is to visit South Korea. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the North Korean missiles lifted off 10 minutes apart on Wednesday afternoon from its capital region and flew toward the waters off its east coast. South Korea and Japan estimated that the North Korean missiles fired Wednesday flew 300-360 kilometres with a maximum altitude of 30-50 kilometres.

Japanese Vice Defence Minister Toshiro Ino said Japan's military also detected the launches and that the weapons flew in an irregular trajectory. Ino said that "North Korea's repeated missile firings amid (Russia's) invasion of Ukraine is impermissible'.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea's provocations would only deepen its international isolation while pushing South Korea and the United States to strengthen their deterrence. The low trajectories resembled the flight of the missile fired on Sunday, which some analysts said was likely a nuclear-capable, highly manoeuvrable weapon modelled after Russia's Iskander missile.

Also Read: South Korea, US retaliate against North Korea's missile firings, launch eight missiles

The launches follow a missile test by North Korea earlier this week.

Harris is to arrive in South Korea on Thursday for talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol and other officials. She also is to visit the tense border with North Korea, in what U.S. Officials call an attempt to underscore the strength of the U.S.-South Korean alliance and the U.S. Commitment to stand beside South Korea in the face of any North Korea threats.

U.S. And South Korean navy ships were also conducting drills off South Korea's east coast in a show of force against North Korea. The four-day exercise, which began Monday, involves the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. It is the first training exercise by the allies involving a U.S. Aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula since 2017.

South Korea-U.S. Joint military exercises often draw a furious response from North Korea, which views them as an invasion rehearsal. A short-range North Korean missile launched Sunday was seen as a response to the U.S.-South Korean training.
Kabul: In the wake of the US drone operation that killed Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Taliban claimed that Pakistan has received a whopping sum of money for allowing the US airstrikes in Afghanistan and added that they have substantial evidence to back their claims, media reports said. On July 31, the United States conducted a precision counterterrorism strike in Afghanistan that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden`s deputy and successor as leader of Al-Qaeda. It is also worth noting that this is a key development as the Taliban has already claimed that the US drones that invaded Afghanistan to kill Zawahiri made their way through the airspace of Pakistan.

Addressing a meeting commemorating World Tourism Day, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, Political Deputy of the Taliban-led Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Pakistan has received millions of dollars to concede to the US demands of using its airspace, reported Khaama Press. While claiming to have in possession the evidence, especially videos to back its claims, Stanekzai said that the evidence proves how Pakistan has given the US access to its airspace, reported Khaama Press.

Also Read: Taliban crash American Black Hawk helicopter during training exercise, three dead

As Pakistan is currently undergoing a severe economic crisis, Stanekzai said that even as the situation remains grim in Islamabad it should not exploit Afghanistan to alleviate its economic situation. Earlier, Talibani-appointed Minister of Defense, Mullah Yaqoub Mujahid accused Pakistan of allowing its airspace and territory to be used by the US`s drones.

In response to the Taliban`s claims that Pakistan acted in collusion with the US for carrying out the strikes, Pakistan said these are merely "conjectural allegations", and a violation of the norms of responsible diplomatic conduct. Al- Zawahiri was one of the masterminds of the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, and continued to urge his followers to attack the United States.
New Delhi: Amid Pakistans flood and economic crisis, the countrys Punjab province is set to spend PKR 1.33 billion on VIP protocol including luxury vehicles for their government officials.

The government will be purchasing 44 Toyota Fortuner, 33 Toyota Corolla Grande, 12 Toyota Corolla, and 44 Hilux Vigo, Daily Times reported. These heavy-duty cars will be used for the protocol of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi and the Chief Ministers Office among other government officials.

Also Read: Leaked audio clips of Pak government leaders raise security concern

The notable factor in this purchase is that it didnt have to go through the austerity committee, present to curtail government spending to reduce public sector debt, before being carried out as per reports.

This is surprising as Pakistan had been facing a food and shelter crisis after its devastating floods which killed over 1500 people and injured over 12,800 as per the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

The countrys currency continues to fall despite the inflow of loan funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The governments error of judgment in paying the import bills unnecessarily on the advice of a coalition partner has depleted the foreign currency reserves, reported The News International. The move caused a massive rupee devaluation in September despite approval of the IMF loan, claims a source in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N).

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Permanent Representative to India at UNSC, Ruchira Kamboj claimed Indias human-centric stance on the Ukraine-Russia conflict and suggested resolving the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue. She also highlighted the intricacies of the issue and labelled it as a significant concern for the international community. Ruchira Kamboj emphasised the importance of peaceful resolution of the issue, citing PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting at the SCO summit, and stated that global order should be based on international law, the UN Charter, and respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

#WATCH | The trajectory of Ukraine conflict is a matter of profound concern for intl community. India has repeatedly called for immediate cessation of hostilities & the need to resolve this conflict through dialogue & diplomacy: Ruchira Kamboj, Permanent Rep to UN at UNSC meeting pic.twitter.com/bfzqVWcvxJ September 27, 2022

This was also stated unequivocally by PM Modi during his meeting with President Putin on sidelines of SCO summit in Tashkent. We firmly believe that global order should be anchored on intl law, UN charter & respect for sovereignty & territorial integrity of states, said Ruchira Kamboj at UNSC.

This was also stated unequivocally by PM Modi during his meeting with President Putin on sidelines of SCO summit in Tashkent. We firmly believe that global order should be anchored on intl law, UN charter & respect for sovereignty & territorial integrity of states: Ruchira Kamboj https://t.co/LmZR6UNICn pic.twitter.com/IKESW6hVqG  ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2022

Expressing concern over the issue, Kamboj elaborated Indias stance of resolving the conflict democratically and said, India has repeatedly called for immediate cessation of hostilities & the need to resolve this conflict through dialogue & diplomacy

She also stated Indias position in providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine at the time of crisis and economic support to Indias neighbours at the global South under economic distress
New Delhi: Amid rumours of a military coup in China, President Xi Jinping on Tuesday (September 27, 2022) made his first public appearance since returning to Beijing from the SCO summit. Xi, who is widely expected to secure a precedent-breaking third term as a leader at the Communist Party's once-in-five-years Congress next month, was last seen in public when he attended the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 16.

Jinping's absence from the limelight had sparked rumours of a coup in China meant to depose him as the head of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and that he had been placed under house arrest. The hashtag #ChinaCoup also trended on the micro-blogging site Twitter for several days.

General Li Qiaoming to be next Chinese President, claimed rumours

There were also rumours that powerful military leader Li Qiaoming is set to replace Xi Jinping as the Chinese President. His latest appearance, however, has now put to rest rumours about him being under house arrest.

Observers say that Xi's absence from the public events may have been due to the seven-day mandatory quarantine in a designated place followed by a three-day home stay, as per the official guidelines for those returning from abroad under the country's "dynamic zero" Covid strategy.

On Tuesday, he visited an exhibition on the great achievements of the Communist Party of China and the country over the past decade, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. He was accompanied by Number 2 leader and Premier Li Keqiang and other top CPC officials.



(Xi Jinping visits an exhibition on achievements of Communist Party of China. Photo credits: Xinhua)



(Xi Jinping interacts with official during visit to an exhibition on achievements of Communist Party of China. Photo credits: Xinhua)

Speaking at the exhibition, Xi highlighted CPC's and China's achievements under his leadership during the past 10 years.

In his speech, the 69-year-old also called for concerted efforts to forge ahead determinedly toward a new victory of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Xi Jinping expected to get endorsed for record third term

During the once-in-a-five-year Congress next month, Xi Jinping is widely expected to get endorsement for a record third term. A total of 2,296 delegates have been "elected" to attend the 20th National Congress of the CPC on October 16.

As per the norm widely followed since the death of party founder Mao Zedong in 1976, all of Xi's predecessors strictly followed a 10-year tenure keeping up with the directive of Mao's successor Deng Xiaoping.

(With agency inputs)
Netflix is forming its own in-house game studio and wants to go beyond relying on third-party developers to bolster its game catalog. The studio, based in Helsinki, Finland, plans to create "world-class" original games without ads or in-app purchases.

Netflixs move into gaming has involved buying multiple developers, including the creators of Oxenfree, Night School Studio. In the last 12 months or so, the company has offered some well-regarded titles, including Into the Breach and Poinpy. But it hasn't built a developer from scratch. Until now.

However, when it comes to original games, Netflix says we won't see the first fruits of this internal studio for "years." Meanwhile, UsTwos Desta, launching later today exclusively on Netflix, is the latest addition from the makers of Monument Valley.

 Mat Smith

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The impactor vehicle was traveling at roughly 14,000 MPH when it struck.

TMA

After nearly a year in transit, NASA's experimental Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which sought to answer the question: "Could you potentially shove an asteroid off its planet-killing trajectory by hitting it with a specially designed satellite?" The answer seems to be  maybe. It successfully collided with the Dimorphos asteroid. Results and data from the collision are still coming in, but NASA ground control confirms that the DART impact vehicle has intercepted the target asteroid. The vending machine-sized vehicle traveled at roughly 14,000 MPH when it crossed Dimorphos' path nearly 68 million miles from Earth.

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98 seconds of post-apocalyptic gloom.

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HBO revealed the first trailer for its highly anticipated adaptation of the hit Naughty Dog game. The clip features the leaning building from an early level and a bombastic opening outbreak sequence, as well as the unmistakable sound of a Clicker. Nightmare fuel for 2022.

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It adds non-destructive editing, real-time effects and more.

Audacity is best known as a free audio app for quick edits and recording audio, but the latest update makes it more viable as a full-on production tool for your podcast ambitions. The most welcome addition is non-destructive audio capabilities that allow you to adjust effects without the changes being permanently baked into the audio file. It also supports real-time playback of effects and crossfades as you adjust them, allowing for more accurate edits. And its still free.

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You'll still have to leave repairs to the pros.

The Apple Watch Ultra is built to survive adventures outdoors, but if you push it beyond its limits, youre going to struggle to repair it yourself. iFixit reports that the Ultra isn't significantly more repairable than its regular counterparts. While there are external screws on the back, you might wreck a waterproofing gasket if you pry the rear open. And don't even think of getting through the front  you might break the screen.

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Samplebrain has been on Richard James' mind for 20 years.

Aphex Twin is finally ready to offer his mutation-driven music software to the world. Samplebrain is a free "sample mashing" app that turns audio files from your computer into sample blocks you can use for projects. You can recreate a sample using tracks in your music library or craft a "303 riff" from unexpected sounds. However, you may need some technical know-how to use the app.

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On Monday, Meta began rolling out a new interface on Android, iOS and on the web for switching between accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Provided youve added your credentials for both to the same Accounts Center, you can use the feature to switch between the two apps. Meta will also notify you every time you use an existing account to create a new one or you add an account to the Accounts Center.

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The Republican Party of Wisconsin has filed a pair of lawsuits six weeks before the election that seek records from the administrations of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson related to issues that have been campaign fodder for conservatives.

The lawsuits were filed Monday and Tuesday and come the day after a conservative law firm, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, sued the state parole commission seeking records about paroles that have been granted.

The lawsuit targeting Johnson and Claire Woodall-Vogg, executive director of Milwaukee's election commission, seeks communications between them and GPS Impact, a liberal communications firm that has helped Democrats, related to a privately funded voter outreach effort in the city. Republicans have alleged that the "Milwaukee Votes 2022" campaign is an illegal get-out-the-vote campaign orchestrated by Democrats.

Johnson's office has stressed that the effort is entirely made up of nonpartisan efforts to register voters and encourage voting. GPS Impact is advising nonprofits running the program but is not receiving taxpayer money from the city or any other entity, said Melissa Baldauff, an employee of the group. Baldauff previously worked in Evers' administration and for the Wisconsin Democratic Party.

The Republican Party filed an open records request with the city on Sept. 13. According to the lawsuit, a city attorney responded on Sept. 19 that it was working on it as part of 19 requests that had come in related to the get-out-the-vote program. Republicans allege that the defendants have broken the state's open records law by failing to "swiftly" provide the records.

Wisconsin's open records law requires a response to requests "as soon as practicable and without delay," but it often takes weeks or months for records to be provided. The time it takes to respond depends on a variety of factors, including the scope and complexity of any given request.

"Many records requests take a lot longer than two weeks to be satisfied," said Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council. "They're not supposed to be delaying, but it's not always instantaneous."

Republicans allege that not responding to the request as of Tuesday "casts a dark cloud over the City's administration of the election and its election-related efforts, which only risks proliferating public concerns about the upcoming election by withholding or delaying records pertinent to an extremely time sensitive issue."

Jeff Fleming, a spokesman for the mayor, said he expected the requested documents to be provided within days.

"The fact that the Republicans have rushed out a news release on a lawsuit - based on a records request submitted just days ago - suggests this is more about political posturing than it is about a substantive legal issue," Fleming said.

The other Republican lawsuit targeting Evers was filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court. It seeks records that Republicans requested in June related to communications involving the governor and his chief of staff related to the veterans home in Union Grove. Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, whose southeastern Wisconsin district includes the village, has been critical of the treatment that veterans receive at the facility.

Spokespeople for Evers and the Department of Veterans Affairs did not immediately reply to messages seeking comment on the lawsuit.
Records compiled as part of Michael Gablemans now-closed review of the 2020 election will soon be posted online for all to see, an attorney representing the office once headed by the former state Supreme Court justice told a Dane County judge Tuesday.

Attorney James Bopp, who is representing the Office of Special Counsel in an open records lawsuit related to the GOP-ordered probe, told Dane County Circuit Judge Jacob Frost that all records  including emails and text messages  and assets once handled by the office have been handed over to the state Assembly.

There are no documents whatsoever in the possession of the Office of Special Counsel, Bopp said, adding that those records will be posted online for all to see. He did not say when the records will be made public.

Last month, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, fired Gableman and closed the Office of Special Counsel that was initially budgeted to spend $676,000, though legal fees and other court costs have pushed the price tag to more than $1.1 million  all of which will ultimately fall on taxpayers. Gableman was paid more than $100,000 to lead the review.

The review has failed to provide any evidence to support some Republicans claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Whats more, Gableman and his attorneys have said the Office of Special Counsel regularly deleted emails and documents deemed irrelevant to the taxpayer-funded review.

State lawmakers are exempt from Wisconsins record retention law, allowing them to regularly delete records, though requested documents must be retained if they exist at the time of a formal request. An October memo prepared by the Wisconsin Legislative Council indicated that the records retention exemption enjoyed by legislators did not apply to Gableman.

Liberal watchdog group American Oversight has filed four lawsuits seeking to halt the deletion of records related to the probe. Bopp has moved to dismiss the lawsuit before Frost, arguing that the matter is now moot since those records will soon be posted online. Frost did not indicate when he may rule on the matter.

Both American Oversight and the Office of Special Counsel have posted hundreds of pages of documents related to the probe online.

Gableman was hired in the summer of 2021 by Vos after pressure from Trump, who continues to promote the lie of a stolen 2020 presidential election. A recount, court decisions and multiple reviews have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes.

Gableman in March proposed that the Legislature consider decertifying the results of the election but later backed off that suggestion in a private memo to Vos, in which the former justice acknowledged the idea is a practical impossibility. Decertification cannot happen under state law or the U.S. Constitution.

In his first report, he said we could not decertify, then later wrote that it should be considered, Vos told the Wisconsin State Journal earlier this month. This flip-flop was a critical error. The 2020 election cannot be overturned.

Vos fired Gableman three days after the longtime GOP lawmaker narrowly avoided being unseated in a primary election by longshot candidate Adam Steen, who was endorsed by both Trump and Gableman. Steen plans to run against Vos as a write-in candidate in the Nov. 8 election.

The relationship between the caucus and Gableman was ultimately damaged when he was asked by the leadership team to stop engaging in partisan politics and he didnt comply, Vos said. He was acting as an attorney for the Legislature and we all found it to be an inappropriate use of his time.
The conservative effort to negatively target the Wisconsin Parole Commission under Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has been ramping up over the last week.

Republican state Sens. Julian Bradley, of Franklin, and Van Wanggaard, of Racine, in a release Thursday accused the commission of sitting on public records requests they filed which they say have gone unfulfilled.

With the typical open records request remaining unfulfilled months after Wanggaard said it was filed, he accused the Parole Commission of "stonewalling" Republicans.

He also threatened "to invoke chairman powers" in order to acquire a listing of all people paroled since 2014. Wanggaard, a retired Racine Police officer, is now the chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections, under which the Parole Commission is organized, now says that it plans to fulfill Wanggaard's request by the end of this week.

In a tweet Monday, Wanggaard said "the Department of Corrections has responded for the first time in 4 months, and expects to turn over the records by Friday. If not, expect me to take legal action to force their hand!"

In addition to a list of those paroled during Republican Gov. Scott Walker's second term and Evers' first, including "a breakdown of the underlying conviction(s)" for each person paroled, Wanggaard also requested:

All records related to a single prisoner  Douglas Balsewicz, whose parole was approved in spring but then revoked weeks later  since Jan. 1, 2019.

"The history of DOC policy changes on revocation; including old versions of DOC revocation handbooks."

Asked for comment on the alleged "stonewalling" in fulfilling the request from Wanggaard and Bradley, DOC Communications Director John Beard said in an email to a reporter: "The Department of Corrections responds to 3,500-4,000 record requests each year, which it responds to as soon as practicable. Requests for very large number of records spanning multiple years, such as 'the history of DOC policy changes on revocation' and 'old versions of DOC revocation handbooks' can take longer to fulfill.'"

Parole numbers under Evers not abnormal

In recent weeks, Republicans, fueled by WisconsinRightNow.com's reporting, have been on an election year attack criticizing the Parole Commission under Evers for paroling convicted murderers and rapists who had already spent decades in prison for their crimes.

After GOP gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels last week called on Evers to cease paroles until the end of the year, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported: "Since Evers took office in 2019, the commission has approved 461 discretionary parole grants ... Between 2011 and 2018, when former Republican Gov. Walker was in office, the commission granted 663 discretionary releases, or 47.5% of the total. Of those who received a discretionary parole since Evers took office, 78 offenders  or 16% of the total paroled  have absconded, been accused of new crimes, or were sent back to prison, according to commission data. During Walker's administration, 81% of those who received discretionary parole reoffended or absconded."

There have been far fewer paroles under Walker and Evers than under previous governors, in part because of the "Truth In Sentencing" laws the state Legislature put in place in 2000, effectively making it impossible for anyone imprisoned after 2000 to get early release from prison.

More than 5,000 paroles were granted when Jim Doyle, a Democrat, was governor from 2003-2011, according to Journal Sentinel reporting. When Republican Tommy Thompson was governor from 1987-2001, the commission OK'd more than 23,000 discretionary paroles.

Reporting from the Associated Press is included in this article.
Many Lake Geneva residents cheered and hugged each other after members of the city council agreed to purchase 200 acres of property that are near and dear to their hearts.
OMAHA -- After a 26-year-old woman was fatally shot in the forehead, someone moved her body several feet and attempted to make her death appear to be a suicide, an Omaha police detective said in court Monday.

Davon Brown, 20, appeared in court in connection with the Aug. 12 fatal shooting of ShaLonna Houston in an Omaha apartment at 5100 Florence Blvd.

Brown has been charged with second-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

Omaha Police Detective Michael Young said police officers found Houston dead in a bedroom of the apartment. A neighbor told them he had heard two or three people arguing, although he couldn't make out what was said or whether it was hostile.

Young said it appeared Houston had been moved several feet from where she was shot in the living room. A rifle was placed on the bed next to a fanny pack containing ammunition. Live rounds were scattered on the floor.

Young said investigators think the gun was placed there in an attempt to make the scene look like a suicide.

The man who lives in the apartment told officers that Houston and Brown had stayed the night. When he woke up, he found the couple "play fighting" and arguing.

Brown was holding a rifle.

The witness said he keeps the rifle in a closet and stores ammunition in a fanny pack on a bedside table.

The man said he and Houston told Brown to stop messing around with the gun. While it was unclear whether the gun's safety was on or off, the man told Brown it wasn't safe to mess with the weapon.

Brown pointed the gun at Houston several times, the man said, adding that as she attempted to grab the gun, Brown fired, striking Houston in the center of her forehead.

The witness told officers he couldn't be sure whether the shooting was done by accident or on purpose, Young said.

The witness went across the hall to his father's apartment to tell him what happened. Brown then came over and asked the witness to help get rid of Houston's body. That man declined to help.

Surveillance video shows Brown going back into the apartment a couple more times, Young said. He then ran from the building, stopping once at Houston's car before running from the property.

Brown was apprehended by police days later and told them the shooting was accidental.

After hearing testimony, Douglas County Judge Grant Forsberg decided the case against Brown could proceed to district court.

Tamiko Jones, Houston's mother, spoke to Brown's family ahead of the hearing. She told them she wasn't upset.

Jones and other family members filled the courtroom. Most of them sported pink shirts in honor of Houston.

After the hearing, Jones said her daughter was a bright light who always managed to find a way to pick others up in times of need.

Jones noted that Brown's family had lost a child, too.

"I don't hate him," she said. "As parents, we do our best. Once they become adults, the decisions are theirs."
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said $500 million of new federal grants will support domestic fertilizer production. (Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest $500 million to increase domestic fertilizer production, doubling its previous commitment, the agency has announced.

The federal dollars would boost long-term projects and ready-to-go proposals that might have an effect as early as next year.

Some of the first projects to get funding from the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program are likely to include fertilizer plants that are already under construction and could be completed more quickly with an infusion of cash, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said Tuesday.

There are facilities that have been underway, are in construction, where opportunities may be accelerated to be able to deal with more product in 2023 or 2024, he told reporters.

Vilsack mentioned an unspecified Michigan facility that might be a candidate for the funding. The Michigan Potash & Salt Company was expected to start construction this year on a $1.1 billion facility to process potash that is mined in the state, and one of the companys executives has said the new federal funding would help the long-awaited project advance.

Potash  a potassium compound  is one of the most widely used fertilizers in agriculture. The United States is not a major global producer of it, according to USDA data. Canada, Russia and Belarus have accounted for about two-thirds of global production.

Michigan Potash has said its facility will have the capacity to fully supplant Russian imports of the fertilizer, but full production isnt expected for three years.

The company did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article.

The federal funding for fertilizer production is a result of costs that spiked in late 2021 and early 2022. Those prices have subsided somewhat but are still about double what they were at the start of 2021, according to a Green Markets fertilizer price index.

The price increases were driven by a number of factors, including shortages of natural gas used to make nitrogen fertilizers, limited fertilizer stockpiles and production disruptions caused by an August 2021 hurricane that struck Louisiana. Russias invasion of Ukraine exacerbated the problem.

So in March, the USDA announced a new grant program to increase domestic production with an eye toward supporting new, independent operations. The Biden administration has sought to reduce consolidation in agriculture-related industries.

The USDA is expected to start soliciting grant applications soon for awards ranging from $1 million to $100 million, Vilsack said.

A first group of applications due within 45 days will be geared toward projects that might increase fertilizer supplies in 2023 and 2024. A second round of applications due within 90 days will be for longer-term projects.

The grants will be paid through the Commodity Credit Corporation, which has traditionally funded loans and payments to farmers and conservations programs of the farm bill. Earlier this month, the USDA announced CCC money would be used to support a more than $3 billion climate smart program. At the time, Vilsack said the CCC has sufficient funds to support the new programs and fulfill its farm bill obligations.

The fertilizer grant program is part of a longer-term strategy to reduce prices and the countrys reliance on foreign products. The Biden administration has resisted calls to cut tariffs on certain fertilizers to help alleviate the recent high costs, saying the short-term benefits do not outweigh long-term trade goals.

Vilsack said increased domestic fertilizer production combined with better techniques to avoid the excessive use of fertilizers will help stabilize supplies and farmers costs.

Were excited about this, he said of the new grant program. We think its going to help reduce the cost, increase the supply, maybe generate opportunities for farmer-owned cooperatives as well.

The USDA is set to hold two online seminars to explain the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program on Oct. 4 and how to apply on Oct. 6.

This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom Network.
Shippensburg University and the Shippensburg University Foundation on Tuesday announced that its engineering school will be named the Milton and Doreen Morgan School of Engineering and Laboratory.

The university held a ceremony Tuesday that honors the couple who donated to the school. Milton Morgan III is a 1976 graduate of the university and former president of the J. Walter Miller Co. in Lancaster. His donation provides for an engineering scholarship endowment, engineering research endowment, equipment and instrumentation for the laboratory and angel investment dollars that will provide seed funds for student projects.

The desire to achieve perfection drives innovation towards a goal we will never achieve, but as we advance technologically, the demand for engineers in multiple disciplines explodes exponentially, Milton said. Shippensburg University has taken a leadership position as the only Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education School offering a program with various engineering degrees. Dory and I are thrilled to have a role in advancing this program to the next level, the School of Engineering.

The School of Engineering offers computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering courses.

We are so thankful for the generosity of Milton and Doreen Morgan and excited to advance the School of Engineering through their generous gift, SU President Charles Patterson said.
Those who knew Tom Faley recall a dynamo, a go-getter with a friendly disposition.

It was very seldom that he didnt come into Agway two to three times a week, said Duff Manweiler, a close friend of Faley, a retired Army colonel and longtime South Middleton Township supervisor who died on Sept. 18 in Tampa, Florida, at the age of 82.

Tom always had a smile on his face, the owner of the Carlisle store said. He would just pop in and talk. He was a fun guy to be around. Everybody just fell in love with him.

When they first met about 28 years ago, Manweiler said Faley was mulling a run for public office. He sought advice from Manweiler who was already serving on the South Middleton Township Board of Supervisors.

Tom called me to see what was involved and whether it would be something that he enjoyed doing, Manweiler said. He was the best supervisor that I ever served with. He was all about the people and caring about what they needed. He absolutely loved helping people.

For Manweiler, word of his death was sad, sudden and unexpected. The two men had stayed in contact even after Faley had moved to Florida to be closer to his family and his beloved dog.

He was an animal person, Manweiler said Monday. Tom was always walking his dogs through the neighborhood. He was well known for that. When I would run, I would always see Tom in the alleyway. We would talk and then continue on our way. More than the supervisor part, we became very good friends.

Friend and mentor

I cant describe the sense of loss, Township Supervisor Chairman Bryan Gembusia said. I lost a friend and a mentor. If it wasnt for Tom, I wouldnt be an elected official. He encouraged me to run that first time.

Gembusia was a spokesperson representing a group of township residents concerned about stormwater drainage involving the Westgate housing development. When a vacancy came up on the supervisors, Faley asked Gembusia, Why dont you run?

In his first campaign for supervisor in 2001, Gembusia lost by 23 votes. The narrow margin discouraged him. Gembusia was also trying to start his own business when another vacancy came up in 2003.

Once again, Faley encouraged Gembusia to get on the ballot and run for office. He invited Gembusia and his wife over for a meal where Faley got to work marshaling his powers of gentle persuasion.

I remember he looked over at Monica, but there was no help coming, Gembusia said. We had already discussed it as a couple. But that didnt deter Faley, who insisted on a second try and even volunteered to work the door-to-door campaign. At first, Gembusia resisted, citing a lack of time, but within a few days, he was out and about interacting with voters. Gembusia won and took office in January 2004.

If it wasnt for that one conversation, my life would have been different, Gembusia said, now a supervisor for almost 19 years. I dont know how, but I wouldnt have run for office. Tom knew it was important to have younger folks come up and run.

Gembusia came into office believing he knew a lot only to find out he had a lot to learn. Faley was there to teach and offer him support. Tom had a way to help me get through the tough decisions, Gembusia said, adding that Faley had a knack for balancing what the law allowed and the public supported with what was most feasible.

Tom the institution

Township Manager Cory Adams is still trying to get over the shock.

Its taking us a bit of time to fully digest that Tom is not with us anymore, Adams said Monday. For the longest time, he was always here. Tom always had his finger on much of what was occurring at the township. He came into the [municipal] building every day and touched base with all the employees to see how they were doing. He was out in the community, on the forefront of events. He was the person to go to get the most up-to-date and current information.

Like Manweiler, Adams struggled with pinpointing one fond memory from his years of interaction with Faley. What they remember most is a general impression of a career Army officer who never stopped serving until his retirement from public life in late December 2019.

Tom knew I had an interest in history, Adams said. He was extraordinarily well-read  not just military history, but in all matters of history. We just had long conversations about historical events. It was such a pleasure to bounce ideas off of him, to commiserate and to look at a broader conceptualization of the world.

Tom was an institution in and of himself, Adams said. His service not only to our community, but to this country, had a tremendous impact on us all.

Life of service

A native of Somerset, Pennsylvania, Faley moved to Harrisburg in his teenage years and graduated from William Penn High School in 1957. He initially attended Dickinson College until he earned an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy.

Faley graduated from West Point in 1962, earning a bachelors degree and a commission as an Army second lieutenant. He later obtained a masters of science degree in psychology from the University of Miami and a degree in strategic studies from the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks.

His military career spanned 30 years that included two combat tours in Vietnam where he made national news in October 1965 from a story the United Press International picked up from the Public Affairs Office of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.

Faley would be known for his luck in dodging a bullet from enemy fire as the round landed in his wallet. This quirk of fate was depicted in Ripleys Believe It or Not! and Strange as It May seem. Faley saved the wallet and enjoyed sharing the story with those he met later in life.

In 1964, Faley met and married his wife, Susan, at Fort Hancock, New Jersey. The couple had three daughters who became Army officers through the ROTC College Scholarship Program. The family moved 13 times during his military career until 1992 when Faley planned to retire and was entitled to a final government-funded move before entering civilian life.

His last job in the Army was at Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia, where he served as the chief of staff for the major general in charge of the Army ROTC program. A history buff, Faley was a fan of nearby Colonial Williamsburg.

But instead of staying in Virginia, ties to Pennsylvania convinced Faley to move to South Middleton Township. There, he settled into retired life as a part-time adjunct psychology professor at HACC from 1993 to 2009 and at Duquesne University, Harrisburg Campus, from 1999 to 2007.

Love of community

Two years into retirement, Faley saw a story in The Sentinel about a vacancy on the township parks and recreation board. He volunteered to serve, and his life took a different turn.

In 1995, Faley read a story about a pending vacancy on the board of supervisors. With encouragement from Manweiler, he decided to run, launching himself into a door-to-door campaign that proved successful. He served as a supervisor from 1995 to 2019 with support from his wife, who worked the polls as his principal advocate and the phone to relay messages from constituents.

In January 2019, state Sen. Mike Regan, R-31, presented Faley with a letter of recognition and congratulations for his service. Years before that, Regan was going door-to-door on his own campaign when he happened upon the household of a dynamic husband-wife duo.

We hit it off right away, Regan said. Tom showed me his memorabilia from the military. He was just a super friendly, welcoming guy  very energetic. We had a lot of interactions. It was always pleasant, upbeat and positive.

Im very sad, but I can imagine if Tom could talk, he would put a positive spin on it, Regan said. He would say he lived a very full, rich and robust life. That he loved his family. That he accomplished a lot of things. Tom represented everything that was positive about being an American.

The same month that Regan recognized Tom Faley for his service, word came out that Susan Faley had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only months to live.

She never complained about me spending too much time as a supervisor, Faley said in a December 2019 story. She was so good on the phone. When people called, she took down the information. Such and such called.

But when his wife got sick, Faley promised her that he would devote all of his attention to her. He remembered that final hospital visit when he bought in the family pet  a chocolate Labrador retriever.

The dog sat next to her, Faley said. Sue scratched her muzzle and under the face. The last sentence the family heard from Sue was, Shes such a good dog. Within an hour, Sue stopped communicating.

Susan Faley died on March 4, 2019. Now, three-and-a-half years later, Tom Faley has died, leaving behind a legacy of service and survivors that include three daughters, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Faley will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Hoffman Funeral Home and Crematory in Carlisle. A viewing will take place from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery with military honors at a later date.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Some of the West's fiercest critics made their cases in the closing hours of the U.N. General Assembly meeting of world leaders, as Syria and North Korea on Monday accused the United States and its allies of trying to impose their will on the world.

Syrias top diplomat called for a U.S.-led military coalition to get out of his country, a North Korean ambassador said his nation wouldn't yield to U.N. demands to give up its nuclear weapons program, and both condemned sanctions against their countries.

If the messages weren't exactly new, they carried the extra weight of a once-a-year chance to speak from the same famous podium as the leaders of other nations, including their adversaries. U.S. President Joe Biden addressed the assembly last week, making no direct mention of Syria but briefly complaining that North Korea continues to blatantly violate U.N. sanctions over its nuclear activities.

North Korean U.N. Ambassador Kim Song retorted Monday that Biden picked on us, and Kim shrugged off his message.

To put it clearly, we have never recognized such resolutions of the United Nations that impose pressure" because North Korea views them as U.S. aims given an international imprimatur, Kim said.

We will not recognize them in the future, either, he added.

He said relations were potentially heading into a much more dangerous phase  potentially the shakiest since World War II  because of the high-handedness and arbitrariness of some countries" that he said were trying to overwrite the international system with Western values.

Syria Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad also took aim at sanctions, which the the U.S., some other countries and the European Union have imposed on his country's government, oil industry and more. He said his country has been economically besieged by powers bent on getting their way and retaining their wealth.

The war against Syria, ultimately, was an attempt by the West to maintain control over the world, he said.

The civil war began in 2011 with anti-government protests demanding that President Bashar Assads government make democratic reforms, but the situation quickly escalated into fighting that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions. Amid the chaos, the Islamic State militant group took over significant parts of Syria. In 2019, the group lost the last sliver of land its fighters controlled, but its sleeper cells are still active.

To Syria's frustration, hundreds of U.S. troops are stationed in the country's east to help the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to fight the militants. Mekdad said the coalitions presence contradicts international law and should end immediately, without conditions.

Fighting terrorism does not happen through an illegitimate international coalition that violates Syrias sovereignty and destroys towns and villages, he said, arguing that battling terrorism cant work without coordination with Assads government.

Syria also wants compensation for $107 billion in direct and indirect losses in its oil and gas sector during the war, Mekdad said. The American forces and the SDF currently control much of the oil fields in eastern Syria.

The U.S. didn't immediately respond to the remarks from Mekdad and Kim. They spoke on the closing day of the annual debate that brings presidents, monarchs, premiers and cabinet ministers to the assembly's podium.

Russias war in Ukraine has taken up much of the discussion this year, but the six days of speeches still formed a mosaic of global issues, national priorities, regional rivalries and don't-forgets. Monday was no exception.

Mauritanian Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug called for debt cancellation for African countries. His Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly, told the world's women that her country would speak up for your rights and dignity  no government, no politician, no judge, no one, can take that away from you."

Bhutan's foreign minister, Tandi Dorji, said he overhauled his speech after getting a letter from a 7-year-old girl in his Himalayan homeland. She worried that her small community would be flooded by melting snow and glaciers in a warming world, he said, reading from the letter.

I would request your excellency to kindly convey this small message to the world leaders and big and rich nations to help and save our tiny village from global warming, she wrote. I am sure if we all come together, we can not only save our tiny village but also make our Earth safe for all living beings.

The high-profile speeches began last week with countries that sent heads of state and government. By Monday, foreign minister- and ambassador-level speakers were taking the podium, and the colossal security cordon around the United Nations headquarters had been largely dismantled.

On the final day, many speakers still spoke emphatically about how important the global organization remains in a fragmented world.

We need more of the U.N., not less," Joly said.

As the last country to weigh in, Nauru took stock of a world that has been buffeted by the Ukraine war, the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, all at once. But diplomat Josie-Ann Dongobir closed with hope "that this year allows us to be open to the transformation we seek.

Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Ted Anthony at the United Nations contributed. For more AP coverage of the U.N. General Assembly, visit https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly
Yuichiro Chino

Binance has launched a program to train law enforcement on how to spot cyber crimes, moving in response to greater demand for help.

The world's largest crypto trading platform said Tuesday its investigations team has responded to more than 27,000 law enforcement requests since November.

The FBI recently warned about cyber criminals increasingly exploiting vulnerabilities in decentralized finance, or DeFi, platforms.

Binance, the world's largest crypto trading platform, said Tuesday it has launched a global program to train law enforcement on how to spot cyber crimes, moving in response to greater demand for help by public and private entities.

Binance said in a statement the program is the first globally coordinated effort in the industry. The focus expands beyond crime detection to include aiding in the prosecution of "bad actors who exploit digital assets," it said.

Last month, the FBI issued a warning about cyber criminals increasingly exploiting vulnerabilities in decentralized finance, or DeFi, platforms to steal cryptocurrency from investors. Cyber criminals stole $1.3 billion in cryptocurrencies during the first three months of 2022, nearly 97% of which was swiped from DeFi platforms, the agency said, citing data from Chainalysis.

Binance said its investigations team has responded to more than 27,000 law enforcement requests since November. Also, the team over the past year has run and participated in more than 30 workshops working with law enforcement officers in countries including the UK, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Israel, and South Korea.

"We work hand-in-hand with law enforcement to track and trace suspected accounts and fraudulent activities, contributing to the fight against terrorism financing, ransomware, human trafficking, child pornography, and financial crimes," Tigran Gambaryan, Binance's VP of global intelligence and investigations, said in the statement. Gambaryan previously served as a special agent at the Internal Revenue Service's Cyber Crimes Unit.

Story continues

The training program is being led by members of Binance's investigations team that employs security experts, former law enforcement agents, analysts, and operatives who had helped take down major criminal platforms such as Silkroad and Hydra.

The one-day training includes in-person workshops on the concepts of blockchain and crypto assets and discussions on methods Binance has developed to detect criminals and prevent violations.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Mayor's Office Press Release

Mayor Turner Welcomes Dignitaries and Energy Executives to Inaugural Houston - Africa Energy Summit

September 22, 2022 -- Mayor Sylvester Turner today welcomed African heads of state, African ministers, Houston-based energy executives, and business leaders to the inaugural Houston - Africa Energy Summit.

The two-day event began with a red-carpet arrival in front of the Julia Ideson Building across from Houston City Hall.

Mayor Turner extended a warm welcome to the President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, and Hilda Suka-Mafudze, the African Union Ambassador to the United States. The mayor also greeted many other notable leaders from Angola, Madagascar, Namibia, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, the Gambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, Burundi, Ghana, Guinea, Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan.

Following the arrival ceremony, Mayor Turner joined representatives from Chevron, CenterPoint Energy, and more than one dozen other companies for a roundtable. Key topics of discussion included but were not limited to the fossil fuel and hydrocarbon industry, natural gas industry and national policies, renewable power generation, including hydrogen, coal, solar, wind, investment, and financing to support energy projects.

"This is an important event; one that showcases the position of Houston as the energy capital of the world and a global leader to help build opportunity to support Africa's growth," said Mayor Turner. "My goal is to bring all sides to the table -- to have the necessary discussions, bring people together, build relationships, and challenge you all to find opportunity."

Mayor Turner, in collaboration with the Greater Houston Partnership, will host a daylong plenary Session of the Houston-Africa Energy Summit on Friday, Sept. 23. Along with networking opportunities, the discussions will focus on the future of global energy in African and remarks from Niger's president.

"If we believe in equitable economic development, energy is one of the most important factors for Africa," Mayor Turner said. "And this is why we think this is the right place for these conversations. Because we need to meet this challenge while remaining mindful of our commitments to equitable economic development as well as leading in climate action."
Hurricane Ians thrashing of Cuba has left at least two people dead and the entire island without power.

Both deaths occurred in the hard-hit western province of Pinar del Rio, where a woman died after a wall collapsed on her and a man died after his roof fell on him, state media said.

On Wednesday, crews rushed to restore power to some of the millions of Cubans who lost electricity as Ian battered the western region with fierce winds and treacherous storm surge.

Ian made landfall as a Category 3 storm just southwest of La Coloma in the Pinar del Rio province early Tuesday.

The hurricane was forecast to dump up to 16 inches of rain and trigger mudslides and flash flooding in the western region, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of residents.

The Pinar del Rio town of San Juan y Martinez was left with fields inundated by floodwater and uprooted trees, images from state media outlet Cubadebate show.

Pinar del Rio, known for growing Cubas rich tobacco, also suffered downed fences and destruction at the Robaina tobacco farm, according to photos posted by state media.

The countrys state-run National Electric System turned off power in the capital Havana to avoid electrocutions, deaths and property damage until the weather improved. But the nationwide blackouts were caused by the storm and were not planned.

An economic crisis has been gripping Cuba, leading to shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Blackouts across the island have been regular all summer, which has led to rare protests against the government.

People play dominoes by flashlight during a blackout in Havana on Wednesday. - Ramon Espinosa/AP

Thousands of Cubans evacuated

The life-threatening conditions Hurricane Ian inflicted on Cuba prompted officials to evacuate more than 38,000 residents from their homes in the Pinar del Rio province, according to state news channel TelePinar.

Adriana Rivera, who lives in Spain, told CNN she hadnt been able to contact her family living in Pinar del Rio since Tuesday morning.

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Cuba power outage in Havana is seen on Tuesday. - CNN

They didnt expect the hurricane to be this strong. Rivera said. I hope theyre okay. The uncertainty is killing me.

The last time Rivera spoke to her family  including her mother, sister, cousin and nephews  they told her they would seek shelter on the second floor of their home because the first floor was flooding. One of her nephews also recorded videos of the familys flooded home.

Mayelin Suarez, a resident of Pinar del Rio, told Reuters the storm made for the darkest night of her life.

We almost lost the roof off our house, Suarez said. My daughter, my husband and I tied it down with a rope to keep it from flying away.

CNNs Holly Yan and Carroll Alvarado contributed to this report.

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Family talking over Thanksgiving table

shironosov/Getty

Even with the best intentions, a Thanksgiving conversation with a loved one can quickly go downhill. We're not even talking about when that cousin inevitably brings up politics over turkey dinner. We're talking about those well-meaning questions that just don't sit right.

For many, this Thanksgiving will be a big year for catching up with family and friends. The last two Thanksgivings likely looked a little different, often missing some loved ones from the once-crowded feasts or even having taken place over Zoom. Needless to say, we're more than ready to see some familiar faces this Thanksgiving. Even with social media as a helpful tool, we're long overdue to catch up on what's been going on in the lives of friends and family since the last gathering of the sort oh-so long ago.

In the restlessness to get all the details about what's been happening, sometimes we're faced with questions that are just a touch insensitive or can make us uncomfortable. This party faux pas is all too common. We've all heard (or overheard) some variation of "when are you going to give me a grandchild?" Odds are the asker has only the best intentions and means it in a loving way, but that doesn't mean that it's always received as such.

Or perhaps a family member is going through a time of transition. Maybe they're going through a divorce, moving, or changing careers. It's perfectly reasonable for those that care about them to ask "what's next?" When the answer is still uncertain though, this question can be stressful, exacerbated because you just know it'll be repeated multiple times by each person you catch up with throughout the day.

How can you politely navigate these situations? No matter how many times it happens, these conversations will always be tricky. As a senior in college staring down the barrel end of my school days, I resorted to outrageous fibs when my family asked me what I would be doing after graduation. It led to a laugh and diffused the situation, unmistakably pointing out that I had absolutely no idea what the future held, but probably wasn't the best course of action. To help guide us through this year's tough questions, we sought help from the etiquette experts.

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"Honesty is always best," advises Diane Gottsman, National Etiquette Expert at The Protocol School of Texas, immediately disqualifying my strategy. "You may not feel great and it doesn't mean that you have to mask your feelings, but try and focus on answering the question and not just monopolizing that question with all of your woes for the next hour."

Or adversely avoid the question all together.

"We give people graceit is Thanksgiving, and we do give them grace with what they're asking," Gottsman says, "but we also have to set our boundaries. In a very courteous, polite way, we can opt out of that conversation. We don't have to say it, but we can just change the subject ourselves or talk to somebody on the left or the right. As good table mates, all we have to do is read the room and read the table"

When asked the unavoidable "why aren't you married yet," Gottsman recommends a combination of these two strategies. "I am very happy with my life and marriage is not on my radar as of today. I will make sure and let you know if that changes but in the meantime, tell me how your Tai Chi classes are coming along."

With those questions suitably subverted, we also have the responsibility to ask thoughtful questions. Sure, we may now be equipped to face these lines of questioning, but we still shouldn't inflict the same pressure on others when we know first hand how uncomfortable it can be. That doesn't mean we have to walk on eggshells while catching up.

"The holidays are for celebrations, but let's be real," says Jacqueline Whitmore, founder of the Protocol School of Palm Beach. "We've all had our trials and tribulations these last couple yearseverything from money challenges to illnesses to possibly even some deaths and loss of jobs. So I would just recommend that when at all possible you keep the conversation light and try to stay away from controversial topics."

Body language and how you say things, not just what you say, can be a big help in conveying good intentions, both Gottsman and Whitmore explained. So this Thanksgiving, handle catch-ups like an expert. Keep it light and keep it friendly to keep the peace.
Summer temperatures are finally starting to taper off and combines are rolling across Missouris fields. From corn and soybeans to rice and cotton, this harvest will mark the end of an extremely turbulent growing season for farmers.

Leading up to and during planting season, skyrocketing energy prices sent the cost of fuel and fertilizer off the charts. Ammonia for fertilizer more than doubled between September 2020 and December 2021, liquid nitrogen was up 159% and potash was up 134%. The national average price for diesel was $5.77 a gallon this July, up from $3.21 just last July. For the farmers who were able to complete planting under those conditions, many were soon hit by a drought that still has not gone away.

The U.S. Drought Monitor for Sept. 15 rated 51.8% of Missouri in a drought condition, including major crop-producing regions along the Missouri River and Bootheel. This led to USDA reducing Missouris estimated corn crop to 149 bushels per acre, down 11 from 2021 and 22 bushels below 2020. Of course, because of high-tech breeding and improvements in seed and crop management, 149 bushels per acre would still be the ninth-highest average on record for the state. USDA expects soybeans to average 47 bushels per acre, two bushels less than last year and four below 2020, but still the fifth-best all-time.

USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) tracks crop quality and harvest in each state. After this years dry summer, NASS is only rating about 50% of Missouris corn crop as good to excellent, significantly below the 75% and 65% ratings at this time the past two years. Soybeans are in just about the same situation. There is still some time to go before harvest is complete and the numbers are finalized.

As combines, tractors and grain trucks roll this fall, farmers are reminded yet again of persistently high fuel prices. This challenge was undoubtedly made worse by the Biden administrations assault on domestic energy production. We can solve this self-inflicted problem by reinstating an all-of-the-above national energy policy that promotes traditional, alternative and renewable energy sources rather than picking energy winners and losers. Agriculture needs a reliable and affordable energy supply, as do all American families.

While youre out and about between now and November, I hope you will think about the many farm families working to ensure we have affordable and safe food. Please be sure to pay extra attention to the roads. All of this harvesting requires farmers to move large equipment from field to field, and the only way to do so is often via two-lane roads. I promise you, no one wants to get farm equipment off the road and back into a field faster than the farmer. Please be patient and take in the scenery of the worlds breadbasket next time you get stuck behind a tractor or combine.
The Farmington City Council received checks from the Play It Forward in the Parkland Fundraising Committee and Lions Clubs of Farmington and Park Hills when it met in regular session Monday night in city hall. The checks were provided to cover the cost involved in constructing an all-inclusive playground in Farmingtons Engler Park.

Appearing first before the council was Teri Morton, treasurer of the Play It Forward in the Parkland Committee.

We just want to thank everybody, she said. It was truly a community effort. It was good to see the community come together and work together so much. I have a check here for $115,000. Our total fundraising effort ended up being a little under $220,000 before we asked the Lions to get us an extra $100,000.

As far as us reaching out to the community and getting funds, we raised about $320,000 or $325,000. And, of course, there was all the donated time and all the people with specialties who came in and got it all done. We got the grant, and we do appreciate that very much.

In response, Mayor Larry Forsythe said, Its a very nice playground, very nice. It was a community effort, and if anyone wants to come over and use it, they are welcome. Its for one thing  handicapped children that cannot do what other children can do  now they can.

Appearing next before the council was David Shaw, representing the Park Hills Lions Club, and Lisa Sumpter, representing the Farmington Lions Club.

Shaw said, We have a check here thats presented from the organization Play It Forward and the Lions Club International Foundation, represented by the Park Hills Lions and Farmington Lions, for $214,186.01.

After group photos were taken, Forsythe said, We want to thank all of the organizations and all of the people who helped with this. Its really a nice thing all the way around. It took a while to get it. There was a little bit of back and forth, but we got it all done. I want to thank [City Administrator] Greg Beavers.

Beavers replied, Its a hard time to build stuff.

In a statement released by Farmington Parks & Recreation Director Doug Stotler, he announced that the Play It Forward in the Parkland Fundraising Committee is inviting the public to attend the grand opening of the state-of-the-art All-Inclusive Playground taking place at 4 p.m. Oct. 3 in Engler Park, 1400 Airpark Drive.

The opening ceremony will allow dignitaries an opportunity to address and thank the countless companies and individuals it took to make this project a reality, he said. At the conclusion of the ceremony, guests will be allowed to experience all the interactive activities the new playground provides for children of all ability levels.

The new playground features 20,000 square feet of synthetic/cushioned play surface, multiple play areas and play structures, fencing surrounding the entire playground, concrete sidewalks, wheelchair-accessible restrooms, handicap parking spaces and drinking fountains.

According to Stotler, the all-inclusive playground will be open daily throughout the year from dawn to dusk. For more information on the new addition to the Farmington Parks amenities, contact the Farmington Civic Center at 573-756-0900.

Other actions taken by the city council included the passage of a resolution appointing members to serve on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, as well as holding a first and second reading of an ordinance changing the classification of the zone districts at 921 W. Liberty St., Hillsboro Road, Wallace Road and 1542 Ste. Genevieve Ave.; approving and adopting the city operating budgets and authorizing expenditures for fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

The meeting concluded with a statement by the mayor regarding his suggestion of how the state could best utilize its overage in tax revenue.

The state of Missouri has got $50 billion, or whatever theyve got in extra revenue, and theyre trying to figure out what to do with it, Forsythe said. What they could start doing is mowing their own right-of-way because it costs the city of Farmington about $30,000.

I went to St. Louis yesterday, and it was horrible up and down the highway. Then, when you get to Farmington, its all nice and mowed. If we could have the state of Missouri get back in their regular game like they used to  do some of your maintenance.
Objections were raised by some residents at the St. Francois County Commission regular session to the impending purchase of Flock cameras to be used for surveillance throughout the county.

Sheriff Dan Bullock asked the commission to approve a budget amendment for $15,500 to cover the expenses of purchasing Flock cameras to install to read license plates and identify vehicles involved in criminal activity. In a report last week, Bullock stated the St. Francois County Law Enforcement Restitution Fund Board had allocated up to $91,000 to purchase the cameras.

During the discussion, some county residents opposed the purchase and installation of the cameras. The objections raised were not due to the surveillance, but how the information is being used by Flock to sell to other entities. The residents urged the commission to investigate other companies for surveillance cameras.

Bullock stated that use of the cameras are only for law enforcement and are audited. I think these guys are concerned about Big Brother and I am too.

During the discussion it was noted that the city of Farmington is already using the cameras and other local cities are looking at using them. After lengthy discussion, the commission decided to take no action until having a representative from Flock could speak to the commission in a public setting.

In unrelated business, Bullock approached the commission to approve a new salary schedule for deputies.

Weve been working very closely with the county commission on the new Prop. P money that was passed by the voters, he said. (The) salary schedule I came up with makes it competitive with the city of Farmington and surrounding counties. We are asking the county commission to enact this.

County Clerk Kevin Engler stated that the immediate increases are necessary because of four deputy resignations in the month.

Bullock said part of the salary increase was to retain existing deputies and to entice new deputies.

In order to start the salary increases for the final quarter of the year, the increases were made retroactive beginning Sept. 24. The funding for the raises will initially be borrowed from the countys reserve funds with Prop. P funding slowly reimbursing the reserve fund over time.

In other business, the commission approved a motion as a clarification to raise grand juror pay to match the $20 per day and 20 cents per mile reimbursement of other jurors that the commission approved the previous week.

The commission also approved an update of the Karpel system for child support services for $21,025. The software is a case management system used by prosecutors.

A cost of living increase of 3.5% for county employees and 1.75% for elected officials was enacted beginning Jan. 1.

Fleet Manager Buck Copeland approached the commission to approve a request for bids for a courthouse maintenance truck. The request was for either a new or used truck. Copeland stated the reason for possibly buying a used truck is that he is unlikely to find a new truck that fits the needed specifications. The county approved the seeking of bids.

Engler reminded the commission that absentee voting for the November General Election started on Tuesday. The next four weeks, you have to say that you are incapacitated or not be able to make it to vote on Election Day. The last two weeks, there is no excuse necessary.

Due to the beginning of a new term, the next St. Francois County Commission will be holding their next regular session on Monday at 10 a.m. at the courthouse annex in downtown Farmington.
JEFFERSON CITY  Gov. Mike Parsons administration is considering putting a private company in charge of serving meals to Missouri prison inmates.

Against the backdrop of low pay and high turnover rates among state workers, the Missouri Department of Corrections issued a request earlier this month for companies to submit proposals to cook and serve three meals a day to the states 23,500 inmates.

For now, DOC said it has not committed to the idea, which was last considered  and rejected  in 2007.

At this point, were exploring the possibility of privatizing food service, agency spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said. Contracting with a vendor could help to alleviate some of our staffing shortages, save money and improve delivery of services. On the other hand, it might not.

The move to potentially privatize food service comes as other states have faced significant problems with the companies they hired to cook meals behind bars.

Last year, Mississippi dumped its multimillion dollar contract with Philadelphia-based Aramark, which was accused of serving rotten and spoiled meals to inmates.

In 2015, the state of Michigan ended a three-year contract with Aramark amid reports of meal shortages, maggots in kitchens and other issues.

The Aramark contract has been a nightmare from day one, Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, told the Detroit Free Press at the time.

Missouris prison system is not a stranger to outside companies providing services to inmates.

Centurion Health, a subsidiary of Clayton-based Centene, won the bidding process last year to provide health care to inmates within the states 20 prison facilities. The contract could be worth more than $1.4 billion if the state exercises all of its options over a 10-year period.

Corizon had previously held the contract for health care since 1992.

Other state agencies have used outside contractors to assist with IT issues, staffing concerns and management consultants.

Under the states plan, current workers in the prison kitchens must be given the option of becoming employees of the prospective contractor. Or, they could transfer to another vacant state agency position if they are qualified.

Bidding documents show there are 336 positions potentially affected by a switch to a private food service contractor.

That includes workers at two centralized meal prep kitchens that supply the bulk of the 25.5 million meals served to inmates on an annual basis. The kitchens, located in Jefferson City and Bonne Terre, cost more than $3.3 million to operate in the most recent fiscal year.

According to the bidding documents, the private contract must design menus to be balanced in color, flavor and texture.

Menus shall contain a minimum daily average of 2,800 calories and less than 3.5 grams of sodium for all offenders, the request notes.

In addition, the contractor also must provide special holiday meals for national days of observance, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving.

The state says it will only consider contractors that have five years of experience serving meals in prisons and jails, limiting the number of vendors to a handful of major companies.

On-site inspections of the kitchen operations at each prison are scheduled for mid-October. Proposals are due by Nov. 10.

Were just exploring options now; no specific plans are in place. There are no plans for changes to food service staffing, Pojmann said.
Anyone regularly traveling Route K east of Bonne Terre might not want to wash their car for a couple of days.

Missouri Department of Transportation crews will be making driving surface improvements from Shady Lane to Saffell Road near Bonne Terre on Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting.

Seal coats involve a pavement repair process MoDOT employs on roads with lower traffic volumes, since it maximizes available resources and extends the life of the roadway.

Hot emulsion oil is sprayed onto the surface of the road, followed by finely ground rocks which are then compacted to adhere to the roadway. Excess material is swept off the surface, leaving an improved roadway that will hold up longer against the elements.

The method costs about one third of the cost of a traditional asphalt overlay. The treatment keeps water from penetrating the surface, extends the life of the road up to seven years, and provides improved traction.

The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.

For additional information, contact MoDOTs Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636), or visit www.modot.org/southeast.
Working behind the scenes and in public daily to improve the quality of life for area residents, RappahannockRapidan Community Services formed half a century ago, in 1972.

The state-local agency provides help and programs to people in Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties. It will celebrate 50 years of serving the community with a celebration from 57:30 p.m. Thursday at Rock Hill Farm, 14461 Norman Road in Culpeper. The event is free and open to the public.

Attendees will learn about RRCS, formerly known as the Community Services Board, and enjoy food from around the globe, mock-tails, a magic show, rock painting and testimonials. RRCS operates under the umbrella of Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, based in Richmond.

Based in Culpeper, RRCS oversees about 81 programs in the five counties and has more than 400 employees.

Its the largest agency serving the community that many have never heard of, Executive Director Jim LaGraffe said in a recent phone interview.

We want to as best we can get the word out about us as an organization, LaGraffe said.

LaGraffe has been in the agencys lead position for nearly five years. In recent strategic planning exercises with its board, community surveys and interviews were conducted.

Whats come back to us is a couple thingsthe biggest one being that there is a lack of a community awareness of who we are and everything that we do, he said.

Among the most well-known programs RRCS runs is the Boxwood Recovery Center, a 30-day in-patient treatment center in Culpeper for people with substance-use disorder.

RRCS also runs a senior center in each of the five counties as the Area Agency on Aging. The senior centers are slowly rebuilding after the COVID-19 pandemic, with attendance back to about 75 percent of its pre-COVID numbers, LaGraffe said.

Gets a little better all the time, he said.

Last year, RRCS opened the Support, Encourage & Empoweror S.E.E. Recovery Centerin Culpeper, a place where anyone can walk in to get on-the-spot resources for mental health.

In its first year, more than 2,000 people came through the centers doors.

S.E.E. Center, on U.S. Avenue next to Culpeper Senior Center, is open to anybody who thinks they might need a little help and support, LaGraffe said.

Someone who is depressed or anxious or worried about a family member or struggling with substance use. The goal is stigma-free and barrier-free, he said.

All you need to do is show up and walk in the front door, LaGraffe said. You are asked two questions: Have you been here before? And do you live in one of our five counties? That is it. There is no cost.

RRCS also runs a cool-air program for seniors in the summer and delivers meals to seniors in their homes year-round.

The agency offers an infanttoddler connection program to help the littlest people reach developmental milestones. It also runs group homes for adult individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

The agency provides housing for low-income seniors and other affordable-housing options.

RRCS can assist with Medicare and Medicaid enrollment, and offers outpatient rapid access services for mental health and substance use at clinics in Fauquier and Culpeper.

The agency also mans a 24/7 Crisis Services line at 540/825-5656.

For the past 1.5 years, RRCS has also had mental health professionals embedded with the Culpeper Police Department, responding to calls with officers about substance use or other issues where a trained counselor could help.

In the coming year, another big goal for the agency is to ease access, LaGraffe said.

We heard over and over again from the community side it can be difficult to initiate services with us, he said. The idea is developing a single point of entry into everything that this organization does. Because we are such a big, diverse organization ... it can be kind of overwhelming on where do you go

Being able to speak with one person to get the answer is the goal, LaGraffe said. He noted the agencys budget has grown by about 30 percent in the past two years. Sometimes, it can be hard to keep up with all that is offered.

People are not aware of the full impact and breadth of services that are out there. It can be confusing and difficult to access programs at certain points in time, LaGraffe said.

People attending Thursdays 50th anniversary celebration will be able to learn about those services. Really important work has been accomplished the last 50 years, and the need continues, the director said.

We are more relevant today than ever as an organization to support our community, LaGraffe said. With effects of the pandemic on depression and isolation, weve seen the last couple years a very large rise in substance use and overdoses ... what this organization needs to provide ... is more important today than it ever was in our last 50 years.

Preventing and decreasing drug overdoses is high on the priority list, he said. To that end, harm reduction kits are widely available for free around the region, including Narcan to help revive people overdosed on opioids.

We cant help someone who is not alive, LaGraffe said. Our goal is to keep people alive long enough so we can make connections with them and they can accept treatment.

The biggest barrier to people getting treatment is stigma, he added. The agencys peer-support programs in this arena have been successful, he said. In fact, in the last two years, RRCS has added 26 peer-support positions. This means people working in these positions have shared experiences.

We know if we get people engaged in peer support, the likelihood of them getting treatment goes up dramatically, LaGraffe said.

In coming years, the RRCS director said he hopes more resources will be brought home to area communities to help their people.

In Virginia, he said, about 75 percent of publicly funded behavioral-health dollars are spent on institutional, state-level hospital care. The other 25 percent is for community-based care. That should be flipped, he added.

Hopefully, it doesnt take us 50 years to get there, but for the foreseeable future I think what you will see is we dont need to spend more on behavioral health, we just need to spend it differently, LaGraffe said. We need to make that transition from state hospitals to community level of care. If someone in our five counties needs help, they should be able to get that locally.

540/825-4315
After a marathon four hour session at the regular city council meeting Tuesday, where more than 20 speakers expressed either their outrage or 
Lebanons hospital is seeking more room for more babies.

The maternity ward at Samaritan Lebanon Community hospital is set to nearly double in size after outgrowing its decades-old building, hospital CEO Marty Cahill said in a Thursday, Sept. 22 interview.

Prescribed upgrades include more wired ports in walls for medical equipment, soaking tubs for people in labor and space for larger obstetrician teams. Girod Birth Center was last remodeled in the early 1990s.

Its pretty dated, Cahill said.

Executives plan for a 13,200-square-foot renovation by the end of 2023  an estimated $8 to $10 million addition to the southeastern edge of the 70-year-old hospital.

Girod Birthing Center will have more and larger rooms under modern size standards and an influx of people to central Linn County.

Kilgore said medical teams will have three dedicated birthing suits, five post-partum recovery rooms and three rooms that can serve either role for 11 total. The center has seven multiuse rooms now.

Dr. Frank Girod, the ward's namesake, practiced as a physician delivering babies at the hospital when it opened in 1952. At its last remodel, the center saw about 230 births each year.

By comparison, Girod Birth Center delivered about 320 babies in 2021, according to hospital staff, and more are expected each year.

Populations in Lebanon and Sweet Home were growing in the double digits for several years when the hospital renovated its emergency department in 2016. The hospital anticipates 8 to 11% growth in those cities in coming years.

Cahill said more growth means more babies, and more babies means the hospital needs more rooms.

We need that additional space, he said.

Nursing supervisor Kerry Kilgore said people in labor feel cozier in the natural tones, muted wood, and free-standing tubs visible in architects' illustrations.

"It really brings nature in," Kilgore said.

The ward will gain an entryway  patients no longer will have to walk past three other departments to get to the birthing center.

And nurses will fare better with contemporary vaulted ceilings, skylights and decorative wooden slats in common areas. They'll have designated break areas, too.

Their spaces now tend to be more diffuse than defined, Kilgore said.

The place where nurses and physicians dictate notes also is the staging area for food on the ward. And the nurses' break spot.

Nurses who can physically separate from their work at break time feel more rested, Kilgore said.

"Everybody benefits," she said.

Rooms where people give birth will be larger under the planned expansion, adding soaking tubs to rooms that dont have one. Rooms are tapped out, Cahill said, with medical equipment taking up all available space and wall ports.

Were monitoring moms in ways we didnt do 30 years ago, Cahill said.

Oregon law requires labor and delivery rooms to provide four electrical outlets and two each medical air, oxygen and vacuum ports.

Plans also call for a larger operating room in the center for delivering babies by cesarean section.

Its small and undersized, especially in todays standards, Cahill said.

The hospital takes on students from the osteopathic medical school just to the west across Highway 20, Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Northwest.

Student physicians work in all of the hospitals clinics and departments, Cahill said. When theyre in the birthing center, a child delivery team can include an outside obstetrician/gynecologist, a hospital physician, a couple of nurses, and resident and student physician.

The way they learn is hands-on  being involved, Cahill said.

Samaritan submitted its proposed expansion to the Lebanon Planning Commission for administrative review. The citys window for public comment on the proposal closes 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4.

Cahill said the hospital wants to have its expansion shovel-ready in early 2023, but construction is pushed back while Samaritan awaits updated estimated prices for materials and labor.

The company broke ground Aug. 29 on an urgent care clinic in Sweet Home, where construction costs quickly outstripped estimates, Cahill said.

Door and window prices appear pinched by low supply, Cahill said. Prices likely will exceed the $10 million upward limit the hospital originally had planned for.

Weve shot past that with material shortages and labor, Cahill said. Its not insignificant.
Press Release

September 28, 2022 Cayetano prods colleagues to ensure quality work in CA Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday made an appeal to his colleagues in the Commission on Appointments (CA) to ensure the quality of work by hearing only two to four appointees per day so that members can have ample time to thoroughly vet the nominees. "Hindi pa ganon ka high-tech ang vetting system natin so ang CA is the first line of defense. May I appeal to our colleagues, to the good chair and vice chair, that let's do it slowly but surely," said in a manifestation during today's CA plenary session, September 27, 2022. "If we have to work overtime and Thursdays, or extend after the session, why not hindi ba? May I make this appeal as an assurance to our people that we're working hard and quality ang trabaho na ibinibigay ng CA," he added. Cayetano raised the concern after the CA confirmed three department secretaries and 63 general/flag and senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday. On Wednesday, 15 agency heads are set for confirmation. "Let's not take away from our nominees and from the Filipino people the privilege and the honor of getting to know our nominees and appointees better. Baka naman we can do two or more than two," he said. Cayetano said he is not complaining about the amount but the quality of work that needs to be done. "The investigation reports are more than a hundred pages, at kapag sinabay natin 'to sa budget hearings natin, apektado talaga tayo," he said. Cayetano, who is CA Minority Floor Leader, ended his manifestation by reminding the body of its statement of policy in their rules: "The Commission being part of our Republic's checks and balances shall act as a restraint against the abuse of the appointing authority to the end that the power to disapprove should be exercised to protect and to enhance public interest." CA Chairperson and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and two other members concurred with the manifestation of Cayetano before the CA plenary session adjourned. Cayetano, hinikayat ang CA na gawing kalidad ang trabaho Umapela si Senador Alan Peter Cayetano sa kanyang mga kasamahan sa Commission on Appointments (CA) na tiyakin ang kalidad ng trabaho sa pamamagitan ng pagdinig lamang ng dalawa hanggang apat na appointees kada araw upang magkaroon ng sapat na oras ang mga miyembro para masuri nang husto ang mga nominado. "Hindi pa ganon ka high-tech ang vetting system natin so ang CA is the first line of defense. May I appeal to our colleagues, to the good chair and vice chair, that let's do it slowly but surely," sabi sa isang manipestasyon sa sesyon ng plenaryo ng CA kahapon, September 27, 2022. "If we have to work overtime and Thursdays, or extend after the session, why not hindi ba? May I make this appeal as an assurance to our people that we're working hard and quality ang trabaho na ibinibigay ng CA," dagdag ng CA Minority Leader.. Inihayag ni Cayetano ang pagkabahala niya matapos kumpirmahin ng CA ang tatlong Department Secretary at 63 general/flag at senior officers ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) nitong Martes. Ngayong araw ng Miyerkules, 15 na pinuno ng ahensya ang nakatakda para sa kumpirmasyon. "Let's not take away from our nominees and from the Filipino people the privilege and the honor of getting to know our nominees and appointees better. Baka naman we can do two or more than two," wika niya. Sinabi ni Cayetano na hindi ang dami kundi ang kalidad ng trabahong kailangang gawin ang kanyang ikinababahala. "The investigation reports are more than a hundred pages, at kapag sinabay natin 'to sa budget hearings natin, apektado talaga tayo," wika niya. Sa pagtatapos ng kanyang manifestation, ipinaalala ni Cayetano ang patakaran ng CA: "The Commission being part of our Republic's checks and balances shall act as a restraint against the abuse of the appointing authority to the end that the power to disapprove should be exercised to protect and to enhance public interest." Sinang-ayunan ni CA Chairperson at Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri at dalawa pang miyembro ang manifestation ni Cayetano bago ipagpaliban ang plenary session ng CA.
As part of his America the Beautiful plan, President Biden challenged Americans to conserve 30% of the United States by 2030. Since we derive countless benefits from the environment, achieving this goal is essential for the survival and flourishing of all Americans and future generations.

Conserving 30% of lands and waters requires a bold, large-scale framework. As a step in this direction, we have co-authored, with 18 other scientists, a study on Rewilding the American West where we present a science-based framework for protecting and restoring the largest set of reserves ever envisioned for the conterminous United States.

Our proposal builds on the idea of rewilding, re-establishing vital ecological processes, often by restoring native species. We focused on the American beaver and the gray wolftwo iconic keystone species native to the American West with significant ecological benefits.

In the process of building dams, beavers improve water quality, increase carbon sequestration, sub-irrigate floodplains (making them more productive), and enhance habitat for fish and riparian species that live along riverbanks.

Wolves improve ecosystem function by limiting overabundant deer and other ungulates and shifting their habitat use, facilitating regrowth of native vegetation species, such as aspen and willows, which support diverse communities of plants and animals.

Because gray wolves need substantial areas of suitable habitat, we identified 11 large blocks of core wolf habitat on federal lands within the 11 western states. We termed these potential strategic reserves the Western Rewilding Network. We considered only federal lands because they are owned by the public and mandated to be managed for the interests of the American people.

In total, the proposed network contains 92 threatened and endangered species: amphibians, birds, crustaceans, fishes, and flowering plants. Many of these species face threats from resource extractive industries such as livestock grazing, which would ideally be eliminated or limited within the Western Rewilding Network.

Where appropriate, conservation efforts could be extended to certain areas between nearby pairs of potential reserves: further improving connectivity between reserves, supporting dispersal of native plants and wildlife, and enhancing population viability of many species.

Because suitable habitats may be moving farther north or higher in elevation as plants shift their distribution, connectivity between protected areas is essential to give plants and animals a chance to adapt to a changing climate.

We need large, protected landscapes to give wildlife room to roam, and to provide the diversity of habitats necessary to sustain the large variety of plants and animals native to the West. Prioritizing biodiversity conservation and ecological health in these areas and restoring key missing elements  in this case gray wolves and beavers  is key for thriving natural environments.

Today, we see this in isolated pockets like national parks, but sustaining natural processes and native species over the long term in the face of a changing climate requires a network of large, interconnected reserves. We view the obligation to enact this vision not only one of expediency, but of great moral urgency.

The American West is faced with converging crises including extreme droughts and water scarcity, intense heat waves, and devastating wildfires. We often see these in human terms, but they are major shocks for the natural world as well.

Our proposal for strong protection of large blocks of public land offers a scientifically sound vision for how these crises can be mitigated. It is essential for humanity to make space for natural ecosystems, species, and processes not just to aid in our own ability to survive and flourish, but also because our lives are richer when the natural world is given the space to thrive.
Corvallis police have arrested a Portland man on suspicion of multiple sex crimes believed to have been committed in Benton County.

Officers arrested Brodi Michael Madrid, 20, on Monday, Sept. 26. He is accused of two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, three counts of first-degree sexual abuse, one count of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of fourth-degree assault.

According to court documents, Madrid is accused of sexually abusing someone who was incapable of giving consent due to physical helplessness on or around Sept. 26. Madrid also allegedly injured the person.

Madrid was scheduled to be arraigned in Benton County Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 27.
Editor's note: This is the first of two Linn County sheriff candidate profiles. The profile of challenger Jon Raymond will run tomorrow.

Michelle Duncan wants to continue what shes started as Linn County sheriff. She assumed the position by appointment in January, and shes hoping voters will officially elect her in November.

Duncan is the countys 41st sheriff and the first woman to hold the job. She took the job after former Sheriff Jim Yon retired early. This has been the pattern in Linn County in recent years: a sheriff retires early, a new sheriff is appointed (usually the undersheriff) and then runs as an incumbent in the next election.

In response to claims she gets an unfair advantage as the incumbent, Duncan said previous sheriffs have not necessarily retired early with the purpose of handing down the job to their undersheriff. She added that incumbents don't always win and voters always have a choice, even in past elections.

Working through the ranks

Duncans law enforcement passion started in high school when she joined a cadet program that specialized in police.

She started her professional career in April 1997 with the Oregon State Penitentiary as a corrections officer. She had lived in Linn County for a little while as a kid and knew she wanted to return to Oregon.

The Linn County Sheriffs Office hired Duncan as a patrol deputy in July 1997. She ended up as a resident deputy for Mill City, which she said helped her understand the relationship between a community and police.

Each little community has their own individualistic needs that are important to them," she said. "You learn about having relationships with the city itself and the counselors and listening to their concerns.

A switch to Salem

She resigned from LCSO in April 2001 and started working for the Salem Police Department. At the time she was living in Mill City since it was mandatory as the Mill City resident deputy.

Many people she had arrested as a deputy, including a convicted murderer, knew where she lived with her family, she said. Her son was 2 years old at the time, and she wanted to keep his safety in mind.

I applied and was hired at Salem PD, Duncan said in an email. Salem was a good agency but just had a much different feel to it than I had at LCSO  much more disconnected. I missed the family atmosphere and just simply the way LCSO connected with the community. I promptly came back to LCSO and never looked back.

Months later, in July 2001, Duncan returned to LCSO and eventually took the role of narcotics detective. She said drug enforcement is a passion of hers.

She kept working through the ranks and was promoted to sergeant in 2008, lieutenant in 2015, captain in 2020 and undersheriff in 2021.

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Taking on responsibility

According to Department of Public Safety Standards and Training records, Duncan has logged a total of around 2,957 hours of training since 1997.

As she took on more leadership roles, Duncan said she learned skills she believes are crucial for running a sheriffs office.

I can tell you right now, as a deputy, and I did a very good job as a deputy, I would not have been ready for this position without all those years in between and learning all those different lessons of leadership like employee management, budget, policy and procedure, she said.

Duncan said the sheriff needs to be able to wear many hats and balance a variety of responsibilities because the sheriffs office is not just a law enforcement agency but a business too.

Creating change

Duncan has a handful of key issues she wants to address should she continue her job as sheriff. These include bolstering hiring, opening up the jail to full capacity, addressing the mental health crisis as well as prioritizing employee mental health.

She said shes already started working on these issues during her time as sheriff and believes her experience puts her in a better position than her opponent and his planned undersheriff  Raymond has publicly stated his intent to appoint LCSO Deputy Travis Boshart his undersheriff  to make change happen.

Both of those deputies are nice guys, and I think that we actually probably agree on a lot of the same things that are frustrating and the things we cant do, Duncan said. The difference between the two of us is I understand some of the reasons why," she said, adding that neither Raymond or Boshart has approached her in her roles as a captain or lieutenant to better understand those issues.

Duncan said her choice in undersheriff also will help her make good decisions on behalf of the agency and community. Micah Smith is the current Linn County undersheriff.

I picked my undersheriff because I knew he wasn't like me, Duncan said. I knew that he would bring a perspective and have advice that I may not think about.

After November

If Duncan is not elected as sheriff in November, she suspects she'll likely be out of a job with the regime change. And so will Smith because Raymond intends to appoint Boshart.

I don't feel that I have done anything as the sheriff or as any other position that I've had to be put in the position to lose my job, she said.

Running on a campaign supported by five former Linn County sheriffs, Duncan believes her experience and dedication to the agency makes her the right candidate come November. She said those endorsements underscore she knows how to do the job.

Despite that support, the Linn County Deputy Sheriff's Association has backed Raymond. Duncan said she had asked the association to not get involved with the election, so there wouldn't be any divisions among members. She added the decision to support Raymond was not unanimous and not all members participated in the vote.

I think my track record speaks for itself, Duncan said. I have the proven leadership and experience to do this job. I will put my work ethic up against just about anybody's, and I think I've proven that time and time again.
Earlier this summer, the organization that lobbies on behalf of Oregon cities in Salem asked city councils across the state to select their top legislative priorities for the coming year.

Choosing from a menu of options, a number of smaller municipalities struggled to find more than a few that resonated.

What Brownsville City Administrator Scott McDowell really wants to tell the league is, "You represent all of us, not just Portland, not just Medford, Corvallis and Bend."

He offered this declaration to the Brownsville City Council at its Tuesday, Sept. 27 meeting in introducing a letter the leaders of two nearby small cities wrote with the hopes of adding Brownsville to the signatories. The council unanimously agreed, joining Harrisburg and Halsey.

McDowell said he has talked to counterparts in Millersburg, Scio and Philomath, and everyone feels the same way.

"We really would like to work it out with the League of Oregon Cities, to get a win somewhere for us," he said.

Priorities for '23-24

After surveying the state's cities, the league has finalized its agenda for the coming years. Its board has selected these eight issues to address:

1) Infrastructure improvement and funding

2) Homelessness

3) Measure 110

4) Economic development incentives

5) Climate and wildfire planning

6) Transportation safety, including establishing fixed photo radar to all cities

7) Streamlining of land use initiatives

8) Flexibility in the use of hotel taxes

The names may sound encouraging, according to the letter, but the background material and "actual" legislative goals make it clear they won't "assist or relieve many of the more relevant issues faced by small cities, especially those with populations under 5,000."

While small cities share some of these concerns, the letter says, "far more relevant to small cities is the ability to repair and replace critical infrastructure, finding more resources, opportunities and support for rural entrepreneurs and small businesses, and providing better quality services to our citizens."

An example is nearby in financially-strapped Sodaville, which has to truck in drinking water for its 350 residents each summer because it can't afford to expand its wells.

A Brownsville example

But Brownsville councilors didn't have to look far for a case in point of their own. Earlier in the meeting Tuesday, they heard about a warning letter sent earlier this month from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

The city was late in submitting its implementation plan to set a daily cap on how much mercury might make it into the Willamette Basin from the city's stormwater runoff. Like its bigger city brethren, Brownsville has been declared a "designated management agency" and has to come up with a plan.

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McDowell said he fears the designation someday will lead to responsibilities the city cannot afford, such as building a "closed system" to capture stormwater and treat it before releasing it to the local waterways.

The city in fact does have an implementation plan but McDowell didn't want to send it in without the councilors' blessing, which they gave Tuesday  under protest.

"This is a battle we need to fight," Councilor Michael Humphreys said. "We don't have millions of dollars to put into our infrastructure. It will kill us."

And it's exactly the kind of thing he would want the League of Oregon Cities to get behind on small cities' behalves.

"That would be our first pressure point, to push that button," he said.

The league

The League of Oregon Cities does offer training and holds special meetings with small cities, which it defines as having a population of 7,500 or smaller.

According to its website, more than 70% of Oregon's cities fit this definition. And yet, according to the letter, only 17.2% of the league's policy committee members live in cities with fewer than 5,000 people.

"We feel we are not being well represented, and the results of the lack of representation is becoming problematic on many fronts," the draft letter says. "Our legislators are not hearing our stories or understanding the impacts of their policy decisions on rural communities, local citizens, and tax payors (sic)."

Reached for comment about the Linn County small city's beefs, League of Oregon Cities Interim Executive Director Patty Mulvihill issued a statement:

The LOC is conducting member outreach efforts to connect with any city having questions or concerns about the legislative priority setting process utilized by the organization, and is committed to working with its member cities to ensure their needs and concerns are properly met.

Brownsville Councilor Lynda Chambers is not impressed  "at all."

"They're doing nothing for us, for small cities," she said.
Press Release

September 28, 2022 QUESTIONS OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS DURING THE SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CONFIRMATION Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH): As a preliminary question, Mr. Secretary, during his inaugural SONA, the President stated that the Philippines would not give up even an inch of its territory. I assume this includes our country's rights over our Exclusive Economic Zone, am I correct? SFA Manalo: Yes, your Honor. That is my understanding and that is what we will be implementing. SRH: Very good to hear that Mr. Secretary. If a foreign power is claiming Philippine territory, is that not a territorial dispute, especially considering the President has made it clear that his administration will surrender not a single inch of our territory? SFA Manalo: Yes, we will challenge any claim by any foreign power of any part of our territory. SRH: I believe you can count on the support of us legislators in those rightful challenges based on international law and based on our own Constitution. Do you think our treaty relations with the United States - and perhaps even our other allies - should be updated to reflect the new reality or realities surrounding the Mutual Defense Treaty, so-called gray-zone' tactics in our ocean to reflect those new realities? Should our treaty relations perhaps be updated and if YES, what changes should be made so we can work together with other like-minded nations to counter these "gray zone" tactics, safeguard our territorial claims, freedom of navigation, and preserve the existing international rules-based order? SFA Manalo: Yes, your Honor. I think you were really on the correct path that we agree that our relations, of course, should always be constantly updated especially nowadays, for example, in the case of the US MDT, that in fact is being reviewed continuously at various levels to take into account the changing geopolitical conditions as well as changes in technology and approaches. For example, now, there's more interest in looking at humanitarian assistance, responses to disasters, I think that's going to be an important part and we're talking about that, as well as the new 'gray zone' tactics in the West Philippine Sea and of course the changing environment, and also our dealing with other countries, we adopt the same process. Yes, it's very important and we always have to adapt and that applies also to our treaties and our other arrangements. SRH: Thank you, Secretary. And in fact, maybe in those newer or other areas can be found some additional ways to effectively yet still peacefully push back against that particular other nation. For my last question, for you, do you have any insight as to why a country that is claiming Philippine territory would wish to prevent the "revisiting" - so to speak - of Philippine-US treaty relations to better address current circumstances? SFA Manalo: I can only speculate that such a country probably would be uncertain than how we would react and probably would not know in what areas that we might focus on. And I think perhaps that would cause them to probably look very carefully in any kind of adaptation we make and our arrangements, for example, with the United States. SRH: But of course, as a sovereign nation, we would not be overly concerned about statements for example, by a former, I'll say it already.. Chinese ambassador, coming to our former Defense Secretary and telling him, "Please do not touch the MDT," "Leave it as it is," because we will have to act according to our own best interests. SFA Manalo: Yes, your Honor. That's precisely what we are doing so we just note whatever statements they may make. SRH: Ang sarap, ano po, sabihin sa Tsina, NOTED. Maraming salamat, Secretary. Advanced congratulations. Mabuhay po! I really look forward to your next six years at the Department. ON HAGUE RULING SRH: Binalikan ko po yung statement ni Foreign Secretary Enrique A. Manalo on the 6th anniversary of the award on the South China Sea arbitration, 12th July 2022, where I think the three concrete points made were that, meaning the award, that: "it authoritatively ruled that the claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the 9-dash line had no basis in law and is without legal effect. It upheld the Philippines' sovereign rights and jurisdiction in its Exclusive Economic Zone and it affirmed that certain actions within the Philippines' EEZ violated the Philippines' sovereign rights and were, thus, unlawful; that large-scale reclamation and construction of artificial islands caused severe environmental harm in violation of international conventions; that the large-scale harvesting of endangered marine species damage the marine ecosystem and actions taken since the commencement of the arbitration had aggravated the disputes." And I have faith, Mr. Chair, that the pursuit, the sustaining pursuit of especially multilateral actions with our claimant nations and other naval powers will enable us to achieve effective actions on these points. SRH: May cinonfirm po tayong isang taga-DFA in the previous hearing, if I recall, his name was Mr. Roque. At naitatanong ko po sa kanila noon ang exclusive Economic Zone ba ng Pilipinas ay exclusive sa atin o hindi. And I remember bahagi po ng sagot niya ay exclusive at the same time pwedeng humingi ng permiso ang ibang mga bansa na makapakinabang din doon. Hingin ang permiso sa Pilipinas in that case dahil recognized yun na Exclusive Economic Zone ng Pilipinas. And lastly, minsan nga yung mas mahinang bansa kapag katapat ng isang mas malakas na bansa, minsan nga statement nalang ang natitira sa atin diba, and yet we are able to make such statements on the basis of right. Dahil yung mas malakas na bansa on the basis of might. Kaya nandun sila and batay nga dun sa Hague Ruling may mga ginagawa sila na higit sa kanilang karapatan, just because they can, just because they have the might. Kaya para sakin, positibo pa rin na yung ating mga government officials makapag-statement sa mga mahahalagang petsa to assert yung aspiration ng ating bansa as they have been affirmed by the international community sa mga significant events tulad ng Hague Ruling na iyan. ###
More than 90% of Colorado school districts are meeting the states benchmarks for fiscal health, according to an annual analysis released on Wednesday.
Plintron, which describes itself as the world's largest multi-country mobile virtual network aggregator / enabler (MVNA / MVNE) with a client base in six continents, has announced plans to launch its services in Chile this year, enabling Chilean brands to offer mobile services.

The countrys regulator, Subtel, granted an MVNO license to Plintron in April. Plintron has now allied with leading network operator, Telefonica Movistar Chile, to offer its MVNA services and thereby enable Chilean companies to become MVNOs.

An MVNA is a provider that buys access to an MNOs network and then sells it to MVNOs. An MVNE supplies the infrastructure needed for MVNOs to operate and provide services.

What this means in Chile is that brands will be enabled by Plintron to extend their names to mobile services, thereby increasing their customer engagement and loyalty. Such brands need only focus on sales and marketing; the rest of the support will be provided by Plintron.

Plintron explains that the Chile MVNO market is currently valued at US$0.03 billion and is expected to grow to US$0.05 billion at a CAGR of 10.2% by 2027. It has over 0.4 million MVNO subscribers, a number expected to double by 2027 at a CAGR of 14.1%.

Chilean MVNOs are dominantly focused on the consumer segment which has 75% of the MVNO base. However, the enterprise segment is expected to grow at a 10.7% CAGR till 2027.

In Chile, Plintron says it will focus on retail, ISP, consumer brands and enterprise segments. The retail segment is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10% and the reseller segment at a CAGR of 10.3% till 2027. However, Plintron will also target IoT / M2M. This is the fastest growing MVNO segment in Chile, estimated to grow at a CAGR of 12.2% till 2027.
The referendum on the Family Code in Cuba: 'a political defeat for the regime, a victory for the LGBTI community' The NO votes and the abstention reflect 'a rejection, not of the Code, but of the Government that promoted it,' according to political analysts consulted by DIARIO DE CUBA

In a political reading of the results of the referendum on the Family Code in Cuba, Jesus Delgado Valery, director of institutional development at Transparencia Electoral, and Cuban opposition leader Manuel Cuesta Morua, described the high level of abstention and number of negative votes in the referendum as a milestone in the history of "electoral processes" in Cuba and a sign of society's growing rejection of the government.

"We consider this a milestone. The 26% abstention rate is historic in the context of Cuba's 'electoral processes.' Revolutionary Cuba has seen three referendums from 1959 to date. In 1976, when the constitutional referendum took place, participation, according to official data, was at 98% of the electoral rolls, with 97% voting in favor. Then, in 2019, participation was 84%, and approval was 90%. In the last elections, in 2018, the turnout was 85%, and in 2013 it was 90.88%," Jesus Delgado Valery pointed out to DIARIO DE CUBA.

In Sunday's referendum, "participation reached 74%, and the valid votes were more or less 70% or 60% of the electoral rolls. There was a rejection (NO) of the Family Code in 33% of the valid votes. If we add the abstention rate of 26%, plus the null and blank votes, plus the votes rejecting the Family Code, we have more than 50% of the people deciding not to vote, or to vote against it, or to present a void or blank ballot, all these being options other than approval of the Family Code," he explained.

According to the coordinator of DemoAmlat, this is a "rejection not only of the Code, but also of the regime," which tried to use the referendum as a "relief valve."

According to preliminary results of the regime's electoral apparatus, 66.87% of registered Cuban voters voted YES on the Family Code in Cuba.

"Where there are no free, transparent and democratic elections, any plebiscite becomes an opportunity for the population to express its rejection of the Government," added Delgado Valery, who argued that the regime "exploited this Code and the rights of the minorities that were being put to a plebiscite."

According to Cuban opposition leader Manuel Cuesta Morua, the whole process was "not a proposal for a Family Code, but rather a political initiative by the state in an effort to guarantee multiple things at the same time."

"One, to burnish, if we can put it this way, its progressive image before the world, 20 years after 33 countries had already recognized the rights of the LGBTI community, and of minorities, in ways even more specific and sophisticated than the Cuban government did," Cuesta Morua said.

"At the same time, the government was looking for a way to secure a legitimacy it has lacked ever since its genesis, through voting. In this regard, what happened on Sunday is the confirmation of a victory, and a defeat," he added.

"For the first time, after July 11, opposition to the regime in Cuba had a number that was higher in both absolute terms and percentage-wise than the number of people who supported it," he said.

"Because, as typically happens with these dictatorial regimes, when you use the mechanism of elections, referendums or plebiscites, you are not only judging support for the specific, issue but also support for the government. Therefore, in my opinion, this was a political defeat for the Cuban revolution, and a victory for the LGBTI community," said the founder of Arco Progresista.

"It's an important lesson for the future," the activist said, raising the question of "why the sociological opposition that these numbers reflect lacks civic and political representation in the country."

"It is no longer just us, a minority of civil society actors, but rather social majorities who are looking for another model of social and political relationships, and this became clear through the referendum. The winners are the LGBTI community and pro-democratic civil society inside and outside Cuba," he stressed.

"For the first time, the rejection vote was explicit, much more than the 5% required in any democratic system for opposition groups to obtain parliamentary representation. This number, one million people expressing their rejection of the Family Code and the regime, indicates that Cuban society is losing its fear," he said.

"Diaz-Canel himself acknowledged this and spoke of a protest vote, which is inaccurate; these were rejection votes. They are two different things. But the protest vote against the Cuban government was legitimate. Therefore, its political minorities are legitimate, and, therefore, the majorities represented in political power are also legitimate," he added.

"This Pyrrhic victory of this Pyrrhic Code should foster a deeper and more rational conversation among all the actors making up Cubas civil society, because the law is supposed to seek consensus, not division, and now the fragmentation of society is going to be structural. A totalitarian government has fragmented society, which is paradoxical, because a totalitarian government is supposed to represent the whole," said Cuesta Morua.

In the dissidents opinion, "among those who said YES there is also a sociologically important and representative group that would have said NO in a general plebiscite on the government."

"This is a figure that is indeterminate for now, but it is there, plus the people who went (to vote) because they are accustomed to the regimes insistence. The plebiscite that has been requested for many years in Cuba was just held on Sept. 25 and democracy won," he concluded.
An Enterprise family-owned business named Alabama Retail Associations 2022 Gold Retailer of the Year received the award at a ceremony held at their Main Street store Wednesday.

Chad and Kendra Wester, owners of the Boll Weevil Soap Company, were surrounded by city and civic leaders, fellow retailers, family, and friends as they accepted the Gold Retailers of the Year in the less than $1 million award from Alabama Retail Association officers.

Rick Brown, president of the Alabama Retail Association, and Nancy King Dennis, association public relations director, presented the award to the Westers, who had been selected from a field of 55 nominees.

The 20-year-old Alabama Retailer of the Year awards honor retailers who have demonstrated growth, innovation and commitment to their respective communities said, Brown. You are truly judged by your peers, Brown told the Westers. The judges are people just like you, retailers who open their doors every day.

Brown said the judges noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Westers promoted the value of their handmade soaps to prevent the spread of the virus and other infectious diseases. They worked hard to increase awareness that the best way to fight the pandemic is a good old-fashioned hand washing, just like the Center for Disease Controland your grandmotherhave always recommended, Brown said.

As we travel around the state, one of the many things I notice is that retailers have to be optimists, said Alabama Retail Association President Rick Brown. Every day they open their doors and dont know if anybody is going to come in.

What the judges particularly liked about the Boll Weevil Soap Company is the uniqueness of the products that are made and sold, and that the Westers are all-in for Enterprise, she said. The companys exponential sales growth over the past few years also made quite an impression.

Chad devotes a lot of time and energy to helping out fellow retailers downtown, Dennis said. And Kendra is all about quality control.

Boll Weevil Soap Company, founded in 1997 by Rosemary Howell, celebrated its 25th anniversary Aug. 10. In the Westers five years of ownership, Boll Weevil Soap Company has relocated to downtown Enterprise and has tripled its sales, Dennis said.

We are so excited to celebrate Chad and Kendra Wester and their amazing team, said Enterprise Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Erin Grantham. Chads passion for small business extends beyond his own storefront as he continuously champions for the success of his neighbors.

Chad Wester, who said his wife refers to him as a volunteeraholic, is the founding chairman of Enterprise Main Street program, on the executive board of the Downton Enterprise Business Association, and has served as a chamber of commerce director. He is credited with spearheading a virtual community event during the height of the pandemic during which he also counseled other downtown businesses improve their online presence.

I do want to recognize the hard work that Boll Weevil Soap Company has made in making downtown what it is today and what it is growing toward in the future, said City of Enterprise Administrator Jonathan Tullos. They embody what it means to be an entrepreneur.

Chad Wester thanked former Enterprise Main Street Director Cassidi Kendrick for nominating the Boll Weevil Soap Company for the honor. The business is a family affair, with both their children supporting the business, wrote Kendrick in her nomination. The Westers daughter makes candles for the family-owned business. Their son pursued other professional avenues but maintains his role as a Boll Weevil Soap Advocate.

Chad Wester credited the amazing staff, for the stores success. I am the only man who works here and these girls keep me straight, he said. Especially my wife; there would be nothing to sell here if it wasnt for her creations and quality control making sure all this happens.

This is a huge award and were humbled, a visibly emotional Chad Wester said. But more humbling than the award is the fact that people come through that door and spend money with us every day.

Thats how we survive and how this business functions, he added. The support we get from this community is unboll-weevable.
Hong Kong: Treasury chief attends ADB meeting

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui attended the 55th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors in Manila today.

Mr Hui took part in the Constituency Meeting at the ADB annual session that discussed the bank's response to the challenges of COVID-19, particularly the resources allocated to help developing member countries procure and deliver vaccines.

The promotion of universal access to clean and affordable energy was also discussed at the meeting.

Noting that Hong Kong is an international financial centre with a deep pool of professional services providers, Mr Hui said the city could collaborate with the international community and provide effective solutions to help overcome challenges faced by the world.

On fintech development, he said a vibrant scene is emerging through provision of an enabling regulatory environment and subsidies for innovative projects to encourage innovation in financial services.

Mr Hui added that Hong Kong is well-equipped to develop into a leading regional hub for green and sustainable finance and encouraged the ADB to make use of the broad availability of financiers in the city for fund raising.

He also told the participants that Hong Kong, being a global offshore renminbi business hub, possesses a unique edge in connecting capital between the Mainland and the rest of the world.

The treasury chief earlier paid a courtesy call to Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines Zhou Zhiyong, briefing him on the development of Hong Kong's financial industry.

Mr Hui said he hopes the city could contribute to the relationship between the nation and the Philippines in line with the strategies of the Belt & Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development.

This story has been published on: 2022-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Press Release

September 28, 2022 Grace Poe's Transcripts

Commission on Appointments

Sept. 28, 2022 CA Hearing Manifestation Poe: Mr. Chair, I just want to make a manifestation. In our agenda, initially, we were supposed to tackle the appointment of the Secretary for the Department of Budget and Management but because of time constraints,apparently, we might not be able to do that at this time. However, I would just like to put it on record that our nominee has been diligently complying with the requirements and she has submitted all the requirements on time and before the deadline. It is with a heavy heartthat I feel we are now delaying her hearing because of some other complications. If there are no questions that are too lengthy, I think we can appeal to the Senate President to tackle her appointment now. She has been shuttling back and forth--the Senate and the House--for our budget. I think the least we can do is to allot the proper time--this is not even a special consideration. She has been compliant with all the necessary documents, unless you have a lengthy question to ask... Imagine, if we have somebody, a weak Budget Secretary during the time of budget season, it's something hanging over her head. I think for impartiality and fairness, we should be able to approve her appointment if she is able to satisfy the questions that we have for her today. I think that will be greatly appreciated... CA Plenary

Sponsorship Speech

on the Appointment of Budget Secretary Amenah Flaminiano Pangandaman Mr. Chairperson, my dear colleagues, it is my duty to report that the committee on budget and management has acted on the nomination of Amenah Flaminiano Pangandaman as Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and found her to be fit and qualified to hold the said position. Our nominee is the lone "rose among the thorns" of our country's pool of economic managers, pero huwag po tayong magpapalinlang sa kanyang kabataan at angking kagandahan because she is ready to take the mantle of the Department of Budget and Management since DayOne. Her educational background prepared her well for the role - with an Economics degree from FEU and UP, a Masters in Development Economics from UP, and currently pursuing an Executive Masters of Public Administration degree from the London School of Economics. Further, Secretary Mina was trained by heavyweights such as the great Sen. Edgardo J. Angara, Senate President Pro-Tempore Loren Legarda who was chairperson of the Senate committee on finance back in the days, and the renowned economist and DOF Secretary Benjamin Diokno. A staffer who rose from the ranks, Mina is no stranger to public service like the most dependable of our career officials. More than two decades of budget work in this very same hall made her a "key mover" during budget preparations. As Assistant Governor of BSP, she also lobbied for reforms and timely pandemic response laws that I am proud to have sponsored like the Financial Consumer Protection Act, Amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act, and the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer Act. And now, as DBM Secretary, she commits to work for a more inclusive economic recovery from the effects of the pandemic. Her acquired knowledge and extensive work experience in both the legislative and executive branches of the government gave her a distinctive perspective of the intricacies of the bureaucratic process and a thorough grasp of how the different sectors and agencies work - an expertise we sorely need in someone who is at the helm of the Budget department. She was born on Christmas day in Manila, further proof that she is the gift that keeps on giving, a proud Maranao and a practicing Muslim. True to her name Amenah, which means faithful, truthful and honest in Arabic, she vows to be a trustworthy public servant and a judicious manager of our government's fiscal resources. Her civil status maybe single for now, but she is currently fully committed to fulfill her sworn duty. With that, it is my honor to sponsor the confirmation of the appointment of the first-ever woman to be confirmed as DBM Secretary since the department's creation in 1978, Amenah Flaminiano Pangandaman. I so move, Mr. Chairperson.
As a massive Hurricane Ian made landfall on southwest Floridas Gulf Coast Wednesday, local agencies and utilities stood ready to help those impacted by the storm.

Both Dothan Utilities and Wiregrass Electric Cooperative have crews ready to head to Florida once the hurricane moves out of the state. Wiregrass 2-1-1 and Visit Dothan were putting out information to help evacuees, and local stables were offering either free or discounted spaces for evacuees with horses and livestock.

Wiregrass Electric Cooperative plans to send up to nine people on a construction crew along with bucket trucks and equipment to help get into areas inundated with water.

Brad Kimbro, Wiregrass Electric Cooperatives chief operating officer, expects the local crew to leave late Thursday or early Friday and possibly go to the area served by Peace River Electric Cooperative, which is located inland from Bradenton and northeast of Punta Gorda. Kimbro said Wiregrass Electric would rotate crews in and out and be in Florida as long as they were needed.

Four years after Hurricane Michael, Kimbro said local electric cooperatives understand the need after a disaster.

We know what its like to be devastated and need help, Kimbro said.  Were happy to return the favor, and thats what we do. Were family, and thats our sister cooperatives.

Chris Phillips, Dothan Utilities assistant director for electric operations, said the city has a crew set to head to Florida on Friday. More will go if needed, he said.

Im a huge proponent of helping as many of those people as we can because we have definitely been the beneficiary before, Phillips said.

The storms eastern shift was good news for Southeast Alabama and western portions of Florida and Georgia, but central Florida took a lashing as Hurricane Ian came ashore as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds near 155 mph on Floridas southwest Gulf Coast.

Wiregrass 2-1-1 put information on digital billboards on U.S. 231 South and near Flying J at the U.S. 231 and the Ross Clark Circle in Dothan. The billboards instruct Ian evacuees to text alabamatips to 898211. Those who text receive links to hurricane resources, traffic updates, and a list of hotels and emergency shelters.

Visit Dothan is using a website tool  https://visitdothan.com/go/hotel-availability  normally utilized during tournaments to keep evacuees updated on hotels with available rooms in the city.

During previous storms impacting Central and South Florida, evacuees would find their way to Dothan, hours away from their homes, driving until they could find an available hotel room. With Ian, however, the number of evacuees was slow to come in on Wednesday.

David Duke, executive director of Wiregrass 2-1-1, said its unusual with such a large storm looming to not see more evacuees arriving prior to landfall or at least making contact with the nonprofit agency that connects people with assistance.

Duke said the reason behind that could be the storms unpredictability and the difficulty forecasters had in providing a reliable path  earlier forecasts, described as highly uncertain, put the storm running parallel to Floridas west coast and coming inland around the Big Bend and Apalachee Bay area.

Were waiting for the influx to happen because it hasnt happened yet, Duke said earlier in the day on Wednesday. This is so different because when Hurricane Irma went up through Florida we had, I believe, 12 safe havens opened up with evacuees.

Dothan Boots and Saddle Club, Southern Cross Ranch in Columbia, and the Houston County Farm Center were are local sites for evacuees with horses and livestock.

Dawn Greathouse of Dothan Boots and Saddle Club said people often think about small pets but forget that larger animals also need to be accommodated during hurricanes. The club is offering free stable space and trailer parking for evacuees.

Its a lot harder to find places, Greathouse said. Number one, youre hauling a big trailer, so youve got to have access and somewhere to park that. They cant live in the trailer. Horses require care just like a dog or a cat. To us, its important to have our facility available for people that need somewhere to park the larger trailers they haul their horses in, to have somewhere secure to keep their horses and be able to stay right there with them.

Visit Dothans President and CEO Aaron McCreight said the tourism agency will be updating a list of available hotel rooms in Dothan twice a day  morning and afternoon  and will increase such updates if needed.

As of Wednesday morning, Dothan had 100 available rooms among the 2,700 hotel and motel rooms in the market. McCreight said that number will fluctuate as rooms are reserved and then canceled based on the storms track because its not just evacuees that book rooms during a hurricane  the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well as large power companies will book blocks of room as they try to stage close to a storms path. As projections change, those blocks of rooms will be canceled.

Thats why were doing multiple updates a day, McCreight said. It is such a fluid situation.
MONTGOMERY  Alabama inmates continued their third day of a work strike Wednesday, refusing to labor in prison kitchens, laundries and factories to protest conditions in the states overcrowded, understaffed lock-ups.

Prisoners including those who provide food, laundry and janitorial services refused to show up for work at major state prisons, leaving staff scrambling to keep the facilities running.

They are running a slaughterhouse, Diyawn Caldwell, founder of the advocacy group Both Sides of the Wall, said of Alabamas prison system, which the U.S. Department of Justice has called one of the most violent and understaffed in the country. Caldwells husband is incarcerated at a state prison.

The Department of Justice has an ongoing civil lawsuit against Alabama over conditions in its prisons, saying the state is failing to protect male inmates from inmate-on-inmate violence and excessive force at the hands of prison staff.

The 2020 lawsuit alleges that conditions in the prison system are so poor that they violate the ban on cruel and unusual punishment and that state officials are deliberately indifferent to the problems. Alabama officials have acknowledged problems in the prison system but dispute the Justice Departments accusations.

In a news release, the Alabama Department of Corrections said Wednesday that the work stoppage was still active in most major male facilities. Each facility is different, and as a result each facilitys operations are affected differently.

All facilities remain operational. However, these work stoppages have affected food services given that inmate workers make up a large part of the facility support workforce. Facilities have been on a holiday meal schedule since Monday. This schedule allows for two meals instead of three.

ADOC added the food schedule is not a retaliatory measure but logistically necessary to ensure that other critical services are being provided.

Family members of several inmates, however, said prisons were not distributing three daily meals and prisoners were given paper sacks containing corndogs or sandwiches.

Inmate labor provides a vital role in keeping prisons functioning.

HOW LONG CAN 25 PEOPLE RUN A PRISON WITH 1000, 1800, 2300, etc. PRISONERS? inmate organizers of the work stoppage wrote in a press statement about the strike.

Caldwell said organizers are hoping to persuade federal officials to go ahead and intervene in the prison system. She said they are also seeking a number of changes related to release and sentencing such as repealing the Habitual Felony Offender Act, establishing uniform criteria for parole that would guarantee release, streamlining the review process for medical furloughs and reviewing elderly incarcerated individuals for immediate release.

Supporters, including family members, delivered the demands to the prison system headquarters after a protest on Monday.

A spokesperson for Gov. Kay Ivey told reporters that the demands were unreasonable and thanked prison staff for maintaining facilities.

It is also important for these protestors to understand that a lot of their demands would require legislation, not unilateral action. Some of these demands suggest that criminals like murderers and serial child sex offenders can walk the streets, and I can tell you that will never happen in the state of Alabama where we will always prioritize the safety of our citizens, Iveys office told news outlets.

The strike, while not directly related, comes after photos of an emaciated inmate at Alabamas Elmore Correctional Facility went viral. Kastellio Vaughans sister had posted the photos to Facebook with the message, Get Help.

The disturbing image prompted outrage and allegation of medical neglect. The prison system said that Vaughan had refused medical assessment and left the hospital following surgery against medical advice

This is horrific, Ben Crump, an attorney representing Vaughan said in a statement. Lets be clear, the State of Alabama has tried to deflect any action or responsibility for Mr. Vaughans condition at every turn.

The prison system issued a statement Tuesday saying that Vaughn had surgery for an obstructed bowel in August and was hospitalized in September for a complication. Both times he was discharged against medical advice, the prison system said, and has since refused medical assessment and medical treatment.

The ADOC offers medical assessment and treatment to all inmates but does not force them to accept that care, the prison system said.
The Philippines police have rescued 14 Vietnamese and 10 Chinese women trafficking victims from two Chinese suspects who allegedly held them captive in Paranaque City.

The rescue operation was based on an intelligence report the police received about a group of women being confined in three separate units of a condominium complex in the village of Tambo, the Philippine National Police officer in-charge, Lieutenant General Jose Chiquito Malayo, said in a statement.

A joint force of the Paranaque City Police, Barangay Women Desk Office and the Department of Social Welfare and Development acted on the information, leading to the arrest of the two suspects, who were found guarding the victims at the time of the rescue operation, the Inquirer reported.

Both the suspects and rescued women have been placed in the custody of the Paranaque City polices Women and Childrens Protection Desk.

It seems that the victims were promised stable jobs in the Philippines but forced to work as sex workers.

The Philippines had earlier this week said it intends to shut down 175 online gambling firms and deport about 40,000 Chinese nationals working for them, as pressure built up on the government to crack down on the shadowy online gaming sector, according to the Diplomat.
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The United States will provide $1.45 billion per year in foreign assistance to Jordan for the next seven years.
Edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah has forayed into test preparations vertical for postgraduate students targeting Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (Gate) examinations, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.The Westbridge and GSV Ventures-backed companys new vertical GATEWallah will be led by a team which comprises IITians, former IES officers and under-ten rank holders in GATE, among others.Launched during the pandemic in 2020, PhysicsWallah (PW) prepares students for engineering and medical entrance examinations. Founded by Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari, PW specializes in giving comprehensive lectures and sessions on YouTube, the PW app, and the website for students aspiring for NEET, JEE Mains.The edtech platform facilitates interactive educational content in the form of lectures and audio-visual media. In 2020 and 2021, over 10,000 students cracked competitive exams like NEET and JEE.We have been serving undergraduate categories and are producing remarkable results; with this new endeavour of ours, we will be empowering the graduates too. The undergraduate students who have been associated with PW for a long time requested us to launch programs in PG categories, so we are starting with GATE," said Pandey.The edtech industry, which boomed during the pandemic as teaching moved online, has witnessed a major funding crunch and moderation in valuations with reopening of offline educational institutions.With a focus on conserving costs, several companies have resorted to mass layoffs and trimming discretionary spending. But things have been on the upward trajectory for PhysicsWallah.Last month, the unicorn acquired Jaipur-based doubt-solving and resource management startup, FreeCo for an undisclosed amount. A unicorn is a privately-held startup with a valuation of $1 billion or more.That marked the companys first acquisition after turning unicorn in June. after raising $100 million in its Series A funding round from marquee investors Westbridge and GSV Ventures at a valuation of $1.1 billion.
ELKO  An Elko County Sheriffs deputy who was acquitted of two out of four charges including sexual assault and battery has resigned.

Richard Lespade, 38, was found not guilty of a 2020 sexual assault and battery in a verdict issued Aug. 30. The jury returned no decision on a second sexual assault charge from six years earlier, or a charge of sale or transportation of a controlled substance.

According to Elko County District Attorney Tyler Ingram, no official decision has been made on whether Lespade will be tried again on the two charges that were declared a mistrial by District Judge Mason Simons.

Lespade had been on administrative leave pending the outcome of the trial, according to the Elko County Sheriffs Office. He worked in the detention division prior to his arrest.

Although he has resigned, the sheriffs office is continuing an internal affairs investigation.

Lespade pleaded not guilty to the charges that were filed against him nearly a year ago by a woman who alleged that on two occasions he sexually assaulted her, and gave her the amphetamine Adderall to keep her in the relationship.

Defense attorney Gary Woodbury said Lespade had been falsely accused of sexual assault, recounting the complexity of the relationship between him and the woman over the years.
LAS VEGAS  The U.S. Marshals Service announced a $5,000 reward as it began assisting the Nevada Department of Corrections and law enforcement agencies in locating and arresting Nevada escapee Porfirio Duarte-Herrera.

Duarte-Herrera was determined to be missing Tuesday morning during a head count at Southern Desert Correctional Center near Las Vegas. The state Department of Corrections announced later in the day that he has been missing from the medium-security prison since Friday.

Officials described Duarte-Herrera as 5 feet, 4 inches tall and 135 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair.

He was serving a life sentence for murder with the use of a deadly weapon, after being convicted of a 2007 bomb homicide at a casino parking facility.

We will work tirelessly along with our law enforcement partners until Porfirio Duarte-Herrera is back in custody and no longer a danger to our community, U.S. Marshal Gary Schofield stated Wednesday afternoon.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Duarte-Herrera may contact the U.S. Marshals Service tip line at 866-865-TIPS (8477), submit a tip online via https://www.usmarshals.gov/tips/, or call Crime Stoppers of Nevada at 702-385-5555.

Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered an investigation after hearing details about the escape, calling it unacceptable.

This kind of security lapse cannot be permitted and those responsible will be held responsible, he said.
"Quan ho" performed at the event (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung thanked the administration of Venice for supporting the organisation of the event, which helps foster mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries as well as Venice in particular.

Mr. Renato Darsie, Chairman of the Italy-Vietnam Friendship Association in Veneto region, emphasized the significance of the event, which contributes to strengthening the bilateral partnership not only in the field of culture but also economy and politics, while foster the solidarity between people of both sides.

He also praised the role of the Vietnam House of Culture in Venice in promoting the culture of Vietnam.

During the program, a number of cultural activities were also held, including performances of "Quan ho" (love duet), which has been recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.

At the event, Ms. Pham Hoang Thu from Breton company in Italy presented a number of equipment to the Vietnam House of Culture to serve its operations.

Earlier, the Vietnamese Ambassador had a working session with Paola Mar, a member of the city Council and representatives from universities in Venice to discuss preparations for the Vietnam Week, which will be held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-Italy diplomatic relations in 2023./.
Bac Ninh is very interested in the policy of building houses for poor households . (Photo: laodong.vn)

In 2021, the locality mobilized and received more than 10.1 billion VND for the fund.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 1.5 billion VND were mobilized for the fund. The province strives to build 262 houses for poor households in 2022, and at the same time it continued to mobilize more than 2.3 billion VND to support the construction of houses for poor border people in Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province.

Aiming to contribute to the implementation of social security work in the locality, Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Bac Ninh Nguyen Dinh Loi proposed that the provincial "For the Poor" Fund Mobilization Committee strengthen coordination and mobilize all officials, civil servants, public employees, and employees at agencies and units actively suppport the Fund to achieve the highest results./.
President Bongbong Marcos and Senator Mark Villar met with business groups and foreign investors during the New York state visit

Deputy Majority Leader Senator Mark A. Villar as the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship in the 19th Congress joined President Ferdinand R. Marcos and the Philippine delegation in New York last week.

While the main activity of the President was to address the United Nations General Assembly, they also attended business programs organized by the Department of Trade and Industry which included the New York Stock Exchange Economic Forum, Philippine Economic Briefing and other business dialogues and meetings.

"It was a productive week. We went there to explore new opportunities that will bring about massive employment in our country. Our goal was to make sure that foreign investors are aware of our capability as a nation and the potential of the Filipino workforce", Senator Mark Villar said.

The Philippine delegation also met with business groups and foreign investors. Among the US companies that President Bongbong Marcos and Senator Mark Villar met were Alorica, Concentrix, JPMorgan Chase & Co., JPMC PH Global Service Center, Legato Health Technologies, Optum Inc, Qualfon Inc and Boeing.

"I share with President BBM's vision of bringing something home for our kababayans. The state visit was a success as we have secured various commitments from different companies already. Not only did we create stronger ties with different countries, but also the trip brought us jobs, jobs, jobs", Senator Mark Villar added.

Senator Mark Villar emphasized that he will continue advocating for strengthening and improving the country's economic stimulus in order to revitalize the economy.

"Naniniwala ako na mahalaga na nahihikayat natin ang mga pribadong sektor at investors mula sa iba't-ibang bansa upang makatulong sa pagpapalago ng ating ekonomiya, mapanatili ang trabaho, at masiguro na bumabalik ang sigla ng negosyo sa bansa. With the said visit and dialogues with our business partners, we assure them that the Philippines is a better choice in doing business" Villar said.
Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows a Starbucks store in downtown Shanghai, east China. Starbucks Tuesday celebrated its 6,000th store in the Chinese mainland, located in downtown Shanghai.

Shanghai thus became the first city in the world to have 1,000 Starbucks stores, Starbucks China said. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

SHANGHAI, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Starbucks Tuesday celebrated its 6,000th store in the Chinese mainland, located in downtown Shanghai.

Shanghai thus became the first city in the world to have 1,000 Starbucks stores, Starbucks China said.

In 2018, Starbucks announced it would have 6,000 stores on the Chinese mainland by the end of its fiscal year in September 2022. The company achieved that as scheduled despite challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starbucks opened its first store on the Chinese mainland in January 1999 in Beijing.

The number of Starbucks stores on the Chinese mainland has grown dramatically over the past decade and is expected to grow to 9,000 by 2025, creating 35,000 new jobs, according to the company's strategic plan released recently.

Starbucks China also revealed a plan to set up its first digital technology innovation center on the Chinese mainland over the coming three years.

A Starbucks coffee creative park in Kunshan, east China's Jiangsu Province, is expected to be completed and start operating in the summer of 2023. 

Mugs are on display at a Starbucks store in downtown Shanghai, east China, Sept. 27, 2022.

Starbucks Tuesday celebrated its 6,000th store in the Chinese mainland, located in downtown Shanghai.

Shanghai thus became the first city in the world to have 1,000 Starbucks stores, Starbucks China said. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

Staff members work at a Starbucks store in downtown Shanghai, east China, Sept. 27, 2022. Starbucks Tuesday celebrated its 6,000th store in the Chinese mainland, located in downtown Shanghai.

Shanghai thus became the first city in the world to have 1,000 Starbucks stores, Starbucks China said. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

Editor: JYZ
After more than two years without leaving China, Chinese president Xi Jinping chose the SCO summit in Uzbekistan last week for his return to the international diplomatic stage. Contrary to Western media claim that this was a sign of weakness or isolation, the choice of destination shows Xis confidence in the prospect of a region that in Western eyes has been a remote backwater. Given the relevance of the leaders of China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey among others all meeting in one place, it is surprising how little Western media reported about it. A lot of this has to do with classic Western arrogance that blinds them from seeing the real significance of countries outside of the political West. If the US isnt involved, it cant be relevant is deeply engraved in the minds not just of Americans, but also of many Europeans, especially politicians and journalists.

Another reason why many in the West have difficulty grasping what has happened at the SCO summit is their sheer ignorance about Central Asia, which is one of the few regions never colonized by a Western power. Therefore, Western European countries dont have a deep connection with and history of exploitation in the region; unlike with India, most of Southeast Asia, some coastal cities of China, most of Africa, and the Americas. They may have heard of countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, or Turkmenistan in the West, but who could confidently claim to know anything about them?

Understanding the history and complexity of this region is prerequisite for grasping its centrality for present and past events. Only then can one realize the incredible success the SCO has had in developing a new order for the region, a new form of inter-state cooperation and peaceful development, and how dramatically the positive shaping power of China beyond its borders has grown over the last 20 years.Therefore, this article gives a brief geographic and historic overview, though by no means comprehensive, before looking at the geopolitical implications of the SCO, and Chinas role in it.

Historically, the endless steppes of Central Asia have been very scarcely populated by nomadic peoples, and over millennia been the origin of overwhelming nomad invasions into the sedentary civilizations. Such invasions are recorded throughout Chinese history on the east of the steppes, as well as in European history to the West, such as the Huns and the Mongols incursions. But even before the ancient Greeks, in the early iron age the Persians recorded nomadic hordes from the north invading their lands in present-day Turkey and Iran. Especially the Chinese have a very long recorded history of using trade, marriage, defense walls, and military force to deal with this constant threat from their west.

In modern times, much of the Central Asian steppes were conquered and colonized by the Russian empire before being integrated into the Soviet Union at the end of World War I. During the Cold War, the US considered the region the soft underbelly of the USSR, always looking for ways to connect to nationalistic or religious groups willing to stand up against the other superpower.Of course, one of the southern-most of these stans (countries whose names end in -stan) is of course Afghanistan, where the US invested heavily in Islamist religious resistance against the socialist government supported by the USSR, drawing Soviet forces into a costly war that contributed to the demise of the superpower. The US partnership didnt last, however, and soon enough the US saw itself drawn in an equally devastating war in Afghanistan, which cost the US more than $2 trillion, thousands of lives, and ended in an embarrassing defeat in 2021.

Geographically, the first obvious fact about the Central Asian region is that its vast, endless. The biggest of the stans is Kazakhstan, the worlds 9th largest country by area. Compared to Europe, take the whole area of Spain, France, and Germany combined, and then double it, or compared to the US, it is slightly bigger than the entire Midwest.Neighboring Uzbekistan is somewhere between Germany and France in size, slightly larger than California, and even the dwarfs like Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan each is twice the area of the entire Benelux region, or half the size of Germany, bigger than New York State. Similarly diverse are the population sizes and the levels of economic development of each country. The most populous stans (except Pakistan with 220 million people and a landmass the size of Turkey) are Afghanistan and Uzbekistan each with around 35 million people, the vast Kazakhstan only has about 19 million inhabitants, and the smaller Turkmenistan (which as a neutral country and not a member of the SCO), Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have just 6 to 9 million inhabitants each.

The poorest country in terms of per capita GDP is Afghanistan, after 40 years of war and turbulence, with a shockingly low $509 a year. But Tajikistan isnt much better off with just $859 a year. By contrast, the very secluded Turkmenistan comes up to $7500, roughly 4 times higher than India, and oil-rich Kazakhstan is solid in the upper middle-income bracket with $9,056 per year. And such differences dont even touch upon the diverse languages, cultures, traditions, and historic views of the region. Although mostly Muslim majority, the importance and variations of religion in peoples lives also differ dramatically from country to country.

Given the central location of this Eurasian heartland, it will become increasingly important for the geopolitically interested. The geostrategic importance becomes obvious when one looks at the countries bordering this region: Russia in the north, China in the east, and India to the southeast of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the southwest is bordering Iran, and in the west lay Azerbaijan and Armenia leading onward to NATO member Turkey. This is the tremendous scope of the SCO, covering not just the recent hot border conflicts between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, but also the long-standing Pakistan-India dispute, the India-China border dispute, and negotiations are well underway to allow Middle Eastern countries to join the SCO, with all their internal tensions and contradictions. This reminds us of the time when the British Empire fell apart, in the power vacuum a variety of very diverse nations came together to form the League of Nations and later the UN, where countries would talk, despite all differences. Indeed, the original spirit of the UN, where even at the height of the Cold War the US would keep up negotiating with the USSR, seems to be alive and well in the SCO, whereas the West increasingly chooses a path of exclusion, isolation, sanctions, the US prevents half the Russian delegation from attending the UN General Assembly, and disinvited countries it doesnt like from the Summit of the Americas.

The comparison to the founding of the UN is of course limited, and while the decline of the US empire may be compared to some extend with the dissolution of the British Empire, the SCO is not there to replace a previous order, but rather to revive it. The UN wont be replaced by the SCO. Nonetheless, the SCO is bigger than just a regional organization like the EU, and by contrast it is more open, flexible, and less restraining for member countries. It is a distinctly Asian organization in that it doesnt try to create restricting norms and overreaching international courts to restrain individual countries, like many Western-led supranational organizations. Instead, its a forum for negotiation, to seek beneficial cooperation where it is possible, without pretending all problems could be solved this way. While the EU currently faces a number of countries having left or thinking about leaving, the SCO is expanding and many countries are eager to join.

The SCO was founded in 2001 with only 6 members and has increased slowly in number of participants and projects. Xi Jinpings role in driving the SCO forward can hardly be overstated: shortly after the Chinese Communist Party elected him chairman in 2012, he proposed the very successful Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road initiative in 2013, both aiming at turning Central Asia from a remote, impoverished backwater into a central, prosperous core for a pan-Eurasian trading network, greatly increasing the importance of the SCO as a political forum to discuss security, peace, cultural exchange, and economic cooperation, as a basis for growing prosperity across Central Asia. Just two years later, in 2015, the SCO grew dramatically in scope and importance by admitting both India and Pakistan  two nuclear powers with a total population almost equivalent to China and Russias  into the organization. In this light it should be no surprise that Xi attached such great importance to the SCO summit and chose it as the destination of his first trip outside China in more than two years. According to Chinese government spokespeople, he attended nearly 30 official events in two days, so the trip was also an example of highly efficient Chinese diplomacy.

(Contributed by Harald Buchmann, Intellisia Senior Research Fellow, for Guangming Online)

Editor: GSY
Visitors try their hand at Chinese calligraphy during a Confucius Day event hosted by the Confucius Institute at the Eotvos Lorand University (ELTE) in Budapest, Hungary on Sept. 24, 2022. The Confucius Institute at ELTE of the Hungarian capital celebrated the birthday of Confucius with rich cultural programs here on Saturday. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

BUDAPEST, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute at the Eotvos Lorand University (ELTE) of the Hungarian capital celebrated the birthday of Confucius with rich cultural programs here on Saturday.

About 100 audiences from Hungary and China enjoyed concerts, Kongfu performances and lion dances at the Confucius Day event.

The audience also had the chance to try Chinese calligraphy, Chinese paper cut, chopsticks usage, Perking Opera Mask coloring, Chinese chess and learn the basics of China's beloved Jianzi(Chinese foot badminton).

Eniko Gajasz, cultural program organizer of ELTE's Confucius Institute said the institute wants to give a broader presentation of Chinese culture on this special occasion.

There were also two cultural lectures after the opening ceremony, one focusing on fine arts in China, the other on the Temple of Confucius in Beijing.

The Confucius Institute at ELTE in Hungary celebrated its 15th founding anniversary in June.

Confucius (551-479 B.C.), an educator and thinker who has influenced countless generations of Chinese society, was believed to be born on Sept. 28, 551 B.C. 

Children color Peking Opera facial makeup patterns during a Confucius Day event hosted by the Confucius Institute at the Eotvos Lorand University (ELTE) in Budapest, Hungary on Sept. 24, 2022. The Confucius Institute at ELTE of the Hungarian capital celebrated the birthday of Confucius with rich cultural programs here on Saturday. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

Editor: WJH
Ukraine has already received 11 cargoes of power equipment with a total weight of 196.3 tonnes from 11 donors from Sweden, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine reported on its website.

"Among the equipment, in particular, there are 25 power transformers, 30 gel batteries, a diesel generator," the statement said.

The ministry said that on Wednesday Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko held an online meeting with Swedish Minister for Energy and Digital Development Khashayar Farmanbar, during which, in particular, they discussed Sweden's participation in the process of restoring Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which was destroyed as a result of regular shelling by the Russian aggressor.

Haluschenko thanked Farmanbar for the assistance already provided by the Swedish side in the form of equipment, while the Swedish energy minister, in turn, expressed his readiness to continue supporting the energy sector of Ukraine.
European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi says that Ukraine has received EUR500 million of budget support from the European Union to reduce vulnerability and improve Ukraine's food security.

At a press conference in Kyiv, following a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, he said he was glad to announce that EUR500 million of assistance from the European Union should have been transferred to Ukraine's treasury accounts today.

In particular, the matter concerns budgetary support for Ukraine in the amount of EUR500 million to reduce vulnerability and increase Ukraine's food security through support for the affected population and agricultural production.

As previously announced, the funds will be used to strengthen the government's ability to meet the needs of the population, which are not covered by humanitarian assistance and the civil protection mechanism.

Also, according to the European Commissioner, the parties discussed the issue how to accelerate the provision of EUR100 million to Ukraine for the reconstruction of schools, which were announced by the President of the European Commission in an appeal to the European Parliament.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), said that Russia is leading the world to a nuclear catastrophe.

Russia ignored the IAEA's call for the immediate de-occupation of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and the cessation of any hostilities against any nuclear facilities of Ukraine. This fact once again proves that Russia is deliberately keeping the world on the verge of a radiation disaster, Zelensky said in a video message to the participants of the meeting on Tuesday evening.

According to him, the very threat of using nuclear weapons has become a constant narrative of Russian propaganda.

Zelensky stressed that this is direct proof that Russia has no right to possess nuclear weapons, since it is unable to guarantee the security of the world even against threats of the use of nuclear weapons.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian army has lost about 58,150 personnel, 2,312 tanks, 4,889 armored combat vehicles, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

"The total combat losses of the enemy from February 24 to September 28 approximately amounted to about 58,150 people of military personnel (plus 400), 2,312 tanks (plus six) units, 4,889 armored combat vehicles (plus eight) units, 1,381 artillery systems (plus three) units, 331 MLRS, 175 air defense equipment, 262 aircraft (plus one) units, 224 helicopters, 989 operational-tactical level UAVs (plus 12), 242 cruise missiles (plus one), 15 ships/boats, 3,742 motor vehicles and tankers (plus 12) units, and 131 units of special equipment," the message posted on Facebook says.

It is noted that the enemy suffered the greatest losses in Kramatorsk and Donetsk directions.
MFA on Russia's pseudo-referendums: Ukraine to continue to liberate its territories, will never agree to any Russias ultimatums

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, in response to Russia holding pseudo-referendums in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, stated that Ukraine will continue to liberate its territories and will never agree to any ultimatums of the Russian Federation.

On September 23-27, the Russian Federation organized a propaganda show called referendums in the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. Forcing people in these territories to fill out some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine. Such actions severely violate the Constitution and laws of Ukraine, as well as norms of international law and Russia's international obligations, an official statement of the Foreign Ministry, published on this occasion, says.

It notes that this performance has nothing to do with expression of will and does not have any implications for Ukraines administrative-territorial system and internationally recognized borders.

Ukraine and the international community condemn such actions of Russia and consider them null and worthless, the Foreign Ministry stressed.

The statement says that all citizens of Ukraine who took part in the organization of these acts together with the Russian occupiers will bear responsibility in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The competent authorities of Ukraine are already taking measures to track them down and bring them to justice.

Moreover, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions, like the Ukrainian Crimea, remain the sovereign territories of Ukraine. Ukraine has every right to restore its territorial integrity by military and diplomatic means, and will continue to liberate the temporarily occupied territories.

Ukraine will never agree to any Russian ultimatums. Moscow's attempts to create new separation lines or weaken international support for Ukraine are doomed to fail, the ministry said.

It is noted that by organizing sham "referendums" in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russia willfully demonstrates that all of its signals of alleged readiness for negotiations are only meant to provide a cover-up to its armed aggression and helpless attempts to hold on to the temporarily occupied territories.

Russia consistently shows its contempt for all those who have been calling for diplomacy. We expect relevant countries to draw conclusions regarding Russia's true intentions and increase their support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression instead of abstaining from actions under the guise of their wish to play a role of peacekeepers that Russia does not need. Ukraine calls on all states and international organizations to immediately condemn the illegal actions of the Kremlin in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and to increase the isolation of Russia, the statement reads.

The Foreign Ministry says that Ukraine calls on the EU, NATO and the Group of Seven to immediately and significantly increase pressure on Russia, including by imposing new tough sanctions, and significantly increase their military aid to Ukraine, including by providing us with tanks, combat aircraft, armored vehicles, long-range artillery, anti-aircraft and missile defense equipment.

We call on our partners to make it clear to Russia that the only response to its attempts of annexation, blackmail, and ultimatums will be the increase of support for Ukraine so that it prevails over the aggressor, the foreign ministry concluded.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the United States is not against Ukraine using Western weapons to return territories where the Russian Federation organized pseudo-referendums.

According to the European Truth, Blinken said this on Tuesday at a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

We and many other countries have already been crystal-clear: We will not  indeed, we will never  recognize the annexation of Ukrainian territory by Russia. And Ive also been equally clear that Ukraine has the absolute right to defend itself throughout its territory, including to take back the territory that has been illegally seized one way or another by Russia, Blinken said.

According to him, the weapons that the United States and many other countries provide to Ukraine were very effectively used for the return.

The Ukrainians will continue to do what they need to do to get back the land that has been taken from them. We will continue to support them in that effort, the U.S. State Secretary noted.
AFU strengthening its positions on eastern bank of Oskil river, continues to advance on outskirts of Lyman  ISW

The Ukrainian army continues to strengthen its combat positions on the eastern bank of the Oskil River (Kharkiv region), and also continue to advance on the outskirts of Lyman (Donetsk region), according to a report by analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

It notes that Ukrainian artillery fire is successfully interdicting Russian forces last logistic route to Lyman, running through Svatove-Makiyivka-Terny (Luhansk region) north of the settlement.

Analysts report that the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to move in the south of Ukraine, and also strike at places where military equipment and personnel of the occupation army of the Russian Federation gather. Ammunition depots and key positions of the Russian army in Kherson region also come under fire from Ukrainian defenders.

At the same time, in Donetsk region, the occupiers continue unsuccessful attempts to advance in the area of Bakhmut, actively using "penal colonies" for that.

The Institute notes that in the occupied parts of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, the Russians have completed falsified pseudo-referendums on the annexation of the regions to Russia and improbably stated that each sham referendum received between 87 and 99% approval from Ukrainian residents.

Russian officials pre-ordained and falsified the approval ratings and alleged voter participation rates for the sham referenda while coercing Ukrainian civilians in occupied territories to performatively vote for Russian annexation, the report says.

It also notes that Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely announce the Russian annexation of occupied Ukrainian territory on September 30.

Analysts report that the Russian Federation is sending mobilized soldiers of the Western Military District (WMD) to the front line in Kherson and Kharkiv region without prior training. Mobilized men with a day or two of training are unlikely to meaningfully reinforce Russian positions affected by Ukrainian counteroffensives in the south and east, the ISW stressed.

They add that checkpoints are being set up inside Russia itself at the borders for the forced mobilization of Russian men who are trying to avoid forced mobilization by fleeing the country, and Russian officials are "setting conditions" for the forced mobilization or conscription of Ukrainian civilians in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

Russian officials may attempt to reframe their invasion of Ukraine and occupation of soon-to-be-annexed Ukrainian territory as a counterterrorism operation, the Institute said.
Press Release

September 28, 2022 Zubiri: SIM Registration Act is a Weapon against Crime On Tuesday, the Senate of the Philippines approved Senate Bill No. 1310, or the SIM Registration Bill, on third reading--making it the first third reading approval of the Senate this 19th Congress. "The SIM Registration Act is a weapon to foil the evolving use of this device in criminal activities. As scams to harm the public rapidly change, so must the regulatory antidotes to them," said Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, who principally authored and co-sponsored the bill. "Itong batas na ito ang isa sa mga panlaban sa malawakang pambubudol sa ating mamamayan gamit ang text messages. Bilyon ang nawawala sa malawakang holdap na ito. "So it can be said that this is a legislative app that society can use in winning the budol fights. This bill will destroy the hiding places of those who are able to conduct cybercrimes anonymously." Last August, Zubiri himself disclosed to the public that a couple of scammers had targeted him. Having obtained his personal mobile number, the scammers posed as public officials and attempted to extort money for a bogus political convention. A version of the SIM Registration Act, also authored by Zubiri, had successfully been approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives in the 18th Congress, but was vetoed by the previous administration. "In drafting this bill, care has been made that in stopping criminals, we will not be encroaching on the rights of the people or imposing additional inconveniences on them," Zubiri assured. "The registration must be easy and hassle-free, and data collected in the registry must be fire-walled against hacks." "This is bill is not a delete button that will wipe out in one press all illegal acts done via cellphones. Isa lang ito sa menu ng dapat gawin--one of which is implementation, because laws are only as good and as effective as their enforcement." "Matakot na sana 'yung mga scammer, kapag naging batas na ito. It's time to catch the scammers, the spammers, and the mobile hoodlums who try to take advantage of our innocent public. Your days are numbered, and you will be exposed soon. "This is a step in the right direction. Protecting the public is our primordial concern and this law will help our security services track down criminals and possible terrorist threats by using unregistered numbers to do their dirty work."
The IRIS-T air defense systems are manufactured specifically for Ukraine, and they are not in service with the German army, said German Ambassador to Ukraine Anka Feldhuzen.

"The Bundeswehr does not have them. I don't know if I'm answering correctly, but we are inside NATO and the air defense is kind of around us. When I was in Poland, I saw all these Patriots and others, I've never seen them in Germany," Feldhuzen said in an interview with European Truth.

According to her, the first system will probably be delivered in October, the second - before the end of the year.

"They are being produced now, and I really hope that the second one will be before the end of the year, and the rest next year. It does not depend on political will, the decision has been clearly made there. These are the latest systems, but the supply chain for production is difficult," the ambassador explained.

The IRIS-T SLM system has a range of 40 kilometers and an altitude of up to 20 kilometers. With the IRIS-T SLM, one can shoot down combat aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, rocket artillery, drones, anti-radar missiles.
US draft budget resolution provides for $12.35 bln in aid to Ukraine

The draft short-term budget resolution submitted to the US Congress provides for assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $12.35 billion, head of the Servant of the People faction David Arakhamia has said.

"A draft short-term budget resolution has been submitted to the US Congress, which provides for a $12.35 billion aid package for Ukraine, which is $600 million more than the White House's request," Arakhamia wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to him, $7.8 billion has been allocated for defense, and $4.5 billion for direct budgetary support to Ukraine.

"This document also renews the authority of the Administration to transfer weapons and equipment directly from the US stocks to Ukraine in the new fiscal year in the amount of $3.7 billion," the head of the faction said.

The MP expressed the hope that the resolution would be adopted by both houses of Congress, and US President Joe Biden would sign it this week.

Arakhamia is now in the United States as part of the delegation of the Ukrainian parliament.
Ukraine must return all its temporarily occupied territories and only then it will be possible to talk about the end of the war.

This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky during a conversation with students and lecturers of Harvard University, the press service of the President's Office reports.

"If it is not clearly understood that we have returned our land, the war is over and there is  peace, and something will always be in question, some part is not de-occupied, and the other part is in some kind of compromise, then, believe me, Russia will still return to the occupation of our land," the head of state noted.

The President noted that Ukraine, unfortunately, will not be able to return its dead citizens, but it can definitely restore justice, starting with the return of its land. Zelensky is convinced that Russia's war against Ukraine has demonstrated the need to reset international institutions, which should react faster, preferably proactively, and not wait for a bad result.

Also, in his opinion, one can believe or not believe in Russia's threats regarding the use of nuclear weapons, but the world should be strong and not be afraid of intimidation from one or another aggressor. "Because there will be many more such threats. In order to have fewer of them, it should be systematically written out what the reaction will be. Even on words or intentions. So that such military and political leaders are afraid to even think of threatening any state with anything - nuclear weapons, famine, annexation or occupation," Zelensky said. The President is convinced that Ukraine can set an example of such changes in the international security system, because it was on the territory of our country that the aggressor violated human rights, tortured, raped, seized a nuclear power plant, threatened with nuclear weapons, etc.

Therefore, as the Head of state noted, an international working group headed by head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has developed recommendations on security guarantees for our country. "We have sent them to world leaders and would like to apply them. It is important that countries in danger could receive weapons, sanctions against the aggressor, and financial assistance in a short time," Zelensky stressed.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov met with a delegation of the European Union headed by the EU Coordinator for Combating Terrorism Ilkka Salmi.

According to the NSDC website, the delegation included representatives of the European Commission, the European External Affairs Service, Europol, Frontex, and the EU Advisory Mission in Ukraine.

The Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine demonstrated to the delegation the capabilities of the information and analytical system SOTA, in particular, its module for monitoring the supply of weapons to Ukraine from partner countries.

"All weapons provided to Ukraine by partners are subject to accounting. After crossing the border, every weapon is under control, " he said.

Danilov also stressed that with regard to Ukraine, Russia has today "added nuclear terrorism to its arsenal," which requires appropriate counter-actions from the civilized world.

The parties also discussed practical steps to implement cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the field of internal security, cross-border cooperation and combating international crime. The parties also touched upon the issue of cooperation in the field of post-war adaptation of Ukrainian veterans.

In turn, Salmi assured of Ukraine's support on its way to victory over the Russian aggressor and readiness to further provide the necessary assistance to the state.
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss successful prisoner swap, the situation at Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), as well as the sham referenda organized by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

"President Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. The call addressed the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war. President Erdogan noted that he is very glad since the exchange of war prisoners between Russia and Ukraine has been carried out successfully after a long period of preparation," the press service of the Turkish President said on Twitter.

Drawing attention to the successful functioning of the agreement on Ukrainian grain shipment through the Black Sea, Erdogan stressed that "a similar approach can be taken as regards Zaporizhia NPP, and reiterated Turkey's offer to act as a mediator and facilitator for the formation of a demilitarized zone around the power plant."

"Holding unilateral referendums in Ukrainian regions that are under Russian control will undermine efforts aimed at reviving the diplomatic process, the President stressed, adding that Turkey stands ready to provide every kind of support for the settlement of the war through peaceful negotiations," the press service said.

According to the press service of the Ukrainian President, during the conversation, Turkey's key role in organizing the work of the grain initiative and establishing the export of Ukrainian agricultural products through the Black Sea was noted. The parties said that since its launch, 235 ships with 5.4 million tonnes of agricultural products for the countries of Asia, Europe and Africa have left Ukrainian ports. Hope was expressed for the further smooth functioning of the grain initiative to prevent a global food crisis.

Zelensky thanked the Turkish side for its unwavering support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. He also thanked official Ankara for its principled position on non-recognition of sham referenda.

"The goal of the illegal sham referenda that Russia held in the occupied territories of Ukraine is the annexation of new Ukrainian lands. The world community must give the toughest possible response to Russia's actions," Zelensky said.

The presidents also discussed bilateral contacts to be held in the near future.
Russia still does not allow Ukraine to visit the scene of the war crime committed by the Russian occupation forces in Olenivka, Donetsk region, as a result of which many Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) were killed, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets has said

"The Russian Federation still does not provide me with an opportunity to come to Olenivka. Everyone would have heard about this if I had traveled there... We continue to work on this," the ombudsman said at a press briefing hosted by the Ukraine-Ukrinform media center on Wednesday.

At the same time, Lubinets noted that the Office of Russia's Ombudsperson Tatyana Moskalkova, in response to his request with a proposal to visit the scene of the terrorist attack in Olenivka together, replied that this issue was under control of a "separate ombudsman" in the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)".

"What was the reaction [of Moskalkova to the proposal to visit together the scene of mass death of Ukrainian POWs in Olenivka]? There was an official answer that as the Ombudsman of Ukraine I should turn not to her, but to the "ombudsman" of the so-called "DPR", because this a separate "state", there is a separate ombudsman dealing with this issue. The Russian side continues to play such a game "I am not me, and the hut is not mine." The whole world understands that this territory is occupied by the Russian Federation, everyone is talking about it, except for the Russian Federation. This is an attempt to hide from responsibility, although this does not save them," he said.

In addition, Lubinets noted that a special UN monitoring mission, created by the decision of the UN Secretary General to conduct an independent investigation, did not visit Olenivka as well.

"I made an analysis of this mission, and the facts showed that out of the three foreigners included in its composition, in fact, all are under the influence of Russia," the ombudsman said.
The European Commission has announced its proposals for the 8th package of sanctions against Russia due to the escalation of the war in Ukraine  the list of sanctioned individuals was extended, new trade restrictions, Russian oil price cap and other sanctions were introduced.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said this a press statement in Brussels on Wednesday.

"Last week Russia has escalated the invasion of Ukraine to a new level. The sham referenda organized in the territories that Russia occupied are an illegal attempt to grab land and to change international borders by force. The mobilization and Putin's threats to use nuclear weapons are further steps on the escalation path. We do not accept the sham referenda and any kind of annexation in Ukraine. And we are determined to make the Kremlin pay for this further escalation. Today, we are together proposing a new package of biting sanctions against Russia. The first part concerns the listing of individuals and entities," she said.

The second part of the sanctions concerns trade restrictions, the President of the European Commission said.

"By that we isolate and hit Russia's economy even more. We propose sweeping new import bans on Russian products. This will keep Russian products out of the European market and deprive Russia of an additional EUR 7 billion in revenues," she said.

In addition, the European Commission proposes to extent the list of products that cannot be exported to Russia.

"The aim is here to deprive the Kremlin's military complex of key technologies," von der Leyen said.

For example, this includes "additional aviation items or electronic components and specific chemical substances."

"These new export bans will additionally weaken Russia's economic basis and will weaken its capacity to modernize," she said.

In addition, the European Commission proposes additional bans on providing European services to Russia and the prohibition of EU nationals to sit on governing bodies of Russian state-owned enterprises.

"Russia should not benefit from European knowledge and expertise," she said.

Von der Leyen also said that in the new package of sanctions the European Commission is laying "a legal basis for the oil price cap".
Military, financial support for Ukraine should be strengthened in response to Russia's sham referenda  Zelensky after talks with Truss

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky expects the UK's leadership in terms of response to the sham referenda organized by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular, through strengthening of military and financial assistance to Ukraine.

He said this during a phone call with British Prime Minister Liz Truss.

"Had talks with British Prime Minister Liz Truss. Great Britain has always been one of the leaders in terms of support for Ukraine. We are expecting London's leadership in response to the Russian sham referenda as well. Military and financial assistance to Ukraine should be only strengthened in response," Zelensky said on the Telegram channel.
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.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued a directive on Tuesday to the finance ministry to raise the minimum wage for public sector employees from EGP 2,400 to EGP 2,700 in the state budget for the fiscal year 2022/23, the presidency announced.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait and other officials from the finance ministry, El-Sisi discussed a review of the draft state budget for fiscal year 2022/23.

The president also ordered granting employees covered by the civil service law a 7 percent periodical salary bonus, and granting employees not covered by the law a one-time bonus that is 13 percent of their basic salaries.

The president also ordered an increase to the additional incentive for both employees who are covered and those not covered by the civil service law at a total cost of EGP 18 billion.

Last March, President El-Sisi ordered raising the minimum wage to EGP 2,400 from EGP 2,000, as well as raising pensions by 13 percent.

Egypts National Wage Council also announced in December that Egypt would mandate a minimum monthly wage of EGP 2,400 for the private sector with a monthly bonus worth 3 percent of the employees insurance.

During the meeting, El-Sisi also gave a directive to appoint 30,000 teachers annually for five years to meet the needs of the education sector.

In addition, the government is to pay the teachers an additional incentive to develop and improve their skills at a total cost of EGP 3.1 billion, the presidency added.

Egypts national educational system has been suffering from a shortage in qualified teachers, leading the Ministry of Education to hire part-time teachers paid for each class in the school year 2021/22 in all grades.

According to education ministry officials, there are currently 1.187 million teachers to over 24 million students in some 57,000 schools. Currently, the shortage of teachers is estimated at 320,000.

In exclusive statements to Al-Ahram Arabic website on Tuesday following El-Sisis meeting with the prime minister, Education Minister Tarek El-Shawky, who faced huge criticism from the public and from parliament over the decision to hire part-timers, praised the presidents directives.

Shawky revealed that the presidential directive came days after he held a meeting with PM Madbouly where they discussed the teacher shortage.

The president also ordered allocating a total of EGP 1.5 billion to finance an additional 'quality incentive' for faculty members and their assistants in universities and research centers.

President El-Sisi also ordered including dentists, physiotherapists and nurses to a previous decision to raise the monthly bonus for medical interns.

The finance minister presented during the meeting the most important objectives of the draft budget for the fiscal year 2022/23, including reducing the total deficit to about 6.3 percent of GDP, continuing to achieve a primary surplus of 1.5 percent of GDP, and achieve an increase in the wages in the budget to EGP 400 billion.

President El-Sisi was also briefed on the latest updates on upgrading and developing the tax system, where he issued orders to complete the mechanisation of the tax authority and the electronic invoice system before the end of the current fiscal year.

The president also reviewed with the PM and the finance minister the strategy to develop and upgrade the customs system and the most important programs and initiatives taken in this regard.

The president ordered taking into account all the international standards related to the quality of the goods imported to Egypt in this framework as well as to start working on pre-registration system at Egyptian airports.

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Protests in Iran following the death of a young woman arrested by morality police could signal "a big change", according to Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR).

Public anger has flared in the Islamic republic since authorities announced the death last week of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been held for allegedly wearing a hijab headscarf in an "improper" way.

What is happening in Iran?

Eleven people have been reported dead in the groundswell of public anger since Amini's death.

In 15 years of following protests and the rights situation in Iran, Amiry-Moghaddam said he had not witnessed such outrage.

"It seems that they are not afraid anymore. I think the murder of Mahsa was probably the last drop that led to this overflow, so it could be the beginning of a big change," he told AFP in English.

At the same time Amiry-Moghaddam said he was worried about the potential response from Iranian authorities.

"Unless the international community gives its clear support to Iranian people's demands -- they are demanding a normal life -- then I'm concerned that many people will be killed."

What do we know about Mahsa Amini's death?

"What we know for sure -- and what also the authorities have admitted -- is that Mahsa was arrested by morality police," Amiry-Moghaddam said. According to her family, she was healthy at the time of her arrest, he added.

"Some hours later, she was transferred to hospital in coma. So regardless of what happened, this is a responsibility of the Iranian authorities and the morality police," the director of the rights group said.

The IHR believes "the evidence shows that she was subjected to very harsh violence, and that's only because the authorities say that she hadn't covered herself", Amiry-Moghaddam added.

Why are women burning their hijabs?

Videos posted on social media have shown some women demonstrators defiantly taking off their hijabs and burning them on bonfires.

"The hijab has become a symbol for the Islamic Republic and that's why... we saw many pictures of girls taking off their hijab and burning it," Amiry-Moghaddam explained.

"It's not because they have a problem with the piece of clothing but because it symbolises the suppression (sic) they have been subjected to in 43 years," he said.

What will happen next?

"No dictators can continue forever. They don't last forever. History has shown it. So the question is not if, but when and how these authorities will end," Amiry-Moghaddam said.

He said the international community should support the protesters.

"They are using peaceful means," he said. "Despite being angry, what they do is to burn their own headscarf and shout 'Down with the dictator'."

But he said it was hard to predict how the situation would develop.

"We don't know what happens in few months or a year. You know, if the authorities manage to crack down violently (on) these protesters, I don't know next time they come out what they will do," he said.

It was important, therefore, for the West to engage.

"I think it's not only the right thing to do but also the wise thing to do -- to push for further fundamental changes, show Iranian people support and promote a peaceful transition".

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Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard on Monday unleashed a wave of drone strikes and artillery, targeting what Tehran says are bases of Iranian Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq, a semiofficial news agency reported.

It was the second such cross-border assault since the weekend, at a time when Iran is convulsing with protests over the death of a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who was been detained by the nation's morality police.

On Saturday, the Guard said it targeted bases and training camps of Kurdish separatist groups in northern Iraq, claiming it inflicted serious damage.

Protests over the death of Mahsa Amini have spread across at least 46 cities, towns and villages. Iranian state TV has suggested that at least 41 protesters and police have been killed since the protests began Sept. 17. An Associated Press count of official statements by authorities tallied at least 13 dead, with more than 1,200 demonstrators arrested.

In Monday's report, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency said the Guard's attacks were in response for the support that the separatists have allegedly provided for the unrest inside Iran, as well as their attempts to smuggle in weapons.

Last year, the Guard similarly attacked what it called bases of ``terrorist groups`` in northern Iraq.

There was no immediate comment from the Iraqi government. The two neighboring countries have close political and military ties, and Tehran had provided extensive military support for Baghdad, during its yearslong war against the extremist Islamic State group.

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More than 75 people have died in Iran's crackdown on 11 nights of unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a rights group says, as Western nations pile pressure on the Islamic republic to end the violence.

The Iranian authorities' official death toll has remained at 41 since Saturday, including several members of the security forces, as the country is rocked by its biggest wave of protests in almost three years.

Demonstrators took to the streets again on Monday night -- as they have every night since Amini's death on September 16 following her arrest for allegedly breaching the country's strict rules on hijab headscarves and modest clothing -- witnesses told AFP.

In Sanandaj, the capital of Amini's western home province of Kurdistan, women climbed onto the roofs of cars to tear off their headscarves in front of cheering crowds, images published by Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) showed, with police nowhere to be seen.

Tehran crowds have shouted "death to the dictator", calling for the end of the more than three-decade rule of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 83.

Video shot from several floors above street level, purportedly in the city of Tabriz, showed people protesting to the sound of tear gas canisters being fired by security forces.

IHR said at least 76 people have been killed in the crackdown that has seen sweeping restrictions imposed on the internet, including blocks on Instagram and WhatsApp.

Officials said Monday they had made more than 1,200 arrests. Those taken into custody have included activists, lawyers and journalists as well as protesters.

Tensions with West

Tensions with Western powers grew as France on Monday issued its "strongest condemnation" over the "violent repression" by security forces, Germany summoned the Iranian ambassador and Canada announced sanctions.

A day earlier, the European Union had deplored the crackdown and Tehran said it had called in the British and Norwegian envoys.

"We call on the international community to decisively and unitedly take practical steps to stop the killing and torture of protesters," said IHR's director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.

Video footage and death certificates obtained by IHR showed that "live ammunition is being directly fired at protesters," he charged.

Riot police in black body armour have beaten protesters with truncheons in running street battles, and students have torn down large pictures of the supreme leader and his predecessor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in recent video footage published by AFP.

Protesters have hurled rocks, torched police cars and set public buildings ablaze.

At least 20 journalists have been arrested, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

'Demands of the people'

The Iranian judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, has stressed "the need for decisive action without leniency" against the protest instigators.

But a powerful Shiite cleric long aligned with the country's ultra-conservative establishment has urged authorities to take a softer line.

"The leaders must listen to the demands of the people, resolve their problems and show sensitivity to their rights," said Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamedani.

The bloody crackdown has drawn condemnation from Western government, clouding diplomatic efforts to revive a nuclear deal between Iran and major powers that was abandoned by then US president Donald Trump in 2018.

The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who has led those efforts, on Sunday slammed Iran for its "widespread and disproportionate use of force against nonviolent protesters".

The United States last week imposed sanctions against the Iranian morality police, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that his own country would follow suit as part of a sanctions package "on dozens of individuals and entities".

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The UN envoy for Yemen warned that the risk of a return to fighting ``is real,'' urging warring parties to accept a longer extension of the current ceasefire due to expire next month.

Hans Grundberg's stark warning late Tuesday came after he met in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, with Rashad al-Alimi, head of the internationally recognized presidential council, and in Oman's capital of Muscat with Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief negotiator of the Houthi rebels. He also met with Saudi and Omani officials to push for a cease-fire extension.

Grundberg said in a statement he discussed a U.N. proposal to renew the truce for a longer time ``to give Yemenis the opportunity to make progress on a wider basket of priorities.``

``We are at a crossroads where the risk of a return to war is real and I am urging the parties to choose an alternative that prioritizes the needs of the Yemeni people,`` he said.

The efforts to renew the cease-fire have come as the two sides held military parades in territories under their control. The internationally recognized government held parades on the anniversary of 1962 uprising against the Imamate rule in northern Yemen.

The most notable parade was held by the Houthis last week in the capital of Sanaa, where they showcased a variety of weapons _ including missiles and drones _ which resemble those produced by Iran, their main backer in the war. The Houthi parades were a celebration of their seizure of the capital Sanaa in Sep. 2014, which triggered the current civil war.

The U.N. envoy did not offer details on his proposal.

Nabil Jamel, a government negotiator, said the U.N. proposal includes ways to pay civilian servants in Houthi-held territories and reopen roads of blockaded cities, including Taiz. He did not elaborate.

Reopening the roads of Taiz and other provinces are part of the U.N.-brokered truce, which took effect in early April and was extended twice, the second time until October 2. Both sides reported violations of the cease-fire. The truce established a partial reopening of Sanaa airport to commercial flights, and allowed fuel vessels to the port of Hodeida.

Abdul-Salam, the Houthi official in Oman, called for a permanent opening of Sanaa airport and the Red Sea ports in Hodeida, along with paying salaries and pensions, before engaging in political talks.

``There is no seriousness or credibility for any talk about peace in Yemen before the implementation of these urgent humanitarian issues,'' he said on Twitter.

The truce has been the longest lull of fighting in Yemen's war, now in its eighth year. It has brought relief for Yemenis who have suffered from a decade of political turmoil and conflict.

Yemen's brutal civil war began in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to try restore the internationally recognized government to power.

The conflict has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and over the years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. More than 150,000 people have been killed, including over 14,500 civilians.

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The recently issued Africa Grows Green Awards (AGGA) partnered with Africa Global Start-ups (GSA) and GSA Africa to promote entrepreneurship in climate change ahead of the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), according to a statement issued on Wednesday.

A cooperation agreement was signed between the Association for Sustainable Quality of Living Istidama, an Egyptian NGO that runs the AGGA initiative, and Africa Global Startups, an international independent start-up ecosystem competition; and GSA Africa, Istidama said in the statement.

The GSA, which is headquartered in Budapest and Copenhagen and present in over 124 countries on four continents, works with local, regional, and global ecosystem players to provide awards for innovative start-up ecosystems.

The Africa Grows Green Awards was launched last month -- under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Industry and Trade -- in celebration of the COP27 set to take place in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh on 6-18 November.

The AGGA is the African regions premier celebration of all stakeholders efforts to combat climate change, including the COMESA member states, a region that is highly susceptible to climate-induced risks and is currently under the leadership of Egypt and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, as the chair of the COMESA Authority.

The AGGA that seeks to promote entrepreneurship in climate change focuses on recognising initiatives across Africa that use science and technology-based innovations to uplift the conditions of information technology, industry, energy, gender, and agriculture, reads the AGGA website.

The Africa Grows Green Awards comprise four categories. The first is Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Technology that targets startups and SMEs. The second, Goes Green, targets female-led start-ups and SMEs.

The third is Green Finance that targets banks, VCs, insurance companies and angel investors, while the fourth, Climate Research and Education, targets academic institutions and innovation centres.

Applications for the awards are submitted through the AGGA's online portal from 27 August to, with the winners to be celebrated in the Green Zone side events at COP 27.

The criteria upon which the awards are based include the ability of candidates to demonstrate impact, innovation, and scalability, the statement added.

Entries are to be scored by independent local and international experts, including Ramon Lopez, head of Innovation Ecosystems Veolia Espana; Hanna Subayi Kamuang, an experienced impact investor in Africa; khaled Ismail, chairman of Himangel; and Hussein Abaza, a member of the Egyptian National Committee for Green Projects.

Egypt has repeatedly said that it will speak up for Africa's aspirations to cope with climate change during COP27, with the country planning to put forward seven Africa-focused initiatives to address climate change during the global event.

Hopes will be pinned during COP27 on turning climate-related pledges into action to help facilitate the move to green energy in order to reduce harmful gas emissions and adapt to climate change as per the Paris Agreement.

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Moscow's foreign ministry said Wednesday that Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine made a "conscious and free choice" to join Russia after Kremlin proxies organised so-called referendums in the territories they control.

"The results of the plebiscites speak for themselves: the people of the Donbas, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions do not want to go back to their old lives and have made a conscious and free choice in favour of Russia," the ministry said in a statement.

The statement came after the Moscow-installed leaders in the three regions asked President Vladimir Putin to formally annex the territories.

The statement said that an "overwhelming majority" had backed joining Russia, claiming an almost one hundred percent backing in the Donetsk region, "99.23 percent."

Moscow said the voting was "carried out in full accordance to the norms and principles of international law", even though the territories were captured by force and the votes hastily organised in a race against Kyiv's counter-offensive.

"In the near future there will be a crucial stage of joint actions to fulfil the aspirations of the residents" of the four regions, the statement said.

Western countries have vowed not to recognise Moscow's move.

Kyiv has called for more military aid in response.

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Egypt plans to stimulate inbound tourism and increase foreign tourist arrivals from 25 to 30 percent annually, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa said on Tuesday.

Issa's remarks came during a ceremony organised by the tourism ministry in celebration of the 200th anniversary of deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphs carved into the Rosetta Stone.

Chairman of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Mostafa Waziri said that Egyptology, the study of Pharaonic Egypt from 4500 BC to 641 AD, came into existence after decoding the ancient texts on the Rosetta Stone.

Currently, on display at the British Museum, the stone was discovered on 15 July 1799 while digging the foundations of an addition to a fort near the town of Rashid (Rosetta) in the Nile Delta, during Napoleon's futile campaign in Egypt.

Upon Napoleon's defeat, the stone became the property of the British under the terms of the Treaty of Alexandria signed in 1801 along with other antiquities that the French had found. The stone was shipped to England and arrived in Portsmouth in February 1802.

The first attempts to decipher the text on the Rosetta Stone were by French Silvestre de Sacy in 1802. Then he handed the copy to the Swedish Akerblad who managed in two months to read the names mentioned in the Demotic script, but because he thought the Demotic script was an alphabetic script, he could not go any further.

In 1814, a big leap was achieved by English scientist Thomas Young, when a copy of the text fell into his hands, he realised that the Demotic script was written in signs not alphabets, then he suggested that hieroglyphics and Demotic are related scripts. Most importantly, he managed to read the cartouches of Ptolemy and Bernice.

Despite all previous efforts in deciphering the Rosetta Stone, the greatest credit goes to French Jean-Francois Champollion whose knowledge about the Coptic language helped him a lot when he worked on the Rosetta Stone.

On Tuesday, Egypt launched an online promotional campaign under the rubric: 200 years of science in the making, targeting a number of countries including the US, the UK, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and Spain.

Egypts Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) announced on Tuesday that some 4.9 million tourists visited Egypt in the first half of 2022, an 85.4 percent increase compared to the first half of 2021, when 2.6 million tourists visited the country.

In a statement issued on World Tourism Day on 27 September, CAPMAS said that eight million tourists visited Egypt in 2021, a 117.5 percent increase compared to 3.7 million tourists in 2020.

Eastern Europe topped the areas exporting tourists to Egypt in 2021 at 50.6 percent, followed by the Middle East at 18.9 percent, Western Europe at 16.4 percent, and Africa at 7.1 percent.

The total number of tourists coming from Arab countries in 2021 reached two million, a 114.9 percent increase compared to 900,000 tourists in 2020.

CAPMAS also revealed that the total number of nights spent by tourists in Egypt during the first half of 2022 was 52.6 million nights, a 63.6 percent increase compared to 32.2 million nights in the first half of 2021.

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Highs in Greater Cairo, the Nile Delta and the North Coast will vary between 32 and 36 degrees Celsius and reach up to 43 in Upper Egypt in the second week of Autumn as summer refuses to abandon the country.

In the coming five-day period, Greater Cairo and the Nile Delta will experience highs of 35-36 degrees Celsius, but the felt temperature will range between 37 and 38.

The North Coast will see highs of 30-34 degrees that feel like 32 to 36 degrees.

South Sinai will see highs of 38-40 degrees that feel like 40-43.

Northern Upper Egypt will see highs of 38-40 degrees, while the felt temperature will range from 39 to 24 degrees.

Southern Upper Egypt will see highs of 41-43 degrees that feel like 42-44.

However, low-level clouds are expected in parts of Greater Cairo, Lower Egypt, and northern Egypt in the daytime.

Active winds over parts of Greater Cairo, the northwestern coast and northern Upper Egypt at night could help make the humidity more bearable.

Last week, the EMA announced that Autumn would on Friday 23 September, according to astronomical calculations.

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The Arab Pensions and Social Insurance Conference kicked off on Wednesday under the title Arab Pensions Outlook 2050  Change and Opportunity to discuss challenges facing the pension systems in the Arab world and how to overcome them.

The two-day conference, taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, is attended by a number of Arab ministers, officials and representatives of international organisations as well as private sector companies.

Gamal Awad, chairman of Egypts National Authority for Social Insurance, said that the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war have led to a global economic crisis and put more pressure on increasing efforts to find and maintain sustainable social insurance and pension funds.

We gather here to share the successful experiences of some Arab countries in the fields of investment in social insurance funds and anticipating the future prospects of pension and social insurance systems in light of economic and social changes, Awad said.

We strive to set the appropriate mechanisms and recommendations for collective action at the Arab level for social security institutions that provide Arab citizens with basic needs and rights to achieve social justice.

Nevine El-Qabbaj, Egypts minister of social solidarity, stressed that pension systems play an important role in the Arab world and globally in providing a regular income for pensioners, insuring them against all forms of risks, and in improving the quality of life for families.

She also noted that a report by the International Labour Organisation issued in 2021 on building the future of social security and global trends revealed that only 47 percent of the worlds population benefit from one or more social security programs, while the remaining 53 percent are not included under any kind of social protection.

El-Qabbaj added that about 78 percent of people above retirement age receive a pension, while only 19 percent of the unemployed receive unemployment compensation, and 34 percent of people with disabilities receive disability compensation.

As for compensation for work injuries, the minister said that it only covers 35 percent of the official labour force at the global level, and despite the advantages that have become available in the insurance protection system, fears of holding on to efficient and sustainable social protection and pension systems increase during periods of economic crises and economic reform, labour market transformations, and budget cuts.

Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait affirmed that Egypt was able to make a historic achievement that embodies a pioneering experience in reforming the pension and social security system, based on providing a decent life for all citizens, especially senior citizens.

All the global economic challenges have imposed pressure on the budgets of many countries, especially emerging economies in the Arab region, he stated, adding that the recurrence of international crises has led to negative impacts on the performance of the global economy, which requires the expansion of the social security umbrella.

The government has been working on reforming the pension system in a comprehensive and integrated way and resolving financial entanglements between the Ministry of Finance and the pension system.

Adel Al-Asoumi, president of the Arab Parliament, said that the Parliament realizes the importance of developing pension systems and protecting lives, especially working to issue legislations that are for the benefit of pension insurance systems.

He also stressed the importance of exchanging experiences in social security systems and restructuring the systems in order to keep pace with the changes that have occurred in the Arab world, so that Arab countries have a safety plan for social protection that is in the interest of pensioners.

Marcelo Abi-Ramia, secretary general of the International Social Security Association, believes it is necessary to look for innovative solutions for social security systems that aim to reduce poverty and achieve accelerated sustainable development.

Social security has become more important than ever, given all the current challenges, he stressed, adding that protecting people from poverty through social security systems is a priority.

The conference, which is being held in Egypt in its sixth edition after five consecutive years of being held in Bahrain, will also discuss over two days the challenges and reforms regarding the delivery of sustainable pensions in the Arab World, equality and equity, managing private pension funds, the art and science of actuarial assumptions, and post-pandemic investing.

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The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, paid tribute to the memory of those who died for territorial integrity in Abkhazia war."Today is the most tragic day in the history of independent Georgia. For this day, the memory of the fallen heroes is an obligation for us, for all of us, and this memory should never be lost.Almost 30 years have passed, this is one generation, and this one generation showed us all, and I think it showed the people of Abkhazia, that these almost 30 years did not bring anything, not for the culture and language of Abkhazia, not for its economy, not for development, and this is What the young generation living in Abkhazia realizes is that Russian occupation does not bring anything.Today we must be ready to see and show that a new time is beginning, a new perspective, a new relationship and we must think about it. Mourning is not necessary, mourning is necessary to know what our past is, but we cannot live in mourning, we must live for the future, and I am sure that this future will bring us many things soon. We see this when the population there comes out on the issue of Bichvinti, when they react to the mobilization, these are all signs that we should read carefully," said the President.On September 27, 29 years have passed since the fall of Sokhumi.The President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili met with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vakhtang Gomelauri.According to the President's administration, the challenges facing the country today were discussed at the meeting."The President welcomed the agency's dissemination of information regarding the entry of citizens from Russia into Georgia.During the meeting, the president received complete information about the issue and noted that it is important for the public to know comprehensive information about the issue that worries him. However, it is also important for the government to use all mechanisms, including the format of the National Security Council, so that there are no more questions on the issue in the public, and the feeling that the risks are taken into account and all levers are used" the information released by the administration reads.
Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High Level Champion for Egypt and UN Special Envoy on Financing 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, said on Wednesday that the shift to a resilient, low-carbon economy can and should be a net driver of job creation.

Mohieldin made the remarks in a speech at the Human Rights Council in a session titled the future of the right to work in connection with climate change actions, responses and impacts in the context of sustainable and inclusive economies.

The session was attended by Katharina Stasch, Vice-President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Ahmed Ihab Abdelahad Gamaleldin, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations Office, and Nada Al-Nashif, Acting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In his speech, the UN climate champion stressed that there would be transitional challenges, however, for workers, communities and countries as this shift occurs. Thus, he added, the full range of environmental, social and governance dimensions of responsible investment need to be incorporated in the strategies to address the negative impacts of climate change.

Mohieldin added that it is imperative to adopt a holistic approach within a more comprehensive agenda for sustainable development.

After all, climate action is the 13th of a more comprehensive action plan of 17 SDGs, including SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, he said.

In a related context, Mohieldin stressed that the phasing-in of low-emission technologies and phasing-down of high emission ones must meet the rights and needs of all those impacted by such transition, including their right to work.

The climate champion affirmed that people jobs and well-being should be at the centre of the transition. Ensuring that all workforces find secure pathways in these sectoral redeployments is a key element of a successful just transition, he noted.

Mohieldin also highlighted the need to move from pledging to climate action at COP27 through translating agreements and pledges into concrete initiatives, including through scaling up climate projects. The latter create new jobs.

In this regard, Mohieldin referred to the initiatives that have been launched at the regional and national levels.

On the regional level, the COP27 Presidency, UN Regional Commissions and Climate Champions launched a series of five regional roundtables that resulted in many projects ready to be financed in the areas of mitigation and adaptation were presented in these forums.

On the local level, Mohieldin pointed out that the Egyptian government has launched the National Initiative for Green and Smart Projects as a pioneering initiative in the areas of achieving sustainable development goals, addressing the effects of climate change and implementing digital transformation.

The initiative aims to develop a governorate-level map of green and smart projects that present innovative climate solutions at the local level, and mobilising the necessary investments for the implementation of these projects.

Mohieldin is the jury chairperson of the initiative that is responsible for selecting winning projects that shall be presented at COP27.

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The Egyptian government approved on Wednesday a grant presented by AstraZeneca pharmaceutical and biotechnology company to establish a field hospital during the 27th session of the United Nations Conference on Climate Conference (COP27), which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh in November.

According to the Cabinets statement, the government approved during its weekly meeting a request submitted by the Ministry of Health to approve a grant presented by AstraZeneca company to the General Healthcare Authority to establish a small field hospital at COP27, which is set to be held on 6-18 November.

During a cabinet meeting earlier this month, Egyptian Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar shared details about the COP27 safety plan, which includes operating fixed and mobile clinics at quarantine facilities at airports, hotels that will host guest delegations, and conference halls.

The health safety plan also includes mobilising ambulances equipped with intensive care units to provide emergency medical services, the minister added.

Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital will be ready to deal with any cases that require medical attention immediately, according to the minister.

About 35,000 people from around the world have registered on the UN website for COP27, putting the upcoming climate conference on track to becoming one of the most attended COPs, according to a recent report by the Egyptian Earth's Climate for Sustainable Development Foundation.

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The brother of a Palestinian man accused of carrying out a deadly April attack in Tel Aviv was killed by Israeli troops during a occupied West Bank raid on Wednesday, multiple sources said.

The Palestinian health ministry said that one person was shot dead during the early morning Israeli operation in Jenin, while a source in the provincial administration told AFP the dead man was Abed Hazem, brother of Raad Hazem, the presumed Tel Aviv shooter. Israel's occupation army confirmed in a tweet that troops were "operating in Jenin".

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday defended military sales to Pakistan after withering criticism from growing US partner India, which considers itself the target of Islamabad's F-16 planes.

Blinken met in the US capital with India's foreign minister a day after separate talks with his counterpart from Pakistan.

The US-Pakistan alliance, born out of the Cold War, has frayed over Islamabad's relationship with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

The top US diplomat defended a $450 million F-16 deal for Pakistan approved earlier in September, saying the package was for maintenance of Pakistan's existing fleet.

"These are not new planes, new systems, new weapons. It's sustaining what they have," Blinken told a news conference with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

"Pakistan's program bolsters its capability to deal with terrorist threats emanating from Pakistan or from the region. It's in no one's interests that those threats be able to go forward with impunity," Blinken said.

Jaishankar did not criticize Blinken in public. But on Sunday, speaking at a reception for the Indian community in the United States, Jaishankar said of the US position, "You're not fooling anybody."

"For someone to say, I'm doing this because it's for counter-terrorism, when you're talking of an aircraft like the capability of the F-16, everybody knows where they are deployed," he said, referring to the fleet's positioning against India.

"Very honestly, it's a relationship that has neither ended up serving Pakistan well nor serving American interests well," he said.

Pakistan's military relies on US equipment but the relationship soured during the two-decade US war in Afghanistan, with Washington believing that elements in Islamabad never severed support for the Taliban, who seized back power last year.

India historically has bought military equipment from Moscow and has pressed the United States to waive sanctions required under a 2017 law for any nation that buys "significant" military hardware from Russia.

Speaking next to Blinken, Jaishankar noted that India has in recent years also made major purchases from the United States, France and Israel.

India assesses quality and purchase terms and "we exercise a choice which we believe is in our national interest," he said, rejecting any change due to "geopolitical tensions."

- Playing down Ukraine gap -

The United States since the late 1990s has made warm relations with India a top goal, seeing common cause between the world's two largest democracies on issues from China's rise to the threat of Islamist extremism.

The United States has largely turned a blind eye to India's continued relationship with Russia since the Ukraine invasion but was pleased when Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently told President Vladimir Putin that it was "not a time for war."

Jaishankar indicated that India was working behind the scenes, saying it had "weighed in" with Russia during UN- and Turkish-led negotiations that opened up grain shipments from the blockaded Black Sea.

India "is widening its international footprint," Jaishankar said.

"There are many more regions where we will be intersecting with American interests. It is to our mutual benefit that this be a complementary process," Jaishankar said.

But once rock-solid support for India in the US Congress has seen gaps amid concern over rights under Modi, a Hindu nationalist whose government has been accused of marginalizing Muslims and other religious minorities and pressuring activists through legal action and financial scrutiny.

Blinken addressed the issue delicately, saying the two nations should commit to "core values including respect for universal human rights, like freedom of religion and belief and freedom of expression, which makes our democracies stronger."

Jaishankar responded indirectly that both nations were committed to democracy but "from their history, tradition and societal context."

"India does not believe that the efficacy or indeed the quality of democracy should be decided by vote banks," he said.

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Standing on the deck of an American destroyer at a naval base here on Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris directly challenged China by accusing it of ``disturbing behavior'' and ``provocations'' around Taiwan.

Harris said the United States would in response ``deepen our unofficial ties'' to the disputed island that China views as part of its territory.

The escalating tensions over Taiwan have raised the potential for conflict in an already volatile corner of the globe. But the core of U.S. plans for deterring, or, if necessary, confronting, China depends on alliances that are under strain. South Korea and Japan, which Harris described as the ``linchpin'' and ``cornerstone'' of American strategy in Asia, remain at odds with each other, divided by the legacy of World War II despite renewed efforts at reconciliation.

Japan colonized the Korean Peninsula years before the conflict began, sending many people into forced labor and women into sexual slavery. Decades later, tensions continue to spill out of the history books and into debates over trade, technology and intelligence sharing.

Although Japan and South Korea are taking steps to repair their relationship, progress remains uncertain. Leaders in both countries face political challenges at home that could make it harder for them to reach compromises abroad, and the disputes are deeply rooted in questions about national honor and responsibility for some of Asia's worst atrocities.

South Korea believes it is entitled to additional compensation from Japan and a more fulsome acceptance of guilt. Japanese leaders have resisted, saying such issues have already been settled.

The United States is prodding both sides to compromise as it tries to refocus its alliances to counter China's growing strength.

Harris, whose four-day trip to the region was anchored by the state funeral for former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, told reporters she views American foreign policy in the region ``in the context of a trilateral relationship,`` with the U.S., Japan and South Korea all working together.

A senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, said Harris encouraged the South Korean and Japanese leaders to advance their negotiations during her meetings with them.

The U.S. wants ``to see two of our closest allies in the world working even better with each other,'' and ``we're gratified to see that both countries seem determined to address those issues with a real vigor,'' the official said.

However, the official said the U.S. had a limited role to play.

``It's not for us to mediate or negotiate or broker what that relationship should look like,'' the official said.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sat down with each other last week at the United Nations, the first meeting between leaders of the two countries in three years.

Then on Wednesday, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo met with Kishida after Abe's funeral and described their countries as ``close neighbors and cooperative partners who share the values of democracy and the principles of the market economy.``

Kristi Govella, deputy director of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said the U.S. will struggle to achieve its goals if South Korea and Japan don't work together.

``Broadly, the three countries share the same concerns, but the willingness and capacity to act aren't always aligned between the three,'' she said.

There's an increasing focus on the tensions because of concerns about Taiwan, where Chinese and American saber rattling has raised fears of conflict. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit in August outraged Beijing, which responded with military exercises.

President Joe Biden recently said the U.S. would send troops if China attacked.

Harris accused China of ``a pressure campaign against Taiwan'' with ``a series of destabilizing actions.''

``We anticipate continued aggressive behavior from Beijing as it attempts to unilaterally undermine the status quo,'' she said Wednesday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded to Harris by saying the U.S. had violated its pledge to respect China's territorial integrity.

``When the U.S. cannot honor its own commitment, in what position can it talk about rules and order? It will only become a saboteur of international rules,'' Wang said in a daily briefing.

Ties between South Korea and Japan worsened during the leadership of Abe and former South Korean Prime Minister Moon Jae-in.

Abe's government reacted furiously after South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 upheld lower court verdicts and ordered Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to compensate Korean forced laborers.

Those rulings led to further tensions in 2019 when Japan placed export controls on chemicals vital to South Korea's semiconductor industry. Citing the deterioration of trust, Japan also removed South Korea from a list of countries with preferential trade status.

Moon's government accused Abe of weaponizing trade and downgraded Japan's trade status in a tit-for-tat move. Seoul even threatened to terminate a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Tokyo that was a major symbol of their three-way security cooperation with Washington.

South Korea eventually backed off and continued the deal under pressure from former President Donald Trump's administration, which until then had seemed content to let the U.S. allies escalate their feud.

Experts say the Japanese export controls had limited impact on South Korea's semiconductor industry, partially because of successful South Korean efforts to diversify their sources of chemicals and materials.

But there are concerns that Japan could respond with further economic retaliation if South Korean courts approve a process to liquidate local assets of Japanese companies that have been refusing court orders to offer reparations to South Korean forced labor victims.

That would undermine U.S. hopes for expanding computer chip manufacturing in allied countries, strengthening delicate supply chains and countering China's own technology investments. Harris met with Japanese business executives on Wednesday and said ``no one country can satisfy the globe's demand'' and ``it is important that we and our allies partner and coordinate.``

Japan insists all wartime compensation issues were settled under a 1965 treaty normalizing relations between the two nations that included hundreds of millions of dollars in economic aid and loans from Tokyo to Seoul.

Yoon, the South Korean president who took office in May, has expressed hope for finding a way to resolve the compensation issue without ``causing a clash between the sovereignties.''

But it's unclear what kind of compromise the countries could reach as South Korean plaintiffs have been rejecting the idea of receiving compensation from the South Korean government instead of Japanese companies.

Kishida also says both countries need to improve ties because of the worsening security environment in the region, although Japanese officials insist that Seoul should be the one to make the first step and propose plans acceptable to Japan.

Daniel Sneider, a lecturer in East Asian Studies at Stanford University, wrote recently that Japan and South Korea are being nudged closer together by threats including North Korea.

However, he said both countries will need to make compromises for their cooperation, and their alliances with the U.S., to reach their full potential.

``True trilateral cooperation, even with the strategic imperatives, depends on resolving the profound disputes over wartime history and justice,`` he wrote.

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Egypts economic conference called upon by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is set to take place from 23 to 25 October, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Wednesday.

The announcement was made following a cabinet meeting during which Madbouly presented the proposed agenda of the three-day conference, noting that the detailed agenda will be announced next week.

A website for the conference will be launched in the coming week to receive suggestions and proposals, a statement by the cabinet read.

This came after El-Sisi urged the government in early September to organise an economic conference to discuss the present conditions and outlook in order to boost all sectors of the domestic economy.

The visions of experts and representatives of the business community are to be taken during the conference, said Madbouly.

El-Sisi stated on Tuesday that the conference will be a great opportunity to present all the obstacles facing investors.

The president stressed Egypts interest in eliminating impediments to industrial development, affirming that obstacles to investment will be removed within a month or two.

We will present the problems that exist and that meet the investor. It is not a defect in the government or the state that we will present. We will confront and solve them so that no problems will hinder investment," El-Sisi stated while inaugurating a number of national projects affiliated to the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) on Tuesday.

He added that the state "is targeting $100 billion in exports, and this figure is not great for a country the size of Egypt with 104 million people, stressing that Egyptian labour wages are not high compared to other countries.

Egypts exports increased by 20 percent in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, despite the global crises, according to Minister of Trade and Industry Nevine Gamea.

Egypts non-oil exports reached an all-time high of $32.1 billion in 2021, up from the $25.4 billion recorded in 2020  an increase of 26 percent  according to figures released by the trade ministry.

Egypt has been working to grant the private sector a greater role in the countrys economic activities. In June, Egypt launched the State Ownership Policy Document that charts a roadmap for expanding the private sectors role in a number of economic activities in the Egyptian market.

Through the policy document, Egypt plans to raise the private sectors share in economic activities to 65 percent over three years, up from the current 30 percent.

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After Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukris withdrawal from the Arab League Foreign Ministers Council on 6 September raised concerns over the state of Egyptian-Libyan relations, Cairo has been keen to stress that channels of communication with Tripoli, the seat of the interim Government of National Unity (GNU) headed by Abdul-Hamid Dbeibeh, remain open.

Dbeibeh still refuses to hand over power to the Fathi Bashagha government that was formed in February. Egypt, however, has shown flexibility in the face of the rapid twists and turns in the Libyan situation, a quality that has strengthened Cairos role as a mediator. It is among the reasons why the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR) and Tripoli-based High Council of State (HCS) regularly turn to Cairo to host meetings and discuss their outstanding differences over the legal framework needed to hold legislative and presidential elections.

Ahead of the 158th Arab League Foreign Ministers Council Cairo and Tripoli had disagreed over who should represent Libya, this years president. When the outgoing GNU appointed its foreign minister, Najla Al-Mangoush, to chair the meeting, Egypt objected on the grounds that the HoR had withdrawn its confidence from the Dbeibeh government in September 2021 and appointed the Bashagha government to replace it in February 2022. The HoR is the sole legislature in Libya, Cairo argued, and had formed the new government in collaboration with the Tripoli-based HCS.

Egypt remains committed to empowering Libyans and reducing foreign intervention in the Libyan conflict. Cairos longstanding position is to support the preservation of Libyan national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, oppose foreign intervention in Libyan affairs, support Libyas executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and press for the dismantling of the militias and other armed groups that perpetuate instability.

Reiterating Cairos position in his speech at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Shoukri said Egypt will continue its efforts to support its Libyan brothers and help them reach a comprehensive settlement without outside intervention.

The regular visits of officials from the Libyan capital to Cairo underline the fact that the relationship between Cairo and Tripoli remains unaffected by the diplomatic disagreement at the Arab League. In addition to taking part in regional conferences held in Egypt, Libyan officials continue to discuss consular affairs with their Egyptian counterparts, including the condition of Libyans who reside in Egypt and those who visit for business, education, medical treatment, and tourism.

On 18 September, GNU Minister of Labour and Training Ali Al-Abed visited Cairo at the head of the Libyan delegation to the Arab Labour Organisation conference sponsored by the Arab League. The conference was attended by labour ministers, the heads and members of labour unions and business organisations, business leaders from 21 Arab states, and representatives of the Arab League secretariat, Arab and international organisations and embassies.

On 21 September the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Tripoli announced that Murad Hemaima, the Libyan Under Secretary for Consular Affairs, and General Youssef Murad, director of the Department of Nationality and Passports, had met with Salah Abdel-Sadek, Egypts assistant foreign minister for consular affairs and Egyptians abroad, and officials from the Egyptian ministries of interior and foreign affairs, in Cairo.

Participants in the meeting discussed establishing a communication mechanism to resolve all obstacles between the two sides on matters related to consular affairs, according to a Libyan Foreign Ministry statement. The statement added that Egypts assistant foreign minister for consular affairs had accepted the Libyan undersecretary for consular affairs invitation to visit Libya to continue discussions on the communication mechanism and other matters of mutual concern.

A day later Awatef Al-Tashani, the director-general of the Libyan state-run National Channel, represented Libya at the 52nd ordinary session of the Council of Arab Information Ministers.

Libyan participation in regional and international meetings in Cairo and ongoing discussions between Libyan officials and their Egyptian counterparts reflect the consistency of Cairos approach and its willingness to meet with all Libyan stakeholders and support their efforts to reach a political consensus that can end the deep political divides that have plagued Libya for nearly a decade.

Egypt will continue to promote such efforts despite ongoing differences between international powers over political and security arrangements in Libya. Although these differences have aggravated the deadlock over the executive authority and hampered the realisation of a comprehensive settlement to the Libyan crisis, Egypt remains determined to urge Libyan stakeholders and institutions to avoid military escalation and any other actions that jeopardise social and national unity and cohesion. Simultaneously, Cairo is encouraging Libyan stakeholders to pursue all peaceful means to reach a comprehensive settlement capable of pushing the political process forward and end the succession of interim phases which threaten Libyas national unity.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 29 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the title: Pushing for agreement

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Egypt launched its National Strategy for Intellectual Property on 21 September in a ceremony attended by the World Intellectual Property Organisations (WIPO) Director-General Daren Tang.

The strategy, launched under the patronage of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, fully aligns with the WIPO Development Agenda, the UNs Sustainable Development Goals, and Egypts Vision 2030.

In his speech at the ceremony Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said the launch reflected Egypts interest in the role intellectual property (IP) protection can play in advancing the Egyptian economy and achieving the goals of Egypts Vision 2030.

The strategy establishes a national apparatus for IP and is expected to boost Egypts digital transformation. It aims to stimulate innovation and creativity and enhance technology across the economic, social, scientific, and cultural fields.

Work on the strategy began in December 2020 and continued until June 2022 and involved 17 ministries, 18 authorities, eight IP experts and Synerjies Centre for International and Strategic Studies, a Middle East-based think tank specialising in macroeconomic, geopolitical, developmental, and other policy-related research.

The strategy is a key achievement that will have far-reaching implications for many vital sectors and is a critical milestone towards Egypts aspirations to augment its turn to a knowledge-based economy, Synerjies said.

The Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue says the strategy will maximise the benefits of scientific research, support the national economy and encourage researchers to innovate and present new ideas for development.

In a phone-in with Al-Hayat TV channel, Mahmoud Sakr, president of the Academy of Scientific Research, said the strategy will reassure technology companies that Egypt respects intellectual property rights.

It [the strategy] will have a direct economic return, said Sakr, and underlines that Egypt is a safe destination for technological investment and innovation.

Yasser Gadallah, dean of the National Institute for Intellectual Property at Helwan University, hailed the strategy as a sign that the state is embracing a long-term strategy to enhance innovation by coordinating the work of all involved ministries.

The Geneva-based WIPO was created in 1970 to promote and protect IP by cooperating with countries and international organisations. Egypt has been a member of WIPO since 1975 and is signatory to 14 WIPO agreements.

They include the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Property, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the Madrid Agreement on the International Registration of Marks and the Hague Agreement on the International Deposit of Industrial Designs.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 29 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The Palestinian group Hamas has been reaching out to Syria and other countries in a bid to improve relations

The Palestinian faction Hamas has issued a statement asserting its persistence in wanting to restore relations with the Syrian state after a boycott of nearly one decade. It comes at a time of upheaval for Hamas, which once saw Syria as a safe haven for its top leaders and a training ground for its members, as well as providing major logistical support for its bases.

The breakup between Hamas and Syria began after the 2011 political crisis in the country. Hamas adopted the same positions as its mother group the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood and supported the Syrian uprising. Syria then began expelling Hamas leaders and closed its offices in Damascus.

Hamas opposition to the Syrian state continued to escalate until relations broke down. This also extended to relations with Iran and the Lebanese Shia group Hizbullah, although these are more receptive to restoring relations with Hamas, especially after the group sent prominent members to Tehran and Beirut to heal the rifts and end the quarrels.

In its recent statement, which some analysts have viewed as a public apology, Hamas said it expresses its appreciation to Syria, both leadership and people, for standing by the Palestinian people and their just cause. It denounced the repeated raids attributed to Israel on Syrian territory and reiterated its intention to restore relations with Syria.

The Hamas statement comes after mediation efforts by several parties, most notably Iran and Hizbullah and most recently Russia. A senior Hamas delegation led by chief of politburo Ismail Haniyeh visited Moscow and met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Damascus has remained aloof about Hamas repeated overtures, clearly indifferent and uninterested while questioning the groups motives for taking the step. After relations were normalised between Israel and Turkey, Hamas may be concerned that the Turkish-Israeli rapprochement will come at the expense of its freedom of movement in Turkey.

Although Ankara has so far not announced any action against Hamas, the Turkish authorities have started tangible steps to restrict the group by limiting visas for Palestinians. Palestinian sources confirmed to Al-Ahram Weekly that Turkey has also blocked Hamas from launching a satellite TV channel that would have been a mouthpiece for the group on Turkish soil.

They added that Hamas was trying to launch a channel from Turkey to replace the Al-Quds channel that was headquartered in Lebanon but closed three years ago. Turkey has refused the request.

Despite the silence of Syrian officials about restoring relations with Hamas, some media platforms close to the regime continue to attack Hamas and have been listing the regional upheavals that have forced the group to think about rebuilding bridges with Syria. They say that Hamas position is part of Turkeys about turn on Syria, since Ankara has also taken positive steps to also reconcile itself with Syria.

Younis Al-Zerei, a Palestinian political analyst, believes the reasons behind Hamas overtures to Syria are mainly due to setbacks suffered by the international organisation of the Muslim Brotherhood in several Arab countries.

Hamas attempts to fix relations with Syria are due to consecutive blows to the Muslim Brotherhood and the failure of its so-called Political Islam project, Al-Zerei told the Weekly. It reflects the fractures that the Brotherhood and its various branches in the region are experiencing.

He said that Hamas had realised that regional and international developments are not in its favour and that linking its positions to those of the Brotherhood will have a serious negative impact on the group.

Several leading Brotherhood figures criticised Hamas overtures to Syria, while others tried to justify its moves by saying that the group was under a lot of pressure due to regional changes. Hamas says that its decision comes from an appreciation of the nations interests, but this claim is not convincing to many Hamas supporters, according to observers of Palestinian affairs.

Hamas says that it is not part of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group, arguing that it is only an intellectual extension of the Brotherhood in Palestine. Palestinians have paid a heavy price because of some of Hamas positions towards some Arab countries, Al-Zerei said, which were essentially rooted in its association with the Brotherhood.

He added that Hamas was trying to market itself as a regional influencer, even by shedding former positions and policies that it was forced to adopt due to its connections overseas. Hamas wants to restore relations with all neighbouring countries, but it is clear that Syria has rebuffed these efforts, Al-Zerei said.

This is why Hamas has sought the help of Russia and Iran to end the tensions.

According to Al-Zerei, Hamas new policy is to build new relations with the Arab countries and the rest of the world that are separate from the domestic issues of these countries and their positions regarding relations with Israel.

Syria currently does not need to restore its relations with Hamas, especially since Israel continues to bomb Iranian and Hizbullah targets in Syria. Damascus does not want to add Hamas targets on its territory for Israel to bomb.

Several evaluations, including Israeli ones, indicate that Hamas is trying to create a new and more pragmatic image for itself, adopting positions that are unlike its former stances. The group is trying to establish relations with Arab and other countries.

Hamas decision not to participate in recent military confrontations between Israel and the Palestinian faction Islamic Jihad demonstrated a shift in the groups positions in dealing with Israel. It is adopting positions that are less reckless and more consistent with the political realities of the region and the world.

According to one Israeli newspaper, Hamas wants to improve its regional and global standing, as competition heats up over who will succeed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the openness of some world powers to the group, including Russia, increases.

The newspaper said that Hamas had taken advantage of growing disputes between Russia and Israel against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine to draw closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow has no objections to warming up to Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and is close to Iran. Russia and Iran are working together to form a coalition against the Western countries that are imposing harsh sanctions against Russia.

According to Al-Zerei, Hamas is depending on its own interests, which are prioritised above anything else. But this could make the group vulnerable to major political shocks due to serious tensions in the region caused by several explosive issues, he said.

Speaking to the Russian media during his trip to Moscow, Haniyeh announced that Hamas wants to improve relations with Jordan and Saudi Arabia. However, it does not seem that the group will be able to realise such ambitious goals, especially since it wants to cross political contradictions even though its positions are subject to complicated circumstances.

Among the most complex of these is its relationship with Iran, which contributes vital funds to Hamas and its military wing.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 29 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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CCTV: It is reported that a seminar themed on The People-Centered Philosophy, the Value Adherence of the Contemporary Chinese Perspective of Human Rights was recently held in an online-plus-offline format. Chinese and foreign experts had discussions on Chinas perspective on human rights at the event. Do you have any comment?



Wang Wenbin: The seminar you mentioned is a side event of the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council. It is themed on The People-Centered Philosophy, the Value Adherence of the Contemporary Chinese Perspective of Human Rights. Experts and scholars from China, Russia, the US, Spain, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and other countries had discussions and exchanges by sharing their personal experiences. The participants believed that Chinas perspective on human rights reflects the people-centered approach. China has made unremitting efforts to protect its peoples rights to subsistence and development and to safeguard collective human rights, which embodies the values of fairness, justice and equality. In particular, Chinas achievements in poverty alleviation provide useful experience for countries that have yet to lift themselves out of poverty and contribute to the world human rights cause.

To protect the life, value and dignity of every individual and realize the enjoyment of human rights by all is humanitys common pursuit. Since its founding, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has rallied and led the Chinese people in fighting for, respecting, protecting and developing human rights, and successfully found a path of human rights development that conforms to the trend of the times and suits Chinas realities. The CPC always puts the peoples rights first and works to ensure the peoples right to equal participation and development, delivers the benefit of reform and development to all the people in a more equitable manner, and keeps improving its efforts to better respect and protect the basic rights of the Chinese people. We adhere to the philosophy of people-centered development, and prioritize the peoples rights to subsistence and development. Development is about improving the well-being of the people, ensuring that the people are true masters of the country, and realizing the well-rounded development of the people. China advances human rights through development. We are committed to the all-round development of human rights cause.

All countries deserve the right to independently choose their own path of advancing human rights. Different civilizations and countries need to respect, accommodate, interact with and learn from each other. Human rights protection is an ongoing process. China will continue to work with the international community to promote the common values of humanity, stay committed to the vision of equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning, win-win cooperation and common development, and steer global human rights governance toward greater fairness, justice, equity and inclusiveness.

Reuters: US Vice President Kamala Harris said in a speech today that Washington will continue to deepen its unofficial ties with Taiwan. Does the foreign ministry have any comment?



Wang Wenbin: I noted that Vice President Kamala Harris also said in Japan that China is undermining the international rules-based order.

Let me stress first that the US House Speaker, in disregard of Chinas four-month-long dissuasion, made a provocative visit to Chinas Taiwan region and referred to Taiwan as a country. This has seriously violated Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, hampered China-US relations and undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The one-China principle is a prevailing consensus in the international community and a basic norm in international relations. It is also the political foundation for the establishment and development of diplomatic ties between China and the US. In the Shanghai Communique of 1972, the China-US Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations of 1978 and the August 17 Communique of 1982, the US made clear that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China and that the US recognizes the Government of the Peoples Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. The US also stated clearly that it has no intention of infringing on Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity, or interfering in Chinas internal affairs, or pursuing a policy of two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan.

Speaking of rules, keeping ones commitment is the most basic rule. If the US cannot even keep its own word, in what position is it to talk about rules and order? A country like that could only become a disruptor of international rules. We urge the US to faithfully honor its commitments and return to the three China-US Joint Communiques and the one-China principle in their true and original form, reaffirm its commitment to the one-China policy in the simple and straightforward way, and state its opposition to all Taiwan independence separatist activities with absolute clarity.

AFP: China told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday that Ukraines territorial integrity should be respected, stopping short of explicitly condemning Russia. Why? Will this send a wrong signal to separatists in other parts of the world, especially in the Taiwan region?



Wang Wenbin: Let me first reiterate Chinas consistent and clear position on the Ukraine issue. We believe that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be observed, that the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously, and that all efforts conducive to peaceful settlement of the crisis must be supported. As a responsible major country, China has all along been committed to promoting peace talks. We are never a bystander, and we would never add fuel to the fire, still less exploit the crisis. We will always stand on the side of peace and will continue to play a constructive part in deescalating the situation.

Turning to your question, I need to stress that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory and the Taiwan question is purely Chinas internal affair. The Taiwan question and the Ukraine issue are different in nature and are not comparable at all. The future of Taiwan can only be jointly decided by all Chinese people including our compatriots in Taiwan.

Anyone who seeks to insinuate relevance of the Ukraine issue to the Taiwan question is invariably driven by political calculations. Such insinuation would constitute a violation of the principle of respecting a countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity and serious interference in Chinas internal affairs. Anyone hoping to exploit the Ukraine issue and find a pretext for Taiwan independence will only end up nowhere.

China Daily: Markus Potzel, the UN Secretary-Generals Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan said at the UN Security Council on September 27 that since the Taliban came into power, positive developments have been too few and too slow and are outweighed by the negatives, and patience is running out by many in the international community regarding a strategy of engagement with the Afghan Taliban. Does China agree with this assessment? What do you think of the Afghan Talibans governance?



Wang Wenbin: Since the situation in Afghanistan went through a fundamental shift in August last year, with the concerted efforts of the international community and the interim government of Afghanistan, a refugee crisis has been averted, social order has gradually improved, the process of peace and reconstruction is being advanced, and the overall situation has remained stable. This needs to be noted by the international community. That being said, Afghanistan is at a crucial stage of moving from chaos to stability. Life is still hard in the country. The threat of terrorism is still there. Much remains to be done to improve the countrys governance. The world has expressed both expectations and concerns for the country. The international community needs to continue to engage with the Afghan interim government, ramp up humanitarian and development aid, encourage and support Afghan efforts to establish a broad-based and inclusive government, adopt moderate and prudent policies, grow friendly ties with its neighbors, protect the fundamental rights of all Afghan people, including all ethnic groups, women and children, firmly combat terrorism in all forms and realize lasting peace and security in Afghanistan at an early date.

The Paper: Yesterday, Chinas National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center released a new investigation report on the cyber attacks by the US National Security Agency (NSA). The report detailed how the NSAs Office of Tailored Access Operation (TAO) controls key infrastructure facilities in China and infiltrates into Chinas Northwestern Polytechnical Universitys internal network by using servers in countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark to host cyber weapons through stepping-stone attack via Japan, Germany, the ROK and other countries. This enabled the TAO to steal sensitive data including user names and passwords, identification verification data, system logs, access information, files and documents, and network configuration, and information of people with sensitive identities. The US also secretly controls the telecom carriers of at least 80 countries and conducts indiscriminate wiretapping on global telecom users. Do you have any comment?



Wang Wenbin: This is the third investigation report issued by the relevant Chinese institution this month on the US National Security Agencys malicious cyber attack on Chinas Northwestern Polytechnical University. It has revealed more evidence of massive cyber attacks by the US security agency against China.

China has in recent weeks demanded an explanation from the US and asked it to immediately stop illegal action through various channels. So far, however, the US has been silent. The US could not have been more bombastic and motivated when propagating the lies about Chinese hackers, yet it has deliberately chosen to be blind and mute in the face of the solid evidence collected by the Chinese institution. What exactly is the US hiding from the world?

The US has long been known as the empire of hacking and champion of secret theft. With its absolute dominance in the field of Internet technology, the US has exercised indiscriminate cyber control and theft on a global scale to benefit itself politically, militarily, diplomatically and commercially. The USs bullying practices in cyberspace have become a growing concern shared across the international community.

There is ample evidence that the US is no doubt the greatest threat to global cyber security. We call on countries to unite, stand up to the USs hegemonic act which damaged cyber sovereignty and international rules and work together to create a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyberspace.

Reuters: A group of US lawmakers including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Senator John Cornyn on Tuesday called on US President Joe Biden to issue an executive order on outbound investments to China and other countries. This could give the US government sweeping new powers to block billions of dollars worth of US investment in China. Does the foreign ministry have any comment?



Wang Wenbin: In recent years, the US has been using national security as a catch-all pretext to ramp up unjustified investment review. This has created difficulties and obstacles for foreign companies to engage in normal trade and investment cooperation, undermined international economic and trade order and trading rules and threatened the stability of global industrial and supply chains. What the politicians have been doing will only wall the US off, hurting itself and others alike.

Reuters: According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, regarding the possibility of a North Korean nuclear test in the near future, South Koreas spy agency said that if it does indeed take place, it would likely occur between October and November. So I was wondering if the foreign ministry has any comment on this?



Wang Wenbin: Chinas position on the Korean Peninsula issue remains unchanged. We hope relevant parties will follow the dual-track approach and the principle of phased and synchronized steps and seek a solution that accommodates all parties concerns in a balanced manner. The US needs to respond to the DPRKs concerns with real actions at once and create conditions for the resumption of meaningful dialogue.
Perhaps predictably, the escalating war between Russia and Ukraine overwhelmed the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings, the 77th session of which opened last week.

Adding to the urgency was the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin chose the General Debate opening day to announce partial mobilisation following reports of setbacks in Ukraine. He reiterated that he would use all means (code word for nuclear weapons) to protect his countrys security.

Confrontations and accusation exchanges between Russia and the US-European alliance over Ukraine meant that issues of prime concern to developing nations were simply sidelined at the first in-person UNGA meeting in three years. Tight restrictions due to the spread of Covid-19 had forced the UN to hold its annual meeting online over the past two years.

Even the devastating effects of the war in Ukraine on world economies, particularly those of the poorer countries now facing an acute food crisis, were not properly addressed.

In the speech he delivered on behalf of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi at UNGA, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri noted that the Covid-19 pandemics devastating impact, coupled with the war in Ukraine, have battered the economies of developing countries as evidenced by the sovereign debt crisis.

Many countries in the Middle East and Africa lack the resources required to confront that crisis, he added, calling on developed countries to launch a global debt swap initiative between creditor and debtor nations to transform the bulk of debt into joint investment projects. Such an initiative would combat unemployment, create jobs, and contribute to growth.

Turning to the current food crisis, Shoukri pointed out that in Africa alone one in five people are at risk of hunger, and the continent remains a net food importer at an annual cost of $43 billion. An integrated strategy is needed and must address, among others, the root causes of the crisis, the negative impact of climate change, and developing countries access to global markets.

Given its location, Shoukri said Egypt was ready to cooperate with all parties to establish an international hub for storing, supplying, and trading grains in Egypt, in the interest of collective food security.

Speaking for the president of COP27, which will be held in the resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh this November, Shoukri urged all members of the international community to put their pledges and commitments into action and support developing countries in their efforts to confront the devastating impact of climate change. They are the most deserving of our support, he said.

He also expressed the hope that COP27 will reach outcomes that can contribute to a reduction in emissions, and enhanced mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage commitments. He reminded the audience that funds for adaptation need to be doubled, that the $100 billion promised for climate finance annually must be duly delivered, and that there must be a just transition to renewable energy.

Many experts fear that the shortage and near total halt of Russian gas and oil exports to Europe after the outbreak of war in Ukraine seven months ago will lead to a restoration of large-scale digging for fossil fuels, ignoring earlier pledges to expand the use of alternative clean energy.

Egypts foreign minister also said that water security remains one of the most important challenges facing the world today, especially in the Middle East and Africa, which includes some of the driest and most arid countries in the world.

Mincing no words on Egypts disagreement with Ethiopia over its unilateral decisions on building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Shoukri pointed out that threats to water security are not always due to lack of resources or declining rainfall, but often result from the actions of upstream riparian states that assert their absolute control over a trans-boundary water resource, disregarding for principles of humanity, good-neighbourliness and international law.

Even after a decade of futile negotiations, the foreign minister affirmed that Egypt remains committed to self-restraint, respecting the Ethiopian peoples right to development. However, this cannot be at the expense of the Egyptian peoples right to life and survival, he said, stressing the need to reach a comprehensive, legally binding agreement regarding the filling and operation of the GERD, in accordance with the Agreement on Declaration of Principles concluded by Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in March 2015 in Khartoum.

Agreeing with the leaders of other developing nations in Africa and Asia who addressed the 77th UNGA session, Shoukri warned that the world was at a delicate juncture where increased polarisation makes serious action and a commitment to multilateralism more imperative than ever.

He called on world countries to reinvigorate and reform the UN, starting with the reform of the UN Security Council by allowing a permanent seat for the African continent.

Regarding the Palestinian issue, Shoukri, along with the Jordanian King Abdullah, who delivered his own speech a few days earlier, reiterated their support for the two-state solution involving the establishment of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

While the news remains dominated by military action in Ukraine, Shoukri said the ongoing, explosive situations in several Arab countries should not be ignored. He pledged that Egypt would continue working with its neighbours to resolve the crises in Libya, Syria, Yemen and Iraq in a way that safeguards those countries sovereignty, unity and the interests of their peoples.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 29 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The US will provide an additional $1.1 billion in aid to Ukraine, with funding for about 18 more advanced rocket systems and other weapons to counter drones that Russia has been using against Ukrainian troops, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.

The latest package is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds contracts to purchase weapons and equipment.

And it brings the total of US aid to Ukraine to nearly $17 billion since the Biden administration took office.

The aid announcement comes as Russia moves to annex parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine that held Kremlin-orchestrated referendums on living under Moscow's rule. The votes were denounced by Kyiv and the West as illegal and rigged.

"We will not be deterred from supporting Ukraine, we will continue to stand with the Ukrainian people, and provide them with the security assistance they need to defend themselves, for as long as it takes,'' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Since the funding is for contracts for weapons and equipment, it is aimed at helping Ukraine secure its longer-term defense needs. It could take a year or two for Ukraine to get the systems.

The US has used Pentagon drawdown authority to provide weapons more immediately, and another announcement for that Defense Department aid is expected early next week.

The package includes funding for 18 of the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, and ammunition for them, and 12 Titan systems, which are used to counter drones.

Officials have said the HIMARS and other similar systems were key to Ukraine's battle successes in recent weeks.

And the Russians have been using Iranian-made drones to target Ukrainian forces, underscoring the need for more systems to counter that threat.

Also in the package is funding for about 300 vehicles, dozens of trucks and trailers to transport heavy equipment, a variety of radars, communications and surveillance equipment, and other gear for soldiers.

It also will include funding for equipment to detect explosives and for maintenance and training.

The war, now in its seventh month, has shifted to a new phase, as Russia tries to rebound from recent combat losses and use the referendums to politically solidify the gains it had made in the four occupied regions in the south and east.

Pro-Russia officials in Ukraine's Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions said Wednesday they would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to incorporate their provinces into Russia.

It wasn't immediately clear how the administrative process would unfold.

Jean-Pierre said the US has determined that Russia falsified the results of the referendums, which it said showed overwhelming support for annexation.

"These so called referenda have been an exercise in coercion and disinformation, executed by puppet authorities following orders from Russia,'' she said.

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Madbouly chaired the first meeting of the Coordinating Council for Monetary and Financial Policies to review the coordination and cooperation mechanisms between the government and the CBE.

During the meeting, Madbouly said the Cabinet is coordinating fully with the CBE on financial and monetary policies to address the current challenges, a Cabinet statement read.

The state is intensifying its efforts to confront the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic as well as the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Madbouly said.

Despite the existing challenges, the Egyptian economy managed to grow by 6.6 percent during the past fiscal year (2021/2022), the countrys highest growth rate over the past 14 years, the premier added.

Cabinet-IMF talks

The meeting also reviewed the governments negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the statement said without further elaboration.

Egypt and the IMF are in talks over a new loan, which can total $5-7 billion, according to Fakhri El-Fiqi, head of Egypt's House of Representatives' Budget Committee.

The new loan aims to back Egypts economic reforms and to meet the countrys financial needs in response to the global economic challenges amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

In August, Madbouly affirmed that the main priorities of the government are to guarantee the stability of the economy and reduce the negative impact of the global economic crisis.

The premier said late last month that the country is in the final arrangement stage with the IMF to conclude the new loan deal. Separately, he noted that details of the Cabinet talks with the IMF have to remain confidential until an agreement is reached.

The meeting also discussed steps that the finance ministry has taken to facilitate customs clearance of goods so as to release imported raw materials and finished products from Egyptian ports.

The officials also reviewed a set of incentives to attract investments from Egyptians abroad and foreign investors, which would contribute to supporting the economy, the Cabinet said.

Abdallah was appointed as governor of the CBE as per a presidential decree in mid-August, ending the seven-year-term of former governor Tarek Amer.
Pakistans massive floods this summer collapsed Mohammeds home and destroyed his four acres of cotton, wiping out most of his income.

On top of that, his land and that of his neighbors remain underwater, three months after the heaviest rains stopped. Like many farmers across southern Pakistan, he may not be able to plant his next crop, wheat, in time.

That could spell trouble for the countrys food supply.

These rains have destroyed everything for us, said Mohammed, who lives in a tent with his wife and children near his wrecked house in Khairpur, one of the countrys hardest-hit districts. We dont even have anything to eat.

This summers flooding, caused by monsoon rains nearly triple the usual ferocity, wiped out huge swaths of crops, leaving already impoverished families struggling to obtain food.

Farmers and officials warn that Pakistan could now face serious food shortages at a time when the government is strapped for cash and world food prices are high.

Nearly 15% of Pakistans rice crop and 40% of its cotton crop were lost, according to officials. The waters also wiped out the personal grain stores that many farming families rely on for food yearlong.

The flooding, blamed in part on climate change, killed nearly 1,600 people, damaged nearly 2 million homes and overall wreaked damage estimated at more than $30 billion.

At the United Nations last week, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif told The Associated Press that crops on 4 million acres were washed away. We need funds to provide livelihood to our people. We need funds to compensate for the loss of crops to our people, to our farmers.

The government says there is no immediate worry about food supplies. In a statement to the AP, the state disaster agency said wheat stock are enough to last through the next harvest and that the government is importing more.

However, the upcoming wheat crop has been thrown into uncertainty. Planting usually starts in October. In Punjab province, the countrys main wheat producer, fields suffered less damage and can be sown in time.

But in southern Sindh province, the second largest producer, some 50% of the fields remain underwater, according to Jam Khan Shoro, a provincial irrigation minister in Sindh.

Aerial footage in Sindh shows field after field still inundated. The province, in Pakistans southern lowlands at the downstream end of its major rivers, is where the floods hit hardest: 80% of the rice crop and 70% of cotton were destroyed, devastating the livelihoods of the small farmers who make up most the production.

Altaf Hussain Marri, a larger and relatively well-off landholder in Khairpur, said he normally gives away wheat as a gift to friends and family.

Now hes worried about having enough for himself and his children, unsure if his 400 inundated acres will drain in time. The floods demolished his cotton and rice crops, worth around $40,000.

If we fail to grow wheat ... next year we might not have even wheat to eat, Marri said. It will create food insecurity in the country. The poor will suffer a lot. There will be no flour.

Pakistans agricultural sector had been growing in recent years, allowing the country to export some wheat and rice.

Now we will have to import wheat and other food items, Pakistans Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told the AP.

Sharif, the prime minister, said Pakistan may have to import about a million metric tons of wheat, and it could come from Russia, but Pakistan is open to other offers if the price is right.

Pakistan has already put out orders to import 500,000 metric tons of wheat, Planning Ministry officials say. There are contingency plans to buy as much 2.5 million tons over the next year, but officials are waiting to see how much wheat is planted, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the policy was not yet set.

Ashfaq Ahmad, a senior economist, said the additional wheat needs to be brought in quickly, by next month.

Otherwise, I am seeing a food crisis in December, he told the AP. Any delay in the import of wheat will cause food shortage.

The flooding was also a blow to Pakistans important cash crops. Losses will mean lower exports of rice, which earned $2 billion in 2020.

Cotton losses could hurt the countrys biggest export, textiles and clothes, which brought in more than $20 billion annually in recent years.

But the greater damage and danger is likely to Pakistans poor, with no margin to endure losses in income and food.

In Dasht, a remote district of Baluchistan province, hundreds of orchard owners worry about their future after losing crops of grapes, apples and other fruits. In parts of Baluchistan, piles upon piles of rotten apples can be seen in submerged areas.

Even before the floods, some 38 million Pakistanis, more than 16% of the population, were living in moderate or severe food insecurity, meaning they were uncertain about being able to obtain food or at times have outright gone without eating, according to the World Health Organization. Nearly 18% of children were acutely malnourished.

The blow to the food supply and incomes will tip those populations deeper into hunger, U.N. agencies have warned. The U.N.s World Food Program has so far delivered food to 600,000 flood survivors.

Iqbal, the planning minister, said Sindh province is the countrys biggest producer of vegetables for domestic markets. Those crops were lost, along with families personal stores of grains for themselves and feed for their livestock.

So, therefore we have a real food security challenge at hand, he said.

On the ground in Sukkur, another hard-hit district neighboring Khairpur, the local agricultural director Rasool Bux Junejo fears the worst. Farmers wont be able to grow wheat or other key crops like sunflowers and mustard.

That will be a huge loss in the coming months. If you ask me as an agriculture worker, I foresee famine, God forbid, he said. We will be unable to provide food to our people.
Parliament said in a brief statement on Monday that votes on the resignation of the assembly's speaker, Mohammed al-Halbussi, and the appointment of a first deputy speaker would top the agenda.

The move is being seen by analysts as a vote of confidence in Halbussi.

The speaker "is not planning to resign but by allowing a potential vote of confidence to go ahead he is expecting his coalition partners to back him strongly", Sajad Jiyad, a fellow at the Century International think-tank, told AFP.

He said the aim was to "end any further attempts to unseat him.

"This will cement his position as political leader of Iraq's Sunnis and put pressure on" Shia and Kurdish parties to form a government, Jiyad added.

Iraq's deeply divided political factions have failed to form a new government since inconclusive elections last October, and the last session of parliament dates back to July 23.

Later in July, Sadr's supporters stormed the assembly and staged a month-long sit-in on its grounds.

Tensions boiled over into clashes on August 29 between the Sadrists, rival Iran-backed factions and the army in which more than 30 demonstrators were killed.

The violence followed months of disagreements between Sadr and his rivals within Iraq's majority Shia camp, as the impasse has left the country without a new government, prime minister or president since the elections almost a year ago.

Iraq's standoff pits Sadr against the Iran-backed Coordination Framework, which includes lawmakers from the party of his longtime foe, ex-prime minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Sadr wants snap elections and the dissolution of parliament but the rival Shia bloc wants a new head of government appointed before any new polls are held.

Sadr's bloc emerged from the 2021 elections as the biggest in the legislature, with 73 seats, but far short of a majority.
The Egyptian Tourism Promotion Council (ETPC), an affiliate of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, launched on Tuesday an online promotional campaign under the rubric 200 years of science in the making. The week-long campaign targets a number of countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and Spain, according to a ministerial statement.

The campaign was launched to acquaint foreigners with the ancient Egyptians' pioneering efforts in the science and knowledge domains.

The timing of the campaign was set in tandem with Egypts celebration of the 200th anniversary marking the deciphering of the hieroglyphic language.

During the ceremony, Executive Chairman of the ETPB Amr El-Qadi said the campaign features an advertising film shedding light on a set of inventions and contributions first brought about by the ancient Egyptians, thus helping in serving humanity for more than 7,000 years in many fields including surgical tools, prosthetics, astronomy, engineering, as well as mathematics.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa said the tourism industry is one of the main pillars of the national economy, with a direct impact on enhancing the growth rates of national incomes, as it contributes to providing job opportunities directly and indirectly.

Egypt wants to increase the number of foreign tourists by 25-30 percent annually, he added.

The ministry is developing a long-term strategy for tourism that will be launched during the first quarter of 2023 to attract more visitors and provide a diversified experience for tourists.

Egypts Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) announced on Tuesday that some 4.9 million tourists visited Egypt in the first half of 2022 (from January to June), up by 85.4 percent from the first half of 2021, when 2.6 million tourists visited the country.

In a statement issued on World Tourism Day on 27 September, CAPMAS said that eight million tourists visited Egypt in 2021, a 117.5 percent increase compared to 3.7 million tourists in 2020.

Eastern Europe topped the areas exporting tourists to Egypt in 2021 with 50.6 percent, followed by the Middle East with 18.9 percent, Western Europe with 16.4 percent, and Africa with 7.1 percent.

Some two million Arab tourists visited Egypt in 2021, recording a 114.9 percent increase compared to 900,000 tourists in 2020.

CAPMAS also revealed that the total number of nights spent by tourists in Egypt during the first half of 2022 reached 52.6 million, a 63.6 percent increase compared to 32.2 million nights in the first half of 2021.

The total number of nights spent by tourists in 2021 recorded 93.8 million, a 118.3 percent increase compared to 43 million nights in 2020, the CAPMAS statement said.

The total number of nights spent by Arab tourists in 2021 was 33.2 million, a 121.6 percent increase compared to 15 million in 2020.

CAPMAS added that the average number of nights spent by tourists during their visits to Egypt was 12.4 in 2021, up from 11.4 nights in 2020.

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin later told a regular briefing that China and North Korea had agreed to resume cross-border freight transport between two of their border cities "according to border-related treaties and through friendly consultation." North Korea's state media didn't immediately confirm the reopening.

South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles relations with North Korea, said it assessed the North Korea-China freight railway service restarted Monday. Spokesperson Cho Joong-hoon said how long the train service would last and what goods would be transferred would remain to be seen.

The reopening came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last month made a dubious claim to have overcome the coronavirus pandemic and ordered an easing of the restrictions guarding against the spread of the coronavirus.

North Korea and China resumed freight train service Monday following a five-month hiatus, South Korean officials said, as the North struggles to revive an economy battered by the pandemic, UN sanctions and other factors.

Earlier Monday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said it has seen a freight train with more than 10 cars leaving the Chinese border city of Dandong and crossing a railway bridge into North Korea's Sinuiju city.

Kim Jong-un likely wants to import consumer goods, materials needed to build residences in Pyongyang and modernize factories in rural areas, and other items related to his hope to improve public livelihoods, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.

Lim said the Dandong-Sinuiju railroad has handled more than 70 percent of official trade between the two countries. There are no reports that other cross-border railway or truck transport routes have been reopened.

"The two sides will continue to strengthen coordination to ensure the steady and secure transport of goods and make further contributions to friendly relations between China and (North Korea)," Wang, the Chinese spokesperson, said.

In April, China said it had halted the Dandong-Sinuiju freight train traffic amid the spread of the COVID-19 in Dandong. Earlier in January, the two countries reopened the railway link following two years of suspension while North Korea closed all its international borders as part of the world's harshest restrictions to guard against the pandemic.

China, which shares a porous border with North Korea, is the North's economic pipeline and last major diplomatic ally. More than 90 percent of North Korea's external trade has been with China. The nosedive in trade volume between them during the pandemic was believed to have caused a further strain on the North's fragile economy, which has also been hit by the sanctions, natural disasters and Kim's own mismanagement.

Kim's claim to have beaten the pandemic came only three months after his country first admitted an outbreak following a highly disputed claim to be coronavirus-free for more than two years.
UN human rights officials have condemned the violent crackdown by Iranian security forces against protesters angered by the death of a young woman accused of failing to comply with Iran's strict dress code.

Protests across 15 Iranian provinces erupted following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody. She was arrested Sept. 13 by the so-called morality police for allegedly not wearing the hijab properly.

The UN Human Rights Office says it is difficult to get a precise number of protesters who have been killed, wounded and arrested by Iran's security force. This is because of restrictions on telecommunications. State media put the number of deaths at 41.

However, UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said nongovernmental organizations monitoring the situation have reported higher numbers of deaths. She said one credible source reports 76 people have been killed, including women and children. She noted that hundreds of others have been injured across at least 11 provinces.

"We are extremely concerned by comments by some leaders vilifying protesters, and by the apparent unnecessary and disproportionate use of force against protesters," Shamdasani said. "Firearms must never be used simply to disperse an assembly. In the context of assemblies, they should only be used in case of an imminent threat to life or of serious injury."

Hundreds of people reportedly have been arrested, including human rights defenders, lawyers, civil society activists and at least 18 journalists.
The U.S. Forces Korea could be drawn into a possible emergency in Taiwan, a former commander has admitted.

Ex-USFK chief Robert Abrams on Tuesday said American soldiers stationed here "might" be mobilized to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion by China.

The prospects of U.S. military intervention in Taiwan is being mentioned more frequently as tensions mount between Washington and Beijing over the island country, which China considers a renegade province.

Asked about the possibility of the USFK being mobilized to defend Taiwan in an interview with Radio Free Asia on Tuesday, Abrams said, "the U.S. will preserve all options in determining what forces might be used... including those assigned to USFK."

But he added, "The [U.S.-South Korea] alliance has several options available to it to maintain deterrence against North Korea in the event of a Taiwan scenario where some USFK forces might be employed."

But the Defense Ministry here insisted the priority of the USFK is to defend the South against North Korea. In a regular briefing on Tuesday, a defense ministry official declined to comment directly on Abrams' remarks but added, "Earlier, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Paul LaCamera said the priority of American troops stationed here is to suppress and respond to a North Korean invasion."
No fewer than 260 Chinese naval vessels strayed into Korean-controlled waters last year.

The most frequent incursions were into Korea's exclusive economic zone west and south of the country, but there were also intrusions into the East Sea.

The EEZ is the area in a certain distance of a country's coastline where a country claims exclusive rights for fishing, drilling and other economic activities.

Over the last five years, China has boosted its naval force by 25,000 to 260,000 sailors and added one more aircraft carrier and 16 destroyers. The increasing incursions are seen as a show of force in the region.

According to data from the Defense Ministry, around 260 Chinese naval vessels conducted operations in Korean-controlled waters last year. Some 160 strayed into the South Sea, 80 into the West Sea and 20 into the East Sea.

But none violated territorial waters.

The most recent incursion was a Chinese naval intelligence ship that appeared in the East Sea on Sept. 23, when the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan docked in Busan.

Japan's Joint Staff Office said Monday that the vessel was spotted 100 km southwest of Tsushima Island on Sept. 23, heading to the East Sea after crossing the Tsushima Strait.
SAINT MICHAEL: MEET THE ANGEL Hits Theaters This Thursday on the Feast of the Archangels, September 29th

Fathom Events brings a powerful documentary on Heaven's most mighty Angel to U.S. audiences for one night only!



NEWS PROVIDED BY

Candelaria Productions INC

Sept. 28, 2022



KRAKOW, Poland, Sept. 28, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ -- Fathom Events and Sonovision announce the release of the new documentary film SAINT MICHAEL: MEET THE ANGEL in theaters for one-night-only on Thursday, September 29. Watch the trailer here.



"SAINT MICHAEL: MEET THE ANGEL will present audiences an opportunity to get to know the first among the pure spirits known as angels  Saint Michael. This look into his life is based on Scripture, history and Church teaching," said Konrad Sosnowski, CEO of Sonovision. "The documentary focuses on the history of the person and the veneration of the Commander of the Hosts of Heaven, Saint Michael the Archangel."



This is the first documentary of its kind on Saint Michael to release in theaters. It will lead the audience to places of apparitions of Saint Michael the Archangel and will include powerful testimonies of faith, riveting Church history, the beautiful architecture and art in Christian culture that will bring people closer to the extraordinary figure of Archangel Michael.



"The documentary stimulates reflection on the reality of the world of God's angels and the eschatological mission fulfilled by their leader, Archangel Michael," said Wincenty Podobinski, director and founder and president of the Saint Michael Archangel Foundation. "The world needs to know Saint Michael and we hope that this documentary will inspire a greater awareness of his presence among us."



Who is Archangel Michael? What is his role in the life of Church history to today? Why do we need angels? These are some of the questions that will be answered and bring inspiration to audiences of all ages.



"In many ways, individuals and families around the world are facing various kinds of battles," said Oscar Delgado, producer. "Archangel Michael is a powerful force to help every believer fight the battles they face each and every single day - whatever they are. We want to reintroduce Archangel Michael to a new generation and let them know that Archangel Michael is alive, ready to battle for them and aid them today as he has aided people from the beginning. Hopefully this documentary will inspire a new friendship with the most powerful of angels in Heaven."



SAINT MICHAEL arrives as part of a new offering by Fathom Events called The Saint Series, a special collection of films where moviegoers can learn the fascinating stories behind everyday people who became Catholic saints. Tickets for SAINT MICHAEL: MEET THE ANGEL can be purchased here.



After the SAINT MICHAEL documentary film plays, audiences are encouraged to remain in their seats as the filmmakers have produced a bonus feature that includes commentary from several leaders and experts who will expound upon the efficacy of Archangel Michael and the meaning of angels and holy helpers in general. Some of the notable leaders to appear in the bonus feature include: Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, author of Consecration to Saint Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father; Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, Provincial Superior of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception; Fr. Robert Altier; and Fr. Wolfgang Seitz, ORC, of the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross and Secretary of Opus Sanctorum Angelorum.



"In a world of increasing darkness and chaos, God has set up for us a supernatural force to help us combat this evil," said Fr. Wolfgang Seitz of Opus Angelum, an order dedicated to studying and propagating the work of the Holy Angels. "SAINT MICHAEL: MEET THE ANGEL introduces us to the Holy Angels especially Saint Michael which explains his importance through scripture and Church teaching. You need to call upon the angels as they are your first line of defense."



For advance access to the film and to interview the producers, please contact Alexis Walkenstein, president of AWE PR at walkensteina@gmail.com or via mobile at (561) 445-5409. Fathom Events' contact is Colette Carey, ccarey@fathomevents.com, (720) 815-6800. For more about the film visit: http://www.saintmichaelmovie.com.



SOURCE Candelaria Productions INC



CONTACT: Alexis Walkenstein, president of AWE PR, 561-445-5409, walkensteina@gmail.com;

Colette Carey, Fathom Events, 720-815-6800, ccarey@fathomevents.com


KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2022 - 16:32 | All, World, Japan

Three Chinese coast guard vessels entered Japan's territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands on Wednesday and stayed for more than eight hours, a day before the 50th anniversary of the normalization of the countries' diplomatic ties.

The Japan Coast Guard said the intrusion, the first since Sept. 8, off the uninhabited islets claimed by China occurred around 3:15 a.m. after the ships tracked three Japanese fishing boats.

Japanese patrol vessels ordered the Chinese ships to immediately exit the waters near the Senkakus, long a source of tension between the countries, with neither side in the mood for a grand celebration on the key political anniversary.

Tokyo has lodged a stern protest with Beijing over the intrusion, which violated international law, a Japanese government spokesman told reporters.

Describing Beijing's action as "extremely regrettable and totally unacceptable," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said at a press conference that Japan will continue to take a "calm and decisive" approach in dealing with China.

The Chinese vessels left Japanese waters at 11:50 a.m. to the so-called contiguous zone, which lies just outside territorial waters, the coast guard said.

China has continued to send vessels to waters around the islets, which it calls Diaoyu, especially since Japan's purchase of part of them from their private Japanese owner a decade ago.

Despite repeated protests from Japan, Chinese vessels have now been spotted near the East China Sea islets, including in the contiguous zone, for 14 days in a row, according to the coast guard.

In addition to the three ships, it said three other Chinese vessels, two of which appeared to be equipped with autocannons, were seen sailing in the zone.

Meanwhile, Japan's Defense Ministry said late Tuesday that a total of seven Chinese and Russian naval vessels were confirmed to be sailing near the Izu Islands, south of Tokyo, in the Pacific Ocean.

Their passage from Monday to Tuesday is believed to be part of a joint patrol. The ministry said it was monitoring the situation as it believes China and Russia have increased coordinated operations.

Related coverage:

FOCUS: China-Japan ties unlikely to improve in 50th anniv. year

FOCUS: Japan's nationalization of Senkakus stirs caution on China's threats

10-yr. anniv. of China-Japan Senkaku dispute comes amid high tensions
KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2022 - 21:15 | All, Japan

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki on Wednesday failed to make concessions on a plan to relocate a key U.S. base within the island prefecture.

During their first talks since Hamada became defense minister in August, Tamaki urged the central government to scrap the plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from the densely populated city of Ginowan to the less populated coastal area of Henoko in Nago.

Hamada told Tamaki, known as a vocal opponent of U.S. bases in Okinawa, the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will push ahead with the relocation plan, which Tokyo and Washington agreed upon in 1996.

Tamaki won a second four-year term as governor following the Sept. 11 gubernatorial election, while Hamada made his first trip to Okinawa since he took office.

Hamada said in the meeting with Tamaki that the relocation plan is the "only solution" to maintain the deterrence of the long-standing Japan-U.S. security alliance and alleviate the burden on Okinawa, which hosts the bulk of U.S. bases in Japan.

Tamaki asked the central government to seek a solution through dialogue with the people of Okinawa.

The governor has long said Okinawa bears an unreasonable burden by hosting U.S. military facilities. Okinawa is home to 70 percent of the total acreage exclusively used by U.S. military installations in Japan. The prefecture was returned to Japan from U.S. control half a century ago.

In a prefectural referendum in 2019, more than 70 percent of voters rejected the relocation plan, although the result was not binding on the central government.

Related coverage:

PM Kishida vows to relocate U.S. base in Okinawa despite local backlash

Anti-U.S. base incumbent Tamaki secures 2nd term as Okinawa governor

U.S. Air Force OKs Osprey flights after grounding them for safety
By Toru Horiguchi, KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2022 - 12:15 | Feature, All, Japan

A memorial service for a 6-year-old boy murdered by Japanese military police nearly 100 years ago in what became known as the "Amakasu Incident" has been held annually for almost half a century at his tombstone in Nagoya, central Japan.

Amid the turmoil in the wake of the devastating Great Kanto Earthquake that struck Tokyo and neighboring prefectures on Sept. 1, 1923, a squad of military police led by Capt. Masahiko Amakasu arrested and murdered anarchist Sakae Osugi, women's liberation activist Noe Ito and Osugi's young nephew Munekazu Tachibana.

This year's ceremony for Munekazu was held on Sept. 11, with about 60 people gathering to burn incense and mourn the boy's death while a monk recited a sutra. "The same mistake must never be repeated," was the common refrain.

According to the local volunteer group that preserves the boy's tombstone, Munekazu was born to a merchant trader who was born in Aichi Prefecture and immigrated to the United States and Osugi's younger sister.

On Sept. 16, 1923, Osugi, a well-known anarchist who had been marked as a dissident of the state and was in Tokyo along with Ito, who lived with him, and Munekazu, were taken away by Amakasu and his subordinates and beaten to death. Their bodies were reportedly tossed into an abandoned well. The incident occurred while martial law was imposed to maintain public order in the aftermath of the quake.

The young boy was killed to "keep his mouth shut," said Hirokazu Takeuchi, 81, head of the volunteer group.

The tombstone was installed by Munekazu's father in 1927 in the compound of a Buddhist temple called Nittaiji in Nagoya's Chikusa Ward. On the back of the dark vertical slab are inscribed the words, "brutally murdered by lapdogs."

"At that time, Japan was shifting toward militarism and people were finding it increasingly difficult to say what they wanted to," Takeuchi said. These words expressed the father's outrage and "proof of his protest" against his son's victimization in such a callous act by Japanese authorities, although "he would have been severely punished if police had found out," he added.

The gravestone had long been forgotten until 1972 when a woman who lived in the neighborhood came upon it in a grassy area of Nittaiji while out on a stroll. It became public knowledge after she wrote about it in a letter to a newspaper. The memorial services by the group have occurred annually since 1975.

Takashi Yamada, 49, a local stonemason, cleaned the tombstone in August ahead of the ceremony. Yamada, who took over from his father in assisting with Munekazu's memorial services, said, "My hope is the tombstone will continue to be cherished."

On the day of the service, many participants who approached to read the inscription on the epitaph showed their sorrow for the father who had lost the boy to such violence.

Following the service, Yutaka Osugi, a son of Sakae's younger brother, who is now 83, talked about his uncle's ideas in a speech in front of the participants.

"I am grateful since many people are still interested and participate in this service. It is a meaningful gathering that reminds us to never forget the tyranny of authority," he said.

Following public backlash, Amakasu was court-martialed and sentenced to 10 years in prison but was released on parole in 1926. Afterward, he traveled to northeastern China and is said to have been involved in the founding of Manchuria under the Imperial Japanese Army. He committed suicide after Japan surrendered in World War II.

The Amakasu Incident was one of the more prominent instances of Japanese authorities using the chaotic situation following the catastrophic earthquake to kill anarchists and socialists and other minorities, including ethnic Koreans, in what was later labeled the Kanto Massacre.

Takeuchi is the sole survivor of the 14 people who founded the volunteer group to preserve Munekazu's gravestone. There is no telling how long the group can remain active as many members are elderly.

"I hope we can continue the service until the 100th anniversary of the (Amakasu) incident in 2023," Takeuchi said.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2022 - 17:39 | All, Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met Wednesday with a spate of foreign dignitaries in Tokyo on the final of three days of "condolence diplomacy," a day after the controversial state funeral for slain former leader Shinzo Abe.

During their meeting, Kishida and South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck Soo agreed that the two countries will accelerate communication to restore "sound" bilateral relations and to "further develop" them, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

They shared the views that easing COVID-19 border controls, such as allowing visa-free trips, would facilitate the flow of people and that promoting bilateral and trilateral ties involving the United States is important to counter military threats from North Korea.

Relations between Tokyo and Seoul have recently shown signs of improvement as Yoon Suk Yeol, who has pledged to take a future-oriented approach toward ties with Japan, became South Korean president in May.

Japan-South Korea ties had deteriorated for years over wartime issues under the government of Yoon's predecessor Moon Jae In.

The disputes include South Korean court orders issued under Moon's administration to liquidate local assets seized from two Japanese companies over compensation for alleged forced labor during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

A Japanese government official said Kishida and Han "had no in-depth discussion" on the wartime labor issue.

The talks came after Kishida and Yoon met bilaterally in New York last week on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, the first in-person summit of the two Asian nations since December 2019, although both sides have suggested it was informal.

Related coverage:

FOCUS: "Informal" Japan-South Korea summit may pave way for mended ties

Japan, South Korea leaders vow to restore sound ties in "informal" talks

In a separate meeting earlier Wednesday, Kishida also confirmed with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that the two countries will work together for better relations, the Japanese ministry said.

Kishida said Japan will fully cooperate with Cambodia toward a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and related annual gatherings to be held in November in Phnom Penh. The Japanese leader is expected to attend some of them.

Since Monday, Kishida has met with more than 30 dignitaries on the occasion of the state funeral for Abe, who was fatally shot during an election campaign speech in July.

The state funeral was the first of its kind for a former prime minister in 55 years.

The Japanese government said that over 4,000 people joined the funeral on Tuesday in central Tokyo, including delegates from more than 210 countries, regions and international organizations.

"We courteously accepted condolences of many domestic and overseas funeral attendants, with the cooperation of everyone," Kishida said in a speech in Tokyo.

From China, Wan Gang, vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, took part in Abe's state funeral. He met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno on Wednesday.

Matsuno, the top government spokesman, and Wan affirmed that Japan and China should join hands to build a "constructive and stable relationship," the ministry said. Wan told Matsuno that Beijing puts emphasis on relations with Tokyo.

Wan, a former science and technology minister, had held talks with Matsuno when the Japanese lawmaker served as education and science minister for one year from 2016.

On Monday, Kishida met with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. The two leaders vowed to keep close cooperation to further beef up the Japan-U.S. alliance and realize a free and open Indo-Pacific, a vision that Abe advocated.

Kishida held separate meetings with his Australian and Indian counterparts Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

Composing the Quad grouping, Japan, Australia, India and the United States have been stepping up cooperation in various fields such as defense and energy amid China's growing military and economic influence in the region.

Related coverage:

Japan vows to work with Australia, India for free, open Indo-Pacific

State funeral for ex-PM Abe draws protesters as well as mourners

Japan's Kishida kicks off "condolence diplomacy" around Abe funeral
By Maya Kaneko, KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2022 - 11:17 | World, All, Japan, Feature

China and Japan on Thursday are set to mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral diplomatic ties, but prospects are dim for their relations to improve significantly amid a deepening rift between Beijing and Western nations with heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Experts have pointed out that bilateral relations are "full of downside risks" with a stronger rivalry between the two Asian neighbors, and the 50th anniversary is unlikely to change the basic trend in ties.

However, they said Beijing's interest in not further escalating tensions with Tokyo as it focuses on intensifying competition with the United States as well as mutually beneficial trade and investment relations between the world's second- and third-largest economies, offer a ray of hope for the improvement of ties.

Additionally, the eventual full resumption of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, including tourists and students, that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic could enhance overall relations to some degree, they said.

China's former Vice Premier Liu Yandong said in a recent symposium marking the anniversary, the two countries have formed "an inseparable community of destiny." China remains Japan's largest trading partner and bilateral trade in 2021 reached a record $391.4 billion, according to the Japan External Trade Organization.

In 2019, before the outbreak of the global health crisis, the number of people traveling between mainland China and Japan stood at over 12 million, with Japan welcoming nearly 10 million visitors from the mainland -- the highest number among all foreign visitors and accounting for some 30 percent of the total, official data showed.

Over the 50 years of relations, more than 250 friendship city agreements have been concluded between the two countries, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou said at the symposium.

Despite those figures suggesting robust bilateral exchanges, public sentiment was not favorable last year, with nearly 80 percent of respondents to a Japanese government poll saying they had no affinity for China and about 70 percent in China holding a negative image of Japan in a private-sector survey.

Japanese officials cited "concerns about China's acts of hegemony," such as Chinese vessels' repeated intrusions into Japanese territorial waters near the Japan-controlled, China-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea as a factor behind the government survey results.

In the private-sector poll, many Chinese respondents referred to the "improper comments and behavior" of anti-China Japanese politicians and Tokyo's "diplomatic policy of following the United States" as reasons for their negative sentiment toward Japan.

Bilateral relations deteriorated further following U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August, which prodded Beijing to conduct large-scale military drills near the island. Some of the ballistic missiles fired during the exercises fell in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

China also lambasted Japan for joining other Group of Seven industrialized nations in criticizing Beijing's fierce response to Pelosi's trip.

Japanese Ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi said at the symposium that bilateral ties face "a number of challenges" due partly to an "overwhelming shortage of mutual dialogue and exchanges" amid the COVID-19 pandemic declared in March 2020.

Against the backdrop of China's rapid rise and subsequent assertiveness as well as deteriorating public sentiment toward it in Japan, attempts to engage with Beijing have become "a big political risk" for Tokyo, the envoy said.

"The normalization of diplomatic ties was realized thanks to the leaders of both countries who had a strategic way of thinking and political courage," but 50 years later there are "fewer and fewer leaders who can take political risks for bilateral relations," Tarumi lamented.

Jia Qingguo, professor at Peking University's School of International Studies, pointed out at the event that Japanese officials and media have hyped up the "China threat theory" in response to its rise and "the magnifying effect of negative news in the internet age cannot be ignored."

On the economic front, Masakazu Tokura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, the country's most powerful business lobby better known as Keidanren, has said, "We cannot do without China. There are areas where our values do not match, but we have to maintain dialogue and exchanges."

But Stephen Nagy, senior associate professor at International Christian University in Tokyo, said it "will not be easy" for Japan and China to return to the so-called "cold politics, hot economics" state that once characterized bilateral ties.

The economic relationship will likely "become more complicated as the Chinese economy slows and as Japan selectively diversifies away from China," with the United States putting increased pressure on countries and businesses trading with China.

Japanese businesses will likely continue to invest in China "through a formula in which they make things in China by Chinese for Chinese with Japanese technologies," while they continue to build alternative production networks in the rest of Asia and Europe, Nagy said.

Ken Jimbo, professor at Keio University, echoed that view.

"Japan-China economic cooperation involving cutting-edge technology has become difficult because China is no longer a free market for Japanese companies" in light of challenges related to the transfer of sensitive technology, investment restrictions and human rights issues, he said.

But Jimbo, an expert on international security, stressed the two countries can coordinate policy through discussions on how the world economic system and rules should be, given that Beijing needs access to the global market, including the Western nations in the G-7.

Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times, a tabloid affiliated with China's ruling Communist Party, earlier this month that the two countries need to "manage differences" and "have a strong sense of risk control" for future bilateral relations.

Ambassador Kong urged the two countries to make the 50th anniversary a milestone and new starting point, and to strive to "hand over more mature, stable, healthy and resilient bilateral ties" to people in the next 50 years.
Chinese doctors do gastroscopy assisted by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture anesthesia at the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Sept. 21, 2022. (Photo by Denis Elamu/Xinhua)

The 10th batch of the Chinese medical team has introduced a new formula of treatment that combines gastroscopy with traditional Chinese acupuncture to relieve patients of pain in South Sudan.

JUBA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The 10th batch of the Chinese medical team has introduced a new formula of treatment that combines gastroscopy with traditional Chinese acupuncture to relieve patients of pain in South Sudan.

Mou Dut, a 21-year-old South Sudanese, had been vomiting bloody fluids after meals for more than ten days before he sought help from the Chinese medical doctors at the Juba Teaching Hospital.

Xu Zhangwei, digestive physician and the leader of the Chinese medical team in collaboration with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physician Ji Qiaoxue, and anesthesiologist Yu Yongqi decided to perform a gastroscope inspection assisted by TCM acupuncture anesthesia on Dut.

The doctors recommended this treatment after discovering Dut's poor health conditions and his body's intolerance to conventional gastroscopy, in addition to avoiding the high risk of gastroscopy under general anesthesia.

"During the examination, precise acupuncture anesthesia gave full support and an effective guarantee to smooth gastroscopy examination which was also monitored by anesthesiologists. Through close cooperation, Chinese doctors successfully found the invasive lesions in the patient's gastric antrum," Xu told Xinhua on Tuesday in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Gastroscopy is an important method of gastrointestinal endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive system diseases. Invasive lesions are malignant cellular populations that have increased in size and infiltrated the surrounding tissues.

Xu said that this was the first gastroscopy performed with acupuncture-assisted anesthesia in the medical field of South Sudan.

A Chinese doctor does gastroscopy assisted by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture anesthesia at the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Sept. 21, 2022. (Photo by Denis Elamu/Xinhua)

"The patient had no obvious discomfort during the entire examination, and was suggested to go to the surgery department for further treatment after the gastroscopy," Xu said.

Xu noted that his team applied the traditional acupuncture therapy of Chinese medicine to gastroscopy, to achieve the purpose of anesthesia reducing pain during the endoscope examination.

"The successful gastroscopy of this time, combining advantages of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine, not only demonstrates the diagnosis and treatment level of the medical team but also shows the unique fascination of TCM and created a new starting point in the medical field of South Sudan," he added.

Xu said that the 10th batch of China's medical team would give full play to TCM in the diagnosis and treatment, using their creative concept and skillful medical practice to benefit the health of South Sudanese.

Acupuncture has been used in China and around parts of the world for more than 2,000 years. The technique involves inserting thin needles into the skin, most commonly at traditional acupuncture point locations, and stimulating them either manually or electrically.

The manual stimulation technique involves the manipulation of needles through rotation, lifting, and thrusting, while the electrical stimulation technique applies a small electrical current to stimulate the needles. 
Protesters clash with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Jenin, Sept. 28, 2022. Three Palestinians were killed and 10 others injured on Wednesday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses have said. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Three Palestinians were killed and 10 others injured on Wednesday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses have said.

Of the injured, two were in critical condition, said the Palestinian Ministry of Health in a press statement.

Palestinian eyewitnesses said that Israeli forces, backed by armored vehicles, stormed the city and its refugee camp amid the intensive fire of live ammunition and tear gas canisters in all directions.

The Israeli soldiers surrounded the home of Fathi Hazem, father of Raed Hazem, who was killed after he carried out a shooting attack in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv in April, according to the eyewitnesses.

Fierce clashes broke out in the city between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants. The soldiers fired missiles at Hazem's house and traded fire with the militants.

An Israeli army spokesman said that an Israeli army force was carrying out regular military activity in the city of Jenin to demolish the house of Hazem.

Over the past few months, the West Bank has witnessed growing tension between the Israeli army and the Palestinians.

More than 90 Palestinians have been killed since early January by Israeli soldiers, including children and women, according to official Palestinian statistics.

Meanwhile, 18 Israelis have been killed since March in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians in Israel.

In response, Israel carried out a campaign of arrests focused on the cities of Nablus and Jenin in the northern West Bank. Israel said the campaign targets Palestinians involved in carrying out attacks against Israel. 

A protester burns tires during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Jenin, Sept. 28, 2022. Three Palestinians were killed and 10 others injured on Wednesday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses have said. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

A protester hurls a stone at Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Jenin, Sept. 28, 2022. Three Palestinians were killed and 10 others injured on Wednesday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses have said. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)
Photo taken on Sept. 18, 2022 shows displaced people at a temporary shelter in Rumangabo, a town of the North Kivu province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Alain Uaykani)

Since the beginning of the new school year, schools in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are marred by ongoing rebel conflicts, with classrooms squatted by displaced refugees to flee war and seek sanctuary.

KINSHASA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Since the beginning of the new school year, schools in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are marred by ongoing rebel conflicts, with classrooms squatted by displaced refugees to flee war and seek sanctuary.

In Rumangabo, a town of the North Kivu province, currently the epicenter of violent armed conflicts between the government army and rebels of the March 23 Mouvement (M23), around 4,000 displaced people are scattered across different schools, making classrooms and resources more scarce than before.

Marie Simire and her six children, who fled the city of Bunagana which was taken control by the rebels, now live in a small makeshift house in a school. Her husband was killed by a stray bullet on his way home while he was working the fields when the government army and the M23 crossed fires.

Like most of her fellows in the village, she and her children fled for days on foot and finally settled down in the school during the summer vacation. As the new school year started on Sept. 5, life has become more harsh and difficult.

"I arrived here with my children for a few months without taking anything from our abandoned house in Bunagana. Now the studies have resumed but I do not have the capacity to send my children to class due to the lack of means and difficult conditions in which we currently live at this site," she explained.

Jean-Baptiste Habyarimana, the head of the Rumangabo center primary school, pointed out the cruel fact that the school is at capacity and the massive displacement have become a huge conundrum for both the displaced refugees and the school kids.

"The schools are almost totally occupied by displaced people from villages far from this city. A situation that makes it difficult for us to function as a school," said Habyarimana.

Schools are jam-packed with people seeking refuge, some displaced children spend their day chopping wood and selling it at the makeshift market as the only way to survive.

"The majority of the children at this site do not go to school. This is how they prefer to resort to these jobs of cutting just to survive. We deplore this situation, which risks affecting the future of these children in the long term," insisted Katitima Justin, head of a make-shift refugee site in Rumangabo.

Photo taken on Sept. 18, 2022 shows a displaced child cooking on a makeshift stove at a temporary shelter in Rumangabo, a town of the North Kivu province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Alain Uaykani)

Asked by Xinhua about the current school situation in areas troubled by clashes between the army and the M23 rebels, the military governor of North Kivu Constant Ndima acknowledged that about 70 percent of the schools are being affected.

"This situation which has affected the school sector since the start of the school year is more than dramatic and it goes beyond our jurisdiction at the provincial level," said Constant Ndima, promising "quick solutions" for the affected children.

For the military authorities of North Kivu, the effective solution remains that of restoring peace in this part of the country as soon as possible in order to allow the displaced population to return to their homes.

For Simire, however, going home seems like a sheer delusion as her hometown is still in the hands of the rebels who are deemed as "terrorists" by the Congolese government.

Since the end of March 2022, the M23 has been on the offensive in DRC's northeastern province of North Kivu, where several townships fell into the hands of the rebels for months. 
Photo taken on Sept. 28, 2022 shows the site of a fire accident at a restaurant in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province. (Xinhua/Zhao Dandan)

CHANGCHUN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Seventeen people were killed and another three injured in a restaurant fire in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

The local fire brigade received reports of the incident that occurred in the Changchun high-tech industrial development zone at 12:40 p.m. Wednesday. Firefighters immediately rushed to the site for rescue.

As of 3 p.m., the on-site search and rescue work had ended.

The injured are being treated in a local hospital and the cause of the incident is being investigated.

The Ministry of Emergency Management said that it had dispatched a work team to the site to provide guidance for the rescue work.

The ministry called for efforts to handle the incident in a safe and scientific manner and ascertain the causes of the fire as soon as possible. 

Photo taken on Sept. 28, 2022 shows the site of a fire accident at a restaurant in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province.(Xinhua/Zhou Wanpeng)
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China will carry out pilot inclusive finance reform in three cities, the country's central bank said Wednesday.

Trials will be conducted in Tongchuan, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Lishui in east China's Zhejiang Province, and Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to the plans released by the People's Bank of China and seven relevant authorities.

The plans would optimize the rural financial systems and improve financial support in key areas.

Carrying out inclusive financial reform trials in the three cities will help explore an effective path for inclusive finance to foster rural vitalization, the central bank said.

The central bank and relevant departments will guide the provincial governments of Shaanxi, Zhejiang, and Sichuan to advance the implementation of the plans and ensure that all reform measures in the pilot zones are carried out in a sound and orderly manner. 
Open Doors Founder and Famed Bible Smuggler 'Brother Andrew' Dies at Age 94

Known as "God's Smuggler," Brother Andrew Ministered to Countless Persecuted Christians and World Leaders Through International Nonprofit







NEWS PROVIDED BY

Open Doors USA

Sept. 28, 2022



SANTA ANA, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ -- Anne Van der Bijl, the founder of international nonprofit Open Doors, and known around the world as "Brother Andrew," died yesterday at the age of 94 at his home in the Netherlands, according to a family spokesperson.



Brother Andrew was the founder of Open Doors, the oldest worldwide ministry to persecuted Christians. Under Brother Andrew's leadership, Open Doors' presence expanded through more than 60 countries, where it currently provides Bibles, emergency relief, vocational training, community rebuilding and other essential help to Christians who are persecuted because of their faith. Open Doors is celebrating 67 years of ministry in 2022.



Brother Andrew earned the nickname "God's Smuggler" for his daring Bible deliveries behind the Iron Curtain at the height of the Cold War and was known by many for his adventurous faith and intensely devoted prayer life.



"Brother Andrew was an ordinary man who chose to go to hard places and do amazing things for one reason: He was following Jesus," said David Curry, president and CEO of Open Doors USA. "One of the most interesting and well-known Christian leaders of our time, his passing indeed leaves a great void. But we believe, as he did, that God will raise people up to continue His good work in the persecuted church, to be the Brother Andrews of our generation."



Born in 1928, Brother Andrew grew up in the Netherlands. After enduring the German occupation during World War II, he went to Poland with a suitcase full of Christian material. There Brother Andrew discovered that churches behind the Iron Curtain were isolated, sparking his passion to serve them and ultimately leading him to form the ministry that became Open Doors.



His 1957 border crossing into Yugoslavia and Eastern Europe in a bright, blue Volkswagen Beetle stuffed with illegal Bibles is memorialized in his 1967 autobiography, God's Smuggler. The first of 16 books written by Brother Andrew, it has sold more than 12 million copies and has been translated into more than 40 languages.



The Bible smuggling reached an apex in June 1981 when an Open Doors crew nosed a custom-built barge onto the China coastline under the cover of darkness. They floated one million Bibles contained in 232 packages, to a small, silent army of waiting Chinese Christians, who spirited them into the country.



"Our very mission is called 'Open Doors' because we believe that all doors are open, anytime and anywhere," Brother Andrew often explained. "I literally believe that every door is open to go in and proclaim Christ, as long as you are willing to go and are not worried about coming back."



After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Brother Andrew turned his attention to the Islamic World, believing the rapid spread of radical, militant expressions of Islam posed the greatest challenge yet to religious freedom worldwide. Since then, Brother Andrew and the ministry he founded have committed themselves to serving the needs of persecuted Christians throughout the world. His travels logged an estimated one million miles through 125 countries.



Brother Andrew was married for 59 years to his wife, Corry, who passed away on Jan. 23, 2018. They lived all of their lives in Holland and are survived by their five children and 11 grandchildren.



For additional resources and information, including photographs, please visit https://www.opendoorsusa.org/about-us/history/brother-andrews-story/ or BrotherAndrewLegacy.org



Please direct media inquiries to: opendoors@iconmediagroup.com.



About Open Doors USA

For over 65 years, Open Doors has worked in the world's most oppressive regions, empowering, and equipping persecuted Christians in more than 70 countries by providing Bibles, training, and programs to help those who have been marginalized for their faith. Open Doors publishes the World Watch List, an annual report on the 50 countries where it is most difficult to live as a Christian.



SOURCE Open Doors USA



CONTACT: OpenDoors@iconmediagroup.com


BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Just ahead of the fifth Chinese farmers' harvest festival that fell on Friday, village Party chief Wang Weiwei, sat down with his predecessor Cao Hui, as usual, to do an assessment.

"This year, the output value of the village has reached 400 million yuan (about 56 million U.S. dollars), and the per capita disposable income is close to 20,000 yuan," said Cao, of Yanglang Village, Guyuan City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

With some 2,600 farmers, the mountain village in Xihaigu, a region once deemed "uninhabitable," has ushered in a bumper year, again.

The once impoverished village has transformed into a land of wealth, boasting industries such as wine-making, foundry and rural tourism.

The impressive report card is a result of decades of unremitting efforts of villagers, led by members of the Communist Party of China.

STRONG LEADERSHIP

Yanglang's Party members take charge of leading the development of the pillar industries in the village. Through brand building and technological upgrading, the village Party organization has led local residents to shake off poverty and pave a road toward prosperity.

The story of Yanglang is not a unique one as such transformations, with Party cadres leading the anti-poverty campaign and promoting rural revitalization, can be seen across the country.

China has always put agriculture and rural areas high on the agenda of its economic work. As the country has eliminated absolute poverty, rural revitalization has breathed new life into China's agriculture sector and villages.

Over the past years, millions of cadres have been dispatched to villages to help reduce poverty in a targeted approach, consolidate achievements in poverty alleviation, and advance rural revitalization in an all-around way.

Selected from Party and state organs, state-owned enterprises and public institutions, the cadres are required to contribute to the development of rural industries to help villagers increase their income and promote high-quality agricultural and rural development. They are also tasked with strengthening rural Party organizations, improving rural governance and providing better services to villagers.

PAIRING-UP ASSISTANCE

Over the past five years, more than 3,000 on-the-job cadres and other personnel from Shanghai have been sent to southwest China's Yunnan Province, bringing funds, advanced concepts and technologies to the less-developed areas. In the meantime, over 3,000 cadres and others in Yunnan have also traveled to the east China metropolis for self-improvement.

This is part of China's "pairing-up" approach, which pairs less-developed western regions with wealthier eastern areas that provide dedicated support in terms of capital, technology, personnel and other resources to fight poverty and boost development.

In Lanping Bai and Pumi Autonomous County, Yunnan, advanced computer-controlled cultivation systems have spurred local fruit farming development.

At present, there are 3,200 mu (about 213 hectares) of strawberries and 3,450 mu of cherries in an industrial park in Lanping.

"The selling price of our blueberries even exceeds that of imported ones," said a park staffer, adding that the industrial park earned an operating income of more than 20 million yuan last year, and the output of blueberries reached 300 tonnes this year, and is expected to more than double next year.

Thanks to the assistance from east China's coastal Fujian Province, once poverty-stricken villages deep in the barren mountains of Ningxia have seen a sea change over the past decades.

By the end of 2020, Fujian had invested about 3.37 billion yuan in over 4,000 projects in Ningxia.

THRIVING INDUSTRIES

Thriving industries are the foundation for rural revitalization and sustainable development in rural areas.

Over the past years, China has strived to empower rural revitalization with the development of specialized industries.

Niejiazhuang Village in Jiangzhuang Township of Gaomi City, east China's Shandong Province, is a cradle of clay sculpture, a form of national intangible cultural heritage.

Yet for a certain period, like many cultural heritages, the traditional handicraft was staring at a gloomy future with sluggish sales and few new practitioners.

To revive the industry and help locals cash in on their handicrafts, local authorities made concerted efforts to improve logistics, technology, management, promotion and sales.

Today, over 5,000 people in Jiangzhuang Township are engaged in the research, design and production of intangible cultural heritage-related products. Over 400,000 mud tigers, a signature clay product there, are made every year, with the total annual sales revenue exceeding 10 million yuan.

Rural industries have seen steady development and expanded the channels for farmers to increase their employment and income. The per capita disposable income of rural residents rose 4.2 percent in real terms to 9,787 yuan in the first half of this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The rural industrial system will be improved to create more job opportunities and generate a greater share of profits for farmers, according to government plans. 
Markus Potzel (Front), the UN secretary-general's deputy special representative for Afghanistan, speaks at a Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Rick Bajornas/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

"That's why we have to engage. The objective of our engagement is to promote governance in Afghanistan that works to the benefit of the Afghan people and respects the norms of the global community," a UN envoy said. "While success is not certain, continued qualified engagement remains the most realistic chance of achieving these objectives."

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A UN envoy on Tuesday stressed the need for the international community to engage with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Markus Potzel, the UN secretary-general's deputy special representative for Afghanistan, saw international engagement as the most realistic approach.

If the Taliban do not respond to the needs of all elements of Afghan society and constructively engage within the very limited window of opportunity with the international community, it is unclear what would come next, he told the Security Council in a briefing.

Further fragmentation, isolation, poverty, and internal conflict are among the likely scenarios, leading to potential mass migration and a domestic environment conducive to terrorist organizations, as well as greater misery for the Afghan population, he warned.

"That's why we have to engage. The objective of our engagement is to promote governance in Afghanistan that works to the benefit of the Afghan people and respects the norms of the global community, he said. "While success is not certain, continued qualified engagement remains the most realistic chance of achieving these objectives."

Since taking over Kabul, the Taliban's self-identified emirate has not been recognized by any state. At the same time, the international community also did not want to see the country collapse, he said.

Afghanistan's neighbors, in particular, adopted a pragmatic approach and sought to deepen economic and trade ties and build stability, he added.

The July 26 Tashkent conference, which for the first time brought together representatives of the Taliban, members of the region, and traditional donors, provided a platform for engagement and an opportunity for the international community to express its united position on what it expects from the de facto authorities. It was regrettable that the Taliban delegation did not take the opportunity to constructively address these expectations, noted Potzel.

"Nonetheless, we believe that the Tashkent format is useful and should be continued," he said.

People gather at the site of a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sept. 23, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Initially, the de facto authorities made commitments regarding the security and independence of humanitarian assistance. These commitments have also gradually been eroded, he said. "We viewed with great concern the detaining by the de facto Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and the General Directorate of Intelligence of three women working for UN agencies in Kandahar three weeks ago, as well as increasing pressures on our staff and premises and those of other agencies."

In general, the de facto authorities are creating operational obstacles that make the work of the United Nations and its humanitarian partners increasingly difficult, and in some cases contravene global and well-established humanitarian principles, he said.

"I am afraid that patience is running out by many in the international community regarding a strategy of engagement with Afghanistan's Taliban authorities," he warned.

There have been some positive developments in the past few months. But they have been too few and too slow and are outweighed by the negatives. In particular, the ongoing ban on secondary education for girls -- unique in the world -- and growing restrictions on women's rights are signals that the Taliban are indifferent to more than 50 percent of the population and are willing to risk international isolation, he said.

The relegation of women and girls to the home not only deprives them of their rights, but also denies Afghanistan as a whole the benefit of the significant contributions that women and girls have to offer, he said.

Some of the Taliban's claimed and acknowledged achievements are also eroding, said Potzel.

A man checks a weapon seized by Afghan law enforcement agencies in Jalalabad, capital city of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 21, 2022. (Photo by Aimal Zahir/Xinhua)

In the past months there has been a steady rise in security incidents monitored by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) -- both armed clashes and criminality, as well as high-profile deadly terrorist attacks, he said.

"Our earlier warnings about the capabilities of Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) were dismissed by the Taliban. But ISKP has demonstrated in the last few months alone that it can carry out assassinations of figures close to the Taliban, attacks against foreign embassies, as well as fire rockets across Afghanistan's border to attack its neighbors, all while maintaining its long-standing sectarian campaign against Shia Muslims and ethnic minorities," said Potzel.

"We are particularly concerned about the recent attack at the Russian Embassy in Kabul that killed 10 people, among them a Russian diplomat. In addition to attacks carried out by ISKP, a number of unclaimed incidents killed and wounded Afghans going about their daily lives, in particular, while attending places of worship," he said.

The reported presence of al-Qaida leader al Zawahiri in the heart of Kabul and the strike against him, as well as the continued presence of other terrorist groups, have forced a questioning of the Taliban's counter-terrorism commitments, further deepening the trust gap with the international community, he warned.

These questions are still unanswered, noted Potzel.

Armed clashes persist between the de facto security forces and armed opposition groups in the Panjshir, Baghlan, Kapisa, Takhar, and Badakhshan provinces. There are disturbing reports, as well as videos and photos, indicating possible serious human rights violations committed in Panjshir, he said.

The economic situation remains tenuous, said Potzel.

While the Taliban claim they have increased exports, maintained the value of the country's currency, and generated solid revenue collection, per capita income has collapsed to 2007 levels, erasing 15 years of economic growth, he said.

An Afghan farmer harvests grapes in Parwan province, Afghanistan, Sept. 11, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

However, like many aspects of Taliban governance, the details behind their claims remain opaque. Part of the enduring economic downturn is due to liquidity problems that are related to Afghanistan's isolation from the international banking system. Liquidity remains heavily dependent on the cash that the UN continues to bring in for humanitarian operations -- cash that supports the needs of the Afghan people and does not directly reach the de facto authorities, he said.

Even this funding is uncertain. To date, the 2022 humanitarian response plan for Afghanistan has only received 1.9 billion U.S. dollars out of a 4.4-billion-dollar requirement. Amid growing needs and a worsening food security situation, such a funding gap is all the more alarming given that winter is coming, he said.

In the immediate term, humanitarian partners require 614 million dollars to support priority winter preparedness in addition to the 154 million dollars required to pre-position essential supplies before areas get cut off by the weather, he said.

But these humanitarian and temporary economic measures will not meet the Afghan people's longer-term requirements. Humanitarian assistance alone cannot replace essential service delivery systems, such as health and water, nor prevent an economic collapse, he warned.

UNAMA has been urging donors to take a complementary approach to meet people's needs by supporting, in addition to humanitarian action, some basic human needs projects that leverage the capacity of local communities, address underlying structural issues, promote economic growth, and seek to minimize the effects of climate change, which are particularly severe in Afghanistan, he said.

In the meantime, the Taliban state they are committed to private-sector-led growth that will prevent aid dependency and conditionality. But this will require practical steps that, so far, have not been taken, including a clear legal framework, public investments, a functioning banking system, reliable energy and communication services, and an educated workforce that includes women, said Potzel.

There is also a continued lack of political inclusivity and transparency in decision-making. Most Afghans do not see themselves represented at all levels of governance. There are no consistent mechanisms for citizens to provide feedback to the authorities and little indication that the Taliban wish to even hear any, he said.

UNAMA, through its field offices, consistently works to bring together de facto local authorities and representatives of Afghan communities, including women, to improve the level of consultation, he said. 
BRUSSELS, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The European Union's (EU) chief diplomat Josep Borrell on Wednesday expressed his concerns over three gas pipeline leaks detected in the Baltic Sea on Russian natural gas pipelines, adding that they were most probably the result of sabotage.

"The European Union is deeply concerned about damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that has resulted in leaks in the international waters of the Baltic Sea. Safety and environmental concerns are of utmost priority. These incidents are not a coincidence and affect us all," Borrell said in a statement on behalf of the EU's 27 member states.

"All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act," said the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.

He added that the EU will support any investigation aimed at getting full clarity on what happened and why, and will take further steps to increase the bloc's resilience in energy security.

"Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response," he said.

On Monday, Danish and Swedish officials said that leaks had been identified in two natural gas pipelines -- Nord Stream 1 and its twin, Nord Stream 2 -- under the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark's Bornholm island, near the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden.

Nord Stream 2 had just been finished and filled with 300 million cubic meters of gas when the German government canceled it just days before the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Gas supply via Nord Stream 1 has been halted since the beginning of September due to problems in a key piece of equipment, said Russian gas producer Gazprom. 
GABORONE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Wearing masks is no longer mandatory in Botswana, announced an official press release on Wednesday.

All other remaining COVID-19 protocols, like social distancing in schools and requirements for vaccination or PCR tests at ports of entry, have also been removed, said spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, Christopher Nyanga, in the press release.

Despite the recent relaxation of COVID-19 protocols, Nyanga advised all citizens to exercise caution and continue to follow some protocols to protect their health.

He also advised citizens to ensure that they are vaccinated or have received their booster shots to protect themselves against COVID-19. He claims that only through vaccination against the disease can people go about their daily lives without fear of developing severe symptoms if infected.

According to the Ministry of Health, more than 70 percent of the southern African country's population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since the vaccination campaign began in March 2021. While 200,000 of those between the ages of 12 and 17 have received at least their first dose, 35,000 children between the ages of 5 and 11 have received their first dose.

Botswana reported 12 new cases and one death from September 11 to 17. The country has so far reported 326,286 COVID-19 cases with 2,781 deaths. 
Tunisian students paint masks of Peking Opera at the Confucius Institute of the University of Carthage in Tunis, Tunisia, on Sept. 27, 2022. Tunisia's Confucius Institute on Tuesday celebrated Global Confucius Institute Day here in Tunis. (Xinhua)

TUNIS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia's Confucius Institute on Tuesday celebrated Global Confucius Institute Day here in the country's capital.

During the celebration ceremony, Director of Confucius Institute in Tunisia Ding Yang said that the day remains a perfect illustration of the splendor, the assets, and the uniqueness of the Chinese culture and civilization.

"It is also a timely occasion for a true civilizational and human convergence between the Chinese people and the different peoples of the whole world," Ding added.

Khaled Haj Ahmed, director of Oriental Languages at the Higher Institute of Languages (ISLT) at the University of Carthage in Tunis, told Xinhua that he gave great respect to this event, as it "helps bring us closer to these wonderful people and this country that never stops doing wonders."

The Tunisian director noted hundreds of Tunisian students are studying Chinese, saying despite this modest number, "Chinese companies established on Tunisian soil always unremittingly seek for skilled Tunisians with a Chinese language diploma," he added.

Tunisia's first Confucius Institute, also known as the Institute of Chinese Language and Culture, opened in November 2018 at the ISLT. 
NAIROBI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Advisory Board on Corruption (AUABC), established in 2009 to invigorate the fight against corruption, has been lobbying countries to ratify its convention to facilitate the elimination of the vice in the continent, an official said.

"We have been engaging with the relevant structures of the African Union to explain to all the member states the need to ratify the convention,"

Charity Nchimunya, executive secretary at the Tanzania-based AUABC said on Tuesday evening during a media engagement workshop in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that some 48 countries had signed and ratified the convention, while another group of seven countries was still to ratify the convention.

The seven countries include the Central African Republic, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Somalia and South Sudan.

The convention outlines a series of measures to embolden the fight against corruption and requires African countries to respect democratic principles and institutions and ensure the popular participation of their citizens in good governance.

The convention is designed to discourage government officials from accepting gifts, goods, or any monetary value in exchange for acts of omission in the performance of official public duties.

Nchimunya said while the fight against corruption was a key priority for most countries in Africa, universal ratification of the convention would provide the necessary backing for eliminating corruption which has affected the delivery of key public services.

Martha Munthali, AUABC's Senior Policy Officer in charge of Economics and Statistical matters, said the negative effects of impunity on Africa's political, economic and social-cultural stability made it mandatory for the continent to battle corruption.

The convention calls for measures to stop the laundering of proceeds of corruption and calls upon countries in Africa to adopt laws to criminalize the disposal of property, known as proceeds of corruption meant to conceal the origin of the property in order to evade the legal consequences of the action.

The AUABC also called upon countries in Africa to collectively criminalize "illicit enrichment" which is currently not considered an offense in some countries because the existing laws allow property ownership rights. 
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called on the international community to engage with Afghanistan's Taliban.

"The international community should remain engaged with the Afghan interim government in a pragmatic manner, carry out positive interactions, provide patient guidance, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and help the Afghan interim government build inclusive and moderate governance," said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

It is not constructive to keep accusing or pressuring the Afghan interim government or even to instrumentalize the issue of travel ban exemptions as a bargaining chip for negotiations. Such a move will only make the door to dialogue narrower and deepen confrontation and divergences, he told a Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.

The past 20 years have once again proved that military intervention and external models simply do not work and that the future of Afghanistan can only be decided by the Afghan people themselves. The international community should fully draw lessons from the past 20 years, and not just pay lip service to the phrase "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned," but should put it into practice, he said.

The international community should make it a top priority to help Afghanistan alleviate its humanitarian crisis and stabilize the economy, and should not politicize humanitarian and economic issues, nor link humanitarian aid and economic development with other political issues, said Geng, adding Afghanistan's frozen overseas assets should be used expeditiously for the improvement of Afghans' life and economic reconstruction.

The security, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, and refugee issues facing the country are intertwined, and require a comprehensive approach to find solutions at the root, he said.

"We hope that the Afghan Taliban will genuinely fulfill their commitments, completely cut off their ties with all terrorist groups, and work together with the international community to resolutely combat the Islamic State, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and other terrorist groups, so as to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a hub for terrorism again," said Geng.

In the long run, all parties need to help Afghanistan restore its domestic market, integrate into regional cooperation and connectivity, thoroughly eradicate the root causes of unrest, and embark on the path to lasting peace and development, he said. 
Chinese doctors do gastroscopy assisted by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture anesthesia at the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Sept. 21, 2022. (Photo by Denis Elamu/Xinhua)

JUBA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The 10th batch of the Chinese medical team has introduced a new formula of treatment that combines gastroscopy with traditional Chinese acupuncture to relieve patients of pain in South Sudan.

Mou Dut, a 21-year-old South Sudanese, had been vomiting bloody fluids after meals for more than ten days before he sought help from the Chinese medical doctors at the Juba Teaching Hospital.

Xu Zhangwei, digestive physician and the leader of the Chinese medical team in collaboration with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physician Ji Qiaoxue, and anesthesiologist Yu Yongqi decided to perform a gastroscope inspection assisted by TCM acupuncture anesthesia on Dut.

The doctors recommended this treatment after discovering Dut's poor health conditions and his body's intolerance to conventional gastroscopy, in addition to avoiding the high risk of gastroscopy under general anesthesia.

"During the examination, precise acupuncture anesthesia gave full support and an effective guarantee to smooth gastroscopy examination which was also monitored by anesthesiologists. Through close cooperation, Chinese doctors successfully found the invasive lesions in the patient's gastric antrum," Xu told Xinhua on Tuesday in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Gastroscopy is an important method of gastrointestinal endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive system diseases. Invasive lesions are malignant cellular populations that have increased in size and infiltrated the surrounding tissues.

Xu said that this was the first gastroscopy performed with acupuncture-assisted anesthesia in the medical field of South Sudan.

"The patient had no obvious discomfort during the entire examination, and was suggested to go to the surgery department for further treatment after the gastroscopy," Xu said.

Xu noted that his team applied the traditional acupuncture therapy of Chinese medicine to gastroscopy, to achieve the purpose of anesthesia reducing pain during the endoscope examination.

"The successful gastroscopy of this time, combining advantages of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine, not only demonstrates the diagnosis and treatment level of the medical team but also shows the unique fascination of TCM and created a new starting point in the medical field of South Sudan," he added.

Xu said that the 10th batch of China's medical team would give full play to TCM in the diagnosis and treatment, using their creative concept and skillful medical practice to benefit the health of South Sudanese.

Acupuncture has been used in China and around parts of the world for more than 2,000 years. The technique involves inserting thin needles into the skin, most commonly at traditional acupuncture point locations, and stimulating them either manually or electrically.

The manual stimulation technique involves the manipulation of needles through rotation, lifting, and thrusting, while the electrical stimulation technique applies a small electrical current to stimulate the needles. 

A Chinese doctor does gastroscopy assisted by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture anesthesia at the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Sept. 21, 2022. (Photo by Denis Elamu/Xinhua)
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- As the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is drawing near, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, president of the People's Republic of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited an exhibition themed "Forging Ahead in the New Era" at Beijing Exhibition Center on September 27. Xi stressed, since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee has united and led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in solving many tough problems that were long on the agenda but remained unsolved, accomplishing many things of vital importance and long-term significance, and withstanding the test brought about by risks and challenges from political, economic, ideological, and natural domains. We have scored historic achievements and shifts in the cause of the Party and the state. All these have provided the journey to great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with more robust institutions, stronger material foundations, and a source of inspiration for taking greater initiative.

We should give as much publicity as possible to the strategic measures we have taken, great practices we have conducted, pioneering breakthroughs we have made as well as landmark achievements we have accomplished during the past decade. We should also publicize the milestone significance of the ten-year great transformation in the history of the Party, of the People's Republic of China, of the reform and opening up, and of the development of socialism and the Chinese nation. The whole Party and people of all ethnic groups will thus be inspired to gain greater confidence and initiative from history, become more vigorous, resolute and united in striving forward to write a new chapter of building a modern socialist country in all respects and achieve new success of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng visited the exhibition.

At 3:45 p.m., Xi and other leaders arrived at Beijing Exhibition Center, and walked into the exhibition hall. Themed "Forging Ahead in the New Era," the exhibition takes as a thread the governance by the CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, since the 18th CPC National Congress and focuses on the great achievements and extraordinary reforms and changes in the cause of the Party and the state over the past 10 years into the new era. It exhibits the new stage and latest progress in development and explains the strengths and drivers behind the changes. It demonstrates the Chinese communists' political and theoretical guidance in the new era and displays the solidarity, hard work and entrepreneurship of the general public as well. With a total area of over 30,000 square meters, the exhibition is divided into six parts -- the preface, central comprehensive exhibition, local exhibitions, the outlook, as well as an outdoor area and an area for interactions. Boasting over 6,000 exhibits such as pictures, objects and models, the exhibition offers a multi-dimensional display with rich contents.

There are independently-developed key products and models that showcase the great achievements our country has made in terms of its science and technology level and manufacturing capacity. There are medals and decorations reflecting China's increasingly complete and enriched award system and national-level major publication "The Revitalization Library." There are objects, diagrams and pictures vividly showcasing China's battle against poverty and response to the COVID-19 epidemic. There are simulated sand plates of a multilevel, 3D remote sensing ecological monitoring system involving a space-air-ground integrated network featuring the coordinated use of space-based satellites, aerial platforms and drones, ground-based monitoring vehicles and observation facilities. There are models of weaponry. There are also display boards and objects illustrating a holistic approach to national security and what the Party has achieved in developing its rules and regulations. Also on display is the 3D electronic map presenting the achievements of the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, and so is the sand table of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area demonstrating the highlights of its planning and building, rail construction, and scientific and technological innovations. These objects, models, vivid videos as well as pictures and charts drew the attention of Xi and other leaders. They would once in a while stop to watch a particular exhibit, listen to the stand-attendants and inquire about relevant information.

Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairpersons of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, state councilors, president of the Supreme People's Court, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, vice chairpersons of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee and members of the Central Military Commission also visited the exhibition. 
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- In their general debate speeches at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, leaders and senior representatives from developing countries underscored the importance of development and called on the international community to lend a helping hand to developing countries facing challenges.

Furthermore, the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China is hailed as "timely" and a valued contribution to addressing common challenges.

Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said that Africa is the continent "most affected" by spillovers from the current geopolitical crises, bearing the brunt of increases in food and energy prices, which have undermined sustainable development gains.

President of Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera said his country's development has been slowed by serious security and health crises in recent years, exacerbated by "the persistent lack of international financial support," which has interrupted both agriculture and mining.

Several leaders and senior representatives expressed their commitment to overcoming difficulties and giving priority to development. Meanwhile, they urged the international community, particularly developed economies, to lend a helping hand to developing nations.

Touadera hoped the Extended Credit Facility program, which was suspended by the International Monetary Fund, would be reestablished.

The president outlined further challenges his country faces which could be remedied through regional and international mechanisms. Among them, he cited development of transport, energy, water, education and healthcare infrastructure with financing through public-private partnerships in order to develop a resilient economy "capable of withstanding internal and external shocks through diversification and new technologies."

Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith told the gathering that his government presented two voluntary national reviews detailing progress in and challenges to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals through its National Socioeconomic Development Plans, 2030 Vision and Green Growth Strategy.

Stressing that the existing global economic and financial architecture is "weighed against developing countries," James Marape, prime minister of Papua New Guinea, urged structural change.

He supported fellow small island developing states' call for consideration of their development financing needs by taking into account their dimensions of vulnerability rather than their gross national income and urged the international community to support the proposed SIDS (small island developing states) Multi Vulnerability Index.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen Hassen emphasized the importance of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, while underlining the importance of reforming the global financial architecture to ensure more equitable, speedy and collaborative cooperation based on the needs and potential of least developed countries.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez noted that the international community "must abandon the economic and financial practices that the developed world has forced on the developing one," as maintaining the status quo will only increase poverty and marginalization.

He added that the international community "must advance a form of development that benefits all," and cooperation is needed to address urgent challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and plastic pollution.

"For least developing countries like the Solomon Islands, vulnerability is a key hindrance to sustainable development," said Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, underlining the "inadequacy of indicators to measure vulnerability."

He thus called on all states and partners to support the development and adoption of a multidimensional vulnerability index.

The international community has given thumbs-up to the GDI.

Munir Akram, chairperson of the Group of 77 and China, and also Pakistani permanent representative to the UN, said the GDI is "timely" for developing countries struggling with food shortages, climate change, and insufficient financing.

"The holistic Global Development Initiative is a valued contribution to addressing common challenges and accelerating the transition to a more sustainable and inclusive future," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his video remarks to the ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative, which was held on Sept. 20. 
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Germany have discussed the current state and development directions of the economic partnership between the two countries, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during a meeting between Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov and German Ambassador Ralf Horlemann.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed cooperation prospects in the field of investments, energy, Twinning projects, and business support.

"During the meeting with Ralf Horlemann, German Ambassador to Azerbaijan (@GerAmb_Baku), we discussed the current state and development directions of the economic partnership between our countries, as well as the cooperation prospects in the fields of #investment-s, #energy, Twinning projects and business support," Mikayil Jabbarov twitted.

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.
CHONGQING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- With the burgeoning growth of China's "prefabricated food" industry, Chongqing xiaomian (spicy noodles), popular street food in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, is tapping the novel business model to expand its market.

Chongqing's Dadukou District established an industrial park in August 2021, particularly aimed at cultivating a larger market for its signature xiaomian.

"In total, Chongqing has about 84,000 xiaomian eateries, selling 13 million bowls of the spicy noodles a day and garnering an annual sale of nearly 40 billion yuan," said Li Xiaodan, deputy director of the district commission of economy and informatization.

The strong vitality of Chongqing xiaomian is not just limited to offline stores and it is highly likely that it will capture the hearts of consumers in the ready-to-eat food market as well, Li added.

Business figures have in a way validated Li's optimism. From January to July this year, the industrial park produced prefabricated xiaomian with an output value of 147 million yuan.

As a local company that began to sell ready-made xiaomian seven years ago ahead of other competitors in the fledging market, Chongqing Kings Noodle Management Co., Ltd. has rolled out 17 kinds of the delicious noodles under its brand "Kings Noodle."

"In the first seven months of 2022, we sold nearly 30 million yuan of xiaomian, of which approximately one-fifth were exported to more than 10 countries," said Li Junxi, the manager of the company.

"To our surprise, most of the overseas clients reached out to us initially because they believed the ready-to-eat xiaomian could allow foreign consumers to taste authentic Chinese food in a more economical way," Li added.

Although "xiaomian" means "small noodles" in Chinese, this does not imply that the ingredients and production process of this delicacy are simple.

There are three to four components in a serving of ready-made xiaomian, including noodles, toppings and sauces, but more than 30 types of seasonings are required to create a flavor that is more palatable to the masses.

"We even invested millions of yuan to do research in collaboration with colleges and universities, merely to make sure the noodles are chewy enough or can be preserved for more than four months," said Fu Yong, chairman of Chongqing Jingguyuan Food Technology Co., Ltd., which joined the ready-made xiaomian fray last year.

Fu added that starting in 2021, the company has spent 13 months on product research. Although the ready-to-eat xiaomian products have been on the market for just two months from June to August, the offline sales already exceeded 1 million yuan.

China's current prefabricated food market size has the potential to reach 1 trillion yuan in the next six to seven years, according to a report released by Shenzhen-based research firm AskCI Consulting.

Dadukou District has also set a sales target of 10 billion yuan for the ready-made food market with xiaomian taking the lead.

"The spicy xiaomian has a history of over 400 years in Chongqing. With the advent of new technologies, we have the confidence to turn this street delicacy into a chain brand and let the entire world savor its flavor," Li Xiaodan said. 
by Sanaa Kamal

RAMALLAH, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Etihad Ayyad, a farmer from the West Bank city of Jericho, has recently become the first Palestinian woman to obtain a tractor driver's license.

After her husband, who used to work with her on their 30-dunum (3 hectares) land, left the field to work elsewhere as a driver, the 50-year-old mother of six decided to earn her own driver's license because she didn't want to lose the land that she had been working on for 20 years.

"I need a driver's license to transport my agriculture products between the Palestinian cities," Ayyad told Xinhua.

At first, Palestinians were shocked to see her driving a huge tractor.

"Some said I was mad, while others said I was bold to drive a such tractor," Ayyad said.

But soon, Ayyad became an icon for local women as she not only successfully saved her land but also earned enough money to help her husband and support the family.

"I succeeded in recruiting at least eight female farmers to work with me and we do all the tasks that the men were supposed to carry out," she said with a proud smile.

"Now, I can say that there is no profession that is exclusive to men," she added.

Najah Mohammed, a 44-year-old woman working on Ayyad's land, told Xinhua that "even if men leave the land, we (women) are able to protect ourselves, our land, our history and our future."

"We (the Palestinians) can advance our economic, social and political development if we are able to revive the agricultural field, because it is the basis of development and progress in all fields," Najah said while ploughing the land.

The Palestinian governorate of Jericho and Valley is traditionally an attractive place for agriculture due to its fertile soil and abundant water resources. However, Israeli authorities had prevented water from reaching the Palestinians' land and restricted their access to local markets, bringing many difficulties to their farm work, according to Ayyad.

"Israel follows a reprehensible policy of displacing us from our land by preventing us from farming and investing in our land," said Ayyad. "But for me, the farmer is the first soldier to protect our land from Israel's takeover and settlers," she says.

Unfortunately, Ayyad said, most local farmers had abandoned their lands because they were unable to earn enough money to support their families, and a big number of them instead chose to work in Israel, where the salary is higher.

The exodus of farmers could threaten the existence of the local agricultural products, said Ayyad.

Riyad Al-Atari, Palestinian Minister of Agriculture in the West Bank, praised Ayyad's initiative to employ women in the field of agriculture.

"The Palestinian woman is a pioneer by nature, and she is an essential partner for men in building and developing the Palestinian society," he told Xinhua, adding his ministry supports all women's initiatives aimed at creating jobs for women. 
A woman displays her Chinese name in Chinese calligraphy at a community library in Wellington, New Zealand, Sept. 27, 2022. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)

The rising popularity of the Chinese language in the wider New Zealand society is a reflection of the ever closer relations between the two countries, said Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong.

WELLINGTON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The opening reception of New Zealand Chinese Language Week 2022 was held on Monday evening at the Grand Hall of Parliament Buildings in Wellington.

During this week, New Zealand will host a series of traditional Chinese cultural activities.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern extended her congratulations to the event in a video speech starting with greetings in Chinese.

"Since 2014, New Zealand Chinese language week has helped promote and encourage Chinese language learning here in New Zealand," she said.

Ardern encouraged more New Zealanders to learn the Chinese language. "Our country is home to more than 240,000 Chinese New Zealanders who all play a significant role in contributing to our diverse culture. Communicating with someone in their language let you see things from a different perspective. So even if it is as simple as learning a new greeting, I encourage you to give Chinese a go this week."

Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows a scene of a Chinese calligraphy experience activity at a community library in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)

Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong said that the rising popularity of the Chinese language in the wider New Zealand society is a reflection of the ever closer relations between the two countries.

"This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations," Wang said, noting that over the past 50 years, both sides have been open and inclusive enough to appreciate and learn from each other, in that process promoting practical cooperation for mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.

"From what we have seen today eight years after its inauguration, New Zealand Chinese Language Week has grown into a signature brand of the multi-layered and multi-faceted people-to-people links between our two countries, which have underpinned the growth of our overall friendship, culminating in the evolving comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries," Wang said.

A student learns Chinese calligraphy as a Chinese instructor helps at a community library in Wellington, New Zealand, Sept. 27, 2022. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)

Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Adrian Rurawhe, Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities Priyanca Radhakrishnan and Ambassador Wang presented the 2022 Youth Ambassadors and Mandarin Superstars with honorary certificates together.

The New Zealand Chinese Language Week was first held in 2014. It is another language week held in New Zealand after the Maori Language Week and the Pacific Island Language Week.
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Over the past decade, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has made a series of agricultural sci-tech achievements, providing strong support for the country's food safety, according to the CAAS.

In a summary of its work since 2012, the CAAS said its scientists discovered and cloned the genes that hindered the utilization of rice heterosis for the first time, providing important gene resources and feasible solutions to solve the problem of hybrid sterility in rice.

The discovery of the key genes for the formation of the bitter taste in cucumber fruit is also one of the many key discoveries in crop omics and genetics made by the CAAS.

It has also made breakthroughs in crop pest control and prevention, contributing to national food security.

Focusing on the frequent occurrence of primary diseases and insect pests of major crops and alien invasive organisms, the CAAS carried out theoretical research and engineering system construction of whole chain prevention and control.

It established a real-time monitoring and early warning technology system for fall armyworm prevention and developed a series of key technologies and programs to support the prevention and control of fall armyworm nationwide, which has been recommended globally by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. 
The prize-winners of the Chinese characters writing contest for Vietnamese university students pose for photos with the organizers of the contest and representatives of teachers at Hanoi University in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 25, 2022. (Confucius Institute at Hanoi University/Handout via Xinhua)

Vietnamese students celebrated Chinese Culture Week and Global Confucius Institute Day by participating in a series of activities such as Chinese characters writing contests, painting, paper-cutting and wearing Chinese hanfu, thus boosting the art and cultural exchange between the two countries.

HANOI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- A series of activities were held at Hanoi University in the Vietnamese capital from Sunday to Tuesday to celebrate the Chinese Culture Week and the Global Confucius Institute Day.

Co-hosted by the Confucius Institute at Hanoi University and Duxiu Bookstore at Hanoi University, the activities included contests of writing Chinese characters among Vietnamese students, a number of cultural experience subjects, and an art performance.

Le Chi Nghia from Hanoi and Do Thi Huyen Trang from the northern city of Hai Phong won the university students' and high school students' Chinese character writing contests, respectively.

Two Vietnamese students try traditional Chinese painting at Hanoi University in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Shengxiong)

Luo Jun, a principal of the Confucius Institute at Hanoi University, told Xinhua that the growing economic, trade and cultural exchanges between China and Vietnam had raised the standard for nurturing talent in the Chinese language, and the contests could both show the students' capability and the quality of the Chinese language education among Vietnamese students.

Over the three days, over 1,500 students and people from all walks of life participated in the cultural experience subjects at Hanoi University, such as traditional Chinese painting, paper cutting, and hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group. An art performance was held on Tuesday afternoon to culminate the event.

Le Thi Thanh Tam, a Vietnamese student who was admitted to Fujian Normal University, took part in the activities wearing hanfu, and told Xinhua that although she had watched a number of Chinese series set in ancient times, it was her first try of hanfu, and she felt excited as if she was taken back to those times.

The first Global Confucius Institute Day was observed in Vietnam on Sept. 27, 2014.
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Wednesday urged the United States to honor its commitment to the one-China principle in a simple and straightforward way.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily media briefing when commenting on U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris's remarks ealier in the day that Washington would continue to deepen its "unofficial ties" with Taiwan.

"We have also noticed that Harris said 'China is undermining key elements of the international rules-based order' during her visit to Japan," Wang said, noting that, however, the United States itself is the destroyer of international order.

The spokesperson said that U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in disregard of China's four-month-long dissuasion, made a provocative visit to China's Taiwan region and referred to Taiwan as a "country" in August, which seriously violates China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, hurts China-U.S. relations and undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

He noted that the one-China principle is a prevailing consensus of the international community and a basic norm governing international relations, and it is also the political foundation for the establishment and development of diplomatic ties between China and the United States.

The United States has acknowledged clearly in the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China, and recognized the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China, Wang said, adding that the U.S. side has stated clearly that it has no intention of infringing on Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity, or interfering in China's internal affairs, or pursuing a policy of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."

"Keeping one's word is the most basic rule," Wang said. "If the U.S. side doesn't even honor its own commitments, how is it qualified to talk about rules? It will only become a destroyer of international rules," Wang added.

"We urge the U.S. side to honor its commitments, return to the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques and the one-China principle in their true and original forms, reaffirm its commitment to the one-China principle in the simple and straightforward way, and state its opposition to all 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities with absolute clarity," the spokesperson said. 
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called for efforts to open the door for a political settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

The recent developments in Ukraine show that peace must be pursued and upheld by all. Bloc confrontation, political isolation, sanctions, and pressurization will only lead to a dead end, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"The task at hand is to push the parties to open the door for a political settlement as soon as possible, to include the respective legitimate concerns in the negotiations, and to put all viable options on the table," he told a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

The signing of the Black Sea Grain Initiative has already shown that even in conflict situations, diplomacy can produce results and bring hope, he said.

To uphold the international order based on international law and adhere to the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should not be mere political slogans, said Zhang.

The Security Council, as the core of the international collective security mechanism, should make full use of the mediation tools given by the charter and stick to the right direction of cease-fire and peace talks. It should, in particular, take constructive and responsible actions to accumulate conditions and open up space for a political solution, he said.

China will work with all peace-loving countries to continue to make unremitting efforts to de-escalate the situation and resolve the crisis, he added.

China has noted the latest changes in the situation in Ukraine and has listened carefully to the views expressed by the parties in this regard. China's position is consistent and clear: the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the crisis should be supported. China has always stood on the side of peace with a commitment to promoting peace and dialogue, and will continue to play a constructive role, he said. 
CHANGCHUN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Seventeen people were killed and another three injured in a restaurant fire in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

The local fire brigade received reports of the incident that occurred in the Changchun high-tech industrial development zone at 12:40 p.m. Wednesday. Firefighters immediately rushed to the site for rescue.

As of 3 p.m., the on-site search and rescue work had ended.

The injured are being treated in a local hospital and the cause of the incident is being investigated. 
* Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was unanimously elected a delegate to the Party congress on April 22 in the electoral unit of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

* The other 51 Chinese leaders were also nominated by the CPC Central Committee as candidates and put to the vote in their respective electoral units.

* Xi and other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee took part in elections in border areas with a large ethnic minority population, old revolutionary base areas and key regions where national-level development strategies are implemented, setting an example for leading officials.

* The leaders' election as delegates at respective electoral units and their attendance at group discussions of corresponding delegations at the upcoming Party congress is conducive to strengthening guidance, promoting high-quality development, furthering the implementation of major national development initiatives, as well as building China into a modern socialist country in all respects.

BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Fifty-two Chinese leaders were elected as delegates to attend the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing.

A total of 2,296 delegates, representing more than 96 million CPC members and 4.9 million primary-level Party organizations, will discuss and decide on major issues critical to the future of the Party and the country at the five-yearly congress.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, was unanimously elected a delegate to the Party congress on April 22 in the electoral unit of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The unanimous vote represents the common will of the CPC members and primary-level Party organizations in Guangxi, as well as the wholehearted support of the people in the region for Xi.

Guangxi officials and locals said the past decade has seen historic achievements and historic shifts in the cause of the Party and the country.

The fundamental reason is having Xi steering the cause at the core of the CPC Central Committee and the Party as a whole, as well as having the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

A series of significant achievements over the past decade signify a milestone in the history of both the Party and the country. They include eradicating absolute poverty, attaining a much more balanced, coordinated, and sustainable economic development, and winning a sweeping victory in the anti-corruption campaign.

"Under Xi's leadership, we are living a better life," said Yang Ning, Party chief of Jiangmen Village in Guangxi.

Huang Xu, the first Party secretary stationed in Baini Village said that as long as we follow Xi and the CPC Central Committee, the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will certainly be realized.

The other 51 Chinese leaders were also nominated by the CPC Central Committee as candidates and put to the vote in their respective electoral units.

Xi and other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee took part in elections in border areas with a large ethnic minority population, old revolutionary base areas and key regions where national-level development strategies are implemented, setting an example for leading officials.

Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng -- who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee -- and Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan were elected delegates in Gansu Province, Sichuan Province, Tibet Autonomous Region, Guizhou Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hainan Province and Jiangsu Province, respectively.

The leaders' election as delegates at respective electoral units and their attendance at group discussions of corresponding delegations at the upcoming Party congress is conducive to strengthening guidance, promoting high-quality development, furthering the implementation of major national development initiatives, as well as building China into a modern socialist country in all respects.

Lin Yuqing, deputy head of a middle school in Long'an County in Guangxi's Nanning City, said Xi's participation in the region's election means a lot. Lin said she and her fellow teachers will work tirelessly in their posts to boost education in ethnic minority regions.

Liu Lanyi, a primary-level Party official in Gansu Province, said she is encouraged to do a better job in meeting the needs of residents in the neighborhood she is in charge of and help them solve their everyday concerns.

Xu Chuan, a professor at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, said Party members and officials now have better appreciation of the fact that the strength of the CPC comes from the leadership core of the CPC Central Committee and the Party as a whole.

"We are sure that Xi will lead us to a more prosperous future," said a young village Party chief of a remote Yi ethnic autonomous county in Sichuan Province, calling on fellow young people to contribute to the country's rural revitalization drive. 
NEW DELHI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government decided on Wednesday to extend a free ration scheme for the country's needy people for three more months.

"The cabinet under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister has approved to grant an extension to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (Prime Minister's Food Security Scheme for the Poor) for another three months," Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said.

"More than 800 million people benefited because of this and in the next three months around 122 lakh (12.2 million) metric tonnes of food grains will be given to these 800 million people," he said.

The scheme started during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Under the scheme, 5 kg of free food grains were provided to beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

The scheme was originally scheduled to end on Sept. 30.

Political observers said the scheme has helped the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) repeat the victory in local elections in Uttar Pradesh earlier this year and the decision to extend it further might have been taken in view of the upcoming local elections scheduled in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. 
Azerbaijan, which has been delivering gas to Europe through the Southern Gas Corridor since 2020, has big potential to increase its deliveries, Ambassador of Germany to Azerbaijan Ralf Horlemann told Trend in an exclusive interview.

Energy has become a very critical and important issue ever since Russia invaded Ukraine and started to misuse energy as a weapon. Europe had to react and reorganize its energy import policy. We had to substitute for the Russian pipeline gas and started to increase imports from other sources. Now, there are a number of providers that are providing more gas to the EU than they did in the past, he noted.

According to the ambassador, Germany sees great potential in energy cooperation with Azerbaijan.

This would be perfectly in the interest of the EU to diversify its energy imports. In a couple of years, and, with an upgrade of pipeline capacities, Azerbaijan could export 20 billion cubic meters to the EU. As you well know, recently the President of the EU Commission Mrs. von der Leyen was here to conclude the Memorandum of Understanding with Azerbaijan, highlighting exactly this situation, he said.

As Horlemann pointed out, as it is a very important issue for Germany, the country would like to put the main focus on cooperation in renewable energy sources with Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan has a huge potential in producing renewables, in terms of solar power, wind energy, and green hydrogen. It would be very interesting for the EU to tap this potential in order to meet its CO2 emission reduction targets. Therefore, we see big potential for more cooperation with Azerbaijan. German companies, of course, with their technologies, the experience, can contribute a lot in this regard, he added.

Horlemann noted that there are many German companies active in the renewable energy sector, several of which visited Azerbaijan in June 2022.

German companies are always looking for investment opportunities, and they are looking worldwide for the best conditions. We perceive a huge interest also in Azerbaijan, and we are happy about some recent investments related to the energy sector. For example, there is a joint venture between a German and an Azerbaijani company to produce aluminum - a big investment of 300 million euros, he said.

According to the ambassador, the investment was made in Azerbaijan because of comparatively cheap energy sources available here, including renewable energy.

This would open the door for Azerbaijan to the European market, which will import more and more sustainably developed products in the future, including green aluminum, he added.

Germany holds an intensive dialogue with the Azerbaijani government on the potential in the renewable energy sector, including the prospects for green hydrogen production, the ambassador noted.

There is an ongoing dialogue between the two governments. Just last Monday, I met the energy minister of Azerbaijan, Mr. Shahbazov, to talk, among other things, about green hydrogen. We understand that the Azerbaijani government is very interested to develop this sector, because they see that there is a huge market, especially in the EU. Azerbaijan has a huge potential in producing renewables, in terms of solar power, wind energy, and green hydrogen, which could be exported to the EU market. The production of hydrogen is a very energy-intensive process. So, if you want to produce hydrogen at a competitive cost, you need renewable energy sources, because they are basically for free, apart from the initial investment you have to make. With the CO2 emission reduction targets of the EU as of 2030, we need to dramatically reduce our CO2 emissions, especially in the energy-intensive industries, and they can only do so by using green hydrogen in the future, instead of conventional gas, he said.

The ambassador noted the great interest also from the German side, including from the business sector, to engage in the field of renewable energy with Azerbaijan.

We hope to develop and participate in new projects, proposed by the Azerbaijani side. And, wherever there are public tenders, I am very optimistic and confident that German companies with their huge expertise in the sector will take part. With the very high share of renewable energy sources in the German electricity sector, for example, we are very well-placed to participate in the Azerbaijani market in this field, he added.

Further speaking, Ambassador Horlemann noted that, fortunately, in the first half of this year there is a strong rebound also in the bilateral trade between Germany and Azerbaijan, and this is a good basis to develop trade and increase exports in various fields.

One is where Germany traditionally has been very strong, and that is machine building, automotive industry, electronics, chemicals, and etc. There is a second field, which I would like to mention - infrastructure and logistics. Azerbaijan is developing as a hub between East and West. The Middle Corridor project. And there is a huge need for more investments in the logistics and infrastructure of Azerbaijan, in order to cope with the rising flow of trade and investments. So, German companies are very strong in this respect. And the third, and we talked about this before, is the whole sector of renewable energy sources, where German companies have a lot to offer in terms of technology, and where Germany is, politically speaking, a worldwide leader, he explained.

Speaking about the most promising spheres of cooperation between Germany and Azerbaijan, the ambassador highlighted several fields.

There are already, I think, over 200 German companies active in Azerbaijan. Around 170 are members of the Azerbaijani-German chamber of commerce. So there is already a great activity going on. And, I think that particularly in the field of energy and renewables there is the biggest potential for the future. And then, again, when we look at the needs of Azerbaijan, what needs to be done, I come back to the whole sector of infrastructure and logistics, he said.

Regarding the restoration process in Karabakh, and Germanys role in it, Horlemann noted that Germany sees enormous potential for its companies to participate in the reconstruction process.

When it comes to the reconstruction process in Karabakh, there is a huge potential for German companies to participate, and the sectors where Germany is traditionally very strong, like machine building, the automotive industry, chemical industry and electronics, he said.

Germany would be particularly interested in such sectors as sustainable cities, which goes together with renewable energy sources and the concept of smart cities, then, anything that goes down to basic infrastructure and logistics, Horlemann noted.

A German company, for example, took part in the construction of Fuzuli airport. I think, in Karabakh, there is a need to construct roads, and whole cities, basically. That is where German companies could engage and contribute a lot, he said.

According to the ambassador, Germany, with its own experience of reunification and reconstruction in East Germany, is very well aware of the magnitude of the task ahead of Azerbaijan in reconstructing Karabakh.

It is a huge task. And we also share the feelings of the Azerbaijani people concerning the importance of reconstruction, because, during the German reunification and the reconstruction process, there evolved a lot of, lets say, positive energy from all sectors in the society to engage in reconstruction. So, we have great sympathy and understanding of this situation, he said.

As Horlemann noted, what is important for an engagement of German companies in the reconstruction process is a stable security situation.

Firstly, mine-clearance needs to be done. Secondly, there should be a stable environment for investments. In that respect, a peace agreement with Armenia would be of paramount importance in order to create an environment that is attractive for investors. German investors always think long-term, that is why they are well known to be reliable partners in the long run, he said, adding that if Azerbaijan decides to go for major investments in the long run, a stable investment environment is very important.

The ambassador also pointed out the importance of demining activities of the economic development and the reconstruction of Karabakh.

Germany has been a leader in the global effort to ban land mines for many years. And we have been engaged in various regions in the world, in Europe in the Balkans, for example, in Africa. There is a lot of knowledge and technology also among German companies, and there is a lot of support for multilateral organizations, mostly the UN, to financially support demining activities worldwide. We are doing the same in the case of Azerbaijan, he said.

As the ambassador noted, if Azerbaijan was to join the Ottawa Convention to ban land mines, this would help Germany to contribute even more.

Further speaking, Ambassador Horlemann said that Germany is very optimistic to deepen the dynamic relations with Azerbaijan, which developed over the last 30 years.

Beyond trade and economics, there is of course already a lot of cooperation in the cultural sector. There is a keen interest in Germany to engage with Azerbaijan in the cultural field even further. We have just started a new project on the restoration of historic photos in the Shirvanshakh museum. This is not only about the restoration of photos, but also about passing on the best practices, he said.

As Horlemann noted, and this shouldnt be underestimated, there is a huge exchange of people traveling to Germany, and Azerbaijan.

Human contacts are very important. There are a number of German and Azerbaijani twin cities that have very lively partnerships: Baku with the city of Mainz, Sumgayit with Ludwigshafen. All this is important to promote contacts between the two societies and people, which is practically the basis of everything we do together, he added.

Wrapping up, the ambassador highlighted the importance of the upcoming celebration of the German Unity Day and noted that Azerbaijan and Germany are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year, and, of course, both countries have regained full sovereignty and their independence and became strong independent states, and that has been a very good basis for the development of the relationship.

Of course, for us Germans, the 3rd of October, 1990, when both Germanys were reunited, is of very high historic and political importance, because it also signified the end of the Cold War and the division of Europe. So, it has a European, and even a global dimension. It was the end of the East-West confrontation, and the wall came down. We had an opportunity to reunite Europe as a whole. Of course, when it comes to the German reunification, and then the reconstruction, I talked about it in the context of Karabakh, there was no ready-made plan we had in our drawers. We had to improvise a lot, which was also good, to some extent because we were very flexible. But it was a big task: the East German economic system had to change from a planned economy to a market economy; thousands of billions of Deutschmark and Euros were invested in the infrastructure, raising the standard of living of the East Germans; East Germans gained their freedom overnight, but many also lost their jobs overnight; we had to introduce the Deutschmark in East Germany as a common currency; and so on. This is a generational task, something you cannot conclude even in a decade, it takes a whole generation. Yet, of course, the process is still ongoing. But we have come a long way with bringing both parts of Germany together. It has been a success story. Now, what does it have to do with Azerbaijan? Azerbaijan gained its independence roughly one year after German reunification, so, pretty much the same time. We are celebrating the 30th anniversary of our diplomatic relations this year, and, of course, both countries have regained full sovereignty and their independence and become strong independent states, and that has been a very good basis for the development of our relationship. Our relationship has developed very dynamically, and we are very optimistic that we can continue on that road, he concluded.




ISLAMABAD, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani experts and officials said on Tuesday that the ironclad friendship between Pakistan and China continued to flourish with each passing day and year, and remained steadfast despite changes in the regional and global arena.

The deep-rooted friendship between the two countries is achieving new heights of strength based on trust and mutual support, and Pakistan and China will continue to work together to further cement the friendly relations, the experts said at a celebration ceremony related to the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China organized by the Pakistan-China Friendship Association (PCFA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province chapter.

Addressing the ceremony, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Local Government, Elections & Rural Development Faisal Amin Gandapur said that China has always stood by Pakistan in every difficult time.

"China has helped Pakistan in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and provided much-needed supplies including vaccines, equipment, and masks besides sending teams of medical experts, playing a vital role in strengthening the health care system of Pakistan," he said, adding that China has now been providing relief goods and cash support for floods victims as the recent catastrophic floods in Pakistan affected millions of people.

He said that Pakistan has a lot to learn from China's poverty alleviation program as China has lifted over 800 million people out of poverty, setting an unprecedented example for the world to follow.

The minister stressed that there is a need to further boost the all-weather strategic cooperative friendship and partnership, saying the provincial governments are working to further enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Yousaf Ayub khan, president of PCFA, said that a number of projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, has proved to be a stimulus for Pakistan's economy.

"CPEC has helped Pakistan in alleviating severe energy shortages and improving infrastructure in the first phase," he said, adding that the CPEC has now entered into a new high-quality stage of development with a special focus on benefiting more people. 
Aerial photo taken on Sept. 15, 2022 shows villagers sorting and packaging yellow peaches in Dongjiuzhai Township of Zunhua, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Just ahead of the fifth Chinese farmers' harvest festival that fell on Friday, village Party chief Wang Weiwei, sat down with his predecessor Cao Hui, as usual, to do an assessment.

"This year, the output value of the village has reached 400 million yuan (about 56 million U.S. dollars), and the per capita disposable income is close to 20,000 yuan," said Cao, of Yanglang Village, Guyuan City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

With some 2,600 farmers, the mountain village in Xihaigu, a region once deemed "uninhabitable," has ushered in a bumper year, again.

The once impoverished village has transformed into a land of wealth, boasting industries such as wine-making, foundry and rural tourism.

The impressive report card is a result of decades of unremitting efforts of villagers, led by members of the Communist Party of China.

STRONG LEADERSHIP

Yanglang's Party members take charge of leading the development of the pillar industries in the village. Through brand building and technological upgrading, the village Party organization has led local residents to shake off poverty and pave a road toward prosperity.

The story of Yanglang is not a unique one as such transformations, with Party cadres leading the anti-poverty campaign and promoting rural revitalization, can be seen across the country.

China has always put agriculture and rural areas high on the agenda of its economic work. As the country has eliminated absolute poverty, rural revitalization has breathed new life into China's agriculture sector and villages.

Over the past years, millions of cadres have been dispatched to villages to help reduce poverty in a targeted approach, consolidate achievements in poverty alleviation, and advance rural revitalization in an all-around way.

Selected from Party and state organs, state-owned enterprises and public institutions, the cadres are required to contribute to the development of rural industries to help villagers increase their income and promote high-quality agricultural and rural development. They are also tasked with strengthening rural Party organizations, improving rural governance and providing better services to villagers.

PAIRING-UP ASSISTANCE

Over the past five years, more than 3,000 on-the-job cadres and other personnel from Shanghai have been sent to southwest China's Yunnan Province, bringing funds, advanced concepts and technologies to the less-developed areas. In the meantime, over 3,000 cadres and others in Yunnan have also traveled to the east China metropolis for self-improvement.

This is part of China's "pairing-up" approach, which pairs less-developed western regions with wealthier eastern areas that provide dedicated support in terms of capital, technology, personnel and other resources to fight poverty and boost development.

In Lanping Bai and Pumi Autonomous County, Yunnan, advanced computer-controlled cultivation systems have spurred local fruit farming development.

At present, there are 3,200 mu (about 213 hectares) of strawberries and 3,450 mu of cherries in an industrial park in Lanping.

"The selling price of our blueberries even exceeds that of imported ones," said a park staffer, adding that the industrial park earned an operating income of more than 20 million yuan last year, and the output of blueberries reached 300 tonnes this year, and is expected to more than double next year.

Thanks to the assistance from east China's coastal Fujian Province, once poverty-stricken villages deep in the barren mountains of Ningxia have seen a sea change over the past decades.

By the end of 2020, Fujian had invested about 3.37 billion yuan in over 4,000 projects in Ningxia.

THRIVING INDUSTRIES

Thriving industries are the foundation for rural revitalization and sustainable development in rural areas.

Over the past years, China has strived to empower rural revitalization with the development of specialized industries.

Niejiazhuang Village in Jiangzhuang Township of Gaomi City, east China's Shandong Province, is a cradle of clay sculpture, a form of national intangible cultural heritage.

Yet for a certain period, like many cultural heritages, the traditional handicraft was staring at a gloomy future with sluggish sales and few new practitioners.

To revive the industry and help locals cash in on their handicrafts, local authorities made concerted efforts to improve logistics, technology, management, promotion and sales.

Today, over 5,000 people in Jiangzhuang Township are engaged in the research, design and production of intangible cultural heritage-related products. Over 400,000 mud tigers, a signature clay product there, are made every year, with the total annual sales revenue exceeding 10 million yuan.

Rural industries have seen steady development and expanded the channels for farmers to increase their employment and income. The per capita disposable income of rural residents rose 4.2 percent in real terms to 9,787 yuan in the first half of this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The rural industrial system will be improved to create more job opportunities and generate a greater share of profits for farmers, according to government plans. 
WELLINGTON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand Westpac McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index (ECI), released on Wednesday, rose by 6.7 points to 115.2 in the third quarter, the highest level for the index since June 2019.

Perceptions about job opportunities remain the strongest aspect of the survey, said Michael Gordon, acting chief economist for Westpac, one of New Zealand's major bank.

"This likely reflects the high degree of churn among existing roles, even as outright growth in employment has stalled," Gordon said.

More households reported a lift in earnings over the last year, he said. However, this measure remains well below pre-COVID-19 levels. Expected growth in earnings has also remained subdued.

Official labor market data shows a strong lift in wage and salary growth in the last year, Gordon noted. "However, that's happened at the same time that the cost of living has soared. The survey results may reflect a feeling among households that they've been running to stand still."

"Private sector employees are much more concerned about their future job opportunities as well as their personal job security over the coming year, while public sector employees are buoyant with a positive view of both their current employment conditions and their expectations for the future," said Imogen Rendall, Market Research Director of McDermott Miller Limited.

The survey was conducted over Sept. 1 to 12, with a sample size of 1,559. 
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen arrives for the second day meeting of the European Union (EU) special summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 2, 2020. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua)

On Monday, Danish and Swedish officials said that leaks had been identified in two natural gas pipelines -- Nord Stream 1 and its twin, Nord Stream 2 -- under the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark's Bornholm island, near the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden.

COPENHAGEN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The government of Denmark considers the Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks "deliberate actions," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said here on Tuesday.

"It is the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident," Frederiksen told journalists.

Photo taken on Sept. 14, 2022 shows the facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline in Lubmin, Germany. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei)

On Monday, Danish and Swedish officials said that leaks had been identified in two natural gas pipelines -- Nord Stream 1 and its twin, Nord Stream 2 -- under the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark's Bornholm island, near the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden.

Frederiksen said that "two explosions" have been registered, but she refused to speculate as to who might be responsible.

Dan Jorgensen, minister for climate, energy and utilities, said that "The gas pipes lie at a depth of 70 to 90 meters and consist of over 12-centimeter thick layers of steel and concrete, respectively. The nature of the leaks indicates that there are such large holes that it cannot have happened by accident."

He said that the leaks are not expected to cause supply security issues in the short term.

Photo taken on Sept. 14, 2022 shows the facilities of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Lubmin, Germany. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei)

Citing Denmark's foreign intelligence service, Defense Minister Morten Bodskov said that it did not see any increased military threat against Denmark after the leaks.

"I would like to emphasize that the defense intelligence service does not consider that there is an increased military threat to Denmark," Defense Minister Morten Bodskov said.

He added that no advance warnings had been received, but that there had been an increase in tensions around the Baltic Sea.

"This is a serious matter. The defense is increasing its presence around Bornholm," he said.

Bodskov has a previously scheduled meeting dedicated to the Nord Stream pipelines with Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Wednesday morning. 
PHNOM PENH, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- For Veng Bunheang, a 31-year-old master's student at the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC), Cambodia's relations with China are at the best period in history, and that has brought substantial benefits to Cambodia's development in various fields.

"I think the Cambodia-China relations are currently at an all-time high in our history thanks to the frequent exchanges between the top leaders of the two countries," said Bunheang, a master's student at the RAC's International Chinese Education and Teachers Institute (ICETI).

Bunheang said this close relationship has encouraged a lot of Chinese investors and tourists to come to Cambodia.

"Their presence has significantly contributed to Cambodia's socio-economic development and poverty reduction by generating hundreds of thousands of jobs for Cambodian people," he said.

For Veng Sreyleak, a third-year student at the ICETI, China is a key contributor to the development of every field in Cambodia.

"There are a lot of China-backed projects in Cambodia, such as expressway, airports, hydropower plants, special economic zones, stadiums, health and education (projects)," she told Xinhua.

Sreyleak said the Cambodia-China ties are based on mutual trust, respect, help and support, and should be a model for state-to-state relations.

"As the younger generation of Cambodia, we will do our best to continue maintaining and fostering Cambodia-China relations for the continuous benefits of the two countries and peoples," the 24-year-old student said.

Lim Kimheak, another third-year student at the ICETI, said China was the first country to help Cambodia in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, providing the Southeast Asian nation with medical equipment, experts and vaccines to fight the pandemic.

"With China's timely supply of the vaccines, Cambodia has successfully controlled the spread of COVID-19, protecting millions of Cambodian people's lives," she told Xinhua.

In education, Kimheak said China has also played a crucial role as it helped develop human capital for Cambodia by granting many scholarships to Cambodian students every year, while in agriculture, Cambodia's exports of agricultural products such as rice, banana and mango to the Chinese market have seen a steady rise from year to year.

"All in all, Cambodia and China are true friends and real brothers who have always provided mutual help, and no one can break our fraternal friendship," the 25-year-old student said.

"I believe that with the high commitment made by the top leaders of our two countries, our plan to build a community with a shared future between Cambodia and China will be achievable," she added. 
A ceremony marking the 2,573rd birth anniversary of Confucius is held at Confucius Temple in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2022. An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), who founded a school of thought known as Confucianism, profoundly influenced later generations of Chinese society. He was also the first to set up private schools in China that enrolled students from different social classes. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

A ceremony marking the 2,573rd birth anniversary of Confucius is held at Confucius Temple in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2022. An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), who founded a school of thought known as Confucianism, profoundly influenced later generations of Chinese society. He was also the first to set up private schools in China that enrolled students from different social classes. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

A ceremony marking the 2,573rd birth anniversary of Confucius is held at Confucius Temple in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2022. An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), who founded a school of thought known as Confucianism, profoundly influenced later generations of Chinese society. He was also the first to set up private schools in China that enrolled students from different social classes. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

A ceremony marking the 2,573rd birth anniversary of Confucius is held at Confucius Temple in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2022. An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), who founded a school of thought known as Confucianism, profoundly influenced later generations of Chinese society. He was also the first to set up private schools in China that enrolled students from different social classes. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

A ceremony marking the 2,573rd birth anniversary of Confucius is held at Confucius Temple in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2022. An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), who founded a school of thought known as Confucianism, profoundly influenced later generations of Chinese society. He was also the first to set up private schools in China that enrolled students from different social classes. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 28, 2022 shows a ceremony marking the 2,573rd birth anniversary of Confucius held at Confucius Temple in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province. An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), who founded a school of thought known as Confucianism, profoundly influenced later generations of Chinese society. He was also the first to set up private schools in China that enrolled students from different social classes. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

A ceremony marking the 2,573rd birth anniversary of Confucius is held at Confucius Temple in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2022. An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), who founded a school of thought known as Confucianism, profoundly influenced later generations of Chinese society. He was also the first to set up private schools in China that enrolled students from different social classes. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

A ceremony marking the 2,573rd birth anniversary of Confucius is held at Confucius Temple in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2022. An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), who founded a school of thought known as Confucianism, profoundly influenced later generations of Chinese society. He was also the first to set up private schools in China that enrolled students from different social classes. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

A ceremony marking the 2,573rd birth anniversary of Confucius is held at Confucius Temple in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2022. An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), who founded a school of thought known as Confucianism, profoundly influenced later generations of Chinese society. He was also the first to set up private schools in China that enrolled students from different social classes. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)
SANAA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrived in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Wednesday morning to discuss with the Houthi leader the extension of the truce set to expire next week, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.

Grundberg on Tuesday urged the Yemeni parties to renew the truce and pave the way for a nationwide ceasefire and political settlement.

"We are at a crossroads where the risk of a return to war is real and I am urging the parties to choose an alternative that prioritizes the needs of the Yemeni people," Grundberg said in a statement hours before his arrival.

Grundberg's visit came a day after he met with Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam in the Omani capital Muscat.

During the meeting, the Houthi negotiator put forward his group's demands, saying that the blockade on Sanaa airport and Hodeidah seaport "should be completely lifted and all civil servants (in the Houthi-held cities) should be paid," according to al-Masirah TV.

"Renewing the truce without implementing these demands would have no meaning," he added.

Thousands of civil servants in the Houthi rebel-controlled cities have not been paid for over seven years.

On Monday, the UN envoy met with Rashad Al-Alimi, president of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, during which the president and his government welcomed the UN efforts to extend and expand the truce, the state news agency Saba reported.

The truce between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels went into force for the first time on April 2. It was later renewed twice through Oct. 2.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern cities and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. 
Undated file photo shows Wang Daohui working at the Heping forest farm in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (Xinhua)

HARBIN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Standing deep in the mountains amid the dense forest, Wang Daohui pointed out to various trees and named their species with ease, as he is very familiar with the surrounding vegetation.

The former lumberjack who is today a forest ranger was born in 1966 on the Heping forest farm in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. His father was one of the builders of the forest farm, and at that time, the main task of the forest farm was to produce timber.

Young Wang had minimal aspirations for his future and believed he would inherit his father's business and become a forestry worker.

After graduating from junior high school in 1982, Wang began working as a contract logger, climbing up into the mountains to fell trees.

During the winter, the loggers had to spend a month on the mountain enduring the frigid climate. The cold wind was piercing, and after working for a while, the lumberjacks would sweat, and soon their clothes were frozen and their hands turned red, Wang recalled.

"We would usually start work before dawn and return home when the moon rose," Wang said, adding that he worked as a winch operator, responsible for loading the wood.

Wang, who had always thought he would spend his entire life as a lumberjack, heard a piece of shocking news in 2003 that logging would be banned on the forest farm, and a nature reserve would be established.

Many of his peers couldn't comprehend the change and left the forest, but Wang decided to stay.

Accepting the reality that logging is now prohibited, Wang had more time to observe the familiar forests around him, but he also felt a little strange. He realized that although he recognized the broad categories of plants, he could not accurately identify the majority of them.

The forest farm gradually lost the hustle and bustle of the past. The sound of loggers' whistles and the roar of chainsaws reverberating through the valley were replaced by the breeze and birdsong in the mountains. Seeing the breathtaking transformations, Wang knew the forest was recovering its lost treasure.

In 2008, he officially became a forest ranger. Wang and his colleagues were tasked with fire prevention in spring and autumn, forest pests and diseases prevention in summer, and strengthening animal protection in winter.

Wang has also served as a guide. "Some university teachers once came here for research, and I acted as a guide for them, and they taught me to recognize plants," Wang said.

In 2017, China officially launched the pilot program for establishing the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, and the designated area covers the place where Wang is located.

In recent years, wild animals, including tigers and leopards, have been frequently spotted, thanks to the continuous improvement of the ecology.

To better protect wild animals, Wang and his colleagues have continued to clean up various hunting sets left on the mountain for many years. He said he has cleared more than 500 such objects in a year. "With the continuous cleaning over the years, the hunting sets are almost gone now."

Both the forests and Wang have undergone changes. "I felt helpless when I first stopped logging, but now I am passionate about guarding the forests," he said. 
A harvester is seen on the outskirts of Vladivostok, Russia, Sept. 13, 2022. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

Putin warned that Western sanctions imposed on Russia's grain and fertilizers pose a growing threat to global food security.



MOSCOW, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia could harvest a record 150 million tons of grain this year.

"To date, 138.7 million tons of grain have already been threshed. This is approximately a third more than (that) during the same period last year," the Kremlin reported on Tuesday, citing the Russian leader at a meeting on the progress of seasonal field work.

"According to experts, the total grain harvest may reach 150 million tons," Putin said, noting that the harvest would fully cover domestic demand and increase exports.

Putin warned that Western sanctions imposed on Russia's grain and fertilizers pose a growing threat to global food security, adding that the West should be held accountable for the deteriorating situation. 
GABORONE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- It is time for Botswana to rethink new ways of transforming tourism industry following the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which nearly brought the sector to its knees through job losses, an official has said.

Job losses resulted in loss of income thereby compromising the livelihoods of the people in the southern African country, Philda Kereng, Botswana's Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation & Tourism, made the remarks in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, to mark the World Tourism Day, which fell on Tuesday.

"We therefore have to make efforts to ensure our tourism is smarter and more competitive for sustained growth so as to bring immense opportunities for socio-economic welfare and poverty alleviation among the communities," said Kereng.

In Botswana, Kereng said tourism has been identified as one of the engines of growth for the economy, as it has the potential to contribute significantly to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), which is currently estimated at 5.1 percent.

Furthermore, the sector employs an estimated 58,420 workers, representing at least 7.9 percent of Botswana's total employment and in terms of exports, the industry contributes 17 percent, according to Kereng.

As Botswana rethinks of growing the tourism sector in post COVID-19 , Kereng said a strong focus should be placed on building partnerships with the private sector and advancing technology and innovation. 
South Africa: DPME achieves 10th clean audit outcome

Improved governance systems and performance at the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) have resulted in the department achieving a clean audit outcome for the 10th time in succession.

Tabling the departments annual report for the financial year 2021/2022 in Parliament on Tuesday, Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said the audit outcome was backed by an 80% performance achievement against the Annual Performance Plan (APP).

We are proud that the department has registered such a remarkable achievement and milestone. Governance and financial controls are critical elements of a functioning institution and should always be strengthened for consistency in the delivery of services, Gungubele said.

He said the annual report is a testament of the strength of the departments governance system and commitment to build a capable, developmental and ethical State, as envisaged in the National Development Plan Vision 2030 and Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) 2019  2024.

In its performance, the department, working together with the National Planning Commission (NPC), continued to implement its commitment to institutionalise planning in government, monitor outcomes and evaluate government programmes.

In advancing the institutionalisation of planning in government, the department conceptualised and developed the National Annual Strategic Plan (NASP) to facilitate alignment and prioritisation of medium-term plans and priorities within a particular year.

The department also developed guidelines on the institutionalisation of the MTSF to support the integration of its priorities and targets across the planning system; produced the Policy Framework for Integrated Planning to strengthen coherence and harmonisation across the planning system.

In addition, an assessment on all national and provincial draft Strategic and Annual Performance Plans were conducted to improve the quality of institutional plans and alignment with the MTSF and NASP.

Moreover, the department produced the Budget Prioritisation Framework to facilitate alignment of the 2022 national budget process with short-, medium- and long-term priorities of government and ensure that key plans are adequately resourced to support development outcomes.

In order to foster accountability in the implementation of key programmes and determine progress in the realisation of envisaged outcomes, the department continued to deploy its monitoring and evaluation capability in all spheres of government.

Subsequently, the department produced two bi-annual reports and catalysed critical policy shifts.

These include the migration of Early Childhood Development programme from the Department of Social Development (DSD) to the Department of Basic Education (DBE); the development and implementation of the food nutrition plans; the implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on Gender-based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) and the conversion of several clinics into Ideal Clinic to ensure better health services for South Africans.

The DPME also continued to generate useful evidence on government performance against its set priorities. As a result, four evaluation reports were produced and three of which were intended to support the management of the pandemic and to generate evidence on the vaccination drive, Gungubele said.

These reports include the Trust in Government Report; Vaccine Hesitancy and Acceptance Report; and Technical Evidence report. In addition, over 3 000 evidence reports were sourced and curated to inform research and knowledge needs across the four priorities, which are Capable Ethical and Developmental State; Health Systems; Land Reform and Gender-based Violence and Femicide.

In the next financial year, the department will continue to serve as the leader and catalyst in achieving national development outcomes and impact in society.

The DPME said the appointment of the third NPC has added the much need impetus in long-term planning, mobilisation of key stakeholders and generation of critical evidence through in-depth research on key priorities.

Efforts are being made to strengthen and usher in an enhanced and synergised planning, monitoring and evaluation systems across all spheres of government.

As the chair of the Presidency Steering Committee on the District Development Model (DDM), the DPME will ensure that this enhanced planning paradigm finds expression across all spheres of government through the District Development Model. The DPME will conduct rapid evaluations on programmes that are aimed at achieving our annual apex priorities as detailed in the NASP, Gungubele said.

Building knowledge hubs

In addition, the DPME will continue to build a large-scale tertiary knowledge hub that will host all this evidence and link us to research outputs in various sectors.

A real-time data centre that is geographically referenced will be established to enable the President to have a line of sight of government interventions and their impact in society.

As it stands, the DPME is at the advance stage in the development of the Centralised Data Management System (CDMAS), which will enable data users to access, retrieve, analyse and visualise data.

Our resolve is to ensure that the voices of the citizens form a bigger part of evidence that is collected by the department. Together with the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), we have reintroduced the State of the Nation Address (SONA) Presidential Izimbizos, to create a platform for citizens to directly engage with government.

We want to turnaround the experience of citizens who are reaching us through the Presidential Hotline by introducing new channels of communication. Our Plans are enriched by the feedback we receive from the communities, the Minister said.

In this 10h anniversary of the National Development Plan (NDP), the department called upon all sectors of society to contribute in reducing poverty, unemployment and inequality.

South Africa will grow if all citizens draw from their diverse expertise and experience to build an inclusive economy, a capable, ethical and developmental state, the DPME said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By Trend

The UNDP is actively working with Azerbaijani entrepreneurs, Charu Bist, UNDP Resident Representative in Azerbaijan, told Trend.

"Recommendations on the policy and ecosystem to support social enterprises in Azerbaijan were developed during joint consultations with Azerbaijani entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs from the regions of Azerbaijan also participated in the negotiations," she said.

The UNDP Permanent Representative reminded that the program document signed jointly with the government of Azerbaijan, which covers the period from 2020 through 2025, is focusing not only on the development of entrepreneurship, but also on other important issues such as inclusive growth, support for vulnerable groups, mine action, climate change and the environment, public administration and many other areas.

"All these issues contribute to the overall 2030 agenda, which is aimed at achieving the SDGs [sustainable development goals]. We will make sure to achieve all these results by working together with the Azerbaijani government," she said.
Photo taken on March 24, 2022 shows the U.S. national flag (R) on the U.S. Embassy building in Moscow, Russia. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

"U.S. citizens should not travel to Russia and those residing or travelling in Russia should depart Russia immediately while limited commercial travel options remain," says the embassy.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. embassy in Moscow has urged American nationals residing in Russia to depart the country immediately, citing what it claimed to be possibility that Russia could conscript dual nationals for military service.

"Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals' U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service," read an alert posted on the embassy's website Tuesday.

"U.S. citizens should not travel to Russia and those residing or travelling in Russia should depart Russia immediately while limited commercial travel options remain," it added.

The advisory came roughly a week after Russia announced a partial mobilization amid the conflict with Ukraine. 
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN secretary-general's special adviser on genocide prevention, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, on Wednesday welcomed the opening of the trial against Felicien Kabuga in The Hague for his role in the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

Kabuga is being tried before the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. Kabuga was arrested by the French police in 2020 at the age of 87 after 26 years on the run.

"Our collective commitment not to forget constitutes a commitment to prevent," said Nderitu. "Accountability is prevention in itself and hence a deterrent for future crimes."

She said fair and credible judicial proceedings can provide victims with a form of redress for the gross and systematic violations of human rights and humanitarian law that they have endured. These measures can also help prevent and address feelings of frustration and bitterness, and the possible desire for retaliation. On the contrary, when justice is not served, lingering perceptions of injustice can become a risk factor for further violence and possibly, atrocity crimes.

Nderitu called on all member states to continue to fully cooperate with the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in the identification, arrest, detention, surrender, and transfer of accused persons still at large. 
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Wednesday said evidence proved that the United States is the greatest threat to global cyber security, calling for joint effort against U.S. infringement on cyber sovereignty and international rules.

Wang made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on a new investigation report on the cyber attacks by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) released on Tuesday by China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center.

The report detailed how the NSA's Office of Tailored Access Operation (TAO) controled key infrastructure facilities in China and infiltrated into China's Northwestern Polytechnical University's internal network by using servers in countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark to host cyber weapons through stepping-stone attack via Japan, Germany, the Republic of Korea and other countries. This enabled the TAO to steal sensitive data and information of people with sensitive identities.

The U.S. also secretly controled the telecom carriers of at least 80 countries and conducted indiscriminate wiretapping on global telecom users, according to the report.

Wang said that this has been the third investigation report issued by the relevant Chinese institution this month on the NSA's malicious cyber attacks on China's Northwestern Polytechnical University.

According to Wang, China has in recent weeks demanded explanation from the U.S. and asked it to immediately stop illegal action through various channels. So far, however, the U.S. has been silent.

"The U.S. could not have been more bombastic and motivated when propagating the lies about 'Chinese hackers', yet it has deliberately chosen to be blind and mute in the face of the solid evidence collected by the Chinese institution. What exactly is the U.S. hiding from the world?"

Noting that the U.S. has long been known as "the empire of hacking and champion of secrets theft," Wang said with its absolute dominance in the field of Internet technology, the U.S. has exercised indiscriminate cyber control and theft on a global scale to benefit itself politically, militarily, diplomatically and commercially.

The bullying practices of the U.S. in cyberspace have become a growing concern shared across the international community, Wang added.

"There is ample evidence that the U.S. is no doubt the greatest threat to global cyber security," Wang said, calling on countries to unite, stand up to U.S. hegemonic act which damaged cyber sovereignty and international rules and work together to create a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyberspace. 
GENEVA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Wednesday held a panel discussion on the negative impact of the legacy of colonialism on human rights.

Addressing this legacy could contribute to overcoming inequalities, and the sustainable development challenges of the twenty-first century, the Council said.

Verene Shepherd, Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, told the discussion that political independence and decolonization efforts had not meant the end of colonialism. The extent to which former colonies have been able to enjoy socio-economic rights has been hampered by the lingering legacy of colonialism, especially the ideology of white supremacy, she said.

"It is time for former colonial powers to own up to the wrongs of the past and engage in a conversation with former colonies," Shepherd stressed.

E. Tendayi Achiume, UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination and related intolerance, said that some of the most entrenched forms of systemic racism were the result of the continuing legacy of slavery and colonialism.

There can be no way out of the most pressing global crises without meaningfully addressing the legacy of colonialism, she said, adding that there can be no climate justice without racial justice.

Jose Francisco Cali Tzay, Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, emphasized the need to recognize indigenous peoples' right to self-determination.

The negative impact of colonialism has resulted in systemic racism, cyclical poverty, economic inequity, violence, loss of language and culture, and an enormous number of indigenous women and girls going missing or being murdered, he said.

Mihir Kanade, Chair of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, said that many former colonial powers are ideologically opposed to the core principles of the right to development. However, this right is the answer to the continuing negative legacy of colonialism, Kanade underlined.

Fabian Salvioli, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition, said that the colonial transfer of wealth and racist oppression had created a legacy of social, economic, and cultural exclusion whose effects had been felt for generations. The duty to provide effective remedies to victims, ensure accountability, and to provide reparation to victims is incumbent on the former colonizing power, he said.

Nada Al-Nashif, Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, told the panel discussion that colonialism has led to racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia.

"No State had comprehensively accounted for the past or for the ongoing impacts of systemic racism. Addressing the legacies of colonialism could contribute to overcoming inequalities within and among States, and the sustainable development challenges of the twenty-first century," she said. 
WINDHOEK, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) on Wednesday commemorated the Day of the Namibian Child by launching a campaign aimed at raising awareness of children's rights.

The campaign titled "My rights are my superpowers" was launched by Audrin Mathe, executive director of the MICT.

Speaking at the event, Mathe highlighted the vulnerability children often face, the special need for protection, and the special place they have in society.

Children must be protected from neglect and abuse among many other challenges they face and this is necessary in order for children to reach their full potential, he said.

"It requires concrete actions to ensure that we live up to our positive obligation to ensure respect for every child's fundamental human rights," said Mathe.

Namibia has committed to upholding rights set out in UNICEF's Convention on the Rights of the Child. This includes the obligation to take all legislative, administrative, and other measures to protect and ensure children's rights and develop policies and take action in the best interests of the child.

"The idea that we have a responsibility to enable children to reach their full potential is not novel. That is why the launch of this national initiative is a commendable civil act which will galvanize our collective responsibility as citizens to ensure that our children have the right to life and freedom as prescribed by our national law," he said.

Namibia observed the Day of the Namibian Child under the theme: "Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy and Practice since 2013." 
DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities said Wednesday they have planned to vaccinate 60,000 dogs against rabies across the country in one week as part of activities to mark the World Rabies Day, which falls on Wednesday.

Mashimba Ndaki, the Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, said the ministry has distributed 60,000 free vaccines against rabies to dog owners in different parts of the country.

"Our veterinary officers are vaccinating dogs against rabies across the country at this moment," said Ndaki in the capital Dodoma, adding that the vaccination of the 60,000 dogs against rabies was planned to be undertaken between Sept. 26 and Oct. 2.

Apart from the distribution of the 60,000 free dogs' vaccines against rabies by the ministry, he said, vaccination of dogs against the deadly disease is mandatory.

Ndaki said the 2019 National Rabies Control Strategy has put in place measures aimed at eliminating rabies in Tanzania by 2030 as envisioned by the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health.

Ndaki said rabies is responsible for an estimated 1,500 deaths annually in Tanzania. 
ABUJA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- In a recent operation in the country's northern state of Kaduna, Nigerian troops rescued at least seven people kidnapped by gunmen, an official said on Tuesday.

The troops combed forests between the Birnin-Gwari and Chikun local government areas of the state and had a fierce gunfight with some gunmen, during which many of them fled, leaving behind the captives in their custody, said Samuel Aruwan, the commissioner for internal security and home affairs in Kaduna.

The seven victims have been reunited with their families, he added.

Armed attacks have been a primary security threat in Nigeria's northern and central regions. 
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of dengue fever cases is continuing to rise in Pakistan amid an outbreak blamed largely on floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in the South Asian country.

In the last 24 hours, 436 new infections were reported across the southern Sindh province, said the provincial health department on Tuesday night. The worst-hit area was Karachi, the provincial capital, which reported 254 new cases.

With the newly reported dengue cases, the September figure to date for the province has risen to 6,216, bringing the local total tally to 8,785 this year.

In the last 24 hours, 392 more people were diagnosed with the disease in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the provincial health department reported on Tuesday night. The number of active cases in the province currently stands at 1,478 and the total number of cases this year has reached 7,350.

The eastern Punjab province reported 373 new cases in the last 24 hours, the provincial health authorities said on Tuesday morning. Punjab's capital Lahore reported 192 new cases, followed by its Rawalpindi city with 101 cases. The total number of dengue cases in Punjab this year has now gone up to 5,413.

The national capital Islamabad reported 90 new dengue cases in the last 24 hours, the health authorities said on Tuesday night. The city's total tally has risen to 2,162 this year. 
SEOUL, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern waters, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Wednesday.

The JCS said in a statement that it detected two short-range ballistic missiles, launched by the DPRK from the Sunan area in Pyongyang between 6:10 p.m. (0910 GMT) and 6:20 p.m. (0920 GMT) local time toward the eastern waters.

It noted that the South Korean military strengthened its monitoring and vigilance while maintaining its full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States.

It came just three days after the DPRK launched a short-range ballistic missile into the eastern waters on Sunday.

In 2022 alone, the DPRK test-fired ballistic missiles 18 times and cruise missiles two times, respectively. 
Wan Gang (L), representative of the Chinese government and vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, shakes hands with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife Akie Abe during the appreciation ceremony hosted by the Japanese government and Abe's family in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

TOKYO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Wan Gang, representative of the Chinese government and vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the appreciation ceremony hosted by the Japanese government and Abe's family in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Wan told the Japanese side that after the passing away of former Prime Minister Abe, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang sent messages of condolence to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida respectively, and Xi and his wife, Professor Peng Liyuan, sent a message of condolence to Abe's wife Akie Abe.

Wan said Abe made contributions to pushing forward improvement and development of China-Japan ties when serving the Japanese prime minister.

He said that on behalf of the Chinese government, he was in Tokyo to attend the funeral and extend condolences to the Japanese side.

Wan Gang (R), representative of the Chinese government and vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the appreciation ceremony hosted by the Japanese government and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's family in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

Wan Gang (R), representative of the Chinese government and vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

Prime Minister Kishida and Abe's family members talked with Wan, and thanked the Chinese government for sending representatives to attend the funeral.

When meeting with Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno on Wednesday, Wan said that leaders of the two countries reached an important consensus last year on building a China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era.

He said the two sides should take the consensus as a guidance, and the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of normalization of China-Japan diplomatic ties as an opportunity to promote the sound and steady development of bilateral relations.

Matsuno said Japan attaches great importance to developing ties with China, and is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, thus developing constructive and stable bilateral relations. 
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Kazakhstan is cooperating with Azerbaijan to develop digital infrastructure, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said, Azernews reports per Trend.

He stated that digital transformation is impossible without modern and advanced infrastructure, including in rural areas.

Therefore, Kazakhstan is consistently establishing a digital infrastructure linked to international corridors and cross-border data flows, he said.

The president noted that together with Azerbaijani partners, work has begun on the Trans-Caspian section to connect the world traffic concentration centers.

We are talking about Southeast Asia and Europe, he said.

Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were established on August 30, 1992. The Kazakh embassy in Azerbaijan was opened on January 9, 1993, and the Azerbaijani embassy in Kazakhstan on March 1, 2004.

The two countries closely cooperate in various sectors of the economy. Around 160 companies with the Kazakh capital operate in Azerbaijan in the sphere of industry, construction, trade, agriculture, transport, and services, and Azerbaijani companies are also represented in the Kazakh market. Azerbaijan's investments in the Kazakh non-oil sector from 1995 to 2021 amounted to more than $200 million, while Kazakhstan's investments in the Azerbaijani non-oil sector totaled about $100 million.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan amounted to $135.7 million in 2021.
LONDON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus will continue to circulate for years and COVID-19 infections will not end, a leading British medical expert has said, calling on the global community to learn lessons from the pandemic.

The end of COVID-19 infections is not in sight, and "this is an infection that's going to stay with us forever," Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia in Britain, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

In the view of Hunter, who specializes in microbiology and infectious diseases, an end of the COVID-19 pandemic does not mean an end of the virus. "By and large, I think this was clear from the summer of 2020 that this was the virus that was going to be with us forever."

He citied a survey of Nature in early 2021, in which more than 100 immunologists, infectious disease researchers and virologists working on the coronavirus were asked by the magazine whether it could be eradicated.

The study showed that almost 90 percent of respondents think that the coronavirus will become endemic, which means it will continue to circulate in pockets of the global population for years to come.

"To me, the end of the pandemic is the point where the virus no longer causes major problems for society and for the health services. It doesn't mean that the virus goes away because the virus is not going away ever, certainly not in the lifetimes of any people around now," the professor added.

Hunter believes there is likely to be a problem this winter with COVID-19, but he does not think it will be as bad as last winter.

As the deadly virus is still spreading across the world, the professor suggested that the human race learn lessons from the COVID-10 pandemic, such as making vaccine distribution more equal, paying more attention to vulnerable people and taking a more science-based attitude toward the virus as well as control measures.

He blamed some Western countries for not offering vaccines to people in low-income countries that are still at risk of the severe disease. "I think that is a very damning indictment on Western society, and is something that we need to address when further pandemics occur," he said.

"There are still people in society who are vulnerable to COVID-19, and because of that, we need to still look out for those people and make sure that they have appropriate treatment," the expert added. 
MEXICO CITY, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's exports grew 18.9 percent year-on-year between January and August, driven by oil and manufacturing shipments, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography said Tuesday.

Exports reached 377.95 billion U.S. dollars in value in the first eight months of the year, according to the monthly trade balance report.

However, imports rose 24.1 percent in the same period to reach 402.35 billion dollars, leaving a trade deficit of 24.4 billion dollars.

Despite the good trade results, the general outlook is complicated, Mexico's Banorte financial group said in comments on the latest figures.

"Overall, we expect some dynamism to prevail in the near term, with the effects of a slowdown in demand likely having a bigger impact toward the end of the year or early 2023," Banorte said.

Mexico's economy, the second largest in Latin America after Brazil, grew 4.8 percent in 2021. 
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Hurricane Ian's "extremely dangerous" eyewall is moving onshore, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Wednesday.

The Category 4 hurricane, forecast to make landfall on the west coast of Florida hours later, will "cause catastrophic storm surge, winds, and flooding in the Florida Peninsula soon," according to the latest public advisory issued by the NHC before noon.

Catastrophic storm surge inundation of 12 to 18 feet (approximately 3.66 to 5.49 meters) above the ground level is expected somewhere between Englewood to Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbor, the advisory said. Catastrophic wind damage is also beginning.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Wednesday morning that Hurricane Ian is expected to be a "historic" storm with "a profound impact" on the state.

U.S. President Joe Biden said from the White House later that the federal government is "on alert and in action" as the storm is closing in on Florida.

"This storm is incredibly dangerous, to state the obvious. It's life-threatening," Biden warned.

"You should obey all warnings and directions from emergency officials," he continued. "Don't take anything for granted. Use their judgment, not yours. Evacuate when ordered. Be prepared."

Tampa International Airport tweeted on Wednesday morning that it remained closed to the public due to Ian and that there would be no departing flights through Thursday.

More than 2,000 flights into, within, or out of the United States were canceled on Wednesday, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware. 
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. embassy in Moscow has urged American nationals residing in Russia to depart the country immediately, citing what it claimed to be possibility that Russia could conscript dual nationals for military service.

"Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals' U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service," read an alert posted on the embassy's website Tuesday.

"U.S. citizens should not travel to Russia and those residing or travelling in Russia should depart Russia immediately while limited commercial travel options remain," it added.

The advisory came roughly a week after Russia announced a partial mobilization amid the conflict with Ukraine. 
NEW DELHI: The probe carried out by multiple agencies have identified that the Popular Front of India (PFI) is connected with global terrorist groups such as ISIS and JMB, the Centre said on Wednesday

Also, it has been shown that the PFI and its fronts operate openly as socioeconomic, educational, and political organisations while secretly pursuing a mission to radicalise a specific segment of society.

The investigation by multiple agencies has so far revealed that some of PFI's founding members are leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which is a prohibited organisation, and that PFI has connections to Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which is also a prohibited organisation.

Read more: Karnataka HM welcomes Centre's ban on PFI

PFI had a number of cases where it had connections to international terrorist organisations like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). As evidenced by the fact that certain PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations, the PFI and its friends, affiliations, or fronts have been working secretly to increase the radicalization of one community by fostering a sense of unease throughout the nation.

The Ministry of Home Affairs reports that there have been numerous cases of PFI members connecting with international terrorist organisations, and some PFI members have joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and taken part in terrorist acts in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In addition to having connections to Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a designated terrorist organisation, the PFI has killed some of these ISIS-affiliated PFI cadres in these combat zones and detained others.

Read More: Centre bans Popular Front of India for 5 years

The PFI and its associates, affiliates, or fronts have engaged in illegal activities that are detrimental to the integrity, sovereignty, and security of the country and have the potential to disturb public peace and communal harmony in the country as well as support militancy there, according to a notification released by the Center on Wednesday.

The Popular Front of India (PFI) and any associates or affiliates were outlawed by the Centre for a term of five years. The affiliates include the National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Women's Front (NWF), Junior Front (JF), Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an "illegal association".

PFI men arrested from Shaheen Bagh and Jamia, links with terror outfit ISIS
UNO: The Taliban's crackdown on the rights of girls and women, according to a senior UN official, is likely to lead to internal conflict and worsening poverty, along with neglect of more than 50% of Afghanistan's population and willingness to risk international isolation signal of. in country.

According to Markus Potzel, UN Deputy Representative for Afghanistan, some of the Taliban's "claimed and acknowledged achievements" are falling short.

Also Read: India takes subtle jabs at its neighbors while remaining neutral in the Ukraine war

He cited a steady increase in armed conflicts, criminal activity and high-profile terrorist attacks, particularly by the extremist Islamic State group, which has recently shown it is capable of killing Taliban figures, attacking foreign embassies, rockets able to launch. Afghanistan's neighboring country, and has continued its long-running campaign against Shia Muslims and ethnic minorities.

Potzel said with food security deteriorating and winter fast approaching, economic conditions "remain vulnerable."

He urged donors to immediately give $614 million to aid in winter preparedness and an additional $154 million for essential supplies before the winter season cuts off locations. He said the UN's $4.4 billion humanitarian appeal got only $1.9 billion, which is "alarming".

In late August, United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said that some 19 million people in Afghanistan suffer from severe food insecurity, which is more than half the country's population. Additionally, "we worry" that the figures will soon worsen as the impending winter season pushes already high fuel and food prices even higher.

Potzel noted that there have been some encouraging developments in Afghanistan recently, but they have been too slow and insufficient to outweigh the negatives, particularly the continued ban on secondary education for girls, which is unheard of in the world, and Strict restrictions on women's rights.

Also Read: Pakistani FM: Afghan women's rights should be a concern for the Muslim world

Women and girls faced severe sanctions during the Taliban's initial rule in Afghanistan, which lasted from 1996 to 2001. Women were forbidden to attend school and were also required to wear a restrictive burqa.

After the Taliban was overthrown by the US military in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks in the US, Afghan girls were enrolled not only in school but in universities for the next 20 years, and many of them were doctors, lawyers, judges , became a member. Parliament, and business owners while traveling without a face covering.

The Taliban promised a more moderate form of Islamic rule, including allowing women to continue their education and work outside the home, after capturing the capital on August 15, 2021, as US and NATO forces prepare for their chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. She was in the middle. 20 years.

At first he said there would be no dress code, but he also promised to implement Sharia or Islamic law. But since then, Taliban hardliners have returned to their previous harsh regime, confirming the worst suspicions of human rights advocates and making relations between the Taliban and the already unreliable international community even more difficult.

Also Read: How Afghanistan's problems slowed global progress toward the UN's goal of gender equality

According to Potzel, at UN meetings with Taliban representatives, leaders claim that the Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada has taken the decision and that he stands by it. "He was defended by the radicals around him, but questioned by much of the rest of the movement, who are either unable or unwilling to change the trajectory," Potzel said.

They claimed that this resulted in women and girls being forced to stay at home, being denied their rights, and "totally depriving Afghanistan of the benefits of the significant contribution of women and girls." has given."

"It is unclear what will happen next if the Taliban does not respond to the needs of all sections of Afghan society and engage constructively with the international community within a limited window of opportunity," Potzel said.

There are further fragmentation, isolation, poverty and internal conflict scenarios, which are likely to result in mass migration and a home environment conducive to terrorist organizations, as well as greater suffering for the Afghan population, he said.
France will continue to issue visas to Russians, but with serious restrictions 28 September, 01:25 PM French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna (Photo:Ministere de l'Europe et des Affaires etrangeres)

France will continue to issue visas to Russian nationals, but with serious restrictions and only to those "who really deserve them," French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, said on Sept. 27, according to French cable news channel BFM TV.

Read also: Nine EU countries no longer accept Russian visa applications

This does not apply to the representatives of the regime, the aggressors of the war, the minister said.

Read also: EC releases guidelines for member states on visa processing for Russian citizens

This concerns a number of Russian citizens who can and should be able to travel abroad. Therefore, we will continue issuing visas.



Also, according to her, each visa application will be considered individually if necessary. The embassies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will check whether the asylum or visa applicant is indeed eligible and fully complies with the criteria of the Geneva Convention.



Video of day

Read also: White House rules out visa ban for all Russians

On Sept. 27, Colonna visited Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.



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Ukraine intel says Russians targeting Uman with Iranian drones to attack Hasidic Jews 27 September, 11:53 PM The Iranian Shahed-136 ammunition is labeled by the invaders as Geran-2 (Photo:Nazars_look via Telegram)

The Russian military sent some of its Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones at the city of Uman in central Ukraine to attack Hasidic Jewish pilgrims, Babel media reported on Sept. 27, citing sources in the Ukrainian intelligence services.

In recent days, the publication writes, Ukrainian air defense forces have shot down more than 10 Shahed-136s that the Russian troops launched from the territory of Ukraines Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.

It is noted that some of the drones were heading towards Uman  a location far beyond the front lines and of no particular military significance. Ukraines special services are instead convinced that the Russians were trying to strike at Hasidic religious sites while there was a large crowd of people there.

Video of day

"(Russia carrying out) terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens is one of the conditions Iran made when it sent its drones to Russia," the intelligence services said.

The sources in the intelligence services also believe that this is not the first example of cooperation between the two terrorist states, as a Ukrainian civilian plane was shot down in Iran earlier  allegedly by mistake.

"The interests of the Kremlin can be seen behind this case," the sources said.

As of the morning of Sept. 25 over 23,000 Jewish pilgrims had already arrived in Uman on their annual pilgrimage to Uman, the United Jewish Community of Ukraine reported. From Sept. 25 to 27, they celebrate Rosh Hashanah at the tomb of Reb Nachman of Breslov, the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down a Shahed-136 UAV near Kupyansk, Kharkiv Oblast for the first time on Sept. 13, and on Sept. 23, Ukrainian defenders downed an Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drone.

Read also: Ukrainian military facilities in Odesa Oblast attacked by Iranian kamikaze drones

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stripped the Iranian Ambassador of his accreditation due to the use of Iranian drones by the Russian troops, and the number of diplomatic staff of the Iranian Embassy in Kyiv will be significantly reduced.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said it regretted the "deterioration of relations" with Ukraine.

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Home  Technology  Gadget  Android 13 will come to Nepal quite soon. Know about all the changes it will bring

Photo: Android

Android 13 is officially out now. Also known as Android Tiramisu, this is the latest version of the Android operating system that will soon be launched to eligible smartphones. It means new smartphones coming to Nepal will have this system soon.

Last years update, Android 12 was one of the biggest Android updates to date, and the latest update, Android 13 has been built on the foundation laid by its predecessor.

Android 13 has focused on refinements and has brought subtle changes in the user interface (UI). Based on Material You, introduced last year, the update focuses on three major things: personal, private and beyond the phone.

Lets get into the details to know more about the latest update.

1. Personal

Photo: Android

The personal feature allows the users to personalise the apps on their smartphone as per their style. With Material You, the users now can customise the apps by colour, theme and even language. The user can even customise the music player, which is something new and can be exciting.

Photo: Android

Android 13 also has a new media player that is customisable and displays album artwork on full display with a dancing playback bar.

Photo: Android

The user now has the freedom to assign different language settings to individual apps.

2. Private

Privacy and safety have always been an issue while using a smartphone. There are millions of apps and websites that people use on a daily basis and until the users provide access to their information, they are unable to use the app.

Last years update on Android made several changes to ensure the safety of the data and information of the users as much as possible. It also brought mic and camera access, approximate location and privacy dashboard which allowed more control to the users on limiting the access to their information. This year, Android 13 has brought some additional safety features for users.

Photo: Android

Photo picker: This is an important update for the users. This feature limits access to the media on the phone. To date, the different apps that the users have on their phones would request access to media in order to run. The new update now limits that access to only specific photos and videos instead of the whole media on the phone.

Photo: Android

Notification permission: This is another interesting update on Android 13. Android 12 had already reduced the influence of apps on the users privacy and now the user can control which app can send the notification. The apps will now need permission from the user to send the notifications. This can be a great upgrade as people use so many apps these days and get notifications from every single one of them, which can be irritating.

Cleared clipboard history: This is also a good addition to the latest update. The user will now get an alert if any app has access to the clipboard. To prevent unwanted access, the history will also be automatically cleared after a period.

Other privacy updates include notifying about bad apps that can potentially harm the device, checking the users password and alerting them if their passwords match with the known compromised passwords, spam protection, checking up on forgotten apps and intelligent on device security.

3. Beyond the phone

Photo: Android

This feature on Android 13 is focused on connecting all of the devices together with features that enhance messaging, audio and multitasking experiences. Beyond the phone means that now the users are not limited to their smartphones only and can continue their tasks on other devices as well.

Some of the interesting features under this are:

Messaging app streaming: This feature allows the user to send and receive messages even when the phone is out of reach by streaming the messaging apps directly to Chromebook.

Photo: Android

Cross-device copy and paste: This is a feature that will soon be available to devices supporting Android 13. It allows the users to copy contents like URLs, text or even pictures from one device and paste it onto another device.

Photo: Android

Enhanced audio: Android 13 offers spatial audio, which lets the user enjoy the sound from every direction. It also adopts Bluetooth low-energy audio which is said to improve audio quality and allow the users to broadcast media to multiple people at once.

Multi-tasking on tablets: The taskbar has been updated on the latest Android 13. This allows the user to do two tasks at once. With this update on board, the user now can drop and drag any second app from the app library into a split-screen view directly from the taskbar.

So these are some of the major updates on the latest Android 13. As mentioned earlier, there are no huge upgrades this time, but there are lots of refinements that were missing in last years update. These little improvements over last years big changes make the use even better and easy.

Besides these, there are also lots of miscellaneous changes on Android 13 which makes the whole revamp of Android 12 even better.
Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

According to FMI, India is expected to account for a substantial share of the global acrylic fibre market, owing to the rapid expansion of textiles industry and rise in export of yarns and fibres. The acrylic fibres market in China is projected to grow at an estimated value CAGR of 4.6 % in 2022. With more than 30% of the world's production of acrylic fibres, China is the world's leading manufacturer of these fibres

NEWARK, Del, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global acrylic fibre market is projected to reach a valuation of US$ 7,779.0 Mn in 2032, with the demand growing at a stagnant CAGR of 3.9% over the forecast period of 2022 to 2032. Climbing up from a value of US$ 5,113.4 Mn in 2021, the acrylic fibre market will reach an estimated US$ 5,306.0 Mn by the end of 2022. Large-scale usage across a variety of end-use industries, and escalating use in the production of knitted items drives the acrylic fibre market during this period of observation. The materials use in the making of craft yarns, fake fur, carpets, vehicle covers, and upholstery fabric will further augment its sales.



With recent recognition of acrylic fibres ability to blend with other materials, the material is observing a rapid rise in its demand. The use of this fibre in blends with materials like cotton, wool, polyester, and others is gaining momentum due to its favorable physical, chemical, and thermo-biological features. Again, these fibres provide a more aesthetic and natural look; they are highly resistant to microbial attack, mild alkalis, and UV deterioration. Thus, acrylic fibres are increasingly used to create different types of garments and even used in the home furnishing industry.

Moreover, some recent developments in the acrylic fibre market such as the materials use in the production of carbon fibres, flame-retardant acrylic fibre, weather-resistance acrylic fibre, antimicrobial acrylic fibre have generated more opportunities for the market. Flame-retardant acrylic fibre, weather-resistance acrylic fibre, antimicrobial acrylic fibre are materials that are often used in hospitals, manufacturing industries, and others. Advancements in processing and other technologies will also contribute to market growth as this kind of progress may make it feasible to produce acrylic fibres from new sources. All of these factors will foster an environment of growth for the acrylic fibre market during the assessment period.

Story continues

Get a Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2032

Increasing use of acrylic fibre in end use industries like home furnishing, apparels, industrial goods, and many others is expected to encourage the market growth of acrylic material over the forecast period, says an FMI analyst.

Key Takeaways:

Expanding fashion industry to facilitate lucrative market opportunities.

Raw material price fluctuations and availability of alternatives may impede market growth.

The acrylic fibre market in India is predicted to grow at a high CAGR.

Export of synthetic fibres to drive market growth in China.

By dyeing method, the gel dyeing segment will gain a notably high revenue during the forecast period.

By form, the acrylic staple fibre segment is predicted to register a 3% CAGR over the assessment period.

Competitive Landscape

Aksa Akrilik Kimya Sanayii A., Dralon, Aditya Birla Group, Jilin Chemical Fiber Company, TAEKWANG INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD, Exlan Japan Co., Ltd., Kaneka Corporation, Indian Acrylics Limited, Pasupati Acrylon Ltd., Vardhman Acrylics Ltd., and others are some of the major players in the acrylic fibre market that are profiled in the full version of the report.

Major market players are focusing on product innovation and releases. These businesses are also employing expansion and acquisition strategies to gain a competitive advantage.

Browse Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/acrylic-fibre-market

More Insights into Acrylic Fibre Market Report

In its latest report, FMI offers an unbiased analysis of the global acrylic fibre market, providing historical data from 2015 to 2021 and forecast statistics for 2022 to 2032. To understand the global market potential, growth, and range, the market is segmented on the basis of fibre form (staple, filament), dyeing method (acid, gel, undyed), blending (wool, cotton, others), end use (apparel, home furnishing, industrial, outdoor), and region.

According to the latest FMI reports, based on region, the acrylic fibre market in India is expected to exhibit substantial growth during the forecast period. The country will likely account for a major portion of the global market share by the end of 2032. The swiftly advancing textile industry and growing export of yarns and fibres are accountable for the regional market growth. Along with India, China, too, is predicted to present impressive market growth during 2022-2032. China is the worlds leading producer of acrylic fibre, accounting for over 30% of the global production of the material.

Based on segmentation, on the basis of the dyeing method, the gel dyeing method is expected to dominate the market. In terms of form, the acrylic staple fibre segment will lead the market growth over the forecast period.



Table of Content

1. Executive Summary

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand Side Trends

1.3. Supply Side Trends

1.4. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition

3. Key Trends & Success Factor

3.1. Key Trends Impacting the market

3.2. Success Factor

4. Global Acrylic Fibre Market Demand Analysis 2015-2021 and Forecast, 2022-2032

4.1. Historical Market Volume (Tons) Analysis, 2015-2021

4.2. Current and Future Market Volume (Tons) Projections, 2022-2032

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Explore FMIs Extensive Coverage on Chemicals & Materials Domain

Recycled Concrete Aggregates Market Size : The global recycled concrete aggregates market size is projected to be valued at US$ 8,775.81 Mn in 2022 and is anticipated to reach US$ 16,785.4 Mn by 2032. The sales of recycled concrete aggregates are anticipated to rise at a steady CAGR of 6.7% from 2022 to 2032.

Cocoa Based Polyphenols Market Demand : The global cocoa based polyphenols market is estimated to worth around US$ 87.1 Million by the year 2022, accelerating with a CAGR of 5.8% by 2022-2032. The cocoa based polyphenols market size is estimated to reach a valuation at about US$ 153.2 Million by 2032 end.

Activated Bleaching Earth Market Volume : The global activated bleaching earth market is expected to reach a market valuation of US$ 2.46 Billion by the year 2022, accelerating with a moderate CAGR of 5% during 2022-2032. The activated bleaching earth market size is anticipated to be valued at about US$ 4 Billion by 2032.

Paraffin Wax Market Analysis : The paraffin wax market is anticipated to have a stable CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period of 2022-2032.

Silica Sand for Glass Making Market Sales : Expanding at a CAGR of 4.6% the global sales of silica sand for glass making is expected to increase from a valuation of US$ 5,154.8 Mn in 2021 to US$ 7,411.7 Mn by the end of 2029.

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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.

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By Vugar Khalilov

South Caucasus Weekly Review: 19-25 Sep 22

This project of Azernews is designed to cover major weekly developments in the South Caucasus nations.

HIGHLIGHTS

CSTO Secretary-General arrives in Armenia

Washington emphasizes need for comprehensive, long-term regional peace

Armenian premier blames Azerbaijan for recent border clashes at UN

EU publishes evaluation of its support to Georgia

Ankara, Tbilisi mull multidimensional cooperation

Baku urges host nations to protect diplomatic missions from Armenian attacks

Azerbaijani, Armenian top diplomats meet in New York after recent deadly clashes on border

Baku hands over bodies of 95 Armenian servicemen back to Yerevan

Azerbaijani FM addresses global security & cooperation issues at UN

ARMENIA

CSTO Secretary-General arrives in Armenia

The CSTO delegation led by Secretary General Stanislav Zas arrived in Armenia on September 20, Azernews reports, citing the Armenian media.

The missions objective is to assess the situation, prepare a report for leaders of member-states and develop proposals for de-escalation of tensions on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the CSTO said in a press release.

Over the course of the mission, actions related to studying and monitoring the current situation in border regions are planned, as well as meetings with the highest political and military leadership of the Republic of Armenia.

On Septmeber 22, Zas met with Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian army Maj-Gen Edward Asryan in Yerevan to discuss the situation in separate sections of Armenias border regions. The possible future measures by the CSTO in the current situation were addressed.

Following that, Zas took his delegation to the border region of the Vayots Dzor province along the border with Azerbaijan. Here he spoke with the Armenian army commanders stationed along the front lines, as well as local officials.

Washington emphasizes need for comprehensive, long-term regional peace

At the meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the margins of the 77th UN General Assembly session in New York, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underlined need for comprehensive and long term peace in the region, Azernews reports, citing the Armenian media.

Pashinyan briefed the opposite side about the latest regional developments, adding that Armenia attaches importance to the clear positions and evaluations of the US regarding what happened. He highly appreciated Blinken's personal efforts to support the negotiation process and dialogue.

Blinken, for his part, stressed the willingness of the US to continue its efforts aimed at the negotiation and peace process, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive and long-term settlement of the conflict. The diplomat underlined the importance of the trilateral meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in New York expressing optimism about the continuation of the dialogue in the future.

At the meeting, the sides also exchanged thoughts on the continuous development of Armenian-U.S. relations and other issues of mutual interest.

Similarly, Pashinyan had a meeting with European Council President Charles Michel in New York.

Michel voiced concern about the tensions along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, underlining the significance of resolving regional issues through peaceful means. The European Council President emphasized his desire to foster dialogue and peace.

Armenian premier blames Azerbaijan for recent border clashes at UN

Armenian premier Nikol Pashinyan has condemned Azerbaijan for the recent border clashes along the state border during his address to the 77th UNGA session in New York, Azernews reports, citing the Armenian media.

Pashinyan said that there has been no concrete progress in the delimitation and demarcation of Armenian and Azerbaijani borders, the opening of regional communications and towards the future peace treaty since Azerbaijan is exploiting all of these matters to assert territorial claims against Armenia.

In this regard Im posing an official and public question to the Azerbaijani president. Could you show the map of Armenia, that you recognize or are ready to recognize as the Republic of Armenia? Why Im asking this. Because it can come out that from the point of view of official Azerbaijan only half of Armenia and even less - is the Republic of Armenia. If Azerbaijan would recognize territorial integrity of Armenia, not theoretically, but concretely, I mean the integrity of our internationally recognized territory of 29.800 square kilometers, it would mean that we can sign peace treaty by mutually recognizing each others territorial integrity. Otherwise, we would have a phantom peace treaty and after that Azerbaijan will use border delimitation process for new territorial claims and occupation, he stressed.

He added that international observation mission to the Armenia-Azerbaijan bordering areas would be an important factor for regional stability.

I want to underscore that diplomatic solutions are an absolute priority for us and the full engagement and support of international community is crucial. In this regard I would like to mention, that the international observation mission to the Armenia-Azerbaijan bordering areas would be an important factor for regional stability, Pashinyan said.

GEORGIA

EU publishes evaluation of its support to Georgia

On September 19, the European Union published a detailed evaluation on the effectiveness and impact of the EUs cooperation with Georgia over the past funding period (2014-2020), the EU Delegation to Georgia reported.

The evaluation reads that the EUs cooperation with Georgia has been strategically sound and has benefitted from a strong institutional setup in its design and implementation. The conclusions also state that a wide range of instruments, modalities and funding channels have been employed in the cooperation with Georgia.

There has been progress contributing to increased accountability and transparency and the visa liberalization has worked well. The evaluation highlights that the populations trust in the European Union has remained high.

However, according to the document, visibility of EU projects was a problem in the early stages of the reviewed period, but the Delegation has improved its approach. Along with the flaws, little progress has been observed in the reform of the judiciary as well as in human rights.

The following general recommendations were given by the evaluation team:

The EU should continue to use the wide range of instruments, modalities, and channels, including policy and political dialogue, but with closer attention to effectiveness. The union should adopt a critical approach to assessing the need for capacity building and technical assistance to ensure sustainability.

The EU should continue to improve the quality of mainstreaming cross-cutting issues, particularly gender equality and womens empowerment. The European Unions cooperation portfolio should be positioned strategically to reflect the evolving geopolitical context.

Ankara, Tbilisi mull multidimensional cooperation

Georgian premier Irakli Garbashvili and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed strategic partnership, trade and economic relations, regional and global security issues in New York on September 20.

Substantial results of the strategic partnership between the two countries, political dynamics of high-level bilateral interaction, engagement and active cooperation of Georgia and Republic of Turkiye in projects of regional geo-political nature were noted at the meeting.

Discussion topics also included the war waged in Ukraine and resulting challenges in the complex security environment of the world and region. Significance of peace and stability was noted for ensuring the further development and long-term prosperity of the region. Within this context, agreement reached last year between Azerbaijan and Armenia with a mediation of Garibashvili was praised , as it resulted in the release of Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijan in return of essential maps shared by Armenia with Azerbaijan. It was thereby stated that further advancement of the effective cooperation between Georgia and Turkiye in every direction is vital for the stable and sustainable development of the region.

AZERBAIJAN

Baku urges host nations to protect diplomatic missions from Armenian attacks

Baku has urged the host nations to protect the Azerbaijani diplomatic missions from possible attacks of Armenian fanatics in their territories, Azernews reports, citing the Foreign Ministry.

We strongly condemn the criminal actions of the radical Armenian groups and expect a responsible attitude to their duties from agencies in charge of preventing such provocations in the respective countries, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry emphasized that the attacks by Armenian communities on buildings of the Azerbaijani diplomatic missions abroad are a source of serious concern.

These assaults, which include elements of vandalism and terrorism, are intended to hurt diplomats and their properties, and hence are classified as criminal acts, the ministry underlined.

Azerbaijan demands that the acts of vandalism committed by radical Armenian forces be investigated by the respective countries' law enforcement authorities and those liable for these crimes to face legal consequences, it added.

The ministry reminded that in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, it is the host state's specific obligation to safeguard the diplomatic mission from all types of assaults and damage and to take the necessary steps to avoid a breach of tranquility or an insult to the mission's honor.

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 been attacked and vandalized by Armenian fanatical groups.

On September 18, Armenian extremists in France stormed the building of the Azerbaijani embassy in Paris.

French Armenian fanatics storm the building of the Azerbaijani embassy in Paris. But let's leave the Armenian barbarians aside. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, shame on France, which does not protect embassies and ignores our fundamental requests related to our security, Rahman Mustafayev, Azerbaijani Ambassador to France tweeted.

Similarly, an aggressive group of Armenian radicals attacked the Azerbaijani embassy in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on September 16.

Azerbaijani, Armenian top diplomats meet in New York after recent deadly clashes on border

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.

Baku hands over bodies of 95 Armenian servicemen back to Yerevan

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.

Azerbaijani FM addresses global security & cooperation issues at UN

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has addressed global and regional security, as well as cooperation issues on the margins of the 77th UN General Assembly session in New York, Azernews reports, citing the ministry.

CICA

As part of his visit to New York, Bayramov attended the informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) on September 22.

Addressing the meeting, chaired by Kazakhstan, Bayramov underlined the growing need for regional engagement and cooperation in light of the mounting threats to global security. In this regard, he stressed CICAs importance as a platform for encouraging communication and cooperation, as well as developing confidence and maintaining regional security and prosperity.

He emphasized the importance of respecting international legal norms and principles, particularly sovereignty, territorial integrity, and border inviolability, to preserve regional and global peace and stability. The importance of the CICA for the implementation of confidence-building measures was noted.

Moreover, CICAs confidence-building measures on safe and efficient transport corridor systems, which have been coordinated by Azerbaijan, were underlined.

The minister stressed that Azerbaijan is actively promoting communication projects such as East-West and North-South transit corridors between the CICA member nations. In this context, the minister underlined the relevance of the Zangazur Corridor, which would significantly contribute to regional and global peace by promoting local, regional, as well as trans-regional trade.

During the meeting, matters concerning the preparations for the CICAs Astana Summit were also addressed.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation

On September 22, Bayramov attended the annual coordination meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in New York.

In his address to the meeting chaired by Pakistan, Bayramov reaffirmed Azerbaijan's commitment to Islamic solidarity, as well as to the Islamic ideals of peace, tolerance, togetherness, harmony, and justice for the benefit of humanity's progress and prosperity.

The top diplomat described the OIC, as the main international organization, as well as one of the key actors in ensuring peace and stability in the Muslim world. Moreover, Azerbaijans concern over the escalating insecurity and conflict in various Muslim countries was underlined.

Bayramov briefed the participants about Azerbaijans contribution to multiculturalism and interreligious dialogue, underlining the importance of the Baku Process, which has been operating since 2008.

Bayramov thanked the OIC for the extensive and continuous support to Azerbaijan both during the occupation of its territories by Armenia, as well as in the post-conflict period. The minister also spoke about Azerbaijans steps in ensuring regional peace and stability.
ReportLinker

Forecasts by Aircraft (Fixed-Wing Aircraft, Helicopter, UAV), by End-users (Oil and Gas Sector, Mining and Minerals Sector, Agriculture Sector, Water Exploration Sector), by Technology (Seismic Technology, Magnetic and Electromagnetic Technology, Gradiometry Technology, Gravity Technology, Borehole Logging Technology, Other) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.

New York, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Aerial Geophysical Services Market Report 2022-2032" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06321434/?utm_source=GNW





The Aerial Geophysical Services Market Report 2022-2032: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.





Exploration Demand Driving New Geophysical Technology Development



The Aerial geophysical service market is segmented into aircraft, technology, end-users, and region. The global Aerial geophysical service market is expected grow at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2022 to 2032. The major drivers for the growth of the aerial geophysical service market are exploration demand driving new geophysical technology development and the development of the software to optimize geophysical field oil and gas exploration. On the other hand, field acquisition issues is the main factor restraining the growth of this market.





North America Market is Expected to Lead the Global Market



North America has the largest Market Share of US$1,820 million in 2022 and it also had the highest key growth of CAGR 5.1% in the Forecast Period. North America is expected to be the largest and fastest growing market during the forecast period, owing to a rise in mineral exploration operations and a considerable number of geophysical survey activities in the region. The United States dominates the geophysical service business for minerals and mining in North America, with a considerable number of geophysical survey activities taking place in regions such as the basins of Oakland, Houston, Seattle, Florida, New York, and Philadelphia.





Story continues

What Questions Should You Ask before Buying a Market Research Report?



 How is the aerial geophysical service market evolving?



 What is driving and restraining the aerial geophysical service market?



 How will each aerial geophysical service submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2032?



 How will the market shares for each aerial geophysical service submarket develop from 2022 to 2032?



 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2022 to 2032?



 Will leading aerial geophysical service markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?



 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2032 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2032?



 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?



 What are the aerial geophysical service projects for these leading companies?



 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2020 and 2032? What are the implications of aerial geophysical service projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?



 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the aerial geophysical service market?



 Where is the aerial geophysical service market heading and how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?



 What are the best investment options for new product and service lines?



 What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path and C-suite?





You need to discover how this will impact the aerial geophysical service market today, and over the next 10 years:



 Our 270-page report provides 125 tables and 138 charts/graphs exclusively to you.



 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.



 It contains in-depth analysis of global, regional and national sales and growth.



 It highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors.





This report tells you TODAY how the aerial geophysical service market will develop in the next 10 years, and in line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.





Forecasts to 2032 and other analyses reveal commercial prospects



 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2032, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.



 You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.



 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, restraints and challenges), cost structure, impact of rising aerial geophysical service prices and recent developments.





This report includes data analysis and invaluable insight into how COVID-19 will affect the industry and your company. Four COVID-19 recovery patterns and their impact, namely, V, L, W and U are discussed in this report.





Segments Covered in the Report





Market Segment by Aircraft



 Fixed-Wing Aircraft



 Helicopter



 UAV





Market Segment by End-User



 Oil and Gas Sector



 Mining and Minerals Sector



 Agriculture Sector



 Water Exploration Sector





Market Segment by Technology



 Seismic Technology



 Magnetic and Electromagnetic Technology



 Gradiometry Technology



 Gravity Technology



 Borehole Logging Technology



 Other Technology





In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for four regional and 20 leading national markets:





North America



 U.S.



 Canada





Europe



 Germany



 Russia



 United Kingdom



 France



 Italy



 Rest of Europe





Asia Pacific



 China



 Japan



 India



 Australia



 South Korea



 Rest of Asia Pacific





Middle East and Africa



 Turkey



 Saudi Arabia



 South Africa



 Rest of Middle East and Africa





South America



 Brazil



 Mexico



 Rest of South America





The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Aerial Geophysical Service Market, 2022 to 2032, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.





Leading companies and the potential for market growth



 Compagnie Generale de Geophysique (CGG)



 Dawson Geophysical



 Fugro NV



 Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.



 Geotech Holdings Ltd



 Halliburton



 ION Geophysical Corp.



 McPhar International



 Schlumberger Oilfield Service Company



 Sea Geo Surveys Pvt Ltd



 TGS -NOPEC Geophysical Company L.P.



 The Paradigm Group



 Weatherford International





Overall world revenue for Aerial Geophysical Service Market, 2022 to 2032 in terms of value the market will surpass US$4,940 million in 2022, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2032. Our work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.





How will the Aerial Geophysical Service Market, 2022 to 2032 report help you?



In summary, our 270-page report provides you with the following knowledge:





 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for Aerial Geophysical Service Market, 2022 to 2032 Market, with forecasts for aircraft, end-user, technology and company size, each forecast at a global and regional level  discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues.





 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for four regional and 20 key national markets  See forecasts for the Aerial Geophysical Service Market, 2022 to 2032 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA. Also forecasted is the market in the US, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Germany, France, UK, Italy, China, India, Japan, and Australia among other prominent economies.





 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market  including company profiles for 13 of the major companies involved in the Aerial Geophysical Service Market, 2022 to 2032.







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06321434/?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.



__________________________

CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




Middletown, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Middletown, Delaware -

Anura

MIDDLETOWN, DELAWARE, Anura Solutions LLC, an ad fraud solution, announced that it will sponsor the 2022 Professional Associations for Customer Engagement Annual Convention and Expo (PACE ACX).

PACE ACX is an annual event that brings together hundreds of contact centers and customer experience professionals across the United States. This years convention will be held in Nashville from October 9th to 11th, featuring over 30 breakout sessions, powerful keynotes, and more.

Through the sponsorship agreement, Anura aims to promote ad fraud awareness, emphasizing on the importance of leveraging their cybersecurity tool to help businesses optimize their media spend and improve their bottom line.

We are excited to be the premier sponsor of this years event, said Rich Kahn, ad fraud expert, co-founder, and CEO of Anura. We take our role very seriously in protecting our clients advertising budget against the $100 billion ad fraud problem.

Anuras fraud detection experts will be onsite at the 2022 Expo to share key industry insights on fraud detection and prevention.

PACE advocates for and promotes best practices, emerging technology and thought leadership to and by its customer experience professional members in order to stimulate exceptional customer service, business growth and personal development.

Over the past few years, Anura has established itself as a leading ad fraud solution. According to the Anura team, they believe the 2022 PACE ACX event will provide a valuable opportunity for companies to learn more about fraud mitigation in the digital landscape.

To learn more about Anura or for sales-related inquiries, get in touch with Anuras fraud experts today.

###

For more information about Anura, contact the company here:



Anura

(888) 337-0641

sales@anura.io

222 Carter Drive, Suite 201

Middletown, DE 19709






Fortune Business Insights

The global electric vehicle market was valued at USD 246.70 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach USD 1,318.22 billion by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 24.3% from 2021 to 2028. Increasing fuel prices and rising demand for hybrid or battery-powered vehicles to boost growth.

Pune, India, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to Fortune Business Insights, the global electric vehicle market to grow at a CAGR of 24.3% and reach USD 1,318.22 billion from market value of USD 287.36 billion in 2021 during forecast period of 2021-2028. The market was valued USD 106.45 billion in 2020. The market growth is attributed to factors such as the environmental effect of conservative gasoline automobiles and the rise in fuel prices have given novel prospects to alternative fuel vehicles in the market. Purchasers are progressively partial towards using battery-powered or hybrid vehicles, which is estimated to bolster the electric vehicle market growth and demand.

Electric Vehicle Companies Analyzed in Report:

BMW Group (Munich, Germany)

BYD Company Ltd. (Shenzhen, China)

Daimler AG (Stuttgart, Germany)

Ford Motor Company (Michigan, U.S.)

General Motors Company (Michigan, U.S.)

Nissan Motor Corporation (Kanagawa, Japan)

Tesla, Inc. (California, U.S.)

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota City, Japan)

Volkswagen AG (Wolfsburg, Germany)

Groupe Renault (Boulogne-Billancourt, France)





Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/electric-vehicle-market-101678





Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2021-2028 Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 CAGR 24.3% 2028 Value Projection USD 1,318.22 Billion Base Year 2020 Market Size in 2021 USD 287.36 Billion Historical Data for 2017-2019 No. of Pages 250 Segments covered By Vehicle Type, By Type Growth Drivers High Demand for Passenger Vehicles to Aid Growth in Asia Pacific Promising Government Backings and Strategies to Endorse EV Sales





Electric Vehicle Market Analysis:

Industry Development:

April 2020: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and General Motors (GM) agreed to co-jointly manufacture two all-novel EVs for Honda, with the assistance of the advanced technology from GM in electric vehicle platform driven by Ultium batteries.

Story continues

Regional Electric Vehicle Market Insights:

High Demand for Passenger Vehicles to Aid Growth in Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific held maximum electric vehicle market share and is projected to display substantial growth in the global EV market owing to the increasing demand for passenger vehicles in emerging economies. China is responsible for the maximum share regarding passenger automobiles and other vehicles.

The market is geographically grouped into Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. Amongst these regions, North America is anticipated to exhibit the highest market growth due to a rise in the adoption of fuel-efficient vehicles. Combined with this, increasing awareness programs regarding air pollution as well as growing disposable income of the masses are expected to contribute to the growing electric vehicle market share across this region.





Click here to get the short-term and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on this Market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/electric-vehicle-market-101678





Electric Vehicle Market Drivers:

Promising Government Backings and Strategies to Endorse EV Sales

Governments of almost every region are offering enticing incentives and strategies to reassure the sales of electric vehicles. It offers several profits to customers, such as declined selling prices, zero or low processing fees, and the cost-free charging infrastructure of EVs at numerous charging stations. Furthermore, numerous governments across the globe excuse road tax, import tax, as well as purchase tax grounded on diverse grants.

The governments of several countries are offering attractive incentives and policies to boost the market sales. Consumers are offered multiple benefits, such as free charging of vehicles at numerous charging stations, low or zero registration fees, and decreased selling prices. Furthermore, they are providing an exemption in road tax, import tax, and purchase tax under various subsidies. These have encouraged automotive manufacturers to design and produce electric vehicles in huge quantities. Besides, the government have begun investing in and creating favorable policies for infrastructure development.





Ask For Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/electric-vehicle-market-101678





Segmentation By Vehicle Type Passenger Car

Light Commercial Vehicle

Heavy Commercial Vehicle By Type BEV

PHEV

HEV





Competitive Landscape

Inventive Product Launch Declaration by Chief Players to Boost Market Growth

The important players present in the market often implement numerous tactics to boost their position in the market as dominating companies. One such prominent tactic is procuring companies to thrust the brand value among users. Another vital tactic is intermittently promoting innovative products with a methodical analysis of the market and its target audience.





Quick Buy  Electric Vehicle Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/101678





Table of Content:

1. Introduction

1.1. Research Scope

1.2. Market Segmentation

1.3. Research Methodology

1.4. Definitions and Assumptions

2. Executive Summary

3. Market Dynamics

3.1. Market Drivers

3.2. Market Restraints

3.3. Market Opportunities

4. Key Insights

4.1 Merger, Acquisitions, and Partnerships

4.2 Porters Five Forces Analysis

4.3 SWOT Analysis

4.4 Technological Developments

4.5 Impact of COVID-19

5. Global Electric Vehicle Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028

5.1. Key Findings / Summary

5.2. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Type

5.2.1 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

5.2.2 Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)

5.2.3 Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)

5.3 Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Vehicle Type

5.3.1 Passenger Car

5.3.2 Commercial Vehicle

5.4. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region

5.4.1 North America

5.4.2 Europe

5.4.3 Asia pacific

5.4.4 Rest of the World

6. North America Electric Vehicle Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028

6.1. Key Findings / Summary

6.2. Market Analysis  By Type

6.2.1 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

6.2.2 Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)

6.2.3 Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)

6.3. Market Analysis  By Vehicle Type

6.3.1 Passenger Car

6.3.2 Commercial Vehicle

6.4. Market Analysis  By Country

6.4.1 U.S.

6.4.1.1 By Vehicle Type

6.4.2 Canada

6.4.1.2 By Vehicle Type

6.4.3 Mexico

6.4.1.3 By Vehicle Type

7. Europe Electric Vehicle Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028

7.1. Key Findings / Summary

7.2. Market Analysis  By Type

7.2.1 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

7.2.2 Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)

7.2.3 Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)

7.3. Market Analysis  By Vehicle Type

7.3.1 Passenger Car

7.3.2 Commercial Vehicle

7.4. Market Analysis  By Country

7.4.1 U.K.

7.4.1.1 By Vehicle Type

7.4.2 Germany

7.4.1.2 By Vehicle Type

7.4.3 France

7.4.1.3 By Vehicle Type

7.4.4 Rest of Europe

7.4.1.4 By Vehicle Type

Continued





Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/electric-vehicle-market-101678





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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.

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Eloro Resources Ltd.

TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: ELO; OTCQX: ELRRF; FSE: P2QM) (Eloro, or the Company) is pleased to announce that in connection with the annual and special meeting of the Company's shareholders (the Meeting), that was held virtually on September 27, 2022, the following voting results were obtained.



A total of 31,830,069 common shares representing 45.55% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares were voted in connection with the Meeting. Shareholders voted in favour of the election of the six director nominees as follows:



NOMINEE VOTES

FOR %

FOR VOTES

WITHHELD %

WITHHELD Thomas Larsen 28,552,702 99.904 27,300 0.096 Francis Sauve 28,542,632 99.869 37,370 0.131 Alexander Horvath 28,540,632 99.862 39,370 0.138 Dusan Berka 28,542,632 99.869 37,370 0.131 Richard Stone 28,542,702 99.869 37,300 0.131 Pablo Ordonez 28,551,402 99.900 28,600 0.100

Shareholders also voted in favour of the other items of business considered at the Meeting, being the re-appointment of RSM Canada LLP, as the Companys auditors, the adoption of new Company by-laws, and the approval of the Companys new Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP).

The LTIP provides for broad-based equity awards to directors, officers, consultants and employees. The LTIP permits the granting of options, performance share units, restricted share units and/or deferred share units. The aggregate number of common shares of the Company to be reserved and set aside for issuance for option awards will not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company at the time of granting the award (on a non-diluted basis). The aggregate number of common shares of the Company to be reserved and set aside for issuance for non-option awards, will not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company at the time of shareholder approval of the LTIP. The LTIP is subject to final approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. A copy of the LTIP is available in the management information circular for the Meeting, which is available at www.sedar.com.

Story continues

About Eloro Resources Ltd.

Eloro is an exploration and mine development company with a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in Bolivia, Peru and Quebec. Eloro has an option to acquire a 99% interest in the highly prospective Iska Iska Property, which can be classified as a polymetallic epithermal-porphyry complex, a significant mineral deposit type in the Potosi Department, in southern Bolivia. A recent NI 43-101 Technical Report on Iska Iska, which was completed by Micon International Limited, is available on Eloros website and under its filings on SEDAR. Iska Iska is a road-accessible, royalty-free property. Eloro also owns an 82% interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru some 50 km south of Barricks Lagunas Norte Gold Mine and Pan American Silvers La Arena Gold Mine. La Victoria consists of eight mining concessions and eight mining claims encompassing approximately 89 square kilometres. La Victoria has good infrastructure with access to road, water and electricity and is located at an altitude that ranges from 3,150 m to 4,400 m above sea level.

For further information please contact either Thomas G. Larsen, Chairman and CEO or Jorge Estepa, Vice-President at (416) 868-9168.

Information in this news release may contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Companys plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.




By Victoria Waldersee

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has managed to fill its gas reserves to 91.32% of capacity, allaying fears it could run out this winter after Russian gas flows fell sharply following European sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine - but it has come at a price.

One in ten mid-sized companies, which provide nearly two thirds of German jobs, have cut or halted production because of gas prices, according to a September survey of nearly 600 mid-sized firms by business association BDI, reducing demand.

Some industrial giants in particular gas-heavy industries like chemicals have begun shifting production and sourcing from elsewhere, while others are switching from gas to coal or oil - spelling trouble for their carbon footprint.

Below is an overview of what steps some of Germany's biggest industrial firms have taken to reduce their gas intake in anticipation of winter, and which are holding out for more information on government measures before cutting their consumption further.

Firms are listed in alphabetical order.

BASF

The world's largest chemicals company has reduced production of ammonia, a nitrogen fertiliser and input for engineering plastics and diesel exhaust fluid which relies heavily on natural gas.

It is now sourcing some of its ammonia from outside of Europe, where prices are lower, a spokesperson said.

BMW

BMW consumes around 3,500 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy annually in Germany and Austria, three-quarters of which comes from natural gas.

The carmaker can reduce its gas intake by at least 15% compared to last year, the company's chief financial officer said on Monday.

CEO Oliver Zipse said in August it could replace around 500 GWh of electricity from gas-powered combined heat and power plants by buying electricity from elsewhere but that doing so would significantly bump up its costs.

A spokesperson said the carmaker was still evaluating this measure. Meanwhile, it had switched off the exterior lighting on some of its buildings and advertising spaces.

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CONTINENTAL

The auto parts supplier has been working since August to reduce consumption on natural gas by 20% to replace it with oil, electricity or liquid gas, it said on Tuesday.

It was also spreading purchasing across multiple sources and increasing inventory, it said.

COVESTRO

Covestro, a chemicals group which makes products including foam chemicals used in mattresses, car seats and building insulation, uses natural gas both as a raw material for its production and as an energy source.

Replacing gas as a raw material was not yet possible, and options for replacing it as an energy source were also limited, a spokesperson said, though the company was testing where it could replace the fuel with oil.

Still, it has not yet moved production out of Europe or changed future investment plans as a result of the energy crisis.

"Of course there will come a point where we will need to ask ourselves if it still makes financial sense," the spokesperson added.

DAIMLER TRUCK

Daimler Truck's chief executive said in a recent interview with German paper FAZ that the company wanted to switch from fuelling its power and heat plants with gas to using oil, but was caught up in bureaucracy and would only be able to switch from October.

It has already implemented some measures to reduce absolute energy consumption including switching its bulbs to LED lights and reducing the temperature in offices and production halls by two degrees Celsius over winter, a spokesperson told Reuters.

HEIDELBERG MATERIALS

Heidelberg Materials, previously HeidelbergCement, said in July it was drawing up contingency plans to switch to alternative energy sources, including oil.

It was mainly affected by rising electricity prices rather than gas, the CEO said at the time, with its energy bill 60% higher than last year in the first half of 2022.

LINDE

The world's largest industrial gas company said in July it produced gases which were critical from a medical or process safety perspective and so believed it would be prioritised for gas allocation from Germany' government.

A spokesperson declined to provide further information, saying an update would be provided later in October in line with third quarter results.

MERCEDES-BENZ

The luxury carmaker said in July it had cut gas consumption by 10% and has not made further cuts since then, according to comments by its production chief in late September.

The 10% cuts were achieved by fuelling combined heat and power plants with electricity rather than gas as well as lowering heating in work halls.

Mercedes is investing in renewable energy capacity, building a wind park in the north of Germany, but this will not come online until 2025 and is far from its plants in the south, where there is less wind.

There, the carmaker is exploring putting solar panels on more of its roofs - but even at Sindelfingen, its most modern plant, solar can only cover 30% of its energy needs.

THYSSENKRUPP

Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe has partially trimmed production in Germany because of hesitant behaviour from customers which the company sees as signs of recession, a spokesperson said.

It has also relocated some production within Germany to its site in Duisburg, where it is able to produce its own electricity using steam generated by gas from its furnaces and plants.

"We are implementing a lot of measures we would not enforce in normal economic times, but are now necessary to save gas and electricity," the spokesperson said.

VOLKSWAGEN

Europe's top carmaker said at a briefing last Thursday it had reduced its gas intake by 20% through replacing the fuel with coal and oil.

The company has contingency plans in the event that its suppliers were forced to halt production including stocking up components everywhere from warehouses to ships and trains.

It has 6,000 suppliers in parts of Europe particularly vulnerable to the gas shortage, executives said in a briefing, and was looking at where else it could source from in the medium term.

(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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Global Laboratory Services Market

Global Laboratory Services Market

Dublin, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Laboratory Services Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Laboratory Services market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.98 % over the forecast period to reach a market size of US$672.521 billion in 2027, from US$447.970 billion in 2020.



Laboratory services are tests and services provided by a medical or testing lab that helps and aids in the treatment and diagnosis of patients. There are many types of laboratory services, such as HIV tests, blood counts, liver function tests, Blood Count Liver Function tests, and others, that are being provided. The testing helps doctors, physicians, and other healthcare professionals to analyze the data and prepare appropriate evidence related to therapeutic and diagnostic decisions for the patients. Many countries have been investing a substantial sum of capital into healthcare, focusing on the development of clinical laboratory services. These services are beneficial, affordable, and give factual information.



A surge in health care expenditure to boost growth

With the surge and growth in the health care expenditure by countries, the laboratory services market will continue to grow at a significant rate. According to the data given by the OECD and the World Bank in 2019, T the United States spends the most in the healthcare sector, with 16.9% of its GDP being spent on healthcare services. The government and major players in the country have been developing clinical and convenient laboratory services for its people. Digitalization and automation have played a critical role in expanding laboratory services.

On December 4th, 2020, EverlyWell, On 4th December 2020, EverlyWell, one of the major players in the market, announced that it had raised USD 175 million to expand its lab testing and diagnostic test capabilities, which would be used to manage and track chronic diseases. In Europe, Switzerland spent 12% of its GDP on health care, while Germany, France, Health Care with Germany, France, and Sweden spent around 10-11% of their GDP on health care. This has led to several companies announcing their investments in the region.

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HIV and AIDS are major concerns

According to the data given by the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS, around 38 million people were living with HIV worldwide in the year 2019. There were around 1. 7 million newly novel infected people in 2019. More than 690,000 deaths occurred from AIDS-Related diseases in 2019. 81% of the people living with HIV knew about their problem. Around 7.1 million infected people didn't know about the problem.

HIV has been a major concern for women too. According to the data, around 5500 women from the age of 15 to 24 became infected every week with HIV. Africa has been a major concern regarding the HIV P problem. Governments worldwide have been investing a substantial sum of capital into the development of laboratory services which would help in the examination and analysis of this grave problem.



Market Segmentation:

By Test Category

Routine testing

Anatomic pathology

Molecular & genetic

Drug testing

Pap & HPV testing

By End-User

Mobile/ Home-based sample collection

Laboratories visiting centers

By Geography

North America

USA

Canada

Mexico

South America

Brazil

Argentina

Europe

Germany

Spain

United Kingdom

France

Middle East and Africa

UAE

Saudi Arabia

Israel

Egypt

South Africa

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Thailand

Taiwan

Indonesia

Key Topics Covered:



1. INTRODUCTION



2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



4. MARKET DYNAMICS

5. GLOBAL LABORATORY SERVICES MARKET ANALYSIS, BY TEST CATEGORY



6. GLOBAL LABORATORY SERVICES MARKET ANALYSIS, BY END-USER



7. GLOBAL LABORATORY SERVICES MARKET ANALYSIS, BY GEOGRAPHY



8. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ANALYSIS



9. COMPANY PROFILES



Companies Mentioned

Quest Diagnostics

LabCorp

Sanofi Genzyme

Abbott Laboratories

Charles River Laboratories, Inc.

Bio-Reference Laboratories

Spectra Laboratories

Genoptix Medical Laboratory Services

ARUP Laboratories

NeoGenomics Laboratories

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vtpec8

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




Straits Research - Market Research Strategy | Strategy Consulting | Business Research | Business Consulting | Market Research

The global industrial air blower market size was valued at USD 4,579 million in 2021, which is growing at a CAGR of 4.5% and is envisioned to reach USD 6,512 million during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific will command the market during the forecast period growing at a CAGR of 4.81%.

New York, United States, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An industrial air blower is a machine whose primary function is to supply massive quantities of air or gas to various industrial processes. They are electric fans with wheels and blades designed to propel a current of air or gas according to specific parameters from one location to another. Industrial air blowers are primarily used in air handling units and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units to circulate air in industrial buildings and enclosed structures. Numerous applications employ centrifugal blowers, including combustion air supplies, cooling and drying systems, dust control systems, and air conveyor systems. Moreover, positive displacement blowers are typically employed in wet environments for sewage aeration, filter flushing, pneumatic conveying, and gas boosting, among other applications. In addition, air blowers are utilized for applications involving industrial air exhaustion, combustion air, and an industrial vacuum.

Due to the increased packaged food consumption, the food & beverage industry is the primary driver of the market for industrial air blowers. In addition, industrial air blowers are ideal for mining applications because they can transport air in a vacuum and pressurized environments. Consequently, the mining industry has increased its use of industrial air blowers. However, high maintenance and operating expenses can hinder the expansion of the market for industrial air blowers. In addition, industrialization in developing countries will drive the growth of the industrial air blower market during the forecast period.





Get a Free Sample Copy of This Report @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/industrial-air-blower-market/request-sample

Story continues





The Rise in Packaged Food Industry and Mining Activities to Drive the Global Industrial Air Blower Market



The demand for packaged food & beverage products has steadily increased over the past few years. The requirement for quick production is a current necessity. To improve the shelf life of certain dry products, it is necessary to extract all moisture and completely dry them. An industrial air blower is consistent and dependable for this purpose. In addition, the controls on the panel of this equipment are straightforward and can be operated by a semiskilled operator. Throughout the world, numerous new food and beverage industries have emerged. In December 2019, for instance, the Conagra food brand announced a USD 70 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in Michigan, United States, to increase its meat snack business's manufacturing and distribution capacity. These factors encourage food and beverage manufacturers to favor industrial air blowers, driving the global market for industrial air blowers.

Furthermore, ore deposits are located beneath the earth's surface and may contain considerable water. With the aid of industrial air blowers, the moisture that must be eliminated for further processing of the respective ore is eliminated. These air blowers suit the mining process industry due to their consistency and energy efficiency. To ensure efficient operations, numerous competitors emphasize contemporary industrial air blowers in their manufacturing facilities. Air blower manufacturers are developing options and blowers with unique characteristics and improved technology and fuel efficiency to reduce operating costs and boost productivity, thereby driving the market for industrial air blowers.

Increased Focus on Energy Efficient Devices to Create Global Industrial Air Blower Market Opportunities



The industrial air blowers are electrically powered. The blowers are assembled from a variety of components. The blower motors are one of the components that consume the most energy. Installing an efficient engine will maximize the efficiency of industrial air blowers. Advanced motors that are more efficient than those currently in use are being developed. This will efficiently power the systems with intelligent energy management . In addition, using recyclable and environmentally friendly materials will increase the efficiency of industrial air blowers. Therefore, such concentrated efforts on enhancing energy efficiency and employing low-power materials will enhance the market opportunities for industrial air blowers.





Report Scope

Report Metric Details Market Size USD 6.51 Billion by 2030 CAGR 4.5% (2022-2030) Historical Data 2019-2020 Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2030 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Movement of Air, Business Type, End-User Industry, Regions Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, LAME and Rest of the World Key Companies Profiled/Vendors Air Control Industries Ltd.,Atlantic Blowers,Atlas Copco AB,Boldrocchi,Chicago Blower Corporation,Hitachi,Kaeser Kompressoren,Kawasaki Heavy Industries,Shandong Huadong Blower Co. Ltd.,Tuthill Key Market Opportunities Increased Focus on Energy Efficient Devices to Spur Market Opportunities Key Market Drivers The Rise in Packaged Food Industry and Mining Activities to Propel Growth

Buy Now Full Report @ https://straitsresearch.com/buy-now/industrial-air-blower-market





Regional Insights

The Asia Pacific will command the market during the forecast period growing at a CAGR of 4.81%. The market for industrial air blowers is quickly increasing in the Asia-Pacific region. This is mainly due to large populations in economies such as China and India. This region's fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) consumption has increased significantly in recent years, which has been a significant factor in the industrial air blower market's growth. Moreover, the rapid expansion of industries such as manufacturing, construction, mining, pharmaceutics, and textiles contributes to the rise in demand for industrial air blowers. In addition, new construction, industrial, and development projects in the Asia-Pacific region are expected to increase the demand for industrial air blowers.

Europe will hold a share of USD 1,806 million, growing at a CAGR of 3.65% during the forecast period. On the European market, consumption of various consumable goods has increased significantly over the past few years. In Europe, the demand for packaged food and beverage products, as well as pharmaceutical and fast-moving consumer goods, has increased significantly (FMCG). Consequently, several manufacturers of food & beverage, pharmaceutical, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) have expanded their footprints in the European market, including developing production facilities that require industrial air blowers for their manufacturing operations, thereby driving the market growth for industrial air blowers. In addition, research indicates that approximately 95% of Europe's wastewater is collected and treated before being recycled or discharged into the ocean. These actions result in the construction of new wastewater treatment plants, which stimulates the growth of the industrial air blower market.





Key Highlights

The global industrial air blower market size had a revenue share of USD 4,579 million in 2021, which is growing at a CAGR of 4.5% and is envisioned to reach USD 6,512 million during the forecast period.

Based on the air movement , the centrifugal segment is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.31% and holds the most significant proportion during the forecast period.

Based on the business type , the equipment sales segment will most likely hold the largest market share during the forecast period and grow at a CAGR of 4.3%.

Based on the end-user industry , the others segment is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% and hold the largest share during the forecast period.

Based on regional analysis, Asia Pacific will command the market during the forecast period growing at a CAGR of 4.81%.





Get a Free Sample Copy of This Report @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/industrial-air-blower-market/request-sample





Competitive Players in the Market

Air Control Industries Ltd.

Atlantic Blowers

Atlas Copco AB

Boldrocchi

Chicago Blower Corporation

Hitachi

Kaeser Kompressoren

Kawasaki Heavy Industries

Shandong Huadong Blower Co. Ltd.

Tuthill





Global Industrial Air Blower Market: Segmentation

By movement of air

Positive Displacement

Centrifugal

By business type

Equipment Sales

Services

By end-user industry

Food & Beverage

Wastewater Treatment

Pharmaceutical

Chemicals & Petrochemical

Others

By region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

LAMEA





TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction Market Definition Market Scope Research Methodology Primary Research Research Methodology Assumptions & Exclusions Secondary Data Sources Market Overview Report Segmentation & Scope Value Chain Analysis: Industrial Air Blower Market Key Market Trends Drivers Restraints Opportunities Porters Five Forces Analysis Bargaining Power of Suppliers Bargaining Power of Buyers Threat of Substitution Threat of New Entrants Competitive Rivalry Market Share Analysis Movement of Air Overview Introduction Market Size & Forecast Positive Displacement Market Size & Forecast Centrifugal Market Size & Forecast Business Type Overview Introduction Market Size & Forecast Sales Market Size & Forecast Services Market Size & Forecast Regional Overview Introduction Market Size & Forecast America North America U.S. By Movement of Air By Business Type Canada By Movement of Air By Business Type Mexico By Movement of Air By Business Type Latin America By Movement of Air By Business Type Europe Market Size & Forecast Germany By Movement of Air By Business Type France By Movement of Air By Business Type U.K. By Movement of Air By Business Type Italy By Movement of Air By Business Type Spain By Movement of Air By Business Type Rest of Europe By Movement of Air By Business Type Asia Pacific Market Size & Forecast Japan By Movement of Air By Business Type China By Movement of Air By Business Type Australia By Movement of Air By Business Type India By Movement of Air By Business Type South Korea By Movement of Air By Business Type Rest of Asia-Pacific By Movement of Air By Business Type Middle East & Africa Market Size & Forecast Saudi Arabia By Movement of Air By Business Type South Africa By Movement of Air By Business Type Kuwait By Movement of Air By Business Type Rest of Middle East & Africa By Movement of Air By Business Type Company Profile Air Control Industries Ltd Company Overview Financial Performance Recent Developments Product Portfolio Atlantic Blowers Company Overview Financial Performance Recent Developments Product Portfolio Atlas Copco AB Company Overview Financial Performance Recent Developments Product Portfolio Conclusion & Recommendation Acronyms & Abbreviations





Table of Content and Figure @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/industrial-air-blower-market/toc





Market News

In 2022 , Atlas Copco AB launched a new range of energy storage systems to maximize the sustainability for operators by working in hybrid mode with efficient diesel-driven generators.

In 2022, Hitachi launched the AFM100 Pro High-Sensitivity Scanning Probe Microscope System, a high-end scanning probe microscope equipped with a newly developed high-sensitivity optical head that improves sensitivity when measuring physical properties and enables measurement at atomic and molecular scales.





Market News



Asia-Pacific: Largest Consumer of Air-Dried Food

Latin America to Generate New Growth Opportunities for the Air Fryer Market





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This partnership will significantly expand Libby's points of distribution for its growing product line up

NAPA, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bubbled wine brand Libby and Sonoma-based wine producer Don Sebastiani & Sons announce today a strategic partnership where Don Sebastiani & Sons will serve as the exclusive sales representative for Libby within the United States. Don Sebastiani & Sons will manage and activate Libby's national distributor network, while the brand will maintain control of its direct-to-consumer channel, production, and marketing operations.

Libby

"Sparkling wines have continued to captivate consumers' attention with consistent growth, and albeit early days, the low-ABV/low-cal wine sales show extreme promise in the U.S. Libby fuses these two growing market spaces with our unique low-ABV bubbled wine for everybody, and every occasion," said Libby co-founder and CEO Grant Hemingway. "Don Sebastiani & Sons is the ideal strategic partner for us as we push into wholesale distribution with their commitment to quality and innovation. We are excited to continue building the momentum that began with our direct-to-consumer release and bring our exceptional wines to store shelves."

After a successful direct-to-consumer launch into 20 markets this past spring, Libby will seek to strategically expand distribution nationally, starting with four launch markets this fall  Calif., Ore., Wis. and Tenn.  through the Don Sebastiani & Sons distribution network. As the exclusive sales representative, they will sell all Libby products designated for the on and off premise channels, which will include the highly anticipated release of innovative bubbled wine products in early 2023.

"We are thrilled to partner with Libby to bring these innovative products to the market and build on the direct-to-consumer efforts," said Don Sebastiani & Sons CEO Omar Percich. "This is going to fill one of the holes that we have in our portfolio but more importantly it's a product that Don Sebastiani & Sons is aligned with from a quality and affordability perspective. It checks a lot of boxes from low calorie to low alcohol and we expect to have early success with this brand because it's really what consumers are looking for."

Story continues

Bubbly and refreshing, Libby is made from sustainably grown Californian grapes. Each wine is fermented separately to bring out its individual characteristics. The wines are then stabilized and filtered to ensure consistency and quality before blending to reach a low ABV of 7-8% and finally, carbonated to specific levels before bottling. Libby is gluten-free, vegan-friendly, non-GMO and available in Rose Blend and White Blend.

For more information, visit www.drinklibby.com and Instagram, @drinklibby.

About Libby

Bubbly and refreshing, Libby is a low-calorie and low-ABV wine made from a non-traditional carbonation process that guarantees delicious flavors and affordable pricing. Libby's bubbled wines are made in California, where the brand works with a multi-generational family-owned winery using sustainably grown grapes. Available in both cans and bottles, Libby's Rose and White Blends are gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and non-GMO, and have a low-ABV of just under 8%, with no added sugars. For more information, visit www.drinklibby.com ,

About Don Sebastiani & Sons

Rooted in tradition, driven by innovation, and headquartered in the Napa Valley, Don Sebastiani & Sons makes and markets a robust portfolio of adult beverages, including the leading premium ready-to-drink margarita in the United States, Flybird, imported from Jalisco, Mexico and made with 100% Blue Weber Agave wine. Donny Sebastiani is fourth-generation proprietor of this family-owned and run business. For more information, visit www.donsebastianiandsons.com .

Press Contact: Kirsten Anderson

212-226-2922

345572@email4pr.com

Cision

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SOURCE Libby
Lowe's offers 2nd annual first responders discount, plus nationwide fire safety demos and community projects to #BuildThanks for first responder community

MOORESVILLE, N.C., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- First responders continue to show up daily to support communities across America  and this October, Lowe's will be there for them. Lowe's stores nationwide will support first responders through community impact projects, in-store deals, events and more to show support to the men and women who serve our communities.

Lowes thanks First Responders with special offer, redeemable Oct. 21  Oct. 28.

In honor of National First Responders Day on Oct. 28, Lowe's will again offer a discount to eligible first responders at Lowe's stores nationwide and on Lowes.com. As a special "thank you" and way to #BuildThanks for this community, eligible first responders must sign up to receive $10 off a $75 or more qualifying purchase  redeemable Oct. 21 through Oct. 28.

Now through Oct. 28, first responders can learn more and register for the special one-time offer by visiting Lowes.com/FirstResponders. Eligible first responders include firefighters, EMTs, police officers, nurses and doctors.* Those who register will receive their discount via email.

"These heroes show up every day to support communities across the country. They're always the first to arrive on the scene and the last to leave," said Marvin Ellison, Lowe's chairman and CEO. "We hope to demonstrate our immense gratitude and appreciation throughout October with a special offer and ongoing service projects to improve the spaces they call home."

With October also being Fire Prevention Month, Lowe's stores will continue its tradition of raising public awareness for threats of fire and carbon monoxide by hosting a series of fire safety demonstrations and DIY safety workshops, led by local fire departments and Lowe's partner, First Alert, on Oct.1, Oct. 8 and Oct. 15.

Lowe's commitment to the first responders' community extends beyond the month of October. Projects benefiting first responders are part of this year's Lowe's Hometowns program  a five-year, $100 million commitment to restore and revitalize spaces in the communities Lowe's serves. This year, Lowe's associates and community volunteers are participating in efforts to renovate and restore three signature projects enhancing first responders' spaces: Montclair Ambulance Unit (Montclair, N.J.), Penn Wynne-Overbrook Hills Fire Company (Wynnewood, Pa.), Webber Township Fire Protection District (Bluford, Ill).

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Additionally, Lowe's stores across the country are leading community impact projects to support and celebrate local first responder organizations and nonprofits, furthering Lowe's commitment to this essential community and continuing to #BuildThanks across the country.

To register for the special one-time offer or to learn more about store events, visit Lowes.com/FirstResponders.

*Terms, exclusions and restrictions apply.

About Lowe's

Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE 50 home improvement company serving approximately 19 million customer transactions a week in the United States and Canada. With fiscal year 2021 sales of over $96 billion, Lowe's and its related businesses operate or service nearly 2,200 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 300,000 associates. Based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's supports the communities it serves through programs focused on creating safe, affordable housing and helping to develop the next generation of skilled trade experts. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

Contacts:

MJ Wilson

mj.wilson@lowes.com

Cision

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SOURCE Lowe's Companies, Inc.
WENDAKE, QC, Sept. 28, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - The Chief of the Opitciwan community, Jean-Claude Mequish, the Social Services Director of Opitciwan, Serge Awashish, the Atikamekw of Opitciwan Social Protection Director, Nadia Petiquay, the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL), Ghislain Picard, and the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission (FNQLHSSC) invite media representatives to a press conference to highlight the decision of the Court of Quebec, Youth Division, rendered on September 23, 2022, which affirms the jurisdiction of First Nations over child and family services in and outside the communities.

What: Press conference Who: Jean-Claude Mequish, Chief of Opitciwan, Serge Awashish, Director of Social Services of Opitciwan, Nadia Petiquay, Atikamekw of Opitciwan Director of Social Protection, Ghislain Picard, Chief of the AFNQL and the FNQLHSSC When: Thursday, September 29, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. Where: Hotel-Musee Premieres Nations, located at 5 Place de la Rencontre, Wendake, Quebec G0A 4V0

About the Conseil des Atikamekw d'Opitciwan

The Atikamekw community of Opitciwan is located northwest of Lac-Saint-Jean, about 250 km from Saint-Felicien. It has around 3,000 residents, 50% of whom are under the age of 24. The Conseil des Atikamekw d'Opitciwan makes every effort to affirm the Atikamekw identity, values, language, culture and autonomy. It is in this spirit that it decided to obtain its full autonomy in matters of child welfare.

About the AFNQL

The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador is a political organization that unites 43 First Nations Chiefs in Quebec and Labrador.

About the FNQLHSSC

The First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission is a non-profit organization that supports First Nations in Quebec in achieving their objectives in terms of health, wellness, culture and self-determination.

Story continues

www.opitciwan.ca

www.apnql.com

www.cssspnql.com

SOURCE Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador

Cision

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By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Turkiye honors the memory of heroic martyrs of the Second Karabakh War, Chief Advisor to the Turkish President Yalchin Topchu said, Azernews reports via Trend.

He stated that Azerbaijani martyrs sacrificed their lives for the liberation of their native lands from Armenian occupation and thus inscribed their names in history.

September 27 marks two years since the start of the Second Karabakh War.
Mount Union logo

ALLIANCE  The University of Mount Union and Methodist Theological School in Ohio have created an opportunity for students who wish to pursue a master of social justice degree.

Under this program, interested students will complete a minor in peacebuilding and social justice or the self-defined major in social justice and diversity studies. In their first three years, students will be enrolled full-time at Mount Union. Their fourth undergraduate/first graduate year will be completed at MTSO.

The 3+2 MA in Social Justice partnership between Mount Union and the Methodist Theological School in Ohio creates a pathway and an outlet for young people who are called to the work of social change-making, said Dr. Nicole Johnson, professor of religious studies and chair of the Department of Justice, Diversity, and Interdisciplinary Studies at Mount Union. The partnership emphasizes individualized advising and plenty of experiential learning, both of which are important for helping students determine areas of social concern they wish to address during their five years in the program and beyond in their chosen career. We are excited to offer this unique opportunity to the up-and-coming generation of social justice advocates and peacebuilders.

Once admitted to Mount Union, students must complete a set of required courses to be eligible for the program. In addition, students must be in good standing with Mount Union and satisfy the admission requirements between MTSO and Mount Union. These requirements include a declaration of intent to pursue the 3+2 program prior to earning 60 semester hours, an application to MTSO by Feb. 1 of the students anticipated final year at Mount Union and an undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0.

The College of Arts and Humanities is committed to helping our students develop a mindset of compassion, intellectual curiosity and engagement, said Heather Duda, Founding Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. Because of its focus on preparing graduates to tackle social challenges and lead advocacy efforts, the 3+2 BA/MASJ program fits within this commitment. Together, our two institutions are preparing students for fulfilling lives, meaningful work and responsible citizenship.

For more information about the program, visit mountunion.edu/psj-3-2.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Mount Union joins cooperative for master in social justice
Front Cover of NACO Report on Angel Investing in Canada

The cover of NACO's Report is a mosaic of women leaders at the forefront of Canada's innovation economy.

TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) released its Annual Report on Angel Investing in Canada . This year's report analyzes Canadian angel investment totaling $262.1 million, a record recovery from 2020s pandemic low of $102.9 million.



For the first time in NACO's history, the organization has leveraged its international platform to spotlight the achievements of 27 women trailblazers at the forefront of Canadas innovation economy. Sharing the stories of these individual women leaders throughout the report will help accelerate change, while celebrating a remarkable achievement identified by NACO: a 50% increase in womens participation in angel activity since 2019.

In another historical first, a coalition of senior leaders from across the innovation economy contributed to the development of the report, including unicorn founder Mike Wessinger of PointClickCare; Claudette McGowan, Founder of the Firehood and General Partner of Phoenix Fire Fund; Dinaro Ly, Head of Innovation Partnerships at Interac Corp; Jerome Nycz, Executive Vice President at BDC Capital; and Stephen Stewart, Managing Director, M&A at TD Securities.

On behalf of Canadas innovation economy, I extend a sincere thank you to the 27 women trailblazers highlighted in our report, the dozens of ecosystem leaders who served on our review committee, and NACOs vast network of members and community partners, each of whom played an essential role in the genesis of this document, said Claudio Rojas, CEO of the National Angel Capital Organization. Not in the least, Id like to acknowledge the contributions of our reports lead author, Dr. Colin Mason, Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Glasgows Adam Smith Business School. Dr. Masons groundbreaking research is a gift to the innovation economy in Canada and across the globe.

To maximize its impact on Canadas innovation economy, NACOs annual report will be distributed to over 20,000 recipients, including investment organizations, academic institutions, and international trade embassies, among others.

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In conducting the research underlying its report, NACO identified a number of areas in need of change: ranging from systemic barriers confronting diverse founders to regional isolation in Canadas innovation economy. To address these challenges, and build a better Canada, NACO will be announcing the launch of numerous transformative initiatives over the next twelve months.

NACOs decision to showcase the accomplishments of individual women leaders across the innovation economy reflects its commitment to driving real progress and real change that impacts real people, said Claudette McGowan, Co-founder of The Firehood and General Partner of Phoenix Fire Fund. NACOs Initiative for Women Entrepreneurs shares the core mission of Phoenix Fire Fund: increasing the number of women entrepreneurs who build high-growth companies.

Among the national coalition of leaders who contributed to NACOs report was Silicon Valley Bank, whose own recently released report, The Future of Climate Tech, identifies an additional area of opportunity and change: climate tech, which is an emerging sector of vital importance.

We are proud to work together with NACO on this years report and see incredible potential in NACO's capacity to support the growth and maturation of Canadas clean economy, said Filip Stoj, Vice President, Early Stage Startups at Silicon Valley Bank in Canada. NACO has the unique ability to fill critical educational gaps in the venture ecosystem while simultaneously reducing barriers that hold back investment in emerging technologies. NACOs report provides evidence of its ability to lead change, and we look forward to working with NACO to help build a more sustainable and inclusive future for Canada and the world.

Download NACOs 2022 Report on Angel Investing in Canada here .

About National Angel Capital Organization

National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) members have invested $1.38 billion into more than 1,900 Canadian companies. Incorporated in 2002, NACO is Canadas professional association for angel investors and the only national platform for angel collectives and the innovation hubs that support Canadas entrepreneurs. NACOs national network includes 4,200 angel investors, 50 incubators and accelerators, and 45 angel groups. https://nacocanada.com/ .

Data Collection Partners and Report Contributors

With input from leading angel organizations and funds across the country, NACOs Annual Report on Angel Investing in Canada tracks important investment trends and analyzes the evolution of angel investing within Canadas innovation economy to inform program and policy development.

In 2021, Canadas angel investment ecosystem reported a record amount of investment, totalling $262.1 million. Over the past 12 years, Canadian angel investors have invested a cumulative $1.38 billion. The report also tracks a shift in the angel landscape with women now comprising 27% of the members of Canadian angel organizations, a 13% increase from 2020 and an approximate 60% increase from 2019 and 2018.

More than 40 organizations and firms from across Canadas innovation ecosystem supported the data collection, development and review of this years report.

Accelerate Okanagan

Angel One

Anges Quebec

Backbone Angels

Bizfield Angel Network Ltd.

Bluesky Equities Ltd.

Brightspark Ventures

Canadian International Angel Investors Ltd.

Capital Angel Network

DealPoint for Syndicates

East Valley Ventures

Entrevestor

First Line Capital (Burlington)

Foresight

Genesis Centre

Georgian Angel Network

GIC Merchant Bank Corp

Golden Triangle Angel Network

GreenSky President's Club

HaloHealth

Innovate Edmonton

InterGen

Island Capital Partners

Keiretsu Forum Canada

Killick Capital

Launch Ventures

Maple Leaf Angels

New Brunswick Innovation Foundation

Niagara Angel Network

Northern Ontario Angels

North Forge Technology Exchange

Ontario Capital Growth Corporation

Ontario Centre of Innovation

Pelorus Venture Capital

Peterborough Region Angel Network

Southeastern Ontario Angel Network

Southwestern Ontario Angel Group

Silicon Valley Bank

Spark Angel Network

The51 Ventures Inc.

Two Small Fish Ventures

Valhalla Private Capital Inc

VANTEC Angel Network and E-Fund

Windsor Essex Capital Angel Network

York Angel Investors Inc.

Yukon Venture Angels

To schedule an interview, contact:

Claudio Rojas

CEO, National Angel Capital Organization

Email: media@nacocanada.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/298423cd-51c1-4cf5-a2a7-7c527327abd2




Allied Market Research

Rise in acceptance of digitized operations and POS terminals boost the growth of the global Restaurant Point of Sale (POS) Terminal market. Rise in preference for cashless transactions and seamless business functions will open new growth avenues for the global market. Massive dependence on digital systems in restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic boosted global market trends.

Portland, OR, Sept. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global restaurant point of sale (POS) terminal market accrued earnings worth $16.5 billion in 2021, and is expected to hit $44.6 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 10.8% from 2022 to 2031. The market research study provides a detailed analysis of changing industry trends, top-most segments, value chain analysis, key investment business scenarios, regional space, and competitive space. The study is a key information source for giant players, entrepreneurs, shareholders, and owners in generating new strategies for the future and taking steps to enhance their market position. The report displays an in-depth quantitative analysis of the market from 2022 to 2031 and guides investors in allocating funds to the rapidly evolving industry.

Download Free Sample Report (Get Detailed Analysis in PDF - 534 Pages): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/30634

Report Coverage and Details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20222031 Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2021 $16.5 billion Market Size in 2031 $44.6 billion CAGR 10.8% No. of Pages in Report 534 Segments Covered Component, Deployment Model, Type, Application, End User, and Region Drivers Rise in acceptance of digitized operations and POS terminals POS tools aid restaurant owners in streamlining sales, food inventory, cash flow, and bookkeeping processes Growing need for proficient operations of payment gateways, table bookings, and order management Opportunities Acceptance of POS terminals in restaurants for enhancing operational efficiency Technological breakthroughs in the POS terminals such as the inclusion of automations and machine learning tools Rise in preference for cashless transactions and seamless business functions Restraints High acquisition costs and security risks of the POS terminals

























































COVID-19 Scenario:



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The COVID-19 pandemic created a modern impact on the growth of the global restaurant point of sale (POS) terminal market with a large number of restaurants adopting POS terminals with a view of following social distancing norms.

Massive dependence on digital systems in restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic boosted global market trends.

The report offers detailed segmentation of the global restaurant point of sale (POS) terminal market based on Component, Deployment Model, Type, Application, End User, and Region. It provides an in-depth analysis of every segment and sub-segment in tables and figures through which consumers can derive a conclusion about market trends and insights. The market report analysis aids organizations, investors, and entrepreneurs in understanding which sub-segments are to be tapped for achieving huge growth in the years ahead.

Interested to Procure the Data? Inquire Here: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/30634

In terms of component, the hardware segment was the largest in 2021, accounting for nearly three-fifths of the overall share of the global restaurant point of sale (POS) terminal market. Moreover, this segment is predicted to retain its dominant position during the forecast timespan. Furthermore, the software segment is set to record the highest CAGR of 13.5% from 2022 to 2031.

On basis of the deployment mode, the on-premise segment held the largest share in 2021, contributing to more than two-thirds of the overall restaurant point of sale (POS) terminal market. Moreover, this segment is predicted to account for the highest market share by 2031. Furthermore, the cloud segment is also anticipated to record the fastest CAGR of 13.8% during the forecast timeframe.

On the basis of end user, the full-service restaurant (FSR) segment held the largest share in 2021, contributing more than half of the global restaurant point of sale (POS) terminal market share. Moreover, this segment is predicted to account for the highest market share by 2031. Furthermore, the quick service restaurant (QSR) segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 14.0% during the forecast period

Based on region, the Asia-Pacific continent contributed toward the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than one-third of the global restaurant point of sale (POS) terminal market share. The Asia-Pacific market is set to dominate the regional market in foreseeable future. The Asia-Pacific restaurant point of sale (POS) terminal market is predicted to register the fastest CAGR of 13.2% during the forecast timespan. The report also analyzes regions including the LAMEA, North America, and Europe.

Get Detailed COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the Restaurant Point of Sale (POS) Terminal Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/30634?reqfor=covid

Key participants in the global restaurant point of sale (POS) terminal market examined in the research include Aures Group, Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, INGENICO, Lightspeed Management Company, LLC, NCR Corporation, Oracle, Panasonic Corporation, PAX Technology Limited, Posist Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Posiflex Technology, Revel Systems, Shift4, Squirrel System, and Touch Dynamic.

The report evaluates these major players in the global restaurant point of sale (POS) terminal industry. These players have executed a gamut of major business strategies such as the expansion of regional and customer bases, new product launches, strategic alliances, and joint ventures for expanding product lines across global markets. The market research report supports the performance monitoring of each segment, positioning of each product in respective segments, and the impact of new technology and product innovations on the overall market size.

Key Benefits For Stakeholders:

This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the restaurant point of sale terminal market forecast from 2021 to 2031 to identify prevailing restaurant point of sale terminal market opportunity.

In addition to the market research, important drivers, restraints, and opportunities are covered as well.

Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders to make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network.

In-depth analysis of the restaurant point of sale terminal market segmentation assists in determining the prevailing market opportunities.

According to their contribution to global market revenue, the major countries in each region are mapped.

Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players.

Restaurant Point of Sale (POS) Terminal Market Key Segments:

By Component :

Hardware

Swipe Card Machine Touchscreen/Desktop Others



Software

Services

Professional Services Managed Services



By Deployment Mode:

On-Premise

Cloud

By Type:

Fixed POS

Self-Serve Kiosks Cash Counters Terminals Others



Mobile POS

By Application:

Front End

Back End

By End User:

Full-Service Restaurant (FSR)

Fine Dine Casual Dine



Quick Service Restaurant (QSR)

Institutional FSR

Others

By Region:

North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico)

Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, and Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Rest of Asia-Pacific)

LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East and Africa)

We have also published few syndicated market studies in the similar area that might be of your interest. Below are the report titles for your reference, considering Impact of COVID-19 over this market which will help you to assess aftereffects of pandemic on short-term and long-term growth trends of this market.

Trending Reports in BFSI Sector (Book Now with 10% Discount + COVID-19 Scenario):

EMV Smart Cards Market By Type (Debit Card and Credit Card), Brand (Visa, MasterCard, and Others), Application (Food & Groceries, Health & Pharmacy, Restaurants & Bars, Consumer Electronics, Media & Entertainment, Travel & Tourism, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031

Digital Gift Card Market By Functional Attribute (Open-Loop Card and Closed-Loop Card), End User (Retail and Corporate) and Application (Consumer Goods, Health & Wellness, Restaurants & Bars, Travel & Tourism, Media & Entertainment and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030

Proximity Payment Market By Offering (Solution and Service) and Application (Grocery Stores, Bars & Restaurants, Drug Stores, Entertainment Centers, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030

QR Codes Payment Market By Offering (Solution and Services), Payment Type (Push Payment and Pull Payment), Transaction Channel (Face-to-Face and Remote), and End User (Restaurant, Retail & E-Commerce, E-Ticket Booking, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030

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.

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.

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Ricardo Pascoe

Executive Leader for Capital Markets at nesto

MONTREAL, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Its with excitement that nesto, a fast growing Canadian online mortgage lender firm, welcomes Ricardo Pascoe as its Executive Leader for Capital Markets. In his new role, Ricardo Pascoe will be joining nesto to accelerate all capital market initiatives alongside Blake Dumelie, VP of Capital Markets.



Ricardo Pascoe comes to nesto with 35 years of experience. Hes worked around the world with major Canadian, US and European banks, and has a solid track record of building strong businesses in the financial markets. Prior to joining nesto, Mr. Pascoe worked at National Bank of Canada for 16 years, leading its Capital Markets business for 13 years as Executive Vice-President, and was the banks Chief Transformation Officer for the last 3 years, with a mandate to improve the banks ability to incorporate new technologies, including working with fintechs as partners.

As someone who is passionate about developing technologies that transform markets, I have followed nestos journey with interest from its inception. They have the fastest speed of approval, a spirit for innovation, and have built a great foundation to scale to be the top player in mortgages in Canada. I couldnt be happier to be a part of the nesto team, and work with the incredible team of entrepreneurs, explains Ricardo Pascoe.

Its an honor to have someone like Ricardo coming to nesto, says Malik Yacoubi, CEO and Co-Founder of nesto. This is a testimonial to all the great work the nesto team accomplished over the last 4 years to be able to welcome someone with Ricardos level of expertise and achievements. I look forward to his efforts in further scaling our business with Blake.

Ricardo Pascoe and Blake Dumelie will build the capital market capacity together. The duo will bring better products to the market for Canadians, and inject more innovation into the brand. They see capital markets becoming a big differentiator for nesto and they plan to partner with the best investors in the market looking to deliver the best mortgage products to Canadians.

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About nesto: nesto is Canadas pioneer digital mortgage lending platform, with 250+ qualified mortgage experts powered by advanced technologies. nesto is on a mission to offer a positive, empowering and transparent property financing experience, simplified from start to finish to all Canadians.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Alivia Massimillo

alivia@nesto.ca

T: 516-398-2513

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c2547be-dc7b-483e-8cf8-f0ddbefa0a53




NOIDA, India, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, the Industrial IoT Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 7% from 2022-2028, reaching USD 112 billion by 2028. The analysis has been segmented into Component (Hardware, Software, and Solution); Connectivity (Wired and Non-wired); End-Users (Manufacturing, Energy & Power, Healthcare, Agriculture, and Other); Region/Country.

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Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/industrial-iot-market/

The industrial IoT 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 industrial IoT market. The industrial IoT 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 industrial IoT market at the global and regional levels.

Request for Sample Pages

https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=26040

Market Overview

Industrial IoT is defined as the use of actuators and smart sensors to enhance manufacturing and production along with the improvement in the industrial process. Additionally, industrial IoT is often called industry 4.0 or industrial internet and uses the power of real-time analytics and smart machine to provide effective and required results. In recent times, IoT in the industrial sector has seen significant growth owing to its ability to find the inefficiency and problems at an early stage and provide several benefits such as cost and time saving as well as provide control over quality and sustainable practices. In an industrial setting, IoT is connected with the devices that collect, monitor, analyze, and exchange of data. The connected devices are able to capture, sense, and store the information and could analyze the effective output from the raw data.

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The Industrial IoT Market is expected to grow at a steady rate of around 7% owing to the increasing utilization of the industrial IoT in the energy sector, automotive sector, manufacturing sector, and agriculture sector coupled with the increasing investment and technological advancement. Major companies in the market offer industrial IoT for challenging applications with technologically advanced features. For instance, in February 2021, Cisco partnered with the Newark company to provide the industrial IoT network for non-carpeted and harsh environmental conditions across North America.

COVID-19 Impact

Due to travel limitations and the projected dismal financial performance of market players in 2020, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt the industrial IoT industry. Supply chain execution, regulatory and policy changes, labor reliance, working capital management, and liquidity and solvency management are all major concerns for Industrial IoT manufacturers. Since the COVID-19 epidemic has considerably diminished by the beginning of 2021, a lot of businesses are resuming operations. In terms of demand and supply, China is one of the major players in the industrial IoT market. China's supply shortages have triggered a chain reaction throughout the world.

https://univdatos.com/report/industrial-iot-market/

The global industrial IoT market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on component, the market is segmented into hardware, solution, and services. The solution segment is expected to witness significant market growth during the forecast period on the account of increasing overall equipment effectiveness, improve efficiency, and cost reduction through better access to the data from real-time solutions are supporting the growth of the solution segment. Also, the production process planning, optimization by the data collection, real-time monitoring, and sensor-generated data analysis are propelling the growth of the solution segment. For instance, the solution segment could be used in smart factories, asset monitoring, inventory management, machine maintenance, and predictive maintenance among others.

Based on connectivity, the market is segmented into the wired and non-wired segments. The non-wired segment is expected to witness significant market growth during the forecast period owing to its cost-effectiveness and less complex nature. Additionally, the wireless segment provides the additional advantage of the work done through the remote location along with the increased production and safety of the individual and organization. The integration of the 5G technology and technological advancement supported the growth of the wireless industrial IoT. For instance, Cisco developed the cisco catalyst IW9167 wireless series that provides the connectivity for the state-of-the-art hardware and is able to operate under critical applications.

Based on end-users, the industrial IoT market is segmented into manufacturing, energy & power, healthcare, agriculture, and other segments. The industrial IoT in the manufacturing sector is expected to witness significant market growth during the forecast period owing to machine utilization, predictive maintenance, asset tracking, facility management, and just-in-time manufacturing facility. Additionally, IoT helps the organization with the better scheduling and planning of production activities along with process optimization and improved efficiency.

Have a Look at the Chapters - https://univdatos.com/report/industrial-iot-market/

Industrial IoT Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America (United States, Canada, and Rest of North America)

Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, and the Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, and the Rest of Asia-Pacific)

Rest of the World

APAC is anticipated to grow at a substantial CAGR during the forecast period. This is mainly due to the growing number of industries and better connectivity networks in the region. Additionally, the increasing population along with increasing research & development expenditure with the increasing number of local and international IT companies in the region are expected to support the industrial IoT market in the region. Also, the growing investment and increasing number of various industry verticals such as healthcare, manufacturing, and grid formation are creating the demand for industrial IoT in the region. Furthermore, the government takes several measures in the region to support industry 4.0. For instance, in India, the government's industry 4.0 vision rests on four major principles including information transparency, interconnection, decentralized decision making, and technical assistance.

The major players targeting the market include

Oracle Corporation

IBM Corporation

Cisco System Inc.

Microsoft Corporation

Rockwell Automation Inc.

Energyworx BV

HCL Technologies Limited

Honeywell International Inc.

ABB Ltd.

Siemens AG

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 Industrial IoT 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 industrial IoT market?

Which factors are influencing the industrial IoT market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the industrial IoT market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the industrial IoT market?

What are the demanding global regions of the industrial IoT 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

Industrial IoT Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2028 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 7% Market size 2028 USD 112 billion Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region North America to Dominate the Industrial IoT Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, and India Companies profiled Oracle Corporation, IBM Corporation, Cisco System Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Rockwell Automation Inc., Energyworx BV, HCL Technologies Limited, Honeywell International Inc., ABB Ltd., and Siemens AG. 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 Component; By Connectivity; 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: Ankita.gupta@univdatos.com

Website: https://univdatos.com/

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SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd.
With the rising tide of fake news on social media platforms, the debate over how much control a government should have on online information is a perennial one. In Vietnam, the government is intensifying its control over the internet regime. The country is formulating new rules to control which types of social media accounts are allowed to disseminate news in the country, Reuters reported, citing sources.

The decision, according to Reuters, results from the government's concerns over users mistaking social media accounts for authorized news outlets.

While citizens might want the government to boot genuinely misleading information, the risk of more regulatory oversight is a loss of freedom by the people. Vietnam already has one of the world's most restrictive internet governance regimes and was given an "internet freedom score" of 22 out of 100 by the pro-democracy nonprofit Freedom House. That makes its internet freedom worse than that of Russia (30/100) and Saudi Arabia (24/100).

The authorities are also weighing new measures that would ask social media platforms to remove content that is illegal or deemed to harm national security, according to Reuters.

The approach would put the burden on the likes of Facebook, Instagram, ByteDance-owned TikTok, and Tencent-backed messenger Zalo to purge content unwanted by the authorities. Western giants are already showing obedience to stay operational in the country of 100 million people.

In its annual report, the Vietnamese Human Rights Network said "several media platforms, especially Facebook, have complied with the Vietnamese governments escalating demand to censor dissidents." The American social networking behemoth was caught between a rock and a hard place. In 2020, when it balked at the country's request to remove posts critical of the government, the authorities used their control over local internet providers to slow its traffic to unusable levels.

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Vietnam's restriction on social media news dissemination is reminiscent of a recent move by China to crack down on unauthorized news publishers. Last year, Beijing said social media accounts posting news must hold the relevant media licenses. Press accreditation in China is almost exclusively reserved for state-owned outlets, meaning the millions of content creators would have to shun all things newsworthy.

Indeed, some have likened Vietnam's grip over the internet to China's censorship model. When Vietnam rolled out its cybersecurity law in 2021, many saw the Southeast Asian country as following in China's footsteps. For example, the law requires foreign tech giants like Facebook and Google to store user data locally and allows the government to block access to content that could be defined as dangerous to national security, similar to China's request to have Apple's and Tesla's local user data kept within its borders.
Western Metallica Resources Corp.

TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Western Metallica Resources Corp. (TSXV: WMS) (Western Metallica or the Company) is pleased to announce the results of its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on September 28th, 2022. The Company announces that the nominees listed in the Management Information Circular dated August 11th, 2022, for the Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Company (the Meeting) were elected as Directors of the Company. Over 97% of the shareholders that voted at the AGM approved the Director voting resolutions presented, setting the number of Directors at five and re-electing each of Gregory Duras, Peter Imhof, Joaquin Merino and Deepak Varshney to the Companys Board of Directors, as well as appointing nominated Director Brigitte Berneche.



A total of 14,939,130 votes were represented at the meeting, 29.33 percent of the Companys 50,941,998 issued and outstanding shares at the record date. Shareholders voted in favor of all matters brought before the meeting including the appointment of auditors and the election of managements nominees as directors.

Detailed results of the vote for the election of Directors held virtually at the Meeting on September 28th, 2022, are set out below. The shareholders approved the election of Directors of the persons listed below, based on the following votes:

Board of Director Nominees Number

Votes For % Votes For Number Votes Withheld % Votes Withheld Gregory Duras 14,513,400 99.9 200,000 0.001 Peter Imhof 14,513,400 99.9 200,000 0.001 Joaquin Merino 14,513,400 99.9 200,000 0.001 Deepak Varshney 14,713,400 100 - 0 Brigitte Berneche 14,713,400 100 - 0

Shareholders at the meeting also approved the appointment of McGovern Hurley LLP as the Companys auditors and the Companys continuance to Ontario. Disinterested shareholders also approved an omnibus incentive plan pursuant to which the Company may issue restrictive share units and stock options to eligible participants, subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSXV.

Western Metallica is also pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Brigitte Berneche to its board of directors, effective September 28th, 2022. Ms. Berneche is a CPA, CA, with 15 years of experience operating with public companies in the mining and publishing sectors, as well as experience with large accounting firms, specializing in corporate tax. Since 2014, she has dedicated her time to a grass roots charity she created which provides financial assistance to families with children with cerebral palsy. She holds an Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto and sits on the board of Labrador Uranium Inc.

Gregory Duras, CEO and Director of Western Metallica Resources commented, On behalf of the Company and as a fellow Director, I am very pleased to extend Ms. Berneche a warm welcome. Her extensive business and accounting experience will complement our Boards capabilities as Western Metallica continues to advance its gold and copper exploration projects. Ms. Berneches skills complement our Boards capacity to steward the company as we expand our presence in Spain, one of the most prolific gold producing regions in the world. I am also pleased that the Company has been able to attract such highly experienced individuals, such as Ms. Berneche, to bring additional depth and diversity to the Board of Directors.

Mr. James Walker did not stand for re-election and ceased to be a Director effective September 28th, 2022. The Company thanks Mr. Walker for his time, service, and contributions during his tenure. Western Metallicas Board would also like to express its gratitude to its shareholders for their continued support.

About Western Metallica Resources Corp.

Western Metallica is a British Columbia company with its head office in Toronto, Ontario, trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) under symbol WMS. Western Metallica is in the business of mineral resource exploration and development, its principal asset is its 100% owned Penedela Gold Property in the Navelgas Gold Belt in Asturias, Spain. Western Metallica also has an interest in two other Spanish gold projects in the Navelgas Gold Belt in Asturias (Valledor and Sierra Alta) and one project located in Andalucia (Nueva Celti).

Further information of the Company can be found at: www.westernmetallica.com

For more information please contact:

Western Metallica Resources Corp.

Gregory Duras

Chief Executive Officer

Email: gduras@westernmetallica.com

Investor Relations

Email: info@westernmetallica.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This press release contains statements that constitute forward-statements. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words estimate, project, belief, anticipate, intend, expect, plan, predict, may or should and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the planned drill program and the development of the Penedela Project and other mining projects and prospects thereof. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.




XPO Logistics, Inc.

GREENWICH, Conn., Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO), a North American leader in less-than-truckload ( LTL ) freight transportation, today announced that long-time truck driver David Frazier has exceeded four million accident-free miles in his LTL career  the highest driver safety record in XPOs history. The company tracks accident-free miles as part of its Road to Zero driver safety program.

Frazier began driving LTL tractors in 1987 with Con-way, which was acquired by XPO in 2015. His groundbreaking four millionth mile was documented at the companys terminal in Kernersville, North Carolina, where he has been based for over 34 years. It can take a professional truck driver nine years on average to cover one million miles, making Fraziers accomplishment even more remarkable, given his tenure.

Mario Harik, president, less-than-truckload, XPO Logistics, said, David is a legend in our network and a role model in every respect, particularly when it comes to safety procedures. Our drivers have watched him operate thousands of times and learned to always do things the right way. Its a privilege to share his milestone with the industry.

The company has honored Frazier with a team celebration in Kernersville attended by district, region and corporate leaders. He also received the keys to a brand new XPO tractor with a customized cab design that displays his name and record achievement.

XPO is one of the largest providers of LTL transportation in North America, with a network of 294 terminals and approximately 13,000 professional truck drivers. The company is investing in expanding its LTL customer service capacity with additional drivers, dockworkers, tractors, trailers, terminals and doors.

About XPO Logistics

XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO) is a leading provider of freight transportation services, primarily less-than-truckload (LTL) and truck brokerage. XPO uses its proprietary technology, including the cutting-edge XPO Connect automated freight marketplace, to move goods efficiently through supply chains. The companys global network serves 50,000 shippers with approximately 749 locations and 43,000 employees, and is headquartered in Greenwich, Conn., USA. Visit xpo.com and europe.xpo.com for more information, and connect with XPO on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , Instagram and YouTube .

Story continues

Media Contact

Karina Frayter

+1-203-484-8303

karina.frayter@xpo.com




A Wisconsin-based water park company cleared another hurdle Tuesday when the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors approved an agreement on a gap loan for a new park in the Thornburg area.

Supervisors approved the loan agreement with a 52 vote following a public hearing, which included a presentation on the state program used for the loan.

Four people spoke during the public hearing, with one asking questions about revenue and tax figures, another supporting the project and two speakers critical of the tax incentives for Kalahari Resorts & Conventions.

Plans for the resort call for more than 1.38 million square feet of commercial space, a 267,429 square-foot indoor water park, a 10-acre outdoor water park, a 900-room hotel and a 156,278 square-foot convention center in Thornburg, between Interstate 95 and U.S. 1.

Supervisors approved rezoning for the water park in July in an agreement that includes big tax incentives for Kalahari, which owns four resorts in other states.

The total estimated value of those incentives for Kalahari amount to $41,639,587 the first year and $185,234,273 over the life of the 20-year agreement. The county would take in $83,596,100 in tax revenue during the 20-year span, according to the agreement.

The gap loan will allow the county and state to split the cost three ways. The state and county portions will come from the resorts sales taxes. The countys estimated cost for its contribution for the gap loan would amount to $74.8 million over 20 years.

The county and state portions of the loan payment are not set in stone.

According to the county, its exposure would be limited to an amount equivalent to the 2% sales and use tax derived solely from the Kalahari project until debt service on the gap financing is complete.

The gap loan was included in the original agreement as a possibility, based on the states interest.

The county, however, needed to approve the agreement before it can go through the states final approval process, according to Wirt Confroy, the director of business development for the Virginia Tourism Corporation, who gave a presentation on the states program that offers the gap loan.

The gap loan program also requires a locality to have a tourism zone with a deficiency, which Spotsylvania has done, according to Confroy. Spotsylvania has tourism zones in Thornburg, the courthouse area, Lake Anna and the State Route 2 corridor.

The financing program, created in 2011 by the General Assembly, allows the state and localities to help projects come to life, Confroy said.

He added that it is difficult for companies to earn approval for loans through the states program, which requires due diligence and proof that projects will be profitable.

Only nine other projectsall but one of them hotelshave been approved for the tourism program loan. One was the Hyatt Place Hotel in Fredericksburg.

Confroy said all of those projects have been successful, and he told the board Kalahari and the county proved to the state that visitor demand is there for the park in Thornburg.

With an estimated $885 million investment, Kalaharis water park dwarfs those other projects that used the state gap loan program, according to Confroys presentation.

Kalahari has already taken out a loan and dedicated cash to development of the project. Those funds meet the gap loan requirement that a developer prove its ability to finance at least 70% of the project. The gap loan will cover the rest of the project cost.

Confroy told the board the state and county are protected in the agreement, as Kalahari is responsible for covering the loan, regardless of whether the water park is successful. The state and county will pay based on how much tax revenue is raised through the park.

Its all performance based, Confroy said.

Supervisors have touted the water parks potential to raise the countys profile and bring in about $6 million in annual tax revenue.

Anthony Cafaro, whose family owns the Spotsylvania Towne Centre, praised Kalahari and the states tourism loan program when he spoke during the public hearing. He said his family owns property near a Kalahari resort in Sandusky, Ohio, and said it has benefited the area and its businesses. The resort, he added, would do the same in Spotsylvania by adding something unlike anything in the region.

Another county business owner wasnt as open to the agreement the county made with Kalahari.

Matt Strickland, who owns Gourmeltz restaurant, said the county gave up its leverage with such a prime location and that no matter how its phrased, the county has agreed to give Kalahari tax revenue, which is peoples money, not Kalaharis.

He added that the county should focus on giving tax breaks to local businesses owned by people who live here.

Supervisor Jacob Lane said the program is a good one for the state, but he thinks the county has given enough and wondered if the county had a program to help local small-business owners the way it is helping Kalahari.

Supervisor Kevin Marshall pointed out that the countys Economic Development Authority holds monthly meetings where local business owners can seek help from the county. He also said supervisors recently adjusted the countys Business, Professional and Occupational License tax. That change resulted in 197 companies no longer having to pay the tax.

Board Chairman Tim McLaughlin and Supervisor David Ross said the county has offered incentives to companies in the past and it has worked. Ross highlighted a tax break for a Lidl grocery store that has worked out well, and the countys agreement to take on tens of millions in road projects tied to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic currently being built.

Were not at risk for anything, Ross said of the agreement with Kalahari.

Supervisor Chris Yakabouski said he still has issues with the countys lack of transparency concerning the agreement with Kalahari, something fellow Supervisor Lane also criticized. He also doesnt think the incentives are worth the payoff Kalahari offers.

Both supervisors voted against the gap loan agreement.

With the boards approval of the agreement, Confroy said he will push the agreement into the states final phases for approval.
Theres a noticeable trend among Republican candidates to ignore, or actively shun, legacy media outlets and dodge debates.

National Public Radio, The Guardian, and New York magazine are just some of the outlets that have recently reported lengthy pieces about this.

Scott Jennings, a Republican analyst and CNN commentator, described for NPR the reason many Republicans dodge legacy media: The possibility that you might end up saying something that winds up in $10 million worth of ads from the other sideyou know, its like the benefit of doing the interview does not outweigh the risk.

Here in Virginia, however, it was a Democratnot a Republicanwho most recently paid the price for debating. Terry McAuliffes gaffe at his debate with Glenn Youngkin ranks right up there for unforced errors with George W. Bush checking his watch during his 1992 debate with Bill Clinton, and Michael Dukakis response to Bernard Shaws opening question in the 1988 presidential debate.

The point being, on any campaign, talking with media and debating is fraught with peril. The news side of our industry is in the business of reporting events accurately, not running PR for campaigns.

Candidates naturally want to suppress unflattering statements and votes. Media works to expose the good and the bad.

Which brings us to Yesli Vegas unusual tweet on Friday, Sept. 23, about the debate she refused to participate in at the University of Mary Washington.

On Sept. 23, Spanberger took to Twitter to express her disappointment that Vega would not debate her in Fredericksburg. Vega responded on her Twitter account this way: See you on the 12th at PWC100/League of Women Voters Debate .oh wait, you wont do that one because its televised, not just a college of your base.

The PWC100 debate, however, was being actively negotiated at the time Vega sent that tweet. The initial proposed date of Oct. 12 did not work for Spanbergers campaign. On Saturday, Sept. 24, Spanbergers camp informed the PWC100 and the League of Women Voters that the Oct. 21 date proposed by Vega would work.

Why, in the midst of honest ongoing negotiations about making the Oct. 21 debate work, would Vega blatantly mislead her followers with the accusation that Spanberger was dodging her?

We dont have a definitive answer, but we do have a guess. Vega is following the anti-legacy-media playbook.

Debate negotiations are difficult because both parties want every advantage when the lights go on. Thats understandable. Spanberger is naturally careful about debating at an event when right-leaning media control the deliveryconservative Sinclair Media-owned ABC7 looks to be the broadcaster for the PWC100 debate. Similarly, Vega is naturally concerned about debating in environments where moderate and more-progressive organizations are involved.

Sponsors for the UMW debate, according to UMW Professor Stephen Farnsworth, would have been UMW Student Government, the area Chamber of Commerce, The Free LanceStar, the area League of Women Voters, and Virginia Public Media. Some of these may be less conservative than Vega would like, but none could be branded as blatantly anti-Republican.

Spanberger, by accepting the PWC100 debate, demonstrates a willingness to enter an environment that may be considered by some in her camp as less favorable to her side. Vega should be willing to do the same.

Vega coming to UMW would hardly have been taking a chance. These debates have a well-earned reputation for fairness.

For many years, Farnsworth told The Free LanceStar, [Republican] Congressman Rob Wittman recognized the importance of debating his opponents in Fredericksburg, a key area population center. I worry, though, that there is an increasing willingness on the part of some candidates to forgo these important community events.

The good news is, there will be a debate. Its unfortunate, however, that Vega refuses to come to Fredericksburg, which sits at the heart of the new 7th District.

We have no doubt that the PWC100 debate will put hard questions to both candidates, as they should. We also are sure a debate at UMW would have done the same. It also would have forced both candidates to address problems that are distinctive to our area, which is quite different in many ways from Prince William.

Vegas disparaging remarks about the UMW debate are not becoming a potential member of Congress. Neither is her denying local residents a chance to put their concerns before her.

Perhaps this strategy will work for her on Election Day. But democracy suffers.

Again, Jennings: Im a Republican communications guy and engage with the traditional media. ... We have to have a trusted press.  Its necessary to democracy.
By Trend

Units of the Azerbaijan Army, moving from the high grounds and advantageous positions liberated from the Armenian armed forces, the counter-attack to consolidate the achieved success continues, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

By inflicting rocket-artillery and airstrikes on positions of Armenian armed forces which forced them to retreat from their positions.

Several advantageous high grounds around the village of Talysh were cleared of the occupying forces, and Armenian Armed forces suffered heavy losses.

The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4).

The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population.

Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020, that Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated.

Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
COVID-19 levels in both Nebraska and the United States continue to fall to their lowest levels in months, enough to prompt President Joe Biden to suggest the pandemic is over.

But health officials say the current trends should not cause people to let down their guard on vaccinations.

In fact, they say getting the latest vaccination booster between now and Halloween could be the best way for people to protect themselves and their families over the upcoming holidays.

We want people to get together with Grandma and do it safely, said Dr. Bob Rauner, president of Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln. Sufficient vaccination is our biggest challenge right now.

Nebraska posted 1,424 new COVID cases last week, down from 1,772 the previous week, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New cases are down by more than half over the past three weeks, falling to their lowest level since the first week of May.

Hospitalizations also are falling, with last weeks daily average of 172 down from 183 the previous week.

The state added 17 deaths last week, putting the total number of confirmed or probable deaths for the pandemic at 4,507. Nationally, COVID still is claiming 400 lives a day.

Its still difficult to say where the unpredictable pandemic will go next as cases surged during the winter months in both 2020 and 2021. Some experts are projecting it will happen again.

We are not (yet) in a stable pattern, Rauner said. I dont think you can act as if COVID doesnt exist.

Rauner said Bidens statement last week about the pandemic being over has caused a lot of confusion and raised questions about what, if anything, people should be doing to protect their health.

Rauner said the advice he has been giving people is simple and twofold.

First, he said, stay current on your vaccination boosters.

Vaccines have proven highly effective at reducing the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19, often turning the infection into little more than a mild cold. More than three-quarters of the deaths being seen would have been prevented with vaccinations, Rauner said.

Second, Rauner said, if you are feeling sick, wear a mask. Whether it turns out that you have COVID or just a common cold bug, either way you will be protecting the health of others around you.

By taking those two steps, Rauner thinks most people can get back to normal lives.

Unfortunately, vaccination levels both in Nebraska and nationally remain relatively low. Lancaster and Douglas Counties are the only counties in Nebraska where more than 50% of the 65-and-over population  the most vulnerable to COVID  has received the recommended two booster shots.

With the new updated bivalent shot, which targets both the dominant omicron variants as well as the original COVID-19 strain, theres another chance for people to get current on shots. The FDA authorization states that individuals are eligible for a bivalent booster if it has been at least two months since they completed primary vaccination or received the most recent booster.

Rauner said he likes the recent advice of Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, who suggested that people get the latest shot no later than Halloween. That would give them several weeks for immunity to build up and assure that they have maximum protection in time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Get your bivalent booster by late October and wear a mask when youre sick and we shouldnt have to worry much this holiday, Rauner said. It would be nice if our hospitals werent swamped this winter for a change.
The two years since Nebraska expanded Medicaid to cover more low-income people have changed life in the state.

Emerging data shows that the number of state residents without health coverage has plunged, hospitals are feeling less stress on their bottom lines and fewer people are filing for bankruptcy.

Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln said those results bear out what advocates argued during six years of failed efforts to win legislative approval of expansion and, later, during the successful campaign to pass a Medicaid expansion ballot initative.

The data only affirms what we promised Nebraskans: that our family members, neighbors and friends would be more healthy, financially secure and lead longer and happier lives, he said. This also reduces the burdens on rural hospitals that often struggle to stay open and increases access and reduces health care costs for all Nebraskans.

Morfeld led the petition drive that put the Medicaid expansion measure on the 2018 general election ballot. Advocates took the issue to voters after two governors, Dave Heineman and Pete Ricketts, along with state lawmakers, repeatedly blocked legislation.

Even after the ballot measure passed, the Ricketts administration took nearly two years to implement the program, the longest delay of any state. Coverage began Oct. 1, 2020, although it took another year for all enrollees to get the full array of Medicaid benefits.

Since the expansion began:

* The number of Nebraskans without health insurance has dropped 14.5%.

* Nebraska hospitals saw a $20 million reduction in the amount of charity or unpaid care they had to write off.

* Bankruptcy filings in the state fell by 23.5%.

Sarah Maresh, health care access program director for Nebraska Appleseed, a key group pushing for expansion, said the Nebraska numbers are similar to those seen in previous expansion states. To date, 38 states plus the District of Columbia have expanded their Medicaid programs as allowed under the federal Affordable Care Act.

Were just really excited to see this come to fruition, she said. The health of our state depends on the health of individuals.

The governor did not respond to a question about whether Nebraska was better for having expanded Medicaid. His staff offered the following statement:

Gov. Ricketts team at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has worked hard to effectively roll out Medicaid expansion to Nebraska, per the will of the people.

The states battle over Medicaid expansion played out over a decade and has been highly contentious and partisan, largely driven by disagreements over former President Barack Obamas controversial 2010 health care law.

That law, the Affordable Care Act, was intended to reduce the ranks of the uninsured, particularly by helping the millions of Americans who work in jobs that neither provide health insurance nor offer wages high enough for them to afford insurance on their own.

For people above poverty level who lacked coverage, the ACA offered subsidies to help them buy private insurance through health care exchanges.

For lower-income people, the law called for expanding Medicaid, the joint state-federal health care program for the poor. But a U.S. Supreme Court case made Medicaid expansion voluntary for states. That sparked the years of struggle in Nebraska and many other Republican-dominated states.

Through the expansion program, Nebraska has extended coverage to single adults and couples without minor children  neither of whom could qualify for Medicaid previously, no matter their incomes. Also included are parents and disabled people with incomes higher than the previous Medicaid cutoff for those groups.

The income cutoff for Medicaid expansion is 138% of the federal poverty level, currently $18,754 annually for a single person or $38,295 for a family of four.

New U.S. Census Bureau data show one key result of expansion: The percentage of Nebraskans who lacked health insurance dropped from 8.3% in 2019, before expansion, to 7.1% in 2021.

That 14.5% reduction represented the most significant drop in more than a decade in the proportion of Nebraskans without health coverage. The only similar figure was the 14.2% drop between 2013 and 2014, when the ACA health insurance marketplace was launched.

Combined, the insurance marketplace and Medicaid expansion account for most of the 37% drop in uninsured Nebraskans between 2013 and 2021.

Nebraskas reduction following Medicaid expansion was the eighth-biggest drop among all states for 2021. Maine, which approved Medicaid expansion at the ballot box a year before Nebraska did, saw the biggest reduction at 29%.

The latest uninsured figures, based on monthly census household surveys, likely do not capture the full impact Medicaid expansion will ultimately have on Nebraskas uninsured population.

Reports from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services show that the number of people enrolled for expansion continues to grow each month. At the end of 2021, the total was 60,720. As of July this year, 71,060 people had signed up for expansion coverage.

Care for those enrollees cost nearly $1 billion from October 2020 through July this year. The federal government covered 90% of the cost, or $868 million, with $106 million coming from state coffers.

Estimates initially said that 90,000 or more Nebraskans could enroll in expanded Medicaid. Maresh said she expects the state will get closer to that level as more people learn about the program.

States like Iowa that implemented expansion when the federal government first made funding available in 2014 tend to have much lower uninsured rates. Iowas 2021 uninsured rate of 4.8% was nearly one-third below Nebraskas.

Nebraskas expansion also affected two economic health measures, one for hospitals and one for families and individuals.

The Nebraska Hospital Association collected information showing that hospitals across the state wrote off $737 million in charity and unpaid care during 2020, the latest year available. That was down from the $757 million total in 2019 and the $749 million total in 2018.

Jeremy Nordquist, the association president, said the reduction occurred even though hospitals typically lose money caring for Medicaid patients because of low payment rates.

It was good to get people the ability to access care, he said. On the whole, its a small net positive right now.

Nebraskans personal economic health appears to have improved as well following Medicaid expansion. Records maintained by federal bankruptcy courts show that bankruptcy filings in Nebraska dropped faster than filings nationally after expansion began.

The number of Nebraska filings fell 23.5% during the year ending June 2022, compared with the previous 12 months. Nationally, there were 17.7% fewer filings in that period.

The Nebraska reduction was the largest in a decade and one of only three times since 2013 that state filings declined by a greater percentage than the national ones.

Now that the state has implemented Medicaid expansion, the state ranks 24th-lowest, or best, for its rate of uninsured people. In 2013, the state ranked 18th-best. But at the time of the Medicaid expansion vote in 2018, as other states adopted Medicaid expansion and Nebraska resisted, the state had fallen to 29th-best.

In the 12 states that still have not expanded Medicaid, the uninsured rate of 12.8% is almost double the 6.8% rate in expansion states. Excluding states like Nebraska that only recently adopted Medicaid expansion, the expansion state average is 6.5%.

Nebraska isnt the only state where voters stepped in to expand Medicaid when lawmakers declined to act. Maine was the first to do so in 2017, followed by Nebraska, Idaho and Utah in 2018 and Oklahoma and Missouri in 2020.

In November, South Dakota voters will decide whether to become the 39th state to adopt expansion.
A 32-year-old man has died and the Nebraska State Patrol is helping area authorities investigate a Tuesday night shooting in Oakland.

The victim has been identified as Ryann Schuman. As of Wednesday afternoon, officials had not released Schumans hometown.

However on its Facebook page, Oakland-Craig Public Schools said Schuman was a staff member, who died Tuesday evening. He was described as a paraprofessional at the high school and worked in the elementary afterschool program.

The school issued this comment: We understand that after Mondays events, this is likely a very scary and emotional time for students as well as adults.

As a result, a crisis team will be available for students and staff in need.

The school gave no details about what occurred in Oakland on Monday, but the State Patrol said there is no connection between the two events.

In a press release, State Patrol officials said authorities received a report at about 9 p.m. Tuesday of a shooting at an apartment in the 300 block of North Oakland Avenue, in Oakland.

The State Patrol said Burt County Sheriffs deputies and Oakland Police located a man with an apparent gunshot wound.

Schuman was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Oakland Police and the Burt County Sheriffs Office have requested assistance from the State Patrol.

The investigation remains ongoing.

No arrests have been made at this time. There is no ongoing threat to the public.
Secretary of State Bob Evnen has announced dates for public hearings on two statewide initiatives that will appear on the November general election ballot.

The first, a voter ID constitutional amendment, initiative measure 432, would require Nebraskans to present valid photo ID to vote and authorize the Legislature to pass laws specifying the ID requirements.

The second, a minimum wage statute, initiative measure 433, would implement a statewide plan to slowly increase Nebraska's minimum wage from $9 to $15 by 2026 and provide annual adjustments afterward.

The purpose of the meetings is to educate citizens and the media on the initiatives prior to the elections, Evnen said.

Under state law, Evnen is required to host public meetings in each of the state's three congressional districts.

District 1's hearing will be Oct. 18 in Hearing Room 1525 at the state Capitol. The minimum wage hearing will be 1:30-4:30 p.m. and the voter ID hearing will follow from 6-9 p.m.

Omaha's Thompson Alumni Center will host the hearing for District 2 on Oct. 11. The voter ID hearing will be 1:30-4:30 p.m. and the minimum wage hearing will run from 6-9 p.m.

The hearing for District 3 will be held Oct. 6 in North Platte's McDonald Belton Theater. The minimum wage hearing will be 1-4 p.m. and the voter ID hearing will be 4-7 p.m.

Informational pamphlets have been prepared and will be available at each hearing, as well as from county election offices and the office of the Secretary of State. Information about the initiatives can also be found on the Secretary of States website.

Early ballots for the Nov. 8 general election will be sent out starting Oct. 3.
A Chinese national was shot dead and two others were wounded on September 28 when unidentified attackers opened fire inside a dental clinic in the port city of Karachi, police told RFE/RL.

Police official Asad Raza said the attacker entered the clinic pretending to be a patient.



Police told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that all three victims had been living in Pakistan for the last 30 years and had also obtained Pakistani citizenship.



No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack but Baloch separatists had earlier said they had been behind such attacks.



A number of separatist armed groups are active in Balochistan, which is Pakistan's largest and poorest province despite being rich in natural resources.



Much of the violence carried out by the Baloch separatists is seen as a reaction by Baloch militants to China's investment plans in the region that envisage linking its Xinjiang Province with the Arabian Sea through a network of roads and railways.



The proposed $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor plan is meant to give Beijing access to markets in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.



Three Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in a suicide attack on April 26 that was claimed by ethnic Baluchi separatists in Karachi.

With reporting by Dawn.com
Ever since Khayal Muhammad's great grandfather built the first home in Chel Deepu along the Bishigram River some 130 years ago, residents in the village in northern Pakistan's Swat Valley considered the river to be an old friend.

Now, after seeing their lives washed away by torrential monsoon rains and epic flooding, they see it as a new enemy.

The floodwaters have receded in this remote part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, but locals are angry and bewildered as they try to come to grips with what for many of them is a foreign concept -- climate change.

Record rainfall has pounded the country with more than six times the 30-year average since mid-July.

And while 38-year-old Muhammad lived through the infamous floods of 2010, he has never experienced anything like this year's historic deluge, which led to flooding that has killed more than 1,600 people and affected 33 million others.

Describing the Bishigram River as a "snake" that battered its banks for three days, Muhammad said that on August 26 that it "bit us very badly" and "totally washed away" the new home in which he had invested his life's savings.

Muhammad, who watched the scene unfold from the roof of his home, managed to run with his wife and five children to safety. But he said he didn't have a minute to spare and was unable to retrieve any possessions. "We have nothing left behind," he told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal.

For Muhammad's father, Dilawar Khan, the losses were too much to bear.

While returning to the village by bus after traveling to collect his retirement check last month, the 75-year-old family patriarch learned that his home and neighboring farmland had been destroyed, and he died in his seat.

"The bus driver told me that he took a phone call, started crying, and suddenly fainted and died," Muhammad said.

Khan had constructed his dream home along the riverbank in 1996 after working for 35 years as a laborer, but the concrete home was no match for this year's raging flood. And the majestic home built from Himalayan cedar by Muhammad's great-grandfather, which had stood for well over a century, is now a memory.

A Nation Under Water

Pakistanis are accustomed to flooding brought on by the summer rainy season. Much of the country was still recovering from disastrous flooding in 2010 that killed more than 1,700 people and affected 20 million.

But while the southern provinces of Sindh and Balochistan usually take the brunt as rainwater drains into the Arabian Sea, this year's floods left a much greater footprint.

While the country's south was again the hardest-hit, with satellite imagery showing the formation of a 100-kilometer-wide inland lake in Sindh Province, this monsoon season in July and August affected about one-third of the country.

The swath of destruction extends to the far north of the country, covering areas that were relatively unaffected in 2010, and in addition to human costs has resulted in a massive loss of livestock and infrastructure and temporarily displaced some 7 million people.

Experts now warn of a second catastrophe brought on by waterborne disease and malnutrition, and UNICEF has estimated that 3.4 million children need assistance.

During a visit this month to the Sind and Balochistan provinces, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for massive amounts of international humanitarian and financial aid, citing estimates that Pakistan will need $30 billion to recover.

Guterres pinned the blame for the disaster squarely on climate change for which other countries were largely responsible, noting that Pakistan accounts for less than 1 percent of greenhouse gasses.

"Humanity has been waging war on nature and nature strikes back," Guterres said.

State Of Disbelief

Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority has said that waters have returned to normal in all rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, but the country now faces a massive rebuild amid an already dire economic crisis.

Residents of Chel Deepu, a village of about 7,000 people, say that they have yet to receive much help from the government in Islamabad, leaving them to face the realities of climate change on their own.

Residents and urbanites who built weekend retreats in the picturesque region say much of the area's beauty has been washed away.

Shah Faisal is a court attorney in the city of Mingora, a 2 1/2-hour drive to the southwest of Chel Deepu. He fondly recalls growing up playing with friends along the Bishigram River, and misses taking in the daily serenity of elders sitting along its banks and children chasing chickens.

"I walked down every evening to the nearby windmill, sat on a big round stone in the middle of the river, and enjoyed the sound of the river waves and the view of a faraway wooden bridge that connected our village to the nearby valley," Faisal said, lamenting that the bridge is now gone. "I know that the biggest losses are the homes that were washed away, I feel that it is my loss, too."

He said that the region, whose apricot orchards, fishing, and trout hatcheries made it a tourist destination, has suffered immensely.

Across Swat Valley, damaged hotels have been shuttered, bridges have been reduced to rubble, and the shells of buildings litter the shores of lakes and rivers. Historic sites, including Buddhist monasteries and ancient mosques, have been damaged and need to be repaired. The effect on the local tourism industry, business owners say, has been devastating and UN agencies say the impact is expected to last for years.

"None of our elders have any memories of such destruction from the river," Faisal said. "We never thought that the river that we enjoyed since our childhood would turn on us and become our enemy."

Desperate For Help

Muhammad is among the those in the village who now find themselves homeless. He said that, in addition to his house, 14 others on his street were swept away, leaving their occupants dependent on locals who live on higher ground.

"Before, we all had separate homes," he said of his extended family. "Now 15 members of our family are living in tents. My mother, sisters, brothers, my kids, and I are living on food provided by our fellow villagers," he said. "I am very worried about how long we will have to live on donated food and without a roof over our heads."

Local authorities say they are still assessing the damage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where authorities have reported four deaths and damage to 140 homes. They say they are anxiously awaiting help from the government.

The province's director of disaster management, Sharif Hussain, told Radio Mashaal on September 22 that his department has requested basic necessities and tents from the national authorities.

"But we are still waiting for their approval," Hussain said. "Their main focus is on Sindh and Balochistan."

Shahid Ali, who heads Swat's Bahrain District, where Chel Deepu is located, said last week that the damage there is "so high that we don't know exactly what has been destroyed."

Ali has visited Chel Deepu multiple times to deal with the crisis and said that only a handful of families in the village have been given tents, forcing most to live with neighbors for shelter and even food and basic necessities.

"The government is saying that they will provide compensation, and we are trying to prevent people from going back to their flooded homes because if they start living in them they might collapse," he said.

Faisal is helping with the relief effort and is housing three local families at his residence, which was spared by the floods. He said most of those left homeless are farmers and laborers, and their biggest challenge is rebuilding their homes. The effort has been aided by an outpouring of support from individuals across the country who have provided basic necessities in lieu of government support.

"On one hand the flood has destroyed our poor village, but on the other it has brought us together," he said.

The bewilderment and anger at the outside world may be harder to heal.

Shahab Shaheen, a 23-year-old university student from Chel Deepu, expressed the sentiment of many locals in comments to RFE/RL.

"We didn't do anything wrong to the climate, so why are we getting slapped back?" he said by telephone. "Whoever is responsible should pay for it, not us. It's up to them."
FILE PHOTO: A makeshift shelter sits in the median of Colfax Avenue in Denver. Mayor Michael Hancock's proposed budget includes significant investments in housing homeless individuals.
Bishop Emeritus Michael Sheridans homilies never ceased to amaze friend and parishioner Mary Watson. Thats why she attended Theology on Tap at Trinity Brewery back in February, an event intended for young Catholic adults.

Watson didnt perfectly fit that description. At 54, she reckons she was the oldest person in the room. But, they said anybody could go, and she didnt want to miss a chance to learn from the retired bishop.

Sheridan fascinated the audience as he discussed the history of the church and where it stands today. She remembers how deeply he listened to the questions that followed  of which there were many, she said  and the profound answers he would give in response.

We all knew he was a really holy man, Watson said. Theres so much hypocrisy. Just to know that you were in front of the real deal was so edifying.

Sheridan retired as bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs back in 2021 after about 18 years in the role, but he still made regular appearances around the diocese in the year that followed.

He died on Tuesday at age 77.

St. Marys Cathedral will host a vigil at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 6. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at noon Oct. 7 at Holy Apostles Church.

The story of Bishop Sheridan is one of connection  to those in his flock, to those outside of it. His relationship with millennials and students was especially strong, according to Watson.

In fact, hed had such a profound impact on her son, Justin, that he considered entering seminary. Sheridan would instead celebrate his wedding Mass.

He was ecstatic, Justin Watson said. Hes very supportive of a person pursuing Gods will.

Sheridan devoted much of his work to supporting Catholic education and campus ministry, according to the diocese director of vocations, the Rev. Kyle Ingles. He was integral in building the John Henry Newman Chapel and Catholic Student Center at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

He had an easygoing personality that related well with younger people, Ingels said. He was an educator at heart.

Those who knew him best describe Sheridan as warm and joyful, but he wasnt bubbly. He had a sense of humor that often shined through, but he never demanded the attention of the room.

He was humble, Mary Watson said. Cause hes the bishop, everybody always has him at a special place, but he wouldve happily taken the last seat.

Most of all, said Justin Watson, he was genuine, which was part of what attracted his flock to him. There were moments where hed stand up and say something the way it was.

Sheridan was born on March 4, 1945, in St. Louis, where he attended Corpus Christi Catholic School and St. Louis University High School. He was ordained a priest on May 29, 1971, after attending Cardinal Glennon College Seminary and Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, according to a press release from the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

He served at several parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Louis before Pope John Paul II named him an auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese in 1997.

The pope later named him co-adjutor of the Diocese of Colorado Springs on Dec. 4, 2001, and would serve as the leader of the diocese from 2003 until his retirement in 2021.

During his time as bishop from 2003 to 2021, Sheridan oversaw the development of the dioceses Office of Ministry for Hispanic Catholics. At the time of his arrival there was just one Hispanic parish; today there are six.

Fr. Francisco J. Quezada, the first-ever Vicar of Hispanic Ministry, said it was through Sheridans leadership and commitment to the Hispanic community that the initiative was able to succeed on limited funding.

The mission was not fully embraced in its early days, Quezada said. They received unhappy emails from parishioners questioning why Sheridan started translating his monthly article in the Catholic paper to Spanish and why the Church was catering to undocumented immigrants.

With the support of Quezada and the other priests, however, Sheridan stayed the course.

The priesthood and being bishop day in and day out is all he knew, Quezada said. He was a man of few hobbies, just going at the grind of the priesthood and doing it well.

Sheridan also confronted the Catholic Churchs sex abuse scandal on a national and local scale.

A 2019 special masters report by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weisers office found 166 children were likely abuse victims of Colorado Catholic clergy over several decades. Forty-three priests were implicated in the report, including three victims at the hands of two priests in the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

"One victim of the horrific crime of child sexual abuse is too many; the Diocese of Colorado Springs must own the consequences of having three," Sheridan wrote in a statement in 2019. "One predator priest is too many; the Diocese of Colorado Springs must recognize and repent of two."

Through it all, Sheridan retained a love of the church and its people.

And its people loved him back, according to Justin Watson. In the wake of the news that he had died, Watson said his phone was full of messages from friends across the globe whose lives were impacted by Sheridan.

Its funny because like even only a year into retirement, hes like, you know what? I think this whole things overrated. Let me go home to God, Justin Watson said. Its a sad day but also a happy day because its been fun remembering his life and all he did. Man, he was a really good shepherd for our diocese.

On June 29, 2021, Bishop James Golka was ordained as the third bishop of the local diocese, which was formed in 1984. It serves nearly 190,000 Catholics, according to previous Gazette reporting.

Memorials can be sent to the care of Esperanza Griffith at the Catholic Pastoral Center, 228 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani presidential top aide Hikmat Hajiyev and Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan have discussed the peace agenda in Washington, under the auspice of US national security advisor Jake Sullivan, Azernews reports.

"Today, I hosted Hikmat Hajiyev and Armen Grigoryan for direct and constructive talks. We discussed the importance of avoiding further violence and pursuing time-bound and focused negotiations. We also identified concrete steps forward in support of a stable and lasting peace," Sullivan wrote on his Twitter page on September 28.

"We thank the US for arranging the meeting and efforts to ensure sustainable regional peace. The meeting results were reported by Jake Sullivan in an agreed way. The major point here is to continue working on the peace agenda within a specific timeline. The meeting addressed peace agreement negotiations, border delimitation, the opening of transport lines, as well as issues regarding landmines and missing persons, which are part of the humanitarian agenda," Hajiyev said.

The previous meeting between Hajiyev and Grigoryan was held under the auspice of EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar on August 19.

Good and substantive discussions in Brussels [were held] today on Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and EU engagement with Hikmet Hajiyev and Armen Grigoryan," Klaar tweeted.

Furthermore, Hajiyev discussed the Azerbaijani-US cooperation issues with representatives of US analytical centers, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani embassy in the US.

Foreign Policy Adviser to the President of Azerbaijan H. Hajiyev had a meeting with the representatives of various prominent think tanks at the Heritage Foundation. Azerbaijan-US partnership, ongoing peace talks with Armenia, as well as regional and global issues were discussed, the embassy tweeted.

Despite the recent border provocations carried out by the Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijan on September 12-14, Baku reaffirmed its readiness for urgent negotiations between the leaders towards ensuring lasting peace in line with the trilateral statements and the results of the meeting in Brussels.
Colorado Springs pastors and rabbis say the timeless messages of Easter and Passover remain the same during the second year of COVID-restricted springtime religous holidays.
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Facebook posts and an observant off-duty detective helped lead police to a Colorado Springs man who is accused of robbing four banks and botching a fifth robbery, according to an arrest affidavit.

Lorenzo Herrera, 30, was being held on a $250,000 bond at the El Paso County jail after Colorado Springs police arrested him last week in connection with a string of bank heists in 2020 and a robbery that occurred earlier this month.

Herrera is accused of robbing the Ent Credit Union in southeast Colorado Springs on Oct. 15, 2020. The affidavit states that Herrera entered the bank and passed a note to a teller demanding that she give him $1,000 or he would kill her.

On Oct. 26, 2020, Herrera entered another Colorado Springs bank and handed the teller a note demanding $1,000 in cash, according to the affidavit.

"Don't make a scene, I'll kill you. Don't give me a tracker. I'll come back and kill you," the note read.

Detectives discovered that the robber fled in a 2003 Acura MDX, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit states that Herrera was involved in two more robbery attempts in 2020. He made off with about $5,000 in a November robbery and botched a bank heist in December, when he made off with nothing.

During the botched robbery, detectives again witnessed the robber leave in an Acura MDX.

In March 2021, an off-duty detective saw a 2003 Acura MDX matching the description of the vehicle used in two of the robbery attempts, according to the affidavit.

The detective took a picture of the car's license plate and discovered that Herrera had been pulled over driving the vehicle earlier that year.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for Herrera's Facebook account and found that he sent a message to his girlfriend the day after the first robbery that said, "Got rent paid," according to the affidavit.

Herrera was arrested following a bank robbery on Sept. 8 in which he walked into a Chase Bank in northeast Colorado Springs and handed a teller a note stating, "DO NOT make a scene or you die first. Start with all the big bills and make it fast," according to the affidavit.

The teller told detectives that the robber stole $340.

Because of the similarity of the most recent robbery to the string of robberies that occurred in 2020, detectives again requested a search warrant for Herrera's Facebook account, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit shows that detectives found messages between Herrera and his girlfriend the day of the Sept. 8 robbery where he had his girlfriend case the bank before the heist. After robbing the bank, Herrera wrote his girlfriend that he "did it and I only got like 500." He also wrote that "I think I'm just gonna have to keep doing it until I have enough," according to the affidavit. Police said they believe that Herrera was robbing banks to pay off a debt.

Police arrested Herrera on suspicion of four counts of aggravated robbery with a real or simulated weapon and one count of attempted aggravated robbery with a real or simulated weapon. He is accused of stealing just under $7,500 in the robberies.

In 2010, Herrera pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated robbery with a real or simulated weapon and was sentenced to six years in the Colorado Department of Corrections, according to court records. He also pleaded guilty to third-degree assault on three occasions and controlled substance possession twice between 2016 and 2022, according to court records.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 4.
Colorado Springs police are asking the public for help in identifying an armed robber who has been on the run for nearly two months.

Police said the robber entered the Family Dollar store at 3770 Airport Road on Aug. 6 and stole various items.

On Aug. 8, the man returned to the store shortly before it closed and held an employee at gunpoint while demanding money from the cash register, police said. The man stole an "undisclosed amount of cash" but did not harm the employee.

The robber is between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-10, weighs between 140 and 160 pounds and is between 20 and 30 years old.

The Colorado Springs Police Department's Robbery Unit took over the investigation and is asking the public for help in identifying the robber from a surveillance photo. Police encourage anyone who knows the robber or has information about the crime to call them at 719-444-7000 or Crime Stoppers at 719-634-7867.
Letecia Stauch, accused of killing her 11-year-old stepson in Colorado Springs, is now suing El Paso County for alleged mistreatment while in jail.

Stauch, currently awaiting a jury trial, filed a lawsuit against the El Paso County jail, the jail's food provider, a pair of El Paso County Sheriff's Office deputies and the jail's medical provider last week claiming she has been mistreated and her rights have been violated, according to court records.

The lawsuit, filed on Sept. 22 in the United States District Court of Colorado, claims that Stauch is having her First Amendment and Eighth Amendment rights violated in county jail, and she is seeking monetary relief and changes to the jail's policy as a result.

Stauch makes two claims against the county jail.

The first Stauch claim is First Amendment religious rights for her and other inmates are being violated as a result of Trinity Food Services not serving kosher meals.

Stauch claims that on several occasions both in county jail and at the county courthouse kosher meals were not provided despite her requests.

"The parties involved expect me to follow my signed religious agreement but can ignore it on their end," Stauch claims in the lawsuit.

The second accusation filed by Stauch is that her Eighth Amendment rights are being violated by poor medical treatment while being detained in the county jail.

Stauch claims that she was given medicine for a stomach ailment when she was initially detained in 2020, but that that it doesn't work. Stauch alleges in the lawsuit that she tried to obtain new medicine for her stomach issue in 2021 and 2022 but continued to be denied, something that "flabbergasted" her.

Another accusation over medical mistreatment is alleged by Stauch in the lawsuit. Stauch claims that in July of 2022 she requested a medical evaluation for a concussion after falling off the top bunk and hitting her head. Stauch states that she asked to be evaluated several times, but didn't receive medical assistance until 30 days after the bed incident.

"I still continue to have headaches, difficulty thinking clearly and remembering information," Stauch states in the lawsuit.

Stauch said that these incidents are a violation of her Eighth Amendment rights due to "deprivation of basic human need that is serious."

Concerns from Stauch over the state of the jail were alluded to in her most recent appearance in Colorado's 4th Judicial District Court.

In the court appearance during which logistics over a second mental health evaluation were reviewed, Stauch had an outburst at Judge Gregory Werner after he scolded her for refusing to arrive in court.

Stauch told Werner that she "did not refuse court" but "refused to go without hygiene," before telling a nearby deputy they "can't refuse toilet paper to inmates." She also complained that the transport van lacked air conditioning.

Stauch will next appear in court on Thursday, Oct. 13, for an evidentiary hearing.

The lawsuit filed by Stauch can't progress until she pays the required filing fee of $34 required by the court.

Stauch has been awaiting trial for more than two years on charges of killing her stepson Gannon while claiming he was missing in January 2020. Delays have occurred, in part, due to the need for the mental health evaluation. Initially, Stauch pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against her, but in February she was granted permission by Werner to change her plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.

Stauch was arrested in South Carolina in March 2020 and has been in jail since her extradition back to Colorado. In addition to a murder charge, Stauch faces charges of child abuse and tampering with evidence. If convicted of first-degree murder, she faces life in prison.

Stauch also faces a second case in which she is accused of attempting to escape from the El Paso County jail.
According to the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 'Best of the Best' awards, one of the country's top 'hidden gem' restaurants is located in Colorado.

Ranking 14th on a list of 25 destinations is The Dish Room, found in the eastern Colorado town of Burlington. With Burlington being a town of about 3,000 residents, located close to the Kansas border and along I-70, this stop definitely meets the criteria to be considered a true 'hidden gem.'

With a 4.7-star rating on Google Reviews, a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, and a 4.5-star rating on Yelp, The Dish Room has been responsible for many happy taste buds throughout the years. They serve up 'farm-to-fork' food, with the owner describing the spot as "bringing casual upscale dining to a modern atmosphere," focused on Southwest, Italian, and New American dishes.

A few favorites include the butternut squash enchiladas, a sweet corn tamale, loaded duck tots, and the 'John Wayne' burger, which comes with bacon, muenster, garlic mayo, crispy onions, and chipotle barbecue.

Next time you're in eastern Colorado, you might want to make an extra stop.

See the full 'best hidden gem' restaurants list here and find The Dish Room menu here.
The man accused of killing two men at the Colorado Springs Elks Lodge in September of 2021, Lamar Taylor, appeared in 4th Judicial Court on Tuesday to enter a plea, and to have a jury trial set.

Taylor, 44, pleaded not guilty to all charges on Tuesday, and Judge Marcus Henson scheduled for his jury trial to begin on Feb. 27.

Initially, Taylor, who is accused of having shot and killed Elks Lodge managers Kevin Patterson, 62, and James Love, 58, had already entered a not-guilty plea last January and was scheduled for a jury trial to begin on Sept. 19. However, during Taylor's pretrial readiness conference earlier this month, the jury trial scheduled for September was vacated, according to court records.

Taylor's defense attorney Nicholas Rogers told the court on Tuesday that he is still in the process of acquiring evidence for the jury trial and preferably would want even more time before reentering a plea, but that the court required his client to submit a plea.

Taylor is accused of nine felonies for the Sept. 9, 2021, shootings at the Elks Lodge the most serious of which are two counts of first-degree murder.

What was said during the meeting on Sept. 9 that precipitated the murders is under question, authorities said in December.

In arrest papers filed in September, police said the meeting was generally about a sign for Taylors catering business, which also operated out of the Elks Lodge building, being taken down, but indicated in December there were some variations in descriptions of the meeting and its subject matter.

Following the shooting, Taylor fled Colorado before he was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Florida on Sept. 17, 2021.

Taylor will appear in court next on Oct. 11, for Henson's ruling on if a piece of video evidence of the shooting that has been slowed down can be admissible as evidence for trial.

Taylor's jury trial will be one of five 4th District homicide jury trials scheduled for the first two months of 2023. Marco Barcelo, Douglas Hawkins, Dane Kallungi, Ryan Sabin and Taylor all have jury trials scheduled in January or February.

Taylor is being held without bond in El Paso County jail.
By Trend

The World News Media Congress, the largest annual gathering of news media executives, kicks off in Spain's Zaragoza, Trend reports.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain are Honorary Presidents of the 2022 Congress. The King of Spain will deliver a welcome speech to world media leaders during the event, among the guests of which are Azerbaijan's Trend News Agency and the English-language Azernews newspaper.

This year's congress will bring together more than 1,000 publishers, journalists, and industry executives from 75 countries. The program includes the World Summit of Media Leaders, the World Editors Summit, the Women in News Summit, as well as the Golden Pen of Freedom 2022 ceremony. The congress participants will reflect on the development of modern media, the challenges facing journalists, the adaptation of the media's business model to the new industry requirements, and other topics.
FILE PHOTO: Isao Teshirogi, President and CEO at Shionogi & Co Ltd, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tokyo, Japan June 11, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato
FILE PHOTO: A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Units of the Azerbaijani military forces have seized an Armenian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the liberated Lachin District, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry.

Azerbaijan Army Units using special technical means detected and landed the Armenian armed forces UL-350 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which attempted to carry out flights over the Azerbaijan Army positions in the direction of the Lachin region, the ministry said.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan is hosting the NATO Operational Capabilities Concept Evaluation and Feedback Program (OCC E&F) Database Training Course, the Defense Ministry said in an unrelated report.

During the opening ceremony of the event on September 27, the memory of martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the territorial integrity and independence of Azerbaijan, was honored by observing a minute of silence on the occasion of Remembrance Day.

The participants were then instructed about the course's objectives and terms, as well as the tasks to be completed.

The OCC E&F Database Training Course is slated to run till September 30, the ministry added.

The Operational Capability Concept Evaluation and Feedback Programme (OCC E&F) is a practical multipurpose military tool that serves as a vehicle for a closer operational relationship between the Alliance and a potential contributor to NATO-led operations by supporting partner efforts to develop forces that are fully interoperable and capable of operating with NATO standards and procedures.

Since 2012, JFC Brunssum has got a very important and active role in OCC E&F Programme. Based on the annual SHAPE list of OCC E&F activities, JFC Brunssum supports partner countries in activities related to OCC E&F Programme.

In the same vein, the Turkish National Defense Ministry paid tribute to Azerbaijani personnel who perished in the second Karabakh war (2020).

"Turkiye honors the memory of martyrs on the anniversary of the beginning of the glorious struggle started by the heroic Azerbaijani army two years ago for the liberation of the occupied lands," the ministry tweeted.

Azerbaijan commemorates Remembrance Day on September 27 as a mark of heartfelt respect for the troops and officers, who valiantly fought in the 44-day war in 2020 and offered their lives for the country's territorial integrity.




The Colorado Department of the Treasury on Monday announced a new website that aims to improve transparency for the states bond investors.

The website, stateofcoloradobonds.com, which is set to launch in October, provides potential investors with information about Colorados finances and bond programs. State officials said they hope the website will attract more buyers for the states upcoming short-term notes sales.

Developing a strong investor relations program is a cornerstone of Colorados fiscal health, said State Treasurer Dave Young. This investor relations website disseminates information effectively, while also engaging current and prospective bondholders.

The website is powered by BondLink, a financial technology company that provides investor transparency services for numerous other states, including California, Ohio, Virginia, Georgia, Oklahoma and Rhode Island. BondLink also partners with the University of Colorado.

Investor transparency is absolutely essential for any issuer looking to finance its public infrastructure at low costs, said Colin MacNaught, co-founder and CEO of BondLink. Given how turbulent the capital markets have become over the last six months, it's even more important.
A Mason City man has been sentenced for his role in a 2021 crash that left a local cyclist dead.

Cody William Skiye, 29, was sentenced to up to five years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty this summer to felony serious injury by vehicle while intoxicated, stemming from a crash in rural Cerro Gordo County in which James Alton Powel, 62, of Plymouth, was killed.

According to court documents, shortly before midnight on June 5, 2021, Skiye was operating his 2010 Dodge Ram under the influence of alcohol, when he struck Powell from behind. Powell's bicycle was equipped with proper lighting for nighttime travel.

Skiye was initially arrested for operating while intoxicated - 2nd offense, making a false report to law enforcement, no insurance, and operating a motor vehicle too closely to a bicycle.

Powell died of his injuries on June 11, 2021, and Skiye's OWI charges were amended to homicide by vehicle.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani First Deputy Defense Minister, Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Col-Gen Karim Valiyev, is off to Georgia on an official visit, Azernews reports, citing the ministry.

As part of the September 28 visit, Valiyev is expected to discuss the opportunities for the growth of bilateral cooperation in the military, military-technical, military-educational, and other domains, as well as regional security challenges with the opposite side.

On December 22, 2021, Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov and his Georgian counterpart Juansher Burchuladze signed a bilateral cooperation plan for 2022.

The military personnel of the two countries held joint drills and joined NATOs Agile Spirit - 2021 exercises that took place in Georgia from July 26 to August 6, 2021.

The exercises included command, staff, and field training as well as airborne operations and live fire, according to the local media.

Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Georgia conducted the Eternity-2021 joint military exercises on October 4-8, 2022.

The Eternity format of military exercises between the three countries has existed since 2017 when Georgia was the first host, followed up by the exercises in 2018, hosted by Turkey. The three countries signed a partnership agreement in 2018 to further enhance military cooperation between them.
A Mason City man entered a plea at his arraignment for attempted murder on Tuesday.

Casey John Larson, 31, pleaded not guilty to charges of felony attempted murder, which is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. He is accused of shooting a woman in the stomach with a hunting arrow.

Around 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, the Mason City Police Department responded to a call of people yelling near the intersection of First Street Northwest and North Washington Avenue, according to a press release. At approximately the same time, a call went out to report that a woman near that same area had been shot with an arrow and taken to the hospital.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found a bystander who had restrained Larson. According to court documents, Larson also chased the woman with a knife and admitted to officers that he had intended to kill her.
A Danville-based disaster relief organization is mobilizing to respond to victims of Hurricane Ians wrath in Florida.

The Category 4 storm  just 7 mph shy of a Category 5, the most severe  stormed onshore Wednesday afternoon and was expected move over Central Florida before emerging back over the Atlantic by late Thursday.

Our hearts break for everyone impacted by this devastating hurricane, Gods Pit Crew President Randy Johnson said in a statement. We are praying for them, and our volunteers and staff are ready to help.

Members with Gods Pit Crew were busy Wednesday making preparations to help those impacted by the monster storm.

A team was gearing up to head to Floridas hardest-hit areas to clear debris, cut and remove trees, and muck out and dry homes, according to a news release.

In addition, Gods Pit Crew will send tractor-trailer loads of supplies, including water, tarps, generators and its signature Blessing Buckets. Those 5-gallon buckets are filled with emergency supplies like food, first aid, hygiene items, a Bible and a handwritten note.

We are thankful to the community and to everyone who supports Gods Pit Crew, Johnson said. Thank you so much to our amazing volunteers and to our wonderful donors who make what we do possible.

The National Hurricane Center expected Ian to turn northward on Friday and approach the northeastern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coasts late Friday for yet another landfall.

Locally, whats left of Ian will start to impact Southside Virginia on Friday. Heavy rains are in the forecast Friday night through Sunday.

Clearly this could evolve into a significant rainfall situation which will becoming an increasing concern after successive days of moderate to potentially heavy rainfall, forecasters with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg wrote in a Wednesday discussion.

However, a persistent northeast flow could lower dewpoints to tamp down the rainfall amounts. Itll also keep temperatures on the cool side.

This should also greatly reduce the tornado threat and with our area being closer to the core of the remnants of Ian as opposed to the eastern outer feeder bands, the tornado threat, such as it will be, will be removed to areas east of the Roanoke area.

To learn more about Gods Pit Crew or to donate, visit godspitcrew.org.
Early voting started Friday and Danvilles registrar does not expect the large turnout this year that she saw during 2020s presidential election.

Two years ago, hundreds of voters showed up per day to cast to cast their ballots before Election Day. But Registrar Peggy Petty is seeing only about 25 or more per day this time around.

Presidential elections always generate higher voter participation than Congressional races and early voting in Virginia didnt start until 2020, she pointed out.

The numbers are skewed, Petty said. Until we get through a four-year cycle [with early voting], we dont have anything to compare it to.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic threw voters off, she added.

Pettys office mailed out about 1,200 absentee ballots and more than 100 voters have voted early so far, she said.

Danville has 28,500 registered voters, and had 45.5% turnout in last years election, which included a gubernatorial race. In 2020 and 2018, the city saw 68.8% and 54.4% turnout, respectively, Petty said.

In this years elections, Danville voters will choose whether they want Democrat Joshua M. Throneburg or incumbent Republican Bob Good for the 5th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

City voters will also pick among candidates for Danville City Council and the Danville School Board.

City Council candidates include challengers Petrina A. Carter and Maureen Belko in a field of six including incumbents James Buckner, Bryant Hood, Alonzo Jones and Gary Miller.

Jones and Miller are currently serving as mayor and vice mayor, respectively. Danville does not elect its mayors. Instead, City Council members select the citys mayor and vice mayor in a formal vote among themselves.

There are four seats up for grabs for council.

As for the school board, three seats are in contention as well as a fourth seat vacated by Renee Hughes, who resigned in November 2021. A special election is being held for filling out the remainder of her term.

Takessa C.S. Keisha Walker seeks to take Hughes place in November in the special election. The term for the seat that was held by Hughes ends Dec. 31, 2024.

Keisha Averett, who is currently in Hughes former seat after being appointed, is running for a full four-year term on the school board. Incumbents Crystal Cobbs and Brandon Atkins are not running for reelection, but TyQuan Graves has filed to try to retain his position on the school board.

Kushana Galloway, Keith Silverman and Michael Pritchett are on the ballot for the three full-term seats.

The deadline to register to vote and still be able to participate in this years election is Oct. 17. The deadline to vote absentee in person is Nov. 5 and the deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is Oct. 28.

In Pittsylvania County, voters in the towns of Chatham, Gretna and Hurt will pick who they want to represent them on town council. They will also decide whether to approve a 1% sales-tax increase to fund school improvements.

Pittsylvania County Registrar Kelly Keesee said she has already had more absentee voters since Friday than during 2018s election.

More people are voting absentee and by mail, Keesee said Wednesday.

The county, which has 45,043 registered voters, had 63% voter turnout in 2021, 84% in 2020 and 48% in 2018, she said.

Last year, 5,259 voted early or by mail in the county, with 20,805 voting on Election Day, Keesee said.

In 2020, 18,238 voted early and absentee, and 15,960 voted on Election Day, Keesee said.

County voters in the Banister District will cast ballots to fill in a seat on the county school board vacated by Raymond Ramsey. Willie Fitzgerald, who was appointed to fill that slot until the special election in November, is running to serve out the remainder of Ramseys term.

In Chatham, Alisa Bradford Davis and Irvin Perry are vying for the mayoral seat currently held by William Pace, who is not running for reelection, said Pittsylvania County Registrar Kelly Keesee.

Three council positions are also up for election in Chatham. Incumbents Janet Royster Bishop and William Black seek to hold on to their seats on Chatham Town Council, and challengers Tommie-Jo Lewis and Teresa Easley are also running for a council slot. Easley has previously served on council.

Council member Andrew Wall is not seeking reelection.

In Gretna, Mayor Keith Motley is running for reelection, as well as three incumbents who seek to keep their slots on town council  Michael L. Bond, Deborah P. Moran, and Michael D. Burnette.

Hurt Town Council incumbents Gary N. Poindexter and Shirley M. Barksdale-Hill are running to keep their seats. A third seat held by Donney Johnson, who is not running for reelection, is being sought by Robert W. Majure.

Christopher L. Perdieu, an incumbent, is also running in a special election to serve out the remainder of the previous office holders term on Hurt Town Council.

County voters will decide whether to approve a 1% percent sales tax for school renovations. If it passes, it will generate $3.8 million per year until February 2042.
WINSTON-SALEM  A Winston-Salem man has been charged with two counts of first-degree arson after fires destroyed two boarding houses that catered to people with disabilities. Two tenants died, one at each home.

Russell Edwards Marshall, 68, was charged on Monday and was being held in the Forsyth County jail with bond set at $1 million.

District Attorney Jim ONeill was unable to say Tuesday whether more charges might be forthcoming against Marshall, who has been convicted in the past of attempted arson, second-degree arson and burning personal property.

Authorities allege Marshall set a fire on June 22 that destroyed a boarding house at 4556 Renigar St. in the Ogburn Station neighborhood.

Barbara Tilley Harmon, who was 81 years old, died in that fire. Ruby Norwood, the operator of the boarding house, said Marshall was one of her tenants there.

Marshall moved to another of Norwoods boarding houses at 1663 E. 22nd St. after the fire. That house was destroyed in the early morning hours Saturday by a fire that Marshall is also charged with setting.

Alfreda Gause, a certified medical assistant who said she has worked for Norwood for 30 years, described helping get one of the tenants out of the house on 22nd Street  and finding out that another tenant, Jesse Lee Scott, never got out of the house. The fire was reported about 2 a.m.

When I went over there, the house was smoking and there was a gentleman who couldnt get out, so we got him out through the window and put him down on the ground, she said. The other two gentlemen were out  but we couldnt find Mr. Scott. ... I went back in there, and smoke stopped me.

Gause described Scott as an autistic man, real sweet, who had lived in the house for six years.

I just hate that he didnt make it out, she said, adding that Scott had no family, just us.

Norwood said she operates her houses as room and board for disabled people.

All we did was cook for them and give them a place to sleep, she said. Most of them, nobody else would keep.

Firefighters responded to the fire on Renigar Street just before 7:30 p.m. on June 22. Harmons body was found inside the house after the fire. Marshall was one of three people living in the boarding house at the time it caught on fire.

Norwood said no one ever told her about Marshalls past arson convictions, or gave her reason to have concerns about him living in the boarding houses.

On Sept. 9, 2015, Marshall pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted first-degree arson. According to then-Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Friel, Marshall burned the clothes in his closet. The damage was not extensive, but two people were inside and another two people were outside when the fire broke out. The house was in the 1000 block of Apple Street.

Judge Todd Burke of Forsyth Superior Court gave him a suspended sentence of two years to three years, 5 months, and placed him on supervised probation for five years.

Marshall was next charged with first-degree arson for an incident that happened on June 20, 2019. An indictment alleges that he maliciously burned a house owned by Timothy Crawford.

At the time of the fire, five people lived in the house on Westdale Avenue in Winston-Salem. Marshall pleaded guilty on Aug. 26, 2020 to second-degree arson, and Judge David Hall of Forsyth Superior Court sentenced him to a minimum of 11 months and a maximum of 23 months in prison. Marshall was freed on post-release supervision within days of the start of his sentence. His parole ended in May 2021.

Marshall was also convicted of felony burning personal property in 2004 in Wake County and crime against nature in 2011 in Columbus County, according to court documents.

Michelle Thomas, whose mother was found dead after the June 22 boarding house fire, said her mother moved into the house on Renigar Street after a hospitals social worker found her the place to live. Thomas and her husband said that Harmon lived upstairs in the boarding house by herself and that two men lived in the basement, which is where they said the fire started.

Thomas was comfortable at that time with the arrangements for Harmons care. A certified medical assistant was on site. Harmon could walk but had to use a walker to get around. She died of smoke inhalation, the couple said.

Winston-Salem authorities say the case remains under investigation and released few details. ONeill said detectives continue to gather evidence and consult with experts.
RALEIGH  Gov. Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency today to activate the states emergency operations plan in advance of Hurricane Ians remnants moving through the state.

A State of Emergency is needed now so that farmers and those preparing for the storm can more quickly get ready for the heavy rain that is likely to fall in much of our state, Cooper said in a news release announcing the action. North Carolinians should stay aware, keep a close eye on the forecast and prepare their emergency supplies.

The state can expect heavy rainfall and possible flooding and tornadoes on Friday and Saturday from the remnants of Hurricane Ian, according to the release.

In the Triad, the National Weather Service in Raleigh is predicting several inches of rain and strong gusty winds from late Thursday through Sunday, with the heaviest rain and strongest winds Friday and Saturday.

The State Emergency Response Team will activate on Thursday at the State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh and plans to move to 24-hour operations on Friday morning.

The governor's order waives size and weight requirements for vehicles engaged in relief efforts as well as the transportation of goods like food, fuel and medical supplies. The order also temporarily suspends the weighing of vehicles used to transport livestock, poultry or crops ready to be harvested.

In addition, North Carolinas price gouging law against overcharging in a state of emergency is now in effect statewide.

Cooper also authorized the activation of about 80 members of the North Carolina National Guard to assist as needed.

While much of the state will likely see 2 to 5 inches of rain later this week, 5 or more inches will be possible near the coast and along the Blue Ridge Escarpment, according to the news release. These rainfall totals could lead to localized flash flooding, landslides in the mountains and rises on main-stem rivers, state officials said.

Isolated downed trees and power outages will be possible due to gusty winds and saturated soils.

Officials advise residents to:

 Have multiple ways to receive emergency information, including watches and warnings. Make sure emergency alerts are enabled on a cell phone and download a weather app.

 Have an emergency plan. Know where to go if theres a need to evacuate. Make a plan to stay with family, friends or at a hotel. Public shelters should be a last resort.

 Gather some emergency supplies or refresh an emergency kit. Visit ReadyNC.gov for information on how to build an emergency kit.

Visit DriveNC.gov for current travel conditions from the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Leaders of College Park Baptist Church thought it was odd when the Southern Baptist Convention recently sent queries about the congregation's LGBTQ-affirming ministry. The church itself had voted to leave the conservative denomination many years ago.
We are different from them.

Instinctively, thats what youre thinking, right? Not that you dont have reason.

The news out of Iran that a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini mysteriously died in custody after the nations morality police hauled her in for some violation of their oppressive dress code for women is appalling. As thousands of Iranians take to the streets in protest, women publicly cutting their hair and burning their hijabs, CNNs Jake Tapper certainly spoke for many of us when he called on Western leaders to make it clear that they stand with the women, with the people, of Iran.

One could not blame any of us for looking at that mess and being grateful to live elsewhere. Grateful that we are different from them.

After all, no American woman risks being carted off to jail for allowing too much hair to show from beneath her scarf. On the other hand, she  or her doctor  may face that fate if she has an abortion, thanks to a recent Supreme Court ruling that robbed women of that right. That, however, is but one iteration of the larger, age-old struggle for control of womens bodies.

Consider for a moment the era of lynch laws in which thousands of African American men were maimed and murdered for usually fictitious crimes of passion against white women. This was routinely framed as a means of controlling the supposedly dangerous sexuality of Black men.

Yet  and this is rarely commented upon  the violence also controlled the sexuality of the women it theoretically protected. This is not to draw equivalence between what Black men and white women endured; that would be silly. But it is to note that the same mechanisms that restricted Black men from white women necessarily did the same in reverse. So any white woman who wanted, as a free adult, to give her body to some Black man, was proscribed from doing so by custom, law and threat of violence.

There is a throughline linking that prohibition with modern fights over Black womens hairstyles, requirements for transvaginal ultrasounds for women seeking abortions, women being kicked off airplanes for cleavage violations, public acts of body shaming and more. Meaning the pervasive, if little-spoken, understanding among men that womens bodies are community property, ours to regulate, approve, critique and use as we see fit.

This is not to say mens bodies have not also occasionally been subjected to those same processes. Yet it seems obvious that there has always been a special interest in policing the bodies of women. Perhaps you saw last years TikTok wherein a random guy complains to a group of women that their bikinis are pornography  at the beach, no less.

One strains to imagine a scenario wherein a random woman feels herself emboldened to tell a group of guys she doesnt approve of their swimwear. Or that they are too fat, bald, ugly or exposed for her approval. Or that they must jump through some medically unnecessary hoop before they can receive health care.

All of which tempers any temptation to smugness over Irans deadly excesses. We are different from them, yes, certainly.

But as this nation lurches toward an authoritarian model restricting what people may read, see and say, as prohibitions on same-sex marriage and even contraception are contemplated and as womens bodies are policed with increasingly brazen impunity, lets be honest with ourselves.

We are not nearly different enough.
DEER LODGE  Montana voters opted nearly two years ago by ballot initiative to legalize marijuana use by adults 21 and older and to legalize certain marijuana businesses. The pro-legalization ranks included voters in Powell County and Deer Lodge.

Yet there are no marijuana businesses inside the city limits of Deer Lodge and none, yet, in Powell County.

On Nov. 8, Deer Lodge voters will find that their ballot includes questions about marijuana businesses and their potential presence in the city.

The questions reflect Legislative action that tweaked the 2020 initiative. House Bill 701, passed in 2021, provided an option for voters to prohibit marijuana businesses of a certain type. The seven types include: cultivators, manufacturers, medical marijuana dispensaries, testing labs, marijuana transport facilities or combination use.

Voters will be able to indicate a for or against for each type. If they vote against all seven there will be no marijuana-related businesses in the city.

Their votes in November will have no impact on the legal use and possession of marijuana by adults in Deer Lodge.

Jordan Green, the citys chief administrative officer, said Deer Lodge isnt taking a position about the presence of marijuana related businesses in the city. He said opponents who attended a City Council meeting earlier this year raised issues about potential impacts on young people in the city and the proximity of such businesses to churches and schools.

He acknowledged that the city could benefit from tax revenue from the sale of marijuana.

Deer Lodge City Council passed a resolution in March to bring the marijuana question to voters.

We want everyone to be as informed as possible about this ballot issue, so people arent surprised when it hits the ballot box, Green said.

A majority of states in the U.S. allow use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. A lesser number, including Montana, has sanctioned recreational use, with conditions.

Meanwhile, an interim zoning ordinance would restrict marijuana-related businesses to Deer Lodges B-2 Highway Business District, more than 1,000 feet from churches, schools and playgrounds and would require a potential business of this type to get a conditional use permit.

The interim ordinance was designed to provide oversight of any potential marijuana-related business until the November vote.

We havent had any potential businesses try in the meantime, Green said.

In January, Powell County approved a conditional use permit for a retail medical and recreational marijuana business that planned to locate on Vigilante Drive, but that project has not moved forward.
By Trend

Armenian armed forces artillery units that have been targeting our human settlements in the Aghdara direction were struck, Trend reports with reference to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

Armenian armed units, which suffered heavy losses as a result of accurate artillery fire, were forced to withdraw from their firing positions.

Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27.



Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district).



Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control.



Back in July 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces.



The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.



The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

--
A Billings asphalt and seal coating contractor has agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge of attempted monopoly after allegedly trying to cajole a competitor to forego future state contracts with Montana and Wyoming.

Federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office and the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division filed an indictment against Nathan Zito, of Z & Z Asphalt Inc., on Sept. 19, accompanied by a plea agreement signed by Zito and his attorney. A hearing for Zito to enter a guilty plea is scheduled for Oct. 14.

Zito, through his attorney, declined comment for this story while his case is ongoing.

Court records filed Monday in Billings federal court refer to Zito as the former owner and president of the company.

The conduct for which Zito is charged is alleged to have occurred over the course of 2020. According to vendor award information provided by the Montana Department of Transportation on Wednesday, Z & Z Seal Coating, another company registered by Zito, received $931,240.19 as the prime contractor from 2021 through Aug. 23. According to state records available online, Z & Z Asphalt received another $937,913.73 during fiscal year 2022.

A Montana Department of Transportation spokesperson declined to comment when asked why the department continued to do business with Zito and his company following the 10-month federal investigation in 2020, stating the department does not comment on pending litigation. However, the transportation department is not a party in Zito's court proceedings. Asked to clarify, the spokesperson said they had no comment.

"MDT has no involvement and no comment at this time," the spokesperson wrote in an email.

According to charging documents filed Sept. 19, which name Zito but not his company, approximately 95% of his company's business comes from providing crack sealing services on publicly funded highway projects.

Z & Z and another company, also unnamed in the court records, routinely compete for the same publicly funded highway crack sealing jobs and, in many cases, were the only two companies to submit bids for the projects administered by the Wyoming Department of Transportation and those in neighboring states, according to court filings.

In January 2020, Zito phoned the owner of the other business, identified in court filings as Company B, to propose a "strategic partnership."

The owner of Company B reported that phone call to the U.S. Department of Transportation, which turned the matter over to the agency's Office of Inspector General. The owner of Company B then worked with the federal investigators to record phone calls.

Zito, according to federal prosecutors, laid out the terms of his proposal in another phone call with the owner of Company B in June 2020. The competitor would agree to stop bidding for highway projects in Montana and Wyoming and Zito would forego any bids for projects in South Dakota and Nebraska. Zito proposed paying the competitor $100,000 as additional compensation for the competitor's lost business in Montana and Wyoming.

Although not mentioned in federal court records, Z & Z Seal Coating received a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan for $150,000 in April 2020. (Zitos company also got a PPP loan for $165,300 in January 2021. Both were forgiven in 2021.)

"From the outset, Zito stated his intention to eliminate Company B as a competitor in Montana and Wyoming," federal prosecutors wrote in charging documents. "He told (Company B's owner) that if they agreed not to compete, their companies' revenue streams would be more stable and their margins would be higher."

Zito ultimately prepared and presented a written contract that included an option to purchase the competitor's company, according to federal prosecutors, although the owner of the other company told Zito he had no intention of selling.

It's unclear when Zito became aware of the investigation into his proposal.

The charge carries a possible penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine. Prosecutors agree to not recommend Zito be detained pending sentencing, but will have to defer to the judge.

According to the plea agreement filed with the charging documents, Zito has agreed to pay a fine of $27,000. The agreement also notes Zito may be "debarred" by agencies who could preclude Z & Z from receiving future work on publicly funded projects.

-This article has been corrected to state federal prosecutors agreed not to seek Nathan Zito's detainment ahead of his sentencing hearing.
Two women facing voter fraud charges in Phillips County were set to enter no contest pleas earlier this month, but havent been heard from after failing to show up for the hearing, according to the county attorney.

Grace O. Albia and Jannet Benitez Zeta each face one misdemeanor charge of deceptive election practices for allegedly registering and voting in the Dodson mayoral election last year, despite not being U.S. citizens.

The case presented a rare instance of possible voter fraud in Montana, and even more unusual, may have been enough to affect the outcome of an election. The small Hi-Line towns November 2021 mayoral race was decided by just two votes, and both of the womens ballots were subsequently called into question.

With Albia and Zeta absent during a Sept. 13 hearing to sign their changes of plea, Justice of the Peace Gayle Stahl ordered their bonds forfeited, according to court documents.

Phillips County Attorney Dan OBrien said Tuesday that Stahl gave their lawyer, Kalispell attorney Thane Johnson, additional time to locate his clients. Johnson did not respond to phone calls left at his office this week.

The case is effectively done, OBrien said, but added that it would have been nicer and cleaner had they signed it.

According to the charging documents and prior statements by Phillips County Sheriff Jerry Lytle and Clerk and Recorder Lynnel LaBrie, the two women allegedly registered and cast ballots in the mayoral election, despite being Philippine citizens. Both women had work visas and were employed as local school teachers. Montana requires U.S. citizenship in order to vote.

After community members alleged that two foreign residents had registered and cast ballots in the municipal election, the county's top elections official asked the sheriff's office to investigate, Lytle previously said. Neither Albia nor Zeta have publicly addressed the allegations.

The mayors race was decided by just two votes, though its not known who Albia or Zeta voted for. But because the election had been certified by the time their citizenship was called into question, LaBrie previously told the Montana State News Bureau she was unaware of any avenue for her office to challenge the election results.

Albia and Zeta each forfeited their $585 bonds, which covered the maximum $500 fines they would have faced for their misdemeanor charges. No contest pleas in Montana arent an admission of guilt, but acknowledge that the states case would have likely resulted in a conviction.

OBrien didnt know the last time either of the women were in Phillips County, but their last in-person court appearance was for an omnibus hearing in February. He said their whereabouts are unknown.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been notified of the issue, OBrien said.

The justice of the peace could issue a warrant for their arrest, but OBrien noted in a follow-up email that those cant be served out of state, assuming the two women are no longer in Montana.

Ultimately, the case may end with the forfeiture of bond for failure to appear, assuming they never return to Montana, OBrien wrote.

As is the case elsewhere in the country, instances of voter fraud are exceedingly rare in Montana. Most recently, a man in Gallatin County pleaded guilty to using his drivers license number to submit a phony voter registration under a different name in 2020.

The only other proven instance of attempted election fraud in Montanas recent history came in 2011, when a Liberty County man was caught after voting his ex-wifes ballot without her permission.
Montanas unique Constitution recognizes a right that was found in no other state constitution at the time it was written in 1972: the right of each of us to a life that supports our dignity. Our Constitution states that The dignity of the human being is inviolable.

An essential element of human dignity is the right to bodily autonomy. This brings me to the issue of the day: abortion rights.

When the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v Wade, it rejected precedent of fifty years that guided women in making the most important and intimate decisions of their lives. By abandoning Roe, the Supreme Court stripped women of the right to make those decisions herself and transferred those rights to the government.

The Montana Supreme Court recognized these rights in the Armstrong case. Anti-abortion activists have called on the Court to overrule the case.

The zealots have taken a fixed aim against the rights that the Armstrong case recognized. Their strategy is three-fold. One focuses on statutory restrictions. The second envisions amending our Constitution. The third hopes to elect a compliant lackey to the Supreme Court who would vote to overrule Armstrong.

The upcoming election will tell whether any of these strategies will bear fruit. A top priority is the reelection Ingrid Gustafson. She must win her Supreme Court race agains James Brown, who was recruited by Gianforte to advance the extremists agenda.

On the legislative side, the Republicans must be prevented from reaching a total of 100 legislators in the next session. If they reach that number they will be able to submit constitutional amendments to the voters.

The importance of the next election cannot be overstated. The state must be prevented from invading the intimate space of a woman as she charts her reproductive life. I dont like to speak with a partisan tone, but frankly a vote for a Republican now is a vote in favor of restricted abortion rights.

Lets respect the dignity of Montana women. Lets respect their right to bodily autonomy. Lets get out the vote and elect only those who will respect a womans right to make the most intimate and personal decisions of her life on her own, without interference from the state.
DECATUR  The Decatur school board welcomed four new student ambassadors at its meeting on Tuesday.

The new ambassadors are Symone Abraham and Jami Keck, both juniors at MacArthur High School; Sydney Walker and A'Zharien Perry, both sophomores at Eisenhower High School. Student ambassadors sit in on school board meetings, bring students' concerns to the board members, and are allowed to ask questions and raise concerns during meetings to give the board members the students' perspective on issues.

The board also elected Jason Dion to the office of vice president. When former President Dan Oakes resigned in August, then-Vice President Andrew Taylor assumed the office of president, leaving the vice president's office vacant. Dion was the only nominee and was elected by acclamation.

In other business, the board approved the 2022-23 budget for the district; approved a job description for a floating security officer to fill in when a building's security guard is absent; and approved the annual salary reports for district employees.

Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Jeff Dase unveiled the first video in a planned series to strengthen the bonds between school and home. The first video is devoted to curriculum, which he said he hopes will allow parents to help students at home by providing the family with topics and standards, chapter by chapter, of the material being covered at school.

"This is an important part of parental involvement," Dase said. "Families can access what unit their children are working on, what lessons are, and we can make this a true partnership."

It can also be a handy guide for families who are homeschooling, he said, and he urged those families to contact the district for help in making sure their students are keeping up, to ensure that when they return to in-person classes, they won't have fallen behind.

Board member Regan Lewis said she'd had some trouble navigating the links in the video to access the curriculum guide, and Dase said he would prepare written instructions and offer parents an in-person help session as well. The videos are available on YouTube at DecaturPublicSchools61.

Baum School Principal Mary Brady spoke about the Federal Bureau of Instruction, an idea that Dase had after a student saw him wearing a polo shirt with the FFA logo on it and mistook it for an FBI logo. Dase offered the fourth grade students choices for what the FBI acronym could mean for them, and they chose Federal Bureau of Instruction. Dase gave them all stickers to put on their shirts with their logo, and Brady said she'd had T-shirts made up with it, too. She presented shirts to the board members and to Dase.

Board member Kevin Collins-Brown immediately pulled his shirt on over the shirt he was already wearing. "I've been deputized," he said with a chuckle.
DECATUR  Heaven Fromm wants to go to school.

But through no fault of her own, the medically fragile 13 year old hasnt been allowed to do so for the past three years because of a lack of trained nurses to assist her during the school day.

Her mother, Mary Jo Fromm, has offered a solution. She has volunteered to be her daughter's aide. She was told she could not do that, though Fromm said she can read her daughter's physical cues and knows what the child needs and how to manage her care.

Nobody knows my child like I do, Fromm said.

Heaven has epilepsy, chronic lung disease, spina bifida, cerebral palsy and developmental delays. She underwent precocious puberty at age 2, and had to be put on medication to halt the early onset. She has a tracheostomy and is exceptionally susceptible to illness, so even someone with a cold can make her very ill. The last cold she had was a year ago, and she spent two weeks in the hospital, with some of that time in intensive care.

Normally, by the time cold season rolls around, the first time Heaven got sick, her doctor would home-base her for two or three months and then they'd allow her to return back to school, Fromm said. And three or four months of proper education is better than no education, but Heaven hasn't even gotten that.

Heaven does get an hour a day of home-based instruction from a special education teacher, Fromm said, but that doesn't compare to spending a whole day with other students.

Fromm said she has had to train every home care nurse and the ones Heaven has had at school in the past, and since her own medical issues prevent her from working, she is free to take care of Heaven at school. Fromm has no training in teaching and said she's not equipped to home-school her daughter.

She's being deprived of an education, and she loves school, Fromm said.

Fromm took her concerns and request for action to the Decatur Public Schools board during its Sept. 13 meeting.

Macon-Piatt Special Education hires and supervises special education staff, including teachers and nurses, and is instrumental in the process of creating an Individualized Education Plan for students in special education. Decatur Public Schools is Macon-Piatt's fiscal agent, but special education issues are handled through Macon-Piatt staff.

Board President Andrew Taylor asked the board's secretary, Melissa Bradford, to obtain contact information for Fromm after she spoke at the meeting.

Fromm has since heard from Macon-Piatt Special Education District and said she was told theyd like to review Heavens Individualized Education Program prior to its November due date. The district also suggested that Fromm could bring Heaven to school for a couple of hours on days when a nurse is available, but Fromm said she is not comfortable with that. Shed rather provide Heavens care herself so the girl can attend school full time.

The law and the Illinois State Board of Education require a licensed practical nurse assistant for medically fragile students, said Travis Friedrich, assistant director for the Macon-Piatt Special Education District.

Nationally, there's a shortage of nurses, and in the Macon-Piatt Special Education District, there are seven vacancies at present, Friedrich said.

When we have students that are in need of an LPN and we don't have that for them, they are put on homebound support, Friedrich said. This service allows them to receive up to five hours a week of specialized support through a qualified special education teacher.

And because they're missing services that are required by an Individualized Education Program, which is a detailed document showing what a student requires in education and accommodation services, Macon-Piatt offers compensatory services to the student in an effort to meet the IEP requirements.

If Fromm has to drive Heaven to therapy, such as what she'd receive during the school day, for example, she would receive compensation for her gas. But three years is too long to be out of school, Fromm said, and in asking for Heaven to be accommodated so she can attend school, she's trying to do what's best for her child.

We have to advocate for our kids because they don't have a voice of their own, she said.
BRISTOL, Va.  City taxpayers will get a break on their upcoming personal property tax bills following a Tuesday City Council vote.

Bristol Virginia charges $2.50 per $100 of assessed value on cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers and boats. It presently assesses those items at 100%, which is forecast to generate $4.46 million this fiscal year.

After much discussion Tuesday, the council voted unanimously to reduce the assessment ratio to 83%, which is expected to generate about that same amount of total revenue. That is down from the 90% which was presented at the first September meeting.

I think its important to understand that values of vehicles have risen so people would be getting some sticker shock if they were getting higher bills. So it was important to try to give some relief to the taxpayers  as much as we can, Mayor Anthony Farnum said after the meeting.

Those personal property tax bills are expected to go out from the city commissioner of revenues office next month and will be due in December.

If the council had left the ratio unchanged, the levy was forecast to generate $5.19 million, or about $700,000 more than last year, according to information provided by the commissioners office.

The previously agreed upon 90% ratio was expected to generate $4.8 million for the city, or about $340,000 more than last year.

Councilman Kevin Wingard was the first to urge the council to consider something lower than 90%, urging them to go no higher than 82% or 83%.

Commissioner of Revenue Cloe Eva Barker urged them to go no lower than 85% due to the potential for delinquencies due to higher taxes, City Manager Randy Eads told the council.

It is my opinion we take this down to 80% and not impose an increase on our citizens, Wingard said. The cost of living now is more than some can bear and we do not need to add to their burdens.

Vice Mayor Neal Osborne, who made the initial motion, said he was open to lowering the ratio.

I dont think we ought to go 80 [%] but I think 85 would be OK and seems like 83 is about break-even, Osborne said.

Council member Becky Nave said she didnt want to go lower than 83% and that was where they landed.

Just because the ratio is lower, that doesnt mean tax bills will decrease. Each bill is based on the individual value of each taxed item  many of which have risen in the current market, the council agreed.

Eads warned against trying to do too much given the uncertain costs to resolve issues with its embattled landfill.

Its been seven years the citys been in good financial shape, I can assure you council with the landfill, and what we have set aside right now, is going to go really quickly, Eads said. We have to be really careful what were going to do moving forward or well wind up back in 2012-2017 borrowing tax anticipation notes to meet operating expenses.

I recognize taxes are a burden on people but we have commitments were going to have to make to DEQ as it relates to that landfill and we do not know the total cost of those projects yet ... I urge you to use caution because the city has to do the financially responsible thing even though it may not be the popular thing.

The mayor said this vote strikes a balance.

We do have obligations as a city  employees to pay, roads to pave, debt we need to pay  but citizens do pay a lot of taxes already and any kind of relief we can give is a good feeling, Farnum said.

In other action the council unanimously voted to hire Janet Jennings as the citys next chief financial officer. She will replace Tamrya Spradlin, who resigned in late August to become executive director of finance and budget for Stafford County, Virginia, public schools.

Jennings currently serves as finance director and comptroller for the city of Johnson City. Her first day in Bristol is Monday, Oct. 3.

The council also approved the sale of a former elementary school at 222 Oak St.
Teachers and staff in Catawba County Schools will have access to a safety app which will make it easier to contact emergency services.

The Catawba County Schools Board of Education approved a contract for the Rave Panic Button app made by Rave Mobile Safety during a meeting on Monday.

The district does not have an anticipated timeline for when the app will be rolled out to employees, Director of Marketing and Communication Kim Jordan said.

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Daniel Moore said the app will allow every employee to quickly, efficiently and effectively get help in their school during emergency situations.

According to Rave Mobile Safety, the app provides one-push activation for any type of emergency. The app gives staff members the ability to communicate directly with 911, first responders, fire departments, law enforcement, emergency medical services and other school staff members.

The Rave Panic Button app will cost a total of $35,600 for the annual license fee and a one-time setup fee.

Currently each school has five stationary panic buttons located in various parts of the buildings, Moore said.

(The stationary panic buttons) are standard, but we feel like we need to give more access to more employees, Moore said. This is a good product. Many states are using this product.

School board member Jeff Taylor asked if the Rave Panic Button app is the same system used by Lenoir-Rhyne University. Moore said it is. Burke County also uses it for their emergency management, Moore said.

Having been a part of the educational community on the Lenoir-Rhyne campus, Taylor said. (The Rave Panic Button app) is a really good system to quickly alert everybody when anything untoward happens.
Dimon Kendrick-Holmes has been named executive editor of the Greensboro News & Record and North Carolina state editor for Lee Enterprises. He begins his new role on Oct. 10.

Kendrick-Holmes has been editor of the Opelika-Auburn News in Alabama since December 2020. His previous journalism leadership roles include executive editor, metro editor, features editor and senior editor of projects and planning for the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga., where he worked for 16 years.

As part of his new role in North Carolina, he will oversee daily news operations in Greensboro, as well as coordination of coverage from Lees newsrooms throughout the state. His primary focus will be growing digital audience in the Triad region, which includes Greensboro and Winston-Salem and is home to 1.6 million people and includes more than 20 colleges and universities.

Im really looking forward to getting to know the community here. We have incredible opportunity to grow our audience with the best local content and give our readers stories they cant find anywhere else, he said.

Kendrick-Holmes, 54, grew up in LaFayette, Ala. He attended Vanderbilt University on an Army ROTC scholarship, then served as an intelligence officer in Germany for four years. He and his wife, Bess, will relocate to Greensboro this fall. They have four adult children.

Jennifer Fernandez will continue to serve as the News & Records managing editor.
Are Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, Republican House Speaker Tim Moore, and Republican Senate leader Phil Berger about to strike a deal to expand North Carolinas Medicaid program?

I dont know. The three leaders have been negotiating for months. While they broadly agree on the expansion itself, Bergers chamber is the only one to have passed a bill  by a 44-2 vote  and it included some deregulatory measures to expand the supply of medical services to North Carolinians.

Special-interest groups that benefit from the current regulatory structure dislike the Senate version. Hospitals, in particular, strongly dislike the idea of having to compete for your business, which is what the bills certificate-of-need reforms would encourage. Many House members disagree with the Senates approach, as well. So does Cooper. Still, theyd rather enact it than nothing, so the governor has publicly called for the interest groups to give in. A few days ago, the hospitals offered what they termed a compromise, though Berger called it more public relations than a substantive or serious proposal.

If North Carolina acts on Medicaid, we certainly ought to accompany expansion with the Senates pro-competition reforms. We need to reduce the actual cost of delivering health care, not simply transfer the bill from patients or employers to taxpayer-funded Medicaid. While our leaders have been negotiating, however, events in a neighboring state have reopened an issue once thought dead: work requirements.

As originally written, the Affordable Care Act didnt really leave state governments any choice in the matter: they had to expand Medicaid. After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down that part of the bill in 2012, many Republican-led states signaled that they were willing to forego the massive federal subsidies attached to Medicaid expansion because of their concerns about long-term fiscal impact and increased dependency on public assistance (Medicaid is already Americas largest welfare program).

Allowing states to require work in exchange for Medicaid enrollment would have made expansion more palatable. The Obama administration sounded at first like this might be a real option, but it soon became clear that President Obama would never allow the enforcement of serious work requirements.

The next administration saw things very differently. During President Trumps four-year term, 13 states received federal waivers to implement work rules for Medicaid. Several other states were in the process of seeking such approval when President Biden won election. States were instructed not to bother submitting such applications. All previously granted waivers were rescinded.

Most of these work requirements had never been implemented, anyway. Progressive groups had successfully sued to strike them down. The cases hadnt yet reached the U.S. Supreme Court when the Biden administration rescinded the waivers. Earlier this year, the Court declared the cases moot.

But what if Bidens action was itself illegal? Thats what the State of Georgia argued in a lawsuit filed in January. Last month, a federal judge sided with Georgia, calling the administrations actions arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to reasoned decision making. For now, at least, Georgia is authorized to proceed with its work requirement for non-disabled Medicaid recipients.

Given this development, I think Berger and Moore ought to reemphasize, as a condition for compromise, another provision of the original Senate bill: a work requirement for the childless adults who make up the majority of potential beneficiaries of Medicaid expansion. Cooper and Democratic lawmakers wont like it, of course, but would they truly prefer no Medicaid expansion at all? I think Cooper knows his negotiating position will probably be weaker after the 2022 election. Democrats might also conclude that the Biden administration will refuse to grant such a waiver, anyway, and thus thered be no risk in allowing Republicans to include work requirements in an expansion bill.

If thats true, what would be the point of including it? Well, I would argue that as a general proposition all public-assistance programs  cash, nutrition, housing, and health care  should have work requirements. Let the president say otherwise. Then let voters say what they think about that in 2024.

John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member. His latest books, Mountain Folk and Forest Folk, combine epic fantasy with early American history (FolkloreCycle.com).
South Africa: Local economic development key to empowering municipalities

President Cyril Ramaphosa says local economic development is one of the key drivers to lowering the rate of poverty, unemployment and inequality in the country.

When there is more investment and business expansion, jobs are created, livelihoods are supported, and the benefits circulate in local areas.

That is why accelerating economic growth, attracting investment and creating jobs must be at the centre of the efforts of all spheres of government, the President said on the second and final day of the National Local Government Summit.

Hosted by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the two-day summit held in Boksburg, Gauteng, brought together close to 2 000 senior officials and leaders across all spheres of government, legislature, business, academia, traditional leaders, civil society, women, youth and people with disabilities to deliberate on a collective programme of action for an ideal municipality.

The President told delegates that as the country works to recover economically after the pandemic, there is fiscal room to expand the provision of services that improve peoples lives.

The President has over the past two months attended a number of launches of business expansion projects, which are being built in towns and metros, where people live and where they are needed most.

The President said investors look at the quality of the provision of water, electricity, sewage and refuse removal  all aspects that are in line with the theme of the summit, DDM in Action - Towards an Ideal Municipality.

The District Development Model (DDM) calls for an all of government and all of society approach', which advocates for integrated and responsive planning to fast-track development.

If we are to harness the momentum of economic recovery that these new investments signal, local government has to be strong, efficient, capable and well-run.

When domestic investors and multinationals make decisions on where to bring or expand their investments, one of the first factors they consider is whether there is an enabling environment in that locality.

They look at the quality of the roads and at the quality of the infrastructure they will need to transport products to market.

They analyse whether the environment is safe and secure, and whether they will be able to protect their investments. If they are not satisfied that their needs will be met, they choose to invest somewhere else, he said.

The President has called for the prioritisation of the DDM as the country works to promote local economic development.

We need to ensure that this integrated, multidisciplinary approach to government planning and implementation must translate into local economic development that changes lives at a household level.

We need to ensure that mayors and councillors are deeply involved in the promotion of local economic development.

President Ramaphosa urged mayors and councillors to drive the process from start to finish, and not just leave it to consultants.

Revenue collection

The President told delegates that they have to embark on course correction to advance the principle of people-centred local government.

This means focused and committed leadership across all municipalities, with stronger strategic relations with the private sector and other social partners.

It means improving the quality and efficiency of local government through better funding, planning and execution.

The President stressed that municipalities must focus on revenue collection to ensure that there are sufficient funds available to fulfil their functions.

In addition to the jobs it creates and the community development it enables, vibrant local economic activity strengthens the financial position of municipalities.

It makes these municipalities less dependent on grants from the national fiscus and empowers them to pursue the interests of residents with greater focus.

In order for the country to build ideal municipalities, the President emphasised the need to address the instability within governance structures and processes.

Political stability

The President bemoaned the political contestation and infighting that is wreaking havoc in municipalities, saying it must come to an end.

We should once and for all end the hijacking of municipal councils and administrations for self-enrichment and personal gain.

Local government should employ people who are able to perform the functions they are responsible for, and should carry them out in an accountable, transparent, efficient, effective and responsive manner.

In carrying out this mandate, President Ramaphosa said municipalities must receive the requisite support of all other spheres of government, public entities and State institutions.

President Ramaphosa called on delegates to focus on solutions as they discuss ways to improve governance and administration, and solve service delivery challenges.

He said the focus must be more on outcomes and less on intent.

We must bridge the divide between policy and implementation, between aspiration and results, by focusing on what must be done.

Let this be an opportunity for all of us tasked with the business of local government to emerge from this conference with tangible actions and achievable aims.

Let us reaffirm our commitment to improving the living conditions of the people of South Africa through developmental local government, the President said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijani Human Rights Commissioner Sabina Aliyeva informed Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Despina Chatsivasiliou about the human rights violations suffered by Azerbaijan.

The meeting was held during Aliyeva's visit to Strasbourg.

During the meeting, she said that it is vital to quickly and completely clear the liberated territories of the country. In this regard, Aliyeva touched upon the importance of providing accurate mine maps by Armenia to Azerbaijan and recalled that this issue was highlighted in a separate report addressed to international organizations.

The ombudswoman gave detailed information on her mandate. She noted that over recent years, departments and sectors related to the protection of the right to access to information, the rights of children, and the rights of people with disabilities have been created under the institution, opportunities, and information is given about the functions of these structural units. It was emphasized that attention is also being paid to gender equality and women's rights.
The raid of Trumps home fits a pattern. Joe Rogans interview of Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg handed us one more example of FBI election interference:

JOE ROGAN (Aug. 26): How do you guys handle things when theres a big news item thats controversial  like there was a lot of attention on Twitter during the [2020] election because of the Hunter Biden laptop story.

MARK ZUCKERBERG: Yeah, we had that too"

ROGAN: So you guys censored that as well?

ZUCKERBERG: .... I mean basically the background here is the FBI I think basically came to us  some folks on our team  and it was hey, just so you know, like you should be on high alert. There was, we thought there was, a lot of Russian propaganda in the 2016 election. We have it on notice that basically theres about to be some kind of dump of, thats similar to that. So just be vigilant.

... We just kind of thought, hey, look, if the FBI ... they come to us and tell us that we need to be on guard about something, then I want to take them seriously.

ROGAN: Did they specifically say you need to be on guard about that story?

ZUCKERBERG: No. I dont remember if it was that specifically, but it was, it basically fit the pattern.

The day after the interview John Ratcliff, Director of National Intelligence in 2020, appeared on Tucker Carlson.

Quoting Ratcliff: I was actually surprised to hear Mark Zuckerberg say that because what he related the FBI told him was exactly the opposite of what my conversations with the FBI director himself at the time were about ... to the extent these allegations are true, that FBI agents were knowingly putting bad information out there, it absolutely was ... election interference, then weve got a real problem and I think thats why so many Americans mistrust the FBI.

Tom Shuford

Lenoir
But the strangest and most ominous sign of the drought's severity may be the reemergence of the so-called "hunger stones"  rocks with inscriptions to record previous instances of severe drought. In the Elbe River near the Czech town of Decin, a rock gradually rose from the water that bore the message Wenn dumich siehst, dann weine ("If you see me, then weep"), according to The Guardian.

Dozens of the other stone monuments to past drought catastrophes have also become visible in central European rivers. Most are found in the Elbe, though others appear in the Rhine, the Danube and the Moselle rivers. There is one near the small town of Bleckede in Germany that reads: When this goes under, life will become more colorful again.

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The stone near Decin contains eroded traces of markings for droughts that occurred back in 1417 and 1473, as well as markings for droughts in 1616, 1707, 1746, 1790, 1800, 1811, 1830, 1842, 1868, 1892 and 1893, according to a 2013 paper by Czech climate researchers in the journal Climate of the Past. The stones also emerged during the 2018 drought.

There doesn't seem to be any information available about who originally placed the hunger stones in rivers, or what purpose they may have served, besides warning people that a sparse autumn harvest might be ahead. As the hunger stones indicate, droughts have been occurring in Europe for centuries.

" " The stone on the Elbe River in Decin, Czech Republic, is seen here from above so that it reads correctly from that viewpoint. It is inscribed with the words "If you see me, then weep." Wikimedia Commons (CC By-SA 3.0 DE)
The performance of the Chilean artist captivated the Budapest audience

The theater performance Chayka was a huge success

After performing in Chile, French Guiana, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Spain, France, Austria and Slovenia, the Belova-Iacobelli Company finally arrived in Budapest with its performance Chayka. The performance was also presented here thanks to Vintage Beauty, the cosmetic company that has won the most international recognition in our country. It is unusual for a brand to be involved in the organization of a theater performance. In 2020, the company wanted to celebrate its 10th birthday with this performance. Due to closures due to the coronavirus, the Budapest audience had to wait almost two years for the international award-winning production.

The play of the Belova-Iacobelli Company is a special puppet show in which Chayka is an actress who, at the end of her life, can play the role of Arkagyina in Chekhovs The Seagull for the last time. During the performance, however, she drifts back into the past, where the young actress she once was, who played another heroine of the same play, Nina, reappears.

In the role of Chayka, the audience could see Tita Iacobelli on stage, whose playing captivated the Budapest audience, while the artist was captivated by Budapest.

There is no doubt that viewers differ from country to country. I was impressed by the attention of the Hungarian audience during the performance. We presented the play in Spanish and French with subtitles. Reading them and watching the presentation at the same time requires a lot of concentration. Regardless, I still felt the reactions during the play. The standing ovation at the end of the performance really moved me, I almost danced from its rhythm. It was a very powerful response, I was very moved, he said about his experiences in Budapest.

The play is about passing away

We came across this show for the first time in Belgium, explains Gabor Szakonyi, the owner of Vintage Beauty and the main organizer of the Hungarian shows, about the background of the Budapest show. We dont speak Spanish, yet we felt that the play tells a layer of passing that is in line with our companys philosophy. We knew that we wanted to show this to the domestic audience as well. If not on our birthday, but two years later, our dream came true.

Budapest is a mover

The Chilean artist spent almost a week in Budapest and was extremely enchanted by the city: I took advantage of every moment. When I felt like walking, I went to museums or hopped on the tram and just let it take me. It was very interesting. It is captivating to climb to the highest point of the city and just look at the green hillsides on one side, and this imposing city on the other, with the wonderful Danube, full of history. Its really moving.

Every performance questions the nature of man

The artist hopes to be able to return to Hungary with her troupe with the performance Loco, which was created together with Natacha Belova. It is an adaptation of Gogols Diary of a Madman. The main character is a puppet of a lonely man  controlled by two actresses  who presents an extraordinary vision on stage. In addition, we are already working on our third show. The peculiarity of our plays is the puppet, which always questions the actor, i.e. our humanity, said Tita Iacobelli after the highly successful performances.
include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?> There's been a wave of violent crime the last couple of years, and the best way to address the issue is for everyone to pass over it in silence: That's the implication of the Democratic pushback against the GOP attacks on Democrats as soft-on-crime in the closing weeks of the midterms.

The Democrats are running defensive ads and also passed a police-funding measure in the House, but a big element of their case for themselves  as always  is that it is unfair and racist to call them out on crime.

The Washington Post just ran a piece headlined, "GOP strategy elevates clashes over crime, race in midterm battlegrounds."

In its own report, The New York Times says the Republican offensive "has swiftly drawn criticism as a return to sometimes deceptive or racially divisive messaging."

Exhibit A is the advertising barrage against Mandela Barnes, the 35-year-old African-American lieutenant governor of Wisconsin who is running against the Republican incumbent senator, Ron Johnson. The Washington Post relates that allies of Barnes "have derided the attacks as racist messages that feed on stereotypes."

There are a couple of counts against the anti-Barnes ads. One is that they associate him with the Squad, the group of left-wing House Democrats. But this is hardly dirty pool, since Barnes gladly associated himself with the Squad: He went to an event with Rep. Ilhan Omar in 2019, and said about her in a tweet afterward, "She's exactly who we need in Congress right now fighting for what's right."

The idea is that it is racist to portray Barnes in an ad with an image of the Squad because all its members are non-white. But what's most notable about the Squad is that it exemplifies out-of-the-mainstream progressive politics. Are attacks on the group supposed to be off limits until it recruits a more diverse membership?

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It is also supposedly wrong to depict Barnes' name written in graffiti. This is an attempt, according to one Democratic operative, to "ghettoize him." The case against Barnes isn't that he's a graffiti artist, though; it's that he supports policies that have made the wave of disorder in American cities worse.

Graffiti is a symbol of such disorder. If this sort of imagery is illegitimate, no Democrats should be able to use footage of violence on Jan. 6, 2021 against Republicans.

Finally, there's an ad that calls Barnes "dangerously liberal on crime." But another ad also calls John Fetterman, the Democratic senate candidate in Pennsylvania, "dangerously liberal on crime." Fetterman, it must be observed, is a large, tattooed white man.

Crime isn't a racial issue; it's about affording all Americans, and especially vulnerable communities, the protection they deserve from lawlessness. Obviously, violent crime is not a blight on the lives of white upper middle-class people.

In Milwaukee, according to the tracker of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 87% of the victims of homicide this year have been black or Hispanic.

In Philadelphia, there have been more than 1,750 shootings this year. According to the count maintained by the city's office of the controller, 92% of the shooting victims have been black or Hispanic.

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Democrats like Barnes and Fetterman reflect the anti-incarceration ethos that's been ascendant in the Democratic Party for years now, especially in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.

Barnes was on board two of the worst and most destructive public policy ideas in contemporary America. In 2020, when defunding the police was all the rage, Barnes said money could be taken from police departments and given to neighborhood services. And he introduced legislation to end cash bail when he was in the Wisconsin state Assembly in 2016.

He, and other Democrats, have the choice of trying to defend their ideas, or to rule pointed discussion of them out of bounds. It tells you all you need to know that they are heavily invested in the latter.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
A Richmond, Va., residential development group with a focus on historic properties is expanding its Triad portfolio by purchasing the former Pilot Life Insurance Co. headquarters buildings in Greensboro.

Clachan Properties acquired all seven buildings on the 26.38-acre campus that combined represent more than 222,000 square feet, according to a news release from the Triad office of CBRE. The sale price was not disclosed.

Clachan plans to convert the buildings into luxury, market-rate apartments.

The seller was an affiliate of Kisco Senior Living.

The oldest three buildings debuted in 1927. They were designed by renowned Philadelphia architects, Zantzinger, Borie & Medary, and patterned after Tryon Palace in New Bern  the original Capitol of Colonial N.C.

Preservation Greensboro said Pilot Life opened the first suburban corporate headquarters campus in North Carolina.

Founded in 2003, Clachan says it has completed $200 million in historic renovations.

Clachans Triad portfolio features downtown Winston-Salem properties the 50 West Fourth residences and Winston Factory Lofts Phases 1 and 2. It also owns the May Hosiery Lofts in Burlington.

This sale illustrates the significant interest in the Greensboro/Triad market by both local and out-of-state developers," said David Hagan, Clachan's senior vice president.

"We expect the demand for residential and industrial developments to continue at a brisk pace to accommodate existing and projected demand in these asset classes, particularly considering the major announcements this year by Toyota, Boom Supersonic, VinFast and Wolfspeed.

The overall Pilot at Sedgefield project encompasses seven tracts of land with more than 131 acres that are bordered by W. Gate City Boulevard (Jamestown Bypass), Alamance Road and High Point Road.

CBRE said five of the seven tracts have been sold to various owners for uses, such as single-family residential, multi-family residential and a senior living community.

The two remaining tracts total 37.51 acres.

In December, an affiliate of a Cary real-estate developer paid $5.5 million for an 86.08-acre tract at 5300 High Point Road.

Sedgefield NC LP is listed in the Guilford County Register of Deeds filing as sharing the same address as Davis Park Leasing and Craig Davis Properties Inc., which develops multi-family and office properties.

According to a corporation filing with the N.C. Secretary of State, Sedgefield NC is listed with the same address at Chesapeake Homes of Virginia Beach, Va., which has an office in Raleigh.
TW Garner Foods Co. showed off Tuesday a $20 million investment that not only represents a new distribution and warehouse center, but also deepens the companys Winston-Salem roots.

Garner, the maker of Texas Pete hot sauce, Green Mountain Gringo and other products, bought a 31-acre site at 4729 Lansing Drive from Forsyth County in 2021. The site, north of Smith Reynolds Airport, had served as the maintenance headquarters of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

Garner also owns a plant at 4045 Indiana Ave., a building off North Point Boulevard and a 14,500-square-foot headquarters in the Nash-Bolich building on Fourth Street in downtown Winston-Salem.

Tuesdays ribbon-cutting event on Lansing Drive was the culmination of what Garner officials describe as two years worth of planning and development.

This is a huge step forward in helping us build our product inventories and improve material handling efficiencies to help position Garner Foods to meet the growing demands of our customers, said Ann Garner Riddle, the companys chief executive and president.

Garner said the facility will provide much-needed expansion and improvements to Garner Foods product warehousing and distribution given the company has enjoyed historic growth in demand for both its Texas Pete and Green Mountain Gringo lines of products.

Our investment in the future of our company is a direct result of the loyalty and commitment our customers and employees have demonstrated for our products over the years, Riddle said.

Heyward Garner, chief operating officer of Garner, said the renovations to the facility will enable the company to operate more efficiently than any of our other facilities.

As for sustainability, the new building allows us greater flexibility in material handling, which reduces the amount of touch points we have with our raw materials and finished goods.

Heyward said the company is pleased that the facility is contributing to expanding the citys tax base.

We will be expanding our distribution and material handling footprint, which will bring new training and potential job opportunities to our community, Garner said.

Mark Owens, president and chief executive of Greater Winston-Salem Inc., has said he has been assured by Garner that it remains committed to its downtown headquarters and would not be moving it from downtown.

Garner Foods has a rich legacy here in Winston-Salem, and I am glad to see it continue to grow, Owens said. It is exciting to see the new building with its capacity to expand operations and know that the community has supported this business for nearly 100 years, and vice versa. I appreciate Garner Foods continued investment here.

When Garner moved downtown in 2016, the company made it clear it wanted to raise its culinary-arts profile.

Because the companys proposed new site is near the airport, arranging the sale required the approval of both the Federal Aviation Administration and the N.C. Transportation Department.

Front Street Capital, a Winston-Salem company involved in commercial real-estate investment, put together the deal, which would include paying Forsyth County $1.55 million for the property.
A federal grand jury handed down new indictments on Monday against former Winston-Salem Council Member Derwin Montgomery to correct an error.

Montgomery, 34, faces a 15-count indictment alleging that he embezzled more than $26,000 from Bethesda Center for the Homeless between 2018 and 2020, when he was executive director. Indictments allege that Montgomery illegally charged Bethesda for a trip with a romantic partner to Cancun, Mexico, stays at luxury hotels in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Charleston, S.C.; and expenses incurred at a strip club in Las Vegas.

Indictments also allege that Montgomery charged Bethesda for services from his media company, Upstart Media LLC. In 2018, the media company was defunct. According to court documents, Bethesda prohibited Montgomery, as executive director, from hiring his own company for services that he later charged Bethesda for. Montgomery also is accused of charging Bethesda for the use of a $54,000 GMC Yukon Denali for what he said were shelter operations.

Federal prosecutors have not said how the criminal investigation into Montgomery started. Linda Jackson-Barnes, chairwoman of Bethesdas board, has said that she was not aware of a criminal investigation when she announced Montgomerys resignation in January 2021. Montgomery most recently worked as a governmental relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. He is currently on paid administrative leave from that organization, pending an internal investigation.

Montgomery, a pastor at First Calvary Baptist Church, denied the allegations during a live-streamed service at his church on Sept. 4. Montgomery served as Winston-Salem city council member for the East Ward from 2009 to 2018 and was appointed to replace Ed Hanes as state house representative for District 72 in the N.C. General Assembly. He also unsuccessfully ran for the 6th Congressional District.

The original indictments incorrectly described the source of the federal money that flowed through the Bethesda Center that Montgomery is accused of embezzling. The new indictments indicate the source was from the Small Business Administration.

Montgomery is out on a $10,000 unsecured bond. A trial date has been tentatively scheduled for Oct. 11.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov have discussed recent regional developments, Azernews reports, citing the ministry.

In a telephone conversation on September 28, the top diplomats discussed the current situation in the region, including issues related to the implementation of trilateral statements, signed by the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders.

The ministers also exchanged views on current issues of the cooperation agenda between the two states and other issues of mutual interest.

The trilateral ceasefire deal signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020, ended the three-decade conflict over Azerbaijans Karabakh region which along with the seven adjacent districts came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

On January 11, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed the second statement since the end of the 44-day war. The newly-signed statement was set to implement clause 9 of the November 2020 statement related to the unblocking of all economic and transport communications in the region.

On November 26, 2021, the three leaders signed a statement and agreed on a number of issues, including the demarcation and delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border. On May 23, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed decrees on the creation of border delimitation and security commissions.

So far, two meetings of the border delimitation commissions led by Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev and his Armenian opposite side Mher Grigoryan was held prior to the border clashes that erupted as a result of the Armenian provocation on September 12-14.

Despite the latest Armenian provocations, Baku reaffirmed its readiness for urgent negotiations between the leaders towards ensuring lasting peace in line with the trilateral statements and the results of the meeting in Brussels.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Lancaster County continued to drop last week, falling to the lowest level since the end of April.

There were 280 official cases last week, down from 319 the previous week. The last time the number of weekly cases was lower was the week ending April 30.

Though case numbers are likely an undercount because of people testing at home or not testing at all, other data shows overall cases are likely on the decline.

For example, the positivity rate for COVID-19 tests reported to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department fell to 13.1% last week, down from 14.9% the previous week and the lowest weekly rate since late May. That number was above 20% just four weeks ago.

Hospitalization numbers also declined, with the seven-day average at 31, compared with 36 the previous week. However, the number of COVID-19 patients in Lincoln hospitals jumped to 44 on Tuesday, the highest number since Sept. 1.

The positive numbers led the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department to lower its risk dial from elevated-yellow to mid-yellow.

The numbers are similar statewide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nebraska had 1,424 new COVID-19 cases last week, down from 1,772 the previous week. Case numbers have fallen by more than 50% over the past three weeks.

Hospitalizations also are falling, with last weeks daily average of 172 down from 183 the previous week.

Despite the positive signs, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Director Pat Lopez said people can't let down their guard.

Our community is moving in a positive direction but now is not the time to become complacent, Lopez said in a news release. As we head into fall and winter, theres potential for an increase in COVID-19 infections. Even if youve had other COVID-19 boosters, its important to get the new one."

That booster, which covers both the original strain as well as the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of the omicron variant, is widely available in Lincoln. The Health Department is hosting three vaccine clinics at Pinnacle Bank Arena next week, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, for people who are eligible and make appointments.

Dr. Bob Rauner, president of Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln, said it's important for people to get the new bivalent booster shot and to do so within the next month to ensure they have sufficient immunity by the time the holiday season rolls around.

Though it's unclear whether there will be another surge of cases heading into the winter, it's important to be prepared, Rauner said.

We are not (yet) in a stable pattern, he said. I dont think you can act as if COVID doesnt exist.

In addition to getting booster shots, he recommends people also wear masks when they are sick and in certain other situations, such as in airports or anywhere where there's a local surge of cases.

The Omaha World-Herald contributed to this story.
TUESDAY, Sept. 27, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- In utero exposure to a major weather-related disaster is associated with an increased risk for psychopathology in children, according to a study published online Sept. 21 in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Yoko Nomura, Ph.D., from CUNY Queens College in Flushing, New York, and colleagues evaluated 163 preschool children and their 151 parents annually at ages 2 to 5 years to examine the emergence of psychopathology using the Preschool Age Psychopathological Assessment. Of the children, 66 and 97 (40.5 and 59.5 percent) were exposed or not exposed, respectively, to Sandy Storm (SS) in utero.

The researchers found that exposure to SS in utero was associated with increases in depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and attention-deficit/disruptive behavioral disorders (hazard ratios, 16.9, 5.1, and 3.4, respectively). Elevated diagnostic rates were seen for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD), and separation-anxiety disorder (SAD; hazard ratios, 8.5, 5.5, 3.8, and 3.5, respectively). Increased risks for attention-deficit/disruptive behavioral disorders, including ADHD, conduct disorder, and ODD were seen for boys (hazard ratio, 7.8), while risks for anxiety disorders (hazard ratio, 10.0), phobia (hazard ratio, 2.8), and depressive disorders (hazard ratio, 30.0), including SAD, GAD, and dysthymia, were increased for girls.

"It is helpful for policy makers, obstetricians, and pediatricians to create an infrastructure to assist pregnant women and their families when confronting such a natural disaster, to mitigate risks to their children in utero, support healthy development after birth, and prevent psychiatric disorders," the authors write.

One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Authorities are searching for a 43-year-old man who is alleged to have randomly assaulted a man on the second floor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Love Library in July, police said in court records.

Tyrone Rife has been at large since the alleged assault, which happened at about 8:15 p.m. on July 26 at the library, on the university's downtown campus, University Police Officer Brook Johnson said in the affidavit for Rife's arrest.

The victim told police that he was talking with a group of men in the library that evening when Rife approached him and, unprovoked, punched him several times in the face and mouth, causing lacerations and a tooth fracture that required corrective surgery, Johnson said in the affidavit.

Police identified Rife through witness accounts and security footage, but officers have so far failed to find him, who may now live in Omaha, Johnson said.

A Lancaster County judge signed a warrant for Rife's arrest Monday, charging him with first-degree assault.
A documentary about Lincoln High School is back by popular demand  and for a good cause, too.

The film, "Life at the High: 150 Years of Lincoln High School," will be screened once again at the school's Ted Sorensen Theatre on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Admission will be free, but those in attendance can make a donation through the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools that will go toward camera equipment "for aspiring future filmmakers at Lincoln High who may not have adequate resources to make a film," said Riek Bol, the film's director.

Bol, who graduated from Lincoln High last spring, created the documentary to celebrate the school's 150th anniversary, interviewing alumni and scouring archives.

Thursday's screening will also feature extended footage not seen in the original showing back in June.
Margaret Reist Local government reporter Margaret Reist is a recovering education reporter now writing about local and county government and the people who live in the city where she was born and raised. Follow Margaret Reist 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

Heres a hat tip to the past, and an artist named Alta Mae Fieselman.

This, thanks to Ed Zimmer, retired historic preservation planner for the city and knower-of-all-things-Lincoln, who was on the committee to select a new city flag.

In typical fashion, Zimmer was curious about who designed the flag that had  until January  graced city buildings and the council dais for more than 90 years.

So he did some research.

Turns out, in 1931, Fieselman won another contest similar to the one the American Marketing Association and Lincoln Young Professionals launched last summer.

Then, a committee of the Chamber of Commerce launched a campaign for a city flag that merchants and citizens could display, because, in the words of the mayor and councilmen at the time, the U.S. flag was often overworked and used too freely.

Seems worth noting that Fieselmans design beat out some prominent local men, including Ernst Herminghaus, the landscape architect of Pioneers Park and the Capitol grounds; Leonard Thiessen, an artist and co-creator of the Pershing Center mural; and another architect named Fritz Craig.

This just a decade after the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote and during the Depression, when many of those gains for women took a back seat and most available jobs went to men because, of course, they were considered the breadwinners.

But in this case, a 39-year-old womans work earned her $50, a picture in the newspaper and accolades.

The contest organizers wanted a design that embodied important factors about Lincoln. The judges liked that Fieselman represented agricultural interests, the university and the Capitol  all on a blue background that represented honor.

Her work had been honored before, earning honorable mention in a 1928 poster contest and first prize at the Nebraska State Fair in 1930 for a watercolor painting. She was president of the Lincoln Arts Guild in 1951, and in 1965, after serving 15 years as supervisor of the State Fairs fine arts department, she retired from that position and submitted an oil painting that won the judges grand award for professional artists.

Fieselman, who was married to a mortgage banker and was a lifelong member of the YWCA, died in 1974 at the age of 82.

All of which means Ed Mejia, Nelnets art director whose design is now the new city flag, is in good company.

Working on inclusive play

Despite a change of guard at the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department with the retirement of longtime director Lynn Johnson, plans for building inclusive playgrounds are moving forward.

On Monday, the City Council authorized parks officials to apply for a $400,000 grant from the National Park Service to help pay for the playgrounds.

The grant requires a 50% match, that the land remain public and a resolution from the council assuring both those things will happen, said JJ Yost, parks department planning and facilities manager. The state Game and Parks Commission manages the federal grants, so the application goes to that department, which makes recommendations to the National Park Service.

The grant and match by the city would pay the roughly $800,000 it would cost to build the citys first modern and all-inclusive playground at Mahoney Park in northeast Lincoln.

That represents the first part of a grassroots effort by moms of kids with disabilities, led by Cathy Martinez, who leads the Autism Family Network.

That groups efforts to get an all-inclusive playground in the city turned into a plan to build four inclusive playgrounds within 5 miles of every Lincoln resident by 2038. City officials hope the first playground at Mahoney Park will be finished by 2024.

The $400,000 match by the city will include $300,000 already set aside in the citys capital improvement plan, and $100,000 in private donations.

Martinez is eager to get going in earnest on fundraising, which has been delayed by the administration changes at the Parks and Recreation Department.

Maggie Stuckey-Ross, who was the head of the city parks foundation in charge of the fundraising efforts, was named director of the department after Johnson retired.

The city is in the process of hiring a new foundation director, which Yost said should happen soon. Then the foundation will focus on fundraising for the playgrounds, he said.

Martinez hopes thats soon.

The community is excited about this and wants to see it get going, she said. We have multiple entities interested in helping but were at a standstill now.

The left-out federal holiday

On Oct. 10, the City Council will not meet in recognition of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day, but city workers still need to show up.

Although Columbus Day is a federal holiday and last year the Legislature passed a bill to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Columbus Day, the city has never recognized it as a holiday for city workers  even though the City Council takes the day off.

Nobody seems exactly sure why its the only federal holiday thats not also a city holiday, though it hasnt  at least in recent history  been brought up during union negotiations with bargaining units representing city employees, according to retired city-county personnel director Doug McDaniel. McDaniel led the department for a decade before retiring last year.

The bad news for Lincoln residents is that its also likely to be the only federal holiday where they can still get a parking ticket.

The City Council on Monday held a public hearing on a recommendation from the mayors office to allow free parking on four more federal holidays that are paid holidays for city workers.

The city already recognizes six federal holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The proposed ordinance change would add Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Veterans Day and Presidents Day.

Mayoral aide TJ McDowell recommended adding the four federal holidays recognized by the city after learning they werent exempt from parking fines. He didnt include Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day, because the city doesnt recognize it as a holiday.
Seward County sheriff's deputies who "became suspicious of criminal activity" amid an Interstate 80 traffic stop seized 8.5 pounds of suspected cocaine Monday afternoon, the agency said in a news release.

A deputy stopped the vehicle at about 12:30 p.m. Monday for multiple alleged traffic violations and radioed a K-9 unit after contacting the driver, 19-year-old Rodrigo Figueroa, of Santa Barbara, California.

The dog alerted deputies to the presence of drugs and deputies searched the vehicle, where they found the cocaine.

Deputies arrested Figueroa on suspicion of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver and violating the state's drug tax stamp law. He was taken to the Seward County jail.
The search for Gateway Technical Colleges next leader is in its final stages, and an official announcement is anticipated in mid-October.

After a series of steps, including work from a search firm, the pool of candidates has been narrowed to four and community forums with each of the candidates have been taking place this month.

In January, current Gateway President and CEO Bryan Albrecht announced he would retire this fall. Albrecht has been at the helm of Gateways leadership team for the past 16 years.

The finalists for Gateways next president include:

Aliesha Crowe, vice president of academic affairs with Northwood Technical College in Rice Lake.

Bradley Piazza, vice president of academic affairs with Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee.

Ritu Raju, vice president of academic affairs at Tarrant County Colleges Northeast Campus in Hurst, Texas.

Kathryn Rogalski, vice president of learning at Northeast Technical College in Green Bay.

Raju and Piazza were interviewed Sept. 20 and Sept. 21, respectively. This week, forums were held for Rogalski on Tuesday, and Crowe is scheduled for a forum on Thursday.

Next steps set

Gateway Board Trustee R. Scott Pierce is chairing an ad-hoc Presidential SearchScommittee. At the regular monthly District Board meeting on Sept. 22, Pierce outlined the groups next steps after the community forums wrap.

Well get a summary of feedback from the committee, well review that feedback  and will use that to help determine which candidates we want to bring forward for the final interviews on (Oct. 12), he said.

The full District Board will review information on each of the four candidates at that special meeting and will subsequently provide an employment offer to a chosen candidate.

Plans call for officially announcing Albrechts successor, once the contract terms have been finalized, at the next regular District Board meeting to be held Oct. 20.

During the discussion of next steps, Pierce also spoke of a series of onboarding steps aimed at providing as seamless a process in the leadership transition as possible. Albrecht could be a part of the process, in a limited role, as will the District Board and other Gateway staffers.

Were making a big investment in them, and theyre making a big investment in us, Pierce said of the importance of having a clear onboarding process for the next president. We want to make sure that when they come here theyre successful. A major part of that is making sure we have a process of helping them in that transition.

Albrechts parting comments

While Albrecht will be present at the next regular District Board meeting, the Sept. 22 session essentially marked the end of his regular participation as president. He made comments about his more than decade-and-a-half in leadership at Gateway.

Im proud of what weve been able to do together, and Im proud of the legacy our entire team, collectively, will leave here at Gateway, Albrecht said.

Pointing to rebounding enrollment figures, launching new curricular programs and ever-evolving relationships with new businesses, Albrecht said he believes he is leaving Gateway at a high point in the colleges history.

Our job was to just turn the page, and that page has been turned now, he said. The next chapter will be written even more eloquently than weve been able to do because weve got great community spirit to keep this college strong.
RACINE  Two men have been charged with having ghost guns and drugs.

Dazarius T. Williams, 22, of the 1900 block of Racine Street, Racine, was charged with a felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon and misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

Kenneth D. Byrd, 20, of the 900 block of Washington Road, Kenosha, was charged with a felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon and a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon.

According to a criminal complaint:

On Monday, officers were on patrol near the 2100 block of Racine Street when they reported seeing a vehicle with excessive window tint.

The officers initiated a traffic stop and noticed the backseat passengers were moving around excessively.

The passengers were Williams and Byrd. Both are on supervision. As Byrd stepped out of the car, a gun fell from him. Inside the car was a gun on the seat next to Williams. He also had a second gun concealed under his jacket. He had a baggie of MDMA pills weighing 10.7 grams. A backpack was also found which had a baggie with 136.7 grams of marijuana. The backpack belonged to Williams.

The three guns were collected and all were loaded with a round in the chamber. Two of the three were ghost guns without a serial number.

Williams was given a $5,000 cash bond and Byrd was given a $1,000 cash bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Tuesday. Both have a preliminary hearing on Oct. 6 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, online court records show.
Kevin Dubiak, the owner of Doobies Beer Joint, located within Elmwood Plaza at 3701 Durand Ave., was before the Public Safety and Licensing Committee on Monday due to a formal expression of concern issued in the wake of a serious car crash involving a driver who had just left the bar. After testimony, the committee members voted to receive and file the expression of concern on the condition Dubiak attend a Good Neighbors Meeting where he will meet with members of the Racine Police Department and the City Attorneys Office.
CALEDONIA  Ground has been broken and site grading has begun for Caledonias upcoming $24.2 million public safety building.

So thats why the official groundbreaking ceremony, in Village Administrator Kathy Kaspers eyes, was more of a way to lay the foundation.

I do believe were laying the foundation for the future of our community, Kasper said at the ceremony Tuesday morning on the future site of the building that is to be approximately 56,600 square feet and is to house a fire and police station.

The Caledonia Public Safety building, which was approved by the Village Board in June, is to be located on the current Village Hall grounds, 5043 Chester Lane. Building plans in August shrunk a bit due to rising costs of construction, unplanned extra costs and unfavorable market conditions.

The projects approved budget is $24,235,949. The Village Board in August also granted permission to borrow funds for the project, authorizing general obligation bonds for the public safety building.

The Caledonia Police Department and the Caledonia Fire Department housed at the existing public safety facility at 6900 Nicholson Road as well as Fire Station No. 12 located at 6040 Douglas Ave. are to move to the new Chester Lane facility.

The Fire Department will still occupy its portion of the existing Nicholson Road building, maintaining a station there, but the police addition is to be demolished. Fire Station No. 12s property is to be sold.

FGM Architects designed the building and Kenosha-based Riley Construction is acting as project manager to oversee construction. Construction is to be complete with a grand opening ceremony tentatively scheduled for January 2024.

Kasper, Village Trustees Tom Weatherston, Dale Stillman, Holly McManus and Fran Martin were present at the groundbreaking ceremony along with members of both police and fire departments, Rep. Robert Wittke, Riley Construction, FGM Architects and others.

Kasper added she initially brushed off legacy and generational as buzzwords when referring to the project. But then, she said, you realize that you are involved in a project that will outlast you and serve future generations of employees and residents. Its very humbling and very exciting all at the same time.

Excited for the future

The new building will allow the police and fire departments to stay up-to-date with modern law enforcement and firefighting/emergency medical services.

The existing Nicholson Road building has separate police and fire department portions that have both reached the end of their useful lives, village officials have said. The villages Public Safety Committee first started discussing a potential new facility in August 2020 after the lower level of the police facility flooded. Officers have been without functional locker rooms since May 2020.

The existing fire department portion additionally was built before modern technology, paramedicine and co-ed personnel were commonplace to the Fire Department.

Other expensive maintenance issues due to the age of the facility and unrelated to the flood still would have needed to be addressed.

Fire Chief Jeffrey Henningfeld called the building a new chapter in the future of the police and fire departments.

Each shovel full of dirt moved, each brick placed, represents new opportunities, improvement and achievement, Henningfeld said. Were excited for the future.

This new station is to provide private sleeping quarters and individual gender-neutral bathrooms, plus adequate space for training, equipment and medical supply storage, and administrative functions along with additional living space to meet the needs of increased staffing. It will also be built within one half-mile of a location identified as ideal for a new fire station in a 2020 study conducted by the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Department response times to the areas of highest demand should decrease because the new building offers an increase to the number of historical call locations that can be reached within four minutes.

Weatherston said Stillmans leadership over the last few years and organizing an Ad Hoc Committee for planning helped everything come to fruition. He also recognized FGM Architects, Riley Construction, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Caledonia employees and the police and fire departments.

Ive never seen a team work so well together before, Weatherston said.

Caledonia Deputy Police Chief Shawn Engleman said the groundbreaking ceremony had been eagerly anticipated by many.

For Chief (Christopher) Botsch and I, its been two years. For many of the veteran officers and firefighters, its been decades, Engleman said. Many of them have heard about a new police and fire department for many years, only to be disappointed year after year. Many times Ive heard recently, Ill believe it when I see shovels in the ground. Well that day has finally come, and there are some very big shovels in the ground.

Botsch thanked the officers and firefighters for their patience and enduring less than ideal conditions over the last several years in the current facilities.

The time for a new public safety building is long overdue and we are extremely excited to be here today at this event, Botsch said. Anyone who knows police officers knows that we are extremely skeptical  We typically need some sort of proof, and I hope that this is proof enough.

This project is a testament of what is possible through hard work, vision and a collaboration of many talented people, Henningfeld said. This new public safety building is so much more than just a new facility for our community. It demonstrates growth and progress. It signifies an investment in public safety and the people that work here.
By Trend

The sanitary and epidemiological control committee updated the countrys official coronavirus vaccination rates, Trend reports citing Kazinform.

As of September 27, some 10,834,341 people were given the 1st jab of the coronavirus vaccine in Kazakhstan, while 10,590,214 receive both, the sanitary and epidemiological control committees Telegram Channel reads.
Correction: This story initially misstated where Brian Graziano now works. It has been corrected.

TOWN OF BURLINGTON  The search for a new town administrator has led to a professional with accounting experience who likes the idea of serving the community where she lives.

Rachel Naber, who has never worked in government before, has been hired after a lengthy search for someone to oversee town government in the community of 6,500 people.

Naber, 38, succeeds Brian Graziano, who stepped down in March to accept a similar position with the Village of Wind Point.

Naber has worked previously for MPS Property Management LLC and for B&J Stowell Inc., a tax preparation business. She decided to leave the private sector to take over as town administrator.

As a resident of the town for the past 17 years, Naber was drawn to the idea of public service.

You want to see your own town excel, she said.

The Burlington Town Board selected Naber from a field of 19 applicants for the position. She is being paid $80,000 a year, up from Grazianos salary of $68,250.

She began as town administrator Aug. 1.

Open house planned The Burlington Town Board invites the public to an open house 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 13 at Town Hall, 32288 Bushnell Road, to meet town officials and ask questions.

Town Chairman Jeff Lang said Nabers accounting background and organizational skills made her a strong candidate for the position. With her personality and ability to work well with other staff, Lang said she offered the full package.

She just checked all the boxes for us, he said.

As administrator, Naber works with the five-member elected Town Board to manage the towns $3.6 million annual budget, which includes $1.8 million in property tax collections.

The town provides highway maintenance, building inspection, police and fire services, emergency management and lake safety patrols.

In her first two months on the job, Naber has helped the town land federal infrastructure grants of $2.8 million to pay for road improvements without increasing local taxes.

Justin Anderson, deputy chief of the marine law enforcement department, which patrols Browns Lake and Bohners Lake, said Naber has brought the town government a breath of fresh air.

Anderson said the new administrators private sector experience gives her a diverse background that has resulted in many good ideas for improving the town.

Shes definitely ready to go, he said.

Born in the City of Burlington, Naber graduated from Burlington High School in 2002 and then attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to study accounting. She left school to start a family just shy of earning her bachelors degree.

She and her husband have four children.

Naber worked 10 years learning about taxes and tax preparation at B&J Stowell. She then worked several years with MPC Property Management in Downtown Burlington, resigning from that job this summer to become town administrator.

Her training in accounting makes her most comfortable working with the town budget and other financial matters. She also is working to learn about road maintenance, lake safety and other town business.

I like to learn, she said. There is a learning curve with any new position.

Lang said town officials have been impressed with Nabers job performance in the first couple of months.

Shes proving to be what we hoped, he said.
YORKVILLE  Rosh Hashanah is a great day for apple picking. Thats why Steve Marcus took his family out to Apple Holler Monday morning.

Its a Jewish holiday today, so youre gonna see a lot of Jewish people out here apple picking, Lily Marcus, Steves daughter, told a reporter Monday morning.

Wisconsin is having one of its best years for apples in recent memory.

Weve probably got the largest crop of apples and pears that we have ever had, said David Flannery, owner of Apple Holler, 5006 S. Sylvania Ave. Flannery attributes the strong crop this year, from each of the 40 or so varieties of apples growing at the orchard, to a few factors. Among them: having a smaller crop last year, a milder than usual winter and record rainfall near the end of summer.

The 25,000 trees at the orchard might produce twice as many apples this year as they do in an average year. Every one of our trees out there seems to be loaded. There are no varieties that got hit by a frost or were killed by the bugs in the winter. We didnt have any of that this year, Flannery said.

There has been a fantastic crop of pears and peaches this year as well, Flannery said.

Throughout the state

It only took a few steps into the apple orchard at Sutters Ridge Farm to understand the health of this years crop.

Off Highway 92 between Mount Horeb and Mount Vernon, the trees are encircled with a towering fence to ward off the deer and separated into 56 rows that hold varieties such as Honeycrisp, Cameo, Courtland and Nova Spy.

Among the first varieties encountered Saturday by the growing number of guests, who pulled wagons and carried empty bags, was a row of Jonagold. Each piece of fruit was covered in droplets of freshly fallen mist, and many were the size of small grapefruit.

In short, the nearly 2,000 trees here are loaded with plump apples, thanks to cooperative weather.

Its a record-breaking crop, said Matt Sutter, who established the first of his trees in 2004. Right when they were sizing up (in August) we got this perfect rain.

Orchards like Sutters and others around Wisconsin are prime destinations each fall and have expanded into corn mazes, activity areas with games, gift shops, hay rides, petting zoos and pumpkin patches  all of which have contributed to the states more than $104 billion agricultural economy.

Unlike cranberry production in Wisconsin, which accounts for about 60% of the crop nationally, apples are a relatively small player, although critical to many individual businesses, whether they be near Richland Center, on the Ridge near Gays Mills or at the Elegant Farmer near Mukwonago, known for its apple pies baked in a paper bag.

Nationally, according to the U.S. Apple Association, production this fall will be more than 10.7 billion pounds or 255 million bushels, a 2.7% increase compared to 2021 production. The increase comes despite what is expected to be an 11% drop in apple production in the state of Washington, which accounts for about 60% of the production from the countrys top seven apple producing states, none of which is Wisconsin.

In Bayfield County, where orchards take advantage of a microclimate created by the lands relationship with Lake Superior, prime harvest time has yet to arrive, said Laura Gervasi, a manager at Bayfield Apple Company, just north of its namesake city and home to more than 30 varieties of apples on 40 acres.

Theyre doing great, and well be at peak in another two weeks, just in time for apple fest, Gervasi said Saturday by phone. We had a cold spring, so theyre a little bit slower (to ripen) this year.

At the other end of the state, its already a bumper crop for Henry Morren, who for the past 23 years has owned and operated Morren Orchard & Nursery near Orfordville, about 16 miles west of Janesville.

On Saturday, Morren was set up at the Dane County Farmers Market at the corner of West Washington Avenue and Carrol Street. Despite the cool, damp conditions, his stand was bustling with customers, some who sipped $2 cups of fresh apple cider while others chose 3-pound bags of apples for $8 each with names like Mother, Liberty, Brown and King of Tompkins County, an apple thought to have originated in New York.

By gradually planting smaller and shorter trees that can be planted closer together, Morren has been able to increase his tree count from about 200 trees per acre to 1,000 trees per acre. The smaller trees, supported by trellises, make for easier pruning, picking and spraying.

Youre much more efficient, said Morren, who has a 10-acre orchard.

His apples largely avoided major hail storms, while robust pollination required more thinning than usual. He expects to harvest about 3,000 boxes of apples this season.

For me, its one of the better years, Morren said. Its a pretty nice crop. Much better than last year.

On the other side of Capitol Square was Rob Ten Eyck, a fifth-generation owner of his family orchard that was established in 1839 near Brodhead. Ten Eyck, who has been coming to the market every Saturday since the late 1970s, has about 20 acres of orchard, which is down from the 50 acres his company used to farm. Most of his apples are sold at the orchard to customers who drive north from Illinois.

Ten Eycks 2021 crop was impacted by cold temperatures that killed some buds during the 2020-21 winter and a spring frost. This seasons crop comes after near-perfect conditions that featured the right amount of rain, stable temperatures, only a small amount of frost damage and no hail.

This is a very risky business. Ten seconds of hail can ruin us for the year, Ten Eyck said. Our crop, it could be 50% bigger than last year.
A conservative law firm will appeal the dismissal of its lawsuit claiming a state financial aid program for minorities is unconstitutional.

Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed the lawsuit against the states Higher Educational Aids Board in April 2021 over a grant meant to prevent students from dropping out due to economic hardship.

The grants provide up to $2,500 to minority students who are enrolled at least half-time at a state technical, tribal or nonprofit private college who have attended at least two semesters.

State law limits eligibility to Black, American Indian, Hispanic and some Southeast Asian students.

WILL argued that the program is unconstitutional because its biased against white people and other races.

However, Jefferson County Judge William Hue dismissed the lawsuit on Sept. 16, writing that the grant program effectively targets those minority students with disproportionate financial needs while considering other aspects of a students application other than race.

WILL is appealing, deputy counsel Dan Lennington said, because the circuit court committed a number of errors that must be addressed. Even under current case law, the government has failed to explain why it excludes most Asian students, Middle Eastern students, Indian students and many African students from receiving assistance.

State Department of Justice communications director Gillian Drummond said the agency agreed with Hues thorough and well-reasoned decision deeming the program legal.

The grants program was established in the 1980s to help minority students overcome barriers to receiving a bachelors degree. The University of Wisconsin System has a similar grant program for students that provides a maximum of $3,000 a year for those defined as minority students.

Nearly $820,000 in grant funding was given to 719 students during the 2020-21 school year, with two-thirds of those enrolled at a technical college. Milwaukee Area Technical College was allocated the most funding from the grant program that year, with 97 students receiving a combined $174,800. Gateway Technical College in Racine had the highest number of awards at 150.

The majority of students who receive the grant are either Black or Hispanic.

WILL filed the lawsuit on behalf of five plaintiffs from Dane and Brown counties, but chose to file in Jefferson County Circuit Court to find a friendly judge, Lennington said.

Two of the plaintiffs are a Madison biracial couple. Lennington said plaintiff Konkanok Rabiebna is from Thailand, which is not one of the Southeast Asian nationalities that qualifies for the grant program, and her husband Richard Freihoefer, is white. Their son, therefore, doesnt qualify for the grant.

We are standing up for people like (Rabiebna), Lennington said.

The other plaintiffs, Dorothy Borchardt and Norman Sannes, both of Madison, and Richard Heidel, of Hobart, object to taxpayer dollars being used for grants with race qualifications.

Pending lawsuits before the U.S. Supreme Court might affect the Wisconsin case.

Oral arguments start next month in cases involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Students for Fair Admissions, Inc., claim that the institutions admissions processes disproportionately harm white and Asian American applicants.

Both universities have argued they retain the right to consider multiple criteria in admissions, including test scores and extracurricular activities. As recently as 2020, federal trial and appeals courts have sided with the universities and affirmed their right to consider race in admissions.

That (Supreme Court) decision will necessarily impact our case here in Wisconsin, Lennington said.
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

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By Trend

Azerbaijan's Parliament has released the agenda of the regular meeting to be held on September 30, Trend reports.

The meeting agenda includes the following:

1. Bill of the Azerbaijani Parliament on the legislative work plan of the autumn session for 2022.

2. Constitutional Law of Azerbaijan on amendments to the Constitutional Law "On normative legal acts" (second vote).

3. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan approving the Convention "On submission of judicial and extrajudicial documents abroad in civil or commercial matters".

4. Bill of the Republic of Azerbaijan approving the Convention "On other international procedures for withholding child support and family maintenance".

5. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan approving the "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the plant quarantine and plant protection".

6. Bill of the Republic of Azerbaijan on approval of the "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on military-technical cooperation".

7. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan approving the "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on international road traffic".

8. Bill of the Republic of Azerbaijan on approval of the "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the protection of industrial property".

9. Supplement to the Law "On municipal territories and lands"  the draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on amendments to the "List of municipalities of the Republic of Azerbaijan".

10. Bill of the Republic of Azerbaijan amending the Law "On perpetuating the memory of martyr and benefits of families of martyrs".

11. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan amending the Law "On combating human trafficking" (first reading).

12. Bill of the Republic of Azerbaijan amending the Code of Administrative Offenses (first reading).

13. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan amending the Execution of Sentences Code (first reading).

14. Bill of the Republic of Azerbaijan on amendments to the Criminal Code (first reading).

15. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan amending the Code of Administrative Offenses (first reading)

16. Bill of the Republic of Azerbaijan approving the "Regulations on transforming a public enterprise into a joint-stock company" and amending the Laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On financial and industrial groups", "On land lease" (first reading).

17. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on amendments to the Law "On state duty" (first reading).

18. Bill of the Azerbaijan Republic on amendments to the law "On customs tariff" (first reading).

19. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on amendments to the Civil Code (first reading).

20. Bill of the Republic of Azerbaijan amending the Law "On the state real estate register" (first reading).

21. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on amendments to the Law "On notaries" (first reading).

22. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan amending the Law "On the establishment of orders and medals of the Republic of Azerbaijan" regarding the establishment of the medals "For distinction in the merit to the prosecutor's office" and "For effective cooperation with the prosecutor's office" (first reading).

23. Bill of the Republic of Azerbaijan amending the Law "On the Prosecutor's Office" (first reading).

24. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan amending the Law "On service in the prosecutor's office bodies" (first reading).

25. Bill of the Republic of Azerbaijan on amendments to the Labor Code (first reading).

26. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on amendments to the Law "On labor pensions" (first reading).

27. Bill of the Republic of Azerbaijan on amendments to the Law "On public service" (first reading).

28. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan amending the Labor Code (first reading).
KEARNEY  Eight faculty members from a variety of disciplines are combining their knowledge and skills to enhance teaching and learning at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Launched last spring by the Office of Graduate Studies and Academic Outreach, the new UNK Online Faculty Research Fellowship program brings colleagues from across campus together to address challenges and opportunities in higher education while focusing on digital and online instruction.

This is a group of people who are excited about research and the opportunity to create more expertise on campus, said Martonia Gaskill, an associate professor of teacher education, director of the learning, design and technology masters program and digital pedagogy specialist for UNK Online. We want to serve as inspiration for other faculty to engage in research and discussions in this area, so we can keep the innovation and the conversations about teaching going.

Gaskill leads the faculty research group, which formed in March and started meeting the following month. Seven people were selected for the inaugural cohort:

Shannon Mulhearn, assistant professor, kinesiology and sport sciences

Ladan Ghazi Saidi, associate professor, communication disorders

Janet Eckerson, assistant professor, modern languages

Phu Vu, associate professor, teacher education

Dawn Mollenkopf, professor, teacher education

Marisa Macy, associate professor, teacher education

Erin Sweeney, assistant professor, kinesiology and sport sciences

One of the biggest benefits is that we are multidisciplinary; were coming from different backgrounds, Mulhearn said. Rather than there being a single agenda, its really been open discussions about what we all find interesting and what we want to look into. Were conducting research for the love of education and for the love of what were doing, specifically to benefit UNK.

The first area they focused on is student engagement, a hot topic at all levels of education  both nationally and internationally  since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The past 2 1/2 years have been a difficult time in academia, with social, financial and health concerns adding to the pressures college students already faced.

Now were seeing these students disengaged in the learning process, whether theyre online or face to face, Gaskill said. Were trying to understand the aftermath of the pandemic and how we can bring that engagement back.

The research team collected data over the summer, conducting surveys and focus groups on campus and gathering feedback from faculty at other institutions across the country.

Ghazi Saidi believes the pandemic created a new normal for higher education, with students looking for increased flexibility and more online options that allow them to better balance learning, work and other priorities.

We will never go back because there are so many changes that happened  people have changed, modalities have changed, expectations have changed, she said.

And thats not necessarily a bad thing.

Since the pandemic caused schools across the country to shift classes online, more faculty are familiar with the digital tools and technology available to educators.

It was kind of a forced way of making everybody suddenly explore new ideas and new technology and become creative in the way they teach, Ghazi Saidi said.

Now, those same tools can be used to improve both in-person and online instruction.

Society is constantly changing. Its not a stagnant student body, so teaching practices from 20 years ago arent going to be as effective on todays student, Mulhearn said. Part of what we want to do through research is determine what we need to update and how UNK can be at the forefront of innovation and addressing todays student issues.

Gaskill shared the research results this summer at the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Educations EdMedia + Innovate Learning Summit in New York City, and Mulhearn is presenting in November during the Online Learning Consortiums Accelerate conference in Orlando, Florida. The fellowship group is submitting an article for publication as well.

On campus, theyre connecting with colleagues through the Teaching at UNK: Faculty Presentation Series. The next session, Faculty Perceptions on Student Engagement: Perspectives and Possible Solutions Moving Forward, is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the Communications Center, Room 101. A Zoom option is available at bit.ly/TeachingUNKZoom.

The researchers also wrote about a new UNK program that enhances engagement for international students.

Non-English Conversation Tables, a partnership between the UNK Department of Modern Languages and Office of International Education, are hosted from 4-5 p.m. every Thursday in the Nebraskan Student Union food court. Launched last semester, this program gives international students a chance to interact with the campus and Kearney communities while teaching their native languages to attendees and sharing information about their cultures. More than a dozen languages are offered each week.

A similar Conversation Tables program allows international students to practice their English language skills.

We wanted to share this story from campus, how were doing a great job with international students by engaging with them and providing them with a platform to interact, Gaskill said.

That article will be published in a special Fostering Connections in Higher Education edition of the Student Success scholarly journal.

The first cohort of UNK Online Faculty Research Fellows will continue their work through the current academic year before a new group is selected for 2023-24. The program is open to any full-time faculty member, with a $2,000 stipend awarded to each participant.
Tanner Holst has been named interim regional chair of administration for Mayo Clinic Health System in Southwest Wisconsin, beginning immediately.

He succeeds Mike Morrey, who will transition into a new leadership role with Mayo Clinic International. Morrey held the role of regional head of administration for Mayo Clinic Health System for Southwest Wisconsin since 2019.

Holst has over 23 years of Mayo Clinic experience and currently serves as vice chair of administration for Mayo Clinic Health System in Southwest Wisconsin. He also is the lead administrator for Mayo Clinic Health System Digital Practice Enablement within Mayo Clinics Center for Digital Health. Holst will continue to oversee these administrative roles during this interim period with the support of other administrative leaders.

Mayo Clinic has a long-established commitment to leadership development and succession planning, which underpins the organizations history of smooth and coordinated leadership transitions, says Chris Hasse, chief administrative officer for Mayo Clinic Health System. We appreciate Tanner taking on this assignment to ensure uninterrupted leadership for our team in Southwest Wisconsin.

Holst received his bachelors degree at Winona State University and his masters at the University of WisconsinLa Crosse. He has been very active in the community and is currently serves on the board of advisors for the University of La Crosse College of Business Administration. He is board chair at Family and Childrens Center, board vice chair of Altra Federal Credit Union and has been a member of the Coulee COVID-19 Collaborative. Holst also has held roles within the Alliance 2 Heal, Better Together in La Crosse County, and Junior Achievement.

Im excited to take on this role to serve our many teams, our patients and the region, says Holst. I look forward to partnering with Regional Vice President Dr. Paul Mueller, Chief Nursing Officer Lisa Archer and our entire staff in bringing Mayos world-leading care to this region while continually innovating the health care delivery model in the community setting.

Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse is in the midst of constructing a new six-floor, 70-bed medical facility that will include a surgical and procedural floor, medical and surgical units, flexible ICU and progressive care unit, and new family birth center. Holst knows about major projects at Mayo Clinic Health System, as he played a key role in the previous renovation and expansion of Mayo Clinic Health Systems Cancer Center in 2017 and the construction of new clinics in Holmen and Arcadia.

Holst resides in the La Crosse area with his wife and four children.
Were teaming up with the Viroqua Middle/High School Library to bring back the McIntosh Memorial Library award-winning program Journal Buddies. Due to COVID-19 Journal Buddies was put on pause. While the program paused, our efforts to bring it back continued. Were excited to let you know weve updated the program and renamed it Boba Book Club.

Boba Book Club operates similarly to how Journal Buddies operated. It will continue to connect adults to students through books. In summary, here are a few key points of the Boba Book Club 2022-2023 program:

Students in grades 5-8 will participate

The program runs September 2022-May 2023.

Students and adult volunteer readers can choose which month they want to participate based upon their availability on a monthly basis.

There are new book choices offered each month.

Communication about the books happens in a shared, secure, online document.

Viroqua Middle/High School hosts a monthly meet-up at the middle/high school library

McIntosh Memorial Library hosts a monthly meet-up in the library's Lobby

All of the book choices are WEMTA Battle of the Books selections. Which means the students also qualify as Battle of the Books participants for state-wide competition if they would like to beginning in February 2023.

We already have over 40 students registered to participate in the Boba Book Club! Now we need adult volunteers. If youre interested in reading a book, journaling with students about the contents of the books, and enjoying Boba tea while talking in person you are probably the right candidate. Please contact Youth Services Director Laci Sheldon for more information at 608-637-7151, extension 5 or l.sheldon@wrlsweb.org,

The second annual Dia de los Muertos Festival is coming soon! Thanks to grant funding from the Wisconsin Arts Board were able to bring Philadelphia-based Mexican American fashion designer, Julieta Zavala to Viroqua. Julieta will present a program titled "Runway Fashion of Corn Husk Dress: Contemporary Design with Natural Elements." The programs will be held at McIntosh Memorial Library on Thursday, Oct. 6, from 12 to 2:30 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The programs provide you with an opportunity to speak with the artist designer, watch the process, and be hands-on. Julieta will also be at the Dia de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 1 to 7:30 p.m. Keewaydin Farms in rural Viola. Information about the event can be found online at www.mcintoshmemoriallibrary.org

To stay up-to-date on everything happening at the library, like the Viroqua Library page on Facebook, visit our website at www.mcintoshmemoriallibrary.org, or visit us in person at 205 S. Rock Ave. in Viroqua.
RACINE  They didnt know much about the topic but jumped at the chance to grow vegetables inside Horlick High School.

In March, Horlick staff members Kelly Goggins and Ana Moreno were asked if they were interested in having hydroponic growers at the school.

Absolutely, replied Goggins, Horlick business and culinary arts academy principal.

Goggins figured it was a great opportunity to provide a hands-on activity for students, who could also learn about nutrition, food science and culinary arts.

Using federal grant money, the school purchased four hydroponic growers. First, Goggins and Moreno, Horlick business and culinary arts academy counselor, spent a couple very stressful months learning how the growers worked, said Goggins. Culinary pathway students began working with the growers near the end of the 2021-22 school year and even sold homegrown salads on Fridays.

Hydroponic means growing plants using liquid nutrients instead of soil. Seeds receive 24 hours of light and water every day, and the growers can produce 28 pounds of produce in 28 days. The hydroponic growing systems require constant maintenance to make sure water levels are correct, seeds are planted properly and equipment has not moved.

Students planted and grew a variety of vegetables, which could be eaten on their own or serve as versatile ingredients for dishes like breakfast burritos.

Horlick staffers wanted to plant as many different seeds as possible so students could stretch themselves.

Giving kids the opportunity to experience different ingredients and what you can do with different ingredients just widens their horizons, Moreno said.

Goggins said students were unfamiliar with some of the produce and initially reluctant to try it, but that changed once they tasted items like hummus (primarily made from chickpeas) and basil pesto.

They didnt want to eat it at first; then they devoured it, Goggins said.

Once students understood they had an active role in growing the plants, they became engaged and had friendly competitions about who could produce the best vegetable.

When kids feel like theyre growing something, Moreno said, when they feel like theyre needed here at school, like, This is my section of plants. I can make sure that those grow, theres that extra level of buy-in.

Staffers said the most rewarding part was seeing students excitement for growing and cooking. Moreno loved the proud looks on students faces when they made a tasty item that someone else enjoyed.

Moreno and Goggins said working with hydroponic growers ideally helps students have ownership over their work and enjoy healthy food, which can be beneficial for the rest of their lives.

Hydroponic vegetables could play a small role in providing access to healthy food, especially in urban areas like Racine. More than 70% of Horlicks students are considered economically disadvantaged.

Living in a food desert here, its not super easy for people to get to some place that will offer healthy food, Moreno said. These are lifelong skills  Were trying to teach that importance of not only eating healthy, but that healthy food can taste delicious.

Details still need to be determined, but Goggins and Moreno said they plan to make some of the school produce available to local residents in the near future. Why not give back to the community if we can? Moreno said.

The 2022-23 school year started a few weeks ago, and students began working with hydroponic growers this month. The four growers will likely be on staggered 28-day cycles so that fresh greens are available every week.

Staffers will assist in the first few growing sessions, but Moreno said students should be able to get into a groove by the end of the school year and lead the hydroponic process.

Hydroponic growing is a new aspect of school curriculum, but there are plans for it to become more integrated. Moreno said hydroponic growing is intended to be the foundation of a capstone project for seniors in the business and culinary arts academy, since it can involve all four pathways: culinary, business, marketing and accounting. For example, culinary students grow the plants, business students could distribute some of the products, marketing students could raise awareness about the food options and accounting students could track sales.

After jumping into a new topic, staff and students have grown together over the past six months.

Were living and learning, Goggins said.
Sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt are returning to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse after it debuted on campus 27 years ago. And you can have input into which sections of the memorial will return.

The UW-L Art Gallery and National AIDS Memorial are partnering to bring six sections as part of ArtsFest 2023, the annual spring campus festival formerly called Creative Imperatives. This years theme Beautiful Remedies for Today will showcase the role of the arts in health and healing.

In 1995, around 130 3-foot by 6-foot panels were displayed in the Mitchell Hall Fieldhouse. This time, the quilt panels will be displayed in the University Art Gallery from Feb. 27-April 10. Admission is free to the public.

The Gallery is working with the National AIDS Memorial to help select the Quilt panels displayed with a goal of featuring panels memorializing friends and loved ones from the region who were lost to AIDS. The panels commemorate more than 700,000 U.S. lives lost to HIV/AIDS since the first cases were reported 40 years ago. Those interested in submitting suggestions for panels should contact Sierra Rooney at srooney@UW-Lax.edu.

Today, HIV is on the rise, particularly among young people, communities of color and in southern states. Quilt displays are used to raise greater awareness about the story of AIDS, and prevention, treatments and resources available.

The issues our nation has faced in the past two years  a raging pandemic with hundreds of thousands of lives lost, social injustice, health inequity, stigma, bigotry and fear  are also the issues faced throughout four decades of the AIDS pandemic, says John Cunningham, CEO of the National AIDS Memorial. The Quilt is a powerful teaching tool that shares the story of HIV/AIDS, the lives lost, and the hope, healing, activism and remembrance that it inspires.

The Quilt was created nearly 35 years ago during the darkest days of the AIDS pandemic by gay rights activist Cleve Jones. While planning a march in 1985, Jones was devastated by the thousands of lives lost to AIDS in San Francisco and asked each of his fellow marchers to write on placards the names of friends and loved ones who had died.

Jones and others stood on ladders taping the placards to the walls of the San Francisco Federal Building. The wall of names looked like a patchwork quilt. Inspired by this sight, Jones and friends made plans for a larger memorial.

In 1987, a group of strangers began gathering in a San Francisco storefront to document the lives they feared history would neglect. Their goal was to create a memorial for those who had died of AIDS, and to thereby help people understand the devastating impact of the disease.

This served as the foundation of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and later that year, nearly 2,000 of its panels were displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Since, the Quilt has grown to more than 50,000 panels, with more than 110,000 names stitched within its fabric. It weighs 54 tons, stretches more than 50 miles in length, and is the largest community-arts project in the world.

The Quilt is now part of the National AIDS Memorial, which oversees its preservation, care, storytelling programs and community displays. The Quilt can be viewed in its entirety and people can search for names on the Quilt at www.aidsmemorial.org/quilt.
The three women who want to be Oregons next governor clashed over gun rights, abortion and other hot-button topics in a debate, just six weeks before election day. The debate was held at Oregon State University-Cascades, in Bend, Oregon, and televised and livestreamed by local TV. There are 1 million registered Democrats and 729,000 registered Republicans in Oregon. But there are also 1 million registered voters claiming no party affiliation. Which way they swing come Nov. 8 could be decisive in whether a Republican will be Oregons governor for the first time since 1987, or an independent since 1935.
Sixteen-year-old Adismarys Abreu had been discussing a long-lasting birth control implant with her mother for about a year as a potential solution to increasing menstrual pain.

Then Roe v. Wade was overturned, and Abreu joined the throng of teens rushing to their doctors as states began to ban or severely limit abortion.

Im definitely not ready to be pregnant, said Abreu, who had Nexplanon  a reversible, matchstick-sized contraceptive  implanted in her arm in August. Her home state of Florida bans most abortions after 15 weeks, and not having that option is such a scary thought, she said.

Experts say the U.S. Supreme Courts June ruling appears to be accelerating a trend of increased birth control use among teens, including long-acting reversible forms like intrauterine devices and implants. Appointments have surged and Planned Parenthood has been flooded with questions as doctors report demand even among teens who arent sexually active.

Some patients are especially fearful because the new abortion laws in several states dont include exceptions for sexual assault.

Please, I need some birth control in case I get raped, patients tell Dr. Judith Simms-Cendan, a pediatric-adolescent gynecologist in Miami, where state law does not provide exceptions for rape or incest after 15 weeks.

Simms-Cendan, the president-elect of the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, said parents who might have been hesitant in the past now want to discuss birth control.

Its a sea change of, I dont have room to play. We have got to get my child on something, she said.

Teens already were shifting to more effective long-acting forms of birth control, which have similar or even lower failure rates than sterilization, said Laura Lindberg, a professor at Rutgers Universitys School of Public Health in New Jersey. Her research found the number of 15- to 19-year-olds using those methods rose to 15% during the period 2015 to 2019, up from 3% during the 2006 to 2010 period.

No national data is available for the months since Roe was overturned, said Lindberg, who previously worked for nearly two decades at the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

But she said major ripple effects have to be expected from the loss of abortion access and noted that it wouldnt be the first time politics have led to a shift in birth control usage.

In the weeks after former President Donald Trumps election, as women raised concerns online that the Affordable Care Act would be repealed, demand for long-acting birth control rose by nearly 22% across all age groups, according to a 2019 research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

In Ohio, where a judge this month blocked a ban on virtually all abortions, patients  both male and female  now listen with rapt attention to the contraception talk that Dr. Peggy Stager has long made a part of routine appointments at her pediatric practice in Cleveland.

Stager said her practices dedicated spots for insertion of the Nexplanon implant are consistently filled, and requests for contraceptive refills have increased 30% to 40% since Roe was overturned. Recently, she talked to a college-bound student who wasnt sexually active but decided to get an IUD anyway.

She was real clear: I want to have a great four years without any worry, recalled Stager, who is the chair of the section on adolescent health at the American Academy of Pediatrics. And thats a change.

In Missouri, among the first states in the country with a trigger law in effect to ban abortions at any point in pregnancy, Dr. David Eisenberg also has seen a similar sense of urgency from college-bound teens to choose the most effective option.

Fear is an amazing motivator, said Eisenberg, an associate professor at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who performs abortions in neighboring Illinois. They understand the consequence of a contraceptive failure might mean they become a parent because they might not be able to access an abortion.

Interest is also high at the contraception clinic that Dr. Elise Berlan oversees in Columbus, Ohio. Before the Supreme Courts decision, the clinic booked appointments for new patients within a week or two.

Now, they are booking several months out for first appointments, said Berlan, an adolescent medicine specialist who sees mothers and daughters in tears in her exam room. She said the demand is so high they are adding a provider.

On the day the Supreme Court ruled against Roe, twice as many birth control questions as normal poured into Roo, Planned Parenthoods online chatbot aimed at teens.

Online birth control appointments also skyrocketed that day  up 150% from a typical day, with an even-larger 375% surge for IUD-seekers, said Julia Bennett, director of digital education and learning strategy for Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

By mid-July, several weeks after the ruling, birth control appointments remained up about 20%, although the data isnt broken down by age group.

The growing interest exists even in states like North Carolina, where abortion remains legal but the Legislature is conservative.

Dr. Kavita Arora, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Chapel Hill, said she saw maybe one teen a month before the ruling. Now, she said, she sees them at each clinic session.

Theyre aware that this is an incredibly fluid situation, and what is allowed at one moment may not be allowed a week or a month later, said Arora, the chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Ethics.

That uncertain future is part of what motivated Abreu, the Florida teen, whose implant will prevent pregnancy for up to five years.

I dont know whats going to happen with the laws in that time period, said Abreu, who was using a short-acting form of birth control before switching. Having this already in my arm, it makes me feel so much safer.

Her mother, Maribys Lorenzo, said in Spanish that she, too, is a little more at peace knowing her daughter cannot get pregnant and said she would recommend the implant because it does not require her daughter to remember to take a contraceptive pill.

She said she is not worried, any more or less, that her daughter will become sexually active because of the implant. But if it happens, she will be protected, Lorenzo said.

I dont think thats fair to me or my family to not have abortion as an option, said her daughter, Abreu.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A judge decided Wednesday to allow a Wisconsin man accused of killing six people and injuring dozens more when he allegedly drove his SUV through a Christmas parade represent himself at trial, finding that he suffers from a personality disorder and faces an uphill fight against an experienced prosecutorial team but is mentally competent.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow's decision leaves Darrell Brooks in the unusual position of defending himself against a score of charges, including six counts of intentional homicide. His trial is scheduled to begin Monday with jury selection.

Brooks has a high school equivalency diploma but did not attend college. Dorow said he has a constitutional right to act as his own attorney if he's mentally competent.

Dorow said she reviewed evaluations four psychologists conducted of Brooks and agreed with their findings that while he has a personality disorder and is disruptive, he is intelligent and articulate enough to defend himself. She warned him that he will have problems understanding the rules of evidence, when to object to rulings and how to examine witnesses without any training, but she can't stand in his way.

This court has warned Mr. Brooks what he's getting into, Dorow said.

According to prosecutors and investigators, Brooks drove his SUV through a Christmas parade in downtown Waukesha on Nov. 21. He refused commands to stop and kept driving, running people down, even as police officers shot at his vehicle, according to a criminal complaint.

He would face life in prison if convicted of any of the homicide charges. He faces 71 additional counts, including 61 counts of felony reckless endangerment. Each one of those counts carries a maximum sentence of 12 1/2 years in prison. Those counts also have a use-of-a-dangerous-weapon penalty enhancer, which would add another five years on each count.

He initially pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease but withdrew that plea earlier this month and filed a motion seeking to represent himself. He told Dorow in court on Tuesday that his public defenders, Jeremy Perri and Anna Kees, haven't explained the nature of the charges to him.

Dorow questioned him repeatedly about whether he understood what he was doing, to which Brooks insisted that he was aware but didn't understand. Dorow grew so frustrated with him that she adjourned the hearing and continued it Wednesday.

Their exchanges were just as combative on Wednesday. Brooks constantly interrupted Dorow as she tried to explain the ramifications of his decision again and warned him that she likely wouldn't assign an attorney to the case if he asks for one as the trial progresses.

The judge warned him that if he continues to interrupt during the trial, she will admonish him in front of the jury.

That's fine, Brooks responded.
MOUNT PLEASANT  Case High School went into lockdown Wednesday afternoon when a shooting was reported at or near a hotel across the street.

A 16-year-old boy was shot at around 1:12 p.m. Wednesday at the Delta Hotel, 7111 Washington Ave., the Mount Pleasant Police Department reported. Police said the teen is in serious but stable condition.

In the ensuing two hours, police were seen investigating in the parking lot of the Marriott hotel. No one is in custody for the shooting, police said.

The hotel is located on the east side of Oakes Road; Case High is on the west side.

In an email at 1:55 p.m. Wednesday, Racine Unified School District spokesperson Stacy Tapp said "Yes, we are currently in lockdown. We have notified parents."

Detravian Wortham, a sophomore at Case, said the lockdown started at around 1:30 p.m. and that students had to stay in the classrooms they were in at the time; an announcement came over the school speaker system informing everyone the school was in lockdown.

Wortham had never experienced a lockdown before. It was a little bit scary," he said.

Pickup of students at Case High School was held at its normal time at 2:48 p.m.

"Students were released from school without incident," the MPPD said in a statement. "There are no suspects in custody at the time of this release. The investigation is ongoing."

When the lockdown ended and students walked out of the school, Wortham said Everybody was just a little bit shocked."

The MPPD is asking those with information about the shooting to call 262-884-0454, Extension No. 4; send an email through racine.crimestoppersweb.com; or call Crime Stoppers at 262-636-9330.

This story will be updated.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani media captains, Ilgar Huseynov, Trend News Agency Director-General, as well as MP Sevil Mikayilova, Azerxeber-Azernews newspaper editor-in-chief, are attending the World News Media Congress in Zaragoza, Spain, Azernews reports.

His Majesty, King Felipe VI of Spain, is also expected to make a remark during the Golden Pen of Freedom 2022 event at WAN-World IFRA's News Media Congress in Zaragoza this week.

The annual congress is organized by WAN-IFRA (the World Association of News Publishers), whose mission is to promote the rights of journalists and publishers worldwide to run independent media.

Felipe and Letizia, King and Queen of Spain, are Honorary Presidents of this event, which brings together over 1,000 publishers, journalists, and industry leaders from 75 countries and six continents.

Over the course of three days, over 100 speakers from top news organizations will reflect on the journalistic business, its strategies, and the solutions chosen to ensure the sustainability of the media. The program includes hundreds of round tables as well as three excellent fora, including the World Summit of Media Leaders, the World Editors Summit, and the Women in News Summit.

According to Vincent Peyregne, CEO of WAN-IFRA, the congress is taking place at a critical moment.

As we face unprecedented challenges, solidarity and support are needed to defend press freedom and to ensure independent journalism and the media can continue to play their key role in society, she stressed

As the congress opens on September 28, World News Day will be observed in newsrooms of all sizes across six continents.

The campaign will see global newsrooms carry print and digital advertising  as well as leveraging their social channels  to highlight the critical message that journalism matters and is worth supporting, promoting and defending.

The event will also be the center of a 90-minute live-streamed in-person event from The World News Media Congress, including speakers from around the world.
Republican business owner Tim Michels pumped another $5 million of his own money into his largely self-funded gubernatorial campaign in the roughly one-month span between late July and the end of August, new campaign finance reports show.

Michels, the millionaire co-owner of Brownsville-based Michels Corp., also raised more than $400,000 in donations between July 26 and Aug. 31, according to reports filed with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Almost half those funds came from 10 individuals who each donated $20,000, the maximum amount allowed under state law.

Michels, who pledged early in his candidacy to largely self-fund his campaign, is in a hotly contested race against incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is seeking a second term this fall. Evers reported raising almost $4.6 million over the 37-day filing period, with nearly $1.6 million coming from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and more than $2.9 million from private donors, including ten $20,000 donations. The election is Nov. 8.

Evers spent nearly $6 million over the 37-day span and had about $6.18 million on hand at the close of August. Michels spent about $4.4 million over the filing period, with more than $3.1 million of that going toward television ads. Evers spent about $4.4 million on television ads over that span.

Despite entering the race in late April, Michels has poured roughly $15.7 million of his own money into his campaign. He has also raised about $490,000 in donations. Evers, meanwhile, has raised about $15.7 million so far this year and more than $26 million since the start of 2021.

Fundraising figures are just one component of a successful campaign, but they can offer a glimpse into a campaign or partys organization, donor base and overall support.

Marquette Law Schools September poll found Evers maintaining his narrow lead with support from 47% of respondents, compared with 44% for Michels.

AdImpact Politics reported earlier this month that about $55 million had been spent on Wisconsins gubernatorial race as of Sept. 22, making it the most expensive governors race in the nation.
The upper Midwest performed its usual abrupt ritual a few days ago, taking a hard right turn from balmy summer to the brisk breezes of fall.

Kind of weird, isnt it? Every time that happens were surprised. Chalk that up to the thick-headedness and short memories of the human species.

Unmistakably, though, the chilly air and the beginnings of fall colors usher in thoughts of crisp apples, some coated in caramel, others capturing the olfactory senses with the smell of baked goods, along with big orange pumpkins and more.

Time to visit an apple orchard. The Lake Geneva area is blessed with nearby farms.

We decided to heed the pull of nature a few days ago and take a drive to check out the apple crop around Lake Geneva. Good choice.

By the way, its worth taking a moment to mention what might be called the first step for any orchard tour. And thats the trip.

Those of us who spend most of our time in urban settings can forget the natural beauty and change of pace inherent in just taking a meandering drive through the countryside. Apple orchards are not found down the block. Getting there is half the fun.

Bill often goes cruising the back roads on his beloved Harley, but for this trip we stayed on four wheels and thats enjoyable, too. The countryside is nearing harvest time, with rolling fields of corn and soybeans presenting a sea of changing colors. Its a reminder that the hard work and productivity of Americas farmers is the essential element in providing the comfortable lives we all enjoy on this continent. Appreciate the men and women who bring forth sustenance from the land.

Our first stop is the Apple Barn Orchard and Winery located at W6384 Sugar Creek Road outside Elkhorn. Its just a few minutes from Lake Geneva, an easy and enjoyable ride in the slow lane.

This is a full-service operation, where patrons can pick their own on weekends or sift through a wide assortment of already-picked apples other days. The Apple Barn is busiest on weekends, but the property has ample parking adjacent to the store area. Be aware it is a working farm, complete with machinery in service so be mindful of safety and keep a grip on small children.

We spent time strolling the grounds, but our attention mostly focused on the store where shoppers have lots of enticing choices. Fresh cider. Caramel apples (absolutely delightful). Jars of honey, including flavored spreads like lemon or vanilla. Cookies and pastries are for sale, along with premium cheese corn. And, of course, apples. And apple crisp. And tempting take-and-bake apple pie.

Varieties available include the more familiar like Honey Crisp and McIntosh, along with others such as Ginger Gold and Cortland.

The store is also overflowing with what Bill calls knickknacks  pumpkin figurines, shelf decorations, wall hangings. A pillow caught Stephanies eye, reading Carve Pumpkins, Drink Cider, Enjoy Fall. Good advice.

A unique feature at the Apple Barn is the on-site winery, with a fetching selection of fruity wines for tasting and purchase. The wines are made, bottled, corked and labeled on site, according to the Apple Barn website. Flavors include Apple Barn Blush, along with strawberry and mulberry. The store is open Tuesday through Sunday. Stephanie, who loves her wine, will be back early and often, no doubt.

Hours are 10 to 5 Tuesday through Friday, 10 to 6 Saturday and 11 to 5 on Sunday.

The historic farm has been in the Jacobson family since the mid-1800s. The orchards include more than 4,000 trees.

The next stop is Hafs Road Orchard located at W632 Hafs Road in Bloomfield, southeast of Lake Geneva. Getting there takes a few pleasant minutes from downtown Lake Geneva, through the lovely countryside. The original orchard was planted in the 1930s. Richard and Debbie Polansky bought the orchard from the Hafs family in 1982. Today the orchard has around 3,000 trees.

Hafs Road Orchard does not offer a pick-your-own option, but dont let that discourage you. The site offers plenty of fresh picked apples of many varieties conveniently set up for sale. As the website suggests, Hafs is a traditional, relaxing, old-fashioned apple orchard.

That doesnt mean the orchard lacks delicious treats. We tried the hand-dipped caramel apples with nuts and can attest to their absolute deliciousness. Fresh cider also is available.

The store is open now from noon to five weekdays, closed on Tuesdays, and from 9 to 5 Friday through Sunday.

Shoppers also can find local honey, squash, pumpkins and fall decorations.

For more information on the local orchards go to visitlakegeneva.com.

Our advice is simple, especially for the many urban dwellers such as ourselves. This time of year, when nature is unveiling its colorful beauty, beckons people to take leave of the concrete and asphalt long enough for a leisurely drive out in the countryside. Feel the stress melt. And taste the bounty our farmers provide.
The Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) seeks to reduce taxes on income up to 130,000 per year.

In order to do this, during the tax debate in July, the LSAP suggested the implementation of a single tax rate, which would result in the rates of those earning lower incomes increasing at a slower rate compared to those with higher earnings. Along with increased rates, the party also suggested a new top tax rate.

LSAP MP Dan Kersch asked Minister of Finance Yuriko Backes how much it would cost to put his ideas into practise after she stated that by mid-2022, the state had received 445 million from taxes on salaries.

In her reply, the Minister stated that the respective measures would cost the state 1 billion every year.

The amended tax tables show that under the MP's plans, those with yearly salaries up to 30,000 would pay 1,507 less in taxes.

Those earning over 60,000 a year would pay 2,310 less in taxes, while those earning over 130,000 a year would pay 385 less. Beyond this threshold, taxes go up. A person earning above 1 million annually would pay an additional 53,000 in taxes.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2022

Will There Be a Referendum on World War III?

Sept. 27, 2022 (EIRNS)The LaRouche movements campaign to destroy the Goebbels terror operationdesigned to prevent frank discussion of the causes and solutions to the extreme danger of nuclear wartook a step forward today with the launching of what will be a comprehensive web page devoted to abolishing the new Goebbels propaganda operation:

Consider the mounting danger:

Former Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski of Poland thanked the United States today for a series of explosions that have taken offline the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines from Russia to Europe, explosions that took place near the same area of the Baltic Sea that the U.S. ran experimental exercises with unmanned underwater vehicles in June.

This terrorist attack on infrastructurelikely conducted by the U.S. or Britain, or at least with their supporteliminates a significant driver for German-Russian rapprochement and further reduces the potential of the economies of Europe.

The Supreme Court of Ukraine has denied the appeal of the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, chaired by Natalia Vitrenko, meaning it is another permanently banned political party in the Defender of Democracy, Ukraine.

Meanwhile, millions of people in Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson have voted overwhelmingly to join the Russian Federation. These referenda, denounced as illegitimate shams by EU officials who never asked the European people whether they approve the sanctions against Russia that are ruining Europeans lives, raise a tension between the principles of sovereignty and self-determination.

The Tony Blair responsibility to protect doctrine was used to justify numerous violations of national sovereignty, but now the preference of those voting in the referenda to pursue their future with Russia rather than Ukraine is a travesty.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has it right in Hungary. He is calling for a national process of consultation, to ask the people of Hungarywho were never consulted by the Brussels leadership that has imposed sanctions that are devastating, not Russia, but Europe itselfwhether they actually want those sanctions. Will the EU condemn the results of this consultation as a sham?

The United States is about to commit another $12 billion to Ukraine without any serious debate in Congress, and without regard to the actual priorities of the American people. And the similar amount of money stolen by the U.S. from Afghanistan is not being made available for the people of that nation to deliberate on either.

Will there be a referendum on World War III?

If so, it will be one in which you must demand that your vote be counted, by forcefully standing up for peace, and defeating the efforts to censor, terrify, or kill those who tell the truth: the truth that Ukraine is being used as a battleground by Anglo-U.S.-run NATO to destroy Russia, the truth that sanctions are destroying the worlds economy, the truth that green policies are intended to cause population reduction, the truth that polarizing domestic barriers can be broken down through a coincidence-of-opposites approach to organizing.
Powerful ocean storms that take place mainly in the western Atlantic Ocean are called hurricanes. People in Vietnam and other Pacific countries call similar storms in the western Pacific Ocean typhoons. The weather events bring high winds, large waves and heavy rain. They also cause widespread destruction and displace thousands.

Hurricane Ian

Early Tuesday, Hurricane Ian landed in Cubas western city of Pinar del Rio where officials had set up shelters for 50,000 people.

In Havanas El Fanguito neighborhood near the Almendares River, health worker Abel Rodrigues and others gathered their belongings. He told the Associated Press, I hope we escape this one because it would be the end of us. We already have so little.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Ians wind speed reached 205 kilometers per hour and the storm surge was as high as 4.3 meters along Cubas coasts.

The storm is expected to strengthen even more over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The wind speed could reach 225 kilometers per hour when the hurricane makes landfall in the U.S. state of Florida late on Tuesday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said an estimated 2.5 million people were under evacuation orders. When you have five to 10 feet of storm surge, that is not something you want to be a part of, DeSantis said Tuesday. And Mother Nature is a very fearsome adversary.

At the Kennedy Space Center, NASA moved its moon rocket from the launch area back into a large building for protection from the storm. And the airports in Tampa and St. Petersburg announced they would be closed Tuesday afternoon.

Typhoon Noru

In the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam, officials closed airports, set a curfew, and evacuated over 800,000 people near the coastlines on Tuesday. The order came as Typhoon Noru was crossing the South China Sea to hit Vietnam after leaving at least eight dead in the Philippines.

Officials said Noru is expected to make landfall in Vietnam on Wednesday with a wind speed of 180 kilometers per hour. An official from the weather agency said, "The storm is so strong that we've started feeling the impact even when it has not made landfall yet.

The typhoon is expected to hit the central areas of Quang Ngai, where a major oil refinery is located, and Quang Nam, home to the World Heritage city of Hoi An.

About 270,000 military service members were placed on standby for emergencies. And Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told officials: "We don't have much time left. The storm is intensifying so our responses must be stronger and faster.

Noru was the strongest storm to hit the Philippines this year where it killed at least eight people when it made landfall on Sunday night. Among the dead were five government workers who drowned while trying to rescue villagers.

The typhoon flooded farmland and communities and damaged an estimated $21 million of crops, mainly rice. Nearly 80,000 people were moved to emergency shelters across the main Luzon Island, Philippine officials said. And local television broadcasts showed police cutting up fallen trees blocking roads and people removing wreckage with their hands.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. asked Is this climate change? in a meeting with emergency officials. We have kept watch on these storms for a long time but it wasnt like this before... This is something I have to deal with, he added.

Im Jill Robbins.

Hai Do adapted this report for VOA Learning English from Associated Press and Reuters sources.

_____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

surge  n. an abnormal rise in the level of the sea along a coast caused by the onshore winds of a severe cyclone

evacuation  n. the removal of people from a dangerous place for their safety

adversary - n. someone you are competing with, or arguing or fighting against.

landfall  n. the act of first seeing or reaching land from the sea

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Japan honored its former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Tuesday at the countrys first state funeral for a former leader in 55 years. But the high cost of the state-financed ceremony was widely criticized, and some groups protested to show their opposition.

The funeral started with Abe's ashes being carried into Tokyos Nippon Budokan Hall by his widow, Akie. Then, a military band played the countrys national anthem and a moment of silence was observed.

Thousands of mourners flooded to lookout points near the hall early Tuesday to pay their last respects. Within hours, at least 10,000 people had placed flowers along the way, Japanese television reported.

At the funeral, a video was shown that looked back on Abe's life in politics. The video included a 2006 parliamentary speech in which he promised to build a beautiful Japan." It also remembered his visits to disaster-hit northern Japan after the March 2011 tsunami.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida offered a 12-minute remembrance of Abe. He praised the former prime minister as a politician with a clear vision for post-World War II economic growth. Kishida said Abes policies centered on national security and the development of Japan, as well as his often stated goal to seek a free and open Indo-Pacific.

You were a person who should have lived much longer, Kishida told the crowd, while looking up at a large picture of Abe. I had a firm belief that you would contribute as a compass showing the future direction of Japan and the rest of the world for 10 or 20 more years."

Kishida promised to try to carry on Abe's policies for Japan and the whole Asia area.

Abe was Japans longest-serving modern political leader. He was cremated in July following a private funeral at a Tokyo temple. That ceremony came days after he was killed while giving a campaign speech in western Japan.

Tokyo was under high security for the state funeral, especially close to the hall where it took place. At a protest in downtown Tokyo, thousands of people marched toward the hall, many shouting and holding signs stating their opposition. Some demonstrators held signs declaring "No state funeral.

Protester Kaoru Mano said, Shinzo Abe has done not a single thing for regular people.

Japans main political opposition parties boycotted the funeral. The government has said the ceremony was not meant to force anyone to honor Abe. But the decision to give him a state funeral was made without parliamentary debate or approval. The reported cost of the ceremony was $11.5 million.

Abe's killing led to a series of new revelations about ties between lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) he once led and the Unification Church. Critics have called the church a cult that seeks to collect donations while brainwashing believers.

Media coverage of the partys ties to the church have led to increased criticism of the LDPs Kishida. His support ratings recently reached their lowest point ever. Kishida apologized for the ties and promised to cut party relations with the church.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press and Reuters reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English.

___________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

contribute  v. to give something, especially money, to provide or achieve something together with other people

compass  n. an instrument that shows you which direction you are going in

cremate  v. to burn a dead body

regular  adj. usual or normal

revelation  n. a piece of information that gets discovered, even though it was supposed to remain private

cult  v. a religious group whose ideas are considered strange by many people

brainwash  n. to make someone believe something by telling them it is true over and over

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Kenyas wildlife officials have made a free mobile phone app to help track wild animals in the country. They plan to use information from the app to help protect the animals.

Kenya is home to nearly 400 species of mammals. Officials say it is getting more difficult to protect them, as climate change and human activities damage their natural environments.

The Mammal Atlas Kenya, or Makenya, lets any user who sees a wild mammal identify it and give its location. Users can also give other details.

"You can also add the behavior," said Dr. Simon Musila, a researcher at the National Museums of Kenya. "When you see this animal, what are they doing? Are they resting? Are they running away? Are they feeding? What are they doing at the moment you see them?

Musila said there is a need to have many people use the app to get more information about the animals. This can help the small number of mammal specialists in Kenya. The specialists have kept records of the animals changing environments and survival conditions.

Many people, including safari guides, visitors, students, or anyone who goes out and sees the animals, could use the app, Musila said. They can upload images and add details, such as the number of mammals and their exact locations.

Samson Onyuok uses the Makenya app. He said he is proud to help protect animals in his country. Users like him have reported more than 2,500 mammal sightings since August.

"I think as a Kenyan, that is my little way of contributing to the conservation initiatives, Onyuok said.

Experts say that while Africa is not the cause of much climate change, it is badly affected by it. Dr. Philip Muruthi, vice president of the African Wildlife Foundation, told VOA that the birth rate of rare mammals and the survival rate of young ones are dropping.

"It is very hard to benefit or manage what you don't know," he said. "That is why this is so important. It is going to tell us which species we have, where they are, and maybe which ones are highly endangered, what we need to do about them. And especially not just the big things but also the small things, like the bats."

Wildlife officials say Kenya is home to at least a third of the mammal species in Africa and are hopeful app users will help protect them.

Im Andrew Smith.

Victoria Amunga wrote this story for Voice of America. Andrew Smith adapted it for VOA Learning English.

___________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

track v. to find the location of an animal and get information about where it lives and where it goes

species n. a distinct class of plants or animals whose members have the same characteristics and can reproduce with each other

mammal n. species of animals whose females feed their young with milk

contribute v. to do or give something to help

conservation initiatives n. plans, projects, or efforts to preserve environments in nature, such as forests, rivers, animal habitats, and the like

initiative n. a plan or project, usually involving many people or groups, to accomplish or achieve some result

benefit v. to help produce a good result or add value

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During the months leading up to Greek Fest, Mona Soot is cooking up a storm. Her grocery list looks something like this: 100 pounds of garbanzo beans, 3,000 grape leaves, 250 pounds of lamb and a variety of spices.

A kitchen to feed thousands

The kitchen of St. Anne Orthodox church smells of clove, cumin, garlic, lemon and turmeric as Soot and her team begin prepping for the anticipated 2,000 hungry guests who attend the fundraiser. Theres pastitsio, spanakopita and stuffed grape leaves to be made.

Although the event is called Greek fest, it takes on a variety of Mediterranean flavors.

You feel like you're home, she said, referring to the scents that linger in the kitchen.

Growing up Arabic, specifically, Jordanian and Palestinian, many of the recipes are family traditions passed from her mother, Soot said. Only a few tweaks here and there to accommodate for the large portions. In past years, her mother has even come to help prepare for Greek Fest.

Being in the kitchen with your family, there is this connection; youre sharing your history and memories without speaking,

When she makes the traditional dishes of her family, Soot is reminded of her mother and the bakery her family owned. Everything would be made from scratch. Even bread and yogurt, she said.

Now cooking is a sort of nostalgic experience that translates to the food.

You can taste when food is prepared with thoughtfulness and love, she said.

And thoughtfulness goes a long way. Soot said she is very mindful about health codes and food safety when making this much food.

Cleanliness in prep is important, and she has a certain schedule she follows  which foods to start making and freezing first  to make sure everything is fresh and up to standard. It also helps keep her on track to ensure she has enough time for the foods that need to be cooked closer to the festival date.

Early tasks include soaking the garbanzo beans, wrapping the stuffed grape leaves and cooking, cooling and freezing some dishes.

After 19 years, Soot and her husband, Fr. Stephen Soot, have watched the event grow. It started out as a one-day event that saw a couple hundred people. Now its a three-day weekend that serves 2,000 people.

Every year it grows bigger, and we arent sure if we can do more, but then we do, she said.

Greek Fest now

Fr. Soot sees Greek Fest as a time to gather with others.

Food brings communities together, he said. Inviting someone for a meal is the epitome of being hospitable.

The event is sure to have plenty of food and dancing. Lined up and arms raised, many partake in traditional Greek dancing, he said.

Through the pandemic, the event remained a drive-thru, but now the three-day weekend in mid-October will have two in-person festival days Saturday and Sunday, in addition to drive-thru Friday.

However, Soot noted the music will be recorded rather than live performances. The search for a live band for next year is on.

The food set-up also will be different this year. The event will occur outside instead of indoors, Fr. Soot said. In previous years, there was a cafeteria-style set-up, but now it will be more like food trucks or a farmer's market, with folks waiting off to the side to receive their food, he said.

With more people coming every year, he hopes the change makes things more efficient.

Previously funds had been used for maintenance of St. Anne Orthodox Church, but this year, they expect to collect money for new construction, Soot said.

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Amid the changes, the Greek Fests mission prevails: good food and good company. For Mona Soot, its a time to find things everyone has in common. Food breaks down barriers, she said.

When we share a meal together, we share peace, said Mona Soot.

The festival will be held in Lewisburg Grange Hall, 6000 NE Elliott Circle, Corvallis from Oct. 14 to Oct. 16. Drive-thru will take place 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14. In-person hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16.
OVERTON  A driver has been cited after an accident on Interstate 80 near Overton resulted in the total loss of a semi-trailer, two were transported to the hospital.

At 7:45 p.m. the Overton Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to mile marker 252 on I-80 for the report of flames in the cargo area of a semi-trailer. This was later updated to a semi rollover.

A semi-trailer had been westbound when the driver lost control, hit a guardrail and the semi left the roadway. It then entered the north ditch near a culvert, Nebraska State Patrol Public Relations Officer Cody Thomas said.

A witness of the accident reported to Overton Fire Chief Steve Ryan that the semi-trailer was airborne as it passed over the culvert.

The impact on the other side destroyed the semi, the cab being separated from the chassis and the trailer, with boxes and their contents strewn all over the accident site.

The driver and a passenger of the semi were transported to Lexington Regional Health Center. Ryan said both had suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Thomas said the driver was cited for driving a commercial motor vehicle without a CDL.

The Nebraska State Patrol was assisted on scene by the Dawson County Sheriffs Office.
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Has it always been your dream to study in the United States or would you like to learn more about the US education in general? Then this is your chance!

The U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg, EducationUSA and the International School of Luxembourg are hosting the fifth annual Luxembourg College Night  an American-style university fair bringing over 20 top U.S. universities to Luxembourg on Thursday 29 September.

After the inevitable break from Covid, the fair will be held again in-person at the International School Luxembourg in the City.

It is open to all students interested in academic opportunities in the United States and they are more than welcome to attend the free event.

The doors open at 5pm and the event itself will begin at 5.30pm with a welcome address by the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg, Tom Barrett. After the information session on the application and enrollment process at US Universities, attendees and prospective students are able to visit the booths and speak to representatives of over 20 universities and organisations.

It's the perfect opportunity to learn more about what a US education can offer, how to finance your studies and meet in person.

While registration is not required, it is recommended and you can register right here.

Find more information and a list of universities on the U.S. Embassy website.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  During his campaign, Republican Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano has alluded to proposals that would be a transformative overhaul of the state's more than $30 billion K-12 education system, with public dollars eligible to fund students private education.

Mastrianos sometimes conflicting statements have overall shown an effort to work with a likely GOP-controlled Legislature to propel far-reaching school choice programs by shifting state funds to students rather than schools.

This would allow for public funding to be used for students' private education, homeschooling or religious schooling. Another key proposal has been the elimination of school property taxes  the largest contributor to districts' budgets  which Mastriano has said would lessen the tax burden while saving the state money on education. Mastrianos campaign did not answer a request for an interview.

The plan's scant details have been denounced by the state's largest teachers' union and more than 80 school board directors statewide. Any resultant legislation could also be open to legal challenges.

Mastriano's opponent, Democratic nominee Attorney General Josh Shapiro, has shown a willingness to embrace school choice programs, but he's also advocated for securing more public education funding.

WHAT HAS MASTRIANO SAID AND HOW WOULD IT WORK?

Mastriano has criticized the unions and special interests for calling the shots in public schools, suggesting school choice as the answer.

Are you getting your dollars worth? he asked at a March debate, taking aim at cost versus outcomes. Its time to put the power back in your hands.

Under Pennsylvanias current system, the state distributes billions to its 500 public school districts. This helps pay for salaries, building operations, transportation and more.

Under Mastrianos plan, state funding dollars would instead go to students, and property tax dollars that typically go toward schools could be eliminated. Property taxes are the dominant source of income for schools, supplying nearly $15 billion in the 2020-21 school year, according to state data.

Mastriano has offered no plan to replace the lost revenue.

How much money goes to the kids under Mastrianos plan has also waffled  hes publicly said anywhere from $9,000 to $15,000 per student, down from the current state average of more than $19,000.

The Pennsylvania State Education Association responded, saying under Mastrianos plan half of all school jobs -- including teachers, counselors, support staff -- would be eliminated and more than $12 billion in funding would be lost.

Mastriano rebuffed the criticism at a campaign event in Myerstown, saying he just voted in favor of increasing funding for public schools during the budget.

These people are a bunch of liars, almost a billion dollars more in education spending, but Mastriano is a danger to our education, he said. Are you freaking kidding me?

PSEA stands by its analysis.

I think what Sen. Mastriano is trying to do is have it both ways and simply the math does not support that, said PSEA President Rich Askey.

IS SCHOOL CHOICE BETTER FOR STUDENTS?

Theres no research yet on how effective new programs are.

Research on older iterations has shown longer-term outcomes  like graduation and college enrollment  tend to be positive, said Martin West, academic dean at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Likewise, with older programs, there has been no evidence to show negative impacts on the performance of public schools or students who attend them.

However, the research doesnt account for a proposal that potentially cuts public school funding while allowing students to use resources to enroll in private schools.

Because thats not what has happened elsewhere, and its not whats been studied, West said.

Marc LeBlond, director of policy for EdChoice, a school choice nonprofit, said choice allows for students' needs to center in the conversation.

Whats going to be the mechanism for the parent to make a switching decision? Its going to be pain, he said, adding, The parents who are happy, the kids who are happy, theyre going to stay.

During the pandemic, York parent Amelia McMillan chose to send her then-kindergartener to a cyber charter. It was chaos, she said, with her feeling ill-equipped to oversee her daughter's education. Far-reaching school choice, coupled with drastic cuts to public education that many families rely on, concerns her.

It would be awful, she said. McMillan, whose daughter has since returned to a traditional public school, believes public education is what should be equalized. Every kid deserves the same opportunities and public school gives that.

HOW DOES SCHOOL CHOICE WORK ELSEWHERE?

The school choice system Mastriano is proposing is not new.

Arizonas recently expanded program gives 90% of state education funding directly to families, though its already facing challenges by opponents. If the legislation is upheld, it will be the farthest reaching program in the country.

A similar effort in West Virginia last year was promptly met with legal challenges and was struck down, though an appeal will be heard by the states Supreme Court this fall.

Private school voucher programs, in general, do raise many legal concerns and would likely be subject to constitutional challenges in Pennsylvania on multiple grounds, said Maura McInerney, legal director of the Education Law Center, a legal and advocacy organization. The nonprofit declined comment on candidates and their platforms.

WHERE DOES DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE JOSH SHAPIRO FALL?

While Shapiro has said he would fully fund schools, he has also highlighted choice for parents, including scholarships that allow students to get out of low-performing districts. Shapiro is endorsed by PSEA.

I think its very important that we fully fund public education," he said at a campaign event in Gettysburg earlier this month. "And I also think its really important that we empower parents to put their kids in the best place for them to be able to succeed.

WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN THE LEGISLATURE?

There have been various efforts to advance education savings accounts in the Legislature  the closest has been the Lifeline Scholarship, which passed the House in April. An amended version now awaits action in the Senate.

The Lifeline Scholarship would make children who would attend a low-achieving public school eligible for state funding for alternate programming. That bill would grant most students $6,697 per year  and up to $50,000 for special education students. Approximately 10% of Pennsylvania's roughly two million students  or 191,000  would be eligible.

For decades, efforts to eliminate property taxes have failed without any way to agree on how to replace lost school revenue. A bill that would replace public schools' revenue through raising other state taxes hasnt moved through a House committee yet.

Marc Levy contributed to this report. Brooke Schultz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
BRUSSELS (AP)  European companies are ramping up security around pipelines and energy prices are climbing again as the suspected sabotage of two pipelines that deliver natural gas from Russia underscored the vulnerability of Europes energy infrastructure and prompted the EU to warn of possible retaliation.

Some European officials and energy experts have said Russia is likely to blame for any sabotage  it directly benefits from higher energy prices and economic anxiety across Europe  although others cautioned against pointing fingers until investigators are able to determine what happened.

Russia has sharply curtailed natural gas shipments to Europe in retaliation for sanctions that the West put in place after its invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, Russian energy giant Gazprom increased the pressure, threatening on Twitter to cease dealing with a Ukrainian company that controls one of the two remaining pipelines that ship Russian gas to Europe.

Coming on top of the apparent sabotage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines, that means a major escalation and readiness to escalate, said Agata Loskot-Strachota, senior fellow in energy policy at the Center for Eastern Studies in Warsaw.

Seismologists say explosions rattled the Baltic Sea before unusual leaks were discovered Tuesday on the two underwater pipelines running from Russia to Germany.

All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on behalf of the bloc's 27 members. Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.

Three leaks were reported on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which were filled with natural gas but not delivering fuel to Europe ever since Russia stopped the flow to apply economic pressure on the continent.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said allegations that Russia would have sabotaged its own pipelines were predictable and stupid.

Yet as fears of further disruptions loomed, European energy companies and governments said Wednesday they have already begun to fortify energy infrastructure.

Norwegian state oil company Equinor said it raised the level of preparedness on all of its facilities, according to national broadcaster NRK. Norways energy exports have surged as European countries scramble to find alternatives to Russian supplies.

What happened in the Baltic Sea is very serious, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre told a press conference in Oslo.

Before the pipeline leaks discovered Tuesday, natural gas prices in Europe had dropped from their all-time peak in late August because countries have filled storage facilities to 87% of capacity ahead of winter, when demand for the fuel soars to heat homes and generate electricity.

But Europes natural gas prices have spiked about 14% since the pipeline ruptures rattled nerves about energy security.

Natural gas prices are roughly three times higher than just before Russia invaded Ukraine. An energy crisis driven by the war is threatening rationing, business closures and recession in Europe. The continents ability to get through winter will be deeply affected by how cold it is and whether they can find supplies to make up for whats been lost from Russia.

Another major source of Russian income  oil  has fallen sharply in price from June peaks of over $120 per barrel. On Wednesday, Brent crude futures traded at $87.40 per barrel, up more than 5% since Monday.

The extent of the pipeline damage, along with the political ramifications, raises serious doubts about the future of the Nord Stream project, which was launched so that Russia could deliver gas directly to Germany. The project has been heavily criticized by the West because it only increased Europes reliance on Russian gas imports.

The head of the Danish Energy Agency, Kristoffer Bottzauw, said Wednesday it wasn't clear when it would be safe for investigators to examine the damaged pipes, which he said are made of 12 centimeter (5 inches ) thick steel coated with concrete. The pipelines lie on the seabed between 70 and 90 meters (230 feet and 295 feet) deep.

Sweden's domestic security agency said Wednesday it was investigating the pipeline ruptures and that it couldn't be ruled out "that a foreign power is behind it.

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau was more direct, suggesting Tuesday that the leaks could be part of Russias campaign to apply pressure on the West for supporting Ukraine.

The explosions took place very close to Danish territorial waters, but not inside them, because that would have meant NATO territory, Rau said during a discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

This could mean that someone is trying to intimidate the countries of the Baltic Sea," he said.

The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting Friday afternoon at Russias request to discuss the suspected pipeline sabotage. Meanwhile, the countrys security service, the FSB, said it has opened a criminal investigation into an international act of terrorism after the explosions.

Even with eyes turning toward Russia, Anders Puck Nielsen, a researcher with the Center for Maritime Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, said that it would be hard to establish who is responsible, and just as tough to prevent similar incidents.

We have pipelines, we have communication cables like the internet. We have just power lines running on the seabed. All of this is vulnerable and our societies are very dependent on it. And its very, very difficult to monitor whats going on and to prevent a case of sabotage, he told The Associated Press.

A spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declined to respond to media reports that the CIA had warned Germany earlier this summer that the pipelines could be attacked. But let me say that according to our findings, there is no evidence that there is a natural cause for the pressure drop in the pipelines, spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters.

Simone Tagliapietra, an energy policy expert at Bruegel, said Russia's latest threat to disrupt natural gas that flows through Ukraine is not having as much impact as it might have hoped.

Its announcements are now having lower impact on prices, as both market and governments have internalized and got prepared for a full interruption of Russian gas to Europe, Tagliapietra said.
FICTION: A deathbed confession sends a woman on a search for the truth about her identity  and about the very nature of identity.

"Mother Tongue" by Joyce Kornblatt; Publerati (176 pages, $17.95)



"Mother Tongue," by Joyce Kornblatt, gives "speculative fiction" a whole new meaning.

Nella Pine, in a letter discovered after her mother's death, has learned that she is not in fact Nella Pine, and that her mother is not really her mother. Nella, 45 years ago, was Naomi Gordon  for the three days before a nurse named Ruth Miller snatched her from the nursery at a hospital in Pittsburgh and flew with the kidnapped infant to Australia, where she settled in the seaside village of Narooma, adopted a new identity as Eve Gilbert, and fabricated a recently deceased father for the baby now known as Nella. Conveniently, neither Eve nor her make-believe dead husband had any family.

"And if her confession ... left me knowing less than before she admitted her deed," says Nella, "if questions rattled my sleep like spilled coins from a purloined purse, what could I do but investigate further?"

"This," she writes, "is my account of that investigation."

Her evidence, beyond the meager field of facts? "Memory's stuttering tongue, imagination's hieroglyphs. In my thickening file, a record of dreams detailed as fingerprints, omens complex as DNA, lies in which the truth rests furled like a snail in its decoy of armoring shell."

When she tells us, "In other words, I followed every lead," I suspect (or hope) this is supposed to be at least a little funny, as virtually every lead (see above) is inward. That is, Nella mostly has to make up her missing story. From the original names Ruth and Naomi, she forges a biblical bond, wonders how her fate might have been different if her name had been "Melissa, Susan, Caroline"  then asks, "Or is this line of conjecture my own invention?"

She goes to a psychic healer, first asserting, "I am not the kind of person who goes to psychic healers." In a scrap of biography in Eve's letter, she sees a motive: Eve's parents "had another child first, Chana, but they lost her as a baby ... As if I were Chana in another form, and Eve her mother whose first-born has been restored to her."

Mostly, though, she wonders and hypothesizes, and "perhaps" and "what if" get a strenuous workout, even as Nella tells us: "Some might call this document a fiction, and to you I say: Yes, if by fiction you mean the truth a fevered soul yields up out of its alchemical heat."

Meanwhile, she gives a brief account of her actual, lived life, much of it re-envisioned and newly understood through the thoroughly recalibrated lens of her recovered identity  with some of the narrative given over to the ghost of her own dead husband (also a stolen child!); her real sister, a scientist, who never lost faith in Naomi's likely return; and her real mother, her commentary conjured through the deep fog of Alzheimer's.

Naturally, in a story so necessarily improvised, the question Kornblatt is really exploring is philosophical, about the nature and fixity of identity. And about that, of course, one can only speculate.



Ellen Akins is a writer and editor in Wisconsin. ellenmakins@gmail.com
The European Network of Fugitive Active Search Teams (ENFAST), with the support of Europol, has launched its campaign for 2022.

ENFAST campaigns focus on criminals who are wanted across Europe as well as members of organised crime syndicates. Over 50 profiles of fugitives with a link to organised crime have been uploaded to the Europol website this year, including four individuals who are wanted for crimes committed in Luxembourg.

All of the wanted individuals listed this year are accused of very serious crimes, including murder, human trafficking, armed robbery, terrorism, and similar crimes.

Europol mainly focusses on leaders and those at the heart of organised crime syndicates, including mafia bosses who have massacred innocent citizens, drug dealers, human traffickers, contract killers, and those involved in major money laundering schemes.

To this end, ENFAST and Europol call on all EU citizens to visit the website "Europe's most wanted fugitives" and look at the photos. The authorities hope that some criminals may be identified this way and that citizens may provide them with useful information.

Among the wanted individuals are also four men wanted by the Luxembourgish authorities for crimes that were either committed in Luxembourg or have a connection to the Grand Duchy.

Rigo Wendt



 Europol

Rigo Wendt from Germany is wanted in Luxembourg. He is suspected of human trafficking, pimping, and money laundering. The offenses have been committed between 2012 and February 2019.

Wendt is highly suspected to have set up an escort-and callgirl service which was also available in Luxembourg. He organised and coordinated the transport of the women from Germany to customers in Luxembourg. Wendt used to be the owner of three brothels in Germany, including an establishment known as "Club Pearls".

He has been wanted internationally since 25 February 2019. Tips can be forwarded to the E-mail address fast.lux@police.etat.lu as well as directly via www.eumostwanted.eu

Zarko Pijanovic

 Europol

39-year-old Zarko Pijanovic, also known as Zarko Stefanovic, was born in the city of Leskovac in Serbia. Pijanovic is considered "dangerous" by the authorities.

He is suspected of having participated in an armed robbery in a Jeweller's store in Luxembourg City on 18 July 2008. On that day, at around 10.25am, four perpetrators entered the store in Luxembourg City. The offenders were in possession of pistols. The employees and three customers in the store were threatened and forced to lie on the floor. Using an axe or similar, one of the robbers destroyed the showcases inside the shop.

64 very valuable watches worth several hundred thousand euros were stolen. The robbers then fled in a Mercedes E250, which had been stolen in the north of Luxembourg on 15 July 2008. This car was found one hour later in Luxembourg City. It appears from the investigation that the perpetrators of this robbery belonged to the "Pink Panther" gang. The group is responsible for several robberies in jewellery stores in Europe at this time.

On 20 May 2020, a European Arrest Warrant and an International Arrest Warrant were issued. Tips can be forwarded to the E-mail address fast.lux@police.etat.lu as well as directly via www.eumostwanted.eu

Edinjo Pulti

 Europol

Edinjo Pulti is suspected of attempted murder. The incident occurred at around 8.55pm on 2 August 2020 in Petange. Several people were involved in this case. The suspected offender used a knife to stab two men several times.

The main victim was hit in the abdominal area and seriously injured. Two other accomplices could already be arrested in this matter. On 21 February 2022, he was last seen in a night club in Shkodra (Albania).

On 25 January 2021, a European Arrest Warrant and an International Arrest Warrant were issued against Edinjo Pulti. Tips can be forwarded to the E-mail address fast.lux@police.etat.lu as well as directly via www.eumostwanted.eu

Abdullah Khodor

 Europol

Abdullah Khodor is suspected of having taken part in a particularly violent homejacking in Gonderange. The authorities consider him "dangerous". At around midday on 17 December 2017, a woman and her minor niece were attacked in her house by two offenders. The victims were threatened with knives. Several pieces of jewellery and a small sum of money were stolen. The perpetrators also destroyed the house phone so that they could not call the police.

On 2 December 2019, a European Arrest Warrant and an International Arrest Warrant were issued against Abdullah Khodor. Tips can be forwarded to the E-mail address fast.lux@police.etat.lu as well as directly via www.eumostwanted.eu
FICTION: A 19th-century teacher and amateur scientist studies the mysteries of the natural world  and the human heart.

"Natural History" by Andrea Barrett; Norton (224 pages, $26.95)



Every life is an experiment. A series of experiments, really. We test our theories about ourselves and the world through our actions, observing our own trials and shaping the hypotheses that reveal us  if only we can bear to look.

Author Andrea Barrett appreciates this cycle. It lies in the roots of her fiction, which reflects a fascination with mapping and understanding the natural world. But Barrett, a recipient of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, also exhibits a shrewd understanding of the fragility and resilience of the human heart and how that intersects with our bold dreams of discovery, scientific or otherwise. We seek to explore what exists outside the boundaries of our knowledge but all too often remain strangers to the truth about ourselves.

This contradiction fuels her fiction, and in her first collection in nine years, Barrett revisits her themes with a scientist's precision and a poet's grace. "Natural History" revisits characters glimpsed in the previous story collections "Archangel," "Servants of the Map" and "Ship Fever," which won the National Book Award for fiction in 1996. These characters burn with a passion for knowledge, but that is not all they desire.

Still, you don't have to be familiar with Barrett's other works to appreciate these stories. At their center is Henrietta Atkins, a 19th-century teacher in rural New York. Henrietta observes her family and friends no less rigorously than she reviews the life cycles of insects and plants.

As part of her training, Henrietta's instructor advises: "Reduce every subject to its elements and study one difficulty at a time. Proceed step by step." But even this wise guidance can't explain the messiness of life.

In "Wonders of the Shore," her writer friend Daphne invites her to Celia Thaxter's island home for three weeks. A real-life poet, Thaxter proves a demanding host, and while Daphne placates and performs at Thaxter's salon, Henrietta's attention turns to a different sort of entanglement.

Questioning is Henrietta's natural state. She's a child in "The Regimental History," helping neighbors with their young child but more interested in the family's two grown brothers and their mysterious adventures in the Civil War.

In "Henrietta and Her Moths," she sets up specimens in her father's old workshop for her students, watching the creatures pupate more calmly than she notes her once-lively sister endure exhausting (and seemingly endless) pregnancies. Insects, it seems, are not so inscrutable as people.

Two stories shift from Henrietta's point of view. "The Accident" is mostly narrated by her niece Caroline, a barnstormer who experiences a shocking brush with death. In "Open House," one of Henrietta's best students finds himself torn between a life in science and staying close to home, not realizing his parents will decide for him.

The title novella links past and present. A descendant of Henrietta's navigates a shaky course through the scientific community she has abandoned. Henrietta's steady spirit, glimpsed in the work she left behind, draws her back. Step by step, she'll proceed.



Connie Ogle is a writer in Florida.
Burkina Faso's coup leader-turned-president defended his military takeover on Friday, though he acknowledged it was perhaps reprehensible" and inconsistent with the United Nations' values.

Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba said the overthrow of the democratically elected president in January was "necessary and indispensable."

"It was, above all, an issue of survival for our nation, he said. That's even if it was perhaps reprehensible in terms of the principles held dear by the United Nations and the international community as a whole.

Burkina Faso's coup came in the wake of similar takeovers in Mali and in Guinea, heightening fears of a rollback of democracy in West Africa. None of the juntas has committed to a date for new elections.

Many in Burkina Faso, however, supported the military takeover, frustrated with the previous governments inability to stem Islamic extremist violence that has killed thousands and displaced at least 2 million.

Yet the violence has failed to wane in the months since Damiba took over. Earlier this month, he also took over the position of defense minister after dismissing a brigadier general from the post.

The Burkina Faso leader said Friday that his transitional government will remain in power for almost two more years despite calls from West African neighbors for a quicker return to democratic rule. But Damiba gave no precise date for the holding of new elections in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

He warned, however, that the Islamic insurgency embroiling Burkina Faso has security risks for the rest of the world too emphasizing that Europe is the closest continent to Africa.

No precautions or prevention measures will prevent terrorism from crossing the Atlantic if the Sahel is abandoned, Damiba said. Nothing at all will be able to stop the youth in the Sahel countries and its surroundings from giving in to the temptation of perilous immigration to Europe through the Sahara and the Mediterranean if these youth no longer have any hope by staying at home."
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden is hosting Pacific Island leaders for a two-day summit as the U.S. looks to counter Chinas military and economic influence in the region. Pacific Island leaders, meanwhile, see an even more pressing concern: climate change.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken kicked off the summit on Wednesday with a luncheon for the Pacific Island leaders and other senior officials from the region. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry held a climate roundtable with the leaders, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was joining them for a dinner hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Biden is set to address the leaders at the State Department on Thursday and will host them for a dinner at the White House. The leaders also are to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and U.S. business leaders.

Leaders from Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and New Caledonia are attending. Vanuatu and Nauru are sending representatives, and Australia, New Zealand and the secretary-general of the Pacific Island Forum sent observers, according to the White House.

"This summit reflects our deep, enduring partnership with the Pacific Islands; one thats underpinned by shared history, values, and enduring people-to-people ties, Blinken told leaders as he opened the summit. Talks are expected to touch on climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and economic recovery, maritime security, environmental protection and the Indo-Pacific.

The first-of-its-kind summit comes as the administration has sought to demonstrate that the U.S. remains committed to being a enduring player in the region.

While the high-level gathering is welcomed by the region's leaders as a signal of Biden's commitment to the Pacific, there's also a healthy skepticism about whether the United States will remain engaged for the longer term in the Pacific Islands. The area has received diminished attention from the U.S. in the aftermath of the Cold War and China has increasingly filled the vacuum, analysts say.

The Solomon Islands has signaled it was unlikely to sign on to a joint statement that the U.S. hoped to have hashed out by the end of the summit, according to a diplomat familiar with summit planning.

The diplomat, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the resistance is driven in part by the Solomon Islands' tightening relationship with Beijing and in part is seen as an effort to press the U.S. for greater economic assistance.

A senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters before the summit said discussions on the joint statement are still ongoing.

For the Biden administration, stemming the growing influence of China is a high priority. But for many of the Pacific Island leaders, climate change is the existential crisis that demands attention above all else.

Last week at the U.N. General Assembly, Prime Minister Kausea Natano of the tiny island of Tuvalu described how rising sea levels have affected everything from the soil that his people rely on to plant crops, to the homes, roads and power lines that get washed away. The cost of eking out a living, he said, eventually becomes too much to bear, causing families to leave and the nation to disappear.

"This is how our islands will cease to exist, Natano said.

In June, Inia Seruiratu, Fijis minister for defense, said at the Shangri-La Dialogue that machine guns, fighter jets, gray ships and green battalions are not our primary security concern.

The single greatest threat to our very existence is climate change," he said.

Plans for the summit were announced earlier this month, just days after the Solomon Islands called on the U.S. and Britain not to send naval vessels to the South Pacific nation until approval processes are overhauled. The Solomons in April signed a new security pact with China  a moment that analysts say has created increased urgency for the Biden administration to put greater focus on the region.

The United States and Britain are among countries concerned that a new security pact with Beijing could lead to a Chinese naval base being constructed less than 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) off Australias northeast coast.

Darshana Baruah, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Beijing has been more present in the region in the last decades.

The first questions from the islands to the United States are, Is this going to last beyond the current tense cycle? Are you going to keep showing up,?' Baruah said. The second question is, 'What kind of messaging is this sending across the Indo-Pacific? Are you mistakenly giving the impression that if you want Washingtons attention you must grab Beijing's purse?'

In the leadup to the summit, Pacific Island leaders made clear that they want increased U.S. assistance on battling the impacts of climate change and help for their economies recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a senior Biden administration official.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the "lapse" in the U.S. efforts in the region comes up in every meeting with Pacific Island leaders. The White House plans to announce its first U.S. Pacific Island Strategy and announce that the Democratic president will appoint a U.S. envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum.

The U.S. will also be seeking to mend relations with the Marshall Islands, which for decades has been a strong ally but which is in a bitter dispute over a treaty thats up for renewal.

Just last week, the Marshall Islands pulled out of a negotiating session with the U.S. over their Compact of Free Association, which expires next year. The Marshall Islands says the U.S. isnt engaging in its claim for proper reparations from the legacy of U.S. nuclear testing in the islands.

The Marshall Islands says there was extensive environmental and health damage from the dozens of tests in the 1940s and 50s, which a settlement in the 1980s fell well short of addressing.

The U.S. has treated the Marshall Islands, along with nearby Micronesia and Palau, much like territories since World War II, and observers worry that a weakening of those ties would play into the hands of China.

The administration in recent months has sought to have greater presence in the region. In February, Blinken became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Fiji in 37 years. And in recent months, the U.S. along with Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the U.K. created an informal group aimed at boosting economic and diplomatic ties with Pacific Island nations dubbed Partners in the Blue Pacific.

During the Fiji visit, Blinken announced the U.S. would open an embassy in the Solomon Islands. The U.S. operated an embassy in the Solomons for five years before closing it in 1993. Since then, U.S. diplomats from neighboring Papua New Guinea have been accredited to the Solomons, which has a U.S. consular agency.

Guadalcanal, the largest landmass in the Solomon Islands, was the site of the crucial battles between Allied forces and Japan early in World War II.



Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Nick Perry in Wellington, New Zealand, contributed reporting.
WATERFORD  Two years ago, Carol Teifer-Searls husband Bob wouldnt let her have a pet dog. So she made one out of mohair, fabric, stuffing and thread.

Then I went crazy, she said. She made about 30 more.

Teifer-Searl is a stuffed animal artist. She began creating teddy bears about 35 years ago and has crafted about 400 stuffed animals since then  besides bears and dogs, its lemurs, rabbits, fennec foxes, elephants, cats, horses, lions and sloths.

I go in spurts. Ill make a bunch and then quit, she said. But its never-ending with me.

Despite not allowing the pet dog, her husband has been on board with her hobby.

Its amazing to watch, Bob said. I dont know how she can sculpt them.

A high quality craft

Teifer-Searl, 69, grew up in Michigan but has been living in Waterford for the last 18 years.

She works full-time for the Air National Guard, the reserve force of the U.S. Air Force, of which she is a veteran. But shes hoping to retire soon.

In her spare time, she loves to make things. She began sewing in high school in home economics. Shes taken classes here and there for special interests such as quilting and tailoring.

She created porcelain dolls and furniture before she started making stuffed animals. Shes also created linked wool projects such as rugs and pillows.

But it wasnt until she took a class at a quilting shop in Hales Corners on how to make mini teddy bears. Now, her home is filled with her stuffed animal creations  and all sizes too. She noted no two animals end up looking exactly the same.

She gives them out as gifts. Her siblings, three children, nieces and nephews all have bears and quilts of hers.

She sells her work at Creative Spaces Studio, 318 East Main St. in Downtown Waterford.

Donna Fearing, an owner of Creative Spaces, said the business decided to sell Teifer-Searls products because they represent everything we stand for as a business. They are handmade, high quality and beautifully crafted by a local artisan.

Teifer-Searl has showcased and sold her work at various shows throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, but hasnt gone to one recently. She mentioned she might be a vendor at future Waterford events, however.

She has a Facebook page for selling her items; she eventually wants a website for her work.

Get your own To purchase a Teifs Teddy Bear or stuffed animal, request a custom order, inquire about quilting or alterations, contact Carol Teifer-Searl at 262-661-9912 or cateifers@gmail.com. Teifer-Searl will ship products domestically.

A forever purchase

She joked that creating stuffed animals keeps her out of trouble.

It gives me something to do, she said. I just like it. I enjoy it.

She used to call her home business CATs Creations, based on her initials, but changed the name to Teifs Teddy Bears. The new name is a parody of the Rhode Island-based stuffed animal brand Steiff, she said. Steiff is credited with inventing the teddy bear in 1902.

Teifs Teddy Bears are made to be quality, collectible animals. They range in price from $30-$300, depending on the size.

Its something youre going to have forever, she said. They make great gifts.

She has multiple binders of photos of bears shes done, including plenty of memory bears, which are made from clothing of a loved one who has died. Besides making stuffed animals, she creates quilts, performs alterations and otherwise is a seamstress.

I keep pretty busy, she said.

It takes her about 20 hours to make one animal. She begins with cutting and sewing the material, adding stuffing, joining everything together and then creating the face.

What we like about the bear is the attention to detail is exceptional and the high-quality materials Carol uses, Fearing said. These pieces will last forever. They truly are family heirloom quality.

Fearing added Creative Spaces Studio customers love them: They find them adorable and unique.
A 50-year-old Illinois man was sentenced to nine years in federal prison Tuesday for drug trafficking in Madison, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin announced.

Myron Macon, 50, of Hazel Crest, pleaded guilty on June 1 to distributing crack cocaine, possessing crack cocaine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. The prison term will be followed by five years of supervised release, the attorney's office said in a news release.

Dane County Narcotics Task Force officers purchased from 31 to 51 grams of crack cocaine from Macon in Madison on five occasions in January and February 2021, the attorney's office said.

On March 2, 2021, officers searched two drug houses operated by Macon and co-defendant Chaz Morris, who leased the homes using aliases. At the residence leased by Macon, officers found 42 grams of fentanyl, 48 grams of crack cocaine, 206 grams of marijuana, a Taurus 9mm handgun in a safe with loaded magazines, over $33,000 in cash, four digital scales and numerous cell phones, the attorney's office said.

Morris previously pleaded guilty to possessing over 40 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm as a felon and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison on Aug. 17.
A Sun Prairie man will spend a year in jail for fleeing the scene of a pedestrian crash in DeForest last year that left an 18-year-old woman with a constellation of severe injuries that confined her to a hospital bed for about a month.

I dont have any excuse for having driven off, Eric L. Schroder, 55, told Circuit Judge Ellen Berz. I relive the accident every night.

Schroder pleaded guilty on Aug. 1 to hit-and-run causing great bodily harm for the Oct. 11 crash involving the semitrailer truck he was driving on Highway V in DeForest. He was sentenced Tuesday by Berz to five years of probation, with a year in jail as one of the conditions of his probation.

Berz said she did not believe that Schroder, a lifelong truck driver with no prior criminal record, poses a threat to public safety and so she rejected a recommendation by Assistant District Attorney Frank Remington to sentence Schroder to three years in prison.

Instead, she told Schroder he had failed to live up to one of the biggest responsibilities he would face in his life by not stopping at the scene of the crash and calling 911, especially given that the woman he had struck had bleeding on her brain that could have been fatal without immediate care.

Fortunately, the womans parents, who had gone out looking for her, spotted her lying in the darkened street in the headlights of their car.

But for her parents finding her, Berz said, we could be sitting here with a much more serious offense.

What happened to cause the crash is not known exactly. The area was dark and it was raining that night. Remington said Schroder was not charged with causing the crash, only leaving the scene.

A criminal complaint states that Schroder was identified as having struck the woman after police received a tip from a woman who worked at the trucking company where Schroder worked. She said he failed to show up for work, and when contacted said he had struck a deer. But if that had happened, the former co-worker told police, it should have been reported immediately.

Contacted by police, Schroder claimed to have not seen anyone, then claimed he hit a deer. Berz said Schroders initial denial of striking anyone showed consciousness of guilt.

If you thought you had hit a deer you would have said so, but you didnt, Berz said. You may have hoped and wished and prayed that what you hit was a deer, I have no doubt about that. No matter how you tried to convince yourself, you knew you hit a person.

It was only after he was confronted by police with evidence left behind at the scene that Schroder admitted hitting the woman, who he said was walking in the road. He said he got scared, drove to his car and went home, the complaint states.

In addition to bleeding on her brain, the woman sustained skull and spinal fractures, fractures to her face and nose, a broken leg, fractured ribs and lacerations to her spleen, liver and kidney.

Her parents said in court Tuesday that in addition to a month in the hospital, she has been through extensive rehabilitation and continues to recover. She graduated from high school despite missing the entire first semester of her senior year, they told Berz.
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi is proposing to spend $3 million to study the feasibility of a digester that can turn manure into renewable fuel and keep it out of lakes.

There are two commercial digesters in Dane County that process manure from about 10,000 cows, capturing methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas, and extracting fertilizer that can be returned to farmers in concentrated form.

But the county has about 155,000 cows that produce almost as much waste as the population of Chicago. Spread on fields, particularly in the winter, much of that waste gets washed into lakes, where it can trigger algae blooms, which Parisi said are responsible for most of the challenges facing our lakes.

Parisi announced the proposal at a news conference Tuesday outside the countys $28 million renewable gas pipeline injection facility at the Rodefeld Landfill, saying a digester would be a game changer for water quality while also eliminating a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Parisi is expected to release his full budget proposal on Monday.

Parisi said the feasibility study will look at options for manure transportation and handling, possible pipeline needs and what components would be needed to process large volumes of waste in the smartest way possible.

The goal, Parisi said, is a digester that could process manure from about 30,000 more cows, reducing manure spreading while protecting the countys legacy as a top dairy producer and achieving greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to taking more than 21,000 cars off the road.

We can create a one-stop service for farmers manure and help transport it to one central location, giving both large and small farms an opportunity to access technology to treat rather than spread it on fields, Parisi said. This project is the path to a future where we see fewer wintertime pictures of manure-coated snowy farm fields.

The proposal is the latest in a series of initiatives the county has undertaken to reduce agricultural runoff and the subsequent algae blooms.

The county has removed 180,000 pounds of phosphorus as part of a four-year, $12 million stream-dredging initiative. Parisi is requesting another $2 million in the 2023 budget for the suck the muck campaign.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the number of cows in Dane County.

155,000
CONAKRY, Guinea (AP)  Guinea opened a landmark trial Wednesday exactly 13 years after a stadium massacre by the military left at least 157 protesters dead and dozens of women raped, with the country's former coup leader Moussa Dadis Camara among those charged.

The court proceeding began a day after Camara and five more defendants were detained in the capital, Conakry, pending the outcome of the trial. Eleven men in total appeared in court on charges of murder and rape from the 2009 attacks.

Camara, who always wore military fatigues and a beret after he took power in a 2008 coup, was nearly unrecognizable in a white flowing boubou. He listened calmly as a court clerk read the long indictment aloud.

Thirteen years later, lets do everything possible to ensure that the horror of massacres does not happen again in Guinea," Djibril Kouyate, the president of the Guinean National Bar Association, said during a speech at the trials opening. "Those who died will not speak again, but their bloodshed demands justice.

Karim Ahmad Saad Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, applauded the victims' family members for their patience.

September 28 has become a day of sadness," he said. We have the opportunity, you have created the space for September 28 to be a day of promise and hope.

Security forces opened fire at demonstrators who had gathered at the stadium that day in 2009 to protest then-coup leader Camara's plans to run for president. The junta said uncontrolled elements of the army carried out the rapes and killings. But a Human Rights Watch investigation found that Camaras top aides were at the stadium and did nothing to stop the violence.

The international organization's investigation said Camaras red-bereted presidential guard surrounded the stadium where opposition supporters had gathered and blocked the exits. The troops entered and immediately opened fire with AK-47s as panicking demonstrators tried to flee. Many were crushed to death, while others were gunned down as they tried to scale the stadiums walls.

Several months after the massacre, Camara survived an assassination attempt and then fled into exile in Burkina Faso. The man who shot him, Capt. Toumba Diakite, is among the defendants being held alongside Camara.

For years, Guineas government sought to prevent Camara's return, fearing it could stoke political instability. However, another coup last year put a military junta in power that was more amenable to Camaras repatriation.

He finally returned last year to Conakry, where he told supporters he had faith in the countrys justice system and was fully prepared to tell my part of the truth.

Elise Keppler, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, has said the trial's opening is bringing "victims closer to much needed justice for the horrific crimes committed in the stadium.

The trial is an unprecedented step for justice for victims in Guinea, which should be accompanied by reforms to enable respect for rights and more prosecutions of abuses, Keppler said last week. The ICC Prosecutors office has played a vital role in spurring forward this landmark trial through its ongoing monitoring and frequent visits to Conakry, which it should continue.

Associated Press writer Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal contributed.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration should create an additional senior-level position at the White House National Security Council to focus on cases of Americans who are wrongfully detained in foreign countries, and give more power and funding to an FBI-led interagency office tasked with helping free hostages, according to a report Wednesday from a leading advocacy group.

The report from the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation also recommends that Congress authorize funding to pay for hostage families to visit Washington to meet with U.S. government officials, as well as to provide support  whether clothing, temporarily housing or medical care  for returning hostages.

The annual research report is based on interviews with 60 people, including former hostages and wrongful detainees and their relatives as well as former government officials.

It was released amid heightened public attention on the plight of American hostages and detainees, thanks in part to the continued imprisonment in Russia of WNBA star Brittney Griner on drug-related charges. The U.S. has been trying to bring home Griner another American jailed in Russia, Paul Whelan, but those efforts have so far not been successful.

In addition, family members of detainees have demonstrated in recent months outside the White House and in New York, and a mural unveiled this summer in Washington depicting faces of Americans jailed abroad has added to the publicity.

Yet more than 60 Americans are still being held hostage or wrongfully detained, and the report's authors say such cases appear tougher to resolve than they were a decade ago. Nearly half of the U.S. nationals who are still held hostage have been held for more than five years, the report says.

The report also says the number of countries holding Americans captives has grown over the last decade, totaling 19 in 2022. Seventy-five percent of currently detained Americans are being held by China, Russia, Iran and Venezuela, the report says.

The Biden administration has said publicly that it regards the release of hostages as a top priority, though officials have also noted that such resolutions can involve difficult decisions  particularly in the case of prisoner swaps involving lawfully convicted felons in the U.S.  and that the U.S. is not the only country with a say in the matter.

In the case of Griner and Whelan, for instance, the administration says it has not received a productive response from Russia to a substantial offer it made several months ago for their release.

The report makes 10 recommendations, including empowering and funding the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, a unit based at FBI headquarters but comprised of representatives from different agencies.

Because the interagency cell is led by the FBI, the report says, it creates the perception that the unit operates on the FBI's behalf rather than the whole of government. It recommends that the cell be supervised by rotating leaders from across different agencies, so it can remain neutral, impactful, and influential across the interagency, and that the Biden administration consider relocating it away from the FBI and elevating the position of director to a more senior role.

The White House does already have senior administration officials dedicated to detainee and hostage cases, including a director for counterterrorism for hostage and detainee affairs.

But the report envisions the creation of a new, high-level position at the National Security Council under the title of deputy assistant to the president and special coordinator for detentions. The person would also engage with regional directorates within the NSC to make sure that hostage and detainee concerns are prioritized alongside other diplomatic considerations  interests that can sometimes be in conflict.

In addition, the report says, having direct access to the president is critical to ensure that wrongful detainee issues are better prioritized and understood.

The foundation was named after James Foley, a freelance journalist who was among a group of Westerners brutally murdered in Islamic State captivity in Syria in 2014. Two British IS militants, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, have either pleaded guilty or been found guilty by a jury in connection with those deaths and are serving life sentences.

The murders of Foley and other Americans reshaped the U.S. government's approach to hostage-taking, spurring the creation of the fusion cell as well as a new office within the State Department known as the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.

Follow Eric Tucker at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
Dubai Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a workshop on the UAE Corporate Tax system at its headquarters, which was attended by over 330 participants from the business community, representing various economic sectors.



Organised in collaboration with leading law firm Al Tamimi & Co., the workshop supported the Chambers efforts to keeping companies informed of key legal developments that are transforming the business environment.



During the event, participants were briefed on how corporate tax will be implemented in the UAE, highlighting the expected impact it will have on corporate profits. The session also sought to educate attendees on how to comply with tax requirements and plan for a smooth transition for when the new tax comes into effect.



The UAE had recently announced the introduction of the Corporate Tax system, set to be implemented in June 2023, where tax will be collected at a basic rate of 9% on company profits exceeding AED375,000, while a rate of 0% will be calculated for companies whose profits fall below the threshold, in an effort to support startups and SMEs.



During the workshop, Shiraz Khan, partner, and Eunice Nanos, advisor, at Al Tamimi & Co., provided a detailed overview of the new corporate tax system, along with guidelines and recommendations for businesses to follow in order to prepare for implementing the system and complying with its requirements. The speakers also outlined exceptions and exemptions, as well as the effects the system is expected to have on companies and businesses.



Addressing participants, Jehad Kazim, Vice President of Legal Services at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, noted that the UAE Corporate Tax system is aligned with best international practices, and mentioned that the tax rate is relatively low in comparison with international markets.



She added that the strong turnout to the workshop reflected a growing awareness of the new tax system among businesses in Dubai, as well as their interest in learning and adopting best practices.



For his part, Shiraz Khan said: The introduction of federal Corporate Tax marks a significant shift in the UAEs tax system. It is crucial for companies to understand the rules and how they will be applied to ensure they are in full compliance with the systems requirements. We are certainly delighted to be collaborating with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce on this training workshop, which is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the system and how to prepare companies to implement it.  TradeArabia News Service
JEROME  A woman admitted to police that she took a picture with her cellphone moments before swerving and striking an Idaho State Police trooper the morning of Sept. 8 along Interstate 84, police say.

The Jerome Police Department issued results of its investigation Tuesday and is recommending to the prosecutors office that several charges, including reckless driving, be filed against the driver.

The news release said the 22-year-old Jerome woman was commuting to work when she took a picture of a vehicle fire that ISP had responded to.

As the woman used her cell phone to take a picture of the incident, she failed to notice other vehicles slowing. She swerved to avoid colliding with another vehicle and struck Sgt. Wendler, the release said.

Sgt. Mike Wendler, a 16-year veteran of the ISP, was critically injured and was flown by air ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with law enforcement. While talking with investigators, the woman acknowledged texting while driving and stated she had deleted the photo of the emergency vehicles, the release said.

Officers also discovered the driver had a suspended license.

The Jerome Police Department is recommending to the city prosecutors office that the woman be charged with reckless driving, driving without privileges and destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence.

The Jerome City Prosecutors Office will review the case to determine if formal charges will be filed. Mike Hausauer, the organizer of a GoFundMe page to raise money for the Wendler family, reported on Sept. 24 that hes hopeful that Wendler might be released from the hospital next weekend.

Physically his body has worked to repair itself and continues to heal his brain injury. He has goals to reach this week (which he created for himself) to be able to return home, Hausauer said.
Fifty years ago, a kid from the state of Idaho who wanted to be a physician was in a bind.

The Gem State could not afford to build its own medical school.

And other states that had made such an investment were reluctant to share.

When I interviewed at the University of Oregon, ... they flat out told me that they were under pressure not to accept out-of-state students because of the money (the state) spent on the medical school, Jay Hunter told the Lewiston Tribunes Rachel Sun. They told me that I wouldnt get into medical school and to apply again next year to more schools. (That) I applied to five and I should have applied to at least 10.

Ted Epplerly had the same challenge.

I was kind of a kid without a medical school, coming from a state like Idaho that didnt have one, he told Sun. And friends of mine from other states who did (have a medical school) were facing a lot easier time of pursuing their dreams.

Idaho couldnt afford to build a medical school. So it did the next best thing: It transformed the University of Washington medical school  or at least a share of it  into Idahos program. Along with other states  which now include Wyoming, Alaska and Montana  it would reserve 40 seats for Idaho students. They would pay in-state tuition and taxpayers would make up the difference.

It worked. As Sun noted, Drs. Hunter, Epperly and Francis Spain completed their studies and returned to practice in Lewiston, Boise and Moscow, respectively.

They were not alone.

Of the 689 WWAMI-trained Idaho doctors, 341  49.9%  work in Idaho. Nationally, youd expect the rate of return to be lower. On average, about 39% of medical school graduates return to practice in their home states.

Producing doctors for an underserved rural state was the intent.

But every bit as important was allowing Idaho kids to pursue their dreams  something the Idaho Legislature conveniently forgot.

Earlier this year, spurred on by House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, Idaho lawmakers changed the rules. Any Idaho medical student who attended WWAMI  or an equivalent program offered through the University of Utah medical school  must sign a contract. Return to Idaho and practice for at least four years  or reimburse the money Idaho contributed toward their medical education. In the case of WWAMI, that comes to more than $43,000 a year; at Utah, its $53,100.

All of which is fine if someone intends on pursuing family medicine or a field with plenty of opportunities within the Gem State.

Suppose, however, an Idaho student studying medicine in Seattle discovers shes genuinely skilled at clinical research. Where in Idaho does she go?

Or another Idaho student shows talent in a specialized field  say an endocrinologist who works with disorders of the thyroid gland. He may not find many opportunities in a rural state.

Do they compromise by pursuing an aspect of medical study that lends itself to work in Idaho  even if theyre not passionate about it? That might deprive someone else in the country of a medical breakthrough and specialized care.

Or do these students opt to attend medical school where theyre not subject to a contract and may never return to work in their home state?

How about their parents? They have paid state taxes all these years, only to be told their children must submit to the will of the Legislature to pursue their dreams?

We dont ask that of engineers who graduate from state schools in Pocatello, Boise or Moscow. Theyre free to work in Idaho  or anywhere else  without returning what taxpayers invested in their education.

We dont ask that of lawyers, who, after graduating from the University of Idaho law school, are free to work where ever their talents and interests take them.

Thats true for any number of fields teaching, agricultural research, nursing.

How long before the Legislature shackles them to a binding contract? Since when did the Idaho Legislature reduce each generations hopes and dreams to a profit-and-loss column?
TWIN FALLS  Rural communities need access to affordable housing, broadband, educational opportunities and childcare.

The themes were prevalent at the Idaho Rural Success Summit, held Tuesday at the Canyon Crest Convention Center in Twin Falls.

We celebrate what makes rural America unique, said Joaquin Altoro, USDA administrator for the Rural Housing Service.

Hundreds of people gathered to hear speakers who hailed from inside and outside the state.

Partnerships are vital when solve problems in marginalized rural towns, Altoro said. And through them, rural areas can not only survive, but thrive.

Several people from southern Idaho shared their stories on just that.

Karma Fitzgerald helped form a nonprofit that raised $1.3 million to open a preschool and after-school program in Richfield.

Kristin Jensen of American Falls detailed her efforts in a $5 million downtown revitalization project to improve the business climate in the city of 4,500 residents.

Dont wait for someone else to carry out your dream, Jensen urged.

The elephant in the room might have been affordable housing, as housing prices skyrocket in southern Idaho. Just this year, housing prices have increased 13%, said Margaret Salazar, regional administrator for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Salazar said the department is increasing the number of vouchers available under the Section 8 program, allowing more low-income families access to housing.

In addition, in areas such as Twin Falls where the cost of housing is rising, voucher values will go up to reflect fair market conditions.

She also announced the Twin Falls Housing Authority has been chosen for a Moving to Work designation that will give it more flexibility. It is one of only 18 in the U.S. receiving the new status.

These are housing authorities that are high performers, she said. By relaxing our HUD regulations it will allow for more innovation and more flexibility in how they are using our federal funds.

Ken Robinette of South Central Idaho Community Action Partnership gave an update on the agencys Self-Help Housing Project, which has completed 84 homes in Filer for residents.

They arent given homes; they have to earn them, he said.

Participants dedicate 35 hours per week per family until the home is completed.

The gathering also spotlighted two southern Idaho businesses: El Rancho Meat Processing, of Oakley, which recently expanded its business with the assistance of resource partners, including the Idaho Womens Business Center; and Pahv Kettlecorn of Fort Hall.

Diane Bevan, of the Idaho Womens Business Center, said that low-interest loans can be the difference between success and failure for small businesses in rural areas.

They can give small business owners funding that they never thought possible, she said.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little pledged support for education and infrastructure improvement, while reducing tax burdens on Idahoans.

He touted Idaho as the most solid state in the U.S.

This event was hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Idaho Department of Commerce, Idaho Rural Partnership, and Idaho Hispanic Foundation, in partnership with USDA Rural Development Idaho.
For nine years, Arnold Marcus had been making a living selling spice grinders on Amazon.

His company, Golden Gate Grinders, had several colors available, repeat customers and an invitation to join the Amazon Accelerator program, a path toward becoming a supplier for Amazon's private label. Marcus, 68, would package orders and take customers' calls from his living room in San Francisco, proud that he was involved in every aspect of the business he built.

That changed overnight last year when Amazon removed his listings, flagging his products as a violation of company policy prohibiting the sale of drugs and drug paraphernalia. For the uninitiated, a grinder can be used for spices like oregano or rosemary, or for weed.

Marcus spent months fighting his ejection from Amazon's online marketplace, to no avail.

"There was no indication in all those years that this is a prohibited product," Marcus said this summer. "One day, they were supporting me and then one day it ended."

Amazon says its guidelines around drugs and drug paraphernalia are longstanding and state that products can't be primarily designed for making, preparing or using a controlled substance. Grinders that are equipped with features specifically for marijuana-related use are not allowed on the platform.

"Third-party sellers are independent businesses and are required to follow all applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies when listing items for sale in our store," a spokesperson said. "We have proactive measures in place to prevent prohibited products from being listed, including drug paraphernalia, and we continuously monitor our store, remove any such products and take corrective actions when we find them."

For sellers, the language of the policy is clear but enforcement is ambiguous.

In some cases, Amazon has flagged products that have been sold on the platform for years. It has removed some spice grinders, like those that Marcus was selling, while allowing similar products to remain for sale. One grinder that is still on sale includes in its product description that users can "just keep your weed in it until you need it."

A search for "spice grinders" on Amazon.com brings up more than 8,000 results. "Spice grinders for cannabis" has over 660.

"They've always said there's no drug paraphernalia but there were lots of products that were ambiguous products that were able to sell on the platform for years and years," said Lesley Hensell, co-founder of Riverbend Consulting, which helps third-party sellers on Amazon.

For sellers, there was a period of very little enforcement followed by a period of very strict enforcement, leaving them with a lot of questions and a lot of products in their garage, Hensell said. "These guys are talking about unloading stuff at flea markets."

Riverbend Consulting started hearing from more sellers about problems listing grinders last year when, Hensell says, Amazon changed the artificial intelligence it used to search for contraband on the site. Now, listings that slipped through the cracks are flagged by the software right away.

The cannabis industry is inherently risky, said Chris Shreeve, co-founder and vice president of business development at PrograMetrix, a Seattle-based ad agency with a cannabis and CBD division. Shreeve also co-owns The Bakeree, a dispensary with two locations in Seattle.

"We have to play the hand that we're dealt in the cannabis space," he said. "It's a difficult hand, but we've got to do it."

Platforms like Google, Meta and Amazon are "tiptoeing around acceptance," Shreeve said, hoping to follow federal rules and keep up with changing guidelines across state lines  while also finding some way to tap into the roughly $30 billion cannabis industry. Amazon has campaigned for marijuana legalization at the federal level and, in June 2021, announced it would no longer include marijuana in its drug screening program.

The tech giants tend to leave gray areas for products that are not "plant facing," like grow lights that can be used for lots of different kinds of plants and grinders that can be used for lots of different kinds of herbs, Shreeve said.

That ambiguity has left many companies in the cannabis industry looking for workarounds, Shreeve said.

On Google, a company can share information about cannabis but can't sell the product or a related product. So brands will market blog posts about the industry in the hopes potential customers will click through and later make a purchase. Meta allows companies to market topical CBD or hemp products but not anything that users would smoke or chew. So brands will create separate landing pages for different products, hoping again to reach new customers.

"Each platform has its own hoops to jump through and red tape to navigate but there are brands that are sidestepping those rules and regulations because of the importance of exposure for the company and the product," Shreeve said.

"I don't fault cannabis and CBD brands for trying to navigate the ambiguous rules and regulations on some of these larger platforms," he continued. "But it needs to be done under the assumption that there is risk."

Marcus, from Golden Gate Grinders, has spent the past year tweaking his product and the way it appears on the website to respond to Amazon's concerns. His seller account is still active, but his products aren't listed for purchase, meaning he can't bring in any revenue.

One Amazon representative suggested his product was removed because he had a mesh screen. He removed the screen, relisted the grinder and watched it get flagged again. Another representative told him the product was taken down because there were keywords related to tobacco. Marcus checked his listing and didn't find any references to tobacco. Yet another representative pinned the blame on specific semicolons and quotation marks.

After months of small changes, Marcus scrapped his listing entirely and created a new product: a 2.5-inch silver spice mill without any key words, photos or descriptions. Amazon still flagged and removed the product.

"I'm done, there's nothing else I'll do or can do that will change what's going on," Marcus said. "I feel even if I create a Golden Gate Grinders toothbrush, it'll be removed."

Many third-party sellers outside the cannabis industry have run into similar problems, reporting that a confusing decision  often driven by an algorithm  has kicked products off Amazon's platform with little explanation and little room for recourse. Last year, Chukar Cherries was removed suddenly when Amazon's fraud-prevention algorithm inexplicably linked it to another seller in China that had been deactivated for violating company policy. It took 67 days to get the sweets back online.

In online forums for third-party sellers, concerns specific to grinders have cropped up again and again. One user posted that they "can't understand why others can sell" but they cannot. Another said it was unclear what triggered it, "but for whatever reason (the) majority of the listings were yanked." Another said Amazon's "one size fits all policy makes sellers lose millions."

Before Golden Gate Grinders ran into its own trouble, Marcus had been a vocal supporter of Amazon on these types of forums. He posted that being a third-party seller on Amazon gave "a burnt-out software engineer, an old man, an opportunity to recreate himself."

Now, he is considering filing for bankruptcy, has had to ask his brother for a loan and has taken on credit card debt.

He had been buying inventory to prepare for the moment Amazon relisted his products but, after nearly a year off the platform, he's no longer optimistic he could build his business back up. He's lost customer reviews that are crucial to getting his product on the top of the search results, and his competitors have been operating while he's been sidelined.

"Even if somebody woke up one morning and said 'Let's let him back on,' that would be very challenging," Marcus said. "I have to start from the beginning. They seriously damaged and hurt my company."
Brennan ODonnell, Ph.D., president emeritus and professor of English at Manhattan College, has been appointed as one of three new board of trustees members at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania.

ODonnell was the Colleges 19th president and served from 2009 to 2022. Last spring, he stepped down from the position after 13 years. During his tenure, ODonnell oversaw significant infrastructure expansion projects including the opening of the Patricia and Cornelius J. Higgins 62 Engineering and Science Center in 2021. He also helped maintain and grow the Colleges reputation as a top destination for academic success, return on investment and for supporting military veterans. He received an honorary degree from Misericordia in 2019.

Having grown up in Northeastern Pennsylvania in a family with strong ties to Misericordia, I am honored to serve an institution that is so vital to the region," said ODonnell. I have always had a deep respect for the Mercy tradition and the mission of Misericordia. I am impressed with the quality of the academic programs and with the vision and commitment of President Myers, the Board, and the university's leadership. I look forward to the work ahead."

ODonnell came to Manhattan after five years of service as the dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill, Fordham University. Before coming to New York, he spent 17 years at Loyola College in Maryland (now Loyola University Maryland), where he served as a professor of English and, from 1999-2004, director of the university-wide honors program. As a scholar and teacher, he has focused mainly on poetry, especially of the British Romantic period, and on religion and literature, particularly contemporary American Catholic writers. He has authored two books on the poetry of William Wordsworth and co-edited "The Work of Andre Dubus," a collection of essays published as a double issue of "Religion and the Arts." In 2014, he won the prestigious Robert Fitzgerald Prosody Award, which recognizes scholars whose work has made a lasting contribution to the art and science of versification.

A frequent contributor to national and international conversations about the current state and future of Catholic higher education, ODonnell served from 19942000 as editor of the national magazine "Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education," and as a member of the National Seminar on Jesuit Higher Education from 19932000. He currently serves on the board of trustees of Lewis University. In addition, he has served on the board of directors of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, and as a trustee of La Salle University, Philadelphia. While at Loyola, he was on the board of the Lilly Fellows Program, and of Collegium, a consortium of Catholic universities that strives to strengthen faculty understanding of and participation in the mission of Catholic higher education.

A native of Pennsylvanias Wyoming Valley, ODonnell earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with highest distinction and honors in English at The Pennsylvania State University in 1981, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He earned a master's degree and a Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in English and American literature and language. He is married to poet, writer and scholar Angela Alaimo ODonnell, Ph.D., associate director of the Curran Center for American Catholic Studies at Fordham. The couple has three sons (all educators) and four grandchildren.

The ODonnells have strong family ties to Misericordia. Both were awarded honorary doctorates from Misericordia in 2019. Brennan ODonnells mother, Mary Brennan O'Donnell, was a 1939 graduate of College Misericordia. His aunt, Miriam Ruth Brennan, RSM, was a 1950 graduate of College Misericordia and a Sister of Mercy.

The Misericordia University Board of Trustees is pleased to welcome our three new members," said Deborah Smith-Mileski, D.Ed., chair, Board of Trustees. "Their combined expertise in higher education, business development and finance are sure to add significant value to our board. I look forward to working with them to meet the challenges of modern higher education and to help Misericordia University continue to prosper."

In addition to ODonnell, Misericordia appointed Mark Ailes, an accomplished biopharmaceutical executive, and David M. Payne Jr., a Misericordia alum and managing director of PNC Capital Markets LLC, as the two other board of trustees members.
Martinsville City Council met for a tour of West End and then held a neighborhood meeting afterwards at Albert Harris Elementary School on Monday to discuss the Paradise Inn and other issues.

The meeting began with an overview of the tour by Martinsville City Manager Leon Towarnicki, who said that all Council members, development staff and Martinsville Police Chief Eddie Cassidy were in attendance on the tour.

At the meeting, Council addressed vacant houses, foliage trimming, draining issues, the VM Draper Site, burned and condemned houses, a demolition list, the progress of selling the Five Points neighborhood houses, the development block grant project and what to do about the Paradise Inn building on Fayette Street.

James Dalton asked why council was considering a new project when they have yet to take care of problems from the past.

Towarnicki said that the city had a list of issues that they knew city residents wanted fixed and addressed over the past 5 years and because of the ARPA funding given to the city during COVID, they now have the ability to take care of some of them.

The city doesnt have money for the drainage project, but the city has money to do what they want to do and the city has money to spend 1.5 million dollars to work on reversion, Dalton said. Whered that money come from?

Council Member Tammy Pearson had stated at an event hosted by candidates Aaron Rawls and LC Jones on Sept. 17 that the city had spent more than $1.5 million on reversion. Dalton also attended that event.

Timothy Wade said that before he got help from the Pine Hall Block Grant, he got a letter from the city saying he needed to pay the taxes and get the property transferred from his sisters name to his. Once he paid the taxes, he said, he was told that since no one had been in the house for six months, they did not qualify for aid from the city.

City of Martinsville Community Development Director Mark McCaskill said that the city has to follow the federal and state rules attached to the grant, and that having no utility service for over six months prevented the aid. If its been vacant too long they wont let that house come into the project, McCaskill added.

Dan Moore said that the city got the money for the Pine Hall Block grant off the backs of the people of Pine Hall.

Everybody keeps promising something, but we aint seen nothing, Moore added. We aint seen nothing but a big sign and a bunch of letters that say they arent eligible for grant funds.

Louise Niblett asked, Where is the money going? stating that she had gotten letters asking to buy her house and that the properties around her house were not being properly taken care of and were falling into disrepair.

Lee Vernon of High Street asked about the demolition list, saying How long is it? How backed up is it? and what are the criteria for the houses that are prioritized. He stated that a house beside his was condemned in 2019 and has still not been demolished, only falling into further disrepair.

Martinsville City Building Official Kris Bridges said that they have multiple lists, both commercial and residential, identifying 142 houses in varying stages of the process. He said that three houses were going out for bid on Tuesday and others over the next month, working on them in groups of 10. The slow progress is due to lack of funding, he said.

Diane Clark Lee wanted to know about demolition processes because a house next to her sisters has been abandoned for over five years. She asked if owners of those houses were fined and then also held accountable after that initial fine. Mayor Kathy Lawson told her that they are.

The discussion turned to the Paradise Inn, a former hub for Black social life in Martinsville. The business closed in the mid-1990s and the building was condemned by the city in 2008. The building has continued to deteriorate since then, and City Attorney Eric Monday said at a recent council meeting that unpaid real estate taxes continue to accumulate.

In 2018, Towarnicki said, the city solicited an estimate to determine the cost to restore the Paradise Inn back to usable condition and it totaled around $3 million. Council members agreed that including the increased cost of materials since the estimate was made, the cost to restore the Paradise Inn today could be as much as $5 million.

The city does not own the Paradise Inn and Lawson said that if the consensus of the community was to tear the building down, then the city would be involved, but should the community decide they want the building to remain, it would be up to the owners to restore it.

What are the Black people going to get? Albert Davis said. We used to have everything up on Fayette Street for Black people. Now everything from Fayette Street to Paradise is gone, and now y'all want to get rid of Paradise Inn too.

The response about the demolition of the Paradise Inn was mixed, some wanting to keep it and try to rehabilitate it and others saying that it would take money that would be better off used elsewhere.
In addition to the Harvest Foundations recognition on the charitable organizations 20th anniversary, the Henry County Board of Supervisors memorialized three other milestone anniversaries with resolutions at a regular meeting on Tuesday.

The Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) is also celebrating its 20th anniversary. DRBA was established to protect and promote the rivers throughout the Piedmont region along the Virginia and North Carolina border. Since the beginning, the DRBA has provided educational support for teachers and has been the organizer of many programs to benefit the local ecosystem.

Ive been here for 12 years, said DRBA Executive Director Tiffany Haworth in accepting her resolution. Thank you so much and we will proudly display this.

A resolution was approved honoring Sandra Adams for her 33 years of service to the Henry County Board of Zoning Appeals.

A resolution was presented to the Mount Olivet Ruritan Club on its 50th anniversary. The organization was chartered on Oct. 19, 1972 and spends many volunteer hours supporting local schools, public safety and initiatives to feed the less fortunate.

In other matters

Henry County Treasurer Scott Grindstaff told the board that as of Aug. 31, his office had collected 93% of 2021 personal property taxes and 94% of real estate taxes.

Henry County received a grant from the Virginia Department of Transportation for $82,500 to install lighted signs and signalized cross walks at the intersection of Virginia Avenue and Kings Mountain Road. The grant required a match of $16,500 and the board approved appropriating the match from its contingency fund.

At the request of Circuit Court Clerk Jennifer Ashworth, the board appropriated $16,199 from miscellaneous refunds and revenues to cover expenses related to a temporary part-time employee for her office.

The board also:

Hired Julia Hammond, of Cozen OConnor Public Strategies, as the countys lobbyist and appropriated the funds needed from the general fund at a monthly cost of approximately $3,200.

Appropriated $10,000 from the general fund to pay towards the cost of hiring Kemper Consulting for lobbying services in a collaborative effort with local business leaders and the City of Martinsville to provide funding for the Martinsville Southern Connector route.

Conducted a public hearing and approved a request to rezone approximately 3.48-acres in the Horsepasture District from Agricultural to Commercial so the property can be marketed for commercial purposes.

Approved a request to abandon a temporary 40 x 50 turn-around located between the addresses of 468 and 510 Pioneer Trail in Collinsville.

Reappointed Bill Kirby and Sarah Hodges to the Southern Virginia Recreation Facilities Authority to four-year terms set to expire October 31, 2026.

Appointed Timothy Stone to the Patrick & Henry Community College Board for an unexpired term set to end June 30, 2026.

Heard from Justin Washer, of the Blackberry District, about his concerns regarding school security in Henry County.
An advocacy rally for the homeless was held in front of the City Municipal Building Tuesday evening prior to a regular city council meeting in council chambers.

Around 6 p.m. a group of 50 to 75 people advocating for help to the homeless in the community gathered in front of the Big Chair on Church Street across from the Martin Plaza.

A march began to city hall with participants holding signs with some of them saying Love your neighbor as yourself, Have compassion, and Show more Love.

Not long after arriving at the Municipal Building, Council Member Chad Martin spoke at length to the group, encouraging their efforts.

Keith Owens, the director of the Peer Recovery Center on Main Street told council members during the meeting that it was hoped the rally would raise awareness of a growing unhoused population in the area and help to convince the city to allocate money from ARPA funds to build a homeless shelter.

Weve become inundated with homelessness so we had a rally for awareness, said Owens. We want to let our public servants know there is a need.

Owens said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that every homeless person costs a community $47 to $60 a day.

We are just wanting to be those citizens of the community because Im one of those people that believe our better days are ahead, Owens said. Its getting colder and people are sleeping in tent encampments at the Dick and Willie Trail, in gazebos and on park benches and the warming center doesnt open until November. I just want to keep it to the forefront that theres a need for housing. I spent 10 months on the street myself.

Council Member Chad Martin said he could relate to homeless people because he mostly lived in his car one summer while attending college. Martin said his car didnt have air conditioning and sometimes he would impose on friends and sleep on a couch.

We have a drastic need for a shelter between 30-32 beds, said Michael Harrison, the pastor at Community Fellowship Church. It would be a way to get them off the street and get them help. There is opioid money and Harvest money and were looking, but you must be concerned with helping our community. 

Members of council questioned Harrison for more details about what the group planned to do and how much it would cost.

Theyll get a case worker when they come in and be assigned a task. Our desire is to get people back on their feet, Harrison said. Our budget would be $250,000 a year.

Statistics by HUD and compiled by the National Alliance to End Homelessness shows a decline in homelessness in Virginia from 12.7 to 7 people per 10,000 of population from 2007 to 2020.

Data for the city of Martinsville, as well as Henry and Patrick counties, is lumped in an area that includes most of the lower third of the state with the exception of the coast. This entire area shows 816 people homeless on a given night in 2020 making the number of homeless per 10,000 at 4.8, well below the state average.

For this region encompassing the southern portion of Virginia, total homelessness between 2007 and 2020 is down 16%, homeless but sheltered is down 7%, the unsheltered homeless dropped 41% and chronic homelessness is down 71%. While individual homelessness is down 7%, family homelessness dropped 26% over the 13-year period.

Michael Sanguedolce, who lives on Starling Avenue, spoke to council on another matter, but felt compelled to use part of his time to address the homeless issue being discussed.

If there is such a need, my wife and I are devout Christians and we will do what we can do, said Sanguedolce. We moved here four years ago and we love it here.
The World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) has announced a strategic partnership with Geo Week - a major event for the geospatial, 3D, and built world sectors tha kicks off on February 13 next year at Colorado, US.

As part of this collaboration, WGIC will actively participate in the three-day event and enrich the Geo Week 2023 conference with insights from WGIC Members and Partners.

During the event, WGIC will host a joint Plenary Session with the Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS), a WGIC Partner Organization. Registration for Geo Week will open in October, said the organisers.

Further, WGIC will also deliver additional conference content aligned with their mission to strengthen the geospatial industrys contributions to society and the global economy in the geospatial and built world industries.

As part of the deal, WGIC will collaborate with its partners and Geo Week to contribute to the conference programme, exhibit at the event and participate in additional Geo Week education and events. Additionally, Barbara Ryan, Executive Director of WGIC, is on the Geo Week Advisory Board.

Announcing the tieup, WGIC President Ken Mooyman said: "WGIC is delighted to partner with Geo Week conference. Our ability to demonstrate the value of geospatial data and solutions to climate change and sustainable infrastructure and in other areas fits well into Geo Weeks program agenda. We are excited to be at Geo Week 2023."

WGIC, he stated, is a global not-for-profit trade association of private sector companies working in the geospatial ecosystem.

It collaborates with multilateral organizations, public authorities, and user industry communities to strengthen the geospatial industrys contributions to society and the global economy, he added.

Lee Corkhill, Group Director at Diversified Communications, organizer of the event, expressed delight at the strategic partnership with WGIC.

"The partnership will continue to strengthen and advance the global geospatial community and add additional expertise and industry advocacy to the event," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
An Asheville man was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison for a gun heist that also involved a former Old Fort resident, federal authorities said in a news release.

Jesse Lynn Williams, 34, of Asheville, was sentenced to 235 months in prison last week for his role in the burglary of an Asheville gun store, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger also ordered Williams to serve three years under court supervision after he is released from prison.

According to filed court documents and the sentencing sentencing hearing, Williams organized the burglary of Carolina Guns and Gear West, LLC (Carolina Guns and Gear), a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) at 3106 Sweeten Creek Road, in Asheville.

Williams recruited his two co-defendants, Lyron Deshawn Greenlee and Alexa Rae Basillo, to assist him with the burglary. Court records show that on Jan. 7, Williams broke into the gun store and stole 33 firearms, while Greenlee and Bassillo served as lookouts or drivers during the burglary.

As part of the planning and preparation for the burglary, Williams and Bassillo customized satellite map imagery of the area surrounding the gun store, which diagrammed the location of the store and avenues of approach and escape near the store, authorities said.

The maps also identified where co-conspirators would be stationed as lookouts. Court records also show that Williams, assisted by Bassillo, acquired tools and equipment for the break-in, including two-way radios which co-conspirators used to communicate over the course of the burglary.

According to court documents, immediately after the burglary, Williams, Greenlee, and Bassillo traveled to Greenlees residence, where they divvied up the stolen firearms.

According to a previous story, law enforcement determined that Greenlee received eight of the stolen firearms, two of which Greenlee sold to his co-defendant, Bernard Eugene Carson, 33, of Morganton and formerly of Old Fort, a person who is not permitted to own a firearm due to prior criminal convictions.

Carson has several drug convictions as well as a conviction for second-degree rape in McDowell County, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety.

To date, law enforcement have recovered eight of the 33 stolen firearms.

On Jan.10, law enforcement arrested Williams and Bassillo while the two were in Bassillos parked vehicle. At the time of the arrest, law enforcement recovered from the vehicle a firearm stolen from the gun store, a crowbar, bolt cutters, and other items used in the burglary, a homemade silencer, a loaded pistol, and a loaded SKS rifle that belonged to Williams.

On April 13, Williams pleaded guilty to theft of firearms from an FFL and aiding and abetting, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. Greenlee was sentenced earlier this month to eight and a half years in prison. Bassillo and Carson are currently awaiting sentencing.
On Monday, the McDowell County Commissioners agreed to seek a grant of $950,000 that will be used to improve older houses in need to repair.

During the regular meeting, county officials held a public hearing about seeking a Community Development Block Grant from the state. If awarded, this grant of $950,000 would go toward rehabilitation of older homes that belong to low- to moderate-income persons in McDowell County.

The N.C. Department of Commerce has announced funding availability for the CDBG Neighborhood Revitalization category. This money can be spent on many public projects but the primary focus is housing. If awarded to McDowell, it would be used for housing rehabilitation needs in the county. It must be used for projects that benefit low- and moderate-income persons and helps in the elimination and prevention of slums and blight. The program is intended to assist local governments in understanding neighborhood prevention efforts. Local residents will be involved in all stages of the CDBG program, including its implementation, assessment and design of changes in the Citizen Participation Plan.

Local residents can be involved in the CDBG program in three ways:

Serve as an advisory committee to the project

Attend or hold public hearings or community meetings

Provide individual citizen efforts in the form of comments, complaints or inquiries submitted to the program administrators or the designated local official.

During Mondays public hearing, the commissioners heard from Neil Gurney with the Gateway Wellness Foundation. Headquartered in Marion, Gateway strives to facilitate improved health and wellness for the residents of Burke, McDowell, Polk and Rutherford counties.

Gateway has already worked with McDowell County on this housing rehabilitation program. Gurney said a lot of the people in McDowell who qualify for this program own their homes while other counties are dominated by renters.

Gateway says this on its website: According to the NC Housing Coalition, 72% of houses in McDowell county are owned and not rented, which is significantly higher than most counties in North Carolina. This is presumed to be because of the Mill Housing program that is unique to this region, and as a result, the average age of the housing stock in McDowell is in excess of 50 years. Of all households in McDowell around 3,759 are classified as cost-burdened with 2,227 homeowners having difficulty affording their homes. All of this results in a high percentage of homes that fall into disrepair as homeowners do not have the resources for basic repairs to fix a leaky roof, a hole in the floor, or dripping pipes, or to add a much needed wheelchair/walker ramp for an elderly or disabled family member.

The program involves local churches and contractors to make the needed repairs.

The issue is always more need and not enough money, said Gurney.

Along with Gurney, the commissioners heard from another member of the public during the hearing who said Please go ahead and agree because it is definitely needed.

At the end of the public hearing, the commissioners agreed to seek the $950,000 grant.

Other business

Also at Mondays meeting, the commissioners heard an update about emergency services from Director Will Kehler as well as an update about the Department of Social Services.

They also talked about applications for grants to expand water services. County staff continues to work on an unprecedented number of water-related projects. The countys engineer continues to work on the engineering and design for both phases of the Nebo water system expansion. County staff has received the official grant award for the Hoppy Tom Hollow Road water project. The first step for this project is the selection of an engineer and this process is underway, according to county officials.

Also, an Appalachian Regional Commission grant to extend water around Exit 90 has been submitted and is pending a decision from state and federal officials. The study of water service to the West Marion Elementary Area is underway.

In addition, a grant application for water service along N.C. 126 was together by county staff. On Monday, the commissioners approved submitting that application.

Commissioner Patrick Ellis asked the other commissioners if a similar effort is underway for the Old Fort area, which has water and sewer issues, too. Vice Chairman David Walker said they have sought input from Old Fort officials about their needs.

The commissioners also held a 10-minute closed session about personnel matters. No action was taken afterwards.
McDowell County emergency officials are preparing for even more heavy rain this weekend because of Hurricane Ian than initially expected.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the hurricane was just under Category 5 intensity as it approached Florida. It is expected to cause billions of dollars worth of damage to the Sunshine State. The remnants are expected to move inland toward the other Southeastern states, including North Carolina.

The state of North Carolina is preparing for heavy rainfall and possible flooding on Friday and Saturday from the remnants of Hurricane Ian. Gov. Roy Cooper reminds residents now is the time to complete their personal preparations, according to a news release.

While we dont yet know exactly how this storm will impact our state, its clear that this will be a significant rain event for much of North Carolina and now is the time for people to get prepared, said the governor. We are tracking the storm closely and strongly encourage everyone across the state to have an emergency kit and emergency plan in place.

The State Emergency Response Team will activate Thursday at the State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh and plans to move to 24-hour operations on Friday morning, according to the news release.

We are coordinating with our partners in government and the non-profit and private sectors to make sure we are ready to support local communities through whatever Ian brings, said State Emergency Management Director Will Ray.

Residents are advised to stay aware and keep a close eye on the forecast for the next several days. With each passing day, Ians expected impacts to North Carolina become clearer, according to the news release.

A map from the Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C. office of the National Weather Service calls for McDowell County to get 6 to 8 inches of rain over the weekend.

Dan Crawley is a weather forecaster with the Foothills Action Network for McDowell County. He said Wednesday afternoon there are no major changes in the forecast from the Foothills Action Network. The latest report from the network calls for 3 to 6 inches of rain for almost all of McDowell County during the weekend. Areas in McDowell County with higher elevation like Old Fort Mountain, Crooked Creek, Little Switzerland and Ashford/North Cove could have amounts in the 5 to 8 inch range.

One thing to maybe stress is that residents have one day left to prepare, said Crawley. Doing things as simple as cleaning guttering, drains and ditches will help allow water to flow freely.

Hurricane Ian has already affected plans for this weekend in McDowell County. The McDowell High homecoming game that was originally scheduled for Friday has been moved up to Thursday evening. The Lake James cleanup scheduled for Saturday has been cancelled and the dedication ceremony at Old Fort Elementary on Saturday has been postponed to a later date. Other events may be called off or rescheduled.

Residents and businesses can sign up for emergency alerts from McDowell County Emergency Management by texting MCDOWELL911 to 888-777 on your phone and follow the prompts. For emergency preparedness tips, visit readync.gov.
Kenyas new President William Ruto, elected last month in a close election, announced his cabinet on Tuesday, including the appointment of a former Central Bank of Kenya governor to the Finance ministry.

I am proud to announce the men and women who will serve in the government, the head of state said. While William Ruto pledged during the campaign to bring parity into his government, only seven women have been appointed, out of a total of 22 ministers. Mr. Ruto, 55, who presented himself during the campaign as the candidate of the resourceful and announced that he wanted to revive the economy, appointed Njuguna Ndungu, former governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, as Minister of Finance.

Abraham Kithure Kindiki, who defended Mr. Ruto in the countrys Supreme Court after the appeals filed by opponent Raila Odinga, has been appointed to the Ministry of the Interior. Aden Barre Duale has been appointed to the Ministry of Defence.

Simon Chelugi is the only minister who served under former President Uhuru Kenyatta to be extended by the new head of state, moving from the Ministry of Labour to the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises.

At his inauguration ceremony on September 13, William Ruto promised to work with all Kenyans. The Supreme Court confirmed on September 5, nearly a month after the August 9 election, the election victory of Mr. Ruto, who is the head of one of the countrys largest fortunes, with a lead of about 233,000 votes (out of 14 million votes) over Raila Odinga, a historic figure in Kenyan politics who had cried fraud.
Created in July 2017, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the first globally enforceable multilateral agreement banning nuclear weapons in their entirety.

It is also the first agreement to contain provisions to address the humanitarian consequences associated with the testing and use of nuclear weapons. It complements existing international agreements on nuclear weapons, in particular, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and other agreements establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones.

The NPT was approved by a diplomatic conference at the UN on July 7, 2017 and opened for signature on September 20, 2017. The treaty entered into force on January 22, 2021, following the deposit of the 50th ratification in October 2020.

In its relevance, the NPT prohibits the use, development, testing, production, possession and stockpiling of nuclear weapons. It also makes it unlawful to assist, encourage or induce in any way anyone to engage in any activity prohibited by the treaty. As of January 22, 2021, the treaty is legally binding on the 51 member states that have ratified or acceded to it.

In the words of Simeon Oyono Esono Angue, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the world today needs the promise of a future without the fear of annihilation that nuclear weapons can cause. Equatorial Guinea joins the United Nations in saying NO to nuclear and chemical weapons.

For Equatorial Guinea, the Treaty formalizes a legal instrument; our firm international conviction that any use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable, regardless of its basis.

This year, the following countries have signed the treaty: Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. And the following countries have ratified it: Nigeria, Gambia, Namibia, Lesotho, Benin, Botswana and South Africa.
Angolan air carrier TAAG has approved an external audit assessing the state of the companys operational safety and flight operations, promoted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the companys management announced on Tuesday.

The Angolan state-owned company said in a statement that it has received the final report of the IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) external audit that signals the success of the national flag carrier.

This is a necessary requirement for the renewal of the Certificate of Registration as a Safe Operator, in accordance with the provisions of the IOSA Safety Program Manual, the statement read.

According to TAAG, the audit was conducted in May and focused on the areas of organization and quality system control, operational safety, flight operations, operational dispatch, maintenance and engineering, and crew and cabin.

The audit also focused on ground operations, cargo operations, and security against acts of unlawful interference. For the Angolan operator, the result of the audit demonstrates the companys alignment with the best practices of the international aviation industry and ensures that in parallel the companys quality management has been conducting internal audits on a regular basis.

The IOSA audit, TAAG points out, is the most comprehensive compliance assessment model, reflecting the latest regulatory revisions and aviation best practices, having properly structured processes, methodologies and checklist and a team of highly specialized auditors.

The CEO of TAAG, Eduardo Fairen, quoted in the statement, said that the continuous improvement of operational safety of services and management processes is an inalienable commitment of the carrier.
Japanese drugmaker Eisai on Wednesday said its experimental drug lecanemab helped slow thinking declines among people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

The findings from a phase 3 clinical trial have yet to be peer-reviewed in any medical journal. But according to a company news release, "lecanemab treatment met the primary endpoint and reduced clinical decline on the global cognitive and functional scale, CDR-SB, compared with placebo at 18 months, by 27%."

Given the largely disappointing rollout of Biogen's Alzheimer's drug, Aduhelm, last year, any drug which appears to help Alzheimer's patients is welcome. But expert reaction to the Eisai announcement was mixed.

In a statement, Dr. Joanne Pike, president of the Alzheimer's Association, called the results an "exciting major development."

"These are the most encouraging results in clinical trials treating the underlying causes of Alzheimer's to date," she said. "These results indicate lecanemab may give people more time at or near their full abilities to participate in daily life, remain independent and make future health care decisions."

But another expert offered a more muted response.

Dr. Alberto Espay, a neurologist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, told NBC News that the benefit seen with lecanemab was "small" and added it might not translate to meaningful improvements for patients. Still, Espay believes "patients can view this [new development] with cautious optimism."

The new trial included almost 1,800 patients with early-stage Alzheimer's disease whose progress was tracked over 18 months. Investigators tracked cognition using what's known as the the CDR-SB scale, which Eisai said is "used to quantify the various severity of symptoms of dementia."

"Based on interviews of people living with Alzheimer's disease and family/caregivers, qualified healthcare professionals assess cognitive and functional performance in six areas: memory, orientation, judgment and problem-solving, community affairs, home and hobbies, and personal care," the company explained.

Patients enrolled in trials based in the United States were ethnically diverse, Eisai noted, with 25% of participants being either Black or Hispanic.

Compared to patients taking a placebo "dummy" pill, those who got lecanemab saw a "significant" slowing of cognitive decline as measured by the CDR-SB scale, Eisai reported. Noticeable changes in the rate of decline began as early as six months after taking the drug.

PET scans of the brains of patients who took lecanemab also showed noticeable declines in levels of the amyloid protein plaques, which have long been a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, Eisai noted.

As to possible side effects, there was a slight uptick in drug users of cerebral hemorrhages known as "amyloid-related imaging abnormalities" (ARIA), with 21.3% of lecanemab users experiencing this issue, compared to 9.3% of those who took the placebo.

Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody drug that's designed to target and help remove Alzheimer's-associated amyloid plaques in the brain. According to Eisai, in July the drug was placed on an "accelerated approval pathway and granted priority review" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That may help speed the drug's path to approval.

Eisai plans to present the full phase 3 clinical trial data in late November "at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Congress [CTAD], and publish the findings in a peer-reviewed medical journal," the company said.

However, Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers have had their hopes raised in the pastonly to be let down later.

Aduhelm also works by reducing amyloid plaques in the brain, but its approval by the FDA was contentious because amyloid reductions didn't seem to translate to significant improvements in daily function or any real slowing of disease.

Some scientists have begun to move away from an "amyloid-centered" approach to Alzheimer's treatment altogether.

Pike agreed that the full verdict on lecanemab is not yet in.

"We will know more at the end of November when the data behind these initial results will be public," she said. "We look forward to learning more at that time about participant safety and representation in the trials. It's also important to manage our own expectations that this treatment is not yet Food and Drug Administration [FDA]-approved and is not yet available in doctors' offices."

Still, Pike believes the new findings offer much needed hope.

"This is a major milestone for Alzheimer's disease treatments," she said. "It is a significant gain for people with the disease and their families, and it further positions us to advance our mission in new and exciting ways."

Explore further Experts encouraged by Alzheimer drug preliminary data

More information: Find out more about Alzheimer's disease at the Find out more about Alzheimer's disease at the Alzheimer's Foundation.

Copyright  2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Evangelical Christians who sought information from their religious leaders about getting the COVID-19 vaccine were significantly less likely to be vaccinated, while evangelicals who spoke with a health care provider about the vaccine were more likely to be vaccinated, according to a new Virginia Commonwealth University-led study involving a survey of 531 self-identified evangelical Christians in the U.S.

"Evangelical Christians are among the most hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine," said Jeanine Guidry, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture in the College of Humanities and Sciences and director of the Media+Health Lab. "[We found] that contact with health care providers and clergy for this particular population absolutely do matter, and they seem to matter in opposite directions."

The study, "Between Healthcare Practitioners and Clergy: Evangelicals and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy," will be published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. It explores differences in demographics, health beliefs and faith-based variables among evangelical Christians who had already received a COVID-19 vaccine, those who were not willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine, those who were undecided and those who were planning to get the vaccine.

The goal was to better understand vaccine beliefs and barriers of self-identified evangelicals and provide a foundation for future research aimed at improving vaccine uptake within that population.

"I'm hoping that this will help us not just create better messaging and create better trust relationships related to the COVID vaccine, but also to other vaccines," Guidry said. "We're still dealing with COVID, but we may be able to extrapolate this to the flu vaccine, the HPV vaccine, the MMR vaccine, to the next pandemic's vaccine."

Gina A. Zurlo, Ph.D., co-director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and co-author of the study, said the study is "important because it puts facts behind a common refrain from the media over the past two yearsthat evangelical Christians are anti-vaccination."

"While it is true that generally, this group of people are vaccine hesitant, our study revealed more nuance related to age, family status and rural/urban dynamics," Zurlo said. "Furthermore, this research helps religious leaders understand just how influential they are not only in their parishioners' spiritual health, but also their physical health."

The study's findings that evangelical clergy are influential in vaccine decision-making presents an opportunity for positive change, the researchers wrote.

The findings showed that those who were receptive to faith-based vaccination promotion strategies were more likely to be vaccinated. That suggests, they wrote, that positive attitudes towards vaccination can reinforced by trusted religious leaders who themselves acknowledge getting the vaccine and encourage others to do the same, and that clergy can be helpful in dealing with perceived barriers to getting the vaccines.

"We asked [study participants], would any of these affect your likelihood to get the vaccine: If your pastor said they were vaccinated? Or if your pastor encouraged vaccination from the pulpit? Or if you could get information about the vaccine in your church?" Guidry said. "Those faith-based variables made it more likely for people to say 'Yes, if those things were in place, that could affect my decision.'"

As an example of the importance of engaging religious leaders, Guidry highlighted the example of Facts and Faith Fridays, a partnership between VCU Massey Cancer Center and the African American faith-based community. Led by community leaders Rudene Mercer Haynes, Rev. F. Todd Gray and VCU Massey Cancer Center Director Robert A. Winn, M.D., the program was founded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants work to enhance their communities through participating in ongoing dialogues around COVID-19 and vaccine distribution; systemic racism and health inequity; cancer risks and prevention; medical myths and mistrust; and health resources in urban and rural communities.

"Facts and Faith Fridays recognizes that faith leaders are trusted sources of information and can act as ambassadors for their communities," Guidry said. "This study leans into that, saying, 'OK, we have health care providers whoby and largeare a fairly trusted source of information. And we know that clergy are trusted sources of information. What we need to do is bring health care providers and clergy together.'"

The study is the latest research led by Guidry revealing insights into COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 misinformation. In February, a study led by Guidry found that cancer patients undergoing active treatment were more likely to believe misinformation related to COVID-19 than those without a history of cancer. Last fall, a study she led revealed that college students in seven countries were more likely to practice social distancing if they believed two things: that it would protect against COVID-19 and that it was an action they could easily carry out.

"We still lose too many people to COVID every single day," Guidry said. "Anything I can do to help make it easier for people to protect themselves, that's what I want to do."

More information: Jeanine P. D. Guidry et al, Between Healthcare Practitioners and Clergy: Evangelicals and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022). Journal information: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Jeanine P. D. Guidry et al, Between Healthcare Practitioners and Clergy: Evangelicals and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy,(2022). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191711120
Scientists are studying how positive thoughts can be reactivated in brain circuits during sleep and, in the process, improve your nights rest. Credit: Kinga Cichewicz via Unsplash

Scientists are probing what happens in the brain as people slumber and how they can enjoy the restorative effects of better deep sleep.

Everyone suffers restless nights from time to time. Chewing over failures or worries at the end of the day undermines rest, especially deep sleep. "A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow," wrote author Charlotte Bronte.

A good night's sleep serves as a tonic. What's more, it is long recognized that shuteye gives learning and memory a boost. More recently, scientists revealed that the early phase of deep slow-wave sleep is especially important.

"When you learn something in the evening, that information becomes reactivated during sleep," said Dr. Bjoern Rasch, who took part in the MemoSleep project and is a professor at the University of Fribourg.

The Swiss researcher added that "Ruminations and negative thoughts increase our awakenings during sleep, make us wake earlier than we want and make us sleep less deeply."

Reactivated thoughts

But there is good news too. Positive thoughts can also be reactivated in brain circuits and, in the process, improve sleep, according to Dr. Rasch. He organized an experiment around the whole idea.

His test was a small boon to students in his university who received 50 Swiss francs (EUR 52) for every night they spent snoozing in a comfortable four-bed sleeping laboratory.

The students were connected to an electroencephalogram that monitored their brain waves. They also had their muscles monitored to record when they fell into slumber and what sleep-state they were in.

Some relaxation strategies allow people to fall asleep faster, but don't change the quality of sleep afterwards, according to Dr. Rasch. He played hypnotic tapes with imagery such as a fish swimming in deep water, and with words suggestive of safety and relaxation, for the students.

"The subjects spent more time in the deeper slow-wave sleep stage after listening to the hypnotic tape," said Dr. Rasch. "We would explain this by an increased reactivation of relaxing and reassuring thoughts during sleep, heard previously during the hypnosis tape."

In future studies, Dr. Rasch hopes to help patients who suffer from insomnia.

"It could not only help them fall asleep but could actually make their sleep more restful," he said. Furthermore, this could aid people with psychological illnesses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, who sleep poorly.

Seahorses and learning

The seahorse-shaped part of the brain called the hippocampus (from the Greek word for seahorse) is especially important for learning and memory. Scientists often use rodents to investigate their hippocampus in learning and sleep.

Rats, for example, are masters at remembering paths through mazes to find foods. The hippocampus is key to this recall.

Dr. Juan Ramirez-Villegas uses rodents to probe how mammalian brains store memorieswork that could eventually contribute to fighting human illnesses such as Alzheimer's.

As part of the DREAM project, he discovered that another part of the brainthe brainstemplays a crucial role along with the hippocampus and becomes active beforehand.

"It seems like the brainstem is setting up some scenery so that the hippocampus can reactivate memories across different stages of sleep," said Dr. Ramirez-Villegas, who is a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria.

He has attached electrodes to record activity in the brains of rats as they navigate a maze and afterwards as they sleep. Sleeping allows the brain to replay daytime events and etch them as long-term memories.

"It is very striking that the cells fire in the same order during sleep that they did during learning, but they are more compressed in time during sleep," said Dr. Ramirez-Villegas.

How we remember

The discovery was surprising because it suggests that the brainstem has an overlooked function in stimulating and changing memory formation. This seems to be true for rodents as much as for primates and, as a result, is likely to be a basic mechanism of the brains of mammals, including people.

The research, while crucial to understanding the basic operation of the brain, could have clinical benefits too. "We are untangling the basic principles of memory processes, but we can also use these to ameliorate the effects of memory-related illnesses," said Dr. Ramirez-Villegas.

More information: MemoSleep

DREAM
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The Halton independent review of Australia's COVID vaccine and treatment procurement has been handed to the federal government, which released the review's recommendations yesterday. Topping the list of priorities are "public health campaigns designed to encourage sustained booster uptake for those that will benefit [] delivered during 2023 and 2024 to improve coverage."

Around 72% of the eligible population in Australia have received their third dose. Fourth dose uptake is reasonably high among older adults (73% of eligible people aged over 65), but only 40% of eligible adults aged 30 to 65 (those with health conditions or a disability) have had their "winter booster."

Around the world, authorities are rethinking how they encourage maximum vaccine protection.

A 'new phase'

Earlier this month, the United States government announced the start of a "new phase" of its pandemic response. Under its new plan, most Americans could receive a COVID vaccine once a year, in the same way we line up to get an annual influenza vaccine. However, some vaccine experts in the US are concerned the government is "jumping the gun" without the data to justify its plan.

There are a few issues with adopting an annual COVID vaccination plan. First, the SARS-CoV-2 virus hasn't been following a predictable annual pattern of peaks and troughs like influenza does. That makes it hard to predict when the next wave might come. And the way the virus mutates is also unpredictablewe don't know whether there are new variants of concern on the horizon. But perhaps most importantly, we don't know how people will feel about getting an annual COVID vaccine.

Internationally, the blame for plateauing vaccine uptake has been placed on missing or inappropriate communication. As suggested by David Grabowski, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, "Public health officials have not communicated clearly when you should get a booster and that it is an important step."

Communication failures

Impersonal, mistranslated and uninspiring government communication efforts have dogged the COVID vaccination program from the start. However, is communication failure the biggest issue now? Or does it come down to general fatigue about COVID?

"People are ready to put COVID behind them, and they just want to return to a more normal way of life," suggests William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

A recent systematic review looked at factors associated with acceptance of the first COVID booster dose, based on 14 studies including 104,047 fully vaccinated individuals. This review reported 79.0% intend to accept a booster, while 12.6% said they were unsure.

Not surprisingly, people who have previously received a COVID vaccine are more likely to roll up their sleeves again. Those who may decline the option are those who experienced or have ongoing concerns about adverse reactions and discomfort following COVID vaccination.

While these acceptance figures fluctuate a bit based on current disease patterns and public health policy requirements, it does suggest we're not likely to see booster coverage climb beyond 80%.

This is a concern because boosters are key to keeping people out of hospital, especially people from high-risk groups.

Lifting the booster fog

The evidence supporting boosters is incontrovertible. Summary of data for 4th vs 3rd shots for survival benefit, age 50+

The unequivocal benefit is for enhanced protection vs severe COVID pic.twitter.com/2Gpaxq8xlM  Eric Topol (@EricTopol) September 18, 2022

Confusion damages trust

So how can we continue to encourage uptake? A recent online experiment from Israel suggests positive and negative monetary incentives, such as fines or monetary payments, could help get people on board with a seasonal COVID vaccine.

The study authors also mention the use of mandates, but such policies would be extremely difficult to justify at this stage in the pandemic, when vaccination is primarily for ongoing individual protection.

While information campaigns alone might not drive uptake like they did earlier in the COVID vaccine program, clear and consistent messaging remains critical. Changing vaccine recommendations has the potential to confuse the public and damage trust and confidence. If any country is going to shift towards a routine periodical COVID vaccine, this must be communicated early and with appropriate justification.

These communication efforts will require coordinated funding as well as support for primary health-care workers responsible for explaining, promoting and delivering COVID vaccines. Unfortunately, we are already seeing reductions in funding for COVID vaccine community engagement programs and vaccine promotional efforts, such as those in the U.K.

Learning from others' mistakes

Finally, messaging also needs to be designed based on evidence and take community perceptions, motivators and challenges into account.

The U.S. Federal Drug Administration recently released a new promotional campaign calling on people to "install that update" with a bivalent COVID booster vaccine.

The backlash was swift, with some highlighting potential conspiracy theories that could be inferred from the campaign wording and others suggesting the U.S. is "now treating its citizens like smartphones."

As authorities consider another potential shift in the COVID vaccination program, they'll need to listen to the community and invest in evidence-based approaches to maintain public confidence.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Hong Kong: Fake certificates being probed

The Department of Health today said it has been actively following up on the cases of individual private doctors suspected of abusing the issuance of medical exemption certificates in relation to COVID-19 vaccination.

Responding to media enquiries, the department said that together with the Health Bureau, it has referred the cases to the Medical Council of Hong Kong for follow-up.

As soon as the Government noted the irregularities, the department suspended the doctors' participation in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and is retrieving the COVID-19 vaccines distributed to them and they can no longer provide the jab service to the public.

In addition to being suspended from issuing medical exemption certificates via the eHealth System (Subsidies), these doctors are banned from other Department of Health subsidy programmes such as the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme.

They also can no longer issue further medical exemption certificates under the Vaccine Pass arrangement.

Private doctors are reminded of the importance of boosting the vaccination rate to build an immunity barrier and the guidelines issued by the department to them have listed the medical reasons for vaccination suitability.

Doctors should only issue medical exemption certificates after verifying the people concerned are not suitable for receiving the Sinovac and BioNTech vaccines currently provided in Hong Kong.

When considering the issuance of the exemption certificates, doctors are required to refer to the guidelines issued by the department and follow the Code of Professional Conduct for the Guidance of Registered Medical Practitioners when making clinical judgements on whether a patient's condition satisfies the listed medical reasons for not being suitable for vaccination.

The Government will closely monitor the issuance of medical exemption certificates by doctors and handle seriously cases concerning contravention of the code of professional conduct or criminal acts and pass the relevant information to the Medical Council of Hong Kong and enforcement departments for follow-up as appropriate.

This story has been published on: 2022-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) will launch the worlds first-of-its-kind Parenthood: The Unconference at Yas Islands Etihad Arena from November 2 to 4 2022.

Ground-breaking in format and content, the event will help redefine and elevate the crucial role parents and the wider family unit play in raising healthy and thriving children.

Parenthood: The Unconference forms part of ADEKs broader mission to prioritize and enhance parental engagement and involvement for child success.

Global dialogue

The event aims to foster a global dialogue to better equip parents facing new and critical challenges in a world where traditional guideposts have disappeared, and previous rulebooks no longer apply. Offering an enriching program that covers all stages of parenting for early childhood to tweens and adolescence across 5 themes (Identity, New Perspectives, Development, Wellbeing and Early Childhood), visitors will gain access to new and reimagined learning opportunities that can help them become better individuals, spouses, and caregivers.

Sara Awadh Issa Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education, Chairperson of the Federal Authority for Early Education and Chairperson of ADEK explains: The launch of Parenthood: The Unconference in Abu Dhabi underscores the commitment of our leadership to improve the state of education, with a focus on future generations. To achieve this, we cannot overlook the essential role of parents and their extended support circles  the aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends who become part of the family  because it really does take a village to raise a child.

Parental support influences childrens levels of confidence and motivation and plays a huge role in their interest in school and their pursuit of goals. That is why we champion parental engagement to ensure it is an integral part of education improvement efforts for all learners.

Foremost experts

Through Parenthood: The Unconference, we will catalyse an important global conversation that seeks to enhance the positive relationship between schools, parents and students. This event will bring together the worlds foremost experts to share their latest perspectives on child development and parenting.

Its an opportunity to connect, exchange, and learn from each other. By impacting current and future parenting practices, we hope to generate opportunities for a future in which children everywhere thrive and interact positively with the world around them.

According to UNICEF, - the United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide - positive parenting and family support is vital for giving children the best start in life, setting a foundation for healthy development, lifelong learning and social cohesion. UNICEF has confirmed its support and participation in the event as official Knowledge Partner.

Unparalleled opportunity

Delivered over three highly interactive days, Parenthood: The Unconference will provide an unparalleled opportunity to learn from more than 60 leading international, regional and local experts, as well as each other, during a series of engaging sessions, keynote talks, panel discussions, immersive experiences, hands-on workshops and networking.

Featured speakers include the acclaimed clinical psychologist and Oprah-endorsed parenting expert Dr. Shefali Tsabary, a three-times New York Times bestselling author whose integration of Western psychology and Eastern philosophy offers a ground-breaking approach to mindful living and parenting.

-- TradeArabia News Service
This photo provided by the Lasker Foundation in September 2022 shows Johns Hopkins University civil engineering professor Lauren Gardner in Baltimore. The 2022 Lasker public service award went to Gardner, an engineer who studies the spread of diseases. She worked with her lab team to develop the COVID-19 tracker as the coronavirus began spreading worldwide in January 2020. Credit: Will Kirk/Johns Hopkins University via AP

A Johns Hopkins University scientist who created a website to track COVID-19 cases worldwide is the recipient of this year's Lasker award for public service.

The $250,000 awards, announced Wednesday by the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, recognize achievements in medical research.

The public service award went to Lauren Gardner, an engineer who studies the spread of diseases. She worked with her lab team to develop the COVID-19 tracker as the coronavirus began spreading worldwide in January 2020. The dashboard became a key resource and now tracks global cases, deaths, vaccines and more. Through it all, the team has made the tracker freely available to the public.

The dashboard set "a new standard for public health data science" and helped inform both personal decisions and policy, the Lasker Foundation said in a release.

The prize for medical research was awarded to Yuk Ming Dennis Lo, a molecular biologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, for creating a prenatal blood test that can check for Down syndrome and other genetic conditions. Lo found that DNA from the fetus was in the mother's bloodstream, allowing genetic screening to be done with a blood test rather than a more invasive procedure.

This photo provided by the Lasker Foundation in September 2022 shows Johns Hopkins University civil engineering professor Lauren Gardner in Baltimore. The 2022 Lasker public service award went to Gardner, an engineer who studies the spread of diseases. She worked with her lab team to develop the COVID-19 tracker as the coronavirus began spreading worldwide in January 2020. Credit: Will Kirk/Johns Hopkins University via AP

This photo provided by the Lasker Foundation in September 2022 shows Richard Hynes in Cambridge, Mass. The 2022 Lasker basic research award was shared by three scientists: Hynes of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Erkki Ruoslahti of California's Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and Timothy A. Springer of Harvard Medical School. They were recognized for their research on key immune proteins called integrins, which help cells attach to other nearby cells and molecules. Credit: Kalman Zabarsky/Lasker Foundation via AP

This photo provided by the Lasker Foundation in September 2022 shows Erkki Ruoslahti in La Jolla, Calif. The 2022 Lasker basic research award was shared by three scientists: Ruoslahti of California's Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Richard O. Hynes of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Timothy A. Springer of Harvard Medical School. They were recognized for their research on key immune proteins called integrins, which help cells attach to other nearby cells and molecules. Credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys via AP

This photo provided by the Lasker Foundation in September 2022 shows Yuk Ming Dennis Lo in Hong Kong. The 2022 Lasker prize for medical research was awarded to the molecular biologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, for creating a prenatal blood test that can check for Down syndrome and other genetic conditions. Lo found that DNA from the fetus was in the mother's bloodstream, allowing genetic screening to be done with a blood test rather than a more invasive procedure. Credit: Jason Pang Gallery/Hong Kong Science Park via AP

This photo provided by the Lasker Foundation in September 2022 shows Timothy A. Springer in Boston. The 2022 Lasker basic research award was shared by three scientists: Springer of Harvard Medical School, Richard O. Hynes of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Erkki Ruoslahti of California's Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. They were recognized for their research on key immune proteins called integrins, which help cells attach to other nearby cells and molecules. Credit: Michael Goderre/Boston Childrens Hospital via AP

The basic research award was shared by three scientists: Richard O. Hynes of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Erkki Ruoslahti of California's Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and Timothy A. Springer of Harvard Medical School. They were recognized for their research on key immune proteins called integrins, which help cells attach to other nearby cells and molecules. Their work helped launch the field of integrin research, which has since led to new strategies for treating disease.

Explore further Three scientists, Planned Parenthood win Lasker medical prizes

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
People with FASD experience a range of vulnerabilities both from the impacts of prenatal alcohol exposure on the brain and body, and from the adverse life experiences commonly associated with this disability. Credit: Shutterstock

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a lifelong disability that affects the brain and body of people prenatally exposed to alcohol. New research is backing concerns raised by the FASD community about the high rates of suicidality among people with FASD.

As a team of FASD researchers and professionals who work with people with FASD, we are growing increasingly concerned with these statistics and stories we are hearing from caregivers.

FASD and suicidality

Suicidality is a spectrum of thoughts and behaviors surrounding suicide. It encompasses suicidal ideation, suicide-related communication, suicide attempts and death by suicide.

Using data from Canada's National FASD Database, our team demonstrated that suicidality among people with FASD was alarmingly high. At some point during their lifetime, 25.9% of our sample (206 of 796 individuals) experienced suicidal ideation or suicide attempt(s). Comparatively, rates in the general population range from 3% to 12%.

These findings are consistent with the current (albeit limited) research on FASD and suicide. Individuals with FASD often experience suicidality at significantly younger ages than those without FASD.

In a recent American study, youth aged 1318 years with FASD required medical assistance due to suicide attempts at rates 5.5 times higher than the general population. Other Canadian researchers have reported suicide as a leading cause of death among a group of individuals with FASD.

Because FASD is a multifaceted disorder, we must understand the complex reasons this population may be at a higher risk for suicidality.

People with FASD experience a range of vulnerabilities both from the impacts of prenatal alcohol exposure on the brain and body, and from the adverse life experiences commonly associated with this disability. Research points to several individual, relational and environmental reasons for the high risk of suicidality among people with FASD.

Individual factors

Demographic factors like age, region and living situation all play a role in the risk of suicidality among people with FASD, as do neurodevelopmental challenges, sleep problems and co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges.

In our study, the odds of suicidality among people with FASD were 6.7 times higher for those with substance use challenges and 1.9 times higher for those with difficulties with affect regulation, which is the ability to control emotional responses. We found that experiences of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder were high among people with FASD who experienced suicidality, which is worrisome considering these co-occurring diagnoses are common in this population.

Outcomes can be significantly improved with access to effective supports and services for physical and mental health. However, the lack of FASD-informed services is a big barrier. Credit: Shutterstock

Relational factors

Strong and stable relationships are an important factor influencing healthy outcomes for people with FASD. Conflict with others, social isolation and social disconnection are common challenges for those who have FASD and suicidality. Being bullied and feeling a lack of belonging also contribute to a higher risk of suicidality.

The risk is also higher for individuals with a family history of substance use, suicidality or mental health concerns, or a personal history of trauma. We found that people with FASD who experienced trauma or abuse in their past were 2.8 times more likely to exhibit suicidality during their lifespan.

Environmental factors

In our recent study we also found higher rates of suicidality among people with prenatal alcohol exposure who lived in group homes and institutional settings such as custody or in-patient treatment. Interactions with institutional systems like child welfare and justice and negative experiences within health-care systems also play a role, as can the multiple layers of stigma that this population experiences.

Outcomes can be significantly improved with access to effective supports and services for physical and mental health. However, the lack of FASD-informed services is a big barrier.

Support for individuals, families and communities

For those with FASD, having a stable and nurturing home environment is an important protective factor against mental health issues in general, so it stands to reason that safe and secure housing is important to reduce the likelihood of suicide.

Addressing factors like co-occurring mental health issues, social isolation, substance use, trauma, abuse and involvement with the justice system may also help to reduce risk. Initiatives like strengthening social supports, enhancing coping skills, hopefulness and positive future outlooks, as well as identifying reasons for living, are critical for suicide prevention.

The impact of suicidality in FASD is not confined only to individuals who have the disorder. The experiences of caregivers, families, friends and communities need to be included as well.

Even though our work identified that one in three individuals with FASD experienced suicidality at some point during their lives, this also means that two thirds of individuals did not. This raises a crucial question for September's Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Month: What factors may bolster resilience and positive outcomes to protect individuals with FASD and their families from harmful outcomes? It's essential that future research focuses on this area.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, please contact Talk Suicide Canada (1-833-456-4566).

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Although recent guidelines state women at average risk should start mammograms at age 40, a new national survey by Orlando Health finds over a fifth of women aged 35-44 have no plans of getting one. Credit: Orlando Health

About 42,000 women die of breast cancer each year, and while strides are being made in medical treatments, the best tool for preventing cancer deaths continues to be screening and early detection. But a new national survey commissioned by Orlando Health finds far too many women are skipping lifesaving mammograms and many young women have no plans to get screened at all.

Recently updated guidelines by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network state that women of average risk should begin annual mammograms at age 40, and earlier for those with risk factors like a family history, prior biopsies, atypical cells and dense breast tissue. Yet the survey found 22 percent of U.S. women ages 35 to 44 have never gotten a mammogram and have no plans of getting one.

"Mammograms can pick up tumors that are extremely small and result in a diagnosis at a stage zero or one, versus waiting for a patient to feel a lump and then by then it's probably a stage two or three," said Nikita Shah, MD, medical oncology team leader for the Breast Care Center at the Orlando Health Cancer Institute. "That's the difference between a lumpectomy and possibly a short course of radiation and more extensive treatments that involve chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries. Survival also goes from nearly 100 percent at stage zero to 50 to 70 percent for those diagnosed at stage two or three."

A new national survey by Orlando Health finds far too many women are skipping lifesaving mammograms. . Knowing your risks and when to begin screenings is critical to early detection, something that is especially important for those who are disproportionately affected by the disease such as Black women, who are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age and are 40 percent more likely to die of breast cancer than white women. Credit: Orlando Health

The survey found that less than half of U.S. women (43 percent) know their family history of breast cancer and only about a third (32 percent) know their individual risk factors for breast cancer. Knowing your risks and when to begin screenings is critical to early detection, something that is especially important for those who are disproportionately affected by the disease such as Black women, who are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age and are 40 percent more likely to die of breast cancer than white women.

"African American women tend to have a more aggressive disease course, and we want everybody, regardless of their race, to be aware and get their recommended mammograms," Shah said. "Breast cancer is one of the few cancers where the survival rate is very high when caught early, and we know that early detection is where we can really make a difference."

Terlisa Sheppard was just 31 years old and eight months pregnant when she was diagnosed with breast cancer after noticing a lump under her arm that was growing as her pregnancy progressed.

"I am so glad that I made the decision at that point to go in because my life changed instantly. I know for sure that that mammogram saved my life and my baby's life," Sheppard said. "I had a healthy daughter six weeks early and immediately began treatment to try to save my life."

Nikita Shah, MD, speaks with a patient about their breast cancer risk factors at Orlando Health Cancer Institute, something that is important to determining at what age regular mammograms should begin. Credit: Orlando Health

Her two daughters are now 23 and 25 and have joined their mother to advocate for breast cancer risk awareness and the importance of early detection.

"You know your body better than anybody. If you notice something, have it checked out," Sheppard said. "I'm a clear example that age doesn't matter. After my diagnosis, I had to fight for my life and the opportunity to be there for my daughters. If I can help someone else avoid that hardship through early diagnosis, I'm going to do everything I can."

Women should begin talking to their primary care physician or gynecologist in their twenties to assess their risks and determine when mammograms should start. Monthly self-breast exams are also important to help women understand what is normal for them, so they can recognize any changes and bring them to their doctor's attention.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Far more must be done to safeguard mental health on the job, the United Nations said Wednesday, presenting new guidelines on how to lessen psychological strains linked to the workplace.

The UN agencies for health and labour published two documents filled with advice on how best to prevent and protect against mental health risks at work, warning that psychological distress is costly for individuals and society alike.

An estimated 12 billion work days are lost every year due to depression and anxiety, costing the global economy nearly $1 trillion, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization said.

"It's time to focus on the detrimental effect work can have on our mental health," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a joint statement.

"The well-being of the individual is reason enough to act, but poor mental health can also have a debilitating impact on a person's performance and productivity."

The UN health agency cautioned in June that nearly one billion people globally were living with a mental disorder before COVID-19 hitand the pandemic has made this much worse.

Numbers 'alarming'

Working-age adults are especially affected, with one in six suffering from a mental disorder at any given time, the WHO said.

"The numbers are alarming," Manal Azzi, the ILO team lead on occupational safety and health, told reporters.

"We have a huge responsibility ahead of us."

The workplace itself is often a trigger for mental health woes, the two agencies warned.

In its fresh report listing 13 guidelines on how to counter the problem, the WHO highlighted that meaningful work can protect mental wellbeing, providing a sense of accomplishment, confidence and earnings.

But it stressed that harmful or poor working conditions, poor working relationships and unemployment "can significantly contribute to worsening mental health or exacerbate existing mental health conditions."

The workplace can also amplify wider issues that negatively affect mental health, like discrimination over gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability, the WHO pointed out.

The new guidelines cover measures to build workers' stress management, including mindfulness and physical activity.

Health work environment 'critical'

But perhaps the most important ones revolve around the "organisational interventions" needed to prevent risks to mental health at work, including for the first time recommending training managers to prevent stressful work environments and respond to workers in distress.

Aiysha Malik, from the WHO's mental health and substance use department, told reporters it was essential to "stop people from experiencing risks such as very heavy workloads... being bullied, difficult relationships with colleagues or supervisors."

That needs to change, she said, or we will continue "experiencing difficulties with our mental health at work, no matter how many stress-management tools" we apply.

In addition to its new guidelines, the WHO and ILO published a joint policy brief, laying out practical strategies for governments, employers and workers, and their organisations to protect and promote mental health at work.

It also sets out how to support people with mental health conditions and help them participate and thrive in the workplace.

"As people spend a large proportion of their lives in work, a safe and healthy working environment is critical," ILO chief Guy Ryder said in the statement.

"We need to invest to build a culture of prevention around mental health at work, reshape the work environment to stop stigma and social exclusion, and ensure employees with mental health conditions feel protected and supported."

 2022 AFP
The nearly 1.6 million-acre Bitterroot National Forest has grown slightly  by 12.5 acres, to be exact  with the recent acquisition of land straddling its eponymous river in Sula.

Officials from the Bitter Root Land Trust and the sprawling national forest spanning the length of the Bitterroot Mountains announced the acquisition Monday. The forest paid $370,000 for the land and officially took ownership on Sept. 23, according to Joni Lubke, a spokeswoman for the national forest. Federal regulations required the forest to pay fair market value for the land. While the land may someday have recreation amenities added, it will remain undeveloped for now.

The parcel sits immediately south of U.S. Highway 93 where the road crosses the East Fork of the Bitterroot River at the Camp Sula store. The land is roughly southwest of the store and the river runs through the property. The parcel is bordered by Bitterroot National Forest land to the west, south and east. Land across the highway, to the north of the parcel, is a mixture of national forest and private property.

The forest acquired the land from the Bitter Root Land Trust, a Hamilton-based conservation nonprofit. The land's previous owners, Kurt and Debbie Thomas, donated the parcel to the land trust in 2017 with the goal of permanently protecting the property for conservation and public recreation access.

In the river, the parcel is home to native westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout, as well as rainbow trout and brown trout. Land on the parcel is a mixture of wetlands, riparian area and Ponderosa pine, offering habitat to moose, elk, deer, bighorn sheep and birds.

"The conservation value of this property makes it a great community asset for the future of the south valley," Kyle Barber, the land trust's conservation director, said in the announcement. "Were grateful to Kurt and Debbie for their generous gift and excited to partner with the Bitterroot National Forest to honor their vision for public use and enjoyment of this special property"

Matt Anderson, supervisor of the Bitterroot National Forest, said in the announcement that the land would play host to expanded recreation opportunities in the future: "While it is now public land, future actions will be considered to maintain the integrity of the site, refine and implement recreational use, and to provide the public with safe access. We look forward to continued work with the Bitter Root Land Trust."

The Bitterroot National Forest has no immediate timeline for possible recreation development on the parcel. Erica Strayer, the Bitterroot's recreation program manager, added: "It will remain undeveloped space for the foreseeable future. In order to develop this parcel, the Forest Service will be seeking public input. While the specific uses have yet to be determined, the Forest Service is committed to providing our community with a safe space to access recreation opportunities in the future."

The forest purchased the land with money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Established by Congress in 1964, the fund has primarily received money from offshore oil and gas leasing via annual appropriations from Congress. But the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act, signed into law by then-President Donald Trump on Aug. 4, 2020, allocated $900 million annually for the fund. On Nov. 13, 2020, Trump's Secretary of the Interior, David Bernhardt, weakened the fund's ability to complete land acquisitions by giving local county governments the authority to veto acquisitions. On Feb. 11, 2021, President Joe Biden's Acting Secretary of the Interior, Scott de la Vega, revoked counties' veto power. The law expires after 2025.
Officials continue to investigate a woman who allegedly killed a husky dog in the Flathead National Forest under the assumption it was a wolf.

On Monday, a social media post circulated online showing a woman holding a skinned animal that appeared to be a husky dog. The post indicated she believed she had killed a young wolf.

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks spokesman Greg Lemon confirmed Wednesday morning that the woman was licensed to hunt wolves. She held a mountain lion license, sportsman combo with black bear license, an archery license and a wolf license.

Lemon said that the agency was investigating what all happened and transpired in the incident. Although the agency is not specifically investigating the social media post, but rather how the underlying event occurred, the killing was documented on Facebook and shared extensively early this week.

Last Friday, Flathead County Sheriff's deputies heard from a person who found about a dozen puppies, a mix of huskies and shepherd-mix dogs, loose in the Doris Creek area in the Flathead National Forest near Kalispell. County animal control officers looked into the situation and determined there were more than 19 possible abandoned dogs, according to Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino.

A woman, under the name Amber Rose on Facebook, shared the husky kill in a post: So this morning I set out for a solo predator hunt for a fall black bear however I got the opportunity to take another predator wolf pup 2022 was a great feeling to text my man and say I just smoked a wolf pup.

A message from the Missoulian to the listed owner of the Facebook account did not get an immediate response and was not seen as of Wednesday afternoon.

The post, ending with the hashtag #OneLessPredatorMT, included photos of the woman posing with what appeared to be a young domestic dog that had been killed and skinned, splayed out in the bed of a truck.

The post is no longer visible on her profile, but screenshots of the post continue to circulate online.

Killing a game animal without a valid license is typically a misdemeanor, Lemon said, although aggravating circumstances in individual cases can affect what charges may be filed.

It'd be essentially the same as sort of any other game violation, he said, harvesting an animal without a license.

But in this case, because the woman killed a domestic dog and not a game animal, Lemon said, the agency is more interested in how the situation came about, particularly in the context of her wolf license.

She didn't shoot a wild animal, so that's not really our part of the investigation, he said. Our focus has been pretty narrow on this piece of it  her license.

In a follow-up email, Lemon clarified that if theres no actual hunting violation that occurred  then FWP would not be able to cite/warn a hunter. Killing a domestic animal does not fall within the statutory authority of FWP. There certainly could be civil or criminal repercussions of killing a domestic animal while hunting but FWP would not be the agency to bring those.

Heino said on Monday his office is investigating the case. His office is also investigating why the domestic dogs were left to begin with, and asks anyone with information to email tips@flathead.mt.gov.

As of Wednesday morning, the Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner said the Flathead sheriff is putting the finishing touches on the investigation, and the two offices are communicating about the case. Charges havent been filed, and the suspect hasnt been named.
The Missoula Police Department received a chunk of money last week from a federal Department of Justice grant, the bulk of which will go to administrative programs and SWAT night vision equipment.

The award of $62,922 came through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG). Missoula Police Chief Jaeson White presented to the Missoula City Council on Monday evening about what the money will buy.

This includes $17,550 for the second year of the departments online warrant program used in conjunction with Missoulas municipal and district courts, White explained. It allows warrants to be processed electronically.

A second year of the departments subscription to online training and records will also be expensed.

That was something we implemented a year ago that consolidated all of our training records from three historic systems into one, White said. (It) allows us to provide current, modern, updated training to our officers every day in briefing through this national service.

The remaining $23,548 will be for night vision systems for the departments SWAT team.

A portion of the money, will be shared with the Missoula County Sheriffs Office: $13,751 will go to the county to help offset the property clerks salary.

The city council voted unanimously to authorize Mayor Jordan Hess to sign the grant memorandum.

Money from the Justice Assistance Grant isnt new to the department, White said. His department has received this funding every year since 1993 from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Since White joined Missoula police in 2020, he said the grant amount hasnt fluctuated much.

The award for eight county and city law enforcement agencies across Montana totaled $361,144. The Billings Police Department received the largest amount of funding at $123,669, and Missoulas portion was second to that. Flathead County received $27,410.

Grant money aims to prevent crime. It can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment and supplies, contractual support and information systems for criminal justice or civil proceedings, the press release stated.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester lauded local law enforcement and the need for funding.

"Montanas law enforcement always answers the call to keep our communities safe, and its critical that they have the training and equipment necessary to keep our state the Last Best Place, Tester stated in the release.
The Missoula sheriffs office is investigating a Clinton homicide case after an 88-year-old woman was found dead on Sunday.

Deputies responded to an assault at the 5600 block of Donovan Creek Road in Clinton on Sunday just after noon, a press release from the Missoula County Sheriffs Office stated.

When law enforcement arrived they found an unresponsive 88-year-old woman, identified as Delphine A. Farmer. She was pronounced dead at the scene by medical officials, the press release stated.

There is no public safety threat at this time.

There have been no arrests made in connection to the incident, but the case is an active and ongoing homicide investigation, according to the sheriff's office.
A Missoula woman was arrested following allegations that she struck two women with her car near Orange Street on Saturday.

Jessica N. Rodney, 42, is charged with two misdemeanor counts of negligent vehicular assault. She pleaded not guilty at her initial appearance on Tuesday.

On Saturday evening, Missoula police responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian accident near Spruce and Alder Street. Police saw multiple cars blocking traffic to the north end of Orange Street. Three women were in the middle of the road, charging documents filed into Missoula County stated.

Witnesses indicated who the suspect was to officers. They identified Rodney through her drivers license.

Police observed ketchup on the cars passenger side window and door frame. One of the women who reported being hit had ketchup in her hair and there was food scattered around the scene.

Charging documents state officers noticed Rodney might have been impaired. When talking with officers, Rodney denied drinking. She declined a breath and a blood test. A warrant was granted for a blood draw, but the toxicology results hadnt come back at the time charges were filed, court documents state.

The two women received medical treatment at Providence St. Patrick Hospital. One of the women was waiting for X-ray results for an injured hip.

At Rodneys initial appearance on Tuesday afternoon in Missoula County Justice Court, both the prosecution and defense attorneys didnt oppose Rodney being released from custody. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 29.
Tribal law enforcement agencies in Montana will receive more than $3.5 million in annual Department of Justice funding.

The Crow Tribe received $607,751, the Blackfeet Nation received $719,669, the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes received $504,456 and the Chippewa Cree Tribe received $410,245 through the Crime Victim Fund.

According to a release, tribal partners are encouraged to be creative and innovative in using these funds for culturally-relevant victim services. Montana reservation law enforcement agencies also received additional funds through separate grant programs in the same announcement.

The Fort Belknap Indian Community will receive $739,501 through the Fiscal Year 2022 Coordinate Grant Program, which intends to improve victim services and prevent missing and murdered Indigenous people incidents as well as human trafficking. The Fort Belknap Indian Community plans to hire two victim/witness specialists to improve advocacy, culture-based intervention services and other resources. The specialists will collaborate with agencies, including the chief tribal prosecutor, law enforcement, criminal investigator and FBI to improve laws, policies and protocols for crime victims.

The Chippewa Cree Tribe will receive $450,000 through a Tribal Assistance Solicitation Fiscal year 2022 Competitive Grant to improve investigation, prosecution and handling of criminal child abuse cases on the Rocky Boy Reservation. The tribe will also hire a child advocate to work with child victims of abuse, neglect and sexual assault.

The Crow Tribe will receive $129,552 through the Community Oriented Policing Program to develop a strategic plan to create an effective and sustainable community-driven public safety program.

The Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes will receive $10,186 through the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant to support activities that prevent or control crime.

Tribal law enforcement agencies are often criticized for being understaffed, under-resourced and underfunded. Former Blackfeet Tribal Council Secretary Mark Pollock told Lee Montana newspapers in June that 18 tribal police officers patrol the reservation, which spans 1.5 million acres. Because officers must take time off between shifts, he said sometimes two officers may be responsible for patrolling the reservation, which is home to more than 10,000 people. As a result, people who call police for help may face long wait times and may not receive the help they need in emergencies. The same is true on the Crow Reservation. Last year, Crow Tribal Chairman Frank White Clay said about five officers patrolled the reservation, which is bigger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

Funding was made possible through the 2022 bipartisan Omnibus funding package. Sen. Jon Tester was the only member of the Montana delegation to support it.

Tester said in a statement that he hopes the funding will provide tribes with the necessary tools to hold criminals accountable and help victims recover.
Dubal Holding, the investment arm of Dubai Government, looks for opportunities to invest and capitalise on innovative initiatives that encourage the transition of the UAE into a sustainable green economy.

As a step taken in this direction, Dubal Holding has become one of the sponsors for the World Green Economy Summit (WGES) 2022, in line with its commitment to foster advancement of sustainable technology and help the UAE attain a green economy.

Investing in sustainable projects

Dubal Holding has been investing in numerous sustainable projects since 2014 to encourage the development of sustainable technology and aid in the creation of a circular economy, in accordance with the directives of the UAEs leadership to enhance economic diversification.

The World Green Economy Summit 2022 is organised by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and the World Green Economy Organisation, on September 28 and 29, 2022, at the World Trade Centre.

As a silver sponsor of the eighth WGES, Dubal Holding supports the manifesto of the forum, which provides a platform to strengthen climate partnerships and synergise international efforts to achieve climate goals.-- TradeArabia News Service
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden on Wednesday warned oil and gas companies against increasing prices for consumers as Hurricane Ian lashed Floridas southwest coast.

Do not, let me repeat, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the American people, Biden said at the start of a conference on hunger in America and just hours before the hurricane made landfall as a massive Category 4 storm.

Biden said that the hurricane provides no excuse for price increases at the pump and if it happens, he will ask federal officials to determine whether price gauging is going on.

America is watching. The industry should do the right thing, Biden added.

There are few signs that average gas prices have jumped significantly in Florida as the hurricane began to approach. AAA put the statewide average at just under $3.40 a gallon, six-tenths of a cent higher than a week ago.

A 99-day run of falling pump prices nationally ended recently, and the 14-week decline was the longest streak since 2015. The nationwide average price had risen past $5 a gallon  and $6 in California  in June as the economic recovery and an increase in travel boosted demand for gasoline and Russias war in Ukraine caused a spike in oil prices.

Gasoline prices mostly reflect trends in global oil prices, and crude  both the U.S. benchmark and the international Brent  has been slumping since mid-June on growing fears of a global recession that would reduce demand for energy.

Many energy analysts believe prices are more likely to rise than fall in the next few months. But changes in sentiment about the economy, Russias war against Ukraine, and even hurricane season  always a threat to disrupt refineries along the Gulf Coast  make predictions uncertain.

A spokeswoman for the American Petroleum Institute, an oil industry group, said the industry is focused on delivering fuels where they are needed most while ensuring the safety of our workforce during the hurricane.

Gasoline prices are determined by market forces - not individual companies -- and claims that the price at the pump is anything but a function of supply and demand are false, spokeswoman Andrea Woods said.

The hurricane was lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status. Ian grew to a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane overnight with top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.

Before making its way through the Gulf of Mexico to Florida, Hurricane Ian tore into western Cuba on Tuesday, killing two people and bringing down the countrys electrical grid.

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Josh Boak and Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
Last week, as world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the American people got their first glimpse of a mass murderer on their TV sets. As many in the U.S. government already know, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raiisi, is a mass murderer who was subjected to sanctions by the United States Department of State due to massive violations of human rights against the people of Iran. Raiisi was a member of the so-called Death Committee, which executed nearly 5,000 Iranians in the summer of 1988. Handpicked by Irans Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, Raiisi became the president of the Islamic regime in August 2021 after an election that was boycotted by the overwhelming majority of the Iranian people.

Raiisi arrived in New York a few days after massive anti-government demonstrations spread across Iran in reaction to the brutal murder of a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini. Mahsa was arrested by the so-called Moral Police for an improper hijab or head covering. A few hours after she had been detained, Mahsas motionless body was rushed to a hospital with clear signs of massive brain injury caused by beatings to the head. The murder of Mahsa has ignited the anger and rage of millions of Iranians across the country and has resulted into thousands of women chopping off their hair in public and setting their veils on fire. In response, Mr. Raiisi and his boss, Khamenei, have sent their security forces, including bands of thugs and goons to the streets to shoot and kill the protesters.

Given Raiisis appalling human rights record and his repeated denials of the Holocaust, one expects the president of the Islamic regime to be shunned by the leaders of western democracies, who claim that they stand for the defense of human rights across the globe. To the shock and dismay of many, however, the first person to meet and hob nob with the leader of the murderous regime in Iran was Emmanuel Macron of France. Determined to use Iranian markets for European investments and goods, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, etc., have joined Russia and China in a policy of appeasement toward Tehran, and intentionally ignoring the plight of the Iranian people, including millions of women who have refused to obey the draconian rules and regulations imposed by the Islamic regime.

Violent clashes continue over the death of Mahsa, offering the latest opportunity to challenge the authority of a totalitarian regime that uses Islam as an ideological weapon to defend its fascistic policies. In their latest protests, Iranian demonstrators have called for an end to the Islamic regime and the abolition of all discriminatory laws, including the compulsory head covering for women.

It is incumbent on all citizens of democratic countries in the world especially those of the United States to express their solidarity with Irans pro-democracy protesters, especially Iranian women, and denounce the appearance of a mass murderer and a Holocaust denier in their midst. It is also essential for all those who care about and support human rights across the globe to demand that their representatives in Congress oppose any form of negotiation with a regime that has systematically brutalized its own citizens and denied them their most basic human rights. Negotiations with regimes such as the Islamic Republic in Iran and the Taliban in Afghanistan will only make such governments more self-confident and brazen in their repressive policies toward their own people.
As Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida, North Carolina emergency management officials were busy getting prepared for whatever the state may see of the storms remnants this weekend.

Burke County Emergency Management Director Mike Willis said local leaders have been communicating and planning all week to make sure resources will be available if theyre needed.

(Were) making sure everybodys aware of their role in emergency operations plans should the need arise, Willis said. All of our staff now are working on ensuring that all of our swift water, our rescue equipment, generators, shelter plans, everything is ready to go should it be needed.

He said theyre making sure they have plans for additional staffing to be in place, and to have the countys emergency operations center open if its needed.

At this point, were just gearing up, making sure everythings ready in case it is needed, Willis said. People should be doing the same thing: Making sure theyve got enough provisions to do them for at least 72 hours without any assistance, making sure theyve got enough medications, nonperishable food, water.

Anyone in flood-prone areas needs to make sure they stay weather-aware and are ready to move to higher ground if the need arises.

Rain is expected to be the main threat to western North Carolina as Hurricane Ians remnants move inland, predicted Dan Crawley, lead forecaster for Foothills Weather Network.

In his first call for precipitation this weekend, Crawley expected most of Burke County to get between 3-6 inches, with the higher elevations expected to see between 5-8 inches of rainfall from Friday through early Sunday.

That was in line with the National Weather Services prediction for Burke County, said Christiaan Patterson with the NWS in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina.

She said about 3-5 inches of rainfall is expected for Burke County, with precipitation expected to start as early as Friday morning.

Both Crawley and Patterson said wind could be an issue, but by Wednesdays calculations, it wasnt expected to be a major threat. Gusty winds are possible, with Crawley predicting gusts in the 20-30 mph zone.

Were still in high hopes that the wind damage, but still, with minimal winds and saturated grounds, were still (potentially) going to get a lot of trees and power lines down,

Shelters wont open unless its deemed necessary by officials, Willis said, but theyll make announcements about any arrangements as theyre made via reverse 911 alerts, through local media outlets and on the countys social media accounts. Sign up for reverse 911 alerts at www.smart911.com.

He encouraged people to check on each other throughout the storm.

I would encourage everybody to check on your neighbors, if you have elderly neighbors, family members, help them out a little bit, Willis said. Just check on them, make sure if they need anything, we help take care of each other.
It was a convincing scene. A man lay in an awkward position at the base of a 50-foot drop, Upper Creek rushed through the gorge below, whitewater lapping up the rocks just a few feet from him.

The man groaned as if he is in pain before a young man in a hardhat arrives rolling him onto his back, revealing bright red liquid smeared across his forehead.

The scene was convincing, but as the sign at the top of the hill indicated, it was all part of a weekend of wilderness training for emergency medical professionals, EMTs and medical students.

Hawk Ventures held its annual Carolina Wilderness EMS Summit on Sept. 16-18 in The Pisgah National Forest in northern Burke County. The weekend-long event was the culmination of its Wilderness EMS Externship Program which brought a resident physician and a fourth-year med student to Burke County for a month of intensive training in emergency wilderness medicine.

Run by local physician Dr. Seth Collings Hawkins, the externship is an innovative collaboration led by Hawkins company, Hawk Ventures, that includes UNC Health Blue Ridge, Western Piedmont Community College and Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

The program has won numerous awards in the past, including the Society for Academic Emergency Medicines 2018 Innovation in Medical Education Award and the Association for Experiential Educations 2019 Karl Rohnke Creativity Award.

Last year, Hawkins expanded the program, launching a new expeditionary model to expand the training statewide.

This year, the externship has included visits to the Outer Banks where they worked with the National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard and others. On Labor Day, they worked with Hyde County EMS as responders on Ocracoke Island.

During the program, externs also worked with multiple state parks around North Carolina. They attended a week-long technical rescue training at Pilot Mountain and received training in a caving system near Rumbling Bald with Blue Ridge Community College.

Closer to home, externs received wilderness lifeguard training at Lake James State Park and helped run a weekend-long medical training. This training was attended by more than three dozen medical students from Wake Forest, UNC-Chapel Hill and Campbell University.

This years externs were Emily Hillmer and Dr. Kara Hatlevoll.

Hillmer is a fourth-year medical student from Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. She said she was drawn to the program through the testimonial of a good friend who was one of last years externs.

She came to me and told me this was her best month of medical school, Hillmer said.

Rather than pursuing emergency medicine, Hillmers goal is to become a trauma surgeon. Still, she is looking for ways to incorporate her passion for wilderness, rock climbing and technical rescue systems into her career.

Hatlevoll is a third-year resident emergency physician from Norman Regional Emergency Medicine Residency in Norman, Oklahoma. Hatlevoll said she is working to incorporate wilderness medicine into her career going forward.

Its an opportunity for me to expand my learning and exposure to EMS in a wilderness medical setting, she said. Seeing how Dr. Hawkins and this incredible team has incorporated it into their careers is a good way to learn about how I can successfully do that.

She also said recent transitions in the program from a local mountain training to one that spans various settings from across the state was a big draw.

Hawkins said both externs exceeded his expectations throughout the course of the program.

We are committed to training the next generation of wilderness EMS physician leaders, said Hawkins. Kara and Emily match that description for sure.

As the culmination of the program, the summit opens the experience up to the wider medical community. This years event drew medical providers, EMTs and medical students from across the country and as far away as Ireland for three days of intensive training.

One of Hawkins favorite aspects of the summit is inviting past externs back to lead various aspects of the training.

An unexpected benefit to the program has been how much graduates continue to contribute, he said. When we have had people training these two externs, frequently its the previous externs who are now advancing their careers that we turn to for the training.

Hawkins also said the Pisgah National Forest and the Linville Gorge Wilderness are a perfect location for this kind of training because the area has a little bit of everything.

Its so proximal to I-40 that its very easy to access and much more rugged than people sometimes expect, he said. Statistically, it has one of the highest rates of searches and rescues in North Carolina every year, and thats why this is such a great training environment  to train in the spaces where you would actually be operating.

For more information on Hawk Ventures, the EMS Wilderness Externship and the EMS Wilderness Summit, visit https://hawkventures.com/.
The Montana Supreme Court has overturned a mans conviction in Butte for sexual abuse of children, saying a search of his cell phone that turned up images of child pornography was unlawful.

Four justices ruled Tuesday that an initial warrantless search of Bradley Scott Meffords cell phone went too far and a judge should have barred the images as evidence used in his conviction and five-year sentence to the Montana State Prison.

Three justices disagreed, saying a probation officers search of the photo gallery in Meffords phone was reasonable and justified under the circumstances.

Although the majority said the Montana Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court have previously recognized privacy rights regarding cell phones, the ACLU of Montana called the decision a huge win that bars police from indiscriminately rummaging through the private and sensitive information we keep on our electronic devices.

Mefford was on parole and living in Butte in November 2016 when a probation officer learned through a GPS tracking device that he was in his apartments parking lot past a 10 p.m. curfew. His parole was tied to drug and assault convictions in Flathead County.

Mefford said he was in the parking lot so he could get cell reception and was messaging his 16-year-old daughter through a Facebook app on his phone. He gave the officer permission to look at the app to verify his story.

The officer found the Facebook conversation but suspected the person Mefford was messaging was not his daughter. He said he opened a digital photo gallery to look for an image of the daughter and compare it to a profile picture on the Facebook app.

He discovered several photos depicting what he believed was child pornography so Mefford was detained, his parole was revoked and he was sent back to state prison.

Nearly a year later, a Butte detective obtained a search warrant for the phone and a forensic examiner found numerous photos and videos that were pornographic, some with young girls and some that included animals, according to the prosecutors.

They charged Mefford with sexual abuse of children and a judge rejected his request to suppress the evidence and dismiss the case because the search exceeded the scope of his consent. A jury found Mefford guilty and he was sentenced in 2020 to five years in state prison.

He appealed to the states high court and the majority of justices said the officers initial search exceeded the scope of Meffords consent and was unlawful.

The court had previously recognized a reasonable expectation of privacy in cell phone communications, the ruling said, noting that cell phones have become storage devices for all kinds of private information. The U.S. Supreme Court had also recognized the privacy implications.

The search went too far even though offenders on probation and parole have diminished expectations of privacy, the ruling said, because the probation officer had already confirmed Meffords story of being on the cell phone in the parking lot.

State prosecutors opposed the appeal, saying among other things that probation officers have flexibility in supervising offenders and there were reasons to believe Mefford was involved in suspicious activity. The majority of justices disagreed.

Nothing the probation officer expected to discover in Meffords photo gallery had any connection to his assault and drug convictions, the ruling said, and the officer conveyed no suspicions Miller was conversing with a prostitute, someone younger than his daughter or was committing any crime.

The other three justices agreed that the scope of the search exceeded Meffords consent. But they said it was a permissible probationary search because there were reasons to suspect that Mefford was lying and looking for a photo of his daughter was reasonable.

The probation officer, the dissenting opinion says, did not use his suspicion of Meffords dishonesty to go searching through Meffords banking apps or emails on some unfettered fishing expedition.

The ACLU of Montana filed a brief in support of Meffords appeal and applauded the ruling.

Today, the Montana Supreme Court made clear that we have a fundamental right to cell phone privacy, Alex Rate, legal director at ACLU of Montana, said in a news release.

And were heartened to see the Court agree that police should not be able to leverage someones consent to search specific information on their cell phone for a limited purpose into a search of anything or everything on the device for any purpose at all.
Buttes Uptown tax-increment district is helping the owner of the M&M Cigar Store that burned down last year pay for renovations to an adjacent building so she can open a new bar and eatery.

But Selina Pankovich still wants to rebuild the iconic M&M where it stood and if a partnership and other things pan out, the next-door building that was home to OMG! Mongolian Grill would become an extension of the M&M.

Im hoping that this is just a temporary solution to the M&M and that we have a rebuilt M&M in a year or two, Pankovich told the board that oversees Buttes Uptown Revitalization Agency and the tax district it oversees.

The board agreed Tuesday to grant Pankovich $42,450 to cover 25% of some planned renovations to the former Mongolian Grill building. They will include structural repairs and upgrades to electrical, plumbing and heating-and-cooling systems.

The URA board has been receiving and approving more grant applications in recent months and OKd funding for 13 additional projects on Tuesday alone. Officials say it's a reflection of growing interest and investment in Uptown Butte.

I think our record this calendar year was 18 projects, said URA Director Karen Byrnes, who is also Butte-Silver Bows community development director. Its an exciting time for Uptown Butte and the entire community.

I think the best way to sort of capture the impact of our program is to look at the amount of investment we leverage with the matching grants, she said. On this agenda alone, we supported $624,105 in total investment in 14 properties, granting $174,222.

The other projects included stair and railing upgrades at the Hotel Finlen, infilling a vaulted alley and making other renovations at the Kenwood Building on West Broadway and turning an old building at 116 W. Granite St. into a modern office for a real estate agency.

A fire on May 7, 2021 completely destroyed the M&M, a beloved bar and eatery on North Main Street that had been a landmark in Butte for more than a century. It was also known in places far outside of the Mining City and Montana but today, its an empty space.

Although the URA grant on Tuesday was for the adjacent building, many in Butte hope the M&M will be rebuilt someday as close as possible to its original form.

The fact that you are not wavering in restoring what was pretty much an iconic  the iconic building in Uptown Butte  is appreciated, URA board member Bob Brown told Pankovich. Everybody knows of the M&M. It doesnt matter where you go in the world. If they know of Butte, they know of the M&M.

Pankovich bought the adjacent building from Tom Cronnelly. Because of COVID and damage from the M&M fire, he and his wife, Kristi, decided not to reopen the Mongolian Grill. They said they received other purchase offers but wanted to work with Pankovich.

Her goal was to open a new restaurant and bar in that building and later make it an extension of a rebuilt M&M. She opened for one day on St. Patricks Day for a fundraiser but says more repairs and renovations were needed to open full-time.

A portion of those totaling $168,900 were eligible for URA funding and the board approved a grant that will pay 25% of those costs. The work must be done first before the URA dollars are paid out.

Under that work and additional plans, Pankovich wants to have a breakfast counter in that building and enclose an outdoor patio, among other things. She hopes to open that location by December, but given uncertainties in construction, is making no promises.

She cant make promises about rebuilding the M&M either. Doing so, she told The Montana Standard on Wednesday, could cost at least $2.5 million to $3 million.

But it remains a goal and work on the next-door building could become part of it.

Im actually kind of entertaining a proposal to partner up with somebody to rebuild in the original location, she told the URA board. That also complicated things for a while there because I really didnt know what the future of the additional building was.

He and I werent eye-to-eye on that in the beginning but now that hes really taken a look at my plans for this building and the former M&M, he does see the need for additional space."

She said under her designs, "If I rebuilt the M&M, I could extend the breakfast counter into the new building and have the bar in its original location."

Other projects and their funding amounts Tuesday can be found on the URAs Sept. 27 agenda at the countys website. The direct link is: https://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/3678?html=true

All projects were funded in amounts as recommended by URA staff.
Every two years, Montanans who are elected from their communities travel from all over Montana to gather at the State Capitol to convene the Montana Legislature. During our time together, we work to deliver legislation that will help Montanans, including funding for our schools and hospitals, protecting our public lands, and keeping our economy strong. As a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, a Montanan, and a state Senator, I know firsthand the importance of having a fully representative legislative body at work in those halls. Thats why we must adopt a map with fair, legal legislative districts, during the current legislative redistricting process in Montana.

The districts we draw this year will shape our lives and our communities for the next decade, including how resources are allocated and what issues are brought to the table during the legislature. Right now, the Montana Redistricting Commission is working on a new map for Montana that will portion out the districts for Montanas legislators and the areas they will represent, including the districts that encompass tribal nations. Of our current legislative districts, there are 6 House districts and three Senate districts where Native voters have the opportunity to elect someone from their communities to represent them. Now that the legislative district lines are being redrawn, the number of Indigenous majority districts is uncertain.

Native Americans were not considered citizens for most of our countrys history and thus not granted the right to vote. It wasnt until 1924 that Native Americans were finally granted citizenship. Even after that law was passed, some states worked to restrict Native voting rights  an effort that we see continue today. So when Representative Brad Tschida told the Redistricting Commission that he believed Native Americans were over-represented in the legislature, it felt like one more piece of rhetoric in a long line of efforts meant to disenfranchise Native voters.

It should go without saying that fair legislative districts should be the norm across the state, especially for areas of underrepresented communities. Native folks have historically been underrepresented in Montanas legislature. It wasnt until 1932 that Montana elected its first Native legislator, Dolly Smith Cusker Akers from Fort Peck, to our state legislature  nearly 43 years after Montana became a state and almost a decade after Native Americans secured the right to vote from federal legislation. According to self reported statistics from the Montana Legislative Services Division, it was not until 2001 that Montana elected our first Native state senator. Far from being overrepresented in the state legislature, we have had to fight for many years for any political representation.

When pressed about his comments, Representative Tschida said that lifes not fair. While he may be comfortable telling that to school age children when they have skirmishes on the playground, its not a statement that we should abide by when it comes to determining the people we elect to represent us. Life may not be fair, but it is the job of our representatives to come up with solutions to the challenges that make life unfair for many people in this state. I know this firsthand as a member of the Indian Caucus. When I go to the legislature, Im there to fight for people in my community and the issues they face, especially those who are often ignored by people in power. For far too long, decisions have been made about Indian County by people who do not understand the history nor the challenges of tribal communities and Indian people. We need Native legislators to bring our unique perspectives and experiences to the legislative process for all of Montana. Like our fellow legislators across the state, we want better schools, better jobs, and better opportunities for our constituents, our families, and our communities.

Whether intentional or not, creating legislative districts that would guarantee Native voters cannot elect their candidates of choice is wrong for Montana and our legislature. It shouldnt matter where you live or what you look like, all Montanans deserve to be represented in our legislature and adopting a fair and legal map that reflects the communities of Montana, including Native ones, is the right thing to do.
MUSCATINE  For the second time this year, the Muscatine City Council, Muscatine School Board, and Muscatine County Board of Supervisors met as a group to report on the issues facing their legislative body and how they can help each other.

The meeting was held at Muscatine High School, and the Muscatine School Board hosted the meeting. The groups have been meeting regularly for two years and the last meeting was in March of this year. The meeting was a work session so no decisions were made.

Muscatine City Council

During the Muscatine City Council presentation, Mayor Brad Bark started his discussion with a lecture on how property taxes were calculated and collected. He also spoke about the housing situation in Muscatine and about some of the projects scheduled for the near future.

During the discussion, Bark announced that the city is attempting to collaborate with Wilton, Fruitland and several other nearby cities for a Destination Iowa grant to expand the county trails. He said the city hopes to work with the county to collaborate on the project.

Muscatine County Board of Supervisors

Supervisor Jeff Sorensen, also the boards member serving with the Southeast Iowa Mental Health and Disability Services Region, discussed some of the changes coming from the region. He distributed a pamphlet on new offerings, saying he hoped to inform the school district what services are available. He said the Regions governing board has been working to increase awareness about what services are available to the public.

Muscatine School Board

Superintendent Clint Christopher gave a rundown of the ongoing projects in the district as well as several upcoming projects. He also ended the meeting with a tour of the high school for the members present. He commented the district had originally intended to host the meeting in the high schools new student center, but some of the lead times on furniture had been an issue.

After going over the schools vision for student and staff experience in the district. Christopher said that the district had been gathering information on how to improve the district with the use of surveys in the community. A survey held in the spring brought in 1,300 responses.

One of the things we heard from our staff is we needed to do a better job celebrating and building the community as a district, Christopher said. He said several new programs had been implemented as a result, including several areas where the staff can get together. He also said staff orientation  dubbed Muskie University  has been expanded.

Christopher said one upcoming project will be an expansion to the districts wrestling room. He said the district is securing the funding for the project, but there are several parents in the community who wish to help.

Also during the meeting, school board president John Dabeet took the opportunity to thank the police and fire departments for all the work they do to help keep the schools safe.
MUSCATINE  Dexter, the Muscatine Police Departments loyal K9, will soon be receiving very own custom bullet- and stab-proof protective vest.

Dexter will be receiving this vest through the non-profit organization, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., which was established in 2009 as a way to provide law enforcement dogs all across the U.S. with these life-saving vests. Each vest that the group makes is custom fitted and certified, assuring both safety and comfort.

This isnt the first time that the Muscatine Police Department has worked with Vested Interest, as the group has provided two other Muscatine K9s with their vests as well, with each of these vests being valued at a price ranging from $1,744 to $2,283.

Whats nice is that, as a non-profit, it donates the vests, Dexters handler, Corporal Matt Wilkinson said. Theres a lot of departments throughout the United States that are struggling with funding, and this is just one less thing we dont have to worry about purchasing through a budget program or anything like that.

According to Wilkinson, the process of applying to the program with Dexters measurements took about two to three weeks. As for who is funding the vest, it is being sponsored by Don and Misty Fike, who live in Galesburg (IL). Although Wilkinson said doesnt know these sponsors personally, he is expressed gratitude to them and Vested Interest for his K9 partners new vest.

Its important for every dog to have a vest, because were asking the dog to do things that we may not be able to do, and we want to be able to protect them as much as we can, he said. The stab and bullet proof vests are a big game changer for if we need to ask our dog to go do something. We know that hes going to be a lot safer now.

Dexters vest is expected to be delivered in eight-to-10 weeks. In addition to the custom measurements and safety features, the vest will also have the phrase Born to love, trained to serve, loyal always sewn into it.

Im looking forward to getting the vest and seeing what it looks like (in-person), Wilkinson said.

To learn more about Vested Interest in K9s or to make a donation, residents can call its main office at 508-824-6978 or visit its website at www.vik9s.org.
International Maritime Industries (IMI), the largest shipyard in the Mena region, has endorsed the newly launched Global Maritime Fund (GMF) that will offer innovative financing to key customers and maritime firms around the world.

Managed by Pelagic Partners, GMF aims to become the worlds largest maritime fund to provide innovative financing solutions that are globally competitive, scalable, and fit for purpose, with a focus on ESG financing to support IMIs key regional and international customers and other companies operating in the Saudi maritime industry.

Based in Cyprus, GMF will raise capital through regional and international investors, as well as long-term agreements with key customers such as Bahri and ARO that will deliver stable income. It is expected to be managing assets worth $1.25 billion (SR4.7 billion) by the end of 2023, growing to $10 billion (SR37.6 billion) over the next 10 years.

Financing to ships

GMF, which will provide up to 100% financing for ships and rigs built at IMIs yard in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia, was launched during a ceremony in Cyprus attended by the countrys Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides, IMI Chairman Ahmed Al Saadi, the Saudi Ambassador to Cyprus, Khalid Al Shareef, IMI CEO Dr Abdullah Al Ahmari, and GMF Chairman Feras Al-Sahan, as well as Pelagic Partners Founders Dr Niels Hartmann and Atef Abou Merhi. Pelagic Partners and IMI executives, board members and other government officials also attended the ceremony.

Al Saadi said: At IMI we are honoured to be part of Saudi Arabias ambitious Vision 2030 efforts to build a technologically advanced and sustainable maritime hub at the center of its logistics industry. The launch of the GMF goes hand in hand with our vision to become a global leader in maritime innovation and sustainability, expanding our service offering as we work to become one of the worlds most advanced maritime facilities.

Dr Al Ahmari said: The launch of the GMF will enable IMI to offer a brand-new value proposition that will help reinforce our position as a key driver of the Saudi maritime industry. GMF further enhances our comprehensive service offering that provides customers and business partners with a range of innovative, sustainable maritime products at internationally competitive prices. We are proud to be at the forefront of this significant initiative.

Value proposition

Al-Sahan said: The launch of GMF has created a unique and unprecedented value proposition in the maritime industry. It is the first independent maritime fund providing innovative financing solutions that are globally competitive, scalable and fit for purpose, with a focus on ESG financing to support IMIs key regional and international customers, and other companies operating in the Saudi maritime industry. We look forward to working with the fund manager, Pelagic Partners, to grow the fund over the coming years by developing strong relationships with key regional and international banks and investors, with the aim of becoming the worlds largest maritime fund.

IMI, a joint venture between leading industry partners Saudi Aramco, Bahri, Lamprell, and HHI, is the largest shipyard in the Mena region at nearly 12 million sq m. It provides new build and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for commercial vessels, including VLCCs, Bulk Carriers, Offshore Support Vessels, and Offshore Jackup rigs.-- TradeArabia News Service
COLUMBUS JUNCTION - The Columbus School Board agreed Tuesday to finance a four-week therapy dog training program for Copper, a 17-week-old English Labrador Retriever.

Coppers owner, Roundy Elementary School Principal Kristina Murphy, presented the training proposal to the board, explaining she had witnessed first hand the benefits of using a therapy dog in a school setting while working in the West Liberty School District.

Studies have shown that children gain confidence in reading and have shown great growth in literacy skills by reading to therapy dogs, Murphy explained in a handout presented to the board.

She also indicated studies showed a correlation between the use of the therapy dogs and students social, emotional and behavior improvements.

In the proposal she presented to the school board, Murphy requested using around $15,000 in ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funding to finance Coppers training.

Feeding and medical care would be her responsibility, Murphy told the board.

She said the Mt. Pleasant School District had recently trained four therapy dogs using ESSER funding. Those dogs had been trained at an Iowa City kennel, which will also provide the training for Copper, Murphy said.

School board members said they supported the idea, but were cautious about spending ESSER funds to train a privately-owned animal. They also were concerned over the possibility Murphy could be attracted to a job in some other district in the future.

Murphy assured the board members she would be willing to sign a contract establishing a pro-rated repayment plan or some other process to ensure the district would get its money back if she left before a specified period.

Board member Carol Zuniga initially suggested the board delay action until a later meeting so a contract could be completed. However, Murphy said the Iowa City kennel would be training 10 dogs during its next session beginning in January and only three of those slots remained open.

District business manager Neil Mills also pointed out it would take some time to obtain the required state approval to use the ESSER funds for the training.

After hearing of those issues, the board unanimously agreed to use the ESSER funds to train Copper; and in the meantime, develop the contract with Murphy.

In other action, the board:

* Approved the districts Administrative Assistants Employment and Classified Employment Handbooks, but tabled action on the 2022-23 7th - 12th grade Student/Family Handbook and the districts Attendance Policy until additions and edits were completed;

* Approved influenza shots for the staff;

* Agreed to pay $1,650 to Homecoming Sponsor Maureen Mincks for several years of overlooked, unpaid service in the position;

* Agreed to submit a $118,859 request for allowable growth and supplement aid for a negative special education balance to the School Budget Review Committee;

* Accepted a $9,775 bid from Georges Painting, Kalona, to paint the bus barn;

* Met with Shania Laguanas, owner of Sol Energy and Nutrition, over her concerns that students had been told to stay away from the new business. A later report from secondary principal Lisa Stevenson indicated students had misunderstood the directive;

* Approved a sharing agreement for girls wrestling with the Winfield-Mt. Union School District.

In final action, the board adopted an in-house bus driver training program that will be provided by transportation dire
City of Tshwanes (CoT) residents will be affected by Eskoms proposed electricity tariff changes, a municipal spokesperson has confirmed.

The proposed changes will indirectly impact the Citys residents as 74-76% of the Citys tariff increases are direct pass-through for bulk purchases from Eskom, the spokesperson said.

Tshwane said it supports the idea of cost-reflective Eskom tariffs and the proposal to do away with inclined block tariffs (IBT).

IBTs divide electricity prices into usage blocks, similar to South Africas income tax brackets. The more electricity your household consumes, the more you pay per kilowatt-hour.

The proposed tariff changes provide for cost-reflective tariffs which will clearly show what the City is paying from generation to retail levels, the CoT spokesperson said.

The removal of IBT and introduction of [a] flat rate for indigent and lifeline customers is supported as it will assist customers or residents to buy electricity on single rates as opposed to 4 different tariffs (current scenario).

Currently, Eskom collects revenue from electricity tariffs based on the multi-year price determination (MYPD) methodology.

The power utility argues that there is currently no link between the charges raised and the Nersa-approved cost per division.

Eskom is busy unbundling its operations into separate entities, namely Eskom Holdings, Distribution, Transmission and Generation.

It recently released tools to help South Africans calculate how much they can expect to pay under the proposed power tariffs.

Under its revised Homepower price plan, Eskom shows that its fixed grid connection fee will increase substantially, while variable consumption charges decrease.

Households on its Homepower 1 price plan that dont use any electricity will pay R938 per month just for connecting to the grid  up from R218.

Homes using between 800kWh and 900kWh per month should pay about the same as they currently do, while those who use more would pay less.

This has raised concerns from people who have switched to generating their own solar power and only use the grid as a backup.

If approved, the proposed tariff changes will also impact the Citys costs. The spokesperson said it actively participated in South African Local Government Association consultations on Eskoms Multi-Year Price Determination (MYPD).

They said the impact on the City will directly result from its bulk electricity purchases from Eskom and added that it is prudent for Eskom to unbundle its tariffs.

Local Government consumes over 46% of Eskom electricity. Therefore, the proposed increases will have [an] impact on City as 74-76% of the Citys tariffs increase is for bulk purchases from Eskom, they said.

With [the] electricity sector landscape changing and the ongoing restructuring of Eskom, [combined with] a lot of unknown factors, it is prudent for Eskom to start to unbundle its tariffs to reflect the cost of generation separate from transmission and distribution.

Eskom submitted its tariff restructuring application to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) on 5 August 2022.

Eskom provided three reasons why restructuring the current tariff structure was necessary.

Firstly, the different tariff rates no longer reflect the different services being provided  that is, they are not aligned with energy, network and retail costs  because of the application of average price increases, Eskom said.

Further grounds for its restructure proposal include needing to make charges more reflective of the costs per division due to the imminent unbundling of Eskom and an evolving energy industry.

Eskom said tariff structures also need to adapt to protect all customer interests and to ensure adequate recovery of Nersa-approved revenue.

The power utility expects the changes, if approved, to result in a slight decline in revenue of R2 billion overall  which is a relatively flat decrease considering an overall revenue of roughly R247.8 billion.

On average, the utility has calculated that revenue from residential tariffs would decrease slightly by 0.81%  a reduction of R131 million.
St. Helena Mayor Geoff Ellsworth has filed a consumer complaint with the Napa County District Attorneys Office, alleging fire and contamination risks at Clover Flat Landfill near Calistoga and the Upper Valley Disposal Service facility on Whitehall Lane outside St. Helena.

With wildfire season upon us I feel an urgency in bringing a complaint of negligence and reckless endangerment towards public health and safety in Napa County/Napa Valley related to significant and unnecessary fire and wildfire risk at the two facilities, wrote Ellsworth, who filed the complaint as a Napa County resident, not in his capacity as mayor.

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Ellsworths complaint, filed Aug. 11, cites ongoing and inherently fire-prone operations and significant build-up of a volatile fuel load by these long term monopoly and for profit waste/garbage companies.

Paul Gero, deputy district attorney for Napa County, said Ellsworths complaint is under review. Its classified as a consumer complaint, similar to ones a citizen might file with the DAs office against businesses and contractors.

Steve Lederer, Napa County director of public works and director of the Upper Valley Waste Management Agency, told the St. Helena Star that the county and other local and state agencies recently completed a compliance review of Clover Flat and found that the landfill has complied with all previous terms and corrected all violations.

Lederer denied allegations by Ellsworth that the landfills operating area has expanded in recent years. He acknowledged that Clover Flat, like other regional landfills, has been taking in more fire debris since the 2017 wildfires, but he said that doesnt increase fire risk because the debris is non-hazardous and mostly recyclable.

Christy Pestoni, chief operating officer for UVDS and the company that operates Clover Flat, has previously dismissed similar allegations by Ellsworth as meritless and called on him to resign as mayor. She has noted that the landfill installed a new management team and heavily invested in fire control and leachate control measures after a string of fires in 2018 and the contamination of an unnamed tributary to the Napa River.

In his new complaint to the DAs office, Ellsworth said the risk of operating Clover Flat and the Whitehall Lane facility at and near fire-prone areas has insurance implications for the rest of Napa County, where insurance rates have risen due to fire risk.

Ellsworth also questioned whether Clover Flat is properly insured. The company says it is.

Clover Flat Resource Recovery Park has all the insurance deemed necessary by our franchise agreements, a spokesman for the company stated in an email to the Star. Nothing has been cancelled. (Lederer) provided that information to Mayor Ellsworth last month.

Lederer confirmed that hed reviewed the insurance coverage of UVDS and Clover Flat in August and all appeared to be in order for both.

Ellsworths complaint is the latest salvo in his years-long campaign against the interrelated companies, which operate under a franchise agreement with the waste management authority, a joint-powers authority made up of St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville and Napa County.

The complaint also comes on the heels of a federal lawsuit against the company that operates Clover Flat. The suit filed by the Stockton-based California Sportfishing Protection Alliance claims that the landfill has discharged polluted stormwater into a creek that flows into the Napa River.

Theres a political dimension to Ellsworths complaint, since Pestonis husband, St. Helena City Councilmember Eric Hall, is running for mayor in the Nov. 8 election. Ellsworth has frequently accused Hall of conflicts of interest and is backing Halls opponent, Vice Mayor Paul Dohring. Ellsworth is not running for re-election.
The St. Helena City Council has said no to gasoline-powered leaf blowers, yes to automated license plate readers, and yes to paving bad roads.

The council voted 5-0 Tuesday to move ahead with an ordinance banning gas-fueled blowers, which will reduce emissions and address noise complaints from residents.

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Council members directed staff to conduct outreach and education before and after ordinances effective date of Jan. 1, 2023.

Violators will first be issued a verbal warning, followed by a letter, followed by fines of $100, $200 and $500. The city will gradually ramp up enforcement and focus on education in the early months after the ordinance takes effect.

By next year, the city will offer rebates toward the purchase of electric leaf blowers.

License plate cameras

The council unanimously approved the lease of four automatic license plate readers from Flock Safety.

Police say the still cameras, which will be placed at four entrances to town, will help them investigate crimes like the May hit-and-run on Main Street and the July robbery at the Elyse Walker boutique.

The proposal, announced at the councils Aug. 23 meeting, drew very little public feedback, with two letters to the editor and one letter to the council raising privacy concerns. The city also received a few emails in favor of the cameras. No members of the public addressed the topic at Tuesdays meeting.

The two-year lease of the cameras will cost $26,800. Images gathered by the cameras will be deleted after 30 days and will not be part of a shared database, although the St. Helena Police Department can share images with neighboring agencies on a case-by-case basis.

Road paving

The council approved a $1.2 million contract with Argonaut Constructors to perform St. Helenas annual road paving.

Funded by Measure T and state SB1 funds, work will begin in early October and continue into the fall.

Work will take place at the intersection of Oak Avenue and Adams Street (not all of Oak Avenue), College Avenue, Pope Street, Voorhees Circle, Valley View Street, Stockton Street, Railroad Avenue, Library Lane, June Lane, Chiles Avenue and Tainter Street.

Residents in the affected areas will be notified one week prior to construction, which will occur between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

City Manager Anil Comelo told the council the current funding level of $1.2 million per year will keep St. Helenas streets at a Pavement Condition Index of 50. Increasing the PCI to 80 would cost $2.2 million a year for six years.

At this point our task is to maintain the roadways in decent condition and not let them deteriorate any further, Comelo said. To improve them well need to significantly increase our investment.

(The headline has been corrected to state that the city is banning gas-powered leaf blowers.)
Tuesday, Sept. 20

0804  Police cited a driver on Hunt Avenue for passing a school bus while its stoplights were flashing and its arm was extended.

1356  Police took two reports on matters involving juveniles on Hillview Place.

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1513  A black wallet was reported missing downtown.

1518  Police helped turn around a truck that was too big to cross the Pope Street Bridge.

1547  Medical aid for a man with a high fever on Del Rio Court.

1935  Police checked on a pedestrian on Main Street and arrested the 43-year-old Napa man for a probation violation.

2107  Police responded to a loud music complaint on Pope Street.

2159  A caller said a suspicious man in a Hunt Avenue business was heckling and touching the callers daughter. At one point the man started bathing himself in hand sanitizer. Other customers had to be escorted out of the store due to the strange way the man was acting. Police arrested the 31-year-old American Canyon man for a probation violation.

2259  Report of a possible drunk driver on Highway 29.

Wednesday, Sept. 21

1034  Police cited a driver near Crane/Vallejo.

1043  Police cited a 24-year-old St. Helena man for an out-of-county misdemeanor warrant.

1052  Report of a transient following a woman out of a Hunt Avenue business, verbally harassing her, and throwing a doughnut at her.

1501  Medical aid for an unconscious person.

1610  Report of a young boy trying to hitchhike near Main/Pratt. Officers determined the boy was not hitchhiking, just selling apples. His mom knew he was there.

1727  Report of a man sleeping in the restroom at Lyman Park. He was gone when police arrived.

1909  Medical aid for a woman feeling dizzy on Saint Andrews Court.

1917  Firefighters were asked to help with a cat in a tree on Main Street.

2051  A wooden fence caught fire on Stockton Street. The fire was put out.

2150  Police were asked to check on a man who might be having a mental health crisis. Police made sure he was OK and was with a family member.

Thursday, Sept. 22

0718  A vehicle was vandalized on Main Street.

1130  Police cited a driver near Pope/Peppertree.

1231  A man came into the lobby saying he had a warrant. The 22-year-old Middletown man was cited and released with a promise to appear in court.

1300  Report of a man making employees uncomfortable at a Main Street store. Police admonished him for trespassing.

1521  Police cited a driver near Main/Dowdell.

1814  Non-injury lift assist on Redondo Court.

2112  Police cited a driver on Main Street.

2148  Report of a suspicious man near the front door of the school district office.

Friday, Sept. 23

0803  Police cited a driver on Oak Avenue.

0908  A vehicle hit a pole on Pope Street. Nobody was injured.

0919  Medical aid on Fulton Lane.

1022  A white van sideswiped the Pope Street Bridge. It was last seen approaching Main Street.

1324  One of the bathroom locks at Lyman Park wasnt working. Public Works responded.

1407  A person reported on online scam.

1629  Kids were reportedly throwing things over a fence on Granada Court and hitting a neighboring houses roof and windows.

1935  Report of a man who might have bought liquor for young boys at a Hunt Avenue store. Police contacted the adult, who had not given any alcohol to the kids.

2316  Report of a possible drunk driver on Highway 29. Police determined he wasnt drunk, just late for work.

Saturday, Sept. 24

0018  Police cited a driver near Pratt/Main.

0153  Report of a possible drunk driver on Highway 29 and Deer Park Road.

0153  A sprinkler head was broken on school property near Grayson/South Crane.

0218  Police arrested someone following a traffic stop on Main Street.

0947  Report of a dog with a leg problem near Madrona/Allyn. The dog was taken to the vet for evaluation.

1250  Medical aid for a woman who tripped and fell on Main Street. She was taken to the hospital.

2038  Report of kids walking on a roof of a school near Kearney/Adams. Police checked the area and didnt see anybody.

2137  A Pope Street resident complained about noise coming from the Meadowood Lane area. The caller was referred to the sheriffs office.

2202  Report of a man passed out or sleeping in a running vehicle on Spring Street. Police contacted the man, who was not intoxicated.

2227  Police cited a driver on Main Street.

2356  Police were told to be on the lookout for a man whod been involved in a domestic violence incident in Calistoga. He was reportedly driving his girlfriends car and might have a gun.

Sunday, Sept. 25

0745  A car was reported stolen from Hunt Avenue. It was last seen in a parking lot at 11:30 p.m. Saturday. The keys might have been inside.

1040  Report of construction noise on Spring Mountain Road.

1056  Police cited a driver near Oak/Madrona.

1251  A caller reported catching a driver speeding at over 70 mph on Pratt Avenue.

1421  A woman in the lobby asked for a police report to help her with ongoing problems following the theft of her laptop and luggage while on vacation in Greece last month.

1823  A child custody exchange took place at the police station.

1952  Non-injury lift assist on Del Campo Court.

2026  Police cited a driver for not yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk on Main Street.

2130  Report of a man on Brown Street yelling at his kids and acting like he was going to hit them.

2323  Police cited someone for driving without a license on Hunt Avenue.
Smith-Madrone Winery was recently honored with a Congressional Record statement presented by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, celebrating the winerys 50th anniversary.

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Thompson paid a surprise visit to the winery on Friday to present a framed copy of the Congressional Record statement to founders Stuart and Charles Smith.

Located at 1,200 to 1,300 feet of elevation on the top of Spring Mountain, the winery played an integral role in the international popularization of Napa Valley wines, the resolution states, citing the 1977 Smith-Madrone Riesling that was named the worlds best Riesling at the first international Wine Olympics in Paris in 1979.

What incredible stewards of the land Stu and Charlie have been and are, said Thompson, who's lived about five miles from Smith-Madrone for most of his life. Its a real tribute to be able to say this is what weve done, this is how were taking care of it, and its going to be around for a long time.

The Smith brothers have been active in the local wine community, with Stuart serving on the 2008 Napa County General Plan Steering Committee and the 1998 Napa River Watershed Task Force, as well as chairing the 1986 and 2005 Napa Valley Wine Auctions.
St. Helena and the surrounding region experience minimal crime, and are considered quite safe. However, the recent proposal by Flock Safety to install Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) at all entry points would create a dragnet surveillance system similar to those used in high-crime jurisdictions like Vallejo or Oakland. Installing a surveillance fence around St. Helena, as proposed, would be unprecedented in St. Helenas history.

ALPRs should not be treated the same as other municipal infrastructure like street signs and speed bumps. The proposed system captures and logs sensitive data about anyone who passes by, including more than just license plates. Flock Safety states in its proposal that motion detection allows for unique cases such as bicycle capture, ATV, motorcycle, etc. The same letter highlights that audio can be collected by natively integrated audio detection capabilities utilizing machine learning to recognize audio signatures. Furthermore, a California State Auditor report showed that even in high-crime areas like Los Angeles, 99.9% of all ALPR imagery were of vehicles unrelated to criminal activity. This indiscriminate monitoring is the very definition of a dragnet surveillance system, and is exactly what is currently proposed for the small town of St. Helena.

We do not have to concede to the police retaining logs of our everyday movements for them to be able to use ALPRs to effectively solve crimes. Oakland Privacy has found that for almost all cases, the usefulness of an ALPR is either immediate (detecting a stolen vehicle on a hotlist) or nearly immediate (a hit-and-run incident or robbery triggering data retrieval in less than 24 hours), with 72-hour retention being suitable for nearly all purposes. Short retention periods are the law in places like New Hampshire, where imagery may only be stored for three minutes. The 30-day default setting proposed by Flock is far too long, and mostly arbitrary. It may make sense for a large urban city with a backlog of cases, but not a small town where the data would be accessed quickly in virtually any scenario. It is imperative for resident privacy that the shortest retention period possible be used, preferably less than 72 hours.

A claim made in Calistoga for installing ALPRs is that most crime occurs by occupants of non-resident vehicles that enter or leave the city. Yet the seemingly copy-paste Calistoga and St. Helena proposals make no mention of creating a white list for residents to add their vehicles to. This is entirely possible, and is done in Los Altos Hills, California, which also uses Flock Safety ALPRs. Flock specifically mentions privacy controls to enable certain vehicles to 'opt-out' of being captured as a feature of their product. Why is this feature left out of the proposal? Why should St. Helena residents be tracked like suspicious persons by default?

For a tool this powerful, regular and thorough auditing of the system with accountability to the Council and St. Helena residents is critical. The proposal states that the Administrative Lieutenant is responsible for auditing the system. However, this is the same person who would be largely responsible for any failures to secure the same system. This presents an enormous conflict of interest that should absolutely be remedied.

The details of the annual auditing process are severely lacking, and should be enumerated in far more detail, including frequency of access, percentage of data points relevant to crime, reasons for access, activity per camera, examples of camera field of view, and time delay between image capture and image retrieval by an officer to determine if the data retention period length is still appropriate.

Potential sharing of data with other agencies must also be restricted. Some jurisdictions share data with the Department of Homeland Security via regional fusion centers, which in some cases retain such data indefinitely, potentially invalidating St. Helenas privacy considerations.

Finally, any proposal must stipulate an annual evaluation with the Council and public. The evaluation needs to determine whether the ALPRs are, in fact, reducing crimes, and if not, whether the usage should continue. In short, an ongoing, impartial analysis of the cost-to-benefit ratio of maintaining the equipment based on results.

The City of St. Helena should not make the same mistakes as neighboring communities by fast-tracking the approval of a pervasive surveillance system. Many small details of ALPR systems can have very significant impacts on privacy and civil rights. Serious issues like this need to be actively discussed. I commend the Council for creating such an opportunity at the Sept. 27 Council meeting, and encourage all St. Helena residents to weigh in on this important issue.

Taylor Dahlke

Walnut Creek
I was participating in our Monday Vigil  Black Lives Matter, holding my signs Stand for Justice and Womens Rights ... Damn Right, when my friend Jan Darter brought out a book she thought Id be interested in reading.

"Do the Work!: An Antiracist Activity Book" by W. Kamau Bell and Kate Schatz is for, in their opinion, all the people overwhelmed by racial injustice and white supremacy in America, whove taken some action and know they can do more, but dont always know what to do or how to do it, or are afraid of getting it wrong or not knowing enough and are left wondering what do I doooo ...  Their invitation elicited an immediate response within me. A message from the universe that awareness of prejudice, discrimination and implicit bias is ongoing and challenging. It is a journey with ups and downs, twists and turns and missed opportunities to be a voice when we hear overt racist comments or see incidents of injustice. It beckons us to do the work.

Our group, Monday Vigil  Black Lives Matter, began that journey in June of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin. We hold vigil in front of Lyman Park from noon to 1 p.m. We receive thumbs up and honks of support. We also receive some vile and abusive comments. We hold our ground. We dont respond to negativity. In September 2020 Mayor Ellsworth extended an invitation to our group to present our concerns to the City Council. Our input and that of the community lead the passage of Resolution 2020 declaring that racism is a public health issue. The City Council set forth an agenda that included listening sessions to hear the voices of the people in our community who shared their experiences of prejudice, discrimination and racism in St Helena.

The City Council took action in March 2021. They revised their Vision and Mission Statement to specifically address diversity, equity and inclusion. Goal 4: Section E: Creates a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee with a seat for a youth member to identify recommendations to ensure a more socially diverse and inclusive community. No action plan, time line or resources are listed. Its 18 months later and no committee has been formed. Its time to do the work.

Unfortunately racism and discrimination continues to thrive quietly in our Upvalley community. Consider the August 2022 incident at Goose and Gander that made the national news: "St. Helena restaurant apologizes to South African musician after racial profiling incident" (ABC 7 NY). An apology and a promise of sensitivity training was the response. Napa Valley is a destination for people from around the world and must recognize that actions speak louder than words. Its time for businesses to do the work.

Life experiences and social interactions with those who may be different than ourselves is challenging. However, if we want to grow in awareness and cultivate respectful relationships then its time for all of us to do the work.

The following quote by John Lewis, legislator and civil rights advocate, captures the essence of what it takes to address injustice:

Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates. Know that the truth always leads to love and the perpetuation of peace. Its products are never bitterness and strife. Clothe yourself in the work of love, in the revolutionary work of nonviolent resistance against evil. Anchor the eternity of love in your own soul and embed this planet with goodness. Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace, in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time dont be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is finally at peace with itself.

Do the work. Stand up. Speak up. Vote!
Yountville Arts presents "Art of the Blend" with Jessup Cellars Gallery at the Yountville Community Center, opening Oct. 6 and showing through Dec. 2.

Led by the Yountville Arts Commission and Jessup Cellars Gallery curator and resident artist Cynthia Carey, this show features five local and regional artists: Sally Anne Fitter, Sandra Speidel, Beverly Lazor and Cindy Press, in addition to Carey.

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Wines from Jessup Cellars and light bites will be served at the opening reception Oct. 6 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Lazor and Carey will join the reception to discuss their art and blending techniques.

Cynthia Carey has been curator and resident artist at the Jessup Cellars Gallery in Yountville for more than a decade. Born in Chicago, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area as a child. A major influence was studying under Nathan Oliveira at Stanford University. She collects antique papers from around the world for her collages and paints large panels in the style of Italian frescos.

A current project is her Wish boutique in St Helena with custom-designed merchandise similar to what she has shown at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. She says, Seeing life in found objects is a passion that comes from deep within.

Beverly Lazor lives in Southern California where her love of plein air painting was inspired not only by Impressionist painters but also by family drives along the coast. After graduating with distinction from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, she worked as a freelance illustrator and designer for clients such as Disney, Amblin, MCA and the Getty Museum. Lazors recent paintings include vineyard and landscape scenes.

Sandra Speidel has been drawing and painting all her life. My figures live in the space between reality and abstraction, she says. Her paintings include abstract elements to suggest thought or emotion, psychology or history that go beyond the literal depiction. The figures gesture is her entry point to interpret and understand. Abstract marks may be made with brushes, knives, scrapers, squeegees, trowels or other hardware. It all helps her tell a story.

At "Blending Passions" on Nov. 4, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Speidel will discuss her paintings and the blending techniques while Jessup Cellars shares wine blending techniques and tastes.

Yountville gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on weekends by appointment. The Yountville Community Center Gallery is at 6516 Washington St., Yountville. More information is available at www.yountvillearts.com and jessupcellars.com/art-gallery/.
CHICAGO  There is often comfort to be had in the familiar.

You can wear that old sweater. Grab a stool at your cozy corner tavern. Order the usual at your favorite restaurant. Call a friend from high school. Or you can pick up a book with the name Scott Turow on the cover.

You can do that now, as his latest novel is formally released and sits in piles at your neighborhood bookstore. Piles, because Turow has proven himself to be a reliable bestseller. When the piles vanish, more will arrive.

So, get one. You will be able to easily find Suspect (Grand Central Publishing) and across its 440-some pages you will find Turow in fine form. Comforting, yes, but also satisfyingly fresh and creative.

He has never been a flashy writer. As I have written before, one of the admirable aspects of Turows work is that he is no showoff. As literate and smart as anyone in the writing biz, he is not given to fancy literary flourishes.

But he will make you turn a books pages, so forceful is his plotting, so eye-popping its twists and surprises, and so colorful his characters. The star of this new novel is one we have met before.

Clarice Pinky Granum was in Turows previous novel, the terrific The Last Trial (Grand Central Publishing) in 2020. She was the granddaughter of one of Turows great characters, lawyer Alejandro Sandy Stern, who has been there since that initial blockbuster, 1990s Presumed Innocent, in which Stern defended Rusty Sabich, the prosecutor accused of committing a murder in a case he was overseeing.

His books have arrived in a steady stream ever since, with Stern in roles large and small. Turows 11 bestsellers together have sold more than 30 million copies and there are movie versions of The Burden of Proof, Innocent, Presumed Innocent and Reversible Errors.

Turow has also found time and energy  dont ask me how  to have a successful career as a lawyer who not only, as an assistant U.S. attorney, was lead counsel in the Operation Greylord trial but later, in private practice, helped free an innocent man from death row and worked pro bono for years on wrongful convictions and capital punishment reform.

He has also written nonfiction books, served as president of the Authors Guild, occasionally plays music for charity with that band of famous novelists (Stephen King, Amy Tan and others) known as the Rock Bottom Remainders, and contributes op-ed pieces to a variety of publications.

Born in Chicago, raised in the northern suburbs and long living in Evanston, Illinois, his novel writing success has inspired a generation of attorneys to, so to speak, put pen to paper. Results have varied, with only a few finding Turow-like success and praise (John Grisham and David Ellis come most quickly to mind). As the Wall Street Journal has written, Scott Turow set the gold standard for the modern legal thriller.

In The Last Trial Pinky was, after overcoming a drugged-out youth, working as a paralegal for her grandfathers law firm and a frequently infuriating employee. Sandys love for his granddaughter exceeds his understanding, but he still thinks that she has a solid future as a private investigator.

In reviewing that fine book, I wrote I hope that Turow has more books to write. I am sure he does, and though it is presumptuous to suggest future work, he could not go wrong by expanding the character of Pinky, who is an appealingly complicated young woman.

I take no credit for prompting her return, but in bringing her back in full color, Turow has created one of contemporary fictions most complicatedly arresting characters, one not easy to adore but one impossible to ignore.

Shes still quite a handful at 33, pierced and inked and working as a licensed private investigator for 52-year-old lawyer Rik Dudek, mostly on nickel-and-dime cases, bar fights and such.

Now, theyve got a big one, handling the troubles for police chief Lucia Gomez-Barrera, who has been accused by three officers of trading sex for promotions.

It would be unfair to give away too many of the turns that this case takes. That is one of Turows great gifts, managing the action in a forceful fashion.

But I will tell you that Gomez-Barrera is a fascinating and finely drawn character and those three officers are a nasty bunch. Adding to this mix is a strange neighbor, mixed sexual signals from old lovers and new ones, scandals, and crimes aplenty.

One can sense the fun Turow must have had writing this, returning to fictional Kindle County, which bears an unmistakable, welcome resemblance to Chicago and Cook County. He is comfortable there and knows the territory, a place that contains dark sides teeming with secrets and sins.

And it comes as a pleasant surprise to again see Sandy Stern. Hes no longer practicing law and is in assisted living. But he has a lady friend and sees Pinky every week. He loves her and she loves him. As she tells us in Suspect, Im not sure I believe in the afterlife or mediums, but somewhere in my inner fibers Im sure hell be showing up long after hes gone, when I really need him.

Heres hoping.
As co-chair of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology will lead a UAE delegation of high-level government and industry leaders on a visit to the City of Pittsburgh to participate in a global platform that will shape the future of manufacturing in a net zero world.

The UAEs delegation will be part of over 70 international experts that will convene at the inaugural edition of GMIS America from September 28 to 30, 2022, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

With the aim of exploring new areas of growth and global cooperation, the UAEs delegation will present the countrys business environment and many competitive advantages and incentives that make it attractive to foreign investors, manufacturers, innovators, and SMEs. Emirati experts will share their knowledge and fresh perspectives on advancing sustainable manufacturing practices and the global energy transition, a statement from GMIS said.

Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, will deliver a recorded keynote address highlighting the UAEs commitment to comprehensive and sustainable industrialization, strengthening UAE-USA trade ties, and stimulating cross-border collaboration through the UAEs national strategy for industry and advanced technology and the Make It in the Emirates campaign.

As part of GMIS Americas inaugural ceremony, Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, will join Diane Farrell, US Deputy Undersecretary for International Trade to deliver keynotes while Bill Peduto, Former Mayor of Pittsburgh, and Richard Fitzgerald, Alleghany County Executive will give welcome addresses on Day 1 of GMIS America.

Omar Al Suwaidi said: The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology continues to drive the UAE's national industrial strategy, focusing on cross-border collaborations and developing partnerships in line with the UAE leadership's vision to enhance international cooperation and drive industrial progress. It works to establish an attractive business environment for local and international investors, positioning the UAE as a leading global destination for industries of the future.

GMIS America provides a platform to showcase the UAEs exceptional value proposition to international businesses, and the promising investment opportunities within the UAEs industrial sector. Its also an ideal event to present the unprecedented incentives it offers to local and foreign industrial investors, in a way that guarantees a conducive environment with advanced legislation and infrastructure that enables their products to access regional and global markets. We look forward to the dialogue and potential partnerships between the USA and the UAE that will spur greater strategic ties and bilateral relations between the two nations.

The UAEs Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology will host an interactive panel to present the countrys national strategy for industry and advanced technology  Operation 300Bn  inviting industrialists, investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs to engage and benefit from the UAEs unique investment environment and fast-growing industrial sector. Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the UAEs Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology will inaugurate the discussions while Humaid Mohamed Ben Salem, Secretary General of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FCCI); will join Mansoor Janahi, Group CEO of Sanad; Saud Abu Al-Shawareb, Managing Director of Dubai Industrial City; ; Ahmed Awad, VP Program Management and & Business Performance of Strata; and Ibtisam Al Saadi, Industrial Development Department Director of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, and Jake Skelton, CEO of EGA Americato debate the role of advanced technologies in boosting sustainable industrial development and highlight collaboration opportunities within the UAEs robust industrial sector.

The ministry-led panel session will also feature key UAE industrial champions, who will share their expansion plans and opportunities, highlighting the unique enabling environment the UAE offers to international businesses looking to launch operations in the country.

The USA and the UAE share a multi-faceted and rapidly growing partnership, one that is underpinned by extensive trade relations. The ministry will host a networking luncheon on Day 2, to share their expertise and highlight innovative areas of collaboration that can facilitate mutually beneficial partnerships and accelerate industry transformation.

Mansoor Janahi, Group CEO of Sanad will be joined by Daniel Crowley, CEO of Triumph Group, Elias Merrawe, VP UAE Civil Accounts of Thales UAE, and Richard Petrucci, Managing Director of White Oak on a panel titled Redefining value in the 4IR era: the future of industrial services to discuss how their companies are adapting to Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies.

Eng. Omar Al Mahmoud, CEO of ICT Fund, Foundation Partner of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, will be joined by Tariq Al Hashimi, Director of Technology Adoption and Development at the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT); Lonnie Love, Corporate Fellow at the Energy & Transportation Science Division of Oak Ridge National Lab; and Audrey Russo, President & CEO of Pittsburgh Technology Council on a panel titled Forecasting the future of 4IR: Creating value from decentralization, where they will debate the role of digitalisation and data exchange in decentralizing global supply chains.

Mohammed Al Ahmedi, CEO of Ducab Metals;); Thomas Bruns, Regional Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi; and Kendrick Tang, Rail Planning and Sales Director at Etihad Rail will gather on a panel to discuss how regional trade agreements can be structured to future proof supply chains and global economies.

Namir Hourani, Managing Director of the GMIS Organising Committee, said: Following its inauguration in the United Arab Emirates, the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit has been hosted in some of the worlds leading industrial and technology hubs to promote collaboration in the form of sharing resources, expertise, and knowledge, which is the foundation for long-term mutually beneficial partnerships. This will be our first of many GMIS America editions, which we plan on holding in the innovative city of Pittsburgh annually, and which we hope will encourage cooperation, empower businesses and accelerate industrial transformation. I look forward to engaging discussions between the UAE delegation and international leaders, which I am certain will result in exciting commercial opportunities.

The UAEs leaders will be joined by c-suite executives and senior leaders from leading USA-based organizations, including: Daniel Crowley, CEO of Triumph Group; Dr. Haakan Jonsson, Chairman and President of Covestro USA LLC; Bryan Salesky, Founder and CEO of Argo AI; Ian Walsh, President and CEO of Kaman; John Dyck, CEO of CESMII Smart Manufacturing Institute; Jeanne Cunicelli, President of UPMC Enterprises; Diane Holder, CEO of UPMC Health Plan; Patrick Gallagher, Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh; Mike Lordi, CEO (Ret.) of Elliott Group; Dr. Aziz Asphahani, Chairman and CEO of QuesTek Innovations LLC; Dr. Samuel Kernion, CEO of CorePower Magnetics; and Petra Mitchell, President and CEO of Catalyst Connection.

Hosted by the Honorable Thomas Wolf, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, GMIS America will be an annual USA roadshow by the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), the worlds most high-profile manufacturing and advanced technology conference. Under the theme advancing global industrialization and net zero, GMIS America will feature keynotes, fireside chats, and panel sessions to accelerate the simultaneous advancement of the green and digital agendas. GMIS America will offer policymakers, businesses, and international bodies an opportunity to design integrated policies, frameworks, applications and business models for a net zero, circular future. The program agenda will discuss the application of 4IR technologies such as AI, edge computing, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and nanotechnology towards advancing the global energy transition and industrialization.

GMIS America will host multiple activities over three days from 28-30 September, 2022. The roadshow will comprise high-profile sessions across several formats, as well as a gala dinner, interactive workshops and working groups on 28 and 29 September. On 30 September, GMIS America will host exclusive site visits to advanced tech centers and industrial facilities in Pittsburgh to showcase the latest innovations and technology solutions available in the city and encourage cross-sectoral collaboration and investment opportunities.--TradeArabia News Service
California Highway Patrol officers responded to a two-vehicle, head-on crash that caused major injuries to a St. Helena woman at about 7:20 a.m. Tuesday on Spring Mountain Road, west of Langtry Road, in Napa County.

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Maria Orozco, a 75-year-old St. Helenan, was driving a Toyota Yaris east on Spring Mountain Road, while the other driver, a 33-year-old Napa man, was moving westbound in a Toyota Tundra pickup truck, according to a CHP press release.

The Toyota Yaris driver reportedly crossed the double-yellow lines into the westbound lane for unknown reasons, directly into the path of the Toyota Tundra, and the vehicles crashed, the press release says.

The Yaris driver was transported to Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center by American Medical Response ambulance for treatment of major injuries. The Tundra driver sustained minor injuries  his passenger wasnt injured  and he wasnt taken to the hospital, the press release said.
Napa Police, in partnership with Sacramento law enforcement, arrested a Solano County man last week after investigating a rise in local stolen check reports back in June, according to police.

In many reports examined by detectives, the checks had been dropped off as mail at Napa post offices, police said. Detectives ultimately identified Pedro Howard, 33, a Solano County resident, as a suspect behind the stolen checks, and subsequently identified two houses in Sacramento County that he and his associates were using.

The Napa Special Investigation Bureau, along with SWAT teams from the Sacramento Police Department and Sacramento County Sheriffs Office, went to the houses and successfully served search warrants and a Ramey warrant  an arrest warrant issued prior to the filing of formal charges  on Sept. 21, according to Napa Police.

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Officers arrested Howard outside one of the houses, and another seven people were detained inside a house. Officers also found 10 dogs in deplorable conditions, according to a Napa Police Facebook post, and local animal control officers took them.
Armenia's first president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, said that most of the opposition seems to think that if they can get rid of Nikol Pashinyan, it will be possible to avoid painful decisions, but this is naive. His remarks came on the air of the Public Television Company.

"Whoever comes may sign a document that will be even worse. First, they have not proven that they can be better. They can't, because they don't have the information; I don't either. It seems to me that all decisions will be bad for us. I see the task: choose the least painful decision out of all the bad ones, and in order to understand this, we have to possess information, and the only one who possesses it is Pashinyan," he said.

The first president said that Nikol Pashinyan is also afraid to sign because whatever document he signs, they will say, "Traitor, Turk."

"I don't want to get into the sphere of conspiracy theories. In my opinion, we [referring to the former presidents of Armenia and Artsakh and His Holiness - ed.] extend our hand to Pashinyan if we choose the least painful option. We take responsibility, for which I am ready. The success of something like this requires absolute sincerity on both sides, putting aside partisan and careerist interests. There are many people who think they will become president once they get rid of Pashinyan. In addition to famous faces, every day someone sets up a podium in the street and imagines himself to be the next leader of Armenia," he said.

The first president said he didn't want to go into detail about the presenter's remark that Armenia wants two things: to recognize Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan and to give it a corridor. "So much has been said about that. I don't know if it will work or not. It's empty talk," he said.

Asked whether Armenia is doomed to sign these documents, Levon Ter-Petrosian said there are no two neighboring states in the world that do not have peace agreements.

"More powerful countries than us have also surrendered. Yes, Armenia has capitulated. There can be nuances, Russia's proposal will be different, America's proposal will be different, in the end one will win. It was not our wish, circumstances, aggression of our adversaries, mistakes of our authorities led to it. You think I made a thousand and one mistakes, yes, but not in this direction. On the contrary, I was the first to say that this is the only way," he said.

To the presenter's remark that he was accused of not completing the process, Ter-Petrosian said:

"Who didn't let me finish it? We met in this room, I explained that if I had done something different, there would have been a civil war in Armenia. There was one element that could have balanced it, but did not fulfill its mission: our intellectuals."
EU Special Representative for South Caucasus receives videos of alleged Armenian war crimes against Azerbaijanis

MFA spox: Armenia side proposed to hold next meeting of Azerbaijan border delimitation commission in October

Japan PM declares intention to conclude peace treaty with Russia

Armenian FM meets State Secretary of Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Finland FM: Not many countries recognize Russia's expansion

Diana Karazyan: Azerbaijan has merely confirmed that it has 17 Armenian POWs

Red Cross representatives visit Armenian POWs captured by Azerbaijan after September 13

PM Kishida: Tokyo will continue sanctions policy against Russia and support Ukraine

Pashinyan: Already 2nd time when Azerbaijan refuses to fulfill promise to release Armenian POWs

Spain lawmaker: Savage images of Azerbaijani soldiers shooting Armenian POWs to death are unacceptable

Security Council chief: Azerbaijan did not fulfill commitment to release 17 Armenian POWs by Sept. 30

Armenia PM: Germany is reliable partner for us

World oil prices going up considerably

Armenia ambassador-at-large to Klaar: We will not allow putting equality sign between war crimes victim and perpetrator

Azerbaijan proposes to Armenia to reschedule border delimitation commission meeting to October

Brazil to have presidential runoff

Bosnia and Herzegovina presidential candidate announces his victory

US National Archives says it still didnt get all documents from Trump administration

Donald Trump-Kim Jong-un personal letters published

Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs underscore introduction of international mechanisms for border situation control

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
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday reflected on the meeting between Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, the Azerbaijan presidential aide, Hikmet Hajiyev, at the White House.

Today, I hosted Hikmet Hajiyev and Armen Grigoryan for direct and constructive talks. We discussed the importance of avoiding further violence and pursuing time-bound and focused negotiations. We also identified concrete steps forward in support of a stable and lasting peace, Sullivan wrote on Twitter.

To note, the Office of the Security Council of Armenia had informed that the parties discussed the process of long-term peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, as well as the need to establish peace in the region. Also, eliminating the consequences of the recent military aggression was underscored.
Vectra AI, a leader in AI-driven threat detection and response for hybrid and multi-cloud enterprises, today announced its participation at GITEX Global 2022 in Dubai, where it will show attendees how they can reduce alert fatigue for security teams and mount a more effective defense of their digital estates by leveraging attack-signal intelligence.

The October event will be the first GITEX at which Vectra will operate its own booth, according to a statement by the company.

For the past two decades, threat detection and response methodologies across people, processes and technology have relied heavily on signatures, anomalies, and rules to identify and defeat cybercriminals as they engage in infiltration and exfiltration campaigns. But as enterprises shift to hybrid and multi-cloud environments and digitize identities, supply chains and ecosystems, these approaches only result in more alert noise, triage and false positives, commented Taj El-khayat, Managing Director for EMEA South at Vectra AI. Very rarely do organizations know where the gaps in their security lie. And this is a great advantage to attackers, who continually bypass prevention, circumvent signatures, blend in and infiltrate, and progress laterally inside an organization to wreak havoc.

Vectras focus on attack-signal intelligence is based upon the approachs proven ability to enhance an organizations resilience to attacks. Unlike other approaches that center on anomaly detection and require human tuning and maintenance, Vectras attack-signal intelligence exposes the complete narrative of an attack by continuously monitoring for known attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), and executing pre-defined models in real-time to detect and correlate those TTPs and sift out the threats that are most relevant to the business.

Vectras signal-intelligence approach means processes and workflows are more efficient. It reduces SIEM costs as well as the need for creating detection rules. It allows for the automation of many traditionally manual tasks and speeds up detection and response. It also optimizes investments in EDR, SOAR and ITSM, and makes analysts and threat hunters more effective by greatly reducing the incidence of false positives and alleviating alert fatigue.

Vectra has spent more than a decade researching, developing, pioneering, and patenting AI-powered security that is centered on erasing the unknown, El-khayat explained. Attack-signal intelligence empowers defenders to think like their assailants and anticipate their tactics, techniques, and procedures. Our focus on the reduction of alert noise and the alleviation of security teams burdens is one that is resonating with people across the region.

At GITEX, Vectra will focus on the capabilities within its Threat Detection and Response (TDR) and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) suites to deliver attack-signal intelligence. Vectra TDR is designed for todays hybrid and multi-cloud environments and provides coverage, clarity, and control for SOCs. Threat visibility extends to a range of widely used cloud services such as AWS, Microsoft 365 and Azure AD. AI-driven attack-signal intelligence is used to automate threat detection, and triage findings for prioritized investigation. And AI-enabled operations enable integrated investigation, workflow automation and targeted response.

Vectra MDR is a year-round, 24-hour proactive monitoring service that keeps security teams informed of the most immediate and potentially damaging threats in their environment. Vectra offers its expertise to interpret early warning-signs identified by its TDR platform, and experienced analysts are on hand, day and night, to support resident SOCs in expelling sophisticated adversaries.

The company has set aside space for three demo screens that will show different SOC (security operations center) capabilities  one for detection, one for response and one for ecosystem integration with technologies such as Splunk and CrowdStrike. Vectra will also operate a dedicated cloud demo zone.

We are excited for the opportunity GITEX 2022 presents to make the case for attack-signal intelligence, said El-khayat. Vectras TDR and MDR offerings focus on the power of teams to be masters of their environment and to be ready for that all-important, show-stopping incident. Signal intelligence makes organizations more resilient to attacks and ensures that the really damaging infiltrations do not slip under the radar of overworked, under-resourced teams.

At GITEX Global 2022, Vectra will exhibit at Stand H1-C10.---TradeArabia News Service
The U.S. is urging the EU's international centers to hurry up and improve monetary aid to Ukraine, the IMF is exploring new methods of sending money to Kiev, the FT reported.

High-ranking officials in the Biden administration have expressed frustration with Brussels over the slow delivery of European support to Kiev, sources told the newspaper.

They said the U.S. had asked Brussels to organize a regular mechanism of monetary assistance.

Washington has been in "frequent contact" with the European Commission and EU member states about the need to "expeditiously deliver promised economic assistance to Ukraine," the U.S. official said. We reiterate our call for all of Ukraines partners to more quickly deliver promised assistance to Ukraine, to increase their commitments, and to prioritise assistance in the form of grants over loans.

An EU spokesman said Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met with European Council President Charles Michel to stress that Kiev wants about 3.5 billion euros each month. He begged for it to happen as soon as possible, the official said.

Washington gave Kyiv $8.5 billion in financial aid and asked Congress for another $4.5 billion in grants.

Meanwhile, Brussels has paid 1 billion of the 9 billion pledged in May. It has agreed to pay another 5 billion euros this month. It hopes to pay the remaining 3 billion euros by the end of the year.

A senior U.S. official said, We look forward to the EU beginning delivery of the 5bn in pledged assistance starting next month and urge the EU to quickly develop a regular mechanism to keep delivering budget support to Ukraine going forward.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris condemned China's "disturbing" actions in an address to U.S. sailors based in Japan, Reuters reported.

"China is undermining key elements of the international rules-based order," Harris said during a visit to the world's largest overseas U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, near Tokyo.

"China has flexed its military and economic might to coerce and intimidate its neighbours. And we have witnessed disturbing behaviour in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea, and most recently, provocations across the Taiwan Strait," she added.

Earlier, U.S. President Joe Biden, in an interview aired Sept. 18, pledged to protect Taiwan from an "unprecedented attack."

Harris said U.S. troops would continue to operate in the region fearlessly and bravely.

We will continue to oppose any unilateral change to the status quo," she said. "And we will continue to support Taiwan's self-defence, consistent with our long-standing policy. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that contributes to the global good - from technology to health, and beyond, and the United States will continue to deepen our unofficial ties."

The base where Harris spoke is home to 24,000 military and civilian personnel who could be deployed in the event of regional conflict. It is also home to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which is now in South Korea to participate in a joint exercise aimed at deterring North Korea.

Biden is expected to have his first face-to-face meeting as president with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the November G-20 meeting in Indonesia.
The authorities of Abkhazia will consider the possibility of war with Georgia high until the agreement on the non-use of force is signed. They are ready to do it in the beginning of October, during the next round of the Geneva discussions, the Abkhaz Foreign Minister Inal Ardzinba told RIA Novosti.

"Until we sign an agreement with Georgia on the non-use of force on the platform of the Geneva discussions, which is still not signed, we will consider the probability of war high. And since Georgia has not signed this agreement, we are proceeding from this," Ardzinba said when asked about the likelihood of an armed clash with Georgia.

He underscored that the authorities of Abkhazia are watching how contracts for the delivery of combat reconnaissance UAVs are increasing in Georgia, how contacts with NATO are expanding and how the joint exercises with the United States are held. In addition, they see that Georgia maintains a high level of military spending in the state budget - about $300 million, Ardzinba noted.

"At the beginning of October, presumably on the 5th or 6th, another round of the Geneva discussions is planned. In my opinion, this is a great opportunity to sign an agreement on the non-use of force with Georgia. If Georgia is disposed to peace, then it will sign this agreement. If Georgia is not disposed to peace, then it will not sign this agreement. I can officially say that we are ready for signing this agreement," he noted.

Besides, according to him, the US is already putting pressure on Georgia to open the so-called "second front". Ardzinba added that the geopolitical situation in the region is under the control of the head of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania.
International Maritime Industries (IMI), the largest shipyard in the Mena region, has signed a long-term agreement with Bahri Logistics, one of Bahris business units, to enhance its supply chain through state-of-the-art warehousing and logistics services.

IMI - a joint venture between leading industry partners Saudi Aramco, Bahri, Lamprell, and HHI, is the largest shipyard in the Mena region spread over nearly 12 million sq m area.

It provides new build and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for commercial vessels, including VLCCs, Bulk Carriers, Offshore Support Vessels, and Offshore Jackup rigs.

The agreement supports IMIs commitment to developing the Saudi maritime industry and will further enable IMI to offer its customers a highly responsive localized supply chain that reduces risk, lowers costs, and speeds up response times, remarked Dr Abdullah Al Ahmari, the Chief Executive Officer of IMI, after signing the deal with Engineer Soror Basalom, the President of Bahri Logistics, at the ongoing Saudi Maritime Congress 2022 in Dammam.

"It reflects Bahris ongoing commitment to supporting our efforts to build a world-class shipyard with an advanced and fully integrated supply chain, that will help drive the development of Saudi Arabias maritime industry," he stated.

Under the agreement, IMI will leverage Bahri Logistics expertise to operate and manage three warehouses and a total of 33 stores across its yard in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia, said the top official.

In addition, Bahri Logistics will handle the transportation of materials required for new build and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operations from local and international suppliers to IMIs premises, including inland transportation and customs clearance.

The three warehouses will cover a combined area of around 30,000 sq m  including storage and workshop areas  and will be located in Zones C and D of IMIs yard, which focuses on new-build activities for commercial vessels and offshore jackup rigs and lift boats, stated Al Ahmari.

According to him, IMI was built on a foundation of key partnerships with leading industry companies, and working with a top logistics provider such as Bahri Logistics further enhances our strong product and service offerings.

The deal will see 33 stores distributed across various yard zones. Bahri Logistics will design, install, and manage the day-to-day operations of all the storage systems, he added.

On the IMI partnership, Basalom said through its comprehensive portfolio of services and strong track record of industrial logistics projects, Bahri is confident in its ability to fulfill IMIs storage and logistics needs.

"Working with IMI to leverage our technical expertise and facilitate knowledge transfer and capacity building, we are proud to be contributing to the development of the Saudi maritime industry under Vision 2030," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The Board of the Paris Bar Association condemned the aggression of the Azerbaijani army against the Armenian people and the territory of Armenia.

Also, the board recalled its commitment to the principles of international law, and calledunder the auspices of the international communityfor an immediate end to this violence.

In addition, the Paris Bar Association reaffirmed its solidarity with the colleagues from the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia, and emphasized that historical relations are maintained between themand which are constantly reaffirmed by cooperation agreements.
The topic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) is completely absent in the negotiation processes. Second President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia told this to a press conference Wednesday.

"Unfortunately, all my concerns, which I had voiced in this very hall during our previous meeting, seem to be coming true. The [Armenian] authorities are just not taking any steps to correct the situation in that regard.

In my impression, the topic of Artsakh is completely absent in the negotiation processesand not only in Brussels. We are talking about the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict was over Artsakh. I have no idea how these relations can be normalized without certainty and a shared vision regarding the settlement of the Karabakh problem. Therefore, if there is progress here, then it can be concluded that there is an agreement on the Karabakh issueeither with silence or without silence," said Kocharyan.

According to him, the fact that the Republic of Artsakh, self-determination, and sovereignty have completely disappeared from the vocabulary of Armenias officials indicates that we have a serious problem here.

"Azerbaijan says that the Karabakh issue is settled, we have nothing to talk about Karabakh with you. As far as I know, Armenia does not fight against that approach. In fact, if this continues, the future negotiation process will be in the following format: Baku, Stepanakert, and to some extent Moscow. I will suggest that our analysts and journalists assess what consequences this format will have.

The [Armenian] authorities have somehow adapted to this situation. Of course in their statements they talk about self-determination, sovereignty, republic, but in other conversations the topic is a little different. The way of self-justification is as follows: What should we do now? Armenia has washed its hands [of Artsakh], we shall find a way out to keep the people here, and it is not possible to do this without cooperation with Azerbaijan.

Recently, the government of Karabakh has also been doing this with great diligence. Dependence on Baku has only increased during this period," he said.

According to Kocharyan, the fact that a natural gas pipeline was not built along with the new road between Armenia and Artsakh, the power poles were not moved, and the communication cable remained on the old road, creates such a dependency that Azerbaijan can create a desperate situation for the people of Karabakh at any time, whenever it wants.

"And for the authorities of Karabakh, this will be another explanation of why it is necessary to cooperate with Azerbaijan.

The biggest danger is the disassembling of Karabakh's state institutions. I believe they will try to go for it as well. I find it hard to say now what path they will choose technically. According to my impression, the next step will be in this direction, and the people of Karabakh, the authorities of Karabakhwith the support of Armeniashould fight against this first of all.

According to all polls, 95 percent of our people do not picture Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, but they still do not fight against it. Either they are not sincere in their answers during those surveys, or they still believe in the assurances of the [Armenian] authorities," emphasized the second president of Armenia.
Armenia is in a deep security crisis, and the authorities are unable to protect the territorial integrity of the country. Second President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia told this to a press conference Wednesday.

"The latest situation also showed that they are not able to engage our partners to fulfill the duties defined by the contracts. The authorities are carried away by the theory of opening an era of utopian peace, and under that theory simply ignored many security issues. The role of Baku and Ankara has significantly increased under these recent events, the levers to affect Baku and Ankara have also decreased, they are extremely limited by Russia and the CSTO," said the second president.

According to Kocharyan, ignoring security issues in this situation is a criminal inaction.

"The [Armenian] prime minister's speech at the United Nations was a eulogy for the era of peace. In fact, it meant that there are no such expectations. During the memorial service, no one wishes health to the deceased, it is simply necessary to close that page and open a new pageplaced on other foundations. Recent events showed that the situation in Armenia is volatile. On the one hand there is a compulsion to make a decision, on the other hand there is a risk that this decision can explode from within. Maybe this is the factor that left the pending decisions in a semi-suspended state. All this is a legitimate consequence of the policy that has been carried out in Armenia since 2018, especially after losing the 44-day war [in the fall of 2020]," Robert Kocharyan said.

The second president emphasized that Armenia's role in the region has significantly decreased.

"To be blunt, we have brought it to the level of a ground. We [i.e., Armenia] are on the negotiating table, not at that table. No one likes the weak, the whining, no one makes friends with people of that category; the same is in international relations. Beggars are given something out of pity, not respect. The state cannot be reduced to the level of begging," said the former president of Armenia.
Armenia must reevaluate its security architecture, very soberly assess that states can influence Azerbaijan and Turkey; those levers of influence by Russia and the CSTO have significantly decreased. Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, who also heads the opposition "Armenia" bloc, told about this to a press conference Wednesdayand referring to the regional situation and the possibilities of restraining Turkey and Azerbaijan.

According to the second president, the CSTO has no possibility of influencing Turkey and Azerbaijan at all.

"I told you my opinion about this at this very platform, even before the recent events. All the CSTO countries have much better relations with Azerbaijan than Armenia, and to think that the CSTO can take steps [against Azerbaijan] is geopolitical insanity," remarked Kocharyan.

Nevertheless, according to the conviction of the second president of Armenia, the latters leaving the CSTO would be another stupidity.

"There are agreements within the framework of the CSTO, which are very important for the purchase of weapons and ammunition. We need to take some decisive steps, realizing that yes, we need to convince Russia to equip our security system with new components. I am convinced that it is possible to explain this to the Russian side, perhaps to form a new trilateral format, as the interests coincide, and Russia warms its relations with Iran sufficiently. I am convinced also that this can be explained to the United States as well. Will they like it? No. Do they offer an alternative? We don't offer. This is the situation when one should be more courageous inside, but also in relations with the outside," Kocharyan stated.
There have been very serious statements at all levels in Iran; they seem to say: "Let's negotiate, see how we can be useful in this matter." Second President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia told this to a press conference Wednesday, when asked whether it is possible to freeze time and restore the Armenian army's combat-readiness through Iran.

"What is the weakest place in Armenia? I think it is Syunik [Province]. This is the area for which Turkey and Azerbaijan express their greatest wishesand this is done openly. A specific question: Apart from Armenia, for which country is Syunik important? Iran. Was this hard to guess? If we want to have a state that can take steps in addition to statements and exhortations, purely due to the combination of interests, it is Iran. Almost nothing was done during these two years, at least one or two military exercises should have been conducted with Iran in Syunik, there should have been some legal contract base, and that would have been the biggest deterrent for Azerbaijan because Iran is not a state that can be stopped by waving a finger at if it pursues its national interest. I know that such a conversation took place with Iran in May 2021, but then the Armenian side simply froze that topic and did not take any steps to continue. By the way, the offer was not ours either.

We have already lost two years. Let's not do it now, let's say again that the situation is not good, after a year we will say whether we have time. This is the step you have to take anyway. I did not negotiate with the Iranians, but I know that such negotiations took place. In Iran, there have been very serious statements at all levels, starting from the spiritual leader, the president, and high-ranking military officers. They seem to say: Let's negotiate, see how we can be useful in this matter. It is impossible not to hear, not to understand what is being said. Why was this not done two years ago, one year ago? It should have been done at least in the spring of 2021. We have had time. Now we have to do so that after two years we don't say whether we have time," said Robert Kocharyan.
The U.S. and Europe are running out of weapons to send to Ukraine, Dave Des Roches, associate professor and senior military scientist at the U.S. National Defense University, said.

Im greatly concerned. Unless we have new production, which takes months to ramp up, were not going to have the ability to supply the Ukrainians, Des Roches told CNBC.

The military stocks of most [European NATO] member states have been, I wouldnt say exhausted, but depleted in a high proportion, because we have been providing a lot of capacity to the Ukrainians, Josep Borrell, the EUs high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said earlier this month.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held a special meeting of the alliance's arms directors on Tuesday to discuss ways to replenish member states' weapons stocks.

Military analysts point to a root problem: Western countries have produced weapons in much smaller quantities in peacetime, and governments have preferred to cut back on very expensive production and produce weapons only as needed. Some weapons that are running out of stock are no longer being produced, and they require highly skilled labor and expertise, things that have been lacking in the U.S. manufacturing sector for years.

Stoltenberg told the U.N. General Assembly last week that NATO members need to reinvest in their industrial bases in the weapons sector.

But building up defense production is not a quick and easy task.

The U.S. has been the largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine, providing $15.2 billion in arms packages to date.

The U.S. has almost run out of 155mm howitzers to give to Ukraine; to send more, the country would have to use its own stockpiles. But this is unacceptable to the Pentagon, military analysts say, which means supplies reserved for U.S. operations are unlikely to suffer.

There are a number of systems where I think the Department of Defense has reached the levels where its not willing to provide more of that particular system to Ukraine, said Mark Cancian, a former U.S. Marine Corps Colonel and a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Thats because the United States needs to maintain stockpiles to support war plans, Cancian said. For some munitions, the driving war plan would be a conflict with China over Taiwan or in the South China Sea; for others, particularly ground systems, the driving war plan would be North Korea or Europe.

For Ukrainian forces, this means that some of their most important combat equipment, such as the 155-mm howitzer, must be replaced with older and less-optimal weapons, such as the 105-mm howitzer, which has a lower payload and a shorter range.

Other weapons Ukraine relies on that are now classified as limited in the U.S. arsenal include HIMARS launchers, Javelin missiles, Stinger missiles, the M777 howitzer and 155mm ammunition.

Production of the Javelin, in the U.S. is low, about 800 a year, and according to CSIS, Washington has already shipped about 8,500 to Ukraine, a production volume of more than a decade.

The Pentagon has ordered hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new Javelins, but it takes time to ramp them up. According to Kancian, it could take one to four years for the U.S. to significantly increase overall weapons production.
European pharmaceutical companies have warned that they may stop production of some cheap generic drugs due to a sharp rise in electricity prices, Reuters reports.

The generic drug lobby group Medicines for Europe, which represents companies such as Teva, Novartis' Sandoz unit and Fresenius SE's Kabi unit, has sent an open letter to European Union energy and health ministers.

The 27 EU energy ministers are meeting Friday to agree on measures to ease Europe's energy crisis, including a windfall profits tax on fossil fuel companies and a cap on gas prices.

A spokesman for the Czech presidency of the EU confirmed receipt of the letter, but said Friday's talks were to approve proposals from the executive European Commission. So far, they have not included solutions specifically for drug manufacturers.

According to the letter, electricity prices for some pharmaceutical plants in Europe have increased tenfold and the cost of raw materials has risen 50 to 160 percent.

We may discontinue maybe three, maybe five products due to the direct and indirect impact of increasing energy costs, said Elisabeth Stampa, chief executive of Medichem SA, a generic drugs and pharmaceutical ingredients maker based near Barcelona, Spain.

Adrian Van Den Hoven, CEO of Medichem for Europe, said higher energy costs have hit the sector, which has been forced to consolidate because of price pressures, making the market more vulnerable to supply disruptions and shortages.

Higher energy costs just eat all of the margins of many makers of essential medicines in the fixed price system that we operate under in Europe, he said.

The problem is the pricing regime. Generic drugs are usually sold by low-cost drug manufacturers at prices set by national health agencies or insurers' associations, which also often lower prices.

The surge in energy prices could undermine a recent drive to increase drug production in Europe and make the region more self-sufficient after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed dependence on foreign suppliers and disrupted certain supply routes.
The United States will announce "big dollar" assistance to Pacific island nations during its first summit with U.S. President Joe Biden. Washington hopes the meeting will help counter China's growing influence in the new theater of geopolitical competition, Reuters reports.

Leaders from 12 Pacific island nations are expected to attend the two-day summit in Washington, with Australia and New Zealand participating as observers.

White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell said last week that the summit will address issues such as climate change and health, and Washington and its allies are focusing on improving maritime security and communication links of island nations with countries such as Japan, Australia and India.

Leaders will be honored throughout Washington, including at the State Department, the U.S. Congress, Coast Guard headquarters, and the White House. Washington will also unveil a detailed new strategy specifically for the Pacific region on Wednesday, a senior Biden administration official said.

The official acknowledged that Washington has not paid enough attention to the Pacific region over the years and has worked closely with allied and partner nations to add more resources, more capabilities, more diplomatic engagement.

"We will have big dollar numbers," he said, adding that these would be announced on Wednesday.

"We have sought to align our strategy to meet their goals and objectives," he said referring the 2050 Blue Pacific Continent strategy Pacific leaders have announced that prioritizes action on climate change.

Strategic rivalry in the Pacific has sharply escalated this year after China signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands.
The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has signed seven contracts and MoUs worth over SR900 million ($240 million) with both partners from the public and private sectors at the ongoing Saudi Maritime Congress being held in Dammam under the patronage of Prince Ahmed bin Fahd bin Salman, Deputy Governor of Eastern Province.

These include deals for establishment of a new integrated logistics park at Jeddah Islamic Port, development of infrastructure as per global standards and aso for setting up new ports management system, reported SPA.

With these deals, Mawani aims to achieve complete transformation in the process of operations and logistical support at Saudi ports, in line with initiatives assigned to the Authority within the Saudi Vision 2030 program, and to fulfill the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) to position Saudi Arabia as a global logistics hub.

The first contract signed was with Globe Group to build an integrated logistics park and a re-export zone at Jeddah Islamic Port over an area of 135,000 sq m, which will fetch vast employment opportunities for locals and enable national companies specialized in the logistics industry to set up base.

The second contract was signed with PC Marine Services for SR458 million to cooperate in strengthening food security through Jeddah Islamic Port, by constructing new berths with a design depth of 16 m and a length of 1100 m, thus increasing the number of berths from 26 to 31 in the multi-purpose terminal to accommodate large dry bulk vessels.

The scope of work includes development of infrastructure to receive larger dry bulk carriers and also meet the local market demand of grains, as well as securing the kingdoms strategic grain reserve by increasing the imported grains.

Mawani has also sealed a SR184 million contract with Modern Building Leaders (MBL) in cooperation with Huta Hegerfeld Saudia to implement the project of deepening the approach channels, turning basins, waterways, and the southern terminal basin at Jeddah Islamic Port to facilitate the berthing of large vessels with a capacity of 24,000 TEUs.

The Saudi port body has also signed a SR61 million contract with Giza Arabia to implement the security system project at King Fahad Industrial Port in Yanbu.

Another deal was signed with King Abdulaziz University to implement the best practices in the fields of research, training, and academic affairs related to ports as well as the maritime transport and logistics sector, stated the SPA report.

It is aimed at strengthening the cooperation in the fields of occupational health and safety, as well as the Maritime Law and investigations of maritime accidents and injuries, along with protecting the environment from oil leakage and pollution.

In addition, Mawani signed a MoU with the Saudi Accreditation Center to provide accreditation services to the conformity assessment bodies contracting with Mawani, and strengthen the cooperation in the fields of research and exchanging expertise, to further ensure costumer protection as well as general health and safety according to the assessment standards in the kingdom, said the report.

The seventh MoU was inked with Tabadul towards development of the ports new management systems and implement the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies in Saudi ports.

This comes in line with the Smart Ports initiative to expand the services provided at the ports and increasing the 46 current services to reach 150 services, in order to achieve the objectives of the digital transformation in the logistics sector, it stated.

During the event, Mawani focused on strengthening communication along with showcasing promising services and solutions in Saudi Arabia, while it received leaders and experts within the maritime transport and logistics industry on local and international level at its booth in the congress, to share the latest development of Saudi ports.

A key industry event, Saudi Maritime Congress is held annually in cooperation with Mawani, Saudi's national shipping company Bahri, and several strategic founding partners.

The event gathers experts within the maritime transport and logistics sector, along with providing a platform for the pioneers within the industry regionally and globally to discuss investment and development, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 which aim to position the Kingdom as global logistics hub.
Iran is the only country that can be a deterrent for both Turkey and Azerbaijan. Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, who also heads the opposition "Armenia" bloc, told about this to a press conference Wednesday.

"Yes, we [i.e., Armenia] have a problem with Turkey and Azerbaijan, and we should look at which other countries have these problems and build cooperation bridges with those countries. This is geopolitics. China may also have interests. I see some steps in that direction in the last few days. Now, I don't know if they are formal, demonstrative steps or if they will have a certain continuation. But those steps had to be taken immediately after the defeat [in the 44-day war in the fall of 2020]. And more precisely, it had to be done since 2018 because before that we had quite serious relations with Greece, with the Greek Ministry of Defense. The question is what your intention is. If you have formulated a completely different goal for your country, those questions become secondary. If you think that you will have eternal friendship with Turkey as soon as the border opens, there will be no more danger, you are not looking for relations with those countries that have problems with Turkey," he said.

Kocharyan noted that the world is going towards more polarization, and against that background, being guided by theories that have nothing to do with world trends.

Reflecting on France, the ex-president said that this country has always been friendly to Armenia.

"Of course, France has issues with France, and we need to work with them. But to pin hopes that France can send troops here and to think that the troops of a NATO member country can, for example, be stationed in Syunik [Province of Armenia] and you won't have any issues with Iran, that would also be childish. For that, we need to put all these factors in combination with each other and try to understand which the most correct direction is," he emphasized.

And asked whether Armenia needs to make a specific choice between Russia and the collective West, or whether it is necessary to work in different directions, Kocharyan responded: "It is obvious that the corridor of complementarity has narrowed significantly. But that does not mean that we should not communicate with the West; yes, we should continue the contacts. Let's look at the scenarios. If Russia comes out of this war [in Ukraine] weakened, it is obvious that its influence on Turkey and Azerbaijan will significantly decrease and the influence of these two countries in the region will increase; this is not in our interests. There is not a very complicated scheme here. It is not in our interests for Russia to come out of this war weakened. If it comes out strengthened, then [Azerbaijani president] Aliyev will not dare to say, No matter who wants to call me, which is what he is saying now."
YEREVAN.  The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsperson) of Armenia, Kristinne Grigoryan, on Tuesday held a meeting with the President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Robert Spano, Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned from the Defenders office.

Grigoryan presented the consequences of Azerbaijani aggression and military attack, and emphasized the importance of protecting and guaranteeing human rights in the context of serious security threats. The Defender referred to the competence of the Human Rights Defender to act as a third party in the cases related to Armenia examined at the ECtHR and the work carried out by the Defender's Office in that regard.

The Defender also presented to the President of the ECtHR the ad hoc report of the Defender on the consequences of Azerbaijan's recent military attack on Armenia, in which, the cases of torture, inhuman or humiliating treatment recorded during this attack were analyzed.

Spano, in turn, presented the statistics of the cases against Armenia in the ECtHR, and reflected on the main violations recorded and the measures that must be taken by the country in that regard.

Also, the President of the ECtHR underlined the importance of cooperation with the Armenian Defender's Office within the Court's activities, and the collection and provision of the recorded information by the Defender.
A majority of Americans are tired of the war in Ukraine and want to see diplomatic efforts to end the war, Business Insider writes.

According to a poll conducted by the Quincy Institute for Responsible Government and Data for Progress, 57 percent of Americans strongly or partially support U.S. diplomatic talks to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, even if it would require Ukraine to compromise with Russia. And only 32% of respondents were strongly opposed.

Nearly half of respondents (47%) said they support continued U.S. military assistance to Ukraine only if the United States is involved in diplomacy to end the war, and 41% said they support continued U.S. military assistance to Ukraine regardless of whether or not the United States is involved in ongoing diplomacy.

According to 49% of likely voters, the Biden administration and Congress need to act more diplomatically to help end the war.

Americans recognize what many in Washington do not understand: the war in Ukraine is likely to end at the negotiating table, not on the battlefield. And skepticism is brewing about Washington's approach to this war, which is rife with tough talk and military aid, but with little diplomatic strategy or engagement, said Quincy Institute Executive Vice President Trita Parsi.

'As long as it takes' is not a strategy, it's a recipe for years of disastrous and destructive war, a conflict that will likely not bring us any closer to the goal of securing a prosperous and independent Ukraine. Explain to the American people how you plan to use your considerable diplomatic leverage to end this war, Parsi added.

The poll found that nearly half of likely U.S. voters (48%) are either somewhat or strongly opposed to U.S. aid to Ukraine at its current level if long-term global economic difficulties arise, including in the United States. Meanwhile, the poll found that only four in ten Americans partially or fully support giving the U.S. aid to Ukraine at current levels if that happens.

The poll also found that 58% of Americans oppose U.S. aid to Ukraine at current levels if higher gasoline prices and more expensive goods were to occur in the U.S.

A majority of respondents (57%) also said they believe the war between Russia and Ukraine will end in a peaceful settlement through negotiations between the two countries, and 61% said they believe the war has affected their financial situation in some way.
It is not necessary to replace one system with another, but only to complement it. Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, who also heads the opposition "Armenia" bloc, told about this to a press conference Wednesday.

"If Russia is constrained by relations with Azerbaijan, then one more country that does not have such constraints needs to be engaged, especially since that country is a friendly country with Russia, and these relations are developing quite actively. This requires some courage. But when we were building the Armenia-Iran [natural] gas pipeline, yes, there was resentment in Russiafrom Gazprom [company], but in the end we convinced [them] that it should become the most important factor of our energy security, and we succeeded.

There was an issue with the US, too, and we were able to convince them not to interfere, as it does not contradict their interests either. Diplomacy is the art of being able to present your move in such a way that the power centers of the countries do not consider it as a threat to their interests," said Kocharyan.

As per his observation, it is necessary to grasp for whom the corridor creates a problem. According to him, it is not a big problem either for the United States, or for France, or for Egypt, or for Russia.

"The biggest problem is for us and Iran. We should never oppose the interests of Russia; on the contrary, we should combine them. If they are ready, we can also make them participants. If France is ready to send an observer to that border as an observer, I consider it normal if it will help to some extent. But it will not work out bringing the troops of a NATO member country here while having a Russian base and building relations with Iran at the same time. It will become a source of unnecessary tension. We have to conduct thoughtful diplomatic work with those states. It should not be an either-or," emphasized the second president of Armenia.
The European Union is considering including shipping restrictions to its oil sanctions as the bloc continues to discuss imposing a price cap on Russian oil, Bloomberg reported, citing sources.

The shipping ban would prohibit EU ships from carrying Russian oil sold above the agreed threshold. Greece is by far the largest oil tanker-owning country in the world.

The current EU oil sanctions, which were agreed upon in June, include an embargo on Russian offshore oil, a ban on services such as insurance, brokering and financing needed to transport oil around the world, and exemptions for pipeline shipments. The package is due to take effect in December for offshore oil and early 2023 for petroleum products.

Shipping was excluded from the previous package after pressure from shipping countries, including Greece and Cyprus, meaning that ships that do not depend on EU services could theoretically continue to transport Russian oil outside the EU.

According to one source, the inclusion of shipping restrictions is necessary to avoid any potential loopholes and to negotiate a price ceiling with the G7. Vessels operated by Greece continued to carry Russian coal to non-EU countries even after EU sanctions on the commodity took effect.

Earlier this month, G7 ministers approved a price cap on Russian oil.

According to sources, the EU will need to modify its previous sanctions to allow delivery and services within an agreed price cap. These changes would require the support of all 27 member states. Other G-7 members, including the U.K., which has a significant segment of the insurance industry, will adopt similar measures.

Several details remain to be worked out, including at what price allies will set the limit. The previously adopted EU limits go into effect Dec. 5, but could affect physical oil trade long before then because of the time it takes to hire ships and get cargo to its destination.

According to one source, EU countries that have received preferential treatment for oil coming through pipelines will likely want to ensure their integrity, while countries that import oil by sea may express concerns about an uneven playing field. Carrier countries will also look for ways to protect their industry, the source said. Hungary has said it will no longer support energy sanctions.

It remains unclear how effective the price-cap regime will be, especially since some of Russia's biggest buyers, including China and India, have been reluctant to join. U.S. officials have argued that the price cap could work even if many buyers do not formally join the coalition, since they can still use the system as leverage in contract negotiations with Moscow to negotiate lower prices.

Separately, EU countries are also discussing new sanctions against Russia this week, including further restrictions on exports of electronics and technology.
Foreign Ministers of Russia and Azerbaijan Sergey Lavrov and Jeyhun Bayramov discussed the process of implementation of the trilateral agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh, the Russian foreign ministry informed.

The two FMs discussed the matters of bilateral relationswith an emphasis on the implementation of the provisions of the February 22 Declaration on Allied Cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan.

"The process of implementation of the trilateral agreements of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia on November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021 was considered. They agreed to intensify the relevant work. Clarifications have been made on separate matters on the international and regional agenda," the Russian foreign ministry noted in a statement.
Slovakia may cut electricity exports to Germany and other European Union countries if EU governments fail to meet its demand to change the energy emergency proposal, said country's Prime Minister Eduard Heger, Bloomberg reported.

EU member states intend to strike a deal on an unprecedented package of energy market interventions at an energy ministerial meeting Friday in Brussels. It includes a cap on revenues for lower-cost producers of electricity that Slovakia claims is unsuitable for its national electricity industry.

He said the proposed revenue ceiling of 180 euros per megawatt hour means that his country would receive very limited funding, which would then be directed to households and companies to contain the impact of the crisis. According to him, Slovak producers have already sold most of their electricity produced in 2023 below this threshold, making the cap ineffective.

Slovenske Elektrarne AS, exports electricity mainly to Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The company could face an intolerable financial burden because of government plans to nationalize utilities in the event of an emergency, said Enel SpA, the producer's shareholder.

The nationalization plans, approved this week by the Slovak parliament, would mean an inability to fulfill existing loans and contracts and therefore a concrete risk of insolvency and bankruptcy, Enel said in a statement.

Heger said he would propose redistributing the revenues from the restriction to all member states. Another solution could be to allow Slovakia to use EU cohesion funds to compensate households and businesses.
Ajyal Talks, the specially curated discussion being held as part of the special 10th edition of Ajyal Film Festival in Doha next month, is set to shine the spotlight on the Qatari capitals skyline and storytelling through architecture and provide insights on how modern cities express themselves through their cityscapes.

To be held from October 1 to 8, Ajyal Talks provides a platform for the youth jurors to enhance their sphere of knowledge through participation in insightful discussions and Ajyal Spotlight presents special global guests in film and art to share their diverse experiences and perspectives on the importance of creative expression.

The upcoming event, will provide Ajyal Jury aged 8-25 with the opportunity to gain in-depth insights on how modern city planning principles define the architectural idiom of Doha, while the inspiring regional talent takes centrestage at this years Ajyal Spotlight sessions.

Sadaf Asgari, an influential young Iranian actor of an impressive slate of prominent and award-winning films, including her heartbreaking debut in the DFI-Granted Disappearance. She also stars in Until Tomorrow by Ali Asgari screening in this years programme.

Saleh Bakri is an internationally renowned actor from Palestine, whose critically acclaimed work spans across film and theatre. Bakri has appeared in several DFI-supported features, including Wajib by Annemarie Jacir, Costa Brava, Lebanon by Mounia Akl, and Farah Nabulsis The Present, an Academy Award nominee and winner of the Bafta Award for Best Short Film in 2021.

Fatma Hassan AlRemaihi, the CEO of Doha Film Institute, and Festival Director, said: "As part of Ajyals mission to inspire the next generation to think creatively as agents of positive change and problem-solvers of tomorrow, the 2022 Ajyal jury will interact with international film, arts and architecture experts."

"In sharing their deep expertise with the next generation of creative leaders, our guests further DFIs mission to empower youth to forge bold paths and to amplify their unique voices," she observed.

AlRemaihi said; "With the worlds focus on our nation, it feels fitting to highlight our citys architectural ethos as a central theme of Ajyal Talks. Jurors from around the world can understand Dohas influence on how the cities of the future are being shaped, and appreciate the hard work, dedication and commitment that define every creative artist and professionals journey as part of our Spotlight offerings."

Ajyal Talks-A Skyline of Stories, on October 4, brings together leading Qatari and Arab professionals to address how modern cities express themselves, using tools such as architecture, infrastructure and zoning.

Moderator architect, writer and curator Jumanah Abbas will cover the creative process of imagining the physical dynamics of a future city.

A highlight of the session is the participation of Hisham Qaddumi, President and Principal in Charge of The Arab Architects, a multi-disciplinary design firm that is quality-oriented and value-driven, and incorporates the rich cultural, art, and design influence of the Arab world on modern design.

Qaddumi also directed the work that produced the plans for the city of Doha and also served as the technical adviser to the ruler of Qatar from 1974-87, said the organisers.

He will be joined by Abdullatif Al Jasmi, Director of Heritage Preservation at Qatar Museums; and Ibrahim M. Jaidah, Group CEO & Chief Architect of the Arab Engineering Bureau, a researcher and the author of the Qatari Style, History of Qatari Architecture, and 99 Domes, they added.-TradeArabia News Service
YEREVAN.  Within the framework of his working visit to France, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan on Tuesday met with Sebastien Lecornu, the Minister of the Armed Forces of France, the defense ministry of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

At the request of his French colleague, Papikyan presented the current situation as a result of the Azerbaijani military aggression of September 13 on Armenia.

Lecornu, in turn, reaffirmed France's official position on this matter: Azerbaijani troops should be withdrawn from the territory of Armenia.

According to the results of the meeting, an agreement was reached that the French Ministry of Armed Forces will send a special delegation to Armenia in order to get familiarized with the situation on the spot.
YEREVAN.  Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan on Wednesday received the delegation headed by Gilbert-Luc Devinaz, Head of the France-Armenia Friendship Group of the French Senate, Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The interlocutors discussed a number of matters related to Armenian-French relations. In particular they exchanged views on the development of Armenian-French decentralized cooperation.

During the meeting, regional security and peace were discussed, too. FM Mirzoyan briefed the French senators on the situation resulting from the recent military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia, and lauded the targeted assessments and principled position of the French side in this regard.

The Armenian FM emphasized that Azerbaijan's maximalist policy, attempts of resolving matters through use of force or threat of use of force are unacceptable and must be unequivocally condemned by the international community.

Also, Mirzoyan presented the position of the Armenian side regarding the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict. Efforts of France aimed at establishing peace in the South Caucasusand including as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countrywere highlighted.

In addition, Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the importance of the activities of the France-Armenia Friendship Group aimed at protecting the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenians of Artsakh in the French Senate.
Governor Robert Ghukasyan of Armenias Syunik Province on Tuesday received US Ambassador Lynne Tracy, informed the Syunik Regional Administration.

The ambassador, mentioning that Tuesday is the second anniversary of the start of the 44-day war, conveyed her respects to its casualties, extended condolences to their families, and stated that, unfortunately, the war of the last days also took the lives of young men.

Governor Ghukasyan, for his part, presented the details of Azerbaijan's invasion of Syunik on September 13.

Ambassador Tracy said that this conflict is at the focus of the US, even as there are parallel conflicts in the wider region.

She noted that they are doing everything, both at the highest levels and through diplomatic channels, to prevent the use of force, to ensure the continuity of negotiations, and to have a prospect of settlement of the problem that will bring long-term and stable peace.

The high-ranking diplomat noted that she realizes how difficult it is now for the residents of Syunik, as well as of the other border provinces, to have a sense of security, and that is why she visited the province with her colleagues to find out what is happening and decide what they can help with.

Since Ambassador Tracy is concluding her diplomatic mission in Armenia, at the end of the meeting she noted that the situation in Syunikand in Armenia, in generalwill always be in her mind, and if there is something she can do to help establish peace here, she will do it in the future, tooand no matter where she may be.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a telephone conversation on Wednesday that Germany will never recognize the results of bogus referendums on joining Russia in the occupied regions of Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing the German government press service.

Scholz also noted that Germany's financial, political and humanitarian support for Ukraine will not change and it will continue to support Ukraine in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity, including arms supplies, the press service said in a statement.

Earlier, after counting 100 percent of the votes at polling stations in Russia, 97.81 percent voted for Zaporizhzhya Oblast to become part of Russia, according to published totals for Russia.

The referendum on becoming part of Russia started on September 23 in Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions. Voting lasted five days, until 27 September.
Supercar owners seeking an exclusive combination of driving and lifestyle experiences in the UAE now have a new option which gives an extra dimension to the supercar club concept.

The official launch today of P1 Supercar Life is aimed at the most selective supercar enthusiast who wants a higher level of exclusivity and comfort in the company of like-minded individuals, said a statement.

Dubai-based Pole Position Group has responded to this demand by designing a custom-made automotive and motorsports destination for members to enjoy from 2023.

This will complement a calendar of prestigious on and off-track events, including circuit racing, organised road drives, handling tests and hill climbs, and VIP tours at luxurious locations in Europe.

P1 Supercar Life has been established to create the pinnacle of active ownership for discerning supercar owners, said Ryan Trutch, Managing Director of Pole Position Group, the Middle Easts leading motorsport and automotive consultancy.

The clubs ethos is built around the art of driving, and the unique experiences that only a genuine supercar can bring to its owners. Our members will be discerning owners of genuine supercars who are eager to discover how they were meant to be experienced.

They not only want to drive the finest supercars, but have opportunities to meet and network with contemporaries who value true automotive luxury and excellence. Were using strict criteria to ensure membership is offered only to those enthusiasts who share our philosophy.

Initially set up for the UAE, the club is expected to expand across the GCC region over the next few years.

P1 Supercar Life members receive exclusive access to a year-round series of prestigious events, beginning with four private track days at Dubai Autodrome and Abu Dhabis Yas Marina Circuit.

The clubs dedication to delivering driving thrills will be highlighted by a range of not-to-be-missed bespoke events, including airport runway tests and dramatic hill climbs.

The events calendar also includes seven organised road drives, and as an escape from the UAEs summer heat, P1 Supercar Life offers members a range of VIP tours through some of Europes most scenic routes taking in the French and Italian Alps.

From next year, P1 Supercar Life members will have exclusive access to hospitality facilities at the Yas Marina Formula 1 weekend, and will also offer its members exclusive hospitality opportunities to the best F1 race weekends worldwide.

The club is also in the final stages of designing and locating a Supercar Hub in Dubai, a brand new facility with an automotive-themed design that will be a celebration of the supercar, and to motorsports heritage. This unique, limited access facility will be a place to relax, entertain guests, host business meetings and watch Formula 1 racing and other world-class motor sport from 2023.

Specialising in automotive events and motorsport event rights, Pole Position Group also consults on design, build and operation of racing circuits and automotive inspired destinations.

During the Covid-19 lockdown, Pole Position diversified into Esports racing tournaments and sim racing, and revenues this year have increased exponentially compared with 2021. In early 2022, the group launched a subsidiary, Immersive Esports, which will soon open a sim racing flagship and franchise opportunity across the GCC to draw gamers into motorsport, it said.  TradeArabia News Service
Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Sergey Kopirkin and the military and air attache at the embassy V.A. Kosov, along with the commander of the joint group of troops (forces) of the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia and the armed forces of the Russian Federation T.J. Parvanyan visited Jermuk and Goris cities today, the press service of Russian Embassy in Armenia reported.

The head of the diplomatic mission met with representatives of the Armenian army command in the field, familiarized himself with the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the damages inflicted in the border regions as a result of the September 13-14 shelling.

Within the framework of the trip S. Kopirkin also visited separate battalion group of the 102nd Russian military base in Goris and separate aviation group of the Russian peace contingent in Sisian.
YEREVAN.  Zhoghovurd newspaper of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: After the interview of RA First President Levon Ter-Petrosyan to the Public Television Company, the trilateral ceasefire agreement signed in 1994 began to be discussed in the public domain.

In this regard, Zhoghovurd daily spoke with Vladimir Kazimirov, the head of the Russian mediation mission in 1992-1996, the RF [(Russian Federation)] Presidents authorized representative on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, trying to understand how it happened that at that time Azerbaijan managed not to sign the final protocol of the Moscow agreement.

On May 16-17, 1994, the meeting of Sargsyan, Mammadov, and Babayan takes place in Moscow, during which the document "Protocol on the procedure for the implementation of the protocol of February 18, 1994" is discussed. An agreement is signed to cease fire exactly as of midnight on May 17, as well as a document is prepared that envisaged the separation of Karabakh and Azerbaijani troops, the creation of a buffer zone between the parties, the deployment of peacekeeping forces.

The document is signed by Grachov, Sargsyan, and Babayan. Mammadov does not sign the document; he is urgently called to Baku. Azerbaijan refuses to sign the final protocol of the Moscow agreement, but the ceasefire becomes a reality.

"Azerbaijan immediately explains that the Azerbaijani side intends to conduct negotiations on the settlement of the conflict only within the framework of the CSCE [(Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe)], and there can be no question of the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in the conflict zone," Kazimirov recalls.
Fall into the arts with Octobers abundance of opportunities and events

With fall semester well underway, the Emory Arts calendar is packed with exciting events during October. Offerings include season openers from Emorys resident theater company and music ensembles, guest lectures, film screenings and events at the Carlos Museum. As always, there is something for everyone, so take a break from midterms to enjoy some of what Emory has to offer.

Theater Emory

Theater Emory opens its 2022-23 season with The Park: An Expressionist Fable, running Sept. 29-Oct. 2 at the Campus Life Pavilion. Performances are at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The piece is inspired by Frank Wedekinds novella, "Mine HaHa: Or on the Bodily Education of Young Girls," and will incorporate the movement and musical talents of the cast. A dash of pageant wagon in an expressionist nightmare, The Park follows seven young women as they navigate their creative yet restrictive and mysterious education. The show is free and no tickets are required, but reservations are suggested.

Theater Emory opens the second show of its 2022-23 season at the end of the month with Transmission in Advance of the Second Great Dying. The show tells an epic tale of grief and global warming through the intersecting lives of earths human and nonhuman inhabitants in 2045. Together their journeys become transmissions of hope and loss against the backdrop of planetary collapse. The show runs Oct. 27- Nov. 6 at the Mary Gray Munroe Theater. Most performances are at 7:30 p.m., but a few are at 5 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

Musical performances

Several of Emorys premier student ensembles will play their first concerts of the year in October. Emory Choirs perform their Fall Homecoming Concert Saturday, Oct, 22, at 8 p.m. On Sunday, Oct. 23, at 4 p.m., the Emory Wind Ensemble presents its fall concert. The following weekend, the Emory University Symphony Orchestra presents its opening fall concert Saturday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. All their concerts take place in the Emerson Concert Hall of the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts and are free. More information can be found on the Schwartz Center website.

Emory Jazz Combos return with the ever-popular Jazz on the Green series  free outdoor concerts on Patterson Green in front of the Schwartz Center. This months Jazz on the Green performances will take place Thursday, Oct. 6, and Thursday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m.

Emory also hosts a variety of visiting artists and ensembles in October. The Atlanta Master Chorale performs In the Middle at Emerson Concert Hall in the Schwartz Center on Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

Josh Perry, percussion tech, delivers a solo recital of four percussion pieces with electronic and multimedia Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. On Friday, Oct. 21, pianist David Kalhous delivers a solo recital at 6 p.m. featuring music by a variety of composers spanning three centuries. Both Perry and Kalhous recitals are at the Performing Arts Studio and admission is free.

Dance events

The Emory Dance Program welcomes guest artists the Urban Bush Women to campus this month. A collective of Black female dance artists led by visionary founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, the Urban Bush Women have been creating and performing dances that capture the spirit of African Diaspora dance since 1984. Anita Gonzalez, professor of performing arts and African American studies at Georgetown University, delivers the Friends of Dance Lecture Singing Spirit in the Body: Urban Bush Women and Black Cultural Dance in the Schwartz Dance Studio on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Urban Bush Women perform Legacy + Lineage + Liberation at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20; Friday, Oct. 21; and Saturday, Oct. 22, in the Schwartz Dance Studio. Tickets are on sale now and more information can be found at the Schwartz Center website.

Films and lectures

Emory Cinematheque continues to present Federico Fellini: A Centennial Celebration throughout the month of October. Fellini was one of the greatest and the most internationally acclaimed Italian filmmakers of the 20th century, winning four Academy Awards for best foreign-language movie and several prizes at various film festivals including Cannes and Venice. These weekly film screenings of Federico Fellinis work take place every Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall, Room 208. A full list of films can be found at the Emory Film and Media website.

In conjunction with Emory Cinematheque, the Fellini and Fantasy exhibition opens at the Carlos Museum in October. Materials on view include press clippings, correspondence and even original shooting scripts containing annotations and drawings by Federico Fellini, which reveal how the acclaimed director envisioned characters, scenes and even how he perceived himself. The exhibit is free to view with museum admission.

The Carlos Museum also hosts several events this month for Tibet Week, which runs Oct. 17-21. Highlights include an opening ceremony at 12 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, and a lecture by Sara McClintock, associate professor in the Department of Religion, Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. Both events will take place in Ackerman Hall. Additionally, anyone can stop by Ackerman Hall at any time during the week to watch the monks in residence from the Drepung Loseling Monastery construct the sand mandala of Akshobhya, the unshakeable victor for conflict resolution and peace.
In fall 2019, Christopher Mims was standing at a port in Vietnam when a friend called to ask if this outbreak in China was going to impact him. He was on the dock watching ships deliver containers the size of skyscrapers full of cell phone parts. Mims was in the middle of doing research for his 2021 book Arriving Today: From Factory to Front Door  Why Everything Has Changed About How and What We Buy.

As a tech writer, Mims started out investigating how robots were replacing humans in the manufacturing industry. He had no idea he was about to see the global supply chain implode before his very eyes. On the latest episode of One Big Question, Emory President Gregory L. Fenves interviews Mims about globalization and how it is impacting peoples day-to-day purchasing decisions. Listen to the full interview.

Fenves starts with the big question, For the last couple of years, anytime there's been a delay or a shortage, the global supply chain gets blamed ... can you explain what is going on?

Mims answers, in part, So, if you talk about something as complicated as a cell phone, 300 parts at least, the cumulative supply chain miles embodied in a cell phone could be 100,000 or more. There are a lot of single points of failure because those industries have been concentrated. If you want something really simple, like capacitors, well, you go to a capacitor village or town or city in China. And, if a capacitor town gets shut down by a pandemic, well, everybody who needs capacitors, which is every electronics manufacturer in the world, is going to have to dip into their reserves.

Mims pens the Wall Street Journal column Keywords, where he covers everything from electric cars to the metaverse. The Emory College graduate studied neuroscience and behavioral biology before pursuing a career in journalism. For more than a decade, hes been watching how technology has changed peoples daily lives. He also pays close attention to the labor market around technological advancement  from Silicon Valley to Asian provinces where computers are manufactured.

For Mims, globalization is not a lofty concept. As he explains to Fenves on One Big Question, The globe is more interconnected than ever. We're more interdependent than ever. And you really cannot untangle that web anymore.

Heres a snippet of their conversation:

Fenves: The global supply chain has been enabled by globalization, ease of trade, trade policies, flows of money, flows of technology and intellectual property. But I get a sense, a lot of that is starting to change.... So, how do you see the connection between the technology questions and the supply- chain questions with the broader trends in globalization?

Mims: There's this concept of re-assuring, where you bring manufacturing back to within the bounds of your country. People call it ally shoring. You imagine these two giant, geopolitically aligned blocks where it's Russia primarily trading with China and some other countries. And the U.S. and the EU and others are worried about, "Well, how do we make sure that we always have supplies of microchips if there's ever a war in the South China Sea or something? So, maybe we need to give Intel a bunch of money to bring microchip production back to the U.S."

Listen to the full conversation with Mims.

On each episode of One Big Question, Fenves sits down with Emory authors, inventors, researchers, alumni and more to learn about their experiences and areas of expertise. The first two episodes featured epidemiologist and social media maven Laurel Bristow and novelist Tayari Jones, who is Emory's Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing. All three episodes are up now.
In an effort to help students with disabilities at the University of Miami navigate campus life more efficiently and to facilitate more awareness about having a disability in college, a new student ambassador program is forming in partnership with the Office of Disability Services.

The Disability Ambassadors Program is currently seeking to be officially recognized by the Committee of Student Organizations (COSO). According to Mykel Billups, assistant dean of academic support at the Camner Center for Academic Resources and Office of Disability Services, the idea for the program stemmed from common challenges students would share with her about aspects of campus life and the need to build a sense of community among students with disabilities.

I noticed the students were using their relationship with me as a way of telling me something that theyre having trouble with on campus that I might not notice, said Billups. So, I finally said we need to get together and have conversations about thisI needed them to tell me what was working and not working.

The meetings at the Camner Center began about two years ago with then-students Ian Malesiewski, Carina Landgraf, and Billups and often were held with the Student Coalition for Disabilities working group, assembled by last years Student Government leadership.

Several students who currently are participating in the meetings are also involved with the Bridge Mentorship Program facilitated by Morgan Anderson, a learning specialist and assistant director for the Universitys independent learning initiative. The Bridge program originally aimed to bring upper-class students with disabilities together with newer students as a means of helping them have a smoother transition to college despite their impairments.

I think the Camner Center does such an excellent job in supporting those students in an academic way, but what weve seen over the years is there isnt really a social aspect, Anderson said. Dr. Billups was working with them and, because of the work that I do, she asked me if I wanted to get involved and I said yes, of course. So, we held an open house back in April and kind of presented the idea of an ambassador program, and there were a lot of people interested.

Since its inception, students have been working diligently over the summer to discuss the logistics of the ambassador program. They also have been constructing a pitch and constitution to present to the COSO to get the organization officially recognized and registered by the University.

The aim of this new program, according to Billups, is similar to that of the Bridge Mentorship Program but the student ambassadors will be a resource as well as mentors for incoming students with disabilities. They will offer information, support, and be role models for the students transitioning to college. These more seasoned students can share tips to navigate accessibility points around campus, help the newer students manage their work at a level that is best suited for them, and generally give advice that can help the others to quickly adjust to the many facets of life on campus.

Oftentimes, we get students and parents who would like to hear from a student who already went through the process of accessing accommodations, Billups said. The benefits of a student-to-student conversation would have more impact in developing a peer support network for a new student. A disability ambassador can help students understand the process and provide reassurance about what's going on to help relieve some of the added stressors that go along with the transition to a new place.

Some students with disabilities, such as sophomore Onelia Mendive who helped launch the Bridge program, noted that their own experiences of transitioning into college life inspired them to join the new organization.

I think the accommodations are good, but mainly good academically, said Mendive. You arent prepared for the social aspect of college and just how much it takes a toll on you. I can say for me, personally, it was just very exhausting at first to get into college.

Naturally, having students who identify as having a disability as the face of the new organization is a priority of both the advisors and students involved. According to Billups and Anderson, the goal is to have at least 50 percent of the students on the executive board identify as someone with a disability.

I have a friend thats a part of the organization and they were reaching out to me saying that I have to see this super cool club. Its something super unique that no ones ever done on campus, said Veronica Gilbert, a senior majoring in health sciences on the pre-med track. I do not identify [as a student with a disability], but I think that's one of the cool pieces of this club is how you can have this mix of diversity in leadership positions.

Given the programs inclusivity of all students, the advisors and students involved hope to facilitate more discussions about disability with others who have limited knowledge about dealing with disabilities and accessibility at college.

Whether their limitations are mental or physical, students with disabilities often require a combination of accommodations and adjustments specific to their needs, and this program aims to provide support while also educating the University community and beyond.

We want to educate people about disabilities, but we also want to make sure to try and make the school a better place for students with disabilities, said Mendive.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, visited the headquarters of Japanese energy company Inpex in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Sheikh Khaled, who is heading the UAE delegation to Japan, was accompanied by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE Special Envoy to Japan, and Managing Director and CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), as well as Shehab Ahmed Al Fahim, UAE Ambassador to Japan, and a number of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Sheikh Khaled was welcomed by Toshiaki Kitamura, Representative Director and Chairman of Inpex, and met with senior executives from the company. He was briefed on the strategic long-term partnership between Inpex and Adnoc as well as future opportunities for cooperation in the energy sector.

During the visit, Sheikh Khaled highlighted the strong bilateral ties between the UAE and Japan and stressed the UAE leaderships commitment to exploring further co-operation and partnership opportunities between both countries. He praised the important contribution of Inpex and its strategic partnership with ADNOC in developing the oil and gas sector in the UAE.

As a long-standing supplier of energy to Japan, Adnoc has had an enduring partnership with Inpex since 1973. In recent years, Inpex has been successful in Abu Dhabis onshore and offshore concession agreements, which are part of Adnocs 2030 smart growth strategy. Inpex was a founding partner in the ICE Futures Abu Dhabi (IFAD) commodities exchange, which launched in March 2021. The company is also working with Adnoc in a joint study agreement to explore the commercial potential of blue ammonia production in the UAE.  TradeArabia News Service
US supporting Europe after Nord Stream leaks

US supporting Europe after Nord Stream leaks

The United States said on Tuesday it was ready to help European allies on energy security after leaks were detected on the Nord Stream pipelines and said it was assessing whether sabotage was to blame.



Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was looking at reports that the leaks were "the result of an attack or some kind of sabotage".



"If it is confirmed, that's clearly in no one's interest," Blinken told reporters.



"My understanding is the leaks will not have a significant impact on Europe's energy resilience," Blinken said.



But he added: "What's critical is that we are working day in day out, both on a short term basis and a long term basis, to address energy security for Europe and, for that matter, around the world."



He pointed to US efforts to step up shipments of liquified natural gas since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine as US allies, notably Germany, tried to reduce their reliance on Russian energy.



US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan later tweeted that he had spoken to his "counterpart Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe of Denmark about the apparent sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines".



"The US is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europe's energy security," he added.



A White House official earlier said that "we stand ready to provide support" to Europeans after the leaks.



Ukraine accused Russia of causing the leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, saying the alleged actions amount to "nothing more than a terrorist attack".



Photographs taken by the Danish military showed large masses of bubbles on the surface of the Baltic Sea, while Sweden's seismological institute reported underwater blasts. (AFP)
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its ex-post facto approval for a pact between India and Bangladesh on withdrawal of upto 153 cusecs of water each by both from common border river Kushiyara. The MoU for this was signed on September 6 between Ministry of Jal Shakti and Bangladesh's Ministry of Water Resources. The withdrawal of up to 153 cusecs of water each by both the nations from Kushiyara river would be undertaken during the dry season between November 1 and May 31 for their consumptive water requirement, official sources said. A joint monitoring team would be set up by both the countries to monitor the withdrawal of water by each side during the dry season, the sources added. --IANS ans/vd ( 133 Words) 2022-09-28-20:54:03 (IANS)
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 28 (ANI/PRNewswire): International study abroad specialists, Edvoy, has launched a Refer a friend programme to their tech platform. Students who refer friends or family to the platform receive vouchers worth up to Rs 25,000 on the enrollment of their referral. Edvoy has launched a Refer a friend feature on their study abroad platform for registered students. A unique link is generated for each account, which the logged-in student can copy and share with friends and family. Once the referral registers with Edvoy, they begin their own study abroad journey, supported by Edvoy counsellors. The referrer receives their reward once their friend enrols in a course through Edvoy. Vouchers are for online stores like Amazon. The link can be found under the student referrer's profile; they can share their link with as many contacts as they like; there is no limit to rewards. They can access a dashboard that updates status of rewards, those redeemed and those pending. They also receive a notification when the vouchers are available. Sadiq Basha, CEO and Founder, Edvoy: "The students we work with and support, are our biggest advocates. They have experienced the care our counsellors give and feel confident in recommending Edvoy to their friends and family. We're incredibly grateful. Our new Refer a friend programme is a thank you from us to them, to show we recognise and appreciate their loyalty. Preparing to study abroad can be hard, Edvoy will do everything we can to support them in their journey. So, from now on, any referrals will receive vouchers. A little something that will, hopefully, help them on their path." Edvoy is a one-stop digital platform that supports overseas applicants in their entire study-abroad journey. Borne from the success of IEC Abroad, we have been providing excellence in global education support since 2007. IEC Abroad serviced thousands of students worldwide with tailored advice to help them realize their academic ambitions; Edvoy continues this legacy, digitally. Headquartered in Manchester, UK and with a presence globally. Our team is 300+ strong. Our Mission We want to simplify the world of education through technology. We're empowering students to make more informed decisions as they forge their educational paths. Our Vision We believe everyone has the right to education. Our technology connects prospective students and education providers through impartial advice. Through innovation, we will make education global. Links: https://hubs.la/Q01nhyXq0 CONTACT: Syed Humam Alihumam@edvoy.com+91-9560209970 Kate Pickeringkate.p@edvoy.com+44-0-1612334295 This story has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 28 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Rela Hospital has received the Award of Appreciation from the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN) in three categories for liver transplantation for the years 2021-2022. The award was presented by Hon'ble Health Minister Thiru Ma Subramanian to Prof Mohamed Rela and his liver transplant team at the award ceremony organised by the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu to felicitate the donor's families, doctors, and nurses. Prof. Mohamed Rela and his team received an appreciation award for performing the highest number of paediatric liver transplants during the 2021-2022 period under the Chief Minister's comprehensive health insurance programme. Rela Hospital received the award for the excellent performance of liver transplantation in Tamil Nadu during 2021-2022. These awards of appreciation are the highest accolades given to hospitals across Tamilnadu that raises awareness of organ donation and performs organ transplantation as well. Rela Hospital supported by Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme has performed liver transplantation for more than 100 children from Tamilnadu. Prof Mohammed Rela has been honoured as the "Pioneer in Liver Transplantation" by the Government of Tamilnadu. "We are forever grateful to the Government of Tamil Nadu for their visionary leadership and unwavering support for organ transplantation. It is their support aided by our surgical excellence and innovative approach to healthcare that has transformed the way we support the communities we serve, and lay a solid foundation for our future," said Prof Mohamed Rela, Chairman of Rela Hospitals. He also said, "I would want to express my gratitude to the families that choose to give their loved one's organs to save many other families. That is not an easy task at that emotional time." This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
Mumbai (Maharashtra)/Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], September 28 (ANI/BusinessWire India): IQVIA (NYSE: IQV) today announced that Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (Dr Reddy's), a leading multinational pharmaceutical company based in India, has selected IQVIA Orchestrated Customer Engagement (OCE) platform as its core CRM solution for its entire field force in India. "We are pleased to appoint IQVIA as our CRM platform partner for India," said Mukesh Rathi, Global Chief Digital and Information Officer, Dr Reddy's Laboratories. "OCE will help streamline our field processes and in-clinic customer interactions, while driving productivity, and improving our field team's experience with digital tools." Under the terms of this multi-year agreement, Dr Reddy's will rollout IQVIA's OCE application to its entire field force and marketing users in India to drive more meaningful and impactful customer engagement by seamlessly linking marketing, sales, medical science liaison, account management, and other functions. OCE is IQVIA's CRM Application Suite that enables life sciences clients to digitally transform their sales and marketing operations. Powered by IQVIA Connected Intelligence, OCE provides role-specific intelligent workflows that improve decision making and make HCP engagement smarter, faster, and more convenient. The OCE suite is a highly configurable and scalable SAAS based CRM solution which is built on best-in-class platforms, such as Salesforce.com, Mulesoft, Amazon Web Services, Heroku, and Box. "We look forward to our partnership with Dr Reddy's Laboratories and to deploying our best-in-class CRM solution that creates precisely targeted and personalized HCP interactions, leading to improved business outcomes," said Amit Mookim, Managing Director, South Asia, IQVIA. Currently, more than 190 life sciences companies worldwide successfully use OCE as their flagship CRM system. The platform provides a scalable, standardized solution that meets local requirements as well as global ones, besides providing near real time in-clinic and field analytics. IQVIA has set up a dedicated team and delivery center in Bangalore to assist pharma companies, including those in India, in leveraging these solutions. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
A joint statement was signed between Indian and Dutch officials to formalise fast-track mechanism (FTM) for investments of companies from the Netherlands operating in India. Marten van den Berg, Ambassador of the Netherlands to India, and Anurag Jain, secretary, department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT), signed and exchanged the joint statement to formalise the bilateral FTM between India and the Netherlands on Tuesday. Invest India, the national investment promotion and facilitation agency, is the executing body of the bilateral FTM. The FTM between India and the Netherlands aims to serve as a platform for faster resolution of investment cases of Dutch companies operating in India. The mechanism will function with the Embassy of the Netherlands in close cooperation with DPIIT, respective ministries and departments, and Invest India. The FTM mechanism will strengthen and assist bilateral efforts to increase mutual investment activities, as well as support and develop business cooperation between companies of both countries. Marten van den Berg, Ambassador of The Netherlands to India, said: "It is worthy of noting the strong economic relation between India and the Netherlands. Some Dutch companies have been operating for over 100 years in India, which illustrates this close bilateral relationship. We are keen to collaborate more with our Indian partners to further stimulate Dutch companies in India, particularly in key areas of economics, science and innovation." According to official statistics, the Netherlands is the fourth largest foreign direct investor in India. Anurag Jain, secretary, DPIIT, said: "I would like to highlight the opportune period during which we are signing this FTM - Amrit Kaal, the celebration of 75 years of Independence as well as our bilateral diplomatic relationship," and added that "India is one of the few countries which have a very open FDI policy, and we have worked to resolve several issues of Dutch companies even before the FTM process began. In this context, we are formalising a relationship which was present since long before." "Diplomatic relations between India and The Netherlands were formally established in 1947. Since then, the two countries have developed strong political, economic & commercial relations, and various sectoral co-operations," said Deepak Bagla, managing director & chief executive, Invest India. (ANI)
New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): Bangalore-based manufacturer and integrator of Aerospace and Defence products today received a "Special Jury Award" for Excellent Exports Performance under large scale export category at the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) 5th Annual Session 2022. This year the event is based on the theme "India@75: Shaping for India@100" to encourage A&D manufacturing in India. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over the award to the SASMOS team in a magnificent event held in New Delhi in presence of top leadership from the Ministry of Defence, Indian Armed Forces, and Industry. The 2022 SIDM annual event is conceptualized with an aim to position India as one of the top countries in defence manufacturing, which includes creating indigenous products for our country's defence needs as well as serving India's Friendly Foreign Countries. As a manufacturer in the defence sector, SASMOS has been working on technologies and products for the Indian government and has achieved special recognition for the India-made technologies and products in foreign lands. On receiving the Special Jury Award, H. G. Chandrasekhar, Founder and CMD, SASMOS, said, "We would like to take this opportunity to thank Hon'ble Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and all the dignitaries and SIDM Jury for this prestigious award. We are overwhelmed and honoured at the same time to share the stage with the people working with the same goal of indigenization and localization of the most vital defense technologies and creating a safer, smarter, and agile environment for our defence personnel." He further adds, "Since our inception, we have always been abreast with the latest trends and technologies to deliver products which are highly proficient for critical missions and are ready to serve the nation as well as the global markets. We consider this award to be a special recognition of our commitment and efforts put forth in the last decade to establish India as one of the major experts in defence exports. We are hopeful that we will continue to receive unprecedented support for the government of India." The jury has selected SASMOS for their efficiency in exporting defence products with a brilliant track record and representing India among the global manufacturer and exporters. Built with a mission to create an indigenous brand to innovate and produce technically advanced solutions, SASMOS is always working towards research development and innovation to provide value to customers around the globe. SASMOS Defence Systems Division AVIRATA and Fiber Optic Division offer customized electronics, electrical, electro-mechanical mission-critical solutions, and fiber optic interconnectivity products for harsh environment applications delivering perfection from Marine to Space. Incorporated in 2017 Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) has established itself as India's only Defence Industry association dedicated to working as an advocate, catalyst, and facilitator for the growth and capability building of the defence industry in India. The SIDM represents the entire spectrum of Defence and Aerospace manufacturers in India covering both the Public and the Private Sector where large companies, MSMEs, Start-Ups, FOEMs, and Academic Institutions collaborate irrespective of their geographic locations. Working closely with the Government and manufacturers, SIDM has been instrumental in shaping a conducive policy environment for the growth of the defence Industry in India. SASMOS HET Technologies Limited is an innovative and value-driven company with 13+ years of experience in the segment of Aerospace and Defence. With state-of-the-art manufacturing centers at Whitefield and Aerospace SEZ Bangalore, SASMOS currently employs over 1000+ human resources and has earned a reputation of being one of India's top 100 SMEs. SASMOS Business segments range across platforms, from sea to space with capabilities of designing, qualification, and manufacturing Electrical interconnections for Fighter, Trainer, Surveillance, Cargo, Commercial and Business Aircrafts, Marine Applications, Weapon control Systems, UAV and Satellites, Electromechanical assemblies, and system integrations for control systems in addition to electronic solutions for Armoured vehicles, missiles, and aircraft. SASMOS is well recognized by top global OEMs for their best-in-class delivery and quality performances with the highest level of reliability. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Over 400 delegates, representing various industries from across India, participated in Odisha investors' meet held in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Welcoming a galaxy of potential investors at Bengaluru investors' meet Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik gave a clarion call to the captains of industry saying, "Come, invest in Odisha and be our partner in ushering in a new industrial age in Odisha." Emphasising the commitment of the State, he said Odisha is committed to provide an ecosystem for job linked industrial growth. If any state is providing X incentive for promotion of business opportunities, we will provide X plus. Our Government walks the talk, he added. The CM sought the participation of industry captains in the Make in Odisha Conclave to be held in Bhubaneswar from 30th November to 4th December 2022. Expressing pleasure over the meet, he thanked the industrialists by saying, "Thanks to your innovative and inspiring work, India has emerged as a major force in the world of technology and manufacturing." He further added, "I have come to invite you all to Odisha and be part of our transformative journey. Odisha is now progressing fast in every sector. On the strength of our abundant natural resources, skilled human resources and stable governance, Odisha is emerging as a leading destination for industries and investment." He said that most of the top Indian IT companies have established their centres in Bhubaneswar. The government is also providing continuous support to the Startup ecosystem in the city, he added according to a statement. Highlighting state's record on grounding of investment proposals, he said that Odisha is ranked among the top States of India in terms of live manufacturing investments and has been accorded the "Achiever" status in the recently released "Ease of Doing Business" ratings. He said that the Make in Odisha Conclave, 2022 is a platform for our state to showcase our growth story and present what we have to offer to investors across the globe. It is a platform for industry captains and thought-leaders to talk about the future outlook of various industrial sectors, he added. Addressing the industry leaders, Pratap Keshari Deb, Minister - Industries, MSME & Energy, Government of Odisha, said, "We are today becoming a destination of choice for investors across the country. I would like to welcome all the Industry Captains, associations and their members present here to come and explore Odisha as your next investment destination." Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary, Industries Department, Skill Development & Technical Education and Chairman-IDCO and Chairman-IPICOL, Government of Odisha, made a presentation about the industrial ecosystem in Odisha and about the Make in Odisha Conclave'-22 to the audience. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met several senior industrialists across sectors to discuss their plans for Odisha and personally invite them to the Make in Odisha Conclave' 2022. During the discussions, the chief minister highlighted the major pro-business reforms undertaken by his Government and asked the Industrialists to explore Odisha as a potential destination for their businesses. (ANI)
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav attended the Ministerial Roundtable for Green Economy at the World Green Economy Summit in Dubai on Wednesday and said accelerating low carbon transition across different economic sectors is the need of the hour. Speaking at the roundtable, Union Minister stressed the importance of addressing environmental and climate objectives alongside economic development. The Minister outlined achievements under various policies as well as partnerships steered by India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He mentioned global initiatives like International Solar Alliance and other initiatives for strengthening the green economy across key sectors like energy, industry, transportation, agriculture, and forestry. According to an official release, the minister mentioned about the measures taken by India on sustainable finance such as sovereign green bonds, blended finance as well as setting up the GIFT city and the ISA-Solar Risk Mitigation Initiative. The Union Environment Minister stated that India is the first country with a cooling action plan based on energy efficiency and thermal comfort, and has launched important initiatives including UJALA Yojana and schemes for industrial energy efficiency. India's ambitious renewable energy progress was also mentioned. On climate finance, Yadav stated that Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero estimates a requirement of USD 100 trillion of finance for global net zero by 2050. He said developed countries have failed even in mobilizing the amount of USD 100 billion per annum by 2020, and India's NDCs are thus largely financed by domestic investment. After the Roundtable, the Union Minister also had a bilateral meeting with Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade. In the meeting, they discussed issues relating to COP 27, COP 28, MoU on Climate Actions between India and UAE, and global initiatives spearheaded by UAE and India for combating climate change. (ANI)
Turnover of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited surged by 57 per cent to hit a record high of Rs 28,215 crore for the financial year 2021-22, the Ministry of Steel said on Wednesday. For the financial year 2021-22, the Company earned positive Profit Before Tax (PBT) after 6 fiscal, Atul Bhatt, Chairman and Managing Director of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) said while addressing the shareholders. During the year, the company achieved an EBITDA of Rs 3469 crore with a growth of 148 per cent over the previous year. The Company has also earned a cash profit of Rs 1,923 crore in the financial year 2021-22. The 40th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the Navratna PSU, was held on Wednesday in Visakhapatnam. Bhatt said that the best performance was registered during the year in all major production areas with growth over the previous year, in spite of curtailed operations in Q4 on account of Coking Coal crisis. The Hot Metal production of 5.77 Mt achieved during the year is the highest for any single unit of Public Sector Steel Plant in the country. Best Ever Performance was registered during the year in all important Techno Economic parameters. High End Value Added Steel production was increased by 29 per cent over previous year. Based on the customers' requirement, 22 new grades were developed during the year. Reaping the benefits of Central Despatch Yard, best ever Despatch Rake Retention of 15.58 hr was achieved in the year. The Company achieved a growth of 81 per cent in the Sales to Projects Segment. With this, a growth of 28 per cent was achieved in Domestic Sales, though the Automobile Sector was impacted by shortage of semiconductor chips. With focus on High End Value Added Steel production, growth of 18% was achieved over the previous year (2020-21) he added. (ANI)